whole Countrey be scattered when the people once conspire against their Princes And therefore also an old writter Petrus Lilius saith Discord is the only cause of the ouerthrow of Kingdomes Diuision is the onlie cause that great Empires can not stand Dissention maketh two kingdomes of one Dissention maketh of two Cities one and at length it maketh of two kingdomes no kingdome of two Cities no Citie This writeth Petrus Lilius of Dissention this is the end of Discord sayth he and in déed experience hath taught that this is most true But wherefore speake I of these things wherefore do I here repeat vnto you these old and auncient histories why recount I vnto you the ouerthrow of Rome the destruction of the Gretians the desolation of Ierusalem which all hapned thorough Diuision I would to God I saw nothing euen now before mine eyes that causeth mée thus to say I would to God I say that I saw now nothing present before mine eyes that causeth me thus to say But these examples my Bretheren God hath placed before our eyes that we might take heed by them that we might the better looke to our selues and beware of our owne destruction Christ hath said Christ that is the author of Trueth and trueth it selfe hath said Ciuitas diuisa desolabitur The Citie that is diuided be it neuer so rich neuer so strong neuer of so great force yet shall it be destroied it shall be brought to vtter desolation Rome that sometime was the wealthyest Citie in the world called therefore the Ladie of the whole world fell to diuision and therefore was shée ouerthrowen and vtterly destroyed The Gretians which were a people of greatest force fell to dissention and therefore was their whole estate pulled down and cast flat to the ground Ierusalem that holie Citie that Citie that was so strong fell a sunder fell at discord within it selfe and therefore was shée spoiled of her enemyes and brought to desolation Remember good Bretheren remember with your selues how can that Ship which saileth in the Sea be safe in the middest of the waues if the people within the same boore holes thorough it or rent vp the ribs of the same How can that Citie be preserued where no man will heare counsell where no man careth for the publike state where no man passeth for other where God is not in the middest Deus charitas est saith S. Iohn qui in charitate est in Deo manâ—t God is charitie and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in God O saith Salomon Turris fortissima nomen Domini The name of the Lord is a strong Tower The name of God saueth the Citie Dauid also the prophet of God saith Nisi Dominus custodierit ciuitatem in vanum laborant qui custodiunt eam Except the Lord keep the Citie except the Lord defend it saith he they labour in vaine they watch in vaine that are set to defend it These things good Bretheren appertaine both to our office that are Ministers and appointed by God to instruct the people and they appertaine also vnto all Magistrats yea and vnto the whole people As for vs that are Gods Ministers and messengers sent vnto you we do stand vpon the Tower to crie and giue you warning that the enemies are comming to shew you before hand that your foes are approching our part is to declare vnto you that your fight is not against King nor Caesar is not against any Prince or power of this world but against spirituall enemyes against the Deuill and his adherents our part is to dissuade you from dissention to dissuade you from discord and diuision This must we do aswell to the Magistrat as to the rest of the people aswell to him that beareth office as to him that beareth none For we are debtors vnto all men aswell to the rich as to the poore to the wise as to the foolish to the good as to the bad This is also the Magistrates office this is likewise his duetie Therefore hath God set him vp therefore hath God exalted him aboue the rest of the people that he should guid them in peace lead them in loue and vnitie together Thus did Dauid that good king he found the whole kingdome left by Saul his predecessor in dissention and diuision within it selfe he found I say the whole countrey at variance and great debate but by his great wisdome and good gouernance together hée reduced the same into good order againe and such as before were enemyes he made faithfull friends and the whole Countrey he brought to quietnesse peace and mutuall vnitie And therfore when he had this brought to passe for ioy that he had thus of mortall foes made louing friends he sung O quà m bonum quà m iocundum habitare fratres in vnum O how ioyfull a thing is it for Bretheren to dwell together in vnitie So much it comforted him so glad was he when he saw his people agrée together Therefore in the Scriptures the Magistrates are called Shepheards for that they ought so to guid the people committed to their