A Godlye and pithie Exhortation made to the Iudges and Iustices of Sussex and the whole Countie assembled togither at the generall Assises By William Ouerton Doctor of Diuinitie and one of the Queenes Maiesties Iustices appoynted for the peace vvithin the same Countie PROVERB 10. VVhere no Ruler is there fall the people to ruine and decay But vvhere much counsayle is there is health and safetie Printed by R. Newbery and H. Bynneman To the Reader HAuing occasion the laste Lente to be at Estgreenestedde it was my chance gentle Reader to heare a very learned and frutefull Sermon made the same present time before the whole assembly of the Sheere I tooke suche profit and pleasure of it my selfe by hearing it and heard it so generally commended of others that I could not but deuise how to make common to many that which was there vttered but to fewe that so the benefite of it might redound also to many I maye perhappes haue blame of the Authour to put it foorth in printe without his knowledge and consent but if he knewe howe muche good he did to those fewe that heard him I trust he will not be offended if by my meanes he doe more good to a greate number that hearde him not but shall reade him for the exhortation is so tempered and the conueyance of it in suche sorte that though ye can specially applye it but to some men yet ye maye vse it so generally that it wyll edifye any man If all therefore shall reade it it wyll profite all bycause it hathe matter that serueth for all But if those reade it that are Iudges of circuites and Iustices of the peace or Iurie men or suche other like that haue anye calling that way it will profyte suche men most bycause to suche it most apperteyneth And surely I wysh aboue all other that Iudges and Iustices and whosoeuer they be else that vse to giue charge to the people yea and those also that haue the charge gyuen them shoulde alwayes before they goe aboute such businesse reade ouer and peruse thys little peece of worke that thereby they myghte be stirred vp to deale more earnestly in Gods causes and in matters of Religion than commonlye they are wont to do I doubt not but like good effect would follow such reading of it as did then followe the hearing of it For thys I sawe and hearde my selfe the same tyme when the Iudges were come from the Churche to the Hall and were nowe sette downe and the Countrey before them they did not onely imparte to the multitude what great fruite and comforte they had receyued themselues by hearing that Sermon giuing it a singular commendation in the eares of all men euen from the benche where they sate but also then tooke occasion thereby to gyue a verye quicke and vehemente charge to the graunde Iurie yea and to the Iustices themselues and to all others that had anye office or authoritie in the Sheere to looke more narrowly to matters of Religion than heeretofore they had done and to endeauoure themselues by all meanes possible to conserue the peace and vnitie of Christes Church and to search out and see punished all that were offenders to the contrary And to tell you the truth it did my heart good to see so graue wise a mā Iudge GAVDIE by name to giue so carnest and godly a charge in God and the Gospels behalfe such good frute followed in that good Magistrate by hearing so good and godly a Preacher that day And I would all others that be of the same calling that he is of mighte haue as good lyking heereafter to reade him as he hadde then to heare hym that like fruite maye come of it when oportunitie shal serue for the fruite that followed was great Well I will not cōmend the Preacher vnto thee I shoulde but darken his due prayses by mine vnsufficient praysing of him but I wil cōmend thee to the reading of this his worke and when thou hast redde it commend him thy selfe as thou seest cause In the meane time I wil pray vnto God both for him and for thee and for vs al for him to encrease his talēt in preaching for thee to enslame thy zeale in hearing for vs all to amende oure negligence in following And so I bidde thee farewell Thy vvelbeloued brother in Christ M. M. Precor vos fratres vt speculemini eos c. I praye you Breethren haue a good eye to those menne or take heede of those menne vvhich do breede discord and dissention amongst you and giue occasion of offences cōtrary to the doctrine that you haue receyued and eschue them THere is nothing more acceptable to God there is nothing more profitable to man there is nothing more answerable to Christian Religion and Faith there is nothing more auaylable to vertue and good life there is nothing more requisite and necessarie for al states whether they be priuate or publike there is nothyng more amiable more delectable more comfortable or more commendable in all respectes at a worde there is nothing that passeth all thinges more than thys one thing iust peace grounded vppon the true knowledge and feare of god It is not in vayne therefore that the Apostle