to lighten the Gentyles and to be the glory of thy people Israel THE Euangelist Saint Luke after he hath by sundry approoued Testimonies wytnessed to Gods holy Church the order and byrth of Iesus Christ borne of his mother the most holye Virgin Mary doth purpose the description of Christ hys Office and Function In cause wherof he first cyteth the gratulatory Song of olde Father Symeon who doth most pythely set downe the parts of Christes office and valour of his nature to his Godhead annexed Namely giuen of his Father to be our onely sufficient and Omnipotent Messiah gyuen and not solde prepared of the Father not at all purchased by man or Angell to be the Saluation alone of Iewe and Gentyle To the Heathen that laye in darknesse Gods lanterne and light and to his kinsmen the Iewes their greatest cause of glorye But onely Symeon thus fayth And what is he and his authoritie that we should buylde our Fayth on his warraunt For aunswere I say Giue eare to our Euangelist who by the spirite of God wryteth and thy Question shall fullye be answered For thus wryteth Saint Luke Behold there was a man in Ierusalem whose name was Symeon Luc. 2.25 Thys man was iuste and feared God and wayted for the consolation of Israel And the holye Gstost was vpon him and it was declared to him from God by the holy ghost that he should not see death before hee had seene that Annoynted of the Lorde And he came into the Temple by the motion of the holy Ghost when the Parents brought in the Babe Iesus to doe for him after the custome of the Lawe then tooke he hym vp in his armes and praysed God and sayde Lorde nowe lettest thou thy seruant departe in peace according to thy worde c. Symeon I graunt is not here adorned of the Euangelist with Princely style Honorable tytle or sayde to descend of Noble parentage Happely he was of baser byrth and meane estate of the vulgare sorte not exalted to office place of credite in the Common wealths Regiment or to worldly riches And here in doth Gods spirite continue his well be gonne course in the byrthe of thys Babe Christ Who hymselfe though king and Lorde ouer all yet in earth borne is wrapped in sorye clowtes layde in a Manger whose Pallace was the horses stable and his shrowde against the extreame wynters weather was the breathe which the Oxe and Asse naturally breathed A poore beginning yea but gloryous thoughe to the worlde ignomious and in the accompts of the Atheists of our dayes ridiculous But so also to poore Shepheards watching their Flockes by night not to pompous Princes to the learned godly Magi not to the prowde contentious Phariseis did the same spirite manifest our Christs Natiuitie the Gentyls light and Israels glorye So likewise brought to the Temple he is not pompously receyued of the highe Byshop but louingly imbraced by his pore Prophet Symeon vpon whome the spirite of prophecie Luc. 2.36 in steade of worldly pompe at this instant was restant By an olde and poore Wydowe also but a Prophetisse the daughter of Phanuel of the Tribe of Aser the lowest amongst the twelue Trybes of Israell This is not done to the contempt of the mightie Monarks and Noble persons of the earth fearing God but to the glory of his holy name and the comforte of the poore despised Christians in the worlde that fleshe and bloud should not haue else where to reioyce but in the Lorde ◠Cor. 1.26 27.28 Againe that the eyes of men being opened may sée that not by many mightie many ritche many wise and Potentates of this world but by himself in his owne power and wisedome he vseth the base beggerly things of this lyfe to be his preaching Prophetes and faythfull wytnesses by them to bring to confusion the glorious wisdome of the world and the pryde therof This poore man tho is enobled with most honorable tytles as to be Iuste Symeon◠style and dygnitie godly and religious wayting for the consolation of Israel and to haue the spirite of God vpon him all which words as they set forth the excellency of this holye Symeon So are they of vs further to be considered for as much as they be to vs the very assured markes infallible by which we may certainely knowe the faythfull adopted sonnes and trusty seruants of the lyuing God from the counterfeyte Christian and vngodly Atheist But he is called Iust and that of Gods spirite which cannot lye First Symeon is iuste in Gods sight by the will and grace of God Secondly he is iuste in lyfe amongst the sonnes of men But what shall we saye Was Symeon so iuste in the eyes of the Lord that in him could no vnrighteousnesse be found Or was he called iuste for that he iustly fulfilled the commaundements of God Or else was he iuste by imputation bycause his sinnes were not layde to his charge I answere this demaunde Symeon is not so iust in the sight of God that in him can no vnrighteousnesse be found for no man is frée from synne as Salomon sayth Pro. 20.9 Who can say my harte is cleane from sinne If the Fountayne which is the harte of man be corrupted the conductes his members and actions must néeds be infected therwith Truely in Gods syght neyther are the Starres cléere wythout shadowe or the Angels iust in this respect Iob. 15.14 Where shall we finde then an earthly man that can stande in and by himselfe thus iuste before the Lorde Nay the best regenerate person is manye wayes corrupte No man iust before God and his actions full of synfulnesse yea his best works are impure farre shorte of that they should vnworthy Gods sight muche more his louing acceptation but most vnworthy the accompts of righteousnesse In one worde we our workes alwayes our selues and valour respected are though regenerate children as menstruous clothes in Gods eyes Esa 66. 2. Luk. 17.10 and our selues verye vnprofitable seruauntes Neyther was Symeon iuste as fulfylling iustly all the commaundements of God For that neyther could he nor any other before him or since his tyme to the ende of the worlde can there be any Christ Iesus excepted which shall or may doe in perfection the commaundements of GOD And therfore Symeon nor any other man can chalenge to him or them in truth and déede as hauing wonne the same the tytle of righteousnesse But on the other side they are all founde Transgressors Rom. 3.10 and accused of guyltinesse when as in their best workes they are faultie and not able to do all but offending in euerye one they are worthyly pronounced guyltie of the whole No not Abraham in that best approoued worke when he wyllinglye in Spirite though not without sharpe conflicts in bodye and minde offered vp his sonne as the worde of the Lorde commanded him hath warrante to vaunte of righteousnesse before God or was thereby iustifyed
securitie for thy Christes sake But as their is a lyking generall except of Gods chosen and mutuall for these euils So is there else a pestilent hate among these sorts of men For the Riche men as Micha sayth are full of crueltie Mich. 6.12 and the inhabitants of the land speake lyes one to another there is to daye no trust in mans tongue The worlds fashyon We are become Coosoners one of another there is but deceyte in our mouthes The good men perishe amongst vs and there is none righteous in earth Men lye some in wayte for blood 7.2 others hunte as with a Hay net to catch his brother The Iudge iudgeth for rewardes the great man speaketh out the corruption of his harte and so against the poore it is shut vp Mic. 6.13.74 that no man dare whisper against him Therefore will the Lorde make vs sicke with smyting and desolate bicause of our synnes The day of our watchmen and visitation commeth then shall be our confusion Againe Gods church is spoyled the people by impropriations robbed of their Pastour by whose spirituall féeding this bread of lyfe should worke saluation by Christ in them This is presumptious darknesse Ioh. 2.15 Christ droue out those which bought and solde in the Temple and saide that they made it a den of theeues But what will he do to these Impropriaâ—â—ons the seede of ignorance in godly knowledge and a great cause of Gods anger ouer vs. which buy and sell the church it self and al her maintenance From God and his Ministers to Atheists Papistes and curssed worldlings that lyue of the Churches spoyle and hate the Lord thereof his worde and ministry Dauid sayth He hateth all those that haue euil wil at Syon Antiochus for spoyling the Temple had a shamefull ende Let not these in this looke for a happie blessing Wyl a man spoyle his Gods sayth the Lord but you haue spoyled me Mala. 3.8 and yet you say wherein haue we spoyled thee In tythes and offerings haue you spoyled mee sayth the Lorde ye are curssed with a cursse for yee haue spoyled me sayth the Lorde euen this whole Nation Note well beloued this darknesse is more pestiferous in that it doth beget the ignorance in learned letters and of Gods truth to the posterity to come For who is he that seing the Church so spoyled will sende and set his sonne to schoole to be a preacher when the reward of that holy learning and place is next vnto beggery except the highe Roumes This is Gods iudgement for ignorant darknesse But when shal I make an ende a whole volume would not