A Sermon preached at Paul's Cross the 4. of December. 1597.  
Wherein is discoursed, that all buying and selling of Spiritual promotion is unlawful.  
By JOHN HOWSON, Student of Christes-Church in Oxeford.  
AT LONDON, Printed for Th. Adam's. 1597.   

❧ A Sermon preached at Paul's Cross the 24. of December 1597. by john Howson, Student of Christs-Church in Oxford.  
The text.  
And jesus went into the Temple of God, and east out all them that sold and bought in the Temple & overthrew the Tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves:  
And said to them; it is written, mine house shall be called the house of prayer: but yea have made it a den of thieves.  Mat. 21.12. & 13. 
IT is affirmed by them that have best laboured, and even spent their spirits to discover the profound mysteries of the holy scriptures, that the text contextus, the web of it, is so cunningly and so skilfully woven by the holy spirit of God, that it is, omnibus accessibilis, but paucissimis penetrabilis; 
Aug. Epist. 5.  that is to be handled & felt of any man, but few eyes can pierce to the groundwork of it. Which truth wrought this confession in Chrysologus an ancient learned and devout Writer, so called for the golden sentences which proceeded from him, that Singula scripturae verba, si libris singulis mandarentur, etc. 
Serm. 64.  which is, If there were a book written, a particular book of every particular word almost, in the holy Scriptures; yet the mistresses of them could not by that means be sufficiently discovered to us.  
Wherefore (right Honourable, etc.) it is not to be expected at my hands, that in this short time, limited to the measure of my strength and your patience, I should deliver unto you whatsoever is noteable or noted already by so many reverend and learned Fathers (old and new) of the literal, historical, moral, or allegorical sense of this scripture; nor to make application according to the variety and abundance of sense, which the spirit of God hath imparted to you, most reverend Fathers and learned Divines: for I do not presume to speak that quod potissimum dicendum esset; which is indeed most fit to be spoken; seeing it is a great matter, and above the common and ordinary reach, nihil dicere quod dicendum non est: 
Hug in Ecclesiast. Hom. 1.  to say nothing which were not better unsaid, than spoken.  
Wherefore as Saint Luke divided his first Sermon, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 1. his Gospel, which comprehended the whole life of our Saviour Christ, into two parts, into those things, quae coepit jesus Facere, 
Act. 1.  & Docere; which he did, and which he taught, into his doings, and into his Say: so do I divide this Text, in Factum, & Dictum; into a Deed of his, and into a Speech of his; into an Action of his, and the Reason of it. The Action in these words, And jesus went into the Temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the Temple, etc. The Reason; And said unto them it is written, etc.  

The Action.  The Action was a reformation of certain abuses or profanations of the Temple of God: In which I observe these circumstances. First the Author, who; secondly the Time, when; thirdly the Place, where; four the Matter, what; and fifthly the Manner, how this reformation was performed.  

1. The author.  For the first, the Author of this reformation is our Saviour Christ jesus, who performed it not as a man only, or the true son of the blessed Virgin Mary, or the supposed son of joseph, not as he was factus sub lege, Galath. 4. made under the law; nor to suffer in the flesh; 1. Pet. 4. nor to be crucified concerning his infirmity 2. Cor. 13. but as the only begotten of God, the chief Priest, and the King of Kings, whose dominion is from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the land. Psal. 72. whose office and authority, that is his Kingdom and Priesthood was prefigured by the two crowns, the silver and the golden crown, which were hung up in the Temple. Zach. 6.  
Now in this Author of this reformation, 
Two things required in a reformer.  I observe for this present, two things, which are required in all good reformers. One is his authority, that he is a King and a Priest: the other his conditions and qualities, that he is without fault himself that reformeth other. Without the first, that is authority, there can be no reformation; without the second, hardly any good reformation.  
That it was performed by our Saviour who was King and Priest, it argueth how convenient the counsel and knowledge of the Priest is, for the civil magistrate in reforming the Temple: for as the Priest may attempt nothing, no alteration without the prince (and therefore Saint Paul when he came to Athens, though he saw Idols and Altars, 
Act. 27.  and one ignoto Deo, to the unkowne GOD yet he offered no violence, but preached unto them the GOD which they knew not; and though he saw Idols and Idolatry in the Temple of Diana, yet he offered no violence; 
Acts. 19  but preached only, they were not Gods that were made with hands; and pulled not down the sign of Castor and Pollux in the ship of Alexandria that carried him to Rome: 
Acts. 28. ) so it is convenient that the Princes and civil Magistrates in their reformations of the Church and Religion take counsel and advise of the Priests and the Prophets: and therefore King David when he would have built the Temple, 
2. Sam. 7.  he sent for the Prophet Nathan, and took counsel of him. 
4. Reg. 12.  And joas did nothing amiss in the presence of God, so long as he was informed by jehoiada the Priest. And Ezechias did the thing that pleased the Lord, and remained steadfastly in the ways of David his father, 
Eccles. 48.  while Esay the great Prophet, and faithful in his vision, commanded him. And God stirred up the spirit of Zorobabel, the Prince of judah, 
Agg. 2.  and the spirit of jehosua the high Priest, that they jointly together might restore the building of the Temple; all which argue, that the wisdom and knowledge of the Priest is to be joined with the authority of the Prince in establishing or reforming the Church of God.  

2. Heb, 7. 1 ●et, 2. 2 Cor, 5. 1 Ioh, 3. 8. john.  Secondly, that it was performed by our Saviour Christ, who was holy, harmless & undefiled; who did no sin, as Saint Peter saith, who knew no sin, as Saint Paul saith; who had no sin in him, as Saint john saith; and therefore might safely say, which of you can rebuke me of sin? It argueth that they which are reformers of Churches, yea and of Commonwealths, should be holy, harmless, undefiled, and uncorrupt, as much as may be, least under the colour of reformation they bring in a deformation, and where they be chosen to be Rephaims, 
Deut, 2.  that is, Physicians or reformers of vices, they become Zanzumins corrupters, wicked and abominable. For although ex malis moribus bonae leges causaliter, Evil manners are the occasion of making good laws: Yet wicked men are seldom the authors of good laws: but Valerius Flaccus turpissimus author erit turpissimae legis. Valerius Flaccus, 
Vell. Patere.  a wicked and corrupt man, will be the author (as far forth as he may) of a wicked and corrupt law: or if not of a wicked law, yet of a cunning law, with a fair gloss and pretence of the common wealth, when he is indeed intentus sibi, 
Pachimer.  attentive only to his own profit and private gain; with a fair gloss and pretence of the safety of the state, when he seeketh to satisfy his own malice, or effect some revenge; as the Priests and pharisees made a law to put our Saviour Christ to death, least the Romans should come, 
Ioh, 11.  and take away both their place and their nation; with a fair gloss and pretence to maintain the privileges of the people, or the authority of the Senate, as amongst the Romans', 
Sal. in Cat.  when pro sua quisque potentia certabat, every man endeavoured to advance and increase his own honour with a fair gloss and pretence to relieve the poor, when; ex ipso remedio morbi nascuntur, poverty is increased in some other estate. 
Plin. l. 2. op. 20.  These and a number the like, are the issues and effects, when wicked and corrupt men do aspire to the place and authority emendandi, id est, disperdendi, as Pliny saith, of reforming that is deforming a state: whereas if they be holy, and just, and incorrupt, as our Saviour Christ was, I say not in essence, but in imitation: 
Scuerissimar●i sed iustissimarum legum author.  nay but as just as Lycurgus the heathen was, who was the maker of most severe, but most just laws, the reformation would be just though somewhat severe, as was this reformation of our Saviour Christ.  
For the Time if we consider it, in respect of our Saviour Christ, as in what time of his life it was done, 
2. Circumstance. The Time. 4. Reg. 12. 4. Reg. 23.  as we consider and observe in what year of a Prince's reign he beginneth his reformation; as it is said, in the 23. year of joas reign he repaired the Temple; and josias in his 18. year reform religion: may it please you to understand that it was done towards the end of his life, when he was even now going to his passion. And lest you should gather hereby, that the reformation of religion, or of the Church, or abuses thereof, should be the last thing which a good Prince or Magistrate should regard, when Aristotle could say; that with every good Magistrate, in every good Common wealth, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first and the chiefest thing is, the regard of establishing or reforming of religion, 
Polit. l. 7 cap. 8  and the Church of God: you shall understand, that with the like action he began his office, as it appeareth in Saint john's Gospel, where also with a whip of little cords, presently after his first miracle, at his first coming to the Temple, 
john. 2.  he cast out the sheep, and the oxen, and the sellers of them: So that if Omnis Christi actio be nostra instructio, every action of our Saviour Christ be a lesson for us, we may learn by this that it is not only the last office, which a good Prince or Magistrate should put in practice, to reform the abuses in the Church of God, but the first also; and not only the first, but also the last, the Alpha and Omega, and not the first and the last, but his continual endeavour. And therefore where all ancient Writers agree that this was put in practice twice by our Saviour; some learned men of later time say, 
Aret. super. 21. Matth.  Ter hoc fecit Christus, Christ did it thrice. First in the beginning of his preaching; john 2. Secondly, in die palmarum, that is in this place; and thirdly when he returned out of Bethania, 
Mark. 11.  and cursed the Figtree. So that if it be demanded what is the first duty or virtue of a Magistrate; we may answer out of this example; to reform the abuses and profanations in the Church of God? And if we demand what the second duty or virtue of a Magistrate is? we may answer out of this place; to reform the abuses and profanation of the Church of God? and if we demand what is the third duty or virtue of a Magistrate; we may answer; To reform, & c? Not that the Commonwealth or civil affairs should be neglected but because if the subjects do, 
1. Pet 2.  Deum timere, Fear God, that will follow naturally which lieth orderly in the text, they will Regem honorificare, Honour their King: if they fear God, 
Xenoph. in Cyropaep. 8.  they will honour their King: and as Cyrus could say very well, if all the subjects were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, true servants of God, they would give the King his honour.  
