forget your place God hath made you subiects and not gouernours to be gouerned and not to rule enter not therfore neither intermedle you with princes matters but enter into your selues looke y t your sinns wickednes do not cause an error to be in the gouernment for if there be any at any time it proceedeth frō you your sinns are the cause as it appeareth plainly in this exāple The sinnes of Israel prouoked the Lord to wrath and then Dauids heart is moued to number the people From whence proceede ill humors which trouble the head and cause it to ake out of the head no they ascende out of the bodie into the heade and so causeth the heade to ake and then the aking of the head is y e disquietnes of all the body and yet the cause is not in the heade but in the il humors which proceede from the bodie Take heed therfore that ye minister no ill humors out of the body into the heade and the head shall be well inough able to gouerne the bodie Looke therefore to y e purging of the bodie from sinne and wickednesse that no distemperature thereby doe rise into the heade and doubt you not but the Lorde God as he hath alwaies hitherto so he will frō hence foorth direct the heade to your singuler benefite quietnes and commoditie And in this behalfe wee haue earnestly to pray to the Lorde for the preseruation of our soueraigne considering howe greatly wee haue prouoked his wrath and giuen him iust cause to withdrawe his bountifull graces frō her which hithert to it hath pleased him moste plenteously to bestowe vppon her highnes to our singuler benefites and comfort and likewise we haue to praise and magnifie the Lorde for his infinite mercie declared in his longe suffering and patience toward vs who notwithstāding we haue so often and so much prouoked him to indignatiō through our manifolde transgressions contempt of his worde and vnthankefulnes yet hath he so blessed her estate and gouernement and that for so long time ouer vs that searching all monumentes of stories from the beginning the like examples of prosperous and peaceable regement shall neuer bee founde I say the like happie and quiet gouernement in all godlinesse and honesty for so many yeres together is not to bee shewed in this Iland out of any recordes of antiquitie Turne ouer the booke hardly and spare not and bring me foorth no small examples but onlie such as our moste soueraigne Ladie may vouchsafe to excel if euer the like prosperous godly estat can be shewed of so long continuance Let vs therfore yeeld glorie vnto his maiestie frō whose onely goodnes this as all other goods gifts haue proceeded thankfull obedience vnto her highnes whō he hath vsed as a meane and instrumēt to procure all this happines vnto vs. And as wee haue thus longe enioyed this blessed gouernmēt so that we may enioye it twise as many yeares or more if it be his will let vs become humble sutors to our heauenly father that hee will blesse her maiestie with longe life to the glorie of his name and the benefite of his Church but especially considering wee haue prouoked the Lordes wrath to bee kindled againste vs let vs make hast to bee reconciled vnto him by vnfayned and heartie repentaunce and amendement of life for when the Lorde shall see vs turned truely vnto him hee will turne from the fearcenesse of his wrath and turning awaye from vs all such plagues and punishmentes as wee moste righteously haue deserued hee will turne vnto vs the cheerefull light of hys countenance in Iesus Christ in whom and for whome hee is well pleased with vs. And thus muche touching the righteousnesse of God which is the first part The seconde poynte wee haue to consider is the malice of Sathan whiche is noted to vs in the 21. Chapter of the first booke of Chronicles where it is saide that Sathan stoode vppe againste Israel and moued the hearte of Dauid to number the people Althoughe the malice of Sathan bee manifold and almost infinite yet I will note it in two pointes onelie out of this texte Firste in the person with whome he dealeth and secondly in the sinne wherevnto hee prouoketh him Concerning the first it is said that Sathan stoode vp againste Israel and moued the hearte of Dauid For when Gods wrath was kindled agaynste Israel Sathan was Gods minister to execute his iuste iudgemente not of obedience to God but of malice to Israel Therfore howe doth he execute it he goeth streight to Dauid For Sathan findinge himselfe loosed of that chaine by which he is restrayned from assaulting the people of God whome he defendeth with his grace and boyling in malice againste the Church of GOD whose prosperitie hee enuieth and seeketh her destruction imediately he setteth vppon the chiefe gouernour thereof All his malice is against the Church of God and therfore it is said Sathan stoode vp