thy faith and thy church vnlesse their apostasie heresie and Martinisme preuaile and those goods which as thy Apostle S. Iames teacheth vs came from aboue by former good instruments be rauened and bribed and pulled away by these wicked instruments these mad dogs these infamous libellors from our feet and heads from our tables and studies from our mouthes and hearts to feede hounds to dresse whores to multiplie helhound and whore-hound ruffians swearers harebraines vnlesse we be desolate and forsaken without our owne patrones without tutors of our own without our owne Iudges as other men haue all of their owne without the possession and fruition of our own or rather of thy goods to the derision of thy omnipotent power to the contēpt of thy reuerend word to the ouerthrow of thy catholicke and apostolick church of thy faithfull and true bishops and priests which haue authority euen frō the great commission of thy holy spirite to be chargeable to the hearers and professors of the faith 2. Thessal c. 3. v. 8 9. in the dayes of this life and haue a more singular praeeminence then any other in the life of the resurrection Dan. c. 12. v. 3. which are the chiefest pillars in thy common-wealth that being in honor and reputation and enuironed with many godly Centurions defenders with many louing Dauids meeke Mosees and liberall Salomons the whole glorie and euery part thereof shall redound to thee ô father of heauen now in the last times and yeares of the world and continue euermore by thy mightie will as it did in the beginning of the law and the dayspring of the gospel when true zeal was earnest in enriching thy flock and tyrannie onelie occupied in empouerishing it when it was true religiō to confirme the estate of thy preachers and execrable atheisme to enfeeble them when it was esteemed for right diuinitie to obey God more then man for prophane Iudaisme to serue God and Mammon much more to serue Mammon and God after the Iewish cōstruction and antichristian manner that triumpheth in the name of bloud which is but aërie of seede which is but fierie of elementarie and minerall accidents which are but earthie and watrie of those bodilie blunt and sharpe properties and casual endowments which make the life tedious vnto men of this world and odious to thy maiestie in the world to come vnlesse they be consecrated to thy blessed lambe and dedicated to the vse of thy holy Church whose internall prosperitie first then externall is regarded of all good men howsoeuer these new putfoorths dronken textuals brainsick templaries monstrous protesters play the verball sophisters throughout their whole generations Now deere Christians let vs labour continually to bee deere to God let vs not vndoe the whole bodie for the faults of some parts let vs not for a worldly hope lose a heauēly certainty for accidentall shadowes essential substāces for indifferent ceremonies necessary lawes the good wheate for the cockle in the fields the fruitful trees for the fruitles hawty brāble in the woods for the fraile loue of a man the endles loue of our God his lambe that teacheth vs only to flie from the sin not the goods of the world but vse them godly and canonically Let vs I beseech you dulie consider the word of the Lord of hostes vnto Zachary his prophet which biddeth vs Execute true iudgement and shew mercy and compassion and that none imagine euill against his brother in his heart cap. 7. vers 9. Let vs daily and instantly pray vnto God to illuminate our knowledge with his heauenly empireall light to establish our faith to multiplie his gifts and graces vpon vs that wee sing with the spirit and with the vnderstanding as S. Paul our great doctor hath said If God be on our side who can be against vs who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all as a lambe to death how shall he not with him giue vs all euen all things also Rom. c. 8. v. 31 32. Let not vs make our selues worse then the heathen or reuerence our religious fathers bishops lesse then they did their holy men accounting their priests and pastors for nobles princes and their princes nobles for priests pastors of the people as Homer nameth metaphorically Agamēnon the prince of Graecians the pastor of the people Hector the prince of Troians the bishop of men as Sophocles and the other graue and sententious Tragedians call their prophetes princes and namely blinde Tyresias for being a prophet is called a king euen of a king as Virgil familiarly knowne to yoong schollers calleth Anius a king and a priest or as Moses rather telleth vs in his diuine iudgement that Melchisedech was the prince of Salem and the priest of God Genes cap. 14. v. 18. and S. Paul to preuent glossary cauils nameth him king plainely by the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the ground or foundation of the people whereon they build their cōfidence and strength Iesus being the corner stone Heb. c. 7. v. 1. and who hath not heard of the kingly prophete Dauid of Hermes that was a philosopher a priest a king and therof was among other Aegyptian