shall do for two reasons 1 That every man who will may see That his Deeds and his Words do stand at an eternall Distance and can possibly be reconciled no more than Life and Death can 2 That he who has read his Death his Funerall Sermon there A meer mockery of God and good men the Religion of God and Reformation of men a meer scorn to all these And findes it a snare to his Perdition for he blesseth the man and His fare-well to the world May also read his life and consider well on it lest rising early and blessing his friend because of some light expressions which fell from his mouth at his Death it proves a snare to his soul now and it be counted a curse unto him hereafter I know I shall be envied for this I know not of how many Of none but Malignants sure whose envie I would rather have than their favour Some good men may blame me too I cannot believe that They will blame them rather who were so bold To tell all the world what he said at the point of his departure out of the World thereby to argue his piety towards God and his Righteousnesse towards men And hold the world in ignorance of all he did all his life long which argued him a mighty sinner before the Lord as was the unjust Judge who neither feared God nor reverenced man I but I shall be judged very uncharitable now and censorious of a dying mans words A short Apologie for this 1 I appeal to God that I think I looked with as pittifull an eye upon his departing soul as the best friend he had upon the Scaffold 2 That I shall not judge him or his dying words No I would have the Reader to leave that to God I would help the Reader well to understand what he said at his death by what he did all his life long 3 To undeceive the ignorant at this high point That they may not think to live as he did and so to die without making any confession at all or the least show of Repentance so giving Glory to God and yet die in the Lord the death of the Righteous For these Reasons I have written the History of his Life which I shall pen-up into the narrowest compasse for two reasons also 1 That the common Reader may be at as little cost of time and purse in reading the History of his Life as he he was at for reading his Death 2 Because all the proceedings throughout his whole Arraignment and in Reference to that Crime he pleaded even to his last not Guilty shall be clearly and fully set down to the fullest satisfaction of all the world even those that are the most prejudiced Readers The History of his Life begins from that time 1608. whereof I can write what my eyes saw and what my ears heard concerning him five years after he was Proctor of the Vniversity in Oxford which was in the same year King James came to the Crown of England 1603. Quickly after and to make the more haste he went out Doctor of the Civill Law and was chosen President over the Colledge called Saint Johns I may mistake somewhat in the Account of this time because I was then yong and carelesse to remember it and came my selfe in that year unto the same Vniversitie and to the Colledge at that time next adjoyning to his Colledge I shall note here as an eye and an ear witnesse First 1. That he Doctor Lawd then Arch-Bishop at last and Doctor Howson afterward Bishop of Durham did as their turnes were to preach in Saint Maries Church and Christ-Church there scatter the seeds of evill Doctrines for the suppression whereof and keeping them from taking root Doctor Abbots both and other eminent Divines bestirred themselves and appeared the very next Lords day in opposition to those Doctrines whereunto they would not give place for an hour He went on and declared to all the Christian world 1. His zeale to Formes of Religion and envy to the Power 2. His love and liking to the Shadowes and hatred to the Substance 3. His approbation of Pictures and Images even that abomination the picture of God the Father and furious rage against the Image of God stamped upon and framed in His holy-ones 4. His zeale to builde and beautifie dead Temples made with hands and even mad with rage against the Temples of the Holy Ghost to deface spoile and destroy those living temples 5. His zeale seething hot against the Lord and His Day His pure worship and worshippers His zeale against all these and for all detestable things Crosses Crucifixes and Altars all which the soule of the Lord does hate and yet we know his zeale for all these was notorious all over the Christian world II. All men that know him observed his maner will witnes with me that he labourd to be accepted of greatmen able to lift-him-up in the world as earnestly as Paul laboured to be accepted of the Lord Pauls labour was as his and other his Bishops was to ascend unto the highest Pinacle of honour O with what earnestnesse did he embrace the world And what havock he made of faith and a good conscience all the world knowes But you will say this might not be so he might serve his owne ends and as he said at his death Serve God too seek himselfe first and Gods glory at last No not possible No man can serve two Masters Cardinall Wolsey speakes sadly to this O that I had served God as I served my King then God had not left me as now he has said the Cardinall when he was departing the world This serving the creature more than the