which is a brother vnto Dragons and a companion of Ostriches constrained to dwell with Mesech and to haue his habitation among the tents of Kedar As Zachary the Priest had good neighbours so likewise kinde cousins for albeit they might haue well expected large legacies if he had dyed without issue yet they reioyced at the birth of his sonne an enuious man hath a great deale of lesse wit in his malice then a very brute for whereas neither foule nor fish is taken in a snare without a baite the spitefull wretch is brought to the diuels hooke without any pleasant bite the voluptuous man hath a little pleasure for his soule the couetous a little profit for his soule the proud and ambitious a little honour for his soule but an enuious man hath nothing of the deuill or flesh or world for his soule but hearts-griefe hoc solum inuidus bene agit quod se cruciat Wherefore laying aside all malitiousnes and enuie let vs imitate the good neighbours and allyes of Elizabeth here let vs as feeling and fellow members of the same mysticall body remember those that are in bondes as though our selues were bound with them and if any member be had in honour to reioyce with it These neighbours and cousins visiting Elizabeth in childe-bed came not as one notes vpon the place with basket and bottle to drinke and eate though I confesse that kind of neighbourhood were better vsed in a Priests house then in a tap-house neither came they like the gossips in our time with a great deale of tattle speaking things vncomely but they came to praise God for his goodnesse shewed vpon their friend Elizabeth 1. In taking away the reproach of barrennesse 2. For giuing her a sonne so the text they heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy vpon her and they reioyced with her it was mercy that she brought forth a sonne great mercy that she bare such a sonne The Thracians vsed to laugh at the death and to weepe at the birth of men but the Scripture teacheth vs to reioyce when a sonne is borne children and the fruit of the wombe are a gift that commeth of the Lord and therefore when Eua conceiued and bare Cain she said I haue gotten a man from the Lord and Lamech hauing gotten a sonne called his name Noah saying this same shall comfort vs concerning our worke and sorrow of our hands c. When Isaac was borne Sarah his mother said God hath made me to laugh a woman as Christ speakes Iohn 16. 21. when she is in trauel hath sorrow because her houre is come but assoone as she is deliuered of the childe she remembers no more the paine for ioy that a man is borne into the world quid dulcius in humanis quà m gignere sibi similem aut beatius in terris quà m natos videre natorum Elizabeth then had good cause to praise God in the gift of a sonne but her selfe and her friends had greater cause to reioyce because she bare such a sonne tantum talem filium a sonne so great in the sight of the Lord filled with the holy ghost and strong in spirit euen from his mothers wombe such a son of whom as yet in swadling cloutes his father moued by the spirit said hee should be the prophet of the most high of whom also when hee was growen vp and executed his office Christ himselfe gaue this testimony that among those which are borne of woemen there hath not risen a greater then Iohn the Baptist If a wise sonne make a glad father and a foolish sonne bring heauines to his mother Elizabeth had great mercy shewed vpon her in that she brought forth a Iohn into the world Mystically gratious Iohn borne of barren Elizabeth liuely represents the fulnes and fruitfulnes of the Gentiles arising from the barrennesse of the Iewes and therfore the Prophet exhortes the Church reioyce thou barren that bearest not breake forth into singing thou that trauaylest not for the desolate hath many moe children then she which hath an husband In the eight day they came to circumcise the child Zacharias and Elizabeth walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord without blame caused their new borne babe to be circumcised according to the prescript of the law concerning the time when part where cause why see Gospell on the circumcision of Christ. Now baptisme succeeds circumcision and so consequently parents are taught by this example to bring their children in due time to holy baptisme wherein they be made the members of Christ the children of God and inheritours of the kingdome of heauen Againe parents may learne by this president except some great necessity compell them otherwise to baptize their infants in the face of the congregation and not in the corner of a chamber or chimney there was a great meeting of neighbours and cousins at the circumcision of Iohn in his fathers house and the Iewes at this day circumcise their children in their publique Synagogâ—…es and lastly from hence wee may further obserue three things especially concerning imposition of names among Gods children