66 offereth himself unto us, and of his own accord meeteth us: Jesus Christ crieth out, and calleth every one of us, "Come unto me, all ye which are grieved; and I will refresh you." How blind be we if we see not, how blockish if we understand not, how miserable if we run from this! Where shall the word of Christ be heard, if it cannot be heard among Christians? If it cannot be heard among Christians, where shall it be heard? Let us once yet open, brethren, let us open our eyes, that it may not be spoken against our stubbornness, Therefore you hear not, because you be not of God;" and that that saying of Esaias be not conveniently applied against us: "The heart of this people is waxen gross, and they have hardly heard with their ears, and they have closed their eyes; lest they should at any time see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and they should be converted, and I should heal them.”—And what I should speak more before christian men and the children of God concerning the word of God, I see not. Now remaineth that which was put in the last part, namely, how the scriptures are to be taught. For not only wisdom and fidelity, but also wisdom and foresight is to be used. Therefore saith Peter, let him not speak only, but, "let him speak as the words of God." Nor yet is it sufficient to profess only, and outwardly to shew, that it is the word of God which we teach, and with a fair face and earnest countenance sing, "The word of the Lord;" for the Jews and Turks and false prophets do so, they all cry out that Christ is theirs, and they all restrain true religion (as belonging) unto themselves. The Pharisees and scribes of these days, when they confirm their own inventions, and refer all things to the apostles as their authors, and do wrest the word of God, yet do they cry nothing either oftener or more importunately than, "The word of the Lord." But Christ hath not taught dissimulation and hypocrisy. He rather teacheth this, that pastors may have in mind that they represent the person of Christ; that they, being induced through the greatness and worthiness of the thing itself, may so reverently do their office, that all men may perceive that it is a heavenly business which they have taken upon them. For the image of God himself must shine in him that is the minister of God. And, if the apostles had not so used themselves, they had never laid the foundations of religion: there would never any have left their altars, their sacrifices, their fires, and their gods themselves, to have been of the opinion of a few fishers. They counted all that they had as nothing in comparison of Christ agitur salus nostra. Pater cœlestis offert se nobis et ultro occurrit: Jesus Christus inclamat, et appellat unumquemque nostrum, "Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis, et ego reficiam vos.' Quam cæci sumus si non videmus, stupidi si non intelligimus, miseri si fugimus! Ubi autem audietur Christi verbum, si a Christianis audiri non possit? Si a Christianis audiri non possit, ubi audietur? Aperiamus aliquando, fratres, aperiamus oculos, ne in contumaciam nostram dici possit, "Propterea vos non auditis, quia non estis ex Deo:" neve in nos conveniat dictum illud Esaiæ, "Incrassatum est cor populi hujus, et auribus graviter audierunt, et oculos suos compresserunt, ne quando videant oculis, et auribus audiant, et corde intelligant, et convertantur, et sanem eos."-Et de verbo Dei, apud homines Christianos et filios Dei, non equidem video quid plura dicam. Nunc id superest quod ultimo loco erat positum, quemadmodum scripturæ docendæ sint. III. Non enim prudentia tantum et fides, sed etiam prudentia cautioque adhibenda est. Eoque docendum. Quomodo Petrus non, "loquatur," inquit, tantum, sed "loquatur ut sermones Dei." Neque tamen satis est profiteri tantum et præ nobis ferre, Dei evangelium esse quod docemus, et vero vultu serioque occinere, "Verbum Domini :” id enim Judæi, Turcæ, pseudoprophetæ faciunt; omnes enim Christum suum esse clamitant, et veram religionem ad se retrahunt. Horum etiam temporum Pharisæi et scribæ, cum sua commenta statuunt, et omnia ad apostolos auctores referunt, et vim