into them also the selfesame blessing of increase and fruitfulnesse And as vnto these so likewise vnto man the greatest in honour though in order the last of all his creatures he gaue the same power to spread out himselfe by propagation and to replenish the face of the earth 2 For the seemelier and better ordering whereof to the ende that as God himselfe is most pure and therefore hateth all vncleannesse so the actions of men who in nature resemble him might be framed according to the paterne of his image hee prescribed a way how man as beseemeth the excellencie of his creation nature might not after a brutish beastly maner but in al honestie cleanlines bring forth the honorable fruit of his bodie that so Gods creation and work might be continued his kingdom inlarged his name by reason of the multitude much more praised And this meane or way appointed by God was matrimonie a state whereof the chosen vessel of God writeth this as the iudgement of the holie Ghost Mariage is honourable Wherein for your better instruction and learning my purpose is to shew you the reasons of the honour which it should haue and also of the great disgrace which it hath amongst men 3 Mariage is honourable first in respect of the author by whom it was ordeined Secondly in regard of the causes thereof Thirdly for the dueties which are required of the parties maried Touching the first it appeareth in the beginning of the booke of Genesis howe after that God had perfectly accomplished his creation and had giuen the Lordeship ouer all liuing creatures vnto Adam he saide It is not good that man be alone let vs make him an helper that may be before him let vs make woman Whereupon our Sauiour in the Gospel inferreth That therefore which God hath ioyned together let no man separate approouing mariage to bee the institution of God and a naturall order proceeding I meane from the God of nature to bee obserued and vsed for euer Neither did hee onely confirme this lawe and ordinaunce of God in plaine woords and in his teaching but he also did honest and honour the same with his presence For being called to a mariage he his mother and kinsfolke gladly went there to feast with others where it pleased him miraculously to increase their cheere and withal their honour For it is not nothing which this doth adde to the holy and reuerend estimation thereof that the first miracle which Christ wrought was wrought at a mariage and is so by the holie Ghost recorded Nowe besides this that almightie God himselfe ordeined mariage and that in Paradise a most heauenly habitation and that before the innocencie was stained with sinne besides this that Christ did allow and many waies approoue the same yea and moreouer vouchsafed to resemble his spirituall coniunction with his Church vnto this estate we finde that the Patriarkes the Priests and Prophets the holiest men of God Abraham Moses Aaron and the rest of that blessed companie haue chosen to liue rather in mariage than otherwise acknowledging thereby the state of mariage to be vndoubtedly no lesse allowable if not more honourable than single life 4 Concerning the second point that is to say the honour which riseth from the causes for which GOD did institute the state of wedlocke the scripture noteth especially three The first is mutuall societie helpe and comfort And this were a cause sufficient to esteeme of mariage highly if there were no other For God hath saide It is not good that man be alone Let vs make him an helper and helper and not an hinderer 5 The second cause why matrimonie was ordeined and must be honoured is increase and propagation For although that this may be as we see it it is in lewde and shamelesse persons too often without this estate of mariage yet this is so much against the dignitie of humane nature that such broodes haue beene alwaies basely accounted of by men which haue had but the bare light of naturall vnderstanding Wherefore the blessed Apostle hath saide I will that the younger sort marie and bring foorth children giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that there can be no seemely propagation of mankinde saue onely in mariage Children begotten in the state of matrimonie are the blessing of God and the fruite of the vndefiled wombe is a reward as Salomon wisely acknowledged in the Psalme For a man to be honoured with the name of a father to be renued and continued in his posteritie if it be not a speciall blessing of God a very exceeding