perish The Argument is this God wil in his wisedome appoint his time for the dispatch death of Saul therefore I may not ne will intermeddle in this action against Saul as though he should in the name and person of God thus say If Saul haue offended the iudgement is mine against mine annointed I am and so am called the God of reuengement Psal 94. Rom. 12. Reuengement is mine I will repay Ergo I wil be no reuenger neither wil I vsurp that office which pertaineth to God What neede I or you Abishai or any other hasteÌ„ the death of a Prince which is set downe in the booke of foreknowledge by God himselfe and cannot be preuented by any mortal man or anie wates altered No fate or destiny no constellation no fortune or chaunce no cunning of star-tooters or figure-flingers no conspiracy of number no strength of confederates no counsailes or polices of wise men can change the Prognostication or Almanacke of God which is that Saul and we al Prince people Magistrate and priuate men young and old man and woman good and bad all must die but not when we will nor when friend or foe wil but as God in his fatal book hath written it downe The consequence and congruity of Dauids Protestation thus explaned I pray you marke these notes First our mortality generally incident to vs al high lowe which is woorth the noting at al times 1. Note death common to al. Gen. 3.2 Reg. c. 14 especially in the time of these new and straunge diseases assaulting vs. The general sentence is that Adam is Adam stil hee came from dust and shal return to dust again that we dy al and as water slide away Who liueth Psal 88. Hebr. 9.2 Cor. 5. and shal not see death It is a statute and decree that men must dy once We know that our earthly house of this tabernacle shall be destroied In this declaration our Dauid is very copious particularly for himselfe and generally for vs all Psal 39. Behold thou hast made my daies as a-hand breadth mine age is as nothing before thee Psal 102. surely euery man is altogether vanity And again My daies are like a shadowe and I am whithered like grasse What is a shadow but the defect and priuation of light and then what is the life of man but death The same vanity of man is painted out liuely in the hundred and third Psalme by comparing vs to grasse and to a flower of the field Esaie 40. 1. Pet. 1. as we haue also in Esay and Peter Dauid is not alone mortal as you haue heard but al Ortus cuncta suos repetunt matremque requiruÌ„t Et redit adnihilum quod fuit antenihil The effect is that all must returne to the Mother from whence they came In Boeoticiâ— A figure of this is declared by Pausanias AmoÌ„g the gifts and oblations of Apollo there was couÌ„terfatted after the imitation and resemblance of the old works in brasse one Image the flesh was clean gone from the skin so that there remained nothing but bones They say that Hippocrates the Physition did dedicate this at Delphos Phaylus captaine of the Phocensians in his sleepe dreamed Hippocrates naked Image that hee himselfe was made like vnto this gift a naked dead man and so beeing deadly sicke ended his life and prooued his vision true So fareth it not only with captaines and Emperours but with vs al who al shal be the image of Hippocrates A bare Anatomy a schelitoÌ„ or picture of death Who then shal escape Shal children No 2. Note Children and youth mortall not the babe of one yeare Huc puer atque senex pariter venisse feruntur Hic par diuitibus pauper egenus erit When the Prophet proclameth al flesh to be grasse Ies 40. and al people to be verily and truelie hay but yet this must be taken not properly but by a figure when common experience teacheth that an apple fresh and red doth perish or fall downe with the woorm with winde or with a staffe and when the prouerb saith that assoone goeth the Lambes skin to the market as the sheepe shal we thinke that the younger sort and lusty folkes shal bee priuileged from death 3. Note Great die Shal the mighty men or nobles or valiant or Princes bee freed from this sentence of death 3. Kindes of death Dauid saieth No and sheweth three kindes of death either extraordinary before time either ordinary natural either by an externe cause or accident as in battle I speak of the death which is the separatioÌ„ of the body the soul for the death of sin the death mystical which is mortificatioÌ„ De bono mortis pertain not to this point wherof you may read in Ambrose This triple kinde or triple way to death heere set down by Dauid is manifold there are many pathes steps to death Prosper L. Epigram as one doth expresse it Ferro peste fame vinclis algore calore Mille modis miseros mors rapit vna homines That is we dy by sword pestilence famin imprisonment colde heate yea by a thousand meanes which God can and will deuise as Dauid hath set down for al men especially as it is ment in our Text against Princes and Potentates of this world And to begin with Saul did hee not desperatly kill himselfe as Dauid here talketh in battle but yet by the hand of the Lord and indeede extraordinarily by his owne hand It is reason that mightie men should mightily suffer tormentes according as it is written and also Saint Austine hath a notable place Let the king know Sapiâ—us 6. De 12. abusionum grad that as he is ordained chiefe in his throne aboue all men so in punishment if hee doe not iustice he shal haue the chiefe-dom and first place And in another book Idem in L. Q. Noui Vet. Test cap. 16. Lib. 9. Dâ— cad 4. Viri sublimis culpa grane est peccatum Shall perhaps great captaines and warriours auoide this stroke Liuie rehearseth of most valiant captaines Scipio Annibal PhilopaemeÌ„ that al three in one year died but nether died nor were buried in their own country Suidas telleth of Thulis King of al AEgypt vnto the Ocean sea that builded an Ilande of his owne name that asked the Oracle of Serapis Tel me who before me could doe such actes An Oracle of the death of Thulis of the eternal dominion of God and who shal doe after me The Oracle was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is in effect that first God the father next the woord and his sonne and with them the holy ghost the blessed Trinity in vnity did raigne before should after euerlastingly but for himself hee was willed speedily to depart and immediatly after the Oracle was slaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his owne people What are all these mighty men but the Gourd