If we consider the time in respect of the season of the year, or according to the division of days, which the wise man maketh, where some days are said to be chosen and sanctified, 
Eccles. 33.  as the holidays and solemn feasts; and some to be numbered only, as the first or second of such a month: both this reformation and the former john. 2. was, in festo Paschatis, when he came to jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Passeover. 
Deut. 16.  For at three feasts in the year, all the males were bound by the law to appear before God in jerusalem, in the feasts of Easter, Pentecost, and the Tabernacles. 
Lyra super. 2. cap. john.  And although as Lyra noteth in two feasts of Pentecost and the Tabernacles, those that dwelled far off were sometimes dispensed with; yet there was no dispensation for the feast of Easter. Now our Saviour Christ until his Passion did observe the law duly, and consequently at these feasts did ascend to jerusalem.  
Now it is probable that to the imitation of this, it was provided in former and ancient times of Christianity, as appeareth in Concilio Agathensi Can. 18. 
Concil. Agathen. sub. Xisto. 3. circa. anun. 440.  That all Christians of lawful age should jointly together at their parish Churches receive the Sacrament of the Lords supper, at three special feasts in the year, at the feast of the Nativity, Easter, and Pentecost: and although a dispensation were admitted sometimes at two of these feasts, yet at Easter (no remedy) all should receive. Which kind of imitation of some ceremonies of the old law, observed by antiquity, I cannot condemn: For although old things are passed away, yet behold new things are come in their place. 
2. Cor. 5.  And although all things are not to be made and ordered, as Moses was commanded to make the Tabernacle, 
Heb. 8.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, according to the example or pattern that was showed him in the mount; that is according to the example of the old law: (for we refuse the carnal observations of the law, and such types and figures as represent our saviours coming in the flesh, or those benefits and blessings which were proper and peculiar unto the jews) yet as the jews had a King, though their kingdom be now abolished; so we have a new King, Vbi est qui natus est rex judaeorum? 
Math. 2.  a King which is borne both to jews and Gentiles. And as they have an old Testament, so we have a new Testament: 
2. Cor. 3.  and as they had the spirit, so we have a new Spirit; I will give unto you a new heart and a new Spirit: 
Ezech. 36.  and as they had Commandments, so we have a new Commandment; A new Commandment Give I unto you: 
john. 13.  and as they had an inheritance promised them, the land of Canaan; so we have a new inheritance promised us; 
Apoc. 21.  I saw a new heaven and a new earth: and as they had their Temple, so we have our Churches: and as they had their Sacraments, so we have our Sacraments: and as they had their Sabbath, so we have our Sunday: And as they had their Feasts, so we have our Feasts and new Holidays, to put us in mind of those blessings we have received of the bounty of God: one feast to remember his Nativity, another to put us in mind of his Passion, another of his Resurrection, another of his Ascension, another of other spiritual blessings, either performed to us by our Saviour Christ or his blessed Apostles.  
And no doubt if some ceremonies were necessary to be observed among God's people to retain the memory of blessings received, and maintain the hope and expectation of the Messiah to come, seeing we that are Christians are as unthankful and forgetful of the manifold blessings of God as they were, & it is as hard a matter & as miraculous to us, to believe that which is past 1600. years since, as for them to believe that which was to come, seeing neither they, nor we, are eye-witnesses of it, but give credit to other; they to their Prophets whom in things to come they firmly believed; we to our Evangelists & Apostles whom we cannot deny, or suspect in things that are past; we have as good use of our rites and ceremonies as they had of theirs. I give this brief note the rather because as S. Basil complained of his time, 
Basil. ep 70.  it is reckoned a great fault and even superstition amongst us. Si quis paternas traditiones diligenter obseruet, if a man observe diligently the rites and ceremonies commamnded by the Church and received from all antiquity.  
And yet here we find that our Saviour Christ according to the ancient custom of the jews goeth up yearly to jerusalem to celebrate the Passeover, and satisfy the law and the ceremonies of the law, that reached not to him: and suffered himself to be circumcised, which needed not even by the reason of the law, because he was intacta matre natus; and his mother fulfilled the ceremony of purification, which was not necessary, because she was not comprehended under the law, for non suscepto semine conceperat; she conceived not as other women did, 
Luke, 1.  but was overshadowed by the holy Ghost: and he was subject to his parents, which was not subiectio necessitatis, 
Lyra.  but pietatis, not matter of necessity, but rather example of piety and obedience: and here we find him not only observing the sabbath, but other solemn feasts, to teach us, 
Super. joh. 2.  saith Marlorat, to come to Church on holidays, as well as on Sundays. A great negligence or rather contempt by little and little crept in amongst us, I mean not them that are irreligious, and little regard any service of GOD, but even of such who have even in their mouths, though not templum Domini the temple of the Lord (for they regard not the place,) yet ●abbatum Domini, the Lords Sabbath; but think no day holy, or lawful to be devoted to the service of God, but the seventh day only.  
But as the jews being too much affected to the letter of the law, or misled by the pharisees the interpreters of it, thought the fift Commandment to be violated only by murder and slaughter of a man, and the 6, commandment broken only by actual adultery; but our Saviour playing the interpreter, telleth them, Verily, verily I say unto you, that he that is unadvisedly angry doth murder, and he that looketh after a woman to lust after her doth commit adultery, 
Math. 5.  though there be difference in the sins: so we say unto you who think the violating of the seventh day, to be only against the fourth commandment, we say that the breach and profanation not only of the greater solemnities, viz. Christmas, Easter, Whitsuntide, etc. are the breach of the Sabbath, but also the profanation of the smaller feasts, which are appointed for the service of God, and the memory of those blessings we have received by the means of his servants, is the breach of the Sabbath. And therefore in the holy Scriptures we find, not only the seventh day called the Sabbath, but all other feasts & holy days, either appointed by God, or the lawful Magistrate, as in the 23. of Leuit. where the first day of the seventh month, 
Levit. 13.  and many other feasts are called the Sabbath: And lest you should think that these feasts had the name only of a Sabbath, and not the sollemnization; you may read that Hester & Mardocheus in remembrance of the deliverance of the jews, proclaimed a feast or holydaie to be observed yearly, and added this law, Nulli liceat hos duos dies absque solemnitate transigere: that it should be lawful for no man to pass over those days, but in great solemnity; and the new feast instituted by judas Machabaeus, 
Eneavia. joh. 10.  our Saviour observed, as we read in the Gospel; and walked not in the streets, but came In porticum Solomonis, into the house of God, into that place where in all probability, he did use to teach, when it is said he came into the Temple: and thus far by occasion of the second circumstance.  

The third circumstance. Chrysost in opere imperfecto.  The third circumstance is the place where he began this reformation; and that was in the Temple of God, and jesus went into the Temple of God. S. Chrisosotome, in opere imperfecto, or the author whosoever, noteth it to be the property of a good son, first to visit his father's house when he cometh to town, and perform that duty and honour which is due unto him: And here we see, our Saviour Christ when he cometh to jerusalem, first to visit his father's house Templum Dei, the Temple of God, though now for the abuse thereof it might be called Templum judaeorum, the Temple of the jews, as Saint john calleth the feast of the Passover, 
Ioh 2.  Pascha judaeorum, not Pascha Dei, because the jews abused it by their inventions, as Saint Origen noteth upon that place; 
Origen. Ibid.  but considering the first institution, he calleth it the Temple of God, though by abuse it was become a den of thieves. And wherein should a good son rather busy himself, than in reforming the abuses of his father's house, the government whereof is committed to him, as our Saviour told joseph and his blessed mother; 
Luke, 2.  must I not go about my father's business?  
Now although the people were called the people of GOD; and the City, the City of God, as we read every where in the Psalms and Prophets, though as it is in the prophesy of Esay, 
Esay, 1.  The faithful City was become an harlot, and had neither judgement, nor justice in it, and the people of God become, a sinful nation, and a people laden with iniquity; yet he beginneth not his reformation there, but in the temple of God.  
Giving this as a lesson by his example to all Princes, and Magistrates to whom it may appertain, that as a Physician when he comes unto a sick man, first demandeth the state of his stomach, and laboureth especially to order it, (because if the stomach be sound, the body is strong, if the stomach be sick, the whole body is weakened;) so the Magistrate when he findeth the body of the common wealth diseased, or distempered, let him first inquire after the stomach how that is affected, that is, what is amiss in Church and Churchmen; for from thence as from the root, or from the heart, or from the fountain, or from the stomach, proceedeth the health, or the diseases, the sins or the virtues, of the Prince and the people: 
Chrisost. in opere imperfecto.  as S. Chrysostome observeth, De templo omne bonum egreditur, de templo omne malum procedit, From the Temple cometh all good, and from the Temple proceedeth all evil: For the virtues of the Priest are like the ointment, which being powered upon Aaron's head runneth down to his beard and so along to the border and skirts of his garment, that is, first affect the Magistrate, & them that are seated in higher places, and so by degrees the meanest people: and the sin of the Clergy is like a rheum, which ascendeth out of the stomach into the head, and from thence spreadeth itself, into all parts of the body: according to that of Leviticus, Si sacerdos qui unctus est peccaverit, faciet delinquere populum, 
Levit. 4.  If the Priest which is the anointed of the Lord, shall hap to sin, he shall cause the people to sin also. So that if the people be good and virtuous, the Priest may say as Saint Paul said to the Corinth. Nun opus meum vos estis in Domino? 
