and our King a Prophete being a fulfyller of all that they spake and the ende of them a Priest to fynishe all the Sacrifices of the olde Lawe by one suffycient and most blessed oblation of his owne body vpon the Crosse a King by rulyng and gouerning his Church hauyng full aucthoritie alone ouer the same being annointed not with the confections of balmes or spices of swéete odors but with the holy Oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes But what rule bare he some wyll say could he come simplier than borne in a Manger despised of the Doctors had in derision of the multitude spytted on and most spitefully dealt withall alas what crowne ware he but a crowne of thornes or what King was he being so poore so persecuted that it was not possible it shoulde be he that is here prophecied Thus they looking for a Princely appearing in power aucthoritie and wealth and to haue an earthly kingdome restored as they dreamed receyued not the King of Kings and therfore though they aske for the daye of the Lorde the daye of the Lorde yet haue they nothing to doo with it when it commes for it is darknesse and no lyght vnto them And yet as naked poore and simple as Christe his byrth was the heauens with their powers the Sunne the starres the Wyse men dyd celebrate solempnize their geuing of Golde declared him a king their offring of Frākensense did signifie him God and the brynging of Myrre dyd shewe he shoulde dye the testimony of the Angels them selues and his healing of sicke and sore his helping of blinde and lame his restoring of deaffe dumme and deade men nay his victorie ouer eternall death doth shewe him selfe to be the gloryous king of kinges and why doo the Heathen then so furiously rage together and imagine a vaine thing or why do the Kinges of the earth and Rulers stande vp and take counsell against the Lorde the King It is all in vaine for yet the Lorde hath set his King vpon his holy hyll of Sion Yet the Lorde is king be the people neuer so vnpacient Psal. 99. Nay the Lorde is king and the earth maye be glad therof Psal. 97. For so the Angell song glory be to God on high and on earth peace good wyll towardes men He beareth rule immediatly or mediatly Immediatly by himself as he is God from euerlasting whose Scepter shal haue no end whose power is all that is in heauen and al that is in earth yet it is not conteyned And as he is God so he ruleth not lyke an earthlie Monarche who by ritches strength of armes pollicie the lyke do rule the rost But he by his onely wisedome by the which he sustaineth al things in heauē in earth to mans reason very folishlie he sometime in an Arke sometime in a Caue sometime in pryson c. he doth for secreet causes leade his Church through many bytter temptacions as it were to no other purpose than by trying them by the Crosse to make them true to his Crowne And that his Church is subiect vnto such mutations too it is our infirmitie weaknesse and not his faulte and yet he is so on our side that nothing can be against vs Though euer dying yet neuer dead styll assaulted and styll assisted nowe as it were extinguished cleane gone and nowe encreased and mightily multiplied He ruleth by his spirite so that neyther thought woorde nor déede can passe without his prouidence and they that thinke he ruleth generallie all but not particularlie euerie one or that it is labour for him to knowe euery mans matter to dispose them all and so say with the foolish Tush the Lorde séeth it not or is there knowledge in the most highest they are but chyldren yet for knowledge and but yong schollers for vnderstanding they haue not in parte learned the Maiestie of God nor sufficiently knowne the greatnesse of his power which in all cases vndoubtedlie is assistent to his whole Church and to euerie part thereof to the whole flocke and to euerie shéepe thereof and séeketh euen that same one wanderer in the wyldernesse and bringes him home againe and preuentes all daungers ditches bryers woolues and deuylles for he may not lose one except that same lost chylde of perdition that the Scriptures might be fulfylled Secondlie he ruleth by his Mynisters and that is the Prince first and vnder him the Pastor for so you shall reade that he lead Israell lyke shéepe through the wyldernesse by the hādes of Moyses and Aaron the sworde ruled in the hande of the one and the worde preached in the mouth of the other So that euerie soule must submyt them selues to the superiour powers for bicause the powers that are are ordained of God and he that resisteth them resisteth the ordinaunce of God for I sayd you are Gods and yet you shall dye like men So that a king is subiect to none vpon the earth but immediatlie vnder God occupieth the highest roome in his owne dominion and sitteth in the chiefest seate yet neuerthelesse are they all but subiectes vnto God and to his woorde and to obey this is the safest waye to walke in a kingdome to saye as Dauid 101. Psa. I wyll walke with a perfect harte in my house A kingdome then is Gods gifte but to one and a king is his gift vnto many as if his Church offende him in iustice he wyll punish hir and children shall be hir kinges Esa. 3. so in his mercie he wyll set vp Dauid in his throne Salomon in his seat