doe take care and paines and to bee at great cost and charges and universally instead of all quietnesse joy and felicity which doe follow blessed peace and due obedience to bring in all trouble sorrow disquietnesse of minds and bodies and all mischiefe and calamity to turne all good order upside downe to bring all good lawes in contempt and to tread them under feet to oppresse all vertue and honesty and all vertuous and honest persons and to set all vice and wickednesse and all vicious and wicked men at liberty to worke their wicked wils which were before bridled by wholesome lawes to weaken to overthrow and to consume the strength of the Realme their naturall Countrey as well by the spending and wasting of money and treasure of the Prince and Realme as by murthering the people of the same their owne Countrey-men who should defend the honour of their Prince Prov. 14. and liberty of their Countrey against the invasion of forraigne enemies and so finally to make their Countrey thus by their mischiefe weakened ready to bee a prey and spoile to all outward enemies that will invade it to the utter and perpetuall captivity slavery and destruction of all their Countrey-men their children their friends their kinsfolkes left alive whom by their wicked rebellion they procure to bee delivered into the hands of the forraigne enemies as much as in them doth lye In forraigne warres our Countrey-men in obtaining the victory winne the prayse of valiantnesse yea and though they were overcome and slaine yet winne they an honest commendation in this World and dye in a good conscience for serving God their Prince and their Countrey and bee children of eternall salvation But the Rebels how desperate and strong soever they bee yet winne they shame here in fighting against God their Prince and Countrey and therefore justly doe fall headlong into Hell if they dye and live in shame and with a fearefull conscience though they escape But commonly they be rewarded with shamefull deaths their hands and carkasses set upon poles and hanged in chaynes eaten with Kites and Crowes judged unworthy the honour of buriall and so their soules if they repent not as commonly they doe not the Devill hurrieth them into Hell in the middest of their mischiefe Rom. 13. For which dreadfull execution Saint Paul sheweth the cause of obedience not onely for feare of death but also in conscience to God-ward for feare of eternall damnation in the World to come Wherefore good people let us as the children of obedience feare the dreadfull execution of God and live in quiet obedience to bee the children of everlasting Salvation For as Heaven is a place of good obedient subjects and Hell the prison and dungeon of Rebels against God and their Prince so is that Realme happy where most obedience of subjects doth appeare being the very figure of Heaven and contrariwise where most rebellions and Rebels bee there is the expresse similitude of Hell and the Rebels themselves are the very figures of fiends and Devils and their Captaine the ungracious patterne of Lucifer and Sathan the Prince of darknesse of whose rebellion as they bee followers so shall they of his damnation in Hell undoubtedly bee partakers and as undoubtedly shall the Children of peace bee Inheritours of Heaven with God the Father God the Sonne and God the Holy Ghost To whom bee all honour and glory for ever and ever Amen The fourth SERMON FOr your further instruction good people to shew unto you how much Almighty God doth abhor disobedience and wilfull rebellion specially when Rebels advance themselves so high that they arme themselves with weapons and stand in the field to fight against God their Prince and their Countrey it shall not bee out of the way to shew some examples set out in Scriptures written for our eternall erudition Wee may soone know good people how haynous an oftence the treachery of rebellion is if wee call to remembrance the heavy wrath and dreadfull indignation of Almighty God against subjects as doe onely but inwardly grudge mutter and murmur against their Governours though their inward treason so privily hatched in their breasts come not to open declaration of their doings as hard it is whom the Devill hath so farre entised against Gods word to keepe themselves there No hee meaneth still to blow the coale to kindle their rebellious hearts to flame into open deeds if hee bee not with grace speedily withstood Some of the children of Israel being murmurers against their Magistrates appointed over them by God were stricken with foule leprosie many were burnt up with fire suddenly sent from the Lord sometime a great sort of thousands were consumed with the pestilence sometime they were stinged to death with a strange kind of fiery Serpents and which is most horrible some of the Captaines with their band of murmurers not dying by any usuall or naturall death of men but the carth opening they with their wives children and families were swallowed quick downe into Hell Which horrible destructions of such Israelites as were murmurers against Moses appointed by God to bee their head and