of Iaphets posteritie and progenie he doth name in the end of his Catalogue Britanni Scoti Hispani Insulae verò ipsorum Brittannia Sicilia Rhodus c. so that we see heere that this Iland of great Brittannie is first named amongst all the Ilands of the world by all appearance at that time as the greatest Whereby we may collect that this name of Britannia or Brettania commeth from the name of such a one of the posteritie of Iaphet that did first deuide the Isles of the Gentiles vnto whom by lot this Iland did fall Therefore it is most certaine that as the rest of the names of the kingdomes of Europe did take their originall name out of the Hebrew language from the sonnes of Iaphet euen so wee must seeke the Etymologie of Britannia out of the Hebrew language which is Brit-an-iah and doth consist of three words Brit signifieth foedus a couenant an ibi there iah Dei of God Which three being conioyned in one doe signifie that there is the couenant of God that is in this Iland the couenant of God was to be established The proper names of men and places in the renued world was propheticall for they did contain mystically within them prophecies of things that were to fall out afterward or else they were imposed for a memoriall of notable things already come to passe As for example the name of Abram which is made of the Hebrew word Ab Pater Father Ram excelsus high that is to say a high Father was altered changed by God himselfe in adding thereto one other word hamon which signifieth a multitude and so ioyning all these three words together per synaeresin he was called Abraham pater excelsus multitudinis a high Father of a multitude in which name was contained a prophecie into the which change of his name God did make a promise to him that a multitude of Kings and people should come of him for this same cause God changed the name Sarai which signifieth a particular Lady into a more general name Sarah which signifieth a great and generall Lady because a great number of Queenes and Ladies were to come of her In like manner Iacob did impose a newe name to the place where God did appeare to him and called it Bethel the house of God which before was named Luz that is a Nutte tree to be a perpetuall memoriall that in that place God and his Angels did appeare to him ascending and descending a Ladder In the same manner also Iacobs name was changed by God and was called Israel that is a prince to God to be a continuall memoriall of his wrestling with the Angell who bare the figure of a man For the Text sayeth Strenue egit cum Deo cum hominibus that is he played the part of a valiant wrestler both with God and man And Iacob named that place Peniel the face of God because in that place he saw the face of God vnder the shape of a man Euen so we may say and that not without reason that the name of Brit-an-iah is a propheticall name from the beginning foreshewing that the couenant of God should be established in this Iland at the appointed time by God The couenant betwixt God and man doth consist in the true worship and adoration of the onely increated God which is most plainly set downe to vs in the new Testament of the Gospell of Christ Iesus As the generall name of the whole Iland doth containe vnder it selfe all the people that dwell therein Euen so the significations of all the names of these people are contained within the significatiō of the generall name Brit-an-iah The people of this Iland are diuided into foure sundry countries according to the diuision of the earth and the places where they dwell For Angli doe inhabite the South East side Scoti the North East Walli the South West and Hiberni or Heberni Hebrides Insulae the North west And frō the people the places of their habitation are called Anglia Scotia Wallia Hibernia Vndoubtedly all these foure names haue their auncient originall from Iaphets posteritie as Epiphanius and others doe write So that we may gather that the etymologie of their names is to be searched out of the Hebrew language whose signification hath a great correspondence with the generall name Brit-an-iah And therefore it is fit they be knowne Angli Saxones Viti were the three ancient nations that came out of Sueuia and Germania into great Britannie as Beda doth witnesse and diuers other Historiographers from thence the name of Anglia did come who in their owne countrey were called Angles before they came into South Brittannie as Balaeus writeth And therfore we must not seek the Etymology of England neither from Hengist neither any Queene named Angla neither from angulo or angelo but we must search the deriuation of Anglia out of the originall language seeing we may see clearely they are descended of the posteritie of Iaphet Wherefore An-gli-iah in Hebrew is ibi Reuelatio Dei there is the Reuelation of God Scotia is also a most ancient kingdome in this Iland For in the booke of collections out of Ioseph Bon-gorion written in Hebrew Vespasianus speaking to Nero doth make mention of Scotia so doth Flauius Iosephus in an