Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	david_n	king_n	solomon_n	11,542	5	9.1098	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69098	A most excellent hystorie, of the institution and firste beginning of Christian princes, and the originall of kingdomes wherunto is annexed a treatise of peace and warre, and another of the dignitie of mariage. Very necessarie to be red, not only of all nobilitie and gentlemen, but also of euery publike persone. First written in Latin by Chelidonius Tigurinus, after translated into French by Peter Bouaisteau of Naunts in Brittaine, and now englished by Iames Chillester, Londoner. Séen and allowed according to the order appointed.; Histoire de Chelidonius Tigurinus sur l'institution des princes chrestiens, & origine des royaumes. English	Chelidonius, Tigurinus.; Boaistuau, Pierre, d. 1566.; Chillester, James.	1571 (1571)	STC 5113; ESTC S104623	160,950	212

the hope of suche a name as a King they mighte trauaile to atchieue to the same by some commendable actes or vertuous exploites And of such Edictes and Proclamations wee haue examples and sufficient testimonie in the holie Scriptures Caies in the booke of Iosua made Proclamation that hée whoo would beséege the Citie of Cariathstopher and take it hée woulde giue him his daughter Axam to his wife which hée did accomplish in Othoniel who hauing taken the same Citie did receiue his promise Wée haue an other like example in the fift boke of the Kings where it is written that the same lump of flesh Goliath the Philistine who was of so monstrous a bignesse that all the armie of the Israelites did greatly feare little Dauid did triumphe ouer him and retourned victor hauing vnderstanding before that hée which coulde vanquishe hym shoulde bée honoured of King Saule and receiue great riches and should haue his daughter to his wife and also his fathers house should bée made frée in Jsrael Wée haue likewise such an other example of the same Dauid in the second booke of the Kings where hee promiseth a great aduancement to him that should ouerthrow the Jebusites that hée shoulde in consideration therof bée made chéefe and Captaine of the armie And bicause Iacob put to flight his enimies and possessed Jerusalem hée gaue him the chéefest place in his armie Now it resteth for vs too prooue that the Lorde hath bene the authour of this royall dignitie and that hée himselfe hath confirmed the same as it is manifestly shewed vnto vs in Deuteronomie when hée instructed the people of Israell by what meanes they ought to institute their Kings wher it is writtē When thou commest intoo the lande that the Lord thy God hath giuen thée and that thou doest possesse it and remaine there thou shalt say I will haue a King ouer mée as all the people haue that is aboute mée then thou shalte choose ouer thée that King which the Lorde thy God shall choose oute amongs the middest of thy brethren thou shalt not set ouer thée a strāge man which is not thy brother Furthermore when the time of the Iudges was expired and that the people of Israel with great pertinacitie and stubbornesse did demaund of the Lord to haue a King ouer them hée himselfe did choose and ordeine Saule whom hée found a man according too his hearts desire which should not haue bene thus auctorized and appointed if Royall puissaunce had mysliked him But why do wée bring forth any further matter to prooue the authoritie of Princes seing Iesus Christ himself was appointed King by his father vpon the holy hil of Sion according to the Psalmist And S. Iohn in the Apocalips confirmeth the same saying Hée hath written on his thigh and in his garment his name thus King of Kings Lord of Lords Ruler of Rulers and whose kingdō is eternall as it was likewise shewed too Daniel in his visions And all those that are appointed chosen into the dignitie Royal be Lieutenants of the great Monarch Iesus Christ whose wil was to be knowne at that time when the vniuersall computation of the world was made by Augustus to the ende that his parents should pay tribute and that they should acknowledge the earthly Princes for their superiors S. Mathew doth write the like of Iesus Christ that when he hys disciples came into Capernaum these that did receiue the ●ol came to Peter demaunded of him doth thy master pay tribute and he aunswered and sayd yea when he was in the house Iesus Christ came to Peter sayd Simon the Kings of the earth of whom do they take tribute or tol is it of their children or of strangers and Peter sayd to him of strangers the children then bée free sayd Iesus Christ yet bicause wée will not offend them sayd hée go to the Seas side and cast in thy booke the first fish that commeth take him and open his mouth thou shalt finde a grote therin take that pay it for thée mée As likewise in an other matter hée commanded to pay to Cesar that which was due to Caesar And note Paul to the Romaines Al persons sayth he are subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God after hée concludeth pay to Princes their tributes for they be the Ministers of God employing themselues therein therefore giue them all