arising heere for lacke of a King that is of a fit person to execute the Lawe against Idolatry Likewise in the 19. Chap. of Iudges the Leuites wife is defiled after an vnsatiable brutish maner The reason of this villaine this iniustice this error in practise is giuen as before Then there was no King c. So all disorders of life are for lacke of execution of Iustice for God gaue the People a Lawe in this case so they lacked not a law but a Magistrate to execute it Againe in the 21. Chap. of Iudg There are two barbarous facts mentioned the first the bloudy destruction of Iabes Gilead the other the rape of certaine virgins by fraude and force who came out without feare of trechery securely trusting to their owne innocence and the peace of the State The reason of these disorders is giuen as before Then there was no King in Israel but euery man did what seemed good in his owne eyes There vvas a Lawe but there vvas none designed to execute it Praysed be God vvee haue both King Lawes Priests and Iudges how haps it then that there are I do not say sinnes for there vvill be sinnes as long as there are men but such common open crying sinnes such raigning roaring raging sinnes such beaten roads common high-vvayes of sinnes and sinning as if there vvere no King no Lawe no Priest no Iudge in England I speake not of them vvhich may pretend their excuse from the fraylty of our natures and our procliuenes to sin but of such as are committed with a high hand standing like theeues by the high-vvayes side at nooneday and robbing God of his glory the Common-wealth of their honor and that vvith violence vvith applause shaddowing their vnlawfull actions vnder the pretence of Lawe it selfe vvhich should reforme them And some of these for the manifestation of this point I intend to bring to the barre to answere for themselues But see I shall not neede for impudent Sacriledge appeares of himselfe to confront the Pulpit and the bench too It is not a scarlet gowne that can fright Diues for he vvent in purple euery day If Iustice helpe not he vvill strangle Deuotion for vvho vvill giue to God if the Diuell enioyes vvhat is giuen Or vvho vvill giue to the Clergie to the poore to charitable vses if the Athiest the prophane person the vncharitable vvretch the Politician may ceize vpon it sell it or the title to iâ— as he doth It lyes only in the hands of Power and Authority to stop his mouth for he hath got such countenance and supportance as he sits in judgement and hath giuen sentence like the Man of sinne against the Clergy that tithes are not due to them Iure Diuino and therefore he and his may ceize vpon them vvith Prescriptions Impropriations Prohibitions like an other three-headed Cerberus Iure diabolico The Country-people like well and vvill soone learne this lesson they thought before it vvas no conscience to pay tithes but all being due by almos it vvas no theft no sacriledge but vvisedome and good husbandry to keepe asmuch backe as they might vvee expected reformation and a restoring of the oyle to the lampes as God had lent these times more light then others But now there is cause to doubt rather substraction then to hope for restitution much lesse to expect addition Simony Sacriledge all are let loose and armed and Iudas hath sufficient colour to saue like a theefe his oyntment from Christs members and Ministers vnder pretence of charity and releeuing the poore though Christ sees the thiefe in Iudas heart and though Salomon knowes howsoeuer this way may seeme right to themselues yet the end thereof is destruction to the Church and death to many a poore soule But they are in their vvay rather vvilling to pay tenths to Sathan then to God It is therefore ten to one if one of ten haue grace to returne and to restore God is iust who whilst they withdraw their hands and hearts from good withdrawes his grace from their hearts they may heare but they profit not to obedience and practise He will not suffer such to gaine grace by the preaching of the Word vvho for their owne priuate gaine vvould starue the Preachers of the Word The Vsurer comes next as a brother in euill to Sacriledge This must not now be called a sinne it is justified out of the Pulpit to be none and it is growne to be a profession too and the Vsurer is a free-man of euery company but not free in any good cause or company It was a sin so vgly heeretofore as none durst practise it scarce durst name it but vvith the signe of the crosse as if they had spoken of a Diuell but it is now so common as he is scarce thought an honest man that is not one for he cannot be honest that is not rich and he cannot be rich vvithout this trade This is the gulph wvith sinks and swallowes our Marchants Clothyers Farmers Owners all Men complaine of the Law and that vvorthily but this this is the rocke that Shipwracks all and spoiles all trading and commerce whilst the venter and hazard is the buyers and the sellers but the certaine gaine fals betwixt both to the vsurer This Man payes neither duty to God nor the King for his trade hath no warrant from either God forbids it the King tolerates it as some States doe the practise of the Stewes or as our Sauiour said of Diuorces Moses for the hardnes