trew worshipps sake and his glorie therein appearing And as it was his life to dwell in the Courts of the Lord by often frequenting them so was it euen death and great distresse for him to be a straunger from the same as appeareth by his pitifull complaints in the daies of his banishments as when he sayeth As the Hart braieth for the Riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuinge God When shall I come and appeare before the presence of God His teares were his meate daye and night and hee powred out his verie harte when hee remembred the deare times past when he had gone with the multitude and led them into the house of God with the voyce of singing and prayse as a multitude that keepeth a feast But we alas declare what poore and feeble ioye we would conceyue if the Lorde would restore the glorie of his sonnes kingdome in open sight before our face and purge his Court and Sanctuarie plant vs therein when as wee being berefte of this benefite haue so small thirst so little panting braying and so little sadnes of soule and shedding of teares for this maner presence of the Lorde Yea wee heare the voyces of manie and the thoughtes of more lie open before the Lorde whereof some saye and some thinke that they haue no great neede of Christ his Ecclesiasticall gouuernement seeing they can gouerne them selues and liue in the feare of the Lord wel ynough as they imagine with them selues Therefore they sett their harts at rest But haue they more staye of them selues and towardnes vnto Godlines theÌ„ Dauid had Or doo they thinke that he was cleane absent from God that he could not praie and prayse his name Yet doo hee saie When shall I come to appeare before the presence of God And skarce could he comfort his own soule whiche was then in heauines though he hoped for a day of returne Thus he accounted that he shoulde stande before the presence of God when he should be present in the place which the Lorde did chuse to putt his name theare and shoulde enioye the sight of those things which the Lorde appointed for the tokens of his presence amonge them And therein was his great delight according as he vttereth saying O Lord of hostes how amiable ar thy tabernacles My soule longeth yea and fainteth for the courtes of the Lorde For mine hart and my fleshe reioyse in the liuing God Blessed are they that dwell in thine house they will euer prayse thee And although hee behaued him selfe carefullie before God when hee was absent from the Lords tabernacle yet he acknowledged his strength not to be so great but that there was dauÌ„ger to be feared by the want of those thinges which the Lord had appointed as meanes to holde them in his true worshippe For this cause he complaineth vnto Saul his persecutor not so much for persecutinge him as for chasinge him from the place where the Lorde vouchsafed to dwell For he saith If y e Lord haue stirred thee vp against me let him smel y e sauour of a sacrifice but if the childreÌ„ of men haue done it cursed be they before the Lord For they haue cast me out this day froÌ„ abyding in the inheritance of the Lord saying Goe serue other gods This loue to Gods house hadde Kinge Ezekiah who in his sicknes whereof woorde was brought him that hee shoulde dye was greeued for nothinge so muche as this that hee shoulde no more goe vppe into the Lordes house For this cause were his prayers and teares As appeareth by the worde which came from the Lorde by the mouth of the Prophete Thus sayeth the Lorde God of Dauid thy Father I haue hearde thy prayer and seene thy teares I haue healed thee and the thirde day thou shalt gâ—e vp vnto the house of the Lorde This zeale also loue to the Lords house appeared in the ancient fathers which returned from the captiuitie of Babilon who as they coulde not bee coÌ„forted in their exile but sate down wept by the riuers of Babel when they remembred Sion So in the ioyfull time of their returne yea in y e ioyful day of laying the foundation of the Temple which they aboue all things had desired in the middest of the ioiful shouting and singing of the residue of the people their hartes yet melted within them they wept with a loude crying in so muche that the noyse of the shoutinge could not bee discerned from the noyse of the weeping and all was for this because they had seene the former Temple And the foundatioÌ„ of this was not coÌ„parable to that What shall wee saye Did these olde men dote were they fonde vppon an outward shewe of faire building No but as their chiefe delight was in the house of god so the increase of the glorie thereof was their ioye the diminishing of the glorie therof was their sorowe and griefe of minde Thus ielous were they ouer Gods glorie that in the outward