it is tonuenient to dawbe a golden piller with myre clay Salomon was of that minde and therfore sayeth Be not thou hasty to be angry for anger resteth in the bosom of fooles I haue had occasion by that I noted in his Lordship to call to remembrance this saying of christ A good man of the good treasure of his hart bringeth forth good things And the euill man of the euill treasure of his heart bringeth forth euill thinges For though occasion were ministred yet shoulde you neuer heare him vtter any opprobrious wordes no not agaynst his aduersarie so pure and immaculate dyd he studie to preserue the Nobilitie of his minde There be some that count theÌ„selues worthie honour and estimation when they teare God in peeces with chafing and horrible othes which this Noble Earle detested and abhorred as a matter not onely vndecent but also repugnant to the nature of true Nobilitie attributing due reuerence to the name of the Lorde and therby proouing the fountaynes of his Nobilitie to spring out of the hyll of the feare of god But what was his religion what fayth God had blessed him with what godly disposition he was of and how abundantly God had enriched hym with his holy spirite his confession of his fayth hys speaches nay rather his sermons in his sickenesse afore his death shall testifie for euer For I receyued by the relation of such as are woorthie credite and were present about him although not all yet many of hys learned godly sayings at that tyme Concerning hys saluation hee reposed his affiaunce and sure trust in the bloude of Iesus Christ. He forgaue all the world and by inuincible fayth apprehended layde holde and imbrased remission of his sinnes in the merites of the sacrifice of Christes bodie offered vppon the crosse for the sinnes of the world Trentals Masses Diriges Pardons and such other papisticall trifles he vtterly contemned as wicked and blasphemous agaynst the death and passion of christ He fared like the children of Israell in the wildernesse which when they were stinged with Serpentes euen to death yet when they looked vp to the brasen Serpent they were made whole safe and sounde So this Noble Earle grieued wyth the remembraunce of his former vnthankefull lyfe as he iudged immediately directed the eyes of hys mynde to the death and passion of Christ and forthwith felt such health of soule that he was replenished with ioy in the holy Ghost and all his delite was in meditacion of the ioy of the worlde to come and the fruition of the presence of God for euer In so much that fyue or sixe dayes before he dyed he shewed himselfe more lyke an Aungell from heauen then a man compassed with flesh and bloud My Lorde the Archbyshoppe of Dublin as I was enformed could mooue him in no question or article pertayning to saluation that he was not ready in and learnedly and godly resolued yea and made such aunsweres in all thinges that my Lord of Dublin had them in great admiration and affirmed that his speaches at that tyme shoulde serue him for sermous as long as he liued How truely he relinquished the vanitie of this worlde and how effectually he thyrsted after the ioy of the life to come his godly admonitions ministred vnto such as visited him and his heauenly lessons and exhortacions to his seruants shall testifie for euer for they were such that his seruaunts report they shall neuer forget and such as they shall be the better for whyles they lyue Thus haue I briefly and partly declared vnto you both the lyfe and death of this worthy Magistrate to the ende we shoulde consider how seriously God doth call vs to a reconing by the losse of such a good Magistrate Now a worde or two to shewe who be they that dye in the Lorde and then an ende They principally are sayd to dye in the Lorde which suffer death vnder the beast for confession of Christes religion for they properly dye in the Lords cause Such are the Martirs aswell of the primitiue church vnder the cruell Emperours as the martyrs of all ages sithence vnder Antichrist of Rome They also dye in the Lorde which though they dye not by the crueltie of the beast yet they dye in the faith of Iesus Christ and are therfore blessed Of this number was this godly Earle as I haue before declared Wherfore I will conclude and direct my speach for two or three wordes to this good Earle O noble Earle of Essex in thy tyme the Pearle of Nobilitie the myrrour of Vertue and woorthy qualities the childe of Chyualrie the beautifull flower of Englande the precious Iewell and comfort of VVales the trustie stay of Ireland Thy lyfe was most Honourable thy worthinesse incomparable thy death precious in the sight of God for thou dyedst in the Lord a right inheritour of the euerlasting kingdome of heauen Wherfore by authoritie of