and owners You know what Christ himselfe confesseth that his Kingdome is not of this world and that he came not to be ministred vnto but to minister and therefore if they will be heires vnto him they must be heires of his Crosse He that will be my Disciple must take vp his Crosse and follow me Christ was heire of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a spirituall vse not for a temporall In such a sense as Saint Paul speaketh All is ours we Christs and Christ Gods But the Romanists are they that we are more troubled with therefore a word or two to them Christ is made heire of all therefore his Vicar must be confessed so to be therefore he may plant and plucke vp build and destroy hee may doe what he will Why the Apostle saith plainely that we haue this power he speaketh of himselfe and other Apostles and consequently their Successors to build and not to destroy and how then can they take vpon them to destroy or demolish And the Law saith that benefits from the Crowne are strictae nay strictissimae interpretationis because in such grants so much is taken away from the publicke which is chiefely to be tendred as is imparted to the Priuate Therefore they must shewe expresse words in their Patent to carry it or else they doe but trifle I grant they doe pretend Texts for their claime as for example All Power is giuen to me both in heauen and earth Mathew 28. Also The Nation and Kingdome that will not seruâ— thee shall perish and those Nations shall be vtterly destroyed Also he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords But what of this These places shew that Christ is superexcellent and that his Dominion is ouer all and that they that rely not vpon him cannot be established But what maketh this for the man of Rome that he should be Paramount for authority that his doctrine should be held irrefragable his Commandements for little lesse than Diuine Truly no more then that reason of Peter Pinak Archbishop of Lions out of the sixt of Mathew was sound The Lilies of the field neither labour nor spinne therefore the Crowne of France that hath for her Armes the Lilies or Flowres de Lucâ— is not to descend to the Spinsters that is to the Female or that of Boniface out of Gen. 1. In the beginning God made heauen and earth In principio not in princiâ—ijs therefore there must be one vniuersall Head and all Soueraignty must be deriued from him or God made two great lights the greater light to rule the day the lesser to rule the night Therefore He of Rome is so many degrees greater and higher than the Emperour because the Sunne is so much and so much bigger than the Moone Or lastly for there must be an end of fooleries because God saith in the Psalme Thou hast put all things vnder his feet all sheepe and Oxen c. the fowles of the ayre the fish of the Sea Therefore he of Rome must weare a Triple Crowne one part in respect of his Dominion ouer Angels signified by the fowles of the ayre the second in respect of his Dominion ouer earthly creatures yea Princes signified by Sheepe and Oxen a very honest resemblance the third in respect of his Dominion ouer Purgatory which he may exhaust and cleane rid by his Bulls if they be well paid for them I will not stand to refute these not errors but fopperies Perfidiam eorum exposuisse superasse est Note and recite their errors and you confute them sufficiently Come we now to that which followeth By whom also he made the world The Apostle seemeth to speake thus Is not this a sufficient argument of the greatnesse of Christ that the Father made him heire of all things This then will satisfie you or choake you if you will not be satisfied that by him he made the world that they both concurred in the making of the world so saith Saint Iohn All things were made by him and withâ—ut him was nothing made that was made And Saint Paul By him the Sonne of God wâ—re all things created which are in heauen and which are in earth things visible and inuisible c. And Hebrewes 1. verse 10. Vnto the Sonne he saith O God thy Throne is for euer and euer and thou Lord in the beginning hast established the eaâ—th and the heauens are the workes of thy hands c. So then Christ made heauen and earth therefore God for it is aboue the power of a creature to make such Creatures yea to create any thing at all tâ—at is to produce a thing out of nothing for ex nihilo nihil fit of nothing comes nothing naturally as a Carpenter or Mason cannot make a house or wall vnlesse he hath timber and stone or the like So it is impossible for any creature be he man or Angell to forme any materiall thing otherwise than ex praeiacente materia Therefore the Prophet Ieremy giueth it for a rule and putteth it downe in Chaldee euen in the Hebrew Text he speaketh Chaldee to teach the Chaldeans among whom the Iewes were to liue in banishment or if they would not be taught to vpbraide them to their teeth in their mother-tongue at least if the Iewes should forget their Hebrew tongue yet they should not forget this Chaldee lesson Elahaija di shemija vearkâ— la ignabadu â—ebaddu me argna vmin techosh shemaija elleh that is The gods that haue not made the heauens and the earth euen they shall perish from the earth and from vnder these heauens But now on the other side Christ made the world or worlds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let me helpe the vnlearned and make them that are learned already more learned as the Hebrew word Cheleà in the old Testament that signifieth properly the lasting of the world is sometimes there taken for the fabricke of the world so is it with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Newe it surely signifieth properly the lasting or continuance of the world yet in this place as in some other it is taken for the very masse or frame of it therefore God without question and because God therefore to be feared for he that made vs of nothing can consume vs to nothing if he hold but vp his finger Then further we are to adore him and to worship him as it is written Let vs kneele before the Lord our maker for he is our God and we the people of his pasture c. And yet further then we must serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse as it is written We are his workemanship created Gr. formed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath prepared that wee should walke in them Lastly then wee must loue the brethren and not be bitter
the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable vnto his death if by any meanes I might attaine vnto the resurrection of the dead Thus he and all tend to this that he may be sure of a blessed Resurrection at the last day The discretion of a man maketh him to prouide in Summer for Winter in youth for age But if the soule be better than the body heauen than earth God than the world things eternall than things transitory it shall be our Wisedome in the sight of God and men to lay vp a good foundation against that Day when the Lord shall appeare to Iudgement For first It is a dreadfull time for then the Lord Iesus shall be reuealed from Heauen with his mighty Angels in flaming fire 2 Thess. 1.8 By the dread of that Day is described some time of fearefull punishment on sinners in this life as some learned iudge or if that Day it selfe be there meant as others conceite marke the astonishment thereof Reuel 6.12 And loe there was for it is as sure as if already acted a great Earthquake and the Sunne became blacke as a sackeâ—loth of haire and the Moone became as blood and the Starres of heauen fell vnto the earth euen as a figge tree casteth her vntimely figs when shee is shaken of a mighty wind and the heauen departed as a scrole when it is rolled together and euery Mountaine and Iland were moued out of their places Should we see such things now What would our feare and amazement be How would not our hearts within vs melt with perplexity Surely that Day that shall end all times and the course of all things in this world must be to man a hideous time For the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men c. hid themselues saith the Spirit of prophesie making things present that are to come in dennes and in rocks of the mountaines and said to the mountaines and rocks Fall on vs and hide vs c. from the suffering perhaps of momentany things And what will they do at this Day As it was said of the last end of Ierusalem so of this time and most truely Then shall be great tribulation such as was not from the beginning of the world till then 2. T is the time of tryall and of the great Assize If a man be to be tryed for life how doth he prouide against the time to cleare his innocency or to plead his pardon Then it comports euery man to be ready with his plea that he be not condemned Magistrates Ministers people For we must all appeare before the Iudgement Seat of Christ that euery man may receiue according to that he hath done in the body whether it be good or euill Thirdly As it fareth with vs then so must it stand with vs for euer No reuersing that Sentence by a writ of error no appeale from thence to a Court of Chancery Mercy accepted in this our Day shall be shewed then refused here shall be denyed there And the execution shall follow To them on the left hand it shall be said Goe ye cursed To the on the right hand Come ye blessed And so long as eternity lasteth and the immortall soule liueth yea so long as God is God the reprobate shall be in the torments of hell and the righteous in the ioyes of heauen Now it would make a mans heart to shiuer and his flesh to tremble to see how in other matters men carefull of euery trifle and of euery complement obseruant neglect this matter of greatest consequence Would you thinke that a man that trots from Lawyer to Lawyer to secure and assure lands would not be a better husbandin greater matters When Parents be so carefull to get an estate to leaue to posterity would they be imagined to be vnprouided of a place for themselues at need If euill be towards another we can pity him if an Oxe be in a pit we can helpe him out we can euen pity a Dog in his hurt yet not be touched towards our selues in the extremest danger of extremest misery as if nothing were cheape with vs but our selues nothing vile but our owne soules If a man had the keeping of the blood of Christ in a violl how chary would he be of it We haue the custody of our soules committed to our selues dearer to Christ as Saint Bernard obserueth than his owne blood and shall we not be most tender of them Trifles in themselues are trifles and some things that beare some shew in comparison with others of more weight are trifles Now to the soule of man and his welfare at the Day of Christ all the Kingdomes of the world are but trifles for what shall it profit a man to win the whole world and to lose his owne soule or what recompence shall a man giue for his soule Be intreated therefore Brethren in conclusion be intreated by the sweet mercies of God by all the sufferings and intercessions of Christ by all the ioyes of heauen by the great charge which God and Nature haue committed vnto you of your owne soules oh by the glory and dread of that Day be intreated to prepare that it may goe well with you then and that ye may be numbred among the blessed Here to liue and lye with swine is abhorred and it is much more to be abhorred to liue with Deuils and damned spirits in hell Might those who now suffer the scorching of those hellish flames haue offer how readily would they apprehend it to be deliuered thence And how should we beware and vse all possible meanes that wee come not there They had their time and they lost it our time is now Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the Day of saluation 2 Cor. 6.2 Heauen may be had oh deare Christians lose it not cast vp your account mourne for your sinnes make your peace with God through the blood of Christ bring forth fruits of Regeneration Offer your selues sacrifices to God holy and acceptable and if ye finde these things hard if to you impossible call in Christ to your helpe Christ will informe your minds mollifie your hearts regenerate your wits subdue your affections purge your consciences rebuke Satan and giue the victorie the Crowne Assure your selues as the Church doth her selfe saying His left hand shall be vnder mine head and his right hand shall embrace me he will stay me with apples and comfort me with flagons And as our Saint Paul himselfe I am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ that strengthneth me Idle not out your time with the foolish Virgins lest the gate be shut against you but with the wise Virgins get oyle into your Lampes the oyle of knowledge the oyle of faith the oyle of holinesse the oyle of praises let your Lampes be trimmed and your lights flaming that ye may enter with the Bridegroome into the bridechamber
whereto the whole life of man and his glory and consequently his strength and vigor are compared An horse is but a race they say and so the strongest man vpon earth is but the push of a Pike and the clap of a Pistoll Were not Abimelech and Pyrrhus those most valiant Princes each of them killed by the hand of a woman Was not Totilas that noble Conquerour that had vanquished Rome which vanquished the whole world was not he I say ouercome and slaine by Narses an Eunuch a semiuir What should I stand any longer vpon this God hath chosen as the foolish things of the world to confound the wise So the weake things of the world many times to confound the strong And this may be a third reason against glorying in strength because God himselfe doth many times set himselfe against the mighty Xenophon himselfe saw so much and saith thus God as it would seeme taketh a pleasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is To exalt the base and to pull downe the mighty And why so Truly not of enuy to their greatnesse as it is written of Tiberius or Caligula that he caused a goodly tall man called Colossus for his stature and strength of meere enuy to his personage to fight after he had done his Law till he was tyred and slaine and as it is likewise recorded of Soliman in our fathers memory that hauing a great German brought prisoner to him of very enuy and both to the German nation he caused his Dwarfe a very Pigmey to take this German in hand being a Gyant to looke to and to hacke him and hew him being bound to his hand to haue many courses at him as if a child were set to thwite a tree asunder and at length with much adoe to get him downe so to poach him in and kill him O no! God is of no such nature as he saith himselfe in Esay Anger is not in me So it may be said most truely of him Enuy is not in him No he enuieth no good quality that is in man which is His owne gift neither doth he hate any that he hath made and redeemed but loueth all and would haue vs to loue one another Neither are the great and mighty ones confounded and brought downe by reason of their folly or for want of iudgement whereby they giue aduantage oftentimes to their enemies albeit I am not ignorant that Synesius that ancient and learned Bishop saith that strength and prudence seldome whiles concurre but hee vnderstandeth I thinke enormous strength in a huge vast body otherwise his speech is not iustifiable for many strong haue beene exceeding crafty withall as Aristomenes of old of whom I spake ere while and George Castriot of late in comparison of whom it is written that they had the strength of a Lyon and the wilinesse of a Fox But here is the quarrell and this maketh God an enemy very oft to the strong and mighty becâ—use by their strength and power they thinke to beare out and maintaine whatsoeuer bad person and whatsoeuer bad cause and beare down and to crush and to tread vnder foot the most righteous of the Land that stand in their way This doth nettle God and prouoke him to displeasure Id in summâ fortunâ aequius quod validius Let me haue might and I haue right enough Sua retinere priuatae domus saith Tiridates in the same place of Tacitus De alienis certare regialaus You would haue me to be content with mine owne Why it is for base-spirited men for Peasants for Boores to seeke but their owne Gentlemen and mighty men they will law and fight for that which is another mans O demens ita seruus homâ— est saith one in Iuuenal You would haue me to vse my seruant well Ah foole is my man a man is my Tenant my neighbour is my neighbour my brother Doth Naboth refuse to sell his Vineyard to Achab to King Achab I will helpe thee to it for nothing saith Iezabel Doth the Senate deny my Master the Consulship Hic ensis dabit This sword shall helpe him to it said aesars Souldier These bee the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Poet calleth them which will haue the Law in their owne hands they leane vpon their swords and their right hand must right them whether it bee right or no. Nec Leges metuunt fed cedit viribus aequum Moestaque victrici iura sub ense iacent Thus they couet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away so they oppresse a man and his house euen a man and his heritage Mich. 2. And thus as the Wilde-Asse is the Lyons prey in the wildernesse Sirach 13. And as Basil saith vpon Hexameron 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Most fishes doe eate one another and the lesse is the foode of the greater so it is too true that in too many places the weaker and the simpler sort of men are a prey vnto the great and mighty ones and these eate vp Gods people as a man would eate breâ—d as it is in the Psalme But what saith Basil in the same place Take heed saith he thou oppressor of the poore thou cruell hard-hearted man lest the same end betide thee that doth bef all those great deuouring fishes namely to be caught thy selfe by the hooke or in the net c. Indeed as for the comfort of the needy and the deepe-sighing of the poore the Lord saith That he will vp himselfe and set at liberty him whom the wicked hath â—nared So for the confusion of the vnmercifull Cormorant he threatneth thus by Iob Hee hath deuoured substance and he shall vomit it for God shall draw it out of his belly And by the Prophet Esay Woe vnto thee that spoylest and wast not spoyled c. When thou ceasest to spoyle thou shalt be spoyled There is no Prince that can bee saued by the multitude of an Host neither any mighty man deliuered by much strength Bee you neuer so strong O yee mighty yet He that dwelleth in the Heauens is stronger then you bee you neuer so well lined or backed or guarded yet He that sitteth betweene the Cherubins is better appointed Therefore trust not in your owne strength much lesse in wrong and robbery make not your selues hornes by your owne power there is no power there is no force there is no puissance that can deliuer from wrath in the day of wrath the children of wrath that is to say them that hale downe Gods vengeance vpon them by their vnmercifulnesse This might bee easily vouched by sundry examples but the time being so far spent it is time to come to the third speciall thing that we are forbidden to glory in to wit Riches Nor the rich man glory in his riches As I gaue this for one reason why strength should not be gloried in because it is not to be compared to wisedome