inferunt verbo Dei, tamen nihil vel sæpius vel importunius occlamant, quam "verbum Domini." Verum simulationem et hypocrisin Christus non docuit. Id potius agit, ut pastores meminerint Christi personam sustinere ; ut rei ipsius magnitudine ac dignitate inducti, munus suum ita reverenter administrent, ut omnes intelligant cœleste negotium esse quod susceperint. Nam in ministro Dei Dei oportet ipsius imaginem relucere. Quod ni ita se apostoli gessissent, nunquam illi religionis initia constituissent: nunquam relictis quisquam et aris, et sacris, et focis, et diis ipsis, in aliquot piscatorum sententiam concessisset. Omnia illi sua pro nihilo ducebant præ. Jesus. When they were taunted, they taunted not again; when they were condemned to prisons and fires, they never ceased to give thanks, they always greatly rejoiced, for that they were afflicted with all manner of punishments for Christ his sake. There was in them such uprightness of heart, such modesty, such virtue, that, whatsoever they said, others were ashamed to speak against it. Even so, brethren, our life ought to shine, that, as oft as we speak, we may seem to speak the words of God. For we are the salt of the earth, we are the light of the world, we are that city set upon the hill: all men's eyes are fastened on us: whatsoever we do, straightway example is taken to do the like. It is a burden of great difficulty and weight, that we have taken upon us which if we would all well weigh, the course of the gospel would not be so hindered, the word of God would not be so much neglected. For, when as we profess God with our mouth, but deny him with our deeds, we fray away the unlearned multitude by our example from religion; and the thing that of all other is most divine we defile, not with unpure hands, but with unpure manners. So for our sakes is godliness despised, for our sake is the truth contemned, for our sake is the majesty of God impaired. These things, brethren, are diligently to be considered, and earnestly to be regarded of us. For, if we live filthily and wickedly, and bring into the pulpit nothing but a rolling of the tongue and impudency, whatsoever we speak, we speak it not either as it should, or else as the words of God. But, to the end the word of the Lord may be handled according to the worthiness thereof, two things principally are by us to be taken heed of: the one, that we be not weakened nor feebled by fear; the other, that out of the gospel we reap no jot or piece of praise unto ourselves. A preacher's mind must be prepared and diligently fenced against either of these. the gospel and the word of God, except it be stiffly and manfully upholden and maintained, neither will seem1 the gospel nor the word of God. For error is fearful, base, and quaking; it feareth all things, it dreadeth all things, it flieth sight and light: but the truth, and the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, never abaseth itself, never flattereth any, dissembleth nothing, feigneth nothing, is unfearful, free, bold to shew her face, and high. Wherefore, as long as we speak the truth, let not the force or authority of any man make Christo Jesu. Cum maledictis jactarentur, non regerebant maledicta; cum carceribus et ignibus damnarentur, nunquam intermittebant gratias agere, semper efferebantur gaudio, quod propter Christum omni suppliciorum genere afficerentur. Ea erat in illis æquitas animorum, ca modestia, ea virtus, ut quicquid dixissent, alios puderet refragari. Sic, fratres, nostram vitam lucere oportuit, ut quoties loquimur, loqui videamur sermones Dei. Nos enim sumus sal terræ, nos sumus lux mundi, nos civitas illa sumus in monte posita, omnium in nobis oculi figuntur : quicquid a nobis geritur, id statim in exemplum trahitur. Onus longe difficillimum et maximum est quod suscepimus. Hoc si omnes diligenter expenderemus, non ita evangelii cursus impediretur, non ita negligeretur verbum Dei. Nam cum Deum ore quidem profitemur, factis autem negamus, multitudinem imperitam a religione nostro exemplo deterremus, et rem unam omnium divinissimam impuris, non manibus, sed moribus contaminamus. Ita nostra causa pietas despicitur, nostra causa