sufficiently set forth the worlds darknesse and humane fraile conditions For the preachers are to the people as a merry sounde Ier. 5.13 Eze. 33.32 as the Prophete sayth of one which syngeth a pleasant song And so it is nowe All our endeuour is to marke the Preachers cunning his Eloquence and synguler gyftes and when the Sermon is ended we thinke sufficiently to haue aunswered all our duetie if vpon the conceyued delight of his well digested order The loue of thys tyme to Gods worde and ministers and sound delyuery we can and doe giue him his due commendations but the cause wherfore God sent him or he spake to our amendment we regarde not but as we came so we go and contynue as we were as not hauing heard at all Gods prophet sent amongst vs. Thys vniuersall olde and moste horrible darknes The Country hath receyued the Courtly vice night is tourned into daye and day into night to bedde at midnight and vp at the noone day The Sermon Bell doth lull these Babes a sleepe and Sathan laugheth at their swynishe slumber Halas thys synne Idolatrous feastes are daylie kept the Church Saint muste haue hys wake daye which is all spent being the Lords Sabboth in Bearebating Bacchus chéere and Venus fylthy sports Thys execrable darknesse in England without restrainte Euery man séeketh prayse one of another and therefore can they not beleue Ioh. 8.47.5.44 and seeke the only praise of God This flattering darknesse The holye Ministrie is holden in contempt Christ and hys Father despysed in them their patrons many Poling Patrons are become Latrons and pryue the preachers portion to serue their owne prouision it is ynough for the priest to haue ten powndes by the yeare and for this too he shal besydes carry a dyshe to his maysters Table or else stande at the dresser orderly to set out the messes of meate and supply the Clarke of the kytchyns place his Seruice and Homilyes he must cut short and measure them by the Cookes readynesse and dynner dressing the roste neare ready the kitchin boye is sente to master Parson to bydde hym make hast the meate is readye and hys mayster cals for dynner he commeth at a becke not daring to denye or make longer staye least his delaye might cause the Cooke to burne the meate and he be called of mayster and men Syr Iohn burne Goose These Parsons must begyn ende Gods deuyne seruice at their Patrons pleasures This sacrilegious darknes Agayne Gods Ministers haue taken to them womanishe hartes they doe not or dare not reproue the ryche and mightie of their iniquity Thys is our spirituall synne of which Chrysostome sayth Chrysost Reproue the myghtie in synne and they will feare thee be afrayd of them and they will despice thee O Lord amende thys tymerous darknesse To be short euery man in priuate talke accuseth his brother of darknesse and synne yea one and al and yet no one almost wyll submyt hymselfe to the censure of Gods worde or abyde thereby to be reprooued This Catholique darknesse Finally we walke after wicked counsels we stand and abyde in synfull wayes Oh returne before ye syt in scorners Chaire which cannot be reclamed for of all other thys is a most curssed synne and desperate darknesse O Lord be merciful vnto our gracious Quéene and shewe the lyght of thy countenance vpon vs and bée mercyfull to vs illuminate our harts aright that we may once sée our synne and vtterly cast of these deadly workes of darknesse for thy Christes sake our onely Lord and Sauyour But Syr sayth the Temporall as the worlde calleth them hath your selfe and Clergy some imunitie and pryuiledge from these darke and mistie clowdes of synne whereof you haue so sharply sayde Not in so déepe drownings I truste But are we frée No no God knoweth The priests lyps should preserue knowledge Mala. 2.7 at his mouth should the Lordes people fetch the wyll of God for he is the Lords messenger and Angel But halas of the most we may say Esa 56.10 The watchmen are al blynde they be al ignorante dumbe Dogs which cannot barke Clergy syn they lye and sleepe delight in sleeping and these greedie Dogges can neuer haue ynough and these shepeards cannot vnderstand the reason is for they all looke to their
THE SHIELD OF our Safetie Set foorth by the Faythfull Preacher of Gods holye Worde A. Anderson vpon Symeons sight in hys Nunc dimittis Seene and allowed Micha 2.11 If a man walke in the Spirite and woulde lye falslye saying I wyll prophecy vnto thee of Wyne and of strong Drinke he should euen be a Prophet of thys people ¶ Imprinted at London in Fleetestreate beneath the Conduite at the Signe of S. Iohn Euangelist by H. Iackson 1581. ⧠TO THE RIGHT REuerend Father in God by Gods appoyntment the Byshop of London Anthony Anderson the Preacher of Gods holy Gospell wysheth all heauenly helpe in Christ our Lorde AS THE BENEFITS OF GOD to this Nation Right Reuerend are mo then many so aboue al are we bound to praye and prayse greatly the Lorde Omnipotent by whose mightie hande Satan is from vs banished in his olde Popishe pride his chiefe Instrument the Romishe Antichrist so fully slayne by the daily breath of Gods holy worde that neuer is he lyke in such sort with vs to be reuiued The prouidence of God hath apointed this to be the time of our Christian translation Colo. 2.13 and hir Maiestie oure gracious Soueraigne Elizabeth his Noble Nourse to his English Church taking from vs in one hower both Pope Cardinall and persecuting Prince And hath from the gates of death drawne her and nowe set her chiefe among the princes of the earth For the losse of her Graces Syster some Papistes doe sore lamente but for the gaine by hir Maiestie now both one and other may reioyce For againe is verifyed the olde prophesie of Dauid Psal 68.11 God gaue the worde and great was the company of the Preachers Kings of the Armies did flee they did flee and shee that remayned in the house deuyded the spoyle Though yee haue lyen among the Pots yet shall ye be as the wings of a Doue that is couered with Syluer and whose feathers are as yellow Golde For God hath giuen sufficient matter to hir and to all other to tell of our delyuerie from the innumerable Hostes of Popishe Locustes which in the pestilent dayes of late Popery pinched vs in hir Noble Grace and her Grace to the terror of vs. But are not these Armies and their Kings fled they are by the mightie hande of our Christ scattred banished and deade that sought the desolation of our Englishe Israell and our most godly Hester hath obteyned in mercy hir selfe and christian subiects Esther 3.4.5.6 7.8 9.13.14.15.16 these presente Halcions dayes From God by hir hande we enioy this most pleasaunt seedes tyme of the Gospell nowe well neare full twentie three yeares By her Maiesties faythful care in bounden duetye oure decayed Ierusalem is mightily repayred yea though Sanballat and Tobiah spyte it Nehe. 4. and seeke to hynder it yet Noble Nehemias goeth on with all GOD graunt vs hir louing subiects to ioyne with the Iewes in this namely eche man in his calling to buylde to his power in the house of the Lorde that wee may be the Mansions of the holye Ghost and to haue oure weapons ready in hande and earnest hartes in true loyaltie to hir Maiestie 1. Cor. 3.16 c. 6.19 to fyght against his and hir enimies for her and then our defence wheresoeuer they shal assault vs. And let vs not be afrayde of our Popishe aduersaries which is to them sayth saint Paule a token of perdition and to you of saluation Phil. 1.28 and that of God Would God in these buylding dayes we had not in authoritie in sundrye Shyres yea in the harte of this Realme spyghting Sanballat and menacing Tobiah But as the Gospell by suche receyueth some hinderance so I truste in the Lorde that were they better knowne to Nehemias As for her earnest zeale to his truth shee cannot by their surmised traynes and fayned fayth to her godlye growth in Christ bee stayde from hys labours in hir heroycall harte fyrmely planted to increase So through her kingly power shee woulde not admyt such the seates of Iustice for peace which are sonnes of Warre to Gods Church but contrary with God her Lorde thruste these myghty from the bench to the Barre and by Dauids example cut of the wicked Psal 101. or at least weede them out of the Citie of the Lorde Yea euen as manye as haue euill wyll at Syon and that my diligence wyth others my Brethren may appeare Mala. 27. at whose mouths people should aske and haue knowledge and that also some at least hereby myght be profited I haue to my possibilitie set Plough on gate and furrowed this lande that after followeth as appeareth And albeit many other could haue farre passed this my tyllage yet perceyuing the clowdes to houer towardes Haruest God for Christes sake pardon our synnes and preserue Elizabeth our christian Queene and this fertyle ground so long to lye fallowe I after some vewe of my seedes whether they woulde abyde weather and well agree with the lande sanctified my Plough with christian and earnest prayer and haue layde open my labours to the skilfull suruey of godly husbandmen And doubt not that good fruite and much encrease shall be fall to the Reapers Which labour ended I deemed best