A SERMON preached by Iohn Knox Minister of Christ Iesus in the Publique audience of the Church of Edenbrough, within the Realme of Scotland, vpon Sonday, the .19. of August .1565. For the which the said Iohn Knoxe was inhibite preaching for a season.1. Timoth. 4. ¶The time is come that men can not abyde the Sermon of veritie nor holsome doctrine.’ To this is adioyned an exhortation vnto all the faythfull within the sayde Realme, for the reliefe of suche as faythfully trauayle in the preaching of Gods worde. Written by the same Iohn Knoxe, at the commaun­dement of the ministerie aforesayd.

Imprinted Anno. 1566.

IOHN KNOXE THE seruaunt of Iesus Christ, Inpreaching of his holy Euangell, to the beneuolent Reader, desireth grace and peace, with the spirite of righte­ous Iudgement.

WONDER NOT, christian Reader that of al my stu­dye and trauayle within the scrip­tures of GOD these twentye yeares, I haue set forth nothing in exponing anye portion of scripture, except this onely rude and indigest Sermon preached by me in the publicke audiēce of the church of Eding­brough the day and yeare aboue mēcioned. That I did not in writ communicate my iudgemēt vp­on the scriptures, I haue euer thought and yet thinke my selfe [Page] to haue most iust reason. For cō ­sidering my selfe rather cald of my God to instruct the ignorant, comfort the sorowfull, confirme the weake, and rebuke the proud by tong & liuelye voyce in these most corrupt dayes, thā to com­pose bokes for the age to come, seeing that so much is written (& that by men of most singuler cō ­dition) and yet so little well ob­serued: I decreed to containe my selfe within the bondes of that vocation, wherevnto I founde my selfe especially called. I dare not denie (lest that in so doing I should be iniurious to the giuer) but that God hath reuealed vn­to me secretes vnknowen to the worlde, and also that he hath made my tong a trumpet to for­warne realmes and nations, yea certaine great personages, of mu­tations and chaunges, when no [Page] such thinges were feared, nor yet was appearing, a portion wherof can not the world denie (be it ne­uer so blind) to be fulfilled, and the rest (alas) I feare shall followe with greater expedition and in more full perfection, than my sorowfull heart desireth. These reuelations and assurances not withstanding, I did euer ab­steyne to commit anye thing to writ, contented onely to haue obeyed the charge of him, who commaunded me to cry. If anye then will aske to what purpose this onely sermon is set forth, & greater matters omitted, I an­swere, to let such as Sathan hath not altogether blinded see, vpon how small occasions, great of­fence is nowe conceyued. This sermon is it for the which from my bed I was called before the Councell: and after long reaso­ning, [Page] I was by some forbidden to preach in Edingbrough so long as the King and Queene were in the towne. This sermon is it that so offēdeth such as would please the Court, and yet will not ap­peare to be enimies to the truth, that thei dare affirme that I haue exceded the bonds of Gods mes­sanger. I haue therfore faithful­ly committed vnto writ, what soeuer I could remember might haue beene offensiue in that ser­mon. To the ende that aswell the enimies of Gods truth, as the professors of the same, may ey­ther note vnto me wherin I haue offended, or at the least ceasse to condempne me before they haue conuicted me by Gods manifest worde. If any man thinke it easy vnto me to mitigate by my pen the inconsiderate sharpenesse of my tongue, and so can not men [Page] freely iudge of that my sermon, I answere that neyther am I so im­pudent that I will study to abuse the worlde, in this great light, neyther yet so voyde of feare of my God, that I will auowe a lye in his owne presence. And no lesse doe I esteeme it to be a lye, to deny or cōceile that which in his name I haue once pronoun­ced, than to affirme that GOD hath spoken, when his worde as­sures me not of the same, for in the publike place I consulte not with flesh and bloud what I shall propone to the people, but as the spirit of my God who hath sent me and vnto whome I must an­swere, moueth me, so I speake, and when I haue once pronoun­ced threatnings in his nāe (howe vnpleasant soeuer they be to the world) I dare no more deny thē, than I dare deny that God hath [Page] made me his messinger to for­warne the inobedient of their assured destruction. At that ser­mō were auditours vnto me not onely professors of the truth and such as fauor me, but rancke pa­pistes, dissembled Hipocrites, & no small number of couetous clawbaks of the new court. Now I will appeale the conscience of them all, as they will aunswere in the presēce of the eternal god, that eyther they beare me record now writing the truth, or els note vnto me the sentences offensiue then by me pronounced, & now ommitted in writting, for in Gods presence I protest that so far as memorie would serue me, I haue written more vehemētly, than in the action I spake and pronounced, but of purpose I haue omitted persuasions and exhortations which then were [Page] made for alluring of suche vnto the feare of God, whom gladly I would haue pleased, if so I could haue done, & not haue betrayed the manifest truth of my God. The Lorde be mercifull vnto me that I did not more fullye ex­presse whatsoeuer his holy spirit layde before me, in that text, which I am assured the indiffe­rent reader shal think I haue but slenderlye handeled, all circum­stances being cōnsidered. O Lord for thy great name sake giue vn­to vs Princes and rulers that de­light in thy truth, that loue ver­tue, hate impietie, and that de­sire rather to be roundely taught to their saluation, than deceyue­ably flattered to their euerlasting confusion. Amen.

Isaias .26. Chap. verse. 13.

13 O Lorde our God, other Lordes be­side thee haue ruled vs, but we will remē ­ber thee onely and thy name.

14 The dead shal not lyue, neyther shal the dead arise, bicause thou hast visited and scattered them and destroyed all their memorie.

15 Thou hast increased the nation, O Lorde: thou hast increased the nation, thou art made glorious: thou hast enlar­ged all the coastes of the earth.

16 Lorde in trouble haue they visited thee: they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was vpon them.

17 Like as a woman with childe that draweth nere to the trauaile is in sorrowe, and cryeth in her paines, so haue we beene in thy sight O Lorde.

18 We haue conceyued, we haue borne in paine as though we shuld haue brought winde: there was no helpe in the forth neyther did the inhabitants of the earth, [Page] worlde fall.

19 Thy deade men shall liue: euen with my bodye shall they rise, awake and sing ye that dwell in dust: for thy dewe is as the dew of herbes and the earth shall cast out the dead.

20 Come my people enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy dores after thee hide thy selfe for a verie little while vntill the indignation passe ouer.

For loe the Lorde commeth out of his place to visite the iniquitie of the inhabi­tants of the earth vpō them: and the earth shall disclose her bloude, and shall no more hide her slayne.

A SERMON PREACHED by Iohn knoxe.

AS THE CON­ninge Maryner beinge Maister, hauing his ship tossed with ve­hemēt tempest, and windes cō ­trarious, is compelled oft to tra­uerse, leaste that eyther by too much resisting to the violence of the waues, his vessell might be ouerwhelmed, or by to much libertie graunted, to be carried whither the furie of the tempest would, his ship should be driuen vpon the shore, & so make ship­wrack: Euē so doth our prophet I saiah in thys texte which pre­sentely ye haue heard read. For he foreseing the gret desolation that was decreed in the counsell of the eternal, against Ierusalem [Page] and Iudah, to weete, that the whole people that bare the nāe of GOD should be dispersed,The dispo­tion. that the holy city should be de­stroyed, the temple wherein was the Ark of couenant, and where GOD had promised to giue his owne presence, should be brent with her, the King taken, his sō ­nes in his owne presence murde­red, his owne eyes immediately after to be put out, the nobili­ty, some cruelly murdered, some shamefully lead away captiues, and finally the whole sede of A­braham, rased as it were, frō the face of the earth, the Prophet (I say) fearing these horrible cala­mities, doth as it were, some ti­mes suffer himselfe and the peo­ple committed to his charge, to be carried awaye with the vio­lence of the tēpest, with out fur­ther resistance, than by pouring [Page 2] forth his and their dolorous cō ­playntes, before the maiestie of GOD, as in the 13 .17. and .18. verse of this presēt text we may reade. At other times he vali­antly resisteth the desperat tem­pest, and pronounceth the fear­full destruction of all suche, as trouble the Churche of GOD, which he pronoūceth that God wil multiply, euen in such time as when it appeareth vtterly to be exterminate. But, bycause ther is no final rest to the whole body, till that the head returne to iudgement, he calleth the af­flicted to pacience, and promy­seth such a visitation, as wherby the wickednesse of the wicked shal be disclosed, and finally re­compenced in their owne bo­somes.

These are the chiefest poyn­tes which by the grace of God, [Page] we intende more largely at thy [...] present to entreate.

First the Prophet sayth: O Lord our God,Ver. 13., other Lordes besydes thee haue ruled vs.

This no doubte, is the begin­ning of the dolorous complaint in the which he first cōplayneth of the vniuste tirannye that the poore afflicted Israelites sustay­ned, during the time of their captiuitie. True it is that the Prophet was gathered to his Fa­thers in peace, before that this extremitie apprechēded the peo­ple. For a hundreth yeare after his deceasse, was not the people lead away captiue, yet he fore­seing the assurance of the cala­mitie, did before hande endite vnto them the complaynt that after they shoulde make. But at the firste sight it appeareth that [Page 3] the cōplaint hath small waight. For what newe thing was it that other Lordes than GOD in hys owne person ruled them, seeing that suche had bene their regi­ment from the beginning. For who knoweth not that Moyses, Aaron, & Iosua, the Iudges, Sa­muell, Dauid, and other godly rulers, were men, and not God. And so other Lordes than God, ruled them in their gretest pros­peritie.

For the better vnderstanding of this complaynte, and of the minde of the Prophete, we must first obserue from whence al au­thoritie and dominion floweth▪ And secondly, to what ende po­wers are appointed of God. The which two poynts being discus­sed, we shall the better vnder­stande, what Lordes, and what authority rules beside God, and [Page] who are they in whom God and his mercifull presence rules.

The firste is resolued to vs by the words of the apostle, saying, There is no power but of God. Dauid bringeth in the eternall God speaking to Iudges and ru­lers,Psal. 82. saying, I haue sayde ye are Gods, & the sonnes of the most highest. And Salomon in the person of GOD, affirmeth the same, saying: By me Kings ray­gne, and Princes discerne the thinges that are iuste. Of which places it is euidēt, that it is nei­ther birth, influence of Starres, election of people, force of ar­mes, not finally what soeuer can be comprehēded vnder the po­wer of nature, that maketh the distinction betwixt the superior power and the inferior, or that doth establish the royall throne of Kings, but it is the onely and [Page 4] perfect ordinance of God, who willeth his power, terror & Ma­iestie in a parte to shine in the thrones of Kings, and in the fa­ces of his Iudges, and that for the profite and comfort of man, so that who soeuer would study to deface that order of regimēt, that God hath established, and by his holy worde allowed, and bring in such a confusion, as no difference shuld be betwyxt the vpper powers and the subiects, doth nothing but euert & turne vpside downe the very throne of God, which he wil to be fixed here vpon earth, as in the ende and cause of this ordināce more playnly shall appeare, which is the seconde poynte, we haue to obserue for the better vnderstā ­ding of the Prophets words and minde.

The end and cause then, why [Page] God prynteth in the weake and feble flesh of man this Image of his own power & maiesty, is not to puffe vp flesh in opinion of it selfe, neyther yet that the heart of him that is exalted aboue o­thers, shall be lifted vp by pre­sumption and pryde, and so de­spise others, but that he shal cō ­sider that he is appoynted Lieu­tenaunt to one, whose eyes cō ­tinually watch vpon him, to see and examine howe he behaueth himself in his office,Rom. 13. Saint Paul in fewe words declareth the end wherefore the sword is commit­ted to the powers, saying, it is to the punishmēt of the wycked doers, and vnto the prayse of such as do well.

