be said But seeing the pressing of Obedience will avail little with the Rebellious if the fear of Gods judgements and the punishments of him that beareth not the Sword in vain doth not terrisie them from disobedience for such is the frowardness of mans nature that he would never fear God if he thought God consisted all of mercy and were not as just as He is merciful Therefore as you heard how necessary is obedience so I intend by Gods help to shew you the just judgement of God and the punishment of the Rebellious and disobedient upon the words that you shall find in 2 Kings 9.31 Had Zimri peace that slue his Master The last Sermon that I Preached in this City was on the Day of our Humiliation for the unnatural Rebellion and the monstrous Murder of our late most gracious King Charles the First And that work I then told mine Auditors I knew not how to do it in any better way than by paralleling the transcendent murder of Jesus Christ by those wicked Jews that crucified him which was their true and lawful King with that late unnatural murder that our English-Jews have committed upon their own just and lawful King Charles the First and that parallel I then prosecuted à capite ad calcem And this Text that I have now read unto you seems to be a Question demanding What became of one and what should become of all others wicked murderers that like him and like the other two sorts of Jews should kill both their King and their Master And the words are a Speech made at the entrance of a brave Conquerer into a famous City that is of Jehu into Jezreel A custom very often used amongst all Nations to make solemn Speeches at the Inauguration of their Soveraign Kings and Emperours or when any Noble Person cometh to any famous City as the University Orator doth it in the Academy and the Recorder in other Cities And so Jezabel makes this Speech unto Jehu assoon as ever he entred into the Gates of Jezreel Had Zimri peace that slew his Master And we do read of two special Zimries in the Book of God and both of them wicked men Numb 25. The first you may read of in the 25th of Numbers where you may see 1. How that Israel contrary to the Command of God joyned himself to Baal-Peor and that one Zimri a Prince of a chief House among the Simeonites brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman named Cozbi the daughter of Zur that was Head over a people and of a chief House in Midian 2. How that for this transgression of God's Command the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel so that he said unto Moses Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord against the Sun that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel And Moses said unto the Judges of Israel Slay ye every one his men that were joyned to Baal-Peor And so they did that there were slain 24. thousand men 3. How that Phineas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the Priest according to the Commandment of the Lord and of Moses took a Javelin in his hand and killed both Zâ—mri and Cozbi and that the Lord was so well pleased therewith that he rewarded him with the covenant of an everlasting Priesthood and stayed the plague from the children of Israel And the Prophet David saith that when the plague was so great among them Psal 106.30 then stood up Phinehas and prayed and so the plague ceased And our Presbyterians that find such fault with our Liturgy do say That we corrupt the Text because in the Original it is said That Phinehas stood up and executed judgement and so the plague ceased But their carping at this without cause hath been fully and sufficiently answered and may be easily and briefly done because he both prayed and executed judgement for the Text tells you plainly That the people were weeping before the door of the Congregation Verse 6 and so praying to God to turn away his anger from them and Phinehas rose from amongst the Congregation and killed them and then the plague ceased To teach us that the only sure way to turn away God's anger and the plagues that we deserve is not only to weep and mourn and be sorry for the wickednesse of the people but we must also execute judgement upon the transgressors Deut. 13.8 and as the Lord often sets it down Thine eye shall not pity them neither shalt thou conceal them but thou shalt surely kill them So shall you put away evil from among you and turn away the judgements of God from you which otherwise must still lie upon you because sins and especially great sins such as are Idolatry Rebellions and Murders and their punishments are so indiss lubly linked together that God seldom or never remits the one without inflicting the other And therefore he would not take away the plague from Israel until judgement was executed upon Zimri and Cozbi And this was the first Zimri that we read of and is not meant here in my Text. 2. 1 Kings 16.9 For the other Zimri you may read of him in 1 Kings 16.9 where you may find 1. How this Zimri conspired against his King and his Master and killed him and slew all the House of Baasha and left not one that pisseth against the wall neither of his kinsfolks nor of his friends 2. How that after this murder of their King and Zimri's possessing the Royal Throne all Israel was divided and most miserably embroyled in Civil Wars when some of them were with Zimri in Tyrza others with Tibni and the rest with Omri 3. What became of this Zimri and his conspirators that have wrought all these Wonders and most tragical Acts to kill their King and all the Kings friends how he went into the Palace of the Kings house and burnt the Kings house over him and died burning himself therein A just judgement of Almighty God against such as would conspire to kill their King And of this Zimri Jezabel demands the Question Had Zimri peace As if she should have said Is it possible that either Zimri or any one of them that conspired with Zimri and had any hand with him in the murder of their King and their Master or that very Kingdom that fostereth any of those murderers should have any peace or settlement or any happiness in the world until justice and judgement be executed upon such transcendent Malefactors For she conceived that as the wrath of God and his plagues were not turned away from Israel until Phinehas stood up and executed judgement upon the other Zimri and Cozbi so this Zimri and the Associates of this Zimri and all the kingdom that abetted him should never have peace nor happiness so long as judgement was unexecuted upon them as the example of Achan and abundance more doth make it plain that the
SEVEN TREATISES Very necessary to be observed in these very bad Days To prevent the Seven last Vials of God's Wrath that the Seven Angels are to pour down upon the Earth Revel xvi I. The Monstrous Murder of the most righteous King Paralel'd to the Murder of King CHARLES the First Act. vii 52. II. The Tragedy of Zimri that slew his King that was his Master 2. Reg. ix 31. III. God's War with the wicked Rebels Murderers c. Esay lvii 21. IV. The lively Picture of these lewd times Jeremy xiv 10. V. The four Chiefest Duties of every Christian Man 1. Peter ii 17. VI. The true Properties and Prerogatives of the true Saints John x. 27. VII The Chiefest Cause why we should love God 1. John iv 19. Whereunto is annexed The DECLARATION of the just Judgment of GOD 1. Upon our late King's Friends that neglected him 2. Upon the King's Enemies that rebelled and warred against him I. The perfideous Scots II. The bloody Irish III. The Anti-Christian Presbyterians and Parliament that killed the two Witnesses of Jesus Christ Moses and Aaron Magistrates and Ministers 1. In general upon all the Long Parliament and especially upon the Rump-Parliament so termed 2. In particular upon many of the most wicked Limbs of the great Anti-Christ and the Members of that Parliament AND The superabundant Grace and great Mercy of God shewed towards this good King CHARLES the First I. In his Life II. In his Death III. After his Death 1. In his Honour 2. In his Children and Posterity 3. In all his Friends and loyal Subjects By Gr. Williams Ld. Bishop of Ossory LONDON Printed for the Authour 1661. The Resolution of the Authour By the Grace of God and the assistance of his blessed Spirit I will flatter no man I do fear none nor any danger but God I desire nothing of any man but Love I covet no Preferment but to keep what the blessed King and my most gracious Master at the Motion of my ever Honoured Lord the Earl of Pembroke hath given me And He gave me all that I have and to lose all for his sake that gave me all I never cared I can have no long time to live being now full Seventy and four years old I will speak nothing to my knowledge but truth and if I perish I perish as Qu. Hester said Let God's will be done Jehovae Liberatori GR. OSSORY TO THE KINGS Most Excellent MAJESTIE And to the now-Convened PARLIAMENT and all Posterity The Humble Remonstrance of Gruffith Williams Lord Bishop of Ossorie Sheweth THAT he is most strictly obliged and indispensably bound as he is sent a messenger from God to instruct his people and called by His late Majesty his most gracious Master and now most Glorious Martyr Charles the first of ever blessed memory to be the Bishop of Ossorie to declare and make Remonstrance unto Your Majesty to the now-Convened Parliament and to all Posterity these few Subsequent things As First that ever since 1625. I lived with my ever-honoured Lord and Master the Earl of Pembroke and Mountgomery for the most part in His Majestie 's house at the Cock-Pit about the space of eighteen years together and about seven years of that time in His Majestie 's service and in that respect I had fitter opportunity to observe His Majestie and to understand the affairs and Trans-actions of the Court better then most others of His Majestie 's Chaplains that waited only their accustomed Moneth and then returned to their residence And mine Obligations to His late Majestie are so many and so great that I cannot with the best of mine endeavours discharge the Dimidium of those duties that low to the blessed memory of that King for he gave me all that I had and all that I have and had not the late Arch Bishop of Canterbury provided and commended to His Majestie a far better and abler man every way then my self His Majestie intended to make me the Teacher and Tutour to Your Majestie as I heard it from His own mouth when my ever Honoured Lord and Master the Earl of Pembroke and Mountgomery brought me to examine His Son and my Scholar the Lord Charles Herbert before His Majestie And therefore I conceive that I am more obliged and bound in Conscience to declare what I do infallibly know to be truth to perpetuate the understanding thereof unto Posterities and to undeceive the Ignorant and Simplest sort of people that know not things aright but in hearing the lying reports of most Malicious men do swallow down the same for truths then many others of His late Majestie 's Chaplains And I call the great God of Heaven and the Searcher of all hearts to be my witness that what I do is neither out of Envie Hatred or Malice to any particular man or to Flatter and to Insinuate my self into the favour of any one the greatest man living or for the hope and expectation of any benefit or Preferment in the World whereas I never did nor ever intended to desire any thing of Your Majestie or of any other but onely to retain and to enjoy what our late Pious King and my most gracious Master hath given me because that although I was Plundered in England and Plundered in Wales and Sequestred of all my Means both in England and Wales and had not left me one peny of any Ecclesiastical Means nor twenty Pound per annum in all the World to maintain my self and my Servants of any Temporal Estate so that I was forced for these twelve last years and more to live upon a little Tenement for which I payed fifty shillings rent to Sir Gr. Williams and four Pound land by the year of mine own poorer then poor Curates with Oaten-Bread and Barly-Bread and a little Butter-Milk or Glas-Door and sometimes Water being not able to keep any drop of Ale or Beer in my house for these two lustra's of years and more as all my Neighbours know and to go attired in very mean Country Cloaths and to do many servile works my self about my House Garden and Cattel for want of means to hire labourers yet for all this my sad condition lest I should be ensnared and hindred to discharge my duty and my tongue entangled with such Bird-lime I resolved to accept of no means benevolence or maintenance from the Usurpers Rebels and the Robbers of the Church of Christ and of their brethren whatsoever they should offer unto me and how great soever my wants should be as being contented with the Apostle with any state or condition whatsoever and hoping that as the Poet said of Pompey Non me videre superbum Prospera fatorum so Nec fractum adversa videbunt But what I say herein I do it onely to demonstrate the truth of things not to those that knew His Majestie which were needless but to those that knew Him not and upon mis-apprehension of His Majesties action's related by Malicious Adversaries misunderstood the same
begotten of him And therefore it is the duty of all Fathers Filios colere quasiproprie vitae propaginem proprio exemplo optimè regere tanquam membra saith Marcilius Ficinus To love and to delight in his Children as in the issue and the offspring of his own flesh and the Continuance of his life and to guide them and instruct them by his own proper example as he doth guide the members of his own body And the Poet very divinely saith Nil dictu faedum visuque haec limina tangat Marcil Fic l. 3. Epâ—st Intra quae puer est procul hinc prooul ite puellae Lenonum cantus pernoctantis parasiti Maxima debetur puero reverentia si quid Turpe paras nec tu pueri contempseris annos Sed peccature obsistat tibi filius infans Let no unseemly act or unsavory speech be seen or heard where thy Children are and if thou intendest to do any lewd prank or to speak any immodest thing forget not the years of the young Youths but when thou art about to do it let the consideration of thy Children refrain thee that thou mayst not teach them to be evill and wicked by thine example And it is the duty of Children to love and honor their Fathers as those that gave them their very being and all the things wherein they delight that is themselves as Diogenes said to one that he saw despising his Father And they ought to imitate and to follow their Fathers in all the good things that they see they do But who were those Fathers of those Jews that persecuted the Prophets that we may understand whom this Martyr meaneth For they boasted very much that they were the Children of Abraham and very proud they were that they had Abraham to be their Father because as the Poet saith Vera quidem res est patrem sequitur sua proles Et leviter sequitur filia matris iter The Children are like Apes apt to imitate and to follow their Fathers waies whether they be good or bad and to become like their Fathers both in respect of body and mind because as another saith Scilicet est olion vis rerum in semine certa Martil Poet. Et referunt animos singula quaeque patrum Nec leporem canis Aemathius timidámve columbam Children commonly like their Parents Notus hyperboreo falco sub axe creat There is a certain power and strength left by God in the seed of things and each severall thing doth shew the nature of his begetter as the Aemathian Dog begets not a Hare nor the Northen Hawk a fearfull Dove but as Horatius saith Fortes creantur fortibus bonis Est in juvencis est in equis patrum Horat. 