great reward why are men women so desirous to see the fruit of their bodies Why was Anna so exceeding in crauing children at the hands of God Why was barrennesse so grieuous vnto Sara Why did it seeme reprocheful vnto Elizabeth Is it a small benefit that God hath raised out of the bodie of Abraham so many Patriarchs Priests Prophets Iudges and Kings such a multitude not onely of men of reputation on earth but also of blessed saints and citizens in heauen If it were an honour vnto Abraham to be a father of many nations surely mariage which made him a lawfull and an honourable father ought very honourably to be esteemed 6 Another cause of honour giuen vnto mariage is for that it is a remedie against vncleannesse Let euerie man haue his wife and euerie woman her husband for the auoiding of fornication Vpon which words of S. Paul Ambrose writeth verie aptly Qui abstinēt a licitis in illicita prolabuntur They which forbeare things lawfull to vse fall many times to vse things which they should forbeare And he bringeth in the Manichees for example as we may bring in the Papistes and namely that ponde of Rome adioyning to a Nunrie wherein were founde the heads of seuen thousand bastards It is true that all haue not neede of this remedie because all are not subiect to the daunger and perill of this disease But if any man be subiect to this disease let him beware howe he despise this remedie There bee no doubt that haue the gift of chastitie by birth and there be that haue made themselues chast by indeuour but of all this men are not capable As it is the gift of God so it seemeth to be a rare and not a common gift Such as haue it and so liue sole they are more fit to labour in Gods Church it must needes be graunted for they are combred with fewer cares But be these cares neuer so many and great better it is to marie than to burne and to be burthened with ordinarie and nest cares than with vnordinarie and dishonest carelesnesse to be destroied There are many that deceiue themselues thinking a single and a chast life to be all one To bee pure in bodie and in spirite this is chastitie Hee that seeth a woman and in his heart hath
remember vnto you for offending your chast eares the horrible filthinesse wherewith those learned Scribes those holie fathers those maiden priests those foxes were infected the smell whereof ascended vp into heauen and cryed out for vengeaunce against them Spirituall and corporall whoredome for the most part go together Who was more hoat in the seruice of Baal than Iesabel that deuoute hypocrite and yet she was but a painted harlot When Israel gaue themselues to Idolatrie they foorthwith fel vnto whoredome Mens life and religion are for the most part like a sound faith a sweete behauiour men gather not figges of thornes neither can their outward conuersation be pure whose inward perswasion is not good These are they that destroy the vines Whereunto euen nowe they haue prepared themselues For this ende and purpose they gather themselues together they boldly haue their conuenticles they contriue treacherie and deuise how to destroy the vineyard and church of God In the late euill times the professors of the Gospel found no such libertie But the saying of Christ is verified Foxes haue holes but the sonne of man hath not where to hide his head 18 Two especiall meanes they vse in seeking to destroie the vineyard force and perswasion Force of two sorts open and secret Open force of persecution that cruell beast hath alwaies practised from time to time What prince hath hee not stirred vp what nation hath he not armed to persecute the professors of true religion with fire and sword The red bloudie dragon doeth still vexe the woman with her childe Christ with his church The practise hereof all Nations haue felt and Englande cannot forget The late rebellion in this Realme raised for no other cause but by force to subuert religion by no other man than the father of these foxes is fresh in memorie 19 When by open force this beast cannot quench his thirst with the bloud of his Saints then he practiseth by secret deuises Sometimes vnder pretense of mariage and faithfull affinitie he leadeth Princes blindefold to the house of slaughter sometimes vnder colour of giuing aide to possesse kingdomes he dispossesseth them both of their state and of their life sometimes he offereth league and confederacie with such as in heart he deadly hateth thereby to stay their force till he may fitly