I wil shut vp briefly thus in the conclusion 5 The Lord out of Syon blesse thee that thou maist see the good of Ierusalem all the dayes of thy lyfe 6 Yea that thou see thy childrens children and peace vppon Israell In this praier of Dauid three circumstances are worth the due coÌ„sideratioÌ„ 1. who praieth A king and a prophet 2. to whom he praieth To the Lorde that dwels in Sion 3. for what For three things 1 For the prosperity of the Church 2 For the long liues of the maried parties 3 And for the peace of Israel which I may well vnderstand the common wealth Great is the efficacity and force of praier both in peace war in prosperity and aduersity in health and sicknes at all times in al estates It is sayd Orante Mose vicit populus wheÌ„ Moses prayed for his people they vaÌ„quished theyr enemies Ioh. 5. Io. 14.16.13 And this is our comfort that whatsoeuer we aske of the father in Christes name if it be coÌ„medious expedient for vs we shall be sure to obtayne it Then no meruell if here the prophet and king of Israell geue himselie to prayer O it is a great matter and of great importance when princes and nobles men of great worship be religious and geuen to prayer to the holy seruice of God For this cause Dauid was accounted a maÌ„ after Gods owne heart 1 King 20 For this cause Iostas that yong king is so highly commended For this cause Ezechias his daies were prolonged 15 yeares loÌ„ger This makes the church of god to grow vp lustily as the palm tree and to florish as the tal Cedar of Libanus the people euery maÌ„ to sit quietly and peaceably vnder his own vine and the commoÌ„ wealth to haue peace plentie as in the happy daies of Salomon Ciril in an epistle to Cheodosius euen in the beginning thus saith Citil Epist ad I heod pâ—etas in Deum est fundamentum regijs honoribies O noble emperour the state of your common wealth hanges of your religion towards God If you serue him aright your kingdoÌ„ shal florish one of your royal seed shall alwaies sit on your royal seate but if you forsake God he wil forsake you hee wil rase and root out your memories from the face of the earth hee wil trample your name and fame vnder his feet he wil east your honors in the dust and this is a curse of al curses The 2 circumstaÌ„ce is to whom he praieth eueÌ„ to the lord of Sion Our prophet prince praieth not to Abraham to Isack to Iacob or to any archangel or angel in heauen but to the lord which dwelled in Syon Mat. 9. Ioh. 16. We haue a plain coÌ„mandement to pray to him alone we haue a firme promise that so praying our praiers shal be hard we haue the exaÌ„ples of al godly men so to pray both in the old new testament Cicero reports of Cesar thus qui ad te non audent accedere Caesar Orat. pro Deiotar tuam humanitatem ignorant They that be affrayd to speak to thee o Cesar they know not thy singular humanity so I say they that alleage eyther their owne indignity or the seuerity of god against sinners so dare not come to Iesus alone by harty prayer they know not his singuler humanity humility The 3 circumstaunce is the matter for the which our prophet praieth which is threefold for the church the loÌ„g liues of the maryed persons for the peace of the coÌ„mon wealth There be 2 deadly mortal enemies to the common wealth and church of god Heresy treachery The subtil serpeÌ„t in Genesis did moue Adam and Eua to tast of the forbiddeÌ„ tree Gen. 3.4 said you shall not dy so the cruell and subtill serpent of Rome eggeth forward encorageth his sworn vassals of Spain France Italy our desperate diuelish English rebels to assay to touch the Lords anoynted and almes them with fayr goldeÌ„ promises you shall not by you shall get you a name you shal be men of great renowne It is an heroical designment and meritorius before God and good catholicks Iuel in a 〈◊〉 of letie A famous and most learned Bishop of this land doth hold there be four ordinary means to keep heresy from our church treason from our coÌ„moÌ„ wealth 1 Learning The first is to maintain vniuersities free schools 2 Preaching The second is to appoint learned preachers in euery parish Church to catechise the youth to teach the people obedience 3 Thankfulnes The third to bee thankful to god for al his benefits 4 Discipline The fourth discipline to reward the godly and punish the wicked The execution of these thinges will make our church common wealth to florish the contempt of these wil make our court as Sion the holy hil of the Lord our church as IerusaleÌ„ the holy city of the lord Luk. 19. our land as Iudea the holy land Sion was Ierusalem was Iudea was but now SioÌ„ is vtterly razed IerusaleÌ„ is vtterly ransacked Therefore let not Rome brag of any prerogatiue of her place for antiquity or pallace for royalty That which hapned to IerusaleÌ„ may happeÌ„ to Rome great controuersy there is betwixt the Iesuits vs wher antichrist shuld sit and