wherby we note that both sortes both good and bad gratious and tyrannous are al of the Lord for he that made Cayus made Marius also he that made Augustus made Nero too he that made Domitian the Christian made Iulian the Apostata Emperors And though the Lorde for iust and secret causes many tymes do geue this earthly kingdome to wicked and vngratious Princes to tyraunts and lymmes of Sathan Yet this is sure that not one of them al shal euer enter into the euerlasting kingdome without repentaunce The Lord in whose handes the harts of kings are turne them all vnto him and graunt them timely repentaunce that they may be kinges in heauen as they are vpon the earth Religion pertaynes not to the left hande but to the right hand of a king to his scepter to his Crowne For therfore chiefly hath he placed kings to be our forefathers and therefore Queenes to be our Nurses Esai 49. And secondlie that the Church of God might lacke no cherishing the example of good Iosias teacheth who not only receyued but read dilygently the booke of the Lawe and prouided within thrée yeare that al the Magistrates shoulde haue the same Againe Saules disobedience how it prouoked Gods iudgement and what myserable and desperat end followed who knoweth not Wherefore so to speake and so to do then to punishe and
not to executiō Your good pollicies therin to preuent pardon for vnworthy persons is commendable but for tyme space for instruction repentaunce I speake that as we all desire the Lorde to geue vs tyme to keepe vs from soddaine death So as you best shall finde good deale with their soules I beséeche you whose bodies by iustice you commyt to death Iustice is well called the Lady of ciuile affayres or rather the mother of a cōmon weale and hir two daughters or damosels Lenity Seuerity are very necessary handmaids Iustice is to respect euery mans cause but no mans person for that is partiality Lenity is to mitigate or lessen the punishment but not the facte for that were iniquity and Seuerity is to punish the fault condignly but not without cause for that were tyranny I leaue this to your discretions euen thus bicause you are wyse inough to whome the matter is commited onely I pray you remembre that God is Iudge ouer all and that he setteth vp equity and righteousnesse in his kingdome Here is the ende of his comming or kingdome Israels safety by his time is meant for euer for who can tell his age Esa. 53. So long then as he is king so long shal Iuda be safe but he is king for euer therefore for euer shall Iuda be glad We are sealed therfore safe he hath all power therefore we are safe This is the perfect state of happinesse in deede not onely to be in peace but to be without feare of farther trouble This maye partly be vnderstoode of Israels delyuery which were in peace a long season in respect of their wonted troubles warres And it maye be applied to the mylitaunt Church which notwithstāding it is tossed with many tēpestes yet is it voyde of any feare of dampnation bicause of our fayth and faythfull foundation Iesus Christ. Eyther it maye be more effectually vnderstoode of the tryumphant Church which is safe and past all feare euen as Christ himselfe crowned in the heauens and past all the daungers of hell Hence we note the ende of Magistrates of Princes ruling to be their subiectes safetie without feare a shyp sailes to come to the port a man fights to get victory he that labours doth it that he maye rest Christes Church is mylitant that it may be triumphant And looke what the whyte is to him that shooteth and the same is peace to him that gouerneth The marke that Magistrates should ayme and shote at is the prosperity of the people That is no sound peace where there is daunger of warre there is no safety where there is continual feare now at meate and nowe in the fielde nowe in the Church and anon in prison As Israel was sore chased and vexed of their enimies at euery halfe whyle We haue no such cause to complayne God be thanked therefore and yet our hope and feare can not chuse but ebbe and flow bicause we haue had such a peace as the enimie doth enuie and the true Christian can not but feare what wyll followe But séeing Deus nobis haec otia fecit that God is the author of our peace we wyll not cease to put our trust in him and to pray vnto him for encrease of grace and so shall we be sure of long peace Let vs decline in déede from euyll doo in déede the thinges that are good let vs praye vnfeynedly for the bonde of peace which is vnitie but I woulde haue it in verity for a Citie deuided can not long stande He that knoweth both buildings their cause of ruines hath tolde vs so Parris is a pattern not of long ago and Antwerp an example but of yesterday happy are they whom other mennes harmes can make to beware and dolefull is theyr estate that dally with destruction The Lord knit the knot of peace make it fast from flypping and breaking that being at quiet in our bowelles from sedition at home we maye be stronger in body to resyst all forraigne powers abroade A most glorious and gratious tytle and cause of al our comfort how neare a name to this doth the Angell reueale to Ioseph when he called him Emanuel Math. 1. Esa. 8. which is God with vs As the plaister vnapplyed