to shrowde my trauayling Plough vnder your Lordships learned Shelter assured that whatsoeuer frowning weather then shal assayle it as nipping frost carping cold Romish rayne hatefull stormye hayle or other wynters wynde so euer can come well hapt should my poore Plough be against al these and where neede is at all oportunitie the same in right to be defended Another cause why I presume my symple Pen to your learned L. is to offer hereby a token of my good wyll and duety to your good L. and that from your olde Country man receyuing this little by it your godly disposition maye be againe as it were desyred to stretch your former hande to helpe Gods house in Lecester shyre but specially in Northampton shyre where God it knoweth neede is both of sowing and weeding I speake of experience And if this my bold enterprise your L. wil vouchsafe fauorably to accept if by your great skyl in Gods husbandry thought fyt for the lower sort for whose sake chiefly I haue done it you wil publishe the same and alowe it for sounde I shal account my selfe more and more bounde and endeuour my hande to such godly further labours as his holye wyll hath determined The Lorde for euer blesse you wyth this olde Father Symeon whose wordes followe and giue you wyth Gods whole Church his and our common consolation Christ our Lorde that he may be yours and you for euer his Amen From Medborne in Lecestershire this 12. of December 1580. Your L. humbly in Christ A. Anderson LORD nowe lettest thou thy seruant departe in peace Luc. 2.29 according to thy worde For mine eyes haue seene thy Saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people To be a light
they will tourne the Popishe face into the inwarde mynde and be couered with this cloke to fawne vpon the gospell But marke their lyues and eyther they be manifest contemners of Religion hating reformation of their wickednes or they doe priuily shoote out their arrowes Psal 120.23 euen tongues as whote as burning coales into the eares of Princes and Potentates against the Lorde and hys truth and against his faythfull seruantes in déede which eyther by preaching exhortation or pen séeme to sommon their conscience to a better consideration of belonging duety to their God Then saye they Come let vs imagine some deuise against Ieremy Iere. 18.18 for the lawe shall not perishe from the Priest nor counsell from the wise The practise of Atheists nor the worde from the Prophet That is the Romaine Church cannot erre or the holy Pope sauing thy reuerence good Reader be deceyued and therefore whosoeuer speaketh against that as farre as we may kéepe credite in these dayes and though it be with some stayne Come let vs smyte him with the tongue let vs slaunder him and accuse him for we shal be beleeued and let vs not giue heede to any of his wordes But let not Ieremy be afrayd For Esay sayth The enimy shall come lyke a flood vz ioyned together vehemently working but the spirite of the Lorde shall chase him away and Christ our consolation doe we wayte for him giuing breade to our brethren in due season shall come to Sion and vnto all them that turne from iniquity in Iacob sayth the Lorde in the former places Wherfore I eftsoones say to you Fleshe bloud earth and ashes not wyse in God deceyuing your selues If ye lyue after the fleshe Rom. 8.13 yee shall dye but if by the spirite ye mortifie and kyll the deeds of the fleshe ye shall lyue which be these Adultery fornication Gal. 5.19 vncleannesse wantonnesse ydolatry which in our dayes is Popery Witchcraft hatred debate emulation hypocrisie wrath contention herisies enuye murther dronkennes gluttony and such lyke you shall lyue eternally Further here are conuinced euery such which not caring for anye Religion at all take parte of neyther side but accounte themselues Gods good seruants if they lead an honest cyuill lyfe amongst men But in Symeons commendation to be Gods seruante we fynde this principallye noted that he was iuste and religious To these we adde all hypocrites which professing outwarde shadowes of fayned holynesse doe spende their waste labors in mens tradicions for the obseruance whereof they make no care to transgresse all bounden pietie and seruice to God obedience to Princes and godlye Magistrates or obsequie to their natural Parents or louing brethren But Christ sayth these worship him in vayne Mat. 15.9 Remember wel the prouident care of the Euangelistes pen that he doth not commend to vs Symeons good lyfe first but his state from God and his religion in God as if hereby he would tell vs that we are not precisely to tye our selues to immitate this or that kynde of worke of the saints for works shall not be wanting in the children of God as we haue sayde but that we should séeke to follow their fayth in Christ First grace then graciousnesse and be zealous in his Religion walking therin with a right foote vpright in the sighte of God Gala. 2.14 We haue here also to consider the dyuers natures of earthly men according to the spirite whereby they are ledde whether of synne vnto death or of righteousnesse vnto lyfe Rom. 6.16 And this note I gyue vpon the reporte that Symeon wayted for the consolation of Israel The sonnes of Symon Magus the Pope and his adherents as carnall Gospellers and Popishe Atheists doe wayte also and séeke for all opportunitie but it is to haue wherewith to satisfie their worldly lustes and that is their expectation When will the newe Moone come say they that wee may sell our corne deare Amo. 8.5 and chaffe for corne and sell our brethren for smale tryflying pleasures and valors to suck the bloud of their Tenants and inferiors The fruite of carnall Gospellers These men can and doe fyrst pull downe Tyllage and dyke in pastures with Lammas cloking Closes they driue the poore pâ—wman to feast with pease breade on Christmas daye euen thys yere it was so These wayte but it is for the deare yeare Some of these nowe buy Corne in Markets hauing great store of their owne to bréede a dearth and in the latter parte of Sommer when the same is established Such mind such purpose then bring they forth their corne to fyll their lucring luste Yea and Dauid expecteth Bethseba her comming to his call And Iesabel the euente of her Deuillishe deuise against Noble Naboth for his Vyneyarde made Achab sicke Herodiadas that dauncing Dame also wayteth but it is for fytte oportunitie when best she maye by the caperous footing and vnwomanly vawting of her Daughter to begge at Herods hands the heade of her reproouer the holye preacher of God Iohn Baptist Whose graunte in delight of such perillous fantasies shall force the fleeting tymes retyre to be a wayling wytnesse of this Princes wicked decrée Iudas did wayte in lyke manner but to betray his mayster Christ And the Pharisies expected oportunitie to crucifye the Lorde of lyfe and yet to kéepe quyet in the common wealth 2. Tim. 4.10 Demas a follower of the Apostle Paule wayteth when best he maye vnder pretence of religion become ritche wherof fayling He forsaketh him and loueth this presente worlde Alexander the Copersmythe and Demetrius wayte to reuenge the ouerthrowe of Diana her shryne Act. 19.23 2. Tim. 4.14 3. Epist 9. vers and therfore become they enemies to the Apostles So doth Diotrephes to stop the Truth though Iohn the Euangeliste doth wryte the same The Pope and his wyll not permit the worde of God to come to lighte for then his kingdome must decaye The Satrapas doe wayte for tyme Dan. 6. that Daniel maye by Acte of Parliament be cast into the Lyons Denne and a lawe for his destruction to be established as the lawe of the Medes Daniels lotte which cannot be broken But bicause they cannot obtayne this in christian Cyrus daies they wayte for another Bull to bring in a Cambyses which shal vtterly forbyd the buylding of Ierusalem Athalia wayteth also after the Kings seede 2. Reg. 11.1 the Scarlet Romanist expecteth her tyme when to broyle once again Iehosophat his posterity but Iehoidah our highe and eternall Priest shall cause the Kings Commission at length to cast her out of the house of God that all christian Lords and Captaynes maye bathe their obedient blades in her thirstie bloode Oh that the house of Israel had not wayted the departure of Iehoiadah 2. Chr. 24.17 supposing with more ease to disswade vertuous Ioash from the Lorde The departure of godly Byshops the decaye of Religion God graunt our