1. Cor. 9  are not you my workmanship in the Lord? If the people be ill, they may say to the Priest, 
Hug. Card.  Nun destructio nostra vos estis? are not you our destruction? yea, no question, you are our destruction. Wherefore though many other things were amiss amongst the people of the jews, yet because they proceeded from the disorder of the Temple, as the effect from the cause, according to the counsel of God by the prohet Ezechiell, à sanctuario meo incipite, 
Ezech. 9  Begin at my sanctuary; and the rule which his Apostle Saint Peter learned of him, that judgement must begin at the house of God, 
1. Pet. 4.  he beginneth his reformation at the Temple of God.  

The fourth circumstance.  But let us consider the fourth circumstance what it was that he reform there: He cast out all those that sold, and bought in the Temple, and overthrew the tables of money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves. Now because these abuses, buying and selling, of sheep, and oxen, and doves, and money-changers, and that in the Temple of God, may seem somewhat strange unto you, may it please you to understand, that according to the commandment of God, all sorts of people from all the regions of jury, came up to this most royal and ample Temple, especially on festival days, to offer sacrifice unto the Lord. The richer sort offered oxen, goats, sheep, etc. the poorer sort, pigeons, and turtle doves, etc. But it happened oftentimes, that they which came far off, brought no sacrifices with them; wherefore the Priests to make a prey of the people, as Saint Jerome noteth, sold themselves, or caused to be sold by others, sheep, and oxen, and doves, & whatsoever was necessary for the sacrifice: and for this merchandizing in the Temple, had their pretence out of the letter of the law; 
Deut. 14.  where they that dwelled far off, were commanded to sell their offerings at home, and with that money buy oxen and sheep, etc. when they came to jerusalem. Now the Priests seemed to provide for this law, that none that came far off might want sacrifices; but indeed under pretence of that, studied their own profane profit and gain.  
Now because it happened that some came thither that were so poor, that they had no money to buy them offerings, they placed there money-changers, who upon security would lend them the money: but because usury was forbidden by the law, & yet they would make some gain of their money they were contented to take smaller trifles, which would yield them money, as raisins and apples, and such kind of stuff, as they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, thinking by this means to avoid the law; whereas the Prophet Ezechiel saith usura a & superabundantiam non accipietis; 
Ezech. 22.  you shall not take either usury or increase.  
Others that are learned are of opinion, that these money-changers, these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they be called in the text, were placed there to change their moneys that came to that place to buy their sacrifices, as to change greater money for smaller, or good for silver; or foreign money for currant money; and were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which signified an halfpenny, which was given for the change, which may be gathered to be more probable, because Saint john calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
joh. 2.  which signifieth small money, and serveth for change; so that it should seem these money-changers, were such as Caietane noteth to be in Rome for such purposes, in gradibus Divi Petri, upon S. Peter's stairs.  
Moreover may it please you also to understand for your better instruction in this story, and that you may perceive what these abuses were, that the name of the Temple is sometimes taken properly and strictly pro domo templi, for the body of the temple, which was divided into two parts, as our churches are, one was called Sanctum, the holy place, where there was the Altar of incense, the Table, and the candlestick; and the other was Sanctum sanctorum, the holy of holiest, where was the Ark of the Testament, and the two Cherubins: into that part that was called Sanctum, the Priests only entered to offer incense, and none other; into the Sanctum sanctorum the high Priest entered only, and that but once a year.  
Sometimes the Temple is taken more largely, and signifieth a certain quadrangle compassed in with a wall, before the Temple; and it was called Atrium Sacerdotum, the priests Court, where there was an altar for  offerings; and into this not only the Priests did enter, but the Levites also, who did help them to flea and wash the sacrifices: now at the gate of this Court the common people stood, and offered their sacrifices to the Priests. Into none of these places came our Saviour; not into the Sanctum sanctorum, because he was not high Priest; not into the Sanctum, because he was no Priest; not into the Priest's Court, because he was neither Priest nor Levite.  
But beside these, there were two other places to pray in, sub diuo, abroad in the air; in one the men prayed, in the other the women prayed: and these Atria or Courts were called by the name of the Temple; as in the Acts it is said, that Peter and john went into the Temple about the ninth hour to pray. 
Act. 3.  And this is the place which is noted here by the name of the Temple, 
Lyra super. 21. Matt.  and to be thus grossly abused by the means of the Priests. Now our Saviour, to show his zeal to his Father's house, and his authority together with his power, as also to inform us, that no temporal or base gain ought to be exercised in God's house, but to be reckoned foul and unhonest, whatsoever fair pretence it may carry with it: finally, to show that nothing was fit for that place, but holiness and prayers and devotion he cast out the buyers and sellers, and the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, out of the Temple.  
Now out of this fourth circumstance among many things worthy the observation, they that have to do with the reformation of the Church or Commonwealth, may learn not to take away the use of good things, because they be abused, but to remove the abuse, and restore the thing to his proper nature and first institution: For our Saviour finding these gross abuses in the Temple, doth not offer to pull down the Temple, or persuade the Magistrates to turn it to profane uses, or to build them goodly palaces or courts of the ruins of it; 
Erasm.  to convert the vessels of gold and silver to their own pleasures, as Balthasar did; or to the maintenance of their lawful wars, or unlawful delights: but he taketh away the abuses of it, he driveth out the buyers, and the sellers, and the money-changers; and that which was appointed for a house of prayer and service of God, he restoreth again to the first institution.  
For seeing all the estates of the world, the estate of Princes, the estate of Priests, and the estate of the Nobility, yea and the estate of the people, where they have any estate, à parvis initijs ad maiora proficiunt, do by degrees enlarge their authorities, and of small beginnings grow into greatness, donec in vitium usque luxurient, and at last run, riot and abuse their authority when it is at the highest. If in our reformations we should not follow this pattern of our Saviour, but remove good things for the abuse of them; many strange, many dangerous, and unnatural alterations would ensue both in the Church and Commonwealth. And we find by experience, that this argument Ab abusu, ad non usum, From the abuse of good things to the abolishing of them, as it hath bred heresies and schisms in the Church; so also rebellions and treasons in the Commonwealth.  
The Manichees altogether condemned Christianity, because there were found many ill Christians: to whom Saint Austen answered, 
Contra Faustum. lib. 5. cap. 11.  Vestrum oculum malevolus error in solam paleam nostrae segetis ducet, nam & triticum ibi citò inderetur, si & esse velletis. Your malicious error carrieth your eye to the chaff only of our corn: you might as easily perceive the wheat, if you were so disposed. The Donatists refused the Sacraments, because the Priests were wicked which administered them: to whom Saint Austen said, Necesse est ut semper erretis, quamdiu propter hominum vitia Dei sacramenta violatis. 
Contra litt. Petil. lib. 2. cap. 30.  You can never possibly be free from error, so long as you violate the sacraments of God for the faults of men. The Anabaptists would remove Princes and Magistrates, because many have abused their authority and government: to whom we answer, though Mali abutuntur rebus bonis, Evil men abuse good ordinances; yet, if a kingdom were not a lawful state and calling, holy David, josias and the like, would not have been Kings: for Boni non utuntur rebus malis, those that are good meddle not with bad matters: And we find that the rent in the kingdom of Israel, was because, 
3. Reg. 12.  Rehoboam abused his government: and the alteration of the state of the Romans under the Kings, was because, Quae honestè habere licebat, 
Sallust in Cat.  per turpitudinem abuti properabant. For the common people by reason of their ignorance, invincible ignorance, being not able to discern between the true use of that which is good, and the abuse of it; nor between that fault that proceedeth ex natura facti, 
Th. 1. ques. 41. art. 6.  out of the nature of the fact itself, because it is malum simpliciter, simply evil, and that which proceedeth ex abusu boni, from the abuse of that which is good, which is malum per accidens, evil but by an accident; will allow of a tyranny, as Saint Austin noteth, which is the worst state of Government, 
De bono coniugals cap. 14.  si regia clementia subditos tractet, If he handle the subjects with the clemency of a King; and condemn a Monarchy, the best kind of government, Si rex crudelitate tyrannica saeviat, if being a King he show the cruelty of a tyrant, being not able to discern between the just use of an unjust authority, and the unjust use of a just authority. They will with Lycurgus' root out all the Vines in a Country, because men will be drunk, and even mad with wine; whereas Plutarch saith, they should rather dig wells and fountains near unto them; and as Plato counseleth, Insanum Deum alio sobrio repressum, castigare; that is take away the abuse by mixing some quantity of water with it. They will with Cotta, 
Vives de Concord. lib. 4.  as Cicero reporteth, condemn reason & knowledge in men, because oftentimes it is the chiefest instrument of sin and iniquity, and being given unto man as an excellency above other creatures, doth make him much worse than any brute beast. 
De interiori domo Cap. 50.  They will forbid reading and diversity of study, because as S. Bernard noteth, Prolixa lectio memoriam legentis obliterat, Over much reading hurteth the memory of the reader; not considering with S. Bernard that often times Crimen non est in rebus, 
Ibid.  sed in usu agentis, the fault is not in the things, but in him that useth them: nor with S. 
Aug. de doct. ch●. lib. 3. cap. 12.  Austin, that In multis non usus rerum, sed libido utentis in culpa est, In many things not their use, but the disorder of him that useth them must be blamed: nor that the rule is not, 
Arist. topic, 1.  Cuius abusus malus est, ipsum quoque malum est; but Cuius usus malus est, id est, per se malus est, ipsum quoque malum est, that which may be abused is evil, but that which cannot be well used; which is the same which the Canonists have, 
Navarus enchir, cap, 14.  Si usus principalis alicuius rei sit mortifer, mortiferam quoque rem ipsam efficiet: that is, if the principal use of any thing be deadly, it shall make the thing itself of like nature.  
Now our Saviour here teacheth them another lesson, not to pull down Churches for the abuse of them, or the abuse of the Priest; but reform the abuse and retain the good use. And although our Saviour when the jews were incorrigible, and would not be reform, nor repent them of that sin of sins, the putting to death, to shameful death, that innocent Lamb, the very Son of God, our Saviour Christ jesus, threatened the destruction of the Temple and the miserable captivity of the whole Nation, and performed it: So that jerusalem became as jericho was an execrable thing; for although julian, 
josua 6.  and the Greacians and the jews, endeavoured to repair it and build it again, yet it was impossible, by reason of earthquakes and fires from heaven, which consumed the stuff, and troubled the workmen, as Theodoret reporteth: yet this was but a removing of their candlestick, as I may call it, 
Theod lib. 5. ca 10.  not the putting out of the Candle; a removing of the Temple of God and the Priesthood to another Nation, that is, to the Gentiles; not an utter subversion of Churches & ecclesiastical State; or to use our saviour's words in this same Chap. 
