Gods house made a den of theeves delivered in a second sermon in Southampton / by Alexander Rosse ...

Gods house made a den of theeves delivered in a second sermon in Southampton / by Alexander Rosse ...

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Title page

To my Iudicious and conscionable hearers at Southampton.

MAT. 21.13. It is written, my house shall be called, &c.

MAT. 21.13.

It is written, my house shall be called, &c.

[Page]

THe subject of this text is a house▪ the Tenant prayer, the intruder [...], theeves. Now that prayer, (Which hath both jus ad rem, and jus in re, both title and possession, and besides, long prescription, even time out of memorie) that such a Tenant, should be thrust out by such intruders, prayer by theeves, it is [...]is, non jus, injustice, oppression, and violence in the highest degree▪ and to turne such a house unto such a den▪ is a s [...]rang Metamorphosis O! domus antiqua, heu quam disp [...]ri dominaris domino. we greeve to see theeves domineering in an honest mans house, and sharing his goods amongst them, every one, sayng with Maeris in the Poet▪ haec me a sunt veteres migrate coloni; But to see theeves swagering in Gods owne house, and justling prayers out of doores (Prayers I say our messengers, Angells, Orators, as St. Austine calls them, our winged advocates which mount up to the throne of grace, and plead for us in his presence which is not visible by mortall eyes nor accessable by gross [...] & ponderous bodys) I say to see Prayers either quite thrust out, or else used as Davids servants were by the Ammonites cut short in their garments by the midle, and so packt away, wee must needs lament with Ieremie, and say the beautie of the Daughter of Sion is departed from her; the Heathen are entred into the Sanctuarie, the Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhor [...]ed his Sanctuarie Lam. 1. & 2. if the jewish elders who had seen the glory of the first Temple weeped, when they saw the defects of the second, they would have rored for griefe, if they had lived to see the prophanation of this Zim and Zijm ▪ where heretofore was Vrim and Thummim, desolation of abhomination set up in the holy place: the Place of Cherubin [...] become a [Page] nest of Owles, Ostraces, Satyres and Dragons, to dance where once was Gods pre [...]ence, the [...]weet incense o [...] Prayer, the calves of the lip [...], the spirituall sacrifices of thanksgiving either Devou [...]ed, or pollu [...]ed by [...]apacious harpies: it's true (as I sayd before) that Prayer i [...] a tenant▪ and a tenant at will, but at the will of the supream Lord to be thrust out when he plea [...]eth, but not at the will of inferior officers, when they please; much lesse at the will o [...] theeves, they must not [...]e so sawc [...]e, for then, Quid Domini facient, audent cum talia fures?

