THE occasion wherevpon, toge­ther with the ende wherefore, this Epistle was written, is op­ned in the front & entrie of the same. There were then, as there are now, many evill and wic­kedly disposed persons, not of the mysticall body, yet within the visible bounds of the Church, men which were of old ordained to cō ­demnation, vngodly men which turned the grace of our God into wantonnesse and denied the Lord Ie­sus. For this cause the spirit of the Lord is in the hand of Iude, the servant of Iesus, and brother of Iames, to exhort them that are called, and sanctified of God the father, that they would earnestly contend to main­taine [Page 2] the faith; which was once delivered vnto the Saints. Which faith because wee cannot maintaine except wee knowe perfectly, first against whom, se­condly in what sort it must be maintained; therefore in the former three verses of that parcell of Scripture which I haue read, the enimies of the crosse of Christ are plainely described; and in the later two, they that loue the Lord Iesus haue a sweet lesson giuen them how to strengthen & stablish themselues in the faith. Let vs first therefore examin the description of these reprobates concerning faith; and afterwards come to the words of the exhortation; wherein Christians are taught how to rest their hearts on Gods eternall and everlasting truth. The description of these god­lesse persons is two fold; Generall and Speciall. The ge­nerall doth point them out and shew what manner of men they should be. The particular pointeth at them, and saith plainely these are they. In the generall description we haue to consider of these things. First, when they were described, they were told of before. Se­condly, the men by whom they were described, They were spoken of by the Apostles of our Lord Iesus Christ. Thirdly, the daies when they should bee manifested vnto the world, they told you they should bee in the last time. Fourthly, their disposition and whole demea­nure, mockers and walkers after their own vngodly lusts.

2 In the third to the Philippians, the Apostle describeth certaine. They are men, saith hee of whom I haue told you often, and now with teares I tell you of them, their God is their belly, their glorying and reioycing is in [Page 3] their owne shame, they mind earthly things.

These were enimies of the crosse of Christ, eni­mies whom he saw, & his eies gusht out with teares to behold them. But we are taught in this place, how the Apostles spake also of enimies, whom as yet they had not seen, described a family of mē as yet vnheard of, a generation reserved for the end of the world, & for the last time, they had not onely declared what they heard and saw in the daies wherein they lived, but they haue prophecid also of mē in time to come. And you doe well, saith S. Peter, in that yee take heed, to the words of prophecie, so that yee first know this, that no prophecie in the Scripture commeth of any mans owne resolution. No prophecie in Scripture commeth of any mans owne resolution. For all prophecy, which is in Scripture, came by the secret inspiration of God. But there are prophecies which are no scripture, yea there are prophecies against the Scripture: my bre­thren beware of such prophecies, and take heed you heed them not. Remember the things that were spo­ken of before; Of the spirit of prophecie receaued frō God himself. but spoken of before by the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. Take heed to prophecies, but to prophecies which are in scripture. For both the manner and the matter of those pro­phecies doth shew plainely that they are of God.

3 Touching the manner, how men by the spirit of prophecie in holy Scripture haue spoken & writ­ten of things to come, wee must vnderstand that as the knowledge of that they spake, so likewise the vt­terance of that they knewe came not by these vsuall [Page 4] and ordinary meanes whereby we are brought to vn­derstand the mysteries of our salvation, and are wont to instruct others in the same. For whatsoever wee know, we haue it by the hands and ministrie of men, which lead vs along like children from a letter to a syllable, from a syllable to a word, from a word to a line, from a line to a sentence, from a sentence to a side, and so turne over. But God himselfe was their instructour, he himselfe taught thē partly by dreames and visions in the night, partly by revelations in the daie, taking them aside from amongst their brethrē; and talking with them, as a man would talke with his neighbour in the way. Thus they became acquainted even with the secret and hidden counsels of God. They saw things which themselues were not able to vtter, they beheld that whereat men and Angels are astonished. They vnderstood in the beginning, what should come to passe in the last daies.

4 God, which lightned thus the eies of their vn­derstanding giving them knowledge by vnvsuall and extraordinarie meanes, Of the Pro­phers māner of speech. did also miraculously himself frame and fashion their wordes and writings, in so much that a greater difference there seemeth not to bee betweene the manner of their knowledge, then there is between the manner of their speed & ours. When we haue conceiued a thing in our hearts and throughlie vnderstand it, as wee thinke within our selues, yet we can vtter it in such sort that our brethrē may receaue instruction or comfort at our mouths, how great, how long, how earnest meditation are [Page 5] we forced to vse? And after much travaile, and much paines, when we open our lips to speake of the won­derfull workes of God, our tongues doe faulter with­in our mouthes, yea many times wee disgrace the dreadfull mysteries of our faith, and grieue the spirit of our hearers by words vnsavory, Iob. 15. 2. 3. and vnseemely speeches. Shall a wise man fill his bellie with the easterne vind, saith Eliphaz, shall a wise man dispute with words not comely? or with talke that is not profitable? Yet be­hold, even they that are wisest amongst vs living, cō ­pared with the Prophets, seem no otherwise to talke of God, then as if the children which are caried in armes should speake of the greatest matters of state. They whose words doe most shew forth their wise and standing, and whose lips doe vtter the purest knowledge, so long as they vnderstand and speake as men, are they not faine sundry waies to excuse them­selues. Sometimes acknowledging with the wise mā, hardly can we discerne the things that are on earth, Wisd. 9. 16. and with great labour finde wee out the things that are before vs, who can then seeke out the things that are in heauen? Sometimes confessing with Iob the righteous, intreating of things too wonderfull for vs▪ we haue spokē we wist not what. Sometimes ending their talke, as doth the history of the Macchabees, if we haue done, wel, & aa the cause required it is that we desire if we haue spok̄ stenderly and havely we haue done that we could. But God [...] Esai. 49. 2. saith, Esay And we haue receiued, saith the Apostle, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that [Page 6] wee might know the things, which are given to vs of God, which things also we speake, not in words, which mans wis­dome teacheth, but which the holy Ghost doth teach. This is that which the Prophets mean by those books writtē ful within, & without, which books were so often de­livered thē to eat, not because God fed thē with inke, & paper, but to teach vs, that so oft as he employed them in this heavenly worke, they neither spake, nor wrote any word of their owne, but vttered sillable by sillable as the spirit put it into their months, no other­wise then the Harp or the Lute doth giue a sound ac­cording to the discretion of his hands that holdeth & striketh it with skill. The difference is only this. An instrument whether it be a pipe or harpe maketh a di­stinction in the times and sounds, which distinction is well perceived of the hearer, the instrument it selfe vnderstanding not what is piped or harped. The Pro­phets and holy men of God not so. I opened my mouth; Ezechiel. 3. saith Ezechiels and God reached me a scroule, saying son of man cause thy belly to eat & fill thy bowels with this I giue thee, I eate it, and it was sweet in my mouth as hony, saith the Prophet. Yea sweeter, I am perswaded, then ei­ther hony or the hony combe. For herein they were not like Harps or Lutes, but they felt, they felt the power and strength of their owne words. Whē they spake of our peace, every corner of their hearts, was filled with ioy. Whē they prophecied of mournings, lamentations, and woes, to fall vpan vs; they wept in the bitternes and indignation of spirit; the arme of the Lord being mighty and strong vpon them.

[Page 7] 5 On this manner were all the prophecies of ho­ly scripture. Which prophecies, although they con­taine nothing which is not profitable for our instru­ction, yet as one starre differeth from another in glo­ry, so every word of prophecy hath a treasure of mat­ter in it, but all matters are not of like importance, as al treasures are not of equal price. The chiefe & prin­cipal matter of prophecie is the promise of righte­ousnesse, peace, holinesse, glory, victory, immortality vnto every soule which beleeveth, that Iesus is Christ, of the Iew first, and of the Gentile. Nowe because the doctrine of salvation to bee looked for by faith in him, who was in outward appearance as it had beene a man forsaken of God, in him who was numbred, Iudged, and condemned with the wic­ked, in him whom men did see buffited on the face, scoft at by Souldiers, scourged by tormentours, han­ged on the crosse, pearced to the heart, in him whom the eies of many witnesses did behold, when the an­guish of his soule enforced him to roare as if his hart had rent in sunder, O my God, my God why haste thou for­saken me? I say, because the doctrine of salvatiō by him is a thing improbable to a natural man, that whether we preach it to the Gentile, or to the Iew, the one condemneth our faith as madnes, the other as blas­phemy, therefore to establish and confirme the cer­tainety of this saving trueth in the harts of men; the Lord togither, with their preachings, whom hee sent immediately from himselfe, to reveale these things vn­to the world, mingled prophecies of things both ci­vill [Page 8] and Ecclesiasticall, which were to come in everie age from time to time, till the very last of the latter daies; that by those things, wherein we see daily their words fulfilled and done, we might haue strong con­solation in the hope of things which are not seene, because they haue revealed as well the one as the o­ther. For when many things are spoken of before in scripture, whereof we see first one thing accomplish­ed, and then another, and so a third, pereeiue wee not plainely, that God doeth nothing else but lead vs a­long by the hand, til he haue setled vs vpon the rocke of an assured hope, that no one iote or title of his word shall passe till all be fulfilled? It is not therefore saide in vaine, that these godlesse wicked ones were spoken of before.

