first pay sixe shyllinges for the chimney none permitted to eate sundry kindes of meates but first he must fine for them none to kill a Fowle but first sticke vp a fether to giue warning for the Impost so that the farmer of the Butcherie Poultrie receiued dayly the summe of three hundred Duckets None fared the better because he bare the name of a Catholick Religion was not the thing which the hungry Souldiers respected Protestant or Papist if he were rich and had a fleece all was one The Israelites found them selues greeued that Samuels children receiued some thinges of them But by Samuels answere it may appeare that the receiptes of his sonnes were nothing to those infinite taxes oppressions which a Tyrant should bring vpon them It was well sayd of the Poet Temporibus diris igitur iussuque Neronis LonginuÌ„ magnos Senecae praediuitis hortos clausit et egregias Lateranorum obsidet aedes tota cohors c. In bloody times and in rage of Nero the tyrant Longinus great substance gardens of Seneca buildinges of Laterans serue for fit spoylinges for the men armed Quintus Aurilius when he hauing a faire house in Alba was drawen to execution in the tyrannie of Sylla cryed out O house at Alba thou wast the cause of my death In ciuill vprores and in inuasions of strangers no man can chalenge any priuiledge for his integritie or profession Be they Catholiques in name as are now the Romanistes or Catholiques in deede as are true faythful Christians be they Ministers be they Marchants be they Recusants be they Reformers if they be wealthy haue any thing to loose all is one The most fearefull punishment of all is that which Samuel doth warne them off that when the Lord shal lay oppression and bondage vpon them as a plague for their discontentment they shall cry vnto the Lord for helpe and not be heard Ye shall cry out sayth he at that day because of the King which you haue chosen to your selues and the Lord at that day will not hearken vnto you There are three especiall dueties required in all good Subiectes in any established Common-wealth whereof euery one is wanting in these inconstant Israelites The first is in hart to be loyall to the supreame Gouernour Curse not the King sayth the Wise man no not in thy hart least the birdes of the ayre doe cary the voyce and the fethered fowles bewray thee Whatsoeuer is amisse in superiour powers seeing that as Salomon witnesseth The hart of the King is in the hand of the Lord it is the part of vs that are inferiors to pray to God to renew and guyde their hartes with his principal spirit but in the meane time in no case either to take vp or moue against them or once in hart to wish for the subuertion of their estate When Nero Caligula or such Heathen tyrantes possessed the Scepter and Empire yet did the Apostles of Christ Exhort euery soule to be subiect to them and all prayers and supplications to be made to God for them Pray for the life of Nabuchadnezzar king of Babilon and for Baltasar his sonne that their dayes vpon earth may be as the dayes of heauen that ye may long do them seruice and finde fauour in their sight The second duetie of a faythful Subiect is in the ordering of his life to abandon sinne and iniquitie for as Salomon declareth For the iniquitie of the people the Prince is often changed These Israelites say That they haue added this desiring of a King to all their other wickednesse as their owne conscience accusing them of many other enormities Looke how odious the name traytor is to the eares and so greeuous in deede should sinne be to the soule and spirite for whosoeuer doe by heaping sinne vpon sinne draw downe a vengeance vpon the place where they inhabite are by the sentence of the Wise man found guyltie of high treason against Prince and Countrey There is sayth the Prophet no trueth no mercie no knowledge of God in the land but by swearing lying murdering stealing whooring they breake out and blood toucheth blood therefore shall the land mourne and the inhabitants thereof shall vtterly be destroyed The third duetie is in tongue also to carrie him selfe loyall and duetifull The Law of God is Thou shalt not rayle vpon the Iudgeâ— neither speake euill of the Ruler of the people The olde Israelites were some sâ—â—aen with Leprosies some destroyed with Pestilence with fierie Serpents many fearefull kindes of death because they murmured against the Lords annoynted These Israelites here do tread in their steps when because Iabesh Gilead their citte was in great distresse do therefore impute the fault to the gouernment vnder Samuel Such is the wickednesse of many in our age which because some troubles dearth and scarcity are for a time befallen vnto doe therefore murmure either against