Sermon on Genesis 14 20-21

T HE last time beloved that I was in this place, which was the fourth day of this last week, you heard that this third and last parte of this chapter, containeth the triumph of Abram after the victory: In whose return from the battle he was met of 2. Kings, the one King of Sodom, the other was the King of Salem. Wherein we considered first, y ^e [ 1] dealings of Abram & the king of Sodom in y ^e first part: secondly, the dealings between [ 2] Abram and Melchizedek in the second part. In the first part whereas [ 1] the King of Sodom came forth to meet Abram: We did note, that adversity teacheth many good lessons, which men in prosperity will never learn: namely, the King of Sodom who before this time would neither pity Abram being a stranger, nor reverence him for his religion which he professed everywhere, and set up badges and Ensigns of the same in every place where he came, but in his prosperity had his whole delight in wantonness and pride, and is now by aduerssite taught humility: and he cometh forth to meet and salute Abram. Secondly, that this king now saw what profit he got by pride, and what the way of wickedness had brought him unto, and that the estate of Abram, howe troublesome, mad, and foolish soever it seemed to him, yet to be far better and more glorious then his, soe, there is not so wicked a man but that he once acknowledgeth his own estate to be miserable, and the estate of God's children to be most happy and blessed. Next the history of Melchizedek followed, inserted as in a parenthesis, Wherein we considered. First what he was, 2. what he did, 3. what he said. Out of the first part, which is at large described in the seventh to the Hebrews, we considered first his name, to wit Melchizedek, which signifieth righteousness, and that he was king of Salem, y ^t is peace, wherein the holy ghost noteth y ^e righteousness is king of peace. & that righteousness governeth in the kingdom of peace, & no peace where unrighteousness reigneth, as the prophet Isa. 57.21. saith, there is no peace saith my God to the wicked. Secondly, in that first part we noted that he was without Father and Mother. For that the holy Ghost doth make no mention of them. Wherein I shown how vainly they deal, that would have him to be either Shem, or an Angel, or the son of God, and brought forth reasons to confute those fancies. Thirdly, we considered that he was King and Prieste, noting in all these things that he was a figure of Christ. First in his name, for that Christ is righteousness it self, reigning in men's conscyences, & bringing peace to the soul: secondly in his parents Christ is without father in respect of his manhood, & without mother in respect of his godhead: Thirdly in his offices, Christ is a King to reign, and a priest to offer up sacrifice to God his father forever. Then we considered the deeds of Melchizedek, which was the bringing forth of bread and wine to relieve the wearied army of Abram: where in I confuted the fancy of the Papists, that would have this bread and wine of Melchizedek, to be a figure of their Mass: First, showing that if there had been any such matter in it, the holy Ghost would have noted it in the 7. to the Hebrews, where he descrybeth him so largely. For if it had figured so great a mystery as they account their mass to be, the holy Ghost would not have set so light by it, as to have said never a word of it. Melchizedek brought forth bread, but they deny their sacrifice to be bread, but the body of christ: In denying their wafar cake to be bread, they say truly, for it is a paltry thing, not moving the senses of the receauers to that consideration it should: Besides that, it hath been made as many wright, of bad confections, as dogs grease. And some of their ancestors before time made their stuff with infants blood, and some with more filthy & abhominable things then are here to be named. Melchizedek brought forth bread and wine to refresh the feeble soldiers, wherein was noted, that the Lord doth always provide for those that travail in his business, and take pains to deliver the oppressed, as Abram adventuring to deliver his brother Lot, receiveth comfort by a stranger. Melchizedek blessed Abram from the lord, in which his words were noted, that blessings came from God, & that they are the Lord's blessings, and not man's that stand, and his curses that take effect. Next they that comfort the afflicted are blessed of God, and they that grieve the Spyrite of GOD in his children, by adding afflictions to afflictions, are cursed of God: coming from that to the title wherein he called him possessor of Heaven, and Earth. I noted he gave God these titles, being only possessor of Heaven, and that the Pope cannot open and shut it with his pardons at his pleasure, for heaven is the Lord's: and next in that he nameth him possessor of earth: I noted that he will take account of us whether we use it as he hath directed us, or abuse it contrary to his will, and therein we see what a happy and blessed thing it is for God's children, whose kingdom and inheritance is not upon the earth but in heaven, where no tyrannous oppressors can trouble and annoy: on the other side what a woeful change shall these oppressing tyrants make, which say, now y ^e earth is theirs to serve their lusts, and then they must answer to the professor of it, and must flit to hell from the earth for their