Bishop in which callings then they liued like Epicures hauing nothing of a good Christian saue the title only Yea Princes of this Land haue renounced their Crownes and Kingdomes and entered into Monasteries and haue put their sonnes and daughters into Cloysters Shall not these condemne vs Nay will not the very heathen rise vp one day in iudgement against vs who haue giuen their sonnes for sacrifice vnto their Idols and caused them to passe through the fire thinking them not too deare to be offered to their gods Let vs looke on these and be ashamed of our selues For certainly the best and noblest amongst the sonnes of men are a thousand-fold more vnfit for that high place than that calling is or can be thought vnworthy of them And as for such as are already called to this high place let all beware of despising of them It is the Apostles rule that they which rule well should haue double honour First honour of countenance and then of maintenance one of these is not enough without the other for it must be double Beautifull are the feet saith this our Prophet Isaiah of them that bring good tidings that publisheth saluation c. If their feet be beautifull how beautifull should their face be who should be so welcome to vs as these who more esteemed or reuerenced Remember how the Lord hath euery way endeuoured to make them so as by giuing them titles of highest respect as Embassadors for Christ and Messengers for the Lord of Hoasts Fathers the first title of honour that was in the world Angels which are the noblest of the creatures Besides he hath giuen them wonderfull authoritie He hath put the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen into their hands to open and to shut Power to remit and retaine sinnes Thus the Lord is pleased to ratifie their regular proceedings in the Court of Heauen Likewise he hath giuen them extraordinary gifts aboue the common rate as Knowledge Experience Comfort and the like Is it safe despising these whom God hath thus highly dignified A last vse may be for comfort vnto vs who wait at Gods Altar Let vs count it our honour to be called hereunto and preferre it before all other callings whatsoeuer not giuing way to any thoughts of discontentment in respect of the many ignominies or persecutions that we daily doe or are like to vndergoe so as to be grieued at the Lords leading of vs to so toilesome and in mans iudgement disgracefull a vocation or to be moued to leaue and giue ouer our function in that respect As sometimes that Cardinall of Loraine did who after he had preached once vnto the people and was therefore derided by the Prelates of his Order left off vtterly the Office of preaching as a calling too base for his Cardinals Hat-ship Let this be farre from vs. If we doe our duty the world will hate vs True But if we doe it not God will curse vs By the first we are in danger to lose our goods our names our liues by the second our soule our heauen our God Now whether it be better to pelase God or man iudge ye Let euery Minister therefore doe his dutie and albeit most in the world contemne vs yet we shall finde some in the world who are not of the world that will reuerence and respect vs. So long as the widow of Sarepta hath any oile we shall not want Howeuer though here we haue troubles to weary vs yet in the end we shall haue heauens ioy to refresh and comfort vs. It is enough we haue deserued our worke shall haue a reward And thus much for the first particular to be considered in this Preface the second followes And that is the nature and kinde of the Treatise indited and is A Song or Poem And here occasion is offered to speake somewhat in the defence of Poetric and Verse The Position is Poesie and Poetrie is an Art and exercise ancient lawfull and praise-worthy The practises of the seruants of God make this good Moses that man of God was excellent herein as appeareth by that same Canticle which he made in commemoration of Gods goodnesse for his peoples deliuerance out of Egypt and for the destruction of their enemies which Song is held to be the most ancient Song that euer was I am sure it is that we reade of in Scripture and is thought to be first composed in Hexameter verse though it is not certaine For it is no easie matter to finde out the Scansion of verse vsed amongst the Hebrewes such was the varietie of their Measures As also by that which he made a little before his death which he commanded should be taught the Children of Israel yea the text saith he himselfe wrote it and taught it them Thus Deborah and Barak also composed a Song and sang it to the Lord. So Dauid that same sweet singer of Israel had an excellent gift this way as is euident by that same funerall Song or Epitaph which he made for Saul and Ionathan after their deaths Besides diuers Odes and Hymnes which he composed to the honour of God in various kindes of Verse This likewise was the practise of Christians in the Primitiue Church as Eusebius reporteth out of Philo Iudaeus They contemplate saith he not only diuine things but they make graue Canticles and Hymnes vnto God in a more sacred ryme of euery kinde of metre and verse If any doubt remaine notwithstanding what hath