againste Israel but he knowing wher to do most mischiefe beginneth to shew his malice against Dauid he seeketh to infect the heade that he might destroye the whole body He knoweth that a godly and vertuous prince is the principal instrument that God vseth amongst men to procure y e wealth of his Church and chosen people and therefore of hatred against y e church rankor against gods people he seeketh by al meanes to corrupt a good prince to cause a godly gouernour to bee vnprofitable to thē see therefore how great cause we haue with earnest and daily praiers to commend vnto the gratious protection of our God the preseruation of our godly Prince and Souereigne Bicause we see the malice of Satan to be so great y t whensoeuer he is let loose to stand vp against Israel he will begin his assault where he knoweth he may doe most hurt to the Church of GOD. And therefore not without cause the Apostle so vehemētly exhorteth that prayers supplications intercessions and thankesgiuings be made specially for Kings and all that be in authoritie bicause Sathans malice which he beareth against Gods Church he seeketh specially to execute by them whose power is greatest and whose example carieth the multitude after them For euē as the Lorde in wisedome and iustice vseth to punish the people by their Princes euen so Sathan of hatred and malice seeketh the ouerthrowe of the Church by the same persons The second point wherein the malice of Sathan is to be considered is the vice or sinne wherevnto he moued the heart of Dauid The text saith he moued Dauid to number the people For a prince to nūber muster his people of it self it is no sin but a thing indifferēt of his owne nature which at sometime is not only lawfull to do but also necessarie and therefore it is no hard matter to gather what sinne Dauid committed in numbring the people namely his heart by Sathan contrarie to his former faith and humble trust in Gods
no lesse then the authoritie of Gods word written in the scriptures and the law of nature written in the hearts of all nations is most contrarie and repugnant to their most folish and damnable persuasion The Lord deliuer vs from the deuices practises and doings of the Atheistes as for their witt learning wisedome and reason in which they please them selues aboue other men we are nothing afraide of it they durst take vppon them the defence of their diuelish persuasion and let them assure them selues that the iustice of God which nowe they contemne they shall hereafter feale and howe soeuer they woulde flye from it it shall finde them at the length wherof a restimonie also remaineth stil in their conscience which the prophet in the Psalme forgetteth not to note where he saith There haue they feared where there is no cause to feare For of all other these prophane Atheistes that can so boldlie lustily despise God and his righteousnes in any appearāce of daunger yea where no daunger at all is are most fearefull cowardes and trembling dastards and no meruaile for what good courage can there be where there is no hope but in this life nor comforte of helpe but in men which are not able to helpe themselues But I am to blame to vse to much speach against thē who either heare it not or though thei herd it wold make no accompt of it saying that it is not vnprofitable for the godly and religious to haue the madnesse of these men made manifest that they maye the more deteste them and better beware of them Thus haue you heard the iustice of God deliuered frō the malice of the gretest enemies therof God graunt that as manie of them as be recouerable maye in time see against whome they haue beene bold to oppose them selues and vnderstanding howe little it is possible for them to preuaile they may no more kick against the pricke nor striue againste the streame but in all humilitie and submission acknowledging their haynous rebellion they may desire rather to bee releeued by his mercie then by contending anye longer to trie the rigor of his iustice One other thinge more to bee noted in this example of Gods iustice which the scripture testifieth that the Lorde in his wrath remembreth his mercie towardes his elect and that appeareth in this history For when the people had prouoked the wrath of the Lorde to bee kindled againste them and that hee in iustice was to procure a punishmet and correction for their amendement yet hee so ordered the whole matter by his merciful deuine prouidence that in the end it turned to y e singuler benefit of his Church so that euen the rod by whiche he scourgeth thē was a demōstration of his mercie towardes them For as it appeareth in the 22. Chap. of the booke of Chronicles by occasion of the plague which God sent for the punishment of the peoples sins Dauid found out y e place which