goodnesse As pride is the beginning and originall of sinne Ecclesiasticus 10. 14. because iniquitie is nothing else but inequalitie and pride is most vniust attributing vnto it selfe too much vnto all other too little so contrariwise contented humblenesse is the Primer and as it were A. B. C. of our Christian Ethicks it is as Ambrose and Bernard write the mother vertue yea Custos sigilli magni the keeper of all Gods great seales graces without which his other gifts are rather curses then blessings to vs. It is an eminent grace for a man to speak with the tongues of Angels and so to transport other with the wind of words and flouds of eloquence whither he list and yet if learning be not seasoned with humilitie knowledge saith Paul puffeth vp and as Aristotle speaks it is armata iniustitia like a sword in a mad-mans hand Fasting that tames the bodie without humilitie makes proud the mind I fast twice in the weeke quoth the Pharisee Luke 18. 12. Almes are a sacrifice pleasing to God for he that giueth vnto the poore lendeth vnto the Lord yet if a Trumpet bee blowen and we giue meerly to be seen of men if we beare not our poore brethren in our bowels and bosome we shall haue no reward of our Father which is in Heauen Matth. 6. 1. And therefore Christ inculcates often this one lesson as well by patern as precept Learne of me for I am humble and meeke In the world ye shall haue affliction he that will follow me must of necessitie forsake himselfe and yet be of good cheere for there is no man that hath forsaken house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receiue an hundred fold now at this present houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the world to come eternall life I tell you that in the beginning which you shall find most true in the end Blessed are the poore in spirit For Blessed is the predicat of the proposition And there is a two-fold blessednesse Beatitudo viae and Beatitudo patriae blessednesse in this world and blessednesse in the next The poore in spirit haue the promises of both 1. Tim. 4. 8. The present happinesse is either outward and worldly or else inward and ghostly Outward as Psalme 132. 16. I will blesse her victuals with increase and I will satisfie her poore with bread And Psalme 144. 15. Happie are the people that be in such a case And Deut. 28. Blessed shalt thou be in the field and blessed in the citie blessed shall be the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy cattell the encrease of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheep These temporall and worldly blessings often accompany the meeke more then the proud because fortune as Charles the 5. told his sonne Is like a woman if shee be too much woed shee will be the farther off Howsoeuer it be godlinesse is great gaine and the poore in spirit want nothing as being content with any thing But the blessednesse promised by Christ here surpassing all worldly treasures and pleasures is inward and ghostly consisting in the riches of the mind and in a sweet contentation of the conscience which is a continuall feast and a daily Christmas whereby the poore in spirit are made lords and as it were tyrants ouer the whole world domineering ouer Iustices and laylour our Iudge and Iurie Treasons and murthers and felonies and other routs and riots inquired after at Sessions and Assises are bred of discontentment and pride But though all the Deuils in Hell and all their agents in earth and ayre combine themselues against one little one yet Qui vadit planè vadit sanè He that walkes vprightly walkes confidently The text will alway be found true They that put their trust in the Lord shall be euen as the mount Sion which may not be remoued but standeth fast for-euer But here we must obserue with incomparably learned Melancthon and other protestant diuines That in this and all other like places of holie Scripture where good works are commanded or commended in any that Christ is the sole cause of our happinesse Without me saith he you can doe nothing and without faith in him it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. Our persons must be first reconciled vnto God hauing for Christs sake pardon of our sinnes and imputation of righteousnesse and then our workes shall be blessed and acceptable Psalme 32. 1. Blessed is the man whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed that is iustified for iustification is blessednesse begun glorification blessednesse perfited It is a sweet saying of our Church Faith is the nest of good workes albeit our birdes be neuer so faire yet they will be lost except they be brought foorth in true beleefe The sparow hath found her an house and the swallow a nest where shee may lay her yong euen thine Altars O Lord Psalme 84. 3. Such as are true beleeuers hauing their vnrighteousnesse forgiuen and their sinne couered are blessed men and all their workes as being laied vpon Christs Altar are a sweet smelling sacrifice to God But saith Augustine Hereticks and Infidels in doing glorious acts and honorable deeds haue no where to lay their yong and therefore they must of necessitie come to nought as the fathers of our common Law speake Moritur actio cum persona their actions are damnable with their persons He which is poore in spirit is blessed he which is mercifull is blessed he which is a peace-maker is blessed But as our Diuines haue iudiciously noted against the Papists in all these Beatitudes a liuely Faith is presupposed according to that Apostolicall axiome Whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne The Saints of God are sealed inwardly with Faith as it is in our Epistle but outwardly with good works as in our Gospell To be poore in spirit to mourne to be mercifull are not causes but effects of our iustification as we commonly speake out of Bernard Via regni non causa regnaâ—…di For the followers of Christ are blessed not because they be poore in spirit but because theirs is the kingdome of Heauen That is the right exposition of the proposition Blessed are the poore in spirit Now the kingdome of Heauen in holie Scripture signifieth either the kingdome of grace which is heauen on earth or else the kingdome of glorie which is heauen in Heauen And both these belong vnto the poore in spirit Some construe this of the kingdome of grace because Christ saith expresly Luke 4. 18. The spirit of the Lord hath anoynted me that I should preach the Gospell vnto the poore he hath sent me that I should heal the broken hearted that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues and
