say let it alone it is mine not your seeing he speaketh truly and may not an other man or lord say let it stand it is mine not your it is Gods not your giuen as truly lawfully to his house and housholders as euer any right and title was giuen in the world by Gods word or mans by Gods written promise and couenant or by mans or by any other meanes Learne of Comes Purliliarum in his first booke of the art of war to abstaine from sacred things not to touch them your selfe being captaine and to punish them grieuously that touch them lesse you come to naught by making God and godly men your enemies which being a rule of warre with the best Admirals of the field toward the enemie must for horror of shame not once be broken in peace toward the neighbour Learne of Onosander Platonicus first to haue a cheefe eye to holy matters that by this skill of the generall other matters may prosper in his booke De optimo Imperatore Learne of Dions first precept De regno not to dally with God as if he were Prauus or Stultus but principally to adore him in his visible ministers the only way in this life to approue our faith Learne of Xenophon in his Hipparchicus to pray to the God of the world aboue all things for helth and glory and not to esteeme him vnder all learne of Pythagoras God immortall must be first honored of Phocylides worship God first of all teachers to excell pagans in that Eusebeia which hath the first place in Isocrates and al other gnomographers increasing daily in piety and vertue there is Meum in the clergie not only in the laity and if either of them plead lawfull inheritance and possession they say well and speake no lesse then truth and yet the clergie should in equity truth be first and more forward then the other by how much Gods plea interest must haue greater audience then the plea of men Yea reason and truth crie out vpon these Mosemastiges and Theomastiges too who when they heare Moses say in Gods law all the fat is the Lords Leuit. c. 3. v. 16. that is the best is the Lords offring as may appeare Num. c. 18. v. 12. Ps 81. v. 16. they answer him in their lawlesse mouths and malcontented harts let all the leane be his he hath no need the lambe is fat enough already his pasture is good enough neither needeth he either of them the fat or the leane or any thing els because he hath all things at commaundement without your leaue and is the Lord of Lords both ghostly bodily yet thus by your incōsiderate wits and spritish mockeries and new-founded minds which you beare you incur the danger of his heauy wrath ô ye sonnes of Belial with your incredible vanities and credulous followers that in S. Pauls eye c. 16. v. 17. Rom. fight all for the belly maintenance and bring al their zeale to the merchants shops their learning to mony matters their pure meditations to set vp shifters their discipline to bannish or imprison roialties now stablished their christianisme to open Iulianisme their wits to Lucianisme beware in time of Gods displeasure which being once kindled yea but a little blessed are al they that trust in him and cursed are they that make such a turkissing and furbushing of his omnipotent and irreprehensible word which hath bin euer hetherto the word of ioy and comfort and wil be hereafter the word of Iubilee it selfe of victorie herselfe which Iubilee is neither against the institutions grounds of our or of other soundest lawes or any way against the analogie of christian religion or regiment but a true restoratiue for decayed families and a good preseruatiue against the proud pouertie and is therfore so highly extolled and magnified by Moses Leuit cap. 25. v. 10. as these are professed of vs with heart and voyce and yet are dayly defaced and weakened among vs so farre as trueth may be enfeebled which is inuincible by priuie and open treacheries falsly called reformations O mercifull God seeing it is thy soueraigne maiesties most gratious and apparant worde not to touch thine annoynted or doe thy Prophets any harme Psal 105. v. 15. either execute thy will and poure out thy vengeance vpon such wicked ones as seeke both to touch thine annoynted and hurt thy Prophets or els shorten the day of thy second comming and quicklie sound the last thundering trumpet of thy greatest glorie that all these impostors and intruders may knowe that thou ô Lord art God aboue all men and emperor of all the world but specially of thy little flock to geue it a kingdome according to thy word which thy sonne and our Sauiour purchased with the inestimable and vnspeakeable price of his most precious life bloud which to vs is so heartie and full of life and in which lieth the life of our soules as the life of our bodies is in our owne bloud They went out from vs ô God of heauen earth they went out from among vs and why are they suffered to liue by vs that would betray vs and thy sheepeheards vpon no iust causes but by vaine vile meanes out they went from vs and were not of vs but they were of that malicious arch-rebel Caine and that pecuniarie Ringleader Iudas they were of themselues and their owne selfewil that haue rebelled against our reuerend spirituall fathers and our honourable spirituall Lords and but for feare of losing their heads woulde holde vp their pennes and Printes that come from Ouids Europa a metamorphosed defloured beast or rather from Aristotles Euripus a desperate probleme and throwe their bookes their libels their lies at temporal fathers and secular Lords for both these tenures holde alike by thy seruice in ruling the soules and bodies of thy people O Lord they haue opened a gappe to all obstinacie outrage and miserie their malicious proceedings haue put shamefull and peruerse paradoxes into Subiectes mindes how much better were it to hold them down and as it were to the grinstone as Moses and Lycurgus did by iust executions then thus to let go the reynes and to let them loose till they looze themselues and al as the Athenians and Rhodians which therfore at this day are of no account but slauish and vnknowen did play the part of childrē in breaking their lawes so soon as they made them or the part of spiders in catching small flies and letting goe great hurtfull hornettes and dors by the discipline of their reformatiōs many haue reached beyond the compasse of thy worde in these common places of accepting no persons of vnequall comparisons in striuing against externall decent ceremonies and customes as though they were principals of our saluation cases of life and death matters of hell and heauen they haue been disobedient to the Magistrates of thy Sanctuarie and congregation they would ouerrule thy rulers in indifferent things rather then be ruled by them as
within vs and coole faith by continuance maketh vs stiffe and halfe dead with sinne and altogither vnfit to be our owne martirs in affection or other mens in example let vs beloued stirre and raise vp our fainting soules to a liuely zealous faith let vs good Countrymen quicken our senseles senses with good woords and good workes as effects of good faith that we be not starke dead in sin and rather seeke the saluation both of our soules senses that lasteth for euer then the delight pleasure of either that vanisheth away like a smoke that wasteth like a snaile that withereth like grasse and neuer continueth in one stay Then where shall we seeke this saluation but in the booke of life and in which part of that booke is it sooner found then in the gospel the law of grace what guide or teacher in the gospell can shewe vs a better pathway then Iohn-baptist who was sent frō God as the forerunner of the Christ saith S. Marke in his gospell c. 1. v. 2.3 to tell vs the way the truth and life the eternall word Iesus Christ For Iesus is the way because his doctrine and precept telleth vs the right and ready way to euerlasting life Iesus is the truth because without error he may alwaies and in truth must alwaies be followed in all our iudgements and consultations that we may walke in the light not in darknes Iesus is the life of our liues because without him we are as dust in the winde and straw in the fire and by him we passe through the greatest difficulties and euen the very seas of all deadly dangers and temptations which S. Iohn speaketh by a metaphore metonimy of the effect for the efficient c. 14. v. 6 in him we passe safely from the first day in the beginning of all yea before all measure of times euen vnto this day as S. Augustine writeth largely to Deogratias against Porphyrius in his 49. Epistle Wherefore in these and other respects heare and read I beseech you beloued Christians what the blessed and right honourable Prophet that most noble preacher Iohn-baptist hath taught vs of Iesus Christ in the gospell according to S. Iohn c. 1. v. 29. The next day Iohn seeth Iesus comming to him and saith Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world This text is short but sweete and weighty as the sunne in heauen seemeth little but is great and mighty in operation all bodies die without the sunne and all soules and bodies perish without the effect of this Scripture Philosophers thinke that the sunne and a man maketh a man but diuine philosophy wil thinke