OF all the holie Scrip­tures, there is not one example more fre­quently vsed of the Prophets & Apostles to feare the people from sinne, than thys generall, seuere, and fearful destruction of the Sodomites. The Prophet Jeremie saith, Ier. 49.40. As God destroyed Sodome and Gomorrha with the places thereabout saith the Lord, so shall no man [Page 2] dwell there, neither shall the sonne of man remain there. Amos. 4.11. So saith the Prophet Amos, I haue o­uerthrowen them as God ouerthrew Sodome and Gomorrha, and ye were as a firebrand pluckt out of the fire, yet haue yee not repented. And the Prophet Zephanie saith, Zeph. 2.9. Surely Moab shall bee as Sodome, and Ammon as Gomorrha, the breed­ing of nettles and salt pits, and a perpetuall desola­tion: So likewise it is said in the Euangelists, And whosoeuer shall not receiue you, Mat. 10.14. Mat. 6.11. Luke. 9.5. nor heare your words, when ye depart out of that house, or that citie, shake off the dust of your feete, truly J say vnto you, it shall be easier for them of the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of iudgement than for that citie. And in the second Epistle of S. Peter it is said, 2. Pet. 2.6. And turned the cities of Sodom & Gomorrha into ashes, condemned them & made them an ensample vnto them that should afterward liue vngodly. Iude 7. So in Iude, As Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities round about them which in like manner as they did, committed for­nication, and followed strange flesh, are set downe for an ensample, and suffer the vengeance of eter­nall fire.

As all the Prophets and Apostles, yea and Christ himselfe haue vnto their hearers, set downe Sodome and Gomorrha as an ensam­ple of Gods iustice against sin & impenitent [Page 3] sinners: so doo I purpose (by Gods grace) to handle this fearfull panolethrie or vtter de­struction to this Citie of London; assuring my selfe, that if this exhortation worke not in you a broken heart, you shall by the yron rod of Gods wrath, be broken in peeces like a potters vessell, you shall be like the breed­ing of nettles and salt pits, you shall not one­ly haue a perpetual desolation in earth which is lamentable, but also suffer the vengeance of eternall fire which is intollerable. A compari­son betw [...]ene Sodom and London. Sodom was in a frutefull valley, so is London: in So­dome there were gorgeous houses and fayre workes, so there are in London: in Sodome they did eate and drinke, and fulfill the lusts of the flesh, so doo they in London: Sodom was in captiuitie vnder Chedor Laomer, and freed by Abraham; London (& all England) was in subiection to the Pope, & hath been freed by our gracious Queene Elizabeth: So­dome had Lot (the Preacher of righteous­nes) sent vnto them whose spirit they vexed; London hath had manie godly Fathers sent vnto them, whom they reuile: Sodome was not moued to repentance, neither with their captiuitie nor deliuerance, therfore they wer destroied; Londō is not moued neither with persecution nor peace to repētance, therfore [Page 4] London, except it speedily repent, shall bee brought to a perpetual desolation, and to the vengeance of eternall fire.

In the sinnes of Sodome are three things to be noted: first, the euidencie of their sins, which is noted in the word crie: secondly, they had manie sinnes, which is noted in the word great: thirdly, their sins were haynous, which is noted in these words, exceeding gre­uous. The euidencie of sin as it was in Sodom so was it saith Esay in Ierusalem: Esa. 3.9. The triall of their countenance testifieth against them, yea, they declare their sinnes as Sodome, they hide them not. And are not the sinnes of England manifest? doo our Papists hide their sinne? doo they not call idolatrie catholike religion? Manifest ido­latrie in Eng­land: they are worshippers of images, which are vaine, vn­profitable & abhominable. Images are vaine both in respect of the maker, which is the cause efficient, & in respect of the matter, in respect also of the forme, and of the end.

In respect of the maker images are vaine, for he is vaine in thought, in word, in deed, and in his essence: Psa. 94: 11. in thought, for the Lord knoweth the thoughts of men, they are but vaine. In word, Psa. 12.2. for they talke of vanitie euerie one to his neighbour. Ier. 101.5. In deed, for they are vanitie, and the worke of errors, in the time of their visitation [Page 5] they shall perish. In essence, Psal. 39.11. for surely euerie man is vanitie: man therefore beeing vaine in thought, word, deed, & essence, must needs make a vaine image. The matter also of ima­ges is vaine, for they are made either of gold, siluer, brasse, clay, stone, or wood: & there­fore the Prophet Baruch saith, Bar. 6.5, 6, 11 These Gods of wood, siluer and of gold, can neither defend them­selues from theeues and robbers: for they that are strongest take away their gold, siluer, and apparell wherewith they be cloathed, and when they haue it, they get them away.

The forme also of images is vaine, for they haue eyes and see not, Psal. 115.5, 6. noses haue they and smell not, eares and heare not, mouthes and speake not, feete and walke not. Finally, images are vaine also in respect of the end, for they help ney­ther the teacher, nor the hearer, nor the mi­nister, nor the receiuer of the sacrament, nor him that praieth. Therfore the Sun, Moone, and Starres, are better than images, nay, the dore of the house, or a scar-crow in the fields is better, for all these doo serue vnto some end, but images to no end.

The images therefore of the Papists are as vaine as the images of the heathen, and so are they al as vnprofitable: For as Paul saith, they are nothing. An idoll is nothing in the world. 1 Cor. 8.4. [Page 6] For this cause Zachary calleth the vnprofita­ble minister, Zach. 11.17. an idoll pastor: so the Magistrate that doth not defend the poore and fatherles, & see that such as be in necessitie & need, Psal. 82. haue right, is an idoll magistrate: the father that bring­eth not vp his children in the feare of the Lord, is an idoll father: so the husband that loueth not his wife as his owne flesh, as his owne bodie, & as Christ loued the congrega­tion, is an idoll husband: the wife that is fro­ward, the child that is disobedient, the seruāt that is vnfaithfull, the subiect that is disloyal, are al idolls, insufficient for anie spirituall vse and therefore vnles they repent, they shal be burst in peeces by the yron scepter of Gods iustice, and so destroyed, as they shall neuer be builded againe.

The idolatrie of the Papists as abhomi­nable, as the idolatrie of the heathen.As the idolatrie of the Papists is vaine & vnprofitable: so is it as abhominable as the i­dolatrie of the heathen; for as the heathen in the time of warre did inuocate Mars & Bel­lona, so the Papists doo inuocate S. George: the heathen in pouertie went to Ceres, the Papists to Saint Anne: the heathen in sick­nes went to Aesculapius, the Papists to Saint Roche: the heathen in captiuitie went to Li­ber, the Papists to Saint Leonard: the heathen in hunger went to Bacchus, the Papists to S. [Page 7] Ʋrbane: the heathen in sea-stormes went to Neptune, the papists to Saint Nicholas: the heathen in child-birth went to Juno, the pa­pists they went to our Ladie. And heerein they doo offend most greeuously for three causes: first because they attribute to the Saints omnipotencie: secondly, because they attribute to them vniuersall knowledge: and thirdly, because they make them more mer­cifull than Christ. Further, as the heathen did consecrate Troy to Neptune, Cyprus to Venus, Athens to Minerua, Carthage to Juno, and Rome to Jupiter: so the papists dedica­ted Spaine to Saint James, Germanie to Saint George, France to Saint Denis, Scotland to saint Andrew, Ireland to saint Patricke, and Rome to Peter and Paul. And as the heathen haue consecrated their head to Minerua, their heart to Juno, their breast to Mars, their tongue to Mercurie, their armes to Hercules, their liuer to Cupid, their throate to Bacchus, their bellie to Ceres, their secretes to Venus, their palmes to Apollo, and theyr spirite to Jupiter: so the papists haue for the head-ache Anastasius, for their eyes Otilia, for the teeth Apollonia, for the necke S. Blase, and for the bellie Erasmus. And as the hea­then dedicated the boare to Mars, the goate [Page 8] to Bacchus, the peacocke to Jupiter, the swan to Apollo, the doue to Ʋenus, the night-crow to Minerua, the wheate to Ceres, honie to Mercurie, and the rose to Cupid: so the Pa­pists consecrated their sheepe to Vandolius, their horse to Eulogius, their oxen to Pelagius, and their pigs to Saint Anthonie.

As therefore it is an abhomination to call vpon anie but on him, on whom we beleeue: so to commit our selues, or ours, to the de­fence or custodie of the creatures, which should dwell vnder the protection of the highest, Psal. 91.1. Psal. 18.2. and which should haue the Lord to be our rocke, and our fortresse, and him that deliuereth vs, our God, and our strength, in him we should trust, our shield, the horne also of our saluation, and our re­fuge, is a great abhomination: for the honoring of abhominable images, Sap. 14.27. is the beginning, the cause, and the end of al euil. I end therefore with this notable saying of S. Ierome writing vpon E­zechiel: Ierome in E­zech. ‘Cursed is euerie man that putteth his trust in man, though they bee Saints, or though they be Prophets.’ Because therefore idolaters are the cause of the ouerthrowe of the land: God in his holy word commandeth that they should be destroyed. Deu. 13.6. &c. If thy brother the sonne of thy mother, or thy owne sonne or thy daughter, or the wife that lieth in thy bosome, or [Page 9] thy friend which is as thine owne soule, entice thee secretly, saying: Let vs goe and serue other Gods (which thou hast not knowen, thou J say, nor thy fathers) anie of the gods of the people which are round about you, nere vnto thee or far from thee, from the one ende of the earth vnto the other: thou shalt not consent vnto him, nor heare him, neither shall thy eye pitie him, nor shewe mercie, nor keepe him secret, but shalt euen kill him, thy hand shall be first vppon him to put him to death, and then the hand of all the people.

The sinne not onely of idolatrie is mani­fest, but also the sinne of blasphemie. Manifest blasphemie in England. What bargaine almost is made without swearing? what oath is ministred in the iudgement seat without forswearing? what sports without blasphemie? what countrie, what citie, what towne, what house, or what tongue is not in­fected with this sinne of swearing? the olde man sweareth by custome, the yong man & childe by imitation, the gentleman sweareth of lustines, the poore sweareth for necessity, the thief sweareth to couer his fault, the har­lot to denie her crime: and albeit not man but the Lord our God commaundeth vs say­ing; Exod. 20. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine, for the Lord will not holde him guiltlesse, that taketh his name in vaine: yet all [Page 10] the desperate people of this declining age, are so giuen to swearing, as though no man could be saued happily, vnlesse he did sweare continually. Can a bitter fountaine send out sweete water? no more can a blasphemous mouth speake to the praise of God.

The first ar­gument a­gainst swea­ring drawen from the per­son of God. Psal. 139.3.There be fiue things in God which euerie blasphemer should consider of: the first is, that he is present in all places, and therefore Dauid saith; Thou compassest my pathes, and my lying downe, and art accustomed to all my wayes. Secondly, he knoweth all things, for there is not a word (saith Dauid) in my mouth, Psal. 89.4. but thou knowest it all, O Lord. Thirdly, there is truth in the Lord, Psal. 5.6. God loueth no wickednes, neither shall anie euill dwell with him, the foolish shal not stand in his sight, for he hateth them that worke iniquitie, he will destroy them that speake lies. Fourthly, God is righteous, and therfore the Psalmist saith, Psal. 119.137. Righteous art thou (O Lord) and righteous are thy iudgements, thou hast com­manded iustice by thy testimonies, and truth espe­cially.

God is righteous: first, because he iudg­eth in equitie, With righteousnes shall he iudge the world, and the people with equitie: secondly, because he iudgeth without respect of per­sons, Rom. 2.9. &c. Tribulation and anguish shall be vppon the [Page 11] soule of euerie man that doth euill, of the Iew first and also of the Grecian, but to euerie man that doth good shall be honor and glorie, and peace, to the Jew first, and also to the Grecian: for there is no respect of persons with God. Thirdly, God is iust, because he leaueth no sinne vnpuni­shed; Binde not two sinnes together, Syr. 12.14. for there shall not one be vnpunished. For as no vertue is of God vnrewarded, so there shall be no sin vnpunished. Fourthly and lastly, in God is all power; Our God is in heauen, Psal. 118.3. he doth what­soeuer pleaseth him. From heauen he cast down the Angels, from Paradice Adam, hee made the earth to swallow vp Corah, the flouds to couer Pharaoh and his hoast, the sonnes of Aaron to be slaine in the temple, Jezabel to be cast out of her chamber window, Holo­fernes to be murdred in his bed, and Ely to breake his necke sitting on the thresholde. Wherefore excellent is that saying of Ber­nard, Bernard in Psal. 139. God is in himselfe as Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: ‘in the world, as the au­thor and gouernor of it; in the angels, as the fauor and beautie of them: in the church, as a father of a family in his house; in the soule, as a bridegroome in his chamber: in the iust, as a helper and protector; in the reprobate, as a dread and horror. Whither shall I goe [Page 10] [...] [Page 11] [...] [Page 12] from thy spirit? no man goeth from him, but to him: from his seueritie, to his goodnes; from an angrie God, to an appeased: For what place can receiue him that flieth, but there thou maist finde his presence?’ God is present, therefore the blasphemer should feare him; God knoweth all things, there­fore the blasphemer should praise him: in God is truth, therefore the blasphemer should hate lies: in God is iustice, therefore he rewardeth the good and punisheth the euill: in God is power, therefore he can doo what pleaseth him: fire, haile, stormes and tempests fulfill his commaundements: yea, there are spirites created for vengeance, and in their suriousnesse they hasten their tor­ments, they wil not ouerpasse the comman­dement of the Lord. The Prophet Ieremy saith, Ier. 4.2. The 2. argu­ment against swearing, drawen from the manner and ma [...]er thereof. thou shalt sweare the Lord liueth, in truth, iudgement, & righteousnes: in truth, in respect of the thing; in iudgement, in respect of the swearer; in iustice, in respect of the cause: truth excludeth a false oath, iudgement a rash oath, iustice an vnlawfull oath but our blasphemers sweare not in truth, but in fal­shood; not in iudgement, but rashly; not in iustice (that is first for the glorie of God, secondly, for the safetie of their neighbour, [Page 13] thirdly, for their own necessitie, and fourth­ly when they are required of the Magistrate for iust causes) but in common speach vn­lawfully, in buying and selling deceiptfully, and in sporting and playing most damnably. Further, Eph. 4.25. Psal. 32.5. Esa. 50.4. 1. Thes. 5.14. Psal. 51.14. The 5. argu­ment against swearing, drawen from the vse of the tongue. the tongue being giuen of God to speake the truth, to confesse our sinnes, to teach, to comfort the afflicted, & lastly, to praise the Lord: the blasphemer setteth forth leasing, increa­seth his sinnes, is an ensample of corrupt manners, bringeth no cōfort but the plague of God to his house, and dishonoureth the Lord, whom hee should praise with soule, heart, heart, tongue, flesh, and with all hys powers & members for euer. A thiefe stea­leth but for necessitie, but a blasphemer sweareth in a brauerie: the harlots do sinne but in darknes, the blasphemer offendeth openly: the couetous man offendeth but seldome, the blasphemer often, & at euerie word: the slaunderer offendeth but against his brother, but the blasphemer dishonoreth God his father. There are but 3. sorts of lan­guages in the world, The 4. argu­ment against swearing, drawen from the custom [...] of speech. Psal. 84.4. the best is the heauenly language, whereof Dauid thus writeth, Bles­sed are they that dwel in thy house, O Lord, they shall alwaies be praising & magnifying thy name. There is another language that is earthly, [Page 14] whereof Saint John writeth, Iohn. 3.31. He that is of the earth, is of the earth, and speaketh of the earth. There is also an infernall language, which is nothing but cursing: Esa. 8.21. therefore as it was said to Peter, Mark. 14.40. Surely thou art one of them, for thou art of Galilea, and thy speach is like; so because of the abundaunce of the heart the tongue speaketh: you may thereby know who is of heauen, who of earth, & who of hell. They that praise the Lord are heauenly indeed, & their conuersation is in heauen: they that speake of the earth, are earthly; but they that curse and sweare, are alreadie damned, their speach is like. As he is a Spaniard that naturally and properly speaketh Spanish, & he a French-man that speaketh French, and hea Welch-man that speaketh Welch: so he that speaketh of the praises of God is a saint, hee that speaketh of the earth is an earthly man, and he that is a swearer, is of the diuel. The bitter stream proueth the fountaine to bee bitter, the leaues shew what the tree is: so the blasphemous words of wicked men doo shew that they come from the bitter roote of infidelitie. No man receiueth gold but hee weigheth it: no man hath ground but he encloseth it: why then? do not our swearers weigh their words, and hedge in [Page 15] their tongue, because as S. James saith, Iam. [...]. It is set on fire of hell: when therefore hell fire cea­seth, the blasphemers of Gods name will cease. And hereunto agreeth the saying of Iesus the sonne of Syrach, Syr. 23.13.15. Vse not thy mouth to ignorant rashnes, for therein is the occasion of sinne: the man that is accustomed to opprobrious words, will neuer be reformed all the dayes of his life; and such a one was Shimei. 1. sam. 16.7. King Lewes the eleuenth hauing an accustomed swearer in his Court, cut off his lips: and being de­maunded of his Courtiers, why he executed so greeuous a punishment? hee aunswered, Would my lips were so cut off, that I had ne­uer a swearer in my Kingdome. But the one­ly cause why swearing is so frequent in Eng­land, is the negligence of Princes, Why swea­ring is so fre­quent in Eng­land. which pu­nish not this offence; and the fearfulnesse of the Ministers, who dare not reproue this sin in Gentlemen and noble personages, and e­specially the euill example of parents: who neither leaue this sinne themselues, nor yet punish it seuerely in their posterite. The blasphemies and periuries of England, haue infected euerie Countrie, Citie and House of this land: therefore without a generall, heartie, and speedie repentance, perpetuall desolation, & the vengeance of eternall fire [Page 16] will fall vpon the father and the sonne, the pastor and the people, the priuate man and the magistrate for euer.

