the grief of sinne hee would crie aloud Faith alone doth iustifie There was neuer papist Faith a lone iustifieth Fleshly worshippings I am sure yet so dronkē that made so much of al his fleshly worshippings of organs singing of altar and altar clothes of frankencense sweete smelling sauor of banners and streamers of goodly tunes and melodies of siluer crosses chalices but he hath said sometime Who requireth Esai 16. 12. Ioh. 4. 13. these things at our hands The true worshippers do worship in spirit and verity There was neuer papist in so deep a sleep of pardons and purgatorie but hee hath Pardons and Purgatorie surely said such weak engines can break down but paper walles And such colde water can quench but painted fiers There was neuer Pope nor generall General counsailes councel so desperately bent to set vp worshipping of Images but their own harts haue often cried within them They haue Psal 115. 5. Images mouthes and speake not they haue eies and see not they haue eares and heare not they haue noses and smell not they haue hands and handle not they haue feete and walke not Thou shalt not bow down to them nor worshippe them There was neuer papist so blinded Papistical superstitious Transubstantiation with the great absurdity of transubstātiatiō but some times seing the wine in the Chalice he hath vin afraid to say By this by nothing els let my sins be washed seeing the cake in the priests hands Thou alone hast redeemed me alone by thee I look to be saued This much we haue spoken to that intēt we may see the working of the lord in the hearts of al his enimies Refuse him how they wil in life or religion Papists doe striue against God and his word they carry day and night a witnes in their brests against themselues that they rebel striue not against flesh blood but against God and the trueth of his word Truly so may we see how god wrought in the hart of Esau howsoever men talke of the force of nature We cannot impute it to any thing but to the miraculus doing of the lord Who though we be in the bottome of the sea can command the water Esai 45. 15. that it shal not drown vs. And though we Hos 2. 18. go through the fire can keep vs from burning To this purpose speaketh the Prophet in the person of God I will make a couenāt for them with the wild beasts Hos 2. 18. and with the fowles of heauen and that which creepeth on the earth and I will break the bow and the sworde and the battel out of the earth And if he haue takē an oth of his domb creatures that they shal not do his chosen harme much more shal he incline the hart of one man to be louing towards another Notwithstanding Esaus gentlenes was but a violent motion this was but a violent motion of Esau therefore endured not For afterwardes be slang away from his brother and the spirit of enuy returned vnto him and possessed Gen. 36. Math. 12. 45. him as before It is nothing therefore that many fond worldlings bost thēselues if they haue but one sparcke of humanity seeing they are caryed about like waterles clouds and haue no continuance The wicked continew not in goodnes in that which is good When Dauid both by word deed had witnessed his innocency towards Saul At 1. Sam. 24. 17. Dauids innocencie towards Saul what time he let him escape aliue out of the caue of Engeddi only cutting off the lap of his coat the enuious tyrant which persecuted him being conuinced by open Saul weepeth for his iniury don to Dauid testimonies of his iniurie lift vp his voice wept acknowledging his fault which sought after blood without a cause Such is the power of Gods spirit which expresseth it selfe in the Godly that the wicked many times are ouercom by their vertues whom they hate to death Esau by al likelihood supposed for such is the maner of the wicked to thinke al men like affected The wicked think al men like to themselues to themselues that Iacob presuming vpō his fathers blessing would haue behaued himselfe stoutly and disdainfully towards him and therefore he prepared to encounter with him But when he drew neer and perceaued his humility hee was enforced with tears to run and embrace him And How we must deale with the froward learn we here to deale with the frowarde discreetly For the maintenance of christian concord what greater foyson coulde Iacob haue of his humble lowly minde his desire was only to escape aliue out of the handes of his brother but the lord did more for him thē he desired Behold Esau in what taking he is he rūneth he embraceth he weepeth But how now Esau The perplexity that Esau was in how cōmeth this to passe that you are so kind vpon the sudden Is this you which a little before was ready to burst with enuie I perceaue it is the lord that keepeth the keies of al harts he openeth and The lord keepeth the harts of al men to doe gods pleasure Gen. 30. 26. shutteth at his plesure This roas the blessing that alitle earst god gaue to Iacob Thy name shal be caled Iacob no more but Israel because thou hast had power with god thou shalt also preuaile with mē And now you see he preuaileth with his brother so mightily that a hart of flint is turned into A field wonne without bloudshed a hart of flesh The glorie of a field wonne by shedding of blood had not bene comparable to the triumph of this victory this was indeed to preuaile with men So truly said our sauiour When all thinges are Mar. 13. 31. turned topsie turuie yet the word shall not fail but be accomplished But to returne a little to the vnstablenes God maketh the wicked instruments to worke his pleasure of Esau we see how the lord can make the wicked instruments to work his pleasure maugre their beards though in their own kind they set vp their vristles against him Esau sheweth himself wonderful curteous Esau curteous to Iacob Nu. 40. 18 20. Esaus posterity molesteth Iacobs children to Iacob but his posterity would giue his children no passage in time of their miserie Wherein it appeareth that he had rather suborued them to malice than erhorted them to peace with his brother The egyptians which lent to the Israelits by Gods working their Jewels their Exo. 12. 35 30. The ouerthrow of the Egyptians raiment within a while after God hardned their harts were turned against them to pursue them till the Lorde ouerthrew them in the midst of the sea The same people which would haue made christ a king which strowed their Ioh. 6 15. garmentes in the way when christ passed through the streets and greeted
