the same bringeth foorth much fruite for without me can ye doo nothing Euen so say you of light No man is an instrument of any light to others but as he himselfe is in the stemme Christ from whom commeth all light In him men giue much light and shine vnto many both farre and néere by Word and writing c. 4 There are many branches of the Candlestick The branches are chieflie the Ministers of the Church and the varietie noteth their diuers degrees and orders These all grafted in the stemme and growing out from the stemme do also giue light in the Sanctuary A great honor to themselues when they do giue light and a great comfort to the beholders that sée their light Thus to shine is rightly and truly to shine in Gods house and all glorie els pompe and port and state is vtter vanity if this be away The light was euer in the Church and so diligent should Ministers be that their sound should be heard still still as the Lord willeth In season and out of season holy day and worke day if the place require it and tenne thousand times happy that seruant whom when his maister commeth he shall finde so doing I lay no burdens on any mans backe but the Lord that called hath inioined the worke accounted vs faithfull and put vs in his seruice He he it is that hath deliuered out his money and will looke for a reckoning that lent vs his light and will one day aske what wee did with it He gaue it not to be put vnder a bushell but to be shewed out to all that are in the house O that Hee may giue the feeling remembrance of it Then will not loyterers condemne labourers and thinke it vnfit to preach too often curiositie shalnot put out the candle a quarter of a yéere together or censure diligence and plainenesse in others for want of it Euery mans labour shal be accepted for the end whereunto they are directed and godly ioy in euery mans well doing That snake of enuie will flye away where discouragement hath growen cōfort will spring that God may be pleased and his Church profited by all mens measures and abilities He that walketh in the midst of the Candlesticks séeth the light or darknesse of them and wil remooue any one that amendeth not being faultie 5 This Candlesticke had bowles knops and flowers to adorne it and beautifie it withall The bowles figuring againe the spirituall gifts wherewith God Almighty doth beautifie his Pastors and Teachers which are as lights in his Church as Wisedome Learning Eloquēce Tongues and such like teaching also these Ministers that as Bowles do containe and kéep water or wine so should they conteine and euer kéepe doctrine and exhortation to coole and comfort the consciences of men bringing as the good Scribe out of their store things new and old The knops and flowers seruing for delight well represented what pleasure and contētment Godly people should take in a godly Teacher placed by Gods gratious prouidence ouer them They will not treade vpon them but smell to them not cast them at their heeles but set them in their bosomes as trulie pleasing flowers vnto them Still gold is the matter and pure gold to shew out by way of shadow the excellencie of Christ and of his faithfulll Ministers in him and for him 6 There were againe seauen Lampes and oile in them for this light The number of Seuen noting sufficiencie as indeede the Lord neuer faileth his Church of what hée knoweth néedefull Oyle commonly signifieth the Gospell and Faith kindled in the hearts of men by the efficacie of the Ministerie and the lampe shadoweth out a good conscience Because as oyle cannot be kept in a broken lampe but in a whole so is true Faith euer preserued in a good conscience hurt the conscience loose faith loose the Holy Ghost and loose eternall life This is prooued by the blessed Apostle when he saith Fight a good fight hauing faith a good conscience And againe The end of the commandement is loue out of a pure heart and of a good conscience of faith vnfeigned Furthermore as the only lampe emptie and drie could not light those foolish Virgins to the Bridegroomes chamber so neither can a good conscience as Philosophers spake of it that is honest externall action saue a man without there be also the oyle of the knowledge of the Gospell of Christ Lastly as a Lampe of glasse is brittle and soon broken so the conscience is a very tender thing and quickly may becrakt if not cleane broken A iust cause to make men chary what they doo 7 Snuffers and snuffe-dishes are appointed for these lightes wherein we may also profit and bee instructed For first in that GOD leaueth not the least and basest thing to their willes but himselfe appointeth and preand prescribeth all we very truly learn how odious in his seruice mens meere inuentions be and how he euer tyed men to his owne commandement not suffering them to doo what séemed good in their own eyes and to salue vp the matter with their good intents Amongst then many other things in the Word euen this also should haue his force in our hearts to beat vs from will-worships and to make vs carefull to learne how God will be serued and so onely and euer to serue him Secondly this is a great comfort to Ministers and to all the faithfull of God who are also here shadowed namely that although my gifts be not such as to set me high in the Tabernacle yet am I not therefore vtterly vnprofitable or vnfit or reiected of God But if I may be among the meanest vessels of the Sanctuarie and of the Church If I may be but as the Snuffers or Snuffe-dishes as a doore keeper as a besome or an ash-pan wherof mentiō wil be made hereafter euen this shall well please me herein will I reioyce thanking my God right humbly that hath looked vpon me in that measure Euery faithfull man or woman