the fire the Pope loath his owne fingers useth them as the Spaniells foote to scrape forth the chesnut little cares hee how they be scorched so he be in hope to obtaine his desire and though many of them have burnt both their hands and hearts yet blessed be God he mist the chesnut Wee have heard the roaring of his Bulls but they have not hurt us they have beene like the shewes of Semiramis the Astrian Queene when shee warred against the King of India which seemed afarre off to be Elephants and Dromedaries but being examined were nothing else but hides of oxen stuft with straw such have beene all Popish machinations against us They have plotted but God hath prevented them laid snares but God hath broken them attended mischiefe but God hath confounded them Nati natorum qui nascentur ab illis the children that are yet unborne have continuall cause to remember what the Lord hath done for us let our tongues cleave unto the roofe of our mouthes let the Sunne deny us his light the heavens their influence the earth her fruites if wee forget to give God thankes and to say as Psal 124. If the Lord had not beene on our side they had swallowed us up quicke when their wrath was kindled against us c. and this I passe over and come to a two fold dutie The one concernes our duty to the Magistrate the other the Magistrates dutie towards God Our duty to you is reverence and honour Aristotle and Herodotus in Euterpe have recorded a story of Amasis the King of Egypt who being mocked of his Subjects by reason of his meane discent tooke a golden bason wherein they vsed to wash their feete and turned it into the Image and similitude of one of their gods and the men that before regarded it not did then fall downe and worship it The story applies it selfe though when you were private men your respect was ordinary but the Lord hath given you his owne name I have said you are gods and set you in his owne place of judgement and trusted you in his worke the cause and lives of his people we obey and reverence you even for conscience sake and this is our duty towards you The next is the Magistrates dutie towards God God hath given you much and he requireth much from you and yet sometimes it comes to passe that they pay him least who owe him most Tacitus reports of Claudius that he was a good subject but a bad Emperour and in his lib. 2. Hist of Titus that he was a bad privat man but a good Emperour But where one proves like Titus bad private men and good governours a thousand prove like Claudius good private men but bad governours As Pope Vrban said of Baldwine the Metropolitane Bishop of this Kingdome that he was Monachus ferventissimus Abbas calidus Episcopus tepidus Archiepiscopus remissus or as Bucolcerus at the yeare 1464. reports of Aenaeus Silvius that after he got the Popedome and changed his name into Pius Secundus he then condemned many things which before he allowed whereupon one wittily plaies upon him thus Quod Aenaeas probavit Pius damnavit It was the practise of heathen persecutors to place the Image of Venus in the same place where Christ was crucified that if any came there to worship they might seeme to worship Venus A tricke which the Devill useth at this day to set in Gods roome and seate of judgement an Idoll Magistrate sometimes a Cupid or Venus delighting in pleasure sometimes a Mars delighting in blood sometimes a Mercurie with a voyce like Iacob to speak smoothly but hands like Esau and fingers like lyme-twiggs to bring all homewards and make their places but bands for their profits And howsoever this point may seeme as needlesse as for Phormio to discourse of militarie Discipline before Hanniball yet I beseech you beare with patience for though I must remember you I must not forget my selfe nor my place nor the mount whereon I stand For I also am in Gods roome and am set here to put you in mind of your duty your maine dutie is the care of religion and worship of God the suppressing of Idolatry and prophanes There are a kinde of men whereof I may say as Tully said of the Catelinarians Semper prohibetur semper retinetur wee have lawes against them and yet still wee keepe them a good common wealth consisting of Heterogeniall parts must be like Peters sheet in the 10. of the Acts. wherein though there bee all manner of beasts and foules yet must it bee knit at the foure corners though in a common wealth there be Nobles flying above like the foules of the heauen and meaner men creeping below yet must it be knit at the foure corners the remotest parts as lines in a center must meete in unity of religion if you be slacke in this it is no small danger whereto our Kingdome may be quickly brought Seneca on Theavil reports that Cadmus the King of Phaenicia seeing some of his followers staine by a serpent slew the serpent and sowed the teeth of it Ex quibus prodiere homines armati and we have good cause to feare it though some of these serpents brood be dead yet there be armed men bred out of their bones who though they may speake us faire yet I approve the judgement of Caesar who stood more afraid of Brutus who had his mouth in his heart than of Anthony who had his heart in his mouth Our land never was so sicke never groaned so loud never mourned in such a passion never travelled of such Hermaphrodites with halfe so much paine and griefe as now it doth shee hath already bred and at this day both feedeth and clotheth numberlesse swarmes of outcast professours who sometimes like Iudas pretend to kisse but if they can come neare enough intend to kill her she may conclude