princes named Trismegistus or thrise excellent Let not vs English men make our selues worse affected towarde Gods Church then our forefathers haue beene before vs whereof some leauing their crownes some their royalties some their riches deuoted themselues wholy to the orders of the Church and bestowed their liues and liuelihoods vpon Gods ministrations and seruices as some readers know very well besides diuers examples of other forraine chronicles iudging the name of a diuine better then of a man and the title of Gods priest as ioyfull and honorable with men and Angels as that which is the very best of all titles Let him that is taught in the word minister vnto him that teacheth in all good thinges who goeth a warfare at his owne cost who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruite thereof who feedeth a flocke and suffereth another to deuour the milke saith S. Paul the mightie Apostle and Bishop of the Gentiles Galat. cap. 6. vers 6. what true Christian man will once doe otherwise vnto an other then he would in that others place á paribus causis should be done to him saith Christ the almightie Sauiour Math. c. 7. v. 12. Let vs not follow Aërius the hereticke whose opinion concerning the equalitie of Bishops and Priests Epiphanius confuteth l. 3. haer 75. but rather satisfie our selues with the confutation thereof in that place then seeke new shifts for him and starting holes for that sentence of S. Ierome pronounceth a bishop to be a priest because they are diuers orders as a man might say in that phrase without confounding the degrees the same man which is a doctor is a maister but it doth not by conuersion iudge a priest to be a bishop a maister to bee a doctor Or if the
the tabernacle and the dedication of the altar Nom. c. 7. v. 11. vnto the 88. they offred siluer in very great measure they offred gold a mightie quātity they presented the finest flower mingled with pleasant oyle in most bountifull manner they gaue of the best of their cattle a goodly number and because they came so willingly vnto God behold the reward of godlines God came the more readily vnto them and God talked presently with Moses their chiefe ruler and captaine from his mercy seate v. 89. both to incourage them in the worke of their free will offeringes and to stirre vp their children and successors after thē vnto the worldes end to such religious deuotion and restitution Their and all the peoples voluntarie contribution toward the tabernacle was so great and plentifull euen in that time of their wandering and pouerty in the wildernes that the workmen complayned of too much trouble in receiuing their dayly gifts that Moses at their requestes proclaymed in their armies to haue them cease from offering any longer A christall glasse for this age to looke in and see to wipe out their cankred spots which make them most vnlike those primitiue Israëlites and as diuelish in purloyning the beneuolences and legacies geuen to Gods holy places as good Christians were liberall in prouiding for their spirituall fathers Exodus c. 35. and 36. They all gaue their offeringes for loue for example for thanksgeuing they restored to God that which God gaue them they knew that their goods without Gods seruice shoulde be vnto them as those delicate quayles and that white pure Manna the quayles choaking those that did eate them against Gods will and the Manna smelling with wormes that was kept against Gods commaundement Num. cap. 11. v. 19 29. Exod. c. 16. v. 20. But why stand I vpon those vertuous examples was not that infamous Balaam more iust then these new fangled censuring reformers yea and was not his very rude asse more respectiue regardant in humble submission to his better then these busi-motespiers smoothing hipocrites O let those precise lips and pure sanguine liuers pardon me that loue to feede finely and sleepe softly not on thistles not asselike not hardly No faire allurement of king Balac no suttle suggestion of his lords of Moab could make him go beyond the word of the Lord God but he tooke vp his parable and blessed Iacob he spake once and twise and exalted the florishing and happy estate of Israël he could not curse them whom God had blessed and he would not go against the worde of their God neither was he himselfe only obedient though he were in the number of false prophets but his asse likewise did bowe to the Angell in the way the beast bowed and fell downe before Gods messenger again and againe and God made the dumb brute to seeme somewhat reasonable with a mās voice Num. c. 22. v. 22. whereas these strange new founders of discipline will looke on the magistrate which is Gods angel and neither bowe heart nor bend body to him but in a blind courage will bite the lip at him and looke vnder the browe and walke on proudly apace will tell Gods angel that he must put vp his sword that they are not borne to obey him but to gouerne and reforme them though neither Sultan nor Saphra neyther princes nor iudges neither valiant nor wise men be on their sides otherwise then Ioab was next