to the Magistrate ciuill or ecclesiasticall giues place to diuine Iudgement for as much as all higher powers are Gods ordinance substituted Iudges and deputies in his place See Epist. 3. Sund. after Epiphan Lastly like to children as Christ expounds himselfe in humblenesse and harmelesnesse In humblenesse v. 4. Whosoeuer humbleth himselfe as this child c. In harmlesnesse vers 6. Whosoeuer offendeth one of these little ones c. So S. Ambrose Theophylact Euthymius and other as well ancient as moderne writers As if Christ should haue said Except ye turne from your ambition and indignation and become like to children little ones in your minds as they be little ones in their bodies vnlesse ye become that by grace which children are by nature ye shall not enter into the kingdome of Heauen I say by grace for euery good gift is from aboue descending from the Father of lights and therefore Christ here said not as one notes Nisi efficiatis vos sicut parâ—…los sed nisi efficiamini To become like to little children in humblenesse is not in our power it is the worke of Gods hand and help Yet to shew that we must as we may worke with his preuenient grace Christ addeth in the next clause Whosoeuer humbleth himselfe according to the saying of Gregorie The good which a man doth is both the worke of God and the worke of man of God as being author in giuing grace of man as being an actor in vsing grace yet so that he co-operate with grace by grace See Epist. Sun 11. and 14. after Trinit and Gospell on S. Markes day Whosoeuer humbleth himselfe That is humbleth his heart for as Plato said euery mans soule is himselfe it is not sufficient that our words are humble our gestures humble our habits humble though I see that be more then many professors in our age will afford vnles our soules and our selues are humble Lord said Dauid I am not puft in minde I doe not exercise my selfe in great matters which are too high for me but I refraine my soule and keepe it low like as a childe that is weyned from his mother yea my soule is euen as a weined childe Men of great wits are commonly state-criticks ouer curious eaues-dropers of the Counsaile table prying into the secrets of court and Prince so long vntill in fine they complaine with Actaeon cur aliquid vidi for when our hearts are sowred with the leauen of our pride there ariseth often times a bitternes out of the stomacke into the mouth so that we cannot forbeare to speake ill of such as are in authority yea prophanely of the Kings sacred Maiesty the spirit of wisdome giueth another rule studie to be quiet and to meddle with your owne busines A priuate person hath a common wealth of his owne let him intend the gouernment thereof in prouiding for his houshold in laying vp for his children in reioycing with the wife of his youth abounding with all workes of piety toward God and pitty toward his neighbour He that thus humbleth himselfe as a little childe the same doubtles is a good subiect vnto the King and shall hereafter proue the greatest in the kingdome of heauen All they which are drunken are not drunken with wine saith Esay for there is a drie drunkennes as well as a wet ambition is a drie drunkennes making such as are giuen ouer to humours of vaine glory to stagger often in the way and sometime reele out of the way This kinde of drunkennes made Lucifer reele out of heauen Adam out of paradice Saul out of his kingdome Nabuchadonozer out of mens society to conuerse with beasts It is impossible that great ones I meane such as are drunken with their owne greatnes should either walke in the narrow path or enter in at the straite gate only little ones are great ones in Gods kingdome So the text here whosoeuer humbleth himselfe as a little childe the same is greatest in the kingdome of heauen So the text elsewhere blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen theirs is the kingdome of grace which is heauen on earth and theirs is the kingdome of glory which is heauen in heauen See Gospell on all Saints day The Epistle 2. TIM 4. 