stones with Carbuncle lay thy foundations with Saphire I wil make thy windows of Emraudes thy gates shining stones all thy borders of pleasant stones and all thy Children shal be taught of God and much peace shal be vnto thy Children in righteousnesse shalt thou be established and be farre from oppression for thou shalt not feare it and from feare for it shall not come nie thée Beholde the Enemye shall gather himselfe but wythout me whosoeuer shall gather hymselfe in thée agaynst thée shall fall Beholde I haue made the Smyth that bloweth the Coales in the Fyre and him that bringeth forth an Instrument for his worke and I haue Created the Destroyer to destroy but all the Weapons that are made agaynst thée shall not prosper And euery Tongue that shall aryse vp against thée in Iudgement thou shalt Condemne Thys is the Lordes Heritage and their ryghteousnesse is of mée sayth the LORDE Thus farre the Prophete speaketh to teache thée good Reader great cause of comfort and courage agaynst dispayre though England which is Gods church haue now many enemies risen vp against her her religion yea though her owne skirtes doe carie suche as insult agaynst her she is Promised that theyr Weapons and the smith that framed them shal not prosper Their lybelling bookes which séeke to persecute her though they come from the house of counsell and séeme to procede from the seate of learnings iudgement yet shal this church of God be set a Iudge ouer their wearie trauels and toyling spite and shall condemne them Let that worthy Jewel of famous memory the holy confessor and Saint of and by Iesus Christ treasured vp in the Lapydarie of the heauens for the glory of our God let his excellent workes I say stand for an ample warrant hereto to this age to her posteritie for euer And let others whether at home or abroade looke for the same end of their molesting troubles which they cast into this our age and Church But thou wilt say why doth the Lord suffer so long our weake consciences to be troubled with these contending strifes What art thou O man that wilt dispute with God These troubles to vs yet in respect of the Schismes of old are but as an entring into the first moment of the day Waite thou the lords leysure and be still learne thy song framed by firme hope in truth which Micah hath taught the church of God alwayes in her trouble to sing thou shalt be relieued though thy enemies yet séeke to triumph ouer thée Reioyce not against me O my enemie saith the church there for though I fal I shal arise when I shal sit in darknes the Lord shall be a light vnto me I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him vntil he plead my cause and execute iudgement for me then wil he bring me forth to the light I shal sée his righteousnes Then she that is my enemie shall looke vpon it shame shall couer her which said vnto me Where is the Lord thy God my eyes shall behold her now shal she be troden downe as the myre of the stréets c. Thus much forth of the prophet Micah where thou maist learn to accuse thy self for thy sinne as Dauid did séeing the people afflicted not with Achab to charge the Lord or his profession Prophets whē troubles plagues arise in the church but to turne thy eyes into thy owne conscience sée the booke of thy iniquities there written to confesse before god man that thy sinne is the cause of such trouble plague brought into the church people by Satan his malice the pollicie of these his wicked impes Last of all discourage not at the romish scoffes taunting reproches nor yet despaire in the bottome of her darke dungeons sharpe persecutions for the lord wil comfort thée in them if thou rest vpon his laysure remaine constant in the end deliuering thée wil stampe thy enemie into dirt make thée beautiful in the sight of al men that thou maist serue him thy god thus deliuered frō feare in new holines deuoid of hypocrisie in iustice righteous dealing to with al men in the place of thy abode traffike els where amōgst men in earth And euer respect thy deliuerāce frō sinne regard thy state so that Satan eftsones pul thée not to thy former sinne which cōpelleth his erst bondage for the end of such as so fal is worse then the beginning And thus much for the first part of this Hymne in which I haue bene more prolixe then first I purposed but I trust that the profite which may rise vppon the attentiue reading of the matter simply set downe wil coūteruaile the tedious sight of so much blotted paper sith my willing trauayles hath forced me to dwell in comfortable spéech with the lesse learned some thing the longer because they of themselues can not conceiue such profitable matter as this our text doth exhibite to the serching eye assuredly perswaded that the better so godly learned will vouchsafe soueraigne Censure to this my vnpolished pen. And wherein I erre from the truth if by the same I may heare louingly therof as I hope I haue geuen no poyson to the Church so I wil be glad to reforme that and those thinges which godly reasons with learned truth shall require at my hands The Lord graunt continuance of his gospell in this Nation preseruation to her Maiestie with encrease of Gods knowledge and zeale to his holy name and to vs and his whole Church from all heresies Scismes and ciuill dissentions if it stand with his good wil and pleasure once full deliuerance that we may serue the Lord our god in sinceritie of hart and integritie of life in his sight by his holy spirite all the dayes of our life to whom by and with Christ our Lord to that deitie in the trinal vnitie be al praise power glory for euer Amen Vers 9 And thou child shalt be called the Prophet of the most high for thou shalt goe before the face of the Lord to prepare his wayes As the sacred Priest before had declared Gods great benefites and faithfulnes in performing his louing promises to the redemption of his elect So now he returneth to this present action and vsing the person of an interpreter expoundeth the Oracle of God declaring his sonne this child to be the same preacher and Doctor which erst by the Prophet Malachy was promised to precede Christ By whose trauel in Doctrine the way should be prepared for the Lordes comming his and our Messias Which office this babe in his appoynted time executed right wel with sinceritie of hart ▪ sparing no person place time or people or omitted any occasiō when he might most aptly performe such his calling This Baptistes voyce was euer crying against the sinnes of all exhibiting the remedie