6 But by whom? By them whose words, if men or Angels from heauen gainesaie, they are accursed; by them, whom whosoever despiseth, despiseth not them, but me, saith Christ. If any man therefore doth loue the Lord Iesus (and woe worth him that loueth not the Lord Iesus!) hereby wee may know that hee loveth him indeed, if hee despise not the things that are spoken of by his Apostles; A naturall man percea­veth not hea­venly things. whom many haue de­spised even for the basenesse and simplenesse of their persons. For it is the propertie of fleshly and carnall men, to honour and dishonour, credit, and discredit the words and deeds of every man according to that he wanteth or hath without, If a man with gorgeous apparell come amongst vs, although he bee a theese or a murtherer (for there are theeues and murtherers [Page 9] in gorgeous apparell) be his heart whatsoever, If his coat be of purple, Iam. 2. or velvet, or tissue, every one riseth vp, and all the reverent solemnities wee can vse, are too little. But the man that serveth God, is contem­ned and despised amongst vs for his povertie. Act. 12. Herod speaketh in iudgement, and the people cry out, The voice of God, Act 1 [...]. and not of man. Paul preacheth Christ, they tearme him a trifler. Harken beloued: hath not God chosen the poore of this world, that they should be rich in faith? hath hee not chosen the refuse of the world to be heires of his kingdome, which hee hath promised to them that loue him? hath he not chosen the ofscowrings of men to be the lights of the world, and the Apostles of Iesus Christ? Men vnlearned, yet how fully replenished with vnderstanding? fewe in number, yet how great in power? contemptible in shew, yet in spirit how strong? how wonderfull? I would faine learne the mysterie of the eternall generation of the sonne of God, saith Hilary. Whom shall I seeke? shall I get me to the schooles of the Grecians? why? I haue read, vbi sapiens? vbi scriba? vbi conquisitor huius seculi? These wise men in the world must needs bee dumbe in this, because they haue reiected the wis­dome of God. Shall I beseech the Scribes and Inter­preters of the law, to become my teachers? how can they knowe this, sith they are offended at the crosse of Christ? It is death for me to be ignorant of the vn­searchable misterie of the sonne of God; of which mi­sterie notwit standing I should haue been ignorant, but that a poore fisherman, vnknowne, vnlearned, [Page 10] new come from his bote with his cloathes wringing wet, hath opened his mouth and taught me, In the be­ginning was the word, and the word was with God, & the word was God. These poore sillie creatures haue made vs rich in the knowledge of the mysteries of Christ.

7 Remember therefore that which is spoken of by the Apostles. Whose words if the children of this world doe not regard, is it any marvaile? They are the Apostles of our Lord Iesus; not of their Lord but of our. It is true which one hath said in a certaine place, Apostolicam fidem seculi homo non capit, a mā sworne to the world, is not capable of that faith which the Apostles doe teach. What meane the children of this world then to tread in the courts of our God? What should your bodies doe at Bethel, whose hearts are at Bethaven? The God of this world, whom yee serue, hath provided Apostles and teachers for you, Chal­deans, wisards, Southsayers, Astrologers, and such like: Heare them. Tell not vs that yee will sacrifice to the Lord our God if wee will sacrifice to Ashteroth or Melcom; We must not halt between 2. opinions. that yee will read our Scriptures, if wee will listen to your traditions; that if yee may haue a Masse by permission, wee shall haue a Communion with good leaue and liking; that yee will admit the things that are spoken of by the Apostles of our Lord Iesus, if your Lord and Master may haue his ordinances observed, and his statutes kept. Solomon tooke it (as well he might) for an evident proofe, that she did not bear a motherly affection to her child, which yeelded to haue it cut in diverse parts. He cannot loue the Lord [Page 11] Iesus with his heart, which lendeth one care to his Apostles, and another care to false Apostles: which can brooke to see a mingle mangle of religion and su­perstition, Ministers and Massingpriests, light & dark­nesse, truth and errour, traditions and Scriptures. No; we haue no Lord but Iesus; no doctrine but the Gos­pell, no teachers but his Apostles. Were it reason to require at the hands of an English subiect, obedience to the lawes and edicts of the Spaniard? I doe mar­vaile that any man bearing the name of a servant of the servants of Iesus Christ, will goe about to drawe vs from our allegeance. Wee are his sworne subiects; it is not lawful for vs to heare the things, that are not told vs by his Apostles. They haue told vs that in the last daies there shall be mockers; therefore wee be­leeue it: Credimus quia legimus, we are so perswaded because we read it must be so. If we did not read it, we would not teach it: Nam quae libro legis non continen­tur, eanec nosse debemus, saith Hilary, those things that are not written in the booke of the law, wee ought not so much as to be acquainted with them. Remem­ber the words which were spoken of before of the Apostles of our Lord Iesus Christ.

8 The third thing to be considered in the de­scription of these men of whom wee speake is the time, wherin they should be manifested to the world. They tolde you there should bee mockers in the last time. Mockers in the last time. Noah at the commaundement of God built an Arke, and there were in it beasts of all sorts, cleane & vncleane. A husbandman planteth a vineyard & loo­keth [Page 12] for grapes, but when they come to the gathe­ring, behold togither with grapes there are found al­so wilde grapes. A rich man prepareth a great supper and biddeth many, but when hee sitteth him downe he findeth amongst his friends here and there a man whom he knoweth not. This hath beene the state of the Church sithēce the beginning. God alwaies hath mingled his Saints with faithlesse and godlesse per­sons; as it were the cleane with the vncleane, grapes with sowre grapes, his friends and children with ali­ens and strangers. Mervaile not thē, if in the last daies also yee see the men, with whom you liue and walke arme in arme, laugh at your religion and blaspheme that glorious name whereof you are called. Thus it was in the daies of the patriarckes & prophets; and are we better then our fathers? Albeit we suppose that the blessed Apostles in foreshewing what man­ner of men were set out for the last daies, meant to note a calamity speciall and peculiar to the ages and generations which were to come. As if he shoulde haue said; As God hath appointed a time of seed for the sower, and a time of harvest for him that reapeth; as he hath givē vnto every hearb & every tree his own fruit, and his own season, not the season nor the fruit of another, (for no man looketh to gather figs in the winter, because the Sommer is the season for them, nor grapes of thistles, because grapes are the fruite of the Vine,) so the same God hath appointed sund [...]ie for every generation of men, other men for other times, and for the last times the worst men, as may [Page 13] appeare by their properties, which is the fourth point to be considered of in this description.

9 They told you that there should be Mockers. Mockers. He meaneth men that shall vse religion as a cloake to put off, and on, as the weather serveth; such as shall with Herod heare the preaching of Iohn Baptist to day, and to morrow condescende to haue him beheaded; or with the other Herod say, they will worship Christ when they purpose a massacre in their hearts, kisse Christ with Iudas, and betray Christ with Iudas. These are mockers. For as ishmael the sonne of Hagar laughed at Isaak, which was heire of the promise; so shall these men laugh at you as the maddest people vnder the sunne, if yee be like Moses, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, then to enioy the pleasures of sin for a season. And why? God hath not given them eies to see, nor harts to cōceiue that exceeding recompence of your rewarde. The promises of salvatiō made to you are matters, where­in they can take no pleasure, even as Ishmael tooke no pleasure in that promise, wherein God had said vnto Abraham, In Isaac shall thy seed be called, because the promise concerned not him but Isaac. They are tear­med for their impiety towards God, mockers, and for the impurity of their life and conversation, walkers after their owne vngodly lusts. S. Peter in his second e­pistle and 3. chapter soundeth the very depth of their impiety: shewing first, how they shall not shame at the length to professe themselues prophane, and ir­religious, by flat denying the gospell of Iesus Christ, [Page 14] and deriding the sweet and comfortable promises of his appearing: secondly, that they shall not be only de­riders of all religion, but also disputers against God, v­sing truth to subvert the truth; yea scriptures them­selues to disproue scriptures. Being in this sort moc­kers, they must needs be also followers of their owne vngodly lusts. Being Atheists in perswasion, can they choose but be beasts in conversatiō? For why remoue they quite from them the feare God? Why take they such paines to abandon and put out from their harts all sense, all tast, all feeling of religion? but only to this end and purpose, that they may without inward re­morse and grudging of conscience giue over them­selues to all vncleanenes. Surely the state of these mē is more lamentable, then is the condition of Pagans and Turkes. For at the bare beholding of heaven and earth the infidels heart by and by doth giue him, that there is an eternal, Mockers worse then Pagans, and Infidels. infinite, immortal, and everliving God; whose hands haue fashioned and framed the world; hee knoweth that every house is builded of some man, though he see not the man which built the house, and he considereth, that it must be God which hath built and created all things; although because the number of his daies be few he could not see whē God disposed his workes of old, when he caused the light of his clowds first to shine, when he laid the cor­ner stone of the earth and swadled it with bands of water and darknes; when he caused the morning star to know his place, & made barres and doores to shut vp the sea within his house, saying, hitherto shalt thou [Page 15] come but no farther: he hath no eie switnesse of these things. Yet the light of natural reason hath put this wisdome in his reines, and hath given his heart thus much vnderstanding. Bring a pagan to the schooles of the prophets of God; prophecie to an infidell, re­buke him, lay the iudgements of God before him, make the secret sinnes of his heart manifest, and he shall fall downe and worship God. They that cruci­fied the Lord of glory were not so far past recovery, but that the preaching of the Apostles was able to moue their hearts and to bring them to this, Men & brethren what shall we doe? Agrippa, Act. 2. Act 26. that sate in iudge­ment against Paule for preaching, yeelded notwith­standing thus farre vnto him, almost thou perswadest me to become a Christian. Although the Iewes for want of knowledge haue not submitted themselues to the righteousnesse of God; yet I beare them record, Rom. 10. saith the Apostle, that they haue a zeale. The Athenians, a people hauing neither zeale nor knowledge, yet of them also the same Apostle beareth witnesse, yee men of Athens I perceaue yee are [...], some way religious But mockers, walking after their owne vn­godly lusts t [...]ey haue smothered every sparke of that heavenly light, they haue stiflled even their very na­turall vnderstanding. O Lord, thy mercy is over al thy workes, thou savest man and beast! yet a happy case it had beene for these men if they had never beene borne: and so I leaue them.