Princes and presenting abroad their Roses their baÌ„ners their swords consecrated or rather execrated to such as shuld betray persecute the good This cruel deuise of betraieng godly gouernors was here of Abishai but not of him alone but an inuentioÌ„ of the diuel himself who seing Gods work to go forward euer laboreth to disturb and to throw it down Semper Diabolus bono operi imminet vbique gradientibus ponit laqueos Hieran Jereman the prâ—ssuâ— of his 4. books He is stil peering into the good works of the godly he is ready to hinder the course of the gospel and laieth snares against them that walke in the way of the Lord. You remember the Sermon of Abishai I neede not repeate it nowe the second person must be produced namelie Dauid replying to Abishai This aunswere conteineth these three sub-diuisions A diuision general of Dauids Replie his Prohibition Protestation and Policie The Prohibition forbidding Abishai The Protestation of him-selfe detesting the fact His Policie in taking away the speare and the cuppe as a signe of his faithfulnes who might as easily haue takeÌ„ away his heade as his helmet or those things whatsoeuer that were by him then sleeping At this tyme onely of the first and so farre as I may for the time A speciall Diuision in the ninth verse standing vpon these two points A proposition forbidding and a reason proouing the same The first in these words 1 Proposition against murder Destroy him not and this was alwaies the opinion of Dauid to be good to the bad to bee a friende to his enemies as in the case of Shimei who railed and cursed him and called him a man of blood and a man of Belial a murtherer and wicked man And here againe the same Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah folowing his hoat spirit 2. Sam. cap. 16. termed this Shimei a dead dog and would haue faine cut off his head but King Dauid then reprooued and restrained Abishai and saide that no man should die that day in Israel Cap. 19. and sware to Shimei he should liue Cap. 24. And in the twenty fourth Chapter of this booke Dauid found Saul in a caue and though his seruants and frinds told him that the Lorde had deliuered his enemie into his hand he spared his body and only for a token cut off the lap of his garment priuilie and euen for that hee was touched and striken in heart 1. Sam. 24. So in this place hee would not haue that forward or rather froward man Abishai to take that aduantage vsed this argument For who can lay his hand vpon the Lordes annointed and be guiltlesse Saul is the annointed of the Lord 2. The explication of the Reason therefore no man can lay hands on him without punishment which reason I minde to open to you and prosecute In the person of the Prince are to be considered two things his maÌ„hood Princehood Aliter Rex seruit quia homo est August Epist 50. aliter quia etiaÌ„ Rex est one way a King serueth because he is a man another way also because he is a King so that he beareth representeth a double person 1 As man he must â—oâ— bee killed oâ— man As man if there were nothing els he may not be spoiled by any priuat man Who so sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed Gen. 9. for in the Image of God hath he made him Moses hath made a Law general Thou maist not kil And yet not so general Exod. 20. but that it hath an interpretatioÌ„ limitation It is not ment saith Austine of cutting or as it were of killing of shrubs trees or such like which haue no sense in them neyther is it meant of vnreasonable creatures flying Whether is be lawful to kil a man and howe swymming walking creeping it remaineth therefore that we vnderstand it onely of men that we should not kill any man therefore not our selues This generall also hath another exception Austin l. 1. de ciuitate Dei cap. 20. for it is lawful to kil a man as in lawfull wars Deo auctore by the warrant of God nay a souldior lawfully constituted if he do not kil he is guilty of contempt imperij deserti atque contempti as the saide Augustine teacheth in another place of the same City of GOD. Li. 1. c. 26. Againe it is lawful for a Magistrate to put to death a malefactour or for such as bear the person of publicke power by the Lawes of God or of any which is mooued certainely and called therevnto by a special inspiration of the holy Ghost or for that authority which did choose and ordaine that gouernour or in any such like case and cause Otherwise no spirite no reason no friend no carnall respect may authorize any man of his owne heade or his priuate affection to draw weapon against any man much les against a double and compound person as the Prince established by lawful and publique authority What if Abraham should haue killed his owne sonne Isaac Gen. 21. Is it therefore lawful for al parents to doe the like The commaundement of God for the killing was onely to trie his faith but the sauing of Isaac by God was a secret commaundement to all fathers to commit no such thing against their children Of this example Augustin also writeth in his first book De C. Dei cap. 16. Though Moses killed the Aegyptian Exod. 2 Num 25. 1 Sam. 15. Acts. 5. and Phinehas the fornicatours and Samuel Agag and Peter Ananias and Saphira without sword with a worde yet the specialties are not generall rules for priuate men against men according to the sayeng Priuilegium non est lex A priuilege is no law It is said of the Magistrates rightly by Hierom vpon Ieremy Lib. 4 c. 22. To punish murderers Church-robbers poisoners is not shedding of bloud but the ministerie of Lawes It is saide to Magistrates and to priuate men by Ieremy in the same Chapter speaking to the King of Iuda Cap. 22. Doe no violence nor shedde innocent bloode in this place These wordes as Hierom expoundeth them forbid not only the Kings court but Episcopos socios eorum presbyteros al Bishops and their fellowes the Ministers Deacons and all the order Ecclesiasticall or else they leese their dignity What shal we saie then of the Byshoppe of Byshoppes that draweth his sword as the foole dooth his wodden dagger against euery body and for euery trifle No man publique or priuate secular or Ecclesiastical inferiour or superiour ought without crime or cause to put to death any man It is said to Peter and to Peters successour the Pope Ioan. 18. as they wil haue him Put vppe thy sworde into his sheath for all that take the sword shal perish with the sword If Peter did il in cutting off an eare of a seruant how much more doe they offend