IACOBS TROVBLESOME IOVRNEY TO BETHEL Conteining a briefe exposition or excellent Treatise of the four first verses of the 33. Chapter of GENESIS Set foorth by IOHN OVERTON Maister of Arts. GENESIS 31. 3. Reuertere ad terram Patrum tuorum ad cognationem tuam ero tecum AT OXFORD Printed by IOSEPH BARNES Anno D. 1586. TO HIS MOST COVRTEOVS AND LOVING FRIEND MAster WILLIAM BRENT IOHN OVERTON wisheth grace peace all true fe licitie in Iesus Christour Sauiour WORLDLY riches haue I none where with to render the shew of a gratefull hart but of such meniall stuffe as God hath lent me I present dedicate vnto your good name friendly acceptation this litle booke as the first fruits of my study intituled Iacobs troublesome iourney to Bethel His brother Esau came against him with foure hundred men Whereby is signified by these two brethren the miserable troubles betweene the malignant Synagogue of Sathan and the militant Church of Christ as also other matter very necessary to be considered in this piece of Scripture And though it bee litle in quantitie and in habite sutelike according to the hability of the author yet when I gladly cal to minde with no small comfort remember your vnfeigned friendshippes and fauours towardes mee heretofore at Ilmington I cannot but be ashamed of my selfe that abilitie doeth not afforde my hande so much to write as my heart willeth my tongue to vtter howe deepely indebted I am to your great curtesie But considering that your due and full rewarde is laide vp vntill another day in an other place by another man of al fulnesse habilitie Christ Iesus the high Steward and paie-master of all I am to request you til that time come which I trust shall not be long to accept my good heart which in all possible dutie is and shall bee yours bounden to command A smale rewarde for such benefites I confesse yet as kinde and dutifull a mite as the greatest valure of a farther summe And sith that the most precious iewel in this worlde which man can shew or giue to man is vnfeigned loue then truely the loue that creepeth when it cannot goe is aswell to be accompted of and esteemed as loue nay perhappes the rather than when it carieth a higher looke and a loftier countenance for to say the trueth benefites which are liberall for the gyft grateful for the repay are in that respect said to bee great or litle as the affection of the heart is great or litle But weying my vnhability I am forced to say with Virgil Grates persoluere dignas non opis est nostroe This consideration therefore as also your zeale in religion and loue of learning did altogither moue mee to pen this worke And in this treatise is this especiallie to be obserued how Iacob whereby is signified the Church of Christ hath beene maliced griuouslie burdened by Esau the malignant Church from the beginning All places are so fraught and full of examples hereof that wee neede not experimentes from farre Only the Church of Rome in this place shall serue vs in steede of manie which as long as shee was vnder persecuting TYRANTS and sharpened as it were vppon a grynding whetstone shee was found and truely called the only nurse or mistresse of all godlinesse and continency in whom all the giftes of Christian religion and honest life did most abundantly excel most brightly shine But afterwards the case being quite altred she began to malice Iacob and to laie grieuous burdens vpon his shoulders chiefly when in steed of danger persecution vexatiōs Riches pride sumptuousnes alielenes their companion came in place crept into the Church And when as Byshops in steed of martyrs began to be persecutors of Martyrs themselues and the strength and force of the gospel decaied weakned more more into what wickednes abomination that church did run fall let euery one consider iudge with himselfe I am not able sufficiently to expresse it according to the indignity hainousnesse thereof This example and note by the way shal be sufficient for my purpose especiallie for that the matter appeareth so plaine and manifest in al the bookes of the godly And thus submitting my selfe this smal treatise vnto your frindly protection wonted fauor referring the faults rather to the simplenes of my skil then to my willing mind and wishing you as great pleasure liking in the reading as it hath bin some paine and trauell to me in penning I commend you to the direction and guiding of God his holie spirite who grant you prosperous successe in all godlines From my studie at Welsborne the first day of April 1586. Yours with all dutifull endeuors euer at commandement IOHN OVERTON GENESIS XXXiij 1 And as IACOB lift vp his eies looked beholde ESAV came and with him four hundred men and he diuided the childrē to LEAH RAHEL to the two maides 2 And hee put the maides and their children foremost and LEAH and hir children after and RAHEL and IOSEPH hindermost 3 So he went before them and bowed himselfe to the ground seuen times vntill he came neare his brother 4 Then ESAV ranne to meet him and fel on his neck and embraced him and kissed him and they wept IT hath bin euer a thing common in the world and not so commō as noisome to all estates that pride enuy couetousnesse Enuy couetousnesse and pride soweth discord in the worlde should sowe discord among the sons of men to stir vp not only princes against princes but also one brother against another Wherof although 1. Reg. 1. 