so called must affront them and sort them Some to be Pollubra as Moabites some Scabella as Edomites some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Philistines In all these passages see we not what great carefullnesse and manifold incumberances attend the height of Soueraignty when the Princes Peeres Prelates People all referre vnto it at all times vpon all occasions and from all places Waigh we then this regall waight vpon the ballances of our loue duty and allegeance and we shall learne our obedience the better What honest and good Christian heart in consideration of the premisses is not mooued naâ—… resolued hereby to practise that most holy and Apostolike counsell That first of all Supplications prayers Intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men For kings and for all that are in authority that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life iâ—… all godlinesse and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour For Kings I say by name and for their Delegates yea and that vpon all occasions In time of trouble The Lord heare him in the day of trouble the name of the God of Iacob defend him Send him helpe from his Sanctuary and strengthen him out of Sion In the time of his Deuotion Remember all his offerings O Lord and accept his burnt Sacrifice Graunt him according to his owne heart and fulfill all his counsell In the desire of his triumph The king shall ioy in thy strength O Lord right glad shall hee be in thy Saluation For thou hast giuen him his hearts desire and not denied the request of his lipps In request for his life He asked life of thee O Lord and thou gauest him length of daies euen a life for euer and euer In loue to his posteritie Giue thy iudgements O God vnto the king and thy righteousnesse to the kings sonne So shall he iudge thy people with righteousnesse and thy poore with iudgement For the enlargement of his territoris Let him Lord haue dominion from sea to sea and from tho Riuer to the lands end For the well ordering of his Court O Lord let the King set no wicked thing before his eies let him hate Apostataes Let Lord the froward depart from him let him not know a wicked person Hee that slaundereth or hath an high looke or a proud heart let him not endure and he that telleth lies let him not tarrie in his sight Against all his enemies Doe vnto them O Lord as vnto the Midianites as vnto Sisera as vnto Iabin Which perished at Endar and became as the dung of the earth Make their chiefetaines like Oreb and â—…eeb yea their Princes as Zebah and Zalmanah Make them Lord as a wheele as slubble before the â—…inde Fill their faces with shame let them be confounded and troubled for euer This ought to bee our continuall pious practise vpon these and all other occasions whatsoeuer that occurre as the law of God Nature and Nations as our dutie loue and allegeance doe more force and obligue vs to doe Looke to a third lesson which is written in the very brow of this text thus Not only the power of the King but his Will and skill also are both positiue and indicatiue peremptorie and Imperatiue 1. For as concerning the Power of a King that is without all controuersie and doubt Whether we respect the extent For euery soule in euery thing to euery superiour so S. Peter teacheth must be subiect Or the maÌ„ner Euery soule Omnis anima ex animo euen from the heart must be subiect not with eye seruice only as men-pleasers but with faithfull and good mindes as herein also seruing the Lord. Or the absolutenesse For I say euery soule to without exception Si quis tenâ—… quenquam excipere conatur decipere as S. Bernard reasoneth with the Archbishop of Senon in France If seditious Papists and tumultuous Anabaptists and other Sectaries endeuour to exempt themselues from regall Power yet it is sufficient for a temperate sober minded Christian to know that Christ alitèr iussit alitèr gessit saith the same Father Hee taught otherwise hee wrought otherwise In vaine is it then for the dizzie braines of wretched men to coyne a counterfeit exemption where the God of heauen hath made no exception Moreouer note that the Mandate is indefinite Subiection is proper vnto them as they are Powers not only if they be good and gentle but also if they be sullen froward and disorderly In fine see the Plea in barre that the God of heauen hath set against the opposite hands hearts and imaginations of all the sonnes of Belial in this case First against the violence of hand Though not mine annointed Then against the virulence of tongue Curse not the King And lastly against the giddy thoughts Curse not the King no not in thy thought For if thou doe thou art a Traitour and those treasonable thoughts of thine if past or present are