Thus the Church of Corinth in the Apoſtle Saint Paules time, was not ſo ſound as the Churches of Rome & Epheſus, the Church of Galatia was infected with a moſt dangerous error. After, when S. Iohn wrote, the church of Epheſus had her imperfections; the other ſixe Churches were more infected, and amongſt them Laodicea was in farre worſe eſtate then either Pergamus or Thyatira; and yet all theſe remained the Lords Churches and Vineyards in the middeſt of their errors & corruptions, becauſe they helde that foundation of Chriſtianity, vpon which the Church is builded: Thou art Chriſt the Sonne of the liuing God: For although as euery ſinne is oppoſite to theloue of God, ſo euery error alſo is oppoſite to his truth, and doe not agree together: yet by reaſon of our weake eyes and iudgements, not diſcerning the diſagreement of truth and error, as of righteouſnes and ſinne, the beſt men doe receiue ſome probable errors into the ſociety of truth, without reiecting and ouerturning their faith of thoſe grounds which they truly hold; and therefore though euery little error in matter of faith be dangerous, and cauſeth ſome defect and mayme in our practiſe of piety, eyther in our inuocations of faith, or in our works of loue, and the more deadly, the nearer they touch the principall grounds: yet they doe not all make wounds vnto death, and kill our faith and piety, till they come to be knowne and wilfull errors, that is, to be hereſies and ſinnes of the will; for then the leaſt error is deadly, becauſe it is wilfull, and directly oppoſite to the loue of the truth of Chriſt.

Finally, as one Church is more or leſſe pure and Orthodoxe then another, ſo wee ſee how the ſelfe ſame Churches continue not alwayes in one and the ſelfe ſame ſtate; for the Church of Iudah was ſometime religious, ſometimes idolatrous, ſometimes purged in part the groues and high places ſtill remaining; ſo hath euery Church in the world ſince Chriſts time vndergone great alterations and changes: the Church of Rome in her firſt ages was very ſound and pure; the Eaſterne Churches were more ouergrowne with errors in theſe latter ages ſince, as Platina obſerueth, Iohn 10. The people were cleane departed from Saint Peters ſteps; the weſt Churches haue more declined, and the Eaſterne Churches, except that one error of the proceeding of the holy Ghoſt, in all other parts of faith, remaine much more pure then the Church of Rome and her adherents: yea Rome it ſelfe began a little changing of her ſelfe, when Pius the fift, acknowledging that their bookes of publike diuine ſeruice in all places were ſtuffed with vaine errors of ſuperſtitions, did caſt out ſome corruptions, and (no doubt) beſides the priuate reformations both in the iudgements and practiſe of numbers of her followers, who will not embrace all her abominations, ſhe would haue proceeded further in publike reformation, had not, beſides the loue of her priuate gaines, a reſpect of her publike credit hindred her: for by confeſſing any one error, ſhee ſeeth that ſhee ſhould giue preiudice againſt her ſelf for other her opinions, in acknowledging that ſhee might erre in them alſo. Which miniſtreth an anſwere to their vaine obiections; who demand of vs where our Church was for ſo many ages, till Martin Luthers dayes, in what caue of the earth it lurked? for our Church is one and the ſame which it was at the firſt planting of Chriſtianity amongſt vs; It hath alwayes had one and the ſame roote and foundation, one and the ſame Chriſt publikely profeſſed, though at the firſt more purely, afterwards more corruptly; and not by Gods mercy the ſame Chriſt more purely againe. For as the new dreſsing and weeding of a Vineyard, is not a new planting; and as the often repairing the decayes and purging of the vncleannes of the Temple, was not the new founding and building of another Temple; ſo in our Church, ſince it was reformed we know no other differēce from that which it was before, then ſuch as wee ſee in the Vineyard and Church of Iudah, which in the dayes of Manaſſes was full of ſuperſtition, in the dayes of Ioſiah had her abominations caſt out, and the purity of Gods ſeruice reſtored according to his owne law.

There were crept into our Church grauen Images, & the likeneſſes of things in heauen, and things in earth; and men did bow downe and worſhippe them contrary to the law, and contrary to antiquity; for, as yet appeareth euen by the buildings and walles of our moſt ancient Churches, there was no place within the Church prouided for them. To theſe Images of dead men they did light candles, and burned Incenſe, and offered gifts after the cuſtome of the heathen; the light of the Church was remoued out of the candleſticks; and the word of God, which is the true light of the world, and lanterne to our feet, was hidden vnder an vnknowne tongue, as vnder a buſhell; that which the Apoſtle calleth both our milke and our meate, was taken away, and nothing was read to the peoples vnderſtanding, but the lies of their Legend; the author therof had a leaden head, & a brazen forehead, as Ʋiues a lerned Papiſt cēſureth them. The holy Sacraments of the church were prophaned; to the ſanctified water in baptiſme, cream was added, & ſalt & ſpittle, & by the people receiued as parts of the ſacramēt; the Lords Supper was mangled; the cup of bleſſing, which is the Cōmunion of the bloud of Chriſt, was ſacrile giouſly remoued; & the communion of the bread was turned into a priuate maſſe of dead ceremonies: Theſe and infinite other abominations were growne vp ſo high, that they did both draw all the fatnes from the roote, and ouerdrop and ouerſhadow the true vine, and euen called for the fickle to cut them downe: for there was not any learned deuout man amongſt themſelues in thoſe ages, who did not both bewayle the corruptions of the Church, as appeareth by them that wrote, and in particular acknowledge ſome one error of theirs or other; though now authority ſtoppeth their mouthes, and clippeth ſuch tongues; and the Indices expungatorij do raſe thoſe confeſſions out of their writings. Now the indiſpoſition therefore, eyther of the Church of Rome, or any other neighbor Church to reform themſelus, can be no iuſt excuſe for our Church, and her ouerſeers, not to reforme her ſelfe, then it had beene for Iſrael to ſinne, becauſe Iudah ſinned, or for Iudah, becauſe of the ſinne of Iſrael. In theſe caſes of Gods ſeruice and honor, the expectation of neighbours, and deſire of vnity is no allowed anſwere: but that of Ioſuah belongeth to all gouernors, which he ſpake to all Iſrael, Ioſu. 15. If it ſeeme euill in your eyes to ſerue the Lord, chuſe you this day whom you will ſerue: but I and my houſe will ſerue the Lord: and that rule of Hoſea; If Ephraim be ioyned vnto Idols, let him alone; and if Iſrael play the harlot, yet let not Iudah ſinne. Only our hearty prayer vnto God is, that as we do communicate in the general grounds and foundations of Chriſtianity, and ioyntly profeſſe the ſame Creede, ſo the Lord would giue them hearts to remoue theſe abominations, which blocke vp the way of peace and communion between Church and Church; or if eyther for pride or couetouſnes, they will acknowledge no error, yet hee would giue them contented minds to keep to themſelues their owne corruptions, which now being caſt off by vs, would be ſo much the more loathſome to put on againe.

