by his Maiesties leaue we meet in our Conuocations and being met haue his further leaue to treat of remedies for any disorders in the Church our Constitutions are Canons Canons are Rules Rules are Orders Parliaments determine in Lawes Iudges in Decrees wee in Orders And by our Seruice in this Mother Church we are Canenici Canons Regular Orderly men not Canonistae men that know Orders but Canonici men that keepe them where wee are also called Prebendaries rather a Praebendo then a Praebenda rather for giuing example of obedience to Orders then for any other respect In the Remane Church the most disorderly men are their men in Orders I speake not of the viciousnesse of their life I am no Iudge of that I know not that but they are so out of all Order that they are within Rule of no temporall Law within jurisdiction of no Cuill Magistrate no secular Iudge They may kill Kings and yet can be no Traytors they assigne their reason Because they are no Subiects He that kils one of them shall be really hang'd and if one of them kill hee shall be Metaphorically hang'd he shall bee suspended Wee enjoy gratefully and we vse modestly the Priuiledges which godly Princes out of their pietie haue affoorded vs and which their godly Successors haue giuen vs againe by their gracious continuing of them to vs but our Profession of it selfe naturally though the very nature of it dispose Princes to a gracious disposition to vs exempts vs not from the tye of their Laws All men are in deed we are in Deed and in name too Men of Orders and therefore ought to be most ready of all others to obey Now beloued Ordo semper dicitur ratione principij Order alwayes presumes a head it alwayes implyes some by whom wee are to be ordered and it implyes our conformitie to him Who is that God certainly without all question God But between God and Man we consider a two-fold Order One as all creatures depend vpon God as vpon their beginning for their very Being and so euery creature is wrought vpon immediately by God and whether hee discerne it or no does obey Gods order that is that which God hath ordained his purpose his prouidence is executed vpon him accomplishd in him But then the other Order is not as man depends vpon God as vpon his beginning but as he is to be reduced and brought back to God as to his end that is done by meanes in this world What is that meanes for those things which wee haue now in consideration the Church But the body speaks not the head does It is the Head of the Church that declares to vs those things wherby we are to be ordered This the Royall and religious Head of these Churches within his Dominions hath lately had occasion to do And in doing this doth he innouate any thing ofter to doe any new thing Do we repent that Canon Constitution in which at his Maiesties first comming we declar'd with so much alacrity as that it was the second Canon we made That the King had the same authoritie in causes Ecclesiasticall that the godly Kings of Iudah and the Christian Emperors in the primitiue Church had Or are we ignorant what those Kings of Iuda and those Emperors did We are not wee know them well Take it where the power of the Empire may seem somwhat declin'd in Charls the great we see by those Capitularies of his that remain yet what orders he gaue in such causes there he saies in his entrance to them Nemo praesumptuosum dicat Let no man call this that I doe an vsurpation to prescribe Orders in these cases Nam legimus quid Iosias fecerit We haue read what Iosiah did and we know that wee haue the same Authoritie that Iosiab had But that Emperor consulted with his Cleargie before he published those Orders It is true he sayes he did But he from whom we haue receiued these Orders did more then so His Maiesty forbore till a representation of some incōueniences by disorderly preaching was made to him by those in the highest place in our Clergie and other graue and reuerend Prelates of this Church they presented it to him and thereupon he entred into the remedy But that Emperour did but declare things constituted by other Counsells before but yet the giuing the life of execution to those Constitutions in his Dominions was introductory and many of the things themselues were so Amongst them his 70. Capitularie is appliable to our present case there hee sayes Episcopi videant That the Bishops take care that all Preachers preach to the people the Exposition of the Lords Prayer and he enioynes them too Ne quid nouum ne quid non Canonicum That no man preach any new opinion of his owne nay though it bee the opinion of other learned men in other places yet if it be Non Canonicum not declared in the vniuersall Church not declared in that Church in which he hath his station he may not preach it to the people And so he proceeds there to Catechistical Doctrine That is not new then which the Kings of Iudah did and which the Christian Emperours did But it is new to vs if the Kings of this kingdome haue not done it Haue they not done it How little the Kings of this kingdome did in Ecclesiasticall causes then when by their conniuence that power was deuold into a forraine Prelates hand it is pitie to consider pitie to remember pitie to bring into Contemplation And yet truly euen then our Kings did exercise more of that power then our aduersaries who oppose it will confesse But since the true iurisdiction was vindicated and reapplyed to the Crowne in what iust heighth Henry the eight and those who gouerned his Sonnes minoritie Edward the sixt exercised that iurisdiction in Ecclesiasticall causes none that knowes their story knowes not And because ordinarily we settle our selues best in the Actions and Precedents of the late Queene of blessed and euerlasting memory I may haue leaue to remember them that know and to tell them that know not one act of her power and her wisedome to this purpose When some Articles concerning the falling away from Iustifying grace and other poynts that beat vpon that haunt had been ventilated in Conuenticles and in Pulpits too and Preaching on both sides past and that some persons of great place and estimation in our Church together with him who was the greatest of all amongst our Clergy had vpon mature deliberation established a resolution what should bee thought and taught held and preached in those poynts and had thereupon sent down that resolution to be published in the Vniuersitie not vulgarly neither to the people but in a Sermon Ad Clerum onely yet her Maiestie being informed thereof declared her displeasure so as that scarse any houres before the Sermon was to haue been there was a Countermaund an Inhibition to the Preacher for medling
it you hereafter you shall not haue it yet that 's the exclusiue part But there enters the inclusiue You shall receiue power after that the Holy Ghost is come vpon you and you shall bee witnesses vnto mee both in Ierusalem and in all Iudaea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost parts of the Earth In which second part we shall passe by these steps Superueniet Spiritus The holy Ghost shall come vpon you The Spirit shall witnesse to your Spirit and rectifie your Conscience And then by that you shall receiue power A new power besides the power you haue from the State and that power shall enable you to be witnesses of Christ that is to make his doctrine the more credible by your testimony when you conforme you selnes to him and doe as hee did and this witnesse you shall beare this conformity you shall declare first in Ierusalem in this Citie And in Iudaea in all the parts of the Kingdome and in Samaria euen amongst them who are departed from the true worship of God the Papists and to the vttermost part of the Earth to those poore Soules to whom you are continually sending Summarily If from the Holy Ghost you haue a good testimony in your owne Conscience you shall be witnesses for Christ that is as he did you shall giue satisfaction to all to the Citie to the Countrey to the Calumniating Aduersary and the Naturals of the place to whom you shall present both Spirituall and Temporall benefit to And so you haue the Modell of the whole frame and of the partitions we proceede now to the furnishing of the particular roomes 1. Part. FIrst then this first word But excludes a temporall Kingdome the Apostles had filld themselues with an expectation with an ambition of it but that was not intended them It was no wonder that a woman could conceiue such an expectation and such an ambition as to haue her two sonnes sit at Christs right hand and at his left in his Kingdome when the Apostles expected such a Kingdome as might affoord them honours and preferment vpon Earth More then once they were in that disputation in which Christ deprehended them Which of them should bee the greatest in his Kingdome Neither hath the Bishop of Rome any thing wherein he may so properly call himselfe Apostolicall as this error of the Apostles this their infirmitie that he is euermore to conuersant vpon the contemplation of temporall Kingdomes They did it all the way when Christ was with them and now at his last step Cum actu ascendisset when Christ was not Ascending but in part ascended when one foot was vpon the Earth and the other in the cloud that tooke him vp they aske him now wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome so women put their husbands and men their fathers and friends vpon their torture at their last gaspe and make their death-bed a racke to make them stretch and encrease ioyntures and portions and legacies and signe Scedules and Codicils with their hand when his hand that presents them is ready to close his eyes that should signe them And when they are vpon the wing for heauen men tye lead to their feet and when they are laying hand-fast vpon Abrahams bosome they must pull their hand out of his bosome againe to obey importunities of men and signe their papers so vnderminable is the loue of this World which determines euery minute GOD as hee is three persons hath three Kingdomes There is Regnum potentiae The Kingdome of power and this wee attribute to the Father it is power and prouidence There is Regnum gloriae the Kingdome of glorie this we attribute to the Sonn and to his purchase for he is the King that shall say Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the VVorld And then betweene these three is Regnum gratiae The kingdome of Grace and this we attribute to the Holy Ghost he takes them whom the king of power Almighty God hath rescued from the Gentiles and as the king of grace Hee giues them the knowledge of the misterie of the kingdome of GOD that is of future glory by sactifying them with his grace in his Church The two first kingdomes are in this world but yet neither of them are of this world because both they referre co the kingdome of glory The kingdome of the Father which is the prouidence of God does but preserue vs The kingdome of the Holy Ghost which is the grace of God does but prepare vs to the kingdome of the Sonne which is the glory of GOD and that 's in heauen And therefore though to good men this world be the way to that kingdome yet this kingdome is not of this world sayes Christ himselfe Though the Apostles themselues as good a Schoole as they were bred in could neuer take out that lesson yet that lesson Christ giues and repeates to all you seeke a Temporall kingdome But sayes the Text stop there A kingdome you must not haue Beloued in him whose kingdome and Ghospell you seeke to aduance in this Plantation our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus if you seeke to establish a temporall kingdome there you are not rectified if you seeke to bee Kings in either acceptation of the word To be a King signifies Libertie and indepency and Supremacie to bee vnder no man and to be a King signifies Abundance and Omnisufficiencie to neede no man If those that gouerne there would establish such a gouernment as should not depend vpon this or if those that goe thither propose to themselues an exemption from Lawes to liue at their libertie this is to be Kings to deuest Allegeance to bee vnder no man and if those that aduenture thither propose to themselues present benefit and profit a sodaine way to bee rich and an aboundance of all desirable commodities from thence this is to be sufficient of themselues and to need no man and to bee vnder no man and to need no man are the two acceptations of being Kings Whom liberty drawes to goe or present profit drawes to aduenture are not yet in the right way O if you could once bring a Catechisme to bee as good ware amongst them as a Bugle as a knife as a hatchet O if you would be as ready to hearken at the returne of a Ship how many Indians were conuerted to Christ Iesus as what Trees or druggs or Dyes that Ship had brought then you were in your right way and not till then Libertie and Abundance are Characters of kingdomes and a kingdome is excluded in the Text The Apostles were not to looke for it in their employment nor you in this your Plantation At least CHRIST expresses himselfe thus farre in this answer that if he would giue them a kingdome hee would not giue it them yet They aske him VVilt thou at this time restore the kingdome and hee answers It is not
