Prince and blessed Progenie the only remaine of our religious hope Nor hath the Lord yet failed vs in his prouidence but his mercie towards vs is stretched out stil fortie foure yeares wee enioyed a peerelesse Prince and a Maiden Queene as was her name so was her nature ordained of GOD to giue vs his peace for so is Elizabeth euen Gods rest But when her glasse was runne and done she must to demurre with death Then I say euen then if the Lord had failed vs in the right of succession we might haue said as Beâ—seba did to Dauid in the like extremitie If thou Lord doe not appoint a successor I and my sonne Solomon shall be reputed vile I say if any Romish Adonias had succeeded Elizabeth all the Protestants in the Land ere this had beene reputed vile but thou Lord God of the spirits of all flesh hast not failed vs but appointed a man ouer the congregation to lead vs out and in that the congregation of the Lord shoulde not bee as sheepe which haue no shepheard And as Moses praied for Iosua so doe we for thine annointed O giue him of thy glorie that all the congregation of the children of Israell may obey And so to come and close with the rest I ayme at hauing passed by the Lords prouidence so many Iordens of dangers and hauing enioyed so many merciful refreshings like the sweet running waters of Shiloas that goe softly by Sion hauing I say bene made blessed by so many deliuerances of old and now by this of new the greatest of all endangered by men but deliuered by God now let vs ioyntly giue him the glory who hath made vs so glorious by deliuerance Dread Soueraigne deare Queene sweet Prince and progenie cast downe your Crownes at the feete of your Sauiour and say Wee haue beene saued by thee Earles Nobles and Barons lay by your Robes of estate with your ensignes of honour praise him who hath preserued you and say We haue beene saued by thee You officers in Court resigne vp your staues into the handes of God and say We haue beene supported by thee Ye learned Bishops and Fathers of the Church slide from your Consistories and say to the great Bishop of your soules Wee haue beene kept by thee Ye Knights Squiers and Gentry of the Land vnarme your selues and with your Crests lay your Lawrell in the lappe of Christ and say Wee haue conquered through thee Thou high Court of Parliament dissolue for a time and say O Angell of the great Counsell we will consult with thee And lastly Thou Lord God of Gods and preseruer of men let there bee silence in heauen for the space of halfe an houre till these Saints praises and praiers be offered vp So shall wee sing with a godly Ouation and a grace in our hearts Kings of the earth and all people Princes al Iudges of the world yong men and maides olde men and babes praise the name of the Lord for his name onely is excellent and his praise aboue heauen and earth hee hath exalted the horne of his people his Saints shall praise him euen the children of England whom he loueth and hath made so glorious by deliuerance Praise the Lord O virgin daughter London Praise thy God O England the glorie of Kingdomes and beauty of all Europes honor for he hath made fast the barres of thy gates and hath blessed thy children within thee hee hath set peace in thy borders and satisfied thee with the flower of wheat Let the praise of God therefore bee euer in thy mouth and a sharpe two edged sword in thy hands to be auenged of the Heathenish Atheist and to rebuke the bloudie Papist such honor haue al Saints And now to speake to you Authors and Abettors of these desperate Treasons Cease your Rebellions lay by your bloudie designes recount with your selues your former both faithlesse and fruitlesse attemptes against the Lord and against his annointed Reckon with your selues your former losses in the yeere 1588. wheÌ„ the windes the Seas Rocks and Shelues fought for vs when the Riuer Kishon swept them away from our English Coast to Dingie Cush in Ireland with a Beesome of such destruction to their great Armadae and frighting to our English Fugitiues abroad of their fauorites at home as by the grace of God hath brought them out of all heart out of all abilitie and possibilitie euer to atteÌ„pt the like Learne what it is to fight with GOD Wee must increase you must decrease for Babilon is fallen so told you by the Angel as a thing already past and done and doubled in speech like Pharaos dreame to tell you of the certaintie and expedition thereof Cease O cease to prouoke the Lord any longer and ende your mallice against his Saints ere malice end you lest hee say vnto you as he did vnto Mount Seir Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred and hast put the Israell of God to flight by the force of the sword in the time of their calamitie when their iniquitie had an end Therefore as I liue saith the Lord God I will prepare thee vnto bloud and bloud shall pursue thee except thou hate bloud euen bloud shall pursue thee God is witnesse before whom I stand in the sight of men Angels that I speake not this to seeke the bloud of any their bloud bee vppon themselues and theirs till they haue dried it vp by vnfained repentance I wish the conuersion of all viis modis by all good meanes I wish our Lawes may still be written in milke and that his Maiesties Royall heart may continue a depth of rare mercie I wish our preaching may sauour peace and that the Magistrate may still strike with a trembling hand Yet giue me leaue to pray withall that the rage of the enemy neuer grow so sower as to turne our milke into bloud mercy into iudgement peace into war sythes into swords and them to be hallowed in the bloud one of another which I feare both must will ensue if they grow so great in the contempt of God so grieuous to their Soueraigne and so intollerable to the State which if they doe then be wise O ye Kings be learned ye that be iudges of the earth Let mercy and truth meet together in you Let righteousnes and peace kisse each orher Take the sword into your owne hands and strike O ye Worthies of Israell for Zeba and Zalmana will neuer be killed by the weake hands of Iethro for as the man is so is his strength The Minister may speake the inferior Magistrate may strike and both with a trembling heart and hand like the child Iethro but assure your selues that Romish Zeba and Popish Zalmana will neuer die till you rise vp and with your owne hands fall vpon them as Gedeon did for as the man is so is his strength Sit in vobis materna pietas