4. Carm. 4. Virtus nec imbecillem feroces Progenerant aequilae columbam The strong creatures beget strong breed as we see in Beasts in Bullocks and in Horses the strength and stature of their Sires and the fierce Eagle begeteth not a silly Pigeon So commonly good and godly Fathers have good and gracious Children and for the most part valiant and heroicall men beget valiant sons as Jupiter begat Hercules Aeacus Achilles and Anchises Aeneas Rom. 11 2â— And the Apostle saith that Children are beloved of God for their Fathers sake and therefore questioniesse à Principibus nasci praeclarum est It is a most excellent grace and honor to be born of honorable parents And S. James saith that Abraham was called the friend of God James 2.23 and God himself giveth this testimony of Abraham that he knoweth Abraham would command his Children and his Houshold after him Genes 17.4 that they should keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment And therefore it cannot be otherwise but that this should be a great deale of Honor and Glory unto the Jews that they were of the seed of Abraham and the sons of Israel who wrastled with God and would not let him go untill he blest him But though all good Fathers do take special care to make their Children good and say with the Poet Hen henâ— ut illud dictitant rectè probum Patrem ab improbo non posse nasci filium Euripides Disce puer virtutem exme verumque laborem Learn to be good and to serve God by mine example yet experience sheweth that the best Fathers have not alwaies the best Children for as what Euripides saith is seen commonly true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That a towardly son doth seldom spring from an untoward father because as the Proverb is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An evil Crow brings forth an evil Egg and as Theognis saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The rose riseth not from shrimps nor * Mat. 7.16 thorns of thistles So it is often seen that a good and a godly father hath a very lewd and an ungodly son as faithful Abraham had a persecuting Ismael religious Isaac had a prophane Esau dutiful David had an undutiful Absolom zealous Ezechias had an Idolatrous Manasses Children not alwayes like their Parents and the good Prophet Samuel had very bad sons as were the sons of Eli. And the prophane Stories do record the like Progenies For Caius Caligula the worst of that time was the son of Germanicus the best of that Age and Commodus that became a lascivious sword-player was the son of Mar. Antonius that was a Sage Philosopher So Chrysippus was the son of Gabrias the Athenian Carinus was the son of the Emperour Carus Licinius Galienus was the son of Cornelius Licinius Valerianus very bad sons of very good fathers And I believe you may remember some fathers in your own time that were good men and very loyal subjects and their sons proved to be arrant rebels and some godly Bishops that had sons little better than the Rebels And therefore it is most true which Ovid saith Non census nec clarum nomen avorum Ovid. de ponto l. 1. Sed probitas magnos ingeniumque facit It is not our Progenitors To be vertuous is more noble than to be born of Noble Parents nor the having of Abraham to be our father that adds any thing to our felicity or encreases our glory unlesse we approve our selves faithful in our calling and dutiful to our God as Abraham was and our good fathers were Nam genus proavos quae non fecimus ipsi Vix ea nostra voco The famous deeds and the worthy exploits of our Ancestors are none of ours and as the Poet saith Nobilitas sola est atque unica virtus Hae nobilis Hector Alcidesque fuit It is our own vertues and goodness and not the vertues of our Fathers that makes us glorious and acceptable both with God and Men. And therefore seeing it is the imitation of their fathers vertues and religious carriage and not their procreation from their fathers seed that makes the children to be both loved and
upon the Pamphlets lying on every Stationer's stall 3. The next sort of men that betrayed and killed their King 3 Rulers of the people were not so much a Sect of seduced Zelots as a companie of great Rulers Rulers of the people saith the Text or as they are termed in their rebellion against Moses Princes of the Assemblie famous in the Congregation men of Renown Numb 6.2 and these were either the heads of severall families as our Lords and Nobilities are or else such as in their several countries or cities by their wealth or authority had gained power over the people to like or dislike what they pleased as our Knights of the Shire or Burgesses for the Parliament are and these were very deep in setting forward the Treason and Murder of their King 4. The Sadduces were another Sect among the Jews of pestilent doctrine 4 The Sadduces denying all Scripture that made against them and denying the immortalitie of the soul and the resurrection of the dead like Cromwels Atheistical Commanders and all punishment for sins after death therefore being more wicked in their tenets then the Pharisees and absurder then the Scribes it is very like they were more active in the death of their King then the rest of the forementioned Murderers 5. 5 Lawyers like the Chair-men of the long Parliament There were some comprised under some of the former Sects that are termed by the Evangelists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lawyers which as Christ saith sate in Moses Chaire and so were Chair-men because of some excellent parts that were thought to be in them beyond the ordinary sort of men and these men saith our Saviour have taken away the key of knowledge i.e. the Law and instead thereof they taught the traditions of men which traditions S. Luke 1.52 Matth. 15.3 Ephes 2.15 Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we may properly term Ordinances as our English Translation renders it and by these new-devised Ordinances of these Chairâ—men they quite spoyled and frustrated the good old Law both of God and Man 6. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate Elders or 6 The Presbyans as the word properly sounds Presbâ—ters had a mighty share in the blood of their King and S. Luke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7 The Priests Matth. 27.1 Mark how the Prâ—sbyters are not only called the Elders but the Elders of the people because the common people only magnifie them and they only endevour to please the people the Presbyterie were the first that came against him 7. The Priests joyned with these Presbyters to kill their King for so the Evangelist saith that when the morning was come all the chief Priests and Elders of the people took counsell against Jesus so put him to death and as then the Jewish Elders and Priests conspired together against their King so we find now the Presbyters or Preaching-Elders and Romish Priests though their faces are averse and seem to look divers wayes yet like Sampsons Foxes they are tyed together by the tayls and both are Anti-Kings enemies unto Monarchy and do like Mars his Priests called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scatter the fire of Sedition and Rebellion amongst the people and Sheba-like blow their Trumpets in all places even in their Pulpits to stirre up the discontented people to take Armes against their King though he be Christ himself And therefore if any King would be free from Rebellion he must banish these Priests and Presbyters from his Dominions 8. 8 The whole Paâ—liament of the Jews conspired together to put Christ their King to death Mar. 15.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nemine contradicente Esay 1.4 S. Mark saith that these Priests held a Consultation with the Presbyters or Elders and Scribes and the whole Councill and bound Jesus and carried him away and delivered him to Pilate so here is the whole Parliament of the Jews against their King who had they not been Jews had never done it but these had formerly forsaken God and therefore no wonder that they do now betray their King yet it might be wondered that this Councill consistings of Heterogeniall parts severall Sects as Pharisees and Sadduces Scribes and Herodians Priests and Presbyters whereof most of them differed in many things and hated each other very much even as much as Papist and Puritane Calvinist and Lutheran do amongst us yet they can deponere inimicitias lay aside all differences and conspire together to betray to death their Lord and King and our Saviour himself tels us how Videlicet when they saw the Heir they said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 within themselves i. e. by their wicked thoughts and then they said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among themselves i. e. by consultation and publishing their intention one to another Come i. e. by combination and making a firm League and Covenant with an indissolveable oath that although we be of sundry sects and different opinions among our selves yet after we have made this Covenant we need not suspect one another but we may confide in the Covenanters and assure our selves of fidelity to assist one another to the uttermost ut occidamus even to kill him that his Kingdom and his Vineyard both Church and Common-wealth may be our own and thus saevis inter se convenit Vrsis these cruell Bears and savage Beasts do consult and agree together to put to death the Lords Anointed Therefore this Counsell worse then the worst of the Popish counsels may rightly be termed a Devillish counsell Psal 1.1 even the counsell of the ungodly the way of sinners and the seat of the scornfull when as Jacob saith of his sons Simeon and Levi The instruments of cruelty are in their habitations and their swords are the weapons of violence and therefore O my soul come not thou into their secret and let not mine honor be united unto their assembly But let thy thoughts abhor all their actions For in their anger they slew a man and through envy they murdered the best of men and their own King even Jesus Christ and therefore cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruell and for their malice let all such murderers be divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel and let due vengeance be speedily rendered to all such abominable Traytors 9. 9 Flattering Courtiers We read of another Faction that had their fingers in this Treason i. e. the Herodians who were a company of flattering Courtiers and alwaies followed the over-ruling party And these were subtile Foxes that made use of Policy without honesty and therefore Christ that knew them well enough Mar. 8.15 and I would to God King Charls had known his Courtiers also adviseth us to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Herodians i. e. the leaven not of bread but of the doctrine and practices when as their Doctrines are contagious and infectious and their practices
the manner of them to deliver any man to die before that he which is accused have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him so it may be Zimri will shew some good reason why he kill'd his Master And I doubt not but he had learnt Absolons lesson that it was for the ill government of Elah propter bonum Reipublicae for the good of the people that they might be better governed and much eased of many burthens and relieved of their grievances To which I say that you must understand all Traytors and wicked actors to be just like unto Watermen that row one way and look another way so they pretend one thing and intend another thing Thus Zimri pretended to amend the Government to ease the people to reform the Laws and rectifie their Religion but his intention and his chiefest ayme was to make himself great to get his Masters place and to become a King himself which was first in his intention though last in the execution otherwise if his principal ayme had been as he pretended the publike good he would have turned and changed the Kingdom of Israel into a Common-wealth or else he would have made either Omri or Tibni whom the people loved and not himself whom they hated to be their King sed menrita est iniquitas sibi but wickedesse though not always yet sometimes bewrayeth it self as the action of Zimri to make himself a King discovered his prime intention and the chiefest occasion that moved him to slay his Master to be his Ambition and desire of bearing rule And indeed this Ambition and desire of bearing rule hath so strangely bewitched the minds of many men Camer l. 5. c. 8. that as Camerarius saith it is almost incredible to believe and most strange to consider what inordinate desire men have to raign and to rule as Kings what villanies they have committed to become Kings What horrible things have been done by those that were ambitious of bearing rule what execrable things they have done to continue Kings for Amurath the third caused five of his younger brethren to be strangled in his presence Ismael the second son to Teâ—mas King of Persia did put to death so many of his brethren as he could lay hold on and all the Princes that he suspected to have any desire to his Kingdom that so they might raign and rule without fear And Solyman mistrusting his own son Mustapha when he returned victorious from the Persian war and was received with such generall applause caused him presently to be strangled and a Proclamation to be made throughout all the Army that there must be but one God in heaven and one Emperour i.e. Himself here on earth and Camerarius saith that this is a perpetuall custom in the race of the Ottomans and among the Turkish Souldans to put all that pretend succession unto death Neither is it only a Turkish custom but it is also the practice of all such as are bewitched with such inordinate desire to rule as Kings to do the like For Plutarch writeth that Diotarus having many sons and desirous that only one of them should reign slew all the rest with his own hands and Justin saith that Horodes King of the Parthians killed his own Father and after that massacred all his brethren that he might reign and rule alone and the sacred story sheweth that the very people of God the sons of Israel were not free but pestered with this disease Judges 9. as Abimeleck the son of Gedeon slew seventy of his brethren in one day and played many other tragicall parts that he might make himself a King 2 Sam. 15.16 And the furious ambition of young Absolon did set him on fire to seek to end his Fathers dayes and to play the Parracide that he might reign in his Fathers place and so Zimri when he began to reign as soon as he sate on his throne he delayed not the time but presently slew all the house of Baasha 2 King 16.11 as Baasha had formerly done to all the posterity of Jeroboam he left him not one that pisseth against a wall neither of his kinsfolks nor of his friends And not to go from home for Examples Did not Henry the fourth put by Richard the second his own King and Cosen-German that he himself might be the King and did not Richard the 3d. cause the true King his brothers chidren his own Nephews the sons of Edward the fourth that were but children and never offended him to be done to death that he might wear the Crown himselfe And my papers would fail me if I should set down all the examples that I could produce of this nature for there is not any thing so sacred which the great men of this world that desire to be made greater will not dare to violate and spare neither King father brether nor friend to bring themselves to their desired advancement to be the rulers of the people and to have the power both of our lives and goods in their own hands as the proof is plainly seen in the foresaid examples and especially in Antoninus Caracalla who when he had most unnaturally and barbarously slain his own brother Geta even in his mothers lap and between her arms and being counselled by some friends to Canonize him among the Heroes and to place him with the Deastri to mitigate the thought of so execrable a fact answered like a vile Caitiffe Sit divus modò non sit vivus Let him be a god among the dead so he be not alive among men So great an enemy is the inordinate desire of raigning and ruling to all piety and right saith Camerarius l. 5. c. 8. And for Zimri's pretence to rectify the government to ease the people to establish the true service of God which King Elah and his Father Baasha had permitted to be continued as Jeroboam had corrupted it and to fulfill the Words of the Lord which he spake by Jehu the son of Hanani 1 King 16.2 I say these things were least in his thoughts and were but meer pretences and shadows to hide and cover his malice unto his King and his ambitious desire of bearing rule for he being a subject and a servant unto King Elah what warrant had he or what command from God to kill his King Jeroboam was the master piece of Idolatry and the ring-leader of them that made Israel to sin and yet I would fain know where God gives leave to his subjects to kill him for this intolerable impiety But when God setteth up Kings if they prove wicked to corrupt his service and to destroy his servants he can raise other Kings to punish them as he did Pharaoh King of Egypt and Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon to chastise and to remove the evill Kings of Judah or he can take them away by death or by twenty other waies that we know not of without making their own