for you to know the times whatsoeuer God will doe Man must not appoint him his time The Apostles thought of a kingdome presently after Christs departure the comming of the Holy Ghost who ledd them into all truthes soone deliuer'd them of that error Other men in fauour of the Iewes interpreting all the prophesies which are of a Spirituall kingdome the kingdome of the Gospell into which the Iewes shall be admitted in a literall sense haue thought that the Iewes shall haue not onely a temporall kingdome in the same place in Ierusalem againe but because they find that kingdome which is promised that is the kingdome of the Gospell to bee expressed in large phrases and in an abundant manner applying all that largenesse to a temporall kingdome they thinke that the Iewes shall haue such a kingdome as shall swallowe and annihilate all other kingdomes and bee the sole Empire and Monarchy of the world After this very great men in the Church vpon these words of One thousand yeares after the Resurrection haue immagin'd a Temporall Kingdome of the Saints of God heere vpon Earth before they entred the ioyes of Heauen and Saint Augustine himselfe had at first some declinations towards that opinion though he dispute powerfully against it after That there should bee Sabatismus in terris that as the world was to last Sixe thousand yeares in troubles there should be a Seuenth thousand in such ioyes as this world could giue And some others who haue auoided both the Temporall kingdome imagin'd by the Apostles presently after the Ascention And the Emperiall kingdome of the Iewes before the Refurrection And the Carnall kingdome of the Chiliasts the Millenarians after the Refurrection though they speake of no kingdome but the true kingdome the kingdome of glory yet they erre as much in assigning a certaine time when that kingdome shall beginne when the ende of this world when the Refurrection when the Iudgement shall be Non est vestrum nosse tempora sayes Christ to his Apostles then and lest it might be thought that they might know these things when the Holy Ghost came vpon them Christ denies that he himselfe knew that as Man and as Man Christ knew more then euer the Apostles knew Whatsoeuer therefore Christ intended to his Apostles heere hee would not giue it presently non adhuc hee would not binde himselfe to a certaine time Non est vestrum nosse tempora It belongs not to vs to know Gods times Beloued vse goly meanes and giue God his leisure You cannot beget a Sonne and tell the Mother I will haue this Sonne born within fiue Moneths nor when he is borne say you will haue him past daunger of VVardship within fiue yeares You cannot sow your Corne to day and say it shall bee aboue ground to morrow and in my Barne next weeke Howe soone the best Husbandman sow'd the best Seede in the best ground GOD cast the promise of a Messias as the seede of all in Paradise In Semine Mulieris The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head and yet this Plant was Foure thousand yeares after before it appeared this Messias Foure thousand yeares before he came GOD shew'd the ground where that should growe Two thousand yeares after the Promise in Abrahams Family In semine tuo In thy Seed all Nations shall be blessed God hedgd in this Ground almost One thousand yeares after that In Micheas time Et tu Bethlem Thou Bethlem shalt bee the place and God watered that and weeded that refreshed that dry expectation with a Succession of Prophets and yet it was so long before this expectation of Nations this Messias came So GOD promised the Iewes a Kingdome in Iacobs Prophecie to Iuda That the Scepter should not depart from his Tribe In Two hundred yeares more he saies no more of it then he ordaines some institutions for their King when they should haue one And then it was Foure hundred yeares after that before they had a King GOD ment from the first howre to people the whole earth and God could haue made men of clay as fast as they made Brickes of Clay in Egypt but he began vpon two and when they had beene mulplying and replenishing the Earth One thousand sixe hundred yeares the Flood washed all that away and GOD was almost to begin againe vpon eight persons and they haue seru'd to people Earth and Heauen too Bee not you discouraged if the Promises which you haue made to your selues or to others be not so soone discharg'd though you see not your money though you see not your men though a Flood a Flood of bloud haue broken in vpon them be not discouraged Great Creatures ly long in the wombe Lyons are litterd perfit but Bearewhelps lick'd vnto their shape actions which Kings vndertake are cast in a mould they haue their perfection quickly actions of priuate men and priuate purses require more hammering and more filing to their perfection Onely let your principall ende bee the propagation of the glorious Gospell and though there bee an Exclusiue in the Text GOD does not promise you a Kingdome ease and abundance in all things and that which he does intend to you he does not promise presently yet there is an Inclusiue too not that But but something equiuolent at least But yee shall receiue power after that the Holy Ghost is come vpon you and yee shall be witnesses vnto me both in Ierusalem and in all Iudaea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost parts of the Earth 2. Part. NOw our Sauiour Christ does not say to these men since you are so importunate you shall haue no Kingdome now nor neuer t is not yet But he does not say you shall haue no kingdome nor any thing else t is not that But the importunitie of beggers sometimes drawes vs to such a froward answer for this importunitie I will neuer giue you any thing Our patterne was not so froward hee gaue them not that but as good as that Samuel was sent to superinduct a King vpon Saul to annoint a new King Hee thought his Commission had bene determined in Eliab Surely this is the Lords Annointed But the Lord said not he nor the next Aminadab nor the next Shamah nor none of the next seuen But but yet there is one in the field keeping sheepe annoint him Dauid is he Saint Paul prayed earnestly and frequently to be discharged of that Stimulus Carnis God saies no not that but Gratia measufficit Thou shalt haue grace to ouercome the tentation though the tentation remaine God sayes to you No Kingdome not ease not abundance nay nothing at all yet the Plantation shall not discharge the Charges not defray it selfe yet but yet already now at first it shall conduce to great vses It shall redeeme many a wretch from the Iawes of death from the hands of the Executioner vpon whom perchauuce a small fault or perchance a first fault or perchance a fault
