so great conscience of an Oath that he preferred his oath before his life For when he was at Rome where he might have stayed if he would and knew if he did goe back he should undergoe torments and a most miserable death yet he chose rather to expose himselfe to the hands of his enemies then to break his Covenant and perjure himselfe Oh how shall these Heathen rise up in judgement against us who have the Word of God expresly to bind us to the reverence and observance of an Oath and yet many of us make no regard thereof Have we never taken the Oath of Supremacie Have we never taken the Oath of Allegeance Have we never been Officers I am sure some of us have How then can our former Oathes stand with our present Actions XIII THaerida whetting his sword and asked by one that beheld him Whether it were yet sharp enough Answered That it was sharper then Calamnie (f) Thearum Historicum 659. From thence implying that Calumnie sinketh deep and pierceth farre and is marvellous cutting and if a sword be sharper then that it needs no more whetting What a debaucht and desperate Age then doe we now live in wherein we not onely make no conscience or scruple to wound some of our neighbours with swords and swords sharper then Calumnie but most unworthily presume to strike at those to whom God hath subjected us whom of all others in many respects we are most justly bound to love honour and defend and for whom we ought to lay downe our owne lives if need should require both with sharpest swords and sharpest Calumnies XIV XEnophanes having the name of Dastard cast in his teeth at a Banquet for that he refused to play at Dice I am I confesse a Dastard saith he and fearfull in all dishonest causes Men are now termed Delinquents Malignants Rebels if they will not in a distempered choler renounce their subjection break their oathes and beare Armes or in some other manner make opposition against their lawfull Soveraign For me let my name stand any where in the most disgracefull characters though in a Chronicle for such a Delinquent Malignant Rebell I allow not reviling but I should not grudge to be reviled for being Loyall As with an undaunted resolution Job said in another case so let me say in this though mine Adversary should write a book against me not only say what evill he please but write against me and that even an whole Book of accusations would I be put out of heart or discouraged by it would I not take it upon my shoulders and binde it as a crown unto me (g) Iob 6.31.35.36 XV. WHē Hortensius that spruce Orator immoderately praised Eloquence wherefore said one would he lift her up into Heaven but that himself might go up with her (h) Cicero in Hortens wherefore do many now adays so earnestly strive to set up their Sect above others but that they are cunning in their Sect above others but that they may be lifted up with their Sect and ride upon the Cherubims but because it is for their exaltation and preferment that so they may come to be chief amongst their neighbours but because they may triumph upon the vantage ground of their place and power yea lord it over the heritage and tread down their neighbours at their pleasure XVI DIogenes that counterfeit Cynick as it plainly appeared to some for all his cunning shewes and crafty conveiances pretending great humility trampled and triumphed over Platoes pride with greater pride he laboured to discredit Plato to dignifie himself And what do they many of them who now are so earnest against Bishops and by calumnious accusations conspired their disgrace who would faine down with Bishops and enjoy their Lands and Livings for their supposed arrogancy when ten Bishops are not arrogant enough to make one now leading Presbyterian They cry out upon the pride of Bishops for ruling according to the knowne and approved Lawes that so they themselves may be subject to no Law that so they forsooth may come in time to rule as they please by their own arbitrary lawlesse injunctions XVII ONe beholding Cardinall Wolsey when he was in the height of his pompe and pride when in a Letter of his sent to the Pope he was so out of his Politicks and parts as to put himselfe before his King I and my King Not My King and I but I and my King could not but break out into these words I pity this proud Cardinall that neither knoweth others nor himselfe What true thankfull Minister can now with patience endure to see so many proud Presbyters so saucily to insult and triumph over their Bishops by whom they have been admitted into their sacred functions and not expresse himself with tears and say I am very sorrowfull for the insolencie of these men who have no remembrance left by whose hands they have received their Orders and which is more strange have no right or cleare thoughts what they are themselves XVIII LYcurgus being importuned to establish a Popular Estate amongst the Lacedemonians that so the least and meanest and most unfit to rule might beare like sway with the greatest and wisest fitly answered That he who most desired it should begin it first at home in his owne house presuming that in a private family Parity would never be long liked There are now that so earnestly long for Equality in the Church that they will no longer dispute for it but meane to fight for it And since they cannot bring it in with their tongues they will therefore take help of their hands I would all so minded would learne some wit from Lycurgus in their anger and first weigh in judgement by the poise of wisdome in the ballance of indifferencie hanging upon the beame and rule of right the inconvenience of pulling downe all Officers and establishing community of rule in an Army and then consider whether the like equall Masterdome may be justly put upon the Church which is an Army