Prophanatiō of the saba­oth, a mani­fest sinne in England.Prophanation of the Sabaoth is another of the euident sinnes of England. We are wil­led to hallow our Sabaoth, Gen. 2.23. Exo. 20 11. Exod. 31.17. Deut. 5.14. Heb. 4.4. Jer. 17.21, 22, 23, 24. Ezech. 20.12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. and yet in all places, and of the greater part of the people of this land, the sabaoth is pro­phaned with dauncing, stage-playing, bear­bayting, bowling, & with all manner of ab­hominations. And not onely the holy word of God, but the ancient Fathers and the ci­uill Law doo speake of the sanctification of the sabaoth. Aug. in Psal. 32. Augustine on the 32. psal. saith, It is better to digge than to daunce on the sabaoth. Chrisost. in homil. 48. Chrisostome in his 48. homily saith, ‘Where wanton dauncing is, there no doubt the diuell is present: for God hath giuen vs these members not to daunce, but that we should walke modestly, and not to daunce impudently after the manner of Camels (for not only women but Camels daunce vnde­cently) but that we should stand in the com­panie of the Angells: and if the bodie bee deformed by dauncing, how much more is the soule? in these daunces the diuell daun­ceth: [Page 17] with these daunces they are deceiued of the ministers of the diuell. Ambrose Lib. 3. de virg. Ambrose in his 3. booke of Virgins, thus writeth: What say ye, O holy women? you see what ye ought to teach & vnteach your daughters: she dan­ceth, but the daughter of an harlot; for she that is chast & shamefast, teacheth her chil­dren religion, & not dancing. And as these inueigh against dauncing, Lactant. lib. 4. cap. 20. so doth Lactantius against stage-playing, in his 6. book, cha. 20. I know not (saith he) wherein there can be a more vicious corruption than in plaies: for the Enterludes doo speak of the deflouring of virgins, & of the loues of harlots: & the more eloquent they are that haue fained those abhominations, the more the elegan­cie of the sentences doth perswade, and they sticke more easily in the memory of the hea­rers, the verses which are numerous and e­loquent. The tragicall histories also doo set before our eies, the patricides and incests of euill kings, & doo shew their wickednes on the stage: the vnchast gestures of the plaiers also what doo they teach, or stirre vp in vs but lusts? whose bodies being made weake and wanton in imitating the going and ap­parell of women, doo countersaite vnchast women with vnhonest gestures.’

‘What shall I speake of ballads, which teach the doctrine of corruptions, which teach a­dulteries whiles they feigne, and by feigned adulteries instruct to true? what may yong men and maides doo, when they see these things to be done, and to be seene of al men gladly and without shame? they are warn­ed therefore what they maye doo, and they are inflamed with lust, which is most pro­uoked with seeing, and euerie one accord­ing to his sexe prefigureth himselfe in those images, and doo allowe them, while they laugh at them; and vices cleauing vnto them they returne to their houses most corrupt: neither onely children, which should not be endued with vices in their first age, but also olde men, whom it becommeth not to sin, doo fall into the same path of iniquities. It is cleare by this that hath been alleadged, that as the Prophets and Apostles haue taught the sanctification of the Sabaoth: so the Fathers haue walked in the same steps; yea, godly Princes haue made lawes for san­ctifying the Sabaoth. Leo and Anthemius (being religious Princes) writing to Arma­sius, commanded him in these words; That the festiuall dayes being dedicated to the excellent Maiestie of God, should neither [Page 19] be occupied in pastime and pleasure, neither be prophaned in exacting of tributes: like­wise wee decree (say they) that the Sunday shall be reuerently honoured, that it shal be exempted from all busines; in this day let no suretiship be taken, let no man be sum­moned to appeare: let no man vse pleading, and let no causes or matters of controuersies be heard. And a little after it followeth, nei­ther do we suffer, that this day being exemp­ted from all trauell, should be spent in wan­tonnes and filthy delights, that there be any enterlude or pageant plaid on the dominical day, or anie game or pastime in the place of exercise called Circus, or the lamentable spe­ctale of beasts: yea although the solemnity of our birth happen vpon this day, let it be deferred: if anie man on this day shall haue anie accesse to spectacles, or vnder the pre­tence of priuate or publike affaires, shall be an Apparitor or Sergeant to anie Iudge, vi­olating or breaking these Statutes, let him loose the commoditie of warfare, and runne into the prescription of attainder.’

The holie Prophetes and Apostles com­mend vnto vs the hallowing of the Sabaoth, the Fathers exhort vs to the same, the lawes of godly Princes commaund it, yet we con­tinue [Page 20] in England wilfull contemners of this precept. The sanctification of the Sabaoth consisteth in foure things. The sanctifi­cation of the Sabaoth con­sisteth in 4. things. First of all, holy men ought to enter into the Church, where the Gospell must be expounded and decla­red; by the which the Auditorie may learn what to thinke of God, what is the true ser­uice of God, and how the name of GOD may be glorified. Secondly, there must be praiers & petitions made vnto God for the necessitie of all men. Thirdly, we must ex­toll the goodnes of God, giuing thankes for his daily and inestimable benefites; which giuing of thankes excludeth foure things, first contempt of God, secondly forgetful­nes of God, thirdly malice, fourthly the a­buse of Gods creatures. And the sacraments must religiously be celebrated, if the time, occasion, and custome of the Church doo so require: for it is chiefly required in the fourth precept, that we should diligently obserue and deuoutly exercise the holy sacraments and holy rytes of the Church being lawfull, profitable, and necessarie. Fourthly, huma­nitie and beneficencie must take place in the Church, all men must learne daily to be be­neficiall in giuing of almes priuately, but to be most liberall publiquely whensoeuer ne­cessitie [Page 21] of the time and opportunitie shal so require. Whereas we should spend our sab­both in hearing and reading of the word of God, we spend it in reading of vaine & wic­ked pamphlets: wheras we shuld then make petition to God for our necessities, we wan­der vp & downe after deceiptfull vanities: wher we shuld be thankful to god, especial­ly on that day for his benefits, we misspend our time in idle pastimes: & lastly, wher we shuld be liberal to the poor, we are prodigal to minstrels, bearkeepers plaiers, & to al ma­sters of vanities: for asmuch then as al diuines & godly princes haue approued the sanctifi­cation of this day, & now all sorts of people prophane the same, the old aswel as the yōg, the father aswel as the son, the master aswell as the seruant, the minister aswel as the audi­tory, & the magistrate with the priuate mā: & neither the commādement of God is fea­red, nor the example of our maker imitated, nor the admonitions of the prophets regar­ded, nor the counsels of the apostles follow­ed, nor the reprehēsions of the fathers estee­med: it cānot be but this prophanatiō of the Sabaoth so generall, so frequent, & so conti­nuall, crieth to the Lord for a perpetuall de­solation, & for the vengeance of eternal fire.

Murther also is another sinne that crieth for vengeance, Gen. 4.10. The voice of thy brothers blood (saith God) crieth vnto me from the earth. Murther a manifest sin that crieth for venge­ance. To loose our wealth it is greeuous, but to loose our good name more greeuous, but to loose our life that is most greeuous of all. First it is an heinous offence that one man should kill another: secondly it is more hainous, when a superior killeth an inferior: thirdly, it is a most hainous offence, when one bro­ther killeth another, as Cain killed Abel: fourthly it is more detestable, when a wic­ked man killeth a righteous: fifthly, & that for the sincere worship of God: sixtly, if he doo it of a pretended hatred: and seuenthly if he doo it after admonition. In England man killeth man, the lord the tennant, the brother his brother, the wicked the good, & that for the true worship of God, and of ha­tred, and after godly admonition. There­fore as the blood of Abel cried from the earth vnto the Lord, so doth the blood of the Saints shed in the late daies of Queene Marie, crie for vengeance against the wic­ked.

Gen. 9.6. Who so sheddeth mans blood, by man let his blood be shed: for after his owne image God made man. First heere wee learne that man was [Page 23] made to praise God: whosoeuer then killeth man, hindreth the glorie of God. Secondly, how was man created? in righteousnes, ho­lines, mercie, truth: these vertues being es­sentiall in God, are accidentall in vs: who­soeuer therefore murthereth a man, de­stroyeth those vertues, wherein man dooth participate with the nature of God. Third­ly, sith God made man after his owne like­nesse: here we learne that God loueth man aboue all the creatures of the world, & we ought not to hate him whom God loueth. Fourthly, sith man is the image of God and doth excell all creatures; whosoeuer mur­thereth him, destroyeth the most excellent workmanship of God.

But how little we regard these things, it is manifest by the wilfull murthers often cō ­mitted in and about London; whose blood no doubt crieth to God, as Abels did, out of the earth. For first God is the Iudge of the quicke and the dead. Secondly, he is the a­uenger of all euill; for albeit men will wink at murther, yet God will not. And therfore the Prophet Dauid crieth out; Psal. 94.1 [...]. O God to whō vengeance belongeth, thou God to whom venge­ance belongeth, shew thy selfe: arise thou Judge of the world, and reward the proud after their [Page 24] deseruing. Thirdly, the iust (as Abel was) do peculiarly belong to God. Psal. 10.16. The poore commit­teth himselfe to thee: for thou art the helper of the fatherlesse. Zach. 2.8. He that toucheth you (saith the Lord) toucheth the apple of mine eye. Precious therefore is the blood of the Saints in Gods sight, and shall be of God himselfe in time auenged.

Sodometrie & who [...]dome crie for ven­geance.Sodometrie also and vnnatural lust crieth to God for vengeance & punishment. King Henry the eighth of famous memorie, when he visited the Abbies of England by Tho­mas Lee, Richard Layton, and Thomas Bedel Archdeacon of Cornwall, being Doctors of the Law, & by Thomas Barthlet publique Notarie, in the yere of our Lord God 1538. In the Abbey of Battell were found 16 So­domites, in Christ-church at Canterbutie 9. and in euery Abbey were found some to be Sodomites, others to be adultrers, some ha­uing foure, some fiue, some ten, some twen­tie harlots, as in a Book called a Breuiarie of those things that were found in Abbeyes, Conuents, &c. it doth at large appeare. And because that Sodometrie and whoredome had made them verie infamous, one of their owne friends thus wrote of them,

The acceptable names of fathers were aptly giuen to Monkes, for they were able to tell their children both here and there in euene place. Saint Paul against whoredome thus writeth; Meates are ordained for the belly, 1 Cor 6.13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. & the belly for the meates, but God shall destroye both it and them; now the bodie is not for forni­cation, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the bodie: and God hath also raised vp the Lord, & shall raise vs vp by his power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. Doo ye not know, that he which coupleth himselfe with an harlot, is one bodie? for two (saith he) shal be one flesh: but he that is ioyned to the Lord, is one spirite. Flee fornication: euerie sinne that a man doth as without the bodie: but hee that commit­teth fornication, sinneth against his owne bodie. Know you not, that your bodie is the temple of the holy ghost, which is in you, Whom ye haue of God? and ye are not your owne, for ye are bought for a price: therefore glorifie God in your owne body, and in your spirit, for they are Gods.

Here are 7 arguments against whoredome: 7. arguments against whoredome. the first is of the punishment in the 13. vers. where he saith that meates are for the belly, & the belly for meates, but God will destroy both it and them; for gluttonie and drunkennes are maintainers of venerie: the second argu­ment is drawen from the condition of our bodies, in the same verse, the bodie is not for fornication, but for the Lord; for as God is worshipped in heauen of angels which are spirites, so will he be worshipped in earth of men which haue bodies; and therefore our bodies shall be raised vp to glorie: the third argument is drawen from an absurdi­tie; It is against reason saith the apostle, that our bodies, being the members of Christ, should be made the members of an harlot, & so to bring them from high dignitie, to most vile indignitie: the 4. argument is drawen from the comparison of God and an harlot; for he that ioyneth himselfe with an harlot, is one with an harlot in affection, and shalbe one with an harlot in affliction; but he that coupleth himselfe to the chast God, shall be one with God in glorie for euer: the fifth ar­gument is drawen from the effects of forni­cation, for the fornicator defileth his bodie with the pockes, leprosie, and many other [Page 27] loathsome diseases; and therefore vnnatu­rally sinneth against his owne bodie, short­ning his life by wasting the vigor of his bo­die. The sixt argument is drawen from the purposes, whereunto the body is destinated; your body is the temple of the holy Ghost, and you are not your owne, therefore in it God must be worshipped & not the diuell. The seuenth and last argument is taken frō the lawe, in the last verse; you are bought with a price, that is, not with gold nor siluer, but with the most precious blood of Christ; therefore not onely our soule must magni­fie the Lorde, and our spirit reioyce in God our Sauiour, but also our flesh must reioyce in our God; and in the life and death of our bodies God must be glorified, bowing our knees to GOD the father of our Lord Iesus Christ, which leadeth vs to life, and not to whores and harlottes, Pro. 7.27. Whose waies goe downe to hell.

Jeremies prophecie is fulfilled in them, & will be fulfilled in vs; Ier. 5.7.8.9. Though I fedde them to the full, yet they committed adulterie, & assē ­bled themselues by companies in the harlots hou­ses: they rose vp in the morning like fedde horses, for euerie man neighed after his neighbours wife. Shall J not visite these things saith the Lorde? [Page 28] shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this? climbe vpon their walles and destroy them, take awaie their battlements, for they are not the Lordes. The harlot calleth her pleasure so­lace, and so do our delicate dames of Eng­land: but Jeremie saith, this sweete sinne wil haue soure sauce. For it will cause the walles of our Cities to be rased, & the battlements of our house to be beaten downe. God bee mercifull vnto this pleasant Iland & blesse it: for if euerie house of our lande shall bee destroyed, where this loathsome sinne of leacherie hath bene shamefully committed (as the monkes houses were) our fairest Ci­ties (no doubt) will come to ruinous heapes.

GOD brought the Sodomites into cap­tiuitie, to shewe them, that he did hate their sinne, yet would they not repent; GOD brought thē out of slauerie by Abraham, to teach them that he was mercifull to the con­trite, yet would they not repent. We haue bene vnder the tyrant of Spaine in the late dayes of Queene Marie, yet we forsake not our former fornications: we haue bene deliuered by her Maiestie, yet we runne on desperately into all manner of abhominati­ons, forgetting the greefe of our calamitie, and the comfort of our deliuerance, the qui­etnesse [Page 29] of our priuate estate, the peace of our kingdome, or the felicitie which we haue by the word of God.