Creator If it might be charged upon any man in the world it might be charged upon this Man And this also Minding earthly things Honour from men and Glory from the world We cannot minde earthly things heartily and heavenly things too no more then we can give forth the Male of our flock the strength of our affections to two masters Nor can we beleeve when wee receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God onely These Scriptures well thought on would stop us in our eager pursuite after the World or tell our selves what we are The Male of our flock the first borne or strength of our Affections can be given but to one Master Love of the present world argues an heart forsaking the Communion of Saints and carelesse of future Glory I proceed His labour was to be accepted of man and of man he was accepted and advanced after some length of time which I must step over his rising by degrees from one 〈◊〉 to another till at length he had Clambered up to the pinnacle hee aspired unto and there sate down in his Throne as one of his flatterers calls it Arch Bishop of Canterbury Then he was supreame Judge in the High-Commission Court
and next to the Supreame in the Star-Chamber I speak now as an eye and ear witnesse But what am I or my witnesse God Angels and men I know not how many thousands to whom he directed his dying words will witnesse with me That now having the power in his hand he did execute it to the largest extent thereof turning judgement into wormewood and Righteousnesse into gall grinding the faces of the Righteous perverting the wholesome lawes of the Kingdome forcing the Judges they should rather have suffered the extreamest injuries from Great men that to be so injurious to mean men as to suffer themselves to do as he commanded and would have done to pervert Judgement and Justice which being kept-unto and executed according to Gods commands sets the crowne fast upon the Kings head and establisheth the Throne in Righteousnesse Indeed now hee was strong his heart was lifted up and his minde hardened in pride whome he would he slew whom he would he kept alive whom he would he set up and whom he would he put down His will stood for a Law and his will was to breake through the Lawes of God and man and such power he had he could do it as easily as through a spiders Webbe So he brake through the Lawes of God The law of his worship The Law of His 〈◊〉 there he began with the House of God profaning that House Then with His Worship defiling that Then with his day setting his foot thereon It is not utterable how he marred the Lords Day more than any day In brief He offered violence to the Law and Gospell and was mad with rage against those that used the Law 〈◊〉 and preached the Gospel as the Gospell of Christ c. For I forbeare in matters so notoriously knowne how he oppressed the Gospellers i.e. The true worshippers of God Indeed had hee had an Arme like God he thought he had he had not left one Faithfull Minister in in all three Kingdomes But the Lord had him as he has the Devill in Chaines Thus he dealt with the Lawes and ordinances of God and those that were zealous for them I need not say how Imperiously hee dealt with the Lawes of men yet sith I have undertaken to tell what his doings were I must proceede with the same brevity saying this onely and conncluding all in it That his will was Law What he had a Will to do he did if God restrained him not Oh how favourable was he to evill men How fierce against the Good These men good men I mean The evill men the Blasphemers who had pierced and torne the Name of God by execrable Oathes And vile Treacherous Priests who by their lewdnesse made the Sacrifices of the Lord to be abhored these men I have seen tried before his Court and quitted But the good and pretious these were delivered as their Lord and Master was to their Will So these To his Will not to the Justice of the Law but to the 〈◊〉 and Rigour of his Will And how his wil was to deale with them is notorious through all the Christian World For aske from one end of his Courts to the other of all the Standers-by there whether he has suffered any Sentence to passe which crossed his Will though never so agreeable to Gods Will mans Law and right Reason Time would faile me to tell what he did and spake against the soules of the Righteous to whom he said Bow downe that we may goe over And by the Power in his hand he bowed down the Bodies of the Saints and laid them as the ground and as the street to them them that went over All this and much more his hand and tongue have made so legible That he who runnes may read it what havock he made in the Churches of God how he breathed-forth threatnings reached-forth the hand of Violence against those who protested against his mateing of Gods Worship with his Follies setting up his Thresholds by the Lords Threshold as the Lord himselfe is pleased to expresse that horrible impiety of joyning mans Traditions with His Worship whereby the place of My Throne saith the Lord and the soles of my feet where I will dwell in the midst of my people for ever and My Name have been Defiled And Because of which abominations I have consumed my people in my Anger as it is at this Day To summe-up all in two words he set his foot upon the Lawes of