the minde of him whome it possesseth suffering him not to eate or drinke in rest or to doe any good thing and is alway tempting him to slay the partie whome it hateth and alway enuieth at his prosperitie It maketh a mans soule to growe sauage breedeth wrath and warre in his thoughts setteth his bloud on fire driueth him out of his wittes and suffereth not reason to beare anie sway It disfigureth the face making men to looke gastlie Yea whatsoeuer an other man dooth that dooth the hatefull mislike and abhorre If a man keepe the lawe of the Lorde he prayseth it not if one feare the Lord and deale righteouslie him he loueth not but disprayseth the truth enuieth him that ordereth his wayes aright imbraceth backebiting and loueth scornefulnesse And because hatred hath blinded his minde he dooth to his neighbour all the mischiefe he can deuise If a brother offende by and by he blazeth him abrode and is hastie to haue him condemned and punished for his offence For as loue couereth the multitude of sinnes so hatred openeth and discouereth the most secrete things For the spirite of hatred through cankred malice and frowardnesse of heart dooth worke ioyntly with Sathan in all things euen to the death and destruction of men Hatred is a false reporter speaking continuallie agaynst the truth making a great adoe of small matters ouershadowing the light with darknesse calling sweete sower maintaining warre wrong and abundance of all mischiefe and finally filling the heart with diuelish poyson This is the cause why the Lord forbidding hatefull and malicious thoughts in his lawe would giue it no other name then murther teaching vs that howsoeuer wee doe nourish such thoughts and make small account of them yet his iudgement is plaine that they bee no better then murther the heart is setled in them The hatred of our brethren is so grieuous in his sight that it staineth and defileth whatsoeuer it toucheth be it worde or thought and maketh it so heauy that the Lord can no longer beare it And therefore Christ saith Whosoeuer shall say foole to his brother shal be worthy to be punished in hel so much doth he detest words also proceeding from hatred And because words bewray that which lurketh in the heart and do bring that to light that otherwise would not so easily be espied we must keepe some good watch ouer them that from thence we may be led to the priuy chamber of the hart to see how all things go there For of the abundāce of the hart the mouth speaketh So that there is no outward thing that can bring vs sooner to the sight and speach of the hart then can the tongue it selfe which if it be infected with hatred or disdaine sure it is that all things are not wel at home in the heart And therefore euery man must obserue the inclination of the heart by the vsage of the tongue that when it cōmeth abrode casting forth hatred wrath and debate we may with speed returne to the fountain that is the hart to purge and to clense the same because we are sure that the tongue receiueth all poyson If we shall preuaile much in suppressing hatred both in our heart tongue and hand yet is not that all which is here cōmanded For the Lord in forbidding murther ment not to stay there but in remouing hatred his purpose was to make way passage for mercifull dealing towards the life of others dooing the works of mercy loue and wishing wel euen to those that are our mortall enemies Prou. 24. And this is wise Salomons counsell Reioice not thou at the fal of thine enemie and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth least the Lord see it and it displease him We are all bound to this common rule Matt. 5. Blesse and curse not Pray for them which persecute you For so far forth as our enemie is a man humanitie it selfe requireth that we bewaile his calamitie And if this seeme a hard matter for vs to do let vs call to minde that we are the childrē of him who maketh his sunne to shine vpon the good and vpon the euill and that we are his disciples who answered his apostles when they required fire from heauen to burne the Samaritans Ye know not of whose spirit ye be namely his who came not to destroy but to saue his who healed them that railed vppon him his who restored vnto Marcus his eare notwithstanding that hee was one of that wicked number which came to take him his which both saluted the traitour Iudas as a friend and receiued him with a kisse Finally his which forgaue the wicked theefe and promised him eternall felicitie which prayed for them that crucified him and which of his owne accord died for his enemies It shall nothing profite thee to recompence iniuries with iniuries and taunts with taunts Thou oughtest rather to commit the matter vnto God who will be a iust iudge and by no means can be led away from iustice Furthermore thou