the first It is certaine that as the Father hath life in himselfe and light and wisedome and knowledge so he giueth his Son to haue the same in him nay he hath the same of himselfe as he is God No want in the God-head may be imagined nor degrees of hauing but all is perfit and at once yea and from the beginning He therefore being Iehouah and Shaddai all-being and euer-being all-sufficient and euer-sufficient may not be thought to haue asked this question to be better informed for his owne part for he knoweth all and needed not that any should testifie of man for hee knew what was in man Iohn 2. But as in the 12. of Iohn Christ saith This voyce came not for my sake but for yours So may we say of Christs words in my Text that they were not vttered for himselfe but for vs. It was good that the world should be satisfied concerning the resolution of the Apostles to follow Christ whatsoeuer came of it for their honour for our example for the glory of God in giuing such gifts vnto men Therefore doth the Lord bring forth their righteousnesse as the morning and causeth their faith to breake forth into confession They beleeued and therefore did they speake Wee also if we beleeue we will speake and will not be ashamed of him before men lest he also be ashamed of vs before his Father which is in heauen It is worth the remembring that Plutarch in his booke of Isis Osiris writeth of the Peach namely that the Egyptians of all fruit did make choise of that to consecrate it to their great Goddesse for this cause because the fruit thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is like to ones heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the leafe to the tongue Indeed when the heart and the tongue goe together then the harmony is sweete and the seruice pleasing both to God and man Euen as Saint Paul setteth downe the perfitnesse of our duty and consequently of our happinesse With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse with the mouth he confesseth vnto saluation This therefore may seeme to be a speciall cause why Christ demandeth of the twelue whether they would play the Turne-coats as some others did namely to draw forth their confession and profession of their faith As for the other doubt Whether the Elect can fall away the same will easily be cleared if we agree vpon the termes of Elect and falling away namely if we vnderstand by Elect such as are chosen according to the purpose of grace vnto an inheritance immortall vndefiled that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for them and by falling away an vtter departing from the fellowship of the Saints and an vtter renouncing of the truth reuealed The truly Elect cannot so vtterly become cast-awayes If then man and the world and the Deuill were stronger then God then the gifts and calling of God had repentance then Christ should not loue to the end whom he loueth yea then some should be able to take them out of the Fathers hand All which points and twenty more to this purpose are directly contrary to Gods Word which cannot lye Therefore we conclude that a man truly Elect cannot throughly perish I grant Saul and Iudas were Elect or chosen but it was to an office not to the Kingdome of glory Peter and others fell away but it was for a time not finally they wauered and staggered and felt some eclipse in their faith but the same was neuer extinguished nor rooted vp Christ prayed for Peter and not for him onely but for as many as should beleeue in his Name Iohn 17. that their faith should not faile And can Satan or all the power of hell preuaile against Christs prayer Praedestinatorum nemo cum Diabolo peribit nemo vsque ad mortem sub Diaboli potestate remanebit None of the predestinate shall perish with the Deuill none of them shall remaine vnder the Deuils power euen vnto death as Saint Augustine speakes And in his booke De Catechizandis rudibus Cap. 11. â—erusalem shall be deliuered and none of her shall perish for he that perished was not a Citizen of her Thus he He learned it of Saint Iohn They went out from vs but were not of vs c. Let vs end this point with another testimony of Austin more pregnant and plaine then either of them Horum he speaketh of the Elect si quisquam perit fallitur Deus sed nemo eorum fuerit quia non fallitur Deus Horum si quisquam perit vitio humano vincitur Deus sed nemo eorum fuerit quia nulla re vincitur Deus that is if any of the Elect perish God is deceiued but none of them perisheth because God is not deceiued if any of them perish God is ouercome by mans fault or naughtinesse but none of them perisheth because God is ouercome of nothing Well hauing thus vntyed the two knots or doubts that might seeme to entangle the Text let vs returne to the same againe and see what further we may learne out of it Will ye also goe away Plutarch writeth of Brutus that this was a great content and comfort to him at his end that though he had Crebra transfugia of the common sort many of them forsooke him and turned to the enemy yet none of his friends or neere ones forsooke him On the other side it must needs be a great corrasiue to Caesars heart that Labienus that had done him so worthy seruice against the Galles nine or tenne yeeres together left him in the quarrell betweene him and Pompey took Pompeys part I haue nourished brought vp children they to rebell against me this cuts my gall saith God in effect in Esay What my son that came out of mine own bowels to miniken the matter against me nay to make head against me This is such a matter as would make a man exclaime Be astonied O heauens and blush O earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What thou my sonne said one to his neere one He made resistance against others saith the story but when he saw his owne naturall to draw vpon him then he was weary of his life then he desired to liue no longer Therefore herein appeareth Christs magnanimity that he was not danted for the perfidiousnes of the run-awayes but all the while he had them that were of best note to sticke vnto him he reckoned not for the Apostasie of others Let vs be of the same minde Beloued Suppose all should cowre downe cowardly saue three hundred nay suppose that all should worship the Image that Nabuchadnezzar of Rome putteth vp saue three nay suppose that all should bowe their knees to Baal or worship the golden Calfe saue Elias and Moses should this make vs to goe away Nay greater is he that is in vs then he that is in the world saith our Sauiour And more there bee which be with vs then
they 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
principall measure thereof is for all such as are called to this waighty charge of being Gods Messengers and Interpretors vnto the people For if no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 12. then who can preach worthily of Iesus and of the doctrine of saluation but by him And if this key of the Spirit be requisite for the opening of all points of doctrine then is it thrice necessary to reueale mysteries Beloued this point of doctrine concerning the Incarnation and Office of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ is not onely a mystery but a mystery of mysteries that is a most deep and hidden mysterie which the Patriarches saw in a glasse and as it were in a darke speaking the Prophets searched after the very Angels desired to behold And therefore not onely we that take vpon vs to vnfold the same haue need to pray with the Prophet Dauid Lord open thou our lips that our mouthes may shew forth thy praise and speake worthily of this high mysterie but also you that are here present before God this day to heare words from my mouth ought to pray with all manner of prayer and with all instance that he that tooke away the scales from Pauls eyes and is called by Daniel The Reuealer of Secrets would so open the eyes of your vnderstanding that that which shall be deliuered vnto you may not be as a booke that is sealed or clozed fast but that you may know Christ and comprehend him for whose sake you are also comprehended of him This short Preface I thought good to make vnto you in respect of the excellency and diuinenesâ—e of the Argument or Theme vndertaken by me to stirre vp your godly deuotion that there may spring vp in you no root of profanenesse nor cold pang of wearinesse oppresse you to make the Word vnprofitable For if they escaped not that despised Moses his Law much lesse shall we escape if we despise the Gospell that is if wee shall not reuerently heare and religiously lay vp in our hearts this most gladsome tydings concerning Christ manifesting of himselfe in the flesh to communicate himselfe vnto vs and to draw vs vnto him But let vs come to the glad tidings it selfe Behold a Virgin shall conceiue c. Three notable things or rather wonderfull are contained in this short verse 1. A wonderfull Conception 2. A wonderfull Birth 3. A wonderfull Coniunction of the Diuine and humane nature in one person A Virgin shall conceiue This is the first of the wonders A Virgin shall beare a Sonne This is the second His name shall be called Immanuel that is Gâ—d with vs because of the assuming of our nature vnto himselfe This is the third A Virgin shall conceiue This truth is contradicted by two sorts of men especially by the wrangling Iewe and by the doubtfull Infidell The one saith It was not so the Prophet did not meane that shee should be a Virgin that should be the mother of Immanuel The other saith It could not bee how can a Virgin conceiue c These be the obiections of the vnhappy miscreants the Iewes the Gentiles the Atheisticall scorners whom I will not answer diligently or at large lest I should seeme too much to honour them but I will confute them briefly that I may furnish you with some reasons against the day of battell against the time I say that your faith shall be shaken with such kind of persons To the Iewe therefore this I say That though we take no aduantage of the Etymon of the Word vsed by the Prophet and yet as the Learned know the Hebrew tongue doth excell all other tongues in fitting the nature of things with proper fit names yet forasmuch as the word signifieth one that is kept close and secret who else but a Virgin can be meant But to omit this aduantage and to omit also the authority of the seuenty Interpreters which were Iewes and so translated it before this matter was in controuersie and therefore not excepted against for partiality Let vs consider the matter it selfe Doth not the Prophet in Gods name promise to shew them a signe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a prodigious and strange thing surpassing the course of nature Quale autem signum erat adolescentulam non Virginem parere saith Origen against Câ—lsus What signe were that what wonder were that for a young woman that lyeth with a man to conceiue This were a wonder not to be wondred at Therefore either the Prophet Esay spake absurdly and called these things which were not such as though they were such which was farre from that wisdome and eloquence that was in him or an extraordinary Conception and which exceeded the bounds of nature and the experience of the world is here signified This is enough to beat downe the Iewes enough in this place for if I should stand to refute all their canils I should seeme to forgâ—t mine Auditory To the Infidels that cry out It is impossible that a Virgin should conceiue this I answere euen as Christ did in the like case That with men indeed it is impossible but with God all things are possible Whatsoeuer God will that hee doth both in heauen and earth or speake I this after the manner of the Scripture and saith not Nature the same Yes verily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are easie to God c. for if any thing were too hard for God then he were not God but that which is too hard for him should be God rather since by reason hee that is strongest and aboue all hee onely deserueth the name of God It remaineth therefore that all things aâ—â— subiect to God subiect to his pleasure subiect to his motion then Nature specially then he may alter it as it pleaseth him Indeed Beloued though he hath made a Law for all his creatures yet he hath not made a Law for himselfe he will be brought vnto subiection to none He is and will remaine Liberrimum agens a most free Agent Therefore let no man say no Infidell nor any whatsoeuer This is not wont to be done therefore it cannot be done I doe not see how it may be done therefore it is impossible for surely he speakes rather madly then foolishly that speaketh so since there be infinite examples and in all ages to the contrary Why naturally we know the Lord hath made the sands for bounds to the Sea and hath appointed the same to checke the billowes thereof c. and yet many aliue haue seene the same to range ouer its bankes and to carry away with it whole Townes and Shires c. So naturally man onely hath the gift of speech and not presently after his birth but he must stay a certaine time but yet when it pleaseth God to shew a miracle euen Asses haue spoken and Oxen at the Plowe and a child in his mothers belly I doe not tell you fables but stories So
of God without the concurrence of any second cause So the true Manna which came downe from heauen and the true Water of life which whosoeuer drinketh of by faith shall neuer perish Christ Iesus I meane he was none otherwise to be conceiued but by Gods working Other Types might bee alleaged as of Aarons Rod which blossom'd without maÌ„s setting or watring of the Gate mentioned by Ezechiel whereat no man entred c. But the former be sufficient and therefore I will not trouble you with the latter A Virgin she ought to be we heare for the excellent Prophesies sake and to expresse the Types which were of it and so no â—â—ubt shee was as testifie Mathew and Luke and as we are bound by our Creed to beleeue Borne of the Virgin Mary c. But what manner of Virgin was shee the fairest the richest the noblest of all the daughters of the East Alas these things though they be much set by in the world yet with God they be but vile euen as dongue Hee is not a respecter of persons as the Apostle saith that is hee respecteth not these outward things in any hee lookes not vpon the outward appearance neither vpon the countenance neither vpon the height of ones stature as God saith to Samuel but if any feare God and worke righteousnesse he is accepted of God Act. 10. To him will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words Esay 66. He that loueth me shall be loued of my Father and I will loue him c. Iohn 14. These and the like vertues doe please the Lord a thousand times more then either beauty or wealth or parentage or friends or the like for if he had respected these he would haue gone into the Kings Court not vnto Nazareth to one that was sued vnto and wooed by Princes not vnto such a one as was thought but a fit match for a Carpenter briefly to such a one as had Kings for her kinsmen and Queenes for her kinswomen and her familiars and withall great store of men-seruants and maid-seruants great store of gold and siluer and not to one that was destitute and vtterly voyd of all these outwards comforts and which could leaue her Sonne none inheritance no not the breadth of a foote Yet behold here the good pleasure of the Lord and his free election happy vnto the blessed Virgin most happy but to the eyes of all the world admirable This poore Maid so base in her owne eyes so little regarded in her neighbour-hood so generally obscure to all the world was called to that honour that neuer woman was called vnto nor shall be For she was made of God to kindle that Light within her which enlightneth euery one that commeth into the world to conceiue Him in her wombe that brought forth the whole world with a word of his mouth to giue him nourishmentâ— who openeth his hand and filleth all things liuing with plenteousnesse to moue and carry him about in whom we all liue moue and haue our being In a word she was made to bring him forth whose beginning was from euerlasting to swaddle and bind him who bindeth the earth together that it can neuer be remoued to giue him sucke that giueth her breath to help him that must saue her to be his Nurse Mother that was her Father Creator and Redeemer yea the Creator Redeemer of all the world And was this Beloued a small thing a small dignity preferment and had not her cousin Elizabeth cause to say vnto her Blessed art thou amoÌ„gst women and her selfe to reioyce with a spirituall reioycing for that henceforth all generatioâ—â—hoâ—â—d call her blessed And why this Because of her outward endowments No for you haue heard that these are no inducements to make God to fansie any body Or for her inward graces and vertues Indeed meekenesse gentlenesse humility chastity temperance piety c. which same were found in the blessed Virgin and did abound are such things as God did neuer despise or abhor Abhorre nay they smell more sweetly in the nostrils of the Highest then euer did the Garment of Esau vnto Isaack or then euer did the precious oyntment of the Priest that ranne vnto the beard euen vnto Aarons beard nay then euer did the same Reach nichoach the same Sacrifice the same smell of â—est wherewith the Lord shewed himselfe well pleased being offered by Noah Vertues therefore and good life be well liked in all and therefore in a person so accepted with God as was the blessed Virgin they must needs haue beene singularly well liked But was it for the worth and merit of them that she was so aduanced as she was O no for then man might boast of that which he hath receiued which yet the Apostle denies that he may 1. Cor. 4. Then flesh might reioyce in Gods sight which yet St. Paul denyeth that it may 1. Cor. 1. Then Election were of workes which yet the Apostle proueth to be of grace that is free and not of workes Rom. 11. Yea then the blessed Virginshould not haue sung My spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour But My spirit reioyceth in God my debtor Then she should not haue said For he regarded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the low â—state 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my vertue of humilitie yea and my other vertues Thirdly then she should not haue said His mercy is ouer them that feare him but His Iustice is toward them that obey him thorowout all generations Fourthly then the Angell should not haue said Feare not Mary for thou hast found fauour with God but Triumph Mary for thou hast had thy deseruing Lastly then the Church should not sing as it doth at the end of that Canticle the rest Glory be to the Father to the Sonne and to the holy Ghost but Glory be to the blessed Virgin and Inuocation and Offering and Pilgrimage and whatsoeuer seruice may be named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too for she prepared her heart to grace and so merited Ex congruo and she vsed the grace giuen as she ought to doe and so merited Ex condigno And lastly she obserued not onely the Commandements of God but also his Counsels and so merited for her selfe and for others too euen for all â—hem that will be her Beads-men Thus should â—heir song be agreeable to their Doctrine if they would deale plainely and if of the aboundance of their heart their mouth would speake And iâ—deed so they haue sung and taught in these later corrupt times nor soundly but superstitiously not superstitiously but blasphemously They haue made her their Aduâ—cate their Spokes-woman their Patronesse and is that the worst They haue made her Gods Almner Gods Steward Gods Treasurer which containeth in her the treasures of Wisedome and Power and Mercy and dealeth the same at her pleasure was this the worst They hâ—ue
