by these meanes how bolde will they grow and how will they insult that though the face of the lawe be against them yet the edge is turned from them how vnlike shall this gouernment be to that which God vseth in adding and vsing more seueritie when the smaller corrections preuaile not how preiudiciall to the peace of the state and preseruation of his Maiestie his posteritie and people both in respect of their inueterate malice and exasperated stomacks and in respect of Gods iustice who cannot endure such a sinne without seuere iudgements when neither the loue of the truth is expressed nor the hatred of heresies and his enemies pursued When Ahab had let Benhadad the King of Aram escape his hands whom the Lord had deliuered into his hands euen then wheÌ„ he had fully resolued to destroy him and the whole kingdome there came vnto him a Prophet of the Lord and vnder a parable made him accuse himselfe then vttered the Lords message Thus saith the Lord 1. King 20.42 Because thou hast let goe out of thy hands a man whom I appointed to die thy life shall go for his life thy people for his people The Lord hath deliuered into your hands men whoÌ„ he hath appointed to punishment some after this sort some after that according to the iustice of the law and some to die which are their principall seducers If you let them goe out of your hands what can you expect but that Iudgement your liues for theirs and your people for their people your goods libertie and peace for theirs But to preuent this as you are Gods so shewe it in time in vsing more seueritie and yet but iust against al who are irreconciliable and irreuotable specially against their seducers the seedes-men not of heresies only but of horrible treason and confusion of state The french storie reporteth that Saâ—anorola Pâ—â—lâ—de Coâ—â— lib. 8. cap. 2. holden by many for a Prophet but sure hee was a renounned man for pietie and learning tolde the french King Charles the 8. he should haue great prosperitie in his voyage into Italic and that God would giue the sword into his hand and all this to the end hee should reforme the corrupt state of the church which if he did not performe he shuld returne home againe with dishonour and God would reserue the honour of this worke for some other and so it fell out I am no Prophet nor the sonne of a Prophet yet out of Gods dealing in former times as the sacred and Ecclesiasticall Histories shew I may be bolde to speake thus much that seeing God hath put the sword into your hands to reforme things amisse and withstand corruptions that would grow by cutting off such as seeke to bring them in If you doe it well and good 1. Sam. 2.30 I will honour them that honour me But if you doe it not you shall returne with dishonour to your long homes For they who despise me shall be despised and God will reserue the honour of this worke to some other Ther is a speech in Lactantius to this purpose If saith he De Ira Dei. a maister of a family shall haue his children massacred his wife murdered his house burned ouer his head and all by a leawd seruant and if he should spare that seruant and let him goe without seuere punishment what doe you thinke of him Were he to be accounted mild mercifull and clement or vnnaturall and cruell doubtlesse euery one would condemne him of crueltie Then what may be thought of your sparing of Papists for though Blessed be God they haue not done any such thing to vs yet there wanted no will nor intent in them no indeuour was lacking to haue effected it So no thanke to them we yet liue and prosper for if they might haue had their wills long since our wiues and children had bin murdered before our eyes our houses burned before our faces our whole state brought to confusion Then iudge whether pittie lenitie to them be not crueltie to all our state But as the Apostle Paul hauing reprooued the Hebrewes somewhat sharpely saith Heb. 6.6 Beloued wee haue perswaded our selues better things of you and such as accompanie saluation though wee thus speake So Honorable and Reuerend I haue perswaded my selfe better things of you and such as accompanie the safetie of the state the peace of the Church the prosperitie and preseruation of his Maiestie and all his royall issue and the good comfort of your selues and your posteritie though I thus speake Thirdly Vse 3 this may perswade euery man to indeuor for repentance to profit by gods former and lesser iudgements that they may auoyde the future and greater Those Patients who will not obey the physitians prescripts must indure his potions and if those whose ingredients are more gentle and milde and of lesse malignitie preuaile not they must haue sharper if the physitian purpose to cure them he that would auoyde these must indeuour himselfe to helpe the first that they may haue their effect and worke that which was intended by them so he that will not obey God commanding must be sure to heare from him and to feele his rodde that neglects his worde and if he profit not by the lesse he shal haue the greater and seeing God will do this he ought by that he hath felt to harken to the prophet Ames Prepare to meete him with true repentance and 〈◊〉 to him that hath smitten him Amos. 4.12 least his hand be stretched out still The physitians haue a potion against the plague which consisteth of three ingredieÌ„ts but it is but the rich mans physicke it is too costly for many the medicine is called flying the ingredients are these Citò longè Tardè Citò