children The Kingly Prophet exhorts Kings of the earth and all people Princes and Iudges of the world young men and maydens also old men and children to prayse the name of the Lord. Saint Paul chargeth Timothie and Titus to teach old and young without exception Saint Iohn writeth his Epistle to fathers young men and children therefore the youngest are not exempted in regard of their young and tender yeeres Inasmuch as God is their Creator they are to remember him in the dayes of their youth Seeing in their first entrance into the world they haue beene baptised into the name of the blessed Trinitie and so haue taken vpon them the profession of true religion their proceeding and practise when they come to yeeres must be answerable to their beginning Further that age is slipperie weake dangerous and subiect to many temptations easilie seduced and ouercome by bad counsell and company They had neede therefore betimes to bee armed with the shielde of faith and sword of the spirit their witte and capacitie is then most fresh pregnant to conceiue remember keepe and hold good and gratious instructions Parents therefore are commaunded to bring vp their children in instruction and information of the LORD And it is the counsell of the wise man Teach a childe the trade of his way and when hee is olde he will not depart from it Againe yong men are subiect to death and must appeare before the great Iudge in that day as well as other Neede therefore haue they of due preparation Besides a religious disposition and behauiour in young age will bring them credit and honour all the dayes of their life and comfort ioy and peace of conscience in old age And what ioy what exceeding ioy will this be to Parents friends Tutors teachers and to all that loue and feare God A wise sonne saith Salomon maketh a glad father but a foolish sonne is a heauinesse to his mother It is therefore sayde of Iohn the Baptist that his father should haue ioy of him and many should reioyce at his birth because hee was filled with the holy Ghost in his mothers wombe Saint Iohn writing to that noble and worthie Lady reioyceth greatly that hee found her children walking in the trueth And examples we haue of grace and religion in the younger sorte Samuel from his childhood was consecrated and dedicated to the seruice of God Iosiah was but eight yeares old when he began to raigne in Ierusalem yet there was neuer any before nor after him more vertuous and religious Salomon though most tender and deare in the eyes of his father and mother yet in his young yeares was taught diuine and heauenly wisedome When our Sauiour Christ came riding to Ierusalem in a base manner though the Scribes and Pharises disdained him yet children cry Hosanna the sonne of Dauid Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. Timothie from his childhood had knowledge in the scriptures being instructed by his good Grandmother Lois and his mother Eunicâ— Iohn the Baptist grew and â—â—â—ed strong in the spirit and Iesus Christ being but 12. yeares old increased in wisedome in statute and fauour with God and men God will haue the first borne the first fruits and he that begins well is halfe his way Dimidium facti qui bene caepit habet The tree that buds not in the spring is dead and such as are deformed in youth neuer proue welfauoured in age As the arrow is first directed so it flyeth youth is compared to the day while it is day let vs walke in the light the night commeth when no man can worke The time of youth is the summer time with the Ant and Bee we must prouide in summer against winter The time of youth is compared to Haruest wherin men take the occasioÌ„ vse all meanes they can for the reaping and enioying of the fruits of the earth if they let that time slip all is lost He that sleepes in haruest is the sonne of confusion Dauid in his youth killeth the Lyon the Beare and great Goliah Sampson in his youth killed the Philistines let vs by our spirituall armour ouercome the wicked one euen in our young time Now besides all this giue me leaue Right Hon. to put you in remembrance of one worthie example of a noble young man Ioseph full of grace and vertue worthie to be imitated of Kings Princes and Potentates In this famous patterne I obserue these sixe vertues The first is his rare chastitie who being tempted to follie by his mistresse did flatly refuse her saying How can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God He knew with Iob that this was is a wickednesse and iniquitie to be condemned yea that it is a fire which shall deuoure to destruction and shall roote out all his encrease The second vertue in young 〈◊〉 which is the ground of all the rest is his religion and the true feare of God in his heart All his actions and all his proceedings doe sauour of the feare of God It was this that kept him from that grosse iniquitie He ascribes the interpretatioÌ„ of dreams not to himselfe but to God He protesteth to his brethren that he feareth God And againe when he made himselfe knowne to his brethren he said Be not sad neither grieued with your selues that you sold me hither for God did send me before you for your preseruation And when his father asked him of his sonnes These are my sons sayd he which God hath giuen me This is the chiefe vertue in great persons the best Nobilitie A third vertue in Ioseph is his faithfulnes to his Prince He gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the corne which hee bought not for his owne priuate vse but for the profit of the King his maister And as he is carefull to preserue the royall dignitie of the King and seeketh the wealth of Pharoah so hee hath a pittifull heart to the poore distressed people and is carefull to relieue them This is an excellent vertue in great persons which serue in the Court not to seeke their owne priuate gaine but the credit and wealth of their Prince and yet to haue louing and merciful hearts to the poore distressed commons The fourth vertue in Ioseph is his seueritie and clemencie wisely mixed together Hee speaketh roughly to hiâ— brethren hee threatens them and chargeth them to be spyes and yet his heart is full of compassion and loue When they are truely humbled know themselues hee doth entertaine them kindly and receiue them with much ioy And this is a speciall vertue required of Princes and Magistrates They must with Dauid in the gouerning of their Court Church Common-wealth and house strike on these two strings Mercie and Iudgement They must bee seuere and rough against notorious offenders and yet
Iustice that impietie in religion and false worship is the ouerthrowe of kingdomes and as the whole storie is of great vse and instruction to the Church so especially the Chronicle of Dauid the father and Salomon the sonne they being the first Kings that God gaue to Israel next to Saul yea indeed the first that God gaue his people in loue men qualified with extraordinarie graces the one a Prophet the other a Preacher both of them tipes and figures of Christ Iesus the true Dauid and Salomon Their storie is large and long as you may reade in the two bookes of Samuel and a great part of the first booke of the Kings and further in the first booke of the Chronicles and the nine first Chapters of the second booke Touching Salomon in those bookes there is set downe the fauour of God towards him in appearing familiarly twise vnto him the singular blessings of wisedome honor and riches bestowed vpon him the care of Salomon in building the Temple Gods house according to his minde his ioy praise and sacrifices for the same now this chapter in hand containeth two generall heads First a profitable and pleasant storie of the Queene of the south Secondly the magnificence and greatnes of Salomon This text is a branch of the first part and containeth a worthie commendation of Salomon First commending the happie gouernment of his familie secondly of his whole kingdome whatsoeuer is in these two short sentences of scripture all is worthie and excellent and of great force to drawe reuerence and attention whether we consider the person that speaketh the partie to whom it is spoken or the matter and subiect it selfe the speaker no simple nor base person though the weaker vessell a woman yet of great