old Oak a tree not of life to them but of death called by them the tree of Reformation The tree of Reformation but it was the tree of Absalom vppon the which Miles their Gunner and two of their false Prophets were executed for they trusted in vaine Prophecies which were partly vttered in these verses The country gnuffes Hob Dick Hick With clubs and clouted shoone Shal fil vp Dussin dale with bloode Of slaughtered bodies soone This prophecy was a dreame their captaine Ket crept into a corner but was openly put to death his other brethren were hanged in chaines the rest of meaner sort hearing the pardon proclaimed by an herauld of Armes cast downe their weapons and lifted vp their voices praying to God to preserue King Edward There brake out a new stur in Yorkshier In Yorkeshiere False Prophecies cause of rebellion by false prophecies by a fond misliking of the Kings proceeding But here also the captains that thought to raise a great flame and to set al on fier made but a smoke wherewith they were choked themselues namely a poore man William Ombler and a simple parish clerke Thomas Dale and such like All these ment vnhappily by extraordinary means to turn al the Lawes of God and ordinaunces of Princes topsie-turuie About that time of these rebellions wee had set foorth by the authority of the King to these rebels an Eloquent oration by a great learned man Sir Iohn Cheeke Schoolemaster to the King Sir I. Cheek grauely and pithily dehorting them from such vprores as contrary to Gods word the honour of a King and the safety of the comon-weale which in mine opinion would make any hard heart to melt These former and foolish attemptes in the beginning pernitious and tragicall in the end might haue persuaded our countrymen to haue learned by their fore-fathers to keepe themselues within their tedder compasse of obedience The Raign of Q. Elizabeth But alas our Soueraign Queen Elizabeth hath felt too much of their wilfull disobedience and they tasted somewhat of hir prouoked seuerity Wherefore did Thomas Pearcie Earle of NorthuÌ„berland Charles Earle of Westmerlande against the Lawes of God and man by forcible meanes set vp Masses burne Bibles and bookes of Communion Why did they rise themselues when they might haue been quiet And raise the people which should haue been taught obedience Let the death of the one and the miserable flight of the other the execution of Parson Plumtree at Duresme and of others hanged and beheaded at Knaues Mire not farre from Yorke be instructions and examples for subiects These and many mo cannot warne vs neither the history of Iohn Story prouidently caught beyond the Seas and trimly shipped into this lande and afterward iustly executed vpon a newe paire of Gallowes euen at this day commonly bearing his name Saunders li. 7. de visibili Monarchia Ann. 1566. neither the terrible end of Iohn Felton who vpon Corpus Christi day at London at the Bishoppes gate published the Declaratory sentence of Pius Quintus Pope making this Realme of England and the Queenes Maiesty a pray and a spoil to our neighbours and to al nations neither the beggerly and lamentable state of Iames Desmond neither of Iohn Desmond bearing himselfe too bould vpon an Agnus Dei and a ring sent from the Pope neither of Nicolas Saunders himself the rebellous preacher to the Irish-men Saunders and the rest in the end taken with a frensie these al while they bend the vttermost of their wittes and of their forces against the Maiesty of our Prince whom the Maiesty of God hath enthronized they al I say haue but knocked their heels against the prick spurned to their owne destruction and to the confusion of that Popish sect By these and manie others neither Campion nor the rest of the Iesuites new Incommers Campion other Iesuites and Inmates in this Realme coulde beware neither yet by them other new cutters and practisers could be warned neither yet to this day the people coulde bee taught or perswaded but that their holy fathers Buls and Decrees Declarations must be obeyed and that his waxe and his lead and his Pontifical presentes consecrated by his execrable authority may preserue exempt them from al daungers touch of our law hereafter from al perill punishment either in hel or in purgatory I am to passe ouer at this time other examples and ordinaunces of other countries adioyning to vs as of Flaunders and Fraunce which wee must differre till another time if God will In the meane time let vs aliena frui insania by the madnes of these men learne to bee wise as many of our predecessors both Princes and learned men of this Vniuersity haue doone and know that the Queenes Maiestie hath waded no farther in these causes than other Kinges of this Land who haue broken the yee before King Stephen perceiuing that Theobald Arch-Bishoppe of Caunterburie brought Popish laws from Rome into Englande by decree of Parliament condemneth them burned them as hurtful to a common weale Iohn Bale cent 2. in apeâ—â—lice as Iohn Sarisbury beareth witnes in his eight book and two twentith chapter of Polycrat King Richard the second also molested with Romish affaires and tyranny of the Pope in Parliament holden at Westminster decreed and enacted that it shoulde bee lawfull for no man for any cause to pleade before the Byshoppe of Rome Polyd. Vir. lib. 20. for excommunication of any English-man by his authoritie and if anie such commaundement came from him it shoulde not bee executed vpon paine of losse of all their gooddes and perpetuall imprisonment and therefore great marueile that any such sentence of excommunication from such a forreiner and vsurper against our gracious Prince shuld in these daies of more knowledge by our countrimen be either receiued or harkned to or feared You dearly beloued I hope wil not and that you may not take an example by old Oxford Studentes who could ne would like of a Bull of Gregory directed against Iohn Wicliffe and therefore are chidden of the Pope that would suffer cockle and darnel of his heresie to grow among pure wheat in the beutifull fieldes of their Vniuersity You may also cal to minde that are ancients the daies of Henry the eight and Edward the sixt and iustifie the thinges to be true which I haue alleadged and much more which might bee said to this purpose to the proofe of this argument of Dauid that whosoeuer laieth hand of the lords annointed shal not be accounted innocent but shal be plagued for it The Lord giue vs grace to haue this doctrine fixed and setled in our heartes and expressed in our liues To whom bee all honour c. 1. SAM 26. 9 And Dauid said to Abishai Destroy him not for who can laie his hande on the Lords annointed and bee guitlesse 10 Moreouer Dauid said As the
perish The Argument is this God wil in his wisedome appoint his time for the dispatch death of Saul therefore I may not ne will intermeddle in this action against Saul as though he should in the name and person of God thus say If Saul haue offended the iudgement is mine against mine annointed I am and so am called the God of reuengement Psal 94. Rom. 12. Reuengement is mine I will repay Ergo I wil be no reuenger neither wil I vsurp that office which pertaineth to God What neede I or you Abishai or any other hasteÌ„ the death of a Prince which is set downe in the booke of foreknowledge by God himselfe and cannot be preuented by any mortal man or anie wates altered No fate or destiny no constellation no fortune or chaunce no cunning of star-tooters or figure-flingers no conspiracy of number no strength of confederates no counsailes or polices of wise men can change the Prognostication or Almanacke of God which is that Saul and we al Prince people Magistrate and priuate men young and old man and woman good and bad all must die but not when we will nor when friend or foe wil but as God in his fatal book hath written it downe The consequence and congruity of Dauids Protestation thus explaned I pray you marke these notes First our mortality generally incident to vs al high lowe which is woorth the noting at al times 1. Note death common to al. Gen. 3.2 Reg. c. 14 especially in the time of these new and straunge diseases assaulting vs. The general sentence is that Adam is Adam stil hee came from dust and shal return to dust again that we dy al and as water slide away Who liueth Psal 88. Hebr. 9.2 Cor. 5. and shal not see death It is a statute and decree that men must dy once We know that our earthly house of this tabernacle shall be destroied In this declaration our Dauid is very copious particularly for himselfe and generally for vs all Psal 39. Behold thou hast made my daies as a-hand breadth mine age is as nothing before thee Psal 102. surely euery man is altogether vanity And again My daies are like a shadowe and I am whithered like grasse What is a shadow but the defect and priuation of light and then what is the life of man but death The same vanity of man is painted out liuely in the hundred and third Psalme by comparing vs to grasse and to a flower of the field Esaie 40. 