laid vpon them greater then they are able to beare but in the midst of the temptation God will giue a gracious issue for if the earth wil not the heaues shalâ— rather then dark night shall endanger the Campe by the station of the Sunne the day shall bee doubled for Israels deliuerance The vse of this Doctrine concerning the promise of our God is good as in temporall so in spirituall deliuerances and therefore I say with the blessed Apostle Let vs feare least at any time by forsaking the promise of entering into his rest any of you should seeme to be depriued Dauid saide my foote had welneare slipped but hee recouered himselfe by laying hold vpon the promise All falls are fearefull but yet recouerable if wee forsake not the promise But so long as wee leaue the promise we faile of grace that 's a fearfull fall to fall from Moses and to light vpon Christ is no danger to fall from the Lawe and to hit the Gospell is no perill To fall through sinne and to hit a Sauiour is recouerable but if we misse a Sauiour fall vpon sinne if we forsake the Gospel and light vpon the law if wee leaue Christ and follow Moses if we forsake the promise of his sauing grace we shall both feele and find that our case is dangerous deadly and desperate Besides the perill of being depriued for euer entering into his Rest. The Angels fell Caine fell Iudas fell Achitophel fell Had any of these fallen vpon their CHRIST they had neuer fallen so farre but all mist the promise and for that they are gone their fall is irrecouerable Howbeit when anie of the Patriarches fell Kings or Prophets when Peter Paul fell or the dearest Disciple of Christ fell all recouered their Falles by feeling the Promise which was the holde of their inheritance and so with speedie passage they flew vp in all their Afflictions into the bosome of the Promise as it were euen from the nethermost hell to the highest heaueÌ„s What should we then doe but hold fast our profession and rest vpon his promise as Iosuah did and so goe boldely to the Throne of Grace that wee may receiue mercie and finde Grace to helpe in time of neede whereunto all the godlie haue had their recourse as had the Doue to Noahes Arke when else-where shee could finde no footing or as the Riuers haue to the great Ocean and bloud to the heart vpon a suddaine feare for as 〈◊〉 care when all other succours faile the bloud hath it current through all the veines and runneth to the heart to comfort it So likewise in the manifolde distresses of this life and great feare of future falles by sinne death and dâ—mnation there 's no comfort to the current of the word which caryeth with it the promises of eternall life So saide Dauid in the day of his Afflictions It is my comfort in my Trouble for thy promise hath quickened me And againe I haue hid thy promises in my heart that I might not sinne against thee Say soule say Sainct I will walke in confidence of my cause and calling garded with the promise of my GOD and CHRIST I will walke euen to the gates of death and Hell and say as Hester did to Ahashuerus in the day of her distresse I will goe on and if I die I die But how can I euer die hauing my portion in that promised seede who hath redeâ—med my soule hauing the Gospell of promise to instruct my soule his holie spirit of promise to applye my soule the Sacraments seales of his promises to assure my soule with that heauenlie Canaan and â—â—nd of promise to receiue my soule It cannot bee that a soule thus blessed should euer perish and therefore say with a godly Oration as Deborah did in her triumphant song after her honourable expedition against Iabin king of Canaan O my soule thou hast marched valiantlie and the Lorde hath giuen mee dominion ouer the strong But to the rest and now a while to solace our selues in the garden of our delight there to repose among the flowers of our Roses Paralel the two Princes of Israel and Englands Iudahes compare them in their puissance and Ballance them alike vpon the scales of true Nobilitie Religion and pietie and then tell mee whether Queene Elizabeth may not helpe with Iosuah to perfect the Register of the blessed Blessed Kings and blessed Queenes renowmed for their power and by whome the Lord hath gotten great glorie Iosuah was a Sauiour vnto his people of Israel Queene Elizabeth is and hath beene long a sweete repose vnto her people of England Iosua and Caleb were appointed for the search of Chanaan the place of Gods behest where hee would plant religion and establish a Church as a type of our heauenly being and onely they were found faithfull in the search whom the people would haue stoned for commending the land Now of all the Kings and Queenes of England who haue beene more faithfull in the search of true Religion went to it with better courage and haue so well reported of it as her brother that blossome of blessed memorie and she without feare of any of the sonnes of Anakim Giants of Popery with whom not onely this our Hebron but all the world was pestered Moseâ— being dead God magnified Iosua in the sight of Israel by a miraculous mercy in bringing the Arke of God through the swellings of Iordan where it stood both still dry euen in the depth and channell of it her sisters dayes were seas of persecution and therefore are rightly called and euer so will be Mariana tempora swelling aboue the height of Iorden with fire and faggot against the Saints of God and whose I pray you stopped the streame of that blood and quenched the fire of that popish furie but Queene Elizabeth whom the Lord magnified in the sight of all England to backe that Iorden and bring her people with the Arke of her God to this our rest and sweete repose Iosua hauing passed Iorden he set vp Circumcision againe the second time which for fortie yeares space had beene left off in the wildernesse Queene Elizabeth purged the Sacraments of her Christ and reduced them to their right forme left off if not welneare lost in the vaste wildernesse of popish impietie for more then fortie yeares ten times told Iosua was directed in all his wayes by the booke of the Lawe and what other starre hath guided the heart of Queene Elizabeth there was not a word of all that GOD commanded which Iosua caused not to bee read openly So shee the euerlasting Gospell to bee preached and published throughout all her Realmes and Dominions Iosuah maketh a Couenant with a double vocuher for himselfe and all his familie in these wordes I and my house will serue the Lord. Queene Elizabeth hath bound her people by statutes
Queene Elizabeth PARALELD IN HER PRINCELY vertues with Dauid Iosua and Hezekia 1 With Dauid in her afflictions to build the Church 2 With Iosua in her puissance to protect the Church 3 With Hezechia in her pietie to reforme the Church IN THREE SERMONS as they were preached three seuerall Queenes dayes By William Leigh Bachelor of Diuinitie ISAYAH 49. 23. Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queenes shall be thy Nurses they shall worship thee with their faces toward the earth and lick vp the dust of thy feete and thou shalt know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that waite for me LONDON Printed by T. C. for Arthur Iohnson 1611. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCESSE ELIZABETH Daughter to our Soueraigne Lord the King c. Grace be multiplied in this life and happinesse in the World to come MADAME I Am bolde to put into your Princely hands this Balme of Gilead a Newe-yeares guifte of an olde-yeares store powred vpoÌ„ the head of Queene Elizabeth in her life and now againe shâ—â—â— vpoÌ„ her sacred hearse after her death the iniquiâ—â—â— of the time requiring a rescue of her 〈◊〉 soule from the virulent tongue of Popiâ—â— pietie then which I am verily perswaded there was neuer malice vpon the earth more implacable Sanguine placactis ventos virgine caesa the boysterous windes as poets faine were stilled with virgins blood but here no virgins blood no Princes blood no martyrs blood no Sauiours blood can quench the fire and furie of popish indignation or appease their God Apollyon who pitieth neither sex nor age person or presence be they quicke or be they dead all is one Bucers bones must he burned and the sacred soule of Queene Elizabeth her Manes spirit and ghost may not passe to blisse without a blast of Parsons poysoned penne and breath thinking it not sufficient to glut themselues with the blood of their Soueraignes vnlesse with their buried bones they might ransacke their blessed soules Witnesse the moderne doctrine of these our daies divulged by Dolman Benedetto Palmio Haniball Codrotto Guicknard Ambrose Vyrard Mariana and others of that Iesuited crewe who hold it not onely lawfull and meritorioâ—s to kill Kings if they be not pleasing to their deuotions but â—ith all an heroicall acte and a gift of the holy ghost which Rauelacke their designâ—d agent â—ately put in practise vpon his liâ—ge Lord the King of France by no â—essesatall then mortall stabbe This their damnable doctrine bloodie stroake and poysone breath against the liues and soules of Princes haue made mee to reuise my papers and with Iames to looke backe vpon my former thoughts how vpon the view they might frame in opposition against these more then heathenish and no lesse then hellish designes whose thirst is neuer quenched but with the blood of their Soueraignes nor gorge euer filled but with the grosse viandes of popish bull and indulgence pardoning from time to time their damnable agents to subuert states by two of the last and most dangerous stratageâ—s that euer were deuised against the Church of Christ Parricide and Periurie thereby taking away all faith from God fealtie from Princes and commerce with men And what 's that other but the breeder of all wickednes the mother of mischiefe and Babel of all confusion Time was when an Angell durst not reproue a diuell but said The Lord rebuke thee Now Iesuited diuels dare reproue Angels sent from God to be our Soueraignes and say Rauelacke may kill thee Time was when none might touch the Lords annoynted or doe his prophets any harme Now popish powder may blow vp popish knife may kill and popish brambles may teare the flesh of Kings Time was when Rulers were regarded and Kings had their Maiesties quicke and dead as the Royall Chappell of Westminster can witnes euen froÌ„ their Diademes downe to their dust But now Iesuited crueltie may crush all rule burst the bandes of all obedience curse Kings ouer-awe authoritie are so farre from honouring the shrines and maiestie of Princes here on earth as they haue not spared to maligne their soules in heauen In a word trust them who will and they shall finde their doome is still for death their drumme for destruction and their march in the cry of Edome Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground A man would haue thought they might haue spared her soule whose body they could neuer still with more then thousand intended treasons against her state and person by poyson stabb and shot by forraine inuasions homerebellions and domesticall incumbrances from all which the Lord still made her glorious by deliuerance And now her soule being tied in the bundle of the liuing and she gathered vnto her fathers in peace they cannot spare to banne what God hath blessed I shall not neede to stand in defence either of her sacred life or death whose saued soule the heauen of heauens doth now possesse Neither shall I neede to beate backe his poysoned breath who now is breathlesse knoweth by this what it is to haue touched the Lords annoynâ—ed either in her life or in her death that hellish breath is beaten backe by guste and gale of a more heauenly aire and fully answered by two reuerend fathers of our Church diuines of worth whom the pride of poperie may enuie but shall neuer match otherwise then as their manner is with the â—ume feathers and froth of their owne inuâ—ntions lighter then vanitie it selfe For were their pennes as perillous as their powder the shot were more dangerous but to God be the praise truth hath discouered their penne of ignorance and their powder of treason My purpose is not to stirre Elizabeths sacred hearse whose graue is full of Princely earth and her obsequies are ended my thoughts are higher eueÌ„ to match her Manes in blisse with greatest of Soueraignes there Soueraigntie it selfe onely excepted I meane with Dauid Iosua and Ezekia guides and Kings of Israels Iudah Pardâ—n me gracious Lady if I put this vndâ—r the sheltâ—r of your highnesse protection Semblance of sexe name and blood together with your high place person and pietie craueth no lesse at your Princely hands then protection of her shrine and Ghost Shee a Kings daughter so are you shee a maiden Queene you a Virgin Prince her name is yours her blood is yours her carriage is yours her countenance yours like pietie towards God like pittie towards men onely the difference stands in this that the faire flower of her youth is fallen yours flourisheth like a Rose of Saram and a Lilly of the Valley Her dayes are determined on earth and begun in heauen yours are a doing on earth and blessed be the current till they bee ended euer may your happinesse growe together and make you blessed with that immortall crowne that withereth not The Sermons I here present were preached vnder the shadowe of her blessed gouernment and in the three last yeares of her gracious raigne When if