I have heretofore said somewhat of the House▪ and somewhat of Prayer, and somewhat yet I have to say of both, and [...]hen I must say somewhat of the Theeves, not who they are, but what they are▪ for I aime not at the persons, but at the vices o [...] this age, which In Sacra regnant nullis prohibentibus aula, have ta [...]en Sanctuary▪ and have layd hold on the hornes of the Altar,Lam. 2.7. keeping a revell, and making a noyse in the house of the Lord, as in the day of a solemne Feast. There [...]ore if I serve these theeves [...]s Christ did, scourge them out of t [...]e Temple with the whip of Gods word, I shall doe but w [...]at is my Calling, and what my Master practised before me. If any take it amis [...], it will bee their owne mistake; they must not thinke that I will muzle my mouth, and keepe silence Even from good words, it would be paine and griefe to mee to conceale and mince the truth, and not to tell Iudah of her s [...]nnes, and Israel, &c. Then a woe shall fall on me; you must die in your sinnes, and your blood shall be required at my hands. What? shall I see theeves domineering in my Masters house, and be silen [...], then will it be justly sayd to me,Psal. 50. When thou sawest a theefe, thou consente [...]st with him. For, qui tacet consentire videtur, silence is a secret consent. What (saith St. Paul) am I become your enemy, becaus [...] I tell you the truth? Must I sing placentia, sow pillowes under your elbows, that you may goe sl [...]eping to hell? No, the God whom I serve, is the God of truth. This is the ch [...]ire of tru [...]h, and the word that I speake is the word of truth. Therefore with Michaiah let me protest, as the Lord liveth, whatsoever he will put in my mouth, that will I speake. The Priests lips must preserve know [...]edge, and consequently truth, for these two must goe together like Vrim and Thummim on our breast-pla [...]e. Expect the [...] [...]o fla [...]tering or lying words from my lips, they have been touched [Page] with a coale from the Altar, and if you come for no other end, but to carpe and mocke at our Sermo [...]s, as some of our new up-star [...] faction have lately done; you shall know and feele too, that it is not good, Ludere cum Sanctis, nor safe medling with edged tooles▪ Gods word is a sharpe two-edged Sword, dangerous for fooles and mad-men to play with; It is a bright candle, that will burn [...] the wings of such wanton butter-flyes, he that sits in heaven will laugh them to scorne, and will laugh at thei [...] destruction, tha [...] laugh at his Ministers; and he will cause that that which should have beene for their w [...]lfare, shall be the occasion of their falling▪ and that Word which we preach, if it doth not soften them, it will hard [...]n them▪; if it doth not feed them, it shall poyson them; if it doth not cure them, it shall kill t [...]em; and if it doth not save,Is [...]y 55 11. it shall damne them; for his Word shall not returne to him void, but shall accomplish the thing which he pleas [...]th, either to b [...]e the savour of life unto life, or of death unto death. I doubt not but I shall be whipped with scandalous tongue [...], for whipping the theeves out of our Temple. But that's my comfo [...]t, that I shall fare no worse then my blessed Master did, who was so used by the Iewes, he fi [...]st whipped them, and they afterward whipped him. Qui flagellandus e [...]at à Iudaeis, primum flagellavit eos, saith Saint Austin, and the same Father tells us that slanderous tongues are the fierie fornace, in which we must be purified. Quotidiana fornax nostra. We are well rewarded for our paines, w [...] pray for them, and they curse u [...]; we preach to them, and they revile at us; wee enlighten them, and the [...] o [...]scure us, what they can in our good names; when our mouthes are open to feed them, their throat [...] are open like sepulchers to poyson us with that venome of Aspes▪ which is under their lips; we give them the fish and they give us the Scorpion; and the bread of life which wee breake to them, they turne unto stones to fling at us. Three weekes agoe I told you the use of this House, and the excellencie of Prayer, which I hope the best, and most of you, have chewed, ruminated, concocted, and turned to good nourishment, for I am sure the meat was good, and the fruit wholsome, being gath [...]red no wh [...]re but in the garden of Paradise, viz the holy Scripture▪ yet some that heard me then▪ were so ill dispos [...]d with Cacochymia, with a mind full of bad humours, that they have turned that good food unto poyson, [Page] and that Manna in them hath ingendred wormes. Henbane or Aconitum, they say is meat for Stares, but poyson to man, even so is Preaching to some the sweet m [...]lke of Gods word becomes an undigested and heavie curd in their stomacke, and like the Quailes in the Desert, though their flesh in it selfe was good and wholsome, yet to the Israelites it was ranck poyson, that aphorisme is true,Hippocrates. [...] &c. foule bodyes full of humours, the more you feed them, the more you hurt them; for let the meat they eat be never so wholsome, yet in them it breeds no good blood, but feeds the predominant humour, whether it bee choler, melancholy or flegme. So some of our hearers having ill disposed mindes, have turned our Sermons unto choller a fretting humour, which having infected their blood and spirits, hath so dis-coloured their eye, that when they looke on us, they thinke we are yellow as they are, and hath so imbittered their taste, and corrupted their tongue, that it's plaine their gall is overflowed; and therefore let our doctrine be never so wholsome, it is to them bitter as wormwood. In others our Preaching breeds splenatick diseases▪ the splene is a troublesome evill, sometime by malignant vapours, it causeth trembling, and palpitation in the heart; and sometime dis-torted and distempered imaginations in the braine, and exorbitant speeches in the tongue, which is an unruly evill: but the timpany of pride and high conceipts, which some (even though they be most egregiously ignorant) have of their owne (but imaginarie) learning, hinders the effect of our Sermons in them. Therefore they had need first to have a good purge, that their mindes may be cleere from these humours of pride, malice, prejudice, selfconceipt, selfe-love, selfe-will, before they come to heare us; and with the Viper in Aelian, [...], to vomit out their poyson, as he doth before he couple [...] with the Lampreele: and for want of this evacuation of bad humours, it falls out with many of them, as with young maides troubled with the greene sicknesse▪ they loath wholsome food, and will eat ashes, coales, or any such trash,2 Tim 3 3. for indeed the time is come of which St. Paul prophesied, that some will not indure sound doctrine, but after their owne lusts shall heape to themselves teachers▪ having itching eares, and they shall turne away their eares from the truth, &c. Therefore I wish them to take this admonitorie digression, as the shaking of [Page] the whip over them, otherwise they shall feele the smart of a sharper rod, as the Jewes did, who for slighting that gentle whipping which they had [...]rom Christ, were afterward cruelly scourged be the Romans, and thirty of them sold as slaves for a pennie, as they had sold their Lord and Master before for 30▪ pence.

