A godly sermon preached in the court at Greenwich the firste Sonday after the Epiphanie, Anno Domini. 1552. And in the sixt yere of ye raigne of king Edward the sixt, the right godly and vertuous king of famous and blessed memory. By. B.G.

A godly sermon preached in the court at Greenwich the firste Sonday after the Epiphanie, Anno Domini. 1552. And in the sixt yere of ye raigne of king Edward the sixt, the right godly and vertuous king of famous and blessed memory. By. B.G.

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Title page

A SERMON preached in the Court at Greenewitch the first Sonday after the Epiphanie An. Do. 1552.

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A SERMON preached in the Court at Greenewitch the first Sonday after the Epiphanie An. Do. 1552.

The Gospell appointed for that day taken out of the second chapter of Saint Luke the Euangelist, beginning at the 41. verse and continuing to the end of the chapter.

verse 41 Now his parentes went to Ierusalem Chap. 2. ver. 41. euery yeare, at the feast of the Passouer.

verse 42 And when he was twelue yere olde, & they were come up to Ierusalem, after the custome of the feast.

verse 43 And had finished the dayes thereof, as they returned, the child Iesus remained in Ierusalem, & Ioseph knew not, nor his mother,

verse 44 But they supposing that he had bene in the company, went a dayes iourney, & sought him amongst their kinsefolkes, [Page] & acquaintance.

verse 45 And when they found him not, they tourned backe to Ierusalem, & sought him.

verse 46 And it came to paesse three dayes after, that they found him in the temple, sitting in the middest of the Doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

verse 47 And all that heard him, were astonied at his vnderstanding, and answeres.

verse 48 So when they sawe him, they were amazed, & his mother sayd vnto him, Sonne, why hast thou thus dealt with vs? beholde, thy father and I haue sought thee with heauy hearts.

verse 49 Then said he vnto them: howe is it that you sought me? know ye not that I must go about my fathers businesse?

verse 50 But they vnderstoode not the worde that he spake to them. &c.

[Page] FOR SO MVCH as the whole Gospell, is more full of matter & plenteous in mysteries, then that it can well be discussed within the limits of one sermon: I haue taken for this time to intreate vpon this one sentence spoken by Christ vnto his parentes vers. 49. Know ye not that I must go about my fathers businesse? being content to omit the rest, taking onely so much of the rest, as shall suffice to declare the occasion wherevpon he spake these words for the fuller vnderstanding of the same. Ye shall therfore vnderstand that when our Sauiour was come to the age of twelue yeares, giuing attendance vppon his parentes to Ierusalem, at the solemne feast of Easter, whither they yearely did repayer at that time of sincere deuotion and for the obedience of the lawe. After that Ioseph & Mary had deuoutly passed Exod. 23. 14. 15. the dayes of the feast, & were returned home, it came to passe (not through blind Fortune but by God his proprouidence, [Page] that his glorie might appeare) that the blessed sonne Iesus taried behind at Ierusalem, & while his parents, either not taking good heede of him, or else going a part in sundry companies, either of them trusting he had ben with the other, they went one daies iourney before they missed him. But after he was found wanting, they sought him diligently amongest their kinsefolkes and acquaintance, but found him not. Which was vndoubtedly vnto them a very crosse of bitter affliction. So doth God many times exercise his elect & chosen with aduersity for their trial, & to keep them in humility. Whē they were returned to Ierusalem and had long sought him with sorowful hearts, after three dayes they found him in the temple. Here by the way me thinke the holy ghost teacheth vs a spirituall doctrine, and that right necessarie: So long as wee seeke Christ in our owne kinsefolkes, that is, our owne inventions & devises, wee finde him not, but to finde Christe, we must accompanie these [Page] godly persons Ioseph and Marie vnto the Temple of his holy worde, there Christ is found vnto so many as seeke him with such humble spirits & meek hearts as Ioseph & Mary did. They found him in the tēple not idlely occupied as many are, not mumblinge things he vnderstoode not, Sine mente sonum, a confused sounde without knowledge. But they found him occupied in the father of heauen his businesse, as all men should be in the temple, either in speaking to God by humble and harty prayer, or hearing God speaking to them in his moste blessed word. So was Christ occupied amongst learned men and apposing them. Where he teacheth vs to be alwayes as glad to learne as to teache. It is a probable coniecture that he opened to them the Scriptures which spake of Messias: a matter then in con trouersie. But whatsoeuer their matter was, the Euangelist sayth, He made them all astonied at his vnderstanding & answeres. vers. 47. So the glory of his godhead euen then began to shine.

[Page] Where we may marke the wonderfull power of the Gospel: Euen the harde hearted that will not receiue it, yet the bright beames of the trueth shining Act. 4. 13. 14. 16. therein maketh them astonied. It causeth also the godly to marueile, as Mary and Ioseph, but their admiration alway ended with ioye. Yet not withstanding his heauenly maiestie made al men to wonder, his mother thought she had some cause to expostulate with him for the greate feare he had brought vpon them, casting them into a doungeon of sorrowes, and complaining, saide. Sonne why hast thou &c. She seemeth to charge him with the first precept of the seconde table, that he had not wel intreated his parents. But Christ so shapeth his answere, that he taketh away al her complaint. Teaching vs how the precepts of the seconde table may not be vnderstand in any wise to be a hindrāce to the first. Wist ye not that I must go about my fathers businesse? ver. 49. where our duety & seruice to God commeth in place, all humaine seruice and obedience, [Page] which might be a hindrance thereto, to whom so euer it be, Father, or Mother, King or Kesar must stand backe and giue place. Besides this, he teacheth vs here a most necessary lesson, for al men to knowe and beare away, which is, that his whole life and death was nothing else but a perfect obedience to the wil of his heauenly father, & that he was alwaies most busily occupied therein: And teacheth vs, that if we looke by adoption to be brethren & coheirs with Christ of his fathers kingdome, we must also with our maister and Lorde yelde vp our selues wholly to our heauenly father his will & alwayes be occupied in his businesse. Exemplum dedi vobis. &c. I Ioh. 13. 15. haue giuen you an example, that ye should do, euen as I haue done to you. Which lesson being so necessary for al christians to be kepte, & the breach thereof cause of al iniquity: I thought it good to passe ouer other places of ghostly instructiō which this gospel might minister, & to tarry vppon this one sentence. Know ye not how I must go about [Page] my fathers busines? Intending to shew in order how all estates of men, the clergy; the nobilitie and the commonalty, are vnder the bande of this obligation Oportet &c. we must: and ought of necessity to be occupied in the father of heauen his businesse. But firste of all mystrusting wholy mine owne strength, I craue ayde of you by your denoute prayers.

Prayer.

Conatus rex Christe meos tu dirige semper,

Et mihi sit foelix te duce principium.

Knowe you not that I must go about [...] Luk. 2. 49. my fathers businesse?

