want of saluation proceedeth eyther of the lack of teaching or of the want of faith to beleeue rightly that which is taught The first of these is approued by the wordes which the holy Ghost spake by the mouth of this prophet last named thus my people are destroyed with lacke of knowledge c. The other by the testimonie of our sauiour Christ himselfe who sending hys Eleuen to preach and baptise sayth he that beleueth and is baptised shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be damned why went the rich man to hell but either for one of these causes afore named or for thē both that is to say because he neuer frequented the word of God whereby faith is begotten in the heartes of the hearers or if hee heard the same worde yet it was heard so carelesly that it tooke no roote at all and indeede that answere which Abraham made to his request seemeth to auer the trueth of that whiche I say for when request was made by that helhound that a messenger might go from the dead to his fiue brethren which were yet at his fathers house c. Abraham replied thus they haue Moses and the Prophetes Let them heare them for as Abraham sayth if that whiche Moses hath set downe in Gods iustice cannot better our brasen faces and heartes of Adament nor they vnualuable and moste assured promises made by Christ to his elect and recorded by his prophetes cannot driue vs from sinne and draw vs to himselfe Then there is no more hope of vs in hearing the worde of God then was of Symon and Iudas Though they heard the worde and receiued the Sacramentes for our life is no other waie reformed by a carelesse kinde of hearing then Ieroboam redressed the religion in Israel when hee set vp two golden Calues the one in Dann and the other in Bethel that the Israelites might worship them them or Nabuchadneezer in his kingdome when he destroyed Idols that he might be worshipped as God It is a matter so true that no man can so muche as imagine much lesse speake the contrarie without great offence that God hath done so much for his vine as by anie meanes might be in somuch that Dauid the king of Israel neuer hadde greater cause then the prince and people of England haue to say of the goodnesse of God hee hath not dealt so louingly with anie nation as with vs in giuing to vs so long vse of his lawes and yet he that compareth the pastors painfull preaching with the peoples little profiting in most places of this land shall finde iust occasion to thinke that the sonne of God hath pronounced that same curse vppon this Englishe vine which hee vttered against that fruitlesse figtree mentioned by Marke in these wordes Neuer fruite growe on thee henceforth God grant that there be not some men who measure the meate by the man like those proud Citizens whiche saide wee will not haue this man to reigne ouer vs and loathe the message because they like not the messenger like those skornfull Iewes that tolde Ieremie to his face the worde which thou speakest to vs in the name of the Lord vve will not heare it of thee but whatsoeuer we thinke good that will wee do but that they may knowe those men which labour among them and haue the ouersight of them in the land and not barely knowe them but also loue them for their good workes sake Thus hauing finished the former circumstances as compendiously as I promised I proceed to the next wordes the whiche containe in them the second part of a christian ministers dutie which is to minister the sacramentes rightly whereof one is set downe in his due order by the institutor Christ hymselfe when he saith baptising them in the name of the father and the sonne and the holy ghost Nowe because the worde Baptisme hathe diuers significations in the scripture I will heere set downe as manie of them as my memorie can recorde First the worde Baptisme according to the true meaning of the Greeke text Baptisma doth not signifie onely addicting but suche a dipping in the water as doth cleanse the partie dipped and for that the Primitiue Churche did vse to put the partie baptised quite vnder the water Therfore Paule writing both to the Romaines and Collossians vseth these wordes wee are buried then with him in baptisme into hys death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of the father So we also should walke in newnesse of life in the whiche wordes the Apostle sheweth what resemblance their baptisme hath with Christ hys death and resurrection Secondlie baptisme is vsed for a bare washing in whiche sense our Sauiour spake when hee saide to the Pharisies you lay apart the commaundementes of God and obserue the traditions of men as the washing of pottes and cuppes and manie suche thinges yee doe and in the same sense wee read in the Epistle to the Hebrewes when the authour saith that the olde Tabernacle consisted of manie washinges and ceremoniall rightes vntill the daie of reformation came Thirdly by baptisme wee may vnderstand affliction as our Sauiour Christ did in saying to Iames and Iohn the sonnes of Sebedeus can you be baptised with that baptisme wherwith I must bee baptised and to hys Disciples I must bee baptised with a baptisme but howe am I payned vntill I bee ended Fourthly baptisme is a liberall distribution of the graces of GOD as appeareth in these wordes Iohn baptised with water but you shall be baptised with the holy Ghost within these fewe dayes Fifthly the worde baptisme is taken for doctrine onely as in that place wherein the holie Ghost hauing occasion to speake of Apollo a Iewe of Alexandria sayth that hee was mightie in the Scriptures and did knowe but the baptisme of Iohn only And last of al Baptisme is taken for a reuerent order of ministring that Sacrament in the Churche and the whole sanctification of the parties baptised as in the wordes of this present part of Scripture baptising them c. But to speake of the Sacrament it selfe It hath beene vsuall with almightie God from time to time to confirme hys couenauntes with seales set to the same for example wee see that there is a Rainbowe in the cloudes the reason whereof is that GOD hauing in his iustice destroyed the olde worlde for sinne onely Noah and his famelie being excepted the same GOD in hys mercie made a couenant with Noah that hee would neuer destroy it so againe for confirmation thereof hee set the Raynbow in the Clowdes as a seale to that couenant betwixt himselfe and Noah So was circumcision giuen to Abraham as a seale of confirmation in that promise that in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed So that as manie as were circumcised were within the compasse of that
from morning to night in iudgement no their yeares antiquitie consequentlie their bodies imbesilitie cannot easilie endure it besides the care of common causes heard at home and that which is the biggest burden of all the continuall good of the Common-weale which they meditate carefullie when vvee sleepe securely is not to be forgotten but herin are many Magistrats greatly to be blamed in that they cause the people to attend vpon thē from morning vntil night with expenses great and continuall whilest they find no end of poore mens matters because they wishe no ende of spending money Are their mindes set vpon righteousnes which deale thus No no they are the same that the Prophete spake of when he said the vngodlie seeketh occasion against the righteous and knasheth vpon him with his teeth for the crafty counseller taketh occasion to hinder his Cliants iust cause that he might still feede vppon the poore mans purse the Lawyer who careth not to deale vnfaithfully is like the christall glasse which flatteringly sheweth vnto euerie man a faire face how iuill fauoured so euer he be So can he perswade the simple swain that his cause wil bear a strong action bee it neuer so weake Oh remember what God said vnto Israell you shall not do what seemeth good in your owne eies but what I command you Then know that you do not that which he hath commanded because you deale not with mercie and truth for if euer the time required and occasion was offered to mooue that question to Magistrates which Dauid did in his daies namelie how long they will proceede to giue vniust iudgement and to accept the person of the vngodlie Nowe is the time and occasion present for I doe not doubt but it is too true that the Prophet hath spoken who saith that the vngodlie are more set by thē the righteous and this is the cause that wrong iudgement dooth proceed How can iustice sit when there is no seat appointed for her you may be sure she vvill not haue to do with the stoole of wickednes where mischiefe standeth in stead of iustice It was a woorthie commendation that Dauid vttered in the praise of Ierusalem when hee said there is the seate for iudgment the which appointing of that seat for iudgement was an argument that they loued iustice and first the place vvherein it vvas set assureth vs heereof for it was set in the gate vvher through men might haue passage to and from the iudgement seat Secondly the maner of framing that seat in the gate namely that the Iudges of force must sit with their faces towards the rising of the sunne in token that their iudgement shuld bee as pure from corruption as the sun vvas cleare in his chiefest brightnesse Oh happie house of Dauid vvhose seat vvas set so conueniently vvhose causes vvere heard so carefullie and matters iudged so iustlie The Israelites thought themselues well apaid vvhen they had the gouernement of Debora that vertuous VVoman for all vvas laied a bed vntill she came vppe a mother in Israell and as shee was a good gouernesse in her time so shee loued those that were like vnto her selfe for saieth shee my heart is set vpon the gouernours of Israell Dauid was a good King vvhile he liued as it did appeare by the testimonie of God himselfe who said of him I haue found Dauid my seruant with my holie oyle haue I annointed him Secondly