we shall not be vtterly ashamed So much of the notes that arise hereby that a King is called a Shep-heard The other title that I promised to gather matter of duty from is the title of Father A sonne honoureth his father and a seruant his Lord saith the Prophet Malachi and besides it is not scripta but nata Lex If then the King be a Father where is his honour if Lord where is his feare this may be demanded and challenged by him and for him Now by honour I vnderstand not so much that which is outward in words and in gesture words full of all reuerence gesture full of all submissiuenesse bowing of the knee bending of the body c. Albeit a man cannot stoope too low to Maiesty for in whom all authority is founded as it were originally and to whom it is reduced reciprocally to him no honour ciuill honour may seeme to be giuen superfluously But that honour specially which Saint Paul vnderstandeth when he saith Honour Widdowes that is doe for them and which is to be vnderstood of the commandement Honour thy Father and thy Mother that is to say doe for them by the interpretation of Christ himselfe Marke 7. I grant it is said 2 Cor. 12. Children ought not to lay vp for the parents but parents for the children But I answere that there the Apostle doth argue Ex abundanti and rather sheweth what affectionate parents doe binde themselues vnto voluntarily making their affection a Law to themselues than what may be required of them of duty if they will stand vpon their right The truth is that as no naturall father will suffer his child to want if he haue to giue him so euery naturall child will Fraudare genium pinch his owne belly yea and the bellies of his children too rather than he will not yeeld supply vnto his father Was not the fact of a young woman in Rome who beguiled her child sucking on her brests day after day for many dayes together that she might bring her brests full of milke to her father to suckle him which otherwise should haue beene starued to death was not that fact of hers I say honoured and rewarded by them that knew not God and thereupon a Temple erected to Pitie and this was done to an ordinary father to a priuate father What then is to be done to the Father of the Country to such a Father that a man may say of him in some respect as Tertullian doth of the Father of Fathers Tampater nemo tam pius nemo Not such a Father againe to be found none so pitifull We read of one that was called Pater Patriae an hundred were so called in processe of time but he that was first honoured with that title he was truely honourable of another that was called Pater pauperum of another that was called Pater Reipublicae of another that was called Pater literarum that is a Father of learning Francis the first of France was so called Thus these Princes were dignified with seuerall titles for their seuerall vertues what then is due vnto him in whom all these vertues doe shine and in a good measure due I say for honour for supply for support I speake this to doe mine owne duty not to insimulate any no norvpon any weake conceit as though my poore speech might be holden any way necessary O no his Maiesties owne worth is an hundred times a greater motiue than any words that can proceed from a farre more sufficient man than I am His Maiesty is interessed and rooted as is fit in the hearts of his louing subiects no lesse than Dauid was in the hearts of his when the holy Ghost said of him and them as it is in the 2 Sam. 3. All the people knew it and it pleased them as whatsoeuer the King did pleased all the people Before I end this passage I thinke it not vnfit as a stander-by to helpe to remoue three or foure stumbling-blocks and I hope it will not be imputed to me The speech of a great Prince of old time euen of Traian is well knowne Fisâ—us said he that is the Exchequer or common Treasury is like the spleene of a man for as when the spleene waxeth bigge and swelleth the other parts doe payre and fall away so if the Exchequer doe stroute and be stuft with siluer and gold all parts of the Realme besides will be impouerished and as it were hunger-starued Thus Traian Now say I Howsoeuer this comparison hath beene applauded vnto neither doe I thinke it simply to be condemned specially for some States and some commings-in yet I doe not thinke it to be so fit generally In my iudgement the Exchequer or such a place may fitly be compared to the ventricle to that which we call the stomacke for as if the ventricle be not plyed with necessary meates and drinkes the Messaraike veines sucking continually from it and from the bowels and the Liuer continually sucking from the Messaraikes and the Capillar or small veines dispersed ouer the body sucking from the Liuer there must needes ensue first a hungrynesse secondly a faintnesse thirdly in time a waste and lastly an vntimely death so if the Treasury should not haue as great commings-in and supplyes as it hath so kings and euacuations if it should not haue as well Oesophagum to bring in as Pylorum to send forth and venam portam as well as ve nam cauam it cannot be but the whole Estate will be greatly enfeebled that I doe not say indangered Philopemen was a great Souldier Schollers know out of Liuie and Plutarke yet because he was bare for money he was gibed at by his Aemulus that he wanted a belly he had a head and legges and armes but his belly was pulled-in Maximilian the first was an extraordinary worthy Prince as all confesse that write of him at the least whom I haue read yet because the Empire did not supply him with treasure and besides himselfe was not the best husband but very profuse if Guicciardines taxation be iust hee vndertooke many things and brought little to effect whereby he greatly eclipsed his glory The Hebrewes haue a Prouerb Hacceseph iagnanch â—th haccol that is Siluer answereth all things yea and maketh all things to hold correspondency with it And the wise Grecian said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Money money that is a man without it a body is no body This made Aurelian the Emperour his Councell to tell him that if he would beare himselfe worthily and according to his estate he must be furnished with two things with gold and with iron with gold to reward his faithfull-ones and neere-ones and with iron to beate downe his owne and his Countries enemies Both those are necessary very necessary and it is hard to say whether more It is certaine that many States haue recouered that by gold which they lost by the sword
