should follow the scepter and peace should follow plentie there should be no distrust of secret treason nor feare of forraine inuasion But aboue all see that you nourish in them a strong perswasion of Spanish loue and an earnest desire of Indian gold that euen as Philip made the Athenians beleeue that he pretended enmitie against the Plotenses and Olynthians when he meant to ride vpon the backe of all Grecia so must you make them beleeue that the purpose of the Spaniard Beleeue them that list is onely to reforme religion and to passe no further And thus there being a coniunction of English plots with Spanish practise how should we but preuaile except sonnes with my elder brother Baalam we haue laboured to curse where the Lord neuer cursed and detested where the Lord neuer detested and I your olde father be constrained in the end to roare with Iulian the Apostata saying vicisti Galilaee vicisti I say no more vnto you but walke closely and keepe your selues in tenebris for your predecessors I know not whether to ascribe it to angrie stars the influence of the heauens neglect of oportunitie want of secrecie by too great securitie haue had so sinister successe that in stead of supplanting a kingdome they haue broken their neckes at Tyburne and in stead of reconciling sowles to our Romish faction Not so but iust reward of treason their heads haue been vnited to an halter This crueltie haue they sustained for my sake whom therfore I haue crowned with martyrdom as your elder brother Campion the rest the remembrance of whom in whose endeuours I haue heretofore placed my hope of effecting that whereunto I now imploy your selues doth but increase my sorrow and griefe CHAPTER 5. Certaine semblances betwixt the Foxe and the Lyon Antichrist and Mahomet in broaching their damnable doctrines and leuying nations to their lawes FOr as much as the couert enemies against the Church do most of all deceiue simple people by shrowding their deformities vnder the mantle of deuotion I haue thought it pertinent to set downe these semblances following betwixt the Pope Mahomet the which throughly pondered of euerie Christian man are sufficient to bring him to a full detestation of the Romish religion This Mahomet was an Arabian souldiour and tooke wages of the Emperour Heraclius to serue him in his wars In a mutinie he was chosen to be a commaunder of a rebellious host so base a vassall was he that the people of Mecha who worship him at this day condemned him to death for his murders and robberies Mahomets coÌ„fession of himselfe Yea he confesseth himselfe what he was namely an Idolater an adulterer giuen to leacherie subiect to women in such manner as it is a shame to report This is that prophet without prophesying The first semblance in their manners that lawmaker without miracles that irreligious former of religion that man without God which hath by his ignorance choked the truth and by his violence inforced falshood That many of the Popes haue bin as desperate and damnable varlets as euer was Mahomet Some Popes as verie varlets as euer was Mahomet the legends written by their owne secretaries doe beare witnesse Amongst whom that monster Boniface the eight carieth the bell of whom themselues giue testimonie that he entered like a Foxe ruled like a Lion and died like a dog Whosoeuer listeth to rake in the dounghil of Popes shall finde some of them to be starke Atheistes as Paul the third some blasphemers and sodomitical knaues as Iulius the third some whoremasters as Iohn the 12. who abused his fathers concubines some necromancers as Syluester who was made Pope auxilio diaboli by the aide of the diuell Yea so holy are these vnerring fathers that one being demaunded why in their suffrages they praied not for Cardinals and Bishops that saith he is to be vnderstood vbi oramus pro schismaticis haereticis where we pray for schismatickes and heretikes The meanes whereby Mahomet deceiued the world were as followeth This new Captaine many could not abide his manners were so monstrous besides he was vexed with the falling sicknes therefore to redeeme himselfe from this contempt pretended a diuinitie in his doings faining himselfe to conferre with God and so to be rauished out of himselfe and that he was no more a prince elected through fauour of souldiers but a messenger of the Almightie Hauing laid this foundation politickely he beginneth to make a mingle-mangle of all religions For to allure the Iewes he exalted Moses and retained circumcision not to estraunge the Christians he confessed Christ to be the spirit word and power of God to please the Nestorians he said that Christ was not verie God nor the sonne of God but that he had indeed the soule of God The Foxe laieth a foundation for his absurdities and blasphemies The second semblance in the ground plot of enlarging theit kingdomes much like that of the Lion for as Mahomet coosened the world in making it beleeue that he entered communication with God when he fell into his fit of the falling sickenes so the Pope whilest he maketh thousands beleeue that he is Gods vicar as the other made his beleeue that he was and is Gods messenger and that he cannot erre in giuing sentence though he may slip as a priuate person poisoneth the Church with pestilent opinions and draweth whole cart-lodes of soules after him into hell fire The groundworke once laid that the Pope cannot erre then like to Mahomet beginneth hee to make an hotch-potch of heresies as to worship Christ and other saints with the Carpocratians to worship the virgine Marie with the Collyridians to paint God like an old man with the Anthropomorphits to hold freewil and a possibilitie to fulfill the commandements with the Pelagians to restraine meats to daies and times with the Montanistes and Manichees to condemne mariage with the Tatians and Cataphrygians and in many pilgrimages