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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20605	A sermon preached in Italian, by the most Reuerend father, Marc' Antony de Dominis, Archb. of Spalato, the first Sunday in Aduent, anno 1617. In the Mercers Chappel in London, to the Italians in that city, and many other honorable auditors then assembled. Vpon the 12. verse of the 13. chapter to the Romanes, being part of the Epistle for that day. First published in Italian by the author, and thereout translated into English; Predica fatta da Monsr. Marc' Antonio de Dominis, Arcivo. di Spalato. English	De Dominis, Marco Antonio, 1560-1624.	1617 (1617)	STC 7004; ESTC S109795	31,116	84

shales of these superfluous and superstitious deuotions What now adayes carrieth away the noise in their pulpits what but the Papacie Purgatory and Indulgences and other the like superstitions Here one extolls a certaine Image of the blessed Virgin to bee seene in his Church which makes miracles Gods plenty but these feates are either imagined or dreamed of or else contriued by imposture There another stands vpon the commendation of a certaine wodden wonder-working Crucifixe making a moster of it with a troope of lighted Torches about it and the more to endeare it hee withdraweth the Curtaines but seldome and openeth the Shrine at a few set times in the yeere Otherwhere others doe the like and all for the same end namely to allure the simple people to flocke to them and so to worke vpon their purses O misery of corruption O night of darkenesse I passe now to the third generall error and it is this That the thunderbolt of excommunication darted out by the Pope is euermore very terrible and that it strikes deepe wounding the soule and tumbling it downe-right into hell if the Popes commands be not obeyed True it is that euery Bishop within his owne Bishopricke no lesse then the Pope within the Bishopricke of Rome hath power to excommunicate grieuous and scandalous offenders either debarring them of Ecclesiasticall communion with other Christian people vntill they amend or if the case bee desperate casting them out of the Church and cutting them off from the body of Christ as dead and rotten members But whensoeuer such Excommunications are sent out without iust yea and most weighty cause they more hurt him that thundereth them out then them against whom they are bent It must needes therefore be a great folly to stand in feare of the Popes Excommunication whensoeuer hee threatens in this sort Either beleeue whatsoeuer I say or I will excommunicate you Either admit me to be supreme Lord of all the world both in spirituall and temporall matters or you shall be excommunicated Either acknowledge and worship mee for a god vpon earth or you shall bee held for Excommunicate To bring his owne ends to passe he worketh in this sort hee compelleth men both to beleeue and also to performe whatsoeuer he please hee forelayeth meanes to keepe simple ouerfearefull men in awe so that they shall not dare to stand out in their owne defence against his Tyrannie By these vaine terrors he taketh away the vse of many excellent bookes therefore prohibited because they lay open his collusions Neuerthelesse this rule is certaine and infallible whosouer walking vprightly in the sight of God with sincerity of heart and honest intention readeth bookes not out of carnall curiosity but out of desire to learne and to discerne betweene truth and falsehood and to the end that hee may not alwaies remaine blind let him not feare a whit nor make any account of such Excommunication which can neuer separate any man from God vnlesse hee hath in his owne heart first separated himselfe from him Without doubt the Pope maketh great vse of this scarcrow feare of his Excommunications as a fit engine to enforce many a falsehood and to hide out of the way many truths for the vpholding of his owne most vndue and vsurped greatnesse This indeede hath bene his weapon wherewith hee long since hath layde about him but it hath beene retorted backe vpon him by many holy men who haue not spared to laugh at his false thunderclaps bolted out by great abuse without necessity or iust cause at all and haue made him to giue ouer with shame enough Let vs now therefore render our thankes to God who hath rescued vs de ore Leonis out of the mouth of the Lion and de nube erroris out of the cloud of error so that the enemy cannot leade vs into such deepe darkenesse as he yet doth many soules miserably captiuated to him And therefore to vs Nox praecessit The night is past Dies autem appropinquauit But the day hath approached To these foure nights there are as many daies correspondent The first is of the knowledge of