Two Sermons preached by the reverend father in God Richard Bishop of Chichester, the first at Paules cross. The second at Westminster before the queens majesty. AT LONDON. Printed by T. Man, and W. B●ome. Anno. 1584 The first Sermon preached at Paules cross on sunday being the fourth day of March. 1576. APOC. 12. 1 There was a great wonder in heaven, a woman was clothed with the Sun, & the Moon was under hir feet, and vpon hir head was a crown of xij. stars, and she was with child, and she cried, & was pained to be delivered. 2 And there was another wonder in heaven. And behold, a great read Dragon had seven heads, and ten horns, & seven crownes vpon his heads. 3 And his tail did draw the third parte of the stars of heaven, and the Dragon stood before the woman which was to be delivered, that when she should be delivered, he might devour the child. 4 And she brought forth a man child which was to rule all nations in an iron rod. And hir child was taken up to God and to his Throne. 5 And the woman fled into a wilderness to a place prepared of God, to feed hir there a thousand two hundreth and three score dayes. 6 And there was a great battle in heaven, michael and his Angels fought with the Dragon, and the Dragon fought and his Angels, but they were not able to stand: neither was their place any more to be found in heaven. 7 And that great Dragon, that old serpent which is called the divell, and satan, was thrown vpon the earth, and his Angels with him. 8 And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying: Now is wrought salvation & strength and the kingdom of God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is overthrown which accused them in the sight of God day and night. 9 And they overcame him through the blood of the lamb and the words of their testimony, & they loved not their lives unto death, and therefore rejoice in heaven and ye that dwell therein. ❧ The first Sermon. BY the consent of the most of the ancient Fathers and late writers: this woman doth signify the church or the people of God chosen to salvation. The great read Dragon signifieth satan. michael signifieth Christ: and his Angels the true Christians. This portion of Scripture is as it were a Picture of the people of God, fighting in the wilderness of this world against satan and his limbs, under the Banner and guiding of Christ Iesus their grand captain, and of that victory which this Michael, this mighty and strong conqueror doth get unto his people over their aforesaid enemies. The principal points be these. 1. The apparel of the church 2. The condition of the church. 3. The victory of the church. For the first general point. The first particular lessō of that is the Sun, the apparel of the Church. The sun messiah, the sun of righteousness, Christ Iesus the righteous. For like as the sun doth as it were cloth and keep warm: and comfort al the creatures of this world: so christ the Sun of righteousness, doth cloth, keep warm, & comfort the Saints of God vpon Earth. For to the sanctified and chosen Romaines & Galathians( faith the Apostle) Christum Ro. 13. 14. ball. 3. 28. induistis, you haue put on Christ and clothed yourselves with Christ. And to the same effect to the Ephesians to be sanctified. Eph. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and rise from the dead, & Christ shal shine unto thee. The beauty and bless of this apparel will the better appear, if we behold our naked and ugly cursed state without Christ. Man by nature is carnal, sold under sin, the bondman of sin: and the reward of sin is death. Man by nature is the child of Gods wrath, the vessel of Gods wrath Remember( saith the Apostle) that you were Ro. 7. 14. Ro. 6. 2. Eph. 2. 3. Eph. 2. 12. without Christ, being aliens from the common wealth of Israell, strangers from the testament of promise, having no hope, and being without God in this world. S. John setteth the cursed nakedness & the blessed apparel together in the first Apo. 1. 5. chapter of the revelation. Grace and peace( saith he) be unto you from Iesus Christ, who hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and made us kings and Priests unto God his Father. first we are to learn, what hath Eph. 2. 4. delivered us and clothed vs. The yove of GOD, the rich grace and mercy of GOD in christ. For GOD which is great in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead by sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. Next we are to learn, from what we are delivered. From the bondage of sin, from the terror of death, from the fearfulness of gods wrath. That is from everlasting damnation & torments unspeakable. Thirdly we are to learn, to what we are delivered. To be Kings and Priests unto god, to kill our beastly affections with faith in the death and merits of Christ, to burn thē with the heat of love, that is, to present both our bodies & souls, a quick, Ro. 12. 1. holy and sweet sacrifice unto God, to live before God in holiness and righteousness al the daies of our life. ye are( saith S. Peter) a spiritual house an holy priesthood for to offer up spiritual sacrifices 1. Pet. 2 9. acceptable unto God, through Christ. ye are a chosen generation, ar●ial priesthood, a holy nation, a people which are won, that ye should show the virtues of him that called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Thus saith the holy and true, which hath Apo 3. 7. the key of david, which openeth and no man shutteth, which shutteth, and no man openeth: because thou sayest I am rich and full of goods Apo. 3. 17. & need nothing, & knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable, and poor and naked: I council thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou maiest be rich, and white raiment that thy filthy nakedness do not appe●re, & anoint thine eyes with eye salve that thou mayst see. The Christians be clothed with the bright Son Christ Iesus, and made a spiritual house & holy préesthood, not to defile their garments with sin, but to buy and receive of Christ the gold of lively Faith, the white garment of righteousness, and the ey salve of the knowledge of Gods word, that their light may shine before men, to win them to God, that they being the salt of the earth may season & edify their brethren, that they testify unto the world, that they and the children of God & by good works may stop the mouths of such as would take any occasion to speak evil of the gospel. The next particular lesson is. That the Church ●eadeth the moon under hir feet. The people of god do not care for the changeable & fading goods of this world, which ebb and flow, increase and decrease, and change as the moon. Exhort them( saith Saint paul unto 1. Tim. 2. 17. timothy) that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God( which giveth us abundantly all things to enjoy them) that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be rady to give and glad to distribute, layvp for themselves a good foundation against the day to come. Birth, beauty, riches, renown and glory of this world, be well likened by a good father to an Auditors counters, which sometimes represent an hundred thousand pounds sometimes a thousand pounds, sometimes a shilling, sometimes a penny, sometimes they are laid aside for nothing. So the counters and houses, and rich persons of the world sometimes they exceed sometimes they be less, sometimes not worth the ground that beareth them. And therfore that heathen Emperour Saladinus seemeth wiser than a great sort of Christians, which when he had gotten great victories▪ and great spoils over great cities and countries, and after fel sick, & saw that he must needs dy, required that when he should be carried to his tumb: there should be carried before him a faire white sheet vpon the point of a spear, and proclamation to be made. These are the rich spoils which Saladinus carrieth away of all his triumphs & victories. And surely th● great men of this world shall one day become the Auditors Counters, and shal play Saladinus, they shal dy and carry away with thē nothing but a shrouding sheet: the wise men of this world shal one day become the Auditors Counters, and shall play Saladinus, they shall die & carry away with them nothing but a shrouding sheet. The rich men of this world shall one day become the Auditors Counters, and shal play Saladinus, they shall die and carry away with them nothing but a shrouding shéet: and therfore the people of God do tread these moons & vanities under their feet, use these outward blessings of god to the glory of god, to the relief of the strangers, the widow the fatherless, the impotent, and such as cannot help themselves. In this treading & using of these moons & transitory goods doth God delight, for Christ setteth it down so in the great and▪ dreadful last charge. You saw me hungry Mat. 25. 35 and gave me meat▪ you saw me thirsty & gave me drink, you saw me naked, and gave me clothing, you saw me harbourless & gave me lodging, you saw me sick and in prison & you ministered unto me. And they shall say, Lord when did we feed thee, cloth thee or minister unto thee? And he shall say, when you did it to any of these little ones. you did it unto me. According to good Saint Hieroms saying: feed Christ in the hungry, cloth Christ in the naked, lodge Christ in the harbourless, minister unto Christ in the stranger, in the widow, in the fatherless child: and such as cannot help themselves. Histories make mention of a good duke of Subaudia called Amodeus, unto whom certain Ambassadors from foreign princes resorted, and after their public affairs done: they asked him, if he had any hounds, for they were desirous to see some hunting with hounds. Yea quoth Amodaeus I haue a kennel of as good hounds as any in Europe, if you come early in the morning you shal see them. The Ambassadors came early in the morning, & Amodaeus lead them to the backside of his house, and there shewed them a great sort of poor folk at breakfast. Atque hi sunt( inquit canes mei. These be my hounds, with these do I hunt. Amodoeus was a good hunts man, and hunted full well. Cornelius the Centurion hunted with these hounds, Act. 10. 4. and the Angel said unto him, Thy prayers and thy alms haue climbed up to heaven, to the sight of God. He that giveth unto the poor lendeth Pro. 19. 17 unto the Lord, and look what he layeth out shall be paid him again. Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy, the Lord will Psal. 41. 1 deliver him in the time of trouble. Blessed, & a thousand times blessed is he that for gods sake helpeth them that be in misery. There is now a necessary and a charitable provision to erect houses in boroughs and market towns, for such as would work if they had it but cannot be set a work Further that work and hunt with Amodeus his hounds. Make no more account of your auditors counters, your birth, wisdom, authority, riches, then Saladmus did: for they shal yield up but a shrouding shéet. Hunt with Amodeus hounds, and remember that you can enjoy but your Ex. 16. 20. Ghomer. If you reserve any till the morning it will rot and be full of worms. When you haue provided enough for your own family, bestow the rest of your Manna vpon hospitals, vpon poor schollers, vpon mending highways and such good deeds. bestow it in the day of your life vpon some good work or other. If you think to lay up any part of your Manna & goods against to morrow, against an other day, it will rot and be full of worms. The moths will eat it, or the thieves will steal it: your prodigal posterity will make it away, or one bad person or other will Mat. 19. 6 haue it away. Therfore see it well bestowed before your eyes, and tread the moon & glory of this world under your feet. The third lesson is, That the Church is crwoned with xij. stars. In the first of the revelation, the holy Ghost doth say, that the Son of man had in his hand seven Apo. 1. 16 Apo. 1. 20. stars. And after he saith the stars be the Angels of the seven Churches. And so in this place the xij. stars be the Angels of the xii. Churches. And because the number 7. and twelve be perfect numbers: they signify the Angels, Ambassadors or ministers of the universal and catholic Church, according to the opnion of the most of the fathers both old and new. And to the same effect( saith Saint paul) We are Ambassadors in the room of Christ, 2. Co. 5. 20 even as though God did beseech you through vs. So pray we you in Christes stead, that you would be reconciled unto God. And the same Saint paul. Let a man so esteem 1. Cor. 4. 1 us even as the Ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. These stars, ambassadors or Ministers bring to you the word of God, the way to your salvation. These stars. Ambassadors, or ministes, bring to you the holy and blessed sacraments, the pledges and pawns of your salvation. And therefore they should be most welcome and déere unto you. But even as the clouds do many times hid the stars, which shine most bright: So the clouds of malice, and covetousness, & Godlessenesse, do hide the stars and ministers of the Gospel. It is a world to see how welcome and déere the dark stars were which brought th● doctrine of men and devises of men. No lands were too much for thē, no estimation too great, no treasure too much. And now when the bright stars of the gospel, bring the sincere word of God, the heavenly Manna and bread of our souls, th● path to the joys of th● celestial paradise, which 1. Cor. 2. 9 neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard nor tongue can express, nor hart conceive: every little is too much for them, every one doth pine and grudge at them, every mean man may, and doth carry up and down sclanders of them, revile them in every alehouse and tavern. God grant that this contempt of Gods ministers be not a certain token of the ripeness of sin, and a woeful fall hard at hand. But yet ministers must not be discomforted, Mat. 1. 