the Worde now preached or the Gouernment now established whereas in deede the occasion ought chiefly to be ascribed to their owne vngodly lyues and to there wilfull disobedience against the lawes both of God and Soueraine O saith God by the psalmist that my people would haue harkened vnto my voyce For if Israel would haue walked in my wayes I should soone haue humbled their enemies turned my hand against their aduersaries I should haue fed them with the flower of Wheate with Honey out of the stony Rocke would I haue satisfied them When the Iewes as it is in Ieremie cryed out that thinges were not so cheape and plentifull amongst them since they gaue ouer baking cakes to the Queene of heauen as they were before when they worshypped the hoast of the Skies where I pray you was then y e fault Not in the worde taught by Ieremie but in the want of due obedience in the people to the voyce of God vttered by the Prophet Euen so in these our dayes the cause of the dearth and scarcitie which doth remaine amongst vs is not in the worde now preached or the lawes now confirmed but in the disobedience of the people both to the one and to the other As not to vse many instances the Worde of God and the Statutes of our most gracious Soueraigne do condemne pride and excesse as well in apparrell as diet with all vnthriftie gaming and prodigalitie of life Now where there is no regarde to auoyde these sinnes but that so many runne wilfully headlong to exceede their calling and to liue at a greater rate then their maynteinance doth extende vnto How is it possible but that thereby many must needes be brought to great distresse want and penurie A late writer speaking of a dearth in Germanie did yeelde this as the cause therof Omnes ferè per Germaniam principes egent propter luxum et vanitateÌ„ quibus dediti plurima invtiliter absumunt Vide sue enim vt multa scurris
but are the ministers of God to take vengeance of euill doers The second cause why these people desire to shake off the gouernment of Samuel was because his sonnes ruling in his steed did receiue bribes and peruert iudgement Samuel doeth in this twelfth Chapter expostulate this matter at large with them is cleared sufficiently in the conscience testimonie of them all The iniquities which his sonnes committed were not because he did not prescribe good wayes vnto them but because they did not walke in the wayes and steps of their father If a man haue but a small familie he shall yet be abused by some What then must wee thinke of those higher powers who haue so many vnder officers in so infinite places deriuing their authoritie from them Salomon when hee commaunded Ioab to bee put to death for those wilfull murders which hee had before committed saith that he did thē Patre suo Dauide inscio His father Dauid not knowing of it So herein Samuel his children and in all ages vnder Christian Princes many thinges are done by inferiour Magistrates which come not to the knowledge of superiour powers and whereof no fault is to be imputed to them seeing the offences proceede not of want of good and holsome lawes but for that there is not due obedience yeelded vnto them The thirde cause why they so greedily gape for alteration was because they distrusted in the power and prouidence of God They thought that the weakenesse of aged Samuel was not sufficient to deliuer them from the oppression of Nachash the Ammonite The punishment which God layde vpon their distrustfull forefathers might haue been a sufficient warning to them to haue shewed them the greeuousnesse and horror of this sinne When Moses had sent of euery Tribe one to view the land of Canaan amongst whom were Iosua of the tribe of Ephraim and Caleb of the tribe of Iuda at their returne many of them gaue great reportes of the power and strength of the Canaanites that they were mightie men like Giants and the sonnes of Enachim and that the Israelites were but as Grashoppers in respect of them The people began by and by to murmure dispayre and to prepare a returne into Aegypt Iosua and Caleb did what they could to encourage the people bidding them not to feare for say they they are but bread for vs the Shield is departed from them the Lord is on our side But the Israelites were so farre from receiuing comfort that they cried out one to an other to fling stones agaynst their comforters This distrusting minde did so highly displease God that they were cut off and destroyed with many feareful plagues so that of aboue sixe hundred thousande of them there came but two into the land of Promise The Lord had let that people see by sundry ensamples that there is no power so small but that hee is able sufficiently to strengthen it against the enemies of his