Councell of Trent in the Tract De benediction◠〈◊〉 coronatione Regis to the Bishop that performes that Ceremony the Presentee speakes thus Reverendissime â—â—ter postulat sancta mater Ecclesia ut praesentem egregiâ— militem ad dignitatem regiam sublevetis And after 〈◊〉 King begins his Oath thus Ego Deo annuente futâ—â— Rex And what is this but a devise whereby the Pâ—â— usurped upon the Emperour and encroacheth by Metropolitans upon other Kings feigning an interregâ—â— which in an he editary kingdome is questionlesse reâ—ugnant to the fundamentall lawes of all Nations Therâ—â—re against them and all others Psa 89.18 wee hold that of the 〈◊〉 line Our shield belongeth unto the Lord Our King 〈◊〉 the holy one of Israel hee holds of him and none â—ther the King doth sit but God doth set him And sets him for ever The succession is perpetuall â—ome restraine this untill Christs comming according to â—hat speech of Iacob The Scepter shall not depart from Iuâ—ah nor the Lawgiver from between his feete untill Shiâ—ah come Some continue it unto the end of the World â—ccording to these words of the Psalme so long as the Sunne and Moone endureth They are easily reconâ—iled Distinguish the Prophesie from the Promise the Promise speakes of that which might be the prophesie â—f that which would be If IERVSALEM had â—nowne those things that belonged to her Peace the enemies â—ad not cast a banke about her the Romans had not destroyâ—d her that Throne should have continued as the dayes of â—eaven But Iacobs prophesie meaneth that for want of perâ—rmance of the Covenant Ierusalem should faile when Philoh came yea and before that the tabernacle of Daâ—id should be ruinous The ground of that prophesie is â—t downe Psal 49. Psa 40.11 Many thinke that their houses shall conâ—â—nue for ever from generation to generation and call their â—ands after their names But when man is in honour he â—oth not understand and so becomes as the beasts that perish â—nnes interrupt their continuance for ever Wherefore â—ccording to that in Deuteronomy Deut. c. 29. v. 19. If any when he heareth â—he wordes of this curse blesse himselfe in his heart saying 〈◊〉 shall have peace although J walke according to the stubâ—ornnesse of mine heart thus adding drunkennesse unto thirst â—e Lord will not bee mercifull unto that man but the wrath 〈◊〉 the Lord and his Jealousie shall smoake against him and every curse that is written in this booke shall light vpon him â—â—d the Lord shall put out his name from under heaven The succession then is perpetuall but the promise the of is conditionall the Condition is the keeping of Gods Covenant And so wee come from the absolute part of the promise to the qualified which must not be several It was the error of the Kings and Priests of Iudah and Israel excepting against the prophesies and persecuting the prophets which foretold the ruine of those kingdomes for the sinnes thereof they dreamt that the promise was onely absolute and so howsoever they liveâ— their state should endure for ever not remembring thâ— God exacted their duty as well as hee promised his mercy yea and limitted the performance of his mercy according to the continuance of their duty Although then Kings be Lords over their people 〈◊〉 are they subjects unto God They can bee no greatâ— then Adam of whom Saint Augustine Quamvis in mâ—â— do dominus positus est Adam c. though Adam were created Lord of the visible world yet by subjection unto a 〈◊〉 he was to recognize that hee held of a more soveraigne 〈◊〉 It is a fundamentall rule of reason that from whom 〈◊〉 have our being from him wee must receave a Law preportionable to our dependance on him be hee Godâ— man Kings from God and other men from Kings They that have beene of Phaeraohs mind and have saiâ—â— who is the Lord that I should heare him have tryed Saiâ—â— Bernards rule to be true Posse eos summovere se felicitâ—â— but not subducere se Potestati they may deprive themselâ—â— of the glory of God their throne in heaven but they canâ—â—â— exempt themselves from the soveraignty of God hee will 〈◊〉 his pleasure dispose their thrones here on earth There is a covenant then betweene God and the Kinâ— and it is two-fold I will be his Father and hee shall be 〈◊〉 sonne 2. Sam. 7.14 15 16. he shall build an house for my name and J will staâ—â— the throne of his kingdome So it is set downe 2. Sam. 