speake and conclude that this sonne of God the sunne and light of mankind maketh and saueth and crowneth man with glory in that he wipeth out and washeth away the sinne of the world the sunne is the hart of heauen the captaine of the stars the eye of the world this worde is the hart of the Bible the cheefe of al words to which our eares must giue eare and on which our eyes must alwaies looke For in this verse are cōtained the lawes of Moses and Israël with the prophecies of all prophets both great and small in that Iohn calleth Iesus the lambe of God and the fruit of the new Testament both in the Euangelists Apostles springeth and groweth from this ground in that he is said to take away the sinne of the world Then was Simplicius but a hellish iudge to count the tales of Aegypt and the tables of Moses alike and Galen was but a prophane humorist and Lacuna his shadow little better to mislike the creation of man and misreport the wonders of the red sea ignorantly then are the Pelagians peruerse and miserable disputers which denie and euacuate the baptisme of infants because Christ alone washeth and purgeth thē like them which would hinder the beginning of a thing because it shall at last be made perfect or say you must not vse an instrumēt because there is a principall or warme your self at a fire because the sun is the chiefest workemaster of heate warmnes But to let passe all dilating cōparatiue amplifications of words sentēces togither with other necessary occasiōs of discourse Marke beloued what is here written with the finger of God pen of the holy ghost the next day Iohn seeth Iesus cōming to him and saith and tell me if euer you heard a more louing a more gratious and cōfortable saying behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world O bountifull Iesu ô sweete Sauiour ô mercifull annointed of God the Father what is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of mā that thou so regardest him our bodies are brim full of sinne wickednes as the stables of oxen asses ouerladen and ouercharged with dunge and filthinesse the goodnesse of our soules is like a mēstruous rag as Esay witnesseth c. 64. v. 6. whose word is as an inuiolable seale a sure bond What is then within vs worthy of thy loue ô Christ or what is without vs worthy of thy liking ô son of Dauid ô son of God ô sunne and light of heauē earth we looke vpon thee with Iohn-baptist ô that we could alwaies looke vpō thee we see thee come to vs as did Iohn-baptist ô neuer turne thy backe vpon vs but euer come to vs stay with vs euer we reioyce in thy name that thou art a lambe to vs and a lion of Iuda to the enimies that thou dischargest the debts of the righteous and leauest the wicked in the debtbooke to be arrested and imprisoned till they haue paide the vttermost farthing we looke on thee with ioyfulnesse ô Iesu as infants looke vpon a light the wicked see thee with dazeled eyes as the Sodomites groped in the darke Genesis c. 19. v. 11 we walke in thy sun-light and are comforted we are blacke and sunburnt with walking we are black ô Iesu but louely before thee the wicked are parched with thy beames thy heat maketh their heads to ake their harts to pant their spirits to faile them that they may as it were call for butter out of a lordly dish milke out of a bottle with Sisara or some other delight which their sensuall soules long for and afterward be nayled to the earth with the hammer of one deceitfull Iahel or other close enimie in their sleepe and securitie or come to such like sudden and vile death And this in effect is the generall summe and chiefe purpose of this text Of the ioyfull estate of the godly by seing Christ and The wofull fall of the wicked by turning frō him Now to proceede in the playner exposition of euery portiō and particularity of this verse we see in it both a briefe History and a blessed Doctrine The History is that when Iohn saw Iesus comming to him he gaue out among the people his iudgement of
stead of a lamb hauing power to leaue his life and take it Iohn c. 10. v. 18. Hebr. c. 7. v. 3 23 24. Wherefore our sinnes shall not bruse vs and presse vs to death by their importable weight whilest Iesus easeth vs of that burden an endlesse comfort Our sinne cannot accuse vs and condemne vs to death as law requireth because Iesus hath cancelled the detbooke disanulled the acts that Sathan obiected and giuen out a sufficient quittance and warrant for that payment a blessed pennie and no Saints but Christs penny coyned in the third heauens and beset with this posie or embleme mercy not merite Neuerthelesse this caueat and exception must euer be redie in our hearts and lips to iudge and confesse that sinne remayneth in vs and is not taken away seeing we are a very lumpe of sinne and heape of offence but worthie to feele the fire and hammer in Ieremie ca. 23. the punishment and reward of sinne is taken away the plagues appointed for sinne are swept and caried out of the way and what is the plague or rewarde of sinne but euerlasting death but perpetuall torments in hell but infinite woes and miseries in the bondage of the deuill but continuall affliction of the minde but insufferable vexation and anguish of the bodie but most horrible confusion and most lamentable execution of bodie and soule for euermore Such is the fruite of our sinnes and transgressions which we committe dayly this punishment is due for the sinne of the world and worldly men Rom. c. 5. v. 12. Iohn 1. Epist c. 3. v. 8. c. Can our eares heare this beloued Christians and will not our hearts tremble shall we see and not perceiue heare and not regard and be little better then dead senselesse idoles you see we are attainted and arraigned of high treason against God our hands accuse vs of briberie our armes of violence our harts of vngodly and prophane thoughtes our whole bodies of ill dealing with our neighbours the braine and eyes complayne of wantonnes which wasteth them the veines and marowe cry out vpon idlenes and gluttonie which rotte them the whole worlde layeth all abuses and outrages to our charge the abuses of all creatures and the outrages committed against our owne frends and our tongues that can only speake and pleade for vs after long counsell and deepe aduisement confesse and denie not and with great sighes answere guiltie the iudge of iudges euen God himselfe pronounceth this terrible sentence geueth out this dreadfull dome against vs Seeing you haue abused all things both liuing and dead in leaning to your owne willes in leauing my commandements in making your flesh quick and your spirite dull in fighting for the earth against heauen for vanitie against veritie in esteeming humanitie aboue diuinitie your waies aboue my waies hipocrisie more then faithfulnes in holding my religion euen my religion and seruice for a fashion and your owne pleasure for a law your moments for eternall ioyes your mammets for Saints your portion and inheritance must be with the grandfather of these abuses that olde Serpent that helhound that ramping lion Belzebub the graÌ„dfather of these vices and abuses with whom you haue deserued to liue and die without all help Now what shall we doe in this case to whom can we appeale when all the world accuseth vs and God himselfe condemneth vs I will tell you to whom wee must appeale and how Thou art displeased ô Lorde thou art displeased with vs ô chastise vs not in thy fury neither cast vs off in thy sore displeasure be mercifull vnto thy creatures ô God and then we appeale to thee be not angrie with vs ô Lord and so wee will appeale to none but thee we appeale from God when he is offended vnto God when he is contented ô be wel contented with thy seruants ô Lord. All the world is against vs but thy mercie is greater then all the worlde ô thy mercie is sweete and infinite thy seruants ô God accuse vs and behold thy word is aboue thy seruants thy subiects and inferiors are about to hurt vs but thy omnipotent superioritie can ouerrule them that which they doe thy maiestie can vndoe that they binde thy wisdome can loosen And though this bountie be too great for vs yet is it little in respecte of thee let thy goodnes ô Lord be still our defence thy mercie and louing kindnesse in Iesu Christ thy deare sonne our saluation let thy left hand hould vp our heads and thy right hand imbrace vs imbrace vs the work of thy own hands as thou didst once make vs of earth like thee so make vs by restoring now thy image similitude in vs of prodigal sonnes outcasts partakers of thy table and heires of thy kingdome because thy word hath condeÌ„ned vs holy father mightie iudge pronouÌ„ced vs to be without all help let thy blessed sonne Iesus be our hope whose vertue is beyond all help of man in whom we haue help when we caÌ„not help our selues let him baile vs and repriue vs and get vs a pardon for our sinnes that with our soules and bodies iointly and either of them seuerally we may serue him in holines all the dayes of our liues and sing Psalmes to thee ô thou most mighty according to thy worship and renowne shal the dead praise thee or tel of thy truth in the night and in the darke shall thy noble acts bee knowne in the graue and thy mercy in the land where all things are forgotten vp Lord and helpe vs ô king of heauen when wee call vpon thee which sâ—â—itest hell vpon the cheeke bone and sauest Israël from his enemies saue vs ô God for thy mercy sake ô saue vs and that right soone for we are in our selues brought to great misery saluation onely belongeth to thy name and thy blessing is vpon thy people but we are thy people and the sheepe of thy pasture ô preserue vs from the snare of the hunter and from the noysome pestilence the snare once broken we shall be deliuered and thousands shall fall on both sides but it shall not come nigh vs or if it come it shall not hurt vs or if it hurt thou art our Physician to heale vs to asswage our ambustions to poure oile into our wounds to bind vp our maymed parts carrie vs to thy euerlasting Inne to boorde and dwell with thee for euer Why art thou then so heauy ô my soule and why art thou so disquieted within me ô put thy trust in the lamb of God that daily and hourely taketh thy sinne vpon him and carrieth it away and burieth it where it can neuer reuiue and spring againe Iesus hath redeemed vs neither with siluer nor golde but with his most pretious bloud and water once offered vpon the crosse and he bringeth vs from the prison of sinne he can doe it by his power and he may doe it by the iust claime and title and interest he