to vnhonest embracings with the Macedonian Gentlewomen and that they paid full dearely for itcost them their liues though they were Embassadors This is to be seene at large in Herodotus and what Writer doth not afford many such examples Therefore if you will haue incontinency banished out of your City doe your best to banish drunkennesse first of all for that is the mother of fornication so Chrysostome calleth it vpon the 13. to the Romanes yea it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother City of all mischiefe so saith Athenaeus there was an Oracle giuen to them of Lacedemon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Couetousnesse will be the ouerthrow of Sparta and nothing else This was a Prophesie for the time to come There is a complaint in Plinie for the time present and past Latifundiâ perdiderunt Italiam Italy is vndone by large seuerals We may take vp the like complaint against drinking that Multifundia I meane multum infundendo the powring in of much liquor is the shame of this Kingdome already and will be it is to be feared the vtter vndoing of it How can it choose when it doth so much hurt publikely and priuately Publikely for whence are quarrels blading wounds without cause and many times vntimely death bee they not hence euen of Choler that boyleth in their gall inflamed by wine whence breaking of houses and Robberies but to supply wants occasioned for the most part by lauish spending If it were not for drunkennesse or too much drinking neither needed Iustices of the Peace so much to be troubled for granting of Warrants of Peace nor their Clarkes with Recognizances nor the Honorable Iudges themselues against their clement nature be forcedto sentence so many to death as many times they doe For drunkennes causeth foule behauiour and foule behauiour bringeth on a foule end To be short it maketh many vnprofitable which otherwise might be seruiceable both in Church Common-weale Priuately it starueth many a family if the goodman of an house be so giuen yea causeth much brabbling betweene man and wife if either of them be so giuen yea causeth many a parent to breake his heart or her heart if their child be so giuen What a griefe was it to Nouellus Torquatus his father if he liued that his sonne was such a quaffer as he was and that he got thereby the name of Tricongius What a shame to Bonosus that he should be called after his death Amphora To Diotimus of Athens that he was called being yet aliue Infundibulum Some man will say To what purpose is this inuectiue against drunkennesse except you know and would tell vs what is good against it as if a Physician should tell his patient in what danger he stood and in the meane time should administer nothing vnto him I answere that there is Balme in Gilead there is helpe for it if yet euery man will doe his best for the remouing of it The best thing that I know is first to lay to our hearts the commandement that is in my Text Be not drunke The Apostle commandeth this in his Name that hath power to giue life and to destroy Secondly that we take heed vnto the exhortation that speaketh to vs as vnto children Take heed to your selues lest at any time your hearts be oppressed with â—urfetting and drunkennes Thirdly that you sit not too long at the table but that you follow the counsell of the wise Grecian and to rise vp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fourthly that you thinke that the Law that Minos made for Creete whereof Plato maketh mention in his Dialogue called Minos is very necessary for them of this Land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to drinke one to another His Maiesty hath beene graciously pleased to set forth his Proclamation against Combatants it may please God also to moue his Royall heart to proclaime against Compotants against such as drinke healths thereby to ouerthrow their owne health and while they drink healths to the great Ones they may shew some small affection but they doe them no good for the very prayer of a drinker is abominable Tephillash shotheh tognabah so saith Baal Turim and it is not contradicted by Christians how much more then is their drinking Lastly in my iudgement it were very profitable yea necessary that in euery City and Towne there should be certaine persons appointed in Cities some of the chiefest Aldermen that are of speciall reputation for piety grauity in Towns also and Villages some of the most substantiall Parishioners and these Censors should haue power not onely to enter into tippling houses to take forth such as they finde drunke or to haue lyen soking any long time and to commit them to Ward till they be sober and doe edormiscere villum but also such as are scandalous in the streets reeling to and fro not like a drunken man as it is in the Psalme but starke drunke and swinishly â—umbling in the gutter these also would be especially punished by Censors because they sinne openly that the euill being taken away God may be intreated toward the Land Why should the name or office of a Censor be odious vnto vs albeit I stand not