19. for the scholar may not be better than his master. Our saviour christ was called a glutton, a drunkard, a companion of publicans and sinners, a worker by beelzeebub: and yet he was most Maht. 12. 24. godly and did most godly. Though they call you what they can call you: cry you out against 'vice, comdemne Epicures, Machiuils and godless persons. Tell them sin is sin, vanity vanity, truth truth, & virtue is virtue. lift up your voices like trumpets, and show the people their Esa. 58. 1. sins: shine like stars in this dark world, & you shall shine with your great Apo. 22. 16. morning star Christ Iesus in the kingdom of heaven. The fourth particular lesson is, That the Church travaileth & is pained to bee delivered. The Church the spouse of christ clothed with th● Sun of righteousness( treading vpon and neglecting the moon, and changing joys of the world, crwoned, with the stars and ministers of the salvation of man) cannot be idle nor careless nor could, but is made careful and warm, and zealous of Gods truth. The Prophet david speaketh of this woman and people, which saith. I held my tongue and spake Psal. 39. 2. nothing, I kept silence even from good words, but it was pain and grief to me, my hart was hot within me, & w●tle I was thus musing, the fire kindled, at the lust I spake with my mouth. As also the church saith again in the Psal. 119. 136. Psal. 119. 123. 139. person of david. Mine eyes gush out with water, because men keep not thy law. My eyes are wasted away with looking for thy health and for the word of thy righteousness. My zeal hath even consumed me, because mine enemies haue forgotten thy commandements. It grieveth me when I see the transgressors, because they keep not thy lawe. Our english Church( God be blessed) is clothed with the rob of Christ, professeth christ truly, is crwoned with infinite stars and good professors of his word, and yet it is a wonder to see howe cold the zeal of it is, how little hate of sin it hath. In daies paste whosoever did travell and was pained to bring forth the word of God and virtue and truth, was liked and furthered of al men. Bad persons were generally hated and misliked. But now is the quiter contrary. I mean not, nor I cannot say that there are so many or so great malefactors, as hath been in other times: but this I may say and this I must say, that there is not the devotion towards God, nor that love of virtue, nor that hate of sin that was in the time of darkness. A man is not liked because he doth well, nor misliked because he doth evil. But now there is an Art to heap and throng a sort into one faction, and they bend them selves to speak, and do all the evil they can devise by such as they mislike, be they never so good, and to speak and do al the good they can, for such as they like, be they never so bad, yea though their badness be marked to the eye. Remember therfore from whence you are fallen, and repent and do the first works, or else, he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, and walketh in Apo, 2. 5. the mids of the 7 golden candlesticks, will come shortly & remove your candlesticks out of their places. God grant us al light and love, one and other to repent. And as we would seem to wear the rich apparel of the gospel of Christ, and to be stars in this Church of Christ, that so we may travel and be pained to be delivered, that is, to be zealous and redy to set forth gods glory, and to tread down and suppress 'vice, idolatry, and vanity. The second part. THe second principal point is, the condition of the Church to be maligned of satan, and protected by God. As the people of God be zealous and earnest to sow the word of God and plant religion: Gen. 3. 11. so the dragon and satan be as watchful and painful to devour the fruit. Mat. 4. 3. Adam was no sooner born, but satan assaulted him, Christ was no sooner born, but satan tempted him. The Dragon is great and read, & hath many heads, & many horns, and many crownes, full of deceit, craft malice, poison, pride, power, might and fierceness, and by worldly promotion, lucre, favor & other flattering fancies, he entangleth many wise men, and casteth many stars down to the ground, and plucketh them clean from Christ and maketh them carnal and ungodly in al their wisdom, study and works. And he standeth ever before the woman counseling, evermore waiting his pray, where the gospel is sincerely taught. The children of God be no sooner born again and renewed by the spirit of god, but he seeketh to devour the fruit of grace sown in their hartes. He useth all crafts, policies, and engines to take the word from the hart, lest the people believing it would be saved. If the woman: if the people of God sleep but a little or give themselves to carelessness, the envious man cometh, this Dragon Ma. 13. 25 cometh and soweth the tares of Sin to choke the seed of religion, which the workman of God had sowed before. He goeth job. 1. 7. about the land and walketh through it. He is a painful visitor, he visiteth & searcheth every corner of his circuit: he sifteth al the people, even as wheat is sifted, & goeth luke. 22. 31 about to turn al to chaff of vanity & pleasure. This watchfulness and craftiness of the dragon should teach us also to be watchful: for so reasoneth saint Peter. Bee sober and watch, for your adversary the 1. Pet. 5. 8. devil goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. watch we should to continency, for such as will be drunken either with the pomp, or port, or pleasure of the world: are sure to be devoured of the dragon, Watch Mat. 1426 we should to prayer, lest we fall into temptation. For those that forbear fasting & prayer are easily tempted of the Dragon. Watch we should al in our calling that Ma. 25. 45 luke. 16. 2. we may be found good stuards and give a good account, when we shal leave the stuardship of this life. Ministers ought to watch and to cry out zealously and boldly against all kind of sin, in al kind of persons without respect Magistrates ought to watch & to beate down al kind of sin & punish al kind of sin in al kind of persons without respect. every householder ought to watch to see th● not only himself, his wife and Children, but also his seruants, yea the least boy & girl that is in his house be brought up in the knowledge & fear of God: for if any of them perish for lack of instruction, that householder shall answer for their blood, and be devoured of the Dragon. Watch ye nobles to the defence of religion, truth, and Iustice. watch ye Ministers to the teaching of religion, truth and Iustice. Watch ye Iudges, Iustices, and Magistrates, to the execution of religion, truth and Iustice: watch England, watch London to thankfulness to God. least the blessed Child of the faithful woman( Gods holy word) be once again devoured of the dragon. And to comfort you against this watchfulness and cruelness of the Dragon, is the goodness of God, a fortress and bulwark. For first notwithstanding the dragon be so watchful, and cruel and ready to devour: God again is ready, yea a thousand times more redy to preserve: he defendeth his, blesseth and preserveth his for the woman brought forth hir child and it was taken up to god & to his throne God brought the woman his church of Exo. 14. Israel, great with child out of egypt. The dragon stood ready by the Amalekits, Midiants, Moabites, & such other to devour the Child. But the child, Gods lawe was brought forth: for the heathen were Psa. 80. 3. cast out, & Gods vine planted, God made room for it and it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadows of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedar trees: she stretched forth hir branches unto th● sea and hir boughs unto the river, that is, god took it to his throne and protection. The woman the primitive church travailed, and was pained to bring forth hir child the gospel of Christ Iesus. The Dragon stood still by Annas and Caiphas by Pilate and herod, by Simon Magus Mat. 20. 7. the sorcerer, Alexander the coppersmith, Act. 8. 9. 2. Tim. 4. 12. Act. 10. 24 Act. 2. 47. and Demetrius the silver smith to devour the Child. But the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly, and the Lord added to the congregation daily such as should be saved, & took the gospel to his throne and protection. The Germain church travailed and pained to bring forth hir child the Gospel of Christ. The Churches of Poleland, Denmark, Sueueland, England and Scotland haue travailed & been pained to bring forth the child, the gospel of Christ Iesus. The dragon hath stood ready by the Italian Caiphas, the Romish scribes and pharyses, their Pilates: their Herods, their Simons▪ their Alexanders and Demetriusses to devour the Child. But the gospel doth flourish and prosper in these lands, and god hath taken it to his throne and protection. The Churches of France & Flanders do travell and are pained to bring forth their Child the gospel of Christ Iesus. The great read Dragon doth bestur himself with al his heads, horns and crownes, powers and crafts, limbs and partakers, to devour their child the gospel of Christ Iesus. But ●●. 2. 10 it shal be born and prosper, and god shal take it to his throne & protection. For the devill may imprison them & trouble them ten daies, but in the end the faithful shal 3. Esdr. 4. haue the crown of life, and truth shall prevail. The next step of Gods goodness, is the rod of Discipline, for the direction of his Church and people. For as he begetteth his Children with the preaching of the word: so he appointeth a rod & Discipline Pro. 22. 15 for the direction of his people. When folly is tied to the Childes hart: the rod of correction must take it away. Children of the best nature will leave their books & play and fall together by the ears, if the rod of correction be not shewed to thē. And the people of the best nature will leave th● book of Religion and spend their time in idle play and pastime, or fall together by the ears, and to contention if the rod of correction do not stay such folly. The wise man nurseth that wood of the which Images Sap. 14. 7. be made to draw men from the creator to the creature: but blesseth that wood by the which Iustice is done, and men be drawn from folly to the fear of God. Gods people be sheep: the shepherd needeth a whistle, and he needeth a Dog Psa. 79. 13 and a hook, that such sheep as will not come in with whistling, may be either baited in with a Dog, or drawn in with a hook. The preaching of the word of God is the whistling. such as will not come into the fold of salvation by the whistle of the word, must be compelled to come in by the Dog and hook of discipline. The ministers do sing & play unto the people with the harp of the word. But the people will Ma. 11. 17 not dance after the measures of the word. The ministers mourn unto the people moved with the judgements of gods Iustice: but the people weep not for their sin and for the wrath of God coming: when neither the blessings of God nor the cursings of God will prevail: the iron rod of discipline is requisite to bruise the stony Ose 2. 6. hartes, and cause them to weep and to dance after the measures of the word. When the rails of the law would not hold the straying sheep of Israell in the pasture of the word: God himself appointed for thē the hedge of thorny discipline. The guests would not come to the kings feast by bidding, and therefore the King luke. 14. 23 took order with his seruants to compel them The feast is Religion, the hearing of the word, the receiving of the sacrament. Bidding, is exhortation out of the word of god. Compulsion, is the iron rod of discipline which must then be used when exhortation will not serve. miriae, moses sister was bidden to the Kings feast, by many Nu. 12. 10. blessings of God. But she rose from the table, & therfore the rod of leprosy compelled hir to come in again. The lost son left luke. 15. 12 the kings feast, th● church of god, but the rod of poverty compelled him to come in again Our master christ joined the word Ma. 21. 13. & discipline together. My house( quoth he) shal be called the house of prayer, but you haue made it a d●n of theeues. And he made a whip Ion. 2. 15 & whipped the buyers & sellers out of the temple. The great King and God Christ Iesus, hath bidden al Englishmen to the feast of his word and sacraments by his Seruants health, wealth, concord, his ministers & preachers. But some will not come to the feast, some sit down & taste not of the meat, some snatch a little, and by and by run away: the ministers do whistle unto thē, pipe to them, sing to them, mourn to them, pitch the rails of God his lawe, and preach the word and Gospel to them. But they will neither dance or mourn folly is tied to the childrens harts: therefore it is now requisite that Iudges and nobles, and counsellors, which haue in this common wealth the authority & countenance, should draw out the rod of discipline and take folly from these childrens harts. It is now requisite for councellors for Iudges and nobles, to use the word of Iustice the hook of discipline, the thorns of punishment, the iron rod of correction, & the whip of severity to draw in these unthankful guests, and to keep them into this most blessed feast, to cause high and low to come into Gods house, to hear the word of God, and to receive his holy sacraments, the pawns and pledges of our redemption, and more worth than al the treasures of the world. The third step of Gods goodness is the providence of god, which prepareth a place for his church in the wilderness, and feedeth his people in the wide world, a thousand, two hundred and three score dayes. God fed the Children of Israell forty years in the wilderness, with bread from Exo. 1. 