to make any christian hart to melt when it is harde he suffered that cruell souldier to pierce his tender side with a speare wher with came out both bloud and water euen his most pretious heart bloud the eternall foode of our soules O what mercie is this and who is able to comprehend it shall I passe it with silence or shal my pen presume to touch the same shall my heart stande amazed at this wonder and my mouth keep silēce When I behold the heauens the angels the height of these creatures aboue mā And cōsider the depth of his mercie towards man shal I not beginne with the Prophet O what is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the son of man that thou visitest him And proceed with the voice of good Saint Barnard O hone Iesu. Quid tibi merito nos debuimus tu soluis nos peccauimus tu luis opus sine exemplo gratia sine merito Charitas sine modo O sweet Iesu howe belongeth this to thee or thy desert we are indebted and thou paiest it we haue sinned and thou art punished a worke aboue all cōparison mercie without all merite charitie aboue all measure O my soule open thine inward spirites and let my toong sound foorth his praise O praise the Lord in his holines praise him in the bountie of his great mercie and all that is within me praise his his holie name O ye princes open your gates and let the king of glorie enter in O bowe downe your princely eyes and beholde this great humilitie of the first and the last the king of kings the Lord of Lords the high souereigne king of heauen earth Take heede yee rulers of the earth that ye goe not farre from this fountaine of life least yee thirst and so perish by the way O come neere and taste howe sweete the Lorde our maker is and lette not the comfortable voice of his louing spowse whom hee hath made ouerseer of his will once depart out of your eares Take heede now your father is gone that you disquiet not your louing mother Doe not your selues that mortall disgrace or the Lorde of light that vnkindnes that you should forget his bloodie stripes wherewith yee were healed or his wounds which gaue you life or his exceeding loue which passeth all vnderstanding but render loue for loue to the vttermost of your power Sith hee hath loued vs first let vs loue him first of all Sith hee refused all creatures in heauen and in earth that hee might shew mercie vpon vs let vs refuse all other thinges and loue him alone not in word onely nor in shewe but in heart in worde in our outward life and conuersation Can wee taste of the cleare fountaine and not kneele downe or drinke of the liquor and not touch the cuppe with our lippes can we taste of the sweete drops of his most pretious bloud and not kisse the sonne of our saluation the spring of eternall life the glory of heauen and earth Then leauing heathnish glory the rule of flesh bloud christiā princes must come to the fountain of true christianity which is clear bright sheweth plainly that they must fall downe before the throne of the lamb that their regiment and commonwelth ought not to be disposed and for the establishing of their owne kingdome or for the aduauncement of their owne honour or for the safetie of their owne life but especiallie and aboue all thinges they must bend themselues to set forth the honour and glorie of God their high honours and offices must be appointed for the seruice kingdome of Christ their power their men their armour their goods their landes their dominions their nobles their court and courtiers are to be imploied in the seruice and obedience of the church of Iesu Christ. Thus proceeding in the waie of life let them not barely imagine that God is aboue all the rulers in the world but that he is carefullie and dutifullie to bee serued euerie daie and that the howre of his diuine seruice is not to bee appointed at our will but at his wil and when it shall bee thought most meet by them which are truelie religious Herein wee ought to be so resolutelie bent to serue the Lord our God with all our heart our mind and our soule so truelie and so hartilie that no embassadour no triumph no pleasure or worldlie affaires whatsoeuer should alter the hower of common praier which wee haue once giuen to the Lords seruice vnto the which if wee cannot resort sometime at the appointed howre which we haue once granted vnto the Lord yet let the rest of our life be so holie and reuerent before the Lord and his people that our Christian absence may shew most plainlie there is vrgent occasion why wee cannot come If they count it a more holie a more necessarie a more honourable thing to serue the Lord and to humble themselues on their knees before him in his holie temple then to feede their eies with worldly pleasures which in time and season are good and commendable if the count more of diuine seruice than of humane of the eternall ioy of heauen than of this perfect miserie of the euerlasting kingdome than of this earthlie tabernacle they will not onelie leaue all these and come to the temple of the Lord there falling downe before their good Lord and maker their maker and redeemer their redeemer and present helper their helper and comforter in al woe and distresse but in fact in truth in good earnest after the yeelding themselues their soules and bodies a holie and acceptable sacrifice before God which is their reasonable seruice don to him they wil open the bowels of their compassion vnto their holie mother the church and their poore bretheren they wil wiselie bestowe their best landes goods honors priuiledges counsels courtes auctorities euen the most perfect meditatiō of their vnderstanding harts vpon the spouse of Iesu Christ. O yee mightie men whose throne is exalted in the middest of flesh and bloud do you doubt of this Haue you not heard of olde how the gentils ruled which knew not God or what our Sauiour Christ said concerning them and what was it you shall not do so and how then The Apostle writeth that which the prophet said Credidi propterea loquutus sum I haue beleeued this truth and therefore I haue written neither is it bare beliefe sith plaine truth holdeth the sterne whilest my litle pen passeth ouer the high surges of this worldlie sea and that those worldlie mindes thus tossed and tumbled with the vncertaine flawes of worldie tempests might finde the true calme discried by the rule and compasse of Christian doctrine let them but looke vp a litle directing their eies vnto the climat where the sonne shineth cleare and bright and they shal see the land and hauen of quietnesse where they would faines◠bee And
where is that or what sure direction haue wee to the same whilest wee saile in these tempestuous and troublesome seas of vncertaintie considering that the bottom is so britle that wee can haue no ancre holde the seas so wide that wee are farre from kenning of anie coast the winde so vncertaine that wee knowe not whither wee are driuen let vs surelie beleeue that which our parents told vs at our entring into this fleeting vessell that there bee manie gone before vs euen the same way through the same seas to the same hauen that we desire And if you will looke vp with mee a litle I assure you I haue descried one which though it bee farre off and scarcelie within kenning yet by the view the pilot thereof seemeth cunning the course direct the shippe faire and good taking the verie waie of our direction and now lying at ancre before the mouth of the hauen which wee so long haue wished And where is that The examples which I minde to propound vnto you is these three wise men The first fruites of the Gentils which by the appearing of a starre were directed vnto Christ sith in these daies the stile of learning and the learned is lowe yea so low that it lyeth written in the dust troden downe with the feet of ignorant men the kingdome of this world is the golden mirror on which most mens eies are continually fixed with desire and admiration Let no man doubt but these learned men were also kinges according as it is written in sundrie learned fathers Dicts sunt etiam reges quia illo tempore philosophi sapientes regnabant they were also called kinges because in those daies wise philosophers reigned Then these beeing the first fruites of the gentils and the first Christian kinges that euer were All those which minde to come to Iesu Christ to bee washed with his bloud to bee saued by his perfect merit and great mercie let them fixe their eies on these first christian kings let them learne trulie marke diligeÌ„tly what they did They left their owne naturall countrie with all thinges therein following the starre which led them to Iesu Christ. They came to the Inne where the childe was porelie layed in a Maâ—nger there heart was stil fixed with the light which did shine to them from Heauen though they were mightie Kinges yet they regarded not the basenesse of the house nor the vnseemlinesse of the stable where this holie Childe was but acknowledging great maiestie to lye here couered in low humilitie they cast downe the glorie of their kingdomes at his feete they opened their golden vessels and offered to him gould mirre and frankensence the first fruits of true christianitie Wherein wee haue a plaine example propounded to all christian princes and people in that they followed the light of the starre shewing that the wisest though they bee exceedingly learned as they were yet sith this is the Lorde of wisedome euen the wisedome of the God of heauen and earth leauing our owne natural wisedome and denying our selues wee ought to followe this cleare light which shineth thorow Christ from heaueÌ„ Though they be noble Princes as these were yet they ought to acknowledge him to bee king of kings and Lord of Lords of whom it was forshewed that he should walke vpon the lyon and the dragon that all nations should doe him seruice that his kingdome shall haue none ende And who shall declare his generation though the mightie of this world bee of high honour and dignitie as they were yet their humble kneeling and obedience sheweth that christian Princes are not to rule ouer their subiects like the heathen for their owne pompe their owne honour their owne magnificent glorie for the safetie of their owne life regiment kingdome but that with the princely maiestie of the annointed of the Lord they should leaue the care of their earthly kingdome and follow the cleare star of Iesu Christ which lightneth the grossest darkenes They should bowe their bodies and bende their whole strength before Iesu Christ and his holie Church Though worldly men Potentates and Princes liue in greate plentie of honour freedome and all abundance yet knowing that without God is without all let them leaue the loue of their owne houses the delight and glorie of their pompous pallaces let them forsake their owne fathers house their goodes and landes and cimery with the faithfull Abraham and bestowe their whole substance honour and riches on the Lord Iesu and his louing spowse the holy Church Remembring that he created them poore wretches when they were nothing and that of nothing as it is saide he hath loued them without their desert and that with a most entire surpassing loue Hee feedeth them in their mothers wombe and openeth their mouthes that they should breath Hee preserueth them from all the daungers of their infancie euerie minute maintaineth them in their kingdoms holding vp the scepter in their handes as it is written Per me reges regnant by my permission kinges doe rule vppon earth They rule by him and him alone for if hee doe but alienate the mindes of the subiectes the princes seate dooth shrinke vnder him If hee doe but a while restraine the dewe of heauen as hee did at the praier of Elias the prophet of the Lorde both prince and people famish together Though hee giue store of foode though it bee well prepared and by the counsell of good phisitions drest finely for the kinges owne mouth yet if the Lord do not blesse it in his mouth as he cheweth it in the throate as it descendeth in the stomacke as it concocteth in the passage from thence as it digesteth his meate is his bane or at the least hee falleth sicke after the tast thereof and lyeth miserably groaning vppon his pillowe If the Lorde dooth with-hold but the least of his benefits a little the fire from roasting the sunne from shining the corne from riping the tong from tasting the lungs from breathing but one minute of an houre though he be the mightiest king in the world forthwith hee perisheth from the face of the earth Therefore let all kings and princes all people and nations acknowledge the great power of the Lord euen in the least of his benefits Let them leaue off the delight of worldly vanities wherewith they are puffed vp their honours landes and goodes Let them affect the true honour and maiestie the glorious triumph and perfect pleasure which well beseemeth a christian prince euen the annointed of the Lord. Neither are wee carried with the fruitlesse winde of scisme that we should condemne those pleasures which bee lawfull knowing that as the Lorde hath giuen man a bodie together with his soule so it is as necessarie that he looke for the sustenaunce the defence the delight or recreation of his body as of his soule and that in most honourable pleasant triumphant manner if time and
philosophie we shall see plainly that those creatures which receaue the greatest portion of blessing they render the most againe not once retracting the former yeilde The fields for one pore graine receaued send forth manie scores againe The fishes multiplie in all the coastes of the wide Ocean seas the beastes their young the Bees their honey the sheepe their lambe their wool their skin the litle poore larke shee mounteth vp into the clowds with a sweet song which solaceth thee either riding by the waie or plowing in the field or sitting in thine howse at home All creatures by kinde yeeld giftes of thankefull grace vnto the Lorde not once retracting anie thing againe And shall onely sinfull man bee founde vnthankfull vnto his maker The Lord of his meere mercie without al merite hath giuen him all the beastes of the field the fowles of the aier the fishes of the sea vnder his dominion he hath giuen him an vnderstanding soule made him steward of his housholde Nay when through disobedience to his maker hee had cast himselfe cleane out of dores our sauiour Christ hee came downe from heauen for his sake hee appeared in the habite of a man hee was counted vile dispited and hated threatned betraied martired euen to the sheading of his most pretious bloud on the crosse for sinful man Neither did his louing kindnes cease with the time for hee left his houshold behinde him eâ—en his catholique Church and his holie spirite to gouerne and guide it to comfort man to instruct him to support him against all his enemies dailie hourelie holding the strings of his heart in his hand and preseruing the breath in his nostrelles least he should vanish from the face of the earth These bee the manifold mercies of the Lord towardes man more than to all other creatures and shal sinful man be more vnthankfull to his maker than the rest shal man onelie of al other creatures take away from the Lord that which is once giuen shal the hart of man waxe hard against bis creator that hee should once thinke ther may be too much giuen to God or forbid any man against the commaundement of Christ to giue al that he hath to the poore distressed members of his church Naie shall not sinfull man rather inuent in his hart write with his pen pronouÌ„ce with his vocie statutes lawes and commissions to the ende that the whole frame of the common wealth especiallie before all other matters whatsoeuer be directed and wholie bent to the glorie of God the worshippe of his holie name the highest point whereof consisteth in mainteining of his holie Temple the house and place of his true worshippe here on earth Naie shall the beastlie hart of that prowde Nabuchodonozer bee placed in the bodie of anie Christian that hee should lay wast the Temples of the Lord or that dronken minde of king Balthasar that he should take to his owne vse the goods of the Church that hee should dissolue the Quire of sweete voices praising the Lord in the Citie and bestowe the foundation thereof on a kennell of houndes crying in the woods If the king call shal we not all runne and if the kinglie prophet Dauid bid vs bring vnto the Lorde shall we waxe hardharted in taking away that which wee neuer gaue If the heathen people through the instinct of heauenlie light secretlie written by the finger of God in the centre of their heart trembled at the entrance of the temples of the Christians and were afraid to touch any thing therein as we reade in sundry histories shall not the true Christian vtterly abhorre from the same if not for loue in regard of the teÌ„der mercies of Iesu Christ bestowed on him yet for feare of those extreame and extraordinarie punishments that hee speedilie powreth vppon all those which spoile his temples O ye kinges and rulers of the earth be wise count not of this crowne of molten mettall which weieth heauy on your heade and presseth you downe to the earth but cast down your crownes before the lambe of God which taketh away the sins of the worlde despise your kingdomes and glorious roialties learne to serue him with a perfect loue of eternall blisle and perfect loathing of these tedious earthly kingdomes striue to finde the narrow gate cast away your iewels heauie ornaments runne runne runne on a pace run swiftly that ye may attaine that crowne which will lift you vp both body and soule aboue all the kingdomes of the world nay farre aboue all heauens euen vnto eternall life That you may more readilie enter this race of a true Christian and more happilie attaine the true perfection of the same first forsake the worlde and all the loue thereof cast away your worldlie delightes and secret inclination denie your selues count not of that flattering constancie whose ende is dolefull miserie Hauing reiected this worldlie habite together with thy fleshlie delightes let the troubled waie of fickle fancie goe and there with entering further the first degree of heauenly meditation weigh wisely with thy selfe and consider what God is and what thou art and thou shalt see plainely that who so is without him or out of his fauour hee is nothing or at the most a verie vile and an euill thing The great desire of the kinges of the earth is long and prosperous reigne Which who so hath enioied long in the court let him but walke out a little into the pleasant woodes and hee shall heare the auncient Poet Symonides sounding that truth in his sweete songe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. a thousand and tenne thousand yeares in respect of eternitie are but a minute or rather the least portion of a minute Sith all is nothing vnto him and hee is one in one eternitie from which vnitie all creatures haue their integritie let vs learne as little children doe by 1. 2. 3. the eternall the incomprehensible the first and simple vnitie in trinitie from which all thinges haue their rising by proportion of number knowing that as hee is the â— and â— so the first and the last loue of our heart the first and the last honour which wee can deuise the first and the last fruites of the labours of our bodie must bee giuen vnto him and in such maner that beeing once giuen vnto him it is the first and the last neuer to bee reuoked againe no not to bee desired in minde and secrete cogitation but there to rest and remaine as in the first and last conclusion for which it was ordained If anie worldly minded man seeme to doubt the truth hereof I will not produce this course begun from the misticall principles of secret philosophie least with the clowdes of reason I should obscure the cleare light of heauenlie truth and hide it from the simple whose good successe in the schoole of Christ I most of all desire The expresse rule of Iustice
base minded as to looke about him how hee might raise great summes from the poore people or how hee might vnder some good pretence exact some paiment from the church though his enemies were manie mighty his warre great his troubles innumerable his charges infinite yet hee did not molest any one person belonging to the church nether would he suffer the mightiest of his princes once to meddle with them He could not possiblie be perswaded to increase his treasure with any penny which came from the Church or his honour with their prerogatiue or his securitie with their trouble or his credit with their disgrace But this foster father of the poore dispersed lambs of Iesu Christ he bestowed he founded he erected on high he reedified those temples which the heretickes had pulled downe hee restored the landes which they had taken awaie when hee tooke it into his handes he did not giue one halfe to God kept the other halfe to himselfe saying I haue two eies the one to looke to my kingdome and the other to the church But beeing a good true christian philosopher hee knew that though wee haue two eies yet we must looke but one way nor see but one marke at once We cannot at once loue both God and Mammon sinne and righteousnesse the kingdome of this world and heauen But hee knew it truelie and wayed it wisely in his hart that the high God of heauen did create him that hee blessed him preserued him exalted him gaue him all that he had And therefore hee rendred vnto him and his beloued spouse all honor freedome peace and abundance Hee was taught by the holie fathers out of the booke of life that the Lord is a ielous God he will not part stakes with any nor giue his honor to any other but of him it is said and of him onelie Thine is thy kingdome thy power and thy glorie for euer and euer Amen When the good Emperour beheld this perfect stile of Iesu Christ did see the ensigne on which it was described together with the church of Christ cast downe to the bare earth hee drawing neere as S. Paul did to the altar wherein was written ignoto deo beholding but foure bare letters I. N. R. I. which signified that this was the ensigne of the vnknowen God not acknowledged amongest men forthwith hee humbled himselfe in the flesh and reioiced in the spirit that the vnknowen God the God of heauen of earth had vouchsafed him that speciall grace to reueale himselfe vnto him He cast downe his banner and tooke vp the crosse of Iesu Christ crucified hee cast all dignities courts commissions and kingdomes aside and laid his honor in the dust in regard of the true honor of Iesus Christ as wee haue mentioned hee imploied all the giftes which hee had giuen him euen of mind bodie and goods especially in founding erecting beautifying perfecting adorning priuiledging and freeing the church of Christ as Eusebius testifyeth most plainlie in these words Ecclesias vero Dei incredibile est supra omnem opinionem c. It is incredible and far beyond all mens opinions to recount what giftes and ornamentes hee bestowed on the church of God what freedome what plentie of maintenance what honors he gaue to them which had wholy bent theÌ„selues to serue the Lord in his holy temple daily to pray for the safety of the lande for the honour of the King and the sinnes of the people This was the expressed pietie of that first and most Christian Emperour and the Lord of his great mercie redoubled his kindnesse euen into his bosome for hee not onely shewed him the scale which Iacob saw and the gate of heauen opened at the top therereof but hee gaue him that great and rare gift of perseuerance in his deuout deedes euen vnto the end Therfore the Lord blessed him in his pallace in the field froÌ„ the arow which flieth in the wars abroad and from false friends at home and in such plentiful manner that all things which he tooke in hande did prosper wonderfully His victories are compared with the conquests of Cyrus but his end was much more happie for when he had most honourablye passed the full course of the life of man enioyed all the blessings of the earth aboue the space of sixtie yeares not once troubled with any sicknesse of bodie or vexation of minde but in wisedome and true christian loue florished continuallye like the greene bay tree whose fruite doth comfort the hart of man like the spreading vine like the fat Oliue braunch which maketh him to haue a ioyfull countenance sith hee distilled these sweete drops of his sincere loue into the bosomes of the poore distressed christians of his daies the Lord he kindled the sparke of true christian loue in his heart and made him glad with the ioy of his countenance Hee had alwaies victorie against his enemies conquering from Scythia in the east to this Ile of Britaine in the west Neither was the loue of the Lord extended vnto this good Emperour in his life onely but to the end all men may knowe that the loue of the Lorde is not fained that his iustice neuer changeth that his mercie endureth for euer hee departed out of this life being full of yeares in his ripe olde age euen about the feast of the ascension of our sauiour Christ and the descension of the holy Ghost at high noone At which instant his soule leauing the mortall body heere on earth hee was no doubt receiued vp into heauen by the hands of immortall angels there enioying the crowne of eternall blisse Which the Lord hath prouided for all those assuredly which looue his comming and maintaine his holy militant Church heere on earth Neither was the reward of the Lord onely proportioned by the merit of man neither did his munificent mercie onely exceede the merite of this true christian Emperour so much as the compasse of the heauens whose least starres are much bigger then the lande and sea exceedeth the earth in giuing him his hartes desire which is eternall blisse and felicitie but that which the Lord recounteth to Abraham Isaac and Iacob for a sure blessing here on earth he gaue this Godly Emperour three good and godly sonnes to â—it vppon his seate after him neither for one or two liues onely but as it is written of his posterity Vt imperii sedes c. That as the Empire discended from his father vnto him so by the course and lawe of nature it was continued vnto his childrens children and their posteritie Neither is it all onelie to bee marked what fruite the braunch beareth in the top but if we be good simplicians we will haue recourse vnto the roote from whence the first life and naturall vertue proceedeth Heerein if we consider well and looke more narrowlie into it wee shall plainely perceiue that these former examples more