the heauenly oracle that S. Iohn was commaunded to write thou art to be pronounced blessed for euer Our sinnes hath shortned thy lyfe so that we coulde enioye the same no longer Thou hast notwithstanding bequeathed thy body to be buryed amongest vs here in Wales Of very duetie therefore O Noble Earle thy Tombe shall be with vs in reuerence estimation honour the fame and name of thy Nobilitie valiauntnesse vertue and woorthinesse shal neuer be forgotten but shall lyue and be kept with vs in memorie from generation to generation whyle the world standeth Deare beloued audience bycause the tyme is spent here wyll I abruptly make an end and neither deale with the thyrde part of my first diuision nor make recapitulacion of any matter I haue spoken of Onely let vs pray that God of hys mercy graunt vs grace to consider his holy will and pleasure declared vnto vs by so many messengers and especially by this message that we now receyue in the death of this noble Magistrate And that we may learne to dye in the Lorde as he hath done and that togither wyth him and all the elect of God we may participate a ioyfull resurrection in the world to come through our Sauiour Iesus Christ to whome wyth the Father and the holy Ghost be laude honour prayse for euer and euer Amen 1. Thomae 1. Agnes 1. IoheÌ„s Crophul abauus 1. TheobalduÌ„ D. V. Io. D. V 1. D. Verdon 1. Marescalli 1. Will. Comes 1. Strongbow Comitis D'eureux 1. Wil. Domi. Com. Winton 1. Ceciliam 1. Ceciliae 1. eusdem nominis 1. Constabular 1. Consta. Vicecomitem Do. Fitzwaren Arch. Cant. Do. â—ernes 1. Cantabrigiae 1. Essex 1. Tierowen 1. 36. Annis Ecclesi 3. 1. 1. Cor. 10. 31 Psal. 119. 105. Reuel 1. 1. Dan. 7. 23. Illiricus inter Test. veritet pag. 387. Reue. 14. 1â— Plutarch in Laconicis Reuel 1. 8. Reuel 1. 12. Iohn 16. 13. Esay 55. 1. 1. Iohn 5. 19. 1. Tim. 6. 7. Luke 12. 17. Exod. 16. 20 â–ª Eccle. 41. 1. Ecclesi 2. Reuel 21. 3 â–ª 22. 4. 1. Cor. 2. 9. 1. Cor. 9. 25. Luke 16. 1. Mat. 25. 15. 2. Cor. 5. 10. Mat. 25. 34. Wisd. 6. 2. Mat. 23. 13. Wisd. 6. 4. Amos. 6. 12. Esay 3. 14. Rom. 3. 20. 2. Sam. 12. 1. 1. King. 22. Iob. 34. 3â— Comparison of true Nobilitie Panor lib. 20. de rebus gestis Alphonsi Prudence Fortitude Exod. 18. 21. Iustice. Iob. 29. 15. Suetonius Temperaunce Ecclesi 7. 9. Luke 6. 45. Numb 21. 9.
Maridune benigna Quod Mars nonfregitmors violauit atrox Qui mentem in corpus fudit rex summus olympi Is mentem tulit in coerula templà poli H. B. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. In mortem Comitis Essexiae sepulti apud Maridunum QVod flumen lachrimis satis est quo funera fletu Faxit quo fremitu terra Britanna gemat Quòd cessit fatis heros Essexius heros Altitonans in quem fuderat omne decus Nobilis in primis animoque corpore clarus Terribilis bello suauis amicitia Militibus largus nec munificentior alter Fidum habuit charumque hostis ad arma vocans O quam flebiliter mortem plorauit IeÌ„rne Fata viri Cambri fata putant patriae Cum nascebatur Maridunus gestijt at nunc Heu funus moestos cogit inire modos H. Br. ECce sub hoc tumulo situs est celeberrimus Heros Qui cecidit patrij spesque decusque soli Fama ingens annis iuuenis fortissimus armis Nobilitate potens relligione pius Terra Britanna parens testis Hibernia lethi Tristia fata gemunt fortia facta canunt Facta togae belliue magis praestantia mirer Optima pace domi maxima Marte foris Mors fera corpus habet Coelo Comes inclite viuis Vita dicata deo mors noua vita data est I. Re. LOeta hunc Caermerdun peperit nunc moesta sepulchro Condit à tumulo tristia signa manent Heroicè in terris vixit nunc vita perennis Discite sic proceres viuere sicque mori Lo. Guin TEr comes ac comitis vice bis ter stemma Baronis Bis miles splendor vrbis orbis erat R. Br. HIc nomen liberis Decus Anglis ossa Britannis Et mentem superis heu gemitusque suis. R. R. SIt modus in lachrimis finemque appone dolori Tu triplici triplex insula cincta mari Incusare deum fixumque reprendere fatum Desine cum videas numina posse mori Io. Wal. MArcello statuam Siculi festumque dedêre Non huic cum statua nos tria festa demus Denique vos Angli vos Cambri vos Hiberni Tristia tam clari funera flete viri R. M. SOl nouus exortus Wallis sua lumina passim fudit at ecclipsin induxit hibernica luna R. Wr. CAmbria me prolem luget dolet Anglia lumen Gallia me procerem me deflet Hibernia martem Idem GVisced IeÌ„rthon y dei tromtrist yur colled y Cymbri Oir i marwolaeth troi lloger oll ir aith R. Br. Y Blanet bel o wenwyn a barodh gas eb-rwydh gwyn Bwrw yma r. wyl briw mawr oedh briw yn henwaed brenhinoedh Dan i gras dwin or Iesu vn Iarih oedh yn euro lhu O bv ymric rhod lawnglod lys irr lhv n hen Iarlh on hynys Och na bv wich wyneb wr Iarlh Essex ir lhv oesswr Iarlh Gualther lhin