vpon the name let such be appointed that will proceed as farre-forth as the common Law or locall ordinance will warrant and I haue my desire It was not refused by the Romanes when they were at the proudest but being free they subiected themselues to the yoke of discipline euen the most noble of them did So I could tell you that a great politician and a very wise man findeth this fault with the Venetians that hauing such a world of Officers as they had yet they had neuer a one that looked to mens behauiour to see the publicke peace were not violated on the other side the same authour commendeth a City that shall be namelesse at this time though he were not of the same sound Religion that is practised in that City that by their discipline they kept men in such awe and order that seldome whiles any grosse offencâ— is committed and sinne seemeth there rather to be preuented than punished But what is the Common-wealth the better if one City be reformed for one sinne of drunkennesse when the whole head is sicke and the whole heart is heauy when from Dan to Beersheba from one end of the Land to the other all the foundations of the earth be out of course Shall the righteousnes of a few diuert a common destruction or shall it deliuer the righteous themselues in the euill day what good then will it doe Much verily First a booke of remembrance shall be written before the Lord for them that feare the Lord and thinke on his Name and in the day of death they shall haue enough and in the day of publike calamity they shall either be deliuered as Rahab in Iericho Ieremy in Hierusalem in Nebuchadnezzars time the Iewes that were turned Christians in
water is carried by pipes into the Cisterne be either stopped with Preiudice or poysoned by Partiality then they that are to pronounce according vnto their mouthes must needs pronounce amisse Therefore they that are faulty this way deserue double punishment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they offend themselues and make others to offend So much against Partiality The third thing that impeacheth Iustice is Bribery A Lacedemonian Generall complained that he was driuen out of Asia by a thousand Archers he meant by the King of Persia his money an Archer was the stampe of the Persian coyne So in the late ciuill warres in France many were said to haue beene pelted with Spanish Pistols a Pistoll is an indifferent word both for a certaine coyne and a small Peece So the Philistines cryed out Who shall deliuer vs out of the hands of these mighty Gods and so many haue said Who can withstand an Army of Angels of golden Angels But as Austine said Aliud est ridere aliud resp ndere It is one thing to iest another thing to answere So I thinke such a sinne as Bribery is must be beaten downe and broken in pieces more grauely and more substantially then by breaking of Iests It is a truth that corruption is a very old sinne euen Hesiod that liued seuen or eight hundred yeeres before Christ complaineth that his brother went beyond him by bribing of Magistrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by greatly honouring such as deuâ—urâ—d gifts And Plato long after him yet long before Christ reciteth a Sentence of an old Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The greatest Rulers and the greatest Gouernours they that are like Gods vpon the earth haue beene won and ouercome with gifts There is no City so inuincible said one but an Asse laden with gold will make the gates flie open And another receiued this Oracle Fight with siluer Lances and thou shalt be sure to conquer But we need not to rake in the puddle of heathenish writers to know the power of Bribes and gifts Salomon the wisest and best experienced King saith A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it it prospereth whither-soeuer he turneth it And againe A mans gift maketh roome for him and bringeth him befoâ—e great men Yea God himselfe by Moses in Deut. sheweth the great strength of gifts or the great weakenesse of man to withstand them A gift saith he doth blind the eyes of the wise and peruerteth the words of the iust therefore thou shalt not take a gift As if he told vs that there was I know not what poyson in them and indeed men vse to say that beneficia be venificia that the very handling of them will infect a man As â—liny writeth of the fish called Torpedo that if a a man touch it not onely with his hand but with sticke or rod or such like it will benumme him And as Scholers know that Dâ—mosthenes by poysoning Harpalus his Goblet was tempted and weighed to fauour his cause to the great danger of his Countrey and vnto his owne vtter shame No man doubteth but Samuel his sonnes were well brought vp by their Father and so was Gehesi as well by his Master Elisha and Iudas best of all at the feet of our Sauiour And yet Iudas for money sold his Master and Gehesi for money shamed his Master And Samuel his sonnes for money by taking of gifts made their Fathers Gouernment odious to the people which otherwise they could neuer haue beene weary of Now if this were done in better times and where the best examples were shewed then what is to be expected in these worser times in the wane of the Moone as it were in the decrepit age of the world Is it for any man that is in authority being wise to giue absolute credence to his followers that that must be true which they doe prompt iust which they perswade Or are they not rather to suspect them when they see them earnest in a cause that Boâ—em habent in lingua as one said Argentum in faucibus as it was said of another It is certaine that it is not enough for a Magistrate to haue abstinent hands himselfe but he must looke to the fingers of his followers that they be not giuen to finger or prowle Plutarch writeth of Pompey