5. Watch thou in all things suffer afflictions c. THis Epistle was written by Paul at Rome in his last apprehension and imprisonment there for so we may gather out of these wordes Cap. 1. verse 16. Onesiphorus was not ashamed of my chaine but when hee came to Rome carefully sought me and found me c. It is an admonition vnto Timothy to stirre vp the gift of God in him by the putting on of handes and that is done by preaching sound Doctrine painefully and by suffring for the same patiently This our text then is a short abridgement of the chiefe points in the whole letter for Paul exhortes Timothie to diligent preaching of the truth in saying watch thou in all things doe the worke of an Euangelist and to Martyrdome for the truth in saying suffer afflictions and to both in saying fulfill thine office vnto the vttermost all which exhortations are hedged in as it were with a forcible reason at each side 1. Timotheus ought to bee vigilant in executing his office thoroughly because the time will come when as men shall not endure wholesome Doctrine c. 2. Because Paul cannot any longer continue to helpe him I am now ready to be offred and the time of my departing is at hand c. Watch thou in all things The time will come when as men will not endure sound doctrine but hauing their eares itching shall after their owne lustes get them aâ—… heape of teachers and shall turne away their eares from the truth and shall be giuen vnto fables And therefore while thou hast time before this dangerous time come that greiuous wolues enter in among you be watchfull ouer the flocke committed vnto thy charge such as haue itching eares are like to proue scabby sheepe and therefore preuent that mangie disease by possessing their eares with a forme of sound wordes Before they turne away from the truth and giue themselues vnto fables instruct them in meeknes preach the word in season and out of season reproue rebuke exhorte be watchfull in discipline and doctrine yea vigilant in all things that is in all things which are profitable for thine hearers or in all the workes of an Euangelist and offices of thy calling vse watchfulnes or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be construed of all men as if he should haue said the time will euen shortly come when as many shall not endure wholesome doctrine but endeauour thou to conuert all sortes of men vnto the truth according to that Mat. 28. 19. Goe teach all nations and
is length of daies and in his left hand riches and glory Both hands of the Lord were so with Iohn the Baptist as that it was no wonder if al men wondered at him The first part of Zacharies hymne concerning Christ and his kingdome is expounded in the Liturgie tit the Benedictus The latter touching Iohn the Baptist and his office Gosp. Sun 3. 4. in Aduent The Epistle ACTS 12. 1. At the same time Herod the King stretched forth his hands to vex certaine of the Congregation c. THis Chapter containeth a relation of Herods bloody life in Killing Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword Imprisoning Peter terrible death an Angel of the Lord smote him in the middest of his pride because he gaue not glory vnto God so that hee was eaten vp of wormes and gaue vp the ghost I am to treate of Saint Iames martyrdome vpon his proper holy day that which especially concernes our present festiuall is S. Peters imprisonment Wherein according to the record of S. Luke two things are more chiefly remarkable to wit his Durance by Herods cruelty in apprehending and taking him aggrauated by circumstances of the cause why for that it pleased the Iewes time when in the daies of sweet bread holding and keeping him fast 1. Hee put him in prison 2. He deliuered him to foure quaternions of souldiers to be kept 3. Hee caused him to bee bound with two chaines 4. He set keepers and a double watch ouer him Deliuerance by Gods mercy wherein also note the Motiues praier with out ceasing of the congregation Meane an Angell of the Lord. Manner a light shined c. Bâ—…cause he sâ—…w it pleased the Iewes Herod persecuted the Saints of God not out of any hatred to Christs gospell or any loue to Moses lâ—…w but only to serue his own turne namely to please the people So Pilat to content the Iewes as it is apparent in the gospels history quit 〈◊〉 a notable prisoner Math. 27. 16. a notorious murtherer Mark 15. 7. but scourged Iesus and deliuered him into their hands to be crucified albeit he did openly confesse that he was a iust man in whom he could finde no fault at all Iohn 19. 4. So Felix willing to get fauour of the Iewes left Paul bound Acts 24. 