beene shewed of the truth of our propounded point let then this be considered of how Verse is the forme of speech which it hath pleased that wise and all-knowing Spirit to choose to reueale a great part of his reuealed will in for besides those speciall Psalmes and Canticles before mentioned there are sundry parts and bookes of holy Scripture Poetically pend as the booke of Iob the booke of the Psalmes the booke of the Prouerbs with Solomons Ecclesiastes and Canticles as the most learned Fathers of the Church haue testified And many other parcels of holy Scripture which we haue meerely translated into Prose are Verse in the Originall This me thinkes should put all out of doubt For who can be so irreligious as to think or imagine that the Holy Ghost would euer haue vsed any vndecent or vnlawfull manner of expression of his holy Mysteries and cause vs to giue credence to this truth viz. Poetrie and Poesie is an Art and exercise lawfull and praise-worthy The commendable properties of which Art appeare in these two ancient Verses Metra parant animos Comprêndunt plurima paucis Aures delectant pristina commemorant Which I finde by one thus Englished to my hand Verse doth the soule prepare and much in briefe affords It rauisheth the eare and things long past records There is Ryme Reason or Reason for Ryme First it prepares fits the soule for holy duties
rod and their iniquities with strokes The Scriptures propose many examples our eares haue heard many reports our eyes behold daily many presidents which may confirme this Doctrine What dolefull complaints doe we reade that the Church maketh euery where in the Lamentations Behold oh Lord how I am troubled my bowels swell my heart is turned within me for I am full of heauinesse The sword spoileth abroad as death doth at home c. How lamentably doe the godly bemoane themselues and the estate of the Church in the Prophesie of Isay Be not angry O Lord aboue measure neither remember iniquitie for euer behold see we beseeth thee we are thy people Thy holy cities axe a wildernesse Zion is a wildernesse Ierusalem a desolation Our holy and our beautifull house where our Fathers praised thee is burnt vp with fire and all our pleasant things are laid waste And how doth the Prophet Dauid expresse the burden of his afflictions wherewith he was afflicted in the Booke of the Psalmes Thine arrowes saith he sticke fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sinne And againe thus The sorrowes of death compassed mee and the paines of hell gat hold vpon me I found trouble and sorrow and many such like patheticall complaints he makes The whole Booke of the Iudges may be a proofe for this truth wherein wee see how the people of Israel proceeding to doe euill in the sight of the Lord he sold them into the hand of his and their enemies We might further instance in Solomon Asa Iehoshaphat Iosiah Hezekiah and others all which make this good that God spareth not his owne people when they sinne against him Two Reasons may be giuen hereof First That the Lord might declare himselfe to be un aduersary to sinne in all men and that the wicked may see he is not partiall to any when his commandements are not regarded Secondly That he may reduce his seruants from running on headlong with the wicked to perdition For were wee altogether exempted from the rod how wanton and froward would we grow and into how many perils would wee cast our selues And so saith Saint Paul When we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord that we might not be condemned with the world But did not Christ giue himselfe for his Church and shed his bloud for their redemption was not their sins punished in him How comes it then to passe they are still subiect to Gods heauie visitations True it is that Christ did beare away all our punishments but he hath not freed vs from fatherly corrections Now when God afflicteth his in this world it is more for medicine than for punishment more for a correction than for a penaltie Losses crosses pouertie imprisonmeent sicknesse yea death it selfe are not to vs punishments nor curses properly but fatherly chastisements being inflicted as furtherances of sanctification not as meanes of satisfaction And thus you haue this obiection answered and my doctrine confirmed viz. God will not spare any no not his owne people when they sin against him Which being so this may terrifie wicked and vngodly ones who make a trade of sinne driuing after it as it was said of Iehu in another case as if they were made and yet imagine because God for a time holdeth his peace and keepes silence that hee is such a one as themselues a louer and approuer of their wicked waies But oh you fooles how long will you loue folly and when will you grow wise Doth God correct the flock of his owne pasture the children of his owne houshold and shall you goe scot-free Doth the Lord chastise them so heauily the burden of whose sins Christ hath borne in his bodie on the crosse and shall such as Christ neuer died for no nor yet prayed for escape shall not many prayers and teares sighes and groanes petitions of Gods Saints requests of the Spirit together with the daily intercession of