praier to the dead Iustification by workes to shew himselfe a right Mahometane The third semblance is in the likelihood of their blasphemies against Christ The third semblance in broaching their blasphâ—mies for Mahomet fearing I say least that he should alienate the Christians confessed Christ to be the spirit word and power of God but not verie God nor the sonne of God and himselfe to be the seruant of Christ but yet so that in the end he preferreth himselfe before him and maketh himselfe the last refuge for mankind to flie vnto The Pope denieth not the person of the great sonne of God for then should he not be Antichrist but yet if you marke well how he degradeth him of his dignities you shall see that Christ is much alike beholden to them both and that euerie one may vnderstand what his flatterers giue him and what he chalengeth Let vs heare what is written Christopher Marcellus said to the Pope and it pleased him well Tues alter Deus in terris
if once it catch the heart roote it will eate out all goodnes all care all loue all zeale and indignation against sin Hence groweth nonresidencie swallowing downe of steeples as easie as the hungrie doth his crummes Loue of the world choakes care of painfull preaching Hence instead of hunting the Foxe there is hunting for promotion and preferment hunting for the profits and pleasures of this present life hunting for honour and for hundreds scratching of consciences in beating of the bushes for many benefices wheeling about the thickets to spie the couch of a prebendary or a deanrie c. and therefore hath it come to passe that some which haue had salt in them that is vnderstanding knowledge and zeale haue lost it through the perswasion of him that said All this will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me there being now no more relish in them then there is tast in the white of an egge And what shall we say then of them that neuer had any salt at all in them neuer any loue any knowledge any zeale surely they be vnprofitable seruants worthie to be cast out of the temple of God as filth and dounge For what breedes greater contempt against God or discredit to his Gospel what more reuiues a catholikes hope to returne vnto Babilon or encourageth the traitours to the accomplishment of their practises then the blindnes ignorance and impietie of the ministerie how commeth it to passe that foolish people retain their old liking to their fathers old faith yong imps haue the like opinion powred into them and consequently as it may seeme easie to be drawne from their dutifull loyaltie to the loue of a stranger but because they haue wanted such as should rightly enforme them can the inestimable treasurie of a mightie prince be seene in the beggarlines of a base Embassadour can the aduersarie of the Gospell be drawne from falsehood and errour by him that knowes not I had almost said beleeues not the truth can a papist be reduced from his worshipping of idols by him that is no better then an idoll himselfe can the carnall gospeller the wanton libertine the prophane heart the beastly Epicure be brought to continencie modesty and sobriety by such which rather binde them in the cordes of iniquitie Lastly if to know God and according to that knowledge to serue him be the ground-worke of all true obedience how is it then possible that they whose consciences were neuer seasoned with any religion should yeelde either to God or their prince any dutifull subiection Saint Paul saith that he had begotten the Church of the Galathians Gal. 4.9 1. Cor. 4.15 and called himselfe the father of the Corinthians in regarde of the ministerie because hee had begotten them by the preaching of the Gospell Such fathers such children such as are the seedmen such seede they doe sowe Where olde wilie Foxes such as whose loue to religion may be iustly suspected are admitted into this great calling there poperie is sowne in stead of the Gospel and Foxes growe vp in steade of sound christians where blinde guides are made ministers such as haue no more knowledge then idolles of woode and stone preachers as they call them of idiots there must needes bee poore knowledge of God and suspected dutifulnes to the prince The great hurt and dishonour that these bring to the Church of God no man can with effectuall words display it nor plentie of teares lament it all sermons exhortations reprehensions doe rather aggrauate their condemnations then worke any reformation We reade that the Emperour Commodus was so cunning in darting that hauing gotten stones for the exercise of his hand many citizens did assemble to see him throw whose dexteritie was such that hee neuer cast at wilde beastes and missed his marke nor gaue any wound that was not deadly It is to be wished that euery one that rebuketh sinne should leuell so straight as did this Emperour that neuer threw but he hit neuer hit but he wounded so should the reader with the Romans neither see one monster twise galled neither any sin recouer the first wound If darters at deformities could wound as deadlie as they aime directly this monstrous monster had been vanquished long ere this day but alas it liueth ô yet it liueth liueth to nourish papisme atheisme and epicurisme If any maruaile at this how such are aduanced to houlde the helme as are scarce worthie to sit in the sincke hoysed into Moses chaire that are more meet to sit at Gamaliels feete called to feede with the dugge of the Gospell before they themselues be well weaned and sent to fight the Lords battles before they haue one stone to sling against Golias that is one scripture to resist the tempter withall let him vnderstand that this is either because the heartes of patrones are limed with the loue of this world which makes them not care whom they present or many Bishops haue such motes in their eyes that they cannot well see whom they blesse