charge as the Shepheard doth his flocke Therefore they are called also Captaines for that they ought to haue such respect to Gods people as the good Captaine hath regard to his Souldiers Therefore likewise are they called the Heads for that like as the head gouerneth the whole bodie so should they rule and gouerne the people as members of their bodie Therefore in like are they called Fathers for that the people are so in subiection vnto them as the childe is in obedience vnder his father But chiefly it is required in them it is chiefly and aboue all other things required in such as are Magistrates that they them selues know God that they them selues I say aboue all other men haue perfit knowledge of God and his Lawes so that the people by that meane may follow him and they altogether may follow God Therefore in the Booke of Deutronomie God himselfe gaue in charge to all such as should become Magistrates saying He that is called to beare Office what euer hee be that is appointed to be a Ruler shall first write out all this Booke of my Law with his owne hand And againe he said Non recedet liber iste ab ore tuo This Booke of mine shal not dcpart from thy mouth this Booke of mine shall not be out of thy hand This is Gods charge to all them that beare office this is his charge and commaundment giuen vnto them Therefore that good king Dauid when God had appointed him to be king and chiefe Ruler of his people he said Si dedero oculis meis somnum aut palpebris meis requiem antequà m innâ—uero domum Domino meo Tabernaculum Deo Iacob If I shall giue my selfe vnto sleepe or mine eye lids any rest before that I find out a house for my God and a Tabernacle for the God of
is not he reuenged out of hand because saith the Prophet he is mercifull pacient and of long sufferance Therefore he procéedeth not to reuenge his anger therfore hee hasteth not to wreake himselfe on vs so soone as wee offend him and transgresse his will but tarieth and maketh long delaies to sée whether wée will repent and returne vnto him But yet saith Dauid forasmuch as hee is abused for as much as yée haue left and forsaken him notwithstanding he be mercifull notwithstanding he be pacient cient and of long sufferance Hee hath now whet his sword he hath bent his bowe and made it readie hee hath prepared him the weapons of death and ordeined his arrowes to destroy and this will he doe out of hand he will make no longer delay at all Here must wee not fancie that God will strike vs with a sword of Iron that he hath a bow bent and arrowes to destroy withall for euery creature on the earth what euer it be be it neuer so vile neuer so simple neuer so weake and abiect but is able at Gods commandement to bee an instrument to plague and punish withall And therefore consider what is so weake as water so simple as flyes so vile as lice and frogs and yet it pleased almightie God by these weake by these simple by these vile things to punish and strike the Egyptians yea and so much therby to plague them that neuer before they felt the like neuer earst they heard of the like punishment It pleased God to turne their water into bloud so that in the whole country no water could be found to drink no liquor of water to refresh their Bodies This was a great plague and yet was this wrought by want of water which was but a weake and simple creature A flye you know is a simple thing a thing of little strength and no force yet God so increased the number of them he sent such a multitude of Flyes among the Egiptians that euen in the kings house they fell vpon what euer the king eate or dranke fell vpon his meat fell into his drinke and so putrified and corrupted the same The Lice wherewith God in like plagued them fell not only vpon the king and his people but vpon their Shéepe their Dren their Asses their Horses their Mules and their whole heards of Cattell what euer they were The Frogs entered into their houses into the kings Palace into his hall his pâ—rlor his chamber yea and into his Bed also Thus it pleased God to vse against the Egiptians these simple these base and vile creatures as his rod as his scourge as his sword of punisment Euery creature euery thing whether it hath life or no life when it pleaseth God to vse it is his sword is his rod to strike withall The fire that fell from Heauen and destroyed the two famous Cities Sodom and Gomorra the whole Region there about was none other than the sword of God Therefore saith the prophet Dauid The spirits of tempests doe his will the thunder and lightnings fulfill his commaundement And so the same prophet here in this place now hath God begun to strike Now hath he whet his sword bent his bow saith he now hath he prepared his arrowes to destroy there is no way now to escape his vengeance no way to auoyd his punishment but only this to turne vnto