Clergie shall become a blind Clergie and pull downe the house of Gods wrath and vengeance both vpon themselues and vpon those pilling Philistines that sought their decay To be short and plaine Gods word and religion is contemned by Atheists condemned by Papists slaundered by schismatikes hindered by too many not faithfully furthered by anie And because the loue of Gods word and religion thus in England is decreased therefore the wrath of God against England is increased For as the Oracle told the men of Athens that the strongest state and best defense of their citie was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Their rotten wood meaning their good laws that were graued in wood and by antiquitie were waxen rotten Euen so the heauenly oracles of the liuing God tel vs that the strongest staie and best defense of a christian common wealth is the preaching and teaching of the word of God the true religion and seruice of God So sayth the Prophet Dauid There is no king that can be saued by the multitude of an hoast neither is anie mightie man deliuered by his much strength a horse is accounted but a vaine thing to saue a man but the hand of the Lord hath the preheminence the hand of the Lord is mightie in operation the hand of the Lord bringeth mightie things to passe 1 Nymrod and his confederates thought themselues safe when they builded their Babell vp to the heauens but all their high Babell was but a bable that is a verie vaine deuise and came soone to confusion 2 Arphaxad trusted in his strong and well fenced citie Ecbatanis but Ecbatanis could not hold him when the hand of the Lord was against him Pharao trusted in the multitude of his chariots and horsemen and how soone were they all ouerwhelmed in the red sea So not Nymrods high Babels that is not high castels and towers not Arphaxads Ecbatanis that is not strong townes and well fenced cities not Pharaos chariots and horsemen that is not the multitude of men and munition but the holie hand of the Lord for his word and by his word is the strength and stay of the people of God Not the wals of Bethulia but the hand of the Lord held out Holophernes and strengthened weake Iudith to hacke off his head Therefore that we in England haue bene so long so mightily and so miraculously saued and deliuered from the hands of them that hate vs which are so many so mightie and so maliciously bent against vs that their trecheries and conspiracies their counsels confederacies haue bene so many times reuealed and so many waies preuented that they haue not taken from vs our most gratious Queene Elizabeth by their gunshot their witchcraft their coniuring their sorcerie and their dealings with the Diuell himselfe to the vtter ouerthrowe of the present state and Religion All this and all else hath not bene so much by the wisedome of man by the counsell or carefull circumspection of man but by the mercifull goodnesse of the Lord our God towardes vs and by the holie hand of the Lord our God ouer vs onely for his word and religion amongst vs. For so the prophet Elyzeus when he saw Elias taken vp from him he cried after him O my father ô my father the chariots and the horsemen the chariots and the horsemen of Israell Plainely testifying that Elias the Prophet of the Lord who had plentifully preached the word of the Lord in Israell he was the chariots and the horsemen that is the strength and staie of Israell And euen so doubtlesse Elias that is the preaching and teaching of the word of God the true religion and seruice of God in England is the chariots and horsemen that is the strength and the stay of England Make much then of Elias O make much of Elias Let not Achab his accusations make you beleeue that Elias troubleth all England not Elias but Achab that is not the religion but the enemies of the religion their trecheries and conspiracies their counsels and confederacies their crackings and their priuie packings trouble all England Make much of Elias O make much of Elias Let not the godlesse Iezabels driue Elias out of house and home and make him to liue in the wildernesse and be fed of the rauens or else to liue vpon the poore pittance of the widdow at Sareptha that is Let not the godlesse greedie sort take away the preachers lands and liuings and put them to liue vpon small pensions or little deuotions Make much of Elias O make much of Elias yet make not a cloake of Elias to cast about you in foule weather and cast from you in faire weather Thinke it not inough to seeke for Elias in the time of drought and dearth and care not for him in the time of plentie and rest that is Thinke it not enough when any trouble or aduersitie comes then to crie Religion Religion the Gospell the Gospell and when all is quiet and well then to haue no care of Religion and the Gospell O make much of religion both in weale and woe Religion is your strength and stay both in weale and woe And the more the loue of Gods word and religion in you decreaseth the more the wrath of God against you increaseth For the Lord is with you whilest you are with the Lord and when you seeke him he will be found of you and when you forsake him he will also forsake you The God of all mercies graunt that you gods on earth