〈◊〉 The Covenant respects David as a private person and as King as a private person hee is to be the sonne of God for Davids Covenant doth presuppose Abrahams bâ— addeth a regality unto it As a King hee is to build an house for God Hee must be custodious et Custos utriusque tabulae it was so in the Old Testament Psal 2.6 it must bee so in the New It is prophesied in the second psalme we are taught to petitionate by Saint Paul 1. Tim. 2.2 and Saint Augustine doth excellently expresse it Aliter servit Rex Deo quia homo aliter quia Rex As a man hee must conforme himselfe to the lawes of God as a King hee makes lawes for the service of God It is not enough for the King to obey it as the child of God as a King annoynted of God he must commaund it like to primum mobile which moveth it selfe and all inferior orbes with it So did the religious Kings of the Iewes and so did the religious Emperours of the Christians But where shall the King find whereunto hee is tyed by Covenant hee hath an authenticall Record the Record is Gods Testimonies they are tabulae foederis God testifieth his will in his word This appeareth by Moses in Deuteronomy where the King is enjoyned to describe the law Deu. 17.18 when he sitteth vpon his throne and the same charge is reiterated unto Ioshua Samuel giveth the like to Saul Josh 17. and David to Solomon Whereupon the booke of the Law was to be delivered the King at his Coronation You may see it in the Story of Ioash Psa 45. â— The Chaldee paraphase expounding those words of the Psalme the Qucene stood at the Kings right hand gives it this sense Stabit liber legis in latere dextrae tuae et exaraebitur in exemplare splendor tuus velut obrizo ophiritico It is memorable that is reported of Alphonsus King of Arragon that hee read over the Bible with the glosse foureteene times But this I moreover marke in the word Testimony that God speaketh like a King signifieth his pleasure without Rhetoricall perswasions or philosophicall demonstrations There are lumina Orationis in the sermons of the prophets which surpasse the Eloquence of all heathen men but the style of the Law runnes onely with a Teste Yea and simply Gods word requireth faith which is the Correlative of a Testimony Quare et
Synagogue A Synagogue was a place answerable to our Parish Churches which after the captivity of Babylon for before there is no mention of them seemed to have beene built in all Townes and Cities of the holy land and else wheresoever the Jewes had their aboad as you may perceive in the Acts whither they repaired both to heare the Law read every Sabbath day and to powre forth their prayers so they looked toward the Temple wherein and wherein only Sacrifices were daily offered which were inhibited in any other place which notwithstanding were allowed for other parts of the worship of God Now that this man should build them a Synagogue as it argueth that he was a wealthy man so is it strange that he should do it being a Roman for although from the time of the Babylonian captivity the Iewes had beene under forraigne Kings yet none of them favoured so little their Religion as did the Romans The Kings of Persia as you may perceive by the booke of Ezra and Nehemias and also the prophesie of Daniel sent presents unto the Temple of Ierusalem and made edicts for the honour of the God of the Jewes But as for the Romans their Poets scoft at their Religion their Histories speake reproachfully of it their Emperours did vilifie it Insomuch as Augustus Caesar commendeth his nephew Caius for that passing into Syria he did not put in by the way and sacrifice at Ierusalem Their Souldiers stucke not to profane the Temple with their presence and sacrilegiously to rifle those things that were dedicated unto God Hereby you perceive that it is a greater praise for this Centurion being a Roman to favour the Iewish Religion He was then a great man and he was a good man and what would you now expect but that hee should stand upon his greatnesse and his goodnesse and in confidence thereof rather require then beseech Christ Naaman the Assyrian when he came to be cured by Elizeus was highly displeased for that the Prophet sent him a message and came not himselfe I thought saith he he would have come downe to me he would have stood before me prayed unto his God and layed his hands upon me but because he did not the Captaine was departing in wrath Lo here is the spirit of a Souldier the spirit of a great man Will you heare the spirit of a good man of Ahabs Court desirous to speed of his request to Elias he petitioneth him with a repetition of his good deeds Hath not my Lord heard what thy servant hath done when Iezabel slew the Prophets how I hid an hundred of them in one Cave and fifty in another Cave and fed them with bread and water behold the spirit of a good man But our great man our good man savoureth of neither of their spirits You may perceave it by that confession which he maketh of Christ first of the eminency of his person which he sets forth partly by a comparison of Christ and himselfe and partly by the Embassadge he sent unto Christ But before we enter this first branch of his confession you must marke how he doth correct himselfe as if he had beene over bold with Christ The first motion was that Christ would come and cure his servant but the second is that Christ should not trouble himselfe to come because it was not fit he should take so much paines for so meane a man So that howsoever at the first he had some