the preaching of his worde then at any tyme he hath bene since the Apostles tyme. This only remayneth that with hart and will by the motion of his holy spirite we ioyntly enter our Churches where Iesus Christ is graciously offred not into our armes but into our harts and soules not in a body subiect to myseries and death but in the Maiestie of his worde which is his eternall power Rom. 1.16 1. Cor. 1.18 to bring vs by his light to that saluation assured in him and to engraffe quyetnesse in Conscience perswaded in his truth by the testimony of his sayde spirite of the full forgyuenesse of our sinnes That we shall with newe raysed hartes as men risen from a most déepe Dungeon of death most ioyfully with Symeon syng and saye in heart and truth Lorde nowe whensoeuer thou callest vs from this naturall lyfe 1. Cor. 1.30 Ephe. 1.7 Mat. 20.28 at thy good pleasure thou lettest vs departe to quiet rest in christian peace For the eyes of our fayth haue and doe sée Christ Iesus and receyue hym as he is to vs in mercy giuen our onely raunsome and full matter of our spirituall health and celestiall ioy to whom with thée our best father and the holy spirite be praise and glory for euer and euer Amen Thus much receyued by the Gospels wordes touching Symeon nowe let vs lende eare attentiuely vnto the words deliuered vs in this his ioyful song Thus he sayth Lorde now lettest thou thy seruaunt departe in peace according to thy worde For mine eyes haue seene thy Saluation This olde holye fathers song conteyneth shorte wordes and long matter wherein he giueth the Lorde his due praise by publique spéeche in ioyed hart and after the example of the former church for the present benefite receyued according the faythfull promise of God that he hath not departed to his Fathers before he sawe the Lordes Christ he singeth the Lords truth and blaseth the honorable armes of our Captaine Christe manifesting his power efficacie and glory in this his pithy encomia That done he setteth downe the perfite platforme of a quyet cōscience and the ancor of her health in the middle of many miseries in his owne person saying Now Lorde all if by the Romaine Tyranny thy people of Israell haue béene sore oppressed our fayth sore assaulted so that twixt hope and sorrow we haue wayted for Consolation in thy promise Now that thou hast giuen vs thy Christ our glory I ioy so much in him my Sauiour that death shall be to me welcome and my departure shall be in peace bicause by this Christ my Consolation Gods wrath to me is pacified my syns in him pardoned my selfe for him of my heauenly father dearely beloued and my soule shall rest in ioy for I am thy seruant wherfore Now let me I praye thee departe in peace I am satisfyed that I haue séene thée and the dayes of my age are in thy hande But whereas Symeon sayth Lorde Nowe doth thy mercy let me departe in peace he plainely sheweth that vntill he perfitely had the fruition of his hope he was in auxietie and griefe and walked with a heauie harte for the affliction of Israell This argueth not an absolute weakenesse of fayth in Father Symeon but rather expresly an ardent expectation of the promise of God nothing pleasured with the forreine matters of this lyfe albeit they should abounde to hym But by trauaile in fyght against temptations in worldly pleasures he hungreth and spiritually thirsteth in approoued hope the Lords promise enduring the griefe of present oppression assuredly by fayth to reape the rewarde of his pacient hope bicause he had the worde of God a most faythfull Norice therto for his warrante 1. Pet. 2.2 For thus sayde the Lorde by Reuelation to Symeon Thou shalt not dye before thou hast seene the Messias Christ the Lorde Luc. 2.26 Note here good Reader the nature of Gods promises giuen to his chosen children They are not performed at the first houre but they are deferred longer then our selues would desyre and they are not performed till the fayth of the parties be perfitly prooued and by the opposite occurrents sore exercised God the Father promised the comming of his beloued sonne Christ here imbraced of Symeon at the fall of Adam and Heuah Gene. 3. Gen. 22.18 Gal. 3.8 Esa 64.1 Mat. 13.16 Luk. 10.24 and renewed it to Abraham and by hys Prophets continued the same but the time prolonged forced many of the best fathers to cry Oh that thou wouldest pierce the heauens and come downe and to say Oh Lorde sende thy glory vnto Syon and thy sauing health vnto Ierusalem And as our Christ doth testifie many kings and Prophets haue desyred to sée Christ and haue not séene him or could the times enioy the performance of this promise till the fulnesse of time by him set were come Heb. 1.1 and that by contrary presumptions the fayth of his chyldren were thorowly exercised But when the tyme by his deuine wisedome appointed was come then did he faythfully giue the same Messias into the worlde that Symeon and the godlye then might beare wytnesse to vs his children nowe of his euerlasting faythfulnesse In this worde Nowe lyeth an Emphasis as if he had sayd The worde of my promise hath fed my fayth stablished my hope to wayte for thys our consolation Christ and sythe in thy mercy thou hast performed the word of truth Now let me depart in peace Here is to be well marked the force of true and lyuely fayth it doth persist in one it resteth vpon the promise of the worde The force of true fayth albeit that heauen and earth should séeme to runne on heaps together This is that most excellent gift of God that excelleth al vertues in whatsoeuer man Ephe. 3.17 Pray the Lorde therefore to giue thée fayth in Christ christian Reader and Christ thereby to dwell in thée then shalt thou abyde stedfast in hope after the worde of Gods promise whatsoeuer obstact shal arise against thée The Lord by his seruant Moyses promised the Israelits delyuerance out of the bondage of Egypt Exod. 4.29.30.31 But straight wayes wyth this promise arose such presumptions to the contrary as the hardnesse of Pharaos hart and cruelty their oppression and more labor thereby their sharpe correction for wants in worke and in the hower of their deliuerance his huge army persecuting them on the one syde the high Mountaynes and swallowing Seas to hold them in on the other syde that it might haue séemed to Israel Moyses warrant from God to haue bene rather a dreame of their desolation then the day of their delyuerance But they by this spirite confirmed in fayth did suppresse the present calamities by the Ancor of hope which from the shyp of their beléeuing consciences in these terrible Seas tossed they cast fyrmely pitched vpon the worde of promise which thus they had vz I will in a
flaunte 1. Cor. 10.31 and vaine gloryous shewes giue none offence neyther to the Iewe nor to the Grecians nor to the Church of God Marke this you cannot replye and say Who hath to do with vs who shall comptroll vs we are the maysters of our selues For euen in those things which be lawfull and indifferent the more Noble the greater care you ought by the rule of Gods holy word In indifferent things the help or hurte of our brethren is chiefely to be respected to haue to your actions for the cause of your brethren which be eyther Gods enimies as the Iewes who maye not receyue offence at you or Grecians popish worldlings or wanton Atheists which séeke to be of the fashion though it be against god or that the people of God by your insolency be gréeued the daunger whereof is not smale Whosoeuer sayth our mayster Christ shall offende one of these little ones which beleeueth in mee Mat. 18.6 it were better for him that a Mylstone were hanged about his necke and he were drowned in the depth of the Sea Yea greater care the noble the mightie the ritch the prowde one and other ought to haue of their godly brethren then of their owne members Woe to the worlde sayth our Christ in the place afore coted bicause of offences for it must needs be that offences shal come but woe be to the man by whom they doe come Wherefore if thine hande or thy foote cause thee to offende cut them of from thee it is better for thee to enter into lyfe halt or maymed then hauing two handes or two feete to be cast into euerlasting fyre And if thine eye cause thee to offende pluck it out c. Loe christian thy bodyes desyre muste to her great losse giue place to thy brothers good estate Dauid therefore prayeth the Lord to shut vp his eyes from beholding of vanitie For hence it is Psal 119. that the concupiscence of the heart being produced by the conducte of the eye doth lust after the pryde of thys worlde without regarde of God his people his or oure enimies or our owne deare brethren whom eyther we strayne with their sorrowe to sore after our Courtly guyse Two euils in outragious apparel or else we grieue their consciences to beholde our too to much vanities And thys is monstruous that that which is to vs a signification of our fyrst fathers synne in whom we all are damned to death should be to vs a delighting pleasure and the same which was giuen to couer our shame Gen. 3.21 1. Cor. 15.22 we shoulde abuse to our great confusion For most true it is that apparell whereof we now pride so much was and is the accuser of synne for our fyrst parents were naked before they sinned and were not ashamed bycause nothing gaue cause to blushe they frée from synne and being made to the ymage of God But hauing transgressed his commaundement they sawe their nakednesse and synfull bodies by eating of the apple The cause of apparell is synne and did blushe for shame blushing and confusion are the fruites of synne to whome nowe some couerture was necessary as well to keepe the lesse honorable partes secrete as to defende them from the parching sunne and Winters colde Gen. 3.21 Wherefore our good God gaue to eyther of them a coate of peltes or skyns This symple sufficient attyre cōdemneth two sortes of persons the