Of which words it is euident that the sword of God is not cō ­mitted to the hande of man, to vse as it pleaseth him, but only [Page 5] to punishe vice, and maintayne vertue, that mē may liue in such societie, as before God is accep­table. And this is the very and onely cause why God hath ap­poynted powers in this earth.

For such is the furious rage of mans corrupt nature, that vnles seuere punishment were appoin­ted and put in execution vpon malefactours, better it were that man shoulde liue among brute and wilde beastes, than among men. But at this presente I dare not enter into the descriptiō of this common place, for so shuld I not satisfie the text, which by gods grace I purpose to absolue. This onely by the way I would, that such as are placed in autho­ritie shoulde consider, whether they raygne and rule by God, so that God ruleth them, or if they rule without, besides and against [Page] God, of whom our Prophet here doth complayne.

If any lust to take trial of this poynt,Deut. 17. it is not hard: for Moses in the election of Iudges, and of a King, describeth, not onelye what persones shall be chosen to that honour, but doth also giue to him that is elected and chosē, the rule by the which he shal trie himselfe whether God raygne in him or not, saying: when he shal sit vpō the throne of his kingdō, he shal write to himself an examplar of this lawe in a boke by the priests the Leuits, it shal be with him and he shall reade therin all the dayes of his life, that he may learne to feare the Lord his god, and to kepe all the words of this law & these statuts▪ that he may do them, that his hart be not lif­ted vp aboue his brethrē, & that he turne not from the cōmaun­dement to the right hand or to [Page 6] the left.

Thesame is repeated to IosuaIosua. 1. in his inanguration to the regi­ment of the people by God him­selfe, saying: let not the boke of this lawe depart fro thy mouth, but meditate in it day & night, that thou mayst kepe and do ac­cording to al that which is writ­ten in it. For then shall thy way be prosperous, and thou shalt do prudently.

The first thing thē that god cra­ueth of him that is called to the honor of a king,What is re­quired of a King or Prince. is the knowlege of his wil reuealed in his word.

The second is an vpright and willing minde to put in execu­tion suche things as God com­maundeth in his lawe, without declyning eyther to the right, or left hande.

Kings then haue not an abso­lute power to do in their regimēt what pleaseth them,The autho­ritie & po­wer of kings is Limmit­ted., but their [Page] power is limitted by gods word. So that if they strike where god commaundeth not, they are but murderers, & if they spare, wher GOD commaundeth to strike, they and their throne are crimi­nal and giltie of the wickednesse that aboundeth vpon the face of the earth, for lacke of punish­ment.

O if Kings and Princes shuld consider what accompt shall be craued of them, as well of their ignoraunce and misknoweledge of Gods will, as for the neglec­ting of their office But nowe to returne to the words of the Pro­phet. In the person of the whole people he doth complayne vnto God, that the Babilonians (whō he calleth other Lordes besydes God, both bycause of their ig­noraunce of God, and by reason of their crueltie and inhumani­tie) [Page 7] hadde long ruled ouer them in all rigor, without pitie or cō ­compassion had vpon the aun­ciente men, and famous matro­nes. For they being mortall eni­mies of the people of God, sou­ght by all meanes to aggrauate their yoke, yea, vtterlye to haue exterminate the memorie of thē and of their religion, from the face of the earth.

After the first part of this do­lorous complaynt, the Prophete declareth the protestation of the people, saying, neuerthelesse, onely in thee shall we remember thy name (others reade it, Put wee wyll remember thee onelye and thy name) But in the Hebrew there is no Coniunction copulatiue in that sentence. The minde of the Prophete is playne, to wit, that not withstanding the long sus­tayned affliction, the people of [Page] God declyned not to a false and vayne religion, but remembred God that sometime appeared to them in his mercifull presence, which albeit then they saw not, yet would they still remēber his name, that is, they would cal to minde the doctrine and promise which sōetimes they hard, albeit in their prosperity, they did not sufficiently glorifie God, who so mercifully ruled in the midst of them. The temptation no doubt of the whole Isralites was gret in those dayes. They were caryed captiues from the land of Cana­an, which was to thē the gage & pledge of Gods fauour towardes thē. For it was the inheritaunce that God promised to Abrahā & to his seede for euer. The league & couenant of Gods protection appeared to haue beene broken. They lamentably cōplayne that they sawe not their accustomed [Page 8] signes of Gods merciful presēce. The true prophets were fewe, & the abhominatiōs vsed in Baby­lon were exceding many. And so it might haue apered to thē, that in vayne it was, that they were called the posteritie of Abrahā, or that euer they had receyued law or form of right religion frō god. That we may the better fele it in our selues, the temptatiō, I say, was euē such, as if God shuld vtterly destroy al order & policy that this day is withī his church, that the true preaching of the worde should be suppressed. The right vse of sacramēts abolished, Idolatry & papistical abhomina­tion erected vp again. And ther­with, that our bodies should be takē prisoners by Turks or other manifest enimies of God & of al Godlynesse▪ Such I say was their temptatiō. How notable then is this their cōfessiō that in bōdage [Page] they make, to wit, that they wil remember God onely, albeit he hath appeared to turne his face from them, they will remember hys name, and will cal to minde the deliuerance promised.

Hereof haue we to consider what is our duetie, if God bring vs (as for oure offences and vn­thankfulnesse iustely he may) to the like extremitie. This confes­sion is not the fayre flattering wordes of hypocrites, lying and bathing in their pleasures, but it is the mightye operation of the spirite of God, who leaueth not his owne destitute of some com­fort in their most desperate cala­mities.The dutie of Gods people This is then oure duety, not onely to confesse our god in the time of peace and quietnes, but he chiefely craueth that we auowe him, in the middeste of his and our enimies. And this is [Page 9] to doe, but it behoueth that the spirite of God worke in vs aboue all power of nature. And thus we ought earnestlye to meditate be­fore the battayle rise more vehe­ment, which appeareth not to be farre of, but now must we enter in somewhat more deepely to consi­der these iudgements of God.

This people entreated as we haue heard, was the onely people vpon the face of the earth, to whō God was rightly knowen, among them onely were his lawes, sta­tuts, ordinaunces, and sacrifices vsed, and put in practise. They onely inuocated his name, and to them alone, had he promised his protection and assistance. What then shoulde be the cause, that he shoulde giue them ouer into this great reproche, and bring them into suche extremitie, as his owne name in them shoulde be blasphe­med. [Page] The Prophet, Ezekiell, that saw this horrible destruction fore­spoke by Isaiah put in iust execu­tion, giueth an aunswere, in these wordes. [...]che. 20. I gaue vnto them lawes that were good, in the which, who­soeuer shoulde walke, should liue in them. But they woulde not walke in my wayes, but rebelled against me, and therefore, I haue giuen vnto them lawes, that are not good, and iudgements, in the which they shal not liue The wri­ter of the bookes of kings and cro­nicles declare this in more playne words, saying: the Lorde sent vn­to them his prophets rising early, desiring of them to retourne vnto the Lorde, and to amende their wicked wayes (for he would haue spared his people and his taberna­cle) but they mocked his seruants, and woulde not retourne vnto the Lorde their God to walke in his [Page 10] wayes.2. Reg. 17. Yea, Iuda it selfe kept not the precepts of the Lord God, but walked in the maners & ordinan­ces of Israell: that is, of suche as then had declyned to Idolatry frō the dayes of Ieroboam. And ther­fore the Lorde God abhorred the whole seede of Israell, that is, the whole body of the people, he pro­mised them and gaue them into the hands of those, that spoyled them, and so he cast them out frō his presence.

Hereof, it is euident, that their stubborne disobedience vnto God and vnto the voyces of hys Pro­phetes, was the cause of their de­struction. Nowe haue we to take heede how we should vse the good lawes of God, that is, his merci­full will reuealed vnto vs in his worde, and that order of iustice, that by him for the comforte of man is established among men. It [Page] is no doubt, but that obedience, is the moste acceptable sacrifice vnto God, and that which aboue all things he requireth, that when he manifesteth himselfe by hys worde, that men follow according to their vocation and commaun­dement. Now so it is, that God by that great pastor out Lorde Lesus, nowe manifestly in his worde cal­leth vs from all impietie, aswell of body, as of minde; to holynesse of life, and to his spirituall seruice. And for this purpose, he hath erec­ted the throne of his mercy among vs the true preaching of his word, together with the right admini­stration of his sacramet, but what is our obedience. Let euery man examine his owne conscience, and consider what statuts and lawes we woulde haue to be giuen vnto vs.

Wouldst thou O Scotland haue a King to raigne ouer thee in ius­tice, [Page 11] equitie, and mercy? Subiect thou thy selfe to the Lorde thy God, obey his commaundements, and magnifie thou that word that calleth vnto thee. This is the way, walke into it, and if thou wilt not,Isai., flatter not thy self, the same iustice remaineth this day in God to pu­nishe thee Scotlande, and thee E­denborough in especiall, that be­fore punished the lande of Iuda, and the citie of Ierusalem. Euerie realme or nation (sayth the Pro­phet Ieremy) that likewise offen­deth,Iere. 9. shall be likewise punished. But if thou shalt see impietie pla­ced in the seate of iustice aboue thee,Eccle. 3. so that in the throne of God (as Salomon doth cōplayne) raig­neth nothing but fraude and vio­lēce, accuse thy owne ingratitude and rebellion against God. For that is the onely cause,Isa. 3., why God taketh away (as the same Prophet [Page] in another place doth speake) the strong man and the man of warre, the Iudge, and the Prophete, the prudent, & the aged, the captaine, and the honorable, the counceller and the cunning artificer. And I wil appoint, sayth the Lorde, chil­dren to be their princes, and babes shal rule ouer them. Children are extorcyoners of my people, and women haue rule ouer them.

If these calamities, I saye, appre­hend vs so that we see nothing, but the oppression of good men, and of all godlynesse, and wicked men without God, to raigne aboue vs: Let vs accuse and condempne our selues, as the onely cause of oure owne miseries. For if we had heard the voyce of the Lord our God, & giuen vpright obedience vnto the same, God should haue blessed vs, he shoulde haue multiplyed oure peace, and shoulde haue rewarded [Page 12] our obedience before the eyes of the worlde. But nowe let vs heare what the Prophet sayth further.

The dead shall not liue,Verse. 14. sayth be, neyther shall the tiraunts, or the dead arise, bicause thou hast visited and scattered them, and de­stroyed all their memorie.

Frō this .14. verse vnto the end of the .19. it apeareh that the Prophet obserueth no order, yea, that he speaketh thinges directly repug­ning one to another. For first he sayth the dead shal not liue. After, he affirmeth, thy dead men shall lyue.Verse. 15. Secondly he sayth, thou hast visited and scattered them, & de­stroyed all their memorie. Imedi­ately thereafter he sayth, thou hast increased the natiō O Lord, thou haste increased the nation. They haue visited thee, and haue pou­red forth a prayer before thee.

Who, I say, woulde not thinke, [Page] that these are thinges not onely spoken forth of good order and purpose, but also manifestly re­pugning one to another. For, to liue, and not to liue, to be so de­stroyed that no memoriall remai­neth. And to be so increased, that the coastes of the earth shal be re­plenished, seme to importe playne contradiction. For remouing of this doubt, and for better vnder­standing of the Prophetes minde, we must vnderstand that the Pro­phet had to doe with diuers forts of mē. He had to do with the con­iured & manifest enimies of Gods people, the Caldes or Babiloni­ans, euen suche as professe Christ Iesus, haue to doe with the Turke and Sarazens. He had to doe with the sede of Abraham, wherof there were three sorts. The tenne tribes all degenerate from the true wor­shipping, and corrupted with Ido­latry, [Page 13] as this daye, are our pestilent papistes in al realmes and nations.

