the corde more then threefold that is not easily broken yet the Pope saith breake these bonds a sunder and cast away these cords from you compasse or imagine the death of your King leuy warre against him adhere to his enemies giue them aide or comfort within or without the Realme I will discharge you of your oath and fealty I will licence you to withdraw your oath of allegiance to take armes against him yea to lay violent hands vpon him occidite or excidite kill him or ill him deponite a thronâ— or exponite periculo depose him from his throne or expose him to danger thus an oath or any other thing to the contrary notwithstanding subiects shall haue law to lift vp their heeles against their head vnder whose feete they should lay downe their liues But I may say vnto the Pope in this case as Moses to the Rebels Å¿ NuÌ„ 16. 7. Korah Dathan and Abiram Yee take toâ— much vpon you yee sonnes of Leuy and as they in the Gospell but more iustly t Maâ—t 2. 2â— By what authority doest thou these things and who gaue thee this authority thou hast no commission to dispense with an oath no power to discharge a man of it thou blasphemest in saying thou wilt free him that breakes it u Mar. â— â—1 Who can forgiue sins but God onely though thou perdon God will punish though thou doest promise faire God will pay home and condemne him as guilty that taketh his name in vaine The fourth Commandement Exodus 20. 8. 9. 10. 11. Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath day Sixe daies thou shalt labour and doe all that thou hast to doe but the seauenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt doe no manner of worke thou and thy sonne and thy daughter thy man-seruant and thy maid-seruant thy â—attell and the stranger that is within thy gates For in six daies the Lord made heauen and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seauenth day Whererefore the Lord blessed the seauenth day and hallowed it IT is written of the Lacedemonians that by coÌ„mon exercise they could behaue theÌ„selues souldier like in the campe but knew not how to vse the time of peace so many haue stil to husband their busines to trade in their crafts and occupations on the working daies but are to seeke how to vse the Sabbath a time of rest therefore God in this coÌ„mandement would teach vs a lesson with which coÌ„mon vse is not acquainted Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy The words containe 1. A charge 2. Seuerall reasons to induce vs to put the charge in execution In the charge wee are to consider 1. The matter giuen in charge 2. The persons to whom the charge is giuen The matter giuen in charge is to hallow the Sabboth which consisteth 1. In resting from our owne workes 2. In labouring in the seruice of God The persons to whoÌ„ the charge is giuen are either Superiors and they more priuate as Parents Masters More publicke as Magistrates Or Inferiours whither they be home bred as children thy sonne or thy daughter seruants thy man-seruant thy maid-seruant or forenners the stranger that is within thy gates The reasons to induce vs to execute this charge are 1. Gods bounteous liberality in giuing six daies for dispatch of our owne busines 2. Iustice which should be in man in giuing euery one his due it is Gods day 3. Gods owne patterne he resteth the seuenth day 4. The benefits that ensue vpon obseruing it that is the blessing of God he blessed c. In it thou shalt doe no manner of worke there be opera fortunae â—ulpâ— naturae workes of our calling workes of sinne and workes of nature from the first we must abstain the seuenth day from the second euery day from the third not by coÌ„pulsion on any day a Deu. 5. 14 God would haue all our Cattell rest by name the Oxe and the Asse I say in this as Saint Paul in an other case doth God take care for Oxen had God respect properly to the cattel or doth he not speake it rather for vs to teach vs to rest on the seuenth day on which the cattel cannot be imployed in any labour without the seruice of man b 2. Sam. 7. 2. Dauids care was not to dwell in a house of Cedar trees whiles the Arke of God remained within the curtaines c Luc. 7. and Iairus is as much commended for building a Synagogue as others in their couetous humours are blamed for demolishing Churches leauing nothing but rude heapes of stone but though this be a worke of so great commendation yet in the law is a Caueat put in that such a good worke be not performed on the d Ex. 31. 13 Sabbath day or any thing then taken in hand that belongs to the Tabernacle e Mat. 26. 13. The good worke of Mary Magdalenâ— in powring a box of oyntment on the head of Christ shall be spoken of for a memoriall of her vnto the worlds end so on the other side the with-holding of her oyntment on the Sabbath day is set downe to her commendation that though she and the other f Mar. 16. 