vnto Dauid a righteous Branch and a King shall raigne and prosper and in his dayes Iudah shall be saued and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby they shall call him The Lord of righteousnesse This is he that was promised Iacob The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah vntill Shiloh come And to Abraham and Adam before that The seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head In thy seed shall all generations of the earth be blessed And to Dauid and Symeon afterward All Nations shall blesse my Sonne and bee blessed in him Thou shall not see death vntill thou hast seene the Lord Christ. Briefly this is He that being appointed for the fall and vprising of Israel for the gathering of the Gentiles for the ioy of the whole earth was when the fulnesse of time came made of a woman borne vnder the Law that he might deliuer vs from the curse of the Law that so we might receiue the adoption of sonnes Will you vnderstand a little more of his nature Being in the forme of God and thinking it no robbery to be equall with God he tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant the substantiall forme not the accidentall there be his two natures Diuine humane Will you heare of his Person whether it be two or one because of his natures The Word became flesh and dwelt among vs Here begin againe his â—â—o natures and we saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God Lo Son he calleth him not Sons for all that he was called Word flesh that is God and man Will you heare of his kindred of the time of his comming of his behauiour of his miracles of his Doctrine of his doings suffrings of the effects of his doings suffrings The time was prophesied of by the Prophets by the Euangelists he is set forth to haue beene of the Linage of Dauid in the Towne of Dauid vnder the gouernment of a stranger in great humility and meekenesse with powerfull Doctrine with great signes and wonders with great and wonderfull obedience euen vnto death Finally to haue triumphed ouer Principalities and Powers and led Captiuity captiue to haue deliuered man who for feare of death was all his life time subiect to bondage to set at peace by the blood of the Crosse both things in heauen and things in earth In a word He dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our Iustification This is the blessed Babe of whom my Text occasioneth me to speake the memory of whose Natiuity we celebrate this day But how doe we celebrate it We put on our best apparell that we doe and that wee may doe but doe we decke our selues inwardly with lowlinesse of minde with purity and integrity c. that wee should doe Wee draw neere vnto God with our lippes that we doe and that we may doe but doe we draw as neere with our hearts with hearty thankesgiuings for Gods mercies in his Sonne with hearty acknowledgement and repentance for our sinnes and wickednesses that we should doe Wee stand here before the Preacher as they that would be edified in their holy faith and to learne their duty that we doe many of 〈◊〉 and that wee ought to doe all but doe wee care to carry any thing away and to lay it vp in our hearts and to ponder it in our minds and to expresse it in our liues and conuersations that we should doe that is the thing that is necessary So we will fare well as many as are able and we will lade our tables with dishes and haue plenty of wine and strong drinkes c. but will we remember withall the affliction of Ioseph as it is in Amos will we send vnto them for whom nothing was prepared as it is in Ester that is will we helpe and releeue them that haue need of our comfort then we shall doe well Lastly we will laugh and be merry and reioyce and shout as in the dayes of Haruest as it is in Esay wee will call for the Violl and the Pipe the merry Harpe and the Lute as it is in the Psalme we will sit vp long haue many conferences with our neighbours and many songs and this we will doe and this we may doe But shall our songs be of the praises of the Lord and our talking of the most Highest Shall our watchiâ—g be vnto prayer not vnto vnthriftinesse our ioy in the holy Ghost not in worldly vanities our pastime a sober recreation not wanton daliance c Then we shall doe well then we shall please God then the Lord will say of vs as he did of Ierusalem Hephzi-bah that is My delight in her Indeed as the Apostle Saint Paul calleth vs away from the Iewish obseruation of the Passe-ouer to a Christian and spirituall keeping thereof not for a day or a yeere onely but thorowout our whole life saying Christ our Passe-ouer is sacrificed for vs therefore let vs keepe the Feast not in old leauen neither in the leauen of maliciousnesse and wickednesse but with the sweet bread of sincerity and truth So are we to be called vpon Beloued and waightily charged in Gods name and so I doe charge you that in this Feast you beware of all heathenish profanity and all carnall loosenesse and intemperancie and as they that looke for the comming of the Bride-groome and are carefull to shew forth the vertues of him that vouchsafed to be borne and to become man for their sakes see that we walke in newnesse of life The Gentiles indeed at this time of the yeere celebrated diuers feasts in honour of their Idols as Saturnalia Vacunalia c. wherein they allowed themselues and their seruants too in one of them all kinds of loosenesse and knauery But the Apostle doth declare and testifie vnto vs that wee henceforth should not walke as other Gentiles in vanities of their mind and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them For the grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men hath appeared and commandeth that we should deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to walke iustly and soberly and godly in this present world They that sleepe saith Saint Paul elsewhere sleepe in the night and they that are drunke are drunke in the night but now we are the children of the light and of the day and God hath not called vs to vncleannesse but vnto hâ—linesse Therefore it becommeth vs to cast away the workes of darkenesse and to put on the armour of light and as he that hath called vs is holy so we to be holy in all maâ—ner of conuersation This know that meat and drinke apparell doth not commend vs to God much lesse doth sporting or reuâ—lling much lesse doth chambring or wantonnes gluttony or drunkennes strife or enuying or the like but if any will be in Christ he must be a newe creature and
Hieronym against the Luciferians Quae est ista simplicitas nescire quod credas c What simplicity is this to beleeue you cannot tell what He beleeued simply what did he beleeue By which places you see that as the knowledge of Christ is required if we meane to be acknowledged of his Father so this knowledge must not be a generall conceit or notice onely that there is such a one and that some thing he hath done for so we shall shoote but at an vncertaine marke striue as they that beate the ayre as Saint Paul saith but we must know in particular what great things he hath done and from what aboundant loue hee did it and with what fierce enemies he encountred in doing it and for what kind of persons he did that which he did and lastly in what miserable estate we had beene if he had not done it And is this so easie a faith that it may be gotten with once opening of our eyes or conned by one stans pede in vno or haue we not need rather to search the Scriptures as Christ spake and to Take vp and read Take vp and read as Augustine was admonished and to attend to those things which the Preachers teach vs as Lydia did to Pauls Doctrine As I say we are to giue our diligence that we may be skilfull in the whole booke of God in the whole doctrine of our Saluation so especially it shall behoue vs to get by heart and haue in a readinesse such Sentences as doe summarily and briefly containe the mysterie of Christs Incarnation and the chiefe benefits of his Mediatorship And such a place of Scripture is this that I haue in hand yea such a word is this Immanuel so rich so effectuall so full of Doctrine and consolation if you doe not so much tell the syllables as prize the waight and doe not so much content your selues with the outward barke and rinde as with the inward substance and pith Consider therefore of it againe and againe and marke me opening and vnfolding of it This therefore I say that in this word is couched together both Christs Nature and his Office His Natures of two kindes both Diuine and humane and yet but one Person his Offices though diuers for functions yet all tending to this one end to set vs at peace with God and to vnite him vnto vs. he shall call his name Immanuel or God with vs. Now to proue vnto you Well-beloued that Christ is God very God as Saint Iohn speakes God blessed for euer as Saint Paul calleth him I hold it superfluous before Christians since not onely the whole Scripture being giuen by inspiration from God doth auow so much The Law the Prophets the Psalmes the Apostles the Euangelists c. but also the Father himselfe the Word himselfe and the holy Ghost himselfe those three in heauen and vpon earth the works that he did farre exceeding the power of any creature and especially the raising himselfe from death the third day together with the bodies of many Saints that had slept longer Thus as Aratus saith of Iupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All streets are full of Iupiter and markets and the Sea and Ports c. So is it true of Christ and his Deity that he hath filled all places with the glory thereof so the same needs not to be proued or demonstrated no more needeth his humanity whereof besides his birth shape growing his hunger his thirst his faintnesse and wearinesse his feare and shrinking his stripes and buffetings his reuilings his cruell and bitter death and lastly his burying be abundant witnesses So be there also euidences enow of the vnity of his Person in two Natures euen in these two places of Scripture Iohn 1. The Word became flesh and dwelt among vs and we saw the glory of him c. He doth not say of them though he were both God and Man Word and Flesh. And Iohn 3. No man ascendeth into heauen but he that descended from heauen the Sonne of man which is in heauen he doth not say Sonnes as of many but Sonne though hee speake of such a manner of existence which is not incident to one nature Christ therefore is but one but his Natures are two Diuine Humane both true both perfect yet vnseparable and vnconfused For neither hath the Deity swallowed vp the humanity so thought that wicked Hereticke Eutyches neither hath the humanity made a new person from the Deity as thought that vile miscreant Nestorius But howsoeuer according to his Deity he be equall to his Father inuisible impassible incircumscriptible c. and according to his humanity he be like to vs euen of the same nature with vs corporall visible reall hauing flesh and bone and a reasonable soule as wee haue yet as is truly taught by Athanasius Hee is not two but one Christ for if there were two then the Prophet should not haue said in my Text She shall call his name but She shall call their names And the Apostle should not haue said to Timothy There is one Mediator betweene God and man but There are two Mediators the Sonne of Mary and the Sonne of God yea then he could not haue said truly as he doth that God was in Christ that God was manifested in the flâ—sh or that the Princes crucified the Lord of glory which places doe most strongly euince the Deity not to haue beene separated from the humanity being once assumed but in death nor the humanity to make an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it selfe but both together concurring in the person of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which yet was a perfect Person before he assumed our nature to make vp the Head of his Church euen the Sauiour of his body that is the Sauiour of all that beleeue Now hauing spoken so much which was contrary to my promise and contrary to my meaning of the vnspeakeable vnion of two Natures in one Immanuel let vs consider a little of the causes hereof to wit why God would descend into the world and become man and then adde something touching the vse of the Doctrine and so an end For as touching his Offices I haue spoken of them out of another Text vpon pregnant occasion and so I may doe againe vpon the like Touching the fiâ—st Augustine hath a good speech Tali auxilio natura nostra indigebat causa Our nature and our cause stood in need of such an helpe Vt repararet genus humanum nec sine Maiestate posset humilitas nec sine humilitate Maiestas that neither humility or base estate could repaire man-kind without a Maiesticall nor a Maiesticall estate without an humble or base one And why so Fulgentius will tell vs Dâ—us verus viuus imo Deus veritas vita c. God being true and liuing nay truth and life it selfe if he had not beene true Man could not haue tasted of death and if he
Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen not of the earth not of any place vnder the earth They giue authority to their Pope to dispose of earthly Kingdomes at his pleasure and full Iurisdiction ouer Purgatory which they take to be vnder the earth Christ teacheth vs to pray vnto God for forgiuenesse of sinnes Forgiue vs our trespasses They fall downe before their ghostly Father and craue of him Absolution Against the iudgement of Cyprian Veniam peccatix quae iâ— Dâ—minum commissa sunt solus potest ille largiri qui peccata nostra portauit c. He onely can grant pardon to our sinnes which wee haue committed against the Lord who onely bare our sinnes Against the iudgement of Hierome who plainely teacheth in Math. 16. That as the Priest in the old Law did not make any cleane or vncleane but onely shewed in what case they were So in the New the Bishop or Priest doth not bind such as are guilty nor loose such as be faultlesse but according to his duty he heareth the varieties of offences or offenders Peccatorum hee knoweth who is to be bound to wit of God and who to be loosed Thus Hieronym Briefely Christ said to the Thiefe vpon the Crosse and in him to all that are truely penitent This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Thou shalt be translated from death to life and forthwith too without suffering any thing any where after this life They teach that though the sinne be forgiuen in the Sacrament of Penance yet that the punishment must be indured in Purgatory if there be not satisfaction made either here by giuing of Almes gadding in Pilgrimage c. or hence by the Priests Masses or by the Popes Pardons prouided that both be well paid for What is to make merchandize of the Word of God what to make merchandize of the soules of men if this be not Neither is their doctrine sounder touching the exercise of the Church Prayer and Inuocation Saint Paul saith that hee had rather speake in the Church fiue words with his vnderstanding that he might instruct others then a thousand with a strange tongue Yea Lyra himselfe though he liued in a most darke time yet saw thus much Si populus intelligat orationem Sacerdotis melius reducitur in Deum deuotius respondet Amen c. If the people doe vnderstand the prayer of the Priest he is better reduced vnto God and doth more deuoutely answer Amen What doe our Aduersaries Doe they that which is better and more deuout No they serue the people with Latin Seruice which they doe no more vnderstand then they doe the Turkish language and so whether they blesse them or curse them speake to them or speake to God they cannot tell Were it not all one for vnderstanding and edifying to be in Cyclops Caue where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in such a Church This for the manner of their prayer So for the obiect Saint Paul would haue vs to lift vp pure hands to God 1. Tim. 2. And our Sauiour whatsoeuer yee aske the Father in my Name hee will giue it to you And Augustine Quis andiuit aliquando fidelium stantem Sacerdotem ad Altare c. Who hath heard at any time a Christian Priest standing at the Altar c. and say in his prayer O Peter O Paul O Cyprian I offer vnto thee a Sacrifice whereas in the Oratories dedicated to their memories the offering is made to God who made them both men and Martyrs If no Sacrifice be to be offered then not the Sacrifice of prayer if an outward or visible Sacrifice be not to be offered to them much lesse then an inuisible and spirituall But now how is it with our Aduersaries As the Prophet vpbrayded the Iewes According to the number of thy Cities be thy gods O Israel So may wee say to them According to the number of thy Prouinces nay of thy Townes nay of thy Churches nay of thy Trades nay of thy persons be thy gods thy Saints thy Tutelares dij God the Father was shunned and abhorred as one that dwelled in the light that no man can haue accesse vnto nay as one that had Foenum in Cornu and with whom there was no dealing God the Sonne was forgotten as one that was gone into a farre Countrey or that was asleepe and needed to be awaked like Baal or that was wearyed with hearing suites himselfe and therefore for his ease had appointed certaine Deputies vnder him as Darius did or certaine Masters of Requests to report vnto him the seuerall suites of his subiects as many Christian Princes haue whereas for power He is God and can perfectly saue them that come to him themselues and for will He became man and weake and was tempted that Hee might be touched with a feeling of our infirmity And for credit with his Father you know what is written Math. 3. This is my beloued Son in whom I am well pleased Therefore as Saint Peter saith Lord to whom shall wee goe thou hast the words of euerlasting life This for the matter of Doctrine and instruction so for the matter of prayer and supplication we may and ought to be of Augustines resolution Tutius incundius loquor ad meum lesum quà m ad aliquem Sanctorum Spirituum Dei I find it more safe and sweet to speake vnto my God then to any of the Saints of God Now for the causes of our saluation and the meanes thereof doth the Scripture set downe any other meritorious cause then the Death and Passion of our Sauiour Christ or any other meane or instrument to take hold of the same then Faith God hath giuen vs eternall life in his Son Iohn 5. The blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne Vnto men there is no name giuen by which they may be saued but onely the Name of Iesus Christ. The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue Gal. 3. And to be short As many as receiued him to them he gaue power to be the sons of God euen them that beeleue in his Name Iohn 1. Thus Christ is made to be the meritorious cause to be the authour and finisher of our Iustification and Saluation and Faith is made the instrumentall Therefore if they like not of the Doctrine we may say to them as Constantine did to Acetius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they were best to make a new Ladder to clime vpto heauen by since the Ladder of Iacob will not serue the turne Will you know how they shift off such a cloud of Testimonies and what is their doctrine When they are pressed with those places that doe plainely make Christ to be the Alpha and Omega the beginning and ending of our Saluation c. they grant he is so in this sense that he giueth grace to men to worke righteousnesse and to
