creatures of the worlde yea in whose name euery knee shall boowe both of thinges in heauen and thinges in earth and thinges vnder the earth On the other side let vs followe rather king Iehosophat who beeing assieged in the Citie of Hierusalem and destitute of all mannes helpe dyd crye vnto the LORD saying O our GOD forasmuch as there is not in vs any might for to resist and withstande this greate companie that commeth against vs neither knowe we what to doe But our eis will be vnto thee The which that good Quéene Iudith diâ— knowe very well to practise who séeing hiâ— enimies at the gates and the Citie béeing forced on euery side To be short the inhaâ—bitaunts of the same altogether amased and discomforted with feare with a manly and couragious heart did leane stay hir selfe vpon the strength of him which béeing infinite in puissance cannot be tied and bound in his mercy and goodnesse Wherefore iâ— the Lorde doe giue vs the grace that wé◠shall die for the name of his welbeloued sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ let vs meditate with our selues that we doe not giue vnto him but that which doth apperteyne â–ª and belong vnto him forasmuch as he loued vs first and gaue himselfe to die for vs that is to say when we were all solde vnder sinne he hath fréely pardoned and redéemed vs by the blood of his welbeloued sonne our Lord Iesus Christ Secondly let vs confesse boldly that although that we do render vnto the Lorde life for life death for death yet truely that we doe not render vnto him the egalitie of that that he hath giuen vnto vs Forasmuch then as our sinnes were infinite so the redéeming of the same was inestimable and therefore there was no creature either terâ—estiall or celestiall which can appease the â—â—nger of that heuenly father but hée which was GOD and man that is to saye the â—onne of God. Finally let vs well consider what the Lord â—oth propounde vnto vs when he doth giue vs the grace that we should not onely beâ—éeue in his welbeloued sonne our Lord Iesus Christ But also we should die for him In this that for a frayle and transitorie life he will giue vs a life eternall and perâ—urable As he hath promised that whosoeuer shall lose his life for his sake the same shall saue it This is then a very straunge thing amonge the Christians to feare death in a quarell so iust and resonable And to thinke that he which doth giue the heauenly goods will depriue vs of temporall and necessarie goodes for mans life It is I say yet more greater wrong done vnto the Lorde to forsake him for to saue their goodes to feare to die for him which humbled himselfe euen into théese lowe places for to redéeme vs from sinne hell and eternal death And notwithstanding all that which is sayde although that in our death we doe offer vnto him that which is not ours yet truely hee doth accepte the smallnesse of our power and wil when we do leane vnto him by faith vpon the merite of his welbeloued sonne He I say which hath protested before the maiestie of the father hath cried with a loude voyce Behold I come in the beginning of the booke it is written of me that I should fulfill thy will O my God and in the dayes of his flesh hauing offered vp with great cries and teares prayers supplications vnto him which was able to haue saued him from his death and being heard hath bene the author of eternall life vnto those that obey him Wo be vnto those then which do blame the Lord against their owne conscience and doe blaspheme his maiestie by othes and vnlawfull witnesses for to perswade the people that they are not the disciples of Iesus Christe As Peter did denyinge his master in the presence of a maide those are they which do repulse the gyftes and graces of the holy spiryte without any force vyolence or feare hauing tasted of the good words of GOD and of the power of the world to come doe cal agayne in their owne filthinesse and villanie Insomuch that it happened vnto them according to the true prouerbe The dogge is turned to his vomite againe and the sowe that was washed to hir wallowing in the mire For if those children of the Hebrewes that is to say Sydrach Misach Abednago had rather to bée cast into the hot burning oueÌ„ then to do homage or adore the Idole of king Nabuchodonosor If I saye that chast Susanna hath not so much feared to fall into the handes of men then to sinne before the maiestie of god To be short if those Machabeans haue not spared their â—iues for to mainteine the honour of God yea against all the force and strength of the tyrauntes Shall we be so vngratefull for certeine priuate commodities to abandon him which hath ben made for vs wisdome also righteousnesse sanctifying and redemption I doe say yet more if the Panims haue valiantly fought for to increase the honoure of their Princes not seekinge thereby but a vaine glorie and worldly recompence shal the christians make it difficulte and a harde matter to giue their goodes dignities and prerogatiues for the name of him whiche hath endowed them with all heauenly benedictions hath also gotten for them by his bloud an euerlasting kingdome in heauen The Lord doth complaine sometime of his people for that they hauing forsaken him and digged them pittes yea vile and broken pittes that holde no water And in an other place also he rebuketh them of their ingratitude saying The oxe knoweth his Lord and the asse his masters stall but Israel which was his people knoweth nothing and hath no vnderstanding And shall the same LORD at this day holde his peace of so many apostates which of a set purpose doe tourne themselues from the knowen trueth against their owne conscience Forasmuch then as the holy Scripture doth tell vs that in death an euerlasting life in the ignomie and slaunder of men a glorie before the maiestie of GOD in the losse of our goodes of of such treasures which the eie hath not séene nor the eare hath heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man To conclude for a despising of our fauourable parentes and friendes a glorie before the maiestie of God and a blessed reioising in the companie of Angels and heauenly spirites Let vs then willingly embrace this crosse that we may get an immortall life let vs reioyce after the example of the Apostles when the Lord doth giue vs that honoure to suffer rebuke for his name Likewise let vs receiue ioyfully the rauishment of our goodes knowledging with our selues that we haue a better reward in heauen which is permanent and endureth for euer Finally let vs not at all desire the absence of our parentes and friendes forasmuch as that true shéephearde
because they haue not sought after the which was lost but churlishly cruelly haue they ruled ouer theÌ„ And al you which are strong ought to beare the frailnes of the weake him that is weake in the faith take vnto you but not to enter into doutfull disputacions of controuersies againe if any man be falne by occasion into any faulte yée which are spirituall helpe to amende him in the spirite of méekenes considering thy selfe least thou be also tempted Beare ye one an others burthen so fulfill the law of Christ Which if any man obeye not the lawe of Christ send vs word of him by a letter and haue no company with him that he may be ashamed Yet count him not as an enemie but warne him as a brother desiring no other thing then the helth of euery man Euen as Sainct Paul did deliuer the man who committed fornication with his fathers wife vnto Sathan for the destruction of the fleshe that the spirite maye be saued in the daye of the Lorde Iesus In lyke maner Hymmenaeus and Alexander that they do learne no more to blaspheme For I aduise you or let you knowe that he which conuerted the sinner from going astraye out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hyde the multitude of sinnes To no purpose some menne héere doe alleadge that Iesus Christ and the Apostles haue not alwaies vsed suche modestie and gentlenesse As when Iesus Christ said wo be vnto thée Chorasin wo be vnto thée Bethsaida For if the miracles which were shewed in you had bene done in Tyre and Sydon They had repenâ—ed long agone in sackcloth and asshes Such are the words of S. Iohn towardes the Scribes and Pharises crying against â—hem O generation of vipers who hath taught you to flée from the vengeance to come Bringe foorth therefore the fruites belonging to repentaunce Euen so said S. Paule writing to the Galathians O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that ye should not beléeue the truth To whoÌ„ Iesus Christ was described before your eies among you crucified Now we will aunswere briefly that wheÌ„ Iesus Christ or his Disciples or Apostles do rebuke chide and exhort by any seueritie or rigorousnesse of wordes That is not that they do not teach in all gentlenesse of spirite and of doctrine applying themselues to the simpliâ—itie rudenesse or malice of the hearers Wherin is to much manifested the impudencie of those who without any discretion doe laye the heauie burthens and which are not able to be