There rested onely the tribe of Iuda and Ierusalē, where the forme of true religion was obserued, the lawe taught, and ordinaunces of god outwardly kept, but yet there were in that body (I meane in the bosome of the visible Church) a great number that were hipocrits, as this day yet are among vs, that doe professe the Lorde Iesus and haue refused papistrie, not a fewe that were lycentious lyuers, some that had tourned their backe to God, that is had forsaken al true religion, and some that liued a most abhominable life,Ezech. 8. as Ezechi­ell sayeth in his vision. And yet there were some godlye as a fewe wheat cornes oppressed and hid a­mōg the multitude of such chaffe. Nowe according to this diuersitie, the Prophete kepeth diuers pur­poses [Page] and yet in moste perfecte order.

And first after the first part of the complaint of the afflicted, as we haue heard, in vehemencie of spi­rite he bursteth forth against all the proude enimies of Gods peo­ple, all such as trouble them, and against all such as mocke and for­sake God, and sayth: the dead shal not liue. The proud Giants shall not arise. Thou hast scattered thē and destroyed their memoriall. In which wordes he fighteth against the present temptation, and do­lorous estate of Gods people, and against the insolent pride of suche as oppressed them, as the Prophet should say. O ye troublers of Gods people, howsoeuer it appeareth to you in this your bloudy rage, that God regardeth not your cru­eltie, not considereth not what violence ye doe to his pore afflic­ted, [Page 14] yet shal ye be visited, yea, your carcases shal fal and lye as stinking carions vpon the face of the earth, ye shal fal without hope of life, or of a blessed resurrection. Yea, how­soeuer ye gather your substance & augment families, ye shal be so scattered, that ye shal leaue no me­moriall of you to the posterities to come, but that which shal be exe­crable and odious.

Hereof haue the tirauntes their admonition, & the aflicted church inestimable comfort. The tiraunts that now doe oppresse, shal receiue the same end that they which haue passed before, that is, they shal dye and fal with shame without hope of resurrection as is aforesayd, not that they shall not arise to their owne confusion & iust condemp­nation, but that they shal not re­couer power to trouble the ser­uants of God, neyther yet shal the [Page] wicked arise as Dauid sayth, in the councell of the iust.

Now haue the wicked their coū ­cels, their thrones, & finally hande­ling for the most part of al things that are vpon the face of the earth, but the pore seruāts of God are re­puted vnworthy of mens presence, yea they are more vile before these proude tyraunts, than is very dirt and mire that is troden vnder fote. But in that glorious resurrection, this estate shal be changed. For thē shal such as now by their abhomi­nable liuing and crueltie,Apoca. destroy the earth & molest gods children, see him whome they haue pearced. They shal see the glory of such, as now they persecute, to their terror and euerlasting confusion. The re­membrance hereof ought to make vs patient in the dayes of afflicti­on, and so to comfort vs, that whē we see tiraunts in their blind rage [Page 15] tread vnder fote the saints of god, that vtterlye we dispaire not, as that there were neyther wisedom, iustice, nor power aboue in the heauens to represse such tirannie, and to redresse the dolors of the vniustly afflicted. No brethrē, let vs be assured that the right hand of the Lorde will change the state of thinges that be most desperate. In our God there is wisedome and power in a moment to change the ioy and mirth of our enimies, in­to euerlasting mourning, and our sorrowes into ioye and gladnesse that shall haue no ende.

Let vs therefore in these appa­rant calamities (and maruell not that I say calamities apparant, for he that seeth not a fier begonne, that shal burne more than we loke for, vnlesse God of his mercye quench it, is moore than blinde.) Yet I say, let vs not be discoura­ged, [Page] but with vnfained repētance, let vs retourne to the Lorde our God, let vs accuse and condemne our former negligence, and sted­fastly depende vpon his promised deliuerance, and so shal our tem­poral sorrowes, be conuerted into ioye euerlasting, the doubt that might be moued concerning the destruction of those whome God exalteth, shall be discussed if time wil suffer, after that we haue passed throughout the text. Now proce­deth the Prophet and sayth.

Thou hast increased the nations,Verse. 15. O Lorde, thou hast increased the nation, thou art made glorious, thou hast inlarged all the coastes of the earth.

Lorde in trouble.Verse. 16. &c.

In these wordes the Prophet gi­ueth consolation to the afflicted, assuring them that howe horrible [Page 16] soeuer that desolation shoulde be, yet shoulde the seede of Abraham be so multiplyed, that it should re­plenish the coasts of the earth. Yea, that God should be more glorified in their dispersion, than he was du­ring the time of their prosperity: This promise no doubt was incre­dible when it was made. For who coulde haue bene persuaded that the destruction of Ierusalem, should haue bene the meanes, wherby the nation of the Iewes shoulde haue bene increased, seing that muche rather it appeared that the ouer­throw of Ierusalem, shoulde haue beene the verie abolishing of the seede of Ahraham. But we muste consider to what ende it was that God reuealed himselfe to Abrahā, and what is contayned in the pro­mise of the multiplication of his seede, and of the benediction pro­mised therto.

[Page] First God reuealed himselfe to Abraham, and that by the meanes of his word, to let al flesh after vn­derstande, that without God first cal man, and reueale himselfe vn­to him, that flesh can doe nothing but rebell against God. [...]osu. 24. For Abra­ham no doubt was an Idolater be­fore that God called him from Vr of the Caldeis. The promise was made that the seede of Abraham should be multiplyed as the starres of heauen,Rom. 9. and as the sande of the sea, which is not simply to be vn­derstanded of his natural seede, al­thoughe it was sometymes greatly increased, but rather of suche as shoulde become the spiritual seede of Abraham, as the Apostle spea­keth: Now if we be able to proue that the right knowledge of God, his wisedome, iustice, mercye, and power, was more amply declared in their captiuitie, than euer it was [Page 17] at any tyme before: then can we not deny, but that God euen when to mans iudgement he had vtter­ly rased them from the face of the earth, did increase the nation of the Iewes, so that he was glorified in them, and did extend the coastes of the earth for their habitation. And for the better vnderstanding hereof, let vs shortly try the histo­ries from their captiuitie to their deliuerance, and after the same, to the comming of the Messias. It is no doubt, but that Sathan inten­ded by the dispersion of the Iewes so to haue prophaned the whole seede of Abraham, that among thē should neyther haue remayned the true knowledge of God, nor yet the spirit of sanctificatiō. But that all shoulde haue come to a like ig­noraunce and contempt of God.

For I pray you, for what purpose was it, that DanielDaniell. 1. and his fellowes [Page] were taken into the Kings court, were commaunded to be fed at the Kings table, and were put to the scholes of their diuines, South say­ers and Astrologians? it maye be thought that it proceeded of the Kinges humanitie, and of a zeale that he had, that they shoulde be brought vp in vertue & good lear­ning. And I doubt not, but it was so vnderstanded of a great number of the Iewes. But the secret prac­tise of the Diuell, was vnderstan­ded of Danyell, when he refused to defyle himselfe with the kings meat, which was forbidden to the seede of Abraham in the lawe of their God. Well, God beginneth shortly thereafter to shew himselfe myndefull of his promise made by his Prophete. And he beginneth to trouble Nabuchodonezar him­selfe, by shewing to him a vision in his dreame, which did the more [Page 18] trouble him, bicause he could not forget the terrour of it. Neyther yet coulde he remember what the vision, and the parcels therof were. Wherupon were called al diuines, Interpretors of dreames, & South­sayers, of whom the King demaū ­ded, if thei could let him vnderstād what he had dreamed. But while that they answere, that such a ques­tion vsed not to be demaunded of any Southsayer or Magitian: For the resolution thereof onely ap­pertained to the Gods, whose ha­bitation was not with men: the charge was giuen, that they all should be slayne. And amongst the rest DaniellDaniell. 2. was sought (whose in­nocencie, the diuel most enuied) to haue suffered the same iudgement. He reclaymeth and asketh tyme to disclose that secret. (I onely touch the historie, to let you see by what meanes God increaseth his know­ledge) [Page] which being graūted, the vi­siō is reueled vnto him. He sheweth the same vnto the king, with the true interpretation of it. Adding, that the knowledge thereof came not from the starres, but only frō the God of Abraham, who onely was, and is, the true God▪ which thing vnderstanded, the king burst forth in his confession, saying, of a truth your God is the moste ex­cellent of al Gods. And he is Lord of kinges and onely he that reuea­leth the secretes, seeing that thou couldest open this secret.

And when the king after, puffed vp in pride by the counsell of his wicked nobilitie, would make an Image, before the which he would that al tongues and nations subiect to him should make adoration, & that Sydrack, Misacke and Abed­nago, woulde not obey his vniust commaundement, & so were cast [Page 19] in the flaming furnace of fyre, and yet by Godes Angels were so pre­serued, that no smell of fier remay­ned in their persons nor garments: this same king giueth a more no­table confession, saying, the Lord God of Sydrack, Misack & Abed­nago is to be praysed, who hath sent his Angels and deliuered his worshippers, that put their trust in him, who haue done against the kings cōmaundement, who haue rather giuen their owne bodyes to torment,Daniell. 3. than that they woulde worship another God except their owne God. By me therfore is there made a decree, that whosoeuer shal blaspheme the God of Sydrack, Misack & Abednago, that he shall be cut in pieces, and his house shal be made detestable.

Thus we se how God began euen almoste in the beginning of their captiuitye, to notifie his name, [Page] to multiply his knowledge, & set forth aswel his power, as his wise­dome & true worshipping, by those that were taken prisoners, yea that were dispised and of all men con­tempned. so that the name & feare of the God of Abrahā, was neuer before notified to so many realmes & nations. This wōderous worke of God proceeded from one Em­pire to another. For Daniel being promoted to great honor by Dari­us king of Perses and Medes, fal­leth into a desperat daūger. For he was cōmitted to prisō among Ly­ons,Daniell. 6. bicause that he was deprehen­ded breaking the kings iniunctiō, not that the king desired the de­struction of Gods seruants, but bi­cause the corrupt Idolaters, that in hatred of Daniell had procured that lawe to be made, vrged the king against his nature. But God by his Angell did stop the Lyons [Page 20] mouthes, and so preserued his ser­uant. Which considered with the soddaine destruction of Daniels enimies by the same Lyons, king Daryus besides his owne confessi­on, wrote to all people, tongues, and nations after this forme. It is decreed by me that in all the do­minions of my kingdom men shal feare and reuerence the God of Danyell, bicause he is the liuing God, abiding for euer, whose king­dome shall not be destroyed, and his dominion remayneth, who sa­ueth and deliuereth, and sheweth signes and wonders in heauen and in earth: who hath deliuered Da­niell from the Lyons.

