top of Aarons head to the beard Psal â—33 2 the skirts of his clothing This blessing of absolute power is Gods onely to giue who at his pleasure can bestow temporall or eternall gifts Sometimes temporall vpon the creatures for man or vpon man in the vse of the creatures Ephes 1.3 Sometimes eternall vpon the Saints as he blessed the elect with all spirituall blessings in Christ chosen before the foundations of the world Aquinas This blessing hath no match and therefore it is said benedicere Dei est causare bonitateÌ„ there is none but God which can create goodnesse in man The other Superiour blessing is by commission to Gods Deputies which blessing is either more-common or more rare The common blessing is praier sent as an Angell to fetch the blessing of God from the top of the ladder in heauen to the foot of the ladder on earth Thus the superiours in the Church for which cause we thinke superiority expedient do pray for the blessing of God inward and outward and ex officio doe shew that God will bestow them wich are necessary This blessing is dayly or ought to bee of Kings to their subiects Pastors to their flocke and Parents to their children The blessing of the King to his subiects Iosh 22 1 Paralip 16 3 Reg. 8 as Ioshuah blessed the Rubenites as Dauid blessed the people in the name of the Lord or as Salomon blessed all the congregation of Israel Thus shall the King prolong his daies in the kingdome and his sonnes in the middest of Jsrael The blessing of the Pastor to the flock Deut. 17.20 Nomb 6.23 Leu. 9.23 Hebr. 7.1 ought to be as Aaron blessed the people at Gods appointment as Moses and Aaron blessed the people when the glory of the Lord appeared and as Melchisedec blessed Abraham the Priest of the most high God met Abraham c. blessed him This blessing when it is directed according to the prescript and allowance of the word of God is then of great power by the power of God annexed by promise The blessing of parents to their children is also of good vse and commendable among vs in England for the good speede commonly obserued in these blessings Apud Britannos inprimis sacra antiquitatis vestigia etiamnum hodie clara in hac parte sunt Hyperius Raedius Britannicarum claritatum speciosus The Britanes are most honourable aboue all Nations for the continuance of this holy ordinance This is without all doubt an holy order which the Lord ordeined from the beginning that children might bee preserued within the compasse of dutifull obedience to their parents and might esteeme greatly of their great office ouer them Moreouer this obseruation beeing a comely correspondence to the fifth commandement doth thereby approue it self that in our religion it should not be neglected or reputed a stranger And this is more manifest by the reasons of the Wise man in which hee lappeth his counsels for the precious estimation of the parents blessing Eccles 3.11 For the blessing of the father establisheth the house of the children and the mothers curse rooteth out the foundations I might here lift vp some monuments on which it hath been proued and written how the blessings curses of parents haue kindled fire of heauen or hell as if Gods will and the parents were all one In this purpose an heathen speaketh as if he had been a Diuine in the skill of secrets Si affirmabit pater aduersus nos pati nos oportet quod ille faciat cuius potestas plus potest God doth iustly effect that which man doth iustly craue But of all blessings by commission that is the highest and of most power which is called the Patriarchall or Propheticall blessing With this blessing Isaac blessed Iaacob and Iaacob after blessed his sonnes This is called a blessing of excellency for that those holy men indued with the spirit of Prophesie did blesse with the blessing of God which could not be supplanted I haue blessed him and he shall be blessed These blessings were as delectable nuts in the Church because in them beeing words of men there was deliuered the blessing of God Cant. 6.10 as the kirnell in the nut So that Iaacob gone towards his blessing might say I went downe into the garden of nuts The Lord had so enacted the couenant of grace with those gracious fathers that it did rest in custodie vt sanctum depositum as an holy pledge deliuered in trust They by their solemne blessing might conuey this treasure to their posterities in whose families the Church and life of saith was to continue till Christ his comming Thus Noah blessed his sonne Sem before and Moses blessed the twelue Tribes after Concerning Noah his blessing the question is asked wherefore that largesse of Patriarchall blessing was bestowed on Sem when as Iaphets fauourable demeanour towards his father was of equall reuerence and care for his fathers honour as Sems was The answer to this question is plaine that the holy ghost did foresee how from Sem should spring