5. there be many exāples extāt sufficient to instruct thē that haue any docility yet there is none of more importāce than this of Iacob Esau set downe by Moises for in it who list may beholde as in a glasse the most lamentable garboils between the malignant synagogue of lathan the militant church of christ The two principal causes of the hatred The causes of the hatred of Esau against Iacob of Esau against Iacob is not vnknowen to them which haue indifferently bin conuersant in the scriptures namely the losse of his birth-right and blessing wherein Gen. 25. Heb. 12. none was to blame but himselfe which contemned the one and by preuoking his mother through his strange wiues was forestalled of the other In this portion of scripture the meeting Gen. 26. In what array Iacob put his family of these two brethren is prescribed in what arraie poore fearefull Iacob put his company to entertaine that sauage knight his brother Esau honorably vsing this courteous humble demeanor as an ordinary meane offered of the Lord for the appeasing of his brothers wrath Although there be no great felicity in The holy ghost is not tied to a method divisions where the holy ghost is not tied to a Methode yet because this piece of Scripture
among the Heathen It was verie like that hee returned Esau came from among the Heathen from thence more deformed then reformed cōcerning his malicious mind As manie of our countrimen haue doone from the other side of the Sea feeding vaine mens fautasies with Italian graces Spanish fashions and french courtesies and verie seruiceable in speach A Vostre commandemente Monsieur are therefore become a by-word vnto the Deuils in carnate worlde to bee called Deuils incarnate To let passe that whereof wee haue no certaintie this troup of men was easilie able to ouermatch the wearie and weak companie of Iacob and who woulde thinke now seeing the great inequalitie of their states but that the birthright and blessing which Iacob had receiued aboue his brother Esau was a meere mockerie This no question is the Iudgement The iudgement of the flesh Rom. 9. 8. of the flesh which esteemeth things according to the outward shew but Iacobs promise was spiritual with which hee held himselfe well apaied neither held he himselfe beguiled if it were fulfilled in his posterity as shal be shewed in more due place In the meane while though Iacob be despised let vs learne with wise hearts to esteeme of things as they are For God is not as man if he promise he promiseth to the heart of Man And without faith no man is capable of his promise lawfullie but shal bee accomptable for instruction This euer hath beene the condition Iacob ment by Christes church despised of Iacob which is to bee ment of Gods Church upon earth to bee vile in most places in the eies of the world to be an vnderling to bee tossed from post to pillor in all the members of the same which might bee prooued by manie testimonies and examples from Abel to Christ and from Christ to this daie but it were to carry stickes into the wodde and to set up a candle where the sun shineth On the other side Esau whereby is ment the Esau termed the Diuels Church Diuels Church for we purpose to dwell a while in both the branches of this cōparison for in such matter of teaching wee haue the Apostle Paul for a warrantic Gal 4. 24. The congregation of the wicked are mighue and therefore we may say that the congregations of the vngodly are mightie the worlde goeth on their side they eate the fat of the land they haue the best preferment and offices they liue at ease they aile nothing yet they can scarce afforde Iacob the bare breathing of the aire In Sam. 2. 7. this worlde they suffer no pleasant thing to passe by them vntasted their Kyne cast Iob. 21. 10. no Calues their Children daunce in the streets they drink wine in carued bowls Amos. 6. 4 5. 6. 7. they stretch their limmes vpon beds of Iuory But none of them remember the calamity of Ioseph Iacob is maliced yea Iacob maliced Esau will come against him with foure hundred men It was so then and is so now we haue iustified our fathers in all their crueltie Gods Church is made a Stockfish amongst them hir Children are sent home by weepeing Crosse It is 1. Cor. 1. 26. no maruel therefore that Paul saith Not many wise after the fleshe not many mighty not many noble are called And here by the way we haue to look in Iud. 3. 7. The wrath of God against the Church of the Israelites as in a glas most clear how the church of the Israelites forgotte the Lord their god serued serued Balaam Astaroth therefore the wrath of the lord was kindled against Israel he sold thē into the hands of Cusan King of Mesopotamia Againe Iud. 4. the Church of the Israelits did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and therefore the Lorde solde them into the hands of Iabin King of Canaan God and his Christ be as mighty strong at this hour as when his word was preached in the Churches of Goletta in Tunes in Cyprus in Rhodes in Constantinople in Iudea in Macedonia Ponthus Bithinia Cicilia Phrygia Greece Egypt and the endes of the worlde But Esau came against Iacob with foure hundred men and defield Christian mens handes and filled their fingers full of iniquitie their lippes spake vntruethes their tongus vttered wickednes Esau his cōpany haue made Esah hath made christians forget God christians to forget the lord serued Balaam of Rome Astaroth of Florence They be either superstitious idolaters or Godlesse and thancklesse Epicures and worldlings Esau his companie came against Iacob to praie and spoile to fill the land ful of Usurers bribers and extortioners and the Sea ful of Pirats and robbers therefore the Lord hath hid his face from Iacob to be ment the Church of Christ and hath solde into Esau the Turkes hands not onely Constantinople Christian kingdomes