of Condoling woe and shall be free from Condemning though our spirituall enemies are stronger and our greiuous sinnes are greater then wee yet as God said to Rebecca the greater shall serue the lesser In Christ all thiâ—…gs are ours and all things quoth Paul euen Sin it selfe quoth Augustine euen the Deuill himselfe quoth Luther worke together for our good yea for the best if we loue God in his Christ. Heale vs thenô Lord and wee shall be healed saue vs and we shall be saued Deliuer vs from eternall woe that we may bee blessed with euerlasting happinesse in thy kingdome of glory where wee shall euer be sure to be free from sorrow because free from sin Ceasing to draw iniquity with cordes of vanity and sin as it were with cart-ropes ESAY 41. 14. Feare not worme Iacob c. CHrist is Alpha and Omega Reu. 1. 8. As Esay speakes in this Chap. at the 4. verse the first and the last and that vnto vs as well as in himselfe being yesterday and to day and the same for euer Heb. 13. 8. And therefore the Church allots a proper Scripture for euery Sunday throughout the whole yeare begins and ends her deuout seruice with the comming of Christ. For the first sentence declared in the Gospell appointed for the first Sunday is behold thy King commeth vnto thee And the conclusion of the last Gospell on the last Sunday this of a truth is the same Prophet that should come into the world which occasioned Petrus Machado to terme this order annulus Christianus as it were the Christians round or ring So the Church in obseruing this high and holy time makes the birth of our Lord and appurtenances of the same the first and the last obiect of all her solemne deuotions other holy dayes in deed come between the feasts of his Natiuity Circumcision and Epiphany but all of them are called Christmas dedicated onely to Christs honour and the reason as some coniecture why Saint Stephen and Saint Iohn and the blessed Innocents are mentioned aboue the rest of the Saints is to shew that Christ came into the world to saue men of all sorts of whatsoeuer degree the Chiualrie represented by Saint Stephen a resolute Knight and warriour in the Lords battaile The Clergie represented by S. Iohn stiled the Diuine The Commonaltie or Infantrie represented by the children Herod slew Or intimating that Christ was borne for men of euery seueral age for men of perfect strength as Saint Stephen For old men on their Crouches as Saint Iohn who liued after Christ was dead as Hierom reports in his life 68. yeeres being as Baronius avoweth at his dying houre 106. yeeres old Lastly for Infants in their Cradles as the blessed Innocents Or it may bee these Saints are honourably remembred at Christmas rather then other because Christ saith if any will follow me let him forsake himselfe take vp his Crosse Mat. 16. 24. The seruant is not greater then his Master if they haue persecuted me they will persecute you also Ioh. 15. 20. Now Bernard other Doctours say there bee 3. kinds of suffering or martyrdome in Christs cause The 1. In will in act as that of Saint Stephen the 2. In will but not in act as that of Saint Iohn the third in act but not in will as that of the Bethelemitish Innocents And so Christ as it is sayd Cant. 5. 10. Is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand as one featly but I censure not hovv featly Candidus in Iohanne rubicundus in Stephano electus ex millibus in Innocentibus This Scripture then is chosen aptly for a Christmas Sunday promising that in type which wee now see performed in truth namely that Christ our Lord is the deliuerer of Sion out of her Captiuity the Comforter abettor strength helper in a word the redeemer of his people from the hands of all their enemies from the bands of all her sinnes In this verse which is Capitulum Capitis as it were the Chapters abridgment two points are to be considered especially 1. The weaknesse of the Church in respect of her selfe as being a worme and as a dead man 2. The strength of the Church in respect of her Sauiour saying feare not I will helpe thee this I haue sayd and this I will haue done being powerfull and able because the Lord pittifull and willing because thy redeemer faithfull and true because the holy one of Israel The Lord calleth elsewhere Iacob his chosen Israel his possession Iuda his Sanctuary Israel his dominion an holy Nation a Kingdome of Priests an holy tree springing of an holy root a people peculiar to himselfe enclosed as it were from the Commons of the whole world But heere considering their present affection and miserable condition vnder Captiuity hee takes a better course with them in omitting these glorious titles and comparing them vnto wormes and men that are dead for this he shewes more That he greatly cares for them although they seeme most abiect in the worlds eye Feare not I am with thee be not affrayd I am thy God I will strengthen thee and helpe thee and sustaine thee with the right hand of my iustice Howsoeuer now thou beest nothing yet I wil so succour thee that all the men of thy strife shall be confounded ashamed perish and come themselues to nothing Behold I will make thee a roller and a new threshing instrument hauing teeth and so thou shalt thresh the mountaines and grind them to powder and make the hills as chaffe A word spoken in his place saith Salomon is like aples of gold with pictures of siluer He therefore which is set apart for the gathering together of the Saints and the worke of the ministrie must as St. Paul exhorts diuide the word of truth aright He must as the Baptist in preparing way for his Lord exalt the vallyes and make the mountaines low Men are made mountaines two wayes either assuming too much vnto themselues