the Apostle Veniet quasi fur nocte S. Matth. Hee will come like a Theefe in the night affirme that the Iudgement shall be in the night S. August And Saint Augustine consents thus farre to these that it shall be nocte rerum non temporum in a night and darknes of knowing and good liuing not of seeing Some go further and designe the very point moment of the night for out of that of Saint Mathew factus est clamor media nocte S. Mat. there was a cry in the midst of the night they collect that God will iudge at midnight and Cassiodore hath the same building though on another ground for on that percussit primogenita God strucke the first borne of Egypt at midnight he concludes that the iudgement shall bee in the middle of night There bee yet some more fancifull and curious then these conceiting that the iudgement shall be in the fourth watch of the night because it must dissolue the foure elements and what was compacted or composed of the foure Elements Others imagine that it shall be in the third watch for that it is the worke not of the first or second person alone but the ioynt worke of the blessed Trinity Some deferre it to the second watch of the night for that the Sonne of God the second person in heauen is appointed to bee the iudge of all the earth and lastly some tie it to the first watch of the night because it is said that Christ is the first fruites of them that sleepe Now to these vaine curiosities and curious vanities what haue we to oppose namely first that of the scripture Non nobis datum S. Iohn it is not giuen vnto vs to know the times and seasons which God hath reserued in his owne power Secondly of that day and howre knoweth no Man no nor the Angels no nor the Son S. Augustine but the father onely Thirdly as St. Augustine hath it Qui ante tempora he that was before al time and gaue beginning to time will come to iudge vs in due time Reuel when that of the Reuelation shall be true Tempas not erit amplius there shall bee no longer time And heere me thinkes I may fitly gather one question out of S. Augustine S. August for where he saith tam occultas dies iudieii vt lateat ipsum tudicem the day of iudgement is so secret and close that it is vnknowne euen to the iudge it may seeme perhaps to some not fully Orthodoxe and good for what hath the father committed iudicium filio all iudgement to the Sonne and yet retained diem iudicii the day of iudgement vnto himselfe I will not either dispute or define this poynt onely I will poynt out what others say S. August Some affirme that the Sonne knowes not the day of iudgement quà homo sed quà Deus Bellar. as hee is man but as he is God Others that hee knew it as man but not to reueale it vnto men others that he knew it not as a Sauiour qui tum erat which he onely was while he was in the world S. August but as a iudge qui nondum erat which he is not till he shall come to iudge the world Sed satis temporis in tempore I haue spent time enough in bolting out the iudgement time I will therefore conclude this point with some few moralls S. Greg. And first that of S. Gregory Latet dies vltimus vt omnes obseruentur dies The last day is not specified to man that man might iudge euery day his last Secondly that of S. Augustine S. August latet iudicium sed vniuersale non tuum quia mors tua iudicium tuum The day of the generall iudgement thou canst not find but thy particular iudgement will find thee in the day of thy death Thirdly that of the same S. Augustine S August Latet iudicium tamen piorum fidem non latet iustum esse vt lateret The day of iudgement is obscure yet they that are enlightened by faith see reason why it should not see the light Lastly that of Saint Bernard S. Bernard Incertus dies quo veniet vt sic viueres quasi hodie veniret the day of Christs comming is vncertaine because it might learne thee so to liue as if he would certainely come this present day and then blessed is hee that shall heare Hodie mecum eris in paradiso S. Luke this day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradice so I come from the time when to the person who when God 2 God might haue sent forth his summons haue commanded both by earthly and heauenly warrants he might haue made both Angels and Saints and the soules of iust men as his apparitors and officials to conuent vs to iudgement but to shew his Maiestie and release his out of misery apparebit ipse God himselfe will appeare in iudgement And if GOD come to be our iudge then doubtless there will be rectum iudicium a right true iudgement Psal for God is truth he cannot faile either ignorantiâ iuris as not knowing the law for he gaue the law will iudge as S. Iohn intimates S. Iohn acording to Moses and the law nor yet ignorantiâ facti as not seeing