thought it meete to apply the woordes of the Prophet in these foure last verses of this Psalme to them that be assembled and to the present occasion of assemblyng And herein I must speake of another manner of hatred then the Prophet ment of in these wordes when he saith Haue not I hated them that hate thee c. And I am occasioned so to do by that which I reade in the first chapter of the booke of prophecies of Malachie the prophet where it is wrytten thus Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated It is not ment here that the Lord hated Esau wyth that hatred that Dauid speaketh of in these wordes of the Psalme whych I haue in hand but that he did so hate him that he would not chuse hym to be Lord ouer hys brethren notwithstanding that by nature the birth-right dyd belong vnto hym for he was the elder and the first borne And Iacob hee loued so that notwithstanding he was the younger the honour of birthright was geuen vnto hym and hee was made Lord ouer his brethren After this sort also dyd the Lord hate the elder sonnes of Iesse which wer in number .vij loued Dauid that was yonger then they all and hee commaunded Samuel to take his horne of holy oyntment and to anoynt Dauid king ouer al Israel There was none among the brethren of Dauid that was not in the iudgement of man meete to be preferred before Dauid and therefore their father presented them to Samuel one after another and shewed him selfe to make none accompt of Dauid But the Lord so loued Dauid and hated hys brethren that he refused them and chose Dauid to be king ouer his people Applying thys scripture to you that be presēt therfore I must first speake of this hatred and this loue admonishing as many of you as are to geue voyces in this election that you hate with this hatred of refusal all such as you see to haue in thē those conditions as should not bee in any that should be chosē to beare rule among the people of God and that you loue with thys loue that I haue spoken of such one as hath in hym those thynges that by the scriptures are required to be in him that shall be chosen to be a Ruler First in the fyft booke of Moses called Deuteronomium it is written that the people of Israel might not chuse any to be their king that wer not their brother that is descended out of the loynes of Abraham and one of the twelue kynreds of Israell A man circumcised that therby had made a solemne profession to obserue keepe all the lawes and statutes of the Lord hys God. If that people myght not make them a Ruler of one that were not a brother by bloud and Religion how may we that professe the religion of Christ chuse one to be our Ruler that is not of one religion wyth vs You therefore to whom it belongeth to geue voyces in this electiō must haue regard to the religion of him whom you shal chuse He must not be an Athiste that is a mā that hath no religion hee must not be a sectary an hereticke or sismaticke He must not be a Papist for of all Sectaries the Papist is most contrary to Christ I meane the right Papist who doth acknowledge the Pope to bee the vniuersall head of the vniuersall church of Christ for that is to set the Pope in the seate of Christ and so consequently to depose Christ and to set vp the Pope in hys place and so is hee become Antichrist S. Paule in the .2 chapter of his second Epistle to the Thessalonians doth lyuely describe this Antichrist vnder the name of the man of syn He shall sayth S. Paule aduaunce him selfe aboue all that is called God. That is aboue all Princes For in the Scriptures Princes are called Gods because they be Gods Leuetenants vpon earth and as saynt Paule doth terme them they are Gods reuengers and beare the sword that by the vse thereof they may reuenge Gods quarell in punishing the transgressors and breakers of Gods lawes Of Princes the Prophet Dauid doth in the Psalme .82 write thus in the person of God him selfe Ego dixi Dii estis I haue sayd it you are Gods. And our sauiour Christ him selfe doth cite the same wordes as we reade in the Gospel Wherfore the Pope aduauncing hym selfe aboue Princes doth shew him selfe to be that man of synne that saynt Paule doth write of in that place and so consequentlye to bee Antichrist for by that man of synne hee meaneth Antichrist He sitteth also in the Temple of God and boasteth hym selfe as though he were God and this he doth in twoo poyntes especiallye First in that he taketh vpon him to dispose kingdomes then in that hee presumeth to pardon synnes For both these thynges belong to God alone and no creature may enterprise to do either of these Per me regnant Reges sayth Wisdome and by Wysedome is ment God him selfe By God alone therfore doo Kinges raygne And the Prophet Dauid saith that promotion cōmeth neither from the East nor from the West neyther from the North. c. but it is God that ouerthroweth one and setteth vp another The Pope therefore in disposyng kingdomes as hee hath and would presently dispose this kyngdome if his power would stretch so farre doth take vpon hym that which belongeth to God alone and therefore sytting in the Church of Christ which is the temple of God he boasteth him selfe as though he were God and sheweth hym selfe to be that man of synne that saynt Paule speaketh of He taketh vpon him also to forgeue syns