fo. 42.
True it is, yf we consider his power: for he that is able to rayse vp children to Abraham of stones, to make the iron sweate, &c. can purifie our corruptions yf wee regard his power, and that without our meanes; but God hath tyed himself to ordinary meanes, by his eternall decree: and he that will not heare Moses and the prophets neither will he beleeve though one should rise from the dead. Many were foule with the leprosie in Nathans [Elishas?] tyme, yet none cured but Naman.
4. The fruit. All things, euen the meanest, imitate the Creator in doing something in their kind for the common good, not themselves alone; the olive doth not anoint itself with its owne oyle; the trees and plants which spend themselues in bringing forth some fruit or berry holds it noe longer then till it be ripe, and then letts it fall at his masters feete; the grape is not made drunke with its owne iuyce.
"He that receiveth a benefit hath lost his liberty," saith Seneca; and, since we have received such benefits of God as we can not, we would not renounce, lett us glorifie him in our bodies whose we are, not our owne.
Aeternitie cometh before we worke, therefore our workes merit not eternall life: and infants incorporat into the mysticall vyne are saued though they dy before they are able to bring forth anie good worke.
Our good workes growe as it were in a cold region; the best of them, even our prayers, scarce come to perfection throughe the imperfection of our nature.
Good workes to be performed for mutuall helpe, and though we holde ourselves sufficient, yet they are to be done, even as every thing fo. 42b.bringeth forth something yf for noe other purpose yet to continue in its owne state; like the spring, which, because it yeildeth water, is therefore continually fed with water.
Bona opera sunt via regni, non causa regnandi. (Bernard.)
The fruits brought forth; wyld grapes: an heavy sight to a carefull husbandman, to haue noe better reward of his paynes.
I pray God the Church of England may not justifie the synns of Sodome and Judas. Couetousnes, the roote of all wickednes, maketh men desyre to be greate rather then good, and this desyre causes them to sucke even the lyfe from one another. There is a synn amongst us which hath not bin heard of amongst the Gentiles, that wee should robb God, and that is in tithing. Howe manie desyrous that the labouring man, the minister, might be put out, that themselues might haue the inheritaunce. It is the corruption of the ministery that all the dores of entraunce are shut up but the dore of symony, soe that the most and best places are for the most possessed by the worst; and, yf anie of the better be forced to come in, they are constrayned to make shipwracke of a good conscience.