trueth Abraham hauing but three hundred and eighteene men ouerthrewe the power of fiue Kings Samson with a iawe bone slew a thousand Sisera the captaine of the hoste of Iabin king of Canaan was of great strength he had .900 charets of yron yet was he slaine at the last by the hande of a silly woman And to Samuel though he were old yet y e Lord gaue him power to his dying day to subdue and keepe vnder the haughty Philistines By this cōtinual experience of y e power of God they might haue euidently seene that there is no strength so feeble but God can plentifully inable it for the fighting of the Lordes battayles and thereupon they should haue gathered courage and comfort not with such wretchlesse vnthankfulnesse started backe from the lyuing God What a most ingratefull part was this when Samuel had so long time propounded vnto them the heauenly trueth of God and for the space of aboue .xxvii. yeeres as a most carefull Magistrate defended them from all inuasions oppressions now in olde age to forsake him as weery of his gouernment to desire a King to be placed ouer them These Israelites do deale with Samuel as afterward the subiectes of Dauid did with their king at the time of the rebellion of Absolom Dauid had then reigned .xxx. yeeres therefore was about lx yeeres of age for he was about .xxx. yeeres olde at the death of Saul How his people did cary them selues in Absoloms conspiracie he declareth him selfe in his .3 Psalme wherin he complaineth that in that his time of neede he found many so to become his enemies that in most despitefull maner they obiected vnto him that there was no helpe for him in his God But these vnfaythful Subiectes were like vnto the Swallowes which tary with vs in the Spring and Sommer but in the colde of Winter doe wholly forsake vs they were like the Doues which sit vpon the house in fayre weather but if once a storme do come they are presently gone or rather they were like that currish kind of lazy Dogges that will fawne vpon their maisters by the fiers side but if they see him goe abrode in foule weather they are content to let him goe a lone or like vnto cursed Vipers seeing that as much as in them lyed they sought to rent the bowels of him of whom next vnder God they had their beeing their strength wealth and whatsoeuer they possessed The sinne of many in these our dayes is by manie degrees more haynous and detestable then was the offence of the Israelites in the dayes either of Dauid or of Samuel They desired an exchange of their gouernour but yet they desired to haue a King erected out of the middest of their brethren according to the law in Deutronomie Out of thy brethren shalt thou appoynt thy selfe a King thou mayst not set ouer thee a stranger which is not thy brother How greeuously then do they offende which desire to haue brought in vpon their Prince a forraine power y e power of a Priest of Rome How horrible is their sinne if there be any such monster in nature that do gape for the inuasion of a forreine Prince to weaken or abrogate that authoritie which right and blood and the law hath placed ouer them What measure we should looke for of Strangers the dealinges of the Spaniards in the Low-countries may be a sufficient warning vnto vs. Their Nobles haue been murdered their auncient inhabitants spoyled or dryuch to flie their natiue soyle Their famous and flourishyng Cities so oppressed and dispeopled that the grasse doth grow in those streetes which haue bin heretofore by wealthy Citizens and Marchants so notably frequented and replenished Naples may likewise serue for instruction herein where when the Spaniards preuayled they were presently most miserably plagued with many new taxes tributes whereof before they neuer had mention No man could haue a fire but he must
continueth till she haue hatched her young detering all which time the Shipmen in the Sicilian Seas do feare no dangers of tempest This calme time this milde quiet and peaceable time the Lord hath graunted to vs not for a few dayes but for many happy yeeres togither We enioy that sweete blessing which was in Iurie and Israel in the time of Salomon To dwell safely euery man vnder his owne Vine and vnder his owne Figtree from Dan to Beersheba from one ende of the land to the other euen all the dayes of Salomon O that we were not become so drunkeÌ„ with this our prosperitie as to forget that good Lord which hath giuen this good Land vnto vs O that we were not like Ieshurun spoken of in Deutronomie like the Horse which being fat and well fedde fedde doth spurne and flinge against his keeper nourisher O that we were not lyke the vntamed Heyfar by reason of our long running in plentifull pastures to forget to cary the sweete