AFter that the Apostle Saint Paule had taught the Romanes many no­table lessons and rules, touching the doctrine of christian faith, charitie, and obedience to Magistrates. In going on to exhort and perswade them to repentance and amendment of life, hee taketh occasion to speake of time, of sléepe, of light, and of darkenesse. And that considering the season (saith he) that it is now time, that we should wake from sleepe:Rom. 13.11.12. for now is our saluation nearer then when we belieued. The night is past, and the day is at hand: let vs therefore cast away the workes of darkenesse, and put on the armour of light, &c.

This worde dormire to sléepe, in some places of the ho­ly scriptures, is taken for requiescere, to rest, as our Saui­our Christ came to his Disciples and found them a sléepe: Christ himselfe slept in the sterne of the Ship, and Peter slept betwéene two souldiers. Againe in some places, it is taken to sléepe in sepulchro, the graue, as Dauid and Salomon slept with their Fathers: Behold saith Iob, I must sléepe in the dust, and Saint Paule saith, The faithfull that are dead, are fallen a sléepe in Christ: But that sléepe which the Apostle doth here speake of, is to sleepe in ignorance, darke­nesse and sinne. The way of the vngodly is called darke­nesse and shadow of death. To wake vp this kinde of slee­pers, and rebuke the world of sinne,Ioh. 6.15. is my chiefe intent and purpose in this booke. Which is, no doubt, a thanklesse of­fice, and a verie vnthriftie occupation, veritas odium parit, truth neuer goeth without a scratcht face: he that will be bu­sie with vae vobis, let him looke shortly for coram nobis. So long as Micheas prophecied victorie against the Assy­rians, he was a trim Prophet: but after when he tolde them the contrarie, they had him in great disdaine. When our Sauiour Christ fedde the people,1. Thess. 8. they woulde haue made [Page 2] him a king:Mat. 27. but after when he began to rebuke their naugh­tie manners, they desired to haue him crucified: euen so in these dayes, our daintie eares can hardly abide to heare our vices touched: Much like the foolish Asse, that when he is a loading standeth stocke still, but in taking the load off his backe, doth yearke out behinde. It may aptly be saide vnto our people, as Martiall the Poet saide once to his friends, My friendes (saith he) you will imbolden me to speake the truth, and the truth is this, that you can not abide to heare the truth. He therefore that will boldly vtter his conscience without feare or flatterie, shall hardly escape without immi­nent daunger. Notwithstanding how odious and despised soeuer Gods Prophets shall séeme to the eyes of the world, they must not be afraid to speake the truth, & to beate down the infection of sinne and wickednesse. How dangerous soe­uer it be for Lot to reproue the filthinesse of the Sodomites, yet must he not cease to say vnto them.Gen. 19. I pray you my bre­thren, doe not so wickedly. Though it cost Iohn Baptist his heade, yet must he not forbeare to say vnto Herod, It is not lawfull for thée to haue thy brother Philips wife.Mat. 6.18. Though Nathans message séeme neuer so perillous, yet must he not be afraid to say vnto Dauid,2. King. 12. Thou art the man, it is thou that hast done this déede. Elias must not be afraid to say vnto Achab,3. King. 18. It is thou and thy fathers house that hath brought this plague vpon Israel. Ionas must not refuse to crye out in the stréetes of Niniuie,Ionas. 3. Yet remaineth fortie daies and Niniuie shall be destroyed.Mat. 10. Our Sauiour Christ sent forth his Disciples as shéepe amongst woolues. I haue giuen thée a face of brasse,Ezech. 3. as hard as a flint stone, that thou shalt not be afraide to tell my people their sins and offences, saith the Lord. As Christ himselfe tooke all our sinnes vpon him, so ought euerie good christian to take the iniuries done to Christ as his owne. The Lord hateth as well him that iustifieth the vngodly,Prou. 17. Psal. 139. as he that condemneth the innocent. O Lord (saith Dauid) I haue alwaies hated those that loue not thée, and béene a straunger to those that haue forsaken thy law,He that is not with me, is a­gainst me, saith our Sa­uiour. Amicum esse licet (saith the Philosopher) sed vsque ad Aras. Dauid woulde haue no friendes but those that were Gods friendes, nor enimies but those that were Gods enimies, and hee that will beare with the vice of his dearest [Page 3] friendes wherein God is offended, is vnworthie the name of a christian. And he that rebuketh vices where amendment doth follow, killeth the sinner that man hath made, and sa­ueth the man whom God hath made. We reade in the Go­spel, of certaine people that were possessed with diuels,Mar. 16.9. Mat. 10.1. Luke. 4.36. Luke. 9.1. which Christ himselfe did cast out, and gaue power to his Disciples to doe the like. But I thinke, in no age from the beginning was there euer so many possessed with diuelish spirits, as in these our miserable dayes. In old time, Agar was more fruitful then Sara: and in our time the Church is so barren, & the world so frutefull to bring forth huge swarmes of wicked impes, that hard it is to finde one corner, calling, or kinde of life without them. We reade of seuen principall or captaine diuels, who haue alwaies borne a great sway amongst men. The first called Lucifer, the diuel of pride and presumption,Esay. 14. Mat. 12. Luke. 22. Apoc. 9. Mat. 6. A gaping Idol. Tob. 3. The second, Belzebub, the Lord of enuie and malice: The third, Sathan, the maister of wrath and disdaine: The fourth Abadan, the patrone of sloth and idlenesse: The fift, Mam­mon the father of couetousnesse and snudgerie: The sixt, Belphegor, the God of gluttonie and drunkennesse: and The seuenth, Asmodius, the ruler of lecherie and whoredom. And whosoeuer is infected with any of the saide vices, be sure he is possessed with a great captaine diuel, which must of necessitie be cast out, or els of force the man must perish. And surely the Clergie of long time haue beene verie careful and diligent in discharging their duetie herein,Luke. 13.3. so as the immortall seede of the Gospell, since the Apostles time was neuer more plentifully sowne. Notwithstanding the small testimonie of amendment declareth it to bee rather knowne then kept. The people so louingly linckt in league with the diuel, their eares are so deafe, their sences so dull, their willes so obstinate, and their harts so barren, as they haue neither sence to tast, stomackes to disgest, nor harts to credit, except it feede their filthie infected humors. I thinke if the preachers should go in sackcloth like Esay,Esay. 15. or with yrons about their neckes like Ieremie,Ier. 28. yet were there small hope of amend­ment. If those good auncient Fathers who complai­ned so grieuously of the wretchednesse of their time, did sée the horrible abuses and vile corruptions of our age, they would wonder at our follie, and burst out in teares at our [Page 4] miserie. Or if Saint Paule himselfe were here now to sée our pittilesse dayes, when charitie is growne so colde, and humanitie almost forgotten, no doubt he would wonder, and say, Surely these people are possessed with diuels, they sléepe in sinne, and it is high time to wake them.

And first to beginne with the great rich giants and co­uetous prowling cormorants of this land:Esa. 34. aboundance of wealth hath so bewitched their vnsatiable mindes, and taken such rooting in their flintie harts, that neither the feare of God, the infamie of the world, nor hell mouth that gapes for them,Esa. 5. can once staunch their greedie desires. There is such ioyning of house to house, ground to ground, fielde to fielde, land to land, farme to farme, and liuing to liuing, to maintain their proud backes, golden heades and costly throates, still scraping for superfluitie, that the poore can not haue to aide necessitie: the one wallowing in welth, and floating in pro­speritie, the other wrestling with neede, and like to sinke in miserie.Prea. 4. They haue power to get riches, policie to kéepe them, and time to possesse them, but want harts to vse them: so as the more goods they haue, the more they desire, and lesse good they doe. A number haue too much, but none haue inough, hauing so much doinges, that they can doe nothing well. They swell with intollerable pride and enuie, oppressing their poore brethren,Amos. 4.1. Mich. 2.1.2. some by force like Lyons, and some by fraud like foxes, so that if rich Achab beginne once to frowne, all Westminster Hall & other places to helpe,3. Kin. 21. can not kéepe poore Naboth his vineyarde. Againe, they build great gor­geous houses, as though they should liue for euer, and surfet with excesse of diet, as though they should dye to morrow: being lesse charitable then the diuel himselfe, who desired to haue stones turned into bread: but they turne and conuert biefe and bread that was wont to feede the poore,Mat. 4. into stones and brauerie, & haue brought the common welth to common miserie. The séely wretched soules may féede their eyes with gazing, but their bellies may sterue for food. The goods of christians, by right, should be priuate to no mans lust, but common to euery mans néede, according to their state and calling: But they are prodigally spent in vaine pompe and superfluitie, and made inticing baits to draw men to sinne at their pleasure, and repent at their leasure. Hypocrisie and [Page 5] superstition did bleare the eyes of Papists: and ambiton and couetousnesse putteth out the eyes of the protestants. In times past, he that held by violence that was not his owne, or conuerted other mens goodes to his owne vse, or sought ei­ther by fraudulent or violent meanes to take away their lands or liuings, was accounted a théefe, and the lawes pre­scribed seuerall punishments, and kindes of death, according to the qualitie of the offence. But if there were commission graunted at this day to hang vp all théeues and robbers, I thinke we should rather want gibbets then théeues to furnish them. These worldlings (no doubt) are possessed with Mammon that great maister diuel, they sléepe in sinne, and it is high time to wake them. Either they thinke there is no God, or I must thinke they are no men.

What meane you my brethren and countrimen? will your couetous mindes neuer be satisfied? Christ hath redée­med you from the world, and will you still be partners with the diuel in possessing the world? It will shortly passe away and perish before your eyes, and will you make it your God?2. Pet. 3. What madnesse is it to repose your felicitie in that which is nothing els but troubles to your bodies, disquietnesse to your mindes, cares to your harts,Prou. 15. Prou. 31. inticements of vice to your chil­dren, seedes of enuie to your neighbours, and occasion to your enimies: Neuer got without trauel, kept without danger, nor left without griefe. Gold is called the baite of sin,Eccle. 31 the snare of soules, and the hooke of death. It is aptly com­pared to a fire, whereof a litle is good to warme a man, but too much will burne him vp altogether. Couetousnesse is cal­led the roote of all euil, there is nothing worse then a coue­tous man, saith Iesus Sirach,1. Tim. 6 nor a more wicked thing then to loue money: for such a one hath euen his soule to sell.Eccle. 10 A couetous mans purse is called the diuels mouth: The cha­riot of couetousnesse is saide to be carried of foure whéeles of vices, churlishnesse, faint courage, contempt of God,Barnard. and for­getfulnesse of death: it is drawne by two horses, called gréedy to catch, and holdfast: the carter that driueth it, desire to catch, and the carter hath a whip called loth to forgoe.

If rich worldlings would waigh with them selues, the great wealth they possesse, and the litle good they doe withall; what intollerable euils they haue committed, and how much [Page 6] better they might haue done: how apt they are to offend, and how slow to amend: they would be ashamed to liue, and in great feare to dye. It is hard (saith our Sauiour) for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heauen,Mar. 10.25. Mat. 19.23. they are more hardly conuerted vnto God then poore men, for thrée causes. First, for that pride is alwaies annexed vnto riches. Second­ly, the hart of a rich man is choaked with worldly cares. Thirdly, for as much as they are indued with temporall comforts, they haue small regarde vnto spirituall consolati­on. Woe be vnto such greedie worldlings and fat bulles of Basan,Abacuck. 2. Amos. 6. Iob. 21. Esay. 34. Iere. 12. as couetously gather together euil gotten goodes, that they may set vp their nestes on high to scape from mis­fortune: which wallow in wealth and prosperitie like pam­pered oxen preserued for the day of slaughter, kicke at their duetie, breake the hedge of their boundes, and runne where they list: without spéedy repentance they shall shortly be turned into hell,Psal. 22. and all the people that forget God. Woe be vnto the proud welthie rulers in Sion, that sit in the chaire of wilfulnesse,Amos. 6. and lye vpon soft couches, and beddes of Iuo­rie,Gen. 25. Wisd. 6. Iere. 25. selling their birthright with Esaw for the Potage of pleasure: for they shall be sore punished. Goe to now you rich worldlinges and Rams of the flocke which liue here in pleasure and wantonnesse (saith the Apostle) Weepe and howle for the miseries that shall come vpon you:Iam. 5. for the day is at hand, when you must yéelde account of euerie pennie you haue receiued and were put in trust withall. When without spéedie repentance your welth and prosperitie shall be turned into scarcenesse and penurie; your ioy and glad­nesse,2. Pet. 2. Esay. 34. into sorrow and heauinesse: your mirth and pleasure into lamentation and mourning: your peace and securitie, into miserable calamitie:Mat. 8.12. Psal. 11. and your daintie diet, into wéeping, wailing, and gnashing of téeth: fire and brimstone, storme and tempest, this shall be your portion to drinke. What pro­fiteth it a man to gaine the whole word,Mat. 16.26. and yet loose his own soule.

If a nobleman sending his seruant about his affaires, shall commit his money into his handes vpon trust; with a commandement in writing how to lay it out: thus much vpon such a thing, and thus much vpon such: if that seruant when his maister shal call him to account: shal say vnto him: [Page 7] thus much I spent vpon pompe, pride, and superfluitie, and thus much vpon riote, whoredom and vanitie, so as I could spare litle or nothing to bestow as you commanded: he would surely take that malapert fellow by the eares, thrust him out of his seruice, and commit him to prison for his sawcinesse. Euen so hath God himselfe, the Lord of all Lordes, made and appointed rich worldlings his seruants and stewards, com­mitting his treasure into their hands vpon trust, with a com­mandement in writing, to bestow it in helping and relieuing his poore distressed children, whom he hath chosen to receiue the glad tidings of his gospel, and be heires of his kingdom, whom he hath left here in his owne stead,Mat. 11.5. Iam. 2.5. Luke. 6.20. Ioh. 12.8. Mar. 14.7. Deut. 15. to supply his own absence, and whatsoeuer is done to them, his pleasure is to accept it as done to himselfe. It was promised Moyses for a blessing, that the land where he dwelt should neuer be with­out poore people. He that considereth the poore and néedie saith the Psalmist, the Lorde shall deliuer him in the time of trouble, but he that hath this worlds good,Psal. 41. and séeth his bro­ther haue néede, and shutteth vp his compassion from him, saith the Apostle, how dwelleth the loue of God in him.1. Ioh. 3.17.

Be not deceiued my brethren, God will not be mocked: as worldly riches are Gods good blessinges,Galat. 6.7. to such as can vse them: so are they his fearefull curses to such as abuse them. You ought to spare neither goods nor lands to main­tain the law of charity. Séeing he that hid his talent was cast into vtter darkenesse, no doubt, such wicked Stewardes as doe not onely horde vp, but also waste, mispend, and abuse the Lords talents, shall be sore punished.

