table to that that followeth Wherein the repentance of Niniveh is first rough hewen and afterwardes revised and gone over againe with more speciall explication For thus it hangeth togither If you will knowe vvhat the people of Niniveh did vpon this strange and vnexpected newes they doubted nothing either of the word or of his calling that brought it but from the greatest to the least olde and young princes and inferiours all orders and states of men they both beleeved the reporte and became spectacles to God and men and angels of admirable contrition condemning themselues in those two thinges especially whereof the whole world might iustly haue condemned them luxuriousnes of meates and drinkes and costlinesse of garmentes But if you will know their order of proceeding more particularly thus it was 1. Worde came vnto the king as to the most excellent power and authority amongst them 2. the king calleth a councell of the princes and peeres as being the pillars of his governement for where there are many counsellors there is strength 3. the king and his counsaile make an acte touching fasting and praier and renouncement of sinne 4. they cause it to bee proclaimed in manner and forme as afterwarde followeth 5. for encouragemente and example to the rest the Kinge is the first man that humbleth himselfe So that in trueth their soveraigne and liege-Lord is first made privie to their service intended wherein for mine own parte simply to speake my minde as one that must giue accompt what I haue built vpon my maisters foundation whether golde silver hay stubble or the like for both my workes and my words must be tryed by fire though I make no question if the prince shoulde be backewarde and carelesse in the worshippe of God but God must be served and so I would wish it yet in a common cause concerning the weale and well-fare of the whole common wealth where it lyeth vpon all sortes of men alike to doe some extraordinary worship to God as the case of Niniveh heere required I holde it a point of disorder and confusion that the foot should run without the head the people or inferiours doe any thing in publique wherevnto the knowledge and authorizement of the prince is not first had Giue vnto Caesar the thinges that belong to Caesar and giue him this for one amongst the rest if Caesar bee willing and ready to ioine with thee in the honor of God leaue him not out I would not open this gate of libertie to any subiect or people in the worlde with whome Christ and his kingdome are harboured that in a common daunger of a country when God is to bee pacified and the land purdged in generall the private members thereof may enter into the action without the vvarrant of the prince both to commaunde and direct the same If such were the king as Darius was Daniell 6. and such his rulers and officers as woulde make a decree to defraude God of his worshippe that whosoever shoulde make a petition to anie either God or man â—n thirtie daies saue onelie to the kinge shoulde bee cast into the denne of the Lyons then be thou also as Daniell was enter into thine house and open thy vvindowes towardes Ierusalem and pray or enter into the house of God and set open the dores and pray or goe into the corners of the streetes or into the market place or climbe vp to the house toppes and pray stay not till the king or his councel release thee therto and if every haire of thy head were a life redeeme thy dutye to God with adventure and losse thereof rather then neglect it and if thou hap to be alone in that action as Elias was yet forgoe it not But if such be the king as Iosias was or the like and such his Princes and officers as make decrees for the worshippe of God and are more wise then thy selfe to knowe the dandger of the state and as zealous to prevent it whatsoeuer thou doest in private betwixt thy selfe and thine owne spirite thy selfe and thine owne houshold yet gather no open assembly sanctifie no publique fast call not to sacke-cloath and mourning before the magistrate haue decreed it It may be a presumption of thine owne zeale an affectation of singularitye a commending and preaching of thy selfe vnto the people but sure I am it is a censure by consequence and a iudgement vnder hande against the rest of thy brethren that they are over-colde in religion a preiudice against the magistrate that he is to slacke a breach of obedience to the powers that God hath ordained and the mother of Anarchie and confusion which within a christian common wealth must carefully be shunned In many the daungers of our lande both at home and abroade many the members and subiects thereof as if our countrey had no more oratours and there were none to stande in the gappe but themselues haue assembled togither either in townes or in hamlets and sometimes in a private house to fast and pray before the Lorde Their humbling of themselues in such sorte confessing of sinnes offering of their heartes in devout supplication singing of Psalmes prophecying in course from morning till evening as they are plausible exercises in the sight of men so I vvill not saye the contrary but full of Godlinesse and Christianity But vnder correction of better knovvledge and iudgemente I thinke that obedience and loue had beene better then all this sacrifice and that thus to minishe the authority of the magistrate by preventing his decree and controlling as it were his governement and to giue sentence against all the children of the lande besides of negligence and vnmindefulnesse in Gods affaires may more offende then their service or devotion can doe good otherwise Much more seemely it vvere that as the Apostle exhorteth the Corinthians not the one to prevent the other vvhen they come to the supper of the Lorde vvhich is a sacrament of communion and fellowshippe so in a calamitie of the realme when all the iointes thereof are disquieted and haue neede to bee salved and holpen by the saving-health of GOD that all mighte concurre and agree for seeking that remedie that the people might stay for the magistrates magistrates lead the people the prophets preach and denounce the king and his counsaile enact and all put in practise that a whole burnt offering might bee made vnto the Lorde from the highest to the lowest a solemne dedication of every person and state that the land hath And as Ierusalem was commended for her building so we for our praying and fasting a people at vnity within our selues vvhere neither the greatest nor the least are excluded But of the nature of a publique fast hereafter Meane-while the dangerous conclusions that haue and might haue ensued out of this maxime to weete that in matters belonging to God wee are not bounde to expect or respect the magistrate make me the more warie and scrupulous in handling this point