by his appealing to God for iudgement in this case when he saith be thou my iudge O Lord for I haue walked innocently c. And last of all by that good counsell which hee gaue vpon his death-bedde vnto Salomon his Sonne who was to succeed him in that kingdom for saith he thou shalt prosper and come to great honor if thou keepest the commandements which GOD commanded Moses when Phillip the King of Macedonia did cast of the earnest sute of a poore widowe with this slender answere go thy way for I haue no leasure to heare thee now She replied thus and why hast thou leasure to be a King as if shee should haue said God hath giuen thee time to raigne and power to gouern that thou mightest applie them both vnto that end wherefore they are giuen thee for mercie and truth preserueth a King and with louing kindnes his seat is vpholden When Salomon praied to God for an vnderstanding hart that he might do iustice among gods people it is said that his praier pleased God passing well because Salomon asked wisedoome rather then wealth and knowledge rather then honor for thereby he gaue euidence that his heart was set vpon righteousnes for out of the aboundaunce of the heart the mouth speaketh It is a most excellent praier which the Prophet maketh when he saith giue thy iudgement vnto the King O Lorde and thy righteousnes vnto the kings sonne c. then shall hee iudge the people according vnto right and defend the poore wherein the Prophet praied for himselfe while he gouerned the kingdome of Israell and for his successors in the same hauing relation vnto that promise spoken of in the 132. Psalme the Lord hath made a faithfull oath vnto Dauid and hee will not shrincke from it saying of the fruit of thy bodie shall I set vpon thy seat if thy children keepe may testimonies which I shall learne them And the Prophet proceedeth to say then shall he iudge the people according vnto right and defend the pore by the word then hee insinuateth that when God giueth grace to the Magistrate then hee cannot choose but do right and defend those which doe sustaine wrong But when the Prophet saith and defend the pore Some man would thinke that he had saide enough before and therefore might haue cut of this speach but it is to be remembred that as sick men nedeth not the Phisition or the way fairing man his weapon at one time onelie but as often as the patient is sicke so often hee must haue the Phisitions counsaile and as often as the traueiler is assaulted so often hee vseth his weapon In like sort the pore man oppressed often doth as often neede the defence of the Magistrate And therefore hath the Magistrate the sword is alwaies caried before him this sword is alwaies caried before rather the behind the Magistrat that he might rather remēber iustice then cast the care thereof behind his back the last but not the least thing to bee marked of the Magistrate is that iustice is set foorth with a paire of ballaunces in the one hand whiche admonisheth him to waie those matters iustlie which are brought before him And within the other hand a two edged sword to the intent that iustice might returne to iudgement that is that thinges iustlye iudged might bee rightly rewarded on both sides whereof King Salomon hath giuen a good president First in finding out the true mother of the smothered childe which
is a point of iudgement Secondlie in restoring the liuing childe to his owne mother whiche was a point of iustice And these partes of a Christian Magistrate duetie are so necessarilie lincked togeather that so often as one of them is wanting the lavv receiueth a maime at the hand of the Magistrate As when Pilate iudged Christ guiltlesse but yet put him to death and when Paules cause was heard and approoued yet hee was left in prison Therefore it is good counsaile and worthie to bee hearkened vnto which Dauid gaue vnto all Kings and Magistrates that they bee learned and wise for if the Magistrate be not wise words may carie the matter away As when Daniel when he was accused of dispising the decree of Nabucadnezer the King of Babilon Ieremie to bee an enemie to the common-wealth of Israell Elias to bee a troubler of the state Paule to be a factious seditious fellow Naboath to haue blasphemed God and king Ahab and as at the importunate crye of the Iewes Christ was put to death and Barrabas the murtherer set at libertie The speciall wisedome of God matched Moses the Magistrat with Aron the minister thereby gyuing vs to vnderstand that when the word the sword go together there can be none other but good gouernment As for example so long as the good priest Iehoiba the godly king Ioas liued together God was worshiped and his people guided according vnto his word for the man of God counsailed vertuously and the King practised carefully whereunto that saying of Solon doth verie well agree who being asked when the common wealth did best florish he answered when the people obey the magistrat and the