beware of this vn godly pitye wherewith al men for the most part be veri much nowe adayes combred wythal which wyll for pitye rather let a fole or an euyl man to enioye hys benefice then a thousande soules to be broughte to know ledge thys in no pitye but rather a crueltye and kylling of the soule Therfore if it should please the Magistrates to make a law that no man shuld haue Byshoprycke benefyce prebend or other ecclesiastical vocacion lenger then he vsed hym selfe accordyng to his vocacion it were wonderful well The noble men that byeth theyr offyces and selleth agayne the iustice and the lawe y t is a pointed to the office must be admonyshed in case they wyl not amende into the sea w t theym Put theym out of their offyces and putte better in These Gentlemen that lyueth vpon dycynge cardynge ydlenes or with other mēnes gooddes muste be also admonyshed yf they wyll not repente altogether caste them in to the sea Folysh and preposterous pitye hath brought both king and the Lawes not onelye of thys realme but also of God into contempte and dayly wyl more and more if it be not fore seen Nowe y e lawes that iustly shoulde be executed vpon theues and murderers is of folyshe pitye dyspensed wyth al and manye iudge it were better to saue after hys opinion then to damne after the commaundement of God For thei saye O he is a tall felowe and can do the kynge good seruice it were pitye he should be hanged But in case they knewe or goddes lawes or mannes lawes and knewe what maintaineth best a commune wealthe they would saye suche a thiefe or murderer can neuer do the Kynges Magestye better seruyce then when he is hanged for hys faute that other men may feare to offende the lawe by hys example Marke wher vnto thys preposterous and sinistre pitie hath brought the realme to be pestered w t more theues then halfe Europe beside In so much that a manne can not trauell suerlye by the way with twentye pounde in hys pourse thoughe twentye men be together in a companie as it was sene by experiēce of late dayes to y ◠great shame of al the iustices of the coūtry and to the slaunder of the hole lawe and the realme The fraude gyle and Couetousnes of the lawers must either be amended other thei thēselues to be cast into the sea For vnto thys hathe theyr crafte and filthy lucre broughte the enter your graces Court may se y e magestye of a godly house and perceiue by the order of y ◠familye that God dwelleth in the courte and realme But the more to be pitied it is so nowe that who so euer enter marcke the condicions of manye men in the courte he shall fynde in the moste parte of the house hangyngs of gods woūdes hys fleshe and his bloud w t such blasphemous othes as the deuyll hym selfe if he were incarnate woulde tremble to speake And greate wounder it is there falleth not fyre frō heauen to burne them and the house they tarye in Like wyse where as goddes lawes forbyddeth dise and Cardes and also the commune statutes of thys realme the more shame it is it is vsed daily and hourly in the Kynges Magestyes house where as onelye the magestye of GOD is offended but many an honest man vndone in the yere That dise house must be cast into the sea if it be not God wyll caste the maynteyners thereof at length into hell What and if all men folowe thys godlye counsel of Ionas what wyll folow this that is in the texte The sea shal leue his ragynge As longe as Ionas was in the shyp there was no quyetnes nowe beinge in the sea all is at peace so shall it be wyth vs if we amend and cease from euyll doynges as it is writen Hieremy ii.vi.vii And thys is easye to be proued by example that no cōmune wealth can be pacified excepte euyll doers be punished .ii. Par. xvii Iosaphat before he could brynge hys commune wealth to anye good poynte restored good iudges to y e ciuile state of hys Realme and true doctours to the ecclesiastical state of hys realme Chap. xix The same maye we see in Dauyd ii Samuel viii.ii Para. xxii xxiii So dyd Artaxerses that sente Esdras to the Iewes Esdras vii The same order toke Cambises Cyrus sonne though he was and idell manne he caused the skynne of a corrupte Iudge to be pulled ouer hys heade and to be nayled in the place of Iudgement to putte other menne in feare how they corrupted iustyce For the kepynge of all men in an order it were well if men woulde thyncke vpon the lawe of the Corinthes whyche men maye reade in the Adagyes of Erasmus The Adage is Proteruiam fecit Where as euerye manne was bounde to gyue accompt howe he lyued and maynetayned hym self And the same lawe had Solon at Athenes When the Magystrate by neglygence or Proposterous pytye wyll not punyshe for syn then God strikethe as ye may se by the vniuersal flowd by the fyre in Sodome and Gomor Gyue hede therefore most gracious Lordes to punyshe these Ionasses and to put better into theyr place or els God wyll punysh either w t an euil beast either with swerd either wyth famyne either with pestilēce as it is writen Ezechiell .xiiii. But in case ye wyl do it the sea wyll cease As I praye God it maye Amen The fourth Sermon vpon Ionas made by Iohn Hoper the .v. of Marche ☞ The Preface SAinte Paul sayeth it is a moost true saying and worthy to be receyued of euerye parte that Christ Iesus came into thys worlde to saue synners .i. Timo. i. Unto the whiche sayinge agreeth the wordes of oure Sauioure Christ. Luke .xix. The sonne of man came to seke and saue that whiche was lost Who is it amōg vs all that woulde not ioyfully at the hearyng of so amiable swete a saying reioyce seyng we be all miserable and cursed synners by nature and yet woulde as full of miserye and blyndenes as we be be saued wyshe euer to be out of payne But in thys is all the hede to be taken leste we sinisterlye vnderstande these confortable promises which the deuil auēturth to swad vs vnto Wher as he cā not al together beriue and rob vs of the promises he wolde vs to construe vnderstand the promises amis And where as these promises apertayneth to none but unto repētaunte synners he dazeth and deceyueth oure affeccion and loue we beare to oure selues that he wyl beare vs in hande Gods promyse appertayneth as well to the impenitent and neuer myndynge synner to amende as vnto the sorowfull afflycted beleuyng sinner and he that wyl study the amendemēt of lyfe Against the which illusion and craft of the deuil Christ speaketh Mat. ix Luc. v. I came not to call the iuste but sinners to repentaūce Of the whyche repentaunce if we be destitute nothyng auaileth vs the promises of
Ezechiel iii. xxxiii they wolde serue the Lorde and vse more diligence in their vocatyon then they do If the Noble men wolde thynke vpon thys texte the Lorde resysteth the proude and thys texte Esay v woo be vnto you that ioine house to house and felde to feld c. and the lawers and iudges that is wrytten Prouerb xvii and Math. xxiii they wolde not slepe in greate rest nor vse the place they be in with such parcialitie and false head as they do incase the commune people wold thynke vpon the .iii. of Gene. where as laboure is commaunded and also .i. Thess. iiii ii Tess. iii. they wolde not forsake laboure and seke weapon and strengthe to tourne and aulter the state and ordre that God hathe appointed vpon the earthe But thys I saye to euerye man of eache of those degrees mencionated of the lesse they fele the dauÌ„ger of eternall damnatioÌ„ the nerer they be vnto eternal pain and haue alreadye one fote in hell whych shal neuer come agayn but the hole bodi and soul shal folowe excepte they repente for no man is farther from heauen then he that feareth not hell Nor no man farther from grace theÌ„ he that feleth not y e daunger of synne as wee se no man in more daungerous disease then he that knoweth not hym selfe to be lycke as those men be that are fallen into freÌ„sie and madnes Let vs lerne with Ionas to knowe in what daunger we be Yet is there an other thyng to be noted in Ionas wordes where as he sayeth thou haste caste me downe Of these wordes shulde those that be damned by the Magistrates acknoweledge that it is not the Magistrat that putteth them to execucion but God whose ministers they be and ought to saue suche as goddes worde saueth and dampne those that gods wordes dampneth It is God that sendeth to hell that hangeth for transgressyon vpon the Gallowes As Ionas knewe in thys hys prayer He accused not the mariners that caste hym into the sea but confessed the execution of the euell to be from God Let therefore from henceforth the Bishop and person that is depryued of theire vocatyons for theyr misbehaueour false or neglygente preachynge in them saye the Lord hath cast me doune So lette the Noble menne and the lawers say wheÌ„n theire Rauyne couetuousnes fraude and deceyte cryeth vengeaunce before God tyll they be dysplaced the Lorde hath caste me downe And the same lette the trayterousse subiecte the thyeffe the murderer and idle maÌ„ say the Lord brought me to the galowes The Lord wolde I shulde trouble the coÌ„mon wealth no longer And I do here appele burden euery subiectes conscience of thys realme of Englande Firste those that haue the doynges receiuinges occupyinges and custody