héere exhorteth the Romanes and by them vs also whiche bée nowe presente yea and all other Christians wheresoeuer that we shoulde beware and take héede of suche menne as doe bréede discorde and dissention amongst vs and gyue occasion of offences in the Churche of God and not only that we shoulde take héede of them and beware of them but also that we shoulde eschue them and auoyde them as authoures of that euill whyche of all other euilles is moste daungerous and dothe moste shake and weaken all states of menne or rather doth beate downe destroy and ouerthrowe all thyngs wheresoeuer it commeth in place menne houses townes kingdomes countries nations and peoples be they neuer so manye be they neuer so greate and mightie Suche a meruailous mischiefe is Discorde and Dissention whersoeuer it taketh roote and therefore good cause I saye that the Apostle shoulde earnestly admonishe vs al to shunne it and auoyde it and the authors also thereof which doe sowe it and bréede it I pray you brethren sayth hée take héede of those men whych bréede discorde and dissention amongest you and giue occasion of offences contrarie to the doctrine that you haue receiued and eschewe them But what discorde or what dissention is it that the Apostle here speaketh of for there be two kinds of discord there is one kinde that is spirituall there is another kinde that is temporall Spiritual discorde is when men are dinided amongst themselues and disagrée one from another in spirituall matters in Ecclesiasticall causes in matters or causes of religion and Faith. This is spirituall discorde Temporal discord is when men fall oute amongest themselues and doe wrastle or be at warre as it were one with another aboute temporall matters
extortion that is in the mighty the oppression that is in the wealthy the vnsatiable desire of hauing vnreasonable practise of getting which is in both of thē these are causes of discorde dissention The corruptiō of such as giue bribes the periury of those that take bribes the buying of othes in the one the selling of cōscience that is in the other ouermuch winking at both of them these are causes of discord and dissention Gréedie séeking for law against iustice diuellish counsell giuē for mony against law enuy in the Client crafte in the Councellour and a couetous hearte reygning in both of them these are causes of discorde and dissention The impietie of tale hearers the impunitie of tale tellers mallice in the one to séeke them falsehoode and flatterie in the other to bryng them and an euill conscience in bothe of them these are causes of discorde and dissention Pryde and disdaine in the higher sorte stubbernesse disobedience in the lower sort lacke of loue in the one neglect of dutie in the other a froward stomack in both of them these are causes of discord and dissention The making repeling of many lawes the executing and obseruing of fewe lawes boldnesse vnto sinne in euery state zeale vnto godlynesse in no state loosenesse in the people negligence in the magistrates a number of Iustices and yet wante of Iustice these are causes of discord dissention These vices therfore or these defects of Vertue extortion oppression bryberie periurie enuie in the clyente craste in the councellour unpietie of tale hearers impunitie of tale bearers pryde in one sorte stubbernesse in an other sort many lawes made fewe lawes executed the licentious life of the people the carelesse securitie of the gouernours with suche other like these vices I say and those men that are frayghted therwith these vices and those men in whom these vices do raigne are the very causes causers of all discord dissētion of al strife variance of all stirres troubles and finally of all manner of disorder in the common wealth whatsoeuer it be Héere you haue a short summe of the whole I néede say no more Looke vppon these fewe poyntes and mende them and you haue mended all Thus much briefely for discord and dissention in the temporall state and in temporall causes Now let vs come to the other kynde of discord whiche troubleth the Churche so much And héere is a greate controuersie or question amongst men whence these troubles of the Churche shoulde arise and who are chiefe authoures of them And the controuersie resteth speciallye betwéene the Catholikes and vs I meane the Papistes and vs And héere when I speake of Papistes you may not take me that I meane euerye one that is not throughly resolued in euery poynte of Religion For there may be many whose eyes God hath not yet opened but will do when it shall please him and yet in the meane time are good subiectes to the Quéene and necessarie members of the common wealth whome we must not despise but pray for But vnder the name of Papistes I comprehende those whyche cleaue altogither vnto the Pope and Papacie and by open worde and writing mainteyne the vsurped authoritie of the Bishop of Rome contrary to the word of God and the lawes and Statutes of thys