Lord presently rise vp and come among them were they deliuered as soone aâ— they groaned O no The King sent and deliuered Ioseph the Prince of the people let him goe free but when his feet were first hurt in the stockes the yron entred into his soule He was many yeeres in prison first So the Israelites were hardly dealt with in Egypt by their Taske-masters that thâ—y cryed out for the very anguish of their hearts Againe in the Land of the Chaldees they serued tenne Apprentiships before they had leaue to returne to their Countrey This for the faithfull before Christs time As for the faithfull since as God in the 15. of Gen. told Abraham Know this of a surety That thy seed shall be a stranger in a Land that is not theirs foure hundred yeeres and shall serue them and shall be euill intreated but the Nation whom they shall serue will I iudge and afterward they shall come out with great substance So you shall find that the Church had but little peace or rest for the better part of foure hundred yeeres after Christs comming in the flesh and in the later perillous times prophesied of by the Apostles Antichrist had no sooner gotten to high strength which he compassed in Gregorie the seuenths time by superstitious false-hood established in Innocent the third his time by bloody Lawes but the faithfull went to the post and wandred vp and downe hungry and naked and had no dwelling place and were counted as the filth of the world and the off-scowring of all things yea the time was that whosoeuer killed them thought he did God good seruice and this for the most space in a manner that the persecution lasted in the Primitiue time This may suffice to shew Gods patience both towards his seruants and towards his aduersaries The second thing is his Iustice. For although God make a shew as though he were asleepe and saw not what is done as also he sometimes maketh a shew as though he heard not yet for all that at the appointed time he will not faile an inch but comming he will come and will not breake and the iust shall liue by faith but woe be to the wicked it shall be euill with him the reward of his hands shall be giuen him The Lords Seate is prepared for Iudgement and the Lord ruleth ouer all if he whet his glittering sword and his hand take hold on Iudgement hee will execute vengeance on his enemies and reward them that hate him Hee will make his arrowes drunke with blood and his sword shall eate flesh c. Deut. 32. This for his Iustice in punishing the wicked as for his Iustice to right the Godly and comforting of them you know what 's written in the 12. Psalme Now for the oppression of the needy and for the sighs of the poore I will vp saith the Lord and set at liberty them whom the wicked hath snared It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with him For that the righteous should be euen as the wicked be that farre from God said Abraham Genes 18. In this world many times there seemeth to be but a small difference betweene the deuout and profane the pure and polluted him that sacrificeth and him that sacrificeth not Thus all things seeme to fall out alike to the one and to the other nay the wicked seeme to be the warmer and to haue a greater portion in this life What then is the way of the Lord vnrighteous God forbid nay let God be iust and all men sinners as it is written But this it is The Heauen of Heauens is the Lords and for them to whom it was appointed euen for them that call vpon him in truth and thinke vpon his Commandements to doe them but the earth and the commodities thereof He distributeth without respect of persons euen to them that are his children by creation onely and not by adoption But yet there is a difference betweene the prosperity of the one and the other for the ones is but with anxiety of heart euen in laughter their heart is heauy the others is with cheerefulnesse and ioy in the Spirit the ones is a pledge of the greater preferment in the world to come the others is their whole portion and as if God should say Let them take that and looke for no more the ones is with the blessing of the people who wish they had more the others with their curse and hatred who are grieued that they haue so much Briefly the one flourish but for a time and often fore-see the ruine of their house in their life-time but generally within a few Generations their name is cleane put out but now the other hauing their house built not with blood or oppression but vpon the foundation of Iustice feele no shaking or tottering of it while they liue and when they are to leaue the world they are full of hope that their house shall not be like the grasse on the house tops which withereth before it commeth forth Psalme 129. but that it shall continue for a long season euen for many generations Therefore let not the godly be discouraged because he is kept downe and troad vpon neither yet let the wicked be bragge because their imaginations prosper for God hath not forsaken the earth neither hath he forgotten to doe Iustice but his eyes are ouer the righteous and his eares are open to their prayers as for the wicked his countenance is set against them to roote out the memoriall of them from off the earth God is iust let this content the godly he telleth all their bones so that none of them are broken he hath all their teares in his bottle will right them in due time And that God is iust let this appall the wicked he shall cast vp that which he hath gotten vnlawfully the Lord will draw it out of his belly God ariseth to Iudgement This we haue considered of It followeth To saue all the meeke of the earth It is good to be zealous in a good matter alwayes sayes the Apostle to be wise to doe good and in euill to haue no skill as the Prophet doth intimate So it is good to rise betimes to serue God to doe the workes of righteousnesse of mercy and of our lawfull and honest vocation that is pleasing to God that is well reported of by men Abraham did so he rose vp early in the morning to offer a sacrifice to the Lord which he had prescribed So Iob rose betimes to offer for himselfe and his children The good Lepers blamed themselues for sitting still hauing so good newes to impart to their neighbours touching the great plenty of victuall the Lord had sent them by the running away of the Syrians So the people rose in the morning to come vnto Christ to heare him in the Temple Luke 2. And Lysias the high Captaine caused
some applyed that of the Canticles Without Iustice neither City Towne nor house can continue said another Nay very theeues cannot liue without Iustice without parting their booties equally it is confessed generally Nay Remota Iustitia quid sunt regna nisi magna Latrocinia said Augustine Take away Iustice and what are Kingdomes else but great theeueries great haunts or meetings of Theeues Therefore Iustice being so goodly so pleasant so profitable so by all meanes necessary is it any maruell if Iob were not content to say hee put it on but add eth that it clothed him that is he thought himselfe sufficiently well apparelled while he had Iustice on and without it he thought himselfe and all others naked Trauellers write Nâ—than Chytraeus by name that in Padway Iustice is described in a publicke place betweene a paire of Scales and a Sword according to the manner with these two verses proceeding from her mouth Reddo cuique suum sanctis legibus omne Concilio mortale genus ne crimine viuat The verses are but clouter-like vnworthy such an Vniuersity as Padway is renowned to be but the sense is good and for the shortnesse of them they may the better be remembred I giue saith Iustice to euery one his owne I procure and winne all men to be obedient vnto godly Lawes lest otherwise they should proue criminous that is grieuous transgressors It is so where there be not wholesoâ—e lawes which are the parents of Iustice the daughters of Prudence the Nurses of Vertue the Companions of Peace the Harbingers of Prosperity c. there all things goe out of order Seruanis on Horse backe as in the booke of the Preacher and masters euen Princes on foote Like Priest like people as in the Prophet Esay nay the people not so bad as the Priest as Bernard saith Like buyer like seller like borrower like lender as Esay againe saith Nay then no buyer or seller or borrower or lender but all vpon snatching and catching and rapine and wrong blood toucheth blood and He that refraineth himselfe maketh himselfe a prey Therefore blessed be God for Lawes and blessed are the people to whom the mouthes and expounders of the Lawe the Administers of Iustice I say are sent Their very feet vpon the mountaines as they are comming ought to seeme beautifull vnto vs and we are to receiue them as an Angel of God euen as God himselfe for his office they beare and he vouchsafeth them his owne name In plaine and distinct English they ought to be had of vs in speciall honour and regard for many causes First for the Lords sake who is the Author of their authority There is no power but of God Rom. 13. Secondly for the Kings sake who is the immediat sender of them Rulers are sent by the Prince for the punishment of those that doe ill and praise of them that doe well saith St. Peter Thirdly for their worke sake for they watch ouer vs take paines for our good that we may lead a quiet peaceable life in all godlinesse honesty that we mayeate euery man his owne bread drinke euery one of his owne Well cloath our selues euery one with his owne Wooll and sit euery man vnder his owne Vine vnder his owne Fig-tree from Dan to Beershebah euen from one end of the Land vnto the other These be the fruites and commodities of Magistracie and Iustice many and singular euery way But where those be wanting both or one of them Magistracy as in the dayes of the â—udges There was no King in Israel but euery one did that which was good in his owne eyes Iustice and execution as Acts the 18. The Grecians tooke Sosthenes and beat him before the Iudgement seate and yet Gallio the Gouernour cared nothing for these things there the earth is cleane emptied and vtterly spoyled the words in the Originall be sounding and like the voyce of Thunder Hibbok tibbok hibboz tibboz there things goe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is against the streame or rather they are carryed head-long by a maine current of disorder into a bottomlesse swallow of confusion It hath beene questioned and argued whether it were better to liue vnder a tyrannous gouernment where euery suspition is made a crime euery crime capitall or vnder an Anarchie where euery one may doe what he list And it hath beene long since ouer-ruled That it is much better to liue vnder a state sub quo nihil liceat quà m sub quo omnia So then if euen the worst kind of gouernment be a kind of blessing in comparison then what is it to liue vnder a godly and Christian King that doth gouerne with Counsell and rule with wisedome and vnder such Iudges and Iustices that doe not take themselues to be absolute but confesse that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the Centurion in the Gospell and to giue an account not onely to him that is Iudge of quicke and dead but also to the Higher powers on earth if they should too farre forget themselues This then being their charge and Commission to administer Iustice indifferently to encourage the vpright to cut off the incorrigible their charge and terror terror I say in respect of the reckoning day sometimes in this world but certainely in the world to câ—me will any man enuy them their Robes the honor the place that they doe enioy Truly if they had no other comfort but the honour outwardly giuen vnto them that were but a cold comfort â—r reward Some lenitiue I grant it may be to flesh and blood to them that are Gloriae animalia as Tertullian first and aâ—ter him Hierome doe call Philosophers But to them that haue learned Christ aright to them that iudge not according to the eye but with righteous iudgement these things are but vaine and vile Praises they esteeme for bubbles and applauses for bablâ—s eminent places but for scaffolds to be gazed on and a great deale â—f attendance for a great deale of adoe trouble Titles of honour but for tittle-tattles Robes of scarlet or purple for depriments and detriments Indeed there was a great King that turning and winding his Diadem said to them that stood by That if a man knew what a deale of cares and troubles were lapped vp and lodged in it he would not thinke it worthy the taking vp And there was a Pope not the worst Pope that confessed to his friends that he liued an happier life when he was a poore Scholemaster in Louaine then since he was aduanced to that high See It is not therfore the high place nor the great state nor whatsoeuer is gainefull for the purse that maketh many Magistrates amends for their trauell toyle for their care and study for their sweating and hazarding their health for the hard censures and bitter exclamations and cursings that they incurre and indure for directing of Iustice and pronouncing
dealt so cruelly with vs But now when the Precept of humiliation is to the Creator of all things shall flâ—sh and blood disdaine to submit it selfe to God weake flesh and blood to the mighty hand of God It was a reason that Iosephus vsed in his Oration to his Countrey-men to perswade them to submit their neckes to the yoke of the Romanes for as much as they had gotten the Dominion of the greatesâ— part of the world The same reason vsed Rabshakâ—h to them that were besieged in Ierusalem that for as much as the King of Assyria had subdued many other Nations strong and mightie therefore they might with credit enough yeeld Dignitate Domini minùs turpis est conditio seâ—uâ— By the honor of the Master the base estate of the seruant becommeth more tolerable It was some comfort to Marcus Antonius hauing wounded himselfe to death in desperation that he was ouercome not by any base coward but by a valiant Roman AEnaeae magni dextrâ cadis So Aeneas bade one comfort himselfe Salâ—em ne lixae manu cadam saith the valorous Admirall of France Slay me and spare not but yet not by the hand of a skullion Let not a boy slay vs said Zibah and Zalmumah Iudg. 8. but rise thou and fall vpon vs for as the man is so is his strength Therefore for as much as we are required to humble our selues vnder Almighty God who made the heauens and the earth by his great power and by his stretched-out Arme and nothing is hard vnto him Ieremy 32. Behold he will breake downe and it cannot be built he shutteth vp a man and he cannot be loosed Iob 12. He putteth his hand vpon the Rockes and ouerthroweth the mountaines by the roots Iob 28. For as much I say as he is the Creator of the Spirits of all flesh not onely of their bodits and doth what he will both in heauen and earth turning man to destruction and againe saying in mercy Turne againe ye children of men Shall we bridle it or bristle it against him shall we scorne to answer when he calleth obey when he commandeth sorrow and mourne when he chasticeth shall we receiue good of the Lord and then to be vnthankefull euill and then be impatient Nay rather let vs hearken to the Commandement in my Text Humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God and to the promise annexed that he may exalt you Foelix Ecclesia saith Austin cuise Deus debitorem fecit non aliquid accipiendo sed omnia promittendo Happy is the Church to whom the Lord hath made himselfe a debtor not by receiuing any thing at her hands but by promising all things Surely though the Lord had onely commanded bade vs on our Alleageance to imbrace humility and to remoue arrogancy farre from vs we were bound euen for the Commandement sake to yeeld all obedience to it For doth not a sonne honor his Father and a seruant his Lord And are we not his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which he hath appointed that we should walke in them Againe if he had tendered the vertue humility vnto vs in it owne kind without any painting without any sauce as it were were it not worthy to be looked vpon nay to be tasted nay to be swallowed downe as most wholesome meate Whatsoeuer it seemeth to you of the wise it hath beene esteemed either the most excellent or the most necessary of all vertues Some call it the Rose of the Garden and the Lilly of the field Some the Queene of all vertues Some the mother Some the foundation and ground-worke Some the roote Certaine it is