a peace with forraigne enemies but they will cut her throat by way of friendship It is no whispering rumour but the voice of truth but they are warmely lodged and richly friended and costly fed with the marrow and fatnesse of our land who in the middest of our Iubiles make flawes in our peace and in the midst of our joyes indanger our lives and if ever forraigner should invade our Land would lend their knives to cut our throates and be the foremost men to beare armes against us this alas this is the malady that makes the visage of our Church so wanne and her face so full of wrinkles her backe so full of furrowes and her eyes so full of teares and her heart so full of sorrowes that though many good Physitians will speake her faire and wish her health yet they launch not the Impostume they purge not the fretting humour that consumes and grieves her you may reade in her face that the gripings and convulsions are unsufferable you may heare by her groanes that her paines are intollerable you may presage by
IETHROES COVNSELL TO MOSES OR A DIRECTION FOR MAGISTRATES A Sermon preached at St. Saviours in Southwarke March 5. 1621. Before the Honourable Iudges by that Reverent Divine THOMAS SVTTON Dr. in Divinity LEVIT 19.15 Ye shall doe no unrighteousnesse in judgement thou shalt not respect the person of the poore nor honour the person of the mighty but in righteousnesse shalt thou judge thy neighbour LONDON Printed by WILLIAM IONES dwelling in Red-crosse-streete 1631. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR ROBERT DVCE Knight Barronet Lord Major of the City of LONDON and to the Right Worshipfull the Sheriffes and Aldermen of the same W. I. P. wisheth increase of knowledge and grace in Christ here that you may reigne with him hereafter in glory HAVING a Sermon come to my hands of the Counsell of Iethro given to Moses the servant of the Lord how hee might with more ease to himselfe and the people decide all controversies as it was preached before the Iudges in Southwarke by that Reverend and learned Divine Mr. Dr. Sutton late Preacher at Saviours The which Sermon giveth direction not onely to Iudges but also to all Magistrates in the Land how to carry themselves in their severall places against all offenders and betwixt man and man It being a subject of so necessary a use it is thought meete to publish it in these evill times because the seate of Iustice is now had in much contempt by many who live as if there were no God in heaven to behold their wickednesse nor Magistrate on earth to punish their horrible crimes And seeking out for a Patron I thought fit to dedicate it to your Honour and Worships To your Honour who in your Shreivalty shewed your great zeale and love to the Gospell of Christ that upon a discovery of the practises of Iesuites and Priests rose at midnight to execute the warrant of Sir Robert Nanton then Secretary to King Iames of most blessed memory where was taken seventeene Altars for their Popish Masse ten Copes twelve or thirteene Surplices above ten thousand Popish bookes besides severall packets of Letters partly come from Bruxels and going to Bruxels c. And seeing the Lord hath advanced your Honour into the chaire of Moses under our gracious Soveraigne Lord King CHARLES the Lord give you courage and zeale against all Popish superstitition and Idolatry requesting you that you would be pleased to peruse the short directions in it That so you may with the rest of your Right Worshipfull Brethren the better direct all and severall Officers in their severall places under you in your severall Wards that they also may be men of courage fearing God To that end I beseech the Lord of heaven who directed his servant Moses so to direct your hearts that you may have both the courage and zeale of Moses against all idolatrous Priests and Iesuites that swarme in the Land whose treacherous practises this worthy Sermon doth at large discover and so put them out of all hope of gaining any Proselites here among you Thus daily praying unto the Lord on your behalfe I humbly take my leave Your Honours and Worships to be commanded in the Lord Iesus W. I. P. Dr. SVTTONS Prayer OH most gracious and most glorious God before whom the Sunne and the Moone become as darknesse the blessed Angels stand amased and the glorious Cherubims are glad that they may cover and hide their faces as not daring to behold that incomprehensible greatnesse and that infinite goodnesse which thou art with what confidence shall we forlorne sinners be ever once able to appeare before thy all seeing providence that terrible and angry countenance that sinne-revenging justice of thine which is so fierce and terrible that it will shake the heavens melt the mountaines dry up the seas and make the tallest Cedars in Lebanon to tremble Good Lord where shall we hide our selves from thy presence masses of corruption mountaines of sinne dead and dry trees fit fewell for thy fierce wrath to worke upon if we should climbe up into heaven to hide us from thee thou art there or goe downe into the bottome and depth of hell thou art there also or take the wings of the morne and fly to the utmost part of the seas even there also will thy allseing eye behold us and thy right hand will quickly visit and finde us out we will therefore here dissolve and melt our selves into a floud and fountaine of many teares bewailing and bemoaning our wofull and miserable estate for albeit by reason of that soule Chaos and staine of naturall corruption and originall sinne we have deserved long since to have