practise his purposed mischiefe When these practises will not serue then they sell themselues to satan as did Pope Syluester they enter into an execrable league with the diuell and labour by incantation coniuration magicke sorcerie and witchcraft to consume kill and destroie the Lords annointed by picturing c. When inchantments wil not serue that no poysoned deuise be left vnattempted they flie to poysonings which practise of theirs hath taken effect in diuers Henrie the Emperour receiued poyson in sacramentall bread Victor the Pope in sacramentall wine Wherein it is to bee noted by the way that if they did offer the bodie and bloud of Christ indeede as they pretend to doe they could not mingle that sacred and glorified substance with poison Of late noble Dandelot with others haue drunke of the like cuppe So these foxes conceiue mischiefe and bring foorth most monstrous and cruel wickednesse both by open violence and by secret treacherie 20 The other meane whereby they labour to hinder the course of the Gospel and to subuert religion is fraude the naturall propertie of a foxe This fraude is practised after sundrie sorts First they labour to seduce the simple by perswasion Of persuasion they haue sundrie kindes As first the Antiquitie of their religion their fathers olde faith But they should remember that their religion is as newe as false sixe hundred yeeres after Christ vnknowne The substance of our religion is most ancient shalbe most permanent it was from the beginning it shal remaine to the end no iot nor title therof shal perish In matter of religion we may not followe our fathers further than they haue followed our Master Christ. We must thinke not what others haue said or doone before but what he which is before all others hath saide and doone Heare him The scripture hath giuen vs warning to be warie in this point God fed Israel with wormewood and gaue them waters of gall to drinke because they walked after Baalims which their fathers taught them 21 Another ground whereupon they builde their perswasion is the Authoritie of the Church and of the Pope which cannot erre There is a church of God and a synagogue of Satan The Church of God is builded vpon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets The true church hath her markes whereby she is knowne The Gospel truely preached The sacraments syncerely ministred discipline duely executed The popish church hath neither the true foundation nor yet the right marks of the church of God her foundation is Man her markes are blasphemie Idolatrie superstition Christ is the head of his bodie the Church This head cannot erre the head of the church Antichristian is the Pope that man of sinne a lier yea a verie father of lies 22 From these general perswasions they traine the people to particulars teaching many other shamefull things but this aboue all other as most needefull to be held of all that the masse is a sacrifice auaileable for quicke and dead strong and effectuall to take away sinne forcible in ridding soules out of Purgatorie paines But S. Paul teacheth that Christ was offered vp once to take away all sinne and by that one oblation because it was perfect obteined the full deliuerie and redemption of his Church The bloud of Christ doeth cleanse vs from all sinne Therefore we neede not their aftercleansings which in trueth are defilings With these and other like false and subtile perswasions they leade the simple people to the pit of destruction 23 Or if they cannot preuaile by such perswasions they finde out Prophecies and therewith fil the peoples eares they haue the bookes of Merlin and other phantasticall spirits full of doubtfull sayings and deceitful dreames of these they make such constructions and expositions as may serue their purpose all tending to this ende that alteration is neere that the state will not continue that religion cannot endure long such and such times when this chaunge should be they haue presumed more than once to appoint But their times-master hath deceiued them they haue found him a lying spirite in the mouth of his Prophets This practise of Satan and of his impes hath brought sundrie great persons and noble houses to confusion Let their posteritie take example and warning by them 24 They haue left no meanes vnattempted whereby the hearts of the people might any way be seduced Wherefore vnto other their deceitfull practises they haue ioyned the offer of reconciliation The Pope hath sent his proctors abroad to pardon whatsoeuer is alreadie past so that men will nowe forsake the church of Christ and ioyne themselues vnto
