be wasted and destroyed happie shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast serued vs. 21 There is much to be said touching their religion their turbulencie troubles peace no more then their heresies corrupt religion no time now to insist vppon the point this must be tried by our publike writings and disputations if any man will do it exactly If the seuerall points of their faith and the articles of their NEW CREED were euer taught or beleeued in the ancient Church or otherwise came into the world then by the strength of humane wit fer the aduancing of the Pope and his Clergies greatnesse why haue they purged so many ancient books coined so many writings and alowed nothing to be authenticall but what the Pope agrees to and * Regula infailibilis ad firmandum vnam fidem est fummus Pontisex Romanus omnes atticuli fidei vlti matèresolvuntur in ipsam Albertin Corol. pag. 251. made him the sole rule of all mens faith and conscience And I greatly care not what any man perswades himselfe to the contrary Our Church at this day and euer since the reformation of religion hath had as learned Diuines able to iudge of these things as the Pope and his abettors in all their nations haue any to oppose against them and which is Gods speciall fauour to vs we haue a King who with his own mouth and pen can iustifie as much as his lawes maintaine against the best of them all Yet it lies not all on the point of learning neither Sauanarola truly a De Ord. scient lib. 3. saith Veritas Scripturae puritate cordis diuina illustratione magis addiscitor quà m vi ingenij aut studij humani exercitio The truth of the Scripture is sooner learned by pure hearts enlightened from aboue then by the strength of wit or exercise of humane studie What it is that drawes so many to papistry and filles the land with so many Seminarie Priests we know well enough the Friar long since discouered it to his nouice when he told him the aduantage that ghostly fathers had ouer the lay people We keepe their counsell they keepe none of ours we haue part of their lands they haue none of ours we haue charitie towards their wiues they towards none of ours they bring vp our children we none of theirs A Marquesse of Brandenberg was wont to say that he had three Monasteries in his countrey that were so many miracles One of the Dominicans who had abundance of corne and yet had no land to sow Another of the Franciscans who were full of money and yet receiued no rents The third of Saint Thomas whose Monkes had many children and yet had no wiues These speeches were in their time pleasantly vttered but all the world knowes the morall to be true and so I leaue them and will end my text and intreate you to retire to our publike gratulation 22 If our Apostle would haue Prayer and thanksgiuing for Kings and all in authoritie then when Nero was Emperour such a tyrant and monster that * See Hieron in Dan. 11. Seuer Sulp. sacr hist lib. 2. August De Ciuit. lib. 20. cap. 19. diuers held him to be Antichrist and euery Magistrate then liuing was a deadly persecutor of the Gospell how deeply are we boūd to giue God thanks for our times wherein we enioy so gracious a Gouernor I speake of one of the best and greatest Princes that the Church of God hath lightly had and this land yet neuer had any greater and therfore my selfe being of so small faculty and strait conceit I must intreate you in the phrase of Philo To behold the image of a great mountaine in a small ring To conceiue the worth of a good King in the narrow words of an vnskilfull speaker when the mercies of God bestowed on vs in and by him I freely confesse are higher and greater then I can measure Were I a Pacatus a Claudian a Mamertinus that so nobly sounded out the praise of their Emperours had I the reputation and faculty of an Eusebius an Amberose a Nazianzen a Chrysostome I would say as much of his Maiestie as they said of Constantine Theodosius or Valentinian For * Cassiod var. lib. 9. ep 25. Stipendium Tyranno penditur praedicatio non nisi bono Principi Men pay tribute to Tyrants but commendations are due to good Princes and the least reward we can yeeld them He is vnthankful that is vnmindfull of a benefite vnthankfull that requites it not vnthankfull that denies it but most vnthankfull that dissembles it Though we cannot requite the mercy of God yet we will neither forget nor dissemble it 23 It was Gods owne immediate doing to annoint him ouer vs when the sinnes of our nation rather cried for vengeance then deserued so happie gouernement and the vttermost that the wit of enemies and malice of Satan could do was not wanting to make diuersion The manifold dangers from which God hath deliuered him euen from his cradle are so many pledges of his loue to vs for they shall not miscarrie whom God protects Dauid was grieuously persecuted Ioash his life sought by his owne grand-mother Athaliah o Phot. biblioth pag. 30. Constantine being a youth in Dioclesians Court by the craft of Maximinus was trained