But because he chose them from among the nations not for their worthynes but in his mercie to be a peculiar people to him selfe from heauen by his presence he guided them to them he gaue his statutes ordinances his Priestes and Prophets wyth them he made his speciall couenant and gaue vnto their Tribes the Sacramentes seales of his faythfulnesse to them he promised that of the kindred of Israell he would rayse vp his holy Child Iesus which should be and before all times was of the same our eternall God determined to be the sauiour of al the true Israelites These be the causes why he termeth him the God of Israell Because he hath visited and redeemed c. Thrée principall causes mouing forth such prayses the Prophete here declareth first that our God notwythstanding that the sinnes of his Church seperateth his presence from her and in stead thereof draweth his vengeance vpon her as it were with cordes yet the malice of her sinnes cannot break the faythfulnes of him her god But according to his worde by othe also warranted he would vouchsafe in her most miserie so louingly to visit the same his Church and people Secondly he visiteth his chosen Church with inestimable loue moued wyth compassion vpon the vewe of her great miserie who for her sinnes was by his iustice Captiued into seruitude not onely to Caesar but also to Sathan and so holden of him in thrall that no way could she auoyde Sathans force or at the tribunall seat of Gods iudgement escape the iust sentence of condemnation necessarily following her wickednes as a méete merit to the same At his appoynted time according to his good pleasure he wyth his apparant fauor so visiteth the same perplexed Church that from her Captiuitie in sinne and sathans bondes and also from the iust sentence of his great wrath he by his sonne Christ hath perfectly raunsomed so redéemed her not by violēt force taking hir from her bondage as erst frō Pharao nor mouing the hartes of her Conquerors to pitie her miserie and fauor her deliuerance as somtime he did when she was in Babilons captiuitie but aunswering his iustice wyth the bloud and death of his immaculate and iust sonne Iesus hath payed there by the due price of her sinne and deliuerance from his wrath and from Sathans malice to the end that she so redéemed should leade a purchased life voyd of sinne and by his holy spirite redéeme hereafter such ill time as erst they wasted with gréedinesse to iniquitie and by newnesse of life walke as children which in the dungeon of darknes haue séene so great light that as by their former actions his holines was blasphemed so now by their good woorkes his name may be glorified Thirdly when he sayth He hath redemed his people he sturreth all Israell to a double ioy First that their gouernour and Lorde is no lesse then the Lord God who hath made all things that be the Lord of Aungelles of Men and Deuilles and hath al at his becke ruleth al at his pleasure staieth the rage of Lyons and defendeth the innocencie of Doues and the simplicitie of his beloued shéepe As also that he is a visiting God doth not onely create but dayly direct by gouernements from an hye the steps rhodes of all thinges and in his ielousie ouer the wicked for their crueltie to his people visiteth their sinnes wyth scourges and wyth the sworde of his plagues But his people he in visiting finding in them like corruption of nature the mountains of sinne the lyke little regarde of dutie to God and remorse of themselues doth not wyth the wicked destroy them but as a most mercifull Father regarding for his names sake not their deserued plague but the enemies rage against them doth acknowledge them for his and from the shadow of death the Lyons denne the burning Ouen the manifolde captiuities and fierie cheynes of sinne because they are by his owne worke his people he redéemeth them and translateth them into the kingdome of his deare sonne our sauing health Christ Iesus Now let vs good readers applie the wordes of this verse to our selues which not onely in the morning but at all times of prayer finding the lyke causes working in vs we ought wyth ioyfull hartes to the Lorde vnfainedly to say and sing Blessed be the Lorde c. First this Lorde and God belongeth to vs now as to Israell of olde For as they were after the fleshe the sonnes of Abraham So many of them not hauing the fayth of their father lost the promise to him and his séed and we now are in their stéede grafted into Christ by whose spirite and worde preached we are made the children of Abraham not by birth in fleshe for we are of another stocke Gentilles but by the gyft of fayth whereby our heauenly father maketh vs the members of his son Christ who is the true séede of Abraham wyth the rest of the true Israellites Therfore as many as are the children of faith may they and ought they as sonnes of Abraham in déede to sing wyth thankefulnes vnto god Blessed be the lord c. The visitation of our Lord then had and now continually of him vsed chalengeth alwayes ioy of vs For in visiting the wicked wyth his sworde he cutteth the occasion of euill from his people In visiting his people with his rod he deserueth great prayse for to the same his people whensoeuer he sendeth his Rodde to correct their sinnes his stafe of diuine prouidence is also by his mercie therewyth exhibited to be to them a staye of comfort and defence All which most wisely he guideth wyth his merciful hād oftentims not taking from his seruants the smarting salue of his correction vntill the itching sore of their iniquitie by the power of his spirite be taken from them As a most louing Father he visiteth vs for in the middest of his anger he is euer mindful of his mercies He striketh vs but for a season but he consumeth the wicked in his wrath he beateth vs to our good to bring vs vnder his yoke But with his visiting plagues he breaketh in sunder and beateth into morsels the children of iniquitie for the which his holy workes sake we ought euer thankfully to say wyth harte and tongue to the Lorde our god Blessed be the lord c. Thirdly haue not wée manifest cause wyth Zachary dayly to prayse God when wyth him féeling our deserued death readie to deuoure vs and our sinnes prouoking Gods iustice to condemne vs to perpetuall captiuitie to imprison vs in eternall cheynes of darkenesse wyth Sathan he by his spirite doth assure vs that we are his children and enboldeneth vs not whisperingly for feare bringing painefulnesse But to crye out wyth courage enriched wyth his loue that he is
our Father and that his Christ is by his goodnesse geuen to vs and by his spirite hath he grafted vs into his Christ as the braunches are into the true vine by whose sappe euen his sayd spirite wée haue not onely our Arra and earnest penie of his assured couenant But also are set so sure into eternall lyfe that it is impossible for sinne satan flesh or whatso euer to condemne vs For it is our Lorde which hath redéemed vs his people and we are by fayth grafted into him our Lorde So that to vs can come no condemnation nor any want of that which is good Therefore agayne wyth the whole Church of God we most ioyfully ought to say Blessed be the Lorde God c. For he hath visited and redeemed his people Finally note here that the Papistes in their Mattins vsing or rather into abuse bringing and chaunting this song did neuer a right as Zacharie the good Priest did therewith praise the Lord for they worshipped him with lippes alone without vnderstanding the causes why but he first waigheth the cause before hée poureth out by waight the Lordes praise His hart was wholy fraught with conceiued matter of ioy they voyd thereof laden with terrible doubtfulnesse dare not presume say they to bost of their deliuerance which popish vice as it is their deuotion in their life so it purchaseth for them after death the dregges of Gods angrie Cup as dreaming Dirgis and restlesse Masses to purchace requiem where none is to be had and a neuer ceasing paye till land and reuenewes wyll serue no more And yet if eftsones of them it be asked neuer can it by them be aunswered the soule the Lord visiting hath redéemed for then their poperie