and our King a Prophete being a fulfyller of all that they spake and the ende of them a Priest to fynishe all the Sacrifices of the olde Lawe by one suffycient and most blessed oblation of his owne body vpon the Crosse a King by rulyng and gouerning his Church hauyng full aucthoritie alone ouer the same being annointed not with the confections of balmes or spices of swéete odors but with the holy Oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes But what rule bare he some wyll say could he come simplier than borne in a Manger despised of the Doctors had in derision of the multitude spytted on and most spitefully dealt withall alas what crowne ware he but a crowne of thornes or what King was he being so poore so persecuted that it was not possible it shoulde be he that is here prophecied Thus they looking for a Princely appearing in power aucthoritie and wealth and to haue an earthly kingdome restored as they dreamed receyued not the King of Kings and therfore though they aske for the daye of the Lorde the daye of the Lorde yet haue they nothing to doo with it when it commes for it is darknesse and no lyght vnto them And yet as naked poore and simple as Christe his byrth was the heauens with their powers the Sunne the starres the Wyse men dyd celebrate solempnize their geuing of Golde declared him a king their offring of Frākensense did signifie him God and the brynging of Myrre dyd shewe he shoulde dye the testimony of the Angels them selues and his healing of sicke and sore his helping of blinde and lame his restoring of deaffe dumme and deade men nay his victorie ouer eternall death doth shewe him selfe to be the gloryous king of kinges and why doo the Heathen then so furiously rage together and imagine a vaine thing or why do the Kinges of the earth and Rulers stande vp and take counsell against the Lorde the King It is all in vaine for yet the Lorde hath set his King vpon his holy hyll of Sion Yet the Lorde is king be the people neuer so vnpacient Psal. 99. Nay the Lorde is king and the earth maye be glad therof Psal. 97. For so the Angell song glory be to God on high and on earth peace good wyll towardes men He beareth rule immediatly or mediatly Immediatly by himself as he is God from euerlasting whose Scepter shal haue no end whose power is all that is in heauen and al that is in earth yet it is not conteyned And as he is God so he ruleth not lyke an earthlie Monarche who by ritches strength of armes pollicie the lyke do rule the rost But he by his onely wisedome by the which he sustaineth al things in heauē in earth to mans reason very folishlie he sometime in an Arke sometime in a Caue sometime in pryson c. he doth for secreet causes leade his Church through many bytter temptacions as it were to no other purpose than by trying them by the Crosse to make them true to his Crowne And that his Church is subiect vnto such mutations too it is our infirmitie weaknesse and not his faulte and yet he is so on our side that nothing can be against vs Though euer dying yet neuer dead styll assaulted and styll assisted nowe as it were extinguished cleane gone and nowe encreased and mightily multiplied He ruleth by his spirite so that neyther thought woorde nor déede can passe without his prouidence and they that thinke he ruleth generallie all but not particularlie euerie one or that it is labour for him to knowe euery mans matter to dispose them all and so say with the foolish Tush the Lorde séeth it not or is there knowledge in the most highest they are but chyldren yet for knowledge and but yong schollers for vnderstanding they haue not in parte learned the Maiestie of God nor sufficiently knowne the greatnesse of his power which in all cases vndoubtedlie is assistent to his whole Church and to euerie part thereof to the whole flocke and to euerie shéepe thereof and séeketh euen that same one wanderer in the wyldernesse and bringes him home againe and preuentes all daungers ditches bryers woolues and deuylles for he may not lose one except that same lost chylde of perdition that the Scriptures might be fulfylled Secondlie he ruleth by his Mynisters and that is the Prince first and vnder him the Pastor for so you shall reade that he lead Israell lyke shéepe through the wyldernesse by the hādes of Moyses and Aaron the sworde ruled in the hande of the one and the worde preached in the mouth of the other So that euerie soule must submyt them selues to the superiour powers for bicause the powers that are are ordained of God and he that resisteth them resisteth the ordinaunce of God for I sayd you are Gods and yet you shall dye like men So that a king is subiect to none vpon the earth but immediatlie vnder God occupieth the highest roome in his owne dominion and sitteth in the chiefest seate yet neuerthelesse are they all but subiectes vnto God and to his woorde and to obey this is the safest waye to walke in a kingdome to saye as Dauid 101. Psa. I