all they may and must be dispossessed of their scepters and regalities 2. t Jbid. §. Quod si Quod si Christiani olim non deposâ—erun Neronem Dâ—ocletianum Iulianum Apostatam Valentem Arianum similes id fuit quia dâ—erant vires temporales Christianis If the Christians in times past deposed not Nero Diocletian Iulian the Apostata Valens the Arian and other like tyrants id fuit quia deerant vires temporales Christianis it was because they wanted power and force and were not strong enough for that attempt 3. u Ibid. §. At non At non tenentur Christiani immâ— nec dâ—bent cum euidenti periculo religionis tolerare Regem infideleÌ„ Christians are not bound to tolerate a king that is an infidell or a King not a Papist Not bound to tolerate him Nay saith Bellarmine they must not tolerate such a one cum euidenti periculo religionis if the toleration of him be an euident danger to their religion 4 x Ibid. §. At non De iure humano est quod hunc aut illum habeamus regem It is by the law of man that we haue this or that man to be our King This last position is formerly auowed by the same author in the same booke but in the second Chapter with opposition and disgrace to the soueraigntie of the Lord of hosts y §. Quod ad primum D minium non descendit ex iure diuino sed ex iure genâ—ium K ngdomes and dominion are not by the law of God but by the law of nations It is an impious blasphemous and atheologicall assertion From these positions of the great Iesuite by a necessary inference doe follow these two conclusions 1 That the Papists would most willingly depriue our most gracious Soueraigne of his royall throne and regality if they were of force and power so to doe 2 That all subiects of this land may stand in manifest rebellion against their King because he is no Papist Both which are summarily acknowledged by his royall Maiesty in his excellent speech the 5. of Nouember z Ann. Dâ—m 1605. last The a C. 2. a. Romish Catholiques by the grounds of their religion doe maintaine that it is lawfull or rather meritorious to murther Princes or people for quarrell of religion By the grounds of popish religion it is lawfull yea meritorious for Papists to murther Kings which are not Papists You see his Maiesties royall acknowledgement of impiety in the grounds of Romish religion You will not doubt of it if you rightly esteeme that same late thrise damnable diabolicall and matchlesse plot conceiued in the wombe of that religion with a full resolution to consume at once our pious King and this flourishing kingdome You perceiue now in what contempt and disgrace the popish faction holdeth the holy Scriptures the written word of God The written word of God expresly requireth obedience vnto Princes as placed in their thrones by Gods sole authority But the Popish religion maintaineth rebellion against Princes as placed in their thrones by mans sole authority Which will you follow the holy word of God or the doctrine of the Romish Church Beloued remeÌ„ber what I told you in the beginning of this exercise though Amos spake yet his words were Gods words remember that God is the author of holy Scripture and then for his sake for the authors sake for Gods sake you will bee perswaded to take heed vnto it to heare it and reade it with reuerence obsequie and docility We the branches of the same vine that bare our predecessors to whom by deuolution the sacred Statutes of the eternall God the holy Scriptures are come must esteeme of them all for b D. King B. of Lond. vpon Ion. lect 1. p. 2. Gods most royall and celestiall Testament the oracles of his 〈◊〉 â—â—nly 〈…〉 â—led counsailes milke from his sacred 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 â—pledge of his fauour to his Church the light of our 〈◊〉 c Ierem. 15 1â— â—oy of our hearts d Lament 4.20 breath of our nostrils 〈…〉 of our hope groâ—nd of out loue 〈…〉 future blessednesse Behold the value and price of the words which Amos saw vpon Israel which God willing with all my diligence and best paines I will expound to you hereafter as occasion shall be ministred Now leâ— vs pâ—wre out our soules in thankâ—ulnâ—sse before the Lord for that he hath beene pleased this day to gather vs together to be hearers of his holy word and partakers of the blessed Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ thereby to confirme our holy faith in vs. We thanke thee therefore good Father and beseech thee more and more to feed vs with the neuer perishing food of thy holy word that by it being made cleane and sanctified wee may in due time haue free passage from this vally of teares to the city of ioy Ierusalem wich is aboue where this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall bee swallowed vp of life So be it THE Third Lecture AMOS 1.2 And he said the Lord shall roare from Sion â—nd vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither VPon the preface to this prophecie these words and he said my last lecture was bestowed wherein because whatsoeuer Amos the heardman spake was the word of God I endeuoured to shew forth the worth dignity and excellency of the word of God commonly called by the name of holy Scripture A point that yeeldeth a very harsh and vnpleasant sound to euery popishly affected eare as then at large I made plaine out of popish mouths and practise Order now requireth that I goe on to the next generall part of this text to the prophecie it selfe The first point therein to be recommended at this time vnto you is the Lord speaking The Lord shall roare and vtter his voice wherein I desire you to obserue with me who it is that speaketh how he speaketh Who speaketh It is the Lord. How speaketh he He roareth and vttereth forth his voice First of him that speaketh He is in the Hebrew text called Iehouah which is the a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King B. of London vpon Jonas Lect. 11. pag. 152. honourablest name belonging to the great God of Heauen Much might be spoken of it would I apply my selfe to the curiosity of Cabalists and Rabbins as that it is a name b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zanch. de nat Dei lib. 1 c. 13. not to be pronounced or taken within polluted lips that it is a c Cael. Rhodiginus Lâ—ct antiq lib 2. cap. 9. Quem nos Deum nun cupamus Aegyptii Thâ—â—t Persae dicunt Syre Magorum disciplina Orsi vnde profluxit Oromasis Tam apud Hebraeorum gentem ellebre est quatuor vocalium Dei sacrâ—Ì„ nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod inde Tetragrammaton dicunt alia voce