to combate with a Lion * Euagr. lib. 5. cap. 21. When Mauritius was an infant his mother saw a Faerie oftentimes to pull him out of his cradle and offer to deuoure him Queene Elizabeths dangers you all know So that what we haue is Gods entire mercie against the malice of men and euil angels That day right was giuen to the succession which is no small blessing For * Wisd 4.3 Bastard plants take no rooting Two mightie nations that sprang out of one wombe but had bene deuided euer since they were borre which is 2500. yeares were vnited the benefite whereof if it be well pursued will be simply the greatest that can belong to both the states if as brothers they will abstaine from iniuries and striue which shall ouercome other in pietie and brotherly offices There was nothing of that we had before but by his Maiestie we haue it either enlarged or confirmed to vs and by hope of succession in his issue to our children after vs Peace Religion Honour Security the best things and all that a State can desire The inconuenience is that by long enioying them we disccrne not their price as the Barbarians abounding with gold and pearle trucke them for pinnes and glasses Had we liued a while as o Iud. 6. Israel did vnder the Madianites in holes caues of the earth for seare had we tasted the times of our Barōs war here in England liued a while in Flanders vnder the D. of Alua or in France the time of their ciuill warres and tasted their massacres or vnder the Spaniard in the West Indies or a while vnder the Turke in Natolia where he breeds his
when a sheepe seemed to them as big as an oxe in the late Queenes dayes publisht in print that * Answer to the libel of Engl iust pag. 176. 185. By the vncertainty of the next heire our Countrey was in the most dreadfull and desperate case in the greatest miserie and most dangerous termes that euer it was since or before the Conquest and in farre worse then any Countrey of Christendome by the certainty of most bloudy ciuill and forrein warres all our wealth and felicitie whatsoeuer depending vpon a few vncertaine dayes of Queene Elizabeths life and such as hoped otherwise he calles common persons and thriftlesse yonkers And this was the generall cry and expectation of them all that what we now see to the contrarie through Gods infinite mercie against their conspiracies may seeme a dreame and our meeting this day to celebrate this mercie may seeme a fancie or delusion of our senses And indeed for men to be thus mistaken in their sleepe it is ordinarie For Esay 29. 8. A hungry man dreames and behold he eateth a thirstie man dreames and lo he is drinking and yet when they wake their soule is empty Chrysost For such is the nature of dreaming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is full of deceit and will set vs a playing with monsters 2 But that which we are about is neither dreame nor delusion nor are you asleepe but waking and you really enioy vnder your hands all that you thinke on and see a wonder beyond any euer dreamt of and it is day euen cleare day-light one of the lightsomest that euer shined on our nation the Sunne is vp and hath shewed vs the vnspeakeable mercies of our God Psal 118.24 This is the day which the Lord hath made we will reioyce and be glad therein And long may this day endure like the day of Iosuah when the Sunne stood still in Gibeon and the Moone in the valley of Aialon Let the tender mercies of God euermore enlighten it with the day-spring from aboue let eternitie embrace it and claspe it round about that it may be ioyned with the daies of heauen and measured together with eternitie let clouds nor mists nor stormes nor tempest nor the smoke of the bottomlesse pit euer ouershadow it nor the darke night tread vpon it let it shew the paths of righteousnesse and the wayes of God to all people in the light thereof let vs see long peace and the continuance of true religion the amendment of our liues and the downefall of Antichrist Write this day as a Ep. ad Magnes Ignatius saith of another day the Lady and mistris of all other dayes the blessed day which the Lord hath made therein to shew the riches of his mercies to the vnworthiest nation that euer was God grant we may be able to reioyce b Tertul. apol Conscientia non lasciuia not lasciuiously but righteously c Euthym. in Psal 117. vt celebrem Deo ac splendidam solemnitatem agamus that we may make our solemnity such as the goodnesse and greatnesse of God requireth 3 To which purpose the words of my text do fully instruct vs. They are an admonition touching the matter of prayer wherein the Apostle requires that without limitation we pray and giue thankes for all men but namely for Kings and publike Magistrates and such as are eminent in the State that the Gospell may be propagated peace vertue and iustice may be maintained For Prou. 29. When good men are in authoritie the people shall reioyce but when the wicked beare rule the land mournes And Esay 49. Kings shall be thy nourishers and Queenes thy