body to pining their minde to repining their soule to Satan that they would fall to restoring because the sinne is retained vntill the gaines of Vsury be returned Which saying though it seeme hard yet it is most true And what though they should in so doing restore all they haue I would tell them as the Prophet did Amasiah The Lord is able to giue thee more than this A mansion in Gods kingdome is worth all thy cash But I speake to the belly that hath no eares Shew me the Vsurer except Zacheus that euer repented truly for as Humilitie is the repentance of Pride so is Restitution of this sinne I doubt not but there are some but they will be as daintie dishes in heauen as Venison is on a Plowmans table Wherefore I will forbeare any further dealing with these and rather speake in generall to all Oppressors of what kinde soeuer and so hasten to an end Let all such know as vse any kinde of iniustice vi or dolo by force or fraud against the poore and needie who are no way able to withstand them that they flay their skins off they grinde their faces yea eat their very flesh as sometimes that poore leane widow told Baldwin an Archbishop of Canterbury when she heard him boasting that he had neuer eat flesh in all his daies that he had eat vp hers in taking away her Cow whereby shee liued And let them call to minde the fearefull woes that are thundered out against them for this sinne There is a Woe from Isaiah a Woe from Ieremiah a Woe from Micah a Woe from Habbakkuk Woe and alas then that such can be secure Oh that such would now at length call themselues to account for their oppressions that some remorse might be wrought in their hearts if it were possible Such as these in former times haue beene executed as theeues are now amongst vs. Catillus a British King hung vp all oppressors of the poore And after him King Edward commonly called good King Edward banished such the Land And by the ancient Lawes of England the goods of oppressors dying without restitution were forfeit to the King and all his lands vnto the Lord of the Towne And it is apparant by the Canon-law that heretofore they haue beene denied Christian burial Were the same lawes still in force vndoubtedly it would be a good restraint And yet what is all this to expulsion out of Gods Kingdome Oh that these would bethinke them of that dreadfull day of reckoning and of that terrible sentence which shall be then denounced Depart you cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his angels There is the Reiection For I was an hungrie and you gaue mee no meat I was thirstie and you gaue me no dâ—inke I was a stranger and yee tooke me not in naked and yee clothed me not sicke and in prison and yee did not releeue mee There is a Reason of their Reiection Oh then how fearefull will their case be against whom the Iudge may thus proceed in sentence Depart from mee you cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his angels for I had meat and by force you tooke it from mee I had drinke and you spoiled mee of it I had a house and you thrust mee out of doores I had clothes and you pulled them from my backe I was in health and you made mee sicke I was at libertie and you imprisoned me For if by that sentence they be damned who haue not done the workes of mercie much more shall they be damned who haue acted the workes of crueltie If by that sentence they be damned who haue not succoured nor releeued the poore much more shall they be damned who haue oppressed and crushed the poore To winde vp all in a word and so to turne the vse from Reprehension to Exhortation Let no man from hence forth oppresse nor defraud his brother for the Lord is the auenger of all such things Let vs all so carry our selues as that with blessed Paul we may glory as he did We haue wronged no man wee haue consumed no man wee haue defrauded no man And so I leaue this which especially respects the Agent and come to what remaines which especially respects the Patient Behold a cry i. of the poore and needy of the fatherlesse and widow and such as were oppressed Here we see The cryes of the oppressed ascend vp into the Almighties eares He heares their groanes and beholds their grieuances The Lord told Moses as much when he called him to be the deliuerer of his people Israel I haue surely seene the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and haue heard their cry by reason of their taske-masters for I know their sorrowes Now therefore behold the cry of the children of Israel is come vnto me and I haue also seene the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppresse them Afterwards when God forbad his people to oppresse the stranger fatherlesse and widow he addeth this as a reason I will surely heare their cry Iob auoucheth as much as I haue deliuered They cause the cry of the poore to come vnto him and he heareth the cry of the afflicted So doth the Psalmist The righteous cry when he is thus oppressed and God heareth him S. Iames likewise confirmeth it Behold the hire of the labourers which haue reaped downe your fields which is of you kept backe by fraud crieth and the cries of them which haue reaped are entred into the cares of the Lord of Sabbath And how can it be otherwise For marke our blessed Sauiours owne argument If importunate clamour preuaile with the vniust Iudge who neither regardeth man nor feareth God shall not God much more auenge his owne elect ones that cry day and night vnto him for the wrong that is done vnto them through the oppression of the mighty I tell you saith our Sauiour though he forbeare long yet at length he will doe it Dauid furnisheth vs with another Reason A father of the fatherlesse and a Iudge of the widow is God in his holy habitation These are his Clients he hath taken them into his protection he is become their Iudge and shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right This neerely concernes both oppressors and the oppressed As for oppressors they had need be well aduised what they doe for if they continue in their cruelty the poore must needs sigh and cry and God will heare them which if he doe he will cause their oppressors to heare of him He will iudge the fatherlesse and the oppressed that the man of earth may no more oppresse Or suppose that they themselues cry not but sit downe by it and thrust their mouthes in the dust swallowing their griefe with silence yea praying for them who persecute and oppresse them rather than putting vp