Iudge with that he rose vp and tooke the Bible in one of his hands and struck it with the other we stand saith he before the face of this Iudge See now I am here I vse his owne words as they are set downe by Dauid Rungius in his description of the forenamed Colloquie Ecce adsum behold now I am here let the holy Spirit iudge me if he can by this Scripture let him condemne me if he can by Scripture the holy Spirit cannot iudge me by Scripture he cannot let him doe it if he can he cannot condemne me by Scripture Increpet te Deus Sathan Gretser we doubt not but that the Lord hath or will rebuke thee Dearely beloued in the Lord Schollers can tell you of Brontes Steropes Pyracmon Polyphemus and others of that rabble of Cyclops and Giants who made a head and banded themselues together to plucke Iupiter from out his throne Behold in this Iesuite Verè Cyclopicam audaciam as great impudency as euer was seen in any Cyclops face that a man by profession a Christian and among Popish Christians of the precise sect a sanctified Iesuite should challenge to a single combat God Almighty who would thinke it Some that were at the Colloquie at Worms An. 1557. haue often remembred in their common talke c Rung Colloq Ratisb Q. 2. a. a new insolent and vnheard of assertion maintained by the Papists Sacram Scripturam non esse vocem iudicis sed materiam litis that the holy Scripture is not a Iudges voiâ—e but rather the matter of strife and contention It was indeed a strange assertion and by a consâ—quent striking God himselfe the author of holy Scripture Yet you see it is by our modern Iesuits this day matched forasmuch as with their impiouâ— assertions touching holy Scripture they doe directly strike the holy Spirit It is an old saying Ex vngue Leonem A man may know a Lyon by his claw Surely let men of vnderstanding consider the audaciousnesse impudency and fury of railing with which those Iesuits beforenamed haue beene throughly replenished they must acknowledge and confesse that those Iesuits were guided by the Spirit of lyes and blasphemies You already see the readinesse of Popish Doctors to tread Scripture vnder foot and to doe it all the disgrace they can Yet giue mee leaue I beseech you by some instance to shew the same vnto you The instance which I make choise of is Gods soueraignety ouer the Kings and Kingdomes of this world q Hereof I entreated in a Sermon vpon Hos 10.7 Kings and Kingdomes are wholly and alone in the disposition of the Almighty A truth included within the generall doctrine commended by S. Paul to the Romans chap. 13.1 All powers that be are ordained of God acknowledged by Elihu Iob 34.24 God shall breake the mighty and set vp other in their stead expressed in the prayer of Daniel chap. 2.21 God taketh away Kings and setteth vp Kings proclaimed as in the Lords owne words Prou. 8.15 16. By me Kings reigne by me Princes Nobles and Iudges doe rule This truth hath 3. branches displayed in so many propositions by Lipsius in his r In Monitis Politicis politique aduertisements Lib. 1. c. 5. 1 Kings and Kingdomes are giuen by God 2 Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God 3 Kings and Kingdomes are ordered ruled gouerned by God All three are further made good in the infallible euidence of the written word of God The first was Å¿ Regna à Deo reges dâ—ri Lipsius Mouit Polit. lib. 1. c. 5 p 24. Kings and Kingdomes are giuen by God Thus saith the Lord of Sauls successour 1 Sam. 16.1 I haue prouided me a King among the sonnes of Ischai and of the reuolt of the ten tribes in the rent of the kingdome of Israel 1 King 12.24 This thing is done by me and of the victories which Nabuchodonosor was to get ouer the King of Iudah and other his neighbour Kings the Kings of Edom of Moab of the Ammonites Trem. Ps 75.7 of Tyre of Zidon Ier. 27.6 I haue giuen all these lands into the hand of Nabuchodonosor the King of Babel my seruant It is true which we learne Psal 75.6 Aduancement is neither from the East nor from the West nor from the wildernesse Our God is iudge he alone aduanceth You see now it is plaine by holy Scripture that Kings and Kingdomes are giuen by God The second was t Regna à Deo Reges tolli Lips ib. pag 28. Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God That Gods hand is likewise exercised in the remouall of Kings and translation of kingdomes it s well known as by the aboue-cited texts of Scripture so by diuine examples whereof I might make along recitall would I remember you out of Gen. 14. of the fall of those Kings deliuered into the hands of Abraham out of Exod. 14. and 15. of Pharaohs ouerthrow in the red sea out of Dan. 4. and 5 of Nabuchadnezzâ—r and Belshazzar his sonne dispossessed of their crownes and out of other places of the diuinely inspired word of like patterns It s plaine without any further proofe that Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God The third was * Regna à Deo Reges tempâ—rari Lips Ibid. p. 34. Kings and Kingdomes are ordered ruled gouerned by God For proofe hereof I need no more but remember you of that which I recommended to you in the beginning of this Sermon euen of the wonderfull extent of Gods care and prouidence to the least bâ—sest things in this world as I said to a handfull of meale to a cruise of oile in a poore widowes house to the falling of sparrowes to the ground to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of hindes to the clothing of the grasse of the field to the numbring of the haires of our heads to the trickling of teares down our cheeks Shall God care for these vile and base things and shall he not much more order rule and gouerne Kings and kingdomes Now beloued in the Lord you see by the euidence of holy Scripture that Kings and kingdomes are wholy and alone in the disposition of the Almighty Giue care I beseech you while I shew you how this doctrine and the holy word of God whereon it is grounded is in popish religion neglected disgraced troden vnder foot Romes chiefest champion Cardinall Bellarmine in his fifth booke De Rom. Pontif. cap. 7. doth exempt Kings and kingdomes from the disposition of the Lord of heauen notwithstanding the eternall truth in the holy Scriptures This he doth in foure positions 1. Å¿ Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib. 5. cap. 7. §. Probatur Tenentur Christiani non patisuperse Regem non Christianum si ille conetur auertere populum à fide Princes if they goe about auertere populum à fide to auert their people from the faith the faith of the Church of Rome then by the consent of
