had not beene true God he had not ouercome death Thus Fulgentius Let this be one cause of the vniting of two natures in one Mediator as he must be man to taste of death so hee must be God withall to ouercome death A second cause is rendered by Irenaeus and is to be found in Theodorit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And he vnited man to God for if man had not ouercome the enemy of man the enemy had not beene conquered lawfully and if God had not giuen Saluation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee had not had it safely nor surely He addeth a little after It became the Mediator of God and man by his neerenesse to both to bring both into amity and agreement as well to offer vp man vnto God as to make knowne God vnto men Thus Ireney of whom you haue learned a second reason and not onely a second but a third too For as this is one The Deuill must be ouercome by that nature that had offended and so by man the recouered state of man must not be subiect to change as was his estate in Paradise and therefore to be settled by God so this is another and a strong one too He that will take vpon him to reconcile two being so farre at oddes as God and man were must participate in the nature and disposition of them both that so he may the better haue accesse and reconcile them Thus in effect Irenaeus A fourth reason may bee this drawne likewise from the Iustice of God There must haue beene some proportion betweene the sinne of Adam and the satisfaction for the said sinne Now the sinne of Adam was of infinit guilt in asmuch as it was committed against a Person of infinite Maiesty and glory for such a one is God therefore the satisfaction must be of infinite price and value which could not be performed by bare man whose worke and meriting can be but finite As therefore he was to be man that in that nature he might yeeld obedience and suffer So hee was to be God and was God indeed that to that nature he might yeeld efficacy and estimation to his suffering and to his Sacrifice These reasons be effectuall and good There be also other reasons of this mysterie yeelded by Anselmus and others but as it is said the 2. Sam. 23. Of Benaiah that he was honourable among thirty but attained not vnto the first three So we say of those other reasons that they may haue their place and their vse but nothing comparable to the former which we haue heard therefore I will not trouble you with them Let vs consider now in the last place what vse we may make of this Doctrine that wee haue such a Mediator such an Immanuel The vse thereof is manifold but principally it setteth before vs Christ◠great loue towards vs And how great was that loue The Grecians commend Codrus highly for that he stripped himselfe of his Kingly Robes and put on ragges to deliuer his Country from danger So the Romans commend Brutus Iunius Brutus for concealing his prudence and worth and taking vpon him the gesture of an Idiot to set his Country at liberty So our Stories talke much of a certaine Countesse as I remember or a Lady that yeelded to great deformity and debasement to purchase the liberties of a certaine City And surely all these and the like for many such examples may be produced should haue wrong offered them if their loue toward their Country should not be acknowledged to haue beene exceeding great and if for the same they should not be extolled and aduanced But yet to say the truth what comparison betweene the loue of these persons and of our Immanuel For these did euen what they did for their Countries which had deserued well of them and so might challenge an interest in them but alas what had man-kind done for Christ or what could it doe to moue him to the least indignity for their sake Againe these laid downe onely such base stuffe in comparison and clothing as would haue beene fretted by the moth or worne out in short time c. But Christ laid aside as it were and shifted himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his glorious Deity wherein he might challenge an equality with his Father without sacriledge Lastly these how high soeuer they should haue held their heads for a season or what countenance soeuer of grauity or wisedome they should haue set vpon it yet by death they should haue beene brought low enough and then necessarily haue left all but now Christ might haue retained that glory which he had with his Father from the beginning vnto all Generations without impeachment and hee needed not at all to haue humbled himselfe and therefore doing it voluntarily he did it the more louingly Thus by these circumstances of the persons for whom of the thing which of the manner how the Loue of Christ towards vs is not rhetorically amplified but plainely demonstrated Now Beloued if Christ so loued vs if so exceedingly so farre beyond all vtterance or conceit of man in that hee vouchsafed to take vpon him the forme of a seruant euen our vile and contemptible nature is he not to be loued againe for the same Is not his Word to be imbraced his Commandements to be obserued his benefits to be acknowledged his sauing health to be desired and to be longed after The Prophet Ieremy is angry with the Iewes for saying they were wise and yet reiected the Word of God and therefore saith he What wisedome is in them So Saint Iohn Apocal. 3. is angry in Christs name with the Church of Laodicea for saying she was rich and increased in goods and had need of nothing when as she wanted the true riches Iesus Christ. And doe we thinke that our Sauiour will not be angry with vs if we say we loue him and yet will not doe as hee hath bidden vs if I say our Loue be in word onely and not in deed and in truth We thinke alas that we be Louers good enough if we can say Lord Lord and Christ was a good man and did many goodly matters for vs c. But as the Prophet Malachy saith Offer this vnto thy Prince and see if he will accept thy person So say I Offer this vnto thy neighbour and see whether he will be content with such Loue. I pray you was the Father in the Gospell well pleased with his Sonne that refused to labour in his Vineyard because he had said I will Father Or doth Saint Iames allow that for charitablenesse if one say to his brother Depart in peace Warme your selues and fill your bellies and yet giueth them not those things that are needfull to the body Euen so the Loue toward Christ that is in the lippes onely and not in the heart in profession onely and not in practice in a shew onely and not in true obedience it profiteth nothing at all it
