A second sermon, preached at Paules Crosse, the 21. of May, 1598. vpon the 21. of Math. the 12. and 13. verses concluding a former sermon preached the 4. of December 1597. vpon the same text. By Iohn Hovvson, student of Christes-Church in Oxford.

A Sermon preached at Paules Croſſe, the 21. of May 1598. vpon the 21. of Mathew, the 12. and 13. verſes, by Iohn Howſon, Student of Chriſts-Church in Oxford. The Text.

And ſaid vnto them, it is written, Mine houſe ſhall be called the houſe of prayer; but ye haue made it a denne of theeues.

MATH. 21. verſe 13.

OVR bleſſed Sauiour in the 12.Luc. 12.42. of S. Luke 42. noteth it to be the office & duty of a faithfull & wiſe Steward, of a Steward or diſpenſour of the myſteries of God,1. Cor. 4. as S. Paule calleth him, to giue vnto the houſhold in due ſeaſon their portion of meate, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the meaſure of wheate, which is due vnto them.

By the meaſure of wheate ſaith S. Greg. exprimitur modus verbi; Greg. paſt. li. 3. cap. 5. the meaſure and proportion of the word of God is ment and expreſſed, which ought to be giuen to thoſe of the houſhold: which meaſure and proportion conſiſteth in theſe points, ſaith Eraſmus,Eraſm. epiſt. ad Iod. Ionam. Promere cum res poſtulat, cui que promere quod eſt accommodum, & promere quod ſatis eſt: In deliuering the meate or the word in due ſeaſon, at a fit houre; in deliuering that which is good and wholeſome; in deliuering that which is ſufficient, not too little, nor too much: for in our corporall foode or dyet we obſerue theſe three things, a fit time to eate in, the good qualitie, and conuenient quantitie of our foode.

Iob. 32. Cant. 7. Iere. 4.I cannot ſay with Iob that I am full of matter, nor with the Spouſe in the Cant. my belly is as an heape of wheate; ſo that I ſhould be faine to cry with Ieremy, ventrem meum doleo, ventrem meum doleo: oh my belly, my belly, or with Iob, my belly is like the wine which hath no vent, and like new bottles which breake: 1. Sam. 6.13. but with the men of Bethſhemeth, I haue reaped a little wheate in the valley, where though I haue not ſeene ſo much as the back parts of God, as Moyſes did (for that was on a mountayne) yet with them of Bethſhemeth I haue ſeene his Arke, that is his Goſpell, which hath in it both Manna, a word of comfort, and Aarons rod, a word of reproofe: which how I haue diſpenſed vnto you here to fore, either in regard of the due ſeaſon, or in reſpect of the qualitie of the wheate or ſuſtenance, vos ipſi iudicate, 1. Cor. 11. you muſt be iudges. But leaſt I ſhould be offenſiue in the quantitie of it, I made an end vbi finis non erat, Bernard. where there was no end, as S. Barn. did, and all other Stewards haue bin forced to do,Ioh. 16.12. being ſtraightned as our Sauiour Chriſt was, when he ſaid, Multa habeo dicere quae non poteſtis portare modo, I haue yet many things to ſay vnto you, but ye cannot bare them now; not by reaſon of the depth of any myſteries I had to deliuer, or in regard of the weaknes of your vnderſtanding (as he was ſtraightned) but becauſe with ſomewhat long ſpeaking, you were made, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ,Hebr. 5.11. Greg. paſt. li. 3. cap. 5. weake or weary with hearing: for as S. Greg. ſaith, dum auditoris animus plus quā valet tenditur, mentis chorda rumpitur, When the eares of our auditors are ſtrained beyond their accuſtomed compaſſe, the ſtrings of their attention will breake aſunder. Wherefore ſeeing they which haue power and authority to commaund, haue ſaid vnto me as it is in the 17. of the Acts, Act. 17. Bern. de conſt. lib. 1. we will heare you againe vpon this text, recurrat ſtilus ad ſuam materiam, as S. Bern. ſaid, I will returne to that part of my text where I left, without repeating that which is paſt, ſauing only thus farre, that it may pleaſe you to remember, that I deuided this text in factum, & dictum; into a deede of our Sauiours, and into a ſpeech of his; into an action of his, and the reaſon of it; the action was contained in the former verſe, and was a reformation of certaine abuſes in the temple, in which I obſerued fiue circumſtances, firſt, the author who, ſecondly, the time when, thirdly, the place where, fourthly, the matter what, fiftly, the manner how this reformation was performed.

It remaineth now that by your accuſtomed patience I ſhould ſpeake of his ſpeech, which contained the reaſon of this action. The reaſon why he exerciſed this whip, this extraordinary and miraculous violence againſt them, was becauſe they had abuſed the temple and prophaned it; which he proueth by two texts of ſcriptures, the former taken out of the 56. chap. of Eſay, which ſheweth the lawfull vſe of the temple, and the chiefe end of erecting it, My houſe ſhall be called the houſe of prayer: the latter is taken out of the 7. of Ieremy, and ſheweth the abuſe and prophanation of it; Ye haue made it a denne of theeues.

But before I intreate of theſe particulars ſomwhat in generalitie of this ſpeech of our Sauiours; I deuided this parcell of ſcripture into factum, and dictum, an action, and a ſpeech,Act. 1. as S. Luke did all our Sauiours life into facere and docere; and whether were more myraculous opera diuina, or celeſtis doctrina, his diuine actions, or his heauenly ſpeeches, I will not diſpute, but greater teſtimonie was not giuen to his actions then is recorded of the Euangeliſts to be giuen to his doctrine. For if he diſcourſed and preached to the people either of the reſurrection of the dead,Math. 22. Luk. 20. Ioh. 10. Math. 12. Math. 22. or of Meſſiah the Lord and ſonne of Dauid, Luke 20. or of the ſonne of God by nature Ioh. 10. or the ſonnes of God by grace Math. 12. of the ceremonies of the lawe,Math. 15. or the works of charitie and mercy Math. 15. of the precepts of God,Math. 22. Math. 5.6.7. or the precepts of men Math. 22. of the firſt and greateſt commandement, Math. 5.6.7. of the deſtruction of the kingdome of this world, and the inſtitution of the kingdom of heauen Ioh. 3.Ioh. 3. Math. 12. Ioh. 7. of the paſſion Mat. 12. death and reſurrection of the Meſſiah Ioh. 7. of the comming of the holy Ghoſt and the abundance of his graces: This was euer the iſſue & effect and the witnes which his auditors gaue vnto the ſpeeches; Nunquam ſic locutus eſt homo ſicut hic homo, Ioh. 7. Mark. 6. Neuer man ſpake as this man ſpeakes, Ioh. 7. and in the 6. of S. Marke, Audientes admirabantur in ſermone eius, They that heard him were in admiration at his doctrine, that is, thought it miraculous; ſaying, frō whence hath he theſe things, and what wiſedome is this which is giuen vnto him? Luk. 4. and in the 4. of S. Lukes Goſpell, All gaue teſtimonie vnto him, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , vvondered at the gratious vvords vvhich proceeded out of his mouth: Math. 7. and in the 7. of S. Math. vvhen Ieſus had ended his vvords, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the multitude vvere aſtonied vpon his doctrine; for he taught them as one hauing povver, and not as the Scribes.

If he plaid the reſpondent in diſputation, his anſweres were admirable, and put the diſputer to a non plus: When the Phariſes and Herodians diſputed about tribute to be giuen to Caeſar,Luc. 20. they maruailed at his anſvvere, and held their peace; when the Saduces diſputed againſt the reſurrection, the Scribes wondered at his anſwere, and one of the Scribes ſaid,Ibid. Maſter, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , thou haſt ſaid excellently vvell; and when the Lawyer diſputed with him about the greateſt commandement, after he had receiued his anſwere, he confeſſed and ſaid,Mark. 12. vvell maſter thou haſt ſaid the truth, and no man after that durſt aske him any queſtion.

If he vndertooke the oppoſers part, and diſputed with them, he vtterly confounded the wiſeſt of them: When he demaunded of the high Prieſts and the Scribes, who were the moſt learned among the Iewes, vvhether the baptiſme of Iohn vvere from heauen or from men; they anſwered plainely, they knevv not vvhence it vvas: and whē he propoſed this queſtion to the Phariſes vvhoſe ſonne Chriſt ſhould be, and they anſwered him Dauids, Luc. 20. he ſo replied, that none could anſvvere him a vvord, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .Math. 22. So that whether he ſhewed himſelfe a Schooleman as we call them, or a Preacher; whether he oppoſed, or anſwered, or diſcourſed, his ſpeeches were as full of admiration, as miraculous, as his actions were.

For whereas he was a carpenters ſonne reputed, Matt. 13.Math. 13. and had no other education, and therfore was called a carpenter, Mark. 6. nay, ille faber, a man noted by that trade:Mark. 6. whereas the Scribes which by the law of Moyſes were appointed (as we tearme them) ſchoolemaiſters to inſtruct others (S. Auſt. calleth them grammaton iſagogos, Aug. de ci. Dei lib. 18. ca. 39. Deut. ca. 29. & 31. the Septuagint 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Deut. cap. 29. & 31. ſo called, becauſe they taught the grammaticall & hiſtoricall ſence of the ſcriptures) could teſtifie that he had not bin inſtructed by them: whereas the Phariſes, who were the chiefe expounders of the myſteries & ſecrets of the lawe, and therfore ſate in Moyſes chaire, could truly affirme that he was none of their auditor; and therefore the Iewes could ſay with admiration quomodo hic literas ſcit cum non didicerit? hovv knovves this man letters vvhen he is not learned? Ioh. 7. no ſcholler of the Scribes, no auditor of the Phariſes: yet where the cōmon people of which he was one did ſpeake the Syriack tongue,Euſeb. de demonſtrat. euang. lib. 3. ca. 7. Luke. 4. as alſo his Apoſtles, and that only: Euſeb. de demonſtrat. euang. lib. 3. cap. 7. he could alledge a long text out of the 61. of Eſay in the Hebrew tongue, wherewith onely the learned were acquainted (as now adayes) and expound it and the moſt hidden and ſecret myſteries of the holy ſcriptures farre beyond the expectation, nay beyond the capacitie and vnderſtanding of the Scribes & Phariſes: and he that is well conuerſant in the holy ſcriptures, may perceiue that all the ſpeeches of our Sauiour Chriſt, haue either the perfect forme of a Cabala (as they call it) containing a moſt ſimple, moſt true, moſt deepe, moſt certaine expoſition of myſticall things in the ſcriptures; or elſe an auouching of ſcriptures themſelues; as in this place, where alledging a reaſon of his fact or action, he auoucheth the true vſe, and condemneth their abuſe by the ſcriptures themſelues; not without aſtoniſhment to the auditors both Scribes and Phariſes, who as it ſhould ſeeme, could not reply, or durſt not make anſwere.

Another note I obſerue before I come to intreate of his ſpeech in particular is this, that our Sauiour Chriſt performing this action not as a man, but myraculouſly as he was God (as I ſhewed you before) would neuertheleſſe giue a reaſon of his action; whereas commonly with God Tota ratio facti eſt potentia facientis, Aug. ep. 3. and voluntas facientis: The reaſon of Gods actions are, ſometimes his power, ſometimes his vvill: and as humana conſuetudo verbis, ita diuina potentia factis loquitur, As we vſe vvords to expreſſe our mindes, ſo God by his actions ſhevveth his povver and his vvill alſo: and as new words or not ordinary phraſes, Aug. 48. ca. 6. being with moderation and decency inſerted to our ſpeech, ſplendorem addunt, do make them more pleaſing; ſo in Gods extraordinary and miraculous actions, which euer in congruitie are very ſignificant, quodammodo luculentior eſt diuina eloquentia: God ſpeakes vnto vs more eloquently and ſignificantly then by other meanes; and the husbandman in the 20.Math. 20.14. of Math. who there repreſenteth the perſon of God, being asked by his ſeruant why he gaue as much to him that wrought but one hower, as to them that laboured many howers, alledged his will onely for a reaſon, Volo huic nouiſsimo dare ſicut tibi: I vvill giue vnto this laſt as vnto thee, verſ. 14. and againe verſ. 15. Is it not lawfull for me to do what I will? and it is ſaid of God the holy Ghoſt,1. Cor. 12. 1. Cor. 12. that one and the ſame ſpirit worketh the varietie of operations which are mentioned in that chapter, deuiding to euery one 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , euen as he vvill; whereupon Caietan notes, voluntas ſpiritus ſancti pro ratione redditur: Caiet. ibid. The will of the holy Ghoſt is alledged for a ſufficient reaſon of his action; and in that his will is alledged for a reaſon of his action, it is apparent, ſaith he, and a ſufficient argument that he is a true God.

