by the Religious Authoritic of our princely Patriarchs and faith defenders In regard whereof I may bid auaunt all vaine and all superstitious Corruptions of Idolatrie abolished that we may with comfort behold the Monuments of Charitie and true Religion graced and protected by the highest president of pietie and bountie vnder God the Princely Iacob Behold then how prouident 3 Monuments of Charitie Religion and Ingenious charitie hath beene in all prouisions seruing for the benefit and reliefe of the people Shee like the good huswife wrought by day by the light of the Gospel neither did her q Prou. 31. 18. Candle goe out by night no not in the night and darknesse of Religion for still shee was doing when her sight was dimme and saw not the right end of hir businesse By a kind of custome and habit the hands wrought according to the fashion of the first Christians although the eyes were out It was the Lord who worketh his pleasure q Posidon de vita Augustinâ—â— per scientes nescientes whether men know or not know what they doe for r Augustin de vera relig c. 17. Minima species boni á Dco bonoest The least show of good issueth originally from God that is all good Walke then thorough the Circuit of charitie and ye shall find plasters for euery soarc here Hospitals for the sicke and the lame there Almeshouses for the poore and Impotent here schooles for her Children there Refectories for her old folkes here workehouses for the able there places of Correction for the Idle here trades for the vnskilfull there lawes and orders for the vnrulie here Entertainement for strangers there high waies passable for Trauailers here prouision for poore Maids mariages there Reliefe and Comfort for prisoners Neither am I afraid to say that euen Charitie in her best Intendements had prouided s Nibil aliud â—lim â—rant Monachorum Monasteria quam Collegia in quibus alebantur studiesi Hier Zanch in 4 precept Monasteries by their first Institution for t Casaubon ad cp Card per. 37. schooles of sciences u Pseudomartyr shops of manufactures and laborious trades howsoeuer abused since And sundry such Wels of Comfort hath the Charitie of laeobs sonnes inuented and left behind them teaching vs not to be idle in the day and light of true Religion And yet further behold how Religion vniting faith and Charitie together hath not onely prouided for the supplie of Temporall necessities but hath been prouident and exuberant in wels and fountaines to further her children and disperse and propagate her selfe Behold her vniuersities schooles her Colledges libraries bookes and lectures for the sonnes of her Prophets whereby they replenishing themselues may water others See her Churches and Oratories consecrated to God and his seruice by the primitiue intent of Religious Princes howsoeuer prophaned sometimes by iniurie of time or by default of people yet repurged againe by the fauour of God and the highest Authoritie from their corruptions But aboue all behold the pure fountaines of sacred scriptures streamed out by writing and printing Religiously preserued faithfully translated being as wels for the deepe sence and fountaines for the easie precepts wherein not onely the * Eras in psal 22. Elephant may swimme but the sheepe may wade whence not only the learned may satisfie their deep desires but euen the wild Asses may quench their thirst the Ignorant x Prou. 1. 4. increase their knowledge For thereunto serue so many gracefull and laborious Expositions Commentaries Harmonies precepts of tongues and arts and exercises of an established Ministrie as Buckets prouided to draw vp water out of those wels of saluation Besides I may adde hereunto the wholsome lawes enacted for the furtherance of Religion as also those wels of maintenance by tithes or otherwise ordained for such as minister in holy things howsoeuer vnluckily diuerted in a great part by the popish Philistins y Pilkinton exposit of Agg Reinald serm on Obad. who robbed parishes to feede Idle Monks But euen in this case we haue experience of a zealous desire in our princely Iacob and other truly Religious Christians to restore those prouisions to their pristinate vse if the Iniquitie of time did not make so strong and difficult obstruction But these and many like these are the Monuments of Charitie and Religion digged in this world as in the wildernesse z 2 Ps 84. 