to be repented of and the future to be preuented with more blessed cogitations So that hereby we see the Soueraigne Power vindicated from all controulement For if Powers be not so consonant as they should be yet Habent sanctitatem vnctionis licet non habent sanctitatem vitae But this is not all For it may be obiected thus Put the case that the Power of kings bee peremptory yet I hope the Will of kings is not Yes their very Will is not only positiue and Indicatiue but also peremptory and imperatiue Ouer Edom will I cast out my shoe The Power of a king is from God and inuested in the kings owne person for all inferiour Delegates whatsoeuer deriue their authority personally that is from the kings person which person of a king â—…n law is mixta persona iurisdictionis capax and this personall power regulates its owne will It is required then of Subiects iussa capessere non praerogatiuarum Priuilegiorum apices excutere It is for Subiects to suffer the Will of a Soueraigne to be done either of vs or on vs. Of vs when the kings Will is regulated by Gods wisdome and by Gods revealed Will. On vs when his Will is wilfully distempered by misguiding and misperswading passion or otherwise 2. In his irregular and exorbitant Will wee must be Patients in the other we must be Agents readie to goe to runne to die to doe all things with singular cheerefulnesse and alacritie In the the kings transcendent and extrauagant will wee must be Patients couching downe vnder the burthen weeping by the waters of Babilon not warring but looking vp to God for release In this case a Buckler not a sword is to be vsed For the command is not that we should be subiect to vertuous and godly Gouernours but as I haue said it is indefinite to Powers in that they be Powers For if the Power shall be willing to cast out or ouer vs euen his
shooe none ought to dare once to lift vp his heele against it Albeit the will of a Soueraigne be to cast out or ouer vs his shooe Shall wee cast our selues out of our dutie of Allegiance or seeke to cast away our king Absit Heare in this point what the Lord said to Samuel They haue not cast thee away but they haue cast me away saith the Lord that I should not raigne ouer them for asmuch as all Power is of God To conclude this point then if the chiefe Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul enioyned all men in their times to submit themselues vnto gouernours albeit they were worshippers of Deuills and cruell persecutours of Christians how much more should we now obey and honour religious kings who are defendors of the faith and nursing fathers of the Church as Caesar Baronius in his preface to the eleuenth tombe of his Annalls hath well and honestly obserued against the bloody practises and turbulent proiects of statizing Iesuites But this is not all neither for there is great skill in these Proiestments which ignorance of state affaires in many may cause them maruelously to mistake Conceiuing that certaine passages may be the kings Will onely when as it is indeede the kings most excellent and exquisite Skil of and in the affaires and mysteries of state The king deuides Scechem but it is arithmetically with iustice distributiue to auoide Confusion as Iethro taught Moses He measureth out Succoth but it is to set lymmits that the bundaries may bee exactly knowne to the end that no furious Iehu no mighty hunting Nimrod doe oppresse the helplesse multitude He appropriates Gilead and Manasses but it is Geometrically with commutatiue iustice that Anabaptisticall Communitie the aberration of Anarchies might be auoided and that Meum and Tuum might be the better knowne He aduanceth Ephraim but hee knowes therein what hee doth very well it is to be sure of faithfull Counsellours He setleth Iuda It is to place for an other age In all this here is no cause of Depression no occasion of Conculcation no nor any matter of Sleighting But now when the king must deale with Moab or must haue to doe with Edom It is as proper in regall Skill and policy of state to make Moab that is like an haggard hawke to come to hand and to suppresse Edom to the feete as it is to settle Ephraim at the head or Gilead and Manasses at the side And it is as proper in the cunning of a king to Sleight Philistia and to haue it in derision as it is to bee carefull for Iuda touching the time to come So then wee see what an high pitch of policy they flie who mannage and sway the scepter of kingly cunning It is not for owles battes and wagtailes to soore toward this pitch their sight serues them not their flight is impt with feathers of a lower traine 3. Is there then any Power then like this among the sonnes of men which is immediately from God A quo rex secund post quem primus