Chrifl:s ofthe [reede. Arraignment. 201 bur re~l• and traytoursvnto the euerlafling A workes. The third point is , that Hmdde. God. •Itmay be hereafter God will giue furrides Chrifl, and.fcuds him away cloarhed in ther grace; bu.t as yet a.ll impenitent perfons, a white garAlent. This is that H"od w.hom though l[uing m the1m~fl of_Gods Church, Chrifl called a foxc; who alfo when he he~rd are noobedient& falthlullfubJecrs: and therJohn Baptijl preach, did many things, and fore whilewehaue time,letvslab_ourto perheard him gladly, Luk,e 13. :;,z. How ~hef\ form mdeed rhat whichwedo inword profes. comes Herod to this outrage of wickednelf~, Thusmuch of the examination& confefsithus to abufe Chrifl i Anf. Wee mull know; onofChrifl.NowfoUo"'~ththeth\rdpoint, t~at althougb Herod at the fidl: heard loh~ conccrningthe policies which 'Pilate vfed to preach,yctwithallhe followed his owneatfe" faue Chri/l::and they are three. Firll,when he ttions, aod fought how ro.fulfill the lufl:s o( he,lfd t!Jat Chrift ·~M of G.aWc, he rooke occahis He/h. For when John tolde him that it was fion to fend him ro !-/<rod,thinking thereby to not lawfull for him to hauehis brorher.Philips lhift his handsofhim, and not to fhedde his wife, he call: him in prifon, ahd afterward cut blood. Inwhich policy, though he feeme vnotfhis head for it: after which offence heeis willingto put Chrifl: ro death,yet herein he is growne to this height ofimpiety, that he now a mo(lvniull:iudge: for hauing giuen teftimo- B defpifeth Chrifl:,& callJlot abide to heare him. nic:: ofChrifr, that heis innocent, he ought to Where we learne, that as wee are willing.t~ haue acquired him, and not haue fent him to heareGods word preached ,fo withal we mull: Herodfor fitrther iudgemenr. Iu 1-ierods dc::a· take heede, that weprac:'tife no manneroffin· ling withChrifl,we may obfcruethefe points: but make confcience of euery thing that may The iirll, that hoc is wonrkrfuiix.g\'ld of his d1fple_afe God. Thou maiefl:, I grant, be one commi>Jg. Whv fo? the text Jjirb,!,ecaufehe thor ftareth and fauoureth l•hn Baptift foe a w.udeflrou; tofoe him of a Wngfeafon, becaufe bee tllne, wallowing in thyold finnes; but after a hadpe4rdmmry things l!{him,dnd truftcdto bane 1\'hile, yeelding to the fwing of thy corrupt foencform fig'!' done by him, Luk. •3· 8. Her~ hearr,rbouwilt neither heareJolm,nor Chrill: markc how t1c rcioy"d,not in ChriO: becaufe hil)lfelfe,but,hate anddefpife raem both. This h< was Ct\rill:,that is,his,¥efsias& redeeruer, lS the caufe why fome which haue beene probur becaufe he wr.ot1ght miracles. fignes, ~n~ feflours ofreligionher~tofore , and haue had wonders.And fo it isa'<!ongvsarthis day;itis gr~a\meafore ofkn~wledge,arenow become a rare thing to findc a man that loues Chrill, 'ver~ loofeperfons, andcannot abide toheare becaufc he is Chrill: :fome \oue Cbrill: for ho· the_wbrd preached vmo them ; the reafon is, nour,fomelor wealth, and others !Qr praife : C btcaufe they could n()C abide to leaue their that is, bocaufethey get honour, wealth, and fins. Thereforethat wemay begin in thefpirit P"itc byconfefsingbisname. Againe, many & not end m rho flefh, let eueryone that cals p ofelfc Chrill:, enely bccaufe itis the lawand on the name of rhe Lord depart fro iniquirie. CtJftome d'ftheirnation. Burwe mufi: learneto Now followcsthe fecond policie ofP-i/are. beofthis minde, to louc Chrill, becaufe he is For when he faw thdirll: would not pren&ile, Chrifl,eucn for himfelfe;nor for any other fithen hotookea new courfe:forh~ rookelefus mfler refpect: and we mull: reioxce in Chrill:, intothe common hall, and fcourged him, and euen for hrmfelfe,though wcneuerhaue profit the fouldiers platted a crowne oftbornes.and norplea1lrrc, neitherhonour,nor wealth by put iron his head, and they put on him a purhim. And if we loue him for wealth or pleapiegarmcnr,and faid,Hailc King ofthe !ewes, fure, or for aay other end but for bimfelfe aand finote him with their rods. And thus lone, when thcfe things are taken away, then he brotrghthim forth before the Iewes, perwe fillll vtterly forfake Chrifl:in like manner, fwading himfelfe that when they faw him ii> I The fccond point is,that Herodd.efires Chrifl abafed, and fo ignominiouDy abufed, they to worke amtracle. Hecan be content to fee would be contentthtrewith,& exact no greathe workes of Chrifl:: but he cannot abide to D ter punifhn·Ient at his hands thinking thus to h~are his word,& to beare his yoake. Like tr) hauepacified the rage ofthe Iewes, and fo to h1m are many in thefe daics,which gladly dehaue deliuered Chrifl from death, by inflifaetoheare the Gofpel of Chrill: preached, <'ling vpon himfome IcOC:r punifhmc~>r. This only becaufe they would heare fpeech offome policie is as it were a looking-gldfe,in which ll:range things,layingafidealicare and confci we may behold ofwhat uaturc and condition encc to obeythat which they heare. Yea maal plots and policiesofmenare,whicrh are de· ny in England delight to reade the ll:range hiuifcd and practifcd without the direr'!ion of ll:ones ofthe Bible:and thereforecan rehearfe Gods word.In it we may ob(eme two things: themoflparrofit, (and it were to bewifhed the firfl: is the ground thereof; which isa moll: that all could doe the like:) yetcome to the jilly,fimple,orrathcrfenllolfeargmncnt. For. practifeofit, the famcpetfons are commonly he reafqneth rhus, 1finde nofaulr in thu man , t .. k., ,. found as bad in life &ciiuerfation, yea rather thaforclwi&chajlifc him,0-ltt mmgoe. Anun "' sr, wotfothcnothtrs.Letvs therfore labonr,that would hardly haucthought, that one hauing '"· Withom· knowlcdg we may ioync obedience, but common fenfe, would hauc J,llade iirch a & practiCe with our learning,and as well tobe reafon, much IeO<: a gre:1t Judge fitting in.the ~i~t!',: word of Chrifl"'c.:':.:s.cw:..:i:.::rlc_lh:ci:::.s_ _,_r:..:o:..:o:.::".:.:'e:.co:.:f_G-''-'o.::.d·:.....:B::.;':.: ''..:i:.::n.ch:.:imc::...:w_:_e:._m..ca.<..yc:.b.:cel__c'o:O.ld 5 2 aoJ ---~---~----------------
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