Asher which was of a great age after she had liued with an husband seuen yeares from her virginity 37 And she was widow about fourescore and foure yeares and went not out of the Temple but serued God with fastings and prayers night and day 38 She then comming at the same instant vpon them confessed likewise the Lord and spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Hierusalem 39. And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord they returned into Galile to their owne city Nazareth AMbrose saith well Morale est vt qui fidem exigunt fidem astruant It standeth with all congruity that such should publish faith as languish after faith of which number I hold this Anna to be produced of the holy Ghost in this text as a worthy witnesse of Christ his blessed birth and incarnation and so to be preached in the high feast of this his solemnity In whom I obserue three things of speciall note for the practise and imitation of all such as loue the Lord Christ and his profession First the description of her person full of modestie Secondly the practise of her life full of pietie And lastly the profession and publishing of her Christ full of verity And with this threefold cable of modesty pietie and veritie is she haled vp to heauen and hauing powred this pretious balme vpon the head of Christ on earth why may not this Gospell be preached throughout all the world as a memoriall of her that she did it to bury him in her dearest thoughts And first for the person ye see here a woman described in your sight not wanton in her lookes garish in her apparell with painted face curled haire or naked brests prepared for the Theater of men but graue in countenance modest in behauiour and garnished with all religious vertues within fit for the temple of God Such saints are seemely to speak to the praise of our Sauiour to professe his name to witnesse his truth to swaddle the babe and to sing his Lullaby as this day in solace of their saued soules and full solemnity of his blessed birth and incarnation And now that a woman doth witnesse see the mercifull prouidence of our God who would haue the comming of his Christ to be declared by all sorts of people and sexe that all might be inexcuseable who did not beleeue him and all might be cleared who did professe him He took testimnoie froÌ„ the pure nature of Angels who sung to his praise Glory be to God on hie and in earth peace c. He took testimony froÌ„ the cleer nature of the heauens which shined to his praise when he said Vidimus stellam eius in oriente We haue seene his starre in the East Simple shepheards witnessed this truth when as it is in the text All that heard them wondred at those things which were told them of the shepheards Old Simeon lapped him in his armes and layd him in his heart with this profession of his praise Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word I haue seene enough I haue my loue I haue loued enough I haue my life Aged Anna here an holy widow confessed likewise the Lord and spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Ierusalem Yea Iohn in the wombe springing and children in Rama crying coÌ„fessed Christ in their death ere they could speake of him in their life Finally Christ would be professed both of men women virgins wiues and widowes of old men and babes yong men and maids of holy Patriarches inspired Prophets renowned kings that all states and both sexes might exspect redemption by grace from which they were fallen by transgression Whereunto accorded Ambrose when hee sayd Prophetauerat Symeon prophetauerat copulata conâ—ugio prophetauerat virgo debuit etiam vidua prophetare nequa aut professio deesset aut sexus Simeon prophecied the maried wife prophecied a virgin prophecied yea and a widow must prophecie too lest Christ might seeme wanting to either sexe or to any profession And it is further to be obserued for the credit of the cause in hand that none must witnesse their Christ or publish his praise but such as liued to loue him according to that I haue beleeued therefore I haue spoken Abraham was glad to see my daye saith Christ and therefore he spake of him Moses longed after him that should come and therfore he sayd Mitte quem missurus es Dauid sighed after him and therefore he said I will not go into the tabernacle of mine house nor into my bed nor will I giue mine eyes sleepe or rest to the temples of my head vntill I find out the place that is appointed for my Lord the tabernacle of the mighty God of â—acob Now the mystery being reuealed vnto him he said presently Behold we haue heard it at Ephrata which is Bethleem and found it in the wood and we will enter into his tabernacle and worship before his footestoole Esay ioyed at the birth and therefore he spake of him said A child is borne and a sonne is giuen Ieremy of Anathoth in the land of Beniamin was full of the newes and therefore he