to Abner and Hamon to Guinder euen to execute their owne purposes though Abner and Guinder paid their liues for them in the ende 2. Kings c. 3. v. 27. or if perhaps any hold with them it is the horsleach and his daughter that crie giue and giue and nothing but giue Prou. c. 30. v. 15. if themselues haue any zeale it is the zeale of Iudas Iscariot who enuied the precious annointing of Christs body that now is the Church Iohn c. 12. v. 5 6. if they haue any spirit for them it is that false spirit that flew into the mouthes of Ahabs prophets and blew all their proofes to a goodly and new gay nothing like our new reformations 3. Kings c. 22. v. 23. or rather it is that foule vggly spirit their owne very type and example who in calumny and lying hath no priour nor peere being a traueller to and fro and maligning the prosperitie of rich and righteous Iob came among the childrē of God on a day as these pure ones do often tempted God openly as these tempters doe their adherents and hearers in corners and conuents to plague good Iob to punish him to torment and vexe him and if the holy plaintifs might haue the diuels lucke and by some sinister meanes obtaine their request they would euen for perfit zeale doe as the diuell did and leaue their father Iob nothing but nakednes and woe or at their best be but like the pure penitent that stoale away a swan picked downe a feather desiring in their too singular and too extraordinary discipline that God might be magnified in restoring him againe to his children in reedifying his houses in renewing his lands and goods and all that he had much like him that would breake his fellowes head to giue him a plaister or that put his finger in the fire to haue it healed againe that contrary to S. Pauls counsell would doe euill that good might come of it Rom. c. 3. v. 8. Iob c. 1. v. 6. c. 2. v. 1. neuer regarding that prohibition in Gods prouerbs of not remoouing the bounds of their ancestors c. 22. but deuising and filling their lusts Hereafter I for my part must account Aristotle his schollers more religious then these newes bringers that vse holy magistracies that are publicke offices like priuate charges that are necessary duties like decent orders for he iudgeth them both publick and necessary which must be regarded publickly of al men and without which the commonwelth cannot begin or indure and though at first he reckoneth religious degrees after politick yet in his methodicall transition or recapitulation of necessary offices he setteth diuine before warly or any other perhaps criptically and histerologically perhaps in his lukewarme zeale not caring which were placed first as may appeare by Laërtius l. 5. and elswhere in his owne works Polit. l. 6. c. 8. Yea these men may well be set euen to Phalaris the tyrants schoole to learne deuotion zeale of him after thus many yeares puritie and purgation who in his 84. epistle to the Messanenses accuseth thē of theft of impietie of sacriledge for doing that which our reformers seeke with tooth naile continually and diuiding those golden giftes among themselues which hee had sent to Delphos as a thanksgiuing after the recouerie of his health threatneth them with reuenge from heauen geueth them at last a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a farewell with a mischiefe Yea and Iulius Caesar that great spoyler may read a diuinitie lecture to these
surest freend to God and Gods people which ioyneth the power of the world vnto the mightines of the word the arme of Moses to the tongue of Aron the blessings of God to Gods blessed church that by vniting of both powers either may be stronger Eccle. c. 4. v. 12. that in this greatest light of diuinitie diuines should be in greatest light and reputation yea if it were but to anger the deuill in hell who like a crafty theefe as he is euer seeketh by miserable pouerty to cast them into wofull contemptible estate That vnhappie pouertie may make the men ridiculous as Iuuenall wryteth Satyra 3. or as Synesius bishoppe of Ptolomais singeth in his seconde and thirde Hymne sad pouertie may pull them from heauenly studies to earthly cares as he had learned of Agur the sonne of Iaketh or rather of experience the daughter of trueth that our preachers nowe may pronounce a seuenfold Vae and a mighty malediction ouer thē which empayre Gods tenthes or any other dues as the olde Prophets aforetime did in Iudaea Mala. c. 3. v. 8 10. Amos cap. 4. vers 4. that there is no iust cause why the papistes should be readier to magnifie their Cleargie in a false superstition then the Protestants to vphold rewarde their cleargie in a true religion why the heathen churches should be in greater reuerence with the paganes then the christian churches with the christians as the loue of good men should exceed the loue of the wicked why secular men may get their wealth by testamēt or desert spirituall men hauing the same plea both of testament and desarte may misse of their own goods and lose them by force by tyrāny hypocrisie vnder a mercifull Prince in a peaceable