A VIEW OF THE ROMISH HYDRA AND MONSTER TRAISON AGAINST THE LORDS ANNOINTED CONDEMNED BY DAVID 1. SAM 26. AND NOWE CONFVTED IN SEVEN SERMONS To perswade Obedience to Princes Concord among our selues and a generall Reformation and Repentaunce in all states By L. H. Psal 11 Behold the wicked bend their bowe they haue made readie their arrowes vpon the string to shoot in the darcke at those that are righteous in heart Psal 5 Destroy them O God let them fal from their Counsels cast them out for the multitude of their iniquities because they haue Rebelled against thee AT OXFORD Printed by IOSEPH BARNES and are to be solde in Paules Church-yearde at the signe of the Tygers head 1588. The Dialogue and talk of Dauid and Abishai touching King Saul whether he being cast into a dead sleepe shoulâ— be killed or no taken out of the first booke of Samuel and 26. Chapter 8 Then said Abishai to Dauid God hath closed thine enemy into thine hande this daie nowe therefore I pray thee let mee smite him once with à speare to the earth and I will not smite him againe 9 And Dauid said to Abishai Destroy him not for who can lay his hand on the Lords annointed and be guiltlesse 10 Moreouer Dauid said As the Lord liueth either the Lord shal smite him or his day shal come to dy or hee shall descend into battle and perish 11 The Lord keepe me from laying mine hand vppon the Lordes annointed but I pray thee take now the speare that is at his head and the pot of water and let vs goe hence 12 So Dauid tooke the speare and the pot of water from Sauls head and they gate them awaie and no man saw it nor marked it neither did any awake but they were al asleepeâ— for the Lord had sent a dead sleepe vpon them TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORD ROBERT DVDLEY EARLE OF LEICESTER BARON OF DENBIGH KNIGHT OF THE MOST NOBLE ORDER OF THE GARTER OF HER MAIESTIIS most Honorable priuy Counsaile Chauncelour of the Vniuersitie of Oxford LAVRENCE HVMPHREY WISHETH GRACE PEACE AND MERCY FROM GOD THE FATHER OVR LORD IESVS CHRIST THERE are Right honorable as farre as I can iudge Two perilous poinâ—â— of popery in the Romish Religion two principall parts and peremptorie pointes corrupt Opinions and outragious ActioÌ„s both drawen and borrowed from our common Aduersary who one way soweth in darkens and in the night among the wheat of gods word the cockle darnel of pernicious doctrine the other way he murdreth them from the beginning Iohn 8. 1. Pet. 5. and roareth like a Lyon and in his continuall and cruell circuite seeketh whom he may deuour euerie way hunteth after blood and our destruction spiritual and corporal As Christ is humble and meek as the cognisaunce of Christians is loue so the badge of Antichrist is bloody ful of cruelty voide of charity To passe ouer the corruptions of doctrin This second Monster of Rome Hydra of Rome hath many heads this Hydra is of many heades These Actions of Popes are diuerse both here seen and felt and vnderstood abroad and euery where practised As Ashur was Gods rod and Vespasian his seruaÌ„t against the Iews so this reputed Vicar of Christ hath been the whippe of Princes the scourge of all Christendome By his opinion in Masse he hath learned to offer an vnbloody sacrifice In his Actions he is Pilat mingling sacrifices with mans blood Luâ— 13. By his opinion hee is guilty of that which is written Psal 144. His mouth speaketh lies In his actions of that which followeth His right hande is the right hand of iniquity But ô that al Princes were of King Dauids mind not to meddle nor to communicate with such bloody sacrifices Psal â— nor to haue these false cruel gods names in their lips Although your Lordshippe knoweth his dooings in this realme better then I can deliuer yet I purpose by your good leaue and licence to set down the proceedings of this Hydra and his actions by degrees and steps for some Instruction and a Caueat to my countrymen The first Act and head The first head of this Romish Monster is a Temporal sword open defiaunce against kings and kingdomes misliked by him He wil be not onely a Bishop of Bishops but a king nay a Conquerour of kings Hee hath in his hande the wheele of fortune to make kings goe vp and goe downe according to his pleasure in driuing guiding the chariot and maketh them thus to say Regno regnabo regnaui sum sine regno One saith I doe raigne another I wil raigne another I haue raigned another I am put from my raigne He maketh Apollo to giue ouer the chariot of the Sunne and to resigne it to any rechles rash Phaeton though he set on fier heauen and earth Hee wil win the horse or loose both horse and saddle He can be content that Dauid or any other godly Prince bee vnhorsed and vnseated and that wanton and rebellious Absalom bee placed and setled This bloodie action of warring is performed sometime in their owne person as Iulius the second that fought against the French with Paules sword and others both Popes and Cardinals may bee witnesses sometime by inciting and setting on other Princes against a Realme or Seignory As Pippin Charles were imploied against the Lombardians by the commaundement of Adrian Cau. 23. q. 8 And Gregory the great willeth the Tuscans to doe the like Thom. walsing in Edâ—ar 1. Boniface by letters sollicited the King of England against the French King and promiseth aide And another time Kings of Fraunce are set vp against England Al these experimentes fal out in our time by a Catholick coÌ„sent in the councel of Trent that all Catholicke Princes should prepare against England and others of the reformed religion This cannot be good for euen the Pope himselfe saith that it is not good Cau. 23 q. 8 â— Tim. 2. Pope Nicolas saith to Charles the Emperour No man that is a souldior to God entangleth himselfe with secular businesse And if the souldiours of the woorlde apply themselues to warfare what hath the Bishoppes and souldiours of Christ to doe but to goe to their praiers Quid ad Episcopos milites Christi nisi vt vacent orationibus If this head of Hydra by Gods mightie mercifull hand bee cut off so that forreiners wil not nor caÌ„not satisfie the turn his lust The 2. head a trumpet of ciuil warre beholde another head riseth A Proclamation of Rebellion to al Catholickes against their dread Soueraigne for he will set all at six and seuen and mooue euery stone he wil goe thorough thicke and thinne Examples wee haue in England and Ireland with banners of ciuill dissension displaied to the offence of Almighty of God to the disturbance of our publicke and godlie peace to the vtter ouerthrowe of noble families Yet there is another
The compassion and sorrow of good Princes Pagans Christians and of Queene Elizabeth in the death of the traitours and offendours that suffer An admonition to traitors and offenders yet liuing The death of good Princes is of necessitie but yet a plague to common weals and to the church Mutations and changes perilous Praier for the good Princes OVT OF THE SEVENTH SERMON A Question whether the Papists be the authors of these troubles and tragedies against Princes or Protestants The resolution is flat against Popes the trumpets of sedition The sturre betwixt the Pope Paschal and Henrie the 5. the murderer of his father The detestation of these Traitours by a few moe examples of Iewes Romanes Hungarians of Danes The cause of these practises against good gouernours is their goodnes and Gods cause the second cause in the practisers is their ignorance Christ and his gospel a stumbling stone The lot of the Prince and the Prophet is to be hated for their Religion The third part of Dauids diuision his politick and prouident Resolution The prouidence of god gathered out of the circumstance of the text threefold The first part Gods special care prouidence and protection of Princes as here of Saul Murmurers mutterers alwaies against rulers against Moses though no ruler then yet appointed by god against Dauid and Christ And yet all these and others were preserued vntil their time appointed as appeareth by the notable examples of Cyrus Romulus Seruius Tullius Constantine Antonine Vespasian Waldemar Lodouicke Charles 5. Henry 4. and by authorities The second prouidence of god ouer Dauid and his church and euery member thereof A comfortable doctrine to the elect and godly who somtimes stagger seeing their affliction and the prosperity of the godles The meane that God vseth here to preserue is a deadly sleepe God hath many waies of deliueraunce comprehended in two general waies by Origen declared by examples The prouidence of God defined by Aquinas The decree of man and the determinations of god contrary Prince and preacher must run their course without stop The third kind of prouidence for temporall things Murmurers in this point God◠prouidence reacheth to the godly and to the followers of the word and religion Almunition of Roialms al promotion of men from God Contrariwise sinne the cause of diuision between God vs and the only impediment and hindraunce of his carefulnes and prouidence The purity of Christians in the time of Constantine and Traian The care of her Maiesty and her honorable Counsail in the time of dearth A Citation and summoning of England to iudgement for sin in al Estates Magistrates and Cleargy people Two sorts of men specially offending irreligious and superstiously religious The waie of reconcilement to god is a general reformation of al and repentaunce Faultes escaped correct thus Pag. 49. Lin. 5. Falerians P. 107. L. 28. Prodition P. 116. L. 12. Detestable P. 117. L. 3. Inestimable P. 147. L. 24. Procession P. 171. 