1 Mary Iames his mother had prepared sweete oyntments to annoint the dead body of Christ yet they came not to the Sepulcher till the Sabbath was past but rested that day according to the g Luc 23. 56. Commandement Here-upon Canâ—tus a King of this land not full 32. yeares before the conquest ordeyned that fayres Courts and worldly workes on that day should be forborne and in the 4. yeare of King Henry the 2. the common Councell of London decreed that nothing should be bought or sould within the liberties of that Citie and that no artificer or handy crafts-man should bring his wares or workes to any person to be worne or occupied on that day for by this meanes they thought the day to be profaned Two sorts of people are here to be blamed the first are they which ouer keepe it as the Iewes which are too nice and too strickt in obseruing this day and therefore if a man were sicke or diseased they thought that vpon this day meanes might not be h Ioh. 7. 23. â— vsed for his recouery for Christ chargeth them with this that they were angry with him for that hee had made a man whole on the Sabbath day yea the i Pharisees in reputation Act. 23. 8. greater then the Sadducees and sounder in beleefe the k Act. 26. 5 most exact sort and comming nearest to the law began to picke a quarrell with l Act. 22. â—1 Christ for that his Disciples being hungry did m Mat. 12. plucke the eares of corne on the Sabbath day they find no fault for plucking the eares for this the law permitted n Den. 23. 25. but to plucke them on the Sabbath day this they
therefore called them i Ier. 44. 17 the Queene of heauen and burnt incense vnto her and powred out drinke offerings vnto her supposing plenty and scarsity health and sicknesse weale and woe came by her so doe the superstitious in our times following Astrologers which are as Oecolampadius saith the greatest of all Impostors an Impostor is a Coniurer Iuggler or cony-catcher worships these heauenly bodyes supposing mankinde is ruled by them and therefore when they fall sicke the starres are their counsellers they take their Calender if they finde it an euill day when their sicknesse began their soule is powred out vpon them they perswade themselues that they shall not onely bee weakened and sore broken that their health shall passe away as a cloud but that they shall goe the way of all the earth that the graue shall be their house and they shall make their bed in the darke and the worme shall feele their sweetnesse and therefore making their wils take their leaue of all the world but if it bee a good day they doubt not but all sicknesse shal be taken away from them health shall bee vnto their nauell and marow to their bones that their flesh shall bee as fresh as a childs and returne as in the daies of their youth But the Prophet Esay derideth such as these are saying k Esay 47. 13. Let now the Astrologers the Starre-gasers and Prognosticators stand vp and saue thee not that he condemneth Astronomy for it is good to know the course of the heauens the rising and setting of the starres l GeÌ„ 1. 14 which God appointed to giue light and to make difference of times and seasons but vtterly disliketh Astrology whereby men will vndertake to know things which are to come and attribute the operation in the elements to the starres which belongeth to God who made the starres m Ps 147. 4 and calleth them all by their names which serueth to no vse but to delude the people and contrary to this commandement to bring them from depending onely on God Wee must not feare this feare and as our Sauiour Christ dehorting vs from carking care saith n Mat. 6. 31 32. take no thought saying what shall wee eate or what shall we drinke or wherewith shall we bee clothed vsing this argument after all these things doe the Gentiles seeke so the Lord in the prophecy of Ieremy by the like reason dehorteth from this feare saying o Ier. 10. 2. Learne not the way of the heathen and be not affraid for the signes of heauen though the heathen be afraid of such Moreouer the wicked feare rumors when it was noysed that there was borne Iesus King of the Iewes p Mat. 2. 2. 3. King Herod was troubled and all Ierusalem with him their hearts were moued as the trees of the forest by the winde rottennesse entred into their bones and they trembled in themselues so q Es 7. 2. when it was told the house of Dauid that Aram was ioyned with Ephraim the soule of the King and his people was pressed downe feare and trembling did come vpon them an horrible feare did couer them God hateth this feare and therefore will haue his people r Ier. 51. 46 goe out of the midst of Babell lest their hearts should faint and they feare the rumor should be heard in the land concerning the taking of Babell for the newes came the first yeere the siege came the second yeere and it was taken in the third and Å¿ Ps 112. 