shewes and shadowes they were impatient of any want But amongst vs there is small weepinge though the buylders in their building haue left out the chiefe corner stone which should be the garnishing of all the worke They haue left out the gouernement of Christ without y e which that their Churche can bee his house though they face and brace neuer so much how should they thinke it possible For they muste knowe that Christe dwelleth not where he ruleth not He maye not bee an idle Idoll His Churche and Kingdome in this worlde is outwarde and visible and except he gouerne visiblie euen by his outwarde ordinances It is vayne for vs to say He ruleth in our hartes and in the church that we are ioyned vnto we submitt our selues to the ordinances of Antichrist Wee shall soone banishe Christ froÌ„ our hartes if we haue no more care of his glorie then so but can abide to see his Sanctuarie prophaned and polluted by that Heathenishe straunger of Rome whiche not onelie set his foote in there euery day but also erecteth there his owne altar of incense For prayers and thankes giuing must bee measured out and appointed after his fashion If euer we had seene the beautie of the first building I meane in the time of the primitiue Churche wee might wel nowe if we had not stonie hartes weepe and lament with loude crying in seeinge this buyldinge before oure eyes Not so much for that it is inferiour to the other in glorie but for that it hath neither glorie nor beautie at all being fashioned not after anie paterne shewed of God but after the deuise and counsel of man In which miserie if our notable anguishe and greeuous grones were hearde in the eares of the Lorde and in vs there were no want to call and stirre vp one another and ioyne handes for the helpe of the furtherance of the worke
the burthen and to auoide that great labour which belōgeth to y e building of gods church rightlie and effectuallie haue bene cōtent to shuffle vp the matter and haue committed the cariage of the Arke to brutishe Oxen euen dumme blinde Ministers And these Oxens feete are not shodde with the preparation of the Gospell of peace therfore they stūble at euerie steppe and haue long ago ouerthrown cart Arke all althogh there haue bene Vzzahs appointed to put toe their hand helpe the oxen I meane teachers haue bin apointed to learn y e ignorant ministers to preach how thei prosper men may wel know except they had power to work miracles to make y e dumme to speake and the blinde to see and that only by teachinge But lette those Vzzahs and the appointers of them vnderstande and knowe a more excellente waye namely that the Leuites take the burthen vpon their shoulders weighe it neuer so heauie by trouble persecution and paynefull labour and let them cherefullie bring home that Arke euē Christ Iesus vppon whose shoulders the gouernement lieth and place him in his Tente pitched for him euen his Sion his Church and kingdome that he may beare that rule and gouuernement which vnto him belōgeth without so muche as the print of the foule footesteppes of Antichrist remaining in his Tabernacle to his dishonour And here it shal not be amisse vpon occasion to touche the courage of Dauid who although he was a little daūted at the firste by that miscarying of the Arke in so much that he said How shall the Arke of the Lorde come vnto me yet notwithstanding hee fainted not neyther gaue ouer his purpose but feared the Lord more and sought out more circumspectlie wher y e fault was and howe it might be redressed And agayne girt vpp his loynes and addressed him selfe with more cherefulnes yet agayne to bringe it home Manie there be in the Realme of Englande whiche haue bene zealous of Church gouuernement and of the remouing the ceremonies of mens traditions and stinted seruice and because they haue made long tarying haue had a colde offeringe and haue hoped longe of redresse by Parliamentes wherevnto they haue made sute and haue bene disappointed of their hope Therefore as though they hadde done their whole dewtie they haue set them downe and waxed colde and carelesse and haue slept on both eares and thinke that the Lord must needes nowe holde them excused vntill the Lorde cast it vpon them put into their mouthes But they muste knowe that they are not to ceasse seeking the kingdome of God and for other thinges they shall be caste vnto them without their carefull thought The kingdome of God must suffer violence of those which w t violent zeale doo drawe it vnto them Many runne but fewe gett the crowne We must so runne as wee may obteyne It is not ynough to be wishers and woulders as manie be at this daye counted religious and fauourers of gouernement because they can saye O wee muste praye we must pray