yoke of obedience O that we coulde make true vse of all the benefites and blessinges of our heauenly Father that the louing kindnesse of God might leade vs to repentance that we could as Samuel speaketh heere to the Israelites Feare the Lord and serue him in trueth with all our hartes and consider what great thinges he hath done for vs that we coulde Prayse the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the woonders which he dayly doth for this realme of Englande Then shoulde the blessing of God still remayne vppon vs both vpon Prince and people Then should the Lord continue his mercies in going in and out with our Armies Then should the Lord eyther make our enemies become our friendes or throughly turne his hande against our aduersaries Then should there be amongst vs euery soule duetifully subiect to the higher powers Then should we in all distresses with contented mindes cast all our care on God for he careth for vs. Then should we in hart conceiue that assured confidence trust in the goodnesse of God that we should faythfully say with Dauid If the Lord be on our side we neede not care what man can do vnto vs. Then should the Lord long prosper and euen for euer preserue that happie Monarchie vnder which we are here so peaceably gouerned and graunt vs a Kingdome of euerlastyng peace in the worlde to come Which giftes graces the Lord of Lords and King of all Kinges vouchsafe to giue vnto vs for the merites of our sauiour Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost one true and euer-liuing God for all his inestimable benefites bestowed vpon vs be all honour glory thanksegeuing and prayse now for euer Amen FINIS 1. Sam. 11.12 Aug. de Ciuitate dei lib 18. Cap. 22 Iudg. 2.16.18 Iudg 8.22 Heb. 11.32 Iudg. 2.18 Iud 3 9. Nehe 9.27 Ioseph Antiq lib. 20. Cap. penult Ioseph Antiq lib. 14. cap. 10. Caluin institut lib. 4 cap. 20. sect 8. Tul. parad penult Iudg. 2.16 Psal 21.3 Prou. 8.15 Dan. 2.21 Iere. 27.6 Rom. 13.1 1. Pet. 2.13 Hieron epist 4. ad Rusticum Liu. lib. 6. Liu. lib. 22 〈…〉 lib. 6. 〈…〉 lib. 2. 〈…〉 lib. 6. Homer Psal 22 3. Psal 2 6. â— Sam. 13 11 â— Sam. 15 9. â— Sam. 22 18 â—ob 1.15 17 21. Act. 2.23 Iud. 2.18 1. Sam 7 41. â— Sam. 13 2. â— Sam. 11 7. Act. 13.21 1. Sam. 7 13 1. Sam. 8 5.20 â—oh 12 42.1 Math. 10 17. Math. 26 47 â—7 â—oh 18 31. Deut. 17 7. Act. 7 58. Act. 8 3. Act. 9 1. Act. 24.6 â— Sam. 8.20 Aug. contra Fastum Manichaeum lib. 22 cap. 75. Num. 13.3 Iosu 11. Iosu 6 6. Iudg. 4 4. 1. Sam. 3 20 1. Chro. 13. 1. Chro. 23 4. Psal 132.5 1. Reg. 2 35. 2. Chro. 8 14. 2. Chro. 14. 2. Chro. 15.13 16. 2. Chro. 20.3 2. Chro. 17 8. 2. Chro. 19.8 2. Chro. 29.1 2. Chro. 31.4 2. Reg. 23.4 1. Pet. 2.13 Rom. 13 4. Rom. 3 4. 1. Sam. 8 3 1. Sam. 2 3 4. 1. Sam. 8 2. 1 Reg 2 22 1. Sam. 8 1. Num. 13 3. NuÌ„ 13 34. Num. 14.2 9. Psal 78 18. Num. 26 64. Gen. 14 14 Iudg. 15 19. Iudg 4 13. 22. 1. Sam. 7 13. 1. Sam. 3 20 Psal 3.1 Deut. 17.15 1. SaÌ„ 8 3.11 Iuuenal satyr 10. 1. Sam. 8.18 Eccl. 10.20 Pro 21.1 Rom. 3.1 1. Tim. 2.2 Baruch 1 11 Pro. 28 2. Hose 4 1. Exod 22 28 〈◊〉 12.2 〈◊〉 21 6. 1. Sam. 12.2 Psal 81.13 Ier. 44.17 Hulric Hutten in aula Leuit. 26.19 Gen. 12.10 Gen. 26.2 Gen. 45.2 Gen 6.15 Gen. 7.11 Gen. 8.13 1. Sam. 12.24 1. Cro. 14.15 Lucian in votis Aristoph in ambus Plin. lib. 10 cap. 32. Plant. in paenulo 1. Reg 4.25 Deut. 8.14 Deut 32 15. Ier. 31.18 Rom. 2 4. 1. Sam. 12.24 Psal 107.8 2. Sam. 12.14 Pro. 16.7 Psal 8.13 Rom. 13.1 1. Pet. 5.7 Psal 118.6 Psam 21.4
THE DANGER OF Discontentment Intreated of in a Sermon preached at Crow-hurst in Surrey the ninth of Iuly 1598. By Simon Harward Imprinted at London by W.W. for R. Iohnes 1. Ian. 1599. TO THE RIGHT VVorshipfull M. Edmunde Bowyer Esquire and M. Iohn Bowyer his brother mercie and peace be multiplyed in Christ Iesus FOr as much as some yeeres since Right Worshipfull it pleased you so courteously to accept that Sermon which at your request I then published as concerning The fruites of our repentaunce towardes God Wherein Dauid Psal 1. doth place The chiefest blessednesse and felicitie of man I haue thought good to adde thereunto this Sermon which I made at the same Church where you and others Iustices Gentlemen were assembled on the ninth of Iuly last past vpon a part of the first Lesson by the order of our Church appoynted for that Sabboth as concerning that duetifull contentment of minde which as good subiects we owe all to our Prince and Countrey that as in the first we are put in remembrance of our duetie towards the Lord of Lords and Prince of Princes so in this other as well we which vttered and heard it as others into whose handes it shall come to be read may be admonished of those loyall affections which we ought continually to beare to our most