Sermon 2 November 1606 — Richard Stock

Sermon 2 November 1606 · Richard Stock

A SERMON PREAched at Pauls Croſſe, the ſeconde of Nouember, 1606.

Eſay. 9 14.

Therefore will the Lord cut off from Iſrael, head, and tayle, braunch, and ruſh, in one day.

Eſay. 9 15.

The Auncient and the Honourable man, he is the headland the Prophet that teacheth lyes, he is the tayle.

Eſay. 9 16.

For the leaders of my people, cauſe them to erre: an I they that are leddely them, are deuoured.

OVr Sauiour Chriſt compares a miniſter to a ſaithfull and wiſe Steward, Luke. 12.4.whom the Maiſter ſhall make ruler ouer his houſhould, to giuegive them their portion of meate, in ſeaſon. Where are two things approoued: Firſt, his faithfulnes: Secondly, his wiſedome. His faithfulneſſe appeareth in diſpoſing of that he had receiued from his maiſter, for his honour, and vtilitie, and not for his owne gaine: his wiſedome in giuing vntounto the houſhould of God their due portion of meate, and that in fit time and ſeaſon, for all meates are not for all perſons, but that which is nouriſhment to ſome, is poyſon to others, neither is that fitting at one time which is at another. So farech it in Spirituall foode, where many things are ſutable to times of iudgement, which would be vnfit for the day of mercy, and on the contrary. Now I hauing obtained this mercy of God, to bee, though vnworthy, a miniſter and diſpoſer of his myſteries, and by authoritie called to this place: In that meaſure of fidelitie, I hauehave receiued, I began to thinke what might moſt glorifie God, and in the ſmall degree of wiſedome, God hath giuen me, what portion was fitteſt to Gods houſhold, whereof this auditorie is a part, but eſpecially what was fitteſt for this time, which is as Hezechiah ſaid,Iſay 37.3. A day of tribulation, and a day of iudgement: I at length reſolued vponupon this place and theſe verſes of the Prophet Iſay, as both ſitting this time and this aſſemblie: out of which I intende not to gather eueryevery thing that may be gathered, as if I would immitate thoſe vvho digge for treaſures, vvho as Chryſoſt. ſaith, though they hauehave taken much riches, yet leaue not till they hauehave taken all their care being not to take much, but to leaue nothing. But I vvill only chuſe out ſome principall things, vvhichwhich I diſcerne to be of moſt neceſſitie, and profit, ſeeing the length of the text, and the limmit of the time vvill not ſuffer me to run through all.

The dependaunce of theſe vvords vponupon the former, is thus:Coherence. In this chapter are contained tvvo things: Firſt, comfort and conſolation to the godly, from the firſt verſe to the eighteenth: Secondly, iudgement and threatnings menaced againſt the vvicked and obſtinate, from the eight verſe to the end, but ſo as before he threatens the rod, he tells them in the eight verſe, that he had ſent his word vntounto Iacob, and it had lighted vponupon Iſrael, and hauing called them by his vvord, and they vvould not be gathered, and hauing indeuoured to bring them in order, and they vvould not be reformed, then according to that in the prophet, Heare the rod, and who hath appointed it: Mich. 6 9.In the eleuenth, and tvvelue verſes of this chapter, the Prophet threatens a heauie, and grieuous iudgement that God ſhould bring vponupon them, an enemie that ſhould deuoure them vvith open mouth, and becauſe they profitted not by that iudgement, he ſaith in the tvvelue verſe; The wrath of the Lord is not turned away, but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill; the reaſon of it is giuen in the 13. verſe, and iuſinuated in the 14. verſe, becauſe the people hauehave not returned to the Lord that ſinit them, neither doe they ſeeke the Lord of haſtes, therefore he will cut off head, and taile, branch, and ruſh, &c.

Herein vve may obſerue 2. things: 1. the denouncing a Iudgement: 2. the cauſes vvhy the Lord vvould bring it vponupon them. In the iudgement are 2. things to be conſidered: 1. the generalitie of it, 2. the impartialitie of it. The generalitie, becauſe the Lord vvil cut off head, and taile. The impartialitie is double: 1. becauſe he vvill as vvell ſmite the head, as the taile; the braunche, as the ruſh; the great, as the ſmall: 2. becauſe hee vvill principallie ſmite the heads, as thoſe that vvere the cauſe of all the corruptions that vvere in the body. The 2. is the cauſes: and they are 2. Firſt, is general, becauſe the people had not profited by former iudgements and leſſe afflictions, therefore they ſhould hauehave a 2. and 3. vvoe, in the firſt vvord, Therefore:

The 2. is a particular cauſe in the 16. verſe: becauſe the leaders of the people cauſed them to c…re, and the people vvere content to bee miſled by them, therefore ſhall they bee deuoured all together. So much for the coherence and diuiſion of the vvords. And novv for the meaning of the vvords: Therefore the Lord will cut off, &c. That is, becauſe the people hauehave not benefited by the former iudgements, and afflictions to turne to God by repentance, many of them onelyonly ſeeking the Lord by mourning and faſting, and ſackcloth, in outward ſhow, which is but as much as hipocrites may doe; but fewe or none of them were ſound to forſake their ſinnes, and turne to God by true repentance, therfore ſaith the Lord, I wil cut off head, and taile, &c.

The iudgement is, God will cut off and deſtroy with a generall iudgement and conſuſion, the whole ſtate, and the whole land, for this ſinne. For to imagine as ſome do, that the magiſtrate is called here the head, becauſe the head is the ſeate of ſenſe, and beginning of motion; I take it, it is beſides the intent of the Prophet in this place: and that he meerely intendes to note a generall conſaſion and plague that ſhould ſpread ouer the whole body from the toppe of the head to the ſole of the foote; and … one ſhould be ſpared. And not onelyonly ſo: but as it is ſaul that his iudgements are generall, ſo they ſhould be without partialitie, God would out off as well the head, as the taile, the weake and feeble ruſh that hangs downe the head, & the ſtronge braunche that is high and mightie, and therefore in the 15. verſe hee tells vsus whom hee meanes, by head, and whom by taile: The head is the auncient and honourable, and the taile is the Prophet that teacheth lyes. Here is another part of Gods impartialitie obſerued: whereas the magiſtrate and the miniſter were the cauſe of the corruptions and cuill manners of the people, therefore the Lord will ſmite them both, and becauſe theſe too conſpired together, the magiſtrate deceiued by the falſe Prophets ſlattering, and fauning vponupon him, telling him of his inſinite maieſtie, his abſolute greatneſſe, and power to doe what hee liſt, where he liſt, and puniſh whom he liſt: and being ſo perſwaded by him becauſe of his power, he thinkes any thing is lawfull for him to doe: and on the other ſide, the lying Prophet becauſe he had gotten fauour, and countenance with the magiſtrate, he thought that he ſhould ſettle his neaſt ſo ſure, that he ſhould hauehave no hurt whatſoeuer came: thus ſaith the Lord, becauſe they hauehave agreed together, the one to deceiue, and the other to be deceiued; herefore they ſhal be deſtroyed both together.

The leaders of my people cauſe them to erre, &c. Here is the particular reaſon why God would deſtroy them, becauſe there was deceiuers amongſt them and they were willing to be deceiued; as if he ſhould ſay, I ſet miniſters ouer my people, that they ſhould lead them and teach them in the right way, that they ſhould learne knowledge out of the word, and then teach it to others, and teach them what they ought to doe, and reprooue them when they doe that which is not fit, and which they ought not to doe, but on the other ſide they hauehave ſet their faces, to get the applauſe and liking of the people, preach onelyonly pleaſing and foothing things to pleaſe the care, onelyonly to get fauour and a name, they therefore hauehave cauſed the people to erre, and they that were lead by them are willing to be ſeduced, therefore they ſhall bee deuoured together: ſo much for the meaning of the words.

Therefore will the Lord cut off from Iſrael, &c. The firſt thing is the generall cauſe of the iudgement that ſhould come vponupon this people, which was, becauſe they had not ſought the Lord, nor turned to him, nor profited by their former afflictions, There the Lord would cut them off?

Doct. 1 The firſt thing that wee learne in theſe words is, that this is the dealing of God with an obſtinate and gaine-ſaying people, when they doe not benefite by former and leſſe iudgements that he layes vponupon them, to bring heauier, and more fearefull plagues vponupon them, this is manifeſt eueryevery-where in the word of God: as Deut. 28.Deut. 28.45 Chapter, and in verſe 45. after the Lord had threatened a great many plagues againſt his people: hee ſaith further, that if this ſhould doe them no good: then, All theſe curſes ſhall come vponupon thee and ouertake thee, to deſtroy thee; becauſe thou obeyeſt not the voyce of the Lord thy God. And in verſe 58. &c. The Lord ſaith, If thou wilt not obey and doe al the words of this law, that are written in this booke, and feare this glorious and fearefull name the Lord thy God, then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderfull, and the plagues of thy ſeede, euen great plagues and of long continuance: moreouer, he will bring vponupon thee, all the diſeaſ…s of Egypt whereof thou waſt afraid; and eueryevery ſickeneſſe, and eueryevery plague, that is written in this booke of this … wil the Lord heape vponupon thee, till thou bee deſtroyed. Levit. 26.21.22, 23 24.Like to this is that in Leuiticus 26. where the Lord ſaith: If you walke ſtubbornly againſt me, and will not obey me, I will then bring ſeau…n times more plagues vponupon you according to your ſinnes; I will ſend wild beaſts vponupon you, which ſhall ſpoyle you, and deſtroy your carttell, and make you f…we in number: yet if by theſe you will not bee reformed by me, but walke ſtubbornely againſt me, then will I alſo walke ſtubbornelie againſt you, and I will ſmite you yet ſeauen times more for your ſinnes. This alſo made the Prophet Eſay in this chapter to repeate three times theſe words; For all this, the wrath of the Lord is not turned away, but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill, as in the 12.17. and 21. verſes. And in the Goſpel our Sauiour Chriſt ſaid to the man that had beene ſicke 38.… 5.14. yeares: Goe thy way, ſinne no more, leaſt a worſe thing happen vntounto thee. Out of which places, it is apparant that the Lord brings heauier & greater plagues vponupon men, Reaſon 1 when they profit not by leſſer. The reaſon of this is becauſe there is neither equitie nor right in it, that the Lord ſhould go away, as ouercome with the ſtubbornneſſe, and obſtinacie of the people. That were, as if a Prince hauing a rebell ſtanding out againſt him, and beeing norable with a fewe to ſubdue him, ſhould giuegive ouer, & gather no more forces againſt him; which to him were too much indignitie, and diſhonor: So no reaſon the Lord giuegive ouer his armes til his rebells are brought in.2. Sam. 20.22. As Ioah would not giuegive ouer his ſiege againſt Abell, till hee had the head of Sheba throwne ouer the wall: So the Lord will not giuegive ouer his ſiedge againſt men, till hee hauehave the heads of their ſinnes cut off and caſt away. The ſecond reaſon is, that as it is a diſhonour to God, Reaſon 2 ſo it would be daungerous to men, whom he ſhould ſpare: becauſe if that be true in Eccleſiaſtes. 8.11. Becauſe ſentence is deferred, and not executed ſpeedily, therefore the harts of the children of men are fully ſet to doe euill. Eel. 8.11If deferring of a ſentence doe harden men in their ſins; then much more, if God ſhould remooue his iudgements, and not renew them againe: therefore leſt he ſhould harden them, he will vndoubtedly renew them, that he may reclaime them. Thirdly, the Lord muſt doe it, Reaſon 3 whether he deale with his owne, or with thoſe that are none of his; with his owne to cure them, or the other to deſtroy them: for ſo is the practiſe of Phyſitians and Chirurgians: if they meere with a body harde to worke vponupon, and a ſetled diſeaſe they double the doſes of their medicines, and vſe more violent meanes: So the Lord will deale with his owne when he ſindes them obſtinate: but if they be not his owne, then muſt he doe it, that he may ſhew his power, that hee is able to abate and deſtroy whoſoeuer ſtands out againſt him, for theſe reaſos or the like, it is that the Lord whē he deales with obſtinate men: if leſſe afflictions doe them no good, he will bring greater, and heauier plagues vponupon them: now hence doe ariſe many ſeuerall godly conſiderations and vſes.