THREE SERMONS VPON SPECIALL OCCASIONS Preached by IOHN DONNE Deane of St. Pauls London LONDON Printed for THOMAS IONES and are to sold at his Shop in the Strand at the Blacke Rauen neere St. Clements Church 1623. A SERMON VPON THE XV. VERSE OF THE XX. CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Wherein occasion was iustly taken for the Publication of some Reasons which his Sacred MAIESTIE had beene pleased to giue of those Directions for PREACHERS which he had formerly sent forth Preached at the CROSSE the 15 th of September 1622. By IOHN DONNE Doctor of Diuinitie and Deane of Saint PAVLS London And now by commandement of his Majestie published as it was then preached LONDON Printed by William Stansby for Thomas Iones and are to be sold at his shop in the Strand at the blacke Rauen neere vnto Saint Clements Church 1622. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE GEORGE Marquesse of Buckingham High ADMIRALL of ENGLAND c. WHen I would speake to the KING by your LORDSHIPS Meanes I doe Now when I would speake to the Kingdom I would do that by your Lordshippes Meanes to and therefore I am bold to transfer this Sermon to the World through your Lordships hands and vnder your Name For the first part of the Sermon the Explication of the Text my profession and my Conscience is warant enough that I haue spoken as the Holy Ghost intended For the second part the Application of the Text it wil be warrant enough that I haue spoken as his Maiestie intended that your Lordship admits it to issue in your Name It is because Kings fauour the Church that the Prophet sayes they are her Foster-Fathers and then those persons who haue also interest in the fauor of Kings are her Foster-Brothers and such vse to loue well By that Title as by many other also your Lordship loues the Church as you are her Foster-Brother loued of him who loues her And by that Title you loue all them in the Church who endeuour to aduance both the vnity of our Church in it self and the vnity of the Church with the godly designes of our religious King To which Seruice I shall euer sacrifice all the labors of Your Lordships humblest and thankefullest Seruant in Christ Iesus IOHN DONNE IVDGES 5. 20. De coelo dimicatum est contra eos stellae manentes in Ordine cursu suo aduersus Siseram pugnauerunt They fought from Heauen The stars in their courses fought against Sisera ALl the words of God are alwayes sweete in themselues sayes Dauid but sweeter in the mouth and in the pen of some of the Prophets and some of the Apostles then of others as they differed in their naturall gifts or in their education but sweetest of all where the Holy Ghost hath beene pleased to set the word of God to Musique and to conuay it into a Song and this Text is of that kind part of the Song which Deborah Barak sung after their great victory vpon Sisera Sisera who was Iabin the King of Canaans Generall against Israel God himselfe made Moses a Song and expressed his reason why The children of Israel sayes God will forget my Law but this song they will not forget and whensoeuer they sing this song this song shall testifie against them what I haue done for them how they haue forsaken me And to such a purpose hath God left this Song of Deborah and Barak in the Scriptures that all Murmurers and all that stray into a diffidence of Gods power or of his purpose to sustaine his owne cause and destroy his owne Enemies might run and read might read and sing the wonderfull deliuerances that God hath giuen to his people by weake and vnexpected meanes This world begun with a Song if the Chalde Paraphrasts vpon Salomons Song of Songs haue taken a true tradition That assoone as Adams sinne was forgiuen him he expressed as he cals it in that Song Sabbatum suum his Sabboth his peace of conscience in a Song of which we haue the entrance in that Paraphrase This world begun so and so did the next world too if wee count the beginning of that as it is a good computation to doe so from the comming of Christ Iesus for that was expressed on Earth in diuers Songs in the blessed Virgins Magnificat My soule doth magnifie the Lord In Zacharies Benedictus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel and in Simeons Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace This world began so and the other and when both shall ioyne and make vp one world without end it shall continue so in heauen in that Song of the Lamb Great and marueilous are thy workes Lord God Almighty iust and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints And to Tune vs to Compose and giue vs a Harmonie and Concord of affections in all perturbations and passions and discords in the passages of this life if we had no more of the same Musique in the Scriptures as we haue the Song of Moses at the Red Sea and many Psalmes of Dauid to the same purpose this Song of Deborah were enough abundantly enough to slumber any storme to becalme any tempest to rectifie any scruple of Gods slacknesse in the defence of his cause when in the History and occasion of this Song expressed in the Chapter before this we see That Israel had done euill in the fight of the Lord againe and yet againe God came to them That God himselfe had sold Israel into the hands of Iabin King of Canaan and yet he repented the bargaine and came to them That in twenty yeeres oppression he came not and yet he came That When Sisera came against them with nine hundred Chariots of Iron and all preparations proportionable to that and God cald vp a woman a Prophetesse a Deborah against him because Deborah had a zeale to the cause and consequently an enmity to the enemie God would effect his purpose by so weake an instrument by a woman but by a woman which had no such interest nor zeale to the cause by Iael And in Iaels hand by such an instrument as with that scarce any man could doe it if it were to be done againe with a hammer she driues a nayle through his temples and nayles him to the ground as he lay sleeping in her tent And then the end of all was the end of all not one man of his army left aliue O my Soule why art thou so sad why art thou so disquieted within me Sing vnto the Lord an old song the song of Deborah and Barak That God by weake meanes doth might workes That all Gods creatures fight in his behalfe They fought from beanen the starres in their Order fought against Sisera You shal haue but two parts out of these words And to make these two parts I consider the Text as the two Hemispheres of the world laid open in a flat in a plaine Map All those parts of the world which the