spake and testified thus Behold I will create a new thing vpon the earth A virgin shall inuiron a man So was Ezechiel by the riuer Kebar and Daniel by the bankes of Vlay both Captiues in Babylon yet full of spirituall deliuerance by Christ and therefore they testified much of his blessed birth death and resurrection with full deliuerance of all the faithfull in and through the Messias What should I say more Simeon longed Anna expected Mary sighed Elizabeth languished after Israels consolation all liued to loue their Christ and for that were chosen to publish his praise and witnesse the truth of his blessed Natiuity The vse of the doctrine in respect of vs is this that if men will be Prophets to professe Christ and women with Anna wil be prophetesses to confesse the Lord to speake of him to all that looke for redemption in Israel they must both beleeue the Lord loue the Lord and liue in him Else will the Lord say as he did to the wicked Why takest thou my word in thy mouth and thou thy selfe hatest to be reformed Or else as he did to the damned diuell when he called him the holy one of God yet the Lord rebuked him saying Hold thy peace and come out of him as and if he should say Tush diuell though thou tell the truth yet will I not be witnessed oâ— by thee Like that of Paul to the Pythonesse when he was grieued to heare Satan witnesse of God his saints saluation Where you see that each mouth is not for all meate nor all apparell for euery backe each lambe is not for the sacrifice nor all trees are for the fabricke of the temple Christ will not
⧠TO THE Right worshipfull Sir PETER LEIGH Knight grace be multiplied in this life and happinesse in the world to come AS Hanna dedicated her Samuel a Nazarite to her God at Shilo so am I bold at your intreaty to separate this mine Anna a Prophetesse to the Lord at Ierusalem and do pray 〈◊〉 may passe vnder the shelter of your worshipfull protection The Saint is but homely arrayed and not for these curious daies wherein wee liue and in which the Son though clad with glory yet cannot runne it course but with censure either of too high a pitch and then it burneth or of too lowe a being and so it heateth not Atheists Papists and Libertynes will censure my plainnesse both in matter of faith and fact I looke for no other but to feele their piercing eye and venomous tooth yet if I escape in some measure the sorrow of my Sauiour sighing and saying Thus was I wounded in the house of my friends I make lesse reckoning of those that are without Haply the Title of the booke may seeme strange and from the subiect therein handled but if you thinke vpon the Ladder Iacob saw in the way to Padan-aram whose first step was on earth and last step in heauen you will finde that none can attaine perfection aboue but first his feete must stand in the Lords presence belowe It was Anna her holy haunt she frequented the Church here that she might come to blessednesse there we may not leap out of our mothers wombe into our fathers ioy but wee must goe by staires from the Temple of grace to the Tower of glory In the meane time this is yours and so am I in all duty and deuotion obliged by many your respectiue fauours to me and mine from you and yours Nor doe I hope you will conceiue the length breadth and depth of the loue I beare you can euer bee contained within the circle of these fewe lines Epistles and papers may point at more loue then they can expresse but the heart is the closet that keepeth all how euer these papers speake And so I leaue you with my very good Lady your wife and all yours to the mercifull protection of the Almightie From London this 14. of December 1608. Your Worships euer in my loue W. LEIGH To my louing Countrymen but especially to the Parishioners of Standish in Lancashire MY deere brethren beloued and longed for these twenty yeares haue I wrastled with God as Iacob did in Bethel in teares and prayers to gaine a blessing to my selfe in the saluation of your soules and with what fruit he knoweth best who knoweth all as a father I haue trauailed in birth againe and againe that Christ might be formed or at least confirmed in you Many a Sabboth haue we sanctified with a double solemnity of prayer praise and prophesie Many a moneth haue we celebrated the Lords Table with the blessed memory of his death and passion Many a time as a Nurse haue I wiped and wrapped vp your stains and many a careful night haue I told in mourning after your defectioÌ„s And for any wrong I euer did you heere I am beare record with me before the Lord before his anoynted whose Oxe haue I taken or whom haue I impleaded God will witnesse with me before whom I stand in the sight of men and Angels that I neuer sought yours but you that you might be moulded for a better life and that Christ might be formed in you Yet may I say in some sort as it is in the Prophet This day is a day of tribulation and rebuke for the children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth I speake not of all for many of you hath the Lord chosen and you are my hope my ioy and reioycing in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming but of many I may say I feare left I haue bestowed vpon them labour in vaine While some with Reuben abide among the sheepfolds to heare the bleatings of the flocke they are couetous Some with Gilead abide beyond â—orden in the greene fields and medowes of their delights and they are carelesse Some with Dan remaine in ships and are gone beyonde the seas they dote vpon their Romish Idols and they are faithlesse Some with Meroz sit at home in the cels of their superstition and they are resolute recusants who will not come to helpe the