nurses when God will put his Church into the hands of the Magistrate as it were to nurse let thankes be rendred to him for his ordinance and supplication and prayers and intercession be made for their continuance in well doing that the State vnder them may be in peace and be gouerned iustly and religiouslie He complaines immediatly before of some that lately by their apostacie from their religion had hindred the Gospell and in dammaged the Church had there bene a Christian zealous Emperour a Constantine a Theodosius a Iouinian a Iohn Fredericke this either had not fallen out or had not done so much hurt now in this want all that could be done was to excommunicate which being too little for the remouing of so great a mischiefe he exhorts and requires that principallie aboue all things a care be had in the Church that prayer and thanksgiuing be made for all men that no man fall from faith and a good conscience and namely for Kings and Magistrates that such as fall being suppressed by the secular power the peace and quietnesse the pietie and honestie of Church and State may be preserued This is the sense and connexion of the text 4 Wherein our Apostle affirmes three things First the exercise that he would haue vsed Secondly the matter of this exercise Thirdly the end why we should thus exercise The exercise is prayer The matter of this prayer for all men and namely for Kings and Magistrates The end why that we may leade a quiet and calme life in godlinesse and honestie In handling whereof you will soone perceiue me to omit many points that are incident but I must attend vpon the time and will aime onely at the occasion 5 First the exercise commended is prayer and thanksgiuing For 2. Cor. 10.4 the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie where Saint Chrysostome notes vpon that place not our wealth or power or flattering of our selues can saue vs but the power of God This duty is expressed in foure termes supplication prayer intercession thanksgiuing The streame of Doctors and expositors old and new commonly distinguish these as foure seuerall kindes of prayer albeit they scarce agree in defining thē The most receiued distinction is that supplications are for the pardon of our sins Prayers the vow and promise that we make to God touching the amendment of our life Intercession when we pray for others Thanksgiuing when we praise his Name for the graces he bestowes vpon vs. Others who seeme to come nearer the point expound them thus when we pray God to turne away euill this is supplication when to giue vs the good we need this is prayer when we simply craue any thing whatsoeuer this is intercession when we blesse God for his mercies this is thanksgiuing For my owne part I thinke it more probable and easier to defend that the Apostle intends no such diuision in regard of the matter of Prayer but onely to commend the same thing in diuerse words according to the custome of the Scripture for howsoeuer prayer and thanksgiuing may be distinguished yet the rest either cannot by reason they do all of them essentially include each other or are not in this place by reason the definitions assigned will not so aptly sute with the Text. I will therefore follow * In
the State the Apostle requiring that we pray for these things first of all as that which all men mut procure to the vttermost of their power and which being obtained God in this life giues no greater blessing Our nation therfore possessing these things in so ample manner must confesse that God hath inricht it with his greatest mercies and made it most happie and giuen vnto in all that for the which he first ordained gouernement of which point I shall say more in that which followeth 14 Note againe how the Magistrate and others of eminencie must aduance these things and procure them First in their owne persons and by their owne example themselues liuing grauely religiously and honestly For if the end of prayer be that this may be in the State how much more are the Statesmen bound to aduance it in themselues It is a thing that great men and well borne may be fitly take notice of this day as any day in the yeare that the vsing of their pleasures moderately and discreetly and the composing of their manners and carriages their studies and example to the maintenance of religion and honestie will be very gratefull this day and well accord with the prayers of the Church There is a fault this way I wil touch it but softly Many gentlemen and eminent persons specially of the younger sort too much neglect that godlinesse and gouernement which by their meanes another day when they are in authoritie they should see maintained in others Lightnesse of carriage want of learning ignorance in the lawes customes and gouernement of the countrey slacknesse or possible auersnesse in religion abandoning themselues ouer to spending and sensuality and for one particular immoderate drinking are euill dispositions to eminencie and will make them both vnable to maintaine the