saith Bernard Nisi super humilitatis stabile fundamentum spiritale aedificium stare non potest A spirituall building cannot stand steady except it be placed vpon the sure foundation of humility Augustine goeth further and saith to Dioscorus that it is the first thing in Christianity and the second and the third and almost all in all for saith he except humility doe both goe before and accompany and follow after all whatsoeuer we doe well pride will wrest it out of our hands and marre all Therefore humility is to be thought vpon and by all meanes to be coueted after euen for the very worth of it though there were no promise annexed to it to drawe vs on But now when God is so good and gracious to vs as to promise vs promotion for the issue and cloze wee must needs shew our selues very dull and very vnhappy if we doe not striue for it as for siluer and digge for it as for treasure The Husband-man is content to goe forth weeping and to bestow his precious seed so that he may returne with ioy and bring his sheaues with him So euery one that proueth Masteries is content to abstaine from all things so that he may obtaine a Crowne though the same be a corruptible one So the Souldier to approue himselfe to him that hath chosen him to the Warfare The Captaine and specially the Generall to get glory what paine and hardnesse doe they sustaine or rather what doe they not sustaine It is written of Alexander I will trouble you but with one Story that being in the farther parts of Asia one while striuing against heat and thirst another while against cold and hunger another while against craggy Rockes another while against deepe and dangerous riuers c. he could not containe but burst forth in this exclamation O yee Athenians what difficulties and dangers doe I endure for your sakes to be praised and celebrated by â—our pennes and tongues Now if to be extolled by the pennes and tongues of vaine men could preuaile so much with a Prince tenderly bred and of great estate should not wee much rather submit our selues to Gods will and pleasure and prouidence and euen deny and defie whatsoeuer worth may seeme to be in vs that hee may aduance vs and bring vs to honour God surely vseth to make great ones small and smal or meane ones great as Xenophon speakes Nay the blessed Virgin being moued by the holy Ghost acknowledgeth as much He pulleth downe the mighty from their seat and exalteth the humble and meeke He maketh high and maketh low yea he maketh them high that before were low if in humility and meekenesse they possesse their soules Dauid kept his fathers sheepe and was not ashamed nay he braggeth of it in an holy kind of reioycing in the Psalme That the Lord tooke him as he followed the Ewes great with Lambe to be a Ruler in Iacob and a Gouernour in Israel So Agathocles so Willigis to trouble you with no more the one was exalted to bee King of Sicily being but a Potters sonne the other to be Archbishop of Mentz a Prince Elector in Germany being but a Wheelers sonne They acknowledged Gods prouidence and worke in their aduancement and were so farre from being ashamed of their base parentage that the one would not
sacrifice 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
good his doctrine by miracles being a new doctrine and therefore the miracles which were wrought by the Apostles and Prophets could not serue to strenghten it but onely by the sword and an arme of flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they be the words of the Alcoran that is he came not to giue the Law by miracles but by the sword and how then can such a doctrine be embraced by any saue such as are plainely bewitched or out of their wits for to vse onely naturall reason to naturall men how can God be thought to be of one mind for twenty or fiue and twenty ages together for so long he gouerned the Church by Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine then vpon the suddaine change his minde vpon the starting vp of a Start-vp neither learned nor wise nor vertuous onely he had a great Army and had some successe against the Emperour Scilicet illum expectabat liberanda veritas a likely matter that the truth should be held captiue till Mahomet set it at liberty No no the strength of Israel the God of the whole earth is no changeling neither is there with him any shadow of change He is Amen that is true and stable and though heauen and earth perish yet no tittle of the Law or Gospell shall fall to the ground till all be fulfilled God hath spoken in these last dayes by his Sonne He hath spoken by him it is not said that he will speake by any after him that will oppugne him or correct him Therefore away with Mahometisme It is enough to say of it as the foresaid Tertullian said vpon the like occasion Nobis curiositate non est opus post Christum Iesum nec inquisitione post Euangelium that is Hauing Christ Iesus we need not be further curious and hauing the Gospell we need not be further inquisitiue thus he The same reason doth militate against the Romanists who although they seeme to attribute much to the Gospell in words yet in effect they deny it For they are not content with the written Word but they stand vpon vnwritten supposed verities which they may multiply at their pleasure as well as they doe magnifie them making them to be of equall authority with the written Word so doe they of Trent speake insomuch as if we will beleeue them we shall not know what to beleeue nor what to affirme For whatsoeuer is questioned betweene them and vs touching either Purgatory or prayer for the dead or praying to Saints or praying in an vnknowne tongue or touching the Masse or Chrisme or the Ceremonies of Baptisme c. All these points and an hundred more which they can no more finde in the written Word than they can finde water in fire fire in a poole of water they poast ouer vnto Tradition appealing vnto it which is as much as if they should turne vs to seeke them vpon the backe-side of the booke For what is Tradition else but the report of men and what are men all men sauing they which were priuiledged with the priuiledge of infallibility the Apostles and Prophets I meane which neither were deceiued in matters of faith neither could deceiue but deceitfull vpon the weights and in plaine English lyers I meane subiect to error and mistaking We must take their credit for doctrines affirmed by them to haue beene preached by Christ and his Apostles fifteene or sixteene hundred yeeres agone when they cannot be beleeued touching that which themselues or their confellowes preached two or three yeeres since except there be notes kept of it nay he hath a good memory that can repeat in the after-noone as much as he heard in the fore-noone Behold we count them for no better than mad-men that will make claime to a piece of land for the which they haue nothing to shew but bare words as I heard my neighbour say this or that or mine vncle or my father c. whereas the party that they would get it from hath Euidences and Records ancient and faire without any shew of rasure without any suspition of forgery And can we thinke our Aduersaries to be well in their wits that would wrest from the Laity the Cuppe of the Lord against so faire a Record as this As oft as yet shalt â—ate of this bread and drinke of this Cuppe c Thus Saint Paul writing to the Church of Corinth consisting of Laickes as well as Ecclesiastickes also from the Cleargy they would wrest marriage against this Record Marriage is honorable in all in all persons not in all things onely as it appeareth by the Anâ—uhesis Adulterers and Fornicators he doth not say Adulteries and Fornications And againe To auoide fornication let euery man haue his wife and euery woman her husband if Ministers be men then they may be married So further from the vnâ—earneâ— they would wrest the vse of the Scriptures they will not suffer them to vse them in their mother-tongue vnlesse they haue a Licence by as good reason they might forbid them to looke vpon the Sunne or to drawe in the ayre without a Licence contrary to the Commandement Deut. 3â— When aâ—l Israel shalt come to appeare before the Lord thy God c. thou shalt read this Law before all Israel that they may heare it c. He was to read the Law therefore it was written he was to read it before all Israel therefore it was written for all Israel So in the Gospell When a young man would know what he might doe to attaine eternall life our Sauiour answered him saying What is written in the Law 〈◊〉 readest thou Behold he doth not send him to the â—radition of the Fathers but to the written Word that he should beleeue and liue according to that rule But now forâ—ouâ— Aduersaries iâ— ye hap to conferre with them or shall haue a desire to looke into their bookes you shall find that the claimâ— that they make by the Scriptures for any thing of moment in Controuersie betweene them and vs either touching the head of the Church or the visibility of the Church or the keyes of the Church c. is but dicis causâ for fashion-sake their sure-hold and fortresse they fly vnto is Tradition Now what is this else but to bring all things to their owne Consistory as they say and to make themselues Iudges in their owne cause and to measure themselues by themselues as the Apostle speaketh yea and to symbolize with those Heretickes whom Ticonius allowed by Augustine for this speech noteth thus to speake Quod volumus sanctum est that It is holy because we would haue it so and so it is true because they say it is a Tradition But well speaketh the same Augustine Contra insidiosos errores Deus voluit ponere firmamentum in Scripturis c. Against deceitfull errors God thought it good to place a sure foundation in the Scriptures against which no man dares to speake that would be counted
a Christian Thus Augustine And to the same purpose Chrysostome who liued but a little before him Where haue ye read this saith he Forasmuch as he hath not read it written but speaketh of himselfe it is euident that he hath not the holy Ghost And to be short Irenaeus who liued before them both shall be instead of all others To sticke vnto the Scriptures which containe Lat. are a certaine and an vndoubted truth that is to build ones house vpon a strong and firme Rocke Thus he whereby â—e â—heweth that they that build their faith vpon any other foundation as namely vpon Tradition they build it but vpon sand which will not abide the least blast oftentation nor the least push of strong reasoning but will soone fleet and fall to the ground To shew the vanity and vncertainty of Tradition let this one Story that I shall recite vnto you suffice and then I will proceed to that which remaineth In the Primitiue Church by the report of Eusebius there was a sharp contention and betweene such as would not be counted babes or obscure fellowes but Fathers and Pillars touching the celebrating of Easter The Easterne Church went one way and the Westerne another And what was the cause of their iarre The Easterne Church pretended a Tradition as from Saint Iohn the Euangelist that he forsooth should command it to be kept vpon such a day The Westerne Church a Tradition as from Saint Peter that he should ordaine it to be kept such a day vpon a Sunday by all meanes What shall we say to this were Saint Peter and Saint Iohn diuided that yea should be with them nay and nay yea No but their Disciples misse-heard them or misse-remembred them or misse-reported them and hereupon they brake forth into quarrell Now iâ— in the best times when many that had heard the Apostles or Apostolicke men were yet aliue when the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost as the miraculous curing of the sicke and the casting out of Deuils c. were yet to be seene in many by the testimonies of Iustine Martyr Irenaeus Tertullian c. if this were done say I when the Church was yet a Virgin as it were by the iudgement of Polycrates in Eusebius what can we looke for in the latter perillous times when she had abandoned her selfe to Spirituall fornication I meane not onely to superstition but also to Idolatry Is any mans word to be taken that Christ spake thus or thus by his Apostles when he hath not their writing to shew Thus much against Papists Traditions now in the words that follow I pray you obserue with me how Angelically or rather Diuinely the Apostle doth mount and causeâ—h his speech to grow Sermo crescit in describing the Sonne of God by his estate by his Acts by his Nature Person c. He hath taught vs saith the Apostle by his Sonne would ye know what Sonne Not an ordinary Sonne such as we are but the Heire and Owner of all things nay the Creator of heauen and of earth nay the very brightnesse of Gods glory and the ingraued forme or expresse Image of his person distinguished onely in person not separated or diuerse in nature nor inferiour to him Is this all No he preceedeth bearing vp all things by his mighty power therefore not onely the Creator but also the preseruer of the world Is that all No it had beene to small purpose at least to small benefit to vs if God should make vs and preserue vs onely and there stay but that which is a greater matter for vs he hath redeemed vs by purging vs from our sinnes yea and for the full consummation of his victory and our Redemption he sitteth at the right hand of the Maiestie in the highest places from thence to oppugne our spirituall enemies and from thence to reach-out his hand to helpe vs and supply vs. And what can be spoken more fully more richly more comfortably Christ called the two sonnes of Zebedee sonnes of Thunder Augustine speaking of a certaine Sentence of Ambrose exclaimeth ô sensum hominis Dei ex ipso haustum fonte gratiae Dei that is O sense of a man of God drawne out of the very fountaine of the grace of God! Hierome calleth Hilary a Rhodan that is a most swift riuer of Eloquence Theodoret calleth Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an Ocean of Diuinity I cannot tell what I may call this third verse else but a very depth of mysteries a fountaine of Water of life that can hardly be sounded to the bottome I find that the Iewes haue a booke which they call Tseâ—ormor that is a bundle of myrrh that they haue another which they call Tsemach Dauid that is The branch of Dauid that they haue another also which they call Orach Chaiim that is the path-way of life False titles the bookes be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they doe not deserue such glorious names But surely he that should say that this one verse deserueth all these Elogies and Titles should not speake a whit out of the way For it is no lesse than a bundle of most fragrant odoriferous flowrs refreshing the inward man and preseruing the whole soule from putrefaction it describeth also the true branch you know Christ is called so by the Prophet Zechary so expressely that fewe places of the Scripture may be compared with iâ— Lastly it sheweth the path of life namely wherein our true Life consisteth to wit in the Sacrifice and bloody Offering oâ— Iesus Christ which purgeth vs from all our sinnes But let vs come to the particulars that remaine yet to be handled The first is that God hath made hiâ— Sonne Heire of all things This place is abused by two sorts of Hereticks Anabaptists and Romanists I will but point at their errâ—rs The former vrge Christ is made heire of all things therefore faithfull Christians onely they meane specially such as be of their stampe haue interest in the things of this world all others are but vsurpers and therefore may lawfully be stript of them But they should know that the heauens euen the heauens are the Lords the earth hath he giuen to the children of men to the children of men promiscuously he doth not say precisely to the children of God indeed he that made Abraham and Isaack rich which were faithfull and the Fathers of the faithfull made also Laban and Nabal which were prophane he that causeth the Sunne to shine and the raine to fall vpon the iust did and doth the same for the vniust Briefely he that gaue Caesar a mercifull Prince gaue before him Marius a cruell Tyrant Caesar was not to be iustled with being chosen by the people and Marius was to be stooped vnto while he had Lawe on his side Now whereas they would make their claime by Christ Christ was heire of all things therefore they rightly beleeuing in Christ are the onely true heires