Firſt, Vſe. 1 this may make vsus to feare; nay, bee aſſured of it, that though God hath for the moſt part freed the land from this deuouring plagues: Euen from the peſtilence that walketh in the darkneſſe, and the plagues that deſtroyeth at noone day, Pſal. 91.6.(ſaue that he hath a little returned to this Citie where he begunne, yet are there more heauie and fearefull plagues, and iudgements at our dores, readie to breake in vponupon vsus, for this that is here ſaid is true, and as it were ſpoken to vsus by Eſay. For this is yet the ſtate of the Citie, refractary and obſtinate, as if they had conſpired againſt God, that doe what hee will, they will ſtill bee alwayes the ſame, wicked as they have beene: I (ſpeake generally, for I doubt not but ſome fewe hauehave well profited by it.)Hoſea. 4.1. The Lord hath had a controuerſie with the inhabitants of this Citie, and he hath followed it hard, almoſt for the ſpace of theſe foure yeres. But why did he thus trouble vsus, complained he without cauſe? No aſſuredly, For will a Lyon roare in the forreſt, when he hath no prey? Amos. 3.4.For thoſe ſinnes which made him contende with Iſrael, hauehave beene the cauſe of his controuerſie with vsus;Cap. 41. Hoſea ſaith, the Lord had a controuerſie with the inhabitants of the Land, becauſe there was no truth, nor merey, nor knowledge of God in the land, by ſwearing, and lying, and killing, and ſtealing, and whoring, they breake forth, and blood toucheth bloud: There is no man who dare deny theſe, leaſt he reprooue the Lord, for contēding cauſeleſlie: but ſome will ſay indeede theſe ſinnes were amongſt vsus, but ſince ſo many of vsus fell the laſt plague, we are fallen from them. I would to God it were ſo, then might we well hope the controuerſie would end, and that God would remooue his plagues from vsus, and renew them no more; but alas who ſeeth not the contrary, when that in Ieremie may well be verified of vsus, that the bellowes are burnt, Ier. 6.2.29.the lead is conſumed, and the founder hath melted in vaine, for the wicked are not taken away. How ſhould we then not feare greater iudgements? But to goe a little further, there are foure ſinnes which brought the iudgements of God vponupon Sodome firſt, and after vponupon Iſrael, and made the Lord take away that people at his pleaſure, and ſweepe them away as the duſt of the earth; and they were, Pride, Idleneſſe f…lues of bread, and contempt of the poore: which ſinnes in this land, and in this Citre hauehave … the cauſe why God hath ſwept away ſo many thouſands of vsus. And if theſe ſinnes be ſtill in the land, and not remooued, what hope is there but that there are more fearefull plagues hanging ouer our heads? Theſe ſoure ſinnes are the begetters one of another. Pride commonly begetts idlenes: Pride, and Idlenes hegette Fullneſſe of bread, for that is one part of Pride to hauehave a table richly deckt and furniſhed: and whereas labour would bee ſatisfied with a little, yet idleneſſe is a deuourer: now pride, idleneſſe, and fullneſſe of bread, breede Contempt of the poore: for where theſe are, there can be little reliefe for them. For if the rich man fare deliciouſly eueryevery day, and goe in purple and fine linnen, there will bee hardly any ſcraps left for poore Lazarus: ſeeing all is too little to furniſh the table, to pamper the backe, and the belly, for the ſeruice of ſinne and Sathan. Then if this pride be ſpread through the Citie and through the land, what may we expect, but greater plagues to come vponupon vsus? If any man will put me to prooue it that it is to bee ſound, he ſhall pardon me, I will adde no light to the ſunne; becauſe if a man doe but looke thorow the Citie, in eueryevery place, in eueryevery familie, in eueryevery man, and woman, in eueryevery Church and aſſemblie, he ſhall ſee how the pride of Iſrael, and of England, doth teſtifie it to her face. Now to theſe I will adde this ſpeciall one. 2. Chron. 36.16.17. where was a ſinne that brought the wrath of God vponupon the prople without remedie: which was, that they miſuſed the meſſengers of God, deſpiſed the word of God, mocked the Prophets of God, therefore the Lord gaue them into the hands of the Galdeans, who ſlowe their young men with the word, and ſpared neither young man nor virgine, auncient, nor aged. And are not theſe rhinges thus with vsus? were euer the miniſters of God in more contempt? Nay, are they not all in extreame contempt, either juſtly or vniuſtlie? whether ſuch as doe conforme themſelues according to the cuſtome of the Church, and will of his maieſtie, or they who refuſe? Whether ſuch as bee gluttous or drinkers of wine, and friends of publicans & ſinners, as they falſly ſaid of Chriſt, or they be of an honeſter life, and cariage, comming neither cating nor drinking as Iohn: whether they be either negligent and idle in their places, and will hardly preach in any ſeaſon but vnſauourly, or they be diligent, and painfull, preaching in ſeaſon, and out of ſeaſon: whether they be plaine dealing Amoſes or ſlattring Amaziahs: all are in contempt, ſome of one and ſome of another. Is there thē any remedie, but that heauier wrath muſt come vppon vsus, then yet any wee hauehave felt? Ezech. 22. When the Lord had reckoned vp many ſinnes which were in that people: Hee ſaith, I hauehave ſmitten my hands vpō thy couetouſnes. A ſimilitude, from thoſe who incourage dogs to pull downe and deuour, ſhewing with what deſire and earneſtnes, he would contend with them, and bring iudgements vponupon them: if ſuch ſinnes be found among vsus not leſſoned, but increaſed, ſince the height of our plague, that crueltie and blood bee in our ſtreets, as verſe. 7.8. &c. In thee hauehave they deſpiſed Father and Mother, in the middeſt of thee hauehave they oppoſed the ſtrangers: in thee hauehave they vexed the fatherleſſe, and the widdow. Thou haſt deſpiſed my holy things, and haſt polluted my Sabboaths, &c. What can wee expect but the Lord ſhould clappe his hands vponupon our couetouſneſſe, and bring a freſh and ſierce reply of ſome fearefull iudgement?

To conclude this with a ſpeech of Chryſoſt. in his 5. Homilie to the people of Antioch: after the Emperours wrath was aſſwadged towards that Citie,Chryſoſt. Ho. 5. 2d Pop. Ant. he ſaid; We hauehave made a happie change: yet this I dare ſay, if you reforme not your corruptions and ſinnes, though this cloude be ouer, we ſhall ſee and ſuffer worſe things: for I hauehave euer beene more afraide of your ſecurity then of the Emperours wrath. So ſay I, wee hauehave a happy change in reſpect how it was with vsus this time three yeres, a happie change in reſpect of that which our cruell and bloody papiſts did deſigne vsus vntounto this time twelue-monethmonth: But this I dare ſay; If we doe not reforme our corruptions and manners, though this cloud bee ouer, yet we ſhall ſee and ſuffer more fearefull things, for whatſoeuer other mens opinions are, for my part I hauehave euer feared more the the ſecuritie of the land, then the wrath of God; becauſe the wrath of God (if we were not ſecure) were to be expiated, and appeaſed by our repentaunce, and turning vntounto him: but we being ſecure and ſetled vponupon the dregs of our ſinnes, there is no hope that the wrath of God ſhould bee remooued, but that he ſhould doe to vsus, as is ſpoken heere: Cut off head, and taile, &c. and that theſe ſhould bee but the beginning of ſorrows. Vſe. 2