He that stoppeth his eares from hearing the poore, saith the wise man, shall cry himselfe and not be heard.Prou. 21.

It is true in déed that euery man ought to haue an ho­nest care for his familie: nature doth teach it, reason doth per­swade it, the word of God doth alow it, and he is worse then an infidell that neglecteth it: yet not for superfluitie, but ac­cording to his state & calling, to aide necessitie:1. Tim. 5.8. and that after the rule of our Sauiour Christ, first to séeke the kingdom of God and then he will blesse all his labors, and encrease his [Page 8] store, so as he shall alwaies haue sufficient: it is not aboun­dance,Mat. 6.33. but the Lords blessings that maketh rich: prosperitie saith Salomon,Prou. 10. Prou. 17. Prou. 28. doth follow liberalitie: so that he which is li­berall to the poore, shall neuer want: and dayly experience teacheth how God doth commonly blesse the good housekée­per with great plentie; when hard patching prowlers haue often such scarcitie,2. Cor. 9.10 Prou. 12. as all men wonder how the diuel they waste it.

An other intollerable mischiefe, is that incurable canker of vsurie, which hath brought many an honest man to mise­ry. It is the office & duetie of a good christian, whom God hath inriched with plentie,Iam. 2.13. to be alwaies ready & willing either by liberall giuing, or charitable lending, to help, comfort and relieue his poore néedy neighbors in distresse. The law of na­ture doth teach it, the rule of charitie doth will it, and Christ himselfe doth command it. Whatsoeuer you would that men should do vnto you,Mat. 7.12. do euen so vnto them, for that is the law and the Prophets.Leuit. 25. If thy brother be impouerished & fallen in decay, thou shalt relieue him, thou shalt open thy hand to thy poore brother,Deut. 15. and lend him sufficient for his néede. From him that would borrow, saith our Sauior Christ, turne not away thy face.Mat. 5.42. He that hath pittie on the poore, saith Salo­mon,Prou. 19. he lendeth vnto the Lord: and looke what he laieth out, it shall be paide him againe. Séeing then, that God himselfe the author and giuer of all good blessings:Mat. 10.29. and without whom not so much as a sparrow falleth vpon the ground; whose promise is euer most certaine and sure yea and Amen, will be suretie for his poore afflicted members, and pay their debts to the vttermost farthing. Sure there is no honest nature, nor true christian hart, hauing any sparke of grace or feare of God,They that feare the Lord will not mi­strust his word. Eccle. 2. Iam, 2.16.13. knowing himselfe to haue store to helpe his poore néedy neighbor in distresse, that contrarie to his owne conscience, either would or durst so dissemble and mocke with his hea­uenly maiestie, as to answere him with excuses.

As loue and charitie, are two speciall fruites of faith and religion: so are frée gift & fauourable loue two speciall frutes of loue and charitie, and most certaine tokens to know a piti­full christian from a cruel infidel.

And as we are commanded to lend, so are wee to lend frée­ly without vsury. Thou shalt not oppresse or bite thy brother [Page 9] with gaine or vsurie: for that is not to help or reléeue, but ra­ther to impouerish and vtterly vndoe them: Cursed bee that lone that bringeth borrowing to begging.Exod. 22. Pro. 28

An olde dog and an hungrie flea is sayd to bite sore, but the couetous vsurer biteth sorer: He that is once catcht in the v­surers bondes, is much like a birde snared in a lime bush, the more she wrestles, the faster she is. Cato beeing asked what it is to lend vpon vsurie, answered, Quid hominem occidere? Cicero offic. lib. 2. Barnard vp­pon that can­ticle. Sermo. 39. Chrisostom vpon Mat. 5. S. Barnard would haue a man rather to do any slauerie, thā sell his patrimonie: yet rather to sell his patrimonie, than bo­row vpon vsurie. Chrisostome compareth vsurie to the sting of an Asp, whose venemous infection casting the party into a pleasant swéet sléepe, disperseth into euery member of his bo­die, that presently he dieth: euen so the borowing vpon vsury séemeth swéet for the time, but in the end, the venemous infe­ction thereof wil so run through his substance, that all that he hath is soone conuerted into debt.

These are the deuouring caterpillers of the common wealth, whose eares in respect of anie goodnesse, are as deafe as a doore naile, their eies as blinde as a béetle, their hearts as a flint stone, and their pouch as gréedie as hell mouth. An v­surer is worse than Iudas, who after hée had solde Christ but once, repented, and restored the money againe: but the v­surer selleth him in his members continually, and yet neuer repenteth nor restoreth the money againe: he is compared to infectious leapers, vnméete for anie Christian assembly, or to a noisome hogge, for that he is neuer profitable till he die, that his friends may striue for his wealth, the worms for his car­casse, and the deuils for his soule. We are taught in the holie Scriptures, to reiecte him that is an heretike,Titus. 3. after the first and second admonition, as a firebrand of hell, knowing that such a one is peruerted, and sinneth euen damned in his own iudgement. And forasmuch as the vice of vsurie is directly a­gainst the commandement,Exod. 22. & yet most wilfully & obstinatlie is practised after so many & vehement admonitions, I thinke it verily in those so often warned, a sin against the holy ghost,Mat. 12.81 Marke. 3.29 1. Iohn. 5.16 Psal. 15 which shall neuer be pardoned, neither in this worlde, nor in the world to come: but euen as Lucifer was cast down from heauen into the horrible dungeon of hell for pride: so shall they he cast headlong downe from the earth, to frie in hell [Page 10] torments for couetousnesse. So loathsome was that filthie broode in times past, that they were excommunicate, as vn­worthy to come in anie Christian congregation, nor suffered to be buried in Christian mans buriall: and if they fell in pouertie, it was not lawfull for anie man to reléeue them, neither might the Minister in time of sicknesse resorte to ex­hort them: but were suffered to die lyke dogges, as they liued.

Some thinke to qualifie the offence, by taking somewhat lesse than ordinarie: but wee may not séeme wiser than the holy Ghost: there is no more meane in this vice, than is in theft, adulterie, and murther. He that stealeth a pennie is a theef, as wel as he who stealeth an hundred pound: hée that committeth fornication but once, is guiltie as wel as he who hath offended a dozen times: hee that killeth but one man▪ breaketh the lawe as wel as he who hath killed twentie: and he that taketh out a pennie of gaine, is an vsurer as well as he who taketh ten pound. Though the dogge bite sorer than the flea, yet the flea biteth. Adam thought it but a smal of­fence to bite the apple, but he was banished from Gods pre­sence for breaking his commandement.

Some would cloake their vsurie by fraudulent bargaines and sales: but though such subtil worldlings, void of all con­science, charitie, and feare of God, bee neuer so craftie and po­litike, to séeke some meanes by wresting of law, to run head­long to the deuill, yet God wil not be mocked: truth is truth, and falshood is falshood. Whatsoeuer is lent out either in mo­ney or wealth,Deut. 23. Ezech. 18 if the lender receiue more in gaine than he de­liuered out, it is vsurie: the alteration of the title cannot take away the badnesse of the vice.

Some to auoide the name of an vsurer, denie to lend anie at all, who in flying of Scylla fall into Charibais, and in stead of an vsurer become a manslaier. The commandement hath two branches,Psal. 112 1. Iohn. 3.17 to lend, and to lend without vsury: so is there two wayes for couetous rich worldlings to runne head­long to hell, the one by lending vpon vsurie, and the other in not lending at all: and to die for it, they will thether either by the one waie or the other: and séeing they will needs go, I thinke it better to send them that way, by which other may haue some vse of their money, than to stop the way clean vp. [Page 10] These vsurers (no doubt) are possessed with some great ma­ster deuil: they sleepe so deadly in sin, that it is hard to awake them, and therefore to themselues I leaue them.

Some thinke the borower to be an offender as well as the lender, but I am not of that minde: for God knoweth poore soule, wheras he is inforced through extreme necessitie, with­out anie euill intent, would be glad to borrow freely:Ier. 15 Esay. 24 but he is constrained to praie heartely, and paie dearely: and so long as the minde and intent is not defiled, no sinne is committed: as a woman that is abused by force against her will: or hee that being in peril vpon the seas, casteth his goods out of the ship to saue his life: or he that is beset with theeues, giueth his purse freely, least his throat should be cut violently.

The next grieuous abuse in this lande, is the corruption of iustice, by meanes of too many ambitious Lawyers, who swarme as thicke now▪ as the Friers in times past, and are as couetous as they were superstitious: and as those wilful beggers were maintained of deuotion and charitie, and the marchantes are enriched through pride and brauerie:To offend the good I meane not, & to [...] the wicked [...] may not. so doe they liue by malice and enuie: by whom our good lawes are abused, as though they had beene made rather to enrich the lawiers, than for execution of iustice, and become like spiders webbes, where great flies passe easily through, but little flies are strangled: or a baite to catch birdes: the lawiers are the foulers, the iudge the net, and the poore clients the birds: for though their cause were neuer so plaine and sure, yet were he much better to giue halfe the prise of his coat at the first, than to defend the whole through bribery & corruption of iustice. So long as their clients continue in greasing their vnsatia­ble handes with vnguentum rubrum, they séeme to feele their matter, incourage them to proceede, and extolling their cause,To sell iustice is intollerable but to sell in­iustice, is ei­ther briberie or plaine kna­uerie. as though the daie were already won, till they haue drawen all the money out of their purses, and the marow out of their bones: at last when all is gone, so as they cease to feed them, as the crow doth her brats: then waxe they colde as a stone, and finding one cauell or other, sende them home to agree a­mongst their neighbors: ah fooles, so they might haue done before.

They are much like a bramble bush standing in y^e midst of a plain field, wherunto the poore sheep in time of cold stormes [Page 12] runne for succour and harbour so long, till at last by little and little, béeing robbed of their fléeces, are sent awaie naked. There is a pretie storie of a blind man,They let the man goe that offended, and punish the purse that ne­uer offended. who carried about his fellow being lame, these in the waie by chance finding an oy­ster, fell at debate which of them was most worthy to haue it, the one alleaging his eies, the other his legs: at last agréeing to be iudged by the next man they should méet, happened vp­pon a Lawier, who taking vpon him to ende this strife, ope­ned the Oister, gaue each of them a shell, and eate the meate himselfe.

Thus vnder a cloke and colour of iustice, they haue prow­led and scraped together the chiefe wealth and fat of the land, to the spoile and vtter vndoing of many an honest poore man: whose proud gorgeous attire, do plainly shew, they intend to robbe a sorte of contentious fooles purses to paie for them, by whom they are maintained to swim in silkes, while them­selues roist in rags.

These Lawiers therefore are surely possessed with some great maister deuil, they sléepe in sinne, and more dangerous than profitable for me to awake them: But I wil pray vnto God to conuert or confound them.

All such, whose beginning is pride and ambition, most cer­taine their end wil be shame and confusion.

Corrupt Lawyers are no doubt a scourge of God, sent in the olde age of this froward world, to plague such wrangling and contentious men, as of an obstinate, wilfull, and maliti­ous stomacke, refuse to haue their matters ended at home a­mongst their quiet neighbours, according to Gods law: for as sinnes and disobedience do increase,Prou. 25 1. Cor. 6 so are punishmentes and iniuries heaped one vpon another.

There came on a time before Alexander Seuerus, two Christians proudly contending and accusing each the other, whom the good Emperour forbad to name themselues Chri­stians any more, for that theyr pride and malice declared thē to be no followers of him whom they professed. But if Alex­ander did see how malitiously the people of our age doe vexe, [Page 13] tosse and turmoile one another in the law (not for corruption of euil manners, but rather that one may enioy the goods and possessions of another, without either right, conscience, or charitie: some neuer at quiet with themselues vnlesse they be at strife with their neighbors, and then séeke to abuse law and iustice, as a cloake to purge their crooked stomackes, where some paie so deare for a purgation,One poore man oppres­sing another by violence, is like a con­tinuall raine that destroy­eth the fruit: Prou. 28. He that of wilfulnesse delighteth in law, Shall striue for a cockes combe and thriue as a daw: Tusser. that he is constrained to liue in miserie all his life after) he might wel thinke and saie, Surely these people are not inspired with the spirite of God, but rather possessed with some great captaine deuil, they sléep in sinne, and it is high time to awake them. Yet some are en­forced either to trie law, or loose right: to whom there be foure things requisite. First, a iust cause. Secondly, a true and faithfull counsellour to pleade the same. Thirdly, a full purse to feede the lawiers. And further, a sure friend to solicite his cause to the iudge, and procure expedition, or els, if the mat­ter be doubtful, to prolong the time: to the end, his aduersarie being wearied, may seeke to compound. This Lesson I had of a Lawyer.

Amongst a number of intollerable abuses in this com­mon wealth, the corruption of negligent officers is not the least. The office of gouernment is of many desired, but of few well executed: they professe equitie and iustice, yet will neither take wrong nor doe right.Preach. 3. They are apt and readie to reuenge euerie little trifle committed agaynst themselues, but regard not most grieuous offences committed agaynst God: against him they fauour, the truth will not bee heard: but against him towardes whome they haue conceiued some secret displeasure, they will not sticke to set their handes and seales. They suffer all the Countrie to be choaked and vexed with filthie whooremongers, dronken maltwormes, and idle vagabonds, whereas the filth of a priuie, the stinke of deade carrion, and the ordure of cities do not so much infect the aire, as that cursed crue infecteth the common wealth: and yet these horrible vices remaine still vnpunished, borne withall, and lightly passed ouer, so long, till they are growen almost incurable. Agayne, they make a difference betweene the of­fences of rich men and poore men: the one is sore punished, the other for a priuie bribe scapeth free, so that priuate com­moditie banisheth generall honestie: the lawe is torne in [Page 14] péeces, so as right and iustice can take no place. Ephraim is oppressed by tyrannie, violence beareth swaie, might ouergo­eth right:Abacuc. 1 Esay. 5 the poore are despised, the wicked aduanced, vice vnpunished, vertue vnrewarded, and good laws vnexecuted, and therefore better vnmade:

Yea, Democritus would laugh to sée great theeues hang vp little théeues: And Heraclitus weepe to sée vicious men extolled, and vertuous men disdained: they haue turned true iudgement into bitternesse,Amos. 6 and the fruit of righteousnesse in­to woormewoode. In Israel might none be chosen a Rab­bine till hee coulde speake seauen languages: but I thinke a number of our officers are rather possessed with seuen deuils. Solon béeing asked what best preserued a common wealth, quoth he, when subiects obey the magistrate, and magistrates the lawes: but they sleepe in sinne themselues, and suffer o­thers to doe the like, and therefore it is high time to awake them.