out of their owne merit or else presuming too much vpon Gods mercy and on the contrarie men are vallyes in contemplating their great faults and little faith humbled in their sin and in their suffering for sin And therefore the man of God ought to digg downe Mountaines by denouncing Iudgments and to raise vallyes by pronouncing mercy He must as Ambrose sayd bee like a Bee applying the I awes sting to the proud in heart but the Gospells honie to the poore in Spirit It is written in the Law that if a man goeth vnto the wood with his neighbour to hew wood and his hand strikes with the axe to cut downe the tree If the head slip from the helme and hit his neighbour that he dye the same shall flie to one of the Cities appoynted for refuge and liue Such as handle the word indiscreetly without any distinction of times or places or persons or circumstances of sin makes the head
Christian is dead to sin and aliue to God Dead to sin as Iudicious Melancthon in respect of sinnes imputation and efficacie In respect of imputation for albeit some reliques of old Adam remaine in the new man yet as the Scripture speakes all his offences are couered there is no condemnatiō vnto them which are in Christ. God sees none iniquity in Iacob no transgression in Israel Num. 23. 21. As for sinnes efficacie whereas the motions of sin in an vnregenerate man haue force to bring forth fruit vnto death Rom. 7. 5. He that is borne of God sinneth not 1 Iohn 3. 9. As being a patient rather then an agent in sin saith Bernard or as Primasius he doth not liue to sin but to Christ who dyed for his sin Thus I liue quoth Paul Gal. 2. 20. Yet not I now but Christ liueth in mee Christ himselfe is the life which I now liue In this regard he and I are both one quoth Luther vpō that place this seemes a very strang manner of speaking I liue I liue not I am dead I am not dead I am a sinner I am not a sinner I liue not now as Paul but Paul is dead who is it then that doth liue the Christian our corrupt estate subiect to sin and concupiscence is called the old man But our person reformed in and by Christ is the new man Augustine pithily Christianus est quod ammodo duplex euery single Christiā susteyneth a double person as Hector Pintus vpon our text duplex est in me ego one I that liues according to the flesh and another I that liues according to the spirit As the penitent wanton in St. Ambrose who courted by his old loue Cur non respicis ego sum answered sed ego non sum ego Though you be still the same woman I am become another man I liue indeed in the flesh but not through the flesh or according to the flesh for I am Crucified vnto the world and the world is Crucified vnto mee The truth is I liue by faith in the Sonne of God I am grafted into Christ and the graft doth liue not of it selfe by the sap of the stocke Wee are twigges and Christ is the tree without him wee can doe nothing Iohn 15. 5. But in him and through him all things Philip. 4. 13. Thus a Christian is dead to sinne dead to the law dead to the world actiuely the which exposition is entertained of many learned interpreters but that Iacob is passiuely dead vnto the world as being hated persecuted of the world as the blessed Apostle speakes of himselfe for Christs glory dying daily is the fitter and as I think the fuller glosse comming neerer home to the point and to the pith of the matter intended heere by the spirit And so by this place you may learne the meaning of another hard phrase 1. Cor. 15. 2◅ Baptized for dead that is afflicted and reputed as dead I know there bee diuerse readings and interpretations of that text but vpon an exact inquirie yee shall vnderstand this to be most agreeable to the words to the scope of Saint Paules argument To the words because Baptisme is vsed elsewhere for affliction as Luk. 12. 50. I must be Baptized with a Baptisme and how am I grieued till it bee ended and Math. 20. 22 Mark 10. 38. Ye know not what ye aske quoth our blessed Sauiour to his ambitious Disciples harkening after earthly preferment in his Kingdome Yee must first drinke of the Cup that I must drinke of and be baptized with the Baptisme that I am baptized with that is in the iudgment of Theophilact Euthymius Ardens and many more learned Diuines Ye must of necessity beare the Crosse before ye can weare the Crowne ye must enter into my Kingdome through many tribulations As for the scope Saint Paul in the words immediately following shewes that by baptized hee meant afflicted why are we Christians in Ieopardie euery houre If I haue fought with Beasts at Ephesus after the manner of men what aduantageth it me if the Dead rise not againe Wherefore should Iacob and Israel indure so many losses and crosses fightings without and terrours within troden vnder foote like wormes and reputed as dead men in this world were there not another world where they shall haue fulnesse of Ioyes and pleasures at Gods right hand for euermore So haue yee the first part of our Text explained concerning the weaknesse of the Church in respect of her selfe the second is the consideration of her strength in respect of her Sauiour Who saith feare not I will helpe thee The which is repeated often in this one Chapter and that within the compasse of a few lines not onely to shew the dulnesse of our fraile flesh needing in aduersitie promise vpon promise so well as in prosperity precept vpon precept But to set forth also the fulnesse of Gods infinite rich mercy towards vs vile Wormes It is reported Apo. 7. 