7. a good man will not bee afraid of any euill tidings for his heart is fixed and beleeueth in the Lord he is well grounded and therefore like Mount Sion he cannot bee remoued but standeth fast for euer the feare of God doth ballance his heart and therefore hee floateth steadily blowe what winde it will he sailes to the porte A fourth feare disliked is feare of disgrace which many times maketh not onely the wicked but euen good men backward in performing their duty this was one cause why Ionas was vnwilling to go to Niniuâ—h and preach vnto it the preaching that God bad him t Ion. 3. 3. Yet forty daies and Niniuâ—h shal be â—uerthrowne for he did not onely despaire of successe being out of hope that the children of Ashur would turne to the Lord when the children of Israell would not repent but feare of reproch did trouble him more when considering there was in God u Ion. 4. 2. great kindnesse and x Ps 63. 3. louing kindnesse which simples compounded make great louing kindnesse in God considering he was not onely of long suffering before hee inflicteth punishment but penitent in the stay and intermission of it hee thought he should be counted a false prophet that would bee a reprofe vnto him he should bee a prouerbe and a common talke among the people and therefore flyeth to Tarshis saying in effect with Moses y Ex. 4. 13. sende by the hand of him whom thou shouldest send This feare of disgrace began to worke vpon Paul when God called him to preach to the Gentiles z Act. 22. 1â— They know saith he that I prisoned and beate in eâ—ery Synagogue them that beleeued in thee now if I shall preach thee whom before I persecuted what will they say they will say that I weaue and vnweaue like Penelope being as variable in my practises as Proteus in hâ—s shapes set vp one day to pull downe another that I am changed as the Moon which neuer viewes vs twice with the same face thus because he would not suffer contempt he seeketh couert would stop Gods mouth vpon good termes alleadging a plea to put off the office which he was to execute To come to our selues I am perswaded that among vs many papists on the left hand many schismatikes on the right hand betwixt which two the Church liturgy of the Church is crucified a Mat. 2â— 38. as our Sauior Christ between the two malefactors would be brought to the tabernacles of peace and follow the truth in loue where it not for this that they thinke they should bee a reproach vnto their neighbours a scorne and derision to them that are round about them haue I been thus long a Recusant thinkes some Papists haue I thus many yeeres held these and these opinions and shall I now staine my cheeks with the blushes of recantation and not second my beginnings with sutable proceedings shall a Retraxit be entred against me as against the person plaintife when he commeth into the court where his plea is and saith he will not proceede what will men say they will say that I am a wauering weathercoke a reede shaken to and fro with the winde that I am so light that I had need to haue lead tyed to my heeles lest euery wind should blow me away that I ebbe and flow that I haue one mind sitting another standing in a word this fact of mine will
euen the most mighty 〈…〉 two â—isciples naming Iesus 〈…〉 n Luc. 24. 19. of Nazareth a Prophet mighty in 〈…〉 we speake of Kings we make their names glorious when the o 1. Cro. 29 26. Scripture mentioneth the death of King Dauid it maketh fower wheeles whereon the height of his honour did run Dauid had reigned ouer all Israell super totum Israelem super therefore he was a superiour 2. he reigned therefore hee was a principall superiour 3. not a superiour or King of an infamous Kingdome as Ogge the King of Basan but ouer Israell a Countrey which if God p Ios 12. 24 had fashioned the world like a Ring as he did like a Globe might haue been the Gemme of it 4. not Regulus ouer part of the Kingdome as the one and thirtie Kings before Dauids time q 1. Kin. 12. 17. 20. and Rehoboam and Ieroboam who succeeded his sonne Salomon and parted the Kingdome or as the three sonnes of Brute among whom their father parted this Iland or as one of the seauen Kings which were in England in the reigne of the Saxons but an absolute Monarch super totum ouer all Israell so when we speake of our gratious King Iames either in our priuate instruments or in his Letters Patents we make him glorious in his Titles Iames by the grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King defender of the faith c. so in styling a noble man we doe not derogate from his honour in barring or abasing his titles and shall we not then make his name glorious who is King of Kings God of Gods and Lord of Lords as to fay with Abraham r Gen. 24. 