18. put out Of. 1 SAM 26. VER 8. Abishai said to Dauid God hath closed thine enemy into thine hande this day now therefore I pray thee let me finite him once with a spear to the earth and I wil not smite him againe c. THE FIRST SERMON IN the beginning of this Chapiter wee haue Saul persecuting and Dauid persecuted the Ziphians discouering him Dauid his espies Saul sleeping with his souldiours the comming of Dauid with Abishai to Sauls campe in the night and nowe in this part of Scripture we heare the conference and disputation of Abishai and Dauid The argument and question is whether Saul the king may bee lawefully slaiue by them his subiectes or no As the persons are two A generall diuision of the Text. so are the partes of this speach two first Abishai the Opponent obiecteth and defendeth the Affirmatiue requesting withall that hee may kil him Secondly Dauid the Respondent holdeth the Negatiue denying that act to be lawful A matter in mine opinion most necessary for Preachers to entreate of and for vs all to heare and consider of in these daies when subiects vtterly forgette their duety and reuerence which they owe to the sacred Maiesty of Princes and to all lawfull Magistrates A thing long since prophecyed of by God in his holy word and in al ages detested of the better sort Iesaiah among other things prophecieth that the boy shal presume against the Auncient Iesaia c. 3 the vile against the honorable Paul also prophecieth of these later times ◠Tim. 3. that men shall bee fierce enimies of the good traitors headdy high-minded The hainousnes hereof both Heathen and Christians haue abhorred The mistocles a notable captaine being banished from his vnthankeful country by the Athenians entertained of Xerxes King of the Persians was willed according to his promise to subdue Graecia vnto his Empire but rather then hee woulde betray his country hee dranke vp a bole ful of Buls bloud Plutarch and so after his sacrifices and prayers to his Gods gaue vp the ghost Vsthazares chamberlaine to Sapor King of the Persians beeing apprehended for his confession of Christ and refusing to woorship the Sunne their God Sor. lib. 2. cap. 9. doth onely make this petition to the King that by the voice of a cryer it might be proclaimed signified to al men Vsthazares is beheadded not for any treasō or crime in the Kings court but that he is a Christian and refusing to obey the king cannot abide to deny his God So much was the very name of a traitor abhorred of thē Now seeing the enormity of the fault necessity of the time giue me leaue to speake to you as Bernarde once did in the like case vnto the Romanes Epist 24◠departing from the Pope Eugenius When the heade a keth dooth not the toung cry for al the partes of the body that they ake also with the head Ego corporis membrum minimum As he so I the smallest and simplest member of our bodie craue leaue to vtter our common griefe for the heade and Soueraigne of this Realm of late without cause troubled and assaulted by open and priuy practises of such as ought to haue been true subiectes and faithful countrymen And for this purpose haue I chosen this parcell of Scripture in the which wee may first learne the wickednes it selfe in the person of Abishai and next in the person of Dauid a controulment and a confutation of it as in the Sermons following shall be declared Touching the first when hath there not bin an Abishai Naie some worse then Abishai seekers and suckers of bloud 1 Part. Abishai would haue Saul a wicked persecutor dispatched out of the waie Treason auncient and news others conspire against the godly and innocent Abishai vseth more good maner in asking leaue of Dauid others headdily attempt the same consulting nether with God nor with good men but only with their owne frontike pates or
that are dead I haue also to make a wish that those that are faulty liuing woulde remember one Story that I would tel theÌ„ Licinius a rebel fought against Constantine but was ouercome and had a pardon with this charge â—â—crat lib. 〈◊〉 3. that he should keepe his house at Thessalonica liue quietly but when hee had gathered a newe hand of vplandish and barbarous men then hee commaunded him to be slaine Well The effect of my speach is God wil not haue the death of a sinner neither doe godly men desier these euill men to be rid out of the way but to turne into a better way and to reforme themselues and yet the Protestation of Dauid is true vppon their impenitency and frowardnes God will ease the world of these burdens of the earth I am now to make vp my general that all must dy The death of Princes not only the bad but euen the good shal depart froÌ„ vs. The bad for our comfort for the consolatioÌ„ of the church The good for our plague for not only wicked Saul but euen good Dauid is gone O that we may not say in our daies Our Dauid is gone but she must goe and perhappes the sooner for our wickednes Let vs pray therefore for her long and prosperous raigne among vs wee haue great cause so to pray The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in his heart Esaie 57. the merciful men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth it as the Prophet saith Mark I beseech you mark you that loue chaunges how perilous they are What good commeth by the good Princes what losse commeth by their departure Augustine writeth De Ciuiâ— Dei lib. 4. cap. 3. Vtile est vt bons longe lateque diu regnent neque hoc tam ipsis quà m illis vtile est quibus regnant It is profitable that good men raigne far and wide and a long time neither is this so profitable vnto themselues as to those ouer whoÌ„ they raigne The mutation of Princes and alteration of States how dangerous it is may appear by former times After good Samuel and in the time of the banishment of Dauid the Philistines warred against the Israelites in the which battle Saul was slaine and the people of God conquered but by Dauid that succeeded the common weale and the church florished After the death of Iosias was the battel of the Babylonians wherby the Kingdom of Iuda was brought to slauery 2. Paralip 32.36 and afterward subuerted After this Iosias and Ezechias followed euil rulers as it is in the book of Chronicles Alexander the great is called of Daniel a mighty King but his King dome was diuided towards the 4 winds of heaueÌ„ not to his posterity Cap. 11. nor according to his dominioÌ„ Where wise meÌ„ ruled as Solon Lycurgus others who now rule there but Turkes Infidels After the death of William Conquerour came famine pestilence thundring lightening flashes in heauen fires in England as a certaine Prognostication of miseries and ruful calamities in Rufus time Polydor Virg. lib. 9 The death of Heroicall and great personages is ominous and vnluckie Therefore that I may drawe to an end and to the conclusion of Dauids argument The Conclusion of Dauids reason in his protestation seeing God hath set downe a periode course for euery man and a terme and time of death seeing all young and old rich and poore noble vnnoble yea Princes Monarches and Popes must die by some of these meanes and kindes of death which Dauid setteth down let vs obey the reason and reserue to God his iudgement Let vs not preuent his houre no not against the wicked gouernours and sith God hath sent vs a Dauid let vs not by our vnthankfulnes forgoe her Maiestie or by our treacherous behauiour cut off her daies God hath numbred them and they cannot be shortened no nor prolonged but that number will come once to an end though when we cannot tell Augustine maketh me affraide in these words De Ciuit. Dei lib. 5. cap. 25. Iouinianum multo citius quà m Iulianum abstulit Gratianum Ferro Tyrannico permisit interimi longè quidem mitius quà m magnum Pompeium colentem videlicet Romanos Deos. God tooke away Iouinian much sooner then Iulian he suffered Gratian to bee killed with the sword of a tyrant a great deale more gently then great Pompeie a man forsooth that worshipped the Gods of Rome If the certainty be such of death and the vncertainetie of the time so great let vs once againe pray to our heauenly father for the prosperity of her State for the peace of her raigne for the continuance of her daies and for vs al which God grant through the merit of Jesus christ to whom with the father c. 1. SAM 26. 11 The Lord keepe me from laying mine hand vpon the Lords annointed but I pray thee take now the spear that is at his head and the pot of water and let vs go hence 12 So Dauid tooke the spear and the pot of water from Sauls head and they gate theÌ„ away no man saw it nor marked it neither did any awake but they were al asleep for the Lord had sent a dead sleep vpon theÌ„ THE SEVENTH SERMON FOR the better vnderstanding of this text and of all that which I haue to say in this place I must in few woordes repeat and rippe vp that which went before A repetition of Dauids discourse Dauid hath aunswered the motion of Abishai in this proposition That King Saul should not bee destroied and yeeldeth two reasons for that he is the Lords annointed and whosoeuer laieth hand vpon him shal not be holden guiltles Another reason is in the protestation of Dauid that he will not doe it because the matter lieth in Gods hand and he hath ordinary extraordinary meanes to remoue him or kil him at his own pleasure and therfore it pertaineth not to him a priuat man although he be next in succession to vse any fraudulent or violent preuention Which reasons I haue elsewhere examined by many lawes autorities confirmed to be of force moment the particulars whereof I omit At this time I purpose to proceede first in the proofe of the reason so nextly to intreat of the last part It is a scruple or question nowe in these daies who bee the successours of Abishai in these mischieuous and malicious conspiracies against Princes Staphylus seemeth to burden Luther that he commandeth subiects to rebel In Apolagia Frideâ— Staphyli in praefaâ— and to disobey the commaundements of Caesar and forbiddeth to sight against the Turkes But this Question wee haue resolued and determined before that the Popes are aduersaries and no friendes of Caesar and that they are the onely authours of insurrections and rebellions against lawefull autority As for Luther he teacheth obedience in al his writings he loueth not such presuÌ„ption against
