thirst by famishinge poore people drinkinge vp their bloud with long continuance therin torment thē more greeuously then he that brente them all in one hower Now seeing as I said this cruelty robberie and extorsion groweth daily to such intollerable excesse and ouerfloweth this Realm because it is not punished nor restrained it is high time for all those magistrates that fear God not onely to absteine from this euil themselues but to resist it also It is God his busines he hath commaunded it and will straightly require it Would to God all noble men would be ware by the example of Saule he had a commandement to apply Gods businesse Go and smite Amelecke and haue no compassion on them c. He left his businesse vndone spared Ameleck and the fairest of the beastes but for this negligence he receiued of Samuell a sorrowfull message from God Because thou hast cast away the worde of the Lord he hath cast thee off also frō being King Euen so in euery christiā cōmō wealth god hath cōmanded rulers to destroy Amelecke al extorsion oppression and robberie to defende the needie all innocentes If they looke not to this busines but suffer Ameleck to liue not only to liue but to grow in might so truly as God liueth he shal cast them of they shal not be his magistrates But let it once bee knowne that not onely our moste noble king whose godly example is a Lanterne to all other but that also al his nobles aboute him haue wholy bente themselues in his businesse to withstand al violence and to oppresse all oppression for defence of Gods people that the wicked Achabs mighte knowe that God had in England a great nūber of Pastors Patrones feeders and cherishers of his people it should doc that which the feare of God cannot do that is stop the great rage of violence oppression extorsion which taken away would pluck from many their vanitie in superfluous and monstrous apparell in sumptuous building suche as seeke to bring paradise into earth being the greatest causes of all oppression and spoiling of pore people which moste vaine vanities blinde affections neuer reigned so much in all estates in England as at this daie It was a notable saying of Charles the fifte Emperour of that name to the Duke of Venice when he had seene his princely Palace a Paradise vpon earth When the Duke loked y t he should haue praised it exceedingly Charles gaue it none other eommendation but this Haec sunt quae faciunt inuitos mori these earthly vanities said he are they which make vs loth to die A truer sentence could not well bee spoken by any man I woulde wish we should looke in all our buildings When the beautie thereof so increaseth that it would greeue vs to depart from it to pluck down that piece againe and to remember withal the holie Patriarkes with S. Paule that wee haue not here a continuing citie but we seeke one to come But truely me thinke now in England for our vaine delighte in curiouse buildinges God hath plagued vs as hee did the builders of Babel not with the confusion of tongues but with the confusion of wits our fancies can neuer be pleased plucke downe and set vp and when it contenteth vs not downe with it again Our mindes are neuer contented nor neuer shall bee while wee seeke felicitie where it is not Would God euery one woulde consider what a hel it should be to all that vainely delighte herein when death shall with great violence pluck thē from their earthly heauen Moreouer extorsion taken away shall straight abate the vnmeasurable excesse in costly fare whiche goeth beyonde the vaine banquetting of Sardanapalus or Esopus I dare not adde Cleopatra which supped vp with a spoonefull of vinegre a perle valued to 50000 crownes It wuld also abate the intollerable excesse in apparell which causeth vs to haue robbers in veluet coates with S. Martins chains But I must for lacke of time passe ouer these enormities which alone giue mater inough for whole sermōs I leaue them for other whiche shall followe more able to paint out suche monsters in their collours And here in conclusion I desire all noble men and godly Magistrates deepely to ponder and reuolue in their Godlie memorie what acceptable seruice they may doe chieflie to God and secondlie to the Kinges maiestie and his whole realme in employing their whole studie how to resist all such as spoile Christes people whome hee so tenderly loued that he shed his bloud for them Vertue ioyned with nobility spreadeth her beames ouer a whole realm And so your diligence in Gods busines shall soone inflame all other to follow your example that all may occupie them selues in God the fathers busines But now that I haue hitherto charged the Ecclesiastical ministers and after the ciuil gonernours with al ritch and mightie men with negligence in God his busines mee think I do heare the inferior mēbers reioice and flatter them selues as if all were taken from them and they lefte cleare in the sight of God But if they consider their estate by Gods worde