61. Exo. 17. 6 heaven and water out of the rock. God fed the children of his primitive Church in the wilderness of this world in th● daies of Nero, Dioclesian, julianus and others, with the water and bread of his mighty power, a thousand, two hundred and three score daies. God fed the widow of Sareptha with a little meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse, till there fell rain vpon the earth. God fed the widow his church of Europe, with a little meal, and a little oil of his word, from the Empire of Phocas to the Empire of Sigismonde, till the rain of his grace fel vpon Bohemia, Germany, England and other. There was in Iewry a prophet called abacuch, Da. 14. 33. which had made pottage, & broken bread in a deep platter, and was going into the field for to bring meat to the reapers. But the Angel of the Lord said unto abacuch. Go carry the meat that thou hast unto Daniel, which is in the lions den, and the Angel of the lord took him by the hair of his head, & through a mighty wind set him in babylon vpon the den. And abacuch cried saying: O daniel thou seruant of God, haue, take the breakfast that God hath sent thee. And Daniel said: O God, hast thou thought vpon me? Well thou never failest them that yove thee. God hath fed his Daniels, Luther Zwinglius, Caluin, and infinite such others in the Lions den of persecution and trouble he hath sent unto them many Abacucks to bring to them the pottage and comfort of God his goodness prepared for the reapers and worldlings, for God never faileth those that yove him. though the Water and Manna of the gospel be not so plentiful. Though the meal and oil of Religion be not so abundant. Though Daniels and preachers be not so well fed and comforted in the wilderness of this world, as good and zealous men do wish, let them be content and take patience, and rely vpon this. God must feed his Church in the wilderness, a thousand, two hundred and three score daies. Let them remember the answer that was given to the souls of those which were killed, and the testimony which they had, which cried with a loud voice, and said: How long Lord thou holy & true will it be ere thou reuenge the blood of thy saints upon those that dwell vpon the earth? & they were bidden to be quiet a while, until the number of their fellow servants were full, which must be killed as they be. God hath a number of children that must be killed, and a number of daies in the which his children must bear his cross & feed in the wilderness of this world: & till the number both of the Children and daies be full: the godly neither can haue or shal haue their full of the heavenly Manna, and bread of the blessed meal & oil of sincere religion, which they so greatly desire: but so soon as the number of the saints and daies be full, so soon shall they be made pillars in the church of god, and haue their joys perfected God defend us against the malice of satan, and sand us his profitable rod of discipline, & feed us by his providence in this wilderness one thousand two hundred & 3 score dayes. The third part. THe third general point, is the victory of the Church. The first particular lesson of that is the warfare. The life of man vpon earth is a warfare: and hereupon job. 7. 1. we call the church of God upon earth, the Church militant, the fighting and warfaring Church. In war we first Gal. 5. 17. look to the manner of the fight, which is here of the spirit and of the flesh, for the flesh fighteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. These two do contrary one to the other. The works of the flesh are manifeste, Gal. 5. 19. which are these, fornication, vncleannes, incontinency, Idolatry, witchcraft, malice, contention, envy, heresies, drunkenness, gluttony and such like. The fruits of the spirit be ioy, peace, patience, liberality, long suffering, mildness, faith, modesty, continency and chastity. Next we look unto the captaines, and the first captain in this war is michael the strong and mighty, the lion of the tribe of judah, Emanu●l, the great councillor, the prince of peace, the advocate of Apo. 5. 5. Ma.. 1. 13. Esa. 9. 6. 1. joh. 2. 1. the faithful, the Angel of the testament, the head of the Church, the conqueror of death hel & sin. The judge of the quick Mala 3 1. Col. 1. 18. Act. 1. 42. and the dead Christ Iesus, God eternal, God almighty. The captain of the other army, is the great read Dragon, the old Serpent, the deceiver of the whole Apo. 12. 10 Eph. 6. 12. world, the accuser of our brethren day and night, the worldly ruler, the governor of darkness in this world, which is the devil and satan. Michaels souldiers be the ministers of Eph. 6. 4. Christ, the elect, the Children of light, the blessed of the Father. The Dragons Souldiers, be the ministers of satan, the wicked, the Children of darkness, the cursed. The armour of the Christian Souldiers, is the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of Faith, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The Helmet of salvation, the darts of prayer, fasting and alms. Then the armor of the contrary souldiers must needs be, the Girdle of falsehood, the breastplate of injury, the shoes of discord, the shield of infidelity, the sword of the flesh, which is the doctrine & wisdom of man, the helmet of mistrust the darts of deuoutlesnesse, epicurism, and unmercifulness. It is a good rule in logic, that of contraries there is the same knowledge, as white and black, good and bad. Then he that shall know the bad weapons, shall also know the good, which I will briefly run over. The first is, the Girdle of Falsehood, which containeth all lying, sophistry, and hypocrisy. So the children of darkness gird themselves, first with false speeches, false rumours, false surmises, slanderoous books, and infamous libels, false oaths, protestations and execrations, false accusers, and false witnesses. Next, with sophistry and doubling, using words and sentences of double sense, to the contrary of the meaning, joining words together that are disioyning▪ or disioining words and sentences which should be read whole: by wrong pointing and pronouncing, by changing the substance into the accident, or the accident into the substance, making the cause thee not cause: or the not cause the cause, reporting things done or spoken simply, which be done or spoken in part. That is, in respect of some time, or some place, or some person, or to allege things done or spoken in part, to be done simply, in telling of a deed, to leave out the principal matters, and to utter the rest as a full troth. Thirdly with hypocrisy and dissimulation, in pretending love of Religion, devotion, friendship and faith, & under the colour of those to hid superstition, deuoutlesnes, guile and vntroth. Examples of these in the world there be too many, but I will by a few give you to ame at the rest: and for these false speeches & slanderoous reports, I will leave you to the common tables, where either at dinner or at supper, you may hear too many after they are warm with wine. There is nothing more necessary now adays, then some good order against table talk. Mens tungs now be so free & so licentious, that they will spare none, not Iustice, not judge, not Shirif, not Maior, not Preacher, not Bishop, not gentleman, not noble man, not councillor, not Prince. And surely this liberty is as it were the seed and spring of rebellion: for when they haue revealed every state their fill: then they begin to agree together, to publish infamous books, to set robberies, rebellions, and insurrections, and to frame new common wealths. Sophisters were wont to be only in th● schools, but now they be every where. The farmer and grazier can play the sophister, in hiding in their corn and cattle till the price be raised. The artificer can play the Sophister, in making his wears show better then they be. Petifoggers at the law can play the sophisters, in setting a good face, and applying good words to a bad matter, in pretending truth & iustice, when they seek to overthrow truth & iustice. Officers can play the sophisters, and pretend Iustice, and yet seek gain and lucre. In Religion, men can play the sophisters, and talk of the catholic church, when they mean the church of room. And talk of good works: when they mean dead works. talk of faith and conscience: when they mean opinion and fancy. Men can talk of the reformation of the Church: and mean the spoil of the goods and lands of the Church. All these be Sophisters, and gird themselves with falsehood. The next is the breastplate of injury, which containeth wrongful deeds, when by authority and might, mens goods be taken away or holden back. And to leave the common wrongs, there be sproong up new kinds much to be bewailed. The one be sea thieves, such as lye in the straights and corners of the fea, and take other mens goods from them by force, and make them often times water spaniels, or sand them to feed Haddocks, as they call it. And among the greatest offenders in this kind, some Englishmen be thought to be. There will lye together either men of diuers nations, or such as can speak diuers languages, so that whatsoever nation the Merchant be of, the pirates will be of another and of another language. poor men lose their lives, and true men their goods. Before God I speak it, I think the sea be cursed for these murders and robberies. And I am sure God will curse this land, for nurssing and fostering them without repentance and iustice done vpon the offenders. Let men pretend what they will, God is the God of iustice. They give them this odd name or that. If they were Turkes, or Iewes, or Infidels, wrong ought not to be done to them. Nay rather we ought to deal so justly, and so uprightly with them, that they seeing our good works, might be won to honour our God, & profess our gospel. Another be land thieves, such as get fatherless childrens goods into their hands, and either defraud them of the whole, or else of the greater part. And if they will not be content with a little piece, do drive them to the lawe, and so make them spend more then their legacies or portions cometh to, before they obtain it. A third of such as be in the commission for the peace, or for the Subsidies, or for musters, which use those commissions to gain by. Such as will bring them rewards, and pass at assizes and Sessions in Iewries, as they would haue them, shall be little or nothing in the subsidies book: they shall be charged with little or no armor: shall not be appointed to the warres, nor looked to in the musters. But such as can not, or will not reward privately, nor pin their consciences to his sleeve, or his stéeue: they pay for all. So that the payments now adays in many places, rest vpon the three pound men, or four pound men, or five pound men: which God knoweth needs more to haue given them then to pay oftentimes. And the great rich men, which be worth a thousand, fiue-thousand, nay ten thousand pounds, scape for ten pounds, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty pounds at the most. The next point of armor, be the shoes of discord, of envy, hatred and malice, wherewith the souldiers of darkness be shod, whereof our daies are too full, and the daies whereof it was said, Frigebit charitas muliorum. The love of many Matth. 24. 12. shall warkey could. And yet we are full of one kind of charity: but it is but a blind charity, and uncharitable charity. This must needs be a point of charity to further your neighbour to heaven. And surely there be many that had lever haue their neighbour go to heaven rather then themselves. For one good help to heaven it is, for a man to be told his faults. And many be ready not only to tell, but to writ and print their neighbours faults: their coldness in religion, their slack faith, their want of hospitality, their doing of this evil deed and that evil deed, they leave nothing forth, nay they will ad and devise. This is a kind of charity, for it maketh good Christians more ware and circumspectly in their deeds, and maketh them call to remenbrance, whether they haue offended God or their neighbours in that sort. But this is uncharitable charity, for it groweth not of hate of 'vice, or love of virtue: but of envy, malice and contention, to deface their neighbour. The next point of armor is the shield of infidelity, whereof I am very loth to speak, & loth to suppose that any should be faulty. I trust there be none that doubt either of God or of the divell, or of heaven or of hell, or of the resurrection of the dead, or of the life to come. Though some live so, and speak so, as they give great occasion to many to suspect that they look for no life after this life. The Papists were wont to say, that this religion would bring in infidelity, but most falsely and most untruly: marry, what want of discipline hath done and may do, that is another point. Neither hath there been, nor is, nor can be any fault in the religion, for it is the sincere Religion that Christ Iesus left to his Church. But surely the remissness of Magistrates either hath done or may do much harm. Many there be that make little account of common prayer, and as little of the word or of the Sacraments. Not surely, because they want zeal and religion altogether, but either they bear themselves of the losenesse of the time, or of the countenance of some great persons vpon whom they depend. In that case there be diuers partly irreligious, and partly Papists and spies to, that few or none dare or may control them, without greater danger to the controller, then to the controlled. These talk their pleasures of Christian preachers and ministers, and iest at common prayer and at Sermons, and at every good thing. But this is the fault of man and time, not the fault of▪ Religion. And therefore it is to be said, Qui sordescit sordescat adhuc, they Apoc. 22. verse. 