The third doubt which the vineyard of the houſe of Iſrael anſwereth, is the vnity of the Church, ſeeing the deuided houſes of Ephraim and Iudah not ſo much ſeuered in ſtate, as in religion, are yet by our Prophet accepted as one vineyard: for though one read of many ſeuerall Churches in the new Teſtament alſo: Pſal. 64. yet that of Saint Auguſtine is moſt true, there be many Churches, yet but one Church; and in ſuch ſort many; yet they are all but one. Nay, in the vnity of the Church, wee muſt yet goe further, and acknowledge with the ſame father, the Church is the body of Chriſt; not that which is here or there, but that which is euery where throughout the world; Pſalme 90. neither that which is at this time, but euen from Abel, vnto thoſe which ſhall hereafter bee borne, and belieue in Chriſt vnto the end: the whole company of ſaints belonging to one City, which is the body of Chriſt, and whereof he is head: for this is that which the Apoſtle affirmeth of all beleeuers: Bee they Iew or Gentile, bond or free, they are al incorporate into one Company, they all make one body. But this vnity is properly meant of Chriſts myſticall body and Church, which is inuiſible, of which church theſe men are no part, who are onely in Sacrament is Eccleſiae, as Saint Auguſtine expoundeth himſelfe; that is, of the whole body of the faithfull from Adam to the end of the world; yet notwithſtanding theſe outward viſible ſocieties of profeſſed chriſtians, in which the militant members of Chriſt, mingled with the bad, are yet in framing for eternity, theſe alſo haue a bond of vnity alſo, and though they bee many, yet are they but as one.

Now the outward bonds of theſe viſible Churches are diuers: for 1. they all ſpring by propagation, from one originall mother Church: Ieruſalem, which is beneath, is the mother of vs all, and from Sion came the Goſpell by propagation vnto all Nations. But this bond is not ſo ſtrong, as to tie them in one, that are ſprung from one beginning: There is a ſtronger, which this Parable of a Vine doth lay before vs: for the Vine or tree which is diuided into ſo many ſeuerall branches, ſome dying, ſome ſpringing vp; and one bough perhaps bearing ſeuerall fruits from another; what is it that maketh them all one, but their owne ſtocke and roote, on which they all vifibly grow? this is the viſible bond of the ſeuerall armes, and parts of the viſible Church; they all outwardly ioyne in that one roote Chriſt, in whom they are all viſiblie ingrafted, & on whom they all make outward ſhew, that they doe ſtand and grow.