But now having a little digressed, though not (I hope) transgressed, I will goe up againe with Christ unto the Temple, and, before I meddle with the theeves I will look unto the holy place▪ even unto the Sanctum Sanctorum, and behold the high Priest in his pontificalibus▪ offering before the Arke and Mercy-Seat the smoake of his sweet incense by which is represented our Prayers, the most nec [...]ss [...]ry and no [...]le exercise of a Chri [...]tian, and therefore hath the chiefe place of the Temple assigned for it. Preaching was performed in atrio, in the outward Court, where Solomans Porch was, but prayer in the holy place▪ and once yeerely by the high Priest in the most holy, for thither he went not onely (sayth Phil [...] to Caius) odores accensurus sed vota facturus, to bur [...]e incense, and to Offer up prayers for the congregation. And so our great high Priest, who in the dayes of his humilitie Preached unto us, now being clothed with glory and entered into the Sanctuarie, Off [...]reth up Prayers for us, he hath long since left off to Preach, but never gives off to pray, and to make intercession for us in heaven there is no Preaching, but in heaven there is praying. So ne [...]essarie is this excercis [...], that without it o [...]r Preaching is ineff [...]ctual. Whatsoever excellencie there is in Preaching, the same is in Prayer, but in a higher degree. Faith commeth by he [...]ring, and so it doth by praying, neither you [...] hearing, nor our Preaching, can beget Faith in you without praying It was not St. Ambrose his eloquencie so much as Monocha's prayers, that made S [...]. Austin of a Manichee a good Christian.Aug hom. 17. It was Saint Stevens and the Churches prayers that conver [...]ed Saint Paul ▪ and of a persecutor made him a Preacher, nondum habebant fidem & orationibus fidelium aocipieb [...]nt fidem, they that wanted Faith, by the prayers of the faithfull received Faith. We pray for the conversion of Turks, Jewes, and Infidels, who have no Preach [...]ng at all: nay, prayer goeth farther then Preaching, for this begetts Fa [...]h, but prayer both begets▪ cherisheth, increaseth, and confirmes our [...]aith; so that for all our Preaching▪ we must pray with the blind man, [Page] Lord helpe our unbeliefe, and though Christ had Preached often to the Apostles, yet for all that, he must pray that Peters Faith may not faile: Preaching shewes us the way to Heaven, but it is prayer that openeth the gate for us to enter,Austin. Oratio iusti clavis coeli, the keys of heaven are th [...] iust mans prayers: nay who is a good and a iust man? not he that heareth much, but hee that prayeth much. Ille novit bene vivere, Austin. qui novit bene orare. you say that one Sermon of Peters converted 3000. in one day, and I say that one prayer of Moses saved a [...]ove six hundred thousand in one day. A far greater number sure, neither had that Sermon bin so effectu [...]l had it not bin first consecrated and sanctified by the prayers of all the Apostles, for before Peter began his Sermon, they all unanimously continued in prayers and supplications,Act [...] 1.14. which custome wee yet retaine in the Church, giving to prayers the first place, and the last too, as being both the Alpha and Omega of divine worship. A te principium, tibi desinet; standing both in the front, and in the reere, and like the 2. Cherubins at the two ends of the Arke, or the two Angels, the one at the head, the other at the foot of Christs Sepulchre, and such is the excellencie of prayer above all other divine exercises, that the whole worship of God, [...], is called prayer or invocation. And Saint Austin confesseth that the Church may want sometimes preaching, but it can never want prayer,Austin. deficit aliquando in ser monibus, nunquam in oratione. Therefore are we so often exhorted to pray continually & I must tel you, that you were as good heare a tinckling Cymball, or a sounding brasse as to heare a Sermon not Sanctified by prayer, for as seed cast into the ground without Sun and rain cannot fructifie, so the Sermons which wee Preach in your eares without prayers and supplications will not edifie. Was there ever since Christ a more powerfull Preacher then St. Paul?Colos 4.3. [...] and yet (knowing his Preaching without prayer to be in-effectuall) desires the Colossians to pray for him, that God would