I to doe with thee get thee to the Prophets of thy father and to the prophets of thy mother c. see his further protestation Had he nothing to doe with the king when the king had so much to doe with him did hee not feare the wrath of the Lyon who could haue said to the basest minister that ate the salte of his courte take his head from his shoulders and hee would haue taken it But his commission was his brazen wall to secure him and that Iehoshaphat the King of Iuda witnessed saying The word of the Lord is with him This is the fortres and rocke that Ieremy standeth vpon before the priests prophets and people of Iuda If ye put me to death ye shall bring innocent bloud vpon your selues for of a truth the Lord hath sent me vnto you to speake all these words in your eares Yea the princes and people vpon that ground made his apologie This man is not worthy to die for he hath spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord our God To spare my paines in examples fearefull are the woes and not milder then wormewoode and the water of gall for vnder these tearmes I finde them shadowed but shadowed by the prophets which he denounceth in the course of that prophecie against false prophets that spake the visions of their owne harts and said The Lord said thus and thus that were not sent yet ran were not spoken vnto yet prophecied that cryed I haue dreamed I haue dreamed when they were but dreames indeede They are given to vnderstand that their sweete tongues will bring them a sowre recōpense and that the Lord will come against them for their lies flatteries chaffe stealth of his worde as they are tearmed and other such impieties Their cuppe is tempered by Ezechiel with no lesse bitternesse for follovving their ovvne spirites playing the foxes seeing of vanity divining of lies building and daubing vp vvalles with vntempered morter The heade and foote of their curse are both full of vnhappinesse Their first entertainement is a vvoe Vae prophetis and their farevvell an Anathema a cursed excommunication They shall not be accompted in the assembly of my people neither shall they be written in the writings of the house of Isarell To ende this pointe let their commission bee vvell scanned that come from the Seminaries of Rome and Rhemes to sovve seedes in this fielde of ours vvhether as Ionas had a vvoorde for Niniveh so these for Englande and other nations yea or no whether from the Lord for that they pretend as Ehud did to Eglon or from Balaak of Rome who hath hired them to curse the people of God whether to cry openly against sinne or to lay their mouthes in the dust and to murmure rebellion whether of zeale to the God of the Hebrewes or to the greate idoll of the Romanes as they to the greate Diana of the Ephesians to continue their crafte as Demetrius there did and lest their state shoulde bee subverted whether to come like prophets vvith their open faces or in disguised attire strange apparrell in regarde of their profession a rough garment to deceaue with as the false prophet in Zachary whether their sweete tongues haue not the venime of Aspes vnder them and in their colourable and plausible notes of peace peace there bee any peace either to the vveale publike amidst their nefarious and bloudie conspiracies or to the private conscience of any man in his reconciliation to their vnreconciled church formall and counterfeite absolution of sinnes hearing or rather seeing histrionicall masses visitinge the shrines and reliques of the deade numbering of Pater nosters invocation of saintes adoration of images and a thousand such forgeries whether they builde vp the walles of GODS house with the well tempered morter of his vvritten ordinances or daube vp the vvalles of their Antichristian synagogue vvith the vntempered morter of vnvvritten traditions vvhether they come Embassadours from GOD and in steede of Christ seeke a reconciliation beetweene GOD and vs and not rather to set the marke of the beaste in our foreheades to make vs their Proselytes and the children of errour as deepelye as themselues If this bee the vvoorde they bringe a dispensation from a forreigne povver to resiste the povvers that GOD hath ordeined and in steede of planting faith and allegiance to sovve sedition and not to convert our countrey to the trueth but to subvert the pollycie and state heereof to poyson our soules and to digge graues for our bodies against their expected day to invade the Dominions alienate the crovvnes assaulte the liues of lavvefull and naturall princes to blovve the trumpet of Sheba in our lande yee haue no parte in David nor inheritance in the sonne of Ishai no parte in Elizabeth nor inheritance in the daughter of Kinge Henrye everye man to your tentes O Englande let them reape the vvages of false Prophets even to the death as the lavve hath designed and let that eye vvant sight that pittieth them and that hart bee destitute of comfortes that crieth at their downefall Alas for those men Their bloudy and peremptory practises call for greater torture then they vsually endure and deserue that their flesh should be grated and their bones rent asunder vvith sawes and harrowes of yron as Rabbah was dealt with for their traiterous and vnnaturall stratagemes I know they iustifie their cause and calling as if innocency it selfe came to the barre to pleade her vprightnesse and they are vvilling to make the vvorlde beleeue that they come amongst their ovvne people and nation not onelie lambes amongst vvolues but lambes of the meekest spirite amongst vvolues of the fiercest disposition vvhose delighte is in bloudsheade making vs odious for more then Scythian cruelty as farre as our names are hearde of and stretching the ioyntes of our English persecutions vppon the racke of excessiue speech more then ever they felte in the ioyntes of their ovvne bodyes They remember not the meane-vvhile hovve much more iustlye they fill the mouthes of men vvith argumentes against themselues for raysing a farre sorer persecution then they haue cause to complaine of They persecute the libertie of the Gospell amongst vs and labour to bringe it into bondes againe they persecute our peace and tranquillitye vvhich by a prescription of manye yeares vvee beginne to challenge for our ovvne they persecute the VVOMAN with the crowne vppon her head whome they haue wished and watched to destroy and longe agoe had they vndonne her life but that a cunning hande aboue hath bounde it vp in the boundell of life and enclosed it in a maze of his mercyes past their finding out vvhome because they coulde not reach vvith their hande of mischiefe they haue soughte to overtake vvith floudes of vvaters floudes of excommunications floudes of intestine rebellions forreigne invasions practised conspiracies imprinted defamatory libels that one waye or other they might doe her harme So
sufficient to amend children past grace a prophet like Mitio doth but bolster a sinner in his froward waies Hee chargeth his messenger otherwise in the prohecie of Esay Cry aloude spare not lifte vp thy voice like a trumpet shew my people their transgressions and to the house of Iacob their sinnes Much lesse can hee abide flattery and guilefullnes in his busines for cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lorde negligently or rather as the word importeth with deceit Woe vnto them that sowe pillowes vnder mens arme-holes when it is more time to pricke them vp with goades that sell the cause of the Lorde for handfulles of barley and peeces of bread for favour for feare for lucre or any the like worldly respects and vvhen the people committed vnto them shall say vnto their seers see not and to their prophets prophecie not right things loquimini placentia speake pleasinges and leasinges vnto vs prophecie errours are easilie drawen to betray the will of their Lord and to satisfie their humours God hath disclosed his mind in this trechery Behold I wil come against the prophets that steale my word from their neighbours beholde I will come against the prophets that haue sweete tongues that cause my people to erre by their lies and flatteries For then is the word of the Lord stollen and purloined from our brethren when we iustifie the wicked and giue life to the soules that shoulde not liue when we