After that our first parents through disobedience and sinne had blotted & disfigured the liuely Image of god, wherunto they were created, & might haue liued alway, in a conformitie to the will of God: Man was neuer able to apply himselfe to God his fathers busines, nor yet so much as to knowe what apperteined therto. The naturall 1. Cor. 2. 14. [Page] man (sayeth Paule) perceiueth not the Heb. 1. 3. & 2. 16. thinges of the spirite of God &c. Til Christe the very true Image of God the father did come downe and toke mans nature vpon him. Which discent as he declareth was to fulfil for vs the will of his father, that like as by disobedience Rom. 5. 19. of one man many were made sinners, So by the obedience of one (Christ) many might be made righteous. What time as he became obedient vnto death, Philip. 2. 8. euen the death of the crosse. Which obedience lest carnall men shoulde chalenge to suffice for them, howesoeuer their life be a continuall rebellion against God & his holy will (suche as there be a greate number, and haue bene in all ages) Saint Paule wipeth them cleane away, Saying Christ hath Heb. 5. 9. become saluation (not to all) but to all that obey him. Let no man therefore flatter and deceiue him selfe, if we wil chalenge the name of Christ his disciples, if we will worthely possesse the glorious name of Christians, we must learne this lesson of our maister, to be occupied in our heauenly fathers businesse [Page] which is to flie our owne will (which is a wicked and wanton will) & wholly to conforme our selues to his will, saying as we are taught. Fiat Math. 6. 10. voluntas tua, thy will be done: which as Saint Augustine saith, The fleshly man, the couetous, aduouterous, rauenous or deceitfull man can neuer say but with his lippes from the teeth forward, because in his heart he preferreth his owne curssed will, setting aside the will of God. Nowe forsomuch as the greatest parte of the world haue at this day forsaken their fathers businesse, applying their own, and are altogether drowned in sinne: For, The whole head is sicke & the whole heart is heauy. From the sole of the foote Esai. 1. 5. 6. to the head, there is nothing whole therein &c. And as Saint Paule saith. All Philip. 2. 21 seeke their owne, & not that which is lesus Christes. And I am here ascended into the high hill of Sion, the highest hill in all this realme. I must needes as it is giuen me in commission, Cry aloud Esai. 58. 1. & spare not: lift up thy voice like a trumpet, & shew my people their transgressions. I must crye vnto all estates aswell of [Page] the Ecclesiasticall ministerie, as of the ciuill gouernaunce, with the vulgare people. But forsomuch as example of holy scriptures with experience of Christs church in all ages hath taught vs that the fall of Priestes is the fall of the people, and contrariwise the integrity of them is the preservation of the whole flocke: And the ministers as Christ saith, being the light of Math. 6. 22. 23. his mysticall body, if the lighte be turned into darkenesse, there must needes followe great darknesse in the whole body. I think it conuenient to begin with them which seeme to haue brought blindnes into the whole body, making men to forget their heauenly fathers businesse. They which shoulde haue kept the candle still burning: these will I chiefly examine in yt businesse which Christe so earnestly committed to Ioh. 21. 15. 16. 17. all pastors before his ascention: when he demaunded thrise of Peter if he loued him, and euery time vpon Peters confession, enioyned him, straightly to feede his lambes & sheepe. Wherin we haue the true triall of all ministers, [Page] who loue Christ, who apply his businesse. But to consider how it hath ben forgotten in the church many yeares, it mighte make a Christians harte to bleede. He that wrote the generall Chronicle of all ages: when he commeth Easciculus temporum. to the time of Iohn the 8. and Martin the seconde Byshops of Rome about 600 yeares agoe, conferring the golden ages going before with the iniquitie of that time: when through ambition, avarice & contention, the office of setting forth Goddes word was brought to an vtter contempt & troden vnder foote. In token whereof the Byble was made ye Bishops footestoole, he falleth to a sudden exclamation & complaineth thus with the lamentable voice of the prophet Ieremy Helas, Helas, O Lorde God: Howe is the Lamen. Iere. 4. 1. golde become so dimme? How is the goodly colour of it so sore changed? O moste vngratious time (saith he) wherein the holy man faileth (or is not) all truethes are Psal. 12. 1. & 14. 3. diminished from the sonnes of men: there are no Godly men left, the faithfull are worne out among the children of men. [Page] In that time as it appeareth both by this hystory and others, ambition & gredy auarice taught ministers to seek & cōtēd for liuings, who might climb the highest by vtter contempt of their office, and of our heauenly fathers businesse: And so to make Christe his stock a ready pray for the diuel, who goth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whome he [...]. Pet. 5. 8. may deuour. Then the Bishop of Rome abusing alwaies Peters keyes to fill Iudas Satchels, dispensed with all prelates (that brought any mony) from obeing of Christes commission giuen to Peter, Feede, Feede, Feede, my Lambs and my sheepe, and stretched it so largely, that in steade of feeding Christe his Lambes and sheepe, he allowed them to feede Hawks, Hounds, and Horses (I will not say) Harlottes. Then in steede of Fishers of men, he made them to become fishers of benefices Math. 4. 19. & fat liuinges. He brought preaching into such a contempt, that it was accompted a greate absurdity for a Cardinall to preach, after he had fasciculus temporum. once bestred his Moile. But let vs see [Page] after, how this euill encreased. S. Bernard S. Barnard. in his time aboute 200 yeares after lamented, yt when it seemed yt open persecutoin of Tyrants & Heretikes was ceased in the Church, then an other persecution farre worse, and more noisome to Christes gospell did succeede, when the ministers, Christes owne friends by pretēce, were turned into persecutors. My louers & my Psal. 38. 21. friendes stande aside from my plague, & my kinsmen stand a far off. The iniquitie of the Church (Sayeth Bernard) began at the elders. Heu, Heu, Domine Deus, &c. Alas, alas, O Lorde God, they Bernard. are the formost in persecuting of thee, whiche are thought to loue the chiefest place or preheminence in the Churche. This complaint with much more to long to be rehearsed, made Saint Bernard in his time against the Prelates of Rome, nothing afraide in the same place (for obscuring of Christe his Gospell) to cal them Antechristes, and for murthering of silly soules redeemed with Christ his pretious bloude, he maketh more cruell persecutors of [Page] Christe, then the Iewes, whiche shed his bloud. If the iniquitie of Rome 400. yeares agoe, was so great, & since hath not a little increased, it was high time yt God should open the eyes of some Christian princes to see the great abuses and enormities of Romish Byshoppes, and to deliuer Christes gospell out of captiuity, & to bring down his hornes, whose pride (if he mighte haue had successe in his tiranny) began to ascend with Lucifer aboue the starres. It is not many years agoe, that a champion of his named Pelagius, writing against Marcilius Paduanus, in defence of Rome, hath not bene ashamed to leaue in writing, that ye pope, quodāmodo, after a sort doth participate both natures, the Godhead and manhod with Christ: and that he may not be iudged of the Emperour, because he is not a meere man, but as a God vpon earth, & God (saith he) may not be iudged of man. What intollerable blasphemy is this? If I had not read it my selfe, I coulde scarsly beleeue any such blasphemy to proceede frō him [Page] which professeth Christ. Doe you not perceiue plainely the hissing and poyson of the old serpent, when he tempted our first parents, & promised they should becōe like Gods? A vile wretched creature, wormes meate, forgetting his estate, must become a God vppon earth. Such Gods shall followe Iupiter, Mars, and Venus, into the pit of damnation. But some will say, what should we speakc so much of the Byshop of Rome, is he not gone? his popower taken away? If preachers would let him alone, the people would sone forget him. Truly for my part, if I had that gift, strength & calling, I had rather (though I were sure to smarte therefore) speake against his enormities in Rome, then to speake of them here. And I thinke no man beareth (at least I am sure no man ought to bear) any malice or euill will against his person, in speaking against his vice and iniquitie. Wee fight not (Saith Sainte Paul) against flesh and bloud, but we fight Ephes. 6. 12. against the prince of darkenesse &c. When any wicked man aduersarie to God [Page] and his worde assayleth vs, we muste take him for no other but as an instrument of the diuel, and Satan himselfe to be our enimy and none other: And Augustine. euen as when an enimy assaileth vs on horsebacke, we wishe to ouerthrowe the enimy, and win the horse, which may be profitable vnto vs: So if the diuel could be cast out of such instruments as he hath in Rome, the men woulde become profitable members of Christ. But if the diuel sit so fast in the saddle, that he cannot be turned out, we cannot amend it. Yet our duty is to pray vnto God for them, and to hate non of Gods creatures, but rather that which Sathan hath depraued. Si forte Deus convertat corda eorum. If peraduenture God will turne their hearts. But notwithstanding their faultes ought to be chiefly told them in their presence, yet not there only, but euen here amongst vs also, although it cōe not to their eares, it is not a litle expedient oftentimes to cry & thunder against their errours & vices. Chiefly that so oft as we heare it, we may giue [Page] god thankes (as we are most bounden) for our deliuerance from yt captiuity of Babylon as Saint Peter him self by ye mind of ancient writers called it. Examples 1. Pet. 5. 13. hereof we haue in the Scriptures, the song of the Israelites after their deliuerance out of Egypt, and Exod. 15. 1. afterwardes when they were deliuered by Debora from the tyranny of Sisera: and after the deliuerance from Holofernes, Iud. 5. 1. by Iudith. We must be thankful, Iud. 16. 1. leaste for our vnthankfulnesse God suffer vs to fall into a worse bondage then euer we were in. But moste of all it is profitable that we may from our hearts renounce with Babylon all the vices of Babilon. For what did profite the deliuerance out of Egypt to those yt stil did carry Egypt in their mindes through the desart? What did it availe the deliuerāce out of Babylon to those that did bring Babilon home to Ierusalem? I feare me yet in Englande a great many like fleshly Israelites, are weary of the sweete Manna of the Gospel, & sauour of the fleshly Egipt, desiring to liue stil vnder the bondage [Page] of Phara [...]. But most of all it is expedient now for my purpose to speake of that Sea, from whence so farre as euer I could learne, those intollerable abuses haue ouerflowne, and are come among vs: which as yet are great enimies to Christes Gospel here in England, making his ministers to set aside his business [...] ▪ Suche abuses as can not yet be driuen away, nor sent home to Rome to their father. I meane of dispensations for pluralites, and tot quots, with dispensations for non residents, which auarice & Idlenes transported hither from Rome: But for yt they sauour sweete for a time to carnall men, they haue so many patrones they can not be driuen away, with other abuses: And because they are accounted to stand by Law, they are vsed as clokes for iniquitie. These may well be likened vnto those fatlinges which Saule against Gods commandement 1. Sam. 15. [...]. did keepe aliue, when he vanquished the Amalekites. And truely till there bee ordeined some Godly lawes, to banish these with other abuses, [Page] Gods wrath is kindled against vs to destroy all such as are the mainteiners of them. So long as it shalbe lawfull for men to haue so many liuinges, as they can get, and discharge neuer a one, and so long as men may haue the liuings to lye where they will in idlenesse farre from their cure, fatting thēselues like the Diuelles Porklings, and let a thousand soules perishe for lacke of spiritual foode, God his busines shall neuer be well applied, nor his gospel haue successe in England. It is pitty that euer it shoulde be needefull, to wishe any lawes to be made by man to bring ministers of Gods word to doe their duety, being so plainely expressed in God his lawe. If our hearts were not hardened more then Pharao, our eyes of iudgement more blinded with vnsensiblenes of heauē ly thinges then the Sodomites, wee should tremble & quake more at one threatning of Gods vengeance against negligent pastors that feede them selues, that set asyde their heauenly fathers busines, whereof the scripture is [Page] full in euery place, then wee shoulde feare al the powers vpon earth, which as Christe saith, hauing power of the body cannot hurt the soule. Oh Lord Math. 11. 28. howe dare men be so bolde to take on them the name of Christ his ministers, and vtterly refuse the worke of their ministerie, by leauing their flock, god his word being so plaine against thē? I maruel not so much at blind baierds which neuer take Gods book in hād, ignorance hath blinded them, they know not the price of mans soule: but truely I could neuer maruell inough at learned men, whiche read the scriptures, where their hearts and vnderstanding shoulde be when they reade almost in euery leafe of scripture, besides all ancient writers, their owne sharpe sentence & iudgement, which a whole day were too little to bring them in. O mercifull God, where bee their eyes to see? their eares to heare? doe they thinke there is a God which will be maister of his word? I will let passe howe they are called of the holy ghost by most odious names, theeues, [Page] robbers, hypocrites, idols, wolfes, dumbe dogs, with many suche like worthy their desertes. I will onely declare, which me thinkes mighte suffice if there were no mo, howe the scripture maketh them most cruell murtherers and guilty of bloud. In the 34 of Ecclesiastictis it is written: The Breade of Eccl. 34. 22 the needfull is the life of the poore, he that defraudeth them therof is a man of bloud. If this sentence be true in them that defraude the needy of their corporall foode, howe muche more are they which withhold the food of the soul, being the worthier part of man, guilty of bloude? And therefore God by his prophet Ezechiel telleth them, so Ezech. 3. 10 & 33. 8. many as perishe by their negligence, their bloud shall be required at their handes, as men guilty of bloud. Now let them consider if ye bloud of Abell one man cried vp vnto heauen for Gen. 4. 10. vengeance against Cain: what an horrible cry shall the bloud of a thousand soules make before the throne of God, asking vengeance against that wicked Pastor which moste cruelly [Page] hath hungered them to death in withholding from them the foode of life? The gold they lay vp yerely brought far of by farmers, their Rings & Iewels, their fine apparell, their beddes they lye in, their meate and drinke, being the spoile of the poore, cry all for vengeance. The stones in the wal, the timber ouer their heades cry for Haba. 2. 11. vengeance. Alas how far are they frō excusing thēselues with Saint Paule, saying to the people of Ephesus. I Act. 20. 26. take you to record this day I am pure frō the bloud of all men, for I haue spared no labour but haue shewed all the councel of God vnto you. But alas these mē may rather say, that they haue kept councell of Gods councell. And where Saint Paule preached publiquly and by houses, these mē keepe silēce least they should disquiet the diuell in his forte, of whome Christe saith. When Luk. 11. 21. a strong man armed watcheth his house, the thinges that he possesseth are in peace Mat. 24. 48. &c. They say with the euill seruaunt, My maister is long a comming, & so beats his fellow seruants, like cruel murtherers [Page] & tyrantes whose iudgment shal be straighter thē any Pharao, Nero, or Domitian that euer reigned. But alas it healpeth nothing to call or cry vppon them. They haue hardened their