Oppression of the poore is another sinne that prouoketh GOD to plague vs. Oppression of the poore cri­eth for ven­geance. Exo. 3.7. J haue surely seene the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, & haue heard their crie because of their taskmasters, for J know their sorrowes. Iam. 16. Do not the rich oppresse you by tyrannie, and draw you before iudgement seates? who oppresseth? Pha­raoh the tyrant, Nimrod the mightie, and Nabal the rich. Those that should giue do take awaie; those that should feede, do fleese; those that should be mercifull, be vnmerci­full. Whome do they oppresse? their bro­ther, their owne flesh, the Lords brother, and the Lords apple of his eye. And what brother? his poore, needie, destitute, and afflicted brother; and to whome he should giue, from him he doth take by violence; & whom he shuld cōfort, him he doth spoile. How doth he oppresse? by his mony & his might. God hath giuen them riches and au­thoritie, to defend the poore & fatherlesse, to see such as be in neede and necessitie to haue right; and with their wealth and might they oppresse & deceiue, they grind the face of the poore, and braye them as it were in a [Page 30] morter: Ier. 5. their houses are full of riches gotten by deceipt.

When do they oppresse? in the time of the Gospel. Elisha said vnto his man when he had taken gold and garments of Naaman; is this a time to take mony & to receiue garments, and oliues, 2. King. 5.26. and vineyardes, and sheepe, and Ox­en, and men seruants, and mayd servants? So say I to the Nimrodical oppressors of Eng­land, is this a day of peace and of ioy? is this a time to smite downe the people of the Lord, & to murther his heritage? and to de­uour widowes houses, & to eate vp the peo­ple like bred? Gal. 6.10. While we haue time, we should do good to all, 2. Cor. 6.2. especially to the houshold of faith; & in this time we do ill. This is the day of salua­tion; & we make it the day of our destructi­on. 2. Cor. 6.2. This is the time accepted; and we by our oppression of the poore will turne it in­to the day of vengeance. Syr. 10.8. Because of vnrighte­ous dealing, wrong, blasphemies, and other de­ceipts, a realme shall be translated from one peo­ple to an other.

Where is this oppression? in the iudge­ment seate. How is the faithfull Citie become an harlot? Esay. 1.21. &c. it was full of iudgement, iustice lodged therein, but now they are murtherers: thy siluer is become drosse; thy wine is mixt with water, [Page 31] thy Princes ore rebellious and companions of theeues: euerie one loueth giftes and followeth after rewardes; they iudge not the fatherlesse, neither doth the widowes cause come before them. They turne iudgement into wormwood, Amos. 5.2. & leaue off righteousnesse in the earth. What abhomi­nable sinne is this, that those who should de­fend the poore, Psal. 82.3. and see that such as bee in neede and necessitie haue right, do adde affliction to the afflicted? Iob. 24.15. that those who should be eyes to the blinde, do pull out their eyes? and those that should be a legge to the lame, Iob. 29.15. do breake his bones in peeces? and those that should pull the spoile out of the iawes of the oppres­sours, commit violence, robery & murther themselues? and those that should giue the pure siluer of righteousnesse, giue the hea­uie burthen of oppression? and they that should giue the wine of comfort, giue the water of teares? and they that should mi­nister iudgement, giue the wormewood of affliction? and they that should be the staffe of the poore mans estate, are an yorne rodde to bruse them in peeces: being tur­ned from fathers to tyraunts, frō magistrates to theeues, frō Iudges to murtherers, from Princes to Lyons, from Gods to diuels. For the couetous oppressor whē he should giue, [Page 32] hee saith it is too much; when he should re­ceiue, he saith it is too little; when he should forgiue, hee saith it is too great; when hee should repent, he saith it is too soone; when he should come to heare the worde of God, he saith it is too farre: and thus as he holdeth his needie brother vnder his yoake, so the diuell holdeth him fast in his snare, that hee shall neuer escape, but shal haue iudgement without mercie, because he hath shewed no mercie. Esay. 10, 1. So true is the prophecie of Esay, Woe be vnto you that make vnrighteous lawes, to robbe the widowes and the fatherlesse. For as the Prophet Dauid saith, Psal, 32, 1. God standeth in the congregation of Princes, he is a iudge amongst Gods. And therefore albeit God in his secret iudgement, doth suffer the greate & migh­tie oppressors to go on in their vnconsciona­ble dealings, yet in the ende he will bring them to iudgement, and then (as the Psal­mist saith) he will set in order all their sinne. Psal, 50. I might heere speak the like of murmuring & rebellion, which are sinnes that prouoke the wrath of God; but time will not giue mee leaue.

I will now go to the sinne of all sinnes, which no doubt will procure to this lande a generall, fearefull, and seuere destruction: [Page 33] this sinne is Atheisme. Atheisme a manifest sinne that crieth for speedie ven­geance. The Idolator is a breaker of the second precept, the blasphe­mer of the third, the prophaner of the saba­oth is a transgressour of the fourth, the rebel of the fifth, the oppressor of the sixt, the So­domite of the seauenth; but the Athiest is a wilfull contemner of all. For he denieth GOD the father, he trampleth vnder his foote the blood of our Sauiour, he disho­noureth the spirit of grace; in his heart he is an infidell, in his tongue a blasphemer, to his Prince a traytor, to his countrey a rebell, to his house a poyson, to his friends a plague: wheresoeuer he goeth, the earth is accursed; wheresoeuer he speaketh, the aire is infec­ted; and wheresoeuer hee dwelleth, there dwelleth the wrath of God for euer.

The starre confessed the son of God, for it ledde the wise men to Christ: Mat. 3.10. Mat. 8.27. Mat. 21.5. the sea and the windes did obey him; the asse did beare him to Ierusalem; the fishes obeyed him when they came into the Apostles nettes; Ioh. 21.6. Mat. 17. [...]7. Mat. 27.51, 52. so did the fish that brought mony in his mouth to paye their tri­bute; the Sunne at his death was abashed, the earth did tremble, the stones did cleaue asunder, and the graues did open: but our Atheists, more insensible then the stone or starres, more hard harted thē the flints, more stinc­king [Page 34] then any carcasse, do not acknow­ledge Christ to be the son of God. Naye the very diuelles confesse Christ to be the Sonne of God. Mat. 5.7. what haue I to do with thee Je­sus the most high God? and Jesus J knowe, and Paule I knowe, Act. 19.15. saith the deuill. But our A­theistes worse then the deuill in this respect, haue so hardened their heart, that they de­nie Iesus to be the sonne of God: and there­fore sith they will not acknowledge him to be a Sauiour, they shall know him to bee a iudge, whose power they cānot resist, whose wisdome they cannot deceiue, whose iustice they cannot corrupt, and therefore will pu­nish them without respect of persons.

Manasses was an idolater, but he repen­ted: Paul was a blasphemer, but yet hee was made a Preacher: Lew was a Publicane, but yet he became an Euangelist: Peter did forsweare his master, but yet he continued an apostle: Dauid was an adulterer, and yet a Prophet: Zache was an oppressor, but yet he was conuerted and said: Luke. 19.8. Behold Lord the one halfe of my goodes I giue to the poore, and if I haue taken from any man by forged cauillation, I restore him foure fold. Zache did giue the halfe of his goodes, wee will not giue the hundred part: Zache gaue of his owne, wee [Page 35] will not giue of that we haue wrongfullie gotten: Zache gaue his goodes, we giue of the worst things we haue: Zache gaue pre­sently, we deferre till we be sicke or dead. Thus we see that Idolaters, blasphemers, ex­tortioners & adulterers, haue turned them­selues vnto the Lord, but no Atheist: for they go frō worse to worse, they go frō sin to sin, they neuer come into the righteous­nesse of God, they are vesselles of dishonor, they are cloudes without water carried about of windes, corrupt trees, and without frute, Iude. 12.13. twise dead, and plucked vp by the rootes, they are the raging waues of the sea, foming out their owne shame, they are wandering Stars, to whom is re­serued the blacknesse of darkenesse for euer.

Against those therefore we must pray, Psa. 109.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 14, 15. A praier a­gainst Athe­istes. as Dauid did against them in his time, When he shall be iudged let him be condemned, and let his praier be turned into sin: let his dayes be few, and let another take his charge, let his children be fatherlesse, and his wife a widow, let his chil­dren be vagabonds, & beg and seeke bread, com­ming out of their places destroied: let the extor­tioner catch all that he hath, & let the stranger spoile his labour: let there be none to extend mercie vnto him, neither let there be any to shew mercy vpon his fatherlesse children, let his posteritie bee [Page 34] [...] [Page 35] [...] [Page 36] destroyed, & in the generation following let their name be put out, let the iniquitie of his fathers bee had in remembrance with the Lord, and let not the sinne of his mother be done awaie, but let thē alwaie bee before the Lord, that hee may cutte off their memoriall from the earth.

As poison when it entreth into the body, it infecteth first the vains, secondly the blood, thirdly, the members, & last of al the heart: so Atheisme begā in the vains of the lighter sort of people, and from thence it hath crept into the blood & generositie of this land, by meanes whereof it is spread into all the mē ­bers and parts of this realme: God keepe it from the heart, that is, from the Court & the Citie of London. If my flesh were of stone, if I had the learned tongue of Esay, or my face were of Adamant as Ezechias was, if I had that spirit of fortitude, which was in Eli­as, or that bold spirit that was in John Baptist, if my bones were of brasse, and my sides of steddie steele: Mat. 14.4. then as John said to Herod: Jt is not lawfull for thee to haue thy brothers wife. And as Elias said to Ahab: [...]. King. 18.18. Thou art he that troubleth all Israel: so I should say to our A­theists, it is not lawful for thē to eate, drinke, liue or breath among christians, for they are the cause that this land wil be brought to an [Page 37] euerlasting destruction. My heart trēbleth, and my eyes shed teares to see the faintnesse of my selfe and my bretheren, that this sinne of Atheisme openly committed is not open­ly reproued, that others may feare. We shal say in time to come as the Prophet said: Esay, 6.5. Woe be vnto me because J held my peace.

As the sinnes of Sodome are euident, In Sodome were many sinnes and so there are in Englande. Exo, 19, 4, 9. so are they many: Behold this was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodome, pride, fulnes of bread, and a­boundance of Idlenes, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poore and needie. Pride is of 2. sorts, carnal and spirituall: carnall pride is that which cōsisteth in the decking & trim­ming of the flesh, against which Paul thus writeth: Rom, 13, 4. Take no thought of the flesh to fulfil the lustes of it. And women are forbidden to weare broidred haire, or gold, or pearles, 1. Tim, 2, 9. 1, Pet, 3, 3. or cost­ly apparell. And the like is also inhibited by Saint Peter. This pride was in the harlot, Prou, 7, 16, 17. who said: she had deckt her bed with couerings and clothes of Egipt, and made her hed to smell of mirrhe, Aloes, & Cynamon. And this pride Saint Paul reproueth, when hee willeth vs not to fashion our selues according to this world. Rom, 12, 2. But notwithstanding, pride is first in al ages, as in children, yong and old. Secondly, in e­uerie sexe, as in men and women. Thirdly, [Page 38] in all estates, as in magistrats & priuate men. Fourthly, in all times, as in poperie, and in the Gospell. Fiftly, in all places, as in the market and in the temple.

Apparel was ordained for three causes.Apparell was giuen for three ends: for honesties sake to couer our vnseemly parts: for necessities sake, to defend vs from the iniurie of the weather: and for dignities sake both to distinguish men from beasts, & mē of high degree from the lower sort. GOD clothed the noble subiect of the soule with a vile bodie, Phil. 3.21. to teach vs that we should not deck our vile bodie with gorgeous apparell, not agreeing either with cōlines, necessitie, or our calling. Ciprian. I thinke it good (saith Cy­prian) that not onely maides and widowes, but also married women be warned, that they should by no meanes adulterate the worke of God, Ierom. and his making: for as Ierom saith: These things are the nourishments of lust, and the tokens of an vnchast minde: How can she weepe for her sinnes, or lift vp her eies and countenance to heauen, whome God doth not know? Thomas deceiued Iu­das by trimming of apparell, Iezabell pain­ted her face to deceiue Ieho, Cleopatra pain­ted her face to deceiue Antonius, who be­ing overcome of Octauian, he killed hir [Page 39] himselfe and buried her aliue with an aspe in the sepulcher of Antonius.

‘ Ambrose in his Hexameron saith, Ambr. in hex­amer. do not take awaie the picture of God, and take on thee the picture of an harlot, for that picture doth not become thee, but is faultie, not of simplicitie but of deceipt, it beguileth and deceiueth: so that thou canst not please him whom thou desirest to please, which vnder­standeth that it is not his but an other mans that pleaseth,and thou despisest thy maker, whose workmanship is defaced.’ For as Je­rome, noteth: Ierom. ‘If a woman decke her selfe that she may prouoke the lookes of men to­wards her, although there follow no harme, yet she shall suffer eternall condemnation, for she hath offered poyson, if any wil drinke of it.’

Alas, alas, that greate citie that was clothed in fine linnen, and purple, & scarlet, Apoc. 18.16.17. & gilt with gold, and pretious stones, and pearles: for in one houre so greate riches are come to desolation. Here yee see that pride goeth before, and destruction commeth after. So the Prophet Esay sheweth how this pride is punished with a generall & seuere desolation: Esay. 3.19.17. Because (saith he) the daughters of Sion are hawtie and walke with stretched out neckes and wandering [Page 40] eyes, walking and minsing as they goe, & making a tinckling with their feete, therefore shall the Lord make the heades of the daughters of Sion bald, & the Lord shal discouer their secret partes: in that day shall the Lorde take awaie the orna­ment of the slippers, & of the calles & the rounde tires, the sweete balles and the bracelets, and the bonnets, the tires of the heades, and the sloppes & the head-bandes, and the tablets, & the earings, and the mufflers, the costly apparell, and the vailes, the wimples, and the crisping pinnes, all the glasses, and the fine linnen, & the hoodes, & the launes: and in steed of sweete sauors there shall be stinke, & in steede of a girdle a rent, and in steed of dressing the haire, baldnesse, & in steed of a stomacher, a girding of sackclothe, & burning in stede of beautie: thy men shal fall by the sword, and thy strength in the battell. Then shall her gates mourne and lament, and shee being desolate shall sitte on the grounde. Carnall pride is rec­koned but a small fault, but yet as yee do wel see, and learne out of the holy Sciptures, it bringeth sword, mourning, and vtter deso­lation.

But consider I pray you the course of this world: Christ saith, wee should take no thought for apparell, & all our delight is to go braue: the Isralites did weare their gar­mentes [Page 41] fortie yeares, & we must change our apparel euery tearme: Christ cōmanded his Disciples they shuld haue but one coate, & we must haue for euery day in the weeke a coate Jhō Baptist was clothed in a Cāels skin, but we must be clothed (with Diues)in pur­ple & fine white, & with Herod we must be attired in gorgeous apparel, & therfore with Diues & Herod we shal suffer a suddē cōfusiō.

Queene Hester said: Hest. 14.16. Thou knowest O Lord that I hate the token of my preheminence & wor­ship, which I beare vpon my head, what time I must shew myselfe and be seene, and that I abhorre it as vncleane cloth, and that I weare it not when J am quiet and alone by my selfe. As this good Queene did abhorre pride in apparel, so the daughters of vanitie now adaies do highly esteeme it: But as in a coffin when it is most sumptuously dect there is (no doubt) a dead carkas there lying: so where yee see the daughters of men to haue their broidred haire, their gold and pearles, contrarie to the rule of the Apostle: there (no doubt) is a dead stinking soule. Democrates said: There were two ornaments of a womā, 2. Tim. [...]. few wordes, and few garments. The woman of Lacidemon refused pretious garments sent them by Dionisius: the Roman matrons sent [Page 42] backe againe golden roabes giuen thē freely by Pyrrhus. I wil end therfore with an histo­rie of the Bactrians, whose wiues fell from the pride of apparell to whoredome, not onely with their seruantes, but with stran­gers: and they gat such a masterie, and rule ouer their husbands, that albeit their hus­bands did see them committing adulterie, yet they durst not reproue them.