estate and maiestie a famous Royall Queene the person to whom this is spoken is no lesse a man then Salomon a most worthie and glorious King of Israel beloued and chosen of God excelling all the Kings of the earth in riches honor and wisedome A liuely tipe and figure of Christ Iesus the sonne of God the King of all Kings and Lord of heauen and earth The matter and subiect here handled and commended is neither riches nor pleasure nor the pompe nor the glorie of the world but wisedome diuine wisedome which she saw and heard in Salomon and for the enioying whereof she tooke so tedious so long and costly a iourney after her conference with Salomon and after she heard him speake so diuinely to her selfe and other strangers to his courtiers seruants and people her heart being inamoured with loue of this wisedome and feeling the power and vertue of it working in her soule she crieth and exclaimeth Happie are these thy men happie are these thy seruants which stand euer before thee and heare thy wisedome c. Before we come to this speech it selfe it shall not be amisse to say some thing of the speaker a woman a Queene of excellent vertues the whole speech it selfe commends her for here she speaketh reuerently of Salomon commending and magnifying his wisedome she confesseth and worshippeth the true God she acknowledgeth him to be the disposer of kingdomes and Israel to be his people she putteth Salomon in minde of the dutie of a King She is a tipe of the calling of the Gentiles and finally she is commended by Christ himselfe in the Gospell as we shall see hereafter And though all the world and all the Kings of the earth sought to see Salomon and to heare his wisedome yet this woman is especially named commended and a whole storie is written of her because it was a great matter and almost a wonder that a woman should take so great so troublesome and tedious a iourney and it seemeth her zeale and pietie exceeded all the rest In the beginning of this chapter it is set downe whence she came namely from Sheba being as Christ saith from the vttermost part of the earth that the fame of Salomon moued her to come that she came with a great traine and brought with her sweet odours gold and precious stones the end of her comming was to proue SalomoÌ„ with hard questions in matters of religion and as she spared neither paines nor cost but cheerfully tooke vpon her so great a iourney so when she is come she is carefull to learne and enquire of the true knowledge of God to be satisfied and resolued concerning all points she stood in doubt of she confesseth her ignorance and neglecteth no occasion to doe her soule good And now after Salomon had answered all things to the full she highly commends him she stirreth vp his courtiers subiects and seruants to be thankfull for such a Maister Lord and King she reioyceth praising God for him and after in token of thankfulnes she bestoweth vpon him gold odors and precious stones she could not then perfectly learne true religion in her owne countrie Ierusalem was the seate and schoole of religion the scripture not being then in all tongues as it was after in the time of the Apostles therefore she commeth so farre to learne true wisedome both for her priuate comfort and the publike good of her people and now hauing found felt and inioyed it she both blesseth God the Author and Salomon the teacher In this example we are to obserue diuers worthie notes and markes of gracious and good hearers First in that she seekes for wisedome and such things as concerne the name of the Lord and that from Salomon who was so wise in so great a measure Good hearers must follow her example not to seeke for follie or fables but for true wisedome and that from the true Salomon Christ Iesus in his word and Gospell For the scriptures onely as the Apostle saith are able to make vs wise vnto saluation And the Psalmist saith The lawe of the Lord is perfect conuerting soules and giueth wisedome to the simple Salomon himselfe giues this counsell Incline thine eare heare the words of the wise and applie thine heart to my knowledge Secondly good hearers after this worthie patterne must refuse no paines nor labor for the attaining of this wisedome The wise man will haue vs call and crie for it to seeke it as siluer and search for it as for treasures And againe buy the truth but sell it not likewise wisedome and instruction and vnderstanding when Christ was borne at Bethlem in Iudea there came certaine wise men from the East to Ierusalem to seeke for him this woman and they in many things are much alike they were some great men she a Queene they came to Ierusalem so did she they came to seeke Christ she came to Salomon the figure of Christ they enquire of the Priests to be satisfied where Christ should be borne she seeketh to be satisfied of her doubts from Sâ—lomon a preacher they seeing the starre leading them to Christ reioyced she hauing comfort and knowledge from Salomon reioyceth also they offer gold Incense
writing bookes in diuine instructions and meditations should in his latter dayes fall so grossely into such monstrous wickednesse Who would belieue this or thinke it possible but that it is written and recorded by the holy Ghost the spirit of truth The remembraÌ„ce the reading hearing or thinking of such a fowle fall in such a man it may trouble vs and make our hearts to quake and tremble O Sathan subtile serpent cruell dragon mighty and roaring Lyon the aduersary of mans saluation great is they power thy subtilty and boldnesse that couldest preuaile so far with such a man But what wilt not thou or what canst thou not doe if the Lord let thee loose who didst seduce Adam in Paradise and wast not afraide to tempt our SAVIGVR CHRIST in the wildernesse though thou couldst not preuaile against him but all thy desire endeuour labour is to destroy the soules and bodies of sinfull mortall men But the Lord reproue thee ô Sathan and stay thy infatiable rage and furie O the corruption and sinfulnes of mans nature what are wee the best of vs all if the Lord leaue vs to our selues Into what monstrous and beastly sinnes doe wee fall O Salomon how art thou degenerated how hast thou forgotten thy selfe who hath bewitched thee In thy young time all admired thee sought to thee commended and magnified thee for thy wisedome now all may admire and scoffe thy follie and madnes The enemies of God the Heathen may say Is this the great wise man whome all the world admired Thou hast bene a ioy to all good men they reioyced at thy prosperitie wisedome and pietie Now they figh they are greeued wounded at their heart for thy follie wickednes Hast thou forgotten thine education or the good counsell of thy parents who taught thee and said vnto thee Let thy heart hold fast my words keepe my commaundements and thou shalt liue Thy louing Father gaue thee this counsell vpon his death bed saying I goe the way of all the earth bee strong therefore and shew thy selfe a man and take heede to the charge of the Lord thy God to walke in his wayes and keepe his statutes and his commaundements and his iudgements and his testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses that thou mayst prosper in all that thou doest and in euery thing whereunto thou turnest thee And hast thou forgotten those sweete words of thy father Thou Salomon my sonne know thou the God of thy father and serue him with a perfect heart with a willing minde For the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all the imaginations of thoughts If thou seeke him he will be found of thee But if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for euer And hast thou forgotten the sweet and louing counsell of thy mother the prophecie which she taught thee spoken to thee with a tender motherly affection What my sonne what the sonne of my wombe and what O son of my desires giue not thy strength to women nor thy wayes which is to destroy Kings And there shee describeth a wife forthee Not many wiues but one not a stranger or Idolater but a woman fearing God O Salomon hast thou forgotten the first institution of mariage wherein God made for one Adam one 〈◊〉 for one man one woman and they two saith he shall be one flesh And hast thou forgotten the expresse law