1. Pet. 1. as we haue also in Esay and Peter Dauid is not alone mortal as you haue heard but al Ortus cuncta suos repetunt matremque requiruÌ„t Et redit adnihilum quod fuit antenihil The effect is that all must returne to the Mother from whence they came In Boeoticiâ— A figure of this is declared by Pausanias AmoÌ„g the gifts and oblations of Apollo there was couÌ„terfatted after the imitation and resemblance of the old works in brasse one Image the flesh was clean gone from the skin so that there remained nothing but bones They say that Hippocrates the Physition did dedicate this at Delphos Phaylus captaine of the Phocensians in his sleepe dreamed Hippocrates naked Image that hee himselfe was made like vnto this gift a naked dead man and so beeing deadly sicke ended his life and prooued his vision true So fareth it not only with captaines and Emperours but with vs al who al shal be the image of Hippocrates A bare Anatomy a schelitoÌ„ or picture of death Who then shal escape Shal children No 2. Note Children and youth mortall not the babe of one yeare Huc puer atque senex pariter venisse feruntur Hic par diuitibus pauper egenus erit When the Prophet proclameth al flesh to be grasse Ies 40. and al people to be verily and truelie hay but yet this must be taken not properly but by a figure when common experience teacheth that an apple fresh and red doth perish or fall downe with the woorm with winde or with a staffe and when the prouerb saith that assoone goeth the Lambes skin to the market as the sheepe shal we thinke that the younger sort and lusty folkes shal bee priuileged from death 3. Note Great die Shal the mighty men or nobles or valiant or Princes bee freed from this sentence of death 3. Kindes of death Dauid saieth No and sheweth three kindes of death either extraordinary before time either ordinary natural either by an externe cause or accident as in battle I speak of the death which is the separatioÌ„ of the body the soul for the death of sin the death mystical which is mortificatioÌ„ De bono mortis pertain not to this point wherof you may read in Ambrose This triple kinde or triple way to death heere set down by Dauid is manifold there are many pathes steps to death Prosper L. Epigram as one doth expresse it Ferro peste fame vinclis algore calore Mille modis miseros mors rapit vna homines That is we dy by sword pestilence famin imprisonment colde heate yea by a thousand meanes which God can and will deuise as Dauid hath set down for al men especially as it is ment in our Text against Princes and Potentates of this world And to begin with Saul did hee not desperatly kill himselfe as Dauid here talketh in battle but yet by the hand of the Lord and indeede extraordinarily by his owne hand It is reason that mightie men should mightily suffer tormentes according as it is written and also Saint Austine hath a notable place Let the king know Sapiâ—us 6. De 12. abusionum grad that as he is ordained chiefe in his throne aboue all men so in punishment if hee doe not iustice he shal haue the chiefe-dom and first place And in another book Idem in L. Q. Noui Vet. Test cap. 16. Lib. 9. Dâ— cad 4. Viri sublimis culpa grane est peccatum Shall perhaps great captaines and warriours auoide this stroke Liuie rehearseth of most valiant captaines Scipio Annibal PhilopaemeÌ„ that al three in one year died but nether died nor were buried in their own country Suidas telleth of Thulis King of al AEgypt vnto the Ocean sea that builded an Ilande of his owne name that asked the Oracle of Serapis Tel me who before me could doe such actes An Oracle of the death of Thulis of the eternal dominion of God and who shal doe after me The Oracle was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is in effect that first God the father next the woord and his sonne and with them the holy ghost the blessed Trinity in vnity did raigne before should after euerlastingly but for himself hee was willed speedily to depart and immediatly after the Oracle was slaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his owne people What are all these mighty men but the Gourd
Emperour out of this life or bring him into the low order and base and bare condition of a priuate man In viâ—a Henâ— 4. not remembring that they did owe a peace vnto their country-men iustice to the Realme and fidelity to the Ring So far were these from the rule of obedience that desirous of their licentiousnes woulde hazard the seruitude of the country The desier of lucre is another motiue to treason 2. Couâ—â—â—â—nesse It was the couetous question of Iudas Quid vultis mihidare What will ye giue me Which maketh a number of malecontentes seditious troublers of a common-weale for apriuate commodity So that now the case is as in the time of Dauid When the Prince studieth peace Psal 110. and speaketh peaceablie they are ready to fight Their feete are swifte to shed bloode nay they knowe not the waie of peace Rom. 3. They will neither knowe nor haue peace They seem to be kinned to that mad souldiour that passing by the Church hearing them pray for peace Donanobis pacem was angry with them Phy quoth he Peace Manliue how shuld we liue Such a Prince Cor. Agrippa telleth of in Italy who being moued by the said Agrippa to take awaie that famous or rather infamous faction of Gibellines and Guelphians in his Territory Naie not so quoth hee confessing plainly it was not for his profit for that ther was brought into his coffers yearely about twelue thousand ducats by occasion of this faction De vanâ—scienti This greedines is the cause that many being now become bankerupts vnthrifty born to consume to spend the fruits of the earth think by mutations and chaunges to recouer and to licke themselues whole This is the cause that mooueth some to fly from their countrie and captaines to serue straungers contrarie to the Law of GOD and man Nemo miles ab imperatore extraneo stipendium accipit saith Chrysoftome No man taketh wages of a forraine king or Emperor How much more wicked is it for Christians professing the gospel to be in seruice vnder the coÌ„duct banner of a stranger both in nation and in religion that for mony bloud-gilt the reward of Iudas Quidagis Christiane sidomini hosteÌ„ amicum habueris what dost thou o christian what auaileth thee if thou hast the enemy of the Lord to be thy friend The same Chrysostome hath these words in an homily De proditione Iuda There is a third kind of couetousnes not of these meane things but an insatiable desire of honor principality soueraignty Iulius Caesar imagining or rather dreaming of such a thing â—â—â—ic offi 1. for a kingdom a Monarchy brake the laws of God man This is pride and presuÌ„ption when men wil not be content with Dauid to tary their time but wil adueÌ„ture by hook or crook by right by wrong to surmount 〈◊〉 lib. Dorâ—â—i securè â—â—rm 6 I reade of the Romans that they painted pride with a triple crowne Pope-like because as R. Holcot testifieth Holcot fol. 23â— the proud man wil ouerrule al his equals his inferiours his superiours The first crowne hath this title Transcendo I surmount the second Non obedio I disobey the third Perturbo I trouble all which in verse is expressed somewhat otherwise in Holcot Effluo transcendo quo quis priuatur babendo TraÌ„smigrat genus exceditque homo qui nec obedit Turbor affligor perturbor vndiquelaedor Meaning therby that those that wil be climing transcendent and disobedient and troublesome must finde trouble and affliction themselues Another motiue of these rebellious interprises is Enuie Ingratitude 3. Enuie Enuie is a smoke that caÌ„ not abide the brightnes of good proceedings of her Maiesty that goeth about to smother obscure the blessings of God shining among vs in al prosperity felicity in the time of her gouernment Liuor tabificâ—m malis venenum Virgil. It is a poisoÌ„ that gnaweth coÌ„sumeth the vugodly that caÌ„not abide the happy estate by which we enioy the gospel al spiriual consolation by which we haue the fruitioÌ„ of peace plenly if our sinfulnes vnthankfulnes do not abbridge vs. Promeritis male tractarunt Agamemnona Graeci The vnkind dogges monstrously rent Acteon their master Plutâ—â—â— Inuidia The ougly toad cannot abide the good sent of florishing vines Cantharides green worms though they haue their being succor in the tops of ashes in oliues sweet roses yet they wil shew their nature their iuice is poison and they wil make blisters tumbling and trouble in the common weat It is to be feared least by their vnthankefulnes and grudging this our prosperous and good estate which we haue many years by Gods goodnes seene felt wil be turned by his heauy displeasure into dearth and scarsity as since these newe traiterous enterprises we may if we be not blind see some experience Our too much plenty heretofore hath made vs wanton new fangled busie bodies not contented with our blessings of Manna as murmuring Israelites preferring before this heauenly felicity the garlick and flesh-pots of AEgypt or rather the burdens of intolerable taske-masters vnder Romish Pharao