They talke in fabulous Stories such as Wittikindus and Gregorie Turonensis are that such a City could not be taken because the body of Saint Author lay there such an one could not be taken because the body of Saint Ambrose lay there such could not be taken because such Saints and such Saints prayed for them Strong illusions of Satan or rather grosse and palpable credulities in men of a degenerous mind that had sold themselues to belieue lyes The truth is the prayer of a righteous man can doe much with God if it be feruent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it be operatiue or haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an efficacy in it But the Apostle speaketh of the righteous that are liuing not that are departed as is apparant in the Text As also Eusebius did when he said that a righteous prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is such a thing as there is no fighting or standing against It is such a thing indeed when it is offered by a faithfull people for a faithfull Prince It pierceth the heauens and thrusteth into the Throne of grace and will not be repelled till it hath obtained at Gods hands both the safety of the Prince and the reuenge of the Elect. Prayer therefore is the best guard that we can yeeld vnto our King and piety is the best Armour that his Maiestie can put on Other habiliments munitions and policies haue their place and are profitable for somewhat but godlinesse is profitable for all things hauing the promise of this life and of that which is to come Be wise now therefore O Kings and Princes serue the Lord in feare and reioyce before him in trembling kisse the Sonne lest he be angry and kisse the Sonne and he will be well pleased but kisse him with the lippes of your heart wiâ—h faith and with loue Be pi usly wise and wisely pious in Colendo sapere debemus in sapiendo colere as saith Lactantius So shall the King haue pleasure in your beauty for he is your Lord God and you must worship him So shall he giue his Angels charge ouer you to keepe you in all his wayes So shall he blesse your going forth and your being forth your comming home and your being at home yea the Lord shall so blesse you that you shall multiply your yeeres vpon earth and see your childrens children and peace in Hierusalem and ioy vpon Sion all your life long which God the Father grant for his Sonne Christs sake to whom with the holy Ghost be all honour and glory Amen A SERMON VPON THE FIRST TO THE HEBREVVES THE ELEVENTH SERMON HEBREVVES 1. verse 1 c. God who at sundry times and in diuers maners spake in times past vnto the Fathers by the Prophets Arab. Gnalei alshan that is by the tongue of the Prophets 2. Hath in these last dayes spoken to vs by his Sonne whom he hath appointed heire of all things by whom also hee made the worlds 3. Who being the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse Image of his Person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and vpholding all things by the Word of his power Syr. Bechaila Demelletheh that is by the power of his Word when he had by himselfe purged our sinnes sate downe on the right hand of the Maiestie on high c. AMong all the passages and portions of Scripture which yeeld fit matter of discourse and which doe not euen from the beginning of Genesis to the latter end of the Reuelation there is none in my iudgement that affordeth greater store either of heauenly doctrine or of spirituall comfort than this doth that I haue in hand For when the ,Apostle saith that God hath reuealed himselfe vnto vs in his Sonne and that he appointed his Sonne heire of all things and that his Sonne is such an one for power for person for nature for glory what a floud or rather Sea of Diuinity doth it containe Againe when he tells vs that the Sonne of God hath ,purged our sinnes by himselfe and is sate downe on the right hand of the Maiestie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that hee is aduanced on high and is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto him what hope are we to conceiue thereby yea strong confidence yea vndauntable consolation that we cannot want whilest our Sauiour hath it and cannot be lost whilest he liueth and raigneth The Prophet Ezekiel and Saint Iohn in the Reuelation speake of a tree the fruit whereof is for meate and the leaues for medicine So Nauigators tell vs and many that be aliue haue seene it with their eyes and felt it with their hands and with their mouthes haue tasted of the excellency of the tree that beareth the Nutmeg the barke the huske the filme the fruite all aromaticall all good for the Braines or for the Stomacke or both So the Pomegranate is a very extraordinary fruite the hard rinde being dryed is medicinable many wayes as for the iuice and kernels they are not onely wholesome but also delightsome yet for all that it is obserued and the Iewes vse it for a Prouerbe amongst them that There is no Pomegranate so sound but it hath some rotten kernels in it fewer or more and we also vse to say Euery Beane hath his blacke And Plutarch reporteth it to haue beene the speech of Simonides that as euery Larke hath his tuft so euery man hath his imperfection Now it is not so in the Word of God euery part of it is Homogenâ—ous euery part like it selfe as being deliuered by one Spirit and leuelled by one rule You know what is deliuered by the Prophet All the words of the Lord are pure words as the siluer that is tryed in a fornace of earth and fined seuen-fold and by Saint Paul that the Law euen the Law is holy and the Commandement holy and iust and good But as it is a fault in the building of a City to make the gate vaster than for the proportion of the Perimeter or compasse thereof Shut your gate said a Philosopher to the men of Mindas lest your Towne runne out at it so long Preâ—aces in a small scant of time and a great field being to be surueyed are very vnseasonable to speake the least It was said of long time by Callimachus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a great book is as bad as a great deale of euill the like is to be said of a long tedious Preface For our Text it containeth at once two seuerall declarations the one of the excellency of the Gospell aboue the Law from the beginning of the first verse to the middle of the second The second declaration is of the excellency or rather superexcellency of our Sauiour aboue Moses and the Prophets yea aboue euery name that is named both in heauen and in earth from the middle of the second verse to the latter end of the third where my Text endeth so
being the same that now is extant in our Church Bible the Originall whereof I haue seene vnder his owne hand And here I haue occasion offered me to say something of his modesty and great humility who though he were so vsefull an instrument so strong a helper in the former worke as also the sole Author of this latter the Preface a comely gate to so rich and glorious a Citie yet could I neuer heare that he did at any time speake of either with any attribution to himselfe more than to the rest So that as the Sunne the neerer it commeth to the Zenith or point of the firmament ouer our heads the lesse shadow it casteth so certainely the higher he mounted into the mysteries of Diuine and humane knowledge the lower and lesse he seemed to be in his owne eyes High in worth and humble in heart as Nazianzen spake of Athanasius And now concerning the course of his studies wherein I would propose him as a patterne to be imitated by young Students in our Vniuersities Hee constantly applied himselfe from his youth as they that were then acquainted with him knew to the reading of Antient Classicall Authors of the best note in their owne languages wherewith as also with Neoterickes he was plentifully stored and lusted after no worldly thing so much as bookes Nullius rei praeterquam librorum auarus was sometime his owne speech merrily but as I perswade my selfe truly For there was scarcely a booke in so great a number to be found in his Library especially of the Antients that he had not read ouer à capite ad calcem as hath beene obserued by those who haue had the perusall of them since his death He ran through the Greeke and Latin Fathers and iudiciously noted them in the margent as he went being fitted for that purpose by the dexterous vse of his pen wherein he came not short