chiefe Magistrate are recorded in the booke of Numbers and other places of the Scriptures for perpetuall memory and warning to all subjects how highly God is displeased with the murmuring and evill speaking of subjects against their Princes for that as the Scripture recordeth their murmure was not against their Prince onely being a mortall creature but against God himselfe also Now if such strange and horrible plagues did fall upon such subjects as did onely murmure and speake evill against their heads what shall become of those most wicked impes of the Devill that doe conspire arme themselves assemble great numbers of armed Rebels and lead them with them against their Prince and Countrey spoyling and robbing killing and murthering all good subjects that doe withstand them as many as they may prevaile against But those examples are written to stay us not onely from such mischiefes but also from murmuring and speaking once an evill word against our Prince which though any should doe never so secretly yet doe the holy Scriptures shew that the very birds of the ayre will bewray them and those so many examples before noted out of the holy Scriptures doe declare that they shall not escape horrible punishment therefore Now concerning actuall rebellion amongst many examples thereof set forth in the holy Scriptures the example of Absolom is notable who entring into conspiracy against King David his Father both used the advice of very witty men and assembled a very great and huge company of Rebels the which Absolom though he were most goodly of Person of great Nobility being the Kings Sonne in great favour of the people and so dearely beloved of the King himselfe so much that hee gave commandement that notwithstanding his rebellion his life should bee saved when for these considerations most men were afraid to lay hands upon him a great
whom we yet account the worst of all people But no example ought to be of more force with us Christians Mat. 17.2 then the example of Christ our Master and Saviour who though he were the Sonne of God yet did alwayes behave himselfe most reverently to such men as were in Authority in the world in his time and he not rebelliously behaved himselfe but openly did teach the Iewes to pay tribute unto the Roman Emperour though a forraigne and Pagan Prince yea himself with his Apostles paid tribute unto him and finally being brought before Pontius Pilate a stranger born and an heathen man being Lord President of Iury he acknowledged his authority and power to be given him from God and obeyed patiently the sentence of most painefull and shamefull death which the said Iudge pronounced and gave most unjustly against him without any grudge murmuring or evill word once giving There be many and divers other examples of the obedience to Princes even such as be evill in the New Testament to the utter confusion of disobedient and rebellious people but this one may be an eternall example which the Sonne of God and so the Lord of all Iesus Christ hath given unto us Christians and servants and such as may serve for all to teach us to obey Princes though strangers wicked and wrongfuli when God for our sinnes shall place such over us Whereby it followeth unavoydably that such as doe disobey or rebell against their owne naturall and gracious Soveraignes how soever they call themselves or be named of others yet are they indeede no true Christians but worse then Iewes worse then heathens and such as shall never injoy the Kingdome of heaven which Christ by his obedience purchased for true Christians being obedient to him the King of all Kings and to their Prince whom he hath placed over them to the which Kingdome the peculier place of all such obedient subjects I beseech God our heavenly Father for his Sonne Iesus sake to grant unto us The Third SERMON AS I have in the first Sermon of this Treatise shewed unto you the Doctrine of the holy Scriptures as concerning the obedience of true subjects to their Princes even as well to such as be evill as unto the good and in the second Sermon of the same Treatise confirmed the same Doctrine by notable examples likewise taken out of the holy Scriptures so remaineth it now that I partly do declare unto you in this third Sermon what an abominable sin against God and man rebellion is and how dreadfully the wrath of God is kindled an inflamed against all Rebells and what horrible plagues punishments and deaths and finally eternall damnation doth hang over their heads As how on the contrary part good and obedient subjects are in Gods favour and be pertakers of peace quietnesse and securitie with other Gods manifold blessings in this world and by his mercies through our saviour Christ of life everlasting also in the world to come How horrible a sinne against God and man rebellion is cannot possibly be expressed according to the greatnesse thereof For he that nameth Rebellion nameth not a singular or one onely sinne as is thest robbery murther and such like but he nameth the whole puddle and sinke of all sinnes against God and man against his Prince his Countrey his Countrey-men