This knowledge was yet further increased in the dayes of Cyrus, who giuing freedome to the cap­tiues to returne to their owne na­tyue cuntry, giueth this confessiō. Thus sayth Cyrus the king of Per­sians, [Page] all the kingdomes of the earth hath the Lorde God of hea­uen giuen vnto me,1. Esd. 1. and hath com­maunded me that a house be built to him in Ierusalem, which is in Iuda. Whosoeuer therefore of you that are of his people, let the Lord his God be with him, and let him passe vp to Ierusalem, and let him builde the house of the Lord God of Israell, for he only is God that is in Ierusalem. Time will not suf­fer to intreate the poyntes of this confession, neyther yet did I for that purpose adduce the historie. But onely to let vs see howe con­stantlye God kept his promise in increasing of his people, and in augmēting of his true knowledge, when that both they that were the seede of Abraham, and that religi­on which they professed appeared vtterly to haue bene extinguished aboue mens expectation, I say, he [Page 21] brought fredome out of bondage, light out of darkenesse, and lyfe out of death. I am not ignoraunt that the building of the temple & reparation of the walles of Ieru­salem, were long stayed, so that the worke had many enimies. But so did the hande of God preuayle in the ende, that a decree was giuen by Daryus (by him I suppose that succeded to Cambises) not one­ly that all things necessarie for the building of the temple and for the sacrifices that were to be there brent,1. Esd. 6. shoulde be ministred vpon the kings charges: but also, that whosoeuer shuld hinder that work, or change that decree, that a balke should be taken out of his house, and that he should be hanged ther­vpon. Yea that his house should be made a donghil: and therto he ad­deth a prayer saying.A prayer. the God of heauen, who hath placed his name [Page] there, roote out euerye king and people (O that kings and nations should vnderstande) that shall put his hande eyther to change or to hurte this house of God that is in Ierusalem, and so in dispite of Sa­than was the temple builded, the walles repayred, and the city in­habited, and in the moste desperat daungers, it was preserued, til that the Messias promised, the glory of the seconde temple came, many­fested himselfe to the worlde, suf­fred and rose againe according to the scriptures. And so by sending forth his gospell from Ierusalem, did replenish the whole earth with the true knowledge of God, and so did God in perfectiō increase the nation aud the spirituall seede of Abraham.

Wherefore deare brethren, we haue no small consolation, if the estate of all thinges be this daye [Page 22] rightly considered, we see in what furie and rage the worlde for the moste parte is nowe raised against the pore Church of Iesus Christ, vnto the which, he hath proclay­med liberty after this feareful bō ­dage of that spirituall Babylon, in the which we haue beene holden captiues of longer space, than Is­raell was prisoner in Babylon it selfe. For if we shall consider vpon the one parte the multitude of those that liue without God: and vpon the other parte, the blinde rage of the pestilent papistes, what shal we think of the small number of them that do professe Christ Ie­sus, but that they are as a poore sheepe already seazed in the clawes of the Lyon, yea, that they & the true religion which they professe, shall in a moment vtterly be con­sumed.

But against this fearefull temp­tation, [Page] let vs be armed with the promise of our god, to wit, that he wil be the protector of his church, yea that he will multiply it, euen when to mans iudgement, it ap­peareth vtterly to be exterminate. This promise hath our God per­formed in the multiplication of Abrahams seede, in preseruation of it when Sathan labored vtterly to haue destroied it, in deliuerance of the same as we haue heard from Babilon. He hath sent his sonne Christ Iesus clad in our flesh, who hath tasted of all our infirmities, (sinne except) who hath promised to be with vs to the ende of the worlde. He hath further kept pro­mise in publication, yea in the res­titution of his gloryous gospell. Shall we then thinke that he will leaue his church destitute in this moste daungerous age? Onely lee vs sticke to his truth and studye to [Page 23] conforme our lyues to the same, and he shall multiply his know­ledge and increase his people, but now let vs heare what the Prophet sayth more.

Lorde in trouble haue they visited thee,Verse. 16. they poured out a prayer when they chaste­ning was vpon them.

The Prophet meaneth that such as in the time of quietnesse did not rightly regard God nor his iudge­ments, were compelled by sharpe corrections to seeke God, yea by cryes and dolorous complayntes, to visit him. True it is that suche obedience deserueth small praise before men, for who can prayse or accept that in good parte which commeth as it were of mere com­pulsion. And yet rare it is that any of Gods children doe giue vnsay­ned obedience vntill the hande of God turne them. For if quietnesse [Page] and prosperitie make them not vtterly to forget their duety both towardes God and man, as Dauid for a season, yet it maketh them carelesse, insolent, and in manye things vnmindeful of those things that God chiefly craueth of them, which imperfection espied, and the daunger that thereof might ensewe, our heauenly father visi­teth the sinnes of his children, but in the rodde of his mercye, by the which they are moued to retourne to their God, to accuse their for­mer negligence, and to promise better obedience in all times ther­after,Psal. 119. as Dauid confesseth saying, before I fell in affliction I went a­stray, but now will I kepe thy sta­tuts.

But yet for the better vnderstā ­ding of the Prophetes minde, we may consider how God doth visit man, and howe man doth visit [Page 24] God, and what difference there is, betwixt the visitation of God vp­on the reprobate, and his visitati­on vpon the chosen.

God sometymes visiteth the re­probate in his hote displeasure, pouring vpon them his plagues for their long rebellion, as we haue heard before, that he visited the proud, and destroyed their memo­rie. Other tymes, God is sayde to visit his people being in affliction, to whome he sendeth comforte or promise of deliuerance, as he did visit the seede of Abraham, being oppressed in Egipt: and Zacharie sayth, that God had visited his people and sent vnto them hope of deliueraunce, when Iohn the Baptist, was borne. But of none of these visitations speaketh our Prophet here, but of that onely which we haue already touched, to wit, when that God layeth his [Page] correction vpon his owne childrē, to call them from the venemous beastes of this corrupt worlde, that they sucke not in ouer greate ha­boundance, the poyson therof, & doth as it were, weane them, from their mothers paps, that they may learne to receyue other norishmēt. True it is that this weaning (or spaning as we terme it) frō world­ly pleasure, is a thing straunge to the flesh, and yet it is a thing so ne­cessary to Gods children, that on­lesse they be weaned frō the plea­sures of the world, they can neuer feede vpon that delectable milke of Gods eternall veritie. For the corruption of the one doth eyther hinder the other to be receyued, or else so trobleth the whole powers of man, that the soule can neuer so digest the truth of God, as that he ought to doe.

Albeit this appeareth harde, yet [Page 25] it is most euident. For what liquor can we receyue from the breasts of the world, but that which is in the worlde, and what that is, the A­postle Iohn teacheth,1. Iohn. 2. saying: what soeuer is in the world, is either the lustes of the eyes, the lustes of the fleshe, or the pride of lyfe. Nowe seeing that these are not of the fa­ther, but of the worlde, howe can it be, that our soules can feede vp­on chastitie, temperance, and hu­militie, so longe, as that our sto­maks are replenished with the cor­ruption of these vices.

Now so it is that willingly fleshe can neuer refuse these forenamed, but rather still delyghteth it selfe in euery one of them, yea, in them all as the examples are but to eui­dent.

It behoueth therefore that God himself shal violently pul his chil­dren from these venemous breasts, [Page] that when they lacke the liquor & poyson of the one▪ they may visit him and learne to be nourished of him. Oh if the eies of worldly Prin­ces shoulde be opened, that they might see with what humor and lyquor their soules are fed, while that their whole delight consisteth in pryde, ambition, and lustes of the stinking flesh. We vnderstande then how God doth visite men, as­well by his seuere iudgementes, as by his mercifull visitation of deli­uerance from trouble or by brin­ging trouble vpon his chosen for their humiliation. And now it res­ [...]th to vnderstand howe man visi­teth God: man doth visite God, when he appeareth in his presence, be it to the hearing of his worde, or to the participation of his sacra­mentes, as the people of Israell, be­sides the obseruation of their Sa­bothes and dayly oblations were [Page 26] commaunded thrice a yeare to pre­sent them selues before the presēce of the tabernacle, and as we doe, as often as we present our selues to the hearing of the worde. For there is the fotestole, yea, there is the face and throne of God himself, wher­soeuer the gospell of Iesus Christ is truely preached, and his sacra­ments rightly ministred.

But men maye on this sort visite God hipocritically, for they maye come for the fashion, they maye heare with deafe eares, yea they may vnderstand, and yet neuer de­termyne with themselues to obey that, which God requyreth. And let such mē be assured that he (who searcheth the secrets of hearts) wil be auēged of al such. For nothing can be to God more odyous, than to mock him in is owne presence. Let euery man therefore examine himselfe, with what minde, and [Page] what purpose, he cōmeth to heare the worde of God, yea with what care he heareth it, and what testi­monie his heart giueth vnto him, when that God cōmaundeth ver­tue, and forbiddeth impietie.

Repinest thou when God requi­reth obedience? Thou hearest to thine owne cōdempnation. Moc­kest thou at Gods threatenings? Thou shalt feele the weight and truth of them, albeit to late, when flesh & bloude cannot deliuer thee from his hande. But the visitation (wherof our Prophet speaketh,) is only proper to the sonnes of God, who in the tyme when God taketh from them the pleasures of the world, or sheweth his angry coun­tenaunce vnto them, haue their recourse vnto him, and confessing their former negligence with trou­bled hearts cry for his mercy. This visitation is not proper to all af­flicted, [Page 27] but appertaineth onely to Gods children. For the reprobate can neuer haue accesse to Goddes mercye in time of their tribulati­on, and that bicause they abuse as well his long pacience, as the ma­nifolde benefits they receiue from his handes. For as the same Pro­phet heretofore sayth, let the wic­ked obtaine mercy, yet shal he ne­uer learne wisedome, but in the lande of righteousnesse, that is where the very knowledge of God aboundeth, he will doe wickedly, which is a cryme aboue all others abhominable. For to what ende is it that God erecteth his throne a­mong vs? but for that we shoulde feare him. Why doth he reueale his holy will vnto vs? but that we shoulde obey it. Why doth he de­liuer vs from trouble? but that we shuld be witnesses vnto the world, that he is gracious, and mercifull.

[Page] Nowe when that men hearing their duety & knowing what God requireth of them doe malepertly fight against al equitie and iustice, what I pray you doe they else but make manifest warre against God, yea when they haue receiued from God suche deliuerance, that they cannot deny, but that God him­selfe hath in his great mercye visi­ted them, and yet that they conti­new wicked euen as before. What deserue they? but effectually to be giuen ouer into a reprobate sence, that hedlong they may runne to ruine both of body and soule. It is almost incredible that man should be so enraged against God, that neyther his plagues, nor yet his mercy shewed, should moue them to repentaunce, but bicause the scriptures beareth witnesse of the one, and the other. Let vs cease to meruell, and let vs firmely beleue [Page 28] that such things as haue bene, are euen presently before our eyes, al­beit, manye blinded by affection can not see them.

Ahab as in the boke of the kings is written, receyued many notable benefits of the hande of God, who did visit him in diuers sortes, some tymes by his plagues, sometimes by his worde, and sometymes by his merciful deliuerance. He made him King: and for the Idolatry v­sed by him and by his wife, he pla­gued whole Israell by famyne. He reuealed to him his will and true religion by the Prophet Helias, he gaue vnto him sundry deliueran­ces, but one moste speciall, when proude Benhadab came to besiege Samaria, and was not content to receiue Ahabs gold, siluer, sonnes, daughters, and wyues, but also re­quired, that his seruaunts shoulde haue at their pleasure whatsoeuer [Page] was delectable in Samaria: true it is, that his elders, and people wil­led him not to heare the proude tirant. But who made vnto him the promise of deliuerance? and who appointed and put his armye in order, who assured him of vic­torie. The Prophet of God onely, who assured him, that by the ser­uantes of the Princes of the pro­uinces, who in number were onely 232 he should deface that great ar­mie, in the which there were .32. Kings with all their forces: As the Prophete of God promised, so it came to passe. Victorie was obtai­ned, not once only, but twice, and that by the mercifull visitation of the Lorde.