he brought him to acknowledge that there were more with them then with the Enemy when there was none He troubled not so much as a cloud he imployed no Creature at all against the Philistines when they came vp with thirty thousand Chariots but hee breathed a dampe an astonishment into them he imprinted a diuine terror in their hearts and they fought against one another God foresaw a diminution of his honour in the augmentation of Israels forces and therfore he reduced Gideons thirty two thousand to three hundred persons It was so in persons God does much with few and it was so in time God does much though late though God seeme a long time to haue forgot his people yet in due time that is in his time he returnes to them againe S. Augustine makes a vsefull Historicall note That that land to which God brought the Children of Israel was their owne land before they were the right heires to it lineally descended from him who was the first possessor of it after the floud but they were so long out of possession of it as that they were neuer able to set their title on foot nay they did scarce know their own title and yet God repossessed them of it reinuested them in it It is so for persons and times in his wayes in this world Much with few much though late and it is so in his wayes to the next world too for persons Elias knew of no more but himselfe that serued the right God aright God makes him know that there were seuen thousand more seuen thousand was much to one but it was little to all the world and yet these seuen thousand haue peopled heauen and sent vp all those Colonies thither all those Armies of Martyrs those flockes of Lambes innocent children those Fathers the Fathers of the Church and Mothers holy Matrons and daughters blessed Virgines and learned and laborious Doctors these seuen thousand haue filled vp the places of the fallen Angels and repeopled that Kingdome And wheresoeuer we thinke them most worne out God at this time hath his remnant as the Apostle sayes and God is able to make vp the whole garment of that remnant So he does much with few in the wayes to heauen and that he does much though late in that way too thou mayest discerne in his working vpon thy selfe How often hast thou suffered thy Soule to grow cleane out of all reparations into ruine by thine inconsiderate and habituall course of sinne and neuer repaired it by any good vse of hearing the word or receiuing the Sacrament in a long time and when thou hast at any time come to a suruey of thy conscience how hast thou beene affected with an inordinate apprehension of Gods anger and his inaccessiblenesse his inexorablenesse towards thee and sunke euen into the iawes of desperation And yet Quia manet semen dei because the seed of God hath remained in thee Incubat Spiritus the Holy Ghost hath sat vpon that seed and hatched a new Creature in thee a modest but yet infallible assurance of the Mercy of thy God Recollect all in raysing of sieges and discomfiting of Armies in restoring possessions and reinuesting right heires in repairing the ruines of the Kingdome of heauen depopulated in the fall of Angels in reestablishing peace of conscience in a presumptuous confidence or ouer-timorous diffidence in God God glorifies himselfe that way to doe much with little He does so but yet hee will haue something God is a good Husband a good Steward of Mans contributions but contributions he will haue hee will haue a concurrence a cooperation of persons Euen in that great worke which wee spake of at first the first creation which was so absolutely of Nothing yet there was a Faciamus let vs vs make Man though but one God yet more Persons in that worke Christ had been able to haue done as the Deuill would haue had him doe to haue made bread of stones when hee had so great a number to feed in the Wildernesse but hee does not so Hee askes his Disciples Quot panes habetis How many loafes haue you and though they were but fiue yet since they were some he multiplies them and feeds aboue fiue thousand with those fiue Hee would haue a remnant of Gedeons Armie to fight his battailes A remnant of Israels beleeuers to make vp his Kingdome A remnant of thy Soule his seed wrapd vp somewhere to saue thy Soule And a remnant of thy selfe of thy Mind of thy Purse of thy Person for thy temporall deliuerance God goes lowe and accepts small Sacrifices a Pigeon a handfull of Flower a few eares of Corne but a Sacrifice he will haue The Christian Church implies a shrewd distresse when shee prouides that reason that clause in her prayer Quia non est alius Giue Peace in our time O Lord because there is no other that fighteth for vs If the bowels of compassion bee eaten out if the band of the Communion of Saints be dissolued we fight for none none fights for vs at last ney ther we nor they shall fight for Christ nor Christ for them nor vs but all become a prey to the generall enemie of the name of Christ for God requires something some assistance some concurrence some cooperation though he can fight from heauen and the Starres in their order can fight against Sisera And therefore though God giue his glorie to none his glorie that is to doe all with Nothing yet he giues them their glorie that doe any thing for him or for themselues And as hee hath laid vp a record for their glorie and Memoriall who were remarkeable for Faith for the eleuenth Chapter to the Hebrewes is a Catalogue of them So in this Song of Deborah and Barake hee hath laide vp a Record for their glorie who expressed their faith in Workes and assisted his seruice That which is said in generall The Memorie of the iust is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot That is applied and promised in particular by him who can performe it by Christ to that woman who anointed him That whersoeuer his Gospell should be Preached in the whole world ther should also this that this woman had done be told for a memoriall of her Shee assisted at his Funerall as Christ himselfe interprets her action That shee did it to burie him and hath her glorie how shall he glorifie them that aduance his glorie Shee hath her reward in his death what shall they haue that keepe him and his Gospell aliue Not a verse in Deborah and Baraks song and yet that is honourable euidence Not a commemoration at the Preaching of the Gospell and yet that is the honourable testimonie in this place and at these Exercises of such as haue contributed to the conueniencies of these Exercises but they shall haue a place in the Booke of life indelibly in the Booke of life if they proceede in that deuotion