Princes and presenting abroad their Roses their baÌ„ners their swords consecrated or rather execrated to such as shuld betray persecute the good This cruel deuise of betraieng godly gouernors was here of Abishai but not of him alone but an inuentioÌ„ of the diuel himself who seing Gods work to go forward euer laboreth to disturb and to throw it down Semper Diabolus bono operi imminet vbique gradientibus ponit laqueos Hieran Jereman the prâ—ssuâ— of his 4. books He is stil peering into the good works of the godly he is ready to hinder the course of the gospel and laieth snares against them that walke in the way of the Lord. You remember the Sermon of Abishai I neede not repeate it nowe the second person must be produced namelie Dauid replying to Abishai This aunswere conteineth these three sub-diuisions A diuision general of Dauids Replie his Prohibition Protestation and Policie The Prohibition forbidding Abishai The Protestation of him-selfe detesting the fact His Policie in taking away the speare and the cuppe as a signe of his faithfulnes who might as easily haue takeÌ„ away his heade as his helmet or those things whatsoeuer that were by him then sleeping At this tyme onely of the first and so farre as I may for the time A speciall Diuision in the ninth verse standing vpon these two points A proposition forbidding and a reason proouing the same The first in these words 1 Proposition against murder Destroy him not and this was alwaies the opinion of Dauid to be good to the bad to bee a friende to his enemies as in the case of Shimei who railed and cursed him and called him a man of blood and a man of Belial a murtherer and wicked man And here againe the same Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah folowing his hoat spirit 2. Sam. cap. 16. termed this Shimei a dead dog and would haue faine cut off his head but King Dauid then reprooued and restrained Abishai and saide that no man should die that day in Israel Cap. 19. and sware to Shimei he should liue Cap. 24. And in the twenty fourth Chapter of this booke Dauid found Saul in a caue and though his seruants and frinds told him that the Lorde had deliuered his enemie into his hand he spared his body and only for a token cut off the lap of his garment priuilie and euen for that hee was touched and striken in heart 1. Sam. 24. So in this place hee would not haue that forward or rather froward man Abishai to take that aduantage vsed this argument For who can lay his hand vpon the Lordes annointed and be guiltlesse Saul is the annointed of the Lord 2. The explication of the Reason therefore no man can lay hands on him without punishment which reason I minde to open to you and prosecute In the person of the Prince are to be considered two things his maÌ„hood Princehood Aliter Rex seruit quia homo est August Epist 50. aliter quia etiaÌ„ Rex est one way a King serueth because he is a man another way also because he is a King so that he beareth representeth a double person 1 As man he must â—oâ— bee killed oâ— man As man if there were nothing els he may not be spoiled by any priuat man Who so sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed Gen. 9. for in the Image of God hath he made him Moses hath made a Law general Thou maist not kil And yet not so general Exod. 20. but that it hath an interpretatioÌ„ limitation It is not ment saith Austine of cutting or as it were of killing of shrubs trees or such like which haue no sense in them neyther is it meant of vnreasonable creatures flying Whether is be lawful to kil a man and howe swymming walking creeping it remaineth therefore that we vnderstand it onely of men that we should not kill any man therefore not our selues This generall also hath another exception Austin l. 1. de ciuitate Dei cap. 20. for it is lawful to kil a man as in lawfull wars Deo auctore by the warrant of God nay a souldior lawfully constituted if he do not kil he is guilty of contempt imperij deserti atque contempti as the saide Augustine teacheth in another place of the same City of GOD. Li. 1. c. 26. Againe it is lawful for a Magistrate to put to death a malefactour or for such as bear the person of publicke power by the Lawes of God or of any which is mooued certainely and called therevnto by a special inspiration of the holy Ghost or for that authority which did choose and ordaine that gouernour or in any such like case and cause Otherwise no spirite no reason no friend no carnall respect may authorize any man of his owne heade or his priuate affection to draw weapon against any man much les against a double and compound person as the Prince established by lawful and publique authority What if Abraham should haue killed his owne sonne Isaac Gen. 21. Is it therefore lawful for al parents to doe the like The commaundement of God for the killing was onely to trie his faith but the sauing of Isaac by God was a secret commaundement to all fathers to commit no such thing against their children Of this example Augustin also writeth in his first book De C. Dei cap. 16. Though Moses killed the Aegyptian Exod. 2 Num 25. 1 Sam. 15. Acts. 5. and Phinehas the fornicatours and Samuel Agag and Peter Ananias and Saphira without sword with a worde yet the specialties are not generall rules for priuate men against men according to the sayeng Priuilegium non est lex A priuilege is no law It is said of the Magistrates rightly by Hierom vpon Ieremy Lib. 4 c. 22. To punish murderers Church-robbers poisoners is not shedding of bloud but the ministerie of Lawes It is saide to Magistrates and to priuate men by Ieremy in the same Chapter speaking to the King of Iuda Cap. 22. Doe no violence nor shedde innocent bloode in this place These wordes as Hierom expoundeth them forbid not only the Kings court but Episcopos socios eorum presbyteros al Bishops and their fellowes the Ministers Deacons and all the order Ecclesiasticall or else they leese their dignity What shal we saie then of the Byshoppe of Byshoppes that draweth his sword as the foole dooth his wodden dagger against euery body and for euery trifle No man publique or priuate secular or Ecclesiastical inferiour or superiour ought without crime or cause to put to death any man It is said to Peter and to Peters successour the Pope Ioan. 18. as they wil haue him Put vppe thy sworde into his sheath for all that take the sword shal perish with the sword If Peter did il in cutting off an eare of a seruant how much more doe they offend
recyting certaine lawes of India Jn moral 5. setteth downe against traytours Lawes of Jndia that they should bee banished The reason of the law is that the King might be without fear the kingdome in peace and if a traytour were taken all the siue counsailers should giue sentence against him and that iudgement once pronounced should not be reuoked O that England had the Law of India or rather that happy effect of the law that Prince and people freed from them might liue in quietnes and security Hierons in Mac. c. 10. We al naturally defend our head as the Serpent doth his and naturally the head is either reuerenced or feared most as the Panthera Plin. lib. 8. cap. 16. though for the variety of her coloures of other beasts she is most gazed vpon and for her sauor is marueilously comfortable yet with her head she is most terrible And though shee bee wild and cruell towardes others yet feeling a remedy euen by the excrementes of man against poyson dooth so loue man and couet them that if they be hanged vp in a basket or a vessel by sheepheards higher than she can touch them yet by reaching and leaping after them she faileth and fainteth and at last dieth Cap. 27. Princes are the heads of our common-weals they ought therefore to bee had in reuerence and to be defended feared and loued except we wil be worse than heathnish miscreantes than beasts as dogges serpentes horses and sauage Panthers Now we must passe from the law of nature vnto the law of God The lawe of God to the Jewes although indeed the law of Nature is the law of God but I mean the written law of the Iewes in the which wee find Eccl. c. 10. That the birdes of the aire shal carry the voice of him that speaketh euil or curseth the King euen in his thought or in his bed-chamber and the foul of the heauen shal declare the matter abroadt Examples of Gods plagues against disobedience Numb 16. Numb 12. Exod. 14. And that Mary the sister of Moses himselfe murmuring against her brother a Magistrate was striken with a leaper that the Israelites for mumling and making mutiny against him their Captain were punished that Corah DathaÌ„ Abiram rebelling against him the one with fier the other with earthquake perished with their wiues childreÌ„ and goods And that the common people for saying to Moses and Aaron That they had murdered the people of the Lord were plagued with death by God himself to the nuÌ„ber of fourteene thousand and seuen hundred besides them that died in the conspiracy of Corah If for thinking or speaking and murmuring against the Magistrats such punishment was inflicted how much more for conspiring the death of a Prince Let theÌ„ also take heed who iustifie traytours Against accessaries and Iustifiers of Trainours aad aske with these Israelites Why haue you put to death these good men Corah Dathan Abiram Why haue you shed the bloud of Campian and other Catholickes Such reason as serued against Corahits in the iudgement of God may serue in the opinion of al good men against Campianistes and such spirituall nay such spitefull Catholickes The end you see grieuous by the iudgement of the law by the displeasure of God What murder is by the priuate man committed against a priuate man The terrible example of Cain the first nuâ—derer let cursed Cain teach al men Hee is first cursed and the earth also made barraine and fruitlesse who opened her mouth to receiue the blood of Abel Hee is pronounced a vagrant man banished from the face of God hee falleth to desperation crying out that his sin is greater than that it can be pardoned Gen. 4. He hath a marke of trembling quaking fearing euery shadow of man and the shaking of the leaues of the trees This seuerity was exercised in the law of Nature I meane before the sentence of the Lawe Mosaical and before any example of punishment shewed against any murtherer beyng himselfe the first that euer suffered that way for that offense Afterward we find too many examples and punishmentes a few may suffice The Daughter of Amry Athaliah rose vp and destroied al the Kings seede 2. King 11. onely Ioas excepted and she cried Treason treason but she her selfe as a traytor was slaine with a sworde whereat the people of the lande reioyced and the city was in quiet I pray God we may haue the like sequel for the like iustice extended vpon our trayterous persons in these daies When King Assuerus found out by Hester his Queene vpon the information of Mardocheus Lib. Hest cap. 1.2 that there was treason in his priuy chamber against him by Bighthan and Teresh either by poison as some write either by the sword as Caietanus the Cardinal gathereth by the phrase and maner of speaking to ridde him out of his life the conspiratours were hanged the discloser Mardocheus honored and the Act for memory sake registred The life and raigne of Dauid may bee once againe a myrror to behold al this Tragedy The example of Dauid in himselfe in the which we haue partly seen before now also may see his vprighteous dealing obedient behauior towards Saul who would not suffer Abishai to touch him nether he himself would at any time hauing iust opportunity to aduenture it whose discreet moderation is by Chrysostom wondred at also noted in the Popes decrees out of Ambrose Hom. de Dauid Saul De paenit distinct 2.1 Sam. 31. Dauids seueritie against other murderers Saul in battle pursued to death by the Philistines requested his armorbearer to draw out his sword thrust him thorow but he would not being affraid to offend of better nature thaÌ„ to shew any kind of vnthaÌ„kfulnes to his King so that the desperat wretched King was driuen to that extreme Exigent to dy vpon his owne sword But the Amalekite that brought tydinges to Dauid of the death of Saul confessed that he made an end of him was for his paines rewarded with the like death by Dauid 2. Sam. 1. Thy bloud be vpon thine own head for thine own mouth hath testified against thee In this gouernement of Dauid Absalom the Kinges Sonne did slay his Brother for his Sisters sake 2. Sam. 3. but knowing and fearing his fathers iustice fled awaie for the space of three yeares and after that vpon great intreaty was made a prisoner in his owne house and did not see the Kings face Afterward when the same Absalom was a rebel against his owne father Cap. 14. though Dauid perhappes in a fatherly pitty would haue spared him yet God himselfe did execute his iudgement vpon him 2. Sam. 18. and was without the hand of man hanged vpon a great oke by the long locks of his head A straunge execution of a Rebell as was that also of Achitophel that had his hand in