The Apoſtle, Epheſ. 4.5. exhorting Chriſtians to vnity, ſetteth downe this bond, and to it addeth two other kinds, the vniformity of our faith, and articles of beliefe. There is one kinde of ingrafting, one badge of their incorporation, Baptiſme. One Lord, one Faith, one Baptiſm: i. One King, vnder which they liue; one Law, by which they are guided; one common badge of their incorporation, which they all publikely receiue: ſo that ſeeing the Iewes, howſoeuer diſperſed amongſt al the Nations of the earth, and liuing without dependance vpon any one common gouernour, and yet accounted but as one Nation, becauſe of the bond of their vnity in the publike profeſſion of the Law of Moſes; and ſeeing they that hang on Mahomet as their Prophet onely, howſoeuer diuided both in ſects and kingdomes amongſt themſelues, are yet in regard of their common profeſſion of Mahumetiſme, accounted but as one body of Mahumetans; How much more truely doe theſe 3. bonds of profeſſing one and the ſame Lord and King, of receyuing his one and the ſame law and word of incorporating themſelues into one body by Baptiſme, in which 3. the eſſence of Chriſtianity conſiſteth, make al the profeſſed chriſtians of the world of one incorporation, howſoeuer they are ſcattered in the earth, and ſcattered in place and in knowledge one of another? yea, and in ſom priuat opinions alſo differ; for they all viſibly meete in their one roote Chriſt, and in profeſſing of faith in him. To theſe 4. common bonds the Primitiue Church added, as they might, a fift bond of communion, and mutuall ſociety, euery new created Biſhoppe and ouerſeer of any particular Church, ſending his ſynodicall letters of the profeſſion of his faith to his neighbour brethren, and they accordingly receiuing one another into the communion and fellowſhippe of loue, as appeareth by the Eccleſiaſticall ſtory. Laſtly, when the Emperor himſelf became a chriſtian, and the bonds of the Empire and of the church were in a maner all one, they added a 6. bond; the common aſſemblies of all the ouerſeers of the particular Vineyards within the Empire, in common counſell to make peace, and ſet down orders for the peaceable and vniform gouernment of the whole. But the church of Rome, which in the greatnes ſhee is growne to, ſayeth of her ſelfe, as Babylon, Reuel. 18. I am a Queene, and am no widow, and ſhall ſee no mourning, that is, I cannot faile, would teach the world a new leſſon or article of chriſtian faith, not read in the Scripture, not thought of in the Primitiue church, not acknowledged by any ancient Father, not dremed of by any anciēt Biſhop of that See, that notwithſtanding God thundered, and was angry, when the Iſraelites asked a King, as therein reiecting God to raigne ouer them; yet now the Church cannot be vnder Chriſt and his Iudges, as Iſrael was, vnleſſe ſhe haue a King, an abſolute Monarch ouer her, and that is the Biſhoppe of Rome: that all who acknowledge not this doctrine, are heretiques; all that yeelde not that obedience, are ſchiſmatiques; none of the Church and body of Chriſt; all as Publicans and Infidels, and in the ſtate of damnation. A fearefull ſentence, like that of the Bramble, Iugd. 9. If you put not your truſt vnder my ſhadow, fire ſhall come out from me, and conſume the Cedars of Libanon: For if all bee ſchiſmatiques, and cut off from the Church, like branches from the Vine, that acknowledged not the Biſhop of Rome for their King: then was Saint Cyprian in a damnable eſtate, who not onely reiected Stephanus the Biſhoppe of Rome, in a matter of faith, but in matter and caſes of iuriſdiction alſo forced appeales to Rome, and aduiſed the Biſhops of Spaine to repeale him, whom Stephanus had reſtored to his Biſhoprick. Then was Saint Auguſtine in a damnable eſtate, who with 216. Biſhops, in the 6. Councell of Carthage, not onely wrote to Innocentius, not to receiue appeales out of Africa, nor to ſend his Legats a letter, nor to bring in the ſmoaky pride of the world into the Church of God, but alſo made a decree purpoſely againſt his challenged authority, that what Prieſt or Deacon ſoeuer ſhould appeale to any beyond the ſea, he ſhould be excommunicated throughout all Africa.

But what doe I ſpeake of particular Biſhoppes, that a canonicall Councell of Calcedon, of 630. Catholique Biſhoppes was in a damnable ſtate, which made a decree, that the Archbiſhoppe of Conſtantinople ſhould haue equall priuiledges with the Archbiſhop of Rome; and that he hauing the next place of honour, ſhould in cauſes Eccleſiaſtical be aduanced as farre as the See of Rome? And although the Popes Legates did by all meanes labour to ſtay the decree, as being repugnant to a former decree of the Nicene Councell for the church of Antioch, yet it paſſed with generall conſent, and was pronounced by the Iudge as the decree of the Councell: neither is this it ſelfe ſo much to be regarded, as the reaſon they gaue for that their decree; that as their Father had not giuen, without good aduice, to the See of elder Rome, the firſt place of honor, becauſe that City was the ſeat of the Empire, ſo with a former councell of 150. Biſhops at Conſtantinople, vnder Theodoſius the elder, moued with like conſideration, had giuen equall priuiledges to the moſt holy See of new Rome; and they inſiſting in the ſteppes of ſacred Fathers, did againe decree the ſame thing. This was in thoſe dayes the opinion of the Biſhops of the whole world, concerning the ground & reaſon of the Biſhoppe of Romes Primacy; neither was that the opinion of the Church for a time: but three partes of the Chriſtian world, vnder the three Patriarkes of Conſtantinople, of Antioch, and of Alexandria, haue alwayes ſince receiued him as hereticall for his claime, inſomuch that they denied their Emperor Michael Palaeologus chriſtian burial, for yeelding to the Church in the councell at Lions; & euen at this day, though their miſerable ſlauery vnder the Turke might force them to yeeld a ſhew of ſubiection to any chriſtian, of whom they might hope of any comfort: yet they cannot in their conſciences frame themſelues to this groſſe and lying flattery. Wretched men, if vndergoing ſuch miſeries vnder the hands of their enemies for Chriſts name, neglecting ſuch liberties and worldly preferments, as are propoſed to reuolters, they are notwithſtanding in the damnable eſtate of the Turkes and Infidels, and Aliens from CHRIST for that default, though they thus liue as Confeſſors, and many of them die as Martyrs.