state in their owne natiue countrey of their own neighbors by the waiward and sophisticall wrangling of their own professors and such other deceitfull and vngodly meanes and essayes of the maker the shifter the hooker against the golden rules of vniuersalitie of antiquitie of vnanimitie which Vincentius in his commentarie standeth so well vpon Then to whom may I best liken this race of Reformers and with what may we iustly and truely compare them If I should continua similitudine resemble them to the Vipers broode that kill their owne damme which bred and brought them vp to life I am sure you that know the vse of this kind of simile and the manners of this people against their mother the Church that first bred them will say I speake trueth If in like sort I compare them to the noysome Cuckoo reckoned among other vnclean birdes in Leuiticus which must not be eaten or tasted of c. 11. v. 16 whose propertie is to starue his nest-felowes and destroy his nurce that fed him our dayly experience doth approue it and if Orus or Pïerius were aliue euen they woulde make these two naturall examples the Hierogliphickes of Reformers God graunt they be not like the vnaduised Physitian that would needes cut a veine where no danger was and thinking to ease and lighten the head where the signe was which poynt hee either forgat or neglected let the life bloud out and killed both head and heart together I pray God they prooue not like the hasty and curious husbandman that to make his trees growe in more sightly order as he thought so cropped and disarmed disarayed them that in short time they withered vp I hope in Christ they shall neuer be like that conceited harebrainde Captaine who when by grosse ouersight and blindenes he had lost the Citie in neglectigg one gate which had most neede of defence beyonde his expectation cast himselfe and his neighboures into bondage and death and as it were out of Gods blessed Paradise into the wilde fielde and hote Sunne But alas I see well they are to day like themselues yesterday and to morow like themselues to day seking this day and all other like themselues to make desperate exchanges to bring in fruitlesse amendments stūbling at strawes that hinder not the way and leaping ouer great blockes that halfe stoppe vp the way crying out vpon the godly orders and decent customes of the church as il birds that file their owne neast exclaiming against conuocation robes and graue apparrel because sometimes forsooth there hangs a straw or feather or threads end or some such great thing which a cranke a cursitour a Martin a carter threw or blewe vpon them in his terrible mocking vaine and letting passe the mōstrous vnnaturall vnlawfull vngodly vnciuil and more then Iewish vsurers whom the most learned M. doctor Wilson once her Maiesties Secretarie hath condemned in his Dialogues to the endlesse shame of gromelgayners ill occupiers by heathens by Christians by the old fathers by the auncient counsels by emperors by bishops by decrees by canons by all sectes of regions and of all religions by the gospell of Christ by the mouth of God omitting the outlandish and English corruptions or witcrafts by which and those kinde of people together if we marke well this seminarie of reformers is cheefly vpholden and boulstred out and by such companions as make the bookish vnwary Minister a cloake for their conueyances and a shadowe for their skarres It is but too true which Ptolomy wryteth in his 12. aphorisme that loue and hatred corrupt mens iudgements either in themselues by extenuating the greatest faults and by extending the least commendations or by enlarging the least faults and abridging the greatest prayses of their aduersaries which like not their proceedings Wherefore I would to Christ they would once leaue off from their vncharitable and vnwarie contradictions and be so gratiously and godly wise to take the lambe of God out of the Lions and Beares mouth as valiant young Dauid did saue his lamb with his cunning and hardy sling and taught some old shepheardes as he learned of other to keep their sheepe and lambes from hungrie and emptie and rauenous beastes of the field and of the wood Saue the lambe of God not because he hath need of your helpe but that yee may bee blessed and saued by him Hurt not the seruants of the Lambe if ye haue any foresight in you least while you goe about to drowne the poore mouse as the enuyous frog did you make your selues a pray to your enemies by the same deuise and thread which drowned him as Aesope said to Delphi for himselfe in a sillie tale conteyning a subtile and solemne precept to beware of reuenge Let vs looke vpon the Princes and heads of Israël let our noblemen allow and follow their actes which shal be renowmed and praysed for euer their offeringes shal be famous throughout all posterities no reformers or misinformers shall euer deforme and defame their good workes and good names and the sixe sonnes of Arcturus in heauen shall not continue longer then the giftes of Naason Nathaniel Eliab Elizur and the other rulers vnto Pagiel and Ahyra which giftes they gaue at the setting vp of