with banners (i) Cant. 6.4 XIX WHen a young man with whom Plato found fault for playing at Dice said Doe you find fault with me for so small a matter The matter is small quoth Plato but the custome of it is no small matter (k) Diegen Laert. de vit Philosophor lib. 3. Agood remembrance for all those who have any Youth to bring up to be very carefull to keep them from evill practices lest they grow past shame in sinning for if Custome once prevaile and get the place it will discover no small wicked power it will take away all sense and feeling of sinne But it is worth a noting also for another respect There is great exception taken much complaint made and even crue◠revenge executed because some Ministers heretofore have been silenced and put from their Livings for Rites and Ceremonies the which indeed are urged not for Ornament much lesse Necessity of Gods service but for Order
make no account of recovering his favour and reconciling themselves to him he sodainly cast them out indeed as unsavoury salt for as he hath a time of mercy and suffering so of casting out and confounding XCVIII ALexander having besieged any Rebellious City was wont to have a fire kindled before the gate with this condition that if they yielded before the fire went out they might be received to favour but if not they might looke for no mercy The like course doth God take with us all the space of our life as of that fire kindled as given us to repent in but if it end before our repentance begin no place for pardon Yet there is hope yet there is favour yet the light appeareth but when we are once stept over the threshold of death no man may make agreement with God for us when we are once departed this life it is too late to make any prayers for us to deale any doles or to say Masses or to go any Pilgrimages for us yet it is too late then to say for any God have mercy on his soule For we are presently as we depart hence either in Abrahams bosome with poor Lazarus or in hell torments with the rich glutton XCIX I Read of one Eleazar the son of Hircanus that being demanded when it would be time to repent and amend he answered One day before death and when the other replyed that no man knew the day of his death he said Begin then even to day for fear of failing (i) Drusius in his Hebrew and Arabian Apoph Lib. 1. We have all often heard no doubt and therefore should well know though we often forget and therefore are still to learne that our life is of such uncertainty that we are no sooner borne but we are in danger of death one foot no sooner on the ground but the other ready to step into the grave the bud is sometimes blasted as well as the blowne rose the wind bloweth down the blossome as well as the fruit yea we some of us confesse with our lips at least that nothing is more certaine then the change of life and nothing more uncertaine then the houre when it will change the which for ought we know may be this houre why then do we not this houre call our selves to account amend our lives lest another houre be denied us and death find us sleeping in our accustomed wickednesse and so the gate of mercy which is now open be shut up for ever C. GAspar a man of no small account in that Machiavilian Councell assembled at Trent being convicted and urged in his conscience for the Lawfulnesse and duty of receiving the Sacrament in both kinds according to the institution of our Saviour Christ and practice Ecclesiasticall for more then a thousand years for the Communion under one kind was decreed first in the Councell of Constance 1414. yet was still obstinately bent to bar the people from the cup and would not yeild to restore the use of it lest saith he we should seeme to erre They had grievously offended God and grossely wronged men by such an imposture but yet he thought it lesse damage to the offenders to stifle their consciences then to staine their credits Many wicked and monstrous opinions which have since crept into the Church might be no doubt easily disproved and abolished but that the broachers and maintainers of them may not now entertaine the truth lest they be seene to have been deceived that they thinke would be a great blemish in their Armes a grievous disfigure in their faces and not to be indured and therefore though they be sanded and set on ground yet they must needs keep up saile still as if they had water at their pleasure O this unwillingnesse of appearing to erre holdeth men so in bondage to their errours that it hath destroyed many a soul hath been the bane of thousands and ten thousands that had rather be damned then saved HIERON ad PAULIN Esse Christianum grande est non videri non vocari To be a Christian is a weighty matter but not so to seeme not so to be called LEO Epist 83. Ecclesiae nomine armamini contra Ecclesiam dimicatis You are armed with the name of the Church and you fight against the Church FINIS
our Church when he shall see our faith turned into faction our Religion into Rebellion our patience into violence our zeale into self-love our fidelity into perjury our Christian humility into most cunning hypocrisie that would seeme to hate hypocrisie when he shall espie us to have bread in one hand and a stone in the other when he shall hear us talke like Christians and see us live like Turkes when he shall find the words of our mouthes softer then butter having war in our hearts when he shall perceive our speeches smoother then oyle and yet they be very swords u Psal 55.22 LXV IT was divinely said by Alexander the Great though an Heathen when he was reproved by the Questor for being too bountifull in his Sacrifices If thou desire long to be happy be not niggardly to God in matters that belong to his worship which if they doe not flourish all other things are sure to decay