that by the juste judgement of God they are were all destroyed I answer that the cause wherfore the true God of heauen brought such punishments vpon them who spoiled their own false gods was because of the Sacrilegious contempt which these men did to them whome they helde for their gods and so were enemies to their own relicques which they professed that may serue to teach the Sacrilegious of our daies how more seuerely they deserue to be punished either here or hēce who professing the knowledg of the true God vse such profane attempts contrary to their Religion For as to such rake-hell houndes as was Dionysius the tyranne of Sicilia who can but abhor the Sacrilegious spewing out their abhominable taunts Who after his Sacrilege committed in spoyling of his gods hauing a favorable winde in his navigation saide to men yee see friends how favorable the gods be to the Sacrilegious And comming to the Temple of Iupiter Olympius drew from him his goldē cloak skoffing that it was too heauy to him for sūmer too cold for winter taking frō AEsculapius his golden beard saide it seemed not the same to haue a beard the father Apollo to be beardles As also when he took of al the gifts that wer offred to the idols holden vp by their handes pretended that they were willingly holden out and presented to him by the good gods Brennus also of whom I spak before as Trogus Pompeius reports spoyling the temples of Macedonia in skoffing maner said that the gods who were rich ought to bestow on mortall men of their liberall gifts But finally this man in despaire killed himself and the other Dionysius as is reported of him vrged by an evill conscience after that he had sold by publick voice Proclamation that which hee had spoyled from the Temples compelled them to whom such things were sold to restore them to the Temples from the which they were taken But how-so-euer this godles tyrant behaued himself we read how he was casten out of his kingdome being brought to great necessitie was compelled to teach a Grammer Schoole at Corinthus And shall wee think the punishment of such men to be included only within the short time of this life albeit for the most parte such men escaped not the Temporal punishments as the historie of their liues beares record But let vs come to the nearer examples when the Wandals came with a puissante armie against Duke Gabinius as is recited out of Eutropius the Duke sente some of his Captaines disguised to see whither the Wandals reverenced the Temples of the Christians or spoyled them If they spoyle or violate them saith he the God whom the Christians worship whom I know not if he be so powerfull as they saye will not spare them that spoyle his houses and so it come to passe For the Wandals marching forwarde inriched with the spoyle and goodes of the Kirke were vanquished in battell slaine put to diverse torments But Alaricus king of the Gotthes by the contrary hauing won Rome would not suffer his men to spoile the Temple of S. PETER nor touch any person being therein for the reverence he did bere to the place Clotharius King of France likewise as Turonenss writeth presuming most irrelegiously as certaine other Kinges to take the goodes of the kirk into his Thesaurie made an Edicte that all the Kirkes of his Realme should pay to him the third parte of their fruits But being rebuked of a certaine Bishop did retreat his ordinance a rare example indeed For there is a pestiferous maladie whereof few amend by repentance To come yet nearer wee reade of King WILLIAM of England called Rufus who for his pleasure pastime to inlarge his Forrest demolished 17. Parish Kirks and all the Townes about them But in the same forrest being at his game in the very place as some say where one of the Kirks stood was slaine by an arrow shot at a Deere by a certaine Knight there fell down dead immediatly For pleasure procured with the displeasure of the Almightie cannot well profite As for domesticall examples of Kinges of this Cuntrie that were spoylers of the Kirk or Kirk-goods they are very rare to bee found Indeede wee reade of Feredethus who arrogate vnto himself the kingdom of Pictes after the death of Hungus that he toke againe from the Kirk ministers thereof such as then were the possessions which Hungus being a godly king had giuen them Which is reported to haue bin one of the causes wherfore the kingdome of the Pictes thereafter was destroyed But amongst the Scottes Kinges I neuer read of any that tooke from the kirk any possessions So did they abhor Sacrilege howsoeuer otherwaies some of thē were wicked and of licencious life But it is easie to reade of very many that bestowed liberally vppon the seruice of God And more liberally in some respectes then become them yet alwaies godly as they supposed in their zeale And albeit I allowe no superfluitie in the Kirke-rentes but all may serue the king in time of necessitie Yet this may bee esteemed as one of the causes that GOD hes continued his Kingdome to stand so long vncōquished or translated to Forrayne power aboue the