10 S ^t Iude hauing his mind exercised in the do­ctrine of the Apostles of Iesus Christ concerning [Page 16] things to come in the last time, Iudas vir sapiens & certi iudicii. became a man of a wise and staid iudgement. Grieued hee was, to see the departure of many, and their falling away from the faith, which before they did professe: grieved, but not dismayed. With the simpler and weaker sort it was o­therwise: Their countenance began by and by to change, they were halfe in doubt they had deceiued themselues in giuing credit to the Gospell of Iesus Christ. S ^t Iude to comfort & refresh these silly lambs taketh them vp in his armes, and sheweth them the men at whom they were offended. Look vpon them that forsake this blessed professiō wherein you stand: They are now before your eyes; view them, marke them, are they not carnall? are they not like to noy­some carrion cast out vpon the earth? is there that spirit in them, which cryeth Abba father in your bo­somes? Why should any man be discomforted? haue you not heard that there should be mockers in the last time? These verily are they, that now doe seperate themselues.

11 For your better vnderstanding, what this se­vering and separating of themselues doth meane, we must knowe, that the multitude of them which truly beleeue (howsoever they be dispersed farre and wide each from other) is all one body, whereof the head is Christ, one building, whereof he is the corner stone, in whom they as the mēbers of the body being knit, & as the stones of the building, being coupled, grow vp to a man of perfect stature, and rise to an holy tē ­ple in the Lord. That which linketh Christ to vs is his [Page 17] meere mercy and loue towards vs. That which tieth vs to him is our faith in the promised salvation re­vealed in the word of truth. That which vniteth and ioyneth vs amongst our selues, in such sort that wee are now as if we had but one heart and one soule, is our loue. Who be inwardly in heart the liuely mem­bers of this body, and the polished stones of this buil­ding, coupled and ioined to Christ, as flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones by the mutuall bond of his vn­speakable loue towards them, & their vnfained faith in him, thus linked and fastned each to other by a spi­rituall, sincere, and hartie affection of loue without any manner of simulation, who be Iewes within, and what their names be, none can tell, saue he whose eies doe behold the secret disposition of all mens hearts. We, whose eies are too dimme to behold the inward man, must leaue the secret iudgement of every ser­vant to his owne Lord, accounting and vsing all men as brethren both neere and deare vnto vs, supposing Christ to loue them tenderly, so as they keep the pro­fession of the Gospell and ioyne in the outward com­munion of Saints. Whereof the one doth warran­tize vnto vs their faith, the other their loue, till they fall away and forsake either the one, or the other, or both; and then it is no iniurie to tearme them as they are. When they separate themselues they, are [...], not iudged by vs, but by their owne doings. Men do separate thēselues either by heresie, schisme, or apostasie. If they loose the bond of faith, Threefold [...] which then they are iustly supposed to doe, when they fro­wardly [Page 18] oppugne any principall point of Christian doctrine, 1 Heresie. this is to separate themselues by Heresie. If they breake the bond of vnitie, whereby the body of the Church is coupled and knit in one, as they doe, which willfully forsake al externall communion with Saints in holy exercises purely & orderly established in the Church, this is to separate themselues by schisme. [...]. Schisme. If they willingly cast of and vtterly forsake both profession of Christ, & communion with Chri­stians, taking their leaue of all religion, this is to sepa­rate themselues by plaine Apostasie. 3. Apostasy. And Saint Iude, to expresse the manner of their departure, which by Apostasie fell away frō the faith of Christ, saith they separated themselues: noting thereby, that it was not constraint of others, which forced them to depart, it was not infirmitie and weaknes in themselues, it was not feare of persecution to come vpō them, whereat their hearts did faile; it was not griefe of torments, whereof they had tasted, and were not able any lon­ger to endure them. No, they voluntarily did separate themselues with a fully setled, and altogether deter­mined purpose never to name the Lord Iesus and more, nor to haue any fellowship with his Saints, but to bend all their counsell and all their strength to raze out their memoriall from amongst men.

12 Now because that by such examples, not only the hearts of Infidels were hardned against the truth, but the mindes of weake brethren also much troubled, the holy Ghost hath given sentence of these backsliders, that they were carnall men, and had not [Page 19] the spirit of Christ Iesus, least any man hauing an o­verweening of their persons should be overmuch a­mazed and offended at their fall. For simple men not able to discerne their spirits, were brought by their apostasie thus to reason with themselues. If Christ be the sonne of the liuing God, if hee haue the words of eternall life, if he be able to bring salvation to all men that come vnto him, what meaneth this Apostasie and vnconstrained departure? Why doe his servants so willingly forsake him? Babes be not deceived, his servants forsake him not. They that separate them­selues were amongst his servants, but if they had been of his servants, they had not separated themselues. They were amongst vs, not of vs, saith Saint Iohn: and Saint Iude proveth it, because they were carnall, and had not the spirit. Will you iudge of wheat by chaffe which the winde hath scattered from amongst it? Haue the children no bread because the dogs haue not tasted it? Are Christians deceived of that salvatiō they looked for, because they denied the ioies of the life to come which were not Christiās? What if they seemed to bee pillers and principall vpholders of our faith? What is that to vs, which know that Angels haue fallen from heaven? Although if these men had beene of vs indeed, (O the blessednes of a Christian mans estate!) they had stood surer then the Angels, they had never departed from their place. Whereas now we mervaile not at their departure at all, neither are we prejudiced by their falling away, because they were not of vs, sith they are fleshly and haue not the [Page 20] spirit. Children abide in the house for ever; they are bondmen and bondwomen which are cast out.

13 It behoveth you therefore greatly every mā to examine his owne estate, and to try whether you be bond or free, children or no children. I haue tolde you already, that we must beware we presume not to sit as Gods in iudgement vpon others, and rashlie, as our conceipt and fancie doth lead vs, so to determine of this man he is sincere, or of that man, he is an hy­pocrit, except by their falling away they make it ma­nifest and knowne what they are. For who art thou that takest vpon thee to iudge another before the time? Iudge thy selfe. God hath left vs infallible evi­dence, infallible e­vidence in the faithfull that they are Gods child [...] ̄ whereby we may at any time giue true & righ­teous sentence vpon our selues. We cannot examine the harts of other men, we may our owne. That we haue passed from death to life, we knowe it, saith S ^t Iohn, because we loue our brethren: & knowe yee not your owne selues, how that Iesus Christ is in you, except yee bee reprobates? I trust, beloued, wec knowe that wee are not reprobates, because our spirit doth bear vs record, that the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ is in vs.

14 It is as easie a matter for the spirit within you to tell whose yee are, as for the eies of your body to iudge where you sit, or in what place you stand. For what saith the Scripture? Yee, which were in times past strangers and enimies, because your minds were set on evill workes, Christ hath now reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to make you ho­ly, [Page 21] and vnblameable, and without fault in his sight: if you continue grounded and established in the faith, and bee not moved away from the hope of the Gos­pell, Colos. 1. And in the third to the Coloss. yee knowe that of the Lord yee shall receiue the reward of that inheritance, for yee serue the Lord Christ. If wee can make this account with our selues; I was in times past dead in trespasses and sinnes, I walked after the prince that ruleth in the aire, & after the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience; but God, who is rich in mercy, through his great loue, wherewith he loued me, evē when I was dead, hath quickned me in Christ. I was fierce, heady, proud, high minded; but God hath made me like the child that is newly wained: I loved pleasures more then God; I followed greedily the ioies of this present world; I esteemed him, that erec­ted a stage or theatre, more then Solomon which built a Temple to the Lord; the Harpe, Viole, Timbrell, & Pipe men singers & womē singers were at my feasts, it was my felicity to see my children dance before me, I said of every kind of vanitie, O how sweet art thou vnto my soule! All which things now are crucified to me, and J to them: now I hate the pride of life, and pompe of this world; now I take as great delight in the way of thy testimonies, O Lord, as in all riches, now I finde more ioy of heart in my Lord and Savi­our, then the worldly minded man, when his wheate and oyle do much abound: now I tast nothing sweet, but the bread that came downe from heaven, to giue life vnto the world: now mine eyes see nothing, but [Page 22] Iesus rising from the dead: now my eare refuseth all kind of melodie to heare the song of them that haue gotten victory of the beast, and of his image, and of his marke, and of the number of his name, that stand on the sea of glasse, hauing the harpes of God, and singing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lambe, saying, Great and marvailous are thy workes, Lord God Almightie, iust, & true are thy waies, O king of Saints. Surely if the spirit haue been thus effectuall in the secret worke of our regenerati­on vnto newnesse of life; if wee endeavour thus to frame our selues anew, then we may say boldly with the blessed Apostle in the 10. to the Hebrewes, we are not of them which withdraw our selues to perdition, but which follow faith to the conservation of the soule. For they that fall away from the grace of God, and sepa­rate themselues vnto perdition, they are fleshly and carnall, they haue not Gods holy spirit. But vnto you, because yee are sonnes, God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts, to the end yee might knowe, that Christ hath built you vpon a rocke vn­moueable, that he hath registred your names in the booke of life, that hee hath bound himselfe in a sure and everlasting covenant to be your God, & the God of your children after you, that hee hath suffered as much, groned as oft, prayed as heartily for you as for Peter, O father keepe them in thy name! ô righteous father the world hath not knowne thee, but I haue knowne thee, and these haue knowne that thou hast sent me, I haue de­clared thy name vnto them, and will declare it, that the [Page 23] loue wherewith thou hast loued me, may be in them, and I in them. The Lord of his infinite mercy giue vs hearts plentifully fraught with the treasure of this blessed as­surance of faith vnto the end.