of God forbidding the King to take him many wiues least his heart turne away from God And againe forbidding all compacts and mariages with Idolaters least they cause his people to turne away from him and serue other gods and so the wrath of the Lord waxe hotte against them and destroy them suddenly Of the truth of these words thou hast wofull experience in thy selfe And hast thou forgotten the words of God spoken to thy selfe promising to blesse thee if thou keep his statues and iudgements otherwise if thou and thy children turne away from me and will not keepe my commaundements and my statutes which I haue set before you but goe and serue other gods and worshippe them then will I cut off Israel from the land which I haue giuen them and the house which I haue hallowed for my Name will I cast out of my sight and Israel shall bee a prouerbe and a common talke among all people euen this high house shall be so Euery one that passeth by it shal be astonyed and shall hisse and they shall say Why hath the Lord done this vnto this land and to this house and they shall answere Because they forsooke the Lord their God which brought their Fathers out of the land of Aeâ—â—pt and haue taken holde vppon other Gods and haue worshipped them and serued them Therefore hath the Lorde brought vppon them all this euill And Oh Salomon hast thou forgotten thine owne counsell and doctrine inspired by the holy Ghost and deliuered to the instruction of others And may it not be said to thee Behold thou art called a lewe and restest in the law and gloriest in God and knowest his will and allowest the things that are excellent in that thou art instructed by the Law and perswadest thy selfe that thou art a guide of the blinde a light of them that are in darknes an instructer of them which lacke discretion a teacher of the vnlearned which hast the forme of knowledge and Truth in the lawe Thou therefore which teachest another teachest not thou thy selfe Thou that preachest a man should not steale Doest thou steale Thou that sayest a man should not commit adulterie Doest thou commit adultrie Thou that abhorrest Idolls coÌ„mittest thou Sacriledge Thou that gloriest in the Law through the breaking of the Law dishonorest thou God For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written Consider then how this thy bad example and filthy fall disagreeth with thy former doctrine and counsell Are not these thine owne words That the lips of a strange woman drop as an honie combe and her mouth is more softe then oyle but the ende of her is more bitter then worme-wood and sharpe as a two-edged sworde Her feete go downe to death and her steps take holde on Hell Keepe thy way farre from her and come not neere the doore of her house least thou giue they honors to others and thy yeares to the cruell And is not this thine owne sweete counsell that the commandement is a Lanthorne and Instruction and Light and Corrections for instructions and the way of life to keepe thee from the wicked woman and from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman desire not her beautie in thy heart neither let her not take thee with her Eye-liddes For because of the whorish woman a man is brought to a morsell of bread and a woman will hunt for the precious life of a man And doeâ—â— thou not describe and cunningly lay out the folly of
those young men that suffer themselues to bee abused and seduced by the baites temptations and allurements of harlots saying that such are as Oxen going to the slaughter and as a foole to the stockes of correction till a dart strike thorow their liuer As a bird hasteth to the snare not knowing that hee is in danger saying that the harlot hath caused many to fall downe wounded and the strong men are slayne by her Her house is the way to the graue which goeth down to the chambers of death And are not these thy sayings The mouth of a strange woman is a deepe pit hee with whom the Lord is angry shall fall therein And againe A whoâ—e is a deepe ditch and a strange woman is an narrow pit Also she lyeth in waite as for a prey and she encreaseth the transgressers amongst men O Salomon hast thou forgotten the law of nature the written law of God the sweete counsell of thy father and mother and the good counsell which thou hast long since giuen to others Hath sensuallity prosperity pleasures and lusts wholy possessed thee blinded thee and taken away they heart O pittifull lamentable wofull and fearefull fall The greatnesse and hainousnesse of this sinfull fall haue made some learned Fathers to doubt of the saluation of Salomon And some to put him in the number of the reprobate and damned their reasons are these First because his father Dauid being a Prophet saith of him in the place before alledged That if he forsooke the Lord hee would cast him off for euer T is true if Salomon did finally forsake him without repentance Againe they say that the Scripture maketh mention of his grieuous fall as we haue heard before out of the next Chapter following but there is no mention of his repentance though his death bee there named Neither is it found that hee tooke away the Idols which hee had erected But it may be his repentance was late and hee could not take them away suddenly Againe he is not numbred by the Apostle in the Catalogue of the faithfull Though Samuel and Dauid his father and diuers others bee there named yet all the faithfull of the Old Testament are not there numbred nor all holy Kings for there is no mention there of Iehosephat and Hesechias Againe some doe alleage that sentence of God out of the Prophet saying I will speake suddeÌ„ly against a nation or against a kingdome to plucke it vp and to roote it out and to destroy it but if this nation against whom I haue pronounced turne from their wickednes I will repent of the plague which I thought to bring vpon them and thus they gather from this place that because God plagued Salomon by sundrie aduersaries to his death and neuer tooke away this plague that therefore Salomon repented not but died in his sinnes But that sentence of Ieremie is not rightly applied because God doth oftentimes correct penitent sinners with temporall punishments and thus he did to Dauid after his repentance He forgaue him his sinnes but yet he did correct him diuers waâ—es by temporall corrections It is true indeed that all penitent sinners are sure to be freed from eternall and euerlasting punishmeÌ„ts And it may rather be thought that God doth threaten and afflict Salomon to drawe him thereby to repentance and no doubt if he had any sparke of grace or diuine wisedome left in him such afflictions and corrections one after an other would drawe him to true humiliation and repentance The Fathers some of them speake very hardly and heauily of this fall of Salomon Dauid the sonne of the celestiall Ierusalem saith one raigned in the earth and was much commended in the scripture His pietie and true humilitie so conquered his affections that he was one of them of whom we might say with him Blessed are those whose iniquitie is forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered After him his sonne Salomon raigned in all his kingdome beginning to raigne in his fathers time he began well but ended badly prosperitie the mouth of wisedom did him more hurt then his famous and memorable wisedome profited him An other saith that Salomon receiued a deadly wound that his father fell but after he rose againe that he warred and thence receiued a crowne but so did not his sonne Salomon And an other Who was wiser then Salomon but departing from the commandements of God and ioyning himselfe to heathenish women he built Temples to their Gods yea to diuels being so much the more deiected and deceiued in follie as before he was lifted vp in wisedome An other compareth Salomon with Christ saying that he did much excell him because Christ had wisedome by nature but Salomon did aske it by prayer and in the end possessed it not These things are heauie to speake and thinke of and they are some blot and blemish to Salomon but yet it is hard and vncertaine to determine of the damnation of any and as the former reasons may be answered so as I take it there be stronger arguments to proue the repentance and