cannot be great and haue great places in the Church the body hath diuers members and all good and made by God the Church hath diuers degrees of Beléeuers and yet all Beléeuers and loued of God so if you be one in any place blessed be God for it Your ioy shall be eternall also and incomprehensible Thirdly for the vse of these Snuffers you know they serued to make the lampe light shine more bright So shadowing out that the doctrine of the Church must be pure bright and light not mixed with darknesse and snuffes in it and to this end the Lord hath discipline in his Church and disputations so to cleere when obscuritie groweth and to set things well that went awrie Discipline is profitable when it is rightly exercised by men authorised but if men not authorised by means not allowed will be snuffing of lights indéede rather aiming to put them out than
forget This maketh the child vndutifull to his parents because hee forgetteth what they haue done for him which made the olde father Tobiah call vpon his sonne earnestlie to remember what his mother suffered for him when he was in her bodie what care after when he was brought into the world to make much of her as long as she liued when she should die to burie her by him The good father doubted not but due remembrance would work gratitude as he well knew vnkind forgetfulnes would do the contrarie This is the sinne of seruants to their Maisters of Maisters often to their seruants Of one neighbour towards another of all the world almost this day But could such seruice may you thinke as Ioseph did to Egipt be euer forgotten yea yea we sée it héere noted by God himselfe and therefore we must know it for truth that ingratitude will make no bones to swallow vp any vertue any merit any goodnes whatsoeuer Which causeth a saying to be most true Si ingratum dixeris omnia dixeris if thou canst truly say he is vnthankfull in that one word thou hast saide all the euill of him that may be spoken Honourable therefore was it and thrice honourable in King Henry the 3. King of this land so to remember the seruices of his oppressed seruant Hubert Lord chiefe Justice of England thereupon to frée him from the malice of his enemies and to saue his life I sée no reason saith he why we should deale so hardly with Hubert when his enemies vrged his execution and expected the Kings cōmandement for the same for first from the time of his youth he serued mine Uncle King Richard then my father King Iohn in whose seruice as I heard say beyond the seas he was driuen to eate his horse and in my time he hath stoode constantly in the defence of that Realme against forreigne Nations kept the Castle of Douer against king Lewis and vanquished the French-men vpon the seas also at Bedford and Lincolne he hath done great seruice If hee should be guiltie of anie thing done vntruly against me which is not euidentlie proued yet by me he shall neuer be put to such a villanous death For I had rather be accounted a king foolish and simple than to be iudged a tyrant and séeker of blood especiallie of such as haue serued me and my Auncestors in manie perils so dangerously weighing more the few euils which yet be not proued than so many good deserts both to me and the whole Realme euidently knowne vnto all men As then remembrance and forgetfulnes of a good are contrarie so you sée the effects of them are contrarie the one bringing forth all honourable actions the other oppression and crueltie as in this place These were the foure causes of this great affliction of Gods people and let vs neuer forget them nor their vse 3. In the next place let vs note their manner in bringing their purpose to passe first they haue a méeting and a consultation then an exeeution of what they haue deuised Their méeting the king caused when he said Come let vs work wiselie c. In which wee sée the guise of the world the wicked haue a Come as well as the godlie but farre and farre differing for the godlie haue their Come as a word of encouragement to religion and the exercises thereof as when they say O come and let vs sing vnto the Lord let vs hartily reioyce in the strength of his saluation But the wickeds Come is to conspiracie and practise in which they are more diligent than the children of light are in their good for their bodies méete their heads méete their hearts méete both outward inward they are earnest in euill Such a Come we reade of against holie Ieremie Come sayd the wicked and let vs imagine a deuise against Ieremie let vs smite him with the tongue and not giue credite to any of his words Such another haue Kuffians and théenes and swaggering fellowes in the booke of the Prouerbs Come and cast in thy lot with ours for we will haue all but one purse c. Such another hath the harlot to the young man Come my husband is not at home c. But against such cursed Comes let vs euer remember what the Psalme saith Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly nor stand in the way of sinners and hath not sit in the seate of the scornfull And that Arnobius an olde Writer well noteth vpon those words Primus psalmus vnde scit beatitudinem perijsse inde recuperat In consilio impiorum abijt Adam id est in serpentis et mulieris Et nunc Adam noster id est consensus noster beatus erit si non abierit in consilio serpentis et mulieris id est inconsilio carnis et diaboli aut si abierit non ibi stet aut si steterit non sedeat c. The first Psalme saith he where it knew happines was lost there beginneth to recouer it againe for Adam walked in the counsell of the wicked namely of the woman and of the serpent And now our Adam that is our consent shall be blessed if it doo not walke in the counsell of the woman and of the serpent