euen of Professors themselues in that faculty The Rabbins also so many as he had with their Glosses and Commentaries he read and vsed in their owne Idiome of speech and so conuersant he was and expert in the Chaldie Syriacke and Arabicke that he made them as familiar to him almost as his owne natiue tongue But for the Hebrew this I can affirme from credible relation that being vpon a time sent vnto and requested whilest he was a Residentiary in the Cathedrall Church of Hereford by the then Deane of the same Church vpon some speciall occasion to reade the first Lesson at Euening prayer there He yeelded thereunto and hauing with him a little Hebrew Bible the same I suppose that he afterwards vsed to his death and I haue oftentimes seene of Plantins Impression sine punctis He deliuered the Chapter thence in the English Tongue plainely and fully to that learned and iudicious Auditory farre be from all the least suspition of ostentation in him for that act that neuer knew to boast of himselfe or any thing that he had or any thing that he did Stories of all times he knew and for his rich and accomplished furniture in that study had this Eulogium giuen him by a graue and learned Bishop of this Kingdom to be a very walking Library Moreouer he was so well acquainted with the Site of places namely Topographie and obserued so well the time when euery thing of note was done in those seuerall places that he hath caused great Trauellers and Scholers falling into discourse with him vpon that point of Learning to confesse themselues much bettered in their knowledges by his remembrances and to depart away with admiration of his skill What shall I say more of him Whatsoeuer things were true whatsoeuer things were honest whatsouer things were iust whatsoeuer things were pure whatsoeuer things were of good report If there were any vertue or praise he thought on them yea he sought after them and profited in them He liued here to a good old age seuenty yeeres and vpwards guided the See whereof he was Bishop with discretion and care prouided for his children leauing to euery one an honest portion to liue vpon and for the poorer sort of his seruants a competent liuely-hood Hee fought the good fight of faith and hath now finished his course and receiued at Gods hand I doubt not his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his reward of victory 1 Cor. 9. And his Crowne of righteousnesse 2 Timoth. 4. Which neuer shall be taken from him He made Christhis All in all his life whilest he liued and found him in death his aduantage The words of the Apostle Philip. 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were his liuing Mâ—tto And none but Christ none but Christ his dying speech To conclude he turned many to righteousnesse whilest he was in his Pilgrimage here and now shineth as the Starres in the Firmament SERMONS OF THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD MILES SMITH late Lord Bishop of Glocester THE FIRST SERMON IEREMY 9. Verse 23. Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome nor the strong man glory in his strength neither the rich man glory in his riches Verse 24. But let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me c THE Prophet Zachary in his first Chapter hath thus Your fathers where are they and doe the Prophets liue for euer but did not my Words and my statutes which I coÌ„manded by my Seruants the Prophets take hold of your fathers Meaning that they did take hold of their fathers and would take hold of them also excepâ— they repented So 1. Cor. 10. The Apostle saith These things came to them for ensamples but are written to admonish vs on whom the ends of the world are come Signifying tha tthe Iudgements of God recorded in the Word thewhole Word it selfe was not ordained for the vse onely of them in whose dayes it was written but to be for the instruction of the Church in all succeeding ages In a City of Egypt called Diospolis in a Temple there called Pylon there was pictured a little boy to signifie Generation and an old man to signifie Corruption also an Hawke a symbole of God for the quicknesse of his sight and a fish a symbole of hatred Fish were an abomination to the Priests of Egypt as witnesseth Herodotus lib. 2. and lastly a Crocodile to signify Impudency The whole deuice being layd together importing this much and preaching this much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is O yee that are young and comming on O yee that are old and going out of the world O all together to you all be it knowne that God doth hate Impudency This hath Clemens Alexandrinus in the 5. of his Stromats The like may be said of the present Text that I haue in hand that albeit it be a part of a Sermon that the Prophet Ieremy made vnto the Children of Israel a little before their captiuity into Babylon wherein he assureth them that piety onely and
that be against vs said Elizeus and saw Elizeus It is all one with God to saue with few or with many and so it is all one with God to iustifie with few or with many Doe you not see saith Chrysostome that it is better to haue one precious stone then to haue many halfe-penies that it is better to haue one eye whole then that the same one being dazeled to haue much fault in the hole to haue one sound sheep then to haue ten thousand scabbed ones Quid mihi cum multitudine What haue I to doe with the multitude c. So before him Cyprian Non attendas numerum illorum melior est enim vnus timens quà m mille filij impij Neuer regard their great number for better is one deuout man then a thousand wicked ones When one told a Lacedemonian that the Persians would shoote so many arrowes at them that they would take from them the light of the Sunne Then said he we will fight in the shadow Nos ergo in vmbra dimicabimus When Constantius told Liberius that hee was no body in comparison of all the World that had condemned Athanasius Liberius told the Emperour againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word of faith is neuerthelesse the Word of faith though I be alone Indeed we are taught by the Prophet Esay Chapter 8. Say not you a conspiracy to whom this people saith a conspiracy but sanctifie the Lord of Hostes. And by Moses before him Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe euill For why They are transported many times rather by passion then by reason and if one lead the way they follow on like sheep that want vnderstanding and stay not till they come to a downefall nor then neither Take for example the Ephesians Actes 19. Demetrius bloweth the coales and presently the whole City is vpon a light fire yea and vpon an vproare too one cryeth one thing and some another and the assembly being out of order the more part knew not why they were come together And the case standing thus many times with the multitude should any wise man pinne his faith vpon their sleeues and hand ouer head doe whatsoeuer he seeth them to doe or shunne whatsoeuer hee seeth them to forsake Will you goe away because many that haue beene Disciples doe goe away Alas beloued the Campe neuer wanteth Turne-coates nor the Common-weale Traitors nor a Society false brethren nor the Church of Christ hollow-hearted Christians There goe from vs to them and they turne from them to vs these things ebbe and flow and be as changeable as the Moone In this confusion of things what is to be done In warre the straggling or staggering Souldiers resort to their Standard and