is sufficient for them Thy testimonies saith Dauid are my counsellers Their counsell was to him sufficient Hee red not the scriptures at idle times or at leisure they were his meditation continually Reading was not irkesome and tedious vnto him his eies did preuent the night watches to meditate in the word The time was not lost which was so bestowed For by thy commaundements saith he thou hast made me wiser than mine enemies The diligence of that noble Eunuch chiefe officer to the Queene of Ethiopia is greatly commended as a woorthie president for Christian Courtiers to behold and followe Many cannot reade yet al ought to heare I will hearken saith Dauid what the Lord God will say Who doth not reioyce to heare a prince speake gracious and fauorable wordes But I wil heare the lord speake saith the prophet For he wil speake peace vnto his people A bad seruaunt an euill wife a cursed childe a damnable creature that will not gladly heare the voice of the Lord the husband the father the creator Christ taught dailie in the temple and doubtlesse he was daily heard But hearing of the woord may not daily be attended least it hinder more weightie affaires Is there any thing more weightie than the matter of saluation Is the earth of more account than heauen a short miserable life than a blessed and immortall Philip of Macedonia casting off the suite of a poore woman with a short answere that he had no leisure to heare her cause she aunswered boldly Why then hast thou leisure to be a king I may as boldly aske of them which say they haue no leisure to heare Gods word how they will finde the leisure to be saued This word only saueth Receiue ye therfore the word ingrafted which is able to saue your soules 13 If there bee no saluation but by faith no faith but by hearing the woord of God how should the people be saued without teachers The mother Citie of the Realme is reasonably furnished with faithfull preachers certaine other Cities not many in number are blessed too though not in like sort But the sillie people of the Land otherwhere especially in the North parts pine away way and perish for want of this sauing foode they are much decayed for want of prophecie Many there are that heare not a sermon in seuen yeres I might say safely in seuenteene Their bloud will be required at some bodies hands The Lord deliuer vs from that hard account and graunt redresse with speede 14 But why doth the countrie want preachers The people pay tithes of that they haue therefore there must needes be sufficient to maintaine them If things were well ordered this sequele were good But the chiefest benefices were by the Pope long since impropriated vnto a Monkes which deuoured the fruits and gaue a sillie stipend vnto a poore Sir Iohn to say Masse And as they left it so we finde it still Where liuings were not impropriated by the Pope there they are for the most part so handled that patrons maintaine themselues with those tithes which the people giue and ministers haue that which the patrons leaue The worlde dealeth with Gods Clergie as Dionysius the tyrant with Iupiters Idoll They make themselues as merie with spoyling Christs patrimonie as he with robbing Iupiter of his golden cloake which being too heauie for Sommer and too colde for Winter he tooke away and left in stead of it a cotten coate light for the one time and warme for the other To take from them which liue idly and superstitiously in the Church they pleade it to be lawfull because those vnprofitable members were vnwoorthie to enioie the fat of the earth Abbeies being eaten vp and other profites gone now as greedie cormorants they sease also vpon the Church of Christ. It is not fit forsooth that men sanctified vnto heauenly things should be ouermuch encombred with these earthly commodities and therefore euen of great deuotion and zeale they will ease the Church of these her burthens Thus by men that cannot stand without the fall of the Church of God all meanes are inuented to begger the ministerie A deuise no doubt of Satan and a practise of his impes to cause a famine of the bread of life by staruing the Oxe that should treade out the come and to withdrawe Gods people from seeking the Lord by weakening and discouraging such as should guide them in the waie of life Thus you see how God must be sought in his word which woord