had the sweete issue of all thy good blessings to be stopped and dried up thy milde and gentle corrections to be turned into the sodaine execution of bloody tortures and fearefull judgements upon us even in this life and at our departing out of this world to be plunged everlastingly into a pit of destruction there to be fryed and scorched with Satan and his Angels for evermore And yet for all this O Lord wee have never ceased to adde oyle unto this flame and to blow up the coales of thy fearefull displeasure through the hot and eager pursuit of many loud crying actuall sinnes and transgressions so that from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foote there is not one place sound or whole within us but we are all full of sores and swellings and botches full of sinne full of corruption our understandings which should have knowne thee to be our true God and him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ our Redeemer these are blinded and missed with ignorance and doubting our affections which should have beene good guides to have directed our feete into the way of peace they are become swift messengers of Satan to buffet us our bodies which should have beene sweet Temples for thy blessed Spirit to dwell and lodge in they are sinks of sinne and cages of filthy birds our eyes O God are like open windowes and doores to receive sinne our hearts like common Innes to lodge sinne our heads like skilfull Politicians to contrive sinne our tongues smooth and sweet Oratours to pleade for the maintaining of sinne and all our hands like stout souldiers and couragious Champions to fight in the defence of sinne Thus have we waged and managed warre against thee our God ever since we were borne so that now thou maist justly spue us out of thy mouth cut us off in the midst of our sinnes come amongst us this very present and binde us hand and foot and at the end of these few and miserable dayes send us all into hell together that so Satan might pay us our wages onely whom thus long we have obeyed and served thus emptying our selves from all trust and confidence in the arme of flesh we fly unto thee O God the anchor of our hope and the tower built for our defence with many deepe sighes and groanes from our perplexed consciences
and discased soules most humbly intreating thee to be gracious and mercifull to all our sinnes for they are wondrous great make it thy glory to passe by and to winke at them poure into our soules the oyle of thy mercies supple our hard and dry hearts with the sweete influence of thy best graces and cure all our swelling wounds with the true balme of Gilead purge good Lord and cleanse all the polluted and infected corners of our hearts that though at this day our sinnes be as olde as Adam as numberlesse as the starres of heaven as high as the tallest Cedars in the forrest Lord plucke them up by the rootes bury them in everlasting forgetfulnesse that they may never stoppe the issue of thy blessings nor draw downe upon us the vialls of thy wrath nor be a wound and griefe to our troubled consciences in this life or worke despaire in us at the end of our dayes nor stand up in judgement to be the utter ruine and condemnation of our soules and bodies at the last day Good Lord prepare us all for a better life fit us all for the kingdome of thy Sonne Christ Iesus guide us all with thy blessed Spirit tutor us out of thy holy word humble us by thy mercifull corrections and by thy fatherly blessings wed our affections and knit our hearts more neere unto thee in newnesse of life than ever heretofore they have beene that living as becommeth thy obedient children and servants an holy and a religious remnant of our dayes we may by thy grace and mercy be partakers of a joyfull and a comfortable death and after death of a glorious resurrection to everlasting life peace among thy Saints Neither do we pray to thee for our selves only but for all people and Nations of the earth but more particularly for the place in which we live and therin according to our bounden duty for thy servant our Soveraign Charles by thy special providence King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the most true Ancient Catholicke and Apostolike faith and in all causes and over all persons within these his Majesties Realmes and Dominions next under thee and thy Sonne Christ Iesus supreme Governour adde unto his dayes as thou didst unto the dayes of Hezekiah that he may enjoy a long and a prosperous reigne over us and in the meane time remember him in goodnesse for the good he hath done already to thy Church Bestow the sweetest of thy blessings upon our gracious Queene Mary our hopefull Prince Charles and the rest of those royall branches beyond the seas season them in their young and tender yeares with thy feare that they may be great in thy favour and if it may stand with thine eternall Decree let us never want a holy and a religious man of that house and line to governe the scepters of these Kingdomes and to maintaine the preaching of thy glorious Gospell within these his Majesties Realmes and Dominions so long as the Sunne and Moone endures Blesse our King with an honourable valiant and a religious Councell and Nobility blesse him with a learned painfull and a zealous Clergy by what names or titles soever they be called whether they be Arch-Bishops or Bishops and all other painfull labourers in this thy Vineyard blesse him with a wise prudent and a religious Gentry blesse him with a peaceable a loyall and a religious Commonalty and good God we beseech