touch of his owne worth yet his second thoughts were more sober which brought forth this confession of Christ teaching us that it is no shame to unsay what at any time we say amisse and that we must lay aside all conceipt of knowne greatnesse and goodnesse when wee have a suite unto Christ for he resisteth the proud and will give his grace unto the humble and meeke And of this Centurion we may learne so to be humbled But let us heare how hee esteemeth the person of Christ first comparing him to himselfe and comparing him in regard of entertainment into his house and speech from his mouth I am not worthy saith he thou shouldst come under the roose of my house And Christ reports of himselfe that wheras the birds of the aire had nests and foxes had holes the Sonne of man had not an house to hide his head in a meane house then in probability would not be refused by him how much lesse a Centurions house the house of a man so wealthy and of such authority in that place But yet whatsoever appearance there were in the outward shape of Christ he apprehended some greater personage that dwelt in him Even as Elizabeth saluted the Virgin Mary How commeth it about that the Mother of my Lord commeth unto me Here was the Lord Himselfe and He might have Salomons conceipt The Heaven of heavens cannot conteine him and how homely a place then is this Temple though a stately Temple to receave him And if the Temple were so unfit much more must the Centurions house be were it the best in all Capernaum Wee must wonder at Gods goodnesse that will stoope so low as to accept of any place for his presence here on earth whose Majesty is much impaired even in that revelation of himselfe which is in the most glorious heavens hee cannot be discerned by the Creature but in a degree farre inferiour to the infinitenesse of a Creator That then which we must marke in this speech of the Centurion containes two profitable lessons the first is that in that Christ took upon him the forme of a servant we must not here hence grow to contempt of his person but rather adore the goodnesse of God descending so low that he may doe good unto men and in the depth of his Humility confesse the height of his glory Secondly although with Christs presence salvation will come to our house as he told Zacheus whereat we may well rejoyce and which we ought much to desire yet is it meete also that we have a sense and conscience of our owne unworthinesse and cry out with Saint Peter Goe from me Lord for I am a sinfull man So shall we give Christ his due and confesse our owne desart and we shall be nothing farther from Christs mercy though we be cast downe before him in such humility This is the Centurions humility who thought himselfe unworthy that Christ should come under the roofe of his house But he is not content so to vilifie his house hee doth much more vilifie himselfe for so he goes on I thought not my selfe worthy to speake unto thee A strange speech of one of his place of his worth whose voyce was a commanding voice in that Towne and Christ one of the meanest inhabitants of the Towne a voyce that commanded Souldiers and Senators too as you perceive by the Embassage that such a voyce so commanding a voice should not presume should not be worthy to speak unto nay to petition so meane a man and a
same God is mercifull power belongeth unto God and to thee ô Lord mercy The blessed combination of which Attributes in God is easily perceaved if we consider his government of the world for he rewardeth every man according to his works Lo then in a word what is the substance of this text it is true it is cleare God can he will reckon with us all and deale partially with none The paraphrase of the Text to judge what is in God by that which proceeds from him We have warrant from Gods owne mouth under the Test of K. David witnessing that the Indifferency of Gods judgments is the evidence of his nature The points to be considered are two the persons from whom we take this resolution and the resolution that we take from the persons the persons two the author and the witnes and the resolution consists of two parts first what God is secondly how he deales with man First Of the persons the first whereof is the Author the Author is undeniable for it is God God spake Between God and man the Apostle puts this difference Let God be true and every man a lyar for man is but a meere man man may deceave or be deceaved but neither of these are incident unto God nec actu nec potentiâ God doth not he cannot lie God is not he cannot bee deceaved And no wonder seeing he is not only the originall of all truth but also truth it selfe by nature So that it is no more possible for falsehood to be at one with God then for darknesse to consort with light both import a reall contradiction Whereas the greatest commendation of the best man is but this They speake in veritate mentis without simulation without equivocation or mentall