ouersyght rule and offyce of the kynges maiesties goods or laÌ„des TheÌ„ their conscience to whome the kynge and hys counsell hathe commended the teaching and instructioÌ„ of hys people in the knowledge and feare bothe of God and man fynally I apele all the conscyences of the subiectes of this realme whiche me riteth some for deceite falshed and deceyuynge of the kynge losse both of body and goodes some for preaching erronious seditious and false doctrine or for neclectinge the preachyng of the true doctryne deserue most cruel punishmeÌ„t Some for false iudgemente merite the losse of theyr lyues The rest for rebellion sedicion and treason deserue the swerde and the galowes whether in sufferynge the payne appoynted for suche transgression they caÌ„ from their hartes say thys suffer I worthely wyll the vengeauÌ„ce of God because I haue synned agaynst hym the law of my coÌ„munwealth No no y â— Lorde knoweth euery man extenuateth yea excuseth al thinges donne agaynst God hys order But I wyll sayne the y â— thiefe and robber of the kynge and of the commune wealthe to be kynge and the kynge thy offycer receiuer woldest thou thy offycer shulde deceiue the Or y u traiterous false subiect if thou were kynge the king thy subiect woldest y u be coÌ„tented that thy subiecte shoulde conspyre and imagine howe to plucke the out of thy realme What if mi Lord Bishop and master persone were kynges trowye their Maiesties wold be contented that theire Byshoppes and priestes shoulde whyster a tale of treason and sedycyon in auryculâ—r confession or other pryueye conuentycles to theire subiectes Speake all ye that be fayned kynges and speake of youre conscyences I dare saye ye wold not be thus haÌ„dled Wht then do ye handell an other soâ— remember ye not in thys lawe of nature Quod tibi non vis fieri alieni ne facias That is to saye do not to an other that thou woldest not an other shulde do vnto the. Amende therfore euerye man and be true and faythful vnto the realm to the king and lawes of him his realm And for y e loue of God ye noble men Gentelmen iustices and lawers the holsome lawes of the realme that statutâ—s and coÌ„missioÌ„s that hath bene made by the king and the counsel for the preseruacion of the commune wealth and the helpe of the poore whyche be boothe afflicted wyth your insaciable and neuer contented couetousnes Let them be faythfully executed and vpryghtly interpretated according to y â— minde and meanynge of those that made them For the euyll construing and sinister takynge of good lawes and godly meanynge of godlye maiestrates doth not only afflicte the pore of this realme but wyl sure at length caste the whole realme vnder the water It commeth nowe into my mynd a practise of euyl takyng the gouerners worde coÌ„maundement how perilous daungerous thing it is I was once in the rase of Britaine wyth a fore wynde and contrarye fludde the seas in that place goynge both holowe and that by reason of a multitude of Rockes in the same place The master of the shyppe to conduite her the better sate vpon the mayne yerde to see the seas aforehande and cryed to hym that styrred the sterne alwayes vpon whyche syde he shuld styrre the shippe to breake best the daunger of the sea The wynde blowynge hygh where as the master cryed a larde borde he that styrred mystoke it and styrred a stare borde and the once mistakyng of the masters lawe had almoste cast vs vnder the water Then thought I it is not wythoute cause that wysemen compare a common wealthe to a shyppe for one thynge loseth and saueth them bothe For incase the masters officer in the shyp obey not hys lawe the shyp wyll of force drowne So shal thys coÌ„men wealth euery other that wheÌ„ the kyng and hys councell shall make lawes to help saue the pore such as styrre the hynder part of the shyp behind the kynges backe folow not that he is bid to do but that that he lysteth himselfe and his owne priuat coÌ„moditie to do And thus putteth both the shyp the master and all the mariners in daunger of drowning Amend
of hys lawe not to harken vnto his voyce nor to walke in hys wayes to go after the prauitye and euylnes of euer owne hartes The viciatynge and iuste vse of the Lordes supper i. Cor. xi Also y ◠neglecrynge of wydowes and orphalynges causes not to iudge ryghte iudgemente to the power Ierem. v. These causes muste be auoyded or else truelye thy sayinge of Ieremye wyll take place Chap. vii You trust in youre selfes and in lyes that nothynge profytteth The nexte waye to returne the hande of gods angre great displeasure against vs is to folowe Iosophat the kinge that appoynted good iudges and godlye pryestes in euerye cyty The iudges to iudge after the true lawes of the realme and the preystes to do all thynges in the churche accordynge to the worde of God which teacheth suche knowledge and feare of God and of the magystrates that all the wysedome lawes and bokes that euer were made be but counterfeete and folyshe in respecte of it Nor euer had God in heauen or kynge vpon the earthe suche a frende as is the holy Bible For it reacheth y ◠people and subiectes of the realme the feare of God obedyence to the kynges maiestye and hys Magestrates and all mutuall and fraternal loue Thys example and counsel of Iosaphat if it beneglected ther cā no godlynes be amonge the people as the texte sayeth when Prophecye wanteth the people shall be dysipated scattered abrode Prouerves xxix To the doinges of these godlye offyces shoulde all menne be exhorted specyallye suche as bare the name of Bishoppes and preistes If they will not be desyrous and glad to haue helpe the mynistery of the church to the primatyue and perfecte estate agayne the Lorde dothe crye vengeaunce towardes them and wyl not onlye requyre the lose of them selfes but also of all the people at theire handes Ezech. iii. xxxiii Let them remember the complaynte of God hym selfe Ierem. i. My people hath haue a loste flocke my shepperdes haue deceiued them and haue made them go astraye vpon the hylles If these threatnynges wyll not amend theym Gracyous Kynge and you my honourable Lordes of his highe counsel muste do wyth them as the mariners did with Ionas What y ◠is seing it pleased the kinges maiestie and you my Lordes of his moste honourable councell in the lente to heare by me I haue nowe at the request of manye godlye persons caused it to come abrode and dedicated the same to youre Pryncelye maiestye and mooste prudente Counsell that youre hyghenes maye be bothe iudge and recorde of my doctrine vnto youre Maiestyes true and louing subiectes The whyche doctryne is Catholyke and godly in al thynges nothynge dyssentinge but agreable wyth the Prophetes and the Aposteles as I am accordynge to my bonnden dutye redye at all tymes to make answere if anye thyng shal be attempted to the contrarye Incase ther be now thē added a word more or lesse or peraduenture some sentence yet I know well y e matter is not chaunged nor aultered other wyse then I spake it before youre maiestye for I haue memoryaies wherin I wrot before y ◠inuenciō order disposition of al the matters I wolde entreate vpon As I vse euer wyl doo of all thinges I speake in goddes behalfe to the people wryt my selfe or cause an other to wryte the pethe and disposycion of al thinges I speake vpon that I maye as well learne a farther knoweledge my selfe thereby as make answere to myne enemyes if any shuld accuse me of false doctryne The God of all strengthe and consolation gouerne poure maiestye an youre mooste honourable counsell wyth hys holye spyryte and gyue you the vyctorye of all your ennemies Ami. Anno. M. D. L. Septembris .vi. Sence y ◠angel of god slew in the armye of Senacherive gods ennemie a hundreth thousand and syue thousande menne Anno. M.M.C.C. lxxx viii ¶ The fyrste Sermon made the .xix. day of March in the yere of our lord a. M. CCCCC.L before the kinges maiestie his most honourable Counsel by Ihon Hoper Preacher vpon the holy Prophet Ionas ¶ Preface vnto the Prophet IT is the offyce and dewty of euerye good chyld that studiousli laboreth to obey and folow hys fathers commaundemente before all thynges to know perfectly the nature and condiciō of hys fathers wyl Wherof if he be ignoraunte manye tymes in the same thynges he iudgeth best of he moste offendeth and the thynges moste pleasaunte and acceptable as thynges moste dyspleasaūt and vnacceptable vnto hys father he flyeth and refuseth Euen so wee that be subiectes and the chyldren of God the father almyghty can do nothyng gratefully and acceptable vnto his Maiesty excepte we first knowe hys good wyl and pleasure towards vs or else we shal ther most offēde hym wher as we mynde moste to please him And agayn happyly to improue as pernicious and heretycal that his wisdom approueth to be most Godlye and profytable Wherefore as the fyrste poynte of a louynge Childe is to know what pleasyth and what dyspleasyth what contentyth and what discontentyth hys father least he should by ignoraūce displease where as hys sonnelyke affeccion by naturall zeale woulde please so is it the second poynt of a good Chylde hys fathers wyll once trulye knowen dyligently to obserue and kepe the