with any of those poynts Not that her Maiestie made her selfe Iudge of the Doctrines but that nothing not formerly declared to be so ought to be declared to be the Tenet and Doctrine of this Church her Maiestie not being acquainted nor supplicated to giue her gracious allowance for the publication thereof His sacred Maiestie then is herein vpon the steps of the Kings of Iudah of the Christian Emperours of the Kings of England of all the Kings of England that embraced the Reformation of Queene Elizabeth her selfe and he is vpon his owne steps too For it is a seditious calumny to apply this which is done now to any occasion that rises but now as though the King had done this now for satisfaction of any persons at this time for some yeares since when hee was pleased to call the Heads of Houses from the Vniuersity and intimate to them the inconueniences that arose from the Preaching of such men as were not at all conuersant in the Fathers in the Schoole nor in the Ecclesiasticall Storie but had shut vp themselues in a few later Writers and gaue order to those Gouernours for remedy herein Then he began then he laid the foundation for that in which hee hath proceeded thus much further now to reduce Preaching neerer to the manner of those Primitiue times when God gaue so euident and so remarkable blessings to mens Preaching Consider more particularly that which hee hath done now His Maiestie hath accompanied his most gracious Letter to the most Reueuerend Father in God my Lords Grace of Canterbury with certaine Directions how Preachers ought to behaue themselues in the exercise of that part of their Ministerie These being deriued from his Grace in due course to his reuerend Brethren the other Bishops our Worthy Diocesan euer vigilant for the Peace and vnitie of the Church gaue a speedy very speedy intimation thereof to the Clergie of his Iurisdiction so did others to whom it appertain'd so to doe in theirs Since that his Maiestie who alwaies taking good workes in hand loues to perfect his owne works hath vouchsafed to giue some Reasons of this his proceeding which being signified by him to whome the State and Church owes much The right Reuerend Father in God the Bishop of Lincolne Lord Keeper of the great Seale and after by him also who began at first his Maiesties pleasure appearing thereby as he is too Great and too Good a King to seeke corners or disguises for his actions that these proceedings should be made publique I was not willing only but glad to haue my part therein that as in the feare of God I haue alwayes preached to you the Gospell of Christ Iesus who is the God of your Saluation So in the testimony of a good conscience I might now preach to you the Gospell of the Holy ghost who is the God of peace of vnitie and concord These Directions then and the Reasons of them by his Maiesties particular care euery man in the Ministery may see write out in the seuerall Registers Offices with his owne hand for nothing and for very little if hee vse the hand of another Perchance you haue at your conuenience you may see them When you do you shall see That his Maiesties generall intention therein is to put a difference between graue and solid from light and humerous preaching Origen does so when vpon the Epistle to the Romanes he sayes There is a great difference Inter praedicare docere A man may teach an Auditory that is make them know something that they knew not before and yet not preach for Preaching is to make them knowthings appertaining to their saluation But when men doe neither neither Teach nor Preach but as his Maiestie obserues the manner to bee To soare in poynts too deepe To muster vp their owne Reading To display their owne Wit or Ignorance in medling with Ciuill matters or as his Maiestie addes in rude and vndecent reuiling of persons this is that which hath drawen downe his Maiesties piercing Eye to see it and his Royall care to correct it Hee corrects it by Christs owne way Quid ab initio by considering how it was at first for as himselfe to right purpose cites Tertullian Id verum quod primum That is best which was first Hee would therefore haue vs conuersant in Antiquitie For Nazianzen askes that question with some scorne Quis est qui veritatis prepugnatorem vnius diei spatio velut eluto statuam fingit Can any man hope to make a good Preacher as soone as a good Picture In three or foure dayes or with three or foure Books His Maiesty therfore cals vs to look Quid primum what was first in the whole Church And againe Quid primum when we receiued the Reformation in this Kingdom by what meanes as his Maiestie expresseth it Papistry was driuen out and Puritanisme kept out and wee deliuered from the Superstition of the Papist and the madnesse of the Anabaptists as before hee expresseth it and his religious and iudicious eye sees clearly That all that Doctrine which wrought this great cure vpon vs in the Reformation is contained in the two Catechismes in the 39. Articles and in the 2. Bookes of Homilies And to these as to Heads and Abundaâ—ies from whence all knowledge necessary to saluation may abundantly be deriu'd hee directs the meditations of Preachers Are these new wayes No way new for they were our first way in receiuing Christianitie and our first way in receiuing the Reformation Take a short view of them all as it is in the Catechismes as it is in the Articles as it is in the Homilies First you are called backe to the practise of Catechising Remember what Catechising is it is Institutio viua voce And in the Primitiue Church when those persons who comming from the Gentiles to the Christian Religion might haue beene scandalized with the outward Ceremoniall and Rituall worship of God in the Church for Ceremonies are stumbling blockes to them who looke vpon them without their Signification and without the reason of their Institution to auoyd that daunger though they were not admitted to fee the Sacraments administred nor the other Seruice of God performed in the Church yet in the Church they receiued Instruction Institution by word of mouth in the fundamentall Articles of the Christian Religion and that was Catechising The Christians had it from the beginning and the Iewes had it too for their word Chanach is of that signification Initiare to enter Traine vp a child in the way he should goe and when he is olde hee will not depart from it Traine vp say our Translation in the Text Catechise say our Translators in the Margin according to the naturall force of the Hebrew word And Sepher Chinnuch which is Liber Institutionum that is of Catechisme is a Book well knowne amongst the Iewes euery where where they are now Their Institution is their Catechisme And if wee should tell