God and of the holy Christian faith the shadowes being discharged and the veiles taken away by the comming of Christ when that which lay hidde vnder types and darke resemblances was manifested by the light of the Gospel Neither was it without mysterious signification that at the very passion of Christ the veile of the Temple was rent from the toppe downe to the bottome For the sacred mysteries of God were not now to remaine any longer curtayned vp inasmuch as at the appearing of the Sunne of righteousnes all those cloudes and darkenes vanished away cleere reuelation beeing then made to vs of the vnity in Nature and trinity in Persons in God and of the Redeemer the true and naturall Sonne of God in whom are two Natures the one diuine the other humane subsisting in the diuine Person of the Word He is in substance and cleere signification the foreshadowed spotlesse Lambe of God He is the true Sacrifice which was hidden and veyled in the sacrifices of the old Law the most precious sacrifice offered vp vpon the altar of the Crosse for our sinnes whereto no other sacrifice is now to succeed Rom. 12. besides the reasonable seruice of our soules and bodies and perpetuall thankesgiuing and adoration of his most holy name The second day is the day of Grace with full remission of all our sinnes in holy Baptisme the Church beeing sanctified and cleansed by the Lauer of water in the Word Of those that receiued Christ by the preaching of the Apostles Saint Paul said Ephes 5. Yee were sometimes darkenesse but now yee are light in the Lord who commanded light to shine out of darkenesse To the Gentiles the light of Nature and to the Iewes the Law did point at what ought to be done but neither the one nor the other gaue grace and strength to worke well Rom. 8. as Saint Paul prooueth Hebr. 10. For that Nature beeing corrupted was ouer nimble to runne headlong into sinne But the grace of Christ helpeth our naturall weakenesse and helpeth vs to bee set free and preserued from sinne and therefore Hic dies appropinquauit The day hath approached The third day is the day of watchfulnesse diligence and care The wild and sauage beasts watch most of all in the night time forraging then for their prey On the contrarie man r●●oseth himselfe in the night and goeth about his businesse in the day time Psal 104.20 Posuisti tenebras facta est nox in ipsa pertransibunt omnes bestiae Syluae c. Thou madest darkenesse and it is night wherein all the beasts of the Forest creepe forth The young Lions roare after their prey and seek their meat of God When the Sunne riseth they retire and couch in their dennes It is not so with man For when the Sunne is vp then Exibit homo ad opus suum

A SERMON PREACHED IN ITALIAN By the most Reuerend father MARC ANTONY DE DOMINIS Archb. of SPALATO the first Sunday in Aduent ANNO 1617. In the Mercers Chappel in London to the Italians in that City and many other Honorable auditors then assembled Vpon the 12. Verse of the 13. Chapter to the Romanes being part of the Epistle for that day First published in ITALIAN by the Author and thereout Translated into English LONDON Printed by IOHN BILL M.DC.XVII ROM 13.12 The night is passed the day is at hand Let vs therefore cast off the workes of darknesse and let vs put on the armour of light IF in this present drooping and dead time of the yeere it delights a man after the longsome night to behold the day though most-what cloudie and at the shortest much more delightfull must the same be in the most pleasurable seasons of the yeere when the Sunne being in his greatest strength affoordeth vs long and faire dayes fit for many worthy employments But if immediately vpon one of these chill and tedious nights there should shine foorth an vnexpected Summersday which were neuer to be intercepted by any night or winter or irkesomnesse at all how would we be taken with delight and admiration The blessed Apostle Saint Paul after a very long many wayes darksome night obseruing that now there had approached both to himselfe and to his deare brethren in Christ a day in many respects most happie which was to expect no night at all with this congratulatory speech addresseth himselfe to them and giueth this watchword saying Nox praecessit dies autem appropinquauit The night is past and the day is at hand With the same sentence may I fitly now furnish my selfe in this my first speech for an affectionate congratulation with you my beloued brethren of Italie and you my other auditors heere assembled to heare me Forasmuch as I haue at this time set my selfe no other taske then to present in common mine owne ioyes together with yours my comming into these parts being not to teach others but to be taught my selfe not to be