2. That foure bad Angels had power to hurt the Earth and the Sea when wee heare of their number Foure wee may feare and when wee heare of their nature bad Angells wee may feare more When we doe read of a datum est power and authority giuen vnto them of God to hurt wee may feare most of all But when wee finde their power limited that they must not hurt Gods seruants wee need not feare at all I saith the Lord whose power is I am and stile I will Alas man of himselfe is not able to doe any thing hee liues and moues and hath all his being in me my grace sustaineth him by which hee is whatsoeuer is his He speakes optatiuely would to God I will if God will But I the Lord Indicatiuely Imperatiuely I will bee thou cleane I will ease you I will strengthen thee I will helpe thee I the Lord who make the mountaines to skip like Rams the litle hills like young sheepe I who measure the Waters with my little finger and the Earth with three of my fingers and the Heauens with my spanne Esay 40. 12. Before whom all the Nations of the world are but as a drop of the morning dew that falleth vpon the ground Wis. 11. 19. I that am all in all vpholding all things by my power I the Lord against whom there is no wisedome neither vnderstanding nor counsell Pro. 21. 30. No Wisedome of men or Vnderstanding of deuills or counsell of Angells is able to preuaile No Wisedome in Heauenly things or vnderstanding in Earthly things or counsell in any thing against me Neither is my will inferiour to my power for I am thy Redeemer I was borne for thee I was circumcised for thee I fulfilled all righteousnesse for thee I dyed for thee I rose againe for thee what could I haue done more for thee which I haue not done I haue so loued thee that I gaue my selfe for thee to bee both an offering
so little regarding the light of Israel and honour of this our braue victorious nation that they resolued vpon the conclusion of the match not onely to be sonnes of the Pope but also the seruants of a strange people Yet God be thanked England had her Dauids who did not cease night and day to call and cry to the Lord For thy sonnes sake for thy Sions sake let not our insulting enemies a bloody generation drunken with the bloâ—…d of the Saints haue their desires ouer vs For their mercies are full of cruelty But let vs fall into thy handes for thy Iudgements are full of mercy And it is vndoubtedly Gods owne worke who brings light out of darkenesse and can doe whatsoeuer he will and will doe whatsoeuer is best for his people sometime by weake meanes and sometimes by no meanes and sometime by contrary meanes against whom there is no wisedome nor vnderstanding nor counsell That our Dauids prayer is heard our religion established our peace setled good men incouraged our open enemies discomfited and our false friends discouered and worthily deluded To whom I 〈◊〉 now no more but only this If you be good Christians and setled Protestants so remaine If you were once anâ—… 〈◊〉 now fallen returne If you neuer were repâ—… If you neuer will be perish Were it not for the honour of God and glory of his people the cast happily might prooue measurable whether it bee better to bee slayne by the sword in warre or by the pestilence in peace But a good man and a good magistrate especially considering barbarus has segetes That the blasphemous aduersaries of God roare in the middes of the congregations and set vp their banners for tokens breaking into Gods inheritance defiling the holy Temple and making Hierusalem â—…n heap of stones And how they giue the dead bodies of his seruants to be meate vnto the foules of the ayre and the flesh of his Saints vnto the beastes of the land I say the new borne babe in Christ vnderstanding these things easily resolues as Dauid here Let vs fall into the hand of the Lord and not into the hand of man 4. Learned Expositours obserue the wisedome of Dauid in chusing é malis minimum of three mischiefes the lesser Abuleâ—…sis vpon the place notes aptly That God made these 3. punishments inequall in time 7 yeares of famine 3 moneths of warre 3 dayes of pestilence that hee might make them equall in magnitude and so put Dauid into his doubts so well as his dumps The time being equall the plague doubtlesse is more grieuous then warre and warre more grieuous then famine But seuen yeeres famine may bee so bad as three moneths fleeing before cruell enemies and three moneths of bloody warre so bad as three dayes of plague Yet Dauid chose the pestilence for these reasons 1. In the rebellion of Absolon he had â—…ryall of the sword for there fell in that ciuill warre 20. thousand of the people And he had felt 3. yeeres famine for the sinne of Sauls house But he neuer yet had experience of the plague as then Ignoti nulla cupido so nulla formidâ—… 2. The plague is Gods immediat hand his sword 1. Chron. 21. 30. His arrow Psal. 91. 5. The physitians haue termed it fulmen coeleste The thunderbolt of heauen and the canonists Bellum Dei contra homines the warre of God against men Happily you will obiect is there any euill in the city and the Lord hath not done it Amos. 3. 6. It is true that warre and famine are from the Lords hand but herein hee doth vse other instruments as the sword of men in warre and other deuouring creatures in famine and so consequently whereas in the pestilence wee seeke onely to the mercies of God in warre and famine we are to wrestle with the cruelties of men also whose heart saith Esay is to destroy To take the spoyle to tread their enemies downe like the mire in the streetes saith the Lord was a little displeased but they helped forward the affliction Zach. 1. 