seemeth good to vs as we haue done we and our Fathers our Kings and Princes before vs sâ— will we doe We will perseuere in the Religion professed by our Fathers and reviued in Queene Maries dayes For so long as that religion was on foote we had plentie of victuals we were well we saw no euill Wâ—etched men and women as many of you as are thus wilfully addicted to the superstition of popery take you heed that the words of the Lord Esa 6.10 giuen in charge to the Prophet to be conueyed to the Iewes be not in euerie poynt appliable vnto you Make the heart of this people fat make their eares heauy shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and heare with their eares vnderstand with their heart and convert and be healed Will the u Ierem. 13.23 Aethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Then will our countrymen of the popish sect change from the religion of their forefathers Their firme resolution to liue and dye in the religion of their fathers is made apparant by their x An. D. 1603. supplication to the most puissant Prince and orient Monarch our gracious Lord King IAMES one branch whereof is this We request no more fauour at your Graces hands then that we may securely professe that Catholike religion which all your happy predecessors professed from Donaldus the first converted vnto your Maiesties peerelesse mother To this purpose doth y Preface to the King before his Survey Dr Kellison recite vnto the KING a long catalogue of his noble Predecessors to moue him if possible to embrace their Religion But God his holy name be blessed for it all in vaine When Fridericke the IV. Elector of the Sacred Romane Empire and Count Palatine of the Rhene was by a certaine Prince aduised for his religion to follow the example of his Father Lewis his z Polan com in Ezech. 20. answer was In religions non parentum non maiorum exempla sequenda sed tantum voluntas Dei In religion we are to follow not the examples of our Parents or our ancestors but onely the will of God And for this resolution he alleaged the fore-cited testimonie of the Lord out of the 20. of Ezechiel Walke yee not in the statutes of your fathers neither obserue their iudgements nor defile your selues with their Idols I am the Lord your God walke yee in my statutes I doubt not but that our gracious Soueraigne King IAMES hath euer had and will haue a like answer in readinesse to stop the mouths of Kellison and all others who haue dared or shall attempt to moue his royall Maiestie for his religion to be like his predecessors God giue our King the heart of a Iosh 24.15 Ioshua a heart stedfast and vnmoueable in the true seruice of the Lord our God Though some of his Predecessors haue bin deceiued to fall downe before the beast in the Apocalyps and to worship his image yet good God so guide our King and blesse him with a religious people that He and we and his people may now and euermore feare thee and serue thee in sinceritie and truth to the glory of thy great name and the saluation of our owne soules through Iesus Christ our Lord. THE VII LECTVRE AMOS 2.5 But I will send a fire vpon Iudah and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem THree former Sermons haue caried me past the preface and the three first parts of this prophecie against Iudah the fourth which is the Commination or Denuntiation of the iudgements of the Lord against Iudah and Ierusalem remaineth to be the subiect of this my present discourse But I will send a fire c. These words are no strangers to you You haue met with them fiue times in the first Chapter and once before in this Their exposition their diuision the Doctrines issuing from them the Vses and applications of the Doctrines haue diuers times from out this place sounded in your eares Yet now the order obserued by the Holy Spirit in deliuering this prophecie so requiring it they are once more to be commended to your religious attentions May it please you therefore to obserue with me three circumstances Quis Quomodo Qui. 1. Quis comminatur Who it is that threatneth to punish It is the Lord. For Thus saith the Lord I will send 2. Quomodo puniet How and by what meanes hee will punish The letter of my text is for fire I will send a fire 3. Qui puniendi Who are to be punished And they are the inhabitants of the Kingdome of Iudah and the chiefe Citie thereof Ierusalem I will send a fire vpon Iudah and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem In the precedent prophecies the comminations were against the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites and the Moabites all Gentiles and strangers to God but this commination against the Iewes Gods owne friends and children I will send a fire vpon Iudah I Who a Amos 4.13 forme the mountaines and create the winde and declare to man what is his thought and make the morning darknes and tread vpon the high places of the earth I will send I who b Iob 12.14 breake downe and it cannot be built againe who shuts vp a man and there can be no opening I will send I who c Psal 33.9 speakes and it is done who commands and it standeth fast I will send a fire vpon Iudah and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem This fire which the Lord sendeth vpon Iudah is not so much a fire properly taken as a fire in a figuratiue vnderstanding It betokeneth that desolation which was to betide the kingdome of Iudah and the chiefest Citie thereof Ierusalem from hostile invasion I will send a fire This commination began to be fulfilled in the dayes of Zedechias King of Iudah The historie is very memorable and is briefly yet diligently described in the 2. Chron. 36. and in the 2. Kings 25. and Ierem. 39. 52. In those places you may read how d 2. King 25.1 Nabuchadnezzar King of Babylon came against Ierusalem pitched against it besieged it tooke it You may read how he e vers 6. tooke King Zedechiah prisoner slew his sonnes before his face put out the Kings owne eyes bound him with brasen fetters and carried him away to Babylon you may read how f vers 8. Nebuzaradan Captaine of the guard and chiefe Marshall to the King of Babylon dealt with Ierusalem He g 2. Chro. 36.19 2. Reg. 25.9 brake downe the wall thereof and burnt with fire the house of the Lord the Kings house euery great mans house all the houses and palaces there Say now did it not fall out to Iudah and Ierusalem according to this commination I will send a fire vpon Iudah and it shall deuoure the pallaces of Ierusalem This desolation being thus wrought vpon Iudah and Ierusalem by the Chaldees the Iewes such as