5. By the heresie of the father a childe is freed from his obedience So that if a Priest returning into England findeth his father to be a Protestant he may deny him to be his father meaning that he is not such a one as he ought to acknowledge for his father 6. That Heretikes may not be tearmed either children or kindred but according to the old Law thy hand must be vpon them to spill their bloud 7. That it is not lawfull for Christians to tolerate an hereticall King they may expell him depose him yea murther him And this they say is agreeable to the Apostolique doctrine 8. If warre be once proclaimed by them against Sectaries that is in their language vs Protestants then it is lawfull for any priuate man to take spoile kill such Sectaries and burne their houses ouer their heads 9. It is lawfull for Catholike Princes to make league with Protestants only for their owne aduantage as for example to dispatch some businesses which hinder them from falling vpon Protestants with their whole forces 10. And that one may sweare with Equiuocation and ment all reseruation is good positiue Diuinitie with them By these and the like Positions which they maintaine we plainly see how they dissolue all bands of humane fellowship and strangle the vitall spirits of humane societie Whether it be safe then to suffer such iudge yee Besides as is their doctrine such is their practise in deposing Kings and Emperours practising hellish treasons iustifying the murdering of Princes making leagues only for their owne ends breaking their promises oathes vowes at their pleasure Can it then be well with the Vineyard if these Foxes be at libertie Can it be well with the Lambes of Christ if these Wolues be suffered to range about Can Israel enioy the Land of Canaan in quiet if these Canaanites be not subdued as seruants to the Congregation or subuerted as enemies Let therefore all such Magistrates as tender the good of their King and Crowne Land and State doe their best to watch and catch these Foxes lenitie and mildnesse hath long beene vsed Now to vse the words of a late worthy Prelate some iustice with mercie would doe well some frosts with the fire that warmes these Snakes in the bowels of our Land some pluckes at these thornes and prickles in our eyes the mean time and will be hereafter in our sides and hearts lest if lustice goe on to sleepe as it were her dead sleepe the tares of disloyaltie treasons and seditions be so thick sowen in the field of this Kingdome by those enuious ones the Seedesmen of Rome that it will be difficultie and mastrie afterwards to remoue them 3 And let all good Christians of what estate or degree soeuer beware of hauing any inward societie or familiaritie with Idolaters or other obstinate sinners and offenders It is worthy our remembring how when the Emperour Theodosius senior was desirous to confer with Eunomius the Arrian Bishop his wife Plaâ—â—â—a the Empresse very earnestly disswaded him lest hee being peruerted by his speeches should beginne to like of his heresie and surely there is more danger of being infected by them than of doing good vpon them Easier is it to draw a prophane person from hell gates than to remoue an opinion from a wilfull minde Let vs all with Iacob cleanse and purge our families of these and such like baggage not suffering any vngodly person to dwell with vs. We see how it is in the bodie when nature hath any euill or vnprofitable humours that oppresse the stomacke it is forced to cast them out for the preseruation of the health of other parts So should it be with vs if wee perceiue our families to be endangered by obstinate and obdurate sinners it should vomit them out as raw and vndigested humours by timely election lest the whole head wax heauie and the whole bodie sickly and so the vitall parts languish To conclude let vs all pray and pray heartily for this Vineyard in this Land as all are directed by authoritie Lord strengthen the hands of our gratious King the Nobles and Magistrates of the Land that with iudgement and iustice they may cut off and root out that Babylonish and Antichristian Sect out of the Confines and limits of this Kingdome that they may neuer preuaile against vs nor triumph in the ruines of this Church And with our Prayer let all protest with one ioynt voice to God Thou art my Lord c. their sorrowes shall be multiplied that hasten after another god their drinke-offering of bloud will I not offer nor take vp their names into my lips Now in the next place consider we of Gods great loue to this his Vineyard in regard of the Choice Vine wherewith he planted it It was not of an ordinary but of the best and noblest kinde Which whether it be meant of all the seed of Abraham in generall as some would haue it or of some of the choisest persons of the house of Iudah in particular as of Dauid Solomon and other such