therin are all the Lordes because he made them and conserueth them Then sure it is lawfull for him to dispose of these things at his pleasure And here it hath place that is said in the Gospel Mat. 20. 15. An non licet mihi quod volo facere in meis rebus Is it not lawfull for me to do as I will with mine owne and therfore with reuerence wee must approoue of the counsell and worke of the Lorde now fallen out among vs in these dayes We lately had ah heauie voyce that we must say wee had a most gratious Queene by many names most deare vnto vs who raigning by God raigning for God most happilye swayed the scepter of this mighty kingdome foure and fortye yeares eighteene weekes and two dayes Salomon being annoynted to raigne ouer the twelue Tribes esteemed it a burden though an honourable burden to goe in and out before that people and sayde vnto God 1. King 3. 9. who is able to iudge this thy mighty people euen so the care of our peace prosperitye and welfare was vnto our Queene a burden of which burden God hath now eased her shoulders receiued her to rest and raigne with him in heauen In whose place as Salomon succeeding Dauid vnto which two in Israel I compare these two in England for wisedome pietye and loue to Gods house we haue and shall haue ah word of comfort that we may say as was hartely wished by most that feare God that we haue and shall haue the heigh and mighty king Iames by the grace of God the sixt of that name King of Scotland by the same deuine grace the first of that name King of England France and Ireland to raigne ouer vs. When Salomon was annoynted king in Israel the seruants of Dauid came in vnto him and said 1. King 3. 47. God make the name of Salomon more famous then thy name and exalt his throne aboue thy throne And Iames being proclamed king in England so we say of him if it be possible God make his name more famous then the name of Elizabeth whose name was famous to the endes of the world and exalt his throne aboue her throne whose throne was highly and honourably exalted when she sat therin a true defender of the faith This worke of the Lord taking from one giuing vnto another the throne and scepter of this noble kingdome let vs beare with such minde as becōmeth wisemen because the earth and the inhabitāts are the Lords to dispose at his pleasure If the change had beene vnto vs as dangerous as was feared by our selues hoped by our enimies we must haue borne it with quiet mindes because the earth is the Lordes Now then the change being better for vs then we durst expect we should be worthy of much blame if we doe not carry our selues in an euen reuerence betweene contrary affections in the consideration hereof I say in an euen reuerence and reuerent euennes betweene contrary affections because I know that in the due contemplation of this change mens mindes are vpon diuers pointes diuersly drawen aside with different affections While they consider her that is taken away they cannot choose but be full of heauinesse remembring what she was vnto them And when they consider him that is giuen vnto vs they cannot choose but be full of ioy to thinke what hee is like to bee vnto vs and therfore whomsoeuer I do here behold with chearfull countenances and bright apparrell I suppose that they doe mourne in wedding garmentes hauing both sorrow and ioye at their hearts hiding inwardly their sorrowe for hir that is departed and showing outwardly their ioye for him that is comming Whom otherwise I see with heauie countenances and darke apparrell I suppose that they reioyce in mourning weeds hauing both ioy and sorrow at their hearts hiding inwardly their ioy for him that is comming and showing outwardly their sorrow for hir that is gone And surely in this change seriouslie considered there are iust causes of both these affections That the death of our Queene could not but bring with it causes of heauinesse it hath beene long since examined and as it were by the subscription of all mens hands confirmed and happie England that God did not with his hand so largely subscribe for then it must haue beene so the Papists haue long wished and expected her death they haue often attempted by bloudie hands to hasten her ende they haue solicited with many prayers and vowes their He saints and She saints and haue stirred vp enemies against her Hoping that Christ in England should againe giue vp the ghost in the daye of her death and that the Gospell should bee buryed in the day of her funerals and they haue libertye to bring in Antichrist and restore againe the traditions of the church of Rome On the other side all that loue the Lorde Iesus with feare did thinke of her future death and with feruent prayers oft desired God to drawe out the length of her reigne with the dayes of heauen that she might resigne her Scepter into the handes of Christ at his comming to iudgement least happily loosing her before they might loose with her whatsoeuer blessings they receiued and enioyed with her These men hauing before thought of her death did in their hope and feare subscribe that surely her death must be dangerous to England Others also were of the same minde There is lurking among vs and God graunt they neuer haue time to showe their heads according to their desire a race of idle people inordinate walkers to whome orderly obedience seemeth to be seruile bondage and labour in an honest calling is a burden not to be borne men liuing