continual successe of an hundreth generationes Which is rare to be founde in any other kingdome The Lorde graunt that the corruption of our dayes bring not such an alteration as wee haue not seene nor yet haue heard of before Let vs therefore rather prayse others who by their godly zeale haue advanced the service of God and bestowed liberally of their substance for maintenance of the same In the booke of Exodus wee haue a notable example of the people of Israell Who offered so liberally to the wooke of the Tabernacle that MOYSES vvas forced to cause proclayme throughout the hoste that no man or vvoman should offer any further for the service and building thereof Because there were yuough and more bestowed already to that effect Oh what contrarietie is betweene them and their doings and our men who cannot cease nor leaue off without any hoe to takaway that which hath bin offred by others til almost now there is no thing left behind The like zeal of the Princes of Israel in their offring at the dedicatiō of the tabernacle as is writtē of thē wherto I remit you for shortnes This zeal is commended by DAVID in the Psalme 122. whereas he reioyced at the readines of the people to serue God in his Tabernacle And because I haue begun to make mention of King DAVID and the zeale of the people in his daies Let vs heare what vehement zeale was in himself in this behalfe to provoke others by his example First hee called for the Prophete NATHAN saying vnto him behold I dwell in an house of Ceder trees and the Arke of the Lord is vnder courtaines thinking it an vnmeete thing that his Royall Palace should be
thousand yeares by paste since the payment of teinds vnder the Gospell was called an auncient custome which the Christians had obserued by common consente by ayplying the same to the vse of the holy Ministery the poore redeeming of captiues and other godly vses as we may finde in some ancient caÌ„nons of councels So that I can not marvaile ynough of a certaine man who held himself very wel beseen in the laws customs of the cuntry who was not ashamed to affirm that the paimeÌ„t of teindes to the Kirke was not olde but of late brought vp If this man had red diligently the Scottes Chronicles only he might haue found how CONVAL King of Scottes who reigned about the yeare of our Lorde fiue hundreth three score and eight yeares Did statute by lawe that the teindes of all that grew vpon the grounde should be brought in vnto the Priests and service of God vsed in these daies which from that time by long prescription hath bene obserued amongst this our Scottish Nation So that the question cannot nowe haue place whether the teindes perteine to the Kirke or not I will not deny but the teinds might be possibly changed in other meanes of sufficient provision for the Kirke if such godly zeale were nowe amongst men as was of olde time But in so farre as we see the plain coÌ„trarie that men are now readier to take away theÌ„ euer our predecessors were to giue it were a foolish thing to loose the certaine for the vncertaine and that which is neuer likely to come to passe And the wisedome of the fathers hes done better in this behalfe then any thing that wee can nowe deuise or performe Therefore whosoeuer now doe abstracte the teindes from that vse for the which they haue bene of so auncient time appoynted amongst Christians they are to be repute as violaters of that godly and publick order and good estate of Christian common-wealths and cannot be excused from Sacrilege Because time hasteth me to an ende I am compelled for the present to cut many thinges Therefore I come shortly to the laste refuge of these Kirk-robbers whereas they alleage for themselues their titles tacks and assedations with oother evidentes rights whereby they possesse and brooke the teindes And many wil say also that their predecessors haue had kindnesse thereto of long time by-past And others moreouer will alleage and say wee haue payed great gressomes and sums of entresse silver therefore besides our yearely dutie hauing these teindes disponed to vs by them who had power to set the same To aunswere shortly to all this first I say to the takes-men that all their tackes and titles for the moste parte are set contrarie to the common Lawe and so are null in themselues And if wee shall examine them by the Lawe of Conscience which is the chiefe Lawe that Christistians ought to liue by it will be harde to purge the taker and also the setter of Sacrilege The first cause that mooued them of the Kirke to let teindes in tackes was to defende them from the invasion and violence of such mightie robbers as spoyled them of their possessions For otherwise it was not lawfull in any case by their Cannones that any of them whome they called the Laick sorte should haue any medling therewith But now it falles out plain contrariwise that none doe greater hurte to the Kirk then those tackesmen to make their own greedie gaine of the Kirk-goods And they may wel be compared to manchpresents as we speake taking to themselues the best parte