Lord to helpe the Lord against the mightie Well I say no more but this These diuisions of Tribes are great thoughts of heart yet may we not bee heartlesse but hold on our course with vnwearied diligence hoping that if we sowe in teares we shall reape in ioy as did they of whom it is sayd by the Psalmist Ibant flebant mittentes sua semina They went weeping and carried precious seede but they shall returne with ioy and bring their sheaues A glayning of which sheaffe formerly fallen into your eares but now I feare forgotten and gone out of your hearts I haue thought good againe to present vnto your carefull and christian viewe for it grieueth me not to rehearse the same things often and for you it is expedient Asaphs song was melodious though Israel soÌ„g it ofteÌ„ the Arks marching about Iericho seuen times was no shame in the siege sacking of Iericho As it is an office of the holy Ghost to leade vs into all truth so is it to bring all things to our remembrance which haue been told vs seldome told often forgotten and who is sufficient for these things You are nailes of the Sanctuary and it is not one stroke can fasten you to your hold but you must be often riuited with the same heart hand and hammer I hope to see you in the high feast of Christ his Natiuity towards yet for that I know not how the Lord may dispose of me and of mine occasions abrode I haue sent you this first step towards heauen as an exercise for the time It was Anna her holy haunt looking and longing for Israels coÌ„solation I pray God you may trace it on earth as she then did so shall you be sure to treade it in heauen as she now doth My good worshipfull friend required it I may not deny it your soules need it I may not withdraw it Take it then as a pledge of my deerest loue euer in my praier with you euer in my practise for you And now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout so as both in soule spirit and body you may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ faithfull is he which calleth you which will also do it Brethren pray for vs and the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all Amen From London this 14. of December 1608. Yours in the Lord assured W. LEIGH ANNA HER HOLY HAVNT LVK. 2. 36 ANd there was a Prophetesse one Anna the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of
be presented who was there of all Ierusalem that stept out of their doores to do him any duty seruice or homage but old Simeon and aged Anna citizens of no great note either for wealth worship or honour And being lost onely two sought him Pater ego c. Thy father and I haue sought thee with very heauy harts Al to iustifie that of the Prophet both of their time and ours Multiplicasti gentem non magnificasti laetitiam Thou hast multiplied the nations but hast not increased their ioy much people litle piety many countries few conuerts and whereof I may say as one did of the priests of his dayes Multi sacerdotes pauci sacerdotes multi nomine paucire Many ChristiaÌ„s few Christians many in name few in deed It is and hath beene euer the plaint of the Church much to deplore the frailty of her faith with the barrennes of her wombe and to be like the little worme Iaacob which was trod vpon with euery foote like little Zoar in respect of great Sodome Oh it is but a little one and my soule shal liue A brand taken out of the fire so are the faithfull of God few and fined A few berries after the vintage a few tellies after the gleaning a lodge in a garden of cucummers frequented of few and as a lilly among the thornes so is my loue among the daughters one Lilly but many thornes and pricked because of it sweete perfume I say religion is not of this world but of another This world loueth her owne if ye were of the world saith Christ it would loue you but because yee are not of this world it will loath you I pray not for the world saith Christ but for those few whom thou hast giuen me Totus mundus in maligno positus and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that treade it But narrow is the way that leadeth to saluation and few there be that hit it All the Prophets runne vpon this string and sound this dolefull musicke who will beleeue our report Helpe Lord for there is not one godly man left woe is me for I am like the sommer gatherings c. Our dayes are no better nay surely worse If a man be religious he shall be censured if he be prophane he may be pampered and who will beleeue our preaching is the mournefull complaint of all the Prophets of this time few follow many leaue vs and of those few that followe I feare in fine if Christ support not we shall be constrained to say as he did to the disciples shrinking Vultis vos abire Will you also be gone Surely surely from his birth to his buriall the world was euer barren of faith And if you please yet further to vrge it you shall find that they were but few who did helpe this blessed Babe either in his life or at his death The earth was barren of faith when at his birth Angels from heauen must sing his Lullaby So was it of entertainment when there was no roome for him in the Inne but the stable must be his chamber and the cratch his cradle beasts of the field had their holes and fowles of the aire had their nests but the Sonne of man had not whereon to lay his head It was barren of preachers when the shepheards that kept their sheepe vpon the downes of Bethlehem must leaue their flockes and publish abroad the thing which was told them of that child It was barren of protection by kings to be nurcing fathers or queenes to be nurcing mothers when Herode was vp and all Ierusalem seeking the life of the child to kill it It was