Forasmuch as officers appointed in authoritie to gouerne in the Church or common wealth,2. Cor. 19 doe not execute the iudge­ment of man, but of God himselfe, who séeth the verie secrets of the heart, who hath neither respect of persons, nor receiueth bribes: It standeth them in hand to be wise, diligent, and cir­cumspect in their callings:Iere. 22 to examine by lawe, direct by iu­stice, and conclude by conscience: to kéep equitie, and deliuer the oppressed:1. Tim. 5.17. Luke. 12.47. Wis. 6 for as those which gouerne well, are accoun­ted worthie of double honour, so are those that neglect theyr duetie, worthie of double punishment. Mercie is granted to the simple, saith the wise man, but those that are set in autho­ritie, shalbe sore punished.

Though our Preachers haue bene verie painfull and dili­gent in discharging their dutie in some measure, yet is there noted a great fault in many: who haue gone so farre in seeking reformation in doctrine, that the people are growen to a plaine deformation in life and manners: againe, they make great outcries against vice in generall tearmes, but ei­ther they dare not, or wil not tel men their particular faults to their faces: againe, they are verie vehement and hot as a toste in reprehension, amongst the inferior sorte where smal­lest offences are, but in speaking agaynst extortion, oppres­sion, [Page 15] bribery, & such other horrible crimes raigning amongst the superior powers, they are verie faint, and cold as a stone. And as a learned man said once, they are like cockes nipped with kites clawes, they cackle, but they crow not. Againe, they haue gone so far beyond the bounds of modestie, in sear­ching and ripping the blemishes and infirmities of their fel­lows in open place, as their calling is almost brought to an open contempt.

Spirituall pastors amongst our elders, were had in great estimation and credit, but in these our wretched daies, they are rather disdained, enuied, & despised, insomuch as though a graduat in schooles, or a Gentleman by birth, yet the verie habit and name of a minister, séemeth so to disgrace his cre­dit and estimation, as euery inferior person is preferred and thought worthie to take his place before him. And as the foure cardinall vices in the superior sort before touched, are most grieuous to the people, and cause of greate inconueni­ence in the common wealth: so there be thrée sortes of men most grieuous to the cleargie, and the chiefe cause of that, in­tollerable contempt of their function.

The first are couetous Patrones, who are so greatly infe­cted with the golden dropsie, as their church doore wil not be opened without a siluer key. He that will haue a Church li­uing (what other good gifts so euer he be indued withall) hee must néeds bring this learning with him, to know who was Melchizedecks Father and Mother, or else a dish of maister Latimers apples, or he may cough for any benefice.

The Prophet Dauid being willing to shew kindnes vnto Hannon, as his Father Nahas had shewed fauour to him,2. King. 10 sent his seruants to comfort him in his heauinesse: but the Princes & nobles of Hannon persuading him that they were spies sent to search the Citie, tooke Dauids seruantes,2. Chro. 19. and shaued halfe their beards, and cut off their garments harde by their buttockes, and so sent them awaie. And euen in like manner doe gréedie Patrones deale with poore Mini­sters, whome God hath sent vnto them with the Gospell of peace, gelding, paring, poling, and cutting off the beards & skirts of Church liuings, so as they are made but seruants and slaues to theyr Patrones, and brought so bare for the most parte, that they haue not sufficient to maintaine them­selues [Page 16] with thin diet and simple clothes, and liue out of debt nor able to giue a draught of smal drinke at their doore: so as after their decease, a number of their wiues and children may go beg their bread.

In times past, not onely the papists of a blind zeale, but al­so the very heathen haue bin alwaies very beneficial & boun­tifull to their Priests and soothsaiers. Pharao was a cruel ty­rant,Gen. 47 yet in the time of famine he had a speciall care for his Priests: Iesabel a most wicked Queene, yet fed she daily at her table foure hundred of her groue Priests:3. King. the popish cler­gie, whose doctrine was nothing but deuises and fancies of men, were holden in such reuerend estimation, that nothing was thought too much or too good for them.

But the poore Ministers of the Gospel, bringing the glad ti­dings of saluation, are contemned, despised, reuiled & defaced, and their liuings pinched, bribed, polled, pined and grutched at: euerie little being thought too much for them, and made a pray to euery catchpoll and pelting officer, that if it were not for the fauourable kindnesse of our gracious louing Queene, a number had ere this daie bin constrained to leaue their fun­ction, and flie their Countrie for want of liuing.

It is written howe Dionisius comming to a Temple where Images were cloathed in costly coates of siluer and gold: These garment (quoth he) are too heauy for Summer, and too colde for Winter: and so taking them away, clothed them in linsey woolsey. These (quoth hee) are more light for summer, and warmer for winter. And euen in like sort both Patrones and people in these daies, doe seeke what possible they can, to spoile the cleargie of tithes, lands, and all Church liuings, and thinke a cloake of linsey woolsey good inough for them: not like innocent shéepe that willingly yeeld their fleeces, but noysome Goates that strike with their hornes. The good olde benefactors are gone, and new startvps, who neyther feare God nor deuill, supply theyr places. Abraham, Lot, and Iob we haue not. Captaine Cornelius and olde fa­ther Thobie are blacke swannes amongst vs. Elias cannot finde his hostesse of Sarepta: Paul the purpuresse, nor Peter the Tanner: but many a churlish Nabal and greedie cormo­rant, to pinch and proll from vs what possibly they can: these Patrones therefore are surely possessed with some great cap­taine [Page 17] deuil, they sléep in sinne, & it is high time to wake them.

If the Ambassadour of an earthly Prince, beeing sent in friendly manner to his subiects, should bee so vncourteouslie entertained, as a number of Gods messengers are in Eng­land, no doubt he would be reuenged. If those that sold doues deserued to be whipt out of the temple, sure our Church pol­lers, who sell the temple it selfe, as Iudas sold Christ, deserue to be hanged vp in the temple.

The second sorte, are an intollerable crew of double faced officers, put in trust to see the Princes lawes obserued,Mar. 11.15. Mat. 23.23.24.25. The guiltles wil not grieue although the galled grudge. Iudas. 2. Tim. 3 ec­clesiasticall discipline executed, and contemptuous persons punished, who priuilie, both fauouring, furthering, and main­taining the causes of diuers disordered, and seditious schisma­tikes, that boldly through theyr sufferance dare presume to control, gainsaie, and stand against her maiesties lawes esta­blished, to féede whose humors some commonly vse, vnder the title of an exhortation to the Clergie, in their accustomed as­semblies, at Sinods and generals, to seeke in open place with bitter inuectiues, disdainful glances, & most odious tearmes, to discredit and deface them. Beating into the peoples heads there present, that their Pastors are no better than ignorant asses: meaning all such as shew themselues obedient to pub­like order. Whereas in truth to speake generall, there was neuer a more learned Clergie in anie Church since the Apo­stles time, than now in England, insomuch that the meanest sort, for the most part, are better able to teach and instruct the plaine people of their Parish, in faith and good manners, than most of those spightful spurring officers, are to speake in such a learned audience. I sée no reason therefore why they should be likened vnto asses,Amos. 3. except for bearing so quietly the heauie burthens & intollerable extortions which those gréedy prow­ling cormorants do daily lay vpon them, beeing so pinched & prowled, that their verie liues are bitter vnto them: other­wise they are not so like the nature of asses,Exod. [...]. as themselues are like the nature of foxes, wherevpon this question may arise, whether asses or foxes be more intollerable beasts in a com­mon wealth: these péeuish officers therfore, are possessed with deuils, they sléepe in sinne, and it is high time to awake them: the Lord of his mercie conuert them, or else of his iustice con­found them.

[Page 18]The third cause of contempt in the Ministerie, is this: Whereas in times past, the Church had but few teachers, & many learners:Iam. 3.1. it is now giuen to haue many teachers, and few learners: It was thought in olde time there were but seuen wise men amongst the Greekes, and we thinke nowe there bee not so many fooles amongest vs. Wee all glorie of our knowledge, and presume of our wisedome, & this com­meth to passe through the number of schollers in this lande,Rom. 12.16 who doe not onely encrease and multiply daily without mea­sure,It is meant by such sco­lers as will be rotten be­fore they be ripe. but also for want of right choice of good natures, the greater sort being fantasticall, wilfull, and wayward, whose wits being strained against kinde, become disordered, disqui­et, and seditious: for it is hard to make straight by arte, that which is made crooked by nature, when learning and elo­quence is grafte in a wrangling, stubborne, and contentious disposition, it is a daungerous thing. For as in a good man, learning is the armour of vertue, so when it hits in a wicked person, it is able to work much mischiefe. It is said, that fooles set neighbors at variance: but a malitious person hauing wit, learning, and a plausible tongue, is able to set kingdomes by the eares. One scabbed sheepe will infect a whole flocke, and one iarring string bringeth a whole noise of musicke out of all tune:A selfe willed foole is a pe­rilous beast. and one busie headed foole that is learned, able to bring a whole Countrie out of al quiet order: and as too few bréede consumption, so too many bréede surfets: for certainly there is no more noisome member in a common wealth, than a professed scholler vnbestowed to liue by his profession: his conceit is loftie, and his lyfe loytering, whose idlenes ingen­dereth disdaynfulnesse to labour, which through long suffe­rance, must néedes in the end, growe to some greate inconue­nience. By this meanes the Church is pestered with a sorte of busie vaineglorious fooles, pufte vp with a certaine spiri­tuall pride, through a vain opinion conceiued of themselues, euerie one hauing a Church plat or common wealth in his head, who despising the iudgement of their elders, runne on rashly before them, till they haue fallen into intollerable er­rours. And hauing a great desire to bee taken for singular wise men, zealous professours, and diligent builders, looke grimme and bigge with a hautie stearne countenance, much lyke a windie egge, or a blowen bladder. And casting off [Page 19] the yoke of obedience, hauing a pride to bee peruish, neuer cease brabling and broching of newe frantike follies, sprea­ding of sectes, and sowing contention in the Church, beeing further wrapt in deuotion, then they can passe through with discretion: and vnder the colour of zeale,Titus. 3 they rouse and rage without al measure: much like new wine, which with­out some vent, is lyke to breake the caske, as though Gods spirite inforced man to passe the bounds of Christian mode­stie.

These, like euill birds that beray their owne neast, or hate­full snatching curres, neuer cease barking and rayling in o­pen audience at their fellow ministers, yea, and such as their faultes and blemishes beeing rightly waighed, are fewer in number, and lyghter in waight than theyr owne, whose innocent liues are able to confute theyr viperous slaunders: vtterly despising all those in whom they see any infirmitie of man, as though themselues were some airie spirites. Especi­ally, such as they perceiue more pleasant and sociable of na­ture, or more delighted in mirth and honest pastime for their health and recreation than agréeth with their owne Stoicall disposition: or if his gifts in preaching doe not altogether sa­tisfie their fantasticall humors, and his doctrine applied to the seditious vaine: though the man be neuer so honest in life and conuersation, nor so carefull and diligent in discharging his duetie according to his talent: yet in the eies of these vehe­ment accusers, he is but a dumbe dogge, salt without sauour, a bell without a clapper, and a feeder without food: the chil­dren (say they) doe crie for meate, but he hath none, neither for himselfe nor them, except they will haue whole loues: as though he could do nothing but cast the Bible at their heads. Such a wise reason made that late sprung vp heretique Browne, a brother of theirs, when he compared God to man that loued potage well, that as a man might be glutted with too many potage, so might God with one praier often sayde. Thus they accuse without truth, iudge without authoritie,Luke. 6.36.42 and condemne without triall, whereby the poore Mini­sters of the Church, who of a good conscience doe keepe themselues within compasse of order, and indeuour to con­tinue the people in due obedience to the same, are despi­sed, defaced, and shaked vp in open audience, as though [Page 20] they were most grieuous and notorious offenders, yea Iesa­bel was neuer more madde against the true Prophets,Col. 3.3.8 He­rod against the innocents, nor the Scribes and Pharesies a­gainst Christ himselfe, than these seuere censors are agaynst their poore brethren, to bring them into hatred and discredite amongst the people, to the end, that by one meanes or other they might hitch them out of their liuings, and enioy it them­selues. Yea, such is the miserie of our daies, when youth are so fantasticall to inuent, and age so senslesse to credite, that the one is brought into fooles paradice, and the other into o­pen dotage, béeing thought a thing séemely and tollerable for a young scholler of small learning, and lesse wit, before hée be either ripe in knowledge,1. Tim. 6.7 gouerned in life, or reformed in manners, to pricke vp into the Pulpet, blushing like a blacke dogge,3. King. 12 to controll, discredite, and deface the ancient graue Bi­shoppes, and reuerend learned Fathers of the land: much like as a proud beardlesse Boie should sit in a chaire with a rod in his hand teaching: and Saint Augustine and Chriso­stome to say their lessons: In whose iudgement they are but lasie, loiterers, dumbe dogges, Popish doctors, men pleasers, and theyr Churches no better than dennes of théeues, béeing growne so farre past shame, and voide of all humanitie, that now they fall from reasoning to plaine round rayling, scof­fing, iearing, deriding, and threatning of buffets, with bent fists: insomuch as no state or degrée can scape their vene­mous tongues. They looke like Lions, léere like Foxes, hisse like Adders, barke like dogges, and if they durst, they would bite like Tygars: so malitiously measuring other mens do­ings by the crooked line of their owne imaginations, that I think if wise Salomon and learned Paul were here in these daies: the one would bee taken for a foole, the other for a mad man: Dumbe dog is a great word in their mouths: that ser­mon where dumbe dog is left out is not worth a pinne, it fits not their fancie: for why? their whole felicitie is in barking and snatching, yea rather than cease, for want of other, they would barke at the Moone and seauen Starres: They are much like the dogge that Cicero speaketh of, that being set in Capitolio, a tower in Rome, to fraie théeues, left the theeues and fell a barking at true men, whose doctrine and example of life,Mat. 7.15.16. tends onely to this end, to driue the Quéenes subiectes [Page 21] to a lothsomnesse and misliking of the present gouernment, and order established, to discredit her Maiesties supremacie, to deface her Ministers, and contemne her lawes, to surfet the Church with Schismes, and infect the common wealth with factions. And if wisdome in time doe not preuent it, then fol­ly in trial wil surely repent it.