godly Kings as some other take it yet this will follow The godly and their seed are the noblest plants and choisest persons Such as are godly such are most excellent My goodnesse saith Dauid extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight Where see how that Kingly Prophet honoureth such as are Saints with the name of Excellent and Worthies of the earth And Solomon his sonne affirmeth as much when he telleth vs The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour i. he is better beloued and graced of God and hath that in him which maketh him more honourable than any other who is vnrighteous and sinfull And our Prophet Isaiah calleth the godly in plaine termes The glory Vpon all the glory saith he shall be a defence Thus as the godly goe before all other in virtue so they goe before them in honour and as they exceed others in pietie so they surmount them in excellencie And that this is truth viz. That the godly are the noblest and choisest persons may appeare further if we consider 1. Their Race and Pedigree for they are descended of the bloud royall they are borne of God being sonnes and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords And whereas other men are called children of the earth or children of disobedience or children of iniquitie or children of wrath or children of death or children of the Deuill or children of perdition or children of Hell we shall finde that all the godly are called either children of light or children of the Prophets or children of the Promise or children of the wedding chamber or children of the Kingdome Thus for birth and bloud they exceed all other of the earth besides 2.
Their kindred are vere rich and noble For their Father they haue him in whose hands are all the corners of the earth and the strength of all hills is his also The Sea is his for he made it and his hands prepared the dry land A great God is he and a great King aboue all gods For their Mother they haue a great Queene who hath Kings daughters and honourable women for her attendants being clothed in rayment of gold and needle worke For their Brethren they haue Christ the great heire of the world who is not ashamed to call them Brethren and all Saints vpon the earth besides Now seemeth this a light thing vnto you 3. Their Place and Dignitie is very great they are in high place and office being made by Christ Kings and Priests vnto God his Father They are in high authoritie to command and rule like Kings and Priests who haue the chiefest roomes of all 4. Their Attendants are honourable The glorious Angels that are aboue and which excell in strength doe euermore wait vpon them and are become ministring spirits sent forth to minister for those who are heires of saluation Yea Kings and Queenes are but as nurses to them and they must doe them homage worshipping with their faces towards the earth and licking vp the dust vnder their feet What shall we need to speake of other things wherein one man is wont to excell another and thereby wax glorious and become renowned Who are wise besides these Are not these only A wise prudent and vnderstanding people Who are valiant but these Are not these the Chariots and horsemen of Israel Who goe fine but these Are not these they who are arrayed with pure sine linnen and shining Doe not these goe clothed with the golden and silken robes of Iesus Christ and of his Spirit Who fare so well as these Are not these fed with Manna the bread of life Haue not these prepared for them A feast of fat things euen a feast of fined wines of fat things full of marrow of wines fined and purified Who are out of debt but these Hath not Christ discharged them of all their sinnes which are called debts and cancelled the bonds Who haue peace within and without but these God is now reconciled with them so that they haue peace not only with God himselfe and his creatures but also with themselues in their owne soules and consciences Who enioy health but these Their soules are found and well and daily they goe on from strength to strength till they appeare perfect in Sion Who speakes so pure a language as these Their language is the language of Canaan out of their mouths no filthy vnsauoury nor rotten communication doth proceed What shall I saâ— more Who can compare with these who haue the heauens for their inheritance the Scriptures for then euidences the Sacraments for their sâ—ales and the Holy Ghost for their assurer Who haue all things theirs and they are Christs and Christ is Gods Now if this be so that The godly are the choisest plants and chiefest personages why then are such most contemned and accounted according to S. Pauls saying as the filth of the world and off-scowring of all thiâ—gâ— But let me say to worldlings as the Apostle of those great ones who put the Lord of life to death If they haâ—â— knowne they would not haue crucified the Lord of life and glory So didst thou but know who these are and what manner of persons they are whom thou thus despisest thou wouldst more respect them yea loue and reuerence them nay kisse the very ground they goe vpon Indeed they seeme outwardly blacke and weather-beaten but what then Yet vnder that balenesse and blacknesse is hid great honour and beauty Within that leather purse is a pretious pearle In those earthen pots is abundance of golden treasure As meane and base as they seeme in thy eyes they are children of God great Heires and Princes and shall one day reigne with Christ in glory Be therefore well aduised and disdame them not Had Shemei euer thought that Dauiâ— should euer haue recouered againe the Crowne and Kingdome and so Soueraigntie ouer him he would