same least he should by neglygence or contempt be seene wilfullye to contemne the thynge he hathe wyth dylygence and studye obedyentlye submyttyd hym selfe vnto And incase as suche cases be moste common and daylye that infyrmities or other occasyon ledde the sonne from the obedyence of hys father The thyrde poynte of hys dewtie is speedely to acknowledge his offēce and desyre pardon merci for his trāsgressiō As the prodigal and disobedient sonne dyd Luke xv And Dauid ii Samuel and so after the remyssyon and pardon obtayned to be more circumspect and wyse how he fall and transgresse agayne Psal. li. These proposicions and sentences be so true that no resonable man doubteth of them But as the deuyll hath lefte in the world no truth nor veritie whych by argument and question he hathe not called into dout so trobleth he in this case the myndes of men wyth twoo questiōs The first is how and from whence the wyll of God maye be knowen The seconde what y e wil of god is So hath he preuayled amonge men for synne that the truthe of these questions is vnknowen to the greatest part of the world as it was in Moses tyme Christes tyme now in oure tyme more ignoraunte and far from God thē thei He perswaded in those daies that the wil of God was knowen not from heauen nor out of the scripture Canonical as the Patriarches Prophets and the Apostles tawghte but that it was knowē by the writings decrees and statutes of mē that were in the earth and that the wyl of God was to do that man commaunded and not that God commaunded But as almighty God left
sore and daungerouslye such as possesse the goodes of the Church and preache not such as haue stipeÌ„des to teach and teach not wages to warre and warre not receaued for a thousaÌ„d souldiers and serueth not wyth fyue huÌ„dreth Such as enioye hospitales almoshouses and the prouisyon of the poore to ther owne priuate commoditie To al these I say repente ye and make restytucion Goodes be euyll spente Fyrste if they be consumed in an yuell case As when they be applyed to pryde and excesse in apparel or meate and drinke to the oppressyon and hurte of the poore Eyther to fynde a greate companye of ydle and loyterynge men Then yf they be not vsed to a good vse to the edifiyng of Christes Churche the helpe of the poore the prisoners and suche lyke For in the latter iudgement the Lord shal aske what care and charge we had of the poore Math. xxv And we see the rych man damned because he gaue not to Lazarus Luc. xvi Unto those also I saye repent ye and spend the giftes of God after knowledge and vertue yf ye wyll not ye shall all peryshe Luke xiii God sleepeth not but seeth all oure actes aud noteth oure dooynges Incase anye of these men whether they be of the Ecclesiasticall Policie or the Ciuile policie of thys your realme mooste Gracious Kynge and you my Lordes of hys most honorable couÌ„sel detract and wyl not make restitucion nor vse theyr goodes well for the offyce ye haue taken from God ye be bounde to compell them to do it And fyrste of all because ther is no maÌ„ but sinneth loke fyrst vnto your selues theÌ„ wyth y e kyng of Niniue and the Nobles of hys realme repente ye and restore vnto God that is Gods and vnto maÌ„ that which is for the coÌ„fort of your subiectes good lawes and dilygent execucion and vsage of the same Then compell both the spiritualtye as they be called and also the temporaltie to make restitucioÌ„ both to God and man accordingly And now the lord hath geuen you peace because ye myght haue leasure to do these thyngs as Paul saith .i. Tim. ii Do therfore as Salomon did .iii. Re. viii Abuse not the peace in playing sportes and pastyme but in the buildynge of Gods temple whych hath a longe tyme layne desolate Ye haue an example Num. v and in any case let that example be folowed Ther be the gestes of Iosaphat the kynge wrytten ii Para. xvii in the whych are thre notable thynges Fyrst he toke away and remoued from hys people Idololatrie The seconde he gaue them true iudges whose godly condicions are wrytteÌ„ in the same booke cap. xix that feared the Lorde accepted in iudgement no persoÌ„s third They receiued no brybes nor rewardes The thyrde he placed and apoynted Priestes not in one place but in all the Cytyes of Iuda and not to the ende they shoulde playe and pastyme but to teache and not euerye thynge but the lawe of God Al these thynges muste ye do mooste Gracious Kynge and you my honourable Lordes of hys highe and wysecouncel if ye wyll lyue in peace and quyetnes I do not exhorte your Maiestye nor your most honorable Counsell lyghtlye but vpon greate and wayghtye consideracion to remoue al these thynges that be eyther the Deuylâ— ether mannes inuincion For in the scripture I fynde that God manye tymes is offended when we giue â—ym but halfe honour Howe well began Hiiu the kynge of Israell .iiii. Regum x. But because he remayned in the synnes of Hieroboam hys kyngdome was not onelye afflycted but at length distroied also Abolyshe therfore godlye kynge all iniquytye and permit not Masse nor such abhominacion to any man wyth in youre hyghnes realme no not to the straungers whyche doubtles shoulde be an occacyon of slaunder to youre realme and subiectes For Asa the kyng of Iuda .iii. Regum xv remouyd hys mother from the rule and gouernaunce of of the realme because she had an Idole in a groue the which her sonne the kyng brent TheÌ„ your magestie muste institute true faythfull and iudges of good conscyence Then sende suche priestes throughe youre realme that haue these twoo condycions Fyrste that they teach theÌ„ y t thie teach the word of God If your magestye doo these thynges then shall God sed peace and quietnes to hys pleasure Farther God shall make you a feare and terrour to foâ—en and straunge nacions that know not the liuing god And this your magesty shal auoeyde the better if ye beware of flaterers and thynk as Ioada in hys youth fauored the truthe of God and in hys age by flattery departed from it iiii Reg. xii so the same yuell and daunger maye corrupte your hyghnes Then if it may please you to commaund more sondry tymes to haue sermoÌ„s before your magestie it wyll not be a lytle healpe to you yf they be wel made wel borne awaye and wel practised And seyng ther is in the yeare .viii. M.vii C.lx. houres it shall not be much for your highnes no nor for al your housholde to bestow of theÌ„ .lii. in the yere to heare the Sermon of God If your magesty do these thinges the blud of youre people shal not be requyred at youre hands But I rede both kyng and counsel to be admonished and to amend thynges amysse Yf not the kynge of Niniue wyth hys people shall ryse aâ— the later daye and condempne bothe kynge and counsell to deathe For they conuerted at the preaching of one man yea at the preachyng of a straunger we haue not only heard y t same by the mouth of straungers but also by the mouth of our owne country men that many tymes Let vs therfore beleue and amende or els we must peryshe God preserue for y e death of Christ the Kyngs magestie al hys honorable councell wyth the hole realme Amen ¶ Faultes eskaped in the pryntyng Foli iiii fac i. linea viii read Mat. xvii Fol. viii faci ii lini xx lacketh a woord was The consideracion therof was Fol. xx faci i lini i. Deut. v. li.xxxii faci ii lini xxi they Fol. xli faci i. lini 〈…〉 Fol. xliiii faci i. lini viii Ionas Fol. xlix faci i. lini xiii Iho. xi Fol. liii faci ii lini ii Magistrate Fol. liii fa. i. ii lini eâ— serue not Fol. liâ—i fa. ii li.xxi nor punish y â— innoceÌ„t Fol. liiii faci i. lini xii intencion Fol. liiii faci i lini xviii as aboundeth Fol. liiii faci i. lini xix thy Fol. lxiii faci ii lini xvi is Fol. lxvii faci i. lini iiiâ—i not Fol. lxxv faci i. lini xix Most Fol. lxxvii faci i. lini viii xix Fol. lxxâ— faci i. lini xii seynge Fol. xc faci i. lini vâ—alteri Fol xcvii faci 〈◊〉 xii preaâ—he truely Fol. cxiii faci i. lâ—ni xii reserued Fol. cxiiii faci li. lin xiii deferred Fol. cxvii faci ii lini xxi nature Fol. câ—viii faci ii lini putforth he shall Fol. cxx faci ii lini viâ—i et lini ix et Fol. cix faci ii lini xiii chaunce Fol cxxii faci ii lini xix Comesâ—â—â— Fol. cxxâ—iiii faci ii lini xxii fygur Fol. cxxâ—vi faci i. lini xxii vi Fol. cxliiii faci i. lini vi omitted Fol. clxix faci ii linâ— i. Ionas ☞ ☞ ☞ Imprinted at London by Ihon Daye dwellyng ouer Aldersgate and Wylliam Seâ—es dwellinge in Peter Colledge Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum
An ouersight and deliberacion vpon the holy Prophete Ionas made and vttered before the kynges maiestie and his moost honorable councell by Ihon Hoper in lent last past Comprehended in seuē Sermons Anno. M D.L. Excepte ye repente ye shall al peryshe Luke xiii Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ¶ To the mooste puisaunt Prince and our most redoubted Soueraign Lord Edward the syxt by y ◠grace of God Kyng of England Fraunce and Ireland defender of the fayth in earth next and immediately vnder God of the Churches of England and Ireland the supreme head And also vnto the moste wyse godly and most honorable Lordes of his highnes priuie coūcel his most humble louing and obedient subiecte Ihon Hoper electe and sworne Byshoppe of Glocester wysheth al grace and peace from God wyth long and the same most godlye prosperous raigne ouer vs in all honoure healthe and perpetual felicitie AMong al other moste noble and famous dedes of kinges and Princes none is more godlye commendable nor profytable to the cōmon wealth then to promote and set forthe vnto their subiectes the pure and sincere religion of the eternal God kyng of al kynges and Lord of al Lordes Then shal iustice peace and concord raygne the doore of Idololatrie be shut vp vi the whyche hath entred all euyl and kynges and kyngdomes fallen into ieopardye as the writinges of y ◠Prophets do testifie But the more thys noble fact is glorious godly and princely the more difficile hard it is For the enemy of God of al mankynd the Deuyll customablye is wont to deceiue the princes of y e world so that eyther they vtterly neglect the religion of the true God as a thynge folyshe and of no estimacion eyther prouoke thē cruelly to persecute it If he cā bryng neither y e one neither the other of these to pas he wyll do the beste de can to preserue a myxte and myngled religion that shall nether playnly be agaynst nor wholye wyth hym And so vse the matter that partly goddes truth shall take place partly the supersticious inuēcion of man The whych myngled and myxed religion is so muche the more daungerous as it is accompted for pure and good Therfore it is earnestlye forbidden by God as the examples of the scripture declareth Iehu the kynge of the Israelites when he had remoued all grosse and sensible Idololatrye and with the swerde had taken away all the Idololatricall priestes iii. Reg. x is reproued of God neuertheles because he walked not in the lawe of God wyth all his herte and lefte not the wayes of Ieroboam And againste these minglers and patchers of Religion speaketh Elias the Prophet iii. Reg. xviii Howe longe sayth he wyl ye halt on both sides If y ◠Lord be God folow hym if Baal go ye after hym Euen so we may iustly say If y ◠priesthod ministery of Christe with his notes and markes be true holy absolutely perfect receiue it in case it be not folow y ◠pope Christ can not abide to haue the leuē of the pharises myngled wyth hys swete flowre He wold haue vs ether hote or cold the luke warme he vometeth vp and not wythout a cause For he accuseth God of ignorancie and folishenes that entendeth to adorne and beutifye his doctrine and decrees with humaine cogitacions What kynge or prince of the world wold suffer hys statutes lawes and testament to be cut of and set on at euery mans libertie and pleasure Shulde not the same glory maiesty and honour be geuē vnto the lawes and testament of Christ that is sealed wyth hys precious bloude The worde of God wherwyth he gouerneth and ruleth his church is a septer of yron Psal. ii and not a rod of wylowe to be bowed wyth euerye mans finger either a rede to be broken at mans wyll no neither a pece of lether to be stretched and reached out wyth any mans teth These thynges be spoken of me most gracious and vertuous kyng to commende youre maiestyes and your moste honorable councels doinges that seke the glorye of God and the restituciō of hys holye and Apostolycall churche The whyche thing as your highnes your most honourable and wyse councel haue gracyouslye be gon goddes mercye in the bowels of Chryst Iesu graūt you moost gratiously to perfourme The people of Englande were oppressed wyth the vyolente and cruel tyrannye of Antychryste darckenes and ignorauncie occupied y ◠mindes all moost of all menne so that fewe knew the true way to eternal saluatyon And yet manye Prynces and wysemen delyte and tarye in thys darckenesse and can not or wyll not bare nor suffer the radiant and shynynge beames of the Gospell more then the night crow can the beames of the sonne but the merciful father of heauen shall better their syghte when hys good and mercyfull pleasure is But the Lorde be praysed your magestye youre moste honourable and wyse counsel haue not cared what y ◠greatest parte but what the better dothe that the lawe of the hyghe and myghtye God maye be knowne to your hyghnes people as did Dauid Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosyas And in your maiesties so doing ye bynde not only the true and lyuynge members of Chryste to geue God thanckes in thys behalfe but also declare your selfe to be the verye fauroure nource and helper of the word of God according to the sayinge of Esaye .xlix. Perseuer gracyous kynge in thys quarel daungerous enterpryce Youre hyghnes shall not neade to feare eyther the strength or cautelles of your ennemyes for there is no witte wsdome nor coūcel against y e Lord as Salomō saith pro. xxi No although they had syluer as the grauell of the sea and golde as commune as the claye of the stretes zach ix for albeit the horse is prepared for the day of battell yet the vyctorye commeth from the Lorde Prouerb .xxi. I am he sayth the Lord that do comfort you what art thou that fearest mortall manne eyther the sonne of manne that shalbe made as haye canst thou for got the Lorde thy maker y t streachith forthe the heauens and laieth the foundacion of the earthe Esa. li. Let these diabolycall soundes speakynges of euel menne nothyng trouble your highnes nor your wise and godly councellour◠As long as the kynge is in hys tender age hys councell shulde do nothinge in matters of religyon For those mens folishenes rather I shuld sai malice is condemned by the worde of God that teacheth howe a kynge in hys younge age wyth hys wyse and godlye counsell shoulde abolyshe Idolatrye and sette forthe the true godly religyon of the liuing God Thus declareth the notable godlie facte of Iosias that folowed the relygyon of hys father not Ammon the Idolater but of Dauid nor declynynge to the rightt hande neyther to the left hand And destroyed not onlie the Images of his father but also of Ieroboā of Solomon iiii Reg. xxii .xxiii.
thys ye may see the dyuersitie betwene the ministerye of God of y ◠deuil of Christ and of Antechrist Christs mynistery is ful of labors paines sclounders and calamytyes Antichrist is ful of care pleasures cōmodities honoures as ye maye see through all the kingdom of the Pope for ther is not a byshoppricke nor benefice cā fal but ten ar reddy to take it or it come to the groūd Yea and healpe awaye the incumbēt wyth an Italion figge before tyme as ye may rede of Uictor the thyrd The seconde doctryne is that who so euer leaueth vndone the office commaunded vnto him by god flieth from the fauour and good wyl of God as it is to be sene i. Regu xv Here be al bishops and priestes admonished to beware how they leaue their deuties and cures They flie from y ◠face of god as many as beare that name and preache not the word of God and instruct not the people after the mouthe of god Myserable and cursed is our tyme of gods owne mouth that ther be such dom bishops vnpreaching prelats and such asseheadded Mynysters in the church of God Christ institutid nether singers nor massers but preachers and testimonies of his true doctrine Mar. xvi Mat. xxviii Luk. xxiiii Act. i. He that leaueth thys doctryne vntaught in the church or teacheth a contrary doctrin flieth from the face of god and do incurre the daunger and dampnacion that is wrytten Ezechi xxxiii iii. I wyll requyre theyr losse sayeth God to the preacher at thy hand Let nomā therfore be offended if the cryer speake agaynst the faultes of al degres wythout excepcion seing he is commaunded so to do vpō the paine eternal of his soule and Paule sayth wo be vnto me if I preache not i. Cor. ix Let all men take heede to do the thing that apparteyneth to theyr offyce least they depart from the face of the Lord as kyngs do if they make any laws contrary to the lawe of God and the lawe of nature or suffer theyr subiectes to be tawght in anye doctryne for the saluacion of theyr soules beside and contrary to the expresse word of god The iustyce departeth from the face of God when y t he for fauor preposterous peti or for bribes iudgeth not iustly The gentle men when bysyde charity seke themselues wyth the hurt of their neighbours The commons of euery realme departeth frō the fauour of god when sediciously inobedientlye they make tumults and sedicion lyftynge vp weapon agaynst theyr kyng and rulers whych leadeth to eternal dāpnacion Rom. xiii Num. xvi But a man might say toush it is not so great a matter if a man walke not in hys vocacion neyther yet is god so much offended with dysobediēce but thys fleshly and peruerse opinion may soone be corrected if mē wold cōsider the daungers that thys poore man Ionas fell into for hys dysobedyence They be in number syxe The fyrste is the perylous wyndes that troubleth the shippe The seconde hys synne and dysobedience is detected and made open by lottes The thyrd he is examyned what he is The fourthe he is constrayned to geue sentence of death agaynst hym selfe The fyfth the shipmen cannot saue him The sixt he is cast into the sea The fyrst daunger hath two partes The one sheweth the daunger of the shyppe The other shewith how the mariners behaueth thē selues in the time of theyr daunger