15. As if he should haue sayd my purpose was only to try you but theirend to destroy you now we beare more then patiently the Lords rod then the hand of man 3. Dauid did chuse that punishment which was most agreeable to his sinne his fault in numbring the people was to try his power and to put his affiance therein and therefore being sorry for his errour he desired the plague that he might not trust any more to the arme of flesh but altogether rely vpon the Lord. For had he chosen warre men of valour would haue resisted and imagined that their sword should haue saued them And if he had chosen famine money-men would haue trusted in their purse making gold their hope and saying to the wedge of gold thou art my confidence Hee that hath siluer may buy bread and hee that hath enough bread need not to starue for hunger but a man infected and afflicted wiâ—…h the plague hath no weapons or meanes to relieue his distressed estate but onely prayers and teares Mysticallâ—… this numbring of the people saith Ruperius vpon the place figures carnall Israelites boasting in the works of the Law for to thinke that a man is iustified by works when as Abraham was iustified by faith is to trust in chariots and horse Lastly Diuines obserue Dauids faith and affiance in the Lord as being assured that all things worke together for the best vnto those that feare him he well vnderstood that God haâ—…h a left hand of Iustice so well as a right hand of mercy But the godly feele each hand gentle both hands of God are right hands vnto them Is there dearth in the land Daniel will thriue with water and pulse so well as other with wine and Iunkets Is there persecution in the Church To suffer death in Christs cause quoth holy Bradford is the high way to heauen on horsbacke Though Esaâ—… bee stronger then Iacob yet the greater shall serue the lesser The number of Gods elect is small the number of reprobate fooles infinite The Church is a little flocke of lambes in the mids of wolues and yet populus maior seruit minori many that are bad serue those few which are good non obsequendo quoth Augustine sed persequendo not by doing good but by doing mischiefe to them and so they turne Goldsmiths of God to make crownes for all such as in his battailes haue fought a good fight If other troubles arise touching our goods or good name Dauids resolution is It is good for me that I haue beene in trouble For affliction holdes men in as hauing little outlets or leasure for idlenesse and luxury Doth sicknesse and of all sicknesse in many respects the most vncomfortable the pestilence come nigh our dwelling Yet let vs not be afrayd for any terrour by night or the arrow that flyeth by day
pride of their hearts who shall bring vs downe to the ground Though thou exaltest thy selfe as an Eagle and make thy nest among the starres Yet thence will I bring thee downe saith the Lord The Lords hand found out Nabuchadnezzar being at rest in his owne house flourishing in his owne palace saying in vaine boasting Is not this great Babel which by the might of my power I haue built for the honour of my maiesty While the word was in his mouth a voyce came downe from heauen O King Nabuchadnezzar to thee be it spoken Thy kingdome is departed from thee and they shall driue thee from men and thy dwelling shall be with the beastes of the field and the very same houre was the thing fulfilled vpon Nabuchadnezzar and he was driuen from men and did eate grasse as oxen and his body was wet with the dew of heauen till his hayres were growen like Eagles feathers and his nayles like birdes clawes When Phocas had built a strong wall about his palace for security hee heard in the night a voyce O King though thou build as high as the cloudes yet the city may be taken easily for the sin within marres all The Lords hand found out Simon Magus as hee was presuming to fly vp into heauen in the publique theater of Rome and there he gaue him such a fall as that hee could neuer rise more The Lords hand found out Siluester the second who to get the Popedome gaue himselfe to the deuill as hee was in a chappell singing of a masse the Lords hand found out Nitingall a blasphemous popish priest in the very pulpit No place be it neuer so high or so holy so deepe or so darke so foule or fayre can exempt the wicked from the wrath of the Lord It is true that Gods dwelling is in Sion onely Psal. 76. 2. as Hugode S. victor gloseth it in mundo est vt imperator in regno in ecclesia vt pater familias in domo in anima fideli vt sponsus in thalaâ—…o He dwelleth in the world as an Emperor in his kingdome for the earth is the Lords and all that therein is Psal. 24. 1. He dwels in the Church as a master in his house for the house of God is the Church of God 1 Tim. 3. 15. In a faithfull soule as the bridegrome in his chamber there he suppes and refresheth himselfe apoc 3. 20. but our iniquities on the contrary make a separation betweene God and vs Esay 59. 2. And so God is sayd in the holy scripture to be faâ—…re from the wicked and the wicked to goe farre from God The which is proued in the prodigall câ—…ild who tooke his iourney into a farre country that is far from God farre from goodnesse Answere is made by St. Augustine in one word Deus non ibi deest vbi longe est quia vbi non est per gratiam adest per vindictam Although in respect of saluation and grace God be farre from the wicked yet in respect of his power and punishment alway so nigh that his out stretched arme can euery where reach and ruine them God dwels in Sion only but is present in Babylon also Secondly we note from this circumstance Gods exact Iustice who would haue Sennacherib to perish in the same place where hee had offended most he was a great Idolater and he committed that Idolatry most in the chappell of his Idoll Nisrock And therefore Gods reuengefull hand did find and confound him in the right vbi so the Prophet Elia sayd to King Ahab Hast thou killed and gotten