that marching with his men in Sicily because hee would haue them to keepe good rule hee caused their swords to be sealed vp in their scabberds and if he found the seales stirred it was an argument to him they had beene meddling and had done some body wrong and then they paid for it I doe not wish Officers or their men should haue their purses sealed or their armes tyed behind them when they begin their Circuit or enter vpon their imployment By no meanes For The Labourer is worthy of his reward And Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadâ—th out the Corne. And if we thinke them worthy their hyre that gather stones out of the fields to mend the high-wayes or that doe plucke vp weeds out of a Garden that the good herbes may haue the more roome and grow the better then how can we honour or reward them too much that doe plow vp iniquity by the rootes and doe take all offences out of Church and Common-weale Therefore such Fees as are granted them by Law let them take in the Name of God no man is to grudge at it Onely this I aduise and admonish and pray that they that be in authority whether Ciuill persons or Ecclesiasticall yea and their seruants also would thinke Iâ—hn Baptists charge to the Souldiers in Saint Luke to belong to themselues Vse no violence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tosse no man to and fro get nothing by sycophansie and be content with your wages whatsoeuer is taken aboue that is euill What if it be giuen of good will should any mans eye be euill because some mans hand is good Truely if it be giuen of single sincere good will I haue nothing to say against it for nothing is freer then gift and volenti nulla iniuria But what if it be Mixta voluntas as in a tempest the Merchant throweth his goods into the Sea to saue himselfe and his ship shall we call this beneuolence or good will to the Sea or is it not rather necessity or inforcement Why Dauid the time was did make choice of the plague which otherwise he would haue shunned as the gates of death but it was because he would escape a greater Plague euen the plague of Famine or Sword So many put themselues to great charges which they would be glad with all their hearts to saue sauing to auoyd a greater mischiefe Gifts from them that haue no suite present or toward are kindnesses gratuities liberalities and against such there is no Law from them that haue a suite either in present or
yet for the Iustices to lay the fault vpon the twelue men for euery man shall beare his owne burden And as the righteous shall liue by his owne faith so the vnrighteous shall die for his owne faultinesse and a pillow of blood is a very hard pillow for a tender conscience to take rest vpon harder then the pillow of stones in Genesis for vpon that Iacob did sleep But that ought to be done in such weighty cases that concerne life which the Law of God requireth to be done in the case of Idolatry namely They should seeke and make search and inquire diligently and if it be true and the thing certaine c. then thou shalt not faile to slay them c. And as Iob professed that he did in these words The cause which I knew not I searched out Otherwise if the matter be not euident it is better to be slow then forward lest Cinna Cesars friend be slaine in place of Cesars enemy that had railed vpon him as in the Romane Story And lest Histiaeus make the shoo and Aristagâ—ras weare it as in the Greeke Story And lest that one sowe and another reape as in the Gospell I meane lest one commit the offence and another be punished If the least imputation of cruelty did sticke to your reputation Honorable men and brethren if it might be said of you with any probability which was said of Claudius the Emperour that his hands were otherwise weake and feeble but strong and sturdy to shead blood I could vse many reasons to moue and induce you to lenity and clemency so farre-forth as the state of the Common-weale would beare for that is alwayes to be vnder-stood Salus Reipublicae summa Lex but I perswade my selfe of you that you propend thereunto by nature and specially by grace and that you say many times to your selues when you are about to giue Sentence as the successor of Claudius did when a Bill was brought vnto him for the execution of a man condemned Quam vellem nescirem literas Oh that I could not write my name Oh that another had my roome And that it may be said of you as it was of that good Emperour Augustus Qui cum triste aliquiâ— statuit fit tristis ipse cuique fere poenam sumere poena sua est that si You are grieued your selues when you pronounce a grieuous Sentence and you thinke your selues are punished when you punish others I haue stood very long vpon the three first words of my Text I put on Righteousnesse Wherein I haue shewed First the meaning Fitnesse and vsualnesse of the Phrase secondly for the Vettue the bulke of the Phrase how necessary and goodly it is the goodliest Robe that a Magistrate can put on thirdly and lastly what be the hinderances and staines of it First Preiudice Secondly Partiality Thirdly Bribâ—ry and lastly Precipitancy Now Iob is not content to tell vs that he put on Iustice but addeth it clothed me Meaning that he did not cast it behind him like a cloake or throw it about him like a mantle to couer some pâ—rts and to leaue the others vncouered but that it couered him on all parts from top to toe like the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was a long Garment downe to the feet mentioned in the Reuelation And like the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Garment wherein one might wrap and roll himselfe mentioned in the Booke of Ester Meteranus in his Belgicke Story writeth of a certaine old woman in the Low-Countries that she being neere her end required her Keeper