treachery of her owne children as by their default Euen so our king Egilred or as others terme him Ethelred complaineth in an Oration in this sort Wee are ouercome of the Danes not with weapon or force of armes but with treason wrought by our owne people The cause is opened by Matthaeus Westmonasteriensis Pag. 396. that when the King and his Sonne Edmond were like to haue the vpper haÌ„d against Cneuto or Canutus the King of the Danes Edrike Traitour Eadricus plaied the traytour went about by sleight and subtilty and allured of the Kinges Nauy forty shippes and he slipped to Canutus and subiected himselfe to his dominion whereby west-Saxonie and the Mercians with their horses and artillery offered themselues to him Intimatum est Regi quod nisi cautius sibi prouideret ipse à Gente propria hostibus traderetur It was priuily told the King that if hee did not prouide for himselfe more warily hee should bee berraied into the handes of his enemies by his owne nation I signified before how King Edmond surnamed Ferreum Latus Iron-side at Oxford being at the Priuy on Saint Andrewes night was slaine by the Sonne of Eadrik through the fathers instigation the father after the fact coÌ„meth to Canutus with this salutatioÌ„ Aue Rex solus Matth. Westmona pag. 402. Polyd. Vir. Ang. Hist lib. 7. Hail O King alone but he heard this his rewarde by Canutus Ego te hodie ob tanti obsequij meritum cunctis regni proceribus reddam celsiorem For this your great seruice I wil exalt you set you higher than al the Peers of the realm Periury and perdition or treason had in this realme euermore according to their desert When King Edward the Confessour kept his solemnity of Easter at Winchester at dinner Earle Goodwine being burthened at the table with the treacherous murder of his brother Aelfredus Earle Goodwin added to the murther periury and desired of God as hee was true and iust that the morsell of bread which hee held in his hand might neuer passe his throate if his brother by himselfe or by his counsail at any time were neerer to death A terrible example against forswearing and any way further from life so putting the bread into his mouth with an il conscience was choked by it When the King sawe him pale and without breath Carry out saith he this dog Jn vita Edwardi Confessor this traytour bury him in the quadrangle for he is vnwoorthy to enioy Christian burial Another traytor in the time of Egilred or Ethelred was Elfrik who being made Lieutenant of the Kings army left his Master Elfrick and took part with the Danes vpon the suddain when he should haue discharged vpon the enemies of the King and the country Polyd. Vir. lib. 7. but afterward being Admiral of the Kinges Nauy and destitute of all hope of preferment with the enemy because he returned to the King craued pardon his punishment was mitigated for he saued his life with the losse only of his eies In the time of King Edwarde the first the Scots breaking peace which they had made to their liege Lorde King of England and conspiring nowe with the king of Fraunce partly because Iohn Beliol by the king of England was made their King one Thomas Turbeuile more acquainted with chiualry than honesty Th. Turbeuile plaid on both sides promising to the French-men that by treason they should possesse the Kingdome of England vppon condition to receiue a large summe of mony land leauing for assurance his two children as Hostages And so that deceiuer returning from beyond the Sea tolde the King of England another Parasiticall tale howe hee escaped hardly out of prison how he had learned the weaknesse of Fraunce But here a crooked Snake lurked hee caried poyson mingled with hony wherewith they that touched it might be infected creeping into fauour into the secret counsels of the Realm set down al in writing directed theÌ„ to the Prouost of Paris This fraude fact being opened by the prouidence of God who is wel called of the autor Exterminator impioruÌ„ The destroier of the wicked declared to the king he was immediatly by sergeants apprehended bound with cordes carried to iudgement accused and by his owne confession condemned First laid vpon an Ox hide drawen at horse tailes thorough London guarded with disguised tormentours baited at railed on by the way mocked was hanged his body vnburied the people passing by scornfully asking Mat. West in Edou 1. Is this Thomas Turbeuile Whose Epitaph a versifier wrote in this sort That Turbeuile was a troubler of the tranquillity quietnes of the Realme therefore hee that would bee an hoate burning sparkle was become a dead spark himselfe as in those rythmes may appeere at large whereof this is the beginning Turbat tranquilla clam Thomas turbida villa Qui quasi scintilla fuit accidit esse fauilla In the time of Edward the second Andrew Earle of Carlile Andreas Hartlee created Earle of Carlile at York sent by the King into Scotland to King Robert to intreat of Peace made another matter turned it into a message for war priuily fraudulently to compasse the destruction of his owne King This though contriued secretly yet it was certified to the King hee immediatly at his returne vpon the commandement of the King Polyd. Vir. Hist Ang. lib. 18. was attached taken by the guard so by by coÌ„uicted put to death Ita Andreas crucem sibi construxit ex qua penderet So Andrewe prepared for himselfe a Gallose to hang vpon made a rodde for his owne tasle In the time of Edwarde the third like conspiracies against the Prince had the like measure Polyd. l. 19. when Edmond Earle of Kent Roger Mortimer others were beheadded Thus you see exemplified by these traitors that which was by Lawes enacted as also by another example of an Italian indeuouring to betray Calice to the French An Itaâ—â—â— trick against Calice For when an English man had committed it vnto the Italian the French-man knowing the nature of that Nation to be most couetous of golde secretly dealt with him that he would sel the castle to him for twenty thousand crownes The Englishman being made priuy of this dissembleth all thinges driueth out the French and taketh them with them the principall cause of that treachery In the time of Richard the second there was a conspiracy of some Jn Epit. Frosardi lib. 1. Eccle. 10. Ansley and Carton that had in their mouth the Prouerbe of the Hebrues Woe be to the Land whose King is a Childe And of others euen in the court as of Iohn Ansley knight and of Hugh Carton minding with their complices to set vpon the King and to murder him although they two were enemies before yet in this made one agreeing too