Each 7, 12.

Ioh. 1 [...]. 39.

heartes as an Adamant stone. Lazarus hath liene so long buried and stinking in worldely lustes and sensuality, the preacher can not call him out, nor yet remoue the graue stone. What shall I then do? I must cal vnto you most noble Prince, & Christes annointed.

I am come this day to preach to ye king, and to those which be in authority vnder him, I am very sory they The king being absēt, these words were added. should be absent which should giue example, & encourage other to the hearing of Gods word. And I am the more sorie that other preachers before me complaine much of their absence: But you will saye, they haue waighty affaires in hande. Alas, hath God any greater businesse then this? If I could cry with the voice of Stē tor, I shoulde, I shoulde make them heare in their chambers: But in their absence, I will speake to their seates, [Page] as if they were present. I will call vnto you noble prince as Christes annoynted. Christes little flocke here in England, whome he hath committed vnto your chardge which wander by many thousands, as sheepe hauing no Math. 9. 3 [...] pastors, they cry all vnto you for succour, to sende them home their shepheards, to the end, that for things Gal. 6. 6. corporall, they may receiue spiritual: & to let one pastor to haue one onely competent liuing, which he may discharge. They call vpon you to expel & driue away the great drones, which in idlenesse deuour other mens labor, that after S. Paules rule, He that will not labor be not suffered to eate. The little 2. Thes, 3. 10. thren, 4. 4. or lament. Ier. ones haue asked bread. Christs little ones haue hungered and called for ye foode of ye gospel a long time & none there was to giue it thē. Now they cry vnto you, take heede you turne not your eares from thē, least their bloud Prou. 21. 1 [...] be required at your hands also, & least God turne his eares from you. Samuel spake vnto Saul fearefull wordes: Because 1. Sam. 15. 23 thou hast cast away the wordes of [Page] the Lorde hath therefore cast away [...] thee from beeing king. You are made of God a Pastor, a Pastor of Pastors. When Dauid was annointed king in Israel, God sayde, Thou shalt feede my

2. Sam. 5. 2.

Psal. 78. 71.

