wrong yea they must be able to put a wise difference betweene the great things of the Law as Righteousnesse Mercy and Iudgement and the lighter things of humane obseruation which perish with the vse or abuse If Iephthah had knowne and considered what things might lawfully be vowed and how farre vowes do binde he would not haue immolated his owne daughter If Saul had knowne and considered what is written in the Law Yee shall not doe what seemeth good to your selues but what I command you that you shall doe you shall turne neither to the right hand nor to the left he had not forfeited his Kingdome If Vzziah had knowne and considered that none but the sonnes of Aaron were to approach to the Altar of the Lord and there to burne incense he had not beene smitten with the leprosie To be short If those Kings of Iuda and Israel that built high places and sacrificed vnder euery greene tree had knowne and considered that Hierusalem was the place whither they should haue brought their oblations being the place that God appointed to put his name there they had not been so bitterly inueighed against nor so fearefully threatned by the Prophets as they were To conclude If the Machabees had beene wise and knowne what that meaneth I will haue mercy and not sacrifice that which was the kernell of the ceremony from the beginning how-soeuer the shell was not so cracked and opened in former time as it was by our Sauiour the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath they would not haue suffred themselues to bo knocked downe like Oxen in the Shambles or to be led as sheepe to the slaughter but would haue stood vpon their gard and vpon their defence euen vpon the Sabbath day On the other side Dauid was not afraide to eate of the Shew-bread which was appointed onely for the Priests Dauid was wise and knew that Necessity ouer-ruleth Ceremony So Salomon was not afraid to command Ioab to be slaine euen in the Tabernacle of the Lord although he caught hold of the hornes of the Altar Salomon was wise and knew that there was no Sanctuary for murder So briefely Hezechiah was not scrupulous to goe forward with the celebrating of the Passeouer though there were some present that had not beene cleansed after the purification of the Sanctuary Hezechiah was wise and knew that there was a maine difference betweene those things which God commanded principaliter and those things which he commanded consequentia as Iraeneus saith Thus knowledge of Gods matters cleareth the vnderstanding chaseth away superstition sheweth the more excellent way and bringeth a King to glory Looke what the light is to the eye the eye to the head the head nay the soule of a man to his body the same is wisedome to the soule of a King It filleth him with grace in beleeuing it giueth light to his mind reformeth his will sanctifieth his affections snubbeth and crosseth all vnlawfull designes In crosses it maketh him patient in dangers vndaunted in prosperity moderate in what estate soeuer he be content On the contrary side where this knowledge is wanting there the Sunne goeth downe at noone-day there the light that is in them is turned into darkenesse and how great is the darkenesse They are not so much to be tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is pore-blind which are Saint Peters words but are stricken with grosse darkenesse and blindnesse like the Sodomites they stumble at the threshold nay they doe in Montes impingere as Augustin speaketh and are as ready to enter into the gates of their enemies as of their friends like the Assyrians The Grecians talke of the great helpe that a certaine great Commander had from Philosophy for the quieting of his owne mind and of those that were about him in the time of an Eclipse by shewing by a familiar example the reason thereof So the Romans tell of the great satisfaction that was giuen to their Army in Macedony when one Sulpitius Gallus skilfull in Astronomy fore-told them of an Eclipse before it hapned This was some-what I grant to be heaued vp as it were by the hand of naturall reason to the obseruing of Gods vniforme power and prouidence in causing the Planets to keepe their courses in their Spheares and the reuolutions of the heauens to be certaine and ordinary but yet in respect of the good that is reaped by Diuinity I meane by the knowledge of Gods will in his Word it is but as sounding brasse or as a tinkling Cymball For light it is but as the light of a rush candle to the light of a great burning Torch as Clemens Alexandrinus saith For profit as drosse is to siluer or the chaâ—le is to the wheat as the Prophet speaketh Princes therefore are to haue their hearts stablished by faith and therefore first they must be stored and furnished with the Word of God it must dwell in them plentâ—ously they must be exercised and skilfull in the same so shall they be sufficiently prepared and furnished to euery good worke so shall they be sufficiently armed against error and heresie There haue beene since Christs time many corruptions and deprauations of the truth in the Church of God it is confessed and it cannot be denyed but a great part of them either sprang originally or was much increased through want of wisedome and knowledge in the chiefe Gouernours What maruell if the Mystery of iniquity which began to worke in the time of the Apostles grew to such a head and strength euen in Constantines time or shortly after when that shall be allowed for a good collection out of these words Ye are Gods therefore the Church of Rome hath a speciall priuiledge neither to be looked into for their liues nor to be quâ—stioned for their doctrine So what maruell if the Imperiall dignity did decay and sinke as fast as the Papall did swell and pearke vp as Otho Frisingensis doeth obserue nay the rising of the one was the ruine of the other as wisemen men know When Kings and Princes doe suffer themselues to be gulled with the sweet words of Peter and Paul and of the Church and especially with those words Math. 16. touching the Rocke and Iohn 21. touching the Feeding of Christs Sheepe by these words I say fouly mistaken to be stripped of their Regalities and to cast downe their Crownes not before the Lambe but before the Beast Whereas the former place touching the Rocke viz. Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church containeth a promise common to all the faithfull as the most ancient and learned Fathers doe agree and the latter place touching the Feeding of Christs Sheepe and Lambes containeth a duty belonging to all true Pastors as not onely Saint Paul in the Acts but also Saint Peter himselfe by whom they would make their claime doe most plainely shew I might thus run ouer most points in
man of God But how shall wee know that said they If he be milde and humble in heart said he And how shall we know so much Why said he vse the meanes that he and his may come to the Synode and be there before you and if he rise vp vnto you when you come neere know that he is the seruant of Christ and therefore hearken to him obediently But if he despise you si spreuerit and will not vouchsafe to rise vp vnto you you being the greater number then doe you also despise him and care as little for him Thus they were aduised and accordingly they make tryall and Augustine keeping his place and not daining to rise vp vnto them they condemne him for a proud fellow and became his opposites to the vttermost Beloued that wise man was to blame whatsoeuer opinion of wisedome he had to make a mans manners to be the tryall of his faith and one ceremonious complement to be the tryall of ones life You know Naaman the Syrian when he tooke it in dudgeon that Elisha the Prophet did not come out vnto him in person but onely sent a message to him was reproued for the same of his seruants and required to doe as the Prophet bade him neuer standing vpon circumstances And the Ciuill Law saith well Veritas rerum erroribus gestorum non vitiatur The truth of the case is nâ—t corrupted by the errors falling out in the handling of it yet for all that Augustine is no way to be iustified in his Pontificall stately deportment specially towards strangers and of the same ranke that he was for all his Pall. For as holinesse becommeth Gods house for euer so surely humility graceth mans seate exceedingly be a man neuer so high lifted vp aboue his brethren The Kingdome of God is neither sitting nor standing nor perking nor stouping no more is vertue yet because these are tokens and bewrayers of that which is in man many times therefore doe men obserue them maruellously A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an euill man out of the euill treasure of his heart bringeth forth euill things for of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh yea and so doe all the rest of the parts of the body and all the faculties of the minde shew themselues outwardly A man may dissemble naughtinesse I grant as not be couetous when yet he is an extortioner not to be wanton when yet he is a wedlocke-breaker not to be riotous when yet his heart is euermore in the Tauerne c. But how few doe dissemble vertue how few doe appeare worse then they are indeed The common fault is that men will be counted more vertuous then they are that men loue that which they will not be knowne of and are ashamed to make profession Therefore they that carry tâ—eir noses high into the wind like the wilde Asse in the Wildernesse mentioned by Ieremy and stroute in their gate as though they went vpon stilts or carryed Pomparum fercula they that braue it in silks and veluets nay in siluer and gold aboue their ability and meanes aboue their degree beyond all good order well they may please themselues and such as gaine by them but hardly will they get the reputation of humble men nay they will hardly wash away the imputation of pride and insolency Poterat fortasse minoris piscator quà m piscis emi The Fisher himselfe was not so much worth as he rated the Fiâ—h said the Poet so we may say Many a man is in the middest of his wealth nay of another mans too when he hath his suite on his backe For thus is the Tenant racked the poore repelled the Broker enriched and the Vsurer almost Lorded He that begunne with an hundred nay with tenne increaseth to thousands and hee that began with thousands decreaseth to nothing But as in Tacitus his time there were euery yeere Edicts and Proclamations set forth against the Mathematicians or Astrologers and yet they could neuer get Rome to be rid of them so let the Preachers speake neuer so much against the vanity of apparell now-a-dayes the speech shall be as the sound of one that hath a pleasant voyce as the Prophet saith or rather as of one that speaketh vnpleasantly and most harshly and he shall labour in vaine and for nothing Well if we humble our selues let vs humble our selues euen in our apparell In like manner let vs humble our selues in speech and in demeanor Rehoboam through an vncourteous and rough speech lost tenne Tribes at a clap Demetrius lost a whole Kingdome and the same a rich one euen the Kingdome of Macedony by his arrogant behauiour C. Cesar lost no lesse then an Empire and his life and all by keeping his seat and not vouchsafing to rise vp vnto his Peeres Why should it be thus among Christians I stout and thou stout I dare not venture a cap or a salutation lest I should be a loser Why doe we not rather behold in our brother our owne image yea the image of God and for his sake make our selues equall to them of the lower sort Why did wee not goe one before another in giuing honour and beare one anothers burden and in humblenesse of mind looke not euery one of his owne things but vpon that which is in another and esteeme of that better then of our owne This is true humility and this is thanke-worthy with God when a man not in apparell onely or in word or in gesture humbleth himselfe but when the hidden man which is within is decked with this vertue as with a garment For when humility is once rooted in the heart there will be a correspondency and conformity in the outward behauiour that no exception shall be taken against it for a tree will be knowne by his fruite It is not a good tree that bringeth forth bad fruit neither is it a bad tree that bringeth forth good fruit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said euen Nature in an Heathen man Humble your selues therefore We haue seene what we must doe what duty we must yeeld euen the duty of humility Now let vs see a little to whom we must doe it in these words vnder the mighty hand of God If we were bid to humble our selues to stockes and stones the worke of mens hands which haue eyes and see not eares and heare not then we might refuse to obey for wee must bow to the Lord our God and him onely must we serue If to a shrewd Master or Mistris as Hagar was bid to submit her selfe to Sarah to our aemulus as Haman was faine to doe honor to Mordecai to our fellow-seruant and the same a stranger as the Egyptians submitted themselues to Ioseph to an enemy of our Countrey or a Tyrant as the Israelites were commanded to stoupe to Nabuchadnezzar then it were another matter then we might complaine as some doe in the Scriptures Why hath the Lord dealt
so cruelly with vs But now when the Precept of humiliation is to the Creator of all things shall flâ—sh and blood disdaine to submit it selfe to God weake flesh and blood to the mighty hand of God It was a reason that Iosephus vsed in his Oration to his Countrey-men to perswade them to submit their neckes to the yoke of the Romanes for as much as they had gotten the Dominion of the greatesâ— part of the world The same reason vsed Rabshakâ—h to them that were besieged in Ierusalem that for as much as the King of Assyria had subdued many other Nations strong and mightie therefore they might with credit enough yeeld Dignitate Domini minùs turpis est conditio seâ—uâ— By the honor of the Master the base estate of the seruant becommeth more tolerable It was some comfort to Marcus Antonius hauing wounded himselfe to death in desperation that he was ouercome not by any base coward but by a valiant Roman AEnaeae magni dextrâ cadis So Aeneas bade one comfort himselfe Salâ—em ne lixae manu cadam saith the valorous Admirall of France Slay me and spare not but yet not by the hand of a skullion Let not a boy slay vs said Zibah and Zalmumah Iudg. 8. but rise thou and fall vpon vs for as the man is so is his strength Therefore for as much as we are required to humble our selues vnder Almighty God who made the heauens and the earth by his great power and by his stretched-out Arme and nothing is hard vnto him Ieremy 32. Behold he will breake downe and it cannot be built he shutteth vp a man and he cannot be loosed Iob 12. He putteth his hand vpon the Rockes and ouerthroweth the mountaines by the roots Iob 28. For as much I say as he is the Creator of the Spirits of all flesh not onely of their bodits and doth what he will both in heauen and earth turning man to destruction and againe saying in mercy Turne againe ye children of men Shall we bridle it or bristle it against him shall we scorne to answer when he calleth obey when he commandeth sorrow and mourne when he chasticeth shall we receiue good of the Lord and then to be vnthankefull euill and then be impatient Nay rather let vs hearken to the Commandement in my Text Humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God and to the promise annexed that he may exalt you Foelix Ecclesia saith Austin cuise Deus debitorem fecit non aliquid accipiendo sed omnia promittendo Happy is the Church to whom the Lord hath made himselfe a debtor not by receiuing any thing at her hands but by promising all things Surely though the Lord had onely commanded bade vs on our Alleageance to imbrace humility and to remoue arrogancy farre from vs we were bound euen for the Commandement sake to yeeld all obedience to it For doth not a sonne honor his Father and a seruant his Lord And are we not his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which he hath appointed that we should walke in them Againe if he had tendered the vertue humility vnto vs in it owne kind without any painting without any sauce as it were were it not worthy to be looked vpon nay to be tasted nay to be swallowed downe as most wholesome meate Whatsoeuer it seemeth to you of the wise it hath beene esteemed either the most excellent or the most necessary of all vertues Some call it the Rose of the Garden and the Lilly of the field Some the Queene of all vertues Some the mother Some the foundation and ground-worke Some the roote Certaine it is saith Bernard Nisi super humilitatis stabile fundamentum spiritale aedificium stare non potest A spirituall building cannot stand steady except it be placed vpon the sure foundation of humility Augustine goeth further and saith to Dioscorus that it is the first thing in Christianity and the second and the third and almost all in all for saith he except humility doe both goe before and accompany and follow after all whatsoeuer we doe well pride will wrest it out of our hands and marre all Therefore humility is to be thought vpon and by all meanes to be coueted after euen for the very worth of it though there were no promise annexed to it to drawe vs on But now when God is so good and gracious to vs as to promise vs promotion for the issue and cloze wee must needs shew our selues very dull and very vnhappy if we doe not striue for it as for siluer and digge for it as for treasure The Husband-man is content to goe forth weeping and to bestow his precious seed so that he may returne with ioy and bring his sheaues with him So euery one that proueth Masteries is content to abstaine from all things so that he may obtaine a Crowne though the same be a corruptible one So the Souldier to approue himselfe to him that hath chosen him to the Warfare The Captaine and specially the Generall to get glory what paine and hardnesse doe they sustaine or rather what doe they not sustaine It is written of Alexander I will trouble you but with one Story that being in the farther parts of Asia one while striuing against heat and thirst another while against cold and hunger another while against craggy Rockes another while against deepe and dangerous riuers c. he could not containe but burst forth in this exclamation O yee Athenians what difficulties and dangers doe I endure for your sakes to be praised and celebrated by â—our pennes and tongues Now if to be extolled by the pennes and tongues of vaine men could preuaile so much with a Prince tenderly bred and of great estate should not wee much rather submit our selues to Gods will and pleasure and prouidence and euen deny and defie whatsoeuer worth may seeme to be in vs that hee may aduance vs and bring vs to honour God surely vseth to make great ones small and smal or meane ones great as Xenophon speakes Nay the blessed Virgin being moued by the holy Ghost acknowledgeth as much He pulleth downe the mighty from their seat and exalteth the humble and meeke He maketh high and maketh low yea he maketh them high that before were low if in humility and meekenesse they possesse their soules Dauid kept his fathers sheepe and was not ashamed nay he braggeth of it in an holy kind of reioycing in the Psalme That the Lord tooke him as he followed the Ewes great with Lambe to be a Ruler in Iacob and a Gouernour in Israel So Agathocles so Willigis to trouble you with no more the one was exalted to bee King of Sicily being but a Potters sonne the other to be Archbishop of Mentz a Prince Elector in Germany being but a Wheelers sonne They acknowledged Gods prouidence and worke in their aduancement and were so farre from being ashamed of their base parentage that the one would not