by their witte in truth by their wickednesse by stealing cousening and such vnlawfull shiftes and as honestly spending their goods as getting them The setled gouernment the confirmed peace was a great let to their designements They expected a day in the death of our late Souereigne when the state beeing troubled they might spoile the subiects knowing it is best fishing in troubled streames On the other side the good subiects the honest Citizens louers of peace men honestlye getting their goods these fearing the clawes of the former vultures with griefe did fore-thinke the comming houre of her Maiesties death and besought God for the continuance of her life that the fruite of their iust labours Gods blessing in their honest walking in their callings might not be a pray to such spoilers These men also in their hope and feare had subscribed that her death would bring cause of sorrowe Thus we see how all men long since were of this minde And if the most mightie hand of our most mercifull God guiding the harts of our noble gouerners had not by the Proclaiming of our now Soueraigne King Iames turned their hope into vanitie and our feare into comfort surely the death of our excellent Queene had brought with it ruine and cause of sorrow
Where-from if God hath miraculouslie deliuered vs whose name be therfore eternally praised yet who can thinke vpon it what a one she was vnto vs while she liued a watchfull keeper a mercifull iudge a Queene of peace a defender of the faith and a very mother in Israel who can thinke vpon it that she was such a one vnto vs while she liued and not bee touched at the hart with sorrow that she liues not still to be still such a one vnto vs Surely in her that is taken from vs we haue fallen vpon vs occasions of sorrowe But God most good hath not left vs as desolate plaintiffes vnto a solitarie sorrow without all comfort but hath giuen vs also many causes of reioycing both in our blessed Queene departed from vs and also in our right noble King giuen vs. In her that is departed God hath giuen vnto vs occasiō of reioycing in the māner of her departing wherein he hath honored her memorie among the righteous and more honoured his owne name for his mercy to her In two great and notable fauours that her end was peaceable and that it was godlie that she ended her dayes quietlie and dyed in the faith of Christ. First herein we haue cause to reioyce on her behalfe that her end was peaceable without the stroake of man and without any other stroake of God then such as is common to all men that passe by the straite of death The Bull of Pius Quintus denounced an other end The inuincible Armada of Spaine threatned an other end Many bloudy traytors iustly suffering among vs attempted an other end And yet notwithstanding the God of peace gaue vnto hir a peaceable end she liued long our band of peace and died quietly a childe of peace as if God had promised her that he promised Abraham Genesis 15. 15. Thou shalt goe vnto thy Fathers Cum pace in peace and shalt bee buryed In canitie bona in a good age that is Satura dierum diuitiarum honoris full of dayes riches and honour and all present blessings as a good age is expounded 1. Chron. 29. 28. Dauid dyed in a good age full of dayes riches and honour our Queene matching him for the fulnesse of the dayes of her life for she was come into the yeare wherein Dauid dyed being seauentie yeare olde and ouermatching him for the fulnesse of the dayes of her reigne for he reigned but fortie yeares and shee sawe the fiue and fortieth of her reigne in more peace then Dauid had I will not giue offence by remembring how farre different from her ende the ende of the last Catholike King of Spaine and most Christian King of France was the one dying by a heauie stroake of Gods hand and the other by a violent stroake of mans hand neyther of them neare to that sweete sleepe whereinto she fell in her departing And as her end was peaceable so it was pious godly christiā she died in the faith of Christ giuing euidence therof in her weakest times and now inioyeth the end of her faith the saluation of her soule the blessing pronounced from heauen Blessed are the dead that die in the Lorde they rest from their labours On the Sundaye last before her death the reuerend father the Lorde Bishop of Chichester and Doctor Parrie one of her highnesse Chaplines going to reade deuine seruice vnto her as the maner was vpon the Lords day her heauie sadnesse at this time wel remooued she pronounced after them the confession of sinnes with prayer for the forgiuenesse of them which is vsually pronounced by the congregation when we come together to seeke the face of our God And though it was done with a weake voyce yet was it with great euidence of a feruent spirit looking vp vnto God The next night God gaue vnto her quiet sleep in her bed wherby she was much refreshed the Lord preparing her by renewed cōfort vnto a happy end For as one wel saith Veraconsolatio perpetuo durat in electis et si languescit per spiritum sanctum instauratur potissimum autem est efficax circa vita finem et mortis articulum True comfort indureth perpetually in the elect if it beginneth at any time to faint it is restored by the holy Ghost especially it is strong and effectuall toward the end of life and approach of death which in her Grace was obserued to the great reioycing of her seruants For on the Wednesday death approaching