hundreth yeeres or there about But in her declining age great diuisions did fall out by ciuill warres which did bring foorth a great desolation and dissolution of the which there did rise a multitude of other Kings and kingdomes according to the prophecie of Daniel during the perfection of this Monarchie Christ did establish his eternall kingdome which was the calling of all the nations of the Gentiles from their Idolatrie foretold by the Prophet Christ amongst all estates of the world did make choise of this vnited estate of all kingdomes vnder one King Monarche to begin his spirituall kingdom here amongst men Whereby we are taught that the onely son of God did loue the condition of the Vnion of many kings in one as being an Image of his heauenly kingdome aboue all other estates For the choise of Christs birth Incarnation vnder the estate of Vnion was a prophesie of the Vnion of Christs vniuersal kingdome which was to be ioyned with the earthly Monarchie The beginning of the foundation of Christs kingdome was in the age of a generall peace established by Augustus who as we learne by the Romane histories Toto arbe pacato Ianum clusit did close the Temple of Ianus the whole world being at peace We will lay before your eyes briefly the estate and progresse of this blessed vnion of the worldly Monarchie with the spirituall kingdome of God and shew you also what a great benefit God hath powred foorth vpon this Iland of great Brittannie in choosing it to be the holy place wherein this admirable vnion of God and man is conioined in the person of a Britaine King vniting the temporall and spirituall Monarchie in one We are taught by Ecclesiasticall histories and others that Christ Iesus the eternall son of his eternall father after his crucifying and ascension by sending of his Apostles through the world did propagate the true religion and adoration of the increated God in the whole Romane Monarchie for the space of fiftie yeares But Satan who was and as yet is a vigilant watchman a carefull searcher and a busie Bishop did not forget his diuellish attempts For knowing that the preaching of the Euangell would destroy his Temple which was full of Gentilique Idolatrie he did raise vp Nero many of his successors to excercise many bloody and cruell persecutions against Christs owne Apostles and Disciples for the space of three hundred yeares or therabout Hoping by such cruell murdering of Gods holy Saints to abolish the true adoration and religion of Christ and to maintaine the temples of his Idols and false Gods But that is true which antiquitie doth say Sanguis Martyrum est semen Euangelij The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Gospell So that in this case Satan was frustrated of his wicked expectation that he had to destroy the true religion by the shedding of the pretious blood euen as he was deceiued when he seduced the people of the Iewes to crucify the Lord of glory For if Satan had knowen that the crucifying of Christ Iesus and the shedding of the bloud of that immaculat Lambe should tend to the saluation of mankind and of his revnion with God he would not then haue instigated the Iewes to crucifie the Lord of glory and if he had knowen that the bloudshed of so manie holie Martyrs which were killed for the space of three hundred yeeres after Christ by the Romane Emperors and their lieutenants if he had imagined that all these things did more establish and confirme Christs Gospell then they did hinder the passage thereof he would haue left of to haue procured so many persecutions against the Christians All these persecutions being ended God did conciliat a marriage betwixt Constantius Chlorus who had to his part of the Romane Monarchie Germanie France Spaine and great Brittaine and Helena daughter to Coilus or Coelus who was King ouer that part of Brittaine that did resist the Romans by the which mariage Constantinus Magnus their sonne was borne in this Iland who after the death of his father that died at Yorke did enter into the full possession of this Iland of great Brittannie and so it was wholy vnited in his person where he did establish the true Christian religion and the true worship of the onely vncreated God From thence he did take his iourney by Fraunce to Rome where he ouerthrew in battell Maxentius that great persecutor of the Christians And hauing established there and in the whole occident the kingdome of Christ he went to the Orient where he did likewise ouerthrow in battel Licinius the which Licinius after he had been long a Christian did returne to gentilisme and became a persecutor And so by all these victories this Britaine King became Emperour King and Monarche of the whole world who did make Lawes for the abolishing of Gentilisme and establishing of Christian Religion We doe learne by this historie how the propheticall signification of the name Britannia was fulfilled in Constantinus daies in whose person both the temporall kingdome of the whole world and the spirituall kingdome of the true Religion of God was