Iesus Christ Gods only and welbeloued in whom he is well pleased keepe off such bitter things from them who but now and then breake out Woe and alas then what shall become of you who neuer pray sigh nor shed teare for sinne for whom Gods blessed Spirit makes no request and who haue no interest in the mediation and intercession of that iust and righteous Aduocate who sinne not of infirmitie and weaknesse but boldly and presumptuously with a high hand against the Lord Thinke of an answer to those interrogatories which the Spirit of God propoundeth to thee in holy Writ Loe I beginne to bring euill on the Citie which is called by my name and shal you goe vtterly vnpunished And againe Behold they whose iudgement was not to drinke of the cup haue assuredly drunken and art thou he that shalt escape And againe If these things be done to the greene tree to them who haue in them the sap of grace what shall be done to the drie to them who haue no moisture of goodnesse And againe If iudgement first beginne at vs who are the house of God what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare What answerest thou to these why speakest thou not And now O my God behold how I am troubled my bowels swell my heart is turned within me for I heare an answer true but terrible The Lord indeed will trie the righteous in his furnace but the wicked and such as loue iniquitie doth his soule hate vpon the wicked shall he raine snares fire and brimstone and stormie tempest this is the portion of their cup. He will indeed iudge the iust man for his transgressions in his life but hee will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy pate of him that walketh on on his trespasses Yea in flaming fire shall God come taking vengeance on them that know him not and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ and they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Then shall the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men and euery bond-man and euery free-man whose names are not written in the Lambes Booke hide themselues in dens and in the rockes of the mountaines And say to the mountaines and rockes Fall on vs and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe But as it was with the old world when God rained from heauen the greatest showre that euer the earth did or shall sustaine their shifts were bootlesse so will it now be They then thought to ouer-climbe the iudgement and haste
saith that is a sinne that cryeth loud in the eares of God for vengeance How many thousands then in this Land stand obnoxious in an high degree to the iudgements of God for this same sinne which is the bane of our people and blemish of our Church Some there are who rob God of his maine tithes yet are content to leaue him still the lesser they plucke our fleeces and leaue vs the taglocks poore Vicaridge tithes whilst themselues and children are kept warme in our wooll the Parsonage And others yet more iniurious who thinke that too much would the law but allow them a paire of sheeres they would clip the very taglocks off These with the deceitfull Taylor are not content to shrinke the whole and faire broad-cloth of the Church to a dozen of buttons but they must likewise take part of them away and nimme the very shreds which only we haue left After they haue full gorged themselues with the Parsonage graines they can finde meanes either by vnconscionable leases or compositions to picke the Vicaridge bones And thus as Dionysius dealt with Iupiter Olympius who tooke from him a massie garment of gold which Hiero had dedicated to him of the spoiles of Carthage and gaue him a woollen cloake saying that the other was too heauy for summer and too cold for winter but this was fit for both seasons euen so I say we are dealt withall And now our pouertie is flouted at by them that haue our liuings as the Iewes who hauing spoyled Christ of his vestments then mocked him with basenesse Euery Gentleman thinks Ministers meane and yet all the world sees that our meanes haue made them Gentlemen But let all such persons know as haue any way intruded vpon Church rights God hath a Quare impedit against them which one day they must make answer to You say they were taken away from idle drones and fat-bellied Monkes True from the vnworthy they were taken and from the worthy they are detained Wicked Papists had them vngodly robbers haue them And as one obserues vpon the battell of Montlecherye some lost their liuings for running away and they were giuen to those who ranne ten miles further Idlenesse hath lost and oppression hath gained You obiect againe that they were giuen by our forefathers not to vs but to Romish Priests and Bishops who are depriued of them and therefore you haue as much right to them as any of our Clergy Thus is this Obiection answered These were giuen to religious vses and for the encrease of true Religion and Learning Now if they by iniurie of the time through ignorance mistooke the truth it is not wrong nay it is great right to keepe their generall purpose with amendment of their particular error Againe you plead they are your inheritances left you by your Fathers and if they haue beene taken from the