Ignatius Ambrosius and other haue truly iudged the one almost in euery epistle the other in his pastorals for the diuine court of cōscience ruleth al courts whatsoeuer and wheresoeuer into the lowest places offices with the lowest prouision of externall goods for their diuine and politicke seruice done to God and their prince to God their countrie to God and the whole earth herein I cōmend all christians to truth to charitie to faith which bid al true charitable faithfull christians to obey their guydes submit thēselues to those which haue charge of their soules Heb. c. 13. v. 17. must the greatest seruice be least regarded and recōpensed God be mercifull to vs what a wilfull world liue we in shall the seruice of all seruices euen Gods owne diuine seruice be least considered and rewarded whereby al other seruices and masteries are holden vp Then farewell all vertue which shoulde bee Lady and Queen ouer all then God help godlines that ordereth all vertues and is of highest orders then let Porphyrius saying of Britanie reuiue againe That it is a fertile Prouince of Tyrants nay but must the greatest seruice amōg the greatest be smally respected and simply honoured which helpeth men of all diseases and hurts more then all Lawyers and Physitians the precepts thereof being better remedies against diseases and pouertie either in preuenting them best by temperance or ouercomming them by patience as it may appeare to them that reade the Scripture ouer but halfe so often as Alphonsus Arragonius did Then let in all dissolution and neglect of iustice then Britannia shal be Romania not as Gildas meant of Rome which conquered vs in Caesars time and after that kept vs long vnder yoke Ecce quà m malum iniucundum non habitare in vnum but as Romania is taken this day for a part of Turkie which if wee that professe the Gospell had the grace to agree in our selues might goe hang it selfe for any hurt it could doe vs then your our Eirenarchy will be anarchy thē shal those paddock lordings rule al with their line reuel that haue in their charity christianity so vnruly and irregularly in their policie their humanitie so trayterously peruersly opposed and set themselues against the power and honor of the lambe in heauen of the almighty lambe which is Lord ouer all and within all ruling for euer in that they are aduersaries to the reuerence and fatherhoode of his kingly prophets and messengers and lawyers his visible angels and priestes and saints created and ruled by his most happy and blessed worde Which name of priestes or elders by their reformatiue sullen misorder and their terrible graue Lord of misrule is nowe halfe reckoned with some harebraines a name in reproach so the best names of fathers and brothers and other will shortly likewise be in contempt if this correcting corrupting Mart. indure long as he that hath but halfe an eye may plainly see how it is alredy crept in with these markers and marrers by disobedient thoughts hath bred more equalitie in mens mindes then was wont to be in my short remembrance or ought now to be in our experience vnlesse you would haue in your time and in your successors a monarchie turned into a democratie a king into a subiect a better into a worse contrarie to Christes owne rule in his Gospell The seruant is not aboue his master Matth. c. 10. v. 24. for all the fire burneth not at the first or second blast but riseth and spreddeth by little and little and so clymeth vp to the top and can hereafter turne equalities vpon their temporall Lordes and tenants as it appeareth already by some they cal Brownists or Downists and Downings or such men of plucking downe both great and little hils by the same texts which they wrest vpon spirituall lords and their curates which texts belong vniuersallie to all christians as the Lordes prayer and other textes doe being spoken likewise at first to the Apostles and that people only But perhaps I am in a wrong confutation seeing these reformers are of so sober and maydenly discreete aduised behauiour what say you aduised discreete when you might say as truely the most wise that euer liued vnder the sunne and the puritie it selfe of mortall sapientials for Salomon himselfe euer counted hetherto the wisest of men was not it seemeth by them of halfe so wise a spirite as these frugall dainty mote-spyers be in these points wherein both of them shew forth their loue and zeale toward Gods church I beseech you weigh them both together and so you shall finde the trueth by triall Salomons loue is loued of all good men in buylding and bewtifying Gods temple most gloriously because it is louely in it selfe and louing vnto all 3. Kings cap. 6. v. 2.2.3 cap. 7. vers 15. Reformers loue is the cleauing of yuie to the tree to rotte it or to the wall for snayles and vermin to creepe vp aloft by it their loue is of the ape the fonde olde ape that with imbracing too closely killed his young one when he did all for apish loue their loue is of the kisse of that hellish