thee to shower downe thy blessings upon the right hand and upon the left to them whom it hath pleased thee to send to this Congregation that by the blessing of thy good Spirit whensoever they shall stand on thy Mountaine to deliver a Message from thee give them good Father what wilt thou give them give them wise and understanding hearts that they may open to thy people the wondrous things of thy law good Father touch their tongues with a coale from thy holy Altar that by the blessing of thy holy Spirit they may be able to worke some holinesse in the hearts of a sinfull and unbeleeving people and cut downe the head and strength of some sinne that remaineth in us and to this end and purpose make them sound in thy Doctrines terrible in thy threatnings sweet in thy comforts powerfull and effectuall in all thy perswasions and mercifull Father make thy word like the bow of Ionathan and like the sword of Saul or Gideon that never returned empty from the blood of the slaine and the fat of the mighty Lastly we come unto thee for our selves againe thy most unworthy servants that are here assembled in a reverent feare of thy most holy and blessed name most humbly intreating thee in Iesus Christ to be gracious and mercifull to all our sinnes and to be effectually present with thy blessed Spirit in the midst of us all and grant that thy word may drop and distill upon our tender consciences like raine upon the mowen grasse and as dew comes down from heaven to water the earth take away the scales of ignorance from all blind and dark understandings remove farre from us all lets and hinderances whereby the blessed seed of thy word hath bin to many and sundry times made unfruitfull in the hearts of sinfull and unbelieving people and to every soule that is present in thy house this day or at any other time grant us all holy diligence to seeke thee godly wisdome to know thee and sanctified understanding to finde thee aright that so thy word may prove the sweet savour of life unto everlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour in whose most holy and blessed name we are bold to conclude these our weake and imperfect prayers in that perfect forme of prayer which Christ hath taught us saying Our Father c. A DIRECTION FOR MAGISTRATES EXOD. 18. Chap. Verse 21. Moreover provide thou among all the people men of courage fearing God men dealing truly hating covetousnesse and appoint such over them to be Rulers over thousands Rulers over hundreds Rulers over fifties and Rulers over tennes THERE are in the body naturall three principall members the liver the heart and the braine resembling three principal members in the body politicke the Magistrate the Physitian and the Divine The liver is the beginning of naturall faculties segregates the humours ingenders alimentall blood and by veines sends it into the body of man from noxious humours whereby it may be indangered and prescribes wholesome diet whereby it may be preserved and kept in health The heart is the beginning of vitall faculties generates vitall spirits sends them into every particular member Like to this is the Divine for hee is Principium though not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of generation nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Radication yet to use the word of the Anatomist he is Principium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of dispensation of the vitall spirits hee takes a man where the Physitians leave him makes him of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
he list a golden key commonly opens a wrong locke Loquente auro nil pollet quaevis oratio The mouth of a Lawyer saith Tully is an Oracle for the whole Citty but if in this mouth there be a guilded tongue it will prove like the Oracle at Delphos whereof Demosthenes complained in his time that it did speake nothing but what Philip would have it that had given a double fee. But I for my part accuse no man but many that have beene ancient Termers say that Lawyers take much money and say little for it that they come amongst many of you for succour as a sheepe runnes to the thornes and briars for shelter in time of a tempest they are saved from the shower for that time but that which saved theÌ„ pulls that wool from their backes that they are never able to abide another storme Some have money for holding their peace others for speaking that you who should be like Atropos to cut become like Clotho to spinne and like Lachesis to draw in length the thread of contention Maginus and some other Geographers noting the diameter and circuit of the earth are of opinion that if a foote-man had a path round about the world he might goe it in 900 dayes and take no hard journeyes a strange thing that one man in that time should goe through the world and some other in twice so much time cannot passe through an English Court or the length of Westminster hall let it never be tolde in Gath nor published in the streetes of Askelon that English Lawyers should grow great as that common souldier in Tacitus tolde Pompey per nostram miseriam by the misery of poore clients it is wickednesse inexpiable to build your houses with the fall of others let it never be said that you are like the milt of a mans body whereof Laurentius saith that it never growes great until all other parts of the body decay and perish But purge your hearts from covetous desires wash your hands froÌ„ the rust of that silver your consciences from the canker of that gold which with greedinesse you have conjested and raked together know for