gracious Soueraigne and our established Common-wealth As I am well assured that these affections are and haue alwayes bin throughly setled in your faythfull hartes so I doubt not but ye are also as fully desirous that by this slender labour and by all meanes possible others may be allured drawen to the like disposition Thus hoping that you will as louingly accept the reading and publishyng as you haue already done the hearing I commit this my short Discourse to your Worshippes and you and it to the blessing of the Almightie From Tondridge this .xij. of Iuly 1598. Your Worships assured in the Lord Simon Harward 1. Sam. 12.19 VVe haue added a vvickednesse to all our other sinnes in asking vs a King WHen Nachash the King of the Ammonites Right Worshipfull and beloued in Christ had now brought the inhabitantes of Iabesh Gilead into so greate distresse that onely vpon seauen dayes respite they were to yeelde vp their Citie into the enemies handes vpon a very hard condition which was that euery one of the Citizens should haue his right eye plucked out The people of Israel partly because they saw Samuel their Iudge to be olde and feeble and partly because they perceiued the sonnes of Samuel Ioel and Abiah though ruling in the place and stead of their Father yet not walking in the wayes and steps of their Father as dispayring to haue any ayde or deliuerance by their Iudges in which state of gouernment God had for many yeeres so happily preserued them They come with one consent to their Iudge and desire that they may haue a King Samuel when he had vsed many meanes and many forcible argumentes to disswade them from this their malcontented and dispayring minde and seeing euidently that no perswasions could take any place in their wilfull hartes doth now at the last call vpon the Lord in the time of Wheate-haruest for a sodaine and miraculous thunder and storme of raine that thereby as it were by an other voyce of God the people might be further certified both how greeuously they had offended and how for their offence the Lorde was highly displeased with them When the Israelites saw apparantly that Samuel had no sooner called vnto the Lord for that thunder and raine but that presently his request was heard and that in terrible manner in the sight and hearing of the whole people they were astonished and being wonderfully striken with sodaine feare They desire Samuel to pray to the Lord for them that they die not adding these wordes which now I haue read as a reason of their petition and a confession of their desart For say they we haue sinned besides all our other sinnes in asking vs a King What this offence was which the Prophet doth seeke so many wayes to lay open vnto them it shall the better appeare if we consider these two especiall obseruations First the mightie prouidence and infinite goodnesse of God extended towardes that people so many yeeres together during the tyme of the gouernment of the Iudges And secondly how small weake the occasions were for the which they desire to shake off that blessed gouernment as also on the other side what great and waighty causes they had to haue bin contented with that estate wherein God had so long and so miraculously protected them How long the people had liued deliuered defended and gouerned by Iudges S. Augustine doth record it in his .18 booke de Ciuitate Dei where he affirmeth that at that time wherein Rome was buylt which was by Romulus in the time of Iosias king of Iuda the Hebrewes had bin seauen hundred and eighteene yeeres in the land of Canaan whereof sayth he seauen twentie appertaine to Iosua three hundred twentie and nine to the Iudges and three hundred sixtie and two to the Kinges where he maketh three seuerall estates of Gouernment vnder which it pleased God that his people Israel should liue The first was vnder Dukes as in the dayes of Moses and Iosua The second was by Iudges which differed from Iosua for he was appoynted a gouernour in the time of prosperitie when Sehon the King of the Amorits and Ogge the King of Basan were ouerthrowne and vanquished but the Iudges were first inaugurated and inuested into their callinges in some great distresses by the affecting of some notable deliuerance Neither were they like the Dictators aduaunced amongst the Heathen for they were chosen by the voyces of men but these by the voyce of God him selfe They were chosen out of men of greatest accompt and best furnished for the vndergoing of such a charge but these were raysed vp miraculously out of the inferiour sort and lowest degrees of people and inabled extraordinarily by the gyftes and presence of the Almightie as it is sayd in the second Chapter of the Iudges The Lord raysed vp Iudges