abusing it. So Melchizedek ended his speech with thanksgiving and yielding the glory of that triumph unto God for the victory as to him was due, and these were the Principal notes which I gave then as I remember. Now it resteth before we enter into the history of the king of Sodom, that we consider what Abram did to Melchizedek: The holy Ghost saith, Abram gave him Tithe of all, wherein he giveth us to consider that Abram being lightened by God's spirit, saw in Melchizedek some more excellent thing then is ordinarilye found in men, and therefore he gave him an extraordinarye entertainment, and presented him with such a present, as we read not of in the Scriptures, until we come to this place therefore that we may the better understand it, let us observe. First, what it is that is given, namely Tythes. Secondly, to whom it was given, to Melchizedek. Thirdly by whom they were given, by Abram, and Fourthly, whereof these Tythes were, which are set down by the holy Ghost in the epistle to the Hebrews 7. to be of the spoils which Abram had gotten in the Wars, as appeareth in y ^e fourth verse. Tythes were a portion which the Lord reserved to him self to be paid to himself, by them to whom he gave the possession of the earth, and the enjoying of Earthlye blessings, so Moses saith Levite. 27.30. The tithe is the Lord's, it is holy to the Lord. So Jacob said, Gene. 28.22. Of all thou shalt give me, I will give the tenth to thee, which thing was yielded as a testimony of their grateful & thankful minds to him that bestowed those benefits upon them, and as an acknowledgement that all they had was the Lord's, and they held the same of him in chief. For the second part to whom it was given, it is here noted that it was to Melchizedek, an axcellent person, a figure of Christ, the son of God, a choice man placed by the Lord, as it were in his own room, to take homage of Abram for the Lord's right, and thus the Lord hath dealt in sundry places of the scripture, appointing diverse sons of men to be his deputies, to receive relief of those outward signs of the inward honor due unto him self, of which sortes there be principally four. First, the Levites appointed to teach God's people, who being first cursed by Jacob for the bloodiness of the hands of Levi, and left without any tribe or inheritance, but to be divided in Jacob, and scattered in Israel. Gen. 49.7. their hands were after sanctified of the Lord for showing their love & zeal to the Lord, in killing the idolaters which had worshipped y ^e calf. The curse of deviding & scattering, the Lord applied as a means that his law might be taught in every corner of Israel, and the loss of their inheritance he recompensed by feeding them with his own portion, and promising them that he himself would be their lot and their inheritance. Nomb. 18.20. The second sort are the poor, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. Deut. 26.12. The third sort are kings, whom the Lord hath placed in his own room, to guide and govern his people, as Samuel said when the people would needs have a King, he will take the tenth of your seed and of your fields and give it to his Eunuchs and to his servants. 1. Sam. 8.15. The fourth sort, were the children of the Prophets trained up at school at Rama, and such other places as Universities, that they might be the apter for the matters of the Lord, as may be gathered by sundry places of the scripture. Next cometh to be considered, who paid Tythes: namely Abram: wherein the author to the Hebrews, noteth what an excellent man Melchizedek was, to whom Abram the Patriarch paid tithes: but far more excellent is the Kingdom and Priesthood of Christ, figured by Melchizedek: he also doth teach us that the end and abolishing of the priesthood of Levi was figured in this, that Levi in the loins of Abrahā paid Tithes to Melchizedek. This also was figured in that the priests, & Levites paid tithes (of those Tythes which were brought them) to the high priest (who was also a figure of Christ) Num. 18.26. Lastly in this text we are to note whereof he paid tithes, which the holy Ghost to the Heb. 7.4. answereth to be of the spoils got̄ by his hands. There were sundry sorts of Tythes paid, as of the fruits of the ground, of the gains of their hands, & of the increase of their Cattle, whereby we see the great care that God had for the Levites in providing, for them that had no inheritance of their own: so that as the people of Israel had increase of any fruits, the Levites attending upon religion, had their portion of the same. As these tithes were of diverse sorts, so were they diversely paid, of some they paid the first fruits, of some the third, of some the tenth: some were paid in money, & some otherwise, whereby we see that the holy ghost speaking of tithes is not always to be understood of tenths some do take it, but these Tythes were of the fruits gotten by Abram his hands. Thus have you heard the sum of this text. But now it is convenient (this being the first time that we find the mat-of Tythes, spoken of since we began this book of Genesis ) that we should enter deeper into these words and learn somewhat out of them for our selves. Which matter I would gladly pass over for the avoiding of false surmises & sinister reports, but that our Savior in that commission given in the latter end of the 28. after Matthew, giveth commandment, saying: Teach them to do