haue spared his cursed speeches vsed against him and haue beene more temperate Or had Iosephs brethren as much beleeued his dreams that they should come and bowe to him as they enuied him for them they would haue vsed him with more mildnes but they when they sold him thought neuer to haue seene him more much lesse did they expect to haue beene told of their crueltie from his mouth And yet what ere they thought it so fell out contrary to all their expectations Now when they heare him which was a Ruler in Aegypt say I am Ieseph your brother whom you sold how amazedly doe you thinke they lookt one vpon another with what palenesse and silence doe they stand before him Wonder Doubt Reuerence Feare Hope Guiltinesse strooke them at once the more they considered they wondred the more and the more they beleeued the more they feared for those words I am Ioseph whom you sold seemed to sound thus much to their guilty thoughts You are murtherers and I am a Prince in spight of you my power and this place giue me all opportunities of reuenge my glory is your shame my life your danger c. Euen thus it is and shall be with all wicked ones When they reuile and mocke Gods children doe they thinke they shall euer see Ioseph more or euer come and bowe before him and doe him reuerence Alas they haue no such thought and yet they must and shall for Ioseph will appeare though not in Aegypt yet in Heauen to their confusion and shame Then will they be vexed and amazed who now set Gods children at nought then will they change their mindes and sob and sighs or griefe of spirit and say within themselues These are the men and women whom we disdained and contemned and called Puritanicall fooles and precise fellowes These are they whom we slandered and molested But now we see now highly they are aduanced being counted amongst the children of God hauing their portion with the Saints Oh that such as vex and molest the righteous either with virulent tongues as Shemei or with violent hands as Herod or with both as Iulian the Apostata whether by themselues as Diotrephes or by other as the Scribes and Pharisies whether closely like Iezabel or openly like Pharaoh would thinke of this change and alteration And how soone it may come who knoweth But certainly it will come and then what the Psalmist speaketh shall infallibly be verified Their horne shall be exalted with glory The wicked shall sâ—e it and be angry he shall gnash with his teeth and consume away the desire of the wicked shall perish
what good seruice it will doe The Lord God hath set it as his deputy in the brest of man which though it bee oftentimes a neuter when the act is doing and while sinne is a commiting yet afterwards it will proue a friend and faithfull witnesse for the Lord but an aduersary against man Oh that the wicked would thinke of this who sinne in hope of secrecie why who sees them who can witnesse any thing against them who can condemne them for such or such an action Alas poore soule There is a conscience within thee that sees thee and will condemne thee thy selfe shall passe sentence against thy selfe Now thou canst hide couer and cloake thy sinne and plead in the defense thereof but when God shall cite thy conscience to giue in euidence that shall bee as a thousand witnesses and condemne thee for thy most secret sinnes Though thou doe escape all apprehension and accusation in this world yet thy owne conscience will arrest thee and hale thee vnto iudgement And albeit thou escape mans iudgement yet the iudgement of thy owne conscience thou shalt neuer escape Neither thinke that what thou thy selfe knowest shall euer bee concealed thou art priuy to thy owne lewdnesse and knowest of thy drunkennesse adultery theft c. What art thou the better then in that no body else is priuy to them so long as thou hast a conscience within thee Neither thinke thou that because thy conscience is now asleepe or feared and benummed through a continuance in the custome of sinne that it will neuer be awakened or that this is nothing so For as the poize of a clocke being downe all motion ceaseth the wheeles stirre not but being would vp all is set on going So albeit now while thy conscience is downe there is no noise nor mouing in thy heart all is quiet yet when it is wound vp by the iustice of God as one day assuredly it shall it will set all the wheeles on working thy tongue to confesse and say guilty Lord guilty thy eies to weepe thy hands to wring thy voice to cry thy heart to ake and yet all in vaine Bee watchfull therefore and euer remember Conscience Beware of hypocrisie and secret sinnes for though thou canst hide them from men and Deuils yet not from it And looke thou neglect not the checks of conscience Doth it now checke thee and reproue thee for thy waies know the time commeth when that conscience which doth now checke thee shall iudge thee and condemne thee and that which doth now reproue thee shall hereafter torment thee in endlesse woe if thou repent not Secondly seeing this is so that Man shall iudge himselfe and iustifie the Lord then let it teach vs this point of wisdome to beginne betimes and now iudge our selues that we may not be iudged Selfe-condemning is an especiall meanes to preuent future condemnation and the more speedily we set vpon the worke the more mercifully will the Lord deale with vs. It is recorded of Edward the first sometimes King of this land that being crossed by a seruant of his in the sport of Hawking and further incensed by a sawcie answer which he made vnto the Kings threatnings telling him it was well there was a riuer betweene them spurd his horse into the depth of the riuer not