28. It is a base sinne in a subiect to be made his Princes instrument in any wicked designe as Ioab was king Dauids agent in murthering Vriah the Hittite and the nobles of Iezreel Ahabs and Iezebels instruments in killing Naboth for his Vineyard But it is a most vnworthy thing for a Prince to flatter and to follow his subiects in their giddie courses for ordinarily the people walke not in the best but in the beaten way non qua eundum est sed qua itur It is a good obseruation that popular and military dependence in noble men to make them great are like Iâ—…arus two wings which were ioyned on with waxe they will happily for a while mount them aloft and then faile them at the height It is therefore better to stand vpon two feet then to flye vpon two wings the two feet are the two kinds of Iustice Commutatiâ—…e and Distributiue for great men shall grow greater if they will aduance merit and relieue wrongs The scriptures are plentifull in this argument If sinners entise thee consent not thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe euill Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly nor stood in the way of sinners c. If sayd Paul I should yet please men I were not the seruant of Christ and therefore let Princes and Prelats also take heed that they be not too popular in their courses alway remembring the words of Peter and Iohn Acts 4. 19. Whether it be right in the sight of God to harken vnto you more then vnto God iudge yee 2 From hence we may learne that the wicked accord in doing mischiefe though otherwise they be most opposite The Sadduces Herodians and Pharisâ—…es were Sectaries of diuerse and aduerse factions all differing one from another and yet all these ioyned together against Christ Math. 22. The Libertines and Cyreneans and Alexandrians and Câ—…licians and Asians disputed against S. Stephen Acts 6. The Macedonians Arrians and Eunomians had confused language like the Giants in old time who built the tower of Babel and yet in malice they were lincked against the true Catholicks Herod neither loued the Iewes nor the Iewes Herod yet both agree to vex the Church according to that in the second Psalme The kings of the earth stand vp and the rulers take counsell together against the Lord and against his anointed and therefore that Wisedome may be iustified of all her children let vs which are true Christians endeuour to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace being of one heart and of one soule of one accord and of one iudgement that as there is a society of Iesuits a family of Anabaptists a brotherhood of Scismaticks euen so to confront all these let there be still a communion of Saints and a perpetuall holy league in truth against all such as trouble Gods Israel See Gospell Sun 18. 23. after Trinity Then were the dayes of sweet bread The feast of vnleauened bread was instituted by Moses according to Gods owne direction and afterward repeated by Duke Iosua and from his time celebrated by Gods people solemnely till this day This circumstance then aggrauates the bloody sinne of Herod who did not abstaine from his mischeuous enterprises on a feast so high and holy The Iewes obserued their Easter in abstayning from leauened bread the mystery whereof and morall as Paul teacheth is that we should purge the old leauen of sinne that corrupteth and sowreth all the sweetnes of our life before God and become a new lump voyd of the leauen of malitiousnes and wickednes but Herod here contrariwise sowred the whole dough with his leauen of mischiefe and malice Againe from hence we further obserue Herods hypocrisie who seemed to reuerence the feast in such sort that he would not slay Peter in the dayes of sweet bread and yet he caught him and put him in prison and deliuered him to foure quaternions of souldiers to be kept intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people so the chiefe priests who gaue Iudas Iscariot thirty peeces of siluer to betray Christ afterward sayd it was the price of blood and therefore not lawfull for vs to put them into the treasurie so the Pharisees strayned out a gnat and swallowed vp a camell so the popish Monks hold it an honester thing for a priest to be entangled with many concubines in secret then openly to be ioyned in mariage with one wife He put him in prison Foure things increase the miseries of a man in custodie the
the word of God and verse 17. of the same Chapter obey those which haue the rule ouer you and submit your selues for they watch for your soules Hence the parsonages in England were termed anciently rectories and the parsons rectors as for the stile gracious Lords vrged so much by the Nouelists against our reuerend and honorable Primats answere is made that there is not one sillable in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth a Lord. It is true that our learned English interpretours in old time sought by the periphrasis gratious Lords to set downe the meaning of Christ vsing Lord for a title of honour and gratious for a title of doing good But our new translation expresseth it better in reading benefactors the Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship ouer them and they that exercise authority vpon them are called benefactors so Beza benefici vocantur so the vulgar latine Erasmus Ro. Stephanus and other as well