for our duty which I said was a second reason why such excellent titles were giuen vnto Kings the same we might be put in mind of by all the seuerall appellations of Kings which I reckoned vp but I will onely insist vpon two the appellation or title of a Shep-heard and the appellation or title of a Father So then in order If Kings be Shep-heards then we that are subiects are sheepe then we had need to haue two properties at the least of sheep the one mentioned in the 10. of Iohn the other in the 53. of Isay. In the 10. of Iohn it is said that the sheep doe follow their Sheep-heard for they know his voyce but they will not follow a stranger c. Let vs be of the same minde There is a stranger of Rome no lesse to be shunned than the strange woman the same naughty-packe mentioned in Prouerb Cap. 2. and Cap. 7. who with great craft causeth simple-ones to yeeld and with her flattering lippes she enticeth them so that they follow her as an Oxe that goeth to the slaughter and as a foole to the stockes for correction He promiseth liberty but is himselfe the seruant of corruption another Gospell which is not another Gospell but therein he goeth about to deceiue He is an Idoll Sheep-heard preaching not at all nay professing that it doth not belong to him to preach therefore no Ecclesiastike Sheep-heard Euangelizare pascere est to preach the Gospell that is to be an Ecclesiasticke Sheepe-heard saith Bernard and though he counterfeit the voyce of the Sheepe-heard yet he is but an Hyaena and would tole men out of their houses to deuoure them Come out of Babylon O my people saith God by the Prophet and so the voyce of euery Preacher should be O ye that are in Babylon come out from thence ye that are out keepe your selues out lest ye be partakers of her plagues He of Babel He of Rome Rome is called second Babel Babel first Rome by Augustine howsoeuer he counteth himselfe Vicar at the least to the Angell of the great Counsell and putteth his right foot on the Sea and his left on the earth like the mighty Angell Reuel 10. As though all power were giuen vnto him both in heauen and in earth yet he is but an Angell of the bottomles pit Reu. 9. the very Abaddon son of perdition destroying and appointed to destruction Behold I haue warned you This for one note taken from Shep-heard and sheep by way of correlation Another note shall be this The sheepe is dumbe before his Shearer and openeth not his voyce so ought subiects to part with that they can spare for the supply of their chiefe Shep-heard without clamor yea and without grudging The sheep may trust their good Sheep-heard he will tondere not deglubere he will charge his Officers as the Emperour did his Lieutenant in Egypt that they should sheare and not swallow vp or as another reporteth sheare and not shaue he ventureth his life many times for their good as Dauid put his life in his hand and encountred first the Lion then the Beare he commiserateth them when they are in danger and rueth their ruine when they haue miscarried as the same Dauid when hee saw the Angell with the sword drawne cryed out What haue these sheepe done Quid meruistis Ones placidum pecus c Let thy hand O Lord be vpon my selfe I haue sinned As Augustus also when he heard of the ouerthrow giuen vnto his Forces in Germany vnder the vnhappy conduct of Varuâ— he ranne his head against a dore saying Redde Vare Legiones Hast thou lost my Legions Varus so many thousands of my men euery one being as deare vnto me as a childe woe-worth thee Varus that euer thou wert borne vnhappy I that I committed such a charge vnto thee And doth not this commiseration and passionate spirit deserue the fleece What speake I of the whole fleece a piece of the fleece a locke in comparison Marcellinus writeth thus of the Egyptians Erubescit apud Egyptios siquis non inficiando tributa plurimas in Corpore vibices ostendat that is the Egyptians hold it for a marke of degenerousnesse and a disparagement not to be able to shew many blowes many markes of blowes on their bodies receiued by denying of Tribute Thus he Aequius erat hoc voluntate fieri said one and so say I for if there be first a willing mind it is esteemed according to that a man hath and not according to that which he hath not But if it be by constraint or vnwillingly this is not so thanke worthy either with God or with man For this cause Saint Paul signifieth that he would not presse Philemon too farre that the good-turne might be voluntary and not as it were of necessity And the rule is right 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either willingly or not at all I hope it will neuer be verified of so noble a Nation as ours which is laid to the charge of the Corinthians though vpon another occasion Now there is altogether or by all meanes a defect among you yet there is no Nation so perfectly wise but they may be told sometimes as Iacob told his sonnes Peraduenture there was some mistaking some error In the 2. of Sam. the 19. When the men of Israel had bethought themselues how vnrespectiue they had beene towards their King their good King Dauid they bled inwardly as it were and were at strife among themselues who should shew most forwardnesse to make him amends and so it may be thought that whatsoeuer vnhappinesse hath happened I know not by what mistaking or misleading yet when we shall be put to it againe there will appeare so strange an alteration of mindes that if the enemies of the truth and of our State did before clap their hands for ioy because of our diâ—â—raction they will as fast and as passionately wring their hands for sorrow of heart to heare of our ioyning together as one man with one heart and with one shoulder as the Prophet speaketh to beare common burthens and to giue content vnto our Prince Saint Paul speaketh thus of Onesimus Peraduenture he went aside for a season that thou mightest receiue him not now a seruant but more than a seruant a Brother beloued specially to me And Tully I remember saith of his returne from banishment that the same was so glorious that I am afraid said he lest some doe thinke that I went into banishment of set purpose so to be welcommed home with those applauds and acclamations And so who can tell whether this toughnesse which hapned not to all Israel but in part will not redound to the greater aduantage of the King and the greater honour of the Realme godly sorrow causing an earnest endeauour yea indignation yea feare yea longing yea zeale yea a kind of reuenge-taking of our selues so
of Rome his spouse all the while he is not our true father but a father in Law or rather against all Law nor she the true mother but a step-mother a putatiue mother like her in the 1 Kings that would haue had the child to be deuided For all the world he hath shewed himselfe such a kind of father as Saturne was who deuoured all his children that he could come at and whom Rhea hid not from him and she such a mother as Medea in the Tragedy who murthered all her sonnes that she had by her husband Iason and were sorry she had no more to murther that she might vexe him and grieue him more But as Moses said Our God is not as their god our enemies being witnesses so we may say Our father and King is not as theirs heauen and earth bearing record for their King is King of the Locusts Reu. 9. and himselfe the great Locust but our King is a King of peace and of bounty to speake the least and facilis placidusque pater veniaeque paratus as the Poet said So much of the person of the King I come now to the function and to the effect and to the instrument and I will but touch them slightly lest I should be tedious A King sitting on the Throne of Iudgement c. The Iewes write themselues and others write of them that while their Common-weale stood they had three kinds of Courts or places of Iudicature Batteidin the one in euery City where three chosen for the purpose sate and examined petite or light matters matters of trespasse and of debt this was the least Court but there were many of them The second was a greater Court and authorized to try matters of life and death the same consisted of the number of twenty three and was scattered thorowout the Tribes there were more than one for a Tribe The third and greatest and most solemne consisted of seuenty or as some would haue it of seuenty two those receiued Appeales from the other Courts and besides debated of matters of the State and of the Church This Court was holden at Hierusalem and in respect thereof it is thought the Psalmist speaketh so as he doth Psal. 122. For there Thrones are set euen the Thrones of the house of Dauid He doth not say Throne as of one but Thrones as of many by reason of the multitude of Iudges which made vp Sanhedrin as the Talmudists corruptly call it of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Howbeit as Genes 37. Iosephs sheafe stood vp-right and all the other sheaues did compasse it about and did reuerence vnto it and as Ezech. 1. it is said of the wheeles that when the liuing creatures went they went and when those stood they stood c. for the spirit of the liuing creatures was in the wheeles so we may say that all the fore-named Courts both greater and smaller were subiect vnto the Kings-bench as it were as receiuing their authority and commission from it and so to be commanded by it and not to exercise any iurisdiction ouer it Baronius in his Annals a booke more painefull than faithfull speaking of the Sanhedrin that great Court holden at Hierusalem saith that it had power not onely to determine spirituall matters but also to question and conuent euen Kings he instanceth it Horum namque iudicio Herodes Rex postulatus est and for this and Herods cruelty especially he citeth Iosephus in the Margin I cannot say of this allegation as Saint Paul saith of Epimenides his testimony This Testimony is true for indeed his allegation is not true Herod was no King then when he was conuented nor sonne of a King but subiect to King Hyrcanuâ— who caused him to be sent for vpon complaint and was content that he should make an escape because a kinsman of Caesars had written for him but that Herod was King when he was conuented or that that Court had power ouer Kings to conuent them this we finde in Baronius onely but it is not to be found in Iosephus The truth is Qui Rex est Regem Maxime non habeat that is He that is a King must not haue one aboue him for such a one is a King onely in name but in truth a subiect for vnto Kingly authority or Soueraignety it is essentiall to be supreme and absolute absolute I say from the prescript of all persons but not from the obseruing of his owne Lawes vnto the which he graciously submitteth himselfe For this cause King Salomon erected a Royall Throne as of Iuory and gold to signifie the sincerity of his proceeding and how farre it should be from corruption and with Stayes and Lions to signifie that he would maintaine Iustice euen by force and power if it were impugned So with six steps or greeces and no fewer to shew the eminency of his Court aboue all other whatsoeuer Courts and Consistories and that the statelinesse of the making might procure awe and reuerence to it from all degrees and callings his meaning was not by erecting that Throne to suppresse all other Courts by no meanes for that had beene to pull downe the whole burthen vpon his owne backe which Moses the man of God disclaimed as being too heauy for him but to teach vs that all other Courts were subordinate to it as to the Court of the Lord Paramount 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I meane that all other should receiue orders and iniunctions from it but not presume to giue orders and rules to it So then as wheresoeuer the King maketh his abode there the Court is said to be the Court Royall so wheresoeuer any Court of Iudicature is holden by the Kings authority there the King himselfe may be said to sit interpretatiuè It is not therefore meant in my Text that the Kings personall presence is alwayes necessary for the scattering away of euill but that his authority should be there and that worthy and sufficient men be appointed by him for the mannaging of the affaires of Iustice. Where the King sitteth himselfe if he so please or prouideth that wise and incorrupt Magistrates doe fit there all enormities and abuses are easily chased away and scattered The Kings wrath is as the râ—aring of a Lion The Magistrate vnder him beareth not the sword in vaine What if the wicked be mighty in power in wealth in kindred in friends in alliance yet he thaâ— sitteth vpon the Throne is mightier than they What if they be as thornes that will not be taken vp with the bare hand Yet the Magistrate being fenced with Iron or with the shaft of a Speare 2 Sam. 23. will be too hard for them and they shall be destroyed in the same place It is hard kicking against the pricke saith our Sauiour and it may be well said If a man fall vpon authority it will bruise him but if authority fall vpon a man it will
Athenians for they hauing gotten Pausanias within their danger who had done them many despights yet calling to minde the good seruice he had done against the common enemy at a place called Plataea they let him escape and bid him thanke that place Well-fare also the Spaniards who hauing taken Peter of Nauarre a famous Engineer who had fallen from them to the French and layed him vp in prison in one of the Castels at Naples when they remembred that they had taken the same Castell before by his prowesse they could not finde in their hearts to doe him any violence but suffered him to depart But Saul and his Court are like those Iewes whom Christ reproues Iohn 10. Many good workes haue I shewed you from my Father for which of these doe you stone me As if he should haue said Suppose I had giuen you some probable cause of discontent by a word spoken should that make my good deeds to be forgotten as namely my giuing sight to your blind hearing to your deafe life to your dead c. were this honesty So Abigail suppose thou hadst giuen him some cause of offence as by departing the Courtwithout leaue when thy life was sought for by eating of Shew-bread and taking away a consecrated sword this when thou wast in necessity fleeing to the Land of the enemy when thou couldest not be safe in thine owne Country should this make thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy worthy deeds thy martiall acts offensiue and defensiue to be forgotten and thy selfe to be reputed and condemned for a Traytor This were hard extreme hard Abigail might thinke and we might say and therefore Saul to be condemned of most enuious ingratitude Now if it be such a fault for King Saul to rise vp against Dauid and to persecute him and to seeke his soule who was but his seruant and his subiect what is it then for the subiect to practise against his Soueraigne and to seeke to destroy him This is not so much ingratitude as inhumanity nay impiety For a kinde of piety is due vnto the Prince his person ought to be sacred vnto vs yea his Estate yea his authority yea his honour He is a kind of God vpon earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is That which is Soueraigne is thought to be God in some sort Now a King is a liuely Image of God said the Heathen man therefore not onely he that resisteth shall receiue damnation because he resisteth the ordinance of God but also he that offendeth against the Maiesty of a Prince with his tongue he offendeth against the Maiesty of God himselfe for this cause it is said in Exodus Thou shalt not raile vpon the Iudges or Magistrates Elohim neither shalt thou speake ill of the Ruler of thy people that is the King especially And Salomon in the booke of the Preacher Curse not the King no not in thy thought c. for the fowles of the ayre shall carry the voyce and that which hath wings shall vtter the matter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is If any man be disposed to fight against God let him dare to fight against my King If any will presume to fight against my King let him presume to fight against God also In which words he seemeth to confound fighting against God and fighting against the King as though they were almost alike hainous Now if euery striuing against the Prince be most vnlawfull and deserueth seuere punishment what is it then to doe some act of hostility against him as for example to blow the Trumpet of sedition as did Sheba to leuy an Army against him as did Absalom to lift vp the hand against him as Achitophel counselled I confesse that there haue beene Princes that haue beene more tender in their eares than in their bodies and whereas they haue pardoned such as had borne armes against them yet they would not pardon such as had beene ouer-lauish of their tongues It is not because a wound that is made with a weapon a plaister may heale but for the gash that is made with the tongue there is no balme in Gilead nothing will cure it so throughly but the scarre will remaine For all that this is but the conceit of some few and more superficiall than solid for words be but wind and neither breake bones nor skinne nor hurt any others but them that are content to be hurt but blowes make a dent that will not so easily be healed vp Therefore the Tenet is that they that doe some acte of hostility be viler Traitors than they that stay themselues at words Now of these kinds of Traitors there haue beene too many found in all ages and Countries and against as worthy Princes as euer raigned Who might compare for policy with Augustus for vertue with Traian yet how many Treasons in their time though in their time Rome was as flourishing as euer it was before or after So to leaue Heathenish times Were not Constantine Theodosius Iustinian Charles Otho so great that they had the name of Great giuen vnto them by common consent as well for their worth as for their power and had not all these their hands full by meanes of seditious practisers As for Lewes surnamed the Pious his portion was by much worse than any of the former for his owne sonnes that came out of his bowels made head and warre against him and tooke him prisoner and kept him in prison certaine yeeres But as 2 Sam. 14. When the woman of Tekoa was demanded by Dauid whether Ioabs hand were not in the businesse that is whether he did not set her on worke confessed and denyed not but said plainely He did So if you will consult impartiall Story it will tell you that either the beginning of that hurly-burly or the progresse had much life from him of Rome who threatned to excommunicate the Prelats that remained faithfull to the Father Now if this were done in a greene tree when the leaues of piety and vertue yet remained I meane before Satan was let loose and men had abandonned themselues vnto all kinds of outrages and villanies what then might be expected in the later decaying ages when Satan had his full swinge what maruell I say if two hundred yeeres after Gregorie the seuenth stirred vp against Henry the fourth Rodolpho a great Prince of Sweden sending him the Imperiall crowne with a verse that euery Scholler hath in his mouth Petra dedit Petro Petrus Diadema Rodolpho And not content herwith he lastly stirred vp against the said Emperour his owne sonne alluring him with faire promises of this life and of that that is to come to rebell against his father In those dayes was nothing but warres and rumours of warres a Post went to meet a Post and a Messenger a Messenger as the Prophet speaketh and the Powers of heauen and earth seemed to be moued and mens hearts to faile with