all that I have commanded you: And the Apostle Paul in the Act. 20. cap. 26. & 27. verses protesteth that he is free from the blood of all men, for that he kept nothing back, but had shown them all the counsel of God: the minister therefore must teach all that Christ hath commanded, even all the councils of God revealed in his word, and he that keepeth them back, shall be found guilty both of the breach of the commandment of Christ, and also of the blood of his flock. The Pastor must teach threefore, and you must learn not only to know the duty of a Minister to his people, but also of the people towards their minister. Howsoever therefore the doctrine delivered, shall be mistaken or wrested, yet the truth must be delivered, let men take it as they will, the Lord will give it such success as he shall think best. Some peradventure will ask what this matter of tithes appertaineth to the ministry now? and will (to save their goods) say, that these were ceremonial laws, and so were abrogated by Christ's coming. To whom I answer, that the Lord (of that portion reserved unto him self) appointed some part to the Levites for the maintenance of the ministry about the Lord's work. and some part of them for the sacryfices of meat offerings, drink offerings, sin offerings, trespass offerings, and peace offerings: this last part for the sacrifices was ceremonial, and so Christ the body being come, the shadows are ended. But this, that homage be done to the King of all Kings, and that the mynystrye be maintained for the setting forth of the true worship of GOD, and suppressing of all false worships, is not ceremonial but moral, and shall so long continue as any face of a Church or religion shall be upon the earth. He therefore that shall say that this is altogether ceremonial and ended by Christ, saith y ^e Christ is a hinderer, and less careful for the ministry of the Gospel, then he was for the exercise of figures & shadows under the law. But many of these men which so willingly would have this law for the maintenance of the ministry to be disanulled as ceremonyall, and yet do like enough, & to much of other ceremonies, not only Jewish, but Antichristian and Popish, even taken from the heathen, do hereby declare that it is not the ceremony, which they would have buried, but the preaching of the Gospel that they cannot abide, for that it rippeth up their conscience, it rubbeth just where they are galled, and discovereth their sins: It is not a ceremonye, it is this that grieveth them. On the other side, Satan (seeking to bring the ministers either to slack their dilygence in God's matters, and to get their bread by other means, or by poverty to run into debt, contempt and shame) haith raised up a sort of covetous men, which pul from the ministers what they can, and will as willingly have their guts drawn out of their belly, as they will part from any of their goods for the maintenance of the ministers. And these men will seem to have scripture for their purpose, yea they have this at their fingers end out of Mat. 10. 8. Freely ye have received, freely give, so far they have learned, but no further, for that it served not their purpose: For our Savior left not his Apostles without their provision in this their painful journey, but in the same chapter appointed in every city where they should come, that they should be received into the houses of them that were worthy. and that provision should be set before them for their maintenance, but if they found not places fit for that peace they brought, they should shake the dust from their feet to be a witness of greater vengeance to that place, then that which light upon Sodom and Gomorrhe: But few are those houses that such men hold and keep, where the minister may be received with his wife and children, & have maintenance set before them with joy: yea few they are in deed where the sincere minister may eat his meat with joy, but that the abundance of sin shall make him think his bread to be as gravel between his teeth, and his drink to be as wormwood to his taste, and so with grief they would soon make the minister with shame to go & beg his bread. But as our Savior that gave that former particular charge, to give freely, and to take neither bag nor scrip nor money, so afterwards in the 22. of Luke 35. he doth ask his Apostles whether they wanted anything or no, when he thus sent them forth and added therewithal, now he that hath a scrippe, let him possess it, and he that hath not a sword let him sell his coat and buy one, that is, the world will grow to such misery, and the ministry to such afflictiō, y ^t everyone will be ready to scratch & pul from you. Therefore use ye the means that are lawful in the fear of the lord for your maintenance.