These benefites and this repining cannot long continue togither by the iustice of God and by the course of naturall thinges Too much rancknes beateth downe the corne and bowes are broken with the burden ouermuch aboundaunce of fruite commeth not to anie ripenesse as wise Seneca writeth euen so our prosperity I feare hath corrupted some of vs. and made vs forgetful of our duty towards God and our Prince Gregory the great when Popes were not so great but did acknowledge the soueraignty of Princes ouer them did wel confesse writing to one Theodore â—pish 103. a Physition in this maner Howe great benefites I haue receiued froÌ„ Almighty God from my most soueraign lord the Emperour my toung is not able to expresse Would to god our GregoriaÌ„s folowers fautors of the Pope wold haue such meditatioÌ„s Another motiue and cause of these stirs 4 Religiâ—â—â— and tumultes is forsooth Religion A straunge Religion doubtlesse that teacheth men to murther Princes and Monarches of the world It was a pretence of Religion in Herod who told the wise men of the East Mat. 2. that hee was desirous to knowe where Christ was that he might worshippe him but his Religion was a ful entent to kill Christ True Religion is euer assaulted and unpugned by a false Religion Haman could not abide good Mardocheus nor the Iewes for their Religion calling their lawes new straunge Hest ca. 3. and differing from all people and so procured from Assuerus the King a bloody decree to destroy al the nation When the Christians in Persia Soz. lâ— c. 7. by reason of acquaintance and conuersation with the Osroens and Armenians had gathered a church and congregation to serue Christ that thing offended the Magicians or wise Diuines of Persia who
by succession as Priestes had the charge ministery of that heathenish Religion It offended also the Iewes so that Christians for their Religion were tormented and good Father Symeon Archbishop of Seleucia was accused to Sapor the King Quasi Regni Religionis Persarum proditor as a spy and a betrayer of the Realme and of the Religion of the Persians reueiling the secretes of Persia to the Emperour of Rome Soz. libae cap. 8. and so was imprisoned and put to death with an hundred Christians The ground of these violences or rather vilanies is Religion But there is a difference betweene the true and false Religion The Religion of Ieroboam was a false and caluish Religion contrary to the Religion of the house of Dauid and therefore he made two calues of goold the one in Bethel the other in Dan made Priestes of the dregges and rascalles of the people 1 King 12. commaunding them that they shoulde no more sacrifice at Ierusalem in the house of the LORD and persecuteth the Prophetes and the professours of the true seruice of GOD. And this was a pretense of Religion But the Religion of Ezechias and of Iosias Kinges of Iuda was good Religion 2. Chron. 29. 35. to pull downe Images and all Idolatrie to restore the Lawe and the Bible of GOD and the true vse of the Sacramentes What other Religion is the Reformation of Queene Elizabeth then this of these Kinges And if their reformed Religion was commended by GOD and of al the godly why should the Religion now receaued from GOD and restored by Queene Elizabeth be condemned May not I iustlie say to the posterity of cruell Saul as Ionathan saide to his Father Saul What harme hath our Dauid doone 1. Sam. 19. more then oulde Dauid then Ezechias then Iosias did Why then will you sinne against innocent bloode and slaie Dauid with-out a cause Why dooth the Popish Saul of Rome the Supreme Vicar of CHRIST persecute the annointed of God and the handemaide of Christ Surely it is hee and none but hee that is Abishai in name The Pops is Abishal in name nature and in deede I saie the Romish Abishai that is the Father of bribes and giftes by corruption a taker and giuer inueigling and perswading the Potentates and people of the world to rebell and to murther the Lordes true annointed to rise and to take weapon against their owne naturall and lawefull Prince It is hee that blesseth and consecrateth with holy water and incense a sworde In defensionem S. Romanae Ecclesiae for the defense of the holy Church of Rome and for the reuenge of the Popes enemies and that in the solemne feast of the Birth of Christ which hee fendeth abroade as a present to some most Christian or most Noble Prince for the protection of his Catholicke Church against the true Catholicke faith of Christ which is not without a mystery Câ—râ— Rom. Eccele lib. 1. Sect. 7. Fogâ—â—rat hic pontificalis gladius potestatem summanâ— temporalem à Christâ— Pontifici eius in terris vicario collatam iâ—xtae illudâ— Data est mihi omnis potest as in caelo interra Eâ—alibi Dominabitur à marivsque ad mare This Pontifical sworde doth signifie the supreme temporal power giuen of Christ to the Bishop his vicar on earth Mat. 28. according to that saying Al power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth And in another place You shall haue dominion from sea to sea Behold what a fisher of men Peters successour is that fisheth for the dominion of all the woorld all is fish that commeth to his nette where with he draweth to himselfe that which is properly and truely spoken of Christ by Dauid vnles hee will also haue that which followeth That al kings shal adore Psal 72. and worshippe him and that his kingdome is eternall and before the Sonne But he wil prooue in the ende to bee that foolish fisher in Theocritus that dreamed he had caught a golden fish and waking he got not so much as a frog It is that Abishai that likewise scattereth abroade in Lent his consecrated golden roses to some Princes and also sendeth to the captains or staÌ„derd-bearers of the Church of Rome Ibidem in Câ—rem his banners and armour likewise hallowed at a masse It is he that sendeth souldiors signed with the Crosse against Christian Emperours as against Frederike the Emperour who dooth signify to the King of England treasons conspiracies against him Jn Hem. 3. The practisers whereof being beseiged Matth. Paris were accompanied with Fryers and by them receiued the signe of the Crosse against him pretending the authority of the high Bishop by his Apostolicke letters ac praedictae mortis exhaeredationis nostrae summum Pontificem Greg. 9. sic asserunt incentorem affirming that the Supreme Byshoppe of Rome was the author of his disinheritaunce and destruction This Byshoppe of Rome taking occasion of the absence of Frederike being nowe in the seruice of Christ against the Turke as well to perfourme his vow in visiting the holie land as also to please the Pope notwithstanding this his daungerous viage and humble obedience he tooke from him his land in Apulia and Lombardie And when Frederike sent letters vnto the Pope of the honorable peace betwixt him and the Soldan wherein hee was forced to surrender vnto the saide Christian Emperour Ierusalem whereof he was crowned King and many other cities and wished him to publish that great ioy vnto all Christendome and to thanke GOD for that glorious victorie hee refused it and cast awaie the letters excommunicateth Frederike graunteth the Crosse and the crossed warre-fare against him as against an Infidel and Turke who at his commaundement fought valiauntly against the Turke Hee gaue out also at one time this false Alaram that he was dead and the souldiours of Germany and France that returned from the holy land hee put to cruell death that they should not tell the truth all which things wee may read in Carion Cuspinian and in Abbat Vrspergensis Lib. 3. And here the Author exclaimeth not without cause Who rightly considering such factes Ann. 1228. dooth not lament and detest them which seeme to bee signes and certaine prognostications of the ruine of the Church Greg. 9. The same Gregory by letters priuilie desireth the Soldan not to yeelde vp the holie land vnto the Emperour but as an enimie to kill him Cuspinian Against Friderick whosoeuer would fight had a pardon a promise of life euerlasting He about that time coÌ„manded to bee sung Salue Regina But beholde more faith charitie in the Turke then in the Pope for wheÌ„ the SoldaÌ„ had receiued letters from the Hospitalars TeÌ„plaries how Friderick might be taken he detesting this treasoÌ„ sent the letters vnto Friderick said vnto his own Counsailers Ecce fidelitas Christianorum Behold the fidelity of Christians A vile and