God and Mans Lawes These were in his hand like 〈◊〉 knots fast or loose at his pleasure He exalted and magnified himselfe above every god and according to his Will so things must be And he thought he might adventure upon the Holy lawes too for hee spake marvellous things against the God of gods magnifying himselfe aboue all and prospering till the time of indignation was almost accomplished He polluted the Sanctuary of strenghth and almost took away that which was called the daily Sacrifice wee call Praying and preaching And in the place thereof he placed the Abomination that maketh Desolate These were his Actings or Doings in the Kingdomes of God against the Gospell of God The Name of God The House and Houshold of God The Lawes of God there and all the known Lawes of all three Kingdomes How he walked in his own House how crosse to his Rule after the manner of Bishops but most unlike a Bishop indeed and to their course whose praise is in the Gospell All this had been fully declared unto him by one who in former time lived in the house with him two dayes before his Death But that servant of the Lord with two more who in a dear affection to his departing soul went to visit him could not bee admitted Dr. Heywood Dr. Martin and Dr. Stern were the men with whom he craved leave to advise For they would absolve him after their manner and like to like he would admit of no other But had the three the faithfull of the Lord been admitted to his presence he had been then told in meeknesse of spirit how he starved his houshold commanded prayers for the Dead had the picture of God the Father in his House Indeed his horrible impieties iniquities blasphemies might have been in part sweetly opened before him by those who thirsted after his Repentings but he would not be troubled And indeed it seemed to be a trouble in vain for he had gone against his light so long that now he was as a man in a Dungeon And he had forced his conscience so often that surely now he had no conscience at all Or if any in his sense then seared and past feeling in ours All this appeared at the hour of his suffering for his horrible sins which he should have confessed there before all the people so giving Glory to God and taking shame to himself But he did contrary he took Glory to himself even of Martyrdome which turned to his greater shame and rising now when he
such shame thereupon They go a clean crosse way to him I hope Blessed be God for that As he to root-in Popery so they to root-it-out And veniant Romani let all the Papists in the world joyn hearts and hands as now they do to set up Popery again they shall not prevail so long as all the Assemblies do go as we hope they do clean crosse to this mans way all his life long For that is to go strait and levell to the Glory of God and advancing His Truths and Ordinances in their purity I must not passe over that which he deferred till afterwards I but perhaps a great clamour there is that I would have brought-in Poperie Perhaps It was as sure as he came-upon the 〈◊〉 to be cut a sunder And yet sayes he ye know that the Pharisees said against Christ himself If ye let him alone the Romans will come c. And so he makes application as was pointed at before So as indeed every word there is pointed with a blasphemie But for that which he said was clamoured against him that he would have brought in Popery hereto he said I shall answer more fully by and by He should have answered to that at that point of time he should have cleared himself of that Crime before he spake so largely of the King That upon his conseience he is as free from labouring to bring in Poperie as any man living And as sound a Protestant he held him to be as 〈◊〉 man in his Kingdome and would venture his life as farre and as freely for the Religion he calles Protestant Thus dishonourably he spake of his Lord and Master I say again dishonourably It is a mighty dishonour to his Master for 3. Reasons 1 Because as it is an honour indeed to be honoured by a person that is honourable indeed So is it a dishonour indeed to be honoured by a person infamous indeed 2 Because it will be so judged by all men That he who justifieth himself and his own wicked way will not condemn another 〈◊〉 on in the same way but commend it rather 3 And this will argue That he has spoken dishonourably indeed Because hitherto all the miscarriages or misgovernments in the Kingdome have been charged upon the Kings Counsellors not upon the King God forbid it He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God They are his Counsellors who have counselled the King to do wickedly to his own destruction To bring in Poperie To fight against the Holy Citie The Counsellors have perswaded all this and what is done against the very minde and end wherefore God made him King they have done it And so we blessed our selves and our King a good King but his Counsellors are all naught But now the chief of his Counsellors quits himself here before God Angels and men and affirmeth so may all his other Counsellors as truly even the worst of them all under the ear and eye of heaven That he had never a thought or Will to bring in 〈◊〉 and then he would never perswade the King unto it What shall we say to this As sure as the Daughter of a strange