God doth require that as he gave the Law so he should have his Law observed i.e. That he which sheddeth mans blood should have his blood shed by man For the fuller clearing of which point I pray you look what the Lord saith in Numbers 35.31 and the reason that is rendered verse 33. for that blood defileth the Land And I might here make you a whole Volume to set forth the declaration of the just judgement of God upon such Traytors and Transgressors of this Law as Zimri was both of former times and of these later years And You know what the Law saith An eye for an eye tooth for tooth Exod. 2.23 24. Math. 7.2 life for life And you hear how the Prophets threaten that spoilers shall be spâ—iled and that our Saviour saith With what measure you mete it shall be measured to you again And that the Holy Ghost saith He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity and he that killeth with the sword shall die by the sword which is lex talionis the law of retaliation and is the justest law in the World and said to be the justice which the Poetsfaign Radamanthus executeth in Hell by punishing every offender according to his demerit And Adonibezec said As I have done so God hath requited me Judg. 1.6 7. and hath executed the very same punishment upon me as I had done upon others And Justin writes that Gryphus King of Egypt had a poisoned cup offered him by his own Mother who formerly had betrayed Demetrius into the hands of his enemies and had caused one of her own sons to be killed that she her self might reign but Gryphus being forewarned of the mischief caused her to drink that potion which she had brewed for him And Benzo reporteth of Attibalipa a mighty King of Peru how the Spaniards having taken him prisoner and agreed with him that for two millions of Gold he should be ransomed yet after the receipt of the Gold did most perfidiously put him to death but it so fell out saith mine Author Berzo in his History of the New World l. 3. c. 5. that by the just judgement of God all they that were consenting to his death came to a most wretched and a miserable end So Aelian setteth down how Archelaus King of Macedon had a Minion named Cratenas Elian l. 1. that affecting the Kingdom murdered his Master but not many dayes after he was betrayed and murdered himself And Melancthon sheweth how Arius Axer slew Numerianus Mâ—lancthon Chron. l. 3. that he miâ—ht attain unto the Empire but the Praetorian Souldiers understanding the matter rejected Axer and chose Dioclesian for their Emperour that laid hold of Axer and put him to death as he well deserved for his disloyalty And further the same Melancthon sheweth how young Gordian the Emperour was teacherously slain by Philip Arabs whom Gordian had promoted to great honour but the justice of God served him with the same sauce when his own Souldiers conspired against him and Decius caused him to be slain So Domitian was killed by Stephan that was the Steward of his house and he was slain for his pains in the time of Nerva Casaubon animadver in Sâ—eton l. And the Learned Casaubon hath observed that Brutus and Cassius and all the rest of the Conspirators against Julius Caesar were never free from War but still followed by Angustus and Antonius until they slew themselves with the same Paniards wherewith they had stabbed Caesar But to what end should I tell you of any more such Stories out of prophane Authors that are so full of the like examples when the boly Scripture does sufficiently testifie by the examples that are therein set down that such murderers of their Lords and Masters never had any peace among men but were still molested with wars hatred and troubles until they were destroyed For Jozachar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer that slew their King 2 Kings 12.23 Chap. 14.5 And I think he did very well in it as I would have done 2 Kings 15.14 2 Kings 15.30 and their Master Joash were so bated by the people that the Kingdom was confirmed to Amazia that slew these murderers who had slain his father So Shallum the Son of Jabesh slew his King Zacharia and raigned in his stead but he was therefore himself slain by Menahem the son of Gadi within one moneth after he had slain his Master So Peka the son of Remalia conspired against his King and his Master Pekahiah the son of Menahem and slew him and Hoshea the son of Ela made a conspiracy against him and slew him even as he had kill'd his King which verified the old Proverb 2 Kings 21.23 24. Proditoris proditor He became a Traytor of a Traytor So the servants of King Amon that slew their Master the Lord stirred up the people of the Land to revenge his death and to kill all them that had conspired against their King i.e. the common people And so bere to name no more Zimri that slew his King and his Master that was a Drunkard hath no rest nor peace but is begirt and brought to that extremity as to throw himself into the fire to be burned a very just but a very fearful death And therefore let no Zimri nor any that are of Zimri's mind King-killers and the Murderers of their Masters ever think that they can have either peace or rest or any happiness but envy hatred and wars or some mischief or other to follow them at their heels until they be destroyed as they have destroyed their Masters For the Scriptures must be fulfilled that wickedness shall never prosper and the murderers of their Kings can have no peace nor any good successe while they live for having committed such horrible Facts they can have no Associats Patrons or Protectors but such vile Varlets as themselves and therefore these they must entertain and these they must advance and protect And remember what King Boco said to the Senate of Rome What King Boco said to the people of Rome Wo to that Realme where all are such as neither the good among the evil nor the evil among the good are known Wo to that Realme which is an entertainer of all fools and a destroyer of all Sages Wo to that Realme where the good are fearful to do good and the evil too bold to do evil Wo to that Realme where the patient are despised and the seditious are commended Wo to that Realme which destroyeth those that watch for the good The Diall of Princes pag. 393. and crowneth those which watch to do evil Wo to that Realme where the poor are suffered to be proud and the rich tyrants Wo to that Realme where all do know the evil and no man doth follow the good Wo to that Realme where so many evil vices are openly committed which in another Country dare not secretly be mentioned Wo to that Realme where
they prosper bear rule and raign in a flourishing stare for some years they shall therefore flourish for ever and never be punished because the Lord is flow to anger and cometh to punish on leaden feet using much patience towards the most wicked reprobates to see if his long sufferance can lead them to repentance But if they be such as the wise man speaketh of that Because sentence against an evill work treason Eccles 8.11 or murder or the like is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evill Te peccare sinit siquidem divina potestas Temporis ad spatium parcit quandoque nocenti Sed gravius tandem tormentum rector Olympi Injungit torquetque magis delicta nocentum Obadiah v. 15.16 Exod. 1.22 15.5 then will God recompence the slownesse of his coming with severity of vengeance and smite then home with iron-hands for this law is irrevocably enacted in heaven that murders adulteries oppressions perjuries and other such wickednesses shall not always prosper but shall undoubtedly be punished though the times and the manner are not by us to be known 2. For the punishment of malefactors it is 1. Sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they shall suffer the same strokes and receive the same measure as they have measured unto others As thou hast done it shall it be done unto thee Even as Pharaoh drowned all the male-children of the Israelits in the waters of Nilus so was He and all his Host drowned in the red Sea and as the sword of Agag had made many women childless so did the sword of Samuel make Agags mother childless among women and as all the foresaid examples that have proved Traytors and have kil'd their Kings have been kil'd themselves just as the Lord had said Whosoever sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed 2. Sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall suffer some punishment that shall be somewhat like to the sin 2 Chron. 12.5 that they have committed for so the Lord saith You have forsaken me and therefore I have also left you and so it hapned to Solomon that as he divided Gods service betwixt God and the Idols so God divided his Kingdom betwixt Rehoboam his son and Jeroboam his servant And this likeness of the punishment hath a reference sometimes 1. To the Subject 2. To the Place 3. To the Time of our sinning for 1. 1 Kings c. 11. c. 12. As Adam sinned in eating the forbidden fruit so his punishment shall be to eat the fruit of the ground in the sweat of his face and Hezechias for shewing his Treasure was punished with the loss of his treasure 2 King 20. as many other men for being proud of their wealth do lose their wealth some one way and some another 2. The Lord saith that 2 In respect of the place 1 King 21.20 In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood even thine which came to pass accordingly you may see in 1 King 22 38. 3. Sometimes the punishment hath reference to the time of our sinning 3 In respect of the punishment as the spies that searched the land of Canaan 40 daies and sinned by their false report were punished by wandering in the wilderness 40 years and it is observed that Pompey was killed by Septimius and Achillas as upon the same day wherein he had formerly triumphed for the spoile of Jerusalem and the Jews had their City utterly destroyed by Titus at the same time of the year and as some think on the same day of the month wherein they had crucified our Saviour Christ 3. In respect of the persons sinning and punished we are to observe 3 The persons sinning 2 King 14.6 that although the Lord saith The fathers shall not be put to death for the children nor the children be put to death for the fathers but every man shall be put to death for his own sin and the soul that sinneth that soul shall die and God will not have them say The fathers have eaten sower grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge Yet it is most certain that many times the wickedness of the fathers is remembred in their posterity and the punishment of that wickedness is oftentimes delated and after a sort both deferred and in part transferred as well to the children and to the childrens children of them that walk in the same steps and follow the same courses as their fathers did and sometimes upon the very innocent Infants as upon the wicked fathers that are murderers and malefactors themselves For so the Lord saith that for the sin of Jeroboam therefore behold and mark it well I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam 1 King 14.10 11. and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall and him that is shut up and left in Israel and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam asa man taketh away dung till it be all gone And so Baasha the son of Ahijab smote all the house of Jeroboam 1 King 15.29 he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed untill he had destroyed him 1 King 16.3 4. according to the Word of the Lord and the Lord threatneth the very same punishment and the rooting out of all his posterity to Baasha 1 King 16.11 12. that killed his King Nadab and did other evils in the sight of the Lord and this Zimri the servant of Elab brought to pass according as the Lord had threatned and the very like punishment happened to all the posterity of Ahab even for Naboths murder and other sins of Ahab 2 King 9.9 and c. 10.17 and too many more murderers and wicked men that by their sins and desire to raign and unjust preferring of their children have pulled down vengeance upon themselves and rooted out all their posterity And for Romulus Tarquinius and Nero I say neither of them were either good or honest and yet the holy Scripture doth not allow the killing or sentencing of them to death and the proof of the Senat 's killing Romulus or sentencing Nero to death is not Authenticall nor the examples by any means to be followed when they are so apparantly contrary to the practice and precepts of the holy Apostles and the success which followed Neroes death proved so lamentable Corn. Tacit. l. 20. 21. as the Tragicall butchering of three of their succeeding Emperors Galba Otho and Vitellius that had been three most famous Captains and had done very worthy exploits for their Countrey And therefore whosoever thinketh by murder and slaughter to usurp another mans Kingdom Inheritance or Possession and thereby to raise his house and to advance his children as Zimri Baasha Shallum and others thought to do or thereby to benefit the Common-wealth as they pretend to do he deceives himself because this is the only
fashion devised by the false Prophets now serving him in his Temple and consecrated house dedicated for his worship and presently serving him in Chambers in the Groves and under every green Tree But I conceive that the Prophet means according to Tremelius translation that they erred from the right service of God and from the performance of their duties unto their neighbours and so straid like lost sheep without a shepherd The Law of God is the way wherein we ought to walk both from the way of piety and from the rules of equity and the further they go on the harder it is for them to return to the right way for you must know that the way wherein we ought to walk is the Law of God even as the Prophet David sheweth saying Blessed are they that are undefiled in the way Psal 119.1 that walk in the Law of the Lord and not in the way of sinners which is the transgression and aberration from the right way that is the Law of the Lord. And this people The Jews and ourselves like the Egyptians and why the Jews were as we are for the most part of us like unto the Egyptians that received the most plentifull benefits of the river Nilus and yet they knew not the fountain from whence it sprang so did they reap all the favours of God his Oracles his Prophets and his blessings more then any other Nation of the World and yet they neither knew God nor the will of God Hos 4.1 Vide Esay 1.3 for as the Prophet Hosea saith There was neither truth nor mercy nor knowledg of God in the Land and therefore they wandered indeed and wandered far out of the way But you will say it is very strange that the Jews of all other people should be ignorant either of God or of the law of God when as the Apostle saith Vnto them were committed the Oracles of God and Rom 3.2 chap. 9.4 Psal 76.1 What great means the Iews had to understand learn the true service of God Amos 3.7 as the Prophet saith In Jurie is God known and his name is great in Israel and he gave unto them Priests and Levits Scribes and Pharisees that should continually expound his Laws both to them and to their children for ever and when they failed to do their duties he raised up his Prophets to direct them to the right way and to shew them how they should both worship God and love their neighbour and as the Prophet Amos saith Surely the Lord God will do nothing but he reveileth his secrets unto his servants the Prophets and therefore How could this people be ignorant of God or wander out of his waies To this the Prophet answereth in the next point and sheweth the true cause of their wandering and of all their deviation and starting aside from the right service of God for 2. He saith They loved to wander therefore what wonder is it Where the Jews erred that they should erre and go out of the right way when they loved desired and were well pleased to go out of it but it is strange and a great deal more strange for men to love to erre then it is to erre For humanum est errare God alone is truth and every man a lyer the best of us all is subject unto error when as ever since the fall of Adam there were four things Four things imposed on Adam and on all his seed for his transgression saith Beda most justly imposed upon all his seed for his unjust transgression 1. Ignorance 2. Impotence 3. Concupiscence 4. Malice For the healing of which four maladies the second Adam was made unto us as the Apostle saith 1. Wisdom 2. Righteousness 3. Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.20 4. Redemption Therefore seeing ignorance is incident unto all men and every man is born blind every one may well say with the Eunuch How can I understand without a Teacher or Act. 8.31 how can I walk in the right way without a guide But for a man to put out the light or for a blind man to refuse a guide and for an ignorant man to refuse knowledge this is the condemnation whereof our Saviour speaketh That light is come into the world Joh. 3.19 and men love darkness more then light And yet this was the Epidemicall disease of this people and it hath continued among all Nations to this very day for as the Scripture testifieth of the ungodly Noluerunt intelligere ut bene agerent but they say to God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies So it is true of too too many they will not understand the truth that they might do right they will not hear the true Preachers Job 21.14 2 Chr. 18.7 but as the King of Israel would not hear Micaiah but hated him so will not many men hearken to the true Prophets but they will do as Ahab said he did to Micaiah hate them and as the Jews dealt with the teachers of Gods true worship that is stone the Prophets and kill them that were sent unto them as Samuel was rejected Esay sawed in pieces Jeremy thrown to a filthy dungeon Zachary the son of Jehâ—ida was stoned with stones even in the court of the House of the Lord Micheas thrown down by Joram to break his neck because he rebuked him for the sins of his fathers Amos killed with a club Ezechiel slain Vrias the son of Semeiah for Prophesying against Jerusalem was killed by Joakim Jer. 26.23 Elias persecuted and threatned to be killed by Jezabel and the spirit of God demandeth of the Jews Act. 7.52 Which of the Prophets had not their fathers persecuted Even so do many men in many places and in most Countreys use the true Preachers and teachers of Gods true worship and the repairers of their errors in these very daies and if the true Preachers say with this Prophet Jer. 6.16 Ask for the old pathes where is the good way and walk therein and you shall find rest for your souls I am affraid our people will answer with the words of this people and say We will not walk therein But to proceed to shew unto you the doings of this people the Prophet tels us they have not only rejected the true Prophets and refused the bright shining light of the truth and right service of God offered unto them by the legitimate messengers of God but as our Prophet speaketh they have committed two evils 1. Jer. 32.33 chap. 7.25 They have forsaken the Fountain of living waters 2. They have hewed them out Cisterns even broken Cisterns that can hold no water And these two evils do commonly go together to silence and deprive the old and true Preachers and to advance and magnify the young novices that are fitter to be taught then to teach yea to forsake God and then to adore the Calf to throw away the service of
that end the Lord gave unto his people the same Law the same Sacraments and the same Gospell that the same God might have the same worship in all places and that his people might believe the same faith use the same prayer receive the same Sacraments and do the same publick service unto God in every City and in every place that so they might attain unto the same end which is the kingdom of heaven And therefore the Reverend Bishops and Governours of Gods Church were so careful herein to preserve the unity of the Church and the uniformity of Gods service that they prescribed the same prayers the same Psalms The set form of prayers and service of God justified 1. By the people of God the same Chapters and the same Service to be used in all Churches that all the world might know we worship the same God And to justifie this their practice of a set form of Prayers and Service of God they have 1. The Precept of God himself saying unto Moses Speak unto Aaron and to his sons saying On this wise ye shall blesse the children of Israel saying unto them The Lord blesse thee and keep thee the Lord make his face to shine upon thee Numb 6.22 and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace and so likewise he prescribeth unto them the very prayer that they should make and the very words that they should use both as they went forth and as they returned home from Battle for when the Ark set forward Moses said Rise up O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee And when the Ark rested Numb 10.35 he said Return O Lord unto the many thousands of Israel and the Prophet David useth the very same prayer and the same words saying Let God arise Psal 68.1 and let his enemies be scattered let them also that hate him flee before him 2. 2 By the Precept of Christ Luke 12.2 They have the Precept of Christ himself that biddeth us to use that prayer which he taught us saying When ye pray say Our Father which art in heaven c. 3. 3 By the practice of the godly people in the Old Testament They have the practice of the godly people of the Old Testament as you may see the very words that they were to use in Gods service when they offered their first fruits and the very prayer that they were to make in Deut. 26. from the third verse to the tenth and verse 13. And so the very words that the Priests were to use unto the people when they came nigh unto the battle as you may see in Deut. 20.3 And the godly King Hezechias made certain Psalms after his recovery from his sicknesse and saith We will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord Esay 38.20 and when he reformed the service of God that the people had neglected and the wicked Kings had corrupted he prescribed a set form of Gods worship and commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord not as every simple Priest 2 Chro. 29 30. or silly Levite pleased but with the words of David and Asaph the Seer And Mr. Selden in his Notes upon Eutychius sheweth Selden in Eutych pag. 41. dist ad pagin 25. that since Ezra's time when after their return from Babylon the true Service of God was restored the Jews constantly used a set form of Gods worship in all their Synagogues every Synagogue using the same Service 4. They have the practice of all the Saints under the New Testament 4 By the practice of all the Saints under the New Testament Luke 11.1 Matth 26.44 Psal 22.1 as 1. Of John Baptist that taught his disciples a Set form of serving God and a set form of Prayer 2 Of Christ himself that used the same form of prayer and repeated the same words three times together and commanded us to do the like and when he was upon the Crosse he used the very words of the Psalmist changeing onely the Hebrew phrase into the Syriack Dialect 3. Of the Primitive Church as the Lyturgy of Saint James Saint Basil S. Chrysostom and the short Form of serving God which Saint Peter left at Rome and the other which Saint Mark left at Alexandria do sufficiently testifie 4 Of the whole Catholick Church as it appeareth out of Cassander and other Writers of the Lyturgica And Therefore the religious Emperour Constantine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb de vità Const l. 4 c 17. rendered Set Formes of prayers unto the Christians saith Eusebius and his Nobles used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prayers that the Emperour liked and they were all brought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pray the same prayer yea he prescribed a Set Form of Service for his souldiers Idem l. 4. c. 20. as the same Eusebius testifieth And Saint August saith that Sursum corda lift up your hearts are words ab ipsis Apostolorum temporibus petita used in the Church of Christ even from the very times of the Apostles and are agreeable to the Constitutions of the Apostles L. 8. c. 16. 5. They have the practice of the Heathens that were so wise herein 5 By the practice of the heathens Plato de legibus l. 7. Alexand ab◠Alexand. l. 4. c. 17. Why the Gentiles used the same set prayers in their service as to use the same Service to every false god as both Plato and Alexander ab Alexandro do bear witnesse and they caused their prayers to be read out of a Book 1. That so the people might learn to repeat the same Prayers with the Priest when the same Prayers are constantly used in Gods service which they shall never be able to do when they shall have a new Prayer and a new Service upon every new day 2. Their Prayers were prescribed and read lest the simple and ignorant Priest should ask of God any evill thing that should not be asked and 3. Ne quid preposterè dicatur their Petitions were set down in verbis conceptis as we use to send messages to great persons in these and these very words lest we should offend either in the matter or in the manner in the thing requested or in the words wherein we have requested it Out of all which you may perceive how necessary it was for the Governours of Gods Church to see that the same God should have the same Service and that very Service which himself prescribeth and not what new Prayers and new worship in what Form and under what words soever every ignorant Priest should extemporarily pour forth to the Almighty God For if we ought to be very carefull to keep our feet when we go to the house of God Eccles 5.1 then how much more carefull ought we to be to keep our mouths and look to
that they needed not to sell their lands And Aâ—taxerxes King of Persia certified to all his Officers in all Provinces that touching any of the Priests Levits Singers Porters Nethinims or Ministers of the House of God Ezra 7.55.24 it shall not be lawfull to impose tole tribute or custome upon them and Jezabel that painted harlot could have so much shew of piety as to feed four hundred Prophets at her own table yet now What Bishops lands are not sold and taken from them What Priest or Church man is free from taxes and contribution and not more heavily taxed than any others And therefore if any Jew Pagan or Infidel were demanded Whom he thought to be the more religious and the better lover of God either Pharaoh that preserved the Priests-lands or they of the long Parliament that took away and sold the Bishops lands Either Artaxerxes that freed all the Church-men from all taxes and Jezabel that fed so many Prophets at her own Table or they that now over-load the poor Ministers with such unreasonable contributions as they are scarce able to provide bread for their own Table What answer would he make think you or whom would he think the better Saints and most acceptable unto God Judg you that are the Parliament men But letting these men thus dealt withall in their patience to possess their souls some man that is moved to see oppression and the oppressors flourishing and to behold villanies committed and no justice executed will say perhaps Should not the Magistrate the King punish their villanies and revenge the wrongs of Gods servants or Have not some of them you speak of neglected their duties and others committed strange out-rages and should these be loved and helped and not rather stripped of their estates and punished in their persons as these men are To this I answer 1. That for the Magistrates punishing in due measure both the Omission of just duties or the Commission of unjust offences in all men of what calling quality or condition soever they be the law of God commands it every Common-wealth requires it and no wise man speaks against it And if the Magistrate neglects it as Saul neglected the punishment of Agag or cannot do it for some just reasons that do hinder him as Zedekia for the Rebellion of his Lords and Commons had not the power to do justice and to hinder the wrong and indignities that were offered to the Prophet Jeremy and as our good King for the same reasons cannot hinder the wrongs of Gods Messengers and others of Gods servants Collos 3.25 then I say with S. Paul He that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong that he hath done and there is no respect of persons with God Deut. 32.35 et deinceps for the Lord hath said it and he will perform it Mea est ultio ego retribuam To me belongeth vengeance and recompence and their foot that is the foot of the oppressors and wrong-doers shall slide in due time that is when God shall see the time fit for the Lord shall judge his people and he will judge righteously and then he will repent himself for his servants when he seeth that their power is gone and that there is none shut up or left but as it were all begger'd and destroyed by their oppressors and he shall say where are their gods their rock that is the Saints which did eat the fat of the sacrifices and drink the wine of the offerings and so got all the best of all the land unto themselves let those gods and those holy saints in whom they trusted rise up and help these Tyrannicall oppressors of my servants For I even I am he and there is no god with me that kill and make alive that do wound and heal that is my servants for it is I that have wounded them and killed them for offending me otherwise you that are their enemies could never hurt them and I will heal them and make them alive again and I will avenge the blood and wrongs of my servants Vers 43. for I lift up my hand to heaven and say I live for ever and I will whet my glittering sword and my hand shall take hold on judgment Deut. 32. from the 35. vers to the 44. v. I will render vengeance to mine adversaries and the oppressors of my servants and be mercifull unto my people In all which excellent expression of Gods just judgments you may plainly see both the relief and deliverance of Gods corrected and dejected servants and the punishment of their proud and flourishing oppressors And our Saviour Christ Luke 18.7 in like manner saith Shall not God avenge his own Elect that cry day and night unto him though he beareth long with them Yes I tell you that he will avenge them speedily And though as Plutarch saith There be certain Rivers that do suddenly hide themselves under ground as the River Nigar doth in the Abissins Country Abbats pag. 184. yet eò perferuntur qâ—ò tendunt they go thither where they intended So though the wrath of God against wicked oppressors and other transgressors of his Laws lieth hid for a time and his judgements seem to be forgotten yet in extremas calamitates aufert aliquando nocentes He will at sometime or other punish them severely enough with iron hands though he comes on leaden feet as he did the Amalekites for the wrongs that their forefathers did to the Israelites four hundred years before And therefore seeing God Almighty challengeth vengeance was a peculiar right and properly belonging to himself and promiseth that he will avenge the blood and all the wrongs injuries and oppressions of his servants I say with Moses Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people Levit. 19.18 And with Solomon Say not thou I will recompense evil but wait on the Lord and he shall save thee Prov. 20.22 And as our Saviour saith Resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek turn to him the other also Math. 5.39 Or if you cannot do this yet as S. Paul saith See that none of you render evil for evil or revenge wrong with wrong For as the son of Sirach saith He that revengeth 1 Thes 5.15 shall find vengeance from the Lord and he will surely keep his sins in remembrance And therefore the only way for us is to follow the counsel of the son of Sir ach Ecclus. 28. Forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee so shall thy sins also be forgiven thee when thou prayest for otherwise That we should be ready and willing to forgive al wrongs done unto us one man beareth hatred against another and doth he seek pardon from the Lord he sheweth no mercy to a man which is like himself and perhaps not so bad as himself and doth he ask forgivenesse of his own sins Alas alas saith the Heathen