reservation The praise due to God is that hee speakes in certitudine veritatis no mist or fraud or errour can overcast his wisdome or his holinesse his word is tryed to the uttermost like silver as the Psalmist speaketh seven times tryed in the fire What then is our lesson Surely this we must not be ashamed of Iulians scoffe he derided the Christian beliefe because it had no other proofe then Thus saith the Lord. But Nazianzen replies well they which allowed and captivated their judgment to a man have no reason to accept against that which relyeth upon the authority of God especially seeing they received principles of Philosophy which were examinable by reason But we credit only mysteries of Religion wherto no approches can be made by the naturall wit of man Finally they build on a professed scholar of the father of lies and we on him whose style is The Lord God of Truth The Conclusion that ariseth here-hence is God spake or the Lord hath said must goe currant with us as an indemonstrable Principle of our faith and an incontrollable precept for our life it must goe currant if God speake it if he speake but once how much more if as it followeth in my Text he speake once or twice I will not trouble you with divers readings of these words I take them as our Church doth read them and read them as may be borne well by the originall But touching the meaning of these words there are diverse observations For some take the words definitely as if David meant precisely twise some indefinitely as if by twise he meant often And they that take them definitely have not all the same conceipt Referre them to the Creation and Redemption of man in both which God really spake that he was powerfull and mercifull to reckon with and to reward man Psal 49.8 15. And indeed as much may be gathered out of the forty ninth Psalme and Saine Peter and Saint Iude argue from Gods proceeding with the world upon the Creation to that which we must respect in the state of Redemption Othersome apprehend this voyce in Gods workes and in his wordes Ps 19.2 3 In the nineteenth Psalme King David observeth this twofold voyce and not amisse for what are Gods workes but visible words and his words but audible workes the Hebrew word Dabar comprehends both God preacheth the same power and mercy in both wee may know that they are in him by that which proceeds from him A third sort understand only the words of Moses and of the Prophets Abraham remembreth these two voyces to Dives in hell they have Moses and the Prophets let them heare them There are two voyces of God the voyce of his Precepts and the voyce of examples for what is contained in the Law is applyed in the Prophets and both say nothing but that of his power and mercy we have as many monuments as there be lawes of God and lives of men Some are satisfied with none of these but report an outward and inward voyce that sounds the one in the eare the other in the Conscience Saint Paul hath specified this double voyce the Conscience shall beare witnesse accusing or excusing it that day when God shall judge the Consciences of men by Iesu◠Christ according to my Gospell Rom. 2. There shall be then as there should be now a concent betweene Gods voyce speaking within us and without us the effect whereof is The judgement of men according to the Gosspel and what is the Gospell but a blessed mixture of the power and mercy of God There remaines yet an exposition more and that is not an idle one God speakes ordinarily and extraordinarily ordinarily in the Canon of the Scripture by the Pastors of his Church extraordinarily when in the distresses of his children hee vouchsafeth to be an immediate remembrancer unto them of those comforts which are notwithstanding in generall contained in the Covenant betweene them and him not speaking any new matter unknowne to them but by speaking immediately himselfe making the greater impression in them And this was usuall untill the death of the Apostles We have instances in the old and new Testament of the extraordinary voice it is needlesse to speake of the ordinary my selfe am now an instance unto you Gen. 15.1 Gen. 16 3 24. Gen. 28.4 but of the extraordinary is that Genesis 15. Feare not Abraham I am thy buckler and thy exceeding great reward The like hath had Isaac Gen. 26. and Iacob 28. In the new Testament how many times did God appeare to Saint Paul in the Acts and memorable to this purpose is the answere My grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weakenes King David deare unto God and exercised under the crosse might nay it is plaine in the bookes of Samuel that he sundry times did heare this extraordinary voice And though all other expositions in themselves are true yet unto this place I take this last to be most apt But howsoever in understanding these words you have heard great variety and yet no contrariety onely by laying them together this wee learne that they which understand them definitely by differing each from the other and yet not