barren of Scripture when the Iewes had locked it vp and the Gentiles must be guided by a starre to the place where the Babe was Finally it was barren of mourners at his buriall when only Ioseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus with a few of the Maries followed the hearse and gaue him the last duty of eternall obsequie And so to conclude and close with thy religious heart neuer man spake like this man and yet who did beleeue him neuer man did like this man and yet who would obey him neuer man died like this man and yet who pitied him Not he but Barabas was in the popular cry of all and Hosanna in the highest was turned to crucifie in the lowest All I haue sayd is for our instruction and comfort Instruction to teach vs that multitude is no true note of the Church of God but rather the coÌ„trary for paucitie of professors barreÌ„nes of faith the narrow way haue euer bin plaints of the true Church and companions indiuisible so signified by Christ and to our comfort when he sayd Feare not my little flocke for it is your fathers mind to giue you a kingdome I say you my little flocke and not the multitude of this wicked world for pietie is not for popularity The comfort we gaine is this that wee knowe wee are of God though the whole world lie in wickednesse Neuer should I deeme my selfe to be of the true Church but for it paucitie Neuer should I thinke of Christ to be the Sonne of God but in his pouertie The wreathed crown of thornes vpon the head of Christ is more pretious then all the diadems of princes and the little flocke is of more esteem in the eies of Christ then are all the heards of the reprobate The Turkes and Saraâ—ens who persecute the cause of Christ and Christians are numberles and the East and West Indians who know neither God nor his Christ are as a new world full peopled with all impietie God grant they do not stand vp in iudgement against vs in that great day to reproue vs of farre greater impietie in that we haue neglected so great saluation in this our happie day of grace wherein Christ I much feare hath not the gleanings of our parishes to professe him of our wordes to praise him of our workes to honour him of our thoughts to ioy in him so as if it euer might be said now is the time with vs Multiplicasti genteÌ„ non magnificasti laetitiaÌ„ thou hast multiplied our natioÌ„ with all temporall blessings but thou hast not increased our ioy in heauenly comforts Our soules are sad our zeale is cold our spirits are dumpish our faith is fraile we are of no resolution we haue no courage for the truth we are a people of no bowels either to pity the Babe in misery or publish him in maiesty What should I say more We are of no religion for that we are of any religion temporizing with al resoluing vpon none We neither loue nor liue the life of the Gospell but many walke as I haue told you often and now tell you weeping who are enemies to the truth whose belly is their god and glory their shame and they do but mind earthly things The Lord deliuer
neuer be ended his name is Iohn When God had made Adam and brought him into paradise he suffered him to giue names to all his creatures and for two causes The first that he might distinguish one from another The second that he might haue a property in all and it is thought he gaue names according to the nature of the things Wouldest thou distinguish child from child let their names be significant so did the Iewes of old and it were not farre amisse for Christians to practise the same now that as the Lord hath made them thine by nature so thou should appropriate them his by grace naming them of some great mercy or speciall grace flowing from him That names should be significant it may appeare by the practise of all the godly Adam of red earth so called by God himselfe Eue is Isha which is of man for that she was framed of his rib Cain of a possession for that his father thought he had begotten the promised seed as a repossession of that Paradise which he had formerly lost But when he saw the crookednesse of Cain he called his second sonne Habel which is vanity condemning his owne vanity in his thoughts And it is of speciall note and obseruance that after that he tooke occasion by the names of his children to vnfold the misery of man Sheth a child begotten after his owne image and likenesse as well concerning his creation as corruption Sheth called his sonne Enoch which is desperation Enoch called his sonne Kenan which is dispossession Kenan called his son Mahalaleel which is perceiuing death Rahel yeelding vp the ghost in her painfull trauell called her child Bennoni which is the sonne of my sorrow Of such significant names of mans misery the Scripture is full one I cannot passe in silence to wit of Phinehas wife who wheÌ„ she hard that the Arke of God was taken by the Philistines and that religion was gone she called the child Icabod which is the glory is gone from Israell The Lord grant that wee haue neuer cause so to say so to christen our children or so to sigh to the sorrowe of our sinfull soules when as for our vnthankfulnesse the glorie shall go from EnglaÌ„d The vse of all is this that as nere as we can wee should cleipe our children with significant names such as are no sooner heard but they should make an impression in vs them either of the Lords mercie or our owne miserie But and if we will take in the pride of our harts such names sauoring of flesh and bloud as Dauid did when he called his sonne Absalon which is the fathers peace let vs take heede it fall not out with vs as it did with him for hee became his fathers bane A good aduertisement to see to our names that wee bee not better