may carefully performe your dutie to the God of heauen that al want of dutie being speedily amēded Gods wrath for the same may in time be preuēted that God may continue a good God towards England still Amen But yee shall dye 1 When God made man first he made him after the image and likenesse of God but his bodily substance he made of the dust and slime of the earth that man should not boast himselfe of the image of God whereunto he was made considering the earthly substaunce wherof he was made 2 And when God had giuen him the Lordship ouer all the things of the earth that man should not swell with his great authoritie God put man in mind of his mortalitie saying Thou shalt turne againe to the earth from whence thou camest 3 And when good father Abraham found fauor with God to talke with God least in talking with God he should forget himselfe towards his God he still abated himselfe with the consideration of his mortalitie saying Puluis cinis quid loquar ad Dominum that is O dust and ashes that I am why should I presume to speake vnto the Lord Euen so the spirit of God in this place to abate the glorie to bridle the vanitie and daunt the delights of men that are mightie doth put them in mind of their mortalitie telling princes and all great personages that though they be gods that is gods in maiestie
MORIEMINI A VERIE PROFITABLE SERMON PREACHED before her Maiestie at the Court about xiij yeares since By H. B. LONDON Printed by Iohn VVolfe 1593. euen great enuie tovvards such as are godly and vvell affected he vvill in that respect beare the more vvith me neither take it indignantly at my hands that his godly labours are rather thus preserued for the vse of men then reserued as afore to be consumed of mothes The argument of this sermon may appeare vnto thee by this one vvord in the forehead of it Moriemini And thus not doubting but that after thou shalt once aduisedly haue perused it thou vvilt allovv both of him that first did pen it and of my poore selfe also vvho thus did print it for thy behoofe and benefit I bid thee farevvell A VERIE PROFITABLE SERMON PREACHED BEFORE her Maiestie at the Court about xiij years since by H. B. Psal 82. 6. 7. 6 I haue sayd ye are Gods and ye are all the children of the highest 7 But ye shall die like men fall like one of the princes I haue sayd ye are Gods But ye shall die like men THe princely Prophet Dauid being himself aduaunced by the goodnesse of God to be king ouer Israell by dayly experience plainly saw how common a thing it is that the great and mightie the rich and wealthie men of this world doe many times forget both them selues what they be and their God from whom they be And glorying in nobilitie and swelling in authoritie and swimming in worldly wealth do trust in their treasures and seeke their owne pleasures thinke them selues Gods Therefore that the great personages of this world should not be deceiued with their great estates in this world and thinke them selues Gods to worke their own willes and neglect the will and wayes of the euerliuing God The Prophet here doth plainely tell them that though they be Gods that is Gods in maiestie Gods in authoritie Gods in wealth and glorie in all the things of this world liue like Gods among men yet are they but Gods on earth and Gods of earth that is earthy and mortal Gods and must die like other men and part from all their pompe render accompt to the God of heauen for their earthy Godhead And this me thinke is the purpose of the Prophet in these words I haue said ye are Gods But ye shall die like men Wherein the Prophet setteth downe two special pointes of Princes and great personages 1. The Maiestie and 2. The mortality 1. Their Maiestie in these words I haue said ye are Gods therein giuing to note 1. The dutie done vnto them and 2. The dutie required of them for that they be Gods 2. Their mortality in these wordes But ye shall die like men therein also noting death For that they shall die like men 1. The certainty of their death and 2. Their rising againe from I haue sayd yee are Gods As the Prophet Dauid by the spirit of God in this place euen so the same spirit in sundry places of the holy Scriptures doth call the Princes and great personages of this world Gods 1 So the Lord God himselfe said vnto Moses I will be auenged of all the Gods in Egypt meaning Pharao all the men of might in Egypt 2 And Moses the man of God amongst other gaue this law to the people of God Thou shalt not speake euill of the Gods meaning the heads and rulers of the people 3 And our sauiour Christ in the gospell saith Is it not written in the law I haue said ye are gods Ratifying and confirming that the men of this world are well called Gods in the word of God And the reason why they be called Gods the queene of Saba rendreth when she saith to king Salomon Blessed be the Lord thy God which had a loue to thee to set thee king on his seat that thou maist be king for the Lord thy God Plainly testifying that the Princes and great personages in this world do sit on Gods seat by Gods appointment in stead of God therefore called gods I haue said ye are Gods that is Ye sit on Gods seat by Gods appointmēt in stead of God ye represent Gods maiestie and beare