who he is Ad Did. I wil say nothing of S. Ierom only I wil cite one senteÌ„ce of Bernard which shal make the matter cleare Ep. 125. Bestia illa in apocalypsi cuâ— datumest os loqueÌ„s blasphemias bellu gerere cum sanctis Be. ad Gau. de lorator petre cathedram occupat tanquam Leo paratus ad pradam The beast spoken of in the Apocalyps to whom is giuen a mouth to speak blasphemies and to make war with saines doth now occupy the seat of Peter as a Lion prepared to his pray The place then for Antichrist is the great city BabyloÌ„ Roma Septicollis sited on seauen hils The names of the hils he Palatinus 2 Thes 2. Capitolinus AùeÌ„tinus Caelius Esquilinus Viminalis Quirinalis Then for the person who is that great Antichrist if ye ty him to one person then it must eyther bee the Turk or y Iew or the heathen emperor or the Pope But if Antichrist eueÌ„ the great antichrist must sit in the teÌ„ple of god as god if antichrist must deceaue by false and frandulent miracles Apoc. 18. if antichrist must be a false and foolish prophet as Balaam if antichrist must haue the name of mistery writen in his forehead as once the hypriest of the Iews had in his Lamina sanctit as sehouae Holines to the lord if antichrist must ouercome by flattery by sweet sugred speaches as harlots doe not by arms dint of sword as cruel tyrants doe theÌ„ where antichrist shal sit who antichrist is I refer it to the iudgemets of the learned consciences of the godly that heare me this present day To God the father c
A SERMON PREACHED AT TRAFFORD IN LANCASHIRE AT THE MARIAGE OF A DAVGHTER OF THE right Worshipfull Sir EDMOND TRAFFORDE Knight the 6. of September Anno. 1586. By WILLIAM MASSIE bacheler in diuinity and fellow of Brasennose Colledge in Oxforde Prouer. 19.14 House and riches are the inheritance of the fathers but a godly wife commeth of the Lorde AT OXFORD Printed by IOSEPH BARNES and are 〈◊〉 be solde in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Tigres head 1586. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL HIS VERY GOOD PATRONE SIR EDMVND TRAFFORD KNIGHT W. M. wisheth health and long life in this woorlde and in the next to come aeternall foelicity I Hauing right Worshipfull receaued by your good means great courtesies both in the country at my studie in Oxforde and as not able any way to requite the like I haue yet and will still keepe the same in a gratefull memorie In the meane time at a good testimonie hereof I dedicate this Sermon to your Worship which at your request I preached at your house before the right honorable the most noble Earle of Darby and the right reuerend father in God the B. of Chester with diuerse Knightes and Esquires of great Woorship at the solemne marriage of your daughter a modest and vertuous Gentlewoman maried to a yong Gentleman of great worship and good education The which holie mariage God blesse euen as he blessed Ioseph Gen. 48.20 that it maie be said of their issue as it was said of his children God make them as Ephraim and Manasseâ— For your selfe as you haue long beene a principal protector of Gods trueth and a great countenance and credit to the Preachers therof in those quarters and haue hunted out and vnkeÌ„neled those slie and subtil foxes the Iesuites and seminarie Priests out of their câ—lles caues 〈◊〉 the vâ—tâ—rmost of your 〈◊〉 with the great ill will of many both open and priuat enemies to the prince and the Church but your rewarde it with the Lord and as you haue maintained stil yoâ—â— house with great hospitality in no point dimâ—â—ing the glory of your woorthy predecessors but rather adding to it So I pray God stil continue your zeale your liberality your loyaltie and fidelitie to your prince Church and common wealth that here you may line long with encrease of worship and after the race of your life welrâ—â—â—e here you maie be partaker of chose vnspeakeable ioies in the kingdome of Heauen which be prepared for all the elect children of God vnto whose blessed protection I recommend you and al yours Amen Yours to command in Christ Iesu WILLIAM MASSIE The text Psal 128. 1 BLessed is euery one that feareth the Lorde and walketh in his waies c. 2 When thou eatest the labours of thine handes thoushalt bee blessed and it shal be well with thee 3 Thy wife shall bee as the fruitefull vine on the sides of thine house 4 And thy children like the oliue plantes round about thy table 4 Loe surely thus shall the man bee blessed that feareth the Lorde 5 The Lorde out of Sion blesse thee that thousee the wealth of Hierusalem all the daies of thy life 6 Yea that thou see thy childrens c. THE fit opportunitie of this time this great coÌ„course of all sortes haue moued me to take this text and to vndertake to entreat of the honorable estate of mariage before this honorable and worshipful assembly wherein if you cousider the antiquity thereof God appointed