Abraham and all his holy followers of whom the most blessed fruite that euer did grow was to come into the world Therefore to Sem was that great Patriarchall blessing conueyed yet had Noah an other blessing for Iaphet as Abraham had for Ismael and Isaac had for Esau This secondary blessing was far short of the first as the light of a starre is short of the light of the sunne Yet this blessing might be inlarged to Iaphet if hee would light his starre at the sunne and dwell within the light of the Church within the tents of Sem according to the condition of the blessing God perswade Iaphet that he may dwell in the tents of Sem. And thus is it happilie with vs Gentiles conuerted and perswaded to fetch our light at Christ in the tents of Sem our blessing is inlarged by him and the Church with his blessing is inlarged by vs. Now then let me shew you how Iaacob the Hebrew and our English Iaacob are a blessed field The superiour blessing is vpon them both and their blessing is made manifest vnto vs in three most worthy allowances The first is for scituation the second for plants and the third for fruitfull vantages of watering In the first Iaacob is a blessed field scited in the sunne the fairest funne the Sonne of God which alway shines A blessed scite is Iaacobs conscience thus neighboured with the sun his conscience is asweet lodging sweetned with the ioies of Christ as his father Abrahams bosome O blessed Iacob thy fathers blessing hath Iodged thee in the bosome of Christ as the spouse in the bosome of her husband Cant. 2.4 Hee brought me into his wine-seller and loue was his banner ouer me God dwelling with Iaacob and Iaacob is two waies One in tabernaculo personali in the flesh of man the other in tabernaculo mistico in the
sacrifice all sweet 2 Filius is truth the word of eternall life and standeth here in the middest of this little garden dropping dewes of heauen to water it as the tree of life in the middest of Paradise In caeteris erat alimentum in isto etiam Sacramentum By other trees the body had sustenance by this the Soule instruction Therefore was it called Arbor vitarum Christ is the tree of liues Behold the tree of life in the middest of the garden on whom the liues of all the Saints doe depend for euer Christ is the truth and the life of the Church all sure 3 Ager is righteousnesse O inualuable righteousnesse of Christ where we gather all our righteousnesse for Christ is made vnto vs righteousnesse Iste est regula nos regulati He is our guide and we his followers as liues are guided by their soule Thus are wee made to flourish like the Palme tree and to growe like the Cedars of Lybanus all faire 4 Benedictus is peace our healthfull peace in our deere peace offering our redeemer whence wee receiue our heauenly requiem and rest from all our labours all blessed Thus we receiue our lot of inheritance Coloss 1.12 S. Cassianus Ioh. 20. among the Saints in light vnitatem socialem cum angelis in vinculo pacis The legacie of the Prince of peace Irrequietū est cor nostrum O bone Iesu donec quiescat in te O sweet Iesus how our hearts doe pant till they rest in thy peace that we neuer pant any more Here you may perceiue a comely Quadrant of the Soueraigne Ecce like that beautiful type of the Temple whose borders were foure square 3 Reg. 7.31 The Church is also resembled by the Quadras a pretious stone foure square S. Ambrose of despected colour yet of respected vertue Quadratura significat stabilitatem Ecclesiae the quadrant imports sound resolution But it is likely that some will aske where is Dominus the great Master of the houshold he which is Lord of the smell the Son the Shield and the blessing In whom by whom for whom from whom mercie and truth and righteousnesse and peace and all things are Rom. 11.36 In all things let me vnderstand what I say and tell you what I do vnderstand S. Augustine Omnes vtique naturas intelligere debemus quae naturaliter sunt neque enim ab ipso sunt peccata quae naturam non seruant sed vitiant Wee must meane all natures which are pure issues in natures for from him are not any faults which doe not conforme nature but deforme it Now then to that question I answer that I cannot shew him when hee goeth by one I see him not Iob. 9.11 If I goe to the North where he worketh yet I cannot see him Iob. 23.9 he will hide himselfe in the South and I cannot behold him Enoch is said to walke with God but he was taken vp into the Eagles ned and no more seene Gen. 5.24 4. Reg. 2.11 Elias went to walke with God but he was rapt vp in fierie chariots and no more seene here till the transfiguration for a fit Man here cannot see so farre as to see what God is Therefore Moses when he was on the lower Mount did hide his face at this excellens obiectum Exod. 3.6 which doth dazell mans presumptuous intelligence more then the Sunne doth his piercing eie the Sunne is a creature