vnited Of this we collect that the restoring of this auncient and glorious name of Great Britannie into one kingdome vnder our newe Constantinus is to be embraced by all men with great congratulation and gladnesse Secondly we doe learne of this historie that as God did first procure the blessed Vnion of this Iland by the mariage of Constantius and Helena Euen so that same good God who is euer like himselfe did bring foorth three most happy Vnions within these hundred yeeres or there about by a mariage betwixt King Henry the seauenth and Queene Elizabeth heire of Yorke The first Vnion was of the two houses of Lancaster and Yorke the second Vnion did consist in the vniting of all the people of this Iland in the true Religion and worship of God and abolishing of Gentilisme which was brought in vnder the pretence of Christian Religion the third vnion was the vniting of England and Scotland together in the person of our gratious Soueraigne who is descended Lineally from King Henry the seauenth For it is notoriously knowen that by that happie mariage of King Henry the seuenth heire of Lancaster and Elizabeth heire of Yorke the cruell wars which were for many yeeres betwixt these two houses were extinguished and the Vnion in their royall progeny established out of which mariage came King Henry the eight who did begin to abolish Idolatrie in this Iland King Edward the sixt who did establish true Religion and Queene Elizabeth of happie memory who did embrace all the daies of her life the true auncient Christian Religion vnto whom lineally our Kings Maiestie succeeded in whose Royall person is made the revnion of this Iland in one kingdome as it was before in Constantinus Magnus daies Let vs all then call to memorie three great blessings
the Kings and Princes of our daies by whom God hath builded his Temple in the spirituall Ierusalem that is to say the preaching of the true worship and adoration of the increated God that they be not by any meanes seduced by the desire and couetousnesse of the riches of that false God which is made of a wafer cake to be erected set vp and maintained in high places houses and castels which do pertaine to men of high places in the Countreies and kingdomes where they dwell For vndoubtedly as God in euery place and in all ages is like vnto himselfe euen so shall he be to the end of the world to all the Monarches Kings Princes soueraigne gouernours and to all Republicks that doe commit such an offence as Salomon did which came to passe by a diuision of false and true religion that was suffered by Salomon I pray the eternall God to extermine and abolish all the remnants reliques of Idolatrie which as yet are excercised tolerated in the high places of this Iland and let vs all call to God in the contrition humilitie of our harts that that same good God who moued his Maiesties heart to renew all these lawes that serue to extinguish all Idolatrie which his Maiestie doth detest as much as any man liuing would also mooue and touch the hearts of all his subiects who are in the high places of the land that they may follow the godly example of their Soueraigne Prince and King and that they may put in effect the saying of the Poet Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis that following the example of their King in louing the true religion and hating false worship and Idolatrie euery one of them according to their place and estate may be carefull to purge and clense this whole Iland from the spirituall plague and pestilence of Idolatrie that doth to much increase in many places of this Kingdome so that if God put not to his helping hand it is to be feared and there is to great appearance that this foule infection of Idolatry shall extend it selfe vniuersally through the whole countrey that it will not be contented with the high and secret places but wil come to the valleies townes cities and Churches which without all doubt if it be suffered will bring that miserable and fearefull desolation whereof Christ doth speake in our text Satan by the diuision of the earthly Kingdome betwixt Roboam and Ieroboam did practise a lamentable diuision in the spirituall Kingdome of God whereby he did establish his kingdome of abhominable Idolatrie Againe we see that the old serpent hath alwaies taken occasion to establish his Kingdome in the which is exercised false religion by the diuision of the earthlie Kingdome as he did in the first world by the diuision of the house and posteritie of Adam and as he did in the age following by the diuision of languages lands Countreies and kingdomes as yee haue heard before And for this effect Satan did seduce Ieroboams heart that he might shew himselfe ingrate to God who had beene so beneficiall vnto him in making him King of the greatest part of his Maisters kingdome and to moue him to such a falling away from God did cast in his heart this worldly consideration to witte that if he should suffer his people to remaine vnited with the two Tribes of Iudah and Beniamin which did appertaine to