people Israel, you must feede, and that is, to see that al pastors doe their duty. The eye of the maister hath a greate strength. Your graces eye to looke through your Realme and see that watchmen sleepe not, shalbe worth a great number of preachers. They call vnto you to awake not only negligent pastors, but also to take away other enormities, which haue followed in heapes vpon those euilles, pluralities and non residentes. If I mighte haue time, I think I shuld be able to proue that the greate swarme of euils which reigne at his day, haue flowed from those founteines or rather puddles: But I will onely speake of the greate abuses, which by sp oile and robbery do hide the gospel, howe they haue ensued. First of all the dispensations of non residents haue brought forth farming of benefices to gentlemen, [Page] lay men, wherein they haue founde such sweetenes and worldly wealth, that preachers can not haue them, they wil be perpetual farmers. Which Psal. 80. 1 [...]. hath opened a gappe for the Heathen as Dauid saith, or else for cloked christians, much worse then heathen, who haue entred into Christes inheritance, spoiled his holy temple, & robbed his gospell. Such seeme to make composition with our greate enimy Satan. The idle and idole pastor saying: Da mihi diuitias, coetera tolle tibi. Giue to me riches, take the rest to thy share. whome Satan answereth: Si mihi des animas, tu cape diuitias: If thou wilt betray to me the soules, take riches for thy part. An other gap hath bene opened, for tha [...] the learned haue not done their dueties, no more then the vnlearned: hereby Christes vineyarde hath bene vtterly spoiled: Patrons see that none doe their duetie, they thinke as good to put in asses as men. The Byshops were neuer so liberall in making of lewde priestes, but they are as liberal in making [Page] lewd vicars. I dare say, if suche a monster as Deruel Gatherel the idole of Wales brent in Smithfielde coulde haue bene well conueied to come & set his hand to a bil to let the patrone take ye greatest part of the profites, he might haue had a benefice. There is neuer any question how he can occupy himselfe in Gods businesse. Iohn Gerson. Gerson a learned man in his time witnesseth, that whosoeuer in that time was admitted to a benefice in France, must answere to these questions. Scis u [...]rumque testamentum: knowest thou the old testament & the newe. and the ignorant was put backe: but with these men it skilleth not if he neuer opened the Byble, so much the meter for their purpose, he is not able to speake against their abuses, but wil suffer thē to sleepe in their sinne. And wil you see what preposterous iudgement they vse? For all worldly offices they search meete and conuenient mē, only christen soules so dearly bought are committed without respect to mē not worthy to keepe sheepe. Your [Page] grace hath sent forth furueiers, as most needefull it was, to see there shoulde be no deceipt in paimente of pensions, & other offices abrode. Would to God you would also sende forth Surueyors to see how benefices are bestowed & vsed: how Christ & his gospell are robbed & dishonored, to the great decaye of your realme & common wealthe. You shoulde finde a smal number of patrones, that bestow rightly their liuinges, seekinge Gods glorie, and that his worke and busines maye be rightly applied, without Simo ny or seeking ther owne profite. For first it as almost generall, to reserue the ferming to him selfe or his friend, and to appointe the rent at his owne pleasure. But woorse then all this, a great number neuer farme them at al, but keepe them as their owne lands, and giue some three halfpeny Priest a curats wages, nine or ten pounds. Euē as Ieroboam made priests of his owne 1. Kin. 13. 3 [...]. for his hill alters to sacrifice to his calues, that the priests should not goe to Ierusalem. These Icroboams will [Page] neuer let the people ascend to Ierusalem to finde Christ in the Temple of his word. They began first with personages, & seemed to haue some consciences towardes vicarages, but now their hearies be so hardened, all is fish that cometh to the net. Gentlemē are persons & vicars both, nothing can escape them. There be vicarages about London hauing a thousand people so spoiled: wherby it may appere what is done further of. Your grace may finde also where gentlemen keepe in their handes liuings of 40. or 50. pounds, & giueth one that neuer cometh there 5. or 6. pounds. Some chāge the ground of the benefice with their tenants, to the intent, if it be called for, the tenant shall lose [...]t & not they. Is not this a godly Patrone? It shall appeare also, I could name the place where a liuing of a hundreth markes by yere, if I say Crostwaite & Cheswicke. not poundes, hath bene solde for many yeares, I suppose an 100. saue one, & so continueth still. O good Saint Ambrose, if thou hadst bene Byshop ther, thou wouldest neuer haue suffered [Page] such Wolues to deuour the flocke. It may well be called a deuouringe, for this liuing in a godly learned pastors hande, mighte haue refreshed fiue hundred in a yeare with bodily foode, & all the whole country aboute with Gods word: which as I perceiue in xx miles compasse hath vnneth one man to preach and yet no place in Englād more needefull. For boyes and girles of xiiii. or xv. yeares olde cannot say ye Lordes prayer. Shall suche iniury to Christ & his gospel be suffred in a christian realm? That one enormitie crieth for vengance til it be redressed. What shal I speake? Your noble men reward their seruants with liuings appointed for the gospell. Certainly I meruaile that God holdeth his hand, that he destroyeth not such with Nadab & Abihu. Let them not abuse Gods patiēce, for if they doe not shortly repente, & bestow the liuings better, both master and man shall burne in hell fire. I am not able to rehearse, nor yet any man knoweth al ye abuses which the Simoniakes, ambitious and idole pastors [Page] haue brought vnto your realme. By whose euil example rauenous wolues painted Christians, hypocrites haue entered & defiled the sanctuary, spoiled Christ & his gospel, to the destruction of his flocke. How great enimies, they be to Christe, by keeping away his gospel, it shall appeare, if ye consider what superstition and blindnesse remaineth still among the people, only through lacke of faithful prechers: I passe ouer much infidelitie, Idolatrie, forcerie, charming, witch crafts, coniuring, trusting in figures, with suche other trumpery, which lurke in corners & began of late to come abrode onely for lacke of preaching. Come to the ministratiō of the Sacramēts set forth nowe by common authority after the first institution, they thinke baptisme is not effectuall, because it wanteth mans traditions: They are not taughte how the Apostles baptized. A greate number thinke it a greate offence to Act. 8. 38. take the Sacrament of Christes bodye in their hands, that haue no conscience to receiue it with blasphemous [Page] mouthes, with malicious heartesfull of all vncleannes. These come to it by threes of custome, without any spirituall hunger, & know not the end wherfore it was instituted. They come to the church to feede their eyes and not their soules, they are not taught, that no visible thing is to be worshipped. Augustine. And for bicause they see not in the church the shining pompe and pleasante varietie (as they thought it) of painted clothes, candlestickes, Images, altars, lampes, tapers, they say so good to go into a Barne, nothing esteeming Christ which speaketh to them in his holy worde, neither his holy Sacrament reduced to the first institutiō. To be short, the people are nowe euen as the Iewes were at Christes comming, altogether occupied in externall holinesse & culture, without any feeling of true holinesse or of ye true worship of God in spirit & trueth, without the Iohn. 4. 24. which all other is meere hypocrisie. Many thousandes knoweth not what this meaneth, but seeke Christe still among their kindred, in mās inuentiōs, [Page] when they can neuer finde him. As the Mat. 15. 3. 9 Iewes preferred mans traditions before Gods cōmandementes, euen so is it now. Men think it a greater offence to breake a fasting day, or worke vpon a saints day, thē to absteine from profitable labour and turne it to Bacchus feastes, exercising more vngodlinesse that day then all the weeke, dispising or sone weary of Gods word. All this with much more commeth through lack of preaching, as experiēce trieth where godly pastors be. It cānot much be merueled, if the simple & ignorant people, by some wicked heades and firebrandes of Hell, be sometimes seduced to rebell against their Prince & lawfull magistrates, seeing they are neuer taughte to knowe their obedience & duety to their king, and soueraigne, so straightly commaunded in Gods lawe. But there hangeth ouer vs a great euill, if your grace doe not helpe it in time. The diuel goeth about by these Cormorantes that deuour the liuinges appointed for the Gospell, to make a fortresse and Bulwarke, to [Page] keepe learned pastors from the flock: that is, so to decay learning, that there shall be none learned to commit the flocke vnto. For by reason liuinges appointed for the ministerie, for the most part, are either robbed of the best parte, or cleane taken away, almoste none hath any zeale or deuotion to put their children to schole, but to learne to write, to make them prentises, or else to haue thē lawyers. Looke vpon the two welles of this Realme, Oxforde and Cambridge, they are almost dried vp. The cruell Philistines abrode, enemies to Christes gospell, Gen. 26. 15. haue stopped vp the springes of faithful Abraham. The decay of studentes is so great, there are scarse left of euery thousand, an hundred. If they decay so fast in seuen years more, there shalbe almost none at al, and then may the Diuel make a triumph. This matter requireth speedy redresse, the miserie of your people, cry vppon you noble Prince, & Christ for his flocke cryeth to you his annointed, to defende his lambes from these rauenous wolues, [Page] that rob & spoile his vincyard. Whose malicious endeuour, if your grace doe not speedily resist, there is entring into England, more blinde ignorance, superstition and infidelitie, then euer was vnder the Romish Byshop. Your Realme (which I am sorie to speake) shall become more barbarous then Scithia: whiche leaste God almighty lay to your graces chardge, for suffering the sworde giuen to you (for the maintenance of the gospel) to ly rusting in the sheath, bestirre nowe your selfe in your heauenly fathers bu sines: With stnde all these cormorantes by godly lawes, whiche rob Christes gospell & treade it downe. They eate vp Gods people as it were Psal. 14. 4. bread. Your grace shall haue more true renowne & glorie before God, to defende Christes gospel againste them, then to conquere all Aphrica. You shal doe God more seruice, to resiste this tyranny of the diuell & his members, then to vanquish the great Turk. Cut first away the occasions of al this mischiefe, dispensations for pluralities [Page] and totquots, for non residents, suffer no longer the tythes of the furthest parts of England to be due to be paid at Paules fōt. Cause euery pastor, as his liuing wil extend to keep hospitality him selfe. But many thinkes them selues excused, for a yeare or two, bycause their liuings are taken away the first yeare: which vndoubtedly doeth not excuse them for their presence. I had rather begge, or borrowe of my friends to helpe me to meat & cloth, then suffer the diuell to haue such libertie one yeare. It is no smal number of soules that may perishe, by one yeares absence. Moses was from the Exod. 32. 1. people but forty dayes, and they fell to idolatrie. Howbeit, for as much as the Scripture doth allowe the minister a liuing the first yeare also: He that serueth the Altar, let him liue of the Altar: 1. Cor. 9. 13. and againe Thou shalt not musle the Oxe that treadeth out the corne: I doe not doubte but after your grace, with the aduice of your honorable counsell, haue considered, howe muche it may set forth Gods glorie, how many souls [Page] may be deliuered from the clawes of the diuell, by sending pastors to their liuinges, the first moneth, & suffering them to haue no cloak of absence, you will soone restore the firste yeares liuing, whiche in my conscience was wrongfully taken away at the first, as I suppose, by the Bishop of Rome. But I doubt not, if all were well redressed to this, that this also should soone bee amended. Wherfore here I wil desire god, to assist your grace in the aduance mente of his Gospell, which like vnto Iosias you haue helped to bring to 2. Kin. 23. 8. lighte, where it lay hid. But yet, it is not heard of all your people, a thousād pulpets in England are couered with dust, some haue not had four sermons these xv. or xvi. years since Friers left their limitations, and a fewe of those were worthie the name of sermons. Nowe therefore that your glorie maie be perfite, all mens expectations is, that whatsoeuer anie flatterers or enimies to Gods word shoulde labour to the contrarie, for their owne lucre, [Page] your grace will take away al such lets and abuses as hinder the setting forth of Gods moste holy worde: and to withstand all such robbers, as spoile his sanctuary: trauiling to send pastors home to their flocke, to feede Christes Lambes & sheep, that al may be occupied in the father of Heauen his businesse. And for this your trauaile, as Saint Peter saith, When the Prince of all Pastors shall appeare, you shall receiue an 1. Pet. 5. 4. incorruptible Crowne of glorie.