flee soone enough Longè flee farre inough Tardè make no haste to returne but returne slowe inough Many take this preseruatiue many are kept all together from this though ouertaken with another many haue it adiourned for a time but yet are met withall afterwards either with that or a greater Amos. 5.19 As Amos saith As if a man did slie from a lyon and a Beare meâ—â—â— him or went into the house and leaned his hard against the wall and the Serpent bit him But the prophets haue another preseruatiue not against this only but all other either to make them not touch him or else to turne to his good and this they call not flying but returning The ingredients of this medicine are two laid downe euery where in the Scriptures Cease to do euill learne to do well Eschew euill and do good And this is both restoratiue preseruatiue that by which men may remooue the present and preuent greater to come for if men would turne from their wicked waves and put away their drunkennes and gluttonie their chambering wantonnesse their horible oathes and blasphemie cease profaning of holy things and the Sabbothes of God forsake their couetousnes
limmit of the time vvill not suffer me to run through all The dependaunce of these vvords vpon the former is thus Coherence In this chapter are contained tvvo things First comfort and consolation to the godly from the first verse to the eighteenth Secondly iudgement and threatnings menaced against the vvicked and obstinate from the eight verse to the end but so as before he threatens the rod he tells them in the eight verse that he had sent his word vnto Iacob and it had lighted vpon Israel and hauing called them by his vvord and they vvould not be gathered and hauing indeuoured to bring them in order and they vvould not be reformed then according to that in the prophet Heare the rod and who hath appointed it Mich. 6 9. In the eleuenth and tvvelue verses of this chapter the Prophet threatens a heauie and grieuous iudgement that God should bring vpon them an enemie that should deuoure them vvith open mouth and because they profitted not by that iudgement he saith in the tvvelue verse The wrath of the Lord is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still the reason of it is giuen in the 13. verse and iusinuated in the 14. verse because the people haue not returned to the Lord that sinit them neither doe they seeke the Lord of hastes therefore he will cut off head and taile branch and rush c. Herein vve may obserue 2. things 1. the denouncing a Iudgement 2. the causes vvhy the Lord vvould bring it vpon them In the iudgement are 2. things to be considered 1. the generalitie of it 2. the impartialitie of it The generalitie because the Lord vvil cut off head and taile The impartialitie is double 1. because he vvill as vvell smite the head as the taile the braunche as the rush the great as the small 2. because hee vvill principallie smite the heads as those that vvere the cause of all the corruptions that vvere in the body The 2. is the causes and they are 2. First is general because the people had not profited by former iudgements and lesse afflictions therefore they should haue a 2. and 3. vvoe in the first vvord Therefore The 2. is a particular cause in the 16. verse because the leaders of the people caused them to câ—re and the people vvere content to bee misled by them therefore shall they bee deuoured all together So much for the coherence and diuision of the vvords And novv for the meaning of the vvords Therefore the Lord will cut off c. That is because the people haue not benefited by the former iudgements and afflictions to turne to God by repentance many of them onely seeking the Lord by mourning and fasting and sackcloth in outward show which is but as much as hipocrites may doe but fewe or none of them were sound to forsake their sinnes and turne to God by true repentance therfore saith the Lord I wil cut off head and taile c. The iudgement is God will cut off and destroy with a generall iudgement and consusion the whole state and the whole land for this sinne For to imagine as some do that the magistrate is called here the head because the head is the seate of sense and beginning of motion I take it it is besides the intent of the Prophet in this place and that he meerely intendes to note a generall consasion and plague that should spread ouer the whole body from the toppe of the head to the sole of the foote and 〈◊〉 one should be spared And not onely so but as it is saul that his iudgements are generall so they should be without partialitie God would out off as well the head as the taile the weake and feeble rush that hangs downe the head the stronge braunche that is high and mightie and therefore in the 15. verse hee tells vs whom hee meanes by head and whom by taile The head is the auncient and honourable and the taile is the Prophet that teacheth lyes Here is another part of Gods impartialitie obserued whereas the magistrate and the minister were the cause of the corruptions and cuill manners of the people therefore the Lord will smite them both and because these too conspired together the magistrate deceiued by the false Prophets slattering and fauning vpon him telling him of his insinite maiestie his absolute greatnesse and power to doe what hee list where he list and punish whom he list and being so perswaded by him because of his power he thinkes any thing is lawfull for him to doe and on the other side the lying Prophet because