must know that it is not lawful for thee to speake euil of any man nor yet to curse any man For if we may not do so to our enemie much lesse ought we to do it to others Chrisostome the more readily to perswade vs to patience rehearseth the cōmodidies which the reproches persecutions of aduersaries do commonly bring to the godly First saith hee they are a principall helpe for vs to the obtaining of the kingdome of heauen for Christ saith Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen And he addeth Blessed are ye when men reuile you and persecute you speaking all maner of euill and lying against you for my sake Be glad and reioyce for your reward is great in heauen Beside this they are an occasion or matter of most excellent vertues For as Paul teacheth Tribulation worketh patience patience experience and experience Rom. 5. hope But where is the patience of the Saints where is there experience where is their hope if the wicked enterprises of our enemies against vs be taken away Moreouer the glory of God can be by no other meanes highly aduanced then if we valiantly and couragiously behaue our selues in those things which are to be suffered for his names sake For it is no hard matter to cleaue vnto God so long as all things go prosperously and quietly with vs and according to our harts desire But when all maner of aduersities happen and yet we constantly abide in his obedience this doubtlesse commeth of a stout and inuincible faith And for this cause I take it that Saint Iames said Iames 1. that patience hath a perfite worke except peraduenture a man will thus vnderstand it that perfection is not in any worke vnlesse we perseuer in the same For when we faint or giue ouer we accōplish not the worke and so without patience it is left vnperfite Beside al this our enemies by
which his father Nabuchadnezar had taken out of the temple of Hierusalem In the same verie houre there appeared fingers as if they had beene of a mans hand writing right ouer the candlesticke vpon the plaine wall in the kings palace and the king saw the palme of the hand that wrote the effect of that which was so written was God hath numbred this kingdome and brought it to an ende thou art weighed in a ballance and art found too light thy kingdome is dealt in parts and giuen to the Medes and Perses The verie selfe same night was Balthazar the king of the Chaldes slaine and Darius succeded in the kingdom of the Medes Whereby it plainly appeareth that as those things which are dedicated to the Church doe belong vnto God so the spoylers and prophane spenders of his portion can haue no securitie but a fearefull expectation of vengeance from heauen Whereas contrariwise they that doe giue liberallie to the vpholding and maintenance of the woorshippe and seruice of almightie God and which if they haue not to giue do yet at the least in heart wish well vnto the same doe procure vnto themselues to their posterity a singular blessing and fauour from God Malac. 3. Bring ye saith the Lorde all the tythes into the store house that there may be meate in my house and proue me now herewithall saith the Lord of hostes if I will not open the windows of heauen vnto you and poure you out a blessing without measure And I wil rebuke the deuourer for your sake and he shal not destroy the fruit of your ground neither shall your vine be barren in the field saith the Lorde of hostes And all nations shall call you blessed for ye shall be a pleasant lande saith the lorde of hostes A great blessing in deede wherein the lord promiseth not onely aboundance of fruit but also to giue a blessed and holy name among all nations which he will vndoubtedly geue to al those which will proue him herein whether he will be iust a rewarder and recompenser or no. Proue the Lord then for he is most faithful and iust in all his promises He is not as a man that lieth nor as the sonnes of men that doth repent them after their promise and vowes Hee speaketh not the thing but he doth it Heauen and earth shall sooner passe then he will faile in a iot of his promises If wordly minded men could be perswaded herein as they would verie redilie in deed if they had faith they would not offer vnto the Lord the hault and the blinde and the lamest of the flockes but would with Abel bring the best vnto him Gene. 4. who was therefore blessed of God Who afterward gaue the same in commandement saing Num. 18. ye shall seperate vnto the Lordes treasurie things that be chiefe and most principall The Lord loueth a cherefull and liberall giuer such a one was king Dauid who said I haue giuen all thinges with a glad heart 1. Chro. 29. euen a good will and now haue I had ioie to see thy people which here are present offer with a free will vnto thee And Salomon his sonne so longe as he bent him