the fact for hee knowes our thoughts long before and therfore much more are our facts and deeds before him Againe if it be God that will iudge the earth then sure aequum iudicium his iudgement will be righteous and good for nec errat ipse nec sustinet errantem hee cannot sinne himselfe neither yet endure a wilfull sinner and we cannot corrupt him with presents and goods for bonorum non indiget as the Psalmist Psal hath it he hath no need of our goods we cannot win him with personall fauour for God is no accepter of persons and lastly wee cannot moue him to malice or hate for nihil odit eorum quae fecit the maker of all hateth nothing that he did make And here I must craue leaue to question and resolue some doubts First multi dicuntur Dii since many be called Gods in holy Writ it may be questioned which of those gods shall bee our iudge For the Angels they are called gods GOD stood in the assemblie of gods saith the Psalme Psal and yet the Angels shall not iudge vs since Saint Paul tels vs that wee shall iudge the Angels Secondly the diuels are called gods Psal but the gods of the Gentiles Dii gentium Daemonia the gods of the Gentiles are diuels neither yet shall these bee our iudges for the Prince of this world that is the Diuell is iudged already Psal Thirdly the iust and righteous men are called gods I haue said you are gods and yet these shall not iudge vs for vix stabit iustus in iudicio the iust shall scarse stand out nay vp in iudgement Fourthly Kings
are called gods the gods of the earth are lifted vp and yet though these be Kings in this world they shall not be Iudges in another but as it is in the booke of Wisedome Wisedome Potentes potenter mighty Kings shal be mightily punished if they sinne against the Almightie Fiftly Priests are called gods offerte Dii let the Priests offer and yet these shall not iudge vs for both Priest and people congregetur coram Deo must stand before the tribunall of God Sixtly Magistrates are called gods Diis ne detrahas speake not euill of the Magistrates and yet nor they shall be our iudges for they are but Gods stewards vnder God and must render rationem villicationis an exact account of their Stewardships vnto God Lastly Iudges they are called gods the cause was brought ad Deos vnto the Iudges and yet though these execute the iudgements of God vpon earth God himselfe shall come from heauen to iudge them For habent vel supremi iudices superiorem iudicem the Lord chiefe Iustices of this world haue there Lord aboue that shall doe them iustice So then we must now excluding al these conclude all Iudex vniuersalis deus vniuersi that hee that made all will iudge all Hee that is God will iudge the gods hee that is the Angell of the great counsell will iudge the Angels hee that is a King will iudge the Kings hee that is a Priest will iudge the Priests Iudex iudices homo homines Christus omnes iudicabit Hee is Iudge that will censure and sentence Iudges hee that is man will conuent and conuict man and yet there shall bee but one iudge of all men euen IESVS CHRIST God and Man Againe since God shall iudge and there be though but one God yet three persons it may be questioned which of the three persons shall be our Iudge And this the Psalmist seemes to answere Psal when hee saith Deus vester veniet Hee shall bee your Iudge that is most yours Now the second person is most ours for hee was borne to vs he liued with vs hee died for vs and what he either did or suffered it was all for the good of vs. But why doth the second person iudge and not the first S. Iohn Why the Sonne and not the Father First because Saint Iohn tels vs the Father hath giuen all iudgement to the Sonne and to the Sonne S. Bern. as Saint Bernard expounds it non quà filius suus sed hominis filius not as hee is the Sonne of God begotten before the world but as he is the Son of the blessed Virgin borne in the world Secondly the Son iudgeth and not the Father because it best fitteth a King to iudge his owne Subiects and we are now the immediate subiects of the Son Indeed in our Creation wee were absolutely the subiects of God but by rebelling against God wee became the slaues and vassals of Satan and not the Subiects of our God yet now beeing bought out of the subiection of Satan by the precious bloud of the Sonne of God wee become the subiects of the Sonne Not that this is to be vnderstood exclusiue as excluding from the worke of our Redemption the Father or the Holy Ghost Sed appretiatiue as the Schoolemen speake but because the price of our Redemption was paide by the Sonne and not the person of the Father or holy Ghost and in that the Sonne did sustinere poenas vndergoe our punishment procurare praemia and purchase our reward he must dispensare