of your hearts suffered you to put away your wiues but from the beginning it was not so the time hath not beene long since this sinne came in request for a vertue nor will it bee long ere the practisers shall see that howsoeuer the way seemes good in their owne eyes yet the Yssues thereof are the wayes of death Next the vsurer and the Sacrilegious person who are coupled like dogges comes three together in a cluster 1. The Forestaller 2. The Ingrosser 3. The Depopulator as seuerall species of one Genus birds of a feather who hang together of a string and it is pitty they should not euer so hang. The Forestaller I meane not the petty forestaller of a Fayre or Market but the forestaller of Commodities in a vvhole Country bites closer then a Goose for the Goose eates all aboue the earth but this beast eates vp all commodities before they spring assoone as they are sowne in the Earth and therefore is a right earth-worme 2. Neither when I speake of Ingrossers do I intend petty persons who ingrosse vp this or that commodity but the Ingrosser of Farmes who like another Cain takes possession of all and will not indure any man to thriue or liue by him Euery Farme euery trade euery Sheepes-course is his Nothing fatts him but a deere yeare nothing drownes him but a deepe and long snow for if that melts not the sooner hee melts He hath in his hands perhaps what would
world went all wayes were alike to vs Looke vpon man and wife the Epitome of the Common-wealth was there euer such iarres so little loue such chopping and chaunging of wiues and husbands such Nullities such playing fast loose with the sacred coniugall knot such houses ouerthrowne by busie pragmaticall and disobedient Euahs and effeminate slauish and passiue Adams Looke in the streete if you can distinguish men and women asunder by their apparell or behauiour if euery Succuba seemes not an Incubus so that you had need of a Iury to inquire of their Sexes Consider well if there be such a thing as modesty and chastity or shamefastnesse left amongst women or courage manhood and honour left amongst men Looke vpon the highest if they make any other account of the poore then of their tame cattell I except their dogs and horses and perhaps their sheepe deere hogges for these must all be fed before them Looke vpon the Commons if their teeth grinde not with indignation as if they had stomach enough both to eate the beasts and their more beastly masters Looke vpon all men if sinnes of all kinds doe not abound See if you can distinguish the man from the Master but that perhaps the man goes brauer sweates lowder and wil be drunke sooner And if his Master keepe from Church for conscience sake he will keepe from thence because he hath no conscience Looke euery way if it be not a shame to seeme good much more to bee so If it be not a glory to regard neither God nor King Religion nor Lawe If they be not the only braue fellowes who dare doe the basest acts most boldly and in a drunken desperate moode iustle sober and silent Iustice from the wall into the Channell Behold if want hath not made a violent ceizure of vs all want of wealth want of strength want of courage want of wit want of conscience want of grace so that wee resemble the people of Laish spoken of in the 18. Chap. of the Iudges 7. 10. verses and so are a carelesse secure irregular Nation a fit prey for any Conqueror This is all true all men see it and confesse it but where is the cause of this Our sinnes they are both the cause the effect for sinne is punished with sinne And we that are euill Customers to defraud God of his due must looke to haue strict seuere Searchers and Controllers and watchers set ouer vs. But vvhere is that causa proxima of sinne Sinne is a cause indeed of sinne but it is causa remota so that euery eye cannot discerne that cause Why the next cause of sinne which euery eye may see is the lacke of Execution of good Lawes wee haue them but thy lie as Henry the fifts Bowes and Arrowes at Pomfret Castle with which he wan the battaile of Agincourt or Edward the thirds sword in Westminster which he vsed in the Conquest of Fraunce and tels vs now what braue fellowes our forefathers haue beene Heere only is the difference that sword is euer drawne but the sword of Iustice is euer in the Sheath Now my honorable Lords you haue the sword in your hands though not the scepter draw it foorth and strike with it the enemies of Truth and Iustice who wander out of the Kings high-way in their wayes of neighborhood and wayes of priuacy You heare Nehemiah say Cap. 6. 