of all loues and in any case to put vpon her the Cowle of a Fryer Minorite when shee should be ready to yeeld vp the ghost which she had prepared for the purpose And said she if death happen to come on so suddenly that thou canst not put the whole Cowle vpon me yet faile not at the least to put one of mine armes into it that by vertue thereof three parts of my sinnes may be forgiuen me and the fourth expiated in Purgatory Thus Meteranus of the old wiues perswasion touching the vertue of the Fryers Cowle which perswasion Superstition bred Couetousnesse tendered and folly entertained I cannot say so much of the vertue of the Robe of Iustice either commutatiue or distributiue either priuate or publicke though I thinke passing well of it that it should haue power to forgiue sinnes No The blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinnes And He hath washed vs in his blood And Wee must be found in him not hauing our owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is by the faith of Iesus Christ euen the righteousnesse of God through faith But this I dare boldly say that it yeeldeth a pleasant sauour vnto the nostrils of our heauenly Father as Esaus garment vpon Iacobs backe did to Izack their father And of all the garments yee can put on after faith and loue there is none to be compared to it There is mention in Saint Mathew of soft clothing but it was onely for them that were in Kings Courts Also in the Psalme of a garment of needle-worke wrought about with diuers colours but it was onely for the Queene Also in the 2. Sam. of garments of many pieces or colours but they were for Kings daughters that were virgins Also of garments of Linnen and Woollen which were forbidden the Israelites who thereby as by an Allegery were forbidden all hypocrisie and insincerity not onely in matters of faith but also in conuersation Also in the booke of Ioshuah of a Babylonish garment which Achan purloyned to his destruction Further there is mention in Stories of garments of gold and of siluer at which Dionysius iested That they were too cold in the Winter and too heauy in the Summer but now they are in speciall request euery ordinary fellow weareth cloth of gold and of siluer nay he is not an ordinary fellow but a No-body that is not so attyred Also there is mention in Story of perfumed garments which were the vndoing of Muleasses King of Tunis for by the smell thereof he was hunted after taken and bereaued of his eyes and of his Kingdome as Iouius writeth Thus the outward garment or ornament is for some persons and purposes and not for others and for some certaine times and not for all But now Iustice is for all sorts of men and for all times of the yeere sweet without fulsomnesse precious without burdensomnesse safe without dangerousnesse indifferent to all degrees to all persons common equall glorious full of Maiestie and full of all good workes We haue not so great vse of fire and water as we haue of Iustice said one or one maysay The Morning-starre or the Euening-starre is not so faire as Iustice said another Faire as the Moone pure as the Sunne terrible as an Armie with Banners So haue some
commendable duty and very necessary to stand in the wayes of godlinesse and truth and to hearken after the same yet to stand in the wayes of sinners of superstitious and seditious and Idolatrous persons which weaue Spiders webbes nay which sit vpon Cockatrice egges it is not safe Therefore our Prophet doth wisely and necessarily adde in the second place That wee See or looke about vs. For as the mother of the ouer-hardy doth neuer want woe no more doth the rash hasty The blind man swalloweth many a Fly taketh hold of a Scorpion in stead of a Fish yea falleth in the ditch groapeth and stumbleth at noone-day Our eyes are therefore compared to the Sentinell or Watch-men of a City or Campe that forewarneth the body of danger approaching and biddeth it beware Now the Eye is not more needfull to the body for the direction thereof against stumbling and falls then Prudence and circumspection is to the Soule against error in iudgement and crookednesse in will and affection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vnderstanding that is the eye and the eare too as Clemens Alexandrinus citeth out of an old writer And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Vnderstanding and a good mind and much fore-cast is the high-way to happinesse said Demosthenes against Aristogiton Therefore Saint Paul chargeth vs to walke circumspectly not as vnwise but as wise And our Sauiour Be wise as Serpents The Serpent is very quicke-sighted tam cernis acutum quà m aut Aquila aut Serpens Epidaurius and therefore he is called Draco of seeing So we must beware that we be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as cannot see a farre off as Saint Peter speaketh but must anoint our eyes with eye-salue as Saint Iohn biddeth that so we may discerne things that differ light from darkenesse truth from error the sweet bread of sincerity and truth from the leauen of the old and new Pharises yea that we may be able to ken a farre off the sleights of Satan and his cogging 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is one property that we must learne if we will be wise as Serpents we must espy the frauds of deceiuers a farre off Praesens sit longè insidias praesaga mali mens Secondly the Serpent stoppeth his eare against the charmer and will not be gotten out of his hole And so if many among vs had turned the deafe eare vnto Inchanters who laboured first to withdraw them from loue to the truth and then from loyalty to the Prince many worshipfull houses had continued vntill this day which now wee see ouerthrowne Demosthenes would needs be gazing vpon Harpalus his plate was he not corrupted