heale the hurtes of Israell with sweete wordes when wee annoint the heads of sinners with precious baulmes vvhose harts we should rather breake with sharpe corrosiues when wee put hony into the sacrifice in steede of salte when vve should frame our song of iudgment and we turne it into a song of mercy when we should mourne to make men lament and vve pipe to make them daunce putting the evill day farre from them and hunting for their praise and acceptation of vs vvith pleasing discourses affected eloquence histrionicall iests rather then graue and divine sentences Hierome gaue an other exhortation to Nepotian Let the teares of thy auditours bee thy prayses And Augustine had a stranger opinion of these applauses and acclamations of men These praises of yours saith he to his hearers do rather offend and endaunger me we suffer them indeed but we tremble when we heare them We cannot promise you such deceitfull handling and battering of the word of God for whether you heare or heare not the prophecie that is brought vnto you yet you shall know that there haue beene prophets amongst you we will not suffer your sinnes to sleepe quietly in your bosomes as Ionas slept in the sides of the shippe but we will rouse them vp if we see your pride your vsury your adulteries your oppressions we wil not only cry them but cry against them lest they cry against vs we will set vp a banner in the name of the Lorde of Hostes and proclaime them in your hearing and if our cry will not helpe we wil leaue you to that cry at midnight vvhen your bodies that sleepe in the dust of the earth and your sinnes that sleepe with your bodies both shall be awaked and receiue their meede at Gods hands we will charme your deafenes vvith the greatest cunning we haue if our charming cannot mooue you wee will sende you to the iudgement seate of God with this writing vpoÌ„ your foreheads Noluerunt incantari They would not be charmed The reason of his crying against Niniveh is this For their wickednes is come vp before me They that are skilfull in the originall obserue that the name of vvickednesse heere vsed importeth the greatest extremity that can be and is not restrained to this or that sinne one of a thousande but is a most absolute and all-sufficient tearme for three transgressions and for fowre as it is in Amos thaâ— is for seuen that is for infinite corruption Whatsoeuer exceedeth modesty and is most contrary to the will of God beyonde all right or reason setled into dregges frozen like yâ—e given over solde to the will of Satan is heere meant vvhere every person in the common wealth is degenerated There is none good no not one and every part in the body soule of man doth his part to lift vp the head of sinne the throate an open sepulchre the tongue vsed to deceit the poison of Aspes vnder the lips the mouth full of cursing and bitternes the feete swift to shed bloud destructioÌ„ calamity in all their waies no knowledge of the way of peace no feare of God before their eies And whether the word hath that power yea or no it skilleth not much to dispute for the words adioined in the text make it plaine without further amplification First it is wickedmesse Secondly it ascendeth Thirdly into the presence of God himselfe Whereby you may perceiue that the wickednesse of Niniveh was not base and shamefast fearefull to advance it selfe but an high kinde of vvickednesse swelling like Iordan aboue his banckes It lay not close in the bottome of the sea nor in the holes of rockes nor in the covert and secrecie of private chambers it had an whorish forhead and could not bee ashamed they declared their sinnes as Sodom they hid them not and as a fountaine casteth out waters so they their malice 1 The phrase heere vsed noteth a greate aggravation of the thing intended So in the sixt of Genesis it is saide that the earth was corrupt before the Lorde and in the tenth of that booke Nimrod was a mightie hunter before the Lord that is the corruptions of the world and the violence of Nimrod vvere so grosse that the Lord coulde not choose but take knowledge of them So it is here said Their vvickednesse is come vp before me It knoweth no end it climbeth like the sun in the morning and passeth the boundes of all moderation it is not enough that the bruite and fame thereof is blowen into the eares of men but it hath filled the earth possesseth the aire lifteth it selfe aboue the stars amongst the angelles of God offereth her filthines and impurity before the throne of his maiesty and if there vvere farther to go such is her boldnesse and shamelesnesse shee would forbeare no place What are there seasons and times when the Lord beholdeth sinne and wickednesse and when hee beholdeth it not hee that made the eie doth hee not see doth Hee slumber or sleepe that keepeth Israell or hath he not torches and cresset light at all times to descrie the deedes of Babylon or is he subiect to that scoffe which Elias gaue Baal It maie bee he sleepeth and must bee awaked or what els is the meaning of that phrase Their vvickednesse is come vp before mee As if there vvere some vvickednesse vvhich came not to his notice Surely besides the increase and propagation of their wickednesse for there is difference betwixt creeping and climbing
the martyrings of Iob for the other for though the circuit of Sathan be very large even to the coÌ„passing of the whole earth to fro yet he hath his daies assigned him to staÌ„d before the presence of the Lord for the renewing of his commission And besides Oviculam vnam auferre non potuit c. he could not take one poore sheepe from Iob till the Lorde had given him leaue put forth thine hande nor enter into the heard of swine Mat. 8. without Christs permission And so to conclude whether men or devilles be ministerial workers in these actions all coÌ„meth from him as from the higher supreme cause whose iudgments executed thereby no man can either fully comprehend or reprehend iustly God professeth no lesse of himselfe Esay 45. I forme the light and create darkenesse I make peace and create evill I the Lord do all these thinges And in the 54. of the same prophecie Beholde I haue created the smith that â—loweth the coales in the fire and him that bringeth foâ—th an instrument for his worke I haue created the destroyer to destroy destruction commeth from the instrument the instrument from the smith the smith and all from God In the 10 of the same booke Asshur is called the rod of his wrath and the staffe in his hands was the Lords indignation And the prophet praieth in the 17. Psalme to the same effect vp Lord disapoint him cast him downe deliver my soule from the wicked which is a sword of thine We neede not farther instructioÌ„s in this point but whatsoever it is that outwardly troubleth vs let vs larne to feare him therin froÌ„ whose secret disposition it procedeth who hath a voice to alay the winds the seas a finger to confound sorcerers coÌ„iurers an hooke for the nostrels of Senacharib a chain for the divell himselfe the prince of darkenes In the 2. person which were the marriners we are directed by the hand of the scripture to consider three effects which the horrour of the tempest wrought vpon them For 1. they were afraid 2. they cried vp on their Gods 3. they cast out their wares the 1. an affection of nature the 2. an action of religion the 3. a worke of necessity Some of the Rabbines held that the marriners in this ship had more cause to be astonished and perplexed then all that travailed in these seas besides for when other ships were