subdued by the Turke Cyprus Goletta Moldauia Bulgaria Hungaria Strygonyum and Buda but also hath opened thereby to the Turke Christendome both by Sea and by land No great iourney hath the Turke from Buda to Saxonie and Demnarke and how nigh the Danes and Saxons bee to The Turke hath no farre Journey to England England Englishmen should remember No great Journey hath the Turke from Goletta to Spayne and howe nigh Spaniardes bee to Englande Englishmen cannot forgette Yet Iacobs familie in England wanteth not a Captaine and heade but hath a good and gracious gouernor We haue a gracious captaine and Head in England whom God preserue with Gods word and Sacramentes Peace plentie and all good things But it was not enough for the Israelits to saie Templum Domini nor for the Iewes Domine Domine nor for the Romanists The Church the Church nor for vs The Gospell the Gospell but we must doe works worthy of the worde and worthie of the Gospel Ferte igitur fructus bring forth therefore Ma. 3. 8. the fruites c. Well wee reade that Esau came against Iacob and with him four hundred men Whereby we gather that the congregation of the wicked and vngodlie are manie and mightie they haue the world at will they remember not the miserie of Ioseph and Iosephs miserie forgotten Iacob is maliced And can this great wickednes escape vengeance no truely For whosoeuer is guiltie so persisteth shall heare his owne condemnation The very ground groneth vnder the burden Esay 26. 21. of Tyrantes and shal disclose hir blood and hide hir slaine no more And heere wee haue to consider how much of hir owne blood and of the blood Rome came by her regiment by shedding of blood of strangers did Rome shed before shee came to the regiment and rule of the worlde but the blood of Gods Martyrs which they haue persecuted crieth for vengeance to God euen as the blood of righteous Abel which was slaine by wicked Kaine Oh God of heauen neuer plague vs again with that infernal
and praise that the most ignorants knew what a Masse was worth Fifteene Masses in a Church were not enough for the Prestes of Baal to bee said daily And should one Sermon in a daie be too much for a godly euangelicall Minister But here some will say labor is left and mens businesly vndone Surely this is ungodly to bee spoken The sayings of the vngodly for those that beare the people in hand of such thinges know very well that there was neither labor cares needs necessities nor any thing els that could heretofore keep thé from masse though it had binsaid at four of the clock in the morning Therfore wee may perceaue the people were contented to leese more labour and spend more time then to goe to the Devil than More labor spent to go to the Diuel thá to come to God now to come to god wherefore where daily praier is said not only in churches but also in priuate houses the Parentes Maisters Children and family shall finde aduauntage and gaine thereby at the yeeres Daily praier in priuate houses end though they hear daily a sermon morning and euening praier euery day in the weake Thus did Adam serue god after he was Gen. 4. Adam serued God called to repentance and in steed of a minister did teach his children and familie first to know their sauiour and to serue god in true faith as witnesseth the oblation of his obedient son Abel Seth and Enoch Seth Enoch called on god Gen. 5. Heb. 11. Gen. 6. Noah the preacher of righteousnes in like manner serued God for it is written of them that they began to make inuocation to the name of the Lord. Noah with his children family was not onely saued from drouning but hath this true title to be called the preacher of righteousnes What should we speake of Abraham Isaac Iacob Loth which made inuocation Gen. 11. 12. 47. Heb. 11. Iacob Loth preached gods word to the name of the lord and in steed of preachers taught the word of god themselues and retained the true faith surelie grounded vpon the said word and by good example of life and doctrine left the same to their families posterities but when as we haue said in the kingdom of Sathan prophane men vsurped the places of godly men in the primitiue Church and had wrapped mens harts in ignorance and Idolatry Mens harts were wrapped in Idolatrie they maintained Esaus Traditionaries with the gaines thereof but now thanks bee giuen to God in these latter times we haue eased Iacobs shoulders of such burdens and haue well purged our Churches from such abominations But yet must it needes bee said that Many ignorant ministers of the meanest sort Reg. 12 31. there are put in the places of godly pastors many an ignorant dissolute person and our ministers for the most part are as the priests of Ieroboam euen of the lowest of the people And this we haue don least we Wee loue not to haue our faultes reproued should hear hard things least our ambition and couetousnes should be reproued and why should we not speak plainly and tel the truth for filthy lucre sake we haue committed Sacrilege nay wee will saie Sacrilege for Lucre sake Soules murthered more we haue murdered the soules of our brethren Will anie bodie put vs to our proofe Who wil then seek for reformation when it is proued Many are patrones of benefices they Benefices sold to Symonistes for mony sel that for mony to thē that wil giue most among the wicked Symonists men of litle account lesse vnderstanding least conscience of al yet they say we are no Church Church-robbers robbers and we murther no soules Noblemen and men of worship or els they bear lies write their letters vnto the Bishops for admitting of vnworthy persons to the ministerie yea such as are of Vnworthy persons admitted to the ministerie the worser and baser sort farre vnmeete for that calling neither learned godly or zealous but couet the roomes of godlie pastors to lead an idle life and for couetousnes Christs Church fraught with vnlearned hierlings sake they may bee well tearmed good cheap hirelings Iacobs church is at this daie so fraught with them that the learned which desire the office to set forth the glorie of God and the edifieng of his people No place for the godly and learned in Christes church in the right knowledge of his word can haue no places to increase their talents vnlesse they wil be hirelings for ten pounds by the yeere although the liuing be worth to the parson or farmor and hundred pounds by the yeere The common people say that Spirituall men haue too much they keepe no The murmor of the people against the spiritualtie hospitality they neither preach nor teach after they haue liuings they become couetous They ware rich wil not arise out of their nests which they thinke they haue built in a rocke Those that should Psal 74. 