I am loth to rake in this dounghill of buying selling of benefices the which is a sufficient testimonie if there were no more that men haue as much true loue to religion as euer had Machiauell Fiue sorts of patrones of benefices There are diuers sorts that giue spirituall promotions in this land some are our great Catholickes whose care to send good ministers into the Church I durst sweare for them is as great as the Foxe euer had to feede the lambes And how can it stand with their blind religion to send good ministers into the true Christian Church but rather to dishonour and deface it by sending in the basest such as haue neither Vrim nor Thummim neither brighnesse of knowledge nor vprightnes of life It is said that Ieroboam made Israel to sinne that is to contemne religion and why because he made priestes of the basest of the people Therfore the diuell knowes well that if he can get priestes to be made of the refuse he shal bring people to condemne preachers and prophecying priests and religion Here let our Bishops be circumspect to sift narrowly when the patrone giues the Foxe for his cognisance There is a second sort of patrons open adorers of their god Mammon Mammonistes patrones described These are as good to Gods Church as the former Indeed I must confesse that when they giue their spiritual promotions all their care is to get a mā of gifts O gifts gifts nothing at all respected with these Merchants but gifts My meaning as no mystery Si nihil attuleris ibis Homere foras If you haue no gifts the passage is plain you must pack Can we find saith Pharao such a man as this meaning Ioseph for his excellencie in whom is the spirit of God Gen. 41.38 thou shalt be ouer my house And can we find such a man as this saith a sacrilegious patrone meaning a Sir Iohn lacke Latin
recouered the Arke of God from contēpt receiued in the time of Iudges of Saul placed it more comely he appointed Priests Leuites singers and doore-keepers to minister in the tabernacle of the lord He aduised kings to looke vnto their duties Psal 2 And now ye kings vnderstād be learned which iudge the land serue the Lord in feare c. Salomon did beare the highest charge in religion Salomon Asa and Iehosaphat tooke charge of religion not onely in building the Lords Temple but also in consecrating hallowing of the same What should I speak of Asa who hauing the charge of religion did rid away the Idols out of all the land of Iuda Beniamin 2. Chro. 6 2. Chro. 15 2. Chro. 29.30.81 c. And of Iehosophat who tooke away the hil-altars and groues out of Iuda Of Ezechias who following the footsteps of his father Dauid in the beginning of his raign the first yeare and first moneth opened and refurnished the gates of Gods house commaunded the priestes to heare him to become holy to cleanse the Lords house and to rid all filthines out of his sanctuarie appointed Leuits with cymbals Psalters harps according to the ordinance of the king his father The like is written of Iosias who vsed the same power authority in the like case Now then since it is so cleare Iohn 12.18 Rom. 13.1 that kings princes are the seruants of God established in authority girded by him with a bawdrier to the end that not only honesty of life should be maintained opposed to violence dissolution but that the true seruice of God should be aduanced contrary to idolatry superstitiō Therfore they ought with all the power which God hath giuen thē to vphold the holy ministery worship of God as wel in vprightnes of discipline as purity of doctrine that both may be cōformable to the word of the Lord testified by Christ his Apostles without adding or clipping or altering consequently bridle as much as they can punish according to the exigence of the case the perturbers of the peace of the Church For religiō belongs not to the left but to the right hād of a prince neither is there any crown so curiously wrought or cunningly set with precious pearles that can half so beautifie a princes person as to seek to promote the glory of the lord and to take these Foxes which seeke to vndermine his vineyard The seruants of Benhadad king of Syria 1. King 20 Traitors make mercy the groundworke of mischiefe what wrong soeuer they had offered to Israel yet fallen into the lapse would reuiue and recomfort themselues with these words Behold we haue heard say that the kings of Israell are mercifull kings let vs therefore put sackcloth about our loins and ropes about our neckes and go to the king of Israell it may be that he will saue our liues Thus standing vpon what may be and not what ought to be what peraduenture he would and not what they deserued they make mercie the ground plot of mischiefe But the king is reproued and it is told him thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people No lesse are those runnagate ruffians to be regarded with thē which welcome and intertaine them For as the practise of the one is to steale away the hearts of subiects so the mark that the other aime at is to lend them their hands against their countrie if time should serue their turne The Almightie God preserue her Maiestie and euermore increase all zeale in her for the punishment of his her enemies that as Asa commaunded all such to be slaine as would not serue the God of Israell as Darius deliuered Daniel 1. King 15 Daniel 6 Daniel 4 2. King 19 2. King 23 and cast his enemies into the den of the Lions as Nabuchadnezzar serued him who by proclamation forbad any in his Dominion to blaspheme the true and very God as Ezechias and Iosias serued him by ouerthrowing the groues and the places that were set vp contrarie to Gods commaundement So she with Dauid hating Gods enemies with a perfect hatred may seeke to root them out more and more and as alreadie she hath broken downe the lofts that were builded to idolatrie ouerthrowne polluted and defiled the altars defaced