of a leafe at the voice of any creature Alexander a tyraunt of the Phereians beholding a tragedy Plutarch and bewailing the miseries of Hecuba and Polyxena ran out of the stage in al hast vpon some griefe of mind and ashamed any more to be looked vppon because hee had killed so many citizens Bassianus the Emperor after he had murdered his brother Geta Spartianus in Anton. Caracallo whensoeuer he did see his picture or heard his name he wept and poysoned Laetus the first counsailer of his brothers death and killed all those that were priuy to it that there might be none liuing to giue any testimony or once to know it In what an hel was Nero that put to death Peter and Paul Herode Eusebius ax Iosepho Act. c. 12. And Herod that beheaded Iohn Baptist And Herod Agrippa that murdered Iames who after great tormentes and horrible pains the uÌ„st day died miserably by the stroke of an Angel in a visible manner appearing to him In what a pitifull case was Theodoricus Theodoâ— when he had flame Boetius and Symmachus the sight of a great sish brought to his table and gaping vpon him stroke such a conceit and impression into him that hee beleeued verily that it was the terrible and lowring face of Symmachus threatening him Procopiâ—â— wherewith he was brought to a sicknes and so to his end In what a desperate case was Richard the third the vsurper of the crowne Richâ—â— the murderer of two young Princes Who after the fact committed coulde neuer haue quiet sleepe and thought in the night at Boswoorth where the fielde was fought in his terrible dreame that hee sawe about him as it were the Image of wicked spirits that would not suffer him to take any sleep Heare I pray you the Commentary of Polydor Virgil. Angl. Hisâ— lib. 25. I beleeue saith he it was no dreame but the conscience of his wickednes a conscience I say the more heauy the greater the fault was the which if neuer at any other time yet at our last day is woont to represent vnto vs the memory of al our faultes and shew withal the paines that hang ouer vs. I neede not put you in minde of the lamentable ende of late Traytours Someruile others All these felt the remorse byting of an euill conscience whereby their harts were as the trees of the forrest moued with the wind as Achas his hart was Iesai c. 7. to whoÌ„ the Lord doth giue a treÌ„bling hart and a sorrowful mind so that they shal feare night and day shall say in the morning Would God it were euening Deut. 28. and at euening Would God it were morning I wil not referre you againe to the cerrible examples of Cain saying Gen. 4. Matth. 27. Whosoeuer findeth me wil kil me nor to the tragical end of Iudas I signified lately how dogs haue betraied murderers Dogges and made them to confesse their faults of murder Fishes and euen now how a fish amased and daunted a King and before howe Salomon telleth the same of birds of the Air. Eccle. 10. Plutarchus desera numinis vindicta Birds betray murderers Swallowes Bessus killed his father it was long hidde at length after supper among straungers he was so mad and so persecuted in conscience that hearing swallowes sing he foorthwith with a speare threw downe their nest and killed the young ones being chiddeÌ„ for it he answered Doe yee not hear how these birdes defame me as though I had killed my father Wherupon he was atterwarde in tudgement found guilty and suffered Ibycus a Poet fel among theeues when he saw he should bee killed hee made as it were a certaine praier and obtestation to the Cranes flying there aboue at that time to bee witnesses and reuengers of his death Cranes These men afterward seeing Cranes ieasted among themselues in the market place Behold Jdemde furili Inquacitate The reuengers of Ibycus are come This ieast being ouer-heard and the Poet wel knowen and found dead when they were racked vpon these suspitions they confesse al. I haue seen in Heluetia the like euidence and testimony of this conscience in a man who for a little paultry pelfe set vpoÌ„ his fellow-pedler as I remember and gaue him many wounds killed him buried him deepely in the ground that no body might see him but the Rauens found him out they sly after him and vpon him Raueaâ— persecuting him from place to place from village to village vntil people ruÌ„ning out and wondring at that straunge accident enquired earnestly after it the fellow perceiuing by no meanes he could driue away the birdes and guilty in conscience and straitly examined cried out It is I that killed the man and so being apprehended and imprisoned as he had mangled the man when he was dead with many strokes to make him sure so was hee after condemnation and iudgement broken in many parts of his body set vpon the wheele for birds to pick at him How true is the saying of Isocrates Though a man hide it from al men yet he cannot hide it from himselfe And that of Gregory Nazianzene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The couscience striketh and beateth the mind And thus far haue I gone in the proofe of Dauids reason that no man can be guiltles that laieth his hand vpon the Lords annointed but shal be condeÌ„ned by al laws sacred prophane diuine humane Imperial Pontifical christiaÌ„ heathnish forreine abroad positiue at home yea by the conscience it selfe a seuere accuser and witnes and iudge of al murders The conclusion of the forst part of Dauids speach In consideration hereof although I hope I need not yet I must in few words speake to vs all subiectes Remember the proposition of Dauid Destroy not the Prince Remember the reason hereof For God will not suffer any such destroier or open conspirator rebel or priuy murderer or any other practiser to scape vnpunished but will by one torment or other reuenge the quarel of his anointed and this is the conclusion of the first part of Dauids reply THE second part of Dauids speach is his PROTESTATION for himself in these words Vers 10. and 11. Text of the 2. part 10 Moreouer Dauid saide As the Lord liueth either the Lord shal smite him or his day shal come to dy or he shal descend into battle and perish The Lorde keepe mee from laying mine hand vpon the Lords annointed AS Dauid hath forbidden Sauls murder in Abishai so he now protesteth for himselfe and that with anoth As the Lord liueth that he detesteth the fact and relieth himselfe vpon God that God shal strike this stroke and desireth God that he may not be so graceles as to lay his hands vpoÌ„ his annointed And why Either the Lord shal smite him The summa of Dauids Protestation or his daie shall come to dye or hee shall descend into battle and
perish The Argument is this God wil in his wisedome appoint his time for the dispatch death of Saul therefore I may not ne will intermeddle in this action against Saul as though he should in the name and person of God thus say If Saul haue offended the iudgement is mine against mine annointed I am and so am called the God of reuengement Psal 94. Rom. 12. Reuengement is mine I will repay Ergo I wil be no reuenger neither wil I vsurp that office which pertaineth to God What neede I or you Abishai or any other hasteÌ„ the death of a Prince which is set downe in the booke of foreknowledge by God himselfe and cannot be preuented by any mortal man or anie wates altered No fate or destiny no constellation no fortune or chaunce no cunning of star-tooters or figure-flingers no conspiracy of number no strength of confederates no counsailes or polices of wise men can change the Prognostication or Almanacke of God which is that Saul and we al Prince people Magistrate and priuate men young and old man and woman good and bad all must die but not when we will nor when friend or foe wil but as God in his fatal book hath written it downe The consequence and congruity of Dauids Protestation thus explaned I pray you marke these notes First our mortality generally incident to vs al high lowe which is woorth the noting at al times 1. Note death common to al. Gen. 3.2 Reg. c. 14 especially in the time of these new and straunge diseases assaulting vs. The general sentence is that Adam is Adam stil hee came from dust and shal return to dust again that we dy al and as water slide away Who liueth Psal 88. Hebr. 9.2 Cor. 5. and shal not see death It is a statute and decree that men must dy once We know that our earthly house of this tabernacle shall be destroied In this declaration our Dauid is very copious particularly for himselfe and generally for vs all Psal 39. Behold thou hast made my daies as a-a-hand breadth mine age is as nothing before thee Psal 102. surely euery man is altogether vanity And again My daies are like a shadowe and I am whithered like grasse What is a shadow but the defect and priuation of light and then what is the life of man but death The same vanity of man is painted out liuely in the hundred and third Psalme by comparing vs to grasse and to a flower of the field Esaie 40. 