should decay But thankes be vnto God who by his vnfallible truth in his writtē word hath assured as many as beleue in him of eternall life yea and that presently after and from the moment of naturall death our Lord and redéemer so saying hee that beleeueth in me shall not die for euer c. but shall passe from death to life O ye Papistes learne to repent which God if it be his good wil graunt you for Christes sake and to perceiue with vs the causes why we blesse the Lord for he hath erected vp an horne of saluation in the house of his seruant Dauid for the Church of true Israell as this our good Priest and Prophet Zacharie speaketh on this wise saying Vers 2 And hath raysed vp the horne of saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruaunt Dauid Albeit sayth the Prophet that in the eyes of all men Israel was cast downe his strength worne out and his light extinct his hope gone and no glory left in the house of Dauid yet do I now sée thée O Lord mindfull of thy former promises For in that thou hast sent my sonne the Baptist thy messenger and enriched the wombe of the virgin with child thou hast assured vs of thy erected Christ in the Tabernacle of Dauid which is to vs a most mightie saluation by thy spirit in the mouth of the same Dauid promised saying There will I make the horne of Dauid to bud for I haue ordained a light for mine anoynted And the time now thou hast respected to the inestimable comfort of thy Church in which Herod and thy enemies haue perished in shew thy Dauids line and haue vsurped his throne As thou before time hast promised saying Jn that day will I rayse vp the Tabernacle of Dauid that is falne downe and close vp the breaches therof And J will rayse vp his ruines and J will build it as in the dayes of olde A horne he calleth Christ our Sauiour significantly thereby checking the pride of Sathan in his members that séeke to destroy the kingdome of Israell as also declaring that he shal be of strēgth to ouercome their strength yea and that his place and dignitie is no where els thē from the Lorde who doth anoynt this Christ aboue his fellow Priestes Princes with the Horne of his Euerlasting strength for his people Vnderstand therfore that this word Cornu a horne in scripture sometime signifieth kingdom and princely power as in Daniell and in Samuel Sometime it is taken for strength and great might as in Daniel againe and in the Psalmist All the hornes of the vngodly will J breake but the hornes of the iust saith he shal be exalted The sum of the Prophets wordes are as if he had sayd To vs depriued of strength hope and comfort by the mightie enemies of god in the world the Lord in despite of them that throw vs downe to the dust hath erected in the midst of them his promised Christ which is to vs that beleue in him a mightie king a strong saluation That and the only sauing health of God giuen to al nations that feare him and call vppon his name Yea and that in the same linage and stocke which the mightie of the world are now in hand to destroy euen in the house of his seruant Dauid Since to vs this horne with his honour and strength is erected let vs consider something further of these the Prophets wordes And first note that in Christ alone which is borne of Dauids stocke the virgin Mary not in the popish wheaten and coniured counterfet Christ hath the heauenly father placed our sauing health and in no other wherefore in him alone must wée repose our trust as in whom the fulnes of the Godhead and his whole fauour dwelleth corporally and in whom alone he resteth with vs pleased whose name is the Lord our righteousnes Secondly he is of God set vp to be our saluation therefor may we not els where séeke for health of Man or Angell neither feare any other power for neither sinne Sathan world or Hell can take our sauing health from vs that rest in him nor separate from him his merites those which the father hath geuen to him Thirdly the same horne that to the wicked is terrible and vgly destroying their kingdomes and tiranny is to the faithfull the horne of their health in God from the sicknes of their sinne And also it is to them life into heauen from and against the death in hel As the same water which drowned the wicked of the world neither sparing Shippe Citie Towne or Castel at the same instant caried the Arke of the obedient Noah and his familie from destruction Yea and as naturall death it selfe is to the wicked the doore to eternall fire So is the same naturall death by this our strength Christ Iesus who hath ouercome death and her sting to vs that rightly beleue in him the passage to eternall ioye and blisse Let the Papists therefore tremble at the presence of this our strength for neither they or the gates of hell shall or can preuayle in battayle against vs because God
An Exposition of the Hymne commonly called Benedictus with an ample comfortable application of the same to our age and people By A. Anderson Preacher Stay prophane vain bablings for they shall encrease vnto more vngodlines 2. Timothe 2.16 But if you haue bitter enuying and strife in your harts reioyce not neither be liars against the truth This wisdom discendeth not from aboue but is earthly sensuall and diuelish For where enuying and strife is there is sedition and all maner of euill woorkes Iames. 3.14.15 16. ¶ Imprinted at LondoÌ„ by Henry Middelton for Raufe Newbery The booke to the Reader To prayse the Lord is my desire To helpe his Church all that I can To quench if could such burning yre As Satan late hath caste in man VVhile pen doth carpe at brothers ill Sinne taketh rest the Church doth spill For other state some men do craue And cut themselues from this we haue In hart they hate thy state and life â–ª They ioy to see thee at such strife And they at ease do by disdaine Inuent all meanes t' encrease thy paâ—â—â— Their Pope and Masse they long to see Our Christ his law and vnitie They do blaspheme through our discent In cases new of gouernment Thy brawle their broyle would come to end If cease thou couldst thus to contend Ioyne hands in one embrace remorce To banish sinne bend all thy force Thy selfe restraine Gods truth respect His Church and peace of his elect Vouchsafe vs Lord thy Christ his grace Our Queene thy sprite but sinne deface Amen A.A. ¶ To the right reuerend Father in God THOMAS by the mercifull prouidence of God Bishop of Lincolne his good L Anthony Anderson Minister of the good Gospel of God wisheth all health and peace in Christ our only Sauiour THe holy Apostle sayth that whatsoeuer thinges are writteÌ„ afore time are written for our learning which sentence reuerend father as often as I do remember by the hand leadeth mee deepely to consider with reuerent regard what I read in the holy Scriptures and vrgeth me by feruent prayer to craue of God the geuer of all good giftes in Christ the true vnderstanding of the Scriptures sense and the hidden treasures therein comprised And so hath it pleased the lord of life to open the windows of heauen his name bee euer praised and from thence by his spirite most familiarly to speake vnto mee by his written word So that to his great prayse and my endlesse comfort I see that no iot of his Law is voyd of most excellent comfortes to the heart that simply in integritie of soule seeketh to quench his thirst in this fountaine of