praemia poenas both dispose of our punishment and reward Yet once more since in the Sonne there is a double forme a Diuine an humane nature it may bee questioned in what forme and nature he shall iudge Saint Augustine answeres S. August eâdem formâ iudicabit nos Hee shall iudge vs in the same forme wherein he stood before the iudge for vs he shall iudge vs not as God but as Man according to that of the Scripture yee shall see filium hominis the Sonne not of God but of Man coÌ„ming in the clouds Veniet qui deus non quà deus He that shall iudge vs is God but he shal not iudg vs as he is God not as he is God because as Esay hath it Esay tollatur impius the wicked must be taken away that he neuer see the glory of God but as man vt homines videant that men may see behold the iudge of men The Papists ad that not only the iudg shal be visible but out of that of the gospel they shal see signum filii hominis S. Matth. the signe of the Son of Man they would euict that the crosse shall come before him as a verge rodde and scepter vnto iudgement but this opinion deserues correction and a rod for though with Saint Paul we preach Christum crucifixum Christ crucifide vpon earth yet I neuer finde that the crosse and crucifixe of Christ was euer taken as Saint Paul was vp to Heauen Lastly since Christ shall Iudge vs as hee is Man it may be questioned whither there shall be no difference betweene the man Christ liuing vpon earth and the man Christ as hee shall come a Iudge from Heauen Yes doubtlesse much difference not in substance but in qualitie for he that was here a man natus praesepio borne in a stable is there also a man Sed regnans coelo but commanding in the heauens Hee that was here inter homines a man amongst men is there supra Angelos a man aboue the Angels Hee that was here corpore infirmo in a bodie of frailty is there corpore glorioso in a bodie of glorie He that was here Saluâ—tor verus a true Sauiour is there iudex seuerus a sharpe iudge Hee that came here pati pro dilectis to suffer for his beloued sits there triumphare cum electis to triumph with his chosen and elect he that came here mori ad tempus to die for a time is there deus viuens liuing with God for euer and the euerliuing God Yet graue and Reuerend Iudges before I close vp this point I must say one thing that concernes you that toucheth your scarlet and your iudgement seates For where it is said the Father hath giuen all iudgement to the Son then the Anabaptists inferre S. Iohn why then doe other the Sonnes of men iudge and so learned Fathers of the Law would they wound nay ded you who are the pillars of truth the life of the liuing and the defence of men appointed vnto death But I answere God hath giuen all iudgement to the Sonne that is omne futurum iudicium all the generall vniuersall and future iudgement and secondly for you non tam vos quam deus per vos iudicat it is not so much you as God that iudgeth in and by you according to that of Deutero Deut. you exercise the iudgements not of man but of God and thirdly
descension for hee descended and came as it were backe from God to man He passed Libra in his Passion where his mercie and his merits ouer-wayed our misery and sinne And not to be although I might bee curious in all hee passed Leo in his resurrection when hee rose strong as a Lyon and ouercame the graue death and hell and that hellish roaring and deuouring Lyon Now then that Christ hath passed all these signes it is a signe that the world and all must passe away Alas then why doe some and some Christian men so liue as if there were no iudgement after this life Nay more as if they were Aduocates and Orators and Sophisters for the Diuell why doe they dispute against the iudgement of our God For say some why should God iudge man after his death since hee hath his iudgement at his death I answere S. August that in death wee haue a particular iudgement but God will also haue a generall Secondly S. Bern. in death we haue the iudgement of the Soule but God will iudge both Body and Soule Lastly S. Hiero. in death wee haue a secret doome but God will haue an open assise a publike Sessions and a manifest iudgement O then put not farre from you the euill day but so liue as if you were to make your personall appearance before your God this present day For be you sure if any heare mee this day and regard not in his heart the iudgment day that euen this Text these words this Sermon of iudgement will rise vp against them in the day of iudgement So I come to my fourth obseruation the end of Christs comming it is to iudgement 4 And here I note these things First the multiplicitie of iudgement Secondly the qualitie of Gods iudgement Thirdly the prodromi and fore-runners of the iudgement