safe and had a prosperous voiage theirs only as the marke wherat the vengance of God aimed was endaungered But because it appeareth not in the booke I let this passe with many other vnwritteÌ„ collections as namely that they were nere the shore laboured with all their force to tough their ships to land but could not do it which happily may be true and as likely otherwise therfore I leaue it indiffereÌ„t am conteÌ„t to see no more theÌ„ the eie of my text hath descried for me But this I am sure of Affliction beginneth to schoole theÌ„ driue theÌ„ to a better haven then they erst found It evet worketh good for the most part and although the better sort of men are corrected by loue yet the greater are directed by feare As the wind the seas so the feare of the wrath of God in this imminent danger of shipwrack appearing shaketh perturbeth their heartes though they had hardened them by vse against all casualties by sea like the hardest adamantes All the works of the Lord to a coÌ„siderate mind are very wonderful his mercy reacheth to the heavens and his faithfulnes is aboue the cloudes his wisdome goeth from end to end his righteousnes is as the highest mountaines his iudgmentes like a great deepe whatsoever proceedeth from him because that artificer excelleth is must needes be excellent But it is as true a position perseverantia consuetudinis amisit admirationeÌ„ the assiduity continuance of things bringeth theÌ„ into coÌ„tempt QuaÌ„ multa vsitata calcaÌ„ tur quae coÌ„siderata stupeÌ„tur how many things doth custome make vile which consideratioÌ„ would make admirable because the nature of maÌ„ is such to be carried away rather with new theÌ„ with great things The creatioÌ„ of man who maketh accompt of because it is coÌ„mon But would we ponder in our harts as David did that we are wonderfully fearfully made that our bones were not hid from the Lord though they were shaped in a secret place and fashioned beneath in the earth that he possessed our raines in our generation covered vs in our mothers wombes that his eies did see vs when we were yet vnperfect all things were written in his booke when before they were not it would enforce vs to giue acclamation to the workemanship of our maker as the sweet singer of Israell there did marveilous are thy workes o Lord that my soule knoweth right well A tempest to marriners is nothing because they haue seene and felt and overlived so many tempestes As David because he had killed a lion and a beare at his folde perswaded himselfe that he also could kill Golias So these having past already so many dreadefull occurrents begin to entertaine a credulous perswasion of security no evill shall approach vs. They make their harts as fat as brawne to withstand mishaps It fareth with theÌ„ as with souldiers beaten to the field they haue seene hundreds fall at their right hand and thousands at their left and therefore are not moved and though they beare their liues in their hands they feare not death wherevpon grew that iudgmeÌ„t of the world vpon them Armatis divum nullus pudor souldiers the greater part feare not God himselfe Vndoubtedly our sea-men drinke downe digest their dangers with as much facility felicity to as some their wine in bowles yet notwithstaÌ„ding the marriners here spokeÌ„ of even the maister of the ship with the vulgar sort having such iron sinews in their brests giaÌ„ts by sea and if I may tearme them so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that fight with God being in their proper element the region and grounde where their arte lieth having fought with the waues and windes a thousand times before they are all striken with feare and their heartes fall asunder within them like drops of water David Psal. 107. setteth downe foure kindes of men vvhich are most indebted to God for deliveraunce from perilles the first of those that haue escaped a dearth the second prisoners enlarged the third such as are freed from a mortall sicknes the last sea-faring men of whome hee writeth thus They that go downe into the sea in shippes and occupie their marchandize by greate waters they see the worke of the Lorde and his wonders in the deepe For hee commaundeth and raiseth vp the stormie winde and it lifteth vp the waues thereof they mount vp to the heaven and descende againe to the deepe so that their soule melteth for trouble They are tossed too and
a marveilous worke a wonder For the wisdome of the wise men shal perish the vnderstanding of the prudent men shall be hid Before he bad them stay themselues wonder that men should be drunken but not with wine stagger but not with strong drinke The cause followeth the Lord had covered them with a spirit of slumber and shut their eies There are many and mighty nations at this day their soile most happy their aire sweetly disposed people for flesh and bloud as towardly as the ground carrieth most provident to forecast most ingenious to invent most able actiue to performe of whoÌ„e you would say if you tried them Surely this is a wise people and of great vnderstanding To whome notwithstanding if Christ shoulde speake in person as he spake to Saule before his illumination why persecutest thou mee why do you stumble at my gospell and are offended at my name and account the preaching of my crosse foolishnesse they woulde aske as hee did who art thou or what is thy gospell name and crosse that thou tellest vs of So blind they are to beholde our day-spring so ignorant and vntaught touching Iesus of Nazareth Or if we should aske them of the holy ghost haue you received the holy ghost since you beleeved nay doe you beleeue that there is an holy ghost they would answere as the Ephesians did to Paul we haue not so much as heard whether there be an holy ghost What new doctrine is this they seeme to bee setters forth of new Gods and though they acknovvledge some God which nature it selfe obtrudeth vnto their thoughts yet they know not the God of Sydrach Misach Abednego whom Nabuchodonosor with that difference confessed after his vnderstaÌ„ding was restored vnto him nor the God of Daniell whome Darius by that name magnified after he saw the deliveraÌ„ce of his prophet from the lions den nor the God of Abraham Isaac Iacob to whom the promises were made nor the Lord God of heaven which hath made the sea and the dry land here specified Is it not a wonder thinke you that the people of the Turkes the hammer of the world as sometimes Babylon the rod of christendome able to say as the Psalme spake of Gilead and Manasses c. Asia is mine Africke is mine over Europe haue I cast my shooe a warlike politicke stately magnificent nation shoulde more bee carried avvaie by the enchantmentes of their lewde Prophet Mahomet then by the celestiall doctrine of the everlasting sonne of GOD who shed his bloud and gaue his soule a ransome for the sinne of mankinde what is the reason heereof vvant they nature or an arme of flesh are they not cutte from the same rocke are they not tempered of the same moulde are not thâ—ir heades vpwarde towarde heaven as the heades of other men haue they not reasonable soules capable and iudicious VVhat wante they then It is rectus spiritus a right spirite whereof they are destitute they haue a spirite I graunte to enliue their bodies but not rectified sanctified regenerated renewed to quicken their soules They haue an hearte to conceiue but it is a frowarde hearte a slowe hearte a stonie hearte a vaine and foolish hearte a skornefull contemptuous insolent incredulous heart against him that framed it