lawe in the open face of mount Sinai Exod. cap. 19. v. 16. Christ when he taught the eight beatitudes went vp to a mountaine Math. c. 5. v. 1. a citie that is set on a hill cannot be hid a candle must be set on a candlestick to giue light to all that are in the house ye are the light of the world ye are the salt of the earth let your light shine before mē hide not your talent in a napkin lay not your treasure vp in the earth all things are created for mans vse let Gods water run ouer Gods land and stop not the fountaines deale thy goods among the needy hoord not vp thy corne in time of need he is my neighbour that doth me good though he dwell in Samaria loue the godly for his vertue the wicked to win him to God that made him while we liue let vs doe for all men and this communion we all acknowledge both euening and morning in our Creede and Lords praier whereas in the one we beleeue the communion of saints which is with one minde and agreement in mutuall concord to serue God in hearing his word and receiuing his Sacraments and in the other when we call God our Father and pray him to forgiue vs our sinnes to giue vs our daily bread to deliuer vs from euill not to suffer vs to be tempted praying euery one for the whole catholicke church of God not each one for himselfe For if the vngodly ioyne togither to strengthen themselues much more ought the righteous to be one hart and if the Macedonians see before them a hill full of enemies that seeme big and terrible a farre of they will be in a readinesse for them all togither and though in proofe they find them to be but apes of Imaus yet they will remember to go togither much more then those apes and if Nabuchodonosor the king of confusion willed his herauld to crie aloud be it knowne vnto you ô people nations and languages nobles princes iudges dukes counsellers receiuers officers and all the gouernours of the prouinces that when ye heare all the instruments of musicke ye fall downe and worship the golden image in the plaine of Dura Daniel c. 3. v. 1 4. then shall the Baptist sent from the Emperour of the worlde to whom all the earth is as a pins point or moate in the sunne take the voice of all waters of all thunders of all earthquakes of all windes of all trumpets of all voices and speake to al the plaine of Bethabara to all the hils of Canaan to all the birdes of Asia to all the trees of Europe to all the beasts of Africk to all the fishes of America to all reasonable and vnreasonable men to all godly Christians vngodly Pagans Attend all ye countries kingdomes and empires of the wide world attend likewise ye principalities caelestiall that when yee heare the voice of Gods Embassadour in the desert or out of the desert yee fall downe prostrate vpon your faces and with euery inward and outward part of minde and body reuerence magnifie and adore this pure and vndefiled Sacrament of Baptisme ordained of God and ministred first by me and worship this Christ the visible image of the inuisible God which is able to saue you and readie to crowne you in the day of his great visitation But confounded be all they that worship and fall downe to carued or moulten images and delight in vaine Gods worship him all yee Gods Delphos shall be as Sodome and Dodona as Gomorra the braines of Chaldees shall become rotten and all iugling of the East shal be forced to crie out with Thamus the Aegyptian pilot Pan is dead and Satan is dead and the liuely gospell of Iesus is preached to the Iewe and Gentile to the bond and free in this time of grace and peace This might be the voice of Iohn-baptist in the wildernes and in effect this was the message of Gods crier in Bethabara whether any one may come and pay no mony for comming in where all may heare without losse of time and get endlesse and vnspeakable treasure for going onely for it the way is plaine the passage is not stopped Bethabara is the ioy and hope of sinners it is a common for all womens children to come to for all childrens children to abide in and be fed with the bread of life which is better then Manna and drinke the water of euerlasting life Then let all come from the North climats and the South to be baptized let all gather themselues togither which dwell in the East the West to be purified in Baptisme not only with the baptisme of Iohn with water to repētance but with Christs baptisme with the Holy-ghost and with fire to immortality So they shall reuiue that were dead in sinne they shall be graffed into the true oliue which were wilde branches they shal be freemen of God that were bond-slaues of the diuell they shall be indued with all goodnesse which were imbrued with all naughtinesse so good is our God that shutteth no man out of dores which waiteth on him so louing is our Lord which refuseth none such as are ready with their oile of good workes and lamps of good faith burning in their hands and hartes prepared 2. Peter c. 1. v. 5 10. Now beloued is any one of vs vnwilling to go where we may go so easily and so pleasantly where we may abide so safely and happily the dull asse euen the asse which is so dull will run through thin and thicke through water and fire to saue hir young foales saith Pliny l. 8. c. 43. and shall not Gods people and pupils be quicker in loue then a dull asse to saue their owne liues and soules If Iohn had baptized in the midst of the firy and sulphurous lake Asphaltites or in the noysome dungeon of Panium frō whence the riuer Iordan floweth as the latest Hydrographers haue iudged Sabel Ennead 1. l. 2. and Munster l. 5. Cosmogra neither the heate of the one nor the smel of the other should haue scared vs at all and shall we for shame not girde vp our loines and speede vs apace to so open a place as Bethabara is O come vnto me all ye that are blacke and red with sin saith the spirit of Iohn and I will purifie you as Naaman was clensed of his snow white leprosie with washing himself obediently after a proude pause seuen times in Iordan 4. Kings c. 5. v. 14. O Christ we come to thee in our baptisme by thee we cast of our old skinne and old man in baptisme ô son of God euen as Naaman washed of his foulenes in Iordan therein prefiguring our holy christning therefore as that riuer Ior and that riuer Dan concur and ioine both togither in Iordan and make the streame bigger so we beseech thee that both the powers of our bodies and the powers of our soules may by spirituall infusion of thy grace come
3. aduersus gentes and I hope some of the rest as it may please God to worke may reape some good therby as I hartily pray to God they may S. Iohn saith behold the lambe of God and so I still and still say and so must al good christians and euery good christian euer and euer say and not onely say with the mouth but euer and euer thinke euen with the very hart euen in the very bowels of al christian affection and zeale behold the lambe of God that was before the world was that was mistically and as it were in a holy reuerend vaile or shadow prefigured in Moses law that was in aboundance of diuine spirit liuely and zealously foretold by the Prophets that was certainely and effectually preached by the Apostles that is assuredly and infallibly described by the Euangelists that in the whole word of God in the law and the gospell in the old and new Testament euer hath and is and euer shall be preached from generation to generation as the onely true lambe of God as the onely true sauiour of the world as our onely true mediator and redeemer euen Iesus the righteous true God and true man by whom from whom and in whom only we haue whatsoeuer good wee haue otherwise without him remayning in the most wretched most wofull and desperate state of vtter damnation both of body and soule Therfore we that beleeue the law of God and the Prophets of God the gospell of Christ the Apostles of Christ the creation