thereby The sonnes of God would needs be staring vpon the daughters of men did they not beget Gyants vpon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by looking comes liking you know the Prouerb This I speake onely for the simpler sort that they cast not their eyes vpon euery pelting Pedlers ware lest they be coozened by them lest they lay out their money and not for meat and their siluer for that which will not profit as the Prophet Esay speakes They that haue knowne the Scriptures from their youth as Timothy did and are rooted and grounded in the truth there is no danger for them to conferre with deceiuers for greater is He that is in them then he that is in the world Therefore I speake not to such as haue their Antidot or preseruatiue in their bosome A third property of the Serpent is remembred by Augustine and Ambrose too and that is this That he is wont Totum corpus pâ—o capite fertentibus obijcere To seeke to saue his head whatsoeuer becommeth of the rest of his body so wee must be sure to hold the Head Christ his Gospell to be our Loadestone his merits to be the Anker of our hope his obedience to be our satisfaction his death to be our life howsoeuer for other matters they seeke to carry vs about with euery blast of vaine doctrine This is one thing that we are admonished of in that we are called vpon to See Another thing we are put in mind of and that is this namely that we stirre vp the holy Ghost that is in vs and that we doe not despaire by the helpe thereof to distinguish betweene a right course and a wrong For surely if there were not some thing in vs I doe not say of vs that are enlightned by Gods grace haue tasted of the good gifts of God some ability of discerning I say the Prophet would neuer haue commanded vs to lift vp our eyes or to cast our eyes about to See For is a blind man called to iudge of colours or a lame man to try masteries I know I know that without Christ we can doe nothing nâ— man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost And We are not sufficient of our selues to thinke a good thought as of our selues but all our sufficiency is of God But these places are not against my purpose Bel. for I speake not a word for pride that any man should say as Nabuchadnezzar said Is not this great Babel that I haue built by the might of my power and for the honâ—ur of my Maiesty Are not we wise are not we intelligent are not we sharp-sighted No but against heedlesnes imprudence that we be not wanting to our selues that we quench not the Spirit Know ye not that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you except you be Reprobates Now where the Spirit of God is there is light there is the searching of Gods secrets there the secret of the Lord is made knowne to them that feare him Who euer was enlightned by him slept in death Who euer sought him in humility and faith and was denyed him He that commeth to be cleansed God will ioyne himselfe vnto him the Iewish Doctors haue such a speech When the Eunuch vsed his eyes in reading the Prophet Isaiah Philip was commanded by the Spirit of the Lord to ioyne himselfe vnto his Chariot For albeit God worketh in vs both the will and the deed of his good pleasure as Saint Paul saith yet he will not saue a man against his will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by force as Nazianzen speakes And sure it is that hee that hath giuen vs reason and vnderstanding and the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath not giuen vs these Talents in vaine but that we should labour by all meanes by ardent inuocating of the Name of God by crauing the assistance of his Spirit by Spirituall exercises and meditations to increase them to sharpen them to direct them For to him that hath shall be giuen and he shall haue aboundance and God will not be weary of giuing till thou be weary of asking A graine of mustard-seed at the first is the least of all seeds but what groweth it vnto afterwards Into so great branches that the fowles
shift for themselues by flight before they had put their Generall Sertorius in safety So the Galles had their Soldurios that is deuoted men which vowed to liue and dye with their Lord as Bodin out of antiquity doth gather So the French Protestants are much commended by the equall for that they bâ—stowed the young Princes of Nauarre and Condie in a strong Castle out of gun-shot before they hazarded the great battell of Moncounter The King is so to the Common-weale as the helme is to the shippe or rather as the shippe is to the passengers while the shippe is safe there is hope to recouer the land be we neuer so farre from it though the Sea and winds doe neuer so much swell and rage but if the Shippe sinke or be dashed on the rockes there remaineth nothing but a fearefull looking for of drowning and destruction Therefore the safety of the King being the safety of all what maruell if the Prophet begin with Kings and aduise them to looke about them This may be one cause Another this We know that there is no cloth that doth so kindely take the colour that the Dyer would staine it with as the people are apt to imitate the guize and carriage of their Prince the similitude is not mine but Nazianzens therefore because the conuerting of him is the conuerting of hundreds at a clap and his auersenesse or stiffenesse the auersenesse or standing out of multitudes this also may be thought to be a cause why he beginneth with Kings When was there a good King in Iuda for there were but few in Israel after that Ephraim departed from the house of Dauid that sought the Lord with all his heart but he drew the people to be well-giuen at the least-wise in comparison On the other side when was there a wicked King that did set set vp Idols in his heart or worshipped the Hoast of heauen or