Ver. 43.  A taking away of the Kingdom of God from them and giving it to a Nation that should bring forth the fruits thereof; as when Saul became incorrigible, and abused his State, Samuel said not, the Lord hath rend away the kingdom from Israel this day, and will have no more Kings but judges, etc. but, The Lord hath rend the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to thy neighbour, 
1. Sam. 15.  who is better than thou: that is, hath removed the insufficient from the place of government, and put in his room one more sufficient. To teach us, that as for the sins of Princes and abuse of their State, the manner of government is not altered by God, nor their privileges abrogated, but the Office translated to a fit person; so, for the abuse of Churches and Churchmen, neither the Churches ought to be defaced and ruined, nor the state of the Clergy to be disgraced and vilified; but those that are disordered must be displaced, and their honours bestowed upon better men. For this is a lesson set down in the rules of the law, as an axiom or maxim in nature, & not in a law positive or humane constitution, 
6. decr●t. de ●eg. juris.  that, Semel Deo dedicatum, non est ad usus humanos ulterius transferendun; That which hath been once dedicated to God, is not any more to be transferred to the uses of men. And it seemeth to be so evident by the light of Nature, that children acknowledge it as Plato confesseth; who speaking of a truth as evident as he took it, as that two and two make four, Nos dicimus (saith he) quod pueri solent; Quae rectè data sunt, 
Plat. Phileb.  eripi non licet; We say as children use to do: Things well given, must not be taken back again: and therefore no marvel if it were a case overruled by the more ancient sort of heathen Philosophers in their Courts of justice, 
Plin. 2. Epist. lib. 10 Epist. 74. and 75.  Si facta aedes sit, licèt collapsa sit iam, religio tamen eius occupavit solum: If an house hath been once dedicated to God, though it be fallen down and utterly decayed, yet the soil is holy, and the ground religious, and not to be employed to civil or profane uses.  

The fift circumstance.  The fifth circumstance in the Fact, is the manner how our Saviour performed this reformation, He cast out them that sold and bought, etc. An extraordinary course is used by our Saviour, and therefore the more observable. For whereas in all other places and against all other sins he useth words, and reproofs and reprehensions; and those also tempered with humility, mildness and gentleness: Hear he useth force and execution, and external discipline, and present correction, by casting them out of the Temple, by making a whip of small cords, 
john. 2.  and so whipping them out; by overthrowing the tables of the money-changers, and the seats and chairs of them that sold doves: and whereas he saith of himself, that he was sent into the world, not to judge the world, but that the world might be saved by him; 
john, 3.  yet in this case, in this sin, in this abuse, and profanation of the Temple, as it were forgetting his accustomed gentleness, and the end of his coming, he exerciseth punishment, striketh with a whip, overthroweth the tables, casteth abroad the money, and to conclude, casteth them out of the Temple; and that by himself alone, and with his own hands.  
If her excellent Majesty, being famous and renowned for her singular clemency, should come to this City and with her own hands, punish a fault or misdemeanour, it were a good argument that, that kind of sin were most odious unto her; here our Saviour the Prince of peace and fountain of mercy cometh to jerusalem, and with his own hands doth punish the abuses, and the profanations of the temple of God. Adam sinned, 
Gen. 3.  and he sent his Angels or Cherubins to cast him out of Paradise. The wicked Sodomites sinned, and he sent his Angels, 
Gen. 19  and it rained fire from heaven and consumed them. The whold world corrupted their way upon earth, 
Gen 7.  and he sent rain from heaven and destroyed them with a flood. Pharaoh would not hearken to his voice to let the people go, 
Exod 8.  and he sent Frogs and grasshoppers etc. and wasted his country. 
2. Sam. 24.  David sinned by numbering his people, and he sent an Angel and smote them with pestilence. 
Dan. 13.  The Elders sinned against Susanna, and God sent the Child Daniel to do judgement on them. Only this sin of profaning and abusing his Temple, he correcteth and chasteneth with his own hands, he sendeth not his Angels, he sendeth not fire, he sendeth not water, he sendeth not his Prophets, but he cometh himself and taketh punishment of them.  
But you will say; How could this be, that our Saviour Christ, being one man, and unarmed, without a guard or soldiers after him, without any human authority or external calling, in the presence of the Priests and the Scribes, who hated him with deadly hatred, and at that present time sought after his life, who made profit of those buyers and sellers, who also were many in number, and most attentive and greedy after their gain, and had (as I said before) an honest pretence out of the law for this their merchandising; notwithstanding all these circumstances, without tumult, without noise, without contradiction or resistance, he should be able to cast them all together out of the Temple?  

Hierom super 21. Math,  But the answer is plain, That it was done by a miracle, as the ancient Fathers do jointly testify: & S. Jerome saith, that this was the greatest of all his miracles. Some think saith he, that the greatest miracle he wrought, was the raising of Lazarus from the dead; & some think that the giving of sight to the blind was the greatest miracle; some the voice that was heard at jordane when he was baptised; some his transfiguration in the mountain, where he showed his triumphant glory & majesty: but saith he, of all the signs that ever he wrought, this seemeth most miraculous in mine eye, that one man at that time contemptible, so far forth vile & base in their eyes, that he was afterwards crucified; in despite of Scribes & Priests, could cast out with whips such a multitude of men and cattle, which a pretty army of men could have hardly performed: but (saith he) Igneum quiddam & sidereum radiabat in oculis eius; There was some fiery and starry brightness that glisteren in his eyes; and the majesty of his Divinity did shine in his face: so that neither Scribes, nor pharisees, nor Priests, nor buyers, nor sellers, 
Ori. sup 2, job.  durst resist & withstand him. And S. Origen saith, that this was a greater miracle than the turning of water into wine, because their inanimata materia subsistit; a matter without life & soul doth yield unto him: but in this, tot millium hominum domantur ingenia; he daunteth the hearts and courages of thousands of men. For you shall understand, that some miracles were wrought upon the bodies of men, which we most admire, because they are subject to the sight of our eyes: & some upon the minds of men, quantùm ad immutandas inferiores vires, concerning the change of their inferior faculties, as the Schoolmen say; which though they were more miraculous, yet to us they seem not so. And this distinction may be gathered out of the Hebrews, where he saith; 
Heb. 2.  that God bare witness to Christ, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by signs and wonders, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by divers powers, which wrought upon the minds and souls of men. The miracles which he wrought upon bodies are observed by you all, but the miracle which he wrought upon their minds & souls were these & the like: first, the informing of his Disciples with knowledge & understanding, 
Luk. 21.  I will give you a mouth & wisdom where against all your adversaries shall not be able to speak or resist. And therefore it is said in the Acts, 
Act, 4.  that when the jews saw the constancy of Peter and john, & understood that they were unlearned men, and without knowledge, admirabanter, they thought it a miracle. 
Math 9  The second is the calling of Matthew; for as soon as he said, follow me, though he sat at the receipt of custom, yet presently he rose up and followed him: Fulgur divinae Maiestatis videntem ad se traxit; The lightning of his divine Majesty drew him unto him so soon as he did but see him. The 3. is in the Gospel of john, 
joh. 18.  where as soon as he said to the band of men & officers that came with judas to apprehend him, I am he; they went backward, & fell to the ground: S. Austin writing upon that place, saith it was a miracle. The forth is in S. Luke's Gospel, 
Trae. 112. sup. job. Luk. 4.  where they of the Synagogue led him to the edge of an hill, to thrust him down headlong, but jesus passed through the midst of them, and went his way: where S. Chrisostom saith; Stare in medio insidiantium & non apprehendi, To stand in the midst of those that waylaid him & not to be taken, showed his Divinity, and was a miracle. Finally, as I have showed you before, with this facility to cast out the buyers, and sellers, etc. and not to be resisted, argued the power of his Divinity, and was a miracle. And this of the fifth circumstance.  
I amplify this point, and urge all these circumstances of our saviours force, and extraordinary violence used in this place, and the miraculous performing of it; to show unto you how odious this sin is, of profaning the Church of GOD with buying and selling. And no question, if this merchandizing (which had so fair a pretence for it as the letter of the law, & the ease and benefit of the whole nation) was so odious to our Saviour Christ; our merchandizing, and buying & selling in the Church of God, cannot be less odious and offensive to him.  
For our buying and selling in the Church of GOD, our Simony, as we call it, hath no pretence for it in the law of Moses, nor in the law of the Gospel, nor in Ecclesiastical or Canon laws, nor in the Civil and Nationall laws of any Country. The law of Moses provided so liberally for the Priests and the whole family of the Levites, by the free cities, and the domains which were allowed them in every Tribe, that there was neither use nor abuse of buying and selling till jeroboams time, 
3. Reg. 13.  who erected an altar against the altar of GOD, and made of the lowest of the people (that would fill his hand) idolatrous priests. In the new law of the new Testament there was gratis accepistis, gratis date; the Apostles received their gifts freely, and gave them freely; the people received the word freely, and freely of their own accord they laid down the price of their land at the Apostles feet. The Ecclesiastical and Civil laws forbidden nothing with greater regard, since the Church was endowed with peculiar maintenance, than the buying and selling of Spiritual offices, and Ecclesiastical perferments: and I know none, either ancient Father, or Schoolman, or late Writer, which apply not this Scripture, and this Action of our Saviour Christ, to our Simoniacal buying and selling of orders and offices in Christian Churches. So that if all counsels and ancient reverend Bishops, which had the constituting or confirming of Ecclesiastical laws be not deceived, this Simony is a wrong to the state of the Church: if all good Princes and Statesmen, and Parliaments be not deceived, who have the making and establishing of Statute Laws, this Simony is prejudicial to a Commonweal: if all interpreters be not deceived, it is a sin against the law of God, and severely chastised in this place by our Saviour Christ, either mystically and figuratively, or by necessary consequence. For if those things which by nature were vendible, as sheep and oxen, and to that purpose, to offer them in sacrifice to God, might not be bought and sold in the house of GOD or the precincts of it; much less may offices Ecclesiastical, or Tithes, or the maintenance of God's Ministers, which by nature are not saleable, be bought or sold in the Church of God.  