which she desired that she might be losed and be with Christ which is best of all the right reuerend father the Lorde Archbishop of Canterbury comming in vnto her at three in the after-noone he put her in minde of the sufferings of Christ the meanes of her saluation of remission of sinnes and eternall life most gladly she harkened vnto him testifying her ioy with her hand which shee could not so well doe with her voyce And whē the reuerend father knowing how soone sicke parties are wearied did withdrawe himselfe giuing signe with her hand she called him vnto her the second time And when againe after a second speech hee withdrewe himself she beckned to haue him come vnto her the third time So pleasing vnto her soule was the voyce of him that had in his mouth the word of reconciliation so beautifull in her eyes were the feete of him that did preach glad tydings and publish saluation and it was not affection to the man but loue vnto the doctrine and glad tydings of saluation that led her listening eare For the reuerend Lord Bishop of Chichester comming after vnto her rehearsed vnto her the grounds of Christian faith requiring some testimony of her assenting vnto them which she readily gaue both with hand eye And when he proceeded so far as to say vnto her that it was not inough generally to beleeue that those things were true but euery Christian man must beleeue that they were true vnto them that they were members of the true Church truly redeemed by Iesus Christ that their sinnes were forgiuen and that they should liue for euer with God she did with great show of faith lift vp her eies and handes to heauen where she knew her life to be hid with Christ in God and staied them long testifying her perticular faith and apprehension of Gods mercy to her in Christ. So continuing vnto the death a professor of the faith whereof she had bin defender in her life And findeth now the trueth of his promise that said Reue. 3. 10. Be faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the crowne of life Thus did she end her dayes in the faith and euen in her that is taken from vs we haue cause of reioycing when we cōsider how God tooke her away in his great mercy ending her daies in peace in the faith of Christ. But notwithstanding her happinesse in her death vnhappy had wee beene after her death if God had not giuen vs a good king to succeede her In whome when we cast our eye towardes him we finde great causes to lift vp our heads and reioice His name hetherto onelye proclaimed in our streetes hath stilled the ragings of the people danting the enimies of true religion and causing the enimies of peace that thought now to looke out to hide their heades What shall we not hope that the presence of his person will doe when the sound of his name hath done so much already surely we shall see it if euer this land saw it fulfilled that Salomon saith Prouerbes 20. 8. A King sitting in the throne of iudgement driueth away all euill with his eyes I speake not these things in flatterye but in the firme hope of my soule For propinquity of bloud he is the next and rightfull heire of Henrie the seuenth of famous memorie of the house of Lancaster of Elizabeth his wife ayre of the house of Yorke His education hath bin Godly of his wisedome for gouernment and of his sincerity for religion he hath already giuen proofe not onely in the gouernement of his kingdome of Scotland but otherwise also to the content of many that could not so fully obserue his gouernement as peruse his writings What remaineth then but that we reioyce in God and praise him for our present soueraigne praying that he may safely come vntovs long continue with vs standing in Gods grace to the good of Gods Church safety of the kingdomes ouer which he is set Such is the mercie of God toward vs in the king giuen vnto vs such are the causes of reioycing that wee haue in our King Which quisquis non videt cecus est quisquis videt et non laudat ingratus est quisquis laudanti reluctatur insanus est Whosoeuer seeth not is blind whosoeuer seeth and praiseth not is vnthankfull whosoeuer misliketh others praysing is not wise And therefore seeing God hath made so happye a change for vs in the disposing of this kingdome beeing Lorde of all the earth let vs beare it with such mindes as become wise men mingling heauinesse with our ioy and ioy with our heauinesse and let vs lift vp the Trumpet of our lowdest voyces and say God saue King Iames. AMEN
his will hee worketh in the armie of heauen and in the inhabitants of the earth and none can staye his hand nor say vnto him what doest thou Thus when men doe not acknowledge the supreame authoritie of God he knoweth how to make the proudest to recant But be it that men and beasts holde nothing in their owne right but all of fauour and at Gods will as appeareth also in their short continuance and giuing place by death Yet what may be answered vnto the Prince of darkenesse that challengeth much to himselfe in this world In Luk. 4. 5. in the historie of Christes temptation it is thus written of him That the deuill tooke him vp into an exceeding high mountaine and shewed him all the kingdomes of the world in the twinckling of an eye and said vnto him Tibi dabo potestatem hanc vniuersam et gloriam illorum regnorum nam mihi tradita est et cuicunque voluero do eam All this power will I giue thee and the glory of those kingdomes for that is deliuered vnto me and to whomsoeuer I will I giue it The deuill in these words challengeth much vnto himselfe and the scripture certainely giueth much vnto him calling him the prince of this world Iohn 14. 