him they end. Now, if messengers or ambassadors which come from earthly princes and potentates in this world, are commonly esteemed and reputed according to the estate and place of those who send them; and especially if the matter bring with it any face of temporal commodity, men are wont right gladly to receive them. How much more then ought we to be moved with this heavenly and most joyful legation, directed unto us, not from any earthly prince or lord, but from the King of kings, and Prince of all princes, especially touching such a benefit here sent and offered unto us by him, of such special and singular effect, that without it no earthly thing in all the world can make us happy, and having it, nothing can make us miserable.

I remember about the beginning of queen Mary's reign, anno 1554, there was a certain message sent, not from heaven, but from Rome; not from God, but from the pope ; not by an apostle, but by a certain cardinal who was called cardinal Pole, a legate from the pope's own white side, sent hither into England.

This cardinal legate first coming to Dover, was honourably received and brought to Greenwich; where he again being more honourably received by lords of high estate, and of the privy council, of whom some are yet alive, was conducted from thence to the privy stairs of the queen's court at Westminster; no less a person than king Philip himself waiting upon him and receiving him, and so was brought to the queen's great chamber, she then being, or else pretending to be, not well at ease. Stephen Gardiner, the bishop of Winchester and lord chancellor of England, receiving this noble legate in the king and the queen's behalf, to commend and set forth the authority of this legate, the greatness of his message, and the supreme majesty of the sender, before the public audience of the whole parliament at that time assembled, there openly protested, with great solemnity of words, what a mighty message and of what great importance was then brought into the realm-even the greatest message, said he, that ever came into England; and therefore desired them to give attentive and inclinable ears to such a famous legation, sent from so high authority.

Well, and what message was this? Forsooth, that the realm of England should be reconciled again unto their father the pope; that is to say, that the queen with all her nobility, and sage council, of so many learned prelates, discreet lawyers, worthy commons, and the whole body of

the realm of England, should captive themselves, and become underlings to an Italian stranger and friarly priest sitting in Rome, who never knew England, never was here, never did or shall do England good! And this, forsooth, said Gardiner, was the greatest embassage, the weightiest legacy that ever came to England!-forgetting belike either this message of God sent here by his apostles unto us, or else because he saw it made not so much for his purpose as did the other, he made the less account thereof.

Well then, and will ye see what a weighty message this was that Gardiner so exquisitely commendeth? First, the sender is gone, the messenger is gone, the queen is gone, and the message gone, and yet England not a rush the better Of which message I may say, answering again to Gardiner, that this was the lightest and most trifling legacy of all legacies or messages that ever came or shall come to England, namely, that we should be reconciled again to the pope. But let the pope with his reconciliation go, as they are already gone, (God be thanked,) and I beseech God so may they be gone, that they may never come here again. England never fared better than when the pope did most curse it; and yet I hear whispering of certain privy reconcilers, sent of late by the pope, which secretly creep in corners. But this I leave to them that have to do withal. Let us again return to our matter.

We then, having this legation sent to us, not from the pope, but even from our Lord and God; not by any cardinal of Rome, but by the elect vessel of Christ the apostle St. Paul, and other apostles; let us attend with reverence, first to Him that sendeth, then to the messengers that are sent unto us; remembering how Rahab the harlot received the messengers of Moses, and was preserved, Josh. ii. vi. ; remembering also the words of our Saviour, He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me, &c. Luke x.

Wherefore, considering with ourselves, good christian audience, the high majesty of this our supreme Prince, the sender of this message, being not only our Head and King anointed, but who also of love gave his life and blood, as this day, to be spent for our redemption; let us, for our parts, if we are his subjects, mark what our Prince requireth; let the flock hear what the Pastor teacheth; the body what the Head speaketh; the spouse what the spouse sendeth. And thus much touching the Sender of the message.

II. Now, what the messengers are, and who they are, the apostle proceeding further in the letter, thus inferreth; We, saith he, are sent as messengers, &c, speaking not of himself alone, nor of Peter alone, nor of any apostle, one more than another; but jointly joining them all in one office and calling together, without difference of degree or singularity of person, he saith, We are sent as messengers or apostles. For so signifieth the name of apostles, as much to mean as a messenger or a legate sent. Where is to be noted by the way, that this nominative, We, in the plural number is not here to be expounded after the style of Rome. For, the swelling style of the court of Rome, useth commonly, when any mandate, brief, or sentence is given, thus to say, Nos Willielmus pro tribunali sedentes, &c. Nos Edmundus, Roberto Cluney literato, &c. We, William, &c.