For what? If the sin of Simon Magus (of whom this fault hath denomination) consisted in buying only, and not in selling of that which was spiritual; seeing buying and selling are both in a predicament (for nothing is bought but that which is sold, & contrà) and the Apostles had sinned as grievously in selling, as Simon did in buying: and the Schoolmen say well, 
Th. 22. quest. 100 art. 1.  that Vendentes conformantur Simoni in intention si non in actu; Sellers are conformed to Simon Magus in purpose, though not in action; because he would have bought the holy Ghost, to sell his miracles. May not the Church impose one name to both these sins, which are cousin germans, nay brother germans, as well as buying and selling should be comprehended under the word of merchandizing? or that, servus, vas, ager, arbour, pecus, should be contained under the name of pecunia, as S. Austin noteth in his Books of Christian Learning?  
Again; If the sin of Simon Magus properly consisted in the buying of a spiritual thing, of the working of miracles, which is merely spiritual; as the gift of preaching or the gift of prophesying; and the gift of preaching and the maintenance allotted for it, by what name or title soever you call it, concur to the making of a perfect Preacher, as the soul and body to the making of a perfect man; so that as the soul separated from the body, though it liveth, 
1 q. 3. Si quis obiecerit.  yet it liveth not corporaliter, bodily; so Preaching separated from the maintenance, though it liveth, yet it liveth not civiliter or humaniter, as civility and humanity would it should, as GOD hath appointed it to live in this world: may not the buying and selling of a Bishopric or Benefice, which is annexum quiddam spiritualibus, somewhat annexed to spiritual affairs, be accounted Simony; when not only the soul of man is said to live, but the body also which is annexum quiddam, is said to live ex unione animae, by the union of the soul: when, not he only that killeth the soul is said to do murder, but he also that killeth the body which hath no life but by means of the soul; when not he only is said to sin against the Majesty of a Prince, who offereth injury to his person, or crown, but he also that doth violence to those things which are annexed to his crown and dignity?  
This selling and buying in the Church of God, which by the general consent of interpreters, Fathers and Schoolmen, is here punished by our Saviour Christ, and is justly called Simony, and a true branch of the sin of Simon Magus is so common and usual in the Church of England, that I must needs say, that either you esteem it not as a sin, or if you take it for a sin, since our Saviour is ascended into Heaven, you think there is no GOD to punish you for it.  
To hold it no sin, is to hold the heresy of Simon Magus (for so it is called) that is, 
Caiet. in 8. Act.  to think that the holy Ghost may be bought and sold; for when Officium curae animarum praecipuum ac spiritualissimum Dei donum sit; The office of the charge of souls is an especial and most spiritual gift of God: to buy or to sell the office of the charge of souls in general, that is, to buy or sell Orders, or to buy and sell the office of the charge of these or those souls; that is, to buy or sell a Presentation, is Simony, and that in his own nature, and not because it is forbidden by Ecclesiastical or Civil Law. And it is not only vulnus cancrosum, as Saint Ambrose calleth it, a wound that hath a canker in it, and therefore will creep along through every joint of the body of a Commonwealth, as we find by our miserable experience, 
1. q, 1. reperiuntur.  and so requireth ignitum ferrum, a hot coulter or sharp sword, that is, the extremity of civil punishment; nor execrabile flagitium only, a detestable sin, and therefore anathematis opprobrio condemnandum, to be condemned & cursed with Excommunication, the highest censure of the Church; 
Act. 8.  but it is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that wickedness or sinfulness that Saint Peter speaketh of, and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that bond or bundle of iniquity, that containeth many sins fast chained together: which argue, that the heart is not right, and from which we may pray to be delivered, not simply as from other sins, but if it be possible, as Saint Peter counseled Simon Magus pray unto God, that if it be possible this thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee.  
But forasmuch as since the time, that good Christians are degenerated into cunning politicians, it is not so much regarded, what is good for the state of the Church, as what is fitting and behoveful for a Commonwealth; nor such reckoning made of eternal reward, or eternal punishment, as of present pleasure & of punishment inflicted on our body, or goods: and we say with the Policitians, 
Aug. de civit. Dei li. 2 cap. 2.  Pace secura sit resp. floreat copijs referta, victorijs gloriosa, & quid ad nos? If there be peace & plenty and prosperity, what care we for the state of the Church? I will give you some reasons amongst many, why this selling and buying in the Church, which is the utter undoing of the state of the Clergy, as it is not lawful by the word of God; so not tolerable in regard of the policy of a Christian Commonwealth.  
First, as much as in it lieth, it taketh away the society and fellowship of mankind, wherein consisteth a Commen-wealth. For if we shall be so affected, that every man for his own commodity, will rob and spoil another man, the society of mankind, which of all things is most natural, must needs be dissolved: and if we shall be so affected, that one state in a Commonwealth will by all means endeavour to eat up another, that deformity will grow in the Commonwealth, that would happen in the body of a man in the like case; for if the legs should challenge and enjoy all that nourishment which should go to the arms, the one part would be unwieldy by his greatness, and the other unprofitable by his weakness.  
It is well known and confessed, that the state of the Clergy in every good Christian Commonwealth, hath had his lot and portion, not only spiritual in the Lord, but also temporal in the Commonwealth, being an estate of men, as of the best desert, if they do their duties; so not to be fed by the air, as the chameleons are, but by the fruits and increase which proceed from the earth: and therefore they have had allotted them by the law of nature, as Melchisedech had; by the law of Moses as the Priests had; and by the confirmation of our Saviour Christ, haec oportet fieri, these things must be done; and by civil and provincial laws in Christianity, not only the Tithes of the fruit of the earth; because they have bellies to be fed, and backs to be clothed, 
Num. 35.  and families to be maintained: but they had their Cities and their lands belonging to them among the jews, and their parts in the sacrifice and offerings: and amongst the Christians their domains, and temporalties; because that state was not anarchical, or without authority and jurisdiction. Lastly, they had their special privileges, namely not to serve in the tabernacle before 25. 
Num. 8.  year old, not after 50. their Cities of refuge and Sanctuaries, etc. In the famine of Egypt they had an ordinary allowance of Pharaoh; 
Num. 35.  so that when he bought all the land of the subjects in Egypt, 
Gen. 47.  yet the Priest's land was not sold: so great were their privileges among the Heathen.  
Now if their Christian privileges which have been many, shall be made void, against the rule of the 12. Tables, Privilegia ne irroganto, 
Lud. Charend. ad Leg. antiq. Rom.  let them not infringe the Privileges: 
Cassiod lib 2. epist. 20.  and against all reason when Theodoricus said, Intra regulas constituti juris non debet munificentia principum arctari, the bounty of Princes ought not to be straightened within the bounds of the law; if where aequalitas is not aequitas, that is equity joined with equality, the maintenance of all dignity, and superiority and authority be taken away, which will breed contempt; for as virtue is discouraged without reward, so authority is disarmed without just maintenance; finally, if those necessaries which should maintain nature, which is contented with a little course cloth for the back, and course bread for the belly, be retained by force or fine sleight from that state, or a great part of it, which is ordained as the Sun is, ad continuos cursus, to continual labour and travail in the house of God; and not only taken from them, but given to a nation which bringeth forth worse fruit: it is out of all doubt, that as when one serpent eateth another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a dragon is engendered which devoureth all; so when one State eateth up another, it bringeth forth a monstrous and unnatural state in the commonwealth, and so by consequent a dangerous change. So that we are much to fear, that as before the coming of our Saviour in the flesh, the Roman Commonwealth being changed by little and little, ex pulcherrimâ & optimâ, 
Aug. de civit. Dei. li. 2. ca 19  pessima ac flagitiosissima facta est; so the Commonwealth of England and of Christianity, by this foul sin of Simony and Sacrilege, before the second coming of our Saviour, of a most religious and well ordered Commonwealth, will become irreligious and simoniacal.  
Secondly, this buying and selling in the Church of God, will make barren and like desolate and forsaken Widows the two Universities, the two fruitful Mothers and full of Children, though now ready to give up the ghost, and power out their souls in their Mother's bosoms. For if we that be bred up in learning, suffer in our childhood in the Grammar schools magnum & grave malum, 
Aug. confess. lib. 1. cap. 9  a great and grievous affliction (Saint Austin compareth it to the torments of martyrdom) and when we come to the University, if we live of the Colleges allowance, are, as Phalaris objected to the Leontines, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Epist. 53.  needy of all things but hunger and fear; or if we be maintained but partly by our parent's cost, do expend in necessary maintenance, books, and degrees, before we come to any perfection, five hundred pounds, or a thousand marks. If by this price of the expense of our time, our bodies and spirits, our substance and patrimonies, we cannot purchase those small rewards which are ours by law, and the right of inheritance, a poor Parsonage or a poor Vicarage, of forty or fifty pound a year; but we must pay to the Patron for the lease of a life (a spent and outworn life) either in annual pension, or above the rate of a Copyhold, and that with the hazard of the loss of our souls, by simony and perjury, and the forfeiture of all our spiritual preferments in esse and in posse, both present and to come: what father after a while will be so improvident, to bring up his son to his great charge, to this necessary beggary? What Christian will be so irreligious, as to bring up his son in that course of life, which by probability of necessity (quae cogit ad turpia, 
Juvenal.  enforcing to sin) will entangle him in simony and perjury? When as the Poet saith; Inuitatus ad haec, aliquis de ponte negabit. A beggar's brat taken from a bridge where he sitteth in begging, if he knew the inconvenience, had cause to refuse it.  