Of the fyrst thus sayth the Prophet The Lorde hurled a greate wynde into the sea and there arose a myghtie tempest in the sea so that the shyppe was in Ieoperdie of goynge in pieces Well we maye thyncke to escape the daunger of GOD though we neglect oure dewty and vocacion but truely it can not be so Whither sayeth Dauyd shoulde I go from thy spirite and whither shoulde I fle frō thy face Psal. cxxxix Ther is no corner of the world wher in man maye hyde hym selfe from the knowlege and punishment of God if we neglect the worckes of oure vocacion He hath all thynges in hys hand heauen earth the wyndes and the waters with the whiche he vseth to punyshe the wyckednes of transgressours wythall at his pleasure when he wil as it is to be seen Samu. i. Of thys place of the text we learne that whosoeuer contrarye to Goddes commaundemente studieth to auoyde one yuell falleth into manye The byshop or the preacher that for the loue or feare of the world letteth to speke the trueth falleth into the burnyng and damnacion of hys owne conscience The people that agaynst goddes lawe woulde defende the pouertye of theyr bodies loste body soule wyfe chyldren and all together The corrupte Iudge in serchynge to serue hyz owne tourne or hys frenfrends in corrupting of iustice bryngeth bothe hym selfe and hys frende into the daunger of eternal dampnacion The text procedeth y t sheweth howe the mariners behaued them selues in this daūger y t whych thyng is dylygently to be noted For in them is expressed averi liuelye ymage of all men that lackyth fayth howe they feare aboue measure in the tyme of trouble Theyr doinges is expressed foure waies First their fayth Second eche of thē calleth vpō his own god Third thei exonerate the ship Fourth they wake Ionas oute of hys sleepe The fear declareth y e greatnes of the daunger they were in theyr ignoraunce of God who onelye comforteth in the dayes and houre of trouble That euery man calleth vpon his own god it appeareth ther were people of sondry and dyuers nacions and also what is common to all men vnder the sunne that haue not lost the vse of reason when we be left destitute of humane healpe we call vpon god not for loue but for feare as it is sayd metus primus in orbe Deos fecit That is to say feare was the fyrste that made Gods in the world These mariners are of some part to be folowed of some part not that in the daye of trouble they praye we ought to folowe them that they praye not to the one and sole God but euerye man to a sondrye God they maye not be folowed For there is but one patron and helper for all men and he is neuer nor no where knowen but by his word Mānes reason knoweth ryght wel in the tyme of trouble that ther is a god but who he is reason cannot tell Therefore worshippeth reasō an idole of hys own heade vnder the name of God and then foloweth man eyther hys owne opinion eyther the tradicion of hys elders And thys is the fountayne of Idolatrye when that euery manne thyncketh hym to be hys God that he hym selfe hys elders or custome hath taken to be god From hence came suche diuersitye of gods among the Gētiles so many patrons among y e supersticious sort of Christians These goddes all together be forbyd Exodi xx Deutrono vi They lyghten the shyp when they felt that prayers auayled nothynge they tourne to laboure whyche also eased them
that Ionas was neuer better knowen to be the occasion of thys tempeste in the sea then I knowe these foure sortes of people to be the trouble and wyll be the dystruccion of thys commune wealth if they be not found out by lotte and wysdome be tyme. But a man myghte aske what should the kynges magestie do in suche a case wyth all these foure sortes of Ionasses Let hys maiestie learne of these mariners then shall he do wel and as they dyd with Ionas so the kynges magestie must do with these four sorts of people What they dyd the Prophet shall tell hys owne tale and declare the third daunger he fell into whiche is the examinaciō of Ionas in thys forme Thei said vnto him shewe vs I praye the how thys trouble happeneth vnto vs What is thyne occupacion whence commest thou what countrie man art thou Of what nacion art thou In these Ethnicall Mariners we se a singuler discrecion wit humanitie What if our Mariners Christiās had suffered the lyke daunger and detriment for any mānes sake with in their shyppe Doubtles they would haue sworne and out of hande wythoute examinacion haue cast him into the sea But these men be wyse that they do not onelye serch to knowe his faulte by lottes but diligently seketh to knowe all the circumstances howe he fell into thys daunger lest Ionas should accompt him selfe vniustlye condemned Ot thys doyng of the Mariners we learne two thinges one humanitie towardes the aflicted persons The other that all kynges and magistrates oughte to condemne thys lawe as a thynge pestiferous and damned by gods lawes to execute sentence agaynste anye man before his cause and matter be heard for it is contrarye to the lawe of god the lawe of nature and the law of mā Yea God commaundeth that nomā shoulde be condemned with the testimony of one mā deu xvii Here is for the kynges magestye and hys coūsel one more doctrine to be learned of these Mariners I sayde that foure sortes of people were the occasion of the trouble of hys Magisties shyppe thys Realme of Englande but I sayd not that euerye man of these foure sorts was giltye of the tempest therfore there muste be lottes and examinacion of euerye deorce and of eche person in hys degree that the innocente be not punyshed neither the transgressoure fauored And these muste be examined by the mayster hys shyppemen that is to oure purpose of the Kynges magestye and hys Counsel So that in case the godlye wythout respect of persons seeke to know and vpon truthe and knoweledge punyshe as they knowe the shyppe of thys commune wealthe shall rest in peace and quyetnes if it be not serched for and amended the shyppe of the commune wealthe shall at laste be burste in pieces whyche the Lorde defend Amen ¶ The thyrd Sermon vpon Ionas made by Iohn Hoper the .v. of Marche ☞ The Preface WE neuer rede in anye wryters whether they be holy or prophāe of anye kyngedome or comune wealth that continually endured without tumultes sedicion or warre eyther by foreyn and outwarde enemies eyther amonge it selfe by conspiracye treason disobedience of subiectes of the same realme and the same euyll not beynge in tyme taken hede of and redressed brought alwayes the kingdom or commune wealth from trouble and sedicion vnto vtter ruyne and confusion We wyll omitte and passe ouer to speake of the kyngdome of the Assirians the Persians Grekes Romaynes althoughe of theyr originall continuaūce and distruccion the holye Byble maketh in Daniell the prophet and other places of the Scripture muche mencion of we wil speake but of two kingdomes of Iuda and Israell What troublers contencion warres sedicion and rebellion they suffred and at laste came cleane to noughte the bookes of the Kyngs and Chronicles doth recorde and the Prophet Ieremye What the causes of these troubles and dystruccion were the godlye readers of the scriptures he not ignoraunte But the men of that tyme the Princes the kynges neyther the priestes would vnderstād but assigned false causes the preachynge of goddes worde .iii. Regum xviii For thus sayeth Ahab vnto Elias the prophet arte not thou he that trobleth Israel and so sayeth the people Hiere xiiii The worde of god y t thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the lorde we wyll not receyue it but we will do whatsoeuer seme vnto vs good y t we may do sacrifice vnto the Quene of heauē and offer oure offerynges vnto her as we haue done and oure fathers our kinges our princes in the cities of Iuda and in the stretes of Ierusalē Thē had we aboūdaunce of al thinges and wel was it wyth vs we felte no yuell Assone as we lefte offerynge to the Quene of heauen and sacrificed no more sacrifyce vnto her we lacked al thynges and be consumed wyth warre and hungre But the true Prophetes of GOD shewed the true causes of these euils to be the contempt of goddes word as Elias saide vnto Ahab I trouble not Israell but thou and thy fathers house troubleth it For ye haue forsaken the commaūdemente of the Lorde and thou goest after Baalim But the princes and the people cōtinually defēded y e falle causes accōpted y e prophetes of god y t wold haue corrected theyr error to be sedicious trayterus persons and euen so persecuted and kylled them for there true preachynge Till at the last they perished and theyr realme wyth theym as ye maye rede .iiii. Regu xvii and in the last booke of the Cronicles in the last Chapiter Unto the lessō of those two Chapters I exhorte the wyse and godly hearer For ye shal gather of those places that the contempte of goddes worde was the occasion of the losse of these realmes The same euyll vexeth vs at thys presente daye The ship of thys commune wealthe of Englande is tossed vpsyde downe and the occacion thereof is imputed and layed vnto Christe and hys holye worde though falsly for Christes nature is to apeace and quiet all troubles and tempestes wyth hys presence Iohn .vi. Therefore thys false and preposterous cause of trouble muste be taken hede of if we wyshe the shyp of this kyngdom to come to rest We shal neuer bryng it to passe vntyll suche tyme as we agree and confesse that Ionas is the occasion whye the realme is thus vnquieted that is to saye as manye as be in this realme that neglect or peruerte theyr appoynted vocacyon I sayde O Kynge that Ionas myght be founde amonge foure sortes of people wyth in youre maiestyes Realme amonge the priestes noble men lawers and the commune people But lest anye man shulde thynke I condempned euerye man within the shippe of your commune wealthe we wyll folowe the wisdome and comendable doinges of these shippemen which were not only content to haue found out Ionas the cause of theyr trouble by Lottes but also diligētly they examin him So y e same thing most gracious kyng we