being neuer so good doth yet no good at all So al that we haue heard of this king can comfort vs nothing except it doo pertayne vnto vs nay the brightnesse and glory of his comming kingdom doth rather breede dispayre in vs that well consider what we are therefore to méete with this malady the mercy of the Lord hath discouered him to the full And to vs the daye starre shyneth bright and bringeth ioy in the morning so is the sonne of righteousnesse sprōg vp to vs that were in darknesse and in the shadow of death And hence is it the the ryghteous are sayde to shine as the sonne in the kingdome of God bicause the son himselfe is our righteousnesse at whose appearing the very sūne shal lose his beames the Moone hir brightnesse and the starres theyr lyght for they are darknesse vnto him and he is the Lorde our righteousnesse It is necessary that séeing the reward of sinne is flatte by the Lawe eternall death and that for very shame cōscience sake no man dare able himself iust before the barre or tribunall seate of god Which sore trial Dauid saw and how it would go with him when he cryed Lorde enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunt for no flesh is ryghteous in thy sight Notwithstanding that pestilent rable past all shame doth desperately dare to broche such dampnable doctrine of merite whereby establishing their owne righteousnesse they cast downe the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ as the Iewes dyd Rom. 10. but their rewarde is ready their destruction sléepeth not for their merits sake Let vs deny all worthynesse or towardnesse or sparke of goodnesse to be in vs which the Papistes do falsifie fayne to be a grace remayning in thē wherby they take away that all which is due to Iesus Christ. Who as he is all in all and alone hath wrought our redemption so alone he wyll be glorified and be altogether our righteousnesse without our helpe or addition wherefore it is sayde when we hated him he loued vs which is taught by that place He loued vs first and that he was founde of them that neuer sought after him but that he is made to vs wisedome ryghteousnesse sanctification redemption and onely hath preuēted our dampnation so that al other practises are but simple shifts merites are but popish paltry not woorth one gally halpeny nay whatsoeuer it be beside Christ it helpes to hell as round as can be For he is the way the trueth and the lyfe Of with all backe byases then which maketh vs runne out of course let vs kéepe our grounde beware of wandring for vaine opinion hath caryed many a
A SERmon Preached at Pawles Crosse on Sunday the ninth of December 1576. by T.W. Imprinted at London by Francis Coldock 1578. ¶ To the Reader IT IS commonly seene Christian Reader that cunning men are daungerous and that the boldest are the blindest ofteÌ„times and it is to bee lamented that this curiositie should so bee founde in Christianitie and that any professours of the Gospell should be deintie to do good Alas it is but little we can do when we haue done all and our life it self is not very long whyle we haue time therefore let vs be doing for Satan neuer sleepeth nor ceaseth destroying VVe are all in debt to Christes Church and are bounde to buylde according to our Talent Let euery man set too his helping hande then and let Christes cause neuer be hindered for mans credite Let vs rather consider the Commaundement and expresse our loue by feeding Tongues that are silent in speaking should argue hands diligent in writing especially in a Minister but when both are ydle surely all is euill and that Minister but an Idol before the Lorde The wise debter vnable to pay all vseth policie in trifling presents and findes good ease thereby Owe we all vnto the Lorde and shall we bring nothing to his Church I must needes confesse that I haue bin tardy and lingred in this fault too long my selfe but fearing the rashnesse of them that come to soone I see the daungerous lapse or lashe of them that come too late and happie is that seruant whom when his Maister commeth he shall finde dooing Surely I had denied many petitions beeing priuie to many infirmities of mine owne but looke what the forwardnesse of my friende coulde not doe and that hath the frowardnesse of certayne brought to passe and I trust all for the best only I mark this for my learning that what I denied to doe voluntarily I am made nowe by an exigent in a maner to doe violently for nothing can hinder Gods purpose VVherfore I craue pardon of them whose instant requests I did incessantly denie but chiefly of God whose church is wronged if any thing that may profite hiâ— be at any time concealed To auoyde which fault at the last I am resolued and beâ—ing persuaded that the playner is the better for the most part I haue vsed no curiousnesse in the matter for it can not be so simple but if it be sounde withall it shall profite the faythfull reader The worst fault I finde is of the most part who can be content to let all Sermons slip and scarcely buy one or if some buy them to let them sleepe in their houses who were as good let theÌ„ alone for so they lose both their money and that precious pearle which no money can buy agayne The benefite of writing deserueth more diligeÌ„ce