which deliuered them out of the handes of their oppressours And when the Lord did raise vp any Iudges the Lord as it is sayd there was with that Iudge and did deliuer the people out of the handes of the enemies all the dayes of that Iudges life There were also many differences betwixt them and the Kinges which folowed In the Kinges succession of blood tooke place in the Iudges it tooke no place The Kings had a greater authoritie in ruling and commaunding then the Iudges would chalenge The affayres hauing good successe against the Madianites the people offered to Gedeon that he should Reigne as king ouer them But Gedeon answered Neither will I reigne ouer you neyther shall my childe reigne ouer you but the Lord shall still raigne ouer you The Kinges were some of
Dictator And when Hannibal pressed the Romains Ad dictatorem dicendum remedium iamdiu desideratū ciuitas confugit The Citie went to the choosing and pronouncing of the Dictator which was the remedie they long expected Because as in an other place he writeth Dictatoris edictum pro numine semper obseruatum est The commaundement and proclamation of the Dictator was esteemed to be as the voyce of God there was no appealing from him Agedum dictatorem à quo prouecatio non est creemus Come sayd the Consull Appius let vs make a Dictator from whom it shall not be lawfull for any man to appeale Tantus erat Dictatoris terror apud hostes vt eo creato statim à moenibus discesserint So great was the terrour of the Dictator euen amongst the enemies that as sone as he was created they raised their siege and departed Wherby appeareth playnely that the ancient Romains as wel in warre as in peace founde this as a sure anchor holde against all seditions and dangers to enioy one such a Magistrate as from whom there should be no appeale and whose authoritie should possesse as it were the roome of God vpon the earth The Carians were once a wealthy and flourishing people but by seditions which came by the hauing of many heads gouernours they were brought to ruine and vtter desolation wherevpon there arose a prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multi duces disperdidere Cariam Too many Guydes vndid the countey Caria When many Souldiers were mutinous prudent Vlysses did represse them with these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multos imperitare malum est rex vnicus esto Tis not good too many to rule let onely be one King Which verse as Aemilius Probus doth testifie Dion did also vse when Heraclides began his faction Thirdly the gouernement of one Monarch doth seeme to resemble most liuely the image of Gods power maiestie For as in the firmament the Sunne Moone and Starres do as it were represent some image of the glory of the Eternall So the rule of Monarches in their seuerall kingdomes vpon earth doth call to our considerations the gouernment and high maiestie of the omnipotent God And most certainly at this time of the alteration of the estate of the Iewish common-wealth the wil and purpose of God is in his seruant king Dauid to erect an Image type of the kingdome of Christ But here may some say If the will of God were now in Dauid and his posteritie to set foorth a figure of the kingdom of Christ how can the Israelites be said to sinne so great a sinne in asking a king when they asked onely that which was determined in the purpose of God Why doeth the Lorde so punish their request in sending them so wicked a king as was Saul who besides his often and wilfull difobedience against the cōmandement of God did most cruelly murder the priests of God causing to bee slaine at one time fourescore and fiue which ware the linnen Ephod if in desiring a king their will did concurre with the will of God Yee are heere to obserue that the Israelites had no respect to the purpose of God but onely they shewed foorth the fruites of despairing and malcontented affections In the spoile of the goods of Iob the Caldeans and Sabeans had no regarde to the will and purpose of God which was most iust and holy to examine sharply one of his seruants and to make him a schoolemaster of patience to all posteritie their desire was onely iniuriously to enrich themselues with the spoyle of Iob. In the death of our sauiour Christ the high Priestes Scribes Pharises had no respect to the will of God which was most mercifull and iust by that all sufficient raunsome for sinne to saue all beleeuers their intent was onely to bee reuenged of him whom they hated with deadly malice Euen so these Israelites haue no desire here to obey the secret decree of God in the kingdome of Dauid and of his ofspring to set out a resemblance of the kingdome of Christ but onely their purpose is with a desperat