Seven godly and fruitful sermons. The six first preached by Master John DodSeuen godlie and fruitfull sermons. The six first preached by Master Iohn Dod

Open sins must have open rebuke and dis. Doct. 1 grace. Though the parties be never so many, ¹and the persons never so great, yet that must not stop the mouths of Gods Ministers and servants, but they must the rather be rebuked, that thereby if it be possible, they may be truly humbled. As in this place we see, the Noble men, and Ambassadors were very busy in raising large sums of money to send unto the King of Egypt for help, yet ⟨p. 134⟩though it were the sin almost of the whole land, and the hand of the rulers was chief in it, the Prophet is charged to speak against them, and to write against them, and to shame them, not only for the present, but for ever, if they did not turn to the Lord by sound repentance. The like is enjoined this same Prophet, chap. 58. vers. 1. Cry aloud; ²spare not: lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. They pretended great zeal and forwardness in religion: they would seek the knowledge of Gods word; they would enquire after the ordinances of justice; they would fast also, and use much strictness in outward show: yet because they were full of hypocrisy, of cruelty and oppression, of impiety and Sabbath breaking, and such like heinous crimes, he must openly exclaim against their ill courses; and as the trumpet spares none, but wakens all, both great and small, so must he deal; letting every one hear of his faults of what state and condition soever. This was also laid upon Timothy. ³Them that sin, rebuke openly, that the rest may fear, (saith the Apostle) and it was practised by our Saviour, who seeing that the Scribes and Pharisees made more account of their own traditions, then of Gods commandments, and that they sought themselves in ambition and filthy lucre, he doth sharply and openly reprove them, ⁴and disgrace them, and pronounce woes and curses against them. The like doth John Baptist, ⁵calling them a generation of Vipers: and Paul, ⟨p. 135⟩