Realme Betwéene these Papistes therefore and vs is all the question whiche of vs two shuld be disturbers of the Church we or they They lay it to our charge and saye that we are those that trouble the Church and their reason is this that before we beganne to decline from the Church of Rome and to spurne against the Popes authoritie all was well ynough all was quiet at home all was peaceable abroade there were no stirres nor troubles in the common wealth there was no discord nor dissention in the Churche but one vniforme and generall agréemente and consente of all men togither in matters of Religion and Faith but after that we had once reuolted from that Catholike Church and had shaken off from vs the obedience whiche we owe to oure holy father the Pope then beganne all this discorde and dissention then began all these stirres and troubles then beganne all this hurlie burlie to be in the Churche and not only in the Church but in all places of the worlde where the Churche is planted then beganne men to fall togyther by the eares then nation and nation beganne to be at warre one with another yea and nations within themselues beganne to haue ciuill warre and bloudshead to the great disturbance of all good policie and gouernement as at this daye we sée is come to passe in France in Flāders in Scotland elsewhere to the great wōder of the world and al this by our falling frō the Church of Rome therfore we that are fallen from that Church haue swarued from it are the only cause of al the stirres and troubles now in the Churche and so consequentlye of all the stirres and troubles that be in the whale worlde This is their reason that they bryng against vs a great reason doubtles marke it well this it is in fewer words We are those that haue swarued from the Church of Rome Ergo we are those that trouble the Church and the whole world Do yée not marke their argument it is a muche like reason as if the old scribes and Pharises of the Iewish Sinagog should come againe and saye vnto Christ that before he and his Apostles beganne to speake againste them and their authoritie and to preach against their doctrine and traditions and so to carrie the people another way all things were very well all was quiet with them there were no stirres no troubles no tumultes amongst the people there was no discord nor dissention in the Churche nor in Church matters but all men agréed very well togither in doctrine in ceremonies in traditions in religion and so forth all was hush peace yea forsooth the Diuell might sléepe quietly there was none to wake him none to trouble his Kingdome but after that he and his Apostles had once shaken their holy Mother the sinagogue and had disputed againste their abuses and defaced their doctrine and discouered their hipocrisie and so by that meanes had blemished their authoritie and estimation why now the worlde was changed the people were not as they were wonte to be they shewed not their accustomed obedience and reuerence to their olde holy fathers and guydes the Scribes and Pharises but beganne to fall from them yea and to murmure and grudge agaynste them as seducers and deceyuers of the people and all thys came by hym and hys Apostles speaking againste them therefore he and his Apostles were the onely cause of all stirres and troubles in Iewry A muche like reason also as if wicked Acab should come againe and say to the good Prophet Helias that before he beganne to open his mouth against Iezabel and hir
aboute temporall causes and quarrels aboute inturies or wrongs done or offered to be done by one man to an other touching their goods landes or lyfe or some such other thing pertaining to theyr temporall state this is temporal Discorde Whiche of these two therefore doeth the Apostle here speake of If I shoulde tell you that hée speaketh of spirituall discord suche as riseth of spirituall matters of Churche matters or of matters concerning Religiō Faith you would answere me that my text is not for this place time nor pertinent to these kinde of businesses and affaires which are nowe in hand but doeth rather belong to Schoole men and Dimnes or some other suche Ecclesiastical persons as are to heare and determine in such cases If I should tel you that hée speaketh of temporall discorde such as riseth of temporall causes and quarrels or of temporall iniuries and wrongs and so forth you woulde aunswere me that it is superfluous at this time and more than néedes to speake of any such matter vnto you for why ye come for that purpose it is the only or chiefe cause of your repayre hyther at this present to heare and consider of such controuersies and quarrels amongst men and therefore I néede not waste my winde any further therein Honourable and worshipful which so euer of these two kindes of discorde it be that the Apostle here speaketh of as in déede hée maye séeme to speake of them bothe you shal perceyue that my text is not impertinent to the place and time