y e Lorde had appointed for y e building of his tēple Marueilous therfore is the prouidence of the Lorde which as the wise man saith extendeth it selfe from ende to ende mightelie and disposeth al things sweetlie and wonderfull is the louing kindnes and mercie of God towardes his electe which euen then when his wrath is kindled against them forgetteth not like a moste louing father in chastening of their faults to seeke their amendement and to change the verie correction and punishment it selfe into a singuler benefite and blessing For what a singuler benefite was it to all the Church of Israel when the Lorde had appointed his resting place in Sion and the building of his Temple in Hierusalē which place the Lord reueiled by occasion of this punishment and Dauid perceiued that the Lorde had hearde his prayer when he sacrificed in the threshing floure of Aranna the Iebusite so that the angell was cōmaunded to put vp his sword and the pestilence was stayed from raging any longer among the people Wherefore we see that although the iustice of god in his punishment bee terrible for the time yet in the ende he turneth all to the benefite of the faithfull By which we learne not to be faint harted or discouraged when the Lordes wrath is kindled against vs but with patience to beare his anger whē we haue sinned against him and with the eyes of faith to beholde his mercie which he neuer forgetteth towardes his chosen no not when hee dealeth moste sharply with them For not onely his rodd staffe as the Prophete saith shall cōforte vs as they are the tokens of his fatherly chastisement for our reformation but also the verie meanes whiche he prouideth for our punishment hee conuerteth oftentime to our benefite thus doth faith ouercome the terrour of Gods iustice when it assureth vs that it is so far off that the same should take any place againste vs for our destruction in as much as it is satisfied by the death of Iesus Christ that contrariewise his punishmentes are merciful and his chastisemēts are beneficial vnto vs. Onely let vs take heede that we despise not his long suffering in his fauourable correctiō least with y e wicked we procure his warth to be vpon vs vnto y e end An other lesson we haue to learne in this exāple of gods iustice as profitable in all ages so most necessarie in our time The wrath of y e Lord was here kindled against Israel for whose punishment Dauid is moued to number the people whence now proceedeth y e cause of this punishmēt not frō y e gouernmēt of Dauid but frō the sins of the people For while the people please God serue him according to his word he blessed Dauid for their benefit in all his consultations affaires but when y e people prouoke the wrath of God against thē then is Dauid made an instrument for their punishment It is not vnlike but the people in Dauids time among other their sinns by which they prouoked Gods punishmēt were also infected in this vice y t they tooke vpon them as it is vsuall with people that are vnthankful for the great trauel which princes bestow in their gouernment to enter into finding of faulte with y e state of regiment to remoue the cause of their punishments frō thē selues vnto him which had lesse deserued it Neuertheles the holy ghost testifieth plainly y t the cause of this plague was not the ill demeanor of Dauid but the sinnes of Israel Let Israel therfore walke in the ways of the Lord serue him with an vpright hart there shall be no error in y e gouernmēt of Dauid but he shal haue a prosperous raigne ouer them A lesson verie needfull for y e people of our dayes who were neuer so curious to enquire of princes causes and matters of the state of which for want of knowledg they are meet to be no Iudges although they had authoritie as they be in this time But sirs you
promises was lifted vp with pride and presumption For hauing no lawfull cause either Ecclesiasticall to leuie a subsidie for the maintenance of Gods religion as Moses prescribeth in the 30. of Exodus or else ciuill as was oftentimes lawfully practised in time of warre he alledgeth only his vaine curiositie that he might know the number of them thus did Sathan beginne to plant the roote of pride and insolencie in the hart of Dauid which as it is a vice in al men most odious so to be in a Prince is most daungerous and that for many causes All which Sathan did well foresee when he maketh his assault vnto Dauid with the sinne of presumption first of all for that of all othervices Princes are most easily drawne to pride and insolencie both bicause the nature of all men is most prone and apt to fall into pride in prosperitie and for that Princes and high estates being aduaunced to such greatnesse aboue all other men haue so many occasions to be pfst vp with presumption if