him to run submit your selues wholy to him These words Dauid the prophet being persecuted of his enemies and beset round about of them spake vnto Saul the proud king and his adherents and souldiers putting them in remembrance how they had prouoked iustly deserued the vegeance of God for persecuting of his innocent soule And euen as this prophet Dauid spake pronounced these words vnto Saul his wicked companie to reduce vnto their memorie the power of God and the punishment that then hanged ouer their heads So may we likewise well vse the same in these our dayes first to bring vs in remembrance that God is a righteous Iudge and then to consider how we dailie prouoke and deserue his iust wrath and so at the least for feare of punishment to be sorie for our misdéeds and returne vnto him For if we will not be conuerted hée hath whet his sword he hath bent his bow prepared hym the weapons of death and ordeyned his arrowes to destroy But before we come vnto God good Bretheren before we returne vnto him we must one come vnto another we must one turne to another before we be reconciled to Christ we must be reconciled vnto our neyghbor before we be at one with God we must be at one with our Christian Brother This is the order that God looketh wée should obserue this is that rule which Christ commaunded vs to kéepe Remitte remittetur tibi Forgiue and thou shalt be forgiuen Si remiseris alijs peccata sua tua remittentur tibi It thou shalt forgiue other men their offences towards thee then shall thy sinnes also be forgiuen then shall God pardon thée thine offences when thou shalt pardon thy Brother that he hath offended thée then I say shall God forgiue thée and not before And againe Nisi remiseritis alijs peccata sua vestra non remittentur vobis Vnlesse ye forgiue other men their trespasses your owne sinnes shall not be released saith Christ Remember good Bretheren remember and marke well these words Christ is the author Christ is the speaker Christ is the commaunder hereof And so Christ our Sauior in an other place of his Gospell When thou offerest thy gift at the Aultar saith he and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offring before the Aultar go thy way first and reconcile thy selfe to thy Brother and then come and offer thy gift God is contented his honor be deferred he is contented to tarrie for his Sacrifice till thou art agréed with thy Brother till thou art at one with him And when thou hast thus done then come there offer thy Sacrifice This is the ground of the attonement betwéen God and vs this is the token that Christ is reconciled vnto vs if we be at one with our neyghbor if we be reconciled to our Christian Brother For if we shall hate our Bretheren whom we sée if we shall be at debate with our Neyghbors being daily conuersant with vs how can we loue God whom we sée not how can we agrée with Christ with whom we are not conuersant But to declare further vnto you that God accepteth not our Sacrifices that he regardeth not our petitions that he is not pleased with our prayers vnlesse we be at one pleased with our Bretheren He crieth out by Esaie his prophet and saith Cum clamabitis ad me ego non exaudiam vos quia manus vestrae plenae sanguinis sunt When you shal call vpon me I wil not heare you
though ye make many praiers yet heare I nothing at all saith God And wherefore Because your hands are full of blood It is written in Genesis that God would not looke vpon Cayn and his Offring that he would haue no regard to his Sacrifice and wherefore because his hart was full of malice Salomon saith Precatio iniusti abhominabilis est The praier of the wicked is abhominable the sinfull mans prayer is abhominable in the sight of God Dauid also Let their prayers be as a sinne let their prayer be turned into sinne saith he O miserable man thou art if thou be not in charitie wretched and too sinfull thou art if thou be not in loue and vnitie thy Prayer is abhominable yea thy prayer is no prayer thy prayer is sinne Thou prayest to be forgiuen but thou thy selfe wilt not forgiue this is ynough to condemne thée For our Religion is none other but a Brotherhood knit together in the loue of God our profession is none other than charitie and brotherlie loue towards all men in our Sauior and Redéemer Iesus Christ God is the God of loue Christ is the Prince of peace his Gospell is the Gospell peace and we that are Gods seruants ought to liue in godlie loue we that are Christs bretheren ought to liue in Brotherlie peace We are all baptized in one water whereby we should haue in remembrance that we should in loue liue as one together These and such other are or may be sufficient to bring vs in remembrance of Brotherlie loue of faithfull amitie and vnfained concord if we of our selues were not too forgetfull O how oft said Christ to his