bours. But we are faulty, the most part of us, in two ways: first, we will be offended when there is no offence given; and again, we will be bold to do that thing whereby our neighbour may be justly offended. But he that is a charitable man, will not be lightly offended; for certainly it is a great fault to be rashly offended, and to judge our neighbour's doings to be naught and wicked, before we know the truth of the matter, for we cannot see the hearts of men. Therefore as long as the thing is not openly wicked, let us not be offended. Again, if the thing be necessary and good, let us not fear offences; yet we must take heed that we walk charitably. We have a liberty in the gospel, yet we must take heed that we use that same liberty aright, according unto the rule of charity; for St. Paul saith, "All things are allowed unto me, but all things perfect not." (1 Cor. vi.) I must bear with him that is weak in faith. As my liberty must be subject to charity, so my charity must be agreeable to the sincerity of the faith; for we may by no means leave the truth, or leave God's word, which we must most steadfastly keep.

*

We have a law that saith, "Abstain from all show of evil." So that it is not a small matter to be a Christian. We read a story that one Attalus and Baldwin were cast into prison for God's religion's sake; in which prison there were some who would not eat flesh, nor drink wine. Now the same Attalus was instructed of God, that he should admonish those prisoners of their rigorousness, which Attalus did, and so at length brought them to leave their foolishness. But we cannot do so here in England; for our indifferency is taken away by a law; if there were no such law, then we might as well eat flesh upon Fridays as upon holydays. And this law is but a matter of policy, not of religion or holiness; and we ought to live according unto the laws of the realm, made by the king's majesty; for in all manner of things, we ought to keep ourselves within the hedges of the laws; in eating and drinking, in apparel, in pastimes. In fine, our whole conversation should be agreeable unto the laws. For Scripture saith, that we should be obedient to all manner of ordinances, made by the lawful magistrate; therefore we must spend our life, and take our pastime so that it may stand with the order of the realm. O that we would have in consideration these offences, and take heed of giving offence! And again, to beware of

* These laws have long since been done away.

hastiness or rashness in judging or condemning our brother, for to be offended hastily is against charity.

But the world is so full of offences, and so ready to be offended, that I think if our Saviour were here upon earth again, as he hath been bodily, and should talk with a woman at the well as he once did, I think that there would be some found amongst us, who would be offended with him, would think ill of him and her: but I pray you beware of rash offences and rash judgments. If my neighbour does somewhat whereby I am offended, let me go unto him, and speak with him; but to judge him at once without knowledge, that is naught. And further, we must follow this rule, "No man should seek his own profit, but his neighbour's." I must use my liberty so that my neighbour be not hurt by it, but rather edified. So did St. Paul when he circumcised Timothy; and at another time, when he perceived that the people were stout in defending the ceremonies of the law, he would not circumcise Titus.

Now when the disciples of John were gone, then he began to speak to the people of John the Baptist; for our Saviour had a respect to John, to his estimation, lest the people should think that John were in doubt of him, whether he were Christ or not. "What went ye out into the wilderness to see, a reed that is shaken of the wind?” There was once an old man who counselled a young man, that he should be like a reed-he should be ruled as the world goeth; for a reed never breaks, but it follows the wind which way soever it bloweth, and the oak-tree sometimes breaks because it will not bend. But Christ spoke these words to the great commendation of John, because of his steadfastness; there are many reeds nowa-days in the world, many men will go with the world: but religion ought not to be subject unto policy, but rather policy unto religion. I fear there will be a great number of us reeds, when there shall come a persecution that we must suffer for God's word sake. I fear me there will be a great many that will change, who will not be constant as John was. *

When a man is in the wrong or erroneous way, then he may and should change: but "Stand fast," saith St. Paul-we must endure and stand steadfast in that which is

*This apprehension proved but too true within two years from that time.

good and right. In God's word we should stand fast, but not in popery. So that first we must see that we are right, and afterwards we must stand. This is a great praise wherewith our Saviour praised John; for it is no small matter to be praised of Him who knoweth the thoughts of all men.

"Or what went ye out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft raiment, are in kings' houses." Here in these words, our Saviour condemned not fine gear,* as silk, satin, or velvet: for there is nothing so costly but it may be worn, but not of every body. Kings and great men are allowed to wear such fine gear; but John he was a clergyman, it behoved not him to wear such gear. Peradventure if he had been a flatterer, as some are now-a-days, then he might have gotten such gear; but John, knowing his office, knew well enough that it behoved not him to wear such fine gear: but how our clergymen wear them, and with what conscience, I cannot tell; but I can tell it behoves not them to wear such delicate things. St. Peter disallows gorgeousness in women; how much more then in men? for one would think that women should have more liberties in such trifles; but Holy Scripture disallows it, and not only in women, but also in men. He names women, because they are more given to that vanity than men are; for Scripture sometimes by this word women, understands men too; and again, by the word men it understands women too: for else we should not find in all Scripture a command that women should be baptized.

Here were a good place to speak against our clergymen who go so gallantly now-a-days. I hear say that some of them wear velvet shoes and velvet slippers; such fellows are more fit to dance the morrice-dance than to be admitted to preach. I pray God amend such worldly fellows, for else they are not fit to be preachers.

Now I will make an end as concerning offences. Peradventure you will say, How chances it that God suffers such offences in the world? Answer, "The judgments of the Most High are inscrutable;" (Rom. xi.) God can use them to good purposes; therefore he saith, "It is necessary that there be offences." Perhaps you will say, Why should we then be damned for offences, when offences are needful? Answer, When we do ill, we shall receive our * Clothing.

reward for our illness, for it is no thanks to us, when God can use them to good purposes; we ought to be punished when we do naught. Therefore the best is to beware and take heed of offences, and all other ungodliness, and live uprightly in the fear of God. So that we may inherit the life everlasting, which he hath prepared for us from the beginning of the world; which grant us God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, one God and three persons, now and ever, world without end. Amen.

ON CHRISTIAN LOVE.

A SERMON

Preached on the twenty-eighth of October, a. d. 1552.

JOHN XV.

This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as 1 have loved you.

SEEING the time is so far spent, we will take no more in hand at this time, than this one sentence; for it will be enough for us to consider this well, and to bear it away with us. "This I command unto you, that ye love one another." Our Saviour himself spake these words at his last supper: it was the last sermon that he made unto his disciples before his departure; it is a very long sermon. For our Saviour, like as one that knows he shall die shortly, is desirous to spend that little time that he has with his friends, in exhorting and instructing them how they should lead their lives. Now among other things that he commanded, this was one: "This I command unto you, that ye love one another." The English expresses as though it were but one, "This is my commandment." I examined the Greek, where it is in the plural number, and very well; for there are many things that pertain to a Christian man, and yet all those things are contained in this one thing, that is LOVE. He lappeth up all things in love.

Our whole duty is contained in these words, "Love together." Therefore St. Paul saith," He that loveth another, fulfilleth the whole law;" so it appeareth that all things are contained in this word Love. This love is a precious thing: our Saviour saith, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye shall love one another."