ancient as moderne interpretours so that the clause vos autem non sic is referred by the two other Euangelists and almost all learned expositors vnto the fond ambition and tyrannicall oppression of the Gentile Kings and not vnto their titles or names Indeed we finde that the Kings of Egypt and of other nations vaine-gloriously desired to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 munificent benefactors when as they deserued rather the names of tyrants and oppressors as the Popes of Rome haue called themselues I verily thinke contrary to Christs but you not so Clement Pius Boniface when they were most vnmercifull and impious malefactors All that may be gathered hence then is that the Kings of the Gentiles assumed flattering titles vnto themselues being indeed nothing lesse then that which their stiles imported and it may be a good admonition for all men especially for Clergie men to frame their liues answerable to their names and titles of honour giuen vnto them An ambitious desire to be called benefactor is prohibited here but the name it selfe is commendable for Saint Peter applieth it vnto Christ Acts 10. 38. Iesus of Nazareth went about doing good and S. Paul exhorteth vs to doe good vnto all men especially to them of the household of faith As for ruling we say that it is against all sense that where the titles of rulers are giuen there ruling should be denyed nay Christ in the wordes immediatly following he that is greatest among you let him be as the least c. Insinuates that there must bee some great among them He saith not as Musculus obserues no man ought to bee chiefe among you which he would haue said if it had not been lawfull in the kingdome of God for some to be great and cheife or if it had bin necessary that all should haue bin in all things equall The celestiall spirits are not equall the starres are not equall the disciples themselues were not in all things equall It is not therefore Christs meaning to haue none great or chiefe among Christians seeing our state requires necessarily that some be superiour and other inferiour So Martine Bucer the fond Anabaptists collect here that no man may be together a Christian and a magistrate because Christ said to his Disciples it shall not be so among you not considering that those which according to the will of the Lord beare rule godly nihil minus quà m dominari immo maximè seruire tanto pluribus quanto pluribus praefuerint doe nothing lesse then domineere yea verily do most of all serue and euen so many doe they serue ouer how many soeuer they beare rule So Chrysostome Theophylact Euthymius and it is the common opinion of other writers that these words of Christ doe not condemne superiority Lordship or any such like authority but only the ambitious desire of the same and the tyrannicall vsage thereof If Christ here would haue forbidden ciuill gouernment in all men he would haue said the Kings of Israel haue rule but ye not so or if his intent had bin to forbid it in Ministers only then he would haue said the Priests of Israel rule but ye not so but in saying the Kings of the Gentiles beare rule but ye not so he doth euidently shew that hee mislikes only such an insolent kinde of ruling as the Gentiles vsed He condemnes neither temporall authority nor Ecclesiasticall not temporall authority whether it bee supreme or subordinate not supreme for Paul appealed to Caesar as supreme gouernour aduising euery soule to be subiect vnto superiour powers not subordinate for S. Peter gaue this rule concerning rulers submit your selues to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as to the chiefe head or vnto gouernours as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishment of euill doers and for the laud of them that doe well Not Ecclesiasticall authority for S. Peter notwithstanding this but you not so iudicially sat vpon Saphiraâ—… and Paul exercising this authority deliuered Hemineus and the incestuous Corinthian vnto Sathan And the same Paul exhorts Timothie the Bishop of Ephesus against an elder receiue none accusation vnder two or three witnesses He grants vnto Timothy to receiue bils of complaint and so iudicially to proceed against Elders in citing them and examining them and if need be deposing them Well then if Christ here forebad neither titles of rulers nor yet ruling it selfe whether it be ciuill or ecclesiasticall it remaines that he prohibited only so ruling that is such a tyrannicall kind of gouernment as the Gentile Kings vsed and that ambitious desiring of the same which ruled in them And indeed Christ often in the Gospell vseth to call backe those that are his from errors and corrupt affections by the behauiour of the Gentiles Mat. 6. 