the vessels that were made for Baal and for the host of heauen so she may cut vp the verie roots of iniquitie and expell the Cananites that the Common-wealth of Israell be not troubled O let not the glozing speech of any ambitious parasite dazle her highnesse eies nor boulster vp poperie by a false perswasion to further clemencie but let him be dishonoured in a day that is not truly zealous for the honour of his God and let him die the death that wisheth not her Maiesties throne to stand steadie as the seat of Salomon and you that feare the Lord and loue his truth say Amen Furthermore as the foresight of her Highnes most honourable counsell hath appeared in shielding vs from forraine foes so ought their chiefe circumspection to be seen in shielding vs from domesticall feare Then shall we being free in our bowels from sedition at home be stronger to withstand forraine power abroad It is not a safe thing to lay the bridle vpon the necke of such dangerous practitioners by whom both prince your selues our liues our countrie our fortunes may be hazarded in an instant execution of discipline is a perfit mithridate against al dangerous conspiracies insurrections seditions rebellions and all popish pollicies Correct saith Bensyra a wise man with a nod and a foole with a club there hath been mildnesse and lenitie shewed long enough there hath been becking and nodding and notting long enough but the froward will not receiue information What remaineth then but an hammer or an hatchet or a club execution I meane of Iustice against these household enemies Your H. shall rightly propose to your selues the example of Moses who for the like cause hanged vp the princes of the people teaching thereby all good rulers to make them examples in suffering who haue been the ringleaders in offending Here also to you the graue sages of this land may rightly a lesson be read I meane the Iudges placed ouer Gods people to iudge soundly substantially betwixt brethren and brethren vnto whom God hath after a sort lent his name and his seat The dutie of Iudges in hunting the Foxe to teach you chiefly to regard and maintaine his owne honour If it be your duties to punish theeues murtherers and such like perturbers of the peace of the Common-wealth then much more the vnderminers of the Lords vineyard grosse Idolaters hollow hearted votaries disloyal persons whose liberties prosperities in a Christian Church what can it elfe argue but that iustice is turned into iugling and true religion either into heathenish prophanenes or Romish superstition You may not forget that Iustice is pictured with a paire of ballances in one hand and a sword in the other to teach you that Iustice must returne to iudgement whether in regarding the good or punishing the euill Improbum hominē praestat non accusasse quà m absoluisse It is better not to haue accused then after accusation to acquite the malefactour but to dally with Church enemies
presageth future daunger and in time may proue fatall to the state Let Moses also be your president who punished idolaters against God as sharpely as traitours against himselfe O Lord that a traitour to the kingdome of Christ Iesus should find a friend in a Christian Commonwealth but of Iudges Magistrates and gouernours it were vntollerable Shall a poore theefe packe to Tiburne for fiue shillings and one that if it were in his hand would strangle or cut the throat of the Church escape scot-free Tully truly said Magistratus indicat virum authoritie declareth a man what he is whether he loue equitie or briberie iustice or crueltie Authoritie trieth a man religion or superstition If a Lion his pawes if a Wolfe his iawes will betraie him if he loue the Church and religion he will draw the sword against her foes if he be an ambodexter he careth but a little for her friends Here therfore I require you that as you serue God in feare and loue his truth in heart that so you would promote his glorie in zeale and punish the offender according to the exigence of the case for as it is an horrible sinne with Pilate to iudge Christ guiltlesse and then to condemne him with Festus to approue Pauls cause and then to leaue him in prison in like sort it is a wicked thing in words to sentence the enemies of Christ and indeed to turne them loose to liue at their pleasures like Foxes amidst the flocke to try what hauocke they can make of all I may not pretermit in this place the great care and conscience that ought to be in election of Magistrates in Cities Burrowes and Townes endewed with such priuiledges Iethro points out the properties of them which should beare rule Thou shalt choose out amongst all the people men of courage Exod. 18 fearing God and hating couetousnes and them shalt thou make gouernours ouer the people The Israelits desired God to graunt vnto Iosua Iosua 1 being newly made their gouernour an heart to go in and out before them A necessarie praier for what an vgly thing were it to choose Verres a theefe to inueigh against robberie Crassus a miser to make his plea against couetousnesse Gracchus a traitour to giue sentence against treason Nero a tyrant to declaime against crueltie that is to picke out such to punish sinne as are more worthie of punishment themselues like vnto the whore hunting Iudges of Samaria mentioned by Ieremie Ier. 5 And I would to God that such were not the election in many places where officers are chosen Vntollerable abuses cōmitted in manie places as if men would picke rottennes out of an apple where election is made a matter of formalitie where wealth not wisedome riches not religion sufficiencie to feast them no abilitie to gouerne them is the leuell of their choice Hence grow such swarmes of Atheistes Epicures Papists in many quarters of this land as it is lamentable to behold For the reason why wicked men abound is because wicked men beare rule Lastly