well but God turned all to the best and mery it was for the Lande and the King when theeues fel out for Ansley detecting Carton and Carton Ansley it was determined by the priuy counsel that it should be tried in a Combate in the which at the length Carton was wounded and throwen downe euen now at point of death coÌ„fessing his fault was drawen to the place of Execution as Polydor testifieth I haue entred into a long and large fielde and mind to goe out of it â—â—pish â—â—actises aâ—â—inst Reliâ—â—on in England and onely now to declare howe our Countrymen in former time haue been bewitched by Popery and haue attempted to erect and prop it vp by treachery and yet al ended in vanity The Pope hath stil practised by many but not preuailed though they came in his name and sometime with his consecrated ware and armed with his consecrated Crosses his Agnus Dei and other holy blessed stuffe Trebellius Pollio no wiser indeede then those heathen men who beleeued that those that caried about theÌ„ the image of great Alexander expressed in siluer or gold shuld haue al things fortunately fal out vnto them as they would wherein Erasmus toucheth the Bishoppes of Rome In Chiliad 1. Cen. 10. Nechodie desunt qui gladios in bello fortunatos huinsmodi nugas pollicentur Principibus Ther be some now a daies which promise to Princes swords other trifles happy fortunate in war which haue notwithstaÌ„ding an vnhappy end and there he much more marueileth that any maÌ„ can beleeue such subtile merchauntes There was such a flattering Papistical Preacher William Fitzosbert otherwise called Long-beard W. Long-bearde who in his Sermons entised the people to rebel against their King Richard the first whose Theme was takeÌ„ out of Esay Cap. 12. You shal draw with ioy waters out of the wels of saluation A faire allurement whereby hee got after him many thousand followers as fond people wil hearken to the whistle and daunce after the pipe of such Popish Libertines But this liberty was seruitude for though hee fledde into Bowe-Church with his concubine and others yet it was not long a Sanctuary for him he was plucked out and by Hubert Lorde chiefe Iustice of England was adiudged to be drawen thorough the streetes R. Holinsh Et in vitâ— Huberti and tied to the horse tailes to bee hanged to bee let downe halfe quicke his heade cut off and his body cut in foure quarters See heere I beseech you the superstition of the people they tooke this Concubinary Priest and Traytour to be a Saint forsooth A Traytor in Popery a Martyr because his chaines wherewith he was bound wrought miracles and the woman visited the place where he was laide In sana plebs vt Martyrem diu colebat The mad people did long honor him as a Martyr worshipping his members and bones as Reliques In Wales what Superstition hath there not been Welch prophecies They were so deceiued with false prophecies that they perswaded out of Merline Leoline the Prince that hee should wear the crown of Brutus therfore took armour against King Edward In vita Iohannis Peccam They were willed by Iohn Peccam Arch-Bishop of Caunterbury to cary in their handes bookes of the Gospel as reliques All these fantasies could not saue the heads of Leoline Dauid Leoline Dauid which were set vpon long poles and erected on high vpon London bridge What a Saint was the Traitour Thomas Becket Th. Becket Traitour a Sainct of the Pope In what fauour with the Pope Alexander And yet was he in a councel at Northhampton accused conuicted of extortion robbery forgery falshood treason periury in the presence of the King of the Peeres and Prelats for some matters in his Chancelarship whereupon although he lifted on high his crosse staffe and ran out of the court councell in hast and in an heat ouer the sea to Rome yet neither the Pope nor the crosse could saue him froÌ„ the crosse of death And here obserue the vniust dealing of the Pope Alexander who canonized among the Saints Thomas the Traitour the Kings deadly enimy and persecuted King Henry the second who was not accessary nor priuy at that time to it as it fel out in proofe for when the doers thereof slipping aside to Duresme looked for great thankes of the King for that they gaue out that they had most faithfully defended him rid his enemy out of the way it is written by Polydore that Henry did take this hainous act as no benefite Angl. Hist lib. 13. but vtterly misliked it insomuch as they hearing this and hoping for no pardon ran one one way another another way by reasoÌ„ of the kings displeasure died al within three yeares yet the Pope an heauy master of the King not beleeuing his Embassadours purposely sent to Rome sent into England his Cardinals for the trial of it and though the cause did not appeare yet was he compelled by oath to purge himselfe and by inforcemeÌ„t of their order to send to Ierusalem two hundred souldiours himselfe to lead an army into Syria within three years after which was perfourmed by his sonne Richard and to promise to be good afterward to the cleargy and that by an oath as some write that none after his and his Sons death should cary the name of a King but such a one as the Bishop of Rome did nominate and appoint albeit by our Chronicles Ibidem and by the practise in the tract of time no such bondage doth appear Thomas Walsingham in Richardo 2. The seditious sermon of J. Ball Priest Another seditious Preacher named Iohn Bal Priest prooueth the equality of States without any difference of callinges which made the simple people to be giddy headed His text was not taken out of scripture but borrowed out of a common prouerb When Adam delued and Eue span Who was then a Gentleman But the Epilog and conclusion of this Sermon was sorowful for himselfe being drawn hanged and beheaded at Saint Albans and his quarters sent to foure cities of the Realm There was another zealous Monk in coÌ„spiracy with the Barons of EnglaÌ„d against king Iohn against his son Henry the third Jbidem who beeing no great friend to the Pope was therefore the woorse liked of the Monk Eustachius in that point more destable theÌ„ a dog Eustachius a Trayteâ—ous Monk for the prouerb is true Canis caninaÌ„ non est nec lupus lupinam A dog is no deuourer of a dog nor the wolfe of a wolfe And yet in the war betwixt our King Lewes the French King he plaid the Apostata a rebel renegate reuoulting froÌ„ his King to another vncoÌ„stantly and perfidiously worthily called of Matthew Paris In Hypod. Neustriae per Thom. Walsing Proditor Regis Angliae Piratanequissimus being turned out of his coule into
