Two Sermons preached the one at S. Maries Spittle on Tuesday in Easter weeke 1570. and the other at the Court at Windsor the Sonday after twelfth day being the viij of Ianuary before in the yeare 1569. by Thomas Drant Bacheler in Diuinitie ¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Daye dwelling ouer Aldersgate ¶ Cum Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per Decennium To the right worshipfull 1. Thomas Henneage treaurer of her Maiesties honourable chamber increase of worship with an earnest zeale to Gods Gospell THese two Sermons right worshipfull Sir after that once I was perswaded to haue them Printed I thought to commend vnto you That I may dedicate a diuinitie SermoÌ„ I am clearly resolued because S. Luke did dedicate his Gospell to Theophilus The causes why I shoulde offer theÌ„ to you are these First many giftes worthye much commendations in your selfe then that I was your seruaunt and in deede it shall not but delight me to call you and esteeme you as my Maister then that at all times you both haue deserued and bene willing to deserue well of my studies Of the Sermons I will say no one worde they are Printed and men haue eyes God geue them iudgement this one thing I must needes say my health was very ill both when I made these and is yet still it hath spoyled me of my Lecture at Paules my being in the Citie peraduentures shortly of the countrey and my life too If God shall blesse me with better health I would be glad though most of all vnworthy to be some instrument for the kingdome of heauen if not it is not amisse his blessed will be done I wishe charitie from God to the worlde peace at length to his warfayring Church confusion of all maner of hypocrites fauourable inclination and iudgement of great personages to his worde and the godly traueilers in his gospell Long life and most prosperous raigne to our loued Soueraigne Prince and to all her subiectes that wishe the same and all the electe of God and eueÌ„ with my whole hart I pray God the father the God of heauen and his Sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ to holde strong the sweete lines of our predestination to be a bright pillor to vs in the darke wildernesse of this worlde and to make all his chosen people at his time parteners of a ioyfull and comfortable resurrection Farewell Your worships euer to be commaunded Thomas Drant Faultes escaped C. i. a. lin xi for rougher hunters read rough hunters D. i. b. lin vi for balde solisismes read bad solisismes D. i. b. lin xxiij for Bruntius read Brentius D. iii. a. for Iacobus Andrae read Iacobus Anrdeae in the margent E. ii b. lin viii for shew white read snow white F. i. b. lin xvi for fecisâ—…m read fecissem F. i. b. lin xix for credidiscem read credidissem F. v. b. lin xxviii for Ierustikaker read Ierushkaker F. vi a. lin xi for Bethanem read Bethauen G. i. b. lin xvi for sely cloyster read sely cloysterer G. v. b. lin xviii for before Iacobs face read before Esaus face G. vi a. lin xv for the lesser read the looser H. ii a. for the outcry of the beggars read the outcry of the beggars wronges in the margent H. v. b. lin xvi for Mengrem read Migrim H. v. b. lin xxiii for muthering reâ—…mes read murthering rewâ—…es K. vi a. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cant. 5. Formosissima mulierum quo nam abijt dilectus tuus Quonam abijt quaeremus eum Cant. 6. Dilectus meus discendit ad ariolas aromatum vt pascat in hortis vt colligat lilia This text men and brethren and very Christian audience is read almost after one sort sauing that some for the worde BELOVED say SPOVSE And for that word gone aside other say gone downe Pagnine sayth Lilies Munster saith Roses And diuers other say Uiolets But I will trust Pagnine in this matter go through with his exposition in this sort Fayrest of all women whether is thy Beloued gone whether is he gone aside tell vs and we will seeke him with thee My beloued is gone down into his garden to the beds of his spicerie to be fed in gardens gather vp Lilies THe occasion of this Scripture thus writteÌ„ is that the Church of God which is named here to be the fayrest of women had wonderfully commended her beloued christ For saith she my loue is white and red coloured a goodly person among ten thousand His head is like fine golde his lockes blacke bushed His eyes like doues eyes washed in milke and like pearles in golde His cheekes like a garden bed planted with all sweete thinges His lippes like Lilies His handes like precious stones His body pure Yuorie ouer decked with Saphyres His legges pillers of Marble set vpon sockets of golde His face as Lybanus His wordes are sweete Such a one is my loue quoth she Such a one is my loue Now the other Churches which in some translation are signified vnder the worde adolescentulae when they heare the beloued Christ thus commended they lifâ—… vp their eares and