Iames in that he is exalted to the knowledge of God to the faith of Christ to the Adoption of sons to be a Citizen with the Saints and of the house-hold of Gods He is not a bond-man that is set free by Christ nor poore that is rich in faith nor contemptible that is enrolled in the booke of life nor base-borne that hath God to his Father and Christ to his brother If the King would bestow an Office vpon you you would not onely be glad but be proud but now if a great man would adopt thee to be his sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Arrianus vpon Epictetus your superstitiousnesse and arrogancy would be intolerable Now see saith Saint Iohn how great loue the Father hath shewed vs that we should be called the sonnes of God If sonnes then heires saith Saint Paul heires of God and fellow-heires with Christ. And yet doe we complaine of our hard fortune as though God had done nothing for vs And yet doe we demand impatiently Where is the promise of his comming Where is the exalting preferment the Apostle speaketh of Beloued if we haue murmuring within our selues and grudging at the good-man of the house because he setteth vs below and not aboue because he doth not cast vs vp our Indentures before we haue serued our yeeres then doe we walke and talke vnorderly after the fleâ—h and not after Christ We doe not humble our selues vnder the mighty hand of God And so there is no promise made vnto vs. The Husbandman must first labour before he receiue of the fruite Iacob must serue seuen yeeres before he haue his hearts desire in one thing and seuen more before he haue it in another and seuen to that before he haue it inthe third Vnderstand what I say the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all things Blessed the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receiue the Crowne of life if he faint not But take heed that you doe not mistake the case and make that to be a temptation or a crosse that is not You haue not so much as you would haue but haue you not more then you deserue You are made the taile and not the head as Moses speaketh Peraduenture it is good for the Common-weale that you be so yea and good for your selues too Many being set on horse-backe haue roade so madly that they haue broken their horses necke and their owne also Therefore let euery one be content with the estate that God hath giuen him and let him not enuy him that is greater or higher then himselfe For the promise of exalting which is in my Text if you referre it to the blessings of this life hath a secret condition implyed namely if it be good for vs. And shall we be so vnwise or vnhappy to wish for that which will doe vs no good God forbid children indeed will be medling with kniues with edge-tooles also they will not feare to take a Snake or Adder by the taile in stead of an Eele But wee must not be children in vnderstanding but in wit be perfit As concerning maliciousnes and ambition and greedinesse it were good to conuert and become as children but for knowledge and discerning betweene good and euill we must be of a ripe age we must not be deiected for euery light affliction neither must we be puffed vp for any good successe or aduantage We must reioyce as though we reioyced not and mourne as though we mourned not vsing the world as though we vsed it not and humble our selues vnder the mighty hand of God and take all things in good part saying alwayes The Lord be praised This is true riches to be content and this is true honor not to be ambitious and this is true preferrement nay happinesse to be in the fauour of God which none sooner getteth then the humble man if his humility proceed from a pure heart and a good conscience and faith vnfained The Lords Name be euer blessed Amen Amen A SERMON VPON THE SECOND PSALME THE TENTH SERMON PSALME 2. verse 10. Now therefore be wise O Kings be instructed O Iudges of the earth SOME of the Iewish Doctors would haue these words to be an Apostrophe to those Kings and Princes which plotted against the Crowne and dignity of Dauid first to keepe him from his right then to disrobe him being inuested The Psalmist therefore doth aduise them to bethinke themselues better and not to make head any longer against Dauid lest they be found to fight against God himselfe This exposition is good but it is not good enough if that which is not good enough may be truly called good For as Tertullian saith Ratio Diuina non in superficie sed in medullâ plerumque aemula manifestis That is The sence pith of the Word of God is not in the vttermost skinne but in the marrow and commonly crosseth the apparancy of the letter And as Hierome to Paulinus Whatsoeuer we reade in the Scripture it shineth truely and glistereth euen in the rinde but is sweeter in the marrow Therefore to rest vpon the Type or Figure and not to proceed so farre as the thing figured is to deale as weakely as if a man searching in minerals for gold or siluer should content himselfe with the first rubble and giue ouer before he come to the precious Oare It is truth that Dauid did not onely speâ—ke and prophesie of our Sauiour as is euery-where to be seene in the Psalmes and euery-where vouched in the New Testament but also was a Figure of him so expresse a one and liuely that Christ might seeme to haue beene borne in Dauid euen long before He came in the flesh and Dauid to haue reuiued and beene borne againe in Christ euen long after he was dead and rotten This is not to make Iesum Typicum with the Franciscans nor yet to bring In Somnia Pythagoraea that is the passing of soules from bodies from one body to another with those phantastikes but this is to teach as the truth is in Iâ—sus that Christ not onely is now painted out before our eyes and among vs crucified in the preaching of the Gospell but also was shadowed and fore-described in the Old Testament by certaine personall Types as it were Verbo visibili as Augustine speaketh To such an effect as Iustine Martyr toucheth when he saith The G spell what is it but the Law fulfilled The Law what was it but the Gâ—spell foretold This I would say that as Dauid did and suffered many things which were not to haue an end and consummation in Dauid but were to fore-shew the doings and sufferings of Christ the true Dauid He is called Dauid by Hieremy Ezechiel and Hosea to speake of no more and the glory that should follow after so we are to thinke that the Psalmist requiring the Kings of those dayes to be wise and to stoope to Dauids command doth by good consequent
for our duty which I said was a second reason why such excellent titles were giuen vnto Kings the same we might be put in mind of by all the seuerall appellations of Kings which I reckoned vp but I will onely insist vpon two the appellation or title of a Shep-heard and the appellation or title of a Father So then in order If Kings be Shep-heards then we that are subiects are sheepe then we had need to haue two properties at the least of sheep the one mentioned in the 10. of Iohn the other in the 53. of Isay. In the 10. of Iohn it is said that the sheep doe follow their Sheep-heard for they know his voyce but they will not follow a stranger c. Let vs be of the same minde There is a stranger of Rome no lesse to be shunned than the strange woman the same naughty-packe mentioned in Prouerb Cap. 2. and Cap. 7. who with great craft causeth simple-ones to yeeld and with her flattering lippes she enticeth them so that they follow her as an Oxe that goeth to the slaughter and as a foole to the stockes for correction He promiseth liberty but is himselfe the seruant of corruption another Gospell which is not another Gospell but therein he goeth about to deceiue He is an Idoll Sheep-heard preaching not at all nay professing that it doth not belong to him to preach therefore no Ecclesiastike Sheep-heard Euangelizare pascere est to preach the Gospell that is to be an Ecclesiasticke Sheepe-heard saith Bernard and though he counterfeit the voyce of the Sheepe-heard yet he is but an Hyaena and would tole men out of their houses to deuoure them Come out of Babylon O my people saith God by the Prophet and so the voyce of euery Preacher should be O ye that are in Babylon come out from thence ye that are out keepe your selues out lest ye be partakers of her plagues He of Babel He of Rome Rome is called second Babel Babel first Rome by Augustine howsoeuer he counteth himselfe Vicar at the least to the Angell of the great Counsell and putteth his right foot on the Sea and his left on the earth like the mighty Angell Reuel 10. As though all power were giuen vnto him both in heauen and in earth yet he is but an Angell of the bottomles pit Reu. 9. the very Abaddon son of perdition destroying and appointed to destruction Behold I haue warned you This for one note taken from Shep-heard and sheep by way of correlation Another note shall be this The sheepe is dumbe before his Shearer and openeth not his voyce so ought subiects to part with that they can spare for the supply of their chiefe Shep-heard without clamor yea and without grudging The sheep may trust their good Sheep-heard he will tondere not deglubere he will charge his Officers as the Emperour did his Lieutenant in Egypt that they should sheare and not swallow vp or as another reporteth sheare and not shaue he ventureth his life many times for their good as Dauid put his life in his hand and encountred first the Lion then the Beare he commiserateth them when they are in danger and rueth their ruine when they haue miscarried as the same Dauid when hee saw the Angell with the sword drawne cryed out What haue these sheepe done Quid meruistis Ones placidum pecus c Let thy hand O Lord be vpon my selfe I haue sinned As Augustus also when he heard of the ouerthrow giuen vnto his Forces in Germany vnder the vnhappy conduct of Varuâ— he ranne his head against a dore saying Redde Vare Legiones Hast thou lost my Legions Varus so many thousands of my men euery one being as deare vnto me as a childe woe-worth thee Varus that euer thou wert borne vnhappy I that I committed such a charge vnto thee And doth not this commiseration and passionate spirit deserue the fleece What speake I of the whole fleece a piece of the fleece a locke in comparison Marcellinus writeth thus of the Egyptians Erubescit apud Egyptios siquis non inficiando tributa plurimas in Corpore vibices ostendat that is the Egyptians hold it for a marke of degenerousnesse and a disparagement not to be able to shew many blowes many markes of blowes on their bodies receiued by denying of Tribute Thus he Aequius erat hoc voluntate fieri said one and so say I for if there be first a willing mind it is esteemed according to that a man hath and not according to that which he hath not But if it be by constraint or vnwillingly this is not so thanke worthy either with God or with man For this cause Saint Paul signifieth that he would not presse Philemon too farre that the good-turne might be voluntary and not as it were of necessity And the rule is right 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either willingly or not at all I hope it will neuer be verified of so noble a Nation as ours which is laid to the charge of the Corinthians though vpon another occasion Now there is altogether or by all meanes a defect among you yet there is no Nation so perfectly wise but they may be told sometimes as Iacob told his sonnes Peraduenture there was some mistaking some error In the 2. of Sam. the 19. When the men of Israel had bethought themselues how vnrespectiue they had beene towards their King their good King Dauid they bled inwardly as it were and were at strife among themselues who should shew most forwardnesse to make him amends and so it may be thought that whatsoeuer vnhappinesse hath happened I know not by what mistaking or misleading yet when we shall be put to it againe there will appeare so strange an alteration of mindes that if the enemies of the truth and of our State did before clap their hands for ioy because of our diâ—â—raction they will as fast and as passionately wring their hands for sorrow of heart to heare of our ioyning together as one man with one heart and with one shoulder as the Prophet speaketh to beare common burthens and to giue content vnto our Prince Saint Paul speaketh thus of Onesimus Peraduenture he went aside for a season that thou mightest receiue him not now a seruant but more than a seruant a Brother beloued specially to me And Tully I remember saith of his returne from banishment that the same was so glorious that I am afraid said he lest some doe thinke that I went into banishment of set purpose so to be welcommed home with those applauds and acclamations And so who can tell whether this toughnesse which hapned not to all Israel but in part will not redound to the greater aduantage of the King and the greater honour of the Realme godly sorrow causing an earnest endeauour yea indignation yea feare yea longing yea zeale yea a kind of reuenge-taking of our selues so that
grind him to powder For this cause we must be subiect not onely for feare but also for conscience sake nor onely to the King as to the chiefe but also to Rulers as to them that be appointed by him for the punishment of those that doe ill and praise of them that doe well His pleasure if it could be knowne should be a kind of law vnto vs his law when it is promulgated should tye vs by a kind of oath of Alleageance Laudo fidem saith Tertullian quae ante credit obsâ—ruandum esse quam didicit I like of such a faith as beleeueth it ought to obserue this or that before it hath learned the euident reason thereof This hath place in some mysteries of Religion and so in some State-matters a kind of simple obedience is many times necessary but Tergiuersation and reasonings and murmurings and contentiousnesse they must be done away with all vnquietnesse What a motiue is this to induce vs to study by all meanes to giue content to our higher Powers for that we may say of them truly which the flattering Oratour said of the Romane Gouernour falsely Act. 24. By their meanes we enioy much peace and many worthy things are done to our Nation by their prouidence and for that we may say with the words of my Text that they sitting on the Throne of Iudgement doe scatter away all euill What doe they doe They scatter away What doe they scatter away Euill all euill It is said of Christ that he hath his Fan in his hand and will thorowly purge his floore c. Math. 3. The like office is here ascribed to a King a good King that he hath his Fan in his hand and before he doe scatter he doth Fan sift winnow trie for that is implyed in the originall word Zarah so then hee doth not scatter away all causes and persons that are brought before him the righteous as well as the vnrighteous like the cruell Tyrant that cryed out A Calvo ad calvum To the pot with them euery mothers sonne and as Benhadad proclaimed Whether they be come out for peace take them aliue or whether they be come out to fight take them yet aliue make bond-men of them all spare none And briefly as Henricus Stephanus writeth of a Iudge that his manner was when an old fellow was brought before him vpon suspition of felony to say Away with him hang him he hath committed many a felony I warrant you if a young fellow were brought Away with him too hang him he will commit many a felony if he be suffered I say good Gouernours doe not goe thus rashly to worke and as it were by whole-sale but they will separate the precious from the vile as the Prophet speaketh and weigh all things in the ballance of Prudence and will order their Iudgement with discretion as Isaak would not blesse his sonne before he had felt him and Salomon full wisely found out the true mother by tendring an offer and Claudius the Emperour almost as wisely found out the true son by making the like offer witnesse Suetonius in Claudio Ch. 15. Thus by searching they found out who hath right on his side who not who deserue punishment who reward then accordingly they proceed to Iudgement and scatter away all euill All Euill If all euill then the euill that is in the Tribe of Leui as well as in other Tribes Here then the Kings Supremacy ouer all persons is proued againe if all euill then the