yeeld that this fruitfull braunch did spring from Helynaes roote For she not onely adueÌ„tured her owne person in mightie warres against the Infidels farther than that sexe dooth commonly affoord but she sent into the wide west Ocean sea to the 7 fortunate Ilands to the Atlantich IlaÌ„ds bearing far north by west gaining them all their people to the christian religioÌ„ which neuer heard of Christ before In which Ilandes to the end that after they had tasted the sweete milke of the Gospell of Christ they might be fed with stronger meat hauing built and erected many parish churches besides diuers goodly colledges she founded and erected in Granata foure Cathedrall churches in the fortunate Ilandes two in the Indian Ilandes three in Affrike she wonne Mellam a most strong defenced towne she wonne from the Turke the Iland Cephalena sometimes Vlisses inheritance amongst the Grecians and most louingly she restored it to the Venetians whose sometimes it was Shee wonne the Citie and tower of Ostia violently deteined from the Romanes by a tyrant restoring it vnto the Bishop of Rome she enacted that there should bee but one religion in her dominions one faith one forme of diuine worship and thervpon notwithstanding the great tribute which came yearely into her treasurie from the Iewes she expelled from her dominions all the Iewes which dwelt there euen to the number of six hundred thousands also shee offered to all Sarasins and Mahometists either freely to depart out of her dominions or to become Christians Wherby after some time and diligent preaching within one yeare of the Sarasins there were conuerted and baptised aboue twentie hundred thousand Lastly shee gaue to the adorning of the temple built ouer the sepulcher of our sauiour Christ foure costly syndones which whilest she was with child she did spin weaued afterward with hir own hands in token of her dutifull obedience towards him O most fruitful and vertuous Lady which shunned neither colde nor heat nor wars nor weapons nor wearying of hir selfe nor spending her treasure her time her life so that she might increase the church of Christ and make his name known amongst the Gentils Therefore the Lord looked down from heauen vpon her with his louing countenance giuing her all that her heart desired heere vppon earth with most happie successe till at the length after her long prosperous and victorious raigne shee which had leade her life most vertuously yeelded her soule into the hands of Iesu Christ most willingly After whose most happy death her childrens children were raised by the Lord vnto the seate and title of Earles Dukes Kings and Emperours This right renowned Lady was born in the yere of our Lord 1448 departed this life 1504 at which time also florished in England that most vertuous Princesse the Ladie Margaret Countesse of Richmond and Darbie mother to king Henrie the seauenth This deuout Princesse beeing replenished with heauenlie graces well knowing that the high honor of flesh and bloud is but a glistering cloude of vanitie leauing the transitorie delights of the world shee betooke her selfe wholly to the seruice and worship of God Shee fell downe often on her knees secretlie in her closet bowed her selfe most humbly before him in his holie Temple powring out her complaints together with the penetentiall Psalmes of Dauid humblie requesting the Lord in her prayers that hee would looke downe with his louing compassion on his holie Church mercifully forgiuing the sinnes of his people This shee did daily ordinarily faithfully sincerely To her diuine meditations she adioyned often fastings with many thousands of mercifull deedes to the poore hearing their crie willing that they might haue accesse vnto her helping them to their right against the mightiest of their Countrie of what calling place honor or office soeuer they were Her house most princely and solemnly ordered her vertuous statutes set downe by her godly Counsel and signed with her owne hand as it is to be seene at this day the Chappell was most reuerently regarded of all other places and not of her alone but of all her honorable retinue her hower appointed for praier no pleasure no businesse no embassage no King nor Keisar could once interrupt No oth within her dores nor any word or deed which might offend the King of heauen And yet those vsuall recreations which might verie well beseeme the better sort of Christians Her house thus wel reformed according to the disposion of her heauenlie mind though she waxed in years yet shee walked forth of her doores into the haruest of the Lord wherby the way looking vp she viewed the height fairnes of the temples wel thinking in her wise and Godlie meditation that there were many goodly places deuoid of worthy persons and many faire walles but not so many well learned as they should be Her thought was good her intent godlie her successe was happy And what was that shee seeing the haruest great and the laborers few forthwith shee thought to send more laborers into the field of the Lord. And how Shee pulled not downe manie litle Celles to build vp one great Colledge as did the Cardinall who liued not to see the end of his worke once begon but wisely waying the great inconuenience of walles without men men without religioÌ„ religioÌ„ without knowledge knowledge without spirituall pastors she founded an excellent colledge in our vniuersit of CaÌ„bridge after the name number of Christ and his xii Apostles endowing it with goodly landes possessions with statutes and rules of vertuous life to the end that by her meanes many good and skilfâ—ll workmen might goe forth into the haruest of the Lord. This branch of true christian charitie increased so much was so acceptable in the sight of God that by the view therof she framed a more solemne portraiture in her breast for not long after she stil meditating how she might best gratify the Lord of light who had put downe her foes and replenished her hart with ioy and gladnes according to the true rule of profiting in the schole of Christ she went from vertue to vertue from strength to strength euen a litle before her death raising vp a most solmne sumptuous colledge by her will founding therein seauenty fellowes according to the number of the seauentie Disciples sent out by our Sauiour Christ into the world to preach the Gospel for the good weale and prosperous maintenance whereof shee gaue very rich ancient faire and good lands Shee left them holsome and worthie statutes whereby a vertuous life might bee practised and all knowledge aswel of tongues as of sciences might by her godly deuotion bee more happily attained Lastly hauing bestowed great landes possessions for the maintenance of lectures in Hebrewe in Greeke in Latine in Arethmetike Rhetorike Logicke Philosophie Geometrie Mathematick Phisick Astronomy Diuinity and such disputations with other profitable exercises belonging to the same She cleaped this latter colledge by
cause why for if the Lord promise long life and happie daies to them which dutifullie honor their father and their mother shall hee not pull out his flaming sworde of indignation and cutte of the line of their posteritie which dishonor their spirituall mother the holie church pilling and powling her of her iewels ornamentes auncient liberties large possessions making her loathsome euen in in the sight of the heathen If thy louing mother tooke thee vp out of the wildernesse from the mouthes of manie wilde beastes if shee brought thee in her louing armes into her house and lapped thee warme in her owne clothes if she suckled thee with her tender brestes if she sustained many great losses harde aduentures in bringing thee vp if she suffered many troubles daungers in defending thee nay if shee haue beene most greeuously persecuted once twise thrise nay more than tenne times for thy sake is it not barbarous crueltie for thee when thy mother is olde to take her iewels from her necke her clothes from hir backe her house ouer her head her meate out of hir hande Wilt thou scratch the teate that gaue thee sucke or diminish the liuing of the Church which giueth the spirituall foode for the soule though the holy scripture had not once mentioned it yet the law of nature dooth threaten a dreadfull doome to all those which destroy their owne parents God the Creator of nature it selfe dooth neuer leaue it vnpunished Let vs propound vnto our selues the life the honour the dignitie the blessed memorie and immortall glorie of those worthie princes already mentioned And on the contrary the sinister beginnings the euill successe the miserable endes of all those which neglected the glorie of God and the prosperous estate of his Church which of all Christians especially of all true nobilitie ought most to bee abhorred Doe but lift vp your eie and looke at tbose which haue shaked their head at Sion by shaking of Sion her selfe haue meant to strengthen themselues on all sides Fixe your eies stedfastly yea but a little on those gracelesse ympes after many great plagues and destructions sent on them ye shall see the clowde cleane vanished and in the house of the wicked no man lefte His habitation shalbe voide and there shall no man remaine to saie with the olde Prophet alas my brother alas my vnckle alas my loouing father Nowe hauing bent our eyes vnto the viewe of sundrie examples let vs looke into the ages past and see if euer the Godly were vtterlie destitute or that the enemies of the Church of God euer continued long in honour or if those which anie waie impared the Church prospered afterwardes in their generations Come and see nay I pray you reede and vnderstand that the Lord hath alwaies beene most ielous ouer his beloued spouse Tell mee if you bee so olde or your memorie so good can you name anie what so euer which at anie time in anie nation diminished the state the liuing the honour the safetie of the church of Christ and scaped the handes of the almightie Dauids eating of the shewe breade in the dayes of Abiather the high Preest is aunswered by the Lord of truth extreame necessitie droue him therevnto and yet as the learned write hee might more safely doe it because he was both a Prophet and a king herein prefiguring the person of a sauiour Christ who was a king a preest and a Prophet But let vs proceede plainly saying the sooth of our conclusion The Lord in executing his iudgementes hath no respecte of persons neither pardoneth he this greeuous voluntarie sinne of detracting from the Church so easilie as hee dooth other sinnes of infirmitie But rather hee sheweth his most seuere iudgement against those which take the liuing of the leuit from the Church and impropriate the same vnto themselues their wiues and their children Ely was a goodlie old Priest aud verie learned He was so beloued of the Lord that by the mouth of God hee and his seede were appointed to minister in the house of God hee had the freedome and prerogatiue of the Priests and he onelie had the disposing of the Arke the house the sacrifice of God in his daies Till at the length together with the vse of holie rites thorough the hope of small gaine hee suffered great abuse to enter into the house of God in that the sonnes of Ely forgetting God the due reuerence which they ought vnto his holy sacrifice applied the vse thereof more to the feeding of their owne selues then to the solemne and reuerend pacifying of the Lord for the sinnes of the people They seldome offered themselues whē any of the people came to offer vp vnto the Lord whilest the meat was boiling the Priests boy came hauing a fleshhook in his hād he thrust it deep into the caudron what piece soeuer came vp that the Priest tooke to himself This did they vnto all the people of Israel which came to sacrifice in the house of God at Silo. Yea before they burnt the fat the priestes boy came to him which offered saying giue me a portiō that I may rost for the priest I will not stay to take boiled flesh at thine hands but I must haue it rawe To whom when he which offred vnto the Lorde answered not so but according to the custome let the fat be burnt first take then at your pleasure To whome the boy replied nay but if thou wilt not giue it me presentlie I will take it whether thou wilt or no. Herevpon the sins of the sonnes of Elie was grieuous in the sight of God because they being sinfull flesh tooke to their owne vse that which was bestowed on the sacrifice of the God of heauen Elie heard all those things of his sonnes and more then that and he said vnto them verie mildlie howe is it my sonnes that I heare of such wickednes committed by you against the Lord doe so no more my sonnes doe so no more Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati They sinned still by dailie custome without regard they offended the Lord without remorse the old father spake to his sonnes sometimes but so louing lie that hee hated his children that hee fed their humour and nourished them in their wanton wickednes forgetting that truth which he spake with his lips If one man sinne against another God may be pacified for them both but if man sin against God who shal intreat for him or make sufficient satisfactiō This mild old man waxed towards his end As is the vse of natural fathers he loued his sons too much too vehementlie too childishlie in that he was loather to loose their fauning looks then the fauor of the Lord. Alas say some you must beare with nature he was verie old and his greatest ioy was his sons Was his ioy here vpō earth And did he reioice more in his fleshly childrē then
Tullie saith Fluctibus saepe obruitur antequam portum conspicere valet After hee haue bin long tired and scratched in the bushie woods peraduenture he shal come to the death of the Hare And yet in our moral the course is not so hard nor halfe so vncertaine For when the wished preferment which you meane is once to be atchieued who so hard harted that will not bestow it on the best Is it detur meliori or detur pulchriori I know not but I am sure hee that seekes shall find Gladly would I learne that kinde of seeking If his wished preferment lye in the court he must prouide a friend in the court who is alwaies better than the pennie in purse What if it be in the countrie these things haue all one certaine rule But as the giuer is so is the way of obtaining Then the learned are in worse case than they were before because the way is more vncertaine for hee must sometimes sue to the good honest Farmer in the Countrey who knoweth a golden angell better than a Latine word sometimes to the gentleman in the Citie sometimes to his wife his sonne his daughter his cosin his steward his factor sometimes to the Noble man and all his circumstances before he can come to the matter And when he hath done if hee bee not so well seene in secret Philosophie that hee can talke learnedlie with the secretarie his studying at the Vniuersitie so many yeares his riding into the countrie the citie the court his expenses his paines his hope is all lost Is this the seeking which you meane and must the poore learned man after hee hath read so many volumes and studied so many yeares in so manie sciences and tongues runne and ride post hast from place to place from countrie man to gentleman from him to his wife from both to the court to the noble man to his sonne his clerke his secretarie alas poore scholler Whilest wee haue bene seeking after your manner we haue almost lost the game which wee begunne to hunt and yet I hope wee are not runne so farre counter but that wee may easilie vndertake it againe Sith it followeth conuenientlie if they be good minded men which pittie the poore distressed case of the learned then they be euilly minded which are the cause thereof diminishing the liuinges of the Church wherewith the learned ought to bee mainteined Without such contingent seekinges the last dispaire of most learned mens desire From this riuer conduit pipe floweth a channell of fowle troubled water wherewith whilest these worldly minded men do vse to wash their faces they appeare much more deformed than before sith the tasting often of the sweetnesse of this troubled earthlie channel in hart and minde are so bewitched with the loue of this present life that the honor of God the reuerence of his name the due hearing of his word the daylie celebrating of his diuine Seruice together with the immunitie and perfect freedome of his ministerie is much decayed I passe ouer al the examples and plaine speaches of contempt vsed against the ministers of Christ at this day Those which be thus euilly minded towards the Church of Christ nay towardes Christ himselfe are the Christians are they comparable to the heathen in their kinde or worthie to bee numbred amongst men though their titles be many their honour great their landes inestimable yet thinke yee that these men shall prosper here on earth as for heauen turne backe good sir this is not the way The gate by which yee must enter in thither is verie lowe the way narrow the iourney long your bodie is idle your doinges dissolute your chariti cold your hart to high yee cannot come in Our Lord and Sauiour Christ when hee liued here on earth hee willed that the litle Children should come to him saying that of such consisteth the kingdome of God And yet if the children treading in the steppes of their fathers contemne the minister of God or in their childishnesse dishonour him If the children of Bethell scorne the good prophet Elizeus like graceles boyes crying out on him goe vp you bald pate go vp though they be smal yong yet their crie pearceth to the heauens The Lord shall listen verie attentiuely when ought doth sound against the honour of his prophets he shall open the window of his wrath in his displeasure two shee Bears shall come out of the wood shall deuour two and fortie of them that thereby both olde and young may learne to reuerence the prophets of the Lord sent vnto them Euen as the countenance of the mother beholdeth the sucking child in her armes most louinglie as the eie of the Hawke minting at her pray doth most fixedlie and fiercelie behold the same euen so the Lord dooth continually behold his embassadours his prophets his pastors his ministers and not their life onely and their safetie but their good mainteine and regard so that the sonne shall not burne them by daye nor the moone by night The pride of sinfull flesh shall not represse them long nor the greatest tyrant in the worlde shall disgrace them in any word or sprinckle any spot in their face but it shal be washed off againe euen with his owne precious bloud Well and wisely did the Poeâ—s faine that the contemners of the goddes alwaies came to euill end Amongest a number of examples this appeareth plain in Aiax who counted more of bodilye valour than of Mineruaes wisedome and with hawtie speach disdained that it shuld haue the due reward therfore he was berest of commoÌ„ wit vnderstanding being stricken with a most furious fit in which he slewe himself vpon his own sword What should I rehearse the manifold plagues punishmeÌ„ts which the Lord sent vpon the conteÌ„ners of his holie worship euen from Noe vnto the birth of our S. Christ whose life because that tirant Herod sought by his bloudy sword to cut off froÌ„ the earth that with the shedding of much innocent bloud therefore the Lord on a soleÌ„ne feast day wheÌ„ he shewed himself vnto the people in his highest glory the multitude to flatter him cried most blasphemosly it is the voice of a God not of a man then euen then the Lorde from heauen stroke him by the hande of his angell so that presently his flesh rotted crawling full of quicke worms and lice which deuoured him most miserably before the face of all the people If carnall sensualitie did not too much dimme our eyes I should not neede to holde out this my obscure light vnto you now at the noon daye when the light of the Gospell shineth most cleare and bright round about vs. If we had cunned the rules of true christianitie by hart or vnderstood the truth of them or had receiued the vertue of wel woorking into our consciences therewith renewed in the spirite I should not neede at this day so