selfe to the building of Gods house so long he had peace Let therefore my brethren the wrath of God on the one side which will send speedy vengeance vppon all those that commit Sacriledge and his blessings on the other side promised to all those which loue him and seeke the honour of his name moue you to beware of that damnable sinne The thirde Leper is the Simoniac SJmony is a selling of the gifts of the spirite or of any such thing through a couetous desire the buier hauing an ambicious intent to prefer himselfe thereby and to make his purchase serue his corrupt mind Whereby it appeareth that both the seller and the buier of spirituall things are Simoniacks and infected with the leprosie of Gehesi who tooke of Naaman the Syrian for his cleansing that which his maister Elizeus refused 4. King 5. Concerning Simonie the olde Schoole-men and Papists haue disputed at large who could best speake herein not onely by speculation but also by practize For whereas this is the onelie marke of all the olde and newe Testament that the bloud of Iesus Christ shed vpon the tree of the Crosse is the satisfaction for the sinnes of all those that beleeue in him the Pope and his hath a long time borne the world in hand that he is the treasurer of this great raunsome paid for our sinnes and that to be partaker thereof men must come vnto him and he will distribute this benefite to whom he thinketh good And thereupon euery man began to buie saluation of him which the onely blood of Iesus Christ had purchased for vs and which no other thing besides could purchase If thou haddest committed all the faults in the world thou mightest haue had recourse to the Popes pardons and indulgences All offences euen to murthers incestests Sodomitries were taxed and set at a certaine summe of money and paying that the Pope would giue thee full remission thereof This pardon was ratified and deliuered to him that would giue most and the booke of taxes doth confirme it which was imprinted by their owne consent before the light of the Gospel was made cleare againe in these last ages These Indulgences they sold first to certaine persons and after to families and then to townes so in time to common wealthes and whole kingdomes without exception of any persons yea for the terme of foure thousand yeares of true pardon The doctrine of Christ was Hee that shall beleeue in mee shall haue remission of sinnes That of the Popes Hee that shall giue mee money there shall be no hell for him If you desired Paradice hee commaunded the Angels to carrie you thither and all your parents and friendes as appeareth by the Bull of Clement the fift For the knights of the order of Saint Iohn at Hierusalem If anie feared Purgatorie hauing committed all the mischiefes in the worlde yea hauing lyne with the virgine Marie as the preachers of the pardons in Germanie say so soone as hee hath cast siluer into the Bason their soules were by and by set at libertie therefrom And to this ende they haue solde Trentals of Masses and Diriges for soules departed Whereby they haue set to sale for money Christ himselfe valuing his most precious bodie at a lower price then euer Iudas did This was Simonie in the highest degree moste abhominable Christ sometime thrust buiers and sellers out of the Temple But the Pope hath receyued in buiers and sellers and thrust out Christ and so haue turned the house of God into a denne of theeues And thereof came this Prouerbe Curia Romana non captat ouem sine lana The Court of Rome will not take the sheepe without the fleece Which also verefieth these words of Mantuan venalia nobis Templa secerdotes
Num. 14. but against God himselfe as appeareth in the booke of Numbers How long sayth the Lorde shall I suffer this wicked multitude to murmur agaynst me For as Saint Gregorie sayth Qui contra supra positam sibi potestatem murmurat liquet quod illum redarguit qui eandem homins potestatem dedid Who so murmureth against the power which is set ouer him it is plaine that he reproueth God who hath giuen that power vnto man Seeing therefore such murmuring is against God let them be well assured that although it be in neuer so secret a maner yet he heareth it for the eare of icalousie heareth all things Wis 1. and the noise of the grudgings shall not be hid Beware then of murmuring which profiteth nothing and refrain your tongue from euill speaking for there is no worde so secret that shall go for naught God will make the birds of the aire to bewray them Eccle. 