Now what might be the cauſe why our Sauiour being God, and equal to the Father and the holy Ghoſt in deitie, would not haue his will only ſtand for a reaſon, and when the great Lords and mightie Potentates of the world ſay ſic volo, ſic facio, ſtet pro ratione voluntas, would render a reaſon of this his action? was it becauſe he had to deale with men who were docile, and reaſonable, and of good capacitie, and not with wilfull and ſtubborne men? For Theophilact hath this kinde of rule, Solere Deum, Theophil. in epiſt. ad Rom. cum agit cum hominibus non malignis, & querulis, factorum ſuorum reddere rationem, That it is the cuſtome of God when he deales with men that are reaſonable and tractable, to render a reaſon of his actions why he doth them: Cum autem agit cum malignis, & querulis, ſuam ſolùm allegare voluntatem: but when he hath to do with obſtinate and malicious men, to alledge onely his will for a reaſon, becauſe they are not worthy to haue other reaſon giuen them, of which his rule he alledgeth many examples.

I cannot define this to be the reaſon, but it is not altogether improbable; for to graunt that both the Scribes and Phariſes and the Prieſts too were obſtinate and malicious: yet (though they were very many of them) they were a ſmall number being compared with them who were then preſent when this action was done; for it may be collected probably out of the Goſpell, that our Sauiour had moſt commonly attending vpon him to heare his doctrine and ſee his miracles, eight or ten thouſand people: for he had in the deſart one time 5000. another time 4000.Orig. cont. Celſum lib. 2. Euſeb. lib. 3. ca. 6. de demonſt. euang. beſides women and children: and this number is noted by Origen contra Celſum lib. 2. Euſeb. lib. 3. ca. 6. de demonſt. euang. For if he had ſo many in the deſart places where they could haue no ſuſtenance, what companies may be imagined did follow,Luc. 8. when he went 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , through ſo many cities and villages the moſt populous of all the world?Ioſeph. de bel. Iud. li. 3. ca. 2. For Ioſephus notes that in Galile there were 400. townes ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as the Euangeliſt calles thē, oppida ſine muris, as Euthinius notes in the firſt of Math) in euery of which townes there were at leaſt 15000. inhabitāts, as the ſame Ioſephus notes: and their cities were proportionable to their townes, for in the land of Genezareth, beſides many other famous cities, there was one called Tarichaea, Ioſeph. de bel. Iud. li. 2. ca. 26. which whē occaſion ſerued would ſend out 40000. fighting men, and another called Tiberias, in which there were 600. Aldermen or Senators, as the ſame Ioſephus notes: by which proportions we may conceiue how populous they were.

But this ordinary number of followers, of 4000. or 5000. or 10000. was nothing to the multitude of people which were gathered together at this feaſt of the Paſſeouer, from all the countries of Iudaea, and in likelyhood were preſent at this miracle. For Ceſtius Gallus the Preſidēt of Syria,Ioſeph. de bel. Iud. li. 7. ca. 17. hauing taken a view of them, and conſidered how many ſacrifices were offered, and how many men went together to the eating of their part in theſe ſacrifices, informed Nero the Emperour, that the number of men then preſent was 2700000. at the leaſt, which all were counted holy and pure; for lepers and many other diſeaſed were forbidden by the lawe, and all thoſe within the precinct of the temple: which number wil not ſeeme ſtrange to them that conſider the circuit of the temple and the courts about it, and that all the Iewes from all parts of the world at that time aſſembled thither.

Now to admit that the Scribes & Phariſes and Prieſts, &c. were ſtubborne and obſtinate, and therefore according to Theophil. rule deſerued not, that God ſhould giue them a reaſon of his action: yet the number of the people aſſembled being almoſt infinite in compariſon of them, who loued him ſo that in reſpect of them the Phariſes feared to offer him vvrong, Math. 26.Math. 26. vvho hung vpon him to heare him, Luke. 19. pendebat velut inhians, Luc. 19. Caiet. finally reioyſed, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in all the glorious things that were vvrought by him, Luke 13.Luc. 13. it is not abſurd to imagin that in reſpect of them our Sauiour vouchſafed to alledge this reaſon. Or was it becauſe, hauing ſhewed himſelfe more then a man to this great aſſembly by this miraculous action, ſo he would confirme this opinion by a miraculous ſpeech? For as igneum & ſidereum quiddam radiabat in oculis, Ierome. ſome fierie and ſtarrie brightneſſe gliſtered in his eyes when he wrought this action: ſo it could not be, but that his diuinitie ſhould bewray it ſelfe in his ſpeech; firſt, concerning the matter, becauſe being not bred vp in learning to reade the ſcriptures, nor any accuſtomed auditor to the Scribes, for the grāmaticall ſence, nor to the Phariſes for the miſtical ſence of the ſcriptures, he could neuertheleſſe properly, and to the preſent purpoſe alledge vnto them the ſayings of the Prophets. Secondly, concerning the manner of his ſpeech, which was extraordinary, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ,Luc. 4. his ſpeech vvas vvith authoritie and povver, not like the ſpeech of other men,Math. 7. of other learned men, the Scribes or the Phariſes, Math. 7. whoſe kinde of teaching was frigida, Iauſen. concord. cap. 17. & ad commouendum parum efficax: colde, and not effectual to moue; where as our Sauiours was full of force & efficacie, mouing the hearts of the auditors to faith and repentance: it is not improbable to be for this cauſe.

Or was it becauſe, ſeeing the Scribes and Phariſes did moſt eſpecially aſſault him, and ſeeke to confound him with queſtions and interrogations vpon the chiefe feaſts, when the people were aſſembled together,Ioh. 7. Ioh. 10. Ioh. 5. as in the feaſt of Tabernacles Ioh. 7. in the feaſt of the dedication of the Temple, Ioh. 10. in the feaſt of Pentecoſt, Ioh. 5. (for ſo S. Chryſoſtom, Cyrill, and Theophil. interpret it though it be not named) he would alſo in this great ſolemne feaſt and aſſembly at Eaſter, or the Paſſeouer, try how they could defend that abuſe of the temple, which he proued out of the prophets to be againſt the end & the inſtitution of it? Whereunto whē they made no anſwere, he replied no farther: Greg. Moral. 23.9. for Finis eſſe locutionis ſapientium ſolet, vt eouſ que dicant quò aduerſarijs ſilentium imponant: The end of a vviſemans ſpeech is by good reaſon to put his aduerſaries to ſilence, and then vrge them no farther. Non enim ſe oſtendere, ſed praua docentes compeſcere ſtudent: For they ſpeake not to oſtentation but to confute or confound them that teach or do amiſſe.

Or was it done for our inſtruction? as euery action of his is ſome inſtruction for vs, Thom. 12. q. 71. ar. 6. to teach vs to do nothing raſhly, heddely, and without conſideration, as great Lords and Tyrants do, the rule of whoſe actions is their wil, their froward and obſtinate will: but to meaſure all our ſayings and doings with humane reaſon, which is regula propinqua, & homogenea, as the Scholemen call it, a rule which is naturall, bred within vs, neere vnto vs, in our mouthes, and in our harts,Deut. 30.14. or with the vvord of God which is regula remota & heterogenea, a rule hid from vs, farre off from vs, in heauen, in the boſome of God, quaſi ratio Dei, but yet made knowen vnto vs by the holy Scriptures.

Which rule and inſtruction the holy Fathers and men of God haue euer obſerued,Greg. Hom. 34. confirming their doctrine with reaſon and authoritie, Nos affirmare nolumus quod apertis teſtimonijs nō approbamus: vve vvill affirme nothing but vvhat vve can proue by reaſon and authoritie; and ſubmitting themſelues and their iudgements to reaſon and authoritie: Arguant me ratione velauthoritate, Policra. prolog. lib. 8. & ego vel ad inimici vocem nō refugiē emendari: Let it be groūded on reaſon or authoritie, & I wil giue eare to the reproofe of an enemy.

And this patterne of our Sauiour not only priuat men, but the whole Church of Chriſt in their lawes and conſtitutions do redily imitate: Sancta eccleſia ex magiſterio humilitatis inſtituta, The holy Church bred vp in the ſchoole of humilitie, and following the ſteps of our maiſter Chriſt,Greg. moral. 8. Recta quae errant bus dicit, non quaſi ex authoritate praecipit, ſed ex ratione perſuadet: Force not men to beleeue that which is true by authoritie, but perſwade them by reaſon: becauſe as it is wiſely obſerued, Plus mouere ſolet ratio inſerta in mandato, Humbert. in regulam Aug. quàm ipſum mandatum, a reaſon inſerted to a lawe or commandement, moues much more then a naked lawe: And therefore the Church ſaith with Iob, videte an mentiar, Examine whether I ly or no: Iob. 6. beleeue not that which I ſay becauſe I ſpeake it: ſed an vera ſint ex ratione penſate, but weigh with reaſon the truth of it: and if the Church do teach that (as oftentimes it doth) which cannot be comprehended within the compaſſe of reaſon; yet for all that, rationabiliter ſuadet, Greg. ibid. it perſwades you with reaſon, Ne de occultis ratio humana quaeri debeat, That of ſome myſteries and ſecrets of Chriſtianitie, you may not aske or ſeeke the reaſon.

Whereas on the other part it is the cuſtome and order of ſtubborne men, of hereticks, & ſchiſmaticks, Non rationes afferre, ſed placita: not to vrge reaſon, but their will, their pleaſure,Aug. contra Fauſtum Man. lib. 14. ca. 9. their phantaſie, or opinion: as Fauſtus the Manichee, when he had charged Moyſes that he did diuina laceſſere, offer violēce to the lawes of God; dixit, & abijt, ſaith S. Auſtine, nihil probare ſategit, nihil curauit ostendere: he ſaid, as Pilate ſaid, quod ſcripſi, ſcripſi, quod dixi, dixi: when he had ſaid it, he had done, he neuer made offer to proue it, or giue a reaſon of his ſpeech: and though our doctrine be neuer ſo true, yet it is without the compaſſe of modeſtie and diſcretion for any man be he neuer ſo learned, to vſe theſe kinds of aſſertiōs: Ego in hoc libro non contuli: ſed aſſerui & aſſero, & penes nullum volo eſſe iudicium, ſed omnibus ſuadeo, vt praestent obſequium, I haue not vſed proofes, or authoritie in my writing; but I affirme that that I ſay, and ſubmit my ſelfe to no mans iudgement, but require euery man to conſent to me: ſcio me mea dogmata habere de caelo: I know that my ſpeeches deſcend from heauen, are authenticall and canonicall; for it is a propertie peculiar to God only,Caiet. ſuper 1. Cor. 12. facere prout vult, to do what he liſt, and ſay what he pleaſeth: for other men muſt haue regulam voluntatis, a rule to direct their will, and ſome reaſon to direct their ſpeach; otherwiſe while he takes vpon him a propertie or qualitie peculiar to God, he becomes fatuus confidens in ſtultitia ſua, Prou. 17. a foole that is confident in his owne follie. And thus much by way of probabilitie, why our Sauiour would alledge a reaſon.

The Preface to this ſpeech of his, is this, Scriptum eſt, it is written. I noted before vnto you, that we muſt vſe ſome rule wherby to ſquare out and meaſure our ſpeeches and actions, and one was from within vs, homogenea regula, mans reaſon: another from without vs, regula heterogenea, Gods word: he vſeth this ſecond rule as the ſureſt rule, which cannot erre; the word of God; which rule, though it be heterogenea, ſupernaturall to vs, yet it is homogenea, naturall to him, who was God himſelfe, for the word of God may be ſaid to be ratio Dei, which was homogenea to him, as humane reaſon is to man. So that his ſpeech is not a bare reaſon, which peraduenture might admit cauils, and exceptions, and contradictions, but is ioyned with authoritie, as good authoritie as any Prophet ſpake with when he ſaid, Haec dicit dominus thus ſayth the Lord: And this S. Auſtine ſaith, is or do naturae, Aug. de mor. eccle. catho. ca. 2. the order of nature, that when we learne any thing, or teach any thing, eſpecially touching faith and religion, Rationem praecedat authoritas, Reaſon ſhould be grounded vpon ſome good authoritie: for ſaith he, Infirma ratio videri poteſt quae cum reddita fuerit, authoritatem poſtea per quam firmetur aſſumat: For it may ſeeme to be a vveake reaſon, vvhich vvhen it is alledged requireth ſome other reaſon and authoritie to confirme it. Now our Sauiours reaſon was grounded vpon good authoritie, vpon that which was regula prima, the chiefe rule with the Iewes, eſpecially Scribes and Phariſes and Prieſts, which is, the vvritten vvord of God, which being deliuered ſincerely according to the true ſence and meaning of it, as he did, admits no deniall; and therefore the Phariſes do make no reply.