All good subiects must be Fox-hunters euerie good Christian that desireth the free passage of the gospell of Iesus Christ in respect whereof all pompous glorie is no better then dounghill filthinesse and euerie good subiect that desireth the prosperitie of her Royall person and peace of this Realme must shew forth the power both of religion and loyaltie in this worke of setting the toyle wherewith to take these Foxes And that you may do it with alacritie and cheerefulnesse doe but consider how the diuell the Pope and the Turke haue giuen their consentes to supplant and vndermine or else openlie to assault and inuade this vineyarde of the Lorde Let there bee a sacrifice proclaimed to the Queene of Heauen there will be no spare of cost or trauaile Young men will cut woode children will gather chippes women will fetch water olde men afforde wheat one will knead dough another heat the Ouen and all to sacrifice I say to the Queen of heauen Yea there liueth many amongst vs whose hearts are full of bitternesse because they may not sing salue regina These are they that vse wicked consultation in holy places prophane our Temples by lewde conference and make the house of praier a denne of theeues Priuie markes of Romish Foxes These are they that construe euerie accident to the aduantage of their owne purpose These are they that by their whispering tales woulde put men in feare when there is no cause of feare thinking to make men affraid of scarre-crowes But the name of God be praysed who is vnto this land euen a wall of Brasse who as he hath giuen vs religion from heauen as a crowne so hath it pleased him to strengthen this kingdome with loyaltie as a strong defence and yet more magnified be thy name O Lord our fortresse and deliuerer who when disloyall persons haue been founde endeuouring to prostitute our beautie to a straunger hast discouered the conspiracie and brought deserued destruction vpon the deuisers so Lord we beseech thee still to watch ouer vs. Amen CHAPTER 13 Two Toiles wherby Foxes must be taken 1 The word truly preached 2 Good lawes duly executed The miserable end of traitours THe gardiens and keepers of the spirituall vineyard as hath been declared ought to be in continual chase of these hurtfull beasts and not to leaue them vntill either they be transformed into sheepe or else driuen quite out The word of God the first toile wherewith to take Foxes that the whole flocke be not hazarded Now the first meanes to effect this is by pitching the haies and setting the toiles of the word of God by the light whereof their darknes may be discouered as also by the fire thereof the chaffe of their lies and falshood may be consumed Hereby you may see the necessitie of such a ministerie as is able to handle the sword of the word with both hands as is able to beget his people in the faith to confirme the established to strengthen the weake to reclaime the back-sliders and to confute the aduersarie that the enemie may no sooner peepe out his head but the sworde of the spirit may be readie to cut it off Yee famous Vniuersities eternized in Honours booke for deepe learning and feruent loue to Religion Almightie God make you still fruitefull that from you both as sisters endowed with like priuiledges crowned with like honour may proceed Foxe-hunters into euerie corner and quarter of this land Your children hitherto haue receiued all chalenges of Romane Champions and chased this noysome vermine that
annoynted Debora he hath repelled the rage of â—â—in how by his Hester he hath hanged vp Haman which sought to bring vs and our posteritie into perpetuall slauerieâ— and how by Iael a woman he hath striken a nayle into the head of Sisera euen then when his mother and his wise ladies had thought he had been deuiding the spoyle Blessed be that people whose God is the eternall blessed be the Lord God which hath thus blessed Egnland and greeted his children with so manifold consolations Amen CHAPTER 2. The enemies of the Church are eitheâ— cruell Tigres or craftie Foxes Household enemies are most hurtfull to the health of the Church THe enemies of the Churcâ— of God are of two sortes either open and known persecutours of whome it this place I purpose not to entreate these in holy scriptures arâ— called by the names of Tigres and Lions or else they are couert and priuiâ—â— enemies Cantic 2. Math. 7. Reuel 20. and these are called Foxes Wolues in sheepes clothings false hoâ—ned lambs Of the first kind were thâ— Edomits the Moabits the Ammonits the Chaldeans and Babilonians againsâ— Israel the Iewes Arabians Saracines Turkes and Tartarians No strange newes to finde Foxes in the Church Numbers 16. against thâ— Christian Church Of the second soâ—â— were in the time of Moses Chore Dâ—than and Abiram who as it is written being in the midst of the vineyard â—â—ught to vndermine the same such were the wicked priests and false prophets Ezech. 22.28 which promised peace when there was no peace smoothered the sinnes of the wicked dawbed with vntempered morter conspiring against the law prophaning the temple maintayning the iniquitie of the princes opposing themselues against the true prophets 2. King 22. Ierem. 