for sundry graces and gifts to bee woondred at for all these good blessings of God by hir to vs to be honored Are there yet foolish frogs begging of the Romish Capitoline Iupiter either a blocke to crush them or a Storcke to deuoure them Though by Gods appointment the Oliue is content to be ouer vs with her fatnes the fig with her sweetenesse and the vine with her fruitfulnesse yet wee are not content to haue them but only Rhamnus or a bramble good for nothing but to burn and consume vs. English Iewes Are there yet remaining the Offpring of Iewes desiring a Saul for a Samuel Professing protesting Nolumus hunc regnare We wil not haue him raign ouer vs that cannot abide the title of Christs crosse Iesus of Nazareth King of Iewes Or can there be found yet an Esau that will say in his heart Gen. 27. The daies of mourning for my father will come shortlie then wil I slaie my brother Iacob I will make awaie with the mother of the Lande and the godly brethren too And must wee after the inuention yea the fruition of wheate and sweet corne returne with the old world ad glandes to Akornes as in the late time of Queene Marie The Religion published by her Maiesty offendeth them And can this Romish Religion being so stained with bloode as I haue declared please them Is there no remedy but to turn the blessing of the Prophet Esay by a contrary Text into a curse Esaâ—â—â— For our gould to receiue brasse For our siluer iron and for this gouernement of peace the tyranny of Exactours and Task-masters For remedy and some redresse against these bloud-suckers of Rome The â—sseâ— of the Sermons following and our rebellious mutiners at home I haue eft soones called to the memorie of our countrimen their duety towards God and their Prince and Country and then doubtlesse God wil be a Buckler and shielde to them and to vs all In this copulatiue An exhortation to a true vnity in this double dutifulnes towards God the Prince we must be ioined with a full consent altogether as one man or as the twinnes of Hippocrates who were sicke together and hadde their fits together and recouered together as Austine reciteth out of Cicero So we head and foote De ciuit Dei lib. 5. cap. 2. and al the body must consent in the true worship and seruice of God we al high and low with hart hand must agree in this duety towarde the Prince against all forreine or domesticall aduersaries These two dueties are recommeÌ„ded to vs by Ambrose This becommeth Christians to wish for the tranquillity of peace Ambrose Epist 33. and for the constancy in the faith and in the truth And in the same place Rogamus Ibidem Auguste non pugnamus We beseech O Emperour we fight not If wee deale thus duetifully towardes God and obediently towardes our Prince then will God mercifully and mightily defend both Prince and vs. No diuelish witchcraft no Ruffians dag or dagger no inuasion of forreiners no craft or art of any enemies no nor this seuen-headed beast shall annoy Prince Peare or People He can he will send twelue legions of Angels Matth. 26. Pohdâ—h 8. Hist Ang. Then shal be truly verified that which long a go was prophecied The Kingdome of Englande shal be the Kingdome of God and that God is alone must be the Protector King of it If our Prince and Nobles and Subiects wil sincerely serue him we shall haue the protection of our lord 1.5 in oraâ— cont 〈◊〉 Seruum Christi non custodia Corporalis sed Domini prouidentia sepire consueuit saith Ambrose No guard of men or bodies but the prouidence of the Lord is the hedge and defence of the seruants of Christ It may be for our sinnes that the great ships of Tharshis may come Ies 2. but vppon our repeÌ„tance De â—â—heneide soâ— Remora Pl. l. 9. c. 2â— God wil send Remoram euen a litle fishe that shall stay the shippes though vnder saile It may bee that some Load stone may drawe some Iron vpon vs but the Lord will prepare a Diamond that shal with stand the Load-stone Lib. 13. c. 4. that it shall not haue power to drawe any at all It may be that Catiline wil make a coniuration but god wil send one Cicero or other to espy it ouerthrow it Al the Traitors against Iulius Caesar within three years perished Sueâ—on in Julio Caesare som one way some an other way some by IudgmeÌ„t some with shippe wracke some in battell others with the same poinadoe wherewith Caesar was stricken none of them had a naturall death Calippus because he would stab in and sticke Dion his friend was stabbed and killed with the same dagger himselfe by his owne frinds This shal be the reward of al those that conspire against the Lordes annointed I haue troubled your honour with many words vttering my wishes to my countrimen and declaring to you the argument intreated of in these Sermons I haue displaied the new Monster lately receiued daily rising and raging against vs. And as in this generall diuision of Christendom euery nation and faction prouide their Armour And as your L. and the whole body of the right honorable Counsel make euery way a politick preparation and euery man seeketh his piece his furniture So I hauing no weapon but only my tongue and pen haue thought good in my calling after my weak simple sort to fight with the helpe of them both against this huge Monster and against all enimies When I beganne first to expound this Text of Scripture in Ianuarie last at Oxford and proceeded in it there and in some places of Hamptonshire ended it at London at the Crosse in May I little thought of printing it and so the matter out of my heade and almost out of my papers I fear my short and vnperfect notes haue brought foorth an vnperfect vntimely fruit Howesoeuer it is I must commit it now to the world and appeale to your Lordships patronage for it I had rather offend by this temerity and negligence than to incurre the suspicion of silence and neutrality knowing the danger and penalty of Solons lawe if in this common trouble Plutarcâ—â—â— Solone and turmoile I should shewe my selfe to be idle and of no part I am bold to offer to your Lordship as a poore scholasticall New-yeares-gift as a gratulation of your prosperous returne and as a smal signification of my bounden duty to you my very good Lord and a speciall Patrone of our Vniuersity and a friend of this cause which Dauid began and I haue rudely prosecuted and ended The Lord Iesus protect our noble Dauid your honor the honorable Counsaile the whole Realm graunt vnto vs all many good new-years to his glory and to the commodity comfort of his Church Amen Oxon.