an instructor but to be instructed and set aright Now therefore hauing vndertaken for satisfying the desire and pious request of many to speake vnto you this day and happily againe hereafter in the like maner I intend to hold my selfe to my wonted simplicity of preaching and plainnesse of stile and to keepe aloofe from all choice phrases and affected streines of Italian elegancies contenting my selfe rather to worke vpon the affections then to satisfie the vnderstanding I resume therefore my Text and say Nox praecessit c. The night is past the day commeth on Let vs cast off the workes of darknes and put on the armour of light These foure briefe propositions shall be the foure points of this present Exercise 1 The first of the diuerse mysticall and spirituall nights which are sayd to be passed 2 The second of the diuerse dayes opposite to those nights 3 The third of putting off darknesse 4 The fourth of putting on light BVt before we vndertake the handling of these particulars we are to present our selues in hearty praiers before the throne of the diuine Maiestie humblie requesting our heauenly Father first to cast the tender eyes of his mercy vpon his vniuersall holy Church and that it would please him by his spirit to vnite all Christian Churches in the onely true pure and holy faith to combine them in perfect charity to extinguish all disunions to make vp all rents and schismes to mollifie all hardned hearts that they may cast off their obstinacie and lay aside all humane respects and deseignes that so all obstacles hindering this so important vnion may be remooued Let vs pray for all Christian Princes that God would kindle in their hearts a feruent zeale to procure the generall reformation of the Church and to set forward this holy vnion In speciall let vs pray for his most excellent Maiestie of Great Britaine the true Defender of the true ancient pure holy Catholique and Apostolique faith that God would in his owne hands hold his Maiesties heart and continue still turning and plying it to his holy seruice and to the accomplishing of whatsoeuer tendeth to the spirituall and temporall good of this most flourishing kingdome that he would giue him a long and a prosperous life and finally put Satan and all his other enemies vnder his feet He blesse with all prosperity the Queenes Maiestie Hee with his grace assist the most noble Prince Charles especially in these his tender yeeres which vsually hold fast the first good impressions Infuse O Lord into him feare of thy holy name zeale of pietie and religion and the imitation of the solide and true Regall vertues of his Father Pray we likewise for the most Illustrious the Elector Fredericke Count Palatine and the Lady Elizabeth that God will make them fruitfull parents of a blessed offpring Pray we also for the most renowmed State of Venice that God would deliuer them from all their enemies and preserue them in their full liberty God enlighten the mindes of those wise and graue Senatours and giue them vnderstanding to know and courage to execute whatsoeuer shall make for the aduancement of his glory seruice and religion Pray wee for the most honourable Counsellers Gouernours and Magistrates whatsoeuer of these kingdomes that God would powre downe of his spirit plentifully vpon them for the good guidance and gouernment of this people Let vs pray for all Prelates Priests and Ministers of the holy Vniuersall Church In speciall for those that mannage the spirituall affaires in these kingdomes that they may performe their seruice to God and to his holy Church with true zeale and an vpright heart Let vs pray for all the Nobility of these kingdomes that God would keepe and maintaine them in their due fealtie toward God and toward their King and alwayes incline their hearts to good and holy deseignes Pray we for all the people that God would blesse them with all aboundance of spirituall and temporall blessings Lastly let vs pray that God would grant me such grace that in publishing his sacred word I may both my selfe reape inwardly true spirituall fruit and reach foorth the like to this honourable audience For all these things let vs deuoutly say that Prayer which our Lord IESVS CHRIST hath taught vs. Our Father c. THE no lesse enlightned then beloued Disciple of our Sauiour Saint Iohn the Apostle Euangelist Prophet intending to comprise in a very small abridgement the whole doctrine of the Gospel and to shew what was the aime and scope whereto all Euangelicall preaching must tend insisted vpon two briefe propositions combined together but by relation of contrariety the one affirmatiue the other negatiue both concerning God And before he sets them forth in his first Epistle he premiseth a faire troope to make way for them Quod fuit ab initio c. Iohn 1.1 That