thereby satisfying them selues and others being not a little gladd that they may buye it so cheape to sitt at their ease and folowe the worlde Therefore what cryes and complaintes their prayers bee maye easelie be discerned Prayers without practtse are but poore prayers the harte whiche setteth not the hande a worke do not burne with much heate We must so praye as continuing and increasing in greater feruēcie giuing y e Lord no rest nor suffering any nay though he seemeth to sende vs awaye with a rough answere as our Sauior Christe did vnto the Cananitishe woman refusing her sute and calling her dogge yet shee left him not but desired at the least that whiche a Dogge might haue euen the crummes which fall from the children and so obteyned her sute with cōmendatiō of her faith And we if we haue wished desired therwith made sute to the higher powers laboured in the behalfe of true Ecclesiasticall gouernement and yet haue returned emptie confounded because the lord haue not vouchsafed to let vs see y e Arke come home we are to feare so much y e more before the face of y e lord as it is said y t Dauid feared the lord in y ◠vnspedie day he feared God before but now his feare was increased And in this feare ought we to examine the cause why the Lord haue not made our enterprise prosperous to search our waies whither we haue taken the right pathe or no whither we haue gone to the place where it is or we haue sought it in a wronge place whither we haue put our shoulders to the burthen or we haue gone about to carte it that it might come easily vnto vs and as it were alone without oure helping hande Thus ought wee to search vntil we finde out in our selues the cause of Gods displeasure for the whiche wee are depriued of this benefite And hauinge founde the cause let vs repent and redresse that is amisse and strengthen y e feeble knees of ours making straight steppes to our feete least that which is halting bee turned out of the waye Lette vs recouer the right pathe from the which wee haue wandred wide and gyrde vppe oure loines that wee maye with more courage and swiftnes walke therin then before we haue done in our wronge false waye And some there be whiche haue atteyned vnto this knoweledge that the kingdome of God come not by obseruation and wayting and suinge here and there but is neare vnto vs euen within vs and no more is to be required but that we remoue our selues frō euill and worshippe God accordinge to his worde chusing rather to suffer the crosse then to denye Christ by slauishe giuing ouer of that authoritie libertie which he haue giuen vnto his people Some I saye haue attayned vnto this knowledge yet notwithstanding they haue bene dismayed and offended beholding the wayward footsteppes of diuers whiche haue gone before euen in the right path though not with steadie foote but haue slipped halted and falne in the waye by committing some thinge whiche haue displeased the Lorde as sometime in the chiefe Citie in Englande there were manie whiche withdrewe themselues from this spirituall bondage mentioned But some onelie making conscience at the Cappe Surplesse and therein stoode all their religion Some entring that waye despised all other but pitied them not in the bowelles of compassion that they might be brought vnto the trueth but were proude in their owne conceyte Moste of them also ignoraunt howe they should come to the ende or yet to the middest of the waye which they hadd entred neyther being humble in seeking out the same but thinking rather that they knew all things Therfore whē they wer tried and weighed manie were found too light and their miscarying of the Lords Arke and the iudgement which fell vpō some of thē as sore
into that waye but rather take heede that we walke so fast and so steadelie and so well armed that sinne doo not ouertake vs ouerthrowe vs in the waye The euill example of life shewed by those Nations which are called Christian this daye make the sauour of the Gospell to stinke before the Iewes Turkes and other Heathen which refuse therefore once to searche what Christian religion is Therefore are they still holden backe from Christe his kingdome Like recompence shall we reape if the vntowarde example of anie man quensh our zeale and care of searchinge out the Lordes cause that we shoulde not take it in hande But there are not wanting whiche vnto the slowe rūners about the lords busines laye more weight of lead vppon their feete and bringe them into a further securitie by afraying them by the example of Vzzah that they attempt not anie thinge about matters pertayninge to the Churche because they haue no callinge As though that vengeance shewed vppon Uzzah was for taking vpon him a wrong calling and not