burne in their bresteâ—… to know more of such a delightfull beloâ—… ued and so trimme a spouse And thereâ—… fore they aske whether he is gone anâ—… whether he is gone aside and promiseâ—… that they will make after him and séekâ—… him euen as Germany began to preaâ—… Christ and to prayse him in other sort then the world had heard tell of before And therefore neighbour countreyes as our England the rest began more and more to haue hastie eares hote hartes to hearken after the beloued Christ and to séeke after the beloued Christ whom Germany had so loudly and largely commended But because this people which I speake to is a great people and the time that I haue to occupie is long and the matter much let vs all ye honourable and ye also beloued people ioyne together in calling vpon the name of god And first to pray vnto the holy Ghost that as he is called an oyntment so he will make supple and tender our hartes and make them hartes of fleshe That as he is called a fire so by him our hartes may be eaten vp and deuoured in excesse of charitie That as he is called the comfortour so he will comfort and enable â—…e a man of such and so much sicknes to â—…eare vp his name and to speake his maâ—…ifolde prayses to the sonnes of this geneâ—…ation Then let vs go forward to pray â—…or the whole state of Christes congregaâ—…ion being yet farre from her countrey incompassed rounde about with Cayns and Esawes and Basan Bulles and all kindes of deadly foes she being sperpled as yet wide where vpon the great face of this earth More specially let vs pray for the Churches of England Ireland and as the dutie of our loue and subiectioÌ„ most of all requireth let vs pray for her most excellent Maiestie
Satyrus that is all the flowers in hilles and flowers in dales and flowers in many a grene forrest are not so delightfull and smelling The violet hath not the like sauor the Rose hath not the like sauor the Lily the like smel the Giliflower the like sent as good life through good fayth yeldeth to Gods nostrelles And as good life yeldeth 〈◊〉 good sauor to God so euill life to God â—…eldeth an euill sauor So is it sometime â—…ayd of euill liuers ye made vs smell beâ—…ore the Lord. The voyce of the murâ—…her of Abel the voyce of the sinne of the â—…ngodly ones in the Apocalyps the voyce of the sinne of the Sodomites the voyce of the sinne of the Niniuites was not musicke to Gods eare nor the smell of England is muske to Gods nose But if good life make good smell and euill life make euill smell how smelles England how smells it It smells it smells I haue sayd as much as I can with curtesy say non redolet sed olet it smelles not sweetly but it smelles But if I should heare the voyce of the good spirit that speaketh vnto me and indéede I will heare it and speake as it speaketh I should thus say it smelles like a carcas it smlles like a a carion it smelles lik a dounghill And the cause of this so smelling is sinne Now the world will cry out vpon me as they cryed out vpon the prophet Miche Quod scelus quod crimen what sinne or what offence And euen as that prophet answered Ierusalem et Samaria Ierusalem and Samaria So I answer London Yorke Carlill and Canterbury Norwich Lyncolne c those sinnes For euen as Lucane speaketh of a body sore wounded totum est pro vuluere corpus all the body was as one wound and our Sauiour Christ bearing the sinnes of the world was by Paul called sinne So the prophet Miche being asked what sinne sayd Samaria and Ierusalem as though for theyr sinfulnesse they were nothing but méere sinne So if they aske me in these dayes what sinne I answer London Yorke Douer c. I meane these cities are so sinfull that they are sinne But if the world haue so longing a lust to trouble me with asking what sin and what sinne then be thou strong my spirite and go and fly out my voyce to tel the sonnes of this earth this sinne and that sinne and first if the papistes will desire to know of me what sinne I tel them that idoles doo cleaue still in their mindes which is as swéete a sinne as the name of idoles in the hebrue toung is a swéete word which signifieth a more vnswéete place then I can honestly rehearse That sinne Qui sordescebat sordescet adhuc He that was a papist in Quéene Maries time is still a papist that sinne Agayne those which had tasted of a good light of the Gospell are runne backe agayne to theyr owne vomet that sinne He that euer stoode before is now fallen that sinne If our protestantes aske me what sinne I will tell theÌ„ our protestantes are most of them all like vnto mice Mice will be still in the house but neuer be acquainted with the master of the house sâ—… are our protestantes to godward that sin They are like to Iudas they kisse Christ and geue him gentle outward interteinment but it is for 30. pence or 30. pound vauntage or money more or lesse that sinne They are like that Egle which the prophet