veritas contemnitur, nostra causa Dei majestas imminuitur. Hæc nobis, fratres, diligenter animadvertenda et serio curanda sunt. Nam si turpiter et flagitiose vivimus, et in suggestum nihil nisi linguæ volubilitatem adferimus et impudentiam, quicquid loquimur, non loquimur vel ut oportuit vel tanquam sermones Dei. Sed ut verbum Domini pro dignitate tractetur, duo nobis in primis cavenda sunt: alterum, ne timore debilitemur; alterum, ne laudis partem aliquam nobis ex evangelio decerpamus. Adversus utrumque concionatoris animum paratum et diligenter munitum esse oportet. Nam evangelium et verbum Dei, nisi fortiter magnoque animo asseratur, nec evangelium videbitur esse, nec Dei verbum. Error enim timidus, supplex, meticulosus est, omnia formidat, omnia extimescit, aspectum et lucem fugit: veritas autem, et veritas evangelii Jesu Christi, nunquam se demittit, nunquam cuiquam adulatur, nihil simulat, nihil fingit, intrepida, libera, erecta, excelsa est. Quapropter dum verum dicimus, nulla nos cujusquam vis et auctoritas perterrefaciat. Me [1 Serve, o. E.] us afraid. Let us call to mind that we are the messengers and embassadors of God: let us call to mind that God hath given us power to speak. Of what courage doth not Christ make us, when he promiseth that he will be the revenger of the injury done unto us? "He," saith he, "that despiseth you despiseth me:" "he which hurteth you hurteth the sight of mine eye." Wherefore let us speak, not dissemblingly, not darkly, as did the Pharisees, but freely and plainly, as having authority, as meet it is that the words of God should be uttered. But nevertheless moderation must be used, that we do not unseasonably touch or spot the good name and fame of others; for then we shall seem to taunt or rail, and to handle our own cause, rather than to teach the word of the Lord. But it becometh the servant of the Lord to be modest and circumspect, not to blab out any thing rashly or cockishly, lest we may seem to speak not out of the holy pulpit, but out of the cart; neither yet to have cited the gospel, but to have brought up again the old manner of comedies. The next thing is, that a preacher have not too great a conceit of himself, but that he think that that function and office happened unto him from above from God, that he should discharge his duty diligently, and with very great fear, and that he should think that he is occupied not in his own business but in God's business. So Paul saith he is nothing: John crieth that he is unworthy to pull off the shoes of Messias. And therefore, to abate arrogancy, they are in the holy scriptures called not princes, not magistrates, not rulers, not kings, but stewards, bailiffs, preachers or criers, ministers, servants; to the end that, forasmuch as we do this gear in the behalf of another, we should not grow proud for another body's praise. For the Lord hath not therefore committed his talent unto us, that we should convert it to our own commodity. For he would not have us preachers and criers of our own wit and skill, but of his will; neither do we for any other cause carry about this treasure in earthen vessels, than for that it should be the brightness and clear light of the power of God. I will not stay you with any more words. Ye have heard that a preacher must speak both oft, and out of the word of God, and also gravely and modestly. We, brethren, either are preachers, or will be preachers. Let us bear in mind that these things belong to us, and that St Peter saith to minerimus nos Dei legatos esse, meminerimus Deum nobis fecisse dicendi potestatem. Quos enim nobis animos non facit Christus, cum se injuriarum nostrarum ultorem et vindicem fore pollicetur? "Qui vos," inquit, "spernit, me spernit," "qui vos lædit, lædit aciem oculi mei." Quare loquamur, non dissimulanter, non obscure, ut Pharisæi, sed libere ac aperte ut auctoritate præditi, quemadmodum proferri par est sermones Dei. Sed adhibenda tamen est moderatio, ne importune aliorum nomen et famam traducamus. Tum enim convitiari videbimur, et causam nostram facere potius, quam docere verbum Domini. Servum autem Dei modestum et consideratum esse decet, neque temere quicquam