Lastly the followers and attendants on this iudgement There is a manifold and various iudgement Bonauen For as Bonauenture notes their is in God iudicium praescientiâ— a iudgement for those sinnes that were but intended Secondly there is iudicium causae a iudgment for the cause whence they sprang and the end wherevnto they tended Thirdly there is iudicium operationis a iudgement for euerie euill act committed And lastly iudicium approbationis a iudgement of euery iust punishment inflicted There is a iudgement of retribution for the good a iudgement of reprobation for the euill and a iudgement of discussion both for good and euill There hath beene already a iudgement of water S. Peter which did wash away sinners but not sinne and there shall bee a iudgement of fire which shall burne away both sinne and sinners Secondly I noted the qualitie of Gods iudgement and first it is full of Maiestie for the King of heauen shall come cum militia caelesti with all the armie troupe and traine of heauen He shall send forth as it were his Herald and Beedle and call a Conuocation of Angels and Saints heauen and earth to cull and seuer and marke out his sheepe from the goates Posuit thronum God is come as it were to the Kings Bench of his iustice hee hath opened a booke and another booke as it is in the Reuelation Reuel to wit the booke scientiae diuinae of diuine knowledge and science and a booke humana conscientiae of mans guilty and accusing conscience O wretched man saith a good Father tanta contra te fit praeparatio doth God so prepare so muster vp his men for thy iudgement and wilt thou either not feele thy imminent iudgement or if thou feele it not amend thy life that thou maiest escape in that fierie triall and fierce iudgement If our gracious King whom the King of Kings set for euer as a signet vppon his right hand should take his Peeres and Nobles Bishops and Iudges to iudge a rebell or a malefactor how would the countenance of that Traitor fall his tongue faulter his bodie tremble and his heart and spirit euen thawe and melt away And yet good God such is our frailtie that though we be traitors to our iudge our Sauior and our own soules yet we more awe feare a temporall then an eternall iudgement and are more daunted with him that can but kill the bodie and that for a time then with him that can destroy both bodie and soule and that for euer Secondly there is mercie in this iudgement For Christ will iudge vs not by the letter and rigor of the Law but as it were in a Court of Conscience Et Conscientia qualis sententia talis and our verdict shall bee giuen in according and agreeing with the Conscience wee haue within Neither will our mercifull iudge proceed against vs without witnesse nay not without a thousand witnesses and those no forraine aliene or strange witnesses but such as are in our owne bosome such as are more inward with vs then that soule which is within vs For vnlesse our conscience which is as the soule of the soule doe like another Cerberus barke within vs we shall escape that true Cerberus and dog of hell Besides our mercifull iudge will not condemne vs for one accuser for except Moses and the Law accuse vs S. Iohn as Saint Iohn hath it except Singuli errores our particular and singular errors single vs out and become singuli accusatores ech of them accusers of vs nay more except man himselfe doe condemne himselfe Christ who is God and Man will not condemne Nay more except Sin and Satan come with plaine direct and vnauoidable euidence against vs it shall yet maugre all their malice goe well with vs. And Lord how will that accuser of his brethren in that day accuse vs S. August S. Augustine brings him in thus inditing man Iuste iudex marke he doth not say Bone Deus good God to mooue clemencie and mercie but iust iudge to whet and sharpen him on to rigor and seueritie and the bill of his enditement runnes thus Indeed iust iudge these sinners were thine per gratiam by thy grace to them committed but they are become mine per culpam by that sin which they committed They were thine per misericordiam in thy mercie but they are become mine through their own misery They were thine per passionem through thy crosse and passion but they are become mine per persuasionem by my slie subtle perswasion They were thine creatione in the creation but they are become mine destructione since they haue brought themselues to their destruction They haue forsaken Sacramenta tua thy Sacraments haue followed blandimenta mea my allurements and therefore iust iudge since they belong to mee let them bee condemned with me Alas good Christians being thus arraigned at the barr of Gods iustice by whom will you bee tried By your God Why he must be iust by a Iurie of Angels and Saints why they cannot quit you For it is God that condemnes and who can iustifie by your owne hearts