which none can do but God onely In his Buls of Iubilie these wordes are insert A pena a culpa that is from the payne due to the fault and from the fault also So that he acquiteth and dischargeth the synner of the fault of hys sinne and maketh him as innocent as if he had neuer cōmitted synne And herein hee maketh hym selfe equall or rather superiour to God him selfe for no Inferiour can pardon the trespasse that is committed against his Superiour If any subiect should presume to pardon the treason that is cōmitted against his Prince what could that Prince thinke of that Subiect otherwyse then of one that taketh him selfe to be of greater authority then hys Prince or at the least of as great authoritye By these two practises therfore the Pope maketh him self knowen to as many as wyll know hym to be that Antichrist whom S. Paul calleth the man of synne And so by good consequence whosoeuer is a right Papist is most vnmeete to rule amongest Christians You therfore to whom it belongeth to geue voyces in this election looke wel to the religion of him whom you chuse if any be a Papist so hate him as God hated Esau and Dauids elder brethren that you refuse hym and chuse hym not to
A Sermon made in the Chappel at the Gylde Halle in London the .xxix. day of September 1574. before the Lord Maior and the whole state of the Citie then assembled for the chusing of their Maior that shuld then succede in the gouernmēt of the same Citie Coneionatore Roberto Croleo ¶ Perused and licenced according to the Quoenes Maiesties Iniunction ¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Awdeley 1575 TO THE RIGHT honorable sir Iames Hawes Knight Lord Maior of the Citie of London and to his worshipful Brethren the Aldermen with the whole state of the same Citye Robert Crowley wisheth continuance in the feare of GOD. BEing by the Lord Maior that then was appointed to occupy the place of a better in your Chappell at the Gilde hall on that day wherin according to your yearely custome you were gathered together to make choyse of one to rule your Citie for the yeare then to come I dyd bende all my speeches to the instruction of as many of you as were to geue voyces in that Election and of him that was then to be elected And although I dyd not then so well lyke of myne owne doing that I could thinke it meete to be penned and published to the view of all that would reade it yet I perceiued afterward that manye amongest you were desirous to haue it in writing that it might remaine in memory and be a rule for you and your posteritie to follow in yout yearely Elections Being therefore requested by one that seemed to mee most desirous of this common commoditie to set downe in writyng that which I had then spoken I could not deny that so honest and reasonable a request But beyng then oppressed with manyfold exercises I differred the doing thereof almost to long euen tyll memorie began to be amazed when she should make report to my pen of those wordes which she not before wylled to retaine And then I began to feele that age cannot easely do that wherof youth maketh small accompt Yet notwythstandyng I caused my Memorie to searche out all her corners and to bring forth that which she foūd and so haue I penned as my Memorie telleth me almost the same wordes that I then spake and in the same order that I then did speake them And because I thought that thys instruction might serue as well for al other Elections as for that which then was in hand I thought good to adde an Appēdix wherein I haue applyed the whole matter of euery Election to be made of any that must serue in any publike calling either Ecclesiasticall or Ciuile If this my labour haue or shall do any good the praise thereof is due to God the doer of all that is wel done who first moued the myndes of your Rulers to thinke me meete to occupy that place at that tyme and my mynde to conceyue and vtter suche matter there and the minde of him that first moued mee to conceiue it in writing and the myndes of them that haue thought it meete to be imprinted To GOD therefore especially I do dedicate this my labour and generallye to all you whom he hath herein vsed as his instrumentes Beseeching his Maiestie to accept of that which hee hath made me able to do and to employ both it and mee to the commoditie of hys Church and you to take at hys hande the fruit of this my labour whom hee hath in this matter vsed as his instrumēt to instruct you how ye ought to deale not onely in this one yearelye election of your Maior but in all your other Elections also The Lord Iesus Christ whose Seruauntes we all do professe to be direct vs by his holy Spirite that in all our workes words and thoughtes we may seeke to set foorth the glorie of his and by him our heauenly Father To whom with the same his onely begotten sonne the holy spirit be al honor glory for euermore Amen Yours to commaund in the Lord Robert Crowley ¶ A Sermon made in the Chappel at the Gilde hall in London the .xxix. day of September in the yeare of our Lord God. 1574. before the Lord Maior and the whole state of the Citie then assembled for the chusing of their Maior that should then succéede in the gouernment of that Citie Concionatore Roberto Croleo IN the Psalme 139. it is written thus in the latter ende of the