That this matter may be the plainer laid open, and made more manifest to the capacity of our understanding. Let us consider, first whether there be any stipend appointed for the ministry or no? 2. How the same should be paid? 3. to whom it should be paid? For the first, the law of nature taught it them that had not the law of God to direct them, sundry godly kings have executed it, the Fathers directed by God's spirit before the law was written used it, God by his law established it, Christ hath ratified it unto us in the new testament, and the Apostles have in sundry places taught it, & because the Apostle Paul made a large discourse of this matter, and used sundry reasons to prove the same, let us leave all other, and rip up those in the 1. Cor. 9. where he useth four principal reasons to confirm the same. The first gathered of the example of the Apostles, The second by comparison. The third of the law writ̄, the fourth of y ^e authority of Christ. First he saith it is lawful, yea the other Apostles have power to take maintenance of you for them and their wives, and may not I and Barnabas have it? His reason of comparison he followeth thus. The soldier hath his costs borne in his warfare, the husbandman eateth of the fruits of his labors, the shepherd feedeth of the milk of his flock. The Ox hath his mouth open to feed of y ^e corn he treadeth out. They that waited of the altar were fed of y ^e same, we the ministers are the soldiers and ensign bearers in your Christian wars, we are God's husbandmen, you are God's husbandry, we are the shepherds, you are the sheep, we tread you out & devide unto you the bread of life, the word of God, we minister not unto you figures and shadows as the Levites did, but the gospel, the power of God to saluatiō, why should not we then be maintained as soldiers? why reap we not of our labors as husbandmen? why are we not fed as shepherds? Why have we not the liberty of Oxen? Why live we not of our calling as the Levites did? Is our calling more vile then any other occupation? Are not our labors worthy meat and drink? Yes, yes, your gain is great by exchaunge with us, for dross you have gold, for carnal things, spiritual. And for earthly things, heavenly. Yea further, you can find nothing in the world to be laid in equal ballāce to weigh against the word of God: from reasoning thus by comparison, he proceedeth to his argument of authority of the law written, & therein he standeth not long, for he said it is sufficient, his word is a reason of force, and his will is a perfect rule of righteousness. Then he goeth forward to his 4. argument, and proveth that Christ allowed & ratified the same in the gospel, ordaining that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. And the Apostle to the Gal. 6.6.7. useth y ^e same reason used before in the law, for there the Lord challenged it as a law due unto himself, & here he saith, that he which defraudeth the minister, deceiveth himself, & mocketh God: for as he was king before y ^e law, & in the law before the coming of Christ in the flesh, so is he king still, the preaching of the gospel is the scepter of his kingdom, the ministers are his scepter bearers, & therefore he showeth by the Apostle. 1. Tim. 5.17. that they which labor in the word & doctrine, are worthy of double honor, that is, a liberal allowance of the maintenance of him and his. For the second part, how the same should be paid, or whereof raised, the holy Ghost hath not appointed, therefore to say that the tenths belong to the ministers as commanded by the Lord, we have no warrant for it, neither dare I say that the magistrate may not appoint y ^e tenths for the maintenance of the ministry, except I saw the same forbidden by the lord. As kings have received their kingdoms & scepters from the Lord, so must they endeavor that the kingdom of God may have place in their dominions, that he may rule amongst thē by his word, & that the ministers be sufficiently provided for, as they will answer for it to the king of kings, of whom they hold their crowns in chief: but it is left at liberty to thē to raise it, either by tenths of fruits of y ^e earth, or of cattle, or of money, or by what means they shall in their godly wisdom think most convenient, & the more certain they make this portion, the mo mischiefs they do prevent, for the leaving of it uncertain, doth often cause the minister, either to make merchandize of the word, or for gain to flatter y ^e wealthy, or with shame for want to beg, or for need to starve, all which subtle practices Satan daily putteth in execution, seeking thereby either to overthrow the ministry, or to make it by such blemishes to loose the force and beauty of the same. But though magistrates should be careless in these matters, yet the people of God must be careful to do their duty in this respect. There was no king of Canaan that be law compelled Abram to pay these tithes, neither was there any Christian prince in the primative Church, that by law appointed maintenance for the ministers, yet Abram paid, & the Apostles & bishops after them were provided for. But to come nearer to see how they must be paid. This must be paid religiously, readily and liberally: religiously as to God for the enlarging of his kingdom, the defense of the truth, and maintenance of his true worship. It must be done readily in time convenient, & of a willing mind. It must be done liberally, that the minister be not driven to slack his calling and to employ his time in other things, thereby to get his living: by this liberallitie I mean not y ^t they should be glutted up with dainties & maintained pompously, for that is as great a mischief on the other side. For when Satan cannot stop y ^e preaching of the gospel by pennury & scarcity, then he trieth to choke & smother it with the glory of the world, and this way alas he doth too much prevail. But though there be some either made slow of speech, or altogether tongue-tied by this God Mammon & so bewitched, that they can like better of ministers that live as Atheists, drunkerds, wantons & old doting priests, then they do of painful & sincere preachers, yet it is a wonder to see with what cursing & swearing, how slackly & slowly, & with what pinching and sparing the rest have their portions, unless they had all conspired to overthrow the ministry. Abram was riche & yet paid tithes: the rich now a days that should give most liberally, will for the most part take tithes, there are very few of them that will pay any. The ministers are driven to live of that they can have of the poorest, which are oft times so scraped, that they are more meet to take almesse then to pay tithes. In the book of Nehem. 