saith Tertullian in Apologetico Is any Will more absolute which must not be affronted though irregular but must be suffered to be done on vs albeit we suffer death for it Is any Skill branched into more Species or is of an higher straine that must attend so many so mighty so manifold occasions and occurrances If then any Power resist this regall Power preuaile we may boldly pronounce of that Power and that time that It is the houre and power of Darkenesse If any Will affront this absolute Will of the king It is a masterlesse Wilfulnesse and deuoyd of Conscience which neither Gods lawe properly by absolute and soueraigne authority nor yet mans lawe which taketh power from Gods Law can order or bind Indeed this Wilfulnes is rather a furious Rage in the valour of man then Christian courage it is rather a peeuish and peruerse passion then any sanctified sobriety of mans faculty that way If any Skâ—…l will be curious to prie and search into the secrets therof and to waue this Cunning albeit it be the Counterplea of some brabbling Lawyer yet it may receiue this lawfull reply That Lawe hath a directiue power not a coactiue ouer kings And Gregorius de Valentia renders the reason for that all actiue power is a Principall that transferres into another and reflects not Besides Master Caluin saith very truely That the Directions and Edicts that come out from the Power Wil and Skill of a king are somewhat more then humane traditions to be accompted of for that they haue not onely their foundation vpon the generall Commandement but also they haue their warrant from the mouth of Christ himselfe 4. So then to the kings rightly regulated and well gouerned Will wee ought all of vs that bee Subiects like a swarme of Bees to follow the master bee like flockes of sheepe to follow the Antecedent like Cranes to follow our captaine ordine literato as Ierome saith in his epistle to Rusticus And if it be a distempered and misguided Will yet in this case we must not rebell nor resist in action no nor reuile or curse in faction or thought but wee ought obeying God rather then man keepe our minds and consciences pure and vndefiled before God but suffer wee must euen vnto death if the will of God be so rather then in any sort to breake out against our Soueraigne And I had rather haue my Soueraigne treade on mee then some to looke vpon me For pes hominis est beatior oculo suis. The foote of a man is better then the eye of a swine But in this scripture is the case so doth the king here take vpon him these seuerall Proiects of Diuision Mensuration Appropriation Exaltation Conculcation and Subiugation euen to vilenes out of his owne absolute Power or doth the king follow his owne Will or relye vpon his owne Skill O nothing lesse indeede the king acts Ase of himselfe for he is Aperse but not Ex se not out of himselfe that is non ex suo ipsius cerebro like the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that subsist onely out of their owne substance For this very Psalme compiled by this good king is a Mirrour for all Magistrates and a patterne for all priuate persons also The King consults God in all For his Power The king acknowledgeth whence he hath it O God thou hast cast vs off Thou hast scattered vs. Thou hast beene displeased with vs. Thou hast made the land to tremble Thou hast broken it Thou hast shewed thy people hard things Thou hast made vs drinke the Wine of astonishment Thou giuest an Ensigne to them that feare thee that it may be displayed because of thy truth that thy beloued may be deliuered Giue helpe in trouble Vaine is the helpe of man Through God we shall doe valiantly And in the very phrase of my text the king saith It is God
when man willeth that which God by â—…is reuealed Will would haue him will albeit God 〈◊〉 his secret will willeth another diuerse thing as â—…hen a sonne prayeth for the life of his sicke-faâ—…er whom yet God by that sicknesse purposeth 〈◊〉 take away The sonne sinneth not albeit his â—…raying according to Gods reuealed will seeme 〈◊〉 affront Gods secret will which is to take the â—…ther away by death Willfull art thou then O â—…ypocrite that conceitest thou maist make thy â—…rother an vnder troden wretch with pretence of â—…ods secret purpose to colour thy wicked and â—…nwarranted proiects But blessed bee God who hath enlightened a â—…mpe in the heart of our King who from Gods â—…outh hath knowne to maintaine his Sechem â—… Shares Hundreds Wapentakes and Tythings â—… that in seuerall Leets euery man to a number of â—…nne may haue iustice throughout the land Hee â—…th measured his Succoth into number waight â—…d measure The Clarke of the market hauing â—… care of all this Hee hath appropriated hearty â—…leadites man full Manasses