because all men must heare and learne therefore many must be sent to teache it 15 But because the seede which is cast into the earth groweth not vp vnlesse it be watered with the dewe of heauen neither doth the sound of the woord bring any man vnto Christ except the grace of the spirite be with it which grace God offereth so freely vnto men that there needeth no more but Aske and Haue for this cause it followeth in the Prophet Call vpon him while he is neere We may reade and heare of God as of one farre off But when we praie vnto God we acknowledge that he is as it were within sight when we cal vpon him we speake to him as vnto one which is present He is neuer so clearely and plainely found his presence is neuer so familiarly enioied as by heartie praier Praier consisterh of two parts Thankesgiuing for that which we haue receiued and requesting of that whereof our soules or bodies haue neede 16 The good king Dauid falling into consideration of the infinite mercies of God bursteth out into these carefull woordes What shall I render to the Lord Finding no way to requite hee resolueth thus I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. Perhaps the Prophet had the more care to shewe himselfe thankefull towards God by reason of the griefe which himselfe sustained through mens ingratitude towards him He maketh pitifull complaint that his familiar friends who ate bread at his table who tooke sweete counsell with him whom hee had many waies benefited were vnthankefull and requited him with trecherous dealing An honest hearted man is neuer so grieued as when his friendlinesse is requited with ingratitude If it be saith S. Ambrose a fault to bee matched euen with murther not to requite man with thankefulnesse what a crime is it to deale vnthankefully with God Dixeris maledicta cuncta cum ingratum hominem dixeris Wee haue named all the naughtinesse that can bee obiected when wee haue termed a man vnthankefull saieth another Lycurgus beeing asked why in his Lawes he had set downe no punishment for ingratitude answered I haue left it to the gods to punish All the punishment which man could deuise he though too easie for a fault so heinous The ingratitude of Ierusalem did more wound the heart of the sonne of God Christ Iesus than the speare that pierced him through the heart vpon the crosse Hee
daungerous to admit vnwritten verities The Pope will not haue his doctrine tyed vnto this ground and why Hil. ad Constant lib. quem ipse tradidiâ— Ambros in Luc lib. 3. cap. 3. August contra liter Petilia lib. 2 cap. 7. The grounds of Poperiâ— Miracles 2. Thâ—ss 2. Actes 8. Foule spirites Esay 8. 1. Sam. 28. Precepts of men 1. Cor. 3. Legends Viuâ—s Annâ—t in Hieron de Ecclesiast scriptorib Traditions Doctrines builded vpon the foresaide grounds against scripture Religion builded vpon such groundes though it were not iniurious is notwithstanding friuolous vncertaine The second difference betweene true Christianitie and Poperie is in the ende Ephe. 3. Dan 9. Man is humbled by true doctrine touching original sinne Ephe. 2. Rom. 7. Thraldome of will Grace Workes Gal. 5. The truth seeketh to throw downe men and to aduance Christ. The Church of Rome seeketh her own glorie and gaine Iohn 5. She paireth diminisheth mans original corruption Psal. 51. Gen. 6. Shee boasteth of freewill Rom. 9. Cantic 1. Iustification by workes Psal. 143. Psal. 130. Of merites and workes of supererogation She desireth excessiuely outwarde pompe Eccles 10. She maintaineth it by vile merchandise She robbeth God of the honour which he shold haue by Faith Inuocation and Obedience Heb. 10. Prou. 28. Psal. 33. Psal. 46. Exod. 20. The third difference betweene true Christianitie and Poperie is in y e meanes and maner of proceeding 1. Tim. 4. After what sort men must come to the waters of life Ierem. 23. What commodities such as come shall receiue Iob. 30 Eccles. 9. Iob. 21. 2. Sam. 7. Luke 1. Acts 13. Ier. 33. The vse of Parliamentes Things to bee considered in the person of Samuel He was a Minister Iohn 6. Phil. 2. He was a godlie magistrate yet misliked by them ouer whom he was placed Exod. 15. 2. Sam. 17. Psal. 70. Crysippus Exod. 2. Demosthenes Themistocles Valer. Max. lib. 7. cap. 2. 