The compassion and sorrow of good Princes Pagans Christians and of Queene Elizabeth in the death of the traitours and offendours that suffer An admonition to traitors and offenders yet liuing The death of good Princes is of necessitie but yet a plague to common weals and to the church Mutations and changes perilous Praier for the good Princes OVT OF THE SEVENTH SERMON A Question whether the Papists be the authors of these troubles and tragedies against Princes or Protestants The resolution is flat against Popes the trumpets of sedition The sturre betwixt the Pope Paschal and Henrie the 5. the murderer of his father The detestation of these Traitours by a few moe examples of Iewes Romanes Hungarians of Danes The cause of these practises against good gouernours is their goodnes and Gods cause the second cause in the practisers is their ignorance Christ and his gospel a stumbling stone The lot of the Prince and the Prophet is to be hated for their Religion The third part of Dauids diuision his politick and prouident Resolution The prouidence of god gathered out of the circumstance of the text threefold The first part Gods special care prouidence and protection of Princes as here of Saul Murmurers mutterers alwaies against rulers against Moses though no ruler then yet appointed by god against Dauid and Christ And yet all these and others were preserued vntil their time appointed as appeareth by the notable examples of Cyrus Romulus Seruius Tullius Constantine Antonine Vespasian Waldemar Lodouicke Charles 5. Henry 4. and by authorities The second prouidence of god ouer Dauid and his church and euery member thereof A comfortable doctrine to the elect and godly who somtimes stagger seeing their affliction and the prosperity of the godles The meane that God vseth here to preserue is a deadly sleepe God hath many waies of deliueraunce comprehended in two general waies by Origen declared by examples The prouidence of God defined by Aquinas The decree of man and the determinations of god contrary Prince and preacher must run their course without stop The third kind of prouidence for temporall things Murmurers in this point God◠prouidence reacheth to the godly and to the followers of the word and religion Almunition of Roialms al promotion of men from God Contrariwise sinne the cause of diuision between God vs and the only impediment and hindraunce of his carefulnes and prouidence The purity of Christians in the time of Constantine and Traian The care of her Maiesty and her honorable Counsail in the time of dearth A Citation and summoning of England to iudgement for sin in al Estates Magistrates and Cleargy people Two sorts of men specially offending irreligious and superstiously religious The waie of reconcilement to god is a general reformation of al and repentaunce Faultes escaped correct thus Pag. 49. Lin. 5. Falerians P. 107. L. 28. Prodition P. 116. L. 12. Detestable P. 117. L. 3. Inestimable P. 147. L. 24. Procession P. 171. 18. put out Of. 1 SAM 26. VER 8. Abishai said to Dauid God hath closed thine enemy into thine hande this day now therefore I pray thee let me finite him once with a spear to the earth and I wil not smite him againe c. THE FIRST SERMON IN the beginning of this Chapiter wee haue Saul persecuting and Dauid persecuted the Ziphians discouering him Dauid his espies Saul sleeping with his souldiours the comming of Dauid with Abishai to Sauls campe in the night and nowe in this part of Scripture we heare the conference and disputation of Abishai and Dauid The argument and question is whether Saul the king may bee lawefully slaiue by them his subiectes or no As the persons are two A generall diuision of the Text. so are the partes of this speach two first Abishai the Opponent obiecteth and defendeth the Affirmatiue requesting withall that hee may kil him Secondly Dauid the Respondent holdeth the Negatiue denying that act to be lawful A matter in mine opinion most necessary for Preachers to entreate of and for vs all to heare and consider of in these daies when subiects vtterly forgette their duety and reuerence which they owe to the sacred Maiesty of Princes and to all lawfull Magistrates A thing long since prophecyed of by God in his holy word and in al ages detested of the better sort Iesaiah among other things prophecieth that the boy shal presume against the Auncient Iesaia c. 3 the vile against the honorable Paul also prophecieth of these later times ◠Tim. 3. that men shall bee fierce enimies of the good traitors headdy high-minded The hainousnes hereof both Heathen and Christians haue abhorred The mistocles a notable captaine being banished from his vnthankeful country by the Athenians entertained of Xerxes King of the Persians was willed according to his promise to subdue Graecia vnto his Empire but rather then hee woulde betray his country hee dranke vp a bole ful of Buls bloud Plutarch and so after his sacrifices and prayers