that which is due vnto them To whome tribute belongeth giue tribute to whome toll giue toll to whome feare giue feare and to whome honour giue honour And Paule thought it not sufficient onely to make mention of this in diuers and sundry places but to the ende hée woulde the better beate it into our heads and that hée would not haue Princes defrauded of that which is due to them hée chieefely recommendeth the same vnto Timothe where he layth I doe acmonish you aboue all things that there bée common prayers supplication and thankesgiuing made for al those that bee put in authoritie that they may leade a peaceable and quiet life in all holinesse and godlinesse whiche shall bée pleasing and acceptable before god And further Baruch the Prophete reciteth that the Iewes being in captiuitie vnder the Babilonians did write too their brethren that were at Ierusalem that they shoulde pray for Nabuchodonezer king of Babylon and for the life of his sonne although they were both Idolaters And S. Paule did knowe that Festus Prouost of Judea did fauor the Iewes in that hée brought his cause before Cesar when he appealed before too him and being broughte before Nero then Emperour of the Romaines Paule did so wel defende his iust cause that hée was deliuered and set at libertie And nowe therefore if the Iewes haue prayed for an Idolatrous Prince and S. Paule hath bene deliuered from this mischeuous enimie of our Religion by meanes of Festus principalitie who will doubt then but th●● our Lorde is author of principalitie and would not haue instituted thesame but onely for the comforte and profite of man But to make an ende of this my long processe if you wil beholde and mark well the order of the Scriptures aswel in the olde as in the newe Testamentes you shall fynde an infinite number of authorities aswell of the Prophets as Apostles which do plainely wytnesse howe Kings and Princes are instituted by the mouth of the Lorde our God and by him selfe approoued confirmed and auctorized ¶ The third Chapter VVhat the Dignitie Royall is and hovv the same cannot be supplied vvithout great trouble and danger vvith a declaration vvhat kinde of gouernement is best for the people to liue happily and quietly BY these things before rehersed wée haue declared and prooued that the preheminence and Dignitie Royall is maruellous auncient and that it was receyued of the people euen at the begīning of the world and afterward approoued

Lacedemoniās were beholding or bound to any man it was to Licurgus the Athenuns to Solon who although they were men of a moste commendable and vertuous life yet the one of them was with blowes of stones chased out of his Citie pulling out one of his eyes was banisht as a murtherer the other after he had so wel put in order the cōmonwelth by his good councel prouidence that it was made eternal was neuerthelesse by them in his olde dayes banished into the I le of Cipres And we might without borowing any testimonie of the prophane histories bring forth many exāples of our own as of Eustacius Pamphilius chéef Prelat of Antioch that was bannished bicause he woulde not consent to the heresie of the Arrians Pope Benedict the fifth was by the Emperor Anthonius bannished oute of Rome for the like matter Moyses did oftentimes escape the danger of stoning by his own people And to be shorte we haue many examples that giue vs sufficient witnesse and testimonie how perillous the furie of the people is when they be out of order by the which things it is most manifest vnto vs that the Commonwelth which is gouerned by such monsters be no more assured of themselues than the poore shéepe bée amongst the wolues Hauing nowe verie sufficiently declared that these first two kinds of administrations of a Common wealth are not méete nor conuenient to rule and well to gouerne any people in peace and tranquillitie It resteth nowe to conclude with Aristotle Apolonius S. Ierome S. Cyprian and many others that the Monarchia which is the gouernment that is absolute that is to say by one only King or Prince is the most excellent the best approued and most receyued of all for as Homere hath written in his Rapside nothing is wel done where many do commaund And likewise Aristotle in his Politikes hath iudged this forme of a common wealth where one ruleth only to bee more noble than the others which thing wée sée and perceiue by ordinarie experience in God our Lorde who is the cause and mouer of al things by whose only wil and pleasure all the worlde is ruled and gouerned And vnitie in all thinges hath suche a puissaunce and vertue that it doeth conioyne conserue and knit altogethers for all things in the worlde vniuersally haue taken their beginning and original of one be maintained and defended by one Al numbers infinite that we haue dayly in vse take their beginning of one All the number of Stars which passe the capacitie of mānes vnderstanding are ruled and gouerned by one Sun among beasts there is one that ruleth and gouerneth and for the gouernment and ordring of an Armie it is méete to haue one to commaund vpon whose authoritie the rest should depende And nowe