the same Popish decrees it is called a wicked promise which is fulfilled wickedly and in a Councel we are taught 〈◊〉 â—onsil â—â—ibert that an vnaduised determination may lawfully and laudably bee broken neither is it a transgression but a correction of rashnesse If any vow haue beene made among our countrymen you see it ought in no wise to be stoode too and I desire them so to thinke and doe For so thought Dauid when he sware by God to kill that great foole Nabal yet Ensem in vaginám reuocauit hee put by his sworde in the sheath at the request of Abigael and was not sory for that periury as it is wel applied by Beda Hom. 44. EueÌ„ as the same Ambrose exhorteth that a maÌ„ shal promise no vnhonest thing Libro Offic. 3. cap. 13. or if hee hath promised it is more tolerable not to keep promise then to do that that is vnhonest Which sentences euen the Popes Lawe reciteth C. 22. Q. 4. but falsly cites the first booke for the third But if any Papist either of scruple in mind conscience either of good nature or rather grace of God cannot be induced to communicate with such traiterous enterprises alleadging their duty former oth made to Princes in the league of association otherwise theÌ„ the Pope hath this religioÌ„ omnipotency that he can wil dispeÌ„se with any oth Plat. Adrian the Pope the fourth of that name excoÌ„municated WilliaÌ„ King of Sicily and assoiled al those that were subiect to his gouernmeÌ„t froÌ„ the oth of obedience that they might being freed froÌ„ that the sooner reuolt froÌ„ him Pope Innocent the 3. Cuspini in Frideric 1. in a couÌ„cel at Lions for hatred he bare against Frederik the 2. depriued him of al Imperiall dignity gaue an absolutioÌ„ to the Princes froÌ„ the oth of fidelity exhorting theÌ„ to chuse another al this is catholick and current religion at Rome is auouched good doctrine from Peter and Paul the Patrones of that Church O blessed Saint Peter saieth Gregory the seuenth I depose Henry the fourth from al Imperial and regal authority Plat in vita Gregor who hath lifted vp his hande too boldly and rashly against thy Church and I doe release his loial leige people of their oth You haue heard of Thomas Becket our countryman a man like Mercury in Aristophanes In Pluto a man of all artes and occupations a courtiar a clerk an Arch-Bishop by his hair cloth a Monk by his inwardest garmeÌ„t nighest to his skin an Heremite a man that first sware the oth of fidelity to Henry the secoÌ„d the same man was the first that brake it by a dispensation of Alexander the Pope ad soluendam Iâ—â—â—â—â—â— Thomae Beckes quà m ad confirmandam fidem promptior a better Schoolemaster of periury then of obedience and this prodition was such a religion that by the Monkes of Caunterbury it was praised and approued This is a right Supremacy to doe and vndo what he listeth this is the pride and the cruelty of the Romish Abishai against the Lordes annointed not fearing to violate the maiesty of Princes to breake oathes to teach disobedience and wilful periuries and al this hee may doe absolutely by his new religion and large commission You vnderstand by the premisses the effect of the first part the meaning of the first persoÌ„ Abishai al tending to the death of the Lordes annointed You vnderstand the predecessours and successours of Abishai in number to bee many in maner of attempting to be violent fierce or else hypocriticall and flattering and the causes mouing them to be either couetousnes catching either ambition aspiring eyther enuy maligning either religioÌ„ pretensed or some such like As I reported before in the beginning out of Bernard to the Romans so in the conclusion out of the same Epistle I speak to the Romanists You foolish Romanists Epist 242. doe you neither iudge nor discern that which is honest Doe you disgrace and dishonor as much as in you is your owne head and the head of vs al for whome you ought not to spare your own necks if need should require I end with this good note of the saide Bernard I knewe once saith hee in Babylon at the voice of one young man that al the people which were deceiued by the vniust Seniors of the city to condemne Susanna did returne to Iudgement and reuerse it and so that innocent bloud was saued that daie I pray God that you of whom I conceiue well and others who may be suspected elsewhere may harken with indifferent eares if not at the voice of Daniel yet at our dayly motion that you wil auoide the deuise of Abishai that you wil not be seduced by the false ould iudges of Israel that you wil not condemne our Susanna rashly and without al cause but abhor al wicked conspiracies mutinies practises against her Maiesty whom the Lorde preserue many years among vs that she may attaine that happines which wise Thales spake of Principis faelicitas vt senex secundum naturaÌ„ in suo lectulo moriatur this God grant Raph. Volaâ— in Philol. 30. that she may haue that felicity of a Prince to dy according to nature in her bed an old Mother in our Israel and after liue and raigne eternally with him to whom I commit you and to him be al honor and praise world without end Amen 1. SAM 26. And Dauid said to Abishai Destroy him not for who can laie his hand on the Lords annointed and bee guiltlesse c. THE SECOND SERMON HERODIAN an Historiographer coÌ„plaineth that it was an old disease amoÌ„g the GraeciaÌ„s Lib. 3. that they were alwaies amoÌ„g them-selues at discorde and were willing to destroy those that seemed to excel others and so in the end coÌ„sumed Greece A fatal matter a mortal sin is sedition reckoned woorthily among the works of the flesh tied and chained altogether as it were with a lincke in the Epistle to the Galathians The woorks of the flesh are hatred debate Cap. 5. wrath contentions dissensions sects enuy murders al of one cognation and kinred This sedition is and euer hath bin not only in Greece but by sundry makebates at al times and in al places by Abishai in Iury as you lately heard coÌ„spiring against King Saul and by others against Dauid himselfe as he thus lamenteth Psal 71. Mine enemies speake against me they that lay wait for my soul take their counsail together saying God hath forsakeÌ„ him persecute take him for ther is none to deliuer him I haue also declared that the Romanists their Prelats haue bin Graecians in this behalfe consenting with Abishai against Saul nay Dauid and made much trouble in the common-weal ChristiaÌ„ churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they haue wasted our Greece most parts in christendom absoluing al ecclesiastical laymen froÌ„ their othes made to their lawful
that cutte off the head And if the seruant may not bee striken by Peter howe can they escape that strike the Master the Lord or Lady of the land And if Christ found fault with his seruaunt fighting in his owne quarel how much more wil he be angry with them that take weapon against his Annointed Prince his lieuetenaunt in the earth nay against himselfe in defense of his aduersary and Antichrist For nowe consider with mee the reason of Dauid 2 Person No man ought to be slain of priuate men Ergo much les a Prince of a subiect and the second qualification of Saul that he is not only created a man but also annointed King For what doe these Nephilim Giantes and tyrantes of the world think Or what do they esteem of the blood of a Prince Or what doe they imagine of the ordinaunce or institution of Princes Are they vpstartes by themselues or able to rise and stand of theÌ„selues No that was the phrenesie of madde Aiax That Cowardes did get the victorie by God he would winne whether GOD would or no. Or is it a matter of force or fortune No that was the desperate saying of Antiochus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him take the kingdome to whome fortune or the sword shal giue it Or dooth policy and gouernement of the world or the worlde it selfe consist of the Sunne beames That might be the fantasie of Democritus that scoffed at all things Or is it the ordinaunce of Iupiter or any heathen God No for so dreamed Homer Illud 〈◊〉 that termed Kings Nursed vp and fostered by Iupiter and Hesiod that wrote In opeâ—â— Dier lib. 〈◊〉 some to be noble and some to be base by the wil of great Iupiter So Iulian the Apostata thought who caused in al his publique and popular images So◠〈◊〉 5. cap. 17. Iupiter to be painted as appearing from heauen and reaching to him the crowne and the purple ensignes of the Empire No it is only the ordinaunce of our liuing God the gift of Christ who hath that written in his garment and in his thigh the King of Kings Apoc. 1â— the Lord of Lordes So is the Prince desined of Saint Paul to the Romanes and by Iohn Salisberg lib. 4. Polycrat A Prince is a publike power Roâ— 13. in earth a certain image of the diuine power Therefore as before I proued him to bee a double person so is he now a double Image of God for hee was made after the Image of God and by office representeth God may further he is a God himselfe God is God by nature the Prince by name God by propriety the Prince by grace So God himselfe saith Yee are Gods Psal 82. and the children of the highest And the same Dauid in the same place God standeth in the congregatioÌ„ of Gods he iudgeth among Gods quia ipse est solus qui Deos faciat It is he alone that maketh Gods as Tertullian expoundeth aduersus Hermogenem Euen Saul himselfe is named here the annointed of the Lorde and so are all other Potentates that are by their vices euil men yet by office the ordinance of God Prou. 8. Iob. 34. Cap. 13. By me Rulers raigne The hypocrits rule not without him And God himselfe saith in Osc I gaue thee a King in myne anger and tooke him awaie in my wrath Iohn 