Colours and call to mind their watch-word also in Peace they hearken to the Proclamation and view the same also whether it be authentically warranted If they finde either the hand to be counterfeited or the seale to be the seale of an vsurper or him that pretendeth to be his fellow to faile in the watch-word then they flee from him and will not abide with him lest they fall into the same danger of Law So should it be also in this hurly-burley and difference who are true subiects and Souldiers who not who good Citizens who bad Antichrists fauorits pretend a Proclamation as well as Christs also they would be counted as faithfull Souldiers as whosoeuer is most faithfull should not their voyce be marked their Commission perused their watch-word called for By their fruites yee shall know them saith Christ that is by their Doctrine sheweth Vincentius Lirinensis not so much by their conuersation for howsoeuer they will goe about to make it good by the sentences of the Law of God yet they will be found to breathe forth Nouitiuâ—n virus New poyson and to open and vent forth prophane nouelties Bid them pronounce Shibboleth and they will pronounce Sibboleth bid them speake the Language of Canaan they will vtter halfe the Language of Canaan and halfe the language of Ashdod For example Be not the Scriptures the rule of our faith the direction of our steppes c Yes they will grant after a sort they be a rule but not adaequata regula there are other rules besides namely Traditions But Christ saith Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke you haue eternall life and they are they that testifie of me Search the Scriptures He doth not say Search or enquire after Traditions The Scriptures testifie of me Why doth not He send them to something else if any thing else were to be trusted Surely that which Tertullian saith of the Apostles that if either they knew not all things themselues or knowing did not teach others they subiected Christ to reproofe that sent forth his Apostles either minus instructos aut parum simplices either not sufficiently instructed or not such plaine dealers as they ought to haue bin This I say may seeme iustly to be obiected to Christ euen primarily namely if there were any other meanes worth the talking of whereby wee might learne Christ and consequently attaine to eternall life any other besides the Scriptures then Christ in not reuealing the same necâ—ssarily bewrayeth either want of knowledge or want of charity want of knowledge if hee were not acquainted with the same want of charity if he would not impart the same but now both these imputations ought to be as farre from the Sonne of God as heauen is distant from the earth yea and from hell too Therefore we are to rest vpon the Scriptures hold them to be sufficient witnesses of Christ euen without tradition O but though he doe not send vs to Tradition or to the report of Fathers in that place yet he doth else-where as Math. 23. The Scribes Pharises sit euer vpon Moses Chaire all therefore whatsoeuer they say vnto you keepe and doe but according to their workes doe not The Successor of Moses his doctrine must be obeyed much more then the Successor of the Apostles I answere first to them then to their allegation To them thus namely that in 1. Peter 5. they are content to vnderstand by Babylon Rome to gather thence that Peter sate there not marking how deepely they wound themselues If Rome were called by that name in that Epistle why should it not be as well vnderstood so in the Reuelation and then the great whore which was to make all the world drunke with the Cuppe of her fornications So here to get some priuiledge to their Chaire and to the Chaire of their fathers they will needs haue themselues the successors of the Scribes and Pharises euen those that contradicted the Sonne of God and at the last crucified him Like fathers like children Secondly to the Allegation I answere with Origen alleaged by their Aquinas Omnia quae dicunt nobis ex Lege intelligentes sensum Legis c. All that they say vnto vs out of
lap Or who wil deny that God gaue the Israelites victory against the Medianites because they brought Pitchers into the field and light in the Pitchers Or that God did not feed them with bread from heauen and water out of the rocke for that they gathered the one and brought vessels at the least their mouthes to receiue the other It is one thing to be the true cause of a thing the conduit-pipe or fountaine another thing to bring a bucket nay not so much as that but to bring onely a mouth or a hand to take it Indeed i◠God should say to vs as Marius did to his Souldiers I can helpe you to water but you must buy it with blood or as Saul did to Dauid 1. Sam. 18. Thou shalt haue my daughter in marriage but shee must cost thee an hundred foreskins of the Philistims or as Caleb said to his men Ioshua 15. I will bestow my daughter vpon one of you but hee that will haue her must first win Kiriath-Sepher hee must quit himselfe like a man and fight valiantly then it were another matter then might some say The way of the Lord is righteous onely it is not liberall it is but hire for seruice wages for merit He loued vs for we loued him first doth for vs for we did for him But now when he saith vnto vs Beleeue onely and the Lord will doe great things for thy soule trust perfectly in the grace of God that is brought vnto thee in the Gospell and thou shalt become a child of Abraham an heire of God and fellow heire with Christ euen a vessell of Saluation who can impeach or blemish Gods bounty and liberality with the least note of mercinarinesse for he that saith Beleeue the Gospell and it will saue thee seemeth to say in effect no more then this He that hath an eare to heare let him heare as it is in the Gospell or Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it as it is in the Psalme or Wash thy selfe in Iordan and be cleane as it is in the holy Story Now as this maketh much against our Aduersaries that are merit-mongers So it maketh nothing at all for Gospellers that turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and thinke that because they pretend a faith that they may doe all things and be excused for all things This therefore shall be the twofold vse of this Circumstance of the quality that ought to be in the persons to be saued by the Gospell both for confutation that the Aduersaries of our free iustification by Christ preached in the Gospell be proued to be false Teachers deceitfull workemen c. And for reprehension that if any man thinkes he may vse the cloake of faith for a colour of vnrighteousnesse that he be vnmasked Which points I cannot stand now to enlarge vnto you hauing already pressed vpon your patience but will referre the handling thereof to some other time To God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost three Persons but one euerlasting and indiuisible God be ascribed all power might Maiestie and Dominion now and for euer Amen Amen A SERMON VPON THE SECOND OF KINGS· THE FIFTH SERMON 2. KINGS 18.13 Moreouer in the foureteenth yeere of King Hezekiah Sennacherib King of Asshur came vp against all the strong Cities of Iudah and tooke them THE Prophet hauing declared in the foure verses immediatly going before my Text what griefe King Hezekiah and his faithfull subiects had suffered by hearing what Gods enemies had done to their brethren those of the ten Tribes in destroying their Country burning their Cities