the justification of King Davids lesson read in my text to Princes and Judges a quo tandem aequius est doceri Reges quam a Rege erudiri Judices quam a Judice Who so proper to tutour Kings as a King who might better give Judges their charge than the chiefe Judge and Soveraigne Justice in his Kingdome Not onely nature and bloud but arts also and professions make a kinde of brotherhood and an admonition that commeth from a man in place to another in like place and office that is spoken by authority to authority carrieth a double authority and cannot but be entertained with due respect and carefull regard Therefore God in his wisedome instructed the Prophet David by b 2. Sam. 7.3.5 Nathan a Prophet reproved the Apostle Saint c Gal. 2.14 Peter by Paul an Apostle informed John the d Apoc. 7.14 Elder by an Elder and here adviseth Kings by a King Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be learned yee Judges of the earth In this verse we have 1. A lesson applied Of wisedome to Kings Of instruction to Judges 2. A reason implied in the words of the earth that is Either Kings and Judges made of earth Or made Kings and Judges of earth Kings and Judges are but men of earth earthly and therefore in subjection to the God of heaven and they are made Kings and Judges onely of the earth that is earthly and humane affaires and therefore in subordination to divine and heavenly Lawes For the order first King David commendeth wisedome to Kings and then instruction or learning viz. in the Lawes to Judges Kings are above Judges and wisedome the glorie of a Prince above learning the honour of a Judge Kings make Judges and wisdome makes learned as the power of Kings is the source of the authoritie of Judges so wisedome is the fountaine of all lawes and consequently of all instruction and learning in them First therefore be wise O ye Kings to make good Lawes and then be learned O ye Judges in these Lawes and found Yee your wisedome Yee your learning in humility for it is earth not onely upon which your consistory stands but also of which you your selves consist As the tongue is moved partly by a muscle in it selfe partly by an artery from the heart so besides the motive to these vertues in this verse it selfe there is a reason drawne by the spirit to enforce these duties from the heart of this Psalme ver 6. which is like an artery conveying spirit and life to this admonition here Yet have I set my King c. as if the Prophet had said Behold O Kings a throne above yours set in the starres behold O Judges of the earth a tribunall or judgement seat above yours established in the clouds There is a King of heaven by whom all earthly Kings reigne and a Judge of quicke and dead to whom all Judges of the earth are accountable e Horat. od car l. 3. od 1. Regum timendorum in proprios greges Reges in ipsos imperium est Jovis Kings are dreadfull to their subjects God to Kings Judges call other men to the barre but Christ Jesus shall summon all Judges one day to his tribunall f Cyp. de mortal justissimè judicaturus a quibus est injustissimè judicatus most justly to judge Judges by whom both in himselfe and in his members he hath beene most unjustly judged O Kings The more excellent the office the more eminent the qualitie ought to be no vertue so befits a Prince as religious wisedome the Queen of all vertues be wise therefore O yee Kings excell in the grace which excelleth all others crowne your royall dignitie with all Princely vertues and chaine them all together in prudence with the linkes following Serve the Lord with feare feare him with joy rejoyce in him with love and love him with confidence First serve him not carelesly but sollicitously fearing to displease him Secondly feare him not servilely but filially with joy Thirdly rejoyce in him not presumptuously but awfully with trembling Fourthly Tremble before him not desperately but hopefully so feare him in his judgements that ye embrace him in his mercies and kisse him in the face of Jesus Christ Though he frowne on you in his anger yet still seeke to please him yea though he smite you in his wrath and kill you all the day long yet put your trust in him and you shall be happie Be wise Wisedome is the mindes g Arist Eth. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eye by which she pryeth into all the secrets of nature and mysteries of State and discerneth betweene good and evill and prudently guideth all the affaires of life as the helme doth a ship No good can be done without her direction nor evill bee avoyded but by her forecast She is the chiefe of the foure cardinall vertues and may rightly be stiled Cardinalium cardo the hinge that turnes them all about They advance not till she strikes an alarum nor retire till she sound a retreat What the Apostle speakes of the three heavenly graces now there h 1 Cor. 13.13 remaine these three faith hope and charity but the greatest of these is charitie may be in like manner affirmed concerning the preheminence of wisedome in respect of the other cardinall vertues now there remaine these foure 1. Wisedome to direct 2. Justice to correct 3. Temperance to abstaine 4. Fortitude to sustaine but the greatest of these is wisedome For wisedome informeth justice moderateth temperance and leadeth fortitude Wisedome giveth rules to justice setteth bounds to temperance putteth reines on fortitude Without wisedome justice hurteth others temperance our selves i Horat. od car l. fortitude both our selves and others k Isoc ad Demon. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vis consili expers mole ruit sua Saint l Bernard ser 85. in cant Sapientia a sapore dicta est quia virtuti velut condimentum accedens sapidam reddit Bernard deriveth sapientia a sapore sapience from sapour because wisedome giveth a good rellish to vertue Discretion is the salt of all our actions without which nothing that is done or spoken is savourie What doth pregnancie of wit or maturitie of judgement or felicitie of memorie or varietie of reading or multiplicitie of observation or gracefulnesse of deliverie steed a man that wanteth wisedome and discretion to use them In these respects and many more Solomon the wisest King that ever wore corruptible Crowne in his prayer to God preferreth wisedome to all other gifts whatsoever And indeed so admirable a vertue so rare a perfection so inestimable a treasure it is that the heathen who had but a glimpse of it discover it to be a beame of that light which no man can approach unto m Cic. Tus quaest haec est una hominis sapientia non arbitrarite scire quod nescias this is the chiefest point of mans wisedome saith Tully out of Socrates his mouth to
Sen. de clem l. 1. c. 9. Severitate nihil profecisti Salvid enum Lepidus secutus est Lepidum Muraena Muraenam Caepio Caepionem Egnatius ut alios taccam quos tantum ausos pudet Augustus before him the mirrour of mildnesse Quo nihil immensus mitius orbis habet And David before them both a man after Gods owne heart Quo nihil majus meliusve terris Fata dona vere bonique diu Nec dabunt quamvis redeant in aurum Saecula priscum Moses the meekest Magistrate that ever drew the sword of Justice had a murmuring Core and his Majestie a mutinous Gowrie Num. 16.32 and a brother in iniquity Ruthwen both bearing as the hearts so the names of two ancient most infamous Rebels and Traytors the one of Core whom the earth swallowed up the other of c Sueton. in vita Tib. Ruthenius a desperate caitife that attempted a like villanie upon the person of Tiberius to that which Ruthwen would have acted upon the person of King James Nomen Omen Core Gowry Ruthenius Ruthwen conveniunt rebus nomina saepe suis As their names were ominous so their facts were abominable It is pitie it should be so yet it is certaine that it is so A Prince d Plin. in panegir Potest iniqui Princeps potest tamen odio esse nonnullis etiamsi ipse non oderit may be hated by some wrongfully I grant yet hated he may be though he hate no man and that which is to be bewailed with bloudy teares he may have bloody treasons plotted against him though his innocencie be e Sen de clem l. 1. c 11. Nullam te toto orbe stillam cruoris humani mifisse untainted with the effusion of the least drop of bloud for ambition is a sworne enemy to soveraignty envie to eminencie libertie to law disorder to justice faction to peace schisme to unity heresie to true religion whereby it comes to passe that Princes who are to right all men are themselves most wronged of all men by mis-information of their subjects demeanours towards them and mis-construction of their actions and proceedings and affections also towards their subjects You will yet say be it that the actions of Princes are subject to censure and their persons though sacred yet sometimes lie open to violence howsoever if they establish their throne with judgement and support their scepter with equity their innocencie shal be a perpetuall guard unto them and the arme of the Almighty shall be a buckler of steele over them and the love of subjects shall be a wall of brasse about them so that the enemie shall not be able to hurt them the sonnes of wickednesse shall not come neere them Notwithstanding all this it pleaseth him by whom Kings reigne either to make Princes to walk more humbly before him and more warily before their subjects or for the greater triall of their faith in greatest distresses or cleerer manifestation of his power in their delivery to expose their persons to imminent dangers and suffer them to be led to the brinke of destruction and to be entangled in the snares of death How did he suffer e Camerarius meditat histor c. 27.30 Charles the fifth to ascend to the top of the Pantheon in Rome and there to looke out of a great gallery window where there was a desperate villaine set to take him up by the heeles and throw him downe headlong How did hee suffer that staine of the French Nobility to approach neare Augustus in the dangerous passage of the Alpes with a purpose to justle him out of the narrow path into the steepe of the hill where it was imposble to stay himselfe Was not Titus past all mans helpe and given over for dead a thousand times when scouting out with a few to spie the enemies campe at the siege of Jerusalem he fell unawares into an ambush and was constrained to passe through a volly of darts and arrowes cast and shot at him whereof some fell before him some behind him many on each side of him yet by Gods marvellous protection not one fastened on him Was not Fredericke the first at the brinke of destruction by the river side when a souldier tooke hold on him and clasped about him to draw him with himselfe into the deep and drown him Had not f Cambd. in vit Reg. Eliz. Parry the meanes and opportunity to parley with Queene Elizabeth of famous memory in her garden privately with a dagger in his hand and a dag charged These and many other presidents of the like nature make me the lesse marvaile that God should suffer Ruthwen with a golden hooke a pot full of g Vid l. Angl. scrip de conjura Gowr outlandish coyne to draw his Majestie through divers chambers which hee still locked after them into that dismall study which was more fearefull than any Jesuits chamber of meditation in which they shut up their desperate instruments to cracke their braines and fit them for horrid designes For there are but pictures onely of Divels and Images of severall kindes of death but here were very Divels incarnate and death it selfe Bookes he saw none in this study but those two mentioned by h Sutton