euill of impiety against the first Table as well as of iniquity against the second Table here then the Kings Supremacy in all causes is vouched What if Gallio and Festus in the Acts of the Apostles did put from them or did not care to meddle with Church-matters and matters of faith They were both Pagans and neither of them a member of the Church much lesse head of any Church So what if Constantine the Great tooke so little vpon him in the Councell of Nice albeit that Councell and others were conuocated by his authority and in that Councell he commanded the books of the Old New Testament to be produced forth tryall of controuersies What if Valentinian the second did endure to heare of Ambrose Ad Imperatorem palatia pertinent ad Sacerdotem Ecclesiae that is The Emperour hath to doe in his Palaces but the Bishop or Priest in Churches why Constantine and Valentinian were both Neophytes or young Schollers in the faith and neither of them as yet baptized Should this be a barre either to Theodosius the Great or to Martianus or to Iustinian or to Carolomannus or to his nephew Charles the Great or to the Othoes Fredericks Henries or to the Kings of France England Scotland Denmarke Swedeland or to such Princes and States that haue Iura Regalia that they should not make Lawes for the aduancement of the true faith and Seruice of God for the abolishing of Idolatry for the curbing of superstition for the rooting out of Heresies for the punishing of blasphemous and seditious Heretickes Briefly for the maintenance of the Ministery and for the inioyning of Ministers to their duty and so forth What reason in the world against this or that Princes should looke for a Commission and as it were an Oracle from Rome This for instruction So for Institution or admonition a word or two had need to be spoken for as S. Peter prophesied that in the last times there should come mockers walking after their owne lusts and saying Where is the promise of Christs comming or presence so peraduenture in this prophane age some will demand prophanely Where is the truth of Salomons assertion He saith That a King sitting in the Throne of Iudgement scattereth away all euill Now it is euident that the King sitteth on the Throne of Iudgement by himselfe and others carefully and Iustice was neuer better administred without respect of persons or Country and yet we see not all euils scattered away For when say some was there more impiety iniquity impurity in the world Quando maior avaritiae patuit sinus alea quando hos animos c. that is When was there more couetousnesse more deceiuing and cogging when was there more gluttony and drunkennes chambring and wantonnes strife and enuying neither can they be content to be drunke with wine and strong drinke as in former ages but they must be drunke euery day and almost euery houre of the day with smoake a sinne that our Elders heard not of Neither are they that weare soft clothing in Kings Courts onely as it is said in the Gospell but they iet it not onely in soft clothing but in cloth of gold and of siluer euen in townes and villages and many haue more vpon their backs then they are worth in their coffers Further euery man hunteth his brother as with a net as the Prophet saith Euery one catcheth his fellow seruant by the throate
as one doth in the Gospell Finally the Land is full of Adulterers mourneth because of oathes 〈◊〉 a word by lying and killing and theeuing and whoring 〈◊〉 breake forth and blood toucheth blood I answere first 〈◊〉 Israel aliud Dilectio though Israel hath not attained yet the election hath obtained howsoeuer many wicked wax worse and worse yet there is a remnant of Grace which haue beene and are daily reformed by exemplary Iustice. Secondly Aliud officium aliud finis It is one thing to doe ones duty and an other thing to attaine his desired end Non semperferiet quodcunque minabitur arcus the arrow doth not alwaies hit the marke yet if the Archer doe take his ayme aright and leuell straight howsoeuer the weather shall blow his arrow aside he is excused Thirdly Aliud Cura aliud Curatio that is A care is one thing a curing is another as Bernard saith Curam exigeris non curationem a care is required of thee not a curing though Israel be not gathered or be neuer the better yet the Magistrate like the Minister shall be glorious in the sight of the Lord his God shall be his strength Lastly as the ancient Father said touching the fulfilling of the Law Then euery thing is said to be done when whatsoeuer is not done is pardoned So it may be said touching reformation then euery euill is said to be scattered away when whatsoeuer is not scattered is punished Is Idolatry winked at superstition smiled at impiety laughed at blaspheming of the holy name of God counted noblenesse be malefactors boulstered protected be they not hunted after that they may be taken when they are taken be they not cut off except their life will doe more good than their death then all euill is scattered all kindes of euill although not euery particular euill for that neuer was nor neuer will be But bâ— what meanes is all euill scattered for that onely now remaineth to be handled Salomon saith that a King doth it with his eyes we vse more frequently to say that the hand or the arme doth scatter but because the eye giueth counsell as it were and direction the honour of the action is attributed to it in my Text. Well then as the King is to haue many hands more than Briareus which was â—entimanus so he is to haue many eyes more than Argus which had Centum luminibus cinctum caput Hee is to haue an eye of seuerity and an eye of clemency and an eye of Maiesty and an eye of Prudence and prouidence these in his owne head and an eye of care and of circumspection in those great ones that are about him An eye of seuerity is many times necessary vt poena ad paucos exemplum ad omnes as one said that is that the punishment may reach to a few the example to all In this respect Synesius Bishop of Ptolemais said that the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the publike sword of Iustice is as necessary for the purging of a City and so of a Common-weale for the scowring of all euills and mischiefes out of it as the great Basons which were wont to be set at the entrance of Temples was thought necessary for the scowring and making cleane of their hands that were to enter Howbeit though much is done by seuerity yet not alwayes nor by it onely sometimes there is as much good done by clemency as for example I make no doubt but that Aurelian the Emperour of whom I spake before did as much good at the least won as many hearts when besieging the City Thyana and threatning because of their standing-out to destroy as many as looked vpon the wall when he had taken it indeed and his Souldiers gaped after the prey and thirsted to shead the blood of the Citizens like water he commanded all the dogges of that City to be killed and this was all the blood that he would suffer to be shed I make no doubt I say but he did as much good by this example of Clemency as when he caused the legs of a Souldier that had abused himselfe by abusing a woman to be tyed to the tops of two young saplings bowed-downe for the purpose that by the recoyling and spirting vp of the same hee might be rent asunder as he was Also if another example were necessary I am perswaded that Papyrius Cursor that famous warrier did as much good by the like example of Clemency that he shewed when calling hastily for the axe of Iustice as it might be the axe of the Tower and an offender that stood by looking for nothing but present death he caused the Executioner to let fly at a root or stub that marred the way and so ended the execution I say I am perswaded he did as much good I am sure he got more loue than when he would haue had his Magistrum Equitum to be put to death without mercy because hee fought with the enemy without his warrant though it were to a publicke aduantage The truth is that both Seuerity and Clemency haue their place and vse but they that propend vnto Clemency get more loue and they that propend vnto seuerity are holden to be rather Necessarij than Boni as it was said of one how much good soeuer they may otherwise be thought to doe The third speciall eye is the eye of Maiesty and the same is of great force to scatter away euill The young men sawe me and hid themselues and the aged arose and stood vp said Iob of himselfe and the like doe diuers report of Cato the yonger that the wantons of Rome were more afraid of him than they were of all their gods for if he were present they would forbeare to speake or doe things vncomly vpon the stage but their gods they reuerenced not and so it is written that the very cast of Alexanders eye in his image made wicked Cassander to startle and to blench what would he haue done if he had beene aliue but I may not stay longer vpon this point Besides these eyes that I haue recited the King hath the eye of Prudence Prâ—uidence in his owne head and of care and circumspection in his Councell and Nobles these are trusted to looke vnto things thorowout the Land euen from Dan to Beersheba Ne quid respub detrimenti capiat Certainely if he had but a small Barge to manage and a handfull of men to guide a few eyes and the same his owne might serue the turne but now a great vessell euen a Galliasse or rather Galliasses are committed to his charge therefore he had need of more eyes than his owne though he should haue not onely an eye vpon his Scepter which was the deuise or Embleme of the Kings of Egypt but also seuen eyes vpon one stone as it is in Zecharie and seuen eyes like the Lambe as it is in the Reuelation Counsellers therefore
being the same that now is extant in our Church Bible the Originall whereof I haue seene vnder his owne hand And here I haue occasion offered me to say something of his modesty and great humility who though he were so vsefull an instrument so strong a helper in the former worke as also the sole Author of this latter the Preface a comely gate to so rich and glorious a Citie yet could I neuer heare that he did at any time speake of either with any attribution to himselfe more than to the rest So that as the Sunne the neerer it commeth to the Zenith or point of the firmament ouer our heads the lesse shadow it casteth so certainely the higher he mounted into the mysteries of Diuine and humane knowledge the lower and lesse he seemed to be in his owne eyes High in worth and humble in heart as Nazianzen spake of Athanasius And now concerning the course of his studies wherein I would propose him as a patterne to be imitated by young Students in our Vniuersities Hee constantly applied himselfe from his youth as they that were then acquainted with him knew to the reading of Antient Classicall Authors of the best note in their owne languages wherewith as also with Neoterickes he was plentifully stored and lusted after no worldly thing so much as bookes Nullius rei praeterquam librorum auarus was sometime his owne speech merrily but as I perswade my selfe truly For there was scarcely a booke in so great a number to be found in his Library especially of the Antients that he had not read ouer à capite ad calcem as hath beene obserued by those who haue had the perusall of them since his death He ran through the Greeke and Latin Fathers and iudiciously noted them in the margent as he went being fitted for that purpose by the dexterous vse of his pen wherein he came not short euen of Professors themselues in that faculty The Rabbins also so many as he had with their Glosses and Commentaries he read and vsed in their owne Idiome of speech and so conuersant he was and expert in the Chaldie Syriacke and Arabicke that he made them as familiar to him almost as his owne natiue tongue But for the Hebrew this I can affirme from credible relation that being vpon a time sent vnto and requested whilest he was a Residentiary in the Cathedrall Church of Hereford by the then Deane of the same Church vpon some speciall occasion to reade the first Lesson at Euening prayer there He yeelded thereunto and hauing with him a little Hebrew Bible the same I suppose that he afterwards vsed to his death and I haue oftentimes seene of Plantins Impression sine punctis He deliuered the Chapter thence in the English Tongue plainely and fully to that learned and iudicious Auditory farre be from all the least suspition of ostentation in him for that act that neuer knew to boast of himselfe or any thing that he had or any thing that he did Stories of all times he knew and for his rich and accomplished furniture in that study had this Eulogium giuen him by a graue and learned Bishop of this Kingdom to be a very walking Library Moreouer he was so well acquainted with the Site of places namely Topographie and obserued so well the time when euery thing of note was done in those seuerall places that he hath caused great Trauellers and Scholers falling into discourse with him vpon that point of Learning to confesse themselues much bettered in their knowledges by his remembrances and to depart away with admiration of his skill What shall I say more of him Whatsoeuer things were true whatsoeuer things were honest whatsouer things were iust whatsoeuer things were pure whatsoeuer things were of good report If there were any vertue or praise he thought on them yea he sought after them and profited in them He liued here to a good old age seuenty yeeres and vpwards guided the See whereof he was Bishop with discretion and care prouided for his children leauing to euery one an honest portion to liue vpon and for the poorer sort of his seruants a competent liuely-hood Hee fought the good fight of faith and hath now finished his course and receiued at Gods hand I doubt not his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his reward of victory 1 Cor. 9. And his Crowne of righteousnesse 2 Timoth. 4. Which neuer shall be taken from him He made Christhis All in all his life whilest he liued and found him in death his aduantage The words of the Apostle Philip. 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were his liuing Mâ—tto And none but Christ none but Christ his dying speech To conclude he turned many to righteousnesse whilest he was in his Pilgrimage here and now shineth as the Starres in the Firmament SERMONS OF THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD MILES SMITH late Lord Bishop of Glocester THE FIRST SERMON IEREMY 9. Verse 23. Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome nor the strong man glory in his strength neither the rich man glory in his riches Verse 24. But let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me c THE Prophet Zachary in his first Chapter hath thus Your fathers where are they and doe the Prophets liue for euer but did not my Words and my statutes which I coÌ„manded by my Seruants the Prophets take hold of your fathers Meaning that they did take hold of their fathers and would take hold of them also excepâ— they repented So 1. Cor. 10. The Apostle saith These things came to them for ensamples but are written to admonish vs on whom the ends of the world are come Signifying tha tthe Iudgements of God recorded in the Word thewhole Word it selfe was not ordained for the vse onely of them in whose dayes it was written but to be for the instruction of the Church in all succeeding ages In a City of Egypt called Diospolis in a Temple there called Pylon there was pictured a little boy to signifie Generation and an old man to signifie Corruption also an Hawke a symbole of God for the quicknesse of his sight and a fish a symbole of hatred Fish were an abomination to the Priests of Egypt as witnesseth Herodotus lib. 2. and lastly a Crocodile to signify Impudency The whole deuice being layd together importing this much and preaching this much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is O yee that are young and comming on O yee that are old and going out of the world O all together to you all be it knowne that God doth hate Impudency This hath Clemens Alexandrinus in the 5. of his Stromats The like may be said of the present Text that I haue in hand that albeit it be a part of a Sermon that the Prophet Ieremy made vnto the Children of Israel a little before their captiuity into Babylon wherein he assureth them that piety onely and