old Oak a tree not of life to them but of death called by them the tree of Reformation The tree of Reformation but it was the tree of Absalom vppon the which Miles their Gunner and two of their false Prophets were executed for they trusted in vaine Prophecies which were partly vttered in these verses The country gnuffes Hob Dick Hick With clubs and clouted shoone Shal fil vp Dussin dale with bloode Of slaughtered bodies soone This prophecy was a dreame their captaine Ket crept into a corner but was openly put to death his other brethren were hanged in chaines the rest of meaner sort hearing the pardon proclaimed by an herauld of Armes cast downe their weapons and lifted vp their voices praying to God to preserue King Edward There brake out a new stur in Yorkshier In Yorkeshiere False Prophecies cause of rebellion by false prophecies by a fond misliking of the Kings proceeding But here also the captains that thought to raise a great flame and to set al on fier made but a smoke wherewith they were choked themselues namely a poore man William Ombler and a simple parish clerke Thomas Dale and such like All these ment vnhappily by extraordinary means to turn al the Lawes of God and ordinaunces of Princes topsie-turuie About that time of these rebellions wee had set foorth by the authority of the King to these rebels an Eloquent oration by a great learned man Sir Iohn Cheeke Schoolemaster to the King Sir I. Cheek grauely and pithily dehorting them from such vprores as contrary to Gods word the honour of a King and the safety of the comon-weale which in mine opinion would make any hard heart to melt These former and foolish attemptes in the beginning pernitious and tragicall in the end might haue persuaded our countrymen to haue learned by their fore-fathers to keepe themselues within their tedder compasse of obedience The Raign of Q. Elizabeth But alas our Soueraign Queen Elizabeth hath felt too much of their wilfull disobedience and they tasted somewhat of hir prouoked seuerity Wherefore did Thomas Pearcie Earle of NorthuÌ„berland Charles Earle of Westmerlande against the Lawes of God and man by forcible meanes set vp Masses burne Bibles and bookes of Communion Why did they rise themselues when they might haue been quiet And raise the people which should haue been taught obedience Let the death of the one and the miserable flight of the other the execution of Parson Plumtree at Duresme and of others hanged and beheaded at Knaues Mire not farre from Yorke be instructions and examples for subiects These and many mo cannot warne vs neither the history of Iohn Story prouidently caught beyond the Seas and trimly shipped into this lande and afterward iustly executed vpon a newe paire of Gallowes euen at this day commonly bearing his name Saunders li. 7. de visibili Monarchia Ann. 1566. neither the terrible end of Iohn Felton who vpon Corpus Christi day at London at the Bishoppes gate published the Declaratory sentence of Pius Quintus Pope making this Realme of England and the Queenes Maiesty a pray and a spoil to our neighbours and to al nations neither the beggerly and lamentable state of Iames Desmond neither of Iohn Desmond bearing himselfe too bould vpon an Agnus Dei and a ring sent from the Pope neither of Nicolas Saunders himself the rebellous preacher to the Irish-men Saunders and the rest in the end taken with a frensie these al while they bend the vttermost of their wittes and of their forces against the Maiesty of our Prince whom the Maiesty of God hath enthronized they al I say haue but knocked their heels against the prick spurned to their owne destruction and to the confusion of that Popish sect By these and manie others neither Campion nor the rest of the Iesuites new Incommers Campion other Iesuites and Inmates in this Realme coulde beware neither yet by them other new cutters and practisers could be warned neither yet to this day the people coulde bee taught or perswaded but that their holy fathers Buls and Decrees Declarations must be obeyed and that his waxe and his lead and his Pontifical presentes consecrated by his execrable authority may preserue exempt them from al daungers touch of our law hereafter from al perill punishment either in hel or in purgatory I am to passe ouer at this time other examples and ordinaunces of other countries adioyning to vs as of Flaunders and Fraunce which wee must differre till another time if God will In the meane time let vs aliena frui insania by the madnes of these men learne to bee wise as many of our predecessors both Princes and learned men of this Vniuersity haue doone and know that the Queenes Maiestie hath waded no farther in these causes than other Kinges of this Land who haue broken the yee before King Stephen perceiuing that Theobald Arch-Bishoppe of Caunterburie brought Popish laws from Rome into Englande by decree of Parliament condemneth them burned them as hurtful to a common weale Iohn Bale cent 2. in apeâ—â—lice as Iohn Sarisbury beareth witnes in his eight book and two twentith chapter of Polycrat King Richard the second also molested with Romish affaires and tyranny of the Pope in Parliament holden at Westminster decreed and enacted that it shoulde bee lawfull for no man for any cause to pleade before the Byshoppe of Rome Polyd. Vir. lib. 20. for excommunication of any English-man by his authoritie and if anie such commaundement came from him it shoulde not bee executed vpon paine of losse of all their gooddes and perpetuall imprisonment and therefore great marueile that any such sentence of excommunication from such a forreiner and vsurper against our gracious Prince shuld in these daies of more knowledge by our countrimen be either receiued or harkned to or feared You dearly beloued I hope wil not and that you may not take an example by old Oxford Studentes who could ne would like of a Bull of Gregory directed against Iohn Wicliffe and therefore are chidden of the Pope that would suffer cockle and darnel of his heresie to grow among pure wheat in the beutifull fieldes of their Vniuersity You may also cal to minde that are ancients the daies of Henry the eight and Edward the sixt and iustifie the thinges to be true which I haue alleadged and much more which might bee said to this purpose to the proofe of this argument of Dauid that whosoeuer laieth hand of the lords annointed shal not be accounted innocent but shal be plagued for it The Lord giue vs grace to haue this doctrine fixed and setled in our heartes and expressed in our liues To whom bee all honour c. 1. SAM 26. 9 And Dauid said to Abishai Destroy him not for who can laie his hande on the Lords annointed and bee guitlesse 10 Moreouer Dauid said As the