leauing the least portion to the Kirks vse So I say that none of them that take the teindes in assedation with euident diminution of the olde rentals can pretende but they greatly hurte the Kirke contrary to good lawes conscience Yea many of their tacks are not only within the halfe of the just availe but oftentimes within the tent part as victuals now are solde For colouring of the which there is a new fraud of the law devised by converting victuall into money vnknowne to our Fore-bearers because say they vâ—…ctuall was sometime sold for such prices But where finde they that argumente à posse ad esse valiable in the Law or why preferre they not at least the option to the receiuer rather to choose then to the giuer or els why will they not paye Sterling money or the auaile thereof as good as it was when victualles were so solde Who will go to the market now with our money to buy victuall of such prices and not be mocked Whereto should I insiste longer vppon the newe mainteined corruptiones of this age to defraude the Kirke of her due right It shoulde weary both mee to rehearse and you to heare it When as tackes was not set in times by-paste but for the space of ninetene years the farthest Now three nintene years with three life-rents all in one tacke is thought nothing Yea many make heritage of the teindes as they haue done of the landes I omitte to speake of the oppression of the poore laborers of the grounde whereof I made mention before As to the kindnesse which these men alleage because it is of no force in the Lawe I cease likewise to speake thereof And as to the power of them that set these tackes being for the most parte titulars of Prelacies I counte them no lesse Sacrilegious then the takers as if I had time and space I might easely prooue With them also I joyne a sort of false brethren called beneficed Ministers who make as little conscience to dilapidate the kirk-rents as others do So that there is no estate free of Sacrilege in theâ—…e vnhappie daies Lorde arise and caste out all byers and sellers with thieues and robbers and corrupted Sacrilegious dealers out of the Kirke and stirre vppe some zealous reformers of these manifolde deformities that the Kingdome of Christ maye continue amongst vs and his Gospell not be removed and taken from vs for our great ingratitude and sinnes in abusing the name and profession of the same To whome with thee O Father and holie Ghost be all honour and glorie Aâ—…en AGAINST SACRILEGE The third Sermon Rom. 2. vers 22. 23. 24. 22 Thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit Sacrilege 23 Thou that gloriest in the Law through breaking of the Lawe dishonorest thou God 24 For the name of God is blasphemed amongst the Gentiles through you as it is written MAny shiftes and excuses can the corrupt nature of man finde out to cloake their euill doings and impieties how justly soeuer they bee challenged for their faultes if so be they bee not willing to redresse the wronge committed by them As in this matter whereof we intreate ye haue hard what pretended excuses and coloured reasons they whome wee blame as gyltie of Sacrilege oppone and alleage for themselues Which I suppose haue bene sufficiently aunswered and refuted in the former Sermon Nowe it resteth
Throne and taking his hearte from him For hee was driven from amongste men and his hearte made like to the hearte of a beaste And hauing his dwelling among the Wilde beastes he eate grasse like an Oxe His bodie was vvette vvith the devve of Heauen till his haire grew like the Eagles fethers and his nayles like the foules clawes vnto the time that he knew the most highest to beare rule ouer the Kingdomes of men and to giue them to whom he will And yet his Sonne or rather Nephew ◅ BELTSASER did not humble himselfe knowing al these things but becomming worse then any his predecessors lifted vp his heart against the Lorde of Heauen brought forth the vessels of the Lords house before him in his banket and he and his Princes his wiues and Concubins drank wine therein and praysed their Idols and Gods of Golde and Silver Brasse Woodde and Stone And glorifyed not the God in whose hand his breath and all his waies were Therefore the Lord sent foorth the palme of an hande and wrote against him vpon the wall declaring the destruction of him and his Kingdome which came to passe that same night For hee was slaine and his Kingdome translated to an other Nation As the whole Historie at length beares record In the book of Machabees also which albeit they be not Canonical Scriptures it may serue for record of trueth there is a notable historie of HELIODORVS Thesaurer to king SELEVCVS who hauing sente to spoyle the Temple of Ierusalem of the Thesaurarie being therein whereof a great parte perteined to the vviddowes and fatherlesse was miraculously smitten by the hande of God as hee was about to take away the money put therein and was there left for dead till by the prayer of ONIAS the high Priest he becomming penitent was restored to his health And being returned to his Maister