to make an ende and conclude our purpose like as al the partes that are contayned in the frame of our humaine bodies be maintained quickened and made to liue and beare life by one soule euen so one Prince giueth life and gouerneth all the Citie wherof he is the soule Aristotle in the .xij. Boke of his Metaphisickes doth reprooue the pluralitie of gouernours in one Citie and willeth that it be gouerned ruled and ordered by the authoritie of one onely Prince And Nature the better to set forth the same to our eies hath ordained that there be one preheminence in all kinde of things as wée haue before sayde as amongst the Stars the Sun amongst the Elementes the Fire amongst Mettalles Golde amongst Graine Wheate amongst Liquide things Wine amongst foure footed Beastes the Lion amongst Birdes the Eagle and to be short if we will contemplate the whole order and course of Nature we shal find one excellencie of dignitie and preheminence in eche kinde and therefore of these things abouesayd wée may gather that the gouernment of any Common wealth that is exercised by one only King or Prince is more woorthy and more commendable than the other kindes of administrations which are ruled and gouerned by many but for a counterpoize of his mightinesse and dignitie he hath many thornes that do enuiron his Scepter and Crowne for the aboundance of honours the diuersitie of delightes and the number of pleasures that he doth daylie enioy bée vnto hym as Aristotle wisely writeth great enticements and baytes to leade him to all euill and ready meanes to cast him down hedlonges into the bottome of all vice and wickednesse if he set not God moste chéefely before his eyes and a King is like to a Lampe that shineth light to all the worlde therefore if he be blemished or blotted with any vice or crime it is more Notable and reproueable in him than in any other Priuate persone and therfore bicause he hath more occasion of temptation to slide and fall than others haue in that he is highest in place without Bridel set amonges so many pleasures and delightes which be Flames to stirre and prouoke wickednesse so much the rather he ought to trauaile labour to eschue the same for cōmonly things lifted vp exalted on high are subiecte to fall and ruine and these things may be to vs sufficiently knowne and manifest by the recounting of many Kings and Princes whose beginnings haue béene commendable but their ends haue béene most abhominable and wicked For the woorthinesse of Saule hath bene renoumed by the holy scriptures who was chosen King by the Lord our God but by a little and little he began to decline from the righte way and becam a wicked man The beginning of the reign● of Kinge Salomon was meruellous but after that he gaue him selfe in pray to Women he was depriued of the grace of god Ioab King of Iuda was a good man for a time but in the ende being seduced by his men he fell to Idolatrie Caligula Nero and Methridates did in the beginning geue a meruellous hope of their wisedomes but the issue was suche that all the world was infected with theire tyrannie and crueltie and if thou wilt haue rehearsed by order all the whole administration of the Common wealth of the Romaines thou shalt finde that the numbre of the wicked Kings haue alwayes surmounted very much the good Kings But bicause we shall not néede muche testimonie of prophane Princes let vs nowe come to oure owne Of twentie and two Princes of Iuda there is not founde but only sixe that is to saye Asa Iosaphat Ioacan Ezechias and Iosias which haue continued in vertue and goodnesse As touching of Kings of Israell if thou wilt well searche out their lyues from Ieroboam the Sonne of Naboth vnto the last King which was the nynetéenthe in numbre thou shalte finde that all they in generall were euill Ministers of the Common wealth And the Romaine gouernmente likewyse which hath béene commended for one of the best and moste flourishing common wealthes vppon the Earth For

people and persuade them so well that they receiued his false Doctrine for truth the meanes wherto was this In the beginning he did not communicate his false doctrine but to those of his owne houshold next to his neighbors afterwards to to the common people specially to such as were the moste grosse witted and to carnal men for he doth permit in his law all the vices of the fleshe with all libertie of the which kinde there was at that time a greate numbre thorowoute the worlde and perceiuing him selfe riche and greatly fauoured of Fortune he gathered togithers a great companie of his owne secte and religion And when he sawe him selfe well appoynted and strong he assailed his neighboures and so made him selfe Lorde of many Nations and Prouinces These things were a doing about the yeare of our Lord sixe hundreth Eracleus being then Emperoure of Rome and holding his seate at Constantinople and Bonifatius the fifthe then also Pope Mahomet seeing his affaires prosper so well yet somewhat dispairing his successe did forbidde that any man shoulde dispute vppon the manner of his Lawe and so by this meanes he made it to be obserued by force Afterwardes he