Iudicat homo hominem in opere sed deus in corde that though God onely iudge the heart yet man may iudge of the fact of man And so I come to my third part will come when God shall come In God rising for so reades the vulgate and comming for so hath the English vnto iudgement I obserue two things First the certaintie then the vicinitie of the iudgement It is not said Deus venit God doth or hath come but Deus veniet God will come and yet according to the rule of the Schoole Futurum in Deo aeque certum quam aut praesens aut praeteritum that which is to come in God is as sure as if it were either present or past And God wil come to iudgement both for the glorie of God and of Man and of Christ both God and Man First for the glorie of God for God hath promised a iudgement and all the promises of God are yea and Amen The Prophets and the Apostles both the Law and the Gospell beare witnes of a iudgement I wil contend with thee in iudgement saith God in Ieremie Ier. The Nations shall see my iudgement Ezek. saith God in Ezekiel I will sit and iudge all people Ioel. saith God in Ioel. In Saint Paul wee reade Statutum est Death is appointed and after it commeth the iudgement And in Saint Peter wee finde a Iudicaturus est S. Pet. that as if God had put on his robes and were set on his iudgment seate hee is now ready to iudge the quicke and dead God promised a floud and it came Et qui verus diluuâ—o cur non iudicio hee that performed in the particular shall he not also performe in a generall iudgement In Philosophie posito vno contrariorum if we grant one contrarie the other will follow but wee haue had experience of Gods mercie which is opposite to iudgement and shall wee not also haue a triall and a iudgement GOD hath shewed iustice in Heauen on rebellious Angels and will hee not shew iustice on men if they rebell vpon earth Secondly there must be a iudgement for the good of man for here the holiest and most heauenly men be in most heauiness Hic optimi pessime agunt here the righteous man hath most wrong and therefore God will iudge and do him right Here Iezabel sits brauing in a window while Ieremie lies sticking in the mudd Here Diues sits in his pallace S. Luke clothed richly faring daintily while Lazarus lies at his gate naked and hungry Here Herod wil please his Herodias though it be with the head of Iohn the Baptist Nonne visitabit shall not God visite and come to iudgement for these things Here the condition of the godly Christian is much like to the state of Christ his maister nec viuus domum nec mortuus sepulcrum habet they haue scarse a house wherein to liue and such hath been the Popish furie their bones haue not had rest after their death while they liued they found exilium equuleum banishment and the racke and being dead the wicked did saeuire in manes not let them rest when they were at rest Euseb Much like to the storie in Eusebius where they were not content to burne the bodies of the Saints but they cast there ashes vppon the water with this obloquie colligat Deus Reuel let the Lord gather them if hee will haue them But O LORD holy and true how long how long the bloud of thy Saints is shed round about this round world and they are cut in peeces euen as men cut and hew wood and wilt thou not yet come to be auenged on such a people as this Yes saith the Psalme Psal the Lord will come and not keepe silence and as it is in another Psalme Doubtlesse there is a God that will iudge the earth Psal And as in a balance or a scale that which is lightest mounteth highest so those that were of light or no esteeme in the world shall then be taken vp vnto the highest Gemunt boni though the godly mourne here like a Doue yet fruentur summo bono then they shall be comforted by that Spirit who appeared in the likenes of a Doue Though the good haue pressuram in terrâ griefe and oppression vpon earth yet they shall finde vsuram in coelo interest and increase of glorie in the Kingdome of heauen Lastly as there must be a iudgement for the glorie of God and good of man so it must also bee for the honour of Christ Iesus God and Man For the world did not beleeue Christ to bee the Messias the Iew held him but a meere and miserable man the Gentiles derided him as a crucified God and therefore will hee call heauen and earth and come and iudge his people and hee will come in such power and maiestie that the whole world shall confesse him a Messias that the Iew shall acknowledge him a God and that both Iew and Gentile shall feare and grieue to see him so highly glorified whom they basely slew and crucified Secondly I obserued the neerenes and vicinitie of the