in reading especially of good things but the thousands of Pamphlets toyes are caught vp quickly deuoured in hast though they shal neuer be disgested into any good substaunce I feare they are so full fraught with poyson It were happie that they were all buried in darknes or burned in the light which minister matter to Fansies schole or Pleasures pallace but nothing vnto the church of god Redeeme the time for the dayes are euill Let this be a warning to you that feare God to let goe suche Bookes and to haue nothing to do with them the worlde is full of them Emptie you your houses in the name of God and let not your youth once finger them for they are the bane of youth and learne to play the Bee not onely to flye and see the floure but to sucke also the worde of God is sweeter than hony or the hony combe Psal. 19. vers 10. Beeing diuersly called at this time I am fayne to prefixe no other preface than the very same whiche I vsed at the Crosse and that worde for worde as both my Sermons are excepting in my latter I haue kept back certayne things which I thought not so coÌ„uenient or necessarie to divulgate bicause they concerned the persons then and there more particularly God encrease thy knowledge and with knowledge fayth and with fayth zeale that thou mayst growe aright and righteous to saluation in Iesu Christ. Amen I Craue pardon Christian Reader for that the Writer beeing full of other businesse him selfe wherby he could not followe this and his hande beeing very harde small hath bin the cause of some escapes in the print Yet let it not discourage thee but take thy pen and bestow the paynes to correct them and I hope the profite shall make thee recompence I haue not altogither satisfied the Author neither in disposing many things yet I haue done my best but the matter beeing not muche amisse our labour is not lost Farewell The faultes escaped Page 1. line 4. for 77. reade 76. Page 3. line 12. for the reade a. Page 7. line 17. for aunswerable reade a miserable Page 10. line 19. for was reade were Page 15. line 6. for say reade scan Page 14. line 11. for do reade doth Page 45. line 14. for ende reade eye Page 45. line 16. for ende reade eye Page 47. line 5. for arriued reade aymed Page 51. line 9. for king reade tong Page ead line 7. put out and Page 51. line 3. for sure reade sore Pa. ead lin 17. reade that that I cannot c. Pag. 60. lin 11. for was reade coÌ„mes Pa. 64. lin 4. read ouercome in our selues ⧠A Godlye Sermon Preached at Paules Crosse on Sundaye the .9 daye of December 1577. IT were highly to be wished hartily prayed for honourable beloued in Iesus Christ that in this and all lyke assemblies the eyes eares of mens mindes were but aswell occupied as the eyes and the eares of the body and that we woulde prepare our selues by prayer to come with a circumcised and catechised soule in the humilitie of spirite not presuming of witte or wisdome or wealth or aucthoritie or any thing what so euer I meane not to be puffed vp or sowred with that forbidden leauen of the Pharisées and so vngratiouslie to preuent the swéete and sauorie doctrine of Gods eternall counsaile You haue heard I am sure of the Spyders poison and of the hony of Bées yet both sucke out of one and the same flowre you haue heard that the selfe same Gospell is to one a sauor of lyfe to another a sauor of death 2. Corin. 2. That our blessed Sauior came to bring peace and yet no peace but warre and a sworde That he was a stumbling stone to all refusers and a corner stone to many buylders in Sion that he is a rocke against whome many doo make shipwracke that is of ruine destruction to Infidelles but to the faithfull a rampire of rescue defence And what is it touching the dignitie aucthority and power of Gods worde that you haue not hearde and plentifullie receyued out of this place You knowe as
Gedeon wyselie mustred .10000 against the Madvanites though the Lorde câ—lled out but .300 for the fyght where many men are and fewe hartes there is but small strength all is one to God I graunt to vse scores or hundredes or thousands more or lesse as the examples of Gedeons goade Sampsons iawbone Dauids sling fewe and weake men against many and mighty Captaines But Gedeons case or Sampsons or Dauids is not euery good Princes case though theyr cause may be the same to trust too much therfore is too much to tempt There are examples rounde about vs of the same and theyr remembraunce is rufullye refreshed as it were but yesterdaye to put wisedome in the mouthe of them that heare it to be ware that such late and lamentable confusions can not chuse but awake wisedomes eyes to sée dauÌ„ger and open hir mouth to shewe counsell When men of vnderstanding beare rule the Citie flourisheth It went better with Israell when Moyses helde the rodde than when those rebelles Corah and his companions woulde rule the roste Plato arryued at this marke when he woulde haue eyther Philosophers Princes or Princes to become Philosophers The Grecians against Troye sent not onely stoute Achylles but wyse Vlysses also and Troye to defende had not onelye valyaunte Hector but prudent Eneas also of which the one was called Mens the other Manus Troiae the one the harte and the other the hande of Troye The