burnt incense vnto Baal but the people were as forward and as sharpely set vpon Idolatry as he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The subiect is wont to emulate and imitate the life of his Gouernour or Prince saith one Historiographer and another Princeps quum Imperio maximus sit exemplo maior est that is Be the Prince neuer so great for command yet he commandeth most by his example It is somewhat strange Circumcision is a painefull thing specially in them that are out of their Infancy it may be gathered hereby for that the Turkes vsing it at this day vpon their children being of sâ—me yeeres doe vse such dissembling towards them for the circumstance of the time when they doe it and yet when the King of Sichem had yeelded thereunto the whole City followed So Diodorus writeth of the Aethiopians that when their King had caught some mayme or marke in any part ofhis body the manner was for all his Fauorites to maime or marke themselues in the same part Is it not written of Rehoboam expressely that when he forsooke the Lord all Israel did so with him Also is it not to be obserued in the Ecclesiasticall Story that when Iulian fell from Christ vnto Paganisme Valens in stead of the truth imbraced a lye the vile Heresie of the Arians a great part of the Empire did so likewise On the other side when Iosiah serued the Lord with all his heart all Iuda did so all his dayes And when Constantine the great and Theodosius the great gaue themselues to aduance the faith of Christ and to purge out the old leauen of Heathenisme there was such a change in the Empire on the sudden that Zosimus and Eunapius being Pagans doe much complaine thereof in their writings therefore me thinkes Fulgensius speaketh to good purpose and agreeable to true experience that although Christ dyed indifferently for all the faithfull yet the conuerting of the mighty Ones of the world is of speciall seruice to winne soules vnto Christ. Hee doth symbolize with that learned Writer that allegorizng vpon those words of Saint Iohn touching the taking of so many great Fishes doth congratulate vnto the Church the happy conuerting of Princes because by their conuetsion many were brought vnto Christs Fold Yea Plutarch a Heathen man saw in a manner as much touching the great force that is in the example of Princes for he in the life of Dio speaking of Plato his sayling into Sicily to doe some good vpon King Dionysius maketh this to be the speciall motiue for that the reforming of the King would be the reforming of the whole Iland So then the Kings piety and sound perswasion being as effectuall for the winning of the soules of his subiects as his bodily safety is auaileable for the conseruing of their worldly estates Our Psalmist without doubt had great reasâ—on to doe as he doth to begin with Kings This may suffice for the naturall placing of the words and withall touching the incomparable good that redoundeth to the common Estate by the Kings piety and safety I come now more closely to the Duty of Kings for of that onely and of the touch of the time Now which shall be for application I shall speake at this time Be wise now therefore O Kings Two kindes of wisedome are required in Kings and Princes wisedome or knowledge in Gods matters otherwise called Diuinity and wisedome or knowledge in matters of the world otherwise called Prudence or Policy Both are contained in the Originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifieth also good successe to note that God many times crowneth pious prudence prudent piousnes with many a temporall blessing Both are not onely for ornament like the two Pillars that Salomon put in the Porch of the Temple but also for speciall vse like the hands of Aaron Hur which did support the armes of Moses for the discomfiture of the Amalekites For if they be pious only in Gods matters be not otherwise prudent then they are fitter for the Common-weale of Plato then for the corrupt estate of Romulus for the Cloister then for the Court Againe if they be prudent or politicke onely be not pious then they are fitter to be Kings of Babel where dwelleth confusion then of Hierusalem where Gods glory is seene and more rightly to be called the children of this world which goeth to nought and perisheth then the children of God who loue truth in the inwards and caâ—e for none but for such as worship him from a pure heart with a good conscience Well they must bee Diuines as it were this is first required I say not in profession but in knowledge they must know God the onely Lord and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ they must know Christ and him crucified and the power of his Crosse and vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions that they may be conformable vnto his death they must separate and distinguish truth from error cleane from vncleane right from
wrong yea they must be able to put a wise difference betweene the great things of the Law as Righteousnesse Mercy and Iudgement and the lighter things of humane obseruation which perish with the vse or abuse If Iephthah had knowne and considered what things might lawfully be vowed and how farre vowes do binde he would not haue immolated his owne daughter If Saul had knowne and considered what is written in the Law Yee shall not doe what seemeth good to your selues but what I command you that you shall doe you shall turne neither to the right hand nor to the left he had not forfeited his Kingdome If Vzziah had knowne and considered that none but the sonnes of Aaron were to approach to the Altar of the Lord and there to burne incense he had not beene smitten with the leprosie To be short If those Kings of Iuda and Israel that built high places and sacrificed vnder euery greene tree had knowne and considered that