health the Gospell of God. In this word I find the knowledge of God Christ his sonne with promise of his holy spirit shall in all his elect open their hartes and write in them the true vnderstanding of his lawes Ezec. 36. The which most excellent gift by the learned books since the time of the Apostles and penned trauels of sundrie godly fathers in the Church aswell before our times as in these our dayes doth appeare to be eueÌ„ now most florishing in the church of God his name be alwayes praysed therefore And wherefore did the Prophets by his spirite speake or Christ and his Apostles preach or the godly Fathers before vs or these our learned writers in this age VVherefore I saye with hart mouth and penne haue they trauailed But to vtter the testimonie of gods gift confesse his name to the people of the earth to the life of the elect the inexcuse of the reprobate So will the Lord haue his spirite euer resiant in his Church to the end of the world To follow these Fathers as they followe Christ I accompt it my part hauing for further example amongest the many worthy workes of our writers now your L. profitable worke lately set forth to the better tast of Gods good wil in his expressed word in the appoynted Lessons at common prayer Of which worke I cease to speake further and seeke to follow as I can such good examples to the ende before touched VVhat if my Mite be not much worth Yet as it commeth from the Lord of heauen so shal it no doubt profite thither to his habilitie and that is my whole desire Let the learned eares accept as in inferior place this my small coyne yet good curraÌ„t siluer I trust tried by the touch of truth and geue him licence to passe to the lesse learned and poore countrey people whose state requireth yet mornings milke not all able for solidate questioÌ„s or deepe digested misteries Their soules are precious in the sight of God their liues ought to be deare in our consciences their wounded hartes require some soueraigne medicine of gentle digesture and quiet operation yet so that their ignorance weaknes may be remoued which God for his mercies sake in Christ vouchsafe them richly in his loue This is not the least cause why I haue stirred vp the small gift of God in me to exercise the same vpon this Hymne vsed in and at the morning prayer Iudging as by order through vse the wordes are readie at the lippe to vouch the Prophetes speech So if their tender hartes had some helpe to open therto the hidden cause of ioye in that holy letter no doubt I say the same of them shuld both with hart and mouth ioynd in one consent of grateful harmonie crie out the praises of the Lord in the temples of the holy Ghost which is the song that deliteth only the musical eares of Gods maiestie Assuredly al other chaunting notes and changing keys seeme they neuer so pleasant in the eares of men are far estranged from the good like of god al if set vp in his house of prayer This people worship me saith God with their lippes but their hartes are farre from me In vaine do they serue me c. And albeit I cannot touch the stile worthie so high a matter or set downe such deepe doctrine as the nature of the place requireth or yet approch such the hidden treasures as are here layd vp or the finenes of this our age expecteth yet nay the lesse the wydowes Myte is my boldninge comfort And on the other part the sorowfull lookes of the slothful Miser to whom the Lordes Talent was imparted maketh me afraid to queÌ„ch the spirit or stay the firie word kindled in my hart if I may vse Ieremies wordes at this present But be it that I should blushe to present my simple skill to the scanning of the wise and sharpned sight of the loftie learned deepe Doctors of our time knowing that my owne weaknes is to sundrie of them knowne also inable to this exploit in respect of infinit others â–ª yet I ioye at this refuge my conscience beareth me witnes tofore GOD and men that the onely end and scope of this my pen is chiefely to promote Gods glory
is on our side and therfore we feare not what the Pope or any other Carnalite can doe against vs. Fourthly where and when is this horne erected Euen there then where and in what place the worlds force is to represse the same euen in the house of his seruant Dauid When did Israel féele most the presence of the horne Whē Pharao entred with greatest rage to destroy the Lordes heritage When did Daniel perceiue his might and where Euen when his friend the Kyng wanted strength to helpe him and in the place prouided for his destruction Where did Helias the good Prophet beholde this wonderfull horne erected But where idolatrie had preuayled ouer all and then also when not one séemed to stand with the lord And did not Israell now decay and the heathen enter into their possessions Was not Dauids house aboue al persecuted Then there did the Lord send his promised horne Christ our Lorde by whose sapience the wisedome of all flesh is proued foolishnesse and through whose strength the strong armed mā is spoyled of his treasure Be of good comfort O thou little flock afflicted for the Lord hath and wil haue his Christ to haue the victorie Yea death is the instrument of life and he maketh persecution to bee the séede time of his Gospel and the bloud of Martirs the budding time of the same Wherfore alwayes with this other such places of the holy Scripture take comfort thou that trustest in the Lord And let the experiment of the last persecution in England assure thée that the power of this horne is eftsones encreased Where and when did this Christ shewe forth to our age his might But when the bloud of his saintes in our English bloudy Church became as riuers of water and in the time of their greatest pride and ripenes of their Butchers actes Then and there hath the Lord againe in this nation erected his Christ and Gospell and from the prison of the Tower hath to the Throne and diademe of this land raysed his more then halfe dead Elizabeth our godly and gracious Quéene vnder whom the ruines of the decayed walles of true Religion are greatly repayred once againe God make vs mindfull of his mercies thankfull for his benefites And giue her Maiestie such encrease of his zealous spirite that the remnant of the Hydra and seuen headed beast may be banished this nation that in her gracious raigne and by her godly hand with the state of her ecclesiastical and ciuil gouernment in God as Gods holy instruments Christ alone may be erected as he is set downe by the Psalmist to be our strength our light So shal her daies be many her throne established and her and our enemies vtterly ashamed And in the meane space graunt vs O Lord for Christes sake true and perfect obedience to her Maiestie with pacient abyding in humble peace till the time which thou hast set to frame her heroical heart further to those things which shall most sound forth thy glory her Maiesties honour and the profite of thy Church that so we may depend vppon Christ our horne of saluation God of strength The Prophet not contented to staye with this summary spéech dilateth the same more amplie sayth as followeth in the next verse Vers 3 As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which haue ben since the world began Least the saluation by him now preached in Christ should séeme to the world a new noueltie fréeed from vtilitie