killing a great number of them carrying away the remnant of them into captiuity all this because oftheir wickednes rebellion against God Now here at the 13. verse he beginneth to shew what and how much they suffered in themselues And what was that Surely they were not onely afflicted with present euils as of the spoiling and sacking of most of their Townes of the exhausting of their Treasures both prophane and sacred and with blasphemous reuilings of them and of the true God whom they worshipped c. but also with feare of future euils as namely that the mother-Citie it selfe the glory of that Kingdome Hierusalem should be taken their Temple destroyed their King and Nobles led away their young men slaine with the sword their women abused c. And which did most of all vexe the soule of the righteous that they that were so sawcy with God as to blaspheme him before the victory would if they should preuaile be hardned in their villanies and say of a truth that the Iewes worshipped a thing of nought This is the summe of the euils mentioned in this Chapter and in part of the next partly suffered indeed of the faithfull partly suffered in feare and expectation Now what mercy the Lord shewed them in the end and what confusion he brought vpon their enemies the same is described towards the later end of the Chapter following Let vs now take the Story in order as it lyeth hauing thus before-hand pointed at the generall heads The first thing that I note vnto you is The continuance and progresse of troubles to the Church noted in this word Moreouer Good Lord might one say what a world is this one depth calleth on another one misery in the necke of another Finis alterius mali gradus est futuri The end of one mischiefe is a step to another as Seneca saith and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labour bringeth labour vnto labour as it is in Sophocles Why no sooner came Hezekiah to the Kingdome but hee must presently in hand with a reformation and what reformation Surely not of slight matters which might be borne with but of things which immediatly concerned the glory of God he was to purge out Idolatry which had taken deepe roote in the time of his wicked father and to settle an order for the right seruice of God which for a long time was decayed This and more hee was to doe which purchased to him great charges great jarres and great contradiction Now he was no sooner out of this but his neighbours nay his brethren according to the flesh the Israelites are inuaded by the common enemie These hee dare not helpe lest hee should bring present mischiefe vpon himselfe Againe he must see them perish before his eyes though hee knew that his owne day was comming and after that the enemy had done with them then he would haue a saying to him This was bitter euen as bitter as death but yet for all this the wrath of the Lord is not turned away but his iealousie burneth like fire and catcheth hold vpon the Iewes themselues In the foureteenth yeere of Hezekiah Sennacherib came vp against all the Cities of Iudah c. Loe not long after they had beene the beholders of a Tragedie they were made to be Actors that is sufferers in it themselues This is the image of mans life
beyond his appointment to doe the least point of their owne will Thou couldst haue no power against me except it were giuen thee from aboue said Christ to Pilate And Sennacherib did not stirre a foot out of doores before God in his secret counsell did send him against that people of his wrath as it is to be seene Esay 10. Therefore let vs not feare the Axe nor the Sawe nor the Rod nor the Staffe I meane either the French or the Spaniard not whosoeuer that are but instruments and truly but dead instruments too for execution except God say vnto them Destroy but I will tell you whom you shall Feare feare Him that taketh away courage from the valiant and agility from the swift and authority from the honorable and wisedome from the wise c. Feare him that casteth confusion vpon Princes and lifteth vp the simple from the dust and teacheth the hand to warre and the fingers to fight the Lord of Hostes is his Name Him let vs feare and study to make on our side and then we need not care what man can doe vnto vs. Sennacherib was not onely the Lords sword as all wicked Tyrants be Psalme 17.12 but also a sharp sword for so his Name signifieth so his edge his malice declared But yet what of that The Lord that dwelleth in the heauens was sharper He it is that hath the power of life and death killeth and no man saueth saueth and no man killeth It is all one with God to saue with many or with few and so it is all one with God to destroy with many or with few yea to destroy many or few stronger or weaker The Learned know what was sung to Maximinus that barbarous man-queller Elephas grandis est occidiâ—ur Leo fortis est occiditur c. The Elephant is a great beast yet is he slaine the Lyon is a stout beast yet hee is slaine too c. And therefore as Dauid saith He that deliuered me from the paw of the Lyon and from the paw of the Beare He shall deliuer me from the hand of the Philistine So may wee â—ay So may we say The Lord that hitherto hath taken our part against them that rose vp against vs he also will stand by vs still and will not deliuer vs ouer for a prey vnto their teeth But inough of the second note The 3. and last note from the person of Sennacherib shall be this Sennacherib menaceth the Land of Iudah with an huge Army there reuelleth and burneth and spoileth while there is any thing to spoile Thus he sheweth himselfe to be an enemy and exerciseth all kind of hostility But where were the Heraulds or Embassadors that were sent to demand satisfaction for the wrongs that Hezekiah had done if he had done any Why did he not obserue the Law of Armes namely to denounce warre and to send defiance before hee inuaded them with fire and sword Indeed in the Law it is written Deut. 20. When thou commest neere to a Citie to fight against it thou shalt offer it peace c. Also lest you should say that this was a written Law onely and proper to the Iewes The Romanes themselues who were withâ—ut the Law written yea and without God himselfe they in their better times were so farre from oppressing any vpon the sudden without sending them defiance that as Dionysius and Liuy write they did not make warre vpon them before the Herauld Fecialis hauing brought vnto the Romanes the answer of their enâ—mies did returne backe vnto the enemies Countrey and there in the presence of diuers cast a Speare into it in token of defiance This solemnity and this conscience the Romanes learned of Nature and therefore the Assyrians could not plead ignorance except they would smother the light that was in them Howbeit as Tacitus saith In summa fortuna id aequius est quod validius In high estate hee that hath strength on his side hee hath right And as one said vnâ—o a man that alleaged Law for himselfe Ius mihi obiectas gladio accincto Dost thou tell me of the Law that haue the sword in my hand So this Tyrant Sennacherib and his people made no reckoning of honesty or honor or Law of Armes so that they might wreake their anger vpon the Iewes and bring them into subiection to them quo iure quaque iniuria either honourably or dishonourably they cared not So Caracalla when he had no helpe to preuaile agâ—inst the Parthians by force he pretended that he was a suiter to marry the Kings daughter and meant nothing but