reward of those which defaced the Temple of the Lorde and decaied his holy Ministerie but it is most plaine and euident by sundrie auncient histories that in all ages when wisdome learning and religion once gaue place to worldly pollicie when the vertues of the mind were subdued to the force of flesh when vertuous life waxed out of vse and sensualitie increased when the bodie robbed the soule and the naturall man imprisoned the freedome of the spirite when the pride of the worlde mainteined it selfe with the goods of the Church then shortly after followed the vtter subuersion of the whole common wealth Therefore let sinfull man looke downe vpon himselfe with great humilitie let the pride of corruptible flesh strike saile in time leâ—t with the sodaine puffes and pirreies of vnnaturall windes which commonlie rise from such mens hearts it be violently driuen into the swift currents of perdition whose end is the gulfe of eternall sorrowe Let not worldly men goe on daie by daie minding nothing else but earth and earthly ioies like brutish beastes which haue no vnderstanding but let them looke vp vnto heauen from whence commeth our ioy and true felicitie let them consider that which the Philosopher gathered by plaine reason that man consisteth not of bodie onelie neither that his beginning is meere naturall as is the stone the flower the tree the oxe the asse but that he is indued with a soule of heauenly and angelicall substance made vnto eternitie that his stature was framed vpright and his countenance erected to the heauens to the ende that aboue all thinges hee shoulde haue a diligent eie vnto God his Creatour who dwelleth in the heauen aboue and a speciall regard vnto his diuine worshippe which hee hath appointed heere belowe That this duetie is inioined him from the day of his birth to the day of his death that in obseruing the same is life and in neglecting it is death not the death onely of the bodie but the eternall death both of bodie and soule If this be so how diligently ought we to looke about vs how readie to walke the steppes of our Sauiour Christ whose meate and drinke was to doe the will of God here an earth howe willing should we bee and desirous to imitate those godly Christians of the primatiue Church who sold their goods and their lands laying them downe at the Apostles feete or their successours which imploied themselues their goods and their lands on the diuine seruice and reuerent Temple of Iesu Christ Let no man presume so farre in his blind zeale altogether deuoid of knowledge and sauering rather the doctrine of men then of God to say that God dwelleth not in temples made with hands neither is he worshipped with outwarde worship but in truth and spirite thereby most prophanely concluding that we ought to put no religion in outward things or to ascribe any holines to the same Wee haue heard that the Temple sanctifieth the gold thereof and if any man doubt of the same let him adde prophane hands vnto the arke though vnder colour to holde it vp and trie with Oza whether he shall presently be stroken from the Lord with sodaine death Or let him but holde out his hande against the Prophet and trie with Roboam whether it will be presently dried vp or no. Though the Lorde strike thee not presently with Oza or at thy returne chaunge thee into a Leaper as white as â—nowe with Gehesey though he doth not accurse thee as hee did the figtree yet assure thy selfe that with the burning sinnes of thy body the winges of thy soule wherewith thou shouldest flie vp into heauen shall bee scorched thy heart shall melt thy conscience shall burne and thou shalt be consumed in the great daie of the Lord. Let all men knowe this for a truth that those which diminish the worshippe of God heere vppon earth the Lord will cut of the line of their posteritie in this life and blot out their portion in the lande of the liuing If this be fearefull O ye sonnes of men then let the daily remembraunce thereof enter into your brestes let it sinke downe into your harts and ransacke your inward spirits that ye may therby learne to kisse the louing son of your saluation to imbrace his manifolde mercies and to tremble at his iudgements Say not God is mercifull and therein abuse him he is farre off and therefore deny him a thousand yeares with him is but a daie and therewith forget him but remember with your selues and consider wiselie that all his wordes are truth and hee hath saide long since I come and I will not staye behold I come quickly He hath girt vp his loynes he hath taken his two edged sword into his hande his trumpet is now ready to sound that great alarum of the day of iudgement His thousand thousandes of angels are ready to deuide the heauens to inflame the aire to dry vp the waters and to shake the earth with all the kingdoms therein and now he is comming euen at the doore Though some may thinke that my penne declyneth to this fading conclusion rather by course of stile than for the euidence of truth therein contayned for the glorie of Iesu Christ or for our dutifull readines against the day of our saluation yet in so great daunger remaine not doubtfull through the flattering shew of sinfull delusions But rather sith it greatly concerneth our soules health let vs harken to that plaine voice of truth when you see these things then thinke that your redemption is at hand and bee yee perswaded fully of the same by euident reason by that which you see with your eyes which you heare with your eares which you haue felt with your sensuall bodies not many yeares since And now after the meditation thereof more truly vnderstand with your harts Whereby you are forewarned hereof euen by secret thoughts when you lie in your beds considering that the bridegroome of our eternal saluation is at hand Cast off the loue of this present world scarce go backe into thine owne house to thy wife and thy little children if thou bee at home within thy doores goe not out into the field to see thy cattell or into the streets to bid thy friends farewell or looke once aside from this present comfort the redemption of all the godly Resolue thy selfe to giue account to come to iudgement for nowe the course of this worlde by all computation is run out all flesh is come to an ende And would you haue it set more plainely before your face Lift vp your eies and you shall see that long since the figge tree is budded the fields are all white vnto haruest the heauens are shrunke in their seat and waxen olde like a garment If you yet doubt that the world is not at the point to bee dissolued or that there is no such present appearance why wee should looke for a newe heauen
wherein it appeared is Cassiopeia which by the Aegyptians and olde Astronomers is figured a virgin sitting in a chaire with a braunch in her hand which likely resembleth the state of iudgment Sith therefore after so many generall courses of the Trigones of the monarches of the dominion of the planeticall spirits the Lord hath shewed wonderful signes of his comming in the ayre in the water in the earth and lastly aboue all hath held out his hand in the heauens shewing vs that he is nowe opening the doores of heauen and comming to iudgement and that the doome of all creatures is now dawning Let vs wisely weigh consider the exceeding great power and maiestie wherewith the Lorde of hostes shall come to iudge the earth Though he was made man for our sakes and for our saluation yet bee yee not so carnall in your cogitation or so bewitched with the delaying fancie of sensuality that you shuld imagine his power to be compact after the manner of men that when hee is mustering his thousandes of angels as Enoch prophesied long since that wee should heare of it before and that after we heare of it he should be long in comming No the Lord will bow the heauens at his pleasure and come downe euen in the twinckling of an eye according as it is written euen as the lightning breaketh out of the East passing forthwith into the West euen so shal the comming of the Sonne of maÌ„ bee Hee is not like to the earthly princes that hee should sende his harbinger before But I am is he most monderful most holie most mightie in whose presence the angels are not pure and the heauens corruptible Hee spake the word and they were all made and at the sownd thereof they shall all be consumed He shall kindle the fire of his heauy displeasure against the sinners of the earth Hee shal cleaue the heauens asunder and the flame shal breake forth like a furnesse As were the dayes of Noe a generall destruction with the voice of mourning and weeping and deadly lamentation as was Sodom that sinke of sinne and Gomorrha that euil nurse of iniquitie as the fier and brimstone rained downe from heauen most ruthfully firing wasting burning destroying and sincking those wicked cities so shal bee the comming of the sonne of man Hee shall shake the heauens aboue and make the hell below to tremble the trompet shall sownd euen the trompet of the God of heauen and earth the sownd thereof shal rend the clowdes of the aire it shall make the fowles to shrinke with feare and to fall downe dead on the earth Therewith the sea shal flee from the woonted course and the flouds shall roare the earth shall swell the creatures thereof shall be amased the ayre shall thunder and lighten the elements shall melt with heat the starres shall fall from their spheres and the light shall vanish from before the face of all men then liuing on the earth as it was foreshewed by the prophet long since This is like to be a black day a glowming day a day of fire and smoke from the heauens a day of anger and wrath of bitternes and teares of lamenting and vtter destruction on the earth Then shall feare come on all men liuing and the inhabitants of the world shal be agasht when they shall see that with their eies which maketh our hartes quake when we remember it The prophet long since hath giuen vs warning thererof and many hundreâ—h yeares agoe hee cried alowd blow vp the trumpet in Syon and showt in my holy mount Let all the inhabitantes of the land tremble for the daie of the Lord is come for it is now at hand a fier deuoureth before him and behinde him the flame burneth vp the earth shall vanish at his presence like a tempest the heauens shall melt the clowdes shall droppe the Sunne and the Moone shall be darke and the starres shall withdraw their shining There shall appeare fearfull wonders in the heauens and in the earth bloud and fier and pillers of smoke the Sunne shall be turned into darknesse the Moone into bloud Then shall wee see the powers of heauen to mooue aboue in the firmament and the inhabitantes of the earth shall stand gasing all amazed and who is able to behold it then shal the dead arise out of their graues according to the sownd of the trompet then shall all arise and come to iudgement The poore together with the rich the old the young the mightie the simple the King the begger TheÌ„ shal the poore of this world reioice when they shal behold the heauenly countenance of the bridegrome their louing sauiour and mercifull redeemer Then and in that day the Lord shall looke vpon his poore militant church with a cheerfull eie and louing countinance Hee shall send downe his angels who shal imbrace his louing children take them vp into euerlasting ioy But as for the wicked and many of those which haue inioyed the great honor auctoritie pleasure plentie and ioy in this world he shall behold them a farre off Euen as the clowdy piller which was placed betwixt Israell and the Egyptians was light to Israell and darknesse to the Egyptians euen so the chosen of the Lord in that day shal stand in the light shine in the kingdome of heauen as the starres in the firmament but the children of this world and those which made their heauen of this worldly treasure shall stand still all amazed in hart the Clowde of confusion shall compasse them about and their faces shall be couered with the mantle of shame griping shal pinch their hearts within and their voice shall sownde out nothing else but woe and alasse When they shal behould all their gould melted their houses burnt aâ—d their hope cleane vanished their landes suncke and their friendes gone they shall runne starke madde vnto the waters all amazed vnto the mountaines kneeling downe before them and crying couer vs and our iniquities O couer vs from the face of him that sitteth on the throne their consciences accusing them they shall hate the goods which they haue gotten euilly and shall flie from those landes which they haue violently takeÌ„ from the poore or from the holy church fearing least it should open and swallow them vp into hell They shall flie from their houses built with ill gotten money least they bee consumed together with the flame thereof great feare and vexation of spirit shal bee to the mightie men of this world according as it is written potentes potenter patâ—entur the mightie shall bee punished mightily when the puissant princes of these earthly regions shall stand all naked before all the world both good and bad before the angels of heauen and Iesu Christ now sitting on his throne and all their deedes yea all their secret doings therewith laid open when they shal remember how negligently they
right and equitie is the will of God by which what is right or wrong is to bee examined Who then is of the councell of the Lorde or to whome is his will knowne Aristotle that excellent philosopher saith that the cogitations of the hart be plainlie knowne by the woordes of the mouth sith the voice is the interpretour of the minde and as our sauiour Christ saith out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh by which inferiour rule of reasonable philosophie wee may climbe vp to that true conclusion in diuinitie that the Lordes will is reuealed in his worde And is there anie mention thereof in holie scriptures Come and see turne the booke and read the twentie seuenth chapter of Leuiticus where it is thus written plainelie shortlie and truelie Omne quod domino consecratur c. what thing soeuer is consecrated vnto the Lord bee it man beast or field it cannot bee solde or reuoked againe because whatsoeuer is once dedicato God is holie of holiest vnto the Lorde Man is not like vnto the meere vegitable creatures the flowers of the garden or the lillies of the fielde that hee shoulde growe and goe forward vntill hee come to such a degree of ripenesse and then to wither and decaie neither is the Lordes temple or his holie worshippe as the earthlie fielde whose seede dooth growe and straight decaieth againe but to man it is appointed that from the beginning of his daies vnto the ende thereof he shoulde first and last seeke the kingdome of heauen and the righteoufnesse thereof In which course who so hath begunne let him knowe that not to goe forward is to goe backewarde and what is that Hee which is the waie the truth and the life hee hath shewed it vs saying Estote sancti quoniam ego sanctus sum bee ye holy because I am holie In what manner not in hearing but in dooing the will of God not in talking but in walking as it is written not the speakers but the dooers of the lawe shall bee iustified as also another scripture Regnum Dei non est in sermone sed in virtute the kingdome of God is not in woordes but in vertuous and holie life not in criyng Lord Lord but in doing the wil of God which is in heauen not in looking for a mansion place or building pompous pallaces heere on earth whose greatest ioyes be a shining miserie but in hastening forwards towards the kingdom of heauen in giuing our goods our lands our bodies and soules vnto the Lorde Our goodes to feede the poore to cloth the naked to coÌ„fort the sick c. Our lands to the maintaining of his temple wherin his word is daily preached his name praised the poore commonly harbored Our bodies to the prison the lyon the sworde the fire for his names sake all which is the true christian and acceptable yeelding our soules into the handes of our almightie creatour our merciful redeemer our heauenlie comforter This is the olde christian way to the kingdome of heauen through the armies of pleasures of temptations of dangers of punishments of the spiritual powers of this world which who so refuseth hoping to saue his life he shall loose it and who so looseth it shall finde that place vbi vere viâ—itur the true life of eternall blisse for euer Who so grudgeth to giue a peece of vile pelting earthlie land to the Church of God or taketh ought therefro or esteemeth more of goods lands friends rumors fame credit kindred bretheren sisters father or mother or his owne life than of the glorie of God of the welfare of his beloued spowse the holie Church hee is not worthie of the kingdome of heauen neither hath his foot troden the first step of the way of life If this be thus then what manner of men ought we to be in holines of life in studying daylie by all meanes possible how to gratify the Lord of life If he reward the charitable bestowing of a cuppe of could water on his disciples when they thirst how highlie is he displeased with those who ether diminish or take away the maintenance of his holie Temples where his name dwelleth In this respect gentle Reader consider that as Dauid said concerning his sonne now dead I shall goe to him but he shall not come againe to mee so wee must thinke of goods once giuen to the holie worshippe of the Lord for so it is wee must goe to them and that often euen to the holie Temple but they must not bee brought backe againe to vs. This is one true plaine christian way leading to one perfect ende according to that saying of Bachilides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. there is but one waie for mortall men to attaine happinesse and one ende thereof to this agreeth our due and dutifull consideration of the Lords worshippe and his holie will which is that his glorie should be onely and wholy to himselfe as it is written gloriam meam alteri non dabo I will not giue my glorie to an other The truth of this conclusion telleth vs that we must serue him onely not onely first but him onelie Which if we did ponder wisely with our selues and thereunto frame our liues and daily dooinges wee would not take the squared stones of the temple to builde our pompous pallaces withall but we would rather remember that olde saying accursed is that house which hath any stone in it belonging to the church We would not chang the names of church landes and call them by our owne names our lordships our lands our mannours We would not eate the bread of the poore nor drinke the teares which trickle downe the cheekes of the widdow nor contemne the simple estate of the ministers by whose landes and liuinges we are now fatted like the buls of Basan If we would but once enter into our owne conscience plainly and truelie remembring whose goods they are that we possesse and lift vp our eye to the heauens to the which both we and they are dedicated wee would soone loath that which wee haue looued our hart would quake thorow the bitter sting of conscience and sinne would cleane couer our faces with the mantle of darke and deadlie despaire sith wee haue spoiled robbed contemned him whose loouing countenaunce is our eternall Saluation Herewith remembring the bitter sequele and deadlie sting of sinnes committed against God himselfe losse of goods landes contrarie to all expectation sodaine fiers in one hower destroying house goods and all the treasure which thou hast wickedlie heaped together many yeeres barrennesse of wombe sith thou hast trauelled all thy life long for goodly lands and hast no children to enioy them or if thou haue theyr sodaine death before thine eyes and lastlie the restlesse paine and eternall miserie of hell fire purchased with so manie cares and troubles with so much wealth of this world wee ought to wash our