Adamits which runne naked to counterfeyte Adam and Heuah which thing if God would to haue had in vse he had not giuen these naked creatures these néedy coates The other are our lusty Gallants of eyther sexe that to to much doe glory in their apparell which is and ought to be to them a preacher of their fathers shame In our attyre we ought to kéepe modestie and comlynesse eche man in his degrée as their is great difference the which to excéede is thus to walke in darknesse First they inuerte the vse of aparell that is eyther a bounde beyonde their calling or take pride therein which onely ought to defend their bodyes as is sayde and to put vs in minde of our frayle condition These blynde men are lyke to those fellowes chayned with heauy yrons for some horrible murther and yet doe bragge of them as of matter worthy much glory and therfore set them forth to shew in all brauery Secondly the delight of braue and costly araye doth marueylously encrease the pride of the lurking heart which once enflamed is neuer content but causeth vs to forget our state and condition it enuyeth others more gaye and despiseth all such as to vs be attyred in inferior sorte Euill branches of a naughtie tree Thirdly prowde aparell as it satisficeth fleshly appetite so is it verye offensiue to the moste beholders Adde to this it bewrayeth a lewde harte a light person a vayne mutable man delighting change in vanities and such a one is euer inconstante in all his wayes Neyther did godly Iudith decke her in prowde array Iudi. 10.1 tyll shée purposed to spoyle curssed Holophernes And cruel Iezabel sought to allure Iehu his hart by her sumptuous shewe in brauery Fourthly you breake contemptuouslye this commaundement of Christ Be not carefull what to put on c. If not for necessaries Math. 6. how much lesse for these superfluous vanities which shall bring woes and Gods euerlasting cursse to them which be faulty herein Lastly the iudgement of God aprooueth his hate herevnto which beateth downe iustly so manye to beggerie from former great patrimony by their synfull excesse in costly aparell and doth also often throwe vs into those Country plagues whose fashions we haue most fauoured in the strange guyse of monstruous attyre But perhaps these Courtly Ladyes and Gentils will doe as our Lord Christ sayeth the Pharyseis did They did hate the present teachers and yet they made much of the Monumentes of the Prophetes Mat. 23.29 whome their forefathers murthered And it maye be that these our riche and myghty Gallaunts will say what haue these pratling preachers to doe with vs why should they correct vs let them kéepe them to the Text of Scripture Well then we will in this point pleasure you Marke ye lusty Gallants and to ende withall onely giue you the Scripture Text which would GOD ye would take heede vnto Luc. 1.78 till the day starre Iesus Christ apeared fully in your hearts Thus sayth this scripture then against this darke corruption of pride in the rich practised for want will not permit the hawtie harts of the least able to atchyue hereto Now hearken to you Nobles of eyther sexe ye Gentils riche in lands and possessions for now the Lorde himselfe speaketh vnto you Esa 3.11 Woe be to the wicked sayth the Lorde it shall be euill with him for the rewarde of his hands shall be giuen hym Children are Extortioners of my people women haue rule ouer them as
Iezabel had of her husband Achab to spoyle Naboth of his Vineyarde for her prides sake O my people they that lead thee cause thee to erre and destroy the way of thy paths The Lorde standeth vp to pleade yea he standeth to iudge the people The Lorde shall enter into iudgements with the ancients that is the Rulers and gouernors of his people and the princes thereof for ye haue eaten vp the Vineyarde the spoyle of the poore is in your houses the case is something changed in our dayes for the spoyle of the poore by the mighty couetous rich is for the most passed their hands into the Marchant Vserers house Entrest eating vp both stocke state gayne and substance what haue you to doe that you beate my people to peeces and grynde the faces of the poore sayth the Lorde that is they shewe all crueltie and extreme impouerishment of them euen the Lorde of hostes The Lord also sayth Bicause the daughters of Syon are hawtie christian women prowde and walke with outsteetched necks Reade and beware to offende the Lorde and with wandring eyes walking and mynsing as they go they tryp on typtoes making a tinckling with their feete Therefore shal the Lorde make the heads of the daughters of Syon balde and the Lorde shall discouer their secret parts In that day shal the Lord take away the ornament of the slyppers and the Cawles and the rounde tyres of the head and the slops be they linnen or sylken secrete bréeches and the heade bands and the Tablets and the eare Rings the Rings and the Muflers the costly apparel and the vayles and the wymples and the crispine pinnes wherwith these monstruous heads in heyre be frisled beyonde Natures disposition and the Glasses and the fine linnen the hoods and the Lawnes And in steade of sweete sauour there shal be stinke The plague of pryde and superfluous apparell and in stead of a gyrdle a rente and in stead of dressing of the heyre baldnesse and in steade of a stomacher a gyrding of sackcloth and burning in stead of bewty Thy men that is to say your fond husbands which fed your follyes shal fal by the sworde and thy strength in the battle Then shal her gates mourne and lament theyr pryde and she being desolate voyde by conquest in warre of her Gouernors and Nobles shal syt on the grounde in sadnesse and sorrowe The dayes of our pryde in déede maye boast of antiquitie as here we sée but therewith the preachers warrante is declared by the Sermon of thys imboldened Esay in whome the promise of God to all his Ministers in the person of Ieremy was apparente Thou therfore trusse vp thy loynes and arise sayth the Lord speake vnto them al that I haue commaunded thee Ier. 1.17 The Preacher shall be destroyed fyrst if â—ee wynke at others syn Be not afrayde of their faces lest I destroy thee before them For I beholde I a notable warranting consolation to Gods Preacher I this day haue made thee a defenced Citie and an yron pyller or walles of Brasse against the whole lande against the kings of Iudah and against the princes thereof against the priestes therof and against the people of the lande for they shal fyght against thee but they shal not preuayle against thee for I am with thee to delyuer thee sayth the Lord. Christ is the lyght his worde and preachers manifest the same He is giuen of the father to be reuealed vnto men And though kings and men séeke to stop the same he shall preuayle in his weake instrumentes at his good pleasure mauger their malice Wherefore ye darke Doughties and Damsels Feares which turne day into night and night into daye lye in Beddes of Iuory Esa 5.7.8.9.10.11.12.13.14.15 Amo. 6.4.5 and quasse carowsse in Goblets of Golde which despise to haue the light of the Gospell to pierce your hearts that encrease your Instruments of Musicke aboue Dauids number and haue no compassion on Iosephs imprisonmente and miseries Suffer thys word to be reuealed to you séeke it hunger after it eate it In taste to fleshe and bloud it is bitter in digestion harde Iere. 15.16 but in operation swéete pleasante and most profitable The nature of Gods holy worde It is more sweete sayth Dauid that Noble Gentleman king then Honey or the Honey Combe Psa 19.119 It is more precious then Golde and Syluer For it is the Lanterne to thy feete and the light to thy paths It is the immortall séede 1. Pet. 1.23 Ia. 1.18 1. Pet. 2.2 that begetteth vnto God It is the Mylke for Babes and bread of Gods children It is the muniment of Gods warre wherby all strong holdes vaine imaginations and euery high thing that is exalted against God is throwne downe 2. Cor. 10.4 Psal 19. Rom. 1.16 It bringeth into captiuitie euery thought and conuerteth the soule to the obedience of Christ Finally the worde of God nowe preached is the power of GOD to take vengeance of the disobedient and to bring to saluation all them which loue lyue and beleeue the same This worde by the Prophets remayneth crying out of the darknesse of the ritche so that we may sée howe as a Canker couetousnesse hath festered into the whole progeny of the worldly more wealthy Micha 2. Wo vnto them sayth Micha that imagine iniquitie to worke wickednesse vpon their beds when the morning is light they practise it bicause their hande hath power And they couet Fields sayth he and take them by violence and houses and take them away a Towne is tourned into a Shéepecoate so they oppresse a man and his house his bloud and kyndred euen man and his heritage But against thys Family haue I deuised a plague wherout you shal not sayth the Lord pluck your necks They shal lament dolefully ouer thée and saye We be vtterly wasted The Destroyer shall be destroyed this is his iust plague What darknesse is this that so manye Noble men men of worship and men of wealth professing the Gospell shall reade thys and not sée it shall heare and not vnderstande this but the couetous cares and pleasures of this lyfe hath choked his worde in their harts and therfore they ryse and tourne on the other syde againste the Lorde of lyfe But what is the darknesse of the common sorte Truely one with the best sort as the worlde counteth best ignorance of God and his worde and crueltie one to another For as for whoredome and such grosse sinnes they are so common as skante they are thought worthye reproofe Robery in a Gentleman is wrapped vp with helas it was néede in him Great darknesse Theft is good shift for tall felowes to lyue by Whoredome is called the worke of Nature and dronkennesse good felowship c. O Lorde shyne into this doungeon of darknesse with the beames of thy reuealing truth that oure harts may once hate to sléepe in this bedde of synne and