Now if AEgypt bee so darke that the darkenesse thereof may be felt and it is a wonder in our eies to see such mistes in other places yet let Goshen reioyce that it standeth illightned still And those that haue seene an happye starre in the East to leade them to Christ which Herode and his princes the Turke and his Bassaws never sawe let them come and worship and bring presentes vnto the king of glory not of golde mirrhe and frankincense but of the finest mettall purest odours frankest offering of thankfull harts And let them not thinke but where more is received more vvill bee required and that they must answere to the Lorde of these talentes not onelye for nature but for a speciall inspiration besides wherewith they are endued And so to ende this point Blessed are your eies for they see and your eares for they heare I will not say that which many Prophets and righteous men haue desired but to change the speech a little that which many mighty Empires and large Continentes and not small cantons or corners but vvhole quarters of the world never attained vnto and will bitterly rue the time and wish to redeeme vvith the losse of both their eies that they haue not heard and seene as much as you haue done To come now to my purpose these marriners feare but where no feare is they feare nothing because they feare but idols and fansies the suppositioÌ„s of their owne braines And as they feare so they pray which was the second action and their errour therein being pardoned a naturall necessary service belonging to every mortall man their praier is consequent to their feare For vpon the reverence they carried towards their imaginary Gods they betooke themselues to this submissiue and suppliant service Primus in orbe Deos fecit timor Vnles we feared we could not thinke that there were a God But this actioÌ„ of theirs hath something good in it something to be reproved 1 In that they pray it sheweth the debility and weaknes of the nature of man if it be not holpen and commendeth the necessity and vse of prayer in all sorts of men 2 In that they pray with crying vehemency it noteth that their harts were fixed earnestly loÌ„ged for that which their lips craved 3 In that they cry to their Gods it proveth it a tribute due vnto God alone by the practise of heathen men 4 In that they pray every man as if in a common cause though they had not a common religion yet they had one soule hart and tongue common to them all it noteth the communion and fellowship of mankinde Thus far the observations hold good Their praying sheweth the misery of mortall men crying in praier their earnest desire to obtaine praying to Gods the maiesty of the immortal power praying togither that bond of humanity and brotherhood wherewith we are coupled 5 Their errour is a part of their obiect in the number of the Gods which they invocate that every person in the ship hath a proper and peculiar God whome he calleth vpon The Gods of the nations haue beene multiplied as the sandes of the sea what haue they not deified it cost but a little frankincense to giue the godhead vvhere it pleased them they haue turned the glorye of the immortall God into the similitude of the image of corruptible man and of birdes and foure footed beastes and of creeping thinges Besides the sunne and moone and the whole hoast of heaven they haue consecrated for Gods the sonnes of men vvhose breath is a vapour in their nostrels vvho shall be consumed before the vnprofitable mothes of
to call vpon his proper God not tying him to that which himselfe adored We say Relâ—gio religat Religion tieth euery man to some one God whom either by heavenly revelation or by their phantasie coÌ„ceit they haue made choice of And therefore the Lord asketh with admiratioÌ„ Ier. 2. Hath any nation changed their Gods which yet are no Gods And Mal. 3. Wil a maÌ„ spoile his gods nay they are so fond doting in affectioÌ„ vpon theÌ„ that they wil spare no cost to honor theÌ„ If they worship but a golden calfe they will strippe their wiues and daughters of their richest iewels to shew their devotion When Phidias tolde the Athenians that it was better to make Minerva of marble then ivorie because the beauty thereof woulde longer continue thus farre they endured him but when he added And it is better cheape they enioyned him silence Alexander was so franke in bestowing fraÌ„kinceÌ„se vpoÌ„ his Gods that his officers blamed him for it Micheas Iudg. 18. accouÌ„ted the losse of his Gods which the children of Dan tooke froÌ„ him aboue all losses What had I more to loose How did Senacherib and Rabsakeh deride all the Gods of the nations in emulation to their owne Gods as appeareth by their insolent speeches where is the God of Hamath of Arphad where is the God of Sepharvaim who is he amongst all the Gods of these landes that hath deliuered their countries out of my handes Nay they forbeare not to speake blasphemy against the Lord of hostes the God of Israel which dwelleth betweene the Cherubins and is very God alone over all the kingdomes of the earth Go say to Ezechias let not thy God deceiue thee whom thou trustest Therefore when Darius had conceiued an opinion of the God of heauen he made a decree that in all the dominions of his kingdome men should tremble and feare before the God of Daniel for he is the liuing God and remaineth for euer and his kingdome shal not perish and his dominion shall be everlasting Nabuchodonosor made the like decree before when he saw the deliveraunce of the three children that whosoeuer spake any blasphemie against their God shoulde bee drawne in pieces and his house made a iakes because there was no God that coulde deliuer after that sorte Hence came it that David so much disgraced and discountenaunced the Gods of the heathen I knowe that the Lorde is great and that our Lorde is aboue all Gods c. As for the idols of the heathen they are but siluer and gold even the worke of mens handes they haue a mouth and speake not they haue eies and see not they haue eares and heare not neither is there any breath in their mouthes And for the same cause did Elias scoffe at Baal vvhen he cried vnto his prophets crie alowde for hee is a God either he talketh or pursueth his enemies or is in his iourney or perhappes sleepeth and must bee awaked When Ahaziah sent for helpe of his sickenesse to Beelzebub the God of Eckron an angell of the Lorde met his messengers and saide vnto them Is it not because there is no God in Israell that yee go to enquire of Beelzebub the God of Eckron Thus all the servauntes of God Angels men are zealously and vnmoueably bent for the advauncement of his name aboue all other Gods which idolatours hang vpon Which maketh me the more to marvell that the maister of the ship can permit Ionas to call vpon his owne God It hath beene a question sometimes disputed whether divers religions at once may be borne with in one kingdome Which whether the remedilesse condition of the time and place haue enforced or the negligence of the magistrate dissembled or the indifferent lukewarme affectioÌ„ of a pollicy over-politique suffered to steale in I know not but sure I am that some countries common-weales of christendome stand vpon feete partly of yron partly of clay that is there are both Iewes Christians Arrians Anabaptists Papists Protestants and such a confusion of religions as there was in Babel of languages To giue you my iudgement in few words I wholy mislike it For if in our private houses we would not endure a man that had his affection alienated and estranged