and wise Ephramites â—… be his fauourites Chieftaines and Counsellors â—…e haue Beniamin to bee our ruler from whom â—…d from his O God let not the scepter depart till â—…ilo come in his second aduent Yea O Christ â—…ake the Kings and his sonnes enemies thy footâ—…ole Cast thy shoe ouer Sathan and his Comâ—…ices ouer their sinne ouer all torment of consciâ—…ce that it may not touch them ouer the Malediction of the Lawe that it come not neere them ouer Death and Hell that so through thee O God they may victoriously triumph As for the Remainder if there be any incestuous broode thaâ—… infest him let them bee like the Moabites make them his Pollubra to be vsefull vnto him for his further and future Designes and when hee hath done with them let them be as an earthen Wasâ—…pot subiect to his Annihilation of them If there be a profane race of Edomites Esauits Iebusites Iesuits and the like let such bee subiected euen to Conculcation yea let our King O God kicke them out of his Court Church Citties and Countryes as Salem insipidum If there be any forraignly transported with transmarine affection of any Nation whatsoeuer let our King O King of Saints sleight them as Dauid did the Philistims If the Tabernacles of Edomites Moabites and Hagarens If Gebal Ammon and Amalech rise vp against them yea albeit Assur ioyne with them and helpe the children of Lot and albeit the Edomites cric Downe with them downe with them euen to the very ground yet O God remember thy promised mercie euer of old and make those enemies like the dunge of the earth Fill their faces with shame and euer bow downe their backes That we alone thy people may alwaies reioyce in thee and may euer see vpon our king and his that their Crowne flourish Assuring our selues that thou O God wilt tread downe his and our enemies at last whether they be spirituall or temporall euen vnder our feet And wee shall through thee doe valiantly to the glory of thy great name to the comfort of thy chosen and to the saluation of our soules and bodies for euermore Say Amen hereunto O faithfull witnesse in heauen that vnto thee with thy holy Father and the holy ghost we may render all praise power might Maiestie and Dominion with the faithfull in the Church as it was in the beginning of time before all times is now in all the world among all faithfull ones and shall bee euer continued when this world is ended in that euerlasting world of blessed Angels and glorified Saints before Christ Iesus his presence for euermore Amen FINIS Iudg. 6. 39. 40 Iudg. â—… 13. Iudg. â—… 16. Iudg. 15. 4. Gen. â—…1 1. 2. Gen. 44 12. Gen. 49. 14. Hosh. 7. v. 8. Ios. 9. 3. Mat. 13. Mat. 22. Rom. 9. 21. Mat. 13. 33. Apoc. 3. 3. Luk. 17. 37. Cant. Sol. 1. 11. Psal. 45. 13. 1. The summ 2. The title Aquila reddit titul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Symmachus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vt intelligeremus esse titulum memorabilem dignum qui nunquam aboleatur 3. The occasion 2 Sam. 8. 3. 1 Chron. 18. 3. 4. The reference Quod nasceretur ex te Sanctum vocabitur Luk. 1. Deus erat in Christo munduÌ„ reconcilians sibi 2 Cor. 4. Non sarcasticè sed sacrè deridet vt Psal. 2. 5. The parts of the text Prouerbiâ—… dicuntur quasi Perro verba quia praeter literalem sensuÌ„ quem exterius praetendunt procul aliud interius dicunt Nam in terra aurum in uâ—…ce nucleus in hirsut is castane arum operculis fructus lateÌ„s requiritur ita in paraboliâ—… sensus mysticus excudatur 6. The sence and meaning of the text Quam speciosi pedes Euangelizantium pacem Nahum 1 Rom. 10. Amb institut Virgin cap. 14. Nazianzen de orat Sanct. Gregor hom 7. in Euangel Clâ—…m 5. Strom. August de essent diuinâ—… Hieronym in cap. 11. Esaiae 7. The diuers readings of the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apollin in locum Here the Talmudisâ—…s streame runs muddy for they as some others now adaies will be tampering and preiudicing Kings affaires which God-wot they eyther fowly mistake or no whit vnderstand Aram Naharim in the title of the Psalme is Mesopotamia 8 The truth of this familiar sence Deut. 25. 6 7 8 9 10. Ruth 4. 7. Psal. 18. 38. Deut. 1. 36. Ibid. 2. 5. Deut. 11. 24. 25. Regum est parcere subiectis debellare superbâ—…s Amos 2. 6. Deut. 33. 25. R. Him Manuel in tractatu dâ—… more regum in obsidione vrbium Chirothecas Manicas calceos proijciendi Videri posset simile quiddam sibi velle Cicerâ—… scribens mirari setamdiu morari Antonium quia soleret ipse accipere manicas nec diutius obsedionis metum sustinere Philipp 2. 9. The warrant of this resolued Action Iosu. 10 24. 25. Iosu. 9. 4. Ex. 3. 5. Iosu. 5. 15. Elias Creteusis in Orat. 1. Nazianz. 11. 146. 1. The first Obseruation 2. The reuelation of the point Heb. 12. 