to his Gods gaue vp the ghost Vsthazares chamberlaine to Sapor King of the Persians beeing apprehended for his confession of Christ and refusing to woorship the Sunne their God Sor. lib. 2. cap. 9. doth onely make this petition to the King that by the voice of a cryer it might be proclaimed signified to al men Vsthazares is beheadded not for any treasō or crime in the Kings court but that he is a Christian and refusing to obey the king cannot abide to deny his God So much was the very name of a traitor abhorred of thē Now seeing the enormity of the fault necessity of the time giue me leaue to speake to you as Bernarde once did in the like case vnto the Romanes Epist 24◠departing from the Pope Eugenius When the heade a keth dooth not the toung cry for al the partes of the body that they ake also with the head Ego corporis membrum minimum As he so I the smallest and simplest member of our bodie craue leaue to vtter our common griefe for the heade and Soueraigne of this Realm of late without cause troubled and assaulted by open and priuy practises of such as ought to haue been true subiectes and faithful countrymen And for this purpose haue I chosen this parcell of Scripture in the which wee may first learne the wickednes it selfe in the person of Abishai and next in the person of Dauid a controulment and a confutation of it as in the Sermons following shall be declared Touching the first when hath there not bin an Abishai Naie some worse then Abishai seekers and suckers of bloud 1 Part. Abishai would haue Saul a wicked persecutor dispatched out of the waie Treason auncient and news others conspire against the godly and innocent Abishai vseth more good maner in asking leaue of Dauid others headdily attempt the same consulting nether with God nor with good men but only with their owne frontike pates or
this pye for he was his owne hangman Cap. 17. But mark in this history another proofe When Ioab asked the messenger that brought woord to him of Absalomes hanging vpon the oake why he did not smite him to the ground that hee might haue had a recompence for it Cap. 18. he auswered as becommeth a faithful priuate man Though I shoulde receiue a thousand Sicles of siluer in my hand yet would I not lay mine hand vpon the Kings Son He wold not touch the Kings son and yet the son did rise against the father how then dare subiects hazard enterprise the like against the lords anointed Dauid weÌ„t further in this point of iustice that hee did not suffer any murther to escape vnpunished against priuate men neither did God suffer those to goe scot-free 1. Reg. c. 2. Abner killed Asael brother to this Abishai and Ioab killed him againe and Dauid cursed Ioab for it and by the fathers appointment Salomon the Sonne put him to death no refuge no sanctuary no Altar could saue him She bah raiseth a power against Dauid 2. Sam. 20. but by the procurement and wisedome of a woman his head was cut off and cast downe to Ioab This history of Dauid alone diligently considered is enough to enstruct vs in our duty towards the Prince and sufficient to proue our proposition that blood requireth blood As these examples among the Iewes doe warne Other laws of God against murder Cap. 21. so the lawes among them warrant the same It is written in Exodus Hee that smiteth à man he dy he shal dy the death which is repeated in Leuiticus and againe in Exodus If a man come presumptuously vpon his neighbor to slay him with guile thou shalt take him from mine Altar Cap. 24. that he may dy A plaine precept we haue against sedition and rebellion in Salomon My sonne fear the Lorde Prou. 24. and the King and meddle not with them that are seditious for their destructioâ— shal rise sodainly and who knoweth the râ—â—ine of them both And in another place Giuâ— not thy waies to destroy Kings Cap. 31. The penalty of this offense felt ambitious Adomas by Salomon executed and the trayterous Priest Abiathar deposed and railing Shimei at length put to death whereof came a good ende Et confirmatum est Regnum in manu Salomonis 1. Reg 2. By this iustice the Kingdome of Salomon was established The Lord graunt of the like cause the like effect among vs. Another Law of God is in the new Testament Lawes and example in the newe Testament Iohn 8 which plainely auoucheth that this murdering commeth from the Diuel and teacheth vs a cleane contrary doctrine to the Romish rebellious religion namely to obey to pray for Princes and to pay duties to them to giue to Cesar that which is Caesars Matth. 22. Cap. 13. Paul to the ould Romanes gaue this lesson to render honour to whom honour is due and fear to whom fear belongeth Cap. 3. and in the Epistle to Tite Admonish those to be subiect to Princes and powers So dooth Peter 1. Pet. 2. Honour the King And in his second Epistle he saith that God doth preserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to be punished Cap. 2. chiefly those that walk after the flesh in the lust of vncleannes and despise the gouernment which are presumpteous and stand in their owne conceite and fear not to speak euill of them that are in dignity The like is read in Iudas Iuda Paul acknowledgeth this out of the ould law in the Acts of the Apostles Thou shalt not curse the Prince of the people Cap. 23. Wherupon Chrysostom inferreth this exposition I take it that he did not know at al that he was the Prince of the Priestes otherwise he would haue honoured him Shal I trouble you with the recitall of a fewe examples Theudas made a conspiracy but he was slaint so did Iudas of Galile Act. 5. but he also perished they that obeyed him were scattered abroad I conclude this with the terrible example and ruful end of Iudas the traytour of Iesus