Gods authoritie therefore ye are Gods And for that ye are gods that is set on Gods seate by Gods appointment in stead of God therefore this dutie is due vnto you by all that are vnder you to honour and obey you euen for the Lord. 1 For so the Lord God himselfe in the first commandement of the second table commandeth To honour Father and mother that is to honor and obey all superiors rulers and gouernors and promiseth long life for fulfilling the same 2 And our sauiour Christ comming not to breake the law but to fulfill the law in token of his obedience according to the law paid tribute to Caesar commanding Peter to take a hooke and cast into the sea and in the mouth of the first fish he gat he should find a peece of twentie pence that take saith he and giue them for tribute for thee and me 3 And when the Iewes came vnto him and asked him whether they should pay tribute to Caesar or not he sayd vnto them Giue vnto Caesar the things that are Caesars teaching all subiects obedience to their Caesars that is their Princes heads and gouernours 4 S. Paul in the 13. to the Romanes setteth downe sundrie reasons to proue that euery soule ought to be subiect to the higher powers as to the ordinance of God 5 And S. Peter is plaine Submit your selues to euery ordinance of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is euen for the Lord whether it be to the king as hauing the preheminence or to the rulers appointed by him for the punishment of euill doers but for the praise of them that do wel Thus the Spirit of God doth teach the people of God in the word of God that the Princes and great personages of this world are gods that is set on Gods seate by Gods appointment in stead of God they represent Gods maiestie and beare Gods authoritie and therefore this dutie is due vnto them by all that are subiect to them to honor and obey them euen for the Lord. Whence then is that spirite and whence is that doctrine that setteth on subiects to conspiracies rebellions and treasons and teacheth them by gunshot by witchcraft by coniuring by sorcerie by dealings with the deuill him selfe to worke mischiefe against their naturall Prince and their natiue countrey and yet telleth them that therein they do God seruice and promise them pardons and hight them heauen for their disobedience Surely surely spiritus mendax in ore Prophetarum that is a lying spirit the spirit of the deuill and Antichrist is in the mouths of such teachers and the harts of such dealers For the Spirit of God by the wiseman saith Wish no euill to the king
in thy thought speake no euill against great men in thy secret chamber for the foules of the aire will bewray thee The foules of the aire that is the deuill for so our Sauiour Christ in the parable of the sower expoundeth the foules of the aire to signifie the deuill The deuill that setteth traitours on worke he will paye them their hire that is he wil bewray their wicked practises against their Princes to their shame and confusion For ye are Gods that is set on Gods seate by Gods appointment in stead of God ye represent Gods maiestie and beare Gods authoritie therefore this dutie is due vnto you by all that are vnder you to honor and obey you euen for the Lord. Yet some thinke them selues set free from this dutie of obedience to their naturall Prince by betaking thē selues to the protection of the holy father and by reconciling them selues to his subiection As for their natural Prince the present state and Religion they are in doubt of the goodnesse of them that they be not of God nor agreeable to the word and will of God Yet haue they seene and full wel do know how wonderfully God hath blessed prospered and preserued vs by this Prince in this state and for this Religion by the space of these two and twentie yeares and vpwardes And in all this time neither Balac his treacherie nor Balam his curse for money hath preuayled against vs. For howe could they curse whom God doth blesse how could they hurt whom God doth defend And yet too well they know that Balac hath bragged and Balam hath banned that is the Pope hath cursed and the popish haue cōspired Papists haue deuised Atheists haue practised cunning conspiracies trecherous treasons pestilent practises and diuelish deuises against the Prince against the state and against the religion onely God his holy hand hath still from time to time preserued and maintained the Prince the state and the Religion whereby they might see were they not too too blind will not see that God doth loue and like prosper blesse the Prince the state and the Religion But these busie rebellious Frogs that cannot yet like the blessed blocke of so peaceable a prince must needs at length haue a deuouring Storke God for his mercies sake turn their harts or ouerturne all that take their parts Amen I haue sayd yee are Gods And for that ye are Gods set on Gods seat by Gods appointment in stead of God therefore this dutie is also due vnto you by them that are vnder you to pray continually to the liuing God for you So S. Paul teacheth saying I exhort you 1 That praiers supplications intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men especially for kings and all that are in authoritie 2 And the