saluation of Salomon And first call to minde those great promises which God maketh to Dauid touching this his sonne Salomon saying of him I will be his father and he shall be my sonne and if he sinne I will chasten him with the rodde of men and with the plagues of the children of men but my mercy shall not depart away from him as I tooke it from Saul whom I haue put away before thee A plaine testimonie of Gods loue to Salomon and of his election to saluation And howsoeuer some doe apply that mercy of God to the mercy of succession in the kingdome and that God would not vtterly cut off his seed from thence as he did to Saul yet that mercy may be further extended to the pardoning of the sinne of Salomon and sauing of his soule And if God be his father and he his sonne how can he finally fall and perish Are any of the sonnes and children of God damned Is God a father to the reprobate and are the reprobates his children doth he correct them gently in loue as fathers vse to chasten their children or doth he not rather punish them in his furie and rage in his iustice and seueritie In an other place when Salomon was borne Dauid called his name Salomon and it is said that the Lord loued him For the Lord had sent by Nathan the Prophet therefore Dauid called his name Iedidisah that is beloued of God For that is the reason of the name because the Lord loued him That is one of his titles Beloued of God And it is said twise in that place the Lord loued him and in this our text this Queene saith as much that God loued him Now those whom God loueth he loueth to the end And those whom God loueth how can they finally and totally fall away Though they fall they cannot fall away though they
are preserued and established Therefore Dauid exhorteth his son Salomon To walke in the Waies Statutes and Iudgements of God that so hee might prosper in all things he went about The Lord by Ieremy declaring how happy Iosiah the father had bene and how cursed Iehoiakim the sonne should bee and why the one did speed so well and the other so badly saith Shalt thou raigne because thou closest thy selfe in Cedar Did not thy father eate and drinke and prosper when hee executed Iudgement and Iustice when hee iudged the cause of the afflicted and the poore hee prospered was not this because hee knew mee saith the Lord but thine eies and thy heart are onely for thy couetousnesse And therefore the Lord threatneth in the next wordes to destroy him This iustice is profitable to the whole Common-wealth both to the good and the bad Therefore the Lord commanding the rebellious sonne to bee put to death So saith hee thou shalt take away the euill from among you that all Israel may heare it and feare Where Iustice is neglected sin raigneth Because sentence against an euill worke saith the Wise-man is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to doe euill On the contrary it must follow that where there is true execution of Iustice there the hearts of men are drawne and terrified from euill The blewnesse of the wound serueth to purge the euill and the stripes within the bowels of the belly Againe To the Horse belongeth a whip to the Asse a bridle and arod to a Fooles backe His meaning is that by such sharpe correction foolish men are stayed and kept in order And in another place Smite a scorner and the foolish will beware Meaning that simple and ignorant men will bee warned when they see the wicked punished they will take heed by others mens harmes And the Lord hath ordained iudgements for the scorners and stripes for the backe of fooles To this duty of Iustice the example of God may incite and moue all Christian Magistrates they are in his steed and therefore are to follow his example in punishing offenders Hee is a most iust and seuere Iudge and a very consuming fire against sinne and wickednesse Hee is a God that loueth not wickednesse neither shall euill dwell with him the foolish shall not stand in his sight hee hateth all them that worke iniquity Againe The Lord will try the righteous but the wicked and him that loueth iniquity doth his soule hate vpon the wicked hee shall raigne snares fire and brimstone storme and tempest this is the portion of their cup. And in another place Surely God will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy pate of him that walketh in his sinnes Most fearefull examples of his iustice and iudgement wee haue vpon the first world vpon Sodom and Gomorrah yea vpon his owne people Israel What kind of offenders wee ought to punish more seuerely wee may haue direction from the Law of God that those whom hee appointed to die should not bee spared for wee must not make our selues more mercifull then God is himselfe wilfull murther is death by the Law of Princes and it is death by the Law of God Yea before the Law written it was said to Noah Who so sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud bee shed for in the Image of God hath hee made him And in the Law Written He that killeth any man hee shall bee put to death And Adultery also is death by the Written Law of God The man that committeth adultery with another mans wife because hee hath committed Adultery with his neighbours wife the Adulterer and the Adulteresse shall die the death Theft was not so seuerely punished but they were to make restitution and restore foure-fold that which they had stolne Theft in our age is more seuerely punished it is certaine that Theft is a grieuous sinne against the Law of God against Equity and Iustice but I see no reason why the Theefe shall dye a shamefull death and the Whore-maister escape with lesser punishment seeing that Salomon compareth the Theefe and the Whore-maister together sheweth in diuers respects that Adultery is a greater and more grieuous sinne then Theft because the Theefe may make restitution and so can neuer the other This is the corruption of Nature that men make more account of money and goods then of religion or honesty and Adulterers being spared and left aliue many questions are raysed and propounded which can hardly bee answered Namely whether the innocent party or nocent party may marry whether they may be reconciled againe or no. Let the Adulterer and Adulteresse according to the Morall Law of God die the death and then these questions will bee idle and superfluous And as Magistrates may punish Murtherers by the same reason they may as well punish Heretickes Idolatours false Prophets for indeed these they murther mens soules they runne a whoring from God and they rob him of his honor We heard partly before that false Prophets and Idolatours were to die the death and wee haue examples of good Kings and Rulers which haue put such to death and if the Magistrate bee the keeper of both the Tables then hee is to punish the transgression of the one as well as the other and if the transgressions of the first Table bee more hainous and grieuous then the transgressions of the second Table there is no reason why they should bee lesse and more slightly punished Moses said to the children of Israel after they had worshipped the golden Calfe Thus saith the Lord God of Israel put euery man his sword to his side go to and fro from gate to gate through the Host and sâ—ay euery man his brother and euery man his companion and euery man his neighbour so the Children of Leuic did as Moses had commanded and there fell of the people the same day about three thousand men For Moses had said consecrate your hands vnto the Lord this day euen euery man vpon his sonne and vpon his brother that there may bee giuen you a blessing this day Iehu slew all the Priests of Baal burnt their Images destroyed the image of Baal and threw downe the house of Baal and made it an house of all filthinesse and vncleanesse Iosiah putteth downe the Idols killeth the Priests the Chemerimes hee burneth the groues brake downe the house of the Sodomites hee defaced the High places hee tooke away them that had familiar Spirits and other abhominations and compelled all that were found in Israel to serue the Lord. The like power hath all Christian Kings Princes and Gouernours in their owne Kingdomes and Dominions The Prophet Prophecieth of the latter times saying as from the Lord I will cut off the names of the Idols out of the Land and they shall no more bee remembred And I will