9. be ouer-seers of these lie idle not looking to their charge they send foorth manie to waite vpon Esau but fewe to wait vpon Iacob They which haue the places of punishing sinne haue learned their lesson of the horsle aches two daughters A man Pro. 30. 15. may trauel some way find not a preacher Preaching decaied in fifteene Parishes nor yet any Minister able to expound fire woordes of the Scripture Haue we not then iust cause to take vp the ould complaint of Moses Exod. 32. 21. against Aaron what did the people vnto thee that thou hast brought so great sinne vpon them All these miseries of Iacob not withstanding cast vp your eyes about and you shall see a pompe like the pomp of Esau What they were in times past that maketh no matter to vs God Gal. 2. 6. Ezech. 33. 12. accepteth no mans person their oulde works are forgotten If they discontinue I say many of them now whether of Iacob or no wee can not tell The Lord knoweth who are his But this wee are sure of they lift vp themselues against Israel musling the mouth of the Oxen that treade out the corne and comming out 1. Cor. 1. 9. Psal 9. 12. with foure hundred men some dumbe dogges some filthie Cananites which The proceedings of Iacob hindered haue cast in their lots among theeues to hinder the proceeding of innocent Iacob Will not God haue all these things in minde when he maketh Inquisition for bloud Can not hee iudge through the Iob. 12. 13. darke clouds Yes yes God hath not so conteinned the lifting up of Iacobs eies nor colerated the wayes of the scornfull that he should returne to visite them and take them as he findeth them Neverthelesse let us pray for them euen the prayer of the Prophet Giue them Lord What Hose 9. 14. shalt thou giue them A barren womb and
doctrine Before I was afflicted saith he Ps 119. 67. 71. I went astray but now I keep thy word And a little after It is good for me that I haue bin afflicted that I may learne thy statutes For this cause ought we all to lift up our weake hands to God that our true repentance may turne away his anger In which hee threatneth to make our sunne to go down at noon because he hath Amos. 8. 9. found us in the number of those of whom Moyses prophesied thus in his song He Deut. 32. 15. that should haue bin vpright when hee waxed fat spurned with his heele thou art fatte thou art grosse thou art laden with fatnes therefore he forsooke the God that made him and regarded not the strong God of his saluation Questionles if Moses were now aliue Deuotion in prosperitie is the sister german to the papisticall daughter of ignorance to stand by behold our insolēcy he could not haue met more iumply with our sin This is euen the deuotiō that our prosperity hath brought foorth sister german to the papistical daughter of ignorance But how much better were it if wee would in the dais of our peace draw our sleepy souls with violence to the tribunal of god Thē should not our deuotion betied to affection neither shuld our righteousnes be like the deaw the morning cloud And there we have to learn that if god should never touch his child rē whō he loveth which the rod Without affliction we forget God of his fatherly discipline but to take the bitte between their teeth so to run forwards never to be pluckt back but as it were alway to fil the belly like gluttons which delicat meats the ears ful of musick to flow in wealth to excel in authority to flo rish in honour aboūd with friends richly appareled garded which routs of serving mē The vanity of the world and worldlings had in admiratiō reverēce in the face of y world but what thē alas shal become of our miserable wretched souls therefore let us look what is don in our inward world let us open I pray you the secret inward eies of our harts thē shal we wel understand that ther is a far other world then this where far greater riches richer treasurs are foūd of thē who seriously We must look for the world to come hartily trauel to seek thē out Wherfore we must not murmor against god for his louing correction whē we set greater force by the pleasures of this world then the observatiō of his wil cōmandemēts Now concerning the humility of Iacob to his brother it is evident in his obeizāce which he made to him In that he bowed himselfe before him it was the maner of the people that dwelt Eastward among whō Iacob had bin to be curtous in such Iacob vsed the curtefie of people that dwelt Eastward kind of curtsy in bowing thēselves down before great personages This exāple serueth us that Iacob held the patience of hope because he beleeved therefore he made no hast but was contēt to be būbled to him ouer whō his father in his prophetical blessing had ordeined him Lord not Gen. 27. 29. because he distrusted that which his Father had spoken but partly because he understood it spiritually partly because y time was not yet come in which the king dom of Israel which was of Iacob should exercise that dominiō ouer the Edomits The Edomies were Esaus posterity which was the posterity of Esau And although the wicked do usurpe the blessing of gon upō the earth the lawful use wherof Heb. 1. 