heauenly matters you leese not the earth in the meane time and your earthly possessions So some seeme to make no reckoning at all of their heauenly inheritance so that they may vphold or better their state vpon earth Call you this wisedome or policy or prouidence or the like Then Achitophel was a wise man to preferre the expectancy of honour at the traytor Absaloms hands before the present enioying of fauour and good countenance from King Dauid his anointed Soueraigne Then Esau was politike to esteeme more of a messe of potage then of the blessing which afterward he could not recouer though he sought it with teares Yea briefely then that Emperour was prouident were it Nero or whosoeuer else that fished for Menise and Gudgeons with nets of silke and hookes of gold What is the chaffe to the wheate saith the Lord by the Prophet What is the shadow to the body the body to the soule frailty to eternity What shall it aduantage a man to winne the whole world if he leese his sâ—ule or can any man saue his soule that hath God his enemy or can any man haue God to be his friend that doth double with him Be not deceiued as God is called Amen or True in the Reuelation and calleth himselfe Truth in the 14. of Iohn so he loues truth or sincerity in the inwards parts Psalme 51. and without truth he loueth nothing that he doth loue A doubling man or a man with a double heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Iames is vnstable in all his wayes and can such a one looke for any thing at Gods hands Let them looke to it whosoeuer among vs play fast and loose and blow hot and cold with the Lord making bridges in the ayre as the Comicall Poet saith and making flesh their arme but in their heart depart from the Lord which the Prophet doth so much cry out against Surely such wisedome is not from aboue but is earthly sensuall and deuelish and as truely as the reproch deliuered by the Prophet Esay chapter 44. in respect of their corrupt iudgement is verified in them Hee feedeth on ashes a seduced heart hath deceiued him so that hee cannot deliuer his soule and say May not I erre So the Iudgement denounced by the same Prophet in another place in respect of their worldly policy shall take hold of them Behold saith he you all kindle a fire and are compassed about with sparkes walke in the light of your fire and in the sparkes that yee haue kindled This shall yee haue of mine hand yee shall lye downe in sorrow As if he said Your turning of deuices shall it not be as the Potters clay shall it not breake and crimble betweene your fingers Take counsell as long as you will it shall not stand make a decree it shall not prosper saith the Lord Almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the heathen man He that soweth the wind shall reape the whirle-wind let him be sure of it And let so much be spoken against glorying in wisedome either rightly so called or falsely so termed Let vs consider now of the second thing that we are forbidden to boast of to wit strength Nor the strong man glory in his strength There haue beene many strong men in all ages strong of arme as that Polydamas that caught a wild Bull by one of his hinder legges and held him by the force of his arme for all that the Bull could doe and that Pulio mentioned by Dio that threw stone at a Towne-wall besieged by Germanicus with such might that the battlement which he hit and he which was vpon it came tumbling downe which made them that held the Towne through wonderment at his strength to yeeld it vp strong of hand as that Marius one of the thirtie Tyrants that would turne aside a Wayne with one of his fingers and that Polonian of late in the dayes of Stephen Buthor that would knap a horse-shoo asunder were it neuer so hard betweene his hands strong of arme and hand and body and heart and all as that Aristomenes mentioned by Pliny who slew three hundred Lacedemonians in fight in one day and that Aurelian then or shortly after Emperour of whom they made this song Mille mille mille viuat qui mille mille occidit Let him liue thousands of yeeres or moneths who slew thousands of enemies These were famous men in their generations and no doubt but they were miraculously admired at by them that liued in their times yet for all that neither were others to haue gloryed in them nor they in themselues Not others to glory in them because Saint Paul saith Let no man reioyce or glory in men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 3. And againe Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord 1. Cor. 10. Not themselues to glory in themselues because strength is not to be compared to wisedome and therefore wisedome being debarred from boasting as you heard already strength ought much more That strength commeth short of wisedome Salomon sheweth both by plaine words by an example by plaine words as when he saith Ecclesiast 9. verse 16. Then said I Better is wisedome then strength By an example as in the same Chapter verse 14. A little City and few men in it and a great King came against it and compassed it about and built Forts against it and there was found therein a poore and wise man and he deliuered the City by his wisedome c. Thus Salomon Nature also hath taught as much both in plaine words and by examples In plaine words as Musaeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisdome or sleight is alwayes better then strength By an example as Sertorius for example he caused a couple of horses to bee brought before him the one fat and fleshy the other a leane carrion Iade also a couple of Soldiers the one lusty and strong the other a silly sickly fellow to the leane horse he put the strong man and he going roughly to worke and thinking to doe the deed with dead strength haled and pulled and tired himselfe and was a laughing-stocke to the beholders but the weake fellow vsing some cunning for all his weakenesse did the feate and went away with the applause Wisedome therefore is better then strength and therefore this is one strong reason why strength should not be boasted of since wisedome is denyed Another reason may be this Strength of force bee it equall to the strength of a Lyon or Elephant yet it is but the stren gth of flesh neuerthelesse and all flesh is fraile and subiect to foyle whom one cannot ouercome many may whom sword cannot pierce shot will whom shot doth not hit sickenesse may arrest time surely and death will be sure to make an end of Now should a man be proud of frailty as of grasse of vapor of smoake of a shadow of a tale that is told c.
non irrisit as Bernard speaketh but if the world came vpon him he will be besotted by the world Therefore Thucydides recordeth it as a strange thing in the men of Chius that they were sober for all their prosperity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Euagrius ascribeth this for a speciall praise to Mauritius the Emperour that in his prosperity he retained his ancient piety In our naturall bodies it is thus the more fat the lesse blood in the veines and consequently the fewer spirits and so in our fields abundance of wet breedes abundance of Tares and consequently great scarcity of corne And is it not so with our soules The more of Gods blessing wealth the more weedes of vanity and carnality and the more rich to the world the lesse righteous to God commonly What meant Apuleius to say that Vbi vber ibâ— tuber but to signifie that pride and arrogancy are companions to plenty And what made Salomon to pray against fulnesse but to shew that as they must haue good braines that will carry much drink so they must haue extraordinary soules that will not be ouercome with the world Did not Dauid himselfe in his prosperity say that he should neuer be remoued say or speake vnaduisedly Nay did hee not doe lewdly and wickedly defiling himselfe with his neighbours wife and embruing his hands in his seruitours blood thus adding murder to adultery Did he attempt any such thing in the dayes of want and aduersity No no in his necessity he sought the Lord and gate himselfe vnto his God right earely and offered vnto him the sacrifice of righteousnesse c. And yet we grudge and repine if wee doe not swimme in wealth when wealth through the corruption of our nature doth dull vs and taint vs and make vs vnapt to euery good worke Againe wee shunne pouerty as we would doe a Serpent nay as the gates of hell yet pouerty through the blessing of God doth kindle deuotion and kill sinne in vs euen as Worme-wood or the like bitter things doe kill Moths or wormes This the time will not permit me to stand any longer vpon and therefore I come at once to the second verse and will end the same in a word or two Let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me Mans wisedome strength and riches are vaine and not to be boasted of this much Ieremy hath told vs already and I haue proued vnto you by many reasons But now if you would know what is the thing wherein we may take true comfort and whereof we may safely glory the same is none other thing but piety or godlinesse the true knowledge of God the true seruing of God This hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come this we ought to labor for day and night that we may attaine and hauing attained we may reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorious This our Sauiour Christ doth warrant vs to doe by his owne example Luke 10. Who there is said To haue reioyced in the Spirit on our behalfe because we hâ—d our minds illuminated to vnderstand those things that belong to the Kingdome of God and our saluation Euen as else-where he defineth the happinesse of man to consist herein namely To know God the onely true God and whâ—m he hath sent Iesus Christ. Agreeably whereunto Augustine saith Infelix homo qui scit illa omnia Te autem nescit beatus autem qui Te sâ—it etiam si illa nesciat c. Vnhappy is the man that knowes all those things all secular learning if hee know not Thee but happy is he that knoweth Thee although he bee ignorant of the rest But he that knoweth Thee and the rest too is neuer-a-whit the more blessed for the tother things sake but for Thee onely if knowing Thee he glorifie Thee as God So Augustine The knowledge of God therefore that is the one thing that is necessary that maketh a Christian that lifteth vs vp vnto God that coupleth vs vnto him that iustifieth that saueth that worketh all in all Now by knowledge I vnderstand and the Prophet in my Text vnderstandeth not a bare apprehension or sense of the mind that there is a Diuine power greater and mightier then all for so much the most barbarous Heathen were not without They could say Dâ—us videt omnia Deo commendo c. as Tertullian sheweth yea as Saint Iames saith The very Deuils beleeue and tremble they haue a kind of beliefe therefore they haue knowledge butalso a consent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Clemens Alexandrin calleth it and perswasion of the heart touching both the Prouidence of God that he worketh all in all all for the best to them that loue him also and especially touching his mercy that hee will grant pardon to the penitent euen to them that craue it for his Sonnes sake and lastly touching his bounty that he will euerlastingly reward as many as are his euen as many as beleeue in his Name This is that sauing knowledge which the world knoweth not neither is it reuealed by flesh and blood but by the Spirit of our Father which is in heauen This is that knowledge whereof the Prophet Esay speaketh By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many for he shall beare their iniquities This is that knowledge That precious treasure which so soone as a wise man findeth for ioy thereof he departeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth the field Briefely this is that knowledge in comparison whereof Saint Paul counted all things losse euen dung that he might know Christ and the vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions and be made conformable to his death To conclude this is that knowledge which whosoeuer seeketh is Wise whosoeuer getteth is Rich whosoeuer keepeth is Strong nay vertuous nay happy nay twice happy happy in this world he is by faith and happy in the world to come he shall be by fruition This knowledge the Lord vouchsafe to engraffe in them that want it and increase in them that haue it and make fruitfull in all to the purging of our consciences in this life and the sauing of our soules in the Day of the Lord Iesus To whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit be all honour and glory Amen A SERMON VPON THE SIXT OF IOHN THE SECOND SERMON IOHN 6. Vers. 67.68 69 70. Iesus therefore said vnto the Twelue Will yee also goe away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simon Peter then or therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answered him Lord to whom shall we goe Thou hast the words of euerlasting life And we haue beleeued and knowne Hebraism for we doe beleeue and know that thou art the Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Haue not I chosen you Twelue and one of you is a Deuill NOthing morevncertaine then rhe minds of the multitude you cannot tell where to haue
beyond his appointment to doe the least point of their owne will Thou couldst haue no power against me except it were giuen thee from aboue said Christ to Pilate And Sennacherib did not stirre a foot out of doores before God in his secret counsell did send him against that people of his wrath as it is to be seene Esay 10. Therefore let vs not feare the Axe nor the Sawe nor the Rod nor the Staffe I meane either the French or the Spaniard not whosoeuer that are but instruments and truly but dead instruments too for execution except God say vnto them Destroy but I will tell you whom you shall Feare feare Him that taketh away courage from the valiant and agility from the swift and authority from the honorable and wisedome from the wise c. Feare him that casteth confusion vpon Princes and lifteth vp the simple from the dust and teacheth the hand to warre and the fingers to fight the Lord of Hostes is his Name Him let vs feare and study to make on our side and then we need not care what man can doe vnto vs. Sennacherib was not onely the Lords sword as all wicked Tyrants be Psalme 17.12 but also a sharp sword for so his Name signifieth so his edge his malice declared But yet what of that The Lord that dwelleth in the heauens was sharper He it is that hath the power of life and death killeth and no man saueth saueth and no man killeth It is all one with God to saue with many or with few and so it is all one with God to destroy with many or with few yea to destroy many or few stronger or weaker The Learned know what was sung to Maximinus that barbarous man-queller Elephas grandis est occidiâ—ur Leo fortis est occiditur c. The Elephant is a great beast yet is he slaine the Lyon is a stout beast yet hee is slaine too c. And therefore as Dauid saith He that deliuered me from the paw of the Lyon and from the paw of the Beare He shall deliuer me from the hand of the Philistine So may wee â—ay So may we say The Lord that hitherto hath taken our part against them that rose vp against vs he also will stand by vs still and will not deliuer vs ouer for a prey vnto their teeth But inough of the second note The 3. and last note from the person of Sennacherib shall be this Sennacherib menaceth the Land of Iudah with an huge Army there reuelleth and burneth and spoileth while there is any thing to spoile Thus he sheweth himselfe to be an enemy and exerciseth all kind of hostility But where were the Heraulds or Embassadors that were sent to demand satisfaction for the wrongs that Hezekiah had done if he had done any Why did he not obserue the Law of Armes namely to denounce warre and to send defiance before hee inuaded them with fire and sword Indeed in the Law it is written Deut. 20. When thou commest neere to a Citie to fight against it thou shalt offer it peace c. Also lest you should say that this was a written Law onely and proper to the Iewes The Romanes themselues who were withâ—ut the Law written yea and without God himselfe they in their better times were so farre from oppressing any vpon the sudden without sending them defiance that as Dionysius and Liuy write they did not make warre vpon them before the Herauld Fecialis hauing brought vnto the Romanes the answer of their enâ—mies did returne backe vnto the enemies Countrey and there in the presence of diuers cast a Speare into it in token of defiance This solemnity and this conscience the Romanes learned of Nature and therefore the Assyrians could not plead ignorance except they would smother the light that was in them Howbeit as Tacitus saith In summa fortuna id aequius est quod validius In high estate hee that hath strength on his side hee hath right And as one said vnâ—o a man that alleaged Law for himselfe Ius mihi obiectas gladio accincto Dost thou tell me of the Law that haue the sword in my hand So this Tyrant Sennacherib and his people made no reckoning of honesty or honor or Law of Armes so that they might wreake their anger vpon the Iewes and bring them into subiection to them quo iure quaque iniuria either honourably or dishonourably they cared not So Caracalla when he had no helpe to preuaile agâ—inst the Parthians by force he pretended that he was a suiter to marry the Kings daughter and meant nothing but peace nay the greatest friendship that might be But when he had thus bleared their eyes saw his opportunity he then compassed a great number of them with his Army and slew them without pitie or mercy But the Romanes gained nothing by this for when afterward they fell into the Parthians and Persians hands they cryed quittance with them to the full and taking the Emperour of the Romanes prisoner they vsed him in the vilest manner that might be making him to serue their Princes turne for a foot-stoole as oft as he should get vp vpon his horse Thus much the Romanes degenerating got by their falsehood Now for these men that professed not God nor knew him thus to distaine themselues with vniust and perfidious practices it was no maruell for who will looke for other then euill fruit from an euill tree and filthy water from an vncleane fountaine c But now for them who glory in the Law and trust in God in outward shew and say that they are Catholiques and that all others are Heretiques and the Synagogue of Satan for them to seeke to surprize Christian Common-weales which are at league with them without proclaiming warre first nay at such time to intertaine vs with an hope of peace when their Armado was now lanched nay aduanced forward nay vpon our coastes almost this was such a feate as posterity which will iudge of things incorruptly and render to euery Prince the honor that he deserues posterity I say if there shall be any posterity will record not among the stratagems of noble Warriours but amongst the attempts of false-dissembling Tyrants For mine owne part I rest vpon Tullies iudgement Nemo qui fortitudinis gloriam consecutus est c. Vnhonest craft is not the way to attaine the honor of Knight-hood and I honour from my heart the disposition of those elder Romanes mentioned by Liuy who when certaine commended those Ambassadours whom they had sent into Macedonia for deceiuing the King thereof vnder an hope of peace greatly misliked this new policy of theirs alleaging that their Ancestors atchieued their conquests not by craft but by prowesse and were wont to giue tâ—eir enemies warning what they should trust to Thus whilest there was either loue of fame or feare of shame or sparke of vertue in mens hearts they denounced warres before they waged Warre and