peace nay the greatest friendship that might be But when he had thus bleared their eyes saw his opportunity he then compassed a great number of them with his Army and slew them without pitie or mercy But the Romanes gained nothing by this for when afterward they fell into the Parthians and Persians hands they cryed quittance with them to the full and taking the Emperour of the Romanes prisoner they vsed him in the vilest manner that might be making him to serue their Princes turne for a foot-stoole as oft as he should get vp vpon his horse Thus much the Romanes degenerating got by their falsehood Now for these men that professed not God nor knew him thus to distaine themselues with vniust and perfidious practices it was no maruell for who will looke for other then euill fruit from an euill tree and filthy water from an vncleane fountaine c But now for them who glory in the Law and trust in God in outward shew and say that they are Catholiques and that all others are Heretiques and the Synagogue of Satan for them to seeke to surprize Christian Common-weales which are at league with them without proclaiming warre first nay at such time to intertaine vs with an hope of peace when their Armado was now lanched nay aduanced forward nay vpon our coastes almost this was such a feate as posterity which will iudge of things incorruptly and render to euery Prince the honor that he deserues posterity I say if there shall be any posterity will record not among the stratagems of noble Warriours but amongst the attempts of false-dissembling Tyrants For mine owne part I rest vpon Tullies iudgement Nemo qui fortitudinis gloriam consecutus est c. Vnhonest craft is not the way to attaine the honor of Knight-hood and I honour from my heart the disposition of those elder Romanes mentioned by Liuy who when certaine commended those Ambassadours whom they had sent into Macedonia for deceiuing the King thereof vnder an hope of peace greatly misliked this new policy of theirs alleaging that their Ancestors atchieued their conquests not by craft but by prowesse and were wont to giue tâ—eir enemies warning what they should trust to Thus whilest there was either loue of fame or feare of shame or sparke of vertue in mens hearts they denounced warres before they waged Warre and
Quintins by our meanes and when we lost Casis in his quarrell he left vs in the lash and gaue vs the slip Thirdly Sennacherib was not tyed to Hezechiah by any band of affinity or consanguinity This man besides the name of Brother and Sister which goeth betweene Christian Princes currant marryed her Maiesties owne sister and afterwards would haue marryed her and so should lâ—ue her euen naturally Lastly Sennacherib inuaded Hezekiah in his flourishing times surely in his best times He a woman I need not adde well stricken in yeeres whose very sex pleadeth weakenesse enough Yet well fare Iustinian the Emperour for he was so farre from setting vpon Amalosuntha that vertuous and wise learned Queene of the Gothes that dwelt in Italy though he might well haue pretended that Italy belonged to the Empire and therefore that she was after a sort an Vsurper that contrariwise as Procopius writeth he shewed himselfe to be very carefull of her safety and to be enemy to her enemies first and last But what speake I of Iustinian a Christian Emperour and a ciuill Cosroes himselfe that cruell King of Persia a Barbarian and for ought I reade a Pagan he though his fingers were itching to be medling with the Empire yet vpon the Empresse Sophia her letters as Euagrius writeth declaring that the gouernment was in her hands and that he should get no great honâ—ur in conquering a woman c. he was perswaded to be quiet and to sit at home But this man had rather be like that dis-honourable miscreant Caesar Borgia his countrey-man by blood who would not suffer Catharine â—fortia a Lady of Italy to enioy her Signiories in quiet but would needs seeke a conquest and a triumph ouer her and like to his father and vncle who would needs haue warre with that Queene of Hungary King Iohns widdow though all Christendâ—me yea and Turky too did hisse at â—hem both for it Well God that taketh vpon him the protection of Widdowes and Orphans he also doth in a more neere respect tender the sâ—fety of his anoynted Queene and so I hope our enemies shall find and feele to their perpetuall shame if they shall be so hardy as to inuade vs the Lord that fought for Hezekiah and Ierusalem against Sennacherib will also fight for her Maiesty and this Realme against the Spaniard they shall not come forth against vs so proudly but they shall flee from vs as fearefully c. Which God for his mercy sake grant to whom be praise for euer Amen A SERMON VPON THE SEVENTY SIXTH PSALME THE SIXTH SERMON PSALME 76. verse 9 10. When God arose to Iudgement to saue all the meeke of the earth Selah 10. Surely the wrath of man shall prayse thee the remainder of wrath shalt thou restraine PRAISE is not comely in the mouth of the foolish saith the Wiseman but it becommeth well the iust to be thankefull sayes the Psalmist Thankefulnesse is a most necessary duty and a principall part of Iustice sayes the Philosopher therefore he that is vnthankefull is iustly odious both to God and man What a staine is that to Pharaoh his Butler that he forgat Ioseph To Ioas King of Iudah that he forgat the kindnesse of â—ehoiada by whose meanes he attained the Kingdome I will trouble you with no more such examples On the other side Iethroes gratitude towards Moses for helping his daughters to water their flockes Dauids towards Barzillai for furnishing him and his men with victuall I might recite diuers others out of the Scriptures is greatly renowned Now if we ought thus to be thankefull to men and to suffer no benefit to be spilt vpon the ground like water but to proclaime as Dauid did Who is left of the Linage of Ionathan that I may doe good vnto him for Ionathans sake who hath made me beholding to him that I may requite them If I say we are bound to be thankefull to men for small fauours then how much rather are we bound to God for giuing vs life and breath and all things to enioy and if we cannot be thankefull enough to God for ordinary blessings in that in him we liue moue and haue our being in that he causeth his Sun to shine vpon vs and his raine to fall downe vpon our Lands then what doe we owe him and how can we possibly be thankefull enough for deliuering our soules from death our eyes from teares and our feet from falling for catching the wicked in his owne snare and bringing the mischiefe that he imagined vpon his owne head The Israelites hauing escaped the hands of the Egyptians and the danger of the red Sea sung praises to God with ioyfull lippes So did Deborah and Barack for the victory which God gaue them against Iabin King of Canaan and his Captaine Sisera so the women came out of all the Cities of Israel singing and dancing to meet King Saul and Dauid after he had slaine the Philistine and which commeth neerest our purpose the Iewes in the Kingdome of Persia that had escaped the bloody practices of Haman were not content to reioyce for the present time for a day but ordained it for a Law that such two dayes should be kept festiuall euery yeere Now if we will cast our eyes abroad to other Countries we shall find the like custome to haue beene taken vp by Romanes Grecians Scythians Barbarians ancient modern A taste of them The Romanes counted it