Oration which he had to the people of Ierusalem which Hegesippus doth testifie Quid attexam Brittannias interfuso mari a toto orbe diuisas a Romanis in orbem terrarum redact as tremit hos Scotia quae terris nihil debet Of this name also Epiphanius beareth record when hereckoned the posteritie of Iaphet as I shewed you before and therefore we must in like maner seeke the deriuation of Scotia out of the Hebrew which is Skot-iah quies Dei the rest or peace of God Hiberni or Heberni are descended also of Iaphets posterity And therefore in Hebrew Heber-nin-iah and by a contraction Hebernia is Transitio filij Dei the passing ouer of the Sonne of God Euen so Wallia doth come from Gallia from whence Walli had their progenie who as yet doe speake the old language which was in Gallia before the Romane conquest and in this Wallia were the old auncient schooles of the Gentilique religion of the Druides The name then of Wallia or Gallia Galli-iah in the originall is flumen Dei Gods Riuer or reuelatio Dei the Reuelation of God So that ye may see all these names are propheticall and doe foretell that the couenant of God signified by the generall name Brit-an-iah should make this happy and blessed Vnion in one Religion and one Kingdome The prophecie of all these names was accomplished immediatly after Christ his ascention and the sending downe of the holy Ghost vpon his Apostles and Disciples For we read in Theodoretus Metaphrastes and Nicephorus that S. Paul S. Peter Ioseph of Arimathaea and Simon Zelotes did
which signifieth knowledge and doctrine the third is Caph which signifieth the hand and is figuratiuely taken for strength and force of armes and for the hand of Iustice the vnion or coniunction of these three letters in the Hebrew word Melech which by interpretation is called King doth teach vs what is required in this most excellent office of a King to wit that he be a fountaine or water of life and felicitie to his subiects by maintaining the water of life which is true religion that he retaine true doctrine and learning within his kingdome For the administration of iustice and preseruation of his people that he haue in his hand the sword of iustice which is here signified by a mighty hand or a hand of force That he may be able to resist the violence of forraine enemies and punish the rebellious murtherers and oppressors in the Land Also the word Melech doth signifie in Hebrew counsell and in the Greeke tongue it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say a King is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the foundation of the people Wherby we learne that the coūsell and wisedome of a King is the foundation of the whole estate of his subiects who hereby are preserued from all diuisions factions and dissentions whereof commeth desolation as Christ teacheth vs in this Text. The Poet Homer calleth Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enutriti a Ioue nourished by God admonishing therby that as a child doth participate of the nature of his nurce Euen so Kings should participate the nature of God who is their nource This participation of Kings with God is effectuated by exercising themselues in God his word and ruling their kingdome according as they are instructed by God his law As it is written in Deut. The word diuision in the originall language is called Peleg which word doth consist of three letters the first Phe signifieth the mouth the second Lamed learning and knowledge the third Gimel retribution By the which three letters conioyned in one word is mistically contained the causes and effects of Diuision For by the mouth is signified all seducing deceiuing or beguiling with the mouth whether by lying false perswading or poysonable flattering by knowledge and learning is signified the wicked abuse of learning in imploying the same to sow diuision amongst men by retribution is signified the vengeance that men exercise seth one against another by diuision discord and dissention By the which mysticall interpretation we are instructed of the whole nature of diuision to this end that we may see how dangerous a plague diuision is whereby euery one of vs may learne to auoide the same Of all this we gather that Diuision is the separation and partition of things that ware before vnited where also we collect that Vnion doth goe before Diuision and that the one is contrarie to the other The phrase and manner of speaking of Christs maternall language which was the language of Ierusalem doth expresse in this Text the inward operation of diuision with greater force and efficacie then the Greeke language For where the Greeke text saith diuided 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against it selfe the Syriack hath Gnal napscheh against his own soule Signifying thereby that the fountaine of diuision is rooted in the soule hart and minde of man whereby we are taught that vnion which is contrarie to diuision must begin in the hart and soule of man Therefore let all men that loue God who is the God