6. and vale of Bacah by worthy Benefactors and replenished by the blessing of God for his seruice and the benefit of his people in the founding or furthering the repairing or restoring whereof they are happie that like Iacob haue had hearts to affect or hands and meanes to effect any good And thus from the well we are come to the Authour from the Monument to the founder Iacob It was I acobs well The name of the Patriarch Iacob 3 The founder was reuerenly rehearsed by the Samaritans in this well although they were strangers to him and to his faith making onelie a benefit of this temporall Commoditie but none of his example in the better things But which is a greater grace the holie Ghost by the Euangelist hath registred him as else where for a Heb. 11. his faith so heere for this benefit bearing his name Iacobs well So that in this little Monument of Charitie liues Iacob as in a Reuerend Record when many great Mountaines of pray and treasures of vanitie together with their b Polyd. Verg. founders name are vanished and lie in the dust or if they remaine they doe but stinke in c Prou. 10. 7 rottennesse and Corruption Such honour doe men Religious and charitable attaine vnto according to the Psalme d Ps 112. 6. They are had in euerlasting remembrance e Prou. 10. 7. their memoriall is blessed as saith Salomon Workes of mercie and pietie leaue a long a sweet sauour behind them euen when the workes themselues sometimes doe cease yet Iustitia manet in aeternum the righteousnes of the Authour is written in heauen and preserued in the earth Contrariwise the builder of f Genes 11. â— Babel liues in perpetuall dishonour he that reedified Iericho was marked with a g Ioshua 6. 26. Curse and the like shame and curse is vpon those that goe about to build vp the Romish Babilon to aduance Idolatrie or set vp false Religion Ieroboam is branded for ever with this note that he h 1 King 16. 26 made Israel to sinne Iudas beareth the indelible badge of a traitour to his Master And indeed the plots and exploits of mischief are like monstruosi partus mishapen birthes of Monsters imperfect vnpleasing like i Rob. Winters dreame in Littletons house crooked steeples and disfigured faces in the dreame of a traitor full of horror to the Authors while they liue and of Infamie when they are dead So ingloriously and in detestation liues Gowrie and the powdered Traitors
Iacobs VVell Iacobs VVell OR A SERMON Preached before the Kings most Excellent Maiestie at Saint Albans in his summer progresse 1612. By WILLIAM WESTERMAN Bachelar of Diuinitie and Chaplaine to the most Reuerend Father in God the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his GRACE LONDON Printed by Iohn Beale for Matthew Lawe and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Churchyard at the signe of the Fox 1613. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD GEORGE by diuine prouidence Lord Archbishop of Canterburie his Grace primate of all England and Metropolitane one of his Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell my verie good Lord. MOst Reuerend Eather and my verie honourable good Lord I will not say it was my happe but the prouidence of God and my happinesse to preach this Sermon before my dread Soueraigne in his summer progresse at Saint Albans where beside that I was an eare-witnesse of the wisdome of Salomon and a diuine Oracle speaking through his gracious lippes I did also experiment it to bee true of his highnesse which was once vttered concerning a Romane Emperour a Qui apud te audent dicere magnitudinem tuam ignorant qui nonaudent bumanitatem Senec. controu lib. 7. contr 8. He that dares speake before him knowes not his greatnesse and hee that dares not speake before him knowes not his goodnesse For such is his Maiestie in Attention and Attention in Maiestie as is able to make the most Audacious Timerous and the most Timerous Confident What I then deliuered by reason of so high a presence so great an Audience so ample a Church hath left such an Eccho behind it as hath caused many to heare the sound of it that heard not the voyce it selfe many to report diuersly of it and some earnestly to desire Copies of the whole Sermon To satisfie all and to preuent my often trouble and others miss-reporting who either better it or worse it in the rehearsall I am bold at last to commit it to the Presse to present it to your Grace vnder the banner of whose patronage and encouragement as of a most worthie and eminent Captaine in the Israell of God I am prest although an vnworthie Souldier of Christ Iesus to tender the vtmost of my seruice toward the benefit of his Church Now as this Sermon at the first hearing thereof receaued a most fauourable preiudgement and acceptance from the deepe wisdome of highest Authoritie for the worke sake to the which his Maiesties religious disposition was seltly-inclinable so my trust is that your Graces great Iudgement and learning for a zeale to the same worke will kindly accept of it how small a peece soeuer bearing the stampe of his Maiesties approbation and let it passe for Currant vnder your Graces countenance with more facile examination and easie Censure Touching the Royall purpose and promise of his Maiestie whereby the repaire of the decated Church of Saint Albans is made possible I trust feazable least any should b 2. Cor. 12. 6. thinke or speake more then they see or heare in me I cannot say that I was either Author or any principall meanes or Mouer in it except with the flye vpon the Coach I should crie Ecce quantum pulueris excito behold what a dust I made when I did nothing to the purpose For who am I first or indeed any man that I or they should be able to moue the deepe thoughts of a Kings heart which by a transcedent peculiar is in c Prou. 21. 1. manu Dei in the hand of God to turne as the riuers of water and to manage as it pleaseth him Nay further there can be neither action or Intention will power or purpose in any man that is good how little soeuer but it is to be reputed as d Omne quod habemus bonum gustue est domini Hieron ad Ctesipbont gustus Domini a gust of the Lords goodnesse a touch of his finger whose prouidence is the first Mouer whose Grace is the Center and whose glorie the Circumference betweene which the lines of our liues and best intendments when they goe right and streight are leuelled And touching the meanes or mediating of the businesse I can claime little others much more and yet none verie much for such was the religious e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propension of his Maiesties royall heart readily prepared as our sweete Sauiour sitting at Iacobs well to doe good that the humble petition of his louing subiects in St. Albans was but the discouerie of a desperate sore to a merciful Phisitian who was more ready to cure then they to complaine Indeed I confesse that the way being made for me to preach at that time by that f My Lord of Liâ—hf Couent Right ReuereÌ„d Father then attending his Maiestie being also an especiall fauorite of the motion I did as a blunt whetstone perhaps a little sharpen the razor which had edge enough of it selfe and like a g Horat Athletaesuis incitatoribus sunt fortiorcs tamen manes debâ—lâ—or vt pugnet fortior Hieron weake stander by onely yeeld an applause and acclamation to my Soueraigne as a worthie h Sed neque ille exbortatione aliorum indigebat non magus sanè quam generosissimi pugiles putrorum acclamatione Bapl Athanas Champion running on so good a race with so faire a course Since which time how coÌ„stantly his maiesty hath proceeded how well the whole busines was speeded prepared for the publike dispatch by that worthy Knight i Sr Christoph Parkins Mr. of the Requests formerly acquainted with Church-building how many honorable fauorites haue seconded the proceedings it were ouer loÌ„g to expresse But I cannot pretermit the forwardnes of that right honorable Earl of Northhampton so much adorning high Nobilitie with exquisite learning to whom our Church and state is bouÌ„d for a MonumeÌ„t in writing of eternall Memorie against all traiterous Romanists who hath richly approued improued his godly desire and former promise toward the repaire of that Church with a free-will beneuolence and first-fruit offering of double weight according to the Sycle of the sanctuarie as a luckie hansell and example to others graced as the best gifts are with speede and maturitie so much is S. Albans beholding to his honor for a short time of his youthfull yeeres there imploied And what worthie assistance your Grace hath afforded toward the effectuall accomplishment of his Maiesties pleasure not onely in this businesse but in that Religious beneuolence of late for Prague in Bohemia all true Christian hearts doe see and acknowledge to the glorie of God cheerefully contributing to such seuerall good workes and blessing God for the holie desires of his Maiestie towards the Gospell at home and abroad as also for your Grace whose vigilancie standing Centinell upon the highest watch-tower of the Church under God and his Maiestic is ready to apprehend all occasions for the Aduancement of Religion Charitie and