called then qualified as Absalon was crossing a good name with a bad nature As for prophane names taken from the Gentiles and such as sauour of idolatry away with them as Iupiter Mercurie Venus c. Names we may take of our ancestors so wee follow their vertues as Dauid Abraham Isaac Iacob It is written of one that he was so obliuious that he had forgotten his owne name I feare there bee many such who little regard to follow the vertues of such as they would bee called after yea oftentimes wee heare the sound of our names but we forget the signification Thou shalt bee no more called Iacob but Israel as preuailing with God so said the angell and after Iacob had it he neuer lost it hee neuer forgot it and it was with him as with Scipio Africanus Qui nihil inde praeter cognomen accepisse dicitur he had nothing froÌ„ Carthage but the bare name so what had he or what haue we in this world but a wrastling with God for a blessing The daughter of Phanuel From her gracious name now come wee to the faithfull family whereof she was descended which is here said to be Phanuel A gracious childe no doubt of gratious parents I meane a flourishing branch of a fruitfull tree for Phanuel is Peniel mentioned Gene. 32.30 which is the face of God being the place where Iacob wrastled with the Angell said I haue seene God face to face and my life is preserued In memorie whereof Phanuel learned 3. things notable presidents for fathers of families to follow in making holy their children and houshold 1 The sight of God in his word thus I haue seene God face to face 2 The wrastling with God for a blessing by powerfull prayer and practise of all piety thus I will not let thee go except thou blesse me 3 The assurance of Gods mercie and blessing after such fight contention in these words my life is preserued Let this bee a modell to frame your families by so shall ye bee blessed in all your habitations as was Abraham Cornelius Abed-EdoÌ„ Lazarus at Bethania and Iosua when he resolued said If it seem euill vnto you to serue the Lord choose you this day whom you will serue but I and my house wil serue the Lord. Godlines is great gaine whereunto appertaineth not onely the things of this life but of the life to come Is it gaine you seeke for would you aduance your houses and preferre your children Then liue godlily bring them vp in his feare so shall ye not only honour them in this world but in the world to come I haue beene yong saith Dauid and now am old yet I neuer saw the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging his bread The remembrance of the iust is with praise but the name of the wicked is with rottennesse Let the rule of the Apostle guide you in the bringing vp of your children and familie in nurture holy discipline If there be any that prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his houshould he denieth the faith and is worse then an infidell Which is true and may be verified not so much of temporall trash as of heauenly treasure eueÌ„ of that which râ—st cankereth not moth consumeth not nor theefe breaketh through and stealeth Men thinke it sufficient if they be godly themselues though their children bee riotous Let Ely his example answere that obiection punished for his impunity let Iobes care of his children banqueting increase thy diligeÌ„ce in feare of their future fall The Senate people of Rome as Tullie recordeth sent euery yeare six of their Princes children to the land of Hetruria there to learne the art of diuination To credit the profession of diuinity then Princes children were sent to see into the entrals of beasts flight of birds our inspection now is deeper and we soare higher euen into the bloudy wounds of a sweete sauiour bleeding on earth pleading in heauen and yet woe is me therefore both meane men and mightie
name is memorable Now of these three kindes of life to wit virginity marriage and widdowhead the Monkes make much adoe and such a difference in the sight of men and God too as doth no lesse argue theÌ„ of foule impietie then of iust hypocrisie preferring virginity and widdowhoode much before marriage euen in the sight of God for they attribute vnto virginity the fruite and merit of a hundred fold vnto widdowhoode of sixtie fold but vnto Matrimonie as a state more vile and beggerly only thirty fold Yea and yet some more superstitious theÌ„ these who left vnto mariage no place of fruit or blessing but that of an hundred fold they gaue vnto martyrdome that of sixtie fold to virginity and that of thirtie fold to widdowhoode reckoning mariage among those kindes of life which are nothing pleasing vnto God but onely of mercy suffred to bee and are not farre from fornication Whereupon this speech hath fallen from their filthy mouthes Nuptiae teram replent virginitas Caelum The married replenish the earth but virgins fill heauen as and if lawfull marriage had nought to doe with heauen O how truly are the foule frogs taxed in the froth of their fornication sin sodomie by Bale in his Votaries thus They frowne at marriage who laugh at letchery But leaue wee these hypocrites in their superstition and let vs see what the Scripture saith of these three states of life 1 First the scripture saith of a truth I perceiue that God is no respecter of persons but in euery nation he that feareth him worketh righteousnes is accepted of him Acts. 10.34 2 And Paule saith Circumcision auaileth nothing nor vncircumcision but the keeping of the commandements of God 3 And againe Gal. 3.28 There is neither Iewe nor Grecian there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Iesus And if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seede and heires by