possession also thus saith the Lord in the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs euen licke thy blood also The corps of Mr Arden slaine by the consent counsel of his own wife was laid as a spectacle to men and Angels in the very same field which he had vniustly taken from a poore widdow and it is well ordered in our State that where men commit outragious murthers there they should dye the death for it The iudgements of God is at all times terrible but being executed in the same place where the malefactour acted the fault it is more fearefull it putteth him in mind of his offence with all the circumstances thereof and so makes his conscience to denounce his owne condemnation Euery day should be to the good man a Sabbath and euery corner of his mansion a priuy chappell as occasion is offered for deuotion O then I beseech you by the mercies of the Lord Iesu take heed of sinne in your secret closets and chambers for nothing is hid from Gods al-piercing eyes which are as a flame of fire who can make your very table a snare to take you withall and the thinges which should haue beene for your wealth an occasion of falling hee can make the stone out of the wall and the beame out of the timber to cry for Iudgement against you Dauid afflicted heauily said euery night wash I my bed and water my couch with my teares He had offended most in his bed hee did act his repentance therefore most in his couch Imitate Dauids example who was a man according to Gods owne heart when thou commest into the roome defiled with any filthinesse of thine sinne no more but water the place with teares otherwise God may smite thee with a sudden and vnhappy death as hee did Sennacherib in his temple where he transgressed most It was in God also great Iustice that he should perish by the sword who had abused the sword in shedding innocent blood It was a iust iudgement vpon the cruell Egyptians to be drowned in the sea because they cast all the male children of the Hebrewes into the riuer It was a iust iudgement vpon Adonibezek that the thumbes of his hands feet were cut off hauing before â—…one the like cruelty to seauenty kings and constraining them to gather crumbs vnder his table Iudg. 1. 6. It was a iust iudgement vpon the tyrant Maxentius that hee was ouerthrowen in the same bridge which he craftily built as a snare for the destruction of Constantine It was a iust iudgement vpon Pope Alexander the 6. who was poysoned at supper with the very same wine his seruant mistaking a bottle which hee had prepared as a deadly draught for his familiar friend Cardinall Adrianus It was a iust iudgement vpon the chiefe plotter of the most execrable gunpowder treason that being pursued he should himselfe bee first scorched with powder and afterward killed with a gunne and so the mischiefe fell vpon his owne head and his wickednesse vpon his own pate Non est lex aequior vlla Quam necis artifices arte perire sâ—…a No iudgement more sit then that they who dig a pit for others should fall into the mids of it themselues as Dauid phraseth it Psalme 57. 7. The third circumstance to be further examined is the
euill for euill or rebuke for rebuke But a magistrate may punish a malefactor and so pro malo culpae render malum poenae But that is not to requite euill for euill but good for euill because corrections are directions as well to the seers as sufferer Hee therefore that commits his cause to the Magistrate giues place to diuine iudgement he speakes as Dauid in the 35. Psalme 1. verse Plead thou my cause O Lord with them that striue with mee and fight thou against them that fight against me for all higher powers are Gods ordinance his lieutenants on earth as it were fingers of the hand that gouernes all the world and they execute the iudgements not of men but of God Yea but you will obiect happily that S. Paul elsewhere doth argue the Corinthiâ—…ns of folly for going to law one with another Is it so that there is not a wise man among you no not one that is able to iudge betweene his brethren Answere is made that Paul in that place forbids not simply the commencing of any sute before the lawfull and competent Iudge but that he taxed only three faults reigning among the Corinthians at that time the first that being christians and so consequently brethren they quarrelled one with another and that vnder infidels and vnbeleeuing magistrates vnto the scandall of the Gospell The second that they were so transported with heate and hate that they would not suffer any little wrong The 3. that the plaintiues also did wrong and defraud their brethren remoue these faults and their causes may be pleaded betweene two faithfull men and determined also by wise Iudges And so S. Paul elswhere proues by his owne precept and practise by his precept exhorting euery soule to bee subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God If there must bee lawes then Iudges and if Iudges actions and pleading of causes and if pleadings it is necessary that wee should obey the Iudges sentence for wee then implore Gods helpe when wee sue to the power ordeined by him and vnlesse wee should doe this wee might seeme to tempt God in neglecting his ordinance Secondly S. Paul prooues this by his owne practise who for the defence of his life did appeale to Caesar. Acts. 25. 21. and Acts 23. 