without great danger of his life the water being deepe and the bankes too high and steepe for his ascending Yet at last recouering land pursues his seruant with his drawne sword The seruant finding himselfe too ill horsed to outride the King and seeing no way to escape his fury lights from his horse and on his knees exposed his necke to the blow of the Kings sword The King seeing this puts vp his sword and would not touch him Behold how humble submission and selfe-iudging soone pacifles him whom a dangerous water could not with-hold from violence Whiles men stand out against God iust fying themselues stubbornly flying from him he that rides vpon the wings of the winde posts after with the sword of vengeance drawne but when we condemne our selues and cast our selues downe at the foot of his mercie then will his wrath be soone appeased towards vs. Thirdly here we haue a patterne for our imitation and a coppy set to write after Let vs herein also be followers of God as deare Children and be so vpright and iust in our proceedings as that wee may dare to appeale to the consciences of our aduersaries for witnesse and testimonie of our innocency And as the Apostle willeth let vs approue our selues to euery mans conscience in the sight of God Such was Dauids cariage towards Saul as that he was constrained twice to testifie of him Thou art more righteous than I. The innocencie of Shadrach Meshach and Abedaego caused Nebuchadnezzar to pronounce with his owne mouth they were the seruants of the high God Though Plinius Secundus be an enemie to Christians and a persecutor of them yet their holy and godly conuersation shall make him to certifie the Emperour his Master Traian that they are harmelesse persons Thus let thy life bee holy and innocent and then thou maist fetch a testimony from the conscience of the very enemie And as Dauid said sometimes to Micol obiecting vnto him that euen his owne seruants contemned him for his dancing before the Arke Of the seruants which thou hast spoken of of them shall I be had in honour So say I euen those wicked ones that outwardly traduce thee and reuile thee cannot but inwardly they must acquit thee and commend thee their heart and conscience shall speake for thee euen then when their tongue and lips doe speake against thee And when euer it shall please the Lord to set their consciences on the racke or to compasse them about with the snares of death then shall their tongue be constrained will they nill they to discouer what now lies hidden for the iustification of thy righteousnesse Then they crie out oh send for such a man or such a woman they will pray for me and doe me good and giue me comfort and doe we not see daily that they sooner trust for all their talke such as they terme Hypocrites Dissemblers and Precisians with their goods and with their children and with their portions yea and with their soules also before any other The last thing propounded to our consideration in this Appeale is the Parties betweene whom the variance is and they are the Lord and Israel God and his Vineyard God being the Plaintiffe and the whole body of the people euen all Israel and Iudah the Defendants As vnequally matched as euer were Earth and Heauen Strength and Weaknesse or the great Beemoth and the silliest worme that creepes in the chinkes and crannies of the earth God contends with man he that is excellent with them that are but dust who then is like to haue the day Betweene mee and my Vineyard And
is at hand waiting when they shall be deliuered to him yet they lie snorting in their sinnes sleeping betweene Death and Hell as Peter did betweene the two souldiers being fast bound with chaines or to vse Solomons Prouerbe As a Sailer vpon the top-mast in the midst of a storme there being but a haires bredth betweene them and their destruction See then thy estate thou who art from vnder Gods protection liuing in thy sinnes thou liuest in perpetuall perill thou maist eat and drinke make merry and be iocund but thou hast little reason Belshazzar may carowse it in golden and siluer vessels but hee had little cause when his doome was written on the wall Amnons heart may cheere him but as little reason had he Death being so nigh at hand Be then as merry as you will you wicked ones this I am sure of your wretched estate giues you no leaue Lastly here is a ground of encouragement for the faithfull when they haue iust cause to band themselues against the wicked and are constrained to meddle with euill men or to vndertake warre against the enemies of the Church either for the defence of true Religion or for the releeuing and deliuering of such as are oppressed for religion or for the safetie and defence of Land and people or for other such like iust causes that wee lift vp our heads and hearts with hope of victory because we haue to doe with weake and naked men Thus Iosua and Caleb comforted the people against the Canaanites saying Rebell yee not against the Lord neither feare ye the people of the Land for they are but bread for vs their shield is departed from them and the Lord is with vs feare them not This was that also wherewith Abijah the King of Iudah comforted himselfe going against the mightie armie of Ieroboam with this let vs and all Gods people comfort our selues when we are to goe out against our aduersaries for they come out into the field as souldiers without weapons they haue neither shield nor buckler nor breast-plate nor helmet nor sword nor speare their loines are vngirt their feet vnshod their heads are vncouered in the day of bartell they lie open as naked men to be wounded and destroyed and therefore Be strong and couragious