of the world and the saluatiō of the world as God forbid but we should all beleeue as it becommeth the people of God and all good christians to beleeue we that beleeue the Canonical scriptures and desire to be members of the Catholicke church whereof Christ is the head must faithfully and vnfainedly acknowledge this lambe of God to be very God himself to be the promised Messias and onely Iesus to be the onely sonne of God that taketh away the sinne of the world Wee often repeat our Beliefe of the creation of the world by God the Father of the saluation of the world by God the sonne euen the lamb of God of the sanctification of the world by God the holy-ghost one true euerlasting and onely wise God who raigneth in all and aboue all for euer and euer this we often say and should alwaies think as we are in al christian zeale and with all perfect hatred to abhorre those that say or think the contrary Alas a thousand errors and heresies and blasphemies and idolatries and impieties haue ouerflowen the world and wickednes hath stretched out a long arme on euery side from the East to the West throughout the world and round about the world yet Christ still hath numbred his elect the great Shepheard knoweth his sheepe there wanteth not a visible or inuisible congregation of the faithful to make vp Christes militant Church there are many true Christian souldiers euer ready to fight vnder the Ensigne ancient of the lambe of God that neuer bowed the knee to Baal that neuer committed any heathenish or prophane idolatrie that neuer were defiled or corrupted with the filthines of the whore of Babylon that neuer either deuoted themselues to false gods or denied the true liuing God or said in their hearts with the vngodly and godlesse foole there is no God that crie dayly and howerly and euer sincerely and faithfully Behold the lambe of God ô Lord Iesus come quickly thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen thou art God and there is none other God but thou a iust and a sauing God as the Prophet Esay saith c. 45. v. 21. O let vs all cry thus let vs all set our selues against all that write or say or think otherwise Students reade many things euen of God and of Christ and otherwhiles against God and his Christ as for God his Christ here they must folow the direction of a godly iudgement here true christianity must ouerrule false paganisme and desperate atheisme here the spirite of God must confute and confound the spirite of the deuill the spirite of Antichrist the spirite of false Prophets the spirite of deceitfull heretikes the spirite of worldly hypocrites the spirite of blasphemous and impious villaines that care neither for God nor the deuill that measure all by present profite or pleasure without any regard of posteritie and either acknowledge no God or els make thē their gods that feed their owne humor most or most aduaunce their wicked purposes Without this directiō of Gods spirite and without this godly discretion and Christian iudgement to discerne betweene the trueth of God the falshode of the deuill alas how soone may students most of all other be misled and seduced by many wryters of much account among them who had no sence or feeling of this lamb of God or any such christian doctrine but in the aboundance of their owne carnall humor and in their grosse worldly sense tooke vpon them to iudge of all matters as well spirituall as corporall by the only direction of their natural reason or rather fantasticall conceite which otherwhile carried them headlong into all error and blasphemie I will passe ouer those old Atheists Diagoras Protagoras Democritus Philosophers Aristippus and Epicurus Courtiers the 288 sectes of heathenish schollers which S. Augustine mentioneth out of Varro l. 19 de Ciuitate Dei many of the heathen Poets both Greeke and Latin and such like whose godlesse and vnchast opinions are too common among the common sort of Students I would to God Aristotles sensuall naturall philosophie in his 3. bookes de anima of the immortalitie of the soule which that small abstract of Athenagoras doeth sufficiently ouerthrowe to omitte Aeneas and other of greater labour herein and his morall philosophie of mans perfect felicitie l. 1. c. 10. Ethec l. 10. c. 6 7. were not sometime for vaine disputations sake or I wot not how more hotlie mainteined with leaue and liking then were conuenient in our christian scholes and companies seeing such other matters of lesse importance haue with the same Schoolistes been so earnestly and egerly disalowed but if Cassianus be iudged of his angry children they wil out vith their penkniues by and by and haue their peniworths of him that was once ouer them yoong vnskilfull physicians count bodies sometimes past hope that haue as much life in them as themselues with all their inspectiues the wild hart would not haue arrested the sheepe of debt if the woolfe his enemie had not bene iudge hee that maketh an error and the report thereof both one cannot recite it against another but he shall therein be against himselfe one eare and one tale can neuer doe the iudge honesty and how can he determine which knoweth not the controuersie which heareth but one part which maketh suspition a proofe he is extreemely partiall that winketh at a filthy life and will not abide a homely word as if
and a sodaine vtter destructiō and ouerthrow menaced against Babylon for a time the Lady Empresse of the world that is Rome A notable caueat for Antichrist that is the Pope and his adherents if they would be so graciously wise to foresee and conceiue their owne miserie and destruction but it is said in the very same chapter v. 10. Thou hast trusted in thy wickednes and hast said no man seeth me but thine owne wisdome cunning hath deceiued thee and so forth And no doubt euen so it goeth with all the mēbers and impes of Antichrist in what degree soeuer that any way oppose themselues against Christ or any way blaspheme and deface the lamb of God they may seem wise and cunning in their owne eyes in their owne stubburne wilfull conceite but extreme ruine and miserie and perdition is the finall reward of all such wisdome and cunning euen in the mightiest Lordes and Princes and Emperors and Popes of the worlde For euery one that heareth my word and doeth it not saith Christ himselfe Math. c. 7. v. 26. shall bee likened vnto a foolish man that buylt his house vpon the sand and the rayne descended and the floods came and the windes blew and bet vpon that house and it fell and great was the fall of it Euery one saith Christ how great so euer he otherwise seemeth to the worlde euen the great Turke euen the great Pope euen the greatest of all amongst the greatest of all A foolish man a foolish end a proud man a proud end a wicked man wicked end an vngodly and godlesse man a wretched and horrible end full of all woe and vtter destruction both of body and soule Men cannot gather grapes of thornes nor figs of thistles saith S Luke c. 6. v. 44. Good brethren let vs actually and particularly apply this generall doctrine vnto our selues whereof otherwise we haue no proper vse but a common wandering thought voyde of that singular fruite and effect which the word of God is to worke personally in euery one that hath his name registred in the lambs booke of life Let vs geue diligent eare vnto Christes worde and follow the same accordingly least we be truely cōpared to that foolish buylder Let vs harken vnto him with the house of Iacob and the remaynder of the house of Israël who hath borne vs from our mothers wombe and brought vs vp from our natiuitie who hath nourished vs defended vs saued vs taken away our sinnes and made vs blessed for blessed is the man vnto whom no sinne is imputed Let vs vnfaynedly faithfully imbrace our redeemer the Lord of hosts the holy one of Israel who hath reuealed and shall reueale the filthy fornication of Babylon as he hath confounded and shall confound the outragious pride of that citie and aduaunce his mount Sion aboue the mount of Esau or the tower of Babell Vpon mount Sion shall be deliuerance and it shal be holy and the house of Iacob shall possesse their possessions and the house of Iacob shall be a fire and the house of Ioseph a flame and the house of Esau as stubble and they shal kindle in thē and deuour them there shal be no remnāt of the house of Esau for the Lord hath spoken it saith Abdias v. 17. Let vs remember what S. Iohn writeth in his Reuelation c. 17. v. 14. c. Ten kings shall giue their strength and power vnto the beast which ten kings shall fight with the lambe and the lambe shall ouercome them al for he is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings they that are on his side are called and chosen and faithfull Let vs assure our selues that he it is and none but he that can and will mightily deliuer vs from the forenamed mischiefe and perdition threatned by the prophet Esay and all the rest of the holy prophets Let vs continually call to minde that godly and heauenly counsell of S. Paul Coloss c. 3. v. 8. put ye of al wrath all fiercenes maliciousnes blasphemy filthy communication out of your mouth lie not one to another seeing ye haue put of the old man with