11. Should such a man as I feare It were a shame Should such as you either feare or fauour or respect causes or persons I cannot suspect such a cloud where there appeares such a shining Sun of graces and gifts of knowledge and profession I dare not admonish you of any thing I am so confident of your integrity Yet because I know as you are the eyes of the State the eyes of his Maiestie so you must see by othermens eyes and heare by other mens eares I turne me therefore to them Honorable Gentlemen the King hath made you Iustices to assist these Iudges in presence to supply by your authority their absence Shew your selues as your Predecessors haue done vvorthy of your places reforme what you can inform where you cānot that the higher power may I know you know you were not made Iustices of peace to the end to be silent but to speake He is vnworthy of his place vvho attaines it onely for his owne grace to hurt his enemies profit his followers to vphold his faction and partie and therefore attends his profit or pleasure rather then his calling vvhere withall he thinkes his conscience is not charged but that it is enough for him to sit on the Bench to tell the Clocke and keepe his Cushion warme You know and therefore doe the contrarie the Church the Common-wealth expects more from you and I excite you to this in their names And you Gentlemen of the Grand-Enquest and of other Iuries with chiefe Constables and pety Constables I turne me to you Consider you are the eyes and eares wherewithall Iustice sees and heares without you shee is blind and deafe let not preiudice or partialitie take vp your affections therefore aforehand Be not like Band-dogs muzled for feare of biting remember the dignitie authority and vse of your places and disgrace them not by your vnworthy cariage The poorest Constable is an eye to the richest and wisest Magistrate but few of them I feare haue eyes to see it and that their Certificates would witnesse if they were strictly examined which commonly are nothing but matter of forme and yet without either matter or forme Consider I beseech you how Policie hath set one eye ouer another and how many eyes there are ouer-looking all your voluntarie your wilfull your negligent and partiall escapes the petty Constables chiefe Constables Grand-Enquest the Iustices the Iudges and the whole County And you that are next the lowest consider the like and so successiuely as you are superordinate I ascend to you honorable Iudges who know you haue a King aboue you too vvho can distinguish of wayes discerne colours though all scarlet sinnes crying crimes be kept from his eyes and eares artificially Eccl. 5. 8. there is one aboue him too who rules the hearts of Kings as the riuers of waters and being aboue him he must needs ouersee vs all Psal 97. 9. Pro. 21. 1. Act. 15. 8. for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher and seer of the heart There is a double worke at the Assises the triall of Nisi prius and Censure of manners This this last my Lords is the needfull the acceptable worke for we haue more neede of a Cato to reforme our corrupt manners then of a Cicero or Antony or Salust to purifie and polish our Language Wee all speake like good Angels but we liue like euill The Country Contention makes the Lawyer rich but the neglect of Iustice makes vs all poore Heere nothing profits but due execution which is then done when your honors do not only giue
gift and so resolutely to rest vpon the grace of the giuer as to assure himselfe and others of this crowne Presumption is faith with them and true sauing faith is Presumption When they heate him say Rom. 8. 38. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord they would gladly make this only a probable perswasion no certaine faith but others seeing this too grosse a dallying with the manifest scope of the Text say Saint Paule vvas assured of the certainty of his saluation of the happy end of his right way by extraordinary reuelation only But let it be so was it reuealed to him for others that beleeue too he saith so for he saith nothing shal be able to seperate vs Now then if it be reuealed to him for others let vs beleeue the reuelation and apply it with vnfained faith to our owne hearts in particular as he did to his And by the way obserue what it is that Saint Paule builds his faith vpon so that nothing can preuaile against it Is it vpon Peter that rocke Is it vpon Indulgences or Pardons of man Is it vpon personall righteousnes inherent iustice or his owne or other mens merits No It is vpon that rocke Christ Iesus it is vpon the loue and Charity of God in and through the merits of Christ Iesus our Lord which loue not death nor life nor Angell nor power nor heauen not hell can alter for Gods loue is immutable he is not as man that he should repent whom he loues he loues to the end his wayes seeme hard but the Yssues of them are the wayes of life Whereas therefore our Aduersaries accuse vs of nouel presumption for teaching a faith that may assure vs of our saluation and to elude this cleere place of Saint Paul and diuerse other the like say This was reuealed to him by extraordinary fauour Wee know and confesse that hee as a worthy instrument of Gods glory as a Master builder had many things reuealed vnto him for the edification of the Church but for this particular it was no otherwise reuealed to him then it is to euery faithfull Christian in vvhom the Spirit of God dwels as in a temple and there teacheth them to offer Sacrifice and to cry Abba Father with teares and grones that cannot be expressed Well may there bee a difference in the measure of the reuelation not in the matter reuealed Wee know saith Saint Iohn 1. Ep. 3. 