for an vnspeakeable blessing to be deliuered from the Tyranny of the Tarquins they celebrated the memoriall of it euery yeere called the feast Regis fugium The same Romanes were glad most glad to haue the turbulent popular Estate remoued and a Monarchy established among them and so glad they are of their Emperour Augustus for that cause that they honour the memory of his victory at Actium whereby the same was settled by an annuall festiuity So the Sicilians for escaping the danger of destruction threatned by the Athenians And to come to later times So they of Lubeck celebrate the first day of the moneth for their deliuerance from the Rugians as Helmoldus witnesseth The Venetians also the fifteenth day of Iune for the defeature of a most fearefull Conspiracy tending to the wracke of that Common-weale as Egnatius writeth And the Antwerpians such a day of the moneth for driuing the French out of the City that thought to haue sacked it and surprized it it was vnder the gouernment of such States as were Protestants when the City was deliuered but yet the Romanists after getting it kept the day holy still To be short The Lubecians that I spake of before celebrate such a day of the moneth euen Saint Lamberts day for escaping the like danger threatned by certaine Traitors of their owne City as Crantzius writeth And because that Conspiracy doth much pourtray forth and fore-describe that same hellish one that was lately vndertaken by our cruell vnnaturall ones for the confusion of whom we praise
come in Christs Vicars name so he calleth himselfe and would be called by others but indeed he is an Aduersary and you will receiue them and aduenture your neckes for them And wee come in Christs name with his message and reconcilement vnto God whom you haue offended without any working of you to offend the State and will you refuse vs Shall they be welcome with their Traditions that is with their Tales and we odious with the Gospell which was preached vnto you which ye also receiued and which you must returne to if you meane to be saued What is strong illusion what is the working of Satan what is the power of darkenesse if this be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. You forsake the right and straight way and goe that which is full of thornes and stakes what arrogancy and phrensie are you possessed with saith Clemens Alexandrinus out of Sibylla So Cyprian Christ promiseth euerlasting life if we will follow him and he is forsaken The Deuill promiseth Gu-gawes and lyeth too in his promise and he is adored O foedam defectionem ô iniquam permutationem O filthy defection O absurd exchange saith Cyprian The like may we say to those bewitched Countrey-men of ours that preferre Rome before Sion and the doctrine thereof before the liuely Oracles of God that like children or women that haue the disease called Pica preferre Lime or dirt before white bread yea like vnwise Marchants glasse before pearle lead before gold cotton before silke that is error before truth Belial before Christ Baal before Iehouah more particularly ignorance before knowledge dumbe Images before effectuall Teachers Saints before Christ doubtfulnesse before Faith seruile feare before filiall loue horror of conscience before tranquillity of spirit There is no peace to the wicked saith the Lord. And truely there is no rest to the soule in Popery What rest can there be when they make Saints mediation the onely anker of their hope mens books the foundation of their faith mans Absolution the remission of their guilt here and mens pardons the relaxation of their punishment hence This they doe an hundred things as bad in Popery therefore it is impossible that they should be at peace with God or haue peace within themselues that thus make flesh their arme and in their heart depart from God And therfore if you desire to find rest for your soules or to haue your Election saluation made sure vnto you you must haue nothing to do with the vnfruitfull vncoÌ„fortable opinions of Popery but rather abhor them reproue them The Lord in mercy vouchsafe to bring them home that goe astray to confirme them that stand to grant vs true peace true rest through Iesus Christ our blessed Sauiour To whom with the Father the holy Ghost be praise thankesgiuing for euer and euer Amen Amen A SERMON VPON THE FIRST OF PETER THE NINTH SERMON 1. PETER 5. verse 6. Humble your selues therefore vnder the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time THE word therefore hath reference to that which went before namely to the last words of the former verse God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble and inferreth strongly vpon the force of them For if God resisteth the proud if contrariwise he giueth grace to the humble then there is no cause in the world why any man should be proud and there is great cause why euery one should be humble For doe wee prouoke the Lord are we stronger then he If we walke crosse against God or hardly stifly the Chaldee hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hardly he will walke so against vs. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Iacob I grant wrastled with God preuailed but how he did not make head against God neither did he thinke himselfe an equall match for God by no meanes but God vouchsafing to take him vp in his armes and bearing him in his armes that he should not dash his foot against a stone he might doe all things by him that strengthned him he might swimme easily the Lord holding him vp by the chin he might fight valiantly the Lord teaching his hands to warre and his fingers to fight But tell me how they sped against whom God bent himselfe Pharaoh and his Hoast whom the Lord looked vpon out of the fiery and cloudy Pillar for euill and not for good were they not drowned in the red Sea Those stiffe-necked and rebellious Israelites which prouoked the Lord ten times that is many and many a time against whom the Lord swore in his wrath If they shall enter into my rest that is Neuer beleeue me if they enter did not their carkasses fall in the Wildernesse and were they not vtterly consumed there till not one of them was left This before they came into the Land of promise When they were there did not the Lord take the Kingdome from Saul and his Stocke because he was angry with him and gaue it to Dauid From Dauids sonne Salomon because of his Idolatry did he not rend the Kingdome and câ—nferre tenne parts thereof vpon Ieroboam From Ieroboams Line yea from all the Kings of Israel succeeding him and caused them to be carryed away captiues into Assyria There remained the Tribes of Iudah and Beniamin for a while in honorable estate but when these also defied the Lord and prouoked the Holy one of Israel when they said that they should be deliuered because of the righteousnesse of their Fathers and the holinesse of the Temple though they hated to be reformed and had cast Gods Commandements behind them Then did the Lord cast Iudah out of his sight as he had done Israel he plowed Sion as a field as he had done Samaria he made Hierusalem the beloued City in former times which also hee called a greene Oliue-tree faire and of goodly fruite a breeding of Nettles and Salt pits and a perpetuall desolation For it is a righteous thing with God as to shew mercy to them that feare him and stoupe vnto him so also to render tribulation and anguish and shame and confusion to euery one that exalteth himselfe before him to the Iewe first and also to the Greeke Lysander a great man in Lacedemon and one that had deserued well of King Agesilaus being disgraced many wayes and suffering many indignities by the Kings conniuence falleth into expostulation with the King because he suffered him so to be contemned and abused To whom the King made answer So they deserue to be vsed that take so much vpon them as thou doest and will not reuerence and awe the King Precedent merits and good seruice will not tie Princes of a gâ—nerous spirit to such subiects of theirs as shew themselues ouer-lusty and crancke with them And can we thinke that God who is of pure eyes and incomprehensiâ—le Maiesty to whom the greatest men are as nothing and the