if there had beene any friendship betweene the parties they solemnly renounced the same But now in this weake old age of the world where the Lyons skin will not reach there they itch it with the Fox skin and nothing seemeth vnhonest that will serue their turne nay as children are deceiued with huckle-bones or with Puppets so many seeke to circumuent Princes vnder pretences This is the new Diuinity that our enemies haue learned and this they and we may thanke the Iesuits and the Councell of Trent for the Councell of Trent as being the broachers the Iesuits as the practizers The Councell of Trent they defined that whosoeuer would not receiue their Decrees had forfeited their Kingdomes ipso facto and might lawfully be inuaded by whomsoeuer The Iesuits they grin like a Dogge and goe about the Citie as it is in the Psalme nay like the Enemy of mankind mentioned in the 1. of Iob they compasse the earth round about and buzze into mens eares that keeping of faith out of the Church of Rome is not faithfulnesse but perfidiousnesse Thus they Howbeit as Tertullian said of one that excused his running away by Vir fugiens iterum pugnabit one said so I grant saith Tertullian but he was a cowardly runne-away himselfe So may it be said truly that he that would not haue faith or promise to be kept to a man of a contrary Religion is a man void of faith himselfe For if it be not necessary to keepe our promise made in the name of God and by swearing by him then it is not lawfull to make any such promise Otherwise in that we sweare we shew our selues to be afraid of him to whom we sweare that is of man but in violating the same oath we shew our selues not to be afraid of Him by whom we sweare that is God himselfe This by the way to their Doctrine and practice who are moued with no conscience to inuade them whom they hold to be out of their faith not onely without defiance sending but euen against a League solemnly made And let so much be noted from the example person of Sennacherib the Inuader First what a dangerous thing it is to drawe strangers into a Land Then how vnsatiable a thing Ambition is Lastly what a violent thing it is Now let vs come to the person that was inuaded Hezekiah by name and see how wee may profit by him In the foureteenth yeere of Hezekiah So my Text. This Hezekiah wel-beloued was not an ordinary man but comparable to any of the Kings of Iudah that were before him or after him If Piety be to be respected He did vprightly in the sight of the Lord according to all that Dauid his father had done verse 3. If Zeale He tooke away the high places and brake the Images and cut downe the groues c. verse 4. If Faith and assurance He trusted in the Lord God of Israel and was peerelesse in that respect verse 5. Further if Constancy and perseuerance He claue to the Lord and departed not from him c. verse 6. Finally if valiant acts and good successe in warre The Lord was with him in all that he tooke in hand and he got a famous victory of the Philistims his bordering enemies verse 7 8. This manner of Prince was Hezekiah so religious so zealous so faithfull so vertuous so constant so valiant so successefull And who would haue thought that he being so precious in Gods eyes should haue beene so much honoured in the world and hauing deserued so well of his owne subiects should for the same haue beene no lesse beloued and regarded of his neighbour Princes Indeed it pleaseth God many times to reward vertue and specially piety with such reuerence from men that either for feare or for loue they are suffered to enioy their owne quietly So Salomon had peace forty yeeres together almost round about him on euery side and Iudah and Israel dwelt without feare euery man vnder his Vine and vnder his Fig-tree all the dayes of Salomon 1. Reg. 4. So Abimelech King of the Philistims came to Isaak a priuate man a stranger desired to enter into a League with him Gen. 26. We saw certainely saith he that the Lord was with thee and we thought thus Let there be now an oath betweene vs thou shalt doe vs no hurt as we haue not touched thee c. So Iacob though he had greatly offended Laban his vncle and Esau his brother yet the Lord so wrought for him by mollifying the hearts of the other that they durst not not onely doe him hurt but not so much as speake a rough word vnto him This is that that Salomon saith in the Prouerbes When a maâ—s wayes please the Lord he maketh his very enemies to be his friends And which Satan enuyed to Iob Doth Iob feare God for nought Hast thou not made a hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on euery side Howbeit though it spiteth the Deuill to the heart to see the faithfull specially faithfull Princes to be guarded and protected by God and to be regarded and reuerenced in the world yet for all that the Lord vouchsafeth them that grace many times As the example of Constantine at the first stablishing of the Gospell proueth To whom the King of Persia nay most of the barbarous Kings of those dayes as Eusebius shewth sent presents and desired his friendship As the example of Fredericke surnamed the Wise and Fredericke surnamed the Confessor Dukes of Saxony in the time of restoring the Gospell in those later times that I may not name Gostaue of Sweathland and the free Cities of Germany to whom the Lord shewed such mercy that they were suffered without trouble almost to build a Temple for the Lord as it were I meane to enact Lawes for the true seruice of God for the abolishing of Superstition doe abundantly declare It is very true therefore that as God hath made many hills so high that there is no wind to be felt vpon the top of them and some stones so hard as the Adamant that they will not be broken with any hammer and some trees also so fat and so oyly as the Bay-tree that the Winter stormes haue little power on them though they make the most trees besides to let fall their leaues So there haue beene some in the world so graced and priuiledged by God that euen those things which doe vsually strike thorow other men Enuy and Malice I meane haue had no power to enter vpon them at all They haue beene placed by God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of gunneshot vnder his owne wings as it were and vnder his feathers they haue not beene confounded neither of the Pestilence that walketh in the darkenesse this is secret Enuy neither of the Plague that destroyeth at noone-day this is open and professed Malice Lo thus haue some beene blessed that feared the Lord
not onely they had fauour with their owne people but also they haue beene awed of their very enemies Some haue beene so blessed some few pauci quos aequus amauit Iupiter atque ardens euexit ad aether a virtus sayes the Poet. Some few that haue beene extraordinarily tendered by God and which haue beene mirrors of all vertue and goodnesse Howbeit that you may not thinke the worse of our Hezekiah nor derogate from the perfection of his vertues hereby for that he was inuaded by Sennacherib and not suffered to liue in peace You are to vnderstand that as in naturall and artificiall workings it is not enough that the Agent haue vertue and vigor in it but the patient also or that which it should worke vpon must be rightly disposed and capable of the working as for example How long would it be before you could mould Iron or make mortar of sand or make a piece of dadocke-wood to flame c So likewise for the price and estimation of vertue it is not enough that there be excellency in the doer but there must be some inclination and affection to it in the beholder or witnesse In the great battell that was fought betweene the Romans and the Parthians wherein there were so many thousands of the Romanes so miserably slaine there were twenty Romane Souldiers as Plutarch writeth that fought so valiantly and laid about them so manfully that their enemies that had beene able to hacke them in pieces suffered them to escape thorow the middest of them How so The Parthians were valiant men themselues and therefore no maruell if they honoured valour in other men On the contrary side Proculus a goodly tall man that had gotten the victory of as many as encountred him striking them downe one after another Caligula did not suffer to escape aliue but commanded him to be slaine Why so Caligula was a cowardly wretch himselfe and therefore enuyed the opinion and marke of man-hood in whomsoeuer it was eminent So Xenocrates as the same Plutarch writeth in the life of Phocion was of that reuerend estimation and credit for his wonderfull grauity that they who knew him thought that it was impossible for any to be so carryed away of his passions but euen by the sight of him he should find an alteration in his mind yea and shew some blushing too in his countenance This impression he wrought in others but yet when he came to Antipater with other Ambassadours to waigh him to equity and clemency he could not get as much as a good morrow from him or that he should take him by the hand Why so Antipater was a wicked man the Story sayes and being not vertuous himselfe he had not learned to know vertue in others Hereupon it is found true that was said of the ancient Philosopher that honor is a matter of courtesie and rather in honorante then in honorato And which a learned man of late dayes hath written Quidam laudem merentur quidam habent as though it were not alwayes giuen to whom it is due but others that doe not deserue it will goe away with it sometimes You see therefore that it is not a certaine rule to iudge of mens worth by their renown For although Wisedome and so Vertue and Piety be iustified of her children that is of them that be wise vertuous and godly yet for all that with them that are wicked it is not of that price but contrariwise despised scorned abhorred No maruell then if Hezechiah were not esteemed of Sennacherib according to his vertuous acts all the while Sennacherib was so bad a man as he was first an Idolater then proud then couetous then crafty then puffed vp with successe of his warres else-where c. For the contrary were rather to be maruelled at if darknesse could abide light sowre sweet or euill good The same is to be said to those that are tempted thus to thinke in their hearts Why if our Prince were so peerelesse a Lady as we make her so godly so wise so iust so clement also if the reformation which she hath wrought were according to the Word of God as it is pretended then surely the Lord would haue caused the feare of her to be vpon all the Nations round about vs and no man should be so hardy or so malicious as to assaile vs all the time of her gouernment Answer as the truth is as hath beene partly shewed already that God sometimes for the comfort of his weake ones and that his bounty may be the more sensibly felt euen with carnall hands doth grant peace and quietnesse to his Church and restraine the hearts of Tyrants so that they haue neither power nor heart to doe any euill to his Sanctuary Howbeit this commeth by priuiledge and is not ordinary Againe for some certaine time it is granted but not for ones life Salomon indeed had peace round about for the greatest part of his raigne but had Dauid likewise No he had both his hands full all the dayes of his life and yet who comparable to Dauid So Hezechiah a great part of his raigne was free from any inuasion by the enemy and though his neighbours Lands were on a fire yet in his owne he felt no losse but did he remaine in that securitie No about the middest of his raigne he was brought in ieopardy of his Estate by the Assyrians who could not keepe in any longer the malice that boyled in their brests But some man will say Yet by your leaue Hezechiah was to blame so to prouoke Sennacherib as he did a Prince of farre greater puissance and strength then himselfe for did he not deny him his tribute and so bring vpon himselfe and his people an vnnecessary warre Indeed if it were so Hezechiah was much to blame and Sennacherib was before him not onely for strength of Forces but also for goodnesse of cause and therefore a very euill match made But wel-beloued iudge nothing before the time but iudge with righteous iudgement and as Dauid saith Psalme 40. so say I Blessed is he that iudgeth wisely of the poore or afflicted whom God hath visited In the 53. of Esay the godly confesse their fault for iudging Christ to haue beene plagued and smitten of God for his owne sinnes And in the 9. of Iohn the Apostles are told their fault for that they could no sooner see a blind man one that was borne blind but they must presently aske Master who did sinne this man or his parents that he was borne blind The like reproch doth belong vnto vs if we take the like course of mis-iudging either of Hezechiah or of them that be in like case with Hezechiah Hezechiah did not pay him tribute Why Because he did owe him none for if he had owed any then he had sinned in not rendring it according to that of the Apostle Rom. 13. Giue to all men their duty Tribute to whom Tribute Custome to whom yee
presently rise vp and come among them were they deliuered as soone aâ— they groaned O no The King sent and deliuered Ioseph the Prince of the people let him goe free but when his feet were first hurt in the stockes the yron entred into his soule He was many yeeres in prison first So the Israelites were hardly dealt with in Egypt by their Taske-masters that thâ—y cryed out for the very anguish of their hearts Againe in the Land of the Chaldees they serued tenne Apprentiships before they had leaue to returne to their Countrey This for the faithfull before Christs time As for the faithfull since as God in the 15. of Gen. told Abraham Know this of a surety That thy seed shall be a stranger in a Land that is not theirs foure hundred yeeres and shall serue them and shall be euill intreated but the Nation whom they shall serue will I iudge and afterward they shall come out with great substance So you shall find that the Church had but little peace or rest for the better part of foure hundred yeeres after Christs comming in the flesh and in the later perillous times prophesied of by the Apostles Antichrist had no sooner gotten to high strength which he compassed in Gregorie the seuenths time by superstitious false-hood established in Innocent the third his time by bloody Lawes but the faithfull went to the post and wandred vp and downe hungry and naked and had no dwelling place and were counted as the filth of the world and the off-scowring of all things yea the time was that whosoeuer killed them thought he did God good seruice and this for the most space in a manner that the persecution lasted in the Primitiue time This may suffice to shew Gods patience both towards his seruants and towards his aduersaries The second thing is his Iustice. For although God make a shew as though he were asleepe and saw not what is done as also he sometimes maketh a shew as though he heard not yet for all that at the appointed time he will not faile an inch but comming he will come and will not breake and the iust shall liue by faith but woe be to the wicked it shall be euill with him the reward of his hands shall be giuen him The Lords Seate is prepared for Iudgement and the Lord ruleth ouer all if he whet his glittering sword and his hand take hold on Iudgement hee will execute vengeance on his enemies and reward them that hate him Hee will make his arrowes drunke with blood and his sword shall eate flesh c. Deut. 32. This for his Iustice in punishing the wicked as for his Iustice to right the Godly and comforting of them you know what 's written in the 12. Psalme Now for the oppression of the needy and for the sighs of the poore I will vp saith the Lord and set at liberty them whom the wicked hath snared It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with him For that the righteous should be euen as the wicked be that farre from God said Abraham Genes 18. In this world many times there seemeth to be but a small difference betweene the deuout and profane the pure and polluted him that sacrificeth and him that sacrificeth not Thus all things seeme to fall out alike to the one and to the other nay the wicked seeme to be the warmer and to haue a greater portion in this life What then is the way of the Lord vnrighteous God forbid nay let God be iust and all men sinners as it is written But this it is The Heauen of Heauens is the Lords and for them to whom it was appointed euen for them that call vpon him in truth and thinke vpon his Commandements to doe them but the earth and the commodities thereof He distributeth without respect of persons euen to them that are his children by creation onely and not by adoption But yet there is a difference betweene the prosperity of the one and the other for the ones is but with anxiety of heart euen in laughter their heart is heauy the others is with cheerefulnesse and ioy in the Spirit the ones is a pledge of the greater preferment in the world to come the others is their whole portion and as if God should say Let them take that and looke for no more the ones is with the blessing of the people who wish they had more the others with their curse and hatred who are grieued that they haue so much Briefly the one flourish but for a time and often fore-see the ruine of their house in their life-time but generally within a few Generations their name is cleane put out but now the other hauing their house built not with blood or oppression but vpon the foundation of Iustice feele no shaking or tottering of it while they liue and when they are to leaue the world they are full of hope that their house shall not be like the grasse on the house tops which withereth before it commeth forth Psalme 129. but that it shall continue for a long season euen for many generations Therefore let not the godly be discouraged because he is kept downe and troad vpon neither yet let the wicked be bragge because their imaginations prosper for God hath not forsaken the earth neither hath he forgotten to doe Iustice but his eyes are ouer the righteous and his eares are open to their prayers as for the wicked his countenance is set against them to roote out the memoriall of them from off the earth God is iust let this content the godly he telleth all their bones so that none of them are broken he hath all their teares in his bottle will right them in due time And that God is iust let this appall the wicked he shall cast vp that which he hath gotten vnlawfully the Lord will draw it out of his belly God ariseth to Iudgement This we haue considered of It followeth To saue all the meeke of the earth It is good to be zealous in a good matter alwayes sayes the Apostle to be wise to doe good and in euill to haue no skill as the Prophet doth intimate So it is good to rise betimes to serue God to doe the workes of righteousnesse of mercy and of our lawfull and honest vocation that is pleasing to God that is well reported of by men Abraham did so he rose vp early in the morning to offer a sacrifice to the Lord which he had prescribed So Iob rose betimes to offer for himselfe and his children The good Lepers blamed themselues for sitting still hauing so good newes to impart to their neighbours touching the great plenty of victuall the Lord had sent them by the running away of the Syrians So the people rose in the morning to come vnto Christ to heare him in the Temple Luke 2. And Lysias the high Captaine caused