brenhinoedh Iarlh a charw lhu uwch Icirlh oedh Iarlh cariad eurlhew keraint Essex ac ew bro braint Earlh Marschial grwndwal y gras ar y er vrdhas Vicont a phen phrwyth Henphorth rhad uer a Bourgscher hid north Phres Arglwidh Pherrers eurglain o Schartle kv iawnlhe kain Ior lew a maint charlemaign lewfaeth Bourgscher a Lofaen A Marchoc a grym mewchiwn or gardas aur gwr dwys iawn A mab Sir Richard mwy oedh D'ewreux dros tir a Dyfroedh Vn a aned yn vniawn o henwaed York hynodiawn Mae Lloegr ai rruwl dan nuwl nos ae Dvgiaid owaed agos Marw vn oi Ieirll mawr way n hwy marqies waedd merkiais adwy Mae am Iarll aedd llawnfaedd llu Deu fab oi gorf i dyfy Ior gwiw gwyn aer gogoned vn Iarll kryf ymlaen Ieirll kred Robart Barr Awchwart Brochwel Iarll a mab Iarlh am y Bel A Guallter dull at aur da Hector Ieuank o Troia Mac dwy Arglwiddes Iessin ar ddwys lwk o vrddas lin Penelope gruddie gras Purwycheidd maur parch addas A Dorothe wyneb dirion lliwgar himp drich lloegr yw hon Bar draw amgylch bv yr drom gad Bywyd tost nad byw i tad Bv i Georg Dewreux vrddassol Briw a vich a brawyni ol Bv ar blaidborav blin Brawd Iarll o briod eurwin Bwriad gwanar dayarol bedd a wnawn bidd yni ol Bethyw gwladtlawd heb Swaden heb pont heb ganllaw heb pen Pethllesc hawdd i goresgyn O Syrr duw ore saer dyn I le roedd diedd llariaidd o des i gannv kymru gynnes Nos rrew aeth ynessa i rrain nos brad i ynys Brudain Llef aroes val llif yr ia llvndain ail trvain troïa Llef diluw llef i deulu llef bhlin in ghaer merddun fu Newl du a droes ar lluoedd newl ar lled yn ol Iarll oedd O gau pethpen llveddwyr glan walch govad galonne i wyr Holl Franc ai gwir fyfyr fodd ai hafnau oll ai hofnodd Yroedd i ofn wlad oer ddyfnwyllt droy galon Ywerddon wyllt Iarlh ai law oedd ganllaw gwyr ymoliant vn or milwyr Llaw Kymry n blaeno lluoedd a llaw a grim holl lloegr oedd Da ir ynys wedi r vnawr ai lwk wedi dwyn i lawr Fwrw yngod heb verw angall Fur ar lled o mor ir llall Am i dduw gwyn mor syn saeth Ddwyn yr Iarlh ddawn ore vr llaeth Braw sydd yn Pen blywyd lles Bron hynod in Brenhines I fraich Arthur dew furoedd Ai nerth gidaâ—r Coron oedd Duw ai roes grym ennoes gwraidd y Dewraf Iarll awduriaidd Duw wyn ai rad ym rodd Dwissoc ai dewissodd Ni ddwis duw ddewisswr Y fayth yn Iarll fyth yn vvr Terinin H. Llyn Cambrie maintenant son trescher nourrison L'armoye l'Angliterre sa lumiere perdue La France de despit creue de son fleuron Irlande de son Mars O grand desconuenue N. P. ⧠Here followeth the Funerall Sermon made by the Reuerende Father in God the Byshoppe of S. Dauys at the Buryall of the ryght Honourable the Earle of Essex c. Audiui vocem de coelo dicentem c. ¶ I hearde a voyce from heauen saying write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lorde foorthwith euen so sayth the spirite that they may rest from their labours and their workes followe them Apoc. 14. chap. vers 13. DEarely beloued in our Sauiour Christ this I finde written in the Booke of the Preacher Omnia tempus habent c. To all things there is an appointed time and a time to euery purpose vnder the heauen a time to be borne and a time to die a time to plant and a time to pluck vp that which is planted and so foorth of other kinde of times as in the third chapter of the same Booke is further set out By reason of this variety alteration and chaunge of times variable diuers and sundry be the affaires and businesse of the children of men for their time vpon earth By the lawe of creation redemption and confirmation we are bounde to doe and perfourme all our affaires and businesse to the prayse and glorie
of God and therefore Paule the Apostle saith Whether you eate or drinke or whatsoeuer you doe doe all to the glorie of God. But such is the blindenesse and corruption of our nature that we of our selues are neuer able to satisfie our bounden required dutie Herein God therefore of his great mercy hath in the holy Scripture prouided Lanternes to our féete and light to our steppes which if we attende vnto shall deliuer vs from ignoraunce and guide vs in the right way So that the Scripture is as it were a Storehouse appointed for vs to repaire vnto and from thence to fetch out counsell instruction and direction that in all our dooings God may be glorified and we our selues in God edified I therefore considering the businesse we haue nowe in hande and the cause of our assemblye at this time that is the buriall of this Noble man haue repaired to the Scripture and from thence haue chosen out the péece of Scripture I haue read vnto you out of the xiiij chapter of the Apocalips In the which after we haue weyed opened and considered it we shall finde cause to extoll and magnifie the holy name of the Lord and shall also for our partes receyue sundry christian lessons and diuers godly instructions First we are to call to remembraunce some part of the Argument of this Booke of the Apocalips and some matters therin conteined wherevpon this our text doth depend part of the Argument of this Booke is a declaratiō and a foreknowledge opened by our Sauiour Iesus Christ in a vision to s. Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist of the variable state of the kingdome of Christ in this world the prosperitie and cruelty of the kingdome of Antichrist the successe and entertainment of the Gospell of Christ the persecutions which the Professors of the same shoulde susteyne of Antichrist and his ministers And amongst other Reuelations in the xiij Chapter mencion is made of a horrible Beast that s. Iohn séeth ryse out of the bottome of the Sea hauing seauen heads and tenne hornes to the which it was giuen to make warre against the Saintes and preuaile against them After that he séeth an other Beast comming out of the earth hauing two hornes like to the Lammes but spake lyke the Dragon and had power to doe all thinges that the first Beast coulde doe By the former Beast is vnderstoode the Empire of Rome which vnreasonably and beastly persecuted the Christians in the primitiue Church Daniell the Prophet in the vij Chapter doth terme the Empire a Beast And s. Ierome expounding that place of Daniell sayth by the Beast he meaneth the Empire of Rome by the seconde Beast is vnderstood the Popedome in cruelty and shedding of bloud nothing inferiour to the former Beast as Adrian Byshop of Rome testified saying Nos succedimus Romulo in effutione sanguinis non Petro in predicatione verbi We sayth he succéede Romulus in shedding of bloud and not Peter in preaching of the worde The instruments of the cruell persecution of Christians doe appeare vnto s. Iohn in the forme and figure of monstruous noysome beastes partly bicause the Saintes of God shall haue at their handes no more pittie compassion or ciuill order shewed then if they fell to the daūger of Leopards Lions Woolfes or Beares ▪ Malefactors and transgressors of lawes whatsoeuer their offence is though it were treason shall haue lawe obserued shall holde vp their hande and speake for themselues and shall finde some orderly dealing but the Professors of Gods word vnder those cruell beastes shall be tormented butchered torne and slayne without law mercy compassion or any humanitie The histories of the old time and the experience of these our dayes are foorthcomming to beare witnesse of this truth Now least the Saints for feare of these horrible beastes shoulde forsake the profession of the Gospell and take vpon them the marke of the Beast in their forheades and so enter to doubt that if they shoulde lose this lyfe there were no reward foorth-comming for constant Martirdome nor no other lyfe but this to be looked for Amongst other matters of consolation reuealed to s. Iohn he is here by a voyce from heauen commaunded to write Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lorde and so foorth In these words the Saints of God may find a sufficient consolacion and cause of good courage to enter the combat with the cruell beasts being hereby assured that there is a rewarde ordeyned of God for his Saintes in Heauen and that there remayneth a lyfe of euerlasting blisse after the tyme of this troublesome worlde And therefore the lesse cause to feare the fiercenesse of the beastes whose power reacheth no further then this temporall transitorie lyfe Our text we haue in hand we will deuide into thrée parts The first is of the assuraunce authoritie of the doctrine herein comprehended The seconde the doctrine it selfe that s. Iohn is commaunded to write The thirde is a declaration of the same by circumstances of these parts or so many of these as conuenient time will serue we will by the helpe of God speake and deale wyth But first let vs pray c. Here the Prayer was made Audiui vocem de coelo dicentem c. I hearde a voyce from Heauen saying write c. HEre S. Iohn seemeth to allude to the maner commonly receyued amongest all people which is to committe to wryting such knowledge of profytable and necessarie matters as are found out to be certayne vndoubted and sure and so to transmit the same to the posteritie The credit and authoritie of matters founde out and committed to wryting depende much vpon the first authours as the authoritie of the Lawes of the Athenians and Lacedemonians depended vpon the credite of Solon and Lycurgus the authours of the same The authour of thys doctrine that s. Iohn is commaunded to write is God himselfe for he saith I hearde a voyce from heauen and further ioyneth therto euen so sayth the spirite This is therefore the voyce of the sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ for it is his voyce that s. Iohn in the beginning of the Reuelacion hearde as the voyce of a trumpet saying I am α and ω the first and the last that thou seest wryte in a booke sende to the seuen churches in Asia It is he that s. Iohn sawe sitting betweene the seauen golden Candlestickes lyke to the sonne of man Christ whyle as yet he was conuersant with his disciples promysed to doe all things to teach and to speake in the Church by the spirite and here now the spirite teacheth and confirmeth this doctrine for in the text foloweth euen so sayth the spirite Thus we haue certaintie and assuraunce that the wordes which are here mencioned be the wordes of Iesus Christ and that this is a celestial oracle which is lawfull for no man to doubt of Christ from heauen doth minister the
wordes S. Iohn the Apostle Euangelist at the commaundement of Christ doth write the same and so transmitteth them to vs and to the posteritie for euer If Charters or letters written by the Chauncelours or Secretaries of Kinges and Princes cary with them great credite how much more iustly doth this celestiall Charter dictated by the sonne of God and written by the Disciple beloued of Christ Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist deserue credite and authoritie In the tyme of Papistrie and blindnesse men reposed great affiaunce and trust in writinges and pardons that came from Rome wherein they imagined they receiued forgiuenesse of sinnes Apoena à culpa and therefore vsed at the tyme of death to take order that all such pardons shoulde be cast into the graue with the corps Such writings be commonlye called Bulles of Rome they well deserued so to be called for Bulla in the latintonge signifieth a bubble or fome that riseth on the water wherin is no substance but though it swell and make a shewe of some thing yet in deede it is voyde and emptie so that with the touche of a straw or the least blast of wind it breaketh vanisheth away and is become nothing Such assuredly were all these deceytfull pardons which if tyme dyd serue I coulde easily by authoritie of gods worde declare and prooue But now blessed is our tyme if we can consider it the tyme of light and knowledge of the Gospell of Christ wherein men are taught to repose their affiaunce and trust not in the Bulles that come from Rome but in this autenticall Charter that came from Heauen not voyde emptie as the popish Bulles but full fraughted and replenished wyth euerlasting treasures and eternall consolacion and comfort The Romish deceitfull ware could not begotten without money but this heauenly Iewell is offered freely without recompēce or payment Come saith Esay the Prophet in the .lv. chap. All you that thirst to the waters you that haue no siluer come buye and eate come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without money thus much for the first part concerning the certayntie and assuraunce of the doctrine contayned in the seconde parte which is this Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lorde Here we haue three matters to consider of first what is blessednesse or what is it to be blessed the seconde what admonition we may gather out of these wordes thirdly who dye in the Lorde for the first The whole worlde which as s. Iohn sayeth lyeth in wickednesse seeketh to be made blessed by worldly goodes riches and possessions as the infinite traueyle of men by sea and by land by perilles and daungers the oppression extorcion theft contentions in lawe the vnsatiable couetousnesse and ambition that reigneth in the worlde doth testifie and manifestly prooue But all these are frustrated and deceyued of their purpose for we finde by experience that true which saint Paule saith Nihil intulimus c. we brought nothing into the world neither shal we cary any thing out We find also dayly performed in effect before our eyes in the weithy and great riche men of this worlde that which Christ in the twelfth of Luke reporteth to haue beene sayde to the man that reioyced and solaced himselfe in the exceeding abundance and increase of corne that had happened vnto him one yeare that is O foole this night shall they fetch away thy soule from thee and then whose shall those things be that thou hast prouided The childrē of Israel in the wildernes were fed with Manna they were commaunded daily to gather it in the fielde by measure euery man according to his eating and whatsoeuer was reserued till morning contrarie to Moses commaundement stancke and became full of wormes we are the children of Israell this worlde is the wildernesse Manna is the riches and goodes of this worlde whatsoeuer therof is gathered and horeded vp contrary to gods commaundement more then will