18. Math. 21.41 as did those miscreants Zedechiah against Micheas and Hananias against Ieremie such were the Scribes and Pharisees Essenians and Herodians who stily ventured to entrap the Lord of the vineyard who in the person of a redeemer came to take order for the same And afterwards although the principall hunters of these Foxes trauailed painfully to dresse and trimme the vineyard the branches whereof were spred from East to West and had prouided it of labourers to husband it Foxes most troublesome to the Church notwithstanding as their histories doe witnes they had alwayes more to doe iâ— the hunting of these Foxes then against other open enemies whatsoeuer â—â—her within or without the Church If you looke into the infancie of the Church apostolike Church apostolike anoyed with Foxes Acts 15. such Foxes shal you finde such namely which would match Iesus Christ and Moses together such Foxes false Apostles and false brethren were at Corinth 1. Cor. 15. teaching that there was no resurrection at all or else that it was alreadie past as did Himeneus and Philetus Coloss 2. such were some at Colossa which were of opinion that the traditions of men were necessarie to be obserued that the superstitious afflicting of the bodie was a religious seruing of God that difference should be betwixâ— meate and drinke and dayes according to the Iewish custome 2. Tim. 2.17 such were in Asia and in Crete which mingled the truth with vaine fables and genealogies who thought how such as beleeued might liue licentiously which imps of Sathan are by the epistle of Iude worthely confuted Iude verse 4. After these succeeded whole armies of Foxes Armies of Foxes heretikes of al sorts some assaulting the diuinitie of the sonne of God as Cerinthus Ebion Arrius some his humanity as Eunomius which taught that Christ had a body without a soule and Apollinaris which taught that hee had a soule without sense Others confessing both the one and the other but diuiding Iesus into twaine as Nestorius who taught that as Christ had two natures so he had not one but two persons Others making a monster of him which should be neither God nor man as did that dogge Seruetus who said that Christ was but a figure of the sonne of God and that his bodie was compounded of three vncreated elements and so confounded both natures Others degrading him from his office others mingling the pure word with a million of errors what shuld I say vtterly false yea altogether monstrous But aboue all other there is an olde gray Foxe The old gray Foxe which vnder the colour of the Church of Rome and because the grace of God did sometime shine foorth there doth seeke continually to supplant the vineyard of the Lord whose crueltie and subtiltie the silly lambes of Iesus Christ haue tasted of from time to time This olde biting dog-foxe hauing hatched vp his cubs and taught them their lesson that is to transforme Christian religion into policie and policie into trecherie then fall they from contemplation to practise and are readie to trudge from one countrie to another like vagrant rogues to what place soeuer it shall please the olde Foxe to send them And as amongst the Scythians he was reputed the brauest gentleman that spilt most bloud so is he canonized for the worthiest Catholicke that can bring most soules to confusion So that neuer were the fennes of Lerna so daungerous neuer was that monster Hidra so pernicious to the neere inhabitants as are these Foxe-cubs to the safty of the church that is to wit popish schoolemasters Iesuits in profession Ischariots in condition seminaries of falsehood stragling extrauagants roguish pedlars of whorish merchandice The drift of priests and Iesuits whose drift is nothing else but to reconcile simple people to the obedience of the Pope to powre into their harts pestilent opinions against her Maiestie and the lawes of this Realme to sound the secrets of inward intentions to set discontented harts on fire with the flames of rebellion to feede foolish humors with vaine hope of alteration in the meane while teaching rebelles to practise popular behauiour and to carry countenances frendly to conformitie howsoeuer their eyes dazell with looking for that which comes not yet nay better their eyes were out of their heads and their heads from their shoulders then euer it shuld come A posie sent from Rainard to his Foxe-cubs els to what ende serueth that posie sent from ould Rainard to his cursed cubs da mihi cor tuum sufficit Giue me thy hart and it sufficeth O cunning olde Foxe thou knowest full well that the hart will carrie the hand when oportunitie serueth and what thy Foxlike wilines did foresee that experience hath taught this kingdome namely that thy cubs as they repine at the princesse saftie so are they and still will be the first that will set foote in traiterous attempts God preserue the prince her nobles and the true subiects from wofull experience nay God giue them wisdome and courage to tie thy cubbes shorter else I can tell it is an infallible maxima Note well a Maxima that yong cubs in time will proue old Foxes and old Foxes
lacke learning lacke conscience whose friendes can pay wel or purse is wel lined or wil so friendly part the stake Pharao cruell Pharao heathnish Pharao in the gouernmēt of his Kingdom preferred Ioseph for inward grace but these christians for so they vnworthily are called in giuing spirituall promotions for the benefit of Christ his Church regarde nothing else but outward gaine For when the match is made this patrone must haue the tyth corne Gleabe land and the house peraduenture if it be fit for a gentleman with tith wooll and lambe if it be from the pastures And what shall the poore parson haue as they call him forsooth a little od money tith calues tith geese and a few egges at Easter And how then graundmercie must the seelie sheepe say to the butcher that hath cut his throat I will say to these as Simon Peter said to Simon Magus Acts 8. thou and thy guifts perish which thou receiuedst to giue so vnworthily to the great dishonour of the Church and he and his guifts perish which he gaue to make a way for himselfe to that place in the Church whereunto by the iudgment of his owne heart there was neuer any abilitie or aptnes To show that honour onely ought euer to accompanie vertue the heathens built a temple to honour and adioyned thereunto another built vnto vertue that so whosoeuer would go vp into the temple of honour should passe through the temple of vertue monstrous it is that christians in profession should be worse