expert in euery worke But what 's all this wealth if it bee not bestowed and what is all this matter if it want forme and what of all this prouision if it come to no perfection when it falleth into the worke then it is fashionable but lying vpon an heape it hath no honour In regard whereof the good King was carefull euen at his death to charge both suruiuing Prince and Peere by a double bond of a double dutie one of faith to God another of fealtie towards their King that they should be carefull of the worke Salomon to builde and his Princes to be ayding Whereby wee are taught if wee list to learne that as matter is nothing without forme and prouision is lesse if it fall into no worke so Princes though potentates in themselues yet are farre vnable to performe much either for the good of the Church or common-wealth but as they are aided by Peere and people In that honourable expedition against Iabin King of Canaan the Princes of Isachar were with Deborah and Isachar and also Barach hee was set on his feete in the valley it was in the day of battell and they fought for Deborah but the diuisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart and Meros with her inhabitants were cursed of GOD for that they came not to helpe the LORD against the mightie I am not able to beare you my selfe alone so saide Moses in the day of his gouernement how can I alone beare your cumbrances your charge your strife bring you men of wisdom vnderstāding and knowne among your Tribes and I will make them Rulers ouer you if in the day of battel gouernement and grieuances Prince and people were aiding vnto their King why not in the dayes of their Afflictions while they builde the Church should not Peere and people helpe to further the worke Surely surely this mutuall helpe twixt Prince Peere and People is the maine Buttresse of States and Kingdoms Kings may commannd Peere and People must obey and all must lay their handes to the worke if either they looke to builde anewe holde vp that which is built or repaire the ruines of that which is decayed What maruell then if Dauid for a Legacie of his loue to build God an house layed his cōmand vpon the Princes of Israel that they should remember him in this when he was gone and looke vpon him in his louing Sonne liue to aide him in the worke he had begun and neuer leaue him till hee perfected the worke obliged thereunto by double band of a double debte one to God whose worke it was another to the King whose Subiects they were Not doubting but their Religious loue to the King of Heauen and like loyaltie to their King on earth would tye them by sacred vowe and Oath to God as it had done him neuer to take good rest or sweete repose till they had built God an house an habitatiō to dwell in And so for Conclusion to you mightie Kings and Potentates of the worlde search the sacred Register and yee shall neuer rue the reading how Dauid with the care of Gods house and Religion hee began his dayes continued his Raigne and honoured his death Hee fought for it he prayed for it hee prepared for it hee cast for it all the dayes of his life and hee cared for it at the houre of his death deeming it a dismall dissolution for a King to passe out of this world without an holy resolution of a better together with paine and passion of the posteritie how to build God his Christ and Church in their dearest Thoughts But it may bee demaunded where is Abiathar in all this businesse Where are the Priests and Leuites and why doe they neither build nor prepare for the worke Is the King afflicted and are they without passion doth the King take no rest and are they at ease in Sion surely it seemed expedient there should bee neither mention nor memory made of them in this place least happely they might seeme to take precedencie from Princes in manageing the affaires of the Church practise they may in it but neither may they prepare with Dauid build with Salomon pray sing and sacrifice they may order they may not for the Corites must be ordered by Dauid preach they may rule they may not but as they are subordinate for gouernment is for the King conuince they may conuent they may not processes are for Princes In a word the day of Dedication is for Salomon counsels proclamations punishment of delinquents all except the censure of excommunication are for Kings and except they bee subordinate and vnder them they haue no power in gouernment wel may they beare the arke but they may not commaund it from Abinadabs house or transport it but as the King will The doctrine is good to pull downe the pride of popish primacie aduancing it selfe aboue that is called God or that is worshipped robbing GOD of his honour and Kings of their homage but I knowe you will say as the wicked did in the dayes of Malachy wherein haue wee robbed thee O GOD wherein haue we robbed you O Kings I answere in taking from the LORD his owne ordinance and in taking from Kings their lawfull authoritie GOD hath ordained the King as supreme both in Church and common-wealth yee haue limited his power in ciuil obedience ye haue taken away his power in ecclesiasticall iurisdiction yee say crownes and kingdomes are yours to dispose and Church gouernment is a part of Peters patrimonie but I say no Pasce pasce pasce is his and your portion and whatsoeuer is more then this commeth of euill It is euill to feede vppon the fleshe of Kings and to treade vppon the neckes of Emperours it is euill to demolishe states and to confound order it is euill to take to your selues vpon a forged Donation the Imperiall Citie of Rome the Pallace of Lateran the Kingdome of Sicily Apulia and Capua the Dukedome of Ferraria Canellam and Commodam with Matilda her portion It is euill to take to your selues and tye to your gyrdle all the keyes of Heauen Earth and Hell Was there euer Pride like this was there euer Auarice like this Was there euer Blasphemie like this To take glorie from God homage from Princes honor from Angels as more excellent then they in iurisdiction administration knowledge and reward For so saith Antonius In briefe was there euer Creature subiect to no power no not to himselfe As Biel saith if hee list to appeale from himselfe O heauens be astonished and thou earth tremble at this tyrannie So auerse from God and so opposite to the mildnesse of Christ as hee may well be called that Antichrist and man of Rome the ruine of all Religion For Christ was poore hee is rich Christ was Crowned with golde and Diamonds Christ was lowely riding vpon an Asse Hee exalted vppon the shoulders of men Christ his Kingdome not of
the Church Dauid put Garisons in Edom and made Siria tributary and the Lord kept Dauid whithersoeuer he went Ireland France and Flaunders haue bin garded with her Garisons paied her tribute and done her homage by land and by seaâ— haue her colours displayed in their defence to keepe them from the spoile of Popery Dauid with these heauenly had the successe of earthly blessings for he was rich and his kingdome was populous hee was needing to none yet most of his neighbour-nations had neede of him Queene Elizabeth is blessed of God in her bountie toward all her shipping shot men and munition are a wall of defence to her selfe a guard of comfort to her neighbour-bordering friendes and a terror to her frowning enemies What should I say more Dauid is dilectus domini the beloued of God she is Elizabeth Gods rest whose quiet rule and peaceable gouernment in and for her Christ is to all her louing and loyall subiectes as it were a retyring campe after the day of battell Finally Dauids raigne was with the longest and neare the highest of his rancke the dayes of our Elizabeth are faire and full and the Lord lengthen them as the dayes of Iosua which had the fairest creatures at commaund till the battell was ended and the fight finished and thou GOD of time and of all eternitie so determine her dayes as may bee most to thy glory best for the poore Church for Englands good and the saluation of her princely soule Amen Amen and the helpe of heauen be with her THE SECOND Sermon IOSVA 10. 12. Then spake Iosua vnto the Lord in the day when the Lord gaue the Amorites before the children of Israel and saide in the sight of Israel Sunne stand thou in Gibeon and thou Moone in the valley of Aialon TWo mightie nations did contend in the wombe of Rebecca the one in Esau the other in Iacob but by the prouidence of God the younger preuailed against the elder gained the birthright with the blessing Such wofull contentions haue euer bin in the wombe of the Church betwixt the Israel of God and Esau his brood and proâ—eniâ— yet hath not the Lord failed in mercy to deliuer his Turtle-doue from the violence of the assaulter As we here find in Iosua and feele in our ioyfull experience this day who maugre the spite of Esau Ismael all the Amorites of our State Church and Kingdome hath graced our nation with a birth-right and a blessing a birth-right in our Christ a blessing in our Prince both such as Esau with all his Romish Edomites shall neuer obtaine at Isaacks hands though he begge seeke it with plaints and teares For so good a God so gracious a Prince so happie and desired a peace so great plenty with such aboundance of all things and a time of continuance so long and so bright of all Gods blessings both heauenly and earthly is not for Moab Ammon or mount Seir but for the hill of Gods holinesse Israel England and mount Sion Nor doe I doubt but this blessed day will yet dawn and lengthen like the day of Iosua Gods mercies will yet abound his graces flowe ouer the enemies of our State bee discomfited and the helpe of heauen shall prosper our Prince â—â— it did Iosua if wee practise and pray for her preseruation Yea the Lord shall stand for England as hee did for Israel in mount Perazim hee shall bee wrath as in the valley of Gibeon that hee may doe his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his acte his strange acte euen to match the power of Elizabeth with the might of Iosua her prowesse with his puissance a maiden Queene with a manly king to deliuer his Church from the disastrous designes of Adoni-zedeck and all his Romish retinue And first of Iosua as I am guided by my text whose puissance was such as First preuailed with God Secondly with his fairest creatures And lastly with his greatest enemies Hee preuailed with God in the highest heauens He preuailed with his creatures in the firmament of his power He preuailed against his enemies in the vaste valley of Aialon Tendit ad ardua virtus There was neuer King aduentured vpon greater dangers the God with whom he dealt was a consuming fire The creatures hee encountred before that time were neuer backed and the enemies be subdued were fiue mightie Kings of the Amorites with all their retinue like grasse-hoppers vpon the ground for multitude and thus with his heroicall spirit as Siracides saith hee rushed in vpon the nations in battell and in going downe of Betheron hee destroyed the aduersaries that they might knowe his weapons and that he fought in the sight of the Lord that gaue him might and in the shine of the Sun that gaue him light intreating the one and commaunding the other to bee propitious Now for the weapons of this his warfare as you here see they were not carnall but spirituall and mightie in operation to cast downe holds for he sent to God the arrowe of his deliuerance which was his prayer when hee saide Then spake Iosua vnto the Lord hee sacked both Sunne and Moone with the word of his commaunde when he saide Sun stay thou in Gibeon and thou Moone in the valley of Aialon and then hee drewe out his sword to take vengeance of his enemies that rose vp against him when hee set Israel in their possessions Thus honourable Iosua managed the battell like renowned Dauid when he marshalled the field said Let the praise of God be in your mouthes and a sharpe two edged sword in your handes to be auenged of the heathen and to rebuke the people Iacob wept and prayed found God at Bethel Iosua fought and prayed and found God at Gibeon the Sunne Moone obeyed the word of Iosua because the God of heauen heard the prayer of Iosua O piercing word and powerfull prayer so to preuaile when all other succours failed for the day was welneare spent the battel was scarce begun the passages were daÌ„gerous dark night approached Israel knew no way the Amorites were acquainted with euery winding bogges bushes and shady groues rockes hils and derne dales might haue broken the battell and disordered the campe in the darknes silence of the night if God had not lengthened the day and therfore Iosua his issue was but one it was a strange one to dismisse the night and bid it be gone to stay the passage of the Sun to bid it stand and spare no light till the fight were finished that God and Israel might haue the honour of the day by that most miraculous and heauenly station Now tell mee who was there before him like to him that thus fought the battels of the Lord for the Sunne stood still at his command and one day was as long as two Here to determine the certaine howers of that day and minutes
and lawes to the worship of God her selfe not second to anie in rendering her vowes There was none able to withstand Iosuah all his life for the Lorde was with him and hee was famous throughout all the worlde Queene Elizabeth hath beaten backe all her enemies and who hath resisted her power for which her prayers is with God and her fame with men At the sounde of the Trumpet the walles of Iericho fell after Iosuah had compassed it about seuen times with the shower and shoute of his deuotion Not seuen times but seuentie times seuen times hath Qu. Elizabeth by prayer to God prophecying with men sacked that Romish Iericho whose walles to God be the praise by her princely power and prayer are well shiuered at home shaken abroad with Iosuah his curse to all such as shall repaire the ruines cursed bee the man before the Lorde that raiseth vp and builds vp this Romish Iericho Let him lay the first stone thereof in his eldest sonne and in his youngest sonne set vp the gates that is let him build to the destructiō of all his stock as Hiel did in Bethel Ai could not be wonne till the execrable thing was out Iosuah could not sacke it till sinne was punished the Hoast purged and purified of Achan his stealth Achans rebellion is discouered in Ireland in the north of England and in the south themselues with their Babilonish garment Sicles of siluer and wedges of golde execrable things in the Hoast to steale away the hearts of subiects from their allegiance haue beene brought by our Iosuah into the valley of Achor there to suffer condigne punishmēt some by execution some by banishment some by confiscation of goods with this iust sentence from Iosuah of their death and doome This place where yee die shall bee called Achor which is trouble for in as much as you haue troubled vs the Lorde shall trouble you and turne his fierce wrath from our nation The craft of the Gibeonites procured them peace with Iosuah they beguiled their Prince with the presence of an Embassage from farre and with an argument of their loue to God loyaltie to him for they say wee came from farre we are thy seruants we seeke the Lord thy God and haue heard his fame Now therfore make a league with vs looke vpon vs we come from far our sacks are patched our shooes are clouted our bottles are rent bound vp our bread is mouled our drink is sowred and we are all of the olde Loue is not suspitious it beleeueth all things it hopeth all things It endureth all things it knoweth not it owne The Gibeonites of this Lande haue beguiled Queene Elizabeth with a faire presence of loue to God and loyaltie to her person and with their patched cloake of Antiquitie Clouted shooes and Bottles mouled bread and baggage of popish trash they would beguile and still beare the worlde in hand that they are all of the oulde and so they are in rottennesse rotten hearts to God rotten hearts to their Prince as may appeare vpon the breach of couenant with our Iosuah Euen this day they should hew wood for the sacrifice but their Axes are dull they should drawe water for the house of the Lorde but their buckets are broken they should attend the Altar of the Lord but they haue digged it vp Our Iosuah hath giuen them life vpon the contracte and put them neare and about the holie things and is it not strange vppon fourtie yeares kinde vsage they should haue no greater familiaritie with their God and Prince no wood no water no Altar no prayer to God of all this long day of Iosuah so continued and so blessed for her preseruation what none why then Hee that is filthie let him bee filthie still Hee that is Popish let him bee Popish still and whiles yee would seeme to beguile vs with your Antichristian Antiquitie wee will rest vpon our New-Religion and say Antiquitas nostra Christus ours is not new but renewed like the booke of God for a long time lost but found at last by the good King Iosias and wee sing as it were a new song Reuelat. 14. 