borne vpon mens shoulders and regard not that the Lorde hath regard or respect to him which is of an humble spirite and a broken a contrite heart And that he dwelleth hie aboue and in the sanctuarie and with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirite that hée may heale a troubled minde and a contrite heart these are they which doe let passe the commaundement of God by their ordinaunces and consider not that the commaundements of God are easie and gentle for the righteousnesse which coÌ„meth of faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thy heart who shall ascende into heauen that is nothing els then to fetch Christ downe Either who shall descende into the déepe that is nothing els but to fetch vp Christ from death But what saith the scripture the worde is nigh thée euen in thy mouth and in thine heart This worde is the worde of faith which we preach For if thou shalt knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord and shalt beléeue with thine heart that GOD raised him vp from death thou shalt be safe Wherefore let vs lift vp our heartes with our handes vnto the Lord that is in heauen and confesse boldly that we haue bene rebelles and let vs séeke him and let vs retourne vnto â—he Lorde and he will not cast vs awaye â—or euer which if he doe giue vnto vs anguish then he will haue compassion of vs according to his great goodnesse for he doth â—ot punish and afflict willingly the sonnes â—f men Let vs not be ashamed to entreat â—im in fastings praiers sackloth ashes â—ea in the open assemblie of the Sainctes to confesse that vnto him belongeth iustice and to vs vtter confusion inasmuch as we haue sinned against him Finally let â—s walke worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called in all humilitie of minde and meaknesse and long suffering forbearing one an other through loue So be it 1. Thessa. 5. c. ¶ We beseech you that ye knowe them which laboure amonge you and haue the ouersight of you in the Lorde and giue you exhortation that ye haue them the more in loue for their workes sake A prayer O Lorde God most mightie and heaueÌ„ly father thou I say which desirest not the death of a sinner But wilt haue all men saued and come vnto the knowledge of the truth Giue vs grace in the middest of these troubles and enimies that we despise not the meanes which thou hast ordeined for vs to obtaine eternall life but that we emploie and endeuoure our selues with such feare trembling to our saluation that when we shall be iudged wée may acknowledge that we bée taught by thée that we be not iudged with the world and that willingly we may receaue the correction of the ministers dispensers of thy lawe confessing both with heart mouth that power is giuen vnto them to edification and not to destruction to ouerthrowe all such presumption as exalteth it self against thée to subdue all misdéedes to the obedience of thy sonne Christ so the by that means doing althings without murmuring and reasoning our obedience may appeare to all men and that we may be faultlesse and pure and the sonnes of GOD without rebuke in the middest of a croked and peruerse nation And finally that we may be fellowheairs with our Lorde Iesus Christ which through his obedience hath bene exalted aboue the heauens vnto whom be glorie for euer and euer So be it ¶ A BRIEFE ADVERTISment vpon the commaundement to loue god Cap. 16. Deuterono 6. b. ¶ Heare Israel the Lord thy God is Lòrd onely and thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy might THe Lorde saide in Sainct Iohn he that hath my commaundements and kéepeth them the same is he that loueth mée and he that loueth mée shall be loued of my father and I will loue him and will shewe mine owne selfe to him manifestly If a man loue me he will kéepe my sayings and my father will loue him we will come vnto him and will dwell with him Where Iesus Christ doth testifie vnto vs that the loue which we do owe vnto the lord consisteth in the obseruing of his preceptes and commaundents And herein is to be noted the some obey the coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts of the lord as seruaunts
exhortinge them that no man defraude and oppresse his brother in any matter Wherfore if wée bée double hearted as sayth Sainct Iames let vs cleanse our hearts Forasmuch I saye as GOD is righteous let vs loue him with an entire and perfect heart that our heart may blesse the LORD and all that is within vs may praise his holy name and forget not all his benefites Let vs poure out our hearts like water before the Lorde and let vs lifte vp our handes vnto him and hee will beholde vs with pittie in the fauoure of his welbeloued sonne our LORD Iesus Christ vnto whom bée glorie for euer and euer So bée it Ecclesiastes 12. d. 13. ¶ Feare God and keepe his commaundementes for that toucheth all men 1. Iohn 2. d. ¶ The world passeth awaie and the lustes thereof but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth euer A Prayer O Lord which hast taught vs by the mouth of Salomon the sonne of Dauyd that loue is mightie as the death and gelousie as the hell hir coales are of fire and a verie flame of the LORD So embrace our heartes in thine heauenly loue chiefly by thy holy spirite that wée knowing that thou hast loued vs first hauing sent thy sonne to make agréement for our sinnes that so of our part we may loue thée againe and shewe by our conuersation that we loue thée not in worde neither in tongue onely but in déede in trueth Honouring thée as our celestiall and heauenly father and fearing thée as our souereigne LORD all the dayes of our life In such sorte that neither death neither life neither Angels nor principialities neither powers neither thinges preseâ—â— neither thinges to come neither heigth neither depth neither any other creature shall be able to departe vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christe Iesus our LORD To the ende that when thou shalt appeare we may be bolde and not ashamed before thée at thy comming nor by the maiestie of him who béeing in the worlde loued his vnto the ende our Lord Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer So bée it ¶ A CHRISTIAN ADVERtisment vpon the commaundement to loue a mans neighbour Cap. 17. Deuterono 15. b. ¶ The land shall neuer be without poore wherefore I commaunde thee saying open thine hande vnto thy brother that is needie and poore in the lande Prouerbes 3. b. ¶ Honour the Lord with thy substaunce and with the firstlings of al thine encrease so shall thy barnes be filled with plenteousnesse and thy presses shall flowe ouer with sweete wine Iob 1. c. ¶ When the poore desireth any thing at me haue I denied it them haue I caused the widdow to stand waiting for me in vayne haue I eaten my portion alone that the fatherlesse hath had no parte with me For mercy grew vp with me fro my youth and compassion fro my mothers wombe haue I seene any man perish through nakednesse and want of clothing or any poore man for lacke of raiment whose â—ides thancked me not bicause he was warmed with the woll of my sheepe did I euer lift vp my hande to hurt the fatherlesse yea in the gate where I sawe my selfe to be in authoritie then let mine arme fall from my sholder and mine armeholes be broken from the ioyntes Iob. 29. c. ¶ I haue deliuered the poore when hee cryed and the fatherlesse that wanted helpe He that should haue bene lost gaue me a good worde and the widdowes heart praised me And why I put vppon me righteousnesse which couered me as a garment and equitie was my crowne I was an eye vnto the blinde and a foote to the lame I was a father vnto the poore and when I knewe not their cause I sought it out diligently I brake the chayers of the vnrighteous and pluckt the spoile out of their teeth ¶ An exhortation to loue towardes ones neighbour THE Apostle Sainct Paul â—peaking of the excellencie of loue sayth Though I speake with the tongues of men and Angels and haue not loue I am euen as lounding braue or as a tinckling cymball And though I coulde prophecie and vnderstand all secretes and all knowledge yea if I had all faith so that I coulde moue mountaines out of their places and yet had not loue I were nothing And though I bestowe all my goodes to to feede the poore and though I giue my bodie that I be burned and yet haue not loue it profiteth me nothing Loue lustereth long is courteous loue enuieth not loue doth not boast it selfe swelleth not disdaineth nothing as vnbeseeming seeketh not hir owne things is not prouoked to anger thincketh not euill reioyceth not in iniquitie but reioyceth in the trueth suffereth all thinges beléeueth al things hopeth al thinges endureth all thinges Loue doth neuer fall away though that all prophecyings shall be abolished And in the end of the said chapter he concludeth now abideth faith hope loue euen these three but the chiefest of these is loue And forasmuch then as the life is more worth theÌ„ meate the bodie more of value then raiment And also that Iesus Christe doth commaunde vs to séeke