1. Pet. 1. as we haue also in Esay and Peter Dauid is not alone mortal as you haue heard but al Ortus cuncta suos repetunt matremque requiruÌ„t Et redit adnihilum quod fuit antenihil The effect is that all must returne to the Mother from whence they came In Boeoticiâ— A figure of this is declared by Pausanias AmoÌ„g the gifts and oblations of Apollo there was couÌ„terfatted after the imitation and resemblance of the old works in brasse one Image the flesh was clean gone from the skin so that there remained nothing but bones They say that Hippocrates the Physition did dedicate this at Delphos Phaylus captaine of the Phocensians in his sleepe dreamed Hippocrates naked Image that hee himselfe was made like vnto this gift a naked dead man and so beeing deadly sicke ended his life and prooued his vision true So fareth it not only with captaines and Emperours but with vs al who al shal be the image of Hippocrates A bare Anatomy a schelitoÌ„ or picture of death Who then shal escape Shal children No 2. Note Children and youth mortall not the babe of one yeare Huc puer atque senex pariter venisse feruntur Hic par diuitibus pauper egenus erit When the Prophet proclameth al flesh to be grasse Ies 40. and al people to be verily and truelie hay but yet this must be taken not properly but by a figure when common experience teacheth that an apple fresh and red doth perish or fall downe with the woorm with winde or with a staffe and when the prouerb saith that assoone goeth the Lambes skin to the market as the sheepe shal we thinke that the younger sort and lusty folkes shal bee priuileged from death 3. Note Great die Shal the mighty men or nobles or valiant or Princes bee freed from this sentence of death 3. Kindes of death Dauid saieth No and sheweth three kindes of death either extraordinary before time either ordinary natural either by an externe cause or accident as in battle I speak of the death which is the separatioÌ„ of the body the soul for the death of sin the death mystical which is mortificatioÌ„ De bono mortis pertain not to this point wherof you may read in Ambrose This triple kinde or triple way to death heere set down by Dauid is manifold there are many pathes steps to death Prosper L. Epigram as one doth expresse it Ferro peste fame vinclis algore calore Mille modis miseros mors rapit vna homines That is we dy by sword pestilence famin imprisonment colde heate yea by a thousand meanes which God can and will deuise as Dauid hath set down for al men especially as it is ment in our Text against Princes and Potentates of this world And to begin with Saul did hee not desperatly kill himselfe as Dauid here talketh in battle but yet by the hand of the Lord and indeede extraordinarily by his owne hand It is reason that mightie men should mightily suffer tormentes according as it is written and also Saint Austine hath a notable place Let the king know Sapiâ—us 6. De 12. abusionum grad that as he is ordained chiefe in his throne aboue all men so in punishment if hee doe not iustice he shal haue the chiefe-dom and first place And in another book Idem in L. Q. Noui Vet. Test cap. 16. Lib. 9. Dâ— cad 4. Viri sublimis culpa grane est peccatum Shall perhaps great captaines and warriours auoide this stroke Liuie rehearseth of most valiant captaines Scipio Annibal PhilopaemeÌ„ that al three in one year died but nether died nor were buried in their own country Suidas telleth of Thulis King of al AEgypt vnto the Ocean sea that builded an Ilande of his owne name that asked the Oracle of Serapis Tel me who before me could doe such actes An Oracle of the death of Thulis of the eternal dominion of God and who shal doe after me The Oracle was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is in effect that first God the father next the woord and his sonne and with them the holy ghost the blessed Trinity in vnity did raigne before should after euerlastingly but for himself hee was willed speedily to depart and immediatly after the Oracle was slaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his owne people What are all these mighty men but the Gourd
factious mates Abishai yealdeth reasons that he may dee it The authority of God the opportunity of the time the possibility and easines of the fact for he saith God hath deliuered thine enimy into thyne hand this day and he saw both Saul and Abner and the people in a deadly sleepe and promiseth at one blow to destroy him but the others doe far differ from Abishai especially in the maner howe they doe it and in the causes why they doe it The manner is The manner of Traitors not only fiercely and forcibly to rise against man but most communelie and cunningly with sweete and faire words to commit this foule and filthy Act. The first murderer that euer was vsed this pleasant speach speaking to Abel as it is in the greeke text Brother let vs goe walke into the field but a good beginning in shewe brought an il ende according to that which is written by this our Dauid against his false familiar friend The woords of his mouth were softer theÌ„ butter Psa 55. yet war was in his hart his woordes were more gentle then oyle yet they were swordes And also by his Sonne Salomon A man that flattereth his neighbour Proue 29. spreadeth à net for his steppes This Cainicall course followed Absalom 2. Sam. 13. who inuiting his brother Amnon to a sheepe-shearing feast killed him When I read the Commission giuen by Absalom to his seruantes it seemeth to me that the Romish Absalom Pius Quintus speaketh against a Prince Smite kill feare not for haue not I commaunded you Be bould therefore Is not this a strange father of Peace an Absalom Likewise Ioab laid his net against Amasa 2. Sam. â—â— whom he tooke by the beard with the right hand to kisse and with his sworde priuily and traiterously smote him to death I omit Iudas the disciple and traitour of Christ and that with a kisse and with fair words Aue Rabbi Haile Master Luc. 22. This Iudas had two Schoole-masters Scribes and Pharisies but the chiefe was Satan who entred into him euen as these Papistical Traitors are not successours of Peter in this point but of Iudas and are schoole-fellowes with him It is not only Iudas his treasoÌ„ but a Turkish-trick against Christian PrÃnces and gouernours One Sarracene vsed this against Edward king of Britane or England It maie beè the Author meaneth Rich. To him ayding the Christians against the enemies of Christ came this fleeting fellow secretum colloquium ab eo petens requesting secret conference with him and striketh but after two woundes receiued the King laid handes vpon him and siue him Another Sarracens was suborned by the Sultan to kil Iames Lusignane king of Cyprus vnder the pretense of caryeng letters but he missed and was tormented for it These flattering traitours that with this courtly or rather crafty curtesie and Popish holy-water work this cruelty eyther by woords and insinuations or by presents and gifts or by deliuery of letters or messages or other waies vnder colour of friendshippe the more close they be the more crafty are they the more priny the more perilous for flattery is more hurtful then the most cruell poyson according to the verse Blanditi a plusquam dira venena nocent Wherefore it were to be wished that Princes and great personages would purge and clense their Courtes and houses of such that haue beene taught in the Schoole of Gnato to denye to double dissemble and by the lesson of Cato Saluta libenter seeke not to salute nor to saue but to slaie them Take the drosse from the siluer Prou. 25. and there shall bee made a precious vessell for the finer Take awie the wicked from the King and his throne shal be stablished in righteousnesse Out Dauid had his eies vpon the faithfull of the land that they might dwell with him and vpon them that malk in a perfect may that they might serue him There shall saith hee no deceitefull person dwell in my house Psal 101. Hee that telleth lies shall not remaine in my sight This faithfulnes is first towardes God and then towardes the Princes and neighbours this deceitfulnes flattering glosing temporizing must needes offend God and man and therefore ought not to be regarded The example of Constantius as it is noted by Eusebius found out these vnconstaunt men-pleasers Lib. 1. de vita Conâ—â— tanquam Proditores Dei as traitours to God esteemed them vnworthy to be with an Emperour and determined they should be banished out of the Court for that they will neuer be true to Emperour who are found vnfaithfull towardes God Quomodo enim Imperatori fidem seruarent his qui erga Deum deprehensi sunt perfidie Because these fleering counterfaites are hardly found out therefore there needeth great circumspection in discerning and tryeng them and also earnest praier to God that he would giue vs the spirit of discretion by his prouidence to preserue vs from them Such discretioÌ„ this ConstaÌ„tius seemed to haue A Philosopher the nephew of Plato discreetly espied it who said vnto a flateterer Desine adulari nihil prosicis cùm te intelligaÌ„ Leaue off this flattering fauning for thou preuailst not I perceiue thee Praier also is needful as an old prouerb importeth Cui fidem adhibeo ab â—o me deus custodiat God keep me froÌ„ him in whoÌ„ I put my trust for the other I wil see to my self The effect of this is that the maner of dealing in these meÌ„ is worse theÌ„ the doing of Abishai You may see by this that al is not goulde that shineth like gould that euen Bees though they carry hony in their mouth yet may sting that Sirenes or Myrmaidens sing sweetly and haue their amiable entertainementes and allurements but otherwise bring Shipwracke to Mariners and therefore Vlysses gaue counsail to his Shipmen to stop their eares I wish al men to take heede of Scorpions though flattering in face yet pernicious in the taile the beginning may bee plausible the end clean coutrary The Crocodile whyneth and plaieth the Hypocrite but it is to catch and to kil The flattering Dragon the Diuel as Augustine termeth him is woorse than the roaring Lyon and this is the maner fashion of this new or rather ould rotten naughty world Now we are to consider the motiues causes perswading these men to enter into these high pointes of treacherous actions 2. Part. Causes of a reason passing the compasse of this Abishai There are many but I reduce them to these following Some men are led or rather missed by couetousnesse 1. Cause â—â—centiousâ—esse that is either desirous of liberty and impunity which is loosenes or else of gaine which is aiâ—arice or else of henour and dignity which is ambition In the time of the Emperour Henry the fourth certaine gentlemen not liking the bridle of discipline nor the restraint of their dissolutenes laid their heads together how they might rid that
