grind him to powder For this cause we must be subiect not onely for feare but also for conscience sake nor onely to the King as to the chiefe but also to Rulers as to them that be appointed by him for the punishment of those that doe ill and praise of them that doe well His pleasure if it could be knowne should be a kind of law vnto vs his law when it is promulgated should tye vs by a kind of oath of Alleageance Laudo fidem saith Tertullian quae ante credit obsâ—ruandum esse quam didicit I like of such a faith as beleeueth it ought to obserue this or that before it hath learned the euident reason thereof This hath place in some mysteries of Religion and so in some State-matters a kind of simple obedience is many times necessary but Tergiuersation and reasonings and murmurings and contentiousnesse they must be done away with all vnquietnesse What a motiue is this to induce vs to study by all meanes to giue content to our higher Powers for that we may say of them truly which the flattering Oratour said of the Romane Gouernour falsely Act. 24. By their meanes we enioy much peace and many worthy things are done to our Nation by their prouidence and for that we may say with the words of my Text that they sitting on the Throne of Iudgement doe scatter away all euill What doe they doe They scatter away What doe they scatter away Euill all euill It is said of Christ that he hath his Fan in his hand and will thorowly purge his floore c. Math. 3. The like office is here ascribed to a King a good King that he hath his Fan in his hand and before he doe scatter he doth Fan sift winnow trie for that is implyed in the originall word Zarah so then hee doth not scatter away all causes and persons that are brought before him the righteous as well as the vnrighteous like the cruell Tyrant that cryed out A Calvo ad calvum To the pot with them euery mothers sonne and as Benhadad proclaimed Whether they be come out for peace take them aliue or whether they be come out to fight take them yet aliue make bond-men of them all spare none And briefly as Henricus Stephanus writeth of a Iudge that his manner was when an old fellow was brought before him vpon suspition of felony to say Away with him hang him he hath committed many a felony I warrant you if a young fellow were brought Away with him too hang him he will commit many a felony if he be suffered I say good Gouernours doe not goe thus rashly to worke and as it were by whole-sale but they will separate the precious from the vile as the Prophet speaketh and weigh all things in the ballance of Prudence and will order their Iudgement with discretion as Isaak would not blesse his sonne before he had felt him and Salomon full wisely found out the true mother by tendring an offer and Claudius the Emperour almost as wisely found out the true son by making the like offer witnesse Suetonius in Claudio Ch. 15. Thus by searching they found out who hath right on his side who not who deserue punishment who reward then accordingly they proceed to Iudgement and scatter away all euill All Euill If all euill then the euill that is in the Tribe of Leui as well as in other Tribes Here then the Kings Supremacy ouer all persons is proued againe if all euill then the euill of impiety against the first Table as well as of iniquity against the second Table here then the Kings Supremacy in all causes is vouched What if Gallio and Festus in the Acts of the Apostles did put from them or did not care to meddle with Church-matters and matters of faith They were both Pagans and neither of them a member of the Church much lesse head of any Church So what if Constantine the Great tooke so little vpon him in the Councell of Nice albeit that Councell and others were conuocated by his authority and in that Councell he commanded the books of the Old New Testament to be produced forth tryall of controuersies What if Valentinian the second did endure to heare of Ambrose Ad Imperatorem palatia pertinent ad Sacerdotem Ecclesiae that is The Emperour hath to doe in his Palaces but the Bishop or Priest in Churches why Constantine and Valentinian were both Neophytes or young Schollers in the faith and neither of them as yet baptized Should this be a barre either to Theodosius the Great or to Martianus or to Iustinian or to Carolomannus or to his nephew Charles the Great or to the Othoes Fredericks Henries or to the Kings of France England Scotland Denmarke Swedeland or to such Princes and States that haue Iura Regalia that they should not make Lawes for the aduancement of the true faith and Seruice of God for the abolishing of Idolatry for the curbing of superstition for the rooting out of Heresies for the punishing of blasphemous and seditious Heretickes Briefly for the maintenance of the Ministery and for the inioyning of Ministers to their duty and so forth What reason in the world against this or that Princes should looke for a Commission and as it were