grieuous sinnes Wee haue prooued both Iewes and Gentiles to be all vnder sinne as it is written They are all gone out of the way they are all become vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Now what is the night Nothing else but the absence of the Sunne And what else but sinne Wisd 1. driueth the Sunne of righteousnesse Christ Iesus from our soules In maleuolam animam non intrabit Sapientiae nec habitabit in corpore subdito peccatis Wisedome will not enter into a malicious soule nor dwell in a body subiected to sinne What is the night It is the shadow of the earth interposing it selfe betweene vs and the Sunne And what else is sinne but a darke and grosse obstacle intercepting the beames of the inuisible Sunne so that they cannot pierce downe to vs Isay 59.2 Your trangressions haue made a separation betweene God and you and your sinnes haue hid his face from you What is the night It is a season vnfit for trauailers other then those that are willing to loose their way and to aduenture their neckes in headlong downefals And what else is sinne but a wandring from the way that leadeth to heauen and a downeright gallop into the pit of hell Psalm 81.23 Dimisi eos secundum desideria cordis ipsorum ibunt in adinuentionibus suis I gaue them vp to their owne hearts lusts and they will walke in their owne inuentions Prou. 18.3 Improbus cum in profundum venerit peccatorum contemnit sed sequitur eum ignominia opprobrium When the wicked man commeth into the depth of sinne he groweth to contempt but shame and reproach follow him Of this night also S. Paul heere sayd The night is passed For they were now washed and cleansed from their sinnes and had their members also mortified as I shall touch in considering the day opposite to this night The third night which S. Paul heere had an eye vnto was the night of negligence and dulnesse Nay it may seeme that hee had principall respect heereunto For being that hee spake to the Romanes already conuerted to Christ whose faith also hee sayd to haue beene spoken of thorowout the whole world Rom. 1. they therefore were out of the night of infidelity delity Of whom also he had sayd that they were freely instified by Gods grace Rom. 3.24 through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ by faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sinnes past And therefore now they being iustified and out of the night of sinne yet the Apostle in this chapter saith to them It is now high time for vs to awake from sleepe They were therefore yet asleepe and so remained in a certaine kinde of night though they had ouerpassed the two former nights whereof I haue spoken And of this third night the Apostles meaning is that it is not entirely passed ouer but he exhorteth them to endeuor and striue to shake off this sleep and to driue away this night also as formerly by Gods grace they had worne out the other two nights of ignorance and of sinne He therefore vrgeth them to rouze vp themselues from spirituall sloth and drowsinesse and to become watchfull in things perteining to their saluation This night will bee more euident by our mention of the day opposite heereunto I passe therefore to the fourth night from which God out of his infinite bounty hath freed vs in these times Concerning which I may say with S. Paul on mine owne behalfe and yours my brethren of Italy whom God hath blessed with the cleare light of the trueth Nox praecessit The night is past And for this I make such congratulation as may serue not to insult vpon others or proudly to glory in our selues but to render due thankes to the Almighty and to stirre vp our affections to compassionate our brethren who yet remaine in no small danger lying in the deepe darksome night of many errors though professing the Christian faith Surely a night so much the more dangerous in that those poore soules deeme themselues onely to enioy the Light and dreame that all others who adhere not to their part remaine in darkenesse Isa 5. Et dicunt bonum malum c. And call good euill and euill good accounting light to be darknesse and darkenesse light The Church of God is sayd to be Castrorum acies ordinata An armie set in array Cant. 6.3 Iob 7. And in truth the whole life of man is a warfare vpon earth But this warfare of the Church and this mighty Armie in my opinion may bee more fitly resembled to an Armada on the Sea then to a march on the land In which regard the Church is called A Merchants ship bringing food from a farre Prou. 31.14 And our Sauiour Christ being in a ship did then most liuely represent his Church Luke 5.3 as is very elegantly declared by the holy Fathers Christ hath his Nauie of