14 Here I must advertise all men, that haue the testimonie of Gods holy feare within their breasts, The Papists falsly accuse vs of Heresie and Apostasie to consider how vnkindly, and iniuriously our owne countrimen and brethren haue dealt with vs by the space of foure and twentie yeares, from time to time, as if we were the men of whom S. Iude here speaketh; never ceasing to charge vs, some with schisme, some with heresie, some with plaine and manifest a­postasie, as if we had cleane separated our selues from Christ, vtterly forsaken God, quite abiured heaven, & trampled all truth and all religion vnder our feet. A­gainst this third sort, God himselfe shall pleade our cause, in that day, when they shall answer vs for these words, not we them. To others by whom we are ac­cused for schisme and heresie, wee haue often made our reasonable, and in the sight of God, I trust, allow­able answers. Act. 25. For in the way which they call heresie, wee worship the God of our fathers, beleeuing all things which are written in the law & the Prophets. That which they call schisme, wee knowe to bee our reasonable service vnto God, and obedience to his voice, which cryeth shrill in our eares, Apoc. 18. Go out of Baby­lon my people, that you be not partakers of her sinnes, and that yee receaue not of her plagues. And therefore when they rise vp against vs, hauing no quarrell but this, we need not to seeke any farther for our Apologie, then [Page 24] the words of Abiah to Ieroboam & his armie, 2. Chr. 13. O Ieroboam and Israel, heare you me, ought you not to knowe, that the Lord God of Israel hath giuen the king­dome over Israel to David, for ever, even to him & to his sonnes by a covenant of salt? that is to say, an everlast­ing covenant. Iesuits & Papists, heare yee me, ought you not to knowe, that the Father hath giuen al pow­er vnto the some, and hath made him the only head over his Church, wherein he dwelleth as an husbād­man in the midst of his vineyard, manuring it with the sweat of his owne browes, not letting it forth to others? Cant. 8 11. For as it is in the Canticle, Solomon had a vine­yard in Baalhamon, he gaue the vineyard vnto keepers every one bringing for the fruit thereof a thousand peeces of silver; but my vineyard which is mine is be­fore me, saith Christ. It is true this is meant of the mysticall head set over the body which is not seene. butas he hath reserved the mysticall administratiō of the church invisible vnto himselfe, so hee hath com­mitted the mysticall government of cōgregations vi­sible to the sonnes of David by the same couenant; whose sonnes they are in the governing of the flock of Christ, whōsoever the holy ghost hath set over thē to goe before them & to leade them in their seuerall pastures, one in this cōgregation, another in that: as it is written, Take heede vnto your selues, and to all the flocke, Act. 20. whereof the holy ghost hath made you over seers, to feed the church of God, which hee hath purchased with his owne blood. Neither will ever any Pope or Papist vnder the cope of heaven bee able to proue the Romish Bi­shops [Page 25] vsurped supremacy over all Churches, The Popes vsurped su­premacie. by any one word of the covenant of salt, which is the Scrip­ture. For the children in our streets doe now laugh them to scome, when they force, thou art Peter, to this purpose. The Pope hath no more reason to draw the charter of his vniversall authoritie from hence, then the rethren had to gather by the wordes of Christ in the last of S. Iohn, that the Disciple, whome Iesus I ued, should never die. If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? saith Christ; Straight waies a report was raysed amongst the brethren, that this disciple should not die, yet Iesus said not to him, Hee shall not die, but if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Christ hath said in the 16 of S. Matthewes Gospell to Simon the sonne of Ionas, I say to thee, thou art Peter. Hence an opinion is held in the world that the Pope is vniversall head of all Churches, yet Iesus said not the Pope is vniversall head of all Churches, but, Tues Petrus, Thou art Peter. Howbeit, as Ierobo­am the sonne of Nebat the servant of Solomon, rose vp and rebelled against his Lord, and there were ga­thered vnto him vaine men and wicked, which made themselues strong against Ieroboam the sonne of Sole­mon, because Roboam was but a child, and tender hear­ted, and could not resist them: so the sonne of perdi­tion and man of sinne, being not able to brooke the words of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ, which forbad his disciples to be leke princes of nations, They beare rule and are called gracious, it shall not bee so with you, hath risen vp and rebelled against his Lord, & to [Page 26] strengthen his arme, he hath crept into the houses al­most of all the noblest families round about him, and taken their children from the cradle to be his Cardi­nals, he hath fawned vpon the kings and princes of the earth, & by spirituall coufenage hath made them sell their lawfull authoritie and iurisdiction for titles of Catholicus, Christianissimus, Defensor fidei, and such like, he hath proclaimed sale of pardons to inveigle the ignorant, built seminaries to allure young men desirous of learning, Consil. delector. Cardin. Laurent. Su­rius Comm­de reb. gest. à Pio 5 Fran­ci [...]cus Sanso­vin. de guber­nat. regnorū & Rerumpub. lib 11 cap. de Iud Marescal & Soldan. erected Stewes, to gather the dis­solute vnto him. This is the rocke wherevpon his Church is built. Hereby the man is growne huge and strong, like the Cedars, which are not shaken with the wind, because Princes haue beene as children, o­ver tender hearted, and could not resist.

Hereby it is come to passe, as you see this day, that the man of sinne doth warre against vs, not by men of a language which we cannot vnderstande, but he commeth as Ieroboam against Iuda, & bringeth the fruit of our owne bodies to eat vs vp, that the bowels of the childe may be made the mothers graue, that he hath caused no small number of our brethren to for­sake their natiue country, & with all disloialty to cast off the yoke of their allegeance to our dread Sove­raigne, whom God in mercy hath set over them, for whose sauegard, if they caried not the hearts of Ty­gers in the bosomes of men, they woulde thinke the dearest blood in their bodies wel spent. But now, saith Abiah to Ieroboam, yee thinke yee be able to resist, the kingdome of the Lorde, which is in the hands of [Page 27] the sonnes of David. Yee be a great multitude, the golden calues are with you, which Ieroboam made you for Gods, haue yee not driven away the priests of the Lord the sonnes of Aaron, and the Levites, & haue made you priests like the people of natiōs? who­soever commeth with a young bullocke and seaven rammes, the same may bee a priest of them that are no Gods. If I should follow the comparison, & here vncover the cup of those deadly and ougly abomina­tions, where with this Ieroboam of whom we speake hath made the earth so drunke that it hath reeled vn­der vs, I know your godly hearts would loath to see them. For my own part I delight not to take in such filth, I had rather take a garment vpon my shoulders, and go with my face from them to cover them. The Lord open their eies, and cause them, if it be possible, at the length to see, how they are wretched, and mise­rable, and poore, and blinde, and naked! Put it O Lord in their hearts to seeke white raiment, and to cover themselues, that their filthy nakednes may no longer appeare! For, beloved in Christ, we bow our knees, & lift vp our hands to heaven in our chambers secretly, & openly in our churches we pray hartily, & howre­ly even for them also; though the Pope haue given out as a Iudge in a solemne declaratory sentence of excommunication against this land, that our gracious Lady hath quite abolished praiers within her realme, and his schollers, whom he hath taken from the midst of vs, haue in their published writings charged vs not only not to haue any holy assemblies vnto the Lorde [Page 28] for praier, but to hold a common schoole of sinne & flattery, to hold sacrilege to be Gods service, vnfaith­fulnesse and breach of promise to God to giue it to a strumpet to be a vertue; to abandon fasting, to abhor confession, to mislike with penance, to like well of vsury, to charge none with restitution, to finde no good before God in single life, nor in no well wor­king; that all men, as they fal to vs, are much woorsed, and more, then afore, corrupted. I do not adde one word or sillable vnto that, which M ^r Bristow, a man both borne and sworne amongst vs, hath taught his hand to deliver to the view of all. I appeale to the cō ­science of every soule, that hath beene truely conver­ted by vs; whether his heart were never raised vp to God by our preaching; whether the words of our ex­hortation never wrong any teare of a penitent heart from his eies; whether his soule never reaped any ioy, any comfort, any consolation in Christ Iesus, by our sacraments, and praiers, and Psalmes, & thansgivings; whether he were never bettered, but alwaies worsed by vs. Omerciful Godlif heaven and earth in this case do not witnesse with vs, and against them, let vs bee razed out from the land of the living! let the earth, on which we stand, swallow vs quicke, as it hath done Corah, Dathan, and Abiram! But if we belong vnto the Lord our God, and haue not forsaken him, if our priests the sonnes of Aaron minister vnto the Lord, and the Levites in their office, if wee offer vnto the Lord every morning and every evening the burnt of­frings, & sweet incense of praiers, land thanks givings, [Page 29] if the bread be set in order vpon the pure table, 2. Chr. c. 13. & the candlesticke of gold with the lamps thereof to burne every morning, that is to say, if amōgst vs Gods bles­sed sacraments be duly administred, his holy word sin­cerely and daily preached, if we keep the watch of the Lord our God, and if yee haue forsaken him; then doubt yee not this God is with vs as a captaine, his priests with founding trumpets must cry alarme a­gainst you, Ver. 12. O yee children of Israel fight not against the Lord God of your fathers, for yee shall not prosper.