and truth he voucheth the same to be long sith determined of God and the same open to all ages before by the holy Prophets in their times Euē from the voice omnipotent to Satan at the fal of Adam vntill the houre of this ioyful song so sending as to our certaine stay the written word of god As if he had sayd other sauing health to looke for at the handes of God then hée hath promised and to refuse the same by him set and geuen according to his promise is mere wickednes To geue credite to his word and to subscribe therto is true godlines Wherfore come hither ye sonnes of God this is the promised séed the little stone the virgins sonne Jesse his braunch the Messias and the anoynted Sauiour of the Lord promised by al the prophets since the beginning of the world This verse exhibiteth as by hand to our sences excellent matter First that to the whole world aswell before Christ as since and till the last day and houre of the same world there is no saluatiō to be looked for by that perishing world els where then in Dauids house in and by the horne Christ Iesus alone by God and not men erected vp in all sight in that house not set with or vnder other helpes but alone and aboue all other séeking their helpe at him Of saintes the virgin Mary is of most worthy fame yet is she farre of frō hauing power to helpe in earth the sonnes of men Therefore she in her life for a lesson till the end of death to all Dauids house in the Gospell being called vpon of the seruitors at the mariage sayth Whatsoeuer he biddeth you do speaking of her sonne Christ se that ye do it And when Elizabeth this holy priestes wife had saluted her she acknowledged Gods mercie to be the cause and sayd My soule doth magnifie the lord c. And my spirite eke reioyceth in God my Sonne which is my Sauiour for els had I wyth the rest of the sinfull world both soule and bodie perished into eternall fire had not this Christ by the spirite of God my Lord bene conceited and borne not of me alone but to and nor me also Secōdly he hath promised by al his Prophets to deliuer vs from error that this Christ is not to be found els where then in Dauids house by the which as all false Christes are descried so also the true Church is hereby approuedly knowne For as after the flesh Christ is of the line of Dauid so spiritually Dauids house signifieth his new Church and in the same wise Christ is by the Prophets called sundrie times Dauid aswell by Jeremie as Ezechiel where the church is prophesied to serue God and Dauid their king vz. christ the sonne of Dauid For Dauid was now long sith departed to the Lord and again sayth the Lord I will set vp a shepherd ouer them euen my seruaunt Dauid c. And my seruaunt Dauid that is Christ shal be the Prince among them I the lord haue spoken it Therefore good Reader of force it must be so The house wherin this Princely Dauid raigneth and this priestly Prophet teacheth is the church of true Israelites the vnfayned house of Jacob to the which and for the which the Angels discend and ascend dayly by the commaundement of our King to the ministring comfort of his
them to saye forgeue O Lorde our sinnes Hath not the chiefe of them whose lyfe was angelical whose person to death was eftsoons assailed Paule I mean hath not he writtē doth not he therby yet speake that the merit of eternall life is Gods mercie not mans merit And yet speaking of the suffringes and bloud of martired saintes for the testimonie of God and his Gospel he acknowledgeth that the afflictions of them in this life are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed to them in the triumphant kingdome of our heauenly father But their merit sayth hée is Gods loue who hath chosen them to bée his sonnes and hath sayth hée annexed them with Christ as heires of the inheritance Note well eternall life commeth not by the bloud and afflictions of martirs not by purchase of mens merits but by the inheritaunce geuen vs in Christ thorough Gods mercie Thus good reader thou séest that this popish post is rotten for age and want of heart what shal we saye of the third matter the Popes pardon Surely if neither his God the Masse nor his saintes bloud can helpe neither can his pardons any thing profite thée for they are all of one force haue all a like authoritie I néede not longer to stand in the confutation of such a wicked taile of the people that boasteth himselfe to bée the onely head of Gods church in earth controler in the heauens prince in Purgatorie and Master of Hell. Bée not offended that I call him that tayle of the people for the warrant is geuen me by the holy Ghost so to terme him The auncient and honorable man he is the head saith Esay and the Prophet that teacheth lies he is the tayle of the people The last of Popish merites are good workes which can not merit Gods mercie for either they precede or folow faith If they go before fayth they are sinne and therefore moue Gods furie rather then merite his mercie If they followe faith they then merite not that which of God is giuen before their birth but expresse by such fruite what well planted trée brought them forth But as no trée meriteth life by the Apple which hée beareth but fast setled in the ground liueth of the iuyce that commeth from the roote so the faythful merite not Gods fauour which is their life by their works the fruites of their fayth but setled and grafted into Christ their foundation they doe receiue their common life from the same roote by the sappe his spirite which from him is sent and geuen to euery of them sufficiently to life eternall What shall we then not worke God forbid Alwayes do and continue in that which is good but cause not a good thing commaunded of GOD to become a pestilent euill to thy conscience Liue and walke in good workes which God hath prepared for thée but let them bée done to the same end which GOD hath directed to them Namely that the outward déede in them may expresse thy inward fayth in Christ our Lord. And further that the Church of GOD may bée profited by them But chiefely that by the same many mouthes séeing thy faythfull actes may bée prepared and stirred vp to glorifie thy Father which is in heauen This is the voice of holy scripture declaring the end of good works to be as we haue said but that they merit not Paule playnely sheweth to the Romanes for and to al in the person of Abraham saying if Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioyce but not with god For what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to him for righteousnes Now to him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt hut to him that worketh not vz. to merit thereby but beleueth in him that iustifieth the wicked his faith is counted for righteousnes Thus then we sée that the fathers with vs haue not merited Christ our onely felicitie but Gods mercie and loue surmounting as I may reuerently say his iustice in iust wrath hath not of dutie but by loue geuen and not sold to vs that beleue in him his Sonne Christ that we should not perish but by him being deliuered from our enemies should haue euerlasting life and power in him to serue him in this time of our mortall flesh in all holines vertuous exercises before him al the dayes of our life Moreouer I note that our Lord God will not haue vs to dwell in vncertainties for our saluation and therefore