they be not mightily and maruelously defended by the singular grace of God So that a Prince that is humble and lowly in heart is one of the greatest miracles of the world and in deede so great a wonder that it can not be brought to passe but by him which onely worketh great maruelles Thus Sathan beeing most malicious and moste subtill in his malice to bring his purpose to effect more speedily vseth such a meane by whiche hee may worke most easily Neyther hath hee regarde onely to the easinesse of his enterprise but that the same also is most apt to ouerthrowe the Churche and people of GOD. for by pride and insolencie most of all other vices a Prince is made vnapt to exercise his office and duetie The office of a King standeth in two pointes The first is in maintenance of true religion the second is prouision for the common wealth and publique peace of his subiectes but neither of these can he exercise to the glorie of God benefite of men if his heart be ouercome with presumption for touching the first if pride possesse the heart of a King he will either neglect religion altogether or else thinke that he may doe and decree in religion what he list If he neglect the cause of religion he will haue no regard to set out Gods glorie he passeth not whether y e worde of God be preached or not preached whether the sacramentes be ministred or not ministred discipline exercised or not or whether all thinges be well done or yll done finally he careth not whether religion goeth backward or forward But if he will intermeddle with religion with a presumptuous insolent minde he wil imagine that all things in religion are subiect to his wil and pleasure Vzzia otherwise not the worst Prince was so lifted vp with pride that he vsurped the Priestes office and would needes offer incense but he was plagued for his presumption and stricken of the Lorde with a leprosie Achas commaunded Vrias the high Priest to remoue the altar of the Lord out of his place and to set vp an other altar of an other fashion according to the patterne which he sent him from Damasco Ieroboam thinketh it lawfull for him to chaunge the decree of GOD concerning worshipping at Hierusalem and setteth vp an newe forme of worshippe in Dan and Bethel Saul thinketh long to tarie for Samuel and offereth sacrifice without him These examples and many other doe shewe how dangerous to the state of religion is the sinne of pride and presumption in the heart of a Prince No maruell therefore if Sathan which maliceth most the good proceedings in religion that he might vndermine the tower of the church to the vtter ouerthrow of y e same prepareth his way by puffing vp y e Kings heart with pride insolencie knowing that he which is proude and insolent towards men can not be humble obedient vnto God The second part of the office of a king is to prouide for the common wealth the peace and prosperitie of his subiectes which can not be without great trauell and labour of minde and body But if the Prince be ouercome with pride he will neuer abase him selfe to take such great paines as he ought to doe for the benefite of other men in so difficult dangerous a matter Therefore Moses in the 17. of Deuteronom where he describeth what manner a King is to be chosen by the Israelites and what is the office of a King when he is elected ioyneth both these partes together and for the performance of the later especially admonisheth them to beware of presumption when the King saith he shal sit vpon the throne of his kingdome he shal write out by a copie receiued of the Priestes a booke of the law of the Lord and that shal be with him to read therin al the dayes of his life y t he may prosper and learne to feare the Lord his God to keepe al y e words of y e lawe to do thē thus hauing prescribed the booke of y e lawe to be y e directiō of his gouernmēt as wel in religiō as in affaires of y e cōmoon welth to which burdē y t the king might submit his shoulders and not thinke scorne to beare it he addeth īmediatly y t his hart be not lift vp aboue his brethren what meaneth Moses by this y t a king should not shew him selfe to be a king When by Gods ordinance he is aduaunced lifted vp aboue all other men no verily he meaneth not so but that the king is lifted vp aboue his brethren to be a father vnto them and to haue a fatherly care which hee can not haue if his heart be lifted vp aboue them to contemne them whereas he ought not only to reteine his loue to them which he had before he was a king as vnto his brethrē but also to put on a greater affection of loue when he is a king as of a father towards his children Wherfore the meaning of Moses is that the Kings heart should not be lifted vp aboue his brethren to cōtemne them to tread them vnder feete to exercise tyrannie ouer