that we might fear him and he addeth which brought thee out of the land of Egypt that we might love him And in lege precandi he teacheth us to say Our Father that we might love him and he addeth which art in Heaven that we might fear him And in lege credendi we are taught to say I believe in God the Father that we might love him and to add Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth that we might fear him And besides all this we find that these two Graces Fear and Love 1. Are injoyned by the same Law 2. Do proceed from the same Cause 3. Do produce the same Effects And 4. Shall obtain the same Reward For 1. Moses that was faithful in all Gods house saith And now Israel What doth the Lord thy God require of thee Deut. 10.12 but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in his wayes and to love him Where you see fear and love so equally required that whosoever neglecteth the fearing of him though he should love him or omitteth the loving of him though he should fear him if he could do the one and not the other yet he is a transgressor and liable to the breach of this Commandment 2. As none denieth but mercy should procure love therefore Moses after he had rehearsed the great mercies of God towards the Israelites Deut. 10.11 21 22. Josh 23.9 11. Psal 130.4 addeth Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God And Joshua doth the like so David after he had considered his own vileness saith With thee there is mercy therefore shalt thou be feared Where you see the mercy of God is the foundation of this fear of God as well as of the love of God And as the mercy of God so the justice of God produceth both â—ffects the one as well as the other For my flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements saith the Prophet And though justice seems as oil to continue the burning of this lamp of fear and as water to quench the fire of love yet as lime which is naturally cold doth notwithstanding retain a fiery quality ex aqua incenditur ex qua omnis ignis extinguitur and is inflamed by water which doth extinguish all fire So the love of the Saints is kindled by the judgements of God Therefore the Prophet saith Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgements Psal 119.164 Psal 119.52 And again I remembred thy judgements of old and have received comfort 3. As love inflameth the desire to do what is acceptable unto God so fear hateth to do what is abominable unto him and as love keepeth his Precepts so fear loatheth to break his Commandments and as love mitigateth the sorrow which fear causeth so fear qualifieth the joy which love produceth And as S. John saith God is love so Jacob calleth him the fear of his father Isaac And as S. Paul saith Love is the fulfilling of the Law Gal. 6.2 Eccles 12. So Solomon saith The end of all things is the fear of God and the keeping of his Commandments 4. As the mercy of God is shewed upon thousands of them that love him Exod. 20. Luke 1.50 and keep his Commandments So it is no lesse upon them that fear him But as the Psalmist saith Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord he shall be mighty upon earth Gloria divitae in domo ejus And as the son of Sirach saith Timor Domini gloria gloriatio laetitia corona exultationis Because as the Prophet saith Dat haereditatem timentibus nomen suum Yea Psal 61.5 Psal 145.19 he will fulfil the desire of them that fear him and look whatsoever they do it shall prosper And as eternal life is promised to them that love God So eternal death shall never seize on them that fear God And in brief whatsoever attendeth the one becometh a follower of the other and no marvel because that in love fear is included and in fear love is implied And while we are in this world both grow together in the heart of every true Believer And as the Poet saith of another kind of love so I may more truly say of this Divine love Res est soliciti plena timoris Amor. This love of God is full not of distrustful but of careful fear Quia timentes Deum non erunt incredibles verbo Illius saith the son of Sirach Ecclus. 2. But the wicked have neither true fear nor perfect love For though Cain Esau and Judas had a kind of fear yet was it false because it wanted love And though the Pharisees and Simon Magus had a kind of love yet was it but counterfeit because it wanted fear for if the former had had love they would have desired favour and should have obtained grace and if the other had had fear they would have aimed at Gods glory and not have sought their own praise which did work their own confusion And therefore well might S. Peter enjoyn every Saint that loveth God to fear God And as the love of God so the fear of God is sometimes put for a part of Gods Service and sometimes for the whole Service of God and so it is in this place as in the first of Job and in Luke 1.50 and in the Psalms in many places As where he saith Come ye children hearken unto me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord where the fear of God signifieth the whole Worship of God to honour him obey him trust in him pray unto him and what duty soever else we owe unto him And thus the fear of God is the rarest Jewel and the most excellent thing in the World No riches no honour no preferment like unto it No evil shall happen to them that fear the Lord but God shall preserve them in temptation liberabit eos à malis Ecclus 33. saith Siracides And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation but mischief and unhappinesse and all evil shall continually attend and overtake them that fear not God to bring them to shame beggary and confusion as you may see it manifested in the Story of the sons of Israel who while they feared God were replenished with a thousand blessings preserved from a thousand misfortunes and delivered out of the Egyptian slavery by a thousand prodigies the Lord dividing the Sea to make way for them and closing the same again to destroy their enemies Drawing waters out of the Rocks to quench their thirst and feeding them with the food of Angels But when they did cast off the fear of God then God sent flying Serpents and stirred up enemies and powred down his vengeance upon their heads still plaguing them more and more untill they should be either quite consumed or happily reduced to embrace the fear of God again And not to search farre for any further presidents How happy weâ—e
will endeavour to discharge his duty by good report and evil report 2. You may observe that goodness it self is hated and truth it self slandered and traduced for in his mouth was found no guile but as Saint John saith he is the way the truth and the life and yet all that malice can invent is thought little enough to be laid on him he must bear in his bosom the reproach of a mighty people and he must endure the contradictions of a wicked generation And therefore what wonder is it if the best King and Governour in the world were he as mild as Moses as religious as King David as upright as Samuel and as bountiful to Gods servants as Nehemiah or if as worthy Preachers as ever trod pulpit were they as faithful as Saint Peter as loving as Saint John and as zealous as Saint Paul should be maligned traduced and slandered for you may assure your selves it is no new thing though a very true thing for the wicked to deal thus with the good and godly at all times But among all the subtil arguments doubtful questions and malicious disputations that the Scribes Christs good deeds inraged the wicked Pharisees and Heredians had with our Saviour Christ which were very many and all only for to intrap him in his speech that they might bring him to his death and not to beget faith in their own hearts that they might attain-to eternal life this conflict in this chapter seemeth to be none of the least for after he had so miraculously healed the poor man that was born blind their malice was so inraged and their rage so furious against him that they excommunicated the poor fellow and thrust him out of their Synagogue for speaking well of him that had done so much good for him or because he would not be so wicked and so malicious as themselves and then gathering themselves together round about Christ they began to question him about his office and very strictly to examine him whether he was the Christ the Messias or not And Our Saviour Christ Christ answereth for the good of the godly that knew their thoughts better then themselves intendeth not to satisfie their desire which was to receive such an answer whereby they might accuse him yet for their instruction that would believe in him he setteth down an institution or an infallible induction whereby both their subtil question was fully answered and his own true servants perfectly expressed and distinguished from them that serve him not in these words My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me Wherein The means ways to save us our Saviour setteth down the means whereby the true Christians are eternally saved in being called justified and sanctified which are the three main steps or degrees whereby we pass from our natural state of corruption unto the blessed state of grace that brings us to eternal glory 1. Called in these words My sheep hear my voice 2. Justified in these words I know them 3. Sanctified in these words They follow me 1. Then the Christians are called to come to Christ in that he saith My sheep hear my voice for as Adam after his transgression never sought for God until God sought for him and said Adam Where art thou So all the children of Adam would never come to Christ if Christ did not call them to come unto him but as wisdom crieth without and uttereth her voice in the streets Prov. 1.20 so doth this wisdome of God Jesus Christ cry Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you and if he did not cry and utter forth his voice his sheep could not hear his voice but God sendeth forth his voice yea and that a mighty voice and as the Prophet David saith The Lord thundered out of heaven Psal 68 33. and the most high uttered his voice And that not onely as he did once unto the Israelites God uttereth his voice two wayes when he delivered his laws on mount Sinai but also to all others whom he calleth and uttereth his voice unto them two special ways 1. To the ears of his people by the mouths of his Prophets 1 To our ears Apostles and Preachers of his holy Word that do continually call and cry unto them to come to hear his voice and to obey his Precepts 2. To the hearts of his servants by the inspiration of his blessed Spirit 2 To our hearts which teacheth them to cry abba Father and perswadeth them to yield obedience to all his heavenly motions And our Saviour saith that his sheep or servants will hear his voice that is both uttered by his servants and inspired by his Spirit and they will neither neglect to hear the preaching of his written Word nor suffocate or choak the inspired Word that is the internal motions of his holy Spirit but they will most readily and willingly hear both these voices My sheep hear my voice howsoever uttered Three things observable For the further and the better understanding of which words you may observe these three things 1. The denomination Sheep 2. Their appropriation my sheep 3. Their qualification hear my voice 1. By Sheep here is understood not those four-footed silly creatures The children of God called sheep in a double respect that by their wooll and lamb and milk and their own flesh are so profitable unto us and by their simplicity are so easie to be kept and are the most innocent among all the beasts of the field but those children of God and true Christians that are called and compared unto sheep in a double respect 1. In respect of Christ that is their Pastour or Shepherd 2. In respect of themselves that are his flock 1. Christ is often called in the Scriptures our Shepherd 1 Grand Shepherd of the sheep Christ the good Shepherd in two respects 1. A lawful entrance into his Office Heb. 5.4 1. By the testimony of his own conscience 2. By an outward approbation and he is set forth unto us in this 10. c. by a double manifestation 1. Of a lawful entrance into his Office 2. Of an absolute performance of his Duties 1. The Apostle saith No man taketh this honour unto himself that is to be the Shepherd over Gods flock and a Priest to teach Gods people but he that is called of God as was Aaron And how was Aaron called 1. By God inwardly by the testimony of his own conscience that tells him the Spirit of God calleth him to such an Office 2. Because a man is not to believe his own private spirit that many times deceiveth us therefore God would have Aaron to take his commission and his ordination from Moses as you may see Exod. 28.1 and as the Lord had formerly said unto Moses that he should be instead of God unto Aaron to call him unto the Priests office And as no man taketh or should
Noble Ancestors in Nobleness that is in Piety and Vertue the very Heathens will tell us our springing from them is worth nothing but rather a shame then a credit unto us because as Theognis saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vertue is the great Glory which never perisheth and therefore Juvenal saith as I have shewed to you before in my first Treatise Malo pater tibi sit Thyrsites Juven Sat. 8. dum modo tu sis Aeà cidae similis vulcaniaque arma capessas Quam te Thyrsitae similem producat Achilles I commend the son of a Clown that is vertuous and carrieth himself nobly more then the son of a Prince that is vitious and behave himself like a Clown And Codrus Urceolus saith Sis licet ingenuis clarisque parentibus ortus Urceolus in Epigrammatibus Sint tibi divitiae sit larga munda supellex Denique quicquid eris nisi sit prudentia tecum Magna quidem dico bestia semper eris Though thou beest born of never so noble Parents and hast never so much Wealth and Lands and what thou wilt and hast no Wisdome nor understanding to be vertuous thou art but a very beast for so the Prophet saith Man being in honour and without understanding is campared to the beasts that perish and the Poet saith Ovid de Ponto Nam genus proavos quae non ferimus ipsi vix ea nostra voco Hieron ad Celan Non Census nec clarum nomen avorum Sed probitas magnos ingeniumque facit And therefore S. Hierom tells Celantia that Sola apud Deum libertas est non servire peccatis summa apud deum nobilitas est clarum esse virtutibus he is the onely Free-man that serves not sin and followeth not his own lust and he is the true Noble-man that is truly vertuous and godly And Palingenus saith Nobilitas sola est atque unica virtus hac nobilis Hector Alcidesque fuit And the Prophet saith He had rather be a door-keeper in the house of God that is to be a Porter and to have the meanest office that is in the Service of God then to have the greatest honour in the world in the Courts and palaces of the ungodly and the meanest man that serveth God is more honourable then the greatest Potentate that serveth his own lust for as Abraham is said to be Pater sanctorum the Father of the faithfull though he was Filius peccatorum the off-spring of sinners and the son of Terah that was an Idolater because his Fathers Idolatry was not able to obscure his Glory so all the Indignities and Contempts that this world can cast upon the servants of God can no wayes blemish their worth or diminish their reputation in the sight of God To serve God truly is to be truly noble And therefore I had rather be a sheeep of Christ that is a simple Christian that deceiveâ—h no man and hurreth none but suffereth much than to be a Fox of this world to beguile the simple or a Lion to crush my neighbours all to pieces for so I be with John Baptist Magnus coram Domino great in the sight of the Lord that is of good esteem with God as he is said to be I shall never greatly care how meanly I shall be accounted of in this world but as Constantine rejoyced more in that he was Filius Ecclesiae a Son of the Church and a Member of Christ then in being Caput imperii the Emperour of the whole world so I will be more glad and take it for a greater Honour to be one of Christs simple sheep of what condition soever my Earthly Father be then to be the Son of the Noblest Father in the world and to be as the Jews were and all other our wicked ungodly and unrighteous men though termed Saints are the children of their Father the Devil 2. 