which is a brother vnto Dragons and a companion of Ostriches constrained to dwell with Mesech and to haue his habitation among the tents of Kedar As Zachary the Priest had good neighbours so likewise kinde cousins for albeit they might haue well expected large legacies if he had dyed without issue yet they reioyced at the birth of his sonne an enuious man hath a great deale of lesse wit in his malice then a very brute for whereas neither foule nor fish is taken in a snare without a baite the spitefull wretch is brought to the diuels hooke without any pleasant bite the voluptuous man hath a little pleasure for his soule the couetous a little profit for his soule the proud and ambitious a little honour for his soule but an enuious man hath nothing of the deuill or flesh or world for his soule but hearts-griefe hoc solum inuidus bene agit quod se cruciat Wherefore laying aside all malitiousnes and enuie let vs imitate the good neighbours and allyes of Elizabeth here let vs as feeling and fellow members of the same mysticall body remember those that are in bondes as though our selues were bound with them and if any member be had in honour to reioyce with it These neighbours and cousins visiting Elizabeth in childe-bed came not as one notes vpon the place with basket and bottle to drinke and eate though I confesse that kind of neighbourhood were better vsed in a Priests house then in a tap-house neither came they like the gossips in our time with a great deale of tattle speaking things vncomely but they came to praise God for his goodnesse shewed vpon their friend Elizabeth 1. In taking away the reproach of barrennesse 2. For giuing her a sonne so the text they heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy vpon her and they reioyced with her it was mercy that she brought forth a sonne great mercy that she bare such a sonne The Thracians vsed to laugh at the death and to weepe at the birth of men but the Scripture teacheth vs to reioyce when a sonne is borne children and the fruit of the wombe are a gift that commeth of the Lord and therefore when Eua conceiued and bare Cain she said I haue gotten a man from the Lord and Lamech hauing gotten a sonne called his name Noah saying this same shall comfort vs concerning our worke and sorrow of our hands c. When Isaac was borne Sarah his mother said God hath made me to laugh a woman as Christ speakes Iohn 16. 21. when she is in trauel hath sorrow because her houre is come but assoone as she is deliuered of the childe she remembers no more the paine for ioy that a man is borne into the world quid dulcius in humanis quà m gignere sibi similem aut beatius in terris quà m natos videre natorum Elizabeth then had good cause to praise God in the gift of a sonne but her selfe and her friends had greater cause to reioyce because she bare such a sonne tantum talem filium a sonne so great in the sight of the Lord filled with the holy ghost and strong in spirit euen from his mothers wombe such a son of whom as yet in swadling cloutes his father moued by the spirit said hee should be the prophet of the most high of whom also when hee was growen vp and executed his office Christ himselfe gaue this testimony that among those which are borne of woemen there hath not risen a greater then Iohn the Baptist If a wise sonne make a glad father and a foolish sonne bring heauines to his mother Elizabeth had great mercy shewed vpon her in that she brought forth a Iohn into the world Mystically gratious Iohn borne of barren Elizabeth liuely represents the fulnes and fruitfulnes of the Gentiles arising from the barrennesse of the Iewes and therfore the Prophet exhortes the Church reioyce thou barren that bearest not breake forth into singing thou that trauaylest not for the desolate hath many moe children then she which hath an husband In the eight day they came to circumcise the child Zacharias and Elizabeth walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord without blame caused their new borne babe to be circumcised according to the prescript of the law concerning the time when part where cause why see Gospell on the circumcision of Christ. Now baptisme succeeds circumcision and so consequently parents are taught by this example to bring their children in due time to holy baptisme wherein they be made the members of Christ the children of God and inheritours of the kingdome of heauen Againe parents may learne by this president except some great necessity compell them otherwise to baptize their infants in the face of the congregation and not in the corner of a chamber or chimney there was a great meeting of neighbours and cousins at the circumcision of Iohn in his fathers house and the Iewes at this day circumcise their children in their publique Synagogâ—…es and lastly from hence wee may further obserue three things especially concerning imposition of names among Gods children in old time 1. That names were giuen in circumcision as among vs in baptisme they came to circumcise the childe and called his name Zachary the reason hereof is plaine that as often as we heare our selues named we might instantly call to minde the solemne couenant betweene God and vs in holy baptisme or as other obserue because circumcision and baptisme are seales of Gods grace whereby men are first admitted into the Church and as it were written in the booke of the liuing it is fit that none should be named or registred as the seruants and souldiers of Christ afore they haue receiued his Sacrament which is the badge of their profession and signe of their new birth 2. From hence we may note that Gods people did vsually name their children after the names of their ancestours except God in some singular case by reuelation inioyned the contrary for the neighbours and cousins of Elizabeth as not knowing the Lords expresse pleasure concerning the naming of her childe began to call his name Zachary after the name of his father and when Elizabeth answered and said not so but his name shall be called Iohn they replied there is none of thy kindred that is named with this name This example condems the nicenes of some who thinke it vnlawfull to giue their children vsuall names of their nation and families as Edward George Robert and the like as also the prophanes of other who giue names of flowers or stones or heathen names vnto christians if we name not our children after the names of our ancestours it is fit that wee should take the names of Saints that may put vs in minde of their vertues as Iohn Peter Stephen
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