serue euery mans turne to liue in his degree and calling stincketh afore God and breedeth a worme of disquietnesse of conscience wherby a man shall hardly dispose himselfe to dye in the Lorde so to be blessed And therefore sayeth Ecclesiasticus O death how bitter is the remembraunce of thee to a man that lyueth at rest in his possessions Notable is the sentence and conclusion of Salomon concerning this matter After he had gathered to him siluer and golde and the chiefe treasures of Kings and prouinces and had furnished himselfe withall kinde of worldly pleasures so that he exceeded all that euer was afore him he concludeth saying And I looked on all the workes myne hande had wrought and beholde all is vanitie and vexacion of the spirite there is no profit vnder the sunne we see now that earthly bodily matters be they neuer so precious can not make a man blessed in deede It must therefore consist in Heauenly and spirituall matters It can then be nothing else but the ioy of the lyfe to come in the kingdome of Heauen in the which we shall see God as he is and shall haue the full and perfite fruition of his blessed presence and lyue in him with all the Saincts foreuer and shall possesse ioyes that cannot be explicated with mortall tongues as it is written the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard neither hath ascended into the heart of man that which God hath prepared for them that loue him This celestiall ioy the childrē of God do taste of in this world in that they apprehend by faith remission of sinnes and quietnesse of conscience in the bloud and passion of christ Howbeit this celestiall ioye in this worlde is but expert in part till the soule be deliuered out of the reache of flesh and bloude I haue determined to speake of diuers matters within the compasse of this sermon and some of them such that I would be sory for lacke of time to be dryuen to cut them of and therefore of this matter here I make an ende I will now returne to the text agayne Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord. Out of these wordes we may iustly reason that some dye but not in the Lorde and that lyke as they that dye in the Lord are blessed as inheritours of euerlasting life so are they that dye not in the Lordcursed as heires of euerlasting damnation Hereby are we admonished that it is the part of a good Christian in hys lyfe time to take thought and care to prouyde by the assistaunce of Gods grace that he may dye in the Lord and that it is a desperate part to be carelesse in what state the houre of death shal take a man in The maner of wise men in this worlde when they haue any serious and earnest affayres to performe is by some exercise aforehaude to make themselues expert and readie agaynst the tyme they come to earnest dooings as S. Paule noted
Euery man that prooueth masteries abstayneth from all thinges and they doe it to obtayne a corruptible crowne Howe much more ought a true Christian with meditacion and exercise aforehande make himselfe expert and ready agaynst the tyme he shall take this earnest voyage in hande which is the way of all fleshe to obtayne an incorruptible crowne and to be made blessed for euer To this prouidence premeditacion and care Christ our sauiour doth mooue and stirre vs by the storye of the wicked stewarde which his Lorde called to a reconing and yet in one point commended for that he was prouident carefull how to lyue after he shoulde be remooued out of his office In thys Storie applyed to a spiritual sence Christ maketh vs all stewards and that at tyme conuenient we shall be called to a reconing and shal be sure to heare this voice Redde rationem villicationis tuae render an accompt of thy Stewardship Seing then that our Sauiour Christ vsed this Storie and the holy Ghost prouided the same to be left in writing to the ende to admonish and to prouoke vs to take care and to learne aforehande to dye in the Lorde that we may liue in the worlde to come it is a Storie woorthie to be noted we will therefore tary the longer vpon it and consider three points concerning the same First who be they that are to make a reconing then how many kinds of reconing is to be made and last of all what officers or messengers hath God ordayned to call men to this reconing For the first all maner and condicion of men being the workemanship of gods hands endued with reasonable soule and enriched with his giftes and blessings are to render an accompt for euery man in some respect is a stewarde of Gods riches and a bayly of Gods husbandrie and therfore haue more or lesse to aunswere for some fyue Talentes some two Talentes and some one Talent And therefore s. Paule sayeth Omnes nos manifestare oportet ante tribunal Christi c. Al we must