thus with himselfe This punishment this party hath deserued and God hath decreed it for him and therefore it is for his good It is cruelty to delight in the punishment and torment of others as that King did who had seuenty Kings the Thumbes of their hands and feet cut off gathering bread vnder his table This cruelty is against the nature of God and it is a vice not of a man but of a wilde beast It is cruelty also to bee excessiue and too much rigorous in punishing transgressors and therefore it is said If so be the wicked be worthy to bee beaten the Iudge shall cause him to lye downe and to bee beaten before his face according to his trespasse to a certaine number Where there is mercy and discretion there punishments are according to the trespasses But it is cruelty for small faults and offences to enioyne extreme seuere and rigorous punishments and it is the greatest cruelty of all to punish in body or goods such as haue not deserued it and such as are honest and innocent Therefore Magistrates must remember that not onely he that iustifieth the wicked but he also that condemneth the iust euen they both are an abhomination to the Lord. This proceedeth from cruelty and rashnesse and it is contrary to loue mercy and iustice and it is against the end and the calling of the Magistrate who is ordained not only for the punishment of euill doers but for the praise of them that doe well he is to be a defence a protection a succour cōfort to such Nay God himselfe doth professe that hee is a father and protector to such and saith Thou shalt not slay the innocent and the righteous Surely it is not good saith Salomon to condemne the iust nor that Princes should smite such for equity Righteous men are Gods children seruants and members deare and pretious in his eyes hee saith of them Hee that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye It is a grieuous sinne and a signe of reprobation to hate or persecute the seruants of God therefore Cain hateth Abel Esau hateth Iacob and seeketh to kill him Ismael persecuteth and mocketh Isaac Saul hateth pursueth Dauid It is comfort and credit euen to Princes to haue the loue and the testimony of the faithfull This is the commendation of Demetrius that hee had good report of all men and of truth it selfe yea the Apostles themselues bare record of him The complaints and cryes of Gods seruants will bee hard and heauy against their persecuters Yee shall not saith God trouble any widdow nor fatherlesse childe If thou vexe or trouble such and so hee call and cry vnto me I will surely heare his cry then shall my wrath bee kindled and I will kill you with the sword and your wiues shall bee widdowes and your children fatherlesse As God hath a speciall care of widdowes and fatherlesse children so hee hath a care of all his sonnes and daughters hee will regard their iust complaints which they offer into his bosome and in time will hearken to their cryes It is a sin not to encourage countenance and defend such but it is a greater sinne to spoyle them and vndo them or to offer them any wrong He will reproue Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme Kings are the Lords annoynted in a speciall respect but yet all the people of God are also in their place the Lords annointed because of the oyle of spirituall graces plentifully powred vpon them and because they are precious and deare in the eyes of God And therefore the Lord said to Pharaoh Israell is my sonne euen my first borne wherefore I say to thee let my sonne goe that hee may serue mee If thou refuse to let him goe behold I will slay thy sonne euen thy sirst borne Marke saith a learned Father vpon that place marke the Title that God giueth to his Church and meditate on it earnestly hee calleth it his Sonne yea his first borne noting therein to all flesh that it is to him as a man-childe to the father yea as the the first borne which commonly is loued most tenderly and in greatest honour Now then thinke with your selfe what hurt is in you to the fruite of your body and to your first borne thinke how you could endure to stand and looke vpon the abuse offered by any to the whole or any part as to see but a legge or an arme cut off by bloudy butchers then thinke of God to his Church and euery part of it whose affection so much excelleth yours as God excelleth man and holinesse and perfection misery sinne and corruption And a little after Tell Pharaoh hee had best take heede what hee doth for I will make his Sonne and first borne feele it if hee hinder mine and will not let them goe to serue mee The world you know contemneth and despiseth vs counting vs the Refuse of the people or what may bee base and vile but this loue is life and this regard with God is honour most high In the comfort whereof wee may suppe vp these earthly scornes if his Grace bee with vs. And so much the rather wee may doe this because hee accounteth all the reproches iniuries stormes and hard dealings done to his seruants as done vnto himselfe And therefore there came a voyce from heauen to Saul then a Persecuter but after Paul a Preacher that voyce sayd then vnto him Saul Saul Why persecutest thou mee And when hee sayd Who art thou Lord The Lord said I am IESVS whom thou persecutest It is hard for thee to kicke against prickes Christ was then ascended into heauen Saul did not neither could if he would persecute him but because hee persecuted his poore members on earth Christ taketh their cause to bee his owne and he counteth the cruelty offered to them to be offered to himselfe All good Princes and Gouernours euen in pollicy as much as may be are to seeke and procure the good will loue and liking of all their subiects and much more of the better sort Rulers are so to gouerne the people as the soule gouerneth the body and as God gouerneth the world that is not onely iustly but also kindly and gently In God there is not onely power iustice and wisdome but also he is full of goodnesse and mercy Pastors sheapheards are not only with discretiō but also with lenity to lead guid their flocke A good father doth bring vp and rule his children in as much loue and kindnesse as may be A good ruler must be of the same mind to the people as the good father of a family is to the houshold And what is a ruler of a City or a kingdome but the father of many childrē he is not to abate his authority by too much lenity nor the peoples loue by too much seuerity Hearts of honest men are gotten by mercy
kindnesse and goodnesse so they wish well and speake well and they desire the continuance and increase of their Rulers aduancement There bee three things saith Augustine in a Gouernour First a Calling Secondly a feare of him Thirdly a loue towards him Calling is requisite to the end hee may beare himselfe chearefully in a good conscience yet if hee bee not both loued and feared hee cannot subsist in his Calling Let him therefore aduise himselfe to procure loue by benefits and feare by punishing wrong done not against himselfe but against the Law The Heathen man could say that a Ruler must bee affable in speech easy to bee seene and spoken to in countenance amiable kind to the iust sharpe to the wicked Such a Ruler is beloued defended and reuerenced by the whole Citty such a Ruler by his owne benefite is safe hath no need of defence the heartes of the people are his armour his inuisible strength and munition is the loue of the Cittizens and what is more pleasant then to liue with the desire wishing and good-will of all men Who dare set himselfe against such a one vnder whom there flourisheth peace righteousnesse security dignity and vnder whom a famous rich Citty aboundeth with plenty of all goodmen Those which gouerne the people if they will haue their Throne surely established let their countenance bee full of cheerefulnesse and grace least being too seuere and rigorous through arrogancy they procure the hatred of the people There is nothing that maketh him that hee hath the office of a Magistrate more then a study and care of loue towards his people for it doth not onely make a father that hee hath begotten a child but also that hee loue him after hee hath begotten him If Nature hath need of so