3. Aliud est nouare aliud est renouare Iosuah not knowing his successor recommended the people ouer to God at Sichem and tyed them by couenāt to serue the Lord and for an heire apparant erected a stone there to witnes against them if they should at any time denie their God Albeit saith Queene Elizabeth it doth please almightie God to continue mee still in this minde to liue out of the state of mariage yet is it not to be feared but he will so worke in my heart and your wisedomes that as good prouision may be made in conueniēt time whereby the Realme shall not remaine destitute of an heire that may be a fit gouernour and peraduenture more beneficiall to the Realme then such of spring as may come of me for though I be neuer so carefull of your weldoing and minde euer so to be yet may mine issue growe out of kinde And for me it shall be sufficiēt that a Queene hauing raigned such a time liued and died a virgin The Lord God of Gods the Lord God of Gods will prouide you a Prince of wisedome to goe out before you and to bring you in againe Lastly and to make good my text Iosua as I haue said was thrise noble in that hee preuailed with God to cammaund the creatures till the field was foughten and their enemies were subdued That Mirabilis annus of 88. will neuer be forgotten so long as the sunne and moone endureth When the starres fought for our Deborah as the sunne and moone did then for Iosua Nay more the riuer Kison swept them away from Callis in France to Dingle-Cushe in Ireland Seas Rockes and shelues fought for England shee armed her selfe with praiers to God against that great Armado and preuailed that the enemies might know they were men and not God and their horses flesh and not spirit That the shippes were but wood the tacklings but hempe Their Oares but reeds and their powder but dust nay their top-gallant must stoope at the maiestie of a greater God and vaile at the puissance of Queene Elizabeth Let Tilberie Campe speake to the praise of her presence and powerfull praier there when with God in her heart and a commaunding staffe in her hand she vttered these or the like words in her Princely march Come on now my companions at armes and fellow Souldiers in the field now for the Lord for your Queene and for the kingdome for what are these proud Philistines that they should reuile the Hoast of the liuing God I haue beene your Prince in peace so will I be in warre neither will I bid you goe and fight but come and let vs fight the battell of the Lord the enemie perhaps may challenge my sexe for that I am
doores of the Lords house euen in the first yeare first moneth and first day of her raigne procuring the Lord to be honoured aright with the pure Religion of her God and a parliament Royall to establish the same Ezekiah brought in the Priests and the Leuites and gathered them into the east streete to sanctifie the house of the Lord God and to cary forth the filthines out of the sanctuarie Queene Elizabeth called home her exiled ministers Leuites from Geneua Frankeford Zuricke and most parts of Germany to purge the sanctuarie of it pollutions and to cast forth the filthines thereof Ezekia at the very first tooke away the high places and defaced the Images and cut downe the groaues hee brake in peeces the brasen serpent that Moses had made for vnto those daies the children of Israel did burne incense to it and called it in contempt of that their Idolatry no more a Serpent but Nehushtan a peece of brasse What were your Altars of stone but high places And what were your Roode loftes Celles and shrines of Saints but groaues of superstition what was all your Imagetie with lights lampes Pax and palmes but grosse Idolatrie whereunto England burned incense to the Queene of heauen till Elizabeth came but then euen at the first downe they went and broke they were by her princely power and warrantie the careasses whereof lye at this day monuments of popissi Idolatry and of her maiesties blessed reformation with this disdaine what are they now but stick and stone and worse then Nehushtan brused brasse The Temple being purged and Imagery defaced the King with his Princes prepared for the sacrifice euen a sinne offering for the Kingdome and for the sanctuarie and for Iuda with a burnt sacrifice and an offering of praise vnto the Lord in the words of Dauid and Asaph the Seer they sung Psalmes they blewe the Trumpets and so they praised the Lord with ioy bowed themselues and worshipped whereat Ezechia reioyced and all the people that GOD hadde made them so readie for the thing was done suddenly Queene Elizabeth hauing purged the Church of England of that pregnant Idoll the Masse what hath shee lesse done then prepared for the holy Sacrament of the blessed death and passion of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ a sinne offering in deede for the Kingdome for the sanctuarie and for this our English Iuda And how often sithence hath shee sanctified it with her praier honoured it with her presence her Virgines Peeres and people bearing her companie with Trumpet Organ Voyce and Vâ—all that GOD hadde made here her people so religious for the thing was done suddenly and I pray God wee haue not lost a part of that our first loue that our Manna growe not lothsome that wee bee not colder now then wee were then and that the first tenne yeares doe not blemish the last twentie of her gratious raigne what euer it is mee thinkes there is a want both of faith to God and fealtie towardes the Prince Graunt Lord wee may bee zealous and amend Ezechia came to his raigne in desperate times when Ahaz his father had peruerted the state both of Church and common-weale fetched Altars from Damascus and sacrificed his sonnes to the fire became tributarie vnto Assur exiled the godly of Iudah and had brought in the abhominations of Babel and subscribed to Tiglath Pilesar King of Assur saying I am thy seruant and thy Sonne Euen so Queene Elizabeth beganne her raigne in desperate times when her Sister had shaken the State with no lesse fearefull then fiery designes fetched Altars from Rome and sacrificed her chiefest subiects to the fire exiled the godlie of the land brought in Straungers because a vassall to the Pope and subscribed to his power saying I am thy Seruant I am thy Hand-mayde Ezechiah withstood Assur payed him no tribute yeelded him no homage resisted Rabsechah and endured his rayling with a Princely patience committting the successe to God who made him glorious by deliuerance And did not our gratious soueraigne withstand the Pope all his vassall Kings Did she not discharge herselfe and people of all Tribute Toll and Taxe that way Hath shee not endured the raylings of many Romish Rabsecahes with a Princelie patience and hauing committed the successe of all her affaires to God is shee not made glorious by deliuerance whiles they are a dead accursed and cursing crue and yet she liueth a blessed Queene long may we say to our solace and their sorrow liue liue It is said of Ezechia that the Lord saued him and the inhabitants of Hierusalem from the hand of Zenacharib King of Assur and from the handes of all other and maintained them on euery side good LORD how haue the Leaguers cast their hands together with one consent consederate against thine annointed thy Church and people in England Gebal and Ammon and Amalecke the Philistimes with them that dwell at Tyre I meane the Tabernacles of Romish Edomites whose crie was downe with it downe with it euen to the ground let vs take to our selues the house of God in possession But good Lord how often haue we beene saued both Prince and people from this ill kinde of men how hast thou maintained vs on euery side thine Angell fought for Ezechia thy Starres haue fought for Debora and the riuer Kison hath swept them away O my God make them still like vnto a wheele And as the stubble before the winde In the daies of Hezechia it is saide that many brought offerings vnto the LORD â—â— Hierusalem and presents to Hezechia King of Iuda so that hee was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth they persecuted Churches of other Kingdomes and poore exiled Christians let them speake to the comfort of their soules with how great ioy and gladnesse their offerings here in England haue beene tendered by them and receiued by vs let them speake to the honour of our Queene and countrey how liberally they haue bin maintained when they hadde nothing to feede vpon but winde and aire yea and what nation is there in whose sight Queene Elizabeth is not magnified either dread for her puissance loued for her vertue or admired for her gouernment To bee briefe Ezechia had exceeding much riches honour treasures of siluer and gold of precious stones of sweet odors and of shields of al pleasant vessels store-houses for the increase of wheate wine and oyle stals for all beasts and ranges for the stables The Lord hath blessed our Queene with his hidden treasures here on earth and her honor is great in her aboundance her Garrisons are full in Ireland Flaunders and Barwick and yet her treasures are not exhâ—â—â—sted and for her store of shields shot and munition wheate wine and oile stalles for beastes and ranges for stables let her officers speake both in Court and Countrie sure I am we feele
no lacke her exactions are not grieuous Lastly and so an ende of her praise but neuer of our praier to GOD for her Ezechia was sicke vnto the death hee prayed vnto the Lord and hee heard his prayers and pitied his teares and the Lord spake comfortably vnto him and gaue him a signe of his recouerie by the going backe of the shadowe of Asa his diall tenne degrees vpon the wall A sure symboll or Sacrament of fifteene yeares moe to bee added vnto his daies Where note first I pray you that the promise from God was fifteene and the degrees were but tenne to teach vs as one hath truely obserued that the Lord euer giueth moe graces vnto his word then to his Sacraments that begettting these but confirming the faith which the word hath formerly be gotten But to the comparison in hand and proiect I ay me at wee knowe that Princes are GODS yet must they dye like men there 's no difference in the moulde from the rich Crowne of Kings to the poore beggars crutch all must grinde to greete and to determine of the life of Kings and period of Kingdomes is not the least of Gods secretes onely reserued to himselfe yet if when it shall please the Lord to touch our dread soueraigne with sicknesse the harbenger of death it would likewise please him to pull backe the diall of her dayes some fewe degrees and adde more yeares vnto her dayes it were and would be as great a blessing to vs of England as euer Hezechia his life was to Israels Iuda which and if it may not by reason our many sins then Lord take her to eternitie neuer to dye And in the meane time whilest wee may enioy her blessed raigne with her life let vs foster and cherish Elizabeth as chaste Abishagge with the worthies of Israel did their Dauid of whom it is written that when he was old stricken in yeares they couered him with clothes but no heate came vnto him The counsell was to finde out a fairer virgin to stand before the King to chearish him and lie in his bosome that the King might get beate so they found one Abyshag a Sunamite and brought her to the King the maide was exceeding faire and cherished the King and ministred vnto him but the King knew her not The vse is good for in the person of Dauid you may behold as in a mirrour the state and condition of Princes what it is Princes are old cold and chillery Princes must decay and weare away In the person of Dauids seruants and faire Abishage is to be seene the loue and loyaltie towards their Soueraignes what it ought to be they stretch their wits to aduise practise with all their power how to preserue the Lords annoynted subiects must be carefull of their King The publike and priuate praier of all the land who owe faith to God and fealtie to their Prince all praise and prophecie this day what is it but chaste and faire Abishage found out to foster their liege Lady the Queene to stand before her chearish and lie in her bosome to get her heate and lengthen her life but oh that our praiers were more powerfull yet to preuaile with the Lord of life that she might liue to his glory and our comfort sweete Sunamyte let thy virginall vigor pierce her vaines warme her blood refresh her spirits Lord let the powerfull praier of priest Peere and people preuaile with their God for the safetie of his annoynted Without which it is to small purpose what euer we can say doe or deuise for what 's pollicie without pietie except the Lord keepe the citie the watchman watcheth but in vaine and except the Lord be her guard great is her danger for all humane succours faile in their greatnes no gold of Ophir no Orient pearle of Peru or Mexico no arme of flesh no horse ship or shower of shot no watch guard or counsel no Physicke drink or diet no furs of spotted Ermynes or sweet Sables can preserue your Elizabeth giue her life or length of daies faire Abishage must giue her heate It is the perfume of our praier to God in heauen that must preserue our Prince on earth And so let vs pray O Lord God almightie c. FINIS Psal. 93. 2. Sam. 7. 2. Mat. 8. 20 Heb. 11. 38. Numb 3â— 1. Sam. 4. 5. 1. Sam. 6. 7. Heb. 8. 2. Lament 1 4. Gen. 8. 9. Gen. 31. 40. Acts 13. 22. Psal. 49. 9. 1 2 Claudian 2. Sam. 3. 2. Sam. 21 17. 2. Sam. 1. 21. Zachar. 12. 11. 12. Lament â—5 16. Rom. 13. Prou. 8. 15. 16. Psal. 77. 〈◊〉 12. 18 â—â—â—l 82. 1. â—en 12. 1. Exod. 3. 2. â—sal 78. â—1 Psal. 2. 6. Iob. 1. 21. Rom. 13 1. 2. Prou. 21. 30. Reuel 9. 3. Prouerb â—8 2. Psal. 45. 4. Augustinus in confession Eccles. 10. 20. Esay 32. 2. Ieremie 29. 7. Luk. 2. 1 Matt. 22 21. 1. Tim. â— 1. 2. 1. Pet. 2 13. 14 1. Pet. 2. 17. 2. Cor. 11. 28. Ester â— â— c. 〈◊〉 â— Verse 23. Psâ—â— Lament â— 19. Psal. 38. 2. Gen 5. 2. 2. 〈◊〉 5. 18. â—say 49. 23. Reuel 12 Dan. 12. Reuel 1â— 11. Psal. 137. 7. Psal. 105. 18. â—el 21. 22. â—uel 7. 9. Iohn 1â— Rom. 9. 3. Gen. 22. 9. 10. Gen. 7. 33. Psal. 10 18. Exod. 3â— 32. 1. Cor. 11. 29. Cant. 5. 2. Lum 112. 1. Chron. 22. 1. Chron. 22. 8. Deut. 34. Gal. â— 26. 2. Sam. 5. 2. Sam. 6. 1. Chron. 22 14. Phil. 3. 8. â—â—â—k 19. 8 Luk 23. 52. Lu. 14. 26 Luk. 7. 3â— Matt. 26. 8. Act. 1. 1â— Phil. 2. 2 Gal. 4. 26. Exod. 25. 1. c. 2. Cor. 9. 7 Ps. 54. 6. Exod. 35. â—1 c. Exod. 38 26. Exod. 38 24. 25. Exod. 38. 8 Exod. 35 26. Exod. 36. 4. 5. Mal. 3. 8. 1. Chroni â—2 17. 18. c. 1. Chron. 28. 2. 1. Chron. 29. 2. c. Iud. â— 1â— c. Deut. 1. Pope with prince hath neither pre â—edency nor parity â— Sam. 6. â—3 2. Thes. 2 4. Iohn 21. 15. 16. c Intertia parte summâ— maiorit lib. ter Dist. 19. Matth. 1. 1. â— Mach. â—6 2. c. Abacuck 2. 2. 1. Sam. 16 11. Psal. 129. Psal. 69. 8. 1. Sam. 17 28. 1. Sam. 18. 1. Sam. 20 1. 1. Sam. 22 9. 1. Sam. 24 4. Psa. 35. 11 12. 1. Sam. 18. 10. 11. 1. Sam. 27. 1. 1. Sam. 30 5. 6. 1. Sam. 22 9. 1. Sam. 25 3. 1. Sam. 20 11. c. Iudg. 5. â—â— â— Sam. 5. 17. 8. 1 Psal. 83. 6. 7. 2. Sam. 15 1. 2. Sam. 20 1. 2. Sam. 6. 16. 2. Sam. 16 5. 2. Sam. 16 21. 2. Sam. 3. 27. 39. 2. Sam. 6 16. Heb. 10. 29. Reuel 1. 4 Esay 9. 23 Esay 9. 47 Psal. 72. 6 Esay 8 â— 1. Sam. 17 45. c. Dan. 2. 45. 1. Sam â— 45. 4. 6. 2. Sam. â— 2. Sam. â— 10. 11. â—â— 2. Sam. 8. 14. â— King 2.