19. Christ told Pilate that he could haue no power at all except it had bin giuen him froÌ„ aboue Rom. 13. There is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordeined of God The Fathers if need were might be brought for the same Lib. 3. as Optatus Paul teacheth saith he not without cause that we must pray for Kings and powers although the Emperour were such a one as liued heathenishly And Augustine Wee call them happy Princes Lib. 5. de cimitate Dei cap. 24. if they commaund iust thinges c. And if they make their power as a seruaunt and hand-maid to his maiesty especially in setting forth his honour And in another Chapiter Cap. 21. Let vs not giue the power of bestowing kingdomes and Empires to any but onely to the true God He that gaue authority to Marius gaue it to Caius Caesar He that gaue it to Augustus gaue it to Nero He that gaue it to the Vespasians either the Father or the Sonne most sweete and milde Emperours hee gaue it also to Domitian à most cruell man And least I should passe through al he that gaue it to Constantine the Christian gaue it vnto Iulian the Renigate And why are the bad as wel as the good aduanced The fame Austine against the Manichees giueth two reasons hereof De Naâ—â—â—t Bonâ— câ—â— 3â— It is not vniust that wicked men receaue power to hurt both that the patience of the good may be tried and the wickednes of the euil punished Heereby the Prince and the people may learne these notes In that the Princes are called Gods they must serue God Psal 〈◊〉 2. Ch. c 19. and not exercise their owne iudgement Againe they must gather a good hart vnto them A notefoâ—â— Princes and conceiue a coÌ„fort of this doctrin because they are set vp by God they cannot fall but by God and if they serue their lord Lib. Nat. histor 16. cap. 39. the Lord wil serue and saue them Pliny saith that the Cedar tree and the Iuniper if they bee annointed with oyle they feele neither moth nor rotting euen so the Prince gouernor being annointed not only outwardly but also inwardely with oyle of the holy Ghost for the holy Ghost is called an oile or annointing they neede not fear the moths of the common-weal 2 Iohn 2. that seek by fretting and eating to consume both Kingdome and King And so may I woorthily cal them as Licinius did Tineas soricesque palatij the moothes and rats of the court In vita Constant as Sextus Aurelius Victor testifieth in his Epitome This comfort gaue Bernard both to King and to Pope to Lewes the King of Fraunce thus The Kingdoms of the earth Epist 255. the Laws of Kingdomes do then indeed stand sound stable to their Lordes if they doe not withstand the ordinaunces and decrees of God To the Pope Eugenius thus I haue read in à wise man Epist 256. that hee is not a valiaunt man whose courage spirit doth not encrease when his case is most hard but I say a faithful man must more trust when the scourges hang ouer him Therefore the Gods of the earth if they wil be preserued by God with al trembling and feare must serue God Psal 2. if not they must hear be they Popes be they Princes what the same Bernard saith to them in the same Epistle Quale est hoc principatum tenere ministerium declinare What maner of thing is this to hold the principality and to shunne the seruice But
enemies and of his countrymen declaring to the worlde the auncient iustice of the Romanes not to win by fraude but by vertue and manhoode virtute opere Decad. 1. l. â— armis vincere as Liuie alleadgeth his words The same Liuie telleth how Papirius Cursor handled certaine traitours or reuoulters Lib. 9. first beating them with rods then beheading them with an axe These be some examples of Romanes In the wars betwixt Alexander and Darius the like seuerity against like offenders is to be found Ariobarzanes promised to kill his father Darius but Darius vnderstanding of it strook off his head Barsanetes a Prince perceiuing Darius to be ouercome by Alexander killed him but he for his pains or rather perfidiousnesse by Alexander was requited by death so writeth Brusonius Paulus Orosius saith Orosius l. 3. that Alexander found Darius bound with golden fetters and afterward in his iourney left all alone stricken with many wounds and ready to yeeld vp the ghost and Alexander pitieng him when hee was dead honourably buried him Carion writeth of another traitour Bessus captaine of Darius who seeing his master fly wounded him and Alexander comming and finding him halfe dead promised him that that notorious treachery of Bessus against his owne Lord should not be vnpunished and so tooke him and commaunded him to be hound between two trees and pluckt in peeces Lib. 2. and rent O worthy execution of a trayterous subiect and that by an enimy for an enemy I passe ouer many others that attempting the death of tyrauntes escaped not the iudgement of God Zeno Eleates was diuers waies tormented by Nearchus Mysius Dion by Dionysius Raph. Volat in philol lib. 30. Apollonius Tyaneus a great learned Philosopher was imprisoned by DomitiaÌ„ What then deserue such as commit this heynous act against their milde and mercifull Prince Surely no mercy being mercilesse themselues yea more cruel than Tygres I will adde in the number of these heathen one Turk There was in Constantinople a great rich citizen who taking snuffe against his Emperour came priuily to Mahomet then intending to besiege the city made this bargaine with him that if hee would let him haue one of his Daughters to bee his wife with a large dowry one of the gates of the city should be at his commaundement The Turkish tyrant agreeth the gate is opened and after the cruell massacre hee demaundeth his reward Meruisti quoth the tyrant you haue wel deserued it and commaundeth a great masse of gould to be brought to giue him but because thou doost aske my Daughter with a dowry being thy selfe a Christian thou must first put off this skin and leaue this life and forthwith commaundeth the officer to flea him from top to toe and casteth on hote ashes with salt Cuspinia in Constant 8. and laieth him and couereth him in a bed that a new skin might grow vpon him that he might be the more apt to receiue the new spouse of a new sect Here we may see as in a glasse the working of nature in brute beasts in naturall men and others before the Law of Moses and in very Pagans and Turkes howe they reuerenced their masters and superiours how they hated and plagued this horrible sinne of treachery against them I should proceede in the rest but I must differre it God grant that we Christians may not be found more vngrateful more vnthankful and more brutish than the beastes and beastly men God open our eies to see that old saieng to be true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Traison is euil euil to the Prince euil to the country euil to the woorkers themselues GOD preserue her Maiesty the whole Realme vs all from these practises in these daungerous and doubtfull daies To him be praise c. 1. SAM 26. And Dauid said to Abishai Destroy him not c. THE THIRD SERMON against trayterous practises ATHENAEVS alledgeth out of Berosus an auncient author L. Deipnosâ— 14 â—th 17. that about the sixteenth of the Calends of September there was a feast called Sacea solemnised in Babylon for the space of fiue daies in the which this custome was that seruants should haue rule ouer their masters that one of theÌ„ shuld be brought out of the house in Robes like a King whom they termed Zoganes If dearely beloued such a feast should endure not for the space of fiue daies but for mo daies mo years would you not think this to be a right Babylon A disorder and a confusion in a common weal There is in our time already in the sight of al men of any iudgement a new Babylon Rome where a Seruant nay a Seruant of Seruauntes by name is indeede a Master of Masters a Lord of Lords Zoganes of Rome a Zoganes not in sport but in earnest not for a fewe daies or yeares but such an one as without good warrant claimeth a Perpetuity not only ruling himselfe but setting vp other seruauntes against and aboue their Lordes Princes and Monarches vsurping authority ouer the anuointed of god O double pride that celebrateth such a double feast all the daies of his life not onely chalenging a dominion for himself but also placing seruants and subiects displacing the right inheritours and possessors of the Crown with the vtter desolation of common weales This Babylonicall Priest reuiueth raiseth out of the earth again The Pope a Babylonical priest those old Giants Terrae filios priuate men to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to striue and fight against the gods of the earth and against God himselfe He hath bred a new brood of vipers that cannot be content to come into the world A serpentine off-spring bred spred froÌ„ Rome in England and liue but by the death of the mother He is and hath beene the cause of a Serpentine generation not grateful but graceles requiting euil for good gaping for the destruction of those who haue by al means ' endeuoured to preserue relieue and promote theÌ„ Now you knowe the fable of AEsope of the snake found in the snow cold by the hus baÌ„dman brought to the fire and warmed and refreshed but afterward recouering heat and health hissed against his benefactour and poysoned the house Ore serit virus coluber sic toxicat aedem And afterwards Amplectensque virum sibila dira mouet O beastly broode and viperous children when as Epiphanius describeth them Epiplâ— To 2. Her 2. latus matris sauciant sic gignuntur vt pater mater ipsorumpereant They goare wound the side of the Morther they are so begotten and so borne that by them Father and Mother perish The moral and meaning is this Reddere gaudet homo nequam pro melle venenuÌ„ Pro fructu paenam pro pietate dolum To apply this to our purpose these oulde Giants vipers and Serpents are newly born againe in these daies vnthankfull men set vp by this romish Zoganes vnnaturally vngodly moÌ„strously attempting