it before the fal of Adam in paradise if you respect the necessity it is naturall and therefore agreeable to all estates if you seeke after comfort then virtus vnita fortior it is not good man should bee alone If you care for delectation in an honest matter then of all bonds and loues none is so delectable none is so inuiolable as is the bond loue betwixt the husband the wife Lastly if you marke the continuation therof from elder times to these our present daies then behold our Sauior did honor mariage with his honorable presence Ioh. cap. 2. and with his first most glorions miracle The godly learned in al ages of all degrees at al times both princes the nobility and gentility the state ecclesiasticall the people as Moses Aaron Dauid Eli Samuel Esay Zachary and al the Apostles but Iohn the auncient fathers and reuerend bishops in the pure and primitiue times as Tertullian Hilary Nazianzen Spiridion with others haue coÌ„mended allowed and practised the same neither to the hinderance of their functions nor detriment of the commoÌ„ wealth nor the derogation of the glory of God Iuelapol All which haue beene by our men both by penne and in the pulpit proued substantially by scriptures sufficiently by fathers perspicuously by ancient histories wherof to discourse more fully I caÌ„not but wil conteÌ„t my self with a short compendious enarratioÌ„ and explication of this text wherein I note these two things First a description of the husband the wife and children with their feuerall and singuler dueties Secondly a peticion or prayer for them First in the description of the hitsband the first and chiefest quality wherewith hee must bee adorned and furnished is 1. Part. to feare god to serue him aright to haue a right a righteous faith which must be grounded on the woord of God Let me speake as I haue read and I do beleeue as I speake I would haue this husband whom I describe to be a protestant to mary a protestant I would haue them both to be of one religion and to be of a sound religion which I am perswaded is not the stubborn obstinacy of the Iew nor the Godlesse impietie of the Turke nor the vain superstition of the Papist but is the ancient catholick apostolick faith which is now both preached by vs professed by you that is to beleeue rightly to liue vprightly to offer the sweetinceÌ„se of our praiers to god aboue steedfastly to beleeue to be saued only by Christs death without any merit of ours to frequent the church to receaue the Lords supper in both kinds to honor obey Rings Princes as the most noble and excellent in their dominions and in a word to fear God Such a reuerend and religious fear had Abraham ouer his sonne Isaack to mary him not to a prophane gentile or heathenish woman Gen. 2.3 but one of his owne stocke and lyneall discent that serued worshipped the same true God that he did Thus doth the blessed Apostle teach Cor. 6.14 we must not drawe the yoke with infidels For betwixt this godly husband and vertuous wife there must be an equality in years and in vertues both young or both old and no meane loue soone hotte soone cold but a most ardent and feruent loue which cannot be quenched with a flud of waters which cannot bee without this fear of God and except they bee of the same religion Ambrose for so defendeth Ambrose Inter
husband For a godly wife neither must nor will seek a soueraignty or superiority ouer her husband Lomb. lib. 4 For the woman as the master of the sentences doth allegorise was made of the rib of man that he should entreat her gently as his mate she was neither made of the head that she should vsurp autority power ouer him nor yet of the feete that she shuld be abused as a slaue vile seruaÌ„t by him And euen as the lowest soils be commonly most battle and fertil so those wee men that be most modest humble are mest filled furnished with gods gifts graces Iam. 4.6 euen in the greatest measure For as the holy scripture saith god resisteth the proud Plin. l. 14. giueth grace to the huÌ„ble Thirdly the vine is fruitful it be areth grapes plentifully which wel ripened mightily pressed do yeeld great store of wine Galen de Sa. 4. which cheereth the hart of man refresheth the vital spirits heateth the cold stomack helpeth the rawnes and crudity many other infirmities of the same Ther are many wiues which are fruitful in children and this is a corporall blessing for so many godly children so many blessings of God In the old law sterrility and barrennes was deemed as a curse of God and therefore many godly religious weomen as Sara Rachel Rebecca Gen. 3â— Anna with others hartily huÌ„bly prayed of god that he would giue theÌ„ children Psal 127.5 O happy blessed is the man that hath his quiuer ful of godly children brought vp in the fear of the lord they shal be a terror to the enimy a stay to the country a comfort to their parents But ther is