Councell hath foreseene the daunger and set downe the sentence of eternall trueth in these wordes Hee which shall not wiselie foresee this euident daunger of eternall damnarion to his owne soule and contrarie to this sentence take awaie the goods and possessions once giuen to the Church or vniustlye deteyne the same vnlesse hee make present restitution to the church so soone as he can let him be strucken with the curse which the wrathfull iudge of all the world shall inflict on all the soules of the wicked at the day of doome and let these goods bee a curse to him which gaue them from the Church which receaued them and which possessed them Neither let him finde anye protection for his crime before the tribunall seate of Iesu Christ because without all feare of God and regard of his holie worshippe against lawe and right hee hath taken awaie the goods of the Church giuen to maintaine the holie worship of the Lord and to feede the hungrie bodies and soules of the poore innocent people Generallie saith the same Councell whosoeuer shall presume to confiscate to spoyle or to take anie thing consecrated to holie vse or belonging to the Church vnlesse hee truelie repenting correct and amend his wicked facte so soone as hee can and that by restitution to the same Church let him bee subiect to the greeuous curse and censure of the Church Likewise those which enter on the goods of the Church and detaine them through the gifte the authoritie the commission of Kinges and Princes obtaining them by tirannicall force from the Church leauing them to theyr heyres and posteritie as though they were theyr owne inheritaunce vnlesse with speedie repentaunce they restore the Lords possession vnto his Church being first admonished by the holy Bishop let him be accursed for euer and accounted as an infidell according to that commandement of our sauiour Christ if he will not heare the Church let him be to thee as an heathen or as an infidell therefore saith the councell it is not lawfull for the Emperour or anie true christian to attempt anie thing contrarie to the commaundementes of God neither to doe anie thing repugnant to the rules of the holy Prophets the Apostles and Euangelists Those which bee my sheepe saith our Sauiour Christ they heare my voice and those which be naturall children of the Church their hart will melte when they heare the voice of their mother crying in the streetes Our heauenly father he hath begotten vs in the spirite and our spirituall mother shee nourisheth vs with the sweete milke of the word of life Shee vttereth her voyce often and cryeth alowde in many places of the world but neuer so manifestly as when shee sheweth her countenaunce openlie to all the world in open generall councell gathered together in the holie Ghost You haue heard her voyce whileare and the sound thereof hath gone into all landes saying touch not mine annointed neither anie thing once dedicated to my holie worship Sponsus sponsam amat the bridegroome doth loue his spouse intirely Hee sheweth her his brest and reuealeth to her the secrets of his hart his wil is apparant vnto her she hath reuealed it at sundry times vnto her children Which times though they were diuers yet veritatis simplex est oratio her voice was is alwaies the same as appeareth by the councell of Aurialens whose wordes though they differre from the former yet the sence and sentence is the same first forewarning her eldest children of this grieuous sinne and then the other in their order after this manner Let no Clarke or spirituall pastour alienate any goodes belonging to the Church and least it should seeme true which some obiect that those which giue to the Church may also take away the same councel doth meete with that obiection in the 19. chapter in these wordes It is not lawfull for him which giueth anie thing to the Church or for his heires once for to require it backe again In like maner the second councell ☜ of Spale Those Churches which by tumultes and warres haue beene disturbed shal altogether retaine the selfe same liberties which they had before with all the possessions whether they bee possessed by any other Church or any others whatsoeuer The first councell of Paris hath giuen this resolute iudgement concerning Bishops goodes and therein the goods of the Church because the goods and possessions of Bishops are knowne to be the goods and possessions of the Church If any man shall violently intrude himselfe into them or by violence peruert them let him bee stroken with the curse of the holie Canon that he which would not followe the motion of his owne conscience at the least maye bee reclaimed by the holie constitutions of the Church Which offence least it shold seeme a smal sinne in the eyes of worldlye men or that the gaine gotten thereby might seeme to counteruaile the losse no man is so simple which seeth not plainely that this is a pleasaunt sinnefull thought leading to a bitter end as appeareth by the sentence of the same councell following Let no man be so farre from the seeking of his owne soules health or so willing to seeke eternall death that he should once desire enter or possesse any goods landes or commodities belonging to the church Though the councell of Magnutium seeme in the beginning by gentle words to mittigate the haynousnesse of the fact yet indeede the meaning is the same and in conclusion of the same weight as appeareth by their style in this manner If anie man doe presume to retaine diminish or take anie goodes landes or profites belonging to anie Church Colledge or any holie place let him bee excommunicated as a spoyler of the Church not once allowed to come neere the Church doore These milde wordes least they should animate the wicked they drawe a more fearefull iudgement after them as appeareth afterward in the same councell concluding thus If anie man diminish any thing belonging to the Church as a cruell murtherer of the poore let him bee accursed for euer This was the voice of the mother and her children haue learned to pronounce the same Saint Ambrose as it is written before affirmeth it vnlawfull for temporall men to possesse ecclesiasticall goods Saint Augustine writing on the Psalmes saith that when the last dedication of the house of God shall come then shall that safetie also bee giuen vnto it which was spoken in the seuenteenth chapter of the second booke of the Kinges after this manner I will appoint my place of worship with my people Israell and they shall dwell alone seperated from others and the sonne of iniquitie shall not presume to destroy it The scripture calleth the spoilers of the church the sonnes of iniquitie bicause the sonne of heauen hath not beheld a more vngodlie fact then the iniurie of the sonne done to the mother of the infantes to the nurse of
Christians to the Church which is the spirituall mother of all Christians as well rich as poore the mightie as the simple the king as the begger according vnto the saying of Saint Chrisostome writing on the Gospell of Saint Mathew Ecclesia primorum regum est mater The Church is the mother of the highest Princes Not many pages after giuing his iudgement concerning the goodes of the Church in this sorte those which builde tombes for the Martyrs of Christ and adorne his temples they do a good worke Thereby signifiyng that they which deface the temples of God and pull them downe they commit a great and greeuous sinne in the sight of the almightie Paulus Diaconus in the fourth booke de gestis longo Bardorum recordeth that Theodelinda that vertuous Queene built a faire Cathedrall Church dedicating it to the name of Saint Iohn Baptist adorning it with manye pretious iewells ornamentes and goodlie landes which the aforesaid Authour sayth oughte not to bee alienated According vnto the sentence of Iustinian in his booke Authent Columna secunda of constitutions intituled of not alienating or chaunging ecclesiasticall goods whatsoeuer All good Emperours in their lawes and constitutions had a special care of preseruing increasing and safekeeping the goods of the Church And sith Iustinians lawes were their direction he not onelie made General statutes for the preseruation thereof but also in his law he affirmeth that the holie vessels and garments of the temples ought not to be pawned except it bee for the redeeming of captiues out of the seruitude and tirannie of infidels nay in another place hee chargeth the Bishops that they take not to themselues the treasure of the Church which holesome lawes so mooued the harts of all Christian Emperours that they bestowed verie deuoutlie and bountifully on the church commaunding straightly that all meÌ„ should restore vnto the same whatsoeuer had bid taken therefrom by wicked tyrantes robbers of the Church and spoilers of the dead which Saint Chrisostome in his booke Defato counteth litle lesse than manslaughter Hereupon Theodoricus commaunded Duke Ibba that he should restore vnto the Church of Marbâ—na the possessions therof taken awaie detained from the Church by Alaricus And in an other epistle to Gelericus hee commaundeth him to restore a fielde which was alienated from the Church of Constance and to punish the possessor thereof in that hee presumed to take to his owne priuate vse the possessions of the Church This censure was giuen without exception of anie person according to that which Turonensis writeth in the fourth booke of his Historie certaine kinges saith hee haue presumed most irreligiouslie to take the goods of the church into their treasure as did Clotharius which made an edict that all the Churches of his realme should paie the third part of their fruits into his treasurie but beeing rebuked by that holie Bishop Iniuriosus he retracted his irreligious opinion and that wicked fact Let no man beare so irreligious a minde or so hard a hart within his breast to thinke otherwise than that it is a most grieuous sinne to take any thing from the holie Church sith first it is giuen to maintaine the holie worshippe of God there Secondlie to feed the poore and to bee bestowed on such like holie and vrgent necessitie according to the which our ancient Beda writeth in the first booke of his historie concerning this Iland Bonorum ecclesiasticorum saith hee of church goods the first part is due to the Bishop for the maintenance of hospitality the second to the inferiour clergie the third to the poore the fourth to the repairing of the church but to other or to those which haue sufficient of themselues the goods of the church are not to be imployed as that learned Prosper in his treatie De vita contemplatiua witnesseth in these wordes ecclesia nihil eis erogare debet c. The church ought not to bestow any thing on those which haue sufficient of their owne Otherwise though some of the Church giue it yet it is plaine sacriledge for them which take it as saint Ierom in his epistle to Damasus sheweth in these wordes qui autem parentum bonis c. Those which haue sufficient left them by their parents to maintaine them if they take anie of those goods which are giuen to maintaine the poore it is sacriledge Caluin writing on the seuenth of Amos calleth the diminishing of the immunities or commodities of the church sacriledge sounding the same with good Saint Barnard writing on the Canticles according to this tenor Proditores dei ecclesiae c. They which take from the temples they are betraiers of God and his church These learned fathers they expresse the true sentence of their mother the holye church pronouncing the true fauour of God and his louing countenance turned clerely vnto them which fauour nourish his holie church with his poore belonging to the same and the seuere wrath of the Lord God kindled against all those which spoile his louing spouse here on earth bereauing her of her beautiful children her costlie garmentes made of needle worke all glorious within concerning whom the Lord hath sayd hee which harmeth you he toucheth the apple of mine eie Bullinger on the fift of the first epistle of saint Paul to Tymothie concerning the reformation of Church goods writeth thus the goods of the Church are the gold of Tolossan which breedeth his distruction that possesseth it Therefore though the churches their goods landes were abused by Monkes and Friers yet there is no cause why Christian Princes should thinke that reformation good and religious which pulleth down the churches and turneth the church goods to the vse and possessions of laie men for they were not first giuen to this end kinges and princes and magistrates haue their reuenewes their tributes their fines their customes their publique treasures appointed for their vses but as for the goods of the church they were first giuen for the maintenance of students in humanitie and diuinitie for the maintaining of Bishops and hospitalitie for the relieuing of the poore widowes stangers and captiues and those which are in necessitie and a certaine portion was appointed for the repairing of Churches Let them restore such sufficiencie of goods to the Church as will fullie suffice for the maintaining of all the premisses before they take one halfe pennie from the Church or else let them surelie looke for the grieuous vengeance of God on them and their house That learned Peter Martir concerning the goods of the church vniustlie required by Magistrates writeth thus in eo quaesto difficilis est in qua dissoluenda c. In that case it is a doubtfull question in answering the which I had rather incline to that point that if the prince or magistrate should take awaie the goods of the church no man ought violentlie to resist them But if
field Though thy number bee three to one and thou assure thy selfe to haue the daie yet if the forbidden Babilonish garment bee hidden in the tent rather then thou shouldest prosper therewith the starres in heauen euen the starres shall fight in order from heauen against thee as they did against Sisera the Riuers shall swell against thy comming which if thou enter they shall strike of the wheâ—es and carrie thine iron charrets cleane away The stones in the walles shall fight against thee at home and the foules of the ayre abroad thine enemie shall stand vpon the shore with his banner displaied whilest thou liest drowning in the deepe He shall march vnto the toppes of the highest hilles without losse of men or shedding of his bloud hee shall display his banner with triumphe hee shal descend in peace and refound his trumpet in his tente most courragiouslie Therefore let all true christians muse and meditate more wisely on the will of the Lord let them knowe that it is better to trust in the Lord alone then in any power of man that it is better to depend vpon the seruice of the Lord and the loue of his holie name then to put any confidence in Princes in power in authoritie in riches Let the trueth of the Lord be theyr light and let his looue be the way his holy Prophets their guiders in the same Let theÌ„ fight cheefely for the glory of the Lord and not theyr owne glory for his church and not their own possessions for their soueraigne and not their owne primacie for the realme and not for reuenge of priuate quarels or hope of higher rule Let their departurebe in peace vnfayned loue vnto the spouse of Iesu Christ at theyr going foorth let them not say that theyr garmentes theyr furniture theyr money their coine came from the church but let them looke backe into the lande and beholde the church from whence they sprang Let them pitty theyr mother in their hart and let them say with the sons of God peace bee with thee and sweete prosperitie O thou house and Citty of the Lord let their watch word be Domus dei and theyr great allarum Vincat veritas But let them not be christians onelie in word let not all their religion dwell in their mouth and nothing in their hartes and deedes let them not goe foorth laughing and leaue manie weeping eyes behinde them let them not bragge that they fight for the Church abroad whilest they are full of deadlie sinne within and weaken the foundation of the Church at home Can wee looue our father and yet spoile our elder brethren Can wee tender our mother and yet presse her teates so sore that in steede of sweete milke they droppe bloude Can wee cherishe the sucking childe and yet empoision the teate of the Nurâ—e which giueth it sucke Dooth hee looue his freende who while hee is gone into a farre countrie taketh his little childrens bread out of their handes their cloathes from their backes their houses ouer their heades If this question knocke at the doore by which wee would faine enter into the Church of Iesu Christ and the answere to the same bee the key which openeth the waie and sheweth vs the light of trueth whose beames shine cleerely from the sonne of God why shutte wee vp the fleshlie windowes of our heart with custome of this great sinne aboue the rest So that that the cleere beames of the sonne of God the bountie of his mercie the brightnesse of his glorie cannot once open our earthlie intralles or mooue our sinfull bowels to haue compassion on our tender nurse and most loouing mother if this be farre from your perswasion and you doubt of the same then open your eares and incline your hartes to the voyce of health and saluation lifte vp your eye liddes O yee worthies of the earth and comprehend the light which shineth in darknesse O yee Princes open your gates and yee the elect of the Lorde open your eternall doores and the true light of the God of glorie shall enter in Which when thou hast once beheld with thy mortall eye hauing therewith reade this small treatise rudelie written in hast with a posting pen aske no more the question is this true or shall I aunswer for goods thus taken or is it a blessed thing to giue vnto the Church and a cursed thing to take there fro In this conceite bee not highe minded but feare and tremble before the Lord looke how high the lord sitteth aboue all heauens and howe lowe thou art here on the earth Way that thou art in the earth a worme and no man that thy daies are but a spanne long and that one spanne is a continuall warefare hereunto applie this processe that when thou camest first into this world and werte verie young thy spirituall enemies were olde and subtill that they haue rather wonne then lost euer sithence and holde the same vantage of thee at this daie that they haue wounded thee sore and so sore that thou art not able to stand vpright in the way of life Therefore though thou be mightie and puissant yet in that thou art sore wounded refuse not the holesome oyle of the simple Samaritane which he powreth in thy woundes denye not his suppliant paines in binding them vp in setting thee on his horse which will bring thee to thy Inne and place of rest where thou wouldest be If he doe the best he can and laie out the finest coyne in his purse for thee though it be but two pence yet sith all this is doone for the bringing thee into the way from the which thou wert wandered the deliuering thee from euill and the sauing of thy life confesse the trueth which thou canst not denie the oyle is holesome the binding coÌ„fortable the man deuoute his dooing good his sayings true blessed bee the God of trueth Which because thy dooings shewe thou yet doubtest lesten but a little whilest I open before thine eyes the highe fountaine from whence the trueth of sure perswasion most gentlie floweth together with the plaine examples of auncient times which shewe most clerely in a glasse the true countenaunce of the well disposed minde the good life and happy death of all those which heretofore haue looued founded inriched nourished freede priuiledged adorned the church and contrarie the vglie shape the tirannous life and miserable death of those which persecuted the Christians pulling downe theyr temples pilling and powling the liuinges and freedomes of the Church of Iesu Christ here on earth Concerning this kinde of catterpillers Celsus of Verona had written plainely vnto the Duke and Senate of Venece In which short treatise sith we may euidently beholde the great deformitie of our age Sith his leaues be fewe his examples many his appliaunce plaine his conclusion true sithe it is nowe translated and set open before our eyes shewing vs this foule spot in
manie faithfull witnesses surelie sealed with his most precious bloud He fixed it so surelie and with such vertue that therwith the speres did shrinke in the heauens the Moone against nature retired from the East into the Meridian the Sunne lost his light the aire was darke the earth did shake the graues opened the spirits arose the hel below all trēbled so that the powers therof were loosed After this athentical signifying of his most pretious death bitter passion in heauen in earth in hel he gaue it as his owne deed his last wil testamēt vnto his beloued spouse the holy church a sure seale and pledge of eternall saluation to her all her faithfull children for euer As is the loue of her husband so is hirs for she hath it giuen her of him euen breathed from his owne mouth hee is one and his loue is one for euer the heauens shall waxe old like a garment the Sun shal shrinke from his Excentrich the earth shall passe awaie like a tempest but the loue of our spiritual mother is as the loue of our heauenlie father once euer whom she once loueth she loueth them to the end that most entirely according to the saying of the prophet when father and mother forsaketh me then the Lord taketh me vp Therefore if we be his true children we must frame our selues that we bee like our spirituall parents not in countenance onlie outward looke but in sinceritie holy deuotiō We must forsake both father mother concerning the flesh honouring our spirituall father our spiritual mother aboue all other things both in heauen and in earth He hath begotten vs sonnes of the spirit euen by the spirite of life and she through his great grace doth nurse vs vp with the same food she taketh vs vp out of the mirie waies of this sinful flesh she vnfoldeth the sinfull clothes of the bodie wherewith wee are almost smothered she openeth our mouth applying thereto her tender teats from whence she distilleth the drops of spiritual life into our hearts wherby our soules be fed our bodies preserued our vnderstāding increased our eies cleared our faith perfected so that we see most plainly how we should loath the world learne to loue our holy mother the church knowing that it is not meete to leaue the cleare Sunne to waite on shadowes or possible to serue God Mammon this world heauen the flesh the spirit according as Hermes writeth Nisio fili corpus tuum oderis teipsum amare non poteris impossible est vtrisque simul intendere O Sonne vnlesse thou hate thy body thou canst not loue thy soule for it is impossible to applie thy selfe at once to them both Therfore be ye not so blinded with the stinking mist of Sathans deadly smoke or the painted vale of this wicked world or the sinful web of fleshlie corruptions ouerspredding the sight of your eie that you should not look into the cleer glas now set before your face wherein you may plainlie behold the reflexion of your deformities this vnnaturall spot wherewith you greatlie disgrace your selues before the face of God and man at this day If your eies be so dim through the cares of this present world that ye cannot looke into the times of old if you cannot see so far before you by reason of the cloudy tēptations which the world the flesh the deuil beat in your faces yet in regard of your safety look downe vnto your own feet least you depart frō the way of life If you be so intangled with the briers of this wicked world that you cannot goe forward nay that you cannot once turn your selfe to look towards the Church Yet fixe thy feete that thou goe not backward from euill to worse and let thy countenance affect the sight of the heauenly Ierusalem Though thine eies bee dim yet open thine eares harken to the sweet admonitiōs of thy mother foreshewing thee the sweete and the sower of this thy dangerous iourneie wherein sith thou art to walke through the wildernes of this wicked world before thou assaie the isie ground therof know that which elsewhere is wisely written Terra imbrobitatis est prouincia the earth is a prouince full of naughtines through which who so mindeth to walke safelie hee must bee verie circumspect taking heede to his beginninges knowing that hee which beginneth well hath halfe finished the work The first entrance of this waie vnto eternall life is to loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart thy mind thy soul the next step is like vnto it loue thy neighbour as thy selfe according to the rule of nature Quod tibi fieri non vis alterine feceris Do vnto others as yee would that they should doe vnto you againe This rule is generall the meaning large the obseruance thereof hard and tedious therfore before I post forward too fast vnto the ende I will make some litle small spence of time in opening the first beginning thereof and which is that as it is said in the rule of christian faith next to the blessed trinitie is ioyned the holie catholique church as also in the table of the ten commaundements next to those which wholie concerne the worship of God in the first place and before all the rest is placed Honor thy father and thy mother and that with a blessing which who so mindeth to be partaker of hee must not onelie honor his naturall father and mother but he must vnderstand truelie that as the spiritual part soule of man is before the flesh so first and principallie wee must honor our heauenlie father which hath begotten vs of the true spiritual immortal seed wherby as saith S. Paul the faithful daily crieabba father next to this our spiritual father aboue all fleshlie parentes we must honour our spirituall mother the holy catholique church whose children we are before we haue our perfect beeing in the flesh according to the saying of Euaristus in his decrees Scimus Christum esse caput cuius nos membra sumus ipse est sponsus ecclesia est sponsa cuius filii nos sumus wee trulie know that Christ is the head of his Church whose members we are for he is the husband and the church is his spowse we the children of thē both Therefore before wee looke at our naturall parents we must most christianly apply our selues vnto the honour and reuerence of our spirituall father and our spirituall mother Nay we must forsake both goods and landes honour and dignitie frendes kindred brethren yea our naturall father and mother and cleaue vnto our spirituall mother the holie Church according to that most christian aunswere of that learned Tritemius to his naturall mother To whō after she had signified by diuers louing letters that she most earnestly desired to see him face to face hee returned this aunswere Non licet mihi