in old time 1. That names were giuen in circumcision as among vs in baptisme they came to circumcise the childe and called his name Zachary the reason hereof is plaine that as often as we heare our selues named we might instantly call to minde the solemne couenant betweene God and vs in holy baptisme or as other obserue because circumcision and baptisme are seales of Gods grace whereby men are first admitted into the Church and as it were written in the booke of the liuing it is fit that none should be named or registred as the seruants and souldiers of Christ afore they haue receiued his Sacrament which is the badge of their profession and signe of their new birth 2. From hence we may note that Gods people did vsually name their children after the names of their ancestours except God in some singular case by reuelation inioyned the contrary for the neighbours and cousins of Elizabeth as not knowing the Lords expresse pleasure concerning the naming of her childe began to call his name Zachary after the name of his father and when Elizabeth answered and said not so but his name shall be called Iohn they replied there is none of thy kindred that is named with this name This example condems the nicenes of some who thinke it vnlawfull to giue their children vsuall names of their nation and families as Edward George Robert and the like as also the prophanes of other who giue names of flowers or stones or heathen names vnto christians if we name not our children after the names of our ancestours it is fit that wee should take the names of Saints that may put vs in minde of their vertues as Iohn Peter Stephen
He set him by him according to the record of S. Luke and tooke him in his armes as S. Marke yet all agree for it may be saith Euthemius that Iesus first set him in the midst of them as S. Matthew then afterward set him beside him as S. Luke and last of all embraced him in his armes as S. Marke Some think that this childe was one Martialis afterward a famous Bishop in France but this idle tradition is beside the text and therefore not of the necessitie of faith Other imagine that Christ himselfe might be this little one being among his Disciples as a seruant Luke 22. 27. but this opinion is against the text Iesus called a childe and set him by him and tooke him in his armes it saith he set a childe in the midst of them but what child it doth not say not a great boy but a little child 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Erasmus translates puellum Beza puerulum the vulgar Latine paruulum as Musculus vpon our text Oportet imitaripuellos anniculos fortè bimulos And so S. Peter exhorteth vs to be like new borne babes and surely parents are commonly so negligent in instructing their children as that Christ hardly could find any yongling aboue three or foure yeares old of such innocent behauiour of whom he might say Whosoeuer humbleth himselfe as this child and except yee turne and become as children Let vs examine therefore wherein we must be like to children and wherein vnlike First We may not be like to children in ignorance so Paul 1. Cor. 14. 20. In malice be yee children but in vnderstanding men 2. Not like to children in vnconstancie wauering and carried about with euery wind of doctrine 3. Not weake in faith as children which are not able to discerne spirituall things for want of yeares of discretion 4. Not like to children in seeking after vntoward things because their senses are not yet setled our affections are to be set on things which are aboue hauing our conuersation in Heauen and therefore we may not imitate children in eating dirt in padling in the mire The child plaies with the light of the candle till his finger be burnt and so the reprobate-wicked plaies with Hell fier reputing it a fable till at the last he comes to be tormented in that vnquenchable flame The child doth esteeme an apple more then his fathers inheritance so the witlesse worldling prefers things temporall in this life before the things eternall in the kingdome of Heauen In these childish humors and the like we may not be like to children But we must be like children 1. As being mundi corpore sancti animo chast in bodie pure in mind 2. Like to children in obedience for good children stand not reasoning what manner of thing it is that their father commands but instantly they follow his will and word as their rule to work by So faithfull Abraham at Gods commandement was readie to sacrifice his only begotten sonne Isaac he stood not arguing the case the death of my child can doe no good vnto God and it will procure much euill vnto me but rather he thought that it is my father in Heauen who commands and I will obey Hee s loath alas his tender sonne to kill But much more loath to breake his fathers will 3. Like to children in respect of merit for as children can not boast of their owne deseruings against their parents