2. Objections answered.  But you will say, that learning is to be desired, and will be desired for itself; because as the Stoics say, Doctrina est pretium sibi, Learning is her own recompense: and the Minister must consider fructum, 
Phil. 4.  non datum, the good that he doth, not the reward he must have: and therefore though this be a fault, yet no danger thereby of decay of learning. For the former, it is most true, that Learning is Lux animi, & oblectatio vitae, the light of the mind, and delight of the life, and for itself to be desired; but of Gentlemen, who can live without it; and of Stoics and Philosophers, which had no passions, which lived as souls without bodies, so far in love with the food of the one, that they took no regard what became of the other. But if Gentlemen only should be learned, a competent measure would serve their turn, the dephts of professions are above their endeavours, they are so painful: and you shall find as few Scholars that do reach to that height of Philosophy, as to feed their minds and to starve their bodies, as you shall find Gentlemen that are come to that height of Christianity, to forsake all and follow Christ, or to love their enemies and study their good.  
But the Romans, who made Aedes honori & virtuti gemellas, that is, joined the Churches of Honour and Virtue the one close to the other; and those wise men who upon sepulchres and monuments engraved these titles, Virtuti & Honori, 
Symmac. lib. 1. epist. 37.  to Virtue and Honour; and our Founders and Benefactors, who appointed opulenta praemia literarum professoribus, plentiful rewards to the professing of learning: 
Symmac. lib. 10. Epist. 25.  they knew well enough, that Non deficit studium, quod praemium largius habet; and that Virtus aemula, aelitur exemplo honoris alieni; Study is never scant, where the recompense is large; and virtue which is evermore in emulation, is fed by the example of honour in other men. And again on the other side, that learning would be much discouraged, 
A. Gel. petijt sibi aes dari 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cassiod.  if Scholars should come to Gentlemen as the Philosopher came to Herode to beg a penny to buy him bread; because Probata virtus inhonora cessat, Virtue though it be commended, yet if it be not honoured and rewarded will soon be discouraged.  
For the latter, that we must not seek datum but fructum, it is most true: But that law or reason that bindeth us to labour for your good, bindeth you to provide sufficiently for us: Dignus est operarius mercede sua, The workman is worthy of his hire. That law that bindeth him that laboureth to minister unto you spiritual things, bindeth you to administer unto him corporal things, and not sell them to him: si spiritualium eorum participes facti sunt gentiles: if Gentlemen be partakers of their spiritual things, they must administer unto them worldly things: for as Saint Paul said, 
Rom. 15.  he was debtor illis, a debtor unto all; so on the other side, 
Ibid.  debitores eorum sunt, they are debtor to the Apostles. And this is the division spoken of by the Son of Sirach; In division sortis da & accipe, give and take, not sell and take. 
Eccles. 14.  And Saint Paul calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Phil. 4. to communicate one with another after the manner of giving and receiving: to signify (saith Caietan upon that place) that the maintenance of the Clergy is due secundùm rationes dati & accepti; which therefore should be Communicationes & Commutationes, not Venditiones. And as in a Commonwealth, though we own ourselves and all our endeavours to our Prince and Country, Seruitia tamen per moderata compendia provocantur; yet some reasonable consideration pulleth on our service; so also, though we own ourselves and our labours to your salvation and edification, and not to preach is a woe unto us, 
1. Cor. 9  and if I do it willingly I have my reward, the increase of grace, the increase of knowledge, and everlasting life, Euge bone serve, 
Matth. 25.  Well done good servant, that is, a reward spiritual, a reward at God's hands; yet for all that seruitia, etc. our endeavours are stirred up with temporal rewards, 
Cass. 2, 11.  and necessary maintenance: and not only ours but other men's, who by our preferments, or at least just maintenance, may be encouraged to this kind of calling. For as Marriage is honoured, why? because by that, reparatio posteritatis acquiritur posterity is kept in reparation: so our labours and callings must be honoured and regarded; because not out of our loins (as in Moses' law proceedeth the seed of the Priesthood) but out of our honours and preferments.  

Another Objection answ.  But you will say; This complaint needeth not, for many of the Clergy are rich enough; and what estate is there in the world, but some of that calling do live in poverty? To which I answer; That in what estate soever prodigality or supine negligence is found, there poverty will follow, and no remedy for it. But there is no calling within this Commonwealth wherein a painful and industrious man may not live decently and plentifully in that kind of function, except only in the Ministry: where, if they have not money to buy them a Benefice, or preferment as we call it▪ they must live of the alms of the poor of the parish, for reading some Lecture, as the Popish priests did of Dirrges and Masses; and have their collection together with the old and the lame, and the blind, and such as are a burden to the commonwealth. Oh (saith Saint Bernard) what a perverse order is this, coelestibus terrena mercari, to buy earthly with heavenly things? How much better were it, and more agreeable to reason, ut pro carnali victu carnalia opera exercerent; nec fierent inversores rerum, aut inhonorarent spirituale ministerium; that they should use bodily labour for bodily food without either changing the nature of things, or discrediting their spiritual calling.  
As for those that are rich in the Clergy, the number (God knoweth) is very scant; and those either Antiqui Heroës nati melioribus annis, which began with the beginning of her majesties reign, when Benefices went a begging as Ministers do now; or those whose best revenue is parsimony and miserable diet, without hospitality; or else those, who are enriched by land or other patrimony left unto them by their parents or friends. And yet the greatest part of these, who by their titles of dignity and outward appearance seem rich unto you, they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a needy kind of wealth, and estate unestablished; 
Confess. 12.  or as Saint Austin calleth it copiosam inopiam, & ignominiosam gloriam, a plentiful penury, and inglorious glory. Their dignities and honours for the most part are titular, like the Archdeaconry of London in King Henry the seconds days: 
Epist. 151.  which Petrus Blesensis reported to Innocentius then Bishop of Rome, to be Draco non habens unde possit vivere nisi vento, A Dragon (a stately name or title, the Archdeacon of London) not having whereof to live, except of wind: for saith he, Ille honos est in solis, & nndis, & puris intellectibus, That preferment standeth in only, and naked, and pure supposals. So that if the Clergy may take denomination of the greater part, of an hundred for one, it is a poor Clergy; and hereafter when the Prince or the State shall have need of their purses, they must answer with Saint Peter; Argentum & aurum non est mihi, Silver and gold have we none, but that which we have, we will readily afford; a prayer or a blessing, a lecture or a sermon.  
Wherefore to conclude this point, though learning of itself be never so precious, yet if students after they have spent their time, their spirits, their lives, their patrimonies for the good of the Church or commonwealth, 
Cass 2, 28.  shall be thus neglected, nay scorned and despised (for exprobrata militia creditur, quae irremunerata transitur, his service in the Wars, his service in the Church, his service in the commonwealth is despised, as base, which is passed over without a reward) we shall not need julians' Edict, or Domitian's law, good arts of themselves will go into banishment.  
Thirdly, this buying and selling in the Church of GOD, will procure an unsufficient and an unlearned ministery; for by this means strenuous & segnis fato potiuntur eodem, the learned and the unlearned are in like possibility to have the presentation at the patron's hands. Balaams' Ass if he can but speak, if he come laden with coin, shall be preferred before Balaam his master, 
In laudibus Basil●●.  if he were as honest as he was wise. And we find it already by experience, that as Greg. Naz. said, if there be a Samuel amongst our Prophets, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, who is a seer as they called him, or a learned man; there is a Saul also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a base and an ignorant Prophet: by which means that order and calling which is in toto Christianismo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Ibid.  the most reverend and holy calling in all Christianity, is become in toto Christianismo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the most base and ridiculous calling in all Christianity. Wherefore though the Romans thought it stood with their Commonwealth, 
Patere.  manner rudem Corinthiorum intellectum, that the Corinthians should continue in rudeness and ignorance; and though the Papists thought it good, and to stand with the policy of their Church, to keep the people in blind simplicity: yet it cannot stand either with the policy of any Christian Church or Commonwealth, to have ignorant teachers, ignorant Priests, ignorant Preachers; but seeing it is a curse which God threateneth in his displeasure to disordered Commonwealths, & erit sicut populus, sic & sacerdos, that the Priests should be either as wicked or as ignorant as the people are, and this buying and selling effecteth this curse, it seemeth most inconvenient for a Commonwealth.  
Fourthly, this buying and selling in the Church of God, this Simony, doth remove all hospitality, and all means of hospitality from the state of the Clergy, which doth not only hinder and hold back the fruits of our preaching, because as Saint Gregory noteth, Egentis mentem doctrinae sermo non penetrate, 
Greg. Pastor.  si hunc apud eius animum manus misericordiae non commendat; The word of instruction doth not pierce the mind of the needy, unless the hand of mercy do further commend it unto him: and secondly hinder us from that great blessing & commodity that Cassiodore speaketh of, 
Cassiod. 1.9.  Nonnulla pauperibus largiendi, Of giving somewhat to the poor: but thirdly, it is also injurious to the Commonwealth; for as Tacitus noteth, there commonly followeth dissolutio imperii si fructus quibus Resp. sustinetur, 
Annal. 13.  diminuuntur; a dissolution of the State, when the fruits and revenues are diminished, which maintain the Commonwealth. Now, seeing hospitality is the best revenue which is left to comfort and relieve the poorer sort, which abound at this time in this Commonwealth; they are very injurious to this State, who make not only the superfluity of the wealth of the Clergy, which are bona pauperum, the goods of the poor, but the very necessary maintenance of the Preachers themselves, which are bona Christi, the goods of Christ; the goods of Gentlemen or Nobility.  
Fiftly. This buying and selling in the Church of God, this Simony, if it do not effect a dissolution of this State; yet it doth foreshow and portend some great evil to ensue. For we read in the Ecclesiastical History, 
Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 33.  that when certain fugitive slaves profaned the Church by murdering one Priest, and wounding another; one that stood by suddenly uttered these words, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that the profanation of the Church did foreshow no good to ensue; and he alleged for the confirmation of it two verses out of a Greek Poet, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉,  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Nam saepè signa talia dari solent, cùm sacra foedum templa polluit scelus. And saith Socrates, He that said thus was not deceived; for it foreshowed troubles and divisions among the people, and the banishment of him that was author of them. And we find, that not long after this profanation of the Temple, this buying and selling of oxen, and sheep, etc. and the buying and selling of the Priesthood which for money was now become annual; the destruction of jerusalem ensued, and the dispersion of the whole Nation: And the flourishing Kingdoms and Churches of Graecia and Armenia were forsaken of God, and became subject to the Turks, when they began to maintain this heresy, 
Alph. de Cast.  Licere res Ecclesiasticas vendere; that it was lawful to sell the goods of the Church. And it is a received observation among our Writers, that Ecclesia & Imperium pariter defecerunt, when the Church began to be profaned by Simony and Sacrilege, the Empire began to be greatly eclipsed. And what else can we look for after this profanation of buying and selling in the Church of God, but some curse to ensue; when Ecclesiastica possident Laici, 
Bernard. epist. 224.  holy places & holy things are possessed by profane men, as Saint Barnard saith, who instead of Prayers which the Priest should offer, do send up into heaven daily sacrifices, quotidianas hostias, not peace offerings, sed clamores pauperum, lachrymas viduarum, planctus orphanorum; The cries of the poor, the tears of the widows, and the miserable complaints of children and orphans?  