much loue how much more Grace thus all the Prophets and Rulers that were famous amongst the Hebrewes as Abraham and Moses Samuel and Dauid haue shined and excelled in loue to their people Others haue said that preseruatiō of Princes consisteth in the integrity of Religion in the loue of their Subiects and these things procure the loue of the people Not to bee too strange to them to be humble and courteous to speake kindly to them to bee willing to see their Subiects and to shew themselues to them as much as may bee to heare causes in their owne persons not to burthen the people too much but to ease them of vnnecessary burthens to bee liberall and bountifull where there is need and desert Absolon though hee was a wicked man and had a wicked cause yet he had this pollicy by kindnesse to draw the hearts of the people to him When any man came neere to him and did him obeysance hee put forth his hand and tooke him and kissed him and on this manner did Absolon to all Israel that came to the King for iudgement so Absolon stole the hearts of all the men of Israel This was a wicked action in him but this pollicy may bee followed of lawfull Magistrates by kinde words and deeds to winne and hold the hearts of their owne people Good was that counsell which the ancient men gaue to King Rehoboam If thou bee a seruant to this people say they this day and serue them and answere them and speake kinde words to them they will bee thy seruants for euer They shew by this their counsell that kindnesse is the way to winne the hearts of the people but that King forsooke that good counsell and hearkened to the counsell of yong men and by their direction gaue the people this answere My father made your yoke grieuous and I will make your yoke more grieuous my father hath chastised you with rods but I will correct you with scourges And see what followed When all Israel saw the King regarded them not the people answered the King thus What portion haue wee in Dauid wee haue none inheritance in the son of Ishai to your Tents oh Israel now see to thy house Dauid and Israel rebelled against the house of Dauid vnto this day This was wickednesse in the people to rise and rebell against their King and a iust iudgement of God But yet as the Apostle saith to naturall fathers so say I to you that are fathers of the Country You fathers prouoke not your children to wrath by austerity and hard dealing Giue no occasion to the people but rather as much as may bee draw their hearts to you by humility and kindnesse Nehemiah confesseth the poore distressed people to bee his brethren of the same flesh and bloud with him Iob protesteth that hee did not contemne the iudgement of his seruants when they did contend with him thinking themselues hardly entreated by him and then hee hath this in his thoughts If I had oppressed others how should I haue escaped Gods Iudgements What then shall I do when God standeth vp and when hee shall visite me what shall I answere hee that hath made mee in the wombe hath hee not made him hath not hee alone fashioned vs in the wombe This moued him to pitty and respect his basest seruants because they were Gods creatures as well as he Dauid prayeth for the peace of Ierusalem saying Let them prosper that loue thee peace bee within thy Wals and prosperity within thy Pallaces for my brethren and neighbours sakes I will wish thee now prosperity because of the house of the Lord our God I will procure thee wealth Hee prayeth heartily for his Subiects wishing them the fauour of God and all happinesse and promiseth to do them what good hee can and hee counteth them as his brethren neighbours and companions Let all Christian Rulers remember that saying of the Apostle There is neither Iew nor Grecian there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for yee are all one in Christ Iesus In the world there must needs bee difference and degrees it must needs bee so for pollicy and order but in Christ all are one For God is no accepter of persons but in euery Nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him whether hee bee poore or rich Prince or Subiect Excellent is that counsell of a Gracious man let Kings saith hee if they had rather bee Christians indeed then so called giue themselues altogether to the wealth of their Realmes after the example of Christ remembring that the people are Gods and not theirs yea they are Christs inheritance and possession bought with his bloud the most despised person in this Realme is the Kings brother and fellow Member with him in the Kingdome of God and of Christ Let him therefore not thinke himselfe too good to doe them seruice neither seeke any other thing in them then a father seeketh in his children yea then Christ sought in vs though that the King in his regiment bee in the roome of God and representeth God himselfe and is without all comparison better then
in this distresse Both these examples of Iob and Nehemiah are as looking-glasses and mirrours for Magistrates to looke into wherein they may see what care and counsell what pitty and compassion they are to haue to ease and releiue the oppressions of their people And this will be greatly to their comfort credite and honour And indeed it may be a great discomfort and discredite to Princes to suffer their people to bee abused by oppressours and tyrants especially when it lyeth in their power to helpe and relieue them A reuerend Father and blessed Martyr in a certaine Sermon before a King of worthy memory sheweth wherin the honour of a King consisteth It is saith hee the Kings honour that his Subiects be led in true Religion that his Prelates and Cleargy bee set about their worke in Preaching and Studying and not to be interrupted from their charge Also it is the Kings honor that the Common-wealth bee aduanced and that the dearth of things bee prouided for and the commodities of the Realme bee so employed as it may bee to the setting of his Subiects on worke and keeping them from Idlenesse and herein consisteth the Kings honour and Office Furthermore if the Kings honour as some men say standeth in great multitude of people then these Grasiers Enclosers and rent-raisers are hinderers of the Kings honour For where there hath beene a great many of Housholders and Inhabitants there is now but the Shepeheard and his do so they hinder the Kings honour most of all And indded these bee the words of Salomon In the multitude of the people is the honour of a King and for want of the people commeth the destruction of a Prince Increase and aboundance of people is a great blessing of God and a credite and strength to the Prince They are not Oxen or Sheepe but men that must fight for Prince and Country if the enemies arise and assault the Land And there be many oppressions amongst vs besides these Oppressours in the Church and in the Common-wealth oppressions in euery Court in buying and selling and in other dealings amongst men to the hinderance and vndoing of many poore people But to let passe the many kinds of oppressions which the true Magistrate is to looke into and so farre as hee can to redresse and remoue I speake onely of that one kind of oppression that is biting and cruell vsury which Nehemiah reformed among his people I will speake of this because it is most common and generall yet most pernicious detestable though many do count it no sin at all Vsury had wont to be called the woe and sin of Citties and it seemeth that as pride and other sinnes had their beginnings in great Citties so had vsury but it hath passed from Citties to the Country to Townes and Villages Euery place all sorts of persons in the Land are infected with this pestilence leprosy high low rich and poore men women and children fathers mothers Maisters and Dames sons daughters men-seruants and maide-seruants husband-men trades-men and Labourers yea some that go from dore to dore to beg and craue of others haue learned this trade of vsury Free lending is hardly to be found charity is waxen cold this iniquity hath gotten the vpper hand so that this sinne is not onely now a woe to Citties but a woe to Townes to Villages and to priuate houses It is the ruine and decay of many poore people in most places of the Land nay it is the decay ouerthrow of many worthy