Now it is worth the obſeruation to cōſider our Sauiours manner of reaſoning with them; It is moſt certaine that with all ſorts of mē that confeſſe there is a God, the word, and will of God, is regula prima, the firſt and the chiefeſt rule to direct them in all their actions: and therfore ſome heathen haue the ſpeeches of oracles for their chiefe rule, fruitur que deorum colloquio: Virg. Aenei. 7. other the word of God, which is ſcriptum in cordibus, written in our hearts, naturall reaſon for their chiefe rule, as the Philoſophers had: other the word of God written by the pen of man, but inſpired by the holy Ghoſt, as the Iewes had the old Teſtament for their chiefe rule, and Chriſtians both the old and the new: and whoſoeuer diſputed with any one of theſe ſorts of men, out of theſe grounds which they receiued for their chiefe rule, diſputed demonſtratiuely, and otherwiſe not ſo: for a reaſon or authoritie from the ſcripture will not moue a Philoſopher, nor a reaſon from the new Teſtamēt is no rule for a Iewe. Wherefore our Sauiour hauing to deale with the Scribes and Phariſes and Prieſts, &c. who receiued the word of God written in bookes of the law and the Prophets for their chiefe rule, he diſputed with them out of the law and the Prophets, and in this place drawes his reaſon from the prophet Eſay and the prophet Ieremy: and in the next chapter diſputing with the Saduces about the reſurrection,Math. 22. which receiued only the fiue bookes of Moyſes for the written word of God, and their chiefe rule, he alledgeth his reaſons from the bookes of Moyſes only. Which example the Apoſtles and holy Fathers haue followed in all their diſcourſes: for S. Paule ſpeaking to the Athenians before their conuerſion, alledgeth no text of ſcripture, but reaſons drawen from the light of nature, which was their chiefe rule, and the ſaying of their Philoſopher,Act. 17. Act. 17. And preaching to the Corinthians after their conuerſion, alledgeth the ſcripture as regula prima, or remota with Chriſtians: and the reaſons or ſayings of Philoſophers,1. Cor. 15. as regula propinqua, the rule of naturall and reaſonable men; which courſe alſo is now obſerued in our preaching.Aug. de moribus cul. catho. cap. 1. And S. Auſtine diſputing with the Manichees which denyed the old Teſtament to be the word of God, brought his proofes and reaſons from the new Teſtament only, becauſe they allowed that for their onely rule: and therefore Lactantius taketh exception againſt that maner of diſputation which S. Cyprian vſed with Demetrian, Lact. lib. 5. cap. 4. who vrged him too much with authorities of ſcripture, ſeeing Demetrian allowed not the ſcripture for his rule: Non enim Scripturae teſtimonijs, quā ille vanam, fictam, commentitiam putabat, ſed argumentis & ratione fuerat refellendus: For he was to be reproued and conuinced with arguments and reaſon, not with the ſcripture, which he eſteemed as falſe, fained, and counterfeite, ſaith Lactantius.

But our Sauiours manner of diſputation ſcriptum eſt, it is written, in the lawe or in the prophets, is demonſtratiue with Iewes or Chriſtians, who accept the ſcripture for their chiefe rule: But for aſmuch as not the letter of the ſcripture is the word of God, but the true ſence, and meaning of it, you (beloued Chriſtians) are eſpecially to regard who it is that deliuereth or alledgeth this ſcripture to you; for although in veritate humana, in humane truth, (where reaſon only is a ſufficient rule, and principle, which is true of neceſſitie, whether a poore man or a rich man, a learned man, or an ignorant man, a Chriſtian or an Heathen, Baalam or his Aſſe, deliuer it) we muſt rather conſider quid dicatur, quam quis loquatur, what is ſaid, then who ſaith it; yet in veritate diuina, in diuine truth, which is aboue mans reaſon, and is beleeued becauſe it is ſo deliuered in the ſcripture, which we accept for the word of God, becauſe we cannot euer iudge, quid dicatur what is ſaid, we muſt eſpecially conſider quis loquatur, who ſaith it; whether it be the diuell which ſaith ſcriptum eſt, it is written,Math. 4. as he did to our Sauiour,Math. 4. or ſome Atheiſt, or ſome Hereticke, or ſome Schiſmaticke, &c. or whether it be our Sauiour Chriſt, or his true Church, or ſome found member of his Church.

Aug. de vtilit. Cred. cap. 11. For as S. Auſtin ſaith, Quod aliquid intelligimus rationi, quod credimus authoritati debemus, Though we owe all things, both knowledge, and beliefe vnto God primariò, yet as to his meanes and inſtruments we are indebted to reaſon, for that that we know, and to authoritie, for that we beleeue.Orig. Hom. 31. in Luc. And therefore S. Origen giues this obſeruable rule, Si quando teſtimonia de ſcriptura audieris, vide ne ſtatim loquenti acquieſcas, ſed conſidera illum cuius ſit, ac cuius ſententiae, cuius ſit voluntatis. When you heare one ſay ſcriptum eſt, it is written, beleeue him not therefore in that which he ſaith, but conſider who it is that ſpeaketh it, of what opinion he is, whether an hereticke or no, of what minde or affection he be, whether a ſchiſmaticke or no; for if he diſſemble that which he is not, and being infected with the poiſon of hereſie or ſchiſme, a wolfe do lurke vnder a ſheepes skin; then the deuill in him ſaith ſcriptum eſt, the ſcriptures do nothing belong vnto him.

Aug. tract. 18. ſuper Ioan.For as hereſies haue their beginning by occaſion of ſcripture not well vnderſtoode, Quia ſcripturae bonae intelliguntur non benè, as S. Auſtin ſaith, ſo the practiſe of hereticks is per verba legis legem impugnare, by the words of ſcripture to ouerthrow the ſcripture,Ambroſ. ſuper 3. ad Tit. Ambr. ſuper 3. ad Titum, & proprium ſenſum verbis aſtruere legis, to build their own opinions vpon the words or text of the law. And this verball alledging of the ſcripture is that ſheepes skin wherewith wolues be clothed, ſaith Vincent. Lirin. Quid eſt veſtitus ouium, Vincent. Lirin. cap. 36. niſi prophetarum & apoſtolorum proloquia? What is the ſheepes clothing but the ſayings of the Prophets and Apoſtles? and, Qui ſunt lupi rapaces, niſi ſenſus haereticorum feri & rabidi, and what be theſe rauening wolues, but the wilde and vnnaturall interpretations of hereticks? And when our Sauiour charged the Saduces that they erred, not knowing the ſcriptures, it was not that they were ignorant of the letter of the ſcripture, at leaſt of ſo much as they acknowledged for ſcripture, but becauſe they knew not the ſenſe, and meaning of it:Ioſeph. Antiq. lib. 13. cap. 18. for Ioſephus ſaith of them, that they read the ſcriptures, and the ſcriptures only, and reiected all manner Phariſaicall traditions.

Wherefore ſeeing many ſay, It is written, with our Sauiour, and yet neuertheleſſe are deceiued themſelues, and deceiue others, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ,Math. 22. not knowing the ſenſe of them, as the Saduces were: and others 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , do maliciouſly wreſt them,2. Pet. 3. as S. Peter ſaith ſome did S. Paules Epiſtles, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to their owne deſtruction, and to the deſtruction of other their auditors and followers: though there be nothing ſo certaine and authenticall as the holy ſcriptures, if we be ſure quid dicatur, what is the true ſenſe and meaning of them, yet there is nothing ſo dangerous, if being not able to iudge our ſelues, we do not conſider quis loquatur, who it is that doth alledge them. But now let vs conſider what that is which our Sauiour ſaith is written in the ſcriptures.

My houſe ſhall be called the houſe of prayer, but you haue made it a denne of theeues. The words of Eſay implie, whoſe houſe this Temple was, Gods houſe: and ſecondly, the end or vſe, why it was built, to pray in. The words of Ieremy implie the abuſe of it, that of Gods houſe, it was become an houſe for theeues: and where it was ordained to pray in, they had made it a denne to lurke in, and ſo ſafely to commit any robbery, or ſacriledge.

It is moſt certaine, that God who is the Lord and creator of all things, hath reſerued to himſelfe a part or portion in all things, not that he hath neede of them, but in recognitionem, that all things that are haue proceeded from him: and that he is the moſt high and abſolute Lord ouer them all: and therefore though he be king of kings, and Lord of lords, and ſo by conſequent of all people and nations in the world, yet he hath reſerued an eſpeciall portion of men to himſelf, which he calleth his people: though he be infinite, and comprehended in no place, yet he will haue ſome particular place whither this his people may reſort to ſerue him, which he calleth his houſe, his place, his habitation:Dan. 7.10. though thouſands of angels miniſter vnto him, and ten thouſand thouſand ſtand before him, yet he hath among men alſo appointed ſome to his proper ſeruice in this his houſe,Numb. 3.11. and thoſe he calles his Prieſts, his Miniſters: though he be a ſpirit, and hath no neede of theſe corporall things, yet he challengeth a part or portion in all things for the furniſhing of this his houſe, and maintenance of theſe his ſeruants: which he calleth his part, his portion, his tithes, his offerings: though he be eternall, and before all times, yet he hath reſerued ſome times & ſome dayes as proper to him, wherein his people ſhould reſort to his houſe to ſerue him, which he calleth his feaſts, his Sabbothes. Heere mention is made of his houſe only, and therefore of that I will frame my ſpeech, and ſome certaine circumſtances belonging vnto it.

It is moſt manifeſt that God who is comprehended in no place, hath had notwithſtanding ſome place alotted to him euer ſince the beginning of the world, and therefore ſome very learned men haue affirmed, that Adam euen in Paradiſe had a certaine place where to preſent himſelfe before the Lord, that place where God walked and called him to him,Gen. 3.8. Gen. 4.3.4. Gen. 3.8. and certaine Hebrew interpreters conclude out of the 4. of Gen. ver. 3.4. that Caine and Abell did bring their ſacrifices, adduxerunt ſacrificia ſua (for ſo the word imports) to their father Adam, who was then the Prieſt, that he might offer them in the place which the Lord appointed for that purpoſe. In that place where God appeared vnto Abraham, becauſe that place was holy there he built an altar, Gen. 12. ver. 7.Gen. 12.7. And whē God commaunded Abraham to offer his ſonne Iſaak, he appointed him the place where it ſhould be done, on a mountaine; and there Abraham built an altar alſo, Gen. 22.Gen. 22. and this was the place where afterward the temple of Salomon was built, 2. Chro. 3. And whē Rebecka felt the children ſtriue,2. Chro. 3. Gen. 25.22. ſhe went to aske the Lord; no doubt to ſome place where he vſed to giue them anſwere; the interlineall gloſſe ſaith, to the place where Abraham built his altar. Iacob according to the diuers places he dwelt in, had diuers places to ſerue God in, and there erected diuers altars; and the occaſion that God tooke to deliuer the children of Iſraell out of the Aegyptian bondage, was, that they might go to a certaine place to ſerue him, and offer ſacrifice to him: we pray thee let them go three dayes iourney in the deſert there to ſacrifice vnto God, ſaid Moyſes and Aaron vnto Pharaoh, Exod. 5.Exod. 5. and the place which God appointed was mount Sinai, Exo. 19. In the deſart there was a tabernacle, which Lira calleth tabernaculum paruum, the little tabernacle, Exod. 19. Lira ſuper Exod. 16. Exod. 33. in compariſon of the great tabernacle, Exod. 33. whither Aaron commaunded the people to come into the preſence of the Lord,Exod. 16.9. Exo. 16.9. and whither Moyſes brought Iethro to heare all the wonders which God had done for them, and to offer ſacrifice vnto God,Exod. 18. Exod. 26. Exod. 18. In the 26. of Exod. charge was giuen to make that great tabernacle, a moueable tabernacle, which ſhould continue for the houſe of God, till they had ſome ſetled habitation: finally when their eſtate was ſetled, God choſe Ieruſalem for the place, and in Ieruſalem mount Moriah, to build this temple in, this houſe of God, which heere is mentioned.