mind to be expressed or at the least shadowed by the apparell of the body and the getting or possessing of these qualities to the attiring or adorning of the same You know what Saint Peter saith Decke your selues with lowlinesse knit it vnto yâ—u make it your girdles as it were And Saint Paul to the Galatians As many as are baptized haue put on Christ. And to the Romanes Put yee on the Lord Iesus make him your bearing-cloth as it were So to the Ephesians Cast off conceâ—ning the conuersation in times past the old man c. and put ye on the new man make him your inwaâ—d garment So to the Colossians As Elect of God holy and beloued put on the Bowels of mercies gentlenesse humblenesse of mind meekenesse long suffering make them your outward garment Many such places may be found in the new Testament For the old let one be in stead of all Let not mercy and truth forsake thee bind them on thy necke make them thy chaine and write them vpon the Table of thine hea t make them thy Tablet I will trouble you with no more Citations Now this and the like kinde of phrasing may be thought to be vsed by the holy Ghost for two causes First because wee are dull of vnderstanding and cannot conceiue of spirituall matters but by carnall descriptions secondly because he would draw vs away from that which is viler to that which is more precious from that which is pleasing to our senses to that which is profitable to our soules Further this phrasing our Sauiour and his seruants may be obserued to haue vsed in others matters besides apparell Doe you tell me that my mother and my brethren would speake with me Hee that doth the will of my Father in heauen the same is my brother sister and mother He doth not deny his carnall kindred but preferreth the Spirituall So in Saint Iohn Doe ye aske me who hath brought me meat My meate is to doe the will â—f him that sent me So againe Doe yee bragge that ye are Free-men and were neuer seruants to any If the Sonne hath set y u free then are yâ—u free indeed but if yee commit sinne then are yee the seruants of sinne So the Apostle will ye know what is the riches to be accounted of Godlinesse is great riches if a man be content with that he hath c. Would yee know what Sacrifices be best To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased So Bernard Would you know where be my merits My merit is the mercy of the Lord while hee is not voyd of mercy I am not voyd of merit So Chrysostome Would you know what 's the best fast To fast from sinne So Prosper The best keeping of Holy-dayes is to feriat from dead workes Yea out of the Church you shall find this figure and phrasing to be vsed Where are your children Epaminondas My children are my victories said he and namely that gottâ—n at Leuctra they will perpetuate my name Who is the best Patriot The best Carthaginian Hostem qui feriet mihi eâ—iâ— Carthaginiensis What 's the bâ—st Diuination 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The best Diuination is to fight fâ—r ones Country Who is the most Capitall Enemy What the Noblest Conquest To conquer ones affections that the greatest Conquest and sensuality the deadliest enemy So what 's the best Fortresse A good Conscience What true Nobility Vertue To returne to the faithfull Nazianzâ—n hath a good speech to our purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Shame-fastnesse is a faire flowre in a Maidens garland Palenesse that is a great ornament Vertues they be the brauest platting of the haire Thus he and Tertullian before him Vestite vos Serico probitatis c. Put on the Silke of honesty thâ—â—iffiny as it were of Sanctimony and the purple of Chastity Taliter pigmâ—ntatae Dâ—um habebiâ—â—s amatorâ—m If you trimme your selues thus nay if you paint your selues with this kind of painting you shall haue God himselfe your Louer By this time I know you are more then satisfied that â—ob in saying he did put on Iustice made it his garment did speake no strange thing but that which many both of the Church out of the Church haue spoken And this to drawe vs from that which is too much â—steemed to that which ought onely or chiefely to be esteemed Certainely gold and siluer and purple and scarlet and the like and garments and ornaments made of the same are not of themselues common or vncleane Euery creature of God is good saith Saint Paul And euery Ordinance of man not repugnant to the Ordinance of God is obediently to bee yelded vnto saith St. Peter Both Riches and Honour come of thee O Lord c. and it is in thy hand to make great and to giue strength 2. Chron. 29. And He that hath set some aboue their brethren in dignity for the maintenance of peace and order hath prouided for such more costly ornaments and habiliments for the better distinguishing of them from others Esau the elder brother had fairer clothes then Iaaâ—ob the younger Gen. 27. And Ioseph being promoted by Pharaoh was not scrupulous to weare a Ring of gold and a chaine of gold and Silke or fiue Linnen Gen. 41. No more was Daniel scrupulous to be clothed in purple being aduanced by Belshashar Dan. 5. No more Morâ—ecat to be brauely mounted and gorgeously apparelled by the appointment of Ahashuerus as it is in the Booke of Esther Nothing that entereth into the belâ—y defileth a man if his heart be cleane So nothing that is put on the backe if his heart be humble Howbeit as one may be a glutton and highly offend the Maiestie of God iâ— he feed aboue the measure of moderation though meates of themselues be things indifferent So let a man prate neuer so much that his heart is vpright that he is not high-minded and hath no proud lookes yet if hee weare apparell beyond the compasse of his calling or other then Law doth allow he lyeth and speaketh not the truth but maketh himselfe a grieuous transgressor Meates for the belly and the belly for meates saith the Apostle And so apparell for the backe and the backe for apparell and God shall destroy both the one and the other True yet as he that weaâ—eth should not despise him that weareth not So he that weareth not should not iudge him that weareth for God hath called vs in peace This I speake not to giue way to braueing and flaunting the speciall sinne of this age for the which the Land mourneth and fadeth and seemeth to be pressed downe with it as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues as the Scripture speaketh or to excuse them that offend that way By no meanes but to remoue superstition
water is carried by pipes into the Cisterne be either stopped with Preiudice or poysoned by Partiality then they that are to pronounce according vnto their mouthes must needs pronounce amisse Therefore they that are faulty this way deserue double punishment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they offend themselues and make others to offend So much against Partiality The third thing that impeacheth Iustice is Bribery A Lacedemonian Generall complained that he was driuen out of Asia by a thousand Archers he meant by the King of Persia his money an Archer was the stampe of the Persian coyne So in the late ciuill warres in France many were said to haue beene pelted with Spanish Pistols a Pistoll is an indifferent word both for a certaine coyne and a small Peece So the Philistines cryed out Who shall deliuer vs out of the hands of these mighty Gods and so many haue said Who can withstand an Army of Angels of golden Angels But as Austine said Aliud est ridere aliud resp ndere It is one thing to iest another thing to answere So I thinke such a sinne as Bribery is must be beaten downe and broken in pieces more grauely and more substantially then by breaking of Iests It is a truth that corruption is a very old sinne euen Hesiod that liued seuen or eight hundred yeeres before Christ complaineth that his brother went beyond him by bribing of Magistrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by greatly honouring such as deuâ—urâ—d gifts And Plato long after him yet long before Christ reciteth a Sentence of an old Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The greatest Rulers and the greatest Gouernours they that are like Gods vpon the earth haue beene won and ouercome with gifts There is no City so inuincible said one but an Asse laden with gold will make the gates flie open And another receiued this Oracle Fight with siluer Lances and thou shalt be sure to conquer But we need not to rake in the puddle of heathenish writers to know the power of Bribes and gifts Salomon the wisest and best experienced King saith A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it it prospereth whither-soeuer he turneth it And againe A mans gift maketh roome for him and bringeth him befoâ—e great men Yea God himselfe by Moses in Deut. sheweth the great strength of gifts or the great weakenesse of man to withstand them A gift saith he doth blind the eyes of the wise and peruerteth the words of the iust therefore thou shalt not take a gift As if he told vs that there was I know not what poyson in them and indeed men vse to say that beneficia be venificia that the very handling of them will infect a man As â—liny writeth of the fish called Torpedo that if a a man touch it not onely with his hand but with sticke or rod or such like it will benumme him And as Scholers know that Dâ—mosthenes by poysoning Harpalus his Goblet was tempted and weighed to fauour his cause to the great danger of his Countrey and vnto his owne vtter shame No man doubteth but Samuel his sonnes were well brought vp by their Father and so was Gehesi as well by his Master Elisha and Iudas best of all at the feet of our Sauiour And yet Iudas for money sold his Master and Gehesi for money shamed his Master And Samuel his sonnes for money by taking of gifts made their Fathers Gouernment odious to the people which otherwise they could neuer haue beene weary of Now if this were done in better times and where the best examples were shewed then what is to be expected in these worser times in the wane of the Moone as it were in the decrepit age of the world Is it for any man that is in authority being wise to giue absolute credence to his followers that that must be true which they doe prompt iust which they perswade Or are they not rather to suspect them when they see them earnest in a cause that Boâ—em habent in lingua as one said Argentum in faucibus as it was said of another It is certaine that it is not enough for a Magistrate to haue abstinent hands himselfe but he must looke to the fingers of his followers that they be not giuen to finger or prowle Plutarch writeth of Pompey that marching with his men in Sicily because hee would haue them to keepe good rule hee caused their swords to be sealed vp in their scabberds and if he found the seales stirred it was an argument to him they had beene meddling and had done some body wrong and then they paid for it I doe not wish Officers or their men should haue their purses sealed or their armes tyed behind them when they begin their Circuit or enter vpon their imployment By no meanes For The Labourer is worthy of his reward And Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadâ—th out the Corne. And if we thinke them worthy their hyre that gather stones out of the fields to mend the high-wayes or that doe plucke vp weeds out of a Garden that the good herbes may haue the more roome and grow the better then how can we honour or reward them too much that doe plow vp iniquity by the rootes and doe take all offences out of Church and Common-weale Therefore such Fees as are granted them by Law let them take in the Name of God no man is to grudge at it Onely this I aduise and admonish and pray that they that be in authority whether Ciuill persons or Ecclesiasticall yea and their seruants also would thinke Iâ—hn Baptists charge to the Souldiers in Saint Luke to belong to themselues Vse no violence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tosse no man to and fro get nothing by sycophansie and be content with your wages whatsoeuer is taken aboue that is euill What if it be giuen of good will should any mans eye be euill because some mans hand is good Truely if it be giuen of single sincere good will I haue nothing to say against it for nothing is freer then gift and volenti nulla iniuria But what if it be Mixta voluntas as in a tempest the Merchant throweth his goods into the Sea to saue himselfe and his ship shall we call this beneuolence or good will to the Sea or is it not rather necessity or inforcement Why Dauid the time was did make choice of the plague which otherwise he would haue shunned as the gates of death but it was because he would escape a greater Plague euen the plague of Famine or Sword So many put themselues to great charges which they would be glad with all their hearts to saue sauing to auoyd a greater mischiefe Gifts from them that haue no suite present or toward are kindnesses gratuities liberalities and against such there is no Law from them that haue a suite either in present or
Plato requireth in his ingenuous Scholler that he should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And our Prophet in my Text would not haue a man to trust too much to his owne wit or perspicacy but that he should aske of others Indeed Aske and you shall haue seeke and you shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you doth not tie vs to Gods inspiring and touching of vs alone according to that of Saint Iames If any man want wisedome let him aske of the Father of lights but enioyneth vs to vse all lawfull meanes all possible indeauours for the purchasing and compassing of the same precious pearle the knowledge of the true way which leadeth vnto life Therefore hath the Lord so precisely and distinctly referred vs to seuerall guides and instructers as he hath done The women to aske their husbands at home the children to aske their fathers When thy children shall aske thee what this Ceremony of the Passeouer meaneth thou shalt say thus and thus All the people in generall of the Priests and the Prophets The Priests lips shall preserue knowledge and they shall seeke the Law at his lippes Therefore let no man that wanteth wisedome thinke scorne to aske counsell of them that are learned albeit euery good gift and perfect gift commeth downe from the Father of light for then he will take scorne to aske a beneuolence of him that hath more then himselfe because God it is that doth open his hand and fill all things liuing with plenteousnesse Subordinata non pugnant is a rule in the Schooles Now as we are commanded by our Prophet to aske so are we told by him what to aske Aske saith he for the old waâ— This is a very pleasing speech to some old Cinque-Caters If this be admitted once thinke they then all is Cocke-sure on their side For they haue the prescription of a thousand yeeres and more when as our faith is but of yesterday Where was it before Martin Luther c I answer first with the word of Ahab to Benhadad Let not him that girdeth on his Armour boast as he that putteth it off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Any man may prate and talke but Counsell and strength are for the warre words will not winne the cause in a serious encounter The Athenians bragged that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spawned as it were there where they dwelt and therefore vsed to weare Grasse-hoppers on their heads for which cause they were called by Aristophanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Arcadians boasted of their antiquity that they were more ancient then the Moone Lunâgens prior illa fuit And yet they and all the Grecians in generall are told their owne by an Egyptian Priest as Plato beareth witnesse that they were but children and that there was not an old man amongst them So the Gibâ—onites told Iosuah and the men of Israel that they were not of their cursed neighbours whom God had deuoted to destruction and whom they were forbidden to make any league with but that they came from a very farre countrey and therefore to bleare the Israelites eyes they tooke with them old sacks and old bottles and old shooes and old rayment c. But were they the more ancient or the more honest for that cause words be but wind vnlesse there be proofes correspondent Secondy I say that in the originall it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth old but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which more properly signifieth euerlasting or perpetuall Now what are they the neerer for that was their doctrine from the beginning or shall it last euer in our Church Nay Euery