7. The Gentiles doe thinke that by their much babling they shall be heard bee not ye therefore like vnto them and in the same Chapter verse 31. 32. Take no thought saying what shall we eate or what shall wee drinke or wherewith shall we be clothed for after all these things seeke the Gentiles but seeke ye first the kingdome of God c. And that this is Christs meaning I proue by these three reasons collected out of the context it selfe 1. he saith Mat. 20. 25. and Marke 10. 42. Yee know that the Kings of the Gentiles speaking of those rulers they knew and they were tyrants and oppressors as Pontius Pilate who condemned Christ an innocent in whom he found no fault and Herod Antipas who beheaded Iohn the Baptist a iust and holy man whom he reuerenced and heard in many things at the request of his minion and Herod the great who butchered all the male children in Bethelem and vnder pretence to worship eagerly sought to worry Christ in his cradle ye know that these Kings now reigne but ye not so that is I would not haue you so to reigne 2.
whole world Aaron the Priest was anoynted Elisa the Prophet anoynted Saul the king anoynted In the Sauiour which is Christ all these meet that he might be a perfect Sauiour of all he was all A Priest after the order of Melchisedeck Psal. 110. 4. A Prophet to be heard when Moses should hold his peace Deut. 18. 18. A King to saue his people whose name should be the Lord our righteousnes Ieremy 23. 6. Dauids Priest Moses Prophet Ieremyes King these formerly had met double two of them in some other Melchisedeck King and Priest Samuel Priest and Prophet Dauid Prophet and King neuer all three but in him alone and so no perfect Christ but he but he all and so perfect Thus in S. Peters confession euery particle and article hath his force thou which art the son of man as being borne of Mary the Virgin art the Christ the son of the liuing God S. Luke reports that Peter answered the Christ of God and S. Marke sayth only thou art Christ whereas our EuaÌ„gelist here thou art the Christ the son of the liuing God but all in effect is one seeing Christ alone is the whole for he that confesseth thoroughly Christ is thoroughly a Christian and doth hereby confesse him to be the son of God and sauiour of men euen that anoynted Bishop of our soules who dyed for our sinnes and is risen againe for our Iustification and appeareth in the sight of God for vs as our agent and aduocate Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Iona vpon Peters answere thou art the Christ the son of the liuing God Iesus replyed after this sort as if he should haue sayd I am the naturall son of God as thou art the son of Iona. Mystically Simon signifieth obedience and Ionas a doue to signifie that euery Scholler in Christs Schoole must haue these two properties obedience and simplicitie Curious pride is a great let in Christianitie God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble The Philosophers in professing themselues to be wise became fooles and were so far from acknowledging Iesus for the son of God as that the preaching of Christ crucified seemed foolishnes vnto them 1. Cor. 1. 23. or Simon is called the son of a doue because flesh and blood reuealed not this mystery but the holy spirit which appeared in the likenes of a doue Matth. 3. 16. or as Hierome Bar-Iona is put for Bar-Iohanna the sonne of Iohn as Christin the 21. Chap. of S. Iohns Gospel at the 15. vers Now Iohanna signifies the grace of God insinuating as the same Father and other Doctours obserue that Peter in vnderstanding this hidden mystery was the son of grace so Christ in the words immediatly following flesh and bloud hath not opened that vnto thee not my flesh and blood for if thou looke vpon me with a corporall eye thou seest a man and nothing else not thy flesh and blood non consanguinei thy father and thy mother taught it not this knowledge comes not from other men or from thy selfe no flesh and blood that is the will and wit of man as Paul Galat. 1. 16. I communicated not with flesh and blood I say the wisdome of man hath not opened this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen as Leâ—… the great glosseth it non opinio te terrena fefellit sed inspiratio caelestis instruxit Faith is the worke of God and no man knowes the sonne but the father and no man commeth vnto me except my father draw him Iohn 6. 