God of the surplusage of his loue towards this English nation had not ended one mercy with the beginning of another I feare our mourning dayes had not beene yet ended But God almightie without whose prouidence nothing proceeds and without whose mercy nothing is saued hath ended one bâ—essing with the beginning of another euen the blessed raigne of Queene Elizabeth with the thrice happie gouernment of our Liege Lord and King your father in whom the flowers florish and the Kingdomes are vnited Religion prospereth and superstition withereth with a Royall issue euer to liue the onely remaine of our religious hope One is easily ouercome and two will make resistance but this threefold gable is not lightly broken being beautifull as the bands of Zachary wherewith the Church is honoured the State is strengthened the subiect is comforted and our soueraigne Lord the King your father no lesse blessed in his three children then in his three Kingdomes The Lord God of heauen maker of Kings and directer of Crownes giue vnto you all grace in this life and glory in a better Amen Amen Your Graces most humble at commaund WILLIAM LEIGH THE FIRST Sermon PSALME 123. verse 1 Lord remember Dauid with all his affliction verse 2 Who sware vnto the Lord and vowed vnto the mightie God of Iacob saying verse 3 I wil not come within the Tabernacle of mine house nor clymbe vp into my bedde verse 4 I will not suffer mine eyes to sleepe nor mine eye-liddes to slumber vntill I finde out a place for the Lord an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob THE people as you may here see are pasâ—ionate for their King and they pray for him Againe the King is carefull ouer his people and he prepareth for them The people pray that their King might â—e remembred of God in al his affliction 〈◊〉 King prepareth that the people may haue the Lord propitious in all their deuotioÌ„s And such is or ought to bee the entercourse of loue loyaltie betwixt prince people happie Prince so praied for blessed people so prouided for and Israels Iuda was blessed in both Now the matter of their praier was that God would establish his promise made to Dauid their King concerning his church that he might build a place for his aboade in Sion the mountaine of his holinesse It was his care it was his affliction I say affliction much affecting his royall heart that himselfe with the nobles of Iuda and Israel should haue their solace in seeled houses whilest the Arke of God was couered with skinnes dwelt in tents and had neuer a cottage to shroude in Birds had their neastes foxes had their holes but neither poore CHRIST nor his afflicted Church coulde euer finde rest or repose in this miserable world destitute afflicted and tormented whom the world was not worthie of they wandred in wildernesse and mountaines and caues of the earth Neuer pilgrimâ—lesse pitied neuer shippe more tossed neuer Tabernacle oftener shifted then that of the Arke and presence of the Lord. Witnesse these two and fortie remoueals in the wildernesse ere Israel came to Canaan besides the small rest it hadde at Shilo in Eli his house at Ashdod with the Philistines at Bethshemesh Kiriath-iâ—arim Abinadabs house Obed Edoms and neuer at quiet till it came to Sion nor that a Sanctuarie for euer to dwell in but a Sacrament of a better being and Tabernacle in heauen which the Lord hath pight and not man For euen now the stones of Sion lye in the dust and her ruines are vnrepaired the holy people are helplesse piety is a pilgrim vpon the earth the little flocke findeth poore pasture to feed vpoÌ„ euerin motion neuer at quiet til it come retyre into the bosom of it best beloued like the doue in the deluge who fouÌ„d no rest for the soale of her foote till shee returned againe vnto the Arke This Arke thus tossed in the deluge and tyred in the wildernes despised of the heathen much neglected of the true borne Iewe together with Labans much lowring at home when in Iacob it was consumed abroade with heate in the day and with frost in the night weather beaten and weary till Dauid a Type of Christ gaue it rest who eaten vp with the zeale of Gods house deuoured all difficulties for the accomplishment who thought vpon nothing more then of a place and habitation for his holinesse to dwell in his meate went from him so did his sleepe and hee charged his soule with an oath to God for the performance These holy thoughts thus affecting his heart afflicting his soule made the people sensible of his sorrowes and therefore pierced their hearts to prouoke their prayer thus Lord remember Dauid in all his Afflictions Wherein I doe obserue two things of speciall note the first is the peoples passion for their King they are afflicted with him and therfore they pray for him the second is Dauids preparation for the people hee is carefull of them and therefore he prouides for them a place an habitation for the Lord to dwell in So as their feete might now wander no more but stand in the great congregation they loued so wel and by the Altars of their God they held so deare And for the first I meane the peoples passioÌ„ for their King ye know the saying of old Componitur orbis Regis ad exempluÌ„ And it hath it extent from Court to Country for peoples passions are framed to their Princes affections like Hippocrates twins they weepe together and they laugh together they liue together and they dye together witnesse their ioynt sorrowes after Abners herse the King wept and the people wept though the people would feast yet when they sawe the King would fast it pleased them for as the text saith whatsoeuer the King did pleased the people His passions were theirs his afflictions were theirs to teach vs that peoples actions doe Sympathize with Princes affections the Court is dead if the King bee not cheerefull and subiects sorrowe when their soueraignes are sadde Princes smyles are peoples ioyes like the lustre of the same so are the countenance of Kings with their shine they carie comforts but neuer so little shadowed with clowdes of griefe good Lord how the subiect then mourneth deare is the loue of God in the soules of his Saints but next to that is the sacred band of loue and loyaltie to Princes fathers friendes and families are further off soueraignes are the highest in the rancke If leasure would serue to turne ouer some fewe leaues of sorrowe and search into the records of griefe easily might I finde that peoples passions for their Princes haue beene most piercing great was their care ouer Dauid when they stayed him from the battel least the light of Israel should be extinguished So was it ouer Saul when they mourned his funerals with this dolefull dittie Yee mountaines of
Gilboah vpon you bee neither dewe nor rayne nor fieldes of offering for then the shield of the mightie is cast downe The shield of Saul as though he had not beene annointed with oyle The mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo where Iosias was slaine wil neuer bee forgotten where euery familie mourned a part c. and vttered their passions with this pitifull plaint the Crowne of our head is falleÌ„ woe vnto vs that euer we sinned Lastly that one may stand for all I appeale to your owne passions who haue at any time seene your own soueraigne whether your teares of ioy haue not expressed your feare of griefe mourning like the Turtle-Doue whose sweetest song is in her sorrowe least hauing lost her mate shee should not finde him and hauing found her mate least shee might loose him thousands within the kingdome doe thus blend in their moyst and mixt teares vpon the sight and thoughts of their soueraigne And here leaue we the peoples passions and come wee to their praier the sweete perfume of their deuotion in these wordes LORD remember Dauid in all his affliction Wherein first I doe obserue in that the people flye to GOD for their King with no lesse loue then loyaltie they hold that the powers that are ordained of God they hold that he looseth the collar of kings girdeth their loynes with a girdle they hold that he sitteth in the middest of magistrats demandeth an accouÌ„t of their gouernment I say they hold that it is hee and hee alone that setteth vp and pulleth downe that leadeth his people along by the hands of Moses and Aaron Wee say then with him who saide well Abrahamum non invenit dominus sed fecit patrem multarum gentium the Lord did not finde Abraham but hee made him a father of many nations hee called him from Hur of the Chaldeans Moses from the sedges Dauid froÌ„ the Ewes great with laÌ„be to feede Iacob his people and Israel his inheritance Nay Christ Iesus king of kings and Lord of lords not by intrusion but by inauguration from his father thus I will set my king vpon my holy hill of Sion Aske of mee and I will giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the vttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Antichristian then miserable damnable is the doctrine of all such as dare say that Popes may either set vp or pull down Princes discharge the subiect of his obedience put a knife in the haÌ„d of any to sheath it in the bowels of their soueraignes Antichristian was the practise of that proude Pope who trod vpon the neck of Kings Emperours made them to hold his stirrop because they held not steddily tripped the crownes froÌ„ their heads Ego et râ—x meus argued neither faith nor frailty in Cardinal Wolfey I may fastly say it was disloyaltie in Warwicke to giue out that he had rather make a King then be a King nay nay prowd peare it was neuer in thy power to make a King for the making of a King is the worke of a God and if it be true of all things much more of a Kings The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh away as it pleaseth the Lord so come things to passe Then cease your malice you miscreants of states for you can neuer preuaile against the Lord the powers that be are ordained of God who resisteth them resisteth the ordinance of God Is it possible to back the Sun Moone or Stars in their speedy course can ye hush the harmonie of the heauens or stil the raging of the sea caÌ„ ye alter the course of the yeare of seede time haruest of winter soÌ„mer of the day of the night can ye either giue â—ife or deliuer fro death can ye create a new world with another gouernmeÌ„t then may â—ye resist the Lords ordinance in this Alter states pluck away all power from a powerfull God But it is not in you or your Romane God ô yee popish repiners it s not your boysterous bull can push downe a Prince it s not the croaking of your frogges and Locusts your Iesuited crew and Seminarie broode can blast our doctrine blemish our state or bereaue vs of our Soueraigne disquiet you may destroy you may not for the offences of the people there be many Princes if our sins sacke vs not wee shall neuer fall if the Lord say prosper how can our branch wither and if he say from heauen ride on because of the word of truth of meekenes and of righteousnes who dare say from the earth light off ride rule and raigne no more trayterous is the hart that thinkes it trayterous is the mouth that speakes it trayterous is the hand that works it trayterous is the pen that writes it And yet woe is me to tell this our age and climate is pestered with men of such poysoned breathes who dare both thinke say doe and write that a mortall man may manage kingdomes and authorise subiects to depriue their Princes as if the powers that be were not ordained of God their faculties are of force their bulles are divulged their antichristian doctrine is traduced by Symancha Costerus and Dolman who haue blackened the aire with their derne diuinitie whilest they auerre that subiects may rise rebell kill their kings if they be not pleasing to their deuotion Augustine mourned much for that hee had euer read against the true God Tonantem Iouem adulterantem of a thundering God and of an adulterous God for so deemed the Pagans of their Iupiter Capitolinus Much more may Papists grieue that euer they either read or reuerenced in the place of God their capital Pope tonantem adulterantem a cursing God and a carnall God adulterating states and cursing Kings and yet to God be the praise his Bul bolts are but birdboults blunted by a better God witnes the flourishing blessed estate both of our Church and kingdome vnder the happie gouernment of our dread Soueraigne by whom the Lord hath multiplied our nation increased our ioy and neuer with no blessings powred vpon her from heauen then since Impius Quintus cursed her from the earth for she liueth a blessed Prince and he is dead a cursed Pope and if any trayterous Bechry the sonne of rebellious Iemini haue in his heart so bad a thought or in his mouth so foule a word kindled with heate of that bull as to say A precibus ad praelium froÌ„ prayers to your pikes and to your tents ô Israel we haue no part in Queene Elizabeth let the iudgement of Bechry fall vpon him and let all the people say Amen And let this suffice for the second obseruation teaching vs by the example of this religious and passionate people praying for their king that who plead or practise the contrarie doe violate the Lords holy ordinance and lay violent
hands vpon his annoynted whom to obey by rule of reason and all true religion not our actions onely are tyed with our words but our very thoughts must be chaste that way according to that Detract not from the king no not in thy thought for the foules of the ayre shall carie the voyce Nay were our Prince as euill as she is good were she set ouer vs in iudgement to plague vs as she is in mercy to saue vs I meane to shelter vs as the shadowe of a great rocke in a weary land were shee as bloudie in persecuting as she is carefull in cherishing finally were shee as great a Pagan as she is a christian yet stands it with religion pietie and godlines not to touch her life but to pray for her safetie so were the people of the Captiuitie enioyned to doe by Ieremie Seeke the prosperitie of the Citie whither I haue caused you to be caried away captiue and pray vnto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall you haue peace And Baruck 1. 11. saith pray for the life of Nabuchadnezzar king of Babylon and for the life of Baltasher his sonne that their daies may be vpon earth as the daies of heauen What should I say more Vnder Augustus Caesar all the world was taxed and vnder Tiberius Caesar the Lord was crucified and yet said hee of both Giue to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods Though Nero was cruell and Domitian was bloudie yet Pauls diuinitie was that euery soule should be subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God exhorting with all that first of all prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes should be made for all men but especially for kings froÌ„ the same spirit spake Peter when hee enioyned submission to all publike gouernment for the Lords sake whether vnto the King as Supreme or to others as subordinate Where the Apostolike doctrine is as you may see that Popes are inferior to Kings whoÌ„ they must obey as their Superiours so farre from all primacy as they may not challenge a parity by the word of God but must yeeld a precedencie to their Kings as to their Soueraignes next vnto God supreme gouernours vpon earth whereunto both popes al papists if they haue soules must be subiect Nec attendat verus Obediens quale sit quod praecepit hoc solum contentus quod praecipitur sincere obedieÌ„ce neuer reasons with the meanes but quiets it self with the command quits the conscience with the precept of his God who presseth nothing more then homage to himselfe and honour to his annoynted Qua Obedientia vnicimus daemones Caeteris virtutibus oppugnamus by which obedience to God and the King as one saith well we subdue diuels by other vertues we do but oppugne them Sathan and sinners are neuer seene more shrinking then in our obedience it daunts men and dammes diuels Now the subiect of the peoples praier 〈…〉 passioÌ„ for their King was that the Lord Would remeÌ„ber him with all his afflictions Where first obserue that Kings euen Kings haue their trials troubles and crosses in this world and may say in the height of all their honour as Paul did in his persecutioÌ„s Idy dayly for besides the things that are outward I am cumbred daily and haue the care of all the Churches warres without treasons within Councellors perfidious subiects seditious and are not these afflictions O well said Alexander Regum est benefacere male audire It s incident to Kings well to do euil to heare euilly to be intreated that Embleme is for Princes which one of that ranke set vpon his herse to wit a lampe burning with this Empresse Alijs micans meipsum consumo whiles I shine to others I consume my selfe It would bee tedious to tell of Princes thoughts euen in the bed of their rest as it was with Ahashuerus the King when in the sileÌ„ce of thâ— night he could not sleepe but commanded to bring the booke of the Records and Chronicles that he might solace his soule in seeking to succour them who had saued him Baltassers Emblem was fearfull euen in the height of the feast it may be a Motto to all the mightie that they neither presume 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 nor boles least a fearefull hand-writing vpon the wal warne them both of their sin and of their shame that they haue praised the Gods of gold of siluer of brasse and of Iron of wood and of stone but the God in whose hands their breath is and all their waies him haue they not glorified Giue eare therfore you that rule the multitudes and glory in the multitudes of people for the rule is giuen you of the Lord and power by the most high which will try your works search out your imaginations because that you being officers of his kingdome haue not iudged aright nor kept the law nor walked after the will of God horribly and suddenly will he appeare vnto you saith the wise man for an hard iudgemeÌ„t shall they haue that beare rule hee that is most lowe is worthy mercy but the mightie shall be mightily tormented Wisd. 6. 