Christ his Master forsaken of God and of man of God for that hauing no grace he hanged himselfe of man for when Iudas bewailed his case to the Priestes Of Iudas the traytour two notes and confessed to them that hee had sinned betraying the innocent bloode What is that to vs quoth they see thou to it Mat. 26.27 C. 11. q. 3. Two notes we may gather out of Beda and R. Holcot both our countrymen the first thâ— cause the second the time the cause was monyâ— in Iudas that moued him to betray his masterâ— which fault of Iudas Mat. 27. saith Beda many thiâ— day abhor as cruel wicked but they takâ— not heede of it the other is the time whâ—â— he betraied him euen when hee had taken hâ—â— Supper he went out and betraied him Bâ—ware al traytours of Iudas ende beware aâ— auoide the cause that is hope of siluer and of a better change his chaunge was no Royall ExchaÌ„ge but insteed of his Apostleship a rope Let vs dearly beloued seek no alteration of the state nor of the Prince let vs consider our blessed time better thaÌ„ this vnkind Iudas did For we at this time are no lesse theÌ„ Iudas was both corporally fed with the plentiful prouision at Gods hande and also spiritually refreshed at the table of the lord and with the right vse of the sacraments From the lawe of Christ wee come to the opinion of Christian Fathers The iudgement of Christian Fathers Ignatius the Martyr alloweth no such rebellion but auoucheth the Scripture of God that God taketh this quarell of Princes vpon himselfe as hee said vnto Samuel he alleageth the Scripture of Moses saying This murmuring of yours is not against vs but against the Lorde God and setteth downe this seuere sentence No maÌ„ that lifteth vp himself against his better Epist 3. ad Magnesios weÌ„t at any time vnpunished coÌ„cluding thus Wherefore wee must reuerence our superiours for that it is no great matter to be calâ—ed à Christian but to bee one as though hee would imploy Ad Scapul that those that are disloyall and â—ebels are not good ChristiaÌ„s The same reaâ—on Tertullian rendreth We are defamed as â—raytours against the Maiesty of the Emperour and yet Christians were neuer found to be Albimans nor Nigrians nor Cassians but he there discharging the ChristiaÌ„s chargeth the heathen who coÌ„demned the christians Christianus nullius est hostis nedum Imperatoris A Christian is foe to no man much lesse to the Emperour The office of Christians and priuat men is by Augustine thus described Cap. 23. q. 8. Quicunque Whosoeuer striketh euil men in that they are euil and hath a cause to kil them is the minister of God But hee that killeth or slaieth or maimeth
a Traytor of the King of England a most wicked Pirat as it is in another history taÌ„quam de Monacho factus Daemoniachus as it were of a Monk made a Demoniacal man and possessed of a Diuel But this diuelish man was drawn out of the pump of the ship where he hid himselfe and his ende was the chopping off of his head by the hande of the Earle of Cornwal Richard the Kings brother carried to the King Maâ— Daâ—â—â— in Heâ—â—â—â— and so to diuerse places of the Realme which the Moucke woulde haue redeemed with an mestimate masse of money but coulde not Adam Adam the Byshop of Hereford was accused of treason and yet was protected by the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury of Yorke and of Dublin Th. Walsing in 〈◊〉 wardoâ— and of ten other Bishops and with violence and with the Arch-bishops crosses was pluckt out from the place of iudgement but afterwards being found guilty by the sworne Iurie of all the crimes obiected was so pronounced his goods confiscated the traiterous and horned Priests blancked for so these verses signifie Nostri cornuti sunt consilio quasi muti Sunt quasi consusi decreto legis abusi This Adam as this history reporteth was arrested openly in the Parlament at London to the great reproch of the cleargy and preiudice of the whole church of England Against Henry the fourth Conspiratours against Heâ— the 4. what conspiracies were there not by Earls and specially by Cleargy men whose meaning was sodenly at the castle of Winsor in the time of Christmasse plaies to rush in to kill him his children but their Christmas py was a deadly pie to them some ran away to London and so ment to passe beyond the sea but the wind being against them they were taken and beheadded The cleargy men Maude Ferby Maudlin Maude and William Ferbie were hanged drawen and beheaded at London others at Oxford The Priest of Ware that had matriculated in a roole the names of the conspirators whereof some were innoceÌ„t had the same iudgement The Prior of Laune once Canon of Dunstable Walter Baldock a Prior. Walter Baldocke confessing himselfe to be priuy to it for conceiling it was hanged so were the Minorit Friers euen in the habit of their religion Friers An Abbat of Westm As for the Abbat of Westminster a chiefe stickler in this matter in whose house after the feast this conspiracy was deuised was by God himselfe stricken with a palsey and by by was dum and so died At the same time Thomas Walsingham writeth of Owen Glendar a Welch man Owen de Glendour In Henr. 4. a rebel against the same King intending by his Magicall coniuration to kill the King the Diuel so working by raine winde snowe haile stones and al tempests against the King and his camp Jbidem Fuerunt plures si fas sit credere qui dicerent haec aduersa arte fratrum Minorum contra Regem fuisse commentata It was a common rumour then that Friers hauing familiarity with Diuels wrought brought al these miseries against the King as friendes to the Welch but you heard how the Diuell was ouertaken by God The Minorites executed by the King in their best and most holy