But howe did Ahab visite God againe▪ for his great benefit recey­ued. Did he remoue his Idolatry, did he correct his Idolatrous wife Iesabel? No we find no such thing, [Page 29] but the one, and the other, we find to haue continued & increased informer impietie.1. Reg. 22. But what was the ende hereof? The last visitation of God was, that dogges licked the bloud of the one,2. Reg. 9. and did eate the flesh of the other. In fewe wordes then we may vnderstand, what dif­ference there is betwixt the visi­tation of God vpō the reprobate, and his visitation vpō his chosen. The reprobate are visited, but ne­uer truly humbled, nor yet amen­ded. The chosē being visited, they sobbe, and they cry vnto God for mercy (which obtained) they mag­nifie Gods name, and after declare the fruites of repentaunce. Let vs [...]herefore that heare these iudge­ [...]ents of our God, call for the as­sistance of his holy spirit, that how soeuer it pleaseth him to visite vs, that we may stoupe vnder his mer­ciful hands, and vnfainedly cry to [Page] him when he correcteth vs. And so shall we knowe in experience, that our cryes & complaintes were not in vayne, but let vs heare what the Prophet sayth further.

Lyke as a woman (sayth he) with childe that draweth neere to the trauayle,Verse. 17. is in so­row and cryeth in her paines, so haue we bene in thy sight. O Lorde, we haue conceyued, we haue borne in vayne, as thoughe we shoulde haue brought forth the winde.

Saluations were not made to the earth, neyther,Verse. 18. did the Inhabitants of the earth fal.

This is the seconde parte of the Prophets complaint, in the which he in the person of Gods people complayneth, that of their great affliction there appeared no ende. This same similitude is vsed by our master Iesus Christ,Iohn. 16. for when he speaketh of the troubles of hys church, he compareth them to the [Page 30] paynes of a woman trauayling in her childe birth. But it is to ano­ther ende. For there he promiseth exceding and permanent ioy, after a sort, thoughe it appeare trouble. But here is the trouble long & ve­hement, albeit the fruite of it was not sodainely espied. He speaketh no doubt of that long & dolorous tyme of their captiuitie, in the which they continually trauayled for delyuerance, but obtained it not before the compleate ende of 70 yeares. During the which time, the earth, that is the land of Iuda, which sometymes was sanctified vnto God, but was then giuen to be prophaned by wicked people, gat no helpe. Nor perceyued any deliuerance. For the Inhabitants of the world fell not, that is, the ti­rantes and oppressors of gods peo­ple, were not taken away, but still remayned and continued blasphe­mers [Page] of God an troublers of his church. But bicause I perceiue the houres to passe more swiftly then they haue done at other tymes, I mind to cōtract that which resteth of this text into certayne points.

The Prophet first fighteth against the pre­sent desperation.Verse.19. &. 20. After be introduceth God himselfe calling vpon his people. And last of all he assureth his afflicted, that God will come, and require accompt of all the bloude thirstie tirants of the earth.

First fighting against the present despera­tion,Verse. 19. he sayth, thy dead shall liue, euen my bodye (or with my body shall they arise,) a­wake and sing ye that dwell in the dust. For thy dew is as the dew of herbes.

The Prophere here pierseth throughe all impedimentes that nature coulde obiect. And by the victorie of faith, he ouercōmeth, not onely the common enimies; [Page 31] but the great and last enimie of al, to wit, death it self. For this would he say, Lorde I see nothing to thy chosen, but miserie, to follow mi­serie, and one affliction to succede another, yea in the ende I see, that death shal deuour thy dearest chil­dren. But yet, O Lorde, I see thy promise to be true, and thy loue to remaine towards thy chosen, euen when death appeareth to haue de­uoured them. For thy deade shall liue, yea not onely shall they liue, but my verie dead careasse shall a­rise. And so I see honor and glory to succede this temporall shame. I see ioye permanent to come after trouble, order to spring out of this terrible confusion, and finallye, I see that lyfe shal deuoure death, so that death shall be destroyed, and so thy seruauntes shall haue lyfe. This I say is the victorie of faith, when in the middest of deathe [Page] throughout the light of Goddes worde the afflicted see lyfe: Hipo­crites in the tyme of quietnesse & prosperitie can generally confesse that God is true in his promises, but bring them to the extremitie, and there ceasseth the hipocrite further to trust in God than he se­eth naturall meanes whereby God vseth to worke. But the true faith­full, when all hope of naturall meanes fayleth, then flye they to God himselfe, and to the truth of his promise, who is aboue nature, yea whose workes are not so sub­iect to the ordinarie course of na­ture, that when nature fayloth, his power and promise fayle also ther­with.

Let vs further observe that the Prophete here speaketh not of all deade in generall, but sayth, thy dead O Lorde shall liue. In which wordes he maketh difference be­twixt [Page 32] those that dye in the Lorde, and those that dye in their naturall corruption and in olde Adam. Die in the Lord can none except those that liue in him (I meane of those that attaine to the yeares of discre­tion) and none liue in him, except those that with the Apostle can say I liue, not I but Christ Iesus liueth in me. The lyfe that now I liue, I haue by the faith of the sonne of God.Gala. 2. Not that I meane that the faithfull haue at all houres suche sense of the lyfe euerlasting; that they feare not the deathe and the troubles of this lyfe, no not so, for the faith of all Goddes children is weake, yea and in manye thinges imperfect. But I meane, that such as in death, and after death shall liue, muste communicate in this lyfe with Iesus Christ, and must be regenerate by the sede of lyfe. That is,1. Pet. 1. by the worde of the liuing and [Page] euerlasting God, which whosoeuer dispiseth, refuseth lyfe and ioye euerlasting.

The Prophet transferreth all the promises of God to him selfe, say­ing, Euen my dead body shal arise, and imediately after, giueth com­maundemēt & charge to the dwel­lers in the dust, that is, to the dead carcasses of those that were depar­ted (for the spirit and soule of man dwelleth not in the dust) that they should awake, they should sing and reioyce. For they should arise and spring vp from the earth, euen as the herbes doe, after they haue re­ceyued the dew from aboue.

Tyme will not suffer that these particulars be so largely intreated, as they merit, & as I gladly would, And therefore let vs first consider, that the Prophet in trāsferring the power and promise of God to him self, doth not vendicate to himself, [Page 33] any perticular prerogatiue aboue the people of God, as that he alone should liue and arise, and not they also. But he doth it to let them vn­derstande that he taught a doctrine whereof he was certayne, yea and whereof they shoulde haue expe­rience after his death. As he should say, my words appeare to you now to be incredible, but the daye shall come, that I shal be taken frō you, my carcas shall be inclosed in the bosome of the earth, and therfore shall ye be ledde away captiues to Babylon, where ye shall remayne many dayes and yeares, as it were buryed in your sepulchres.

But then cal to minde that I sayd vnto you before hand that my bo­dy shall arise. Euen so shall ye rise from your graues out of Babylon, and be restored to your owne cun­try and citie of Ierusalem. This I doubt not, is the true meaning of [Page] the Prophet. The charge that he gi­ueth to the dwellers in the dust, is to expresse the power of Goddes worde. Whereby, he not onely gi­ueth life where death appa [...]antly had preuayled, but also by it he calleth things that are not, euen as if they were. Ture it is that the Prophete Isaiah sawe not the de­struction of Ierusalem, much lesse could he se the restitutiō of it with his corporall eyes, but he leaueth this, as it were, in testament with them, that when they were in the extremitie of all bondage, they should call to minde what the Pro­phet of God had before spoken.

And lest that his doctrine, and this promise of God made vnto them by his mouth, shoulde haue bene forgottē (as we are euer prone and ready to forget Gods promi­ses when we are pressed with anye sorrow) God raysed vp vnto thē in [Page 34] the midst of calamitie his Prophet Ezechiell, vnto whome among manye other visions he gaue this. The hande of the Lorde first ledde him in a place which was ful of dry and dispersed bones.Ezech. 37. The question was demaunded of the Prophet, if these bones being wonderous dry shuld lyue. The Prophet answered [...] the knowledge thereof appertained vnto God. Charge was giuen vnto him that he shoulde speake vnto the dry bones, and saye, thus sayth the Lorde God to these bones, be­holde I shall giue you breath, and ye shall liue: I shall giue vnto you sinewes, fleshe, and skinne, and ye shall liue. And while the Prophete spake (as he was commaunded) he heard a voyce, and he sawe euery bone ioyne in his marowe. He saw them couered with flesh and skin, albeit there was no spirit of lyfe in them, he was commaunded againe [Page] to speake and to say, thus sayth the Lorde God, come O spirite from the foure quarters, & blow in these that are slayne that they may lyue. And as he prophecied, the spirit of lyfe came. They liued and stoode vpon their feete. Nowe doth the Lorde interprete what this vision ment, saying, Sonne of man these bones are the whole house of Isra­ell. Behold they say our bones are dryed, our hope is perished, we are playnely cut of, but beholde sayth the Lord, I will open your graues, I will bring you forth of them, ye shall liue and come vnto the lande of Israell, and ye shall knowe that I am the Lorde.

This vision I say, giuen to the Prophete, and by the Prophete preached to the people when they thought that God had vtterly for­goten them, compelled them more diligently to aduert, what the for­mer [Page 35] Prophetes had spoken. It is no doubt, but they caryed with them both the prophecie of Isaiah and Ieremie, so that the Prophete Ezechiel is a commentarie to these wordes of Isaiah, where he sayth, thy dead O Lorde shall liue, with my body they shall arise. The Pro­phet bringeth in this similitude of the deawe, to aunswere vnto that part of their fidelitie, who can be­leue no further of Gods promises, than they are able to apprehende by naturall iudgemēt. As he wold say, think ye this impossible, that God shall giue lyfe vnto you and bring you to an estate of a commō wealth agayne, after that ye be dead, and as it were rased from the face of the earth. But why doe ye not consider what God worketh from yeare to yeare in the order of nature, sometimes ye see the face of the earth decked and beautified [Page] with herbes, floures, grasse, and fruites. Againe ye see the same vt­terlye taken awaye by stormes and vehemencie of the winter. What doth God to replenishe the earth againe, and to restore the beauty thereof. He sendeth downe his small and soft dewe, the droppes whereof in their descending, are neyther great nor visible, and yet thereby are the pores and secrete vaynes of the earth, which before by vehemencie of frost and colde were shut vp, opened againe. And so doth the earth produce againe the like herbes, floures, and fruits. Shal ye then thinke? that the dew of Gods heauenly grace shall not be as effectuall in you to whome he hath made his promise, as that it is in the herbes and fruites that from yeare to yeare buddeth forth and decayeth? if ye doe so the Prophet would say your incredibility is in­excusable, [Page 36] bicause ye doe neyther rightlye waighe the power nor the promise of your God.

The like similitude vseth the A­postle Paule against such as called the resurrection in doubt, bicause that by naturall iudgement they coulde not apprehende that fleshe once putryfied and resolued, as it were in other substance shoulde a­rise againe and retourne againe to the same substance & nature.1. Corin. 16. O fole (saith he) that which thou sow­est is not quickened, except it dy, & that which thou sowest, thou sow­est not that body that shall be, but bare corne, as it falleth, of wheate or some other, but God giueth it a body as it pleaseth him, euen to euerye seede his owne bodye. In which wordes and sentence, the Apostle sharpelye rebuketh the grosse ignorance of the Corinthi­ans, who began to call in doubt the [Page] chiefe article of our faith, the re­surrection of the fleshe after that it was once resolued, bicause that naturall iudgement (as saide is) re­claymed thereto. He reproueth (I say) their grosse ignoraunce, bi­cause that they might haue seene and considered some proufe and document thereof in the very or­der of nature. For albeit the wheat or other corne cast in the earth a­peareth to die, to putrifie, and so to be lost, yet we see that it is not perished, but that it fructifieth ac­cording to Goddes will and ordi­naunce.

