top of Aarons head to the beard Psal â—33 2 the skirts of his clothing This blessing of absolute power is Gods onely to giue who at his pleasure can bestow temporall or eternall gifts Sometimes temporall vpon the creatures for man or vpon man in the vse of the creatures Ephes 1.3 Sometimes eternall vpon the Saints as he blessed the elect with all spirituall blessings in Christ chosen before the foundations of the world Aquinas This blessing hath no match and therefore it is said benedicere Dei est causare bonitateÌ„ there is none but God which can create goodnesse in man The other Superiour blessing is by commission to Gods Deputies which blessing is either more-common or more rare The common blessing is praier sent as an Angell to fetch the blessing of God from the top of the ladder in heauen to the foot of the ladder on earth Thus the superiours in the Church for which cause we thinke superiority expedient do pray for the blessing of God inward and outward and ex officio doe shew that God will bestow them wich are necessary This blessing is dayly or ought to bee of Kings to their subiects Pastors to their flocke and Parents to their children The blessing of the King to his subiects Iosh 22 1 Paralip 16 3 Reg. 8 as Ioshuah blessed the Rubenites as Dauid blessed the people in the name of the Lord or as Salomon blessed all the congregation of Israel Thus shall the King prolong his daies in the kingdome and his sonnes in the middest of Jsrael The blessing of the Pastor to the flock Deut. 17.20 Nomb 6.23 Leu. 9.23 Hebr. 7.1 ought to be as Aaron blessed the people at Gods appointment as Moses and Aaron blessed the people when the glory of the Lord appeared and as Melchisedec blessed Abraham the Priest of the most high God met Abraham c. blessed him This blessing when it is directed according to the prescript and allowance of the word of God is then of great power by the power of God annexed by promise The blessing of parents to their children is also of good vse and commendable among vs in England for the good speede commonly obserued in these blessings Apud Britannos inprimis sacra antiquitatis vestigia etiamnum hodie clara in hac parte sunt Hyperius Raedius Britannicarum claritatum speciosus The Britanes are most honourable aboue all Nations for the continuance of this holy ordinance This is without all doubt an holy order which the Lord ordeined from the beginning that children might bee preserued within the compasse of dutifull obedience to their parents and might esteeme greatly of their great office ouer them Moreouer this obseruation beeing a comely correspondence to the fifth commandement doth thereby approue it self that in our religion it should not be neglected or reputed a stranger And this is more manifest by the reasons of the Wise man in which hee lappeth his counsels for the precious estimation of the parents blessing Eccles 3.11 For the blessing of the father establisheth the house of the children and the mothers curse rooteth out the foundations I might here lift vp some monuments on which it hath been proued and written how the blessings curses of parents haue kindled fire of heauen or hell as if Gods will and the parents were all one In this purpose an heathen speaketh as if he had been a Diuine in the skill of secrets Si affirmabit pater aduersus nos pati nos oportet quod ille faciat cuius potestas plus potest God doth iustly effect that which man doth iustly craue But of all blessings by commission that is the highest and of most power which is called the Patriarchall or Propheticall blessing With this blessing Isaac blessed Iaacob and Iaacob after blessed his sonnes This is called a blessing of excellency for that those holy men indued with the spirit of Prophesie did blesse with the blessing of God which could not be supplanted I haue blessed him and he shall be blessed These blessings were as delectable nuts in the Church because in them beeing words of men there was deliuered the blessing of God Cant. 6.10 as the kirnell in the nut So that Iaacob gone towards his blessing might say I went downe into the garden of nuts The Lord had so enacted the couenant of grace with those gracious fathers that it did rest in custodie vt sanctum depositum as an holy pledge deliuered in trust They by their solemne blessing might conuey this treasure to their posterities in whose families the Church and life of saith was to continue till Christ his comming Thus Noah blessed his sonne Sem before and Moses blessed the twelue Tribes after Concerning Noah his blessing the question is asked wherefore that largesse of Patriarchall blessing was bestowed on Sem when as Iaphets fauourable demeanour towards his father was of equall reuerence and care for his fathers honour as Sems was The answer to this question is plaine that the holy ghost did foresee how from Sem should spring Abraham and all his holy