weedes and so Owen Glendar in the absence of the King following his prophecy wandred miserably vp and downe in the desert and in solitary places by penury and hunger pined away The like iudgement fel vpon Falcasius a rebel against Henry the third of a great rich man so miserably poore that he in banishment begged his bread in Fraunce and had not a bolster to lay his head vpon I might haue reckoned vp many Iackes as Iacke Strawe Th. Walsingham n. Hypod. Neusiriâ— or Wat Tiler Iack Miller Iacke Carter against King Richard the second and also Iack Cade of Kent who was in a cart brought to London taken before in a garden in Sussex and his head set on London bridge his quarters sent into Kent in the time of Henry the sixt but these are matters of rebellion indeede but not so much for Religion which is my purpose and chiefe scope And yet all these drink of one cup bitter enough here for such and most bitter in the life to come Now to come nearer vnto our time memory Late Popish traytours for their Religion R. Holinsh in Henr. 8. Rebellions for religion vndeâ— Henr 8 our Popish Traitours haue had no better successe In the raigne of Henry the eight by Parliament the Lords praier and the ten commandements were decreed to be learned in English for this good seruice to God and to the common weal the blind people seduced by blind guides Monks Priests made a commotion in Lincolne shier In Lincolne shiere God fought for his cause for his King and gaue to him the victory The multitude by proclamation was pardoned a new oath of fealty to the King receiued Captaine Cobler Doctor Mackarel a Monke named Doctor Mackarel and others put to death How fel it out in the North by their religious rebellion In the North an holy pilgrimage It was forsooth for the Cacholicke Church It was called a holy blessed pilgrimage In their banners was painted Christ hanging on the Crosse a Chalice with a painted cake in the sleeues of the souldiours were embrodered the fiue wounds of our Sauior But God ouerturned al their purposes and they were supplaunted and by a floud on Simon Iudes Euen their heat was cooled A butcher a Priest executed and a butcher at Winsor wishing that these good fellowes of the North had some carkases of his sheepe with a Priest procured to preach in fauour of Rebels were adiudged to dy by Law Martial Good king Edward the sixt proceeded in zeale as his father began Rebellions for religion in the time of Edwa. 6. Jn Cornewall and more sincerely reformed religion but alas in Cornewall and Deuonshire it was not brooked nor digested the king his Commissioner in Cornwall was slaine but God did not suffer it is remaine vnreuenged a Priest was taken and executed in Smithfield by Law In Deuonshiere they did rise for the six Articles In Deuonshiere they would haue Masse holy water holy bread but they wilfull men lacked all they famished for want of bread The Lorde Russel the Lorde Grey the kings army ouercame them Sir Peter Carewe and Gawine and other faithfull subiects with the city of Exceter perseuering true and loyall were rewarded highly commended but Welch vicar of Saint Thomas in Exceter a newe reformer of religion was hanged vp in chains vpon the top of the church with his sacring Bel holy water bucket and sprinkle beeds and other Popish trash the chiefe captaines most disloial carried to London to be executed In Northfolke was another rebellion of such as partly were deceiued In Northfolke or not throughly persuaded in religion they had an
perish The Argument is this God wil in his wisedome appoint his time for the dispatch death of Saul therefore I may not ne will intermeddle in this action against Saul as though he should in the name and person of God thus say If Saul haue offended the iudgement is mine against mine annointed I am and so am called the God of reuengement Psal 94. Rom. 12. Reuengement is mine I will repay Ergo I wil be no reuenger neither wil I vsurp that office which pertaineth to God What neede I or you Abishai or any other hasteÌ„ the death of a Prince which is set downe in the booke of foreknowledge by God himselfe and cannot be preuented by any mortal man or anie wates altered No fate or destiny no constellation no fortune or chaunce no cunning of star-tooters or figure-flingers no conspiracy of number no strength of confederates no counsailes or polices of wise men can change the Prognostication or Almanacke of God which is that Saul and we al Prince people Magistrate and priuate men young and old man and woman good and bad all must die but not when we will nor when friend or foe wil but as God in his fatal book hath written it downe The consequence and congruity of Dauids Protestation thus explaned I pray you marke these notes First our mortality generally incident to vs al high lowe which is woorth the noting at al times 1. Note death common to al. Gen. 3.2 Reg. c. 14 especially in the time of these new and straunge diseases assaulting vs. The general sentence is that Adam is Adam stil hee came from dust and shal return to dust again that we dy al and as water slide away Who liueth Psal 88. Hebr. 9.2 Cor. 5. and shal not see death It is a statute and decree that men must dy once We know that our earthly house of this tabernacle shall be destroied In this declaration our Dauid is very copious particularly for himselfe and generally for vs all Psal 39. Behold thou hast made my daies as a-hand breadth mine age is as nothing before thee Psal 102. surely euery man is altogether vanity And again My daies are like a shadowe and I am whithered like grasse What is a shadow but the defect and priuation of light and then what is the life of man but death The same vanity of man is painted out liuely in the hundred and third Psalme by comparing vs to grasse and to a flower of the field Esaie 40. 