HAving otherwhere spoken of the words of Saint Iude, going next before, concerning Moc­kers, which should come in the last time, & backsliders, which even then fell away from the faith of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ; I am now by the aide of almighty God, and through the assistance of his good spirit, to lay before you the words of exhor­tation, which I haue read.

2 Wherein first of all, whosoever hath an eie to see, let him open it, and he shall wel perceiue, how carefull the Lord is for his children, how desirous to see them profit and growe vp to a manly stature in Christ, how loath to haue them any way mislead, ei­ther by examples of the wicked, or by enticements of [Page 32] the world, and by provocation of the flesh, or by any other meanes forcible to deceaue them, and likely to estrange their heartt from God. For God is not at that point with vs, that hee careth not whether wee sinke or swimme. No, he hath written our names in the palme of his hand, in the signet vpon his finger are we graven, in sentences not onely of mercy, but of iudgement also we are remembred. He never denoū ­ceth iudgements again [...]t the wicked, but hee maketh some Proviso for his children, as it were for some cer­taine priviledged persons, Touch not mine annointed, doe my Prophets no harme, hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till wee haue sealed the servants of God in their foreheads. Hee never speaketh of godlesse men, but he adioineth words of comfort, or admonition, or exhortation, whereby wee are moued to rest and settle our hearts on him. In the second to Tim. the 3. Chap. Evil men; saith the Apostle, and deceiuers shall waxe worse and worse, deceiuing and being deceiued. But continue thou in the things, which thou hast learned. And in the first to Tim. the. 6. Chap. Some men lusting after money have erred from the faith, & pierced themselues through with many sorrowes. But thou, ô man of God, fly these things, and follow after righteousnesse godlines, faith loue, patience, meeknesse. In the second to the Thessa­lonians, the second Chap. They that have not receiued the loue of the truth, that they might bee saued, God shall send them strong delusions, that they may beleeue lies. But we ought to giue thanks alway to God for you, brethren, beloued of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning [Page 33] chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spi­rit, and faith in the truth. And in this Epistle of S. [...]ude, There shall come mockers in the last time, walking after their owne vngodly lusts. But, beloued, edifie yee your selues in your most holy faith.

3 These sweet exhortations, which God put­teth every where in the mouthes of the Prophets & Apostles of Iesus Christ, are evident tokens, that God si [...]teth not in heaven carelesse and vnmindfull of our estate. Can a mother forget her child? Surely a mo­ther will hardly forget her child. But if a mother bee happily found vnnaturall, and doe forget the fruit of her owne wombe, yet Gods iudgements shew plain­ly, that he cannot forget, the man whose heart hee hath framed and fashioned a new in simplicity and truth to serue and feare him. For when the wicked­nesse of man was so great, and the earth so filled with crueltie, that it could not stand with the righteousnes of God any longer to forbeare, wrathfull sentences brake out from him like wine from a vessell that hath no vent. My spirit, Gen 6 3 & 13 saith he, can struggle and striue no longer, an end of all flesh is come before me. Yet then did Noah finde grace in the eies of the Lord; Gen 6, 8 & 18 I will establish my covenāt with thee, saith God, thou shalt goe into the arke, thou, and thy sonnes, and thy wife, and thy sonnes wiues with thee.

4 Doe we not see what shift God doth make for Lot, and for his familie in the 19. of Genesis, least the fierie destruction of the wicked should overtake him? Overnight the Angels make enquiry, what sons [Page 34] or daughters, or sonnes in law, what wealth and sub­stance he had. They charge him to carie out al, what­soever thou hast in the citie, Gen 19. 12. bring it out. God seemeth to stand in a kind of feare, least something or other would be left behind. And his will was that nothing of that which he had, not an hoofe of any beast, not a threed of any garment should bee singed with that fire. In the morning the Angels fayle not to call him vp, Gen 19. 15. and to hasten him forward, Arise, take thy wife, & thy daughters which are here, that they be not destroyed in the punishment of the Citie. The Angels hauing spoken againe and againe, Lot for all this, lingereth out the time still, till at the length they were forced to take both him, Ver. 16. and his wife, and his daughters by the armes (the Lord being mercifull vnto him) and to cary them forth and set them without the citie.

5 Was there ever any father thus carefull to saue his child from the flame? A man would thinke, that now being spoken vnto to escape for his life, and not to looke behinde him, nor to tarry in the plaine, but to hasten to the mountaine & there to saue him­selfe, he should do it gladly. Yet behold, now he is so farre off from a chearefull & willing hart to do what­soever is commanded him for his owne weale, that he beginneth to reason the matter, as if God had mi­staken one place for another, sending him to the hill when salvation was in the Citie. Not so, my Lord, I be­seech thee. Ver. 18. Behold, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy which thou haste shewed vnto me in saving my life. I cannot escape in the [Page 35] mountaine, least some evil take me and I die. Here is a Cit­ty hard by, a small thing. O let me escape thither (is it not a small thing?) and my soule shall liue. Well, God is con­tented to yeeld to any conditions. Behold I haue recei­ved thy request concerning this thing also. I will spare this City, for which thou hast spoken; hast thee; saue thee there. For I can do nothing till thou come thither.

6 Hee could doe nothing! Not because of the weaknesse of his strength (for who is like vnto the Lord in power?) but because of the greatnesse of his mercy which would not suffer him to lift vp his arme against that City, nor to power out his wrath vpon that place, where his righteous servant had a fancie to remaine, and a desire to dwell. O the depth of the riches of the mercy and loue God! God is afraide to offend vs which are not afraid to displease him! God can do nothing till he haue saved vs, which can finde in our harts rather to do any thing then to serue him. It contenteth him not to exempt vs, when the pit is digged for the wicked; to comfort vs at every menti­on which is made of reprobates and godlesse men; to saue vs as the apple of his owne eie when fire com­meth downe from heaven to consume the inhabi­tants of the earth, except every Prophet and every A­postle, and every servant, whom he sendeth forth, doe come loaden with these and the like exhortations, O beloved, edifie your selues in your most holy faith. Giue your selues to praier in the spirit, keepe your selues in the loue of God. Looke for the mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life.

[Page 36] 7 Edifie your selues. The speech is borrowed frō material builders, and must be spiritually vnderstood. It appeareth in the 6. of S. Iohns gospel by the Iewes, that their mouthes did water too much for bodilie food, Our fathers, say they, did eate Manna in the De­sert, is it is written, He gaue them bread from heaven to eate; Lord, evermore give vs of this bread! Our Saviour, to turne their appetite another way, maketh thē this answere, I am the bread of life, hee that cōmeth to me shall not hunger, and hee that beleeveth in mee, shall never thirst.

8 An vsuall practise it is of Satan to cast heapes of worldly baggage in our way, that whilest we desire to heape vp gold as dust, wee may be brought at the length to esteeme vilely that spiritual blisse. Christ, in the 6. of Matthew, to correct this evill affection, put­teth vs in minde to lay vp treasure for our selues in heaven. The Apostle, 1. Tim. 3. chapt. misliking the va­nity of those womē, which attired themselues more costly, then beseemed the heavenly calling of such as professed the feare of God, willeth them to cloath themselues with shamefastnes and modestie, and to put on the apparel of good workes. Taliter pigmen­tatae Deum habebitis amatorem, saith Tertullian. Put on righteousnesse as a garment: in steed of Civit haue Faith, which may cause a savour of life to issue from you, and God shall be enamoured, he shal be ravished with your beauty. These are the ornaments, & brace­lets, and jewels, which inflame the loue of Christ, and set his hart on fire vpon his spowse. We see, how he [Page 37] breaketh out in the Canticles at the beholding of this attire, How faire art thou, and how pleasant art thou, O my loue, in these pleasures!