2. christ hath restored to none but his brethren yet the children of god are so lifted up which the riches of their hope that which an holy concēpt they vouchsafe not to giue at tendāce upō this world where they haue Heb. 3. 13. no abiding City but ley for the world where they look for one to come Thus shortly haue we performed that we promised in the beginning But before we go farther we haue one The promises made to the fathers Gen. 27. 29. thing here to obserue concerning the promises made to the fathers Isaac said Be thou lord ouer thy brethren and let thy mothers children honor thee But for al that Iacob stowyeth lowe to Esaus foote Likewise to Salomon it is said Thy throne O God is for euer and euer But Psal 45. he is no sooner dead but ten Tribes are rent from his sonne given to a stranger 1 Reg. 11. 31. and within 419 yeeres after his posterity were captiues in Babylon So christ promised to ratifie the doinges of Peter but Mat. 16. 19. Gal. 2. 12. 13. yet the spirit of God which spake in Paul withstood him to the face for his dissimulation Notwithstanding in al these promises the word of the lord standeth firme and his truth re acheth to the heauens In The word of God standeth firme Many of the fathers bare the person of Christ the scriptures many of the fathers bare the person of Christ and of the church and in Christ or his church those promises the fathers sawe then no otherwise than Abraham saw the daies of christ that is spiritually Concerning Peters promises I Aug. in Psal Peters promises am of Augustines iudgement that many things are spoken to Peter which haue not their ful sense but being applied to the whole Church for the authority of the keies where of the Pope boaffeth pretending Ioh. 20. 13. Greg. lib. 4. senten succession from Peter As it was given to Peter by name so was it also given to the rest of the Apostles generally without respect of persons and so to them only which persist in their doctrine As for the Heb. 1. 8. Salomon was a figure of Christ eternal throne promised to Salomon the Apostle to the Hebrewes sheweth that it both properly belong to Christ of whom he was a figure And as touching Iacob whose example we haue in hande the promise of his soveraignity was fulfilled in Dauids daies 2. Reg. 8. 20. from whose times the Edomites continued in subiection til the daies of Iehoram in whose time they rebelled for the sinnes of the people The Apostle minding Heb. 7. 9. to prove Melchizedech of whose order christ was a priest to be aboue Leui to whom tythes were due reasoneth thus The Priesthood of Melchisedech abouc Leui. To say the truth Leui also which receiued tythes paid tythes in Abraham for hee was yet in the loynes of his father when Melchizech met Abraham Euen The Edomites worship the ofspring of Iacob so may we reason in this promise in the respect of Eau that since the Edomites which came out of the Ioines of Esau did worship the offspring of Iacob therefore Esau did worshippe Iacob as Leui is said to haue worshipped Melchizedech Neverthelesse
to the outwarde appearance Iacob is bowed downe before his brother and disdained not for hee looked for the things he saw not And surely wold to God wee had the humility of Iacob Iacobs humility proceedeth of hope 1. Pe. 4. 1. which proceedeth of hope for what though we be wronged of Esau What though the wicked do assault us iniuriously Have we not learned that therein is our conformitie Math. 11. 29. with Christ who saith For I am weake and lowly in hart What though our bodies be made euen with the ground so that the wicked go ouer vs and plough long furrowes upon our backes What is al this to the iniuries of him which neuertheles triumphed in patience Onely let We must stand to the defence of the trueth 2. Ti. 2. 24. 2. Ti. 2. 2. The seruants of God must not striue vs consider where about we were if wee stand in the defence of the trueth there is no ground to bee giuen but in all this let vs holde fast the rule of the Apostle The seruant of God must not striue but must be lowely minded Behold in this one man a liuely patterne of long suffering faith discretion and humilitie He awaiteth the Lords leasure patiently for the accomplishment of his promise He beleeueth that hee shall haue dominion his present subiection withstanding he disposeth his family and doth homage to his Brother And hee lost nothing by it For it is possible that many of Esaus retinew did seeke more after ambition and vaine glorie than after the honestie of themselues or their Lorde As diuerse Sicophantes Sycophantes about great men doe at this daie vpon reporte that Iacob should bee Lord ouer their Lord. The which thing Esau had determined to preuent by making hauock of him and all his had not the Lord vsed the humble submission of Iacob as a meane not to make them beleeue the Prophesie whereby their outrage was staied How euer it hee humilitie was in him a great vertue By humilitie we draw nees to Christ and most excellent and it is that wherein wee drawe neere to the image of Christ The Lorde therefore of his mercie graunt that wee maie imprint this lesson deepe in our memorie that the nearer wee drawe to the Lorde the more we be displeased with our selues The Fourth part NOw in the fourth part remaineth the bulooked for louing meeting of Esau and the ioy of them both are described in these wordes 4 Then Esau ran to meet him fel on his neck embraced him kissed him and they wept MOyses hauing declared how Iacob The successe that god gaue to Iacob bowed himselfe before his brother Esau proceedeth to them diligently by circumstances what successe God gaue to his deuotion and humilitie by mentioning the running of Esau to his brother his embracing him his falling vpon his neck his kissing him and his weeping with him Here we haue found the wise man Pro. 15. 