he sendeth vs to his written word where his promises couenant is by his owne spirit set downe to all flesh for the which cause Zacharie hath relation in this verse to the written promises and couenaunt And to the same sayth John also is the Gospell written to vs now that wee should by that written truth beléeue that Iesus is the Christ the sonne of God and that in beleuing we might haue life through his name As for the vnwritten verities of the Papistes as they are counterfet and forged of their owne brayne so can they bring no comfort to the conscience of the wounded man or satisfaction to the thirstie soule that laboureth to séeke the water of life which God doth geue to those that hunger thirst after the same For nothing els worke they but draw to hell all such as trust and are led by them But he that thirsteth after the water of life els where then in the written sacred scriptures can it not be found Séeke this water in the Scripture therfore good Reader and the Lord will make heauenly riuers to flowe out of thée wherewith thou shalt satisfie thine owne conscience in the same Christ fully and be able also to bring many other to the same saluation which the knowledge of the Lord by his spirite in the scriptures hath wrought in thée Last of all in this verse let vs marke diligently that not otherwise thē in christ Iesus God the father maketh vs partakers of his holy couenant Or yet by any other meanes are we kept within the compasse therof then by the cause it selfe which is Christ the Lord the Alpha and Omega of the same So voucheth the Apostle saying in thy séede which is Christ shal al nations be blessed The obseruations of the sixt verse are also comfortable and profitable Comfortable when we perceiue that our sinnes deserue the breach of Gods loue and extreme iudgement yet God in his mercie doth promise sweare to kéepe his word giuen to the fathers and to deliuer vs from the sayd iudgment as the Prophet in the text sayth and the oth which hee swere c. The profite hereof ensueth in the doctrine following In no case may we gather because God is sayd here to sweare that his word without an oth is doubtefull for the Scriptures euery where approue them absolutely Amen
the worlde to be his chosen nurse to his peculiar persecuted people So may all we her subiectes acknowledge our selues more then most bound to god for her maiestie since we vnder a mayden Prince whose person is vnapt to bodely warres are so defended that against the force of the worlds furie both our soules and bodies are conserued in much peace far aboue the nations rounde about vs The onely cause thereof is Iesus Christ our mighty Michael who himself without our fighting hands or armed bodies breaketh the Dragons force and disapointeth him of his pray The second diabolicall imphe is the domestical foe which the Church harboreth carieth in her arms to quiet make stil his wanton and wrauling cryes Dandleth him on her Mootherly Knée hoping to surpresse his brawling voyce wyth her patient compassion For shew of recompence this poysoned broode calleth her by the name of mother her spouse Christ they worship by the tittle of lord But in déede they are the bond slaues of Agar and beare a deadly hate to Sara Their mindes be set on Sina that gendreth bondage vz. rotten Rome and Hierusalem they séeke but to féede vppon to florishe in to enriche themselues vnder her And espying her liberties and preheminences they doe from time to time busie themselues to betray the same The true church of God now in Englande séeke they to betray to the handes of the wicked and by slaunders to polute the sanctuarie of the lord The engines that these enemies vse agaynst vs are scoffing speches rayling voyces and slaundering wordes Sée you not say these men what discorde sundry sectes and religious are amongest these new broched bretherne how they preach wryte dispute and euer seeke to beate downe another Is not this a marke of Sathans Sinagog And the common refuge of these euilles is to couller their cankred malice with the couert of desired obedience to Lawes whylest such for the most parte liue as though they themselues were priuileadged from all good gouernement The contempt of godly Lawes set downe in this state and present gouernement is to be wyth diligent eye and earnest care redressed And I would to GOD suche rulers Ecclesiastical ciuill were selected as would more diligently looke hereto So should the mouthes of men haue lesse cause of their great outcryes agaynst the present state For I thinke it no reason to pull downe the whole house for the weakenes of on rotten sparre or to cutte of the hande for the fault or defect of a finger or yet vtterly to subuert the state because euery parte hath some infirmitie But as concerning the contentions amongst the learned I answere I lament both the cause and the action yet here by hath the papist no warrant to Blaspheme our Religion or to condemne the Prince or Preachers and professors of the same for if contention amydde the learned and in the Church of God be a sufficient cause to refuse her to slaunder and to reuile her wyth reprochfull tearmes yea and condemne the people state and ministery of christs spoused wife this holy church then shall we finde this Churche in no age among the children of men planted frée from such sharpe censure As if we loke into the church of Israell brought from Pharao into the desert we shall sée the same often to rebell against Moises yet not all the Israelits Wherefore the Church then could not be frée from contentiō Dathan Abiram disliking the priesthood which god ouer them had set vpō Aron his line stirred vp sharpe cōtention tumultuous vprore for the same Consider her condition in the time of Saule his persecuting of Dauid behold small vnitie Saule commended of some Dauid reaping the greater praise What vnity had the church whē 400. salse prophets contended with Helias the prophet of the Lord for the idoll Baal their false god After Israel retorned from her captiuity was not the church cut into diuers sectes factiōs in outward show they professed gods law penned by Moises the Prophets but in déede truth they were seperated into diuers opinions sundrie sects euery party receiued his name according to his opiniō The holy scripture approued authors tell vs that in the Iewes church there were Pharises Saduces Esseis yet who dare say that at this presēt ther was not in the place thē gods holy church It is therfore now no strāg or new thing to haue dissēting opiniōs in amōgst mē professing one religion about some points conteined in the same The new Testamēt witnesseth the like In the time of the Apostles what sharpe contention was there betwixt Paule Peter at Antioch for cause in religiō Peter offēding against the rules therof was openly reproued by Paule Also betwixt Paule Barnabas was such vnitie that they parted asonder the one from the other about John Marke a disciple Notable is that long sharpe disputation sore cōtention which crept into the church betwixt Paule Barnabas on the one part the Pharises which were cōuerted to the gospell at Antioch on the other about iustification whether it came by faith alone or that circūcision the law were of necessitie to be ioined thereto This strife was such that it could not nor was otherwise abandoned the church