then heathens in practise they would enter into the temple of honour by vertue wee by bribes If you thinke this to be no sin heare the Lord complayning by the prophet Malachie in plaine tearmes Mal. 3.8 that the taking away the tithes and offerings from that end they were appoynted vnto was a robbing and spoyling of him yea euen such a spoyling as he would visit with a great and grieuous curse It is no lesse now so long as authoritie ratifieth the same to the maintenance of the ministerie and therefore vndoubtedly will haue a sharpe reuenge Balthasar escaped not the reuenging hand of God when he fell to feasting and carrusing with his princes wiues Daniel 5. and concubines in the vessells of gould taken from the temple but euen then espies the fingers of an hand writing vpon the wall before his face that his kingdome God had numbred and finished and weighed him in the balance and found him too light and therefore diuided and giuen his kingdome away to the Meedes and Persians Read your sentence rob Churches And doe you which eate the corne of the barne and drinke the bloud of christian soules that solace your selues with the spoyle of the Church thinke to escape the sentence of the almightie It is a sure thing if you could spie it that the Lord hath diuided blowne vpon it and scattered that which by such sinister means you haue gathered together neither shall it prosper but as it hath been gotten ouer the deuills backe so shall it be spent vnder his dammes belly and as it came in vpon a post rowling and tumbling on euerie side so the Lord shall open the cage and it shall away againe hauing caught winges like an eagle But if perhappes you escape the sentence writing a diuision here you shall bee sure without repentance of the sentence of confusion else where Dauid standing in great distresse for water would not drinke of the water of Bethleem because it was gotten with the daunger of some few mens temporall liues See your sinne soule murderers but you drinke and eate that which is gotten with apparant hazard of life eternall of hundreds and thousands Can you for conscience reply nay the power of hell is not able to denie it The foule cariō rauē is your cognisance which flew out of Noahes Arke and returned not againe but was detained with the filthie stench of drowned carcasses euen so do you which thus seeke the spoile of the Church Dulcis odor lucri ex re qualibet the sauour of gaine is sweet if you can sucke it out of the vilest things euerie baggage or garbage is good enough for you There is a third sort which hauing no sense nor feeling of this sinne Benummed and sencelesse patrones bestow Church-liuings not as caring for the Church or respecting the edifying of the flocke of Christ but as they are moued by kindred by fauour by affection by suits Your practise proues you Atheistes so they do bestow sufficient liuings vpon vnsufficient persons I say not caring whether the people sinke or swim stand or fall liue or die be saued or damned The Lord Iesus sets it downe as a note of the ministers loue that he feeds the flocke In like sort is it the patrones loue to cause the flocke to be fed Contrariwise it is want of loue in the minister if he do not feed and what is it in the patrone if by his carelesnes this come to passe It is a fault to giue the calling to him that is vnworthie no fault to giue the liuing vnto him In the sixth of S. Markes gospell it is said of Christ that going out seeing a great multitude of people gathered together he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepheard It is a necessary consequēce that if Christs bowels earn to see his sheep depriued of a shepherd that he will make your hearts ake that are the cause of this horrible sinne I am ashamed to rehearse how the Church of god is abused by you who in bestowing your Church-liuings giuing them not to ministers as ministers but as to your sons or your seruants or your kinsmen or to some other that by some by-desert hath gained your fauours and yet behold you would faine seeme friends to religiō and pretend many good motiōs But to be plaine with you your motions are like vnto the grashoppers that no sooner giues an hop vpward but down he comes againe your words may seeme heauenly but your practise is earthly There is a fourth sort of patrons which professe religiō These would haue you thinke they loue the Church and so they do yet many of thē smutched with this blot These go beyond the rest in this that they would be glad the people should be fed with knowledge and vnderstanding but as the mammonist before named cares not whom he presentes so he may reape the profit if he cannot compasse it to make it plainly temporall so this patronizer makes a pause you must thinke to find one sufficient to take the charge These spin hypocrisie finely but indeed that either an haruest may quite his cost he hath been at by many suters or else to get a good one as cheape as he can It was once said religio peperit diuitias sed filia deuorauit matrem that is religion brought forth riches but the daughter deuoured the mother The times