Secondly,Pſal 42.1.9. here is inſtruction for all chriſtian magiſtrates, who are called Gods, and are ſo by their office, and the communication of power and authoritie; that they deale thus with wicked and obſtinate malefactors, when their lenitie or their ſmaller corrections will not make them relinquiſh the former corruptions, and returne to better manners, they ought to take them in hand, and to vſe more ſeueritie, and ſharpnes towards them; amongſt many I would preſſe this, concerning one kind of offendors, who are the greateſt enemies of the kingdome of Chriſt; the groſſeſt idolaters of all the kingdomes of the world, and the moſt peſtilent enemies of this kingdome and ſtate; I meane our ſeducing and ſeduced papiſts. In whom I rather inſtance, becauſe this day reuiues the memorie of their cruell deſignement, ſeeing they purpoſed that it ſhould hauehave beene the laſt day, when any ſhould hauehave ſpoken againſt them out of this place: pretending, they meant to to be the Lords executioners of this iudgement here ſet downe by the Prophet; when they intended indeede to hauehave bin the diuels inſtruments to hauehave cut off from Jrael. from England, head and taile, braunch, and ruſh, in one day. Concerning theſe I ſay, when neither lenitie of the ſtate, nor ſmaller meanes, and mildenes, will ſerue to reduce them from their hereſies, and Idolatries, to make them conformable to the lawes of God, and the land; there ought now more ſeuerity to be vſed.Pſal 119, 126. And as Dauid ſaid to God; It is … for thee Lord to lay too thy hand for they have deſtroyed thy law: So it is time for you gods to lay to your hands, elſe they will deſtroy both the law and the land. That ſuch may, and ought to be ſeuerely dealt with, eſpecially ſuch as are ſeducers, and obſtinate, I thinke no man will put mee to prooue, neither doe I intend it; being that which I once manifeſted out of this place: ſince which, the whole ſtate in the honourable court of Parliament, hauehave manifeſted, their perſwaſion of the truth of this point; elſe why hauehave they enacted, eſtabliſhed and confirmed more ſeuere, yet moſt iuſt lawes, againſt them: for the execution of theſe lawes it is that I nowe ſpeake, and do vrge vponupon this grounde, that if you louelove them, if you louelove the Church and truth, if you louelove your ſelues and the State, do not the worke of God & of the king negligently. I ſay, if you louelove thē you muſt execute: for if that be true of Hierom. Ille haereticum interficit, &c. he killes an hereticke who ſuffers him to be an hereticke: Cont. Pelag. lib. 3. c. 6.but a iuſt puniſhment of them, is the quickning and putting life into them, that dying to their hereſie, they may liue to the Catholique faith; what more louelove can bee ſhewed, then to execute the lawes with ſeueritie againſt them? And that of Auguſtine, De verbis Dom. ſecund. Iows. ſer. 59.Qui phreneticum ligat, & qui lethargium excitat, ambobus moleſtus eſt, ambos amat. He that blindeth a man poſſeſſed with a frenſie, and wakeneth another oppreſſed with a lethargie, is indeed troubleſome to both, but louing and profitable to both. Now when as many of them are poſſeſſed with a ſpirit of frenſie, ſeeking to ſubuert and ouerturne all, though they and their friends periſh with it; ſome with a lethargie, or a ſpirit of ſlumber, hauing drunke of that golden Babiloniſh cup, and being laid aſleepe like Siſera with the milke of that harlot; you can not ſhew more louelove then in binding ſuch mad-men, and bringing them to their wits, and in wakening ſuch ſleepers by the due execution of your moſt iuſt lawes; for this will be the meanes to win the ſeduced; becauſe, as fire ſoftneth mettall and makes it fit for the hammer, and for to bee eaſily wrought to any forme, ſo the rod and correction worketh the ſame effect in mens minds; and as Elihu in Iob, of Gods corrections: So I,Iob. 33.16. of your corrections. They will open their eares; and make them both more tractable, and teachable, by which many may bee gained that elſe muſt periſh. But if you louelove not them, yet if you tender the good of the Church, you muſt execute that you hauehave decreed: for how can it bee well with the vineyard, if the Foxes liue or be at libertie, which deſtroy the vines? how can it be well with the flocke and the Lambes of it, if the wolues be not taken and cut off? How with the field of Gods corne, while that Sampſon of Rome (if I honour him not too much, or diſgrace the other extreamlie, in making the compariſon) may hauehave ſuch foxes to tye taile to taile, and put fir brāds in them to ſend into our church? how can Iſrael enioy the land of Canaan in quiet, if thoſe curſed Cananits be not ſubdued as ſeruants to the congregation, or ſubuerted as enemies? What greater louelove can you ſhew more to the Church, Chriſtes vineyarde, his flock, Gods field, and the whole land, then in taking theſe foxes, in abandoning theſe moules, in abaſing or deſtroying theſe Cananites, proceeding according to your iuſt laws, to conſiſcation of goods, to impriſonment, baniſhment, or death it ſelfe, according to the qualitie of their offences. But if you neither louelove them, nor tender the good of the Church (as be it farre from me to thinke you ſhould not) yet if you louelove your ſelues and the peace of the ſtate, you muſt execute with ſome roundneſſe, and ſeueritie. For conſider I pray you, and call to mind, how that when they enioyed all lenitie, the lawes being laid a ſleepe for the ſpace of ſixe yeares, or thereabouts, in the latter dayes of our late Soueraigne of happie memorie, and for almoſt 3. yeares ſpace in the dayes of his ſacred Maieſtie, and being in hope that they would not be wakened againſt them in haſte; yet for all that, they hammered, and hatched that curſed and more tiſen barbarous deſignement againſt the ſtate: and ſo that they might be at once auenged of them, for their light yoakes and rods, they prouided for them in former times, though it were to the periſhing of many of their friends, they cared not; What thinke you now that you hauehave made their yoakes heauier, and prepared ſcourges, and ſcorpions for them, when they are defeated of that, whereupon they had ſet their reſt, when they are thus exaſperated, and made raging, as beares robbed of their whelpes, what thinke you? Nay can you thinke, that they are now idle, and not plotting, or deuiſing ſome new reuenge; and if it may bee ſome more ſtrange and helliſh miſchiefe: which if you preuent not by due execution of the law, to diminiſh, and weaken them, they will execute their cruelty, to the ruine & confuſion of you and the whole ſtate, if they bee but ſuffered a while to gather ſtrength, and get power, anſwerable to their cruell minds. For who ſees not this, is more then blind; that poperie and crueltie, goe hand, in hand, if they hauehave power in their handes. Therefore if there be any louelove to thoſe ſeduced ſoules, that they may be reformed; If any louelove to the Church of God, that Ieruſalem may proſper: If any louelove to your ſelues, and ſtate, that it may continue in peace, and you inioy your liues, and liuings, your wiues, and children, your comforts and contentment: as you are Gods, ſo ſhew it in being like to God: to deale iuſtly in ſeueritie, with theſe; when you ſee lenitie will not recouer, nor ſmaller puniſhments worke any correction with them, to mooue them, or remoue them, from their hereſies, and other corruptions. It is reported of Groſthead the renowmed B. of Lyncolne, that a little before his death, complaining of wicked courſes, holden by the Romamſts, whoſe ſcourge he was; he ſaid the Church ſhould neuer finde any eaſe, from the oppreſſiue burdens laid vponupon her, nor bee deliuered from the Aegiptiacall bondage ſhe was holden in, til hir deliuerance was wrought, In ore Glady cruentand…, In the mouth of the ſword, all bathed in blood. Which I alleadge, not to perſwade crueltie and barbariſme, and helliſh maſſacring; which thoſe cruell Romaniſts vſe in all places, when they can preuaile: but to perſwade Iuſtice, and the execution of iuſtice; being perſwaded in my ſelfe, (as I thinke thouſands more are beſides) that as he thought no deliuerance could bee wrought, but by the ſword: So no preſeruation of vsus from thoſe burdens, and bondages, but In ore Glady Iuſtitiae, In the mouth of the ſword, executing Iuſtice vponupon ſuch as would drawe vsus that way. Weapons they ſay hoade peace. but if it be knowne that trauailers; either cannot, or will not vſe them; it will bolden cowardly theeues, and will make them dare to practiſe any thing; either againſt their liues or goods. Lawes are good things for the peace of a ſtate: & are the very weapōs of their defence: but if offenders either find ſome not willing that hauehave power, or thoſe reſtrained, that hauehave will to execute; they will dare to do any thing. For the particular; If Courtiers for money will procure pardon for ſuch as hauehave offended (abuſing the lenitie of his Maieſtie) or elſe ſome diſpenſation for the time to come; to ſuſpend the lawes againſt ſome greatones: If Iudges fauour them in their trialls, and Iuſtices in their commitments, one ſet at libertie, whē another hath committed: If Sheriffes, and other officers, bee remiſſe in their ſearching for them, and informing againſt them: If when information is giuen, and the Iury hath found the inditement, Clarkes and Officers both know how to doe it, and doe practiſe to ſmother of 20. or 30.5. or more of the principalleſt, and moſt daungerous: If I ſay they may ſinde this ſauour, and remiſſion of the lawes by theſe meanes: how bolde will they grow, and how will they inſult, that though the face of the lawe be againſt them, yet the edge is turned from them? how vnlike ſhall this gouernment be to that which God vſeth in adding, and vſing more ſeueritie, when the ſmaller corrections preuaile not? how preiudiciall to the peace of the ſtate, and preſeruation of his Maieſtie, his poſteritie and people, both in reſpect of their inueterate malice, and exaſperated ſtomacks? and in reſpect of Gods iuſtice, who cannot endure ſuch a ſinne, without ſeuere iudgements: when neither the louelove of the truth, is expreſſed; nor the hatred of hereſies, and his enemies purſued. When Ahab had let Benhadad the King of Aram eſcape his hands, whom the Lord had deliuered into his hands: euen then whē he had fully reſolued to deſtroy him, and the whole kingdome, there came vntounto him a Prophet of the Lord and vnderunder a parable made him accuſe himſelfe, & then vttered the Lords meſſage. Thus ſaith the Lord:1. King. 20.42. Becauſe thou haſt let goe out of thy hands, a man whom I appointed to die, thy life ſhall go for his life, & thy people for his people. The Lord hath deliuered into your hands, men, whō he hath appointed to puniſhment, ſome after this ſort, ſome after that, according to the iuſtice of the law; and ſome to die, which are their principall ſeducers: If you let them goe, out of your hands, what can you expect but that Iudgement, your liues for theirs; and your people, for their people; your goods, libertie, and peace, for theirs? But to preuent this: as you are Gods, ſo ſhewe it in time, in vſing more ſeueritie, and yet but iuſt, againſt al who are irreconciliable, and irreuotable; ſpecially againſt their ſeducers, the ſeedes-men not of hereſies only, but of horrible treaſon, and confuſion of ſtate. The french ſtorie reporteth, that Sa…anorola, P…l…de Co…. lib. 8. cap. 2.holden by many, for a Prophet (but ſure hee was a renounned man, for pietie and learning) tolde the french King Charles the 8. he ſhould hauehave great proſperitie in his voyage into Italic, and that God would giuegive the ſword into his hand; and all this, to the end hee ſhould reforme the corrupt ſtate of the church: which if he did not performe, he ſhuld returne home againe with diſhonour; and God would reſerue the honour of this worke, for ſome other: and ſo it fell out. I am no Prophet, nor the ſonne of a Prophet; yet out of Gods dealing in former times, as the ſacred, and Eccleſiaſticall Hiſtories ſhew, I may be bolde to ſpeake thus much; that ſeeing God hath put the ſword into your hands, to reforme things amiſſe, and withſtand corruptions that would grow by cutting off ſuch as ſeeke to bring them in: If you doe it, well and good;1. Sam. 2.30. I will honour them that honour me: But if you doe it not, you ſhall returne with diſhonour to your long homes. For they who deſpiſe me, ſhall be deſpiſed: and God will reſerue the honour of this worke to ſome other. Ther is a ſpeech in Lactantius to this purpoſe: If ſaith he,De Ira Dei. a maiſter of a family, ſhall hauehave his children maſſacred, his wife murdered, his houſe burned ouer his head, and all by a leawd ſeruant: and if he ſhould ſpare that ſeruant and let him goe without ſeuere puniſhment; what doe you thinke of him? Were he to be accounted mild, mercifull, and clement; or vnnaturall, and cruell? doubtleſſe eueryevery one would condemne him of crueltie. Then what may be thought of your ſparing of Papiſts; for though (Bleſſed be God) they hauehave not done any ſuch thing to vsus; yet there wanted no will nor intent in them: no indeuour was lacking to hauehave effected it: So, no thanke to them, we yet liue and proſper; for if they might hauehave had their wills, long ſince our wiues and children had bin murdered before our eyes, our houſes burned before our faces, our whole ſtate brought to confuſion. Then iudge whether pittie, & lenitie to them, be not crueltie, to all our ſtate. But as the Apoſtle Paul hauing reprooued the Hebrewes ſomewhat ſharpely, ſaith;Heb. 6.6. Beloued, wee hauehave perſwaded our ſelues, better things of you, and ſuch as accompanie ſaluation, though wee thus ſpeake: So, Honorable, and Reuerend, I hauehave perſwaded my ſelfe better things of you, and ſuch as accompanie the ſafetie of the ſtate, the peace of the Church, the proſperitie, and preſeruation of his Maieſtie, and all his royall iſſue; and the good & comfort of your ſelues and your poſteritie, though I thus ſpeake.

Thirdly, Vſe. 3 this may perſwade eueryevery man to indeuor for repentance, to profit by gods former and leſſer iudgements, that they may auoyde the future and greater. Thoſe Patients who will not obey the phyſitians preſcripts, muſt indure his potions; and if thoſe whoſe ingredients are more gentle and milde and of leſſe malignitie, preuaile not, they muſt hauehave ſharper, if the phyſitian purpoſe to cure them: he that would auoyde theſe, muſt indeuour himſelfe to helpe the firſt, that they may hauehave their effect, and worke that which was intended by them: ſo he that will not obey God commanding, muſt be ſure to heare from him; and to feele his rodde, that neglects his worde: and if he profit not by the leſſe, he ſhal hauehave the greater: and ſeeing God will do this, he ought by that he hath felt, to harken to the prophet Ames, Prepare to meete him with true repentance, and … to him that hath ſmitten him, Amos. 4.12.leaſt his hand be ſtretched out ſtill. The phyſitians hauehave a potion againſt the plague, which conſiſteth of three ingrediēts: but it is but the rich mans phyſicke, it is too coſtly for many, the medicine is called flying, the ingredients are theſe; Citò, longè, Tardè. Citò, flee ſoone enough: Longè, flee farre inough: Tardè, make no haſte to returne, but returne ſlowe inough. Many take this preſeruatiue, & many are kept all together from this, though ouertaken with another: many hauehave it adiourned for a time, but yet are met withall afterwards, either with that or a greater:Amos. 5.19. As Amos ſaith; As if a man did ſlie from a lyon, and a Beare me… him, or went into the houſe and leaned his hard againſt the wall and the Serpent bit him. But the prophets hauehave another preſeruatiue not againſt this only, but all other, either to make them not touch him, or elſe to turne to his good; and this they call not flying, but returning. The ingredients of this medicine are two, laid downe eueryevery where in the Scriptures: Ceaſe to do euill; learne to do well. Eſchew euill, and do good. And this is both reſtoratiue, & preſeruatiue, that by which men may remooue the preſent, and preuent greater to come: for if men would turne from their wicked waves and put away their drunkennes and gluttonie, their chambering & wantonneſſe, their horible oathes and blaſphemie, ceaſe profaning of holy things and the Sabbothes of God, forſake their couetouſnes and oppreſſion, vſurie, iniuſtice, adulterie, theft, and ſuch like and giuegive themſelues to practiſe ſobrietie, to refraine their tongues, to honour the Sabbothes and holy things, to followe chaſtitie, to be iuſt and faithfull, to ſeek iudgement, relieue the oppreſſed, iudge the fatherleſſe, and defend the widow; then as Eſay ſaith of ſinnes,Iſay. 1.18. though your ſinne were as crimſin, they ſhalbe made white as ſnow, &c. So for the puniſhments of them, if they were neuer ſo great he wil remoue them, and the euill that is feared ſhall not come, as Chriſoſt. vrged the people of Antioch. with the example of the barbarous Niniuitos. Hom. 5.Quomodo non admirabile. What an admirable thing is it, ſaith he, That when the Iudge had pronounced ſentence, the guiltie perſons ſhould by repentance diſſolue it: they did not flee out of the Citie as we now doe, but abiding at home did diſannull the ſentence: they heard their houſes ſhould fall vponupon their heads, but they did flee from their ſinnes, none of them did forſake his owne houſe as wee doe now, but eueryevery one departed from his wicked way: They ſaid not, the walles hauehave brought, and begotten this anger; wee who are authors of this wound, let vsus prepare the medicine: therefore they truſted not for ſafetie to the change of place, but to the change, and mutation of their maners. Theſe things the Barbarians did; and are not wee aſhamed to doe the contrary? If any of vsus were angry with his ſeruant, and he ſhould not ſeeke to appeaſe our anger, but get him into his chamber, and begin to gather his clothes and ſtuffe together, and make a packe of them, and prepare to flee away; would wee eaſily beare this contempt? And ſhall wee thinke God will take it at our hands? Let vsus then imitate the Niniuites, Ionah. 3.9.who vponupon vneertainties repented: for all they had, was but this, Who can tell whether God will turne, and repent; and turne away from his ſierce wrath, that wee periſh not? For they knew not the law and the Prophets: but wee hauehave a certaintie; namely, a moſt ſure word: euen the certaine promiſes of God. Let vsus, as we hauehave more incouragements then they, turne to God. But to conclude this poynt, I would ſay as the Prophet Gad ſaid to Dauid, when hee had deliuered Gods fearefull meſſage vntounto him, touching the choyee of his plague: Wilt thou that ſeuen yeares famine come vponupon thee in thy land? Or wilt thou flee three monethes before thine enemies, 2. Sam. 24.13.they following thee? Or that there bee three daies peſtilence in thy land? Now aduiſe thee, and ſee what anſwere I ſhall giuegive to him that ſent me. So ſay I, aduiſe your ſelues, and ſee what aunſwere I ſhall giuegive to him that ſent mee. Let mee not ſay, that you will not returne, for that is not profitable for you, nor ioyfull newes for me to carie: But if I ſhall ſay to God, you will returne, then as Moſes ſaid,Ezod. 8.29. Let not Pharaoh deceiue any more: So let not Englād deceiue any more: For, Be not deceiued, God is not mocked: Gal. 6.7.for, whatſoeuer a man ſowes that ſhall he reape. He that ſowes repentance, ſhall reape merciemercy; and he that ſowes obſtinacie and hardnes of heart ſhall reape confuſion: for God ſhall multiply his plagues ſtill vponupon him, and his wrath ſhall not be turned away; but his hand ſhall bee ſtretched out ſtill.

So much may ſuffice for the generall cauſe of this threatened iudgement.