then by that Apostolicall councell holden at Hierusalem About this time and shortly after the Apostles there arose out of the church sundry sectaries as the Corinthiani Martionisti Gnostici and Carpocratiani The Gentilles then as some papistes doe now sayde the christians are troublesome and contentious they cannot agrée about their christ and his religion but we holde one vnitie in our profession therefore they offer vs more then great cause to haue in suspence our hast to subscribe to their professed Gospel Yet all this their friuolous speches set a part both the Apostles and others wyth them at that presēt ioyning in the sinceritie of the professed trueth were of the true church of god Also that church whereout these wicked Sectories Heritykes came was that and the best beloued Wyfe the Church of Iesus Christ notwithstanding such contentions and variable mindes as then that state caryed to the posteritie And euen so is our church now holding fast the substance of Doctrine geuen by the scriptures and the administration of the Sacraments according to his worde Lykewise in substance though in some matter accidentreth there arise question the same yet offe-no ioy to the professed papist for as they contende so doe both sides striue to be far from popish affects This our Church also I say of and in England is the true church of God the reuerend fathers the Bishops with others the preachers of his holy word in this our nation now gouernment abiding in the truth of doctrine though ther be amids their harmony in the
wholy chiefely and for lyfe they ought to séeke the same in sinceritie of harte wythout Hypocrisie Thus my deare Bretherne we ought in my Iudgement to teache the Lordes flocke to kill Satan and beate downe sinne and not wyth bitternesse of penne and carping speache in Pulpits through byting one an other to bring that promise or iuste threat vpon vs you shall be deuoured one of another The LORDE amend this euill and graunt vs more carefull ouer his Heritage for his names sake Wheresoeuer the Preacher findeth the people voide of these effectes as wher is not this ragged desert There ought hee to prepare a path by the doctrine of the worde which is of power to conuerte the loste childe of Israell To preach the comfortable causes in Christ to allure vs and to shewe vs the horrible state of our own corrupted nature and the gréedie desire that sathan hath of our destruction Can men thinke with doublenesse of harte to please the Lorde Can they serue God by halfes Or go towards him as far as the lawes of men leade or compell them and no further and yet of God be well accepted If God be God follow him if Baal be he go after him If Nicodemus whose weake cōming many make to thē selues a sinister refug had not proceded to more perfection hee had not aduentured to aunswer in Christes behalfe to the counsel or yet of so great a tiran as Pilate was durst he haue begged the body of Iesus or againste the malice of so many cruell ennemies haue ioyned with noble Joseph in so hard a sute The luke warme persons that be neyther hote nor colde are as a burden and surffet to the Lordes stomack which he hath promised to vomit out of his mouth Loue the Prince and liue in and vnder her gracious gouernement ye Papists and Atheistes and Hipocrites also for the Lordes sake Let his holy Lawe force you as a moste absolute Iniunction to her godly Lawes and not as you say pollitiquely but popishly to leane to his law because of her graces iniunctions Neither halve before God to refuse your obedience to religion Gods Sacraments and deuine seruice in the Churche nowe godly set downe vsing your clawing coolour because some and suche do not obserue the saide Iniunctions For it is more then sene to al that a nūber of you make those Iniunctions which at the firste were set downe to bring you forwarde a presente let to your obedience a cloke for your maliciousnesse The actes and wordes of such as molest the godly quiet and desired peace of the church I wil not or may defende I lamente the cause and praye God to cease the action to his glory the peace of his Church and the extirpation of the serpent and all his at his good appointed time But you dissembling Hipocrites are lyke vnto the wicked persons in the dayes of Darius who fearinge leaste Daniel with his religion should be preferred sought by all meanes to claspe that holy Prophet vnder the Kinges Iniunction to his destruction So it is not the loue ye haue to our godly Elizabeth whom ye wish to giue place to your Darius but the Lord wil doth laughe your deuises to scorn his name be praised therfore and her graces good Lawes but the hate which you haue conceaued againste Daniel the e Prophetes of the Lord because they séeke to enstruct you the right way to make you prepared for the Lord and to reclaime you from popery to the professed trueth many of you hauinge blinde eyes voyde of sight by the reason of hardnesse of your hartes the which cannot repent pray ayd at the same law which your selues most deadly hate No doubt concerning the ministers and preachers admitte they be good protestants they be al of like accompt in your audite as well the trew and faithfull pastours which obserue the appointed order as such other their godly Brethren which wading no further vnwilling were to vse the same not contemptuously refusing because of the precept but moderatly by petition regardinge theyr peoples quiet or hurt with humblenesse of harte pray God and craue at the Gods a in earth by his power placed ouer vs as foloweth Mercifully vouchsafe O ye godly Princes of the Lorde that as Timothie may not refuse circumcision where Paule séeth the infirmities of the Iewes to require the same and the Chuche her néede of such a teacher So let not Titus be compelled thervnto where as false Brethren priuily créepe in to bring into bondage the children of the lord No place wold Paule admit to such though elswher he consideringe the weakenesse of the Iewes refused not to asociate the Nazarets at Jerusalem with the shauing of hys head according to the lawe though amid the gentils hee reproued Peter for the like Iewish obseruation And when it shal please thee O Lord graunt our gracious Princes hart further prepared to scoure the Lordes pathe by godly aduise of her noble councellers that by her publike authority and not our priuate affectes all such matter may bee remoued as worke no way the profit of his church And to vs ministers and men her graces subiectes prayer and trewe patient obedience regarding more the loue and quiet of the Churche then our owne lyke or priuate desiers No lesse praise deserueth the good Emperour Theodosius in destroying the idolatrous temples then godly Constantine in shutting vp theyr gates Faithfull Josias in his reformation thought it best to breaketh Aulters and cast the duste of them into the brooke Kedron and the Scripture saith to his commendation that before him there was no such king that turned to the Lord with all his harte and all his soule and with all his might according to the lawe of Moises neither after him arose there any such This example saith one learned writer is written to teach vs to ouerthrowe and vtterly destroy all Idolles and euery entisment of superstition that no parte of such monumentes be lefte t◠admonish the posterity Musculus vpon the sentence by God giuen to the serpent the instrument wherwith the Serpent deceyued Heua and brought Adam to sinne asketh a question whether the sentence were iust since the serpent was not the author but the organ wherwith nothing priuie to Sathans purpose or wisshing hurt but was sorced by Sathan therto He also answereth yea not onely because it procéeded from the iust God but geuing reason for the same saith it is very right that to the greater detestation of sathans malice fraud and disceit not only himself but all his instruments wherewith hee worketh his malice become subiect and receiue like iudgement with him For like as saith he euery such instrument wherewith any good thing or felicitie is brought to passe deserueth and is worthely beloued and had in estimation So by