went to assaile the Countreys of Romaine Empire he entred into Syria conquered the Noble Citie of Damasco and all Egypte and Iuda persuading the Sarazens people of Arabic that the lande of permission appertained to them of good righte as the lawfull heyres and successoures of Abraham After he had Conquered diuers Prouinces and Regions he was poysoned and dyed about the age of foure and thirtie yeares and in the yeare of oure Lorde sixe hundred thirtie and two after the accompte of Sabellicus And bicause he alwayes vaunted him selfe that after his Deathe he shoulde ascende into Heauen his Disciples kepte his bodie stinking vppon the earthe certaine dayes after he dyed vntill it was corrupted as his soule was Afterwardes he was entombed with a Tombe of yron and caryed to Meque aforesaid a towne in Persia where he is at this day honoured of all the people of the Easte yea euen of the greatest parte of the worlde and this is for oure sinnes and wickednesse and we may therfore easily be persuaded and beleeue that he was sente as a scourge euen by the permission of God to chasten the Christians as he did send long sithens an Antiochus a Cyrus and a Nabuchodonozor to oppresse his peculiar people the Jewes This is therfore no new thing that the Lorde dothe execute his iustice against his owne by such tirants and wicked men as Mahomet was the Lord hath geuen vs to vnderstād the same by the Prophet Esay where he sayth I haue called my mightie and strong men in my wrathe I haue called them my holy ones to the ende they shall glory in my name the Prophet pronouncing these woords spake of King Darius and Cirus Marke loe how he calleth the Medes and Persians his holy ones who were neither good nor holy but onely the executers of his will and pleasure to chastise Babylon he speaketh the like in Ezechiel where he saith I wil guide and lead my seruaunt Nabuchodonosar bicause he did serue me faithfully at Tire and I will giue him also Egipt yet he was not for all that the seruaunt of god Totilla King of the Goathes being demaunded wherefore he was so cruell and extréeme against the people answered with a maruellous faithe therein what thinkest thou that I am other than the very wrath and scourge of God sent vpon the earthe as an instrument to chasten the offences and wickednesse of the people We may euidently therefore knowe by these things that God doth for the most part correct and chasten vs by the wicked who neuerthelesse doe not cease to be wicked still and deserue them selues plagues for according to the word of the Lord and sauioure it is necessary there come slaunder but curssed be he by whome slaunder shall come Behold lo the attempts and furious assaults that Sathan and his complices haue framed against the Church of Iesus Christe his Doctrine for there is no religion that he hath persecuted so cruelly frō the beginning of the world as he hath done ours and although he hath vttered all his suttleties craftes malices and inuentions to ouerrun it and suppresse it yet it remaineth stil perfect by the goodnesse and aid of our sauior Iesus Christe who dothe represse and bridle the malicious and poysoned rage of his enimie and although he hath procured the death of some members of the Church that of the most auncients and greatest clarks as Abel Esay Zacharie Ieremie Iesus Christ the Apostles many holy Bishops as Polycarpus Ignatius and many .1000 of Martyrs and others yet he could not ouerthrow the same For it is wrytten that the gates of Hel shal not preuail nor stand against it and althoughe by continuance and reuolution of time it hath bene shal be put in great danger and peril and that it hath bene and is turmoiled and tossed as a ship by the rage and violence of the tempests yet Iesus Christ wil neuer abandon or leaue his espouse but he wil alwayes assiste hir as the heade dothe the body he watcheth for hir he kéepeth preserueth and maintaineth hir as the promisse by him made dothe witnesse where it is said I wil not leaue you as Orphanes I will be with you euen vnto the consumption of the world And in Esay it is saide I wil put my woords into thy mouthe and I will defend thee with the shadowe of my hand and in the .59 chapter he saith this is my alliance that I haue made with thée sayth the Lord my sprite which is in thée and my woords which I haue put in thy mouth they shall not departe nor goe out of thy mouth nor oute of the mouthe of thy séede from hence forthe for euer Seeing then oure religion onely to be true and pure and that it hathe bene sealed with the bloud of so many Prophets Apostles and Martyrs and specially sealed with the seale of the blud of Iesus Christ our sauior wherof he hath left vnto vs the very marke Carrecte and witnesse in his death and that al the other be vnlawful and bastardes inuented deuised by the deuil or men his instrumēts to the confusion of oures I wold wish that Princes who are Gods lieuetenants vpon the earth for as much as they be called the children and nursses of the Church by the Prophet Esay and that they be the pillers and strength that it oughte to be stayed by I would wishe I say they shuld imploy themselues to maintaine it defende it conserue it confirme it and amplifie it that they might at the latter day whē they shall appéere before the maiestie of God say that which that good King Dauid saide Lord I haue hated those that thou haste hated and haue bene angry with them that