rather for dooing that whiche was no mans calling to do For there was no man in Israel whiche had anie such calling but if that hee had driuen the Cart and done as Vzzah did it is like hee shoulde haue bene spared as litle as Vzzah was And Dauid in the 13. verse of the 15. of the firste Chron. speaking to Sadock and Abiathar say not the Lorde haue made this breache amonge vs because Vzzah did euill But because we sayth he sought him not in dewe order And although hee saye also because you were not heare his meaning is not that they being present should haue done that which Vzzah did But admitte he was punished for ouerreaching his calling as in deede whosoeuer passe the boundes of dutie passe the boundes of their calling also in that respecte Is it not the callinge of euerie Christian to remoue himselfe from their communion whiche worshippe God vaynlie as by the directinge of the blinde and dumme ministerie that execrable abominatiō in Gods sight and to ioyne onlie where the Lordes worshippe is free and not bound or witholdē w t the bands of any iurisdiction of this worlde Howe can they make the kingdome of God near vs within vs if we can not by gods assistance make our selues members of his outward church kingdome in this worlde which onely hath the promise of blessing and life for euermore without the authoritie of man wayting their leysure for a cōmaundemēt therevnto And whervnto are all christians made kings priestes Haue they no calling therby to seeke y e meanes of their saluation If my saluation shoulde depende vpon the curtesie of anie in this worlde I were in most miserable takinge But the righteousnes of God dealeth other wise and our saluation dependeth vppon that king whose baner is alwayes displaied before vs and he is with vs to the ende of the worlde But now cōcerning those which are able to teache instructe in the way of the Lord they must not meddle without calling saye they although there be no callinge suffered and allowed of in a Realme or Dominion but that which they confesse to bee vtterlie vnlawfull So must the flocke of Christe tarie and be starued whilest we wayte for that which they can not direct vs where to haue or howe it should be It must be saye they by diuers true Ministers calling and allowing him and so he must be ordeyned But howe manie of the Ministers in the Realme of England dare be seene in this dooing If fayth canne not bee begotten without a Preacher and a Preacher can not be without lawfull sendinge and this be the onelie way why suffer they the people to be depriued Why are they afrayde and ashamed of the Gospell of Christe Why rather doo they not abide persecution But the lawfull calling and sending of the Ministers whiche is the onelie meane to make them haue frutefull wombes to begette faythfull children and fruteful brestes to nource the same also dewe gouuernement which is the onelie aduauncing of Christe his kingdome the cutting short of sinne and wickednes Also oure Christian libertie to worshippe God with free conscience according to his worde and our comfortable ioyning in the true felowship and communion of Saintes And to conclude the meanes of our saluation must be kept from vs vntill a ciuile law send them vnto vs although there be neuer so long delay as though they were not sent from heauen and offred to all that will receyue them We can defie the Papistes doctrine for making part of our saluation to hange vppon oure owne desertes but wee canne not taste the bitternes of the roote of this doctrine that the building of gods kingdome for the meane and furtherance of our saluation must depend vpon ciuile power and Christ Iesus with all things pertayning vnto him are made vnderlings therevnto and caused to daunce attendaunce vpon it Those which walke after this doctrine and teache men so doo break not one of y e least but one of the greatest commaundements teaching men so and therefore shall be counted least in the kingdome of God if they doe not repent And agayne concerning this calling whiche must needes bee done by diuers Ministers which will not doo it But admit they would frō whence haue they their calling sendinge and authoritie such as pertaineth to a Minister Hadde they it not from those which sitt in the chayre of Antichrist Yea howe manie are in all Christendome which haue bene so rightlie ordeyned but that their ordination haue come from the popishe Prelacie with in three or foure generations at the most Nowe if a man take a griffe of a sowre frute and plant it then take a griffe of that newe planted plant that and take of that agayne plant it the thirde time and so continewe vnto the hundreth time will it loose the sowrenes and gather sweetnesse No more can an vnlawefull