6. But it may be to flatter Princes Sicophants will say these trayals are for tyrants they touch not the godly good and religious kings may keepe and carry their crownes without cober passe their time in pleasure wallow vpoÌ„ their beds of delight â—â—t downe their diadeâ—nes without danger â—â—d bid all doubts adewe I answere no For if there were no care to gette a Kingdom for that they haue it yet is there care to keepe it for that they may loose it nor is the care of conscieÌ„ce least or last of the three in a godly King which laboureth to quit it wheÌ„ the great Iudge of all the world shall demaund an account of their Gouernement Psal. 58. The good Kings of Israel and Iudah haue euer caried this conscience with their Crownes and haue carefully studied they might bee bossed with blessing from God both vpon themselues and vpon their people neuer failing them in the field to fight their battailes nor in their Oratories to further their Deuotions with a care of their Leuites to serue at the Altar and aboundance of sacrifice for the holy offering yea and more then all this so carefull of their God and good of his Church as they neuer failed to honour it with their presence and to sanctifie it with their prayer Now hâ—â— all this could passe them without passion trouble and affliction I leaue it to the feeling conscâ—â—â—â—â— of faithfull Kings whose wrought Crownes of gold often are worne with the wreathed crowne of Christ pricking in their hearts with like passionate speech as when he said Remember mine affliction and my mourning the wormewood and the gall he was a King that said it you may beleeue it Lord thou hast made
this world his altogether of this world both in power and pompe In a word Christ gaue all hee taketh all and giueth nothing vnlesse it bee in giuing that which is not his owne As Absolution from sinnes Pardon from paine Kingdomes from Princes as hee did this kingdome of England But all the cunning is in catching and in the meane time wee blesse our God in heauen and leaue this earthlie God to sporte himselfe with his vsurped power in giuing Pardon to those that neede it not Blessing to those that desire it not Cursing to those that care not for it and Crownes to such as by the grace of God shall neuer weare them What should I say more but make way to the rest and assure you of this That this mysterie of iniquitie of Popes power ouer Kinges was first reuealed and broken forth then when Boniface the third obtained of Phocas to bee called vniuersall Bishop and since that time Perijt virtus Imperatorum Pietas Pontificum The Emperours waxed weake and the Bishops wicked whereas before they were of a milder spirit moulded to greater obedience more subiect to their Soueraigne and yeelding to Princes that which was their due You are religiously wise and by this little which I haue said you haue seene enough I will therefore say no more but rest my selfe and I hope you vpon this loyall resolution that Dauid is set before al in the Genealogie of Christ for that the dignity of a King is chiefe and greatest in power so great in care not as a priuate man but as a publike Magistrate to answere for the sins of many the good of all ordained of God to be their King and as Cyrill saith the knitting together or Iuncture of godlines in the prosperitie of his people Which to effect as you haue heard was Dauids care both in his life at his death leauing it as a legacie to Salomon his sonne and successe together with his Peares and Princes that as Simon in the Machabees did for fighting so should they for building when calling his sonnes Iudas and Iohn hee said with good courage now I am old and ye are of a sufficient age be ye therefore in stead of me and goe forth and fight for your nation and the helpe of the heauens be with you So Dauid go forth and build for your God and the helpe of heauen be with you As and if he should say yet further I am wearied with warres abroade and worne with mine afflictions at home I am old weake and withered but ye are young strong and flourishing out of my pouertie I haue afforded you some store let it be speedily bestowed vpon the worke and build for your nation be ye therefore in stead of me and the helpe of heauen be with you And now mee thinkes it is with me as it was with the Prophet Abacuck when the Lord answered him and said write the vision and make it plaine vpon tables that he may run that readeth it for the vision is for an appointed time and now is the time at last it shall speake and now it speaketh Paralell the passions of Princes Queene Elizabeth with King Dauids in their grieuances for the maintenaÌ„ce of the religion of their God and see whether our English Iudah haue not as great cause to pray as euer Israels Iudah had Lord remember Elizabeth in all her afflictions Afflictions I say afflictions before her raigne since her raigne piercing her sacred brest like a continuall Archers shot whose arrowes are tipped with gall and sorrow and now be strong my spirit fly out my voyce to compare them in their afflictions Dauid was the least and last of his fathers house so was Elizabeth of her fathers familie Dauid persecuted from his youth so was Elizabeth Dauid contemned of his brethren Elizabeth of her sister Saul a King persecuted Dauid Marie a Queene was wroth with Elizabeth Dauid an exile in the holdes of Engeddi she close prisoner in the holds of Wodstocke Doeg reuiled Dauid vnto Saul so did Gardiner Elizabeth vnto Mary Dauid declared his innocencie vnto Saul so did Elizabeth vnto her sister Much was suspected by Dauid which they laid vnto his charge things which he neuer thought and they euer failed in the proofe So was it with Elizabeth her hand yet witnesseth to the innocencie of her soule which she left as a constat of her loyall hart in these lines and letters neuer to be blotted out Much suspected by me nothing proued can be quoth Elizabeth prisoner Saul in his spirit of furie purposed to haue killed Dauid playing vpon his harpe Winchester in his spirit of poperie purposed to haue murthered Elizabeth at her deuotions by Paul Peny and Iames Basset Dauid relieued and pitied by Achish King of Gath a stranger to his person and an enemie to his religion Elizabeth pitied by Phillip of Spaine a friend to her person yet no friend to her profession let the bedde curtaines and arrasse witnes Philips parlience with the Queene for Elizabeths preseruation Dauid was spoiled of his wiues by the Amalekites at Ziglack Lady Elizabeth robbed of her sworne seruants at the Tower of London when left alone and forsaken of all shee went on wearily with a woful heart and said in the silence of her soule Tanquam Ouis as a sheepe to the slaughter so am I sent Dauid had many Doegs in Court and Nabals in the country to wrong him with the King and pinch him in his prouision and not a friend durst speake for him but Ionathan and he aloofe with arrowes when hee sawe the Kings wrath implacable shee poore Lady had many Stories in Court to wrong her with the Queene to perswade her to strike at the roote and the branches would wither many Nabals in couÌ„try who pined at her prouision and not at Ionathan to speake or shoute for her safetie for that the Queenes heart was implacable But see a wonderfull prouidence of God in her preseruation Gardiner hoped to liue to see her dead but she hath liued to see him buried his flesh turned into dust and his bones to rottennes Story repented that he had not stroke at the roote whilest he cut off the branches â—uâ— God hath so ordained that the root should liue to haÌ„g vp that blasted bowe The time was wheÌ„ a poore child foure years old might not bring her a nosegay without suspition and churlish checke of her cruell keeper but now God hath so ordained as both young and olde high and low Rich and poore doe hang vp a garland in her praise with a praier to his prouideÌ„ce for her preseruation euer to liue with this resounding Eccho liue liue The time was when passing a prisoner from Windsor to Woodstocke the poore people ioy ful of her presence raÌ„g the bells in a village or two whereat her keeper raged railed vpon them as Rebels clapt the Ringers in the
stockes and so stayed the bells but now Benefielde hath his passing peale and to God bee the praise I hope there is not a bell in England that rings not a tongue in England that prayes not an hart in England that ioyeth not in and for the life of their soueraigne if any Meroits there be who will not do as we do let the curse of Meros light vpoÌ„ them for that they come not to help the Lorde against the mightie and let the Israel of God â—ay Amen To passe by her afflictions sithencâ— her raigne I may not euen since shee came to the royall diademe of her crowne and dignitie no sooner set vpon her head but the care of her people was in her heart pressing out this passionate speech I care not for my selfe my life is not deare vnto mee they which might knowe what cares I beare with this burthen would neuer thinke I take no great ioy in wearing the Crowne Ballance them with Dauids afflictions and if yee bee not partiall of her perils you shall finde them such as may pierce your hearts to prouoke your speech and pray Lord remember Elizabeth in all her afflictions vpon Dauids entrance the Philistines were against him the Aramites against him Edom and Ammon with the Moabites and Hagarens the Grecians Sirogrecians these are forraine foes manie in number mightie in power malitious in heart bloody in hand and practises how many and mighty were they who cast their heads together with one consent and as it is in the Psalme were confederate these were enemies of state forraine and abroade And were they lesse dangerous at home Absolon his owne sonne Absolon by name the fathers peace became the fathers bane and sought his death who gaue him life Seba the sonne of Bechry a man of Gemini with his wicked roote disclaimed that hee had any part in the sonne of Iesse Michol mocked him and despised his deuotions Shemey curseth Achitophel plotteth Abner dieth and the sons of Zerniah are too hard for Dauid Forraine power were against our Elizabeth and are confederate Balaam Balack Turke Pope with all their vnited forces and for our home treasons they are greater then they can be expressed with tears they breake the heart ere they can bedewe the cheekes mightie Absolons and base borne Sebaes many Achitoâ—hels I meane plotting Iesuits and Seminaries with their whining Cardinall Allen in their bloody designes haue disclaimed their Elizabeth Shemey curseth Pope Pius is become Impious the cursse is turned vpon himselfe for Elizabeth liueth a blessed Prince hee is dead a cursed Pope Lord remember Elizabeth c. Nay more to make ful the measure of her afflictions the Michols of this land are manie who disdaine our Dauid dauncing before the Arke scorne her deuotions and mocke her religion traÌ„ple vnder foote the bloud of the couenant as an vnholy thing and is not this an affliction yes no doubt and an afflicting affliction therefore we had need to pray Lord remeber Elizab c. Lastly our sinnes euen our loude crying sinnes hazard the life of our Prince our vnthankfulnes to God for her our colde deuotion and chilling zeale being fallen from our first loue our neglect of the word Sacraments and Sabaoths our generall Apostasie from the Faith our lacke of loue our great oppression and gnawing vsurie our extrauagant lusts of the flesh our excessiue Pride and hellish heate of Ambition I say anie of these hazard a Prince all these together shake the State and therefore wee had need to pray Lorde remember Elizabeth c. In tender of whose deliuerance long life and happie raigne there remaineth a dutie to bee performed this day on our behalfe eueÌ„ with our good God to plead her cause and pray for her person Lux haec venerabilis Anglis This day is deare to England and of all the mercies of our GOD registred in the Kalender of his Loue next to that of his Sonne CHRIST Albo signanda lapillo to bee of blessed memorie wherein wee haue found to our vnspeakable ioy and doe feele to the gladnes of our hearts that the people that walked in darknesse haue seene a great Light and wee that earst dwelt in the Land of the shadowe of death I meane of poperie and grosse Idolatrie vpon vs hath this Light shined God in mercie hath increased our ioye in the life light and gouernment of our dread soueraigne in whose fun-shine now we walke and pray that her day may euer dawne The allusion is good from our Christ to our Queene for by him and her the yoke of our burthen the staffe of our shoulder and the rodde of our oppressor hath bene broken as in the day of Midian and surely till these her Alâ—ion dayes euery battel of the warrier hath bin with noise and tumbling of garments in bloud but hers hath bene in softnes and in silence like a showre of Raine vppon a fleece of wooll like vnto Siloah that runneth softly by Sion like vnto the battell of Salmos hath fought our Salem Queene Sine Sudore sanguine without sweat or blood and like her Christ patiendo potiùs quam agendo auxit imperium her conquest hath beene without blood or broyle rather by sufferance and succouring of others at home then by seasures abroad hath she inlarged the bonds of her Empire And here seasonably and for conclusion of all spare me in a word to Paralell the two Princes as in their afflictions so in successe of blessings to make the yoke of their heauie gouernment more supportable Dauid killed Goliah in his weake strength with prayer in his mouth a peeble stone in his hand he stroke him on the forehead for that hee did confront his God Etibi percutitur vbi deerat Christus There hee felled him where Christ was fayling Queene Elizabeth in her weake and femimine sex to giue God the glorie hath subdued that great Giant at Gath I meane that man of Rome with the sweete perfume of prayer in her mouth and the power of the word of God in her blessed hand a stone hewen out of the mountaine without hands as Daniel saith dashing in peeces all the marbles of this world in the spirit and speech of Dauid hath beene her royall martch Thou commest to me with a sword with a speare and with a shield but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hostes that God of the Hoste of Israel whom thou hast railed vpon this day shall the Lord close thee in my haÌ„d that all the world may know that englaÌ„d hath a God Dauid brought the Arke into his Citie by the hands of the Leuites So doth Queen Elizabeth the Religion of her Christ into the bowels of al her kingdomes by a beautifull ministery Dauid dedicated the vessels gotten of the Gentiles to the vse of the temple so doth she the spoiles of the Papists to the maintenance of