9 And perhaps S. Iude exhorteth vs here not to build our houses but our selues, forseeing by the spi­rit of the Almighty, which was with him, that there should be men in the last daies like to those in the first, which should encourage and stirre vp each other to make bricke & to burne it in the fire, to build houses huge as cities, and towers as high as heaven, thereby to get them a name vpon earth; men that shoulde turne out the poore, and the fatherlesse, and the wid­dow, to build places of rest for dogs & swine in their roomes; men that should lay houses of praier even with ground, and make thē stables where Gods peo­ple haue worshipped before the Lord. Surely this is a vanity of all vanities, and it is much amongst men, a speciall sicknesse of this age. What it should meane, I know not, except God haue set thē on worke to pro­vide fewel against that day, when the Lord Iesus shal shew himselfe from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire. What good commeth vnto the ow­ners of these things, saith Solomon, Eccles. 5. but only the be­holding thereof with their eies? Martha, Martha, thou busiest thy selfe about many things, One thing is necessa­rie. Yee are too busie, my brethren, with timber, and bricke; They haue chosen the better part, they haue taken a better course, that build themselues. Yee are the Temples of the living God; as God hath said, I wil dwel in them, and will walke in them, & they shal [Page 38] be my people, and I wil be their God.

10 Which of you wil gladly remaine, or abide in a mishapen, a ruinous, or a broken house? And shal we suffer sinne, and vanity to drop in at our eies, and at our eares, at every corner of our bodies, & of our soules, knowing that we are the Temples of the holy Ghost? Which of you receiveth a guest, whom he honoureth, or whom he loveth, and doth not sweepe his chamber against his comming? And shal we suf­fer the chamber of our hearts and consciences to lie full of vomiting, full of filth, ful of garbidge knowing that Christ hath said, I, and my Father will come, and dwell with you? Is it meete for your Oxen to lay in parlours, and your selues to lodge in cribs? Or is it seemely for your selues to dwell in your setled hou­ses, and the house of the Almighty to lie wast, whose house yee are your selues? Do not our eies behold, how God every day overtaketh the wicked in their iourneies, how suddenly they pop downe into the pit? how Gods iudgements for their times come so swiftly vpon them, that they haue not the leasure to crie, Alas? how their life is cut off like a threed in a moment? how they passe like a shadow? how they o­pen their mouthes to speake, and God taketh them even in the midst of a vaine or an idle word? And dare we for all this lay downe, take our rest, eate our meat securely and carelesly in the midst of so great and so many ruines? Blessed and praised for ever and ever be his name, who perceiuing of how senselesse & heavy mettall we are made, The sacra­ment of the L. Supper. hath instituted in his Church a [Page 39] spirituall supper, and an holy communion, to be cele­brated often, that we might thereby bee occasioned often to examine these buildings of ours, in what case they stand. For sith God doth not dwell in Temples which are vncleane, sith a shrine cannot be a sanctua­ry vnto him; and this supper is receaued as a seale vn­to vs, that we are his house and his sanctuarie, that his Christ is as truly vnited to me, and I to him, as my arme is vnited and knit vnto my shoulder, that hee dwelleth in me as verily as the elements of bread and wine abide within me, which perswasion, by recei­ving these dreadfull mysteries, we professe our selues to haue; a due comfort, if truly, and if in hypocrisie, then woe worth vs. Therefore ere wee put forth our hands to take this blessed Sacrament, we are charged to examine, and to trie our hearts whether God bee in vs of a truth or no: and if by faith and loue vnfai­ned we be found the temples of the holy Ghost, then to iudge, whether we haue had such regard every one to our building, that the spirit which dwelleth in vs hath no way beene vexed, molested, and grieued. Or if it haue, as no doubt sometimes it hath by incredu­litie, sometimes by breach of charitie, sometimes by want of zeale, sometimes by spots of life, even in the best and most perfect amongst vs, (for who can say, his heart is cleane?) O then to fly vnto God by vnfai­ned repentance, to fall downe before him in the hu­militie of our soules, begging of him whatsoever is needfull to repaire out decaies before wee fall into that desolation, whereof the Prophet speaketh, say­ing, [Page 40] Thy breach is great like the sea, Lam. 2. v. 13. who can heale thee?

11 Receiving the sacrament of the Supper of the Lord, after this sort (you that are spiritual, iudge what I speake) is not all other wine like the water of Marah, being compared to the cup, which we blesse? Is not Manna like to gall▪ and our bread like to Man­na? Is there not a tast, a tast of Christ Iesus in the hart of him that eateth? Doth not hee which drinketh, be­hold plainely in this cup, that his soul is bathed in the blood of the lambe? O beloued in our Lord and Savi­our Iesus Christ, if yee will tast how sweet the Lord is, if yee will receaue the king of glory, Build your selues.

12 Young men, I speake this to you, for yee are his house, because by faith, yee are conquerers over Satan, and haue overcome that evill. Fathers, I speake it also to you, yee are his house, because yee haue knowne him, which is from the beginning. Sweete Babes, I speake it even to you also; yee are his house, because your sinnes are forgiven you for his name­sake. Matrons and Sisters, I may not hold it from you, yee are also the Lords building, and, as S. Peter spea­keth, heires of the grace of life as well as we. Though it be forbidden you to open your mouthes in publike assemblies, yet yee must bee inquisitiue in things con­cerning this building, which is of God, with your hus­bands and friends at home, not as Dalila with Samp­son, but as Sara with Abraham, whose daughters yee are, whilst yee doe well, and build your selues.

13 Having spoken thus farre of the exhortati­on, [Page 41] as whereby we are called vpon to edifie and build our selues. It remaineth now, that wee consider the thing prescribed, namely wherein we must bee built. This prescription standeth also vpon two points, the thing prescribed, and the adiuncts of the thing. And that is our most pure, and holy faith.

14 The thing prescribed is Faith. For as in a chaine, which is made of many linkes, if you pull the first, you drawe the rest; and as in a ladder of many staues, if you take away the lowest, all hope of ascen­ding to the highest will be remoued, So because all the precepts and promises in the law and in the Gos­pell doe hang vpon this, Beleeue; and because the last of the graces of God doth so follow the first, that he glorifieth none, but whom he hath iustified, nor iusti­fieth any, but whom he hath called to a true, effectual, and liuely faith in Christ Iesus, therefore S Iude ex­horting vs to build our selues, mentioneth here expres­ly only faith▪ as the thing wherein we must be edified, for that faith is the ground and the glorie of all the welfare of this building.

15 Yee are not strangers & forrainers, Ephes: but citizens with the Saints, and of the houshold of God, saith the Apostle, and are built vpon the foundation of the Prophets & Apostles, Iesus Christ himselfe being the cheefe corner stone, in whom all the building being coupled together, groweth vnto an holy Temple in the Lord, in whom yee also are built together to be the habitation of God by the spirit. And we are the habitation of God by the spi [...]t, if we beleeue. For it is written, whosoever confesseth [Page 42] that Iesus is the sonne of God, in him God dwelleth, and he in God. The strength of this habitatiō is great; it prevaileth against Satan; it conquereth sinne; it hath death in derision; neither principalities, nor powers can throwe it downe; it leadeth the world captiue, & bringeth every enimie, that riseth vp against it, to cō ­fusion and shame, and all by faith; for this is the vic­torie that overcommeth the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcōmeth the world, 1 Ioh 4 1. Ioh. 5. but hee which beleeueth, that Iesus is the sonne of God?

16 The strength of every building, which is of God, standeth not in any mans armes or legs: it is on­ly in our faith, as the valour of Sampson lay only in his haire. This is the reason, why wee are so earnestly cal­led vpon to edifie our selues in faith. Not as if this bare action of our minds, whereby wee beleeue the Gos­pel of Christ, were able in it selfe as of it selfe to make vs vnconquerable and invincible, like stones, which a­bide in the building for ever and fall not out. No, it is not the worthinesse of our beleeuing, it is the vertue of him in whom we beleeue, by which we stand sure as houses that are builded vpon a rocke. He is a wise man, Mat 7. which hath builded his house vpon a rocke; for he hath chosen a good foundation, and no doubt his house will stand. But how shall it stand? verily by the strength of the rocke which beareth it, & by nothing else. Our fathers, whom God delivered out of the land of Egypt, were a people that had no peeres a­mongst the nations of the earth, because they were built by faith vpon the rocke, which rocke is Christ. [Page 43] And the rocke, saith the Apostle in the first to the Co­rinthians, the tenth Chapter, did follow him. Whereby we learne not only this, that being built by faith on Christ as on a rocke, Rom. 11. and grafted into him as into an Oliue, wee receiue all our strength and fatnesse from him, but also that this strength and fatnesse of ours ought to be no cause why we should be high minded and not workeout our salvation with a reverent, trē ­bling, and holy feare. For if thou boastest thy selfe of thy faith, knowe this that Christ chose his Apostles, his Apostles chose not him; that Israel followed not the rocke, but the rocke followed Israel, and that thou bearest not the roote, but the root thee. So that every heart must this thinke, and every tongue must thus speake, Not vnto vs, O Lord, not vnto vs, nor vn­to any thing which is within vs, but vnto thy name onely, only to thy name belongeth all the praise of al the treasures and riches of every Temple which is of God. This excludeth al boasting and vaunting of our faith.