the Papists commendations of Infidels workes Surely the worke is good according to the judgment of man and so hath the rewards that are so deemed of naturall men So was Nebuchadnezzar Iehu and others rewarded But out of this Observation that the mind and not the action is rewarded here arise two excellent points The one is that we must take the definition of a good worke from the Scripture The end of the Commandement is Charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned For God respecteth not so much opus operatum as opus operantis and when it is said secundum opus it is taken with all his circumstances for ordinata and subordinata though they be not expressed they are understood otherwise we shall commit many absurdities in expounding the Scriptures When the effects of Faith are given to Charity to the feare of the Lord to Repentance c. Faith must worke by Charity and a worke tantum habet virtutis quantum fidei charitatis It is Saint Augustines rule Bonum opus intentionem fides distinguit Aug. praefat sp 31. And this overthroweth all the workes that are about merit for the foundation of the reward is faith which beares out all the defects of our conscience and of Charity The second thing that this doth yeeld is that all men herein are equalled because a man is accepted according to that which he hath not according to that which hee hath not According to workes We must looke immediately to our selves and foresee our conditions of reward or punishment But we must not lay our foundation there but goe higher remembring that of God in Moses Secreta mea mihi my lawes are for you And seeing the other vertues are in the sight only of God and the works before the world God that will judge in the sight of the world will judge according to works Reward Hoc ipsum laborare mercedis loco habendum it is an honour to doe so here by grace for it is the uttermost we shall attaine unto in the state of glory For what is the greatest reward of glory but to stand by the throne and praise God and it is our duty yet no man shutts the doors of God in vaine The servant must come with his talent and enter into his masters joy or into utter darknes Behold I come and my reward is with me Reward Isay 40.10 62 11. Esa 40.10 62 11. But where doth God reward in this life or in the next Ordinarily God doth it in both he suffereth not the sinnes of his owne children unpunished nor the rightnesse of the heathen temporally unrewarded hee keepeth eternall rewards of mercy for his children and of plagues for his enemies That God punisheth his children read the stories of Moses David Aaron that he rewardeth see supra But he punisheth his children not taking his mercie from them but virga viri which at the most can but kill the body but not Dei that casts both body and soule into hell fire Yea it is Enos of a weake feeble man They drinke of the Red Wine but the wicked have the dregs The strokes of God upon his enemies are described Esay 30 32.27 7. Esa 30 32.27.1 7 12. He will not strike twice It is good wee consider every man his wayes and turne his feete unto GODS Commandements for GOD will enter into judgement even with those that strive to bee most in favour The summe of all is this What we have done and how we have lived towards God yea and towards men O Lord God of Truth that in witnesse of thy constancy and for reliefe of our infirmity hast many times and wayes informed us of thy power and mercy grant that what thou speakest we may heare attentively and obediently and thereby bee so qualified through thy grace to use those holy meanes which lead to a happie end That when thou takest account of our lives and tryest our works what we have bin towards thee towards our neighbour that we may be such as may partake thy glory and bee crowned of thy mercy per Dominum nostrum Iesum * ⎠* A SERMON PREACHED AT SAINT CROSSE WINCHESTER PSALM 82. ver 5. They understand not they consider not they walke on in darknesse All the foundations of the land are moved THe Originall of Magistrates the duty answerable thereto required in Magistrates the danger of the defects and who must remedy what is amisse by the default there are foure points contained in this Psalme Magistrates are from God and hee resides among them Magistrates must proceede like God partiality must be farre from them Magistrates defects are dangerous both to the state and to themselves finally God can and will redresse the evils that spring from them because hee is Soveraigne in and over those places and persons which are misgoverned by them Of those foure points I have chosen the third and thereof but one part even so much as is contained in this fifth verse whereon for my better direction and your fuller satisfaction it may please you to observe with me these three points First The defects in the Magistrates They understand not they consider not they walke on