callinge bring foorth a lawfull though it descende from one to another an hundred or a thousande times Therefore except they can approue the lawfulnesse of their calling to the ministerie vnder some other title then y t which thei now haue by y e Clergie it will fall out that there shal hardlie be found a Minister duelie called in all the worlde and also that there is small hope that euer ther shal be anie But whatsoeuer burthen they laye vpon vs I laie no more vpon them but that they hauinge the approuing and consent of their flocke doo the works of a Minister namely that they feede their flocke wherof the holy ghost haue made them ouerseers if they make not them selues vnworthie and that they keepe backe from them nothing that is profitable So then they muste not keepe backe nor suffer to be kept backe they standing still their libertie authoritie which the Churche should haue and the true worshippe of God in all
To all our Christian Brethren in Englande which wayte for the kingdome of Christ increase of the knowledge of the trueth bee multiplied vnto them with streÌ„gth and patience and perseuerance vnto the ende MY state is known vnto manie of you my Brethren how that of certaine time though weakely vntowardly I haue striueÌ„ and withstood the yoke of spiritual bondage in the worshippe of God which the man of perdition haue yet left behinde for our sifting and trial FroÌ„ the which that I might bee deliuered the Lorde God the searcher of heartes I take to recorde that it haue bene myne onlie quarell and the cause of stirring me vp to do that which I did Concerning the whiche cause I did not thinke it lawefull for mee though I coulde haue escaped in time ynough to withdraw my selfe into any other place for myne owne liberties sake vntill I had more openly witnessed the same cause Which when it seemed good vnto God that I with some others should doo by abyding imprisonment a certayne time Then hauing offered our selues to suffer whatsoeuer our vexers should lay vpon vs and espyinge nothing like to be done vnto vs but to bee holden with lingering imprisonement and that without libertie of communicating vnto others the instruction of the same cause which we professed wee thought good rather to vndergoe some exile as it were for redeeming at least some libertie of worshipping God with safetie of conscience Which when we did and diuers of our Brethren which were willing to come vnto vs were restrayned and we were persuaded that to returne vnto them thither whereas by imprisonment we should againe be holden from them would litle anayle I haue iudged that we haue bene debters to them to bestow vpon them some thing which might helpe to increase their spirituall courage and comforte In which behalfe when the expectation of me and diuers others rested vppon some who in the ende did but slenderlie answere and satisfie thesame Then I which for my vnworthines and poore gifte hadde thought neuer to haue set foorth any thinge publikely yet was prouoked to indeuour my selfe in some parte as farre as the Lorde should make me able to satisfie that want which I thought to be great And I went about a piece of work touching Church gouernement But partlie by sicknes partly by weying the cost of the print and findinge it to be aboue my reache of abilitie I was hindered and haue let staye that worke vntill the Lorde further inable mee In the meane tyme I thought good to write some other little treatse and I chose this 122. Psalme thinking thereby to haue occasion ministred to speak of diuers of those pointes which concerne the cause meÌ„tioned And I was determined to haue spokeÌ„ somewhat brieflie vpon the whole Psalme But in the firste entraunce meetinge with those pointes which I thought good they should be discussed somewhat largelie for edifyinge sake Agayne sicknes and other causes cutting me short I was constreined to ende at this time skarce finishing the firste verse Neyther was it my desire to seeme to speak much vppon a little Texte yea I confesse that I haue passed the boundes of Scholler like handeling the Text but the thinges which offered them selues to be spoken of seemed to my iudgement to require so much measure Herein my desire vnto the lord is that my poore labour may be accepted of him and may be profitable to his people J Would haue the Reader aduertised that whereas in one place of this boke I haue these woords The Authour to the Hebrewes speake of certaine Christians which were racked c. My meaning was not but that I iudged him to speake especially of those which suffered persecution before the comming of Christ in the fleshe which beleuing in Christ to come may also well be called by the name of Chrstians Yet after it was printed