17. He sent his sisters son vnto the Tribune to declare the conspiracy the Iewes plotted against him It must needes bee quoth our blessed Sauiour that offences come I demand then of Anabaptists and other opposits to Christian Magistracie whether they will haue these scandalous offences vnpunished or punished If they will answere vnpunished How shall we lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty when as impunity is the mother of impiety Better it is saith one to liue in a place where nothing is lawful then in a place where al things are lawful Gens sine Iustitia sine remige nauis in vnda est If they will haue faults to be punished by whom I pâ—…ay shall Iudgement be giuen or executed If euery man according to his owne humour punish and reuenge what he lust all orders of men in all things wil be so much out of order as that in stead of perfection we shall vndoubtedly bee brought into desperate confusion Wherefore wee may in all our wrongs as wee haue heard Dauid did Come vnto God who will either immediatly by himselfe or else mediatly by his magistrates plead our cause with them that striue with vs. But in going to law wee must obserue these cautions especially 1. That we so put our trust in Iudges and Princes that we distrust not God who careth for vs saith St. Peter and so careth for vs as a father careth for his child saith Dauid and so careth for euery one of his children as if there were no more to care for saith Augustine Men of earthly mindes and base conceits make gold their God and the minions of the time their mediators in all affaires If they can corrupt the Iudge and packe a Iury they little thinke on God who standeth in the congregation of Princes and sits a Iudge among gods against whom there is no wisedome nor vnderstanding nor counsell no wisdome of men vnderstanding of Angels counsell of deuils able to preuaile O put not then your trust in Princes or in any child of man for thus saith the Lord Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lord. Iere. 17. 5. 2. We must inuiolably keepe charity putting a great difference betweene an aduersary and an enemy we may commence an action against a brother in loue but wee may not so malitiously prosecute the matter as that we breake the bond of peace Charles the French King made warre against Henry 7. King of England rather with an oliue branch then a laurell branch in his hand more desiring peace then victory Ioab shed the blood of warre in peace but he kept as it should seeme the bond of peace in warre and as he did warre in loue so we much more may iarre in loue so contend with our aduersarie before the lawfull Iudge that the party cast in the sute may be bettered If not in his money yet in his manners and Satan only conquered Vt qui vincitur simul vincat et vâ—…us tantummodo vincatur diabolus 3. We must take good â—…eed that our sutes in law lead vs not into distraction and distemper of mind some men are so much affected and afflicted with troubles in law that they loose their wits in not hauing their wills and so while they would gaine their sutes they loose themselues and make wracke of christian gentlenesse sobriety patience Bias being asked what man hee thought most infortunate answered hee that is most impatient the world reputes a patient man an asse but Solomon accounts it an high poynt of wisdome to passe by wrath and an honour to cease from strife Qui placide sortem ferre scit ille sapit Lastly we must appeale to the tribunall of the Magistrate rather to encrease the glory of God and good of our neighbours then to encrease our owne reuenewes and patrimonie To conclude this argument in a word If thou go to law make Conscience thy Chancery Charity thy Iudge Patience thy Counsellour Truth thine Attourney Peace thy Solicitour St. Paul Ioynes together in one verse faith loue patience By faith we are linked vnto God by loue linked vnto our neighbours by patience linked vnto our selues If then any remoue the bounds of thy land haue faith toward God loue toward thy neighbour and patience toward thy selfe and thou shalt be sure to find two sound friends in thy sute God and thy conscience God who being chiefe Iustice of the whole world can doe for thee whatsoeuer he will and will doe for thee whatsoeuer is beâ—… thy conscience which is in stead of a thousand good
blood but against spiritual wickednesses and therefore put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the assaults of the deuill Secondly though it be true that faith and prayer are the chiefe weapons of Christians in this world yet other armes are not to bee cast away for we read that the Lord of hostes gaue victory to his Israel against Amalek Orante Mose et Iosua pugnante by the prayer of Moses and fighting of Iosua and S. Augustine giues this aduise to Bonifacius arripe manibus arma oratio pulset aures authoris and in another place some pray for you against inuisible foes and you fight for them against visible Barbarians Now there bee three conditions in an honest and honorable warre 1. Authoritas legitima 2. Causa Iusta 3. Intentio bona That it be vndertaken vpon lawfull authority for a iust cause with a good intent For the first it is determined by S. Augustine and other Diuines that Soueraigne Princes only haue power to proclaime was for the protection of their Realmes as the Kings of England France Spaine the common wealth of Venice the Dukes and Princes of Germanie which are of themselues absolute Lordes but Earles and Barons and other great Persons immediatly subiect to superiour command may not of their owne heads and authority make war and the reason hereof is very plaine for if one man sinne against another the Iudge shall Iudge it quoth old Elt If one subiect offend another appeale may bee made to superiour authority but if a King trespasse another they haue no common seat of Iustice where to complaine of iniuries and therefore they must reuenge publique quarrels and make the sword their Iudge But here diuines put a difference between offensiue wars defensiue we may not assault our