open to him a dore of utterance to speake the mysterie of Christ, that he might make it manifest as he ought to speake; so then prayer is the key that opens the doore of vtterance, it is indeed the key of the whole worke, yea the very soule & li [...]e of preaching, which without it were but a dead soun [...]: for as the Prophet by praying over the dead child restored life to it againe; so the prayers of Minister and people doe inlive and [Page] animate our Doctrine: you'l say that Preaching is the sword that kills sin, and Sathan, &c. I grant it, but without prayers it is a blunt sword. Prayer is the whe [...]stone that gives it the edge▪ prayer makes it s [...]arpe and keene, to devide between the soule and Spirit, &c. prayer and Preaching are like the sling and sword that David vsed against Goliah, the sword indeed cut off his head after he was downe, but it was the stone out of the sling that knockt him downe and killed him. It's easie to master the great Goliah with the sword of the Word, when we have strook him in the forehead, with the sling stone of fervent prayer:Ambrose. [...] Preaching is the sword that woundeth neere at hand, but prayer is the arrow that kills a far off, melior jaculo, & longe fallente sagitsa, Virg. Preaching is a good weapon that can overcome Satan, but prayer is a better that can overcome God himselfe, therfo [...]e wee are [...], wrestlers with God by prayers, as Iacob was,Colo [...] 4. who both wrestled and prevailed. Preaching is like the Angell that smote Peter on the side, and unloos [...]d his chaines when he was in prison; [...]ut the vnc [...]ff [...]nt prayers of the Church for Peter were they that both gave wings to the Angel to fly down, and hands to unloos [...] his chaines, and strength to break open the prison doores. A powerfull S [...]rmon may make a guilty heart to tremble: but the prayer of Paul and Silas made the very earth tremble, and the prison doores fly open. A Sermon may informe us of the ioyes of heaven, but an eff [...]ctuall prayer is able to ravish us with St. Paul up to the third heaven. Christ Preached many excellent Sermons, which made no change in him; but when he prayed upon mount Thabor his face did shine as the Sun▪ and his garment was white as the light. Not whilst he was Preaching, but whilst he wa [...] praying the Angel came & comforted him, and a white cloud conveyed his Fathers testimonie to him. In a word, prayer is the impenetrable armour, the inexhausted wealth, and the most pretious treasure of a Christian, therfore prefer it above all things, for on it depends the health of thy body the welfare of thy soule, the prosperitie of thy family, the increase of thy wealth, the loyaltie of thy Wife, the duty of thy Children, the obedience of thy Servants, the love of thy Neighbour▪ the purity of Religion, the wisdome of the State, the holinesse of the Church, and the hapiness [...] of the whole Kingdome; Prayer will be thy best Physitian [Page] when thou art sicke, thy best advocate, when thou art sued, thy best Pilot, when thou travellest by Sea; thy guide, when thou travellest by Land, thy watcher, when thou sleepest; thy comforter, when thou art sad, thy companion; when thou art alone, and thy patron when thou art wronged; what force was ever able to resist the power of prayer, which hath opened and shut heaven, commanded the Sun and Moon, shaken the earth, troubled the elements, procured thunder, lightning, hailstones, raysed the dead, driven away divells, stopped the mouths of Lions, quenched the violence of fire, appeased stormes, overcome mighty armies, broken Iron chains, blown open prison doores; and prevailed with God himselfe; in all which you may see the excellencie of prayer [...]bove Preaching, and yet I d [...]rogate nothing from the worth of preaching, when I prefer prayer to it: two things may be both excellent in their kinde, and yet the one more excellent then the other. Preaching and prayer are not like the two bucketts of a well, that the rising of the one must needs be the falling of the other. when I commend gold, I despise not silver, nor will any man say that the Moon hath no beautie, because the Sun is brighter. By prayer we speake to God, by preaching he sp [...]aks to us, by prayer our hearts ascend to God, by Preaching his knowledge descends to us, by prayer our Preaching is