the same Popish decrees it is called a wicked promise which is fulfilled wickedly and in a Councel we are taught 〈◊〉 â—onsil â—â—ibert that an vnaduised determination may lawfully and laudably bee broken neither is it a transgression but a correction of rashnesse If any vow haue beene made among our countrymen you see it ought in no wise to be stoode too and I desire them so to thinke and doe For so thought Dauid when he sware by God to kill that great foole Nabal yet Ensem in vaginám reuocauit hee put by his sworde in the sheath at the request of Abigael and was not sory for that periury as it is wel applied by Beda Hom. 44. EueÌ„ as the same Ambrose exhorteth that a maÌ„ shal promise no vnhonest thing Libro Offic. 3. cap. 13. or if hee hath promised it is more tolerable not to keep promise then to do that that is vnhonest Which sentences euen the Popes Lawe reciteth C. 22. Q. 4. but falsly cites the first booke for the third But if any Papist either of scruple in mind conscience either of good nature or rather grace of God cannot be induced to communicate with such traiterous enterprises alleadging their duty former oth made to Princes in the league of association otherwise theÌ„ the Pope hath this religioÌ„ omnipotency that he can wil dispeÌ„se with any oth Plat. Adrian the Pope the fourth of that name excoÌ„municated WilliaÌ„ King of Sicily and assoiled al those that were subiect to his gouernmeÌ„t froÌ„ the oth of obedience that they might being freed froÌ„ that the sooner reuolt froÌ„ him Pope Innocent the 3. Cuspini in Frideric 1. in a couÌ„cel at Lions for hatred he bare against Frederik the 2. depriued him of al Imperiall dignity gaue an absolutioÌ„ to the Princes froÌ„ the oth of fidelity exhorting theÌ„ to chuse another al this is catholick and current religion at Rome is auouched good doctrine from Peter and Paul the Patrones of that Church O blessed Saint Peter saieth Gregory the seuenth I depose Henry the fourth from al Imperial and regal authority Plat in vita Gregor who hath lifted vp his hande too boldly and rashly against thy Church and I doe release his loial leige people of their oth You haue heard of Thomas Becket our countryman a man like Mercury in Aristophanes In Pluto a man of all artes and occupations a courtiar a clerk an Arch-Bishop by his hair cloth a Monk by his inwardest garmeÌ„t nighest to his skin an Heremite a man that first sware the oth of fidelity to Henry the secoÌ„d the same man was the first that brake it by a dispensation of Alexander the Pope ad soluendam Iâ—â—â—â—â—â— Thomae Beckes quà m ad confirmandam fidem promptior a better Schoolemaster of periury then of obedience and this prodition was such a religion that by the Monkes of Caunterbury it was praised and approued This is a right Supremacy to doe and vndo what he listeth this is the pride and the cruelty of the Romish Abishai against the Lordes annointed not fearing to violate the maiesty of Princes to breake oathes to teach disobedience and wilful periuries and al this hee may doe absolutely by his new religion and large commission You vnderstand by the premisses the effect of the first part the meaning of the first persoÌ„ Abishai al tending to the death of the Lordes annointed You vnderstand the predecessours and successours of Abishai in number to bee many in maner of attempting to be violent fierce or else hypocriticall and flattering and the causes mouing them to be either couetousnes catching either ambition aspiring eyther enuy maligning either religioÌ„ pretensed or some such like As I reported before in the beginning out of Bernard to the Romans so in the conclusion out of the same Epistle I speak to the Romanists You foolish Romanists Epist 242. doe you neither iudge nor discern that which is honest Doe you disgrace and dishonor as much as in you is your owne head and the head of vs al for whome you ought not to spare your own necks if need should require I end with this good note of the saide Bernard I knewe once saith hee in Babylon at the voice of one young man that al the people which were deceiued by the vniust Seniors of the city to condemne Susanna did returne to Iudgement and reuerse it and so that innocent bloud was saued that daie I pray God that you of whom I conceiue well and others who may be suspected elsewhere may harken with indifferent eares if not at the voice of Daniel yet at our dayly motion that you wil auoide the deuise of Abishai that you wil not be seduced by the false ould iudges of Israel that you wil not condemne our Susanna rashly and without al cause but abhor al wicked conspiracies mutinies practises against her Maiesty whom the Lorde preserue many years among vs that she may attaine that happines which wise Thales spake of Principis faelicitas vt senex secundum naturaÌ„ in suo lectulo moriatur this God grant Raph. Volaâ— in Philol. 30. that she may haue that felicity of a Prince to dy according to nature in her bed an old Mother in our Israel and after liue and raigne eternally with him to whom I commit you and to him be al honor and praise world without end Amen 1. SAM 26. And Dauid said to Abishai Destroy him not for who can laie his hand on the Lords annointed and bee guiltlesse c. THE SECOND SERMON HERODIAN an Historiographer coÌ„plaineth that it was an old disease amoÌ„g the GraeciaÌ„s Lib. 3. that they were alwaies amoÌ„g them-selues at discorde and were willing to destroy those that seemed to excel others and so in the end coÌ„sumed Greece A fatal matter a mortal sin is sedition reckoned woorthily among the works of the flesh tied and chained altogether as it were with a lincke in the Epistle to the Galathians The woorks of the flesh are hatred debate Cap. 5. wrath contentions dissensions sects enuy murders al of one cognation and kinred This sedition is and euer hath bin not only in Greece but by sundry makebates at al times and in al places by Abishai in Iury as you lately heard coÌ„spiring against King Saul and by others against Dauid himselfe as he thus lamenteth Psal 71. Mine enemies speake against me they that lay wait for my soul take their counsail together saying God hath forsakeÌ„ him persecute take him for ther is none to deliuer him I haue also declared that the Romanists their Prelats haue bin Graecians in this behalfe consenting with Abishai against Saul nay Dauid and made much trouble in the common-weal ChristiaÌ„ churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they haue wasted our Greece most parts in christendom absoluing al ecclesiastical laymen froÌ„ their othes made to their lawful
whatsoeuer means vnlawful against the Mother and Parent of the countrey vnder whose protection by the prouidence of God After the winter of Q. Mary ae summer of Q. Elizabeth they haue enioyed after the winter and tempest of Queene Maries persecution the warmth and heat of the fier and many blessinges of God both spirituall and temporal For a remedy of these euils for redresse of this be astlie ingratitude disobedience and rebellious behauiour against the royal person of the Prince I haue as you haue heard discoursed of the history of Dauid the last day replieng against Abishai which history Chrysostome so liked Hom. de Dauid Saul Chrysostoms Amplification of this historie Exod. 21. that he made Homilies of it and amplifieth the excellent integritie and faithfulnes of Dauid towarde Saul the annointed in that Dauid did this in the oulde Testament where some reuenge was in a sort permitted in that Dauid bestowed benefites vpon Saul sparing him when hee might haue killed him 1. Sam. 24. aduenturing his life against Golias 1. Sam. 16. defending both Saul the King and the whole host of Israel that day and with his harp charming and chasing away the furious spirite that possessed Saul and yet this notwithstanding Sauls speare was euer ready to pearce Dauid And whereas hee should haue had for the victory ouer Golias a dowry with his Daughter 1. Sam. 18. the King set downe this cruell condition against him that he must winne in battel and huÌ„dred foreskins of the vncircumcised Philistines which he valiantly performed with an aduantage bringing two hundred foreskins with him And lastly when he had cut off the lap of Sauls cloke he was striken in hart lamented for it yet for the defense of this fact Gods name was auouched Gods his authority was alledged by Dauids seruantes souldiors Deus tradidit illum in manus c. God hath deliuered thine enemy into thine hands Allegant illi diuinam authoritatem as the said Chrysostom testifieth in that Homily They alleage the authority of God Wherefore once againe I am to request you patiently to heare the rest I beganne to prooue the opinion of Dauid against Abishai although many did hold with Abishai that it was not lawfull to kil Saul nor any the annointed of the Lord being contrary to the law of nature and al lawes Before I enter into the particular probation hereof A generall Rule of Reuenge I doe set downe this ground generally receiued by common Law Lex talionis The Law of retaliation That like will haue like Woe be to thee that doest spoile Esa 33. when thou shalt cease to spoile thou shalt be spoiled when thou shalt make an end of doing wickedlie they shall doe wickedlie against thee Hee that diggeth à pitte Psal 7. Prou. 26. shall fall into it himselfe and he that casteth vp à stone on high it may returne vpon his own pate It is the plaine case of Shimei pronounced by the mouth of this Salomon vpon this general rule Thou knowest all the wickednes whereunto thine hart is priuy 1. Reg. 1. that thou didst to Dauid my father The Lord therefore shal bring thy wickednesse vpon thine owne head Let al Shimeians beware of this strait and sharpe verdict for Sape sagittantem didicet referire sagitta Inque virum plaga conuersa recurrere plaga The arrow oftentimes hitteth the shooter himselfe and the stroke reboundeth back to the striker Plin. l. 34. cap. 8. Perillus that deuised the brasen Bul to encrease the cruell humour of the Tyraunt Phalaris in the which men shoulde bee burned quicke with intolerable paine and roaring was by Phalaris appointed first to feele the smart of his owne inuention Neque eâ—â—ns lex iustior olla Quà m necis artifices arte perire sua It is not amisse but a most iust law that the truel workman should perish in his owne workmanship It is a true prouerb among the Hebrues Middáh Keneged middáh A measure for a measure And our sauior vseth the same What measure ye mete Matth. 7. it shal be measured to you again It is the law Quod fecit semper expectet Col. l. 3. Nemo our lawe in Moses Huic fiet queÌ„admodum ipse fecit Wherfore as it was said once in Exod. Exo. c. 21. Leuit. 24. Deut. 19. A breach for à breach or à fracture for a fracture an ey for an ey à tooth for à tooth so is it also the iudgement of God a limine for a limme bloud for bloud and this is a lawe vniuersal To return now to our particulars I haue declared the law of nature how this common law is verified by creatures voide of reason and by men void of religion which law of nature is established by the wisedome of God himselfe who hath created and directed all things in wisedome Themgument of Nature forcible Ambrose hath a sentence pertaining to this an example prouing this The sentence is Omnia penetrat diuina sapientia implet omnia idque locupletius ex irrationabilium sensibus quà m ex rationabilium disputatione colligitur validius enim est naturae testimonium quà m doctrinae argumentum noting the force and validity of nature and of vnreasonable creatures for the plaine demonsiration of this argument The example is of a dogge A Dogge faithfull so man whereof I spake the last day out of Plinie and out of Ambrose who in general woords confirme the fidelity of dogs They knowe to flie vpon theeues for their master Hexaemer 6. cap. 4. and in the night to forbid strangers to come neer and they are ready to die for their masters and oftentimes they giue euidence to conuince men guilty of muther so that their dum testimony hath bin credited for the most part I reported before out of the same Ambrose that in the suburbs of Antiochia in the dark a man was slain that had a dog accompaniing him And the worker minister of the slaughter was a souldiour discouered by the dog who pursued as hee might the reuenge of the enemy because he could not woork the defense of his master as he wold I omit the kinde nature of Bucephalus Plin. l. 8. cap. 42. Alexander his horse who when he was decked with the trappings and furniture of the King would suffer no man to ride him but the King otherwise he was content with any man O that men would bee as wise as Bucephalus to know a King from a common man and yet In horse and mule there is no vnderstanding Psal 32. But to come from beasts to men from the horse to the master Alexander himselfe a natural man was taught by his Master Aristotle this supernatural lesson in a certaine book written to him Quantum potes As much as you can take heede that you shedde not the blood of any man Euripides also condemneth it as a wicked thing to kil a King Holcot