Church you tooke them not But learne what that meaneth If a Father that hath oppressed the poore and needie and spoiled by violence c. beget a sonne that seeth all his fathers sinnes which he hath done and considereth and doth not the like c. he shall not die for the iniquitie of his father he shall surely liue c. And then that Obiection is answered Yet Law is on your side and you doe no more than that allowes Though the Lawes of men are for you yet the Lawes of God by which you must one day stand or fall are plaine against you And albeit it holds in the courts of men yet it will neuer hold in the Court of Heauen Besides the Ciuill Lawes are not on your side for they hold that the things of God such as are our tithes and reuenues of the Church ought not to belong to Lay persons But say they were yet what are you the better that the lawes of men doe patronize you in it when the Law of God condemnes you for it Oh that all such as are any way guiltie of this sinne would in time bethinke them and call to minde the horrible examples of Gods iudgements in former ages for it Belshazzar king of Babylon abusing the holy vessels of the Temple to prophane vses was first wounded inwardly with terror of conscience and afterwards was cruelly murdered In both the bookes of the Maccabees we reade of Alcymus Heliodorus Lysimachus Antiochus Menelaus and Nicanor all notorious Church-robbers and all came to fearefull ends The example likewise of Ananias and Saphira is not to be forgotten who for withholding part of that money which was consecrated to God by their own gift were by the seueritie of Gods iustice strooke dead as inuaders of Gods right thus according to Solomons prouerb It is a snare to a man that deuoureth holy things and as a snare first it catcheth suddenly secondly it holdeth surely and thirdly it destroieth certainly Let our Improprietaries apply it and learne to be wise by others harmes Let them beware how they Iewishly with the spoiles of Christ purchase fields of bloud for themselues and theirs For questionlesse the Churches goods haue proued more vnfortunate to the Gentrie of this land than euer did the gold of the Temple of Tholossa to the followers of Scipio of which whoeuer caried any part away neuer prospered after This hath beene as that cole which hung at the peece of meat which the Eagle stole from the Altar wherewith she fired her nest and burnt vp her selfe and young ones Had it not beene for this it may be thought many a faire Family had at this day stood which is now ruinated God is as iust as euer and detesteth this sinne as much as euer he did and therefore let such as will not leaue it and repent of it assure themselues that they shall speed as others haue done before them To you then that haue any Impropriations in your hands I say as Daniel did in the like case to Nebuchadnezzar Let my counsell be acceptable to you breake off this your sinne by righteousnesse Make restitution of that which most vniustly you haue so long deteined that so there may be a healing of your error Thou hast taken away the Churches dowrie and spoiled her of it now it were but reason if thou shouldest make her a iointer to recompence the wrong offered and the losse she hath sustained But howeuer restore to God his owne that God may restore to you your owne For with what face canst thou expect an inheritance from Christ in heauen who deteinest away from Christ his inheritance vpon earth what you get by such a detiny shall be your fatall destinie you shall leaue the gold behinde you but carry the guilt with you to euerlasting fire And that which you deuoure here you are like to disgest in hell hereafter except by Restitution you vomit it vp before We doe not craue that you would with Zacheus restore foure-fold
any bill of complaint to God against them yet the sinne it selfe will cry though they be silent Clamitat in coelum vox sanguinis Sodomorum Vox oppressorum merces retent a laborum Euery sinne indeed hath its voice to discouer it selfe to God saith one and not a voice only but feet also yea and wings too to make way and speed into heauen for vengeance but yet there are foure sinnes and but foure as is obserued mentioned in Scripture that are said to cry The first is Homicide murther or manslaughter whereof Almighty God thus speaketh vnto Cain The voice of thy brothers bloud crieth vnto mee from off the earth The second is Sodomie a sinne against nature whereof the Lord speaketh thus vnto Abraham Because the cry of Sodome and Gomorrha is great and because their sinne is exceeding grieuous I will goe downe now and see whether they haue done altogether according to the cry which is come vnto me The third is this of Oppression as the places before quoted shew as also that of Habakkuk where the very timber and stone from the building that is founded vpon falshood and oppression is said to cry for vengeance from heauen The fourth is The keeping backe of the labourers hire as that place euen now brought out of S. Iames for the proofe of our point witnesseth These sinnes are not only vocall but importunate they will haue no nay but hale downe iudgements vpon the heads of the miserable authors