To vse the laudable ceremonies of the Church,1. Tim. 1.6.7. they make it an hainous offence: but in disobeying the Princes lawes, backbiting their superiours, slaundering their brethren, dis­quieting the Church, abusing the office of godly preaching by their vaine seditious pratling, they make no offence at all. They séeme very diligent and studious, but it is rather for nouelties, and varietie to make an eloquent show, that by the persuasible words of mans wisedome, they may delight itch­ing eares, than for sound doctrine to conuert sinfull heartes: they vse cunning persuasions with faire golden phrases, but as Absolon did to steale away the heartes of the people from Dauid: they proclaime publik fastings, but as Iesabel dyd to kill Naboth. For vnder colour of reformation, they séeke to rob God of his honour, the Prince of her due,2. King. 15 and the Clergie of their liuings: being as is supposed,3. King. 12 instruments of some o­thers, who by their meanes séeke to make the Church a mark to shoote at, and a carkasse to praie vppon, to the spoile, ouer­throw, and vtter confusion of Church. learning, religion, and all. Deuisers and fanciers were neuer good either for Church or common wealth. So Iudas vnder a pretence of holinesse, desired to haue the ointment solde for a greate summe to re­lieue the poore withall: but his purpose was to get the mo­ney into his owne bagge: so was it pretended that the lands of Abbies, Colleges, and Chantries,Mark. 12▪ should haue bin imploy­ed to the inriching of the king, maintaining of schooles, and re­léeuing the poore, but they are put to maintaine pompe, pride and superfluitie. Faire words and wicked deeds deceiue both wise men and fooles.

Thus when vnder the name of a Sermon, these greate builders haue tossed their fantasticall doctrine, such as Peter neuer planted, nor Paul neuer watered, before the light be­leeuing multitude, with such an outward shew of holinesse, that Ladie hypocrisie her selfe could not more fitly handle the matter, spitting out their poison with cutting girdes,Mat. 23.2 [...] dis­dainfull [Page 22] glikes, and pretie biting nips, against orders establi­shed, Bishops, Ministers, Magistrats and all, so farre as they dare. Then like vnto the late rebels that rose in the North, in the end of their traiterous proclamations, to blind the multi­tude, pray for the Quéene, full coldly and craftily God wot: and forasmuch as all is done vnder y^e title of preaching, what soeuer they say, al is taken in good part, and greatly commen­ded without controlment or danger of punishment.

Esay. 56 Philip. 3 Iude. 2. Pet. 2 2. Cor. 12 2. Tim. 3These are not those dumbe dogs which the Prophet spea­keth of, but those barking curs, and proud stubborne, and dis­obedient murmurers, false accusers, authors of sects, and des­pisers of authoritie, which the Apostle speaketh of. Those foo­lish Prophets & false dissembling lyers that are wise in their owne conceites, follow their owne spirits, and speake where they see nothing, which Esay and Ezechiel speaketh of,Esay. 5 Ezech. 13 Esay. 95 and those Pharasaicall hipocrites, which say vnto those that come nigh them, touch me not, for I am holier then thou.

These are no vnpreaching Ministers, but rather vnmi­nistring preachers: for so they may haue as great lordship and superioritie ouer their parishes, as the Prince hath ouer the realme, the Bishop ouer his diocesse, or the Pope in time past ouer the Church: to teach what doctrine they fancie, establish what lawes they like, & obserue what orders they list, with­out controlment, they are contended at Christs commaunde­ment to go forth and preach.Mat. 18.29. But if hee will haue any sacra­ments ministred, hee must go himselfe for all them, for it go­eth against their consciences.

These are no lasie loiterers, but diligent féeders, such as Iohn Leaden, Dauid George, and Knipper Doling in Ger­manie, apt and readie to sow Schismes in the Church, facti­ons in the common wealth, and set the countrie together by the eares. They are not idle, but sure were better be idle, then so busily occupied, in applying their wittes by art and learning, to worke dissention and mischiefe in the harts of the people. They féede in deede, but their foode is such as can hard­ly be receyued without danger. Whose hipocriticall puritie, churlish stearne countenance, disdaining to giue men their titles of honour, priuie conuenticles, and condemning our Christian order in baptizing of Infants, doe manifestly shew them no other, but the very sect of Anabaptists. And if that [Page 23] graue, reuerend and learned father D. Whitegift now Arch­bishop of Canterburie, had not stept in in time, to withstand their subtile and péeuish deuises:Iohn Sleidā in his Com. we had ere this daie felt as great hurly burly in the Church of England, as was of late yeres by their predecessors in the Citie of Munster.

These are not hirelings in stead of shepheards, nor wolues in stead of hirelings, but rather deuils in stead of wolues.Hilaries ser­mon at the Synode at Reimes. Mat. 5:9: For if peacemakers be the children of God, sure these disturbers of peace must néeds be the children of the deuill, they sléepe in sinne, and it is high time to awake them.

Yet by reason of their hypocrisie and straightnes of life, such as be of contentious natures, do follow them and commende their doings. We néed not now flée to the Poet Homer for his ayde in prescription of the Syrens, seeing this our vnhappie age is so furnished with Marmaids, whose delicat tunes, pre­tensed holines & swéet venimous inticements doe so rauish & tickle y^e itching eares of a sort of giddy headed people,Their tongs are much like Mercuries pipe, that in­chanted the hearers. as they do thinke themselues rapt vp into the third heauen. Whereby they haue hatched such a viperous brotherhoode of sycophant whelps, both dog whelps, & bitch whelpes, halfe saints, halfe deuils, w^e busie dissentious heads, proud disdainful stomacks, wilfull wits, factious harts, brasen faces, golden mouths, and smooth glosing tongs, as this land before this time was neuer troubled withall: Some snatching curs that bite before they barke: some barking shalts that would bite if they durst: some fawning spaniels much like the flattering butcher, who gent­ly claweth the Oxe, when he intends to knock him in y^e head.

They take great pleasure and delight in comming to ser­mons, not as scholers to learne, but rather as Iudges to con­troll, being growen so diuerse in manners & variable in condi­tions, y^t it is easier for a cooke to please an hundred mouthes, with one dish of meate, than a preacher to order one sermon to content a dozen heads: some wold haue matters of faith hand­led, some inuectiues against Papistrie, some vices rebuked, some sharp & hotly, some gentle & coldly, all men other mens faults, but no man his owne faults. And as they disagrée in matter, so do they in forme, some like anciēt doctors, some new writers, & some call that mans doctrine, Some would haue it polished with logicke & rethorike: & some cal that perswasible words of mans wisdom: some would haue study in sermons, & [Page 24] [...]ome onely a sodaine motion of the spirite: some would haue long Sermons, and some care not how short, & some so dainty and coy, that they can brooke no Sermons.

Thus what by the infectious crew of Papisticall heretikes on the one side: and this pestiferous sect of Anabaptisticall Schismatikes on the other side: the Church of God is great­ly troubled and disquieted, good order, the pale of our parke, or common wealth broken downe: And the deere of Christ so dearly bought, in danger to be deuoured of a sort of wolues in lambes skins, and deuils in mens vizards, halfe Papists, halfe Anabaptists, who, though in some pointes they séeme to differ in opinions: yet in defaming her Maiesties gouern­ment, denying her supremacie in matters Ecclesiasticall, con­demning the booke of Common praier, and the publike rea­ding of the holy Scriptures, with diuerse other pointes, they ioyntly agrée together as brethren: and vnder a glosing shew of obedience, like vnnaturall children, who at the commaun­dement of an adulterous stepfather, are willing and ready to thrust their swords into their mothers belly, liue gaping for a daie to vtter their malice. At whose hands there is no other friendship,1. King. 11. or true hearts to be looked for. But as Nahas king of the Amorites, would haue made with the king of Iabes, by pulling out their right eies. So nothing can reforme, con­tent or satisfie these, except yéelding vp the authoritie of Ec­clesiasticall gouernment into their hands. And therefore cer­taine they are possessed with some greate maister deuil, they sléepe in sinne, and it is high time to wake them.

Forasmuch as héeretofore their opinions haue béene ope­ned, their fancies detected, their heresies confuted, and theyr argumentes confounded. And yet neither reason can leade them, authoritie moue them, nor truth it selfe inforce them to yéeld, to confesse their errors, and amend their manners: it is high time to tie them shorter for infecting of others: such trées as lopping and watering cannot make fruitfull, must be cut downe. When gentle medicines will not helpe, the Phi­sition must vse bitter potions: when the grieued place can­not bee broken with plaisters, the Chirurgion must lanch it. So when lenitie cannot reclaime them, seueritie must correct them: so shall wée haue more religion, and lesse contention. Though our sauiour Christ commanded to pardon our ene­mies, [Page 25] yet not his enemies: as to be angrie with sinne is not anger, but zeale: so to smite for offending God, is not to smite, but to correct to amendement: the liues of lewde men are a sweete sacrifice vnto God: it is a greater fault to let goe a Wolfe, than to kill a lambe in the flocke: and a greater of­fence to pardon a rebell or a traitor, than to kill a true man:Prou. 17.1 [...] but these are not called rebelles as they are, because they are not hanged vp as they should. He that hath a dogge that is a shéepe biter, must by lawe either hang him vp, or else pay for the shéepe he hath wearied: euen so the Christian magistrate, whome it hath pleased God to set in authoritie, and giuen charge to gouerne and defend his poore shéepe, knowing no­torious biters lying in waite to deuoure them, must either hang vp those curres, or answere to God for those shéepe that they doe wearie. The bridle (sayth Salomon) belongeth to the horse, a whip to the Asse, and a rod for the fooles back.Prou. 26. Pou. 17.10. Cor­rect a wise man with a nod, but a foole with club: we sée that nodding will not serue, nor becking will not serue, nor win­king will not serue, it must be a club, a hatchet, or a halter, or else such busie headed fooles, as disdaine to be ruled, will ne­uer be quiet, till they may rule themselues without controul­ment.

Their wordes and reasons vnto many séeme big in sound, yet in truth are but small in weight, great in shewe, little in substance, full of terrour, voide of wisedome, rather bugs to fray babes, than matter to moue any staide Christian, greate persuasions to seduce weake flesh, yet not sufficient to satisfie consciences: they may stirre vp coniectures in some vnstaide braines, which like weake réedes will moue and wagge with euerie blast of winde, yet not able to staie assurance in such constant Christian subiectes, as stande firme and faithfull to God, their Prince and Countrie, like oaks:1. Cor. 16.13. so that Hellebo­rus were more fit to purge their frantike braines, than argu­ments to confute their trifling errors.

To procéede, our delicate and fruitfull Countrie hath in­gendered a multitude of daintie and vicious people, proude,Ier. 4.9. prodigall wasters, miserable pinching proulers, false dissem­bling liars, faire lookes, and smooth tongues without good [Page 26] meaning, some cruell as Lions, some craftie as Foxes, some rauenous as Wolues, some enuious as dogges, some leche­rous as Goates, some filthie as Swine: the most part either hypocrites, wicked liuers, or ignorant of God, euery one in loue with his owne face like Narcissus: the higher sort con­temning their inferiors with snuffing scorne,Eccle. 13. and the lower sort sto [...]aking their superiours with grudging spight. It is said that a Cameleon can transforme himselfe into al colours saue white, and our people haue all conditions saue honestie. I thinke in Sodome was neuer more filthines, in Flanders more dronkennes, in Crete more lying, in France more dis­simulation, nor in Iewrie more hypocrisie, than is now prac­tised in England. And as good men would gladly haue euill men amended, so euil men would rather haue good men con­sumed.Prou. 29. The multitude of sinners haue to chased awaie the shame of sinne, that common wickednesse is taken for no pri­uate offence: there is such vnmerciful bribing, oppressing, and wringing the poore, as though there were neither God to ho­nour, deuil to dread, heauen to hope for, nor hell to eschue. E­uery one is more liberall to lend another his conscience, than his money, and his seale is of more credit than his soule. One crowe will not picke out the eies of another: but for mony, one man wil not sticke to picke another to the hard bones, ac­cording to the Prouerbe: Homo homini Lupus est, Man to man is no man, but a Wolfe. These people therefore are pos­sessed with deuils, they sleepe in sinne, and it is high time to a­wake thm.

The glory of the Romanes in olde time, was to speake lyttle, and doe much: of the Gréekes to speake much, and doe lyttle,Hipocrisie. and of our dissembling Protestants to talke much, but earne to amend nothing at all. Our Elders were rude in spéech, and ciuil in manners: we ciuil in spéech and rude in manners: they beléeued as Pagans, and liued like Christi­ans: we beléeue as Christians, and liue like Pagans: they preached not the word, nor we liue according to the word: the name of God is in our tongues, but his feare is not in our hearts: the Papists doe call vs Solifidians, but our workes declare vs rather Nullifidians: wee are like the Athenians, [Page 27] the more good we know, y^e lesse good we do: or pepper which is hotte in the mouth, but colde in the bellie: so wee frie in wordes, but fréese in deedes: speake by elles, but worke by inches. We reade of one Pambo, who after he had heard one lesson, would heare no mo till hée had learned to practise that one: wée desire to heare thousands, and yet frame our selues to practise none: our preachers, for the better instruction of the people in all truth and godlynesse, haue paynefully indea­uoured themselues to beate downe the superstitious abuse of fasting, prayers, and almes déedes, commending the thing it selfe as verie pleasant and acceptable in Gods sight, but they vnderstanding (as it were) with theyr héeles, vpon a wylfull neglygence, haue taken occasion thereby to cast awaye both fasting, prayer, and almes déedes, with feastes of the poore and all together. Againe, some Preachers teach the people, at the hearing of the name of Iesus to bowe the knee:Phil. 2.10. ano­ther sorte denie it, as vnlawfull to yeelde more reuerence to that name, than to God the Father, and the holy Ghost: the people hearing that, thinke scorne to bowe their knée to any of all the thrée. Thus they make theyr libertie a cloake of loosenesse, turne the grace of God vnto wantonnesse, and the Gospell of Christ vnto lewdnesse: they haue changed works into wordes, godly deuotion into bare knowledge: and are become rather lippe Gospellers, than life Gospellers. The Papistes were not so zealous to gilde their Temples with golde,Iuda. but our Protestantes are as neglygent to gilde theyr soules with vertue. They were beneficiall and diligent both in decking the false dead pictures of Saincts, and féeding the true liuely members of Christ: and wee séeme to condemne the one, and leaue the other vndone. They vsed fasting from meates, we neither from meate nor sinne, they praied often, we seldome or neuer: they were bountifull to the poore, but we liue onely to our selues: they wrought of intent to merit heauen, but we neither do good for merite, nor yet of charitie and duetie: yea, wée are come from blinde zeale to wyl­full wickednesse, and from superstition to no religion. For the worlde is nowe growen to this point, that if a man of godly zeale and deuotion, doe accustome orderlie to fre­quent [Page 28] the Church, he is accounted an hypocrite. If he bee gi­uen religiously to fast and praie, he is taken for a Papist. And if he kéep a good house for reléefe of the poore, he is called a me­rite monger. Wherby fasting is despised, praier contemned, and almes déeds abhorred. Thus haue we cast off the workes of Simon Peter,Simulata san­ctitas duplex est iniquitas. & are become in manners like Symon Ma­gus, that walked with Phillip as a disciple, yet wrought with mony like a worldling. Achabs wife would neuer put on de­mure apparell but when she spake with the Prophets,Ipsius est me­ta-lupus actu voce propheta nor our dissembling Protestants bee neuer holy but at Sermon times. They heare and desire like Saints, but liue & deserue like deuils, they can looke and speake holily, whereby they séeme glorious before men, but their workes are naught, and therefore odious in the sight of God, whose outward behauior is much like cloudes without raine, whereby God himselfe doth mocke such fruitles showes. These hypocrites therefore are possessed with deuils, thy sléep in sinne, and it is high time to awake them.