But as I would haue the dames of Eng­land to leaue wanton and superfluous appa­rell, so I will with Tertulian commend vnto them a good sute of raiment, ‘Come forth (saith Tertulian) yee women beutified with the ornaments of the Apostles, Tertulian. hauing the whitenesse of simplicitie, the rednesse of chastitie, hauing your eyes painted with shamefastnesse, and your spirites with si­lence, hauing in your eares the word of God, and tying to your neckes the yoke of Christ, subiect your head to your husbands and you shall be braue inough, occupie your hands with wool, fasten your feete at home, and you shall please more, then if you were clad in golde: decke our selfe with the silke of sinceritie, with the Satten of sancti­tie, and with the purple of probitie, & you shall haue God to be your paramour:’ Thus [Page 43] farre of carnall pride.

Spirituall pride is of foure sortes, blas­phemye, arrogancie, vaineglorye, and selfe-loue. In blasphemie offended Nabuchadne­zar: Is not this great Babel which J haue built for the house of my kingdome by the might of my power, and for the honour of my maiestie? Dan. 4, 27, Blasphemie the sin of So­dome and England. Such Babilonian blasphemers haue we in England. Iames saith, Iam. 1.19. Euerye good gift and euerye per­fect gift commeth from aboue from the father of lightes: but the blasphemer thinketh his ri­ches to come from fortune, and corporall giftes to come from nature, and giftes of the minde to come by study and experience. Therefore as Nabuchadnezer was turned in­to a beast, vntill hee did acknowledge these thinges to come from God: so all they that call their gorgeous houses their owne, as Na­buchadnezar did: or do say, their barneful of corne is for themselues, as the rich man did: Luke 12. Exod. 14. Num. 16. or boast of their armies, as Pharaoh did: or bragge of their holynesse, as Dathan did: or doe pride themselues in their kinglye e­state, as Saul did: or of their tirannye, 1. Sam. 15. 1. King. 12. Esay 37. Iud. 6.15. Hest. 4. Acts. 12. as Roboam did: or of their victories, as Sana­cherib did: or of their prowesse, as Ho­lofernes did: or of their witte, as Aman did: or of their eloquence, as Herod did: [Page 44] or of their stocke, Iohn 9. as the Jewes did: These all haue the pride of Sodome, and shall haue the punishment of Sodome vnlesse they repent.

Arrogancie is another sinne of Sodome fallen, Arrogancye the sinne of Sodome and of England. and of England falling: and that is, when we confesse wee haue receiued all good giftes from God: but wee saye wee haue merited them. Which sinne Saint Paul eftsoones reprooueth: Ephe. 2.8.9. By grace are yee sa­ued, and that of faith, and that not of your selues. It is the gifte of GOD, not of workes, least any man should boast himselfe. If wee bee not saued of our selues, nor of workes, how is it true that wee bee saued by me­rites? Aquinas bringeth manye reasons to prooue that wee are not saued by workes, which neither the Seminaryes which come from Rheimes, nor the Iesuits which come from Rome can confute. 7. Reasons a­gainst merits out of Aqui­nas. The first is, the indignitye of our merites: For J counte (saith Saint Paul) that the afflictions of this present time are not worthie of the glorye which shall bee shewed vs. Rom. 8.18, Secondlye, wee can not merite, by reason of the contrarietye be­tweene the bodye and the soule: For the flesh lusteth against the spirite, Ephe, 5.15. and the spirite a­gainst the fleshe: and these are contrarye [Page 45] one to another, so that yee cannot doe these thinges as yee would. The third reason why wee cannot merite, is because of the cor­ruption of the fleshe. Sap. 9.15. For the corruptible bo­dye is a burthen vnto the soule, and the earth­lye habitation presseth downe the minde full of cares.

The fourth reason why we cannot merit, is the straitnes of the waye. Mat. 7.13. Enter in at the strait gate, for it is the broad gate and wide way that leadeth to destruction, and many there bee which goe in thereat, because the gate is straite, and the way narrowe that leadeth vnto life, and fewe there be that finde it.

The fifth reason why we cannot merit, is because of the difficulty of good workes, for vertue is occupied about that which is diffi­culte. For it is an hard thing to beleeue, but it is easie to presume or dispaire: it is hard to be liberal, but it is easie to be couetous, or prodi­gall: it is hard to be valiant, but it is easie to be rash or timerous.

The sixth reason why we cannot merite, is the incertitude of our owne righteousnes: We haue all bene (saith Esay) as an vnclean thing, Esay. 69.6. and all our righteousnes is as filthy cloutes: for our righteousnesse is neither pure, perfect, nor perpetuall.

The seauenth and the last reason is, the straitnesse of the Iudge: Psal. 143.2. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant (saith Dauid) for in thy sight shall no man liuing bee iustifi­ed. If Dauid cannot bee iustified in the sight of GOD, neither can the proude Pharisey, saucye Sadducey, or popish Pe­lagian.

Such arrogant Papistes are well tear­med to bee full of winde: For as the winde first distinguisheth the light, secondly extin­guisheth the dewe, and thirdly bloweth vp the dust: so this vaunting of merites darke­neth the pure light of Gods glorye, it dryeth vp the dewe of his grace in them and so puf­feth them vp with a swelling conceite of their owne holynesse, that they attribute that to nature which is due to grace, and that to merite which is due to the promise, and that to the fleshe which is due to the spi­rite, and that to works which is due to faith, and that to the Lawe which is due to the Go­spel: and finally that to man which is due to God.

Vaine glory the sin of So­dome and of England. Apoc. 3, 16, 17.Vaineglorye is another kinde of pride: this was in the Church of Laodicia: Thou sayest J am riche, and encreased with goods, and haue neede of nothing, and knowest not [Page 47] how thou art wretched and miserable, and poore, and blinde and naked. This vaineglory was in Alexander, whome parasites had perswaded that hee was a God: but in the end when he perceiued hee must dye, hee vttered these woordes: Now I perceiue I am but a mortal man. Let vs not be desirous of vaineglory, Gala. 6.26. saith the Apostle. We cannot glory of things past, for in times past wee haue committed more offences then good deedes: wee cannot glorye of thinges present, because wee are in exile: wee cannot glorye of thinges to come, because there is comming, death and iudgement.

Vaineglorye is hardlye shunned for three causes: first because it ariseth of well do­ing, euen as the moth is bred in the gar­ment when it consumeth, and the worme in the wood which it rotteth. Secondly, al other vices are ouercome of some vertue: as adul­tery by chastitye, couetousnesse by merciful­nesse, and hatred by loue: but vaineglorye ariseth of well doing. Thirdly, by how much the more vainglory is kept down, by so much the more it is encreased. For euerye euill ari­seth of an euill, but onely vaineglory procee­deth of well doing.

Praise is desired ordinatly or inordinatly: or­dinately, [Page 48] for the glory of God: Mat, 5, 16. But let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good woorkes, and glorifye your Fa­ther which is in Heauen. And secondlye, for the profite of our Neighbour, procure thinges honest in the sight of all men. Rom. 12.17. 1. Cor. 10.33. I please all men in all thinges, not seeking myne owne profite, but the profit of many, that they might be saued.

Inordinatly, men seeke praise: first, when they desire to bee praised for those thinges that be not worthye of praise, as for riches and temporall thinges which are but vaine. Secondly, if they glorye in their sinnes: why boastest thou O tyrant, that thou art able to doe mischeefe? Psal. 52.8. Thirdlye, when it is doone in contempt of our neighbour, or of God. For they loued the prayse of men, Iohn 12.43. more then the praise of God. Now vnto tht King euer­lasting, 1. Tim. 1.17. immortall, inuisible, vnto God onelye wise, bee honour and glorye for euer and euer, Amen. Fourthlye, when a man sinneth to get praise: Mat. 6.1. Beware that yee giue not your almes before men to bee seene of them, or else you shall haue no rewarde of your Father which is in Heauen. How manye vaineglo­tious persons are in England, which boast of the multitude of their riches, reioyce in [Page 49] iniquitie, and loue the praise of men more thē the glory of God: you may know by Catoes rule for he saith: Neither shalt thou praise nor dispraise thy selfe, for this doe fooles that are vexed with vaineglory. If all those that praise themselues be fooles, then the world is full of fooles, and these say there is no GOD: But hee that sitteth in heauen will laugh them to scorne, yea, Psal. 2.4. the Lord will haue them in di­rision.

An other kinde of pride is selfe-loue, Self-loue the sin of Sodom and of Eng­land. Mal, 2, 10. of the which Malachie writeth: Haue wee not all one Father? hath not one God made vs? why doe wee transgresse euerye one against his Brother? This vice was in the Pharisey: Luke 18.11. J am not (saith hee) as other men are, extor­tioners, vniust, adulterers, nor as this Publi­cane. When Saul was little in his owne sight, 1. Sam, 15, 17 hee was the head of the trybes of Israell. But when hee despised Dauid, a better man then himselfe, God brought him low againe. John Baptist humbled himselfe, and saide: Mat. 3.11. Hee was not worthye to vnloose the latchet of our Sauiours shooe: But Christ saide: Hee was a Prophet, and more then a Prophet. Mat. 11.11. Iohn 8, 33. The Iewes saide, that they were the children of Abraham, and neuer serued any man. But Christ saide, Iohn. 8, 44. Yee are of your Father [Page 50] the Diuell. Wee may not therefore with the Pharisies iudge others and preferre our selues before them.

Fiue reasons why we may not ivdge our brethren.For first humanitie doth require that we should not rashly censure the faults of other men. Secondly, our owne infirmitye should moue vs to the same, Iam, 3, 2, for in many thinges we of­fend all. Now doe wee see our owne faultes, which are in the peece of the wallet that han­geth behinde vs. Thirdly, we are fellow-ser­uants, and being therfore in the same condi­tion, wee should liue in charitie which coue­reth the multitude of sinnes. Fourthly, Christ is the onely iudge of the quicke and the dead, and therefore we may not male partly ascend into his tribunall seate. Fifthlye, our iudge­mēts are to be suspected, because we see only the outward and not the inward partes. Basil. Basill saith: The wicked man doth most easily con­demne the good, but the good doth not easily condemne the wicked. Most iustly therefore saith the Apostle. Rom, 14, 4. Who art thou that misdeemest an other mans seruant? hee standeth or falleth be­fore his Lord. Saul breathing out mischeefe a­gainst the church of God, was suddenly cal­led, and of Saul became Paul, of a proud Pha­risie an humble penitent, of a malicious perse­cutor a zealous Apostle, and laboured more [Page 51] in his vocation then all his fellowes.

‘ Augustine saith, Au. de verb. dom. ser. 1 [...]. we must despaire of none as long as the patience of God doth lead him to repentance, neither he, that will not haue the death of a sinner, but that he should turn and liue, doth take him out of this life. He is a Pa­gan to day, how knowest thou but he may be a Christian to morrow? he is an vnbeleeuing Iew to day, what if to morrow he attaine to the Catholique religion? he is a Schismatique to day, what if to morrowe hee embrace the vnitie of the Church? what if those in whom you finde all kinde of error and condemne as most desperate, shall repent before they ende their life? Therefore brethren, this doth the Apostle warne you, iudge not any man, be­fore the time come.’

This rule of the Apostle as Augustine no­teth, condemneth the Pharisies that were in Christes time, the Catharoi that were in Cypri­ans time, the Donatistes that were in Augu­stines time, and the Martinistes of our time. They haue written a booke of Martin mar­prelate, I hope hereafter they wil write a book of Martin marpharisey.

For as Augustine noteth in a Treatise hee hath of the conflict of vertues and vices, August. selfe-loue giueth vs this counsell, thou art [Page 52] better then all others in eloquence, riches, and honours, and in all giftes both spirituall and corporall, despise therefore all and make thy selfe better then all: so saith Martin, that hee is better then the Bishops and Ministers of this land.

So sayde the false Prophettes in Esayes time. Esay 65, 5. Stand aparte, come not neere, for I am holyer then thou. But albeit Martin hath ma­ny followers, which hope by sacriledge to enriche themselues; yet let them hearken what God speaketh by the mouth of his Prophet: Ier. 2.35. Beholde, J will enter into iudge­ment with thee, because thou sayest I haue not sin­ned.

Absolom when hee perswaded the peo­ple to rebellyon, sayde, Oh that I were made iudge in the land, 1, Sam. 15.4, 5. that euery man which hath anye matter in controuersye might come to mee, that J might doe him iustice, and when any man came neere to him and did him obeysance, hee put forth his hand and tooke him and kissed him: and that hee stole the harts of the people.

As Absolom made the people beleeue hee would doe iustice better then Dauid: so doth Martine make the Worlde beleeue, that he will minister discipline a great deale [Page 53] better then the graue fathers of this land; and to this end he bendeth himselfe to driue our Bishops out of their houses, as Absolom did his father. But I pray God giue them grace to re­member the tragical end of Absolom, that so they by repentance may escape the like. For otherwise God will be auenged of the repro­ches & slaunders that haue bene vsed against Ministers and Prophets. Zach, 2, 8. For hee that toucheth you (saith God to his prophets) toucheth the ap­ple of my eye.

Fulnesse of bread is another sinne that fore­runneth our ouerthrow, Fulnesse of bread, the sinne of So­dome and of England. Eccl. 2, 4, &c. for fulnesse of bread causeth curiositie. For then we make vs great workes, builde vs houses, plant vineyardes, make vs gardens, and plant in them all maner of trees; then we make cesternes of water, to water therewith the woods that growe; then we get vs seruants and maides, possession of beeues and sheepe; then we ga­ther vp siluer and golde, and the cheefe treasures of Kings; then we prouide vs men singers and maide singers, and the delightes of the sonnes of men. As fulnesse of bread causeth curiositie, so curio­sitie causeth pleasure: Amos 6, 3, &c so that the wicked Put farre away the euill day, acd approche to the seate of iniquitie, they lye vpon beds of iuory, and stretch themselues vpon their beds, and eate the Lambes of the flocke, and the Calues out of the stall, they [Page 54] sing to the sound of the viole, they inuent to them­selues instrumentes of musicke like Dauid; they drinke wine in bowles, and annointe themselues with sweete oyntements, and no man is sory for the affliction of Ioseph. 2, Tim, 3.4. And as Paul saith, They are lovers of pleasure, more then louers of God. As fulnesse of bread causeth curiositie: and cu­riositie pleasure: so pleasure is the cause of se­curity. Psal, 10.41 &c. The wicked is so proud hee careth not for God, neither is God in all his thoughtes, his waies are alwaies prosperous, therefore defyeth he all his enemies, for hee saith in his hart, J shall neuer be moued, there shall no harme happen vnto me: and againe a little after, Psal. 10, 11. God hath forgotten, hee hi­deth away his face, and will neuer see it.

This was the estate of the Sodomites, to put far from them the euil day, to giue them­selues (as Christ saith) to eating, drinking, building, planting, and to voluptuousnesse, to saye they should neuer be moued nor be in danger: to trust to their riches which were vncertaine, 1, Tim, 6, 17. Psal, 46, 19. to their Castles which were rui­nous: to their bow which was broken: to their speare which was knapt a sunder: to their horse which was but vaine: to their hostes of men, which were but Grasse, Esay 40. to their Captaines which were but Locustes: to their Princes, which are but mortall: Psal 46. to their counsels which [Page 55] are of none effect. Psal, 33.

What is the cause that the tyrantes of the earth forget the fall of Pharaoh? fulnesse of bread. What is the cause the idolatrous pa­pistes of England remember not the vio­lent death of the idolaters? fulnesse of bread. Exo, 32.28. What is the cause that murmurers of our time, forget the fearfull destruction of the murmuring Jewes? fulnesse of bread. Num, 26, 65. What is the cause that fornicators remember not the slaughter of the twentie and foure thousand? Num, 24, 9. fulnesse of bread hath set this iudgement out of their sight. Why doe wee cast out of our remembrāce the drowning of the whole Worlde? which was so generall, that a doue could not pitch her foote on any ground, Gen, 8, 9, fulnesse of bread hath set this iudgement of GOD out of our sight. Why doe wee forget So­dome and Gomorrha (of the which not only Moses hath written, but Esa [...]e, Ieremie, Amos, Zephanie, all the Euangelistes, and Peter and Jude) which was destroyed with fire & brim­stone, in such sorte, that to this daye no grasse can growe in it, no byrd can flye in it, no fish can liue in the waters of it, no cattle on the ground, nor no man in the Coun­trey? fulnesse of bread hath set this fearfull [Page 56] iudgement declared by Moses, repeated by the Prophets, preached by the Euangelistes, and inculcated by the Apostles, farre out of our sight.