O in what other matters are we so sparing and base in respects of our pleasures of our profits of our honours how readily can we lash out so many and so many pounds not caring what we spend but when any thing should come from us to a good purpose to a charitable use but when we should do wel willingly and freely to disburse how fast fingred and close handed are we but for the better service and maintenance of the service of God and advancement of his glory not a farthing more can we afford to part with then what we are taxed and forced unto And yet what a gratious promise have they who honour the Lord with their substance and with the first fruits of all their increase So shall their barnes be filled with plenty and their presses shall burst out with new wine w Pro. 3.9 10. LXVI SAint Ambrose writeth that Theodosius the Emperour when he died had a greater care of the Church then of his sickness his life was not dear unto him so the Church might flourish after his death so peace might be within her wals and prosperity within her palaces Now if men may enjoy health and obtaine plenty for the back and the belly waxe rich and great and live like Emperours no matter which way Religion turneth or what becommeth of that state and businesse no matter how the Church fareth either for the future or present how it goeth with the Church they respect little so themselves and their families may go on Nay which is yet a worse symptome and bewrayeth the great power of Satan over them what scruple at all do they make to pill and spoile and rob the Church so as they may enrich themselves and their posterities LXVII CAepio with his Souldiers robbed the wealthy Temple of Tholouse a City of Narbon in France near the Pyrene mountaine but of those that had a share in any of those goods not one ever prospered x Guevara It was so generally observed that it occasioned a Proverb If any man by what meanes soever decayed were fallen into poverty they would say of him He hath some of the gold of Tholouse The indowment of all other Churches whereof many have been plundered of rich Chalices and other utensils in these sacrilegious times are like the gold of Tholouse that brought ruine to them and their families If any man thrive with them that holdeth them by a wrong tenure he hath better speed then any such malefactor before him How many Sacrilegious persons have utterly ruinated themselves it is easie to find in many Monuments of learning how a canker hath eaten their estates as a gangrene did their consciences but see the Chronicles search Histories of sundry Nations both ancient and moderne and find me out but one Church-robber here that hath thrived past the third generation LXVIII I Have read that many things have been given to our Churches with a curse in the Churches against any such as should ever presume to take them away Whether mans curse shall take hold of Church-robbers is wholly in the disposition of God and a secret but I am sure he himself hath openly cursed all those how many or great soever they be that rob him in Tythes and offerings y Mal. 3.8 9. yea cursed them with a curse redoubling the words not without great cause but emphatically to signifie that they shall be cursed with a strange curse a signall curse such a curse as he that heareth his ears shall tingle and his knees smite one the other and many learned religious and wise men thinke that this Land now mourneth as for other offences so especially for this great robbery the grand the common the far-spreading the crying sin of this Kingdom As all Israel was plagued till Achan was punished so they fear God will not leave to scourge us till we have rooted out all of Achans generation LXIX PIttacus one of the seaven wise men of Greece being asked counsell whether in marriage it were best for every one to choose his equall bad him that asked him go to children playing at fence and they would tell him every one to his match If they which are so greedy to take away that which hath by devout people many years ago been given to the Church for the better maintenance of Gods worship were so wise as first to be advised whether it were lawfull it were no unfit answer for them to bid them go learn of children who hold it both undecent and unlawfull to give a thing to one another and then take it away and therefore much more rudenesse is it to take from God what hath been a long time given unto him and accepted by him LXX PEtrus Blesensis making report of the Arch-deaconry of London to Innocentius then Bishop of Rome said It was a Dragon a stately name or title Arch-deacon of London not having whereof to live except of wind not having meanes he meant to maintaine a man of breeding and parts fit for that place Were our present Clergy preferments exactly surveyed and duly considered with the corrupt customes and prescriptions the common cousenages conspiracies and oppressions which they are subject unto I verily beleeve they would most of them be found more then half empty caskes of more sound then substance so purloined and impaired at the least that they are nothing near the value whereunto they are raised in the worlds opinion and therefore had more need of restoring then abstracting physick LXXI MAster Lambert who wrote the Perambulation of Kent a man of sound judgement in his owne profession the Law and above many others of his time of great knowledge in Divinity speaking of a Kentish Benefice converted into an Impropriation thus delivereth his censure upon it One amongst many of those monstrous births of covetousnesse begotten by the man of Rome in the darke night of superstition and yet suffered to live in this day-light of the Gospel to the great hinderance of learning the impoverishment of the Ministery and the infamy