done to edifying a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 14. 40. let all things bee done honestly and by order which must needes respect the comlines of the place if possible to be obtained And therefore when some at the first erecting of comelie and spacious houses of prayer in the time of Constantine cauilled at their greatnesse and decencie because in persâ—cution they were more homely the Gangren Councell made a Canon against such as should affirme that the houses of God ought to bee bare and b Contemptibiles Hieron Zanch. in prec 4. contemptible for they may be simple and bare upon occasion and necessitie but they ought not to be so when there is peace opportunitie and authoritie to illustrate them And whereas it is obiected that there is no expresse and particular charge in Scripture for Churches no more there was for e Hospinian de orig Templ ca. 4. Synagogues in the law yet they were builded and frequented by the seruants of God and euen by d Luk. 4. 15. 16. Iohn 18. 20. Christ Iesus himselfe and the e As 15. 21. Apostles and they were worthily commended who did build f Luk. 7. 5. Synagogues when the destruction of them was much lamented But to free our selues from suspition of any Superstitious conceipt of materiall Churches we are not so inamored of them as the Iewes were or the Papists are who suppose an inherent g Ps 74. 8. holinesse in their stones and ornaments that the building of them is meritorious to saluation expiating murders committed and that priuate prayers are h Bellarm de cultu sactorum lib 3. cap. 9. bettered when they are vttered within a consecrated Circle we know that Christ Iesus is our true and i Chrisius verum catholicuon Dei Templum Wolsius in 2. Reg. 12. ex Tertull. Catholike Temple which sanctifieth our prayers when they are made in him onely and that through him our bodies and soules are made Temples of the holy Ghost and wheresoeuer our Supplications are offered in spirit and truth they are alike acceptable to God For what k Quid sanctitalis hi lapides habere poturrant par in dedic Eccl. sanctitie can there bee in stones saith Saint Bernard much like a Protestant but that l Sancta sunt anima propter inhabitantem spiritum Dei in nobis sancta sunt corpora propter animas sacta est ctiam propter Corpora domus ibid. the place is made holy by the bodies of Saints there assembled the bodies are sanctified by the soules and the soules by the holie Ghost dwelling in them Neither is Church-building a worke of it selfe acceptable to God but as it is referred to his seruice as it is used for the Assemblies of holie men to m Hospinian de orig Templor 6. 6. praise God to pray to him to heare his word to administer the sacraments and to nourish faith and charitie amongst Gods people Therefore Saint Hierome reprooues the vanitie of great buildings when men haue no care of other dueties and vertues when they n Ad Demetriad ad Nepolian Ministrorum nulla Electra ib. adorne their Churches and make no good choice of Ministers nor regard the seruice of God how sleightly that is performed And Saint Chrysostome commendeth building of churches upon this condition that if a man doe it with other graces and vertues it o Cum cateris bonis additamentum est benis sine cateris bonis passio est sacularis gloria clnys oper imperf in Matt. 23. is an addition to his other vertues and goodnesse but if hee haue care to builde Churches without other good workes it is but a passion ofsecular and vaine gloris And when they are built with greatest state if the word of God bee silenced in them his seruice and sacraments polluted then with Saint Halirie we affirme that the p Montes mihi lacus â—â—rceres 10. ragines tutrores sunt Hil contr Auxent Church of God is not bound to faire buildings but mountaines and lakes prisons and gulphes are safer then they Yet with the truth and right seruice of God which by his great blessing we enioy they are excellent Ornaments holie to the Lord and Tabernacles amiable to all faithfull hearts and with St. Austin we say that q Hodie malibomines qui couaÌ„tur si sieri possit non esseecclesias vbiillis praedicentur praecepta des noune ipsuÌ„ Christium occiderens si in terra viuentium inuenirent August ser 220. de tempore such as would haue no Churches where the Ordinances of God should be