And thus farre concerning the Ecclesiasticall ministerie.

But now to come to the ciuill gouernance, first, to all of the nobilitie, The second part, of ciuil gouernors. magistrates & officers, al these must at al times remēber, They must be occupied in their heauenly fathers businesse. They The text. haue receiued all thir nobilitie, power, dominion, authority, and offices of God, which are excellent and heroical gifts, and if they be occupied in Gods businesse, it shal redownd to his glory and the wealth of his people: But if they fal from his businesse, and follow their owne wil, or rather the wil of Satan [Page] prince of darkenesse and father of

Iohn. 12. 31.

Ephe. 2. 2.

& Eph. 6. 12.

al the children of darkenesse, then shal all these glorious titles turne them to names of confusion. For falling vnto vngodlines & framing them selues to the shape and fashion of this worlde, nobilitie is turned into vile slauerie & Rom. 12. 2.x bondage of sinne, power and dominiō are turned into tyrannye, authority is become a swoorde of mischiefe in a madde mans hand, al maiesty & honor is turned to myserie, shame & confusion: And euer the higher that men be: while they serue sinne, more notable is their vice, and more pestiferous to infect, as a cancarre, by euil examples: because all mens eyes are bente to behold their doinges. Euery fault of the minde is so much more euident, as the paty is more notable, who hath it. For the worthier the person is whiche offendeth, the more his offence is noted of others. Seeing that vertue in all whom God hath exalted is the mainteiner of their dignitie, without the which they fall from it: it shalbe moste needefull for them to embrace vertue, & chiefly [Page] humilitie, whiche is the keeper of all vertues, which may put them euer in remembrance, from whence power is giuen them, for what end, who is aboue them, a iudge, an examiner of all their doings, who cannot bee deceiued. But as dignitie goeth nowe a daies, climbe who may climbe most highest, euery man exalteth him selfe, and tarrieth not the calling of God, humilitie is taken for no keeper, but for an vtter enimy vnto nobilitie. As I heard of a wicked climber & exalter of him self, who hearing the sentence of Christe in the Gospel, He that humbleth him selfe shal Luk. 14. 11. be exalted: He moste blasphemously againste Gods holy woorde saide, sure it was not true, for if I, said he, had not put forth nor aduanced my selfe, but followed this rule, I had neuer come to this dignity. For which blasphemie, the vengeance of God smote him with souden death. I feare mee a great nūber are in England this day, which though in wordes they deny not this sentēce of Christ, yet inwardly they can scarse disgeste it, else certeinly [Page] they would neuer seeke so ambitiously to aduance them selues, to climbe by their owne might vncalled, neuer seeking the publique weale, but rather the destruction thereof, for their priuate wealth and lucre: which causeth vs to haue so many euil magistrates. For all the while that men gather goods vniustly by polling, pilling vsurie, extorsion, & Simmonie, and therewith seeke to climbe with bribes & bying of offices, it is scarse possible of such to haue wholsome magistrats. S. Bernard said, Of a bitter roote commeth a bitter fruite. They enter in at the S. Bernard. windowe (which is vsed aswel in ciuil gouernemente as Ecclesiasticall) and therefore may Christes wordes well be verified, He that entreth not in at the Ihon. 10. 1. dore into the sheepefolde, but climbeth vp some other way, the same is a theefe and a robber. And Esaias complainte against Ierusalem taketh place among vs, Thy princes are wicked & cōpanions of theefs, Esai. 1. 13. they loue gifts altogether and gape for rewardes: as for the fatherlesse they helpe not him to his right, neither will they lot [Page] the widdowes cause come before them. They wil not knowetheir office to be ordemed of God, for the wealth and defence of al innocentes, for the aide of all that be in miserie: the time is come that Solomon speaketh of, Whē the wicked man be are rule, the people shat Pro. 29. 2. mourne. When had euer the people such cause to mourne as nowe, when the greatest number of all magistrates are occupied in their owne businesse; seeking rather the miserie of the people, then to take it away: rather to oppresse them thē to defend them, their hands be ready to receiue their monie, to rob and spoile them, but their eares are shut from hearing their cōplaintes, they are blinde to behold their calamities. Looke in all cuntries how lady Auarice hath set a woorke altogether mightie men, gentlemen and all riche men to robbe and spoile the poore, to turne them from their liuings, and frō their right, and euer the weakest goe to the walles. And being thus tormented and put from their right at home, they come to London a great number; [Page] as to a place where iustice shoulde be had, & ther they can haue none. They are suters to greate men, and can not come to their speeche, their seruantes must haue bribes, and that no small bribes: Al loue bribes. But as suche as be so dangerous to heare the pore, let Esai. 1. 23. them take heede least God make it as strange to them when they shal cal: for as Solomon saith, Who so stoppeth his

Pro. 21. 13.

1. King. 3. 16.

eare at the crying of the pore, he shall cry & not be heard. We finde that pore mē mighte come to complaine of their wronges to the Kinges owne person. King Ioram, although he was one of 2. Kin. 8. 3. the sonnes of Achab, no good king, yet he heard the pore widowes cause and caused her to haue right: such was the vse then. I would to God that all noble men would diligently note that chapter, and followe the example. It shoulde not then bee so harde for the poore to haue successe to thē, nor cō ming to their presence, they shoulde not be made so astonied & euē speechlesse with terrible lookes, but shoulde mercifully & louingly be hard & succoured [Page] gladly for Christes loue, considering we are the members of his bodie, euen as my hande woulde be glad to helpe my foot, when it is annoyed. O with what glad hearts & cleare cō sciences might noble men go to rest, when they had bestowed the whole day in hearing Christe himselfe complain in his members & redressing his wrōgs. But alas for lacke hereof poore people are driuen to seeke their right among the lawyers: And there as the prophet Ioel saith, Looke what ye Caterpillers had left in their robbery & Ioel. 1. 4. oppression at home, all that doth the greedie Locustes, the lawyers, deuour at London. They laugh with ye monie which maketh others to weepe, & thus are the poore robbed on euerie side without redresse, and that of such as seeme to haue authoritie therto. When Christe suffered his passion there was one Barrabas, S. Mathewe Math. 27. 16. calleth him a notable theef, a gētlemā theef, such as rob now a daies in veluet coates, and other two obscure theeues and nothing famous, the rusticall [Page] theeues were hanged and Barrabas was deliuered: Euen so nowe'a dayes little theeues are hanged that steale of necessitie, but the great Barrabasses haue free liberty to rob & to spoil without al measure in the middest of the citie. The poore pyrate said to Alexander, we rob but'a few in a ship, but thou roobest whole cuntries and kingdomes Alas silly pore mēbers of Christ, how you be shorn, oppressed, pulled, hal [...]d to & fro on euery side, who can not but lamēt, if his heart bē not of flint There be a number euery terme, & many continually, which lametably complain for lack of Iustice, but all in vaine. They spende yt which they had left, and many times more, whose il successe here causeth thousandes to tarry at home beggers and leese their right, & so it were better, thē here to sel their coats: for this we see, be ye pore mās cause neuer so manifest a truth, ye rich shal for monyfind 6. or 7. counsellers shall stande with subtelties and sophisines to cloak an euill matter & hide a knowne trueth [Page] A pitteous case in a christian commō wealth. Alas that euer manifest falshood should be mainteined, where ye God of trueth ought to be honored. But let them alone, they are occupied in their fathers busines, euen ye prince of darknesse. You are of your father the Iohn. 8. 44. diuel: Yet I cannot so leaue thē, I must needes cry on Gods behalfe, to his patrōs of Iustice, to you most redoubted prince, whō God hath made his minister Rom. 13. 4. for their defence: with all those whō god hath placed in authoritie vnder you. Looke vpon their misery, for this is out heauēly fathers businesse to you apointed by his holy word. When I come among the people, I call vpon them, as my duety is, for seruice, duty and obedience vnto their prince, to all magistrates, to their Lordes, and to al that be put in authoritie ouer them, I let them heare their owne faultes. But in this place my duty is & my conscience vppon Gods word bindeth me, seeing them so miseraby, so wrongfully, so cruelly intreated on euery side, in Gods behalfe to pleade their [Page] cause, not by forme of mans lawe, but by Gods word, as an intercessor. For as they are debters vnto you & other magistrates of loue, fear, seruice, & obediēce vnder God: So are you again debters vnto thē of loue, protectiō; of Iustice & equitie, mercy & pitie. If you denie thē these, they must suffer, but god shal reuenge thē. He standeth (saith Dauid) in the cōgregatiō of Gods. Psal. 82. 1. & as iudge among gods. Take heede all you yt be counted as Goddes, Gods ministers vppen earth, you haue one God iudge ouer you, which as he in ye same Psalme sharply rebuketh vngodly rulers for accepting of persons of the vngodly: so he telleth faithfull christiā magistrats, their true duties & businesse in plaine words, Defend the pore & needy, see that such as be in necessitie haue right, deliuer the outcast & pore, saue thē frō the hands of the vngodly. Heare haue all noble men & christian magistrates most liuely set forth to them their heauenly fathers businesse, wherein he woulde haue them continually occupied: woulde to God [Page] the whole Psalm were grauen in their hartes. Truely for lacke that this businesse is not applied, but the pore despised in all places, it hath giuen such boldnesse to couetous cormorantes abrode, that now their robberies, extortion & open oppression, hath no end nor limits, no banks can keepe in their violence. As for turning poore men out of their holdes, they take for no offence, but saie Their lande is their Psal. 24. 1. owne, and forget altogether that the earth is the Lords, & the fulnesse thereof. They turne them out of their shrouds as thicke as mice. Thousandes in England through such begge nowe from dore to dore; which haue kept honest houses. These crie daily to God for vengeance, both against the greate Nemrothes workes thereof, and their Gen. 10. 8. 2. mainteners. There be so many mighty Nemrothes in England, mightie hunters, that hunt for possessions & Lordships, that pore men are daily hunted out of their liuings: there is no couert nor denne can keep them safe. These Nemrothes haue such quick smelling [Page] houndes, they can lye at London and turne men out of their farms and tennements, a hundred, some 200, miles of. O Lord, when wicked Achab hunted 1. Kin. 21. 5. after Nabothes vineyard, he could not (though he were a king) obteine that pray, til [...] cursed Iesabel (as womē many times haue shrewde wittes) til she tooke the matter in hand: So hard a thing it was in those dayes to wring a man from his fathers inheritaunce, which now a meane man will take in hande. And nowe our valiant Nemrothes can compasse the matter without the helpe of Iesabel, yet hath England euen now as great a number of Iesabels, which to mainteine their intollerable pride, their golden heads, wil not sticke to put too their wicked hands. O Lord what a number of such oppressors worse then Achab are in England, which sell the poore for a paire of shoes, of whome if God shoulde Amo. 2. 6. serue but 3. or 4. as he did Achab, to 1. Kin. 22. 38 make the dogs lap the bloud of them, and their wiues & their posteritie, I thinke it would cause a great number [Page] to beware of extorsion, to beware of oppression, & yet escaping temporall punishment, they are certein by Gods word, their bloud is reserued for helhoundes, Cerberus and his companie: which they nothing feare. A pittifull case and great blindnesse, that hearing Gods word, man shoulde feare more temporall punishmente, then euerlasting. Yet hath Englande had of late some terrible exāples of Gods wrath in soudeine and straunge deathes of such as ioyne feelde to feelde and Esai. 5. 8. house to house. Greate pittie they were not cronicled to the terror of other which feare neither god nor mā, so hardened in sinne, that they seeke not to hide it, but rather are such as glorie in their mischefe: which maketh me oftentimes remember a writer in Psal. 52. 1. our time, Musculus vpon Sainte Mathews Musculus. gospel, which meruelled much at the subtile and manifold working of Satan, howe he after the expelling of superstition and hypocrisie, trauelleth most busilie to bring in open impietie. That wher as before, hipocrits, [Page] men feared men and not God, now a great number, feare neither God nor man. The moste wicked are counted most manlike, and innocencie is holden for beastlines: yet may wee not say hipocrisie is expelled, for as many of these Achabs as signifie they fauour Gods word by reading or hearing it, or with praier honouring him (as Christe saith) with their lippes, Math. 15. 8. their heartes beeing farre from him, they are as detestable hypocrites as euer was couered in cowle or cloister. I cannot liken them better then to yt Iewes, that say to Christe, haile king of ye Iewes. What their painted friend Math. 27. 29 ship is, and how of Christ it is esteemed, S. Augustine setteth forth by an apt similitude: Euen as (saith he) a man shuld come to embrace thee, to kisse & honour thee vpward, & beneath with apaierS. Augustine.of shoes beaten full of nailes, tread vpon thy bare foote, the heade shall despise the honour. done vnto it, and for the foote that smarteth, say, why treadest thou vppon mee? So when fained Gospellers honour Christe our heade, [Page] sitting in heauen and oppresseth his members in earthe, the heade shall speake for the feete that smarte, and say, Why treadest thou on me? Paule had a zeale towards God, but he did tread vpon Christes feete on earth, for whō the head cried forth of heauen, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Although Act. 9. 4. Christ sitteth at the right hande of his father, yet heth he in earth, he hungereth in earth, he suffereth al calamities here on earth, he is many times euill intreated here on earth. Wold to god we could beare away this briefe and shorte lesson, that what we doe to his members vpon earth we do to him: it Math. 25. 40. would bring men from oppression, to shew mercy, without whiche no man can obteine mercie. If they would remember Ieam. 2. 13. how the rich gluttone was Luk. 16. 23. damned in hel, not as we read for any violence, but for not shewing mercie, they might soone gather howe sharpe judgemēt remaineth for them, which are not only vnmerciful, but also violently adde there unto oppressiō: who are so farre from mercie? a great number. [Page] Their hearts will serue them to destroye whole townes, they woulde wish al ye people destroied to haue al the field brought to a shepe pasture. O cruel mercie: it is like to the mercy of a bishop of Magūce in Germany, named Hatto, which as the cronicles mention 500. yeares agoe in time of a Registrum mundi. great dearth, called al the poore people in al ye whole country into a great barne, pretending to make a greate dole, but hauing them sure inoughe, he fired the barne and brent them all vp, saying, these be the mice whiche deuour vp the Corne. This was a pollicie to make bread better cheape, but for this vnmercifull mercie, God made him an example for all vnmercifull men, to the worldes end. For a multitude of Ratios came & deuoured him in such terrible sorte, that where his name was written in windows, wals, or hanginges, they neuer ceased till it were rased out. Some peraduenture shrinke to heare such crueltie, & the terrible vengeance that ensued. But doubtlesse there is almoste daily as [Page] great cruelty practised amongst vs, by such bloudsuccours as being infected with the great dropsie of Auarice, alway drinking & euer a thirst, by famishinge poore people, drinkinge vp their bloud, & with long continuance therin torment thē more greeuously, then he that brente them all in one hower. Now seeing as I said this cruelty, robberie, and extorsion groweth daily to such intollerable excesse, and ouerfloweth this Realm, because it is not punished nor restrained, it is high time for all those magistrates that fear God, not onely to absteine from this euil themselues, but to resist it also. It is God his busines, he hath commaunded it, and will straightly require it. Would to God all noble men would be ware by the example of Saule, he had a commandement to apply Gods 1. Sam. 15. 3. businesse: Go and smite Amelecke and haue no compassion on them &c. He left his businesse vndone, spared Ameleck and the fairest of the beastes, but for this negligence he receiued of Samuell a sorrowfull message from God: [Page] Because thou hast cast away the worde of the Lord, he hath cast thee off also frō being King. Euen so in euery christiā cō mō wealth, god hath cōmanded rulers to destroy Amelecke, al extorsion, oppression and robberie, to defende the needie & all innocentes. If they looke not to this busines, but suffer Ameleck to liue, not only to liue but to grow in might, so truly as God liueth he shal cast them of, they shal not be his magistrates. But let it once bee knowne that not onely our moste noble king (whose godly example is a Lanterne to all other) but that also al his nobles aboute him haue wholy bente themselues in his businesse, to withstand al violence, and to oppresse all oppression, for defence of Gods people, that the wicked Achabs, mighte knowe that God had in England, a great nū ber of Pastors, Patrones, feeders and cherishers of his people: it should doc that which the feare of God cannot do: that is, stop the great rage of violence, oppression & extorsion, which taken away, would pluck from many [Page] their vanitie in superfluous and monstrous apparell, in sumptuous building, suche as seeke to bring paradise into earth, being the greatest causes of all oppression and spoiling of pore people, which moste vaine vanities & blinde affections neuer reigned so much in all estates in England, as at this daie. It was a notable saying of Charles the fifte Emperour of that Charles the fifte to the duke of Venice. name to the Duke of Venice, when he had seene his princely Palace, a Paradise vpon earth. When the Duke loked yt he should haue praised it exceedingly, Charles gaue it none other eommendation but this. Haec sunt quae faciunt inuitos mori: these earthly vanities (said he) are they which make vs loth to die. A truer sentence could not well bee spoken by any man. I woulde wish we should looke in all our buildings. When the beautie thereof so increaseth that it would greeue vs to depart from it, & to pluck down that piece againe, and to remember withal the holie Patriarkes & with S. Paule that wee haue not here a continuing Heb. 13. 14. [Page] citie but we seeke one to come. But truely me thinke now in England for our vaine delighte in curiouse buildinges, God hath plagued vs as hee did the builders of Babel, not with the Gen. 11. 7. confusion of tongues, but with the confusion of wits, our fancies can neuer be pleased, plucke downe and set vp, and when it contenteth vs not, downe with it again. Our mindes are neuer contented, nor neuer shall bee while wee seeke felicitie where it is not. Would God euery one woulde consider what a hel it should be to all that vainely delighte herein, when death shall with great violence, pluck thē from their earthly heauen. Moreouer, extorsion taken away, shall straight abate the vnmeasurable excesse in costly fare, whiche goeth beyonde the vaine banquetting of Sardanapalus or Esopus, I dare not adde Cleopatra, which supped vp with a spoonefull of vinegre a perle valued to 50000 crownes. It wuld also abate the intollerable excesse in apparell, which causeth vs to haue robbers in [Page] veluet coates, with S. Martins chains. But I must for lacke of time passe ouer these enormities, which alone giue mater inough for whole sermōs: I leaue them for other whiche shall followe, more able to paint out suche monsters in their collours. And here in conclusion I desire all noble men and godly Magistrates, deepely to ponder and reuolue in their Godlie memorie, what acceptable seruice they may doe, chieflie to God, and secondlie to the Kinges maiestie, and his whole realme, in employing their whole studie, how to resist all such as spoile Christes people, whome hee so tenderly loued, that he shed his bloud for them. Vertue ioyned with nobility spreadeth her beames ouer a whole realm. And so your diligence in Gods busines shall soone inflame all other to follow your example, that all may occupie them selues in God the fathers busines. But now that I haue hitherto charged the Ecclesiastical ministers, and after the ciuil gonernours, with al ritch and mightie men with The thirde part, of the commons. [Page] negligence in God his busines, mee think I do heare the inferior mēbers reioice and flatter them selues, as if all were taken from them, and they lefte cleare in the sight of God. But if they consider their estate by Gods worde, they shal finde smal cause to aduance themselues. For Gods worde plainly telleth vs, both that euill and dumbe pastors and wicked rulers and magistrates, are sent of God, as a plague & punishment for the sinnes of the people.