and great houses and families in the Land It hath bitten them it hath eaten them it hath deuoured consumed them to nothing It is pittifull and lamentable that such a destroying and murdering sin should bee suffered or tollerated in a Christian Land Those that be true Christians indeed are to abstaine from all appearance of euill How much more from so grosse and apparant euill directly and expresly against the Law of God If thou lend money to my people saith God that is to the poore with thee thou shalt not bee as an Vsurer vnto him yee shall not oppresse him with Vsury Againe If thy brother bee impouerished and fallen into decay with thee thou shalt releiue him thou shalt take no vsury of him nor aduantage but thou shalt feare thy God that thy brother may liue with thee thou shalt not giue him thy money to vsury nor lend him victuals for increase Dauid shutteth out the vsurer out of Gods Kingdome as well as the slanderer and him that taketh reward against the innocent Another Prophet putteth Vsury amongst Idols Adultery and other filthy sinnes and threatneth the same punishment to one as to the other Christ saith Whatsoeuer you would men should do to you euen so doe yee to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Againe Giue to him that asketh and from him that would borrow of thee turne not away A Heathen man being asked what Vsury was hee answered what is it to kill a man Another saith that it is robbery Another that it is the death of life The ancient learned fathers do vtterly condemne it One saith that Vsury swalloweth vp mens goods and Lands large Patrimony as it were a Sea yet the Sea is neuer filled The Seas for the most part are for profite and gaine but the Vsurer can no man vse but to his owne hinderance In the Sea there is profite of many things but with the Vsurer shipwracke of all things Againe hee that taketh vsury committeth extortion rauen and pillage If hee will say I haue nothing else to liue by so may the Theefe say the Bawde the Witch the Sorcerer Some compare the loane of mony vpon vse to the poyson of Aspes Whosoeuer is strucken and stung of the Aspe he falleth into a sweet pleasant sleep and so by sweetnesse of that sleepe dyeth for then the venemous poyson disperseth into euery member So he that beginneth with vsury thinketh for a time that hee hath a great benefite but vsury runneth through all his riches and conuerteth all he hath to debt Another father being asked what vsury is saith It is a poyson of patrimony And being asked what is vsury permitted by Law hee saith that it is a Theefe that before hand giueth warning what he mindeth to do Some say that a Vsurer is worse then all sinners hee is worse then a theefe for he robbeth in the night but the Vsurer robbeth day and night He is worse then hel for in hel onely the wicked shall bee punished but the Vsurer spoyleth and punisheth both the good and bad spareth neither holy nor vnholy He is worse then a Iew for one Iew will not take vsury of another but the Vsurer will take vsury of his Christian brother Hee is worse then death for death killeth but the body the Vsurer killeth bodies and soules He is worse then Iudas for he sold Christ
maner of choosing and gouerning the common-wealth is in many things humane and the end is for the good and preseruation of man and so are lawfull Pastors though their calling be diuine yet they are chosen approued and ordeined for the benefite of men And thus the Apostle defineth a High Prieste To bee taken from among men and is ordeyned for men in things perteyning to God And so is a King taken from among men ordeyned for men in things pertayning both to God men That is for the good both of the Church and Common-wealth As for the Popes office and vsurped supremacie it is meerely humane nay it is diabolicall and against the examples and authoritie of holy Scripture Hee hath no true nor iust warrant from the Law Prophets Euangelists nor Apostolicall writings But of this it may be wee shall speake more hereafter It is sufficiently proued already and it shall appeare more plainely hereafter that the office and power of Princes is diuine sacred Now because some Kings are giuen of God to his people in loue and mercy and some in wrath iudgement Let them try themselues whether it may be sayd of them as it is sayde of Salomon in this place That God in loue to them and in loue to his people hath set them in his owne throne Let them know then that such a King as is giuen of God in loue is both qualified with gifts fit for his calling and will and must necessarily performe the duty of his place as this Queene testifieth of Salomon in the words following It is sayd of Dauid that as hee was chosen from the sheepe-folds to feede Gods people in Iacob and his inheritance in Israel so hee fedde them according to the simplicitie of his heart and guided them by the discretion of his hands And it is sayde of him in another place that hee raigned ouer all ISRAEL and executed iudgement and iustice and hee himselfe protesteth that he gouerned his Court Church and Common-wealth according to the true rules of mercy and iudgement And it is sayde of Salomon that all Israel feared him for they saw that the wisedome of God was in him to doe iustice and to performe faithfully the duty of his place and calling A learned writer vpon that Psalme 78. sayeth God did choose Dauid to this end that hee should feed his people and therefore he fed them He chose Saul to afflict his people therefore he afflicted them For marke what the Lord sayd to the people that would needes haue a King hee threatneth them and giueth them that King in his wrath This sayth he shall be the manner of the King that shall raigne ouer you Hee will take your sonnes and appoynt them to his Chariots and to bee his horsemen and some shall runne before his Chariot Also hee will make them as Captaynes ouer thousands and Captaynes ouer fifties and to eare his ground and to reape his haruest and to make instruments of warre and the things that serue for his Chariots He will also take your daughters and make them Apothecaries and Cookes and Bakers And hee will take your fields and your vineyards and your best Oliue trees and giue them to his seruants And he will take the tenth of your seede and of your vineyards and giue it to his Eunuches and his seruants And he will take your men seruants and your maide seruants and the chiefe of your young men and your Asses and put them to his worke Hee will take the tenth of your sheepe and you shall be his seruants and you shall cry out at that day because of your King whom you haue chosen you and the Lord will not heare you at that day But it may be some will say May Kings thus oppresse the Common-wealth no they haue no such authoritie by their office But this King was sent in wrath from God to plague this people and therefore hee doth plague them Samuelthreatneth to that people the deminution of those liberties which the Israelites enioyed before vnder the Iudges He admonisheth them of the hard estate which was to ensue This was Gods doing in his iustice for the sinnes of the people For God is in heauen hee may doe whatsoeuer hee will his wayes are all iust and righteous But as for Kings they nâ—ay not doe what they list they are bound to the lawes of God to the lawes of charitie equitie and righteousnesse But those which are giuen in wrath they shall vexe and afflict the people Christ sayd to Peter Feede my sheepe It was sayd to Antichrist Deuoure destroy beate downe seduce the people because they receiue not the loue of truth that they might bee saued Therefore he destroyeth seduceth and deceiueth as many as hee can The Lord threatneth in Zacharie I will raise vp a shepheard in the Land which shall not looke for the thing which is lost nor seeke the tender lambes nor heale that which is hurt nor feede that which standeth vp he shall eate the flesh of the fat and teare their clawes in peeces Our Sauiour Christ sayth That a thiefe commeth to steale kill and destroy So that by their deedes practises and fruites both of Princes and Ministers it may bee easily gathered whether they bee sent to a people in loue or wrath But of the dutie of such Gouernours as are giuen in loue wee shall speake hereafter