All theſe places howſoeuer otherwiſe called, were yet domus dei, Gods houſes, bicauſe there eſpecially he affoorded his preſence: And therefore when Caine ſtoode (as I may ſay) excommunicated, for murdering his brother, and might not come into the place appointed for the ſeruice of God, he was ſaid to be fugatus à praeſentia domini, caſt out from the preſence of the Lord,Gen. 4. Ionas. 1.3. Gen. 4. and when Ionas was ſaid to haue fled frō the preſence of the Lord, Aben Ezra ſaith that he fled frō that place, where the Prophets ſtoode, and offered themſelues to be ſent of God, when he ſhould commaund them: and when it is ſaid that Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord, it is meant that they died before the altar of the Lord, Numb. 3.4. and when any thing was ſaid to be done before the Arke,Ioſua. 24. 1. Sam. 21. as Ioſua 24. or before the tabernacle 1. Sam. 21. or in the temple, it was ſaid to be done coram domino, or ad dominum, before the Lord, or in the preſence of the Lord.

Now as before the law and vnder the law God had euer his peculiar, and proper places to be worſhipped in, which therefore were called by his name, Gods Temple, Gods tabernacle, Gods houſe: ſo after the law and vnder the Goſpell, aſſoone as euer Kings and Queenes became nurſes of Chriſtianitie, and profeſſors of religion, there were peculiar places conſecrated to the ſeruice of God, which now alſo are called Gods houſes, domus Dei, both becauſe they are conſecrated to him, and becauſe there we performe holy and diuine miniſteries to him, and becauſe that place being accepted of him for the place of his preſence and habitation amongſt men, plus perticipat operationis & gratiae Dei. Damaſ. Orth. fid. lib. 1.Damaſ. orth. fid. lib. 1. cap. 16. cap. 16. and in them doth diſpenſe vnto vs by his holy myſteries his manifold bleſſings. And as thoſe houſes, and eſpecially that houſe we here ſpeake of was renowmed aboue the palaces of the greateſt Princes, for a double furniture; a liuing furniture, and a dead furniture; that is, with multitudes of people, and with rich, and ſumptuous ornaments, great treaſures and large reuenewes; and therfore found two ſorts of enemies, one that would rob it of the people; another that would ſpoile it of the riches and reuennewes: ſo the houſe of God vnder Chriſtianitie, hath excelled magnitudine & pulchritudine aedificiorum, Chryſ. Hom. 66, ad pop. Ant. & quod maius est conuenientium studio: that is, hath thoſe two kinde of furnitures and thoſe two kindes of enemies, which do rob it of the one and the other.

That great ſchiſmaticke Ieroboam made a ſchiſme or rente in the church of God,3. Reg. 12. that ſo he might continue the rent or ſchiſme which he made in the kingdome; and the meanes which he vſed to make this rente, was to prohibite ten tribes of the twelue to goe vp, and doe ſacrifice in the houſe of the Lord, 3. Reg. 12. which were bound by the law to ſhewe themſelues certaine times in the yeere at this houſe of God which was at Ieruſalem: and the ſpeeche which he made to perſwade them was this: Viri populares, Ioſeph. Antiqu lib. 8. cap. 3. notum vobis existimo, quod nullus locus Deo est vacuus, & quod is nullo certo loco includitur, ſed vbique vota exaudit, vbique cultores ſuos reſpicit, &c. My good people and friendes ſaith he, I doubt not but you know, that no place is without God, & that no place doth containe God, but whereſoeuer we pray he can heare vs, and whereſoeuer we ſerue him he can ſee vs, &c. and by theſe and like ſpeeches withdrew the people from the ſeruice of God in his houſe at Ieruſalem, and builded altars which ſerued for idolatrie, and robbed the church of this firſt kinde of furniture.

Thus alſo many ſchiſmaticks and heretikes, and ſuch politicians as Ieroboam was, ſince the comming of our Sauiour Chriſt hath endeuoured to rob his churches, of this ſpeciall ornament of the multitude of people (for the multitude of the people is the glorie of the King Prouerbs 14.Prou. 14. (that is gloria Christi ſaith the interlineall gloſſe) either to make rents and rebellions in kingdomes or ſchiſmes and deuiſions in the houſe of God. Of theſe politicians this latter age hath too much experience:

Damaſ. haereſ. 80.

Concil. Gangrenſ. circa annum 328.

and Damaſcen telleth vs of Maſsilians which to other hereſies did adde Templorum contemptum, the contempt of Churches: and in Gangrenſi Concilio there is mention made of one Euſtathius, who ſaid, Templa Dei nullius est vtilitatis, that there was no vſe of Churches, and the Petrobruſiani laughed and ſcoffed at Churches: and others there were called Pſeudo-apostoli, who affirmed Eccleſiam non plus valere ad orandum, quam ſtabulum porcorum, that a church was of no more vſe for prayer, then a ſtable or hogſtie: As alſo many in theſe dayes who accompt of them but as of temples of Baal, and ſynagogues of Idolatrie: vſing the ſame reaſons that Ieroboam did, and ſome texts of ſcriptures, miſunderſtoode, or not well applied: and thus woulde robbe the Church of God, of the beſt kinde of furniture, to mainteyne and inlarge their owne priuate conuenticles.

For that other kind of furniture it is moſt certaine that as no Church or Temple was renowmed more for the liuing furniture, for the multitudes of people that reſorted thither; ſo no Church in the world was more renowmed for the ornaments, riches and reuenewes that belonged to it: for although God be a ſpirit, yet he will not be worſhipped in ſpirit onely; but in bodie alſo, glorifie God in bodie & in ſpirit. 1. Cor. 6. 1. Cor. 6. and the reaſon that he alleadgeth is this onely, for they are his: Now if this be a good reaſon why we ſhould honor God, who is a ſpirit, both with ſpirite and bodie becauſe they be his, by the ſame reaſon we muſt honor God, with our time, with our richeſſe and ſubſtance, for they alſo are his. And that reaſon which Saint Paule vſeth vnder the Goſpell why we ſhould honor God with our body; the Prophet Dauid vnder the lawe vſed why he would honor him with his ſubſtance: and therefore vſeth this reaſon of his great gift toward the building and furniſhing of the Temple: for all things come of thee, 1. Chro. 29.14 1. Chro. 29.14.

Now as there was neuer any nation that acknowledged a God, which did not honor him in their Temples, with ſome part of their beſt riches and ſubſtance: ſo eſpecially the people of God, aſſoone as they had a certaine place, though mooueable, as was the tabernacle; or a place certaine vnmooueable as was this Temple, they offered vp to him, as a ſigne that they held of him in capite, ſome good part of their beſt riches, and iewels, to adorne his houſe withall: to the making and furniſhing of the tabernacle they brought gold, ſiluer, braſſe, blew ſilk, purple, ſcarlet, fine linnen, goates haire, rich skins, Schittim wood, oyle, ſpices, Onyx ſtones, and ſtones for the Ephod.Exod. 25. & 35 And leaſt you ſhould thinke it to proceed from a kind of ſuperſtition or ſuperfluitie, you ſhall vnderſtand that it was done by the commandement of God; for Moyſes ſaith to the congregation that God cōmanded an offering to be taken from amongſt you vnto the Lord, Exod. 35.4.Exod. 35.4. & yet leaſt you ſhould thinke it not done of deuotiō but of neceſſity, none might giue but he that was vltroneus, Exod. 25.Exod. 25. Exod. 35. volūtarius & prōpti animi, Exo. 35. he that was of a free & willing hart.

To the making and furniſhing of the Temple, K. Dauid gaue of his owne, 3000. talents of gold,1. Chro. 29.4. and 7000. talents ſiluer, beſides braſſe, iron, wood, Onyx ſtones, & Carbuncle ſtones of diuers colour, and all pretious ſtones, and marble, in great abundance: and perſwaded them that were of abilitie to do thereafter; ſo that the Princes of the families beſides all other neceſſaries gaue 5000. talents of gold, and 10000. talents of ſiluer, and 18000. talents of braſſe,Ibid. & an hundred thouſand talents of iron, &c. beſides all that which Solomon prouided. And as the tabernacle was made by the commaundement by God, ſo was this Temple; for Dauid ſaith, that he had the frame of it, and the patterne ſent to him by writing by the hand of the Lord. 1.1. Chro. 28.19. Chro. 28.19. and both Dauid and his people offered their gifts willingly and with a perfit hart and with reioycing Ibid. cap. 29. as did they that made the tabernacle.Ibid. cap. 29. The like might be ſaid of the ſecond temple if the time would ſerue.

Now that you may knowe how acceptable vnto God this kinde of ſeruice is, of building his houſes and furniſhing them in moſt ſumptuous manner; you ſhall obſerue, (and it woorth the obſeruing) that after Dauid had determined with himſelfe to build the Temple, and not before, God promiſed to eſtabliſh the kingdome to his ſeed. 2. Samuel. 7.2. Sam. 7. Pſal. 132. which Dauid ſeemeth alſo to note himſelfe in the Pſal. where after he had mētioned his loue to Gods houſe, he noteth the loue of God to his houſe, & his promiſe to ſet the fruit of his body vpō his throne: Secondly, although Dauid had many ſonnes,2. Reg. 3. 1. Chro. 3. which are named in the 2. Reg. 3. Amnon, Chileab, Abſolon, Adoniah, Shephatiah, Ithream: yet to none of theſe was the kingdome promiſed after him, but to Solomon who was borne after his good intent of building Gods houſe. Thirdly, though God promiſed many bleſſings to Solomon when he craued wiſedome, as richeſſe, glory, long life, &c. yet he neuer promiſed that his ſeede ſhould raigne after him till ſuch time as he had finiſhed the houſe of God.1. Reg. 9. 1. Reg. 9. but then he ſaid, thou ſhalt not want a man vpon the throwen of Iſrael. Fourthly, when the Temple was reedified by Nehemiah and others in moſt ſumptuous manner,Zach. 6. God commanded two crownes to be made Zach. 6. with the names of the chiefe benefactors engraued in them, and cauſed them to be placed in the Temple, for a perpetuall memory and moſt honorable teſtimony to all poſterity of their zeale & liberalitie towards the houſe of God.

And this kinde of furniture was not proper to Gods houſe vnder the law onely, but likewiſe vnder the goſpell; for as Eſayas propheſie was fulfilled vnder chriſtianity, Domus meae, domus orationis vocabitur cunctis gentibus; that Gods houſe ſhould be the houſe of praier to all nations,Eſay. 56. and the houſe of praier ſhould be likewiſe Gods houſe: ſo it ſhould ſeem that Dauids wiſh or prayer reached euen to vs that were after the law, who deſired of God that he would keepe for euer this voluntarie bountie, and liberalitie in furniſhing Gods houſe, in the purpoſe and the thoughts of the harts of his people. And therefore aſſoone as God gaue encreaſe to his Church, oratories were built; and aſſoone as God rayſed vp Kings and Princes which fauoured the Chriſtian truth and religion,1. Chro. 29.18. no coſt was ſpared to furniſh the Churches, which alſo were builded with royall magnificence: Al which the ancient fathers of the Church the chiefe pillers and lights of the goſpell after the Apoſtles, iudged as acceptable vnto God, as the making and furniſhing of the tabernacle, or Solomons Temple; and therefore Euſebius noteth the great ioie which the Chriſtians conceiued when Constantine builte thoſe magnificent Churches and furniſhed them to be laetitia diuino munere infuſa, a ioy whereof God was the author,Euſ. eccle. hiſt. lib. 9. cap. 10. ex verſ. ruff. Cyril. chare. 12. not proceeding from vanitie or ſuperſtition. Cyrillus Biſhop of Ieruſalem ſaieth that the Kings in his time did adorne the Churches with ſiluer and gold, &c. pietatis ergô, in holynes and deuotion. Tertullian calleth thoſe voluntary donations depoſita pietatis, Tertul. apologet. pledges and teſtimonies of religion, pietie and deuotion.Orat. 1. contra Iulian. Greg. Nazian. ſaieth, that the coſt which Gallus, Iulianus brother beſtowed vpon the Church which he built, was acceptable to God, euen as Abels ſacrifice. Saint August. ſaith,Auguſt. ſuper Pſal. 113. con. 2. that the veſſels of golde and ſiluer which were vſed in the celebration of the ſacraments, were Sancta, holy, and conſecrated to his honor, cui pro ſalute nostra inde ſeruitur: And thus you ſee, that this houſe of God, both by Gods appointment, and to his great good liking, hath euer beene adorned with this rich furniture.