In the next place, as they are here placed by the Prophet, followeth the iudgement it ſelfe. Whereof I hauehave many things to ſpeake: but the time paſſing ſo faſt, and being much ſpent alreadie; I ſhall bee forced to imitate cunning painters, who hauing in a great ſtory many pictures to expreſſe in a little table, onelyonly draw the chiefeſt and moſt principall at large, and in their full proportions, the reſt they expreſſe by the heads, and the halues onelyonly: So I ſhall bee conſtrained to touch many things briefly, that I may handle the chiefeſt more fully; then by the halues, that I may follow theſe ſomewhat at the full. The next thing then which is to bee handled, is the generalitie of the iudgemēt, in theſe words; The Lord will cut off head and taile, braunch, and ruſh. Whence, for our inſtruction, I obſerue this point. This is the dealing of God when he commeth to viſite; Doct. 2 Where he findeth ſinne generally ſpreade ouer all, then will he bring a generall iudgement vponupon all: this is manifeſt through the ſcriptures, when ſinne grewe generall in the world,Gen. 6.5.7. and the Imaginations of mans hart was only euill continually: then the Lord brought a general deluge of water and deſtroyed all, ſaue Noe & his family:Gen. 1 8. when ſinne couered Sodome, Gomorrah, and the fiue Citties about it, ſo that not ten good men could be found in all thoſe Cities: there came a common fire from heauen and deſtroyed all; when ſinne in the daies of Dauid couered the people, and Dauid left to his owne corruption, numbered the people,2. King. 21.12.13. and prouoked the Lord, there came a common plague vponupon them from Dan to Berſheba: Alſo when Manaſſes and the people corrupted themſelues with Idolatrie, the Lord threatēs he would bring a cōmō plague vponupon them, that he would ſtretch ouer them the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the houſe of Ahab, and would wipe Ieruſalem as a man would wipe a diſh, and turneth it vpſide downe: by al theſe it is manifeſt, that where ſinne is general, there Gods iudgements ſhall be generall.

The reaſon of this is, Reaſon. 1 Firſt, becauſe Iuſtice requireth alwaies a proportion betwixt the ſin and the puniſhment: & that both in the weight and greatnes of it, and in the length and extent of it: when the ſinnes are great and crying ſinnes, the puniſhments muſt be great and heauie plagues; ſo when they are generally ſpread ouer all, proportiō requireth the iudgments alſo ſhould be generall. Secondly, becauſe by this, Reaſon. 2 God may manifeſt and magnifie his power: for, as it ſhewes his power to ſaue with fewe as well as with many. 1. Sam. 14.6. ſo to deſtroy many as well as fewe: & though Dauid ſpared Ioab becauſe he was weake and but newly anoynted King, and the ſonnes of Seruia were too ſtrong for him; 2. Sam. 3.39.yet God is King from euerlaſting, yea none is too ſtrong for him: but as well when hand ioyneth in hand, the wicked ſhall not be vnpuniſhed, as when they are ſingle.

Now vponupon this ground, and from hence may I teach our earthly gods, that ſeeing the heauenly God will deale thus: Vſe. 1 So ought our earthly gods to imitate, not to ſuffer vnpuniſhed, nor to tollerate any iniquitie, or any workers of iniquity; becauſe of the multitude, or that many are wrapped in the ſame ſinne: eſpecially when they are not ſo many, but their power is able to deale with them, without preiudice to the whole,Lib. 3. Cōt. Parmeu. Cap. 2. and common peace. Indeed Auguſtine hath a rule, that it is not ſafe puniſhing of him, who being corrupt hath a multitude of companions: but when many are corrupted, nothing remaines to the godly, but Dolor & Gemitus, Mourning and groning: That by this figue they may be found fit and worthy to eſcape their deſtruction: as Ezeke. 9. But this by himſelfe is expounded, that it is either of the cenſure of the Church or elſe of the Magiſtrate, when he cannot do it without preiudice to the common good; for ſo he manifeſteth it, out of Mathew: Concerning the Tares, the Seruants ſaid vntounto him, Wilt thou that we goe and gather them vp? But he ſaid nay: Math. 13.28.29.leaſt whilſt you goe about to gather the Tares yee plucke vp alſo with them the wheate: ſo that when the Tares come to be plucked vp, and the feare of hurting the wheate is remoued, and that it is in no daunger, and the iniquitie either hath not defenders, or no ſuch defēders that ſuch a daungerous ſchiſme and rent may follow; then ſaith he, Ne Dorm… at ſeueritas diſcipliuae, Let not the ſeucritie of the law ſleepe. Now among vsus there are no ſuch malefactors, but the power of the ſtate may well deale with, though in many ſinnes many are combined: therefore ought they not to ſuffer them vnpuniſhed for their multitude. Truth it is, our pope-holy Catholiques, who are combined in Idolatrie and treaſon, are many, and they let not to brag of their multvde, as if they would dare the ſtate to deale with them: nay plainely daring the ſtate, as D. Biſhop doth in his Epiſtle to his Maieſty, before his anſwere to M. Perkins; Telling the ſtate, what a multitude they are, & what neceſſitie may compell them vntounto: yet bleſſed be God, the ſonnes of Seruia, or of the three headed Cerberus, are not too ſtrong for vsus; howſoeuer they may growe by the conniuence, and lenitie of the ſtate, and the proneneſſe of our people to that naturall religion, or idolatrous ſuperſtition. Therefore ought you earthly gods to imitate the heauenly; and let your puniſhments bee generall, becauſe they cōfeſſe this iniquitie to be very general: eſpecially ſeing this time twelue-month they thought to goe generally to worke, both with you, and vsus all; yea, ſeeing wee hauehave a voice from heauen ſpeaking this to vsus, and commaunding that you ſhould doe ſo, Reward her euen as ſhe hath rewarded you, Reu. 18.6.and giuegive hir double, according to hir workes: and in the cuppe, that ſhee hath filled to you, fill her the double. If any will ſay, All are not ſuch; and it is againſt charitie, ſo to iudge of all: I aunſwere him, I hauehave learned to put a difference betwixt popiſhly affected, and grounded papiſts: howbeit, it is apparant that they that are only popiſh, are ſo blockiſh, that without the ſeueritie of the lawes, they will hardly harken to any inſtruction. And as for grounded Papiſts, which are indeed Atheiſts, and traitors; howſoeuer it may be thought all are not alike cruellie minded; as ſome hauehave ſhewed themſelues more then barbarous: yet if they might hauehave but a little ſchooling, of a Ieſuite, or a ſecular Prieſt (for if there be one good, there is neuer a bad) they will eaſily be hardened: and they that now ſeeme to be moſt pittifull, if they had had that they looked for, (but let their eyes fall out, before they ſee it) they would hauehave beene like the Edomites that Obadiah ſpeaketh of,Obadiah. Verſe. 12.13.14. They would hauehave beheld vsus in the day that we ſhould hauehave bin made ſtrāgers; they would hauehave reioyced ouer vsus in the day of our deſtructiō; they would hauehave ſpokē proudly in the day of our afflictiō; they would hauehave entred into our gates in the day of our deſtruction; they would hauehave looked on our affliction in the day of our deſtruction; in the day of our deſtructiō, they would hauehave laid hands on our ſubſtāte; in the day of our deſtructiō, they would hauehave ſtood in the croſſe wayes, to cut them off that had eſcaped, and hauehave ſhut vp the remembrance of vsus, in thè day of our affliction. Therefore bleſſed ſhal that hand be,Pſal. 137.13. that in the way of iuſtice, rewardeth them as they would hauehave ſerued vsus.

Secondly, from hence, and by this, may I admoniſh al men, Vſe. 2 not to bleſſe themſelues in their ſinnes; nor to thinke they may bee the more ſecure, becauſe wickedneſſe is ſpread ouer al, euen head & taile, branch and ruſh. Vſually ſuch is the corruption of men, that the corruptions of the time they take to be a ſufficient couer for whatſoeuer ſinnes they lie in; and while they compare themſelues with others, they neither are afraid, nor aſhamed of ſinne. For where the number is ſo great, there is eueryevery thing more tollerable: as, in the region where all are borne black-mores, it is no ſhame for any to bee blacke; and in thoſe regions where al are drunkards, it's no ſhame to be drunke: So where wicked men are ſo many, and ſinne ſo familiar, it is neither feared nor auoided. But alas, ſee the folly and madneſſe of theſe men; that they make moſt for their ſecuritie, will ſooneſt bring their ruine; becauſe that when ſinne is generall, then commeth the generall iudgement: while there are but fewe particular offenders, God vſeth long patience to men; but when they are once growne to be banded in ſinne, and all to conſent in wickednes, then God cannot but aſſemble al his armies againſt them; as a prince whē he hath one rebell vp againſt him with a ſmal power, litle regards him: but when they are growne to a multitude, he muſtereth and ſendeth his forces againſt them. We ſee how God hath dealt with vsus, and he threateneth to deale with vsus further: for are we better then Dauid and his people and others? And if this ſeeme not to bee generall enough, becauſe the noble, the worſhipfull and the rich, are but a little troubled, and touched with it, ſeeing they can take the Phyſitians preſeruatiue, ſo that this hath onelyonly beene the plague of the poore, and of the ſeruants, not of the maiſters, and the rich: Let vsus know that the Lord will yet puniſh vsus, more generally. And if wee turne not as the Niniuites, with one heart as one man, that our repentance and humiliation may be generall as our ſinne and corruptions hauehave beene, hee will puniſh vsus yet more, as he is able, and moſt iuſt; and hee will ſtretch ouer vsus the line of Samariae, and the Plummet of the houſe of Ahab, and hee will wipe vsus cleane; as a diſh that is wiped, and turned vp-ſide downe. And thus you hauehave the generality of this iudgement. Now I come to the impartiallitie of it, that it is to the head as well as the taile; and to the branch, as well as to the ruſh: whence obſerue,

That when God commeth to iudge, Doct. 3 hee ſpares none for any outward reſpects, though they be high in honour, great in power, rich in reuenues, wiſe in policie, deepe in learning, or whatſoeuer elſe: no outward thing is any priuiledge to ſaue them, from his Iudgements.…rou. 11.…1. Hence is that of Salomon; Though hand ioyne in hand, the wicked ſhall not bee vnpuniſhed: So, though head ioyne to head, and all the meanes bee winded and knit together that may be had, yet ſhall nothing free them from the iudgements of God. Such are the vehemencie of the Lords arrowes, when he ſhooteth them abroad;…ing…. 2.31. though Achab bee in the middeſt of his hoaſt, companied with all his men of armes, yet one of them ſhall giuegive him a deadly wound. Though Nabuchadnezzer be in his lordly palace, built for the honour of his maieſtie, accompanied with his wiſe counſell, yet another of them ſhall ſmite him, and driue him to baniſhment. Though Belſhazzer his ſonne be in the middeſt of his cuppes; euen as it were in deſpight of God, drinking healthes in the veſſells of Gods tabernacle: yet another of them ſhall be like an hand-writing vponupon the wall, and ſhall make his countenance to change, Daniel. 5.his thoughts to be troubleſome, his ioyntes to looſe, and his knees to beate one againſt the other. Though Herod be arrayed with his royall robes, ſet vponupon his glorious ſeate, making his eloquent oration, and enioying the applauſe of the people,Acts. 12 The voyce of God and not of man: Yet ſhall another of them ſmite him, that hee ſhall bee eaten with wormes, and make him as loathſome to the ſmel, as euer he was delectable to the eare. If the Lord ſmite the Cedars of Libanus, how ſhall the ſhrubs eſcape? for ſaith the Pſalmiſt, The voyce of the Lordſh tketh the Codars of Libanus, aſwel as the ſhrubs of Cades, wherby we plainly ſee, that there is no earthly thing can be a writ of protection, to protect a man from the wrath of God, when hee commeth to iudgement. And good reaſon there is, why it ſhould not.

Firſt, becauſe the Lord is no accepter of perſons, as Peter thought in his error; Reaſon. 1 ingeniouſly confeſſing it afterwards, Acts. 10.34. And the reaſon of this, is partly the iuſtice and vprightnes of his nature, and partly the greatneſſe of his maieſtie: the vprightneſſe of his nature, becauſe it is immutable, and he alwayes the ſame; the greatneſſe of his maieſtie, becauſe nothing is great in compariſon of him, as Ambroſe giueth the reaſon; though the things be great in reſpect of man, yet nothing is great in reſpect of God, ſeeing that as Eſay ſpeakes;Iſay. 40.22. Hee ſitteth vponupon the Circle of the earth, & the inhabitants thereof are as graſhoppers. The earth is but as a poynt, or mote in compariſon of the heauens: though a little hill in reſpect of man, is a great thing. A litle grain turneth the goldſmiths ſcales; when as a great matter will not change the ſcales at the Kings beame.

Secondly, Reaſon 2 becauſe their ſinnes are greater then others: partly becauſe they hauehave receied much, and much is required of them; and where moſt obedience is due, there the diſobedience is greater: partly becauſe, where others ſinne of infirmitie, as Solomon ſpeaketh of the theefe, that he ſteales for hunger, therefore men pittie him. Prou. 6.30.But they ſinne of contempt, as Pharoh did: Who is the Lord, that I ſhould feare him? partly, becauſe by their example, many are drawne and imboldened to the like ſinnes: therefore no maruell if God ſmite them principallie.