forrein foes without the Princes expresse command but in a defensiue warre it is otherwise Because when any part of the land is inuaded and besieged vpon the sudden it may bee dangerous to stay for instructions from aboue as a priuate man assaulted on the high way by a thiefe hauing no meanes at that instant to complaine vnto the magistrate becomes himselfe a magistrate and may strike with his owne sword in his owne Iust and necessarie defence so good subiects oppressed by forreine force desperatly vnawares I speake rather as a School-man then a States-man hauing the Princes tacite consent need not expect his explicite direction I conclude therefore this poynt with Hostiensis and Peter Martyr bella sunt iniusta quae suscipiuntur aut non mandante aut non tacite approbante magistratu The second condition in honest and honorable warres is a iust cause Warre is full of inconueniences Plinie reports that a Dragon sucking the blood of an Elephant kils both it selfe and the beast Euen so saith one many times it falleth out in warre Pars vtraque perimit et perit Both parties receiue hurt for as he that sets a wood on fire knowes not how long it will burne and how farre the rage of the flame will reach euen so he that begins a warre knowes neither where nor when it will end A King therefore may not fight against another Prince for euery trifle but only to repell a notorious wrong done to his honour or state Cuncta prius tentanda sed immedicable vulnus Ense recidendum There be many most abhominable sinnes and impieries in Rome Venice Florence the which are not to be reformed by the King of Spaine for that hee is not their competent and ordinary Iudge but euery King being the protectour of his liege people may correct such offences of other nations as damnifie his subiects It is a iust cause for a King saith Augustine to warre with any state that insolently refuseth to right a publique wrong as not to restore goods taken by Pyrats or not to punish a notorious libellouâ—… dishonouring the persons and disabling the titles of Soueraigne Princes in such a case saith Augustine both the Captaines and the souldiour are the Ministers of God and they fight with his sword to take vengeance on such as doe euill But here Princes ought to consider that they should not fight vpon any doubtfull or little cause but only for some great and certaine Againe wee must here distinguish betweene the King and the subiect It is a fault in a King to fight in a quarrell which is vncertaine because warre is an act of Iustice but it is iniustice to punish a man before hee suffer a sufficient tryall and his cause bee well examined But it is not a fault in a subiect to fight vnlesse the cause bee notoriously knowen vniust It is our duty rather to presume of the Kings Iustice then in any sort to question his authority tene certum et relinque incertum is a good precept in this case Howsoeuer the title bee most vncertaine yet that euery soule should obey higher power is certaine The King then in proclaiming warre may sinne but the subiect in executing his command offend not as a Iudge in a dubious case sinnes when he condemnes an innocent and yet the hang-man may not examine the Iudges sentence but is bound to doe his duty The third condition required in warre is a good intention for seeing publique tranquillity and peace is the end of warre neither Soueraigne nor subiect ought to fight for other designes as to shed blood or to enrich themselues or to try their vallour or the like Militia may not bee quoth Bernard Malitia so S. Augustine lib. 22. Contra Faustum Chap. 74. Nocendi Cupiditas Vlciscendi Crudelitas impacatus et implacabilis animus feritas rebellandi libido dominandi et si quae similia haec sunt quae in bello Iure culpantur To these 3 conditions other adde a fourth and that is modus debitus the commendable manner of fighting in an honorable warre that wee hurt not any person which is innocent according to the rules of S. Iohn the Baptist in his charge to souldiers Doe violence to no man accuse not any falsely be content with your wages Where hee forbiddeth all iniurie done by souldiours to parties innocent either by force or fraud in their persons or goods in saying doe no violence he forbiddeth open iniury done to poore peasants in beating them or robbing them in saying accuse not any man falsely He forbiddeth iniuries by fraud as when souldiours accuse a rich man for a traytour or secret intelligencer though they know the contrary In saying bee content with your wages he forbiddeth all vniust exactions and pillage which is contrary to the law Now there be three sorts of men exempted from the cruelties of warre which a souldiour ought not to damnifie The first are such as apperteine not to the common wealth of the enemy and therefore free-booters are too blame who rob their owne friends and spoyle their allies countrey thorow