he had gotten fauour and countenance with the magistrate he thought that he should settle his neast so sure that he should haue no hurt whatsoeuer came thus saith the Lord because they haue agreed together the one to deceiue and the other to be deceiued herefore they shal be destroyed both together The leaders of my people cause them to erre c. Here is the particular reason why God would destroy them because there was deceiuers amongst them and they were willing to be deceiued as if he should say I set ministers ouer my people that they should lead them and teach them in the right way that they should learne knowledge out of the word and then teach it to others and teach them what they ought to doe and reprooue them when they doe that which is not fit and which they ought not to doe but on the other side they haue set their faces to get the applause and liking of the people preach onely pleasing and foothing things to please the care onely to get fauour and a name they therefore haue caused the people to erre and they that were lead by them are willing to be seduced therefore they shall bee deuoured together so much for the meaning of the words Therefore will the Lord cut off from Israel c. The first thing is the generall cause of the iudgement that should come vpon this people which was because they had not sought the Lord nor turned to him nor profited by their former afflictions There the Lord would cut them off Doct. 1 The first thing that wee learne in these words is that this is the dealing of God with an obstinate and gaine-saying people when they doe not benefite by former and lesse iudgements that he layes vpon them to bring heauier and more fearefull plagues vpon them this is manifest euery-where in the word of God as Deut. 28. Deut. 28.45 Chapter and in verse 45. after the Lord had threatened a great many plagues against his people hee saith further that if this should doe them no good then All these curses shall come vpon thee and ouertake thee to destroy thee because thou obeyest not the voyce of the Lord thy God And in verse 58. c. The Lord saith If thou wilt not obey and doe al the words of this law that are written in this booke and feare
this glorious and fearefull name the Lord thy God then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderfull and the plagues of thy seede euen great plagues and of long continuance moreouer he will bring vpon thee all the diseasâ—s of Egypt whereof thou wast afraid and euery sickenesse and euery plague that is written in this booke of this 〈◊〉 wil the Lord heape vpon thee till thou bee destroyed Levit. 26.21.22 23 24. Like to this is that in Leuiticus 26. where the Lord saith If you walke stubbornly against me and will not obey me I will then bring seauâ—n times more plagues vpon you according to your sinnes I will send wild beasts vpon you which shall spoyle you and destroy your carttell and make you fâ—we in number yet if by these you will not bee reformed by me but walke stubbornely against me then will I also walke stubbornelie against you and I will smite you yet seauen times more for your sinnes This also made the Prophet Esay in this chapter to repeate three times these words For all this the wrath of the Lord is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still as in the 12.17 and 21. verses And in the Gospel our Sauiour Christ said to the man that had beene sicke 38. 〈◊〉 5.14 yeares Goe thy way sinne no more least a worse thing happen vnto thee Out of which places it is apparant that the Lord brings heauier greater plagues vpon men Reason 1 when they profit not by lesser The reason of this is because there is neither equitie nor right in it that the Lord should go away as ouercome with the stubbornnesse and obstinacie of the people That were as if a Prince hauing a rebell standing out against him and beeing norable with a fewe to subdue him should giue ouer gather no more forces against him which to him were too much indignitie and dishonor So no reason the Lord giue ouer his armes til his rebells are brought in 2. Sam. 20.22 As Ioah would not giue ouer his siege against Abell till hee had the head of Sheba throwne ouer the wall So the Lord will not giue ouer his siedge against men till hee haue the heads of their sinnes cut off and cast away The second reason is that as it is a dishonour to God Reason 2 so it would be daungerous to men whom he should spare because if that be true in Ecclesiastes 8.11 Because sentence is deferred and not executed speedily therefore the harts of the children of men are fully set to doe euill Eel 8.11 If deferring of a sentence doe harden men in their sins then much more if God should remooue his iudgements and not renew them againe therefore lest he should harden them he will vndoubtedly renew them that he may reclaime them Thirdly the Lord must doe it Reason 3 whether he deale with his owne or with those that are none of his with his owne to cure them or the other to destroy them for so is the practise of Physitians and Chirurgians if they meere with a body harde to worke vpon and a setled disease they double the doses of their medicines and vse more violent meanes So the Lord will deale with his owne when he sindes them obstinate but if they be not his owne then must he doe it that he may shew his power that hee is able to abate and destroy whosoeuer stands out against him for these reasos or the like it is that the Lord wheÌ„ he deales with obstinate men if