followers of whom the most blessed fruite that euer did grow was to come into the world Therefore to Sem was that great Patriarchall blessing conueyed yet had Noah an other blessing for Iaphet as Abraham had for Ismael and Isaac had for Esau This secondary blessing was far short of the first as the light of a starre is short of the light of the sunne Yet this blessing might be inlarged to Iaphet if hee would light his starre at the sunne and dwell within the light of the Church within the tents of Sem according to the condition of the blessing God perswade Iaphet that he may dwell in the tents of Sem. And thus is it happilie with vs Gentiles conuerted and perswaded to fetch our light at Christ in the tents of Sem our blessing is inlarged by him and the Church with his blessing is inlarged by vs. Now then let me shew you how Iaacob the Hebrew and our English Iaacob are a blessed field The superiour blessing is vpon them both and their blessing is made manifest vnto vs in three most worthy allowances The first is for scituation the second for plants and the third for fruitfull vantages of watering In the first Iaacob is a blessed field scited in the sunne the fairest funne the Sonne of God which alway shines A blessed scite is Iaacobs conscience thus neighboured with the sun his conscience is asweet lodging sweetned with the ioies of Christ as his father Abrahams bosome O blessed Iacob thy fathers blessing hath Iodged thee in the bosome of Christ as the spouse in the bosome of her husband Cant. 2.4 Hee brought me into his wine-seller and loue was his banner ouer me God dwelling with Iaacob and Iaacob is two waies One in tabernaculo personali in the flesh of man the other in tabernaculo mistico in the
the Rose and the Lillie of the field Multiplicis medicinae to open dangerous passages to soften hardnesse of heart to heale wounds Matth. 6. and repell venemous infections O consider this Lillie of the field for our chiefest comforts are in this Lillie Christ is the Violet Matth. 11. the sweetest Violet which groweth lowe by the ground Learne of me for I my selfe am mecke and lowely This violet was remoued from heauen to the earth to raise vs from the earth to heauen Some Philosophers hold opinion that the dew which falleth from the highest part of that Region of the aire worketh deepest vpon the earth for being more oylie and rich matter it doth more fatten the ground and with gentle kisses entice forth the fruites thereof Hosoeuer this be of that dew it is most sure of the fattest dewe lesus Christ This is the dew of the morning which commeth from the highest and falleth lowest euen into the center into the heart of Iacob The dew of heauen is the cause of the fatnesse of the earth else hath the earth no fatnesse idest the diuinitie of Christ is the fatnesse of our humanitie The Lord giue thee of the dew of heauen and the fatnesse of the earth Here here is mans blessed abundance This is Manna Exod. 16. sweet Manna the bread of Angels all about the Church as the dew lay round about the host sweet dew sweet as the violet and the smell of life was in it Christ his humilitie is our glorie and his lowest steppe to death was our high staire to life Yea in his humilitie we are exalted Esa 53. as with his stripes we are healed Behold the smell of this violet But last of all 1. Cor. 15. Christ is the corne eare the right wheat corne which dieth and liueth againe Ioh. 10.18 of it selfe it dieth and liueth againe I haue power to lay downe my life and to take it vp againe and all other liue by this The spirit of grace and the holy Scriptures are the flower of this wheat The disciples of Christ gathered eares of corne on the sabbath day and we here in England euery Sabbath day trauaile through the corne field Jnâ—erlin Rupertus Spicae Scripturarum Spiritum viuificantem habent Sentences of Scripture haue the spirit of life in them Is any man hungrie and can forbeare gathering Ambulant per Sata cum Domino qui in Scripturarum meditatione delectantur Rabanus c. They keepe the Lord company in his corne field which walke on in holy meditations of the Scriptures Iesus went on the Sabbath day through the corne and his Disciples were hungrie and began to plucke the eares of corne and rubbe them in their hands and to eate common walkers sometimes plucke and rubbe but eate not These feele no necessitie of eating else would they eate for hunger as the Disciples did If we be Christians we are farre short of our selues to care onely for necessaries to the body as the Ant or Mouse make their prouision not caring if the soule pine and perish for want of Sabbath daies coâ—ne What shall we say then to the contentious oppositions of proud spirits against the necessitie of such sustenance The Papists themselues some of them will say that the word of God either read or preached doth clense the vncleane enlighten the blind heale the broken and