Sermon 14 September 1585, Title page – Dedication
A SERMON PREACHED AT Cheanies the 14. of September, 1585. at the buriall of the right Honorable the Earle of BEDFORDE, by THOMAS SPARKE Doctor of Divinitie.
Newly peruſed and corrected the Authour.
AT OXFORD, Printed by Ioſeph Barnes Printer to the Vniverſitie.
1594.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, ARTHVR LORD GREY OF WILTON, KNIGHT OF THE NOBLE order of the Garter, his very good Lord and Patrone: Thomas Sparke wiſheth the encreaſe of all good ſpirituall graces, with health, wealth, and true honors to Gods glorie, and his owne full contentation and comfort.
SInce the preaching of this funerall ſermon following (right Honorable) I hauehave beene earneſtly vrged, & entreated both by wordes and letters of good brethren to commit the ſame to writing, and ſo to the print. And in deede their dealing with mee therein hath beene ſo effectuall, that, though I had rather preach ten ſermons, than pen one, and hauehave alwaies hitherto beene very hard, conſidering the multitudes of bookes already publiſhed, to bee intreated to publiſh any of my poore labors, yet in this, loe, I am ouercommed. And truely amongſt diuers other reaſons moouing mee to yeeld hereunto, this hath not been one of the wekeſt, that therby not only they which heard mee preach it might for that preſent hauehave ſo noble an example both of ſincere religion, and holy life ſounded in their eares, but alſo both they and others at their pleaſure might hauehave the ſame laide downe before their eies, to the ſtirring vp and prouoking them, the rather by conſideration of the doctrine ſet downe in this ſermon, to imitate and followe the ſame. For ſeeing it hath pleaſed our God (no doubt of great mercy to him) thus, as hee hath, to take him in peace from vsus, that wee cannot any longer enioy him liuing amongſt vsus as hee hath done, yet by this and ſuch like meanes after a ſort (I hope) to the good of many he ſhall liue ſtill. Nay I am out of doubt of it, that as his death was precious in the eies of the Lorde, ſo he ſhalbe had in euerlaſting remembrance, & his name ſhall neuer be put out. In the meane time it is greatly to be wiſhed, that we, whome he hath left behinde, would take occaſion by this his taking from vsus, to learne that, which euen therby wee hauehave iuſt occaſion giuen vsus by the Lorde to learne, which is; to feare that the Lord is in preparing ſome great ſcourge for vsus for our great vnthankfulnes after ſo many benefites both heauenly and earthly a long time beſtowed vppon vsus, in that hee beginneth thus to gleane from vsus (leaſt they ſhould ſee to their griefe the euils to come) ſuch deare ſeruants of his: and thereby alſo to take occaſion to repent, and to turne vntounto the Lord vnfeynedly, that ſo he may turne the deſerued euill day from vsus. For in the 2, of Eſay. 3. for the like ſinnes and tranſgreſſions of the people, as are amongſt vsus, the Lorde threatneth, that euen therefore hee would take away the honourable and vviſe counſeller. And yet notwithſtanding this plaine vvarning afterwarde the Prophet complayneth thus. The righteous periſhe, and no man conſidereth it in his heart: and mercifull men are taken avvate, and no man vnderſtandeth that the righteous is taken avvaie from the euill to come, Chap. 57.1. And I feare though the Lorde hath not barely threatned, but in deede hath taken away from vsus an Honourable and vviſe Counſeller, in that this worthy Earle of Bedforde is nowe deade and buried, that yet moſt iuſtly the Prophets complainte maie bee renued amongeſt vsus. God of his mercy therefore giuegive vsus grace better to conſider thereof euerie one of vsus, that vvee maie finde out the Lordes counſell therein: and ſo take occaſion, by an effectuall and vniuerſall turning vntounto the Lorde to preuent the euill thereby, and by ſuch other like examples threatned to come vppon vsus. It maie bee that the enuious and malitious Papiſt (who alwaies gathereth poyſon thence, from whence hee ſhoulde and might, if hee had the grace, gather honie) vvill not ſticke to thinke and ſay alſo, that God hath taken him away, as he hath, & his three ſonnes with him in his anger and diſpleaſure towardes him and his houſe. But whoſoeuer conſidereth the doctrine ſet downe in this ſermon, they all liuing & dying in the Lord, and in her maieſties loyall and faithfull obedience, as they did, hee ſhall bee enforced to confeſſe, that (by what meanes, or by what kinde of ſickneſſe ſo euer they parted hence) they died in the fauour of God: & who ſo weigheth further, that it is the Lords property to beginne euen at his owne houſe, thereby to woorke a greater terrour in others, and withall foreſeeth vvhat heauie plagues and miſerable daies our ſinnes dayly cry and call for, he cannot chuſe but ſee, that the Lorde herein hath ſhewed a marueilous great mercy to him, and to thoſe of his houſe. Truely by occaſion hereof rather (to the aſtoniſhmēt of al papiſts, who obey not