god is brought into the Land so sure Poperie is brought-in As sure as the Irish are brought into the Land so sure Poperie is brought-in As sure as Romish Priests are in Oxford so sure Poperie is there As sure as the Lord Christ is in Heaven so sure the Cannons-mouth is levelled against the very place where His Heart dwels on earth and the sword is pointed against the very Apple of His eye and yet the King is as sound a Protestant as any in the Kingdome and will venture his life for Christ and His Cause as farre and as freely as any man whosoever Well I wish heartily That any man but an Arch-Traitour or Rebell like himself had spoken this But sith an Arch-Bishop hath spoken thus putting all off from himself the Kings chief Counsellor and freeing the King also upon 〈◊〉 conscience of which he was going to give God a present Account and this heavie Charge must be charged somewhere either upon the King or his Counsellor For Popery is brought-in that is certain And there is a generation of men Risen-up in the Sun light who fight with God now as if they had an Arm like Him This is cleer also as the Sun when it shineth in his strength But the Kings Counsellor clears himselfe and the King his Master of all this And we have none else to charge but the Pope who is all one with all the Papists in the world which joyn themselves with the Kings councell now And though they may differ in many things yet they are faithfull to the Divell and made friends amongst themselves in the main the carying-on the designe against the Lord Christ and His Holy ones But do we well consider what a piece of Scripture we have read here from the mouth or pen of this dying man Surely the Debths and Wiles the Devices of Satan were in this man and vented themselves at his tongues ende Now his Memorie serves him very well to do by the helpe of the Devill such a peece of service for his Side and Partie as a greater has not been done since the Warre began nor is it Imaginable how a greater service Can be done to encourage the contrary party in their Cursed way and to advance their Cursed work For Gods sake and his Churches cause observe what he sayes 1. Popery is brought into the Land so we say and God Angels and men will witnesse to what we say But what saies he That neither the King nor his Counsel have ever endeavoured the bringing in of Popery 2 The Religion of God which we without any mentall reservations Call Protestant is protested against and persecuted with fire sword in both hands as God knows and all His most faithfull servants see and feele And yet the King and his Counsellers are all every one as Sound Protestants as any men in the Kingdome 3. The Bullet and the Speare are pointed now against the very Appel of Christs eye as every man sees that will see And yet The King and his Counsellours do beare so 〈◊〉 affection to Religion by Law established that they will venture their lives as farre and as freely for it as any men in all three Kingdomes Where then shall these impieties and horrible iniquities be charged There is no remedy upon the parliament sure 1. That they have brought in Popery By throwing down Jdolatrie and 〈◊〉 out those Idol services which the Bishops had brought-in and so have given the Pope fair hopes of an harvest in England shortly 2. That they are unsound Protestants Why Truly I cannot tell unlesse because they have avouched the Lord this Day to be their God and to walke in His waies and to heare his voice And the Lord hath avouched them to be His peculiar people therefore
unsound protestants they and there is all the reason that I can give or the adversary either 3. They will not venter their lives so far and so freely for Gods Cause as the King and his Counsellours will Now the Lord God of gods be judge here and shew whether of these two parties He hath chosen to fight his Battels Amen But these words shall not passe so Though I may not handle them as I would I will handle them as I may after this manner Sith the Counseller has discharged the King in all the three particulars fore mentioned I will charge the Counsellor with them all three And because the chief among them is gone to his owne place the burden of the Charge shall lie still upon those of the same Conspiracy with him who will say as much for them-selves as he did against the peace of their King and the Lords Kingdomes The first charge is That this late Archbishop sought by all meanes to bring in Popery And brougt it in what was not in before Our Allegations and prooss are upon everlasting record there let them remaine I will alleage onely that which was in every mans eye He has thrust at those and thrustthem-out of their places and out of the Kingdome who set themselves against the bringing in of 〈◊〉 Therefore thrusting-out these 〈◊〉 of the Lord he en-deauoured to bring-Poperie-in Nay he did not onely indeavour but brought in Poperie A strang-worship into the Church Therefore plain poperie in 〈◊〉 Hee brought altars into the church plaine Poperie That also He bended and cringed before Wood and stone The grosest Popery that And yet he said perhaps men have clamoured against me That I would have brought in Popery They do not clamour they will affirm it till they dye And which must needs follow 2. That he was not