first the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereoff notwithout cause if wee mainteine that loue consisteth chiefly to helpe our neighbour in that whiche is necessarie for him for his life Insomuch that if the Lorde hath giuen vnto vs any talent I meane any grace perfection or vertue we ought not to hide it in the earth as vnprofitable seruaunts but ought to bestowe it to the profite of euerie man For the manifestation is giuen to euery one for to profit to the ende that as euerie man hath receiued the gifte so admister the same one to another as good ministers of the manifold graces of god And euen as in geuing some little part of our goods we do multiplie that which the Lord hath giuen vnto vs also in administring the spirituall things to our neighbour we augment in vs the fruites of pietie Iustice These are the wordes of Sainct Paul when he tolde the Corinthians that he that findeth séede to the sower will minister likewise breade for foode and multiplie their séede and increase the fruites of their beneuolence that on all partes they may be made ritch in all singlenesse And as we be not maisters nor owners of our goods Inasmuch as we enioy and possesse them of the hande of the LORDE so we are not but ministers of the giftes of the holy Spirite whiche worketh in vs all things Euen so saith Sainct Paul writing to the Corinthians Let a man so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christe and disposers of the secretes of GOD. This declareth vnto vs what was gods prouidence in the dispensation bestowing of his giftes who woulde not that they shoulde abounde altogether in one man alone to the end that by them helping one an other euery one may
hée doth giue power and strength vnto his in the vertue and power of his woord to roote out breake off destroy and make wast to build vp and plant as he promised in Ieremy and afterward confirmed by the mouth of his sonne sending his Apostles through out the whole world Then let all those bée confounded and put to shame which doe thincke to abolish the true christian religion by force of armes or with a great companie of people or by threateninges For as an auncient author hath very wel written that it is no religion to constraine the religiō the which men ought to receiue with a willing heart our religion cannot be forced and constrayned by force of armes but by woordes As for vs bicause that the Gospell hath bene preached throughout the whole worlde amonge the horrible persecutions of the martyres and that the bloode of them hath bene the séede of the Church yea that the Church is come to her perfection and greatnesse by those persecutions and hath ben crowned by the punishments and witnesses of the true faythfull christians we do make it no doubt to mainteine and defende our religion by the same meanes by the which she hath bene established I doe meane by patience and gentlenesse in such sort that although that our enimies doe yet murmure yet we are assured that the gates of hell shall not ouercome vs forasmuch as the church is the house of God the pyller and ground of truth We doe beléeue also that the persecutions which we do suffer doe not serue for any other thing then to witnesse the tyrannie and crueltie of our enimies and to assure more and more the veritie of our doctrine in our constantnesse and patience Euen as the persecution of Lot did figure none other thing but the vtter subuersion of the Citie of Sodome The affliction of the Israelites did declare and teach none other thing but the wast and destruction of the people of Aegypt to be nigh at hand To conclude the blood of the prophets did demonstrate declare the vengeaunce of God vpon that citie of Ierusalem so goodly and excelent According to that which is saide in Iesus the sonne of Siraach that bicause of vnrighteous dealing wrong blasphemies and diuers deceites a realme shal be translated from one people to an other And sainct Paule doth shewe and declare that the thinges which haue happened vnto him are tourned to the great furthering of the Gospell So that his bands in Christ were famous through out all the iudgement hall and in al other places Insomuch that many of the brethren in the Lord were boldened through his bands and dare more franckly speake the word I do speake vnto those which doe thincke to abolysh the true christian religion by the bloode of the faithfull as some which are so madde and senselesse willing to quench the fire doe put into it oyle For the Lord is come to sende fire on the earth And what desireth he more but that it be kindled If he himselfe hath embraced it in the heartes of the faithful who shall quench it Finally who shall seperate them from the loue of Christ shal tribulation or anguish or persecution either hunger either nakednesse either perill either swoord God forbid for in the same they are more thē vanquished by him which hath loued them Wherefore those are to much deceiued which doe thinck by some meanes whatsoeuer it bée to put out and quench in vs that lyght knowledg of Christ and celestiall veritie and doe not consider that sure loue is mightie as the death and gelousie as the hell her coales are of fire and a very flame of the Lord so that many waters are not able to quench loue neither may the streames drowne it Héere some will saye vnto me that the dooing of the religion ought to mainteine it selfe not by force of armes but by patience and méekenesse who haue moued and stirred vp those of the reformed religion to put themselues with force armes against the tyrannie of their enimies I doe aunswere that as it was lawefull by the olde lawe for the people of God to take weapons against the Philistians Moabites Madianites and other nations contrarie vnto the people of the Iewes then for that they were forced and constrained of them in their religion personnes or goodes Also it hath not bene lesse lawfull vnto those of the reformed religion hauing expresse commaundement of the king to kéepe defend by weapons that which hath bene concluded and determined so holily by the priuie counsayle for the dooing of the religion and the ecclesiasticall pollicie Inasmuch as all was confirmable and agreeing to gods lawe and expresse commaundement of the king who dyd aduowe them to doe the same by many letters and writings Euen as Dauid did take the weapons against Goliath forcing and troubling the people of God. And Gedeon did rise vp against the Madianites for to deliuer his people Iudith against Holophernes willing altogether to destroy and exterminate the Iewes Furthermore if the warre bée lawefull as it appeareth that the LORD did alowe so many warres of the Israelites And our LORD Iesus Christ dyd not despise the estate of the souldiers and of the Centurian In the Gospell chiefly and principally in two thinges weapons may be lawefull As king Alphonsus doth very well declare that is to say for the lawe and for the flocke I doe meane for the religion and the tuition of his person and of hys subiectes and for that the consciences the bodyes and the goodes haue bene forced and compelled euery where and that there was no more redyer helpe for to remedy that disease then to take weapons Not without cause then wée following the expresse commaundement of the king the aduise of the best reformed Churches together wyth the counsell of the most learned straungers of the realme haue taken the weapons for to withstand such iniuries and violences pretending none other thinge but the honoure of GOD the aduauncement of his kingdome and the health of his with the preseruation of the scepter of our king Which if the Painim or Heathen man hath wrytten that men ought to take weapons to the ende that without wrong they maye liue in peace In such sorte that the intente of those whyche doe carie them is none other thing but to séeke peace Who shall bée so shamelesse or madde that dare say that it is euill done to haue vpholden and mainteined by weapons the assaultes and force of our enimies for to liue in rest both of our goodes and of our consciences Furthermore if those children of the Machabeans are praised to haue constantly suffred death for to mainteine the lawes of their countrey shal it be compted vnto vs dishonoure shame to haue bestowed our life and our goodes for to mainteine the lawefull christian lawes of the king Without the