Hierusalem was the place whither they should haue brought their oblations being the place that God appointed to put his name there they had not been so bitterly inueighed against nor so fearefully threatned by the Prophets as they were To conclude If the Machabees had beene wise and knowne what that meaneth I will haue mercy and not sacrifice that which was the kernell of the ceremony from the beginning how-soeuer the shell was not so cracked and opened in former time as it was by our Sauiour the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath they would not haue suffred themselues to bo knocked downe like Oxen in the Shambles or to be led as sheepe to the slaughter but would haue stood vpon their gard and vpon their defence euen vpon the Sabbath day On the other side Dauid was not afraide to eate of the Shew-bread which was appointed onely for the Priests Dauid was wise and knew that Necessity ouer-ruleth Ceremony So Salomon was not afraid to command Ioab to be slaine euen in the Tabernacle of the Lord although he caught hold of the hornes of the Altar Salomon was wise and knew that there was no Sanctuary for murder So briefely Hezechiah was not scrupulous to goe forward with the celebrating of the Passeouer though there were some present that had not beene cleansed after the purification of the Sanctuary Hezechiah was wise and knew that there was a maine difference betweene those things which God commanded principaliter and those things which he commanded consequentia as Iraeneus saith Thus knowledge of Gods matters cleareth the vnderstanding chaseth away superstition sheweth the more excellent way and bringeth a King to glory Looke what the light is to the eye the eye to the head the head nay the soule of a man to his body the same is wisedome to the soule of a King It filleth him with grace in beleeuing it giueth light to his mind reformeth his will sanctifieth his affections snubbeth and crosseth all vnlawfull designes In crosses it maketh him patient in dangers vndaunted in prosperity moderate in what estate soeuer he be content On the contrary side where this knowledge is wanting there the Sunne goeth downe at noone-day there the light that is in them is turned into darkenesse and how great is the darkenesse They are not so much to be tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is pore-blind which are Saint Peters words but are stricken with grosse darkenesse and blindnesse like the Sodomites they stumble at the threshold nay they doe in Montes impingere as Augustin speaketh and are as ready to enter into the gates of their enemies as of their friends like the Assyrians The Grecians talke of the great helpe that a certaine great Commander had from Philosophy for the quieting of his owne mind and of those that were about him in the time of an Eclipse by shewing by a familiar example the reason thereof So the Romans tell of the great satisfaction that was giuen to their Army in Macedony when one Sulpitius Gallus skilfull in Astronomy fore-told them of an Eclipse before it hapned This was some-what I grant to be heaued vp as it were by the hand of naturall reason to the obseruing of Gods vniforme power and prouidence in causing the Planets to keepe their courses in their Spheares and the reuolutions of the heauens to be certaine and ordinary but yet in respect of the good that is reaped by Diuinity I meane by the knowledge of Gods will in his Word it is but as sounding brasse or as a tinkling Cymball For light it is but as the light of a rush candle to the light of a great burning Torch as Clemens Alexandrinus saith For profit as drosse is to siluer or the chaâ—le is to the wheat as the Prophet speaketh Princes therefore are to haue their hearts stablished by faith and therefore first they must be stored and furnished with the Word of God it must dwell in them plentâ—ously they must be exercised and skilfull in the same so shall they be sufficiently prepared and furnished to euery good worke so shall they be sufficiently armed against error and heresie There haue beene since Christs time many corruptions and deprauations of the truth in the Church of God it is confessed and it cannot be denyed but a great part of them either sprang originally or was much increased through want of wisedome and knowledge in the chiefe Gouernours What maruell if the Mystery of iniquity which began to worke in the time of the Apostles grew to such a head and strength euen in Constantines time or shortly after when that shall be allowed for a good collection out of these words Ye are Gods therefore the Church of Rome hath a speciall priuiledge neither to be looked into for their liues nor to be quâ—stioned for their doctrine So what maruell if the Imperiall dignity did decay and sinke as fast as the Papall did swell and pearke vp as Otho Frisingensis doeth obserue nay the rising of the one was the ruine of the other as wisemen men know When Kings and Princes doe suffer themselues to be gulled with the sweet words of Peter and Paul and of the Church and especially with those words Math. 16. touching the Rocke and Iohn 21. touching the Feeding of Christs Sheepe by these words I say fouly mistaken to be stripped of their Regalities and to cast downe their Crownes not before the Lambe but before the Beast Whereas the former place touching the Rocke viz. Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church containeth a promise common to all the faithfull as the most ancient and learned Fathers doe agree and the latter place touching the Feeding of Christs Sheepe and Lambes containeth a duty belonging to all true Pastors as not onely Saint Paul in the Acts but also Saint Peter himselfe by whom they would make their claime doe most plainely shew I might thus run ouer most points in