Iob. 34. 30.

Esai. 24. 2.

Osee. 4. 9.

And therefore both Esaie & Osee after most terrible threatnings of God his vengance for sinne, bring in as a most grieuous plague of al, that euen the priestes, which shoulde call them from sinne, shal become so euil as the people. Which plague Saint Bernard saide in his time was come with a vā tage, for because the priestes were much worse then the people. And Amos Amos. 8. 11. as a most grieuous punishment of all other, threatneth hunger, not of breade, but of hearing Gods word. And concerning the ciuill magistrates, it is plaine in Iob, that for Iob. 34. 30. [Page] the sinne of the people God raiseth hypocrites to reigne ouer them, that is to say, such as haue the bare names of gouernours and protectors, & are in deede destroiers, oppressors of the people, subuerters of law and equitie. And seeing it is so, so many as feele the griefe and smarte of this plague, ought not to murmur against other, but patiently suffer, and be offended with their owne sinnes, whiche haue deserued this scourge & much more: and studie for amendment, that God may take it away. For if they continu as they do, to murmure againste god & their rulers, as the Israelites did, to prouoke daily his anger by multiplyinge synne in his sighte, with enuie, malice, deceipt, backbiting, swearinge, fornication, & with vtter contempt of his worde, he shall for their punishmente, so multiply the number of euill gouernours, vniust Iudges Iustices, & officers, that as it was Vopiscus spoken by a iester in the Emperoure Claudius time, the images of good magistrates may all be grauen in one [Page] ring. God hath cause greatly to bee displeased with al estates, when euery man shoulde looke vppon their owne faultes to seeke amendment, and as it is a prouerbe lately sprong vp, no man amendeth him selfe, but euery man seeketh to amend other, and all that while nothing is amended. Mightie men and gentlemen, they say, the commonaltie liue to wel at ease, they grow euerie day to be gentlemen, and know not themselues: their hornes muste be cut shorter, by raising their rentes & by fines, by plucking awaye their pastures, and so by many goodly pretēces, Lady Auarice can whisper in their eares. The mean men, they murmure and grudge, and say the gentlemen haue all, and there were neuer so many gentlemen and so little gentlenesse. And by their natural Logike ye shall heare them reason howe these two Contugata, these yoake fellowes, gentlemen and gentlenesse, should be banished so farre asunder: And they lave all the miserie of this common wealth vppon the gentlemen their [Page] shoulders. But alas, good Christians, this is not ye way of amendment, Si in [...]ucem Gal. 5. 15. mordetis & commeditis. If ye bite and deuour one another, as Saint Paul saith, take ye heede least ye be consumed one of another. Histories make mentiō of a people called Anthropophagi, eaters of men, which al mens harts abhorre to hereof: And yet alas by Saint Paules rule, Englande is full of suche Anthrop ophagies. Euery man enuieth other, euery man biteth & gnaweth vpon other with venemous adders tongues, farre more noisome then any teeth. And whereon commeth it? Couetousnesse is the roote of all. Euery man scratc [...]th & pilleth from other: euery man would sucke the bloud of other: euery man encrocheth vpon an other. Couetousnesse hath [...] away the large winges of charitie; and plucketh all to her selfe, shee is neuer satisfied, she hath chested all the olde gold in Englād & much of the new: she hath made yt ther was neuer more Idolatry in England, then at this day: But the Idols are hid, they come [Page] not abrode. Alas noble prince, the Images of your auncesters grauen in gold, & yours also, contrarie to your minde, are worshipped as Goddes, & all that while the pore liuely Images of Christ, perish in ye streats, through hunger & cold. This commeth when couetousnesse hath banished from amongst vs Christian charitie, when like most vnth ankfull children, wee haue forgotten Christe his last will, when he so often before his passion did inculcate loue, loue, loue, loue one another. And herein we shew our selues worse then any carnall sonnes: Which be they neuer so vnkinde, yet alway they remēber ye last words of their earthly parēts. Nay rather I may say, we are much worse then ye bruite beastes, of whome when we consider, howe wōderfully nature hath framed them to concord & vnite, to preserue & helpe one another of their owne kinde: it may make vs vtterly to bee ashamed. The Hartes as Sainte Augustine writeth, swimming ouer a narrow Augustine. sea, in a company together, with [Page] much paine can beare vp their heads in the water: for the remedy wherof, euery one layeth his head vppon the hinder part of another, When the for most (hauing no stay) is sore weary he commeth behind, and thus euery, one in his course, taketh paine for the whole herde. If men indued with reason would learne of these vnreasonable creatures, this lesson to help one another, as we are commaunded by Saint Paule, saying, Beare ye one anothers Gal. 6. 2. burden, and so shall you fulfill the Law of Christ. How soone then should

Col. 3. 14.

1. Cor. 13. 5.

Philip. 2. 4.