So the bishop of Rome, directing forth his precepts or bulls, never speaketh in other number, but Mandamus, we command; Statuimus, we appoint; Ordinamus, we order; et Volumus, we will. And although he be but one singular person that speaks, and such as will needs be singular alone above all others; yet disdains he to speak in the singular number, but always uses the plural, to express belike his regal priesthood. Who, because he seeth great kings and emperors use this trope of writing and speaking, lest he should seem in any point inferior to them, or not to speak as big as they, uses therefore the same regal or imperial phrase of speech, with his mandamus, et volumus, &c.; when as Christ in the gospel is content to say, A new command give I unto you, not, We give to you. But let the pope's style with the court of Rome pass, which as it is but puffed up with the wind of pride, so let it vanish away with the wind also.

This is certain, that St. Paul in these words, We come as messengers, &c. meaneth no such matter, to signify either himself alone, or Peter alone, or any other of the apostles singularly; but jointly comprehendeth the whole fellowship of the blessed apostles together, and declareth, that they, all together joined in one commission, are sent in the behalf and name of Christ, as legates or messengers, and not only to these Corinthians to whom here he writeth, but inclusively to all others, wheresoever either collected or dispersed in the whole world, according as it was enjoined them by the Lord's own special commission, saying, Go into the whole world, and preach this gospel or glad

Whosoever believeth and is

message to every creature.
baptized shall be saved, Matt. xxviii.

Well, and what shall we then say? Did this message of the apostles cease with the end of the apostles? Or did the preaching thereof extend no further, but during the continuance of their time? Yes, verily; for He which then set them on work, and sent them on this message, putting in their mouth the word of reconcilement, is the same Lord which liveth still, and ceaseth not to send messengers into his church from time to time. Some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some teachers and instructors; some with one gift, some with another, and all for the edifying of his people, to have the message of his gospel continued in the world, which still shall be continued, so long as his church shall endure; for He cannot, and will not totally and finally forsake his church, which is his kingdom.

But as it then happened in the apostles' time, there crept in with them certain false apostles and sinister teachers, which, confounding together the law with the gospel, Moses with Christ, man's merits with mercy, confidence in works with God's free grace and promises, laboured to pervert the course of this blessed message, sent to us by the mouth of the apostles. So hath there not lacked since that time in the church, some false catholics and false teachers, not sent of God to do his message; but creeping in craftily, to lead a loitering life, some impudent, some negligent, some ignorant and blind, having a zeal of God, but not after knowledge, as St. Paul saith, Rom. x. Some preaching themselves, some preaching for benefices and promotions; some teaching before they have learned; some speaking that they know not, nor having experience whereof they speak; some also plain enemies to the cross of Christ, and subverters of his heavenly message; of which sort we have had heretofore too much experience of late years, when the pope had the leading of this church of England.

But, blessed be the God of all corsolation, and Father of our Lord Jesus, who hath visited us from on high with such mercy and grace, and hath raised up such ministers and messengers of his holy grace and gospel to his church, which so constantly accord and tune in one string together, to set forth the lively message and truth of Christ's gospel unto you; which you daily do hear, and which, as it doth me good to see, so do I most heartily rejoice from the bottom of my heart and soul, and praise God with ny

hearty thanks therefore. And yet, nevertheless, to speak the simple truth touching the present state of this our ministry, if I should say that nothing therein were amiss, I should indeed blanch and flatter too much. For who seeth' not that many this day enter into the ministry, not as God's messengers sent of any message from him, but winding in themselves by hook or crook, or by some compound way, parting half stakes, as it were, between their patrons and them, and having either no art to find them, or no mind to labour, make a trade of living of the ministry, more to live at ease than to labour in God's message.

Many other abuses might be here recited, but I am not at this time to complain of any, but only to preach Christ Jesus crucified unto you. And if there be any thing in them further to be complained of, I leave it to the ministers themselves, or to their patrons that receive them, or to their bishops which induct them, to look upon it. But to our purpose; they that will be the true messengers of God, let them well consider what their office is, whose messengers they are, and do their message faithfully.

The office of ministers was wont in the time of barbarous

popery, to be counted " orare, predicare, sacrificare," to pray, to preach, and to sacrifice. But they which allotted those offices to the ministry, thought belike to bring in the Aaronical or Levitical priesthood again, with their praying for the sins of the people, and offering continual sacrifice for the same. As for prayer, which they call Orare, I take that office as common to all christian men, and not only appropriate to the ministry to pray, I mean for sins. And as touching Sacrificare, if they mean thereby to sacrifice Christ's body for sin, that office only appertaineth to Christ, and to none other. But we which are entered now into the new testament, and are passed from shadows to the body, from legal significations to spirit and truth, following the direction of Christ's commission in his gospel, do say, with St. Paul, that the principal office of the ministers of the new testament is, to labour in the word and doctrine, 1 Tim. v. that is, By word and doctrine to do God's message, and to preach to the people, the word which God hath put in their mouths, or which he hath left unto them by his apostles. Although, beside this, divers other duties are incident to the order of ministers, as, to minister the sacraments, to pray, to offer thanksgiving, to reprove, to comfort, to lay on hands, to excommunicate, &c., yet the