2 The security and safety of all good Christians As the servants of God are truly noble in being Christ his Sheep so being his sheep they are and may be secure and free from all fear either 1. Of Injuries or 2. Of Wants For 1. 1 From wrongs the Prophet David saith The Lord is on my side therefore I will not fear what man can do unto me for though the Idol sheperd whereof Zechary speaketh and I told you before of his ill properties Zech. 11. and the Hiveling shepherd that our Saviour speaketh of Qui lanas plus quam oves diligunt which love the Wages better then the Work and the Fleeces better then the Flock will flie away that is from his Duty and do any thing that is enjoyned him when the Wolf cometh that is when the Devil or the Tyrant or the Heretick commandeth any other Service to be observed or any other Faith to be professed yet Christ that is the good Shepherd as he neither left his sheep nor forsook them but gaue his life for them to deliver them from eternal death What the false shepherds and covetous of timorous Preachers do so he will strengthen his Under-shepherds and their sheep that are his sheep likewise by his Grace against all fear either of want of Necessaries or loss of Life so that none of these shall make them flie away from the performance of their Duties because they know that this their good Shepherd is both able and willing to protect them from all evil And therefore Terra fremat regna alta crepent ruat ortus orcus Si modo firma fides nulla ruina nocet let Tyrants threaten us and let the world rage against us as much as they will 1 Tyrants cannot prevail and let them do as much as they can take away our Churches rob us of our Estates banish us from our dwellings cast us into prison and deprive us of our lives yet if we still continue Christ his sheep and retain the innocency and simplicity of sheep and obey the voice of this our good Shepherd we need not fear the face of any man nor the rage strength and malice of any Wolfe but we may comfort our selves sufficiently with what the Angel saith unto the Church of Smyrna Revel 2.10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer but be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee the Crown of life and so turn the evils that thine enemies shall do thee to thine eternal good And the striving of the Hereticks to corrupt the Faith 2 Hereticks cannot prevail and to suppress Gods service and the strugling of the Wolves to devoure the Sheep and to destroy Gods servants is but as Christ saith to Saul when he breathed slaughters against the Church to kick against the pricks or as the Poet saith Coelum ipsum petere stulstitia most foolishly and madly to fight against Heaven it solf which is a harder task then the twelve Labours of Hercules or to take the City of Troy that endured ten years siege
Copy hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Beza translates Non norunt vocem alienorum they know not the voice of strangers as our English translation hath it very right Therefore I conceive that by the stranger Whom doth Christ mean by the stranger and who by the strangers he meaneth that foolish Idol Shepherd whereof the Prophet Zachary speaketh that should come in the time of Christ to be the type of the great Anti-christ that should be manifested in our time and by the other strangers he meaneth those many Anticks that S. John speaks of the Hereticks and false Prophets that from time to time and now more then at any other time Ier. 14.14 c. 23.21 do intrude themselves into the Sacred Function of the Ministry and as the Prophet Jeremy saith do run when Christ hath not sent them and do speak what he hath not commanded them but do preach the lying inventions of their own heads to seduce the sheep of Christ to follow the Anti-christ and to relinquish the true received worship of the living God But the true and right sheep of Christ will hear none of these nor follow after any of them for they know that as they which are not lawfully called or allowed to be the lawful Ministers of Gods Word should not preach and cannot do it without great offence to God that may justly say to them as he doth to the Jews by his Prophet Quis avobis requisivit hac Who hath required these things at your hands So they cannot hear them without the like offence to God yea though they should preach the truth and nothing but the truth unto them for as Christ reproved Satan and bad him hold his peace when he spake the very truth that he was the Son of God because he had no Commission to be the Embassador of Christ to publish that truth unto his people so shall they be sharply censured by God though they preach the very truth when they are not lawfully called and have no Commission from God to do the same 2 Chro. 26.21 I think the fearful Judgement of God upon King Uzzia for invading the Priests office and upon Uzza for doing that which appertained to the Levites to do 1 Chron. 13.10 and upon King Saul for offering Sacrifice to the Lord should be a sufficient warning for them to take heed how they thrust themselves into the Ministry for King Uzzia presuming to burn Incense unto the Lord which appertained to the Priests the sons of Aaron to do the Lord suddenly smote him with Leprosie and so he continued a Leper to his dying day And Uzza putting forth his hand to hold up the Ark when the Oxen shook it which belonged only unto the Levites to carry it the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza that he smote him dead in the very place and Saul lost his Kingdome for his intrusion into the Priests Office and how date these men to intrude themselves into this Sacred Office to be the Embassadors of Christ to declare his will and to expound his meaning without Commission And if they should dare to preach how dare the sheep of Christ hear their voice when as Christ tells us plainly his sheep will not hear the voice of strangers and the Lord commands them by his Prophet not to hearken to those whom he hath not sent And Solomon saith Ier. 27.14 c. 29.8 Cease my son to hear the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledge Prov. 19.27 Surely none would do it but that we love to shew our selves to be the children of Adam and to stretch forth our hands to the forbidden fruit and as the Poet saith Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata We long to do what we are forbidden and will the rather do it because it is forbidden like the man that for some just impediment never went out of his house but being for some offence injoyned to keep his house he was so moved for the debarring of his liberty that to cross the command of his Superiours and to become liable to his censure he would needs presently walk abroad and so with Shimei 1 Reg. 2.46 Our wilfulness to do what we are forbidden bring himself to death And so it is with us we will not hear when we are commanded to hear and we long to hear those that we are forbidden to hear as if God envied our good when he forbad us when as he forbids nothing but for our good as when we forbid a man to drink poyson that it might not kill him 2. Having heard how the sheep of Christ are called Secunda pars I know them it followeth that I should shew how they are justified in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I know them that is I do acknowledge them for my sheep and do own them for my people for my servants and for my children for there be very many that go under the shape and shew of Gods sheep and are indeed the Foxes Wolves and Lyons of Satan of whom Christ never saith I know them but rather Depart from me I know you not you workers of iniquity Yet these subtil Foxes and these Wolves in sheeps cloathing The wicked and the hypocrite not acknowledged by God to be his sheep Gen. 34.23 The Sichemites how served for their deceitful hypocrisie V. 26. that profess themselves to be the only Saints and are indeed the destroyers of Gods servants may easily blind the eyes of men but they cannot beguile the all-seeing God for as the Sichemites whereof Moses testifieth that they came with dissembling hearts to deceive Jacob and his children were contented to be circumcised and take upon them the habit of Gods children in hope that all theirs should be their own if they were circumcised as themselves confess yet the Lord that knew the◠to be hypocrites doth not acknowledge them for his children and therefore their dissembling of Religion brought on their destruction and their Circumcision which they thought would be the means to inrich them became the means to destroy them for while they were weak and sore by reason of their Circumcision the sons of Jacob fell upon them and slew all that were male which was a just judgment of God for the dissembling of their Religion And as the Gibeonites with false hearts and a dissembling shew of a religious desire of communion with Gods children came to the children of Israel and through their lies and dissimulation made a league with them and so freed themselves from the Sword of Joshua and deceived the Israelites Josh 9.15 yet they could not deceive the Lord who knew their hypocrisie and knew them not for any of his people and therefore made them slaves and drudges to draw water carry wood V. 27. The Gibeonites how served for their dissimulation and do all manner of servile work for the sons of Israel So amongst us in
all places and at all times we have such Sichemites and Gibeonites as deceive the world and do blind the eyes of men by making them to believe they are the only Saints of God and do all for the honour of God but the Lord knoweth them not for any such Saints and Christ doth not acknowledge them for any of his sheep but though they shall say to Christ Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out devils and in thy Name done wonderful works that is preached and fasted and prayed and fought for thy service and the like evidences of our faithfulness unto thee yet Christ that knoweth very well they did all these things for their own ends Mat. 7.22 23. will profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity And S. Luke is more ample in setting out the discourse and Dialogue betwixt Christ and these men at the last day saying When once the Master of the house is risen up How S. Luke describes the hypocrites and hath shut the door and they standing without shall knock at the door saying Lord Lord open to us and he shall answer and say unto them I know you not whence you are then shall they begin to say we have eaten and drunk in thy presence that is when they received the blessed Sacrament of his Body and Blood at his own Table and thou hast taught in our streets and we were daily hearers of those Sermons that were preached though but in Chambers or in Barns or in the streets but he shall say I tell you as being angry for their presumption and hypocrisie I know you not whence you are depart from me all ye workers of iniquity there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when they shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets and the rest of Gods faithful servants whom they persecuted in the Kingdome of God Luke 13.25 26 27 28. and themselves thrust out of doors But can they perswade themselves that our Saviour Christ will not know them when as they seem to be so zealous of his worship How hardly it is to perswade hypocrites to acknowledge themselves to be hypocrites and profess themselves so earnestly and so strictly to observe his will and to do nothing without a warrant from his written Word Surely no they cannot be perswaded hereunto but it is easier to convert the drunkards adulterers and harlots then to perswade these hypocritical Saints that they are sinners save in that general notion that we are all sinners for as decipimur specie recti we are deceived in them and the world is blinded through that shew of piety and profession of Religion which they make so they deceive themselves hereby Fallit enim vitium specie virtutis umbra For it is most certain that vice deceives the owner under the shew and shadow of virtue when as our Saviour saith to his Apostles they shall persecute you and imprison you Lament 4.5 Was there ever any time wherein this was more truly fulfilled then now in our daies and scourge you silence you and rob you of your means and maintenance and as the Prophet Jeremy saith cause those that did feed delicately to lie desolate in the streets and those that were brought up in Scarlet to imbrace dunghills and yet they that do these things shall not be Infidels and Pagans but such as shall think themselves very good Christians and to do God herein very good service to persecute his servan s. And what a cruel deceit is this to beguile their own hearts and to deceive their own souls to think they have God Almighty by the hand when the devil holds them fast by the toes and to perswade themselves they are the sheep of Christ when Christ professeth he knows them not to be his sheep but knoweth them to be the Wolves of Satan But can any thing be unknown to God or be hid from him which knoweth the secrets of our hearts and understandeth our thoughts long before he knoweth what is in the deep Sea and how far the world extendeth he knoweth the number of the stars and calleth them all by their names and he knoweth the height of heaven the depth of the Sea and the length of all the Spheres and doth he not know these men Indeed we know them not they are such Camelions that can change themselves into all colours saving white that is put on all manner of shews and shapes but that which is virtuous and honest but God knoweth them very well intus in cute both within and without for so the Lord professeth I know their works and their thoughts Esay 66.18 And therefore you must understand there is a twofold knowledge in God 1. The one general or universal 2. The other special or particular The first is over all the things in the world as they are his creatures The twofold knowledge of God and the works of his hands and so he knoweth all men good and bad and all creatures both in heaven and in earth The other is only over his Church that is his children whom he hath chosen and loveth and which therefore do love honour and obey him in doing his will and keeping his Commandments And thus he knoweth not the wicked hypocrites How God knoweth both the godly and the wicked oppressors extortioners and the like sinful generation and brood of Vipers as John Baptist calls them to be his children but knoweth that they are none of his children but rather the children of their Father the Devil for as a Father knoweth his Son and as he is his Son provideth for him an inheritance and knoweth his servant but knoweth him not for his Son and therefore provideth no inheritance for him but appointeth him to do some drudgery and keepeth him for his service So Christ knoweth his sheep and as they are his sheep he provideth for them eternal life and he knoweth the Goats the Wolves and the Foxes and knoweth them not to be his sheep and therefore provideth no inheritance for them but wil severely punish them because they neither follow him nor hear his voice but as the Lord saith Refused his counsel and despised his reproof Prov. 1.30 And this should be an exceeding grief and terrour unto the wicked when God shall say unto them as a Father doth to his disobedient Son I will not know him that is I will not acknowledge him for my son so God will not own nor acknowledge these men for his children though he knoweth them and knoweth their works well enough And on the other side this is an exceeding comfort and joy unto the godly when as a friend shall say of his friend I will know him wheresoever I see him before friend and foe and I will acknowledge him my friend and my self his friend in what state or condition soever he be rich or poor