this pye for he was his owne hangman Cap. 17. But mark in this history another proofe When Ioab asked the messenger that brought woord to him of Absalomes hanging vpon the oake why he did not smite him to the ground that hee might haue had a recompence for it Cap. 18. he auswered as becommeth a faithful priuate man Though I shoulde receiue a thousand Sicles of siluer in my hand yet would I not lay mine hand vpon the Kings Son He wold not touch the Kings son and yet the son did rise against the father how then dare subiects hazard enterprise the like against the lords anointed Dauid weÌ„t further in this point of iustice that hee did not suffer any murther to escape vnpunished against priuate men neither did God suffer those to goe scot-free 1. Reg. c. 2. Abner killed Asael brother to this Abishai and Ioab killed him againe and Dauid cursed Ioab for it and by the fathers appointment Salomon the Sonne put him to death no refuge no sanctuary no Altar could saue him She bah raiseth a power against Dauid 2. Sam. 20. but by the procurement and wisedome of a woman his head was cut off and cast downe to Ioab This history of Dauid alone diligently considered is enough to enstruct vs in our duty towards the Prince and sufficient to proue our proposition that blood requireth blood As these examples among the Iewes doe warne Other laws of God against murder Cap. 21. so the lawes among them warrant the same It is written in Exodus Hee that smiteth à man he dy he shal dy the death which is repeated in Leuiticus and againe in Exodus If a man come presumptuously vpon his neighbor to slay him with guile thou shalt take him from mine Altar Cap. 24. that he may dy A plaine precept we haue against sedition and rebellion in Salomon My sonne fear the Lorde Prou. 24. and the King and meddle not with them that are seditious for their destructioâ— shal rise sodainly and who knoweth the râ—â—ine of them both And in another place Giuâ— not thy waies to destroy Kings Cap. 31. The penalty of this offense felt ambitious Adomas by Salomon executed and the trayterous Priest Abiathar deposed and railing Shimei at length put to death whereof came a good ende Et confirmatum est Regnum in manu Salomonis 1. Reg 2. By this iustice the Kingdome of Salomon was established The Lord graunt of the like cause the like effect among vs. Another Law of God is in the new Testament Lawes and example in the newe Testament Iohn 8 which plainely auoucheth that this murdering commeth from the Diuel and teacheth vs a cleane contrary doctrine to the Romish rebellious religion namely to obey to pray for Princes and to pay duties to them to giue to Cesar that which is Caesars Matth. 22. Cap. 13. Paul to the ould Romanes gaue this lesson to render honour to whom honour is due and fear to whom fear belongeth Cap. 3. and in the Epistle to Tite Admonish those to be subiect to Princes and powers So dooth Peter 1. Pet. 2. Honour the King And in his second Epistle he saith that God doth preserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to be punished Cap. 2. chiefly those that walk after the flesh in the lust of vncleannes and despise the gouernment which are presumpteous and stand in their owne conceite and fear not to speak euill of them that are in dignity The like is read in Iudas Iuda Paul acknowledgeth this out of the ould law in the Acts of the Apostles Thou shalt not curse the Prince of the people Cap. 23. Wherupon Chrysostom inferreth this exposition I take it that he did not know at al that he was the Prince of the Priestes otherwise he would haue honoured him Shal I trouble you with the recitall of a fewe examples Theudas made a conspiracy but he was slaint so did Iudas of Galile Act. 5. but he also perished they that obeyed him were scattered abroad I conclude this with the terrible example and ruful end of Iudas the traytour of Iesus Christ his Master forsaken of God and of man of God for that hauing no grace he hanged himselfe of man for when Iudas bewailed his case to the Priestes Of Iudas the traytour two notes and confessed to them that hee had sinned betraying the innocent bloode What is that to vs quoth they see thou to it Mat. 26.27 C. 11. q. 3. Two notes we may gather out of Beda and R. Holcot both our countrymen the first thâ— cause the second the time the cause was monyâ— in Iudas that moued him to betray his masterâ— which fault of Iudas Mat. 27. saith Beda many thiâ— day abhor as cruel wicked but they takâ— not heede of it the other is the time whâ—â— he betraied him euen when hee had taken hâ—â— Supper he went out and betraied him Bâ—ware al traytours of Iudas ende beware aâ— auoide the cause that is hope of siluer and of a better change his chaunge was no Royall ExchaÌ„ge but insteed of his Apostleship a rope Let vs dearly beloued seek no alteration of the state nor of the Prince let vs consider our blessed time better thaÌ„ this vnkind Iudas did For we at this time are no lesse theÌ„ Iudas was both corporally fed with the plentiful prouision at Gods hande and also spiritually refreshed at the table of the lord and with the right vse of the sacraments From the lawe of Christ wee come to the opinion of Christian Fathers The iudgement of Christian Fathers Ignatius the Martyr alloweth no such rebellion but auoucheth the Scripture of God that God taketh this quarell of Princes vpon himselfe as hee said vnto Samuel he alleageth the Scripture of Moses saying This murmuring of yours is not against vs but against the Lorde God and setteth downe this seuere sentence No maÌ„ that lifteth vp himself against his better Epist 3. ad Magnesios weÌ„t at any time vnpunished coÌ„cluding thus Wherefore wee must reuerence our superiours for that it is no great matter to be calâ—ed à Christian but to bee one as though hee would imploy Ad Scapul that those that are disloyall and â—ebels are not good ChristiaÌ„s The same reaâ—on Tertullian rendreth We are defamed as â—raytours against the Maiesty of the Emperour and yet Christians were neuer found to be Albimans nor Nigrians nor Cassians but he there discharging the ChristiaÌ„s chargeth the heathen who coÌ„demned the christians Christianus nullius est hostis nedum Imperatoris A Christian is foe to no man much lesse to the Emperour The office of Christians and priuat men is by Augustine thus described Cap. 23. q. 8. Quicunque Whosoeuer striketh euil men in that they are euil and hath a cause to kil them is the minister of God But hee that killeth or slaieth or maimeth
treachery of her owne children as by their default Euen so our king Egilred or as others terme him Ethelred complaineth in an Oration in this sort Wee are ouercome of the Danes not with weapon or force of armes but with treason wrought by our owne people The cause is opened by Matthaeus Westmonasteriensis Pag. 396. that when the King and his Sonne Edmond were like to haue the vpper haÌ„d against Cneuto or Canutus the King of the Danes Edrike Traitour Eadricus plaied the traytour went about by sleight and subtilty and allured of the Kinges Nauy forty shippes and he slipped to Canutus and subiected himselfe to his dominion whereby west-Saxonie and the Mercians with their horses and artillery offered themselues to him Intimatum est Regi quod nisi cautius sibi prouideret ipse à Gente propria hostibus traderetur It was priuily told the King that if hee did not prouide for himselfe more warily hee should bee berraied into the handes of his enemies by his owne nation I signified before how King Edmond surnamed Ferreum Latus Iron-side at Oxford being at the Priuy on Saint Andrewes night was slaine by the Sonne of Eadrik through the fathers instigation the father after the fact coÌ„meth to Canutus with this salutatioÌ„ Aue Rex solus Matth. Westmona pag. 402. Polyd. Vir. Ang. Hist lib. 7. Hail O King alone but he heard this his rewarde by Canutus Ego te hodie ob tanti obsequij meritum cunctis regni proceribus reddam celsiorem For this your great seruice I wil exalt you set you higher than al the Peers of the realm Periury and perdition or treason had in this realme euermore according to their desert When King Edward the Confessour