his workes and haue put on the new man which is renewed into knowledge after the image of him that made him where is neither Greeke nor Iewe circumcision nor vncircumcision barbarian Scythian bond free but Christ is all in all O let vs euer and euer meditate vpon this and such Christian instructions ô let vs euer and euer practise them and performe them to the vttermost of our indeuour power in Christ in whom onely we are powerable to doe his gracious pleasure and to make our selues ready for our inheritance in his most blessed kingdome Let vs daily and howrely looke to our selues pray for our selues and pray for one another that we be not led into temtation but deliuered from euill and namely from the forenamed horrible euill of blasphemie idolatrie infidelitie Paganisme Atheisme and all such like diuelish abhomination the very worst and most damnable effect of Antichrist himselfe of Belzebub himselfe Let vs humbly and zealously pray vnto Christ to make vs like that wise man in the gospell after S. Matth. c. 7. v. 24. which built his house vpon a rocke and the raine descended and the flouds came and the winds blew and beat vpon that house and it fell not because it was grounded vpon a rocke euen the word of Christ the voice of the lambe the gospell of saluation true faith with true charitie good beliefe with the effect of good workes as the good fruit of a good tree according to Christs owne preaching in his gospel in the same chapter v. 17 18. Let vs studie not to be seruants and schollers of infidels but the sonnes of the prophets euen such sonnes and disciples of the prophets as Samuel taught at his schoole or vniuersitie at Naioth in Rama 1. Kings c. 19. v. 20. and as the two most wonderfull prophets Elias and Elisaeus taught in their cities and vniuersities at Bethel and at Iericho 4. Kings c. 2. v. 3 5. and as such other godly prophets taught in their seuerall schooles townes and namely the most noble euangelicall prophet Esay who is reported to succeede Elisaeus in that most worthy propheticall function Let vs not beleeue euery spirit but prooue and discerne the spirits whether they be of God or not for many false prophets are gone out into the world hereby shall yee know the spirit of God euery spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and euery spirit which confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is the spirit of Antichrist of whom ye haue heard how that he should come and euen now already is he in the world saith S. Iohn 1. c. 4. v. 1 2 3. where he also addeth this ioyfull comparison v. 4. Little children ye are of God and haue ouercome them that are not
of God for greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world they are of the world and therefore speake they of the world and the world heareth them we are of God hee that knoweth God heareth vs he that is not of God heareth vs not hereby know we the spirit of veritie the spirit of errour thus much S. Iohn in that place O let vs still and still more and more eschue abandon this spirit of error this spirit of the world this spirit of Antichrist and euer imbrace and acknowledge the spirit of truth the spirit of God the spirit of Christ O let vs for the loue of God for the loue of Christ for the loue of our owne soules euermore seeke the lambe of God follow the lambe of God behold and imbrace the lambe of God looke for the health of our bodies the saluation of our soules the safegard of both not in or from or by any other but only in and from and by the only lambe of God repose our whole beliefe trust and felicity in the lambe of God that taketh away the sin of the world that redeemeth saueth vs wretched and wicked sinners of the world that with his owne precious bloud hath paid the great ransome for the release of our miserable bondage and captiuity vnder the yoke of sinne and hath suffered that great insufferable passion due to vs sinners to bring vs vnto heauen vnto God vnto himselfe sitting on the right hand of the father in all maiestie power and glorie for euer and euer Thus you haue a short confutation of those vngratious worldlings that either with wilfull or no better then beastly violence or with witlesse desperate blasphemy or with fond and obstinate self-loue haue proued themselues the most indiscreet rulers the most vnskilfull writers the most vile and vngodly sinfull men that euer were called men or euer liued in the world I meane first those vngodly antichristian hellish Aristotelists Auerroists Plinians call them in word as they were in deed men of more subtilty then surety which denying the immortalitie of the soule accounting it no better then heat and breath mouing and remouing the body only haue ignorantly and preiudicially denied the finall cause of Christs sorrowfull humiliation and glorious resurrection which saued our soules from damnatiō and death in the nethermost noisome deadly pit the lake of torment the prison of misery and all thraldome world without end and defending the eternity of the world iudging it without beginning and without ending which vndoubtedly was fashioned finished in six daies as we surely proue by the Genesis of Moses the wonderfull prophet of God the wisest lawmaker in Israël the mightiest captaine of armes by the Hexaëmerons of diuers both Greeke and Latin doctors and fathers by our Apostolicke beleefe most stedfastly builded on God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth the sea and all that is in them at whose last comming the earth shall melt away like wax and the heauens shal be folded vp like a garment haue defaced with all their might the maiestie of Christs ascension and denied the eternitie of his last dreadfull iudgement both which wee reuerence and magnifie with all godly loue and Christian zeale hauing visiblie and faithfully seen the one with the Apostles eyes and vnfaynedly looking for the other with liuely heartes with spirituall hunger and thirst with desire to leaue this mad and drunken world to liue infinitely raigne with him in euerlasting life Then I meane those hypocriticall Pharisies those impious Iewes and Iewish confederats succeeding the heathenish infidels and pagans in course and time of yeares but farre before them in all wickednes sinne in euery notorious iniquitie and enormitie that did treacherously and sophistically seeke to vndermine Christ and to take him in his words that in the gall of bitternes and bond of impietie mocked and spitte at him and most grieuously and vniustly disgraced him in spite of heauen and earth of angels and men euen as God had appointed in his secrete ordinance and wonderfull prouidence before the foundation of the world was layd that in the pride and rage of Iudaisme in the height of anger and depth of malice whipped him like an outcast the sonne of God crowned him with thorns like a mad bedlem the innocent lambe of God nay led and perced and wounded him to death like a hurtfull beast the triumphant king of angels and men mightie Sauiour of the world But they soone felt the heauy intollerable hande of God for these so Iewish and diuelish abhominations and when their brasen faces would not blush nor their iron heartes relent the very stones of the temple were riuen asunder the faire vaile was rent in twaine frō the top to the bottom those sensles stones were more soft and pensiue then the Iewes the dead carcases were more tenderly and mercifully affected toward Christ crucified at his one and last exclamation in one hower then the elders of Iury were in all their life time which heard many heauenly admonitions diuers happy promisses sundry blessings and cursings yet liued and died in their gainesayings being at last themselues as stones and carcasses reiected throwne out and troden vpon hauing their children and cities vtterly destroyed and their land layd wast and those mockings and spittings that thorny crowne and vineger and gall those nayles and that speare and that crosse and all the rods and crosses that were laid vpon Christ haue euer since bene laide vpon them being esteemed the most odious abiects of all men the very roges and runnegates of the earth against whom all men haue set themselues euen as they oppose and set themselues against all men like Ismaëites and Edomites more vile in Gods eyes then dunge and clay on the ground and all good and godly Christians are inuincibly confirmed in Christian faith by the shamefull ouerthrow of those Iewish and christians which is come to passe according to the gospell of Iesus Christ for his kingdomes sake and our endlesse comfort and instruction to him therefore be prayse for euer Then I meane the Turkes and turkish religion or rather hereticall superstition that in steed of noble prophets on our side hath but one fugitiue monke but the same one false monke on their part to defend it against our so many learned and constant professours that hath no history for his defence and in that respect condemneth historians that could neuer get any sober and learned orator to maintaine his cause and therfore disaloweth the graces and power of rhetorick that cannot be defended by disputation and therefore forbiddeth all disputations that is forced against his owne will law to prefer Christ before Mahomet our mercifull king before his bloudie captaine for honest and honorable birth for vertuous and wonderfull acts for blessed and heauenly translation himselfe being borne basely and liuing vitiously and dying of lewd causes more like a ruffian