3. the Lord God of the heauen and God of the earth the King of Israell Iudge among the heathen Lord of hostes with addition of euery other stile whatsoeuer by which the Scripture doth set out his glory so likewise must we glorifie God in speaking of his nature and properties as of his mercy to say there is mercy with God that he might be feared there is iustice in God for he rewardeth euery man according to his workes power and vengeance belong vnto God for he is a consuming fire by which he takes away all the vngodly of the earth like drosse as hee did the Sodomites there is prouidence and great louing kindnes in God by which the Lyons being sauage beasts became men in humanity towards Å¿ Dan. 6. 22 13. Daniell when men which are kind by nature became sauage beasts in cruelty against him by which the flame was martyred with spending her heat when the three t Dan. 3. 25 children as so many Salamanders were in the fire Againe we must set out the glory of God in declaring his wonderfull workes euen before the sonnes of men for if the builders of Babell did thinke to make themselues famous by making the Tower shall Gen. 11. 4. not God get him a name by the workes of his hands now all the workes of God are wrapped vp in three large volumes the heauens the earth and the sea the heauens declare the glory Psa 19. 1. of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke what a thing is this that the Sun should reioyce as a Gyant to run Psa 19. 5. Iosh 10. 13. his course and againe that it should stand still as in the dayes of Ioshua goe backe as in the dayes of Ezechias and being Esay 38. 8. Luc. 23. 45 euer bright should lose it light as at the passion of Christ The earth is full of the goodnes of the Lord what a thing is this Psa 33. 5. that it being founded vpon the seas and prepared vpon the Psa 24. 2. Iob. 38. 5. floudes and being poysed in the iust proportion by line and measure should abide stedfast when the high mountaines which doe as it were imbosse the earth may seeme able to shake it ouersway it and tumble it into the sea They that goe downe to the sea in shippes see the wonders Psa 107. 23 of God in the deepe is not the Whale a wonder in nature that Psa 104. 26. takes his pastime in it is not the ship it selfe an artificiall wonder that Merchandize should goe froÌ„ countery to countery in such a woodden conueyance if we doe not speake of these and all his other workes for his name is stamped vpon them all to his glory we doe in speach though we sweare not take his name in vaine as God must win glory by our words so by our deedes when being transformed into the image of Mat. 17. 4. Christ we shine before other like lights as the face of Christ when he was trasfigured on the Mount did shine like the Sun therefore mindes and soules are likened vnto Lampes because we should shine each vnto other superiours to in feriours in being talking lawes and walking Statutes inferiours to superiours in being like the tree in Genesis faire to looke vpon Gen. 3. 6. 1. Peâ— 3. 1. euery one oweth good example as a due tribute that God may haue the glory due to his name and thus much of this fence or hedge both ad extra and ad intra as farre forth as it keepe out beasts and keepe the good Christian within the boundes of Gods glory The binder of this hedge is the rodde of Gods Iudgements the Lord will not hold him guiltles that taketh his name in vaine The sinne of the blasphemy hath been so odious that euen ciuill authority hath set sharpe censures vpon it Henry the first and Maximilian the Emperour set fines vpon their heads which should open their mouthes to sweare vainely the greatest fines vpon the greatest persons as being not onely guilty of the sinne it selfe but of the bad example they gaue vnto other Ludouicke commonly called Saint Lewis caused the lips of blasphemers to be seared with an hot yron Philip the French King did punish this sinne of blasphemy with death yea though it were committed in a Tauerne where many wise men many times forget themselues But if any did binde two sinnes together by binding a lye with an oath few nations had any pitty on him The Aegyptians did strike of his head because thereby faith and truth among men might be decayed in this case the Scithian did suffer death and he that made proofe of periury should haue his goods The like did Philip an Earle of Flanders decree for the precinct of his dominion King Edmond before the Conquest as Gregory the 9. in another place gathered a Councell at London where he made this law that periurers should be separated from the company of God and our law as I haue read is that if a false verdict giuen by twelue men bee found the twelue men be attainted and their iudgement shal be the same that is appointed for petty treason their medowes shal be ared vp their houses broken downe their woods turned vp and