13.4. there is a story recorded how Tobiah the Ammonite kinsman to Eliashib y ^e priest had gotten by his favor into the chamber made for the provision of the house of God and of the Levites, so that they fled to their land, & left the house of God void, but whē Nehemiah heard of it, he obtained liberty of king Artahshasht, & came to Ierusalē with grief, he found the same to be true, he cast out all Tobiah his stuff, and resorted those things to their former use. If that our noble prince would now send forth some godly & zealous Nehemiah, to look to these matters now, he might find a mumber of Tobiahs entered into the chambers, appointed for the provision of the ministry. First he should find y ^t the Abbeys (kinsmen to the high priest of Rome ) began to make this spoil, & got into their hands the best benefices by impropriating them, they are overthrown, these spoils are not restored, but many men live of that they stole from the ministry. Secondly he should find a number of bishops equal in this sin, with Eliashih, or with that high priest of Rome, for they have spoiled many benefices by confirming leases to their kinsmen by power, or by blood, or by the purse, yea I know one bishop in this realm, that hath confirmed I think nere 20. of the best benefices in his diocese, some to his children, some to his kinsmen, some to his officers, some for money to diverse that are as bad as Ammonites in religion, Thirdly he shall find a number of patrons that will be so nigh kinsmen to the ministers, that they will have all the house and profits, & alowe them scraps with the serving men, when they have waited on their patrons trencher, or they will cosin them of the house and gleabe, it is parte of their inheritance, it standeth as conveniently for them, as Nabothes vyneyard did for Ahab, let our cosins the pield priests dwell in some bad cotages, these houses are meeter for gentle men: or they will for cosinage have the tithe corn for provision for their house, & leave their poor cosin tithe goose and tithe calf, with the eggs at Easter, at least they will have their own tithes. Never a chaplain of them all shall put them besides it. Some what there must be given to the mystresse their wives, or to find a child at School. Fourthly, he shall find many wealthy and mighty men to be so near kinsmen to the ministers, y ^t they will pay either nothing, or very little, they will pleasure them some other way. But if they may not have it as they list, they will be neither their cosins nor friends, the preacher nor gospeller must not harbor there, he were better to be many a mile frō them. To be short, I am not able to reckon up the practices that this good commissioner should find devised by Satan and put in execution by men, for the cosining & spoil of the ministry, profane mē have dealt better with their idle priests then we with our ministers. Pharaoh that heathenishe king, in whom was no religion, toke this order when the great famine was in Egypt, as appeareth in Gen. 47.22 that his idol priests were maintained of his own charge. Jezebel that Qeeene so full of wickedness, maintained Baals priests at her own table 1. King. 18.17. & Michah as it is in the book of Judges 17.5.10. made him an Idole, got him a priest, and provided for him his handful, to wit, very liberally: equal with Pharaoh, with IeZabell, and with Michah, were our forerunners in the time of popery, who crammed both the bellies & the pursses of Satan's hirelings, y ^e chapplaines of Antichrist who could do nothing but say a Mass or mumble up a mattins, but now in the time of the Gospel to get anything for the maintenance of the ministry of the same, is as I said before, as grievous to them as the pulling of their bowels out of their bellies, yea, they seek to put away even that which is less. Here I might take occasion to show both how religion & justice, godliness and honesty are made shipwreck of by the spoil of the ministry: for thereby eight commandments of the ten are broken. For neither the knowledge of God, nor the true estimation and love of him commanded in the first commandment: nor the avoiding of Idolatry, and setting forth of the true worship of God, prescribed in the second commandment, nor the reverence of the name of God set forth in the third, nor the observation of the sabbath, established in the 4. Nor the honor of the ministry appointed in the fifth. Nor the avoiding of bloudguiltines & preservation of life given in charge in the 6. Nor the giving to every man his right required in the 8. Nor the having of a contented heart without any motion, coveting or desiring y ^t which is another man's, straitly exacted of us in y ^e tenth, are any whit at all regarded, so y ^t by violating all the commandments in the first table, it showeth