caused Iezabel to be throwne downe out of a windowe and Iezabel was eaten vp with dogges according to the woord of Hely At the same time Athaliah the mother of Ochoziah séeing that hir son was dead rose vp and slew al the séede of the kingdome except Ioas the sonne of Ochoziah whom Iehosaba the daughter of king Iehoram did steale from amonge the middest of the kinges sonnes that were slaine and hid him from Athaliah that he was not slayne But within a little while after Athaliah is caried out of the Temple when she was come to the gate where the kings horses went out they killed her there Iehoram did rise against the kingdome of his father and when he was setled he slew all his other brethren with the swoord and diuers of the Lordes of Israell there too For which cause the Lord did smite him with an incurable disease in his bowelles And in processe of time euen aboute the ende of two yeares his guttes fell out by reason of his sickenesse and so he dyed of euill diseases Iehoas after the death Iehoida did forsake the Lord and caused Zachariah the Prophet to be killed in the court of the house of the Lord And when the yeare was out the hoast of the Syrians came against him and they came to Iuda and Hierusalem and destroyed all the Lordes of the people from among the people and sent all the spoyle of them vnto the king of Damasco And when they were departed from him though they left him in great diseases yet his owne seruauntes conspired against him for the bloude of the children of Iehoiada the priest and slewe him in his bedde and so he dyed Manasseh shed much innocent bloud so much that he filled Hierusalem from the one side vnto the other But afterwardes he was taken by the Assirians and ledde captiue to Bablilon I wil not here forget Herod who hauing vexed certeine of the congregation and killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword by and by after he was smitten of the Lord and béeing eaten of wormes gaue vp the Ghost Furthermore if we will know wherefore the childreÌ„ of Israel were led captiue to BabiloÌ„ in the time of Zedekiah Iehoachin The scripture doth aunswere that the Lord God sent to them by his messengers sending them betimes for he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place But they mocked the messengers of God despised their wordes and misused his Prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord so rose against his people that it was past remedie And so he brought vpon them the kinge of Caldey and slewe their younge men with the swoorde in the holy Temple and neyther spared young man nor maide neither olde man neither so much as him that stowped for age but gaue all into his hande The Prophet Ieremy doth giue the same reason of the later destruction of Hierusalem which was in the time of Titus and Vespasian when hee sayth neither the kings of the earth nor all the inhabitors of the wolrd woulde haue beléeued that the enimie and aduersarie should haue come in at the gates of the Citie of Hierusalem Which neuerthelesse is come to passe for the sinnes of hir Prophets and for the wickednesse of hir priestes that haue shedde innocentes bloulde wythin hir To that same fault the sonne of Syrach did attribute the destruction not of a Citie and of a coÌ„mon wealth onely Teaching that the kingdome bicause of vnrighteous dealing wrong blasphemies and diuers deceipts shal be translated from one people to an other So our Lord Iesus Christ doth crie so often against the Scribes and Pharises for the bloode of the righteous saying Hierusalem Hierusalem which killest the Prophtes and stonest them which are sent to thée How often woulde I haue gathered thy children together as the henne gathereth hir chickens vnder hir wings but ye wold not Beholdy our habitatioÌ„ shal be left vnto you desolate These are the same matters which that first Deacon of the church did direct vnto them when he saith O ye people stifnecked of vncircumcised hearts eares Ye haue alwaies resisted the holy ghost As your fathers did so doe ye Which of the prophets haue not your fathers persecuted And they haue slaine them which shewed before of the comming of the iust whom ye haue nowe betrayed and murthered What shall I say more the time will not serue mée if I would speake of Nero Domitian Caligula and other Emperours of Rome Who hauing exercised in their life more cruelties theÌ„ Barbarous or Scithian Also in their death haue bene cruellie entreated of their owne subiectes For the like cause it was forbidden the children of Israel not to eate the bloude for the life of all flesh is in the bloud For that same cause I say Dauid was not suffred to build the Lordes house bicause saith the Scripture that he had shed much bloude and made great battailes although that he had no warres but against the enimies of God of his people These things doe sufficiently declare vnto the Kinges and Princes of the earth how odious before God all effusion of bloud and crueltie is According as Salomon doth teach vs that mercy and faythfulnesse preserue the king and with louing kindnesse his seate is holden vp And Iesus Christ doth witnesse that blessed are the meeke for they shall inherite the earth What néede is it to serch the places of the auncient fathers inasmuch as the examples of our time doe giue vnto vs certeine witnesse of the vengeaunce of God against those Who according to their ambition and priuate affection had shed euery where the bloud of the iust which although the Lorde doe suffer many at this time to reigne yet let vs praise his goodnesse and let vs acknowledge that his mercy and long taryinge shall bringe them to repentance Let vs also feare on the other side that through their stubburnnesse and heart that cannot repent they heape vnto themselues the wrath of GOD agaynst the daye of vengeance when shal be opened the righteous iudgement of God. Euen as Iesus Christ did menace somtime the Sâ—â—â—bes and â—harises saying Fulfill ye the measure of yâ—â— fathers that vpon you maye come all the righteous bloud that was shedde vppon the earth from the bloode of righteous Abel vnto the bloude of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias whom ye slew betwéene the temple and the Alter To no purpose some do couer and cloke themselues with the zeale of Phinees which did take a speare in his hand and did thrust through Zambry and Cosby bicause they committed fornication together Alledging the frée will of Hely which killed all the priestes of Baal Furthermore they doe propounde vnto vs the ardent affection of Iehu which caused the lxx sonnes of Achab to be slayne Also they doe shew foorth the zeale feruentnesse of Mathathiah which killed
shal be saued as thou hast afterwardes confirmed it by thine Apostle that he that striueth for a mastrie shall not be crowned except he striue as he ought to do Giue vs grace that we all continuing in one spirit and striuing altogether in one minde through the faith of the gospell we may not be troubled by our aduersaries and that we be not as children wauering caried about with euery winde of doctrine But let vs folow the truth in loue in all things grow vp into him which is the head that is to say Christ Giue vs such constancie strength in the midst of those troubles of our enemies that we faint not in any thing so that with ioy we may end our course the charge which we haue receiued of thée for to testifie the gospel of thy grace Embrace so our harts our soules in thine heauenly loue through thy holy spirite especially that for al afflictions or threatnings we nothing varie frō thy lawe either to the right hād nor to the left that we hauing rightly accomplished the course of this presēt life And the time of our departing aprochīg euery one of vs may say with thine apostle I haue fought a good fight haue fulfilled my course haue kept the faith From heneforth is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord that is a righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day not to me onely but vnto all them also that loue his comming For all which thinges Lord we pray thée in the fauoure of him who for to accomplish and fulfill thy will humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ To whom be glorie for euer So be it ¶ A BRIEFE ADVERTISMENT for to shew that we must simplie obey the voyce of the Lord without further inquiring of the cōmaundement to beleeue that euē as he is iust in al his works he is as puissāt for to fulfil in vs his wil. Cap. 14. e 1. Samuel 15. ◠¶ To obeie is better then offering and to giue heede is better then the fatte of Rammes For rebelliousnesse is as the sinne of witchcraft and stoubournnesse is wickednesse and idolatrie IT is written in the booke of Iesus Siraach that many are excellent of great renowne but vnto the wise are the secretes reuealed For great power belongeth onely vnto God and he is honoured of the lowely Séeke not out the things that are aboue thy capacitie and search not the ground of such things as are too mightie for thée But looke what God hath commaunded thée thincke vpon that alwaie and be not curious in many of his works For thou hast not to doe to sée with thine eyes the things that are secrete where the sonne of Syrach doth exhort vs to execute willingly and with a frée will the commaundement of the Lorde without enquiring any further what is the cause of his commaundemen◠bicause that the seruaunt that knoweth his maisters will and prepareth not himselfe neither doth according to his will shal be beaten with many stripes And truely as a certeine christian authour hath verie well said the Lord hath left the effect of many things of which he hath hid from vs the causes Insomuch that we séeing with our