ape that antichristian Iudas it is falshoode in felowship we finde it so it is no kinde of good loue or zeale toward God or man which breaketh down his holy places with axes and hammers which cryeth downe with them downe with them euen to the grounde and are hereupon called enemies and blasphemers of God and his honour Psal 74. and maketh the Turke and the deuill to laugh at Christians God graunt this diuision cause not the increase of Mahomets kingdome as the faction of Ieroboam was cause of Nabucodonosers victories ouer Israel Salomon hath so entirely and feruently loued the church that in reading him any man woulde thinke he could scarcely imagine or tel how to expresse his affection sufficiently and significantly inough to his contentation that he euer thought he neuer did good inough or said good inough to Christes spouse and Church Reformers Solymans or halfe Turkes haue so sheerely and purely loued the Church Christes sister and spouse which that king so magnifieth and extolleth in his diuine caution or heauenly hymne by most harty exclamations and most sweete comparisons that they cannot tell which way to abase her prelates too much or inough to impouerish her estate and make it like themselues rather then Christ who is Lord ouer all things and hath all power in heauen and earth taking Luke for no body c. 22. v. 30. and naked trueth in a scogginly and ruffianly sense not as it is meant of plainnesse and perspicuitie they cannot affoorde her any honour and grace by whose doctrine all other powers are honorable and gracious otherwise remaining in their old heathenish slipperie estate with catch that catch may as Brennius once said they crie out for spritish zeale and without spirituall skill they call enuious detraction religious purgation
and violent robbery valiant ielousie and false dealing godly insinuation Lord God amend them if it bee thy will for they know not what they say Salomon writeth in his sure promise and exhortation that if his spouse be a wall he will build a siluer bulwark vpon it to make it the more venerable and glorious among men Reformers in their discipline and exhortation are as ready to steale his siluer worke away by a false plea as he was to set it vp by a good conscience they are ready to rob the Church for loue they now with all blasphemous impudencie professe it openly set a price on it as the malecious men in in old time did on Ioseph and Iudas in later time on Iesus himselfe and souldiers cast lots on his owne garment Gen. c. 37. v. 27. Math. c. 27. v. 5. and some care not in their madnesse if he were stripped from top to toe such is their lunacie and so are they puffed vp with pecuniary logick which Verres a worthy teacher hath taught thē making more account of monie then of men teaching other men how to buy the best princes aliue of their owne men but shal this Iugurth say of you relatiuely ô angliam venalem si inuenerit venditorem shall he thus vilely dishonor the iudges of this age with such proffers as if they were for his tooth maligning secretly our gracious blessed prince and deuising how to blot hir Royall immaculate glory in this hir mercifull and right Christian raigne by some such villanous desperate act whereby shee might be stained in all posterities and records by pleasuring Martinish malcontents once and displeasuring all learned men for euer euen for loue they would worse then that excessiue tyrant Richard the third play an enemies part to the Church for the loue they haue to God they wish the decay of Gods tēple these Antidauids and Antichrists haue not loued the habitation of his house nor the place where his honour dwelleth as their S. Dionysius to whom the hotter wittier they are the liker they are robbed the church of his god whome he worshipped because hee would tast of the goodnesse of his God but we see what sorow came on him euen by deriding that religion which was bad or as mad men and fooles and drunkerds cōdemne their own soules for mony and loose the blessings and ioyes of Gods kingdome to win the transitory goods of the earth by mischieuous waies being misled of an ignorant wil and vnaduised resolution blinded with a fond desire of innouation onely and presuming to rule the wheele which themselues neuer made or knew Salomon saith in the aboundance of that wisedome which God gaue him that if his sister and spouse be a dore as Christ metaphorically calleth himselfe a dore by which we enter into heauen as by his Church wee enter vnto him he will keepe hir in with the best wood he can come by euen with the boordes of Cedar wood which is a wood euer good of greatest continuance of fairest bewtie of noblest worthinesse insomuch that yong grāmarians can say prouerbially Cedro digna of a thing that deserueth immortality and the renowne of all posterity that preserueth it selfe and other things that are in it from corruption but these supposed gentlemen as far from gentlenesse as the goates be from sweetnes these courtiers as farre from curtesie as diuels are from goodnesse these shrewde reformers