the Sacrifice for syn some of Reconcyliation of peace and all these Rites Ceremonies and Sacryfices were executed in the Hebrewe tongue by the ordinance of God which was the naturall language of the Iewes And if there were some sygnifycations there that concerned not the vulgar sort to know what is that to kéepe vs from the knowledge of the prayses of God in deuyne seruice which ought to be knowne of euery of vs We requyre not our people to vnderstand all secrets but we reprooue the Church of Rome bicause she doth so estraunge Gods people from the knowledge of his true seruice that she wil not spare them in that church so little as the vnderstanding of the bare wordes in their natiue spéeche Let them shewe vs the lyke warrante for this synne as the Iewish priests had for their holye Ceremonies all which were prescribed to them by the word of the Lorde and they haue saide something But this they cannot and therefore are most wicked and their seruice abhominable and to all that vnderstande not their Laten tongue improfytable Enchyrid Hosij cap. 34. Againe others with Hosius say where Paule sayeth He speaketh in vayne that speaketh to a congregation in an vnknowne tongue he in that place saye they speaketh of preaching and not synging or saying Gods deuyne Seruice but the wordes of the Chapter 1. Cor. 14. most manifestly doth conuince them For their is eftsoones mention made of praying in a straunge tongue Verse 14.15 and sayth he How shall the vnlearned to thy blessing that is to thy prayer of thankesgyuing say Amen if he vnderstand not what thou sayest Wherefore this defence is most slender and a falling proppe of Popery Neyther are they to be heard which saye the Church hath power to order thys matter 2. Cor. 14.37 For Paule in the Chapter sayth If any man think himselfe to be a prophet or spiritual whether prince Pope or priest let him acknowledge that the things which I write here against praying and preaching in a strange tongue are the commaundements of the Lorde And can the Pope then or maye he or generall Counsels change the Lordes Decrée in the Church and that against the Lorde and hys commaundements Hath the Church the wyfe such authoritie ouer Christ her husbande This is the duety of the beloued wyfe to heare The Churches office and duety and to obey her husband Heare O Israel hearken and giue eare Oh daughter sayth the Father to his church in the shadow of Salomons mariage to Pharaoh his Daughter consyder enclyne thine eare to Christ thyne husbande forget also thy fathers house Psa 45.10 and thy people the Romishe Church so shall the king haue pleasure in thy bewty For he is thy Lorde and reuerence thou him To heare to obey to forsake thine owne institution constitution Father Pope Popish people that giue thée the lawes of Romishe Egypt is the duetie of Gods Church But to change the lawes of God to comptroll the husband Christes commandement to keepe him vnder and set himselfe aloft in the Temple of GOD as doth the Romishe Church is the signe of a strumpet Iudge therefore good Reader now of thys Church of Rome and what she is which contrary to Christs commaundement in the church of God setteth vp hypocritical seruice in a strange tongue Againe some of them saye for children Mylke is the best bicause they are not able to digest strong men therfore the Laten tongue expedient in the church But I pray you Syr is it your purpose if we be Infantes so to kéepe vs styll For when shall your Laten seruice which you call Mylke be taken by your ordinance from vs And how proue you that your Laten seruice is mylke for Christian Babes Mylke nourisheth and feedeth but howe edyfyeth the Laten tongue mans christian soule when his inward hart cannot perceyue the meaning of hys outward words Againe your seruice is exhibited you say to GOD and wyll you feede the Lorde of truth with Popish Mylke Is not his Maiesty able to receiue stronger meate But from what breast I pray you procéedeth this Mylke Neyther from the espoused Syon or was it drawne from the Dugs of the fyrst mother the Primatiue church eyther in Rome Corinth Ephesus Antioche or else where Syon had her seruice in her owne tongue in Hebrewe the East Churches in the Gréeke tongue which was their natural spéech yea and Rome it selfe in the Laten tongue Gods seruice ought to be to eche Nation in their commō language which is the auncient Romane language And there is no other greater reason in déede for the Laten seruice then that hereby they would séeme to challenge al Nations to be of their church and subiect to their Kingdome But God hauing all Nations vnder his gouernment doth speake to eche Nation in that tongue which they vnderstande Esay 6. Esay sawe the two Seraphins and heard them praysing God in a tongue that he vnderstoode Holy holy holy When Christ was borne in Bethlehem the Angelles were heard of the Shepheards Luc. 2.14 and vnderstood to syng Glory to God on highe in earth peace to men a good will Which song to Gods prayse had it bene sung in a straunge tongue the symple Shepheards had not vnderstood the same Sith therefore the ordinance of God the practise of his church the vse of the tryumphant Church to which we ought to be lyke doth syng and pray in a knowne tongue to them with whome and for whom they doe pray What church is that but Antichrists which degenerating from all these doth hyde the prayses of God in a straunge language Some Papistes are so hatefull that for warrante of their Laten seruice Romishe Churche Antichrists Church they abuse thys sentence of Christ It is not good to take the Childrens breade and to cast it vnto Dogs by which assertion vnwyllingly they confesse Mathew that to haue the seruice in a knowne tongue is to haue the bread of Gods children Wel then God hauing wrung this truth from your lyps we wyll accept the bread of our Lorde to say our seruice to vs Englishe men in the English tongue and doe leaue to your infancie A Popishe blasphemy most horrible your chyldishe Mylke of popishe Laten seruice But are those men for whome Christ hath shedde his precious bloud no better in your account syr but Dogs The spirite of God vseth not to dwell in the bodyes of Dogs but the children of God are the Temples of the holy Ghost O horrible blasphemy 1. Cor. 3.10 to call these holy Vassels caryon Dogs But ye are those dyrtie Dogs which be Canes muti ye can not speake the praises of God in a knowne tongue ye byte and deuour them which doe ye are the Deuils Mastyues which are reserued to eternall chaynes Iudae Epist if God graunt you not repentance For it is not the propertie of a Pastor to hyde the worde of god
in his syghte but by his Fayth Rom. 3.28 as by the hande wherwith he apprehended his righteousnesse in Christ Or maye any person obiect in right as opposite hereto The words of Iames declared By the papists abused the saying of Iames the Apostle was not Abraham iustified by workes For Iames doth not in that place dispute the meanes of mans iustification before God but requyreth that good works be to Christian fayth adioyned as by which grace holye men on earth doe approoue that which God in the Heauens before through the vndoubted fayth in hys Sonne Iesus Christ hath imputed to his beloued children which may easely appeare in the Apostles owne wordes Shewe mee thy fayth out of thy works sayth he and I will shewe thee my fayth by my workes Iam. 2.18 As if he had sayde Thou which boastest to haue fayth shewe me that am but man and therefore knowe not thy state before the Tribunall seate of GOD or his graces in the inwarde man by which meanes I cannot iudge of thée Shewe me I saye thy fayth by hys works in thée and I will beléeue thée then to be a faythfull Christian Gene. 22.16 This sence Moses also testifieth the Angel or rather the Lorde by his Angel to approoue which stayde the hande of Abraham from the sacrifycing of his sonne Touch not thy sonne with violent hands for nowe I knowe that thou fearest God bicause thou hast not spared thine only sonne for my commaundement sake To conclude the Epistle written to the Hebrewes doth attribute this great worke of Abraham to the excellency of his fayth saying By fayth Abraham offred vp his sonne Isaac Heb. 11.17 It resteth therefore sythe Symeon is not able to fulfill the lawe but fayleth in many poyntes thereof and