1. Pet. 1. as we haue also in Esay and Peter Dauid is not alone mortal as you haue heard but al Ortus cuncta suos repetunt matremque requiruÌ„t Et redit adnihilum quod fuit antenihil The effect is that all must returne to the Mother from whence they came In Boeoticiâ— A figure of this is declared by Pausanias AmoÌ„g the gifts and oblations of Apollo there was couÌ„terfatted after the imitation and resemblance of the old works in brasse one Image the flesh was clean gone from the skin so that there remained nothing but bones They say that Hippocrates the Physition did dedicate this at Delphos Phaylus captaine of the Phocensians in his sleepe dreamed Hippocrates naked Image that hee himselfe was made like vnto this gift a naked dead man and so beeing deadly sicke ended his life and prooued his vision true So fareth it not only with captaines and Emperours but with vs al who al shal be the image of Hippocrates A bare Anatomy a schelitoÌ„ or picture of death Who then shal escape Shal children No 2. Note Children and youth mortall not the babe of one yeare Huc puer atque senex pariter venisse feruntur Hic par diuitibus pauper egenus erit When the Prophet proclameth al flesh to be grasse Ies 40. and al people to be verily and truelie hay but yet this must be taken not properly but by a figure when common experience teacheth that an apple fresh and red doth perish or fall downe with the woorm with winde or with a staffe and when the prouerb saith that assoone goeth the Lambes skin to the market as the sheepe shal we thinke that the younger sort and lusty folkes shal bee priuileged from death 3. Note Great die Shal the mighty men or nobles or valiant or Princes bee freed from this sentence of death 3. Kindes of death Dauid saieth No and sheweth three kindes of death either extraordinary before time either ordinary natural either by an externe cause or accident as in battle I speak of the death which is the separatioÌ„ of the body the soul for the death of sin the death mystical which is mortificatioÌ„ De bono mortis pertain not to this point wherof you may read in Ambrose This triple kinde or triple way to death heere set down by Dauid is manifold there are many pathes steps to death Prosper L. Epigram as one doth expresse it Ferro peste fame vinclis algore calore Mille modis miseros mors rapit vna homines That is we dy by sword pestilence famin imprisonment colde heate yea by a thousand meanes which God can and will deuise as Dauid hath set down for al men especially as it is ment in our Text against Princes and Potentates of this world And to begin with Saul did hee not desperatly kill himselfe as Dauid here talketh in battle but yet by the hand of the Lord and indeede extraordinarily by his owne hand It is reason that mightie men should mightily suffer tormentes according as it is written and also Saint Austine hath a notable place Let the king know Sapiâ—us 6. De 12. abusionum grad that as he is ordained chiefe in his throne aboue all men so in punishment if hee doe not iustice he shal haue the chiefe-dom and first place And in another book Idem in L. Q. Noui Vet. Test cap. 16. Lib. 9. Dâ— cad 4. Viri sublimis culpa grane est peccatum Shall perhaps great captaines and warriours auoide this stroke Liuie rehearseth of most valiant captaines Scipio Annibal PhilopaemeÌ„ that al three in one year died but nether died nor were buried in their own country Suidas telleth of Thulis King of al AEgypt vnto the Ocean sea that builded an Ilande of his owne name that asked the Oracle of Serapis Tel me who before me could doe such actes An Oracle of the death of Thulis of the eternal dominion of God and who shal doe after me The Oracle was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is in effect that first God the father next the woord and his sonne and with them the holy ghost the blessed Trinity in vnity did raigne before should after euerlastingly but for himself hee was willed speedily to depart and immediatly after the Oracle was slaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his owne people What are all these mighty men but the Gourd
that are dead I haue also to make a wish that those that are faulty liuing woulde remember one Story that I would tel theÌ„ Licinius a rebel fought against Constantine but was ouercome and had a pardon with this charge â—â—crat lib. 〈◊〉 3. that he should keepe his house at Thessalonica liue quietly but when hee had gathered a newe hand of vplandish and barbarous men then hee commaunded him to be slaine Well The effect of my speach is God wil not haue the death of a sinner neither doe godly men desier these euill men to be rid out of the way but to turne into a better way and to reforme themselues and yet the Protestation of Dauid is true vppon their impenitency and frowardnes God will ease the world of these burdens of the earth I am now to make vp my general that all must dy The death of Princes not only the bad but euen the good shal depart froÌ„ vs. The bad for our comfort for the consolatioÌ„ of the church The good for our plague for not only wicked Saul but euen good Dauid is gone O that we may not say in our daies Our Dauid is gone but she must goe and perhappes the sooner for our wickednes Let vs pray therefore for her long and prosperous raigne among vs wee haue great cause so to pray The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in his heart Esaie 57. the merciful men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth it as the Prophet saith Mark I beseech you mark you that loue chaunges how perilous they are What good commeth by the good