wyll walke with a perfect harte in my house A kingdome then is Gods gifte but to one and a king is his gift vnto many as if his Church offende him in iustice he wyll punish hir and children shall be hir kinges Esa. 3. so in his mercie he wyll set vp Dauid in his throne Salomon in his seat wherby we note that both sortes both good and bad gratious and tyrannous are al of the Lord for he that made Cayus made Marius also he that made Augustus made Nero too he that made Domitian the Christian made Iulian the Apostata Emperors And though the Lorde for iust and secret causes many tymes do geue this earthly kingdome to wicked and vngratious Princes to tyraunts and lymmes of Sathan Yet this is sure that not one of them al shal euer enter into the euerlasting kingdome without repentaunce The Lord in whose handes the harts of kings are turne them all vnto him and graunt them timely repentaunce that they may be kinges in heauen as they are vpon the earth Religion pertaynes not to the left hande but to the right hand of a king to his scepter to his Crowne For therfore chiefly hath he placed kings to be our forefathers and therefore Queenes to be our Nurses Esai 49. And secondlie that the Church of God might lacke no cherishing the example of good Iosias teacheth who not only receyued but read dilygently the booke of the Lawe and prouided within thrée yeare that al the Magistrates shoulde haue the same Againe Saules disobedience how it prouoked Gods iudgement and what myserable and desperat end followed who knoweth not Wherefore so to speake and so to do then to punishe and
God him selfe a great difference And if you wyll go further and aske howe this braunche should be raysed then I aunswer that first you must circumcise your hartes eares least you thinke it an impossibilytie as Nycodemus thought of a mās regeneration so you hauing the vayle of fleshlinesse and the foreskinne of filthinesse shall vncleanlie and grosely imagin of this blessed generation or raysing for carnal man sauoreth not those thinges that are of God. This done I saye he was begotten of God conceyued by the holy ghoste incarnate in the sanctified wombe of the Uirgin Marie euen in the fulnesse of time according to the Scriptures and it is parte of the Articles of our Christian beléefe which none of all Dauids posteritie coulde saye no not he himselfe for he was conceyued borne in sinne But here maye a more strong and mighty obiection be gathered than before as it seemeth and all by my owne saying for is it lykely or is it possible that he shoulde be rightlie called the ryghteous braunche of Dauid which came not of the seede of any man of all that stock before so many Kinges good and bad of which euery one yet naturally descended and were his sonnes after the flesh I aunswere though I say he was not begotten of any man yet I do not say that he came not of that stocke therefore for Ihesse Dauids father was the roote Dauid as the braunch Marie the Uirgin was the flower of Dauides braunche and Christ our Sauiour was the fruite of Maries blossome Therefore is he called the sonne of Dauid in the Genealogie by Math. 1. and often in the new Testamēt comming in déede of that Trybe kyndred or stocke He is called therefore the righteous braunch for thrée respectes First bicause he came of the same kyndred by his mother Secondlie bicause of those degenerating bastardes Roboham Manasses and the like wicked Princes who notwithstanding were of his lyne yet followed not a foote of Dauids wayes but defiled his seate and prophaned the Sanctuarie and turned his Scepter another waye And as he is not a Iewe which is a Iewe borne nor he a true Israelite which is so called nor all are not Abrahams sonnes that are after the flesh Roma 9. No more maye they be called ryght braunches of good Princes which beare no lyke fruite although that otherwise they be their owne sonnes Thyrdlie he is called the ryghteous braunche in respecte of the good Kinges also Salomon Iosias Ezechias and those fewe more which not onelye were of Dauids loynes but also dyd freade in hys steppes and walked in the waye of Dauid theyr Father in obedience to the commaundement of the Lorde in setting foorth the true seruice of the GOD of Israell in fyring the supersticious Idolles cutting downe theyr groues and wooddes to the ruine and spoyle of their Idoll aultares which farre better deserued the tytle of Dauids righteous braunche than anye of the wicked Kinges forespoken of And yet they are not this braunche neyther but onely and trulie and properlie it is Iesus the Messias You wyll thinke then that I do to much wrong to them which were lawfullie begotten Sonnes and laudablie raygned Kinges whiche came of his séede aryght and raigned righteouslie in the seate to and yet not the true braunch I shall satisfie you if you marke and that in a worde I do not denye them to be the right braunch according to the flesh and so is Christ to but I deny