Sanctified, by Preaching our prayer is directed, and yet stil prayer is before Preaching; for the excellencie of the action depends from the excellencie of the object; man is the object of Preaching, but God is the object of prayer. Now pe [...]haps all that I have sayd of prayer will be granted; but that which some men most stumble at (and that is but a straw) are the set prayers of the Church. These be the scar-crowes that keepe them back [...] from the house of prayer, and yet I know not what it is that they disl [...]ke in them: is it the matter? why, that is consonant to Scripture: is it the forme? that is plaine, methodicall and easie: are they the words? they are significant, intelligible, and without affectation. Are they the compilers of them that they dislike? why, these were our first reformers, holy men, learned divines, blessed martyrs, who seal [...]d these prayers with their blood, they had the honour once to weare the crowne of Martyrdome and now they are crowned with glory, s [...]all any then be so thanklesse as to spurne at their prayers? And [Page] so gracelesse as to retaliat their blessed paines with flow [...]es and jeeres? I hope they are not offended that these prayers are established by so many acts of parliament under 3. gratious and religious Princes Edward 6. Qu. Elizabeth ▪ and K. Iames, all of blessed memorie. What is it then, that they dislike in thes [...] prayers? I thinke they know not themselves, onely they dislike them; Non amo te volusi nec possum dicere quare, Hoc tantum possum dicere non amo te. Indeed it's no new thing to establish by authoritie s [...]tt formes of prayers in the Church, for avoyding confusion, babling, tautologies, impertinencies, tediousnesse, and absurdities to which extemporarie, and unpremeditate prayers are subject. God himselfe u [...]der the law, prescribed a set forme to Aaron, Num: 6.24 25.26.27. and his sons. So did Christ under the Gospell to his Apostles, Mat. 6.9. Luke 11.2. so did Constantine the first Christian Emperour to his souldiers, as [...]usebius recordeth.Can. 23. It is ordered in the 3. Councell of Carthage, that no man shall use such prayers as are not approved by the choysest of the Clergie, Instructioribus fratribus, Ca [...]. 12. and in the Milevitan Councell, held under Innocent 1. in the time of Honorius and Arcadius, it is expresly commanded that no other publicke prayers shall be used in the Church, but such as are approved of by the Councell. Nec aliae nisi quae a Prudentioribus tractatae vel comprobatae in Synodo fuerint, Least by ignorance or in advertencie some wordes may be uttered against the true faith. I doe not remember, that there is at this day any publicke Congregation (of private conventicles (I speak not) which hath not their set forme [...] of prayers. The Iews in their Synagogue [...], Turks, Persians, Arabians▪ in their Mosques, Christians in their Churches have all set formes, the Greeke churches have their divers Liturgies of Saint Basil and St. Chrys [...]st. Not to speake of these antient Liturgies which beare the n [...]mes of Saint Peter, Saint Iames, Saint Marke, and the Apostles. The latine Church [...]s have their set formes▪ some after the order of Saint Ambrose, a [...] at Millaine, and ot [...]ers of Saint Gregorie, as at Rome. So all the Christian sects have also their set Prayers; as the Georgians in Iberia, the Cophti in Egypt; the Iacobits in Ethiopia, the Melchits in Syri [...], the Armenians in Turcomania and Cilicia, the Maronits in mount Libanus the Christians of Saint Thomas, the Muscovits, yea all the reformed churches beyond seas have some set prayers before their Sermons, and shall our [Page] Church onely be quarrelled with for her set service, or shall her Ministers be disliked for vsing rather her formes, and words then their owne? It's too much temeritie to come before God with rash and extemporarie prayers:Eccl 5.2. h [...]arken to Solomons counsell, be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hastie to utter any thing before God, for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth, therefore let thy words be few. But I will detaine you no longer in viewing of the temple, as it is the house of prayer, let us looke on it now as it is a den of theeves. I will but onely point at them, that you may beware of them, and then I will end.

