Twenty-seven Sermons

and in stead of a faithful & painful teacher they hire a sir John, which hath better skill in playing at tables, or in keeping of a garden, then in Gods word, & he for a trifle doth serve the cure, and so help to bring the people of God in danger of their souls. And all those serve to accomplish the abominable pride of such gentlemen, which consume the goods of the poor (the which ought to have ben bestowed upon a learned minister) in costly apparel, belly cheer, or in building of gorgeous houses. But let them be assured, that a day will come when it will be laid to their charge: Rapina pauperū in domibus vestris, And then they shall perceive that their fair houses are built in the place called Aceldama: they have a bloody foundation and therefore can not stand long. This matter also is so weighty, and the spiritual slaughter of the poor people so miserable and woeful, that except the magistrates speedily look thereunto, and redress the same, the Lord of Sabaoth himself will send out some remedy to deliver his people from such cater pillars, and require the blood of his people at their hands, by whose covetousness they were letted to come to the knowledge of Christ. And besides this such […] wolves as devour the livings of teachers, & ministers of gods word, shall not be able to come in the presence of the Lord, to pray unto him or to praise him: for all that ever they do (yea even their prayers) is execrable before the Lord, so long as they turn their ear fro the heating of the law of the Lord: that is to say, so long as they do not even from the very […] of their hearts, […] about to redress ⟨image 5⟩these heinous faults with the which they be entangled. Let them repent therefore even […], before the wrathful indignation of the Lord fall upon them, and so destroy them in their sins. And these things ought to be considered of all them that pretend christianity, of what estate or degree soever they be, as well lawyers (whose covetousness hath almost devoured England) as craftsmen, husbandmen, servants and others, remembering with them selves, that if their hearts be inclined to wickedness, the Lord will not hear their prayers.

and in stead of a faythful & painfull teacher they hyre a sir John, which hath better skill in playing at tables, or in kepyng of a garden, then in Gods word, & he for a triefle doth serue the cure, and so help to bring the people of God in daunger of theyr soules. And all those serue to accomplishe the abhominable pryde of suche gentelmen, which cōsume the goods of the poore (the which ought to haue ben bestowed vppon a lerned minister) in costly apparel, belly chere, or in building of gorgious houses. But let thē be assured, that a day will come when it will be layd to theyr charge: Rapina pauperū in domibus vestris, And then they shall perceaue that theyr faire houses ar built in the place called Aceldama: they haue a bloudy foundation and therfore can not stād long. This matter also is so wayghtye, and the spirituall slaughter of the poore people so miserable and wofull, that except the magistrates spedely looke thereunto, and redres the same, the Lorde of Sabaoth hymself will synde oute som remedy to delyuer his people from suche cater pillers, and requyre the bloud of his people at theyr hāds, by whose couetousnes they were letted to come to the knowledge of Christ. And besides thys suche wolues as deuoure the lyuings of teachers, & ministers of gods word, shall not be hable to come in the presence of the Lord, to pray vnto hym or to prayse hym: for all that euer they doo (yea euen their prayers) is execrable before the Lord, so long as they turne their eare fro the heating of the lawe of the Lorde: that is to saye, so longe as they doo not euen from the verye of theyr hartes, aboute to redresse