his parents his children his kinsfolkes his friends and against all men universally all sinnes I say against God and all men heapeth he together that nameth rebellion For concerning the offence of Gods Majestie who seeth not that Rebellion riseth first by contempt of God and of his holy Ordinances and Lawes wherein he so straightly commandeth obedience forbiddeth dis-obedience and rebellion And besides the dishonour done by Rebells unto Gods holy Name by their breaking of their oath made to their Prince with the attestation of Gods Name and calling of his Majestie to witnesse who heareth not the horrible oathes and blasphemies of Gods holy Name that are used dayly amongst Rebells that in either amongst them or heareth the truth of their behaviour Who knoweth not that Rebells doe not onely themselves leave all workes necessary to be done upon worke dayes undone whilst they accomplish their abominable worke of Rebellion and doe compell others that would gladly be well occupied to doe the same but also how Rebells doe not onely leave the Sabbath day of the Lord unsanctified the Temple and Church of the Lord unresorted unto but also doe by their workes of wickednesse most horribly prophane and polute the Sabbath day serving Sathan and by doing of his worke making it the devills day in stead of the Lords day besides that they compell good men that would gladly serve the Lord assembling in his Temple and Church upon his day as becommeth the Lords Servants to assemble and meete Armed in the field to resist the fury of such Rebells yea and many Rebells least they should leave any part of Gods Commandements in the first Table of his Law unbroken or any sinne against God undone doe make Rebellion for the maintenance of their Images and Idolls and of their Idolatry committed or to bee committed by them and in despight of God cut and teare in sunder his holy Word and tread it under their feete as of late ye know was done As concerning the second table of Gods Law and all sinnes that may be committed against man who feeth not that they be contained in Rebellion The fist Commandement For first the Rebells doe not onely dishonour their Prince the Parent of their Countrey but also doe dishonour and shame their naturall parents if they have any doe shame their kindred and friends doe dis-inherit and undoe for ever their children and heires The sixt and eight Commandements Thefts robberies and murthers which of all sinnes are most loathed of most men are in no men so much nor so pernitiously and mischievously as in rebells for the most arrant theeves cruellest murtherers that ever were so long as they refraiue from rebellion as they are not many in number so spreadeth their wickednesses and damnation unto a few they spoyle but a few they shed the blood but of a few in comparison But rebells are the cause of infinite robberies and murthers of great multitudes and of those also whom they should defend from the spoyle and violence of others and as rebells are many in number so doth their wickednesse and damnation spread it selfe unto many The seventh Commandement And if whoredome and adultery amongst such persons as are agreeable to such wickednesse are as indeede they be most damnable what are the forceable oppressions of matrons and mens wives and the violating and deflowring of Virgins and maydes which are most rife with rebells How horrible and damnable thinke you are they Now besides that rebells by breach of their faith given and the oath made to their Prince The ninth Commandement be guilty of most damnable perjurie It is
wonderfull to see what false colours and feighned causes by slanderous lyes made upon their Prince and the Counsellours rebells will devise to cloake their rebellion withall which is the worst and most damnable of all false witnesse-bearing that may be possible The tenth Commandement For what should I speake of coveting or desiring other mens wives houses lands goods and servants in rebells who by their wills would leave unto no man any thing of his owne Thus you see that good lawes are by rebells violated and broken and that all sinnes possible to bee committed against God or man be contained in rebellion which sinnes if a man list to name by the accustomed names of the seven capitall or deadly sinnes as Pride Envie Wrath Covetousnesse Sloath Gluttonie and Lechery he shall finde them all in rebellion and amongst rebells For first as ambition and desire to bee aloft which is the propertie of pride stirreth up many mens mindes to rebellion it commeth of a Luciferian pride and presumption that a few rebellious subjects should set themselves up against the Majestie of their Prince against the wise-dome of Counsellours against the power and force of all Nobilitie and the faithfull subjects and people of the whole Realme As for envie wrath murther and desire of blood and covetousnesse of other mens goods lands and livings they are the inseparable accidents of all rebells and peculiar properties that doe usually stirre up wicked men unto rebellion Now such as by riotousnesse gluttonie drunkenesse