Philosophers or Philosophers raigned Herein we learne that euen by the mere motiō and instincte of nature the verie heathen honored wisedome and vertue in what person soeuer aboue all the giftes of the body naie they so highly esteemed of knowledg and vertue that they not onlie gaue them the highest honor and dominion whilest they liued but after their death they built temples vnto them and celebrated their memorie after their heathenish superstition perpetually Their doinges shewed plainely that they had some hidden sparke in them by nature of the fire which ought not onelie to be kindled in the hartes and mindes of all true christians but also it ought to flame forth giue light in their liues conuersations much like a candle which standeth on highe giueth light to the whole house This candle sheweth vs plainelie that man by nature following the better part of his constitution is appointed to worship God and to emploie himselfe his goods his giftes and all his power for the maintaining of the true worship of God in his holy temple aboue all other thinges in heauen in earth Neither let any man thinke that this is the dutie of the clergie onely whose office is in the first place of holie function to be ministers of his diuine worship or that it belongeth onelie to the poore fatherlesse inferior people although of such commonly the kingdome of God dooth most consist as it is written not many mightie not manie rich not many of the most accounted of in this world shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but vnto the worshipfull the honorable the Duke the Prince the King the Emperour who though he bee accounted the greatest among christians yet hee that is least in the kingdome of God is greater then he Sith this little sparke of heathen fire hath lightened the candle euen of christian princes let not our harts be so ouer grown with the choking weeds of this mortalitie Neither let the God of this world either so blinde our eyes or dimme our sight that wee professing the name of Christians with our mouth shold be like the heathen people in our life Herein let vs learne to distinguish the cleere light of a christian candle from the smoking snuffe of the heathen Hee which is the king of kinges and onely ruler ouer all hee said plainlie my kingdome is not of this world Neither those which onely bende themselues to the fleshlie course of this worlde to attaine highe stile dominion and rule the fat of the field or riches of the Citty are the truest christians For what is a christian or what difference doe wee make betwixte the worthie dignitie of christian princes and the tirannicall empire of the heathen Theyr strength is the cursed confidence of flesh and bloud Though an horse be but a vaine thing to saue a man though all fleshe is grasse and the glorie thereof is as the flower of the fielde which florisheth to day and to morrow is cast into the furnace though euerie man liuing and all the liuing of man is but meere vanitie yea lighter then vanitie it selfe yet the heathen and worldly man will disquiet himselfe in vaine hee will make fleshe his arme and the compasse of the earth his dominion hee will plante his foote in the sea and his armie in the highest hils he will displaie his banner before the clowdes and compare his glory to the golden tressed sunne The swelling of sinfull fleshe is aboue measure and desire of rule seeth not God Christian kinges they set the glorie of God before theyr eyes and not their owne glorie they first of all acknowledge their spirituall father and their spirituall mother before their naturall parentes according to that sence and sentence of Hermes Diuina officia praecedere humana sequi debent we must first seeke heauenly things thē those which cōcerne this world But the Kings and rulers of the heathen they are filii terrae the sonnes of the earth Their desire their life their looue their greatest glory and rule is in the earth alone and came from the earth they knowe not their heauenly father and therefore ofte times they spoile their spirituall mother Such as they be such is their rule not for the glory of God or the safetie of his church for they defie her they prophane her they pill and poll her but they rule for their owne glory their owne peace and safetie according to their owne humour as it is plainely described by the mouth of Daniell speaking vnto Balthasar in this manner O King the most high God hath bestowed dominion magnificence glorie and great honor vpon Nabuchodonozar thy father and in regard of that highnes which God gaue him all people kindreds Kinges and nations trembled before him and feared him greatly Whom he would he killed whom he would he did strike whome hee would he aduaunced and whom he would he threw down This is the tyrannical rule of the Kings of the nations concerning which our sauiour Christ hath said principes gentium dominantur eis c. This is the waie of flesh and bloud into the which that younger sonne euen the carnall man is alreadie entered but to the elder children begotten in the spirite borne of our true spirituall mother and nursed in the schoole of Christianitie and by her instructed out of the booke of life in the fayth feare and looue of God our spirituall father hath sayd Vos autem non sic The Kinges of the heathen and rulers of the earth they are called good maister and good grarious lord most highe most renowmed most mighty most glorious most excellent maiesty without exception of heauen and earth They thinke themselues to be Gods making the ende of their power and rule to bee the extolling of their owne honour and dignitie They regard not iustice that they should doe no iniurie nor the poore that they might bee called mercifull nor their brethren that they might seeme naturall nor their inferiours that they might appeare humble nor the goods the landes the peace the priuiledge the honour the glorie of God or man that there might appeare some sparke of Godly life in them But without regard of God of pietie or pittie they say to this man cast thy selfe headlong from yonder rocke before my face breake his legges pearce the other to the heart reache mee the heade of that braue knight let that Lord be pulled in peeces with wilde horses cast that Earle into the dungeon with the Lions destorie that nation burne those temples sley man woman and childe onelie preserue my kingdome my crowne my maiesty and let your praiers be made onely vnto me But christiā Princes must not do so Though the Lord hath giuen the highest honor to the King and put the scepter into his hand in which respect they are said to be gods sitting in the place of God pronouncing the sentence in his name and person yet let
theÌ„ know that they must die like men that theyr bodies are made of a lothsome matter that they are but wormes meate dun ashes earth earth earth most vile and corruptible earth as all other men be though their descent bee princely ofte times from the house of many mighty Kings and Emperours though the knee of flesh and bloud doe bowe and kneele at their presence though their honour bee great in the eyes of the people their scepter mightie their crown gorgious yet one clod of earth must couer their heades in the graue and all their glorie shall be shut vp in a fewe lines according to the saying of saint Augustine in his booke De vera innocentia Qui splendes in mundo c. Thou which shinest in the world aboue the rest thou accountest of thy nobilitie of thine auncestors thou reioycest in thy large dominions in thy parentage in the great honour and homage which all men doe vnto thee knowe thy selfe that thou art earth and thou shalt bee consumed into earth againe looke vppe but a little and beholde those which were placed in the same throne of maiestie before thy time What is become of those excellent Oratours those mightie princes those puissant conquerous those renowmed Emperours Looke vnto the graue whether thou art passing beholde and see are they not all nowe rotten dust are they not like a sparke of fire which is vanished is not all there glorie and fame contained in a fewe lines written of them by some poore contemned scholler shall not the greatest Prince in this world rise vp naked at the daie of iudgement all amazed trembling and quaking Naie not his bodie onelie but his heart and his minde his soule and his conscience shalbe laied open before the Lord his Angels his saints and all his elect If hee haue plaied the tyraunte beating his fellowe feruantes ruling for his owne gaine and not for the benefitte of his Church shall not the remembraunce of his honour bee a stinging serpent to him in his conscience and his Princely dominion a most deadly corasiue to his heart Therefore be wise ye kings and princes of the worlde and yee which iudge the earth hearken to the wordes of vnderstanding Knowe yee that the wisedome of this world is not as is the wisedome of God Many men in their wisedome forecast by all meanes possible to come into possession of riches honour authoritie power and maiestie which when they haue attained let them but looke back a little and consider with what wicked sinnefull greeuous paines they were gotten with what feare and daunger they are possessed with what greefe they are loste let them enter into theyr owne heartes and beholde what a hell of corruptions and what an armie of tempting serpentes accompanie the minde that is set vppon riches let them marke howe manie wise men of this world haue come vp of nothing to great aboundaunce of wealthie authoritie and yet after they haue well practised and wiselie waied manie yeeres which waie they might come to enioye the height of their desire which is to rule whilest they liue heere on earth and to leaue the like to their posteritie it hath pleased the Lorde in one hower to cutte of the sequell and issue of all theyr hope Either theâ—â—elues togeather with their posteritie are cutte off or else the Lorde dooth take awaye that theyr ioye before theyr face or after all sendeth a worse mischeefe to theyr soule then anie penne can write anie tongue can tell or anie heart can vnderstand Which though we cannot sound to the bottome yet let vs learne by the shadowe to gesse the pourtraiture of the body by the effect to search the cause by the conclusion to knowe the trueth of that axiome Who so euer maketh his God of any thing here on earth it shall neuer prosper with him And who so maketh his quiet heauen here He shall neuer possesse the eternall heauen in the world to come Who so presumeth of his owne wisedome before the iustice of God or on his might that he may treade downe the poore hee shall not bee able to stand vpright in the daie of his daunger and to his vtter confusion he shall heare that voice at length Non est sapientia non est prudentia non est consilium aduersus dominum there is no wisedome there is no pollicy there is no counsell against the Lord. If wee will not hearken to the poore contemned ministers of Iesu Christ which forewarne vs dailie of that great daunger of our soule which wee rashlie aduenture by more esteeming of man then of God of the seruice of man then of the seruice of God of the commaundement of man then of the commaundement of God of the house of man then of the Church of God of the seruaunt of man then of the minister of God the stones in the wall shall crie out aloud and our owne conscience shall tell vs plainly that in loouing the honour the maintenaunce the issue of our bodie wee haue vtterly lost the saluation of our owne soules O that our eyes were so cleane washed with the water of life that wee might but once stedfastly behold the bright beautie of the radiant sonne of God no doubt we would leaue this great politike wisedome of this world wherin euery one striueth to frame his children and learn the true wisedome which is follie in the eyes of flesh wee would humble our selues before the Lorde and kisse the sonne least he be angry We would not count of that sweetnes which is tasted with toong nor of the fading beautie which shineth in the face of sinneful flesh we would cast our worldly honour in the dust and put our scepter vnder the foote-stoole of Iesu Christ We would not so much seeke the honour of earthly kingdoms nor triumph so often in the flesh but we would first aboue all other thinges reade the will of our God and meditare in the same both daye night wee would seeke to differ from the heathen in extolling our scepters after the manner of flesh bloud we would leaue the delight careful seeking of the worlde which is the first entraunce vnto Christ. We would knock at the doore of his mercie by a true faith and enter further by perfect obedience We would drawe neere to the father and kisse the sonne most louingly because he loued vs first so entirely that when wee were his enemies and beeing a most vile and sinnefull creature he left thousands of bright shining holie angels his daily ministers the spheares of heauen the stars of the firmament with all the rest of his beautiful creatures comming down in great humilitie was made man He beeing the high God of heauen earth for our sake was made man he suffered hunger and thirst reprochies and reuilings agonies and paines he sighed in his heart hee groned in the spirite and that which is able
place permit But yet first and principally wee must seeke to feede our soule with the foode that neuer perisheth and then the body Those which doe blesse the Lorde of heauen and loue him aboue all the fading ioyes of the earth they shall receyue from aboue blessing for blessing grace for grace loue for loue to their endlesse comfort in the great day of his visitation they shall florish like the fruitfull vine their children shall stande like oliue braunches round about their table and they shall neuer want one to sit vppon their seate after them for euer They shall see their childrens children together with the temples and good woorkes of their owne handes They shall reioyce therein because their memorie shall neuer perish from the face of the earth but especially because this oyle which they haue in their lampes shall giue a light to their eyes a direction to their feete a comfort to their heart and conscience in the day of iudgement This is the sentence of holy scripture and the example is like vnto the same Looke ouer the booke of God peruse it diligently and tell mee if euer you did see the righteous forsaken or his seede begging their bread But alwaies those which first aboue all worldly affaires did seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof whiche built temples to his holie name maintaining his praise and glorie in the same they had all good blessings powred on them Abraham left his owne country willing to haue sacrificed his onely sonne at the voice of the Lord and therefore hee had this assuraunce by the voyce of an Aungell from heauen By my selfe haue I sworne saith the Lorde that in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Which blessing continued in Isaac the fruits therof began to budde in Iacob whose willing minde well knowen vnto the Lord concerning his house in his sleepe there appeared vnto him a ladder the foote whereof stood on the earth but the top did reach vnto the heauens by which the angels did ascend and descend and the Lord leaning on the top of this ladder said vnto him I am the Lord the God of thy father Abraham and thy father Isaac the land in which thou art now will I giue thee and to thy seed and thy seed shall bee as the dust of the earth Thou shalt increase from the East to the West froÌ„ the North to the South and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed When Iacob awaked out of his sleepe he said of a truth the Lord is in this place I knew not and trembling he said further O how terrible is this place this is none other place but euen the house of God and the gate of heauen Forthwith rising in the morning hee tooke the stone which lay vnder his head all night and rearing it an ende he powred oile vppon it making a vow and saying if the Lord will bee with mee c. the Lord shall be my God and this stone which I haue here set an ende shalbe called the house of God and I will giue him the tenth of all the encrease which hee shall giue me After the sparks of heauenlie fire new kindled in the breast of the holie patriarch the flame brake forth at his mouth and so fructified together with his true pietie that afterwards hee was wonderfull rich in seruants goods and cattel in beeing a ioyfull father of manie goodlie-children liuing to a good olde age seeing his childrens children laying his hand on them that which passeth all though his graundfather Abraham did make an alter in the same place proceeding to offer the bloud of his onelie sonne vnto the Lord which was a perfect figure of Christ yet the latter light did shine the clearer and the Lord did so multiplie the blessings promised to Abraham in his sonnes Isaac and Iacob that long before the time of the reuelation of that holie one to him and in him he vncouered the vale so much that he shewed his louing regard to his elect here vppon earth in looking downe on Iacob and leaning on the ladder in sending his Angels vp and downe to his patriarch full of grace Who when his eies were open and he did see as it is said Gratia gratiam peperit Grace brought foorth grace For to the end that hee and his posteritie might more easilie clime this ladder and for our example hee trembled when hee perceyued that the Lord was there hee gaue the title and ioyned the reuerence thereunto saying out of all doubt this is the house of God and the gate of heauen concluding it shall be called the house of God Which his zealous speech and dooings condemne the fruitelesse zeale of our age for when hee perceiued that hee was once in the house of God with a reuerent feare hee trembled Not dispairing but beleeuing in heart hee looked vp confessing with the mouth hee promised and perfourming in deede hee reared vp the corner stone on which euen in the same place the holie temple of the Lord euen in the Temple of Ierusalem was afterwards built which though it was refused of the cunning builders in latter times yet beeing once annointed with holy oile it became the head stone of the corner If the Lord did so woonderfullie blesse the patriarch Iacob in his true faith and perfect zeale that of one smaâ—â— sâ—one hee raised the most holie the most honourable the most sumptuous the most rich and costlie Temple in the whole world Let no good Christian doubt to lay though it bee but one stone in the Colledge the Church the Temple of the Lord acknowledging with Saint Paul that Non est volentis non est currentis sed miserentis Dei It is not hee which willeth or hee which runneth but God which sheweth mercie It is not wee which do it but the grace of God which is in vs. Which if it once beginne to spring and shew it selfe in the woorke laie waight enough on it for it will rise mauger the might of all the world Hee which hath laied the greatest foundation in the lowest element the highest glorie in the lowest places which confoundeth the strength of this world with his weaknes which putteth downe the mightie from their seat and exalteth the humble meeke of his abundant mercie hee will magnify the charitie of the poore Widowe though it bee but a mite he will make the building strong though it bee founded on a cuppe of could water Those which loue his spouse hee will blesse their seede here vpon earth with plentie of peace and glorifie them in his heauenlie lerusalem This blessing is seldome obscure or vnseene amongest the sonnes of GOD neither doth it cease from generation to generation For if wee looke backe vnto this litle sparke wee shall see and saie with the prophet Dauid that the fire was kindled in Iacob and the flame broke
can wishe in this worlde yet after all this shall succeede the infamous death of Cyrus who with his exceeding great armie was ouercome in the feelde And good cause whie sith as Plato writeth hee sinned much in bringing vppe his children wantonlie commaunding his owne brother to be slaine very treacherouslie Let no man presume so much as to doubte that there is a God the rewarder of the iust and punisher of the wicked that so mercifull on the one part and so perfectlye iust on the other that of his exceeding mercie hee rewardeth the least good deede of vs sinfull wretches and punisheth euerie sinne whatsoeuer vnleast we doe hartelie repent and turne our selues truelie vnto his mercy which we commit against his diuine maiesty Howe commeth it to passe that we are become like horse and mule which haue no vnderstanding If the carter doe but wagge his whippe the horses hie on apace if the shepheardes dogge doe but barke the sheepe doe whirrie all on heapes if the lion roare the beastes of the forrest tremble And yet the Lord calleth dailie and hourelie by signes from heauen by fiers in the ayre by strang courses in the waters by vnnaturall monsters in the earth by losse in the fielde and by scarefire in the house by sicknesse in the bodie by the denouncing of death to our soules and no man trembleth no man runneth no man looketh vp no man once regardeth it O â—sencelesse sensualitie Doe you marueile why your greefe lasteth daie and night and your disseases bee vncurable sith you haue such great store of honour and wealth to ease your minde which poore men wante they want them both in deede and fith they seldome taste the meate the Lorde of his mercie seldome offereth them the sower sawce belonging to such daintie dishes Therfore let al men leaue theyr wandering thoughtes of fancie of chaunce ill lucke wicked men euill mindes deceitfull hartes Non est malum in ciuitate quod non fecit dominus there is no chaunce or fortune in regard of God neither hath the wicked any power to hurte but where the Lord shall permit and hee permitteth not without deserte There is no deserte without sinne no sinne without punishment no punishment without deserued paine vnleast wee repent no repentaunce without sufficient restitution as much as lyeth in vs. Therefore thou which art stronge meruaile not that thou art wounded of the weake whose heart perhappes is greater then thine Thou which art riche and farest daintelie meruaile not that thou lyest sicke pininge consuming groning with the palsey in thy heade the burning in thine heart the Ciatica in thy hippes the stone in the reiâ—es the goute in the thy toe thine arme or thy legge the burning ague through thy whole bodie Thou which art mightie wise and honourable merueile not if thou beest brought vnder if thy foolish doinges breede the repentaunce with discredite Thou which hast honour and riches dominions and power health and Phisitions credite and successe at thy will meruaile not though thou want children or hauing one onely child which is all thy ioye when he is taken away by vntimely death Say not to thy selfe O what ill fortune is this that hauing one onely childe in whome I ioyed hee should bee thus taken from mee neither weepe so bitterlie for thy naturall childe O yee sonnes of the earth weepe not for your children but weepe for your selues and your owne sinnes against God Knowe yee right well that who so euer maketh his ioye of anie thing prouideth for anie thing honoureth anie thinge more or in comparison of the Lord eyther hee shall not enioye it or it shall not enioye him This is the Maior and the Minor is like vnto it which is this There is no aduersitie what so euer commeth to vs but it is for our sinnes though not the thousande parte which wee deserue but as it were a philip in respecte of the cutting off of the heade If wee will but turne our eyes from the vaine cloude of worldlie follie and confusion we shall see most plainelie that there is no sickenesse no vntimelie death no losse of Parentes or children no imprisonmentes no aduersitye what so euer but it is sent of the Lord for our sinne and on the contrarie that the Lorde is so full of goodnesse and loouing mercie that hee continuallie blesseth euerie good deede of ours what so euer and that by his continuall mercies shewed vnto them which loue him and his holy temple where his name is to bee praised to the worldes ende Wee may see it plainelie amongest the heathen that the Lorde is iust in remembring his promised mercies to all them which feare him and say also with that holie Prophet Verely there is a rewarde for the iuste not for the Iewe onelie or the Christian onelie or for this nation this degree this sorte or kinde of men onelie but as saint Peter affirmeth there is no acception of persons with God but in euerie nation who so euer feareth the Lorde a right and worketh righteousnesse he is accepted in the sight of God Let all men therefore learne to feare the Lorde aright let them open the fountaine of theyr charitable compassion towardes theyr brethren especiallie towardes his holie temple At the least let not vs be more vnkind vnto the spouse of Christ then were the heathen Looke backe againe to that highe mountaine from whence wee are newlie discended Cyrus began to builde the temple of the Lorde and hee prospered wonderfullie hee forgatte the Lord and hee came to an euill ende Darius also succeeded him who finished the building of the temple begunne by Cirus willing his lordes and captaines beyonde the floude that in anie wise they should not hinder the Iewes in theyr building But that if they wanted stone or timber or siluer or golde calues goates kiddes salte oyle or wine they should let them haue all thinges at theyr will shewing therein his good minde and the cheefest vse of these worldlie goods in these wordes Vt offerant deo coeli oblationes orentque pro vita regis filiorum eius That they maie offer vp oblations to the God of heauen and praie for the life of the King and his children It is verie straunge and worthy to be let vp as a mirour before the eyes of all Christian princes that these heathen Emperours should attribute so much to the glory of God hearing but a far off seing his mighty maiesty but in a cloude What may be compared to that which followeth in the stile and wordes of Artaxerxes written after this manner Artaxerxes rex regum c. Artaxerxes King of Kinges c. Vnto Eâ—dras the most learned scribe of the law of the God of heauen I haue decreede that of Israell in my kingdomes and dominions who so will goe with thee vnto Ierusalem that hee haue free libertie to goe and what golde or money thou