from our selues our wiues our children or any friend of ours shall we admit them in the common wealth which beare a forraine and vnnaturall conceipt touching the God we serue the Prince we obey the countrey we are nursed in The first of those ten wordes which God spake in Sinai standing at the entrance of all his morall preceptes like the Cherubins at the gates of paradise crieth vnto the house of Israell and all other people thou shalt haue none other Gods besides mee Those other prohibitions in the law Thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed Thou shalt not plough with an Oxe and an Asse togither A garment of divers stuffes as of linnen and wollen shall not come vpon thee what doe they intende I may aske as the Apostle did of another sentence in the lawe Hath God care of Oxen Asses garments and graines And the Ordinary glosse vpon Leviticus saith that these things taken after the letter seeme ridiculous The abuses they strike at is an heart and an heart doubling in the worship of God blending of Iudaisme and christianity gospell and ceremonies sound and hereticall doctrines truth and falshoode in our church Such mesâ—en seede light vpon that ground which I wish no prosperity vnto and such medly garments sit vpon the backes of our enemies As for this realme of ours be it farre and farre from such corruption For he that threatened Loadicaea because shee was neither hote nor colde to spewe her out of his mouth commended Ephesus for hating the Nicolaitans reprooved Smyrna for maintaining them and the doctrine of Baalam blamed Thyatira for suffering Iesabel to teach and deceiue his servantes to make them commit fornication and to eate meate sacrificed to idolles hovve can vvee thinke that hee vvill not as strictly examine and search out the complexions of other landes vvhether they bee hotte or colde zealous or remisse in his service The gospell of Christ being planted in the Church of Galatia might not abide you know the copartnershippe of Iewish ceremonies not their observation of daies and monethes which being nothing in comparison of an adversary shouldering religion are tearmed by one who thought he had the spirit of God impotent and beggerly elements yet they had beene elements in their time and God had vsed them before as the first letters of the booke to schoole his people with But their office was ended That fulnes of time which brought Christ into the world fulnes of knowledge grace which Christ brought with him was their diminution Therefore besides an Anathema againe againe ingeminated to those that preached otherwise foolishnes heaped vpon their
Ed. Campion our charitable countriman laid at the dores of our Church yea brought into the streetes of our Vniversities as if we were the fathers and patrons of it We never said it I say once againe to redeeme a thousand deathes if more were due to our sinnes we would not affirme it This we say whatsoever hath substance being perfection in the action of sin God is the author of it because it is good Ipsum quantumcunque esse bonum est the least essence in the world is good but not of the fault and defection therein I must once more repeate sin hath a positive privative part a subiect and the quality of the subiect nature corruption Prorsus ab illo est quicquid pertinet ad naturam prorsus ab illo non est quicquid est contrae naturam Whatsoever belongeth to nature is wholy from him whtsoeveâ— is against nature is in no respect from him Now death and whatsoever belongeth to the traine of death sin and the like are against nature In him we live and moove and have our being there is the piller of our truth a Poet of the Gentiles delivered it but an Apostle sanctified and ratified it and every creature in heaven in earth in the deepe crieth Amen to it And as that gentility and heathnishnesse of that vnbeleeving Poet coulde not marre Gods truth so the corruption depravation in the quality either of maÌ„ or action cannot hurt the substance Life is his whether we live to him as we ought to doe or to the lusts of our owne flesh or after the pleasure of the God of this world the prince of darknes MotioÌ„ is his whether we lift vp our handes to praier or whether to murther Essence is his the nature being substance of men of serpents of reprobate Angels are from him his good creatures He made not death he gave charge to the waters and earth to bring forth creatures that had the soule of life in them and when he made man hee breathed in his face the breath of life made him a living soule he made not darknesse he created the light neither was the authour of sterilitie and barrennesse hee made the bud of the earth which should seede seede the fruitfull tree And to speake a truth in proper tearmes these privations corruptions and defectes in nature as death darkenesse sterility blindnes silence and the like haue rather deficient than efficient causes For by the remooving of the things themselues vvhich these destroy they of their own accord succeede take their places Abandon the light of the sunne whereby our aire is brightened and illuminated you neede not carefully enquire or painefully labour how to come by darknesse the deficiencie and fayling of the light is a cause sufficient to bring in darknesse If the instrument of sighte bee decayed the stringes and spirites which serue for the eie inwardely wasted corrupted there is no more to be done to purchase blindnes to the eie the very orbity and want of seeing putteth blindnesse forth-with in possession If there were no speech or noise in this church what would there bee but silence and stilnesse wil you aske me the cause hereof It hath rightly none I can render the cause of speech there are instrumentes in man to forme it and there is an aire to receiue it from his mouth beare it to their eares that should partake it vpon the ceasing vvhereof silence hath a course to supplie without the service and aide of any creature in the worlde to produce it And these things we know and are acquainted with not by the vse of them for who can vse that which is nothing We know what light is by the vse thereof because we beholde it but who ever saw darkenesse if the apples of his eie were as broade as the circle of the sunne and the moone waking and wide open how could hee see darkenesse VVee know what speech is by the vse thereof because wee receiue it by the eare but who ever hearde silence Onelie vvee knovve them not by fruition of themselues but by want of their opposites which erst wee enioyâ—ed and now are deprived of I speake the more that I might speake plainely Wee were to enquire the efficient cause of sinne it hath none properly it hath a deficient cause Adam and Eue forsooke as it were the guide of their youth the word of God and his grace forsooke them Nature is now corrupted the soundnesse integrity of all the faculties therein diseased the image of God wholy defaced Vpon the decay and departure whereof sinne like a strong man entreth the house the bodie and soule are taken vp with a masse of iniustice the vnderstanding is filled with darkenesse the will with frowardnesse the senses with vanities and every part both of outwarde and inwarde man becommeth a servaunt to vnrighteousnesse Basill in a sermon vpon this argument now in hande vvilleth those that enquire of the author of sinne likewise to answere whence sicknesse and orbities in the bodie come for they are not saith hee the worke of God Living creatures were at the first well created having a proportion convenient to them but