Esay speketh of The egle which is with thee is not on thy side that sin They are like the princes of Iury that beleued in Christ but dare not confesse for the Pharasies that sinne They are like Symon Magus that walketh with Philip like an Apostle but workes with money like a worldling that sinne They be like Ananias and Saphira that dare not venire all they haue with Christ and the Apostles and hang clerely vpon Gods prouidence but will be sure to kéepe one péece for after clappes that sinne Our protestantes are the most that euer I sée like to Acabbes wife she neuer put on dâ—…e apparrell but when she spake with the prophetes so these men are neuer holy but at sermon times and in presence of those whose holines they doo reuerence that sinne But I will say perticulers If the great men of the Land aske me what sin I will then tell them thus The great men of the Land seeke to reare vppe houses of Sicamore trees and new baked bricke battes and to grow into such rancke reuenewes in their counties and sheeres that they feare nether God in heauen nor prince in earth nor feend in hell that sinne It is a tickling pleasure and most of all cordiall to some of those to make princes glad of an vnprofitable title of clemency so that they will not distribute one philip of correction to Gods long continued idolatrus enimies that sinne Through some of these and other violent welthy worldlines all Westminster hall and other places of helpe are not able to kéepe Naboth his vineyard alas and more then thrise alas Naboth loseth his vineyard and his vine his shéepe and his kine his coate from his doublet his doublet from his shert his shert from his bare naked skin that sinne Agayne they kéepe the clergy and men of God so farre from the accesse to the prince that they are farre froÌ„ the state of other prophetes Elizas bad his hostes aske of y king what she would and he would dispatch it Now Elizas must dispatch from the king what he can and not what he would I say not but that Elizas can doo some thing by courtly friendes and other meanes but Elizas in the name of a prophet as he is Elizas can doo now a little or nothing that sinne Agayne if those of the ministery demaund of me what sinne I will answer for vs all we are all of Peters minde bonum est nobis hic esse we thinke it a mery life to be still in this world and to buylde our nestes as high as warme and as during as we can that sinne We be like Ely he durst not sharpely enough correct his children nor we controle our auditours Iacob fell downe seuen times before Iacobs face but we make seuenty seuen low downe crouching curtesies to euery noble man before we will tell him of his duty how vndutifull so euer he be that sinne Agayne some that go for our brethren and of the auncient sort of vs count vs very vndiscrete and but starke fooles when so euer we begine to practise some little of that which wee should doo that sinne An other sort broch and brabble many foolish fronticke follies in diuinitie that sinne Euery Christes crosse losell hath a church plot in his head without all subiection of spirit to spirit doth thinke them selues euen péeres to Primates that sinne If Magistrates iudges and Iustiâ—…rs request of me what sinne that which our Sauiour in S.
that be loyall and subiect then of those that be stubburne and rebellious And as it is good policy to punishe this misliued folke so it is good diuinitie Artaxerxes writeth to Esdras after thys sort Omnis qui non fecerit legeÌ„ Dei tui et legem regis diligenter c. Who so euer Esdras sayth he doth not the will of thy God and of the king with diligence let him haue iudgement without delay whether it be vnto death or to be rooted out or to haue his goodes confiscat or to be put in prison Prison was the least punishment that Esdras should put them to Prison is the greatest punishment that we can get them to yea and so easy and so gentle a kinde of prisonment that it is much better and wealthier then many of our liberties And now to speake of that that the prince may be iust in punishing and yet be still called a milde and a mercifull Prince it is sayd of Dauid Lorde remember Dauid and all his mildenesse Yet in the 101. Psal. the sayd Dauid doth say In the morning I did kill all the sinners of the earth that I might destroy from the Citie of God all that do euill Dauid destroyed all Gods enemies her Maiestie hath destroyed none of Gods enemies Dauid did it in the morning of his kingdome it is now farreforth dayes since her Maiestie beganne to raigne and yet it is vndone Dauid thus doing was a man according to Gods hart Let no Prince looke to haue Gods hart if he do the contrary to Dauid And if a Prince lose Gods hart he loseth more then mans hart can thinke It is sayd of Moses that he was the most milde of all men that euer â—…aried in the earth yet Moses killed an Egyptian that molested his couÌ„treymen and