magistrate obeyeth the law for lawes are better vnmade then vnkept no doubt there want not such as wilsay with those head strong people in Dauids daies let vs break their bonds in sunder and cast away their coardes from vs and our lawes haue bene a long time like to spiders webs so that the great buzzing bees break through the little feeble flies hang fast in them But admitte that you replye and saye they are made stronger then in the daies of our forefathers yet are they like vnto walled Citties in the time of warre at the which time bee your walkes neuer so strong they are beaten downe if they want men and munition so if your lawes wiselie made doe want Patrones to defend them they will soone be little worth therefore it was not the worst vvarning that Iethro gaue to Moses that he should make such magistrats as were men of courage For as Crisippus sayd somtimes so it is true at all times that if a magistrate ruleth amisse hee shall procure the displeasure of God if well hee shall be hated of men and herof it commeth that Valerius Maximus writeth to Antigonus the Emperour who vvhen he should put on his imperiall crovvn and roabes stepping vppon the cloath of estate vttered these vvordes vvith a very loude voice Oh cloath of more honourable then happie estate vvherewith if a man vvere so thorouglie acquainted that hee coulde number the cares that concerne thee â—hee woulde not stoope for thee though hee might haue thee for the taking vp for great and vvaightie is that charge vvhiche is layde vppon a Christian magistrate in common-wealthes affaires of no lesse continuance then care wherfore Haimo would haue euery magistrate to remember these 3. things 1. that himselfe is but a man 2. that he gouerneth men like to him selfe and 3. that he shall not alwaies bee a magistrate as the Prophet hath taught when he spake thus in the person of GOD I said you are Gods but you shal die like men and fall like one of the Princes and yet shall they not be so excused but must also giue accomptes of their gouernment as did that Steward mentioned by S. Luke It is good therefore not onely for those men that haue the election of Magistrats to make such choise of officers as Iethro inioyneth Moses and as God himselfe commaunded Israel when hee said you shall make him king whome the Lord our God shall chuse but also verie meete for those magistrates being so elected to haue a care that as they are in place aboue other men so in good life they go before the people for this was it that the Israelites desired God to graunt vnto Iosua beeing newly made their gouernour Namely a faithful heart to go in and out before them For said they euen as wee obeyed Moses in all things so will wee obey thee Onely the Lord thy God be with thee as hee was with Moses And it was a necessarie praier for howe fowle a fault were it that the man which is appointed to punishe adulterie should be more worthie of correction for the same kind of sin then the partie punishied Like vnto the whore-hunting Iudges of Samaria mentioned by the Prophet Ieremie in his fift chapter or that hee whiche is appointed to iudge according to lawe should doe anie thing contrarie to the law As angrie Ananias commanded that Paul should be smitten contrary to law in this point doth the Lord schoole the king of Iuda by his Prophet Ieremie who saieth heare the word of the Lord thou King of Iuda that sittest in thy kinglie seat of Dauid thou and thy seruaunts and thy people that goe in and out at this gate thus the Lorde commaundeth keepe equitie and righteousnes deliuer the oppressed from the power of the violent doe not greeue nor oppresse the stranger the fatherlesse nor the widowe and shed no innocent bloud in this place and if you keepe these thinges faithfully then shall there come in at the doore of this house kings to sit vpon Dauids seate c. But if you will not be obedient vnto these commandements I sweare by mine own self saith the Lord this house shall be waste for example the same prophet speaking there of the wicked gouernement of Seluin the sonne of good king Iosias that gouerned Iuda sayth did not thy father eate and drinke and prosper well so long as hee dealt with righteousnesse from whence came this but because hee had mee before his eies saith the Lord. Nowe when Ieremy saith that Iosias had God before his eies hys meaning is all one with Dauids intent when he saith God standeth in the parliament of princes he is iudge among Gods to giue all Magistrates a Memento that God is present in all their assemblies and iudgeth them that iudge vnder him whereof they had neede to bee put in minde for oftentimes Mycheas prooueth too true a prophet in saying that the great man will speake what his heart desireth and the hearers must allowe it well of the whiche sorte of men the verie best is but as a thisle whiche a man can hardly touche vnpricked and the moste iust like a bramble wherevnto the sillye sheep seeking to be