an Oracle from Rome This for instruction So for Institution or admonition a word or two had need to be spoken for as S. Peter prophesied that in the last times there should come mockers walking after their owne lusts and saying Where is the promise of Christs comming or presence so peraduenture in this prophane age some will demand prophanely Where is the truth of Salomons assertion He saith That a King sitting in the Throne of Iudgement scattereth away all euill Now it is euident that the King sitteth on the Throne of Iudgement by himselfe and others carefully and Iustice was neuer better administred without respect of persons or Country and yet we see not all euils scattered away For when say some was there more impiety iniquity impurity in the world Quando maior avaritiae patuit sinus alea quando hos animos c. that is When was there more couetousnesse more deceiuing and cogging when was there more gluttony and drunkennes chambring and wantonnes strife and enuying neither can they be content to be drunke with wine and strong drinke as in former ages but they must be drunke euery day and almost euery houre of the day with smoake a sinne that our Elders heard not of Neither are they that weare soft clothing in Kings Courts onely as it is said in the Gospell but they iet it not onely in soft clothing but in cloth of gold and of siluer euen in townes and villages and many haue more vpon their backs then they are worth in their coffers Further euery man hunteth his brother as with a net as the Prophet saith Euery one catcheth his fellow seruant by the throate
Plato requireth in his ingenuous Scholler that he should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And our Prophet in my Text would not haue a man to trust too much to his owne wit or perspicacy but that he should aske of others Indeed Aske and you shall haue seeke and you shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you doth not tie vs to Gods inspiring and touching of vs alone according to that of Saint Iames If any man want wisedome let him aske of the Father of lights but enioyneth vs to vse all lawfull meanes all possible indeauours for the purchasing and compassing of the same precious pearle the knowledge of the true way which leadeth vnto life Therefore hath the Lord so precisely and distinctly referred vs to seuerall guides and instructers as he hath done The women to aske their husbands at home the children to aske their fathers When thy children shall aske thee what this Ceremony of the Passeouer meaneth thou shalt say thus and thus All the people in generall of the Priests and the Prophets The Priests lips shall preserue knowledge and they shall seeke the Law at his lippes Therefore let no man that wanteth wisedome thinke scorne to aske counsell of them that are learned albeit euery good gift and perfect gift commeth downe from the Father of light for then he will take scorne to aske a beneuolence of him that hath more then himselfe because God it is that doth open his hand and fill all things liuing with plenteousnesse Subordinata non pugnant is a rule in the Schooles Now as we are commanded by our Prophet to aske so are we told by him what to aske Aske saith he for the old waâ— This is a very pleasing speech to some old Cinque-Caters If this be admitted once thinke they then all is Cocke-sure on their side For they haue the prescription of a thousand yeeres and more when as our faith is but of yesterday Where was it before Martin Luther c I answer first with the word of Ahab to Benhadad Let not him that girdeth on his Armour boast as he that putteth it off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Any man may prate and talke but Counsell and strength are for the warre words will not winne the cause in a serious encounter The Athenians bragged that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spawned as it were there where they dwelt and therefore vsed to weare Grasse-hoppers on their heads for which cause they were called by Aristophanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Arcadians boasted of their antiquity that they were more ancient then the Moone Lunâgens prior illa fuit And yet they and all the Grecians in generall are told their owne by an Egyptian Priest as Plato beareth witnesse that they were but children and that there was not an old man amongst them So the Gibâ—onites told Iosuah and the men of Israel that they were not of their cursed neighbours whom God had deuoted to destruction and whom they were forbidden to make any league with but that they came from a very farre countrey and therefore to bleare the Israelites eyes they tooke with them old sacks and old bottles and old shooes and old rayment c. But were they the more ancient or the more honest for that cause words be but wind vnlesse there be proofes correspondent Secondy I say that in the originall it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth old but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which more properly signifieth euerlasting or perpetuall Now what are they the neerer for that was their doctrine from the beginning or shall it last euer in our Church Nay Euery plant that the heauenly Father did not plant was of later set and shall be plucked vp by the rootes If theirs be of the heauenly Fathers planting let them shew it by the Scripture For Non accipio quod extra Scripturam de tuo infers saith Tertullian I will not admit of that which they alledge out of their owne head without Scripture Thirdly because they rely much vpon the exposition of Fathers Hierome vpon this place and after him their ordinary Glosse vnderstandeth by Wayes in the first place the Prophets Stand in the way that is search the Prophets what testimony they beare of Christ. And by the Good way Christ Iesus himselfe the Way the Truth and the Life Iohn the 14. This for a taste what iudgement the Westerne Church was of touching the meaning of this place So for the Eâ—sterne Church Theodorit shall speake a very ancient writer and as learned as he was ancient who in his tenth booke of Therapeuticks hath these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Prophet Graecè the Prophets word calleth Wayes the old Prophets and the good way our Sauiour and Lord himselfe So that you see that it is no new shiâ—t of ours to auoyd the stroake of the Argument drawne from Antiquity but an ancient and approued interpretation receiued in the time of the second and third Generall Councels in which time Hierome and Theodorit flourished Fourthly I say that our Prophet himselfe in my Text as though he had â—ore-seene how some would walke in a vaine shaddow and make a flourish with a painted scabberd lest any should mistake the point and so be seduced correcteth and explaineth himselfe in the very next words Which is the good way And so I am come to the second part of my diuision wherof I will speake but a word Aske after the old pathes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where is the same good way As if he had said Did I bid you aske after the Old way and walke therein as though that were a safe and certaine direction of your faith Alas you may be deceiued in this inquiry except you aske for the Old way which is the good way For as some of your Ancestors haue beene good and some bad some true worshippers of God and some Idolaters So by that reason some old or beaten wayes must be crooked and erronious as well as other some right and straight Decline therefore from that way seeme it neuer so old if it may be proued vnto you to be wrong and follow and hold on that onely which is good Thus the Prophet and this to be the true meaning of the place any one that will looke into the Originall may easily finde For though it be somewhat doubtfully translated as though the Prophet would haue the old way to be esteemed for the good way rule of faith yet it is a truth that the Hebrew Text doth import no such thing For if it were to be taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of expressing or defining then it would haue beene said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is the good way not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where or where that which is euer taken Interrogatiuely Now then if this be all that the
heauenly calling But how then can the Common-weale be vpholden for thus it must be exemplary Iustice must be shewed or else all will goe to hauocke Thus they complaine and therefore the fault is not in them that their Circuit is not without blood but the fault is in the multitude and hainousnesse of offences which maketh them against their will to charge and command as the Romane did in old time I Lictor colliga manus caput obnubito infelici arbori suspendito yea and this maketh them that are condemned many of them to confesse as the Poet did Ipsaque delictis victa est Clementia nostris Our offences were of that nature that clemency it selfe could not pardon them Nothing in a manner can be required or desired either of the good Iudges of this tim◠and namely of these before whom I speake except it should 〈◊〉 this See how my mouth is open vnto you how my heart is enlarged as Saint Paul speaketh namely that you would not suffer any to suffer death whom their booke if they could read would saue For how few offences be now left to the benefit of the booke not Treason or petite-treason God forbid they should or murther or stabbe or rape or burglary or robbery or horse or mare-stealing or purse-cutting or picking or any such grieuous or odious crime onely for the stealing of Oxe or Cow which cannot be driuen farre or of pigge or sheep which be but little worth for these and such petite-matters they may haue their booke yea and they can haue their booke but once in their liues neither if they offend againe they die without mercy And shall the committing of a small offence and