them to be the ryght and righteous braunche for so is Christe alone for such a sprygge or stemme neuer sprouted out neyther of Abraham whose Isaack was so increased nor out of Dauid whose kinges so succeded nor out of all generations againe for the fountaine is too fowle our petigrue must be fetcht frō Adam which is earth and this seconde Adam is the Lord from heauē 1. Cor. 15. And the reason is that those excellent vertues and Princely qualities of wisdome iustice Religion in any of those good kinges the sonnes of Dauid or in all it was in them but as shadowes and vnperfect figures of him in whome dwelleth the fulnesse of all goodnesse So that he onely and alone is this ryghteous braunche Here we maye sée the infinite loue of God towardes his Church neuer forsaking hir but in hir first fall renuing of hir with promises in hir forgetfulnesse reuiuing of hir with prophecies that shée myght styll hope and not be confounded for euer And if the Patriarkes and men of God in elder tymes receyued such plentyfulnesse of ioy and gladnesse in the onely promyse of the Messias whereby their faith was full What flowing and ouerstreaming vnmeasurable cōfort should we reape to whome those prophecies do mynister more than to the Prophetes them selues 1. Peter 1. For kinges and Prophets haue desired to sée what we haue séene and yet sawe it not but in the promise only Luke 10. They lyued in the tyme of the promise of this branch and the Apostles lyued as it were vnder the shadowe of his leaues but we lyue as vnder the fruite it selfe For the tyme of Grace the longer and the later it is the more mercifull it is to them that shall be saued And howe graciouslie he hath dealte with vs of Englande besides maye not passe vnspoken of in planting a ryght braunch to raygne ouer vs not a bastarde bramble as Abimeleche was the sonne of a bonde woman as ye maye reade Iudges 9. The Uine the Oliue the Palme the Figge tree and the rest chose a Bramble to be their king Who beganne with murther raigned in crueltie and dyed in bloud But ouer vs hee hath planted a peaceable Prince the ryght braunche of hir royall Father and moste worthye King Henrie the eyght kéeping all good steppes of hir prodecessors going farther in Religion than many of thē if not than any of them The Lorde leade hir farther styrre vp hir counsell to comforte hir strengthen hir kingdome to kéepe hir lengthen hir lyfe longe to raygne ouer vs And though I maye not saye as the Olyue trée to beare fruite yet to florishe as the Palme to be freshe as the Lawrell to be stronge as the Oake to spreade abroade as the Ceader and to be an olde Tree of continuaunce as the Cypre and though she be fruitlesse one waye yet fructifie hir O Lorde many wayes with good and faythfull subiectes that shée and wée as well graffed braunches maye abyde styll in the stocke and tarye in the Uine and fructifie by the operation of Gods holye spyrite vnto eternall lyfe in Iesus Christ. Amen VVhich King shall beare rule Here he is proclaymed Kynge by the Prophete heade of his Church and Prince of his people Trayterous are all other heades then monstrous and rebellious of King or Caesar or Turke or Pope or Deuyll lyfting them selues aboue this King which must beare all the rule He is sayde to be our Prophete our Prieste
well as wee that all Scriptures are inspired of God are profitable for men to instruct to rebuke and to correct that the man of God might be made perfect in all good workes 2. Timo. 4. that they are written for our learning Ro. 15. that many do erre not knowing them Math. 22. Onelie nowe there remaynes that doctrine which the enimy vntrulie sayth wée condemne that is sinceritie integritie and honestie of conuersation and lyfe which commonlie they call good workes Neuer a iusticiarie of them all is so earnest as we are to desire and beséeche you nay to charge and commaunde you and that in the name of Christe Iesus that you prouoke not the holy one to anger and to the iuste iudgement against you by breache of his lawes and statutes and yet we preach not as they for all this for our ende is mercie because we are vnprofitable Luk. 17. but their ende is merit bicause they are seruiseable you must thinke so at the least though I cannot coate the place in all the Scriptures but they write so of them selues This is the nayle in the shippes syde which we all dryue at to strike vp to the head least water leaking shoulde sinke her into the Seas After fayth workes after lyght walking after a foundation buylding after planting prospering and growing after a good profession some good practise after so long and so lowde a calling some comming and running towarde the marke which is set before vs Iesus Christe which is the price of our calling Now is the time for fruite take héede of the axe nowe is the time for the husbandman to drinke of the Uine beware of no grapes beware of sowre and wylde grapes for downe goes the walles then in comes the