Though the obseruing of the Sabboth day, touching bodily rest, do belong to the Ceremonial lawe, and shadowes which had an end in Christ: being therefore altered from Saterday do Sonday,Exod. 20. Mat. 12.12. yet, as the Iewes did celebrate theirs in remem­brance of the creation of the world: so ought wee to obserue and kéepe our Sabboth, in remembrance of the resurrection of Christ, and as a figure to confirme our hope in the resurre­ction of our owne bodies, and our spirituall rest in glorie to come, as also for a comely and decent order to bee vsed in the Church, that in resting from bodily work, we may charitably assemble together,Luk. 4.16. to the end the Lord by the preaching of his word, may bring forth his worke in vs, to his owne glorie and our saluation: but our Sabboth in many places, is so vilely abused, as though it had bene rather ordained to serue Bacchus and Venus, the people beeing growen so carelesse, negligent, and licentious, to feast when they should fast, play when they should pray, and laugh when they should wéep for their sins,Esaie. 56.2.3. as though there were neither God nor deuill, hea­uen nor hell▪

As euerie honest nature hath affection & good will to his na­tiue [Page 29] soile and place of birth, so ought euery good Christian to haue a godly desire to the soile of his regeneration, & place of his new birth by Baptisme, which is the temple of God, the schoole of Christ, & nurse of Christianitie, to make open con­fession of his sinnes, and rehearsal of his faith: to intreate for pardon, pray for things necessary,Mat. 10.32. Mat. 21.23. Act. 2.42. Rom. 10.14. giue thankes for benefites past, to celebrate the Sacramentes, to heare and learne his duty, and right way to saluation, to beléeue truly, liue honest­ly, and walke vprightly. If the ground yeeld not sappe to the tree, it will soone seare and wither away: if the lampe be not fed with oyle, it must needes goe out: if any liuing thing bee kept from nourishing, it cannot liue: euen so if the faith of a Christian doe not receiue continual sap and moistnes of the heauenly word, fed with the oyle of swéet promises in Christ, and nourished with the wholesome bread of life, it cannot continue, but consume and die. The séede of the Gospel must stil be sowne in our harts, or we cannot reape the haruest of eternal life: where prophesie faileth the people perish.

When the Lord of a manor appointeth his tenants a day to come to his Court, the rolles are laide open, the Stuard is ready prepared to giue the charge, the tenants are dutiful to come, attentiue to heare, and diligent to execute their Lordes will: and if any shall chaunce to be absent, or come after the charge be giuen, no doubt the Lord wil be very angry, and set a fine vpon his head: euen so the Lord of all Lords, of whom and at whose will we haue receiued and do hold all that euer we haue, doth euery Sabboth day kéepe his court, at his tem­ple, Church, or house of praier, his rolles the sacred Bible is layd open, the Stuard or Minister is ready to giue the charge and tel euery man his dutie: and if any of his tenants or peo­ple be absent and refuse to come, no doubt the Lorde himselfe will be angry, or if they come after the charge, when seruice or sermon is done, they were as good not come at all: Againe, such a dutiful tenant as desire to stand in his Lordes fauour, will nowe and then prepare and bring him a present, such as he knoweth his Lord loueth: but no present is more pretious in the sight of our heauenly Lord, than the praiers & thankes of an humble penitent hart, and therefore he that will please [Page 30] him and stand in his fauor, must often féde his appetite with such presents. The Papists of a blind zeale, in time of dark­nesse, would not stick to rise vp at midnight to publike praier, fast with bread and water, suffer hunger and colde, run some times an hundred mile bare footed and bare legged, to séeke a dumbe image: but our professed Protestants hauing the true light of the Gospell, their praier and deuotion is faint & colde as ise, and their disobedience greater than their fathers igno­rance. When they come together, it is rather of compulsion, custome, or fashion sake, than of any godly zeale: much like a sullen, stubborn and froward seruant, that when his maister calleth him, commeth grudging with a sowre moiling coun­tenance, mumbling a dogs pater noster, and with lesse reue­rence than those thréehalfepeny seruants that Esop hired, to heare him recite his fables.

1. Cor. 11.The Apostle S. Paul saith, that forasmuch as man is the i­mage of Gods glory, he ought not in time of prophesying or prayers,Phil. 2.10. Esay. 45. In receiuing the communi­on we pray & giue thanks ergo the &c. Dan. 6. Ephe. 3.14. Luk. 22.41. to couer or dishonor his head: and in another place: At the name of Iesus euery knée shall bow: and the Prophet Esay, Al knées shal bow vnto me, saith the Lord. The méetest gesture and séemliest behauior at praier and thanksgiuing, is knéeling: so praied Daniel, Paul, and Christ himselfe: but our people are growen so stubborne, wilfull, and wayward, that in stead of humilitie and reuerence, they fall to kicke at their dutie, thinke scorn to vncouer their heads in time of ser­mon or seruice, for hurting their cappes. Or to knéele at the name of Iesus for wresting their ioynts. Or looke vp to hea­uen when they pray, for wrinkling theyr ruffes. These peo­ple are therfore possessed with deuils, they sléepe in sinne, and it is high time to awake them.

In times past, he that had learned the seuen liberal artes as Grammer the key of knowledge, Logike the rules of rea­son, Rethorike the mother of eloquence, Musicke the swéet re­creation of wearied minds, Astronomie the secret knowledge of nature and course of the heauens, Arithmetike the arte of numbring, & Geometrie to worke by rule, compasse, waight, and measure, he had obtayned and gotten euen a worlde of wealth & treasure. But in these our wretched daeis, the eight [Page 31] liberall science called Ars adulandi, the golden art of flattery, hath wonne the gole, and sitteth in fortunes lap, so that with­out skill in that arte, though neuer so well séene in the rest, a man shal hardly finde meanes to shift in the world. Qui ne­scit simulare, nescit viuere: These flattering clawbacks, stu­dents of brazen face colledge, are no doubt, a most dangerous and contagious kinde of vermine, as intollerable amongest men, as wolues amongst lambes: Rauens ease not men till they be dead, but these smooth glozing Arch-parasites, with two faces in one hood, like Ianus,True simple meaning as­keth Gods blessing, and duble dealing double punishment. two tongs in a head like Iudas, and two harts in a brest like Magus, do dayly eat men quicke, & become so familiar with the superior sort, that they bring to passe euen what they list, so as the world séemeth to be diuided betweene the secret dissembler, and the open blas­phemer. These parasites are therefore possessed with some great captaine deuil, they sléepe in sinne: the Lord of his mer­cie conuert them, least they perish themselues, or of his iustice confound them, for infecting of others.

This land is also most vildely corrupted with intollerable pride, with such a confused mingle mangle, and varietie of a­pish toyes in apparell, euery day flaunting in newe fashions, to deforme Gods workemanship in theyr bodies, as greate monstrous ruffes starched in the deuils licour, and set with instruments of vanitie, doublets with great burssen bellies,M. St. as though theyr guts were ready to fall out, some garded lyke French men, some fringed lyke Venetians,French nets do catch En­glish fooles. Wis. 3. some their heads Turkish, their backes Spanish, and their wastes Ita­lian: some theyr hayre curled, and theyr beardes writhen to make them looke grimme and terrible, as though they had séene the deuil, with long daggers at their backes, to kill eue­ry one they méet prouder than themselues, with such riotous excesse and vaine curiositie, that I thinke they haue made a league with Satan, a couenant with hell, and an obligati­on with the deuill to marry his eldest daughter: they sléepe in sinne, and are as easie to be waked or reformed, as the olde worlde was at the preaching of Noe, or the latter age at the preaching of Christ. Pride is the mother of hypocrisie, the enemie of deuotion, the nursse of enuie, and the fountayne [Page 32] of all vice: sinne was the cause why God did first giue vs ap­parell, not as badges of pride to féede the eies of vaine gazing fooles,Chrisostome. but to couer our shame and kéepe vs from colde: Quid superbis terra & cinis, quid veste nitida gloriaris, subter te sternitur tinea, & operimentum tuum erunt vermes, haec tua vestis erit.

Againe, our Countrie is most horribly choaked and ouer­growne with multitudes of dronken tospots, vile lecherous whooremongers, and filthie intising drabs, which vices doe so greatly offend both the maiestie of God, the lawe of nature, and the common wealth, that if the very stones in the stréete could speake, they would crie out vpon it. Yet by meanes of greasing, bribing, and corrupting of officers put in trust to punish them, it is no more accounted of, but a sporte or game to laugh at, as though heauen and hell were nothing else but olde wiues fables to feare and flatter children withall. These are (no doubt) possessed with deuils, they sléepe in sinne, and it is high time to awake them.

If filthy whooremaisters would waigh with themselues, how God doth know the very secrets of the hart,Luke. 16. & that of his iustice he wil leaue no sin vnpunished, either in this world, or in the world to come, they would surely be afraid to do that in his sight, which is so shamefull, lothsome, & odious to be done in the presence of an honest earthly man. It is a thing most filthy & against nature, that a professed Christian, an adopted child of God,Rom. 8.15. 1. Cor. 6.15.19. Luke. 22.24. Iohn. 19.34. a member of Christ, & temple of the holy ghost, redéemed with no lesse price, than by shedding the very heart bloud of the deare & only beloued son of God, should take that same body & mēber of Christ, & make it y^e mēber of an harlot. S. Gregory compareth lechery to a firy furnace,Gregorie. whereof the mouth is gluttony, y^e flame, pride, y^e sparkles filthy words, the smoke an euil name, the ashes pouertie, & the end, shame & cō ­fusion: at the last (saith Salomon) it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an Adder.Prou. 13. Whoordome, besides y^e infamy of the world, it wasteth y^e goods, withereth y^e body, decaieth y^e health, shortneth the life, & maketh a man stinke in the sight of God.

The vice of dronkennesse in like manner consumeth the wealth, surfets the bodie, dulleth the wit, dimmeth the [Page 33] vnderstanding, troubleth the senses, & without repentance, bringeth both bodie & soule into hell: And therefore if either the feare of God, the shame of the worlde, the desire to be in their right wits, to liue in health of body, or to escape the mi­serable state of beggerie may moue them to repentaunce & a­mendment, it is now time to awake, detest & auoid such hor­rible wickednes which doe iustly merit a short life & a shame­full death.

There was neuer more sincere preaching, nor so litle follo­wing, so great perswasions to honestie & vertue, & so many gi­uen ouer to vice & naughtinesse: so much exhortation to loue and charitie, & so many stuffed with hatred & enuy. We great­ly complaine of the vnfruitfulnes of the earth, the corruption of the aire, the vnconstantnesse of the world, & time that slips so fast away, but we complaine not against our owne selues, for whose sinful liues the very heauens doo wéepe: we professe to be the followers of Christ, yet in Christian behauior much inferior to y^e heathen Ethnicks, that knew not God, who pas­sed vs as far in good liuing. as we passe them in good learning: we greatly delight to beare the name of Abrahams children, yet not so willing to kil one wicked affection y^t offēdeth God, as Abraham was at his cōmandemēt,Iohn 8.39. Gene. 22. to kill his only beloued sonne. It is said that the Castor & the Elephant being hūted, the one for the vertue of his genitors, the other for his tooth: the Castor biteth off his genitors, and the Elephant findeth a meane to wrest out his tooth, & cast them away to saue their bodies: but our people had rather both preacher & pulpit were set on a fire, then they would cast away their filthie vices to saue both bodie and soule. The sea-man knoweth his tide,Ier. 8. the Swallow her time, and the Crane her season: but our people are senselesse: the tempestuous windes,Mat. 8.27. Mar. 12.7. the waues of the sea, and the verie deuils themselues did heare and obey his word, but they sléepe so soundly in sinne, that neither the infamy and shame of the world can moue them, nor al gentle admonitions allure them, nor the terrible threatnings of hell torments once feare them, nor the filthinesse of sinne that séemed so odious to the verie infidels withdraw them, nor the continuall preaching of all creatures vnder heauen persuade [Page 34] them to repent and amend: Saint Anthony being a man vn­learned, had no other bookes but these, and he that can behold these excellent bookes, setting foorth the wisedome and good­nesse of almightie God, without praysing and glorifying his name, is worse then a bruit beast.

The Sunne, Moone, and Starres, by whose heate & light the whole world is nourished and gouerned,Psal. 19. doe dayly preach vnto vs: The bewtie of the heauens, the wholsomenesse of the ayre, and the plentifulnesse of the earth do daily teach vs: the pleasant valleies, delightfull springs, and rich mines of treasures,Psal. 107 do dayly instruct vs: the goodly fruitfull trées, me­dicinable hearbes,Mat. 6 and swéete fragrant floures, more glori­ously attyred then Salomon in all his royaltie, doe dayly ad­monish vs:Iob. 12 aske the beasts of the fielde, the fishes of the Sea, and the foules of the ayre, and they will tell thée and say, we were all created and ordained for the vse and profite of man: Yea our Sauiour Christ himself calleth daily vpon vs, Yong man arise, Damsell arise, Lazarus come forth, dead sinner a­wake, but their eares are deafe, their mindes obstinate, and their senses without féeling. Séeing thē that God hath knoc­ked at the doore of our consciences by so many and sundrie meanes, and of his mercy hath tarried waiting so long for a­mendement, it cannot be but great vengeance must néeds fol­low. Hainous sinnes doe call downe grieuous plagues, euery kingdome deuided within it selfe (saith our Sauiour Christ) shall be desolate:Mat. 12.25 but England, by sects, factions, heresies and schismes, is deuided it it selfe: the Lord of his mercy defend it from that which followeth. If God so sharpely punished one sinne in Adam and the Angels,Iudas. what may we that haue com­mitted such a multitude of sinnes looke for? If we shall yéeld an account for euery idle worde, what reckoning shall wee make for such horrible offences both in words and actions?Mat. 12.36 God is said to haue féete of leade, but hands of yron, hee com­meth slowly, but when he commeth he payeth home: as one man smiting another, the higher he lifteth vp his hand, the greater is the stroke: euen so the longer that God tarrieth looking for amendment, the greater will his punishment bée when it commeth. If we will not glorifie his name in repen­ting [Page 35] and turning vnto him, he will glorifie himselfe in reuen­ging and heaping plagues vpon vs. He is the God of iudge­ment and Lord of reuenge,Ier. 51. Psalm. 18. at whose word the very heauens doe tremble, the earth doth quake, & the mountaines shake: hée is a wise and righteous Iudge,Psal. 7. Rom. 8.27. Gal. 6.7. Iohn. 5.30. Psal. 19. 2. Cor. 1.20. hee searcheth the very se­crets of the heart and reines, he wil not be mocked nor decei­ued, neither will excuses goe for payment in his sight: hée is righteous and iust in al his dealings, faithful and true of his promise, his word is alwaies most certaine and sure, yea and Amen: that except we repent, we shall all perish in our sins: those that refuse his mercy so louingly offered,Luke. 13.3. shal surely féele his iustice.