17 But this must not make vs carelesse to edifie our selues in faith. It is the Lord that delivereth mens soules from death, but not except they put their trust in his mercy. It is God that hath given vs eternall life, 1. Joh [...] but no otherwise then thus, If wee beleeue in the name of the sonne of God; for hee that hath not the sonne of God hath not life. It was the spirit of the Lord which came vpon Sampson, & made him strong to teare a lion as a man would rent a kid: but his strength forsooke him, and he became like other men [Page 44] when the razer had touched his head. It is the power of God whereby the faithfull haue subdued king­domes, wroug [...]t righteousnesse, obtained the promi­ses, stopped the mouthes of Lions, quenched the vio­lence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword: But take away their faith, and doth not their strength forsake them? are they not like vnto other men?

18 If yee desire yet farther to knowe how neces­sarie and ne [...]dfull it is, that we edifie and build vp our selues in faith, marke the words of the blessed Apo­stles, without faith it is impossible to please God. If I offer vnto God all the sheepe and oxen, that are in the world, if all the Temples, that were builded since the dayes of Adam till this houre, were of my foundati­on, if I breake my very heart with calling vpon God, and weare out my tongue with preaching, if J sacri­fice my body and my soule vnto him, and haue no faith all this availeth nothing. No pleasing of God without faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Our Lord and Saviour therefore being asked in the sixt of S. Iohns Gospell, What shall we doe that we might worke the workes of God, maketh answer, This is the worke of God, that yee beleeue in him, whom hee hath sent.

19 That no worke of ours, no building of our selues in any thing can be available or profitable vn­to vs, except we be edified & built in faith, what need we to seeke about for long proofe? looke vpon Israel, once the very chosen and peculiar of God, to whom the adoption of the faithfull, and the glory of Che­rubins, and the covenants of mercy, and the lawe of [Page 45] Moses, and the service of God, and the promises of Christ were made impropriate, who not onely were the ofspring of Abraham, father vnto all them which doe beleeue, but Christ their ofspring, which is God to be blessed for evermore.

20 Consider this people and learne, what it is to build your selues in faith. They were the Lords vine: he brought it out of Egypt, he threwe out the heathen from their places, that it might be planted, hee made roome for it, and caused it to take roote, till it had fil­led the earth, the mountaines were covered with the shadowe of it, and the boughs thereof were as the goodly Cedars. She stretched out her branches vnto the sea and her boughs vnto the river. But when God hauing sent both his servants and his sonne to visite this vine, they neither spared the one, nor receiued the other, but stoned the Prophets, and crucified the Lord of glory which came vnto them, then beganne the curse of God to come vpon them, even the curse whereof the Prophet David hath spoken, saying, Let their table be made a snare, Psal 69. and a net, and a stumbling blocke, even for a recompence vnto them, Rom. 11. let their eies bee darkned, that they doe not see, bow downe their backs for­ever, keepe them downe. And sithens the houre, that the measure of their infidelitie was first ma [...]e vp they haue beene spoiled with warres, eatē vp with plagues s [...]ent with hunger and famine: they wander frō place to place, and are become the most base and contempt [...]ble people that are vnder the sunne. Ephraim, which before was a terrour vnto nations, & they trembled [Page 46] at his voice, is now by infidelitie so vile that he seem­eth as a thing cast out to bee trampled vnder mens feet. In the midst of these desolations they cry. Returne we beseech thee, Psal 18. v. 14. ô God of hosts, looke downe from heaven, behold and visit this vine: but their very prayers are turned into sinne, and their cryes are no better then the lowing of beasts before him. Rom 11. 20. Well, saith the Apo­stle, by their vnbeleefe they are broken of, and thou doest stand by thy faith. Behold therefore the bountifulnesse, and severitie of God; towards them severitie, because they haue fallen, Ver. 22. bountifulnesse towards thee, if thou continue in his bountifulnesse, or else thou shalt be cut off. If they forsake their vnbeleefe, and be grafted in againe, and we at a­ny time for the hardnesse of our hearts be broken off, it will be such a iudgement, as will amaze all the pow­ers and principalities which are aboue. Who hath searched the counsell of God concerning this secret? and who doth not see that infidelitie doth threaten Lo-ammi vnto the Gentiles, as it hath brought Lo-ru­chama vpon the Iewes? Hos. 1. 9 not my people. It may bee that these wordes seeme darke vnto you. Ver 6. not obtaining mer­cy. But the words of the Apostle in the eleventh to the Romans, are plaine enough, If God haue not spared the naturall branches, take heed, take heed, least he spare not thee. Build thy selfe in faith. Thus much of the thing which is prescribed, and wherein we are exhorted to edifie our selues. Now consider the conditions and properties, which are in this place annexed vnto faith. The former of them (for there are but two) is this, Edifie your selues in your faith.

21. A strange, and a strong delusion it is where [Page 47] with the man of sinne hath bewitched the world; a forcible spirit of errour it must needs be, which hath brought men to such a senselesse & vnreasonable per­swasion as this is, not only that men cloathed with mortalitie and sinne as we our selues are, can doe God so much service, as shall bee able to make a full and a perfect satisfaction before the Tribunall seate of God for their owne sinnes, yea a great deale more, then is sufficient for themselues; But also that a man at the hands of a Bishop or a Pope, for such or such a price, may buie the overplus of other mens merits, purchase the fruits of other mens labours, and build his soule by another mans faith. Is not this man drowned in the gall of bitternesse? Is his heart right in the sight of God? Can he haue any part or fellowship with Pe­ter, and with the successours of Peter, which thinketh so vilely of building the pretious Temples of the holy Ghost? Let his money perish with him, and he with it, because he iudgeth, that the gift of God may bee sold for money.

22 But, Beloued in the Lord, deceaue not your selues, neither suffer ye your selues to be deceaued: ye cāreceiue no more ease nor comfort for your soules by an other mans faith, then warmth for your bodies by another mans cloathes, or sustenance by the bread which another doeth eate. The iust shall liue by his owne faith. Let a saint, yea a Martyr contēt himselfe, that he hath clensed himselfe of his owne sinnes, saith Tertul­lian. No saint or martyr can cleanse himselfe of his owne sins. But if so be a saint, or a martyr can cleanse [Page 48] himselfe of his owne sinnes, it is sufficient that he can doe it for himselfe. Did [...]uer any man by his death de­liuer another man from death, except onely the Son of God? he indeed was able to Safe Conduct a Theefe from the Crosse to Paradise: for to this end he came, that being himselfe pure from sinne, hee might obey for sinners. Thou which thinkest to doe the like, and supposest, that thou canst iustifie another by thy righ­teousnesse, if thou be without sinne, then lay downe thy life for thy brother; die for me. But if thou bee a sinner, even as I am a sinner, how can the oyle of thy lampe be sufficient both for thee, and for me▪ Virgins, that are wise, get yee oyle, while yee haue day, into your owne lamps. For out of all peradventure, o­thers, though they would, can neither giue nor sell. Edifie your selues in your owne most holy faith. And let this be observed for the first propertie of that, wherein we ought to edifie our selues.

23 Our faith being such, is that indeed, which S. Iude doth here terme Faith, namely a thing most holy. The reason is this. We are iustified by Faith. For Abraham beleeued, and this was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse. Being iustified, all our iniquities are covered, God beholdeth vs in the righteousnesse which is imputed, and not in the sinnes which wee haue committed.

24 It is true, wee are full of sinne both originall, and actuall; whosoever denieth it is a double sinner, for he is both a sinner, and a lyer. To denie sinne, is most plainely and cleerely to proue it, because he that [Page 49] faith, he hath no sinne, lyeth, and by lying proueth that he hath sinne.

25. But imputation of righteousnesse hath cove­red the sinnes of every soule which beleeveth; God by pardoning our sinne hath taken it away: so that now although our transgressions be multiplied aboue the haires of our head, yet being iustified wee are as free, and as cleere, as if there were no one spot, or staine of any vncleanesse in vs. For it is God that iustifieth, and who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen? saith the Apostle in the 8. ch. to the Romans.

26 Now sinne being taken away, wee are made the righteousnesse of God in Christ. For David spea­king of this righteousnesse, saith, Blessed is the man whole iniquities are forgiuen. No man is blessed but in the righteousnesse of God. Every man, whose sinne is taken away is blessed. Therefore every man, whose sinne is covered, is made the righteousnesse of God in Christ. The righteousnes doth m [...]ke vs to appeare most holy, most pure, most vnblamable before him.

27 This then is the summ of that which I say, faith doth iustifie: iustification washeth away sin: sin remo­ued, we are cloathed with the righteousnes which is of God: the righteousnes of God maketh vs most ho­ly. Every of these I haue proved by the testimony of Gods owne mouth. Therefore I conclude, that faith is that which maketh vas most holy, in consideration whereof it is called in this place, Our most holy faith.