appeare before the tribunall seate of Christ that euery man may receyue according to his dooinges notwithstanding there is diuersitie of the maners and kindes of reconings that are to be made One kinde is common to all men for the ende of all mens being for the tyme in the worlde is to honour God by obseruation of his lawes and commaundements and therefore all in a generalitie are to answere concerning their obedience to Gods lawe and his holy Worde concerning their fayth in the sonne of God and what lyfe they haue led in this worlde All shall heare that which Christ speaketh of Come you blessed of my father possesse the king-dome prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde I was a hungred and you gaue me to eate I was a thyrst and you gaue me to drincke and so foorth of the other workes of charitie there mencioned Or else being set on the left hande they shall here Depart from me you cursed to euerlasting fyre which is prepared for the Deuill and his Aungels I was a hungred and you gaue me no meate I was a thirst and you gaue me no drinke and so forth of the reast there rehearsed An other kind of reconing is peculiare proper to such as God hath called to be Rulers Gouernours and officers in the common wealth as Kinges Princes Magistrates Byshops Iudges Iustices and such lyke officers Here is a place offered to speake of the distinct and seuerall reconings that euery of these and the lyke in their degrees shall make but that can not be performed in such tyme as is meete for me to occupie now in this audience I will onely note some part of the reconing that Rulers Magistrates Iustices and officers shal make which Salomon in the sixt chapter of the booke of Wisedome setteth out thus much in effect First he putteth them in remembrance of a matter coÌ„monly forgotten amongst great men that is that the rule is giuen them of God and that their authoritie is from the most hygh Wherevpon followeth that they shoulde apply their authoritie to set out his glorie and honour who placed them in so high a roâ—ome and who also will trye their workes and search out their purposes Secondly he accuseth theÌ„ that where they were put in trust and made officers in the common welth they haue not iudged rightly meaning between party and partie but delt parcially and corruptly agaynst law and conscience and telleth further that in their offices and high callings they walked not after the wil of God according to the trust reposed in them Lastly he admonisheth them that it wyll go harde with them in the time of reconing saying that a harde iudgement shall they haue that beare rule and the mightie shal be mightily punished Here we may see what wofull case they be in that neuer thinke of any reconing to be made howe they behaued theÌ„selues in their authoritie And what shall become of them that in their dooings will neuer consider what the will of God is but contrarie vnreasonably walke after the pleasures and riches of thys worlde applye all their power to further and continue the kingdome of Antichrist defende papisterie supersticion and Idolatrie pilgrimages to Welles and blinde Chappelles procure the wardens of churches in tyme of visitacion to periurie to conceale images roode loftes and aulters This is lamentable that Gods chosen officers in this blessed time of light knowledge of the gospell of Christ will neither enter themselues to the kingdome of Heauen nor suffer theÌ„ that would for as the ruler of the citie is so be the inhabitance of the same Here would I wish that the Iustices of peace with vs in Wales shoulde receyue admonishion and learning although I speake generally of them yet I knowe that some of them walke vprightly and more after the will of God then others doe They haue to consider that they by the disposition of God are men chosen and pycked out from among their brethren for that they are thought and taken to be of courage and fortitude to minister iustice rightly without respect of person men hauing the feare of God before their eyes true dealing men and such as abhorre couetousnesse Salomon speaketh of them amongest others that God will trie their workes and search out their deuises what shal be their aunswere therefore in the tyme of reconing For then shall appeare and cannot be hyd that commonly all that they dyd in their office was in respect of persons to pleasure the great man least he should finde a hole in their coates Then shall their actes in their office testifie that they were voide of all religion and feare of God so farre beside conscience and equitie as if they beleeued there were neither God to reward well dooings nor Deuill to execute punishment for euill deedes Then shall appeare that when a cause was brought afore them they