But to conclude, the vniuerſall Church and Spouſe of Chriſt, for many ages after her Lords aſcenſion, kept herſelfe free from theſe domeſticall yoakes; neither could ſhee bee induced, that any decree or cannon ſhould be impoſed ouer her by any one of her Biſhops, but that which her ſelf in the free and common Councel of her elder children concluded to bee good for her ſelfe and hers: for execution of which orders and Canons, though ſhee appointed her elder ſonnes to ouerſee her younger firſt, ſome as Biſhoppes to ouerſee her Presbyters; and after ſome as Primates to ouerſee her Biſhops; and laſtly, ſome as Archbiſhoppes and Patriarks to ouerſee her Primates; yet all the orders which they exacted of particular perſons, were the common decrees of their Synods. Now wonderfull it is to conſider, how one of her owne children, by getting the elder brothers place, hath in the abſence of the Lord, vſurped and claimed ouer the necks, firſt, of all his brethren in particular; and laſtly, ouer the necke of his mother alſo, creeping vp by the Emperour, like Iuie by the Oke, till he had ouertopped him alſo; from a primacy, to a ſupremacy, and after, to an abſolute and viſible Monarchie and Kingdome of Romans, and as Lord of all, impoſed lawes to his owne mother, & drawing all power into his hands, and making himſelfe as the Sunne, from which all others, both Moone and Stars do receiue their light.

Thus hath Lucifer inuaded Chriſts poore Family, and hath made choyce of a perſon of humility, by whom, vnder the colour of piety and religion, hee might bring into the Church of Chriſt, the higheſt degree of pride, that euer the world ſaw in any worldly ſtate, or the weakeneſſe of man is capable of; whom hee ſetting vp on the foundation, not of a rocke, but of imagination and opinion only; and crowning with a triple crowne, hath perſwaded both him to take, and perſwaded men to giue more then humane honours, as high as to the titles of Optimus maximus, our Lord God the Pope; and as our Countryman Stapleton writeth to him, Supremum in terris Numen, forcing the Emperors ſometimes acknowledged for his gracious Lords and Soueraignes, to yeeld their neckes for him to trample on, and the Kings and Princes of the earth to licke the duſt of his feet, and all the people for their ſaluation to fall downe before him, as hauing all keyes and powers of heauen and earth, and hell, and purgatory; as blaſting with the breath of his mouth like lightning, whatſoeuer hee curſeth; as hauing the oracles of God in his breaſt, and that neuer ordinary priuiledge that he cannot erre.

This was the puniſhment of the Church, after that thorow abundance and wealth, and eaſe, ſhe became wanton, and loued not the truth: that as it was propheſied, 2. Theſſ. 2. God ſhould ſend ſtrong deluſions, and men ſhould belieue lies, to the aſtoniſhment of all other churches, both Eaſterne and Southerne, who wonder that wee can belieue ſuch fancies.

As for the neceſſity of one viſible Monarch to make the viſible church one, ſeeing the Apoſtles writings in their ſo often mention of the church, and the paſtors of the ſame, neuer intimate this doctrine of this Monarchie, ſeeing Eph. 4. the Apoſtle of purpoſe laieth the grounds of vnity, alledgeth thoſe other bonds, One Lord, one Faith, one Baptiſme, and omitteth this; ſeeing after reckoning vpon the ſeuerall degrees of Miniſters both ordinary and inordinary, giuen to his church, after his affection for the building of it in truth and loue, hee ſetteth downe Apoſtles, Euangeliſts, Prophets, Paſtors & Teachers, this one Monarch is not once named to the church; ſeeing before Chriſts comming God had a viſible Church in Iob his houſe, not depending vpon the Church of Iudah, and is alſo granted by Bellarmine, and yet the Church of God was alwayes one; ſeeing ſince Chriſt the Primitiue Church had no ſuch head, but as Aeneas Siluius acknowledgeth, Ante Nicenum Concilium ſibi quiſque viuebat, & ad Romanam Eccleſiam paruus ad modum respectus habebat: and yet in the long time of that little regard of Rome, the Church of Chriſt was one; ſeeing to this day all Churches in the three partes of the world, haue ſo anciently renounced this one head, who notwithſtanding may not be accounted caſtawayes, and no partes of Chriſts Church; ſeeing whatſoeuer reaſon is vrged of neceſſity, one Biſhoppe doth as neceſſarily proue the neceſſity of one King ouer all the Chriſtian world; truely, we are ſo farre from thinking the neceſſity of one viſible head to be an article of our faith, that contrariwiſe wee agree in iudgement with Gregory the Great, concerning the danger of the ſame, who diſputing againſt the very name and title of an vniuerſal Biſhoppe, bringeth this reaſon againſt the thing, Eccleſiae vniuerſa corruit, ſi ille vniuerſus cadit: if that vniuerſall Biſhoppe ſhould fall, his fall be the ruine of the whole Church. This our lamentable experience hath made good, not onely in the gouernment of the Weſtern Churches, in which he hath been like a wilde Bore in the Lords Vineyard, but alſo in their faith, which by reaſon of their generall ſubiection to that one head, was as generally tainted with the ſame errors: for as when one foot ſlippeth, the other may ſtand and vphold the body, vnleſſe it bee carried with the ſway of that which ſlipped: ſo when one Church faileth in any point of truth, an other may ſtand & vphold the ſame, vnles they be dependant one vpon an other, & reſpect not that only vncorruptible head Chriſt, and his vnchangeable lawes.

2 Now, that we haue found out the Lords Vineyard, and conſidered the nature and ſtate of the ſame, wee are in the next place to conſider the husbandry which the Lord of this Vineyard vſeth, the labour, the coſt, the skill, and care hee beſtoweth on it to make it proſper; for ſince that vniuerſall curſe pronounced by the mouth of God, Curſed be the earth for mans ſake: thornes and thiſtles ſhall it bring forth: Gen. 3. good things do hardly thriue, without skilfull and Induſtrious planting and cheriſhing; their impediments are many; their helpes muſt be ſo many, that the Vineyard which is neglected and left to it ſelfe, may ſeem in a manner blameleſſe, though it proue not fruitfull; for theſe duties therefore of the husbandman, the Lord conſcious to himſelfe of his own goodneſſe towards it, doubteth not to make the Vineyard and Church it ſelfe, and euery plant thereof, euen all the inhabitants of Iudah, his Iudges, what one thing hee hath omitted which might haue ſmothered it, (What could I haue done to my Ʋineyard (ſaieth God) which I haue not done?