that is of flesh and the deuill or if it happen to walk yet standeth not still or if it stand still yet sitteth not downe in the same that is abideth not and tarieth in it but remembring the law of the Lord taketh his delight therein and in the same doth exercise himselfe both day and night This cursed conuenticle and malicious méeting albeit wholely it sauoreth of crueltie and blood yet if you marke it it is couered and smeared ouer with a vizard and die of wisedome for Come faith the King let vs wisely worke So still is the Deuill like himselfe if you marke it and euer in his colours His followers learne of him and they also delight in colours The proud man is cleanlie the couetous man is prouident the drunkard a good-fellow and such like But the day will come wherein all such colours will be washed away and the cleare sunne breaking out and dispiersing all clouds sinne will be discerned to be sinne and eternally punnished Thus of their méeting and their counsell 4 The conclusion resolution of their counsel if you marke the text is to lay burthens vpon this people and to kéepe them downe Burthens of labours as appeareth and burthens of payments as some write So that by this way their strength should be shaken and their liues made wearisome vnto them that thereby lesse encreasing might be amongst them and lesse feare had of them Where marke if you doe not sée the deuises of some in our daies wise as they thinke but héerein wicked as we know séeking by such practises to breake both backs and hearts of those that deserue better then
is Christ known but frō the rising of the sun to the going downe of the same c. Thus may we profit by their multiplication 2. The second head in this chapter is the crueltie of the Egyptians by meanes whereof a very bitter and heauie affliction followed this great and glorious multiplication The vse to our selues may bée this that euen so dooth aduersity follow prosperitie and therefore prosperity should euer prepare for aduersitie A wise man in his good day thinketh of his euill and dayly beholding the sunne ouer shadowed at times with a darke cloude maketh vse of it to his good Sorrow and ioy wil not dwell togither but by composition they were thus agréed as the Poets feigne that as soone as the one hath had a time the other shall enter and haue his time also the former passing away and giuing place Let no wise-man therefore say as Dauid said tush tush this estate shall neuer decay for the Lord turned his face and Dauid was soone troubled Iob on a day could not thinke on such a change as after happened to him and yet all to the glorie of God and his good No earthly father louing his childe doth forbeare to chastice him much lesse dooth the father of Spirits leaue his children without fit corvection since both hée loueth more and knoweth how better to correct for their good The path to heauen is beaten out through many tribulations and vp must euery man and woman take their crosse that will bée his in eternall comfort Let vs note againe in this place the causes of this their affliction oppression as the Spirit of wisedome for our good hath héere laide them downe The first is their very increasing and multiplying For the king saide Behold the people of the children of Israel are greater and mightier than we come let vs worke wiselie with them lest they multiply Where wée sée that Gods fauour bestowed in mercy where hée liketh is still an eye-sore to euill men matter inough for them to grinde and grate their téeth at and to cause them to enter into plots and conspiracies against them The eye of enuie looketh euer vpward who is aboue who riseth who prospereth who is well spoken of well thought of or any way fauoured by the Lord and as much grieued is a spitefull spirit at the good of an other as at the harme of himselfe Which Diogenes noted when hée saw a knowne enuious man looke sadde No man saith hée can now tell whether harme hath happened to this fellow or good to his neighbour for both alike vexe him It was the blot of Athens that renowned Citie to haue few of any excellent vertue escape the rage of enuie in it but that either they were disgraced or banished or put to death in the end Those whom no sword of hating foe could daunt in the field enuie vanquished at home in the Citie deprauing their seruices blotting their names and breaking at last their guiltlesse hearts Which made the Philosopher prescribe this remedie against enuie whē one asked him how he might auoide it Euen neither to do nor say any good thing Thus did enuie rage against their multiplying héere And if Gods actions escape not mans malice shall yours shall mine shall any mans no no praemoniti praemuniti forewarned forearmed the streame ran euer so and God make vs euer patient and strong to go on in our duties A second cause of this affliction is a suspicious feare which entreth into these Egyptians that if there should be warre the Israelites would ioyne themselues to the enemie fight against them and so get themselues out of the land Such fruite groweth vpon such trées misdéeming thoughts causelesse iealousie vaine feares and all vniust opinions Why surely because it is the course that God hath in his word threatned to wicked persons which feare not him as they ought to doe Astonishment of heart a trembling heart feare both night and day c. reade the scriptures and you shall finde much proofe of what I say Suspect bewrayes our thoughts betrayes our words suspicious eies are messengers of woe Well fares that man howsoeuer his meate doth tast that tables not with foule suspition Better to die then to be suspitious Trust not too soone nor yet too soone mistrust for mistrust will treason in