reason why the wise man rendreth where he saith The hart of the king is in the hand of the Lord Therefore the people are to pray to the Lord to dispose the hart of the king and all that are in authoritie to his good will and pleasure 3 So Dauid praied for the king said Giue the king thy iudgements O Lord and thy righteousnesse to the kings sonne then shall hee iudge the people according vnto right and defend the poore 4 And when our sauiour Christ came to Hierusalem riding like a king the people that went before him and they that came after him cried vnto him Hosanna i. Hoschianna i. Lord saue the king Lord saue the king Which action allowed by our sauiour Christ teacheth the Christians to cry Hosanna that is to pray continually for the peace wealth and safetie of the Prince and all that are in authoritie Ye are Gods to be praid for to the superior God yet not to be prated of by inferior men by the wise to be aduised yet not to be chatted of by euery vnaduised The law of God by Moses Thou shalt not speake euill of the Gods was giuen to bridle the licentious libertie of mens tongues in pratling of Princes and other great personages For that euerie prentise should prate of Princes and euerie Cobler seeme a Counsellor and euerie Iack Straw deuise a new law and euerie medling mate mislike the whole state is neither commendable by the word of God not tollerable in a Christian common-wealth yee are Gods to be praied for not to be prated of And thus much breefly of the dutie due vnto you for that ye are Gods The God of heauen grant that all dutie due vnto you may of all parts be faithfully performed vnto you to honor and obey you and pray to God for you Amen I haue sayd yee are Gods And for that ye are Gods that is set on Gods seate by Gods appointment in stead of God therefore there is a dutie also required of you towards that God that hath made you gods For you are gods not the gods of the heathen siluer gold the workes of mens handes which haue eyes and see not eares and heare not mouthes and speake not hands and handle not feet and walke not neither is there any breath in their nosthrils but ye are gods liuely gods and haue eyes to see and eares to heare mouths to speake and hands to worke the things that are good and pleasing to the euerliuing God Therefore the Prophet Dauid saith vnto you Bring vnto the Lord ô ye mightie bring yong rammes vnto the Lord ascribe vnto the Lord your worship and your strength giue the Lord the honor due vnto his name worshippe the Lord with an holy worshippe By which words the prophet teacheth plainly that there is a dutie required of you that are mightie towards that God that hath made you gods But it becomes not me perhaps to tell you gods your dutie yet thus much without offence I hope I may say saying it truly that the God of heauen is angrie with the gods on earth for want of dutie Reuelatur enim ira Dei c. For the wrath of God in heauen is reuealed made manifest against the gods on earth by sundrie signes and tokens of Gods wrath both in the heauens aboue and in the earth beneath For euen of late dayes amongst vs the often eclypses of the Sunne and the Moone the diuerse Cometes and blazing starres the sundrie sights and lights in the aire the rise resemblances of fire and bloud in the clouds the maine monstruous strange birthes though some seeme to render some naturall reasons for them yet are they vnnaturall and the wrath of God is reuealed by them As for the late earthquake amongst vs that was soone forgotten of vs because it passed away so soone and did so litle hurt amongst vs. Yet the prophet Dauid saith The earth trembled and quaked the verie foundations of the hilles shooke and were moued because God is wroth The prophet telleth plainly that the trembling and quaking of the earth is a sure signe and
shall returne to the earth from whence they came and your soules shall returne to God that gaue them there to render an account to the God of heauen for your earthy godhead and to receiue the iudgement either to the ioy that neuer shall haue end or els to the paine that neuer shall haue end So sayth S. Paul All must appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ that euerie one may yeeld vnto God an account of himselfe For all in this life are but the Lord his stewards and when Death the Lord his bailiffe shall arrest you with his writ Non amplius villicabere then must you appeare before the great iudge and render an account euerie one of his stewardship Then then O man whatsoeuer thou art then shalt thou see vpon thy right hand thine owne sinnes accusing thee vpon thy left hand infinit leagions of diuels pleading against thee aboue thee the terrible countinance of the iust iudge against thee vnderneath thee the gaping gulfe of hell fire to deuoure thee within thee thine owne conscience condemning thee Miser homo quid tum facies i. O miserable man what wilt thou then do Latere impossibile apparere intollerabile i. To hide thee then it is not possible to shew thy selfe then is a thing intollerable For then the Lord shall trie out thy workes search out thine imaginations and all thy secret thoughts shall be layd open before thee And the heauens shall bewraie thine iniquities