Lectures upon the four first chapters of the prophecy of Hosea Wherein the text…Lectures vpon the foure first chapters of the prophecie of Hosea Wherein the text…

The use of this doctrine serveth to condemn the practise of the Popish Monks, who being abundantly provided for ⟨p. 185⟩out of the Churches stock, do cloister up themselves in their Monasteries, and spend their time in idleness and luxuriousness, performing no duty neither to Church nor common wealth; so also it serveth for the just reproof of many amongst our selves; as of Magistrates, who being liberally maintained at the charge of the common wealth, do neglect the duties of government and executing justice, and spend their time in pleasures and idleness. So also of Ministers, who seize upon the preferments of the Church but do not labour in the work of the Ministry: And lastly, of unprofitable gentlemen, who enjoying the fat of the land, do spend it in pride, excess, and voluptuous living, but perform no good duty either to Church or common wealth. All which have a fearful account to make at the day of judgement, seeing they take the Lords liberal wages, performing no service for it, but wastefully misspend it about the satisfying of their own sinful lusts; let not therefore such men flatter themselves with a conceit, that what they enjoy is their own, and that they may do with their own what they list, for it is not their own absolutely, but only on this condition that they perform the duties of their callings of which it is the reward, and it is then only lawful for us to eat our bread, when as we have earned it with the sweat of our brows, Gen. 3. 19. Neither ought we to spend ¹these gifts of God, for the satisfying of our own sinful lusts, seeing they are his Talents which he hath given us to employ, for the advancing of his own glory, and the good of our fellow servants.

The vse of this doctrine serueth to condemne the practise of the Popish Monkes, who being abundantly prouided for ⟨p. 185⟩out of the Churches stocke, doe cloyster vp themselues in their Monasteries, and spend their time in idlenesse and luxuriousnesse, performing no dutie neither to Church nor common wealth; so also it serueth for the just reproofe of many amongst our selues; as of Magistrats, who being liberally maintayned at the charge of the common wealth, do neglect the duties of gouernment and executing justice, and spend their time in pleasures and idlenesse. So also of Ministers, who seaze vpon the preferments of the Church but doe not labour in the worke of the Ministerie: And lastly, of vnprofitable gentlemen, who injoying the fat of the land, doe spend it in pride, excesse, and voluptuous liuing, but performe no good dutie either to Church or common wealth. All which haue a fearefull accompt to make at the day of judgement, seeing they take the Lords liberall wages, performing no seruice for it, but wastfully mispend it about the satisfying of their owne sinfull lusts; let not therefore such men flatter themselues with a conceipt, that what they injoy is their owne, and that they may doe with their owne what they list, for it is not their owne absolutely, but onelie on this condition that they performe the duties of their callings of which it is the reward, and it is then onely lawfull for vs to eate our bread, when as we haue earned it with the sweate of our browes,