Our Saviour alludes here to the Pharisees name; in Hebrew Ph [...]rusim, are Pharisees; and Perutsim are theeves; they were like in name, and so they were in concition, for they were theeves indeed, They stole from God his glory, whilst they attributed many things to Fate and Destinie. They stole from the Commandements their dignitie, in preferring their traditions to Gods precepts. They robbed Religion of it's life, whilst they placed it in washings and other supe [...]fl [...]ous ceremonies. They robbed the Temple of it's hol [...]n [...]sse, in [...]aking it a shop of Merchandise, therefore Christ tells them, that they were theeves and robbers that w [...]nt before him, [...]oh. 10.8. mean [...]ng▪ the whole [...]abble of theeves, as Pharisees, Saduces, Essenes, Gaulonits, o [...] Galileans; Herodians, Scribes, Disputers, Nasarites, Rechabites, and even the co [...]rupted Priests and Levites, and the false Prophets such as Iudas Galileus, and Thaddeus with all these theeves was the temple pestered and their Synogogues, but this was onely Manipulus furum, a handfull to compare to the legion o [...] theeves with which the poore Church of Christ is vexed, robbed, and wounded. I will onely poynt at some of the chiefe and will begin first with Sacriledge a notorious theefe, having, most rapatious hands, sparing neither holy places, nor holy things, nor holy persons, making no conscience to breake▪ 5. commandements at once, wh [...]ch is the one halfe: As it prophanes Gods honour, it breaks the third commandement; As it robbs spirituall parents of their maintenance; it breaks th [...] fifth; as it is a murtherer of soules for want of the Ministers food, it breaks the [...]th; As it is theft, it violats the eighth; and as it covets other mens goods, it breaks the tenth commandement▪ The Athenians [Page] did so much abhorre the sacrilegious theefe, that they denied him the honour of buriall, Si quis res sacras clepserit, in Artica non sepeliatur. The second theife which useth to creep [...] into Church and State, when men are not warie and carefull to prevent, is Faction, which in the Church is called Schisme, in the State sedition, this is a dangerous theefe and a bad guest where he is intertained, requiting his hosts kind intertainment, as Paris did Menelaus, who stole away his wife Helena from him. So where this theefe comes he will be sure to steale away wives from their husbands, children from their parents, servants from their masters, people from their Ministers, and neighbours one from another, now he steales away not their bodyes, but their hearts and affections from each other, which is worse then Plagiatus, beware of this theefe which cunningly begins to creepe in amongst you.Ioh. 10.10 Remember Christs words the theife commeth not but for to steale, to kill, and to destroy, to steale that which is neerest, and dearest to you, your wives loyaltie which they owe to their husbands, childrens duty to their Parents, servants obedience to their masters, and our neighbours love to one an other, and to steale away the sheep from their sheepheards. There are but two golden pillars that support Church and State, viz. Vnitie and Order, this theife steales them both away. Who stole the h [...]arts of Israel from David? the ten tribes from Roboam? the peoples affections from Moyses and Aaron? and who steales the peoples respect and obedience from the Magistrate and Minister, but this thiefe? Prometheus stole away fire from the Sun, but faction steals away the fire of love from mens hearts, and not onely is he a theefe, but a murtherer too, he cuts mens throats as Ionothan did Godoliahs under pretence of frindship. He never yet set footing in any state or city, but he ruinated it before he went away, if he was not suppressed in time. Looke on the Romans, Carthaginians, Athenians, Lacedemonians, and other States invincible by forreign forces, yet torn in peeces by fact [...]on, so dangerous is this theife, that as soon as hee began to shew his head among the Israelites in the persons of Core and his complices, God made short worke, used no delays, but suddenly caused the earth to swallow them alive, so that they had not so much time as to repent. The third theefe is Idolatrie a bold and presumptuous theefe, [Page] which in Ezechiels time got into the temple; not onely into the secret chambers thereof, as the Prophet saw through the hole in the wall,Ezech 8. but advanced himselfe between the porch and the altar; when this theife gets into the Church, he will be sure to justle out Gods true worship; this is hee against whom God so often complains, & for whose cause he forsakes his sanctuarie, & plagues a land. This thiefe steales away Gods honour, and gives it to a stocke or stone, or the similitude of a calfe that eateth hay, he steales away the peoples hearts from God, and gives them to sensl [...]sse idols; he steales away also the maintenance of the Lords priests, and gives them to dum [...] images and their priests. Bel and his priests stole and consumed every day twelue great measures of flower, 40. sheepe and 6. vessells of wine. God complaines that the corne, wine, and oyle, silver and gold, that he had given to his people,Hosea 2.8. were bestowed on Baal; let this theife then be whipped out of the Temple. But Christ must whip him, not the Disciples; the King and Magistrates, not private people and ministers, it's not their calling to be reformers, they may plead, and wish, and pr [...]y for reformation, but of themselves reforme, they must no [...] ▪ Saint Paul [...]isputed against the Athenian Idols but offered not to pull them downe. What got Vigilius B. of Trent for pulling downe an image, but his owne death being murthered in an uprore; the old Circumcellions and new Anabaptists have bin too forward this way, being animated by deceiving Enthusiasmes.