81. that will needs be nought, let them be nought. Men may not cut down Vines, because▪ bad men be drunken with wine. Neither take away marriage because bad men break wedlock. Neither take away the law, because bad petifoggers abuse the lawe to quarrel and trouble poor men. Neither may we take away the word of God and the Sacraments because bad men abuse them, and contemn them to their own destruction. We preach Christ crucified, to the jews 1. Cor. 1. verse. 25. a stumbling block, to the Gentiles foolishness. But to those that be called both of the Iewes and greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. For the word of the cross is foolishness 1. Cor. 2. verse. 18. to them that perish: but to those that be saved it is the power of God. Preachers be the sweet savour unto God, both in 2. Cor. 2. verse. 15. those that be saved and in those that perish, to the one the savour of death unto death, and to the other the savour of life unto life. The next point of this armor is, the sword of the flesh, which is the doctrine of man and the wisdom of man. It is engraffed in the corrupt nature of man to love the works of his own hands, to seek to be as wise as God. God appointed Noah to make an ark to save▪ him Gen. 6. 14 Gen. 11. 4 & his. And Nimbrod would needs build a tower to re●●h to heaven. The angel of God appointed Lot to go to the mountain Gen. 19. verse. 17. Gen. 19. verse. 20. to save himself: and he needs would go to Soar, where he fell into incest. God made the children of Israel two tables of ston: and they made themselves Exo. 31. 18 Exo. 32. 4. Iud. 8. 27. Iud. 11. 39. 1. Sam. 15 verse. 9. two golden calves. Gedeon would needs make himself an Ephod: and jephthah sacrifice his daughter, and Saule save the faire oxen and sheep to sacrifice. God hath appointed his Noahs, the ark faith in the death and merits of Christ to be saved by. But the Nimbrodes of this world, build towers of the merits of saints, of their own merits, of the worthiness of the work, and the worthiness of the worker, of Congruum & Condignum, of supererogation and ceremonies, and rites and outward shows, and think that these towers will reach up to heaven. But they build Babel and confusion. There is no other name given under heaven, Act. 4. 12. whereby we may be saved, but only in the name of Christ Iesus. The word of God appointed all Lots to run out of sodom of darkness & ignorance, to the mountain Moses, to the mountains the Prophets, the mountains the evangelists, & the scriptures of God in th● which life is. But blind zealous Lots joh. 5. 39. like not th● mountains liked of a few, and frequented of a few. But they desire to go to the city & Segor, they must haue a visible church and a visible head, & al things visible. God gave to his primitive church the old Testament and the new, the law and the gospel. But the blind zealous Israelites afterwards made unto themselves the golden calves of gallant copes, & crosses, and Ceremonies, and Candlesticks and schoolmen, and Sophisters, and Doctors, and Legends, and Glosers. Gedeons will haue their own devises, their own fancies. The public order of prayer cannot please them, the common order of ministration of Sacraments can not content them. But every Gedeon must haue his own Ephod. every one his own maner and form, except he first find that way, it is not worth a straw. Iephtha will serve God after his own fancy, or he will sacrifice his daughter. Superstitious Iephthas sacrifice both their sons and their daughters, and themselves: they destroy all upon a blind zeal, which they haue vowed and professed, and their forefathers before them. They will not learn with good king david to teach their children Psa. 78. 8. the law of God, that they should not bee as their forefathers were, a faithless and stubborn generation, a generation that set not their harts aright. Saules must sacrifice faire sheep and faire oxen, they must haue every thing goodly and gay to the eye, and think whatsoever seemeth goodly and gay in their own eyes: must needs seem so in Gods eye, although he hath taught the contrary. The next point of this armor is the helmet of mistrust. The children of Israell fondlie armed themselves with this helmet of mistrust, when they said unto Moses and Aaron. Would to God we had dyed by the hands of pharaoh in the land of Egypt, when we sate by the pots of flesh, and had bread enough. Why haue you brought us into the wilderness, to kill all the people with hunger? And they arm themselves with the helmet of mistrust, which say, now haue we the fleshpots of peace, and the bread of wealth, and all things as we would. What should we make any stir, or use discipline against the stubborn? so may we raise trouble, and heap coals vpon our own heads. The word of God is to be preached, and the children of Israell must be brought out of Egypt, and discipline is to be ministered. And for the sequel we should rely vpon the providence and majesty of God. The children of Israell again armed themselves with this helmet of mistrust, saying: Would to God we might die, and that God would not bring us into this land, least Num. 14. verse. 2. we should die with the sword, and our wives and our children be lead away captives, is it not better to return into egypt? And they again arm themselves with the helmet of mistrust, which say, we will not venture too far, we will not show ourselves too zealous, least we hereafter die with the sword, and our wives and children loose our lands and goods. It is good for us for to make faire weather before hand, that if occasion serve, we may return into Egypt. This graceless mistrust, and this causeless mistrust, is the greatest hindrance of religion and virtue now adays. For there be a great sort that will not bind and tie themselves to religion and the providence of God: because they fear th● mooneshine in the water, & doubt that that may come, which either will never come, or it is like enough that they shall never live to see it come. Or if our sins be so great that God will sand it, their mistrust is but lost, it will never serve their turns. Let them look to the admiral hernia & Egmount, and others that haue trusted Papists, and behold their own destiny. Rasin of Siria, and Pecath the son of 2. Reg. 16. verse. 5. Romelia, went to jerusalem to fight against it. And assoon as Ahas and his people heard thereof, they put on the helmet of mistrust, and their harts quaked as the leaves of a tree shooke with the wind. But God by his Prophet Esay said unto them. fear not, nor be faint hearted for these two tails, and for these two smoking firebrands. If you believe not: it cometh of this, that you are unfaithful to God. And they arm themselves with the helmet of mistrust, whose harts tremble at the coming of Rasin and Pecath, nay vpon the report of their coming. When God doth plainly show that they be but two tails, two smoking firebrands, two that cannot help themselves, nay that need help themselueo. Two whose fathers being x. times more mighty then they, could not overthrow the gospel in their own countries: whosoever doth not believe this, it cometh of this, that they do not depend vpon Gods majesty and providence, but be unfaithful to God. The last point of this armour be the darts of deuoutlesnes, unmercifulness & epicurism, which fly abroad in every place, for few or none there be that serve God devoutly. Some there be that come to common prayer, and hear Sermons as it were for a fashion. Good Lord, what devotion was there and zeal in the children of darkness? They would go a foot many an hundred miles to a dum Image. They would rise by midnight, and tarry all the morning in the Church could and hungry, to hear that that they understood not, they gave away their goods and their lands to cloth Images, they would eat nothing but bread and water full many a time, and spare from their own belly to bestow it as their zeal lead them. I leave them to God, I hope the best. But we that haue the light of the gospel, that know true religion and true faith and true prayer, and true alms, haue little devotion, either to fast or to do the works of true mercy. We will scarce rise at seven a clock, nay▪ at nine a clock to hear the word of God, and to serve God, we will not go a mile, nay we will scarce go out of our chambers and houses to hear Christ preached, and to honour God in his congregation. never so little business stayeth us from sermons and prayer. We think we may pray when we list, but we are to to much deceived. For faithful prayer is the gift of God, and the gifts of God haue their times. And be well likened to the little boy, which the Poets call Occasion, which is painted with a bald head, saving that he had in his forehead a little lock of hair and with wings, and a sythe in his hand, meaning that he did fly apace, and cut away all things with him: meaning that if a man did not take hold of the little lock when it was before him: he co●ld not take hold of the bald part. The daies were when many of us would haue given all the goods we had and the lands to, that we might without bodily danger haue served God in such sort as now we may. And yet we will not take hold of the little lock of grace when we may, but feed ourselves with security and carelessness, and vain fancies. We do not only not works of mercy in maintaining preachers and reléeuing the poor: but our most study is to take away that little that is left to preachers, and to pull down hospitals, or to take away the lands, or keep away the rents from the poor. Abstinence to make our bodies the more fit to serve God, is so far from us, as many mens chief study is to devise new pleasures and new devises to delight the carcases too much pampered. The next particular lesson, is the overthrow of the Dragon and his souldiers, they prevailed not, they were cast down to the ground, they were utterly overthrown. Death is swallowed up in 1. Cor. 15. 55. victory, death where is thy sting? hell where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law, but thanks be unto God which hath given unto us▪ victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. All that is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the 1. joh. 1. 4. victory that overcometh the world even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Iesus is the son of God▪ So neither the captaines nor souldiers can stand or prevail. And no marvell, for their armor is of cheverel leather, & the nature of cheverel leather is, that if a man take it by the sides & pull it in breadth, he may make a little point as broad as both his hands. If he take it by the ends & pull it in length, he may make it as small as a thread. Most men now adays haue cheverel consciences, if the matter touch their own profit or pleasure: they make their consciences wide enough, & large enough. If it touch another mans profit, they make them as small as a thread. Much like as the report of a Lawyer or some other, to whom a man came & said. Sir my cattle haue destroyed your corn, what is to be done in the matter▪ marry( quoth he) you must pay me for my corn: Nay( quoth the folllow) my tongue slipped, it is your cattle haue destroyed my corn. That altereth the case( quoth he) we will talk of that more another time. This cheverel conscience is broad enough to look to his own profit, but narrow enough to look to his neighbours profit. The world is full of cheverel consciences, & full of Dionisians. dionysius came into a temple where Images were clothed with golden coats, and siluerne coats. And dionysius took pity on them and said, these golden and siluerne coats be to heavy for summer, and to could for winter, and therefore for pity sake he took away their golden and siluerne coats, and gave them coats of linsey wolsey, for said he, that is good and warm for winter, and good and light for summer. dionysius cheverel conscience and pity is too common. What( say they) should these Preachers do with Lordships and manors and tithes. They hinder them from their books and study. It were better for them to haue a pension quietly paid them, and then they might go quietly to their books and to their preaching. The Dionisians take away their golden gotes and silver coats, and give them linsey wolsey coats, for they be good and warm for winter, and good and light for summer. Rich men can say to poor men, or such as be behind hand, what should you do with such an hold, or with such a great occupying? you can not stock it, sell it me and I will help you to a less and money to stock it. Dionisians take aaway their golden coats, and give them linsey wolsey, because it is warm and light. Such as haue store of money, can say to others, you haue such a little piece of land, you are in debt. It doth you little good or none, I will let you haue so much money vpon the mortgage or sale of your land. And you may furnish yourself and your household and provide to live vpon that, first they get away his golden cote and after his linsey wolsey, for the use of his money in time doth eat up both his land and his stock, and bring him to our Ladies bands, and teach him to sing by beggary. And héere may the bad well learn a good lesson, to cast away the girdle of falsehood and the breastplate of wrong, and all other their bad armor, for good they can do them none, and hurt they shall do themselves much. They that trust in those, build upon the sand, when the wind of Gods truth shall blow: their buildings shall be overthrown. Truth is like a coal of fire, which covered with ashes, seemeth quiter out, but when the bellows hath blown the ashes away, the coal is brighter than it was before. So the ashes of malice and craft may hinder the coal of truth for a while, but so soon as the bellewes of Gods spirit shall blow vpon the ashes, the ashes will fly away, and truth will appear more brighter then before. The ashes of craft and malice did hid the innocency of joseph, whose feet they Gen. 39. 