Cor. 6. 19. your owne you are bought with a price so say I of children and seruants they are not their owne they are bought with a price though not with so great a price as the price of bloud housholders are not more their owne then their families are theirs now a man must haue a care of that which is his owne that which Saint Paul saith particularly to Timothy Å¿ 1 Tim. 6. 20. serua deposituÌ„ will stretch further a man must haue a care to keepe that which is committed vnto him therefore t Iob 1. 5. Iob offered sacrifice for his sonnes first to shew his watchfulnesse secondly to shew he held himselfe blame-worthy before God if they had offended and the Pharisees most blasphemous are ready to cast this in Christ his teeth and censure him for it that his Disciples in their imaginations were not well ordered u Thy Disciples doe that which is not lawfull to doe on the Sabbath day x Mat. 12. 2 thy Disciples fast not z Mat. 15. 2 thy Disciples wash not the vice of the children y Mar. 2. 18 reflect vpon the parents the sinne of the seruants is the masters reproch concerning strangers as the Israelites dwelling among the Aegyptians learned many ill things of them so on the other side strangers of an other Nation dwelling among vs must learne good things of vs and being pecus erraticum must heare the voice of good shepheards and be inforced to follow good Gouernours when they shall see steps before them worthy of their traching Indeed strangers are further from vs then our sonnes then our seruants then our owne Countrymen but yet are they nearer then beasts and though they cannot all say haue we not Abraham to our Father yet let all goe vp the streame vntill they come to the Fountaines head they may all say as in Malachy a Mal. 2. 10 haue wee not all one father hath not one God made vs but the law prouided that a man should haue a care of beasts b Ex. 21. 33 of an Oxe or an Asse that it fall not into a pit shall we then suffer strangers to run headlong to the pit of destruction the c Ex. 23. 4 law prouided that if a man met an Oxe or an Asse going astray he should bring him backe againe shall we not then reduce strangers when we see them wandring in the broad way that leadeth vnto death Besides where is our zeale if dishonour done vnto God by any be he neuer such a stranger doth not eate vs vp and grieue vs as much as if a worme were gnawing on our hear men are charie of their owne honesty and cannot indure that any no not a stranger should wound it and shall they be careles if strangers shall put Gods honour to shame and reproach A good man is grieued when being in a strange Country hee shall see God dishonoured as Paul in d Act. 17. 1â— Athens and shall he suffer with quietnes strangers to dishonour God in his owne countrey If therefore thou being Alderman or any other Magistrate hast a stranger within thy warde or liberty yea though he doth ouer-see thy busines as thine owne eye or procure things necessary as thine owne hand yet if hee doth offend thee or cause thy bloud to rise by dishonouring God and profaning his Sabbath haue a plucke at him or with our Sauiour Christ bestirre thy selfe with a whip or at least-wise seeing him dead in trespasses and sinnes without any hope of quickening thou being zealous be like the sea which will not suffer in it the carcasses of those which are dead but casts them on shore Againe as superiours being the foremen in this charge are thereby taught to begin to others in the obseruation of this day so in that inferiours are also put in the charge though subordinate they are to learne to conforme themselues and be ready of themselues to follow the patterne set before them to take true stitches out of those samplers and to say in this as e Gen. 3â— 14. Iacob in another case pracedat dominus ego paulatim sequar and as f Iob. 23. â—â— Iob my foote hath followed his steppes his way haue I kept and haue not declined when thy betters beare the lantorne of Gods word if thou wilt be out of danger follow them that carry the light when thou seest their good carriage doe thou thereby better thine owne tu quoque fac simile g Luc. 10. 