14. that wee are translated from death to life c. and after verse 23. He that keepeth his commandement dwelleth in him and he in him and heereby wee know that he abideth in vs euen by that Spirit which he hath giuen vs. So the persons are wee not I not Saint Iohn alone but wee all that beleeue and loue for this faith and loue are inseperable Againe wee are translated not it is probable wee shal be but wee are vvhich makes it certaine by faith as if it were done and accomplished Lastly we know this and wee know it by the Spirit which God hath giuen vs the same Spirit that taught Saint Paule and Saint Iohn is our tutor too For other reuelations Christ himselfe hath silenced all pretences and shadowes and giuen absolute authority to the Scripture opened and interpreted by the Spirit of God to resolue all scruples in case of conscience Luk 16. 19 And this wee may see cleerely in the Parable of Diues and Lazarus where Diues after he had failed of his personall suite and could not obtaine a drop of mercy for himselfe yet requested Abraham to send one to his friends to forewarne them of the state he was in not that they might pray for him for that vvas to no purpose the tree was falne but that they might by repentance and amendment auoyde the danger themselues To whom Abraham giues this answere They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them so he turnes them to the Scriptures wherein the will of God is reuealed to euery man what they should shun what they should doe what they should beleeue and how they should liue And when Diues persisting in his suite saith Nay father Abraham but if one went vnto them from the dead they will repent Abraham replies definitiuely and resolutely If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead So wee see he that doubts the Scripture or beleeues any thing against it vnder pretence of reuelations from heauen or hell or Purgatory or the like fictions of Ghosts and Spirits appearing is in a wise case and may be drawne into a fooles Paradise but neuer into the true Paradise and so wander in this way which seemes right but the end thereof are the Yssues of Death To shut vp this point obserue the certainty of this iudgement as the Apostle Saint Iohn before in the 1. Ep. 3. Chap 14. verse speakes in the present Tence we know that wee are translated to note the certainty of their translation to glory so heere Salomon saith It is the way of Death and the end thereof is so to note the certainty of the thing And this is a plaine proofe of the Spirits assistance to discerne the end and determination of a thing before the end be come when otherwise it were too late to doe it For it is too late for Diues to repent in hell when the end is come he should haue attended better to Moses and to the Prophets before and beleeued the word of God not the foolish traditions of his forefathers against the Word or the idle old-wiues tales of his foremothers besides the Word he should haue attended the admonition of the faithfull Pastor and Prophet and not to the fained Legend of his flattering Patasites trencher-fed Chaplaines The perfection of all humane judgement is to iudge by the end and issue and euen heere wee often erre too but if man goes farther of himselfe by nature it is but coniecture and presumption arising from long experience in obseruation of like circumstances as the effect leades vs to the cause but yet euen then wee cannot say it is or certainely it shall bee but it may be so it may so fall out it may be the end of Death But the Spirit of God sees the end before it comes he sees the thoughts afarre off and iudgeth and warneth men aforehand inwardly by good and holy motions outwardly by the Scriptures and he that will not beleeue the holy Spirit of God in the Scriptures it is but iustice if God giue him ouer to a reprobate minde that he should be seduced and beleeue lies who would not receiue the truth of God but was transported with respect of times persons places and other humane Motiues And heere before wee
part I giue the intelligent Hearer this one obseruation by the way that of all the controuersies betwixt vs and our Romane Adversaries we are not chalenged for doing any thing in the seruice of God which wee ought not to doe for wee beleeue with them all the Articles of the Creede wee pray as Christ himselfe hath taught vs wee liue at least wee teach that allmen should liue as God hath commanded vs in the Decalogue Only the exceptions they take at vs are for omissions because they say wee do not something wee ought to doe and our exceptions are against them 1. First for omitting some things which God commandeth 2. Secondly for doing something that God commandeth not after the patterne prescribed but after another manner invented 3. Thirdly for doing many things which God hath directly and expresly prohibited prohibiting in the meane time what God hath commanded Now I desire you so to obserue this passage that you may take it vp rightly and vnderstand what I meane I say therefore againe the questions and controuersies betwixt vs are not for the things wee doe but of the things that they doe As for example they dare not finde fault with vs for praying as Christ taught vs Our father c. But the question is whether or no they doe as they ought whilst they pray to Saints and Angels The question is not whether wee may pray to God without Images