raise the dead Yea sometimes ouercome with the power of the word of God they will confesse a matter of truth Rodolph Francis Verbum Dei maioris efficaciae quà m medicinae vel reliquiae sanctorum The word of God is the sicke mans falue more effectuall then all the drugges of Traditions Wherefore thinke you did the Prophet Esaie deliuer from God that Sermon of the excellent abilitie of the word of God That as raine and snowe maketh the earth to bring forth the budde Esa 55. that it may giue seed to the Sower and bread to him that eateth thus the word of God should hearten and releeue the needie 1. Cor. 9.16 Wherefore did the Apostle so much preferre spirituall riches before carnall and pronuounce a woe against himselfe if he did not preach the Gospel to minister the bread of life to the Church The Lord had commanded him to this seruice and therefore he knew he should be beaten with many stripes Luc. 12.47 if hee did the worke of the Lord negligently Ad hoc Apostolus tenetur quod debuit fecit etiamsi non potuit quantum debuit The Apostle being bound by Gods precept to his office hee ought to doe as much as hee could albeit he could not as much as hee ought A learned man calleth this dispensation Necessitas debiti iustitiae Caietane It is indeed of iustice and dutie to distribute the childrens bread to whom it is appointed And this is the cause why it is called Necessitie of obligation releefe of obligation in respect of Gods commandement of releefe in lew of the peoples want Thus to this purpose was it said That the minister may euer find causes too many to cause him to worke propter populi indigentiam where is more neede to bestow more feed This is the corne which we all neede for a remedie against ignorance Gregorie or errour or sinne or any vnbeleefe therefore come all and taste and smell how sweet the Lord is what varieties of recreations are in the smell of this corne eare Sithence then it is euident that there are such store of gentle contentments in our blessed Sauiour that he is all in all the vine oliue rose lillie violet and corne eare I would begge an Office to bidde a feast Prou. 9. Let me this once take vpon me to inuite guests for wisedom Whosoeuer is simple let him come hither yea whosoeuer is wise let him come hither The King Queene Prince and all the royall Progenie the Nobles Counsellors Iudges Rulers Teachers and all come taste O dor Christi est Spiritus sempiternè recreatiuus and feele and smell the kindnesse of the Lord. He is all word of eternall life here is our feeding he is all mercie and forgiuenesse of sinnes here is our healing he is all fulnesse of grace here is our smelling He is sweet in speaking sweet in smelling sweet in speaking neuer man spake like this man John 7.46 sweet in smelling all merits and fauours of sustentation preseruation and of saluation O blesse Sauiour in the sauour of thy oyntments we will runne after thee that we may be as the King Cant. 1. and the Kings sonne sweet in thy sweetnesse Thus we praise and blesse the smell of the Kings sonne and passe here the first riuer of Paradise all of the sweet smell of mercie Mercies of God to the King in his gift of this sonne mercies of God to this sonne in the gifts of his graces and mercies of God to vs all in both these gifts of the King and
tonitrua quibus coloni in aruis affliguntur ita è co dibus malorum parentum euoluuntur pssimi filij suis vicini◠cruente infesti nor washed nor saulted c. Good tutors and teachers should performe the offices of good mid-wifes to your children these to helpe them in their generation those to further them in their regeneration This is the cause that there are among vs so many young Amorites and Hittites for want of holy education Amorites and Hittites a bitter people cruell rebels yet pratlers which dare so vaunt themselues that they are euen an astonishement vnto vs. But may I bee so bold heere to aske another question What are such parents better then Tantalus Cambyses or Lysimachus One of them killed his sonne of pride another of furie and the third of foolish loue The popish father is right as Lysimachus who by the cursed perswasion of a cruell step-mother killed his sonne his valiant sonne Agathocles Haud ero securus dum sit tibi tanta securis O Nouerca Roma thou hast intised many a father to murder his owne child and many children to reuolt from God a tender hearted father Papa caput est ecclesiae vt caminus est Domi in se fumos Jesuiticos recipiens et effundens vt enecet Ier 39.3 Apoc. 18 Deut. 13 Deut. 18 and the true Church a most louing mother Yes by thy instigations as the stings of the Hornet thou hast set to worke many a Ragmag and Neregall These as a close couered candle haue secretly kindled fire vpon christian States to melt and dissolue all holy gouernment Ah thou hast imployed Ragmag and Neregall with all the rest of the Princes of the King of Babell to teare