Now if the power of God be so manifest in raysing vp of the fruits of the earth, vnto the which no particuler promise is made by god, what shal be his power and vertue in raysing vp of our bodyes, seeing that thereto he is bound by the so­lempne promise of Iesus Christ his [Page 37] eternall wisdome, and the veritie it selfe that can not lye, yea, seeing that the members must once com­m [...]nicate with the glorye of the head, howe shall our bodyes which are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones he stil for euer in corruptiō,Ephe. 5. seeing that our head Iesus Christ is now exalted in his glory. Noyther yet is this power land good will of God to be restrayned vnto the last and generall resurrection onely, but we ought to consider it in the maruellous preseruation of his church, and in the raysing vp of the same from the very bottome of death, when by titauntes it hath bene oppressed from age to age.

Nowe of the former wordes of the Prophet we haue to gather this comforte, that if at anye tyme we shal see the face of the church with in this realmeso defaced (as I think it shall be soner than we looke for) [Page] when we shall see, I say, vertue to be dispised, vice to be mayntay­ned, the veritie of God to be im­pugned, lyes and mens inuentions, holden in aucthoritie, and finally when we shall see the true religion of our God, and zelous obseruers of the same, to be troden vnder the feete of suche as in their heart saye there is no God:Psal.14. Let vs then call to minde what haue bene the wonde­rous workes of our God from the beginning, that it is his proper of­fice to bring forth lighte out of darkenesse, order out of confusion, lyfe out of death, & finally that it is he, that calleth thigs that are not, euen as if they were, as before we haue hard. And if in the day of our tēptation (which in my iudgemēt approcheth fast) we be thus armed. If our incredibilitie can not vtter­ly be remoued, yet shal it so be cor­rected, that dampnable desperati­on [Page 38] oppresse vs not.

But nowe let vs heare howe the Prophete proceedeth, Come (sayth he,) thou my people enter within thy cham­bers, shut thy dore after thee, hide thy selfe a very little while vntil the indingnation passe ouer.

Here the Prophet bringeth in God amiably calling vpon his people to come to himselfe, and to rest with him vnto suche time as the furie & sharpe plagues should be executed vpon the wicked and inobedient. It maye appeare at the first sight, that all these words of the Prophet in the person of God calling the people vnto rest, are spoken in vaine. For we neyther finde cham­bers nor rest more prepared for the dearest children of God (so farre as mans iudgemēt can discerne) than there was for the rebellious and in­obedient. For such as fel not in the edge of the sworde, or dyed not of [Page] pestilence, or by hunger, were ey­ther caryed captiues into Babylō, or else departed after into Egipt, so that none of Abrahams feede, had eyther chamber or quiet place to remayne within the lande of Canaan. For the resolution hereof we must vnderstand that albert the chambers whereunto God called his chosen, be not visible. Yet not­withstanding they are certaine, & offer vnto Gods children quiet ha­bitation in spirite, howsoeuer the flesh be trauayled and tormented.

The chambers are then Goddes sure promises, vnto the which gods people is commaunded to resorte, yea within the which they are cō ­inaunded to close them selues in the time of greatest aduersitie. The maner of speaking is borowed frō that iudgement & foresight, which God hath printed in this our na­ture. For whe! that men espie great [Page 39] tempestes appearing to come, wil­lingly, they will not remayne vn­couered vpō the fields, but straight way, they will drawe them to their houses or holdes, that they maye escape the vehemency of the same. And if they feare any enimy to pur­sue them, they wil shut their dores, to the ende that sodainely the eni­mie shall not haue entry. After this same maner God speaketh to his people, as he shoulde saye, the tempest that shall come vpon this whole nation shall be so terrible, that nothing shall appeare but ex­terminatiō to come vpō the whole bodye. But thou my people, thou I saye, that hearest my worde, be­leuest the same, and tremblest at the threatenings of my Prophetes, now when the world doth insolēt­ly resist, let such I say, enter within the secrete chamber of my promi­ses. Let them conteyne themselues [Page] quietly there, yea let them shut the dore vpon them, and suffer not in­fidelitie, the mortall enimie of my truth and of my people that de­pend therupon, to haue free entrie to trouble (yea rather to murther) my promise. And so shall they per­ceyue that my indignation shall passe, and that such as depend vpō me, shall be saued.

Thus we may perceyue the mea­ning of the Prophete. Whereof we haue first to obserue, that God ac­knowledgeth them for his people, that are in greatest affliction, yea such as are reputed vnworthy of mens presence, are yet admitted with the secrete chamber of God. Let no man thinke that fleshe and bloude can sodaynely attayne to that comfort, & therfore most ex­pediēt it is, that we be frequentlye exercised in meditatiō of thesame. Easie it is I graūt in time of prospe­ritie, [Page 40] to saye and to thinke, that God is our God, and that we are his people. But when he hath giuē vs ouer in the handes of oure eni­mies, and tourned (as it were) his back vnto vs, then I say, stil to re­clayme him to be our God, and to haue this assurance that we are his people, procedeth wholly frō the holy spirite of God,1. Iohn. 5. as is the grea­test victorie of faith, which ouer­commeth the worlde, for increase whereof we ought continuallye to pray.

This doctrine we shall not think straunge, if we shal cōsider how so­dainely our spirites are caryed a­way from our God, and from be­leuing his promise, so sone as anye great temptation doth apprehend vs, then begin we to doubt if euer we beleued Gods promises, if God will fullfill them to vs, if we abide in his fauour, if he regardeth and [Page] loketh vpon the violence and in­iurie that is done vnto vs, and a multitude of suche cogitations, which before lurked quietlye in our corrupted heartes, burst vio­lently forth when we are oppressed with any desperate calamitie. A­gainst the which, this is the reme­die, once to apprehend and still to retayne, God to be our God, and firmelye to beleue, that we are his people whome he loueth, and will defende, not onely in affliction, but euen in the middest of death it selfe.

Secondly let vs obserue, that the iudgemēts of our God neuer were, nor yet shall be so vehement vpon the face of the earth, but that there hath bene and shall be some secrete habitation prepared in the sanctu­ary of God for some of his chosen, where they shall be preserued vn­till the indignation passe by, and [Page 41] that God prepareth a tyme, that they maye glorifie him againe be­fore the face of the worlde, that sometimes despised them: and this ought to be vnto vs no small com­fort in these appearing daungers, to wit, that we be surely persuaded that howe vehement that euer the tēpest shal be, that it yet shall passe ouer, and some of vs shall be pre­serued to glorifie the name of oure God as is aforesaide.

Two vices lurke in this our na­ture, the one is, that we can not tremble at Gods threatninges be­fore that the plagues apprehende vs, albeit that we see cause moste iust why that his fierce wrath shuld burne as a deuouring fire. The o­ther is, that when calamities be­fore pronounced fal vpon vs, then begin we to sincke downe in des­peration, so that we neuer loke for any comfortable end of the same. [Page] To correct this our mortall infir­mitie in time of quietnesse, we ought to consider what is the ius­tice of our God, and howe odious sinne is. And aboue all other, how odyous Idolatry is in his presence who hath forbidden it, and who hath so seuerelye punished it in all ages from the beginning. And in the tyme of our afflictiō we ought to consider, what haue beene the wonderous workes of our God in preseruation of his churche, when it hath bene in vttermost extremi­tie. For neuer shall we finde the church humbled vnder the hands of tirantes and cruellye tormented by them, but therewith we shall finde Goddes iuste vengeance to fall vpon the cru [...]ell persecuters, and his merciful deliuerance to be shewed to the afflicted▪ And in ta­king of this tryall, we shoulde not onely cal to minde the histories of [Page 42] auncient times, but also we should diligentlye marke what notable workes God hath wrought euen in this our age, aswell vpon the one, as vpon the other. We ought not to thinke that oure God beareth lesse loue to his church this daye, than that he hath done from the beginning. For as our God in his owne nature is immutable, so re­mayneth his loue towardes his e­lect, alwaies vnchangeableEphe. 1. For as in Christ Iesus he hath chosen his Church before the beginning of al ages, so by him will he mayntayne & preserue the same vnto the end. Yea, he will quiet the stormes, and cause the earth to open her mouth and receyue those raging flouds of violent waters, caste out by the Dragon, to drowne and cary away the woman which is the spouse of Iesus Christ, vnto whom,Apocal. 1 [...] God for his owne names sake will be the [Page] perpetuall protector.

This sawe that notable seruaunt of Iesus Christ Athanasius, [...]ele. histo. [...]omoni. [...] 5. ca. 5. who (being exiled from Alexandria by that blasphemous Apostata Iulian the Emperor) sayd vnto his flock, who bitterly wept for his enuious banishment: Weepe not but be of good comforte saide he, for this little cloude wil sodainely vanish. A little cloude he called both the Emperor himselfe, and his cruell tirannie. And albeit that small ap­pearance there was of any deliue­rance to the church of God, or yet of any punishment to haue appre­hended the proude tirants, when the man of god pronounced these wordes, yet shortely after, God did giue witnesse that those words did not procede from flesh nor bloud, but from Gods verie spirite. For not long after, being in warfarre, he receyued a deadly wound, whe­ther [Page 43] by his owne hande or by one of his owne souldiers, the writers clearely conclude not, but casting his owne bloud against the heauē, he sayde, Vicisti tandem Galilee, That is, at last thou hast ouercome thou Galilean, so in despite he termed the Lorde Iesus, and so perished that tiraunt in his owne iniquitie, the storme ceassed and the church of God rceyued now comfort.

Such shall be the ende of all cru­ell persecuters, their raigne shal be short their ende miserable, & their name shall be left in execratoni to Goddes people. And yet shall the Church of God remayne to Gods glory after all stormes.

But nowe shortely let vs come to the laste point. For behold saith the Prophet,Verse. 2 [...] the Lord wil come out of his place to visite the iniqui­tie of the inhabitants of the earth vpō them. And the earth shall disclose her bloude and [Page] shall no more hide her stayne, bicause that the finall ende of the troubles of Goddes cho­sen, shall not be before that the Lorde Iesus shall retourne to restore al things to their ful perfection.

The Prophet bringeth forth the eternall God, as it were from his owne place and habitation, and therewith sheweth the cause of his comming to be, that he may take accōpt of al such as haue wrought wickedlye, for that he meaneth, where that he sayth: He will visite the iniquitie of the inhabitants of the earth vpon them. And lest that any shoulde think that the wrong doers are so manye that they can not be called vnto accompt, he gi­ueth vnto the earth as it were an office and charge to beare witnesse against al those that haue wrought wickedly, and chiefly, against those that haue shed innocent bloud frō the beginning. And saith, that [Page 44] the earth shall disclose her bloude, and shall no more hide her slayne men.

Yf the tirants of the earth & such as delight in shedding of bloude should be persuaded that this sen­tence is true, they shoulde not so furiouslye come to their owne de­struction. For what man can be so enraged, that he woulde willingly doe euen before the eyes of God, that which might prouoke his ma­iestie to anger. Yea prouoke him to becōe his enimy for euer, if that he vnderstode how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the liuing God. The cause then of this blind furie of the world, is the ignorance of God, and that men thinke that God is but an Idoll, and that there is no knowledge aboue, that be­holdeth their tirannie, neither yet iustice that will, nor power that maye represse their impietie. But [Page] yet the spirite of truth doth wit­nesse, the contrary, affirming, that as the eyes of the Lorde are vpon the iust, [...]al. and as his eares are ready to receiue their sobbing & prayers, so is his angry visage against such, as worke iniquitie. He hateth and holdeth in abhomination euerye disceitful and bloud thirstie man. Whereof he hath giuen sufficient document from age to age in pre­seruing the one, or at the lest in re­uenging of their cause, and in pu­nishing of the other. Where it is sayde that the Lorde will come frō his place, and that he wil visite the iniquitie of the inhabitants of the earth vppon them, and that the earth shall disclose her bloude.