the king demaunding who should be meete to sende againe for that purpose Answered if the king had any enemy or euill-willer to send him For he should receiue him againe wel whipped and beaten if he escape with his life Because the power of God was truely in that place and hee that dwelled in heauen would be revenged vpon them who did invade his house In the same bookes wee haue recited the miserable ende of King ANTIOCHVS who after he had sacrilegiously spoyled the temple of Ierusalē passed in Persia and preassing also to commit Sa◅vilege in the Cietie of Persepolis was ignominiously driuen back threatning to returne to ludea mak Ierusalem a barial place of the Iewes was brought to extreame diseases so that worms issued out of his body and his seruantes could not abide the vyle sture of his Carcase and so perished most miserable The third example we haue also written of certain souldiers of IVDAS MACCHA◅EYS who were slaine in a battle against Gorgias Gouernour of Iamnea vnder whose coates were ◅ounde Iewelles of the Iamnites which thing was forbidden by the Lawe So euery man sav◅ sayth the Historie that this was the cause wherefore they were slayne Whereupon Iudas exhorted the reste o◅ his armie to keepe themselues from such kinde of sinne because they saw that example before their eyes I adde hereunto that which is writren by IOSEPHVS of certaine Romane Governours namely Crassus and Pompeius of whome the former going to warre against the Parthians by the way spoyled the Temple of Ierusalem and tooke thence amongst other thinges a golden piller of 150. poundes weighte brake it in peeces and payed the souldiers wages therwith afterward he fought against the Parthians but with such vnhappy succes that it was counted one of the greatest misfortunes losse that the Romaines receiued For his Sonne was slaine with many Legiones of the Romane Chilvalrie and he himselfe being takē prisoner fearing the enemies cruelt◅e was his own murtherer by thrusting in his eye the ryding wande wherewith he beate his Horse his head his right-hand being thereafter cut off the barbarous people powred molten gold in his mouth because hee so inordinatly thyrsted af◅ed golde in his life time The other Pompeius the great by name being otherwise one of the most noble Senators and valiant Romanes in his daies had no better successe after th◅t he likewise had spoyled the Temple of the God of heauen in Ierusalem for he his armie although being of a greater multitud◅ wer discomfited by Iulius Cesar at that moste famous battle of Pharsalia And himselfe shortly thereafter murthered by young Ptoleme King of A Egypt The contrarie fell foorth to ALEXANDER the great who passing forward to his warres in Asia and comming to Ierusalem by the way spoyled not the Temple of the Lord but did great honour thereto to IADDVA the hie Prierst granting to the Nation of the Iewes libertie to liue after their owne lawes and for the space of seuen yeares they should be free from all kinde of tribute And hee thereafter had a most prosperous successe in all his interprises I may for this purpose produce many other examples out of profane writers Of the which for shortnesse of time I will onely collect and touche compendiously some of the principals There is a famous reporte and past in a Prouerbe of the golde of Tholose Which Q. SCIPIO and his souldiars spoyled from the temples of that Citie howe they therafter come to a miserable ouer-throwe XERXES king of Persia invading Greece with an innumerable army was shamefully driuen back who sent as the historie reporteth 400. souldiars to Delphus to spoyle the Temple of Apollo who were destroyed with thunder and Tempest Q. FVLVIVS FLACCVS a Censour of Rome as VALERIVS MAXIMVS writeth toke the pillers of the Temple of Iuno out of the Cittie of Locris placed them in his owne house but he fel thereafter in a phrensie and so still continued And finally hearing tel of his three Sons whereof one being dead another was grieuously sick he died miserably wherwith the Senate being mooved decreed to send these Pillars againe to their own place Of this and such things it appeares to haue past in a common Proverbe and saying amongst the Romanes that they desired no more harme to their enemies then to haue the stones of a Temple builded in their house Plemmenius likewise a Romane Legate hauing spoyled the Temple of Proserpina in Locris as hee carryed the spoyle in his ships they were casten and broken on the sea ◅ands and the spoyle founde restored againe to the Temple Plemmenius himselfe neuer prospered thereafter But being driuen from Italie to Greece dyed a shamefull death The like thing also we reade of Pyrrhus And concerning Brennus an aunciente king of the Gaules how he with his souldiers going to spoyle the Temple of Delphos the most parte of his armie was destroyed with an earth-quake himselfe so smitten that for sorrow he killed himself But men may say why produce I these ēnsamples of spoyling of Idols Idolatrous temples Seeing