of the deuill then a prophet of God as themselues confesse vnawares in their vaine Alcoran and doltish bible His more then triple Dodecamechany to the finall ruine of that tyrannicall kingdome and satanicall iurisdiction in Turky and to the building vp of Gods house in new Sion to the benefit of his housholders his children and seruaunts if they could once be so christianly wise to forgiue their owne quarrels and forget that is past and euer hereafter serue God please him by fighting his battels with a perfit loue and vnanimity among themselues with a perpetuall hatred and magnanimity against such enemies the souldiers of the flesh the sonnes of transgression now more then halfe wearied with their religion and euer remayning in suspition and ielousie one of another Now God for his owne sake make them euer like Oreb and Zeb and like to the princes of Zeba and Salmana the God of our fathers confound their huge armies and militar powers that they may fall vpon their owne swordes that their armes of flesh may be broken that all their beastly cruelties practised against good christians from Mahound to this present day may returne vpon themselues that they goe hence and be no more seene that their name may perish from among the children of men that we and all our posteritie may sing with the seuenth Angel mentioned in the Reuelation and with those great voices in heauen the kingdomes of this world are our Lords and his Christes and he shal reigne for euermore c. 11. v. 15. but the Saracens shall not ouerrule him the Paganisme of Sergius shal not deuour the Christianisme of the Apostles seeing the gospell is dispensed in all parts of the earth as much more then the Alcoran howsoeuer Luter in a furious imitation of Micheas hath rapt out the contrarie as if hee desired rather the name of a Prophet among the infidels then of a frend to Christians Then I meane the blasphemous high-minded swelling Greekes both Iulianists and Lucianists both Emperors and Schollers both mighty and learned men whose naughty ende hath prooued their beginning naught whos 's owne words of euident treason against God haue iudged and condemned them who are in account among godly wise men as the poysonous flyes or as dead dogs who haue vanished like a vapor and beene consumed like a smoke to nothing euen as it pleased the Lord so are these thinges infallibly come to passe by whom is reserued for their last sentence for their vngracious schollers for their frendes and fauourites a lake of brimstone a gnawing worme a consuming fire mingled with percing cold for euermore for thus were the Iewes cursed for their malicious blasphemie against Christ in the time of his earthly and corporall humiliation neither can these and other like them be in better estate which crie out and rayle against him in these dayes of his eternall heauenly exaltation as S. Augustine reasoneth truely vpon a text of S. Matthew And what is become of those wicked Romans which I thē named but shame and discredit reproach and confusion among all vertuous well disposed christians they might for their stile and phrase haue purchased our lyking for their graue and politike gnomes haue beene in good account among good men whereas now their malcontentship against Christianitie and their hauty and scornfull attemptes against Gods annoynted together with their disdainfull termes against our Christian profession and professors haue cast their works into great contempt that might els haue been in greatest price because no honest man will in confcience approue false famous libels or any graue man can scarcely euen in reason beleeue a lyer when he speaketh trueth much lesse when he telles his owne tales or any man shall not measure but like for like and vpon compulsion compare themselues with their enemies these sodaine slidinges with the others wilfull fallinges these suborned reproches with the others iudiciall penalties true conuictions vnchangeable executions If they had beene of so vpright a nature or of so ciuill nurture to report all well of them which did nothing ill or hurtfull to any but were innocent lambs of God they might haue otherwise then now they are beene reckened with the best sort of best writers and gotten our subscriptions as well as their owne friends commendations but seeing their venim was so great and aboundant to thrust out their stinges and spyt out their ranknes at godly and heauenly minded Christians they bewray the stocke and broode they came frō euen the spawne of that old serpent and seede of Satan and make vs al in good consciences freely to denounce and proclayme them enuyers deceyuers falsifiers to brand them with the marke of strong theeues for robbing Gods church to set them in the blacke booke of damned soules for defying and diffaming Gods owne militant teachers and messengers which preach the trueth which spend their liues in defence of the word which offer themselues a dayly sacrifice vnto him that gaue himselfe once a pure and perfect oblation for thē and all which honour both spirituall and temporall fathers without any grudging because of Gods ordinance and for conscience sake which studie and pray continually for the perpetuall glory honour of Gods Church Gods house Gods visible throne which perswade some and exhort all men to vertue to deuotion to loue of God and loue of man which drie vp their harts and braines day and night euen to the decay of their owne health and strength to heale the wounded and afflicted conscience to confirme and stablishe the faith of their countrey to abandon vncharitable disobedient opinions to bid men take heede of furious tedious self-will to remember they are as Gods small sheepefold in the midst of a Wolues forrest to bee as doues among themselues without harme and subtile serpents when the aduersarie commeth to magnifie God for his manifold benefites and to holde out the hand when he geueth his blessings and euer to behold and worship the blessed lamb of God that washeth away the sinnes of the earth But alas there are many strange errors abroad in the earth and there are too many headstrong mainteyners of old paradoxes and newfangled nouelties which either renew those antiquated trifles or giue them a colour a deuise and glosse of the makers which are their craftes maisters and bondslaues such men are girded and wrapped in with splene and brought vp cheefly in the chapters De contradicentibus and so wedded and giuen to alter all statutes and turkisse all states that they are become plaine turkish and rebellious vnnaturall countrimen and vnkind neighbours they doe not behold and follow the harmeles lambe of God that euer most gratiously helpeth offenders and bringeth them from deadly traines I haue hitherto tolde of open knowne and professed enemies I haue already confuted those notorious and famous antichristians such as with a wild and wide throate or infamous tongue and pen haue without al manner of colourable or
and theomachies commonly made euen of poets in reuerence of religion the causes of greatest mischiefes and sorowes to which end and purpose all the most auncient tragedies haue beene written euē euery one of them as R. Haruey hath proued in his Logical and Enthymematicall Analysis dedicated to the valiant and vertuous noble Lord the Earle of Essex If Menelaus counted a light and idle pratler abuse Calchas or Agamemnon a great drinker in his hast and anger misuse Chryses or Pentheus in his frensie disturbe the Bacche or Creon in his pride disable Tyresias and so forth neither shall their passions hinder the spirites of those Prophets nor make Nestor or Vlisses or Cadmus or the Thebanes or the wiser sort or God himselfe in their phrase termed Apollo and Dyonisius of destroying euill thinges and working great matters to despise them one iote the more but the rather to defend them which decorum is euer kept in all their bookes in geuing the best ende of their controuersies to their religious persons hee that hath eyes to read let him reade Then let him thinke in his heart whether pacience and humility in one man should prouoke another man to presumption and rigour and the naked innocencie and innocent nakednesse of Gods holy prophets and teachers may in any heauenly or worldly reason cause busiebodies the rather to annoy them if he answereth in himselfe it should not it may not be why goeth he against his conscience and woundeth his owne soule in allowing these idle flies these troublesome waspes these stinging gnats these vnprofitable wormes if he saith it should be it may be he maketh loue a reason of hatred and submission a cause of oppression he taketh away the reward of vertue and doth euill for good which is worse then the worst beasts then diuels all Then I beseech him to consider how disalowable it is in good discipline which they and he stand vpon so much to change that order and breake downe those degrees