Boare and rootes it vp Nowe is the time for haruest when the sickle of Gods iudgemēt shal cutte downe both corne and cockle the corne shall he gather into his Garner but the chaffe he shall burne with vnquencheable fyre If you knowe his wyll and do it not be sure and looke for those many strypes and if the Lorde handle his yron rod once geue but one blowe of correction are we not all as the Potters vessell is our matter any better But if he stryke the strooke of condempnation what powder and dust shall the vngodlie be made and scattered before the face of the winde it is God that is true and all men are lyars It is heauen and earth that shall perish and not the smallest portion of his woorde shall passe vnperfourmed when the Lorde speakes therefore let the congregation be silent let flesh and blood nay let earth and ashes wormes and wormes meate neuer dare once resist as the obstinate or refuse as the ignoraunt or receyue in vaine the yoke of his obedience as all carnal and careles professors do which do nothing according as they are cōmaunded which haue a face or a shewe of seruice but haue denied the power of godlinesse therefore do receyue the woorde of God in vaine He speakes vnto you by the Prophet Ieremie this daye The dayes of Ierusalem were perillous times for both Prince and Priest and people dyd not onely neglect as we do but manifestly contempne the woord of the Lorde and fell to smyting of his Prophetes Hence grewe monstrous enormities as it was méete when the Lampe light of our steppes was once out that they shoulde runne ouer shoes into all extremities when they sinned in the great thing I meane Idolatrie once committed it can not be but adultrie shoulde followe and incest periurie murther extorcion robberie and all abhomination to be ryfe amongst them as you may reade 6.8 and many other places of this Prophecie Least therefore as a horse headlong shoulde runne into destruction they should make a league with hell and as it were vowe their owne dampnation as a man of himselfe doth styll run the race of iniquitie to make vp the number of his sinnes least thus working wickednesse with gréedynesse they shoulde past all crye fall into the daungerous mouth of hell fyre and kyndle whole heapes of coales vpon their own heades the Lorde in his mercies of olde hauing an euerlasting prouidence for preseruation of his Church maye not lose one openeth the mouth of this Prophet by his holy spirite and vttereth matter inough both for the comfort of his chosen and vtter confusion of the reprobate and saith Albeit there is not one true Prophete left almost that speake a good woorde but euerie man crieth peace peace and yet al from highest to lowest are geuen to brybes and horrible thinges are committed in the Lande Albeit there is neyther iudgement nor iustice but lyke stone horses euery man haunts harlots houses and his neyghbors wyfe To be short though there be aunswerable confusion and such a deformitie as for the lyke sinnes or lesse I once drowned in iustice the whole worlde in Noahs tyme except a few eyght persons and burned in my iudgement whole Sodom and Gomorra with diuers other Cities Yet now remembring my promise of olde made to Dauid my seruaūt mercifullie beholde the tyme commeth sayth the Lorde c. But howe perfect mans eyes are the shyning sunne doth shew which quicklye blyndes the clearest sight and howe brutish mans reason is without Gods spyrite in Religion that it is the speciall grace of God we are not turned cleane out of both reason and Religion Let vs therefore craue assistaunce of Gods most blessed spyrite that with méeke harte and due reuerence I maye speake and you maye heare and we all receyue his holie woorde to the glorie of his name the confirmation of his truth the confutation of error and the euerlasting comfort of all true Christians in Iesu Christ. In this prayer let vs remember his vniuersal Church the Churches of Englande and Irelande the Quéenes most excellent Maiestie her Graces most honorable Counsaile all inferior Magistrates all Ministers and all priuate men that the Lorde woulde blesse vs all to kéepe our fayth vnto the ende Amen 1. Beholde the time commeth sayth the Lorde that I wyll rayse vp the righteous branch of Dauid 2. which King shall beare rule 3. and he shall prosper with wisdome and he shall set vp equitie and righteousnesse againe in the earth 4. In his time shal Iuda be saued and Israel shall dwell without feare and this is the name they shall call him 5. The Lorde our righteousnesse FOr the the better vnderstanding of the simple this shal be my order to proceede as the woords lye Fyrst of the Prophecie of Christes comming Secondly what he shall do he shall beare rule Thyrdly the manner of his regiment he shall prosper with wisdome set vp equity Fourthly the ende of his comming or kingdome Iuda shal be saued and Israel dwell without feare Fyfthlie the glorious tytle or name which is the Lorde our