10. as testifieth Salomon Curse not the king no not in thy thought for the foule of the heauen shall carie thy voyce and that which hath wings shall declare the matter These murmurers to preuaile the more easily in their diuolish purpose and to draw multitudes vnto them haue euer pretended the common good of al men bearing the people in hand that they seeke only a reformation of disorders and a redresse of common wealth matters as may appeare vnto you by the examples of Iacke Straw Wat Tiler Iacke Shepheard Tom Miller Hob Cartar Iack Truman Iack Cade Robin of Ridsdale William with the long beard Iack Blewbeard captain Ket Iack Sharp of Wigmores land with the whole rabble of such rakehel rebels of whom mencion is made in our English Chronicles with the examples also of some dukes Marqueses Earles lords whose treasons and rebellions with their shamefull fall and ende is there recorded to the infamie and reproch of their names for euer I say what pretence and colour soeuer such haue made shew for reformation of Church-matters or common wealths their rebellions haue beene the greatestruine and destruction of all common-wealths that might be possible For what other thing can bee looked for to come from such mutinous reformers their state persons and conditions considered who hath euermore beene found to be men of most wicked disposition and qualitie that is to say men inconsiderate and rash in al their actions the greatest vnthrifts which haue lewdly wasted their owne goods and lands those that are farre plunged in debt and such as for robberies thefts and murthers dare not in any wel gouerned common welth shew their faces such as are of most lewd and wicked behauiour life and all such as cannot or will not liue in peace are alwayes most readie to murmur to be factious to control the state to moue sedition to pull downe and set vp and to runne into open rebellion or at least to conspire with such And are not these to be esteemed meete men thinke you to reforme disorders to bring with them a common-wealth to other who hath so spoyled and consumed their owne wealth and substance Verie like men to amend other mens actions who haue so vile vices and abhominable conditions themselues Yet to creepe into the hearts of the most simple and ignorant which euer desire libertie they speake against the paiment of tributes subsidies and such like taxes which appertaine to kings and princes beating into their heades that it is oppression and so drawe them to murmur and grudge against that which is godly and lawfull For tributes taxes subsidies and such like customes are to be payed for diuerse causes especially to maintaine and vpholde that roial state which God hath giuen vnto kings and Queenes secondly that they may bee the better able to defende and maintain vs and the whole common wealth in godly peace and securitie to preserue vs from all forraine inuasions and from open rapine violence which otherwise would be so outragious that our goods our wiues our daughters our liues would be made common commaunded by others Lastly we pay tributs therby to acknowledge our subiectioÌ„ to our souereigne who for her good and royall preseruation hath power to command vs our goods our lands our liues and whatsoeuer we haue For these causes Vlpian calleth tributes and customes the sinews of the common-wealth as without which it cannot either coÌ„sist or be gouerned Christ himself when he liued here on earth confirmed this both by his owne example in paying tribute to the Emperour and also in teaching the same to be done saying to the Herodians Giue vnto Caesar the things which belong vnto Caesar Therefore such Murmurers as grudge at these royall customes payed and allowed in all common-wealths euen from the first beginning do murmur against God himselfe against his sonne Christ and against the doctrine of his blessed Apostles and are like in the ende not onely to haue that same successe that Iudas and Theudas had who when they vaunted that they woulde set themselues agaynst the tyrannie of the Romanes to whome the Iewes payed tribute and had liued a while by spoyle and rapine Act. 5. Ioseph lib. 18. Amtiq at the last turned their owne weapons vppon themselues and so with their followers were vtterly ouerthrowen but also shall vppon themselues procure the heauie wrath of God and so eternall damnation for euer So that they which refuse this lawfull subiection shall not onely make themselues more bonde and in the ende subiect to great slauerie and thraule to forreyners and straungers according as the Lorde hath threatned Thou hast broken the yokes of woodde Iere. 28. but in steade thereof thou shalt haue yokes of iron but also vndergoe this heauie cursle Hee cast vppon them the fiercenesse of his anger Psal 78. indignation and wrath and vexation by the sending out of euill Angels There are yet another sort of murmurers which grudge at the prosperitie wealth and honour of their brethren the which is occasioned by enuie These enuious murmurers may fitlie bee resembled to the swelling Toade who as some report can not abide the