To fall into sinne, commeth of humaine weakenesse, but to lye still and sléepe in sinne, after so much teaching by his creatures, his worde, his writings, his Preachers, and his owne example, is proper onely to the waywarde impes of Sathan. Sodome and Gomorre, Tire and Sidon,Mat. 10.15. Mat. 11.21. Luke. 11. the Ni­niuites and Quéene of the South, shall rise vp at the last day and condemne this generation: for if the doctrine and mira­cles, which haue béene shewed amongst these, had béene done amongst them, they had long since repented in sackecloth and ashes.

Though I be earnest, beare with me, I touch not those that be good, and say too little to such as bee naught: I ap­peale to God who knoweth these things to bée true, and to the worlde, who cannot for shame denie them. And if I haue said nothing but the truth, then blame not me, but go about your owne amendment: for séeing that all flesh haue so cor­rupted the Lords way,Gen. 6. Deut. 13. & that such abhomination is wrought amongst men, and the measure of iniquitie heaped so full, it must néeds follow, that the iudgements of God are not farre off. No doubt, his bow is readie bent, the arrowes of his ven­geance are drawne to the heade, his fire is kindled,Psal. 7. 1. Thes. 1.7.8. and his wrath is gone out, and readie to be powred vpon the contem­ners of his lawe, and therefore high time to awake from sinne.

When Dauid killed Vrias,2. King. 11. & committed adultery with his wife, he slept in sin, but being awaked by Nathā the prophet, [Page 36] he repented earnestly: when Mary Magdalen was possessed with seuen deuils,Marke 16.9 she slept in sinne, but being waked by hea­ring the sound of Chrstis Gospel,Luke. 7.37.38 she lamented pitifully: whē Peter forsware his master, he slept in sin, but being wakened at the crowing of a little cocke,Mat. 14.71.72 he went out & wept bitterly.

It is a common vsage in cities & great townes, to awake the people from sléep, and giue them knowledge that night is welnigh gone, & the day at hand, either by playing of waites, ringing of bels, sounding of trumpets, or singing of Psalms: and in country villages, the Cocke is a necessarie bird for the same purpose:Mar. 11.17 Esay. 58. Eccle. 33. euen so the Preachers of the word, as Waites they haue played vnto you, as trumpets they haue soūded out the word of life vnto you, as Belles they haue rung out his heauenly will vnto you, as Psalmistes they haue sung his wondrous workes vnto you, and as Cocks they haue crowed and warned you to prepare your selues, forasmuch as y^e night or time of darkenesse is welnigh spent, and the day of saluati­on at hand. And as a litle after midnight the Cock doth crow a litle while and then ceaseth: about thrée of the clocke some­what longer: and when it draweth neare day, very long and thicke, euen so in the time of king Henry the eight our Eng­lish Cocks began to crow a litle, and afterward in King Ed­wards daies somwhat longer: but now in her Maiesties hap­pie reigne, they haue crowed aboue thirtie yeares together: and now to warne you, that the night is past, and the day is euen at hand, they crow thicke, thicke, and therfore it is time now or els neuer to awake from sin, and cast away the déedes of darkenesse. Whiles the husbandman slept, the enemy came and sowed tares amongst the wheate:Mat. 15.2 [...] while the foolish Vir­gins slept without Oile in their lampes, the bridegrome came and shut them out from the wedding:Mat. 25.10 Luke 12.40. Mar. 13.33 for as much therefore as we know not when the maister of the house will come, let vs awake vp and watch, least he finde vs sléeping: beholde I come as a théefe (sayth the Lord) happie is hée that watcheth and kéepeth his garments of fayth and charitie,1. Thes. 5.2 2. Pet. 3.10 Apoc. 16.15. 1. Cor. 16.13 Phil. 4.5. lest he walke naked, and men sée his filthinesse: watch (sayth the Apostle) stande fast in fayth, be strong, continue in prayer, and quit your selues like men, for the time is at hand.

[Page 37]Some learned men by certaine coniectures haue painted out the time and season of the last iudgement:2. Pet. 3 alledging the Oracle of Elias y^t the world should stand two thousand yeres before the law, two thousand in the law, and two thousand in the time of grace: and out of saint Peter, a thosand yeares with God, is but as one day, & one day as a thousand yeares. And as in sixe dayes the Lord made the world, and rested the seuenth day, so within the compasse of sixe thousand yeares he will gather his Church by the ministerie of his word, and the seuenth kéepe holy his euerlasting Sabboth. Againe that He­noch and Elias, the one in generation, the other in computa­tion in yeares, being the seuenth from Adam, the first in not tasting of temporall death, as y^e other sixe fathers before him,Genis. 5. Heb. 11.5. was a figure of the last day, the second being taken vp in a fie­rie chariote, did prefigure the ascention of the elect, méeting their Redéemer in the cloudes. Hereupon they conclude,4 Kings. 2. 1. Thes. 4.17. that the world shall not stand aboue sixe thousand yeares. And to prooue it shall not stand so long, they alleage the saying of our Sauiour Christ, that for the elects sake the dayes of our af­fliction shalbe shortened: againe where the Angel Vriell an­swered Esdras about thrée thousand and fiue hundred yeares after the creation of the worlde,Mat. 24.22. Marke 13.20. 4. Esdras. 4. that the time past was much more then the time to come: and where it was prescribed in the lawe, that about the euening of the sixt day the Sabboth should beginne.Leuit. 23. And as the Israelites were deliuered from bandage by Moses in the sixt yéere, so shall the Christians be deliuered from their wearisom bondage of this wicked world by Christ in the sixe age. Then come they to ayme at a cer­taine yeare comparing the time frō the birth of our Sauiour Christ vnto his passion, being thrée & thirtie yeares, with the time that Luther and other godly men beganne to preach the Gospell, till the great persecution of the members of Christ in Germany, by the Pope and Charles the fift, being the like quantitie of yeares. And the time from his passion vntill the destruction of Ierusalem, a figure of the end of the world be­ing fortie yeares, with the time from the said persecution, till the yeare of grace 1588. the like quantitie of fortie yeares. They note moreouer, that in euerie 7. and 9. yeare of mans [Page 38] life called Climacterian yeares doe happen great alterati­ons and dangers, diuers famous men haue ended their liues in the same: as Luther, Melancthon, Munster, & Peter Mar­tyr, with diuers others: so haue there happened in euery se­uenth age of the world great alterations and changes, and in the saide yeare 1588. the age of the world being deuided by seuen, maketh iust seuen times nine, or nine times seuen. A­gaine after seuen times seuen,Leuit. 25. was alwayes the yeare of Iu­bile, hereunto agreeth an old Prophecie recited by Melanc­thon, and translated out of Germanicall rime into Latin by Cyprian, and after Englished as followeth:

But leauing these learned men with their learned coniec­tures,2. Pet. 3.3.4. It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the father hath put in his owne power. Mar. 13.32. 2. Pet. 3.10. Luke 17.26.27.28. Mat. 24.37.38. Gen. 7. Gen. 19. whose iudgements are yet more tollerable then those mockers which S. Peter speaketh of, who shall come in the latter dayes and say, where is the promise of his comming? for since the fathers died, all things continue in the same e­state wherein they were at the beginning: and let vs content our selues with the words of our sauiour Christ, of that day and houre knoweth no man, no not the Angels in heauē, nor yet the sonne himselfe, saue the father onely: the day of the Lord wil come as a théef in the night, & as it was in the daies of Noe and Lot, so shall it be in the day when the son of man will come, they eate, dranke, married and were married, and the floud and the fire came and destroied them all. Yet our lo­uing Redéemer of a singular affection to comfort his poore afflicted members hath forewarned vs of certaine signes and tokens which should appeare before his comming, by the course whereof we may easily coniecture the euents follow­ing,2. Thes. 2.3. Math. 24. as the comming of Antichrist and his false prophets, ru­mors of warres, hungers and pestilence, persecutions & trou­bles [Page 39] abounding of wickednesse, eclips of Sunne, and Moone,Luke. 17. and the vniuersall preaching of the Gospell, and left vs an ex­ample of the figge trée, which beginning to bud, doe mani­festly shew that summer is neare. And as beholding a man whose eyes waxe dim, his eares deafe, his head bald,Mar. 23.28.29 his face wrinckled, his haire white and hoarie, his backe crooked, his legges twofold vnder him, his tongue to falter, his téeth to fall out of his head, his bloud to be cold, and his bodie féeble and sickely, which are all incident to humaine nature: they be euident tokens to shew that the ende of his naturall life is at hand. Euen so when we sée these signes aforesaid come to passe, they doe most certainely premonish and forewarne all the people vpon the earth, whom the endes of the worlde are come vpon, that the day of the Lord is not farre behind.

That Antichrist is reuealed, and all these signes and to­kens past alreadie, all christendome haue felt the smart ther­of, and our present age can witnesse. So many authours of sects, and brochers of deuilish heresies, were neuer heard of before in any age from the beginning: who hath not either felt or heard what rumors of wars, vprores and blood shed in all lands? For hunger and famine, Samaria, Ierusalem and Sanxurie with a number of other places, where through ex­tremitie, they haue béene driuen to eate, not onely vene­mous beasts and their owne ordure, but also their owne chil­dren, can testifie.

Again, who hath not read or hard what wonderful strange eclips of sun & moone, terrible blazing stars, glistering comets dreadful coniunctiōs of planets, strange flashing of fire in the elements, & alteration of the heauens, resembling as it were, the coūtenance of the angry Iudge? What raging & swelling of the floods, feareful trembling & quaking of y^e earth, horrible tempests, vehemēt winds, & vnseasonable wether, what loth­some monsters & other prodigious sights, contrary to y^e course of nature, so as it seemes that al y^e creatures of God are angry and threaten our destruction. All which, no doubt, are Gods Heralds of armes to shew vnto the world, that himself is not farre behind. Againe, the vniuersall preaching of the Gospell in spight of Antichrist and his cursed crew, so as no Nation [Page 40] can iustly excuse it self, and say they haue not heard the sound thereof. And yet notwithstanding, such grieuous abounding of all wickednes, that if the Lord should not come quickly no flesh should be saued:Mark. 13.20. againe the earth it selfe waxeth weake and féeble for age, & therefore not so fruitfull as in times past: plants and herbes haue lesse vertue. Againe the yeares doe change their natural course, euery yeare bringeth foorth new tidings, euery liuing creature liueth shorter time then here­tofore, this is called aetas decrepita, and therefore euen by course of nature it must néedes be that the day of the Lord is at hand,Act. 1.11. that our Redéemer is euen readie comming to iudge the earth, to kéepe his generall Parlement of reformation: to search Ierusalem throughout with candle light,Apoc. 6.10. Psal. 94. last verse. Math. 25.31. Math. 24.30 Apoc. 1.7. 1. Thes. 4.16. 1. Cor. 15.52. Esay. 51. Esay. 65. Apoc. 6.14. Psalm. 50. Iosua. 6. Heb. 11.31. Iam. 2.25. to reuenge the bloud of his seruants, recompence their enemies as they haue serued them, & reward thē according to their wickednes. He commeth triumphing in maiestie & honour, accompanied with Angels, Arch-angels, and all the hostes of heauen: he commeth with the voice of a fearefull trumpet, at whose ter­rible sound the very heauens shall m [...]oue, the seas shall roare, the cloudes shall rent, and the earth shall tremble and quake: a consuming fire shall go before him, and a mightie tempest shal be stirred vp round about him: when great Iericho shal be cast down with the blast of Iosuaes trumpets when none shall scape safe but the house or Rahab the harlot, which re­ceiued the messengers (that is to say) those penitent sinners which obediently receiue the message of the Gospel,Math. 24.31. Apoc. 20.13.14.15. when all soules shall be ioyned to their bodies, and gathered from the foure corners of the world, to receiue iust reward celestiall or infernall: when euery one shall be called to yéeld account of his talent, how he hath imploied his welth, wisdom, strength, or beautie, to the benefite and profite of his brethren, howe he hath ruled his affections,Mat. 25.32. 1. Thes. 4.17. Math. 13.39. mortified his appetites, and beha­ued himselfe in his calling. When his obedient children shall be deuided from the wicked reprobates, and go méete their lo­uing redéemer in the cloudes,Math. 25.34. of whom they shall heare that ioyfull sentence pronounced with a chearefull countenance, Come ye blessed of my father, inherite the kingdome prepa­red for you from before the foundation of the world was laid: [Page 41] when the wicked shal heare that dreadful sentence pronoun­ced of their angry Iudge, depart from me ye cursed into euer­lasting fire, prepared for the diuell and his angels:Math. 25.41 Rom. 9.28. when they shall sée and féele without them the worlde burning with fire, within them the worme of conscience euer gnawing, aboue them their vnappeasable Iudge condemning them, beneath them, the horrible confusion of hell torments, prepared to de­uour them, on their right hand their sinnes accusing them, on their left hand the cruell enemy readie to execute Gods eter­nall sentence agaynst them: then will they confesse (but too late) that the Iudgements of God are true, & say,Mat. 7.22.23 Wisd. 5. Luk. 13.25.28. Apoc. 6.16. Ozeas 10. Luke 23.30 Psal. 11. Mat. 25. did not wée heare of this? then will they cry vnto the Lord, but he will not heare them, and desire the mountains to fall vpon them, but all in vaine, they will not doe them so much pleasure, fire and brimstone, storme and tempest, this shall be their portion to drinke, there shalbe wéeping, wailing, and gnashing of téeth, whose dolefull & lamētable shrikes, horrible gréeuous grones, déepe hollow sighes, terrible lothsome lookes, sorrowful mour­ning complaints, sad melancholy thoughts, and heauie pen­siue conceits, no tongue is able to expresse,Esay 65. for they goe to frie in perpetuall torments wiithout remission, and vtter confusi­on without redemption: The dreadful place appointed for the execution of Gods vengeance, hath diuers names in the holy Scriptures, most terrible to our senses, tending all to expresse vnto vs the grieuousnesse of punishment, as horrible darknes,Mat. 8.12. Mar. 9.44. 2. Pet. 2.4. Apoc. 9.2. vnquenchable fire, vnsatiable hunger, and the gnawing of a worme: to signifie the miserable oppression & hurling downe, it is called Infernus, a dungeon of Gods wrath, or bottom­lesse pit: to signifie the intollerable paine without ceasing or end, it is compared to a burning lake,Apoc. 19.20 Esay. 30. the burning whereof is fire and much wood, and the vreath of the Lorde as a riuer of fire and brimstone, doth kindle it: it is also called Gehenna of Ge and hinnum, which signifieth a vallie, nigh vnto Ie­rusalem, wherein was a Chappell wherein the Idolatrous Iewes did offer and sacrifice their children vnto a brasen I­mage called Moloch,Ierem. 7. g. Ierem. 32. f. which being made hote inclosed them in the hollownes therof, and so slue them, and lest their shriking should moone any to pitie them, they made an hideous noise, [Page 42] with tabrets and drums: whereupon the place was called Tophet,Psal. 2. Mat. 25.46. 1. Thes. 4.17. Daniel. 12. a. 1 Tim. 5.17. thus will the Lorde speake to his enemies in his wrath, and vexe them in his sore displeasure, when his faith­full obedient children shal passe the Emperiall heauens, with their louing redéemer to ioye in felicitie for euer with Abra­ham, Isaac, and Iacob, with all the number of godly Patri­arks, the goodly fellowship of the Prophets, the glorious com­pany of the Apostles, the noble armie of Martyrs, with An­gels, Archangels, & al the ioyfull troups of heauenly powers.