so sound a Protestant as any man living for some protestants there are who are Sound indeed and understand the word as it is generally understood without any mentall reservations as we thinke he did not And have better evidence for their Religion than that they were borne and baptized in the Church of England which was all the evidence the man brought that he was a Protestant in his sence and so he might be a papist in ours A sound What Truly I cannot tell Not Protestant sure not as the Lutherans understand protestant much lesse as we understand the word but as unsound according to the Religion by Gods Law established as any man in this Kingdom I do not except any now of the Kings Councell now the stinke of whose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are engaged in a warre against the Lord 〈◊〉 is come up even to their owne Nostrils and hath 〈◊〉 a filthy savour over all the Churches of God spread over the face of the whole Earth Sound Protestants they No sound Athiests and Papists they enemies and Adversaries to all Righteousnesse It will be manifest thorowoat the next particular of the charge 3. Doubtlesse he would make the world beleeve that he also would venture his Life as farre and as freely for the Protestant Religion as the King would doe We may beleeve him with some Reservation what they were I guess and may in part examine anon who 〈◊〉 the King into a warre against the Kingdomes of Christ that hee might sheath his sword in his Subjects bowels Hee and and his fellow Counsellours venter their lives as far and as freely for Religion It is for the Pagan or Popish Religion then an Abominable Religion for under the heavens of God never were there found such enemies such fighters against God and Religion by Gods Law established as these Counsellours are who have adventured farre and freely indeed their honours their Estates their lives their soules I and the life of their lives their God His favour His protection they venter farre and freely indeed their God and all for a Religion by their own law established And yet sayes he he and his fellowes will venter as farre and as freely for Religion he would make us beleeve by Gods Law established as any men in this Kingdome So he sayes And so they doe And so the Devill and his Angels will say and doe too and so they did just as they doe now the Dragon and his Angels fought with Michael and His Angels Revelation 12. So farre and as freely these Counsellours venter themselves Here is now the third particuliar of the charge charged as indeed it ought to be upon the wicked Counsellors who are at this Day to the King their Master as Athaliah and the house of Ahab were to that unhappy King Ahaziah she his Counsellour to do wickedly They his Counsellours to his destruction And yet let my soul abhor to deal unfaithfully with God and His King against the good word and minde of God and the knowledge He has beene pleased to communicate unto His poor servant therein which is this That the Lord God chargeth all the Bloodshed in a Kingdom that which is openly shed with both hands or with an high Hand before all Israel and before the Sunne all this the Lord chargeth upon the King He has set over that Kingdome So doth he all Abominable Idolatries committed before the eyes of His Holinesse and under the looke of the King all these that Bloodshed and these Idolatries The Lord of lords and God of gods chargeth upon the King though wicked men were his Counsellers to doe wickedly against God and His poore People Now I proceed in the same Page and to Page following where first we read his blessing upon this great and Populous City God blesse it said he Amen And blessed be His name He doth Blesse it in all the Peoples sight And His Blessings are the more conspicuously visible upon the City the more Audible the Adversaries curses are against the Prosperity of the same For indeed all that this Bishop did in the time of his reigne and all his fellow Counsellours do now was and is to bring down a curse upon the City certainly their zeal is so fiery against the prosperity of it that they doe call downe for fire from from Heaven to consume it as Sodom was consumed O how gratious a God is our God! our fins call for a curse our enemies call for a curse Free-grace with holds it it shall not come while the City keeps close to God and to his cause and cannot beare them which are evil and for Christ and His Names-sake and His Churches sake hath laboured and hath not fainted The adversary and Enemy to all Righteousnesse calls for a curse upon the City day and night and had he an Arme like God he would raine-downe fire and Brimstone upon it God will not suffer it so to be He hath blessed it and it must be blessed Blessed be his Name Blesse it still Lord blesse it still even because thy adversaries do curse blesse Thou and let thy Friends see an encrease of thy