I suspecting that it might be an occasion of cauilling to some I thought good to sett downe a word or two of my meaning therin PSAL. C.XXII ver I. I reioyced when they saide vnto me We will goe into the house of the Lorde RIght well is it said that wher y e treasure is there will the harte bee also which thing is seene in this seruant of the Lorde who behaued him selfe worthelie in the Arke bringinge home And as it was the Lordes worke so did he carefullie acquite him selfet hat the curse shoulde not laye holde on him whiche belongeth to the working of the Lordes worke negligentlie But that he did hee did with all his power and when hee had finished his ioyfull worke his ioye was not ended but rebowned agayne and agayne with a sweete Echo in his soule So as it was meate and drinke to him to doo the will of God so was it also his pleasure to thinke and muse vpon the same and he hath conceyued the grace of Gods spirite and hath brought foorth this Psalme as the fruite of so godlie a meditation leauing vs a glasse and paterne wherein to see the spottes of our deformed and lothesome negligence and a lanterne he hath set bright before vs that wee may see to take our waye to goe and laye hande on the Lordes plought to doo his acceptable worke Out of whose example and wordes in this Psalme wee minde by the good furtherance of God to gather some aduertisementes to stirre our selues vp yet whyles it is called to day least we should be hardned through the deceitfulnes of sinne First we haue to speake of his ioye and the cause thereof the remeÌ„brance of which he doth now feede vpon and chewe the cudd vpon this ioye of that happie daye whiche hee thus remembreth The Lorde chose Dauid from the sheepe folds to feede his people in Iacob and his inheritance in Israel And as it is spoken of him that he fed them in the simplicitie of his harte so did it eueÌ„ appeare in his first entrance of his kingdome For nothinge helde him carefull in comparison of this to haue the Lorde to vouchsafe to come home agayne vnto his people and to be at peace with them to loue them remoue shame and rebuke farre from them by returninge his holie Arke the token of his presence and the liuelie image of his countenance vppon them as the taking away thereof was the turning his backe vpon them and turning awaye his face as hee hadde threatned before for sinne And it was the reprochefull steyning of the glorie of Israel as it sayde The glorie is departed from Israel for the Arke of God is taken Therfore was the care of Dauid his zeale set on fyre within his brest which thing he mightely declared and the â—â—aine thereof appeared when he sware vnto the Lord and vowed a vowe vnto the mightie God of Iacob saying I will not enter into the Tabernacle of mine house nor come vpon my palet or bedde nor suffer myne eyes to
in bringing home the Arke of God there were then greater hope of the daye wherein we might ought to reioyce as Dauid here did Moreouer we note in Dauid that his ioye was so great in the Lorde that he conteyned not him selfe but so leaped and daunced that he seemed in the eyes of the wicked as a foole whiche vncouereth his shame and become vile For after that maner did Michal his wife reprochefullie taunte him as one whiche had so vily vncouered him self that he should be a mocking stocke vnto the Maidens of Israel But hee answered that it was before the lord who had performed vnto him so great mercie for whose cause he woulde bee yet more vile and lowe in his owne sight And saide moreouer that of the same Maidens whereof hee had spoken he should bee had in honour Whereby we see how litle he weighed to become base and lowe in the sight of the worlde so hee might sett foorth the glorie of the Lorde his God At this day amongest vs one of the greatest lettes hinderaunces of the Lordes worke finishing is for that it can not be done without the abasinge of the loftines of manie men whiche are exalted without the Lorde As for the titles of Gracious and Honourable Lords our Sauior Christ taught his Apostles that they might not bee amongest them Therefore if these men so exalted would loue and care for the Lords honour more then their owne and would willinglie giue ouer their monstrous liuings and all their worldlie pompe though they thinke it were a great shame for them and that they shoulde seeme vile before men whiche they ought willinglie to vndergoe for his glories sake who suffered the crosse and despised the shame yet if they coulde see it it would tende to their more true dignitie For of all the people in Englande whiche wayte for a more full appearaunce of Gods glorie in his house they shoulde be had in honour Where as nowe contrariewise they receyue honour