Psalme Do not I hate thē O Lord that hate thee And am not I greeued with them that rise vp against thee Yea I hate them right sore euen as though they were myne own enemies Try me O God and seeke the ground of my hart Proue mee and examyne my thoughtes Looke well if there be any way of wickednes in me and leade me in the way euerlasting That Psalme dearely beloued in our sauiour Christ in the latter end wherof these foure verses are written being in number .139 is one of those Psalmes which are by order appointed to be read this mornyng at the Mornyng prayer I haue thought good therfore to take a parcell thereof to entreate of as offered by order The Prophet Dauid doth in this Psalme shew him selfe to be myndfull of the maruelous and mercyful prouidence of God towardes al his creatures but especially towardes Man in whose creation preseruation and gouernment hee doth shew both his infinite wysedome and almighty power He sheweth hym selfe also to bee myndeful of the infinite and incomprehensible nature of God whych cānot be comprehended in heauen or earth or in any deepe places but fylleth all places and is fylled or comprehended of none He fylleth all and contayneth all and is not filled or contayned of any If I go vp into heauen sayth he thou art there if I go downe into hel thou art there to Yea if I shall take the winges of the morning that is if I shal make as much speede as mā can make to flee from thee and so flee into the vttermost parts of the sea euen there also thy hand shall leade me and thy right hand shall hold me Whether shall I go from thy spirit and whither shall I flee from thy presence He sheweth also how he estemeth of the deare friendes of God and on the contrary how he doth hate abhorre Gods enemies such as do hate and rise vp against God. Thus you haue hearde a briefe summe of this whole Psalme that is of the chiefe pointes cōtayned in this Psalme being in number .139 I do not entende at this time to entreate of all these thinges or of any one of them but to apply these foure verses which I haue nowe read being the last of this Psalme vnto this present Auditory and to the present occasiō of this assemble For I thinke it the duty of as many as shall occupye such places as this to apply all their speeches to their Auditories and to the occasions of their assembling Considering therefore that thys Auditory is assembled to chuse one to rule the rest I haue
had experience and is well able to gouerne beyng endued wyth all those giftes that must be vsed in gouernment If he haue gouerned hym selfe and hys own familye well then is hee the meeter to rule other But if this be not in hym then is hee altogether vnmeete to be chosen to publike gouernment It is also requisite that he haue in him the feare of God in such sort as I haue declared Not that feare that is ioyned wyth hatred but that which is matched with loue So that he doth feare God because he loueth him and doth loue him because hee feareth hym and wyth a reuerend and louing feare seeketh to do the wyll of God. Moreouer he must be a true mā no false no subtile or crafty dealer but suche one as dealeth trulye in word and deede And to conclude he must euen from his very hart hate that pestilent roote couetousnes And thus much for that which I thought meete to speake touching that which is to be done by thē that haue to geue voyces in thys election Now as touching him that shal be chosen he must looke vpon the example of Dauid to follow it He sayth Do not I hate them O Lord that hate rhee And am not I greeued with them that ryse vp against thee Yea I hate them and that right sore euen as though they were myne own enemies Try me O God and seeke the ground of my hart proue me and examine my thoughtes Looke well if there be any way of wickednes in me and leade me in the way euerlasting Thys example of the Prophet Dauid doth teach hym that shall be chosen especially two lessōs wher of the one is how he must be affected towardes them that hate the Lord and rise vp against him and the other is what he should continually craue at Gods hand in hys harty and earnest prayers to God. For the first he saith Do not I hate them that hate thee c. And for the other he saith Try me O God and seeke the ground of myne hart c. In the scriptures they are sayd to hate the Lord that geue anye part of his honor to any creatures as in that commaundement wherin the Lord forbiddeth idolatry he sayth thus I wyll visit the syns of the Fathers vpon the children to the third and fourth generation in them that hate me c. where they that breake that commaundement either in making or worshipping of any Image are sayd to hate God because they put that image in the place of God and geue that honour to it whych is due to God. The Prophet Dauid also calleth suche synners when in the fiftith Psalme hee sayth thus The Lord sayd vnto the sinner why takest thou my testament in thy mouth seing thou hatest to be reformed and thou hast cast my word behinde thee Thou sawest a theefe and thou rannest with him and with the adulterer thou dyddest cast in thy lot c. These be they that hate the Lord because they haue euen sold them selues to serue sinne and must therefore needes hate him against whom they commit synne The example of the Prophet Dauid therefore doth