Athenians woulde not onelye haue the Dragon but Pallas in their Temple I speake it not as though wisedome wanted in Englande for I knowe and acknowledge gladlye that we haue a most wyse Prince and Counsayle wyse Iudges and Magistrates and that they go before other Kingdomes and countreys therin but for the execution thereof we speake for the coÌ„tinuall practise which would preuent all daungerous conspyracies which the Lorde confounde and bring styll to lyght for our better safetie kéepe them farre from Englande farther from London but most farre from the Crowne Not without cause dyd Salomon aske wisdome not wealth to prosper in his kingdome which was the wysest king that euer was whose wisedome drew Saba the Queene of the South to come and see him If I should here stande vpon the excellent graces gyfts of our most wyse vertuous Princesse Quéene Elyzabeth I should but bewraye my vnablenesse and shewe my leaâ—en skyll in a golden cause and besides the necessity is none where Fame doth spread abroade farther and lyuelyer than this my poore remembraunce shal be euer able to do Let vs rather prayse God pray vnto him for hartes of heauenly wisedome to amend our lyues that for his Churches benefite she maye haue hir Seate established hir yeares doubled hir enimies confounded hir happy raigne long prospered ouer vs Amen It is a great comfort to dwell in a common weale where equitie righteousnesse are set vp Christ is no tyraunt I tell you in his kingdome No Iudas and all Traytors to his crosse and crowne Caine and all murtherers of his seruauntes and Mynisters The Deuyll all his lymmes shal be made confesse his equity and the chyldren of his kingdome shall prayse his righteousnesse for euer But some wyll say Was he such an vpright king which kept coÌ„pany with Publicans and fauored sinners saued them healed them did al for them as he sayth himselfe he came not to call the righteous but sinners I aunswer his sauing of sinners declareth his righteousnesse in mercy and his condemning them which séemed iust doth shew his equity in iudgement and so he sets vp equity What can be more full of equity than to geue Caesar his own God his owne Mat. 22. Iustice is no otherwise described vnto vs but to geue euery man his own which is so necessary for an Estate that as Poets faine without Iustice Iupiter can not guide the globs And he that wyll do any Iustice to another must first begin with himself Lycurgus is sayd neuer to commaunde any thing but he would do it himselfe and what a shame was it for Iudas to punish hir whom he himself had layne with all Gen. 38. with what face coulde Marcus Crassus a starke myser speake against couetousnesse or Verres a robber against theft or Nero a tyraunt against crueltie or Gracchus a traytor against sedicion It is required of you not only to be wyse as Serpentes but also to be as innocent as Doues the one subtilty that you maye receyue no hurt and the other simplicity that you do no harme Beware of affection and beware of perturbation take héede of loue take heed of hatred Let no hope or feare make you euer conclude that which you knowe not nor neuer geue sentence against that you knowe Let no widdowes causes fall let no Orphanes lose their right let not equitie go to the wall for if in your presence she can haue no place alas whether being banished shal she wander If the golden king do tell the smothest tale what stumbling makes the poore maÌ„s speaking Let not good Lawes so be made as Spyders webbes to entangle small flyes and let the greate escape to hamper poore men to fauor the ritch Fauor not the ritch man bicause of his rytches nor the poore man bicause of his pouertie let no such respect be and cause to make them fare the better or the worse Saye not to the one syt you here and to the other stand thou there But set vp righteousnesse equity and deale indifferently to all in the Lande All iniuries are done either by affection or perturbation or of negligence or of purpose Looke to it therefore and haue the victory ouer your selues lyke men for any offence in the Magistrate is a sâ—re plague to the innocent And one thing I humbly beséech you before the Lord this day that as I am sure you would not condempne any maÌ„ innocent not for any thing so take good heede of iudging any man absent I call him abseÌ„t whose cause is not throughly handled sufficiently proued lawfully deposed And here I lament the desperate case of some in our dayes that are possessed with whole legions of lying deuylles and passe not a rush for periurie to ouerthrow their enimie in such cases there is requyred of you that I can not teach you I would I coulde onely in the behalfe of your own soules I admonish you to beware of scarlette sinnes I meane red bloudy crueltie which Caesar sayth is the worst companion of a mans olde age that can be a miserable remembraunce of tyranny done in thy youth Take example of Christ to whome when a woman taken in adultry was brought he looked on the grounde and wrote with his finger which maye shew your wisdoms that respite pausing and scanning of a matter without long lingring or reiourning or delay is best and méetest for a Magistrate And that may be wished to that after iudgement all possible speede were