20. hurt in the Stocks, the iron entred into his soul. The bellows of Gods truth blew abroad the ashes, the time came, that his cause was known, the King sent and delivered him, he made him Lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance. So he did shine more bright then ever before. The ashes of craft and malice did hid for a while the innocency of Daniel, and cast him into the Lions den. But the bellows of Gods spirit blew away the ashes, and the angel of God shut the lions mouths that they might not hurt him. And the King fetched Daniel out of the den, and he did shine brighter then before. The malice and craft of the naughty, may bring and do bring Iosephs and Daniels into much trouble. But Gods spirit doth blow and shall blow away all their malice and craft, and make their innocency brighter then before. Well Psal. 62. 10 said good King david. Trust not in wrong and craft, for craft and wrong are pitfalles to take them in, that dig them. The inhabitants of Gibeon thought josu. 9. 4. they wrought wisely, who made themselves ambassadors, and took to them victuals and bottles, old and rent, and torn, and old clotted shoes vpon their feet, and their raiment was old, and all their provision of bread was dried up and hored. And they came unto josuah into the host, and said unto him and unto all the men of Israel. We be come from a far country, this our food of bread we took with us out of our houses hote, the day we departed to come to you. But now behold it is dried up and hore, and these bottles of wine which we filled were new and see they be rent. And these our garments and shoes are worn for very oldness, by reason of the exceeding long journey But within three daies after they were found to dwell hard by. The fautors of the Romish Church, tell of their exceeding long journey, and antiquity of fifteen hundred yeares and great continuance. But josuah hath found, and God hath showed that they dwell hard by. That their doctrine and religion is new, their greatest points of their doctrine, transubstantiation, and the Bishops primacy over the council, not holden four hundred yeares ago. And as for their horie bread of invocation of Saints, their sour wine of purgatory, their broken bottles of sacrificing for the quick and the dead, their clotted shoes of pilgrimages, pardons, palms, ashes, holy bread, holy water, and infinite such like, they were old and venued, and hoary and rotten, even when they took them first from home, as grounded not so much as of one sentence or president of canonical scripture: yea being mere dreams and devises of the Poets. As purgatory, in the sixth book of Virgilles Aenaeidos. invocation of Saints in ovid de tristibus. Holy water in the first book of Ouids Metamorphosis, and so forth. Haman thought he had wrought wisely Hest. 3. 10 against Mardocheus, when he had gotten a bill signed, by the King for his death. But Haman fell into the pit that he digged for Mardocheus, and was ●uerthrowne himself. proud Hamans, ambitious Hamans, crafty and malicious Hamans, may dig pits, and do dig pits, for poor and simplo well meaning Mardocheus, but they fall into the pits themselves, and are overthrown. For the Dragon and his Angels may fight and do fight, but they can not stand nor prevail, but are cast down to the ground. The next lesson containeth the means by the which they overcame. The first mean is the blood of the Lamb, the cause efficient and working this victory. We are not bought with corruptible gold and silver, but with the blood of the 1. Pet. 1. verse. 18. unspotted Lamb Christ Iesus. If gold or silver could haue ransomed us, or if any thing that could haue been bought for silver or gold, could save and justify us, then easy were the way to heaven for rich men. For it were but an easy matter for him that hath ten thousand pounds, to bestow one hundred. For him that may spend an hundred pounds by the year, to bestow ten pounds by the year to come to heaven thereby. But our master Christ telleth us that the way to heaven for rich men is too too Matth. 26. verse. 39. hard. And therefore they be enemies to the death and cross of Christ, that devise any other cause of salvation, then the blood of the Lamb. If all the powers and virtues of all the creatures in heaven and earth and under the earth, had been able to haue satisfied the wrath of God, the son of God should never haue died, for that cup should haue passed from him, Matth. 26. verse. 39. if it had been possible. The second mean was the word of their testimony, their belief in hart and confession▪ in mouth of Christes merits. For even as the medicine, be it never so good, doth not help the patient, except he take the medicine and apply it to his grief: so the blood of the Lamb, though it be the most sovereign medicine in the world, yet can it not help the sick soul except it be taken by the mouth of faith, Act. 15. 9. and applied to the comfort of the soul. The harts be made clean▪ by faith. Faith is that hand that taketh hold of the grace and mercy of God in the blood of the Lamb, and lodgeth the same in the hart of man▪ which being so lodged, doth wash the hart, and expulse all the filth of sin. The beginning and the foundation of Cicil. in John. li. 2. cap. 52. our holinesse and righteousness is Christ; by faith and not otherwise, for by that mean Christ doth dwell in vs. This is Fulgē▪ ad memim. lib. 1. the order of Gods redemption and rewarding man, that now ma● to be justified doth believe that, which to be glorified he shall receive. The third mean is the not loving of their lives unto death. Their constancy in faith, in love, in pity, in truth, in the patience and kingdom of Christ. For of the good tree of grace planted in the hart by the hand of faith, must needs spring forth the fruits of constancy and patience, and other good works. And these exclusive or barring words( only faith, faith alone, faith without works) do not exclude and bar good works from a man justified, but exclude and bar good works to be only fruts and tokens of justification, and not causes. And it is necessary to consider the concourse of the graces of God in man justified. The principal cause is the grace and mercy of God in Christ, the hand or instrument by the which that grace is taken hold of, and applied to the health of man, is faith in the death and merits of Christ. The third be good works, the fruits and tokens of grace and faith, not the causes. As it is said to the woman in the gospel. Many sins are forgiven hir, Luke. 7. verse. 47. because she loved much. Hir love is not set down as the cause that wrought the forgiveness of hir sins: but as the fruit, token and effect. For hir sins were not forgiven hir because she loved Christ much. But she loved Christ much because he had forgiven hir many sins. And this doth Saint John more plainly set forth in his first Epistle. By this we 1. John. 3. verse. 14. know that we are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren. The love of our brethren is a token unto us that God hath loved us and saved vs. For none can love his brother except God hath first loved him. And thus you see how the Saints of God get the victory and salvation by the blood of th● Lamb, as the cause: by faith, as the instrument, by constancy, and patience, & good works as the effects. And all these be the blessings of God, concurring in men justified, and overthrowing their enemies. The last particular lesson is the song of the victory. The Saints vpon this victory sing this song: N●w is made salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. And again this song. salvation be ascribed Apo. 7. 10. to him that sitteth vpon the seat of our God and to the Lamb. And thirdly this song. Blessing and glory, and wisdom, and Apo. 7. 12. thanks, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for evermore. Amen. When God had overthrown pharaoh and his host in the read sea. Then Moses sang this song. The Lord hath triumphed Exo. 15. 1. gloriously, the horse and him that road vpon him hath he overthrown in the Sea. The Lord is my strength and praise, and he is become my salvation. He is my God, and I will glorify him, my fathers God, and I will exalt him▪ God hath cast down the altu●er of our brethren, and the oppressor of our bréethren. God hath cast to the ground the dragon of hell. God hath drowned pharaoh of room and all his horsemen in the sea. God hath set us free from hell and Rome, superstition and vi●●. There is no nation under the heaven that hath better cause to praise God, then this of England. For remember first that God hath blessed us with 〈◇〉 health, and wealth, and peace, and quietness, whereas all nations round about us, haue been long troubled: Where they haue had sickness we haue had none to speak of. Where they haue had hunger & dearth, we haue had plenty and abundance, not only for ourselves, but for a great many besides. We haue had concord and unity: where they be continually vexed with civil warres, neighbour against neighbour, kinsman against kinsman, brother against brother, father against his son, the wife against hir husband, the son against his mother, th● seruant against his master, contrary to all the principles of fe●ce, nature, and reason▪ think that you see with your eyes some starved with hunger, 〈…〉 s murdered in their beds, some slain in their field, some hanged, some drowned, some quartered, every one looking every hour for death▪ Churches burned, houses spoyled, childrens brains 〈◇〉 out, ma●dens and matrons deflowered. And then, then you will think how great a blessing of God this civil concord is. Go a little further, and consider what a gracious & merciful Prince God hath set over us, under whom every one inioieth his goods, his lands, his wife, his children, and hath and may haue the benefit of th● law, whereas you may remember, that men were put to death without law, their goods taken from them contrary to all law. A word hastily spoken, or rather plainly mistaken, was present death. Their wives and their children cast out of the doors a begging. If young men ask of their old men, they shall not find it in the memory of the oldest men▪ so many yeares free from payments and contributions, as haue been in this our most gracious soueraines time. God hath given to this land, so many grave, and wise, and godly Councellors, and Nobles, and gentlemen, and ministers, & of all other sorts as neither this land, nor any other haue ever or seldom seen before. even little children can better & more perfectly declare the principles of religion and faith: then those that were reckoned great men & pillars of th● church an hundred yeares ago. over and besides that, God hath lent unto us his holy and blessed word in our native tongue, and his holy Sacraments in such sort as Christ delivered unto his Apostles, and his Apostles unto his Church, the greatest treasures th● can happen to any christian. And for the quiet enjoying whereof, you yourselves would once haue given all the good and lands in the world, if you had had them. And yet if you continue still true christian merchants, you will give all that ever you haue for these pearls. These so great benefits of God should Math. 13. verse. 45. move us with the Saints, with Moses, with all the holy ones, to praise God and bless his holy name. To be thankful to God who hath dealt so wonderfully for us, and so graciously. But we loath the heavenly Manna, we be weary of our own ease and good, and spend our daies in sclandring, backbiting, quarrelling, wringing, and wronging one of another. We leave the substance of religion and let that sleep, and vex and trouble ourselves about the accidents and beggarly elements of the world. The fear of God & the love of our neighbour is too to could, infidelity and uncharitableness bear the bel. Repent England repent, repent London repent, repent old and young, rich & poor, for he hath whet his sword, and bent his bo●●e, and prepared in it the arrows of death. Wash you and make you clean, put away your evil intents out of his sight. leave to do evil, learn to do well, deliver the oppressed, help the fatherless to his right, let the widows complaint come before you. Amend your ways & councils, judge right betwixt a man and his neighbour, oppress not the stranger, the the fatherless, nor the widow, cleave not to strange Gods and fond fancies to your own destruction. turn you to the Lord your God with all Ioel. 2. 12. your hartes with fasting, weeping, & mourning. Rent your hartes and not your garments. turn you unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, long suffering and of great compassion, and ready to pardon wickedness. The second Sermon preached at Westminster before the queens majesty the third sunday in Lent 1576. acts. 20. 28. Take heed to yourselves, & to all the flock over the which the holy ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which hath made again with his own blood. 29. For I know, that assoon as I am gone, there will burst in vpon you ravening wolves not sparing the flock. 