16. Psal. 137. 7. Amos 1. 11. Obadiah cap. 1. v. 3. 4. Luk. 1 10. Alios video stare nugaridum preces fiunt neque solum duÌ„preces fiunt sed dum sacerdos benedicit Nescis quod cum Angelis stas Cum illis cantas cum illis hymnos dicis stas ridens Non mirum esset si fulmen emitteretur non solum in eos sed etiam in nos Digna enim fulmine sunt haec Non est EccaÌ„ Tonstrina aut vnguentaria taberna aut officina forensis Sed locus angelorum Regia coeli coelum ipsum Chrysost. hom 24 in Act. Hom. 36. in 1. Cor. Hom in 2. Io. 14. Cum flagellis vtitur Christus ostendit tales homines servile genus esse non filios sed seruos vel macipia diaboli 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liquisti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 duÌ„ soqueris o profane â—…omer
Conculcation So that all agree in â—…is that by Extention Immission or Proiection of the shoe eyther vpon the neckes of people or ouer their Countries is meant nothing els but to ouercome subdue bring vnder power possesse and subiect euen to vilenesse such men and such Countries The very vulgar acceptation of the word Possession in the Grammaticall sence importeth as much For the etimologie of Possessio is no more but PeduÌ„ positio This manner of speaking also hath allusion to the positiue Law recorded in Deut. For the letter of the Lawe is that if the kinsman would not marry the brothers widow and raise vp seede vnto his brother The widow loosing his shoe and spitting in his face he lost the claime and interest of such possessions as belonged to the woman in right of her husband And the house of such a man was called Domus Discalceati that is to say The house of him that had his shoe loosed The practise also of this lawe we finde recorded in the booke of Ruth in the case of Elimelecks land betweene Boos and the kinsman about the widow Ruth who had her interest by right of her husband in the said land Moreouer the frequent vse of this phrase meeting vs very often in the booke of God makes this to be the meaning of the words as cleere as the day This king else-where singing his tropheâ—… saith They are fallen vnder my feet Caleb the son 〈◊〉 Iephunneth shall possesse the land hee hath trodâ—… vpon But the people must not meddle with Moâ—… Seir for God would not giue them thereof so much as a footes breadth yet euen the place whereon the soles of their feet should tread from the Wildernesse of Lebanon and from the riuer Euphrates vnto the vtmost sea should be theirs If wee take the words yet more properly and punctually as the shooe to be first taken off and so cast out and ouer then the words signifie not Subiugation only but Debellation also of the proud and imperious Idumaeans The prouerbiall phrase importing that â—…hose stout-hearted people should be glad to carry shooes after the King and further implying â—…hat these Idumaeans or Edomites were not worâ—…hy to come so neere vnto the Kings person as to â—…ntie the latchet of his shooe and therefore 〈◊〉 defiance of them the king would cast off his â—…ooe out at them and ouer them to yea as afâ—…erward it came to passe in the daies of Amos the â—…rophet that the wicked rich men sold the poore â—…r shooes whereby was signified the base esteeme â—…ey rated the poore at so now was Edom esteeâ—…ed in the eyes of the king For he now purpoâ—…th and resolueth to be vnto them as Asher of â—…hom Moses prophesieth that his shooes should be â—…n and brasse to bruise breake and subdue where â—…er he came Lastly Antiquitie tells vs as much â—…r as the manner is now adaies in the beleagueâ—…g of a Citie the Assailants oft-times cast their â—…signes ouer the Wall into the Citie not only to courage their souldiers to follow their colours â—…t also in token that they resolue not to depart thence vntill they haue wonne the Citie so in ancient times they vsed to cast ouer the Walls their Gauntlets Gloues or Shooes to betoken the same things Thus it is plaine by seuerall readings of the text by positiue law and practise of the same by scripture phrase and approued Antiquity that the Intendment and absolute resolution of the king was to subdue and subiect as hee had done Moab to be his Pollubrum so Edom also to be his Scabellum that is euen to Conculcation 10. What scruple now should let the king thus to resolue The Lord God of heauen had taught the king and he knew well how to distinguish betweene an Edomite and an Ephramite otherwise he would neuer haue placed the one at his head the other at his foot The one to be the strength of his counsell the other to feele the waight and crushing of his foot Besides the king had a faire President before him Iosuah at Gods command had done the like to the kings of Ierusalem Hebron Iarmuth