another spiritual blessing Good religion ther is another fruitfulnes beeter thaÌ„ this that is that the wife be inuested adorned with good qualities First that she feare God religiously walk in his waies for then shal God procure purchase hir fauor grace in the eies of her husbaÌ„d And therfore we find by experience that diuers weomen not so fair being godly are better liked and loued of their husbands than others more amiable beautiful Plinie and yet not so godly For as the loadstone draweth hard yron to it so this fear of god in the wife wil easily moue a wise husbaÌ„d but it wil force a waiward husbaÌ„d to entreat hit louingly gently Loue. And as to season vnsauery meats pleasaÌ„t delicat sauces be prepared so to giue a good relish to the sweet food of honest mariage it must be tempered seasoned with a most ardent feruent loue And good reason to loue them to whoÌ„ we haue giuen our bodies and al and chosen to bee partakers of all ioies and sorrows of wealth and wo of health sicknes for whoÌ„ we forsake father mother brother sister frind kif kin al that not for a time but during the course of our life I say it is good reason we should like loue them that with a most near dear affectioÌ„ We read of noble Iulia Pompeys wife who expressed the signe of a most louing wife for being with child when she saw her husbaÌ„ds warlick coat brought into the city al imbrued with gored bloud fel into a sudden sound scriching most rufully and wofully crieng out O Pompey Pompey farewel and so this noble lady with her vntimely child preseÌ„â—ly dyed The greatest maintainer of this houest loue is shamefastnesse Shamefast 〈◊〉 which is such a vertue in a woman that without it the rest are al disgraced For this shamefastnes is giuen to weomen for a defence to keepe their reputatioÌ„ for a castle to preserue their chastity for a fort to maintain their honor and for a garland to aduance their prayse and commeÌ„dation 〈◊〉 Aristotle the famous philosopher requiers in a mayd to bee marâ—ed foure thinges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 riches good pareÌ„tage beauty vertue Beauty is coÌ„mendable a good parentage is honorable wealth land a good inheritaunce is not to bee contemned but the chiefest dowry the best inheritance the most pretious Iewell in a woman is vertue especially the vertue of obedience So our Apostle teacheth Wiues obay your husbands Ephes 5 22. Obedience Man is fitter for this soueraynty of rule regunent then a woman euen by the lawe of nature hauing greater skill to rule experieÌ„ce to gouern capacity to coÌ„prehend wisdome to vnderstaÌ„d streÌ„gth to execute carefulnes to prosecute patieÌ„ce to suffer and a greater courage and magnanimity to performe and perfect all purposes and practises whatsoeuer Host 1 2â— In the booke of Hester wee reade of king Hasuerosh king of the Medes Persians he had a masterly and imperious shrewe to his wife Queen Vasti who would not obay him in a certayne matter Whervpon he called and conueÌ„ted his nobles and counsellours and by their couÌ„sell she was put away and hee maried the noble and vertuous lady Queene Hester But let this imperious Oueene goe Let vs passe ouer Zantippe Soccates wife Exod. 4. lob 2.9 Let Sipora Moses wife let Iobs wife and good Tobias also as most noble and notorious shrewes goe and let euery godly wife follow the good example of godly Sara who obeyed her husbaÌ„d AbrahaÌ„ with all dutifull reuereÌ„ce and called him Lord in tokeÌ„ of her singular humility Good name And as she must be obedient so she must haue an especial care of hir good name For a good name is as a sweete oyntment and as a most delicious precious perfume Plutarch in Caesar Cesar wold haue his wife Pompeia not only fre from dishonesty but also fre froÌ„ al suspicioÌ„ both of dishonesty disloyalty There be many waies to preserue this good name but I take this to be as one most chiefe and excelleÌ„t in a maid or wife to be resident at home as the snaile Tit. cap. 2.5 not oft to range run abroad as Dina did To keepe home For by this means the house shal be better gouerned her husband better pleased all euill suspicions auoyded and great expences saued For fewe there be but they are great wasters in their gay and gorgeous apparel which is the more encreased by gossoping and gadding abroad as the manner is in some places But our Apostle teacheth godly weomeÌ„ not to delite in too gay and garish apparel 1 Pet 3. 1 〈◊〉 2.9 but so to attire themselues as wel becoÌ„meth modest matrons and as is fittest for the vocatioÌ„ of their husbands And here our king and propher Oauid in modesty a prophet in maiesty a king would haue a godly wife to be as a side part of the house or as a wall to the house to defend it not to bee a ruine to pull it down either by the pride of her fancies or pomp of her train or delicatnes of her dyet or sumptuousnes in Iewels