in darknesse Secondly The danger of the state All the foundations of the land are moved 3. The Collection of both which may be framed two wayes either thus They understand not and therefore all the foundations are moved or thus They understand not and yet behold all the foundations c. Of these two senses the first makes the danger of a state the fruit of a bad Magistrate the second taxeth in Magistrates stupidity if they be not moved with the Common-wealths calamities To these three points by Gods assistance and your Christian patience I will speake briefly and in their order They understand not The mother of imperfections and root of all defects markable in Magistrates may be reduced to three all mentioned in the first part of the verse for either they understand not and that is Ignorance or they consider not and that is Negligence or they walke on in darkenesse and that is want of conscience Touching ignorance the Sonne of Syrach reckoning diverse trades some manuary some imployed in husbandry concludeth in effect thus Although without these a City cannot be maintained yet by these a City must not be governed these sit not upon the seat of Iudgment these cannot declare the forme of the Law they are not meet to discerne hard matters such things must be left unto the learned Pro. 8.15 which must with much paine attaine great wisdome Prov. 8. By me Kings Reigne and Princes decree Iustice by me Nobles beare rule and all the Iudges of the earth And the Author of the booke of Wisdome If your delight bee in Thrones and Scepters then honour Wisedome When Moses tyred with the government of all Israel would unburthen part of his charge upon other mens shoulders bring saith he unto me
stickes not to say Regis admirabilem gloriam effecit splendidiorem he was a King admirable for his vertues but more admirable for his repentance as it was a stranger sight to see a King of Ninive come downe from his Throne clothed in sackcloth and sit in ashes then King Solomon sitting upon his Throne and speaking parables unto the Queene of Saba Behold then whom God chose to be a Patriarch to whom he gave a name like one of the great ones like that of Abraham he entered into a Covenant with Abraham and he entred into a covenant with David he sware to Abraham and he sware to David and he sware unto David as unto Abraham concerning his issue The fruit of his body Children are called fruit of their Parents body to note that they are only fathers of their flesh they have another namely God which is father of their spirits Saint Paul teacheth it and the use of it Heb. 12. Heb. 12.9 And this checkes their opinion that will have soules propagated no lesse than bodies I will not trouble you with such an unnecessary dispute Rather this I note that whereas every mans first desire is immortality because hee cannot in this world attaine it hee offereth supply thereof by his posterity This phrase then promiseth solatium immortalitatis a kind of immortality Our mortall part the Sonne of Syrach doth excellently set forth Chr. 30.4 A man that hath issue though he die yet he is as though hee were not dead for hee hath left one behind him that is like him Jn his life he saw him and had joy in him and hee was not sorry in his death neither was hee ashamed before his enemies And why he left behind him an avenger against his enemies and one that should shew favour to his friends Good cause therefore why another Psalme of degrees tels us that Children are an inheritance of the Lord and the fruit of the wombe is his reward As are the arrowes in the hand of the strong man so are the children of the youth Blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them Surely for a King to have his quiver empty is no small curse God himselfe hath spoken it Ier. 22.30 O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord write this man and that man was Iechonias the King write him I say destitute of Children a man that shall not prosper in his dayes and what is that but that he shall be cursed he addes the reason for there shall be no man of his seed that shall sit upon the Throne of David or beare rule any more in Judah Esa 38.14 King Ezekiah when he was but threatned it confesseth thus he chattered like a swallow mourned like a Dove And what said Abraham O Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I goe childlesse and loe the servant of mine house shall bee mine heire Happie then was David and so every one of Davids ranke is happy that hath a fruitfull Vine and Olive branches round about his Table Of whom we may truly say Vno avulso non deficit alter Aureus et simili frondescit virga metallo But marke the King was busie to build Gods house and see how God answers him promising the building of â—â—e Kings house God requites a building with a builâ—ing There is a very apt allusion in the word upon which the sonne of Syrach also playes when he saith that â—hildren and the building of