them but to be humble and lowly minded of loue willingly chearfully to take such trauels and to ouercome such difficulties as is necessarie for all them which shall gouerne well and to the profite of others We see that naturall parentes which haue the greatest authority ouer their children of whom they are to be honoured notwithstanding their dignitie doe willingly and gladly indure any trauell which they thinke may be profitable and beneficiall to their children euen so ought the parents of the countrie whose honour obedience is confirmed vnto them by none other but euen by the same commandement not disdaine any labour trauell or industrie which is necessarie to be imployed for the wealth and preseruation of their subiects But such Princes as haue not learned out
for the continuall mightie assistaunce of his holy spirite y t seeing our weaknes is so great we may alwayes finde his grace whose power is made perfect in infirmitie to bee sufficient for vs so that although of frailtie wee fall often yet by grace wee may alwayes rise againe so that wee neuer fall away Finally we haue need I say in respect of our infirmitie to pray for strength earnestly of God for if Dauid being a man after Gods owne heart did but trip surely we are readie to fall downe right yet we see y t Dauid did not only slide out of the way of humane slipprinesse but also did fall into some great and notorious offences Dauid therefore was a Saint but he was no Angell it is an Angellike perfection to doe the wil of God in al things The Saintes vpon earth must pray for the same and contend to come as neare it as they can and by their imperfection be instructed to humilitie vntill by the grace of God in Iesus Christ they be brought into the same estate of perfection with the Angels In the person of Ioab we haue to consider two thinges first the aduice which he giueth and secondly his execution of the Kinges commaundement Ioab was a man as his storie declareth indued with great courage and diuers other good qualities yet not simply to be commended for there were great faults in him He was a man in whō vertues vices were almost equal such a one as Alcibiades is discribed of y e Greciās Marius of the Romanes But his chiefest vertue was valiancie courage yet in his example he is noted by the holy ghost in giuing counsel to Dauid to be faint harted cowardlik For first y e holy ghost testifieth y t he vtterly misliked this interprise of Dauid and as a man wel acquainted with the affaires of y e realme and knowing there was not iust cause why the people should be mustred he did easily coniecture y t the kings commaundement proceaded of vaine prid and presumption therefore hee had no good will to execute it In so much that it is shewed in the booke of Chronicles that he did performe the Kings precept negligently for he not onely omitted to number the tribe of Leui for which he might haue some excuse because they were addicted to the seruice of religion but also he left out the tribe of Beniamin The reasō is alledged because the kinges cōmandement seemed abhominable vnto him and as he did abhorre and detest the kings commandement so he shewed diuerse reasōs of his misliking for after protestation of his goodwil desire of y e kings honour in y t he wished the Lord might increase the people an hundreth times as many as there were y t the king might not suspect him as one that refused to take paines in his seruice first he sheweth that there was no sufficient cause of this muster when hee saith wherefore doth my lord the king desire this thing And againe hee saith are not they all the seruauntes of my Lord the king For one cause of numbring the people was vsed euen of heathen princes that the sublectes thereby should professe their obedience but at this time there was neither suspition of war abrode nor rebellion at home Moreouer he did also insinuate that the kings transgression would be y e cause of Gods punishment to fall vppon the people where he saith and why shoulde this be an offence or guiltines vnto Israel by vsing these reasons to diswade the king from his euill purpose hee mght seeme to some men to haue discharged the dutie of a trustie and faithfull counsellour But the holy Ghoste noteth him of great frailtie and fainte hartednes when he saith neuertheles the kinges commaundement preuailed with Ioab and with the capitaines of the hoste The rest seeing the kings humour held their peace said nothing onely Ioab vseth some speach to alter the kinges minde but perceiuing with what affection the king was carried he thought it was not best for him in policie to set himselfe altogether against the kinges affection though hee bare the kinge good will and wished to haue him remoued from that vnprofitable attempt yet hee durst