that are nether diuers from Gods holy and reuerend word nor contrary to true and godly gouernment to be firie vehement in their innouatiōs wheras old standards haue more equity and safety in thē by much or else by such an infinite methode we shall neuer make an end of changings and euer trouble the world with needles questions besides that is the most inordinate vnlawfull thing in the world to haue priuate men speake and write their pleasures in publicke cases seeking on their owne heads without any good allowance or lawfull warrant of the rulers factiously and arrogantly to alter the state that is builded and framed on Gods and mans law Then I desire him to examine this question whether vertue and wealth godlines and riches may not be in one and go together if they may not why were the most soueraigne princes and godly puissant captaines of Gods church euer as welthy and rich as any other will they reforme God too for doing this and teach the Almightie to do better or if they may be in one being both good what meane these immoderate clensers of no faults to pull downe or spoile to beggar or abase with all their forces the countenance and maintenance of spirituall magistrates and fathers of ecclesiasticall teachers and rulers whose reuenues and iurisdictions are more necessary and lesse hurtful more charitable and natural then any other and whose children shall not be behind any in true vertue and true proofe How truly hath S. Augustine defined him to be an heretick which for profits sake or fame beginneth or followeth new opinions God in his goodnes and mercie forgiue all ignorant and weake offences as he will in his powerfull iustice ouerthrow all presumptuous and strong offenders to his owne immortall glory and the euerlasting comfort of his true church his peculiar people his faithfull children his obedient seruaunts which beleeue in him aboue al which feare him vnder all which loue him with all the powers of their soules and bodies in all thankfulnes and dutie in all visible inuisible offerings of their goods and goodwils For when the reasonable and honest soule remembreth in it selfe that the weight of Gods sanctuary was euer as much more as the weight of the congregation and the measure much more that the best fairest of all things were alwaies bestowed vpon Gods diuine vses and seruices who giueth vs the best all for his vses that the lands of the Leuites in that only little land of Canaan cōtained at the least in compasse one hundred and ninety miles Num. c. 35. v. 5. or if later times be better that of the whole land of Iurie diuided into foure seuerall parts two parts of them were giuen to the priests to the temple and the Leuites for their inheritance Ezech. cap. 45. vers 3 4 5. or if an interpretor be required herein in that S. Ierome in his notorious and notable epistle to Euagrius concludeth and calleth this an apostolical tradition that the Bishops and Priests and Deacons may aske and chalenge so much in the church as Aron and his sonnes and the Leuites did in the temple that the liuings of the Aegyptian priests euen idolatrous priests were not once touched or diminished in common dearth and famine and need and knoweth withall that these benefits and liberties were ordained by two of the most godly and politick lawmakers that euer liued except Christ euen by Moses and Ioseph men euery way most singular vnmatchable men taught of God himselfe from heauen it selfe by visions and reuelations and familiar conferences how can he iudge otherwise then honorably and graciously for the heads and parts of the church as he will iudge both graciously and honorably for the heads and parts of the congregation there is not I am sure any one of vs that reading S. Paul 2. Cor. c. 3. v. 7 8 9 10 11. of the glorious and continuall ministery of righteousnes more excellent then the ministery of condemnation or c. 4. Galat. humbling the law with the names of rudiments and bondage and those which liued vnder the law of children and seruants but exalting the gospell with the titles of fulnesse of time and redemption and the gospellers of sonnes and heires and such other concordances of like Scripture can once thinke that the law of Moses is greater then the gospell of Iesus but that the gospel is both for the godhead of the autor Hebr. c. 3. v. 3. and for the doctrine it selfe and for the first teachers of both greater and woorthier then the law which proposition of the gospels excellency and preferment beyng truly graunted and rightly grounded these consequents must necessarily be conioyned that they which teach the gospell ought euery way to liue in more honour and credite thereby among the Christians then they which taught the law liued in honour and reuerence thereby among the Israëlites as the perfitest state of the church must haue perfitest honour that he is the
extreme vengible reformatiues these new metrapolitanes that haue pasports and inuestitures of the deuils good holines to Nymrodize and Iudaize their filles these that care not if heauen fall downe and earth rise vp so they haue their willes and get themselues a day and a name being now wearie of their right surnames and christian and wishing to bee their owne godfathers or nicknamers for here is their great theme and maxime of pure and purpure misrule I warrant you largely and illuminately handled here is the goale and price they runne at and long for here is that crucifige which they cried so long here is a correctiue Leiger and Factor for their new-shapen worships their humors of all sortes here is their vpright patrico or Abraham man as they tearme him at a beck at an inch with his dieu garde that can and will at a dead lift proue it good by his lawes and canons by his reasons and senses by his fathers and brothers and sisters by his angels and perhaps paredrall diuels that bare such a sway in their booke Nemith vel legum Orci Inferorum That Hazael and Ioas princes were base kings and as it were flattering dogs to call the ecclesiasticall prophet Elisaeus their lord and father 4. Kings c. 8 v. 12. c. 13. v. 14. that the third Semicenturion or captain of king Ochoziah with al his fifty men was but a swaine to fall on his knee and do the ecclesiasticall prophet Elias reuerence and cal him his good lord 4. Kings c. 1. v. 13 14. that king Benhadad Naaman the captaine and the rest in holy Chronicle did amisse to call prophets their fathers and lords themselues being noble and mightie men 4. Kings c. 5. v. 17. c. 8. v. 9. that God did not well to make Moses that was but a lawgiuer and counseller the God of Pharao a king drad soueraigne Exod. c. 7. v. 1. that al men in the earth which haue called the heads rulers of the church their lords in bookes in sermons in other meetings shall for that idle word giue account at the last day but not for calling other mē their lords that our Church is maymed vnlesse we turne 7. into 4 and yet so we mayme it more that our bishops are blasphemers and traitors vnlesse they set downe 4. sortes of churchmen by those texts where S. Paul setteth downe 7. seuerall things Prophecie Office Teachers Exhorters Distributers Rulers Mercymen Rom. c. 12. v. 6 7 8 c. where he setteth downe nine gifts of the spirite wisedome knowledge faith healing great workes prophecie discerning of spirits diuersities of tongues interpretation of tongues 1. Cor. c. 12. v. 8 9 10. where he setteth downe fiue orders with the fruits of them apostles prophets euangelists pastors teachers c. Ephes c. 4 v. 11 12. that deacons must not teach wisdome but pastors that elders must not teach knowledge but doctors that pastors must not meddle with goods but deacons that doctors must not deale with manners but elders that wisedome knowledge manners accounts these foure things belong not to euery pastor to euery doctor to euery elder to euery deacon because euery one in himself belike and in other men must not looke to the soule and bodie to the mind and māners to the inward and outward man that our confessors and martyrs of late time men as carefull of euery worde they spake as men might be and specially that most innocent and righteous preacher M. Bradford was ouerseen in being so dutifull and curteous to call the Bishops lords that these our Eliae Elisaei Moses our spirituall captaines and fathers should not be called lords nor charret strength of England any more though they euer were and wil be so that teachers must be poorer then their inferiours and schollers that the magistracies for none or least causes must bee contemned and ouerthrowne that the sheepherd must not be richer then a sheepe and Christ put from his See in the church because he is not corporally resident that laughing and reioycing vpon supposed faults betokeneth Gods spirit that the watchman in the tower must be kept of the meanest that saueth me best and al that he may in conscience be fostered that standeth stifly in a lewde cause that Philemon did not owe himselfe to Paul his spirituall father v. 19. that physicians of the bodies shall be in great account for healing an outward maladie that would cast into the graue and looking to the mortall part of man and our ghostly and heauenly