Blessings in an answerablenesse to tky adversaries Curses Amen J recall my selfe now and the dying mans Blessing God blesse the City then he minds them very well of that which will bring a Curse the shedding of innocent blood so will the sparing of the Nocent the wicked parson and bids them beware of it the people have been said he very forward that way stirred up against him as once against Saint Stephen And Herod in his construction I verily thinke the Parliament went before the people the selfe same way when he had killed Saint Iames interpreted beheadded the Lord Strafford And now they see-how well it pleaseth the people indeed it pleaseth them verry well every man in the City except Malignants there they will venture upon Saint William too I have ploughed with his hayfer and read his Riddle and made it plain Scripture He spake againe to the City take heed sayes he of having your hands full of bloud in the first of Isaiah God is now on foot making inquisition for blood indeed He is And now God remembers the complaint of the poore indeed he doth so and forgetts not but what poor Those poore sayes he puts himself in the number whose blood is shed by such kind of meanes as his must be It was his manner at Court to prevaricat with God and men and to pervert the good word of God to a cleane contrary sense and now he could not do otherwise at his death Then He warneth the city the third time take heed of this It is a fearfull thing at any time to fall into the hands of the Living God in the 12. of the Hebrewes but it is fearefull indeed then especially When God is making His Inquisition for blood A man could not speak more Terrour to his own heart then these words hold forth if he had had an heart to consider-one them and Ponder them well viz God is one foot now to make inquisition for blood and at that present time hearing the complaints of the poore and answering the Desires and sighings of his prisoners and His needy oppressed ones The Lord was Risen now and had taken the matter Into His own hands whereinto this man was now fallen and at that instant of time undressing himselfe for the block thence to rise to judgement to give an account of his sayings and doings the Rage of his wrath against Gods hidden-ones O fearfull thing indeed and Terrible words yet came they from him as from a Truke his heart was quite past feeling as that he was not sensible of any word he spake so far as the standers-by could discerne which words well thought one would make the car tingle and an heart of 〈◊〉 melt away to nothing I must passe over these words also and stay a little upon the following for we must not forger how he remembers the City of 〈◊〉 Words and Case and makes all as well as he can paralele with his owne case But oh how different is the Case and how unparalele with Ieremiahs words Ieremiah sought the peace of Jerusalem spake all he spake from the mouth of the Lord for this his faithfull dealing the Nobles to whom the King could deny nothing would have Ieremiah put to death take him saies the King he is in your hands Gods hand over ruled there do to him as you pleas Then said Ieremiah take heed what you do if you put me to death God will require it when He makes Inquisition for blood and you shall bring Jnnocent blood upon your selves and the City Innocent blood the blood of him who stood-up night and day speaking for the good of the City This man did cleane contrary as all the City knowes very well so do all the Christian World And not to have him put to death had been to bring innocent blood upon the City the blood of souls too which hee had destroyed by his evill Doctrins and Practises all throughout the City Therefore he must be destroyed Rebellion against God Treason against His Christ must be punished with cruelty A cruell messenger must bee sent against a son of Rebellion to take off that head which plotted the ruine of Christs Kingdome Mercy to such a man had been cruelty to good men To spare the evill vile and treacherous persons is to destroy and make havocke of the Righteous It is notable which the Noble Scholler saith Plebotomie i.e. blood letting by cutting a vaine is so necessary sometimes for our bodies that unlesse we let out our corrupt blood wee must let out our soules So Caedes chopping off heads or hanging them-up before the sun cutting downe the whicked as in Queene Hesters dayes dayes of slaughter when the wicked were mowed downe as the grasse or corne before the Reapers This is necessary for the civill or politicke body And when this justice and 〈◊〉 of the Lord is executed then it is a good day with the City and the memoriall thereof must not perish from their seed for the 〈◊〉 must rejoyce when they see the vengeance because then they see clearely That there is a reward for them And their God judgeth the earth His following words seem pointed with teares Hee seems to weep over the City as Ishmael over the bodies he himselfe had slain so he bemoaneth the Church of England now in a storme her selfe and God knowes whether or how it shall get-out Well let that passe The Church has a promise for that she shall weather-out the storme and be brought to safe harbour And now the Lord steeres her course the most direct way thither-ward through these mighty floods of great waters which shall serve but to make the Churches harbour or promised Land more faire and desireable now and more joyfull at the last But yet we cannot forget That this man who so bemoaned the Church helped mightily to raise the storme And that which is yet worse and so to retort his owne words he helped to cause devisions amongst us and to cleave Kingdomes and Churches to