kept his solemnity of Easter at Winchester at dinner Earle Goodwine being burthened at the table with the treacherous murder of his brother Aelfredus Earle Goodwin added to the murther periury and desired of God as hee was true and iust that the morsell of bread which hee held in his hand might neuer passe his throate if his brother by himselfe or by his counsail at any time were neerer to death A terrible example against forswearing and any way further from life so putting the bread into his mouth with an il conscience was choked by it When the King sawe him pale and without breath Carry out saith he this dog Jn vita Edwardi Confessor this traytour bury him in the quadrangle for he is vnwoorthy to enioy Christian burial Another traytor in the time of Egilred or Ethelred was Elfrik who being made Lieutenant of the Kings army left his Master Elfrick and took part with the Danes vpon the suddain when he should haue discharged vpon the enemies of the King and the country Polyd. Vir. lib. 7. but afterward being Admiral of the Kinges Nauy and destitute of all hope of preferment with the enemy because he returned to the King craued pardon his punishment was mitigated for he saued his life with the losse only of his eies In the time of King Edwarde the first the Scots breaking peace which they had made to their liege Lorde King of England and conspiring nowe with the king of Fraunce partly because Iohn Beliol by the king of England was made their King one Thomas Turbeuile more acquainted with chiualry than honesty Th. Turbeuile plaid on both sides promising to the French-men that by treason they should possesse the Kingdome of England vppon condition to receiue a large summe of mony land leauing for assurance his two children as Hostages And so that deceiuer returning from beyond the Sea tolde the King of England another Parasiticall tale howe hee escaped hardly out of prison how he had learned the weaknesse of Fraunce But here a crooked Snake lurked hee caried poyson mingled with hony wherewith they that touched it might be infected creeping into fauour into the secret counsels of the Realm set down al in writing directed theÌ„ to the Prouost of Paris This fraude fact being opened by the prouidence of God who is wel called of the autor Exterminator impioruÌ„ The destroier of the wicked declared to the king he was immediatly by sergeants apprehended bound with cordes carried to iudgement accused and by his owne confession condemned First laid vpon an Ox hide drawen at horse tailes thorough London guarded with disguised tormentours baited at railed on by the way mocked was hanged his body vnburied the people passing by scornfully asking Mat. West in Edou 1. Is this Thomas Turbeuile Whose Epitaph a versifier wrote in this sort That Turbeuile was a troubler of the tranquillity quietnes of the Realme therefore hee that would bee an hoate burning sparkle was become a dead spark himselfe as in those rythmes may appeere at large whereof this is the beginning Turbat tranquilla clam Thomas turbida villa Qui quasi scintilla fuit accidit esse fauilla In the time of Edward the second Andrew Earle of Carlile Andreas Hartlee created Earle of Carlile at York sent by the King into Scotland to King Robert to intreat of Peace made another matter turned it into a message for war priuily fraudulently to compasse the destruction of his owne King This though contriued secretly yet it was certified to the King hee immediatly at his returne vpon the commandement of the King Polyd. Vir. Hist Ang. lib. 18. was attached taken by the guard so by by coÌ„uicted put to death Ita Andreas crucem sibi construxit ex qua penderet So Andrewe prepared for himselfe a Gallose to hang vpon made a rodde for his owne tasle In the time of Edwarde the third like conspiracies against the Prince had the like measure Polyd. l. 19. when Edmond Earle of Kent Roger Mortimer others were beheadded Thus you see exemplified by these traitors that which was by Lawes enacted as also by another example of an Italian indeuouring to betray Calice to the French An Itaâ—â—â— trick against Calice For when an English man had committed it vnto the Italian the French-man knowing the nature of that Nation to be most couetous of golde secretly dealt with him that he would sel the castle to him for twenty thousand crownes The Englishman being made priuy of this dissembleth all thinges driueth out the French and taketh them with them the principall cause of that treachery In the time of Richard the second there was a conspiracy of some Jn Epit. Frosardi lib. 1. Eccle. 10. Ansley and Carton that had in their mouth the Prouerbe of the Hebrues Woe be to the Land whose King is a Childe And of others euen in the court as of Iohn Ansley knight and of Hugh Carton minding with their complices to set vpon the King and to murder him although they two were enemies before yet in this made one agreeing too
a Traytor of the King of England a most wicked Pirat as it is in another history taÌ„quam de Monacho factus Daemoniachus as it were of a Monk made a Demoniacal man and possessed of a Diuel But this diuelish man was drawn out of the pump of the ship where he hid himselfe and his ende was the chopping off of his head by the hande of the Earle of Cornwal Richard the Kings brother carried to the King Maâ— Daâ—â—â— in Heâ—â—â—â— and so to diuerse places of the Realme which the Moucke woulde haue redeemed with an mestimate masse of money but coulde not Adam Adam the Byshop of Hereford was accused of treason and yet was protected by the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury of Yorke and of Dublin Th. Walsing in 〈◊〉 wardoâ— and of ten other Bishops and with violence and with the Arch-bishops crosses was pluckt out from the place of iudgement but afterwards being found guilty by the sworne Iurie of all the crimes obiected was so pronounced his goods confiscated the traiterous and horned Priests blancked for so these verses signifie Nostri cornuti sunt consilio quasi muti Sunt quasi consusi decreto legis abusi This Adam as this history reporteth was arrested openly in the Parlament at London to the great reproch of the cleargy and preiudice of the whole church of England Against Henry the fourth Conspiratours against Heâ— the 4. what conspiracies were there not by Earls and specially by Cleargy men whose meaning was sodenly at the castle of Winsor in the time of Christmasse plaies to rush in to kill him his children but their Christmas py was a deadly pie to them some ran away to London and so ment to passe beyond the sea but the wind being against them they were taken and beheadded The cleargy men Maude Ferby Maudlin Maude and William Ferbie were hanged drawen and beheaded at London others at Oxford The Priest of Ware that had matriculated in a roole the names of the conspirators whereof some were innoceÌ„t had the same iudgement The Prior of Laune once Canon of Dunstable Walter Baldock a Prior. Walter Baldocke confessing himselfe to be priuy to it for conceiling it was hanged so were the Minorit Friers euen in the habit of their religion Friers An Abbat of Westm As for the Abbat of Westminster a chiefe stickler in this matter in whose house after the feast this conspiracy was deuised was by God himselfe stricken with a palsey and by by was dum and so died At the same time Thomas Walsingham writeth of Owen Glendar a Welch man Owen de Glendour In Henr. 4. a rebel against the same King intending by his Magicall coniuration to kill the King the Diuel so working by raine winde snowe haile stones and al tempests against the King and his camp Jbidem Fuerunt plures si fas sit credere qui dicerent haec aduersa arte fratrum Minorum contra Regem fuisse commentata It was a common rumour then that Friers hauing familiarity with Diuels wrought brought al these miseries against the King as friendes to the Welch but you heard how the Diuell was ouertaken by God The Minorites executed by the King in their best and most holy weedes and so Owen Glendar in the absence of the King following his prophecy wandred miserably vp and downe in the desert and in solitary places by penury and hunger pined away The like iudgement fel vpon Falcasius a rebel against Henry the third of a great rich man so miserably poore that he in banishment begged his bread in Fraunce and had not a bolster to lay his head vpon I might haue reckoned vp many Iackes as Iacke Strawe Th. Walsingham n. Hypod. Neusiriâ— or Wat Tiler Iack Miller Iacke Carter against King Richard the second and also Iack Cade of Kent who was in a cart brought to London taken before in a garden in Sussex and his head set on London bridge his quarters sent into Kent in the time of Henry the sixt but these are matters of rebellion indeede but not so much for Religion which is my purpose and chiefe scope And yet all these drink of one cup bitter enough here for such and most bitter in the life to come Now to come nearer vnto our time memory Late Popish traytours for their Religion R. Holinsh in Henr. 8. Rebellions