of that heauenly station I dare not for that the Scripture seemes silent of that secret although the authors of the Hebrewe Homilies induced with sharpe and subtile reasons haue written of threescore and six houres standing others of a naturall day which is foure and twentie houres others of an artificiall or diurnall day which is twelue houres mentioned by our Sauiour Christ when he saide are there not twelue houres in the day if a man walke in the day hee stumbleth not c. But in answere to all it shall bee sufficient for vs to knowe that the Sunne stirred not till the battell was ended and Israel had auenged himselfe vppon the heathen the Lord was mercifull to giue them light that they might walke fight in the day not stumble by night in the desert one day was as long as two and it is sufficient for vs to knowe that such a day did neuer dawne such a battell was neuer fought that there was neuer day like that before it nor after it â—herein the Lord heard the voyce of a man and so fought for Israel And here see the power of prayer hee heard the voyce of a man and fought for Israel but the Lord fought not while Iosua prayed not nor was it the voyce of an Angell but the voyce of a man that preuailed with God for Israel nor was it any volly of shot no speare or pike no warlicke stratagem horse or sword could pierce the enemie till the voyce of Iosua had pierced the heauens that shoot of prayer that shiuered the walles of Iericho amazed the hearts of the Amorites weakened their hands and subdued their power in the valley of Aialon Iosua was neuer so puissant in his fight as in his prayer for in his fight he preuailed but with men but in his prayer he preuailed with God his faith his prayer and his loue conquered him that comandeth all according to that Solus amor triumphat à Deo onely loue conquereth God God by the Prophet shewes vs a Sentinel set vpon the walles of Ierusalem a watchman in his tower that wardeth and warneth onely by his praier which all the day and all the night continually should not cease keepe silence or giue God any rest till he should repaire and set vp Ierusalem the praise of the world It s true It s true Orationes Lachrimae sunt arma Ecclesiae praiers and teares are church weapons Oratio deum lenit lachrima cogit haec vngit illa pungit praier softeneth teares in force this melteth that pearceth the sweet soule of thy Sauiour to pittie thy plaints in the daies of thine affliction as in the day of Iosua And hereby the example of Iosua ye that are potentates of the world mightie men and Princes of the people spare me a little to prouoke your praier as more preuailing with God by priuiledge of your spirits then others of lower rancke Are the Amorites abroad are your states indangered is the Church grieued and are your soules afflicted for your selues for your people ye may be bolde with God for ye haue precedencie as Iosua here had euen by the power of your prayer to make him propitious Spare mee while I spare no Creature in Heauen Earth or Hell priuiledged froÌ„ the power of your prayer by which they are inforced to yeeld to the necessity of the Saints Moses prayed preuailed with God and had precedencie of the people when hee deuided the red Sea and put backe Iordane when he stroke the Rocke and inforced softe and sweete water to gush out In the height of his hands was the health of Israel for when they were lifted vp Amalek fell but when they shrunke Israe fainted when Eliah prayed the Heauens were as brasse and when he prayed againe the Clowdes dropped downe Fatnes Lyous mouthes were stopped at the prayer of Daniel and the childrens prayer beatte backe the Flame By the wrestling of prayer the Angell yeelded and at the commaund of prayer Diuels were daunted What should I say more By the power of prayer Sheol is shaken Hell is in horror sicknes ceaseth yeares are added winde and Seas obey Such priuiledge prayer hath especiallie in Men of might Princes Patriarches and Prophets which made the Israel of God when carefull of their king to pray that the Lord would be attent vnto his proper praier as more preuailing then theirs when they saide The Lorde heare thee in the day of Trouble the Name of the God of Iacob defende thee beeing well assured of this that the prayers of godly Princes are and euer haue bene powerful with God and profitable for his people Salomon prayed and the Temple was filled with the Clowde and the glorie of the Lord. Dauid prayed and doubly preuailed with God First that himselfe might fall into the handes of God rather then of men Secondly that the people might be spared and himselfe plagued Ezechia prayed and God restored him to health with increase of dayes euen fifteene yeare of the surplusage of his loue assured vnto him by the shadow of Ahaz his dyall vpon the wall brought backe ten degrees to make good the Lords promise vppon his prayer And why might not Iosuah a prince and Sauiour of his people by prayer to God commaund the creature euen the faire Fabricke of Sunne and Moone to none no more till Israel were auenged vpon their enemies Pardon me in your patience a while If to parallel these Princes praiers in their precedencie with God I leaue not out our owne Princes at home the perfume of whose praiers are yet sweete in this our English Eden and like the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed that powerfull praier of Edward the sixt made at his death and in the houre of his dissolution shall neuer die while the state standeth but euer be blessed by it O my God defend this Realme from papistry and maintaine thy true religion that I and thy people may praise thy holy name and therewith all he said I am faint Lord haue mercy vpon me and take my spirit Let me neuer liue to pray more or pray to liue longer if I be not perswaded in my soule and from my God that euen yet the blessing of that prayer is vpon this people as a wall of brasse to beate backe poperie as Iosuas day lengthened til the Amorites were vanquished and as pure mirrhe dropping still vpon the barres and handles of our doores to sweeten England in the maintenance of true religion and pietie Againe at the birth and baptisme of his deare sister Queen Elizabeth our dread Soueraigne who now liueth and long may we say Liue liue the King of Herauldes when the christening and ceremonies were ended proclaimed this praier and with what effect iudge yee God of his infinite goodnes send prosperous life and long to the high and mightie Princesse of England Elizabeth
Surely surely a Prince so high in the fauour of God and so mightie with men so blessed with daies and prosperous in her raigne so beloued at home and so dread abroade so absolute for blessings and so admired for gouernment was neuer seene in England Herauld thy praier was powerfull and preuailed with God for thy proclamation hath wrought heaueÌ„ filled the earth with the cloude and glory of her happie raigne I might here speake to make good the doctrine I aime at of that disastrous disease of our nation the Kings euill cured by no hand but of the Lords annoynted vpon whose sacred touch and prayer thousands within the kingdome haue beene deliuered from that wofull maladie the humour being beaten backe the veines purged and the canker killed when neither surgions skill nor Physicions cunning could helpe theÌ„ had the Prince precedencie by praier Nullâ—s adhibitis pharmacis to relieue the patient it may be the cause is secret in nature but not in grace which vsually helpeth when all other succours faile And thus you see how Princes praiers pleadings with God haue much preuailed being graced with faith not a creature of God but it stands at their checke if they grieue the creatures groane after a deliuerance God in heauen and his Gods on earth doe sympathise they soare high who came from an high and their generous spirits beg much at the haÌ„ds of the Lord God of spirits there was neuer yet any truly noble or of an honorable descent but from an heaueÌ„ly asceÌ„t It s not your royall blood but the honour of your God that makes you noble your greatnes is in the breath of his being according to that Nemo vir magnus vnquaÌ„ extitit sine diuino aliquo afflatu numine there was neuer yet any great man moulded on earth but had his minde inspired with some diuine influence from heauen And now from the combate Iosua had with his God by praier come we to the command he had ouer the creature by the word wherein spare me a while to speake it shall be as I hope a seasonable instructioÌ„ lessoning vs how to demeane our selues toward God as the whole hoste of his creatures may stand either for vs if we doe wel or against vs if we doe euill the lesson is short and soone taken out For if we be at enmitie with God then all his creatures wil be at enmitie with vs The earth will swallow vs the water will drowne vs the aire will infect vs the fire will consume vs Yea the basest creatures vpon the earth will bandie our destruction wormes will eate our entrals Lice will consume our faire flesh flies will fright vs and frogges will leape into our Kings chambers monstrous visions will trouble vs and make vs swoone as though our owne soules should betray vs the darkenes of the night will be intollerable and the thoughts of the graue insupportable What should I say more the whistling of the windes chierping of birds amongst the thicke branches the water falls the skipping and roaring of wild beasts with the sound that answereth againe in the hollow mountaines these fearefull things as Salomon saith will make vs appalled for the lesse that the hope is whithin the more is our torment without Nay which is more then all I haue said and I yearne to speake it if we be at enmitie with God his word and Sacraments wil be our enemies the law will fright vs and the Gospell will flatter vs to our destruction the blessed Sacraments seales of our assurance wil rubbe off if vnreuereÌ„tly we rubbe vpon him Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall songs will turne to dolefull ditties and our melancholy will marre our melodie Songs of Sion to vs will be but songs of sorrow with a woe and welladaie that euer we were at enmitie with our God and Christ. But è regione altera if we be in amitie and friends with God as Iosua was then all his creatures will fawne vpon vs the earth will support vs and the aire will cheare vs the water will coole vs and the fire will comfort vs our meate will feede vs and our clothes will warme vs our houses will shroude vs and our beds will ease vs yea and God will make our greatest enemies either our friends or our footestoole What should I say more if God be thy friend the beast that beares thee will bid thee beware as he did Balaam and Ionathans arrow will bid thee be gone as he did Dauid thy weake sling and peeble stone shall quell a Giant and with the iawe bone of an asse thou shalt kill a thousand Starres shall fight for thee as they did for Deborah and the riuer Kison shall sweepe them away Rauens shall feede thee as they did the Prophet and the Cocke shall crowe thee to repentance as he did Peter Nay if thou be in amitie with God the night will be short and thy sleepe sweete the graue will be to thee as a bed of downe there to rest till the day of thy resurrection word Sacraments and Sabaothes will be thy solace till thou come to that Sabaoth of rest thy prayers will sent sweete as perfume and thy praises sound in thy soule like harmonie of the heauens In a word and so to conclude with my text and close with your religious eares and hearts ye may not maruell if Iosua hauing God his friend had also the coÌ„maund of his fairest creatures and bad them stand still who neuer stood before for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Elias was a man subiect to like passions as we are and hee praied earnestly that it might not raine it rained not on the earth for three yeares sixe monthes and he praied againe and the heauens gaue raine and the earth brought forth her fruite The vse is good and much to our comfort if we be feruent in praier for we haue a greater commaund then either Iosua or Elias had they commaunded but the creatures we commaund the creator euen the Lords Christ we bring him down we must make him ours with all the benefits of his passion euen remission of sinnes and euerlasting life to the which God bring vs. And let this suffice to satisfie you of Iosua his great puisance as preuailing with God by prayer and with his creatures by command All the Hoast of heauen earth and hell being as I haue told you mans Hostes from the Lord of Hoasts whilest we be friends with God and fetch them off by faith either to defend our selues or offend our enemies in the day of battel otherwise if we be at enmitie with God as likewise I haue said the basest of his creatures as lice flies and frogs are big enough to beate downe Pharao in his pride or the greatest monarke in this world in his presumption against the Lord. And now come we from the praier and word of Iosua to the arme and
sword of Iosua which likewise preuailed against the fiue Kings of the Amorites and subdued them in the valley of Aialon Where first obserue that he did not neglect the meanes because of the miracles or left to fight on earth because the sonne stood still in heauen but hee whetted his sword vpon the promise of his God and vsed but the creature as a glorious light onely to giue him light till the battel was ended to teach vs that though it please almighty God often whēthe fight is no lesse dangerous then desperate to relieue vs by miracle yet may we not cast off the means For when Dauid that sweete singer of Israel would stir vp Hierusalem to praise the Lord for the blessings of the land amongst many blessings there mentioned first in the ranke hee marshals this Hee hath made the barres of thy gates strong hee doth not say hee hath made thee strong but hee hath made sure the barres of thy gates Wee are his but the bars are ours nor may wee so depend vppon the helpe of our God as wee may cast away the meanes of our defence for Non aufert portas diuina prouidentia sed corroborat the Lordes prouidence takes away no gates but makes them strong the gates are ours but the prouidence is his Hee takes away no Kinges no garrisons no golde no shippes no shotte no men or munition all these are barres of our defence and they are ours but the prouidēce is his he takes away no lawes no liberties no customes no toll or tribute all these are bars and all are ours but the prouidence is his hee takes away no counsell of state no nobilitie no gentrie or commons of the land but hee makes them all sure barres of thy gates O England and these are ours but the prouidence is his In fine and for conclusion of all England hath her barres of yron and gates of brasse and her wall is impregnable invironed with rocks shelues seas and by them we are fortified Ad miraculum vsque yet what of all this if wee fall from God and faile of his prouidence Surely all is nothing and God by the Prophet will correct our securitie as he did Niniueh when hee saide Art thou better then Alexandria the great which was full of people that lay in the riuers and had the waters round about her whose ditch was the sea and had her walles from sea to sea Aethiopia and Aegypt were her strength Put and Lubyn were her helpers yet was shee caried away and went into Captiuitie her young children were dashed in peeces at the head of all the streetes and they cast lots for her noble men and all her mightie men were bound in chaines So then sinne within crieth vengeance without and there is no prouidence of God either can or will preuent deserued iudgements If our barres be neuer so strong wickednes will burst them It s not our situation in the seaes nor association with Put and Lubin the greatest of our neighbour kingdomes can keepe vs from captiuitie if either we presume vpon our might or neglect the meanes of our saluation by the word or preseruation by the sword Iosua was a Sauiour of his people and by meanes of both he wrought their deliuerance and in the right of both hee held his inheritance But it may be demanded what it was that put such spirit into Iosua and made him to aduenture vpon all these so great difficulties surely search you shall find that the match that kindled the fire burned in the breast of Iosua and inflamed his royall hart with courage to contend with God his fairest creatures and cruell Kings was the promise assurance God gaue him of the victorie as you may see in the precedent verses of my text when the Lord said vnto Iosua feare them not for I haue giuen them into thine hand None of them shall stand against thee Now in this promise was the might of his power his prowesse and all his puisance his thought of the promise so eleuated his soule aboue with assurance of deliuerance that he neuer doubted daunger belowe it may be hee thought vpon the promise that made the barren wombe of Sarah fruitfull it may be hee thought vpon the promise God made to Iacob in his daungerous peregrination to Bethel Ero tecum It may be hee thought vpon the promise of Israels deliuerance out of Aegipt and how the Lord made it good with an high and mightie hand hee knew that arme was not weakened nor his hand shortened nor his power limited to binde the heauens to obey his will and make good his promise of Israels safetie and the Amorites confusion Thus armed with the promise hee fell vpon the enemie pell mell hee feared neither might nor multitude hee slewe them with a great slaughter at Gideon and chased them a long the way that goeth to Beth horon he smote then to Azecha and to Machedah but see vppon the sudden how the spirits of the mightie were daunted how the army was discomfited and Israel endaungered their glorious day begunne to bee darkened with a gloomie night and when the fight was at the fairest they had lost the fielde if Iosua his prayer hadde not preuailed with his GOD for a longer day that the sunne in Gibeon and the Moone in Aialon might yeelde their shine till their swordes were sated with the blood of the heathen And it is a secret in the Lordes promises that for the most part they are in the generall without mention of particular meanes I haue giuen them into thy hands but by what meanes It is not mentioned to teach vs that the LORD is a free Agent and is tyed to no particular all the creatures of GOD are his to make good his glorie and protect his Church where hee will when hee will and as hee will hee that put into the hand of Sampson the Iawe bone of an asse to beate downe the Philistines hee puts into the power of Iosua two glorious lights to vanquish the Amorites who might say with greater maiestie then Sampson might with the jawe-bone of an Asse are heapes vppon heapes with the jawe-bone of an Asse haue I killed a thousand Nay rather with the brightnesse of the Sunne are heapes vppon heapes and with the bodie of the Sunne haue I killed a thousand supported with the promise made vnto me from the height of all sublimitie I haue now power ouer the glorious creature to commaund it light and to double the day for our deliuerance It may bee my brethren that when Iosuah sawe by the approach of the blacke night that all other succours failed It may bee the promise had a checke in his heart and for a while his faith fought with frailtie Yet true it is and made good as yee may here see by his experience that th◠righteous shall neuer finally fall nor shall there euer be temptation