iudgement It is not said in the Apostles Creede veniet Symbo Aposto sea venturus est iudicare hee will come but hee is at hand he hath as it were set forth and is on his way comming to iudgement Non instat iudiciam sed ferè extat the day of iudgement is not so much future and to come as it is already present and in sight Iudex adianuam now is the iudge riding his circuite now hath hee sent forth his summons now hath hee put on his robe now is he set vpon his throne now is thy inditement reading now is thy cause pleading and now euen now the sentence of thy eternall life or death may bee passing witnes that of the Apostle Nunc est iudicium hee doth not say nunc erit now the iudgement shall bee as if it were comming but nunc est now is the iudgement of this world as if this moment this instant and present now were allotted for the iudgement The world that great man hath the throwes and panges of death now seazing on him And as man the little world when hee hath liued many yeares draweth then neere vnto his end so the world that hath liued now almost six thousand yeares must needes consume and haue an end In the time of the Apostles the Kingdome of God was at hand and now after so long a time as from the Apostles is it yet farre off When the Sunne hath passed the twelue signes Malac. wee know then the yeare ends Now Christ our Sunne hath passed through these signes and therefore the yeare of the world must haue an end Christ in his birth passed through Virgo for hee was borne of a pure and blessed Virgin Inchino He passed Gemini in his incarnation for there was both a Diuine and humane Nature Hee passed Cancer in his
sinner wil sometime leaue of rest from his deare darling sin but the vsurer wil neuer rest frō taking interest Nay more the house of a Vsurer is the bank of the Diuel the purse of a Vsurer it is Os diaboli the mouth of the Diuel Secondly God will visite the Temple-pirate and the Church-robber for he can dispute from Christ against the Ministers of Christ Christ saith he was poore and naked and why then do the Ministers of Christ ruffle it in silkes strut it in their sattin Christ was a foote man and neuer rid but to Ierusalem on an Asse why then are the Ministers of Christ growne so gay that they must haue their change and choise of horses Christ had not a place where to lay his head why then haue the Messengers of Christ not onely places but Lordly pallaces Yea yea hoc vrit homines it is this that grieues the harts of some to see the Church hold vp her head not that they so malice the Church but because they would also inclose the land of the Church But tell mee haue the Legates and Embassadors of earthly Kings and that iustly their honour and place and shall the Legates of the King of heauen haue no place no honour or because the Infant-church nedd not so large so faire a garment shall now the church being in her full growth goe more then halfe bare and naked You make your Sonnes and Daughters clothes according to their stature and their growth and shall the Kings Daughter grow shee neuer so high goe alwaies in the same attire No no since wee giue you spirituall things and that in abundance you should not pare nor lop nor cut off our temporall estates Thirdly God will visite the Simonist for he enters into the Church not by the doore as Christ the head did but he betrayes Christ for money as Iudas did Hee comes Thesaur nouus in locum spiritus into a spirituall place but it is respectu carnis for some carnall respect so that hee may be collector pecuntae well monied but he can neuer be rector animae well minded And heere me thinkes I see a couetous patron that like Iudas sels CHRIST for Quid mihi dabitis what will you giue me and a sacrilegious person that thinkes Christ can bee bought with that of the Diuell Haec omnia dabo S. Iohn all this will I giue We reade in Saint Iohn that Saint Peter was victus per ancillam ouercome of a Maide and I feare there bee some patrons in the world that will not giue liuings before they be victi pro filiis filiabus ouercome for the good of their wiues and children yet the Prophet Micha pronounceth a woe to them Micha qui aedificant Sion sanguinibus I know the sense litterall but giue me leaue to apply that giue the goods of Sion and the Church to those onely of their owne bloud as if the possession of the Lord went by descent and not desert Visitabit Deus God the great Bishop of the whole earth will visite for these things So much of the Maiestie of the iudge iudgement now of the miserie and state of those that must stand in iudgement and that shall be so great that they shall not know what to doe or say First Quid faciam what shall I doe 1 This part of my speech must be reall and personall Reall