God is the Creator finitiad infinitum Some say that Isaias was therefore slaine S. Hierome for saying that he did see God yet without peraduenture he did see him iuxta possibilitatē humanam non vti est sed vt voluit se videri so farre as man could see who cannot see God as his desire is to see but as Gods pleasure is to be seene You may remember when the Lord was asked for his name his answer was I am wonderfull and past vnderstanding Exod. 3. Wee grant in good meaning that there is meridiana visio when we shall see face to face when we shall know that wholly 1. Cor. 13.12 which wee know now but in part But that meridian sight cannot see God fully to comprehend or measure him Deus ad plenum non cognoscitur in via neque in patria Isichius The sharpest sight either at home or abroad cannot discerne the fulnesse of God We shall know him to the full S. Augustine for the sufficiencie of our felicitie which shal be perfect and to the capacity of our glorified conceipt which shall be great but not infinite as God is and so is nothing else When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy Image Psal 17.15 Many millions of painefull considerations haue beene inrolled in the monuments of the Church of the Secrets of God which are all but as all the nations Esa 40.15 Alcuinus as the droppe of a bucket in comparison or as a droppe to the Ocean Some haue desired to tell vs what God is of himselfe and what hee is to vs. That of himselfe he is all length id est eternitie all breadth De us est Sphaera incomparabilis cuius centrum est vbique circumferentia nusquā charitie all height maiestie all depth wisdome That he is to vs our possessor he abideth within vs and is not contained our guard he remaineth without vs and is not debarred our king hee continueth aboue vs and is not mooued our rocke he supporteth vs for euer and is not confined I might point out vnto you many glosses of faire shew and all short of that which the Apostle in few wordes attempteth to this purpose 1. Tim. 6.16 He onely hath immortalitie and dwelleth in the light which none can attaine vnto whom neuer man saw neither can see Yet in all our walke through this garden wee shall see his beames shining vpon it and with faith hope and loue admire his presence whose seat is in the pillar of the cloud Eccles 24. Now then let vs proceed to consider first the head of this Text with the antecedents and then the foure quarters with their correspondence In euery part we find three consutes 1 First historicall narration pleasant in Iacob 2 Secondly mystical signification splendent in Christ 3 Thirdly congruent application honourable in the Prince In the head Behold I must craue fauour to walke a long procession The Lord had promised a blessing to Abraham in the number and honour of his issues count the starres if thou canst so shall thy seed be numberlesse as starres for exceeding plentie glorious as starres for heauenly beautie This promise was sure yet it came on with leaden feete Abraham was long without a child and Abraham was longer without the child of Promise Artopaus quanta maiora tanta longius protracta Dei beneficia vt sint chariora vt Isaac Christus vita aeterna The greatest blessings seeme many times a great way off
tonitrua quibus coloni in aruis affliguntur ita è co dibus malorum parentum euoluuntur pssimi filij suis vicini◠cruente infesti nor washed nor saulted c. Good tutors and teachers should performe the offices of good mid-wifes to your children these to helpe them in their generation those to further them in their regeneration This is the cause that there are among vs so many young Amorites and Hittites for want of holy education Amorites and Hittites a bitter people cruell rebels yet pratlers which dare so vaunt themselues that they are euen an astonishement vnto vs. But may I bee so bold heere to aske another question What are such parents better then Tantalus Cambyses or Lysimachus One of them killed his sonne of pride another of furie and the third of foolish loue The popish father is right as Lysimachus who by the cursed perswasion of a cruell step-mother killed his sonne his valiant sonne Agathocles Haud ero securus dum sit tibi tanta securis O Nouerca Roma thou hast intised many a father to murder his owne child and many children to reuolt from God a tender hearted father Papa caput est ecclesiae vt caminus est Domi in se fumos Jesuiticos recipiens et effundens vt enecet Ier 39.3 Apoc. 18 Deut. 13 Deut. 18 and the true Church a most louing mother Yes by thy instigations as the stings of the Hornet thou hast set to worke many a Ragmag and Neregall These as a close couered candle haue secretly kindled fire vpon christian States to melt and dissolue all holy gouernment Ah thou hast imployed Ragmag and Neregall with all the rest of the Princes of the King of Babell to teare off the life or religion