eye the fulfilling of them yet for all that we know not to what end the Lorde hath ordeined them and in the meane time he would be obeyed The which is taught vs by an exāple in the booke of Samuel where the Lorde commaunded Saul to destroy wholy all the Amalechites both man woman infant suckling and oxen shepe camels and asses But Saul spared a liue of the shéepe and of the oxen and fat things and the lambes and al that was good for to haue sacrificed it vnto the Lorde Then the Lord saide it repenteth me that I haue made Saul king because he hath not perfourmed my commaundementes In which place is shewed that to obey is better then offering The like example is witten in the booke of the kings where the Prophet which did contrarie vnto that that the Lord said vnto him that is to say that he shoulde not eate breade nor drinke water nor to turne againe by the same way he went and he doing contrarie was torne in péeces and deuoured of a Lyon. In all this we ought not to take any excuse vpon the difficultnesse and hardnes of the commaundement or smalnesse or weakenesse of our strengthes For he which maketh the commaundement doth giue vnto vs also the meane to execute it Let vs remember that Moses being called of God for to deliuer the children of Israel excused him selfe saying Oh my Lord I am not eloquent no not in times past namely since thou hast spoken vnto thy seruaunt But let vs marke what the Lord vnto him Who hath made mannes mouth or who hath made the dum or the deafe the seing or the blinde haue not I the Lord Go therfore I wil be in thy mouth teach thée what thou shalt say Euen so Ieremie being chosen of the Lorde to bée a Prophete vnto the people of Hierusalem excused himself saying Oh lord God I am vnméet for I am yet but young and the Lord said vnto him say not so I am to young For thou shalt goe to all that I shal send thée vnto and whatsoeuer I commaund thée that shalt thou speake And although that the commaundement of the Lord doth séeme to be sometime according to mans sight either to hard or contrarie vnto that that they do ordinarily Yet hée ordeineth all to a good end and for iust occasions As we do sée that it séemed to mans iudgement that the children of Israel should haue bene vanquished or taken by Pharao king of Aegipt hauing the red sea against them as a fort ineuitable for to stop them of their way It séemed also that they going to the promised lande vnder the conducting and leading of Iosua should neuer haue entred the floud of Iordain letting them But the LORD which hath commaundement vpon all his creatures deuided the waters and the children of Israel went in through the middest of the sea vpon the drie ground And the water was a wall vnto them both on their right hand and on their left hand As much chaunced of the floud Iordain for the waters which came downe from aboue did stoppe and stoode vpon a heape a great way off And the waters that were on the side of the salt sea vanished and dried vp the people went rightouer against Iericho Furthermore the Lord séemeth sometime to commaund thinges altogether against the order of nature and good manners as when he cōmaunded Abraham to sacrifice his onely sonne Isaac for to proue his obedience Also he commaunded the Prophet Oseas to take an harlot to his wife Also he commaunded an
acknowledge his imperfection and should the better kéepe that bande of amitie and Chrian charitie For although that we are all baptised by one spirite into one bodie whether they be Iewes or Greekes whether they be bonde or frée and haue all dronke into one spirite for the bodie is not one member but many And the eye cannot say vnto the hand I haue no néede of thée nor the heade also to the féete I haue no néede of you Yea rather a greate deale those members of the bodie whiche séeme to be more féeble are necessarie And vpon those members of the bodie whiche wee thinke most vnhonestie we put more honestie on and verie well that great Oratour of the latines hath declared that wee cannot doe all things of our selues And that one is more apt and profitable for one thing then another is That is the cause wherefore friendshippes are gotten to the ende that common vtilitie be kept thorowe great commune pleasures Then if there bee any grace in vs let vs not abuse it but let vs consider with our selues that euery good gifte and euery perfect gifte is from aboue and commeth downe from the father of lightes and with the same let vs giue glorie vnto him of whose aboundaunce we haue receiued euen grace for grace Furthermore that wee remember that wee haue receiued that grace to serue for to profite euerie one For vnto whome muche is giuen of him shalbée muche receiued and to whome men much committe the more of him will they aske Finally let vs confesse boldly that such and so muche excellencie as is in vs it is alway ioyned with some imperfection to the ende that the wise man reioyce not in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength neither the ritch man in his riches But who so will reioyce let him reioyce in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth that it is the Lorde whiche doth mercie equitie and righteousnesse vppon the earth In so muche that if the Lorde hath put in vs any knowledge whether it be the gifte of tongues or grace to interprete the holy scriptures there resteth none other thing but to magnifie and celebrate the name of him in whome not onely are hidde all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge but also him in whome doth dwell all heauealy fulnesse corporally He whiche opened the witts of his desciples that they might vnderstande the scriptures The Lyon of the tribe of Iuda the roote of Dauid hath obteined to open the booke and to lose the seuen seales theroff and if such are our prowesses and heroical déedes that they excell and passe the déeds of Alexander the great or of Iulius Caeser what can we better doe but to followe the example of the fower and twentie elders which fell downe before him that sate on the throne and worshiped him that liueth for euer and cast their crownes before the throne saying Thou arte worthie O LORDE to receiue glorie and honour and power for thou hast created all thinges and for thy willes sake they are and haue béene created And with the same also we ought to giue vnto him all honour homage and obedience vnto the Lambe I say whiche hath redéemed vs vnto GOD thorowe his bloude and hath made vs kinges and priestes vnto our GOD I doe meane the sonne of GOD who on his vesture and on his thigh hath a name written king of kings and Lorde of Lordes Vnto whome also a thousande times a thousande serued him and tenne thousande times ten thousand stoode before him Briefly wée must conclude that the things which are in vs whether they be the goods of the body or the goods of the soule are of small value if they be not bestowed vnto the glorie of the Lorde and to the health of our neighboure Nowe being applied and bestowed to that ende they bring fruite to eternall glorie As the Lorde saide make you friends with the riches of iniquitie that when ye shall departe they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations To the same end Toby exhorted euery faithfull man as followeth Be mercifull after thy power If thou haue much giue plenteously if thou hast little doe thy diligence gladly to giue of that little For so gatherest thou thy selfe a good rewarde in the day of necessitie For almes deliuereth from deathe and suffereth not the soule to come into darkenesse According as Dauid hath declared that blessed is he that considereth the poore for the Lorde shall deliuer him in the time of trouble As touching the seconde point Saincte Iames doth teach vs that if any of vs haue erred from the trueth and another hath conuerted him Let the same knowe that he which conuerted the sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide the multitude of sinnes By this we may knowe plainly that two thinges are proper to loue that is to say to lament and be sorrowful for the miserie of our neighctour And to reioyce and be glad of his prosperitie and health Of the first Moses doth giue vs an example who being greatly sorowfull for the sinne of his people cryed with a lowde voice and saide O Lorde this people haue sinned a greate sinne yet forgiue them their sinne I pray thée if not wipe me out of thy booke which thou hast written For that purpose Sainct Paule wished himselfe to be seperated from Christ for his brethren whiche are his kinsmen as perteining to the sleshe And in an other place he complaineth with wéeping of some enimies of the crosse of Christe Whose end is dampnation whose God is their belly and whose glorie is to their shame which are worldly minded And he himselfe doth witnesse in his Epistle vnto the Corinthians that he is gelous ouer them with Godly gelousie hauing prepared them for one husbande to present them a pure Virgin to Christ But he doth feare least as the serpent beguiled Eue through his subtilitie euen so their mindes should be corrupt from the simplicitie that is in Christ Euen 〈◊〉 Dauyd doth crie out saying I am horriblie afraide for the vngodly that forsake thy lawe On the other side the Apostle Sainct Paul reioysed at the repentance of his when he protested to the Corinthians that hée reioysed not that they were sorie but that they so sorrowed that they amended for they sorrowed godly But it is not inough to haue compassion of the miserie of the néedy which doth not assist him in the thinges necessarie for his life For as sainct Iames saith if a brother or a sister bée naked and destitute of dailie foode and one of you say vnto them Depart in peace warme your selues and fill your bellies notwithstanding ye giue them not those thinges which are néedfull to the bodie what helpeth it Also it is not much to sée our neighbour naked of spirituall thinges except that we