The particulars were ſet downe before. 1. The choice of the ſeat of Canaan, (My beloued had a Ʋineyard on a verie fruitfull hill. 2. His fencing it from ſpoyles (He hedged it about) with his mighty protection. 3. The choyce of the plants, (Hee planted it with the beſt plants) the roote the (true Ʋine that came downe from heauen) the branches, the ſonnes of Abraham. 4. The preparing of the Soile, he gathered vp the ſtones that might hinder the growth, the Cananites and Hittites. 5. For a further defence hee built a Towre in the middeſt of it, his glorious Temple. 6. He ſet vp a Vinepreſſe in it, an Altar vpon which they might offer the fruits of their free will offerings; to thoſe hee added continuall pruning and dreſſing; & watring of it from the cloudes of heauen: It appeareth after, Ver. 6. For the proofe of theſe particulars, reade the old Teſtament. What is the whole hiſtory of the Bible, but the narration of Gods bleſſings vpon his owne people, as if hee minded no other nation, no part of his creation but onely them? What is Geneſis, but the miraculous preſeruation of them in their firſt ſpring and tender beginnings, till they were growne into a great people, now a plant able to bee remoued, and to ſtand by it ſelfe? What are Exodus and Numbers, but a powerfull tranſlating of this Vine by a mighty hand out of the Garden of Egypt, where it was borne downe, and the gracious ordering and preſeruing of it, as it were, aboue ground in a wilderneſſe, where it had nothing to liue on for forty yeares, till it was to be planted in Canaan? What are Leuiticus and Deuternomy, but the heauenly rules and orders of husbandring, diſpoſing and pruning, and dreſſing this vine to preſerue it in ſtate? And laſtly, what are the hiſtories of Ioſua and Iudges, and Kings, but the mighty planting of it in the land of Canaan, the caſting out of the Cananits, like ſtones & thorns, & the weeding out of thoſe mighty Nations, which might hinder the growth of the Vine? There the heauens and the earth, the ſunne, the fire, the cloudes, and the ſea, together with the Angels & hoſt of heauen, all were commanded in their ſeuerall callings to attend vpon this Vine: for they were the people which the Lord called to be a holy generation, his royall Prieſthood, and that was the place of which he propheſieth, Pſal. 132. The Lord hath choſen Sion, and loueth to dwell in it, ſaying, here is my reſt for euer, here will I dwell, for I haue delighted therin: I will ſurely bleſſe her victuals, & ſatiſfie her poore with bread: I will cloath her Priests with ſaluation, and her Saints ſhall ſhout for ioy. Now thoſe temporall bleſſings of peace and abundance, thoſe temporary deliuerances from al enemies, thoſe miracles and thoſe wonders, and that ſenſible preſence of God himſelfe in the middeſt of them, though they ſeeme ſtrange in our eyes, and at the reading of them doe make vs Chriſtians to ſay, Hee hath not dealte ſo with any Nation, Hee hath not dealt ſo with any Chriſtian Church; yet wee are deceiued, for the gracious kindnes of God died not with Iſrael: but rather thoſe viſible mercies towards Iudah, were the viſible ſeales of his inuiſible and perpetual graces towards his Church, and euery part therof; for where he hath an outward Church, there he hath alſo ſome elect to bee placed in it for eternity; and where any of his elect are, there are all things neceſſary to their accompliſhment, his Ministers, his Word, his Sacraments, his Graces, his Protection, his exceeding loue. For ſeeing thoſe outward viſible Churches, bee as it were the Lords Workehouſes, wherein hee frameth the inuiſible members of Chriſts body by grace, and proportioneth them to glory: that etern all wiſdome and loue will ſo prouide, order, and proportion alſo thoſe means one to another, and all vnto the end, that it may iuſtly challenge the whole world: what ſhould I ſay? (What could I haue done for my Ʋineyard which I haue not done?) And here, though occaſion is offered, It were a good thing to prayſe the Lord, and to ſing vnto the name of the moſt high, to declare this his louing kindnes in the morning, and his truth all the day vntill night ſeaſon: (for ſo much of our life is Angelicall, as is ſpent in ſongs of thankefulnes vnto our God;) yet I muſt leaue this work to be the ſacrifice of your priuate deuotion. In which that one onelie benefit vpon the Chriſtian Church is more then wee ſhall be able to comprehend, that this Vineyard, this Paradice whereof himſelfe vouchſafeth to be the huſbandman, hee hath purchaſed to himſelfe by the price of bloud, not as Ahab purchaſed Naboth his Vineyard by the cruell ſhedding of the right owners bloud, and vniuſt robbing the poſſeſſor of it, but by giuing an infinit price for it, the bloud of his onely beloued ſonne to redeeme it, where it lay ingaged in the hand of iuſtice: and the Apoſtle concludeth neceſſarily, Rom. 9. Hee who spared not his owne ſonne, but gaue him for his Church, how ſhall hee not with him giue all things to her? he that hath yeelded vp the perſon of his infinitly beloued to be a ſacrifice for her ſins, and doth giue his fleſh to feede his Church, and his bloud to bee her drinke: how iuſtly may hee demaund, What could he doe more for his Vineyard which hee hath not done?