shivers as with wedges that thereby Profanenesse and Irreligion might creep in said he might rush-in like a Mighty wind or flow-in like a mighty flood which leaveth no food say I and so will every man say that observed his Doings and Sayings all the time of his raigne for what could he have done to bring in these abominations which he hath not done Indeed to use his owne words and to explaine them The Church is fallen into a great deal of danger by her own i. e. lesuits Arch Bishops and Bishops a great deal of danger by her own for these Bishops he the chiefe Bishop and all the other of the same order Bishops or Priests did all of them contrary to what they should have done and 〈◊〉 the good Priest did do he made a covenant between God and the King and the people that they should be the Lords people But he and they did quite contrary by
to presse us to this Christian duty Pride of life was notorous in him and he was so farre from shewing any care to mortifie that lust that he did all to give life and 〈◊〉 unto it And see how that lust served him It was a meanes to put him to open shame and what wrath may lie under to all eternity I have not a tongue to expresse only the thought of the misery an unmortified lust whereof we commonly say is not a little one may bring upon us a matter of great fear and should engage us to the worke of mortification and to speed that work And surely this which has been said is of the same use to me and to thee Reader as it is to him or them in whom the pride of life is so predominant that they will whether God will or no be Arch-Bishops and Lord Bishops still minding their throne and forgetting the Scaffold But fear we every unmortified lust in us and use we in the fear of the Lord all meanes to mortifie the same for mighty men have fallen and shall fall thereby they that made the earth to tremble and did shake Kingdomes We must lead our lust captive throw it down from its dominion casting it-out of our hearts from having place there in our affections else it will throw us downe and expose us to a throwing-out like unsavourie salt Feare we an unmortified lust we little know how far it may carry-us nor to what shame it may expose us to 2 Here is matter of bitter mourning and lamentation certainly if good Bradford had beene alive and had 〈◊〉 what our eyes saw hee would have mourned bitterly over the hardnesse of his heart and then hee would have come home to his owne heart my heart said he as hard as a stone But it was not so for his 〈◊〉 was felt and bitterly mourned over Indeed this hardnesse this rockinesse of heart is matter of bitter mourning The heart is as a stone when it first comes into the world and that is a naturall hardnesse There is an hardnesse which man by severall acts can contract to render his heart like a rock or nether 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 And O what a judgement is this 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Egypt for a rocky heart was one of them and the greatest amongst them all A Rocky heart Nothing makes any more impression upon it than our hand does upon a rock Mercies may be shewred-down upon this heart they run-off againe as waters off a stone Iudgements may be pow ed downe upon this rocky heart The fury of Gods anger and the strength of battle the Lord sets this man on fire round about And what then yet he knowes it not It burned him yet he laid it not to heart i. e Though the 〈◊〉 of Gods wrath was very scorching upon him yet his heart melted not for it is a rock The innocent blood that he has shed is found-out God at present is requiring it The sights and groanes of His poore God has now heard and He is now a foot to avenge his poore servants And this murtherer has received the sentence of Death and yet so rocky is his heart he sayes I le eat and drinke to morrow I shall die Ah Lord has the man a rocky heart He has Then he will set his face like a flint and drive-on furiously against the Lord and His hidden-ones and upon the Drawn Sword in His way more blinde than the Beast he rides upon And while he breaths-forth threatnings against the Lord and is mad with rage aginst those the Lord has set His heart upon hee may thinke that all this while he does the Lord good service A rocky heart All the incomes of pleasures and profits out of all those sweets the world affords he drawes poyson To be brief in so cleare a case Has the man a rocky heart Then hee will workeout his destruction with both hands by all meanes all waies both by his Graces and sinnes He doth cleane contrary to that a man of a soft and melting heart doth doe for he doth worke out his Salvation by all meanes all waies An heart like a rock A man had better be possessed of a Legion of Devills than to have such an heart within him It renders him Spiritually dumbe and deafe It throwes a man into the fire and into the water and yet he knew it not It dasheth him upon this Rocke and that and yet he feels himselfe nor hurt by it he is as a man asleepe upon the top of a Mast the seas work and waters roare round about him but he hears not What shall I say But a word more A rocky heart It renders a man even his graces shall I say uselesse 〈◊〉 Destructive to himselfe and others Of all this this man late Arch Bishop