lesse afflictions doe them no good he will bring greater and heauier plagues vpon them now hence doe arise many seuerall godly considerations and vses First Vse 1 this may make vs to feare nay bee assured of it that though God hath for the most part freed the land from this deuouring plagues Euen from the pestilence that walketh in the darknesse and the plagues that destroyeth at noone day Psal 91.6 saue that he hath a little returned to this Citie where he begunne yet are there more heauie and fearefull plagues and iudgements at our dores readie to breake in vpon vs for this that is here said is true and as it were spoken to vs by Esay For this is yet the state of the Citie refractary and obstinate as if they had conspired against God that doe what hee will they will still bee alwayes the same wicked as they have beene I speake generally for I doubt not but some fewe haue well profited by it Hosea 4.1 The Lord hath had a controuersie with the inhabitants of this Citie and he hath followed it hard almost for the space of these foure yeres But why did he thus trouble vs complained he without cause No assuredly For will a Lyon roare in the forrest when he hath no prey Amos. 3.4 For those sinnes which made him contende with Israel haue beene the cause of his controuersie with vs Cap. 41. Hosea saith the Lord had a controuersie with the inhabitants of the Land because there was no truth nor merey nor knowledge of God in the land by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring they breake forth and blood toucheth bloud There is no man who dare deny these least he reprooue the Lord for conteÌ„ding causeleslie but some will say indeede these sinnes were amongst vs but since so many of vs fell the last plague we are fallen from them I would to God it were so then might we well hope the controuersie would end and that God would remooue his plagues from vs and renew them no more but alas who seeth not the contrary when that in Ieremie may well be verified of vs that the bellowes are burnt Ier. 6.2.29 the lead is consumed and the founder hath melted in vaine for the wicked are not taken away How should we then not feare greater iudgements But to goe a little further there are foure sinnes which brought the iudgements of God vpon Sodome first and after vpon Israel and made the Lord take away that people at his pleasure and sweepe them away as the dust of the earth and they were Pride Idlenesse fâ—lues of bread and contempt of the poore which sinnes in this land and in this Citre haue 〈◊〉 the cause why God hath swept away so many thousands of vs. And if these sinnes be still in the land and not remooued what hope is there but that there are more fearefull plagues hanging ouer our heads These soure sinnes are the begetters one of another Pride commonly begetts idlenes Pride and Idlenes hegette Fullnesse of bread for that is one part of Pride to haue a table richly deckt and furnished and whereas labour would bee satisfied with a little yet idlenesse is a deuourer now pride idlenesse and fullnesse of bread breede Contempt of the poore for where these are there can be little reliefe for them For if the rich man fare deliciously euery day and goe in purple and fine linnen there
and oppression vsurie iniustice adulterie theft and such like and giue themselues to practise sobrietie to refraine their tongues to honour the Sabbothes and holy things to followe chastitie to be iust and faithfull to seek iudgement relieue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and defend the widow then as Esay saith of sinnes Isay 1.18 though your sinne were as crimsin they shal be made white as snow c. So for the punishments of them if they were neuer so great he wil remoue them and the euill that is feared shall not come as Chrisost vrged the people of Antioch with the example of the barbarous Niniuitos Hom. 5. Quomodo non admirabile What an admirable thing is it saith he That when the Iudge had pronounced sentence the guiltie persons should by repentance dissolue it they did not flee out of the Citie as we now doe but abiding at home did disannull the sentence they heard their houses should fall vpon their heads but they did flee from their sinnes none of them did forsake his owne house as wee doe now but euery one departed from his wicked way They said not the walles haue brought and begotten this anger wee who are authors of this wound let vs prepare the medicine therefore they trusted not for safetie to the change of place but to the change and mutation of their maners These things the Barbarians did and are not wee ashamed to doe the contrary If any of vs were angry with his seruant and he should not seeke to appease our anger but get him into his chamber and begin to gather his clothes and stuffe together and make a packe of them and prepare to flee away would wee easily beare this contempt And shall wee thinke God will take it at our hands Let vs then imitate the Niniuites Ionah 3.9 who vpon vneertainties repented for all they had was but this Who can tell whether God will turne and repent and turne away from his sierce wrath that wee perish not For they knew not the law and the Prophets but wee haue a certaintie namely a most sure word euen the certaine promises of God Let vs as we haue more incouragements then they turne to God But to conclude this poynt I would say as the Prophet Gad said to Dauid when hee had deliuered Gods fearefull message vnto him touching the choyee