a woman so may I likewise charge their mould for that they are but men whose breath is in their nostrels and if God doe not charge England with the sinnes of England little doe I feare their force we commend your prayers for they will moue the heauens so doe wee your powerfull preaching for that will shake the earth of our earthly hearts and call vs to repentance whereby our good God may relieue vs and roote vp in mercy his deserued Iudgements intended against vs onely be faithfull and feare not Si deus nobiscum quis contra nos And thus shee went on in her holy march with her Princely power spirit and praier against that inuincible Nauie for preparation might and bloodie designes the greatest and most fearefull that euer was intended any nation For as Emanuel van Meteran reporteth their shippes were an hundred fiftie furnished with eight thousand mariners besides of slaues for the Gallies two thousaÌ„d eightie eight of Souldiers twentie thousand besides noble men and gentlemen voluntaries they had great cast peeces 2650. peeces of brasen ordinance 1600. of Iron 1000. bullets 120000. gunpowder 5600. quitals of match 1200. quintals Muskets and Calliuers â—000 Halbarts and Partisanes 100â—0 This Nauie as Diego Pimentello afterward confessed was esteemed by the King himselfe to containe two and thirtie thousand persons and to cost euery day thirtie thousand Duckets Adde to all this Parma his forces in the Lowe Country thought to be fortie thousand strong Dukes Princes and Potentates from Italie Spaine Sauoy Hungary Hesse with many Turkish captaines all hasted thither to the seruice and were had in Parma his court and campe The Pope Sixtus Quintus placed his part with sixe cinque for all he published a Crâ—sadoe as against Turkes and Infidels with ample Indulgences he bestowed the Realme of England vppon the Conquerour and proffered a million of golde towardes the seruice and if all reports be true hee dispatched out D. Allen the great Apostle of our English Catholiques to lye alooffe with a Frye of Seminaries and Iesuites vermine of our Church to poyson within corrode the very bowels of their dearest countrey But there 's no counsell against the Lord No might can marche with his Maiestie Mans wisedome is but foolishnes his greatest strength but weakenesse his life but a breath and all his honour but a blast for the Lorde had no sooner blowne vppon all this their pompe and pride but their spirits were daunted their Armies were discomfited the great Armada was scattered beaten and broken with it owne burthen and as they say only fiftie three poore shippes returned home to carie tidings of all the test Thus England had the honor of the day day like that of Iosuah bright shining from heaueÌ„ wherin the black night of our throuâ—â—â—â— destruction was beaten backe by the puissance of our Prince praying our Armies fighting and the creatures of God relieuing to make vs glorious by deliuerance And now to close with your religious cares and hearts which heare me this day our care is for our Prince to keepe her in life the crowne of our head the breath of our nostrels the annointed of the Lord vnder whose shadow we haue bin thus preserued aliue amongst the heathen Where must wee then begin to beg that the line of her life may be lengthened but at the Author of life that her dayes may bee multiplied on earth but at the auncient of dayes in heauen Iosua could not stir a creature till he had moued the creator nor stay the Sun till he had communed with his God as it is here Then spake Iosua vnto the Lord c. For it was as in the day of famine when God by the Prophet promised plentie saying in that day I will heare saith the Lord I will euen heare the heauens and they shal heare the earth and the earth shall hearethe corne and the wine and the oyle and they shall heare Israel yet all as it 〈…〉 this caution I will not heare the 〈…〉 till the heauens heare the earth I will not heare the earth till the earth heare the corne the wine and the oile nor will I heare the cry of these till these heare the cry of Israel so as Israel must be the PrimuÌ„ mobile to moue the Lord to mercy No corne wine or oile no earth sunne or heauen could preuaile with the God of heauen till the praiers plaints and cries of Israel there and Iosua here at Aialon were out and piercing to make him propitious Therefore you that stand this day for the Lords annoynted and keepe it solemne like one of the feasts of Iudah I exhort with the Apostle that first of all supplications praiers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all and especially for Queene Elizabeth that wee may leade a quiet and peaceable life vnder her in all godlines and honestie without which praier to God all other succours are but vaine For her counsell may aduise her officers may care her guard may keepe watch her Souldiers may fight her Ladies may loue her and her handmaides may attend her her Physitions may apply her person her Cookes her diet yea and her Reuels may solace and refresh her wearied spirits all these with all the subiects of the land may wish and worke her good yet all nothing without the Soueraigne good for except the Lord build the house they labour but in vaine that build it Come then ye Counsellers of state and aduise with your God come yee officers in Court resigne your staues and be instant with your God come yee Souldiers out of the field let fall your weapons and yeeld to your God Ye Ladies and maides of honour leaue your closets and attend your God Physitions lay by your Cordials and apply your God You reuerent fathers of the Church slide from your Consistories and pray to your God you preachers people and all contend with your God for a blessing this day that it may yet dawne a bright blessing to this English nation Iosua preuailed as I haue told you and was encouraged to commaund the creatures because of the promise wee haue a more precious promise from God and a greater commaund euen to still the heauens till our prayers bee offered vp there was silence in heauen for the space of halfe an houre till the Saints prayers were offered vp and now tel me whether is the greater command to stay the Sun in Gibeon till the Amorites be vaÌ„quished or to silence the heauens till the Saints prayers bee answered Againe the rather to embolden vs to pray with confidence wee haue as good a God to goe to as euer Iosua had euen the Lord Iehoua wee haue as good a meane to goe by as euer Iosua had euen Iesus Christ the righteous we haue had as good a cause in hand as euer Iosua had euen the life of our Queene the safety of her state and the preseruation
vpon the earth he doth it himselfe and therefore I will goe forward in the strength of the Lord God and will make mention of thy righteousnesse euen of thine onely In this coÌ„fideÌ„ce he beat back the rage of rayling Rabsecha in the day of battel saying vnto his people bee strong and couragious feare not neither bee affraide for the King of Assur neither for all the multitude that is with him for there be more with vs with him is an arme of flesh but with vs is the Lord our God for to helpe vs and to fight our battels Surely it was an argument of a soueraigne faith in the day of his affliction to runne to GOD when most men runne from GOD some to the Diuel some to their Idols some to the creatures and some to their owne workes vnwisely wrought Dolefull was the song of Moses euen in that particular when hee saide of Israel the LORDS peculiar they offered vnto Diuels and not to God but to Gods whom they knewe not new Gods that came newly vp whom their fathers knewe not Ahaziah being sicke vppon his fall fell from his GOD whenheâ— sâ—nt to Baal-zebub the GOD of Ekron to enquire of his recouery whom the Prophet iustly taxed both of his diffidence and of his death when hee saide Is it for that there is not a GOD in Israel that yee goe to Baal-zebub the God of Ekron tell the Kings hee shall neuer come off his bed but dye the death Saule in his extremitie sought to the witch at Endor and left the LORD it made a rent in the Kingdome and brought a ruine to himselfe with an vtter subuersion to his house and familie while Israel trusted in their GOD they failed of no blessings but when they ioyned themselues vnto Baal Peor and did eate the offerings of the dead then they prouoked him vnto anger with their owne inuentions and the plague brake in vpon them Balaâ— sought to Balaam and was cast away by the deceite of Baalams wages and the Aramites shifted from the GODS of the hilles to the Gods of the valleys and because they left the true God they were relieued with no God Ahab and Asa ioyned with Benadaâ— a professed enemie of GOD and in the day of their distresse had they trusted in the LORD GOD of Israel Hanany the Seer had neuer so sharpely reproued the sinne with the iudgement because thou hast rested vppon the King of Aram and not rested in the Lord thy God therefore is the hoast of the King of Aram escaped out of thine handes and because thou hast let goe a man whom I appointed to dye thy life shall goe for his life and thy people for his people Good Iehosaphat is reproued by the same Prophet for leauing the Lord and loyning with Ahab in the seege at Ramath Gilead wouldest thou helpe the wicked and loue them that hate the Lord therefore for this thing the wrath of the Lord is vpon thee A good caution for Princes to beware with whom they enter league whom they helpe whom they loue that the wrath of GOD bee not vppon them What should I say more but conclude with this aduertisement cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lord but blessed is the man with good Ezechia that maketh the Lord God of Israel his soules support with this no lesse Christian then Kingly confidence the Lord redeemeth the soules of his seruants and none that trust in him shall euer perish Againe it is of due regard in this good King to perfect his praise in the full affiance he euer had in his God that he did acknowledge him both God and Lord for so it is here saide hee trusted in the Lord God of Israel Lord of heauen and Lord of the earth Lord of life and Lord of death Lord of Israel where hee was King and Lord of the nations hee was to subdue yea and his Lord too though hee were a King as to whom he ought both faith and fealtie with a limited subiection of all his power to his blessed will and soueraigne command and therefore it was not without cause Dauid ended his Psalme with this beatitude Blessed are the people whose GOD is their LORD for Multi habent eum in Deum pauci in dominum Manie take GOD to be their creator but fewe make him their Lord and gouernour many will bee graced with his stampe as he is God but few will be guided by his rule as hee is Lord that hand thâ—â— made them must not direct them and euen in that they disclaime their subiectioÌ„ therfore they make him their God but not the Lord. Sound it in a true sense with a sanctified soule and you shall finde that lacke of consideration in this very point of pietie is and hath beene the breeder of all Atheisme mischiefe and wickednesse in this woful world the Angels had kept their first estate if they had made their God their Lord Adam and Eue his fairest creatures had neuer fallen so farre had they not failed in their obedience to that Lord that was their God Israel played the harlot vnder euery greene tree shee was disloyall to her Lord and therefore no maruell if they went into Captiuitie when their God was not their Lord. I might tell of Sodom and Gomer Shilo and Sion of Niniueh Carthage Babylon Corinthe and Thessalonica with all the Cities of Asia where once the Gospell flourished like a greene tree in the middest of the Paradise of GOD and what 's the reason of all their ruines no other cause of their wofull supplantation but that God was not their Lord they failed in fealtie to God both in matter of faith and fact they were misled through misbeliefe they burst the baÌ„ds of all obedience they rebelled against their God in that they did not vse him as their Lord. They would liue by him but they would not be led by him and so hee was their God of destruction but not their Lord of protection Finally I am prswaded that sin was neuer more sinfull and deserued Iudgemnts neuer more doubtfull and the breeder of both is nothing else but this euen our rebellion against the Lord wee dare not but say he is our God and yet wee denie him homage and how is hee then our Lord Our secret Idolatries and open stealth our gnawing vsuries and extrauagant lusts of the flesh our excessiue auarice and grieuous oppressions our contempt of the word Sacraments and Sabaoths our generall Apostasie from all good and godlines with our lewde liues led by no rule shew that wee are irregular dead to God and fallen from all obedience to our Lord wee doe not trust in the Lord God of Israel And so to conclude and close with your religious eares and hearts who heard mee this day place your confidence in the brest-plate of your
Lord God and when all other helps succours faile with this good K. Ezechia trust in the Lorde God of Israel Trust not in friendes for they will faile you Trust not in this world for it will forsake you trust not in pleasure for it will flatter you trust not in wealth for it will Ieaue you trust not in strength it will weaken like water trust not in beautie it will vade like a flower trust not in witte it s often wauering trust not in Learning it s alwayes doubting trust not in Honour it s still a sliding trust not in Princes fauour it s often fleeting trust in no societie in marr'd with factions trust in no earthlie ioyes they are but borrowed passions All these Trusts are but transitorie worne out with Time but that transcendent confidence of thy GOD and LORD neither vadeth nor vanisheth out abideth for euer It effecteth wonders where it worketh and it tyeth the prouidence of the Almightie to thy particular it hales on the Heauens to helpe the Earth and like a threefold Cable from the Kings heart to the Lords eare it pulled him downe to be propitious when tyed to the Sunne it drew it backe ten degrees tyed to Time it put it on fifteene yeares as an Addition to his dayes and tyed to the Angels it brought them downe to scatter and kill the Hoast of Assur And now tell mee yee Atheists of the world Artists and Polititians in whom Nature euer abridgeth Grace tell mee what starrie influence wit of man might or abilitie could euer haue effected so admirable wonders had they not beene haled on rather by tye of Religion then by touch of reason for Fides non habet meritum vbi humana ratio praebet experimentum Faith hath no prehemineÌ„ce where reason maketh experiment well may it here houer belowe but it can neuer reache the height of the Heauens well may it make men famous on earth but it can neuer make them glorious in heauen O Religion beautifull is thy band it chameth man to God in his obedience and God to man in his deliuerance but where it is not Princes powers are but cordes of sand their glory but a morning dewe their speares but Reeds to pearce their owne entrals and with all their wit they doe but weaue vnto themselues spiders webs vneth able to keepe out a flie much lesse the fire of Gods heauie wrath and indignation against delinquents Nay oftentimes it falleth out that where there is a trust and confidence in the creature more then in the creator that very creature turnes to their destruction who trust to it Sampson twice trusted in his strength and it was first cut off by the weake and feeble hand of Dalila againe hee trusted in his strength and it pulled downe