Lachish and Eglon fiue in number vpon whose necks he caused his Captaines anâ—… men of warre to put their feet in Triumph and sâ—… not to feare or to be dismaied for God wouâ—… doe so to all their enemies against whom theâ—… should fight The like also Iosuah hauing receiueâ—… warrant from God did to the Gibeonites whoâ—… he made hewers of wood and drawers of waâ—… to the whole congregation putting them vndâ—… tribute and as it were setting his foot vpon theâ—… euery one knowing that by the shooe both Syâ—… dochicos and Metonymicâ—…s is vnderstood the foot When Moses and Iosuah were commanded to loose their shooes from of their feet What other thing was meant thereby but that God would subdue Pharoh and his to the one and Iericho and hers to the other And to assure them that those who haue the Lord of hosts for their guide need not feare or depend vpon humane power because they dwell vnder the protection of the Almightie Shooes we vse to saue our feet from euery offence that may happen in our iourneying but those that relie vpon the Lord of hosts and resolue with their God shall not need to trust in the arme of flesh for rather then faile innumerable and inuisible armies of Angels shall bee commanded to see that they dash not their feet against a stone In all this Explication I see foure things tending to Application which are these 1. The trampling on and treading downe of Profanenesse by the King 2. The exceeding carefull condition of a King 3. The loyall submission of a Subiest And 4. A Direction for the purposes and proiects of both The first of these we see in this â—…oble Kings purpose and designe which is Ouer Edom to cast out his shooe whereby wee learne that It is a regall resolution to trample â—…n and to tread downe Prophanenesse â—…n Church Citie Court and Countrie bee it in what personages soeuer God tels the King that Conculcation is Edoms doome and the King resolues to doe it 1. Edom is Esau and Esau is a prophane person so the spirit of God speaketh of Esau. Least there be any fornicatour or prophane person as Esau who for one morsell of meat sold his birth-right Prophane persons care not for any title claime or interest to heauen so they may enioy their sinnes without Controlement and haue the pleasures of this world albeit they continue but a short time Edom is Profanenesse and Edomites are prophane persons who are well knowne to the King by their Crie Crueltie Pride Rebellion Riot Contempt of God and scorning of good men and all goodnesse The cry of Edom is Downe with it Downe with it euen to the foundation thereof Albeit this crie exasperate the raising of holy Ierusalem In the
law of Requitall therefore the King resolues Downe with them Downe with them euen to the very trampling and treading vnder foot Prophanenesse is most cruell For it is vnreasonable vnmercifull and implacable A profane person like Edom will pursue his brother with the sword casteth off all pittie his anger teareth perpetually and keepeth his wrath foreuer Witnesse dogged Doeg the Edomite who slew fourescore fiue persons that did weare a linnen Ephod when the Kings seruants would not put forth their hand to fall vpon the Priests of the Lord. Toward such therefore the king extends no mercy vntill he haue subdued them to his foot Proud is Profanenesse also as Lucifer For the pride of heart hath deceiued Edom the profane person Hee conceiteth that he dwelleth in the clefts of the Rocks And dwelling so high he saith in his heart Who shall bring me downe to the ground But God hath made and ordained the kings power to trample on thee albeit thou be neuer so big-bon'd a Nimrod yea and to tread thee vnder his feet And though thou Exalt thy selfe as the Eagle yea and though thou set thy nest among the starrs yet thence will I bring thee downe saith the Lord. Rebellious and riotous is profanenesse to the King traiterous and treacherous to the Common-wealth What can hee bee but a faithlesse wretch to the king who hath not the Lord for his God And what a bane is he to the Common-wealth who practiseth nothing daily but to runne to the excesse of all riotous liuing Kings therefore as they tender their owne safetie and the good of their countries endeauour by all possible meanes to subdue and subiect if it were possible euen to annihilation such rebels and wretches that they may not appeare or peepe once aboue ground 2. Contemners they are of God and cursed Scorners of all goodnesse Lucian-like and Iulian-like behauing themselues in Citie Court and Countrie especially when they come into the Church and assembly of the saints For there they shew themselues true Edomites indeed It is said in Luke that the whole multitude were without in Prayer while the incense was