they fell into diseases and distemperatures vvhen they fell from healthinesse either by evill diet or by some other cause notwithstanding GOD made the bodie hee made not sicknesse and hee likewise made the soule but not the sinfulnesse thereof Ierome vppon the seconde of Abacuk giveth the like iudgemente Et si anima vitio suo efficitur hospitium Châ—ldaeorum naturâ tamen suà est tabernaculum Dei though the soule by her owne faulte is made an habitation or lodge for the Chaldaeans straungers to dwell in yet by hernature shee is the tabernacle of God Therefore hee should shew himselfe too ignorante that coulde not discerne betweene the corruption of nature and the author of nature And because we further were charged that we made the conversion of Paul the adulterie of David and the treason of Iudas the one the vprising of a sinner the other the falling downe of a saint the last finall revolt of a reprobate the workes and the proper workes of God all alike I prooved the contrary The first I acknowledged his proper and entire worke hee opened the vnderstanding changed the will did all therein In the other two hee tooke the wrll as hee founde it and without alteration thereof applied it to some endes which hee had secretly purposed and though neither the adultery of Dauid nor the improbity of Iudas were his proper workes yet God had his proper workes in them both for as he is a most holy creator of good natures so he is a most rightuous disposer of evill willes that whereas those evill willes doe ill vse good natures hee on the other side may well vse the evill willes themselves To conclude hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a
hid from our eies 2 Arise goe vnto Niniveh Arise is but a word of preface or preparation and noteth as I saide before that forwardnesse that ought to bee in the prophetes of the Lorde Lying downe for the most part is a signe that both the body and minde are at rest Sitting betokeneth the body at ease but the minde may be occupied Rising most commonly is an argument that both are disposed to vndertake some worke Now as it is both shame and sin for any sorts of men to trifle in their calling for wee shall all rise in our order but those vnordinate walkers saith Bernard in what order shall they rise who keepe not that order and ranke vvhich GOD hath assigned them vnto so especially for those that are sent about the message Christ tolde his disciples in the ninteenth of Mathew that when the sonne of man sate they should also sit But I beseech you saith Bernard when sate hee in this world where rested hee or what place had hee to lay his heade vpon rather hee reioyced as a Gyant refresht with wine to runne his race and he vvent about doing good as it is vvitnessed in the Actes of the Apostles birdes had their nestes and foxes their holes but Christ had no resting place till his worke being finished he had dearly earned and deserved to haue his leaue warranted vnto him when the Lord saide to our Lord sit at my right hande Thomas Becket an evill man and in an evill cause but vvith wordes not impertinent to his place if he had well applied them aunswered one who advised him to deale more moderately towardes the king Sit I at the sterne and would you wish me to sleepe Our Saviour to the like effect vvhen he founde his disciples a sleepe why sleepe you and to Peter by name Sleepest thou Peter is Iudas vvaking are the high-priests consulting the souldiours banding the sonne of man neare his betraying the envious man sowing his tares marring the field hindring the good seed and the gospell of the kingdome and will not you awake Rise let vs walke and consider the regions farre and wide that they are not only white to the haruest but drie to the fire if they be neglected They must be labourers that are sent into that harvest and to shew what a blessing it is that such be sent the Lord of the harvest must be earnestly praied vnto Such a labourer was he who though he were borne out of due time yet he omitted no due time of working and though the least of all the apostles in some honours of that calling yet in the burthens and taskes that belonged vnto it he attributed it to the speciall grace of God that hee labouâ—ed more abundantly than all they Seneca was so farre at oddes with idlenes that he professed he had rather bee sicke than out of businesse I sleepe verie little saith he It is enough for me that I haue but left watching Sometimes I knowe I haue slept sometimes I doe but suspecte it The examples of heathen men so studiously addicted to their woorke that they forgot to take their ordinary foode and tied the haire of their heades to the beames of their chambers least sleepe should beguile them in their intended labors are almost incredible but to the open disgrace of vs who having a marke set before our eies and running to the price which they knew not are so slacke in our dueties But as before so againe I demaund why to Niniveh we haue alreaâ—y coniectured fowre reasons Let vs adde a fifth The force of example wee all know and very greate to induce likenesse of manners and to verifie the the proverbe in the prophet Like people like priest like servant like maister like maide like mistresse like buyer like seller like lender like borrower like giver like taker to vsury And the greater the example is the greater authority it hath to draw to similitude Facile transitur ad plures we are easily moved to go after a multitude I may adde facile transitur ad maiores It is no hard labour to make vs imitate great authorities be our patterns good or bad Evill behaviour in Princes prophets and higher degrees whatsoever corrupteth as it were the aire round about and maketh the people with whome they liue as like vnto them in naughtinesse as they say bees to bees God telleth IerusaleÌ„ in the 16. of Ezec. that al that vsed proverbes should vse this amongst the rest against her As is the mother so is the daughter Thou art the daughter of thy mother that hath cast of her husband and her children and thou art the sister of thy sisters which forsooke their husbandes and their children You see how evenly they tread in the steppes of the same sinnes Your mother is an Hittâ—te and your father an Ammorite Did the daughter degenerate from her kind Her elder sister at her left hande was Samaria and her daughters And the yonger at her right Sodome and her daughters Father and mother daughter and sisters the whole broode was alike infected Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat is never mentioned in the writinges of Israell but hee draweth a taile after him like a blasing starre Who sinned and made Israell to sinne A sicke head disordered all the other partes and a darke eie made a darke body A fearefull instruction to those that feare God to make them beware of binding two sinnes togither that is of sinning themselues and sinning before others to put a stumbling blocke before their feete of falling into the like offence especially when the credit and countenance and priority of their places maketh others the bolder to sin because they sin with such authors Such bitter rootes shall aunswere for themselues their corrupted braÌ„ches Such poisoned fouÌ„taines shal not escape vvith single iudgment because they haue polluted the vvhole course of vvaters Such leprous and contagious soules as they heape sin vpon sin so by numbers and heapes they shall receaue their plagues and accompt to the iustice of God not onelye for the pollutioÌ„ of their owne persons but of many thousands more whome by the warrant of their precedency they haue pulled vnto vvickednes And for this cause I take it amongst others Niniveh is crowned in the next words with the honorable title of her greatnesse to let her know that the more eminent in dignity the nearer shee lay to daunger and as shee gave to the inferiour citties of the lande an example of sinning so shee shoulde also bee an example of desolation vnto them Goe to Niniveh that great citie that is preach repentance to the mother and the daughters will drawe their instructions from her breastes Winne the Lady and princesse and her handmaides wil soone be brought to obedience Speake to the hauty monarch of the world knocke at the gates of his prowde pallace beat the eares of those insolent and wealthy marchants shake them from