The fourth theefe is Symonie, a notable theefe standing at the Church doore, like Iudas with a bag in his hand. If Simon Magus the Patron be doore [...]keeper, he shall be let in, when men of worth shall be kept out. He is worthy of hanging, that will steale a Chalice out of a Church; what deserves he then, that will steale away two or three Churches? You say, Symonie is a merchant, not a theefe, but I say, such kind of Merchants are egregious th [...]eves, that will venture to buy and sell such prohibited commodities. Iudas sold Christ for 30. pence, and even for that he is called a theefe▪ He is a theefe, saith Christ, that comes not in by the doore, but some other way, and such a theefe is Symonie. Therefore the Temple which Saint Iohn calls a house of merchandise, the other three Evangelists call a den of theeves. Such money-changers then, or theeves deserve to be whipped out, and [Page] their tables overthrowne. The fifth theefe is Poperie, an old theefe, and therefore small reason hath he to plead for his antiquitie, even as much as an old robber to plead for pardon, because his forefathers have beene theeves time out of memorie; this theefe hath feloniously stolne away the cup from the people in the Eucharist, yea, hath robbed God himselfe, and stolne away one of his Commandements▪ and by his two pick-locks of Purgatorie and Indulgences, still rob ignorant people of their money, lands, and livings. The sixth theefe is Libertinisme, a lawlesse theefe, and yet would be thought a good member of the Church hee under pretence of an unbounded libertie, will be subject to no order nor discipline, but what pleaseth his owne phansie; he steales from God his honour, in making him the author of sinne, he robs the morall law of its use, affirming it to be needlesse; He robs Predestination of its meanes saying, that men shall bee saved without them; He robs sin of its guilt, affirming his owne actions though never so vitious to be no sinnes; and hee robbes good workes of their dignitie, thinking to be saved by faith alone. The seventh theefe is Hypocrisie, a cheating theefe, who under the mantle of holinesse cousins the world, the neerer he drawes to the Altar, the farther he is from God; Like the foxe he lyes as if he were dead, and pretends mortification, but it is to cheat the birds, honest minded men, he can with Proteus and the Camelion, change himselfe into all shapes and colours, and with the ratle Mouse in the fable, when hee is amongst the birds hide his feete, and stretch out his wings; but among the beasts hee hides his wings and shewes his feet, so deceiving both is hated of both. Such a cunning theefe should have his linsie woolsie garment stript from him, and be whipt out of the Temple. More theeves there be, too many indeed, with which Gods house is prophaned: as the slanderous theefe that maliciously steales away a mans good name, and none thus more theevish then they, that would monopolise all holinesse to themselves; There is pride, extortion, covetousnesse, Atheisme, gluttony, drunkennesse, and indeed a whole legion. So that the poore Church of Christ is in no better case then the poore man that fell among theeves betweene Iericho and Ierusalem. With what a multitude of hereticall theeves, even from [Page] Simon Magut till these moderne hereticks hath shee been vexed, and now by factious theeues shee is stript, wounded, and left halfe dead. Many of her Priests [...]nd Levites that should helpe her, passe by her on the other side: O thou sweet Samaritan, who was thy selfe crucified betweene two theeves, have compassion on her, bind up her wounds, let the wine of thy gentle corrections, and the sweet oyle of thy mercy refresh and comfort her, set her on thine owne beast, make her to subdue and keepe under all beastly affections, as thou hast done before her, bring her to the In [...]e where she may rest and be quiet. Defray her charges▪ pay her debts, and let her enjoy the two peeces of silver, the two Testaments untill thou returne; And [...]or her enemies that roare in the midst of her Congregations, and defile the dwelling place of thy name, scatter them with thy tempest, and affright them with thy storme. Deliver not thy Turtle Dove unto their hands, but arise and maintaine thine own cause.