Wherefore, seeing this buying and selling in the Church is so heinous in the sight of God, and so inconvenient for a Commonwealth; give me leave (honourable Lords, and reverent Fathers of the Clergy) who have your places of state and dignity, both in the Church and Commonwealth; give me leave in all humility I beseech you, not to exhort you to that, which I hope you do already; nor to dehort you from that fault, from which I am persuaded that some of you are as free and innocent as Saint Peter was; but to counsel him that standeth, to take heed lest he fall into this sin: which is by so much the more heinous in you, than in an inferior Minister, as it had been in Saint Peter to have exacted money of Simon, for the imposition of hands, than in Simon Magus for offering it. For the sins and offences of the Shepherds are greater than the sins and offences of the Sheep: First, because they cannot excuse themselves by simplicity or pretence of ignorance, as the sheep may: secondly, because they are placed to correct them that go astray; not to lead them amiss by ill example: thirdly, because while the shepherd wandereth by the steep and dangerous places of sin, the whole flock who are taught to follow the Shepherd, do fall down headlong into the gulf of iniquity. And by this reason, the sins of Governors are not only personal, but do oftentimes engender heresies in the minds of the ignorant and inferior people; every one thinking that lawful to be done, which his Superior, his Governor, 
1. q. 1. quisquis.  and his Pastor doth; which is a kind of heresy. And for this cause (peradventure) in the Canon law, Simony is called heresy; because when the inferiors buy their orders, or their institutions, or their presentations of their Superiors, whose steps and examples they think they should follow, they are persuaded they may do the like when occasion serveth, without any offence, both by the example of their Superiors, as also by the law of all nations; for as Seneca saith Quae emeris vendere gentium ius est, It is the law of nations, that a man may sell what he hath bought: 
De benef. lib. 1. cap. 9  Wherefore you that do stand, take heed lest you fall, and become Authors of this damnable sin, and pernicious heresy.  
Secondly. You that are my Brethren of the Clergy, forasmuch as consensere mores peccatis, this sin is become customable in this land; & videtur licitum quia publicum, and it is thought lawful because it is so common; and there is no Simony wherein you are not one party, if not both; I will be bolder with you: and yet that my words may carry more credit, I will use S. Bernard's exhortation; 
Epist. 42.  Longè à vobis removete malum tempori vetus, sed cupiditati nowm, si moniam, etc. Remove, remove far from you this Simony, for age an old sin (being the first heresy that sprang up in christianity after the ascension of our Saviour Christ) though fresh and new in daily practice. Remove I say this Simony, and covetousness, and ambition the author of it; for these are not sins whereunto spiritual men are subject, but these are the temptations of mere carnal men. The first temptation wherewith the devil assaulted our Saviour Christ, was for the necessary sustenance of nature by food, when he said; Si filius Dei es, 
Math. 4.  If thou be the son of God, make these stone's bread: to want necessaries to maintain nature, bread for the belly, and cloth for the back, is a great temptation, and may fall upon a spiritual man; and therefore he saith, Si filius Dei es, If thou be the son of God; as though this temptation might move the very son of God: but yet for all that, let not this temptation force you to Simony, 
Eccles. 11.  but after the counsel of the Wiseman, Stand still in thy state, and trust in the Lord; for it is an easy thing for the Lord, subito honestare pauperem, suddenly to make a poor man an honest man, as our phrase is; that is, a rich man, or an honourable man. The second temptation wherewith the devil assaulted our Saviour, was vainglory; whereunto also a spiritual man is very subject: for when we have avoided all sins of omission and commission, if it were possible to avoid them all, vincenda superbia restat, pride and vainglory they will assault us; and therefore to this temptation he also saith, Si filius Dei es. But the third temptation was a gross and a carnal temptation, when he showed him all the riches and kingdoms of the world; that is, the temptation of ambition, and covetousness, the proper and natural temptations of carnal men: and therefore in the two first he said, Si filius Dei es, but not in the third; which cannot agree to spiritual men, such as you should be in life and profession.  
This third temptation, which is the temptation of covetousness and ambition, the authors of simony, hath made the Church of England as the Temple of jerusalem was, a den of thieves: 
Lud. Charond. Leg. antiq. Rom.  therefore above all things remove these sins from you. It was a law of Romulus at the first foundation of Rome, Nequis nisi per portam urbem ingreditor, that no man should enter the city, but by the gates thereof; and therefore when Remus went over the wall, he was slain as an enemy; 
joh. 10.  and our Saviour made a law at the very foundation of Christianity, that he that cometh not in by the door, Qui non intrat per ostium, fur est: What then is he but a thief and a robber, that cometh into the offices and honours of the Church, per ruinas Ecclesiae, per desolatas macerias, by the ruins of the Lordships, revenues and domains of the Church, that so he may spoil others, and enrich himself? The Merchant buyeth not his wares, but with hope to sell them at a better price; and can we hope that any man should buy a Bishopric, and not sell the prebends, the dignities, and benefices belonging to it? No, no, saith S. Bernard, Qui non fideliter introivit, 
Bernard. de bonis deferendis.  neque per Christum; quid ni infideliter agate, & contra Christum? He that hath not faithfully entered, neither by Christ; how is it possible that he should not deal unfaithfully and against Christ?  
Wherefore, longè a vobis removete, etc. Remove far from you that old evil, old in time, but new and fresh in daily practice, simony, and ambition and covetousness, the authors of it; 
In vita Nazianzeni.  and say with Greg. Naizanzen when he resigned his Bishopric, non à Deo excluduntur qui privantur throno; not to be a Bishop or a Dean, etc. is not to be banished from heaven, or from Paradise as Adam was; but, to compass an office or dignity by simony, is as Leo said, accipere spiritum mendacii, to receive the spirit of lying; as S. Gregory writeth, to have non subsistens sacerdotium, a Priesthood not subsisting; according to S. Ambrose, Anathematis opprobrio condemnari, to be held an Anathema; in Elizeus h●s judgement, to deserve a leprosy; in Saint Peter's sentence, to merit damnation; and in our saviours practice, to be whipped and scourged out of the Church of God: wherefore, Long à vobis removete, etc. Remove far from you this evil, old in time, but fresh in practice; this simony, and covetousness and ambition, the authors of it.  
And you that are Gentlemen and patrons of Benefices, think not yourselves free from this sin of Simony, because Simon Magus offered to buy and not sell the spirit of God, or that which was not lawful to be sold; for as I said before, it had been a greater sin in Saint Peter, 
Nic. de Clemang. epist. ad Gerson.  à Simone pecunias exigere, quam in Simone offer, To require money of Simon, than in Simon to offer it: here we find that our Saviour Christ cast out of the Temple, not only buyers but sellers also, eiecit vendentes & ementes; and Gelasius affirmeth that dantem & accipientem damnatio Simonis involuit, 
Epist 1. cap. 23  the sin of Simon Magus wrappeth up together both the buyer and the seller: and therefore if you be pares culpa, equal in fault, you shall be pares poena, equal in punishment in God's justice, though you be unequal by your Statute law. And so S. Greg. saith, Anathema danti, anathema accipienti, 
1. q. 1. quicunque  Cursed be he that buyeth, and cursed be he that selleth, cursed be he that giveth, and cursed be he that taketh; & he that saith Simony in the giver is heresy, saith that simony in the taker is Infidelity, & subject to the punishment of Infidelity; 
Greg. lib 9 ep. 53.  avaritia in dandis ecclesiasticis honoribus infidelitatis perditioni subijcitur, etiamsi tenere fidem, quam negligit videatur, Covetousness in giving Ecclesiastical preferments is subject to the same destruction whereunto Infidelity, although it seem to hold the same faith which indeed it regardeth not.  
And no doubt if you were not infected with the spice of infidelity, so that you neither believe the Scriptures themselves, nor the general and universal consent of the most holy Fathers, the interpreters of them, in the heinousness of this sin, and the certainty and gravity of the punishment of it, you would not touch the hallowed thing, nor sell that which is not yours; or that which is worse, dare sanctum canibus, give that to your dogs, to your hawks or your horses, etc. which is the portion allotted to Christ and his Ministers: you would not make that private which belongeth to the Church or the Commonwealth, and in that respect is consecrated pietati & fidei, 
Policrac. lib. 7. cap. 17.  to godliness and faith, and only committed to you upon trust; you would not reap that which you have not sown, nor take away that which you have not given; you would not make the monuments of your forefathers liberalities, the eternal testimonies of your covetousness; you would not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn, either by taking money as a fine for a Benefice, or retaining your Tithes, as an annual rent. 
Cic. nat. deor. 2.  In the times of your ancestors. Tanta utilitas putabatur percipi ex bobus, ut eorum visceribus vesci scelus haberetur; That regard was had of the oxen that trod out the corn, that to rob them of their portion, was accounted sacrilege: they took that saying of our Saviour Christ for Gospel, Beatius est dare quàm accipere, 
Act, 20.  A happier thing to give unto them, then to take from them. If the Priests of Moses' law were thus reckoned of, why not we? We are not inferior to them: Si quod evacuatur per gloriam est, multò magis quod permanet in gloria est; 
2 Cor, 3.  If that which should be abolished were glorious, much more should that which remaineth be glorious. If the Priests in popery, who either taught you not, or if they taught you, they taught you but vanities, were thus reckoned of, so that they could live like Princes on S. Peter's patrimony; why should we, which in your consciences preach unto you the Gospel of Christ sincerely, be spoiled and rob of that very little that is left unto us?  