to vnhonest embracings with the Macedonian Gentlewomen and that they paid full dearely for itcost them their liues though they were Embassadors This is to be seene at large in Herodotus and what Writer doth not afford many such examples Therefore if you will haue incontinency banished out of your City doe your best to banish drunkennesse first of all for that is the mother of fornication so Chrysostome calleth it vpon the 13. to the Romanes yea it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother City of all mischiefe so saith Athenaeus there was an Oracle giuen to them of Lacedemon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Couetousnesse will be the ouerthrow of Sparta and nothing else This was a Prophesie for the time to come There is a complaint in Plinie for the time present and past Latifundiâ perdiderunt Italiam Italy is vndone by large seuerals We may take vp the like complaint against drinking that Multifundia I meane multum infundendo the powring in of much liquor is the shame of this Kingdome already and will be it is to be feared the vtter vndoing of it How can it choose when it doth so much hurt publikely and priuately Publikely for whence are quarrels blading wounds without cause and many times vntimely death bee they not hence euen of Choler that boyleth in their gall inflamed by wine whence breaking of houses and Robberies but to supply wants occasioned for the most part by lauish spending If it were not for drunkennesse or too much drinking neither needed Iustices of the Peace so much to be troubled for granting of Warrants of Peace nor their Clarkes with Recognizances nor the Honorable Iudges themselues against their clement nature be forcedto sentence so many to death as many times they doe For drunkennes causeth foule behauiour and foule behauiour bringeth on a foule end To be short it maketh many vnprofitable which otherwise might be seruiceable both in Church Common-weale Priuately it starueth many a family if the goodman of an house be so giuen yea causeth much brabbling betweene man and wife if either of them be so giuen yea causeth many a parent to breake his heart or her heart if their child be so giuen What a griefe was it to Nouellus Torquatus his father if he liued that his sonne was such a quaffer as he was and that he got thereby the name of Tricongius What a shame to Bonosus that he should be called after his death Amphora To Diotimus of Athens that he was called being yet aliue Infundibulum Some man will say To what purpose is this inuectiue against drunkennesse except you know and would tell vs what is good against it as if a Physician should tell his patient in what danger he stood and in the meane time should administer nothing vnto him I answere that there is Balme in Gilead there is helpe for it if yet euery man will doe his best for the remouing of it The best thing that I know is first to lay to our hearts the commandement that is in my Text Be not drunke The Apostle commandeth this in his Name that hath power to giue life and to destroy Secondly that we take heed vnto the exhortation that speaketh to vs as vnto children Take heed to your selues lest at any time your hearts be oppressed with â—urfetting and drunkennes Thirdly that you sit not too long at the table but that you follow the counsell of the wise Grecian and to rise vp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fourthly that you thinke that the Law that Minos made for Creete whereof Plato maketh mention in his Dialogue called Minos is very necessary for them of this Land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to drinke one to another His Maiesty hath beene graciously pleased to set forth his Proclamation against Combatants it may please God also to moue his Royall heart to proclaime against Compotants against such as drinke healths thereby to ouerthrow their owne health and while they drink healths to the great Ones they may shew some small affection but they doe them no good for the very prayer of a drinker is abominable Tephillash shotheh tognabah so saith Baal Turim and it is not contradicted by Christians how much more then is their drinking Lastly in my iudgement it were very profitable yea necessary that in euery City and Towne there should be certaine persons appointed in Cities some of the chiefest Aldermen that are of speciall reputation for piety grauity in Towns also and Villages some of the most substantiall Parishioners and these Censors should haue power not onely to enter into tippling houses to take forth such as they finde drunke or to haue lyen soking any long time and to commit them to Ward till they be sober and doe edormiscere villum but also such as are scandalous in the streets reeling to and fro not like a drunken man as it is in the Psalme but starke drunke and swinishly â—umbling in the gutter these also would be especially punished by Censors because they sinne openly that the euill being taken away God may be intreated toward the Land Why should the name or office of a Censor be odious vnto vs albeit I stand not vpon the name let such be appointed that will proceed as farre-forth as the common Law or locall ordinance will warrant and I haue my desire It was not refused by the Romanes when they were at the proudest but being free they subiected themselues to the yoke of discipline euen the most noble of them did So I could tell you that a great politician and a very wise man findeth this fault with the Venetians that hauing such a world of Officers as they had yet they had neuer a one that looked to mens behauiour to see the publicke peace were not violated on the other side the same authour commendeth a City that shall be namelesse at this time though he were not of the same sound Religion that is practised in that City that by their discipline they kept men in such awe and order that seldome whiles any grosse offencâ— is committed and sinne seemeth there rather to be preuented than punished But what is the Common-wealth the better if one City be reformed for one sinne of drunkennesse when the whole head is sicke and the whole heart is heauy when from Dan to Beersheba from one end of the Land to the other all the foundations of the earth be out of course Shall the righteousnes of a few diuert a common destruction or shall it deliuer the righteous themselues in the euill day what good then will it doe Much verily First a booke of remembrance shall be written before the Lord for them that feare the Lord and thinke on his Name and in the day of death they shall haue enough and in the day of publike calamity they shall either be deliuered as Rahab in Iericho Ieremy in Hierusalem in Nebuchadnezzars time the Iewes that were turned Christians in