Amen.

FINIS.

§

[Page]

GODS HOUSE MADE A DEN OF THEEVES. DELIVERED IN A SECOND SERMON In Southampton. By Alexander Rosse, his Majesties Chaplaine in Ordinarie.

MATTHEW 21.13. It is written, my house shall be called the house of Prayer, but yee have made it a den of theeves.

Errare possum, haereticus esse nolo.

LONDON. Printed in the yeare 1642.

To my Iudicious and conscionable hearers at Southampton.

[Page]

GENTLEMEN.

I Having now spent almost 26. yeares amongst you, how diligently in my calling▪ how in-offensively in my conversation, you all know, and my conscience [...]oth witn [...]sse▪ and now being to depart from you; I thought good to bequeath this Sermon as a Legacie on you; and the rather because many doe earnestly desire it. I know it shall receive no worse intertainment, being presented to your view, then it had, when it founded lately in your eares. God multiply his blessings on you, and preserve the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace amonst you, and continue you in your zeale to his service, in your love to hi [...] orthodox Ministers, and in your exemplary reverence to his Word; and to keepe you from faction▪ that dange [...]ous theefe disguised under the habite and name of Religion; This is, and shall bee my prayer, when I am absent, though in spirit, and affection I will be still present [...]ith you, and still ready to serve you, and

Your [...] in Christ Alexand. Rosse.

Information about this book

Title statement

Gods house made a den of theeves delivered in a second sermon in Southampton / by Alexander Rosse ...

Ross, Alexander, 1591-1654.

Edition statement

1642

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2004-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A57650

ID [STC]

Wing R1954

ID [STC]

ESTC R16607

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12655515

ID [OCLC]

ocm 12655515

ID [VID]

65343

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Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A57650)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 65343)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 252:E150, no 7)

Source

— Gods house made a den of theeves delivered in a second sermon in Southampton / by Alexander Rosse ..., Ross, Alexander, 1591-1654..

Extent

[2], 14 p.

[s.n.],. London :: 1642.. (Reproduction of original in Thomason Collection, British Library.)

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