euen so the followers of Christ may not brag of their merits before God but acknowledge themselues to be babes able to doe nothing without his fatherly fauour 4. As little children commit themselues altogether vnto the tuition of their parents and guardians euen so Christians ought to cast all their care on Christ as looking for euery good gift at his hand 5. Like to children as concerning malice both innocentia ignoscentia for as little children being iniured take not any reuēge but only make complaint either to their father or mother euen so when any wrong vs we may not auenge our selues in recompensing euill for euill or rebuke for rebuke but only complaine to God our father in Heauen or to the Church our mother on earth It is written that vengeance belongs vnto God and therefore we must humbly call vpon him in our persecutions as the Prophets did O Lord plead thou my cause with them that striue with me and fight against them that fight against me Giue sentence with me O God defend my cause against vngodly people And Psalme 80. 1. Heare thou sheepheard of Iraell thou that leadest Ioseph like a sheepe shew thy selfe thou that sittest vpon the Cherubims And Psalme 83. 1. Hold not thy tongue O God keepe not still silence refraine not thy selfe for thou Lord hast been our refuge from one generation to another I haue read of a reuerend and religious Archbishop of Mentz who being a long time depraued and in fine depriued of his dignities and office by two corrupt Cardinals his Iudges and a false harted Aduocate his familiar friend out of the bitternesse of his spirit made this appeal from them vnto the Lord of Heauen God knoweth vnto whom all things are naked that I am vniustly condemned yet I will not appeal here from your sentence for that I know yee shall sooner be beleeued in your lying then I am in speaking the truth and therefore I receiue this heauie censure for the rebellions of my youth and other sinnes Neuerthelesse I appeal from your iudgement to the Iudge eternall and only wise which is Christ Iesus before whom I summon you The Cardinals fell into a laughing and said That if he would goe before they would follow It hapned that the poore Bishop hauing withdrawen himselfe into a Monasterie dyed within a yeare and halfe after and the Cardinals hearing thereof in a scoffing manner said one to another that they must goe seeke the Archbishop Now within a few dayes after one of them was bloudily slaine and the other grinding his teeth eat vp his owne hands and dyed mad And lastly the Iudas who betrayed him I meane his false friend placed in his roome was so mortally hated of all men for his sedition and crueltie that being assaulted in a Monasterie he was there butchered and his carcase cast into the towne ditch where lying three dayes all sort of people both men and women vsed all maner of despite vpon it An example verie remarkable teaching vs not to despise one of these little ones because in heauen their angles alway behold the face of our Father which is in Heauen Againe we may complaine to the Church our Mother as in this present Chapter at the 17. verse If thy brother trespassing against thee will not vouchsafe to heare thy selfe alone nor yet thy witnesses and arbitrators Tell it to the Church He that commits his cause
serue The Iustice the Iudge yea the King himselfe as states-men are bold to call him is a great seruant of the Common wealth It is therefore my humble sute to the worthy Knights and other Iustices hauing receiued large money for the building maintayning of Bride-wols in our County to performe better offices in banishing all vnprofitable vagabonds out of our coasts I am now to speak of no small Beggars of such as beg in the courts and houses of Kings of such as come to something when other come to nothing of whom in old time complaint was made to the Parliament of England That they did by cob-web subtleties of the Law first rob the Subiect and then afterward rob the King I hope there be none such in our daies vnder the gouernment of our most illustrious wise learned meek religious and pious Prince K. Iames whom I beseech God of his infinite goodnesse to prosper long among vs in health and wealth all happynesse as well concerning this as the world to come But if a Iudge hereafter in another age should vnhappily meet with such a sturdie beggar I wish hartily that he may follow Iustice Iobs example who saith of himselfe I put â—…n righteousnesse and it cloathed me my iudgement was a roab and a crowne I was eyes to the blind and feet was I to the lame I was a father vnto the poore and the cause which I knew not I searched out diligently I brake also the iawes of the wicked and pluckt the pray out of his teeth If he proue too great a fish to be caught in thy net enuy not his prosperitie for he buildeth his house as the moth and if thou possesse thy soule in patience but a litle while thou