not aduenture to incurre the kings displeasure by doing his duetie throughly and discouering y e hidden wound which he thought was to sore to abide any sharp medicine for in such a case as this hee thoght it was not best to be to earnest vehement a persuader so followed Machiauils philosophie 2000. yeres and more before Machiauil was borne His cowardnes in this case is rather to be noted for that at other times he had shewed great courage and valiantnes and giuen such faithful aduise counsell that his example is worthie to bee followed of all good counsellours For in the I9 Chap. of this booke we read that when Dauid after the slaughter of Absalom yeelded so much to the naturall affection of a father in lamenting for the death of his vnnatural son that he forgot the duetie of a king whiche was to encourage and rewarde his good subiectes for their seruice in somuch that when y e people heard what lamentation hee made for Absalom they were clean discouraged and came by stealth into the Citie more like to men that had fled from the feelde thē such as had obtained so notable a victorie against the kings enimies Assone as Ioab heard thereof hee came boldly into the kings presence and with great courage he did the duetie of a faithfull counsellour for he tolde the Kinge of his fault plainely and shewed him the daunger throughly you haue discouraged saith he the hearts made ashamed the faces of all your faithfull seruauntes which haue deliuered your life and the liues of your wiues and of your sonnes and daughters and haue established the kingdome this daye in your hand you loue thē that hate you hate thē that loue you For you haue shewed this day that you make no accompte neither of your princes nor of your people For I perceiue if Absalom had liued and all wee had beene slaine this day you woulde haue beene well pleased with it But nowe I aduise you leaue your mourning and goeforth speake comfortably vnto the people or else I sweare vnto you by the Lord you will vtterly alienate the minds of your subiectes from you So that you shal not haue one man tarrie with you this night And this affliction shall bee greater then all the troubles and daungers you haue susteined euen frō your youth Wherevpon Dauid arose and went encouraged his souldiers so y e kingdom was established in his hands you se how roughly effectually Ioab dealt with the king in that case But at this time he is noted to haue dealt faint lie and timerously For although hee apposed some reason against the kings vnlawfull desire yet hee did it with a weake arme and so of frailtie fayled of his duetie Concerning the execution of the kinges commaundemente there is some controuersie Whether Ioab shoulde haue obeyed the kinges precept when he knewe it proceeded frō an euill affection The time will not serue me to discusse the reasōs on both the sides therfore I will speake of the case briefly and generally If the prince commaund any thing to be done whiche of it selfe is vnlawefull and against the commandement of God that commandement of any subiecte is not to be excuted for we are so boūd to obey earthly princes that we disobey not the God of heauen earth therfore Ioab shold haue suffered death rather then to haue obeyed Dauids cōmaundement in betraying murdering of Vrias with y e sword of y e Amonites which was a faithfull subiect a valiant captaine I say he should haue suffered death rather then to haue executed such a commandement because y e fact was altogether vngodly vnlawfull of his owne nature But in this case where the fact of his owne nature was indifferent and lawfull of it selfe as to number the people in some cases is not onely lawfull but also necessarie If Ioab had done his duetie throughly in admonishing the king of his corrupte affection and of the vengeance of GOD like to ensue if hee proceeded therein and that when hee had done all that he could ought to haue done to disswade him his aduice woulde take no place but the kinge would stil vrge his commandement enforce Ioabs obediēce I see no cause but y t he might haue executed y e kings cōmandemēt the conclusiō of y e whole matter because I see y e time is past I would be looth to abuse your honorable patience too long in few wordes is this The iustice of God is set foorth to this ende that wee might bee affraide by sinne to prouoke his wrath the malice of Sathan is described that we might be carefull to beware of it and by faith to withstande it the frailtie of man is shewed that seeing our weakenesse wee might bee humbled thereby and taught to seeke for strength only at the hands of GOD whose grace through our Lorde Iesus Christ shall bee sufficient for vs To whome with the holy Ghost one eternall and euerlasting God bee all honour and glory wolde without end Amen