that was giuen to Ionas for a shadowe to sport himselfe for a time Ionae 4. but in the morning God sendeth a woorme and striketh the Gourd and it withereth away The death of persecutours Are not al these persecutors teÌ„poral or ecclesiastical vnder the sentence of this mortality you haue hard before of some and in Orosius you may see the death and destruction both of traitors and of persecutors Lib. 7. namely of MagneÌ„sius Constantius Decentius Gallus Syluanus Iulian. We haue in Egesyppus a marueilous History of Aristobulus King of the Iewes not only for his persecution of the good but also for the murder of his brother in body and in conscience fore afflicted his blood gushing out Lib. 1. c. 8. which when his boy had poured out by chaunce vpon the blood of his slaine brother an horrible fearefulnesse increased his paine and tooke away his life O that these worldely men persecuting and seeking after blood would coÌ„sider that which is written in Herodotus Tomyris to K. Cyrus Thou hast thirsted after bloode and now thou shalt drinke thy belly ful of blood What brags are giuen out in euery cornet against poor Protestants in England in France Flanders and Geneua as though al were on their side as though they were Gods vpon the earth They haue their fore-fathers whome they imitate very braue and glorious in threats Bragges against the godly but miscarieng in the ende Pharaoh and his souldiours say I wil pursue I wil ouertake them I will diuide the spoile my lust shal be satisfied But the Lord blew with his wind Exod. 15. the fea couered theÌ„ they sanck as lead in the mighty waters In the booke of Iudges there is the like triumph of the Heathen against Israel where the Ladies flatter the mother of Sisera that hee had gotten the victory and had a great spoil Iudic. 5. when Sisera was by a woman Iael knocked in the head Ben-hadad threatned the King of Israel but Ahab aunswereth Let not him that girdeth his harneise bost himself as he that putteth it off 1. Reg 20. It is an easie matter for God to crush these Kings conspiring against his annointed and against his church Psal 2. with a rod of Iron and breake them in peeces like a potters vessel Psal 3. To smite al his enemies vpon the cheek bone and to strike out the teeth of the wicked to pull downe the great heart of Pharaoh by al kind of scourges Exod. c. 9. with botches and sores with murreine of beasts with hail thunder and lightening with the death of the first borne of AEgypt with grasse-hoppers Exod. 12. with frogges flies lice to strike persecuting Herod with vermine Cap. 10. Cap. 8. Act. 12. We haue heard a long time against our Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth and against our country the smoke of threats but God bee praised no flame that could annoy vs. Wee haue had among vs the brags of the Pompcian souldidurs that haue made a reckoning of the spoile of vs at diuision of our liuings among theÌ„selues but they were but only brags for why the lot is cast into the lap Prouer. 16 but the whole disposition thereof is of the Lord. Therfore let al men take heed how they vvast of a day whether it bee in the sommer or winter whether it be in the yeare eighty seuen or eighty eight whether they be forreiners abroad or cuntrymen at home Let theÌ„ harkeÌ„ to wise SalomoÌ„ Prouer. 27 Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a daie may bring forth Al the wicked persecutours traitours rebels knowe not when they beginne what shal bee their end Looke in the booke of the Kinges home many died losing Kingdome and life in the space of three and thirty yeares 2. Reg. 15. Looke in the Histories howe sodenly the Emperours went Otho Galba Vitellius To be short I say to them Plutarchus desera numinis vindicta as Bias said once to an vngracious fellow That hee was affraid not that he should not be punished but that he himselfe should not see it But yet perhaps Eloquent men may scape this death Nay Cicero Val. Maâ— The death of Oratora as it is declared before was traiterously murdered leesing his toung and his head Demosthenes drank poison and died But I trow the Popes holinesse cannot be touched with any dart of death The death of Popes for hee that is able to deliuer out of Purgatory and hel may also saue himselfe from death No he hath no freedom no immunity aboue other men being one of Adams brood for so euen his own Ceremonial booke giueth him warning hereof Sacr. Cer. lib. 1. cap â— The Bishop of Rome although hee passe al mortall men in dignity and authority and can bind and lose al things in earth yet can he not loose himself out of the bonds of fatal necessity The scholer is not aboue his Master and therefore he willeth him to think that although he be the greatest man yet hee is a mortal man and biddeth him remember the forme of his consecration which is after this sort When the newe Pope is chosen and Te Deum song and he newly Cap. de Consecrat and Pontifically reuestred and his hands and feete kissed euen then in all this solemnity and glory a Clerk or Master of the Ceremonies setteth tow on fier after the Pope is come out of the Chappell of Gregory and kneeling downe singeth with a loud voice C. Deegrâ—â— exeq Papâ—â— Pater sancte sic transit gloria mundi Omnis carofaenum omnis gloria eius tanquam flos agri O holy father as this hemp or tow burneth so passeth away the glory of the world al flesh is hay and the glory thereof is as it were the flower of the field This Ceremony notwithstaÌ„ding the Pope forgetting all this lesson rideth through the Citty with a great troupe of Mitred Bishops Abbots his horse trapped trimmed with red scarlet the Emperor himselfe holding the horse bridel and when all the lewes met him in the market place and reached vnto him as the manner is their Ceremonies and their law he flingeth them behind his backe saying proudly Recedant vetera noua sunt omnia Away with these oulde things al are now new As Thomas Walsingham declareth at large in the Coronation of Pope Martine Jn Henr. 5. I haue told of Boniface the eight of whose end Celestine his predecessor gaue this prophecy Tho. Walsing in Hypodig Neustriae Ascendisti vt vulpes regnabis vt Leo morieris vt Canis Thou didst clime vp like a Fox thou shalt raigne like a lion thou shalt dy like a dog As he so others like flax set on fier haue passed away most of them sodenly and shamefully specially such as haue been cruel in excommunicating and persecuting Emperours Carion lib. â— Abb. Vrso You heard