crosse in his bitter death at what time the angrie countinance of his God with the full paines of hell for mans sin was wholy laide vpon him hee was compelled with vehemency to cry my God my God why haste thou forsaken me The fruite of this death is such that as no one of vs hath put our hand to this crosse with him to cary his Fathers wrath for our sin so hath he obtained such redemption as none of vs that beléeue a right in him shal or can tast any part of condeÌ„nation Further to vs our Saluation is most frée But in respect of the price it is the ful satisfaction of the fathers iustice and the valour is the bloud and death of our redéemer Christ Iesus The end is that we being deliuered froÌ„ sinne c should depart from iniquitie and dedicat our selues to the lord in newnesse of life as chilldreÌ„ redemed froÌ„ sin death Regard with feare therefore thy Christ hys death yeeld not thy self to sathans snare for he that willingly by wilfull lustes wil treade his death vnder his féete cannot be partaker of his glory and lyfe The third thing to obserue is the allusion which our Prophet vseth in this place to the former prophesies calling him the day spring or as other the learned translate the word a Braunch For the former translation great comfort is giuen therby to thée deare reader the word rightly considered in such sence as it ought that is to vnderstand by Oriens not the place wher the Sonne riseth but the Sonne himself so doth Malachie vse that metaphorical spech when he calleth Christ the sonne of righteousnes vnder whose winges or beames lyeth health Note heare our Zachary alluding to this Scripture teacheth Christ to be the trewe Messias the same which was of them promised to bee the lord of life by whom the church shuld haue her light full safety Further looke into the Metaphor the sunne is the guide of the world the beawty of the Heauens the light of the starres and firmament by him the vapours noysome and pestilent are taken from men the spring the Harneste the times and seasons haue their comfort and validitie of him The Moone the figure of Gods churche hath her whole light of his light of him depryued she is in her darkenes and eclipsed state by his presence the night vanisheth the stormes and tempestuous tymes are abandoned as barrennes turned into fertilitie euery crooked occurrent vadeth and all comfortes to men and creatures els present theÌ„ selues To aplie the same with a thousand more fruite thou oughtest whensoeuer thou saiest this Psalme to thy heauenly Lorde the only begotten of God the Sonne of righteousnes which is the light of the world the glory of the father the gouernour of al things the way the truth life it self to al that shal be saued which by him self redéemeth vs with his fathers mercy clotheth vs by his spirit regenerateth sanctifieth guydeth vs in him to lyfe euerlasting The Sun entring the house euery dark corner is full of light what filth remaineth is by him manifested So where christ by faith appeareth in mans hart all ignorance is banished and the light of his word reproueth all iniquitie and driueth all error forth of mans soule The learned Beza translateth the word not Oriens but Germen and in his learned Annotations geueth his reason vpon the nature of the Hebrew word tsemach which saith he signifieth not Oriens but germen a branch he affirmeth there the Prophet to allude vnto the wordes of Zacharie before and Ieremie which promised Christ to spring vp as out of the withered stocke of persecuted Dauid of whom the world should make smal accompt but his groth should be maruailous therfore he addeth from aboue that so he may shew his comming vp to be contrary to the plants of the earth This is the stone which commeth out of the mountaine without hands doth preuaile against al the mountaines of the world though the builders refuse him he is chiefe of the corner This Christ is that despised branch which séemed withered beaten for his own sinne but in the daies of his flesh he so visited vs that by his stripes we â—â—e made whole This is the gréene â—â—irident trée vpon whom the cruell Jewes bestowed their whole tirannie This is the trée â–ª vine of whom the faithfull branches receiue their light knowledge saluation and power to passe the passage of heauenly peace This is that branch by maÌ„s iudgement so eaten into the earth as no bâ—dding or spring shuld be permitted him which by his owne power defendeth his owne cause against the Monarches of the world yéeldeth foyle to the gates infernal spoyleth Satan of his pray This is the Lord king of heauen earth to whoÌ„ the powers aboue the spirits below and â—â—n in earth do stoupe fall before his throne as to their only Lord and God in whose hand is life and death Now deare reader this branch is thine geuen thée of God to be thy staffe of defence in the day â—f battel and hath come himselfe to visite thy weake state â–ª geue to thée his mightie aide The Church of God shall dwell â—ost safely vnder the shadowe of this branche for whosoeuer striueth against her â—re sure to find him present in her to whom he hath distended from aboue to geue comfort to her miseries which he câ—â—leth here darknes and the shadow of death he that lifteth at her shall find her as an heauie stone which shal crush them to péeces Further note hee suffreth oftentimes his holy ones to be led into darke troubles and poyntes of death but then is it his nature to visite them So hée came to Joseph in Pharaos chaynes He suffred the Israelits to be driuen to the brinke of the seas backset with Pharaos whole power but then he visited them gaue the light of life lead them in peace the way of the troublesome waters Hezekia Susanna Sydrach Misach and Abednego Daniel Jonas Paule Stephen and many the fathers since hath he by their trial brought forth Sathans power sheâ—ed in his deliuerie his secrete iudgements and their weakenes not able to wound or confound his instrumentes which of them selues are of most féeble force For neyther Sennacheribs blasphemie the Priestes accusation the burning ouen the Lions den the Whalles bellie Aretas ire or Saules furie could cutte shorte his deare children of his presence in thâ— middle of these their deathes but euen when their liues were thought with Peters in Herods person to be subiect to present death then did the Lord beyond all expectation deliuer them Finally to some such as he beyond al time hath predestinate in time to be called hath he appeared to their conciences and body in the extreme darknes of their furie in