publike good and vnfit to gouerne others NostÃne hos saith Pliny qui omnium libidinum serui eos puniunt quos imitantur Haue you not seene those who being the seruants of euery sinne yet punish that in others which themselues imitate Mendacia fallax Damnat in moechos gladium distringit adulter was the complaint of Prosper that is to say when liers were to be censured by deceiuers and adulterers to be punished by wantons It was but a hard shift that a city in Spain was glad to vse for the redressing of such a like matter Ludouicus Viues makes the report The young Nobles and gentlemen diuerse of them were fallen from the grauitie and honour of their ancestors they followed prodigalitie and lightnesse they were vnlearned in the lawes and knew little Art or militarie discipline euery one had his mistris and spend his time in courting her bankets reuels dancing amarousnesse was their studie Great gallants they were and that was all which the ancient Magistrates obseruing thought what will become of the countrey which these must gouerne when we are dead They dealt with the women on whom they saw they depended their daughters the Ladies all the young gentlewomen and shewing them the inconuenience required their helpe and gaue them instruction which they following effectually recouered the gentlemen They repelled from their fauour all that were fantasticall sent them to their bookes aduised them to Armes grauitie sobrietie noblenesse and fauouring none that were vaine they wrought wonders and secured the State that these men proued as honourable and seruiceable in the same as any of their ancestors that were before them I told you this was but a hard shift yet was it the best they had and would we had Ladies and gentlewomen to do as much for vs when Bishops and Preachers and sage examples of our State cannot do it 15 Secondly the Magistrates must maintaine ciuill honestie in others also that liue vnder them For Rom. 13. such as do euill are threatned for the Magistrate beares not the sword in vaine but is Gods minister to take vengeance on them I need not stand to proue that which no man denies onely they which know they should do it either do it negligently or are outfaced that they dare not do it Who seeth not that whoredome drinking swearing quarrelling and roaring pittie we shoud be inforced to name such things in this place are so common that scarce is there left in the streetes either religion or honestie godlinesse or ciuilitie But drinking is now so taken vp through the whole kingdome that the Germanes I heare are like to lose their Charter There was in Rome a streete called Vicus Sobrius The Sober streete because there was neuer an alehouse in it which is hard to be said of any streete in England I heard my selfe not long since the principall Magistrate of this Cittie that then was in an open speech touching the bleeding sins and swelling sores so as I remember he called them of the Cittie and so tenderly exhort to amendement that I well perceiued many things to be discouered that could not so easily be reformed And yet the Magistrate must not be wearie for all that when the prayers of the Church continually attend vpon him and if by all endeuour possible this one sinne of drinking could be put downe the publike honestie of our nation would the easilier be maintained Now all ouer the land the Iustice of peace is milde and the drunkard merry which two you know will amend no sinne I will tell you a storie in Athenaeus of an alehouse that came to be called The signe of the gally vpon this occasion The roaring-boyes meeting at a house dranke so long that their braines being ouerwhelmed they thought all that was about them to be sea and the roome where they sate a Gally so tossed with waues that they feared drowning and therefore as men in danger of shipwracke they threw all things that came to hand out of the window into the streete pots plate and furniture to lighten the ship which being taken vp carried away by such as came by the Magistrate next morning comes to punish them for the disorder but they hauing not yet slept out their drinke answered him That it was better to cast all into the sea then the Gally wherein they were should be sunke and so many braue gentlemen be cast away and while the Magistrate wondred at their drunken imagination another creeping from vnder the table where he had lien all the night replied thinking the Magistrates to haue bene gods of the sea And I ô ye Tritons for feare laid me downe vnder the hatches which distemper of theirs the officers perceiuing went their way and forgiuing them bad Do so no more to whoÌ„ they all gaue this thankes If euer we escape this storme and get safe to land we vow you statues and will set vp your images in our countrey as to our sauiours This storie is a patterne of the behauiour which our drunkards vse and the manner how it is punisht abroad in the countrey when they are presented they answer for themselues some flegmaticke conceit of swimming