nor anye whyt from the matter ye haue nowe in hande I knowe well ynoughe that your assembly here togither at this present Session now to be holden is onelye or chieffic for thys cause to ende discorde and strife to conserue Vnitie and peace and to reforme iniuries and wrongs whereof the wante of peace the supply of discord doth grow I know I say the this is your purpose and the chief or only cause of your cōming hither yet this I know too that my matter wil be no let vnto you but doth and may very wel agrée with the your purpose For first if I shal say any thing to the aleying of tēporal discord dissentiō or to the furtherāce of tēporal vnitie peace though it be true in déed that you be come for the same purpose do meane now to sit vpon such matters yet my frendly admonitiō cā by no means hurt or hinder your good purpose being toward the self same matter you come for nor wil be altogyther néedelesse or vnprofitable vnto you the shal heare it séeing the best wisest man that is hath néed sometimes of a friendlye and faithfull admonitor at hys elbow On the other side if I shal say any thing to the abandoning of spirituall discord strife or to the aduancement and furtheraunce of spiritual vnitie concord in this case am I also to be heard willinglye of you though in some respect I will not deny but the this kind of discourse doeth belōg rather to schole mē diuines thā to you the are tēporal lawiers tēporall iudges iustices yet this I muste tell you notwithstanding the you can not so cleane shifte off this kind of matter frō you as thoughe it wer a méere alien to your other businesse but you must also haue to do with it aswel as wyth other matters may not estrāge it frō your present affaires For whō come you to serue come you not to serue Christ I think you wil not say nay For God him self so sayth vnto you by his Prophet Erudimini qui iudicatis terrā seruite domino in timore Be learned ye that are iudges of the earth serue the Lord in fear What Lord is it the you must serue the K the Q the prince of the coūtry wher you dwel and vnder whō you are subiects surely this lord also must you serue I deny it not But what Lorde doth God here wil you to serue when hée saith vnto you serue the lord in fear Doubtlesse he willeth you to serue Christ the other lords L. that other maisters Maister your Ladies Lorde and your mistresse maister euen the Quéenes Lorde and maister yea the Lord and maister of all Lordes and of all kings and of all Quéenes and of all Princes and of all the Monarches of the earth or rather Lorde and Maister of all the whole earth it selfe For so sayth God also a little before in the same Prophete Postula à me dabo tibi gentes in hereditatem c. aske of me sayeth God the father vnto his sonne Christ and I wil giue thee the heathen for thine inheritaunce and the vttermost partes of the earth for thy possession Lo here is Christe made Lorde of all Lordes and Lorde and owner of the whole earthe The earthe the nations of the earth and the Kings of the nations they are all his they are giuen him for his inheritaunce they are giuen him to be his possession and he is Lorde of them all Wherfore whatsoeuer other Lordes you haue whatsoeuer other maisters you haue you must serue Christ as the chiefe Lorde and as the graunde Lorde and masters ouer al other Lords maisters You must serue him his Church not onelye your prince country not only the Quéen common wealth to say the truth I do not sée how you can well serue the cōmon wealth except you first serue the Church nor how you can wel serue the Prince except you first serue Christ For Christ is a patterne vnto the prince the Church is a patterne vnto the common wealthe to follow Neyther is that common wealth a good common wealth or commendable before God whiche doth not frame and conforme it self after the Church nor that Prince a good or commendable Prince which doth not frame and conforme himselfe after Christ So then yée must haue a chiefe care and a chief regard of Christ and of the Church of Christ and so consequentlye of all those matters and causes which be insident to Christ his Church And therefore as you are readie when you sée your Countrey or common wealth the ciuill and politique bodie of the realme to be rente and torne in péeces one member from another by ciuil discorde and dissention by warres by strife and variance by fraude by force by lying in wait one for anothers goods or landes or life and so forth as you are readie in this case to loke vpon and lament the afflicted state of your countrey and to bynde vppe the woundes of the common wealth which it hath receyued and to heale and make vp the hoales and breaches that rents and tearings which you finde in the bodie politique as you are readye to repayre and redresse wyth all spéede the wrackes and decayes that are in the temporal state I saye as you are readie to loke vpon these temporall matters and to consider throughlye of them and are nowe