1. as good as his word That soft and gentle aunsweres and lowly demeanor breaketh anger There is no cause why any man should Esau his affection cal Esaus affection towardes his brother in question before that the lord which can turne the streams backwards and checke God turneth al things at his wil. the raging of the sea that it swel not aboue his pleasure had mostified his heart and brought him againe for a time to that natural loue of a brother from which otherwhiles both before and after he had verie barbarously degenerat With so much the more admiratiō let vs note this great alteration How God turneth the harts of the vngodly A cruel enuious tirant to become gentle and louing But to whom euen to him whom he purposed to murder Before he came marching against him with four hundred men to destroy him his Now he runneth to him that hee might preuent him with Brotherly greeting Before he went to stretch foorth his hande to take him by the throte now spredeth his arms abroad to embrace him Before he would fal vpon him to kil him hee now falleth vpon his necke to kisse him At the first he wept for curst hart like a woman when he had lost his blessing and afterwardes knitting his frowning browes against his brother as the picture of enuy But now between sorrow for their falling out and ioy for their pure meeting and reconcilement he falleth forth into weeping The good nature of Esau was not of himselfe The triumph of vertue ouer vice And truely heere we haue to note that this came not of the good nature that was in Esau but was the onely working of the lord the triumph that vertue hath ouer vice that wheresoever shee is most hated there doth shee sometimes shew her selfe And this is the great punishment that God bringeth on the wicked Euen as the Poet saith Virtutem vt videant intabescantque relicta Virgil. That though they Ioue not vertue nor cannot like to follow hir Yet shal they pine away with a longing desire after hir And this I am sure striketh deep Vertue woundeth the conscience of the wicked woundeth the conscience of the wicked that though they haue set their hartes as hard as an adamant stone and made their faces like flint to do al kinde of mischiefe Yet God by his great mercy and grace worketh throughout their consciences mollifieth their harts to godlines And so doth cause them to confesse sometimes that the way of vertue is best As for example There was neuer so unpure and dissolute an adulterer but he hath said sometimes The chast body is best There was neuer so great and cruel a murtherer but sometimes hee calleth to minde that God hath commanded him Thou shalt do no murther Exo. 20. There was neuer so blasphemous nor vile a swearer but sometimes he hath treambled at gods maiesty There was neuer man so proud ambitious but sometimes he remembreth that he is but dust ashes There was neuer such an vsurer nor couetous wretch but sōtimes he thinketh his Gold siluer shal canker and Ia. 5. 2. the rust of it shall bee a witnesse against him There was neuer so riotous a person sumptuous prodigal but sometime he condemneth his own doing and saieth with the prophet Dauid Psa 37. 12. The vnrighteous man boroweth paieth not again What should we say more For as it is in a wicked life euen so likewise in a corrupt religion Trueth that is strongest Trueth in religion forceth the papists to confesse hir Merites and ouercommeth all in religion forceth the enemy to confesse hir For their was neuer papist that so magnisted merits and talked of his workes of supererogations but sometimes in his conscience he wold surely confesse That when he had don al Luk. 16. 17. yet he was vnprofitable There was neuer any so great an enemie to faith but when his conscience was touched with
Noblemen and Gentlemen many learned and godly Preachers many zealous of all vocations God bee praised The godly being ioyned together in amity the wicked cannot hurt them and vertuous Lawiers Merchants Farmors and others the which if they would throughly agree togither and helpe one another in their vocations and callings all Esaus Canonists Traditionaries other had persons of ech degree would soone either be reformed or driuen away allothed and oppressed should be at liberberty superstitious A Egypt would bee religious Iuda the ruinous walles of the Church would glister with the Law and the Gospel Iacob and his familie should haue a free and quiet trauell to Bethel the people of God woulde bee brought againe from Ephraim to Beersaba from vice and error to the vertue and trueth of the Lorde God of our fathers the Aposiles of Christ and his blessed Martyrs But alas the postes of Christian concord The postes of Christian concord defaced and amity be digged vp the rayles broken and the pales carried away So that poore Iacob and his family are in great daunger Esau commeth against them with 400 men So that it is not for Matth. 6. 22. naught that Christ saith The light of the body is the eie then it is not hard to discerne by the strangenes of our steps the blindnes of eurcies For if our eies were Hippocrites say they Ioue the lord and hate their brother single I meane if wee were not hippocrits we wold not say we loued the lord pet hate our brother Neither would wee fil the mouths of our enemies with laughter with this woful dissipation in which we are diuided against our selues The death of Saul and Ionathas was 1. Reg. 31. 5. 2. Reg. 1. 20. Dauid his sorrowful song for Saul and Ionathas the ioie of the vncircumcised Philistines Wherefore Dauid sang sorowfully Tel it not in Gath nor publish it in the streets of Ascalon least the Daughters of the Philistines reioice least the Daughters of these vncircumcised triumph And what shal we say Is it not nough that we haue changed the couenant of our God The enemies of christ laugh his gospel to scorne 1. Cor 3. 3. Saint Paul rebuketh the Corinthians for dissenuons Mark 3. 