teach him that shal be chosen to beare rule to hate all such maner of men as these be that is that do geue them selues to serue synne and wyll not be reformed by any maner admonition or fatherly chasticement He must hate them therfore not with such hatred as I haue spoken of that is to refuse them in elections but with perfect hatred euen as though they were his own enemies That is euen as by the corruption of our own nature we are moued to hate them that bee our enemies for by the rule of our Religion we are taught to loue our enemies In that they be the enemies of God therfore we must hate them so far forth as they be so but theyr persons we must not hate He therfore that shal beare rule must so hate them that hate the Lord in such sort as I haue sayd that hee vse the swoord that God hath geuen him in punishing their wickednesses For as saynt Paule writeth to the Romanes he is Gods Reuenger And he must doo this earnestly and diligently Least he come wythin the reatche of thys cursse Curssed is euery one that doth the worke of God negligently In his praiers to God the Prophet Dauid craued especiallye two thinges wherof one was that he might be throughly tryed and the other that the Lord would leade him in the way euerlasting He therfore that shall be chosen must in his prayers beg the same with desire to be purged of all euil that he may be lead by the good spirit of God all the dayes of thys his transitory lyfe and in the ende thereof into that lyfe that neuer shall haue ende Try me O God sayth the Prophet and seeke out the ground of my hart c. In these wordes the Prophet sheweth hym selfe to bee wylling to walke before the Lord hys God and to haue his waies knowen vnto him It is not inough for vs to know that the Lord knoweth our waies but we must be desirous that the Lord would haue such regard vnto our wayes that he suffer vs not to walke in anye way of wickednes but that he doo by such meanes as may please him bring vs to the way euerlasting leade vs therein by his holy spirit that is in that way the end wherof is euerlasting lyfe and that we may continually walke in that way all the dayes of this our transitory lyfe and so in the ende thereof finde euerlasting lyfe He that shal be chosen therefore must learne by the example of Dauid to craue this at the handes of God and so shall he bee alwayes carefull to walke in the Lordes wayes that when the Lord shall try him there be no way of wickednes found in hym In that the Prophet desireth to be lead in the euerlastyng way he confesseth that of him self he is not able to walke therein This lesson therefore is to bee learned of hym especially that now is to be chosē and of all other generallye that none is able of hym selfe to walke in this euerlasting way but al that shall walke therin must be lead by Gods holy spirit by whom who so is lead is vndoubtedly the chylde of god Let vs therefore all pray continually that we may be lead by that spirit euermore that our lyfe being acceptable to him we maye after the same shall bee ended bee happy with him for euer Thus as the shortnes of the time would suffer as God hath made me able I haue by occasiō of those wordes which at the beginnyng I read out of the Psalme 139. noted those things that I thought meete to be noted in this Auditory and to be applied to the present occasion of our assembling at this tyme. The Lord for his mercies sake so woorke in all our hartes by hys holy spirit
them to whom it belongeth to elect or admit anye to serue in the common wealth in any publicke callyng The persons that shal be elected or admitted must first consider in them selues whether they be such in deede as they be supposed to be and whether those qualities be in them that be required in those persons that should supply such places as they be called or admitted vnto And if they shall not fynde them selues to be such or that the qualities required be not in them then must they if they wyll not prouoke the heauye wrath of God agaynst them selues either seeke by earnest and continuall praiers to God and by all other meanes to bee made such and to obtaine those qualities that they lacke or els vtterly refuse to take vpon them to supply a place for which they knowe them selues to be so vnmeete And if when they haue examined them selues they shall fynde that they bee in all poyntes meete for the places that they bee chosen or admitted to they must in the feare of God consider what dutye thei haue to do in these places and consecrate them selues to bee occupied continually in doing those duties and not onely begge at Gods hand his holy spirite to direct and strengthen thē therin but earnestly desire that all the people amongest whom they are appointed to serue doo in all their prayers commende them to God wythout whose conduct ayde they cannot bee able to discharge any part of their duty And according to the example of the Prophet Dauid these men must hate all them that hate the Lord that is all such as geue ouer them selues to serue syn For those persons do loue synne and none can loue syn but the same must needes hate the Lord who hateth synne With such hatred therfore as the Lord hateth syn and such sinners the Prophet hated them that in his daies were suche synners and therfore hated the lord And euerye