discontentment to shake off the gouernment of their good iudges Samuel contrary to the reuealed wil of God which had before decreed that Whosoeuer was approued to be raised vp of God for their deliuerer he should afterward iudge Israel all the dayes of his life And therefore they worthily receiue a punishment of their obstinate disobedience against the expresse commandement of God And yet notwithstanding this historie doeth shew vs that the appointment of God was performed in Samuel who is said To haue iudged Israel all the dayes of his life Seuen and twentie yeeres and seuen moneths hee had iudged when Saul beganne to reigne Two yeeres was Saul king for although he liued aboue twelue yeeres after that hee was elected king yet forasmuch as in the second yeere hee was denounced to bee reiected of God his kingdome is named to be but of two yeres in continuance And during that time also y e authoritie of Samuel is not abolished for euen in these affaires against Nachash the Ammonite a punishment was in a publique Proclamation threatened against euery one which would not followe Saul and Samuel although in the Actes of the Apostles because the kingdome is the more excellent state of gouernment the whole fourtie yeeres be attributed to Saul as the greater power and maiestie swallowing vp the lesse As concerning the miraculous prouidence of God extended towardes the Israelites during the time that Samuel was their Iudge there neede no further testimonies but that onely place in the seuenth chapter of this booke wher it is sayd That the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the dayes of Samuel The Philistines were the deadliest and fiercest enemies that euer molested the Israelits Seeing then that God ouerthrew their cruellest mightiest enemies that not once or twice but euen al the dayes of Samuel what a wretched ingratitude was this that because a few aduersaries had gotten aduantage against one of their Cities they should therfor vnthankfully shake off that happie gouernment vnder which God had graunted them so many triumphant victories But what were the causes of this their vnkind froward desire of alteration First they would be liked to other nations rounde about them as they say Make vs a King to gouerne vs like all other nations And afterward againe We will be like all other Countries a King shall iudge vs and goe out before vs and fight our battayles Forraine gouernementes although they be in them selues most excellent as no doubt those were which were established vnder kings are not to be drawen as ensamples to other nations wherein another estate of gouernment hath alreadie taken place Wee cannot affirme that because this or that is nowe done in the common wealth of Geneua or because this or that
ludionibus mimis parasitis ac musicis largiuntur Vides ne vt in aulis noctu diuque edatur et bibatur vt pauimenta vino madeant vt plus ebrij isti profundant quà m ingurgitent plus ingurgitent quà m ferre possint Tum ad aemulationem quoque dantur vestes atque is est principum tumor vt quanto magis egent tanto minus egere videri velint et idcirco nihil de pompa nihil de apparatibus remittūt What want we haue must be imputed to our owne abuse of Gods blessinges when for the prodigall wasting of them God doth shorten them make the heauen as iron and the earth as brasse It must be laide vpon our haughtie disobedience of the Law and not vpon such decrees statutes and proclamations whereby the said abuses haue bin so often and so iustly prohibited And yet if we would duely call to minde how wonderfully people are now multiplyed in euery part of this our realme of England by reason that although by warre we haue somtime lost some men by plagues also the Lord hath eftsoones corrected vs gently and as it were shaken the rod at vs and beaten vs with a soft hand yet we haue had no such ciuill warres and vniuersall plagues of Pestilence Sweates or other consuming diseases which heretofore haue made waste ouer our whole land if I say we would duely consider the great increase of people now in respect of that they haue bin in times past and how notwithstanding the Lord of his bountifull goodnesse hath from yeere to yeere either mercifully prouided for vs within the land graunting vs sufficient not onely to susteine our selues but also to be helpfull and comfortable vnto others or els plentifully supplyed our necessities out of other countries sending vs though peraduenture not so much as we haue desired yet infinite times more then we haue deserued we should rather be enforced to admire and reuerence the great mercies of God then with vnthankfull mindes to repine and grudge against him Abraham was compelled by famine to flie out of