preached it is likelie they would euen kill Christ if they found him againe vpon the earth 2. Secondly whereas some object that the purpose is to reedifie an Abby Church as though it were some needelesse forlorne Monument of superstition It is farre otherwise for this Church was reserued from the spoile purged from the abuses and purchased by the inhabitants for a parish Church so created and consecrated to Gods diuine seruice in the time of Reformation and by the Authoritie of King Edward the sixt of blessed memorie and so hath continued with the frequent resort of many passengers and a great people inhabiting the towne 3. But a lesse Church will some say would serue the people It is true but theÌ„ who shold haue the parings the shreds s Arbore deiecta qutuis colligit ligna WheÌ„ a Trce fals cuerie one gathereth vp the stickes Great things by that meanes come to little When his Maiestie was pleased to prouide for the repaire of this Church hee knew well that a lesse coate would haue serued the little boy in Xenophon Xenoph. Cyropad then his owne and the greater would haue fitted the bigger that a lesse Church would haue serued the people perhaps for fitnesse but yet his high wisdome deemed the preseruation of a propertie to bee best Iustice and would haue Suum cuique euery one his owne were it great or little supposing it to be et pessimi exemplinec sui saeculi a bad example Traian apud Plinium vnbecomming his peaceable and religious gouernement to suffer the limme-poling of such venerable Monuments especially being so necessarie for the recourse of his louing subiects and bearing witnesse of the first entrance of the Christian faith into this Realme by the blood and Martyrdome of Saint Alban being a true storie although something disfigured by the fabulous Additions of the superstitious And lastly touching the feare and suspition of the faithfull Employment of the money collected Although I cannot say as the Prophet in the time of King Iehoas so peremptorilie there neede no account bee taken of the men to whome the money is deliuered for the workemen because they deale faithfully 2 King 12. 15. yet it is certaine that hitherto they haue proceeded verie carefully prouided their materials verie frugallie and forwarded the worke verie industriouslie not desiring to ingrosse
not indeed to priuate vses for couetousnesse but unto a publike benefit for ib. the honour of God euen as men when they are conuerted from being sacrilegious and impious persons to the true Religion are to imploie themselues and their members to serue the Lord I ibid. speake out of Saint Austen Saint Paule did eate and drinke conuerse ibid. in Athens a Citie consecrated to c Quia Ciuitas erat Minerua eiusih numini consecrata Acts 17. 5. Minerua an heathnish Goddesse and hee sailed in a d Acts 28. 11. shippe hauing the badge of Castor and Pollux Our sauiour vouchsafed to frequent the Temple after it had been prophaned and that Temple which Herod had e Iosepbus lib. 15. reedified for populer vaine glory nether did he that did al things well forbeare to imploie the f Iohn 2. 7. water pots of the Iewish and superstitious purification in the work of his gracious miracle This am I bould to speake for their sakes that are in no liking with aunciently built Churches and make a maine point of their Religion either not to enter into them or not to call them by the former names of saints Saint Peter Saint Paul Saint Alban that first for distinction the scripture vseth the names of g Acâ—s 28. 11. Castor and Poilux false Gods without scruple and the Churches of all ages haue beene content in the translation of the words of the Lord in h Iob. 38. Amos 5. 8. Giegor Mag in Job 58. Iob and in the Prophet Amos to vse the heathenish appellations of the starres Pleiades Orion Acturus notwithstanding they had fabulous and poeticall Originals So that if the names were worse then those of Saints and Martyrs a well reformed Conscience might vtter them for distinction sake without offence But now seeing they are the Names of Saints and Martyrs to whom although as to protectors and tutelar Gods wee dedicate no Churches nor offer supplication or seruice yet for their vertues and victorious sufferings we may loue them rehearse their names with Reuerence and imitate their faithfulnesse It is not with vs as the Papists i Bellar de eccles triumph obiect that with k D. Reinald de Ro eccl ldol lib. 1. c. 8. §. 2. 