30. And of yourselves shal arise men speaking crooked things to draw Schollers after them. 31. And thus brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to finish his buildings, and to give you an inheritance amongst all his blessed Saints. THe holy Ghost by Saint paul in this portion of Scripture doth exhort al Christian Magistrates, to see that both they themselves, and al their flocks and cures be sound in religion, virtuous in life, and continue in the same unto the end. First because the holy ghost hath given them authority and blessings, to this end and purpose, to feed, instruct, and govern the church and people of God. secondly because the souls of men committed to their charge, be a most precious treasure, as made again with the blood of the lamb of God. Thirdly because the perils and dangers that hang over their heads, either from the wolf, and professed enemy or from the dissembling brethren: occasion them to be watchful. Last of all, he doth anchor them vpon God and the word of his grace, against all perils and lets, and to all good success. And this is the sum, and now more particularly. When Saint paul had planted the Gospel in the churches of Asia, and was sent for by the holy ghost, to go to room to preach the Gospel there, before his departure he called together the Elders of the churches. Presbuteros, th● magistrates as well ecclesiastical as civil. And to them, and by them to all Christian magistrates high and low, that haue been since now be or shal be to the end of the world he spake to this effect, Attendite. Take great heed to yourselves, watch & pray, be circumspectly and careful, look diligently about you. remembering that our master Christ gave much the like rule to his disciples at his departure. Take heed, watch & pray Mat. 13. 3. 35. for you know not when the time is. Watch for you know not when the master of the house will come, at even or at midnight, at the Cock crowing, or in the dawning, lest if he come suddenly he should find you sleeping. If you should sleep and be idle, secure careless, and your master so find you: he would say cut up these unfruitful trees, and cast them in the fire. Who is therfore a faithful seruant & wise, whom his master hath made ruler over his how should to give them meate in due season. Blessed is that seruant whom his master when he cometh shall find so doing. verily, I say unto you, he shal make him ruler over all his goods. But if the evil seruant shall say in his hart my master doth defer his coming, and begin to smite his fellowes, and to eat and to drink with the drunken, That seruants master will come in a day when he looketh nor for him, and in an hour that he is not ware of, & will ●ut him of, and give him his portion with hypocrites: there shal be weeping, & gnashing of teeth. And consider the season●, that it is now Rom. 13. 11. time that you should arise from steep. For now is your salvation nearer than when wee believed it. The night is past, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light so that we walk honestly as in the day, not in gluttony and drunkenness, neither in Chamberyng and want●●nesse, nor in strife and envying, But put you on the Lord Ies● Christ, and take no thought for the flesh to fulf●●l the lusts of it Pray always with all maner Eph. 6. 18. of prayer, and supplication in the Spirit, and ●atch there unto with all perseverance and supplication. Shepeheards watch day and night. cocks do crow early and late, Husbandmen do till the ground and sow, be the wether never so uncertain. And the Trumpeter must sound his trumpet he the fight never so fierce. And you must he good Christian shepeheards in watching. Good cocks in crowing, good husbandmen in tilling, good Trumpeters in sounding your faith and Religian, at all times and seasons in the church of God. But you will say, what need this to us? Wee be●well settled in Religion, and profess the gospel of christ. I know it right well, And yet haue you great need to watch and take heed that your life be agreeable to your Doctrine. For although you be justified fréelye and fully by faith in the death and merits of Iesus christ the son of GOD: yet must you do good works, to show yourselves unto th● world, to draw others to the praise of God, to stop the mouths of such as would blame your Religion for your bad life. To show yourselves thankfull to that good God, that hath dealt so freely and so graciously with you. For net such as hear the law: but such as Rom. 2. 13 Ma.. 7. 21 do the lawe are just before. God Not ever ye one that saith, Lord, Lord, shal enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of the father which is in heaven. though you take hold of things with your hands only, yet may you and must you walk with your feet. Though you take hold of the merits of Christ, the ground and cause of your salvation by faith only: yet may you and must you walk in th● paths of holiness and righteousness al th● daies of your life. Though the fruit that cometh of the tree planted in a good ground, be no cause of the planting or growing of the tree: yet a good tree being planted in a good ground will both bud and blossom and bring forth good fruits. Though good works be no cause of the planting and growing of the grace and mercy of God, in a christian hart: yet the grace and mercy of God planted by the hand of faith, will and must bring forth the buds, blossoms, and fruit of virtue and truth. Faith is the beginning of our justification with God, which believeth in him that doth justify. And this faith being justified as a roote receiving moisture from the rain, doth fasten in the ground of the soul, & when it is manured by the lawe of God, there grow boughs in it which bring forth the fruit of good works. You cannot be strait, if your faith be dead, if your works be dead, if you haue no devotion. The lack of love is the death of faith. If you believe in christ, do the works of Christ, that your faith may live. Let love show your faith to be alive, and your deeds declare it. Let not the earthly works crook that which your heavenly faith maketh strait. Who is so fond, as to take unto himself the name of a soldier, if he cannot handle his weapon. None can well take the name without the effect. He that will be called a goldsmith, must work in gold and silver. None can well take the name of a Carpenter, except he can hue, and square and frame and join the timber together. So cannot you be called Christians, except the works of Christians 〈◇〉 re in you. A Christian is the name of iustice mercy, integrity, patience, chastity, wisdom, humbleness, devotion. Neither can you challenge the name if you haue none of the works. He is a Christian that in al things followeth Christ. You be Souldiers in the camp. of Christ; and Carpenters in the house and Church of Christ. You be Christes goldsmiths, therfore must you ●ights with the armor of iustice and mercy; and square the Timber of integrity and patience, and gilled your souls with faith. chastity, humbleness and devotion. Take therfore good heed unto yourselves, that you be not only zealous and sound in Religion, but also dutiful to your superiors, just and true in word and deed, charitable to your neighbours, careful and redy to feed christ in the hungry, to cloth Ma. 25. 35. christ in the naked, to lodge Christ in the harbourless to comfort Christ in the comfortless, to relieve. Christ in the prisoner, the poor widow▪ the stranger, the fatherless child, and in all such as lie wounde● by the way of this wide world, luke. 10. 34 poure in the wine and oil of good counsel and relief, bind up the wounds of pain and sorrow. Neither is it enough for you to begin to believe and do well, but you must also continue to th'end in believing and doing 1. Cor. 9. 24. well, Many run in a race, but such onely get the garland as run to the goal. If you would get the garland of eternal glory: you must run in the race of saith, Mat 24. 13. and virtue, to the goal of death. For blessed is he that d●th persever to the end. You may not be like Ecebolius a sophister of Constantinople, who in the time of the good Emperour Constantine, seemed a good Christian both for belief & life. But in the daies of julianus Apostatata, he was a cruel persecutor And in the daies of the good Emperour Iounanus, he cast himself down before the door of the Oratory, and cried out, Calcate me salem insipidum. tread me down unsavoury salt. You may not be Ecebolians, nor change your faith and religion with Emperours kings and princes. You may not be Ecebo●ans, or change your faith in the daies of the same princes, now hot now could as the world goeth. You may not be Esaues Heb. 6. 24. Ge. 25. 33. in selling your birth right of grace, for th● pottage of pleasure, nor mingle Religion and virtue with pleasure and profit. You Ma. 6. 24. cannot serve God and Mammon. God will either be all your God, or no part of your god. If you hold 1 acre of your state of the Lordship of Mammon, you forfeit all that you hold of God. The first and greatest commandement is. Thou shalt yove the Mat. 22 37 Lord thy God, with all thy hart, with all thy soul, with all thy might, with all thy power. You should be Gedeons to fight the battle of the Lord valiantly in the warfare of this life. But you may not be Gedeons Iud. 8. 27. in making you Ephods, of the Earrings of the Midians, and the collers and jewels and purple raiment, that was up on the kings of Midian, and chains that were about the Camels necks. ye may not set your delight vpon the glistering and goodly pleasures of this world. You 4. Reg. 18. 4. should be Ezechiases in causing all the people to come to the houses of the Lord, and to offer the passeouer of prayer and thankes giuing, and hearing of the word of God, receiving the supper of the Lord: In putting away the hil altars, and cutting down the groves, and breaking the brazen Serpent of error and idolatry But you may may not be Ezechiases in showing or using your treasures the gifts and blessings that God hath beautified 2. Reg. 20. 13. your bodies and souls with, to please either yourselves or the affections of the world. You haue laid your hands to the plough of Religion and virtue, you may luke. 9. 62. not look back to Sodom, sin and vanity. The spirit said to the church of Laodicia. I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot▪ I would thou were cold or hot. Apo. 3. 15. Therefore because thou art luke warm, and neither could nor hot: it will come to pass that I will cast thee out of my mouth. God liketh only such as be zealous, & addict themselves to his Religion, and fear, and service. even as an horse being very sightly and faire, is nothing worth, except he hath a place: even so he that is of no Religion or doth halt in Religion or conversation, can not stand in Gods sight. The Spirit spake unto the church of Pergamus, I know thy works, and where Apo. 2. 13. thou dwellest, even where Sathans throne is. And thou keepest my name and hast not denied my faith, even in those daies, when Antipas my faithful servant was slain among you, where satan dwelleth. But I haue a few Num. 24. 14. things against thee, because thou hast thē there that maintain the doctrine of Balam, which taught Balac to put a stumbling block before the children of Israell, that they should eat of things sacrificed unto Idols, and to commit fornication. even so▪ thou hast thē that maintain the doctrine of Nicholaitans, which thing I ha●e. It will not be enough for you to haue been constant. When Antipasles and faithful martyrs were slain: but you must also expel and drive from among you, the Baalamits, and superstitious, which put stumbling blocks before simplo Israelit●, and cause many to eat of the sacrifice of idolatry. You must put from among you the Nicolaitans and vicious persons, which defile themselves with 'vice and wic●●dnes. The son of God that hath eyes Apo. 2. 18. like a sla●● of fire, and his feet like brass( saith to the church of Thyatyra●:) I know thy works and thy love and service, & faith, and thy patience, and thy deeds, and that they are more at the last, than at the first: notwithstanding I haue seen a thing against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Iesabell, which calleth hi● self a Prophetisse, to teach & deceive my seruants, to make them to commit fornication, & to eat meat sacrificed unto idols. The fiery eyes of Gods wisdom, and the brazen feet of his Iustice do not only look that you should increase and go forward in faith, in works, and yove, and service and patience: but also to suppress the woman jesabel, the erroneous church and people, which call themselves the catholic church, and yet which teach and deceive Gods seruants, and pluck them from true religion, and cause them to sacrifice to the Idols, superstition and vanity. But you will say, that I know that you be well▪ affencted in religion, and well disposed in good works, and bent to continue ●y the grace of God. And yet haue you need to watch and take heed th● the stock be so likewise. A philosopher of your own, saith, we be not born to ourselves only: but our Country claimeth part of us, our parents claim part of us, our friends claim part The Candle doth not give light to ●t self, but Mat. 5. 15. 14. to those that be in the house. Ye be the light of the world. Salt doth not season itself but other meats. And you must shine to the world, you must season and profit your brethren. They be all partes of one mystical body, 1. Cor. 12. 27. Eph. 4. 24. Gen. 1. 26. 1. Pet. 1. 19. 16, They be al citizens of one heavenly jerusalem. They be al framed after the glorious Image of the same eternal god. Al ransomed with the precious blood of the same unspotted Lamb Christ Iesus. All lightened and guilted, with the same holy spirit of God. You must every one of you be Iosuahs, and see that not only you: josu. 24 but al your houses and cities, and Countries, and people serve the Lord. joseph opened all places where store of corn Gen, 41. 16 was, and sold corn to al Egyptians. joseph must teach al, release al, and do Iustice to all. Christ stood in the midst of his disciples Christ biddeth his disciples to preach the John. 20. 