But here though it be with the conſent of all tongues acknowledged, that the bleſſings of God vpon his Church and euery part thereof are exceeding great, yet this challenging, as it were, of his own omnipotency, (What could I haue done more, which I haue not done?) rayſeth a doubt not to bee ouerpaſſed. For might not this houſe of Iudah & the inhabitants of Ieruſalem haue replyed in the wordes of the Leper, Math. 8.2. Lord if thou wilt, thou canſt make me cleane? the ordinarie obiection which many godles perſons in our times doe frame, both againſt God and themſelues, attributing their impenitency not to their owne obſtinacy and corruptions, but to Gods vnreſiſtable will: for, if hee would (ſay they) he could ſanctifie vs, and make vs cleane alſo. Wherein, firſt, that is vndoubtedly true, that God, who made Iron to ſwimme, and rockes of ſtone to yeelde forth ſtreames of water; who made Aaron his dried ſtaffe to bud, and bring forth Almonds in a night; he, who could of ſtones raiſe vp children vnto Abraham, if hee would by miracle, could mollifie theſe obſtinate ſinners alſo, and make their rockie hearts guſh forth with teares; hee could make them of ſtones children, and of withered ſtickes fruitfull trees, and that in a moment by the might of his omnipotent power: but as in the gouernement of the world, hee hath ſet downe an ordinary courſe according to the nature of his creatures, which he doth not alter, but vpon ſpeciall occaſion, as our Sauiour noteth in the cure of Naaman, and in the feeding of the widdow of Sarepththa, Luke 4.27. ſo in the ordering of his Church alſo, & conuerſion of the ſoules of men, he hath ſet down an ordinary courſe of ſecondary ſpiritual cauſes agreeable to their end, and fitted to perſwade the mind of man; as principally, the word of truth and light in the mouth of his meſſengers, accompanied with a meaſure of his ſpirit. Thus by Moſes and the Prophets hee conuerteth ſinners: if men will not heare them, no though a man ſhould riſe from the dead, ſaith our Sauiour, they will not belieue: for theſe are ſo forceable, and ſo proportionated in his wiſdom to the heart of man, ſo ſeconded with the graces of his powerfull ſpirit, both for the inſtructing of the mind, and thereby the inclining of the will, that vnleſſe a man hath more then ordinarily corrupted himſelfe in ſin, vnleſſe he be like theſe trees in Iude his Epiſtle, Twice dead, and plucked vp by the rootes, vnles hee bee like Lazarus, not onely dead, but ſtinking alſo in his graue, habitually corrupted, and that with ſuch kinds of particular vices, as are oppoſite to the receiuing of the life of grace; it could not but draw him vnto God. Of this ſort are thoſe obdurate ſinners, which haue hearts and cannot repent: Rom. 2.5. for though all inherent ſinne be contrary to God and his truth; yet ſome ſinnes and vices are more oppoſite to Chriſt then others, which maketh ſome ſinners conuerſion more difficult then others. Thus our Sauiour affirmeth, that Publicans and Harlots ſhal ſooner come to Gods Kingdome, then proud Phariſies, that ſtand vpon their owne righteouſnes according to the Law, and therefore conceiued no need of repentance and redemption by an other Sauiour. Thus he generally affirmeth of the Iewes, whoſe eares and hearts were by cuſtome growne more then as all men naturally are, ſo obſtinately hardned in contempt, againſt the word of truth, that, Mat. 11.21 had the ſignes and wonders that were done amongſt them beene done in Tyre and Sydon, nay in Sodom, they would haue repented in Sackcloth and Aſhes, as the Nineuites did at the preaching of Ionas onely. And this is that obſtinate oppoſition of ſome againſt the ordinary meanes of mans ſaluation, that cauſed not onely the Prophets to mourn, but our Sauiour Chriſt to ſit down and to weepe ouer Ieruſalem, when he ſaw that ſhee would not bee gathered to her Redeemet; as if Chriſt ſhould haue ſaid, as God by our Prophet: What could I haue done more for my Ʋineyard which I haue not done?