and wretched actors of them So then it is impossible for oppressors to escape vnpunished and howeuer vengeance may seeme limpingly to pursue them yet it will ouertake them in the end without repentance hinder As for the poore oppressed this may serue for their comfort and it may teach them patience He that is ouerswayed with might against equitie right in some one Court yet is not out of heart nor hope so long as he may appeale to some other that is higher especially if he be perswaded of the integritie and vprightnesse of that Iudge to whom he makes Appeale Art thou then wronged and iniured by the mighty yet be not discouraged for though thou canst haue no helpe at mans hand yet there is a higher to whom thou maist appeale euen God in his holy habitation who beholds thy troubles heares thy sighes bottles vp thy teares is acquainted with all thy griefes and will right thy wrongs For the oppression of the poore for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him at libertie from him that puffeth at him Heare this you fatherlesse and widowes you poore and needy ones and albeit these mighty Nimrods ride ouer your heads and plow vpon your backs making long furrowes there and thus wound your flesh yet let them not wound your patience but let your weake hands be strengthned and your feeble knees confirmed for behold your God will come with vengeance your God will come with recompence Commit therefore your cause to him who iudgeth righteously and see you asswage your griefe and sorrow when you are thus oppressed He will come he will come assuredly in due time he will come and deliuer you from out the pawes of the bloud-thirstie and cruell man Though Passion therefore possesse your bodies yet let Patience possesse your soules And now for the Ecce which is here twice vsed Behold oppression Behold a cry once vsing it is not enough Behold and behold againe One cals this a starrie note Another compares it to a hand in the margent of a booke pointing to some thing of great succeeding consequence Another compares it to the sounding of a trumpet before some proclamation Another to the ringing of a bell before the Sermon of some famous Preacher And indeed as often as it is vsed for it is vsed six hundred times in Scripture it is neuer vsed but in matters of great moment worthy of our deepest and most serious obseruation being still put for a word of wonder and note of admiration So here Behold the wonderfull and vnspeakable mercy and goodnesse of the Lord towards this his Vineyard how great things he had done for it and what meanes he vsed for the prosperitie and welfare of it yea in euery one of the former particulars behold it Againe behold the horrible ingratitude of this his Vineyard Ingratitude in its full proportion with all the dimensions of its vgly stigmaticke forme in it behold Yea we may moue attention from this word to all that hath beene said For there is nothing in this Song but deserues to haue this Character Behold to be stamped on it Consider well of all this Scripture examine euery parcell let not one iod or tittle passe away vnregarded God hath commended yea recommended what is here taught vnto vs with this remarkable note Behold yea behold againe See therefore that you haue beene here present with your minds as well as with your bodies And all you that are here present behold from the highest to the lowest for it deserues deepe pondering vpon Let him that hath eares to heare heare And let him that readeth consider Euen so consider we what hath beene said and the Lord giue vs vnderstanding in all things FINIS AN ALPHABETICALL Table for the readier finding out the chiefe and most materiall things contained in this BOOKE A GOd cannot faile of his end in any of his Actions Pag. 139 Affections of people must be wrought vpon by Gods Ministers 58 Afflictions are Gods Winepresse 132 Not to bee bettered by our Afflictions is dangerous 199 Gods holy hand is in all Afflictions 223 Both the time measure and end of our Afflictions are ordered by God 224 Why God doth vse wicked instruments in the Afflicting of his people 225 How we may looke vpon second causes in our Afflictions 229 God is to be sought vnto when wee are Afflicted 230 They doe not disable vs from being Gods children 236 Amoz the father of Isaiah and Amos in the number of the small Prophets not both one 16 The Angels watch for the godly mans safety 111 Application is the life of Doctrine 278 Arrogancy a sinne to be auoided 101 Attendants of the godly honourable 121 Authority must bee shewed for what Gods Ministers doe deliuer 64 B BArren Professors are good for nothing 79 The world is full of such 159 Man degraded beneath the Beasts 85 Names of Beasts giuen to the wicked 254 Behold how often vsed in the Scriptures 318 It is euer vsed in matters of importance ibid. The abuse of Gods Blessings causeth the Lord to depriue vs of them 238 Pray for a sanctified vse of them 166 Bribery is no better than theeuery 308 Busie-medling dangerous 101 C CHildren are not saued by the faith of their parents 289 They should bee thankfull for religious Parents 295 Gods owne Children chastised 231 The Church weake in it selfe 79 112 She is