for the other that they may be conuerted Their conuersion will bee the Popes destruction and a consolation for vs and for all the Godly Therefore O Lord so be it Say Lord Jesus Amen The totall Summe which I haue nowe spoken of in this latter argument The Conclusion compriseth these three pointes First the Popes owne Decrees and Constitutions which are sound Secondlie their owne breaches of the same which are manie The third their deserued end and iudgement which from time to time falleth vpon them sometimes by man and alwaies by God whom they doe grieuously offend The same God turne them or bridle them that we and our gouernours being deliuered from the handes of al our enemies may serue him in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life who bee praised for euer and euer Amen 1. SAM 26. And Dauid said to Abishai Destroy him not for who laieth his hand on the Annointed of Iehoua and be guiltlesse THE FIFTH SERMON I HAVE cōfuted in the last sermon Abishai of Rome and al trayterous Remainstes by their owne Laws of Rome Canonical◠in name and indeede good Rules against al kind of murder I haue complained iustly of their irregular and vnruly rashnes in contemning and breaking their owne rules and making their owne will their law and rule I am now to speak to Englishmen and out of English laws and others A proofe of Dauids Reason out of English Lawes to admonish you Fathers Brethren and Countrimen in such ordinaunces and practises as come to my knowledge which I wish some learned Law yer would take in hande and better performe it In the meane time I exhort you which now by Gods onely goodnes securely dwell in the Land to think of your loyalty and to be more and more thankful A vertu the more to be exercised by vs al for that it is most rare very hard to be found in the world And a woride it is to see the worlde altogether grudging and spiting such Principall persons and Peeres as are excellently qualified Murmuring and vnthankefulnes against the best and haue infinitly well deserued of the common weale When Tully had defended by his eloquence Ch. Popilius in a doubtful cause much perplexed and hazarded and was by his meanes quitte and returned safe and sound to his country and neither in deede nor word hurt at any time by the said Tully yet he such was his vnkindnes Tully maketh request vnto Antonie that hee might be sent to cut his throat vpon the graunt he runneth to Caieta commaundeth his Orator to yeeld his throte and by and by cutteth off the head of the Romane Eloquence Lib. 5. the most noble right hand of peace neuer remēbring that he caried that head which had made an Oration for his head I report almost the very words of Valerius Maximus Lycurgus of whome Apollo gaue this Oracle Lycurgu◠that hee knew not whether hee should number him among men or among Gods was notwithstanding cast at with stones sometimes cast out with a publicke and popular rage and by Alcander had his eye put out and in the ende was driuen out of his country and in that cuntry where he had made enacted established many good Lawes Let vs not be Spartans churling and spurning against our Lycurgus nay our Christian Lawe-maker Let vs not bee vnthankfull Popilians to couet the heade of our Soueraigne who hath saued and preserued many heades Harken therefore welbeloued Countrimen to our own Lawes ould and new and afterward to other constitutions Examples abroad among our neighbours if occasion serueth An old Law was by Canutus Canutus Edgar Alured that he that railed onely against a publicke person Aluredus should haue his toung cut out If a man fought before the Kings counsailour or in the house of a counsailor hee was amerced and fined for it Jnas If in the court hee was amerced in his goods and whether he should dy or no it was in the Kings pleasure and discretiō Another Law of Alure du was That whosoeuer laid wait to kil trayterously the King either alone or accompanied with others Jn Archaeonomia hee should loose liuing and life The Law of King Aethelstane was that if a man wrought mischiefe against his lord it was a capital crime and the losse of his head Euen at that time as you may cōceaue by the premisses were lawes deuised not only to punish man-slaughter but woundes not only woundes but blowes not only blowes but words This Canutus as he was a good Law-maker so hee practised the same against Traytors euen against the traitours of Edmond King of England his enemy Fabian 6. c. 205. R. Holinsh lib. 7. who after the peace made betweene him and Canutus was trayterously slaine at Oxford as hee sate dooing his necessaries of nature And yet Canutus perswading his Countrymen the Danes to pay the tithes truely that ministers might be the better relieued was contrary to the Law shamefully murdered of them in Saint Albanes Church whereof more at large you may reade in Iac. Lib. 3. Am◠Meyer in the Chronicle of Flaunders In this and in other examples hereafter you shal finde to be true that against these blood-thirsty mē Sunt leges legum paenae Their be Lawes and penalties of Lawes not lawes as a sword hid in the scabbard but drawen out executed vpon them and also that there is no succour by Law or by dispensation for Lawe-breakers according to that saying in Lawe Lauxilium 37. ss Raphael Holinshed Frustralegum auxilium implorant qui in leges cōmittunt King Richard the first though a warrior and now marching towardes the holy Lande yet made Lawes among his souldiours against murderers that if it were cōmitted in the ship Rich. 1. he should be cast into the Sea with the corps if vpon the Land he should be bound with the dead body and buried quick with it And these cases were of smaler weight than treason cōmitted against great estates It is therefore prouided that a traytour should be halfe hanged and taken down aliue his bowels cast into the fier and in the end quartred if he were a male if a woman burned These Lawes notwithstanding Disobedience against the lawes yet the vnbridled and cruel Subiectes haue alwaies vnkindly and vnnaturally conspired against Prince and against their own country What inuasion hath there been in this Iland either by Iulius Caesar and the Romanes either by the Danes either by the Saxons either by the Normanes but by the vnthankful and gracelesse children of this our common Mother Gildas complaineth of the Britanes that they were conquered non armis not by battle but by their own slouthfulnes treachery and as Demosthenes accuseth his countrymen the Athenians Jn Olynthiacis that Philip King of Macedonia thriued and prospered not so much by his own strength England alwaies subdued by
old Oak a tree not of life to them but of death called by them the tree of Reformation The tree of Reformation but it was the tree of Absalom vppon the which Miles their Gunner and two of their false Prophets were executed for they trusted in vaine Prophecies which were partly vttered in these verses The country gnuffes Hob Dick Hick With clubs and clouted shoone Shal fil vp Dussin dale with bloode Of slaughtered bodies soone This prophecy was a dreame their captaine Ket crept into a corner but was openly put to death his other brethren were hanged in chaines the rest of meaner sort hearing the pardon proclaimed by an herauld of Armes cast downe their weapons and lifted vp their voices praying to God to preserue King Edward There brake out a new stur in Yorkshier In Yorkeshiere False Prophecies cause of rebellion by false prophecies by a fond misliking of the Kings proceeding But here also the captains that thought to raise a great flame and to set al on fier made but a smoke wherewith they were choked themselues namely a poore man William Ombler and a simple parish clerke Thomas Dale and such like All these ment vnhappily by extraordinary means to turn al the Lawes of God and ordinaunces of Princes topsie-turuie About that time of these rebellions wee had set foorth by the authority of the King to these rebels an Eloquent oration by a great learned man Sir Iohn Cheeke Schoolemaster to the King Sir I. Cheek grauely and pithily dehorting them from such vprores as contrary to Gods word the honour of a King and the safety of the comon-weale which in mine opinion would make any hard heart to melt These former and foolish attemptes in the beginning pernitious and tragicall in the end might haue persuaded our countrymen to haue learned by their fore-fathers to keepe themselues within their tedder compasse of obedience The Raign of Q. Elizabeth But alas our Soueraign Queen Elizabeth hath felt too much of their wilfull disobedience and they tasted somewhat of hir prouoked seuerity Wherefore did Thomas Pearcie Earle of NorthuÌ„berland Charles Earle of Westmerlande against the Lawes of God and man by forcible meanes set vp Masses burne Bibles and bookes of Communion Why did they rise themselues when they might haue been quiet And raise the people which should haue been taught obedience Let the death of the one and the miserable flight of the other the execution of Parson Plumtree at Duresme and of others hanged and beheaded at Knaues Mire not farre from Yorke be instructions and examples for subiects These and many mo cannot warne vs neither the history of Iohn Story prouidently