of such as came vnto the place in the simplicity of their soules but this was done by the Zelotae and in hot blood and rather to preuent mischiefâ— that themselues might not be destroyed than to bring causes of destruction vpon others But now for the sonnes of the Church and her deare and lawfull sonnes so they repute themselues and all others for bastards for the sonnes of the Commonweale and the same most faithfull and loyall what else for them I say to seeke to shead the blood of warre in peace for them like Vipers to gnaw the bowels of their mother and to stretch forth ouer their Country the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab as it is in the holy Story the line of vanity and the stones of emptinesse as it is in the Prophet this would make Isaiah if he were aliue to cry out as he doth Chapter 29. verse 9. Stay your selues and wonder crie out and crie Or as he doth Chapter 66. Who hath heard such a thing who hath seene such things Poets feine of Enceladus the Giant that as oft as he changeth his side for wearinesse he maketh the Country about him to quake and as oft as he belcheth he casteth vp fire brimstone in that abundance that he maketh all the Ilanders to be agast So Philosophers teach that when exhalations and vapours haue gotten in great store into some hollow places of the earth if they hap to be stopped there so that they cannot haue a vent they first worke a strange rumbling and hurly-burly in the earth making it to reele to and fro like a drunken man as the Psalmist speaketh and then in the end breaking forth with violence they carry away whatsoeuer is in the way trees houses Towers transplanting or translating them from one side to another from one end to another maruellously And euen in like manner these Enceladi or Ennosigaei by working vnder the ground and piling together a great deale of sulphurous and combustible or rather inflammatory matter vnder the vault of the Parliament house made reckoning with the turning of their side nay with the turning of their hand by setting fire to the match to blow vp all that were aboue or neere and to bury in one common sepulchre the whole State Suetonius writeth of Nero that when heard one vtter out of a Tragedy these words When I am dead let fire and earth be iumbled together Nay rather said he let this happen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while I am aliue So these vnnaturall parricides thought it too long to stay till God should correct vs himselfe either by famine or pestilence or the sword but they would take the sword into their owne hands and call for fire from heauen like the rash sonnes of Zebedee or rather because they had no hope to preuaile that way they would strike fire in the lower parts of the earth and set vpon a light fire their whole natiue Country Thus they persecute Dauid and seeke to take away his life and the liues of all his well-wishing subiects and neere ones But did they preuaile No They tooke counsell together but it came to nought they pronounced a Decree but it did not stand for God was with vs. Omnipotens Deus Valentiniano Regnum quod dederat reseruauit that is Almighty God that gaue Valentinian the Empire preserued it vnto him and he that set the Crowne vpon the Kings head did keepe it sure vnto him maugre the despight of Rome and Romanists They thrust sore at him that he might fall but the Lord was his helpe and our helpe our mercifull God did breake the snares of them that sought to entrap vs all the snare was broken and we deliuered O that we would giue thankes to the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men O that we would confesse that he himselfe did it and he alone and that it was not our policy or prouidence that auoyded the blow Remember O let vs remember how glad Iacob was to see Ioseph rediuiuum whom he had giuen ouer and thought he had beene deuoured of a wilde beast Remember how glad they were in Markes house when Peter came in vnto them whom they had thought to haue beene fast bound in fetters and iron that he should haue beene brought forth and put to death the next day It is a day that the Lord hath made let vs be glad and reioyce therein a day to be remembred as the dayes of the Passe-ouer wherein the children of Israel escaped the destroying Angell and also the fury of the Egyptians or as the dayes of Purim wherein the same people of God escaped the bloody practices of Haman and his complices Let me tell you what ioy there was in Rome vpon a false alarum Newes being brought that Germanicus noble Germanicus was aliue of whose sickenesse they had intelligence and for whose health they were most carefull they showted Saluae Roma salua patria saluus est Germanicus Rome is safe our Country is safe for lo Gemanicus is safe Much more iustly may we showte for ioy and say Salua Anglia salua patria saluus est Rex that is England is in safety our Country is in safety for why our King is in safety This I say should make vs to reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious seeing it is not a false word that is brought vnto vs of the Kings safety but as we haue heard so may we see and his Maiesty may say â—nto vs as Ioseph doth to his brethren Genesis the 45. Behold your eyes doe see and the eyes of my brother Beniamin that my mouth doth speake vnto you The Romanes celebrated the memoriall of the driuing out of their oppressors and called it Regifugium we may call this feast Regi-saâ—uium because the Kings life and the life of his best subiects were saued and preserued The Persians kept a feast in remembrance of the destruction of the Magies who destroyed the remainder of the Blood-Royall and vsurped the Crowne themselues and called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may call this feast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of the destruction of the Traytors who were taken in their owne snare and fell into the pit that they had digged for others This was the Lords doing and it is maruelous in our eyes and ought to be remembred with all thankefulnesse and God is to be honoured for the same and with speciall honour while we haue a day or houre to liue For if the Lord himselfe had not beene on our side may Israel now say if he had not giuen his Angels charge ouer vs it had not failed vs but our soules had beene put to silence they were so wrathfully displeased at vs. Well the enemies of Dauid were found lyers and howsoeuer they thought to take away his life by pursuing him yet they could not This
flesh had corrupted his way vpon earth through lust especially So now the world may seeme to be corrupt and abominable through Drunkennesse Of Wisedome there is deliuered a negatiue Proposition The depth saith It is not in me the Sea also saith It is not in me But of Drunkennesse it may be said affirmatiuely that both depth and dry land both City and Towne are full of it It was once said of God Iouis omnia plena All the world is full of God so by the Latine Poet. By the Greeke also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All streetes are full of Ioue all market places all Seas and Ports but now the like is verified of Drunkennesse which God abhorreth and good men condemne all the world is set vpon this naughtinesse Now if God had no where spoken against it or if secretly or in the chamber as it were we had either beene in no fault or in lesse fault For as where there is no Law there is no transgression so where men are ineuitably necessarily blinde or ignorant they haue somewhat to excuse their sinne withall But now when all the Prophets and holy men of God from Moses downeward as many as haue written or spoken haue sharply inueighed against this sinne when as Augustine speaketh against merit Vniuersa facies atque vt ita dicam vultus sanctarum Scripturarum rectè intuentes id admonere inuenitur vt qui gloriatur in Domino glorietur The whole face and countenance of the holy Scriptures doth admonish them that looke vpon it with a streight eye that he that reioyceth should reioice in the Lord. So the whole Book of God if we will search it as we are commanded to do Iohn 5. doth euery where decipher the odiousnesse of Drunkennesse and what plagues God bringeth vpon them that delight therein ought we not to hold that sin most vile and detestable that is so generally spoken against Looke vpon my Text onely Be not drunke sâ—ith the Apostle Marke he doth not say I aduise you not to be drunke though as Tertullian saith Consilium edictum eius diuini iam praecepti instar obtinuit c. His counsell were of no lesse authority than a commandement but he expressely layeth his commandement vpon vs Be not drunke Where note in the second place That Gods wayes be not like mans wayes as the Prophet saith Men thinke it is an indifferent thing to drinke much or little nay they count it a generous thing to drinke hard and that man is no Gallant that is not a great drinker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is the true Gentleman now adayes that can drinke and drab it best O tempora ô mores saith the Orator O mysteria ô moâ—es saith Ambrose O Lord to what times hast thou reserued me cryed out Polycarpus in Eusebius Men call euill good What remaineth next but that they call good euill But Saint Paul here in Gods name chargeth vs not to be drunke therefore he doth not leaue vs to our liberty but requireth it as a speciall duty that we keepe our selues within the bounds of sobriety Indeed in the words going next before he forbiddeth vs to be vnwise in Gods matters and commandeth vs to vnderstand what is the will of the Lord and therefore adding immediatly thereupon the words of my Text Be not drunke with wine he would haue vs to make this collection That Drunkennesse is a speciall hinderance to the knowledge of God It is so and to the seruice of God and to whatsoeuer is of piety or humanity either It was said in old time Prooue a man to be vngratefull and you prooue him to be altogether naught and so it may be said in all times If you prooue â— man to be a drunkard you prooue him to be filthy and to euery good worke reprobate He may haue a name to liue but indeed he is dead as S. Iohn speaketh he may haue the appearance of a man but indeed he is a beast as Ieremy speaketh He may be thought to be a sound man but indeed he is demoniacall obsessed or rather possessed with a Deuill or rather deuils more miserable than such a one For as Basil saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that hath a Deuill is pityed but the drunkard is not worthy to bepitied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he wrestleth with a Deuill of his owne choosing To be short The drunkard is no better than an Idoll he hath eyes and seeth not eares and heareth not tongue and speaketh not feet walketh not Nec pes nec manus nec lingua of ficium faciunt If a blind man and a lame man agree together one may helpe the other according to the Embleme the blind man hauing his limmes may carry the lame vpon his backe and the lame man hauing his eyes may direct the blind But now if two drunkards goe together if they can goe they both fall into the ditch and the fall is grieuous and many times foule It is said in the Prouerbs Seest thou a man wise in his owne eyes there is more hope of a foole than of such a one And so we may say in this case Seest thou a man giuen to the cup there is as much hope of an Asse as of him The reason is plaine Euery other sinne that a man committeth leaueth some sting or remorse behind it but the drunkard seemeth to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 past sorrow past feeling Againe euery other sinne hath its satiety but the drunkard is neuer weary of drinking as the daughters of the Horse-leech cry Giue giue so he cryeth Giue giue Fill fill Therefore when God would shew his hatred against pride because it could hardly be compared to a worse thing he compareth it to drunkennesse saying Behold the proud man or arrogant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as he that transgresseth by wine he keepeth not at home lo-ijnueh he enlargeth his desire as hell and is as death and cannot be satisfied Indeed thus it is with drunkards they cry out Nos nisi damnosi bibimus moriemur inulti Et calices poscunt maiores If we drinke not till our eyes stare againe and while we haue euer a penny in our purse we shall dye an ignoble death no man will reuenge our death So doe the drunkards exhort one another in the Prophet Come I will bring wine and we will fill our selues with strong drinke and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the practice but what is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the duty The Apostle sheweth it in my Text Be not drunke So to the Romanes Walke honestly as in the day time not in gluttony and drunkennesse what followeth neither in chambering and wantonnesse So it is Venter mero aestuans citò despumat in libidines saith Hierome When the Persian Embassadors were well whitled then they fell
die he must Shut the doores of the wombe and then no entrance into this world but being here so many are the passages hence that they cannot bâ— stopped So that a liuing man is but an Embleme of that liuelesse Anatomy where the Ram pusheth at the head the Bull at the Necke the Lion at the Heart the Scorpion at the Priuy parts c. One dyes of an Apoplexie in the head another of a Struma in the necke a third of a Squinancie in the throate a fourth of the Cough and Consumption of the Lungs others of Obstructions Inflammations Pleurisies Gowts Dropsies c. And him that escapeth the sword of Hazael him doth Iebu slay and him that escapeth the sword of Iebu him doth Elisha slay Let God arme any of the least of all his creatures against the strongest man it is present death Our glasse is so britle that euery thing that can knocke it can cracke it nay what is more brittle than glasse yet it may be laid vp and preserued for many ages for though subiect to knocks which it may escape yet not to agues to diseases But with man-kind mortality dwelleth Intus est hoc malum in visceribus ipsis haeret where euer life is there is death it stickes in our very bowels The Comparison is Saint Augusâ—ines We walke among casualties saith he Si vitrei essemus If we were glasse c. Falls for these brittle vessels we feare but age or sickenesse we feare not in respect of them But man besides the many casualties that haue continuall intercourse with his life lyes open to the enfeerbling of age and sickenesse The holy Scriptures call our Tabernacles earthly houses and very rightly for either they fall by outward violence or moulder away of their owne accord Man dwelleth in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust which are crushed before the moth Thus fraile are we and all the world cannot helpe it But God can helpe all If that were a good argument Could not he that opened the eyes of the blind haue caused that euen this man should not haue dyed Then this is good He that restored him to life being dead could much more haue kept him in life being yet aliue He can translate Enoch to depart without the sense of death or if He please that he shall not die at all He can if it seemed Him best graunt vnto all men their common desire not to vncloath them at all but cloath them vpon with theiâ— house which is from Heauen that mortality may be swallowed vp of life And he can for he will take order that all those that are aliue at the comming of the Lord shall not sleepe but be changed in a moment But where he decreeth the faithfull to death there also he can he will with the Vipers flesh cure the Vipers sting and out of darkenesse fetch light and out of death life filling the dying man with liuing comfort First through his future Hope that though the sap sinke into the roote yet it shall reuiue For Heauens dew is as the dew of hearbes and the earth shall giue vp her dead and he after he hath slept a while in his bed the graue shall arise refreshed euen when this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortality Secondly Through his present expectation he shall defie death saying as great Saint Basil to the Tyrant Quomodo mortem formidabo quae me meo Creatori sit redditura How shal I feare death which will giue me backe vnto my Maker Nay with our Apostle Saint Paul like a prisoner that would be enlarged I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ which is best of all And as thus the beleeuer comforts himselfe in the Power of God so likewise in the Wisedome of God who afflicts him onely when he needs affliction as Saint Peter hath it though now for a season if need be ye are in heauinesse c. These corroding medicines need be applyed to eate out proud flesh these bitter potions to purge out peccant humours these dusts to smoake vs out of the high-way of the world these vnpleasant things to acquaint vs with the bitter fruit of sinne and what that wrath-full cup was which Christ our Sauiour dranke of for our sins these to try our faith our patience and the naturalnesse of our loue whether it will beare the rod laid on not so much for the Fathers pleasure as for the childrens profit And in the Loue of God he can take comfort who when he giues a bitter potion stands by to see the working of his Physicke And when the Physicians of our bodies are not touched with the sicke fits of their patients God Almighty the Physician of Israel can condole with vs. To this purpose Isaiah In all their affliction he was afflicted and Ioel he is such a one as is sorry for our afflictions Finally he can comfort himselfe in the faithfulnesse of the Lord. For God is faithfull who will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength but will giue the issue with the temptation saith our Apostle God will not suffer the smarting playster longer on than needs must but will be a refuge in due time as Dauid tells vs and speake comfortable things to our hearts euen in the wildernesse as he promiseth by another Prophet Thus he that hath faith in his heart cheareth vp himselfe in the midst of discomforts by the Power Wisedome Loue Faithfulnesse of his God which sets him downe with the Churches soliloquies in her Lamentations The Lord is my portion saith my soule therefore will I hope in him The Lord is good to them that wait for him to the soule â—hat seeketh him It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the saluation of the Lord. Foolish therefore and impious is the practice of those to make some vse of this matter who in times of feare of care of sorrow or of distresse of conscience seeke to allay or forget their heart-pangs by ioyning to merry riotous and profane company As if a man ranne from a Lion and a Beare met him or leaned his hand on a wall and a Serpent bit him this is to put more on the â—core where is too much already and to make two reall euils of one seeming one Forsaking the fountaine of liuing waters to dig to themselues pits broken pits that can hold no water Ionas the Prophet would be an example to such for euer who flying from the preâ—ence of the Lord toward Tarshish there to hide from God and to solace and forget himselfe if possible among the Learned of that Vniuersity was pursued by vengeance throwne into the bottome of the sea filled with feare lest the Whale should deuoure his body and hell his soule for as a man already in the state of the dead he