vnderstand wel the maners the vertue the integritie of lyfe and the sufficiencie of suche as they doo depute for else they shall one daye be called too accompt for the wrongs and iniuries of their ministers Plutarke writeth in his politikes Plato in his cōmon wealth that there is no mischiefe more pernicious in any common welth than the buying selling that is made of offices For they which be riche buye for money that which ought to be obtayned by wisdome and vertue and so it commeth to passe that those that buye their offices in greate doo afterwarde sell iustice by retayle and vpon this mischiefe dooth ryse the briberie and corruptions of these mercenarie Iudges who doo make themselues fat by the calamities and miseries of the poore people bring themselues to great possessions and make their houses mightie euen by the pilling and polling of good men The Emperour Seuerus was so great an enemie to corrupt Iudges that he sayd he had alwayes one finger ready to pull out the eyes of those that he knewe to be suche The Egiptians had alwayes mercenarie Iudges in suche suspition and contempte that they dyd alwayes sweare suche as they chose into the place of iudgement and therein did charge them vppon payne of death they shoulde not violate their othes nor giue any iudgement contrary to righte and equitie although they were straightly commaunded to the contrary by their Princes And to the ende they should haue alwayes their othes printed in their remembraunce they caused to be set vpon the iudgement seate the image of a Iudge hauing his eyes put oute and his handes cut off signifying thereby that they oughte not to be parciall to any man nor to receyue money or other brybes to defeate Iustice Alexander Seuerus Emperoure of the Romaines is verye muche commended of the Historiens bycause that hée dydde punyshe his owne Secretarye béeynge infourmed that hée caused the estate through bryberie to violate iustice in disquieting thereby the poore and maynteyning the riche in their naughtinesse and wickednesse Herodotus the Greke writer dyd greately commende Cambyses King of the Persians for his carefull diligence in punishing the wicked iudges that did peruerte iustice for as he was vpon a tyme aduertised by the testimonie of many that a Iudge called Sysamnes was corrupted by money to pronounce false iudgement euen at the same instant that his offence was discouered he caused him presently to bée flayne béeing aliue and commaunded that his skinne shoulde bée nayled ouer the seate where the Iudges were accustomed to sit to pronounce iudgement and that it should remayne there for euer to the ende that other Iudges taking an example therat should beware from thencefoorth that they doo not defile them selues with the like offences and ordeyned further that the sonne of the same Iudge shoulde supply firste the same seate to the ende he should be admonished by the example of his father faythfully to minister iustice Plato a man that thought he could neuer commende iustice too muche hath left vnto vs in writing that this excellente vertue of Iustice is commonly defiled in two things the one is that when the punishment of the offence requireth expedition the Iudge by fynenesse and of purpose doth deferre the Iudgement of the matter to the ende that by prolonging of tyme there should bée some meanes founde for to saue the offendour the other is that when the offence is notable and that it deserueth paines of death or some other corporall punishment it is stayed and turned into a certayne summe of money and by meanes hereof men that are offenders get muche libertie and haue great hope by force of their riches to haue their offences remitted and to escape the daunger of death If these Ethnikes who had not suche knowledge of god as we haue haue detested the violaters and infringers of iustice how muche more ought we to doo the like considering the threatnings that are made vnto vs for the same by the mouthe of the Lorde Let vs hearken therefore to the exhortation in this behalfe that Salomon one of the moste sagest and wysest Princes that euer bare Scepter maketh vnto all Kings and Iudges and other that doo sitte in place of ministration of iudgement Geue eare sayth he you Kinges and Princes and marke well you that iudge the coastes of the earth learne and open your eares to heare you that gouerne the multitude and that delighte in muche people for the power is gyuen to you of the Lorde who will marke diligently your dooings and wyll searche your thoughtes bycause that when yée were ministers of hys kyngdome yée haue not Iudged iustely nor haue not regarded the Lawe of Iustice yée haue not walked accordyng to the will of GOD wherefore he shall appeare fearefully vnto you and that very soone and he shall gyue a harde iudgemente to suche as bee in the places of