the committing of it but once bring destruction vpon a penitent person that peraduenture hath wife and children and all because he cannot read which was not his fault but his parents and which now if he could doe were to no purpose for as the King of Gath said Haue I need of mad men so we may say Hath the Church need of Stigmaticks of such as haue beene burnt in the hand Ratio legis anima legis the reason why a Law was made that is the soule of the Lawe when the reason ceaseth the Law may be spared In the former Martiall times when euery man leaned vpon his sword as the Prophet speaketh and bookishnesse was counted cowardlinesse as it is also at this day in many parts of Turkie there was some reason to grant some priuiledge or immunity to such as shewed any desire to be learned to the end that learning might be more generally embraced But now the case is altered there is not so much doubt lest too few should put their hand to this plow as lest too many and the people are rather to be restrained from offering their sonnes to the Church as Moses put backe many of the peoples offerings for the Tabernacle Exod. 36. than to be incited forward therefore they that are thought worthy to liue by their book it is pitty but they should liue euen without the book So might the Ordinary be eased of his duty of attendance which at the first as it seemeth to me was voluntary if he lusted he might challenge for the Church but now is made necessary and the neglect finable some-where but specially so might his Deputy be discharged from the sinne of vntruth for calling euill good a bad reader a good reader which he must be faine to doe sometimes or else he will be called as Moses was by his wife a bloody man a bloody husband But this can hardly be done without a Parliament I beleeue verily yea and I beleeue this too that no man would doe it more willingly than your Lordship if you had warrant for it but now vntill you haue warrant by Parliament or otherwise I hope I shall not offend if I request you and indeed I doe request you to hold on your charitable course of repriuing yea and to increase therein euen to repriue all such that might be saued by their bookes if they could read Now whereas it is obiected that once in the Gaole and neuer good againe there they learne to be their perfect craftsmasters in all kinds of lewdnesse and villany yea by this meanes the Country would be charged with keeping them that is ouer-charged already I answere briefely and for the former point touching their incorrigiblenesse this that I hope for better things and things that accompany saluation howsoeuer some speake to the contrary When I finde in Saint Paul that One simus a runne-agate and vnprofitable became afterwards profitable to his master and to others yea became a faithfull Minister if the report be true in the Canons of the Apostles Can. 31. When I finde that Marie Magdalene which had beene possessed of seuen Deuils seuen that is many and many Deuils that is foule vices whereof the Deuill was the instiller and perswader to become Christs Oastesse nay Disciple and to haue a speciall praise in the Gospell Briefely when I finde the domestickes of Narcissus Narcissus as bad a man and as odious as any liued in his time who in all likely-hood were most impure and abominable seeing and learning such things of their master who were most shamefull for like pot like couer like master like man Then I say to omit other testimonies that might be produced to this purpose out of all monuments in all ages to be saluted by Saint Paul Rom. 16. as being of the house-hold of faith and in all probability true conuerts I will not despaire of any mans conuersion that breatheth while I breathe he may stand for God is able to make him stand he may scape out of the snares of the Deuill for God giueth grace so to doe he may haue a will and ability to doe that which is good for God worketh both This for answere to the former imputation of incorrigiblenesse To the later of charging the Countrie by their liuing and so consequently by their maintenance in Gaole it is so sordid that it cannot be touched without the dishonour of the Country It bringeth me into remembrance of the barbarous and inhumane dealing of them of Sparta for which they were condemned by their fellow-miscreants whose manner was when any infants were borne lame or vnlusty to cast them vnto a by-place they called it Apotheta some pit or ditch chosen for the purpose that so their mothers forsooth might be freed from a great deale of paines in looking vnto them and themselues from a great deale of misery to be indured in the world but specially that the State might be eased of a great deale of trouble and charge Brethren let me speake vnto you freely of the City of Sparta as Saint Peter saith Acts 2. Let me speake vnto you freely of the Patriarch Dauid it had beene better that Sparta had beene made a fish-poole or beene swallowed vp of an