or peace or all from Ierusalem O Nouerca Roma Queene mother thou saiest thou art a Queene but thou art a dreamer a deceiuer a charmer a regarder of times a counsellour with euill spirits a step-mother as those Lurida terribiles miscent aconita Nouercae alwaies tampring with poyson for Gods children Menander Did not the Poet dreame of thee in those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is not a worse mischiefe then a wicked step-mother Per ea quae sunt placida suadēt foeda 3 Reg. 18.4 4 Reg. 11.1 Quae dedit infidus mella venena puto Let thy sisters either Phaedra or Medea be thy Iudges how thou hast raged against Kings children or thinke of them of whom thou art more certaine in holie writte how thy sisters Iesabel and Athaliah shall rise against hee in the great day for killing the Prophets and the Kings linage Thus died the mild French King before thus followed the puifant French King after and both died of their mothers knife If then the sunne haue reueiled this way of a Serpent vnder a stone is not Rome hasharsheol a Wolfes house Vbi cascus cascam duxit and your good mother a bloud-sucker You tell vs daily that your father is holy his name is holinesse but your mother is a murtherer De Papa quam plurims quod de hircosis dicunt quo redolentioribus sese odoramentis fumigauerint eo tetrius olent hyrcum Ita pater iste mendax quo sacratioris titul◠laruam iudueril eo gra uiorem expirat mephitim eius fallacitas and therefore we thinke your fathers holinesse is to blame The Diuell hath a wide circle compassing the earth and that Strix of Rome is angry as the Bore which whets his teech because his circuit is not as large as the Diuels Who seeth not also that Satan and his holinesse are agreed to marke all with their blacke cole and brand them for Heretikes which blesse themselues with Gods blessing out of their reach Therefore to requite the Popes kindnesse I dare presume to take a little more roome to wrastle one fall with his holinesse for the wrong done to this name of holinesse I know well that the Popes solliciters haue much confidence in their Champion as the Philistines had in Goliah yet must hee needes fall which will stand on his tiptoes vaunting himselfe against Gods cause as hee did and more blasphemous then Rabshakeh arrogate to himselfe the Title which is proper to God This name of God the type of his incomparable perfection Exod. 28. was engrauen onely in gold the golden letters beeing as the letters of a seale to signifie him who onely by himselfe is of himselfe It was his proper name which being holinesse it selfe is able to make others holy God is more able to make Aaron holy then fire is able to make the mettall hot or the sunne able to infuse his heat into the day both these creatures may be restrained by God but the Creator by none God can with hold the naturall powers from the strongest Exod. 3. Iob. 40.4 and the fairest so that the fire shall not burne in the bush nor the sunne shine in Egypt God can illuminate man with the light of life and none can forbid it Canst thou restraine the sweet influence of the Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion hath man an arme like God Shall then challenge of equalitie with God in his matchlesse name be made by a weake and sinnefull man whose foundation is dust and his daies vanitie Some of the learned thinke it was the ineffable name of God which was engrauen on the plate of gold and so they write of the opinion of some of the Rabbines which being granted then the name there written cannot bee the Popes What if Aaron did beare this name in the Myter vpon his fore-head yet was it borne not as Aarons owne name but his Master his name whom Aaron serued as it is written Holinesse to the Lord. Let mee yeeld as much vantage as a wrastler may and lend the Pope that hold of an ancient father S. Hierom. Exod. 28.38 Totam Pontificis pulchritudinem Dei vocabulum coronet protegat But why so that Aaron may beare the iniquitie of the offerings c. This is plaine which was in speciall commanded for Aaron and none other wherein he was the singular type of Christ and of none other who onely could take away the sinnes of the world and none other Ioh. 1 2. Cor. 5.18 Ibidem to reconcile the people to God We poore Ministers haue the ministerie of reconciliation giuen vnto vs but none are reconciled to God but by Iesus Christ for God was in Christ reconciled the world to himselfe And he which hath the highest place in the ministration must be holy but he cannot be Holinesse he must be true but he cannot be the Truth these are Gods preheminences Therefore is this name Gods onely and properly Quarto modo to signifie that soueraigntie which is aboue the Popes capacitie But what needeth this attempt will some say to cast him downe who hath so often cast himselfe downe like a blinde man who cannot see or a drunken man which