many ships of warre that is a collection of many particular Churches wherof he is the Head and Generall Against this Nauy there are in the sea of this world openly set out many other ships of warre vnder the conduct of the Diuell which are the troopes of diabolical sects and superstitious Infidels the enemies of Christ And in this warfare I to my great griefe behold the ships that are vnder the same Captaine and Commander our Sauiour Christ to pursue one another with no lesse nay perhaps with more hatred then if they were indeed the ships of the enemy The Church of Rome and those that follow the conduct of it hate to the death the Reformed Churches And the Reformed hate them I would faine set you right my Auditors in a great and very common mistake if so bee that yee thinke the Reformed Religion to bee another Religion wholly differing from the Romane The Religion of both is in the maine essentials and fundamentals the very same Both haue the same Christ for their Lord and Master both the same baptisme both are founded by the same Apostles both haue and professe the same Gospel But to the end wee may vnderstand the estate of both the Romane and Reformed Churches I meane to hold my selfe to my similitude of ships and Nauigation The voyage of the Militant Church is a continuall sayling in the Ocean of this world amids a thousand shelfes and rockes gulfes and quicksands where no shore nor land at all is to bee seene For our pilgrimage heere is in faith and tendeth to the attaining of things inuisible Wee walke by faith 2. Cor. 5.7 and not by sight Wee see now through a glasse darkly 1. Cor. 13.12 but then wee shall behold face to face 2. Cor. 4.18 Wee looke not on the things that are seene but on the things that are not seene For the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall And the Nauigation

wherein the Church Militant is employed tendeth to Spirituall things which are not seene And surely in Sea voyages amidst the maine where no land marke can bee seene for the direction of the shippe the onely certaine meanes of guidance for Nauigation consisteth in the vsing of a good Compasse hauing a Needle well touched with the Loadstone as also in hauing a Ship mans Card or Sea mappe iustly quartered and coasted Hee that without these or with a false Compasse or Mappe saileth out of all sight of shoare may bee saide to wander in vtter darkenesse and midnight though it be at noone-tide And contrary wise hee that is furnished with a true Compasse though hee saile in the deepe of Sea and of night yet hee enioyeth the day and cleareeth his passage at all occasions Now for the difference of the Reformed Shippes and the Romane it is not in the bottome nor in the tackeling but onely in the Compasse The Romane shippe is a good Vessell well built not rotten nor fallen in pieces it is well furnished with Masts with Yards with Cordage with Cables with Anchors it hath an excellent Sea-mappe the passengers and common souldiers in it are all vnder the colours of one and the same Generall our Sauiour Christ And in these there is no difference betweene this Ship and the reformed But I finde one maine difference betweene them whence also arise an innumerable other disparities and it is that the Pilot who sits at the sterne of the Romane ship hauing throwne aside the ordinary Compasse and leauing the vse of the approoued Sea-mappe hath out of his owne capricious conceit deuised a new Card and contriued a new-found Compasse of his owne whose needle hath no aspect toward the Pole or touch at all of the Load-stone Suteable also hereto hath he out of his owne head framed certaine Cardinall windes which serue onely for his Card. Nay which is worse then this hee hath intruded into the possession of gouerning the helmes of all the shippes that roade in his company and from euery of them hee hath taken away the vse of the ordinary Compasse and beating the Marriners and ouer awing them by tyranny who otherwise would doe well and performe their office aright will haue no nay but all those shippes must daunce attendance after his And so for that hee vseth no true Compasse nor Carde hee ringleads them all to wracke and they follow him fast enough without light through the thickest darkenesse For the vnfolding of this Metaphore I say in a word that the Bishoppe of Rome at this present and for many ages past leauing the trauailers true Sea-card the holy Scriptures and the vnmooueable North-Pole the aime at Heauen and heauenly things and propounding to himselfe one onely Port his owne greatnesse and temporall pompe hath in his deuised Compasse quartered out his owne counterfeit windes which must blow for that hauen they are dominion ouer all other Churches mastery