But as there haue beene many ſorts of theeues and robbers, hereticks, ſchiſmaticks, and politicians, which would rob God of that liuing furniture of the multitude of people; ſo are there and euer haue beene many Atheiſtes and irreligious Iulianiſts, which haue beene readie to rifle his houſe of this other furniture, to ſpoile the Church of the ornaments and all other riches, landes, and reuenewes which were giuen vnto God to maintaine his houſe, and his houſhold withall: for it hath beene as true a rule in Gods houſe as in the dwellings of men, Difficilis magni custodia cenſus, where riches are theeues will reſort. Thus the firſt Temple builded by Salomon was deſtroyed by Nabucodonozor, and the riches and furnitue carried to Babylon, and afterward fouly abuſed, and prophaned by Baltazar. The ſecond Temple being alſo admirable for the fabricke and the riches of it, though inferiour to the former, was aſſaulted by Antiochus, by Heliodorus, by Pompey, by Craſsus, and ſome Roman Emperours: and of late yeeres in Chriſtianitie what ſo common as ſacriledge and robbing and ſpoyling of God in his houſe, and his houſehold? ſo that where heretofore they complayned thus, Eccleſias Chriſti quas conſtruxere parentes, Sternere nituntur nati pietate carentes: They haue now brought their deſire to the iſſue, ſo that in countrey Villages Caneſcunt turpi templa relicta ſitu. Ouid. The Churches are almoſt become that, which thoſe heretikes pſeudoa poſtoli likened them vnto, little better then hog-ſtyes; for the beſt preparation at any high feaſt is a little freſh ſtraw vnder their feete, the ordinary allowance for ſwine in their ſtye, or at the beſt Domus opportuna volucrum, (that which God threatned as a plague to Babylon) a cage of vncleane and hatefull birds: Apoc. 18. and in cities and boroughes they are not like the Palaces of Princes as they were in the primitiue church, regijs aulis clariora, Chry. Hom. 66. ad pop. Ant. but like a countrey hall, faire whitelimed, or a citizens parlour, at the beſt well wainſcotted; as though we were rather Platoniſts then Chriſtians, who would neither haue gold nor ſiluer in their churches becauſe it was Inuidioſa res, and gaue occaſion to ſacriledge; nor Iuorie that was taken from the bodie of a dead beaſt, becauſe that was Oblatio minimè ſancta, a prophane offering; nor iron nor braſſe, becauſe they were Inſtrumenta bellorum, inſtruments for warre: but Lapides & ligna dicato qui velit, publiciſ que templis offerto: but if any mā would dedicate wood or ſtones,Theodor. ſerm. dedijs & Angelis. ex Pla. or ſuch baſe ſtuffe, it was lawful to do it: Theod. alledgeth it out of Plato.

For the allowance which we make vnto God to maintaine his family, is thin and bare, in quantum ſitis, Iuuen. ſat. 14. at que fames, & frigor a poſcunt: after the rate of a cup of cold water, and a peece of bread, which ſhall be rewarded as our Sauiour ſaith at the day of iudgement, but to ſuch as are able to giue no more: after the rate of a frize coat, or a flannell waſtcote, which Dionyſius thought warme enough for winter, and cold enough for ſommer: after the rate of a Stoicks dinner, or Philoſophers breakfaſt: after the rate of Elias diet in the deſart, or Daniels in the Lions denne. And the allowance which we make God in his houſe in our Churches, is that which Conſtituta diualia permiſerunt Iudaeis, that which the conſtitutions of the chriſtian Emperours allowed to the Iewes in their ſynagogues: that is, Tegumen parietibus imponere, Caſsiod. lib. 2. epiſt. 27. bare walles, and a couer vpon it to keepe vs from rayne: Nec aliquid ornatus fas ſit adijcere, neither is it lawfull to adde any ornament, as was ſaid to the Iewes, except perchance a cuſhion and a waineſcot ſeate, for ones owne eaſe and credite. But where the firſt good chriſtian Emperours ſaid,Eſay. 9.10. that of Eſay 9. ver. 10. Lateres ceciderunt, lapide caeſo extruemus, the oratories which were built in the poorer times of chriſtianitie, are decayed, but we will make them baſilica, goodly & ſtately Churches, beiond the pallaces of the greateſt monarches: we that are the children, ſay with Iudas Iſcarioth, that the magnificence of churches is but a vaine coſt; we will take the hewen ſtone to build our houſes, a houſe of bricke will ſerue for God; the Cedars are fit for princes pallaces, a roofe of wilde fig trees will ſerue for a church: neither conſidering with the good father Tertull. that pietas eſt pro pietate ſumptus facere, Tertull. apol. 39. Godlineſſe to be at coſt with God; nor with Theodoricus, that it ſhould be the purpoſe of a good chriſtian, Noua conſtruere, ſed amplius vetuſta ſeruare. Caſsiod. lib. 3.Caſsiod. lib. 3. epiſt. 9. epiſt. 9. to giue ſomewhat himſelfe, but eſpecially to maintaine that which is giuen by others.

Let no man thinke that heares me this day, that this zeale for the houſe of God is any ſpice of ſuperſtition, but a very religious affectiō, inherent to nature, and true chriſtianitie, though now for the moſt part blotted out by irreligion and auarice: for you haue heard that God hath had his proper place and proper houſe at all times among his people; you haue heard how his tabernacle was furniſhed by his ſpeciall appointment; how the temple was adorned by the meanes of Dauid and Salomon his choſen ſeruants, and choſen alſo for that purpoſe; and againe reedified and reſtored againe to his former beawtie, & magnificence as neere as could be, by Nehemiah and others: you haue heard that as ſoone as Emperours and Kings were Chriſtians, they ſpent their time, and their ſubſtance in building & adorning the houſes of God, without feare or regard that their actions might be accompted ſuperſtition or Iudaiſme.

You haue heard that it is not a ceremoniall obſeruation of the old lawe, which were ſaid to be in reſpect of themſelues ſine ratione, without reaſon, & In quantum vel aliquid figurabatur vel excludebatur. Tho. 12. q. 102. art. 1. habere rationē in ordine ad aliud, and to depend only vpon ſomewhat elſe; but as it were a conſtitution in nature, holding one and the ſame reaſon, vnder the Law and vnder the Goſpell. And therefore the moſt learned fathers of thoſe times reaſoned thus, and no doubt ſubſtantially,De conſecrat. diſt. 1. Tabernaculum. Si Iudaei qui vmbris legis deſeruiebant, haec faciebant, multò magis nos, quibus veritas patefacta eſt, & gratia per Ieſum Chriſtum data eſt, templa domino aedificare, & prout melius poſſumus ornare debemus, &c. If the Iewes vvho liued vnder the ſhadow of the lawe did theſe things; much more vve, to vvhome the truth is diſcouered, and ſaluation imparted by Ieſus Chriſt, muſt build Churches to God, and richly adorne them to our habilitie, &c. And if this were good arguing, our is yet better, and may deliuer vs from all ſuſpition of poperie: If the Iewes vnder the lawe did theſe things, and the beſt Chriſtians in the primitiue Church did the like alſo, the antiquitie and vniuerſalitie in the Church of God will defend vs, in reſtoring theſe ruines, from ſuſpition of innouation or ſuperſtition.

Moſt true it is, that as the deuotion of the people of God towards the making of the Tabernacle and the furniſhing of it did abound, nay ſo far exceede meaſure, that the wiſe men that wrought the worke were forced to cry vnto Moyſes, Exod. 36. Plus offert populus quam neceſſarium eſt: the people bring too much, and more then enough for the vſe of the worke: whereupon Moyſes made this proclamation throughout the hoſt, Nec vir nec mulier quicquam vltra offerat in opere ſanctuarij: Let neither man nor woman giue any more to the worke of the Sanctuary. So in the time of Popery, the deuotion of the people and the Princes was ſuch towards the building of Gods houſe, the furniſhing of it, the maintenance of his ſeruants both in goods and in lands, that it did riſe and aſcend vltra neceſsitatem (it is Lyraes note vpō that place) to more then vvas neceſſarie, Lira ſuper 36 Exod. Imo contra vtilitatem, nay to more then vvas profitable: For many abuſed the riches of the Church to worldly pompe and the enriching of their friends and kindred, to omit other abuſes which may not be named; ſo that there wanted onely a Moyſes to make a proclamation, Nec vir nec mulier quicquam vltra offerat, let neither man nor vvomā offer any more, and to ſet a ſtint to the peoples deuotiō, eſpecially in thoſe places which had enough. But the horſeleach had two daughters in the Clergie, inordinate deſire of their owne greatnes, and inordinate affectiō to their friends and kindred, which ſtill cryed Affer, Affer, bring, bring, giue giue: and if that would not ſerue, would take it by force or elſe by guile, which made S. Greg. intend a decree for a meaſure or rate,Hugo Card. ſuper 36. Exod. Aug. ſuper 36. Exod. in thoſe kinde of offerings, as Hugo Card. notes vpon the 36. of Exod.

S. Auſtine vpon that place of Exod. giues this note, that as thoſe workemen were wiſe, that ſaid vnto Moyſes, Plus offert populus quàm neceſſarium eſt: the people offer more then ynough to the worke: ſo they were alſo Sancti moribus, holy and virtuous in their behauiour; for they might, ſaith he, haue ſuffered the people to giue more then enough, and thēſelues haue ſecretly conuaied it away, ſed modeſtia prohibuit, vel religio terruit, but modeſty reſtrained them, or religion terrified them.

But where is now this modeſtie, this religion: where is this good nature; this religious feare? God required much of vs, the people brought more, Adeo vt oblata ſufficerent, Exod. 36. & ſuperabundarent, ſo that the gifts vvere ſufficient, and too much for the worke, Exod. 36. the lawes of Mortmaine &c. prouided it ſhould not be lawfull for a man to do what he would with his owne, & ſic ceſſatum eſt a muneribus offerendis, and ſo the people were ſtayed from offring. Ib. But had it ſtaid there it had bin well: had the ſuperaboundance bin imployed to good holy vſes, the intent of the Donors had not bin made fruſtrate, nor God had bin robbed of that which was his: but the horſeleach had two other daughters among the laietie, Auaritia, & luxuria, couetouſnes, and riotouſnes, which haue cryed ſo long Aufer, Aufer take away, take away, that they haue not only remoued the ſuperaboundance from the ſtorehouſe or treaſurie of God, but left neither bread nor meate in his houſe, Malac. 3.10.Mala. 3.10. and though our Moyſes cry neuer ſo loude by proclamation & ſtatute, Nec vir nec mulier vltrà auferat; let neither man nor woman purloine any more: yet non ceſſatum eſt a muneribus auferendis: neither man nor vvoman ceaſſe frō the ſpoile: ſcarſe any abſtaineth from that vvhich is Gods.

It is an old complaint, that the houſes of Biſhops and other ſeruāts of God were giuen Militibus, Sagittarijs, balistarijs contra ius & fas habitandas, To be inhabited of ſouldiers and archers &c. againſt law and right: Epiſt. 221. it was S. Bern. complaint to Lewis the King of Fraunce. It is an old complaint that the houſe of God domus orationis, efficitur ſtabulum pecoris aut opilionis aut lanificij officina: ſhould be a ſtable, a ſheepecote, or a ſtorehouſe for wooll, &c. It was the complaint of Iohan. Sariſ. Policrat. lib. 7.Policrat. lib. 7. cap. 21. ca. 21. It is an olde complaint that churches ſhould be robbed of their riches and plate; and that they ſhould make to themſelues Camiſias & faemoralia, ſhirts, breeches, cuſhions, &c. of the richeſt robes and furniture there.Vict. Vticen. in hiſt. Vand. lib. 1. Vict. Vticen. in hiſt. Vandalor. li. 1. It is an old complaint that the children ſhould plow vp their fathers ſepulchers, and there ſow their corne where their fathers were buried;Suydas. which Suydas calleth, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to remoue thoſe things which ſhould not be remoued: and Auguſtus in a meriment ſaid to Vectius, that it was verè patris memorias colere, ieſting vpon the ambiguitie of the word Colere. It is an old complaint that the Church was giuē In direptionem, alijs clàm, alijs palam occupantibus eā, &c. to be ſpoiled of euery mā by might or by ſleight, Policrat. lib. 7. ca. 17.Policrat. lib. 7. cap. 17. It is an old complaint that munus bene meriti, the reward of good ſeruice to the cōmon welth, ſhould be diſpendium innocētis, the Churches dommage, or vtter vndoing, Caſs. lib. 7. epiſt. 7. Caſsi. lib. 7. epiſt. 17. It is an old complaint that Princes treaſures were rather augmented Sacerdotum damnis, quàm hoſtiū ſpolijs: With the harmes of the Prieſts, then with the ſpoile of the enemy, Symm. lib. 10. epiſt. 54. Symma. lib. 10. epiſt. 54. And it was Luthers complaint, that in his time the way to preferment, was to be witty and cunning in finding new ſleights to impoueriſh the Clergie.Luth. tom. 3. pag. 133. Luth tom. 3. pag. 133. All theſe are old complaints, to complaine of them were now too late. We complaine now, that where in times paſt the goods of the Church were Gods goods, and therefore res nullius, no man had right or intereſt in them; now they be res nullius, and therefore occupantis, his that can catch them: or elſe we complaine, that whereas heretofore they were Gods goods, and therefore res nullius, now they are res nullae, nothing at all, as Rachel complained of her children, not that they were ſick,Math. 2. but that they were not, and that was a pitiful complaint as the Euangeliſt noteth: And if we may ſay with the ſober maide in Plautus to her father,Plaut. in Perſ. res noſtrae ſunt pater pauperculae, ſomewhat vve haue, though very little; yet we complaine of this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as Luther calles it, this inſatiable hunger of that generation that the Wiſe man ſpeakes of Prou. 30.Prou. 30. that will not be ſatiſfied with the fat of ſo many Monaſteries, Biſhopricks, and impropriations; but haue teeth like ſwords, and iawes like kniues, to deuoure that little which is left to God.