28 To make a wicked and a sinful man most ho­ly through his beleeuing, is more then to create a world of nothing. Our faith most holy? Surely Solo­mon [Page 50] could not shew the Queene of Saba so much treasure in all his kingdōe, as is lapt vp in these words. O that our hearts were stretched out like tents, & that the eies of our vnderstanding were as bright as the sunne, that we might throughly knowe the rich [...]s of the glorious inheritance of Saints, and what is the ex­ceeding greatnesse of his power towards vs, whome he accepteth for pure, and most holy, through our beleeuing. O that the spirit of the Lord would giue this doctrine entrance into the stonie and brasen hart of the Iew, which followeth the law of righteousnes but cannot attaine vnto the righteousnesse of the law. Wherefore? saith the Apostle. They seeke righ­teousnesse, and not by faith. Wherefore they stum­ble at Christ, they are bruised, shivered to peeces as a ship that hath runne her selfe vpon a rocke. O that God would cast downe the eies of the prowd, and humble the soules of the high minded, that they might at the length abhorre the garments of their owne flesh which cannot hide their nakednesse, and put on the faith of Christ Iesus, as hee did put it on, which hath said; Doubtlesse I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord, for whom I haue counted all things losse, and doe iudge them to be dung, that I might winne Christ, and might be found in him, not hauing mine owner righteousnes, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, even the righteousnesse which is of God through faith. O that God would open the Arke of mercy, wherein this doctrine lyeth, and set it wide before the eies of poore afflicted consciences, which fly vp and downe [Page 51] vpon the water of their afflictions, & can see nothing but only the gulfe and deluge of their sinnes, wherein there is no place for them to rest their feet. The God of pittie and compassion giue you al strength & cou­rage, every day, and every houre, & every moment, to build, and edifie your selues in this most pure & holy faith. And thus much both of the thing prescribed in this exhortatiō, & also of the properties of the thing. Build your selues in your most holy faith. I would cōe to the next branch, which is of Prayer, but I cānot lay this matter out of my hāds, til I haue added somwhat for the applying of it both to other, & to our selues.

29 For your better vnderstanding of matters contained in this exhortation, Build your selues, you must note, that every Church and congregatiō doth consist of a multitude of beleeuers, as every house is built of many stones. And although the nature of the mystical body of the Church be such, that it suffereth no distinction in the invisible members, but whether it be Paul or Apollos, Prince or Prophet, hee that is taught, or he that teacheth, all are equally Christs, & Christ is equally theirs: yet in the externall admini­stration of the Church of God, because God is not the author of confusion but of peace, it is necessary that in every Congregation there be a distinction, if not of inward dignitie, yet of outward degree: so that all are Saints, or seeme to be Saints, and should bee as they seeme. But are all Apostles? If the whole bodie were an eie, where were then the hearing? God ther­fore hath giuen some to be Apostles, and some to be Pastours, &c. for the edificatiō of the body of Christ. [Page 52] In which worke we are Gods labourers, saith the A­postle, & yee are Gods husbandry, & Gods building.

30 The Church respected with reference vnto administration ecclesiastical, doth generally consist but of 2 sorts of men, the Labourers, & the Building; they which are ministred vnto and they to whom the worke of the ministery is committed; Pastours & the flocke, over whom the holy Ghost hath made them overseers If the Guid of a Congregation, be his name or his degree whatsoever, be diligent in his vocation, feed the flocke of God which dependeth vpon him, caring for it not by constraint but willingly, not for filthie lucre, but of a ready mind, not as though hee would tyrannize over Gods heritage, but as a pat­terne vnto the flocke, wisely guiding them: if the people in their degree doe yeeld themselues frameable to the truth, not like rough stone or flint refusing to bee smoothed and squared for the building: if the Magi­strate doe carefully and diligently survey the whole order of the worke, providing by statutes and lawes, & bodily punishments, if need require, that all things may be done according to the rule which cannot de­ceaue, even as Moses provided that all things might be done according to the patterne which hee saw in the Mount; there the words of this exhortation are truely and effectually heard. Of such a Congregation every man will say, Behold a people that are wise, a people that walke in the statutes and ordinances of their God, a people full of knowledge and vnderstanding, a people that haue skill in building themselues. Where it is otherwise there, as by slothfulnesse the roofe doth decay, & as by idle­nesse [Page 53] of hinds the house droppeth thorough, as it is in the 10. of Ecclesiastes, v. 18; so first one peece and then an­other of their building shal fall away, till there be not a stone left vpon a stone.

31 We see how fruitlesse this exhortation hath bene to such as bend all their trauaile onely to build manage a Papacie vpon earth, without any care in the world of building thēselues in their most holy faith. Gods people haue enquired at their mouthes, What shall wt doe to haue eternall life? where-in shall we build edifie our selues? And they haue departed hōe frō their Prophets, & from their preists, laden with doc­taines, which are precepts of men; they haue bene taught to tire out themselues with bodily excercise; those thinges are inioyned them which God did ne­ver require at their hands, and the things he doth re­quire are kept frō thē; their eies are fed with pictures, and their eares filled with melodie, but their soules doe wither, and starue, and pine away; they crie for bread, and behold stones are offered them; they aske for fishe, and see they haue scorpions in their hands; Thou seest, O Lord, that they builde themselues, but not in faith; they feede their children but not with food; Their rulers say with shame, Bring, & not build. But god is righteous; their drūkennesse stinketh, their abominations ate knowne, their madnesse is mani­fest, the winde hath bound them vp in hir wings, and they shall be ashamed of their doings. Ephraim, saith the Prophet, is ioyned to Idoles, let him alone, I will turne me therfore from the Preists which do minister vnto Idoles, & applie this exhortation to thē whom [Page 54] god hath appointed to feede his chosen in Israell.

32 If their be any feeling of Christ, and drop of heavenly dewe any spark of Gods good spirit within you, stirre it vp, be careful to build and edifie first your selues, & then your flockes in this most holy faith.

33 I say, first your selues; For he which wil set the hearts of other men on fire with the loue of Christ, must himselfe burne with loue. It is want of faith in­our selues, My Brethren, which maketh vs Carelesse. retchlesse in building others. We forsake the Lords inheritance and seed it not. What is the reason of this? Our own desires are setled where they should not be. Wee our selues are like those women which haue a longing to eate coales, and lime, and filth; we are fed, some with honour, some with ease, some with wealth; the Gos­pell waxeth loathsome & vnpleasant in our tast; how should we then haue a care to feed others with that which we cannot fancie our selues? If faith wax cold, and slender in the heart of the Prophet, it will soone perish from the eares of the people. The Prophet A­mos speaketh of a famine, Amos 8. 11. saying, I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, but of hearing the word of the Lord. Ver. 12. Men shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north vnto the east shall they runne to and fro to seeke the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. 1. Pet. 4. 17. Iudgement must beginne at the house of God, saith Pe­ter. Yea, I say, at the sanctuarie of God this iudgemēt must begin. This famine must begin at the hart of the Prophet. He must haue darknes for a vision, hee must stumble at noone daies, as at the twi-light, and then truth shall fall in middest of the streets, then shall the [Page 55] people wander from sea to sea, and from the North vnto the east shall they runne to and fro to seeke the word of the Lord.

34 In the second of Haggaie, speake now, saith God to his prophet, Speake now to Zerubbabel the son of She­altiel Prince of Iudah, & to Iehoshua the son of Iehozadak the high priest, & to the residue of the people, saying, who is left among you that saw this house in hir first glory, and how doe you see it now? is not this house in your eies, in comparison of it, as nothing? the prophet would haue all mens eies turned to the veiw of thēselues, every sort brought to the consideration of their present state. This is no place to shew what dutie Zerubbabel or Ie­hoshua doth owe vnto God in this respect. They haue I doubt not such as put them hereof in remembrāce. I aske of you which are a part of the residue of Gods elect & chosen people. Who is their amongst you that hath takē a survey of the house of God, as it was in the daies of the blessed Apostles of Iesus Christ? who is there amongst you that hath seen & cōsidred this holy temple in her first glory? & how do you see it now? Is it not in comparison of the other almost as nothing whē ye look vpō thē that haue vndertakē the charge of your soules, & know how far these are for the most part growne out of kind, how few there be that tread the steps of their ancient predecessors, yee are easily filled with indignation, easily drawne vnto these cōplaints, wherein the difference of present frō former times is bewailed, easily persuaded to think of thē that lived to enioy the daies which now are gon. Surely they were happy in cōparison of vs that haue [Page 56] succeeded them: were not their Bishops mē vnreprovable, wis [...], righteous, holy, tēperat, wel reported of even of those which were without? were not their Pastours, guids, & tea­chers, able & willing to exhort with wholsōe doctrine & to improue which gainesaid the truth? had they priests made of the refuse of the people? were men, like to the children which were in Niniveh, vnable to discerne betweene the right hand & the left; presented to the charge of their con­gregation? did their teachers leaue their flocks over which the holy Ghost had made them overseers? Did their Pro­phets enter vpon holy things as spoils, without a reverend calling? were their leaders so vnkindly affected towards thē that they could find in their hearts of sel them as sheepe or oxen, not caring how they made them away? But beloued, deceaue not your selues. Doe the faults of your guids and pastours offeud you? it is your fault if they bee thus faulty. Nullus qui malū rectorē patitur, eū accuset, quia fuifuit meriti perversi pastoris subiacere ditioni, saith S. Gregory, whosoever thou art whom the incōvenience of an evil governor doth presse, accuse thy selfe, & not him. His being such is thy de­seruing O yee disobedient children; turn again, saith the Lord, & the wil I giue you pastours according to mine own hart, ier. 3. v 14. 15. which shall feed you with knowledge & vnderstading. So that the on­ly way to repaire all ruines, breaches, & offensiue decaies in others, is to begin reformation at your selues. Which that we may all sincerely, seriously, and speedily doe, God the Father grant for his sonne our Saviour lesus sake, vnto whom with the holy Ghost, three persons, one Eternall and everlasting Gon, be Honour, and Glory, and Praise forever. Amen.