certaine that God will strictly examine and your soules shall one day pay for it When one asked Diogenes what was the reason that golde alwayes looked pale he shaped him this answer Quia tot habet insidiatores because so many crafty heads lie in ambush for it I pray God you may all be more greedy of heaven than of earth more willing to winne the streight way to heaven than the broad way to a heape of wealth And more carefull to make your election than your lands and possessions sure Thirdly this sinne is to be whipt from all Iurers and Witnesses also if you have but such a thought of this what shall I have you shall be sure to meete with Simon Magus that will say what shall I give You must sweare in truth and justice Ier. 4.2 You are to be whipt for ever out of the company of God and his Angels you are to be shut out of the kingdome and inheritance of the Saints you shall heare the thundering of an angry Iudge Mal. 3.5 There will be a writ against you a flying booke it is ten cubits broad and twenty cubits long Zach. 5. and that booke is a curse that flieth over the whole earth verse 3. that curse shall lay siege to the walls and timber of your houses to consume both you and them if money make you speake either more or lesse than the truth Such men saith Diodo Sicu Bib. lib. 2. cap. were alwayes punished with death and so Bohemus de moribus gent. lib. 1. cap. 5. ad Aug. in his Quae. in Deut. lib. 5. cap. 34. but that is but an easie punishment and temporall but the judgement that God hath for you is endlesse and easelesse you shall stand without Apoc. 22.15 without God without glory without mercy without comfort without hope without the Kingdome you shall have your portion in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Apoc. 21.8 I therefore charge you in the name of God as you will answer it at the dreadfull day of judgement when the secrets of all hearts shall be opened and when you shall remember my words and see my face againe that not money nor money-worth make you smother the truth or support an ill cause that you deale faithfully betwixt a man and his brother that you remember the Apostles rule Ephes 5.3 Let not this sinne be once named amongst you A word for conclusion Right Honorable be you like Iethroes Iudges men of courage to helpe poore ones to defend weake ones to oppose great ones to cut off wicked ones Like Iethroes Iudges fearing God setting God allwayes before your eyes judging others as if you were going to be judged your selves having Gods Law that was once written in Tables of stone firmely and plainly written in the fleshly tables of your heartes Be like Iethroes Iudges men of trueth receiving no false nor suspected witnesses pronouncing no unjust nor partiall sentences Be like Iethroes Iudges hating covetousnesse as the staine of your Courtes the baine of your consciences the smotherer and stifler of Iustice the death and poyson of soules that when you shall put off your scarlet robes you may put on the long white robe of Saints and when you shall be removed from these seates of justice you may be admitted into a seate of glory and may follow the blessed Lambe wheresoever he goes Grave and learned Counsellors you must be like Iethroes Iudges men of courage to pleade against prophanesse men fearing God as patterns and examples of holinesse men of truth not setting a good countenance upon a bad cause men hating covetousnes lest it be truly wrote upon your graves as it was upon the Tombstone of Trinullius Hîc â—andem quiescit mortuus qui vivus requievit nunquam Here he restes in mould who whilst he lived could never rest for gold nor suffered them to rest that would Think godlinesse your greatest gaine Pleade for Christ and hee will pleade for you that when you shall be called from these barres to answer for your owne sinnes at the barre and tribunall of Gods judgement seate you may finde mercy and favour with God and you also may follow the blessed Lamb wheresoever he will Iurers and witnesses you also must be like Iethroes Iudges men of courage whom greatnesse of person cannot daunt men fearing God whom no private affection can command men of truth whom no perjuries can attaint men that hate covetousnesse and say with Balaam if Balaac would give me his housefull of golde and silver I will not be suborned or hired to deflect one haires breadth from the Eclipticke line of truth that when you have decided controversies among your brethren God may have no controversie with you when you have witnessed what possessions belong to men you may have a witnesse in your owne consciences that your selves belong to God and you also may follow the blessed Lambe wheresoever he goes And let all of us be like Iethroes Iudges putting on courage to fight the Lords battells armed with his feare girded with his truth as with a girdle hating the rust and canker of the unrighteous Mammon that when God shall finish our evill dayes of sinne hee may be pleased to quiet our clamorous consciences to pardon our sinnes to save our soules and to receive both our bodies and soules into his blessed kingdome and all of us may follow the blessed Lambe wheresoever he goeth That we may be filled with the glory of the Father be made partakers of an infinite happinesse purchased by the Sonne be ravisht with the ineffable comfort of the holy Ghost to which holy blessed glorious and immortall Trinity be rendred and ascribed of us and all Gods Saints throughout the world all power praise glory thanks and dominion from this time forth and for evermore Amen FINIS