the daies of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the dayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel two yeaâ—â— before the earthquake This first verse we may call the title of this booke or the preface vnto it It yeeldeth to our considerations sundry circumstances 1 The Prophets name Amos. 2 His former condition of life He was among the heardmeâ— 3 The place of his vsuall abode Tekoa 4 The matter or argument of his Prophecie implied in these words The words which he saw vpon Israel 5 The time of his Prophecie In the dayes of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the dayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel two yeares before the earthquake Amos Epiphanius in his booke of the liues and deaths of the Prophets holdeth this Amos to be Esayes father To which opinion a learned and late Diuine l Prolog in 12. Proph. min. Danaeus seemeth to giue his assent But S. Hierome is against it and so are most Interpreters so also is Drusius in his sacred obseruations lib. 4. cap. 21. And worthily For as much as the Hebrew writing of these two names m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of Esayes father and n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this our Prophets name is euidence and proofe sufficient that they were not one but two names and consequently not one but two men Againe Amos the father of Esay is by interpretation fortis o Hieronym Nic. de Lyra. robustus stout and valiant but Amos our Prophet is p Hieron ep ad Paulin. Onustus a man burdened and loaden or q Hier. Lyran. auulsus one that is separated from others These diuers interpretations of these two names the name of Esayes father and this our Prophets name is euidence and proofe sufficient that they were not one but two names and consequently not one but two men Besides Amos our Prophet is in the ancient monuments of the Hebrews surnamed r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est balbus a stutterâ—r stammerer or maffler as Drusius noteth vpon my Text. We finde not any such surname giuen Esayes father Therefore our Amos is not Amoâ— the father of Esay From our Prophets name let vs come tâ—â—s condition of life and vocation expressed by himselfe in these words Who was among the heardmen There are two sorts of heardmen the one is of such as doe vse the feat and trade of graziers or are sheep-masters such as haue vnder them in pay other heardmen and shepherds In this sense Mesa King of Moab 2 King 3.4 is called a heardman or shepherd and is registred to haue rendred to the King of Israel an hundred thousand lambs and an hundred thousand rammes with the wooll The other sort of heardmen is of such as are hired to keepe cattle to see to their feeding and safetie such we properly call heardmen or shepherds and such a one was Amos our Prophet witnesse himselfe cap. 7.14 I was no Prophet neither was I a Prophets sonne but I was a heardman or shepherd You see now his former condition of life profession and vocation see also the place where he liued At Tekoa This towne Å¿ Lib. dâ—vit Prophet Epiphanius ascribeth to the land of Zabulon t Apud Mercerum R. Dauid to the inheritance of the sonnes of Aser but S. Hierome whom with the rest of the expositors of this booke I chuse to follow placeth it in the tribe of Iuda six miles southward from Bethlehem Adrichom in his description of the holy land saith it is two miles from Bethlehem More or lesse it s not much pertinent to my present occasion For the place it selfe Tekoa is 2 Chron. 11.6 rehearsed among all those strong Cities which Rehoboam built in Iuda Beyond the City Tekoa as Saint Hierome obserueth there was not any little village no not so much as a cottage onely there was a great wildernesse called 2 Chron. 20.20 the wildernesse of Tekoa a fit place for a shepherds walke Here Amos for a time led a shepherds life At length God separated him to carry his word against Israel Which is the fourth circumstance of this verse the matter or argument of this prophecie implied in these words The words of Amos which he saw vpon Israel The Hebrew manner is to call sermons words as Ierem. 1.1 The words of Ieremie And Eccles 1.1 The words of the Preacher And Haggei 1.12 The words of Haggei And Luk. 3.4 The words of Esay By these words we vnderstand sermons the sermons of Ieremy Ecclesiastes Haggei and Esay So here the words of Amos are the sermons of Amos. Which he saw this adiection sheweth that these words of Amos were committed to him by that kinde of propheticall instinct and motion which is tearmed vision as Arias Montanus obserueth in his common disputes of the propheticall bookes Indeed vision is one of the kindes of prophecie In which regard as Sauls seruant beareth witnesse 1 Sam. 9.9 Prophets were in the old time called seers Well then doth Drusius expound this place The words which Amos saw that is the words which God did disclose or reueale vnto Amos in a vision These words which Amos saw this vision or prophecie was concerning Israel vpon or against Israel Vpon Israel Israel was a common name to the 12. tribes which issued out of Iacobs loynes and was so from the beginning of Sauls reigne to the end of Salomons After whose death a rent was made in the kingdome Ieroboam sonne of Nebat seduced 10. tribes Rehoboam Salomons sonne could keepe with him but two Thus of one kingdome Israel were made two Iuda and Israel A strange diuision Israel diuided from Israel ten tribes from the other two Two tribes the tribes of Iuda and Beniamin continued in their obedience to the house of Dauid the other ten forsooke it and fell away The two tribes Iuda and Beniamin called but one tribe 1 King 11.13 because of the mixture of their possessions these two tribes setled in their faithfulnesse and obedience to the seed of Dauid are in holy Scripture called sometimes u Amos 2.4 Iuda sometimes x Ierem. 6.1 Benjamin sometimes y Micah 1.1 Ierusalem sometimes z Amos 6.1 Sion sometimes * Zach. 12.7 the house of Dauid The other ten tribes which fell away from and forsooke their rightfull King and holy religion haue in like sort their diuers appellations a Hos 10.15 Bethel b Hos 10.5 Bethauen c Micah 1.1 Samaria d Hos 2.22 Iesreel e Amos 5.6 Ioseph f Hos 4.17 Ephraim g Hos 10.11 Iacob h Hos 10.1 Israel These are the names in the sanctified writings of the holy Prophets appropriate to signifie the 10. reuolted tribes Israel you see is one of them and that is the Israel in my text Thus was Amos by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the kingdome of the 10.