serue not cruelly wythout discression to reuēge but cheritabli with pacience to beare with the weke vntyll suche tyme as the lawe requyreth execucion of the euyll Nowe foloweth the aunswere of Ionas wherwyth al he condēneth him selfe as it is plaine in the texte and is the fourth daunger he fel into Take me and cast me into the sea so shal it let you be in rest for I wote it is for my sake that this great tempest is come vpon you In thys answere we learne and knowe what is the nature and condicyon of euerye penitente manne to Iudge hym selfe worthy payne and punyshemente And that is so trewe in case wee Iudge not so of oure selues and saye heretofore I was accompted and toke my selfe for a christian man but in deade I was the contrarye wherefore I am worthy of punyshmente we be but Hipocrites and desēblers Thus shoulde the Nobleman saye the Lawer the priest and the commune sorte of men as Dauid techeth .ii. Sam. xxiiii When he sawe the commune wealth punyshed and in daunger of dystruccion for his offence he sayde vnto the Lorde as Ionas dyd I haue synned I haue done yuel what hath these shepe offended let thyne ire dyspleasure be agaynste me and my fathers house But O my gracious Lorde and Kynge suche penitent and sorowful Ionasses be farre out of youre realme for none wyll confesse theyr faultes They wyl rather saye let the Bible in Englishe and the preacher of gods word be cast into the sea and so shall folowe quietnes for it was neuer wel sithe preaching begā But these be most gracious kyng and honorable coūselloures Caiphas felowes that sayde ye vnderstande not Io. xiii Chap. But what folowed It happened vnto the wicked as he feared They lost theyr communewealth as their fathers did before and came in to bondage bothe of body and soule Now foloweth the fift daūger that Ionas fel into The mariners can not saue hym as the texte sayeth Neuerthelesse the mē assaide with rowing to bringe the ship to lād but it wolde not be because the sea wrought so was so troblus against thē In these Mariners y ◠holye gost teacheth vs two thynges the one howe they would haue saued the troubler of the shyp the other that they coulde not saue him In the first is noted the nature condicion of euery godly Magistrate y t would if god wold the lawe al men to be saued as Moses did prai for the people y t rebelled for Aron Marye hys brother sister Iosua called disobediente Ahab sonne Here is the percial and corrupte iudgement of Kynges Magistrates iudges and such as beare offyce in the commune wealth horriblie cōdemned that serue not the law but mayster the lawe and for lucre or affecciō damneth hym the lawe quytteth and saueth him the lawe condemneth contrary to the doctrine of Salomon Prouerb .xvii. Deut. xix Luke xxii Rom. xiii Iac. iiii That they could not saue Ionas we learne that no cōmune wealth cā be quieted except the trāsgressors be punished Ios. vii God giueth no victory to y ◠children of Israel till Ahab be punished The plage cessed not frō y ◠Israelits til Phinees had slaine the adulterous Nu. xxv And the Lord sayth in Ezechiell xxxiii ye lifte vp youre eyes to your Idoles shede bloud and thyncke ye ye shall posses thys land Ye pollute eche anothers wyfe and should ye inhabit thys lande Nether vnto alludeth sayncte Paule Ephesians v. Let no mā seduce you wyth prophane woordes for these thyngs cōmeth the yre of God vpon the chyldren of distruste Generallye we learne that there is no more pestiferous hurt cā come vnto a commune wealth then ouer muche lenity and preposterous petye to suffer the lawes of a realme to be broken and neglected wythout punyshement of the transgressoure as it shall be more declared here after Nowe to the text whyche containeth the prayer of the shypmen in thys wyse Wherfore thei cried vnto the lord and sayd O Lorde let vs not perishe for thys mannes death neither lay thou innocent bloud to our charge for thou oh lord hast done euen as thy pleasure was Of thys oracion fyrste wee learne that the Mariners were conuerted vnto God by y ◠preachynge of one Ionas Before eche man called vpon a sūdrye god now al cal vp on one god They excuse not theyr olde Idololatrie for their olde customes sake nor yet for the aucthoritie of their forefathers but symplie they imbrace the trueth The same shoulde we followe and for oure doctryne it is written as sayth Saynte Paule in the fyftenth chapter of hys Epystle to the Romay Whatsoeuer thyngs are wrytten are wrytten for oure learnyng that we through paciēce and comforte of the scriptures shoulde haue hope Casting away al Idololatrye false honorynges of God we shoulde in Chryst imbrase and receyue the euerlastynge God and hys infalliable worde seynge wee be not moued there vnto by one Ionas but by manye by Kynge by counsell and manye other menne of God The seconde thynge we learne oute of thys prayer is howe they desyre GOD not to Impute vnto theym the deathe of Ionas whyche had not hurte theym but hymselfe in dysobeyinge the Lordes commaundemente wherein we maye see howe the Gentiles and Ethnyckes abhorred murder land Manslaughter and accompted it horrible and a thynge damned by the lawe of nature ▪ They were in the sea and no manne coulde haue accused them of murther yet perceyued they well that the eyes of God coulde marcke theym where so euer they were and woulde punyshe the facte And wisely they iudged for so teacheth vs all the Scripture of God as it shall nowe apere for I wyll somewhat touch thys horrible crime of murder more at large Murder is cōmitte two maner of wayes by chaunce and ignorauntelye or of malice and wetingelye Ignoraunt when agaynste hys wyll doynge and meanynge nothynge lesse then murder agaynst hys wyll killeth Suche a murderer by the lawe shuld not die for God absolueth and quitteth hym and prepared in the commune wealthe of the Israelites sanctuaries and refuges for them whyther as they might flee for their sauegarde Exod. xxi Nu. xxxv Ios. xx lest theyr bloude shulde be shed againe He that of malice and willingly killeth a mā shuld no waies be saued for vnto such the lord commaundeth deathe agayne Exo. xxi Leui. xxiiii And also in the tyme of the lawe of nature this was the commaundement of God for murder Gen. ix he that sheddeth a mannes bloude shall haue his bloude shed againe and so saith Christ Math. xxvi he that striketh w t the swearde shall peryshe with the sweard This sin is so horrible that no indulgēce or pardō shulde pitie the offence nor pardon the fault but the murderer incase he fled to the highe aulter he shoulde be fet fourthe as ye maye see the experyence in Ioab at the cōmaundement of Salomon iii. Regum ii and reade Nume
xxxv If the gistrate dyspense either for fere of hym that shoulde suffer exequution or for anye profit or gayne and punysh it not what both he other thē prouoke theire of God agaynst hym selfe the hole realme For the Lorde sayeth he wyl not dwell in the earth tyll it be pourged wyth the bloude of hym that shed the bloud Nume xxxv Let all men therefore in the commune wealthe knowe and feare thys doctrine of Paul Ro. xiii The magistrat beareth not a sweed in vayne Let the Maiestrate take hede of two things first y t vnder the pretexte and cloke of the lawe to serue hys affeccion or gayne he punyshe not y ◠innocent In thys offended the kyngs and magistrates of the Israelites that for the maintenaunce of theyr supersticion false religion and corrupt maners kylled and put to deathe the Prophetes and the Apostles So Iesabell caused Naboth to be slayne iii. Reg. xxi The second let y e magestrate take heade he absolue not him that God condemneth and cōmaundeth to be punyshed for gayne affection good intencior els for any folyshe preposterus pety for so doing Saul loste his kyngdome .i. Samu. xv reade the place And Ahab the kynge of Israel for dimissyng of Bennaud as god said they soule shalbe for his soule .iii. Regum fourtene Euen as here is occacion to admonishe of iustice towardes euil doers so is it to speake of warre and how it may be vsed lawfulli by magestrates The magestrate offendeth when he beginneth or continueth any iniuste battel or of affeccion punisheth any innocent person So Iosyas offended althoughe he was a good man in makinge warre with the Egypcians where as honest conditions of peace was