the trustiest raise The heart being once infect with iealousie the night is griefe the day is miserie Jealousie is the torment of the minde for which no wit or counsell helpe can finde Suspition wounds and iealousie striketh dead Causelesse and vndeserued suspition sendeth manie an one too swiftlie to their end These sayings of wise and true experience should much moue euery wise person We sée what we nurse when wee nourish this vice And if all this should not moue vs yet let our owne credite moue vs which by this meanes is shrewdly drawne in question the knowne versés saying thus Too much suspition of another is A flat condemning of thine owne amisse A third cause of their affliction was a new King she former being dead vnder whom they felt no such miserie Which may iustlie occasion vs to note carefullie what danger often is in change of Gouernours if the Lord be not mercifull Salomon may haue his wants but when his sonne commeth in his place he thundreth and telleth the people that his little finger shall be heauier vpon them than all his fathers hand This might we as déepelie haue tasted of as euer did these Israelites if God almightie had not thought vpon mercie in stead of iudgement The great neglect of those gracious daies which vnder the blessed gouernment of Quéene Elizabeth our late renowned souereigne wee comfortablie enioyed deserued punishment in a high degrée we must néedes confesse if we will say truth yet in steade thereof our most swéete God whose goodnes knoweth neither bottome nor measure hath raised vp ouer vs such a King againe as both so firmelie is fastned to the loue of the Gospell and so enriched with all other princelie vertues either of nature or grace as not onelie we with bowed knées may euer praise the name of God but all forreigne Nations speake and write of so admirable mercie vouchsafed vnto vs God for his Christes sake make vs thankfull That the King knewe not Ioseph Diuines say it was either for want of reading the Histories or because vnthankfullie hee contemned the good that was done in other times and to other men S. Augustine héere giueth a note how men may know what King ruleth within them to whose words I refer the reader And let this forgetting of Ioseph that is of the seruice and good that Ioseph did to all that land of Egipt in the great famine mentioned in Genesis be the fourth and last cause of this affliction And this indéede if you marke it is a mother of great mischiefe wheresoeuer it is euen this forgetting of such benefites as we ought neuer to
workes how hée had not to doo with man but with God and so be voyde and naked of all excuse But This that the Lord saith Hee will harden his hart troubleth some and they séeke to temper it according to their fancies lest it should séeme iniustice in the Lord first to harden and then destroy not remembring what the Apostle saith God will haue mercy on whom hee will haue mercy and whom hee will hee hardneth And if any obiect and say why doth he then complaine for who hath resisted his Will His mouth is stopped by the same Apostle in the same place with this O man who art thou that pleadest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Noting that no reason is to be demaunded aboue Gods Will for who will goe further shall tast the reward of his rashnes and the Maiestie of God shall ouer-whelme him Hath not the Potter power ouer the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and another to dishonour And shall lesse authoritie bee giuen to God Aske the Potter a reason and it is but his Will and yet dust and ashes wil demaund more of God Againe if we be all of one Lumpe of corruption as wee must needes confesse wee are if it please God to exempt some from the death due to so sinfull wretches dooth hée any wrong to others that hée vouchsafeth not the same vnto leauing them but to their owne natures No he may doe with his owne as it pleaseth him and what hée dooth still is iust holy and good Let the wicked then accuse themselues and not God for still in themselues they shal finde the cause if rightly they looke into their owne will 9 It followeth in the Text Then thou shalt say to Pharaoh thus saith the Lord Israel is my Sonne euen my first borne Wherefore I say to thee let my Sonne goe that he may serue me if thou refuse to let him goe beholde I will slay thy Sonne euen thy first borne Marke then the Title God giueth to his Church and meditate on it earnestlie Hée calleth it his Sonne yea his first borne noting therein to all flesh that it is to him as a man-childe to the Father yea as the first borne which commonly is loued most tenderly and in greatest honour Now then thinke with your selfe what heart is in you to the fruite of your body and to your first borne thinke how you could endure to stand and looke vpon the abuse offered by any to the whole or any parte as to sée but a legge or an arme cut-off iniuriouslie by bloody butchers and then thinke of God to his Church and euery part of it whose affection so-much excelleth yours as God excelleth man and holinesse and perfection misery sinne and corruption What a comfort is this when the Deuill roareth and Tyrants his instruments rage breathing-out blood at their nostrils and nothing but death and destruction at their mouthes with furious phrases and spéeches of pride as though there were none that could stop them or controle them in what they will Thinke on the difference of GOD and man in this point that many harmes may be done to our Sons and our first borne which wée sée not neither know of and therefore at the instant féele not any touch for it or by it But God séeth euer and euery where all actions all intendments and purposes all