they see them contending one against another And can the King thinke ye bee in a good case when the estate of the Kirke which was the first in Parliament is so wracked No for if he euer haue warre or other great enterprises ado as it is likely he is shortly to haue he shall lack that to speake worldly which was his principall reliefe and ayde to wit the Thesaurie of the kirk to advance such weightie affaires For as to theÌ„ vpon whom the same is vnworthely bestowed I meane the Kirk-lands and rents they shall fayle him in his greatest neede For it is not his weale nor standing that they haue sought but their owne particular with insatiable greede And now when they haue done the Lord shall so blowe vpon it that they or their aires shalbe no better of it but rather because it is procured with Gods curse it shall wrack the rest of their patrimonie and aunciente houses as experience hath prouen in some of them And as to the Kings Hienesse seeing that his estate euen from his Coronation hes bene so annexed and joyned with the estate of the Kirke and reformed Religion that it hath wel appeared hitherto by experience that the standing of the one hath made the other also to stande it is justly to be feared the Lord auerte it that the ruine and decay of Religion in this Realme if God of his just judgement suffer it may bring exceeding great daunger to his person and royal authoritie yea to the whole common-wealth And the authors of these new erectioÌ„s of the kirk lands inheritable titles to them selues and priuate vses shal be a chiefe cause thereof and that by with-drawing the blessing of God from the Lande and procuring his wrath against the same The Lord remeid these appearing euilles by time Now returning to our Text concluding with the Apostle in the verses following as he most justly rebukes the Iewes who gloryed in the law of God and yet by breaking of the Law by their Sacrilege and other odious crimes dishonored his holy Majestie declaring thereby the light regard they had to that Religion which they outwardly professed so it may be justly layd to the charge of this vnthankfull generation that our outward glorie in his religion shal turne to the vtter confusion of many in this Lande For if it be as it is most true that they who honour GOD hee shall honoure them and they who contemne his worshippe shall bee brought to ignominie and shame Howe can our feined profession worke otherwaies when the Doctrine of Christ his Evangell whereof men wil so babble in their idle talking is so profaned and abused in their daily life and conversation So that the name of that good God who hath so meruelously and mercifully in-lightned this nation aboue others with the knowledge of his vndoubted trueth by our licentious liuing being trod vnderfoot his name is euill spoken of by our occasion amongst the Papistes and other enemies of the trueth as it was amongst the Gentiles by occasion of the euil liues of the Iewes in their captiuitie as the Prophet EZECHIEL here cited by our Apostle doth testifie of them And is it not a most vnworthie thinge that they who haue receiued glorie and honour from God as our vnthankfull Nation haue in granting vs so great light denyed to other mightie Kingdomes of the earth to render againe such gracelesse payment as so to dishonour his holy name The Lord graunt that at least so many as are appoynted for his heauenly kingdome may speedily repent with ZACCHEVS the reste at least be not inferiour to IVDAS who restored that which hee had most sacrilegiously taken in betraying his Maister the Lord Iesus our Saviour To whome with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and prayse for euer FINIS Mal. 3. Iosu. 7. 1. Sam. â—… Malach 3. Act. 5. Act. â—… L. â—…iquis in hoc genus sacrilegij C. de Episcopis clericis L. Qui diuine C. de 〈◊〉 Sacrilegij C. de sepulchro 〈◊〉 L. 1. Leuit. 2â—… Zach. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 17. Q. 4. Quisquiâ—… 2 King 4. â—… Mac. 3. Ioh. 12. Citatuâ—… qu. 2. aurum Ex. lib. de off 12. Q. 2. Aurum ex lib de offiâ—… â—…2 Q. 2. â—…loria Delegihâ—… lib. 1â—… 2. King 18. Esai 1. Psal. 50. Exod. 22. â—…d ad 〈◊〉 peeulatus l. 1. l. 4. C. de Sepul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. â—… Mal. â—… â—…d de vsâ—… et 〈◊〉 â—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. le gatuâ—… Levit. 〈◊〉 C. de donationibus l si quis argentum § Sin autem Deut. 7. Deut. 13. â—… Cor. 10. â—…osua 6. 7. Iâ—…g 6. 1. King 21 â—… Cassamus L. deceruimuâ—… C. de Sacro s. Eccleijs Authent 〈◊〉 non aliâ—… 〈◊〉 Ecclesiasti â—…oll 2. Gen. 14. Gen. 28. â—…erit 27. Num. 18 Concil Matisc. 2 Can. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 li. 9. f. 192. Concil Carthag 5 cap. 6. Contradâ—… â—…d leg 〈◊〉 l pâ—…ecia Deut. 7. Mal. 3. Iosua â—… Act. 5. Carthag council 4 c 95. Council Agâ—…then c. 3. alibi Liâ—… â—… de â—…ogibus L. Sacrilegâ—… L. Sacrilegij dâ—… Leg. Iulian 〈◊〉 latuâ—… L. peculatus â—…d eâ—…d tit â—… Sâ—…m 1. 3. Dan. 1. Dan. 4. Dan â—… â—… Mac. â—… â—… Mac. 12. Exod. 36. Num. 7. Psal. 12â—… 2. Sam 7. 1. Châ—…o 22 2. Chro. 29 Mal. 3. Ezech. 36