of vnion and enemy to diuision gratiously dispose their soules harts and mindes to the performance and accomplishment of this blessed Vnion of this Iland The word Vnion in the originall language is Achad and doth consist of three letters the first is Aleph which as is said signifieth knowledge learning or a conducter the second Cheth signifieth breathing or life the third Daleth signifieth a doore of the which three letters conioyned in the Hebrew word Achad Vnion we are taught that Vnion is the doore whereby we enter by knowledge to life and eternall felicitie I haue set before your eies this doctrine of the mysticall signification of the Hebrew letters that are contained in these words Man Woman Citie kingdome diuision and vnion to this end that the persons which are to treate of this great worke of vnion in the vniting of the Iland of Great Brittannie in one kingdome in the members as God hath vnited them alreadie in one head may make their profit thereof and apply the same to their harts And because I haue heretofore shewed you that the beginning of all societie in this earth is by the Vnion and coniunction of man and woman together I will by God his grace represent vnto you the image of a kingdome both in the outward and inward man For this effect we shall marke that man is called by the Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a little world Because the harmonie of all the Elements is found in the edifice and building of the man in the coniunction of the which mans preseruation doth stand as by their diuision his destruction ensueth And seeing the world is made of many kingdomes we may also call Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little kingdome as before we heard he was called a little world In this little kingdome of the outward man the head is the King and soueraigne gouernour of the whole body because by the head there doth come nourishment and foode to the body And as in a kingdome there be many members that is subiects vnder one King euen so in this kingdome of the outward man there be many members as the armes hands legges and feete which are as officers and vnder-gouernours to the head their King By whose administration the head distributeth equallie to all his members food and nourishment Let vs apply this similitude of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the outward man to our selues seing the whole people of this Iland is alreadie Vnited vnder one head and seeing the armes hands legges and feete are tyed to the obedience of this their head And that the head and the members are ipso iure ipso facto by law and by the deede it selfe Vnited Let no man be so vnreasonable to separate them for in so doing they do but throwe stones against the heauen For how can the armes hands legges and feete serue the head in the nourishing of the whole body if they were onely vnited in the head and diuided amongst themselues If the hands and armes were diuided one from another and separated from the whole body it were then impossible against nature that this body could be nourished by the worke and industrie of the hands and againe if the feet were diuided from the head and the rest of the body and the one from the other the head must needes fall to the ground Therefore let not the hands deny the seruice due to their head which consisteth
vs the dangers that diuersitie of Kings ordinarily doth bring foorth to wit diuision of Religion and aduancing of Idolatrie All these considerations should instigate vs to put to our helping hands to the performance of the Vnion of the members of this Iland that is the South and the North and for this effect let vs beware that the pretext of worldly commodities doe not make any separation or diuision amongst vs as we see Satan did amongst the people of Israel which only fell out for worldly respects Let not the people of the South challenge to thēselues the great riches fertility of their country to be a colour whereby they should not ioyn in vnion with the people of the North because their riches are not so great or their soile so fertill Let not their riches be a meane whereby they should pretend any preheminence aboue them either in offices or preferments temporall or spirituall or in dignities of honour On the other part let not the subiects of the North desire or hunt after any preheminence in honour dignitie offices or preferments either temporall or Ecclesiasticall because that the King his Maiestie our common head was borne and bred and had his beginning in the North or because the Nobilitie of the North may claime to haue some preheminence by the antiquitie of their houses aboue the South But let vs all thinke with our selues that as our head and Soueraigne Lord is made of a blessed commixtion of the bloud royall of the South and the North Euen so let all the subiects of the South the North thinke themselues mingled together and vnited in their head and King So that all men of worth and merit be equally participant of the honours dignities