offred and was slayne for his laboure The magestrate of the other part maye offende if he in case he see his subiectes oppressed and wyll not defend thē as Abraham did his neuie Loth and other Agayne thys battell he is daylye bounde vnto to warre agaynste vice and to punyshe synne and incase he see anye rebellion to resiste the iust execusion of iustice not to feare for God wyll helpe his procedinges Deut. xiii And it maye be seen that God wyl fauoure the magestrate that fighteth against his owne brother if it be to amende vyce and to kyll synne For in manner the hole tribe of Beniamin was destroyed for the defence of adulterie Farther a maiestrate fighteth iustly when he resisteth vniust forse whether it be of foren ennemyes or of his owne rebellious subiectes Of such lawes as shulde be kepte in the tyme of warre it is written Deut. xx xxiii Luke iii. Oure warryers haue made of war a menes and waye to all robberye and spoil The captayne by hys fayth is bound to haue as many as his allowaūce chargeth him with all but lyke a thiefe he deceyueth the Kynge bothe of hys noumber of menne and robbeth hym of hys goodes and for lacke of true paymente to the halfe number that he is appoyneted vnto he weryeth the good wyll of the poore Souldiours that extreme pouertye wyth syckenes for lacke of paymente of theyr wages causeth theym to passe neyther of the Kyng neyther of the commune wealth And as these vniuste and alreadye dampned Capytaynes excepte they repente wyth receyuers paye Masters vitaylers and other destroye not onelye the lawe and Magesty of Armes but also deceiue the Kynge by pyllyng and pollynge the poore needye souldyours so decaye vndo they the hole commune weale For they come to serue the cōmune wealth of lytle or no valewe at all in seruyng of the commune wealthe they enryche them selues vniustly to the vtter impouerysshynge and beggerynge both of the cōmune wealth and the heades thereof And well both Magistrate and Souldiour meriteth the same For the one trusteth he knoweth not whom other then vpon reporte the other prepareth hym selfe to the warre for defence of his contrey with horedome thefte and all abhominacyon And by false theuish meanes bryngeth more to the war then is hys owne no maruell then though God set such a thiefe ouer hym as wyl geue hym lesse thē is his dew True men were wount to go to batel and such as prepared theim selues with the feare of god to liue and die for theyr Magistrate and coūtry nowe the veryer thiefe and blasphemoure of the God of batel the better soldiour Wel God maye gyue the vyctorye to suche blasphemours for a tyme but doutles it wyll not nor cannot continue Loke vpon all the warres that Moses wrytteth of in hys fyue bokes and then shall ye knowe the same Wherefore I humbly requyre all Magistrates bothe in peace and warre to punyshe chiefely these two vices adulterye blasphemye incase they would haue either vyctorie in war or quietnes in peace As touchyng swearyng and blasphemye it is knowen vnto al men of God how the law condemneth it in the fyrste table Exodi xx Deutronomi v. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vayne for God wyll not leaue vnpunyshed suche as abuse hys name Of an othe I thyncke it therefore conueniēt to speake sumwhat There is two maner of othes the one of custome or of sport the other serious and graue requyred and taken before the Maiestrate or Iudge The Fyrst is deuyllyshe damnable and nought of euery part and forbidden by god to all christian mē The other that is taken for the glorye of God the defence of the trueth or helpe of a mans neyghboure as necessitye shal require is laweful and godly But in this lawful oth a man may offend two maner of wayes Fyrst if hys hert and mynde be not accordynge to hys woordes but that hys mouth speaketh one thing and the herte thyncketh an other thynge the seconde if he that sweareth sweare by anye creatures Both these be blasphemous before God And in case it be damnable in a noughty matter to sweare by creatures is it not the same trow ye daylye and folyshly of custome to sweare by a mans hande hys heade by the masse and suche lyke The more vile the thynge is we sweare by the more is the othe detestable before God Wherefore in thinges not necessarye and requyred lawfully to sweare by anye thyng is synne In wayghtye matters to sweare by ani thing except by god is no lesse offēce That may we see .iiii. maner of wayes By reason y ◠holy scripture exāples the Canon law By reasō thus to sweare is to protest promise the thing we sweare to be true before hym y ◠knoweth the thoughtes and cogitacions of the harte that knoweth onlye and solye God therefore is it blasphemye to sweare or attribute y e same to a creature as they do that sweareth by creatures Agayne euery oth hath annexed wyth it an inuocacion and execracion An execracion that he by whom we sweare maye punyshe and curse vs if we swere false An inuocacion that he by whom we swere woulde helpe vs if we sweare true But onely
The second the faciliti and promptnes of these Niniuites to beleue and amend their religion and cōuersaciō doth condemne the vngodlye obstinacye and frowardnes of such as detract and prolong their amendemēt and saye they wyl belyue when the kynge commeth to age Thus the deuil geueth thē one occasion or other to defer their belefe If the kings magesty and hys Nobles shoulde hate the trueth they woulde saye howe can we beleue the doctryne y t our learned and wyse Magystrates detesteth If the kynges maiestye and hys nobles loue and fauoure the best part thei excuse thēselues vpō the tender younge age of the kynge as thoughe hys Magesties yonge age or olde age coulde make any religion of God true or false when in deede all ages and powers be or oughte to be subiecte vnto the religion and law made allredye and geuen to be obserued of and by all menne of what sort condiciō or state so euer they be of Thys thynge came to the Kynge of Niniue who arose frome his seate doyng of his apparell clothed hym selfe in sacke cloth It is not wythoute a synguler councell of the holye goste that thys kynge is mencionated of so copiously Nether that hys behauoure and doynges after hys conuercion is so diligentlye manyfested Fyrste the Texte setteth forth the manner of hys conuersion and sayeth he returned vnto God vpon the fame and rumoure of Ionas preachynge Wherefore we learne how much the truth is wurthye to be estemed seyng that a kynge vpon the brute thereof made by hys people embrased and resisted not as now we se many tymes done by the greatest part of the world Euē so did Iosias as soone as he beynge yet but a chylde hearde of the true boke of God embraced it .iiii. Reg. xxii So dyd Dauid and Iosaphat heare graunt to the admonicions of y e Prophetes All kynges therefore and magistrates shuld harken vnto the truthe and learne it them selues oute of the lawe Deut. xvii But thys studye and knowledge of gods lawe in Princes and kynges the Byshops Priestes and other do let bearyng them in hande that it appertayneth nothinge to theyr office to study and labour in the worde of God but the iudgement and study therof to be committed vnto them and so by y ◠same meanes they perswade cause prynces many times to persecute the truth and veritie by ignoraunce as the kynges of Israel dyd that burned the wrytynges of the Prophetes But most gracious kyng and ye my lordes of hys most honorable coūcel Ye haue not only heard the rumour fame of Gods word but wyth your owne eares haue heard youre selfe the truth and ye do credit and beleue the same therefore in al thynges expresse and declare it in facte And most gracious kynge take ye hede that the vertues ye learn and be brought vp in in youth ye practyse exercise them in age And incase your Magesty wil so do beware of one thing y ◠poison of flaterie The whyche youre Magestye may vse as a good medycine and not a poisō if ye take hede of it Yt wyl be poison yf your grace thynk your selfe to be at al times as flaterers wyl bear youre hyghnes in hand to be It shall be a medicine yf your Magestye studye to be the same in dede that flaterie commendeth Youre Magestye may see an Example hereof in kynge Iehoas that in hys youthe fauoured and sette forthe the truthe but in hys elder dayes he fell from it by the meanes of flatteroures that deceaued hym But youre Magestye shall do best to folowe thys Godly Kynge of the Niniuites and embrace contynually the word of the lyuynge God And thus shal youre grace be the better able to doo incase youre highnes woulde haue before you euerye Sundaye one sermon whych shoulde brynge muche knowledge grace into youre hyghnes courte Nowe foloweth the fruite of thys Godly kynges penitence Fyrste he ryseth from his seate and putteth on sackclothe Of thys we learne that infayth and true repentaunce is no diuersitie betwene the king and a meane subiect And thus shall it be at y e later iudgemēt The rych the poore the kyng the subiect y ◠bishop y e prieste al shal apere naked before the trone of Christe and be holpe nothyng there by anye tytle or name of glory Here the honor and ryches haue theyr estimacion and glorye Let all men therfore looke to