Is it not sufficient to have taken from the body of this one state, the superfluous rank blood of so many Monasteries, and by their abuse irreligious houses, and to have abated that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, fullness of blood in our Bishoprics; and so far to have opened the veins of the Priests for fear of a Pleurisy by impropriations, customs and compositions, that for very weakness they are ready to faint in the streets, but you must draw out that little lifeblood which is left by selling your Vicarages, or retaining your Tithes?  
Peradventure you are of opinion (as I understand some are now adays) that either there is no Priesthood in Christianity; or if there be any, we be all alike Priests, because S. Peter saith, you are a royal Priesthood, regal sacerdotium; 
1 Pet. 2.  and hereof infer, that seeing Tithes are due to the Priest only, and either there are no Priests, or if there be any, we are all alike Priests, either Tithes are not due, or if they be due, they belong to us all. But, beloved Christians, that text of S. Peter is borrowed out of the 19 of Exodus, where God speaketh it of the jews, as S. Peter doth of the Christians: wherefore if all the jews in one respect were a Priesthood, and yet nevertheless had the order of Priesthood distinguished from them; the like may hold in Christianity, that all may be Priests, & yet have a distinct order of Priesthood and Ministry. But by that text you may as well prove yourselves Kings as Priests, and challenge unto you the offices and privileges of Princes; but as the virtue of that text will not defend you from Treason, or the punishment of Treason wheresoever you be subjects, if ever you challenge the pre-eminence or privileges of Kings; no more will it defend you from sacrilege, and the punishment of it, if you challenge the title or privileges of the Priesthood.  

Abac, 2.  But you shall find that Vae, that Curse which the Prophet Abacuch pronounced against Nabuchodonosor, who enriched himself with the spoils of the East, Vae accumulanti non sua, Woe unto him, that heapeth up those things which are not his own: Thesauros quos devoravit evomet (saith job) & de ventre eius extrahet eos Deus, He shall cast up the treasures which he hath devoured, and the Lord shall draw them out of his belly: you shall find that this wicked gain according to the Greek proverb, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  bringeth a rod at his back; you shall find as it is in Eccles. that he hath touched a Scorpion, which no man toucheth without evident danger, by reason of the poison which he hath in his tail, which Galen saith is mole minimum, but facultate maximum; like the sin of Simony & Sacrilege, where it is in quantity small, it is in quality heinous; you shall find a more grievous punishment, 
1 q. 1. Cito. ex. Ambros.  as S. Ambrose noteth, than the punishment of Idolatry, which God putteth down as very grievous in the second Commandment, which is to be punished not only on himself, but on his seed also to the third and fourth generation; whereas jeroboams selling of the Priesthood, turned to sin unto his house even to root it out & destroy it from the face of the earth, 
3 Reg, 1●.  & the sin of Gehezi who sinned in Simony and covetousness, was punished with a leprosy upon himself and his seed for ever.  
And although you have lived long in this sin, and in flourishing state, and not felt the hand of GOD upon you, ye are not therefore to think it no sin, or that God cannot or will not punish it; for although as the Poet saith, Mars ultor galeam quoque perdidit, 
Iwen. Sat. 4.  & res Non potuit servare suas, Mars a false and counterfeit Idol might lose his helmet etc. and could not help it; yet our GOD by the strength of his arm can do it, with strange rain or with strange hail, or with terrible tempest, or with consuming fire, 
Wis, 16.  or by scarcity and famine, or with plague and sickness etc. for he hath mill nocendi arts, a thousand ways to punish you: and as he said to Senacherib, can put a hook in your nostrils and a bridle in your lips, and make you bring it back again the same way that you carried it out, 
4 Reg, 19  as the Philistines did the Ark of God.  
Or do you not doubt of his power and ability to do it, but of his truth, and because, as you imagine, he doth not, therefore will not return this evil on your heads? Adam might as well have argued against God's truth who said, what day thou shalt eat of that apple thou shalt surely die, for he died not that day, but became mortal and was sure to die, and as I may say, fell into a consumption, which left him not until the hour of his death. And I doubt not to affirm that God's punishments are already begun upon us, and although as yet they are but medicinae, non poenae; medicines, not punishments; and God like a good Physician giveth us sometimes sharp potions to recover our health; that is suffereth us to have detrimentum in minori bono, 
Thom. 22 q. 87. art. 7.  ut augeamur in maiori, loss in a lesser good, that we may gain in a greater; suffereth us to have detrimentum pecuniae, & sanitatis, propter bonum animae, loss of money and health for the good of our soul; yet if these medicines will not cure us, he will cut off that part of the Church or Commonwealth, which is diseased and incurable, though to the hazard and destruction of the whole body.  
And I tell you true, it is no good sign or argument of God's love to us, that he suffereth such sins, such capital sins to reign amongst us without their due punishment; 
2. Mach, 6.  For those whom he loveth not (as the Author of the Maccabees saith) he forbeareth until they come to the fullness of their sin; but it is a token of his goodness and love (saith he) to a nation, not to suffer sins long to continue, but strait way to punish them; as we find in the children of Israel his elect people, who suffered more temporal punishments for their sins than the most Idolatrous nations, whom he reserved to a final destruction.  
And therefore triumph not in your sins, nor comfort yourselves in this impunity; for it is an argument that you are out of God's favour, and that when he striketh he will strike you home; when his anger is lenta, slow, thenit is magna, 
Valeria lib. 1. c. 1.  great, & tarditatem supplicij gravitate compensat, and requiteth the slackness of the punishment with the weight thereof. And it is most true and very observable that julius Caesar said to the Ambassadors of the Swissers, That it is a common custom with God to suffer those whom he loveth not, but intendeth to punish, to enjoy peace and rest, and wealth, and pleasure, and abundance for a long time, Quo gravius ex commutatione rerum doleant, 
Comment, lib. 1.  that the change when it cometh may grieve them the more.  
Wherefore to conclude, seeing this buying and selling of sheep and oxen, which were for sacrifice, and was a far less sin than our buying and selling of spiritual things, was so odious to our Saviour Christ, that first of all other things he reform that, and that divers times, and by force and violence, and by miracle; seeing by the opinion of the Fathers, interpreters and schoolmen this Simony is a sin and an heresy in Christianity intolerable; seeing it cannot stand with a commonwealth, but thereby one state will eat up another; learning and the Universities will be decayed; the Church be supplied with ignorant pastors; hospitality removed from the state of the Clergy; and to conclude, it is a sign and forerunner of some evil to ensue to the commonwealth: give me leave I beseech you honourable, worshipful, etc. who are called, if not inplenitudinem potestatis, unto the fullness of power; yet to some good measure of ability and power, 
Peter Blesens. Epist, 151.  ut auferantur scandala de regno Dei, To remove scandals from the kingdom of God, and from this Church, from this kingdom and commonwealth; give me leave I say, to exhort you, to beseech you, and even to adjure you, by this example of our Saviour Christ, that you would use your best endeavours to remove this evil, to cut off this scandal, this Simony, this buying and selling, and reduce this disorder ad honestatis gloriam, to the glory of this Church and commonwealth. You honourable, etc. according to the power and wisdom that is given you from above, may be a means to amend it, non est meae humilitatis dictare vobis, vel sic, vel sic faciendum, 
De consider. l. 2.  as Saint Bernard said to Eugenius Bishop of Rome, it will not stand with the meanness of my place and knowledge, to say that thus, or thus it may be done, but no doubt it would greatly be eased, if the rich patrons who are pares culpa, nay superiores, equal, nay superior in offending, and sin only through covetousness, might be pares poena, with the poor Priest, who is tempted to Simony by extreme necessity.  
I have been somewhat earnest and zealous against this sin, but marvel not at it, 
Gregor.  for I have read that partem habebit cum Simone qui contra Simoniacos pro officij sui loco vehementer non exarserit, 
1. q. 1. quisqis.  He shall have his portion with Simon Magus, who according to the place he beareth, is not very earnest against the committers of Simony. All that we can do is to speak unto you out of these places, and that will be the less regarded, because we shall be thought to speak for ourselves; but I have given you reasons why it cannot stand with a commonwealth, and protest I speak it not so much in commiseration of our own selves, who by our covetousness and ambition have brought this evil upon us, and having guilty consciences have blushed to reprove it, as in compassion of our successors who shall suffer for our sins, and live in an age when the finger of the sons will be heavier on them, than the loins of the fathers, are now upon us; because commonly wicked parents bring forth progeniem vitiosiorem, An off spring or progeny worse than themselves; when if the ministers shall be liberally bred as we have been, nescient fodere, They will have no skill to dig for their livings, and if they know themselves and the worth and dignities of their calling, erubescent egere, They will blush and be ashamed to live in misery, and yet of necessity will be compelled turpiter mendicare, 
judge, 17.  To go up and down as the Levit did to find them places to dwell in, and be household Levites to some mean Micha, for a suit of apparel and meat and drink.  
But the time is past, so that I cannot stand upon the second part of my text, which is the reason why our Saviour useth this chastisement upon the profaners of the Temple, which containeth matter of very great and necessary observation, and offereth a larger discourse than this former; this that hath been spoken is sufficient to try masteries both with my strength and your patience: wherefore because in this one speech I cannot perform that which I first intended, as S. Bernard said in the like case, facio finem ubi non est finis, 
Serm. 36.  I make an end where there is no end; and end my Sermon, but end not my text: beseeching God in the merits of our Saviour Christ jesus, who at the feast of the Passeover entered into the Temple of jerusalem, and cast out the buyers and the sellers there, to purify this Church of England, and all the Prelate's Ministers and members of it, from all Simony, covetousness, Sacrilege and impious merchandizing to give grace to the Shepherds, which care to feed their flocks, and to the people with all humanity to entertain their Pastors etc.  
FINIS.