is lighter than vanitie it selfe The wise high mightie honorable politike rulers of this world trouble themselues all the dayes of their life in fetching in casting in compassing goods lands honour dominion and power They rise vp earely and goe to bed late as sayth the prophet they eate the bread of carefulnes they search and seeke many newe waies They inuente many strange pollicies they aduenture many great daungers they loose many frendes they vndoo many poore schollers widowes and fatherles children euen to the losse of their owne soules and yet they say they loue the Lord and his holy temple O sinfull harts besotted with sensualitie Can that shippe be safe which is tost with euerie surge of the sea and ouerwhelmed with euery blast of wind can that minde bee quiet which boyleth with sundry flames of fire Is there any suretie in lightnes it selfe any certainetie in outwarde fortune any safetie in perpetuall warre any securitie in present daunger any frendshippe in open defiaunce any felicite in outwarde riches anye religion in spoyling the Church Be there two heauens that wee should make our paradise heere on earth or is the Lords arme shortened that hee can not execute his will or his iustice decayed that the sinners shoulde escape vengeaunce Is hee asleepe that hee is not stirred vp with the outrage which the heathen and hard harted worldlings commit against his church or is hee deafe that hee heareth not the crie of the poore or blinde that he seeth not the pride of the world openlie disclaiming the brightnes of the heauens No the Lord is not slack as some count slacknes He which made the heauens so high most carefully he beholdeth the lowest the poorest the simplest creatures here below He which made the eare hee will heare the crie of the poore and hee which made the eie hee will beholde the scarres which be inflicted on the face of his beloued spowse In his compassion hee shall pittie her and in his iudgement he shall draw forth the two edged sword of his wrathfull indignation He shall rise vp like the Gyant to the battaile and shall passe forth as the Lyon to deuour his praie Hee shall redouble the wickednesse of his enemies into their bosoms Hee shall cast downe the house on their heads He shall bring the curse of their desert vpon them and who is able to withstand the surie of his wrathfull indignation to endure his anger or to suffer his heauie displeasure though some men prosper for a while with that which is not their owne being reserued to a greater destiny yet let those which hope for the saluation of Israel learne to feare the Lord aright Let vs not abuse the long patience louing kindnes which the Lord hath shewed in sparing vs so long I grant the Lord is merciful long suffering full of patience and mercie sore grieued with the death of a sinner But yet he is iust in reuenging the iniuries of his spowse If anie offer iniurie to the king or to a noble mā or to a meane man before his face he will reuenge it presently but if wee offer violence to the spowse of Christ or the dead or the fatherlesse or the innocent which cannot speake for themselues nor pleade their owne cause then know that the Lord hath taken the defence of these to himselfe Hee which dwelleth in the heauens hee seeth it Though his blow be long in comming it pearceth deepe euen into the Marrow and the bottom of the soule and that to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him Hee beareth long with them but when he commeth he payeth home Hee suffereth the wicked to deuise many vnlawfull means whereby they waxe rich in this world He letteth them passe on their course oft times with great prosperity euen many yeares diuers liues till at the length when the fruit of sinne is ripe and the first sower thereof is readie to reape a plentifull haruest of his vngodlinesse then besides the danger of the soule the sowthwinde ariseth the heauens ouercast the outragious tempest breaketh out of the cloudes aboue it passeth it pearceth it ouerthroweth so that the haruest which hath bene so many yeares in growing of a sodaine is cleane distroyed and vanisheth out of sight Though thou haue thonsandes of landes and tenne thousandes more than the auncient inheritance of the fathers Though thy money bee heaped in bagges and thou wallow in thy wealth hauing all thinges at thine owne will yet if thou haue robbed thine owne mother to enrich thy treasure thou shalt bee a fatherlesse childe and childlesse father thy selfe so that thou shallt haue no parents in whose presence thou maiest ioy nor leaue any childe behinde thee to weepe for thee at thy graues side Nay that which is a visible curs thy goods for which thou hast drudged so sore when thou art dead shall bee translated into the handes of thine enemies to the end they may strongly bee auenged of thy dearest friendes O let not your eies bee blinded with carnall delight and too much carefulnesse of this earthlie bodie let not the delights of the flesh blot out the well meaning motions of the spirite Be wise betimes and vnderstand this true rule of the spirite least the terriblenesse of the example cause you to tremble at the first sight and after further view breede great amasement in your hart and conscience If thou haue children and childrens children and great store of earthie offices honors and dignities for them all yet if thou spend more time and care in prouiding for them and herein count more of thine owne honour now begunne and budding in thy posteritie then of the prosperitie of the Church of Christ of his diuine worship of of his holie ministers Thy wife shall prooue a stinging serpent in thy bosome thy children shall bee wastfull distroyers of that which thou so carefullie hast built vp thy bodie agonished with sundrie malladies altogether vncurable thy groning daie and night will marre thy melodie conceiued of thine abundance of riches thy hart shall quake with doubtfull feare of thine enemies death will double the discord of thy disquietnesse and if thou were the mightiest and most puissant prince in the world yet if thou count of any earthlie thing before or in comparison of God and his holie Church vnlesse thou repent thy desire shall neuer prosper Concerning this conclusion I minde onely to giue you a tast of which if it please you to pervse Celsus of Verona hereunto annexed yee shall find the whole seruice represented in sundry deynty dishes which manie wicked worldlings take from the ministers of the Chuch setting them on their owne tables Hee hath described the whole course and named sundrie costlie meates whereon the Venetians vsed to feede adioyning thereto their sower sawces which once receiued in at the mouth but hardlie afterwardes digested did breede great hart burninges in their breastes And good
in the true seruice of the Lord because he loued the issu of his flesh more theÌ„ the glory of God maintained his childreÌ„ with y â— which was bestowed on the worship of god therfore the Lord seÌ„t a doble embassage vnto him First y e man of God told him plainly after this maner Thus saith the lord did not I plainly appear vnto y â— house of thy father when he was in Egypt in Pharaos house and chose him out of all the tribesâ— of Israell to bee my Preest to offer vpon mine alter and to burne incense and to weare an Ephod before mee and I gaue vnto the house of thy father all the burnt offeringes made to mee by fire of the children of Israell Wherefore haue you kicked against my sacrifice and mine offeringe which I commaunded in my tabernacle and honourest thy children aboue mee to make your selues fatte of the first fruites of all the offeringes of my people Israell Wherefore the Lord God of Israell saith I saide that thine house and the house of thy father should walke before mee for euer But nowe the Lord saieth it shal not bee so for them which honour me them I will honour And they which despise mee shall be dispised Beholde the day shall come that I will cut of thine arme and the arme of thy fathers house and there shall not bee an olde man in thine house and thou shalt see thine enimie in the habitation of the Lord c. And this shall bee a signe vnto thee thy two sonnes Ophney and Phinees shall both die in one daie This was the first Embassage and the second was like vnto it denounced by the childe Samuell in this manner Behold I will doe a thing in Israell that the eares of all which heare it shall tingle In that day I wil bring all the plagues against Elie and against his house which I haue already determined and I will iudge his house for euâ—r and the iniquitie of his house shal not be done away with offeringes and oblations for euer Which when Elie heard he being stricken with greese of hart hee saide it is the Lord let him doe as it seemeth best in his eies Immediatly after these offeÌ„ces of the soÌ„s of Ely against the Lord his holy worship the prophaning of the tabernale which was a figure of the church the Philistnes moued battail against Israel they won the field they tooke the arke of the Lord in the same day Oppney and Phines the sons of Elye were slaine in the battaile At which time Ely sitting vppon a cell trembling for feare of the arke then gone forth into the battaile he beeing blind in the euening he hard a sorowfull noise through out the whole cittie weeping mourning great lamentation euen in such sorte that he sent presently to know the cause thereof In the same instant a messenger came running from the feelde in hast telling him that all Israel was that day discomfited in the battaile great effusion of bloud in the middest of Israell with the death of his two sons Ophney and Phinees also the arke of God was taken by the Philistines But when Elie hearde the arke of God named he fell downe backward froÌ„ his feate brake his necke O the dreadfull iudgement of the Lord against those which take awaie the liuing giueÌ„ to maintaine his holy worship Here we see the truth of Elies speach if man sinne agaist man there may be an attonement made betwixt theÌ„ But if man sin against God if he diminish the glory of the Lords temple to increase his own honour or feed himselfe his wife his children with the goods giuen to the worship of the Iord his holy temple who shall intreate for him those which by weakenes of the flesh sin of infirmity to theÌ„ the Lord wil more easily grant pardoÌ„ But if thou lift thine hand against the mighty God of heauen earth willingly diminish the worship of his holy name theÌ„ tremble fear repeÌ„t indeed for not the malefactor only but his father his bretheren his citie his countrie where his wickednes is suffred shal be grieuouslie punished by the hand of God in peace vanquished by the enemie in the daie of battail Herein both Clergie Temporaltie are to take example of the punishmeÌ„ts which light on those that diminish or alter the oblations godlie deuotions which true christian Princes other wel disposed people hath freely bestowed on the Church Though their hearts be so hardened that they doe not feare and their conscience so brauned that they cry to those which shew forth the dreadfull iudgements of the Lord in this case Talke on giue me the goods therein take the fat of the Church liuings and leaue the leane for those which minister at the Altar of the Lord Yet let them assure themselues that the Lord wil come wil not defer and till he come he hath laid vp a heauie iudgement for them against the daie of distresse In the battaile they shall be discomforted their sonnes shall perish with the sword themselues shall die the same night they shal know that it is the Lord. He wil be serued first none but he He wil haue the best of our lands goods children none but he He will haue the Kingdome the power the glorie none but he There shall no iniquity remain in his house Neither is he like to sinful man that he wil grant childish dispensations contrarie to his own laws He hath granted no priuiledge of euil life to anie person whatsoeuer If the King offend hee spareth not his goods his lands his childreÌ„ his life his honor If the people sin he raiseth a strong strange people against them in war or sendeth a secret pestilence to destroy them at home in peace If the priest conuert the offerings of the Lords worship vnto the maintenance of his wife children though it be that good old man Elie yet the people for whom he praieth shal flie before their enemies his sons shall die on the edge of the sword he shal break his neck down backward the ark of the Lord shal be taken by the vncircuÌ„cised Philistines that which is the core of this most grieuous plague sore the glory of the Lord shal depart from the land Tunc tuares agitur paries cùm proximus ardet if iudgmeÌ„t begin at the house of God what shall be amongst the estranged sinners if the fier be already so kindled in the greene tree what shall become of the drie If the Lorde thus seuerelie punished his priest whom hee chose vnto himselfe for diminishing the sacrifice the solemnity therof with what sword wil he reuenge the disgraces of his holie Temple amongst the heathen or the greedie Atheists which spoile hir of hir dailie maintenance of hir pretious clothing of hir solemn foundations of hir wel bestowed lands You know that
SalomoÌ„ was the wisest man that euer was being onlie man yee haue heard of the fruit of his heauenly wisdome euen the building of a holy temple vnto the Lord. If heauenly wisedome built it vp then sinful folly pulled it down down it came But wil you see with what countenaÌ„ce the Lord beheld that fact That mightie Monarch Nabuchodonozer amongst his generall warres and famous victories he conquered Ierusalem and rased the walls he spoiled the Temple and tooke away some of the golden vessels of the house of God placing them in his emple before his Idols wherein the learned obserue that he had some conscience in taking some of the vessels not all in vsing them only in the temple of his gods not in his owne house He was a mightie Emperor as his dominions were greater then those of other princes so was his hart lift vp in prid aboue all other men therefore the Lord he put the mighty man from his seate hee disarmed him of all his power he made him naked of al his glory he remooued the crowne of golde from his head that which argueth what manner of men they be which laie violent handes on the temple of God he tooke from out his brest the vnderstanding hart of man placed therein a brutishe beastly heart together with the shape of an Oxe which hath hornes and hoofs and eateth haie After this hee tooke him from the princely pallace and turned him lose into the wilde soile euen amongst the beasts of the wood His body was wet with the dewe of heauen his drinke was the water of the puddle his solace was the company of brute bests He led this dul deadly life for seuen yeres y t hee might learne to know the God of heauen to regard his truth to giue him al honor and glory which after the Lord of his mercy wisdom had restored him to his kingdome he did most willingly plainely acknowledg euen in these words I Nabuchodonozer do lawd magnify extoll aboue al things y â— king of heauÌ„e earth c. Though after this strange chastisement he was woÌ„derfully humbled in the sight of God man yet the corruptioÌ„ of the fathers bloud did sinke so depe into the bones of his son king Balthasar that when he was at a solemne feast amoÌ„gst his princes the nobilite of his court being dronken he commanded y â— the golden vessels which his father Nabuchodonozer â—ad brought froÌ„ the temple of IerusaleÌ„ should be brought into him that he his princes his nobles wiues concubines in a brauery might drinke in them It was so don They did eate and drinke in the vessels belonging to the temple of the Lorde they praised their idoll Gods but by the way the wine which tasted sweete to his lips came cold to his hart For in the same moment as hee was drinking right ouer against the candle standing on the table there appeared the fingers of a mans hand writing on the wal which once discried by the king himselfe hee beheld it with a gastly looke and fearefully esprised with the letters which appeared in his sight his colour chaunged his heart panted his spirit was troubled his raines were loosed and his legs shrunke vnder him Straightway in great hast hee sent for Daniel who read the writing which was this Mane Techel Phares expounding these three words in this manner Mane that is God hath numbred thy kingdom broght it to an end Techel thou art weighed in the ballaunce thou art found too light Phares thy kingdome is diuided giuen to the Medes Persians This was the sentence of the Lord against that mightie king for translating his vessels appointed for his holy sacrifice vnto prophane vse the execution was not long deferred for the selfe same night in which he presumed to drinke in those holy vessels hee was slaine in his owne house Though the Lord do not alwaies sende such manifest speedy reuenge on all those which take the goods of the holy church vnto their priuate vses yet let them which are guiltie thereof beware that they abuse not too much the merciful louing patience of the Lord for his sword is sharpe passeth swiftly betwixt the soule and the spirit like the lightning breaking out of the clowd Think not that he is forgetfull because the fact is nowe past or vniust because vengeance yet lieth hid or partial that without repentance he should suffer any sin to scape vnpunished in any person whatsoeuer from the beginning of the world vnto this day Dauid was a holy and a kingly prophet a man euen according to Gods owne hart his eies beheld the vaine beautie of a woman wherewith his hart was straight inflamed and set on fire within his brest hee tooke his poore subiects wife and sent her husband to wars where hee was slaine he loued he killed and after that he possessed the woman had by hir a goodly boy What followeth in the text of holy scripture the prophet Nathan brought him a heauie message froÌ„ the Lord saying it is euen thou thou hast sinned against the Lord and thy poore subiect thou hast slaine Vrias the Hethite and married his wife wherefore the sworde shall not departe from thine house for euer This was the defiance of the Lorde sounded against king Dauid by the mouth of Nathan the prophet to which the great alarum was not vnlike For the Lord did visite the little childe which he had by Vrias wife with sicknesse For whom Dauid prayed vnto the Lorde most instauntly that hee would spare the childe Hee prayed long hee fasted religiously hee mourned hee remained in the darke hee put on sackecloth and ashes hee lay vppon the colde ground his noble counsellors could not intreate him to take any meate for seuen dayes in the ende whereof the Lord tooke away the fruit of his sinfull delight euen the childe vnlawfully begotten which he so entirely loued Afterwards though the Lorde blessed him with Salomon yet to shewe that the fight of the rereward should bee no lesse mortall than the sodaine alarum giuen before to the maine battaile the Lorde stirred vp his owne sonne in armes against him and armed the people so stoutly with rebellious heartes in desire of his destruction that it was saide plainely before the king that all Israell were vp in armes against him and sought to destroy him This tumult of the people was so sodaine so violent and so outragious for the time that the king for feare fledde out of his owne pallace and durst not staye therein though hee had shewed great signes of hartie repentaunce and the Lorde had sayde that hee would remember his mercies promised vnto him the retreate was not fully sounded but the Lorde punished the sinnes of the king together with the death of seuentie thousand of his subiects destroyed with the plague which hee sent amongst