plant that the heauenly Father did not plant was of later set and shall be plucked vp by the rootes If theirs be of the heauenly Fathers planting let them shew it by the Scripture For Non accipio quod extra Scripturam de tuo infers saith Tertullian I will not admit of that which they alledge out of their owne head without Scripture Thirdly because they rely much vpon the exposition of Fathers Hierome vpon this place and after him their ordinary Glosse vnderstandeth by Wayes in the first place the Prophets Stand in the way that is search the Prophets what testimony they beare of Christ. And by the Good way Christ Iesus himselfe the Way the Truth and the Life Iohn the 14. This for a taste what iudgement the Westerne Church was of touching the meaning of this place So for the Eâ—sterne Church Theodorit shall speake a very ancient writer and as learned as he was ancient who in his tenth booke of Therapeuticks hath these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Prophet Graecè the Prophets word calleth Wayes the old Prophets and the good way our Sauiour and Lord himselfe So that you see that it is no new shiâ—t of ours to auoyd the stroake of the Argument drawne from Antiquity but an ancient and approued interpretation receiued in the time of the second and third Generall Councels in which time Hierome and Theodorit flourished Fourthly I say that our Prophet himselfe in my Text as though he had â—ore-seene how some would walke in a vaine shaddow and make a flourish with a painted scabberd lest any should mistake the point and so be seduced correcteth and explaineth himselfe in the very next words Which is the good way And so I am come to the second part of my diuision wherof I will speake but a word Aske after the old pathes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where is the same good way As if he had said Did I bid you aske after the Old way and walke therein as though that were a safe and certaine direction of your faith Alas you may be deceiued in this inquiry except you aske for the Old way which is the good way For as some of your Ancestors haue beene good and some bad some true worshippers of God and some Idolaters So by that reason some old or beaten wayes must be crooked and erronious as well as other some right and straight Decline therefore from that way seeme it neuer so old if it may be proued vnto you to be wrong and follow and hold on that onely which is good Thus the Prophet and this to be the true meaning of the place any one that will looke into the Originall may easily finde For though it be somewhat doubtfully translated as though the Prophet would haue the old way to be esteemed for the good way rule of faith yet it is a truth that the Hebrew Text doth import no such thing For if it were to be taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of expressing or defining then it would haue beene said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is the good way not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where or where that which is euer taken Interrogatiuely Now then if this be all that the
Prophet meaneth that we should aske for the old way which is good doth not this imply that there be old wayes which be bad and consequently doth not this make against our Aduersaries that doe rely vpon Antiquity simply without distinction Thus as hee that diggeth a pit falleth many times into it himselfe as it is in the Booke of the Preacher So the Arguments that are framed against the truth doe turne oft-times to the conuiction of false-hoood which it would establish We can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth saith the Apostle Lastly let it be granted that the old way is the good way the right way the true way which in some sense is true if they vnderstand by Old that which is most old that which was from the beginning As our Sauiour Math. 19. When the Pharises alledged for themselues the Antiquitie of Moses his dispensation about the matter of diuorce answered that the manner of Dispensing was not old enough for from the beginning it was not so And Tertullian Id verum quod prius prius quod ab initio ab initio quod ab Apostolis That is true that is former former that was from the beginning from the beginning that was from the Apostles I say if we should grant as we may grant that they that can shew the highest Antiquity to be on their side should goe away with the cause should our Aduersaries gaine any thing thereby Where was their Supremacie in Saint Peters and Saint Pauls time When Saint Paul commandeth Ecclesiasticall persons and all to be subiect to the Higher or chiefe Powers namely to the Magistrate by the interpretation of St. Chrysostome and of whom not And Peter more precisely To be subiect to the King or Emperour as to the chiefe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To whom agreeth Tertullian Colimus Imperatorem vt hominem à Deo secundum solo Deo minorem Wee honour saith he the Emperour as a man immediatly subiect or second to God and inferiour to none but God So where was it taught in Antiquity That Subiects were no longer to obey their Prince then it should please a forraine Bishop if a Bishop and that at his voyce they might take Armes against their Soueraigne and lawfully kill him nay that it was a meritorious deed to kill him Did Peter or Paul or any of the Apostles so teach Did Augustine or Ambrose Basil or Chrysostome or any Doctour for a thousand yeeres after Christ euer write so Lego relego Romanorum Regum res gestas c. saith Otho Frinsigensis I read read ouer againe the Acts of the Roman Emperours and doe find none of them to be so proceeded against by any Roman Prelat before Hildebrands time who liued a thousand and threescore yeeres after Christ. I know he addeth an exception of Pabianus his dealing with Philip and Ambrose with Theodosius but it is one thing to put away a Prince from the Communion another thing to depriue him of his Kingdome This for discharging of Subiects from their oath of obedience As for the suborning of Fryers and Monks and Ruffians to stabbe Kings or Queenes or otherwise to mischiefe them it was neuer heard of in Christendome for a thousand and fiue hundred yeeres and an halfe after Christ vntill the time of these vpstart Iesuites whose proper vocation and imployment seemeth to be to set the whole world on fire being themselues set on fire of hell In Christendome I say the like practice to dispatch the Popes enemies by the hands of Cut-throats allured with the faire promises of this life and of that which is to come hath not beene heard of But in Turky and in Syria for the aduancement of the authority of the Calipha of Babylon and to strengthen the Kingdome of the Soldans it hath beene many times set on foot by the hands of Assasins as some call them as others call them Arsacidacs Thus as Aspis à Vipera venenum mutuatur as Tertullian saith So they of new Babylon haue learned of the old to embrue their hands in the blood of the Lords Anointed But from Mount Sinai this came not nor from Hierusalem nor from the Ancient of dayes But if they will stand vpon Antiquity I will tell you who was their Schoole-master euen he that was a Murderer from the beginning the old Serpent the Deuill Satanas Shall I prosecute this course a little further to shew the newnesse of their doctrine in other points of Religion What one probable place out of Scripture what one colourable reason out of the Fathers or Councels can they produce either for their Seruice in an vnknowne Tongue or for their barring of the people from reading the Scriptures Or for denying them the Cuppe in the Communion Or for the Popes Pardons Or for the merits of Monkery Or that fiue words mumbled by a Priest ouer a piece of bread should annihilate the substance of bread and bring Christs body in place carnally as he was borne of the Virgin Mary c These and twenty other such toyes nay Heresies nay Impieties if they haue any ground in the world for in Antiquity let vs be taken for false witnesses and slanderers and beare the blame for euer The time is spent I presume and therefore I must huddle vp that which remaineth and conclude in a word or two that which is yet vnhandled of my Text to wit the last branch of the Perswasion That wee walke in the good old way And the promise of the reward We shall find rest for our soules I will handle them both together The Apostle in the first to the Romanes conuinceth the Gentiles for that they knowing God did not glorifie him as God And our Sauiour Iohn 13. telleth his Disciples If you know these things happy are yee if you doe them If God hath traced vnto vs in the Scriptures the old and good way If we declare lay open the same vnto you out of the Scriptures you refuse to tread the same then we may say vnto you as the Prophet doth in the like case Doubtlesse in vaine made he it the pen of thewriter is in vaine The King in the Gospell making a marriage feast for his Sonne did not bid them that they should refuse to come or come euill appointed but that they should come with their wedding garment meet at his Table No more doe we light a candle put it on a Candlesticke that any should winke with their eyes or loue darkenes more then light but that they should take knowledge thereof and doe their businesse thereby Euen so if we shew you the truth so euidently that you cannot deny it why doe you not beleeue it If wee shew you the more excellent way as the Apostle speakes so plainely that you cannot controll it why doe you not follow it why doe you not walke therein that so you may finde rest for your soules Shall they
come in Christs Vicars name so he calleth himselfe and would be called by others but indeed he is an Aduersary and you will receiue them and aduenture your neckes for them And wee come in Christs name with his message and reconcilement vnto God whom you haue offended without any working of you to offend the State and will you refuse vs Shall they be welcome with their Traditions that is with their Tales and we odious with the Gospell which was preached vnto you which ye also receiued and which you must returne to if you meane to be saued What is strong illusion what is the working of Satan what is the power of darkenesse if this be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. You forsake the right and straight way and goe that which is full of thornes and stakes what arrogancy and phrensie are you possessed with saith Clemens Alexandrinus out of Sibylla So Cyprian Christ promiseth euerlasting life if we will follow him and he is forsaken The Deuill promiseth Gu-gawes and lyeth too in his promise and he is adored O foedam defectionem ô iniquam permutationem O filthy defection O absurd exchange saith Cyprian The like may we say to those bewitched Countrey-men of ours that preferre Rome before Sion and the doctrine thereof before the liuely Oracles of God that like children or women that haue the disease called Pica preferre Lime or dirt before white bread yea like vnwise Marchants glasse before pearle lead before gold cotton before silke that is error before truth Belial before Christ Baal before Iehouah more particularly ignorance before knowledge dumbe Images before effectuall Teachers Saints before Christ doubtfulnesse before Faith seruile feare before filiall loue horror of conscience before tranquillity of spirit There is no peace to the wicked saith the Lord. And truely there is no rest to the soule in Popery What rest can there be when they make Saints mediation the onely anker of their hope mens books the foundation of their faith mans Absolution the remission of their guilt here and mens pardons the relaxation of their punishment hence This they doe an hundred things as bad in Popery therefore it is impossible that they should be at peace with God or haue peace within themselues that thus make flesh their arme and in their heart depart from God And therfore if you desire to find rest for your soules or to haue your Election saluation made sure vnto you you must haue nothing to do with the vnfruitfull vncoÌ„fortable opinions of Popery but rather abhor them reproue them The Lord in mercy vouchsafe to bring them home that goe astray to confirme them that stand to grant vs true peace true rest through Iesus Christ our blessed Sauiour To whom with the Father the holy Ghost be praise thankesgiuing for euer and euer Amen Amen A SERMON VPON THE FIRST OF PETER THE NINTH SERMON 1. PETER 5. verse 6. Humble your selues therefore vnder the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time THE word therefore hath reference to that which went before namely to the last words of the former verse God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble and inferreth strongly vpon the force of them For if God resisteth the proud if contrariwise he giueth grace to the humble then there is no cause in the world why any man should be proud and there is great cause why euery one should be humble For doe wee prouoke the Lord are we stronger then he If we walke crosse against God or hardly stifly the Chaldee hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hardly he will walke so against vs. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Iacob I grant wrastled with God preuailed but how he did not make head against God neither did he thinke himselfe an equall match for God by no meanes but God vouchsafing to take him vp in his armes and bearing him in his armes that he should not dash his foot against a stone he might doe all things by him that strengthned him he might swimme easily the Lord holding him vp by the chin he might fight valiantly the Lord teaching his hands to warre and his fingers to fight But tell me how they sped against whom God bent himselfe Pharaoh and his Hoast whom the Lord looked vpon out of the fiery and cloudy Pillar for euill and not for good were they not drowned in the red Sea Those stiffe-necked and rebellious Israelites which prouoked the Lord ten times that is many and many a time against whom the Lord swore in his wrath If they shall enter into my rest that is Neuer beleeue me if they enter did not their carkasses fall in the Wildernesse and were they not vtterly consumed there till not one of them was left This before they came into the Land of promise When they were there did not the Lord take the Kingdome from Saul and his Stocke because he was angry with him and gaue it to Dauid From Dauids sonne Salomon because of his Idolatry did he not rend the Kingdome and câ—nferre tenne parts thereof vpon Ieroboam From Ieroboams Line yea from all the Kings of Israel succeeding him and caused them to be carryed away captiues into Assyria There remained the Tribes of Iudah and Beniamin for a while in honorable estate but when these also defied the Lord and prouoked the Holy one of Israel when they said that they should be deliuered because of the righteousnesse of their Fathers and the holinesse of the Temple though they hated to be reformed and had cast Gods Commandements behind them Then did the Lord cast Iudah out of his sight as he had done Israel he plowed Sion as a field as he had done Samaria he made Hierusalem the beloued City in former times which also hee called a greene Oliue-tree faire and of goodly fruite a breeding of Nettles and Salt pits and a perpetuall desolation For it is a righteous thing with God as to shew mercy to them that feare him and stoupe vnto him so also to render tribulation and anguish and shame and confusion to euery one that exalteth himselfe before him to the Iewe first and also to the Greeke Lysander a great man in Lacedemon and one that had deserued well of King Agesilaus being disgraced many wayes and suffering many indignities by the Kings conniuence falleth into expostulation with the King because he suffered him so to be contemned and abused To whom the King made answer So they deserue to be vsed that take so much vpon them as thou doest and will not reuerence and awe the King Precedent merits and good seruice will not tie Princes of a gâ—nerous spirit to such subiects of theirs as shew themselues ouer-lusty and crancke with them And can we thinke that God who is of pure eyes and incomprehensiâ—le Maiesty to whom the greatest men are as nothing and the