Now from this poynt, Vſe 1 the impartialitie of Gods iudgements, may we hauehave theſe informations: Firſt, for ſuch as Iehoſaphat ſpeaketh, Who execute the iudgements, not of max, 2. Chron. 19.6.but of God; They ought to doe as God himſelfe would doe, whoſe deputies they are, and whoſe perſon they repreſent; who alſo is in the middeſt of them, not to ſpare any malefactor, for any outward reſpect, whatſoeuer: they ought to puniſh the Noble, as well as the baſe, the rich, as the poore, the great as wel as the ſmal. It was not for nought, that Iethro aduiſed Moſes that his magiſtrates ſhould bee men of courage, and hating Couetonſnes: becauſe,Exod. 18.21. they that are fearefull, and that louelove money, deſiring to finger it, will ſinne for a little thing; a ſmall thing will eaſily turne them, and one graine will make their ſcale weigh heauier, or lighter. They will ſoone bee like the fiſhermans Angle, as one ſaith, that though it hauehave but a little fiſh it will bend ſomewhat: but when it hath a great fiſh, it will bowe to his hand; but theſe things ſhould not be ſo. But as the lawe, which is the dumbe magiſtrate, was penned without reſpect of perſon: So the magiſtrate which is the ſpeaking lawe, ſhould execute without any affection; as well puniſhing a Noble adulterer, as a meane one; as well laying the law to a great idolatrous recuſant, as to a ſmall one; as well to ſuch as is his friend, as to him that is a ſtranger; as well to him that hath many friends, as to him that is deſtitute of friends; and not onelyonly to thoſe that openly profeſſe that groſſe idolatrie, but to ſuch as vnderhand further that peſtilent ſuperſtition. How daungerous ſuch are, may appeare by that which Socrates writeth: that certaine Arians, Socrates. lib. 1. Cap. 10.ſuppoſed to be conuerts, abuſing the lenitie and credulitie of Conſtantine the great, inſinuated themſelues into his fauour; and obtained offices, and imployments, in the common-wealth: theſe publiquely profeſſed the doctrine of the Nieene Creed; but ſecretly, and vnderhand they kept their olde corruptions in their hearts: and by all meanes they could, collaterallie with ſlanders, and Iniuſtice, through the ſides of the godly, they wounded the holy and innocent cauſe. If there be any ſuch among vsus, poſſeſſing any ſuch places; and if there bee any branch of the law againſt them, theſe as moſt dangerous ought to feele the waight of it: but if there be no lawe, bleſſed be his mouth that will ſpeake for ſuch a law, that there may bee more and longer triall made of them, before they be admitted to any place; and if they be in any, that they may bee ſpeedily remooued when their windings are diſcouered: & bleſſed he his hand that ſhall execute ſuch a law. And as againſt them, ſo againſt all other malefactors, executions ought to be without partialitie: and then if they prooue like vntounto Leui in execution,Deut. 33.9. That ſaid vntounto his father, and mother, I hauehave not ſeene him; neither knew hee his brethren nor his owne children: for they obſerued thy law, and and kept thy couenant: If any deale ſo, then ſhall come vponupon them that bleſſing, Verſe. 11 The Lord ſhall bleſſe their ſubſtance, and accept the worke of their hands, and ſmite through the loynes of them that riſe againſt him, and of them that hate him, that they riſe not againe. But if any be partiall, let him looke for the recompence of King Saul, who was put out of the calendar of the Kings, as if hee had raigned but two yeares: ſo ſhal they, out of the number of the worthy Iudges of God.

Secondly, this may admoniſh all thoſe that are great, Vſe. 2 whoſe heads the Lord hath lifted vp aboue others, who are more Noble, honourable, worſhipfull or wealthy, then others that thinke themſelues in greateſt ſecuritic, the Lord can bring them to greateſt miſeries. For it is he that can binde the Nobles in chaines, and Princes in links of Iron: his darknes couered the Courte of Pharoh, as well as the countrie of Aegytt: he ſlewe the firſt borne of the King, as well as the pezants of Ham: Pharoh was deſtroyed in the red Sea, as well as the common Souldier or ſubiect. That which Dauid ſent as a comfort to Ioab after worthie Vriah was ſlaine (Let not this thing trouble thee, 2. Sam. 11.25.the ſword of the Lord deſtroyes one as well as another) I may ſēd as a cooling card to thoſe that are at eaſe in Sion, & ſecure in England; lifted vp, vponupon the wings of their wealth, or other priuiledges: but yet with this charge; Let this thing trouble you; for the ſword of the Lord deuoureth one as well as an other. The iudgements of God are vponupon vsus: they hauehave little profited thoſe, that hauehave any of theſe priuiledges; partly for that they are ſeduced with a conceit, which is, that wee neither read of, nor ſee any men of their qualitie touched with any ſuch plague: but do they thinke ſo indeed? Why then did they flie from it? What a vaine action is it to flie, when there is no feare? But, hauehave not as great as they bin ſmittē with it? What, was not Hezekiah ſmitten to death with it? And was Dauids feare a vaine feare, when the Angell approached towards Ieruſalem? But if this ſhould not be, hath not the Lord varietie of iudgements? and hath he not ſmitten others as great as they, with as fearefull as this? If Pharaoh could not be preſerued with all his iron Chariots, if the goodly buildings and houſes of Nabuchadnezzar could not preſerue him from his beaſtly baniſhment, nor the praiſe and the great applauſe of the people keepe Herod from the deuouring of the wormes, nor all the full barnes of the rich man in the Goſpell, could keepe his ſoule in body for one night; What can your great power, or goodly buildings, or honours, or admiration of men promiſe ſafetie vntounto you? and yet if they do promiſe, how can they performe it? And if they could in this life, yet ſhould they not in the life that is to come: where if God would reſpect perſons, yet there ſhould not be any thing to be reſpected, becauſe eueryevery one ſhall appeare ſtript of all worldly priuiledges; Princes of their Crownes and dignities, Nobles of their Coronets and honours, the rich of their wealth, the magiſtrate of their Scarlets & of their enſignes of honour, and eueryevery one ſhall appeare more naked then he goeth out of the world. In this world indeed there is a difference, but none in the world to come: but as it is with marchants counters, that all the time the account laſteth, one is better then another, one ſtands for a thouſand, another for a hundred, and another for a cypher; but when the account is ended, all is alike: So it is in theſe things. Let no man then for his greatneſſe, honour, worſhip, wealth, or any other thing, flatter himſelfe in his ſinnes, as if the hand of God ſhould not finde him out here in this preſent world: ſeeing he will cut off head, as well as taile, branch as ruſh; much leſſe let him harden himſelfe, in reſpect of the time to come. For whereas riches and theſe thinges when they are had, will not deliuer their owner in the day of wrath; he cannot expect, but falſelie, deliuerance, by them, when he ſhall appeare without them.

Now further out of this, that God will deſtroy both head, and taile, the deceiued magiſtrate, & the deceiuing Prophet, as it is interpreted in the 15. verſe, which is the vprightneſſe, and the equitie of Gods iudgement; I obſerue this doctrine: Doct. 4

That wicked magiſtrats and miniſters, flattering and bolſtering each others in their wicked courſes, ſhall certainly be puniſhed, and oftentimes together. So it is manifeſt by Balaam and the Kings of Midian: Nomb 3 1. Kings. 18.22. 1. Kings. 13.33.23. Ier. 3.49.alſo by Ahab & his ſoure hundred falſe Prophets: by Ierohoam and his hedge prieſts: by Zedchia and his falſe prophets, when as Ieremy, and other the poore people were reſerued. And why this?

Reaſon. 1 But firſt, becauſe they do much hurt by their example, & ſtrengthen other mens hands in ſinne, being the cauſe of the corruptions of others; the whole bodie being commonly as theſe heads are. So that it is in a commonwealth, as one ſaith it is in a fiſh, that if the head bee once corrupted and putrified, the whole body certainely is no leſſe; and if a man would know whether the bodie of the fiſh be corrupt or no, hee muſt ſmell the head: ſo if theſe heads be corrupted, the whole bodie needes muſt be infected. Theſe are the ringleaders and captaines of ſuch rebellions: it is iuſt then they ſhould be puniſhed with the firſt and together.

Secondly, Reaſon. 2 becauſe the Lord would ſhewe both his iuſtice and his power, in one action: his iuſtice giuing aequalia aequalibus, puniſhing alike them, who ſinne alike; and power, in manifeſting that no ſtrength is able to withſtand him, but that he is able to confound all that combine themſelues:Nahum. 1.9.10. euen as Nahum ſaith, They ſhall be but as thornes folden together, as drunkards in their drunkennes: they ſhal be devoured as ſtubble fully dried.

Now if theſe things ſhall bee thus; Firſt, magiſtrates may learne to know who are their friends, and who their enemies. Vſe. 1 In the generall it will bee granted, that he that preſerues a mā from deſtruction, is his ſpecial friend; he that draweth him into ruine muſt needs be his enemie; and ſuch an one is a flatterer: who, as Solomon ſpeaketh,Pro. 29.5. ſpreads a net for his ſteps. And ſuch are flattering miniſters, who ſmoth them vp in eueryevery thing, magnifying eueryevery thing that they doe, and is in them; as if no mote were at al in their garments; as if they could not ſinne, or that which is ſinne in others were no ſinne in them: theſe are they who bring deſtruction vntounto them. There is a kinde of Serpent, that by ſtinging of men, caſts them into a maruellous ſweete ſleepe; who if euer they once wake, they preſently die: ſuch verily are theſe flatterers; and the like will be to theſe who are flattered, if they could, or would foreſee and know it. If Ahab could hauehave ſeene it, Micha was not his enemie, but Zidkiah & the whole companie of falſe flattering prophets. If Ieroboam could hauehave ſeene it, plaine dealing Amos was not his enemie, but flattering Amaziah, the prieſt: So generally to all princes, ſuch miniſters, are enemies, who compoſe themſelues to their countenances, and ſeeke not to frame them to the lawes of God; who are like to ſome pictures that will looke on a man which way ſoeuer hee looke, on the right hād, or on the left; before him, or aſide of him. The Lord keepe all Chriſtian Kings, from ſuch enemies. And eaſie were it for them to be freed of them, if they would countenance thoſe that would deale plainely with them, with diſcretion,Prou. 25.23. and diſcountenance all ſuch ſmoothers and flatterers. For thē as the Northwinde driueth away the raine: ſo would an angry coūtenance, the ſlandering tong; yea, the flattering tongue. I ſuppoſe that Alexander was a long time after free from flatterers, when as Ariſtobulus, hauing read vntounto him many things that he had writ of him ſurpaſſing the truth, as the was paſſing the riuer Hydaſpis; he tooke the booke from him, and threwe it into the riuer, and ſaid, hee was almoſt mooued to doe ſo with Ariſtobulus himſelfe, for his ſeruile dealing: with ſuch kind of entertainment, they might eaſily rid thēſelues, of ſuch deſtroying flatterers; leaſt they be forced to ſay as Adrian the Emperour, when he was a dying (hauing delighted in Phyſitians all his life, who adminiſtred nothing but pleaſing things vntounto him,) ſaid; that too many Phyſitians had killed the Emperor: ſo too many flatterers, hauehave cauſed their deſtruction.

Secondly, miniſters may learnes, Vſe. 2 as they louelove themſelues, to deale faithfully, and to bee as the Cherubines, vntounto the merciemercy ſeate, thither they looked and thence they gaue their aunſweres; and not to be partiall in the law, Mal. 2.11leaſt God cauſe them to bee deſpiſed, and in the end deſtroy them, as here is threatned. They may liue in a time, when ſuch prophets as will ſpeake of wine, and ſtrong drinke, Mich. 2.11.and pleaſing things, ſhall be moſt deſired; and among ſuch as are like thoſe in Eſay, Iſa. 30.10.which ſay vntounto the ſeers, ſee not, and to the Prophets, prophecie not vntounto vsus right things, but ſpeake flattering things vntounto vsus, prophecie errors: and ſuch as will tell them if they deale faithfully, as Balacke told Balaam, I thought ſurely to promote thee to honour, but the Lord hath kept thee backe from honour. Numb. 24.11.And ſo it proues that this is the way to earthly honour, preferment, and liuing for a ſeaſon and a little while: but the Lord threatned it ſhall not proſper long with them, he can in a night take all from them as he did Ionaſ his gourd. But if they enioy it longer, it is but for a while;Iob. 17.5. for the eyes of his children ſhall faile, that ſpeaketh flattery to his friends. But if no ſuch thing happen to them in this life, what hauehave they gained to gaine the whole world, to get all honour and preferment, and loſe their owne ſoules, and to anſwere for ſo many ſoules as hauehave periſhed through their vnfaithfulnes? For what can they anſwere when God ſhall come to iudge? will they pretend the greatnes of thoſe, whom they indeuoured ſo to pleaſe? certainly it will not benefit them.Hom. 28. ad pop. Antio. Chryſostome when he had ſpoken ſomewhat which ſeemed to offend the rich and mighty of his audience, ſpake to thē thus; Ne quis miht diues. &c. Let no rich man, nor no great or powerful man, ſwell againſt me, or knit his browes at me; I account of all theſe as fables, ſhaddowes, and dreames: for none of thoſe that are preſent ſhall be able to defend me at that day, when I ſhall be challenged and reprooued for not deliuering the lawe of God with ſufficient ſharpnes; 1. Sam. 2.4.this was, euen this was the ruine of that admirable olde man, who himſelfe liued a blameles life: it deſtroyed him with his ſonnes; what then can any flattring Amaziahs or fawning Zedkiahs expect? that any mans greatnes ſhould excuſe them? it will not defend themſelues: how then their flatterers? nay as is ſaid before; they then ſhal hauehave none of their greatnes to defend themſelues or helpe others.