iudgemente to the simple shall be graunted mercy but those that bée in Authoritie shall suffer greate tormentes for the Lorde that is Ruler ouer all shall excepte no mans person neyther shall he stande in awe of any mannes greatenesse for he hath made the small and the greate and careth for all alyke To you therefore Oh Kings doo I speake that ye may learne wisedome for they shall bée iustly iudged that haue kepte iustice Beholde lo a maruellous instruction for earthly Iudges that haue no mynde but vppon the worlde and bée a sleepe in the darkenesse of ambition and worldely honour and set all their felicitie to make them selues greate and maruellous to the people and after their deathes to leaue their children inheriters of their glorie Let them hencefoorthe therefore I say goe to the Schole of the wyse to refourme their lyues and to knowe how that thys lyfe is caducall and transitorye and that further they shall bée iudged euen as they haue iudged others and of such a Iudge to whom also al our thoughts be knowen The .xj. Chapter Hovv that crueltie and tyrannie are cheefe enemies to Iustice vvhere also is shevved vvherein the good Prince differeth from the tyrannous Prince vvith sundry examples confirming the same gathered as vvell out of the Greeke as Latine Authors vvhich vvyll bring great pleasure and contentation to the Reader IVstice hathe not a more greater enemie than crueltie and tyrannie which bée things very monstruouse and abhominable in man who is a noble and excellent creature made to the image and similitude of God borne to bée méeke and gentle but if he bée once defiled and infected with thys wycked Tyrannie he is as Aristotle sayth like a thing transformed into a brute beast and become enimie both to God and man But to the ende we may know the good Prince from the tirannous Prince I will set foorth vnto you here certayne differences of the good princes and the tyraunts which I haue collected out of a great number of good authors The

one hyre one paine hauing one enimy whiche is Sathan all subiect to passions equall to receiue death Now that I haue sufficiently intreated of peace and warres the commodities of the one the incoueniences of the other I wil shew you also how by what meanes ye may win and enioy peace There is no medicine more mete to eschue warres discord then to flée from insatiate ambition loue of ourselues desire to reuēge and rule whiche is the very spring and fountaine from whence floweth al occasions of strife and debate as the Prophet Esay saith Cursed be you that ioyne house with house land with lande thinke you to dwel vppon the earth alone This is also verifyed by Moyse● gods minister when he sheweth to the people that their sins are the cause of the warres where he saith If ye do not obey my cōmaundements but do contemn my iudgements preceptes I wyl set my face agaynst you and you shal fal béefore your enemyes and they that hate you shall reigne ouer you and yée shall flee when no manne shall followe you I will sende a swoorde vppon you whyche shall be a reuenger of my Testamentes that yée haue broken and violated and yée shall bée giuen in praye to youre enemyes As the holy Prophete doothe confyrme in an other place where he saythe If my people had hearkned vnto mée and that Jsrael had walked in my ways I wold haue humbled their enimies before them and I would haue layd my hand vpon them that they should haue ben ouerthrowne Note a little how the Lorde hath afflicted his people by warres to chasten them for their sinnes and wickednesse specially for the vice of idolatrie Somtimes by the Madianites somtims by the Chananites sometime by the Philistians other sometime by the Ammon●●●s and other people their neighbors Which thing Iosua did pronosticate to them but how cruelly were they plagued by the king of Assyrians and broughte into seruitude and al bicause they did forsake the Lord their God and worshipped the calues of Ieroboam howe were the people of Iuda plaged by Nabuchodonosor bicause they cōmitted idolatrie as Ieremie the Prophet did prophecie to them Ye must not therfore maruell as the Prophet Oseas sayth yf blood séeke blood seeing that fraude hatred couetousnesse and fornication raigneth vpon the earth Wée sée at the eye how the hande of God is not abbreuiated we sée how that he shooteth off the arrowes of his wrath ageynst vs hée stretcheth foorth his hande as the Prophete sayeth and stryketh vs in his furie bycause oure greate offences doo stirre and prouoke hym dayely theretoo Lette vs therefore chaunge oure lyues and tourne to goodnesse Lette vs drawe oure féete from crooked wayes and hee wyll appease his wrathe For hée is gentle euen in his anger as the Prophete Ioell doothe wryte Tourne you too the Lorde of Hostes sayeth Zachary and he will tourne too you Hearken howe Ieremie the holy Prophete doothe exalte and magnifye the mercye of the Lorde Thou haste sayeth hée commytted whooredome wyth many naughtie women yet turne to mée and I will receiue thée wée haue all committed fylthynesse wyth the fleshe the Diuell and the Worlde and yet alwayes the Lorde is ready to stretche