one that is elected or admitted to serue in anye publike place must in lyke maner hate all them that he shall see to be such synners If his calling be Ecclesiasticall he must reprehend rebuke and enstruct them And if that wyll not helpe he must lay before them the horrible threatnynges of Gods wrath against them And thys he must do as Dauid dyd without any feare fauour hatred or other fleshly respect that they might bee moued to haue towards their persons They must alwaies haue in mynde whose ministers they be whose worke it is that they haue in hand And they must neuer forget that who so doth the Lordes worke negligently is accurssed of the Lord. More ouer they must styll beare in mynde the woordes which the Lord spake to Ezechiel the Prophet saying thus Take good heede to the wordes of my mouth and geue them warning at my commaundement If I say vnto thee concernyng the vngodly man that without doubt he must dye and thou geuest him no warning nor speakest vnto hym that hee maye turne from his euyll waye and so lyue then shall the same vngodly man dye in his own vnrighteousnes but his bloud wyl I require of thine hand Yea he must alwaies be myndfull of the wordes of Paule to Timothie where he saith thus A Bishop that is a Church Minister must be without fault c. And of the wordes of the same Apostle to the Elders of Ephesus when hee sayth thus Take heede to your selues and to the whole flocke wherein the holye Ghost hath appointed you to bee ouersears to gouerne the Church of God which hee hath bought with his owne bloud And aboue all thinges he must take heede of that pestilent roote couetousnes whych if it doo once take hold in his hart it wyll bryng forth such fruit as wyl turne al the wholsome wyne of hys good doctrine to most pernicious poyson For he shall neuer be satisfied with liuing Yea though he haue a great deale to much wyth more charge then many more able then hee can be able to discharge yet wyl he stil desire more for that desire of more can neuer saye inough but styll it cryeth for more Out of this pestilent roote sprang all the Popes Dispensations hys Vnions his Pluralities hys Trialities and his Totquots His dispensation of Non residens his Impropriations and what soeuer els hath bene deuised for the augmenting of the lyuing of his Prelates The Minister of Christes church therefore must neuer forget these wordes which Paule wrote to Timothe Thou man of God flee from these thinges and followe thou righteousnes faith loue pacience and meekenes And he must print in memorye the wordes of Christ which saith First seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof and all these thinges shall be ministred vnto you To conclude he must haue written in his hart the words of Christ to Peter whych are theese Peter doest thou loue me Feede my lambes feede my sheepe feede my sheepe And the wordes of the same Peter to al his fellow Elders which are these Feede the flocke of Christ as much as lyeth in you takyng the ouersyght of them not as compelled thereto but wyllingly after a godly sort not for the desire of filthye lucre but of a good mynde not as though ye were Lordes ouer the Parishes but that ye be an ensample to the flock and that with good wyll c. But if his callyng be Ciuile hee must vse the swoorde in punishyng synne accordyng to the lawes of his Countrye remembring alway that hee is appointed by God hymselfe to be the reuenger of his quarell vpon earth And therefore hee must euer be myndfull of the cursse that Ieremie hath pronounced against all that woorke the Lordes woorke negligently He must also be myndfull of the wordes of Esay which sayth of the Rulers of Ierusalem in this wyse Thy Princes are the companions of theeues for they loue brybes and they hunt after rewards And the consideration of these wordes must moue him to hate all maner of briberye and bribers as haters of God. Moreouer hee must not forget the wordes of Moses who sayth thus Bribes do blynde the eyes of the wyse and peruert the sentence of the ryghteous And in iudgement he must neither feare the face of the mightye nor pity the case of the myserable for iudgement is the Lordes Thus muche I haue thought meete to adde in order of Appendix to that Sermō which I made the .29 of Septēber .1574 as afore in the title Beseching the almighty in mercy towards his Church to moue the mindes of his reuengers vpon earth that they maye bende them selues in al that they are able to reforme first in them selues and after in all other all maner of corruptiōs in elections both of church Ministers of ciuill officers also So maye we hope to see all corruption banished out of all maner ministration and Gods glory aduaunced therby which he graūt for his mercies sake to whom be all honour and glory for euer Amen Psal 139 Mala. 1. 1. Reg. 16. Deut. 17 Psal 82. Roma 13. Iohn 10. 2. Thes 2 Prouer. 8 Psal 75. Exod. 18. Psal 111. Ecclesi 2. 1. Iohn 4. Prou. 10. Luke 12. Eccle. 10. Ephesi 5. Tim. 6. Ecclesi 2. Exod. 20. Psal 50. Math. 5. Roma 13. Ierem. 48 2. Cor. 3. Roma 8. Actes 1. Deut. 18. Exod. 17. Ezechi 3. 1. Timo. 6 Math. 6. Iohn 21. 1. Peter 5. Roma 13. Ierem. 48 Esay 1. Deut. 16. Exod. 23. ⧠Imprinted at London by Iohn Awdeley dwellyng in little Brittaine streete without Aldersgate 1575 The .7 day of Ianuary