We haue to consider what moste commonly hath beene, and what shal be the condition of the church of God, to wit, that it is not one­lye hated, mocked, and dispised, [Page 45] but that it is exposed, as it were in a pray, vnto the furie of the wic­ked, so that the bloud of the chil­dren of God,Psal. is spilt like water vp­on the face of the earth. The vn­derstanding whereof, albeit it be vnpleasaunt to the flesh. Yet to vs it is most profitable, least that we, seing the cruel entreatings of Gods seruauntes, beginne to misknowe the spouse of Iesus Christ, bicause that she is not intreated in this vn­thankfull worlde, as that the iust and vpright dealing of Gods chil­dren doth deserue. But contrary­wise, for mercy, they receyue cru­eltie, for doing good to manye, of al the reprobate they receyue euil. And this is decreed in Gods eternal councell, that the members maye follow the trace of the head, to the ende, that God in his iust iudge­ments, should finally condempne the wicked. For howe shoulde he [Page] punish the inhabitāts of the earth, if their iniquitie deserued it not▪ How should the earth disclose our bloude, if it should not be vniust­ly spilt? We must then commit our selues into the handes of our God, and laye downe our neckes, yea & pacientlye suffer our bloude to be shed, that the righteous iudge may require accompt, as most assuredly he shall of all the bloude that hath bene shed, from the bloud of Abell the iust, till the day that the earth shall disclose the same.A terrible, but moste true sentēce. I say euery one that sheddeth or consenteth to shed the bloude of Gods children, shal be giltie of the whole. So that all the bloude of Goddes children shall crye vengeance, not onely in general, but also in particuler, vp­on euerye one, that hath shed the bloude of anye that vniustly suffe­red.

And if any thinke it strange that [Page 46] such as liue this daye, can be giltie of the bloude that was shed in the dayes of the Apostles. Let them cō ­sider that the veritie it selfe pro­nounced, that all the bloude that was shedde from the dayes of Abel vnto the dayes of Zacharie should come vpon that vnthankefull ge­neration, that heard his doctrine, and refused it. The reason is eui­dent, for as there is two heads and and captaines that rule vpon the whole worlde, to wit, Iesus Christ, the Prince of iustice and peace, & Sathan, called the Prince of the worlde, so are they but two armies, that hath continued battaile from the beginning, and shall fight vn­to the ende. The quarell is one which the armie of Iesus Christ susteine, which the reprobate doe persecute, to wit, the eternal truth of the eternall God, and the image of Iesus Christ, printed in his elect, [Page] so that whosoeuer in any age per­secuteth any one member of Iesus Christ for his truth sake, subscri­beth as it were with his hande, the persecution of all that haue passed before him. And this ought the ti­rantes of this age deepely to consi­der, for they shal be giltye not on­ly of the bloud shed by themselues, but of al (as saide is) that hath bene shed for the cause of Iesus Christ from the beginning of the worlde.

Let the faithfull not be discou­raged although they be appointed as shepe to the slaughter house, for he, for whose sake they suffer, shal not forget to reuenge their cause. I am not ignoraunt that fleshe and bloude will thinke that kinde of suporte, too too late. For we had rather be preserued stil aliue, than to haue our bloud to be reuenged after our death. And truely if our felicitie stoode in this lyfe, or if [Page 47] death temporall should bring vn­to vs anye damage, our desire in that behalfe were not to be damp­ned. But seeing that death is com­mon to al, and that this temporall lyfe, is nothing but miserie, & that death doth fully ioyne vs with our God, and giueth vnto vs the pos­session of our inheritaunce, why shuld we think it straunge to leaue this worlde and goe to our head & soueraigne captayne Iesus Christ?

Now last we haue to obserue this maner of speaking, where that the Prophet sayth. The earth shall dis­close her bloud. In which wordes, the Prophet would accuse the cru­eltie of those that dare so vnmerci­fully ryue from the breastes of the earth, the dearest children of God, and cruelly cut their throts in her bosome, who is by God appointed the common mother of mankinde, so that she vnwillingly is compel­led [Page] led to open her mouth, & receyue their bloud.

If such tirannie were vsed against any naturall woman, as violently to pull her infant frō her breastes, cut the throte of it in her own bo­some, and compell here to receyue the bloude of her deare childe in her owne mouth, al nations would holde the fact so abhominable, that the like had neuer beene done in the course of nature. And no lesse wickednesse cōmit they that shedde the bloud of Gods children vpon the face (as I haue saide) of their common mother the earth. But be of good courage (O little & dispised flocke of Christ Iesus) for he that seeth your griefe hath po­wer to reuenge it. He that will not suffer one teare of yours to fal, but that shall be kept and reserued in his bottle, till the fulnesse thereof be poured downe from heauen vp­on [Page 48] th [...]se that caused you to weepe and mourne, this your mercifull God (I saye) will not suffer your bloud for euer to be couered with the earth, naye the flaming fiers that haue licked vp the bloude of any of our brethren, the earth that hath beene defiled with it, I saye with the bloude of Gods children, for otherwise, to shed the bloud of the cruel bloudshedders, is to purge the land from bloud, and as it were to sanctifie it. The earth (I say) shal purge her selfe of it and shew it be­fore the face of god, yea the beasts, foules, and other creatures whatso­euer shall be compelled to render that which iniustly they haue re­ceyued, be it flesh, bloude, or bones that appartained to thy children O Lorde, which altogether thou shalt glorifie, according to thy pro­mise made to vs in Iesus Christ thy sonne, to whom with thee and the [Page] holy Ghost be honor, praise, and glory, for euer and euer. Amen.

Let vs now humble our selues in the presence of our God, and from the bottome of oure heartes, let vs desire him to assist vs with the po­wer of his holy spirite, that albeit for our former negligences, God giue vs ouer in the handes of other than suche as rule in his feare, that yet he let vs not forget his mercy, and that glorious name, that hath bene proclaymed amongst vs: but that we may loke throughout the dolorous storme of his present dis­pleasure, and see aswell what pu­nishment he hath appointed for the cruell tirants, as what rewarde he hath layde in store for such as continue in his feare, to the ende: that it would further please him to assist, that albeit we see his Church so diminished, that it shal appeare to be brought, as it were, to vtter [Page 49] extermination, that yet we maye be assured, that in our God, there is power and will, to increase the number of his chosen, euen while they be inlarged, to the vttermost coastes of the earth. Giue vs O Lorde, hearts to visite thee in time of our affliction. And that albeit we see none ende of our dolors, that yet our faith and hope maye conduct vs to the assured hope of that ioyfull resurrection. In the which, we shal possesse the fruite of that, for the which nowe we tra­uaile. And in the meane season, graunt vnto vs O Lorde, to repose our selues in the sanctuary of thy promise, that in thee, we may finde comforte, till that this thy great indignation (begonne amongst vs) may passe ouer, and thou thy selfe, appeare to the comfort of thy af­flicted, and to the terrour of thine enimies. Let vs pray with heart & [Page] mouth. Almighty God and mer­ciful father, &c. Lord in thy hands I commend my spirit.The castle [...]f Eden­ [...]rough was [...]ooting a­ [...]ainst the [...]xiled for [...]hrist Iesus [...]ake For the ter­rible roring of Gunnes and the noyce of armour doe so pierce my heart, that my soule thirstith to de­part. The last of August. 1565. at .4 at after noone written indigestly, but yet truely, so far as memory would serue, of those things that in publike preaching I spake vpon Sondaye the .19. of August. For the whych I was discharged to preach.

Be mercifull to thy flocke, O Lorde, and at thy good pleasure, put ende to my miserie.

Iohn Knoxe.

The Superintendents Ministers and commissioners of the Churches reformed within this realme of Scotlande assembled in E­denbrough the .xxv. daye of De­cember .1565. to all faith­full within the same realme desire grace and peace. from God the Father and from our Lorde Iesus Christ with the perpetual cōfort of the ho­lye Ghost.

THE SOROW­full complayntes of all Ministers in generall, and of some nowe more to be lamented in others in particu­ler, being considered in this oure [Page] last assembly (beloued in the Lord Iesus) diuers men were of diuers iudgementes, howe the griefe and pouertie of such as faithfully tra­uayle in their vocation within the Church of God, might somewhat be relieued. After long reasoning it was concluded, that a supplica­tion shuld be direct to the Quenes Maiestie,The an­ [...]were is, the Quene can [...]pare no­ [...]hing. requiring that respecte might be had to the extreme neces­sity of our Ministers. But bicause that the necessity of our brethren is great, and their pouertie present, and that the remedie can not be sodaine nor yet certaine, it was thought expedient, that a generall admonition should be made to all the faithful, to haue respect to the necessitie of the Ministers vniuer­sally. But especially, that the faith­full in euery parish haue conside­ration to the necessitie of suche as trauaile amongst them in true doc­trine [Page 2] & holsome exhortatiō,This is the commaun­dement of the spirit o [...] God. Hebr. 13. which admonition, whosoeuer dispiseth, dispiseth no doubt, the chiefe du­tie of a christian. For alas with what conscience can we eate oure owne bread, and know the bowels of such as offers to vs the breade of lyfe, and minister to vs spirituall things, to craue of God and vs but a reasonable sustentation, and yet can not finde suche fauour at oure handes, as Turkes finde amongest Turkes, and Iewes amongest that blinded nation.

Alas where are the bowels of mer­cy that sometyme were founde a­mongst the faithfull? How farre is this our filthye auariounesse, dis­tant from that liberalitie which appeared in the primitiue Church, when that the faithfull cast their substance at the feete of the Apos­tles?Act. 2. Where is that charitie whichRom 15. moued the Churches of Macedo­nia2 Corint. 9. [Page] and Achaia and other cuntries to make most liberall collectours, and to send the same to relieue the indigence of the pore at Ierusalem, and in Iudea Where is the zeale that was in the Galathians & Phi­lippians,Galat. 4. of whome the one would haue giuē their eyes to the Apostle Paule,Phil. 4. if that might haue sup­ported him, the other spared not to sende to their preacher being prisoner in Rome, their supporte and comfort most liberally. If we thinke to be partakers with suche men in glorye, why studye we not to followe their vertues? If this be the same Euangel of saluation, (as no doubt it is, that the Apostles preached, that now of Gods great mercy, is preached to vs, alas why brings it not forth some part of the former fruites,Let euerie mā descend within him selfe. if we thinke they are but men and not Apostles, that nowe preach vnto vs, let vs con­sider [Page 3] that the Apostles were men, and receyued of men support and comforte, and also that others than the Apostles were grounded for by the liberalitie of the faithfull,Act. 6. as in the Actes of the Apostles maye be seene.

We haue not Paule to write vnto vs newe Epistles, neyther yet Ma­thewe, Marke, Lucas, or Iohn to dite vnto vs a newe Euangell, bi­cause things written are sufficient if we vnderstande and followe the same: but of Gods great mercy we haue men that open and explane vnto vs not onely writings of the new, but also of the old testament. We haue the seruaunts of God in­dued with rare and notable graces, whom if we contempne, it is to be feared that God shall so punish our ingratitude, that he shal take from vs the light of his worde, and the true messengers of the same, and [Page] suffer darkenesse agayne to appre­hende vs, [...]t Scotlād [...]duert. and the slaues of Sathan tirannously to impire aboue vs, & then woe to vs and our posteritie. For better it had beene that the word of lyfe had neuer bene shewē vnto vs, thā that we in our default, shoulde suffer our selues to be de­frauded of so great a benefite. Let vs therfore begin to reuerence the blessed Euangell of our saluation. Reuerence nor magnifie it wee can not, when that we suffer the true preachers therof to be oppres­sed with pouertie before our eyes, [...]ho are [...]ey that [...]uerence [...]t the euā ­ [...]list of Ie­ [...]s Christ. [...]od. 22. and yet we shut vp the bowels of mercy from them.