néedie it is most expedient to aide principally our poore neighbours at home and those that be of pure religion This is the counsell which S. Paul doth giue warning vs to doe good vnto all men but specially vnto them which are of the houshoulde of faith Euen as it shall not be euill done of him which shall sée two men in like necessitie and miserie whereof one of them is his kinsman and the other a straunger hée ought of right to preferre and helpe his kinsman if the case so require that they were both of them in like degrée of miserie and that he could not helpe them both The worke then of loue and charitie hath no regarde to the condition qualitie or affinitie of personnes but it hath regarde to the onely néede pouertie and miserie That is the cause wherfore Iesus Christ said in sainct Luke when thou makest a dinner or a supper call not thy friendes nor thy bretheren neither thy kinsmen or yet rich neighbours least they also bid thée againe and a recompence be made thée But when thou makest a feast call the poore the maimed the lame and the blinde And thou shalt be happie for they can not recompence thée but thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the iust men Not without cause Lactantius Firmianus rebuked sharply Plautus saying that he did euill who did giue vnto the begger to eate and that all that is giuen vnto him is lost forasmuch as he prolongeth his life to more greater miserie Forasmuch then as such people can not denie but that it is the office of humanitie to kéepe from daunger him which is in some perill of death wherefore will they denie that the same is not a charitable déede to giue meate vnto him which is an hungred In like maner to giue drincke to him which is a thirst The same Author accuseth greatly Cicero bicause he hath written that the liberalitie which is done of our owne proper house hath drawen vp the fountaine of all benignitie and liberaltie And the more we vse it so much the lesse it may endure to manie As if that professor of true sapience Cicero would retire and drawe men from all humanitie and to commaunde them to keéepe better their chest then the true iustice In that point the same Author is greatly abused when willing to reuoke and call backe againe his saying thought that hee should doe pleasure vnto those which are able to acquite it The which also moued Lactantius Firmianus to say that if Cicero had liued in his time he woulde then haue cried with a loude voice O Cicero thou hast failed from the true iustice and of one onely word thou hast abolished it when thou hast waied and mesured the right of pietie and humanitie by the onely profite For we must not giue vnto those that are able but to the contrarie we must giue to them that are lesse able The which as it séemed the Philosopher Plato was not ignoraunt off when he said that if it bee a question to gratefie and helpe the néedie that is to say to doe good vnto them wée must not consider the better but we must haue regarde to the most poore or néedie For they being deliuered from greate afflictions will render vnto thee immortall thankes And in our proper and priuate expences and cost we must not banket our friendes but let vs banket the most néedie and poore and those whiche are an houngered and thâ—se whiche are afflicted Those saith he wil acknowledge the pleasures will followe thée and will stande at thy gates will giue thée thanks and besides will pray for thée These are the verie same causes whiche haue moued so many good people in the olde Church to sell the precious vesselles and the costly ornamentes of the temples for to helpe the néedie and those that were in necessitie acknowledgeing in them the liuely Images and temples of the Lorde And in this matter the déede of Laurence the Martir hath béene greately praysed who being asked what he had done with the treasures of the Temple then hée caused a greate number of poore people to come for to declare that they were truely the treasures of the temple in whome doth dwell Iesus Christe and the faith of Iesus Christe Those then are greately abused and dampnable whiche exercise so muche liberalities to the temples temples I say consecrated without the worde of God for to celebrate and make their name remaine for euer in the earth and consider not that in giuing almes vnto the poore they gather vp for â—hem treasures in heauen where neither the mothes nor canker can corrupte and where theeues neither pearce through nor yet steale I do not make héere mention of those which doe giue in their last willes so many excessiue bequeathes so greate giftes to those which haue no neede and in the meane time doe defraude their children from their proper inheritaunces yea they forget the naturall charitie and loue that they owe to their owne fathers saying as the Iewes that euerie gieft that procéedeth from me thou shalt be holpen Though he honour not his father or his mother he shal be quite and without fault I will passe ouer willingly and will make no mention of those who hauing not vsed any humanitie in their life time in the ende of their dayes doe giue those thinges that they cannot carrie away with them and giue no eare vnto the voyce of him whiche saith Giue and take and sanctifie thy soule and work thou righteousnesse before thy death doe good vnto thy friende before thou die and according to thy habilitie reach out thine hande and giue vnto the poore And also Basill the greate hath verie well written that suche people are like vnto those whiche doe banket and feast the greate Lordes of the remnaunt and that is lefte of the superfluities of their tables Forasmuche then as such men haue offered nothing to their benefectours in their life time they will present vnto them in the ende of their dayes that whiche they cannot enioy after their death Bicause that we haue saide that the goodes shoulde not be common as some Philosophers and Anabaptistes in our time haue done or to forbid parents to gather heape vp riches for their children so that it be not gotten vnlawfully that no man oppresse defraude his brother in any matter forasmuche as the Lord is a venger of al such things As also we will not allowe the almes which is giuen of other mens goods For the Lorde wil be honoured with the substance that is our owne And the sonne of Syraac saith that who so bringeth an offering out of the goods of the poore doth euen as one than killeth the sonne before the fathers eyes and he that giueth an offering of vnrighteous goods his offering is refused That is the cause wherefore it was forbidden the children of
sinceritie the which is ioyned to an obedience due to the pure worde of the LORD Such hath bene and is yet at this day the custome and manner of those which doe tourne all things into the euil euen as did of late the Iewes who seeing that Iesus Christ healed him which was possessed with a Diuell sayd that he driueth the Diuels no otherwise out but through Beelzebub the prince of the Diuels And then as he magnified and declared his mercy in the conuersion of sinners murmured and sayde within themselues that he was the friende of publicans sinners and harlots yea they cryed with a loude voice beholde a glutton and drincker of wine a friende vnto publicans and sinners To be short when hée declared the kingdome of GOD his father and that hée did miracles his owne rebuked him and sayd that hée was madde and besides himselfe The which also was afterwardes obiected against Sainct Paul by Festus then bicause he declared the Christ shoulde suffer and that he shoulde bée the first that should rise from the dead and should shewe light vnto the people and to the Gentiles And as he thus aunswered for himselfe Festus sayde with a loude voyce Paul thou art besides thy selfe much learning doth make thée madde Héerein wée sufficiently declare what we be I meane but of small charitie when the thinges the which ought to moue vs to pitie and compassion doe incitate and pricke vs forwarde to a more greater crueltie and in humanitie The which I will more at large declare by a familier example One can not denie that the right of burying among the christians but that it is