physicians of the soule must be out of account for preseruing the immortall part of a man and curing the inward diseases that otherwise would cast downe to hell that the minoritie of Saul and the Iudaisme of Paul must preiudice the ones title and roialtie and the others doctrine and diuinitie that Edgars and Iustinians and the first Williams or third Edwards Henries lawes or Magna charta should set their lawiers aflote in wealth in magnificencie in all ability and Gods lawe descending from heauen vpon the holy mountaine Sinai in all maiestie and honorable reuerēce the prophets words writtē by the wisest spirit of the whole world euē Gods own holy Ghost the gospell of Christ that hath by Gods prouidence conquered heauen and earth as I coulde easily shewe vnto you if puritanisme were not and the spirituall true decretals of the Apostles which keepe all men from follies and lawmen from iniuries these 4. chartae maximae of God himself that hold vp euen the foure corners or quarters of heauen ouer our heads that else for our sin would contrarie to all philosophicall quintessences fall vpon vs shall set their students their barresters their counsellers and iudges at an eb or in a drought in more penury in greater want and contemptible estate Such reasons and conclusions which either must be vpholden with many other like inconueniences and mischiefes or else these nouelties and quarrels must be cast downe are more fit for the oration of Catiline with the coniuration of Lentulus Cethegus once in Rome then for reformation of our English church which is not of the same manner of spirit that Elias was for so our Sauiour teacheth his Apostles in the gospell of S. Luke c. 9. v. 55. euen as this commonwelth is not in such distresse by Gods fauourable goodnesse wherein it liueth for according to the times God raiseth vp diuerse graces in the world as those regions were at that day vnder persecution when notwithstanding the prophet was thus highly honoured and reuerenced of princes which if it were otherwise in deede then it was yet in right what argument call you this by your reformatiō what consequence is this in your witcraft your new logicke which desire to seeme so logical and sensible wittie men To set worldly magistrates vp on height for good seruice done to their prince and countrie duly and iustly to thrust downe these magistrates of magistrates as
A THEOLOGICALL DISCOVRSE OF THE LAMB OF GOD AND HIS ENEMIES Contayning a briefe Commentarie of Christian faith and felicitie together with a detection of old and new Barbarisme now commonly called Martinisme Newly published both to declare the vnfayned resolution of the wryter in these present controuersies and to exercise the faithfull subiect in godly reuerence and duetiful obedience Speake these things and exhort and rebuke with all authoritie let no man despise thee saith S. Paul to Titus c. 2. v. 15. PATERE ET POTIRE SVRSVM LONDON Imprinted by Iohn Windet for W.P. Anno. 1590. TO THE MOST NOBLE and vertuous Lord the Lord Robard Deuoreux Earle of Essex RIght Honorable my very good Lord your fauourable affection hath bene euer so euident and your bountifull hand alvvaies so open vnto me that I can neuer vvillingly come vnto you vvithout some schollerly exercise or other The readiest at this instant though perhaps not the fittest altogither is a theologicall treatise or diuinitie Discourse vpon the chiefe or rather onely point of christian Religion vvhich I here offer vp if percase your Lordship vvill at the most fauourably admit it into your studie or at least affectionately allovv it as one small part of my dutie and thankfulnes for vvhich only cause I present it not in any other respect euen vpon former premisses heretofore since your Lordships being in Cambridge to this daie not for any future consequents hereafter the Booke desireth not your speciall patronage it is not vvorthie of so honourable a specialitie neither may I trouble your excellent Lordship vvith Theologicall peculiars and proprieties further then as they belong generally to all noble and true Christians In defending and maintaining the religion of their God and faith of their country as the principall ground and very roote of all their ovvne politicke defence and maintenance Herein I remember the common voice of schollers and souldiers of citizens and yeomen of gentlemen their betters That the Noble Earle of Essex is behind none but afore the rest euer ready and more forward then the forwardest in Gods battels and his Princes quarrels with horse and speare to ouerthrow ouerrun Gods foes and hir enemies euen in their owne gates euen in Portugale it selfe a gallant kingdome the most venturous place of such enemies euen at their most populous and royall cittie Lysbon approuing his vertue with as much and haply more felicitie absit assentationis suspitio neque enim soleo auribus verba dare then euer Alexander himself did his valiancy at the cittie Malla Q. Curtius l. 9. neuer vnready with good words and magnificent deedes to honour his Prince or ennoble his countrie when God and Right shall employ him neuer vnready to help any man no not any common man no not with hazarding of his owne person in common sight which I trust is garded with good angels and in truth no hazarding and now lately by vnhorsing himself he mercifully saued a poore wounded souldier from the mouth of the sword therein equall or somewhat comparable with the foresaid great Alexander in right manly nature and honourable disposition that so gratiously relieued and reuiued a silly frosen souldier in his owne chaire at the fire Valer. Maximus l. 5. c. 1. but assuredly euen beyond him adsit bonus candor bono lectori in brooking the rough sea water at Peniche neere Noua Lisbona more easily all day then he did the gentle riuer Cydnus at Tarsus in Cilicia one halfe quarter of an hower Q. Curtius l. 3. When I remember these such Honorable famous reports cōmonly deliuered of my vvorthie good Lord among many other men of Superiour qualitie I am right hartilie glad to see my lot in so faire a ground as to ovve dutie thanks to that Noble good Earle which is so couragious vvith his yeares knovvledge and so courteous vvith his knovvledge and yeares vvhich more and more increaseth that most excellent opiniō euer heretofore conceiued of him for moral and martiall proceedings vvhich vvith prosperous novv renovvned vertue fretteth enuie in peeces neuer teareth himselfe I pray God He may alvvaies vvith all blessed increase be like himselfe that for action is naturally borne Al Hart of his Noble Father for Instruction since his death is artificially made All Studious of his careful Tutor for higher direction counsell hath made al notable choise for ioyful successe vvill assuredly proue All Happie by Gods diuine assistaunce But I must not seeme long vvithout cause lesse I become tedious vvithout effect Novv therfore I most humbly beseech my Noble good Lord only to receiue this little Pamflet for an vnfained remembrance infallible proofe of my continual dutie thankfulnes desiring no further regard or revvard any vvay then his Honour in vvoonted fauour shal thinke good seeing It is old inough best at leysure to speake for it selfe vpon any contingent of confutation or disliking that may ensue With vvhich dutie I daily still and stil recommend your vertuous studies valiant acts to al good and admirable successe euen beyond the impeachment or compasse of doubtfull and deceitfull fortune through the blessed sonne of God the blessed lamb of God our blessed God our blessed Sauiour to the full fruition of his grace euermore redounding in your vvoorthie and noble mind Your Honours in all bounden duty R. H. T.D. Hexasticon siue gratulatio in Theologicon R.H. Cedite sectarum primates cedite puri Harueius patriae seruiet atque Deo Non curat fatuos nō christomastigas audit Non credit placitis principiisque nouis Perge liber certa ingenii praedictio recti Et patriae populo principibusque place Vnio gemmarum Regina Mat. c. 9. v. 37 38. Luke c. 10. v. 2. The haruest is great but the labourers are fevve pray ye therefore the Lord of the haruest that he vvould sende more labourers into his haruest A THEOLOGICALL Discourse of the Lambe of God and his Enemies IF I shoulde reason about the choise of a text to examine which is most fit for vs then at the first this ioyfull and marueilous peace in our daies setteth before mine eyes that sentence of Christ in the gospel by S. Iohn c. 13. v. 35. By this all men shall know that ye are my disciples if ye haue loue one to an other And then this whole realme which no doubt is in high fauour with God for hauing fed so many zealous confessors and constant martyrs of righteousnes as euen some of our selues may remember and the godly booke of Monumentes will euer witnesse layeth open vnto mee this saying of Christ in the gospell after S. Matthew c. 10. v. 39. He that looseth his life for my sake shall saue it These and other good causes of like effect call for other tenours and texts of Scripture Yet because peace by long quietnes bringeth securitie in our carnall natures and naturall bodies security by forgetfulnes breedeth a cold or coole faith