feare not neither be afraid for the wicked nor all their multitude for there is more with vs than is with them with them is an arme of flesh but with vs is the Lord our God for to helpe vs and to fight our battles And so much for this Now we goe on It shall be eaten vp and trodden downe This followes vpon the former The hedge and wall being pluckt vp and broken downe way is made whereby the beasts of the field that is the enemies of the Church shall haue free egresse and regresse to eat and deuoure and not only so but to tread downe and spoile they should not only trouble and afflict them but also ouercome them and enter into their possessions carrying away what they list making strip and waste of the rest The first point hence to be obserued is Vntill God breake downe the wall and plucke vp the hedge of his protection wherewith his people are encompassed the wicked and vngodly cannot hurt them or any way harme them God must giue yea make way before they can come in vpon them to afflict them How should one chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight saith Moses in that same sweet song which he sang a little before his death except their rocke had sold them and the Lord had shut them vp This was a thing impossible that one enemie should chase a thousand Israelites and two Gentiles put a thousand Iewes to flight had not that God who had beene before their rocke deliuered them vp into the hands of those their enemies The Deuill himselfe who is the greatest of all their enemies and strongest of that hellish band being the great Goliah in that armie of Philistines can doe nothing without permission hee must haue a commission to goe forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets that he and his people may fall at Ramoth Gilead He must beg leaue at Gods hands to touch Iob such a hedge being made about him and all he had on euery side that there was no comming at him except God leaue open some gap for this soule beast to enter The like protection haue all Gods people whereby they are so fenced that neither the Deuill nor any of his limbes can hurt any of them without speciall warrant and commission from the Lord. Hitherto tends that which wee reade of in the Acts Doubtlesse against thy holy Sonne Iesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel gathered themselues together to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsel hath determined before to be done And that answer of our Sauiour vnto Pilate Thou couldest haue no power at all against me except it were giuen thee from aboue For as our Sauiour saith elsewhere My Father is stronger than all all power and strength is of him and from him originally according to that in Daniel Wisdome and might are Gods He can giue and take away at his pleasure Which being so this discouers vnto vs a notable delusion of the Deuill in that he perswadeth Witches and Wizards that he can do all things and at their request or command will lame and kill men or beasts and whatsoeuer they bid him doe or hire him to doe that shall be done with which conceit also many of our people are possessed which causeth them to be so afraid of Witches as that they dare not any way displease them or giue them a foule word for feare they should send their spirits to torment their bodies destroy their goods lame their cattell or doe them some other mischiefe And thus are thousands deluded by the Deuill yea and bewitched before they be aware and led into all manner of error and of falshood That there are Witches by whom the Deuill worketh I deny not Scriptures and experience doth make it euident but that these Witches can send the Deuill to kill or lame either men or beasts when they list and where they list I vtterly deny For first we are to know that the Deuill hath of himselfe no power ouer the least flie the high prouidence of the Almightie hath so chained and bridled him vp as that he cannot plucke off a fether from the wing of a little Wren or Sparrow without leaue and power giuen him from God It followes then that he at his pleasure cannot doe the least harme to man or beast to gratifie a Witch neither doth the sending of the Deuill by a Witch giue him any power and commission to doe any thing for God must giue way before any euill can
waking spying Antipater by him he vsed these words as the story saith No maruell I slept so soundly seeing Antipater was by and watched It would not haue fallen out so well with this Land in generall and many no nor any of vs in particular had not this Ante-pater our gracious Father who was before all worlds beene our mercifull keeper In 88. fierce enemies intended the inuasion of this Land but they were foiled and England triumphed for the Lord of Hoasts was our defender Many enterprises haue beene vndertaken against our most gracious Soueraigne especially that hellish attempt of popish monsters in that infernall Powder-plot yet King Iames is waked and long may he wake for Ante-pater stood by and watched O still stand by and watch but as for his enemies they are executed as traitors and haue slept their last And so lot them perish oh Lord. But doe wee not see how the godly are wronged spoiled yea and sometimes killed by their aduersaries True yet this commeth not to passe through the force of their aduersaries might but by the will and permission of the Lord neither doth hee suffer it to satisfie their foes but to increase their felicity and for their good For it is with the godly as with the beast in the field which is safer in a storme than in the fairest seasons the storme driueth him to his den and harbour but when it is ouer hee commeth forth