whether it be good or bad A sweet speech according to Godsowne heart for as S. Ambrose doth auow whosoeuer speakes a thing which is true speaketh it from the spirit of trueth Not to trouble you with any further discourse the consideration of this one poynt that God is omni-present conteineth in it all other rules for the well ordering of whole life so that if any be deiected in his mind for that he cannot remember the good lessons hee dayly reades in bookes and heares in Sermons let him be con tented againe because this one prescript comprehends omnia media et remedia all meanes and medicines for the curing of his sicke soule but because Gershon a great clearke professeth hee hath sometimes beene foure houres together in working his heart ere hee could frame it to he Diuine meditation of God I purpose to treate first of the meanes how to get it and then of the fruites arising from it For the first euery good gift is from aboue comming downe from the Father of lights and prayer is like the fiery chariot of Elia where by we mount vp and conuerse with God on high It is the key of Paradise gates and the hand of a Christian able to reach from earth to heauen and to take foorth vnsearchable riches ouâ—… of the Lords treasure the Scripture saith as much in plaine termes aske and yee shall haue seeke and yee shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you what soeuer ye shall aske the Father in my Name he will giue it you Feruent prayer then vnto which almighty God denyes nothing is a maine meanes of this holy deuotion and pious exercise Another way to seeke Gods face continually is to haue some remarkeable sentences concerning this argument written in the roomes wee most vse for example that of Solomon Prou. 15. 3. The eyes of the Lord in euery place behold the euill and the good Or that of Dauid I haue set God alwayes before me Or that of Paul Heb. 4. 13. All things are naked and open to his eyes with whom wee haue to doe Or that of Augustine God is all eye Totus oculus qui minime fallitur quià minime clauditur saith Bernard Or that of Lipsius eum nulla vis humana elidet aut acumen eludet God commanded in the 15 of Numb 38. and Deut 22. 12. That his people throughout their generations should make them fringes vpon the borders of their garments and put vpon the fringes of the borders a ribband of blew silke that when they looked vpon them at any time they might remember all the commandements of the Lord and doe them He did inioyne likewise to bind the wordes of his Law for a memoriall vpon their hands and as fronâ—…lets betweene their eyes And these scrolles of paitchâ—…ents wherein the commandements were written are termed by the Hebrew Doctor Tephillim prayermonuments and by Christ Mat. 23. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Interpreters coniecture quasi conseruatoria because they kept and preserued men in awfull obedience to the law and howsoeuer the Pharisees abused these things vnto superstition and vaine-glory yet God assuredly will be well pleased if we shall vse sincerely the like monuments and figures for the like good purposes and ends especially to put vs in mind of his holy presence A third profitable meane to seeke Gods face continually is a particular examination of our selues at our vprising and downe-sitting and if wee find that wee haue walked all the day long in Gods sight to make songs of him and prayse him for his strength and grace If otherwise to be sory for this omission and hereafter to bee more studious of this good worke The last and best helpe to further this deuotion is our vnfeined loue of God for as S. Augustine sayd animus velut pondere amore fertur quocunque fertur ibi est vbi amat non vbi animat A man is where he loues not where he liues as Origene writes of Mary Magdalene visiting Christs Sepulchre ibi non erat vbi erat quià tota ibi erat vbi magister erat So beloued it is with vs al our mind is where our pleasure is and our heart is where our treasure is Matth. 6. 21. If then we loue God aboue all things our hearts will likewise reioyce in his holy Name more then in all things If wee remember the marueilous workes that hee hath done his wonders and the iudgement of his mouth what do we but seeke his strength and his face euermore The fruites rising from this holy deuotion are manifold The first is purenesse of heart which is such an excellent vertue that Solomon saith He that loueth purenesse of heart the King shall be his friend That is the King of glory the King of heauen and earth the King of kings is a louer of him Now that purenesse is attayned by this exercise as Dauid telleth vs in the 10. Psalme reporting the wayes of the wicked man to bee most impure because God is not in all his thoughts and the fathers of our law put these words into the enditement of a malefactour that in committing his foule fact he had not God before his eyes When Christ entred into my soule saith Bernard hee mooued and mollified and wounded mine hard and stony heart he did roote out and destroy throw downe build and plant he did enlighten that which was darke water that which was dry coole that which was too hot and inflame that which was too cold He did exalt valleys and depresse mountains the crooked wayes he made straight and the rough places plaine and so saith he with our Prophet Psalme 103. My soule did prayse the Lord and all that is within mee prayse his holy Name We find in Ecclesiasticall history that Paphnutius conuerted Thais and that Ephram conuerted another famous strumpet from vncleannesse onely with this argument that almighty God seeth all thinges in the darke when all doores are fast all windowes shut all curtaines close And as this exercise causeth vs to repent sin which is past so likewise to preuent sinne which is to come for if once we can contemplate God as present we shall instantly consider him as our Father and so honour him or as our Lord and so feare him and he that doeth either of these will flee sinne as a serpent as for example Ioseph assaulted by his mistrisle to lie with her answered How can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God Susanna tempted by the libidiâ—…ous Elders to the like folly gaue the like answere sighing and saying I am in danger on euery side For if I doe this thing it is death vnto me and if I do it not I cannot escape your hanâ—… it is better for mee to fall into your hands and not to doe it then to sinne in the sight of the Lord A learned doctour in â—…ur time