Roboam and so to continue in the exercise of true religion in the temple of Ierusalem would be the cause to reunite them as they were before in one Kingdome This wicked minde of Ieroboam did distract him from God and tooke away that true confidence which he should haue had in him which was this That as God did foretell by his Prophets that he was to giue him these ten Tribes euen so he was to conserue them to him and his posteritie vpon this condition that he would remaine constant in God his true worship and Religion out of this all Monarches Kings haue their lesson who haue receaued from God this their high preferment that they should take heede least such vngodly cogitations enter into their harts as did into Ieroboams which the diuell infused into his hart by lying and false imaginations The onely true meanes of keeping maintaining and preseruing of a Kings royall estate is to be constant in defending the true worship of God Who as Daniel doth teach vs dat regnum cui voluerit transfert regnum à quo voluerit giueth a kingdome to whom it pleaseth him and doth transferre and take away kingdomes as pleaseth him Satan in drawing men from the true Religion in diuiding and separating them from the kingdome of God vnto the kingdome of darknesse doth proceede and worke by degrees For first he drew away Ieroboam the King from God by his deceitfull counsell next he seduced the people of the ten Tribes by worldly and earthly commodities to ioyne with their King in this apostasie and falling away from God perswading them that it was a great vexation of body and chargeable expences and consumption of their goods to goe so farre as vp to Ierusalem to offer their sacrifices and so to auoide such a tedious trauell to their persons and such a great wast and spending of their goods he perswaded them that it was better to build Temples and Altars and institute sacrifices at home in their owne countries neere their owne Cities and houses In this respect and regard of worldly commodities there came a lamentable diuision in Religion amongst the Elect people of God which made the greatest part of them to be Idolaters by worshipping of two golden calues which were erected by their new King the one being set vp in Bethel the other in Dan in the which places they did build temples as Ioseph doth write frō whence we learne that the diuision of the earthly kingdome was the meane by the which Satan did practise the diuision of the kingdome of God by separating the greatest part of this people from the true Church of God After this diuision of the kingdome in the Elect people of God within the space of 240. yeeres there did fall out a miserable desolation vpon the Israelites according to the doctrine of Christ in our Text. For God raised vp cruell warres against the Israelites and in the end they were all caried away into a miserable captiuitie in the countrey of the Assyrians and another people of the said countrey called Cuthians were planted in their Cities houses and lands That this example may serue for our instruction First let vs be thankful to God who hath vnited the people of this Iland in the true Religion and worship of the onely God Creator of all things excluding the false adoration of things inferiour to God or created by God Secondly let vs be thankfull to God that he hath vnited vs vnder one head and King taking away from
vs the dangers that diuersitie of Kings ordinarily doth bring foorth to wit diuision of Religion and aduancing of Idolatrie All these considerations should instigate vs to put to our helping hands to the performance of the Vnion of the members of this Iland that is the South and the North and for this effect let vs beware that the pretext of worldly commodities doe not make any separation or diuision amongst vs as we see Satan did amongst the people of Israel which only fell out for worldly respects Let not the people of the South challenge to thēselues the great riches fertility of their country to be a colour whereby they should not ioyn in vnion with the people of the North because their riches are not so great or their soile so fertill Let not their riches be a meane whereby they should pretend any preheminence aboue them either in offices or preferments temporall or spirituall or in dignities of honour On the other part let not the subiects of the North desire or hunt after any preheminence in honour dignitie offices or preferments either temporall or Ecclesiasticall because that the King his Maiestie our common head was borne and bred and had his beginning in the North or because the Nobilitie of the North may claime to haue some preheminence by the antiquitie of their houses aboue the South But let vs all thinke with our selues that as our head and Soueraigne Lord is made of a blessed commixtion of the bloud royall of the South and the North Euen so let all the subiects of the South the North thinke themselues mingled together and vnited in their head and King So that all men of worth and merit be equally participant of the honours