oute hys hande too vs this is the father of mercie consolation The people of Israell as the scriptures testifie haue ben very prompt to commit al euil and for punishment the Lord did always render thē into the hands and seruitude of others to punish them But alwayes when they repented he sente them one to deliuer thē out of the yoke and seruitude to restore them to the first state and libertie The people of Iuda after that they had remained a long time for their abhominable sinnes in the seruitude and bondage of Babilon the Lorde in the ende moued with pitie restored them to their former felicitie Dauid being driuen to fight by his sonne Absolon fled bare footed and bare headed all discomforted with sorowe through the deserts yet was he through his humilitie restored to his kingdom again The harts of Kings and Princes be in the hands of the Lord he wil turne them what way it pleaseth him sayth the wise man And all these examples which we haue produced heere before tende to none other ende but to declare to the people that all the warres and persecutions that come vppon them happen not by chance but they procéede from the secrete iudgementes of God who dothe permit them to the entent he woulde punishe their offences in the which they are greatly buried He suffereth that they shal be wakened from their delites and pleasures by the scourge of warre which he stirreth vp against them by their neighbors as S. Austen saithe in Ciuitate Dei. And as for you Ministers of the Church and such as make profession to preach the woorde of God I would wishe you shuld bend your selues altogither to speake against warres and barke and crie out all with one open voice againste the same and let your pulpets and all other your publike places sounde of none other thing but of peace and exhorte all Princes continually to concorde and vnion Oh how beautifull sayth the Prophet be the féete of them that preache Peace And S. Paule also exhorteth vs to pray for Kings and Princes that the Lorde will suffer them to ende the course of their liues in peace As likewise the Jewes being in Babylon with Ieconias king of Iuda did wryte to their brethren that were at Jerusalem that they shuld pray for Nabuchodonozor king of Babilon for his sonne Balthazar that they mighte liue in peace with them and finde grace before them And further Ieremie enspired with the holy ghost did instruct the Jewes that were in bondage at Babilon that they shuld pray for the Citie that they were in to the end that it being in peace they also mighte enioy the same You see loe how the Lord wold that his people shuld pray for the Ethnikes that were without God without law Howe much more are we boūd of duetie to pray for Christian Princes And aboue all things we muste take good héede that we put not the oyl into the fire to make it flame as did that miserable Achitophel that stirred Absolon against his father who in the end receiued a shamefull deathe in satisfaction of his offence As likewise the priest Abiather bicause he cōsented to such wicked coūsel was put out of his sacerdotal dignity Nowe I will conuerte my spéeche to you Monarches Emperoures Kings and Princes and others being in authoritie of whom the pore people do depend You I say that are their soules and their heads enter into your selues and be not caryed away with your owne affections be such towards your subiectes as the faithful fathers of the houshold are towardes their children following the Counsel of that

very periode of his age was Monarche of the whole worlde and not contented with such victorie as he had gotten but caused the earth to bée digged thinking that he shoulde fynde an other worlde to conquere Oh a greate noblenesse of a Prince that thinketh he hath doon nothing if there remaine yet any thing to bée doone It is not therefore now my purpose as you perceyue to exclude and banish yong men from the presence of Princes no more than I couet to speake euill of them but bicause I doo desire for the perfection of the Prince he should be without all faulte and blemishe euen so for that the counsel of olde and auncient men is more assured lesse suspect than the counsel of yong men I do wish in the respect that they would more frequēt the one than the others ¶ The seuenth Chapter Hovve that Kings and Princes ought chiefly and moste principally to haue the estate of christian Religion in great reuerence and estimation and to shevve themselues louers of the same and that they ought also to be very diligent and carefull to punishe the blasphemers and contemners therof and vvithal to purge their dominions and realmes of al heretikes and Sectaries for the vvhich there is shevved many examples of erronious sects together vvith the false doctrine of Mahomet his life and death and by vvhat means and suttletie hee hath suborned and seduced so many people and hovv many Emperors kings princes after they had persecuted the faithefull of the Churche of God did not escape the sharpe vengeance of his vvrath but dyed in the end of some shamefull and horrible death WE haue here in this laste Chapter intreated generally of such vertues