they shal finde smal cause to aduance themselues For Gods worde plainly telleth vs both that euill and dumbe pastors and wicked rulers and magistrates are sent of God as a plague punishment for the sinnes of the people And therefore both Esaie Osee after most terrible threatnings of God his vengance for sinne bring in as a most grieuous plague of al that euen the priestes which shoulde call them from sinne shal become so euil as the people Which plague Saint Bernard saide in his time was come with a vātage for because the priestes were much worse then the people And Amos as a most grieuous punishment of all other threatneth hunger not of breade but of hearing Gods word And concerning the ciuill magistrates it is plaine in Iob that for the sinne of the people God raiseth hypocrites to reigne ouer them that is to say such as haue the bare names of gouernours and protectors are in deede destroiers oppressors of the people subuerters of law and equitie And seeing it is so so many as feele the griefe and smarte of this plague ought not to murmur against other but patiently suffer and be offended with their owne sinnes whiche haue deserued this scourge much more and studie for amendment that God may take it away For if they continu as they do to murmure againste god their rulers as the Israelites did to prouoke daily his anger by multiplyinge synne in his sighte with enuie malice deceipt backbiting swearinge fornication with vtter contempt of his worde he shall for their punishmente so multiply the number of euill gouernours vniust Iudges Iustices officers that as it was spoken by a iester in the Emperoure Claudius time the images of good magistrates may all be grauen in one ring God
the vengeance of God smote him with souden death I feare mee a great nuÌ„ber are in England this day which though in wordes they deny not this senteÌ„ce of Christ yet inwardly they can scarse disgeste it else certeinly they would neuer seeke so ambitiously to aduance them selues to climbe by their owne might vncalled neuer seeking the publique weale but rather the destruction thereof for their priuate wealth and lucre which causeth vs to haue so many euil magistrates For all the while that men gather goods vniustly by polling pilling vsurie extorsion Simmonie and therewith seeke to climbe with bribes bying of offices it is scarse possible of such to haue wholsome magistrats S. Bernard said Of a bitter roote commeth a bitter fruite They enter in at the windowe which is vsed aswel in ciuil gouernemente as Ecclesiasticall and therefore may Christes wordes well be verified He that entreth not in at the dore into the sheepefolde but climbeth vp some other way the same is a theefe and a robber And Esaias complainte against Ierusalem taketh place among vs Thy princes are wicked coÌ„panions of theefs they loue gifts altogether and gape for rewardes as for the fatherlesse they helpe not him to his right neither will they lot the widdowes cause come before them They wil not knowetheir office to be ordemed of God for the wealth and defence of al innocentes for the aide of all that be in miserie the time is come that Solomon speaketh of WheÌ„ the wicked man be are rule the people shat mourne When had euer the people such cause to mourne as nowe when the greatest number of all magistrates are occupied in their owne businesse seeking rather the miserie of the people then to take it away rather to oppresse them theÌ„ to defend them their hands be ready to receiue their monie to rob and spoile them but their eares are shut from hearing their coÌ„plaintes they are blinde to behold their calamities Looke in all cuntries how lady Auarice hath set a woorke altogether mightie men gentlemen and all riche men to robbe and spoile the poore to turne them from their liuings and froÌ„ their right and euer the weakest goe to the walles And being thus tormented and put from their right at home they come to London a great number as to a place where iustice shoulde be had ther they can haue none They are suters to greate men and can not come to their speeche their seruantes must haue bribes and that no small bribes Al loue bribes But as suche as be so dangerous to heare the pore let them take heede least God make it as strange to them when they shal cal for as Solomon saith Who so stoppeth his eare at the crying of the pore he shall cry not be heard We finde that pore meÌ„ mighte come to complaine of their wronges to the Kinges owne person King Ioram although he was one of the sonnes of Achab no good king yet he heard the pore widowes cause and caused her to haue right such was the vse then I would to God that all noble men would diligently note that chapter and followe the example It shoulde not then bee so harde for the poore to haue successe to theÌ„ nor coÌ„ming to their presence they shoulde not be made so astonied eueÌ„ speechlesse with terrible lookes but shoulde mercifully louingly be hard succoured gladly for