Disciples Pacem meam do vobis pacem meam relinquo vobis I giue you my peace my peace I leaue vnto you By this cognisance and none other shall men know you to be my Disciples saith Christ if ye loue together if ye haue loue one to an other He saith also A new commandment giue I you that you loue together as I haue loued you What a zealous fire what an earnest loue had Christ when he praied and said O Father cause that these be one as thou and I are one that like as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in vs. Because ye be few said Christ to his Disciples and in the middest of your enemies liue you in concord and peace one with an other one beare with another and all you hold together S. Paul saith That he which loueth his Brother hath fulfilled the whole law Let not the Sunne goe downe on thy wrath saith Paul And againe Reuenge not but giue place vnto displeasure wreke not your selues but giue roome to the wrath of God Dauid when he was in most extreame persecution his enemies laid daily wait for his life séeking his destruction euen then fell he to most earnest praier he sought not to be reuenged but he made his prayer vnto God and said O Lord they speake euill of me they reuile me they call me Traitor they call me all that naught is but I haue none other help but to pray vnto thée my only succour is to flie vnto thée Thus did that holie prophet Dauid and so did the Christians in the beginning of Christs Church For Tertullian an old and holie father saith Fratres se appellabant more voluerunt pro muicem They called them selues Bretheren saith he and one would not sticke to dye for an other O what a charitie what a loue what a Brotherly affection was this among Christians in the beginning of Gods Church Saint Steuen when he was stoned all his bones crusht and burst in péeces and his Soule readie to leaue his bodie euen then he prayed for his Tormentors euen then he cried out vnto God and said O Domine ne statuas illis peccatum hoc Lord lay not this sinne to their charge So that holie father Nazianzen when the hangman that most cruelly had tormented him desired pardon of him he méekely answered Qui mihi ignouit ignoscat tibi He that hath forgiuen me the same forgiue thee God hath pardoned mée and I béesech him that he will in like pardon thée Euen so likewise Christ when he hanged on the Crosse when his hands and féete were nailed to the trée and he in the middest of all his woe euen then he prayed for his persecutors then he desired his Father to pardon them and said O Pater ignosce illis nesciunt enim quid faciunt Father forgiue them for they wote not what they doe This is an example for vs to follow thus ought wée to do as in the beginning of Christs Church the Christians did who called themseues Bretheren and one would dye for an other Thus ought we to say as S. Steuen said Lord lay not this sinne to their charge thus should we do as that holie father Nazianzene did and say He that hath forgiuen me the same forgiue thée And lastly so ought we to pray for our enemies as Christ did for his persecutors and say Father forgiue it them they wote not what they doe Thus ought we to do if we mind to liue according to our profession and if we will be Christians as we are called Christians We read written by S. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles that in the beginning first spring of Gods Church the whole congregation had one thought one mind one hart Such a loue such a charitie such a Christian conformitie was among them And in commendation of Christian charitie brotherly loue one with an other the prophet Dauid said O quà m bonum quà m iocundum habitare fraires in vnum Behold how good ioyfull a thing it is Bretheren to dwell together in vnitie He estéemed loue to be so great a iewel he thought concord and vnitie a thing of so great price that he could not speake too much good of it And therfore he sayd It was like the oyntment that ran vnto Aarons beard and like the dew of Hermon which fell vpon the hill of Sion where the Lord promised his blessing and life for euermore But O mercifull God vnto what times hast thou reserued vs where is now the peace giuen the loue left by our Sauior Iesus Christ where is that charitie that should alwayes remaine among Christians Now is the time euen now good Bretheren are the dayes come which Christ himselfe prophesied should come saying The time shall be that iniquitie shall haue the vpperchand and the loue of many shall abate Christ said that such a time should come and euen now euen now that time and season is come vpon vs. So likewise Saint Paul the Apostle of Christ said In the last dayes there shall come perilous times Erunt homines seipsos amantes There shall bem en which shal loue them selues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers and such as shall be