the house aswell vpon himselfe as vpon the Philistines Absoâ—on trusted in his faire face feature and beautie and his golden locks tyed him to the tree till Abner had pierced his heart with a speare That very sword wherein Goliah trusted cut off his owne head and the speare he tossed at Dauid before the combâ—te aduanced his head in the sight of all Israel What should I say more of that multitude of men wherein Dauid so trusted thousands fell vppon his right hand and ten thousands vppon his left and this good King when hee shrunko but a litle from his God and in some princely ambition shewed his treasures wherein hee-trusted to Baladen King of Egypt it was the ruine of his house and cause of Israels captiuitie The vse is good and seasonable for the day on solemnize I shall neuer thinke so long as I haue a thought in my heart that euer Queene Elizabeth I could haue rained and ruled so happily to the honour of her God preseruation of her state safetie of her people and wonder of all the world but that shee onely trusted in the Lord God of Israel It was her faith and full affiance in her God that made her so glorious by deliuerance For was it reason or faith that put 〈◊〉 the stabbe of Parry and poysoned the Bill of Lopus was it reason or faith that scattered the great Armâ—â—â— of Spainee when the sturtes fought for England and the Riuer Kison swept them away sinke their ships wherein they trusted and cast the carkâ—sses welneere vpon euery coaste from Portesmouth in England to Dingle Cushe in Ireland Was it reason or religion when in the day of her afflictions shee went towards the tower Tanquam Ouis a poore persecuted prisoner that brought her backe againe not long after to her pallace of Westminster a free borne Prince and that I onely say no more but haste to the rest Is it reason or religion that with the linâ— of her sacred life still draweth on the mercies of our blessed God Sweete as perfume and like the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed surely surely if I should ascribe these our blessings by her gratious gouernment rather to pollicie then pietie to reason then religion to the puisance of her power then to her trust and confidence in her God I should preiudice the right of faith and the Princely vertues of her heauenly minde And so to the second vertue wherewith the religious heart of this good King 〈◊〉 replenished which was his magnanimitie to wit a generous minde and spirit soaring high and seldome ayming at mediocrities neuer content to sit downe with the worst but euer striuing to contend with the best of his ranke and therefore it is said that after him was none like him amongst all the Kings of Iuda neither were there any such before him for hee did emulate the vertues of all the ancient Kings of Israel and Iudah that went before him and matched them he did animate the succeeding Kings of Iudah and made himselfe a patterne for them so walke saith the Apostle euen as you haue vs for an example so rule saith this good Prince euen as you haue vs for a president Like the sunne amongst the planets so are eminent Princes amiddest their peeres they lighten all aboue and all belowe precedent Kings are honoured succeeding Kings are bettered by them Yet so as this heroicall vertue of Magnanimitie euer springs out of the fountaine of faith her first and fairest in the ranke of all religious vertues for faith is euer operatiue it will worke it will striue wrastle and contend with the best by the best meanes and for the best blessing Out of this vertue it was that Sampsâ—â— contended with the Philistines and not in strength only but in wit had excelled them all if they had not plowed with his heiffer out of this vertue Iob conetnded for vprightnesse with all the land of Hus when the Lord saide of him that there was none like him in the earth for an vpright and iust man one that feared God and eschewed euill Out of this vertue
waste roaring wildernes to Canaan I say had they not seene this his familiaritie with God the God of his command would they trowe you euer haue beene kept in their obedience being a people so rebellious and mutinous I might say the same of Iosua Gedeon Dauid of all the Kings of Israel and Iudah their familiaritie with their God made them gracious with their people may the very Pagan Princes of tho world that they might the rather confirme their lawes and make their decrees of more acceptance with their people they fained a familiaritie with their Gods secret confereÌ„ce much coÌ„merce as Numa Pompilius with Aegeria the Nimphe Scipio Africanus with Iupiter Capitolinus Pisistratus with Minerua Lycurguâ— with Apollo and Mahomet when he first laide the fouÌ„datioÌ„s of Turcisme by a taught pigeon pidling in his eares as it had beene the holy ghost there whispering secret reuelations yea and all the Muncks from the hollow vaults of their derne Celles are bolde to make good their derne diuinitie by vaunt of more speciall reuelations The proiect is for religious Kings euen from the grace and familiaritie they haue with God to make them gratious with the people for if as you haue heard to credit the lawes of men with man as Tully saith Tâ—ntâ—legis vis est vt ea non homini sed deo Delphi contribueretur how much more to credit the diuine lawes of God by which Kings rule may we say Tantalegis viâ— est vt ea non homini sed deo Israelitico tribueretur Such is the power of that lawe by which we gouerne as wee dare not asoribe yetâ—â—â— â—y Delphick God but to the liuing God of Israel and say populus dei non acquiesâ—at in vlla doctrina priusquam audiat hanc vocem Sic dicit dominus We will that our people being the people of God rest and repose then saluation vpon no Oracle till they heare this voyce Thus saith the Lord Iehouah It may goe for a Lamentation to see how mightie men and Princes of the world estrange themselues from God cast off his yoke burst the bands of all obedience flie religion and are as it were affraide to be familiar with their Christ least happily they might sâ—eme to be strange to their earthly passions pleasures and Parasites who in force noâ—hing more then this that it stands not with the greatnes of man to be too familiar with God or with the Kings crowne to be cast downe at the feete of poore Christ Religion is for Regulars Princes are free and subiect to no rule Thus they measure their right by their might and frame their conscience to their greâ—â— commaund so they may close with this world they shake hands with the other and sue out that proud partition in their hearts Diuisum imperium cum Ioue Caesar habet so wee may raigne on earth let God rule in heauen The vse is good I feare it is with many both mightie and meane men in these worst and last daies of the world who think if they bee gratious with God they cannot be gratious with men and therefore doe often faine impietie for feare they should not seeme prophane It was Augustineâ— sinne before his conuersion when he saide â—ingebam me fecisse quae non fecoram ne viderâ—â— abiectior quo eram innocentior ne vilior haberer quo eram castior Oftentimes I fained my selfe to haue done the sinne I neuer did least I might seeme lesse honoured for being more honest or lesse prophane for being more pure Alas with what compariâ—ons did I walke saith he the streets of â—â—biloâ— and wallowed in the filâ—h there of as in a bed of Cynamon pure perfume for 〈◊〉 flesh and blood senteth sinne to be sweete but the sanctified soule deemes it perfumed poison Well it was not so with this good king Ezechiah when hee claue vnto the Lord and departed not from him nor is it so with our dread soueraigne whose right hath bin her might I meane her religion with God her might with men and her constancie in his faith hath made her more honorable then the hils of robbing Rome Semper eadem is her princely poesie a Constat to the worlde of a constant Prince and steddie rule And so to the last vertue and Diamond in the hand and heart of good Ezechiah to wit the heauenly patterne of all his pietie in these words he kept his coÌ„mandements which the Lord commanded Moses where you may first see that in the law of the Lord was his delight and by that holy booke hee directed in all his wayes whether Theoricke or Practicke it was the rule of his Faith it was the rule of his Life and not of his onelie as a priuate man but as a publike Magistrate hee layed that Line and Leuell of the Lawe to the soules of the Subiectes thereby to be guided in all their wayes hee did not deuise vnto himselfe any other gouernment then that of Moses which he had receiued from the holy mount hee did not with Ieroboam deuise a calfe at Dan a calfe at Bethel with an holie-holie-day to the Lorde Hee did not forsake the fountaine of liuing-waters and digge vnto himselfe Cesternes euen broken Cesternes which could hold no water Finally in all the Seas of his tossed gouernment hee neuer lost the Pole I meane the worde of his God but euer had it in his eye and so directed the sterne of all his religious raigne to the honour of God good of his people with such a blessing to himselfe as neither Time nor eternitie shall euer blot out But wo is me to tell the lacke of this line leuell booke and starre as in the hearts of Princes so of their people hath bene is and will be the subuersion of States and destruction of soules in all Ages the missing of Moses hath bene the breeder of much mischief in the church of God it hath cost bloud and lost faith yee caÌ„not misse the good but yee shal hit the euill ye cannot faâ—le of faith but ye shall fall froÌ„ grace if ye be weâ—ry of the word of God ye shall be tyred with the traditioÌ„s of men the time was wheÌ„ Scriptum est did beat back diuels they haue Moses the Prophets did choke the damned the time was when Search the Scriptures was in the command of Christ and men thought that in them they had euerlasting life the time was when Angels were cursed if they preached any other Gospell then that which was deliuered by Moses and Christ. But now diuels damned men and Angels are let loose â—et at libertie free to Preach what they will so they misse the Scriptures Moses and the Prophets are beaten back with Romish Institutions decretals Apostaticall lying Oracles illusions and flattering diuinations with vnwritten vanities neuer sawe this sinne so soare a sight next to
the sorrowes of a Sauiour as the razing of Scripture in the hearts of Kings and soules of subiects which hath brought vpon a great part of Christendome seas of error heresies and Idolatrie Nor are our aduersaries the Papists least in this conspiracie against Moses and the Prophets whose bookes with their bones they haue both buried burned shut the doores of the Temple quenched the holy lampes ouerthrowne the Altars killed the Prophets disordered the bread vppon the pure table subuerted all as Ieroboâ—m did and yet say we are the true Church away from vs. I am holier then thou vnder which faire pretence of holinesse and humblenesse of minde as the Apostle saith they beguile the soules of the simple and at their pleasure beare rule ouer the consciences of men aduancing themselues in those things which they neuer saw rashly puâ—t vp with their fleshly mindes and hold not the head wherof al the body furnished and knit together by iovnts and bands increaseth with the increasing of God Now to dimme the brightnesse of this Sun and to dearne the Doctrine of Christ sealed with his precious blood they haue cast a mist in our eyes would couer their wickednesse with a cloud of faire pretence vrging for doctrines mens traditions and saying of the Scriptures and word of God as Iudas saide of Mary when shee powred out her ointment vppon Christ his head Ad quid perditio haec what needes this wast ye haue Fathers Councels Popes Cardinals Doctors Angelicall and Seraphicall yee haue Sorbonists Canonists Friers Muncks and Iesuites these are yours to conquer the field ye need none other forces the Scripture is but a dull dead a dumbe letter it hath no life in it but these haue both light and life When I think vpon this their bare brag without blowes they seeme to mee much like that vaunting Embassadour ful of foolish babble sent from the Aetolians to F. Quintius then chieftaine in Achaia who as Liuie reporteth the story after he had bragged much of the Aetolian forces both by sea and by land their point blanck-shot fierce horses puissant infantry at last hee came to terrifie with naming a sort of straÌ„ge Nations their assistance that scarcely had beeno heard of before to wit the Dakes the Medians the Cadusians the Aelimenans Wherunto Quintius answered now in good sooth saith he this is mine Hoast of Chalcis vp and downe who when we wondered vpon a time how hee met with that plentie of Venison wee had and such varietie withall the man nothing so glorious as these fellowes heere smiled pleasantly vpon vs and saide wee were very welcome to a feast of good tame swine and no better but well-fare a good Cooke my maisters quoth hee who by his cunning hand what with seasoning it and what with seruing it vp with diuers sauces hath made all this faire shew of wilde flesh and the same of sundry sorts Euen so saith Quintius this great boaste of little roste these diuers kindes of Armies these many names of Nations neuer heard of before to witte the Dakes the Medes the Cadusians the Aelimeians they are but Syrians when all is done Quidrides papista de te narratur fabula Why smilest thou O Papist the tale is true of thee your popish prouision is cooked with a curious hand like the feast of Chalcis and yet it is no Venison but plaine porcke and no better and for your glorious titles of Romaneforces as Popes Cardinals Canonists Friers Monkes Iesuits Sorbonistes neuer had before they are but Syrians when al is done Sectaries Schismatikes and Symonistes which if you please to ballance with the gold of the sanctuarie and lay them with the bodie and soule of all your religion vppon the scales with the scriptures of God ye shall finde them lighter then vanitie it selfe for as the Prophet saith Let him speake my wordes faithfully for what is chaffe to wheate I know it will be opposed that they are learned wise and wittie I neuer denied it and so were the Scribes and Pharisies in the daies of Christ as also Iulian Porphiry and Arius with all the heretikes that haue beene sithence as Gangrenes in the Church of God and therefore I may well apply to our learned papists that which of old Tully said of the Grecians Tribus illis literas do multarum artium disciplinam non adimo sermonis iepôrem ingeniorum dâ—umon dicendi copiam â— Wee yeeld them to be learned we grant that they are skilfull in many arts wee take from them no elegancie of speech no sharpenes of wit no copie of words to be briefe if they assume any thing more wee enuy it not At religionem illi nunquam habâ—erunt they were neuer religious saith Tully and he giues the reason Quippe quibus insiurandum iocus est testimoniam Ladus they neuer cared either for an Oath or for the holy Oracles but made a lâ—llâ— of the one and a sport of the other Now of what esteeme Oathes and Scriptures are with Papists I leaue it to a further search and examination onely this for the time being far spent religion and faith they neuer had it as vnto whom Oathes are but lests and the sacred Scriptures sports and plaies nay rather their praier is with the Pagan Poet Da fallere da iustum sanctumque videri Giue me the gift to decoiue and yet giue me to seeme both iust and holy Well I say no more but leaue them to Gods mercy further to enlighten their hearts when his good pleasure shall be And so passe to paralell the Princes I haue in hand in the successe of their gouernment and how God blessed them alike in their religious endeuours Fzekia kept the commandements which the Lord had commaunded Moses And what other starre hath guided the heart of Queene Elizabeth but Moses and the Prophets with this booke of life here in my hand which vpon her entrance she layed in her lap euer sithence she hath kept in her 〈…〉 London witnesse who gaue it with how ioyfull an affection shee receiued it and let the applause of all the people as then so still marshall her Princely progresse in the silence of their soules and say Prosper with thy glory ride on because of the word of truth of meekenes righteousnes and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things Ezekia succeeded Ahaz a good sonne to a bad father So did Queene Elizabeth Mary a Religious Prince a superstitious sister Ezekia began to raigne when hee was fiue and twentie yeares old Calculate her maiesties yeares when shee began her blessed raigne and ye shall finde her thereabouts and not much vnder Ezekia opened the doores of the house of the Lord which Ahaz his father had shut vp he opened them in the first yeare and in the first moneth of his raigne and repaired them Queene Elizabeth deferred no time to establish Religion but opened the