and then what will those doe that make the world and the things of the world their stay S. Bernard when the world Et res reculae mundi and all the wealth and substance of the world must passe away What will the penny-father and couetous person doe who like the Serpent Gen. is euer licking vp the dust of the earth and scraping vp gold and siluer that red S. Bernard and white earth when siluer and gold and earth shall be no more What will the proud ones doe that fold themselues in silkes and loade themselues with pearles S. Hiero. and iewels when iewels and pearles shall be no more what will the wantons doe that crowne themselues with buds of Roses Prou. when there shall be no budde nor Rose What will the bibber doe that washeth away his soule in Wine when there shall bee nor Vine nor grape How will the magnificent and stately builder doe when building and state shall fall to the ground What will the grand purchaser doe that layes house to house and land to land when he shall see nor house nor land In a word what will any worldling doe when the world it selfe must be vndone when there shall be no earth to beare vs no skie to please vs no fountaines to coole vs no shades to hide vs no sunne to warme and light vs no foule or fish no hearb or beast for to feede vs no houses to receiue vs no Temples or Churches to instruct vs in this Chaos and confusion of all things what ioy can there be in any thing And now must I turne my topicke place a rebus ad personas from beeing a Reall to be personall First therefore you graue and reuerend Iudges suffer not me for who am I or what is the house of my father that I should speake before you yet suffer my text to speake not onely to your eares but to your hearts Then graue and reuerend Iudges you that are the fortresses of this Land for securitie the walles of this land for strength the flowers of this land for fairenes Et faui and the hunny-combes of this land for sweetnes if you that bee called gods iudge against God if you iudge not as God doth with tranquillitie Wisedome but as the wicked iudge did for importunitie if you that be as Hugo speakes homines primi Hugo the first and chiefest men iudge not your selues first before you iudge other men if in iudgement you beate downe S. August aegrotum potius quam morbum rather the offender then the offence if you be iudices quasi ius dicentes Cyprian rather speakers then dooers of the Law if you that sit to condemne sinne haue either the same or a greater sinne if you bee pricers non iuris sed muneris not of the cause but of the coine if you iudge for fauour or feare or faction or affection if you delay or hasten inuert or peruert iudgement here is a Quid facietis for you what will you doe when God shall call you to iudgement and shall visite as it is in the Prophet Osee Osee the Iudges and their wayes And you the Right Honorable Lord Maior of this honored and admired Citie you that are the head the eye the hand and heart of this great bodie if you cut not off the head of sinne if you strike it not euen to the heart if your eye spare and will not finde offenders or your hand be shortned and will not reach them if you put not to death
those dedly sinnes which haue too much life in this your Citie if you be not a father to the Orphane a righter of the Widdow and the Poore if you that beare the name and office and sword of God faint in your office and protect not with Gods sword the Name of God if you doe not iustifie and condemne those good and bad that appeare before you here is a Quid facies for you what will you doe when you shall appeare before the Lord And you learned Counsellers of the Law you that are factors for the truth and the agents and instruments of peace if you hinder as it is in Zacharie Zacha. the iudgement of peace and truth if you kindle debate and bee as the seeds-men of sedition Plutar. if like Camels you trouble the water that you your selues may drink the better if your Counsels infringe Gods precepts if you come sometime with querkes and trickes of Law sometime with color and pretext of conscience but to subuert both law and conscience if you that should plead for right and iustice make iustice a stranger in hir owne Court here is a Quid facietis for you what will you doe when you are called to that heauenly Court Take heed periculosum est S. Ambro. saith Saint Ambrose in foro versari it is great danger to follow Courts for Iudas in foro in a Law-Court sold Christ and Simon Magus in foro in a Law-Court would haue bought the holy Ghost You the holy Ministers of the holiest you that bee the Angels and Embassadors of GOD the seruants of the Lord and the tongue of the LORD vnto his seruants if you haue before your mouth non ostium not a doore