a worke verie charitable and pitifull for the which Tobiah is greatly praysed in the holy scripture and in whose fauour the Iabanites were greatly agréeable vnto king Dauyd for the burying of the bodie of Saul Insomuch that the olde lawe would not suffer the the bodies of those which were put to death by authoritie shoulde abide any long time hanging vppon the gybet But it would that they should be incontinently taken downe and buried And neuerthelesse a man shall finde at this daye among the christians so much vnkindnesse and vngentlenesse that they are not content to haue put to death their neighboures without the leaue of the Magistrate and authoritie of the Iustice But they exercise towardes their bodies of cruelties more then Barbarous or Sithian the which of late the kingly Prophet Dauyd lamented of his people when he sayd the dead bodies of thy seruauntes haue they giuen vnto the foules of the ayre to be deuoured and the flesh of thy Sainctes vnto the beastes of the lande Their bloud haue they shed like water on euery side of Hierusalem there was no man to burie theÌ„ Furthermore I would willingly demauÌ„d if it be not a work of pitie or loue to burie a dead bodie What crueltie is that to rage on a dead bodie if he bée cast into the fire as sayth Sainct Augustine which hath not giuen meate vnto the néedie where shall he be sent which shall steale the breade of the poore if hée which hath not clothed the poore be put into eternall punishment where shall he be placed which shall spoile the poore of his raiment if hée be dampned with the diuell who harboured not the wayfaring man and the trauailer where shall hée become which hath pilled and deuoured the house of the trauayler Finally if hee ought to perish which hath not visited them that are in prison what shall one doe with him which hath wrongfully imprisoned them Beholde my brethren saith that good man what hope can they haue which doe euill when they are dampned and cast into euerlasting fire which doe no good What shal I say in this matter woe be vnto mée If I do not speake it if an hâ—athen Poet named Ampedocles hath written that all things were established and kept by amitie As also an other Historigrapher hath taught that through concorde and amitie little thinges become great And greate thinges through discorde and enmitie do come to decay and perish According to the same which our Lorde Iesus Christ doth witnesse the euery kingdome deuided against it selfe is desolate and a house deuided against it selfe falleth Insomuch by this marke the LORD doth knowe his true desciples forasmuch as they haue â–ª peace and loue one to an other how much is the charitie or loue of the true Christians to be praysed by the which not onely humaine thinges are kept but all thinges are reconciled to GOD through Iesus Christ The which hath moued Salomon to saye that loue is mightie as the death and gelousie as the hel Hir coales are of fire and a verie flame of the lord And although that that loue be agréeable vnto God and men yet truely such are the debates and diuisions amonge the christians insomuch that it should séeme that we are come to the time of which the Prophet Micheas speaketh off saying There is not a godly man vppon the earth there is not one righteous amonge men They laboure all to shedde bloode and euery man hunteth his brother to death yet they say they doe well when they doe euill As the Prince will so saith the Iudge that hée may doe him a pleasure againe The great man speaketh what his heart desireth and the hearers allowe him The best of them is but as a thistle the most righteous of them is but as a brier in the hedge And doe giue none eare vnto the voyce of him which sayth that if wee bite and deuoure one an other Let vs take héede that we be not consumed one of another Wherfore forasmuch as it is so that this commaundement is so much commended off in the holy Scripture as Iesus Christ himselfe doth call it a newe commaundement sometime also he calleth it his commaundement And the Apostle Sainct Paul doth call it the bonde of perfection saying let vs forbeare one an other and forgiue one an other if any man haue a quarell to an other Euen as Christ hath forgiuen vs euen so doe wée And aboue all these thinges put on loue which is the bonde of perfectnesse and the peace of GOD rule in our heartes to the which peace wée are called in one bodie of our LORD Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer and euer So bée it 1. Iohn 4. c. 16. ¶ God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and GOD in him and this commaundement haue wee of God that he which loueth God should loue his brother also Beloued let vs loue the one the other for loue commeth of god euerie one that loueth is borne of GOD and knoweth god He that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue Psalme 41. d. ¶ Blessed is he that considereth the poore the Lord shall deliuer him in the time of trouble A Prayer O Lord which hast sayde by the
him to the auncientes of the towne and from the gate of their place and shall saye vnto the auncients of their towne our sonne whom ye sée héere is wicked and rebellious and will not obey vnto our voice hée is a glutton and a drunckarde and all the men of the towne shall stone him with stanes to death and so thou shalt put away the euill from amonge the middest of thee And in an other place he saith Cursed be he that courseth his father or his mother an all the people shall say amen For hée that curseth his father and his mother his lampe shall be put out in the trouble of â—arknesse And he that hurteth his father or shutteth out his mother is a shamefull and an vnworthy sonne And in an other place the same Salomon doth declare that who so laugheth his father to scorne and setteth his mothers commaundemente at naught the Rauens picke out his eies in the valey and deuoured be he of the young Eagles That same reason hath induced the Romaine Emperours to inuent find out against the paricides a meruailous cruell and straunge punishment that is to saye to shut and keepe them fast with an Ape a Cocke and a Serpent and to cast them into the water or riuer to the ende sayth the lawe that they shoulde be depriued of all the elementes To be short that in their life they might be remoued from heauen and in their death from the earth And Plato in his lawes hath verie well sayd that the paricide doth merite all the paines of the wicked yea chiefly of sacriledge For by an homicide he hath taken the life from him who hath begotten him wherfore he concludeth that if it were possible that a man might die many times it should be most right and reasonable that the paricide should die of manie deathes For as that great Orator of the Latines writeth In violating the life of the father we doo sinne many waies we doe wrong vnto him who hath created nourished instructed aduaunced vs into the degrée of honour and hath placed vs in the common wealth Insomuch as witnesseth Iustin the historiographer that there is no coloure or pretence so that it be right which can excuse the paricide â–ª And for that cause Solon the lawe giuer of Athens béeing on a time asked wherefore he did not establish any lawe against the paricides aunswered that neuer no man had perswaded him that one could commit an offence so hainous The like aunswered Licurgus for the regarde of the vnthanckfull In this paine and malediction of the auncient lawe we doe not onely comprehend those which doe violence or wronge of a set purpose to their fathers but also those which blame them through disdaine of certaine checkes and rebukes â–ª for if he which hath said vnto his brother Racha is worthy to bée punished by the counsell by a more stronger reason he which shall doe iniurie to his father or which shall make him sorrowfull Woe be vnto him then that saith to his father why begatest thou me I speake vnto those who although that they do no kinde so wrong vnto their fathers yet if they durst they would willingly shorten their dayes And although that the ciuile lawe doe say that of the onely thought wée doe not merite the paine of the lawe yet it is much punishable towardes God as the Lord himselfe doth witnesse that whosoeuer loketh on a woman to lust after hir hath coÌ„mitted aduoulterie with hir all readie in his heart And verie well that great Orator of the Latines hath sayd that through one onely vaine sight or beholding that fatherly pietie is hurted If these thinges be not sufficient let vs declare the example of Ioseph who not onely when he was present but also being absent did beare all honour homage and obedience to his father and was verie careful to helpe and succour him Let vs remember the obedience of the Rechabites whom the Lorde himselfe put downe at the rebellion of the Iewes shewing vnto them that they haue bene obedient to their fathers in all thinges that hée commaunded them yea not to drincke wine neither to build any houses neither to sowe corne nor plant vineiardes but to dwell in tentes all their life