3 After the conſideration of this ſo exceeding great coſt and care beſtowed vpon the Lords Vineyard, wee are in the third place to looke vnto the end of theſe his labours and husbandry beſtowed on his Church; & that is the ſame which euery man which plāteth a vineyard, doth expect of his plants, fruits, (I looked for grapes) fruites naturall and proper to a Vine, proper to a Chriſtian that receiueth the nature, the ſappe, the ſpirit of the roote Chriſt. Why the good workes and fruites of Chriſtians are compared to grapes, and themſelues to vines, I partly ſhewed before. For, as nothing is created for it ſelfe; ſo the pooreſt creature that GOD hath made, is inabled with ſome gift to imitate the bounty and goodneſſe of the Creator, and to yeeld ſomthing from it ſelfe to the vſe and benefit of others; and this is their naturall worke: thus the Sun and Moone, and Starres, as they are indued with light & vertue, ſo they reſtleſly moue to impart their light and influence to the inlightning and quickning of the inferiour world. Thus doe the cloudes flie vp and downe, emptying themſelues to inrich the earth, of which notwithſtanding they reape no harueſt. Thus doth the earth without reſpect of her priuate profit, liberally yeelde her riches and fatnes to the innumerable armies of creatures, which all ſucke her breſts, and hang on her for maintenance, as on their common mother: and not to depart frō our Parable, thus doe all fruit-bearing trees, ſpend themſelues and the principall part of their ſappe and moiſture, not on the increaſe of themſelues, but in making ſome pleaſant fruit or berry, of which neyther they, nor their young ſprings ſhall taſte; and this when it is ripe & perfect, they voluntarily let fall at their maſters feet: & thus neither doth the Vine make her ſelfe drunke with her owne grapes, nor the Oliue annoint her ſelfe with her own oyle, and yet they ſtriue to abound with fruites. For the more euery thing furthereth the common good of the world, the higher is the excellency of the nature thereof, and the greater reſemblance it hath to the Creators goodneſſe. Now when heauen and earth are fruitfull in their kinde, when neyther beaſt nor tree are idle, but are alwaies bringing forth ſomething to the good of others; when not onely the creatures vnder man, but the bleſſed Angels of heauen are miniſtring ſpirites, perpetually and willinglie ſeruing for our good: when God the father himſelfe, with the Lord our King, are yet working, and diuiding the ſtreames of their goodneſſe to the beſt behoofe of the world; how can it bee allowable, that when all the Armies of heauen and earth, the Creator with the creatures are thus buſied in bringing forth fruit: onely man ſhould remaine vnfruitfull, his faculties and graces idle, himſelfe a burthen to the earth? It cannot be, for not onely the Church of God, for the gathering of her children, & the propagation of truth and piety amongſt them, but the world it ſelfe, for the vpholding of her eſtate, doth neceſſarily require mans fruits: for ſeeing we grow together as members in a body, and branches in a tree; the life and ſappe, & ſtrength and helpe of the root, and head cannot be deriued to vs, vnleſſe it be conuaied by ioynts and by ſinewes, by armes and by boughes, by the mutuall miniſtery of man, by the works of iuſtice and mercy from one to another: and therefore vnleſſe the Paſtor yeelde the fruit of his light and knowledge, vnleſſe the Magiſtrate do yeelde the fruit of his iuſtice and authority, vnleſſe euery priuate man doe yeeld forth the fruite of thoſe faculties & graces which they receiue not for themſelues, but for the good of the body: they are no parts of Chriſts body, neyther haue they the ſpirit of the head, the ſpirite of loue in them; but they are theeues and murtherers, enemies to Chriſt and to his Church, they ſtarue his body, and purloine from their fellow members thoſe good things which the mercifull head hath ſo intended by them to vs, that the benefite might be ours, and the thanks theirs, and al might grow by the naturall fruits of loue.