preferments and offices of great Britannie according to their talents places and merits laying aside the place of their birth whether it be South or North. This equalitie is the only meane to establish this blessed worke of the Vnion in the members as God hath established the same already in the head which will take away from amongst vs all seede of discord The order of this matter which we haue in hand doth lead vs to set before your eyes that the vnited estate of Kingdomes hath beene alwaies the most blessed and happy estate amongst men and that as well in respect of worldly commodities as in regard of the propagation and maintenance of true Religion which we may easily gather by the Vnion of the kingdomes of the world vnder the foure Monarchies as on the other part we may see the miserable and fearefull estate of all men that are subiect to diuision in the diuision of the Monarchies in sundry kingdomes as it did fall out whereby the true worship of God and Religion was troubled and oppressed and the false worship of Idolatrie augmented and maintained by the diuision of kingdomes before vnited After that the kingdome of Iudah was ouerthrowen by Nabuchadnetzar King of the Assyrians the Temple of God destroyed the whole people led into captiuitie to Babylon God did begin to establish his Kingdome in that captiuitie and the calling of the Gentils which was a figure and a type of the eternall kingdome of God that he was to establish by his eternall sonne ouer all the nations and people of the world Of which kingdome Daniel did speake in the interpretation of the Vision of that great Image which did appeare to Nabuchadnetzar which was a representation of the mutation of all Monarchies and Kingdomes to the end of the world of the which kingdomes we shall speake according to the order of their establishment We reade in Daniel how Nabuchadnetzar was called to the true Religion from the Idolatrie of the Gentils by the miracles which were wrought by Daniel but Belthazar his sonne for falling away from the true Religion to the prophanation of the golden and siluer vessels that were dedicated to God his seruice in the first Temple of Ierusalem was depriued of the Monarchie For it was translated from him to the Medes and Persians We reade in Esdras and Nehemias how Darius and Syrus were conuerted to the true Religion and adoration of the only increated God how they did restore the people of God to their owne countrey and how they gaue great wealth and riches to build the second Temple which was a figure of the establishing of Christ his kingdom In like manner when God did translate the Monarchie from the Persians to Alexander and his successors we doe learne by the historie of Flauius Iosephus that Alexander himselfe did maintaine the Priesthoode and Temple of Ierusalem being in his voyage to war against Darius by the way besieging Tyrus he gaue a command to the high Priest Senate of Ierusalem that they should furnish his army with all things necessary for their siege But being refused by them after the winning of Tyrus he went to Ierusalem with an intention to destroy the same but when he did see the high Priest and his brethren clothed with their clothes dedicated to the Sacrifice of the true God who came to receaue him in a peaceable manner he did humble himselfe in all reuerence before the Priest gaue him all the externall adoration which was ordinarie due to Kings Priests Prophets being asked of his chiefe Captaines why he did so he answered that before his expedition in warre there was a God that did appeare to him clothed after the fashion of this high Priest who did call him to the kingdome of all Asia and did promise the same to him This was the cause that mooued Alexander to enter into the Temple of Ierusalem and Sacrifice to the true God of Israel which was a preparatiue of the establishing the Vniuersall kingdome of Christ by calling all nations in the world to the true Religion and worship of the onely true God from gentilisme Idolatry and worship of a multitude of false Gods After his death the Monarchy was diuided into foure parts during the which diuision of kingdomes before vnited the Church of God did suffer great troubles Yet God did maintaine hir for a time by Ptolomaeus one of Alexanders successors who did much good to the Israelites and was the Author of translating the Bible into the Greeke language which was a meane to instruct the Gentiles in the true knowledge of God and of his religion which as I haue said already was a preparatiue to the establishing of Christ his kingdom amongst all the nations of the world The diuision of the Monarchie and kingdome of the Greekes brought by succession of time a miserable desolation according to the doctrine of our Text which was a preparing before hand of the translation of the Grecian Monarchie to the Romanes The Romane Monarchie did grow to her perfection in the person of Augustus Caesar and did indure partly in perfection partly in her decaying age for the space of seauen