therefore guyltie of all Sithe also that those good workes which he doth be polluted in Gods syght as procéeding from hym selfe by which meanes he is become in himselfe vniuste before God that nowe his righteousnesse consysteth herein that his synnes be not layde to his charge according to the saying of the Psalmist Psal 31.1 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose synnes be not imputed to them Thus was Symeon vniust in himselfe but iust in his consolation Christ Iesus and that bicause he fyrmely beleeued in him by whose merittes and death on the Crosse the Fathers iustice is answered Symeons synnes raunsomed mercye to hym procured his daylie synnes not layde to his charge bycause by imputation he is accounted for iust And in the same maner are all the elect of God alyke blessed with him And so lykewise all the workes of Gods saintes are impure in his sight if tryed by the phan of hys spirite before his Tribunall seate But such is his fatherly benigne mercye that in and for his sonne Christ he accepteth vs and then our holy actions for iuste as he accepted Habel and his sacryfice but he regarded not Caine Gene. 4. and therfore not his sacryfice also he casteth our iniquities quight out of his remembrance Ezec. 18. Secondly Symeon is called pius godly religious Iere. 31.22 or fearing God This is proper to the chylde of God if iustifyed by his grace then to lyue in his feare that is in his obedience Tit. 2.12 Luk. 1. We are also redéemed to this ende That we should denye vngodlynesse and walke in puritie of lyfe in holynesse and righteousnesse before our iuste God all the dayes of our lyfe So sayth the holye Ghoste in the mouth of Zachary the good maryed Priest So did the same holye man of God and his good wyfe by vertuous lyfe expresse the graces of Gods holye spirite in them as testifyeth Saint Luke saying Both were iuste before God and walked in all the commaundementes of the Lorde without reproofe Luc. 1.6 Here hast thou good Reader the true discription of a godly man namely he that being iustifyed by Fayth in Christ walketh though he cannot performe in perfection in all the commaundements and ordinances of the Lord. Deare Reader we glorye that we be called christians but onely this is a true christian lyfe of which here thou haste heard Our wants in this profession in these oure dayes bewray from top to the toe in the Courte and thence thorowe the Countrie from the Nobilitie to the Plowman and his mate The greater personages boast and bragge of great tytles Lordships Baranies Offices and liberties of bewty byrthe brauerie manhood chyualry and force of cunning skyll learned tongue But vnlesse my Lords ye relye vpon Symeons lore vnlesse ye be worthyly endowed with his style vnlesse ye be iuste before God walke in all the commaundementes of God not only to do holyly but to be holy your selues in déede Vndoubtedly your honor and all your other pompe in pryde shall you change for horror wéeping howling and gnashing of teeth and so shall all fleshe that lyueth not in the feare of God Math. 25.30 What benefite was it to Diues nowe boyling in Hell that he was endewed with all worldlye Epicurious pleasures Luck 16. as gorgious houses costly array after the fashion diuersitie of dyshes and the worlde at wyll Or what aduantage to the other Ritchman Luck 12. that pulled downe his Barnes to make them greater sayde to hymselfe Now soule be merrie for thou hast goodes and landes in store for many yeres But how did he possesse this large and newe buylded frame Thou foole sayth the spirite This nighte shall they take thy soule from thee and who shall then possesse thy goods Shall not the wicked ritche men lykewise haue their heauen in this lyfe Shall they not after the hower of death with Diues lye in the Helles lyke shéepe and say Sapi. 3. There was no greene pasture which we wente not through whereby they note in naturall lyfe their courtly pleasures We left no token of vertue behinde vs in thys they signifie their wicked lyfe buryed in contynuall securitie We thought these men fooles vz Symeon and such other the sonnes of God Whereby they vtter their ignorance of godly men and their owne fréedome from godlynesse These are they which wee persecuted scorned and cruelly intreated but nowe see how they are taken with the iuste By which the holye ghost sealeth vp the naturall disposition of all Atheists to their gréeuous and irrecuperable condemnation Wherefore beloued Reader Noble and ignoble Courtier and Countryman séeke the Lorde earely and whyle he is to be founde attayne to his seruice who by his grace will endue thée with iustification Esa 55. and holynesse with obedience to his holy law and delight to dwell therin Ephe. 1.14 bicause his holye spirite is his Arrha and earnest penny giuen thée for thy assurance of his loue and fauour towards thée So shall your Nobilities more encrease your state most surely stande your selues with Symeon shall be famous to your posteritie a good example
this Razias be thou iudge indifferent Reader thy selfe conferring them together Neyther can the excuse by Augustine and others made that something was lawfull for them which is not for vs wype this bloody body when as the same commandement was then which now is Thou shalt not kyll As for languyshing Lucrece I leaue her to her Torquine whose adultresse she seemeth and to her selfe a murtheresse But to vs godly and chaste Susanna is a contrarye and christian example But Curtius for the loue of his country cast himselfe into the gaping gulfe by whose death the earth reclosed yea but this was Satans arte to whome this Noble and valyaunt Champion was to seruiceable We are to fight for our Country to spend our lyues for our Prince but in the warres to doe our best against the aduersaries and not to cast oure selues desperatly to death by Satans delusion But some will say Did not Christ séeing that no waye else mankinde could be saued most wyllingly gyue himselfe to death for man And so did Curtius Yea but as Christ sayde I lay downe my lyfe for the people and take it to me agayne So did he it in most noble order First he obeyed his fathers ordinance herein A bodye hast thou ordeyned me Loe I am here to doe thy will O God Secondly Heb. 10.5 he nayled not himselfe on the crosse nor thrust hymselfe to the hart or crowned himselfe with thorne but quyetly tooke this crueltie at the Magistrates hande which dyd manger their hartes performe that which the deuyne counsell had determined Act. 2.23 Let Curtius shewe this order or lyke warrante to his case in truth and you shall haue answere Sampson freed from selfe murther As for Sampson which pulled the house vppon hys owne person and all that were therein This appeareth to haue warrante from God as well in that his strength being taken from hym was at this moment of tyme restored to him as also God did by this iudgement execute his wrath on them Iud. 16.30 Psal 1.1 Heb. 11.32 which were obstinately set in the chayre of Scorners And to conclude his actes are warranted to procéede of fayth in the cononicall Epistle to the Hebrewes Furthermore Sampson is not to be taken as a priuate person but he was in déede the Lords Magistrate which office he best executed in the office of his death wherin the Lorde by his hand did reuenge the blasphemy of the Philistines and their Idolatry And did also perfite that curse which by the Prophet Dauid is giuen to those Psal 109. which do afflict them whom the Lord doth scurge This horrible sinne is crauing vengeance vntitl it be powred out euen to the dredges of the Lords angry cup. Amos. 1.11 Wherefore Amos doth threat Edom for that Israell being exiles they vsed them most cruelly which God sayeth by the Prophete he wyll not leaue vnpunished So did the Philistines to Sampson whome God had delyuered into their handes for hys sinne and whoredome They put oute his eyes and caste hym in pryson and proclayming a Popishe feast daye to their Mungril God that Idol Dagon which was in forme aboue the Nauell lyke to a man but from the belly lyke to a Fishe they gathered themselues into his Temple to prayse him for their victory of their enimy Sampson The house was full of men and women and there were all the Princes of the Philistines and vpon the house top were 3000 men which looked down into the house to sée Sampson play whome these wicked Philistines made their iesting Foole. But as Dauid hath sayde Let his dayes bee fewe and another take his office Psal 109. for he remembred not to shewe mercy but persecuted the poore helplesse man the begger and the broken harted that he might slay him So came it to passe Their dayes were fewe for euen the hower of their most tryumph was the moment of their vtter destruction Sampson prayeth to the Lord O Lorde Iehoua remember me In which wordes he confesseth Gods power his owne sinnes calleth for mercy as by the same words did the théefe vpon the crosse Luc. 22.42 He expresseth his faith as well in that he maketh prayer to God for without faith it is impossible in hart to call vpon God as in the presently after he assayeth to doe that which he had prayed for And with the