But beloued Chriſtians, take heed of this ſinne and this affection, for it is ſo odious and diſpleaſing to God, that it is an old rule, voluntas ſola quoad eccleſiam punitur, Diſt. 19. Anaſtaſius. a ſacrilegious intent ſhall not eſcape without puniſhment: but for the action what ſtorie ſo auncient, but it yeeldes vs an inſtance? what heathen in puris naturalibus but tooke notice of it?Carul. lib. 5. cap. 104. no man of reading and obſeruation but he may ſay with Carolus Magnus. in Capitul. Carul. lib. 7. ca. 104. Nouimus multa regna & reges eorum propterea cecidiſſe, quia eccleſias ſpoliauerunt reſque earum vaſtauerunt, alienarunt, vel deripuerunt, &c. we haue knowne many Kings and kingdomes vtterly deſtroyed, becauſe they haue ſpoiled and waſted the houſes of God, &c. Shall I tel you that the heathen obſerued it? Virgill notes that the Graecians offered violence to the Temple of Pallas; Corripuere ſacram effigiem,Virg. Aeneid. 2. manibuſque cruentis

Virgineas auſidiuae contingere vittas. Wherupon he infers this note in particular, which Carolus gaue more generally; Ex illo fluere & retro ſublapſa referri

Spes Danaum. Aug. de ciu. Dei lib. 1. More of theſe matters you may find in Saint Auſtins booke de ciu. Dei. 1. Shall I tell you of the Temple of God built by Solomon? Ieroboam and the reſt of the Kings of Iſraell after him, withheld the people from comming vp to the Temple and offring yeerly vnto God, and thereby withheld a great part of thoſe tithes and oblations which were due vnto God. You ſhall finde if you obſerue it, that whereas in the kingdome of Iudah the family of Dauid reigned ſucceſſiuely: there were nine changes, and nine ſundrie families that reigned in Iſraell: and that the kingdome of Iſraell continued in no one familie, aboue fower generations: which terme ſeemeth to be the time limited by God, for the extirpation of the iſſue of wicked men. Nabuchodonozor according to the will of God for the ſinnes of the people, carryed them captiue, and togither with them the riches of the Temple and the veſſels thereof; and he eſcaped not puniſhment, as you all know; but he kept them ſo that they might haue beene vſed againe, if occaſion had ſerued. But when Balthaſar abuſed them to prophane vſes, then appeared the writing vpon the wall,Dan. 5. mene, tekel, Phares, and the kingdome was cut off from him, and his poſterity for euer. Shall I tell you of the ſecond Temple? Antiochus died miſerablie, and at his death confeſſed his ſinne of ſacriledge, that he had taken veſſels of gold and ſiluer from the Church of Ieruſalem.1. Mac. 6. 1. Mac. 6. Heliodorus was ſent to rob the Temple of the riches thereof; and there appeared two men from heauen, which whipped him continually, ſo that he lay downe in the Temple deſtitute of all help, til at the requeſt of the ſouldiers the Prieſt prayed for him.2. Mac. 3. 2. Mac. 3. Pompey noted by Tully and Liuy for one of the moſt fortunate men in the world, after he had abuſed the Temple of Ieruſalem,Ioſephus. had continually vnhappy ſucceſſe and died miſerably. The like is obſerued of Marcus Craſſus for the ſame reaſon by the ſame author.

But perchance you imagine that God was the God of the Iewes, and not of the Chriſtians, and was zelous ouer his houſe and his houſhold vnder the law; but careles of his ſeruice and ſeruants vnder the goſpel. Firſt this is a rule which we learne of him pro menſura delicti, Deut. 25. erit plagarum modus, as the treſpaſſe is, ſuch is the puniſhment: and therefore both in the law of God and man, by the quantitie of the puniſhment, we iudge of the qualitie of an offence. Now what ſinne ſo ſeuerely puniſhed euen in the Apoſtles time as this was. Before any Church was built vnto Chriſt, before any law commaunded to giue to the Church,Acts. 4. when Ananias and Saphira withheld ſecretly parte of that which voluntarily they had giuen vnto God for the vſe of his ſeruants, they were puniſhed ſeuerely with ſudden death. Acts. 4. Preſently after the Church was endowed and adorned with riches and pretious furniture, Iulian was wounded to death with an arrow from heauen when he had robbed the Churches, and ſcoffingly ſaide, Ecce quam pretioſis vaſis miniſtratur Mariae filio. Theodor. hiſt. eccleſ. lib. 3. c. 11. Are theſe veſſelles fitte for the ſonne of Marie? Theodor. lib. 3. cap. 11. And when Thimelicus a dauncer, had bought by chaunce ſome holy veſtement, and abuſed it publickly in the open theater;Theodor. hiſt. eccl. lib. 5. ca. 37. Theodoret affirmes him Subitò expiraſſe: in that very place to haue giuen vp the ghoſt. I paſſe ouer multitudes of exāples in the primitiue church; as alſo Frederick the ſecond of latter times, and Philippe Maria, and leaue to your wiſe and religious conſideration the ſucceſſe of ſuch men, as haue been vſed as inſtruments to ouerthrow the Church in theſe later times of freſher memory.

If they which carrie the like affection, and ceaſe not to practiſe the like ill actions to their abilitie,Iob. 21. ducunt in bonis dies ſuos, ſpend their daies in wealth, and their ſeed ſeemeth to be eſtabliſhed in their ſight. Iob. 21.Iob. 12. if as the ſame Iob ſaith, The tabernacles of robbers do proſper, and they are in ſafetie that prouoke God? yet we ſay as Optatus ſaid to the Donatiſts in the ſame caſe lib. 1.Opt. lib. 1. An quia ceſſat talis modo vindicta, ideo tibi cum tuis, vindicas innocentiam: becauſe God doth not now puniſh you, becauſe you enioye peaceably thoſe ſpoiles, are you therefore innocent? No, no,Gloſſ. ord. ſuper 12. Iob. the ordinary gloſſe ſaith excellently, Aliud miſericorditer dat Deus, aliud habere ſinit iratus: it is one thing for God in mercie to bleſſe vs, and another thing to ſuffer vs to be rich in his anger,Heſiod. lib. 1. oper. and heauie diſpleaſure: And Heſiodus could make a difference between riches 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : riches which were taken by force and violence, and riches, which were giuen by the bleſſing of God: and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : it is good to be rich by gift, but ill to be rich by rapine: euen an occaſion of death, of ſome ill death; death to father by couetous hourding; and death to the ſonne by riotous ſpending: And as it is a rule in Simonie 500. yeares old Spiritualium venditores maiori ſemper egeſtate confundi: that the ſellers of ſpirituall things are pinched at laſt with extreme penurie: ſo it is as olde a rule in ſacriledge, Quae malignè contraxit pater, Pet. Ele. ep. 10. luxu peiori refundet haeres: that which the father hath wickedly ſcraped togither, the ſon ſhall more wickedly ſcatter abroad.

And it is woorth the obſeruing now a daies, that of thoſe goods and landes which are taken from God, Perpetuus nulli datur vſus, & haeres

Horat. lib. 2. ep. 2. Haeredem alterius, velut vnda ſuperuenit vndam. Horat. lib. 2. ep. 2. No man poſſeſſeth them long, but they paſſe from man to man, from heire to heire, from family to family, like the Arcke of God which could finde no place to reſt in among the Philiſtines, but was remooued from Aſdod,1. Sam. 5. to Gath, from Gath, to Ekron, and troubled the people whereſoeuer it came, till they returnd it againe to his proper place. 1. Sam. 5.

Wherefore to conclude this point, Honorable, &c. as God in the former times of Chriſtianity, when the church was perſecuted,Aug. ep. 50. would haue that firſt part of the ſecond Pſalme fulfilled Aſtiterunt reges terrae; the Kings of the earth ſtood vp, and the Princes tooke counſaile againſt the Lord, and againſt his annointed; and then after would haue that other part perfourmed, Et nunc reges intelligite; be wiſe now ye Kings, be learned ye iudges of the earth, &c. in the time of good Conſtantine: So alſo ſeeing in theſe latter times the former is againe fulfilled, Aſtiterunt reges terrae; fulfill alſo this latter part once againe, Et nunc reges intelligite, and once againe vnderſtand and know you that be magiſtrates and gouernours and gentlemen, &c. that God as the very law of nature teacheth, and all ſtates and ages of the Church haue practiſed, challengeth an intereſt in all our goods, our lands and poſſeſſions; that this is paide as a kinde of tribute, and acknowledgment of his ſoueraigne dominion ouer vs: That he accepteth them not becauſe he hath neede of them, but for an endleſſe continuance of religion amongſt vs; which by experience we finde to decay with them: That he hath diſpoſed them partly for an ornament to his houſe, partly for the neceſſarie vſe of his ſeruice, & partly for the maintenance of his ſeruants and miniſters: That we receiue the poſſeſſion of them immediately from you, and but mediately from him; but receiue the right of them, immediately from him, and but mediately from you: who gaue them to God, and he vnto vs, Num. 18.Num. 18. That he hath bleſſed thoſe Princes and their poſterities, which haue thus honored him with part of their goods: and promiſed to open the windowes of heauen and powre downe immeaſurable bleſſings, vpon the people that in this reſpect delt truely with him,Mal. 3. Mal. 3. that he hath reuenged himſelfe on them that robbed him in themſelues and their poſteritie: & curſed with a curſe whole nations that ſpoiled him, Mal. 3.Mal. 3. That the time hath been when there was ſcarcely one Chriſtian to be found ſo wicked, that durſt offer violence to the houſe of God, or the furniture of it, and therefore the Iewes were hired to ſpoile it,In vita Bern. lib. 2. cap. 1. in vita Bernard. That in theſe latter times it was not ſpoiled by Wolues & Lions ſuch as proudly bid battel to God: but by Foxes, who by ſleight, and by holy pretences, and by colour of friendſhip would ſtrip him of all:Bern. Sen. 65. ſuper Cant. Pſal. 77. but as Saint Bern. ſaieth of ſuch Foxes, poſteriora eorum foetent. Ser. 65. conſider their owne end or their poſteritie, and you wil ſay with the Pſal. 77. that our God percuſsit inimicos in poſteriora: hath wounded his enimies on the hinder parts.

Wherefore nunc reges intelligite, you that be magiſtrates, gouernors, &c. at length vnderſtand and be wiſe, and learne to diſcerne betweene ſpirituall things and corporall things, inter 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , betweene that you take by force, and that which God giueth in mercie; inter 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Pindarus: Pind. betweene purchaſe and robberie: betweene holy things and prophane things: betweene the goods of God which are perpetuall, and the ſubſtance of men, which are truely called mooueables, and ſubiect to ſale and alienation: And when you craue, begge not that which is Gods; and when you giue, giue not that which is Gods; and when you buie, buie not that which is Gods; and when you ſell, ſell not that which is Gods: Let other mens harmes be inſtructions for you, and other mens puniſhments be cautious for you: let other mens vertues be your examples; and religious Princes your patterns and precedents. Holy Dauid, wiſe Solomon, religious Constantine, and our holy, wiſe and religious Princeſſe, of whom we may giue this teſtimonie to all ſucceeding ages, that Petrus Bleſenſ. left to her moſt noble progenitor Hen. 2. Benedictus dominus qui regem Henricum a talibus hactenus conſeruauit innoxium: Pet. Bleſ. ep. 10 Bleſſed be that God which hitherto hath defended her Maieſtie from all kinde of ſacriledge, that hath not furniſhed her houſe with the ſpoile of the Church, nor increaſed her reuenew by the loſſe of Gods houſe; that hath not defiled her hands with Simonie, nor beſtowed her preferments for perſonall fauour, or reſpect of reward: wherefore Magnificauit eam Dominus in conſpectu regum; God hath magnified her in the ſight of the Princes of the earth, and hath giuen her a treaſure which will neuer be ſpent; euen an honorable name, and bleſſed memorie to all poſteritie.