3. Eustathius we detest all temples and especially those that carrie the names of Martyrs and like onely Conuenticles in priuate or that with the Eunomians we refuse to goe into the Churches intitled with the names of Apostles and Martyrs This may be the fanaticall whispering of some wandring house-creeper and the conceipt of some seduced separatist but Wee that is Dauid our King our preists and people frequent those howses of praier call them by their former names enter into them willingly hauing antiquity and all reformed Churches for our precedents to do the like For who knowes not that the Citie Vniuersitie of Geneua haue their cheif Church retaining the name of Saint Peter one intituled Saint Magdalen another Saint Geruase Vbisprá the Martyr whither they vsually resort to l Zanch in 4. praec to this purpose holy exercises Neither is it altogether vaine that the holy Euangelist here in this place calleth that same Iacobs well which the Samaritans so named and termed before him making no question but that Iacob had digged it although the tradition came from the Samaritans Nay our blessed Sauiour is not scrupulous to rest himselfe at this Well or to graunt it for Iacobs howsoeuer which is for our example he will not be drawne by the Names and titles of Iacob to m Iohn 4. 22. approue of a counterfcit Religion wherefore let vs leaue curiositie in such small matters and conclude this point first with praise to the Lord that these wels these Monuments and other benefits for the furtherance of Religion sometimes in possession of Samaritans and the superstitious and by them corrupted and made vnholsome are againe so cured and restored that now we may draw and drinke our fill in them euen of the pure Riuers of the waters of life Secondly if it should be proued that any of these Monuments were founded erected by the superstitious yet then wee must acknowledge our selues much bound to God that wee may drinke of the n Dent. 6. 11. wels wee digged not dwel in houses that wee builded not inioy these Churches which wee prepared not as o Ludolph Noah had the benefit of that Arke which was framed by prophane shipwrights and Sampson was refreshed with sweet hony out of the dead Lion that liuing would haue killed him So that we may say with Samson p Iudg. 14. 14. Out of the strong came sweet and out of the deuowrer came meat Ob. 1 But here mee thinks the Romish Samaritans interrupt vs and first obiect that our faith buildes no Churches digges no such wels but their Religion their Pater noster as they call it founded all Ob. 2 Secondly they lay claime to our Churches nay bragge that themselues are the Catholike Church because of the Monuments and names of godly men that were sometimes pillars of the Church Ans 1. to the 1. ob To the first whereas they say we build no Churches doe no such workes but they haue beene all the doers and are so still I answere briefly that the Apostles and first Martyrs who planted the Church did build no materiall temples and yet they are worthily stiled q AuÌ„entinus Religiosis simi mortales most Religious men none being comparable to them since They as the former planters of the Gospell edified and built vp the people of God r Ephes 2. 20. as temples for the holy ghost to dwell in vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ Iesus being the head corner stone and wanted peace wealth opportunitie and the fauour of Princes to erect any Churches and houses of praier either publike or costly Ans 2. to the 1. ob Secondlie more largely I answere that when the Lord vouchsafed to call Kings and Princes to the knowledge of the truth then by their Authoritie and out of their Aboundance they in the profession of our Religion of Aedes sacras sacred houses erected Basilicas Kinglike palaces thereby the more to honour God with their substance and prouide for the more conueniencie of holie Assemblies Now these first honorable founders were not of the Romish Religion for they did not vse such Iewish and heathnish Ceremonies in their s Euseb hist eccl lib. 10. c. 3 Church-dedications nor such Inuocation or adoration of Saints or Images as the Romane Church hath since brought in This plainly appeareth by the example of Constantine and by the best Antiquitie who with Saint Austen speake thus like Protestants t Augustin de Ciuit dei lib. 8 c. vlt. We ordaine no Churches no Priesthoods no rites nor sacrifices vnto Martyrs we do not crie at the altars O Peter O Paul O Cyprian wee offer vnto thee