which may open and shut sed obstaculum but a wall which will neuer open if you affect to ouersee Christs flocke not as it is opus bonum a good worke 1. Tim. 3. but as it may gaine you opes bona goods and wealth if you take the houses of the Lord in possession and take no care to build vp the Lords house if you say and doe not if you bee not like cockes S. Greg. first beating downe sinne in your selues and then crowing out against the sinne of others if you that be sal terrae the salt of the earth loose your sauour if you that bee sol mundi the light of the world giue no light here is a Quid facietis for you what will you doe when God shall bring euery thing to light Eccl. You Gentles and Gallants of this age that be in the very pride and glorie of your time and the May and Floure of your youth if you remember not that remember thy creator in the dayes of thy youth but make your selues vassals to any euen the fayrest creature if you seeke for not the true glorie of GOD but the vaine glorie of this vainest world if you desire rather a gorgeous rich back then with true valour and vertue to enrich your minde if you bee hot and feruent spirits and yet more forward for the flesh then for the spirit here is a Quid facietis for you what will you doe when you shall bee stripped of flesh and spirit You beauteous Ladies and faire matrons and damzels of this Honorable Citie you that are the obiect of euery eye and perhaps the desire of many hearts if you come hither clothed like Salomon in his royaltie rather to draw the eyes and chaine the hearts of others vnto you then to lift vp your owne eyes and hearts vnto your God if you take more care to powder the haire and plaister the face then to seeke God and his face if you make the hayre of ded men and women to liue againe vpon your heads if you make Esay as the Prophet speakes a tinckling with your feet and thinke the ground too base for you to goe on if any of you be as I hope none is either like Semiramis lasciuious or like Cleopatra proud and ambitious if like Thamar you sit in the way for to ensnare or like Dalila you offer a bosome but to murther if like Herodias you loue to daunce and striue rather to keepe measure in your footing then your liuing if you more regard a glittering and garish suite then a gracious and godly soule if you more weigh a light feather then the Law of your heauenly Father here is a Quid facietis for you what will you doe when you shall be excluded from God your Father And if as ashamed of Gods image and scorning that forme and face which hee hath lent you you picture and paint out to your selues annointed faces suffer not mee but Saint Ambrose to tell you S. Ambrose that this dawbing and parjetting of the face is in some respect wurse then adulterie it selfe For in that foule act persona vitiatur onely the person is polluted but in this vngodly and vnnaturall painting natura laeditur euen nature her selfe is more then too much corrupted To summe vp all in a word you who like Absalon stand faire yet bee ambitious you who like Achab be rich and yet be couetous you that like Achitophel be wise and yet malitious You Marchants that venter more for gold then for God you artizans in generall that loue more the gaining of a noble or a crowne then you feare the losse of a heauenly and eternall crowne here is a Quid facietis for you all what will you doe when you shall stand before the iudge of all 2 Secondly we shall not know what to answere Quid respondebo What shall I answere It is in the singular what shall I answer to shew that God will single out and set apart euerie one to answere for himselfe In this iudgement we cannot answere by a proxie a deputie a sollicitor or atturney nay the Kings of the earth cannot send their Vice-royes and Legates to answere for them before the King of Heauen For God will send out his atachment and as it were his sub poenâ to make euery one appeare either to paine or rest in his owne person Let vs then follow that counsell which Moses gaue vnto the Hebrew attende tibi looke vnto thy selfe since euerie man must answere for himselfe Let vs remember that S. Matth. 9. of Christ in the Gospel vade in domum tuam goe into thy owne house the house of thy familie the house of thy bodie the house of thy soule and the house of thy conscience which is kept within thy soule for euerie man must answere for the order or disorder of his owne house And domus tua Musso ipse tu man himselfe is the house of man Therefore if the head of this house rebell it must submit if the eyes those windowes of this house be vaine they must be shut if the senses those doores and gates of this house bee loose they must be kept if the flesh the wall of this house be weake it must by