of Moses and Ioseph Salomon I pray God if it be possible they may once proue reformers of themselues and learne to be ruled by their rulers had rather that preseruation that future renowne that immortalitie of name those cedar bords should only or chiefly be giuen to the temporall scholler then the spirituall teacher to the easie hearer then the painefull speaker to the externall ruler the image of God then the internall ruler the other image of God then to the kings of all kings euen God himselfe or to his house for his owne sake that giueth all goods only for his houses sake as he blessed Pharao for Iofephs sake and the poore widdow of Sarepta for Elias sake and Laban for Iacobs sake where his blessed name is called vpon where his eares are open out of heauen to our praiers where the bottomlesse graces and immeasurable benefites and all happines begin where his owne word is once and for euer sent from aboue where in a better imitation of heauenly harmonie then Macrobius mentioneth l. 2. c. 3 Satur. the nightingale and the larke and al sweet birds for so I may well name them sing Iesus Gloria all the yeare where Gods owne worde is in mans phrase that men may vnderstand it a thousand times more worthy of golden couer and golden deske then the furious Iliads and fraudulent Iliads then the lion and fox of Homer were in the iudgement of Great Alexander according to the like cōparitiue argument of the kingly prophet Dauid who thinketh it no reason that himselfe should dwel within cedar walles and the Arke of God should abide in tentes and be carried vpon cart wheels in a more penurious and simple manner then was eyther lawful or expedient 2. Kings c. 6. v. 3. c. 7. v. 2. For Dauid did not make such a conclusiō as our deformers doe he was not so headstrong a gentleman or so presumptuous a man of worship as this great mender thus counselling all before he be called and cancelling that he neuer had with a metrapolitanisme of his owne making and fashion he said not that the arke of Gods couenant should stay on a cart still in other ages after him because in the primitiue necessitie it was first caried vpon cart wheeles as these seniors in rayling and iuniors in obeying say that the church must stand for euer as she stoode in her apodemicall mobilitie at the first in trauaile in trouble in sorow in persecution like the first churchmen and if that were granted yet euen at those dayes the true christians of the laytie layd downe their goods at the churchmens feete and they did not the like only that were infidels and very pagans Acts c. 4. v. 32. which bounty shewed in the dreadful time of persecution when themselues might haue neede shoulde teach our men to doe the like in time of peace and liberally supply the wants of the clergie which by vngodly Martinish vnreasonable absurdest meanes are beyond a meane very grieuous and many and if christian patience were not most intollerable ô yee diuelish cormorāts reade the 83. Psa v. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. repent make restitutiō of those church lands goods so lewdly and vngratiously gotten and kept and spent in pride and lecherie vnlesse with your other hellish paradoxes yee will make the time of peace in a setled state more niggardly and rauenous then that time of affliction in a moueable wandring common-wealth so that they may as readily protest and maintain this with Wall and
earth and prooue but runnegates and vagabonds in the earth and not be able to keepe themselues that disdained to bee their brethrens keepers and defenders Math. c. 26. v. 24. Gen. c. 4. v. 9 10 11 12. Let no man speake ill of them that be in authoritie or reuile the High priest so as Martinists doe not in calling him mildly painted wall but ragingly very Cayphas him selfe who doubted of Christ whom he hath professed mightily in worde and deede who rent his clothes in horror of Christs diuinitie which he hath in daylie Prayers and euerie way acknowlodged and maintained honourably and hartily but they can be content that as Cayphas was the diuels high priest so the electors and fauourers of our gratious archbishop should be reputed diuels and rakehels and none but these most rebellious and hereticall Iacobites reformers good liuers Let no man thinke to make a doctrine of one mans head but follow the diuine and sweete counsell of S. Paul and learne to goe the right way to the truth of the gospell not in dissimulation and flattering our selues with the fashions of worldlings but in plaine and sincere dealing without bitternesse or disdaine against the Christian fellowship of the church euer taking heed thorough the holy ghost that we doe not with the ignorant and vnstable peruert the scriptures of S. Paul other as S. Peter warneth 1. Epist c. 3. v. 16.17 Galath c. 2. v. 14. Let vs consider that which Iulian the apostata writeth to Arsatius bishop of Cappadocia how christian religion groweth and spreadeth abroad because of the liberalitie that christians vse towards all men of all sortes and follow those primitiue Christians