thoughts and secret attempts whatsoeuer and still is aboue man in his tendernesse of loue to his sons children as far as God excelleth dust and earth and sinne and corruption as I saide O what a touch giue these raging cruelties then against his Church vnto him what a féeling hath hée of them and how doo they pierce his gratious bowels wherein he hath wrapped-vp his people as his Sonnes and as his first borne Still thinke of your selfe what heart would be in you and then try the difference of God and you But you will say vnto mée it is comfortable to consider this tender loue that you note indéede but why then doth God suffer such iniuries and oppressions béeing able to auert them as man is not for the most part This is the loue of a Father that he neither can sée nor suffer to be done to the childe hée loueth any outrage and crueltie his power béeing able to saue his childe from it To which if I answere I must pray you to continue euen still in your owne resemblance and to tell me if you dayly sée not most tender Fathers perceiuing cause for a further good to suffer their children to lie in prison to bée tossed in lawe to bée schooled many wayes by suffering want and biting vpon the bridle for a time yet in the midst of al these things haue an eye to them a loue to them and asetled purpose when they know themselues their strength the world his practises men and their humors and many such things not otherwise of many well learned often but by these meanes then to set-hand-to to helpe them that then a loue may bée knowne a loue and a good a good with a liuely taste in comparison of that which would haue béene if sooner the Father or friend had stepped in So so is it with the Lord for our capacitie though indéede no comparison betwixt Him and vs. Hée knoweth his times and turnes and our wants perfectlie fitting the one to the other most mercifully that both onr corruption and his goodnesse may best appeare to the greatest benefit vnto vs. Therefore let him alone in his own waies tarrie we as the Psal saith his blessed leasure Be strong and he shall comfort our hearts put we our trust euer in him Of the earthly father or friend the Prouerbe saith wel he may sée his childe or kinsman neede but he cannot endure to see him bleede So our sweete God wel he may see vs humbled schooled and tamed wained from the loue of this wretched world but vndone cast away finally for euer he cannot endure it he will not suffer it he will not sée it O blessed bée his Name for euer euer for it Haue this in your remembrāce therfore as a swéete Comfort the occasion of this Note Israel is my Son euen my first borne And therefore tell Pharaoh he were best take héede what he doth for I will make his Sonne and first borne féele it if he hinder mine and will not let them go to serue me The world you know contemneth despiseth vs counting vs the refuse of the people and what may bee base or vile but this loue is life and this regarde with God is honour most high in the comfort whereof we may sup-vp these earthly scornes if his Grace bée with vs. The Prophet Esay in his spirit tasted this when so swéetely hee prophecied and published to this day to bée séene and heard
affliction fitting vs to Gods Kingdome and the Lawe teaching vs what to doo and what to flie Consider of these Marginall Quotations by your selfe and add the like vnto them And touching these bitter waters marke howe they are a meanes to discouer the hidden bitternes which lay in the hearts of these Murmurers and thinke with your selfe that euen so doth bitter aduersitie in many men and women at this day disclose secrets and shewe them to haue weakenes before not knowne or thought of Secondly Note howe in trauelling to the Land of Canaan wee must assuredly passe by Marah and there wee must make a pitching place for a time till it shall please God to graunt a Remoue Bitter bitter and very bitter will the waters prooue but murmure we not as these men did for hee that was so gracious as to make them sweete to such Repiners what will he doo in his good time to vs if we patiently abide his will surely he will much more respect vs and euen boast of our patience to our eternall good as he did of his seruant Iobs righteousnes But now for the tree some aske whether there were any such vertue in it by Nature to swéeten waters and if there were what néede God had to vse any such meanes séeing with his onely word hee could haue helped them for answere whereunto it may first be saide concerning the first that the Lord hath giuen most excellent vertues to his creatures beastes hearbes plants stones trées and such like thereby to shewe his mightie power wisedome and mercie As for beasts their blood their flesh their fat c what vertues are in them for hearbs some comfort and helpe the braine some the eyes some the liuer some the heart some one part some another with most rare and souereigne qualities giuen them of GOD for this end The consideration whereof hath greatly delighted many worthy persons and caused them both to speake and write of them with great pleasure Methridates that great King of Pontus and of one and twentie Kingdomes more for his wonderfull skill in hearbes and his souereigne remedie against poyson and contagious diseases called after his name Methridate is become in all Bookes and Monuments of learning renowned and famous Lysimachus Eupator King of Ilyricum is said to haue béene most skilfull in hearbs Artemisia the wife of Mausolus King of Caria was an excellent Lady for knowledge in hearbes Marcus Valerius Coruinus a worthie Romane was so delighted with the studie of hearbs that he withdrewe himselfe into the Countrie where he might wholely as it were dwell