The ſecond thing I obſerued, was the end and vſe of this houſe, and that was to pray in: My houſe ſhall be called the houſe of prayer. Churches as euery thing elſe receiue their chiefe perfection from the ende whereunto they ſerue. Now the end and vſe of Churches is, the publike ſeruice and worſhip of God: which publike ſeruice in this place is comprehended vnder the name of prayer: becauſe of all religious actions, prayer is reckoned the firſt and the chiefe: Thom. 22. q. 83. art. 3. for ſicut mens humana praeeminet exterioribus & corporalibus membris, vel exterioribus rebus, quae ad Dei ſeruitium applicantur: ita etiam oratio praeeminet alijs actibus religionis: as the ſoule of a man excels his body, and all the parts thereof, and all other externall things, which are vſed to the ſeruice of God; ſo prayer excels all other religious actions. And that this was the chiefe end of Churches, of thoſe houſes which were built to God; both the name argues which God impoſed, and as we ſay chriſtened it with, domus mea domus orationis vocabitur; and the very words which Salomon vſed in the dedication of it 3. Reg. 8.29. and the practiſe which Ioel notes,3. Reg. 8.29. Ioel. 2.17. 2.17. that the Prieſts ſhould weepe betweene the porch and the altar, and ſay, Spare thy people, O Lord, &c. And although other things were there practiſed, as offering of ſacrifices, and oblations, burning of incenſe, &c. yet thoſe alſo are comprehended vnder S. Paules diſtinction, prayers,1. Tim. 2. ſupplications, interceſſions, or thanks-geuings, 1. Tim. 2. for all the ſacrifices and offerings were gratiarum actiones, thanks-geuings vnto God.

And that our Churches now in Chriſtianitie are both domus dei, and domus orationis, houſes for God, and houſes for prayer, the names import which in the pureſt times were giuen to theſe places: for they were called in the primitiue Church 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or dominica, Gods houſes; and oratoria, places eſpecially deuoted to prayer: Though in later times 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are become 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in ſome places, not for their ſtatelines, as in the time of Conſtantine, but for the proprietie & poſſeſſion of them; and oratoria are turned into auditoria; oratories into auditories: and where the Apoſtles, who had in their commiſſion Ite praedicate, goe, preach, put prayer in the firſt place before preaching Act. 6. Nos orationi & miniſterio verbi inſtantes erimus: Acts. 6. We will be inſtant in prayer & preaching the word: now we ſay,Confeſs. Heluetica. Cedant potiores partes in coetibus ſacris doctrinae euangelicae, caueatur que ne nimis prolixis precibus fatigetur in coetu populus: let the firſt and the chiefe place be giuen to preaching; and a prouiſo is made, that the people be not ouerwearyed with too much praying. And though the Church of England hath no ſuch conſtitution, yet the people entertaine the practiſe of it, many of them condemning common prayer, but a greater part neglecting them, and holding it the only exerciſe of the ſeruice of God to heare a Sermon.

But beloued for your inſtruction, you ſhall vnderſtand that this is an old error, not now firſt ſprung vp, or proper and peculiar to this age only:Chry. Hom. 3. de incompre. dei naturae. for S. Chryſoſt. complaines that the multitude of people that came to his ſermons, and heard him with great attention, was ingens & penè inaudita, great and almoſt incredible; that they were earneſt to approch neere to heare him, that patiently they would expect the end of his ſermon: but at the time of prayer and of miniſtration of the ſacraments and chriſtian myſteries, then vacua deſerta que eccleſia reddebatur, the church was emptie and forſaken of all. And that you may heare me with the better patience, you ſhall vnderſtand that it is no new reproofe: S. Chryſoſt. cryed out, proh fidem hominum chriſtianorum, quo pacto iſtaec veniam conſequentur? he calleth the very faith and profeſſion of chriſtianitie to witneſſe againſt it, and reckoned it a fault that would hardly be pardoned.

Was this a fault then? and is it a vertue now; was it then reproueable, and now commendable? if it be, ſhew me ſome practiſe in the people of God. Vnder the law of nature men were moued to the worſhip of God, Thom. 3. q. 6. art. 5. nulla lege exterius data, ſed ſolo interiori inſtinctu, not by any externall lawe or externall inſtruction, but only by a naturall and inward motion: wherefore then the houſe of God could not be the houſe of hearing, but of praying, ſacrificing, and deuine worſhip.Gen. 22.5. In the time of Abraham the whole ſeruice of God was comprehended vnder the name of inuocation, or adoration: When by the trāſgreſſion of man the law of nature was ſo obſcured, that it was neceſſary an externall lawe ſhould be giuen, yet becauſe it was more corrupted quoad appetitum boni, quàm quoad cognitionem veri, the place appointed for the ſeruice and worſhip of God, whether it were Tabernacle or Temple, was domus orationis, the houſe of prayer: hearing the law expounded, was but the way to knowledge, and knowledge the way to the worſhip of God, Tho. 1. q. 117. art. 1. via ad cultum: for ſcientia non eſt qualitas actiua, ſed principium quo aliquis dirigitur in operando, Knowledge is no actiue quality, but a meanes to direct vs to, and in the ſeruice of God. In the times of Chriſtianitie the houſes of God were oratoria, not auditoria: and before they were built the Apoſtles in their times vſed this temple as the houſe of prayer:Act. 2. Peter and Iohn went vp to the temple to pray, Act. 2. and S. Paule preſently after his conuerſion went vp for to pray: And our Sauiour told the people parables to this end, that they ought alwayes to pray,Luc. 18.1. 1. Theſ. 5.17. Luc. 18.1. and S. Paule in plaine termes without parable expreſſeth it, Indeſinenter orate, pray continually. No ſuch teſtimony giuen to hearing, which is not perfect in it ſelfe, but ordained to a farther end and purpoſe: and therefore when the parents were commaunded to teach their children the lawe, that was not the end of the commaundement, but they muſt teach the lawe that they may learne how to feare the Lord,Deut. 4. or ſerue the Lord: And whē the Prieſts were commaunded to teach the people, the commaundement reſted not there, but they muſt teach the lawes that the people might learne them, and take heede to obſerue them: And therefore the proteſtation of the people vnto the Prieſt was this,Deut. 5. Declare thou to vs that which God ſaith, and we will heare it and do it. And therefore the bleſſing is not promiſed to hearing, but to doing,Rom. 2. non auditores verbi ſed factores &c. God reckoneth not ſo much of auditors as factors, of thoſe that heare his word,Luc. 11. as of thoſe that keepe his word: And bleſſed is he that heares the word of God, but with this condition, ſo that he keepe it. Otherwiſe the hearing of the lawe or the Goſpell to know onely, or to know more then another, S. Paule ſaith is the mother of pride, ſcientia inflat: 1. Cor. 8. The Fathers ſay it is Diabolica tentatio, the temptation wherewith the Deuill aſſaulted our firſt parents in Paradice: The Schoolemen ſay it is ſuperfluitie at leaſt, if not ſuperſtitiō: for this is a rule in diuinitie, that euery religious action which conſiſteth only in exterioribus, Thom. 22. q. 93. art. 2. and is not referred ad interiorem dei cultum, to the inward ſeruice of God, is either ſuperfluous, or ſuperſtitious.

I hope no man that heares me this day will be ſo iniurious to me, or preiudiciall to his owne knowledge and vnderſtanding, as to conceiue that I ſpeake againſt hearing or frequenting of Sermons: for I know, and would haue you all learne it, that principium rectè viuendi eſt rectè audire; the ordinarie meanes to liue well, is to heare well; and ſcire eſt via, cauſa & medium ad amare: to know God is the way, the cauſe and the meanes to loue God: and that bonum intellectum goodnes and vertue well vnderſtoode, is the obiect of our will, which will is the ſubiect of charitie; and therefore the better you know God, the apter you are to loue him actually: And if I ſhould denye it, yet nature would tell you quibus ſuffragijs exoptata pietas audiatur, Symm. lib. 1. epiſt. 7. with what applauſe an holy and deuoute ſermon is entertained. But I complaine that you, who are admitted now long ago to the fellowſhip of chriſtianitie, and bound and ſworne to obſerue the lawes and cuſtomes thereof, and are now no longer probationers catechumeni, hearers chatechiſts, ſhould now prefer hearing before praying; knowing before doing, wherein conſiſts the ſeruice and worſhip of God; ſeeing the actuall ſeruice and worſhip of God is the end, and hearing but the meanes to that end: and the rule is Semper finis excellit id quod eſt ad finem. I complaine not that our Churches are auditories, but that they are not oratories: not that you come to Sermons, but that you refuſe or neglect common prayer; not that you reſort ad porticum Solomonis, to Paules croſſe, but that your pariſh churches are naked and emptie. I complaine not that you haue ready and attentiue eares, but that you haue not pure hands, humble lookes, ſingle eyes, cleane harts, ſoules and bodies vndefiled. I complaine that your hearing is commonly a cloake to couer and conceale your want of deuotion, and a nurſe to your ſlothfulnes, which cannot endure the true labour of praying. I complaine that you heare much and profit little, which the learned hold for a ſigne of reprobation,Heb. 6. and S. Paule ſaith little leſſe, Heb. 6. The earth which hath drunke in the raine which comes oft vpon it, and yet brings forth thornes and bryers, is reproued, and nigh vnto curſing. I complaine that the end of your hearing is to cenſure the preacher, not gaudere ſuper cohortatione, Act. 15.31. Act. 15.31. to reioyſe or make benefit of that which is heard. In a word, I complaine, and I complaine not alone, that all the ſeruice of God is reduced only to hearing of Sermons; and our hearing applied to knowledge only.

But beloued Chriſtians, the ſeruice of God was not wont to be referred to hearing; but hearing referred to the ſeruice of God: nor the ſcope of Chriſtianitie was not to know; but the ſcope of knowledge was to be good Chriſtians: Chriſtian religion was not onely to know without error; but alſo to liue without ſpot: and therefore though S. Paule ſaith Christus factus eſt nobis ſapientia: 1. Cor. 1.30. Chriſt is made wiſedome vnto vs, yet he ſtaieth not there as though Chriſtianitie conſiſted in knowledge only; but he addeth alſo factus eſt iuſtitia, & ſanctificatio, & redemptio: he is made our righteouſnes, ſanctification, and redemption. 1. Cor. 1.30. Sapientia in intellectu, iustitia in voluntate, ſanctificatio in opere, redemptio in ſtatu: wiſedome in our vnderſtanding; righteouſnes in our will; ſanctification in our workes; and redemption to the whole man, Caiet. And therefore in the perfecteſt time of Chriſtianitie, hearing was not inough to make one reputed a good Chriſtian, no nor Baptiſme added to it; for hearing was before Baptiſme; nor beleefe ioyned to them both: what not hearing of ſermons, not baptiſme, not beleefe a ſufficient argument of true Chriſtianitie? why then what ſhall be thought of vs? no, that was not then inough. It is ſaid in the 8. of the Acts. that Simon Magus beleeued,Act 8. and was baptiſed, and did cleaue faſt to Philip, followed Philip and was a diligent auditor of his; and yet Simon Magus was neuer good Chriſtian.

The iſſue of al that I intende to ſpeake if the time ſerued is this. The houſe of God is called the houſe of prayer, either becauſe all diuine ſeruice is comprehended vnder the name of prayer, or ſome Species of prayer; or els becauſe of all diuine duties prayer is the chiefe; or elſe becauſe in all actions of Chriſtianitie and religion which are perfourmed in the houſe of God, prayer is euer one and an eſpeciall part: As in baptiſme, in the ſacrament of the ſupper, in matrimonie, in churching of women, in burying the dead, in preaching the word; beſides the ordinary action of common prayer it ſelfe which is as iuge ſacrificium, the ſacrifice which God requireth euerie day, not only priuatly in our chamber, but eſpecially togither in the Church of God. Preaching alſo is a part diuini cultus of the ſeruice of God, and therefore hath a reward: but hearing onely; or hearing to know, without an intent to practiſe; is but the way to knowledge, and knowledge it ſelfe but via ad cultum, the way and the meanes to the ſeruice of God: and therfore if it ſtay there it hath no reward: for not the hearers onely, but the dooers are bleſſed of God. And therefore in the primitiue Church ſome were admitted to heare, which were not admitted to the publicke ſeruice of God, and were called Catechumeni hearers or catechiſts, a name of imperfection.