The ioyes of heauen are pleasant ioyes, our eies cannot sée them, our eares cannot heare them, our hearts cannot con­ceiue them,1. Cor. 2.9. nor our tongues expresse them: as if a man should promise his horses a good banquet,1. Cor. 2.14. they coulde imagine no o­ther but prouender and water to be their best cheare, because they know no daintier dishes: euen so the natuall man accu­stomed to the puddle of fleshly pleasure, his minde can mount no higher, to perceiue, discerne, or vnderstand the things that be of God,Math. 2.11. Apoc. 22. so as the ioyfull plaeasures of heauen are hidden frō his senses. But séeing the wise men that came so far from the East, did ioy so much to sée Christ in the poore manger, it must néeds be much more ioyful to sée him in his state of glory. Sée­ing our vile corruptible bodies receiue of his goodnesse so ma­ny benefits and pleasures to abreuiate our wearinesse in this wretched vale of miserie, where euery of his creatures doe serue vs in their kinde, no doubt our heauenly palace, where we shall sée him face to face, conteineth maruellous great and ioyfull pleasures.1. Cor. 13.12. Séeing wée receiue so many comfortable blessings in the day of sorrow and mourning, much greater shall our pleasures be in the ioyfull day of marriage. Séeing the prison and painfull pilgrimage contain such things, much more shall we finde in our heauenly paradice, when we shall depart from paine and miserie,Iohn. 16.20. Apoc. 21.4. Apoc. 7.16.17 to ioy and felicitie, whē death, sorrow and griefe shall be cleane taken away, & all teares wi­ped from our eyes. If a séely poore man wandring alone vpon the mountaines out of his way, in the midst of a darke tempe­stuous night, voide of companie, destitute of money, beaten with raine, terrified with thunder, wearied with trauel, striffe with cold, famished with hunger, and wrapt in all kind of mi­sery, [Page 43] should presently vpon a sudden, be placed in a goodly rich pallace, with cleare light, warme fire, swéete smels, soft beds, daintie meats, pleasant company, and delightfull Musicke to comfort and cheare him, who could expresse the sudden ioy of that poore miserable wretch, yet is it nothing in comparison of those vnspeakeable ioyes prepared for Gods elect children in his heauēly paradice, where is no serpent to tempt vs any more, but glory without comparison, riches without mea­sure, day without night, life without death, libertie without thraldome, solace without cessing, and ioy without ending: to which kingdome the eternall God, the father, the sonne, and the holy Ghost, bring vs.

THe office of a Preacher is a dignitie of great reuerence, honour and estimation. The holie Ghost doeth call them the An­gels of the Lord of hostes,Apoc. 2.8.12 1. Cor. 4.1. dispensors of his secrets, Stewards of his housholde, and fel­low workers with Christ himselfe,Ioh. 15.15. Ezec. 33. Gods Trumpetters to sounde out his woorde through the world, whose tongues are consecrated to instruct the ignorant, comfort the weake, edifie the simple,Ephe. 4.12 Titus 1. Mat. 16.19 Apoc. 1. Leuit. 21. defend the truth, confute heresies, suppresse vice and conuert sinners vn­to Christ. A calling méete for the best part of men, such as are indued with comely personage, a graue countenance, a bolde spirit, and a manly courage, a good vertuous nature, and ciuill behauiour, a learned mind, and a fruitful tongue. The priests lips should preserue knowledge,Mal. 2 [...] that the people may séeke the lawe at his mouth: about the skirts of Arons Ephod were hanged golden belles, alwaies sounding,Exod. 28. to signifie that prea­chers must be apt, and able to sound out the worde of trueth. He must be no gréene plant, but hard timber well seasoned with knowledge and experience,1. Tim. 3.6. to instruct and teach sound­ly, profound arguments and reasons, to persuade and dissuade pithily, arte and eloquence to stirre vp and delight pleasant­ly, discretion and modestie to order and gouerne politikely, not onely apt to flourish in a Pulpet, but able also to playe his quarter strokes, and defende his head Christ, especially in these our dangerous dayes, when Sathan is so busie is sow­ing of sects and heresies. He must therefore be well furnished with canonicall authorities, pithie sayings, apt similies, fit comparisons, familiar examples, and pretie histories méete both for comfortation, perswasion and delectation: for the multitude, as Horace sayth, is like a monstrous beast with many heades, and like diuersitie of natures, and commonly the most part ignorant and foolish, who, though the doctrine be neuer so wholesome, yet without varietie are soone dulled and wearied, so greatly is the nature of man delighted with [Page 46] nouelties, that without change and varietie, nothing séemeth pleasant to his lothsom appetite. One kind of musick, though neuer so swéete, yet without varietie it is lothsom to y^e eares. One kind of meat, though neuer so daintie, yet without vari­etie gluttish to the taste, and one kinde of matter, though ne­uer so well framed, yet without varietie séemeth tedious to the hearers, And for that cause were figures first inuented, to refresh the audience with pleasure: and to this ende serueth Metaphors, fables and wise sayings of Poets and Philoso­phers, which being rightly vnderstoode in sense & allegorie, & aptly applyed in time & place conuenient, containe very pro­fitable lessons, to instruct vnto vertue and godlinesse, and as it were to spoyle the Egyptians of their iewels: and so are the arts of Logick & Rethorick very necessarie handmaides to di­uinitie,Exod. 1 [...]. wherein are fiue things requisite, as well in a Prea­cher, as in an Orator. The first, inuention to finde out méete arguments and reasons, to proue and confirme euery mat­ter, whereupon question may arise. The second, disposition, to frame and dispose the matter in right order. The third, E­loeutiō, to adorne and beautifie the same with apt words and picked sentences. The fourth, a good memorie, to preserue & kéepe such things as the wit hath conceiued. The fift pronun­ciation, which is a moderate and séemely behauiour, both of voyce, gesture and countenance, with a comely motion of the bodie, and exactnesse of spéech, so as the words doe agrée with the matter, and the gesture with the minde, whereby the he a­rers are as much moued and delighted, as with doctrine it self. Demosthenes being asked what was the first, second, and third, pointes of an Orator: answered pronunciation: mea­ning that art without vtterance is to small purpose. Some speake shrill, short and thicke, euery worde tumbling ouer in anothers necke, much like the cackeling of Iacke dawes. Some are so fine and curious, as though euery worde should be waighed in a ballance. Some whewle and pipe so smal, as though it were a pigge whining for his breakefast. Some looke grimme and stearne with the Welchmans wagge, the Italian shrugge, and the precisian Sneuill, as though hée came to fray the audience. And some stand so long about instructing [Page 47] the soules, as though they had forgotten the people had any bodies, who doe not so much edifie as tedifie. Where­as a comely, graue and moderate behauiour in voice, gesture, and countenance, with a cleane sensible tongue, to deliuer his wordes plainely, distinctly, and modestly, with discretion to order the matter aptly, pithily and brieflie, doth best instruct, soonest profite, and most edifie.

A good Preacher also must be wise, circumspect & discréete in choosing the séede most fit for the soyle: remembring that as little children may not alwaies be fed with vinegar and sharp saulce, but rather with milke & swéete pappe: so though some­time it be necessarie to bruise and mollifie the hard stonie af­fections of mens hearts, with the rigor of Gods fearful iudge­ments: yet rather to water them often with the swéete com­fortable dew of his mercies in Christ, according to the wise Phisitian, who tempereth his bitter medicines with swéete sirops. He must not be high minded, wise in his owne conceit, nor curious in taking offence at euery little trifle,Rom. 12. 2. Tim. 2.24. 1. Cor. 13. Iohn 4.11. 2. Tim. 2.24. but chari­table in [...]udging the best of all men, and patient in bearing the infirmities of euill men, for common quiet sake: for from the beginning, the Church was neuer either so ripe in know­ledge, or purged in manners, but that great imperfections re­mained. In the houses and families of godly Patriarkes were alwayes some wicked impes. Amongst eight persons in the arke with Noah, was one naughtie packe.Gen. 9. Amongst the twelue chosen Apostles with Christ himself was one Iudas: and therefore,Mat. 26. as if in Sodom there had béene found but tenne good men, the whole citie, had béene saued for their sakes: so though some of their fellow ministers lacke grace to liue as they ought, yet would charitie rather beare with some badde,Gen. 18. Malem mul­tos nocentes condonare, quàm vnum innocentem condemnare. Wisd. 1. Rom. 14. 1. Tim. 6. because of the good, then openly to deface & discredite their bre­thren because of some bad: The spirit of wisdome is louing & gentle. The Apostle S. Paul would not haue those that are endued with greater giftes to disdaine their brethren hauing lesser, neither an elder rebuked rigorously, nor accusation re­ceiued against him vnder 2, or 3 witnesses: But forasmuch as we are all fellow seruants, & none of vs without his imper­fections,Phil. 2.3. hee would haue one to suffer and beare the weake­nesse [Page 48] of another, one to helpe and comfort another, that no­thing be done through strife or vaineglory, but in méekenes of mind, euery one to estéeme another better than himselfe: and whereas we haue diuersitie of gifts,1. Cor. 12. and difference of admini­strations, as euery one hath receiued the gift, so one to mini­ster to another,1. Pet. 4.10. 2. Thes. 4.11. Gal. 6. euery one to meddle with his owne businesse, knowing that euery one shall beare his owne burthen, and receyue his rewarde according to his owne labour: hée that stands,Rom. 14. 1. Cor. 12. Rom. 12. Mat. 25. Luke 12. Rom. 1 [...]. to take héed least he fall: as for his brother, whether he stand or fal, that perteineth to his owne master, who besto­weth not his gifts alike vnto all men, neither will he require ten talents, where he gaue but one: to whom much is giuen, of him shall much be required. Some are indued with wis­dom, knowledge & iudgement, to discerne truth from falshood, home with vtterance, memorie and boldnesse to instruct with stongue, some with godly deuotion, christian charitie, and ho­nest disposition to teach by example of life and conuersation: hée that carryeth bricke and morter may be a mason, though not so expert as the maister of the building: hée that diggeth ground, may be a good gardener, though not so cunning as he that draweth the knot: hee that cutteth the timber may bée a good Carpenter, though not equall to him that contriueth the house: Euen so the meaner sort of ministers, béeing honest men, working in the Lordes vineyard in some measure, whe­ther it be by writing, reading, or speaking without booke, may be good Preachers, though not so fitte for the Pulpet as those which are indued with greater gifts: and no doubt, their dili­gence in doing their best, shall be accepted with the poore wi­dowes oblation. Though the Fletcher want strength to draw the bow, yet is hée a speciall meane to further shooting: though the Smith want skill to holde the plough, yet is he a necessarie instrument to helpe forwarde the worke:Luke 21. though the whetstone can not cut of it selfe, yet is it néedfull to make sharpe the Sithe: so, though some want the gift of memo­rie and boldnesse to instruct by preaching with tongue, yet may hée bee a profitable member in the Church, by teaching with penne. Our God is louing and gentle, and taketh in good part the good will euen of the poorest and [Page 15] simplest of his children: pardoneth their imperfections,Exod. 35. Mar. 20. accep­teth their obedience, and rewardeth them as liberally as the greater.

A good Preacher also must be carefull to kéepe in credit the authoritie of his office,Gal. 2. Ephe. 4.14. Hiperius. not to vary in doctrine from his fel­lowe labourers, neither to minister any matter amongst the ignorant people that may bréede contention or discord. Final­ly, he must be a man of honest life and conuersation:1. Tim. 3. Titus. 12. for none can effectually teach the waie to die well, except himselfe bée such a one as liueth well. The Priestes of the olde Lawe were chosen without blemishe,Leuit 21. to signifie theyr liues with­out blame. The Apostle woulde haue them well tried to bée honest men, and of good reporte,Tit. 2.7.8. before they be admitted into that reuerend function. He that will profite in teaching, must labor with both hands, or els as fast as the one doth ga­ther, the other doth scatter: as the one doth build vp, the other doth pull downe: hée must haue both Vrim and Thumim, knowledge and vertue, persuasion in words, and example in déeds, to thunder in doctrine, and shine in life and manners.Mat. 21.3. Act. 10. True Christian religiō consisteth not onely in bare preach­ing & dumbe hearing, but rather in deuout praying, vertuous liuing, & charitable working. It is naturally grafted in man to speak holily, praise good sayings, and desire rather to know much, that liue well. Knowledge (no doubt) is a goodly gift, and a great blessing of God: yet knowledge without vertue, or learning without good liuing, are nothing els but as trées without fruit. At the last day we shal not be demanded how much we haue knowen, but how well we haue liued. What auayleth it a man to be able to define what faith and repen­tance is,Mat. 25. not féelyng Gods holy spirite working faith and re­pentance in his heart: or to tell a faire smooth tale in words, & yet stammer in his déeds, or to haue al the Scriptures & wit­ty sayings of Philosophers at your fingers ends, & yet want grace to liue accordingly? or how is he able to gouern others, that hath no power to gouerne himselfe? Vnto the vngodly, said God, Why doest thou preach my laws, or takest my Te­stament in thy mouth,1. Tim. 3. whereas thou hatest to be reformed: he that imploieth his tongue vnto vertue, & his déeds vnto vice,Psal. 50. [Page] [...] carrieth treacle in one hand to resist death,Psal. 50. and poyson in the other to take away life. A wicked liuer though his tongue be neuer so plausible, yet the infamy of his life decayeth all his doctrine and other gifts whatsoeuer: for if one praise that he saith, a number will blame that he doth. A teacher without vertue, is compared to a painted fire without heate, or a faire vizor put on a deformed face: or the ship wrights that made Noahes Arke to saue others, yet pe­rished in the floud themselues: or an Idiot standing by the sea side, and séeing straungers passe by in daunger of the tide, crying vnto them, away, away, the tide cometh: who looking back, and séeing the foole stand still, begin to say one to ano­ther, surely this fellow doth but ieast, for if it were so dan­gerous as he saith, he would certainly make more hast away himselfe. S. Ierom saith,Ierom. Maius est voluntatem, Domini fa­cere, quàm nôsse. A vertuous liver though he say litle, yet is he a good preacher, a good piller of Gods Church, and a right Lay mans booke, whose honest life is a seale to con­firme his doctrine.