excesse of apparell and unthriftie games have wasted their owne goods unthriftily the same are most apt unto and most desirous of rebellion whereby they trust to come by other mens goods unlawfully and violently And where other gluttons and drunkards take too much of such meates and drinkes as are served to tables rebels wast and consume in short space all corne in barnes fields and else where whole garners whole store-houses whole cellers devoure whole flockes of sheepe whole droves of Oxen and Kine And as rebells that are married leaving their owne wives at home doe most ungraciously so much more doe unmarried men worse then any stallions or horses being now by rebellion set at libertie from correction of lawes which bridled them before abuse by force other mens wives and daughters and ravish virgins and maydens most shamefully abominably and damnably Thus all sinnes by all names that sinnes may be named and by all meanes that sinnes may be committed and wrought doe all wholy upon heapes follow rebellion 2 King 14. and are to be found altogether amongst rebels Now whereas pestilence famine and war are by holy Scriptures declared to be the greatest worldly plagues and miseries that likely can be it is evident that all the miseries that all these plagues have in them doe wholly altogether follow rebellion wherein as all their miseries be so is there much more mischiefe than in them all For it is knowne that in the resorting of great companies of men together which in rebellion happeneth both upon the part of true subjects and of the Rebels by their close lying together and corruption of the ayre and place where they doe lye with ordure and much filth in the hot weather and by unwholesome lodging and lying often upon the ground especially in cold weather in Winter by their unwholesome diet and feeding at all times and often by famine and lack of meate and drinke in due time and againe by taking too much at other times It is well knowne I say that as well plagues and pestilences as all other kinds of sicknesses and maladies by these meanes grow up and spring amongst men whereby moe men are consumed at length then are by dint of sword suddenly slaine in the field So that not onely pestilences but also all other sicknesses diseases and maladies doe follow rebellion which are much more horrible then plagues pestilences and diseases sent directly from God as hereafter shall appeare more plainely And as for hunger and famine they are the peculiar companions of rebellion for while Rebels doe in a short time spoyle and consume all corne and necessary provision which men with their labours had gotten and appointed upon for their finding the whole yeare after and also doe let all other men husbandmen and others from their husbandry and other necessary works whereby provision should bee made for times to come who seeth not that extreame famine and hunger must needs shortly ensue 1 King 24. and follow rebellion Now whereas the wise King and godly Prophet David judged warre to bee worse then either famine or pestilence for that these two are often suffered by God for mans amendment and bee not sinnes of themselves but warres have alwayes the sinnes and mischeifes of men upon the one side or other joyned with them and therefore is warre the greatest of all worldly mischeifes but of all warres civill warre is the worst and farre more abominable yet is rebellion then any civill warre being unworthy the name of any warre so farre it exceedeth all warres in all naughtinesse in all mischeife and in all abomination Math. 32. And therefore our Saviour CHRIST denounceth desolation and destruction to that Realme that by sedition and rebellion is divided in it selfe Now as I have shewed before that pestilence and famine so is it yet more evident that all the calamities miseries and mischiefes of warre bee more grievous and doe more follow rebellion than any other warre as being farre worse than all other warres For not onely those ordinary and usuall mischeifes and miseries of other warres doe follow rebellion as corne and other things necessary to mans use to bee spoyled Houses Villages Townes Cities to bee taken sacked burned and destroyed not onely many very wealthy men but whole Countries to bee impoverished and utterly beggered many thousands of men to bee slaine and murthered women and maids to bee violated and deslowred which things when they are done by forraigne enemies wee doe much mourne as wee have great cause yet are all these miseries without any wickednesse wrought by any of our owne Countrey-men But when these mischiefes are wrought in rebellion by them that should bee friends by Countrey-men by Kinsmen by those that should defend their Countrey and Countrey-men from such miseries the misery is nothing so great as is the mischiefe and wickednesse when the subjects unnaturally doe rebell against their Prince whose honour and life they should defend though it were with the losse of their owne lives Countrey-men to disturbe the publique peace and quietnesse of their Countrey for defence of whose quietnesse they should spend their lives the brother to seeke and often to worke the death of his brother the sonne of the father the father to seeke or procure the death of his sonne being at mans age and by their faults to disinherit their innocent children and kinsmen their heires for ever for whom they might purchase livings and lands as naturall Parents