Thankes be to God for it, you are not as heathen to be taught of vs, Quid oporteat credere: what you muſt beleeue to be ſaued: nor as Catechiſts lately conuerted: Quid oporteat facere, Acts. 9. what you muſt doe: as S. Paule cryed to God, Acts 9. you know what to beleeue, you know what to do: the ende of our preaching ſhould be eſpecially mouere, to mooue and exhort you to practiſe that which you know muſt be done: not becauſe you haue plenitudinem cognitionis, fulnes of knowlegde (ah laſſe we haue it not our ſelues) but becauſe you haue a ſufficiencie of knowledge. And if Marcus Agrippa who was no foole but vir ingentis animi, Senec. ep. 94. a man both of courage and wit, was woont to ſay that he owed much to Saluſt for this one ſentence, Concordia paruaeres creſcunt, diſcordia maximae dilabuntur, by peace & concord ſmall things growe great; by diſſention and diſcord great things decay; becauſe by that ſentence onely he was made optimus frater, & optimus amicus, a very good brother, and a very good friend: I doubt not but the moſt ignorant among you is indebted already to vs for ſo many ſentences, as being well digeſted and practiſed would make you good parents, good children, good friendes, good brethren, good neighbours, good ſubiects, in a word, good Chriſtians.

The ſecond reaſon drawē from the abuſe of the Temple, is borrowed of the prophet Ierem. cap. 7. where the ſame aſſertion is vſed, but by way of interrogation: Is this houſe become a den of theeues, whereupon my name is called before your eies? Behold, euen I ſee it, ſaith the Lord. As if he ſhould ſay; yea certainely it is become a den of theeues. The ſinnes which the prophet there reproues are, theft, murther, adultery; falſe ſwearing, Idolatrie: which being vſuall among the people, they would neuertheleſſe come and ſtand before him in this houſe of his. And for theeues and murtherers and adulterers and falſe ſwearers and Idolaters, to come into the houſe of God, either to pray or to offer ſacrifice, without a conſtant intent to amende their ill waies, is to make the houſe of God or the houſe of prayer, a den of theeues.

But it may ſeeme to ſome men, that this Scripture is not well alleaged by our Sauiour Chriſt: who applieth that to buyers and ſellers, that the prophet Ieremie ſpeaketh of theeues, murtherers, adulterers, falſe ſweares, & Idolaters. May it pleaſe you therefore to vnderſtand, that in the new Teſtament, the texts & propheſies of the old Teſtament, are alleaged ſomtimes properly & according to the litteral ſenſe, as in the 1. of Math. that propheſie of the 7. of Eſay: Behold a virgin ſhall conceiue and beare a ſon. Sometime not properly & litterally, but to expreſſe ſome truth which was ſignified or ſhadowed by them: as in the 1. to the Heb. that of the 2. Sam. 7. I wil be his father & he ſhal be my Son; which being properly ſpoken of Salomon, is applied by the Apoſtle to our Sauiour Chriſt, whoſe life & figure Salomon was: as alſo in the 19. of S. Iohns Goſpell that of the 12. of Exodus, Os non cōminuetis ex eo, Not a bone of him ſhal be broken: which being ſpoken litterally of the lambe, the Euangeliſt applies to our Sauiour, who was figured by the paſchal lambe. Sometime neither litterally, neither yet to expreſſe any thing ſignified by it, but rather to note ſomewhat like vnto it, and of ſuch nature, that the Scripture may ſeeme as trulie to be verified of the one as the other: as that which the prophet Eſay ſaide of the Iewes in his time, populus hic labijs me honorat, Eſay 29. &c. this people honour me with their lips, Chriſt applieth as if it had been ſpoken in the ſame caſe of the Iewes in his time, Hypocrites, Eſay propheſied well of you, ſaying, &c. Math. 15. the like example you haue Math. 13.14. and Acts. 28.26.

According to this laſt rule that which the prophet Ieremie vſeth againſt theeues, murtherers, falſe ſwearers, &c. our Sauiour very well applieth againſt buyers and ſellers, and money changers, and merchandizers; as though theft and forſwearing and merchandizing were all one; which he ſeemeth to implie, ſeeing in this place caſting out the buyers & ſellers, &c. he tels them that they made the houſe of God a den of theeues: but in the ſecond of Saint Iohn performing the like action vpon the ſame kinde of men, he telleth them, that they had made the houſe of God, a houſe of merchandice: ſo that with our Sauiour a denne of theeues, and an houſe of merchandice, ſeemeth to admit very ſmall difference.

And peraduenture the applying of thoſe two phraſes, a den of theeues, and an houſe of merchandice, to one and the ſelfe ſame fault; moued S. Chryſoſt. or the author operis imperfecti, Hom. 38. ſuper Mattd. the rather to vſe this aſſertion: Nullus Chriſtianus debet eſſe mercator: aut ſi voluerit, proijciatur de eccleſia. No Chriſtian man ſhould be a merchandizer; but if he will needes be, let him be caſt out of the Church: which rule though he reſtraine to thoſe that buye their wares and ſell them againe, integra & immutata, in the ſame kinde and nature wherein they bought them; excluding them that change the nature of their wares, and ſo ſel againe non rem ipſam, ſed artificium ſuum; not the ſelfe ſame, but their labour and skill & myſterie: Lib. 5. annot. 187. and Sixtus Senenſis reſtraines it to Ingroſſers and Monopolies, calling this only merchandizing & negotiation, according to Caſsiodore ſuper Pſal. 70. quae vilius poſsint comparari, carius velle diſtrahere; by arte & cunning to raiſe the price of thoſe cōmodities, which by courſe would be much cheaper. And ſome ſchoolemen reſtraine it to thoſe merchants that intend gaine and lucre, Tho. 22. q. 77. as the onely and laſt end of all their labours; and not the maintaynig of their familie, the reliefe of the poore, or the publicke vtilitie of the common wealth: yet ſeeing in theſe latter auaritious daies, for the moſt part, lucre onely, quod terminum neſcit, ſed in infinitum tendit, is the common and ordinarie end of merchandizing, of buying and ſelling; and he that is negotiator auidus, a couetous merchant, as S. Auſt. notes, pro damno blaſphemat, pro pretijs rerum mentitur, & peierat: In his loſſes will blaſpheme, and lye, ſweare, and forſweare in the prices of wares: there is now alſo for the moſt part, no great difference betweene a denne of theeues and an houſe of Merchandice.

Now as our Sauiour applied that which Ieremie ſpake of theeues and forſwearers, &c. to buyers and ſellers and merchandizers; becauſe there vſeth to be ſome likeneſſe and affinitie betweene them; ſo the ancient fathers to this imitation, haue applyed this ſaying of our Sauiour Chriſt, to many other ſorts of men: which buie and ſell, rob and ſteale, in the houſe of God; or buie and ſell, rob, and ſteale from the houſe of God. Saint Chryſoſt. ſaieth that they make the houſe of God a den of theeues which talke and diſcourſe in the Church,Hom. 36. in 1. ad Cor. and driue their bargaines at diuine ſeruice: and concludeth that the Church is not tonſtrina, forum, caupona, a barbars ſhop, an exchang, or a tauerne, but locus angelorum, locus archangelorum, regia Dei, coelum ipſum: the place of angels, yea of archangels, the very pallace of God, and heauen itſelfe.

The whole courſe of fathers and ſchoolemen applie it to buiers and ſellers of eccleſiaſticall orders; to buiers and ſellers of the cures of ſoules, which is a ſpeciall gift and ordinance of the holy Ghoſt: of which I haue ſpoken ſomewhat largely before.Epiſt. ad Nepotian. Saint Hierom applies it, negotiatori clerico, to a cleargie man that vſeth buying and ſelling and merchandizing, and ſaith that he is tanquam peſtis fugiendus, to be ſhunned as one infected with the plague, or a leproſie, as a theefe or a robber, lurking and ſhrowding himſelfe in the houſe of God. The ordinarie gloſſe applies it to murther and bloodſhed committed in the Church, which was grieuouſlie puniſhed in the Canon lawe, 24. 1. qui contra: and doth portend ſome great ill to the Church or common wealth;Eccleſ. hiſt. lib. 7. cap. 33. as is noted by Socrates, and I haue touched it before.

Ioannes Sarisbur, applies it to them, which alienate Churches, and Eccleſiaſticall houſes with the appurtenances to lay men: The houſe of prayer, ſayth he, is made an houſe of merchandize,De nugis curial. lib. 7. cap. 17. Domino prohibente, which is forbidden by God himſelfe, and the temple which hath the foundation in lapide adiutorij, 1. Sam. 4.1. on the ſtone of help, is turned into a denne of theeues: and his reaſon is this, Siquidem eccleſia data eſt in direptionem, &c. for the houſe of God, and the appurtenances are layd waſt, and made the poſſeſſions of mightie or ſubtile men.

But this laſt ſorte of men in my opinion, may be ſaid to make the houſe of God worſe then a denne of theeues, (if worſe may be) becauſe whereas the other ſorts rob, and ſpoyle in the houſes of God; theſe rob and ſpoyle the houſes of God, and alienate and alter the proprietie of them; and of the poſſeſſions and inheritance of God, make them the poſſeſſions and inheritance of theeues: For whereas all good Chriſtians ſay with the Prophet Dauid, Vnam petij a domino, Pſal. 27. &c. One thing I haue deſired of the Lord, and that I vvill require, euen that I may dwell in the houſe of the Lord all the dayes of my life: to what end? to behold the beawtie of the Lord, and to viſite his temple; that is ſaith Lyra, ad adorandum ibidem frequenter, & offerendum, that he might dayly vvorſhip him there, and offer ſacrifices to him: theſe men ſay Vnum petij a domino (de praeterito) I haue made one ſuite now a great vvhile, to my Lord or maiſter, &c. Et hanc requiram (de futuro) I vvill vrge this ſuite till I haue obteined it: vt inhabitem in domo domini, &c. that I may dwell in ſome of Gods houſes all the dayes of my life, and my children after me: to what ende? vt haereditate poſsideam ſanctuarium domini, as the wicked men ſayd Pſal. 83. that ſome of Gods lands or ſome of Gods houſes may be my inheritance for euer and euer. So that where they that abuſe the houſe of God with ſundry prophanations, and rob and ſteale and merchandiſe in it, make it ſpeluncam latronum, a denne for a time to lurke in, and not be ſuſpected of ſuch behauiour: they that rob and ſpoyle God of his houſes, and alienate them to their prophane vſes, do make of them tabernacula praedonum, Iob. 12. not only the dennes, but the very habitation and dwellings of theeues and robbers.

Now to conclude; I ſaye with S. Chryſoſtome vpon theſe words, But you haue made it a denne of theeues: Vtinam de praeterito populo eſſet tantùm dictum, Hom. 13. ſuper Marc. &c. I would to God it could haue beene ſayd only of the Iewes, and not of the Chriſtians; I would to God it could haue bene applyed to Chriſtians heretofore, and not vnto vs; Ploraremus quidem illos, ſed de nobis gauderemus, vve vvould lament ouer them, but reioyſe for our ſelues: but now in many places, and in many reſpects, nay in all theſe reſpects, the houſe of God is made a houſe of merchandize, the houſe of prayer is made a denne of theeues. Theſe things are ſo manifeſt, that they require neither expoſition, nor application; I would to God they were more obſcure, and hidden from vs, and that we did not maintaine theſe prophanations, by pretences, and long cuſtomes, as theſe Ievves did. Wherefore if we lament ouer them, we haue cauſe to weepe and howle for our ſelues, who haue added as great increaſe and ſtrength to theſe ſinnes, as time hath added yeares and increaſe to the world: ſo that theſe iniquities being now at the full ripeneſſe and perfect growth (which argue little true faith, and leſſe true charitie, if leſſe may be, vpon the face of the earth) we are to expect a perfect and finall reformation from Chriſt Ieſus of theſe abuſes; not by peſtilence, famine, warres, waters, or fires from heauen, &c. his ordinarie inſtruments, which do moue vs but little: but from his owne hands, not armed with a whip, or other temporall puniſhment, as at his firſt comming,Math. 3. but with his fanne, wherewith he will make cleane the floore of his Church, and gather the wheate into his garner, and burne vp the chaffe of all theſe inquities, with vnquenchable fire. To this Ieſus, the moſt iealous patron of the houſe of his Father, and the moſt iuſt iudge of the quick & the dead, together with the Father, & the holy Ghoſt, three perſons, and one almighty and euer-liuing God, be aſcribed all honor, glorie, praiſe, and dominion, for euer and euer. Amen.

FINIS.