24. vulesse wee make the enemies of Christs crosse to laugh his gospel to skorn Saint Paul when he hard of contentions among the Corinthians asked them earnestlie thereupon Are yee not carnal and it is vehemently to be feared seing that eur controuersies haue passed the bands of charity least we also be carnal And it must bee true that Christ saieth Omne regnum in se diuisum desolabitur Euery gouernment diuided within it selfe shal be ouerthrown Iacob and Esau run together and meet one another louingly But we with al the rancor of our vnquiet hearts which boile ouer to the offence of many run a silder one sort giueth no place to the trueth another Our abuses declared raiseth slanders to strengthen the wrestes of discord to our shames we may speak it the peace of the church is broken Iacob Esau embrace one another but we disgrace one another reioising in their How we backbite one another transgression ouer whom we haue power to insult Iacob Esau kisse one an other but we kick one another They weepe one vpon anothers neck but one of vs scorn another behind his back And now I pray you tel me Is this the fruit of christianity Is this the meed of 28. yeers labor to make the sun a witnes against vs by suffering The Sunne a witnes against our wickednes Eph. 4. 26. Gal. 5. 15. Enme causeth vs to be consumed one of another Mat. 6. 12. How we do abuse the lords praier it to goe down vpon our wrath Let vs take heede being warned of the holy ghost lest while we bite one another we be cōsumed one of another If we seek not to haue peace with all men as much as in vs lieth our daily praier is that gods vēgeāce may light vpō vs seeing that forgiuenes of sins we craue of the lord is according to the proportiō of the forgiuenes which we extend to thē that haue offended vs. If therefore wee haue any bowels of compassion in vs if there bee any spark of charity raked vp in the ymbers of any Phi. 2. 1. religion towards God any loialty towards his church or any christian sobriety temperance or lowlines in our selues let vs now crie truce let vs meet togither in charity let vs embrace togither in godly We must now cry truce and be in loue and charitie with al men vnity let vs meete together in true penitency Let vs all as one man returne to the lord that he may turne to vs remember our wickednes no longer The lord in the treasures of his rich We must pray for al magistrates mercy make the day star to shine bright in the barts of the magistrats shape the harts of the people to al godly obediēce that Iacobs wrongs may be righted the tyranny of Esau may bee suppressed that the family of Iacob may be discreetly disposed We must pray for the concord vnity of the church that his christian courage may not be abated that his deuotion humility may be sound perfect that his godly attonemēt may be accomplished So that a christian concord being wrought in al sincerity and simplicity of Gods eternal tesTament we al as many as purpose to lift vp pure hāds without wrath or douting may one with another run with patience to the eternall throne of grace through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen A PRAYER AGAINST the enimies of the Church of Christ vnder the borowed name or speach of IACOB O Eternal God and most mightie shephcard of Israell which commandest Iacob thy Ge. 31. 3. seruant to return out of Mesopotamia to Bethel the land of his fathers and to his kindred promising to be with him and that hee should preuaile Ge. 32. 8. with men the which thy commaundement he obeing diddest according to that thy promise cause him to preuaile with Esau his Brother who came against him with foure hūndred men thinking to haue ouerrunne him his family But thou hauing the keies of all hearts to open and shut at thy pleasure doest miraculously and as it were by impossibilities make the stonie hart of the most cruell to become a heart of flesh and the wicked to do thy wil we therfore thy seruants O thou god of Bethel do lift vp our eies to the throne of thy maiesty with an holy feare faithful harts most humbly beseeching thee to look down with thy merciful eies vpon Iacob we mean thy Church that that excommunicat Antichristian Reuc 9. 10. 11. Esau we mean the pope that foule dragon Abaddon with his locustes Traditionaries Symonistes and domb dogs and al idle hierlings which are careles of thy family may be rooted out of thy vineyeard who go about and practise by all possible means to deface and hinder the proceedings of Iacob of thy faithfull seruant our gratious Quene Elizabeth whom thou hast sette to gouern and raigne ouer vs to set forth maintain the preaching of the gospel of thy son Christ Iesus to place in the roumes of Godlie Pastours dumb dogs Traditionaries Esai 56. 20. and idle hirelings which shall seek to fil their bellies not caring to feede the beloued flock of thy son Christ whom he hath so deerely redeemed with his own precious blood also to break in sunder the vnity and concord of thy catholick church and this common wealth which the godlie learned compare to a defece about which there be postes pales and railes that so long as they be fastened the one to the other so long they keep in out all things accordingsly but if any of them be pulled away or broken down the rest are more easier to bee ouerthrown So that the wild boar Psal 70. 13. of the wood and beasts of the fielde maie haue their waie to root it vp and eat the grapes of the vineyeard Power out therefore O omnipotet god vpon thine elect that as members of one bodie whereof christ is the head we may professe 1. Cor. 3. one true faith and religion agreeable to thy most holy words hauing pityiful harts towards poorlacob yea to our own soules we maie also with Iacobs humilitie simplicity and vprightnes of spirits rack our powers to the highest pin for the aduancement of the glory of god To whom bee all honor and praise both now and euer Amen