onelie of a fewe flattering seruinge men within their owne houses whiche liue by bringinge dishes to their Table and almost to all the residue of the people of the lande their name is in reproche and they are become a Byworde and a common talke Our Sauiour Christ thought it no shame to abase him selfe to washe his Disciples feete by that example and manie more teaching those which will followe him that they must not thinke much to be baze and vile and dishonorable in the sight of men if they will looke for true honour in the sight of GOD. The Angel Gabriel sayde vnto Zacharias that his Sonne Iohn the Baptist shoulde bee great in the sight of the Lorde But what greatnes he had in the fight of the worlde it appeareth when as his clothing was of Camels heare his meate was Locustes and wilde honie The authour to the Hebrewes speaketh of some Christians whiche were racked and would not be deliuered that they might receyue a better resurrection They woulde needes abide torment and shame that in the Lorde they might haue their onelie refreshment and their onelie glorie And he became their glorie and the lifter vp of their heade Our Sauior Christ who thought it no robberie to be equal with God he yet in his nature of man became vile and tooke vpon him the shape of a seruaunt Hee turned his face to the striker He humbled him selfe euen to the death of the crosse Therefore was giuen him a name and dignitie aboue al names that at his name euery knee should bowe But great is the darkenes and vngodlines of these dayes when those which professe them selues to bee his Ministers doo so order their goings and conforme them selues so little vnto the image of his life that wee may sooner trace out the shewe of all the great glorie of this worlde then of Christian poorenes in spirit by their footesteppes And it is too manifest that thei are ouercome with the temptation of him whiche sayde All these glorious thinges will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me For they declare howe hardelie they would abide themselues to be plucked vp by the rootes that they might bee planted in a better resurrection when as they will not suffer their superfluous braunches to be cut of which doo so ouerhange and annoye the lanes that the Lordes passengers can not ride on their iourneye towardes Sion There be also of the Temporaltie diuers which esteme it to vile a thing and vnsittinge for their dignitie to come vnder the censure of the church that their faultes shoulde bee looked vnto and they should be subiect to the Admonition Rebuke and Excommunication of the Minister and the Congregation Therefore they say Let vs breake their bandes in sunder and cast their cordes from vs. But if they vnderstoode the great mysterie of the Lorde and the decree which is sealed vp amongst his Disciples they should well know that their renowne glorie is no more impaired by bowyng giuing due homage to Christs Scepter then the flower and oyle of the widowe of Sarepta was diminished by giuing away part of that litle which she had vnto Elias For certainly the great and noble Potentates of this worlde if they doo not intertaine the Kingdome of Christ Iesus thoughe their name reache the clowdes yet in trueth their honour and renowne is small and skarcely to be accounted an handfull which when it is spent they die Then their name perishe and their pompe will not followe them Then is a liuing dogge better then they For doth not their dignitie goe away with them Doo they not die and that without wisdom Whereas if they would be content to giue away vnto our Elias Christ Iesus a litle of their honour by abasing themselues before his Throne of gouernement they shoulde haue neuer the lesse but a great deale the more yea the continuance of true honour for euer For they shoulde stand as the faithfull witnesses in heauen their names being registred in the booke of life According as the Prophet Esaiah speakethe of the renowne of the Church and accoūteth it the renowne of Kinges and Princes to worshipp therein with their faces towards the earth and to licke vp the dust at the feete thereof Lastlie as touching Dauids affection of ioye and his delight which he hadd to see the glorie of God shine forthe as it was declared by signes yea the whole disposing of himselfe to be great at that present time so did the continual practise of his life afterward giue token that it was intiere and vnfeined For he continued his care and studie to be an instrument to aduaunce Gods glorie Of our sone whote sone colde zeale and of our gladnes which bewraied it selfe to be more for the shining hope of our worldlie welfare then for the hope of the increase of Gods kingedome and the speedy cōming thereof And of our