aut petulanter effutire: ne non e sacro suggestu, sed e plaustro loqui, neve evangelium, sed veterem comœdiam excitasse videamur. Proximum est, ne quid concionator de se magnifice sentiat, sed cogitet illud munus a Deo sibi divinitus contigisse, ut diligenter summoque cum timore officio defungatur, cogitetque se in negotio non suo versari, sed Dei. Sic Paulus se nihil esse dicit: Joannes se indignum esse clamat, qui calceos Messiæ detrahat. Eoque ad minuendam arrogantiam, in sacris literis non principes, non magistratus, non præsules, non reges, sed dispensatores, villici, præcones, ministri, servi appellantur; ut quoniam alieno auspicio res gerimus, ne de aliena laude insolescamus. Non enim idcirco Dominus nobis talentum suum concredidit, ut illud in rem nostram converteremus. Non enim nos ingenii nostri præcones esse voluit, sed voluntatis suæ; neque aliam ob causam circumferimus hunc thesaurum in vasis fictilibus, quam ut splendor sit virtutis Dei. Non morabor vos pluribus. Audistis concionatori et assidue, et e verbo Dei, et graviter modesteque dicendum esse. Nos, fratres, concionatores aut sumus, aut esse volumus : meminerimus ad nos ista pertinere, et D. Petrum nobis dicere, "Qui loquitur, loquatur tanquam sermones [ For, o. E. 1609.] [ When, 1611.] us, "He that speaketh, let him speak as the words of God." There is need not only of our diligence, but also of prudency and fidelity: wherefore whatsoever we are able by nature, whatsoever by counsel, whatsoever by wit and cunning, let us bestow it all to serve the church of God. We are the stewards of the house of God: let us not dissipate and scatter the household of God. If we be the apostles of God, let us shew apostolic minds. If we be the brethren of Christ, let us hear Christ, let us feed his lambs, let us feed his sheep, let us go, let us preach, let us teach. The universal world seemeth a good while since to travail of Christ: let us cast about our eyes, brethren. How great is the harvest every where, how few be the reapers! And this I speak unto them of whom there is some good hope. If there be any that laugh at these things, or mock them, why should I hope that they will hear me, who will not hear Christ himself? Let the calamity of our brethren move us, let the curse of God move us (namely), "Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently:" let that most grievous threatening move us (namely), "Their blood will I require at thy hand." Let us prepare ourselves to that most sweet voice and speech of Christ (namely), "Well done, servant: go in." Let us as the words of the Lord, that God's praise may be set forth in all things by Jesus Christ, and impery for FINIS. Dei." Opus est non tantum sedulitate nostra, sed etiam prudentia et fide. Quare quicquid a natura, quicquid a consilio, quicquid ab ingenio possumus, id omne ad Christi ecclesiam conferamus. Nos sumus dispensatores domus Dei: ne Domini familiam dissipemus. Si apostoli Dei sumus, præstemus animos apostolicos. Si fratres Christi sumus, Christum audiamus, pascamus agnos, pascamus oves, eamus, prædicemus, doceamus. Mundus universus Christum videtur jamdudum parturire. Circumferamus oculos, fratres. Quanta ubique messis est, messores quam pauci! Hæc autem ad eos dico, in quibus aliquid est bonæ spei. Si qui autem sunt qui ista rideant, quid eos me sperem audituros, qui Christum ipsum non audiunt? Moveat nos fratrum nostrorum calamitas, moveat nos Dei execratio: "Maledictus qui procurat opus Domini negligenter." Moveat nos gravissima interminatio: "Sanguinem illorum de manu tua requiram." Paremus nos ad suavissimam illam Christi vocem, "Euge, serve! ingredere." Loquamur opportune, importune, loquamur verbum Domini, loquamur tanquam sermones Dei, ut in omnibus celebretur Deus per Jesum Christum, cui sit gloria et imperium in secula seculorum. CERTAINE SERMONS PREACHED BEFORE THE QVEENS Whereunto is added a short Treatise of the Sacraments, gathered out of other his Sermons, made vpon that matter, in his Cathedrall Church at Sarisbury. LONDON, Printed by IоHN NORTON, Printer to the Kings most ex cellent Maiestie. 1611. [' And at Paul's Cross, 1583; omitting and elsewhere.] |