the goſpell of God) we may ſay with Pet. 1. Epi. 4.17. The time is come that iudgement muſt beginne at the houſe of God. If it firſt beginne at vsus, what ſhall the ende bee of them, that obey not the goſpel of god? But (to leaue this noble Earle & his ſonnes in the hands of the Lord in bleſſed teſt & peace, and theſe malitious papiſts to thē ſelues as men in whome then ſinne of ſpirituall whooredome with the gariſh & Babylonicall harlot is growen to ſuch rottenneſſe in their bones, that there is ſmall hope, or rather none at all of their recouery, ſuch is the iudgement of God vponupon them, becauſe light is come into the worlde, and yet they louelove darknes more than light) concerning this ſermon following (right Honourable) it may be in peruſing of it you will finde ſome difference in it, from that which you heard. In wordes it cannot bee but there is, becauſe I had takē but ſhort notes before, and it is impoſſible for me to call to remē brance the very wordes, wherein I vttered it. But as for matter I am ſure you will perceiue it is all one with the other, and in wordes too, as neare as memorie could well ſerue to call them to minde. In deede becauſe then when I preached it in diuers points I was enforced (as I thinke you might well perceiue) through the ſhortnes of time left and alotted me, but ſummarily to touch many thinges, that more at large I had purpoſed to hauehave proſecuted, and therefore perhaps then was the obſcurer; I hauehave heare in this according to my ful purpoſe and premeditation then ſet thē downe, whereby it groweth to bee ſomewhat longer nowe, than it was then. The hardnes and vnpleaſantnes of the ſtile I muſt deſire your Honour, and all others to beare withall. For (as you knowe) my manner is not at anie time to ſtudie for wordes, but for matter. Which ſo I deliuer in ſuch wordes as I may bee vnderſtood of them that heare mee, I care for no more. For the thing onelyonly that I alwaies ſeeke, is to edifie thē that heare me with as good and neceſſary doctrine as I can. As for gloriouſneſſe of words & pleaſant and delicate ſpeech I think it becommeth the philoſophers chaire, but not the pulpit. For I finde, that Paul hath written, that hee vvas not ſent to Preache the Goſpell vvith vviſedome of vvoordes, leaſt the Croſſe of Chriſt ſhould bee made of none effect, 1. Corinth. 1.17. And therefore vvhen hee came among them he ſaieth hee came not vvith excellencie of vvoordes, or of vviſedome, ſhevving vntounto them the teſtimonie of God. For hee eſteemed not to knovve anie thing among them, ſaue onelie Ieſus Chriſt and him crucified, 1. Corinth. 2.1.2. Sometimes there are ſome ſentences of the Doctors and ancient fathers interlaced, but they are not by mee at any time alleadged as though their teſtimonie or iudgement vvere a ſufficient argument to grounde a trueth vponupon. For all trueth muſt hauehave and hath his ſufficient warrant from the canonicall Scriptures; and hauing ſo, it is a trueth though all the Doctors and Fathers ſhoulde gaine-ſaie it. I onelyonly therefore bring them in as vvitneſſes of the trueth in their times receiued, partly to ſhewe the Popiſh vaine bragge of antiquitie in theſe pointes, and partely to beate them from their errours vvith their owne weapons. Howbeit herein I hauehave beene very ſparing, though indeed I might hauehave beene in the citing of them verie plentifull, they are ſo full of excellent ſentences to the ſame endes and purpoſes, for the vvhichwhich theſe fewe out of them vvere alleadged. Nowe my reaſons that moue me to bee ſo bolde, as to make this Sermon appeare againe after this ſorte vnderunder your Lordſhippes protection, making my choiſe of you to dedicate it vntounto, are theſe: Firſt I am perſwaded that you vvere a principall meanes, that I vvas occaſioned firſt to conceaue and preach it. Secondly, you are the man, to whome among all other and aboue all other I am moſt bound for your manifolde kindeneſſes diuerſly ſhewed vntounto mee: and therefore hee that maie moſt iuſtly chalenge all dutifulneſſe, and tokens of thankefulneſſe, vvhichwhich lie in my poore povver to ſhewe: amongeſt vvhichwhich I beſeech you accept this as one, though it bee but a ſmall one. Thirdely I knowe ſuche is your ſincere affection to the trueth of Doctrine therein contayned, and ſuch vvas your vnfayned louelove and affection to-vvardes him, whoſe memoriall it ſtill reuiueth: that as you took pleaſure in hearing of it once, ſo you wil delight your ſelfe in reading & peruſing of it often. Which reaſons conſidered I hope you will beare with my boldnes herein, and others I truſt, whoſoeuer they bee, will approue of this my ſo doing. And therefore beſeeching the Lord of his mercy long to preſerue you, & your vertuous and good wife my verie good Ladie with all your children in health, all true honour and proſperity, I ceaſe from any farther troubling of your Honor at this time. At Bletchley the 25. of December, 1585.
Your honours alwaies to commaund, THOMAS SPARKE.