people might bee seasoned in all the Heads of the Protestant Religion Not onely of the Christian against Iewes Turkes and Infidels but of the Protestant against the Romane Church The Foundation is in the Catechisme the growth and extention in the Articles and then the Application of all to particular Auditories in the Homilies which if his Maiestie had not named yet had beene implyed in his recommendation of the Articles For the fiue and thirtieth Article appoynts the reading of them both those which were published in the time of Edward the sixth and those which after In the first Booke the very first Homilies are of the Sufficiencie of Scriptures and of the absolute necessitie of Reading them sufficiently opposed against that which hath been sayd in that Church both of the impertinencie of Scriptures as not absolutely necessarie and of the insufficiencie of these Scriptures if Scriptures were necessarie And in the second Booke the second Homily is against Idolatrie and so farre against all approaches towards it by hauing any Images in Churches as that perchance Moderat Men would rather thinke that Homilie to seuere in that kind then suspect the Homilies of declination towards Papistrie Is it the name of Homelies that Scandalizes them would they haue none Saint Cyrills 30. Paschall Sermons which he preached in so many seuerall Easter daies at his Arch-bishoprike of Alexandria and his Christmas dayes Sermons too were ordinarily exscrib'd and rehearsed ouer againe by the most part of the Clergie of those parts and in their Mouthes they were but Homilies And Caluins Homilies vpon Iob as Beza in his Preface before them calls them were ordinarily repeated ouer againe in many places of Fraunce and in their mouthes they were but Homilies It is but the name that scandalizes and yet the name of Homilia and Concio a Homily and a Sermon is all one And if some of these were spoken and not reade and so exhibited in the name of a Sermon they would like them well inough Certainely his Maiestie mistooke it not that in our Catechismes In our Articles in our Homilies there is inough for Posttiue inough for Controuerted Diuinitie For that Iesuit that intended to bring in the whole body of Controuerted Diuinitie into his booke whom we named before desired no other Subiect no other occasion to doe that but the Catechisme of that Church neither need any sober Man that intends to handle Controuersies aske more or go further His Maiestie therefore who as he vnderstands his duty to God so doth he his Subiects duties to him might iustly thinke That these so well grounded Directions might as himselfe sayes bee receiu'd vpon implicite obedience Yet hee vouchsafes to communicate to all who desire satisfaction the Reasons that mou'd him Some of which I haue related and all which all may when they will see and haue Of all which the Summ is His Royall and his Pastorall care that by that Primitiue way of Preaching his Subiects might be arm'd against all kind of Aduersaries in fundamentall truthes And when he takes knowledge That some few Church-men but many of the people haue made sinister constructions of his sincere intentions As hee is grieued at the heart to giue you his owne wordes to see euery day so many d fections from our religion to Popery and Anabaptisme So without doubt he is grieued with much bitternes that any should so peruert his meaning as to thinke that these Directions either restraind the Exercise of Preaching or abated the number of Sermons or made a breach to Ignorance and Superstition of which three scandals he hath been pleased to take knowledge What could any Calumniator any Libeller on the other side haue imagin'd more opposit more contrary to him then approaches towards Ignorance or Superstition Let vs say for him Can so learned so abundantly learned a prince be suspected to plot for Ignorance And let vs blesse God that we heare him say now That he doth constantly professe himselfe an open aduersary to the Superstition of the Papist without any milder Modification and to the madnesse of the Anabaptist And that the preaching against either of their Doctrines is not only approued but much commended by his royall Maiestie if it bee done without rude and vndecent reuiling If he had affected Ignorance in himselfe he would neuer haue read so much and if he had affected Ignorance in vs hee would neuer haue writ so much and made vs so much the more learned by his Books And if hee had had any declination towards Superstition he would not haue gone so much farther then his rank and qualitie pressed him to doe in declaring his opinion concerning Antichrist as out of Zeale and zeale with knowledge hee hath done We haue him now and long long O eternall God continue him to vs we haue him now for a father of the Church a Foster-father such a father as Constantine as Theodosius was our posterity shall haue him for a Father a Classique father such a father as Ambrose as Austin was And when his works shall stand in the Libraries of our Posteritie amongst the Fathers euen these Papers these Directions these Reasons shal be pregnant euidences for his cōstant zeale to Gods truth and in the meane time as arrowes shot in their eyes that imagine so vaine a thing as a defection in him to their superstition Thus far he is from admitting Ignorance and from Superstition thus far which seemes to be one of their feares And for the other two which concurre in one That these Directions should restraine the Exercise of Preaching or abate the number of Sermons his Maiestie hath declar'd himselfe to those Reuerend Fathers To be so far from giuing the least discouragement to solid Preaching or to discreet and religious Preachers or from abating the number of Sermons that hee expects at their hands that this should increase their number by renuing vpon euery Sunday in the afternoon in all Parish Churches throughout the kingdome that primitiue and most profitable exposition of the Catechisme So that heere is no abating of Sermons but a direction of the Preacher to preach vsefully and to edification And therfore to end all you you whom God hath made Starres in this Firmament Preachers in this Church deliuer your selues from that imputation The Starres were not pure in his sight The Preachers were not obedient to him in the voice of his Lieutenant And you you who are Gods holy people and zealous of his glory as you know from St. Paul that Stars differ from Stars in glory but all conduce to the benefit of man So when you see these Stars Preachers to differ in gifts yet since all their ends are to aduance your saluation encourage the Catechizer as well as the curious Preacher Looke so farre towards your way to Heauen as to the Firmament and consider there that that starre by which wee saile and make great voyages is none of the starres of the greatest magnitude but