for religion vndeâ— Henr 8 our Popish Traitours haue had no better successe In the raigne of Henry the eight by Parliament the Lords praier and the ten commandements were decreed to be learned in English for this good seruice to God and to the common weal the blind people seduced by blind guides Monks Priests made a commotion in Lincolne shier In Lincolne shiere God fought for his cause for his King and gaue to him the victory The multitude by proclamation was pardoned a new oath of fealty to the King receiued Captaine Cobler Doctor Mackarel a Monke named Doctor Mackarel and others put to death How fel it out in the North by their religious rebellion In the North an holy pilgrimage It was forsooth for the Cacholicke Church It was called a holy blessed pilgrimage In their banners was painted Christ hanging on the Crosse a Chalice with a painted cake in the sleeues of the souldiours were embrodered the fiue wounds of our Sauior But God ouerturned al their purposes and they were supplaunted and by a floud on Simon Iudes Euen their heat was cooled A butcher a Priest executed and a butcher at Winsor wishing that these good fellowes of the North had some carkases of his sheepe with a Priest procured to preach in fauour of Rebels were adiudged to dy by Law Martial Good king Edward the sixt proceeded in zeale as his father began Rebellions for religion in the time of Edwa. 6. Jn Cornewall and more sincerely reformed religion but alas in Cornewall and Deuonshire it was not brooked nor digested the king his Commissioner in Cornwall was slaine but God did not suffer it is remaine vnreuenged a Priest was taken and executed in Smithfield by Law In Deuonshiere they did rise for the six Articles In Deuonshiere they would haue Masse holy water holy bread but they wilfull men lacked all they famished for want of bread The Lorde Russel the Lorde Grey the kings army ouercame them Sir Peter Carewe and Gawine and other faithfull subiects with the city of Exceter perseuering true and loyall were rewarded highly commended but Welch vicar of Saint Thomas in Exceter a newe reformer of religion was hanged vp in chains vpon the top of the church with his sacring Bel holy water bucket and sprinkle beeds and other Popish trash the chiefe captaines most disloial carried to London to be executed In Northfolke was another rebellion of such as partly were deceiued In Northfolke or not throughly persuaded in religion they had an
of the people continued stil at his deuotion making his confession vnto God by the thrust of a sworde and by shedding his innocent blood was made pium morris sacrificium a sacrifice and a Martyr to God But Blacco the Captaine that first rushed into the Church made the people in that holy place to shed blood euen in the first entraunce of the Church was first of al murdered as a sacrilegious man towards God and a Parricide towards his King the people afterward repented them of their rashnes tooke this Canutus to be a Saint What should I speak of others rather wolues and vipers dogs then men who thus brutishly deuise say and do against the Lords annointed Is not this woluish foxy generation yet aliue Haue they not doe they not stil practise against our Soueraign notwithstanding the examples of Gods seuerity in al times and countries neither looking backward toward the punishmeÌ„t passed in Iury in Italy in Greece in Flanders in France in Hungary in Denmarke and here in England neither looking for-ward on the iudgements to come And what is the cause Onely this in Tertullian Bonus vir Caius Seius Ju Apoâ—â— sed malus â—antùm quia Christianus Item alius Ego Luciune sapientem virum repentè Christiaâ—um factum defero Caius Seius is a good man but he is an il man only because hee is a Christian man And another saith and confesseth Lucius to bee a wise man but sodenly made a Christian man the one they cannot but praise the other they tel as newes of dispraise I say with Tertullian They praise chose things that they know they dispraise those thinges that they knowe not and that thing which they doe knowe because they know not they doe corrupt and man Our Religion is forsooth a cause of their rebellion therefore our Countrymen at home are our enemies Is this newes to you You knowe my Brethren that it is an ould grudge an auncient offense and scandal You know many shal be Offended with Christ Matth. 10.1 Pet. 2. Matth. 21. Luc. 2. You knowe the Scriptures Christ shal bee the stone of offense and the rocke of scandal The stone cast away of the builders and Priests set to be the ruine resurrection of many Christ and Christes annointed haue this portion the inheritaunce of the Crosse euen for Christes Crosse sake The Kinges of the earth bande themselues Psal 2. and the Princes are assembled together against the Lorde and against his Christ Psal 3. And againe How many rise against mee The Prince and the Prophet haue this lot King Cyrus had displeasure of the Babylonians for defending Daniel his religion They say the King is become a Iewe he hath abolished Bel killed the dragon slain Priests and they flocke together to the King saying Giue vs Daniel or woe will kil thee with all thy house In Histor Bel. Daniel likewise is laide waite for by the Princes and nobles he is complained of to Darius because they found him making praiers and supplâ—cation to his God As Daniel so the rest of the Apostles and Prophets and why Serpens hostis est contrarius veritati Daniel 6. In Ezeâ—â— Homâ— Actorâ—â— as Origen replieth The Serpent is an enemy contrary to the truth Which of the Prophetes haue not your fathers persecuted smdâ— blessed Stephen and therefore was stoned The Propher Icremy was mocked continually stricken of the Priest Pashur Cap. â—0 Dorotheâ—â—â— in synopsi Origen in Matth cap. 13. and in the end murdered and in AEgypt stoned by the people Esay for the truth was cut in peeces by his countrymen Zachary for the truth was slaine betweene the Temple and the Altar The Thessalonians for the truth suffered euen of their owne countrymen 1. Thessal cap. 2. And Origen maketh this coniecture that Paul preaching euery where yet hee prenched not at Tharsis in his coutry Sciens Propheram experteÌ„ esse honoris inpropria patria because Paul did knowe that a Prophet was not honoured in his owne countryâ—â—◠〈◊〉 for this cause the Apostle forsooke Israel and said Act. câ—â—â—â— Because you cast vs out iudge your selues vn worthy of euenlasting life behold we turn to the Gentils The Gospell could haue no place miracles could take no effect in Christs countrie whereof he complaineth in his Euangelisles Mat. 13 Math. 6. Luc. 4. Matthe we Marke and Luke I speake not this of you dearelie beloued whose zeale in Religion is knowne and I hope will continue and increase more and more but I speak it with griefe of minde by this common practise and experience oftimes fearing our countrimen that euen now begin to reuolt in hart and a great number in bodie who withdraw themselues from our Church from our Sermons and Seruice and Sacramentes and from their obedience tâ— God their Prince and from all pierie towarâ—s their Pâ—â—iaâ—â— and Country Christ banished daily conspiring and all for Christ and his Gospel whom they would banish and like Herodians extinguish among vs 〈◊〉 but if he be banished it is no shâ—â—le for vs to be banished with him It is he to whoÌ„ we must cleanâ— by life or by death It is his cause her is able and willing to defend it He is our friend and Protector against at traitours and enemsies whereof now by order I must speake as followeth in the Text. As Dauld hither to hath made a prohibitioÌ„ to Abishai The third part of D. politick Resolution and also hath protested for himself saying The Lord keepe me for laying mine hands vpon the Lordes annointed So now he goeth forward with his politick and prouident resolution beginning here I pray thee take now the speare that is at his head and the pot of water and let vs go hence and so foorth as you may see in the eleuenth twelfth verses this is the third part of Dauids aunswere and of my diuision In which part as many good notes may be made and many pointes of doctrine may bee gathered as Dauids humble request to Abishai and his poliey in taking away the spear and the pot for considerations and the drowsines of the enemies so I rest only vpon this common place the Prouidence of God that threefold taken out of the circumstaÌ„ces First out of the person of Saul Secondly out of the person of Dauid and Abishai A triple prouidence of God Thirdly out of the circumstaunce of the place where they were and of the state they were in at this time Sauls person ministreth occasion to intreat of the protection of Princes of the singular prouidence of God which is a reason forcible to penswade all euill and obâ—â—inate men Gods singular prouidence and care of Princes that they intermeddle not against them of whome the Lord hath fueh an extraordinary special care sâ—nd it is a woonder to see and to heare bowe man not regarding this carefull and watchfuley of the