literally It is also taken spiritually for the Church either militant here on earth or Triumphant in heauen For the Church Militant Psal 128.5 Thou shalt see the wealth of Ierusalem all thy life long And for the Church Triumphant Gal. 4.26 Ierusalem which is aboue is free The Catholique Church Militant and Triumphant is called Ierusalem because Ierusalem was a type thereof Ierusalem was a type of the Catholike Church in sundry respects 1. God did choose Ierusalem aboue all other places of the earth to r Psal 132.13 Psal 135.21 dwell in So the Catholike Church the company of the predestinate God hath chosen to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe 2. Ierusalem is a Citie Å¿ Psal 122.3 compact in it selfe by reason of the bond of loue and order among the Citizens So the faithfull the members of the Catholike Church are linked together by the bond of one Spirit 3 Ierusalem was the place of Gods sanctuary the place of his presence and worship where the promise of the seed of the woman was preserued till the comming of the Messias Now the Catholike Church is in the roome thereof In the Catholike Church we must seeke the presence of God and the word of life 4 In Ierusalem was the t Psal 122.5 the throne of Dauid So in the Catholike Church is the throne and scepter of Christ figured by the Kingdome of Dauid 5 The commendation of Ierusalem was the subiection and obedience of her citizens The Catholike Church hath her citizens too Eph. 2.19 and they doe yeeld voluntary obedience and subiection to Christ their King 6 In Ierusalem the names of the citizens were inrolled in a register So the names of all the members of the Catholike Church are inrolled in the booke of life Reuel 20.15 You see now what Ierusalem is literally and what spiritually Literally it is that much honoured City in Iudeâ— the u Psal 46.4 City of God euen the sanctuary of the tabernacle of the most High Spiritually it is the holy Church of Christ either his Church Militant on earth or his Church Triumphant in Heauen Now the Ierusalem in my text from whence the Lord is said to vtter his voice is either Ierusalem in the literall or Ierusalem in the spirituall vnderstanding it is either Ierusalem the mother City of Iudea or Ierusalem the Church of Christ Militant vpon earth or Ierusalem aboue the most proper place of Gods residence So that Ierusalem here is the same with Sion an Exposition of Sion The Lord shall roare from Sion that is in other words The Lord shall vtter his voice from Ierusalem Marke I beseech you beloued in the Lord The Lord shall roare not from Dan and Bethel where Ieroboams calues were worshipped but from Sion the mountaine of his holinesse and he shall vtter his voice not from Samaria drunken with Idolatry but from Ierusalem the x Zach. 8.3 city of truth wherein the purity of Gods worship did gloriously shine We may take from hence this lesson Sion and Ierusalem are to be frequented that thence hearing God speake vnto vs we may learne what his holy will is To speake more plainly This is the lesson which I commend vnto you The place where God is serued and the exercises of his religion are practised must be carefully frequented That I may the more easily perswade you to come vnto and to frequent this place this house of God his holy Church and Temple I bring you a guide This guide is a King and leads you the way the blessed King Dauid I beseech you marke his affection Psal 84.1 O Lord of hosts how amiable are thy tabernacles My soule longeth yea and fainteth for thy courts Marke his loue Psal 26.8 O Lord I haue loued the habitation of thine house and the place where thine honour dwelleth Marke the earnestnesse of his zeale Psal 42.1 2. As the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God Let this holy King King Dauid be the patterne of your imitation Beloued you must haue an earnest loue and desire to serue God in the assembly of his Saints you must much esteeme of the publike exercise of religion It is Gods effectuall instrument and mean to nourish beget you to the hope of a better life In what case then are you when you absent your selues from this and the like holy assemblies when either you come hither carelesly or else doe gracelesly contemne this place Here is Sion here is Ierusalem here God speaketh to you in the language of Canaan and here may you speake to him againe with your owne mouthes It is euery mans duty the duty of euery one that loues God to come vnto Gods house his house of prayer In this respect thus saith the Lord Esay 56.7 Mine house shall bee called the house of prayer for all people For all people there is no difference betweene the y Galat. 3.28 Iew and the Grecian betweene the bond and the free betweene the male and the female for our Lord who is Lord ouer all z Rom. 10.12 is rich vnto all that call vpon him Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people To imprint this sentence in your hearts it is repeated vnto you Mat. 23.13 Where Iesus Christ to the mony-changers and doue-sellers whom hee found in the Temple vseth this speech It is written mine house shall be called an house of prayer but ye haue made it a den of theeues Iunius his note vpon the place is good Qui domo Dei non vtitur ad orationis domum is eò deuonit vt speluncam latronum efficiat eam Whosoeuer vseth not the house of God for a house of prayer he commeth thither to make it a den of theeues Let vs take heed beloeed in the Lord whensoeuer we come vnto the Church the house of God that we be not partakers of this sharpe censure Ecclesiastes chap. 4.17 giueth a profitable caueat Take heed to thy feet when thou â—nterest into the house of God intimaâ—ing thus much that of duty we are to enter into the house of God Though the Temple in Ierusalem and all the worship in ceremonies that was annexed to it are taken away yet is Salomons caueat good for vs still Take heed to thy feet when thou enterest into the house of God For we also haue Gods house where he is chiefly to be sought and worshipped euen in euery place appointed by publike authority for publike assemblies Wherefore I pray you hath God giuen his Church a 1 Cor. 12.27 some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors some Teachers Is it not as we are taught Ephes 4.12 for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edifying of the Body of Christ See you not here a forcible argument and