off the life or religion or peace or all from Ierusalem O Nouerca Roma Queene mother thou saiest thou art a Queene but thou art a dreamer a deceiuer a charmer a regarder of times a counsellour with euill spirits a step-mother as those Lurida terribiles miscent aconita Nouercae alwaies tampring with poyson for Gods children Menander Did not the Poet dreame of thee in those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is not a worse mischiefe then a wicked step-mother Per ea quae sunt placida suadēt foeda 3 Reg. 18.4 4 Reg. 11.1 Quae dedit infidus mella venena puto Let thy sisters either Phaedra or Medea be thy Iudges how thou hast raged against Kings children or thinke of them of whom thou art more certaine in holie writte how thy sisters Iesabel and Athaliah shall rise against hee in the great day for killing the Prophets and the Kings linage Thus died the mild French King before thus followed the puifant French King after and both died of their mothers knife If then the sunne haue reueiled this way of a Serpent vnder a stone is not Rome hasharsheol a Wolfes house Vbi cascus cascam duxit and your good mother a bloud-sucker You tell vs daily that your father is holy his name is holinesse but your mother is a murtherer De Papa quam plurims quod de hircosis dicunt quo redolentioribus sese odoramentis fumigauerint eo tetrius olent hyrcum Ita pater iste mendax quo sacratioris titul◠laruam iudueril eo gra uiorem expirat mephitim eius fallacitas and therefore we thinke your fathers holinesse is to blame The Diuell hath a wide circle compassing the earth and that Strix of Rome is angry as the Bore which whets his teech because his circuit is not as large as the Diuels Who seeth not also that Satan and his holinesse are agreed to marke all with their blacke cole and brand them for Heretikes which blesse themselues with Gods blessing out of their reach Therefore to requite the Popes kindnesse I dare presume to take a little more roome to wrastle one fall with his holinesse for the wrong done to this name of holinesse I know well that the Popes solliciters haue much confidence in their Champion as the Philistines had in Goliah yet must hee needes fall which will stand on his tiptoes vaunting himselfe against Gods cause as hee did and more blasphemous then Rabshakeh arrogate to himselfe the Title which is proper to God This name of God the type of his incomparable perfection Exod. 28. was engrauen onely in gold the golden letters beeing as the letters of a seale to signifie him who onely by himselfe is of himselfe It was his proper name which being holinesse it selfe is able to make others holy God is more able to make Aaron holy then fire is able to make the mettall hot or the sunne able to infuse his heat into the day both these creatures may be restrained by God but the Creator by none God can with hold the naturall powers from the strongest Exod. 3. Iob. 40.4 and the fairest so that the fire shall not burne in the bush nor the sunne shine in Egypt God can illuminate man with the light of life and none can forbid it Canst thou restraine the sweet influence of the Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion hath man an arme like God Shall then challenge of equalitie with God in his matchlesse name be made by a weake and sinnefull man whose foundation is dust and his daies vanitie Some of the learned thinke it was the ineffable name of God which was engrauen on the plate of gold and so they write of the opinion of some of the Rabbines which being granted then the name there written cannot bee the Popes What if Aaron did beare this name in the Myter vpon his fore-head yet was it borne not as Aarons owne name but his Master his name whom Aaron serued as it is written Holinesse to the Lord. Let mee yeeld as much vantage as a wrastler may and lend the Pope that hold of an ancient father S. Hierom. Exod. 28.38 Totam Pontificis pulchritudinem Dei vocabulum coronet protegat But why so that Aaron may beare the iniquitie of the offerings c. This is plaine which was in speciall commanded for Aaron and none other wherein he was the singular type of Christ and of none other who onely could take away the sinnes of the world and none other Ioh. 1 2. Cor. 5.18 Ibidem to reconcile the people to God We poore Ministers haue the ministerie of reconciliation giuen vnto vs but none are reconciled to God but by Iesus Christ for God was in Christ reconciled the world to himselfe And he which hath the highest place in the ministration must be holy but he cannot be Holinesse he must be true but he cannot be the Truth these are Gods preheminences Therefore is this name Gods onely and properly Quarto modo to signifie that soueraigntie which is aboue the Popes capacitie But what needeth this attempt will some say to cast him downe who hath so often cast himselfe downe like a blinde man who cannot see or a drunken man which