in his Garden But what speake I of these since we all knowe what is written of Salomon namely how he wrote of all Trees from the Cedar which is in Libanon vnto the Hyssop which springeth out of the wall that is from the highest to the lowest hee wrote of plants and hearbes besides of beasts fowles creeping things and fishes worthie Bookes no doubt if it had pleased God to let them continue to this day The strange vertues of precious stones diuers likewise haue written whom both with pleasure and profit we may reade Concerning all which happie qualities vouchsafed to these Creatures and euen particularly of this wood we now speake of remember with your selfe that Notable Testimonie of Iesus the sonne of Syrach in his Booke The Lord saith he hath created medicines of the earth and he that is wise will not abhorre them Was not the water made sweete with wood that men might knowe the vertue thereof So he hath giuen men knowledge that he might be glorified in his wondrous works With such doth he heale men taketh away their paines Of such doeth the Apothecarie make a confection c. Such vertue therefore was in the wood giuen to it by God who is the God of Nature and giueth all these things To the second why God should vse such meanes being able with his word to swéeten them true Answere may bee made that although God be able to doo all things by himselfe yet chooseth hee often to worke by meanes and that for our good As first that so he might teach vs his Souereigne power ouer all Creatures vsing them at his pleasure when and how he shall best like and draw vs to the true reuerence worship of him as Creator Ruler Lord and Gouernour of all the creatures Secondly that hee might manifest by this meanes his loue and goodnes to vs much more when he maketh all his creatures serue to our health comfort and good and so drawe and stir vs vp to true thankfulnes vnto him for it Thirdly that he might teach vs thus not to abuse those his creatures which with so excellent vertues and qualities are created for vs to doo vs good Fourthly that we might learne by this meanes not to contemne second Causes and meanes by abusing through a vaine presumption the holy Doctrine of his prouidence For when God himselfe is pleased to vse these instrumentes who are wee that wee shoulde reiect them and if we doo what doo we contemne and reiect but his Ordinance Lewd and wicked therefore are the Anabaptists who as of the soule so of the body cast away the meanes of health and yet say they desire the health of both S. Augustines words I cannot passe ouer fit for them and fit for vs in this matter in his whole 29. Chapter of the 7. Booke of the Citie of GOD shewing howe God vseth second causes in the gouernment of the world because he hath created them to that purpose Yet euer he doth not tie himself to these things but sometimes without them and euen contrarie to them hee worketh his will also that thereby wee might learne his vsing of them to be without néede séeing hee can worke without them if he please Secondly that when hee vseth them it is he that worketh by them and not they without him as he giueth light in the Sun he féedeth vs in our meate c. For if without them it be he much more in them and by them it is he Thirdly that wee might sée how many waies he is able to helpe vs when any thing is wanting vnto vs which is néedefull And this we may well thinke was the cause héere why it pleased GOD to shewe this Tree that they might be ashamed of their impatiencie and mistrust neuer more so sinning againe séeing by one meanes or other there is with him euer so readie easie helpe Yea this is the cause also why euen contrary to Nature he worketh often that neither to Nature we should tie him despairing of health wealth or liberty when we sée no means or meanes in reason working to the contrary forasmuch as he is stall about all and can with meanes without meanes agréeably to Nature contrary to Nature giue his Name praise and his children comfort in a moment Profit wee therefore thus by this Tree shewed to Moses in
the roote of folly and begetteth contempt of all inferiours contempt bréedes sedition and rebellion they warres and warre destruction at last of all both men and titles It is written of Traian that hee was much caried away with vaine-glorie in titles and therefore painted in his house many inscriptions which Constantinus wisely iesting at called Herbam parietariam wall flowers Such a vaine fellow was Herod in the Acts and what a shamefull downfall had hee Let then this law of God for seruants freedome together with all other Scriptures shewing his care of them and their good vsage settle in our hearts the right vse of anthoritie and make vs neither vaine in coueting nor cruell in vsing The boring of his eare was a signe of obedience and figuratiuelie admonished that seruants must not be deafe but quick and readie and willing to heare what is commaunded to them And spiritually that if wee be the Lords seruants he boreth by his holy grace our eare that is he maketh vs haue eares to heare his holy word and wee are not dease we flie not from it we cast it not away wee stop not our eares but with care and zeale and loue we hearken to it as men and women whose eares he hath opened or bored This one thing well marked may shake the hearts and consciences of Popish Recusants so presumptuouslie despising the Lords voice But followe it your selfe I passe away 2. After these lawes concerning seruants follow other lawes concerning Murder and killing which you may referre to the exposition of that commaundement Punishment God still layeth vpon sinne but not euer after one manner Sometimes hee striketh the bodie sometimes the soule