Now in the 16. verſe followeth the particular cauſe of the iudgement, which is the gouernours and Miniſters miſleading of the people, making them to erre: whence it muſt needs be that they themſelues erred and teached errors. Whence I gather this.

That the gouerners, rulers & Miniſters of a particular viſible Church, Doctri. 5 may erre in matters of faith, and manners, doctrine and life, which is manifeſt through the whole booke of the Scriptures; Firſt theſe things were foretolde: for howſoeuer the people made a bragge, Come let vsus imagine ſome deuice againſt Ieremiah, Ier. 18.18.for the law ſhal not periſh fro the prieſt, nor counſell from the wiſe, nor the word from the Prophets: Yet the Lord he threateneth it ſhuld come to paſſe cleane contrary:Ezek. 7.26. as it is ſaid in Ezek. Calamitie ſhal come vponupon calamitie, & rumour ſhal be vpō rumor: then ſhal they …ke a viſion of the Prophet; but the law ſhal periſh … the Prieſt, & counſel from the auncient: and Micha. 3.6. Therefore night ſhall be vntounto you for a viſion, Mich. 3.6.and darkneſſe ſhall be vntounto you for a diuination; and the ſunne ſhall goe downe ouer the Prophets, and the day ſhall be darke ouer them. Secondly, it is manifeſt by that which is in Eſay, The watch men are all bl…, they be aſleepe, Eſay. 6.10.and delight in ſleeping: and by that in Ieremie; I hauehave ſeene fooliſimeſſe, Ier. 23.13in the Prophets of Samariah, &c. If the exception be, that this was Iſrael and not Iuda, then ſee that which followeth; I hauehave alſo ſeene filthineſſe in the Prophets of Ieruſalem. If it be ſaid,Verſe 14.16. that theſe are prophets and not prieſts; Thirdly, I manifeſt it by the euent. All the chieſe of the prieſts alſo and of the people, treſpaſſed wonderfully, 2. Chron. 36.14.according to all the abominations of the heathen, and polluted the houſe of the Lord, which hee had ſanctified in Ieruſalem. And if it be ſaid, that this was in the Synagogue & not in the chriſtian church (as they abſurdly ſpeake) that all the cheiſe of the prieſts and of the people treſpaſſed, &c. We will follow them whither they call vsus: and ſee the Apoſtles how they erred: when Chriſt ſpake vntounto them of his ſufferings, in Luke, Luk. 18.34.it is ſaid; They vnderſtood none of theſe things, and this ſaying was hid from them: neither perceiued they the things which were ſpoken: which not vnderſtanding of the ſpeech of Chriſt, grew out of an error, which their mindes was foreſtalled withall before, that Chriſt ſhould raigne as a temporall king. But it may be that this was before Chriſts reſurectiō; ſee therfore his diſciples asked him,Act. 1.6. ſaying; Lord wilt thou at this time reſtore the kingdoe to Iſrael? as dreaming of an earthly kingdome; as if he ſhould hauehave had one: but though he now were riſen, vet was he not aſcended; neither had ſent the holy ghoſt. The to ſay nothing touching certain of the Church, & thoſe in like lihood not a ſewe, who erred, concerning the calling of the Gentiles, ſo that Peter was faine to make an Apologie for his going to Cornelius, Acts 11; Let vsus come to Peter the head of the Church; Acts. 10.14. he was ignorant that by Chriſt the ceremoniall lawe was aboliſhed; I hauehave eaten nothing that is vncleane or polluted: yea himſelfe was ignorant of the calling of the Gentiles: doubt not but goe; therefore hee was ignorant before: and verſe 33.34. Of a truth, now I know there is no reſpect of perſons with God. And as he erred in faith, ſo alſo in manners. Gelat. 2.14, Paul reprooued him before all men, that being a Iewe, be walked as the Gentiles, and not like the Iewes: and yet compelled the Gentiles to dee like the Iewes: Is it not then manifeſt they may erre, and hauehave erred? but ſee this confirmed.

Reaſon. 1 Firſt, becauſe the beſt knoweth but in part; though their knowledge be neuer ſo great, yet is it but imperfect: for the Apoſtle ſaith,1. Cor. 3.9. Wee know in part, and wee prophecie in part: and the common ſpeech is, Maexima pars eorum quae ſci…us, eſt minima pars eorum quae ignoranuts; The greatest part of thoſe things we know, is the leaſt part of thoſe things we yet are ignorat of. Now ignorance is the mother of errour, ſaith Bernard: ſeeing al men thē are in partignorāt, they may erre: thē the Prieſt may erre in part.

Reaſon. 2 Secondly, becauſe eueryevery man is but in part ſanctified, and hath the remnants of the olde man remaining in him: euen Paul, who had ſo farre proceeded in ſanctification, as that hee was not inſeriour to the very chieſe Apoſtles, 2. Cor. 11.5.had yet the remnants of the old man. Now then it is no more I that doe it,Rom. 7.17.24. but the ſinne that dwelleth in me: O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliuer me from the bodie of this death? Therefore they may partlie ſtriue againſt their owne iudgment, and be drawne by temptation to defende an errour againſt conſcience; for howſoeuer errour in iudgement, commeth from ignorance: yet errour in act, as in teaching, defending, and maintaing of ſome vntruth, is ioyned often with knowledge; and ariſeth not out of ignorance, but out of want of grace, and ſanctification.

Reaſon. 3 Thirdly, becauſe that promiſe of the inceſſant aſſiſtāce & infallible guidāce of the ſpirit, was neuer made to any ſaue to the Apoſtles becauſe they were to plant Churches, where were neuer any before; and being in a new ſorme of gouernment of the Church, which was neuer vſed nor heard of before, therefore to them it was promiſed,Iohn. 14.26. He ſhall teach y… all things, and bring all things to your remembrance: and againe,Iohn 16.13. Hee ſhall lead you into all truth. By which is meant, not an abſolute illumination of all truth; for that the Apoſtle had denied before,1. Cor. 13.9. Wee know in part: But an infallible ſuggeſtion of the truth, as occaſion was offered. And that this was promiſed onelyonly to thē, I proue, becauſe of that, Ioh. 16.13. And he ſhall ſhew you all things to come; which neuer any Pope or Patriarch durſt challenge: and therefore ſeeing they are both in one graunt, and that this will not paſſe by vertue of that promiſe; then why the other, ſeeing they are both in one and the ſame promiſe?