of his plague Wilt thou that seuen yeares famine come vpon thee in thy land Or wilt thou flee three monethes before thine enemies 2. Sam. 24.13 they following thee Or that there bee three daies pestilence in thy land Now aduise thee and see what answere I shall giue to him that sent me So say I aduise your selues and see what aunswere I shall giue to him that sent mee Let mee not say that you will not returne for that is not profitable for you nor ioyfull newes for me to carie But if I shall say to God you will returne then as Moses said Ezod 8.29 Let not Pharaoh deceiue any more So let not Englād deceiue any more For Be not deceiued God is not mocked Gal. 6.7 for whatsoeuer a man sowes that shall he reape He that sowes repentance shall reape mercie and he that sowes obstinacie and hardnes of heart shall reape confusion for God shall multiply his plagues still vpon him and his wrath shall not be turned away but his hand shall bee stretched out still So much may suffice for the generall cause of this threatened iudgement In the next place as they are here placed by the Prophet followeth the iudgement it selfe Whereof I haue many things to speake but the time passing so fast and being much spent alreadie I shall bee forced to imitate cunning painters who hauing in a great story many pictures to expresse in a little table onely draw the chiefest and most principall at large and in their full proportions the rest they expresse by the heads and the halues onely So I shall bee constrained to touch many things briefly that I may handle the chiefest more fully then by the halues that I may follow these somewhat at the full The next thing then which is to bee handled is the generalitie of the iudgemēt in these words The Lord will cut off head and taile braunch and rush Whence for our instruction I obserue this point This is the dealing of God when he commeth to visite Doct. 2 Where he findeth sinne generally spreade ouer all then will he bring a generall iudgement vpon all this is manifest through the scriptures when sinne grewe generall in the world Gen. 6.5.7 and the Imaginations of mans hart was only euill continually then the Lord brought a general deluge of water and destroyed all saue Noe his family Gen. 1 8. when sinne couered Sodome Gomorrah and the fiue Citties about it so that not ten good men could be found in all those Cities there came a common fire from heauen and destroyed all when sinne in the daies of Dauid couered the people and Dauid left to his owne corruption numbered the people 2. King 21.12.13 and prouoked the Lord there came a common plague vpon them from Dan to Bersheba Also when Manasses and the people corrupted themselues with Idolatrie the Lord threatēs he would bring a cōmō plague vpon them that he would stretch ouer them the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab and would wipe Ierusalem as a man would wipe a dish and turneth it vpside downe by al these it is manifest that where sinne is general there Gods iudgements shall be generall The reason of this is Reason 1 First because Iustice requireth alwaies a proportion betwixt the sin and the punishment that both in the weight and greatnes of it and in the length and extent of it when the sinnes are great and crying sinnes the punishments must be great and heauie plagues so when they are generally spread ouer all proportiō requireth the iudgments also should be generall Secondly because by this Reason 2 God may manifest and magnifie his power for as it shewes his power to saue with fewe as well as with many 1. Sam. 14.6 so to destroy many as well as fewe though Dauid spared Ioab because he was weake and but newly anoynted King and the sonnes of Seruia were too strong for him 2. Sam. 3.39 yet God is King from euerlasting yea none is too strong for him but as well when hand ioyneth in hand the wicked shall not be vnpunished as when they are single Now vpon this ground and from hence may I teach our earthly gods that seeing the heauenly God will deale thus Vse 1 So ought our earthly gods to imitate not to suffer vnpunished nor to tollerate any iniquitie or any workers of iniquity because of the multitude or that many are wrapped in the same sinne especially when they are not so many but their power is able to deale with them without preiudice to the
honour great in power rich in reuenues wise in policie deepe in learning or whatsoeuer else no outward thing is any priuiledge to saue them from his Iudgements â—rou 11. â—1 Hence is that of Salomon Though hand ioyne in hand the wicked shall not bee vnpunished So though head ioyne to head and all the meanes bee winded and knit together that may be had yet shall nothing free them from the iudgements of God Such are the vehemencie of the Lords arrowes when he shooteth them abroad â—ingâ— 2.31 though Achab bee in the middest of his hoast companied with all his men of armes yet one of them shall giue him a deadly wound Though Nabuchadnezzer be in his lordly palace built for the honour of his maiestie accompanied with his wise counsell yet another of them shall smite him and driue him to banishment Though Belshazzer his sonne be in the middest of his cuppes euen as it were in despight of God drinking healthes in the vessells of Gods tabernacle yet another of them shall be like an hand-writing vpon the wall and shall make his countenance to change Daniel 5. his thoughts to be troublesome his ioyntes to loose and his knees to beate one against