Canaan into Egypt Isaak dryuen to flie to Abimilec king of the Philistines and to dwell in Gerar. Iacob forced to sende his Familie and Asses againe and againe to buy Corne of Pharaoes seruants And although now through want of graine we haue in many places endured some punishment yet hath it been nothing so heauily layde on as heretofore it hath been vpon many of our forefathers In the yeere of our Lord God a thousand sixtie and nine men were constrayned to eate Cattes Dogges yea and mens fleshe in sundry partes of this land In the yeere one thousand three hundred and fifteene some did eate Horse-flesh some their owne children and in diuers places when Prisoners came to be committed which had any flesh vpon them they were welcommed with plucking in peeces and deuoured halfe aliue Of late time in the dayes of Queene Marie many yet can remember how many thousandes in this land for want of their accustomed corne were glad that they could feede vpon their bread of Ackornes But we although our people be now in a manner doubled or trebled aboue the number that were then yet the Lord of his euerlasting mercy doth still vouchsafe to continue his goodnesse towardes vs Whose prouidence in thus susteining vs is as mightie and powerfull and in a manner the very same that was in the time of the Flood in the Arke of Noah which though it were but a small vessell the length but three hundred Cubites the breadth but fiftie the deapth but thirtie yet did the Lord in the same for the space of about a whole yeere together for so long were they tossed vpon the waters prouide not for Noah onely and his family but also for all beastes birdes and creeping thinges two and two of euery kinde How was it possible to any iudgement of man that so small a vessell should conteine roome reliefe and succour for so many and that for the space of so large a time And how coulde it be that those beastes and birdes which do commonly one liue of the spoyle of an other should yet be all both wilde and tame togyther so long a time in the Arke and not one deuoure an other Heere the omnipotent power of God did wonderfully shew foorth it selfe God multiplyed their foode God helde his holy hand ouer them God preserued them one from praying vpon another and one from hurting an other And so miraculous in a maner hath been and is the prouidence of God to this our Realme of England It is but a small Arke but a handfull in respect of other nations it is with inhabiters mightily replenished yet the Lord not one yeere as in the Arke but from yeere to yeere and many yeeres hath fauourably preserued vs. And though there be many wylde beastes amongst which with malcontented mindes doe gape for an alteration that they may wreake their malice on the Sainctes of God which haue their willes inwardly proue and as it were the kniues in their handes ready drawen to cut the throates of Gods chyldren yet the Lord doth so with his power put a snaffle in their mouth and a hooke in their nostrelles that they haue not their purpose The Lordes name be blessed therefore and the Lord so bridle them euer hereafter euen for his mercies sake in his sonne Christ Iesus If these brutish natures had eyes to beholde and hartes to remember what singular blessinges the Lord hath bestowed on this small Ilande that they could as Samuel speakeeh here to the Isralites consider what great thinges the Lord hath done for them they could not but be touched with remorse and griefe for this their viperous and haynous vnkindnesse whereas many other Countries about vs either haue not the worde of God truely taught or if they haue it they haue it eyther with warre or bloodshed or which is as ill with ioyning together Christ and Belial We may in all peace and quietnesse freely resort to the Temple to heare the worde of God and publicke prayer in a knowen language whereby both hart and tongue may goe together in which respect euery litle Village in this realme of Englande hath a greater blessing then all that large and ample region of Spayne And whereas other Nations about vs haue continuall broyles and troubles within the land we stand as it were in a gallarie as the Greeke prouerbe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Extra telorum iuctum where we may beholde them though to our griefe bayting and renting one an others bowels but we are free our selues from those outragious mischiefes Wee feele those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Halcyonios dies as the auncient Writers haue obserued that when the litle birde Halcyon otherwyse called Alcedo doth buylde her nest in the Sea bankes be the Sea neuer so rigorous and stormie before yet there followeth then a great calme and quietnesse which