In our iust detestation of these Men we iustly fasten both those vpon them For as they delight in lyes and fill the world with weekely rumors Daemonium habit they haue a Deuill quia mendax est pater eius As they multiply assassinats vpon Princes and Massacres vpon people Daemonium habent they haue a Deuill quia 〈◊〉 ab initio as they tosse and tumble and dispose kingdomes Daemonium habent they haue a Deuill Omina haec dabo was the Deuils complement but as they mingle truthes and falshoods together in Religion as they carry the word of GOD and the Traditions of Men in an euen balance Samaritani sunt they are Samaritanes At first Christ forbad his Apostles to goe into any Citie of the Samaritans after they did preach in many of them Beare witnesse first in Ierusalē in Iudaea giue good satisfaction especially to those of the houshold of the faithfull in the Citie Countrey but yet satisfie euē those Samaritans too They would be satisfied what Miracles you work in Virginia what people you haue conuerted to the Christian Faith there If we could as easily cal naturall effects Miracles or casuall accidents miracles or Magical illusions miracles as they do to make a miraculous drawing of a tooth a miraculous cutting of a corn or as Iustus Baronius saies when he was conuerted to them that he was miraculously cur'd of the Cholique by stooping to kisse the Popes foot If we would pile vp Miracles so fast as Pope Iohn 22. did in the Canonization of Aquinas Tot Miracula confecit quot determinauit questiones he wrought as many miracles as he resolu'd questions we might find Miracles too In truth their greatest Miracle to me is that they find men to beleeue their miracles If they rely vpon miracles they imply a confession that they induce new doctrines that that is old receiu'd needs no miracles If they require miracles because though that be ancient Doctrine it is newlybroght into those parts we haue the confession of their Iesuit Acosta that they doe no miracle in those Indies and he assignes very good reasons why they are not necessary nor to bee expected there But yet yet beare witnesse to these Samaritans in the other point labour to giue them satisfaction in the other point of their chardge What Heathens you haue conuerted to the Faith which is that which is intended in the next which is the last branch You are to be witnesses vnto me both in Ierusalem in all Iudaea in Samaria and vnto the vttermost parts of the Earth Litterally the Apostles were to bee such witnesses for Christ were they so did the Apostles in person preach the Gospell ouer all the World I know that it is not hard to multiply places of the Fathers in confirmation of that opinion that the Apostles did actually and personally preach the Gospell in all Nations in their life Christ saies the Gospell of the Kingdome shall be preach'd in all the World and there hee tels the Apostles that they shall see something done after that Therefore they shall liue to it So he saies to them You shal be brought before Rulers and Kings for my sake but the Gospell must first be published among all Nations In one Euangelist there is the Commission Preach in my name to all Nations And in another the Execution of this Commission And they went and preach'd euery where And after the Apostle certifies and returnes the execution of this Commission The Gospell is come and bringeth forth fruit to all the world and vpon those and such places haue some of the Fathers beene pleasd to ground their literall exposition of an actuall and personall preaching of the Apostles ouer all the world But had they dream'd of this world which hath been discouer'd since into which wee dispute with perplexitie and intricacy enough how any men came at first or how any beastes especially such beastes as men were not likely to carry they would neuer haue doubted to haue admitted a Figure in that The Gospell was preached to all the world for when Augustus his Decree went out That all the World should bee taxed the Decree and the Taxe went not certainly into the West Indies when Saint Paul sayes That their Faith was spoken of throughout the whole world and that their obedience was come abroad vnto all men surely the West Indies had not heard of the faith and the obedience of the Romanes But as in Moses time they call'd the Mediterranean Sea the great Sea because it was the greatest that those men had then seene so in the Apostles time they call'd that all the world which was knowne and traded in then and in all that they preach'd the Gospell So that as Christ when he said to the Apostles I am with you vnto the end of the World could not intend that of them in person because they did not last to the ende of the world but in a succession of Apostolike men so when he sayes the Apostles should preach him to all the world it is of the Succession too Those of our profession that goe you that send them who goe doe all an Apostolicall function What action soeuer hath in the first intention thereof a purpose to propagate the Gospell of Christ Iesus that is an Apostolicall action Before the ende of the world come before this mortality shall put on immortalitie before the Creature shal be deliuered of the bondage of corruption vnder which it groanes before the Martyrs vnder the Altar shal be silenc'd before al thing 's shal be subdued to Christ his kingdome perfited the last Enemy Death destroied the Gospell must be preached to those men to whom ye send to all men furder aud hasten you this blessed this ioyfull this glorious consummation of all and happie revnion of all bodies to their Soules by preaching the Gospell to those men Preach to them Doctrinally preach to thē Practically Enamore them with your Iustice and as farre as may consist with your security your Ciuilitie but inflame them with your godlinesse and your Religion Bring them to loue and Reuerence the name of that King that sends men to teach them the wayes of Ciuilitie in this world but to feare and adore the Name of that King of Kings that sends men to teach them the waies of Religion for the next world Those amongst you that are old now shall passe out of this world with this great comfort that you contributed to the beginning of that Common Wealth and of that Church though they liue not to see the groath thereof to perfection Apollos watred but Paul planted hee that begun the worke was the greater man And you that are young now may liue to see the Enemy as much empeach'd by that place and your friends yea Children aswell accō modated in that place as any other You shall haue made this