Why doe we burye in obliuion the deso­lation of the Iewes, which was most lamen­table. First, because it was in the feast of the Passe-ouer, when they were all assem­bled together. Secondlye, because of the domesticall sedition, for there were three Ruffians that striued in the Cittie for the gouernement, John, Simon, and Eleazer, and these so skirmished one with the o­ther, that in one daye eight thousand, and in an other daye tenne thousande or more were slaine within the walles. Thirdlye, by reason of the plague which was so dread­full, that from the fourteenth day of Aprill, vnto the Calendes of Iuly, there dyed in the pestilence a hundreth fifteene thousand and eightie.

Fourthly, by reason of the famine which was so extreame, that the husbands pulled the meate out of their wiues mouthes, the pa­rentes from the children, the children from the parentes, the Brethren from the sisters, sisters from the brethren; they did eat haye, [Page 57] old leather pluckt off their targets, oxe dung, and pigeons dung, and a noble woman dwel­ling in a street called Batezor killed her owne infant to eat it, but before she killed him, she vttered these wordes with teares, and kissed him saying; o wretched childe for whom shal I keepe thee in warre, famin, and sedition? if thou goest to the Romans there is bondage, and before bondage goeth famine, and the se­ditious wil afflict vs worse thē both: woe be vnto me most wretched mother; I did hope that thou shouldst burye me, but now alas pinching famine (which pierceth my bowels and marow) forceth me that I must bury thee againe in my belly, whom before I haue carri­ed in my womb; and when she had wept and kissed him often, she put her child behind her and killed it with a dagger, & said be thou to me meat: to the seditious Erinnis, and to the world a fable. Fiftly, it was greeuous, because two thousand killed themselues. Sixtlye, be­cause the Senatours were put to most vile workes. Seuenthly, because this was all done of the enemies of religion. Eghtly, because it was in the time of haruest. And lastly, because of the great nūber slain, which were 110000. and of the captains which were 97000. what [Page 58] maketh vs I say, to forget this heauie down­fall of the Iewes (which perished with famin, pestilence, the sword, and captiuity) but ful­nesse of bread.

Dauid though he repented for his whore­dome and murther, yet his punishment was so great, Psal. 38.3. that hee saide, There is nothing sound in my fleshe because of thy anger, neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinne. Psal. 6.6. I cause my bed euery night to swimme, and water my couch with teares. Psal. 38.10. My strength faileth, and the light of my eyes euer is not my own. Yea his own Son Absalom first draue him out of his house, se­condly, defloured his own wiues, thirdly, Ab­salom was hāged, fourthly, for one Vrias were slaine three of Dauids sonnes, Ammon, Absa­lom, and Adonias. Therefore well saith Dauid, My flesh trembleth for feare of thee, Psal. 119.120. and I am afraide of thy iudgements.

Dauid was afraide of Gods iudgementes, because the sworde neuer departed from his house; but we that liue in fulnesse of bread; we feare not the iudgementes of God in the slaughter of the idolaters, the destruction of the murmurers, the murther of the fornica­tors, the pittifull desolation of Ierusalem, the drowning of all the worlde, the burning [Page 59] of Sodome and Gomorrha in the vengeance of eternall fire.

Wherfore it is beter to eate the bread of af­fliction, and drinke the water of teares, then to haue fulnesse of bread to fulfil the lusts of the flesh and the measure of iniquitye. And better it is to goe to the house of mourning, Eccl. 7.4. then to the house of ioy. And to this purpose our Saui­our Christ saith, Woe be vnto them that are full, Luke 6.25. for they shall hunger; woe be vnto you that now laugh, for ye shall weepe and howle. For they that haue liued here in pleasure and laughter, shal goe the blacke way with sighes and teares, from God and his Angels, from saintes, from ioy and felicitie, to the fiends of hell, to suppe in the pallace of darkenesse, with the Princes of horror, at the table of vengeance, in the Chaire of calamitye, with the Crowne of death vpon their head; and the diuel shal pu­nish them vntill they crye out with Cain, Gen. 4.13. My punishment is greater, then J am able to beare.

Idlenesse is an other sinne which crieth for vengeance, against which Paul thus writeth: Idlenesse the sinne of So­dome and of England. 2. Thes. 6. &c. Wee commaund you in the name of Christ Iesus, that ye withdraw your selues from euery Brother which walketh inordinately, and not after the in­stitution he hath receiued of vs: for ye your selues [Page 60] know, how yee ought to follow vs, for we beha­ued not our selues inordinately amongst you; nei­ther tooke wee bread of any man for nought, for wee wrought with labour and trauaile, night and daye, because wee would not bee cha [...]gea­ble to any of you: not but that wee had autho­ritie, but that wee might make our selues an ensample vnto you to followe vs. For euen vvhen vvee vvere vvith you, this vvee war­ned you of, that if there vvere anye that vvould not worke, hee should not eate. For vve heard that there were some amongst you vvhich walke inordinately and worke not at all, but are busie bodies: therefore them that are such, vve commaunde and exhort by our Lord Iesus Christ, that they vvorke with quietnesse, and eate their owne bread.

First Paul commaundeth them not in his owne name, but by the authoritie of Christ, that they should labour. Secondly, hee saith that idlenesse is [...] which is a perturbati­on of the order of God, who hath appointed euery man his personall vocation, wherein he must stand and labour. Thirdly, idlenesse is contrarye to the institution and doctrine of the Apostle. Fourthlye, hee teacheth them to labour by his owne example, for al­beit he had authoritie to reape their tempo­rall [Page 61] thinges, because he taught them spiritu­all; yet he would not be burdenous vnto thē, but got his liuing with his own hands. Fifth­ly, he saith; That he that wil not labour, must not eate. Psal. 128.2. For every man must eate the labour of his owne hands. Sixtlye, idle persons are bu­sie bodies, being most pestilent people to the Church of God. For a great parte of their life they spend in doing ill, a greater part in do­ing nothing, but the greatest part of all in medling with that, they haue nothing to do withall.

Of the idlenesse of Ministers, (how they seeke their owne, Phil. 2.21. Phil. 3.19. and not these things which are Jesus Christs; whose end is damnation, whose God is their bellye, vvhose glorye is their shame, vvhich minde earthly things) Saint Paul with teares complaineth. Of the idlenesse of Ma­gistrates, how they lye vpon beds of iuorye, Amos. 6.4. &c. and stretch themselues forth on their couches, and eate the lambes out of the flocke, and the Calues out of the stall, and drinke wine in boules, and an­noint themselues with sweet ointments: Bar. 3.17. and take their pastimes with the foules of the aire, and ga­ther vp siluer as the dust: and care not for the af­fliction of Joseph: The prophets cry out in eue­ry place.

Three great and horrible sinnes come of [Page 62] idlenesse: Three great sinnes come of idlenesse, murther, whordome, and theft. The first is murther, for when Cain was idle, he killed his brother. And idlenesse is the cause of so many fraies and bloodsheds, that are in & about London. For as the scrip­ture saith; they lye in wait, which cannot be perfourmed without idlenesse. I would wish that yong Gentlemen and seruing men were kept from idlenesse, and then no doubt they would keep themselues from homicide. The second sinne that commeth from idlenesse, is whoredome; for Dauid being idle, and ha­uing slept on his bed, lusted after Ber-sheba. And it being demaunded why Aegistus was an adulterer, it is answered he was an idle per­son. Take away idlenesse, and loues arts wil be at an end No maruel therfore if there be such whoring in England, sith there is abundance of idlenesse. All our vaine Ballades and wan­ton books whence come they but from idle­nesse? 7. Causes of whordome. Learned men haue noted seauen causes of whordome. First, original sin; secondly, the outward sence; thirdly, the temperature of the bodie; fourthly, the diuel; fifthly, conuer­sation with women; sixtly, idlenesse, seuenth­ly, the memory of women. The diuel thē cau­seth idlenesse, idlenesse causeth vs to remem­ber women, remembrance causeth concupis­cence, & concupiscence causeth adultery. The [Page 63] third sinne that commeth of idlenes is theft. Enter not (saith Salomon) into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of wicked men, Pro. 4.19. &c. for they cannot sleepe vnlesse they haue done euill, and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall; for they eate the bread of wickednesse, and drinke the wine of robberye. Idlenesse causeth pouerty, pouerty famin, & famin causeth rob­bery: & therfore Solomon praieth, Pro. 3.8.9. Giue me not pouerty, nor riches, feed me with foode conuenient for me, least J be full & deny thee, & say who is the Lord? or least I be poore and steale, and take the name of my God in vain. Wherfore as you haue made many lawes against murther, whoredō, and theft: so I pray you make seuere lawes a­gainst idlenes, for al idle persons are either bu­sie bodies, murderers, adulterers, or theeues. Christ reprouing those that stoode idle in the market place said; Mat. 21.6. Rhabbanus in Mat. Why stand ye heere all day idle? Rhabbanus writing vpon this place, saith thus. ‘First he reproueth them for the want of reason, ô thou sluggard, thou deformed mon­ster, I speake to thee, thou hast the bellye of an ostrich, the throat of a dragon, the thighes of an elephant, the feete of a cammel, the legs of an Asse, and the head of a Cowe: hea­uen and earth doe mooue, and euery crea­ture, the Plannettes are turned about with [Page 64] their maker, the starres doe shine, the windes doe arise, the riuers doe runne, the fire doth enflame, the earth doth fructifie, the trees doe budde, the birdes doe sing, the beastes doe seeke their praie, the fishes doe search the bottome of the Sea; all thinges doo as they bee made, onely thou remai­nest vnmoueable, to whose care all things are subiect. Thy creator hath commaunded that whiles thou hast time, thou shouldest worke. The Angels thy watchfull keepers inuite thee, the diuels doe mocke thee: a­rise therefore O sluggard and goe to the em­m [...]t and learne wisedome of him; for whi­lest the Haruest is, hee gathereth the best graine and layeth them vp in his house, he repaireth the decayed places, that hee may exclude the Winter stormes. This sommer our Haruest is our life: the Winter shall be of three moneths, in the poynt of death, in the day of iudgement and in deepe hell, in all which shall happen fearefull tempestes. Arise therefore O sluggard, and gather the graines of grace.’

Secondly, he reproueth thē in regard of the necessitie of the place agreeing; for as in hea­uen al men shal rest, and in hell all suffer, so in earth all must labour. Iohn 5.15. Christ saith, My father [Page 65] woorketh hitherto, and I woorke: and Saint Paul saith; Rom. 8.26. The spirit it selfe maketh requestes for vs with sighes that cannot bee expressed. No­ah planted a vineyard, Abraham, Isaac, and Jaacob were shepheards, the iudges sate in the gates and ministred iustice, the kings and va­liant captaines fought the Lords battailes, all the people of GOD in this life haue either laboured in manuall artes, or in teaching, or in gouerning, or in counselling. For the Church is a vineyard, wherin are diggers and deluers; a Haruest wherein are labourers; a ship wherein are either painfull Marriners, or fighting souldiers; a house, wherein euerye one hath his ministerye; a bodie, wherein euery member hath his office; here therefore to stand idle, is a great shame.

Thirdly, they are reprehended in respect of the strength of their bodies: Why stand ye? Impotent persons as Lazarus was, lye at the doores and cannot stande, therefore they are to be refreshed by others: but those that haue a sound minde in a sound bodie, they ought not to stande idle, but to walke in their vocation honestlye. Stan­ding water soone stincketh, so idle persons are an abhomination to the Lord: Iron that lyeth still, rusteth; so idle persons giue them­selues [Page 66] either to murder, whordome or theft. Therefore as an idoll is a vaine and abhomi­nable thing, which hath eies & yet seeth not, eares and heareth not, a nose and smelleth not, feete and walke not: so to see a man whose wit is pregnant, and bodye strong, to be vnexercised both in minde and bodye, is a sin not to be suffered in the common wealth, or in the Church of God. For as the tree that beareth no frute is to be hewen downe and cast into the fire: so the man that is vnprofi­table to the Church of God, shall by the axe of Gods iudgement, be hewen downe and cast into hell fire, though he were the highest cedar in Libanus.

Fourthly, hee reproueth them in respect of the time, for the day is appointed to labour, and the night to rest: Psal. 104.24. The sunne ariseth, the Lyons retire and couch in their dennes, then man goeth forth to his worke and to his labour: So this being the daye of saluation, 2: Cor. 6.2. Gala. 6.10. and the time accepted: wee ought while wee haue time to doe good. Mans life is but shorte: First, because we should withdraw our loue frō the world: secondly, that we might not be weary of well doing: thirdly, that we should not spend our life vnprofitablie: fourthly, to shew the loue of God, who for a daies labour giueth vs the [Page 67] pennie of eternall life: fiftly, hereby we learn that God hath chosen man to eternall life, be­cause hee would suffer him to be heere but a little while: sixtly, that we should make very great haste to enter into our rest. As therefore man will labour earnestly and dili­gentlye that hee be not preuented with the night, so will the godlye also labour earnest­lye in their vocation in this precious, short, and irreuocable time of their life, because after death there is no daye, but night, no time accepted, but the daye of ven­geance.

Fiftly and lastly, the idle are reproued for the continuance of time, all the daye: wher­fore it is a shame for a Christian man to be idle in the church of God: a greater shame to be idle in the time of the Gospell, but to be idle all daye is the greatest shame in the worlde. If you will not come into the vineyard at the sixt houre, come in at the ninth: if not at the ninth houre, come in at the eleuenth houre: but if you wil come neither at the first nor last houre, then shall you neuer receiue the reward of euerlasting life: they that came in at the last houre shall be first, but they that came not in at all, were refused as loyterers, and condemned as [Page 68] vnprofitable, or rather abhominable repro­bates.

Vnmerciful­nesse to the poore, the sin of So­dome and of England.Vnmercifulnesse to the poore is a sinne al­so that procureth the wrath of God vpon vs. For as God only giueth vs all that wee haue, and giueth it to vs freely & abundant­ly beyond our desert or desire: so God wil­leth vs to feede the hungrye, to giue drinke to the thirstye, to cloath the naked, to re­deeme the prisonner, and to visite the sicke, promising that what we giue to those, we giue to his brethren: Mat. 25.40. and therefore wee are to ponder first, what a dignitie it is to be a brother to Christ; secondly, that all things are ours; thirdly, we are hereby made con­formable to Christ; fourthly, wee that are mercifull excell the Angels; fiftlye, that this brotherhood doth excell all carnall co­gitation.

If then God being bountifull vnto vs, we are vnkinde to our brethren, we are iust­ly condemned to eternall fire: first, because of the facilitie of the petition, for what doth he aske? a peece of bread, a cup of drinke, an olde garment, or a peece of siluer: who will denye this to the hungrie, thirstie, naked, or captiue brother of Christ? second­ly, because of the misery of him that asketh, [Page 69] for he is poore, thirstie, naked, or a prisonner. Thirdly, because of the compassion of nature that should bee in vs, for hee is a man, and therefore we must weigh who asketh, what he asketh, and of whome. He that asketh is a man, so art thou: he is fraile, so art thou: hee is miserable, so art thou: what doth he aske? bread, drinke, a garment, or siluer, which is none of thine, for thou art but a steward of it: But thou being a sinfull man dost begge of God, and thou beggest righteousnesse. Now if thou being a mā dost deny thy equal, when he asketh that which is not thine: how darest thou being far inferiour to God, aske of him righteousnesse or mercie? thou wilt not giue to thy neighbour temporall things, how shall God giue to thee eternall things?