and is in danger to bee taken of the hunter Thus in trouble the godly flie vnto the clefts of their Rocke and get vnder the wing of their Protector but when troubles are ouer they are in greater danger to be ensnared Wee know raine and thunder are many times better for corne and grasse than faire sunne-shine so here Againe God hath promised not to defend vs from troubles but preserue vs in troubles Our Feare shall be taken away not our Fight And so though we be persecuted yet we be not forsaken though slaine yet not ouercome nay when we seeme to be ouercome then doe we ouercome our enemies Though we beare away the blowes and are slaine by them yet God still preserues vs and we obtaine a noble victorie Excellent was that speech which sometimes Anaxarchus vsed when as Nicocreon the tyrant commanded he should be beaten to death in a morter Beat and bray said he to the executioner as long as thou wilt Anaxarchus his sachell meaning his body but Anaxarchus thou canst not touch Thus are the godly preserued by God who putteth his right hand vnder their heads and giues them grace sufficient proportioning their strength to the burden mitigating their sorrowes making them possesse their soules in patience yea to reioyce in their tribulation as appeareth not only in the examples of the Apostles in the Acts but also by the practise of some in our owne Nation in the time of persecution as Glouer Farrar Hawkes with diuers other the later of which three being desired by some of his godly friends to giue some token when hee was in the flames whether the paine were tolerable or no for their further confirmation after his eies were started out of his head his fingers consumed with the fire and when euery one thought him dead and did expect the fall of his body suddenly lifts vp his stumps and thrice as a famous conquerer claps them ouer his head in token of victory Thus the faithfull famously conquer when they seeme to be conquered by their enemies I remember what one saith of S. Laurence his patience and constancy when hee was broiled on the gridiron That God was more glorified by it than if hee had saued his body from burning by a miracle So vndoubtedly it is as much for Gods glory to preserue vs in our suffering as to preserue vs altogether from suffering Thus then we see that our enemies could not so farre preuaile did not God permit them neither would he suffer them so farre to preuaile did it any way tend to his dishonour or our dammage Our God is omnipotent doing what he will and suffering no resistance in that he will not so that only he which can ouercome him can hurt vs. That godly gloriation then which the Apostle vseth against the enemies of our soules may fitly be vsed by vs against the enemies of our bodies What shall we then say to these things If God be for vs who can be against vs And then a little after Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loued vs. Thus as if all these had been but flea-bitings he doth triumph ouer them And then in a straine beyond all admiration hee goeth on thus For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. If then we be Gods though Satan and sinners would yet they can doe nothing against vs that shall be for our hurt and though God himselfe can yet he will doe nothing to vs that shall not turne to our endlesse and euerlasting good Further in that it is said The wall shall not only be broken but that it shall likewise be trodden downe we may see as in a glasse the beastly and brutish disposition of the enemies of the Church No beast of the field doth shew it selfe more raging or rauenous than doe the wicked when God suffers them to breake into his Vineyard for the afflicting of it Looke as it is with beasts who doe not only eat and deuoure but tread downe and spoile when they come into good pastures more than they eat so is it with them and therefore Scripture giues them names agreeing with their natues they are called Fowlers Hunters Canibals and men-eaters They are also named Lions and this was Neroes stile who was the first that stained his sword with the bloud of Christians as Eusebius sheweth in his Ecclesiasticall Historie They are likewise called Boares The Boare out of the wood doth waste it and Buls yea strong buls of Bashan They are also compared to Vnicornes Beares Leopards Dragons Serpents Aspes Adders and they haue their hornes tusks teeth talants mouthes iawes pawes checkbones giuen to them These names they haue made good in all ages If we should view the Scriptures or reade ouer the Histories of the Primitiue Church we should finde plenty of examples for the confirming hereof Such and so great cruelty hath beene practised by them towards Gods people that as Eusebius affirmeth it farre exceedeth the credit of any relation If we come to our owne times we shall not want