concluded peace and d inuadeth a fresh the Turkes dominions The Turke ioynes battell with him at e Pag. 297. Varna in Bulgaria and beholding the picture of the crucifix in the displaied ensignes of the Christians pluckes out of his bosome that writing wherein the late league betweene him and Vladislaus was comprised and holding it vp in his hand with his eies cast vp to heauen saith Behold thou crucified Christ this is the league thy Christians in thy name made with me which they haue without cause violated Now if thou be a God as they say thou art and as we dreame reuenge the wrong now done vnto thy name and me and shew thy power vpon thy periurious people who in their deeds deny thee their God What followed hereupon The victorie was the Turkes Vladislaus lost his life there and eleuen thousand Christians besides The successe of this great and bloudy battell of Varna fought the 10. of Nouember 1444. doth it not plainly shew that God cannot away with league-breakers These few instances of Saul Zedechiah and Vladislaus may suffice for the clearing of my propounded doctrine Ancient leagues are not rashly to be violated The vse of this doctrine is to admonish all subiects to be very respectiue and mindfull of that league and couenant which they haue by their solemne oaths made and confirmed to their Kings Princes and other Gouernours according to that exhortation made by S. Paul Rom. 13.1 Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers It is not a bare or naked exhortation it is backed with a good reason For there is no power but of God and the powers that are are ordained of God It followeth in the second verse Whosoeuer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Whosoeuer they are that resist power men in authority Princes Rulers and Gouernours they resist God and God will confound them their infamie shall remaine vpon perpetuall record for a spectacle to all posterity What else meaneth the Apostle in the same place where hee saith They that resist shall receiue to themselues iudgement And here dearely beloued I beseech you to beware of Romish Locusts I mean Iesuits and Seminary Priests who are sent from beyond the seas to inueigle you to make you vnmindfull or at least carelesse of your couenant confirmed by your sacred oaths with your redoubted Soueraigne They will tell you that your King is an Heretike because he maintaineth not their Romish new and vpstart religion and will thereupon go about to perswade you that you are not to keepe your faith with him It is a Deuillish doctrine They haue learned it from Martin the fift one of their holy Popes f Cochlaeus Hist Hussit lib. 5. Rainold Thes §. 42. pag. 188. Margin who in his Epistle to Alexander Duke of Lituania saith Scito te peccare mortaliter fi seruabis fidem datam hareticis Know saith he that thou sinnest mortally if thou keepest thy oath made with heretikes If vpon this perswasion you will not be drawne to breake your oath which you make a conscience of then will they further tell you that the Pope hath already giuen you absolution and a dispensation for your oath Pope g Caus 15. qu. 6. c. Nos Sanctorum Nosces qui excommunicatis fidelitate sacramento constrictisunt Apostolicâ autoritate sacramento absâ—luimus Gregory the seuenth of that name saith We by Apostolicall authority doe absolue all from their oaths which they haue giuen to persons excommunicate The words are in Gratians decree caus 15. qu. 6. c. 4 Wee by Apostolicall authority doe absolue all from their oathes c. But who are excommunicate by Romish exposition I will tell you out of the great lawyer Panormitan not they only against whom the sentence of excommunication is pronounced For saith h Extra de Judicits Câ—p. Cum in homine Cum est crimen notorium nullâ est opus declaratione sententiae excommunicationis Panormitan when the Heresie is publikely knowne there needeth no proâ—uatiation of the sentence of excommunication And who are such heretikes as against whom there needeth no pronuntiation of the sentence of excommunication i Lib. 1. de iusta punit Haeretic Alfonsus de Castro and k Justruct Sacerd lib. 1. cap. 19. Qui intelligens aliquam sententiom expressè ab Ecclesia damnatam eam retinâ—crit Haereticus pertinax est censendus Tolet the Iesuite will tell vs that whosoeuer maintaineth any doctrine condemned in the Church of Rome he is to be accounted an obstinate Heretike Well then all Protestants Princes and subiects maintaining true Christian doctrine such as is condemned in the Church of Rome are in Popish account obstinate Heretikes and therefore ipso facto already excommunicate there needeth no pronuntiation of the sentence of excommunication against them Whereupon it followeth that in euery kingdome where the King is a professed Protestant the subiects are already absolued from their eath of allegeance I will not in this auditorie further enlarge this point A point I grant fitter for the Conuent of the profound and learned then for this place Wherefore I shut vp this point beseeching you to suffer a word of exhortation Howsoeuer Pope l Apud Gâ—â—tian Caus 15 q. 6. Gregory the seuenth that same m Maâ—natâ—â—y Neâ—rama◠〈◊〉 praestigtis Diabolicis Papatum inâ—asit Szeged spec Pontis Vrsin spec Iesuit sorcerer and n Cum Mathilde comitissa occultum habuit commercium Vrsin Spec. Iesuit p. 265. adulterer and o Lib. 5. Decret tit 7 cap. 6. glossa Nos excommunicamus vniuersos haereticos vt absolutosse nouerint omni fidelitatis debito qui iis iuramento terebantur astricti Gregory the ninth and p In Bâ—lla Absoluimus subditos vinculâ—iuramenti quo Reginae Elizabethe constricti tenchantur Pius the fift and all succeeding Popes shall absolue you from your oath of allegiance yet dearely beloued beleeue them not ' Peter and the Apostles Act. 5.29 doe put you in minde that it is better to obey God than men And God in his holy word commandeth you to be subiect to the higher powers as you haue already heard Rom. 13.1 to honour the King 1 Pet. 2.17 to submit your selues to all manner ordinance of man for his sake whether it be vnto the King as vnto the superiour or vnto other gouernours vers 13. you haue taken your oath of allegiance and sworne obedience to your King breake not your couenant with him that Gods wrath breake not forth in fire against you as it did against these Tyrians for not remembring the couenant of brethren Thus farre by occasion of the first exposition of these words They remembred not the couenant of brethren that is they remembred not the couenant made betweene their King King Hiram and the King of Jsrael King Solomon Now somewhat of the other exposition They remembred not the couenant of brethren that is they remembred not the couenant made