37. goe and doe thou likewise Nay more then so because thou art within this charge though thy superiours faile in the premisses yet doe thou hold them liue not now by example but by law and know that I and my father is no good plea for the sonne I and my master no good plea for the seruant I and the gouernour no good plea for the stranger that which God saith vnto one he saith vnto all euery one shall beare his owne burden euery fat shall stand on his owne bottome the excuse will not goe for currant to say I did follow my parents I did humour my master or dame the Magistrate did so as well as I the soule that sinneth shall dye and there is no respect of persons Six dayes shalt thou labour The labouring hand is the staple of the land and raiseth vp the pillers of it without which the cordes of the common wealth would soone be loosed for our good therefore God hath giuen vs six dayes to labour that by taking paine in them we might liue by the sweete of our owne sweat were it not then great vnkindnes in vs if we would not allow him the seuenth day Six dayes This Commandement doth neither respect our labouring six dayes for these first foure precepts enioyne vs such duties as we must performe vnto God neither yet our ease and rest on the seuenth day for the substance of the Commandement is the seruice of God the rest is but an accident that cannot be separated from it not but that wee must take paine for standing water soone stinketh and what are idle persons but a colder earth moulded with standing water When the housholder saith h Mat. 20. 6 why stand yee here all the day idle He heapeth vp many reasons to induce vs to labour in the Vineyard First why as if he should say you haue no reason to it it was at the first Gods ordinance i Gen. 2. 15 to haue man take paine k Gen. 3. 19 afterward it was enioyned as a punishment for sinne l Iob. 5. 7. now man is borne vnto trauaile as the sparkes fly vpward and while hee giues himselfe to sloth and idlenes the diuell takes his free ease on him as on a cushion God called Dauid m Psa 78. 7â— to feede Israel when he was following the Ewes great with young not when he lay idle vnder an hill besides what are the effects of idlenes but either theft for
the slothfull like drones liue by the hony gathered by the Bees and like vultures prey on carcasses they killed not one beates the bush and they catch the bird they sucke the bloud of other men and become as fat as body-lice by eating vp others brewesse they tost themselues at their neighbours fire and keepe no warmth in their owne chimneis other mens labours are in their houses they drinke the waters of others cisternes of the riuers out of the middest of others welles or else adultery for the minde is apt to all vncleannes n 2. Sam. 11. 2. when the man is idle the minde being voyde of exercise the man is voyde of honesty Queritur Aegystus quare sit factus Adulter in pomptu causa est desidiosus erat Besides it weareth strength as rust doth yron and ouer-much rest makes men not more fit but lesse willing to take payne againe the slothfull hand maketh poore hereby o Ecc. 10. 18 the roofe of the house goeth to decay by the idlenes of the handes the house dropeth thorough by doing nothing men come to nothing and enter into the playne high way to Needome and when a man will be of no calling he shall be sure that pouerty or beggery will find a calling to arrest him and therefore in the time of Catâ— Censorius when any would be a Citizen of Rome this question was not demanded whence or what hee was but only they tooke his hands betweene theirs and if they felt them soft and smooth they presently as an idle vagabonde gaue him a mittimus but if hard and knotty they forthwith admitted him to dwell in their Citie And if a malefactor were apprehended whose handes were labouring handes his punishment should be mitigated though his crime were grieuous but if idle hands a seuere punishment should be inflicted for a small offence therefore the Lacedemonians would haue labour and sweat hunger and thirst as the best spices to season their pottage therefore the ancients paynted the image of vertue girded therefore God gaue the Israelites but a short time to gather them Manna for when the p Ex. 16. 21 heate of the Sun came it was melted therefore might the housholder well say why stand yee here all the day idle The elements moue the heauens turne the wormes creepe the fishes swime the birdes flye why stand yee idle another reason that the housholder vseth is the strength and abilitie of those to whom he speaketh why stand yee as if he should say were it so that you were criples or impotent and not otherwise prouided for you might lye with Lazarus at the rich mans gate I would not hasten you forward to worke but you haue the powers of your bodyes are lusty and strong why stand yee idle q Pro. 30. 25. the Antes are feeble the pismires a people not strong yet are they diligent at their worke and will you that are strong be negligent Draco but his lawes for their cruelty are sayd to be written with bloud depriued them of life which would not labour for their liuing the drones of Hetruria like vnprofitable bees entring into the hyue and consuming the hony were expelled from others and reputed as vagabonds were condemned to exile and dealt withall much like as Philip King of Macedonia dealt with two of his bad subiects he made one of them runne out of the countrey and the other driue him In other places they haue had Stafford law and at Bridewell in our land whipping cheere and in the 23. yeare of Edward the 3 there was a statute made that no man vnder paine of imprisonmeÌ„t should giue any almesse to any sturdy beggers that necessity might coÌ„pell them to get their bread with the sweet of their browes The housholders third reason to induce vs to labour is taken from the place here why stand yee heere idle heauen is a place of rest let the world tosse how it list our rest is pitched alost and we shal be as the r Gen. 8. 