44. Blessed art thou therefore Simon Bar-Iona because my father which is in heauen hâ—…th inspired this confession into thee blessed art thou here yet more blessed hereafter as hauing hereby the promises of the life present and of that which is to come So truth it selfe telleth vs expresly this is eternall life to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. He that is a true beleeuer is blessed in the City blessed in the field blessed in his going forth and blessed in his comming home blessed in the labours of his hands in the fruit of his ground in the flocks of his sheep blessed in his wealth and blessed in his woe blessed in his health and blessed in his sicknes also for the Lord will comfort him when he lyeth sick vpon his bed and make his bed in his sicknes Psalm 41. 3. blessed in all his life blessed in his houre of death and most blessed in the day of Iudgement when he shall haue perfect consummation of blisse both in body and soule Come yee blessed inherit yee the kingdome c. Vpon this rock will I build my Church Stephen Gardiner preaching vpoÌ„ this text before King Edward the 6 sayd It is a marueilous thing that vpon these words the Bishop of Rome should found his Supremacy for whether it be super Petram or Petrum all is one matter it makes nothing at all for that his purpose This place quoth he serues only for Christ and nothing for the Pope but afterward in the dayes of Queene Mary reading this Scripture with the Popes owne spectacles he maintained that the bishop of Rome was the supreme head of the Catholick Church and he bloodily persecuted all those which held the contrary doctrine And after him in our age Bellarmine Baronius and other Papists of most eminent note for learning cite this text as a pregnant testimonie to proue S. Peters Lordship ouer the rest of the Apostles and so though inconsequently the Popes vnlimited Iurisdiction ouer all the Bishops in the world wherein as our Diuines haue shewed they contradict 1. the Scriptures 2. the Fathers 3. their owne writers 4. their owne selues The Scriptures affirme plainely that the Church is built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone to wit a tryed stone a pretious stone a sure foundation and other foundation can no man lay then that which is laied which is Iesus Christ. The Fathers auow likewise that Christ is the rock vpon which his Church is built so S. Augustine in many places of his works Petrus à Petra non Petra à Petro quomodo non à Christiano Christus sed à Christo Christianus vocatur vpon this rock then I will build my Church is nothing else but vpon my selfe the sonne of the liuing God I will build my Church aedificabo te super me non me super te and whereas he did once construe this of Peter he retracted his opinion and expounds it of Christ Hierome Gregory the great Primasius Anselm accord in the same iudgement Other of the most ancient fathers interpret it thus vpon this rocke that is vpon this faith as being a firme rocke vpon this confession thou art the sonne of the liuing God I
his Corinthians if we haue sowen vnto you spirituall things is it a great matter if we reape your temporall things This paterne condemnes exceedingly the practise of some professors in our age whose chiefe policy yea piety consists in contriuing how to lessen the Clergy-mans estate The Merchants trade concernes our dainty dyet and brauery the Lawyers occupation our goods the Phisitians art our body but the Pastour hath a cure of our soules now sayth Christ in the Gospell is not the life more worth then the meat and the body then rayment and the soule more pretious then all and yet the carnall Gospellors enuy not the prodigious wealth of Merchants of Lawyers of Players all is well if the Priest be poore this vpon the point is their only Diana both in publique parlie in priuate conference they labour to decrease the Ministers wages and yet increase his worke the which is like Pharoes oppressing Gods people mentioned Exod. 5. get you straw where ye can finde it yet shall nothing of your labour be diminished I know worldlings entertaine some Prophets kindly but it is not as Christ sayd in the name of a Prophet it is happily for that the Prophet is a kinseman or a Gentleman or a mery man a good neighbour a good fellow a man of their owne humour but a Prophet is not embraced of them in the name of a Prophet The disciples of Antiochia because they receyued the Gospel of some Iewes acknowledged themselues debtours vnto all Iewes but vncharitable factious hypocrites in our time because they haue receiued a litle hard vsage from some one Preacher hate the whole reuerend order of the Cleargy for the same neminem hic specialiter me us sermo pulsauit generalis de vitijs disputatio est qui mihi irascuntur suam iudicant conscientiam multo peius de se quà m de me iudicant 3. For quando they prouided