Now as the dignitie of Kings appeareth in that their calling is so diuine and from God himselfe so in this also that they are in his place and throne and haue so many honourable titles giuen vnto them in the Scripture They are called nurcing fathers and mothers shepheards of the people leaders keepers helpers Gouernours yea in some sense Sauiours and God doth giue them his owne name counting them gods not by nature for so they are men like other men borne and conceiued as other and shall dye like men But they are gods by office they are the Vicegerents and Images of God This is a great honour great excellencie and dignitie to be admired and reuerenced of all men Yet let mee admonish you that the same or the like titles and dignities may be applyed to the faithfull Ministers of God though they be accounted and taken by most men as vile base contemptible and the very off-scourings of the world And many which doe magnifie and almost adore great persons Gouernours and Magistrates it may bee for feare â—latterie fauour and lucer euen these doe vilâ—sie scorne contemne and disgrace the calling of the Ministers as much as they can But let them know that there is some likenes and affinitie betwixt the calling of a Magistrate and the calling of the Minister As good Princes are the blessings of God so are good ministers as we haue heard before when wee intreated of true wisedome As the calling of the Magistrate is sacred and diuine so is the calling of the Minister it is the holy Ghost that
appoynted Ouer-â—eers in the Church and it is Iesus Christ that giueth gifts to men to become Pastors and teachers in the Church Those glorious titles before spoken of they belong also to the Ministers of God They are pastors fathers nurces and in Gods stead Magistrates are to be honoured such as rule well in word and doctrine are worthie of double honour The same is the end of both their callings to suppresse and beate downe sinne But our power is spirituall therefore the greater euen the power of God to saluation power to conuert soules to beate downe Sathan and sinne and to bring into bondage euery thought that doth rayse it selfe against God By the Magistrates care policie and power wee liue in peace and are defended from forren domesticall foes By the ministerie of the word the sword of the spirit wee are armed against our spirituall enemies and enioy true peace of conscience And therefore the ministerie of the word is truely called the streugth and life of a land When Elishai saw Eliah taken vp into heauen he cryed My father my father the Chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof It is sinne that weakens a land it is religion and pietie that maketh it strong By the preaching of the word sinne is weakned and all vertue and goodnes is increased confirmed The want of this word is the famishing of mens soules the plentie of this word is the life of their soules Magistrates are keepers and maintayners of both the tables of the commandements and so are all faithfull Ministers Magistrates are to execute outward punishments vpon offenders Ministers haue power to reproue to binde and exclude notorious offenders Our bodies goods liues are subiect to Princes but al power worshippe and maiestie are subiect so the word which wee preach And as they are rebels to Princes which resist their power so are they rebels to God which set themselues against the doctrine counsels and exhortations of his faithfull Ministers And finally as good Magistrates doe comfort and encourage good subiects by rewards honours and countenance so good Ministers are carefull by all means possible to comfort good Christians by the sweete promises and mercies of God and by the assurance of remission of sinnes and life eternall Seeing therefore there is such agreement both in the titles and callings of Magistrates and Ministers there should be also an agreement and vnion in affection betwixt them They are intirely to affect and loue one another The Ministers are to guide and direct the Rulers by the word and they againe are to defend them by the sword This the Lord teacheth when hee appoynted two brethren to gouerne his people Moses and Aaron the one to gouerne the other to teach It went well with Saul so long as he hearkened to Samuel the Prophet Dauid had Gad and Nathan neere vnto him as his faithfull Counsellers Hezekiah the King was directed by Esaiah the Prophet Therfore Magistrates are to countenance good Ministers and to encourage them Wee teach and perswade all men to obey the higher powers We pray for you publikelie and priuately and stirre vp others to doe the like Wee set foorth the excellencie of your callings We threaten damnation to rebels and traytors As for our calling although diuine and sacred yet odious and contemptible to the worlde because wee reproue the sinnes of all men we endure many hard speeches vnkindnesses and iniuries of wicked men the eyes of many their eares hearts and mouthes are open against vs. Wee are subiect to many temptations and infirmities Wee haue many discomforts and discouragements Who is to comfort and countenance and defend vs but the good Magistrates And you must not bee offended though we sometimes iustlie reproue your opon sinnes in open place It is our office to reproue sinne in all as it is your dutie to punish sinne in all As you must not be partiall and not haue respect of persons in iudgement so we must not be partiall in reproouing We doe it God knoweth in dutie loue and conscience and therefore you are to take it in good part All holy men though they were Kings and Princes haue beene content patiently to receiue iust reproofe And the sinnes of Magistrates and great persons doe most hurt of all other and therefore most of all to be reprooued If wee be carelesse and idle in our place If we be flatterers time seruers If we be corrupt false in our doctrine If we be wicked and dissolute in life Let vs bee censured according to our deserts But if our care be to do good to take what paynes we can in our places to winne foules to beate downe sinne and Poperie to liue honestly and keepe a good conscience in all things If neyther our doctrine nor life can bee iustly touched why should you be strange vnto vs why should you keepe backe from vs your fauour assistance and countenance It is the chiefe end of the office and calling of a good Magistrate to defend and countenance all good and honest men much more the faithfull and paynefull Ministers of God And seeing Magistrates and Ministers haue the same authour the same names and dignitie let them ioyne together for the beating downe of sinne and bee helpers and comforters one to another and let the highest of all remember specially those which make small account of our calling let them remember and lay vp in their hearts these worthie places of Scripture Remember that caueat which GOD giueth to his people Beware that thou forsake not the Leuite as long as thou liuest vpon the earth And againe Touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme This was spoken euen to Kings and Princes to their rebuke and shame And neuer forget that bitter prayer of Moses who yet was the mildest man that euer liued vpon the earth Blesse ô Lord saith he his substance and accept the worke of his hands he speaketh of the tribe of Leuie the faithfull ministers of God Smite through the Ioynes of them that rise against him and of them that hate him that they neuer rise vp againe And remember that saying of our Sauiour Christ speaking to his Apostles saying He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me And those sayings of the Apostle Now we beseech you brethren that you knowe them which labour among you and are ouer you in the Lord and admonish you that you haue them in singular loue for their worke sake Loue them for their calling for the gifts of God in them for their great paines for the gaine and profit which you doe or may reape by them And neuer forget that saying of the same Apostle alreadie alleaged That those which labour in word and doctrine are worthy of double honor And finally remember the sweete and gratious exhortation of the worthy king good king Iehosephat deliuered to his owne subiects by his owne mouth saying Heare you me