that are dead I haue also to make a wish that those that are faulty liuing woulde remember one Story that I would tel theÌ„ Licinius a rebel fought against Constantine but was ouercome and had a pardon with this charge â—â—crat lib. 〈◊〉 3. that he should keepe his house at Thessalonica liue quietly but when hee had gathered a newe hand of vplandish and barbarous men then hee commaunded him to be slaine Well The effect of my speach is God wil not haue the death of a sinner neither doe godly men desier these euill men to be rid out of the way but to turne into a better way and to reforme themselues and yet the Protestation of Dauid is true vppon their impenitency and frowardnes God will ease the world of these burdens of the earth I am now to make vp my general that all must dy The death of Princes not only the bad but euen the good shal depart froÌ„ vs. The bad for our comfort for the consolatioÌ„ of the church The good for our plague for not only wicked Saul but euen good Dauid is gone O that we may not say in our daies Our Dauid is gone but she must goe and perhappes the sooner for our wickednes Let vs pray therefore for her long and prosperous raigne among vs wee haue great cause so to pray The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in his heart Esaie 57. the merciful men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth it as the Prophet saith Mark I beseech you mark you that loue chaunges how perilous they are What good commeth by the good Princes what losse commeth by their departure Augustine writeth De Ciuiâ— Dei lib. 4. cap. 3. Vtile est vt bons longe lateque diu regnent neque hoc tam ipsis quà m illis vtile est quibus regnant It is profitable that good men raigne far and wide and a long time neither is this so profitable vnto themselues as to those ouer whoÌ„ they raigne The mutation of Princes and alteration of States how dangerous it is may appear by former times After good Samuel and in the time of the banishment of Dauid the Philistines warred against the Israelites in the which battle Saul was slaine and the people of God conquered but by Dauid that succeeded the common weale and the church florished After the death of Iosias was the battel of the Babylonians wherby the Kingdom of Iuda was brought to slauery 2. Paralip 32.36 and afterward subuerted After this Iosias and Ezechias followed euil rulers as it is in the book of Chronicles Alexander the great is called of Daniel a mighty King but his King dome was diuided towards the 4 winds of heaueÌ„ not to his posterity Cap. 11. nor according to his dominioÌ„ Where wise meÌ„ ruled as Solon Lycurgus others who now rule there but Turkes Infidels After the death of William Conquerour came famine pestilence thundring lightening flashes in heauen fires in England as a certaine Prognostication of miseries and ruful calamities in Rufus time Polydor Virg. lib. 9 The death of Heroicall and great personages is ominous and vnluckie Therefore that I may drawe to an end and to the conclusion of Dauids argument The Conclusion of Dauids reason in his protestation seeing God hath set downe a periode course for euery man and a terme and time of death seeing all young and old rich and poore noble vnnoble yea Princes Monarches and Popes must die by some of these meanes and kindes of death which Dauid setteth down let vs obey the reason and reserue to God his iudgement Let vs not preuent his houre no not against the wicked gouernours and sith God hath sent vs a Dauid let vs not by our vnthankfulnes forgoe her Maiestie or by our treacherous behauiour cut off her daies God hath numbred them and they cannot be shortened no nor prolonged but that number will come once to an end though when we cannot tell Augustine maketh me affraide in these words De Ciuit. Dei lib. 5. cap. 25. Iouinianum multo citius quà m Iulianum abstulit Gratianum Ferro Tyrannico permisit interimi longè quidem mitius quà m magnum Pompeium colentem videlicet Romanos Deos. God tooke away Iouinian much sooner then Iulian he suffered Gratian to bee killed with the sword of a tyrant a great deale more gently then great Pompeie a man forsooth that worshipped the Gods of Rome If the certainty be such of death and the vncertainetie of the time so great let vs once againe pray to our heauenly father for the prosperity of her State for the peace of her raigne for the continuance of her daies and for vs al which God grant through the merit of Jesus christ to whom with the father c. 1. SAM 26. 11 The Lord keepe me from laying mine hand vpon the Lords annointed but I pray thee take now the spear that is at his head and the pot of water and let vs go hence 12 So Dauid tooke the spear and the pot of water from Sauls head and they gate theÌ„ away no man saw it nor marked it neither did any awake but they were al asleep for the Lord had sent a dead sleep vpon theÌ„ THE SEVENTH SERMON FOR the better vnderstanding of this text and of all that which I haue to say in this place I must in few woordes repeat and rippe vp that which went before A repetition of Dauids discourse Dauid hath aunswered the motion of Abishai in this proposition That King Saul should not bee destroied and yeeldeth two reasons for that he is the Lords annointed and whosoeuer laieth hand vpon him shal not be holden guiltles Another reason is in the protestation of Dauid that he will not doe it because the matter lieth in Gods hand and he hath ordinary extraordinary meanes to remoue him or kil him at his own pleasure and therfore it pertaineth not to him a priuat man although he be next in succession to vse any fraudulent or violent preuention Which reasons I haue elsewhere examined by many lawes autorities confirmed to be of force moment the particulars whereof I omit At this time I purpose to proceede first in the proofe of the reason so nextly to intreat of the last part It is a scruple or question nowe in these daies who bee the successours of Abishai in these mischieuous and malicious conspiracies against Princes Staphylus seemeth to burden Luther that he commandeth subiects to rebel In Apolagia Frideâ— Staphyli in praefaâ— and to disobey the commaundements of Caesar and forbiddeth to sight against the Turkes But this Question wee haue resolued and determined before that the Popes are aduersaries and no friendes of Caesar and that they are the onely authours of insurrections and rebellions against lawefull autority As for Luther he teacheth obedience in al his writings he loueth not such presuÌ„ption against