Let vs consider deare brethren how carefully God commaundeth in his law that the Leuites & such as serued that material tabernacle, should be prouided of sufficient li­uings, yea let vs cōsider with what plagues God punished Israell and [Page 4] Iuda when his statutes and his ser­uaunts were dispised.Leuit. 27. Shal we think that the eternall God wil spare vs,Nu. 28. if we be found contemners of such as truely preache the Lorde Iesus,Deut. 12. or lawfully beare any charge with­in his Church, we maye be assured that he will not. For as the bodye is more excellent, than is the sha­dow, and as the veritie is to be pre­ferred to the signe, so are the Mini­sters of the new testament & their spirituall seruice, to be preferred tu the leuites, and their carnall ce­remonies, the contempt whereof, can not but craue at Gods handes moste seuere punishment, bicause (as sayde is) the office of the one doth farre excell the office of the other. They did but reade the law, kill the sacrifice, sley the beastes, take of the skinnes, wash the flesh, and offer the same as was cōmaun­ded in the law, and for such seruice [Page] were the tenthes first fruites, and other dueties appointed for their sustentation: but the Ministers of Iesu Christ haue an office without al comparison more excellent, for they bring to vs the glad tidinges of saluation, by the two edged sworde of Goddes worde, which is mighty in operatiō, they sley that old man that neuer fightes against God, they make his thought pa­tent to his owne confusion, that the newe man of God maye take lyfe.Hebr. 4. They wash the soules with theRom. 8. bloude of Iesus Christe which a­boundantly drops from their lips,As Christ was crucifi­ed amongest the Gala­thians. when truely they preache the ver­tue and effect of the death of Iesus Christ,Gala. 3. and rightly minister his sa­cramentes lefte to be vsed in his Church,Rom. 12. to holde vs in recent me­morie of that so great a benefite.

Finallye by them are we taught and conducted, to offer not onely [Page 5] prayers and thanks giuing: but al­so our bodies and soules in a rea­sonable and liuely sacrifice vnto God by Iesus Christ. And yet (O cruell ingratitude) shal we care no more for their sustentation, than that we were nothing addicted vn­to them, neyther yet that God had raised them vppe after ouer long blindnesse, to reduce vs againe to the right way of saluation, and to conduct vs in the same to the end.

If we thinke that al these things may be due without ministers or without preaching, we vtterly de­ceyue our selues. For the same or­der that God hath obserued since that he hath collected his visible church, he will shall be obserued so long as it continueth vpon the face of the earth, that is,Deut. 17. that euē as vnder the lawe the people were commaunded to require wisdome from the mouthes of the priestes,Math. 2. [Page] and Leuits had a charge to teach & so tourne many from their iniqui­tie: so in this most acceptable time, did Iesus Christ ascending to the heauens, distribute his glory in di­uers sortes: for some he made A­postles,Cor. 12. some Prophetes, [...]ph. 4. some E­uaungelistes, that is preachers of glad tidings, some pastours, some teachers, to the end that we might all come to the vnitie of the faith, and to the knowledge of the sonne of God.

Now if we think that none with­in Scotlande lackes true faith, [...]et yet Scot [...]and ad­ [...]ert. yea if we thinke that our children can attayne to the right knowledge of God, without true doctrine, then maye we dreame with our selues. that ministers are not necessarie, and so are we nothing addicted vnto them. But if that faith com­meth by hearing,Rom. 10. and that by the hearing of Gods worde, and that [Page 6] Gods word is not sent vnto vs ab­solutely from heauen by Aungels, but is planted by the holy spirite in the heartes and mouthes of men whome God of his mercye sendes forth into the world, to sowe ther­in the seede of his Euangell, we can not but cōfesse our selues det­ters to our ministers. The dispisers of whome, yea all suche as to their power supporte them not in their necessities, are before his throne iudged contempners of his owne maiestie. And therfore yet once a­gaine, let euery faithfull consider what is his duetie, and let vs abhor that ingratitude that we shuld suf­fer the seruants of the Lorde Iesus to begge, or trauaile in pouerty be­fore our eyes, for if we doe, we ba­nishe from vs Iesus Christ and the light of his euangell. The Apostle commaundeth a bishop, and euery true preacher of Iesus Christ is a [Page] christian bishop among the rest of his vertues to be one that keepeth hospitalitie, and is able to receyue straungers. This can he not doe without reasonable prouision, and by whome the bishop shoulde be prouided, S. Paule aunswereth in these wordes.Gala. 6. Let him that is taught cōmunicate in al his goods, with him that teacheth him, and againe, is it anye great thing, that while we sowe vnto you spirituall things, that we shuld reape of you carnall things? of which and ma­ny moe places it is euident, that the flock is boundē to prouide for their pastor.

I wil not excuse vs deare brethrē to cry and complaine, we are com­pelled to answere our bishops, per­sons, and vicars. Our teachers are taken vp most rigorously, how shal we then be able to susteyne oure ministers. These complaintes and [Page 7] appearing reasons deare brethren, will vanish with winde, when we shal come to the straight examina­tion of cōsciences before God.Pro. 3. For are we not commaunded to honor God with our substance? & thinke we that we doe honor him when with our substāce we fil the bellies of dumb dogges, yea of Gods con­iured enimies, and suffer his ser­uauntes to fall into pouertie, be­fore our eyes, if ye thinke we shall be excused bicause that the order of lawe constrayneth vs therevnto, the Godly feare in case this reason shall be admitted before God, lest tirannie vnder collour of lawe, wil take from vs our tithes, and so can we not sustayne our ministers. This reason brethren will be weake, yea so weake, that we feare it shal be re­pelled before the incorrupt iudge. For howe manye of vs haue com­playned vpon that tiraunt? Who [Page] hath made intercessiō to the Maie­strats for redresse of that enormity. Yea alas, howe many of vs are not maintayners of those theues, and partakers of their murders, called Bishops, Abbottes, and Pryors. Let no man wōder that we terme such men with so odious termes, no, let them rather wonder, that God poureth not forth the vttermost of his vengeaunce vpon the realme, and vs that maintaine such tirants in their tirannie, in this great light of his Euangell. Theues they are, for they take large fee and serues not, murtherers they are, bicause that by withholding the bread of lyfe, they cause the soules of men to dye, for hunger of Gods worde. And yet how conspire we with thē, what doe we to maintayne that a­buse: of those theues,Or Leases. we haue tacks by them, we haue interest and title to tithes, and for loue of the spoile, [Page 8] we mainetaine their murthers in oppression of the pore. Let vs not be deceyued deare brethren.Howsoeuer▪ the worlde mocke this God shall aproue it. There is no lawe made by man, that can make these lawful, neyther yet the substance of one to be the iust pos­session of an other, without a iust title.

The tenthes were once appoin­ted by God to the Leuites, to the pore, to the widow, fatherlesse, and straungers, and the lawes of Em­perours, Kings and Princes, did af­ter Christ, appoint the same to the like vse, to wit, to the sustentation of such, as trauaile in the Church, for the reliefe of the pore, and for maintenaunce of learning. Nowe say we, to transfer the tythes from these vses, the persons before na­med not being prouided for, is both to commit theft & sacriledge, yea, the spoile of the pore is in the houses of so manye, as vniustlye [Page] possesse them, and who they are ye haue before heard, neyther shall they in the ende escape that sen­tence of the Prophete.Zacha. 5. The male­diction of the Lorde is vpon the house of the thefe. But yet brethrē, let vs suppose that in no sorte we did consent with those oppressiōs, but that we opponed our selues vn­to them to the vttermoste of our powers, and yet we were oppressed in our iust cause by the tirannie of vniust lawes? should we yet be ex­cused before God if we communi­cate not with the necessitie of the ministers of Iesus Christ? Let vs be moste assured that we can not, for that sentence of our Lorde and iudge standes euer in force. [...] Corin. 9. Wor­thy is the laborer of his wages. And againe you shall not mussell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth forth the corne. The execution of these precepts he wil alway require [Page 9] of you, howsoeuer we flatter oure selues in our owne imaginations, neyther doth extremitie of lawes, nor corruption of tymes excuse vs before God, of the duetie he re­quires of vs. Which thing did Ab­dias, seruaunt to Achab, and Iesa­bell, rightly consider, for when by them (but Iesabell, chieflye) the Prophets of the Lord were destroi­ed,1. Reg. 25. he hid in caues an hundreth Prophets of the Lorde, and fed thē with bread and water, that is, libe­rallye, and sufficientlye, for then was water more scant in Israel than ale or wyne is (as yet) amongest vs. Did a man feede an hundered ser­uauntes of the Lorde, and in that tyme when things were most scant, and yet both the King and the Queene sought the subuersion of true religion, and the destruction of all Gods true seruants, and shal not a thousand of vs and moe that [Page] haue professed the Lord Iesus with in this realme, vpon our charges, sustaine two or three hundereth of such as haue trauailed, and yet tra­uaile to aduance the kingdome of Iesus Christ amongst vs? if we doe not, fearefull shall the sentence be, that shall be pronounced against vs, by him, whose voyce we shall not then be able to gainstand, whē from his throne he shall saye.Math. 25. De­part from me ye workers of iniqui­tie, for I was hungry and ye fed me not, thirstie ye gaue me no drinke, naked ye clothed me not, I lacked harbrowe, and ye receyued me not into your house.

Playne it is that Christ Iesus in his owne person neyther suffers hunger nor thrist, he needes ney­ther clothes nor house, but as him selfe in the same place saith, what­soeuer ye did not to the lest one of these, that ye did not to me. Let [Page 10] vs deare brethren ponder these wordes, and let vs nowe beginne to shew the fruites of repentance, and vnfaynedly to magnifie the worde of our saluation. Let the bowels of our mercye be opened to oure brethren. Let neuer the pestilente Papists haue cause to reioyce ouer vs, that they shall hereafter saye, that our own ingardenes banished Iesus Christ from vs. Which thing if without hipocrisie and of good courage we begin to doe, then no doubt but God shall blesse the la­bors of our hande, he shall restore to vs our former courage, & strike the hartes of our enimies with the same feare, that they haue felt be­fore.

It is we deare brethren, it is we, that hath exponed the glorious E­uangell of Iesus Christ to this daū ­ger within this realme, for while that the moste parte of vs studied [Page] for the building of our own house, [...] graūt [...]hat this [...]ay yet [...]e vnder­ [...]ande, for [...]ft before it was heard and moc­ked of ma­nye. the house of the Lord was neglec­ted and dispised. And in the meane time hath the enimie so preuayled that we and it stand in equall daū ­ger, saue that the spirituall house of God can neuer vtterly be sup­pressed. But we may fal, both tem­porally and eternally, if we dispise the sermon of exhortation, which calles vs agayne to our first profes­sion. If we heare & obey his voice, there is mercy, power, and good will in our God. Mercy, to pardon our former negligence, power to represse the pride of our enimies, and good will, to maintaine the cause of his truth, that once of his mercy he hath made to prosper in our handes.

O Lorde for thine owne name sake moue our heartes to consider our dueties. Preserue the flock to whome thou of thy mercy hast re­ueled [Page 11] thy selfe. Purge this realme of damnable Idolatry, and con­tinewe to our posteritie the light of thy worde in the same puritie that thou haste offered it vnto vs. Take our rude exhortatiō in good part, deare brethren, and be bolde vpon vs in all thinges not repug­ning to god. The grace of our Lord Iesus rest with you and vs now & e­uer.

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