them Whereby all men maye learne to feare the Lorde knowing that hee is iust and holie immutable and not as man is to bee pleased with a faire worde but euen amongst his chosen children hee sendeth his deuouring sworde to cut of the roote of their sinnes and not to them onely but to their children and childrens children Concerning this wee haue a cleare example in Achab king of Israell who when hee could not entreat poore Naboth to depart vnto him his vineyard and the inheritance of his forefathers hee lay down on his bed all sick with griefe turning his face from the companie towards the wall he sighed sorrowfully but the phisition was at his elbow For there was a commission presently sent forth a court called witnesses examined Naboth condemned brought forth executed When Achab heard of this he rose from his bed he descended and tooke possession But the Lord he sounded forth his trompet of defiance against him by the mouth of Helias saying hast thou killed and taken possession behold in the same place where the dogges licked the bloud of Naboth they shall also licke thy bloud and I will cut of the line of thy posteritie so that I will destroy from Achab euery one that maketh water against the wall Achab hearing this was wonderfullie sorie and vexed in his hart so that he rent his garment fasting and praying in sackcloth and ashes Therefore the Lord had an eie to his penitent sorrow and recomforted him by the mouth of Helias saying Because thou hast humbled thy selfe at my voice this euill shall not come in thy daies but in thy sonnes daies and yet not one iot of the word of the Lord failed concerning his death For after three years there arose great wars betwixt Israel and the Assâ—â—ians in which king Achab being sore wouÌ„ded vnder the side with an arrow the bloud ran down into the chariot and he died and they washed the Chariot in the poole of Samaria and the dogs licked his bloud in the selfe same place where hee spilt the bloud of the innocent Naboth His eldest sonne Ioram was partaker of this punishment sent from God for hee was shot betwixt the shoulders by the handes of Iehu being cast out of his chariot into the fielde of Naboth Also his wife Iesabel the deuiser of this sinne shee was cast out of her window downe vpon the pauement where her brains dasht out against the stones her bloud sprent vpoÌ„ the walles her body bruised against the ground When she should haue bin taken vp there was nothing found remaining saue onely her handes her feet and her scawpe as it was spoken by the mouth of Helias Dogges shall eate the flesh of Iesabel in the fieldes of Iesraell Lastly that wee may behold the seuere iudgement of the Lord against those which take away other mens possessions though Achab left great store of Children behind him euen 70. sonnes in Samaria so that it seemed verie likely in the eie of man that hee should neuer want issue to sitte vppon his seat yet the Lord in one day by the hand of Iehu destroyed them all their heads were cut of at his commaundement and laid on heapes by the citie gate to the end that all posteritie might learne hereby not to trust in the multitude of their landes authoritie and riches or to hope too much in the succession of their carnal bodie but to way the seuere iudgementes of the Lord against all those which neglect his honour and which through a greedie desire of earthly possession with the hasard of their owne soules willingly vndoo their poore neighbours and bretheren for whom the Lord Iesu the God of heauen and earth hath shed his most pretious bloud O that carnall men would consider wisely and way this conclusion truly in their hart that if the Lord did so seuerely punish Achab and yet not the thousand part which hee deserued for the taking away of one of his subiectes vineyardes which lay verie commodiouslie for him that hee died vnfortunately in the battaile his Queene was eaten with dogges his children euen 70. be headed all in one day what grieuous punishment hath hee prepared for those which take the house vineyards of his beloued spouse which impouerish his children of whom he hath said hee which hurteth you hee toucheth the apple of mine eye which eate her bread from her and make her barren of her best beloued children Which place all their studie and delight in hording vp corruptible riches not remembring how litle it auaileth a man if he win the whole world and loose his owne soule Nay not considering the exceeding great blessings which the Lord continuallie powreth on them that mainteine his holie temple and the extraordinarie curses wherewith hee cutteth of the desire and posteritie of all those which either decay his holy church or diminish the deuine worship of his holy name Me thinks our eies should not be so dim in this cleare light that wee should not see nor our hearts so fleshlie that wee should not vnderstand and the will of the Lord and his great iudgements against those which maintaine themselues by the goods of the church being none of those which do seruice or haue any special functioÌ„ in the same Though we wil not vnderstaÌ„d the feareful examples which the Lord hath shewed heretofore Yet let vs so incline our owne hartes and waies that of our selues we may be ready rather to giue with the blessed than to take away with the cursed Let vs consider with reason that man is created for the glory of God not for his owne glory for the seruice of God not for his owne seruice for the saluation of the whole man euen body soule not for a litle vaine delight whilest he liueth herein y â— flesh Herein let him know by the rules of nature of reason of ciuil lawes holy institutioÌ„ that the goods of the church came to vs by the right of successioÌ„ by the same right they are entailed to our posteritie succession of our place calling for euer If this bee so theÌ„ the sequel is most plaine true the goods of the church they are none of ours to giue but whilest we possesse theÌ„ nor theirs to take we offend in giuing they offend in taking away that which is neither theirs nor ours But as Naboths vineyard the inheritance giuen by our forefathers to vs our succession We gaue you them say some we may take them away Not so though the antecedent halt yet suppose it were true the coÌ„sequent is altogether maimed Though you had giueÌ„ that which you would faine take away though those good deuout soules your auncestors which so charitably prouided both for you vs liued at this day whose life would be to them a double death if their eies did see that which we see yet that which thou hast once giuen into mine hand willingly wittingly
often and so plainly to haue opened the glasse before your face or to the ende that you should acknowledge your deformity wherewith your fleshly hands haue fowlie bespotted the beautiful countenance of your soules I should not haue needed to haue trauailed into strange countries amongst the Iewes and heathen people to shewe you by the true consent of sundrie glasses that as it appeareth without so it is that you haue fowlie stained your christian consciences inwardly with this fowle sin of taking from the Church Neither should I neede nowe after the proposing of those two faire wel steeled glasses of the heathen and the Iewes to adde the thirde which is the true mirror of christianity shewing most plainly that the Lorde Iesu hath an especiall eie vnto his beloued spowse the holie Church and most seuerelie punisheth the detracters of the same Herein as we haue begunne if wee goe forwarde and pierce the fountaine wee shall soone perceiue great riuers flowing from the same For first of all in the daies of our Sauiour Christ let vs marke what was concerning the Church what ought to haue beene and what followed The Lord of light was made a man he walked amongst vs in the habit of man he was vsed verie hardly he liued in very meane estate he was reuiled persecuted whipped despited with mockings mowings with spittings with a reede in his hand and a crowne of thornes on his head And lastlie with a most bitter and cursed death for our sakes and for our saluation Likewise also the Disciples though they preached the glad tidinges of the Gospell with the great power vertue and Maiestie of the holie Ghost yet concerning the worlde they were poore simple contemptible persecuted men In so lowe a valley it pleased the Lord to sow the first seed of his Gospel and to the end that the Roofe of the Church might afterwardes rise farre and high aboue first of all he laid the foundation in great humilitie farre belowe Thus it was then and worldlie minded men regarding more the prosperitie of their bodies then the health of their soules and the safetie of the holie church misconstruing that voice of truth Vos autem non sic say that as the simplicitie of the Church was then euen so it ought to bee now in the flourishing state of the Gospel Wherein I wish them to beware that they looke not on this Christall mirrour too much or that they hold it not too neere for fear lest their fleshlie breath doe dimme the same Remooue the sight of the glasse a little and let vs see what was then and what ought to haue beene they contemned the Gospell of grace they crucified the Lord of light and cruelly persecuted his disciples what were these according to the prophecy the Kings and Rulers of the earth euen Pontius Pilat high deputie of Iurie Herode the Tetrarch of Galilee with the high priests the Iudges the scribes and the pharises and the whole multitude of the Iewes so that in these daies the Church was trodden downe the poore Ministers contemned afflicted persecuted by that faithlesse generation But nowe you which so much allude to those darke daies of persecution in the Church Doe but alter the case a little and suppose that the Emperour and Pontius Pilate his deputie Annas and Caiphas with the rest of the Rulers in those daies had beleeued in Christ and confessed plainely that he was the Sauiour of the world that he created them that he came to redeeme them that he nourished them in their mothers wombe that hee perserued the breath in their nostrels and that it was he by whom they shoulde bee either exalted or put downe either accepted or reiected either saued or condemned in the daie of iudgement If this had bin so let vs thinke what a strange metamorphosis had followed in their doings how would they haue falleÌ„ downe before the Lorde with what humilitie would they haue cast down their crownes scepters at his feete with what ioy woulde they haue exalted the Lord of light what honour magnificence would they haue yeelded to that heauenly bridegrome and the children of the marriage what great freedomes and foundations would they haue bestowed on his Church litle flocke for euer No say some though Iupiters priests with the whole City when they did see the mighty woorking of the holy Ghost by the hands of Paul Barnabas would haue sacrificed to them giuen them the honour title of gods Yet they refused it knowing that the true worshippers would worship him in truth an spirit outwardly yelding him but meane reuerence belonging to simpler state Neither would he or his disciples haue accepted of any worldly honour sith he said plainely my kingdome is not of this worlde As was the roote of humilitie so were the braunches springing from the same As the Lord though he would not openly bee proclaimed a king yet he had ordained in his secrete counsell that the Church shoulde haue hir time of infancie of childhoode of strong age of florishing and decaying Euen so it pleased him that this seede shoulde not bee both sowne and reaped in one daie that it should not first spring and bring foorth seede in one houre and that the Church shoulde not bee founded and perfected both in one minute Though by diuine prouidence the Church was in the infancie that time of our Sauiours beeing heere on earth and his Apostles and though the space of three hundreth yeares after it was trodden downe verie low by persecution vnder the heathen vnder Ebion Cherinthus and Arrius heretiques of the first head whereby the account and calling of the Ministerie waxed verie poore and meane contemned of some misliked of many little reuerenced of the most yet if these Kinges and Rulers had had the grace to haue acknowledged Christ to bee the GOD of of heauen and earth out of doubt they woulde haue applied themselues in all loiall manner to â—he enlarging and amplifying of the true profession of his name they would haue left their princely pallaces and founded solemne temples for the seruice of the Lorde they woulde haue founded largelie for the maintenance of his holy worship and giuen perfect freedome to his Ministers Which if anie now blinded with this beggerly conceited errour concerning the poore simple estate of the primatiue Church whereunto in hope of our liuinges they desire to reduce vs doubt what these Kings and Rulers if they had beleeued woulde or ought to haue done Let them but marke a litle what the first Christian Emperour did who being guided by the spirite of God his doinges shewed plainely what the Lord woulde haue done Beholde a while the gratious feature of this most Christian Emperours minde reade the histories of his life and marke diligentlie what great account he made of the holie fathers of his time aboue all other men Magistrates Rulers and Princes of his dominions How
he opened his hart vnto thē and made them of his secrete counsell what speciall care he had of their good estate and prosperitie not that they shoulde goe vp and downe in his dominions on foote in threed bare coates But he gaue them freedome title and honour and to the ende that it might endure when he was dead and rotten an example for all christian Princes which shoulde succeede him he founded many goodlie temples endowing them with large and ample possessions with a christian care he reedified the temples which were wasted by the heretiques and Infidels building and raising them an exceeding great height He established all thinges concerning Christian religion and the professours of the same in most honourable and religious manner Therefore the Lorde blessed him most aboundantlie with perfect health with exceeding wealth with true Christian liberty of obtaining al which he did desire in this world and in the world to come with euerlasting felicitie If the life of this right vertuous Emperor cannot dissuade you from the contrarie but still you will proceede in this erronious opinion that the Church of Christ amongst Christians ought to be poore simple and naked as it was in the time of persecution vnder hereticks and Infidels If you be so constant in this errour that you will not regard that Constantine then goe forwarde in the way which you like so well and passing on marke by the way howe it fareth with those which though they professe the name of Christ yet in life and conuersation they denie him in that no lesse cruel then the Iews they take from him his clothes they afflict his spirituall bodie they disgrace him keepe him downe to the ende they may haue no riches in price but the mucke of the world no profession in account but worldly authoritie no glorie but the childish decking of the bodie no honour but outward pompe and vanitie no King but Cesar. As the hardharted Iewes cried out his bloud be vpon vs and our children Euen so the fleshlie worldlings answere at this daie What tell you vs of had I wist of times to come of doomes day If wee shall not answere till then then care away graunt vs so long a day to answere in and we will haue the rest O that men would learne by earthlie similitudes to vnderstand heauenlie wisedome If a clowde doe but rise South or Southwest we say it is like to raine and can wee not see the Sunne of our saluation euen nowe setting in a darke deadlie clowde before our faces Consider that the destruction of Ierusalem was a plaine resemblāce of the end of the world As it was in those daies euen so it shall be immediatelie before the ending of the world they cried awaie with him they tooke away his coate and parted his raiment they crucified him and all those which professed his name they stoned Saint Steeuen the Archdeacon and Iames the Cosin of our Lorde who after he had beene placed Bishop of Ierusalem manie yeares most rebelliouslie they pulled him out of his chaire casting him downe from a pinacle of the Citie wall and when hee laie gasping on the earth most barbarouslie they dasht out his braines with a Fullers clubbe These were the first which sought the decaie of the Church of Christ. And what destenie followed this euill aduenture The Lorde brought a huge Armie into their Citie with a destroying plague and consuming famine with ciuill sedition slayings and wastings domesticall murders inward anguish bred by ciuill discord so that through feare without and deadlie anguish within there died manie thousands nay hundreth thousandes within the walles of that Citie Many thousands laie gasping in the streete for breath of life many laie groning ruthfully in their houses many as they were putting vp their hands to their mouth to feed themselues were slaine with the deuouring sword of the seditious which destroied so on al sides of the City that the bloud of those which were slaine within by themselues came running out at the gutters of the gates and out at the sinkes vnderneath the walles The noble men were fain to eat their owne flesh from off their armes and that good auncient gentlewoman which when the wars began fled to that Citie for succor with hir litle infant sucking on hir brest after hir house had been often ransacked spoiled by the seditious hir men maides slaine in hir house hir victuals cleane consumed hir colour wan hir milke and bloude dried vp hir bodie fainting with hunger shee was compelled to thinke an vnnaturall thought in hir heart and to execute a deadly deuise with hir hands shee tooke hir litle boy now sucking on hir breast she held it a part from hir with both hir handes beholding the sweete countenance of hir prety childe the boy smiled but alas the mothers teares did shewe hir heauy cheare it were too much griefe to rehearse the mothers sorrowfull voice in this wofull distresse vttered to hir sonne Shee laid the litle infant on the table before hir face hir trickling teares redoubled their course enterchangeably after many distillations sent down from hir weeping eies shee saith vnto hir litle infant my little boy the childe of mee a most vnfortunate mother I nourished thee within my wombe and haue fedde thee a long time with the milke of my breasts and nowe thou must bee meate for mee thy wretched and most distressed mother With these words hir knife infixed into the breast and bowels of hir little infant the bloud springing vp into hir face shee dismembred shee rosted shee eate of him the smell whereof beeing once entered the nostrels of those seditious souldiers they brake open the dore they came rushing in running into hir they pulled the meate violently out of hir hande eating it most greedily Of which because shee had no more store ready they cruelly murthered that poore old gentlewoman To this and a hundred thowsand like miseries seldome heard of succeeded the destruction of the whole nation with the vtter destruction of the City the walles the Temple and all the auncient Monumentes of the most famous Kinges of Israell Though no Christian hart can take pleasure in walking this way yet sith wee are entered into it let vs passe on a litle further and wee shall easilie see that this sinne of defacing of the profession of Iesu Christ and his holy Temples here on earth is so hainous so contumelious so heathenish in the sight of God that he neuer suffreth it to lie long vnpunished Neither be the plagues and punishments sent vpon the earth for this sinne of spoiling the Temples of the Lorde due to ordinary or common infirmities incident by the course of nature vnto man but as it is a much more hainous and grieuous offence for the child vnnaturally to despoile his owne father which begot him into this light and cruelly with bloudy handes to take his life from him euen so
and full purpose is to passe the right waie vnto eternall life wandring out of the way because hee is out of the waie despoileth him of his money and raiment and also his life but rather with charitable pitie doth not take him by the hande and bring him into the right path againe and laying out that coyne which hee meant to bestow vpon seducers on the true guides and leaders of the way This seemeth much better and is much more to bee wished though not to bee hoped In meane time now in the ende of this world let vs count that true which the Lord hath alwaies shewed that the spoilers of his Temple as they were alwaies towardes and not braue minded men so not amongest the Christians onely but also amongest the heathen most commonlie they haue come to euill and wretched endes Paris following the pursuite of his venerious dreame spoiled the temple of Venus and Diana in the Greeke Iland Citherea whereupon followed the lamentable distruction of that heroicall kingdome of Troy Cyrus and Alexander the great declining from the vertue of their yonger age and that loue which they then shewed towards the holy temples according to their latter inclination they which had liued honourablie died ignominiously the one with all his armie being ouercome by a woman Queene of Persia the other through pride insolencie contemning his people by whose helpe he obtained the high dignitie of 3. Monarchs neglecting the tēples and the sacrifice of the Gods which before hee so much honoured hee became odious vnto his subiects so that he was poisoned in that faire citie Babilon being at supper amongest his minions euen in his greatest glorie and delight In these two mightie monarches is not the conclusion which I intende concerning the louers the neglecters of holy temples most plainly nay in both of them or else in which you will Cirus in the beginning of his age was desirous to build vp the temple of Ierusalem he prospered wonderfully conquering in al his wars he forgot the Lord his holie Temple and forthwith he was vanquished of his enemies So likewise Alexander whilest he loued his gods their temples he prospered wonderfully but when he fel from that his first loue he left his chiefest safetie in that cup wherin he tooke much pleasure hee lost his life So that those which loue the Lord and so long as they striue to lead a holy vertuous godly life he mercifully rewardeth them according to their faithfull christian deeds but if the righteous turne from his good life and leaue the christian rule of sanctimony wherby he hath once bin guided then the Lord turneth his face frō such an one setteth open the gate of euil end destruction before him Let no mā flatter himselfe with the deceitfull appearance of this vncertaine world of this pelting honour and authoritie for which wee so much contend with these tempting vnsatiable vnquiet vnlucky cancred riches after which the hart of sinfull man by nature thirsteth and languisheth with earnest desire thereof or with the vaine pleasures of the flesh and all the foolish pompe and pride belonging to the same of which if wee haue but once our sacietie it is most sinfull most deceitfull most lothsome and detestable euer vnto those which earst lusted longly after the same Neyther account lesse of those most auncient kings and princes named before because some of them were long sithence and others heathen But let vs knowe for a truth that they on whome the tower of Siloe fell were no greater sinners than we and vnlesse we repent wee shall likewise perish Let vs beholde the rising and decay of the Monarch of the Babilonians of the Persians of the Graecians of the Romanes the increase decrease of the good estate of the christians Looke the liues of their princes so long as they honoured the God of heauen earth accounting more of his holy worship than of their owne so long they prospered and flourished in all kind of wished blessings and glorious prosperitie But after they regarded their own honour more than the temple and seruice of the Lord then within few yeares they came to miserable ends The example is plaine in Nabuchodonoser in Cyrus in Alexander the great in Iulius Caesar. Though these were mightie Monarches of the world yet the same iudgement is due vnto all men euen from the highest to the lowest which any way decay the woorship of God and the true reuerence of his holy temple Romulus and Numa Pompilius the first rulers of the Romanes erected temples to their Gods with great obseruance and reuerence therevnto and they prospered wonderfully by this good meanes Contrary obseruation may bee had of that mighty Ruler amongst the Romaines Antonius who requesting all the young men of Alexandria that on a solemne feast day they would present the best comliest of the citie before him in the field to the end he might choose of them the best prefer them to honor after they were all gathered togeiher friendly with good cheare before him his Armie he most cruelly caused his horsemen to run on them killing slaying destroying cruelly treading in pieces many comely young gentlemen and others with their wiues childrē which were nere to the place This cruel impious mind not contented with this wicked dasterdly murder in the field he came into the town despoiling the temples of al their rich ornamēts But as the shadow followeth the body euē so his desteny succeeded his steps for not long after as he was marching brauely forward with his army hauing occasion to step aside for his easemēt conueying himself a litle from his army into a secret corner onely with his secret seruant when his points were vntrust and his hose let downe he turned him aside to ease himself with which Martialis priuy to his wicked facts lothing his impious mind towardes God man pulling out his dagger quickly stept to him presently wounded him deadly left him there lying miserably If this had bin in our time we would say it was an euil chaūce he a wicked fellow I graunt but why do we not remēber that there is no haire falleth frō our head without the permission of God why do we not wisely way with our selues that there is no hindrance or disgrace or danger whatsoeuer which we suffer but it is sent of the Lord for our sin When he calleth thus why doe wee not rise out of our earthly bed with little Samuel why doe wee not run to the priest aske the question what shall I do or why do wee not enter into our owne hearts and aske within our selues euen in our conscience what haue I done this commeth for my sin which I haue committed for my notorious pride wherewith I woulde seeme to be loftier then others of my calling for my secrete murthers secrete adulteries