and the earth shall rise vp against thee and all thy sinnes shall lie at thy doore and all thy misdeeds shall be rife in thy remembrance Then they that now account it but a sport to sinne and take great pleasure in the workes of wickednesse shall then houle and crie in the anguish of their owne soules and say O we haue sinned we haue dealt wickedly we haue forsaken the wayes of the Lord and haue followed the paths of perdition in sinne Woe therefore vnto vs for the Lord shall heape sorrowe vpon sorrow vnto our soules and we shall neuer find rest Then shall they crie to the hilles fall vpon vs and to the mountaines Couer vs from the face of the Lambe Nay they shall creepe into the holes and caues of the earth to hide themselues from the feare of the Lord and from the glorie of his Maiestie yet shall they not escape the iudgements of the Lord and they that beare rule shal haue the sorer triall and the mightie shall be mightilie tormented Heare therefore heare euerie one the good counsell of that good father to euerie one Cogita vndè sis erubesce vbisis ingemisce quò sis iturus contremisce that is Thinke still O man whence thou art vz. of the dust and slime of the earth be not high minded but humble thy selfe Thinke still O man where thou art vz. In a world of woe and wickednesse delight not in it but mourne and lament it Thinke still O man whither thou shalt vz. to the iudgement seat of God forget it not but tremble at it So that whither thou catest or drinkest or whatsoeuer thou doest thou still thinke thou hearest the trumpet sound Arise ye dead and come to iudgement And this continuall cogitation of death wil be a great moderation to the actions of this life to make preparation in time for death Knowing that though ye be gods that is set on Gods seat by Gods appointment in stead of God though ye represent Gods maiestie and beare Gods authoritie and in all the things of this world liue like gods among men yet are you but gods on earth and gods of earth that is earthie and mortall gods and must die like other men and part from all your pompe and render account to the God of heauen for your earthie godhead And thus I haue sayd Ye are gods but ye shall die like men God be mercifull therefore vnto vs and blesse vs and graunt vs his heauenly spirit and grace that we that be vnder you may honour and obey you and pray to God for you as our dutie is to you for that ye are gods and that you gods on earth may carefully performe your dutie to the God of heauen that when you shal die like men and part from your earthie godhead you may returne to the God of heauen and haue the fruition of the eternall godhead by the death and merits of Christ Iesus the sonne of God To whom with the Father and the Holy-ghost be all honour praise and glorie for euer and euer Amen FINIS Exod. 12. 12. Exod. 22. 28. Ioh. 10. 34. 2. Para. 9. 8. Exod. 20. 12. Mat. 17. 27. Mat. 22. 21. Rom. 13. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. 3. Reg. 22. 2â— Eccles 10. 20 Matt. 13. 15. Num. 23. 1. Tim. 2. 1. Pro. 21. 1. Psal 72. 1. Matt. 21. 9. Exod. 22. 28. Psal 115. 3. Psal 29. 1. Rom. 1. 28. Psal 18. 7. Psal 14. 1. Psalm 75. 6. Habac. 1. 16. Luc. 16. 19. Luc. 12. 19. Luc. 18. 4. Act. 13. 8. 2. Pat. 15. 12. 3. Reg. 16. 32. â— 1. 2. Matt. 21. 3. Iudic. 16. 21. Psal 33. 16. Psal 118. 16. Gen. 11. 1. Iudith 1. 1. Exod. 14. 28. Iudith 13. 4. 4. Reg. 2. 12. 3. Reg. 17. 3. 3. Reg. 18. 10 3. Reg. 18. 10. 2. Par. 15. 2. Gen. 1. 27. Gen. 2. 7. Gen. 3. 19. Gen. 18. 27. Esa 40. 6. Iac. 4. 14. Esa 14. 11. Dan. 2. 3â— Ion. 4. 7. Esa 39. 2. Esa 38. 1. Dan. 5. 25. 1. Cor. 15. 21. Ioh. 11. 26. Psal 117. 17. Psal 26. 13. Iob. 19. 25. Matt. 9. 24. Iohn 11. 11. 1. Cor. 15. 18. 1. Thes 4. 3. Act. 23. 23. Sap. 2. 2. Rom. 14. 10. Luc. 16. 1. Sap. 6. 3. Iob. 20. 27. Gen. 4. 3. Apoc. 6. 16. Esa 2. 19. Sap. 6. 6 7. â—ern in serm quodam Hierom. super Matth. Aug. lib. exhortat
token of the wrath of God in heauen And that the late earthquake amongst vs did passe so soone away from vs and with so litle hurt among vs is an argument that the wrath of God against vs is yet mixed with much mercie towards vs threatning vs so terribly and yet sparing vs so mercifully Thus then by sundrie signes tokens it is euident and plaine that the God of heauen is angry with the gods on earth for want of dutie For some being aduanced by God to be gods do liue without God that is without the knowledge and feare of God and become Dauids fooles and saye in their hearts There is no God But set vp their hornes on high and say with a stiffe necke That promotion commeth from the East and from the West that is They say their honour and authoritie their lands and great liuings their credit and their countenaunce comes to them by heritage by birth and parentage or by the worthinesse of their wit and policie or by the deserts of their labours and industrie Therefore they offer sacrifice to their nets sayth the Lord by the Prophet and burne incense to their yarne because by thē their portion is made fat that is they boast of their birth they vaunt of their value their wisedome and their worth because by them they thinke they haue whatsoeuer they haue And so set their whole delight with the rich glutton