Christes loue considering we are the members of his bodie euen as my hande woulde be glad to helpe my foot when it is annoyed O with what glad hearts cleare coÌ„sciences might noble men go to rest when they had bestowed the whole day in hearing Christe himselfe complain in his members redressing his wroÌ„gs But alas for lacke hereof poore people are driuen to seeke their right among the lawyers And there as the prophet Ioel saith Looke what y e Caterpillers had left in their robbery oppression at home all that doth the greedie Locustes the lawyers deuour at London They laugh with y e monie which maketh others to weepe thus are the poore robbed on euerie side without redresse and that of such as seeme to haue authoritie therto When Christe suffered his passion there was one Barrabas S. Mathewe calleth him a notable theef a geÌ„tlemaÌ„ theef such as rob now a daies in veluet coates and other two obscure theeues and nothing famous the rusticall theeues were hanged and Barrabas was deliuered Euen so nowe'a dayes little theeues are hanged that steale of necessitie but the great Barrabasses haue free liberty to rob to spoil without al measure in the middest of the citie The poore pyrate said to Alexander we rob but'a few in a ship but thou roobest whole cuntries and kingdomes Alas silly pore meÌ„bers of Christ how you be shorn oppressed pulled halâ—d to fro on euery side who can not but lameÌ„t if his heart beÌ„ not of flint There be a number euery terme many continually which lametably complain for lack of Iustice but all in vaine They spende y t which they had left and many times more whose il successe here causeth thousandes to tarry at home beggers and leese their right so it were better theÌ„ here to sel their coats for this we see be y e pore maÌ„s cause neuer so manifest a truth y e rich shal for monyfind 6. or 7. counsellers shall stande with subtelties and sophisines to cloak an euill matter hide a knowne trueth A pitteous case in a christian commoÌ„ wealth Alas that euer manifest falshood should be mainteined where y e God of trueth ought to be honored But let them alone they are occupied in their fathers busines euen y e prince of darknesse You are of your father the diuel Yet I cannot so leaue theÌ„ I must needes cry on Gods behalfe to his patroÌ„s of Iustice to you most redoubted prince whoÌ„ God hath made his minister for their defence with all those whoÌ„ god hath placed in authoritie vnder you Looke vpon their misery for this is out heaueÌ„ly fathers businesse to you apointed by his holy word When I come among the people I call vpon them as my duety is for seruice duty and obedience vnto their prince to all magistrates to their Lordes and to al that be put in authoritie ouer them I let them heare their owne faultes But in this place my duty is my conscience vppon Gods word bindeth me seeing them so miseraby so wrongfully so cruelly intreated on euery side in Gods behalfe to pleade their cause not by forme of mans lawe but by Gods word as an intercessor For as they are debters vnto you other magistrates of loue fear seruice obedieÌ„ce vnder God So are you again debters vnto theÌ„ of loue protectioÌ„ of Iustice equitie mercy pitie If you denie theÌ„ these they must suffer but god shal reuenge theÌ„ He standeth saith Dauid in the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ of
hath cause greatly to bee displeased with al estates when euery man shoulde looke vppon their owne faultes to seeke amendment and as it is a prouerbe lately sprong vp no man amendeth him selfe but euery man seeketh to amend other and all that while nothing is amended Mightie men and gentlemen they say the commonaltie liue to wel at ease they grow euerie day to be gentlemen and know not themselues their hornes muste be cut shorter by raising their rentes by fines by plucking awaye their pastures and so by many goodly preteÌ„ces Lady Auarice can whisper in their eares The mean men they murmure and grudge and say the gentlemen haue all and there were neuer so many gentlemen and so little gentlenesse And by their natural Logike ye shall heare them reason howe these two Contugata these yoake fellowes gentlemen and gentlenesse should be banished so farre asunder And they lave all the miserie of this common wealth vppon the gentlemen their shoulders But alas good Christians this is not y e way of amendment Si inâ—ucem mordetis commeditis If ye bite and deuour one another as Saint Paul saith take ye heede least ye be consumed one of another Histories make mentioÌ„ of a people called Anthropophagi eaters of men which al mens harts abhorre to hereof And yet alas by Saint Paules rule Englande is full of suche Anthrop ophagies Euery man enuieth other euery man biteth gnaweth vpon other with venemous adders tongues farre more noisome then any teeth And whereon commeth it Couetousnesse is the roote of all Euery man scratcâ—â—th pilleth from other euery man would sucke the bloud of other