plagued in the day of the visitation but to Ieremy he said comfortably Be not affraid of their faces for I am with thee Daniel was cast by the Babylonians into the den of Lyons and yet he taught mo then seuenty years Act. 1â— Peter a captiue was appointed by Herode to death but Gods appointment was by an Angel to deliuer him Paul saith All men haue forsaken me but the Lord assisted me strengthned me that by me the preaching might be fully known 2. Tim. 4. and that al the Gentiles should heare and I was deliuered out of the mouth of the Lyon He neuer left preaching from IerusaleÌ„ to IllyricuÌ„ Spain Italy was neuer offred to death til the time of his dissoluing came then he did worthily say of himself I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith Bee therefore of good comfort my brethren Preach the word be instant in season out of season reproue rebuke exhort with al long suffering doctrine for the times are come that he telleth of that man wil not suffer wholesome doctrine yet nothing can hurt or stay you vntill you come to your iourneies ende not only you but all other godly of this realme This Church of England is as mount Sion vnmooueable it shall haue the Queen to be her Nurse the gooly gouernors the faithful ministers during the time set down in God his decree Though Sion say the Lord hath forsakeÌ„ me Esai 49. yet the lord wil be more teÌ„der theÌ„ a womaÌ„ ouer her child nay he assureth vs that he hath grauen vs vpoÌ„ the palme of his hands and that our wals are euer in his sight though the diuel watcheth for vs seeking running about like a roaring Lion Psal 1.25 yet God ouerwatcheth him He neither sleepeth nor stuÌ„breth that keepeth Israel The wilde bore of Rome would enter into this vineyeard but the Lord doth keep him out Ipse faecundat saith Bernard He doth make it fruitfull hee encreaseth it Bernard super Catâ—â—â— sermo 30. cutteth it purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit for howe can he leaue it destitute of his care trauel seing that his right hand hath planted it Only let vs see that it bee not barren by our negligence and then leaue all the rest to his prouidence The third kind of Prouidence may appeare by the circumstance of the place 3. Prouidence in temporall thinges In wildernes Dauid and his army are fed and maintained This temporal prouideÌ„ce also must be learned against those murmurers that say O that we had bin dead in AEgypt when we sate at the flesh-pots when we eate bread our bellies ful now you haue brought vs into this wildernes to kil this whole congregatioÌ„ with famine and hunger Are there not in England Exo. 16.17 murmuring Israelites this day who for a little pinching of penury for lack of corne cry out against God and his word not mindful of the Manna of the dew of heauen of the fat of the earth ministred plentifully vnto them these many years In the yeâ— 1586. was that dearth in this blessed raign of the Queens maiesty And euen in this time of this small dearth there is charitable order taken by her Maiesty and the honorable counsel Plenty neuer more in Poperie then in the year 1587. The cause of this lack is not so much for lacke of graine but for lack of faith religioÌ„ in some of vs towards our God for lack of charity towards the poore in some in lack of obedience towards the Prince in some others for lack of thankfulnes in vs all which vices being reformed in vs we shal haue inough Our forefathers Abraham Isaac Iacob in strange places found a straunge goodnes of God for their prouision which is not vnknowen vnto you Ierome expoundeth a prouerb among the Hebrues In monte dominus videbit i. prouidebit God wil in the mount prouide for his In quaest seu trad Heb. in Genes euen as he prouided for Isaac a Ramme in steed of Isaac As God had mercy vpon Abraham so he wil haue mercy vpon vs. And therefore in signe of this Ram giuen the Iewes are wont euen this day to blow their horn He that prouided for Agar and for Ismael the boy and cast away for lacke of help of man in wildernes He that fed Elias by crowes by a widdow by Angels and Daniel by Abacuc He that was able by Elizeus to heal the waters infected He that saued Ionas in the whales belly He that with a few loaues fishes satisfied such a multitude he hath not he wil not forsake you that professe his word and practise accordingly any Aegypt shall bee scourged Exod. 9. when Israel shall be preserued in Goshen God wil rather transubstantiate al his creatures and make stones bread water wine cause rocks yeeld water rather then you that fear God loue his word should vanish or perish But here I pray you mark Hee that giueth food to cattle to the young Rauens meat he giueth it to them in their manner calling vpon him Psal 147. and the same Lord delighteth onely in theÌ„ that fear him Ose 7. For the strength of Israel is the Law al the safegard of our Israel is the keeping obseruing of the word of God Origen hath Hijs quiin Agone pietatis positi sunt Hoâ—â—il 19. in liâ— Num cap. â—4 conteret sathanam Deus sub pedibus God will treade sathan vnder the feete of them that striue for piety and godlinesse The same Origen giueth vs good coÌ„fort but coÌ„ditional Jbid. ca. 25. Hom. 20. If we want not weapoÌ„s wherwith the Apostle willeth vs to be armed all other dartes cannot pearce vs. If we haue the armor of God Ephes 6. the brest plate of righteousnes the sword of the spirite and aboue al the shield of faith Basil saith No munition or Martiall puislaunce In Psal 32. no walles of cities no army of horse men nor power of foot men no preparatioÌ„ of ships saue a King for God doth appoint Kings and disappoint and depose Exalt not your horne Psal 75. speake not with a stiffe necke for promotion commeth neither from the east nor from the west nor fruÌ„ the south because God is iudge abasing one exalting another And therfore while Dauid is godly doth not transgresse while the people and all liue within their compasse Prouidence of God specially belongeth to the good Dauidians there is no doubt but both in plenty and pouerty dearth death God shal and will giue safe conduict Religion and Piety must be our onely safety and preseruation for against the godly man neither malignant diuel neither any destiny can preuaile So writeth an auncient author Mercurie Trismegistus in Lactantius Dearly beloued let vs be only religious and god alone will succour and shield vs