too long a time And to joyne unto the reports of Histories matters of latter memory Could the Bishop of Rome have raysed the late rebellions in the North and West Countries in the times of King Henry and Edward our gracious Soveraignes in their time but by abusing of the ignorant people Or is it not most evident that the Bishop of Rome hath of late attempted by his Irish Patriarkes and Bâ—shops sent from Rome with his Buls whereof some were apprehended to breake downe the barres and hedges of the publique peace in Ireland onely upon confidence easily to abuse the ignorance of the wilde Irishmen Or who seeth not that upon like confidence yet more lately hee hath likewise procured the breach of the publique peace in England with the long and blessed continuance whereof hee is sore grieved by the ministery of his disguised Chaplaines creeping in Lay mens apparell into their houses and whispering in the eares of certaine Northerne borderers being then most ignorant of their duty to God and to their Prince of all people of the Realme whom therefore as most meete and ready to execute his intended purpose he hath by the said ignorant Masse-priests as blind guides leading the blind brought those silly blind subjects into the deepe ditch of horrible rebellion damnable to themselves and very dangerous to the state of the Realme had not God of his mercy miraculously calmed that raging tempest not onely without any shipwrack of the Common-wealth but almost without any shedding of Christian and English bloud at all And it is yet much more to bee lamented that not onely common people but some other youthfull or unskilfull Princes also suffer themselves to bee abused by the Bishop of Rome his Cardinals and Bishops to oppressing of Christian men their faithfull subjects either themselves or else by procuring the force and strength of Christian men to bee conveyed out of one Countrey to oppresse true Christians in another Countrey and by these meanes open an entry unto Moores and Infidels into the possession of Christian Realmes and Countries other Christian Princes in the meane time by the Bishop of Romes procuring also being so occupied in civill warres or troubled with rebellions that they have neither leisure nor ability to conferre their common forces to the defence of their fellow Christians against such invasions of the common enemies of Christendom the Infidels and miscreants Would to God we might onely read and heare out of the histories of old and not also see and feele these new and present oppressions of Christians rebellions of subjects effusion of Christian bloud destruction of Christian men decay and ruine of Christendom increase of paganism most lamentable pittifull to behold being procured in these our dayes as well as in times past by the Bishop of Rome his Ministers abusing the ignorance of Gods Word yet remaining in some Christian Princes and people By which sorrow and bitter fruits of ignorance all men ought to be moved to give care and credit unto Gods Word shewing as most truely so most plainely how great a mischefe ignorance is and againe how great and how good a gift of God knowledge in Gods Word is And to begin with the Romish Clergie who though they doe bragge now as did sometimes the Jewish Clergie that they cannot lacke knowledge yet doth God by his holy Prophets both charge them with ignorance and threaten them also for that they have repelled the knowledge of Gods word and law from themselves and from his people that he will repell them that they shall be no more his Priests God likewise chargerh Princes as well shall be no more his Priests God likewise chargeth Princes aswell as Priests that they should endeavour themselves to get understanding and knowledge in his Word threatning his heavie wrath and destruction to them if they faile thereof And the wise man saith to all men universally Princes Priests and people where is no knowledge there is no good nor health to the soule and that all men bee vaine in whom is not the knowledge of God and his holy Word that they who walke in darkenesse wot not whither they goe and that the people that will not learne shall fall into great mischefes as did the people of Israel who for their ignorance in Gods Word were first led into captivitie and when by ignorance afterward they would not know the time of their visitation but crucified Christ our Saviour persecuted his holy Apostles and were so ignorant and blinde that when they did most wickedly and cruelly they thought they did God good and acceptable Service as doe many by ignorance thinke even at this day finally through their ignorance and blindnesse their Countrey Townes Cities Ierusalem it selfe and the Temple of God were all most horribly destroyed the chiefest part