caught beyond the Seas and trimly shipped into this lande and afterward iustly executed vpon a newe paire of Gallowes euen at this day commonly bearing his name Saunders li. 7. de visibili Monarchia Ann. 1566. neither the terrible end of Iohn Felton who vpon Corpus Christi day at London at the Bishoppes gate published the Declaratory sentence of Pius Quintus Pope making this Realme of England and the Queenes Maiesty a pray and a spoil to our neighbours and to al nations neither the beggerly and lamentable state of Iames Desmond neither of Iohn Desmond bearing himselfe too bould vpon an Agnus Dei and a ring sent from the Pope neither of Nicolas Saunders himself the rebellous preacher to the Irish-men Saunders and the rest in the end taken with a frensie these al while they bend the vttermost of their wittes and of their forces against the Maiesty of our Prince whom the Maiesty of God hath enthronized they al I say haue but knocked their heels against the prick spurned to their owne destruction and to the confusion of that Popish sect By these and manie others neither Campion nor the rest of the Iesuites new Incommers Campion other Iesuites and Inmates in this Realme coulde beware neither yet by them other new cutters and practisers could be warned neither yet to this day the people coulde bee taught or perswaded but that their holy fathers Buls and Decrees Declarations must be obeyed and that his waxe and his lead and his Pontifical presentes consecrated by his execrable authority may preserue exempt them from al daungers touch of our law hereafter from al perill punishment either in hel or in purgatory I am to passe ouer at this time other examples and ordinaunces of other countries adioyning to vs as of Flaunders and Fraunce which wee must differre till another time if God will In the meane time let vs aliena frui insania by the madnes of these men learne to bee wise as many of our predecessors both Princes and learned men of this Vniuersity haue doone and know that the Queenes Maiestie hath waded no farther in these causes than other Kinges of this Land who haue broken the yee before King Stephen perceiuing that Theobald Arch-Bishoppe of Caunterburie brought Popish laws from Rome into Englande by decree of Parliament condemneth them burned them as hurtful to a common weale Iohn Bale cent 2. in apeâ—â—lice as Iohn Sarisbury beareth witnes in his eight book and two twentith chapter of Polycrat King Richard the second also molested with Romish affaires and tyranny of the Pope in Parliament holden at Westminster decreed and enacted that it shoulde bee lawfull for no man for any cause to pleade before the Byshoppe of Rome Polyd. Vir. lib. 20. for excommunication of any English-man by his authoritie and if anie such commaundement came from him it shoulde not bee executed vpon paine of losse of all their gooddes and perpetuall imprisonment and therefore great marueile that any such sentence of excommunication from such a forreiner and vsurper against our gracious Prince shuld in these daies of more knowledge by our countrimen be either receiued or harkned to or feared You dearly beloued I hope wil not and that you may not take an example by old Oxford Studentes who could ne would like of a Bull of Gregory directed against Iohn Wicliffe and therefore are chidden of the Pope that would suffer cockle and darnel of his heresie to grow among pure wheat in the beutifull fieldes of their Vniuersity You may also cal to minde that are ancients the daies of Henry the eight and Edward the sixt and iustifie the thinges to be true which I haue alleadged and much more which might bee said to this purpose to the proofe of this argument of Dauid that whosoeuer laieth hand of the lords annointed shal not be accounted innocent but shal be plagued for it The Lord giue vs grace to haue this doctrine fixed and setled in our heartes and expressed in our liues To whom bee all honour c. 1. SAM 26. 9 And Dauid said to Abishai Destroy him not for who can laie his hande on the Lords annointed and bee guitlesse 10 Moreouer Dauid said As the
Lord ouerlooking all their actions nor fearing the haude of the Lorde striking al such actours dare in this manner aduenture any thing against theÌ„ so guarded armes with his protection And yet alwaies there haue bin such murmurers There were that muÌ„bled against Moses Exod. 〈◊〉 Who made thee Prince and iudge ouer vs There was a wicked Belial Sheba that blewe a Trumpet to sturre the people We haue no part in Dauid neither haue inheriance in the son of Ishai â— Sam. 20. There were that murmured against the seruaunts of God sent vnto them and beat some and killed others and stoned some others yea they saide Mat. 21. Let vs kill the heire All this winde shaketh no corne Triticum non rapit ventus Cyprian de simplicitate Praelatorum the winde carieth not away the wheat The annointed of the Lord remaiâ— neth stedfast be he good or be he had either he tarieth in his good pleasure or hee is taken away in his displeasure Saul is a sleepe and yet he is saued and God sâ— ruled Dauid and so bridles Abishai that the one would not and the other could not set vpon him beeing at his head O maruâ—â—â— oaâ—â— fulâ—iesse of our God ouer the gods of the earth yea â—â—godly gods With what proâ—â—â—eÌ„ce was Moses presâ—rued kept close for three mouthes Exo. 2. throwen into the water and yet drawen out â—â—tâ—d by Pharaoh and yet fostered by his daughterâ— oftentimes assâ—â—lted by Isâ—â—â—litâ—â— euer ready to stone him oftentimes murmured at and entried by AEgyptians Exo. 15.16 Num. 11.12.16 by Israelites and somewhat by his owne sister as wee may read in the booke of Exodus and in the booke of Numbers Our Dauid standing nowe in reuersion but afterward put in possession was euermore both a priuate and publick person kept safe because the Lord would haue it so The Lord saith he Psal 18. Psal 38. is my rock my fortresse They haue spred a net and they haue sought my life and yet this dead dog this little flea hath gods passeport and warrant for himselfe Psal 89. I haue found Dauid my seruaunt with my holy oile haue I annointed him therefore mine hand shall helpe him and mine arme shall strengthen him the enemy shal not oppresse him nor the wicked hurt him This comfortable warrant reacheth vnto all Princes that fear God It is recorded in an oration made at the request of Queen Elizabeth in Bonsinius his story of HuÌ„gary Dec. 3. lib. 4. We must vndoubtedly beleeue that al power is giuen to men of God who can withstand the wil of God Cyrus an infant was cast out of dores Romulus with Rhemus was cast into Tyber Seruius Tullius was borne of a seruant and captiue mother and yet they coulde not bee staied or stopped by any violence but that they must obtaine those Kingdomes to the which they were borne and predestinated The prouidence and predestination of God are vnchaungeable and vnmoueable both for comming to Principalities and for keeping their holds which is so certaine that neither force nor frand neither â—â—iue action of Diuels nor conspiration of men can breake or interrupt this appointed course of God Constantine the Great writeth vnto Sapor the King of the Persianes to be fauourable to Christians Soâ— lib. 2. cap. 15. assuring hin that God would be therfore merciful vnto him and that hee himselfe haâ— for his faith by the help of God subdued and subiected vnto himselfe the whole Empire of the Romanes Vulcatius Gallicanus God spake sometimes in the mouth of the heathen as of Antonine the Emperour saying Wee doe not so worship God nor so liue that Cassius a Traytour should ouercome vs. The assuraunce that was made vnto Vespasian in this doctrine of Prouidence was woonderfull when two noble men were conuiceed for conspiracy against him aspiring to the Empire he did nothing else but warne them that they should surcease affirming Principatum Fato dari Principality to bee giuen by the decree of God These men he did not onely famliarly admicte to his Supper but also the next day in the shewe and play of Fensers or sword-plaiers he set them for the â—once about him Sueton in Tit. Vesp and the or namentes weapons offered vnto him by the fighters he gaue to these aduersaries to bee looked vppon and handled of them no doube but assuring himselfe that they could not ne durst strike Saxo Grammaticus declareth how Canutus and Charles and diuers others went about to kil the King of Danes Waldemarus who both with others their complices beeing familiar in the court and neere vnto the King a person and one of them alone sometime with him attending vpon his chariot A nesaâ—â—â— confession of Gods proâ—â—dence its preseâ—â—â—inâ— Princes and many times hauing a coate of maile might haue sodenly dispatched him but hee by Gods prouidence alwaies by one meanes or other was preserued and as one of the conspiratours called Magnus in his examination confesseth that it was Non sorte humana sed diuina opera by no lucke or cunning of man but by the work of God and woÌ„dreth how he did escape being so many times and by so many waies intrapped And when the King asked him Sarc 〈◊〉 Danie l. 1â— whether hee did meane indeede to set vppon him and oppresse him he aunswered stoutely Nec animum sibi nec arma â—ihilque quod tanto fâ—einori attinuit excepth Deinutu defursse That there wanted nothing to him neither intent nor courage nor weapons nor any thing that pertained to such a wicked not but only gods beck assent In Flanders Count Lodowick Maleanus distressed by a rebell Arteualda of whose ende I spake of before and by some souldiors of Gaunt being of that conspiracy sought for he was hid by a woman in a poore bedde where her little children did ly This woman was woont to sitte at the Counte his gate for au almes one of the souldiours tooke a candle and looked narrowely in euery corner and after his search returneth to his fellowes and saith Let vs goe wee leese time here is none besides her little ones so as the author writeth this woman as another Rahab saued the Earle Ita sola voluntate Numinis seruatus Comes qui haec omnia nudiuit verba so by the onely will of God the Earle was saued Jac. Meyer lib. 13. Annal Fland. Chr. li. 20. and heard al these words God did also prouide marueilously for Charles the fift as Massae us witnesseth It is well knowen his owne courtiours sometimes by poyson sometimes by other treason went about to destroy him but the Lorde presented him King Henry the fourth him many conspiratours and this one â—aspituâ—y was most notable Hen. 4 King of England In the night when hee should goe to bed the enemies had laide there in the strawe a galthrop which had Th. Wal. three long sharpe pikes that when hee shoulde