said Out of the belly of Hell cryed I Chap. 2.2 Then vers 4. I said I am cast out of thy sight Oh that God rather than lose them would so pursue ours and fetch them home before past recouery O that themselue would fore-apprehend the bitternesse of outward crosses specially of sickenesse when these refuges will proue but a lye vnto them Oh that they would consider how conscience will then board them and present to them the sin-reuenging wrath of God enough to make the heauens to melt and the earth to tremble Ah poore dying man whose life doth hang before him stayes it It s with that intolerable companion a wounded spirit departs it t is into the insufâ—erable and vnquencheable flames of hell But whereto tends this to driue to desperation Nay but to God Whither should the aâ—â—righted child goe but to his Father Whither the tyred but to him that can refresh him the wounded but to the Chirurgeon A people but to theiâ— God To whom shall wee goe say the Disciples by Peters mouth thou hast the words of eternall life To Christ then to Christ and by him vnto the Father who saith I am the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the Father but by me And againe Neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son and he to whomsoeuer the Son will reueale him Where to finde comfort in distresse ye know the way ye know When Noahs Doue found no rest for the sole of her foot she returned into the Arke vnto him againe so let vs returne vnto God againe out of whom no rest can be found no not for the sole of our foot The Law was that if a man found his enemies Oxe or Asse going aâ—tray he should returne it home to the owner sure I am we owe no lesse to our own soules when they go astray from God Let vs therefore send them homewards with Dauids direction Returne to thy rest O my soule Thus haue we opened the fountaine of Pauls consolation next you shall see how he doth assure it I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him id est intrusted him withall When a foundation is laid in a proportion Geometricall they build and the more weight is laid on the foundation the firmer so where God is the foundation settle thy building vpon him intrust thy selfe and whatsoeuer thou art with him and be sure For They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be remoued but abideth for euer The meanes to secure our felicity is to intrust our selues and our causes with him For he is both Able to keepe all and it may stand him vpon First He is Able for nothing is hard to the Almighty He is able by his absolute power of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham To mix all things and to bring them backe to their former Chaos And what else not And by his Actuall power he can cast Satan from heauen like lightning can deliuer him into the chaines of darkenesse can rescue out of his Kingdome whom he will can keepe them being so deliuered vnto Saluation That then which is committed vnto him doth not perish because the euerlasting Arme is vnderneath Him wilt thou keepe in perfect peace saith Isaiah whose minde is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Trust ye in the Lord for euer for in the Lord Iehovah is euerlasting strength And secondly in a sort it stands his Maiesty vpon to doe for them that depend vpon him else what shall bee done to his great Name how will the enemy insult the godly hang downe the head or how will any be bold to cast themselues on him in aftertimes In their pressures therefore they may resolue with Dauid Our heart shall reioyce in him because we haue trusted in his holy Name Psal. 33.21 Wouldest thou then O Christian man finde sanctuary in a storme and a City of refuge against the pursuer when other mens hearts doe faint would thine be stable when the spirit of other men can scarce beare their owne infirmity would thine finde helpe against the wound of spirit when not ciuill honesty not good intentions not formall prosession nor the bare name of Christian can steed thee wouldest thou then want wherewith to foile and fell thine enemy when thou art to dye wouldest thou bid defiance to death and hell In a word when the heauens shall be on fire about thine eares wouldest thou be able to looke vpon the Sonne of man Let the Lord be thy relyance and the most High thy confidence gather thy selfe vnder his wings and trust vnder the shadow of feathers bewaile thine vnaptnesse to beleeue on him confesse thine aptnesse to leane on lying vanities and stirre vp thy soule to rely on heauen Doe we call Acts and Deeds of men security and shall we not trust that which God hath sealed and deliuered vnto vs children rely wholly on their parents and shall not we rely wholy on our heauenly Father Neuer man yet trusted in God and was disappointed and shall we now be forsaken If Iehosaphats people will beleeue in the Lord they shall be established if beleeue his Prophets they shall prosper If we be not wanting to our selues wee shall not want any thing necessary If thou canst beleeue saith our Sauiour to that man in the Gospell all things are possible to him that beleeueth dependance on God is better than all worldly confidences And better is it than Sauls Armour to be able to affront an enemy as Dauid did Goliah saying I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the Armies of Israel For that armeth with Power inuincible able to preserue and with Power vnchangeable able to preserue for euer for this cause our Apostle is bold and saith He is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that Day Where of the last Day in the last place Now in that he doth so slight his sufferings and the shame of them for his expectation at the day of Iudgement he learneth vs That it doth much concerne a man to prouide that it may go well with him at that Day Let the fire saith Ignatius that holy Martyr vnder Traian in his Epistle to Rome the gallowes deuouring of wild beasts breaking of bones pulling asunder of my members the pressing of my whole body the torment of the Deuill or hell it selfe come vpon me so that I may winne Christ Iesus Winne Christ Iesus What 's that This is that and no other for which our Saint Paul suffered the losse of all things and did count them but dung that he might winne Christ Philip. 3.8 But what may that be Reade the 11. and 12. verses and you shall heare himselfe That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and
Salomon the wisest of all thought that if he might ioyne in affinity with his neighbour-Princes and take many of their daughters to be his wiues and women he should not onely strengthen the Kingdome in his owne hand but also stablish it in his house long and long also he thought peraduenture that by occasion of his marriages and affinities being so great many of the vplandish people would be trayned wonne to the knowledge of the true God of Israel but how was he deceiued His wiues and worshippingwomen turned his heart from the Lord he could do little or good no vpon them or theirs And as for the secret vnderminers of Salomons State succession where found they entertainment but among his allies Let me instance this point in one or two examples more Constantine the Great that worthy Christian and great Politician though that if he might build a City in the confines of Europe and Asia that might bee aemula Romae a match to Rome and place one of his sonnes there to keepe his Court he should not onely eternize his name but also fortifie the Empire no lesse then if he had enuironed it with a wall of brasse Also Phocas and Pepinus thought the one if hee might dignifie the Bishop of Rome with an extrauagant Title to bee called Vniuersall Bishop the other if he might lade the Church of Rome with Principalities euen with Principalitie vpon Principalitie they should deserue immortally well not onely of that Sea but also of the whole house of God But the way of man is not in himselfe as Ieremy saith neither is it in man to fore-see what will fall out luckily or crosse The building of new Rome was the decay of old Rome so it proued and the diuiding of the Empire was the destruction of the Empire and no lesse as wise men know also the lifting vp of the man of Rome was the hoysing vp of the man of sinne and the locking of him in the chaire euen in the chaire of pestilence Thus there is no policy so prouident no prouidence so circumspect but the same is subiect to errors and crosses and therefore no cause why it should be trusted to and therefore no cause why it should be gloryed in Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome c. If any wisedome might be boasted of surely one of those kindes of wisedomes that I erst reckoned vp vnto you to wit wisedome or skill in the Arts wisedome or knowledge in Diuinity wisedome or policy touching matters of State but these you haue heard are not to be relyed vpon because they are vncertaine because they are vnperfit and therefore much lesse are we to rely vpon any such as is worse or inferiour to these But yet the world is the world it hath done so doth so yea and blesseth it selfe for so doing therefore this wound hath need to be searched ransacked a little deeper Homer I remember crieth out against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Discord O I would it were perished and therefore out of the company of the gods and men So Cyprian against Couetousnesse O detestabilis caritas mentium c. O the same detestable blindenesse of mens minds c. Hieronymus against Luxury or lechery O ignis infernalis luxuria O Lechery a very hellish fire Augustine against error mistaking O errare O delirare O what a vile thing it is to be blinded with error c. Thus euery one cryed out against those sins wherewith their times were most pestered poisoned Surely if I were appointed to touch the sore of the daughter of our people we haue many so res from the crowne of our head to the sole of our feete we are little else but sores and botches and biles but yet if I were to touch that which doth most of all apostumate and ranckle then I ought to cry out O Policy policy Policy I meane falsely so called but indeed cunning and cudgeling This letteth that the Prince and the Realme cannot be serued many times as they should be nor Iustice administred in many places as it ought to be nor the Gospell of the Son of God so propagated as were to be wished Many could wish that in musters presses the likeliest men to doe seruice and not the weakest of friends should be appointed also that they were holpen to their right that suffer wrong also that the incorrigible were cut off by the sword of Iustice also that the Sons deceitfull workers craftily crept in in pretence to aduance the Romish faith but indeed to supplant English loyalty and faithfulnesse that I say their goings out their commings in and their haunts were better marked and so the danger that is threatned by them preuented But yet to put our hand to the worke euery one to doe some seruice in his place as for ensample Constables to precept the ablest and fittest persons for the warres Sheriffes to make returnes of indifferent Iuries for the tryall of rights Iurors to haue God and a good conscience before their eyes and not to turne aside to by-respects c. This we will not be induced to doe What letteth vs Policy for we say If we shall be precise in our office this yeere or in this action at this time others will bee as precise against vs or ours another time and then what shall wee gaine by it And if we should not leaue somewhat to such a person and to such a cause wee should offend such a great One and he will sit on our skirts Thus policy ouerthroweth Polity that is the Common-weale and thus the feare of men casteth out the feare of God as the Wise man complaineth Another vanity nay wickednesse I haue noted vnder the Sun and that is this There be that haue the dore of faith opened vnto them and haue opportunity to heare words whereby they and their houshold might bee saued and the same doe also consent in the inward man to the doctrine taught and published among vs by authority that the same is the truth and the contrary falsehood and yet to giue their names vnto the Gospell soundly or to protest against Popery and superstition zealously they will not be drawne What with-holdeth them Policy for they thinke that continuing doubtfull nay though they should be enemies if but secret ones they shall leese nothing the State holding as it doth these be the times of mercy though certaine vngratefull men crie out against them as though they were bloody for none other cause but for that they are restrained from shedding innocent blood as heretofore they were wont in the dayes of their tyranny and if there should bee a change then their very doubtfulnesse and staggering would be remembred and they aduanced thereby Thus as Demades said to his country-men of Athens when they paused to decree diuine honours to King Demetrius Take heed my masters lest while you be so scrupulous for heauen and
heauenly matters you leese not the earth in the meane time and your earthly possessions So some seeme to make no reckoning at all of their heauenly inheritance so that they may vphold or better their state vpon earth Call you this wisedome or policy or prouidence or the like Then Achitophel was a wise man to preferre the expectancy of honour at the traytor Absaloms hands before the present enioying of fauour and good countenance from King Dauid his anointed Soueraigne Then Esau was politike to esteeme more of a messe of potage then of the blessing which afterward he could not recouer though he sought it with teares Yea briefely then that Emperour was prouident were it Nero or whosoeuer else that fished for Menise and Gudgeons with nets of silke and hookes of gold What is the chaffe to the wheate saith the Lord by the Prophet What is the shadow to the body the body to the soule frailty to eternity What shall it aduantage a man to winne the whole world if he leese his sâ—ule or can any man saue his soule that hath God his enemy or can any man haue God to be his friend that doth double with him Be not deceiued as God is called Amen or True in the Reuelation and calleth himselfe Truth in the 14. of Iohn so he loues truth or sincerity in the inwards parts Psalme 51. and without truth he loueth nothing that he doth loue A doubling man or a man with a double heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Iames is vnstable in all his wayes and can such a one looke for any thing at Gods hands Let them looke to it whosoeuer among vs play fast and loose and blow hot and cold with the Lord making bridges in the ayre as the Comicall Poet saith and making flesh their arme but in their heart depart from the Lord which the Prophet doth so much cry out against Surely such wisedome is not from aboue but is earthly sensuall and deuelish and as truely as the reproch deliuered by the Prophet Esay chapter 44. in respect of their corrupt iudgement is verified in them Hee feedeth on ashes a seduced heart hath deceiued him so that hee cannot deliuer his soule and say May not I erre So the Iudgement denounced by the same Prophet in another place in respect of their worldly policy shall take hold of them Behold saith he you all kindle a fire and are compassed about with sparkes walke in the light of your fire and in the sparkes that yee haue kindled This shall yee haue of mine hand yee shall lye downe in sorrow As if he said Your turning of deuices shall it not be as the Potters clay shall it not breake and crimble betweene your fingers Take counsell as long as you will it shall not stand make a decree it shall not prosper saith the Lord Almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the heathen man He that soweth the wind shall reape the whirle-wind let him be sure of it And let so much be spoken against glorying in wisedome either rightly so called or falsely so termed Let vs consider now of the second thing that we are forbidden to boast of to wit strength Nor the strong man glory in his strength There haue beene many strong men in all ages strong of arme as that Polydamas that caught a wild Bull by one of his hinder legges and held him by the force of his arme for all that the Bull could doe and that Pulio mentioned by Dio that threw stone at a Towne-wall besieged by Germanicus with such might that the battlement which he hit and he which was vpon it came tumbling downe which made them that held the Towne through wonderment at his strength to yeeld it vp strong of hand as that Marius one of the thirtie Tyrants that would turne aside a Wayne with one of his fingers and that Polonian of late in the dayes of Stephen Buthor that would knap a horse-shoo asunder were it neuer so hard betweene his hands strong of arme and hand and body and heart and all as that Aristomenes mentioned by Pliny who slew three hundred Lacedemonians in fight in one day and that Aurelian then or shortly after Emperour of whom they made this song Mille mille mille viuat qui mille mille occidit Let him liue thousands of yeeres or moneths who slew thousands of enemies These were famous men in their generations and no doubt but they were miraculously admired at by them that liued in their times yet for all that neither were others to haue gloryed in them nor they in themselues Not others to glory in them because Saint Paul saith Let no man reioyce or glory in men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 3. And againe Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord 1. Cor. 10. Not themselues to glory in themselues because strength is not to be compared to wisedome and therefore wisedome being debarred from boasting as you heard already strength ought much more That strength commeth short of wisedome Salomon sheweth both by plaine words by an example by plaine words as when he saith Ecclesiast 9. verse 16. Then said I Better is wisedome then strength By an example as in the same Chapter verse 14. A little City and few men in it and a great King came against it and compassed it about and built Forts against it and there was found therein a poore and wise man and he deliuered the City by his wisedome c. Thus Salomon Nature also hath taught as much both in plaine words and by examples In plaine words as Musaeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisdome or sleight is alwayes better then strength By an example as Sertorius for example he caused a couple of horses to bee brought before him the one fat and fleshy the other a leane carrion Iade also a couple of Soldiers the one lusty and strong the other a silly sickly fellow to the leane horse he put the strong man and he going roughly to worke and thinking to doe the deed with dead strength haled and pulled and tired himselfe and was a laughing-stocke to the beholders but the weake fellow vsing some cunning for all his weakenesse did the feate and went away with the applause Wisedome therefore is better then strength and therefore this is one strong reason why strength should not be boasted of since wisedome is denyed Another reason may be this Strength of force bee it equall to the strength of a Lyon or Elephant yet it is but the stren gth of flesh neuerthelesse and all flesh is fraile and subiect to foyle whom one cannot ouercome many may whom sword cannot pierce shot will whom shot doth not hit sickenesse may arrest time surely and death will be sure to make an end of Now should a man be proud of frailty as of grasse of vapor of smoake of a shadow of a tale that is told c.