Moses when the golden Calfe of Idolatrye was erected willed them to arme their handes and to hide their swordes in the fleshe of their neare kinsmen and to make hauocke of their liues And so there was killed thrée thousand and Moses said they had made holy their handes to god The mildest man that euer was in the world thus behaued him selfe to Gods enemies and not withstanding the iust punishment of all these Idolaters Moses shall euer kéepe still his prayse and be called iustly milde Moses Salomon that was so milde in his lawes and so milde in his sawes when as an euill hauty harâ—…ed subiecte named Adoniah through feasting and bancquetting popular behauiour had strengthened him self in frendships and partly through kinsmen and partly through frendships being drawen into a great spirit to gape for the crowne had gotten the kinges owne mother to speake for him to marry the Sunamite by whom he might make title to the crowne then milde Salomon thus answered his mother God do so and so to me if Adoniah haue not spoken this worde agaynst hys own life Now therfore as the Lorde liueth which ordayned me and set me on the seate of Dauid my father and made me an house as he promised Adoniah shall dye this daye And he sent by the hand of Banaiah the sonne of â—…ehoiada and he smote him that he dyed Salomon can not abide that Abisag should be asked to wife for Adoniah For geue him that wife and geue him Salomons kingdome Abisag is no wife for Adoniah Abisag is no wife for Adoniah Thus Salomon was wise yet Salomon coulde punishe King Dauid him selfe sayth that his song should be of mercy and iudgement so that that musicke sâ—…andeth vpon two stringes mercy one and iudgement the other King Dauid touched both the stringes and stroke them both and therfore in his regiment there was a good musicke Our Prince hath yet but stricken the one string and played vpon mercy but if she would now strike vpon both the stringes and let her song be of mercy and iudgemeÌ„t then there would be a goodly musicke in her regiment all thinges would be in a much better tune then they now are S. Ambrose in his booke of Offices saith Beatus qui tenct mansuetudinem rigorem c. Blessed is he that keepeth both mildenesse and rigorous iustice that by the meanes of one innocencie be not oppressed by the meanes of the other discipline be kept Gregory sayth Let so rigour rule mildenesse and so mildnesse beutifie rigour let the one so take his commendation froÌ„ the other that neither rigour be to rigorous nor mildenesse to loose Though I do not like the Councell of Trent nor caÌ„ speake any great good of the Bishop of Bipont because he is Papisticall yet for the execution of straite iustice doubtlesse he spake there thus very worthely Where sayth he seueritie goeth in loosenesse there edifying goeth into destruction custome into corruption lawe into contempt mercye to be laughed at godlinesse into hypocrisie preaching into silence God into the Epicure and the sauour of lise into the sauour of death Nazianzene sayth that onely force of discipline will compresse rebels And I do verily thinke that as Eleborus doth best purge the head Aloes the stomacke Tamarisc the splene so discipline is the best purger of the weale publicke Ben sira an Hebrician in his morall preceptes sayth thus Correct a wise man with a nodde a foole with a clobbe If these Northren rebels had had any sober witte in their head by this time so many noddes and so many nots would haue stayed them But it is well inough considered I thinke of those that haue most cause to coÌ„sider it that nodding will not serue nor becking will not serue nor checking will not serue therefore it must be a clobbe or it must be an hatchet or it must be an halter or something it must be or els of a suretie some of their heades will neuer be quiet As it is true that two and two make fower that when the sunne is in the middest of the heauen it is noonetime that euery part of the circle differeth equally from the center that when the sunne riseth it is morning so it is infallible true that no perfect Papist caÌ„ be to any Christian Prince a good subiect Euery one that is a good subiecte must be vpon a right conscience a good subiecte But all those of the Papistrie haue their coÌ„sciences sered with that hot iron wherof Paule speaketh they haue adust and corrupt consciences therefore they can be no good subiectes Againe who soeuer will be a subiectâ—… for conscience sake as all true subiectes must be that conscience must be enformed by the worde of God 〈◊〉 Papistes are not enformed by Gods word but falsly enformed therefore they can not be true subiectes Againe he can not be a true subiecte that can loose him selfe from his dutie to his Prince when he list but the Pope at all times will dispense with his and discharge them of all duties to all men therfore they can be no good subiectes but by the