to be finely fed and trimly clad and hauing wealth inough in store for many yeares they say to their soules Soule take thine ease eat drinke and bee merrie and grow to be like to that wicked iudge Nec Deum timere nec hominem reuereri that is neither to feare God nor care for man For these godlesse Gods haue commonly if not continually about them bewitching Elimasses that is besotting epicures Machiuilists and Atheists which feed thē with the follies of their owne fansies and peruert them from all care and feare of God from reading hearing or beleeuing the word of God But when God had giuen his people rest in the daies of Asa king of Iuda the king and all the people made a couenaunt with the Lord to seeke and serue the Lord their God with all their harts and with all their soules And they made a law that whosoeuer would not serue the Lord God should die for it were he small or great Oh if we would well consider the peace and rest the prosperitie and plentie where with the Lord hath blessed vs in the daies of our Asa that is our gratious queene Elizabeth we haue great cause to make a couenant with the Lord to seeke and serue the Lord our God with all our hearts and with all our soules But if Asa his law were in England That whosoeuer would not serue the Lord God should die for it were he small or great then surely God should be a great deale better serued both of small and great For our peace and rest our prosperitie and plentie hath bred a godlesse securitie both in small and great and the God of heauen is angrie with the gods on earth for want of dutie For some being aduanced by God to be gods do yet with Achab mislike good Elias and maintaine Baals priests that is they cannot like of the preaching preachers of the word of God but maintaine bald priests to nusle them in Idolatrie and superstition still such must be their chaplens their schoolemaisters stewards of their houses clearks of their kitchins and beare all the sway By sufferance whereof it is come to passe that not onely themselues are hardned in their superstition past hope to be wonne but also their children a great number that haue bene borne since your Maiesties raigne are so taught in their trade that they are become more obstinate enemies to the state and religion then their fathers are And this is one great cause why after so long preaching of Gods truth the enemies of truth are so smallie decreased nay so mightily increased amongst vs. O what a happie thing had it bene for this land if the children of such as are knowne to be superstitious had bene taken from their parents at the yeares of discretion and committed to the education of such as are knowne to loue the state and religion But better late then neuer they say Nunquam sera est ad bonos mores via Christ and his Gospell hath a long time two twentie yeares bene on foot in England and faine would ride as he did somtime in Hierusalem with some glorie And for this purpose he hath sent foorth his two Disciples to bring both the old Asse and the yoong Colt vnto him The two disciples are Doctrine and Discipline the word and the sword ministers and magistrats both which are sent out that is appointed and commaunded by Christ to bring both the old stubborne asses and the yoong wild colts to Christ that is to the preaching teaching of the gospell of Christ These two disciples haue a long time bene in bringing and haue not yet brought neither the old asles nor the yoong colts to Christ because they do not go togither to bring them disciple Doctrine faine would bring them but disciple Discipline is verie slacke to go with him the one seekes means by counsell to bring them to Christ the other makes means manie times by countenaunce to staie them from Christ And the one without the other cannot bring them to Christ Surely Dominus his opus habet that is The Lord hath need of them Now therfore I most humblie beseech your Maiestie euen for Christ his sake and on Christs behalfe to giue a new and a straight charge to these two disciples to go togither speedilie and to ioine togither effectuallie to bring both the old stubborne asses and the yoong wild colts to Christ that is to the preaching and teaching of the gospell of Christ to the saluation of their soules through faith in Christ Let Christ now no longer staie on foot amongst vs least at last he be troden vnder foot of vs for whilest we be still carelesse of their conuersion they seeke and worke our vtter subuersion And the God of heauen is alreadie angrie with the gods on earth for want of this dutie For some being aduaunced of God to be gods do countenaunce such as seeke to discountenaunce the preaching and preachers of the word of God both the carpers at their liues and the catchers at their liuings Euerie accuser hath too too manie hearers and too many bearers against Gods ministers to abate their credit their countenaunce and euerie shifter now becomes a suter to pill and pull away their liuings and their maintainance But when these dallying Dalilaes haue curtold Sampsons locks and robbed him of his strength that is when they haue curtold the clergies countenance and robbed them of their maintenance Sampson shall become a blind Sampson that is the