bond or free Nahum 1.7 so God knoweth them that trust in him saith the Prophet and he shall say of them I know them and I will acknowledge them to be mine my sheep and my servants wheresoever they are and in what state or condition soever they be And therefore they follow me and study to be holy as I am holy which is their sanctification and the third part of these words 3. Christ told his Apostles at the first that if any man would be his Disciple Tertia part they follow me Luke 9.23 The following of Christ twofold 1. In suffering Esay 53.3 and so his sheep to hear his voice and to learn of him he must take up his cross and follow him And this following of him as you see by these words must be twofold 1. In patiendo in suffering as he suffered 2. In agendo in doing as he did For 1. Our Shepherd Christ was vir dolorum a man of sorrows as the Prophet calls him that had experience of infirmities and his whole life from his Cradle to his Cross was but a life of suffering the scornful reproofs of the wealthy and the despitefulness of the proud who did all that either tongues or hands could do against him and yet as a Lamb before his shearer is dumb so he opened not his mouth V. 7. but forgave them all their indignities and prayed for them that crucified him which was an example of suffering without example and beyond all examples And our Saviour tells us the Disciple must not be above his Master he must not look to walk on flowers when his Master walks through the bryars but where the Master goeth before the servant should follow after And yet we may justly say with S. Bernard Quam pauci O Domius Jesu post te ire volunt cum tamen ad te pervenire nemo sit quinesit hoc scitutibus cunctis qua delectationes in dextratnausque ad finem How few O Lord Jesu there are which will come after thee when as to come unto thee there is no man but is willing because where thou art and in thy right hand there is fulness of joy and abundance of pleasures for evermore Et propterea saith that Father Volâ—â—t omnes te frai at non ita intitari conregnare cupiunt sed non compati And therefore all men would enjoy thee but not so as to follow thee they would Reign with thee but they will not suffer with thee they can be concented with the Apostle to build Tabernacles and to abide with him on mount Tabor where he was transfigured in Glory but they can all forsake him on mount Calvarie when he was overwhelmed with sorrow and confusion went over his face This is the common course of the world to follow him close in prosperity and to seem zealous of his honour and of his service Cum benefecerit illis when as the Prophet David saith Their corn and wine and oyle encreaseth and they prosper in their successes but if they should be ejected suppressed and persecuted for serving him then will they start aside like a broken bow and like the children of Ephraint that being harnessed and carrying bowes and so being enabled by their learning wealth and friends to do God good service do turn their backs to him in the day of battel when there is most need of their help and they could most chiefly follow him But the true sheep of Christ and the faithfull servants of God will follow him Per mare per saxa per ignes and will say Who shall separate us from the love of Christ or withdraw us from the service of our God and following after our Shepherd or shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword No sure in all these things they are more then Conquerours through him that loved them so that neither Death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Things present Rom. 8.35 v. 38.39 nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate them from the love of God and from following their Master Jesus Christ our Lord. And they that cannot truly say thus or they that love Father or Mother or Son or Daughter or any other thing in this world even their own life more then Christ they are not worthy of Christ Mat. 10.37 as Christ himself doth testifie And therefore seeing that to suffer with Christ and for Christ his Service is an especial gift and grace of God Phil 1.29 1 Pet. 3.14 Mat. 5.11 as the Apostle sheweth and that they are happy and blessed that suffer persecution for righteousness sake and when men shall revile them and say all manner of evil against them falsly for Christ his sake I say with the Poet Componite mentes Lucan Phars Ad magnae virtutis opus magnosque labores And as our Saviour saith when you suffer all that can be suffered and all that your enemies can impose upon you Mat. 11. v. 12. rejoice and be glad yea and be exceeding glad because your reward shall be great in heaven and let not your sufferings trouble you Nec enim fortuna querenda Ovid Met. l. ulâ— sab 44. Sola tua est similes aliorum respice casus Mitius istaferes For this is not your case alone but if you look what happened to other men you shall finde that as our Saviour saith So persecuted they the Prophets that were before you and so are many of your brethren persecuted as well as you and perhaps more then you which should teach you Mitius ista ferre to follow Christ in his sufferings the more patiently and contentedly without any manner of muttering 2. 2 In Doings As we are to follow our Shepherd Christ in his Sufferings so we are to follow him in his Doings that is to imitate him in our actions and to make him the Exemplar and the Pattern of all our doings for though we should live by Rules and not by Examples yet the Example of Christ is beyond all Rules Et validior est vox operis quam oris Bern in Cant. Ser. 59. and morall operations are more forcible then all the logicall demonstrations in the world But you must understand that the Acts and Doings of Christ are of two sorts 1. Unimitable 2. Imitable And The first he did as God to approve his Office and to confirm our Faith that we might believe him to be the Son of God and the Messias that should come to be the Saviour of the world for so he saith himself The works that I doe do testifie and beare witnesse of me And herein we are not required to follow him and we are not able to imitate him neither should we attempt to doe it for when he saith Learn of me he meaneth not saith Saint Augustine that thou shouldst learn of him Aut mundos fabricare aut mortuos suscitare
of it And whereas this day five years past all the Protestants in this Kingdome and we especially of this City were destined to be sacrificed and slaughtered and sent as an Holâ—â—â—st or whole burnt-offering from the holy Father to the infernal God as many thousands of our Brethren were then and since yet by the love of God towards us we are still preserved alive that we might serve him and love him again And what more shall I say but cry out with the Psalmist O how plentiful is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Psal 31.21 and that thou hast prepared for them that put their trust in thee even before the Sons of men for thou hast shewed us Marvellous great kindness I cannot say in a strong City but I say in a weak City and delivering us from strong Enemies whose Subtilty and Cruelty Treachery and Perfidiousness would require the head of the best experienced converted Jesuite to express it I had rather preach of Gods Love than treat of their Malicâ— and to talk of his Goodness rather than their wickedness and that great goodness The Lord Marquess of Ormond which he hath so lately shewed in delivering our most Excellent Governour so often from that malicious wickedness of the Sons of Belial so perfidiously intended against him is not the least Testimony of Gods Love to us all especially if we consider that what was intended this day 5 years had now questionless been executed if God had not broken the Snare of the Fowler and by delivering him redeemed us all from the Sword of Malice and from the Jawes of death and therefore this ought to be rightly weighed and duly remembred in our Thanksgiving among the many great undeserved and unexpected Preservations that our good God hath wrought for us And because his Excellency trusteth not in Lying Vanities but putteth his Trust in the Lord and in the Mercy of the Most High therefore he shall not miscarry But indeed this Love of God to us hath been so great and his Blessings in our Deliverances have been so many that if I should go about to enumerate them I might as well tell the Stars for as the Prophet saith they are more in number than I am able to expresse and therefore I will now conclude with our hearty thanks and Praise unto our good God for all his Love and Favours and Deliverances that he hath shewed unto us through Jesus Christ our Lord who is blessed for evermore Labilis memoria hominis How easily and how soon men forget good things the memory of man is very frail and slippery especially in the retention of all good things for though as the Poet saith Scribit in marmore laesus we write injuries in marble and never forget nor forgive the least ill turn that is done against us yet we write all benefits and all good instructions in the sands where the waves of forgetfulness do soon wash all away as the children of Israel regarded not the wonders that God wrought in Aegypt neither kept they his great goodness in remembrance Psal 106.7 13 21. but soon forgot his works yea and forgat God their Saviour which had done so great things in Aegypt wondrous works in the Land of Ham and fearful things by the Red Sea therefore lest you should forget the first part of this text before you heard the second I thougt it high time to proceed to those points which the time prevented me to inlarge not the last time I was in this place but the last time I treated of this verse and I hope you do remember that I told you this text was a text of love and of a twofold love 1. The love of God to man And 2. The love of man to God And In the first I noted these four things 1. The lover God 2. The affection Love He loved us first 3. The beloved Us. 4. The time First And I have done with the first three and therefore not to stand upon any further repetition I am now to proceed to shew you the fourth point that is the time when he loved us 4 The time when God loved us first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he loved us first i.e. before we would or could love him for love is one of the affections and the affections are seated in the heart and the heart is placed in the midst of the body and the body could not contain the heart nor the heart cast forth the affections nor the affections produce love before our loves Jer. 31.3 God loved us from everlasting before our Creation and affections and hearts and bodies had their being But God loved us before we were created and before we could have the least thought of our very being for I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee saith the Lord and this love was everlasting as well a parte ante from the time past as a parte post for the time to come and this love will appear the greater if we consider how freely and how undeservedly he hath loved us for the object of love is good either that which is really so indeed or seeming so to be And S. Aug. reasoneth most truly that antequam creati eramus nihil boni merebamur before we were made we could do no good we could merit no reward we could deserve no love And yet before we had received any being the love of God towards us had received a beginning and when our souls were unbreathed our bodies unframed and all this glorious structure laid in the dust before ever we beheld the light or the light was brought out of darkness or the darkness was upon the face of the deep our bodies and our souls were affected by God and we had a deep interest in the love of God when as then the earth was created for our habitation the creatures were produced for our service and the heavens were appointed for our comfort So God loved us before our Generation before we were before we had our being and after our transgression God loved us after our transgression John 8. when as God had made us his sons like himself and we had made our selves like our Father the devil there was cause enough of hate but none of love for then we found a way to run away from God we invented garments to hide our shame and to cover our nakedness from the eyes of men but to make us most loathsome in the eyes of God and we became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haters of God that laboured with the old Gyants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fight and war with God to unthrone him and to ungod him when we desired to make our selves like Gods nay the only Gods and he should be no God at all unless we might have our wills and not his will to be done in heaven as we do in earth Yet then when
saith Lex non justior ulla est Quam necis Artifices arte perire sua There cannot be a juster Law 2 In retaliation of good for good then for him that diggeth a Pit to fall into it himself or that he that loveth War should perish in the War and he that sheddeth mans Blood should have his Blood shed by man so in the retaliation of good for good the same Law holdeth most just and more especially 1. In Giving 2. In Suffering 3. In Loving For For 1. 1 In giving Is it not just that we should give to him that hath given all to us And what have we that we have not received from God Why then should we think much either to give the Tenth to God or our Almes unto the Poor when the Lord himself professeth he that giveth unto the poor lendeth unto the Lord and whatsoever you do to these you do to Him 2. 2 In suffering Is it not as just that we should be ready to suffer for him that hath suffered so much for us The Apostle saith that Christ exinanivit seipsum though he thought it no Robbery to be equal with God Phil. 2.6 yet he emptied himself of all his Royal Dignities and suffered all the Indignities that could be laid upon him for our sake and shall we grudge to suffer the Losse of a little Worldly Trash or the bearing of some Light Affliction for him and for the Defence of his Truth and True Service that hath suffered all Sufferings for us No no when we suffer any thing for the Faith of Christ or our Loyalty to our King let us but consider what Christ hath suffered for us and what our good King hath suffered for the Defence of our Faith because he will not yield to deface the Church of Christ and to destroy the True Service of God and this will support us in all our Sufferings we suffer a little for him that suffered much for us 3. Because all men have not wealth to give 3 In loving and all men have not the patience to suffer yet all men have hearts to love God and they can have no excuse if they love him not because he hath so dearly loved them for if you consider all the Motives and procurements of Love which are very many as Beauty Benignity Bounty Wisdom Valour and the like yet there is none of these nor all these nor any other thing in the world so powerful to beget Love as Love it self neither is there any thing so available to encrease or to continue Love as Love it self Therefore the Poets feign that when Venus the Goddess of Love brought forth her first begotten Son she called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love and when she saw he thrived not but was still lean meager and bloodless How Venus consulted with Themis about her son Eros she consulted with Themis the Goddess of Justice which was Mother to Minerva the Goddess of Wisdom to know the reason of the sad condition of her Son and she told her that she must bring forth another Son which she did and called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. Love for Love and then both her Children prospered and became exceeding beautiful and lovely So among men when we prosecute any one with Love it is impossible that Love should be lasting if at no time in no measure it should be requited with Love again for as the Coales Conjoyned will preserve the heat but when they are scattered will be soon extinguished so debet amor laesus irasci love when