ouer the Keyes infallibility of his iudgement and authoritie in things Temporall euen ouer Princes And as for the poore passengers and common souldiers who are transported and blindly clapt vp vnder the hatches in these wandring shippes he hath to amuse them added in his false Card many bastard windes painted out in guilded and flourished lines namely our owne and others merits Inuocation of Saints religious worship of Images the treasure of Indulgences efficacie of Masses and of Priestly absolutions Agnus Dei's hallowed Beads holy Water By these and other such windes neuer found in the ancient true Compasses and whereof the ancient Pilots of the holy Church neuer heard any newes by these blasts will hee haue his followers to saile whereby they are caried headlong into many most important errors The onely cause of all this mischiefe is that Archpilot For if hee were remooued or could bee perswaded to leaue his owne monstrous Chimericall Compasse and to betake himselfe to the vsuall and auncient guide presently defacing all those false windes verily the goodly fleete of the Catholique Church would easily bee set right and holding the safe and sure way as the Reformed Companies haue done would approach to the true hauen of eternall blisse True it is that these Reformed Churches beeing misledde by this wandring guide did sometime follow that vaine and deceitfull Compasse But at length they haue better bethought themselues and casting out that strange intruding Pilot they haue yeelded vp their shippe to bee gouerned by their owne true Steersemen such as God himselfe hath ordayned And so vsing the infallible Card of the holy Scriptures and the true Compasse quartered out into the foure auncient Cardinall windes of the foure first generull Councels and seconded with the vnder-windes of the holy Fathers they make an happy voyage and without wandring arriue at the appointed hauen of saluation And this is the miserable night of manifold errours wherein so many poore soules suffer themselues to bee hoodwinked and lulled asleepe from which yet we are rescued by the Almighty hand of God And therefore let vs yeelde him all possible thankes that This night is passed If I should here enlarge my selfe and insist vpon the consideration of these forged misguiding blasts to display all the particular errors which make this cloudie night I might encomber my selfe in a confused Chaos out of which I could not get in many dayes much lesse in the little portion of time allotted to this Exercise Yet I can doe no lesse now then touch some of the most principall and vniuersall of them out of which as from a roote all the particular errors doe spring It is very much behoouefull to the Pope for the mainteining himselfe in the forged greatnesse of his vniuersall Vicarship of Christ to holde the people in the deepest darknesse of ignorance and blindnesse that possibly may be To this purpose one maine article which he causeth to be taught in all the Churches subiect to him stands him in great stead namely that for the sauing of mens soules an implicite faith sufficeth whereby a man beleeueth all to be trueth whatsoeuer the holy Catholique Romane Church beleeueth and mainteineth And by this meane the Pope layeth open a way for himselfe to perswade the silly people already blinded with this credence to beleeue and receiue whatsoeuer hee imposeth on them for his owne aduantage and to make them admit for an article of faith that hee is the onely vicar of Christ that he cannot erre in cathedra iudging out of his chaire that he is the Lord paramount of the whole Church that the keyes and treasure of holy Church are in his hands onely that he hath power to depose Kings from their Thrones and to discharge their subiects of their oath of fealtie and infinite other such fopperies for the maintenance whereof many wretches cast away their soules And by degrees it will come to that passe one day that he will make himselfe to be adored for a God vpon earth By this engine of implicite