The fourth thing that should moue vs to mercie, is the desire of the promise: for God promiseth vs a kingdome: Mat. 25.24. &c. Come (saith Christ) yee blessed of my Father, inherit yee the king­dome prepared for you before the foundations of the worlde: for J was hungrie, and yee gaue me meate, I thirsted, and yee gaue me drinke, I was naked and yee clothed mee, J was a stranger, and yee lodged me, I was sicke, and yee visited mee, I was in prison, and yee redeemed me The king­dome of God (which in dignitie is highest, [Page 70] in libertie free, in peace secure, in honor glo­rious, in cleannesse pure, in societye of an­gels ioyous, and perpetuall in the affluence of riches) the influence of pleasures, and the cō ­fluence of all Saints, is promised for a peece of meate, a draught of drinke, a nights lod­ging, an old garment, or a peece of siluer. Is not hee a wise marchant, that changeth lead for golde, a copiehold for an inheritance, and for a house a kingdome? so doe all those that be mercifull to the poore.

The fift thing that should moue vs to mer­cifulnesse, is the dignitie of the receiuer: for whatsoeuer ye giue to the poore, yee giue to Christ. We ought to giue to the poore for his owne sake, for our sake, and for Christes sake: for his owne sake, because if he be in the state of grace, hee is the childe of God, if hee be a sinner, he is the workemanship of God: and therefore albeit he is to be punished, because he is an offendor; yet he is to be pittied be­cause hee is a man, and hee must see in vs the worke of mercifulnesse, that hee may glorifie our Father which is in heauen. For thy owne sake also thou must be mercifull: For Bles­sed are the mercifull, for they shall obtaine mercie: Mat. 5.7. Iam. 2.13. and there shall be iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercie: but if thou wilt [Page 71] not doe it for his sake, nor for thine owne sake, at least wise doe it for Christes sake, who saith: In as much as yee haue done it to one of the least of these my brethren, Mat. 25.40 yee haue done it vnto me: for Christ reckoneth it giuen to himselfe, whatsoeuer is giuen to the poore. What a dignitie then is this for vs, which in­deede are but dust, earth and ashes, to be ac­counted giuers vnto him, which is the gi­uer of all things?

The sixt thing that should moue vs to mercie, is the super abundance of honor, be­cause Christ dooth vouchsafe to receaue meate, drinke, and lodging at our handes. If the Queene of England should acknow­ledge her selfe to haue receiued at our handes, meate, drinke, raiment, or sil­uer, were we not greatlye honoured? how much more when the sonne of God, King of kinges, Lord of lords, and God of gods: doth so magnifie vs, that hee acknowledgeth himself to be indetted vnto vs, when we doe but our dutie?

The seuenth thing that should moue vs to mercye, is the iustice of the gift, for his owne thinges hee accepteth at our handes, as though we had giuen them: hee giueth vs bread, and yet hee saith, we giue him bread; [Page 72] hee feedeth vs, and yet hee saith, we feede him; hee giueth vs wine, and yet hee saith, wee giue him drinke; hee giueth vs hou­ses, and yet hee saith wee lodge him; hee cloatheth vs, and yet hee saith wee cloath him; hee healeth vs when we are sicke, and yet he saith, we visite him; hee deliuereth vs being prisoners, and yet hee saith, we haue re­deemed him. Thus the Lord of all things ma­keth himselfe a seruant, the owner of all the beastes of the forrest maketh himselfe hun­grie, Agge. 28. and he that saith: Gold and siluer is mine, maketh himselfe a beggar to prouoke vs to mercifulnesse.

Now because neither the facilitie of the peti­tion, nor the miserie of the afflicted, nor the cōpassion of nature, nor the desire of the pro­mise, nor the dignitie of the receiuer, nor the superabundance of honor which hee giueth, nor the iustice of the gift can moue vs to be pittiful to the poore, therefore it is the sin of Sodom which was burned, & the sin of Ieru­salem which was sacked, and the sin of this iron age, which shall be condemned.

Vnder the name of the poore, are meant the ministers of God, poore scholers which are the seede plot of the Church, poore soul­diers, poore impotent men, as Lazarus was, [Page 73] sicke men, prisoners and banished men: to be vnmerciful to these is the sinne of Sodom, and a sinne that neuer leaueth crying to God, till it hath brought downe on the mercilesse extreame damnation: For wee should loue them, and we hate thē; we should heare thē, and we stop our eares; we should visit them gladly, and wee disdaine them: wee should speak to them gently, and we speake rough­ly; we should haue compassion on them, and we are incompassionate towardes them: we should do them good, and we do them harm: we should defend them from euill, and wee smite them. Are we mercifull to the poore ministers in these daies? do we giue, or rather pull away from them? what mercy is shewed to poore scholers in Oxford or Cambridge? what releefe haue souldiers? who refresheth the bowels of hūger-starued Lazarus? where these are spoiled or despised, there God him­selfe is spoyled and contemned.

If these shall be condemned that will not giue their owne, what shal those be that take away from the poore? what shall become of our Martinistes, that abhorre Idlenes, Rom, 2.22. and com­mit sacriledge? what shall become of the ti­rants of England, which ioyne house to house, Esay. 5.8. and land to land, that there may be no dwelling [Page 74] for the poore? as wee see in manye desolate places of england. What shall befall them which grinde the faces of the poore, and bray them as it were in a morter? what vengeance shal they receiue, Mich. 3.2.3. which hate the good and loue the euill, and plucke off their skins from them, and their flesh from their bones, and they eate also the flesh of my people (saith God) and flay off their skinne from them, and they breake their bones, and chop them in peeces as for the potte, and as flesh within the cauldron. Martin findeth fault that a Minister should haue two benefices, but for a nobleman or Gentleman which hath sixe hee reprehendeth it not. The Mini­sters (saith he) ioine house to house; there be those in England that haue & doe dayly pull downe houses, wherein haue beene families like flocks of sheepe, & now there is nothing but a shepheard and his dogge: for the fruit­ful land is become a wildernesse. What is the reason, he reproueth the ministers so sharply, and leaueth the other vnreproued? rete non tenditur accipitri nec miluo, his qui malefaciunt nobis: illis qui nihil faciunt, tenditur: the net is not laid for the hawke or the kite, or thē that do ill; it is laid for them that do no harme. So no man speaketh against him that commit­teth sacriledge, Vsurie, violence and oppres­sion; [Page 75] which burne vp the vineyard, Esay. 3.14. Abac. 2.12. and haue the spoile of the poore in their houses; and build vp Sion with bloud: as a cage is full of birdes, Ier. 5.27. so are their houses full of riches gotten by deceit, thereby they are become great and rich. Vnmercifulnesse is the sinne of Sodome, much more is rapine, and sacriledge, violence and vsurie. All these are in England, therefore perpetuall desolati­on is at hand. Will ye see the guilt of sinne? re­member Cain wandering. Will yee see the fu­ry of sinne? remember Saul raging. Will yee see the feare of sin? remember Baltasar trem­bling. Will yee see the ignominie of sinne? re­member Haman hanging. Wil yee see the end of sinne? remember Sodom and Gomorrha; and the countries round about burning in the vengeance of eternall fire for euer.

The sinnes of Sodome were not onely ma­nifest and many, but also exceeding great, The sinnes of Sodome are exceeding great, and so are the sinnes of England. and so are the sinnes of England. Sin is aggrauated 1. by the multitude of sinners: 2. by euil exam­ples in Magistrates, ministers, and fathers: 3. by impunitie: 4. by encouragement in euill: 5. by studie to do mischiefe: 6. by perseuerance in sinnes. In Sodome there was multitude of offenders, for they did offend all; of euerye age, as children, young and old men, of euery [Page 76] sexe, as men and women; & of euerie estate; as the magistrate and subiect, the priest and people, the maister and seruant, the father & sonne, and the husband and wife.

Children haue excee­ding great s [...]es. Psal. 22.31.First, for our children (I tremble to speake it) being our seede that should serue the Lord after vs: as soone as they are borne they are so accustomed to blaspheme, that they fill euerie streete, euerye house, and euery high way with it: and if it be true which the wise man saith: that the plague of God departeth not from the house of the swearer: then no doubt it will fall vpon the posteritie of our English nation.

Eccles. 12.1. Yong men haue excee­ding great sinnes.Secondly, for yong men which should re­member the Lord in the daies of their youth, their heads are full of drunkennesse, their eyes full of adulterie, their toungful of filthy com­munication, their eares full of ribald [...]ie, their handes full of bloud, their feete runne to vanitie, their vnderstanding is blinde, their affection froward, their heart is lewde and vnsearcheable. If they learne not this les­son out of the Psalme. Psal. 25.7. O remember not the sinnes of our youth, but according to thy mercie thinke vppin vs: they must learne this lesson to their confusion, Psal. 14. [...]. destruction and cala­mitie [Page 77] is in our waies, there is no feare of God before our eyes.

Concerning olde men, Tit. 2.2. Olde men haue excee­ding great sinnes. they should be so­ber, graue, modest, sound in faith, charitie and pa­tience. They should be sober, and they are gi­uen to drunkennesse; chaste, and they are gi­uen to wantonnesse; discreete, and they are most foolish; sound in faith, and they are as ignorant as horse and mule; in charitie, and they are full of enuie; in patience, and they are most waiward.

You haue heard of euery age, now shall you heare of euery sexe, that is of men and womē. It hath bene an ancient strife whether is the most excellent creature, Men and wo­men haue exceeding great sinnes. the man or the woman; but now they striue whether may excel other in vitiousnesse. For men are recu­sant Papists, so are women; men are murde­rers, so are women, for they murder their own infants, men are adulterers, theeues, slaunde­rers, and couetous persons, so are women. In S. Peters time wiues vvere so subiect to their husbands, that they which obeyed not the word, 1. Pet. 3.1.2. might without the word be won by the conuersa­tion of their wiues, whilest they behelde their pure conuersation, which was in feare. 2 Tim. 1.5. In Paules time Lois and Eunice brought vp Timothie in the [Page 78] word of God. Luke 8.23. In Christes time Mary Magda­lene out of whome went seauen diuels, and Ioanna the wife of Chuza Herods steward. Susanna and many others ministred vnto Christ of their sub­stance. Though Nabal was a churle, yet Abi­gail his wife was a vertuous woman. But in our daies it is as it was in Sodome; children yong men and olde, yea men and women, all do sin, they sin often, and they sin greeuouslye.

Magistrates haue excee­ding great sinnes. Iath. 18.21. Jer. 4.22. Now let vs looke into all estates; magi­strates should be wise, feare God, loue the truth, and abhorre couetousnesse. But our magistrates are wise to doe euill, to doe well they haue no know­ledge. They should feare God, and they feare man; they should deale vprightlye, and they turne iustice into oppression; they should ab­horre couetousnesse, and they ioyne house to house, & land to land, & they eate vp the poor like bread. The foundation then of our com­mon welth being feble, the walles of our vine­yard being tottering, and the hedges of our Church being broken downe; what is to be looked for but a speedie & fearful destructiō.

Magistrates are called Gods, to shew that they should be meek, Num. 12.3. 1. King 4.34. Heb. 1.2. wise, iust. They are cal­led Gods for the aduancement of their voca­tion: for as Iacob called Iosephs sonne after his [Page 79] owne name, so God to honor magistrates cal­leth them after his own name; because neither the loftinesse of their estate, nor the pleasures of this life, nor the tempestes nor troubles of this dangerous worlde, nor the flatteries of the wicked should make them to peruert iustice: but Gods law should be their law, Gods ho­nour should be their honour, Gods kingdome should be their kingdome, and Gods enemies should be their enemies. And therefore the wicked may not be spared either for loue of friend, hatred of enemie, desire of reward, or feare of superiour. To be called Gods seruant is an honorable title, to be called disciple of Christ is more honorable, and to be called the sonne of God most honorable; but to be cal­led God, this is a name, then the which there cannot be a greater. Men may be called noble of their parents, and learned of their artes: but to be called Gods is a nobilitie that cōmeth of vertue: therfore for a God to be a briber, scof­fer, swearer, lyer, drunkard, or vsurer, is a most absurd thing. Should such a man as J flee? Neh. 6.11. saith (Nehemiah) the Prophet: So, for a magistrate to be a couetous God, an idoll God, or a bellie God, is a great shame. For as Dauid excelling Saul in vertue, was chosen to be king, and Saul reiected, so the wicked shalbe humbled, and [Page 80] the vertuous exalted. Now because our high­er powers haue in them base villanies, our Fa­thers are tirants, our heads are giddy, our men are beasts, and our Gods diuels: it is a fearfull token of our future desolation.

Subiects haue exceeding great sinnes. As the Magistrates haue sinnes exceeding great, so haue the priuate men. Saint Paul willeth vs to submit our selues to our magi­strates; which subiection containeth 5. things: firste, that wee acknowledge them to be ap­pointed our gouernours from God, for hee himselfe saith, Pro. 8.15. by me kings doe raigne: Secondly, that wee should yeelde them reuerence with feare: 3. that we should obey thē in the simpli­citie of heart: 4. that we be thankfull vnto thē in heart & deed: 5. that of all the Princes acti­ons we giue a gentle interpretation. For as a bitter medicine doth oftentimes more good then a sweete: so the actions of Princes, whe­ther they like or dislike vs, ought to be gently interpreted. But wee thinke not our gouer­nors to be aduaunced by God; for if we did, then should wee reuerence them; but wee as beastes voide of reason, speake euill of them that are in authoritie: Iude 10. And for reuerence we render contempt, for obedience, murmu­ring; for thankefulnesse, ingratitude: and [Page 81] like busie bodies, we giue a sinister interpre­tation of all publike actions. Euen as the peo­ple murmured against Moses, so doe we a­gainst her maiestie: and the reason is, euery man is wise in his owne conceites, euery man will bee a head, euery one a teacher, euery one a reformer; no man wil be a mem­ber, a learner, or a Disciple. Heereof the Prophet Esay prophecied long before: Esay 3.5. Chil­dren shall presume against the ancient, and the wise against the honourable. If this saying were true in the Prophets time, it is most true in our time. This was the wracke of Ierusa­lem, and this will be the ruine of England. For our young diuines being children in vn­derstanding (making themselues to be Doc­tors of the lawe, and yet vnderstanding not what they speak, or whereof they affirme) do speak against the fathers of the Church, not onely with permission, but with approbation and applause. And if they shal be thus dealt withall that are worthie of double honour; 1. Tim. 5.15. then others may think also, Ministers haue excee­ding great sinnes. that their honours will fall to the dust.

Concerning the Ministers of our lande, which should be the light of the world and the fault of the earth; how darke, Mat. 13.14. and vnsauerye [Page 82] are they? Zach. 11.17. Ioh. 10.5. Ioh. 10.8. Ioh. 10.12. for some are idols, some are strangers, some are theeues and robbers, some are hirelinges. The idol shepheard is an abhomination, the stranger they know not, the theefe and robber doth kill and destroye, the hireling doth flie when he seeth the wolfe comming. There be many false Prophets, Mat. 24.22. and false Christes, and shall shew great signes and wonders to deceiue the very elect, if it were possible. Yea as Paul saith, All seek their owne, Phil. 2.21. and not those thinges which are Jesus Christs.

Which of our Bishops or Cleargie, doth exhibit to the maintenance of poor schollers in Oxford or Cambridge, being the seminary of the Church of God? I know many fine wits and yong men of good hope, who for want of exhibition, must either applye themselues to be seruing men, which is not well; or else goe to Rhemes which is worse; or else to An­abaptisticall Schismatiques, to trouble the peace of the Church, which is worst of al. The noble and wealthie of this land shalbe iustly condemned, for that they haue not bene boū ­tifull to the professors of learning; but most iustly we of the spiritualtie; for hauing beene nourished our selues by this godly meanes, yet we neglect the doing of so honorable and ne­cessarie [Page 83] an action. Albeit therefore many haue great liuings, yet as Paul saith, 1 Cor. 9.14. they haue it but to liue: ‘to liue saith Bernard, not to be rich, not to be proud, not to be wanton, not that hee should build great pallaces, not that he should aduance his kinred with the wealth of the Church, nor marry his Nephewes, his Sonnes and his Daughters with the Church goods.’ Two thinges I note out of this saying of Ber­nard, Bernard. the one that Bishops had Sonnes and daughters, and therfore were married, against the Papists; the other is, they had great welth, against the Martinistes: to vse these thinges is lawfull, to abuse them is vnlawfull.