are altered religion mournes because her best seruants want their wages For they neuer gaue so fast as now they take away Sublatis studiorum praemijs ipsa studiae pereunt saith Cornelius Tacitus and substraction is become a great part of patrons study The conclusiō like to follow such polling premisses is the decay of learning piety religiō the bringing in of al Atheisme error Barbarisme For they which would study diuinitie aboue all when they see that the Church hath scarce the fauour of an ordinarie ward yea when they behold the contempt the beggerlines vexatiō and miserable want of the ministery are glad to fall to phisicke or law or some other trade Gen. 48 7 What shall I say of you You are worse thē Pharao for he had a care of his priests howsoeuer the world went with the rest You are not so kind to ministers of the gospel as Iesabel that painted harlot 1. King 18.19 These shall rise in iudgement against you Iud. 17. was to the prophets of the groues for she fed foure hundred at her table you are not half so religious as Micha was superstitious for he maintained his priests You shew that you haue lesse loue to religion then they papists haue to superstition The kite is your cognisance who being greedy and rauenous yet mounteth aloft as though he would touch the gliding clouds but yet when he flieth a matchlesse pitch he hath his eies fixed below on the earth spying and prying for a carrion carcasse euen so you soare aloft in your contemplation and in a certain counterfeit sanctimony seeme to be raised and carried aboue the clouds yet so long as you can find in your harts to play the part-stake patrons to spoile the Church to seeke to enrich your selues by such robberies they are no better it is an infallible signe that you are worldlings and earthly minded seeking your owne gaine and priuate profit For Gods loue let this be reformed that we may know you by another cognisance The last and best sort of patrons are such as account them worthie of double honour which rule well The best sort of patrones 1. Tim. 5.17 that hold the labourer worthie of his hire that no man goeth to warfare on his owne charges 1. Cor 1 from the 5 verse to the 15 that husbandmen should eate of the fruit of such vineyardes as they themselues planted that sheppeheards should eat of the milke of their owne flockes that sowers of spirituall things which are the greater are well worthy to reape carnal things which are the lesser that they which serue at the altar are worthie to liue by the altar These for their cognisance may fitly giue some rare bird I had almost said the blacke Swan but it shall be the Eagle for she mounteth on hie and falleth not on the ground but to seeke her necessarie food and being satisfied straightway soareth aloft euē so the minds of these are occupied in heauen all superfluous cares being cast apart they indeed wish the prosperity of Ierusalem the happy florishing state of the Church O Lord almightie encrease the number of these and in thy mercy conuert or in iustice confound such Church-robbers as sauor nothing but their own gain as daily indeuour to take away the reward of knowledge are the death of thousand thousands of souls stir vp O Lord thy faithful seruant our dread soueraigne that with Nehemiah she may thrust out all such Eliashibs as abuse the Church in this manner Nehem. 13.14 and euerie Tobiah linked in affinity with them that thy seruants may haue their own portions and that thou maist not be mocked so we thy workmanship and sheep of thy pasture for so great a mercy shal praise thee fer euer Amen CHAPTER 12. The dutie of Christian Magistrates as well Soueraigne as others in hunting and taking the two-legged Foxes THere be two sorts of men which say that the charge of Religion belongeth not to the office of the magistrate First they which vnder pretence of their annointed cleargie and priuiledged priesthood cannot abide to haue their abuses reformed Secondly they which eyther are infected with some heresie or else are willing to dally with heretikes The first sort doe onely require of the magistrate to maintaine and defend their degrees The second sort holdeth that the magistrate ought onely to meddle with the maintenance of publike peace and not to regard what others beleeue or not beleeue But the true Church teacheth that the charge of publike religion doth not in part Charge of religion belongeth to the Magistrate but principally and most of all belong vnto the magistrate which thing the holy scripture approueth Moses the first generall magistrate of the Israelites God gaue the order of religion to Moses not to Aaron who did not represent the person of a priest which was put vnto Aaron but of the superiour power like vnto the authoritie of a king did giue the order of al religion vnto the people appointed vnto Aaron the order of the priests what they should do what they should not do Wherby it appeareth that the care of the order of religiō doth rather belong vnto the superior magistrat then vnto the degree of priesthood I know they will say that Moses did dispose all these things at Gods commaundement It is true but I will be answered againe why God gaue not the commaundement for order of religion vnto Aaron whom he had consecrated to be a priest rather then vnto Moses So then this rather sheweth that the charge of the institution and gouernance belonges vnto the magistrate but the institution charge and ministration belongs vnto the priests Againe after the death of Moses the charge of religion belonged not to Eleasar the Priest but to Iehosua the magistrate who was of the tribe of Ephraim Iosua 5 and not of Leui by whose commaundement the children of Israell were the second time circumcised the Ark of God carried by the priests the altars builded the people sanctified and the rest of the lawes fulfilled which Moses prescribed Againe Iehosua charged them to feare the Lord Iosua 8 and to serue him with an vpright and faithfull heart Iehosua charged them to rid out of the way all straunge gods Iehosua renewed the couenant betweene God and his people and compiled the words of the couenant into the booke of Gods law True it is that the office of magistracie and priesthood both were ioyned together in the person of Samuel 1. Sam. 1. but yet he being at that time the chiefe man in Israell iudged and determined as a magistrate taught and sacrificed as a priest Dauid a patterne for good magistrats The ordering of religion by Dauid and vnto whom Christian rulers ought to haue an eie for godlinesse 2. Sam. 6 had the authority of disposing setting forth true religion 1. Chro. 16 1. Cho. 22.23.24.25 he