19. Matth. 28. 19. gospel to every creature. And you must stand in the midst of the disciples and people, and see every one taught the gospel, and take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock of Christ. You shall be moved the rather to this carefulness, if you consider from whence you receive this calling, not of your friends, not of earthly creatures, but from the holy Ghost. The holy Ghost hath made you Episcopos, overseers, ouerlookers, and watchmen over the flock of Christ. There is no power but of God, and the powers Rom. 13▪ ● that be, are ordained of God. I haue said you are Gods and the children Psal. 82. of the most highest. The Lord said unto Moses. Behold, I haue made thee Pharaohs Exod. 7. 1. God Thus saith cyrus king of Persia. Behold the Lord God of heaven hath given me Esd. 1. 2. all the kingdoms of the earth. When God blessed his Church of Israel, he said thus: Esd. 49. 23. Kings shall bee thy fostering fathers, and queens thy nursing mothers: they shall worship with their faces towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet. God hath given you power and authority, God hath made you the children of the highest, and made you Gods of the world, and given you the kingdoms of the earth, and hath made you nursses of his people. And mark well to what end. Neither to grow in riches, nor to live in pleasure, nor to oppress the weaker, but to feed the Church of God. Open thy mouth for the dumb, in the cause prou. 31. 8. of all the children of destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteousness, and judge the afflicted and poor. Good job saith: When the ear heard me, it blessed me, and when the job. 29. 11. eye saw me, it gave witness to me, for I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came vpon me, and I caused the widows hart to rejoice. I put on Iustice and it covered me, my Iudgement was a rob and a crown. I was the eyes to the blind, and was feet to the lame, I was a father to the poor, and when I knew not the cause, I sought it out diligently. I broke also the jaws of the unrighteous man, and plucked the pray out of his teeth. The judge should be law to the simplo. The Noble, strength to the weak. The Minister, knowledge to the ignorant. The rich, meate and drink to the hungry. For rich men haue riches, not to spend epicuriously, but to relieve those that need. Learned men haue learning, to instruct the ignorant, and to feed Gods Church with the food of knowledge. Wise men haue wisdom, not to cirumvent or deceive the simplo, but to stand with the simplo against the subtle. Great men haue power and authority, not to beate their fellow seruants, and to oppress the weak, but to bear up the weak against the oppressors, to feed the Church of Christ. Christ said unto Peter, John. 21. 15. feed my sheep, feed my Lambs. Feed the flock of Christ as much as lieth 1. Pet. 5. 2. in you, ●aring for is, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, not as though you were Lords over Gods inheritance, but that you may be examples to the flock, and when the chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive an incorruptible crown of glory. If the watchman▪ see the sword coming▪ Ezech. 33. 3. and blow the Trumpet, and warn the people: then he that heareth the sound of the Trumpet, and will not be warned, if the sword come and take him away, his blood shall bee vpon his own head. But if the watchman see the sword coming and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood God will require at the watchmans hand. It lieth not in you to take sin from the people, and to make men religious and virtuous: but it lieth in you to blow the trumpets of Gods word, and to warn the people, that the sword of Gods wrath is coming, and tell them of their faults, and move them to repentance. paul planteth, Apollo watereth: but God 1. Cor. 3. 6. giveth the increase. You should not eat the fat, and cloth Eze. 34. 3. yourselves with the woll: but you should rather strengthen the weak, and heal the sick, bind up the broken, bring again that which is driven away, and seek out that which is lost. And to the deaf so become ears, to the blind eyes, tungs to the dumb, feet to the lame, and helps to the helpless. Men hereafter will give you diuers names and titles, and call some of you Emperours, some kings, some queens, some Dukes, some earls, some Bishops, some Barons, Knights, Gentlemen, Lawyers, Merchants, some ecclesiastical, some civil: which names may not cause you to disdain or neglect each other, or contend one with another. But rather to draw in one line, remembering that though they be of several callings, yet they be gifts all of one God, to move you to take heed to yourselves & to all the flock of Christ over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God. For reckon of what price the Church of God is, and how déere it must needs be unto God, that was made again, and bought again with his own blood. We are not ransomed with corruptible silver and 1. Pet. 1. 19. gold, but with the precious blood of the unspotted Lamb Christ Iesus. God made man first a most glorious Gen. 1. 26. creature, an angel of light, full of truth and righteousness, but man made himself an ugly fiend of Hell, the child of Gods wrath and vengeance, a perpetual prisoner in the bottomless lake, Ephes. 2. 3. Matth. 13. 42. Mar. 9. 40. where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, where the worm of conscience never death, where the smoke of their torments goeth up for ever and ever. But Christ by his blood hath again washed him from al his sins, and hath Apo. 14. 11. made him free from death, Hell, sin, and Apo. 1. 5. satan, and brought him to favour again with God his father. If the gold of Ophire, the precious stones and pearls of India, if all the treasures, and jewels, and virtues of heaven and earth, could haue made the price of our redemption, the son of God should never haue died. But our sin was so great, the wrath of God so heavy, that nothing could satisfy both, but the death of the son of God. Great was the pain to be whipped, and scourged, and crwoned with thorns, greater were the pains to be nailed to the cross, and pierced to the hart with a spear. But the pains that caused the son of God to sweat water and blood, the pains that caused the son of God to cry out as it were doubtingly, O God my God why hast thou forsaken me: could not all the creatures of heaven and earth, neither all the tungs of heaven and earth express. Much must it needs be that made the son of God sorry, more that made the son of God lament, but that that caused him to utter these as it were doubting words, O God my God, why hast thou forsaken me, can no hart conceive. Surely, surely, even then did he at one instant feel and bear the whole mass of Gods wrath, & the whole mass of pain & torment which all the elect of God should for ever haue felt & born, if he had not made thē again with his blood. Consider that nature bindeth you to love your like, that God hath placed you in authority, & given you goodly gifts, & that to feed and help the people of God. Consider how great the price of their redemption is, how déere they must needs be unto their God that bought them so deere, how strait an account he will require of you for such precious treasures. And you shal see that you haue good cause not to misspend one hour, but in taking heed to your selves, & the whole flock of Christ, whereof the holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed them with Gods holy word and good discipline. moreover, satan will thrust in among you ravening wolves and professed enemies, which after they haue drawn you with hooks, whipped you with scourges, haled you with racks: will burn you to ashes, cast you into the sea, starve you to death, crucify you with your heels upwards, tear you in pieces with wild horses, tie one of your feet to your head, and set you over a soft smoky fire until you be choked, cut off your ears, noses, lips, hands and feet, put sharp thorns under your nailes, boil you in lead, cast you to wild beasts to be devoured, or bury you quick, or try you with some such extreme torments. Or else raise up amongst you false brethren, pretending to be gospelers, to be zealous in the word, to be good in life, as Montanists, Nouatians, Manichees, Pelagians, Nestorians, Arrians, and such Anabaptists and Libertines, which will bend and how the Scriptures to maintain their monstrous errors. Some that Christ is not the son of God, some that Christ is not man, some that Christ did not suffer, some that the bodies do not rise again, some condemning marriage, some taking away the benefit of repentance, some taking Magistrates of the common wealth, and making all alike, some blaspheming the Sacraments, some holding that whoredom is no sin, theft is no sin, murder no sin in them, and infinite such like, which they devise and fain of their own heads, puffed up with vain glory to get themselves a name, and that the changeable people may flock to their sermons, and their lectures, and their churches, and their discipline, drawn and fed with their fond novelties, whereof the simplo be too too desirous. Though you shall be tried, not onely with the fell force of foreign foes, but also with the contentious, vainglorious and dissembling brethren, yet may you not therefore shrink, but look vpon and follow the constancy of your forefathers. Both the wolves of Egypt, and professed enemies Amelech, Midian, Edom and Moab did trouble Moses, and also the vainglorious dissembling Israelites, Corah, Dathan and Abiram, which rose up against Moses and Aaron, and said unto them. You take too much vpon you, seeing Num. 16. verse. 3. all the congregation is holy, every one of them: and the Lord is amongst them. wherefore then lift you up yourselves above the congregation? And some of you shall not only be troubled with superstitious Amelech, but much more with vain glorious Dathan, who seeketh equality and community, alleging that the congregation is holy every one of thē, and that the Lord is among them, that they haue all the holy Ghost and the same spirit of God, that God is not tied to one more then another, and therfore never a one to be above other. Neither may this breed a doubt in your heads of true Religion, when you shall see so many sects, schisms, and diversities of opinions, even amongst those that profess the word: no more then when the good farmer hath sowed in his well tilled ground good wheat, he will condemn his wheat & his ground when he seeth weeds grow amongst it. You know the great householder Math. 13. verse. 30. did not only spy Tares growing amongst his wheat sowed by the envious man: but also gave charge to suffer them to grow until the harvest. Nay rather, assure yourselves, that it is truth and true Religion, because there be such Sects and diversities of opinions. When the strong man armed keepeth luke. 11. verse. 21. the house: the things that he possesseth are in quiet. So long as the strong possessed the church: so long all slept together in peace and quiet, and dreamed the same fancies. For your enemy satan that luke. 22. verse. 31. sifteth you, is a subtle servant, and knoweth too well what he hath to do. He can play the Fisher, which when he hath taken the Fish once sure in his net: draweth it softlye, least hast should braste the net and let the fish go. He can play the nurse, which when she hath rocked hyr Child asleep, is quiet herself, but if the child awaketh or crieth, Then she rocketh and singeth as fast and as loud as she can. So satan, when he hath rocked and lulled his Children asleep in idolatry and ignorance is quiet enough. But when the voice of God awaketh them out of that sleep, then beginneth he to rock and stir himself again. You may be sure that then he hath most cause when you see him most busy. Neither can you haue a more certain token of error, then fleshly concord. &c. Neither can you haue a more certain token of Gods truth, then that you spy satan angry, stirring debate, and sowing the tares of variety of opinions. And what is it now adays that can anger him, but the truth and the gospel of Christ preached, against which he bendeth all his force and might, and useth all means possible, though he cannot overthrow it, to deface it? The seruant may not be in better joh. 13. 16 luke. 2. 7. case then his master. Your master Christ was born in a stable, wrapped in a few rags, and laid in the manger of the ox and the ass, for there was no room for him in the inn. Rich men may lodge in the inn of this world, they may live in honour, in ease and pleasure. But the good Christians must live in the stable, and must be swaddled in the rags of reproach, contempt, and infamy. For he that will not be partaker with Christ in his rags of infamy, shall never be partaker with Christ in his robes of glory, as himself saith. He that will be my scholar, let him deny himself, Math. 16. verse. 24. take up his cross and follow me. marvel not, if ye shall see professors of error rich, honoured; renowned in this world. But those that preach and deliver the most precious pearl the word of God, the key of our salvation, be contemned and despised, that every lewd fellow may speak, and do his pleasure to them, and be born out by one Macheuile or other, for the world loveth their own, but the children of God it doth hate. And the children of God can no more live in the honour and renown of this world, then sugar be preserved in vinegar, or salt in the sea. But you will say, all these things trouble us never a whit, for by Gods grace we are sufficiently armed to stand against them all. But this only troubleth us, that you paul go from us, and do not leave us, or promise us to sand us another paul, or do not refer us to some visible teacher, or Church, whose iudgement we may stand and trust to. For as you say so we know that satan avouched scripture, that the Libertines avouched Math. 4. 