théefe he was receyued to mercye and his prayer heard For his desyre was graunted him he pulled downe the house so in his death he slue mo persons then he did during the dayes of his naturall lyfe Sampson cannot be charged sayth that godlye and learned Martyr Peter Martyr Iudi. ca. 6. For he sought not his owne death but by the spirite of God he roycally bente he desyred and executed herein the iudgement of the Lorde against his enemies which by this waye he knew should come to passe The Apostles acts and Sampsons he tyeth together putting on their persons saying If we teach as we haue begunne the Gospell of Christ without doubt we shall be slayne Well they contynued tho their preaching they were slayne and yet are not the causes of their owne death So sayth Martyr Sampson did not rashly cast himselfe to death but faythfully followed his vocation lyke as the hartie Souldiour albeit the Coward say vnto him beware go not there are arrowes Speares Gunnes and shot innumerable wherewith yée shall perishe They answere what if We go not to séeke death we go to defend our Countrie and goods and to bée reuenged of our enimies to followe our calling Euen so sayth he did Sampson and was thereto ledde by the spirite of God Ambrose sayth that Sampson herein was the Image of Christ who as he lyued he much vexed wounded the Deuill so by his death he tryumphed against him The Philistines he compareth with the Iewes Sampson with Christ as a figure of him The Philistines in the victory against Sampson receyued their vtter ruine and decay And the Iewes crucifying Christ cast themselues into eternall damnation The ende sayth Peter Martyr in nature was both one but in condition sundry twixte the Philistines and Sampson In nature they both dyed but in condition the Philistines in surfetting cruelty and Idolatry are destroyed And Sampson endeth his naturall lyfe in repentance in fayth and in prayer to God Sampson had fallen in déede sayth he but he is turned vnto God he calleth vpon him was heard As for these his wordes Let me loose my lyfe with the Philistines he spake them not of despaire but he hereby humbled himselfe before God for that he had so greatly neglected his function and calling beséeching God hereby to be aduenged of the Philistines who had put out the eyes of Gods magistrate not bicause they would this way punish his trespasse but this they did in despite of Israell and that he should no more be able to doe them violence And iustly sayth mayster Bucer
dyd he sorrow for the losse of his eyes Bucer in Iudic. cap. 16.30 For in that he bare the person of the Lordes magistrate the iniury done to hym was to the great losse and domage of the Iewes common weale In this that he desyreth to dye sayth he he expresseth hys earnest and that godly and good deuotion zeale to the people of Israel and to the glorye of God For the Lorde would not that he should lyue any longer therefore he rightly desyreth death And bicause he was now so contemned of the Philistines and with him the whole people of God and God himself also so as these enimies began to insult against God in great pryde he did also right iustly aske that the Lord would take vengeance on them Wherfore the Lord Iehoua heard his prayer fauoured his endeuour and gaue him good successe By this we gather sayth Bucer his death to be acceptable and approoued with God Sampsons death acceptable to God otherwise his holynesse woulde not haue giuen Sampson such successe And by this we sée sayth he that not euerye one which caste themselues to extreme death for the good of the people are to be condemned but such onely as without warrant from God doe murther themselues It was Sampsons office to saue and delyuer his charge Israell from the tyrannous opression of the Philistines and sythe he could not by any possibilitie else do it this way he rightly fynished his function So did Christ sayth Bucer offer himselfe to hys enimies from whom he might haue béene delyuered Where againe Sampson is by the spirite of God with Ionas apoynted to be the figure of Christ Sampson a Figure of our sauiour Christ And in sundry poynts Bucer setteth downe this figure as hée represented Christ chiefly in that he was the delyuerer of Israel So in these things also he became a lyuely Image of the most noble Mossiah His conception was by the Aungell to his mother Manoah with a speciall declaration foretolde So was Christ to Mary by the Angell Gabriel The mother was barren and brought forth no children So was the Virgin not bearing tyll she brought forth the Lorde Iesus All hys lyfe he was a Nazarite that is seperate from the worlde and dedicate to God So was Christ Iesus The spirite of God wrought wonderfully in miraculous things with him And that he imbraced straunge persons which in déede was sinne in the figure Sampson yet therein doth he not most vnséemely figure and shadow Christs receyte of the Gentyls Also that he suppressed the enemies of God and by a secrete and vnknowne waye and by his owne hand and in his death ouerthrew his destroyers Herein he was a most lyuely shadowe of oure Christ who by hys death brought true Israelits lyfe and wherin the Iewes thought to haue the victorie as in murthering of the heyre Mat. 21 38 therein they lost the inheritance and were cast into vtter destruction c. Further he did rather begin then make perfite the delyuery of Gods people from their foes Euen so our sauiour Christ did dayly more and more after his death then before worke the redemption of hys chyldren by the knowledge of the Gospell from the hands of Satan and shal perfite the same in the day of our resurrection Agayne Sampson more vexed his aduersaries by his death then he did during his fight with them in lyfe Mat. 27.64.65.66 So were the Phariseys and Iewes more troubled Christ lying in his graue then they were when he in preaching euerye where wrought their confusion wherefore they spared no payne to seale and set watch about the Sepulcher Last of all Sampson did so enter into the delyuerie of Israell that by this begynning his successors myght with more encrease profyte the same So our sauiour Iesu begynning to preache the Gospell and hauing in hys death wholy destroyed the power of Satan gaue blessing vnto his Apostles and Disciples and so to his Church to enlarge the borders of his spirituall body more then in his owne person himselfe brought to passe Thus you sée how Sampsons lyfe and death is sanctifyed being the shadowe of Christ and deliuered from the ignomy of selfe slaughter Of that last example of Ionas who wyshed the Maryners to cast him into the Sea Ionas 1.2 the storye reporteth it Gods action First by casting of lottes then by staying the Tempest and thirdly in that the Lorde had prepared a great Fishe to swallowe vp Ionas but chiefely the tyme of hys buryall in the belly of the Fishe which the text sayth was thrée dayes and thrée nightes And this man this Prophet and this his burial doth Christ alowe for his ymage of buriall in the heart of the earth saying As Ionas was in the Whales belly three dayes and three nights Math. 12.40 so shall the sonne of man be three dayes and three nightes in the harte of the earth This acte as it is here alowed of Christ for a figure of his buriall and death So Ionas being the Lordes Prophet knew from his God that this way he should appease the sea and tempest and therfore submitted himselfe to the ordinance of his good God Now vpon this place in Ionas Hierome holdeth that we ought not to cast our selues into death but stowtely to withstande except sayth he it be to conserue chastitie Where it séemeth he would for chastities sake permit a man or woman to kyll themselues Euse lib. 8 cap. 17. fol. 197. Ancient Ambrose leaneth on that side also And Eusebius Cesariences telleth vs of a modest Matrone called Sophronia the Gouernours wyfe of Rome whose bewtie bereaued Maxentius the Tyran of his modesty whereas he should haue defended mariage he most wickedly sought to defyle the same and sent such letcherous Courtiers as he himself was to fetch to his lust this bewtifull Dame Sophronia told her husband who after heauy pause cryed And what shall we doe To thys Tyran eyther we must yéelde or else we must lose our lyues But when she perceyued her husband for feare of death woulde delyuer her to the adulterous bedde she subtilly saide to the Baudes which were sent stay in a little vntill I dresse me comely for so Noble a man as Maxentius the Emperour and I will go wyth you she entreth her chamber she prayeth to God wyth a sworde she kylleth her self so kéeping her chaste promise to her christian husband The godly father Augustine maketh stay at this but in the ende he sayth the Law of God is most worthy and sure which sayth Thou shalt not kill And we are rather to commende the godlye policie christian acte The storye of godlye Dorothea of the other christian Virgin Dorothea of Alexandria mentioned by Eusebius in the same chapter who being for Christs cause led to death in this Maxentius tyranny was by his fylthie messengers assaulted to breake her Virginitie with the letcherous Lorde and Prince Maxentius But