and a newe earth doe but looke backe a little into the olde worlde and you shall see plainely that the time is nowe expiring There bee but twelue houres in the day and if ye will calculate exactly there bee eleuen of them and fiftie nine minutes past Hee which standeth on the hil toppe he seeth the enemy a far off the vigilant watchman he saith that euerie minute hee perswadeth himself that he heareth the trumpet sounding Surgite mortui venite ad iudicium arise ye deade and come to iudgement The world was created in six daies and perfected in the seuenth whereby the ancient writers learned by coniecture out of the prophesie of Elias also by proportion that the world should remaine six thousand yeares and after that should succeede the eternall sabaoth of our soules Fiue ages by all mens computation are past now we liue in the sixt whose 1589 yeares nowe already past argue that the sequell of the sixt is also at an ende Of those six thousand which long since the learned aimed at already bee expired 5562 and hee which with his word did create the world and at his wil shal destroy it clean euen in the twinckling of an eie he hath promised that the daies shalbe shortned for his elect chosen childrens sake which seemeth likely that the day is euen now appearing in the heauens If wee looke a little into the deepe visions and reuelations of Daniel in which the course of times seasons to come in the latter end of all was plainly reuealed vnto him wee may easily gesse by that which is past the course which is yet to come Hee which hath seene the rising of the sunne and marked the course therof fiue daies togither from the rising to the setting and the sixt day he marking howe it did rise in the morning howe it was eleuated at noone howe it beginneth to decline when it draweth into the west hee will haue a shrowd gesse when it is towardes night So likewise let vs but a little tourne ouer the two and twentie bookes of hidden conference which according to the sixe daies of creation deuided the world into three tooes The infancie which is two thousand before the law the strong age which is two thousand vnder the law the old age which is two thousand vnder grace Let vs rise by proportion from two to foure which bee the foure astrologicall trigones in the heauens executing the influence of the seauen planets and that by the ministerie of the foure elements in order proportionating the foure great Monarches of the world Hereunto if wee shall adioyne the regiment of the seauen mouers or spirits which the Lord hath placed vnder him by the course of nature according to his secret decree to dispose the elementall creatures here below we may gesse to our great comfort by that which is past that the end is at hand The trigonicall course of constellations haue alwaies begun proceeded declined and ended after the same manner in the heauens beginning the first daâ—e of creation at the first degree of Aries the head of the fierie trigone so passing through the earthie the airie the watrie till it ended in the last minute of Pisces the full and perfect period of the watrie trigone These trigones as they alwaies passed after the same fort in the heauens so commonlie the same or verie like successe fell out in the earth and the same spirit of planet entring the rule of the world the same or like euents followed here on earth The world as Plato diuinelie writeth was created in fier euen in the signe Aries the head of the fierie trygone At which time Orifiel the first planeticall angel or spirit of Saturne began according to the disposition of the Almightie to rule the world After whom according to the processe of the foure trigones followed Araell the spirit of Venus Zachariell the spiâ—it of Iupiter Raphael the spirit of Mercurie Samael the spirite of Mars Gabriell the spirit of the Moone Michaell the spirit of the Sunne Each of them ruling the world three hundred â—iftie and foure yeares till the ende of that great watrie trigone in the taile of Pisces At which time according to the computation of the seauenty interpreters and that learned Beda the watrie trigone ending vnder the reigne of Gabriel the spirit of the Moone within few years after issued that great vniuersall flood Vnto this day the trigones with the regiment of the seauen angels or planeticall spirites according to the appointment of God successiuely tooke the disposition and regiment of the world beginning in the fierie trigon vnder the spirit Orifiell passing on to the other trigons whose particular proceedings if I should declare with the whole course of the successe effect of that which followed here vppon earth shewing that as the constellations changed in the heauens so commonlie there followed alterations of kingdomes of states of prosperity and aduersity of famin plenty of alteration of lawes rules people and nations the rising continuing and ending of Monarches mighty Empyres it were a more demonstratiue and forcible way But because it is tedious to shew this course perticularly from the beginning of the world vnto this day As for example When Orifiell began his dominion ouer the world first then men were naked rude liuing abroad To whom when Arael the spirit of Venus succeeded then began they to bee more handsome and to loue one another After him Zachariell the spirit of Iupiter succeeded vnder whom men began to build and to rule one ouer another To this Raphael succeeded the spirit of Mercurie vnder whom caracters and writing and musicall instrumenâ—s were first inuented To this succeeded Samal the spirit of Mars vnder whom though the Hebrewes accouÌ„t that the flood was yet according to the account of the septuaginta Isiodore Beda and Tritemius who prooueth this assertion by the same rule of multiplicatioÌ„ the flood was afterward vnder the dominion of Gabriel the spirit of the Moone Because it were both obscure and tedious to shew from the beginning of the world vnto this day euery course of these trigones in the zodiach and euerie dominion of these planetical spirits with the effectes which followed here on earth to the end that wee may vnderstand a secret truth sufficient to warne euery one which loueth the Lord to be ready sith his day and comming seemeth neere at hand I will onely shew some effects of the watry trigone especially what followed when it ended as it did lately in the tayle of Pisces with the appliance of the effects of Gabriell the spirit of the Moone who last of all begun his dominion ouer the world the yeare of our Sauiour his incarnation 1525. and shal rule vnlesse the Lord shal cut off those euill effects til the year one thousand eight hundred seaueÌ„ty nine eleuen months For
the more inciting of vs vnto the consideration of our state and this present age in which wee liue let vs call to minde the words of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who when he forewarned his Disciples of the last day of doome which now hangeth ouer our heads then saith hee looke vp for your redemption is at hand He which biddeth vs looke vp hee first created man vpright to behould the heauens not minding to make vs gase at nothing but hee hath set some cleere obiect for vs to behold aboue And because heauen is aboue and earth below looke vp vnto the heauens and behold the starres which as the Scripture faith are fixed therein for signes times for years and dayes sith the Lord himselfe in the creation of the starres appointed them for signes and seasons and sith the Son of God hath bid vs looke vp to them Let vs not regard the coloured speeches of the ignorant who beeing a ridiculous generation would faine seeme that which they are not But let vs looke vp we shall see straunge signes in the heauens such signes as hath not bene since the beginning of the world vnto this day and were not nor could not well haue bene found out of vs if wee had not had cunning and expert Astrologers amongest vs. The apparance of these prodigious sights in the heauens do bid vs consider that the sixe thousand years are almost ended that the sixt age of the world is inclining it selfe into the graue that the fourth Monarch though Liberatie verie learnedly addeth a short defensiue for the same is now languishing The starres were appointed for signes seasons this is a great signe of the decaying of the fourth monarch in that the watrie Trigone is now expired vnder the which the fourth monarch had the beginning The same two great planets Saturne and Iupiter being conioined in Scorpio Iulius Caesar being then in the height of his imperiall pride which was fortie seuen yeres before Christ. That learned Liberatie argueth strongly on the contrary to an other conclusion than I will name affirming that no constellation decaieth his owne proper effect Ciprianus Leouitius coniectureth a shorter conclusion from heauen It is lawful for all men to beleeue what seemeth most likely and when all is doone the conclusion is meere coniecturall but yet by many probabilities This for our instruction let vs mark after the passing of these six thousand yeares six ages foure momarches and now the fourth Trigone newly ended that the world also is drawing towards and end With this lette vs consider howe often this constellation hath had issue from the beginning of the world together with the dominion of Gabriell the spirit of the Moone who ruleth now And therewith let vs consider the effectes which followed them Anno mundi 2242 the watrie Trigone drawing to an end Gabriel the angell of the moone began his dominion ouer the world and what followed men being then giuen to pride and lecherie to feeding their bodies and not their soules to regard the kingdoms of the earth not the kingdome of heauen not regarding that learned Noe the seruaunt of the Lorde the cloudes were dissolued aboue the fountaines of the earth were opened below the seas were let loose abroade the waters flowed outragiously ouer the whole earth and drowned all worms and beasts all fowles all men women and children all liuing creatures of the earth except Noe and those which hee tooke with him into the Arke After this general destruction of the whole world in the ende of Pisces the spirites of the planets together with the Trigones proceeded successiuely till at the length in the ende of the dominion of Samaell the spirit of Mars vnder whome the destruction of Troy was complete Gabriel the angell of the moone beganne the second time to rule in the ende of the watrie Trigone And what followed that mightie Monarchie of the Assirians was destroyed and came to vtter ruine vnder that â—leshly Sardanapalus Also the kingdome of the Macedonians the kingdome of the Syluians ended and the Romanes began together with the captiuitie of Babylon amongst the Iewes Thirdly the Trigones and planeticall spirits proceeded successiuely till the same watry trigone ended againe the fiery entring six yeares before the birth of Christ and what followed There was great change throughout the whole world The sacrifice of Moses did cease the oracles and idolatrie of the heathen came to an end the Gentils were called to be partakers of the true faith the empire of Rome was subdued and brought vnder the lawe of the Gospell which began vnder the fiery triplicitie After which the succession of the trigones proceeded to the end of the watry trigone which was about the yeare of our Lord 600. And what followed Mahomet the Arabian brought in the sect of the Saracens by which the Romane Empire and the profession of christianitie decayed together in Asia besides many wastings destructioÌ„s in the church recouered againe by Charles the great From that time to this the trigones haue passed their course successiuely in such sort that nowe the watrie trigone is once againe expired in Pisces and the fiery newly entred in Aries together vnder the dominion of Gabriell which ruled in the time of the floud and in the destruction of the first Monarch And what shall followe God knoweth and no man no not the angels in heauen And yet let vs not be so blinded with the cloudie fancies of the flesh that we should looâ—e our spirituall vnderstanding But let vs looke vp to heauen and behold the great signes which the Lord sheweth in the heauens especially let vs fixe our cogitation on that strange star which he shewed vnto vs fifteene yeares since Which though it appeared amongst the starres of heauen and that in the place of a starre so that none but Astrologers could perceiue the same yet it was a straunge sight to all the learned which beheld it And so much the rather because it was found to bee placed verie high in the aethereall region aboue the sphere of the moone a faire cleare bright calme starre round and euen but brighter than the starres of heauen it was exceeding strange to the wise and learned because there was neuer any such like seen since the first creation of the world vnto this day but at the comming of Christ. Though some olde Chaldeans note that the like appeared to Noe fifteene yeres before the floud therfore seemeth to be a signe vnto the world of such an effect as neuer was in the world before vnlesse it were the comming of that holy one the Lord and sauiour of the world It appeared in the heauens not in the elemeÌ„ts whereby we gather that it signifieth an euent from heauen In a signe which neuer setteth and that a whole yere together which forsheweth an eternity The signe
haue looked to the woorship of the Lord and how careful they haue bene of their owne estimation how litle they haue bestowed on the house of God and how manie thousandes on their owne painted pallaces how little they haue bestowed on the poore of Iesu Christ and haue exceeding much on their carnal friends in whom they delighted When those thinges shal come clerely to their remembrance then shalbe fulfilled that saying of the Apostle Go too yee rich men howle weep for the miserie which shal come on you Many and mightie shal be their wailings it shall greeue them that they haue bin rich when they shall see the blessings of the poore their honour shal breed thought of dispaire and confusion in their harts their faire lands which they made their paradise here on earth shalbe a burning consumption in their coÌ„sciences When the wicked shall see heauen open aboue hell gaping belowe and the earth melting away betwixt them both when they shall heare that voice of ioy Come ye blessed and that voice of sorrowe Go ye cursed into euerlasting fire when they shall see the mightie put downe from their seate and the humble lowly harted exalted it shall greeue them so that they shall vtterly loath all those pleasures which they haue so loued they shall gnash thereat with their teeth But to the godly to the penitent sinners to those which loue his holy worship and study to maintaine his poore members heere vpon earth the Lorde of his great mercie will bestow his louing kindnes peace with the fruition of euerlasting life Which he graunt vs that hath bought it so dearely for vs euen Iesus Christ the righteous to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost one most holy blessed and glorious Trinitie be all glorie and honour for euer and euer Amen FINIS Deo gratias Celsus of Verona his Dissuasiue to the renoumed Senate of Venece shewing that since they enriched themselues with the goods of the Church they are become vnable to resist their enimies IT hath beene the maner of many men most entire Prince and worthie Senate oft times when they were to intreat of anie matter truly to speak to reueale to comprehend that in their speach which might please the eares of the hearers or obtaine grace and generall good liking of all And on the contrarie that which is right which is profitable which seemeth good and honest vnto them that they openly refuse and vtterly reiect as a thing lesse pleasant and lesse delightfull to the hearers But I am farre of an other opinion sith as me thinketh those men are greatly deceiued and faile oft times of their purposed conclusion For whilest they seeke the glorie and commendation of men by a seruile kinde of merchandise they fall into the pit of ignomie and discredite For what is more vnhonest then with the colour of vertue and goodnes deceitfullie to blinde the eies of our friendes What more vnseemely thing then in the steed of truth to place fained and forged errors what is more filthie or further from all honest dealing then by pestilent fauning and flattering to induce mortall men into manie great and dangerous errours these kinde of men are not to be accounted friends or welwillers or yet good men but rather to be esteemed as cruell enemies vtterly to be detested of all men For who is able to recount what mischiefes what losses what pestileÌ„t destructioÌ„s they bring with theÌ„ I saie who is able to number all the great detriments the charges the discommodities the dangers which thorough the wicked counsell of these parasiticall flatterers and their deceitfull glosinges not onelie priuate men but all Common-wealths and the Dominions of all Princes haue sustained And it is no hard matter for them to attaine hereunto sith they masking vnder the smooth visure of good will and amitie with glosing wordes and fained flatteringes they blinde the eies of those which beholde them they intangle them and they intrappe euery one not yet acquainted with their sleights and in such manner that they cannot possiblie discerne what is good and holsome for them nor on the contrarie what is ill and hurtfull They thinke themselues to bee such kinde of men that of right and reason they shoulde bee commended from which opinion innumerable offences doe proceede sith heereby they remaine in most grosse errours Therefore at this present I am not minded to treade in their steppes but rather I mind to prosecute and to declare those things boldly which though they seeme lesse plausible or lesse pleasant yet they are not forged or fained but are such indeede as become a true friende and faithfull instructer and therefore peraduenture they will prooue not altogether vnprofitable nor vnfruitfull for the potions of Phisitions oft times are bitter but yet the same minister helpe and health vnto the diseased the which thing also it behooueth me to do euen to execute the same duelie and to resemble the same person whereby I may more easilie and directlie recouer the good health of those which nowe lie still and languish In this respect if I shall seeme to haue vttered anie thing more licentiouslie then I might doe not thinke that it proceedeth of stomach or malice but rather that your minde most excellent Prince and theirs also which are destitute of such admonitions may bee stirred vp effectuallie and in good earnest to take wiser and more holesome counsell In fine I request you to accept this small treatise of mine written rudelie and in a meane stile which for that great loue and hartie good will which I beare vnto your Honour and that most famous Senate I haue determined with my selfe to dedicate vnto you If peradâ—enture not onelie by my daily and deuoute praiers but also by exhortations I may profite you and your afflicted state either with counsell or otherwise with my profitable indeuour And now lest my speach should rome range too far most mighty Prince I will begin to declare that which I mind to intreat of at this time If by the way I may but note and name this one thing that therefore of mine owne accorde I tooke this labour vpon me that in no respect so farre as my facultie wil extend I would restraine my selfe but I woulde supplie those things I would perswade those things I would admonish you of those things which I am sure nerely concerne the safetie and preseruation of that your most honourable and famous Senate and in these so great calamities and daungers your perpetuall name and glorie NOt many daies since most Noble Prince trauailing through many Countries and Cities I spake with many rare excellent men many famous mighty Princes In the midst of our talke oft times wee fell into the selfe same speaches which are now common in euerie mans mouth that is concerning the prosperous successe of the warres of the great Turke a most wicked and professed enemie euen to the name