Now this being ſo certaine a truth, Vſe 1 it will firſt euince the doctrine of poperie, of errour, which teacheth, that the Church cannot erre: nor a councell, which is the repreſentatiue Church; for when all Miniſters or the greater part may fall into groſſe errours, and things in a councell are caried by the moſt voyces, ſhall we thinke they may not then erre? for ſuppoſe a councell be collected of them, is it not likely they will be the ſame in the councell when they meete together, that they are, ſeuered, & alone? for Coelum non animum mutat, &c. They may well change the heauens and their places, but not their minds and affections. But to inſtance in ſome, ſee a councel erring, 1. Kings. 22; 400. falſe prophets with one conſent aduiſing king Ahab. flat againſt the minde of God, and the word of the Lord, by the prophet Michaiah. But happely Bellarmine will ſay, they were a councell of prophets, not prieſts; gathered by the King, not by the high prieſt. See therefore councels of prieſts gathered by the high prieſt, and yet erring;Iohn. 9.22 In Iohn we hauehave a councell, which met and decreed to excommunicate whoſoeuer profeſſed Chriſt: did they not erre? And in Marke, there is a coūcell which condemned Chriſt of blaſphemie,Mark. 14.64. and that he ought to die for it: Thinke you they were in the truth, or in impious errour? But Bellarmine will ſay, that a councell of prieſts could not erre before Chriſts comming; but he being come, they might erre: but for what reaſon? muſt it not be, becauſe they were not prieſts, and their high prieſt no high prieſt, ſeeing Chriſt was now come? But this is falſe: for the prieſthood of Aaron was not aboliſhed, till Chriſt offered vp his ſacrifice, and ſo had eſtabliſhed an cuerlaſting prieſthood: yea further, the argument of the Rhemiſts, which is common to them, and other popiſh writers, how ſhould it hold good? when Iohn. 11.49.50. becauſe Caiaphas ſpake the truth, they would prone the Pope could not erre, be he neuer ſo wicked: for if he were not a high prieſt, then there would be no conſequent in this argument. But he was the high prieſt, and they all prieſts, and yet they erred: and ſo a councell may erre. But more ingeniouſly dealeth Hoſius & Canus, Hoſius in lib. 2. Corara Brentium. Prolegom. Canus lib. 5. cap. vlt. in reſponſ. ad Secund. argum. In action. 16.who affirme directly, that that councell did pronounce a right ſentence, and that the ſpirit of God was with them, and that it neuer left the councell of prieſts, till Chriſt had offered vp his bloudie ſacrifice: yet that councell condemned Chriſt of blaſphemie: and is not this the mouth of blaſphemie, that dare ſpeake ſuch things? But ſee other councels: the councell of Calcedon. not demed to be a lawfull councell, equalled the Biſhip of Conſtantinople, with the B B. of Rome, in authoritie, honour, and other priuiledges; ſaue onelyonly in precedence.Canon. 19. de baeret. rebaptiz. I hope they will ſay, this councell erred. The firſt councell of Necce eſtabliſhed rebaptization, of thoſe heritiques who ſollowed Sameſatenus. The ſecond councell of Neece, Action. 5.eſtabliſhed worſhipping of Images, decreed that Angells had bodies, and that the ſoules of men were corporal. If a councell cannot erre,Auguſt. de baptiſm. Cōtra Donatiſt. lib. 2. Cap. 3. why did Auguſtine appeale from the Affrican councel, where Cyprian was preſent, to the Scriptures? Affirming that we may not doubt of the Scriptures: but of them it is lawfull to doubt; ſaying, that Concilta plenaria, full councels may erre. If the queſtion be of the authoritie of the pope, whether it be greater then of a councell, Hterome anſwereth; Si authoritas quaritur, or his maior eſt vrbe. If you queſtiō about ſuperiority, the whole world is aboue one city. But aske the coūcel of Conſtāce, which depoſed Iohn 23. & choſe Martin. 5. If they ſay the coū cell erred, they grant as much as we deſire; If they ſay that the councell did not erre, then the authoritie of the councell is aboue the Pope. But why ſhould I contend ſo long about councels, ſeeing thēſelues hauehave brought it to a narrower ſcantling? for they confeſſe that all particular Churches may erre, except the Church of Rome, and the Church of Rome too,Bellarm. de pōtifice Rom. lib. 4. c. 4. Idem. lib. 4. Cap. 3. Bellarm. de pontif. Romano. lib. 4. c. 3. if the Pope ſhould tranſlate his ſeate from Rome, as Peter did from Antioch; and for councels, that all generall councels may erre, not confirmed by the Pope. So that if it be proued that the pope, who is their virtual Church, can erre, then all is granted. And firſt before I ſhew you that they hauehave erred in particular, I will let you ſee the ſtrength of ſome of their Reaſons, whereby they would prooue he cannot erre.Luke. 22.32. Bellarmine reaſoneth out of the Goſpell of Luke, thus; I hauehave prayed for thee, that thy faith faile not. Here ſaith Bellarmine, Chriſt obtained 2. priuiledges for Peter: one, that he could neuer looſe true faith, though he were tempted of the diucll. Another that he, as he is high prieſt, could neuer teach any thing contraric to faith; or that in his ſeate neuer any ſhould be found which ſhould teach contraric to the true faith. The firſt of thoſe, ſaith he, perhaps doth not deſcend to the ſucceſſors of Peter. Very well then, by Bellarmines confeſſion, the Pope perhaps may looſe true faith; nay I would for their owne ſakes it were but perhaps: and yet I thinke it is without all perhaps that he cannot; for a man cannot looſe that he neuer had. Popes, as Popes, neuer had true faith; For antichriſt cannot poſſibly hauehave it; then it is without perhaps he cannot looſe it, but this but by the way: but the latter, ſaith he, is without all doubt deriued to them. Is it indeed, and why I pray you? What reaſon can you giuegive that theſe words ſhould conuey two grauntes and priuiledges to Peter, and but one to his ſucceſſors? Doubtleſſe none is giuegive by him, neither can be giuen: but yet he will proue it: by what? As impudent & ſhameleſſe as he is, to wreſt Scripture to his purpoſe, yet can he find none with any colour to offer this violence vntounto. But do not the Fathers ſo affirm. Though his Vſe be to make fathers ſpeak what he would hauehave them, yet they cannot be ſorced by him here; how then doth he proue it? only by certaine ſentences of ſeuen Popes, and ſome ſewe late writers. But is it equall that parties ſhould be witneſſes or Iudges? or are we now without Scripture, or antiquity, to take any thing for truth which a few popes or ſome new writers ſhall affirme? at leaſt muſt we take them in ſo maine a matter, as this is? I take it, none can iuſtly reprooue vsus if we reiect them, eſpecially when we hauehave ſo good reaſon out of the text, that it can carie no ſuch thing. And that I prooue thus; Becauſe that by faith here is not meant an hiſtoricall faith, or the ſaith of doctrine; but a iuſtifying faith, or the faith of the heart: not a generall faith, but a particular; not that by which we belecue God, but in God; which failes not by errour, ſo it be not ſundamentall: for ſo we ſhould hauehave condemned all whoſoeuer hauehave liued; but when a man doth fall wholly from grace, and ccaſeth to be a member of Chriſt. And that it is ſo, appeares, firſt from thoſe words, That thy faith ſhould not ſaile: not vaniſh away or be extinct as Chriſ. ſaith; which cannot be vnderſtood of any other ſaith, but of that by which we ſtand and are ſaued: for, the other faith may faile, not once, but often; and a man be ſaued notwithſtanding. 2. From thoſe words, When thou art conuerted ſtrengthen thy brethren: that is, after thou haſt repented and art conuerted, ſtrengthen thy brethren, & ſuſtaine their faith; namely, their ſauing faith; of which they confeſſe ſome of theirs may be deſtitute. 3. Out of the driſt and ſcope of our Sauiour Chriſt: for his drift was to arme and protect Peter, againſt that try all and temptation, that he then foretold him of: not againſt errour in teaching the Church, but againſt apoſtaſie in time of tryal; therefore faith Thcophilact, hee ſheweth him the particular temptation: for our Sauiour would not arme there where he was not to be hurt, where there was no daunger, nor put a helmet on the head, where the heart and breaſt was to be ſmitten. And thus much Bellarmine cōfeſſeth, when he makes Peters fall to bee a matter of fact (to caſt vtterly off his former profeſſion) and not of ſaith, and therefore it was perſeuerance in the habit of iuſtifying faith, not infallibilitie in the matter of his hiſtoricall faith that Chriſt prayed for: which ſo differs, that a mā may hauehave the one, that is, iuſtifying faith, and yet hold an crrour, not fundamentall, to the death; as Bellarmine contends, for the Fathers diuerſe of them: and the other, that is, a right beliefe of the generall poynts of religion, and yet not hauehave iuſtifying faith, nor ſauing and ſanctiſiing grace; as Bellarmine confeſſeth the Pope cannot erre, and yet profeſſeth he may want ſauing grace. 4. Prō the 31. verſe, where Chriſt affirmeth that he praved for other of the Apoſtles as well as Peter, ſeeing Satan oppoſed them, and ſought to winnow them as wel as Peter: Now for theſe Chriſt queſtionleſſe prayed, vnleſſe wee ſhall thinke that one was not as deere to him as another: not Iohn the beloued, as Peter: nay he loued all with a very great louelove, and ſo prayed for them. 5. It is anſwered, that the thing he prayed for here, was a thing not proper to Peter, but common to all the Apoſtles, yea all the Elect; and if the gift and grace bee common to all, and the ſame perſon made the ſame prayer in effect for all, as hee doth, Iohn. 17.9; I pray for them which thou haſt giuen me out of the world. And verſe 11. Holy Father keepe them in thy name: & verſe 20. I pray not for theſe alone, but them alſo which ſhall beleeue in me through their word: what can they make out of it for their particular? for by vertue of this prayer, not only not Pet. but none of the Apoſtles, yea none of the faithfull can fall from that faith there ſpoken of. VponUpon which ground, the ancient Fathers apply this place to al the Apoſtles, yea all the elect: and if to al, then helpes it them but a little. The ſecond proofe, he cannot erre, is Math. 16.18. Thou art Peter, and vponupon this rocke will I build my Church: and the gates of hell ſhall not ouercome it. Whence they firſt reaſon, that the foundation and rock of the Church cannot erre; ſuch as Peter and the Pope his ſucceſſors: I ſay nothing: it is not yet prooued that the Pope is Peters ſucceſſor; Nay, it is manifeſt that hee ſucceeded rather Symon Magus, then Symō Peter. But I ſay, that Peter is not the rock: In the words ſaith Auguſtine, there is a difference betweene Petra and Petrus, both in the Greek and Latine. Againe, the rock here meant, is not Peter but Chriſt; which is affirmed by Samt Paul, 1. Cor. 10. They dranke of the ſpirttuall rocke, that fall nved them; and that rocke was Chriſt: and Chap. 3. other foundation can no manlay then that which is laid, which is Ieſus Chriſt: wherevnto agree the Fathers, and their owne writers, and alſo late writers; whereby all colour of argument, taken from this place for the Pope, is vtterly quaſhed: but grant that they begge, then muſt it be either in regard of his perſon; but that cannot be, for the Church cannot bee built vponupon fleſh and bloud: or in regarde of ſome ſuperioritie and place aboue the reſt, but as it cannot be prooued, ſo the contrarie is manifeſt, 2 Cor. 12.11. For in nothing was I infer iour to the very chiefe Apoſtles: or of his doctrine taught by him, and of this faith of Chriſt confeſſed by him; ſo it is true: now this was cōmon to him with al the reſt: for as Iohn is called a pillar, Gal. 2.9. ſo was Iames as well as Peter, and all the reſt: as Reue. 21.Rev. 21.14. The wall of the Citic had twelue foundations, and in them the names of the lambes twelue Apoſtles, to which is that, Epheſ. 2.20. Built vponupon the foundation of the Apoſtles and Prophets,Epheſ. 2.20. with whom the Prophets are ioyned, becauſe they wrote the Scripture, which is indeede the ſoundation of our faith, they being put for their writings; but of all this, nothing will followe for the Pope, or nothing in eſpeciall manner. Now that you hauehave ſeene the ſtrength of ſome of his reaſons, by which you may coniecture of the reſt, I will ſhew you how this chalenge of the neuer erring Pope, is an impudent errour; by producing many of them, who hauehave erred, and leaue you to iudge of the reſt. I am not ignorant, that Bellarmine indeuours to excuſe all or moſt of theſe I ſhall produce: time will not permit to let you ſee at large how ſlenderly he hath done it; yet a little will I ſhew you and leaue you to iudge the Oxe by his hoofe. The firſt ſhall bee Peter, whom though not prooued yet we will confeſſe that hee was B. of R…e: did he not apparantly deny Chriſt? was he not ignorant of the aboliſhing of the ceremoniall law, yea of the calling of the Gentries? Whom Bellarmine excuſeth for his deniall of Chriſt, that he was not then Summus Pontifex the high prieſt: and why not? becauſe Chriſt gaue him that in the twentieth of Iohn, when he ſaid, Paſce oues, feede my ſheepe: he hath garned much by his anſwere; for if hee was not made chiefe prieſt till then, then was he not, when Chriſt ſaid to him,Math. 16.18. Thou art Peter and vponupon this rocke will I builde my Church: and I hauehave prayed for thee, that thy faith ſhould not faile: Luk. 22.32.which was ſpoken long before: and ſo hath he at one blow depriued himſelfe of two of the ſtrongeſt arguments, he hath to prooue the Pope cannot erre. Ne ther can we admit of his ſhift, that theſe were promiſes, that Chriſt would make him in future time the foundatio of the Church, but not performances; for that wee hauehave the whole colledge of Ieſuites agamſt this one: who vponupon the place aſſirme, that Chriſt gaue Peter now to be the foundation. He doth not, ſay they, ſo much call him by the name Peter or Ro ke, as he doth affirme him to be a Rocke. Thomas in 4. Seatent. diſt. 4.9.And T. Aquinas ſaith; that in theſe words, now firſt was giuen to Peter power ouer all the Apoſtles. And if theſe bee not weightie inough againſt him, becauſe his head is liſted aboue them, ſee one a ſtep at oue him.Viſt. 21. Pope Anacletus in his ſecond Epiſtle writeth, that to Peter firſt the prelateſhip was giuen, the Lord ſaying: Thouart Peter. Now I adde, that ſeeing Bellarmine, and they all contend, that Peter is a rocke and foundation, and here Chriſt ſaith to him: thou art Peter, not thou ſhalt be Peter: hee here performeth, that he euer gaue him, and doth not barely promiſe. Finally, by the future-tenſe, is not nere noted a promiſe, but a perpetuall, permanent, & continuing to the time following: as the Hebrew Grammarians do note vntounto vsus. Again he anſwereth that that he did, was Ore, not Corde: as if we ſhould iudge an heretique by the thought of his heart, and not by the words of his mouth. That it was not with his heart, it ſerueth to extenuate, and make him more capable of remiſſion. but it ſerueth not to take away the offence. Now Bellarmine anſwereth nothing touching the other two, of his ignorance of the aboliſhing of the ceremoniall law, and the calling of the Gentiles; which errours he certainly had, after he was Summus Pontifex, if euer he were: for they were after the reſurrection of Chriſt; yea after his aſcention, and ſo after that, Feede my ſheepe.

The ſecōd ſhalbe Marcellinus, who offred vp Sacrifice to Idols, & was made by the coūcel of Seſſa to recant it. For whom, Bellarmine ſaith, that he taught nothing againſt faith, neither was he an heretique nor infidell: but in the externall act, and for feare of death. But I anſwere, it is not likely, but that the ſame feare would hauehave made alſo his tongue to hauehave ſpoken as much if he had bene compelled to it, and to hauehave taught the ſame; & for the excuſe that Bellarmine makes, that he did it for feare; It is falſe:Aadrad. lib. 2. de defenſ. Trident. Concil. For Andradius ſaith, he cōfeſſed in the Synneſſan Councel, that he was corrupted with mony, Iudas like. Further it is falſe, which Bellarmine ſaith, that he taught not againſt faith: for he taught by deed, though not by word. Now Bernard ſaith, Eſſicacius loquitur vox operis, quam ſermonis, Deeds teach more effectually then words. And by this, Marcellinus drewe many to offer ſacrifices to Idols: yea and by it, did more hurt to the Church, then if he had taught by word. The third Liberius, who as Htecome and Athanaſius write of him,Athanaſ. its epiſt. ad ſolitar. vttā agentes. denyed the deitte of Chriſt. How excuſeth the Ieſuite him? for ſooth he was not an hereticke, but onelyonly in the outward act, and that not expreſly, but by implication; becauſe he condemned Athanaſius whome he knew to be perſecuted for the true ſaith. But Athanaſius cotradicts Bellarm. who hued at the ſame time, baniſhed for the ſame cauſe; who ſaith, that Liberius after he had liued two yeares in haniſhment, relented, and by the treatning of death was brought to ſubſcribe, namely to the Arrtan hereſie. But to adde no more teſtimonie, I would knowe of Bellarmine, if Liberius were not an herticke, how Foelix the ſecond could be Pope, and the Church honour him and worihip him, as Pope; euen while Liberius was aline? and the Romane Cleargie choſe him Pope as he conſeſſeth. The fourth ſhal be Foelix. Liberius his ſucceſſor, an Arrian alſo, as Ierom writeth. For him, whereas Hierom ſaith he was an Arriā, whē he was choſen Pope, Bellarmine ſaith, that that word Arrian was thruſt into the text; or if not ſo, that he was an Arrian onelyonly when he was not true Pope, being choſen before by the Arrian Biſhops, and not by the Romane Cleargie. Becauſe faith he, Liberius was not yet depriued: but ſome two yeares after, when as Liberius fel into his hereſie, the Roman Cleargie depoſed him, & choſe the other: not that Bellarmine alloweth the Cleargie, in that action; howſoeuer he defends that he was no heretike. As for Felix, Bellarmine confeſſeth, that he communicated with the Arrians, that they choſe him Biſhop: which is a great argument that he was an Arrian; And if he was not then right and true Biſhop, then was the Church of Rome not onelyonly without her owne Biſhop, he being ſent into baniſhment, but without any Biſhop at all; and that for two yeares ſpace: which how it will aduantage them to grant, let them looke to it. The fiſt Siricius, who held, that matrimonie was vncleanneſſe, and pollution of the fleſh, which God had made honorable. Touching whom, Bellarmine ſaith, that Caluine after his manner, impudently lyeth, for that Siricius ſpake not of lawfull mariage, but vnlawfull coniunction. But he that giues the lie, hath more right to keepe it to himſelfe; and in this very thing, for whoſoeuer ſhall read his Epiſtle the 5. and 7. chapters, ſhall find no ſuch thing: for he commandeth ſingle life to prieſts, and calleth their mariage pollution, and wickedly for his purpoſe (which is that, Caluine reprooueth) abuſeth the words of S. Paul, ſaying;Sirius in Epiſt. ad Hiſpan. cap. 5. & 7. And they who are in the fleſh (witneſſe the elect veſſell) cannot pleaſe God; but you are not in the fleſh, but in the ſpirit, if ſo be the ſpirit of God dwell in you. And where can the ſpirit of God dwell, but (as we read) in holy bodies? Doth not this apparantly ſhew, that he accounted marriage vncleanneſſe, and pollution?