a City make a perpetuall â—â—me how much more if they be a royall off-spring that â—e destined to sit upon a Throne And God promiseth â—avid sons for this honourable end To sit upon his Throne It appeares among the buildings of Solomon and in the Chronicles of other Monarchs that the King had a seciall publike seat wherein he was placed when he possessed himselfe of his kingdome and afterwards sate as in his proper seate the Scripture cals it solium Regni as if a kingdome and the Throne were inseparable So that this phrase doth signifie insigne Regni an essentiall an incommunicable rite of a Kingdome This seate is incommunicable the Altar and the Throne saith one are â—â—th proper the Altar to God the Throne to the King The pride of usurping the Throne will as hardly be brooâ—ed by a Soveraigne on earth as the usurping of the Altar will be borne by the Lord of heaven Therefore Pharaoh though he did highly advance Ioseph added Only in the Kings Throne will I bee above thee As it is incommunicable to others so is it essentiall to a King In regard whereof Saint Peter calls Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supereminent supereminent in the Throne But wherein stands this supereminency surely in state and power In regard of the state it is called solium gloriae 1 Sam. 2.8 Pro. 20.8 and in regard of the power solum judicij These two must not be severed A King must in state ascend above all that hee may be the more respected when he doth command God himselfe that did often shew himselfe as a King did shew himselfe in that Majestie that hee alloweth unto Kings The places be knowne in Ezechiel Daniel Revelation I need not quote them But solium is therefore gloriae because judicij The state is to countenance the power it must not be only a Throne of glory but of judgment too Nazianzene hath an apt description of Kings they are persons saith hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are not be without a paire of scales in their hands in imitation of God of whom the Psalmist saith Thou sittest iâ— the Throne that judgest righteously And such a Throne indeed was King Davids At Ierusalem are Thrones for Judgment even the Throne of the house of David In such a Throne should the sons of David sit they were to 〈◊〉 but God would set them there It is superfluous for me to remember you that Promotion commeth neither from the East nor from the West 〈◊〉 from the North nor from the South It is God that take downe one and setteth up another Which is evident by the Prophesies of alterations in the most eminent Monarchiâ— of the world As for the Anabaptists that admit no Soveraigne title in a Christian Common-weale upon a falâ— ground that it is a fruit of Adams fall which ceased us on the Redemption by Christ it is enough to touâ— their ignorance not distinguishing between Directâ—â—â— and Coercive power The later is made necessary by sin the former is as naturall as sociablenesse is to man Tâ—â— Romanists detest Anabaptisme but they cherish a mâ—sterie of iniquity that may not be indured by this peculiar of God I will set them For in their Pontificale Remanum they insert such clauses as have within late yeere given occasion of Rebellion in this land Rebellion justified at the Barre upon this ground that the King is 〈◊〉 King till he be anointed In that booke as it is reformâ— by the
but when the commandement came sinne revived and I dyed Not that before he was alive and then gave up the ghost but he then perceived himselfe to be but dead whereas before in his imagination he was alive Psa 69 28. King David praying against the wicked Let them saith he be put out of the booke of life and let them not be written with the righteous contradictory speeches but that many thinke themselves entred whose names were never in that booke Iude 8. Wherefore Saint Jude cals wicked Christians by the name of dreamers and not unfitly for what the Prophet Esay saith of corporall food is true also â—f spirituall Too many are like to hangry men that â—reame Behold they eat but when they awake â—say 2â— 8 their soule 〈◊〉 empty or like a thirsty man that dreameth Behold he drinketh but when he awaketh behold he is faint and his â—â—ule longeth Quià est hypocritae vita saith Gregory the Great nisi visio quaedam phant asmatis quae hoc estendit in imagine quod non habet in veritate Pro. 30 12. Hypocrites are Solomons generation that are pure in their owne conceit and yet are not washed from their filthinesse All their state 〈◊〉 like a dreame as the Psalmist speaketh when one waketh yea when God waketh then he makes this their image or rather their imagination to be vile and that in their owne eyes Wisd 5.4 as the booke of Wisdome brings them in confessing with their own mouthes We fooles thought a good mans life to be madnesse and his end without honour but how is he counted among the children of God and hath his portion among the Saints But we contrary to our forther