Princes what losse commeth by their departure Augustine writeth De Ciuiâ— Dei lib. 4. cap. 3. Vtile est vt bons longe lateque diu regnent neque hoc tam ipsis quà m illis vtile est quibus regnant It is profitable that good men raigne far and wide and a long time neither is this so profitable vnto themselues as to those ouer whoÌ„ they raigne The mutation of Princes and alteration of States how dangerous it is may appear by former times After good Samuel and in the time of the banishment of Dauid the Philistines warred against the Israelites in the which battle Saul was slaine and the people of God conquered but by Dauid that succeeded the common weale and the church florished After the death of Iosias was the battel of the Babylonians wherby the Kingdom of Iuda was brought to slauery 2. Paralip 32.36 and afterward subuerted After this Iosias and Ezechias followed euil rulers as it is in the book of Chronicles Alexander the great is called of Daniel a mighty King but his King dome was diuided towards the 4 winds of heaueÌ„ not to his posterity Cap. 11. nor according to his dominioÌ„ Where wise meÌ„ ruled as Solon Lycurgus others who now rule there but Turkes Infidels After the death of William Conquerour came famine pestilence thundring lightening flashes in heauen fires in England as a certaine Prognostication of miseries and ruful calamities in Rufus time Polydor Virg. lib. 9 The death of Heroicall and great personages is ominous and vnluckie Therefore that I may drawe to an end and to the conclusion of Dauids argument The Conclusion of Dauids reason in his protestation seeing God hath set downe a periode course for euery man and a terme and time of death seeing all young and old rich and poore noble vnnoble yea Princes Monarches and Popes must die by some of these meanes and kindes of death which Dauid setteth down let vs obey the reason and reserue to God his iudgement Let vs not preuent his houre no not against the wicked gouernours and sith God hath sent vs a Dauid let vs not by our vnthankfulnes forgoe her Maiestie or by our treacherous behauiour cut off her daies God hath numbred them and they cannot be shortened no nor prolonged but that number will come once to an end though when we cannot tell Augustine maketh me affraide in these words De Ciuit. Dei lib. 5. cap. 25. Iouinianum multo citius quà m Iulianum abstulit Gratianum Ferro Tyrannico permisit interimi longè quidem mitius quà m magnum Pompeium colentem videlicet Romanos Deos. God tooke away Iouinian much sooner then Iulian he suffered Gratian to bee killed with the sword of a tyrant a great deale more gently then great Pompeie a man forsooth that worshipped the Gods of Rome If the certainty be such of death and the vncertainetie of the time so great let vs once againe pray to our heauenly father for the prosperity of her State for the peace of her raigne for the continuance of her daies and for vs al which God grant through the merit of Jesus christ to whom with the father c. 1. SAM 26. 11 The Lord keepe me from laying mine hand vpon the Lords annointed but I pray thee take now the spear that is at his head and the pot of water and let vs go hence 12 So Dauid tooke the spear and the pot of water from Sauls head and they gate theÌ„ away no man saw it nor marked it neither did any awake but they were al asleep for the Lord had sent a dead sleep vpon theÌ„ THE SEVENTH SERMON FOR the better vnderstanding of this text and of all that which I haue to say in this place I must in few woordes repeat and rippe vp that which went before A repetition of Dauids discourse Dauid hath aunswered the motion of Abishai in this proposition That King Saul should not bee destroied and yeeldeth two reasons for that he is the Lords annointed and whosoeuer laieth hand vpon him shal not be holden guiltles Another reason is in the protestation of Dauid that he will not doe it because the matter lieth in Gods hand and he hath ordinary extraordinary meanes to remoue him or kil him at his own pleasure and therfore it pertaineth not to him a priuat man although he be next in succession to vse any fraudulent or violent preuention Which reasons I haue elsewhere examined by many lawes autorities confirmed to be of force moment the particulars whereof I omit At this time I purpose to proceede first in the proofe of the reason so nextly to intreat of the last part It is a scruple or question nowe in these daies who bee the successours of Abishai in these mischieuous and malicious conspiracies against Princes Staphylus seemeth to burden Luther that he commandeth subiects to rebel In Apolagia Frideâ— Staphyli in praefaâ— and to disobey the commaundements of Caesar and forbiddeth to sight against the Turkes But this Question wee haue resolued and determined before that the Popes are aduersaries and no friendes of Caesar and that they are the onely authours of insurrections and rebellions against lawefull autority As for Luther he teacheth obedience in al his writings he loueth not such presuÌ„ption against