Finally, some of our Ministers are as coue­tous as Ahab, some as full of scoffing, as Jsmael, some as wanton as Salomon, some as traiterous as Iudas, some as ignorant as an asse, and some as ambitious as the diuel.

Chrysostome saide. Chrisostom. If thou seest a tree that beareth no fruite, the cause is in the root; ‘so where the people liue wickedly, the cause is in the Ministers. For either they are so igno­rant they cannot, or so fearefull they dare not, or so slouthfull they will not doe their dutye.’ And therfore he saith, many in name, and few in deede; and in his eight Homily vpon the [Page 84] third of the Actes, hee maruelleth that any of vs do enter into the kingdome of heauen: for as the parrets spake the wordes of men, so we speake the wordes of the Apostles; and not only our wordes are vaine, but our workes are abhominable.

Concerning the hearers of the worde, from some the Diuell stealeth the word out of their hearts, Hearers haue excee­ding great sinnes. others are choaked with the cares and pleasures of this life, others are so hard hearted and impenitent, that a man were as good preach to the incensible stones, as to them. We are commaunded not only to heare the word, but to vnderstand it; Heare and vn­derstand, saith Christ; Mat. 15.10. neither should we only vnderstand it, but laye it vp in our heart; and therefore Mary is commended, Luke. 10.51. that she kepe all Christes sayings in her heart. And we should not onely loue the word, Iam. 1.21. but be doers of the same.

But some will neuer heare, as our Papistes; some doe heare and not vnderstand, as the ignorant; some vnderstand the word, but loue it not, as the hypocrite; some doe heare, vn­derstand, and loue it, but are not doers of the word, as vaine Gospellers.

Paul saith, 2. Tim. 4.2.3. Preach the word, be instant in season [Page 85] and out of season, improue, rebuke, exhorte vvith all long suffering and doctrine; for the time vvill come, when they will not suffer wholesome doctrine, but hauing their eares itching, shall after their owne lustes get them a heape of teachers.

Learned Diuines haue noted eight causes of heresies: the first is ignorance, which in­deede is the mother of seductions. For igno­rance is not onely destitute of vpright iudge­ment, but also is in danger of the wickednesse of deceitfull men, and therefore the Apostle commandeth, Brethren be not children in vn­derstanding, 1. Cor. 14.28. but as concerning maliciousnesse be children. The craftie Papists therefore which got both gaine and Lordship ouer the peo­ple, did care by all meanes to keepe the decei­ued multitude in ignorance. Secondly, a wa­uering mind followeth this ignorance; wher­by it commeth to passe, that they which are children in vnderstanding, are carried about with euery blast of vaine doctrine. This wa­uering the Apostle reproueth, Eph. 4.11. &c. Hee gaue some to be Apostles and some Prophets, some Euange­lists, and some Pastors and teachers, for the ga­thering togither of the Saintes, for the worke of the ministery, and for the glorification of the bodie of Christ, till we all meet togither in the vnitie of [Page 86] faith, and knowledge of the same God, vnto a perfect man, and vnto the measure of the age of the ful­nesse of Christ. That we henceforth be no more children, wauering, and carried away with euerie winde of doctrine by the deceit of men, and with craftinesse, whereby they lye in waite to deceiue. This ignorance therefore and wauering of minde, doth open the doore to all heresies and errors, and maketh the vnskilfull multitude to follow heretiques & deceitfull men. Third­ly, where the vice of curiositie taketh effect, there euery hereticall deceit preuaileth: for assoone as any new or vnaccustomed thing is taught, they which are curious, desiring to know what it is, doe greedily heare, read, and entertaine it.

Fourthly, this happeneth to them which are as it were slaues to their lustes, when they heare a doctrine pleasing their desires, by and by they note it, and apply both their eares and their heart to it. Of this the Apostle foretold; For the time will come, 2. Tim. 4.3.4. when they will not suf­fer vvholesome doctrine, but hauing their eares itching, shall after their owne lustes get them an heape of teachers, and shall turne their eares from the truth, and shall be giuen vnto fables. Sound doctrine to the corrupt fleshe languishing in [Page 87] desires, is as a medicine to a sick man: for euen as a faithfull Phisitian is greeuous to a sicke man, forbidding him those thinges which he greatly desireth, and commanding him those things which are contrary to his desires; and as a deceiuer is acceptable, who regarding his own profit, yeeldeth to his desires: in like maner the Apostle did foresee that the doc­trine of truth would be greeuous to carnall men, and seruants of their own lusts; & ther­fore they would turn away their eares from it to false teachers, & their fables (being not grie­uous but ioyous to the flesh) they shuld gree­dily embrace. 5. Whosoeuer hath such itching eares, they are alwaies vnstable. 6 S. Peter saith; that vnlearned and vnstable men peruert the scrip­tures vnto their owne destruction: 2. Pet. 3.16. for they are lighter thē a reed & moued with euery wind. 7 Ignorance therfore ioyned with a desire of noueltie, being coupled with instabilitie, ma­keth the simple people to receiue chaffe for wheate, drosse for gold, vineger for wine, poi­son for meat, & falshood for truth. Some hea­rers are compared to stones, they profite no­thing; some to thornes, they choake the seede which is in them with voluptuousnesse; some to Swine, for they raile against the Preachers: [Page 88] some to dogs, for they are willing to deuour vs. This froward and crooked generation that despise the word and kil the prophets that are sent to them, shal haue their house desolate.

Fathers haue exceeding great sinnes.Fathers also haue exceeding great sins. For fathers owe to their sons. 1. loue; 2 diligēt edu­cation; 3. wise gouernement; that they be not corrupted either with too much cockering, or with ouermuch austerity; 4. to bring vp their children in good arts & godlines; 5. to correct them if they do not their duty. But our parēts in steed of loue vse fond affection: and for go­uernment we may say as Themistocles saide, I rule Athens, my wife ruleth me, and my child ruleth my wife: and wheras they should be in­structed in good artes and in pittie, they are instructed in carding, dicing, dancing, haw­king and hunting. Lastlye, where they should correct their children for offending, they re­ioyce in their wickednes. Iob and Ieremy did curse their father that did beget thē, and the mother that did beare thē, because they were borne to such trouble and miseries: but the children of our time wil curse their parentes because they are nourished vp in wickednesse for the tormēts of hell, which are ceaseles, end­lesse, & remediles. Fathers wil teach their sons [Page 89] to haue their barns full of corne with the rich man, their purses full of mony with the rich glutton, their houses ful of plate with Ezechi­us, their backes full of gorgeous apparrel with Herode, their table full of daintye dishes with Assuerus, but they are vnfurnished of all kind of vertues and heauenly graces: and therefore though they & their parents spend their daies in wealthines, yet in a moment they go down to hell.

Children owe to their parents, Children haue excee­ding great sinnes. first the loue of the heart, and they wish them dead to haue their goods; secondly honor, and they disho­nour their parents; thirdly sustentation in ne­cessitie, and they rob their parents; fourthly seruice in all obsequies, & they are rebellious; fiftly reuerence in words, and they are taun­ters: sixtly obedience in honest things, and they are disobedient; seuenthly pardon in of­fences, and they like Cham discouer their Pa­rents shame; eightly tolerance in aduersitye, and they refuse to acknowledge their parents; Therfore noble houses are decaied, the poste­ritie of the rich are brought to scarsitie, the extorcioner consumeth their wealth, and hor­rible is the end of the vnrighteous generati­on. For either with Absolom they are hanged, [Page 90] or with the Sonnes of Eli they are slaine; or with the sonnes of Iob their braines are dasht out; or with the sonnes of Saul they are be­headed; or with the children of Ierusalem they are brought to a perpetuall desolation. To tel here how some are scoffers with Ismael; some adulterers with the sons of Eli; some bribers as the sonnes of Samuel; some theeues as the sonnes of Achan; some gluttons as the sonnes of Iob; some Atheists, neither seruing God, nor honoring the Magistrate, nor louing the Minister, nor reuerencing the aged, nor obey­ing their father, nor submitting themselues to their mother, nor pittying the poore, nor re­garding their consanguinitie, were too long for me to speak, and tedious for you to heare: only this I say, our children are the children of wrath and of endles destruction for the most part.

Euil example of Magistrats, Ministers and Fathers, Euil example of Magistrats maketh sin exceeding great. are an other meanes to aggrauate sin. For when Israel coupled himself to Baal Peor, the Lord being angrye saide thus to Moses. Num. 25.4. Take all the heads of the people and hang them vp before the Lord against the sun, that the indignation of the Lordes wrath may cease from Jsrael. Magistrates should be men no­ble [Page 91] in birth, in knowledge and in vertues. As they haue a crown of pure gold, so must they shine in puritie to their subiectes; as they are deckt with precious stons, so must they shine in excellent vertues; as they weare chaines of gold, so they must be endued with wisdome, iustice, fortitude and temperance; as they haue a scepter, so they may not he bēded from iustice to oppression, or from clemencye to foolish pittie. They are the Sun of the cōmon weale, therefore if they be darkened, there must needes followe horror and confusion: they are the heart of the political bodie, if they be poysoned with the venome of sinne, the whole body must needs be infected to death. Ieroboam made all the people to commit ido­latry; Baasha slew Jeroboam and al his house, and left none aliue, 1. king. 15.2 [...] 9. &c. because of the sinnes of Jeroboam which be committed, and wherewith he made Is­rael to sin by prouocation. So is it written of Ba­asha, that he made all Israel to sin. 1. King. 16.11. But Baasha and all his posteritie were destroyed for it. Zimri also was burnt, 1. King. 16.18.19. because hee walked in the sinnes of Jeroboam, and made all Israel to sin. Omri also walked in the sins of Jeroboam, 1. King. 16.26. and made al Israel to sin. The like may be spo­ken of Ahab and of other wicked Kings: for [Page 93] there are many causes why they fal: 1. the lof­tines of their estate, because they haue none to controll them; 2. the abundance of al things; 3. the delights which they haue in this world; 4. their libertie because they are aboue al, and subiect to none; 5. the example of wicked go­uernors; 6. the troubles of worldly thinges; 7. slatterye, then the which nothing is more pernicious. Euil exam­ples of mini­sters maketh sin exceeding great. The euill example of Ministers doth likewise make sin heinous, for the Mini­ster must be an example to his flock, and zea­lous of good workes: but if hee be either a proud person and louer of preheminence, as Diotrophes was; or a louer of the world, as De­mas was; or a couetous caitiffe as Iudas was; or a false Prophet, as were those that fed at the table of Iezabel; thē (no doubt) but they draw the people from religion to superstition, from the spirit to the flesh, frō Christ to the world, and from God to the diuell. If there be a tree withered (saith Chrysostome) the fault is in the roote: Chrysostome. so if ye see the people irreligious, the fault is in the Ministers, and this is a true say­ing in Augustine, Gregory and Bernard; He that liueth ill in the sight of those ouer whome he ruleth, as much as in him lyeth killeth them; for whose life is abhominable, his doctrine cā ­not [Page 93] not be acceptable.

There are three thinges necessarye for a Preacher, 3. Things necessarie for a Prea­cher. knowledge which is noted in the booke sent to Ezechiel; eloquence which is noted in the hot cole that purged Esay; ho­linesse of life, which is noted in the hand sent to Ieremy. If a Preacher lacke knowledge, hee is an idol; if hee lacke vtterance, hee is an infant; but if he lacke holines of life, hee is a diuel. It sorroweth me to thinke of the Mi­nisters of England, for either we neuer learne to speake, which is slothfulnesse; or else we speak before we learne, which is rashenes; or else we learn & neuer speak, which is idlenes; or els we speak to please itching eares, which is flattery; or else we speak falsely against the truth, which is impietie.

The euil example therefore of the Mini­sters which haue gifts giuē them from aboue, to gather togither the body of Christ, and yet do scatter: which should build vp the house of the Lord, and do destroy it, which should sow the pure seede of the word of vnitie, and they sow the darnel of dissention, is an other heinous crime which prouoketh to eternall destruction.

The like may be said of Fathers, who parti­cipate [Page 94] the name of God our eternal father, Euil example of Father maketh sin exceeding great. be­cause they should beget vs in the worde of truth bring vs vp in the feare of the Lord, and by their example teach vs to worshippe our God, and serue him in holines & righteousnes all the dayes of our life. But (good Lord) how far are we from this dutye? for we bring them vp in dancing, dicing, and daliance, not in re­ligion; we teach them to oppresse & deceiue in bargaining, we confirme them in idolatrye and schismes, and make them instruments of iniquitie. What is the reason that we haue so many recusant Papists in England but onely this, the ill example of their fathers? What is the reason our Saboths be openly prophaned throughout this land? ill example of the fathers: for whereas they shuld specially care that day of the Lord, to enstruct their families in the faith of Christ, they do that daye bring them forth to leade their dance in contempt both of Gods commandement and his Mini­sters. Happie are those that may say with Da­uid, Psal. 22 4.5. Our fathers hoped in thee, they trusted in thee, they hoped in thee, and were not ashamed; they tru­sted in thee & were not confounded. But we must pray with Dauid, Psal. [...]9.8.9. Remember not our old sinnes, but haue mercy vpon vs and that soone, for we are [Page 95] come to great miserie. For if God be not merci­full vnto vs, we shall all both the father and children come shortly and sodenly to eternall miserie.

Impunitie also causeth our sinnes to be ex­ceeding great. Impunitie maketh sins exceeding great. Eccle. 7.17. I haue seene all thinges (saith the Preacher) in the daies of my vanity, there is a iust man that perisheth in his iustice, & there is a wic­ked man that continueth long in his malice: Iob. 21.23. Iob speaking of these saith; They spende all their daies in welthinesse, & in a moment they goe downe to hell. Dauid saith thus, Psal. 33, 12. And these are the wic­ked, yet prosper they alwaies, and encrease in riches. And a little after he saith; Surely thou hast set them in slipperie places, O how sodenly do they pa­rish, consume, & come to a fearfull end? Augustine in his select sentences thus writeth, Augustine. the fortie two sentence. ‘There is nothing more misera­ble thē the felicity of sinners, whereby a penal impunitie is nourished, and the euill will as an inward enemy is strengthened. Chrysostom. Chrysostom on the first chapter of the Hebrues & his second Homily thus saith; But besides all other euils, ri­ches haue also this mischief, that rich men sinning wickedly, are defended frō punishments: & he that possesseth riches though he alwaies sin yet he is not restrained with any punishment, but al­waies [Page 96] he receiueth the wounds of sins with­out any remedies, and no man checketh him for it. And Augustine in a treatise hee hath of the Martyrs saith; The men of this world are vnhappily happy, for they are for a time hap­pie, and for euer miserable: but the Martyres are happily miserable, for they are miserable for a season, and happie for euer.’

For that then the manifest and many sinnes of Englād are not punished, we haue no cause to reioyce in it, but rather to feare that the di­lation of our punishment will be more gree­uous, for though he cōmeth with leaden heels, hee striketh with yron handes, recompensing the tarditie therof with the grauity. Being thē we see the idolaters to sin manifestly, the blas­phemers to sweare outragiously, the Saboths of the Lord to be prophaned notoriously, murthers to be pardoned, adulterers to be winckt at, robberies to be counted purchace, slanderings & railings to be accounted zeale, and couetousnes to be reckoned theft, & op­pression wisdom: sith I say, al these sinnes are not only vnpunished which is lamentable: but also maintained, which is damnable: it cannot be, but that God which made all the world of nothing, will bring the wicked to nothing: & [Page 97] he that gouerneth in equitie, wil destroy them that worke iniquitie. He is by name almigh­tie, therfore he shal consume away al the wic­ked like drosse. He is the Lord of hostes, ther­fore men, Angels, and deuils are at his cōman­dement; he is the holy God of heauen, there­fore he will destroy all the wicked from the earth: he is a king for euer, therefore all the wicked kingdom of the earth shalbe brought to desolatiō. For as the Preacher saith, Eccle. 8.11. Because sentence against an euill worke is not speedely exe­cuted, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to doe euill.