promise Out of all which I gather that God is no accepter of persons nor respecteth any maÌ„ place state or condition of men but as they respect him in true piety and godlinesse He respecteth no person place or state of life but in the cause blessed cause blessed person whether virgin wife or widdowe cursed cause cursed person whether widdowe wife or virgin Giue me a religious virgin and I will prefer her before an irreligious wife or widdowe giue me a religious wife or widdowe and I will preferre her before an irreligious virgin For if God respect not circuÌ„cision which was his owne ordinance and vnder the lawe nor reiecteth vncircumcisioÌ„ which was abominable by the Law but a new creature will he trow you regard virginity which was neuer enioyned by law but as a newe creature I gather againe that vpon the touch of Christ all states are sanctified and neuer till we haue dipped our stoles in the bloud of the Lamb If then ye be Christs yee are Abrahams seede and heires by promise not heires for that ye are Iewes rather then Grecians not heires for that ye are men rather then women virgins rather then wiues Kings rather theÌ„ peasants but ye are heires because of the promise euen of the promised seede which laid vp in your hearts by faith vnfolds the inheritance vnto you and maketh you heires of his heauenly kingdome In which sense I may say with Augustine Caelibatus Iohannis non praefertur coniugio Abrahae the single life of Iohn hath no prerogatiue aboue the marriage of Abraham and so to conclude with the Apostle 1. Cor. 7.20.21 c. Let euery man abide in the same vocation wherein he was called Art thou called beeing a seruant care not for it Art thou bound to a wife seeke not to bee loosed art thou loosed from a wife seeke not to be bound But if thou takest a wife thou sinnest not and if a virgin marry she sinneth not neuerthelesse such shall haue trouble in the flesh I say in the flesh not in the faith for it is no touch of faith for virgens ro marrie And therfore true it is Molestiae coniugij sunt paena peccati non matrimonij the troubles of marriage are punishments of sin not of matrimony But leaue we the comparison and come we to Anna how commendably shee passed these three states of life in all piety and godlinesse for it is euident by the text shee was a chaste virgine a chaste wife a chaste widdowe A rare thing in these vnchaste daies wherin fewe either virgins wiues or widdowes go vnspotted she liued with one husband seauen yeares froÌ„ her virginity Ergo she was a virgin vnspotted in the day of her espousals She liued seauen yeares with an husband she liued with him shee liued not from him she liued to loue him she liued to obey him him and no other for that had bin a death and not a life The text saith well shee liued with him which argued her patience as well as her chastity for if she had not beene peaceable it had beene no life but a death they led according to that of Siracides an euill wife is a yoke of Oxen that draweth diuerse waies hee that hath her is as though he held a Scorpion Lastly as the Lord guided her in her virginity honoured her in marriage so hee loued and protected her in her widdowhead an estate of life much respected of God as may appeare by the scriptures Wherein the Lord enioyneth from Horeb to which imperiall law all owe homage Ye shall not trouble any widdowe nor fatherlesse childe if thou vex or trouble such and so he crie and call vpon me I will surely heare his crie And it was a sinne with a vengeance laid vpon the rulers of Israel that they iudged not the fatherlesse neither did the widdows cause come before them Whom to relieue the Apostle maketh a part of pure religion vndefiled before God But Anna her widdowhead was pairlelesse both for prouidence pietie she saw the Lord Iesus presented in the Temple which she could not either in her virginity or when she was a wife to tell you that eueÌ„ therin widdowhead had the prerogatiue aboue virgâ—nity by the Lords prouidence And the chastity of her widdowhoode appeared in this that she so coÌ„tinued for the space of foure score and foure yeares Chambering and wantonnesse rotteth the bones and shorteneth the life but temperance euen in that giueth length of daies To liue fourescore and foure yeares was much and so long to liue in chaste widdowhoode was more but all that time to serue God in the Temple night and day with fasting and prayer was most of all farre from the practise of our wanton widdowes who ere they haue well finished the funerals of the first husband are ready to soleÌ„nize the Nuptials of a second Which though I dare not say it is vnlawfull yet may I say it is not seemely and charge them with this fault that
that beheld it runne warme and smoking into the streets of the Towne so downe into the Riuer of Scene So great a dishonor and so great an infamie to that Nation as the most part of them are ashamed at this day of their owne Countrey defiled with two most filthy spots of Poperie falshood and crueltie of the which whether hath beene the greater in that religion it is hard to say I passe to speake of the Butcherie of Henry late King of France by two Iacobin Friars with poisoned kniues in their handes and Popish Bulles in their bosomes which Guignard the Iesuite was not ashamed to call an heroicall act and a gift of the holy Ghost I say nothing of Parry his stab of death and Lopas his Pill of poison intended against Queene Eliza of famous memory by their owne confession the best natured and qualified Queene that euer liued in England yet this may I say that the dagger was sharpened and the Pill was poysoned with the venome of Popery else Benedetto Palmio