y ^t there wanteth godliness in him y ^t spoileth the ministry: & by breaking 4. commandments of the second table, it declareth y ^e honesty hath suffered a very dangerous shipwreck: At a word it giveth an euideth testimony y ^t there remaineth in y ^e man a very small remnant, either of religion, or else of righteousness. Now we are to consider, to whō these tithes, stipends, or maintenance (cal thē as you please) are to be paid. They are to be paid to such as are ensign berers in y ^e Lord's wars: they y ^t preach the gospel must live of the gospel. Abram paid tithes to Melchizedek, who had applied him self to comfort Abram, to give thanks to God to preach & show forth the praises of God. Our savior commands y ^t the hier should be paid to the laborers, & the Apostle appointeth the double honor to them y ^t travel in the word & doctrine, and he commandeth 2. Thes. 3.10. that if there were any which would not work y ^t they should not eat, so y ^t the mass men, y ^e idle shepherds, the dumb dogs, y ^e blind & sleepy watchmen, the wine prophets, y ^e foolish ignorant shepherds, y ^e idle loiterers, & y ^e slowbellies, have no part of this allowance allotted unto thē, either by the law, the prophets, our savior, or his Apostles, their allowance is woe, the price of blood for the guiltiness of the people of god Yet these y ^e preach least, fleece most, and if they procure a quarter sermō for their people, this must be one principal caveat to y ^e preacher, the people are slack in paying their tithes, they must be stirred up to feed the idle flatterer, and some preachers are so simple as to serve the greedy chapleins humor for his Noble. Lord in thy good time remove these loiterers, scraping sleecers, & time seruers, and place in their room such painful laborers as will bear the weight of the burdens, and abide y ^e brunt and heat of the day, & be esteemed worthy to y ^t honor y ^u hast appointed for them. Now it resteth that we proceed with y ^e history of the king of Sodom, wherein is set down, first the supplication which the king of Sodom made to Abram expressed in the 21. ver. next the answer of Abram to the same, which followeth in the 3. last verses. In y ^e king of Sodom's supplication. Give me the persons, take the goods to thyself: is shown great equitye & charitye, equity towards Abram, in that he would take neither men nor money without Abram's leave, for that by his painful travels, & endangering his own life, he had gotten them as spoils in the wars, & craving the men he desireth not the goods, but is willing to leave them with him: on the other side, he showeth great charity & pitye fowardes his subjects, in y ^t he sueth so earnestly to have thē set at liberty. This surely is a notable supplication, and a very rare example of a singular suit. If we consider all circumstances. First he is very poor, then his countreye is spoiled, next his goods are carried away, he is left very bare, why doth he not rather in respect of him self, seek the riches and ask the goods, then crave the men. Why doth he not consider y ^t he hath nothing to keep them on, no not for himself. All these considerations are swallowed by y ^e love he beareth to his subjects, his mercy to his men full of miseries & calamities, causeth him to regard none of those things, but he saith, Give me the persons, take the goods to thyself. This example is seldom followed (to y ^e shame I speak it of the miserable worldlings that live in these days) y ^t this profane king not professing God, dwelling at the vile place Sodom, shown more mercy towards men, thē many called Christians, dwelling in y ^e body of Christian realms, do to their Christian brethren. Few are those masters y ^t tender not their beasts more then their servants, few are the Landlords that regard not the goods more thē men, as the oppressing of y ^e poor, by rackinges of rentes, by excessive fines, by extraordinary payments, gnawing frō them the bread got̄ with painful hands, before it can come into the children's bellies, and the vnharbouring of the harborless, when they have scraped them to the bones doth witness, and the cry of the same doth come to the ears of the Lord of hosts, by the pitiful complaints of men, women, and children, widows, & Orphans, yea, the fatherless infants, are driven to wail, because that merciless Landlordes crave the goods & have no compassion upon Christians. To be short, few are those ministers y ^e care more for the souls, then for the stipends & tithes, as the covetous heaping up of many benefices together the number of none residentes, y ^e careless setting over of souls, to journey men and hirelings that will serve best chepe, y ^e greedy scraping for tithes, y ^e seldom preaching yea many great Rabbyns which would be counted ioly preachers, will preach no oftener then shame, law, or injunction compel thē. Yea some that should spur others forward, may be presented in their several charges for default of their quarter Sermons. This testifieth y ^t they seek not the souls but the goods. Thus in these few words we see y ^e course of the world in general, which is to be condemned by this example of the king of Sodom, & I fear it will not be amended til God consume us & our corruptions with fire, as he did the Sodomites. The time is past, the answer of Abram I defer to the 4. day of this week. Let us pray that we may profit by that we have now heard.