though it is apparant that the tenths were got in old time from vs by most false and forged cauillations we only craue our owne we would aske no more nor willingly take lesse for our whole dutie is still required then why should not our whole due be paid And yet that the world may learne of vs contentednesse as well by our practise as our doctrine we would for the present take in good part and rest contented with a part of our owne And some competent portions out of the Impropriations proportioned to the quantitie of the charge imposed and the gifts and paines required would for a time be a reasonable satisfaction in our Ministerie vntill our state found it selfe either better enabled or more straitly tied in conscience to full restitution And therefore let all such as haue Impropriations in their hands be hereby moued to make some restitution in whole or part as their estates may beare as some already haue done to the disburdening of their consciences and good example of others But here I looke to haue that counsell giuen me which one did once giue Luther when he first began to preach against the Popes vsurpation and tyrannie You had as good hold your peace this wickednesse is so powerfull that you will neuer preuaile against it Get you to your studie and say Lord haue mercy on vs and procure to your selfe no ill will Well if the worst come I can but speed as others haue done before me I feare indeed I doe but beat the aire for his deuill is not easily cast forth The sonnes of Zeruiah are too hard for vs vnlesse Christian Magistrates who are nursing fathers to the Church doe by their power with good Nehemiah worke a reformation and compell them to bring their tithes againe into the house of God It is the Kings euill no hand but his can heale it But as the Prophet said in another case For Zions sake I cannot hold my tongue and for Ierusalems sake for the poore Churches sake I cannot cease and I would to God that Gods Ministers were here Boanerges sonnes of thunder to thunder out Gods iudgements against this horrible sinne of sacriledge And that all we who haue any thing to doe with any of these persons how great soeuer would cry aloud against them and not spare that if it be possible they might be rowsed and awakened out of this same sinne which in many places causeth prophesying to faile and consequently the people perish Leaue we now the Church and come we to the Common-wealth and there we shall meet with more of this bloudy generation First such as my text here especially speakes of corrupt Iudges and Magistrates Who iudge not the fatherlesse neither doth the widowes cause come before them as Amos speaketh who turne iudgement into wormwood and gall and the fruit of righteousnesse into Hemlocke who afflict the iust take a bribe and turne aside the poore in the gate from their right These the Prophet Zephaniah is not afraid to call roaring Lions and rauening Wolues And our Prophet Isaiah being very bold calleth them companions of theeues and why so did they take purses by the highwaies No but they tooke bribes in their chambers Euery one loued gifts and followed after rewards c. And as the Prophet Hosea speaketh they loued to say with shame Giue yee Now I pray you what difference is there betweene Giue yee and Deliuer yee except it be this Giue yee goeth often in chaines of gold whilst Deliuer ye lieth in fetters of iron before God there is no difference betweene the euery and briberie I doubt not but this kingdome will afford as worthie Iudges and Magistrates as any Land or people in the world And as Iustinian said so with a safe conscience many of our Rulers may They can lift vp their hands cleane to God to the King and to the Law and make protestation with iust and vncorrupt Samuel They haue defrauded none they haue oppressed none Yet I wish and therein I hope doe no man harme that all could say so Then would not Iustice be made a hackney to be backed for money neither could a golden spurre doe any thing to bring her to the desired iournies end of iniury and wrong But oh the wickednesse of these times wherein with Solomon we may obserue many a iust man to perish in his righteousnesse and the wicked to prosper in their wickednesse Is a man well monied then saith the Prouerbe he is too heauie to be cast for what is wanting in the goodnesse of his cause the greatnesse of the Fees will make vp So that the rich may say vnto the poore as Aesops Wolfe vnto the Sheepe when they were in contention together Thou hast a better cause than I but I haue stronger teeth than thou Gaine and rewards be the Remora to the ship of Iustice Shee cannot now be called the Speed but the Delay A Motion this Terme an Order next and instantly all is crossed A writ of Error puts all out of course Iethro was not pleased as it seemes to see causes hang from morning to euening had he liued in these daies how would it haue grudged him to see them hang from Terme to Terme from yeare to yeare And the best causes to be vsed as fore legges are by vnconscionable Chirurgions held long in hand not for the difficultie of the cure but for the gaine thereof The poore Client is faine to trudge vp this Terme and next emptying his purse with paying Fees to one and to another and still the web of his suit is drawne out of a greater length till he want weft to prosecute it and so after all his paines and cost is in the end enforced to let it fall Or say he haue the day yet he makes no sauing match by reason the charges of his suit are greater than the costs that shall be awarded Oh the vncertaine euents of suits besides the trouble I hope to see an end this Terme of my suit saith the poore bloud-drawne wretch when alas he sees no end the next Terme nor next after that yea oftentimes the next and next yeare is past first His suit is a suit of Durance almost an euerlasting suit And thus while the poore oppressed runnes to them who should be as a shelter from the winde and a couert from the tempest it oftentimes fals out that with the silly sheepe running in a storme to the hedge or thicket they are so ensnared amongst the thornes and briers as that they can hardly winde and wrest themselues out without losse of wooll and coat what with delaies demurres and a thousand trickes which money will finde out they lose their fleece and carry away their flesh whole vpon their backes with much adoe If this weather hold many men will goe nigh to be of the minde that Themistocles was sometimes of who professed