it is deserted and forsaken or left alone will be soon lost And therefore if we desire the Love of God to continue towards us we must resolve to shew our Love to God again for I will love them that love me and shew mercy unto Thousands of them that loue me saith the Lord Prov. 8.17 And so the Apostle saith we love him because he loved us first that is seeing he hath loved us therefore we are bound to love him where you may observe 1. The Persons We. We love him 2. The Act Love We love him 3 Parts 3. The Object Him We love him 1. The persons here said to love God are not the Angels 1 The persons that love God We. though they do exceedingly love him when as the Script saith He maketh his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire where you may see three most admirable and transcendent excellencies of the Angels as 1. Purity of substance because they are Spirits 2. Readiness of obedience because they are his Angels and his Ministers Three excellent properties of the Angels and such as for their swift execution of Gods commands are compared to the wings of the wind 3. Ferventness of charity or burning love not only of one towards another but especially towards God because they are flames of fire but the persons here meant are men we love him i.e. we that are the sons of Adam do love him seeing mans love to God is but Radius divini amoris erga homines in deum reflexus a beam of Gods love towards man reflected from man to God again as Zanchius saith and seeing that where so powerfull a cause doth exist the subsequent effect must needs follow Therefore seeing God loveth all men it must needs be that all men How all men do love God Acts 17. in some measure do love God again that is as God is their Creator Preserver and Cause in whom they live and move and have their being and from whom they have and do receive all the good that they have so the Jews Turks and Heathens Worldlings Rebels and Traytors and all the wicked men in the world doe love God But seeing this love is too general and too base for all Christians scarce worthy of the name of love it will not serve the turn to make us happy but will deceive and destroy those lovers that have none other love to God but this poor confused general love Therefore 2. To proceed unto the stricter discussion of the act or the affection of love 2 The act love The Original cause of love twofold 1. General We love him you must note the same to be according to the original cause and ground thereof And that is two-fold 1. General as the many manifold benefits that we continually receive from God as he is the faithful Creator a wise Preserver and a bountiful Bestower of abundance of all good gifts upon his Creatures So the Reprobates love God 2. Special and in this respect the very Reprobates as I told you cannot chuse but love the Lord that is their Creator and Preserver 2. Special as the serious apprehension of our own infinite wants and miseries and of those Miracles of Love and Mercies which God hath performed to cure our souls from those Miseries Thus the Saints only love God by sending his only Son to
Discovery of Mysteries and the Revelation of the great Anti-Christ And for which doings the Lord God hath if not sufficiently yet apparently shewed his just Wrath and Indignation against them many ways First In the discovery of their secret Hypocritical and hidden under-ground Mysteries of their Iniquitie which could not otherwise be sifted out and manifested but by the omniscient Spirit of the all-seeing-God Secondly In raysing so many godly men though to many with the hazard and to some with the loss of their lives and fortunes to oppose them and with a courage raysed by the divine Spirit to withstand their wicked ways and to uphold the true service of the living God Thirdly In the reducing of their chiefest Plots and Devices to nothing though out of his patience and long-sufferings he suffered them for a while to prosper and to walk on still and to proceed in their wickedness for they intended like those Gyants that built the Tower of Babel to erect such a frame of Government in these Kingdomes that they only and their Posterity and Successours should sit at the Stern to turn and guide the same as the thirty Tyrants did for a while in Athens so long as the Sun and Moon endureth and to that end they destroyed their King they suppressed the Bishops they excluded the Lords and then framed such an Engagement as might infringebly oblige and tie all the inhabitants of these dominions to adore them for their good Masters and Governours for ever But lo he that dwelleth in Heaven laughed them to scorne Psal ii 4. and the Lord had them in derision for as the Spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel and upon Barak and Gedeon to destroy the Aramites Canaanites and Midianites and as the Lord stired up Sampson and David to destroy the Philistines so the same Spirit stirred up one even the Lord General Cromwel a Philistine from among these Philistines and a grand Rebel out of these Rebel's that did first so wisely disannul their brazen Engin the Engagement and then seeing his opportunity and finding how acceptable it would be to God and beneficial to all good men he did with an Heroical courage dissolve that knot and scatter those Parliament-men as the Lord scattered the Jews that were the murderers of his Son and their own King over all the parts of this Kingdom And thus by the just Judgment of God the whol Mass of that long Parliament that thought to remaine as Kings for ever became like the chaff which the winde scattereth away from the face of the earth And therefore Secondly The just Judgment of God upon the dismembred members of the long Paâ—liament I must now proceed to shew you the just Judgments of God upon the dismembred parts of this great body as I finde them driven by the winde of God's wrath here and there throughout all the parts of these Dominions But I must confess that for the particular persons of that Parliament and their adherrents that have in a great measure already felt the heavy hand of God's wrath for their Transgressions in that confederacie it is a work beyond mans reach either to set them down or to shew their punishments and therefore I will confine my self and as the Lord shewed unto Moses the land of Canaan from the top of Mount Nebo afar of which sight must needs be therefore but very partial and imperfect so will I give you a tast and a glimmering light of some judgments of God and the justness thereof upon some particular men and the more noted Members of that Parliament and I will begin with him that was the beginning of our trouble the first disturber of our peace and the General of the late unhappy War the Earl of Essex First It was said as I remember of Dionysius King of Sicily Of the Earl of Essex that he was a Tyrant begot of Tyrants then which a worser Character could not be given and a baser description could not be made of him saith Plutarch But I will not say of this noble Lord who in deed had a great deal of Honour in him and carried himself for ought that ever I heard like a man of Honour and pius inimicus a noble Adversary unto the King that he was a Traytor begot a of Traytor yet I must say that his Father was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth and was arraigned and beheaded for Treason à ainst the Queen whether justly for his deserts or unjustly by the malice of his enemies I will not determine and though her Royal Majesty did Royally and most Graciously restore this man both to his Fathers Lands and Honours and King James confirmed the same and King Charles more then that made him one of his Privy Council and Lord Chamberlain of his House-hold which was for Honour one of the best Offices as I take it in the Court and for profit a place worth viis modis near about 2000. pounds per annum as I heard and conferred many other favours upon him and for all this this Lord as is conceived out of no other cause then ambition of popular praise which greedy desire of popularity hath undone many a noble minde or as others think out of a secret grudg which he bare to this good King and to King James his linage for giving way to his Lady and Wife to be divorced from him onely propter frigiditatem naturae which all Divines and Canonists do not consent to be a sufficient cause of divorce presently and willingly accepted the motion of the House of Commons Plinius lâ—b 8. cap. 23. and commission of the Parliament to become the General of all their Forces against the King wherein as Pliny writeth of the Aspick saying Conjunga ferè vagantur nec nisi cum compare vita est itaque alterutra intercepta incredibilis alteri ultionis curá persequitur interfectorem unúmque eum in quantolibet populi agmine notitia quadam infestat perrupit omnes difficultates ut perdat eum qui comparem perdiderat that he pursueth him which hath hurt or killed his Mate and knows him among a multitude of men and therefore hunteth him still and layeth for him breaking throughout all difficulties to come at him so it may be this Lord was such as Seneca speaks of qui tantùm ut noceat cupit esse potens that accepted of his office that he might be revenged for his disgrace when notwithstanding King Charles was not the Author of his dishonour nor did any wayes further that divorce and therefore should not have been maligned for anothers fault Or if it was not for this cause as I heard some confidently say it was yet for what cause soever this or any other and with what minde soever this Lord accepted that office as being loth to stain his Honour and Ambitious to retain the Fame of an honourable Soldier I never heard the King nor any other of the Nobility accusing him for any base ignoble and perfidious act
Punishment which should be a warning to all Transgressors to fear the Vengeance of Allmighty God Thirdly The Lord Brooks The next Member of the Long Parliament that I shall set down in my Catalogue of disloyal Subjects is the Lord Brooks a man whose former life and Conversation which I knew by his own penitent Epistles and Letters that from beyond the Seas he wrote to his Unckle Sir Fulk Grevil afterwards Lord Brooks who shewed them unto me was very loose and dissolute and how in a short time by some strange Conversion far unlike Saint Paul's he passed from one extream to another Four remarkable things concerning the Lord Brooks from a very dissolute Youth to a most resolute Saint I know not but out of many remarkable things written of him immediately after his death I shall onely set down here these few particulars First That as in his former looseness he wholly neglected the Commands and grave Counsels of his Unckle Sir Fulke Grevil that was his Governour loco Parentis his Maintainer and upon my Knowledge a very bountiful Maintainer of him too so afterwards in his too much preciseness he did in like manner wholly reject his Duty and Obedience to his King that was Pater Patriae and a very gracious King to him too yea he became a very obstinate violent and a most virulent Opposer of his King as if he could not be a Saint in the Service of God except the became as a rebel to oppose his King but so it is most commonly seen that they which are undutyful to their Parents and Governors will seldom prove faithful to their Kings or Princes Secondly I observed that our of his superabundant zeal which he pretended to God's Honour he extremely hated and persecuted the Governours of God's Church and the chief Upholders of God's Service the reverend Bishops and and all the grave and learned Doctours of God's word and he was no less a Profaner of God's House which is the material Temple and the place where God's Honour dwelleth while the Saints are Pilgrims in the Wilderness of this World Thirdly It is not unknown to most that knew him that he could not endure to have this Epithete and Title of Saint to be given either to Evangelist or Apostle and especially to any other departed Saint or Servant of God as Saint Augustine Saint Ambrose and the like though he could not deny them to be with God in Heaven as if the Saints in Heaven for fear of Idolatry or Superstition were not to be acknowledged for Saints now on earth but that this Sanctity must be appropriated onely to themselves that are such furious Zelots against the reverend esteem we bear to the Saints in Heaven though we neither invocate them for help nor adore the best of them with the Church of Rome no more then they but knowing that not one is in Heaven but he is a Saint we give this Title of Saint to them of whom we doubt not of their being blessed with God Fourthly He had another property no less injurious to himself and the Servants of God on earth then the former was to the Saints in Heaven for that excellent Prayer in our Letany and the holy desire of God's Servants that it would please God to deliver them from sudden Death which all good Divines and faithfull Servants of God did ever acknowledge for a temporary Judgement of God and therefore prayed that whensoever it pleased him to call for their Souls out of this earthly Tabernacle he would be pleased to grant them some time and space to call upon him for the forgiveness of their Sins and to commend their Souls into his Hands and so forth Yet this Lord could not away with the Prayer nor abide to hear of this Petition but would have every man at all times to be so prepared for death that he needed not at any time to pray against sudden death and we say likewise that every man ought to expect death in every place and to do his best endeavour to be prepared for death at all times yet that neither this Lord nor the best Saint on earth can be so well prepared at any time but that he ought as he hath need to pray for pardon of the Defects and Imperfection of his Preparation and therefore to pray for time to make that Prayer and then as for time to dispose and fit himself for God and to make his peace with him through Christ so to set his House in order as the â—rophet saith to Ezechias and to settle his Estate among those that depend upon him which hath been ever held to be as it is indeed a Blessing and a great favour granted from God to preserve love and to continue peace and amity amongst a man's Children and the rest of his Friends and Posterity But here in this Lord we may behold and adore the Judgment of the just God how that as Goliah's Head was cut off with his own Sword so Judicium suum super caput suum this man's Judgment and his practice fell upon his own head and the Stone that he threw at another lighted upon his own Pate for in the Prosecution of his hate against his King as a just reward of that Service his Lordship being in Litchfield on Saint Chad's day the Founder of that Church while he viewed the College or Close as they tearm it and Church of Saint Chad to batter them down with his Canons for the Fideliy and Allegiance of that Fraternity unto their King being all harnessed Cap-a-pâ— from top to toe as he lifted up his Helmet to see the same more clearly behold you and see the just hand of God directing the hand of a youth that was a Prebend's Son with a Fowling-Piece to hit him just in the eye that as formerly he could not see the truth so now he could see nothing but fell suddenly dead and never spake word no not so much as Lord have mercy upon me so the Lord God shewed himself just and righteous in his Judgments and holy in all his ways and let all the Sons of men acknowledge the same and all wicked men fear his Justice Fourthly The next man Fourth Man that I shall bring upon the Stage to answer at the Bar of Justice is Master John Pym a man that was in an Office of great trust and of much profit and gain under the King and because as the Proverb goeth Much would have more his Covetousness egged forward by his Ambition to be great snatching at more then was just laid him open to lose what was due and to be deprived of his place that was so good Then he like the unjust Steward spoken of in the Gospel took unjuster Courses against his Master for he not onely advised with himself to detain more of his Master's goods in his hands and to deceive him of so much as might well enable him to live well and in good sort as his false fellow-Steward