dignities preferments and offices of great Britannie according to their talents places and merits laying aside the place of their birth whether it be South or North. This equalitie is the only meane to establish this blessed worke of the Vnion in the members as God hath established the same already in the head which will take away from amongst vs all seede of discord The order of this matter which we haue in hand doth lead vs to set before your eyes that the vnited estate of Kingdomes hath beene alwaies the most blessed and happy estate amongst men and that as well in respect of worldly commodities as in regard of the propagation and maintenance of true Religion which we may easily gather by the Vnion of the kingdomes of the world vnder the foure Monarchies as on the other part we may see the miserable and fearefull estate of all men that are subiect to diuision in the diuision of the Monarchies in sundry kingdomes as it did fall out whereby the true worship of God and Religion was troubled and oppressed and the false worship of Idolatrie augmented and maintained by the diuision of kingdomes before vnited After that the kingdome of Iudah was ouerthrowen by Nabuchadnetzar King of the Assyrians the Temple of God destroyed the whole people led into captiuitie to Babylon God did begin to establish his Kingdome in that captiuitie and the calling of the Gentils which was a figure and a type of the eternall kingdome of God that he was to establish by his eternall sonne ouer all the nations and people of the world Of which kingdome Daniel did speake in the interpretation of the Vision of that great Image which did appeare to Nabuchadnetzar which was a representation of the mutation of all Monarchies and Kingdomes to the end of the world of the which kingdomes we shall speake according to the order of their establishment We reade in Daniel how Nabuchadnetzar was called to the true Religion from the Idolatrie of the Gentils by the miracles which were wrought by Daniel but Belthazar his sonne for falling away from the true Religion to the prophanation of the golden and siluer vessels that were dedicated to God his seruice in the first Temple of Ierusalem was depriued of the Monarchie For it was translated from him to the Medes and Persians We reade in Esdras and Nehemias how Darius and Syrus were conuerted to the true Religion and adoration of the only increated God how they did restore the people of God to their owne countrey and how they gaue great wealth and riches to build the second Temple which was a figure of the establishing of Christ his kingdom In like manner when God did translate the Monarchie from the Persians to Alexander and his successors we doe learne by the historie of Flauius Iosephus that Alexander himselfe did maintaine the Priesthoode and Temple of Ierusalem being in his voyage to war against Darius by the way besieging Tyrus he gaue a command to the high Priest Senate of Ierusalem that they should furnish his army with all things necessary for their siege But being refused by them after the winning of Tyrus he went to Ierusalem with an intention to destroy the same but when he did see the high Priest and his brethren clothed with their clothes dedicated to the Sacrifice of the true God who came to receaue him in a peaceable manner he did humble himselfe in all reuerence before the Priest gaue him all the externall adoration which was ordinarie due to Kings Priests Prophets being asked of his chiefe Captaines why he did so he answered that before his expedition in warre there was a God that did appeare to him clothed after the fashion of this high Priest who did call him to the kingdome of all Asia and did promise the same to him This was the cause that mooued Alexander to enter into the Temple of Ierusalem and Sacrifice to the true God of Israel which was a preparatiue of the establishing the Vniuersall kingdome of Christ by calling all nations in the world to the true Religion and worship of the onely true God from gentilisme Idolatry and worship of a multitude of false Gods After his death the Monarchy was diuided into foure parts during the which diuision of kingdomes before vnited the Church of God did suffer great troubles Yet God did maintaine hir for a time by Ptolomaeus one of Alexanders successors who did much good to the Israelites and was the Author of translating the Bible into the Greeke language which was a meane to instruct the Gentiles in the true knowledge of God and of his religion which as I haue said already was a preparatiue to the establishing of Christ his kingdom amongst all the nations of the world The diuision of the Monarchie and kingdome of the Greekes brought by succession of time a miserable desolation according to the doctrine of our Text which was a preparing before hand of the translation of the Grecian Monarchie to the Romanes The Romane Monarchie did grow to her perfection in the person of Augustus Caesar and did indure partly in perfection partly in her decaying age for the space of seauen