in all good nature vnlesse we be come to that apostasie iulianisme and martinisme which would neither see it grow or spread abroade but bannish it into the nouus orbis whether the ten tribes of Israëll went long before Portugals and deliuer it selfe another while into the outlandish deuises now loathing the Angels foode and Manna after these thirtie yeares O where are our renowned olde noblemen and yeomen of Britannie where be the cities and castles and victories which they were vsually accustomed to winne from their enemies are our hearts out of our bodies that we cannot vnderstand what belongeth to men of so manly a nation are british wits become now so brutish to iudge it manhood and counsell to robbe poore schollers of their rewardes prouided for their labours in minde as other haue rewards appointed for labours of bodie cannot the beast that hath a mans face bee content to be a Fox at fiftie and beguile many but it must be a woolfe and old dogge at seuentie and eightie and rauin all O let vs all looke about vs and see how the professed enemies of Christ the Saracens are at hande and insult vpon vs how they haue gotten Asia minor and great parts of Africke and in them possesse the foure chiefe patriarke cities of old christendom Ierusalem Antioche Alexandry Carthage how they are entred into the bowels of christian landes inhabiting the imperiall citie Constantinople thorough the idle armes and miserable discordes of Christian people which by self-will is growne more proude then valiant how the turkish Mahound like another Pharao or Nabuchodonoser threatneth the bondage of old Aegypt and the captiuitie of old Babilon how he hath conceiued Rome and trauaileth with Pope as Peter Ramus the most blessed martyr of Paris writeth in his diuine commentaries of Religion lib. 4. cap. vlt. Let not the diuell beguile vs with his shadowes and faces with his gallant broode and hospital knights and temporall church men to beleeue him more against the title of our ecclesiasticall Lords when he quoteth Luke c. 22. v. 26. then wee beleeue him when he citeth Math. c. 23. v. 8 9. against the title of our corporall Fathers and vertuous doctors but resist him faithfully and bid him hartily auoid Satan and tell him we must honour our fathers and masters our doctors and lords and all our betters who confesse they learne by these comparatiue texts not to bee impatient as the Gentils not to be vayne-glorious as the Pharisees not to be Lords ouer the faith or tyrannicall commaunders of the faithfull but to followe the example and life of Christ their Lord and Doctor to holde vp all with loue and peace to be meeke and lowly to helpe euen the meanest and regard the poorest Christian as hee washed and wyped the basest partes of his Apostles euen the very feete of them which the Lords and Doctors of the Gentils would neuer haue done for any cause to their seruaunts and schollers Iohn c. 3. v. 5 14. for bathing the feete may saue the life or preserue the health or refresh the body or doe some good and these effects to saue life to saue health to helpe the bodie to doe good are no abasements no disgraces no shame but manly regard neighbourly concord christian communitie and common-wealth Let not the proud and pompous challenges of the enuious men feare any yoong scholler in Christs schoole more then it disquieteth the elder sort which know assuredly that put forths mettall is in nature lightest in proofe weakest that audacious crakers are commonly fugitiues that vnablest workers are busiest worders that the chalenger is for the most part euer vanquished to day in the full who but he and to morrow in the wanes who would haue thought it the very stones crie out vpon them Let vs buy the truth and sell it not likewise wisedome instruction or vnderstanding Prouerb c. 23. v. 23. and speake euery one the truth vnto his neighbour Eph. c. 4. v. 25. Let vs euery one amend our owne liues in all dutie and thankefulnesse and still and euer behold marke know remember imitate worship honour serue adore and prayse the only true right Lamb of God that was made the sonne of man as we are to make vs the sonnes of God as he is that made and saueth crowneth men with his greatnesse and goodnesse for euer and euer Amen Autoris verbum ex Augustini epistola 163. ad Generosum Si ergo aliquid asperè diximus non ad amaritudinem dissensionis sed ad correctionem dilectionis valere cognosce Faults escaped Page 4. line 7. necessary read accessary page 7. line 15. c. 32. read c. 35. page 9. line 8. sesquiamus read sesquiannus pag. 14. line 7.1 1. Kings read 3. King line 10. 2. Cor. not 1. pag. 22. line 17. read iugling oracles of the East page 24. line 21. Senezar read Genezar page 40. l. 16. irrideri reade irridere p. 87. l. 9. Libanus read Libanius p. 96. l. 2. arrogantest read arrantst pa. ead for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 111. armes read armies p. 127. l. 30. oecomenikes read oeconomickes p. 131. l. 32. men read minded p. 136. l. 1. partibus read paribus p. 146. l. 13. for some reade the same