amend theyr fayth and lyuyng here in thys worlde As for this external doing on of sackeclothe it was the maner at that tyme so to doo and declared theyr repentaūce and amendemente And so I woulde it were nowe He that offendeth in apparel he wolde remoue the pryde thereof and goo soberlye he that in meate would vse more sobryetie Yet noman shuld thyncke any holines to be in the external vestiment nor yet any hurt or dānacion in the meate but the abuse of both displeaseth God As for the vestimentes of the priest in y e ministerie I wolde wyshe the Magistrate to remoue thē for they either shew or not shewe vertue If they shewe not they vse theym in vayne If they do declare and shew vertue eyther the vertue is wyth them in deede or absent If he that weareth them haue the vertue why sheweth it he to the world If he haue not the vertue then is he an hypocrite whom God hateth ¶ The other frute of penaūce of the kynge wyth hys counsell beyng conuerted to God THere was as the texte sayeth a proclamacion made throughe al the Citye of Niniue by the cōmaundement of the kyng and hys councell In thys proclamacyon fyrste muste be marked who be the authours of thys proclamacion Then what is cōtayned in the proclamacion The persons be the kyng and the Nobles of hys realme In these persons fyrst note that it is the Kynges offyces and the Peeres of the realme to pourge theyr cōmune wealth from false relygyon by Publycke and open proclamacions So dyd Nabuchadnezer Darius and Cirus kynges of moste notable fame therefore Christe calleth the Princes the Nurces of the church And so I doubte not most Gracious kynge but youre hyghnes wyll accordynge to your tytle style pourge thys Churche of Englande to the puritie and synceritie of gods woorde Farther we learne howe that the Prynces and councellours of a realme shoulde helpe foorth the Godlye purposes and statutes made for the glorye of God wythin a Realme So was this kinges Godlye purpose holpe by hys councel so Dauid so Iosias In that the kynge and hys nobles do confyrme the doynges of hys people we learne that Godlye magistrates shuld not let but further and confyrme al godly purposes and vertuous study of theyr people when they study amendement of false relygion so did Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias ¶ The sūme of the proclamacion IT containeth the true and ryghte forme of repentaūce that pleaseth God whyche is contayned in foure partes Fyrst in outwarde sygnes of heuynes Then
in callynge vpon the Lorde Thirdlye in leauing the wicked and accustomed yuel life Forthly in the trust and confydence of Gods mercy Of these partes we wil speake somwhat by order ¶ Of the external sygnes of a penitent harte TWo notes of penauÌ„ce are here described the one abstynence from meate the other sorditie and vylenes of apparell for after such sort as naturall men say contraries are cured by coÌ„traries He that is geuen to hys bodye cannot please God by penitence excepte he come to a sobernes Neyther the proude and arrogant appareled except he remoue the excesse and abuse thereof I would and exhort therfore as manye as dooe excede and offend in these two to returne to penytence wyth the kynge and people of Niniue if they woulde so dooe they shoulde not onely fynde grace at Gods hande but also more healthe and sobernes of body more ryches in the cofer more plentye in the Realme more grace wytte and sobernes in theyr housholde That the beastes be tyed vp also from their meate it declareth that the king and people had to much a delite in waÌ„ton and ouer much gainesse of theyr beastes whyche beynge kept oute of theyr accustomed pryde shoulde not alure them from theyr penitence nor geue them occasyon to returne agayne to the former euyll Farther it pleaseth so the Lorde to punysh y â— thing that allureth mannes frayle nature to synne because the syn of manne shoulde the better be knowen as wee see by the kyllynge of the leuiticall beastes that neuer offended God woulde preache vnto manne that hys synne deserued none other theÌ„ preseÌ„t sodain death so dyd the Lorde punyshe and curse the earthe that Adam hys posteritie myght know it was not a lyghte thynge the transgression of Goddes commaundemente Genes iii. so do all creatures weepe and mourne vntyll the tyme of the reuelacion of the chyldren of of God Roma viii And thus peryshed he the beastes wyth man in the fludde Gene. viii ¶ The seconde sygne LEst men shuld thynke that the abstinence froÌ„ meates or the castinge of of gay apparel for certaine dayes should deserue and meryt thys fauoure and mercye of God it standeth in the proclamacion that they called coÌ„tinually vpon the Lord. That is to say they asked feruentlye and contynuallye healpe and fauoure of God Note in the conuersion of thys Kynge how that he comcommaundeth not now to call vpon straunge goddes but vpon on true and liuing god Euen so shoulde we do in the dayes of oure trouble accordynge to the commaundemeÌ„t of God and the example of al the Patriarckes Prophetes and the Apostles But this is to be noted that the texte sayeth they shoulde call strongly vpon the Lorde that is to say wyth a penitente hart that is sorye for the euil and wylling to studye for euer after to do good We call â—arnestly vpon the Lord two wayes the one wheÌ„ we aske of God to tourne and kepe from vs hys ire and dyspleasure The other when we desyre hym to take from vs and gyue vs grace to prepreserue awaye from vs the sinnes that prouoked and merited his dyspleasure wrath But we offende in this behalfe two maner of wayes Fyrst meÌ„ call vpon creatures The secoÌ„d they cal coldly and vnfaythfully without an earnest mynd to amend and faith vpon the promises of God for Christes sake So dyd Saule rather call to God to auaide payne theÌ„ for any loue he had to vertue For some assone as the payne is remoued they retourne agayne to theyr olde iniquitye as Pharao Exod. The third note of penaunce Euery man turned from hys wycked wayes and from fraude and gyle whych they vsed before Thys is the thyrde propertye of penaunce wythout the whyche we be rather hypocrites then penitente Christians And the propertye is thys to forsake al euyll and fleshelye studyes and applye hym selfe to vertue and godlynes Note fyrste that the texte sayeth Euerye man tourned If the Kynge offended the Counsel the Bishop the persoÌ„ the paryshe prieste euerye one amended so let vs excepte we wyll peryshe And what shall we do to tourne frome vs the Ire of God kyndeled and inflamede Shal we by any mans merits and deseruynges No sayeth the text but euery man amend for hym selfe And so concludeth Esa. lviii chap. Ier. vii And because Auarice as S. Paul sayth is the mother and rote of euyl the Proclamacion of the Kynge of Niniuites is that thei should leaue theyr force vyolence oppression so make restitucion of the false gotten goods Here let al men learne howe to be saued that haue gathered together they care not whether w t or against the lawe wyth or agaynst charitye Let them leaue doynge of thys vyolence and oppresion and restore agayne all false gotton goods or else sure they wyll peryshe So dyd zacheus Luke .xix. And other Godly men and rich men that repented Let men looke vpon that wyse saying of SalomoÌ„ Pro. xxii Spoile not y e poore because he is poore neyther oppresse not the afflycted in the port For the Lorde wyll take vpon hym the defence of hys cause ¶ The fourth fruite of penitence Who can tell whether God wyll be conuerted moued wyth petye tourne from the fury of hys wrath that we peryshe not In thys text we se to turne and bowe the angre and dyspleasure of God is a greate matter and that to afflicte the bodye wyth fastynge to praye and to chaunge the olde wycked lyfe is verye expediente to wynne hys fauoure but all these thynges be in vayne excepte there be lykewyse a confidence and true fayeth in the mercye of God And thys is the thynge that God mooste deliteth in when the sinner confesseth that he is mercyful for hys promises sake in Christe and not for the worthynes of hys penaunce So doeth thys Kynge in the ende of hys proclamacion sette forth the mercye of GOD to hys people whereby boeth he and they by saued That it semeth his oracion to haue a doute in it truly notwythstandynge that he was verye well perswaded of goddes mercye For as Ionas proponed nothynge but Goddes Ice he maketh mencion of hys mercye The doute he putteth eyther to put awaye the slugerdnes of hys people eyther to declare in hym selfe the fyghte battayle that is alwayes betwene the spyrite and the flesh aboute Goddes promises We maye saye also that in desirynge worldelye thynges of GOD we shoulde aske theim wyth a condicyon Mat. viii We maye learne heare to put awaye despayre and trust to the Lords mercy although he threaten neuer so much our distruccion Also here Princes maye learne what proclamacioÌ„s they shoulde make in settynge forth of religioÌ„ such as only exteÌ„d to y e glory and mercy of God in Christ. Howe the people accepted thys proclamacion I wyll shewe in the next sermon FINIS ¶ The Seuenth Sermon vpon Ionas made by Ihon Hoper ¶ The text ANd when God saw theyr workes howe they turned