But here ordinarily ariſeth in the mind of man a vaine ſhift which much hindreth his fruitfulnes, and maketh him draw in all to himſelfe, and recall his ſappe from the fruits into the roote againe, and that is a falſe reaſoning with himſelfe, that becauſe, doe he the beſt he can, yet his fruits will bee earthly and ſowre, and neuer perfect and kindely ripened, becauſe were they neuer ſo perfect and abundant, yet they cannot merite lifes eternity to him that beareth them, and becauſe that which is wanting, is fully ſupplied in the all-ſufficient fulneſſe and ſuperrogatiue merits of the head, and therefore it is but loſt labour to ſpend himſelfe in bringing forth ſuch vnperfect fruites, ſo helpeles in the worke of his owne ſaluation: thus doth iniquity lie vnto her ſelfe, and turneth the truth of God into a lie: for though thoſe three promiſes are all true, yet the concluſion we inferre vpon them, is altogether vncoherent. True it is, that though wee bee ingrafted into the eternall Vine Chriſt, yet wee retaine ſomething of the nature of the olde ſtocke whence wee were taken, which giueth to our beſt fruites an earthly taſte and ſome reliſh of the olde man. True it is, that though we are planted with the beſt heauenly plants of piety, yet they grow in a forraine ſoile, and in a colde clime, farre from the Sun, and our fruites are not concocted and perfect; euen our moſt ſpirituall fruits, our prayers haue not a pleaſing taſte, vnleſſe they haue ſome ſweetning. But this defect is ſupplyed by the great Angell of the couenant, who when he preſenteth theſe our fruits to God the great husbandman, addeth to them of his owne precious incenſe, which helpeth their infirmity and harſhnes, and maketh them acceptable, Renel. 8.4. Again, true it is, that theſe our fruits, were they neuer ſo abundant, and as excellent as mans perfectly reſtored perfection can afforde, yet can they not merite thoſe crownes and kingdomes, and the eternity of that glory, but that When yee haue done all that you can, wee must ſay that yee are vnprofitable trees, not worthy the care and coſt, the feeding, the watering, the graces, the continuance beſtowed on them in this world, no more then the fruites of the Orenge and Lemmon, and Figge-trees in this our colde land are anſwerable to the extraordinary charge of their planting and maintaining; yet notwithſtanding all this, euen theſe our ſowre and vnperfect fruites, howſoeuer defectiue in themſelues, are yet ſufficiently profitable for the vſes of the Church, during this her warrefare, wherein any meane thing is very comfortable, and troubled waters doe often ſerue for Souldiers drinke; and in that regard all they are pleaſing to the great husbandman, to ſee theſe his plants in ſome degrees profitable to the world, and by their fruits, louing, cheriſhing and feeding one another, as their roote doth feed them. But for the Crowne of heauen, and a kingdome of eternall glory, this riſeth aboue the compaſſe of the deſeruings of ſeruants: It paſſeth to vs by another right and claime, by inheritance, due onely to vs as ſonnes, and therefore children and babes as ſoone as they are adopted in Chriſt: thecues and murtherers like the prodigall ſonne, vpon their faithfull return to God, though they die immediately (as the theefe on the Croſſe) before the time of fruit-bearing, and working in the Vineyarde; yet by right of this their new birth, and adoption into Chriſts body, they haue a right to heauen equal with their brethren, that haue ſpent all their life in painefull fruit bearing; for if ſonnes, then heires (ſayth the Apoſtle) euen fellow heyres with Ieſus Chriſt: For notwithſtanding for the preſent whileſt theſe ſons continue in their minority, they differ not from ſeruants, though they bee Lords of all, Gal. 4.1. they obey their Fathers commandements, and they labour in his Vineyard, and doe more faithfull ſeruice in the houſe, one ſonne of loue, then twenty hyred ſeruants do for feare of ſtripes: and this is to them as diſcipline healthfull and neceſſary for their owne good alſo, and in their time of liuing, the foundation of their perfection in grace, to make them fit for that heauenly place, & in all vertues qualified, for ſo great an inheritance in a ſociety ſo glorious. And as for the reward of ſuch obedient ſonnes, wee haue our fathers anſwere to the elder brother that challenged his fathers iuſtice for his bounty towards his vnthrifty ſonne, & hardnes towards him who had continued moſt faithfull in his ſeruice: Sonne (ſaith our Father) thou art alwayes with mee, and all that I haue is thine: as obedient ſonnes therfore wee are alwaies with our father, this is our ſecurity, and all is ours, becauſe ſonnes. VVhat can we deſire more? Our good works and ſeruices of piety are therefore, as S. Barnard moſt excellently concludeth of them, in the very end of his Booke; De libero Arbitrio: They are the nurceries of our hope, the Ministeries of our loue, tokens of our ſecret predeſtination, foretokens of our future bleſſedneſſe: Ʋia regni, non cauſa regnandi: they are the way vnto our kingdom: they are not the cauſe why wee ſhall raigne as Kings. Now if notwithſtanding all this, wee Chriſtians cannot be induced to exerciſe our faculties in doing good, and to bring forth fruits of loue anſwerable to our new nature, as all other creatures do in their kind, without ſome reward and hire; behold firſt we are created, or dained, redeemed, furniſhed with gracer, maintained in our eſtate, with bountifull ſupplies of all neceſſaries for our place: and what greater reward doth the Vine or the Oliue, or any other Creature expect for their fruits but their maintenance, euery thing in their kind; the Centurion in the Goſpell that had Souldiers vnder him, and could ſay to one, Come, and hee came, and to another, Goe and he went, though into certaine danger of his life; what greater rewardes could hee giue to them, then this preſent abundance and maintenance, or what greater rewards doth any ſeruant expect at his maſters hand, for as great ſeruice and as faithfull as we men performe to God? Againe, were our naturall loue and ſeruices one towards another as ready and as perfect as are the duety of one member in the body to another, (for the Apoſtle propoſeth as the ſampler of our duety) yet wee receiue a further ſufficient reward, the like mutuall helps from them againe: and what other reward doth the eye or feete, or hand expect for their daily atrendance, but the like mutuall ſeruice from the body? Againe, this is the Apoſtles counſell, Gal. 6.1. If any man bee falne, yee that are spirituall, reſtore him, conſidering thy ſelfe, leſt thou bee alſo tempted; Euen as trauellers doe mutually aid, comfort, and in any diſtreſſe releeue one another without any further reſpects of priuate gaine. If all this will not ſtirre vp our Chriſtian hearts to performe the duties of a Chriſtian man, by which their owne ſoules are bettered and increaſed in grace: Behold yet a further commodity from the Maſter of the Vineyard, his ſpeciall bleſſing, and increaſe of his care and graces vpon theſe plants which are moſt fruitfull: For euery branch that beareth not fruite in mee, hee taketh away, and euery branch that beareth fruite, hee purgeth, that it may beare more, Ioh. 15.

Thus haue they increaſe of graces from heauen, & which is the greateſt of all graces, the grace of perſeuerance, whē other periſh they are preſerued and watered, when fruitles branches are cut off for the fire: for he not onely bleſſeth their ſtore who ſpend it vpon their brethren, as ſprings that runne are fed that they may continue; but hee dealeth mercifully alſo with them that are mercifull to his children, and his pitty is ready to pardon their offences, & to remit their chaſticements who are kind and pittifull one to another: how gracious is our God to his vines that bring forth grapes, who hath reward for thoſe that giue but a cuppe (not of the iuyce of grapes) but of colde water to any little one for his ſake? Thus doth the temporary fruits of our loue & mercy make a way for vs to Chriſts mercy, and ſo to our eternall peace. Laſtly, if all this cannot ſtirre vp the graces of God in vs vnto fruitfulneſſe: Chriſts finall ſeparation & triall of his ſheepe from goats, of his members from aliens and ſtrangers; his finall publike ſentence of life and death giuen in the ſight of men and Angels, ſhall bee grounded, not vpon the diuerſity of their inward hidden natures, but vpon their ſeuerall kind of acts proceeding from them, vpon the ſeuerall kind of mens fruits: for euery tree is known by their fruits: all Chriſts branches yeelded grapes, all his members as they were poſſeſſed, ſo they were moued, & did work by the ſpirit of loue. Hereby yee are known to be mine, if ye loue one another, Iohn 13.35. and therefore this ſentence alſo is 〈2 pages missing〉