charitie, the band of perfectiō, which seeketh not her owne, but rather to profit other, be so spread among all degrees, that oure common wealth should florish in al godlines. But alas wee see that all goeth contrary. For whiles all men, as Saint Paule saith, seeke the thinges that be their owne, & not other mens, not the thinges whiche Phil. 2. 4. appertaine to Christ: Phila [...]tia, that is, selfe loue, and loue of priuate commoditie, hath banished charitie, and loue to the common wealth. And if [Page] we should se [...]ke the cause & ground of all these euille, why God his busines is so neglected among all estates and degrees, I think it should appear to be ignorance of God his holy wil: For if Mary and Ioseph so godly and deuoute a couple, vnderstood not for a time Christes saying, Wist ye not that I must goe about my fathers businesse? as Saint Luke saith; they understoode, not that saying▪ What meruell is it, if we liuing so carnally and drowned in worldly pleasures and framed to the shape of this worlde, bee ignorant in our heauenly fathers businesse? And therefore [...] well applie them. But shall wee thinke this to bee very strange: many apply not God his businesse nor his wil, which yet would disdain to be, counted ignorant there in. But vndoubtedly, good christians, it is an vnfallible veritie, that negligence in perfourming God his will, commeth of ignorance. It is all one to know God and his will, & Sainte Iohn saith plainely, He that loueth not, knoweth not God. For if he doe Ihon. 4. 8. [Page] know God, he cannot but loue him, and loue is alwaies occupied in Gods busines. By this rule Saint Augustine Augustine. proueth, wee cannot keepe perfectly the first precept, to loue God so well as we ought to doe, while we are in this mortall life: For all our loue commeth of knowledge, but in this life, ex parte cognoscimus, our knowledge 1. Cor. 13. 5. is vnperfect. And thus S. Augustines rule grounded vppon S. Iohn is true, that so farre as we knowe God, so far doe wee loue him, and so they that loue him nothing at all, they knowe him nothing at all. Althoughe they seeme to haue neuer so much windie knoweledge, puffing vp their stomacke with presumption, as the Apostle sayeth, scientia inflat, knowledge 1. Cor. 8. 1. maketh a man swell: So that if a man haue studied the scripture all his lyfe long, & learned the whole Bible by harte, and yet hane no loue, he is ignorant of God his will. The poore 1. Cor. 13. 2. man that neuer opened booke, if the loue of god be; shed abroad in his hart by the holy ghoste, he ouercommeth Rom. 5. 5. [Page] him, in the knowledge of Gods will. The Godly Pembus of whome wee Pembus. reade in the Ecclesiasticall history, when he was first taught ye first verse of the Psalme, 39. I haue saide, I will Psal. 39. 1. take heede to my waies, that I offende not in my tongue. He refused a long time to take out a new lesson, iudging his first lesson to be vnlearned, till he coulde perfectly practise it, by an holy conuersation. So ought wee alwaies to When Gods word is truly learned. make our accounte to haue learned Gods worde, when wee haue learned charitie & obedience. But this knowledge, though it lack in many learned, yet ordinarily it commeth alwaies by hearing God his word. Rom. 10. Faith commeth of hearing, and hearing of the word of God. Wherfore, as I saide, their Rom. 10. 17. case is to be lamented, which woulde gladly heare Gods word, & can haue no preachers. Then may we say, God hath aboundantly powred his grace among vs, that haue his gospell so clearely set forth vnto vs, & haue such oportunitie, y• there wanteth nothing but eares to heart. We must haue eares Luk. 8. 8. [Page] in our heartes to let it sinke. But, O man, thrise vnhappie and children of greater damnation, if wee harden our hearts, and receiue such aboundance of

2. Co. 6. 1.

Heb. 16. 8.

grace in vaine. The earth (Saith Sainte Paule) whiche after the raine (of Gods grace) bringeth forth thornes and briers, is reproued, & is nigh vnto cursing, whose end is to be burned. Woulde God all yt be in the courte, that will not vouchsafe, hauing so many Godly sermons, to come forth of the hall into ye chappel, to heare them, would remember what a heauie stroke of Gods vengance hangeth ouer all their heads yt contemne his worde: and ouer those in all places, which had rather be idle, and many times vngodly occupied in wanton and wicked pastimes, then come to the churche, prophaning the Sabboth day, appointed for ye seruice of God, & the hearing of his worde, bestoweing it more wickedly then many of the Gentiles. Yet if they woulde come to the sermons, though their hearts were not well disposed, Gods word might win them, as Saint [Page] Augustine was won by the preaching Augustine. of S. Ambrose, when he came only to heare his sweete voice & eloquence. O yt they knew what dishonour they did to Christ, yt esteeme him so light, to preferre vaine, nay I say wicked thinges to the hearing of his holye word. Are not these they, as Saint Paul Heb. 10. 19. saith, which tread vnderfo [...]te the Sonne of God, count the bloude of his testament, wherin he was sanctified, an vnholy thing, & hath done despite to the spirit of grace? O Lorde howe canst thou holde thy hands from punishing this vnthankfulnesse? Certainely I thinke all other wickednesse compared to this, is shadowed, & seemeth to be lesse. I would to God we would remember manye times the plagues & tokens of Gods extreame wrath that came vpon the Iewes, after firste vnthankfully they had reiected Christ, & after his word, when they were destroied by Titus & Uespatian such a plague as neuer came vpon any other country. And looke on their vices: there reigned auarice, ambition, pride, extorsion, enuie, [Page] aduonterie, but these reigned also in other countries aboute, where no such vengance did light: but then did God thus exercise his wrath vpon them to the terrour of all other, for contempt of his holy worde and for their vnthankfulnesse: which beeing called so many waies by his prophets by him selfe, by the Apostles, stil hardened their hearts. This exceeded all other wickednesse in the word. Nowe if as greate vnthankfulnesse be found in many of vs towards Christe, & his gospell, set forth so plainely vnto vs: how cā we without speedie repetāce, but look for the terrible stroke of vē gance. God (saith Ual. max.) hath feete Val. Max. of wool, he commeth slowly to punish, but he hath hands of yron, when he commeth he striketh sore. Philip King of Macedonie, Philip king of Matedony. hearing of one in his kingdom whiche refused most vnthankfully to receiue a strāger, of whom before he had bene succoured in ship wracke, in extreme neede, for a worthie punishmente caused to bee printed in his forehead with an hot yron these two [Page] wordes, Ingratus hospes, au vnthankful guest. O Lorde if we consider, when we were straungers from God, in the ship wrack of sinne, howe mercifully Christe hath deliuered vs, and borne our sinnes vpon his body. If after all this we moste vnthankfully refuse to receiue him, by refusing of his word, may we not thinke our selues worthy many hote yrons to printe our vnthankfulnesse to our shame? And vndoubtly so many as continue thus vnthankful, though it be not written in their forheads, to put them to worldly shame: yet shal it be grauen in their conscience to their euerlasting confusion and damnation, When the bookes of euery mans conscience shal be layde open, D [...]i. 7. 10. as Daniel saith. Their iudgement shal be more straight then Sodome & Math. 10. 25. & 11. 24. Gomorha, which that we may auoid, let vs all from the highest to the lowest, pray with one accord, that God may soften and prepare our heartes with meekenesse and humilitie, and thankfulnesse to embrace his gospell, and his holy word: which shal instruct [Page] vs in his holy wil, & teach vs to know his businesse euery man in his vocation, that (as Saint Paule saith) euery one may giue attendance to themselues Acts. 20. 28. & to the flocke, wherein the holy ghoste hath made them ouerseers to rule the cō gregation of God, which he hath purchased with his bloud: that all other rauenous Wolues may be turned to good shepheards. So that Christe his ministers may enioy the portion assigned for the Gospell: that all magistrates and gouernours may giue their whol studie to the weale publique, and not to their priuate wealth, that they may bee mainteiners of Iustice and punishers of wrong: and that all inferiours may liue in due obedience, meekely, contenting themselues euery one in their vocation, without murmuring or grudging: that vnder Christe & our noble prince his minister here one earth, we all being knit together with Christian charitie, the bonde of perfection, may so fasten our eies vpon our Lode starre, Gods word, that it may continually bee a [Page] lanterne to our feete, to guide our

Psa. 119. 105

2. Pet. 1. 19.

waies throughe the deserte and darke wildernesse of this worlde: that our eyes bee neuer so blinded with shadowes of wordly thinges, to make vs to embrace false deceitfull, and temporall felicitie, for that which is true stedfast and euerlasting: that this lanterne, which shineth nowe, as Saint Paule saith, tanquam speculum, as thorough a glasse, and in a darke speaking, 1. Cor. 13. 12 when that whiche is vnperfect shall bee taken away, wee may present vs to that cleare light whiche neuer is shadowed with any darknesse: that we may behold the blessed sighte of the glorious trinitie, [...]. 1. 17. the father, the sonne, and the holy Ghost, to whome bee all praise, al honor and glorie worlde without ende Amen.

God saue the King.

[Page]

§

§

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[Page] A GODLY sermon preached in the Court at Greenwich the firste Sonday after the Epiphanie, Anno Domini. 1552. And in the sixt yere of ye raigne of king Edward the sixt, the right godly and vertuous king of famous and blessed memory. By B. G.

Imprinted at London by Henrie Middleton, for Thomas Man. 1581.

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A godly sermon preached in the court at Greenwich the firste Sonday after the Epiphanie, Anno Domini. 1552. And in the sixt yere of ye raigne of king Edward the sixt, the right godly and vertuous king of famous and blessed memory. By. B.G.

Gilpin, Bernard, 1517-1583.

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1581

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2004-08 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

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A01761

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STC 11897

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ESTC S114032

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99849260

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99849260

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14398

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— A godly sermon preached in the court at Greenwich the firste Sonday after the Epiphanie, Anno Domini. 1552. And in the sixt yere of ye raigne of king Edward the sixt, the right godly and vertuous king of famous and blessed memory. By. B.G., Gilpin, Bernard, 1517-1583..

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76 p.

by Henrie Middleton, for Thomas Man,. Imprinted at London :: 1581.. (Reprinted in STC 4648.) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

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