the other Though Herod be arrayed with his royall robes set vpon his glorious seate making his eloquent oration and enioying the applause of the people Acts. 12 The voyce of God and not of man Yet shall another of them smite him that hee shall bee eaten with wormes and make him as loathsome to the smel as euer he was delectable to the eare If the Lord smite the Cedars of Libanus how shall the shrubs escape for saith the Psalmist The voyce of the Lordsh tketh the Codars of Libanus aswel as the shrubs of Cades wherby we plainly see that there is no earthly thing can be a writ of protection to protect a man from the wrath of God when hee commeth to iudgement And good reason there is why it should not First because the Lord is no accepter of persons as Peter thought in his error Reason 1 ingeniously confessing it afterwards Acts. 10.34 And the reason of this is partly the iustice and vprightnes of his nature and partly the greatnesse of his maiestie the vprightnesse of his nature because it is immutable and he alwayes the same the greatnesse of his maiestie because nothing is great in comparison of him as Ambrose giueth the reason though the things be great in respect of man yet nothing is great in respect of God seeing that as Esay speakes Isay 40.22 Hee sitteth vpon the Circle of the earth the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers The earth is but as a poynt or mote in comparison of the heauens though a little hill in respect of man is a great thing A litle grain turneth the goldsmiths scales when as a great matter will not change the scales at the Kings beame Secondly Reason 2 because their sinnes are greater then others partly because they haue receied much and much is required of them and where most obedience is due there the disobedience is greater partly because where others sinne of infirmitie as Solomon speaketh of the theefe that he steales for hunger therefore men pittie him Prou. 6.30 But they sinne of contempt as Pharoh did Who is the Lord that I should feare him partly because by their example many are drawne and imboldened to the like sinnes therefore no maruell if God smite them principallie Now from this poynt Vse 1 the impartialitie of Gods iudgements may we haue these informations First for such as Iehosaphat speaketh Who execute the iudgements not of max 2. Chron. 19.6 but of God They ought to doe as God himselfe would doe whose deputies they are and whose person they represent who also is in the middest of them not to spare any malefactor for any outward respect whatsoeuer they ought to punish the Noble as well as the base the rich as the poore the great as wel as the smal It was not for nought that Iethro aduised Moses that his magistrates should bee men of courage and hating Couetonsnes because Exod. 18.21 they that are fearefull and that loue money desiring to finger it will sinne for a little thing a small thing will easily turne them and one graine will make their scale weigh heauier or lighter They will soone bee like the fishermans Angle as one saith that though it haue but a little fish it will bend somewhat but when it hath a great fish it will bowe to his hand but these things should not be so But as the lawe which is the dumbe magistrate was penned without respect of person So the magistrate which is the speaking lawe should execute without any affection as well punishing a Noble adulterer as a meane one as well laying the law to a great idolatrous recusant as to a small one as well to such as is his friend as to him that is a stranger as well to him that hath many friends as to him that is destitute of friends and not onely to those that openly professe that grosse idolatrie but to such as vnderhand further that pestilent superstition How daungerous such are may appeare by that which Socrates writeth that certaine Arians Socrates lib. 1. Cap. 10. supposed to be conuerts abusing the lenitie and credulitie of Constantine the great insinuated themselues into his fauour and obtained offices and imployments in the common-wealth these publiquely professed the doctrine of the Nieene Creed but secretly and vnderhand they kept their olde corruptions in their hearts and by all meanes they could collaterallie with slanders and Iniustice through the sides of the godly they wounded the holy and innocent cause If there be any such among vs possessing any such places and if there bee any branch of the law against them these as most dangerous ought to feele the waight of it but if there be no lawe blessed be his mouth that will speake for such a law that there may bee more and longer triall made of them before they be admitted to any place and if they be in any that they may bee speedily remooued when their windings are discouered blessed he his hand that shall execute such a law And as against them so against all other malefactors executions ought to be without partialitie and then if they prooue like vnto Leui in execution Deut. 33.9 That said vnto his father and mother I haue not seene him neither knew hee his brethren nor his owne children for they obserued thy law and and kept thy couenant If any deale so then shall come vpon them that blessing Verse 11 The Lord shall blesse their substance and accept the worke of their hands and smite through the loynes of them that rise against him and of them that hate him that they rise not againe But if any be partiall let him looke for the recompence of King Saul who was put out of the calendar