13. seuen yeeres roued vp and downe to markes farre and neere from citie to village and from village to citie to the killing of many thousands of our brethren and sisters and yet is not put vp into the quiuer to say nothing now of this arrow because it strikes mens persons and spares their houses will you be pleased to looke backe vpon those swellings of waters which of late g Ann. Chr. 1607. within these foure yeeres brake out into the bosome of the firme land in diuers parts of this Realme Then must you acknowledge with mee that God hath an armie of waters whereby at his pleasure hee can ouerthrow our dwelling houses Beloued I could here make report vnto you from beyond the seas out of Germanie of strange and maruellous inundations deluges and ouerflowings of waters how about h Ann. Chr. 1595. Ianson Gallobelg Tom. 3. lib. 12. p. 173. this time fifteene yeeres in the plaines neere vnto Colen Mentz and Franckford by a sudden floud non modò horrea stabula nullo firmo nixa fundamento sed firmissima etiam aedificia not only barnes and stables which had no firme foundation but the surest and strongest edifices and buildings were violently câ—rried away I could tell you of much more hame of that yeeres floud how in i Ianson ibid. pag. 180. Berenburg a towne vpon the riuer Sala in the Principalitie of Anhalt k Ibid. p. 183. Centum sexaginta aedes funditù◠euersae fuerunt One hundred and threescore houses were vtterly ouerthrowne But what need we goe so farre for exâ—mples of this kinde whâ—reof Almightie God hath sent home vnto vs such plentie Reflect we our eyes vpon our owne harmes vpon the harmes done to many of our neighbours in the late fore-mentioned flâ—ud to the ouerthrowing breaking downe l See the Report of flouds in England Ann. Chr. 1607. of whole townes and villages yea of m See Wofull newes of flouds C. 1. a. 26. parishes in one n Monmouth-shire Shire and we cannot but grant it for a truth thaâ— God hath his armies of waters whereby at his pleasure he can ouerthrow our dwelling houses But what is this to some of vs who are seated vpon an hill farre enough from any dangers by inundations or ouerflâ—wings of waters Beloued in the Lord of such minde were they of the old world who did eat and drinke and maried wiues and gaue in mariage vnto the day that Noah went into the Arke But what became of them Our Sauiour Christ will tell you Luke 17.27 The floud came and destroyed them But God hath made a couenant with man and will remember it That there shall bee no more waters of a floud to destroy all flesh Genes 9.15 It is true there shall bee no more waters of a floud to destroy all flesh that is there shall bee no more an vniuersall floud to couer the face of the whole earth there shall be no more generale diluuium inundans obruens vniuersam terram But here is no exemption for particular cities no not for particular prouinces or countries Almightie God who once did breake vp the fountaines of the great deepe and did open the windowes of Heauen Gen. 7.11 he is the same God still Almightie still his arme is stretched out still He can at his pleasure command the clouds and they shall poure forth abundance of waters to the washing away of our dwelling houses But say he will not come against vs with his armie of waters yet being Deus exercituum a God of hosts hee hath armies of another kinde at command to worke the sudden subuersion and ouerthrow of all our dwellings I yet present you not with lightning with thunder with winds with earthquakes wherewith the Lord of Hosts the mightie one of Israel hath laid waste and made desolate many the habitations of sinfull men my Text presents you with fire and let it suffice for this time Say I beseech you is it not a fearefull thing that in stead of the fatnesse of the clouds of the greater and smaller raine of the sweet dewes of Heauen of comfortable showers which God hath engendered in the aire and diuided by pipes to fall vpon the earth in their seasons our grounds should be withered our fruits consumed our Temples and our buildings resolued into cinders Yea and sometimes our skins and bones too molten from our backs Yet Beloued this sometimes comes to passe when fire one of the executioners of Gods vengeance is sent vpon vs for our sinnes What became of Sodom and Gomorrah and other Cities of that Plaine Were they not turned into ashes by fire from the Lord The storie is knowne Gen. 19.24 But what need old stories to confirme so plaine a matter whereof we haue daily and lamentable experience Doe not the grieuous complaints of many of our neighbours vndone by fire seeking from our charitable deuotions some small releefe make good proofe hereof Dearely Beloued learne we by their example to cast away from vs all our transgressions whereby we haue transgressed and to turne vnto the Lord our God lest delighting and treading in the wickednesse of their wayes wee bee made partakers also of their punishments It is neither care nor policie that can stay Gods reuengefull hand when he bringeth fire in it To this purpose memorable is the example of a countryman of ours who in King Edwards dayes was a Professour of the true religion that religion which by Gods goodnesse wee doe this day professe This man in the o Fox Martyrolog p. 1893. Acts and Monuments of our Church is named p A Smith dwelling at Well in Cambridge-shire Richard Denton and is there noted to haue beene an Instructor of one q Of Wisbich in the I le of Elie sometime Constable of Well and dwelling there William Wolsey in the same his holy religion Not long after in Queene Maries dayes when fire and faggot were the portion of true Professours Wolsey was apprehended and imprisoned In time of his durance he sent commendations to Denton his Instructor withall demanding by his messenger why hee tarried so long after him seeing he had beene his first Instructor in the Scriptures Dentons answer was I cannot burne Cannot burne You see his policie he halted between God and man he dissembled the profession of his Christian faith because forsooth he could not burne Well Q. Maries dayes were soone at an end and God caused the light of the Gospell to shine againe vnder the peaceable gouernment of Queene Elizabeth Then did our dissembler thinke himselfe safe enough from any flame of fire But behold the hand of God His house was on fire and he with two others venturing to saue some of his goods perished in the flame Thus you see policie preuailes not when Gods reuengefull hand brings fire with it And thinke you that caâ—e will helpe What Care against the Lord Farre be it from vs beloued so to thinke