4 Arke which when the floud ceased did rest on the mountaine Hell is a place of torment there bee heauy fines but no recoueries they deale in this Court vpon the capias Å¿ Mal. 22. 13. take him away and cast him into vtter darkenes vpon babeas corpus binde him hand and foote vpon the â— GeÌ„ 3. 24 Ne exeat regnum the gates are kept from egresse as the gates of Paradise were warded from entrance though we haue a writ de homine replegiando directed to the sheriffe to cause a man to be repleued when he is in prison yet here is no repleuie no flying to a Court of conscience for reliefe no iudgement reuersed by writ of errour This world is a place of labour where we must weare our bodies and still be doing some thing that God may not find vs idle when he commeth and the diuell may finde vs busie when he tempteth and therefore stand not idle heere The fourth reason is drawne from the time Worke while u Ioh. 9. 4. it is day the night commeth when no man can worke therefore stand not idle in the day time if thou hast let slip part of the day if thou hast not sowne thy seed in the morning yet in the euening let not thy hand rest stand not all day idle nulla dies sine liâ—ea if thou sufferest one day to passe without drawing some line thou maiest say diem amisimus amici and hast lost that which cannot be recouered and called backe againe on the one side be not an idle person who being an vnprofitable peece of earth will not doe all that he hath to doe on the other side bee not too curious in thy worke but see when a thing is well done and doe not more then all hate both these extreames doing nothing and doing more then need to no purpose keepe the meane labour six daies and doe all leaue nothing till the seuenth day then to be dispatched do not more then all yet doe all for sufficient vnto the seuenth day is the trauaile thereof The seuenth day is the Sabbath of thâ— Lord thy God wee must giue to euery one that which belongeth vnto him the seuenth day belongeth to God therefore we must giue it vnto him the minor proposition is in the text the maior in Mathew x Mat. 22 21. and it is an axiome that goes currant without contradiction Iustitia suum cuique tribuit whosoeuer therefore conuerteth to any profane vse that which is consecrated to God robbeth God of his due and takes his right from him for example you shall see this in these three things the Temple Tithes the time of the Sabbath in the Temple thus it is Gods house there faithfull men inhabit Angels frequent God himselfe is present it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kings court and greatest Princesse Palace and because those merchants in the Gospell did buy and sell in it they are
d Ap. 13. 10 if any kill with a sword hee must bee killed by a sword If a man did smite his seruant that he died vnder his hand though among the Romanes such a master went free because he bought his seruant with his money yet because the life is more worth then money God will not free him e Ex. 21. 20 puniendo punietur hee shall be surely punished If men did striue and hurt a woman with childe though there were no intent to kill either the mother or the child f Ex. 21. 22. yet if death followed life should be paid for life A man would thinke it had been no great matter if he had killed a theefe that should come and vndermine his house or breake it vppe but yet if this were done in the day time by the iudiciall law of Moses g Ex. 22. 2. hee that did it must dye for it a Deu. 21. 1 If one were found slaine in the field and he not knowne that committed the murther the next City should beare the blame should offer sacrifice protest before God that they were cleere of that fact desire God to be mercifull to them and not lay innocent bloud vnto their charge If a man did not lay waite for bloud but had b Ex. 21. 14. killed any vnawares he might take Sanctuary and flie to the Altar but if he had killed any wilfully the holynes of the place should not defend him and therefore Salomon biddeth Benaiah to smite Iâ—ab because he smote two men more righteous and better then he and slew them with the sword though c 1 Kin. 2. 28 Ioab had caught hold on the hornes of the Altar God would take vengeance on d Gen. 9. 