a medicine so soone as they heard of the malady when Agabus had signified by the spirit that there should be great dearth in all the world then the disciples euery man according to his ability purposed to send succour c. A good man is like a good tree that will bring forth fruit in due season Hope deferred is the fainting of the heart one bird in the hand is worth two in the bush in giuing of almes bis dat qui citò dà t is a better rule then serò sed seriò a late largesse contents not a distressed soule so much as a litle giuen opportunely non bona tam pensat quà m benefacta deus Seneca who spent many houres in discussing of this argument giues this aduise fac si quid facis tardè velle nolentis est an non intelligis tantum te gratiae demere quantum morae adijcis est proprium libenter facientis citò facere Lend to thy neighbour in time of his need Ecclesiast 29. 2. it is not a good turne vnlesse it be done in a good time 4 For quomodo the disciples of Antiochia bestowed their almes cheerefully and carefully Cheerefully for that euery man according to his ability purposed to send succour it was an act not enforced by law but only proceeding out of their loue the which exceedingly commended their bounty for a benefite consists in the mind more then in the mine manu non tangitur animo cernitur multo gratius venit quod facili quà m quod plena manu datur and it is said in holy scripture that God loueth a cheereful giuer 2. Cor. 9. 7. He that beleeueth in me quoth our blessed Sauiour shall haue riuers of liuing waters flowing out of his belly that is all good works and all gifts of grace spring out of him euen by their owne accord thou needest not to wrest any good deeds out of him as a man would wring veriuce out of crabs because they flow naturally out of him as springs out of rocks Againe the disciples here gaue their almes carefully vsing trusty messengers and ministers in this busines they sent not their succour vnto the people promiscuously but to the gouernours and elders of the Church that it might be distributed with discretion and distinction according to the seuerall necessities of the Saints and that it might be safely conueyed vnto the brethren it was deliuered into the hands of Barnabas and Saul men of approued credit Hitherto concerning dearth it remaines I should now speake of death to wit of S. Iames martyrdome and in it first of the murtherer Herod the king not Herod the great who butchered the Bethlehemitish innocent infants Matth. 2. nor Herod the Tetrarch who beheaded Iohn the Baptist Matth. 14. but Herod Agrippa grandchild to Herod the great the which I finde thus distinguished in verse Ascalonita necat pueros Antipa Ioannem Agrippa Iacobum claudens in carcere Petrum This Herod stretched out his hands and Kings haue long hands not to cherish but to vexe for Tyrants delight most in destructiue power not to vexe ruffians or ribalds or robbers but certaine of the Church for the Deuill and all his instruments are disquieted at the light of the Gospell Herod therefore stretched out his hands against the Church and vexed certaine that is some who were strong souldiers in fighting the Lords battaile for God will not suffer the weake to be tempted aboue there ability 1. Cor. 10. 13. First Herod killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword and afterward he proceeded further and tooke Peter also Iames first dranke of Christs cup and so consequently 〈◊〉 the first of all the twelue Apostles in Christs kingdome according to the request of his mother in the Gospell allotted for this day now the reason why God suffers blody tyrants to vexe his Church is threefold 1. For the tryall and exercise of the godly quod enim fornax auro quod lima ferro quod aqua panno hoc confert tribulatio iusto 2. For the confusion and illusion of the wicked because sanguis martyrum is semen ecclesiae 3. For the manifestation of his infinite power and wisdome who can bring light out of darknes and vse wicked instruments vnto good purposes The Gospell MAT. 20. 20. Then came to him the mother of Zebedeus children with her sonnes c. THere be two parts of this Scripture 1. An indiscreet petition in which obserue the Mouer of the suite a woman and a mother Manner of suing she came worshipping him saying c. Suite it selfe grant that these my two sonnes c. 2. A discreet answere to the same containing a Correction in particular addressed especially to the mother and her sonnes ye wot not what ye aske c. Direction in generall vnto the rest of his Disciples and in them vnto all Christians yee know that the princes c. Then came to him the mother of Zebedeus children This woman as