and sometimes both Sometimes he toucheth our goods sometime our name and somtimes our friends and deare ones Who can reckon vp his wayes to punish the rebelling man or woman against him His ends also for which he doth thus are sundrie and diuers but all and euer most iust First for his owne iustice who is a consuming fire and must néedes binde either to obey or to be punished Secondly that there may be séene a difference betwixt the good and the bad which could not be if there were not punishment and reward Thirdly for example that others séeing may feare and flie from euill either for loue of vertue or feare of paine Fourthly for the good euen of such as are punished For as Plato could say Paenae ipsis qui perferunt et spectatoribus vtiles sunt Vtrique enim redduntur meliores illi dolore hi exemple Punishment is good for both seer and sufferer amending the one by example and the other by smart Fiftly that these short punishments temporall might put them in minde of the long paines eternall Lastly for the preseruation of the societie and peace of mankinde which by slaughters and bloodshed would be ouerthrowne Euen as we sée good Chirurgions to cut away the putrified member for the safetie of the whole 3. We sée héere degrees of faults taken from the causes For all actions procéeding from the minde or iudgement and the will commaunding the outward members when the minde knoweth what ought to be done and erreth not in the obiect and yet the will goeth contrarie to iudgment the law of God not forced nor compelled but willingly freely such actions are called voluntarie So slewe Caine his brother Abell so tooke Dauid Vrias his wife But when things are done not of election either for probable ignorance as whē the minde erreth or taketh no counsaile or when the wil by violence is hindered or the outward mēbers by a violence forced then are those faults saide to be voluntarie The Lawyers distinguish faults by diuers names which I stand not vpon here remembring for whose vse I draw these notes But in short thus much we learne here that God measureth faults by wil not by Act. Wherevppon it is here saide that willfull murther shal be death and killing without purpose will shall not but an other course is taken For if a man hath not laide waite saith the Text but God hath offered him into thy hand meaning when by chaunce he is killed without any minde so to do which chaunce yet God by his hidden prouidence guideth in such a case I will appoint thee a place whither he shall fly meaning certaine Cities of refuge or Sanctuaries vsed thē in these cases as you may sée in Deut. at large Of which Sanctuaries thus ordained of God for the people and those times sprang our sanctuaries vsed within this Realme and others but nowe in most places put down and forbidden The question of them is disputed to and fro by mens wits the likers of them to continue vse these and such other reasons The Anger conceiued displeasure in the Iudge against a man The power of his aduersarie that persecuteth before that iudge The Difficultie and obscuritie of the cause not quickely to be determined In al which cases they think a Sanctuarie would be fit in a common wealth Secondly against crueltie of Maisters that either should threaten danger to a seruant or by violence seeke to force him to soule matters such a refuge would yeeld cōfort till his cause were known he preuided for Thirdly in the time of warre distres these places gaue safety to many from the bloodie sword murdering hand of inraged enemies for furie a while not weighing right Fourthly in casuall killings without pretended malice great was the vse equity say they of these Sanctuaries Contrariwise they that stand for the taking of them away alleadge many euils and discommodities that grew from them in successe of time through mans corruption albeit at the beginning there was a goodend As incouragement of seruaunts to bee disobedient and very vndutifull Great defrauding of Creditors by vngodly and unconscionable debtors Increasing of thieues and such like euilles many and many Whereupon grew that good Saying of Saint Chrysostome Nullos tam saepe ad ecclesiae asylum fugere quam qui nec Deum nec ecclesiam curabant None more vsually often fled to the Sanctuarie of the Church than they that cared neither for God nor the Church If a man come presumptuously vpon his neighbour to slay him with guile you sée God cōmanded no Sanctuary should saue him but he should be takē from the Altar and dye 4 He that smiteth his Father or Mother shall dye the death This is an other law in this Chap. which maketh for the expositiō of that Cōmandement of honouring them is to be referred to it We may note in it how God dooth not say he that killeth Father or Mother shal be killed for it but he that smiteth so that not so much as a tip is to be giuen to parents vpon paine of death no not wich the tong may wée smite them that is by any euill and vnfit words abuse them as you may