30. princeps huius mundi venit sed in me non habit quicquam the Prince of this world commeth hath naught in me And calling him God of this world 2. Cor. 4. 4. If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that perish In quibus deus huius seculi excecauit mentes nempe in infidelibus c. In whome the God of this worlde hath blinded their mindes namely in the Infidels But in the deuils challenge marke not his modestie for he hath none but his fearefulnesse he dareth not say for incensing his iudge that the power of this world is his but that he is a commissioner all this saith he is committed vnto me And where the Scripture calleth him Prince and God of this world it is by reason of this commission by which power is giuen him in the darkenesse of this world to rule in the hearts of the children of disobedience And that fearfull speech also of his is false for it is not committed vnto him to haue at his pleasure the disposing of the kingdoms of the earth In Pro. 8. 15. the wisdom of God saith per mereges regnant et dominatores decernunt iustitiā by me kings reigne and Princes decree iustice And the Prophet of God saith Psa. 75. 6. Nō ab exortu nec ab occasu neque à deserto est exaltatio Sed deus index hūc deprimit illū exaltat to come to preferment is neither from the east nor frō the west nor from the wildernesse that is South or North for on both sides Iudea was inclosed with the wildernesse but God is the iudge hee maketh lowe and he maketh high And the Queene of Sheba telleth Salomon 2. Chron 9. 8. that God did place him In solio suo regem pro Iehoua deo suo in Gods throne King in the steede of the Lorde his God Kings therefore doe sit by God and for God in the throne of God and are not beholding to the prince of darkenesse but to the father of lights and are therefore called Vncti Iehouae the annointed of the Lord. If therefore neither man nor beast though they inhabite the earth holde otherwise then of fauour and at will being no cheefe Lordes nor yet the Angels not the good ones though they often descend to minister vnto thē on earth that shall inherite eternall saluation nor the euill ones though they compasse the earth too and fro walking abroade in it be Lords of the same wee must confesse with the Prophet that the earth is the Lordes the habitable world is his But be it that the soile and habitation is the Lords yet it may be that the inhabitants are not his For oft times the ship is one mans and the merchandise wherewith it is fraited is another mans Oft times the soile belongeth to one man as Lord of the Manor and the corne growing on the ground belongeth to another as Farmer of the grange Many times one man is maister owner of the house and another oweth the goods laid vp therein Let vs therefore see if it be not so in this case the Lord being Lorde of the earth and men free-men not bound vnto him And surely there haue not wanted men in all ages of the world that haue refused to acknowledge God to bee their Lord. When Moses spake to Pharaoh in the name of the Lord Pharaoh proudly made answer Exod. 5. 2. saying Who is the Lord that I should heare his voyce and let Israel goe I know not the Lord neyther will I let Israel goe Hee knew no superiour he belonged vnto none Let vs ioyne with him Nebuchadnezar who threatning the three Iewes that would not worship his golden Image said vnto them proudly Dā 3. 15. Quis est Deus qui eripere possit vos è manibus meis who is that God that can deliuer you out of my hands he was so far from thinking any God his Lorde that he thought himselfe a Lorde of Gods and greater then all Gods To these may bee added the tumultuous and raging people of Iewes and Gentiles with their Kings and gouernours that Psal. 2. 2. came together contra Iehouam et contra Christum eius against the Lord and against his Christ against God the father against God the sonne against the annointed of the Lord with this rebellious resolution Let vs breake their bonds cast away their cords from vs. If any thinke that kings perhaps may fall into this errour being deceiued by royall maiestie which yeelding to no Lord in earth thinketh it should be subiect to no Lord in heauen but subiects learning to obey earthly Lordes will much more humble themselues to a heauenly Lord it is not to be feared of them that they should say vnto God as the citizens by their messenger said to their noble ruler Luk. 19. 14. Nolumus hunc regnare super nos we will not haue this man to reigne ouer vs. First in the 2. Psalme the people conspired with their Princes In the Parable in Luke the multitude of the people subiect to God refuse his gouernment And further in the 12. Psalme vers 3. 4. the Prophet sayth The Lorde shall cut off Labia blanda linguam grandiloquam flattering lippes proud speaking tongues Eos qui dicunt linguae nostrae ius obtinebimus labia nostra penes nos sunt quis esset dominus nobis We will stande vpon the right of our tounges our lippes are our owne who is Lorde ouer vs These flattering lips though ioyned with proude speaking tongues yet shoulde bewraye men of subiect estate for kings vse to be flattered they vse not to flatter And it is certaine that men both of high and lowe degrees denie Gods power ouer them If not