vse of it I have heard of a nation of men I will not say that their neighbour-hoode hath a little infected England who when their king hath intended a feast for the honour of his country and entertainement of forraine Embassadours they on the other side have proclaimed a fast as if God had sent them an Embassage of the last iudgement I cannot deny them time but surely they tooke not a season for so doing I will proove the matter in hand in the next circumstance and ioine them both togither wherein I observed Secondly that it was an orderly fast because the king and his counsaile had first decreed it I toucht it a litle by occasioÌ„ of the former senteÌ„ce the words directly leading 〈◊〉 therevnto If any remaine as yet vnsatisfied first for mine owne purgation know ye that I speake not as the Lord of your faith but as one that had obtained mercy to be faithfull in my calling I shewed you mine opinion and iudgement 2. for the thing it selfe search the scriptures for they beare witnesse of the trueth whither these publique religious extraordinary fasts had not alwaies their authority emanation from publike persons In the 20. of the booke of Iudges the chosen souldiers of Israell which vvere taken by lot out of all their tribes to fight against Beniamin in the quarrell of the levite whose wife was shamefully abused and murdered they held a publique fast from morning vntill evening the cause was a slaughter which they had receved of forty thousand men and a conscience they made of fighting against Beniamin their brethren The authors of the fast are the rulers of the people who in the Original are called the corners and heades of the people In the 1. of Sam. 7. they fast publiquely they drew water saith the text even rivers of teares powred them out before the Lorde the appointment is from Samuell who iudged Israel in Mispah and the cause their idolatry committed to strange Gods the absence of the arke from them full twenty yeares In the 2. Chronic. 20. there is a fast proclaimed throughout all Iudah Iehosophat the king proclaimed it the cause was the sodaine comming of a great multitude from Ammon and Moab aad Aram to invade his kingdome Esdr. 8. there is likewise a publique fast summoned in their returne towards Ierusalem Esdras the high priest ordaineth it the reason is that God woulde directe them in their way and preserue themselues their children and goodes in safety Another Esther 4. which Esther gaue Mordecay in charge for now Mordecay was the man on whome the heartes of all the Iewes in Shusan depended at that time The cause that God would assist Esther who with the hazard of her head when her people vvere neare their vtter extirpation adventured her selfe to speake to the king in his inner court being not called before him Another Ieremy 36. In the daies of wicked Iehoikim who cut the booke of the Lord with a penknife and caused it to be burnt It was certainely proclaimed by order from some that might commaund For who else could assemble together all the people in Ierusalem and all the rest that came from the citties of Iudah without speciall authority yea Iezâ—bell her selfe though the daughter of Belial was not ignorant what the manner of those times was Shee proclaimed a fast in Iezrael where Nâ—both dwelt to rob him of his vineyard and to betraie his life but first shee sent letters in the kinges name and secondlye sealed them with the kinges seale and lastly directed them to the elders and nobles of Iezraell that they might put them in execution But the Phrases vsed in Ioel doe sufficiently determine the nature of this action Blow a trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast call a solemne assemblie gather the people sanctifie the congregation gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the lande assemble the children and those that sucke the breastes let the bridegroome and the bride goe forth of their chamber Now what is a sanctified fast but that which is publikely called and established either by God himselfe Levit. 23. or by the magistrate Bishop or prophet or who hath authority to draw the people from their worke to gather the aged and sucklings and al the inhabitants of the country togither to apoint an holy day vnto the Lord to be spent in praiers sacrifices but only these governours As in a receipt of Physicke the ingredients may al be good yet is it not so warrantable vnto vs neither are we willing to meddle therwith vnlesse a professour of Physicke by his art and authority prescribe it so in a publike fast privately convented I said before that all the exercises were christian religious their praier preaching singing and distributing to the poore but as our saviour told the rich yong man in the gospell there is one thing wanting vnto thee if thou wilâ— bee perfect sell all that thou hast c. So there is one thing wanting vnto these and to give them their full perfection we must suffer the rulers of the common wealth to apoint them Chrisostome calleth fastinge a kinde of Physicke but Physicke may be profitable a thousand times yet be hurtfull at a time for want of skill to vse it therefore he would never have it done but congrua cum lâ—ge with all the lawes that agree vnto it and every circumstance of time quantity state of the body with the like precisely observed He applieth the Apostles similitude No man striving for a maistery is crowned vnlesse he strive lawfully so it may fall out that amiddest the paines and afflictions of fasting vvee may leese the crowne of it Zonaras hath a rule to the same purpose treating likewise of fastes Good is never good except it bee done in good sort And Cyprian in like manner It prooveth not well which is done of headinesse and without order The Thirde thinge in the fast of Niniveh is the vniversalitye of it for it vvas not onelye publique and open but included almost vvhatsoever breathed amongst them It concerned first men which is heere indefinitelye put signifying the whole kinde from the man of grayest haires to the tenderest infant and as you hearde before from the greatest to the smalest secondly Beastes yea all sortes of beastes great and small oxen horses sheepe goates and whatsoever cattell they had of any service Fourthly it was very strict for they are forbidden to feede I say not to glut themselues but they might not so much as tast perhappes not delicate meates no nor anye thinge it had beene enough to haue kept them from eating but neither might they drinke I say not wines and curious electuaries but not so much as water which their rivers and welles afforded them Fiftelye it was serious and vnfained not false and sophisticall as the manner of hypocrites is It appeareth by that that followeth in returning from