‘ Pontius in his 9, chapter of liberalitie, An example for Londo­ners wiues, Pontius. shew­eth; that a certain rich womā, had but one on­ly sonne, whom she brought vp so wantonly, that he became a theefe, and was brought to the gallowes: and seeing his mother, hee de­sired to speake secretlye with her, and when she put forth her mouth to kisse him, hee Bit of her nosthrilles and did spitte them on the ground (vsing these wordes) let this be an example for motherly education.’ Senica the maister of Nero, which is saide to be a ma­ster of his vices, not because hee did prouoke him to euils, but because hee did not restraine him frō it, he is reported to be butcherly mur­dered of Nero his scholler. Hemingius on the [Page 98] second epistle of Iohn, noteth that a fellow was accused of 7. murders. The iudge being great­ly mooued with the atrocitie of so heinous crimes, studied what worthie punishment might be inflicted on him. An Aduocat plea­ding for the transgressor, proued that the ma­lefactor had committed but one murther and the Iudge the other six: and being demanded how, he replied, that if the homicide had bene put to death at the first murder as hee deser­ued, then those six had not bene slaine. The pardon therefore of the iudge, was the cause that those other six were slaine. To this may be added the fearefull break-neck of Eli, who for not punishing his sons, drew a tragical pu­nishment vpon both himselfe and his sons al­so. Let euerye Prince therefore draw out his sword, and euery father exercise his rod, other­wise the scourge of Gods wrath, & the sword of vengeance will sodenly and seuerely fal vp­pon them; Pro. 13.24. Syr 7.6. Encourage­ment in sin, maketh sin exceeding great. Pro. [...].11. &c. for he that spareth the rod hateth the childe. Seeke not to be a iudge, least thou be not able to take away iniquitie.

Encouragement in sin, is another thing that maketh sin exceeding great: do not our mur­derers and theeues, encourage one another to mischiefe, saying: Come with vs, we will lay wait [Page 99] for bloud, and lye priuilie for the innocent without a cause, we will swallow them vp aliue like a graue euen whole, as those that goe downe into the pit: We shall finde all precious riches, and fill our houses with spoile. Cast in thy lot among vs, we will all haue one purse. Doe not our harlots encourage men in wickednesse, saying as doth the har­lot. Pro. 17.18. &c. Come let vs take our fill with loue vntill the morning, let vs take our pleasure in daliance, for mine husband is not at home, he is gone a iourney far off. He hath taken with him a bagge of siluer, and will come home at the time appointed: and stollen waters are sweete, and the bread that is priuilye eaten hath a good taste. Pro. 9.17. Doe not our extortioners and vsurers animate one an other in mischiefe? saying: Sap. 2.10.11. Let vs oppresse the poore that is righteous, let vs not spare the widowe, nor reuerence the white haires of the a­ged, that haue liued many yeares. Let our strength be the law of vnrighteousnesse: for the thing that is feeble is reproued as vnprofitable. Doe not our couetous cornmongers prouoke one another to afflict the people of God, as did the wic­ked in Amos time, saying: Amos. 8.5. When will the new moneth begin, that we may sell corne, and the sabaoth that we may set forth wheat, and make the Ephasmall and the shekel great, and falsifie the [Page 100] weights by deceit: that we may buye the poore for siluer, and the needie for shooes, and sell the refuse of the wheate.

If these thinges be among the people of England, as they were among the Iewes; or rather if England doth iustify Ierusalem, as Ie­rusalem iustified Sodome and Gomorrha: then no doubt as God spared not the naturall oliue, so hee will not spare the wilde: for we blushe not to commit idolatrye and blasphe­mie, to prophane our Sabaoth, to rebell, to murder, to go a whoring, to rob, to oppresse, to commit vsurie, to slaunder our brethren, or reuile our fathers. Very well saith Tullie: without shamefastnesse nothing is right, no­thing is honest. But better saith Bernard, spi­rituall shamefastnesse is the glory of the con­science, the keeper of a good name, the honor of life, the seat of vertues, the praise of nature, and the badge of all honestie: but where this vertue wanteth, there is scorne and contempt of God.

Studie io doe mischiefe maketh sins exceeding great. Mich. 2.1.Study to do mischiefe is also another thing that maketh sinne haynous. Wo vnto them that imagine iniquitie, & worke wickednesse vpon their beds, when the morning is light they practize it, because their head hath power. The soule of [Page 101] man being made after the image of God, ought to haue God alwaies for his obiect.

So saith Mary: Luke. 1.46.47. My soule doth magnifie the Lord, and my spirite reioyceth in God my Sauiour. For the soule is more excellent, then all the creatures of the world, and all things are vile in respect of the soule. Golde being in dirt is defiled, but the soule is not defiled with the bodie of clay: Wine mingled with water is corrupted, but the soule ioyned with the bo­die, is pure.

The Starres and the Sunne are darkened with the cloudes, but the soule of man see­eth, though being hid in an obscure bodie: and therefore Dauid setteth it downe most plainely, where hee saith: Psal. 84.2. My soule longeth yea and fainteth for the courts of the Lord: for my heart and my fleshe reioyce in the liuing God. And Augustine most plainelye saith: Augustine. Thou hast made vs O Lord, for thee therefore my heart is greatly vnquiet, if it do not rest onely in thee.

O soule (saith Bernard) made after the image of GOD, beautified with his likenes, re­deemed with Christes bloud, espoused to him in faith, endued with the holy ghost, de­puted among the Angels, capable of blessed­nes, & an heire of blisse, what hast thou to do [Page 102] with the flesh? The habitation of the soule by affection is in heauen, as proueth Paul, Our conuersation is in heauen. Phil. 3.20. It is a base thing therefore to take a cottage for a cittie; the worlde is a cottage, heauen is the cittie of Saintes. When then the soule of man desireth golde, hee can neuer haue all the gold of the worlde: when he desireth rule he can neuer haue the rule of all the world; when he hun­teth for the praise of men, he cannot haue the praise of all the worlde: but that soule which possesseth Christ, possesseth all things. As God hath giuen vs Christ Iesu, so hath he giuen vs all thinges. Rom. 8.32. Who will then studie for riches, which is vanitie; or for pleasure, which is hurtfull; or for sinne, which is dam­nable: and forsake God which is truth, Christ which is mercie, and the holy Ghost which is consolation.

Finally, all earthly things be of a short con­tinuance, the things in heauen (which are the obiect of the soule) are eternall. All things in earth are greeuous, for they are full of mise­ries; things in heauen are delightful. The stu­dies of mortall things do not performe those thinges they promise: for as Basil noteth: Things past are vanished and past our senses; thinges present slee away before they be ta­sted; [Page 103] things to come sith they are not present afflict vs with their want. All worldly things are vnstable: for as a floure they sprout vp, and fall againe, and neuer continue in one estate: Iob. 14.2. for we are whole and sicke, rich and poore. Last­ly, they that gather riches, cannot tel to whom they shall leaue them. To set our delight there­fore on short things and not in eternall; to set our studies on troublesome thinges, not in happie things; to set our affections on earth­ly thinges that content vs not, and leaue hea­uenly things that yeeld full contentation; to apply our mind to the instable thinges of this worlde, leauing the certaine treasures of hea­uen, is a sinne that argueth Gods displeasure, and procureth a speedie and fearefull destruc­tion.

Perseuerance in sinne is another thing, Perseuerance in s [...]nne ma­keth sinne exceeding great. that procureth the vengeance of God to fall ine­uitablie vpon vs. An hundred yeares was the arke in making, and in all that time the peo­ple repented not; therfore the flood came vp­pon them and drowned them. Lot preached to Sodome and Gomorrha, they repented not but vexed the spirit of Lot; therfore fire from heauen consumed them. To Ierusalem did God send his Prophets, wise men and Scribes, but the people did kill and crucifie them, [Page 104] scourge & persecute them from citie to citie, therefore their house is made desolate. So to the people of Englād (I sorrow to write it) the Gospell is the smell of death: 2. Cor. 2.6. Rom. 2.4. Gal. 5.13. the long suffering of God is abused to impenitencie. Christian libertie is turned into wantonnesse: the supper of the Lord is receiued to our iudgement. Cor. 11.29. Christ himselfe is a stone to stumble at, 2. Pet. 28. and a rocke of offence. The conscience of men is defiled, Tit. 1.15. therefore nothing is clean to them, Wherfore this exceeding great sinne of obstinacie is to be punished with an exceeding great plague.

It is a grieuous thing that a man professing himselfe to forsake the deuill, the worlde and the flesh, should break this vow & couenant, which hee hath made with the holy God, the searcher of his heart & vaines, and the iudge of the quick & dead. But it is more grieuous when not only we haue contemned the maie­sty of God, and proudly resisted his lawe, and defiled the image of God; but also haue giuen our selues to be followers of the deuil, and do serue him as a prince, & a God in all vnholines and vnrighteousnes for euer. But it is a most grieuous sin, that in the time of the Gospel we are obdurat in sinne. For this being the day of saluation & the time accepted, we turn it into the day of destruction and time of vengeance. [Page 105] To stumble in the night it is dangerous, but to fall backward in the light of the Gospell is damnable. Dauid sinned but in his youth, we in our youth are wantons, in our middle age proud, in our old age couetous: and the older we are, the more wicked we are. It is the na­ture of a man to sin, it is the nature of a Chri­stian man to repent, but it is the nature of the deuill neuer to repent, Augustine. saith Augustine it a trea­tise of the contrition of the heart.

For as much then as the sinfull generation of this realme of England will neuer repent, but stop their eares when God calleth them, fleeth from the Lord when he seeketh them, and shutteth vp their hearts when he knock­eth to come into them; there must be either a generall tepentance, as there was in Niniuie, or else there will he a generall destruction as ther was in Sodom, which was in this maner. In Gen. 19.24.25. Gen. 19.24.25. Then the Lord rained vpon Sodom & vpon Gomorrha brimston and fire from the Lord out of heauen, and ouerthrewe those ci­ties, and all the plaine, and all the inhabitantes of the cities, and that that grew vpon the earth. Of this dreadfull desolation you shall reade in Deutronomium 26.23. Esay 13.14. Iere. 50.40. Eze. 18.49. Hos. 11.8. Amos 4.11. Luke 17.29. and Iude 7.

First, he is noted who destroyed Sodome, the Lord: secondly how he did raine vpon Sodom and Gomorrha brimstone and fire: thirdly, from whence, from the Lord from heauen. The Lord which made Sodome & Gomorrha a pleasant and frutfull vale, for the sinnes of the people brought it vnto vtter desolation He did raine: the end of raine is the fertilitie of the earth: the Sodomites turned the fertilitye of the earth into pride, Ezek. 16. fulnesse of bread, idlenesse, and vnmercifulnes to the poore: and therefore when this wickednesse was to be punished, it was reuenged not with famin, pestilēce or sword, but as the wicked had peruerted themselues, so the Lord peruerted the raine, not to the nourishment of the earth, but to the sterilitie of it; and gaue them for dew, brimstone, and for water, fire. Strabo in his booke seemeth to giue some naturall causes of this destructi­on: But Moses sheweth it came from the Lord, who is able and willing to punishe strange sinnes with strange plagues.

Further we are here to learne in that it did raine, that abundance of fire fell from heauen: so great is the treasure in heauen of those thinges whereby vengeance is to be taken on the reprobate on the earth Deut. 32.34.35. Deut. 32.34.35. Js not this laid in store with me, and sealed vp among [Page 107] my treasures, vengeance and recompence are mine, Moreouer where he saith, he ouerthrewe the cities and all the plaine, and all the greene things of the earth; we are to remember there are two sorts of destructions: the one, 2. Sortes of destruction. where­by cities are so ouerthrowne, that after peace made they may bee reedified againe. These kindes of subuersions haue but a temporall scourge to chastise the wicked. The other, whereby in a perpetuall destruction both the inhabitants, and cities, and fieldes are vnreco­uerably destroyed So was Sodome and Go­morrha destroyed with all their inhabitants, and in all the plaine, with trees, herbes and plants: & the monuments of this destruction remaine to be seene at this day, the shadowes of cities, the rockes exust, the earth full of ashes, heapes of salt, a filthie smell, a dreadfull sight, and a filthie lake.

Here let euery good man thinke, A note for England. that if the Sodomites prouoked so great wrath against them which were guided but only by the law of nature, how much more detestablye doe they offend, which haue receiued the light of the Gospel, & yet commit the sins of Sodome? Matth. 10.14.15. Mat. 10.14.15. And whosoeuer shall not re­ceiue you nor beare your words, when you departe [Page 108] out of that house or that citie, shake off the dust of your feete. Truely I say vnto you, it shall be easier for them of the land of Sodome and Gomorrha in the day of iudgement, then for that citie.

5 God doth not only say that the contem­ners of the Gospell shall be grieuously puni­shed, but he saith, it shall be more easie for the Sodomites, and more grieuous to the con­temners of his word.

Right instru­ctions to be learned out of the sub­uersion of So­dome and Gomorrha. In this subuersion are these thinges to be committed to memorie. First, it is an easie thing with God to punish the wicked, and e­uen as easie as to send downe raine from aboue.

Secondly, many waies hath God to sub­uert the wicked: the olde worlde he drow­ned with water, the AEgiptians had diuers plagues, their waters were turned into bloud, the frogs crept into the kings chamber, they were punished with gnats, flies, pestilence, biles, haile, locusts, darknesse, and the sudden death of the first borne of AEgipt. The mur­murers in the booke of Numbers, some were swallowed vp into the earth, some were con­sumed with fire from heauen, and the temp­ters were all destroyed in the wildernes with fierie serpents.

The third thing memorable is this, that the iudgement of God commeth suddenly: for when they were eating & drinking, buil­ding and planting, suddenly came fire from heauen and consumed them. 1. Thes. 5.3. So Paul saith it shall be in these later daies: For when they shall say peace and safetie, then shall come vpon them sudden destruction, as trauell vpon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.

Fourthly, the wicked shal not escape when the iudgement of God commeth on them. Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, Amos 2.14. and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mightie saue his soule. Amos. 9. [...]. And hee that flieth of them shall not flie away, and hee that escapeth of them shall not be deliuered.

Fiftly, sinnes do shorten our liues, for the most part of the Sodomites were no doubt in their youth, when the fire fell on them. Psal. 55.23. And thou O God shalt bring them downe into the pitte of corruption, the bloudie and deceitfull men shall not liue halfe their dayes.

Sixtly, sinnes being continued, do alwaies bring newe plagues. The olde worlde was drowned with water, but Sodome was de­stroyed with fire: therfore it ought not to be incredible, that all the worlde shall be burned [Page 110] with fire. The heauen of heauens is the Lords, but the earth hee hath giuen to the sonnes of men; so he gaue a fruitful plaine to the Sodo­mites, but when they abused it, hee rayned downe fire & brimstone as plentifull as raine. So because in these last times wee abuse the creatures in riot and excesse, God no doubt will according to his word cōsume the whole world with fire.

Seuenthly, they that liue wickedly shal dye miserable. The Sodomits liued in pride, ther­fore they came to shame, they were vnmerci­full to the poore, therfore they had iudgement without mercie.

Lastly, God will reuenge all iniuries done, especially those that are committed against his ministers. Zach. 2.8. For hee saith, Hee that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye. And Psal. 105.15. Psal. 105.15. Touch not mine annointed, and do my Prophets no harme. Cham for mocking the minister of God, Noah was cursed in himselfe, in his chil­dren, in earth, in heauen, of God and of men: so the viperous brood of Cham, which scorne the reuerend fathers of the Church, shal be ac­cursed for euer: The vnclean Sodomites were burned to ashes, and condemned because they vexed the righteous soule of Lot: so our mur­murers [Page 111] shal taste of the like fearful iudgemēt, and also the whole land, for soothing them in their Ismaeleticall scorning, if speedilye and heartily they do not repent, which God giue them and vs also grace to doe, that we being deliuered from the dreadfull wrath of God, which hangeth ouer our heads for our many manifest and exceeding great sins, may from one generation to another liue to praise the Lord all the daies of our life. Num. 6.2 [...] 25. The Lord blesse and keepe this Realme. The Lord make his face to shine vpon vs, and be mercifull vnto vs, the Lord lift vp his countenance vpon vs, and giue vs his peace, for his sonnes sake Christ Iesu. To whom with the holy spirit be all honor and glory, for euer and euer, Amen.