so small poore wretched vile and miserable Remember Saint Peters words in the tenth Chapter of the Actes If Iudges will be frée from respect of persons then needes must they be free from giftes for giftes will lead their affections will they nill they the olde saying being true Beneficium accepisti libertatem amisisti Hast thou receiued a gift then hast thou lost thy libertie and freedome All this is contained in the words ot the text Thou shalt not esteeme a poore man in his cause And if al Iudges followed this course Hesiodus should not néede to feigne that Astraea hath left the societie of men is flowen vp to heauen But it is to be feared that as Ulisses seruants when he was asléepe opened a bottle which Aeolus had giuen him wherein the windes were all inclosed and so let the windes out they thinking there was treasure in the bottle which as well at sea as at land they loued so some Iudges opening mens purses whilest they looke for gaine let truth escape from them to their owne hurt and the Common-wealthes If any do so God make his word profitable to them and so I leaue them to him 4 It followeth in the text If thou see thine enemies Oxe or his Asse going astray thou shalt bring him to him againe If thou see thine enemies Asse lying vnder his burden wilt thou cease to helpe him thou shalt helpe him vp againe with it Let vs heere remember that Gods actions are after two sortes generall and particular Generall to all men Particular to his friends So must ours be taking our president from him As therefore by his generall Action he suffereth his Sun to shine vpon the bad aswell as vpon the good and such like so must we extend our loue which is the common bond of mankinde as well to our enemies as to our friends By which common loue all hurting of the bodies or goods wiues or children of our enemies without iust and necessarie cause is forbidden and contrariwise the law of nature to be obserued Quod tibi non nocet alteri prodest praestandum What hurteth not thee and profiteth an other is to be performed From which fountaine of this generall loue spring many lawes and by name this bringing back our enemies straying Oxe and helping vp his oppressed beast That also which you read in Deuteronomie of not destroying the fruit trees in the enemies ground which they did besiege because there is vse of such trees Againe as God hath his speciall action to his friends to his Church namely Sanctification so must friendship which is our speciall Action reach it selfe but to such as are of the householde of faith and our friends For although we must loue with that generall loue all mankinde Turkes Pagans c. Yet to such may we not be friends and familiars but must beware inward and vsuall conuersation with them that hate God and all his graces Both these are conteyned in that rule of Christ Be simple as Doues and wise as Serpents for by the Doues simplicitie is meant we should learne to hurt no bodie but as neere as wee can be helpfull to all by the Serpents wisedome that we should yet know to put a difference betwixt the houshold of faith and Gods enemies betwirt the religious prophane betwixt the godly and the wicked By this distinction you may see better the meaning of that Scripture Loue your enemies Concerning this helping vp of our enemies beast vnder his burden fallen I pray you marke if the margent of your Bible note it not wel That if God commaund vs to helpe our enemies Asse vnder his burden will he euer suffer vs to throw down our brethren with heauie burdens It reacheth to many thinges wherein is hard dealing if you thinke of them Thou shalt not ouerthrow the right of thy poore in his suite Before vers 3. he commaunded that a poore man should not be spared for pittie Héere now he enioyneth that a poore man should not be wronged in respect of his pouertie such equall steppes would God haue Iudgement to walke in Thou shalt take no gift for the gift blindeth the wise and peruerteth the words of the righteous The equitie of this lawe was séene by the dimme eye of Nature for the Romanes as appeareth by the lawes of their twelue Tables Used to punish that Iudge with death which was conuicted to take a Bribe for giuing iudgement Dioclesian the Emperour likewise enacted Sententiam a iudice corrupto prolatam fore ipso iure infirmam sine prouocatione That a sentence giuen by a bribed Iudge should by the lawe bee of no validitie without any farther appeale Now corruption and giftes as One saith are not onely Money Gold Siluer and Presents Sed etiam propter laudem qui iudicat â—ale munus accipit munus quo nihil 〈…〉 anius But he also which iudgeth wrongfully to get PRAISE thereby receiueth a GIFT and a GIFT than which there is nothing more vain Patuit enim illi auris ad accipienduÌ„ iudicium linguae alienae perdidit iudicium conscientiae suae For his eare hath beene open to receiue the flattering verdict of another mans tongue and hee hath lost the comfortable testimonie of his owne conscience Innocentius reprooueth corrupt Iudges with these words Vos non attendit is merit acausarum sed personaruÌ„ non iura sed munera non quod ratio dictet sed quod voluntas affectet non quod liceat sed quod lubeat Nunquam enim vobis est tam simplex oculus vt totum corpus sit lucidum Pauperum causam cum mora negligitis Diuitum causam cum instantia promouetis c. Aliquid semper admittitis fermenti quototam massam corrumpitis In giuing iudgement YOV respect not the worth of the causes but of the person not the lawes but gifts not what reason doth counsail but what the wil doth affect not that which is lawfull in it selfe but that which is pleasing to your selues For your eye is neuer so single that the whole bodie might be light Poore mens causes with prolonging delay you neglect rich meÌ„s causes with instant earnestnes you set forward c. You alwaies mingle some leauen which corrupteth the whole lumpe 5 The law of mercie to strangers vers 9. hath béene touched before therefore obserue next this law of Rest to the ground the 7. yeare for the reliefe comfort of the poore Six yeares shalt thou sow thy land and gather the fruits of it the 7. yeare thou shalt let it rest lie stil that the poore of thy people may eate and what they leaue the beasts of the field shall eate In like maner thou shalt doe with thy vineyard with thy oliue trees with great profit we may note sée this gracious care which the Lord our God hath ouer all his creatures learne