as are méete and cōuenable for Princes for the worthy gouernments of their realmes and dominions and now we will speake of one speciall vertue without the vse and practize wherof all the others are but vayne and of no value and that is holynesse and pietie towards God with an ardente affection and zele to hys true religion which with Princes ought to be had in more greater recommendacion and estimation than their owne proper liues Iosias one of the most vertuous princes that euer did bear scepter after that the booke of the lawe was found in the temple and that he had heard it red he assembled al the most auncients of the people and being accompained with all the Prophets and priests went into the Church and there sitting in hys seate royall made an allyaunce before God to obey to his commaundements statutes and ordinances and made all his subiects to promise that they should accomplish all the words of the same allyaunce according to the couenant of the God of their fathers which they did obserue and keepe during all the time of the life of this king Iosias There is one notable lesson writtē in Deuteronomie for kings and princes where it is sayd You Princes and kings whiche are set vppon the throne of your kingdomes receiue the lawe and haue it alwayes with you and reade it all the days of your life to the end you may learne to feare the Lord your God and to kepe his lawes and commaundementes and sée that it do not depart your mouths but thinke of it day and night that you may accomplish all that is written therin and then your realmes and kingdomes shall prosper with al ioy felicitie open your eares you that iudge the costes of the earth and rule the multitude and take pleasure in numbers of people authoritie and power is giuen you of the Lorde and strength from the highest who as Daniell sayeth chaungeth times and ages putteth downe Princes setteth them vp and choseth them amongst the most humbliest sorte of men Receiue discipline and be learned you that iudge the earth serue the Lorde in feare least he be wroth for he will looke vpon your dooings and will searche your thoughts bycause that you being ministers of hys kingdome haue not iudged rightly and iustly nor haue not regarded the lawe of righteousenesse nor haue not walked in the pathes of the lord He shal therfore appeare to you in his rigorous iudgement when he will iudge seuerely them that haue sitten in the seate of iudgemēt and the mightie ones shal be mightely tormented and punished Enter into your selues therfore you Princes and dispoyle your selues of these humain affections that holde your eyes blind acknowlege the graces that the Lord hath bestowed vppon you whiche are comprised in the secret misteries of this heauenly philosophie The kingdomes of Israell did alwayes prosper very well as long as they were gouerned by good and vertuouse Princes as Dauid Iosaphat Ezechiel and Iosias who had alwayes the feare of God before their eyes but to the contrary vnder Achab Manasses Ammon and other such wicked idolaters and cōtemners of true religion they were always tormented and afflicted and in the ende vtterly ouerthrowne For during the tyme that Salomon walked in the wayes of the Lorde he possessed his kingdom in tranquillitie but after that he had buylded temples to Idols all the worlde was agaynst him It is mans duetie and most chiefly required at the handes of Princes to haue the house of the pure and sacred places in remembraunce And specially those that are without reliefe decayed and become almoste ruinate by continuaunce of tyme according to the example of that good prince Dauid who spdéeily and with al diligence reedified the tabernacle and his sonne Salomon with a maruellous magnificence the Temple of the lord Zorobabel was greatly commended bycause that after from the captiuitie of Babylon by the ayde of Esdras he reedified the temple of the Lorde As likewise Iudas Machabeus did restore the temple polluted and prophaned by Antiochus But what a gracious testimonie haue we in Esay of the allyance that kings haue made with the Churche Where he sayth The kings and princes shal giue thée milke and shall be thy nursses they shall doo honour and reuerence vnto thée with their faces flat vppon the earth kings shall walke in thy lyght and shall buylde thy walles they shall bring vnto thée golde and siluer and shall serue thée thou shalte sucke the milke of nations and thou shalte bée nourished of the breastes and teates of princes Oh Jerusalem thou holy Citie of God all the countreys vppon the earth shall woorshippe thée strange nations shall bring thée presents and shall worship the Lorde in thée and shall account the earth holy where thou standest they that shall contemne thée shall be accursed and they that shall blaspheme thée shal be condemned But those that shall buylde thée shall be blissed By the patterne of this churche is figured the Christian Churche And when Kings and Princes haue established and set in order all things that is necessary concerning true religion they oughte with greate discretion and policie to deuise and establish lawes to chastise