or no but whether wee may pray by at in to or before Images with any reference to them as they doe And so for Latin Seruice for the Communion in both kinds the questions are about the things that they do not for the things wee do so the doubt is vpon their side and such a doubt it is that the Pope would gladly haue graunted Queene Elizabeth of happy Memory liberty for her and her people to do these things as wee now doe them as witnesseth the learned B B. of Ely in his Tortura Torti and Master Camden in his Anâ—ales if the Queene would haue taken license from him or would haue subiected her Crowne to his Myter for that was the marke he shot at the gaine of his Peter pence and other spirituall trading and the glory of a Kingdome so obsequious so fruitfull so helpefull as England had beene and might bee But shee was too honorable to kisse his foote for feare or hope and too honest to receiue any courtesie from him which I adde the rather to let them see who perhaps are not altogether vvell affected toward vs nor perswaded of our truths that there is nothing practised in our Church but that which finds allowance and approbation from the modestest and learnedest of their side And therefore they may well be present at our seruice and communicate with vs in our Sacraments The Popes worde only hinders them from Communion with vs but Gods word bars vs from Communion with them without scruple of conscience vnlesse the Popes countermand bee their scar-crow although wee may not safely communicate with them for feare of manifest Idolatry knowing that howsoeuer their way seemes right in theyr eyes yet the Issues thereof are the wayes of death 3. The Publique Iudge Salomon The last point comes now to be handled concerning the true Iudge of this way which is the holy Spirit of God directing the pen of Salomon the Publique Magistrate the King and the Preacher A man and a priuate spirit of a man was the Iudge of the apparance the seeming good the beginning of this way But God is the true Iudge of the end and issue of this way Man was an impotent Iudge God an all-sufficient Iudge Man was a Iudge preiudiciall and partiall Gen. 18. 25 God is an vpright Iudge for shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right But the Pope of Rome steps in heere Luk. 4. 6. chalenging to be Iudge in this case by Charter as Sathan did in the like case and to haue a Patent sealed to that end by Christ himselfe 1. Reg. 2. 27 And for feare Salomon who as King durst dispose of the Preisthood should bring euidence against him either by word or fact he hath stopt his mouth and condemned him aforehand to Hell and brought out Traian the Emperor in his roome who though he were a Pagan yet hath found so much fauour as to be preferd before Salomon In the life of Gregory the great who was a Type of Christ and the wisest Prince that euer reigned And doubtles if any other of the Prophets or Apostles should presse him with arguments he hath power to silence them and to cry vp and downe what Scripture he pleaseth to make Canonicall Apocrypha and Apocrypha Canonicall ad benè placitum For who would beleeue the Scripture but for the Church and who is the holy Catholique Church but his Holines at least who is the head thereof who rules the roast there but hee Now if any of them vrge him too farre and make against him he hath power to take order with them either by binding or loosing which iurisdiction in this case he excrciseth after a foure-fold manner 1. By pronouncing them Apocrypha 2. By eluding their genuine meaning and sence by a foraigne and forced interpretaton or exposition 3. By warranting an erronious Iranslation to be Authenticall and the only true one 4. Lastly by purging all humors that offend his humor In which regard wee see how the Auncient Fathers haue beene shaued clipt scoured washt let blood purged gelt and mutilated yea and many of the Neotericks of their owne Men and faction haue beene dieted and cast into a sweat and hardly recouered with the application of their Catholicon And all these acts of theirs iustified and defended with asmuch eagernesse and shew of zeale and truth as the honestest cause Well may wee therefore feare and flee from his censure as from a Iudge full of preiudice full of partiality because it is in his owne cause where he will not limit his Prerogatiue royall but extend it beyond all degrees of comparison Yet though he be our Aduersary let vs heare him a little and see what notes and Land-markes he giues vs to know and distinguish the true way from the false by that wee may follow them if they both seeme and bee infallible and that wee may beware of them if they only seeme right but leade to the way of death and then seeke out others that wee may cleerely see to be true Neither will the time permit nor is it needfull to bring forth all the marks of the true way which the Church of Rome hangs out The principall only I will briefly touch and point at But before wee do it I must lay downe this ground of their owne which they giue to discerne true notes by True Notes of the Church must be such as are able to constitute the absolute definition of the Church so farre that being found the Church is found and being lost