of their people slaine and the rest led into most miserable captivitie for he that made them had no pitty upon them neither would spare them and all for their ignorance And the holy Scriptures doe teach that the people that will not see with their eyes nor heare with their eares to learne and to understand with their hearts cannot be coverted and saved And the wicked themselves being damned in hell shall confesse ignorance in Gods Word to have brought them thereto saying we have erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousnesse hath not shined unto us and the Sunne of understanding hath not risen unto us we have wearied our selves in the way of wickednesse and perdition and have walked cumbrous and crooked wayes but the way of the Lord have we not knowne And as well our Saviour himselfe as his Apostle Saint Paul doth teach that the ignorance of Gods Word commeth of the devill is the cause of all errour and mis-judging as falleth out with ignorant subjects who can rather espie a little moate in the eye of the Prince or a counseller then a great beame in their owne and universally it is the cause of all evill and finally of eternall damnation Gods judgement being severe towards those who when the light of Christs Gospell is come into the world doe delight more in darkenesse of ignorance then in the light of knowledge in Gods Word For all are commanded to read or heare to search and studdy the holy Scriptures and are promised understanding to be given them from God if they so doe all are charged not to beleeve any dead man nor if an Angell should speake from heaven much leste if the Pope doe speak from Rome against or contrary to the Word of God from the which we may not decline neither to the right hand nor to the left In Gods Word Princes must learne how to obey God and to governe men in Gods Word subjects must learne obedience both to God and their Princes old men and young rich and poore all men and women all States sexes and ages are taught their severall duties in the Word of God For the Word of God is bright giving light unto all mens eyes the shining lampe directing all mens pathes and steps let us therefore a wake from the sleepe and darkenesse of ignorance and openour eyes that we may see the light let us rise from the workes of darkenesse that we may escape eternall darkenesse the due reward thereof and let us walke in the light of Gods Word whilst we have light as becommeth the children of light so directing the steps of our lives in that way which leadeth to light and life everlasting that we may finally obtaine and enjoy the same which God the Father of lights who dwelleth in the light incomprehensible and inaccessible grant unto us through the light of the world our Saviour Jesus Christ unto whom with the holy Ghost one most glorious God be all honour praise and thankesgiving for ever and ever Amen The Prayer O Most mighty God the Lord of Hosts the governour of all creatures the onely giver of all victories who alone art able to strengthen the weake against the mighty and to vanquish infinite multitudes of thine enemies with the countenance of a few of thy servants calling upon thy Name and trusting in thee defend O Lord thy servant and our governour under thee our King Charles and all thy people committed to his charge O Lord withstand the cruelty of all those which be common enemies as well to the truth of thy eternall Word as to their owne Naturall Prince and Countrey and manifestly to this Crown and Realme of England which thou hast of thy divine Providence assigned in these our dayes to the government of thy servant our Soveraigne and gracious King O most mercifull Father if it be thy holy will make soft and tender the stony hearts of all those that doe exalt themselves against thy truth and seeke either to trouble the quiet of this Realme of England or to oppresse the crowne of the same and convert them to the knowledge of thy Son the only Saviour of the world Jesus Christ that we and they may joyntly glorifie thy mercies Lighten we beseech thee their ignorant hearts to embrace the truth of thy Word or else so abate their cruelty O most mighty Lord that this our Christian Realme with others that confesse thy holy Gospell may obtaine by thine ayd and strength surety from all enemies without shedding of Christian blood whereby all they which be oppressed with their tyrannie may be releived and they which be in feare of their crueltie may be comforted and finally that all Christian Realmes and specially this Realme of England may by thy defence and protection continue in the truth of the Gospell and enjoy perfect peace quietnesse and securitie and that we for these thy mercies joyntly altogether with one consonant heart and voyce may thankefully render to thee all Laud and praise that we knit in one godly concord and unity amongst our selves may continually magnifie thy glorious Name who with thy Sonne our Saviour Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost art one eternall Almighty and most mercifull God to whom be all Laud and praise world without end Amen FINIS