shalt looke after his place and he shall not be found As he was a beggars brat so he shall dye the first gentleman and the last knight of his name There be three ranks of the Deuils poore Couetous Vaine-glorious Superstitious The Couetous who want euen that they haue being as they are termed aptly the greatest Misers in the world like the market horse laden with daintie cates and yet feeds on thistles The vaine-glorious who to get a name forget often their estate as certaine Philosophers in old time whom I will not name because they did it for a name cast all their goods into the Sea least they should hinder their courses in the studies of philosophie Nolebant censu abundare terreno vt magis sensu abundarent suo saith a learned expositor vpon this text And certaine Schismatickes in latter ages haue for the crasie credite of a desperate cause forsaken their owne Countreys and their owne free-holds which were certaine to depend vpon the breath and bread of other men which is vncertaine The Superstitious as the popish Monks and Friars who transported with a blind deuotion abandoned all worldly possessions and yet abounded in all riot and excesse Regulares gulares they were more then men at their meat lesse then women at their worke saith Erasmus Albertus duke of Saxonie was wont to say that he had three wonders in one Citie namely three Monasteries For the Fryers of the first had children and yet no wines The Fryers of the second had a great deal of corne and yet no land The Fryers of the third abounded with moneys and yet had no rent Hic doluâ—… est magnus lupus est qui creditur agnus So then as you see the Deuils poore differ verie much one from another for the Couetous haue the possession but not the free vse the Superstitious haue the vse but not the free possession the Vaine-glorious vpon the point haue neither free vse nor free possession of such worldly wealth as they desire being all in their seuerall kinds exceeding poore The third sort of poore are Gods poore which abound with inward wants and want also many times outward aboundance Where of some vndergoe patiently losse of their goods as Iob other forgoe cheerfully the vse of their goods as the blessed Apostles These are the poore in spirit or as S. Basile construeth it the poore for the spirit wholy submitting themselues to be ruled by Gods holie spirit the humble and the meeke truly feeling their inward and patiently bearing their outward pouerty Christ then here doth not vnderstand such as are meerely the worlds poore for albeit they be humbled yet are they not humble nor the deuils poore for they are neither actually humbled nor humble but only Gods poore which are both humbled and humble humbled in their pouerty humble in their spirit blessed are the poore in spirit So S. Hierome Augustin Ambrose Gregory Nyssen Theophylact Euthymius and other Doctors expound it And this appeares to be Christs meaning in that the word spirit signifieth elsewhere will as Mat. 26. 41. The spirit indeed is ready but the flesh is weake and 1. Cor. 7. 34. The virgine cares for the things of the Lord that she may be holy both in body and in spirit that is in thought and mind So that to be poore in spirit is nothing else but willingly to forsake our selues and to follow Christ euermore being readie for his sake to beare the losse of our wealth when as we are made poore and to forbeare the vse of our wealth when as we are rich vsing the world as though we vsed it not For this blessing belongs as well to the rich as to the poore As the bad poore are proud in spirit so the good rich are poore in spirit As some be poore in substance and not in spirit so some rich in substance yet poore in spirit A cable vntwined in euery cord and thred may goe thorow the needles eye so the rich man if once he be well vntwined deuiding his goods according to the will of the giuer may notwithstanding all his greatnesse walke in the narrow path and enter into the strait gate of Heauen The worlds poore are miserable because deiected in their pouertie The deuils poore cursed because proud in their pouertie Gods poore only blessed as hauing nothing and yet possessing all things 2. Cor. 6. 10. Here then obserue what an excellent vertue contentation and lowlinesse of minde is As the first vice the Deuill thrust vpon Adam was discontentment and pride So the first vertue Christ commends vnto his followers is an humble contentment The eight beatitudes saith Cromatius are like Iacobs ladder reaching from earth vnto Heauen and the verie first step of the ladder as the foundation of the rest is lowlinesse of mind For as God is said to hang the earth vpon nothing that it might wholie depend vpon him euen so doth he found the world of his Christian common-wealth vpon nothing and this nothing is an humble dis-prising and forsaking of all our owne abilities and an only relying vpon his almightie power and