because Dauid here feared God reuerenced the person of Saul because Abishai beeing better aduised was content to bee ruled with a woorde of Dauid you see how the Lord did prouide for them Be hee Frenchman or Spaniard Iew or Turk he cannot hurt or harme vs in this case Bonfin deca 3. lib. 5. Mimmo digito Turcas omnes si voluerit illico conteret Deus noster Our God can out of hand if hee wil burst and breake with his little finger al Turkes al our enemies But now my Brethren as on Gods part al is certaine and sure Esa e. 59. The stop of Gods prouidence our sinne For neither his hande is shortned that he cānot saue neither his eare heauy that it cannot hear so on our side al the dāger is to be feared Your sins haue separated becween you and your god saith the same Prophet Sin maketh this diuision Gen. 3. Adam sin ning lost Paradise for himselfe for vs. The world sinning was drowned Gen. 6. Ios 7. One Achā sinning was the plague of al Israel One Ionas sinning indangered the whole ship Sin brought fier and brimstone from heauen vpon Sodome Gen. 19. Act. c. 27. whō ten good men might haue saued as one Paul saued himselfe and al his company in the ship It is a true saying of Achior the Ammonite to Holofernes If there be any fault in this people so that they haue sinned against their God this shal be their ruine Iudith 5. Let vs goe vp and we shal ouercome but if there be none iniquity in this people let my Lord passe by least their Lord defend them and wee become a reproch Al euil men sinners al sinful Kingdoms and nations though planted by him yet shal be plucked vp by him and they shall be all out of Gods protection as it is written Ieremy 18. I wil speak sodenly concerning a nation and concerning a Kingdom to build it to plant it but if it do euill in my sight and hear not my voice I wil repēt of the good that I ment to thē Ies 7. Therefore if any commotion or wars be raised it is because the Lord hath hissed for the Fly the Bee out of the vttermost part of the world hath mustered those enemies against vs for our sinnes if any euil come it is because we are euil Chrysostom vpon the words of Esay I saw the lord Cap. 6. Hom. 1. maketh this questiō What is the cause that matters of the commō weal do not go forward wel that they are not in a better case The people answer by the ouersight carelesnes of Magistrats that bear office but Chrysostome replieth It is not the carelesnes of Princes but ourvnrighteousnes punishment is exacted for our sins those sins do turn tūble al things vpside-down They haue brought in all calamities whatsoeuer they haue armed enimies And a little after he demandeth thus Why so If the Prince bee a trāsgressor of Lawes our rashnes rudenes our offenses haue procured this plague And againe Although the Prince be iust yea as iust and as vertuous as Moses yet could not the righteousnes of that one man couer the manifold sinnes of so many rebelles Exod. 32. neither coulde the praier of Moses chaunge the iust sentēce of God O that we were pure in Gods sight as our religion is pure out of his word Such were the old Christians our cuntrymen in the time of Constantine of whom he giueth this report Sozom. lib. 2. cap. 15. Nihil in moribus religionis huius est quod reprehendi debeat There is nothing in the maners conuersation of this religion which ought to be blamed for these christiās are contented only with the vnbloody vows or praiers to pacifie God who is delighted not with shedding of blood but reioiceth only in a mind pure cleane in the contemplation of vertue godlines Of these Christians reporteth Plinie thē Lieuetenant vnto Traian the Emperour that hee found nothing in thē that was wicked but that they would not worship Images Ensebius l. 3. cap. 3◠Teriul in Apol. and that they rise betime in the morning to praise christ as god and that they kept their discipsine as Eusebius alleadgeth out of Tertullian Now if this doctrine bee true Alaior that Realmes and Kingdoms stand or fall by their religion or by the coutempt thereof and if it bee as true Minor that we al are sinners and contemners and not answerable to the former purenes of our forefathers Conclusion then what must be the conclusion vppon vs but misery plagues and scourges of God for our iniquities I come not hither to be Momus or to wish a window into euery mans hart and conscience to see euery mans secret faults I would there were not too many too open in the sight of the worlde to the great displeasure of Almighty God of which giue me leaue to speake a little that we may not loose the sweetnes of this doctrine and the fauour of our God and the protection of this Realme But we must needs loose it if we doe not hereafter repent vs and euery man in his calling walk accordingly Though man wincke Yet God seeth wil visit the sins of this land which draw on with cartropes our speedy destruction In the beginning of the world at the first fal of Adā God steppeth out to iudgement and iudicially proceedeth against him and his wife and the serpent will he not now in the end of the world serue the same processe against vs Wil he not say to euery one of vs Adam where art thou Gen. 3. wil he not cite Prince Peers and people Yes verily that shortly without speedy harty repentance A particular citation of God against sinners of this Land To Magistrates and Iudges He will cite rulers Iudges Nobles Magistrates of this land of whō he requireth iustice that the innocent may be defended cherished that the wicked be not iustified and maintained but condēned and punished You Honorable Worshipful shal find or if you wil not he wil find two kinds of these wicked men specially in this land godlesse Atheists irreligious others too religious or superstiously religious fauourers rather of the Popish myter thē of the Princely crown Let iustice be done against both Currat Lex vinat Rex Let not your Lawes bee cobwebs to catch the little flies and to let the great ones break out Anacharsis If you Iudges of the earth wil haue God prouidently to care for you you must zealously care for him You know what vnderminers pioners haue crept in what pirats haue ioyned themselues with the gouernors true mariners of this english ship seminary mē like vnto one Iohn Abbot a professour of Phisicke more presūptuous then cunning Hee promised vnto Waldemarus King of Denmark present help he cōmandeth all to depart out of the chāber