nature? Shall we say that he had God's holy Spirit within him, and not rather the spirit of the devil? Such a tyrant was Pope Pascal the second. What shall we say of him that came into his popedom like a fox, that reigned like a lion, and died like a dog? Shall we say that he had God's holy Spirit within him, and not rather the spirit of the devil? Such a tyrant was Pope Boniface the eighth. What shall we say of him that made Henry the emperor, with his wife and his young child, to stand at the gates of the city in the rough winter, bare footed and bare legged, only clothed in linsey-woolsey, eating nothing from morning to night, and that for the space of three days? Shall we say that he hath God's holy Spirit within him, and not rather the spirit of the devil? such a tyrant was Pope Hildebrand, most worthy to be called a firebrand, if we shall term him as he hath best deserved.

Many other examples might here be alledged.-As of Pope Joan the harlot, that was delivered of a child in the high-street, going solemnly in procession. Of Pope Julius the second, that wilfully cast St. Peter's keys into the river Tiberis. Of Pope Urban the sixth, that caused five cardinals to be put in sacks, and cruelly drowned. Of Pope Sergius the third, that persecuted the dead body of Formosus his predecessor, when it had been buried eight years. Of Pope John the fourteenth, of that name, who having his enemy delivered into his hands, caused him first to be stripped stark naked, his beard to be shaven, and to be hanged up a whole day by the hair, then to be set upon an ass with his face backward toward the tail, to be carried round about the city in despite, to be miserably beaten with rods, last of all, to be thrust out of his country, and to be banished for ever. But to conclude, and make an end, ye shall briefly take this short lesson; wheresoever ye find the spirit of arrogance and pride, the spirit of envy, hatred, contention, cruelty, murder,

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extortion, witchcraft, necromancy, &c. assure yourselves that there is the spirit of the devil, and not of God, albeit they pretend outwardly to the world never so much holiness. For as the Gospel teacheth us, the Spirit of Jesus is a good Spirit, an holy Spirit, a sweet Spirit, a lowly Spirit, a merciful Spirit, full of charity and love, full of forgiveness and pity, not rendering evil for evil, extremity for extremity, but overcoming evil with good, and remitting all offence even from the heart. According to which rule, if any man live uprightly, of him it may be safely pronounced, that he hath the Holy Ghost within him: if not, then it is a plain token that he doth usurp the name of the Holy Ghost in vain. Therefore, dearly beloved, according to the good counsel of St. John, Believe not every spirit, but first try them whether they be of God or no. Many shall come in my name,' saith Christ, and shall transform themselves into angels of light, deceiving (if it be possible) the very elect.' They shall come unto you in sheep's clothing, being inwardly cruel and ravening wolves. They shall have an outward shew of great holiness and innocency of life, so that ye shall hardly or not at all discern them. But the rule that ye must follow is this, 'To judge them by their fruits.' Which if they be wicked and naught, then it is unpossible that the tree of whom they proceed should be good. Such were all the Popes and Prelates of Rome for the most part, as doth well appear in the story of their lives, and therefore they are worthily accounted among the number of false Phrophets, and false Christs, which deceived the world a long while. The Lord of heaven and earth defend us from their tyranny and pride, that they never enter into his vineyard again, to the disturbance of his silly poor flock; but that they may be utterly confounded and put to flight in all parts

NO. 17.

1 John iv. Mat. xxiv. Matth. vii. Luke vi.

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of the world: and he of his great mercy so work in all men's hearts, by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost, that the comfortable Gospel of his Son Christ may be truly preached, truly received, and truly followed in all places, to the beating down of sin, death, the Pope, the devil, and all the kingdom of Antichrist, that like scattered and dispersed sheep, being at length gathered into one fold, we may in the end rest all together in the bosom of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, there to be partakers of eternal and everlasting life, through the merits and death of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

The condition of man after he is regenerate is represented in colours equally glorious. Man is said to be begotten of God, quickened by the Spirit, passed from death unto life, ingrafted into Christ, and a new creature, &c. What then but the agency of that spirit which reduced the confused mass of creation to regulation and order, can thus reduce the disorders of the soul into such peace, order, and harmony? None, bat He who is promised "To take of the things of Jesus Christ, and shew them to us." John xvi. 13. And to bear witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. Rom. viii. 13-17.

HOMILY XXIX.

For the Days of Rogation Week.

That all good things come from God.

I AM purposed this day, good devout Christian people, to declare unto you the most deserved praise and commendation of Almighty God, not only in the consideration of the marvellous creation of this world,

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or for conservation and governance thereof, wherein his great power and wisdom might excellently appear to move us as honour and dread him; but most especially in consideration of his liberal and large goodness, which he daily bestoweth on us his reasonable creatures, for whose sake he made the whole universal world, with all the commodities and goods therein; which his singular goodness well and diligently remembered on our part should move us, as duty is, again with hearty affection to love him, and with word and deed to praise him and serve him all the days of our life. And to this matter, being so worthy to entreat or, and so profitable for you to hear, I trust I shall not need with much circumstance of words to stir you to give your attendance to hear what shall be said. Only I would wish your affection inflamed in secret wise within yourself, to raise up some motion of thanksgiving to the goodness of Almighty God, in every such point as shall be opened by my declaration particularly unto you. what shall it avail us to hear and know the great goodness of God towards us, to know that whatsoever is good proceedeth from him, as from the principal fountain and the only author; or to know that whatsoever is sent from him must needs be good and wholesome; if the hearing of such matter moveth us no further but to know it only? What availeth it the wise men of the world to have knowledge of the power and divinity of God, by the secret inspiration of him, where they did not honour and glorify him in their knowledge as God? What praise was it to them, by theconsideration of the creation of the world,tobe hold his goodness, and not to be thankful to him again for his creatures? What other thing deserved this blindness and forgetfulness of them at God's hands, but utter forsaking of him? And so forsaken of God, they could not but fall into extreme ignorance and error. And although they much esteemed themselves in their wits and knowledge, and gloried in

HOM. XXIX.

For Rogation Week.

their wisdom; yet vanished they away blindly, in their thoughts became fools, and perished in their folly. There can be none other end of such as draw nigh to God by knowledge, and yet depart from him in unthankfulness, but utter destruction. This experience saw David in his days. For in his Psalm he saith, Behold, they which withdraw themselves from thee shall perish, for thou hast destroyed them all that are strayed from thee.'

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This experience was perceived to be true of that holy Prophet Jeremiah: O Lord,' saith he, whatsoever they be that forsake thee shall be confounded; they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth, and soon forgotten.' It profitteth not, good people, to hear the goodness of God declared unto us, if our hearts be not enflamed thereby to honour and thank him. It profitted not the Jews, which were God's elect people, to hear much of God, seeing that he was not received in their hearts by faith, nor thanked for his benefits bestowed upon them: their unthankfulness was the cause of their destruction. Let us eschew the manner of these before rehearsed, and follow rather the example of that holy Apostle St. Paul, who when in a deep meditation he did behold the marvellous proceedings of Almighty God, and considered his infinite goodness in the ordering of his creatures, he burst out into this conclusson: surely,' saith he, 'of him, by him, and in him, be all things.' And this once pronounced, he stuck not still at this point, but forthwith thereupon joined to these words: To him be glory and praise for ever.' Amen.

Upon the ground of which words of St. Paul, good audience, I purpose to build my exhortation of this day unto you. Wherein I shall do my endeavour, first, to prove unto you that all good things come down unto us from above, from the Father of

Psal. lxxiii. Jer. xv. Rom. xi.