longe On the other side let vs consider what hath ben the cursse of Cham the sonne of Noe bicause he discouered his fathers priuities and did not beare vnto him the honoure the which he deserued Insomuch that of that curse a certaine auncient author speaking sayd that we doe not finde in any place of the holy scripture this woorde seruaunt vntill such time as the iust man Noe had auenged the sinne of his sonne That name then merited vice and not nature Let vs haue feare and let vs be amased with feare when we doe see the vengeaunce of the sinne of Absalom procuring the death of his father and let vs beholde that the same which serued him to couer his head hath holden vp his bodie hanged to a tree Let vs meditate in our selues the sorowe and heuinesse that this good king and Prophet did beare Not so much deploring and bewailing the death of his sonne as his craftinesse crying with a loude voice my sonne Absalom my sonne my sonne my sonne Absalom woulde to god I had died for thée Absalom my sonne my sonne And verie well a certaine auncient authour said that that good man feared what should happen and into what paines a soule so cruel and inflamed with the bloud of his father might be in Finally let vs regarde and marke that the Lord doth foreshew the ruine destruction of his people chiefly for the faultes and transgressions committed by the children against their fathers and mothers Beholde the children of Israel saith the Prophet euery one hath béene according to his strength with thee for to shedde bloud they haue in thée defiled their father and mother Declaring by those wordes that they haue despised both their father and mother When I doe here speake of the honour due vnto our parentes I doe comprehend also those who are the parentes of our soules and instruct vs to saluation To bee short which trauaile as saith the Apostle in birth againe vntill Christ be imprinted in vs I will vse in this matter the argument of the Apostle writting to the Hebrewes saying Forasmuch as we haue had the fathers of our bodies which corrected vs and we gaue them reuerence should we not much rather be in subiection vnto the father of our spirites If the Phisition be honoured because of necessitie shal not we honoure him which hath administred vnto vs the worde Of the whiche the wise man Salomon speaking off saith It was neither herbe nor plaister that restored theÌ„ to health but thy worde O Lorde whiche healeth all thinges If I say the Father ought to be honoured of the
grounde before that we doe plant but when we doe sée and perceiue the budde or sciences begin for to growe it is verie harde and diffcctle to perceiue and kéepe it vntill that it doth bring foorth fruite Euen so is it of man for the generation is verie easie but the bringing vp of him is full of great trauaile and wearinesse Also we wil not counsaile those which haue a certeine charge to instruct or teach the children to conduct and guide them with force feare or with too greate bondage For as the same author witnesseth euen as too much laboure and trauaile is noisome and hurtfull vnto the bodie chiefly when it is taken by feare and compulsion euen so no manner discipline of the soule forced and compelled is profitable Wherefore he concludeth that wée must nourish and bringe vp the children in learning not as compelled but as a playe and pastime to the ende that we may the easelier knowe the propertie of the spirites and mindes of the children And to a verie good purpose hath the Poet Terence spoken which saide that it is better to kéepe the children by shame and liberalitie then by feare That is the cause wherefore in the time of the Lacedemonians the childe béeinge taken in any faulte was compelled to make certaine Towers ouer against the temple and to pronounce and declare a prayer the which was composed and written to his shame and dishonoure which was none other thing but to blame himselfe of his owne mouth géeuing vs to vnderstand by the same edict statute that the children who of themselues are cleane are ledde to honest thinges through shame and gentlenesse and that it is the propertie of seruauntes to be conducted and ledde by feare Finally this shall serue to the fathers for to aduertise and warne them not to slacke so much the bridle to their children that they doe not committe a thing which maye tourne to their shame and dishonour as it chaunced vnto Hely as it appeareth in the first booke of Samuel who for that he had borne too much with his children in their faultes was rebuked by the Prophet afterwards hee and his children cruelly punished And the same which Sainct Paul speaketh off is greatly to be noted in the instruction and demonstracion of the LORD from the difference of some panimes who haue the power of life and of death towardes their children may sell them for certaine occasions The which the christian lawe doth not permit and suffer for the correction and discipline of the fathers ought to be ruled after the worde of GOD that is to say in all gentlenesse and loue for to proue whether God will giue them sometime repentaunce for to knowe the truth and that they may amende for to do the will of him béeing escaped from the snare of the Diuell wherein they were holden that their spirites may bée saued in the day of the LORD Iesus To conclude that they may bée sorie with a godly sorowe which causeth amendement vnto saluation not to bée repented off Briefly I desire that the father in all his life time yea vnto the last breath of his daies that hée woulde regarde asmuch as in him shal be possible to kéepe his children in the obedience and feare of the Lordes lawe the which the good patriarke Iacob doth teach vs who not onely in his life time but béeing nigh his death exhorted his children to kéepe the lawe of the Lorde And particulerly to declare and shewe vnto euery one of them their faults the which wee doe reade of Moses the conductour and leader of Gods people and spirituall father of our soules who before he died blessed the twelue tribes of Israel declaring vnto them wherein they haue varied and declined from the lawe of god To be short hée declared vnto them the great benefites of the same Lorde for to assure them more and more in his promises I will recite the aduertisement that Dauid made vnto his sonne as followeth My sonne I must walke by the way of all the world neuerthelesse be thou strong quite thy selfe manfully And sée that thou kepe the appointment of the Lord thy God that thou walke in his waies and kepe his commaundements ordinaunces lawes testimonies euen as it is written in the law of Moses that thou maist vnderstand all the thou oughtest to do al that thou shouldest meddell with Shal I sorget that good and holy man Tobiah who besides that hée instructed his sonne in all his life time in the feare of GOD counsailed him in his death to flée from Niniue and to flée and auoide the companie of the wicked also to kéepe the lawe and commaundements of the Lorde and to bee mercifull and righteous Shall I speake of that vertuous woman the mother of the seuen Machebeans béeinge enuironed and compelled on euerye side with tyrantes hangmen and neuerthelesse exhorted them with a manly and couragious heart to lay all things to the commaundements of the Lord I will ende this matter with Iesus Christ head of the church chiefe shepheard of our soules who before he yelded his soule vnto God his father when he loued his which were in the worlde vnto the ende hée loued them admonished them also to kepe obserue his commaundements and to kéepe like humilitie as they haue séene in him By these examples wée are taught that the Father ought to haue suche an eye vnto his children yea all his life time that they may haue none occasion if it bée possible to varie or decline neither to the right hande nor to the left hande from the LORDS lawe I doe speake vnto those which in their life and at their death doe make accounte of nothing els vnto their children but of their inheritaunces possessions and dominions and haue no regarde to declare and propounde vnto them the lawe of GOD his loue and his feare Cirus king of the Persians and verie riche hath not done so for he béeing nigh vnto his death spake of none other thing vnto his sonne then of the immortalitie of the soule and of the resurrection of the blessed Of his bodie he cared or set so little by that he desired his sonne not to regarde it any longer then he hath closed the eyes and not to shut or laye it in Marble Aliblaster or in any other precious sepulcher but to yelde it vp incontinently to the earth which doth bring foorth and nourish all goodly thinges good and profitable Wherfore let vs not estéeme that the principall and chiefest duetie of the fathers towards their children is to heape vp treasure for their children or to giue them the meanes not to be poore but rather to admonish them that they put not their hope trust in the vncertaintie of riches but to put it in the liuing God who doth giue vnto vs all thinges abundantly for to