was a very great example Therefore I said as sad an object he was as ever was looked upon For his heart was a rocke and that is matter of bitter mourning 3 It is matter of rejoycing too even to the whole city of God For when it goes ill with the wicked it goes well with the Righteous and then the city rejoyceth That there may bee no mistakes I will briefly propose two Questions and answer them as briefly 1. What is the force and emphasis of this word Rej yceth It is the lifting-up or rather a leaping of the heart for ioy 2. Why is this leaping for Joy Not because the blood of a man is spilt not because a man made in Gods Image and beautified with graces where of he had great store but wanted the chief Grace vvhich teacheth to make use of all is taken avvay not for this The city rejoceth at no mans 〈◊〉 or misery It is a matter of sorrovv to the City to see a person vvhich God has made or the graces vvhich God has given all destroyed in a moment of time This is matter of sorrovv But this of joy of leaping for ioy that that head is chopped off which plotted and contrived the 〈◊〉 of Christs Kingdom That those lights are both put out in darknesse that would have put out the light of Israel That that tongue is Silent in darknesse which silenced or would so have done all the faithfull ministers in all three Kingdomes Cause of leaping for ioy That his day is past and his night come who darkned the Lords Day more than any day and vvould have it prophaned by a law Cause to leap for joy that we saw his head drunke in his owne blood who burned against Iacob the Church of God like a flame which devoureth round about and powred out his fury like fire upon three Kingdomes that they might burne together in the fire of their owne rage and wallow in their owne blood Cause to leap for joy that we saw this mans head lie drunke in his owne blood and himselfe consumed in the fire hee had kindled It goes well with the Righteous the City rejoyceth I
know there are many more Adversaries Archones And great Adversaries there are in the hearts of Gods owne people which only hinder and set back the worke of Reformation mightily But yet in the good of the City we must rejoyce and in the fall of this great Adversary at he was an Adversary to God we may leap for joy We hope we shall see the house of our God prophaned no more with lying vanities Nor the worship of our God defiled any more Nor the worshipers of God thrust into 〈◊〉 any more Nor our Lords day blasphemed any more Nor our priviledges taken from us any more Nor the Royalities of our Lords Kingdome trod under by the food of pride any more for we are confident and have full assurance that we shall have Arch-Bishops and Lord-Bishops no more It goes well with the righteous The City must 〈◊〉 must be exceeding glad For when the wicked perish there is shouting i. e There is a skipping like lambs for joy because Gods enemy and the Churches Adversary is taken away An enemy to all Righteousnesse to the Righteonsnesse of faith by an opinion of a Rightcousnesse by workes An enemy to the pure worship and worshippers and to the Lord and His Day An enemy to the Church and State endeavouring and effecting the subversion of the Lawes and change of Religion When the wicked are taken away there is shouting For it is with them as it was with Judah when Athaliah and Mattan her Priest were flain their House and Altars and Images brake in pieces for then all the people of the Land rejoyced and the Citie was quiet It is so now with the Righteous therefore are their mouthes wide open to sing the high praises of their God For He that did lead into Captivitie was lead into Captivitie and he that has kild with the sword was killed with the sword here is the Patience and the Faith of the Saints They must waite a little while in full assurance that as they have seen so it shall be to all their Adversaries Archbishops and Lord Bishops and to all the enemies of God who seek the ruine of Christs Kingdome they whom they see to day they shall see no more for ever And then seeing the salvations of their God they shall say Great and mervailous are thy workes Lord God Almightie lust and true are thy wayes O King of Saints For thy Judgements are made manifest Amen FINIS Published according to Order Rev. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 〈◊〉 16. 〈◊〉 Prov. 23. Zeontes Ezech. 〈◊〉 Cor. 9 5 Rom 2. Psal 3.19 Ioh. 5 〈◊〉 Luk. 23.25 Esay 51. 23. Ad hibendo traditones suas ad praecepta mea Trem. Eze. 43.8 Sed male cum recitas incipit essetuus Mart. Amos. p. 7. l. 7. p. 8. l. 8. Act. 27.23 p. 20. l. 12. line 16. line 18. line 24. p. 8. bottome and top of p 9 2 Chron 23.17 p. 9. l. 9. Page 9. P. 10. l. 1 p 10. l 20 p. 10 l 8. p. 11. l 4.5 2. Sam. 23.2 p. 11. l. 6. p. 11. l. 1. 2. Chro. 22 3. ver 4 Ahab did but hearken to his Queene granted her his seal so she murthered Naboth But saith the Lord to Ahab thou hast killed and where Dogs licked the blood of Naboth the Dogs shall lick thy blood even thine 1. Kings 21.19 〈◊〉 17. 11. Psal. 58. 〈◊〉 41. pa. 12. l. 17. p. 12. or last line 2. Chron. 23.16 〈◊〉 p. 13. l. 14. Pag. 14. pag. 14. Esa. 2.9 Manasseh a great sinner but greatly humbled 〈◊〉 King 2. 28.29 〈◊〉 18.41 Iob. 38. 31. 1. 〈◊〉 2. 16. 〈◊〉 42 25 Prov 11. 10. 2 Chro. 23