thereof then shee casteth them out of her nest as a bastard degenerating and changeling brood So our heauenly Father who as an Eagle stirreth vp her nest fluttereth oner her yong Deut. 32.11 spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them beareth them on her wings doth prooue vs whether we delight to looke vp on him being our light and if he finde that we seeke those things which are about Coloss 3.2 and make our conuersatiō to shine with the cleare white of innocency of due obedience to him and of holy imiration of him then hee holdeth vs for his owne vndoubted offpring and for true children of the light But if he finde vs Lucifugas to shrinke backe from the light and to turne away from beholding our Sunne of righteousnesse composing our selues to behold only those things that are vpon the earth then hee casteth vs off for so many Owles and Battes that loue the darke and cannot abide the light That light from whence wee are to expect these good effects must be Christ only By no Planet or Starre other then the Sun can true and pure gold bee begotten in the bowels of the earth or fine Orient Pearle in the shels of fishes Let the Alchymists sweat and spend themselues in labouring to make gold by artificiall meanes and heat diuers from the heat of the Sunne They shall bring foorth nothing but false Alchymicall gold of no worth Whosoeuer seeketh for sanctity and grace which is the true and precious gold and the riches of all our spirituall good from any other Planet then from the true Sunne Christ he troubleth himselfe in vaine When we are clad with this light euen with Christ we shall be a most acceptable sight to the eyes of our heauenly King and haue cause to presume of victory ouer the Prince of darknesse Esther 5. So Hester being arrayed in royall robes did winne the heart of Assuerus Iudith 10.3 So Iudith being clad with garments of gladnesse obtained that notable victory vpon Holophernes If S. Paul heere biddeth all the faithfull Put on the armour of light surely that which much affecteth me he speaketh the same in more special effectuall maner to vs Priests and Ministers of Christ For euen long before this God did sufficiently declare that his Ministers were to be clothed with light and whitenesse Ezech. 44.17 When they enter in at the gates of the inner Court they shal be cloathed with linnen garments and no wollen shall come vpon them He that is to minister in the Sanctuary must not haue wooll about him being a superfluity pertayning to a beast that is hee must not carry affectus animales carnall and beastly affections but white and pure linnen which is the symbole of the brightnesse of all vertues good example and perfect righteousnesse Psal 132.16 Sacerdotes tui induantur iustitiam Let thy Priests be clothed with righteousnes Et numdamini qui fertis vasa Domini Isai 52. Be yee cleane that cary the vessels of the Lord. And what else is signified to vs by the white linnen garment wherewith according to the most ancient rites laudable custome of the pure and yet yet-uncorrupted Church we are cloathed whilest we exercise our sacred function but that it is our duety to put on the light and to shine in all purity of life This white habite putteth vs in mind that chiefly of vs that is spoken by our Sauiour Matth. 5.15 No man lighteth a candle puttteh it vnder a bushell but setteth it vp in a candlestick it giueth light to all that are in the house They that are in the holy Ministery ought now to serue for a Pillar of a cloud by day and a Pillar of fire by night to guide the Army of the Lord into the land of promise They are the eyes of the Church I may therefore apply to the Church that speach vttered by our Sauiour Mar. 6.2 Lucerna corporis estoculus The eye is the light of the body And as Gregory Nazianzen a most worthy Bishop hereupon inferreth Epist 30. apud Basilium Lucerna autem Ecclesiae est Episcopus A Bishop is the Light or lampe of his Church Therefore O Church If thine eye be single thy whole body shal be full of light But if thine eye be euill thy whole body shal be full of darknes If therefore the light that is in thee be darknes how great is that darkenes The Papall Churches alas know too wel by wofull experience that from darke and euil eyes commeth that palpable darknes wherin they are held Their Prelates especially he that maketh himselfe Prelate of Prelats are naughty pour-blind eyes nor do I except my selfe as I was heretofore being blind with them for company eyes full of earthly dust which are bent onely to poare downeward vpon the earth And so the distressed Churches vnder them remaine clouded vp in darknesse But let vs thanke GOD that here the eyes are all pure and simple and thereupon Totum corpus the whole body of this happy Church lucidum est is cleare and bright Thus haue I spoken of light and of darknesse of day and of night In this life in this valley of teares we are much subiect to darknesse Let vs therefore pray the Author and Fountaine of all light that after this darkesome life he would conduct vs vp to that holy and heauenly Hierusalem Reuel 21.23 which hath no neede of the Sunne neither of the Moone to shine in it For the glory of God doeth lighten it and the Lambe is the light thereof To whom be praise and glory for euermore The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ 2. Cor. 13.14 and the loue of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with vs all Amen