In the ſixt place, Vigilius; who curſed them that held that Chriſt had two natures. Which Bellarmine cannot deny, but plainly confeſſeth, that he writ ſuch an impious Epiſtle, vnworthy the name of a Chriſtian, wherein he condemned all who affirmed Chriſt to hauehave two natures. But ſaith he, he did not defend any thing publikely; neither was an heretike in hart, but ſecretly in a priuate Epiſtle, which he did for deſire of authoritie. Againe, that he did, was then when he was not truly and lawfully Biſhop; for Syluerius was yet liuing, who was Pope, though in baniſhment. To the firſt I aunſwere, Whether it was publiquelie or priuately, it is not to the matter; he did it and hereſie priuate, I hope, is hereſie; whether it was in the heart or no, that was knowne to God: and wee may iudge truly of his heart by his writings. If theſe ſhifts would ſcrue, no body ſhould euer be knowne or determined to be an heretike. To the ſecond, I anſwere; that Liberatus his words,Liberat. in brcuia. cap. 22. in the end of the chap. are theſe; Vigilius writting theſe things cloſely to the heritikes, permanſit ſedens, did ſtill keepe his ſeate; namely, after the death of Syluerius, who dyed as Sigebertus writeth, the ſame yeare he was baniſhed.

7 Honorius the firſt, who denied that Chriſt had two wils, & two operations; as Melchior Canus and diuers other Popes and councells hauehave written. Bellarmine would gladly anſwere, that thoſe epiſtles of Honorius were fained, & falſely imputed to him: but, that hee will not greatly ſtand too; but tells vsus in the ſecond place, that Honourius did holde no ſuch thing, in thoſe Epiſtles, but onelyonly forbids the vſing of the words of one or two wils, and operations. And being preſſed with it, that in thoſe Epiſtles, he hath theſe very words; Vnam voluntatem fatemur domini Wee confeſſe one will of the Lord: hee anſwereth, that hee ſpeaketh there of his humaine nature, onelyonly; and would ſay that in the man Chriſt, there were not 2. contrary willes, one of the fleſh, another of the ſpirit; but one onelyonly of the ſpirit. I aunſwere, that whatſoeuer he would hauehave ſaid, it's apparant what hee did ſay; it may be Bellarmine would hee had ſaid thus: but the wordes are plaine; and not to vsus onelyonly who may be thought partiall, but to 3. Synodes, as Bellarmine confeſſeth, and to 2. or 3. Popes. Now Iudge whether it be equall that we ſhould beleeue Bellarm. before ſo many Fathers, and ſuch authoritie; as if he had better vnderſtood him, then all they did.Auguſt. cont. Iul. Pelag. lib. 1. cap. 2. & al….

8 So Innocent the firſt, holding that Baptiſme and the Euchariſt, was neceſſary for children to ſaluation, as Auguſtine writeth the latter whereof was conſuted by the councell of Trent, 5. Seſſion vnderunder Pius 4. whom Bellarmine ſeekes to defend from other errours, and hereſies, and not from theſe; paſſing them ouer in ſilence: and ſo we take him for conſenting to our accuſation of him; for, that he held ſuch things, Bellarmine could not be ignorant, ſeeing Auguſtine ſpeaketh of them in many places.

9 Behold Stephen the 6. aboliſhing all the Acts of Formoſus his predeceſſor, and decreeing that the Sacrament depended vponupon the vertue of the Prteſt.

10 After him commeth Iohn the ninth, who diſannulled all the Acts of Stephen, and eſtabliſhed whatſoeuer Formoſus had done.

In the 11. place, Sergins the third diſannulled whatſoeuer Formoſus and Iohn had done, and reeſtabliſhed the Acts of Stephen. It may well be, that all theſe may be in an errour: but ſure it is, they all could not be in the truth.

For the defence or excuſe of theſe three, hee ſaith, that touching Formoſus, the queſtion was, whether Formoſus was true and lawfull Pope: Stephen thought bee was not. Iohn the ninth, after, round the contrarie, and condemned the Acts of Stephen. As if the holy Ghoſt did erre more in iudging of a fact, then in iudging of the right: he is God and knoweth all things. They ſay the ſpirit of God is giuen to their Church, and as it were tyed to their Councels, being ouer them, to lead them into all truth: But to condemne him, that was not to be condemned, is farre from the truth, and cannot come from the ſpirit of God. But he ſaith, Iohn ſound out that which Stephen did not, that Formoſus was a true Pope: by what meanes did hee finde it? ſure by the ſpirit of God: and could the ſpirit finde it out in the councell of Raucnna, vnderunder Iohn the ninth, and not finde it in the councell of Rome, vnderunder Stephen the 6? Nay not only not find it out, but iudge the contrary? Are then the iudgements of the ſpirit of God contrary one to another? But graunt Iohn did finde out things thus, was this then the decree of the holy Ghoſt? By what ſpirit then did Sergius the third, ſucceeding Iohn. condemne Formoſus againe, and abrogate all his acts and take him the ſecond time out of the graue, and cut off his head, and caſt his boly into Tyber? which being found by fiſhermen, was brought into the cathedral Churche at Rome, where the Images did worſhip him, beleeue it if you will. What probabilitie and truth is like to be in theſe excuſes, you may eaſily coniecture. To make vp the dozen, See Iohn 22. called as ſome ſay the 21. who if he denied not the immortalitie of the ſoule as Caluine affirmes, and Bellarmine denies; yet held he, that the ſoules departed, neuer came into the preſence of God till the reſurrectio of the body. Which errour the Vniuerſitie of Paris oppoſing; by the helpe of Philip King of France, they made him recant with the ſound of a Trumpet, for feare of looſing his Popedome, as Iohn Gerſon affirmes in his Sermon of Eaſter. Bellarmine excuſeth him, that though he held ſuch an opinion, yet he might do it without danger of hereſie: for the Church had not yet defined it to be an errour; a very ſriuolous excuſe. For it there had not bene, before, any definition of the Church, (which he falſely affirmeth) yet had we the difinition of the Lord, in the Scripture; which he hath appointed to be the rule of faith to his Church, and not the Church to be a rule to others. She may declare ſomething to be an hereſie, but her determination cannot make it an hereſie: and if ſhe had neuer defined it to be an hereſie: yet had it beene an errour; and hee had therein manifeſtly erred, who either then or now ſhall holde it.

13 To giuegive you the aduantage, ſee Iohn the 23. who denied both Eternall life and the reſurection of the body. Concerning whom, Firſt, the Ieſuite ſaith it is vncertaine, whether he were true Pope, becauſe there was at that time two Popes more; Gregorie the 12 and Benedict, the 13. each curſing other: ſo that if he erred, it is nothing to the erring of the Pope; becauſe it was not knowne who was Pope. Obſerue a monſtrous body, with three heads, or a body with no head; but his excuſe is but a ſhift: for Platina (who maketh him, Iohn the 24.) affirmeth, that he was created Pope at Bononia, with the conſent of all:Platina in Iohn 24. but ſecondly, he anſwereth that at the councell of Conſtance, 53. Articles were put vp againſt him, and prooued by ſubſtantiall witneſſes, and thoſe were all for matter of manners; but as for this and ſome other Articles of faith, they were prooued by no witneſſes: therefore ſaith he, it is probable, that by reaſon of his vitious life, the opinion of the people was, that he thought there was neither life euerlaſting, nor the reſurection of the body. So by excuſing of him from errour, he hath ſtemed him, and made him ſtinke in the noſthrils of all honeſt men: And if the head was ſo bad, all the body was worſe. But the councell obiecting it to him, and hee not cleering himſelfe of it, nay his life gaue teſtimonie of it, why ſhould we beleeue Bellarmine, before all the Fathers of that councel? But leauing theſe things, I haſten towards an end, and come to apply this, for our more particular benefite.

This then may teach eueryevery man, Vſe. 2 ſeeing things ſtand thus, to labour for the knowledge of the word, and the myſteries of Saluation; that hauing the rule of truth, he may be able to iudge of all falſehood, and errour, and may not be caried away with the errour of one or many, be they neuer ſo great or learned. Certaine it is, that becauſe they know but in part, they may erre though they be neuer ſo learned; and erre often times they do, becauſe they are not wholly ſanctified. It is certaine that the greateſt part of a viſible Church is euer vnſanctified: and the beſt part that is ſanctified, is but ſanctified in part, and ſo ſubiect to partialitie and errour; and may both erre, and defend errour againſt their knowledge; ſome violent temptation, of pride, pleaſure, or profit, carrying them therto. Seeing none are now gouerned by the infallible guidance of the ſpirit of God; then had men need of knowledge, that they may be able to trie the doctrines that are deliuered. It is a certaine truth, and not to be denyed, becauſe ſtories of all times do manifeſtly prooue it; that errour, and herefie, hauehave oftentimes ſo much preuailed, that they who hauehave holden and poſſeſſed the places of office, and dignitie in the Church of God, either for feare, ſlatterie, hope of gaine, and honour, or miſled by their owne ignorance, and ſimplicitie, or fallen into ſome errour, giuen ouer of God, hauehave departed from the ſoundnes of Faith: ſo that the ſinceritie of religion was vpholden, and the truth defended, and maintained, only by ſome fewe, that were moleſted, perſecuted, tra luced as turbulent and ſeditious perſons, and enimies to the common peace of the Chriſtian world. This were eaſie to be ſhewed in the times of Chriſt, and of the immediate ſucceſſors, the Apoſtles. This was manifeſt in the times of Athanaſius, when in the councel of S…leuci…, and Arminium, the Nicene Faith was condemned, and all the B B. of the whole world ſell from the ſoundnes of the Faith, ſaue Athanaſius, and a ſewe confeſſors that were baniſhed with him; So as Ierom writes againſt the Luciſerians ſaying, Ingemuit totus orbis & miratus eſt, ſe faclum eſſe drianum. The whole world groned, and is amazed to ſee how ſhe was become an Arrian. So Hillarius, againſt Auxentius Biſhop of Millan, complaineth, that the Arrian faction had confounded all; and therefore, admoniſhed men to take heed how they were led by any outward appearance or glorious ſhewes. Now as there is no new thing vnderunder the heauens; but that that is now, hath bene before: ſo there is no old thing, but it may be renewed, and ſuch times may befall the Church againe. Therefore it is the wiſedome of eueryevery man that is not careleſſe which end goeth forward,1. Ioh. 4.1. and retchleſſe of his ſoules health, to labour for knowledge, that he may be able as S. Iohn ſaith, to trie the Spirits; for many falſe prophets are gone out into the world. If any man will ſay, how ſhall not we erre, when ſo many great learued men hauehave erred and may erre? The anſwere is, as Salmon ſaith,Pro. 28.11. The rich man is wiſe in his owne conceit; but the poore that hath vnderſtanding can trie him: So, oftentimes meaner men may found the depth, and ſee more then great ſchollers; eſpecially, ſeeing that he that was truth hath ſaid it; God reucaleth that to ſuckelings and babes, Math. 11.25.that he hideth from wiſe and prudent. Let vsus then account of that doctrine of poperie, as damnable, which commendeth an Implicit faith, and be ſuſpicious of thoſe who thinke it is not good for men to hauehave knowledge; as if they meāt either to make a pray vponupon them, or to broach ſome groſſe errours, and therefore deale with them as Chryſoſtome ſaith, Theeues do; Firſt put out the candle, and then fall a ſpoyling: and as deceitfull Marchants, that would vtter their wares by obſcure and deceitfull lights. And let vsus againe labour for knowledge, that we may be able to trie the ſpirits, & not be deceiued, by any ſeducers; eſpecially, when it will not goe for currant before God, that we hauehave beene ſo taught and miſled, by our guides: for if the blind lead the blind, they ſhall both fall into the ditch and bee deuoured together. Which that we may eſcape, let vsus follow men, though they be Apoſtles, no further then they follow Chriſt. And that we may be able to diſcerne others ſteppes, whether they tread right or no; Let vsus imbrace the Apoſtles exhortation, or commaund;Cot. 3.16. Let the word of Chriſt dwell plentifully in vsus. By which, we may be preſerued from error; being the ſpeciall antidote againſt this poyſon: yea and abyding in it, we ſhall walke in the truth,1. Theſſ. 5.23. and in the end be ſaued, by the truth. Now the God of peace and truth, ſanctifie you, throughout: and I pray God that your whole ſpirit and ſoule and bodie may be kept blameleſſe, vntounto the Comming of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.

FINIS.

LONDON, Printed by T. C. For Edmond Weauer, and William Welby. 1609.

End of the text · Richard Stock, Sermon 2 November 1606 (1609)

Sermon 2 November 1606, Sermon

p. 1A SERMON PREAched at Pauls Croſſe, the ſeconde of Nouember, 1606.

A SERMON PREAched at Pauls Croſſe, the ſeconde of Nouember, 1606.