smell of the flourishing Vine And wee finde this true by dayly experience that those men which by vertue and good desert are aduaunced to honour in the common wealth haue many enemies and are so enuyed of some that howe honourablie soeuer they haue borne themselues yet by euill and malicious tongues are misreported and barked at by the woorst Dogges And some which by true fortitude are forwarde for the good of their Countrey to deserue honour are by one enuious person or other that cannot abide to heare little Dauids tenne thousand remembred 1. SaÌ„ 18.7 holden backe and disgraced all that may bee If Caleb which hath vewed the enemies lande be willing to vndertake an exploite he shall bee sure to haue one enuious murmurer or other to rayse vp an ill report to hinder his intent Num. 13. These are like vnto those murmuring labourers which grudged an equall rewarde to bee giuen to their fellowe labourers Matt. 20. And they play that vnkinde brothers part which grudged that his father shoulde giue his younger brother Luke 15. a friendly welcome They are Besib the diuell who neuer reioyceth but at other mens harmes These seeke to heale themselues with another mans wound the which profiteth them as much as to gather grapes vpon thornes and figger vpon thistles To such the wise man sayth Laques periâ—â—ent qui oblectantur casu iustorum Eccle. 27. They that reioyce at the full of the righteous shall be taken in the snare All these murmurers whereof I haue spoken Iude 〈◊〉 are aptly compared to the raging waues of the sea because they continally labour to some out their owne shame For shame and confusion is the end therof Beware then of this and hearken to the counsaile of the apostle Peter who willeth vs to be harborous without grudging that is 2. Pet. 4. to do with heart and good wil all the good that we are able to performe for our brethren by word and deed According also to the exhortation of Saint Paul saying Do all things without murmurings and reasonings Philip. 2. that ye may be blamelesse and pure and the sonnes of God without rebuke in the middest of a naughtie and croked nation This if we doe we shall not onelie escape the contagious infection of a most dangerous leprosie but also a fearefull separation due to all lepers as to bee cast out of our land as it is befallen the leprous Iewes at this day and which is worse to bee cast out of the fauour of almightie God These intollerable plagues I say we shall not onely escape by forsaking our finne and wickednesse and in offering vp to the Lord cleane handes and pure hearts but also thereby procure vnto our selues and to our posteritie the loue mercie and benediction of Almightie God for euer the which he euermore grant vs for Iesus Christ his sake to whome with the holie Ghost be all honour and glorie for euer Amen FINIS
law which he wil haue remaine inuiolable namely Thou shalt not kill The which is the second commandement of the second table and yet the first of the negatiue sort By the which commandement the killing of brute beasts is not restrained Whose life or death God hath referred vnto mans will as appeareth in Genesis but the killing of man is vtterly forbidden that no man be so hardie as to kill himselfe or any other The reason is because man both as touching the bodie and the soule is the most excellent creature of God For albeit he made his bodie of the slime of the earth yet made he his soule of nothing after his owne image Gen. 2. placing the same in the bodie when he had breathed into his face the breath of life Moreouer forsomuch as man is immediatly subiect vnto God therefore God reserueth vnto himselfe the power of mans life or death insomuch that it is vtterly vnlawfull for one man to kil another and therefore Christ said vnto Peter who had a purpose to kill Matt. 26 Put vp thy sword into thy sheath for whosoeuer striketh with the sword shall perish with the sword Notwithstanding they which in a iust warre are souldiers armed by their prince to fight for the liberties of their coūtrey against any forreigne enemie that shal come to inuade the land are not murtherers in shedding their bloud and in killing such enemies 1. Sam. 18 1. Sam. 25 but the Lords souldiers fightting the Lords warre and the Lords battailes as may appeare by manie testimonies out of scripture As when the Syrian king had gathered his power against Iehosaphat Iahaziel the Leuit being inspired with the holy Ghost came to Iehosaphat after hee had made his prayers and gaue him this incouragement saying This is the warre of God not of men 2. Chro. 20 They therfore which fight the Lords battails haue this promise made vnto thē by God himselfe Leuit. 