burning so reuerently and so Religiously did they then vse the place of Gods presence But these Edomites as saith S. Chrysostome stand and trifle while prayer is said yea not only when Prayer is said but when the Priest blesseth Dost thou not know that thou standest with the Angels singest with the Angels sayest Hymns with them and standest thou grinning and laughing It were no meruaile if God should send out a thunder-bolt not only vpon them but vpon vs also that are present with such vipers for surely these things deserue a thunderbolt saith that Father Know wretched miscreant that the Church of God is not a Barbers shop saith he further or an Apothecaries house or a common Court but a place of Angels the Court of heauen and heauen it selfe The king therefore being iealous of Gods worship in imitation of Christ whips such out of his presence Court Citie and Countrie shewing by that base punishment that such kinde of people are base not sonnes but seruants and seruile slaues of the deuill For while the Priest stands offering vp the prayers of all these profaners slyre and laugh fearing nothing Into a Princes Court they enter not without looking to order their habit countenance and gesture but entring into the Church which is the Court of the heauenly king these Edomites prate iangle and walke And as the swine putteth his filthy foote into the very same trough where hee putteth his mouth to take his meate so these profane men and women prate there to their dogge where they pray to their God Thus are they odious to God and the King for profaning the house of Almighty God Churches are like those Cities of refuge which God appointed among the Israelites whether hee that had offended might flye and finde pardon onely those Sanctuaries were for some kinde of faults but the Church is for all kind so that wee heartily and vnfeinedly cry Lord forgiue What a comfortable Meditation is this if wee follow â—…t What a blessing doe those prophane Misâ—…rants lose who contemne and scorne so great fauour from the king of heauen Wicked profane men forget and forgoe this blessing and will not â—…e reformed vntill Gods wrath by the Kings power breake out against them as it did against Niâ—…anor Antiochus and Heliodorus in the Macchabees â—…nd Belshazar in Daniel 3. Scorners these are also of all good men and goodnesse what holy and good man could euer escape the virulence of these Edomites either aâ—…ue or dead Munster is tearmed a mad man Pet. Martyr a paultry Iacke Bucer infoelix puer Philip Melancthon a foole Zanchius a dolt Caluin is accuâ—…d by Surius the Commentor rather then the Commentator and Bellarmine to haue dyed of â—…e disease called Pthiriasis when it was but â—…hthisis at the most an ordinary disease Chemnitius is called the Archaeretique Luther the incestuous Monke Zuinglius the Helvetian Swash-buckler Doctor Fulke the Protestants post-horse Iohn Hus an haereticall fire brand and Theodore Beza a Monster and such like scornefull and contumelious reproaches wherewith those profane Edomites haue alwaies not spared to lade the memoriall of such as were pretious with godly Princes on earth and now are without doubt blessed with the Lord in heauen The king then thus discerning these bad members and perceiuing their spirits by such ouert and open transactions resolues with Princely courage to quell them vnder foote that they may neuer bee able to hold vp their heads He resolues in City they shall beare no office in Court they shall haue no place in Church no dignity in Countrey no regiment O most gratious king 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shoote so still Resolue so still Let not the cry of the Edomites preuaile that would downe with Church Chancell Steeple Bells and all that cry Downe with Ecclesiasticall policy Downe with Prelates Downe with the foundations and yet what hath the righteous done Let not cruell Doegs haue leaue for fearce is their wrath not onely towards the Priests of the Lord but euen in Nob the City of the Priests will they smite with the edge of the sword both men women children and sucklings oxen and asses yeâ—… and sheepe too Let not the pride of their hearts haue their desire for they will be too proud put them in feare and by the power that God hath giuen you let them know themselues to bee but men and of the worst sort too Riotous they are already and rebellious they will not sticke to bee â—…rebus sic stantibus if occasion be offered which profane Edomites greedily looke for And suffer â—…ot blessed Soueraigne a contemner of God and â—…f Religion to aduance himselfe neere vnto your â—…cred person but let all such know the waight of â—…our Princely power and Gods doome of them which is to be crushed