euery man encrocheth vpon an other Couetousnesse hath 〈◊〉 away the large winges of charitie and plucketh all to her selfe shee is neuer satisfied she hath chested all the olde gold in EnglaÌ„d much of the new she hath made y t ther was neuer more Idolatry in England then at this day But the Idols are hid they come not abrode Alas noble prince the Images of your auncesters grauen in gold yours also contrarie to your minde are worshipped as Goddes all that while the pore liuely Images of Christ perish in y e streats through hunger cold This commeth when couetousnesse hath banished from amongst vs Christian charitie when like most vnth ankfull children wee haue forgotten Christe his last will when he so often before his passion did inculcate loue loue loue loue one another And herein we shew our selues worse then any carnall sonnes Which be they neuer so vnkinde yet alway they remeÌ„ber y e last words of their earthly pareÌ„ts Nay rather I may say we are much worse then y e bruite beastes of whome when we consider howe woÌ„derfully nature hath framed them to concord vnite to preserue helpe one another of their owne kinde it may make vs vtterly to bee ashamed The Hartes as Sainte Augustine writeth swimming ouer a narrow sea in a company together with much paine can beare vp their heads in the water for the remedy wherof euery one layeth his head vppon the hinder part of another When the for most hauing no stay is sore weary he commeth behind and thus euery one in his course taketh paine for the whole herde If men indued with reason would learne of these vnreasonable creatures this lesson to help one another as we are commaunded by Saint Paule saying Beare ye one anothers burden and so shall you fulfill the Law of Christ. How soone then should charitie the band of perfectioÌ„ which seeketh not her owne but rather to profit other be so spread among all degrees that oure common wealth should florish in al godlines But alas wee see that all goeth contrary For whiles all men as Saint Paule saith seeke the thinges that be their owne not other mens not the thinges whiche appertaine to Christ Philaâ—tia that is selfe loue and loue of priuate commoditie hath banished charitie and loue to the common wealth And if we should seâ—ke the cause ground of all these euille why God his busines is so neglected among all estates and degrees I think it should appear to be ignorance of God his holy wil For if Mary and Ioseph so godly and deuoute a couple vnderstood not for a time Christes saying Wist ye not that I must goe about my fathers businesse as Saint Luke saith they understoode not that saying What meruell is it if we liuing so carnally and drowned in worldly pleasures and framed to the shape of this worlde bee ignorant in our heauenly fathers businesse And therefore 〈◊〉 well applie them But shall wee thinke this to bee very strange many apply not God his businesse nor his wil which yet would disdain to be counted ignorant there in But vndoubtedly good christians it is an vnfallible veritie that negligence in perfourming God his will commeth of ignorance It is all one to know God and his will Sainte Iohn saith plainely He that loueth not knoweth not God For if he doe know God he cannot but loue him and loue is alwaies occupied in Gods busines By this rule Saint Augustine proueth wee cannot keepe perfectly the first precept to loue God so well as we ought to doe while we are in this mortall life For all our loue commeth of knowledge but in this life ex parte cognoscimus our knowledge is vnperfect And thus S. Augustines rule grounded vppon S. Iohn is true that so farre as we knowe God so far doe wee loue him and so they that loue him nothing at all they knowe him nothing at all Althoughe they seeme to haue neuer so much windie knoweledge puffing vp their stomacke with presumption as the Apostle sayeth scientia inflat knowledge maketh a man swell So that if a man haue studied the scripture all his lyfe long learned the whole Bible by harte and yet hane no loue he is ignorant of God his will The poore man that neuer opened booke if the loue of god be shed abroad in his hart by the holy ghoste he ouercommeth him in the knowledge of Gods will The Godly Pembus of whome wee reade in the Ecclesiasticall history when he was first taught y e first verse of the Psalme 39. I haue saide I will take heede to my waies that I offende not in my tongue He refused a long time to take out a new lesson iudging his first lesson to be vnlearned till he coulde perfectly practise it by an holy conuersation So ought wee alwaies to make our accounte to haue learned Gods worde when wee haue learned charitie obedience But this knowledge though it lack in many learned yet ordinarily it commeth alwaies by hearing God his word Rom. 10. Faith commeth of hearing and hearing of the word of God Wherfore as I saide their case is to be lamented which woulde gladly heare Gods word can haue no preachers Then may we say