5. beasts generally for the life of man particularly e Ex. 21. 28 the goaring Oxe that killed any should be stoned to death to shew that beastly minded man should not goe vnpunished who sheds his brothers bloud like water who oppresseth him round about for his soule and causeth his head to goe downe to the graue with bloud The lawes of other Nations as well as Gods lawe to the Iewes doe meete with this sinne and cutting them off from other men rewards them to their face to bring them to destruction which lift vp their hands against other to destroy them To let passe forraigne Countries in our land if a man did run into a premunire he should be put out of the Kings protection his lands goods and cattles forfaited to the King but yet there was a law made Eliz 1o. against such as should slea euen such a man as was attainted in premunire King Richard the first making orders for sea-faring men ordained that if one slew an other on the shippe-boarde he should be bound to the dead body and throwne into the sea if on the land he should be bound to him and buried with him quicke The land is clensed of the bloud that is shed in it by the bloud of him that shed it and therefore the statute law takes away all murderers like drosse walking more stubbornly and taking greater vengeance on those which shall imbrue their hands in the bloud of them to whom by nature or duty they are most bound by nature as if a woman since her husband and shee are one flesh shall kill her husband shee shall be accounted a paricide by the Ciuill law and by the Statute of the land a traitor and be punished accordingly by duty as if a seruant kill his master it is petie treason if one kill any Iudge sitting in his place it is high treason and such a man shall drinke more depely of the cuppe of vengeance but let one sâ—ay a man bee he neuer so meane feloniously his least punishment is suspension his death-bed is the gallowes say he doth escape and be not taken then the Towne where the murder is committed shal be amerced say the matter be compounded yet God himselfe will take the matter into his owne hand his vengeance by iustice shall waite his destruction that doth commit it he will euen set his face against the person and will cut him off from among his people for sometime he stirreth vp f Gen 6. 9. some other man to shed the bloud of him thar sheddeth bloud and therefore g GeÌ„ 4. 14 Cain is afraid that euery man that findeth him will slay him That valiant Hercules did cast Diâ—medes King of Thrace who fedde his horse with mens flesh to horses to bee deuoured Perillus was inforced to make tryall how his brasen Bull would roare and when the Tyrant Phalaris had burned many in it his owne Citizens falling vpon him put him into the same Bull and made him end his life with like kinde of death It is remarkable how the Duke of Burgundy dealt with a murderer A cruell minded man had taken a noble man prisoner his wife whose heart did cleaue vnto her husband was an earnest suiter for his life that no hand might be vpon him to put him to death the cut-throate answered if he might goe vp to her bed imbrace her bosome take his fill of loue and his pleasure in dalliance he would set her husband at liberty shee thought it were as death to her to breake her faith plighted in marriage yet so great was her loue that shee did deliberate and first craued leaue to confer with her husband who though this thing were grieuous vnto him because of his wife yet gaue her leaue that he might haue his deliuerance the deed done and this varlet hauing lyen with her fleshly and vsed her at his pleasure he notwithstanding the next day chopt off her husbands head and sent it vnto her whereupon shee complained to the Duke who sent for him compelled him to marry her that so she might challenge a right in his possessions and then causing him to drinke of the same cup cut off his head It is true that the Psalmist saith a Ps 5 5. 23 the bloud-thirsty man shall not liue out halfe his daies one dies fettered in prison another scalded in the brothel house many in warre when the land of the enemies doth eate them licke them vp as an Oxe lieketh vp grasse of the field when their enemies chase them as Bees vse to doe so that they cannot stand in the day of battaile but their carcasses fall to the earth and cannot escape thus the roaring of the Lyon the voyce of the Lyonesse and the teeth of the Lyons whelpes are broken This made Rebecâ—ah speaking of Esau and Iacob to say b Gen. 27. 45. Why should I be depriued of you both in one day not thinking that Iacob being of a gentle disposition would rise vp against his brother Esau and so they kill one another but her meaning was that if Iacob did not auoid the countrey Esau considering that Iacob had the birthright and the blessing would kill him then some iudgement of God would