Christ for its durablenesse stabilitie may well be likened to mountaines and that the Cedars of Lebanon doe not so much ouergrow other trees in tallnesse as true Christian religion for its reuerend maiestie shall ouergoe whatsoeuer blind bushie and thornie superstitions It is out of doubt Cedar trees are verie high So high that neuer man neuer Gyant was so high How then is it that my text thus speaketh of the Amorites Their height was like the height of the Cedars It is by a figure which the Greekes call Hyperbole Whereof many instances may be alledged out of holy Scripture In the 2. of Sam. 1.23 it is said of Saul and Ionathan They were swifter then Eagles they were stronger then Lyons Swifter then Eagles and yet the Eagle of birds is the swiftest stronger then Lyons and yet the Lyon of Beasts is the strongest They were swifter then Eagles they were stronger then Lyons they are two Hyperboles or prouerbiall speeches By them the holy Ghost lets vs vnderstand that Saul and Ionathan were exceeding swift of foot and strong of bodie In Psalme 107.26 it is sayd of the waues of the Sea in a great tempest They mount vp to Heauen they goe downe againe to the depths They are two Hyperboles By them the Psalmist setteth as it were before our eyes the greatnesse of the daunger wherein they often times are that trade by Sea In Genes 13.16 The Lord said to Abram I will make thy seede as the dust of the earth so that if a man can number the dust of the earth then shall thy seed also be numbred I will make 〈◊〉 seede as the dust of the earth saith the Lord. It is an Hyperbole S. Austine so takes it de Civ Dei lib. 16. c. 21. And well For who seeth not how incomparably greater the number of the dust is then the number of all the men that euer haue bin are or shall be from the first man Adam to the end of the world can be And therefore where the Lord saith I will make thy seede as the dust of the earth we are not to imagine that the posteritie of Abram was to be in number as the dust all the people of the earth put togither cannot stand in this comparison but wee are giuen to vnderstand that they were to be a very great people I passe ouer with silence many instances of like nature and returne to my text where it is said of the Amorites Their height was like the height of the Cedars The speach is prouerbiall its hyperbolicall We may not from it collect that the Amorites were as high as the Cedars but this onely that the Amorites were a people very tall and high of stature Neuer did any man equall the Cedars in height yet shew me a man that is of a vaste bodie and of an vnusuall proceritie I may take vp this Scripture phrase and say of him His height is like the height of Cedars Thus you see the Amorites for their height or talnes are likened to the Cedar For their strength or valour they are resembled to the Oke in the next words He was strong as the Okes. The figure of speach is as before It s prouerbiall The Oke you know is a hard kinde of wood strong firme and durable Hence is the prouerbe Quercu robustior or robore validior stronger then the Oke Neuer was there man of so firme a constitution that he can properly be said to be stronger then the Oke Yet shew me a man of extraordinarie strength I may take vp this Scripture-phrase and say of him Fortis ipse quasi quercus he is strong as the Okes. And in this sense it is here said of the Amorite He was strong as the Okes. That the Amorites were of an vnusuall and extraordinarie height and strength as they are here described by our Prophet Amos you may further know by the relation which the Spies made vnto Moses after their returne from the search of the Holy land Their relation is Num. 13.28 The people be strong that dwell in the land we saw the children of Anak there At the 32. verse they speake more fully All the people that we saw in it are men of great stature And there we saw the Gyants the sonnes of Anak which come of the Gyants and we were in our owne sight as grashoppers and so were we in their sight By this relation of the Spies you see that the Amorites the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were more then ordinarie tall and strong The tallest and strongest of the Amorites of these Amorites which the Lord destroyed before Israel was Og the King of Basan Of his height and strength the Iewes make strange reports For his height they say he was in his cradle and swadling cloutes thirty cubits high and as he grew in yeares so grew he in tallnesse For his strength they say when he had heard that the tents of the children of Israel tooke vp the space of three miles he rooted vp a mountaine of like space and set it on his head with purpose to cast it vpon the tents of Israel but as he caried it Ants made a hole through the midst of it and so it descended and rested vpon his necke whence by reason of his teeth excessiuely increasing and running into the holes of the mountaine the mountaine stuck so fast that he could not remoue it to cast it as he had purposed vpon the campe of the Israelites This the Iewes do write in their booke of Benedictions and Lyra in his Postill vpon Num. 21. makes mention of it but withall censures it to be so absurd that it needs no other refutation yet he makes mention of it that we may see quanta coecitas est in Iudaeis how blinde the Iewes are to beleeue such fables It is I grant one of those Iewish fables whereto S. Paul wished Titus chap. 1.14 not to giue any heed and I beleeue it no more then I doe that the Gyant Antaeus was threescore cubits high because Gabinius in the 17. booke of Strabo his a pag. 960. Geographie affirmes it or that in Scythia in a rocke by the riuer Tyres there was to be seene the print of Hercules his foote of two cubits length because Herodotus in his b pag. 110. Melpomene is the relator of it Yet beleeue I that Og the King of Basan was of more then ordinarie tallnes and strength And you will beleeue it too if you will estimate a monument of his which was to be seene in Rabbath the Metropoliticall Citie of the children of Ammon now called Philadelphia The monument was a bedsted of his It is described Deut. 3.11 His bedsted was a bedsted of yron nine cubits was the length thereof and foure cubits the breadth of it after the cubit of a man Of a man of reasonable stature not of a Gyant nor of a dwarfe Nine cubits long was his bedsted and bedsteds vsually exceed the common stature of