Gods building is compared to a stone wall, the Magi­strates & ministers, vnto squared stones framed on each side, and the people vnto litle ones filling vp in the midst: and if any of the squared stones chaunce to slip down, a number of the litle ones will follow: euen so, if the Magistrate, or tea­cher chaunce to fall, the people will follow after by heapes, yea if the one do but limpe, the other will halte right down, and therefore they especially must haue their rough knobs of vices hewen away, and be closely ioyned together with the morter of vnitie and concord, not onely in respect of them selues, but also of the common people, whose affections euen by nature, do giue more credit to their eyes, then their eares, and be more aptly led by example then by perswasion: and therefore more auaileth déedes without wordes, then words without déedes. That good Emperour Alexander Seuerus, hauing sent for Origene to instruct him in Christs religion, would often say, that the concord, humilitie, patience and charitie which he saw amongst the christians did more moue and stirre him vp, to belieue that Christ was the Sonne of [Page 15] God, then all Origens vehement and learned perswa­tions.

To conclude, a good preacher hauing a good liuing, must be a good housekéeper. Peter was thrée times commanded to feede his flocke, that is to say,Ioh. 21. by the iudgement of Saint Barnard,Barnard. with sound doctrine, honest life, and good hospita­litie. When Iohn Baptist sent his Disciples vnto Christ, to aske if it were he that should come,Mat. 11. or that they shoulde looke for another: he bad them goe againe and tell Iohn, not onely what doctrine they had heard, but also what workes they had seene,Mat. 14.16. Mar. [...].37. Luke. 3.11. Rom. 12.13. 1. Pet 4.9. Heb. 13.2. Tobias. 4. Ioh. 6.26. who did both feede the soules of his shéepe with heauenly doctrine, and example of vertuous liuing, and their bodies with materiall food of barly loaues and fishes, which did more win the peoples harts, then all his wonder­full miracles and diuine Sermons which they saw and hard. A number in these dayes do beare a great name of singular Preachers, with fine eloquent tongues: but we finde not those good olde Parsons that were wont to preach in the plu­rall number, by example of good vertuous liuing and chari­table hospitalitie. The people do heare much, but the poore can not finde their old reliefe: saying Preachers are good, but doing Preachers are better, happy is that parish where both hitteth in one man. But whosoeuer will marke it, shall find that a meane learned Parson of an honest conuer­sation, keeping a good house in his parish, shall perswade and profit more in coming to one dinner, then the best Doc­tor of diuinitie which keepeth no house shall do by preaching a dozen solemn Sermons. And that Gentleman who kee­peth a good house in the countrie, shall bee in better credit with the people for his liberalitie, then the best Orator or lawier in England for all his eloquence. We see by dayly experience, that the Commons are not so louing, trustie, nor obedient to their superiors, as they haue beene in times past: the chiefe cause whereof, (no doubt) is this: whereas heretofore they haue found good cheare to satisfie their hun­ger, they find nothing now but faire houses, and faire words without either care of their cause, or filling of their mawes. It is a true Prouerbe, Where the gate of the Magistrate is [Page 50] shut against the subiect, there the heart of the subiect is shut a­gainst the Magistrate.

Touching the yonger sort of Ministers, it is a dangerous thing for them to be ripe too soone, & presume to venture vpon waighty causes: such selfe willed, and selfe learned, become hurtful members in the Church.3. King. 12. Where wise men can kéepe moderation and order, such rash fooles, through ignorance fal often into errours. It is an old Prouerbe, the more foole the more impudent: ignorance hath alwayes the boldest face: emptie vessels make loudst sound, & such as haue least to say, are commonly most bold to speake: none so forward as blinde bayard. Vnskilful Hipercian blushed not to trouble Mercu­ry with his rusticall dances, before whom cunning Orpheus was ashamed to tune his harpe: such arrogancie (no doubt) hath bin a great hinderance vnto learning. Many might haue come to wisedome, if they had not thought themselues there already. There is a certaine foresight, vnto the which vnripe yéeres can neuer come, til age bring discretion. Our iudge­ments are but weake, our appetites variable, our senses de­ceiuable. and our desires vnprofitable: the dayes of our life are short and euil, and the knowledge we learne in long time vn­perfect, and ful of errors: for as it is proper to God onely not to erre, so it is naturally giuen vnto man, seldome to hit the truth. And therefore yong men cannot be déepe of iudgment, because wisedome is gotten by experience, and experience in long time. Truth is called the daughter of time, and time the mother of truth: he is wise that can perceiue his owne igno­rance. S. Bernard alloweth better of him that humbly con­fesseth his ignorance,Barnard. than of him who proudly presumeth of his knowledge:There is more hope in a foole, then in him that is wise in his owne con­ceite. It is more tollerable (sayth D. Some,D. Some. to o­pen the Church doore to a simple Minister, than the pulpit to a presumptuous preacher: the ignorant are euil, the negligent worse, but the impudent and hairbraind worst of all. S. Paul would take vpon him, to know nothing but Christ crucified, and his owne infirmities.Prou. 26. 1. Cor. 2. S. Iames would haue men quicke and ready to heare,Iames. 1. but slow and circumspect to speake. S. Pe­ter exhorteth yong men to decke themselues with humilitie & lowlines of mind,Peter. and to submit themselues to their elders: so [Page 55] sayth Iesus Syrach, go not from the doctrine of thy elders: & in another place,Eccle. 6. despise not the Sermons of such Elders as haue vnderstanding (sayth he) but acquaint thy self with their wise sentences, for of them thou shalt learne wisedome:Eccle. 8. the Prophet Esay in his time thought it a thing intollerable,Esay. 3. for prickeared boyes to presume against their elders, or persons of low degrée against the honorable. Wise Socrates confes­sed that all the time he had bene student in Athens, hée had learned only this lesson, to know that he knew nothing: who noting the heate and rashnes of youth, affirmed it the grea­test vertue in a young man to acknowledge his owne weak­nesse, and to attempt nothing too much: Pithagoras inioyned his scholers to fiue yéeres silence, before they should take vpon them to teach others: Plato maketh Sara the image of di­uinitie, and Agar the figure of humane sciences, as necessarie handmayds, wishing young men to dwel verie long with A­gar, before they venture vpon Sara, who will not be fruitful till riper yéeres: a good trée is not knowen by the leaues and blossomes in spring time, but the fruits being through ripe in haruest: Christ himselfe remained thirtie yéeres in vertuous liuing, before he began to publish his doctrine to the world:Luk. 3.23. so he that will be a fruitfull teacher must first win the name of a good vertuous liuer. As déepe waters séeme not to runne be­cause of their stilnesse, so when arte and learning is planted in a good vertuous nature, hee croudeth not in to vtter his stuffe, til age bring experience, and such in time become anci­ent graue Fathers of profound iudgement, who hauing skill to discerne, cunning to instruct, and discretion to gouern, are men onely fit and méet for such a reuerend function & charge­able office, as a publike Preacher is. It were much better for the yonger sort of Ministers to forbeare the Pulpet, and giue themselues to distinct reading of the holy Scriptures & godly homilies, and vse catechising, which is a verie profitable kinde of teaching, til age bring discretion, and learne to prate lesse, and liue better.Chitreus. But they are so greatly delighted in hearing themselues speake, that they disdaine publike reading of the holy Scriptures, and condemne it as a thing intollerable, as though it belongs not to the preaching of the gospel, which is [Page 54] nothing else but to teach and instruct the people in faith and good maners: and whether it be done by writing, reading, or speaking without booke, so they be taught, the spirite of God dooeth woorke effectually, as well by the one as the other, though not in like measure: When S. Paul did write vnto the Romaines, no doubt he preached vnto them: when Es­dras read Moses law vnto the people, no doubt he preached vnto them: when Barucke read Ieremies sermons vnto the Israelites, no doubt he preached vnto them: when Iosua read the whole law before the congregation, no doubt he preached vnto them. Moyses had in euery Citie those that preached him (sayth the Euangelist) séeing he was read in the Sina­gogue euery Sabboth day: the Apostle S. Paule exhorted Timothy to giue attendance, as well to reading as exhorta­tion and doctrine, charged the Thessalonians that his Epistle should be read vnto all the brethren the saintes,2. Esd. 8. Exod. 24. Deut. 31.4. King. 33. Baruk. 1. Ierem. 36. Iosua. 8. Act. 15.21.13.27, 1. Tim. 4.13 1. The. 5.27 & taught the Ephesians that by reading of his Epistle, they might knowe his vnderstanding in the ministerie of Christ.Ephes. 3.4. Tertullian calleth the reading of the Scriptures the féeding of our fayth,Tertullian. the Euangelist saith, they were written for our learning that we might beléeue and liue,Ioh. 20. and are so plaine and easie, (sayth the Psalmist) that they giue light and vnderstanding euen to the simple:Psal. 119. Ioh. 1 [...]. wherein our Sauiour Christ hath plainly reuea­led vnto vs his fathers will,Apoc. 1. and made h [...]s name manifest vn­to men: happie is he that readeth (sayth hee) and those that heare & kéepe the prophecie of this booke:2. Cor. 4. and if the holy scrip­ures séeme darke or hidden to any (saith the Apostle) it is on­ly to those that are lost, whō the God of this world hath blin­ded: and I thinke verely that a mans conscience is more moo­ued, better edified, and soundlier satisfied by the onely words of the text distinctly read, then by long tedious discourses of mens inuentions, and more profited by reading of one godly homely, wherein the truth is plainely opened and prooued, and false doctrine confuted, being wel penned in good Method and order to helpe the memorie, then by a dozen of such ver­ball vnlearned and contentious sermons, as dayly procéede from our young fantastical vpstarts, which by wreasti [...] [...] and diminishing at their pleasure, doe rather [...] [Page 55] malice and sedition in the heartes of the hearers, then worke any good effect. The word doth not edifie the lesse because the eie of the speaker is turned downe to the booke, but rather the booke is a meane to kéepe his tongue within compasse of trueth, and sure it were much better for the people to be but meanely fed with good holesome dyet, then puft vp fatte with meat infected with poyson: course houshold bread is more healthfull then fine manchet mixt with grauell: as of sound and godly knowledge with méekenesse, charity, and true de­uotion, I wish they had more then they haue, so were it bet­ter, that of such knowledge as makes these hoat talkers and contenders to swell so bigge, and seeme so wise in their owne conceites, they had lesse then they haue: they starue not for too little, but rather surfet with too much.

Touching our women preachers, I blush in their behalfe, in calling to mind the vnshamefast boldnes of that sexe in this our crooked age: women are taught in the holy scriptures, not to imitate their grandmother Eue in vsurping the office of teaching, neither the exāple of their sister Miriam,Gen. 3. Num. 12. Apoc. 2.20. in grudg­ing against Moses, neither such proud Iesabels as boldly dare vsurpe the name of a Prophetisse to deceiue the seruantes of God, neither such Idle tatlers and busie bodies,1. Tim. 5.13. as wander a­bout from house to house speking things which are not come­ly, whose eares itching for nouelties,2. Tim. 4. [...] doo get them a heape of teachers, after their owne lustes, euer learning, and neuer a­ble to come to the truth, hauing a similitude of godlinesse,2. Tim. 3.5.7. 1. Pet. 3.3. but haue denied the power thereof, neither to prompe themselues in gorgious attire like proud lecherous Venus,1. Tim. 2.11.9 1. Cor. 14: [...]4.35. 1. King. 1. Gen. 18. 1. Cor. 3. 1. Pet. 3. 1. Cor. 1.10.12.13. or Helen of Troy, who were more honored for their beautie, then their honestie, but in the feare of God to learne in silence with all submission, and if they doubt of any thing, to aske their hus­bandes at home, to decke themselues with the modest sobrie­ty of Anna, the humble obedience of Sara, and the shamefast chastitie of Susanna: not boldnesse in women, but blushing is the right colour of vertue.

Finally the Apostle exhorteth to auoide strife and conten­tion, and studie to be quiet and agrée together, because we are brethren. Brethren by nature, brethren by calling, and [Page 54] brethren by religion, hauing all one God to our Father, one Catholik Church to our mother,Ephe. 44.5.16 Phil. 3.16. Gen. 13. and one Iesus Christ to our redeemer, all branches of one vine, shéepe of one fold, and fel­low seruants of one house, all partakers of one baptisme, one faith, and one hope of saluation. Let vs therfore say one to a­nother, as Abraham sayd to Lot, I pray thée let there be no strife betwéene thée and mée,Psal. 133. neither betwéene thy heardmen nor mine, for we are brethren. O how good & pleasant a thing it is (saith Dauid) for brethren to dwell together in vnitie?Ioh. 13.35. by this shall all men know you to be my disciples, (sayth our sa­uiour) that you loue together as brethren. It is written how the mother of Seneca, séeing two of her sonnes hauing theyr daggers drawen in theyr hands, the one ready to slay the o­ther, caught them both in her armes, and shewed them her breasts, my déere children (quoth she) what do you, behold my breasts that nurst you both, you are brethren. Euen so the Church of God, which hath nursed you with her breasts, and brought you vp in the knowledge of the truth, most earnestly doth desire and beséech you with her teares, that as you wyll haue her continue your louing mother, you will bée kind and gentle one to another, and liue together as brethren, agrée together as children of one family, ioine together as stones of one building,1. Pet. 2.5. Ephe. 2.20. Ioh. 15.5. 1. Cor. 12. Mat. 20. Rom. 15.6. grow vp togethe as imps of one stock: hold to­gether as members of one body, and one help to beare ano­thers burthen, as fellow labourers of one work: that with one hart, one will, and one voyce, we may together praise, honor, and glorify our louing redéemer for euer, Amen.