1. Sam. 7. Rom. 13. He was both a Prophet and a Prince Luke 16. Exod. 4 2. Reg. 12. Things contained in the wordes of Samuel 1. The duetie of the minister 2. The duetie of the Prince 3. The dutie of the people 4. The punishmeÌ„t if this dutie be not performed Samuell zealous in Gods cause but milde in his owne 1. Sam. 15. Exod. 32. Iohn 2. By his owne example hee giueth ministers to vnderstand that it is their duetie to Pray to Teache His praier was earnest as appeareth by his words Be this sinne farre from me that I should cease to pray Luke 22. Psal. 6. 2. Parâ—l 33. Exod 3â— 1. Sam. 1. Plato Matth. 15. He prayed for the prince the people 1. Tim. 2. 2. Sam. 10. 2. Sam 20. 1. Reg. â—1 1. Reg. 12. Ier. 38. The next dutie of the minister is to teache not what they list but the good right way Col. 1. Eph. 4. 1. Tim. 4. 1. Iohn 1. Matth. 15. Esay 30. Ier. 6. Deut 12. Iohn 14. 1. Cor. 11. Gal. 1. 1. Pet. 4. Such as doe not this worke should not be suffered to beare this office Zach. 11. Acts 1. 1. Reg 2. Punishment due vnto such as teach waies contrarie to that which is good right Deut. 13. 1. Reg. 18. 2. Reg. 10. Trip hist. lib. 9. cap. 25. The duetie of the Prince towards God and the common wealth How princes doe serue God as Princes 2. Reg. 22. Aug. cp 50. 2. Paral. 3â— 2. Paral. 34. Dan. 6. Dan. 3. The first point of kingly seruice vnto God is to purge his Church From false doctrine and Idolatrie 1. Sam. 2. Acts 17. 1. Mac. 2. From occasions of offence 1. Cor. 14. 1. Cor. 14. From Simonie Iohn 10. Heb. 5. Acts 8. Ambrosius 1. Tim. 5. The next point of princely service to God is to prouide that his people may be taught the way of saluation Matt. 28. 1. Tim. 2. Luke 10. Luke 16. Prouision to be made for teachers to that purpose 1. Tim. 5. Apoc. 2. Cic. de Off. lib. 1. Iohn 3. Tit. 1. The people to be constrained to heare what soeuer they pretend to the contrarie Luke 14. Aug. epist. 204. Acts 9. The duetie of the prince towardes the common wealth With the prince other officers must be ioyned of whose choise howe great care should be had Exod. 18. The power of princes if they list to vse it vnto good purposes Making of Lawes to remediâ— abuses in the common wealth Libertie of professing diuers religions is daungerous to the state Smaller abuses in attire dyet c. Corruptions in officers vnder the prince Deceit in the meaner trades of life Vsurie Adulterie Corner contracts without consent of parents The poore Deut. 15. Esay 10. Execution of Lawes Solon Valer. lib. 7. c. 2. Ier. 48. The duetie of the people towards God Psal 34. Towardes higher powers Rom. 13. Ios. 1. Psal. 2. Towards the common wealth Ier. 29. Greg. Nazian Subsidies Matth. 22. Rom. 13. Val. lib. 5. cap. 6. Exod. 36. The punishment if by the minister the prince and y e people y e foresaide duties be not performed Solemne assemblies ordained in the Church to the praise of God for speciall benefites Nehem. 8. Hester 9. 1. Mac. 13. Deut. 16. Psal. 118. As great cause of the like assemblies presently in England as euer any where Three things contained in this parcell of scripture aboue written Our vineyard hath florished The Church of God like a vineyarde which must first be cleansed then planted and thirdly fensed to the ende it may flourish The Church of England blest with an ouerseer wise and learned religious iust peaceful performing the aforesaid dueties therein Eccles. 10. Psal. 1. 1. Reg. 3. Psal. 44. Acts 20. The vineyard of England purged of Idolatrie and superstition Christ planted in y e vineyard of England The vineyard fensed with Lawes of discipline 1. Cor. 1. Esay 5. The fruits of this vineyard many one speciall which is peace both spirituall and ciuill The fruite of ciuil peace plentie The end why God sendeth these temporal blessings Exod. 16. Gen. 13. The plagues which follow temporal blessings when they are abused The vineyard deuoured by litle foxes Why the Church enemies are termed foxes why litle Iohn 18. Iud. 7. The Church enemies resemble foxes in foure properties In rauening In crueltie In wilinesse In casting an euil sauour Matth. 8. The meanes which they vse to destroy the Church force fraud force open secret open by fier and sword Apoc. 12. Secret force by trecheries sorceries poisonings Their fraud in perswading by arguments drawne from antiquitie Ier. 9. From the authoritie of their Church and Pope Col. 1. FroÌ„ the excellencie of their sacrifice From fained Prophecies Their fraude in perswading by promises of reconciliation 2. Cor. 5. Their stratageme of raising vp slanderous reports The foxes must be takeÌ„ To whom by whom Howe Why foxes must be takeÌ„ Deut. 13. Gal. 5. Acts 13. Exod. 32. Phil. 3. Tit. 3. They must be taken if it may be to