and Hannibal Codrotto two factious Iesuites had neuer beene traduced as bellowes to blow the fire and kindle the coales of so great a mischiefe with this warrantie to enflame their hellish hearts that the fact was lawfull and meritorious But if all these were clapt in one they may not ballance with the waight and woe of our late entended dismall day if God of his great mercie and wonted clemencie had not put by the deadly blow For a day of death like that of Doome in ictu oculi had put out the light of Englande King Queene Prince Peere and people All had perished and all at once Seruants had ruled ouer vs and none could haue deliuered vs out of their hands our inheritance had beene turned to the strangers and our houses to the Aliants our fathers had beene childlesse and our children fatherlesse In our English Rama had beene a voice heard mourning and weeping great howling Mothers weeping for their children and children for their mothers and neither had beene comforted because they were not Wee should ere this haue drunken our water by measure eaten our bread by waight our skinne had beene blacke as an Ouen because of the terrible famine they had defiled our women in Sion and our maides in the Cities of Iuda our neckes ere this had beene vnder such persecution as wee should haue been weary of ourliues and neuer haue had rest when our soules had bin put into the hands of so viperous a generation who would haue shut vp our liues in the dungeon and cast a stone vpon vs I say so generall a iudgement so speedie and so bloudy had neuer beene in any kingdome Nay more that deadly blow at once and in Ictu oculi ere this had taken the elder from the gate and the young men from their songs it had silenced the Prophets and dissolued the lawes both of God and the Nation I say still as formerly I haue said so generall a iudgement so speedie and so bloudy had neuer beene seene in any kingdome The Royall Pallace of Westminster Cittie and Sanctuarie there built by the Noble Kings of this Land now honoured with the presence of as mighty a Monarch as euer went before with as wise a Councell as euer England had with as full a Senate of Nobles as euer sate there with Bishops for learning gifts and graces equalling if not aboue the reach of former times and with Knights and Commons of the lower House of Parliament in all respects sutable this Royall Place and Presence with all the Honor Puissance and Pietie thereof to haue bin blowne vp at once and in Ictu oculi I say still so generall a iudgement so speedie and so bloudie had neuer beene seene in any kingdome O vnnaturall and degenerate Englishmen how could you euer endure to thirst after the destruction of so sacred a Senate and sweet an assembly how could you finde in your hearts to seeke the destruction of so benigne a prince and so Royall an issue with the vtter subuersion of so glorious a state by bringing into the bowels therof that Romish Apollyon mentioned in the Reuelation who where hee is victorious staineth the earth with bloud the ayre with blasphemie and the heauens with his abominable and luxurious incontinencies The old worthy Romanes the two Decii thought it the most heroicall thing that might bee to vow themselues to death for their Country and euen to spend their liues in defence of their Altars Temples and Monuments of their Elders but you seeke to see your Countrey bathing in the bloud of your Prince Peeres and Prophets in the bloud of your parents kinred and friends to see the cities graues and temples of your predecessors consumed with fire to see your Records burned your Actuaries destroyed your virgins deflowred your women rauished and finally to bring the noblest of Nations into a perpetuall slauery and seruitude by as deadly and dolorous a blow as euer was deuised or done in any kingdome except in that kingdome of darknesse where is nothing else but hell horror and all confusion Surely surely for this your entended mischiefe and your former murthers the worme that neuer dieth will gnaw your rebellious hearts and the furies of hel which neuer giue rest will haunt you in your habitations where euer ye goe they will speake in the voice of those Kings Queenes and Princes with whose bloude you haue embrewed your trayterous hearts and hands as it is said Caesars ghost did to Brutus and Cassius whom in the Senate they murdered with such crueltie O vnkinde Countrymen and cruell Caitiffes I haue beene your blisse but you are now my bane I haue beene your mirth and you are now my moane I haue beene your wealth and shadow in a florishing Empire but you are now my want and woe in a decaying estate I haue preserued your wiues to your comfort and your children to your great ioy but yâ— haue made my wife husbandlesse and my children fatherlesse to their vnspeakable griefe I clothed you with scarlet and hanged ornaments of gold vpon your apparell spotted with the purest Armines but you haue couered my dead corps with a Carpet of greene grasse diaperd with my dearest bloud Finally I haue kept your Daggers within your sheaths and you haue sheathed them within my heart Fie fie Flee flee And whither can you flee but the Hagge will euer haunt you nor can you euer fare well till the Furie finde you faultlesse Interim nos ad sepulehra vadimus We sleepe in peace The Lord deliuer our Church and Country from all such Brutish and Cassian cruelties so as neuer they bee able either to touch the Lords annointed or doe his Prophets any harme and praised be the Lord which hath not now giuen vs a prey vnto their teeth for our soule is escaped euen as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler the snare is broken and wee are