26. One of you shall chase a thousand and ten ten thousand Because the Lord himselfe as the Prophet Dauid speaketh will teach your hands to fight Psal 144. and frame your fingers to the battaile The souldier therefore in this action which fighteth vnder the standard of a Christian prince for the defence of Gods true religion against idolatrous Papists and proude Spaniards which with fire and sworde are readie to inuade need not to feare and stand in doubt their quarrell is Gods and therefore vndoubtedly good Let such therefore take vnto them a good courage and play the men The more blood they shed of such miscreants the more holy are their handes consecrated vnto the Lorde Exod. 32. and the greater blessing they shall receiue from him In like maner the magistrate which punisheth malefactors by death dooth not offende against this cōmandement but doth kill according to the prescript rule of Gods law where he saith Thou shalt not suffer a malefactor to liue The Iudge himselfe should sinne against God Deut. 18. if he should suffer such euill persons notoriously knowne lawfully conuented before him to liue Saul lost his kingdome and procured vnto himselfe the wrath vengeance of god 1. Sam. 15. because he slue not those sinners the Amalechites In like maner when the Lord had deliuered into the handes of Achab Benhadad the king of Assyria Achab entring into league with him let Benhadad go Then came to him one of the Prophets in the worde of the Lord saying 1. King 20. Because thou hast deliuered the man worthie of death out of thy hand thy life shall go for his and thy people for his people Which came accordingly to passe For within a while after he fighting with the Assyrians was slain Hereby it doth euidently appeare that magistrates doe highly displease the maiestie of God which punish not murtherers and such like malefactors being therevnto by God called ordained For what is the cause that many cruel and horrible murthers are committed but the impunitie of such wickednesses For murderers many times find friends which for money wil procure a pardon But when through such facilitie of remission pardon a second murther by the same malefactors is committed what else are such friends to bee accounted but buiers and sellers of bloud Wheras God to the contrarie hath said Ye shal take no recompence for the life of the murtherer Num. 35. which is worthy to die but he shal die the death Therefore those magistrates doe highly please god which administer iustice against such bloody mē according to the law of God man Thus much concerning the letter of the commaundement Thoushalt not kill By giuing the which precept the Lorde is not onely carefull to haue obedience from our hands but also from our hearts and tongues so that both thoughts and words as well as actions must come vnder subiection vnto him that neither of them be infected with malice which the Lord so hateth and abhorreth For we must interpret the law according to the nature of the law-giuer Man by reason that he onely seeth the deed and cannot discerne of the heart maketh lawes for the outward doings and punisheth them alone without proceeding further But the Lord who searcheth the very heart and reignes maketh lawes for it and punisheth euen the consent of heart going against his law For inasmuch as the Lord hateth the euill it selfe he cannot but abhorre it wheresoeuer he shall find it whether in hand heart or tongue Of the sinne of adulterie Christ saith Who soeuer beholdeth a woman and lusteth after her Matt. 5. hath alreadie committed adulterie in his heart And Saint Iohn sayeth also Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a man-slecr For as Saint Hierom sayeth Quiodit fratrem suum qui occidit pari poena digni sunt Hee which killeth and hee which hateth his brother deserueth one and the selfe same punishment Whereby wee see that not onely grosse euils come into reckoning before the Lorde but euen hatred setled in the heart although the hande hath neuer beene stretched foorth to execute the same Neither commeth it before him as some trifling thing which dooth not greatlie displease him but appeareth monstrous hauing no other shape vppon it nor lesse account made of it then of murther Thus must we thinke of hatred consented vnto in the heart that it hath a blouddie face in the sight of the Lorde and therefore is to be abhorred and loathed as the crueltie of murther Saint Augustine sayth that the Iewes no lesse killed Christ then the Romans did although the Iewes layde no violent hands vpon him Whereunto also accordeth Saint Hierom writing vpon Isai Thou sayth he hast not killed with the sword but thou hast killed with the will And God in his law pronounceth a curse agaynst this secred murther saying Cursed is he that smiteth his neighbour secretly Therefore sayth the Lorde Deut. 27. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart Hatred ouerruleth