6 Scriptures, that Antichrist will bring Scripture, the Arrians will bring Scripture. And an hundred kind of sectaries and heretics, will bend and bow the Scriptures to draw men to their sort, and many of them will be men of great learning, wit and authority. If Scripture be brought against Scriptures, and learned men urge them against learned men, whom shall the simplo and unlearned sort of us trust t●, or to whom do you refer us? to never a else of you all, But I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to finish his building, and to give you an inheritance amongst his blessed Saints. When Christ with his natural body was to leave the world, and to depart from his disciples, they were sorry in the self same respect that you be, that they should want their faithful visible guide and head. Christ comforteth them, not telling that he would leave either Peter, paul, james or John in his place, neither with sending them to any visible teacher, or any visible Church. But by telling them that he would sand the holy John. 14. verse. 16. John. 16. verse. 13. Ghost, the spirit of truth to be their guide and ●omforter, and his vicar general in all truth. So paul departing from you, leaveth you & referreth you, neither to Titus, nor Timothe, nor to Barnabas, Silas, mark, or Apollo, nor to the Church of antioch, Ephesus, or Cor●nthus, nor to the Church of jerusalem, room or Geneua, nor to any visible Church that hath been from the beginning of the world▪ or shall be to the end of the world. But I commend you to God the holy Ghost, and the word of his grace and mercy, which hath builded you vpon the foundation Eph. 2. 20. of the Apostles and Prophets, the rock Christ Iesus the son of the living God. Therefore look ever to this foundation which Christ laid, saying: Thou art Peter, that is, rocky, and vpon Math. 16. verse. 18. this Rock which thou hast confessed, saying, ( thou art Christ the son of the living God) I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. This is the only immovable foundation: Hil. lib. 6. de Trin. this is the only happy rock of faith confessed by the mouth of peter. Thou art the son of the living God, bearing so much the certainty of truth, as perverse questions and godless quarrels shall be moved. This faith is the foundation of the Hil. lib. 6. de Trini. Church, by this faith the gates of hell are weak against it, this faith hath the keys of the kingdom of heaven. He did not say vpon Peter, for he did Chri. ser. de penned. not build his Church vpon man, but vpon the faith and confession of Peter what was this faith and confession? Thou art Christ the son of the living God. We that be and are called Christians, Aug. lib. 18. ca. 54. de civit. dei. believe not in Peter, but in him in whom Peter believed. Christ, the same master of Peter which leadeth to life everlasting, he is our master. This thing confessed by Peter, doth Ambr de incarnati domini cap. 5. not only abandon one heresy: but whereas the Church like a good ship is tossed with many waves of the sea, the same must be the b●● against al heresies. A day would not suffice to recite the names of heretinks; and heresies. Yet against them al staudeth this faith, that christ is the son of God, both eternal from his father▪ Irenaeus li. 2 ca. 59 and born of the will gilded. To build vpon the scripture, which is the certain & undoubted troth: is to 〈…〉 ild the house vpon the strong and sure rock. But to lean that and to build vpon any other kind of doctrine whatsoever it be: is to 〈…〉 ild vpon the sinking sand. If so be the conduit of water do suddenly cyprian. fail men go to the head, that there they ●ray learn the cause of the default. And so should the ministers of god do, following the commandements of god, that af●●ueth begin in any point to slack: we should haue recourse unto the original of the lawe and the gospel, and writings of the Apostles. That the trial of things may flow from the and, from whence the order and original doth spring. For the people of God is to be commended to god and to the grace of his word, which is able to finish the buildings. If you had been builded by man, or vpon Mat. 8. 26. the sand, the tempests and storms of hell and the world might haue shaken you. But the foundation is christ, the son of the living God. The woorkman is the holy ghost. And the word of his grace and mercy is the tool, and instrument. You saw the light of the law much dimmed after the death of david, and other good kings, by the captivities of babylon, Caldaea and Assiria, and diverse warres and contentions that followed. But God sent his son to rear it up again. You shal see it much dimmed by the roman Bishops: but God shall make it shine again the time appointed. do you fast much, pray much, watch much red the scriptures much, and care not for all their schisms and sects, storms and persecutions, and diversities of opinions. For God that begon to build your souls for his temples, will finish the work, and will reveal so much of the truth of his word unto you, as shall be sufficient for you. The God that said unto Abraham, fear not Abraham, I am thy buckler and thy exceeding great reward. Gen. 15. 1. The God that said so Israel: fear not, I haue redeemed thee, I haue called thee by thy Isa. 43. 1. name, thou art mine When thou passest through water I will be with thee, and through the f●ddes, that they do not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire; thou shalt not be burnt? neither shall the flamme kindle upon thee. I am the Lord thy God, the holy one of Israell, thy saviour. Isa. 44. 2. The God that saith to jacob: fear not jacob my seruant, and thou righteous, whom I haue chosen, for I will poure water upon the thirsty, and floods the dry ground. I will poure my spirit vpon thy seed, and my blessing vpon thy buds, and they shall grow as among the grass, and as the willows by the river of waters. The same God saith unto you that he is your buckler, that the water & waves of persecution shal not drown you, neither the fire of dissension kindle vpon you▪ but the thirsty shal drink of the flood of his word, and his spirit shall bless the séeds & buds of al your words and deeds, & they shall grow and flourish in his Church. And as you are required to read Gods joh. 5. 39. word diligently, and to trust to it faithfully: so be you to be admonished, not to be too curious and too busy above your capacities. For God giveth faith and the spirit of knowledge by measure, To every man his penny and Ghomer, that is, enough, Eph. 4. 7. but not all alike. Let no man presume to understand above that which is meet to understand, Rom. 13. 3 but that we understand according to sobriety, as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. God hath given to one ten talents, to another five, to another one; some of you Ma. 2●. 15 may understand much, some less▪ & some not so much. truth it is, that the holy Ghost is not tied to the school doors, and much less to the lawyers pen, or the merchants wears or the artificers shops, yet as God hath his among the lawyers, among the artificers, among the merchants, and among all sorts of men: so learning is a goodly instrument in the Church of God, and a necessary handmaid to the word of GOD and religion of god. About ships we trust the sea mens iudgement, The Lawyers about points of lawe. The physicians about medicines. And every artificer about his work. And let us not think▪ but God blesseth their labours and travails▪ which spend al their daies and times in prayer and study of good learning. And as it is true that every man may and ought to red or hear read, every story, branch, sentence, and word of scripture diligently and painfully: so it is most true that every one should not take vpon him the vnderstanding and expoundyng of every scripture & mystery of God and his word. For he which saw Christ, and received the Gospel from Christ, doth cry out. O the deepness of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable 1. Cor. 9 1. Gal. 1. 12. Rom. 9. 33 are his judgements, and his ways past finding out. God shal furnish his Church with many good learned Fathers and martyrs, and yet god shal suffer them tō ●aile and slide in one point or other. God shall suffer thē to slide. First that they might know thē selves to be men. Secondlie that other may know them to be men & not Gods. Now if the pillars of the Church, which haue the ten talents, and as it were the fullness of Faith and spirit, shall not attain to the perfect knowledge and understanding of every Scripture: much● less shall such as haue but five talents, and least of all, such as haue but one talent attain the same. So that Christians must become bees which sit vpon every flower, but neither do take juice out of every flower, neither al the juice out of such flowers as they do take some, but such and so much as shall suffice them to make honey of. even so christians must sit on every floure of the scripture, but neither take juice out of every flower, neither take al iuce out of such flowers as they take some. But of such flowers, and so much as shall suffice every one of them to make Hony according to their Talent, gift, and calling, to build their part of the Church of God. Princes and counsellors which haue charge of every one in the realm, may not let Gods book go out of their sight, but must vpon it day and night. For they haue cure of much people; & are to make much hony out of the flowers of the word to feed them with. Nobles, Bishops and Iudges, that haue great dioceses and jurisdictions, and circuits, must red much in Gods book, for they need much Hony to feed the people under them with. householders must red so much as will serve them, their wives, their Children, and al their seruants. For each of them must be fed with so much hony out of Gods word, as will teach them to fear God, obey their prince, love their neighbour, and do their duty to their master and other superiors. neither would God haue us know al things in this life: 1. Cor. 13. 2 for we know in part, and prophesy in part. Let us never require a reason of Gods doing, although many of them do greatly Chris. ad Rom. ca 1 trouble vs. Only God is to command, the seruants must obey This is the peculiar gift of faith, although we know not the manner of Gods purpose▪ yet to embrace the majesty of his providence. Wee may not reprove any thing in scripture which we do not understand: for there are many things that are not to Ambr. li. de paradiso. ca. 2. be measured by our capacity: but by the déepenes of Gods purpose and word, It is better to be ignorant than to err: but to understand is better than to be ignorant. Aug. sup. joh tract 21. Therefore we ought to do our best and utmost to know if we can, the graces and goodnesses of God. And yet if we cannot know the truth, let us not fall into error. As oft as you search the mysteries of God, and shall find any doubt, haue a justinus liber de trinitate. redy solution for al doubts and questions. I mean faith, remembering that when god shal do the deed, although something be unknown, either for the excellency of nature, or for the manner of the providence, they that be ignorant shall take no hurt. Be religious and suppress your doubts, neither let any thing satisfy▪ our doubts but only Faith. Be same, Gods word is true, although you do not see how. And if there happen any Scripture that seem dark, or contrary to the common course of belief and Faith: let them with the blessed virgin Mary, lay the same up in their harts, and suspends their Iudgement, and think that it is either not luke. 2. 19. needful for them to know any more, or else though God hath not yet, he will in time reveal unto them the truth. Some shal fall into distrust, and some into most vain fantasies vpon this presumption, that they must, may and do understand and truly expound every place of scripture, as well as the best learned man in the world: when as it were much more better for thē to suspend their judgements until god did open it, and yet ever to anchor vpon God, and the word of his grace, which is able and without per adventure will finish the building of his Church and people in this world, and in the next world give them an inheritance amongst all his blessed saints in everlasting bless and joy. Otherwise if they will be carried away with a spiritual pride: they will run into infinite errors. God be merciful unto us, and bless us, & Psal. 67. 1. show us the light of his countenance and bee merciful unto us, and grant us that the regard of ourselves health, may move us to take heed to ourselves, and the lawe to take heed to our neighbours, and the holy Ghost to both, to that end and purpose, that as God hath endued every one of yo with many goodly gifts, & placed you in diuers kind of authorities: so may you feed and relieve Gods people according to your talent, lest that the souls of christian men, the most precious treasure made again with the blood of the lamb of God should perish by your default. And that such troubles as haue been, or be, or may be, either from the ravening woolus, or crooked sectaries, may be spurs to quicken you to be careful & watchful over your charge. And that you ever trust in God and his word which is a strong buckler against all perils, and a sufficient warrant to haue good success, to finish the building of the church of god here in this world, and in the next world to inherit the kingdom of heaven, with al the blessed Saints of God, the Father, the son and the holy Ghost: to whom be al praise, & honor and glory, now and evermore. Amen. FINIS.