shift for themselues by flight before they had put their Generall Sertorius in safety So the Galles had their Soldurios that is deuoted men which vowed to liue and dye with their Lord as Bodin out of antiquity doth gather So the French Protestants are much commended by the equall for that they bâ—stowed the young Princes of Nauarre and Condie in a strong Castle out of gun-shot before they hazarded the great battell of Moncounter The King is so to the Common-weale as the helme is to the shippe or rather as the shippe is to the passengers while the shippe is safe there is hope to recouer the land be we neuer so farre from it though the Sea and winds doe neuer so much swell and rage but if the Shippe sinke or be dashed on the rockes there remaineth nothing but a fearefull looking for of drowning and destruction Therefore the safety of the King being the safety of all what maruell if the Prophet begin with Kings and aduise them to looke about them This may be one cause Another this We know that there is no cloth that doth so kindely take the colour that the Dyer would staine it with as the people are apt to imitate the guize and carriage of their Prince the similitude is not mine but Nazianzens therefore because the conuerting of him is the conuerting of hundreds at a clap and his auersenesse or stiffenesse the auersenesse or standing out of multitudes this also may be thought to be a cause why he beginneth with Kings When was there a good King in Iuda for there were but few in Israel after that Ephraim departed from the house of Dauid that sought the Lord with all his heart but he drew the people to be well-giuen at the least-wise in comparison On the other side when was there a wicked King that did set set vp Idols in his heart or worshipped the Hoast of heauen or burnt incense vnto Baal but the people were as forward and as sharpely set vpon Idolatry as he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The subiect is wont to emulate and imitate the life of his Gouernour or Prince saith one Historiographer and another Princeps quum Imperio maximus sit exemplo maior est that is Be the Prince neuer so great for command yet he commandeth most by his example It is somewhat strange Circumcision is a painefull thing specially in them that are out of their Infancy it may be gathered hereby for that the Turkes vsing it at this day vpon their children being of sâ—me yeeres doe vse such dissembling towards them for the circumstance of the time when they doe it and yet when the King of Sichem had yeelded thereunto the whole City followed So Diodorus writeth of the Aethiopians that when their King had caught some mayme or marke in any part ofhis body the manner was for all his Fauorites to maime or marke themselues in the same part Is it not written of Rehoboam expressely that when he forsooke the Lord all Israel did so with him Also is it not to be obserued in the Ecclesiasticall Story that when Iulian fell from Christ vnto Paganisme Valens in stead of the truth imbraced a lye the vile Heresie of the Arians a great part of the Empire did so likewise On the other side when Iosiah serued the Lord with all his heart all Iuda did so all his dayes And when Constantine the great and Theodosius the great gaue themselues to aduance the faith of Christ and to purge out the old leauen of Heathenisme there was such a change in the Empire on the sudden that Zosimus and Eunapius being Pagans doe much complaine thereof in their writings therefore me thinkes Fulgensius speaketh to good purpose and agreeable to true experience that although Christ dyed indifferently for all the faithfull yet the conuerting of the mighty Ones of the world is of speciall seruice to winne soules vnto Christ. Hee doth symbolize with that learned Writer that allegorizng vpon those words of Saint Iohn touching the taking of so many great Fishes doth congratulate vnto the Church the happy conuerting of Princes because by their conuetsion many were brought vnto Christs Fold Yea Plutarch a Heathen man saw in a manner as much touching the great force that is in the example of Princes for he in the life of Dio speaking of Plato his sayling into Sicily to doe some good vpon King Dionysius maketh this to be the speciall motiue for that the reforming of the King would be the reforming of the whole Iland So then the Kings piety and sound perswasion being as effectuall for the winning of the soules of his subiects as his bodily safety is auaileable for the conseruing of their worldly estates Our Psalmist without doubt had great reasâ—on to doe as he doth to begin with Kings This may suffice for the naturall placing of the words and withall touching the incomparable good that redoundeth to the common Estate by the Kings piety and safety I come now more closely to the Duty of Kings for of that onely and of the touch of the time Now which shall be for application I shall speake at this time Be wise now therefore O Kings Two kindes of wisedome are required in Kings and Princes wisedome or knowledge in Gods matters otherwise called Diuinity and wisedome or knowledge in matters of the world otherwise called Prudence or Policy Both are contained in the Originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifieth also good successe to note that God many times crowneth pious prudence prudent piousnes with many a temporall blessing Both are not onely for ornament like the two Pillars that Salomon put in the Porch of the Temple but also for speciall vse like the hands of Aaron Hur which did support the armes of Moses for the discomfiture of the Amalekites For if they be pious only in Gods matters be not otherwise prudent then they are fitter for the Common-weale of Plato then for the corrupt estate of Romulus for the Cloister then for the Court Againe if they be prudent or politicke onely be not pious then they are fitter to be Kings of Babel where dwelleth confusion then of Hierusalem where Gods glory is seene and more rightly to be called the children of this world which goeth to nought and perisheth then the children of God who loue truth in the inwards and caâ—e for none but for such as worship him from a pure heart with a good conscience Well they must bee Diuines as it were this is first required I say not in profession but in knowledge they must know God the onely Lord and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ they must know Christ and him crucified and the power of his Crosse and vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions that they may be conformable vnto his death they must separate and distinguish truth from error cleane from vncleane right from
forward to the end of the Chapter The excellency of the Gospell aboue the Law is set downe in these three points that is God spake vnto the faithfull vnder the old Testament by Moses the Prophets worthy seruants yet seruants Now the Sonis much better than a seruant and he by whom and for whom a house is built than an vnder-workeman that worketh by the day What is Paul what is Apollos So what was Moses what were the Prophets but Ministers by whom the Church then beleeued This then is one prerogatiue of the Gospell The second is this God spake to the ancient Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is at sundry times or by sundry parts now one pi ece then another the word is indifferent for either sense they that translated this Epistle into Hebrew for it is extant in Hebrew are for the former Cammeh pegnamim but the Syriacke and Arabicke are for the latter well since as I say the word will beare both and both are consonant to the circumstances of the Text we may be bold to make vse of both So then whereas the body of the old Testament was long in compiling much about a thousand yeeres from Moses to Malachi and God spake vnto the Fathers by starts and by fiâ—â— one while raising vp one Prophet another while another now sending them one parcell of Prophesie or Story then another when Christ came all was brought to a perfection in one age the Apostles and Euangelists were aliue some of them when euery part of the new Testament was fully finished Thirdly and lastly the old Testament was deliuered by God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in diuers formes or similitudes as the Syriacke and Arabicke Paraphrasts would haue it that is if I vnderstand them sometimes in the likenesse of a man sometimes of an Angell sometimes of fire sometimes of a winde c. but this is rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rather as it is generally taken in diuers maners of vtterance and manifestation as sometimes in a vision and by dreames and sometimes in darke words and sometimes vnder this type and that type and sometime mouth to mouth that is plainely and familiarly see Numb 12. Iob 33. c. But the deliuering of the Gospell was in more simple maner either by the tongues or by the pennes of them that held an vniforme kind of teaching such as was best for the edifying of Gods people in all succeeding ages Thus we see the excellency of the Gospell aboue the Lawe and this out of the first verse and halfe of the second Now the superexcellency of Christ aboue Moses and the Prophets is to be gathered out of the words that follow in my Text whereof euery branch containeth an Antithesis betweene Christ and the forenamed Moses and the Prophets Christ was made heire of all so were not they by Christ the world was made so was it not by them Christ was the brightnesse of Gods glory c. so were not they Christ vpholdeth all things Christ purgeth vs from our sinnes c. so did not they so can they not doe Therefore Christ beyond all comparison more excellent and more eminent Now let vs take a more particular view of these seuerall points in order as they lye and see what doctrines and exhortations conuictions and reproofes wee may extract out of them To make haste our iourney being long for doubt lest the Sunne come downe vpon vs before we come to our iourneies end as it did vpon the Leuite Iudges 19. this first note with me that if God that spake in old time to the Fathers by the Prophets did also speake to them vpon whom the ends of the world were come by his Sonne then one and the same God is Authour of both Testaments both Old and New Then the Manichees did not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but delirare that is did not trifle but were stark-mad that taught there were duo principia two principall beginnings or Gods the one Authour of the Gospell the other of the Law the one of good the other of euill What if in naturall things it be thus that out of one hole there issueth not sweet water and sowre as Saint Iames saith and that men doe not gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles as Christ saith Yet for all that the God of Nature is not subiect to the Lawes of Nature he can doe whatsoeuer he will Psa. 115. He can make the waters of Marah that were bitter sweet to his seruants and the waters of Iericho that were vnwholesome to become wholesome to the Inhabitants yea make one and the same showre of raine to become comfortable to the Romane Army vpon the prayer and instance ofa Christian Cohort that was among them and to be pernicious vnto the enemies witnesses thereof Paynim writers not onely Christian God that hath first caused light to shine out of darknesse he still formeth the light and createth darknesse maketh peace and createth euill He the Lord doth all these things the Lord and not Lords one and no more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is In Iupiters Hall-floore there are set two barrels of gifts the one of good gifts or blessings the other of euill gifts or plagues Thus spake Homer falsely of Iupiter it may truely be spoken of the true God Iehovah that he hath in his hand two cups the one of comforts the other of crosses which hee powreth out indifferently for the good and for the bad He preserueth all them that loue him but he destroyeth all the wicked With the kind or mercifull he will shew himselfe kind and with the froward he will shew himselfe froward Now this is not to make God the Authour of euill but of Iustice which is good quorum Deus non est author eorum est iustus vltor saith Augustine God is not the authour of sinne but he punisheth the sinner iustly It is iust or a righteous thing with God as to recompence rest to them that are troubled for Christs sake so to them that trouble the Saints and obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ to recompence to them vengeance in flaming fire I grant that the wicked of all ages haue exclaimed as they doe Ezechiel 18. The way of the Lord is not equall as it is vsuall also at this day with offenders and their friends to cry-out against the Law that it is bloody and against the Iudges that they are cruell yet for all that God will be iustified in his saying and ouercome when he is iudged And Iudas himselfe will at the length confesse that he hath sinned in betraying innocent blood and so will the theefe vpon the crosse that he and his fellow did iustly suffer for their offences Therefore let no man say when hee is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted of euill neither tempteth he
by the sword of the enâ—my or by handling their owne sword dastardly or vnskilfully Againe many haue lost that for want of gold which they got by the sword euen children can instance these points Therefore as Ioseph is commended for his good husbandry in that he gathered together an infinite deale of corne and layd vp the same in store-houses against the yeeres of deaâ—th And as Calebs daughter is commended for her good huswifery in that she would not suffer her husband to be content with the fields allotted vnto him but she would needs begge of her father the springs of water for the continuall watering of the same Briefly as on the other side Hezekiah is commended for his good policy that he caused the people to stop all the fountaines and the riuer that ran thorow the middest of the Country that the enemy might be distressed for want of water So if we will not haue the riuer of our hope turned away by the enemy nor otherwise dryed vp if we meane either to win or to saue we must be willing most willing to furnish the State with store of treasure before-hand that there be â—o want when time requireth I confesse that Eusebius reporteth of Constantius Chlorus that he should say that he cared not to haue treasure in his owne coffers all the while his friends his louing subiects had money in their coffers or purses because he could command the same But I thinke it was spoken more confidently than prouidently for howsoeuer it may be as certain that is in friends hands as if it were in our own yet it is not so ready and that euen Constantius himselfe did find for he was faine to detaine with him the Embassadours of Dioclesian to whom he vttered that confident speech for a good time before he could amasse that together that was worth the shewing as is to be seene in the same Eusebius So it is Quod à multis fit negligenter fit It is commonly said that is That which is to be done by many hands it will be long before it be done and so that which is to be gathered from many hands will be long in gathering If any thing be to be receiued we striue who shall be foremost fearing all will be gone before we come but if any thing be to be layed out we striue to be hindmost hoping the burthen will be borne before we come Now by this staggering and looking one vpon another as Iacobs sonnes are said to haue looked one vpon another when they knew not what to doe for want of corne there hapneth delay and delay proueth many times dangerous Neither is that in the 17. of Deut. Where Moses sayth The King shall not gather vnto him much siluer and gold against that which is proiected for in that place not so much the hauing as the coueting nor the coueting simply as to couet with an euill couetousnesse to set our nests on high as the Prophet speaketh to couet to bestow vpon our lusts as Saint Iames speaketh to couet to make ostentation of our wealth as Hezekiah did and by his example Aquinas doth explicate Moses Lastly to couet and to gather by extreme exactions such as Rehoboam would haue vsed and Marcus Antonius de facto did vse imposing vpon Asia two maine Tributes in one yeere who therefore was told but mannerly and perswasiuely not rudely that if he would haue two such Tributes in one yeere he must help them to two Haruests in one yeere But English Tributes moderate Tributes such I say as haue these three properties intimated by the very Etymon of the three Chaldee words signifying Tribute Ezra 4. Mindah belo halac namely that first they be Mindah that is in a measure and moderate according to Saint Pauls rule Make your Collection as God shall haue prospered you 1 Cor. 16. And as it is in the 11. of the Acts They decreed to send to the Brethren that dwelt in Iudea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is According to euery ones store Secondly they must be halac that is goe ouer the Land in generall without partiality according to Saint Pauls rule Againe 2 Cor. 8. Not that others should be eased and you pressed or wringed but that there be an equality Lastly they must be Belo that is inueterate or ancient so farre and so long as the common State requireth no more For salus Regis salus Reipub. salus Reipub. summa Lex that is The safety of the King is the safety of the Common-weale the safety of the Common-weale is a Law aboue all Lawes such Tributes I say Customes Subsidies Fifteenes call them how you will are as necessary many times to vphold a State as the outward ayre which we drawe-in is necessary for respiration and for the refreshing of the vitals as the blood in the veines is necessary for the conseruing of life It was said in old time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is You may not define and stint the charges of warre And the like may be said of the charge of a King and Kingdome that they can hardly be rated or stinted Besides those that are ordinary albeit who can recite halfe the ordinary charges of either how much are they forced many times to bestow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vpon the secret purposes and aduantages of the State as Pericles brought in his account to the Athenians how much in exploratores as Consalvus brought in his account to his master of Spaine witnesse Arnold Ferron Now in these cases is it for Sophocles his sonnes to implead as it were their father for dilapidating or are wee not rather to request him with all instance as Saint Paul was requested 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his sonnes whom he had begotten in the Gospell that he would receiue a blessing of vs and are we not to yeeld willingly to bestowe and to be bestowed againe as the same Apostle speaketh for his sake Lastly I grant that when the holy father of Rome I call him holy as the falling-sickenesse is called an holy sickenesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made this argument namely The Church of Rome is mother to the Church of England and consequently I said he the father thereof therefore since children are not to suffer their parents to want you must supply me with two Prebends out of euery Cathedrall Church with two portions out of euery Religious house c. I say when he made this argument vnto them they denyed the argument and contradicted his agents And no maruell for as when Rabshakeh bragged that his Lord the King of Assyria had preuailed against such a God and such a God and the other God Hezechiah answered Truth for they were not Gods but the worke of mens hands so say I that the English had great reason to deny to ayde the father of Rome and the Church of