thought have erred from the way of truth the light of righteousnesse hath not shined unto us and the sun of Righteousnesse never rose upon us When the Good-man of the house 〈◊〉 up and hath shut the doore many saith Christ shall begin to knocke at the doore saying Lord open to us but he shall answer I know you not Strange newes they had a better thought for they shall begin to say We have caren and drunken in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets But he shall answer I tell you I know you not whence ye are Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie Then they shall begin to weepe never before they mistooke their state when they shall see Abraham Isaac and Tacob whom they tooke to be their Fathers and all the prophets whom they boasted of as of their teachers they shall see both in the kingdome of God and themselves thrust out of doores See then how a man may be deceived and flat downe when he thinketh himselfe bolt upright This the Divines call a negative fall because opposed to a seeming but not a true standing There is another fall which is privative opposed to standing indeed Pro. 30.19 20. The way of a righteous man should be like the light shining more and more untill the perfect day But many goe backe making shipwracke of their faith and forsake their first love When God offered a signe to Hezekiah assuring him of his recovery wilt thou saith he that the shadow of Ahaz dyall goe forward tenne degrees 〈◊〉 backeward His answere was It is a light thing for the shadow to passe forward ten degrees not so then but let the shadow goe backeward ten degrees In the dyall of our soule over which mooveth the Sonne of righteousnesse wee may see the cleane contrary A light matter for the shadow for our vertues are but shadowes of Christ to go backeward not so to goe forward The cause is not in the sunne but in the dyall for here Copernicus Theoricks prove very true The sunne stands still but the earth doth move God forsakes not man but man God Which the Scripture implies when it so often useth that phrase Abierunt retro they have gone backe they have declined they have forsaken mee and such like So the Galatians went so farre backe that of one that were able to runne you did runne well they became babes yea lest Little Children with whom I am in travaile againe till lesâ— Christ be formed in you He. 5.12 13. So did the Hebrewes Where as concerning time yee ought to bee Preachers yet have yeâ— need againe that wee teach you what are the first Principle of the word of God and are become such as have need of milk not of strong meat Neither may they goe backe onely knowledge and in faith but in love and workes too Write saith the Angell to the Church of Ephesus I hâ—â— something to say against thee because thou hast forsaken 〈◊〉 first love Remember from whence thou art fallen and 〈◊〉 first workes And to the Angel of Sardis I know it workes thou hast a name that thou livest but art deadâ— wake and strengthen the thinges which remaine and are ready to die No doubt then but he that stands indeed 〈◊〉 fall the whole Church fall they fall in faith they 〈◊〉 â—n love But this talking age is much troubled with two â—questions how a righteous man doth fall and how far â—he may fall whether with full consent and whether as deep as hell But my text leadeth mee to remember you not to fall rather then to dispute of the manner and measure of their faâ—l Therefore desirous to dismisse you rather religious then judicious though indeed he is most judicious that is most religious for the Scripture counts â—ll sinners fooles I forbeare to exceed the limits of my text adding to the first point onely this Nemo repente suit turpissimus God forsakes not altogether at first as appeares by Ezekiels vision chap. 9. totum that the more consent we give to sinne the greater fall wee take and the greater our fall the neerer we draw to hell The best men will yield too much and the least frowne of God goeth to a good mans heart so that our best care must be so to bridle our will that we may be ever gracious in the eyes of God And so I passe from our mutability to our Vigilaney Whereupon I need not to stand long If our mutability be apprehended well wee need not much bidding to take heed of it The difficulty is to resolve men that sinne is ill to resolve the heart not the wit many are wise enough to vouch it but their lives doe prove they never believed it for can a man unfeignedly acknowledge that to be ill wherein he takes delight as in his soweraigne good But that our mutability may make the stronger impression I will adde something of Vigilancy the second thing that I noted in the Apostles exhortation Let him that stands take heed lest he fall Though a man standing be mutable Psal 1.3 yet if he be Vigilant he may be immutable It was an heresie condemned in unchast Marcian to hold after he was excomunicated for Incontinency non voluntate sed necessitate