in vita Calig Suetonius in which Caligula wrote the names of those men whose heads he meant to take off calling the one of them which was longer gladium the sword the other which was shorter pugionem the dagger The subject he was now to meditate upon was a bloudie assacinate and the points he was to handle no other than the sharpe ends of swords and rapiers Made then he was to beleeve that he should there take an outlandish man with great store of treasure but he found an armed man ready to take away that from him which was more precious unto him than all the jewels in the world Here wee see what a soveraigne care the Highest hath over soveraigne Princes his vicegerents on earth and what a terrour sacred Majestie striketh into the hearts of barbarous and bloudie traitors The Italian varlet had not the power to lift at Charles the fifth with a lift onely he had throwne him out of the window The French miscreant had not the power to push at Augustus with a push only he had broken his neck downe the steepe Alpes Parry had not the power to draw the pin of his fire-lock upon the moving but of a pinne the dag had gone off in his hand and the Queene had beene shot through the heart Parry's dag fell out of his hand and Hendersons dagger stucke in his hand he could no more stirre it than the souldier at Minternum who drew upon Caius Marius but was not able to strike a stroke nor make a thrust at him i Lucan de bell Phaâ—sal primo nam caedis in ictu Diriguit ferrumque manu torpente remisit Howbeit though Hendersons faint heart and benummed hand would not serve him to act his bloudie
part yet the Divell so hardened Ruthwen that he tooke out the other dagger and set the point thereof at his Majesties royall breast And now if ever any lay inter k Eras adag sacrum saxum betweene the axe and the blocke or l Theoâ—ri in dioscâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the edge of the razor or in ipsis fati m Cic. Catilin â—â—ai 2. faucibus in the very chops of destinie or jawes of death it selfe at the point lay the hope then and now the joy and life of us all Alone in a remote place his servans and attendants barred from him by many doores locked and bolted himselfe destitute of all weapons betweene two Conspirators with a poynard bent to his heart O King live for ever is not thy God whom thou servest able to deliver thee from this perill of death Could hee not snatch thee out of the paw of the Lion Could hee not have strucke downe both the Conspirators dead to the floore with a thunderbolt from heaven or at the least taken away the use of Ruthwens limbes drying up that hand that presumed to touch the apple of his owne eye the sacred person of our Soveraigne With a word he could but it seemed best to his all-sweetly-disposing providence wonderfully to preserve his Majestie yet without a miracle For if he had rescued him by any such miraculous meanes as I named before there had beene no occasion offered nor place left for his Majesties faithfull servants to stake their lives for their Master neither had the world taken such notice of his Majesties rare gift of eloquence by the force whereof like another n Cic. de orat l. 3. Antonie intentos gladios jugulo retudit he stayed the Traitors hand and delayed the intended blow first clearing his owne innocencie from the aspersion of bloud in the execution of the Traitors father by course of justice in his Majesties minority then recounting to him the many princely favours he had conferred upon his brother himselfe and all their kindred but especially laying before his eyes the horrour of the guilt of embruing his hands in the bloud of the Lords annointed which said he if my children and subjects should not revenge the stones out of the wall and the beames of the timber conscious of such a villanie would execute vengeance upon thee for so unnaturall barbarous and bloudie an act In fine he promised in the word of a King pardon for all the violence he had hitherto offered him if he would yet relent and desist from his murtherous intent and attempt of spilling royall bloud At which words Ruthwens heart though of Adamant began to relent and give in in such sort that hee gave his Majestie a time to breathe and offer up prayers with strong cries to the God of his salvation who heard him in that hee feared as you shall heare anon In the interim Ruthwen consults with the Earle Gowrie his brother and according to the Latine o Eras adag Aspis a vipera sumit venenum proverbe the aspe suckes poyson from the viper wherewith he swelleth and brusling up himselfe flies at his Majestie the second time to sting him to death and wrapping about him begins to bind his royall hands who nothing appalled at the hideous shape of death within a fingers breadth of his heart answers like himselfe that he was borne free and would die free and unbound forthwith he unlooseth his hands and with one of them clasping the Traitors sword with the other he grapples with him and after much struggling his Majestie draweth the Traitor to the window by which it so pleased God to dispose for his Majesties safety that some of his Majesties servants passed at that very instant and both heard and saw in part in what distresse his Majestie was and made all possible speed to rescue him but before they could force a way through so many doores the King by power from above got the Traitor under him and drew him by maine force to the top of the staire-case where soone after the Kings servants forcibly breaking through all barres bolts and lockes met with him and throwing him downe staires sent him with many wounds to his owne place verifying the letter of this prophecie in the confusion of our Davids enemies qui quaerunt praecipitium animae meae they which seeke the downefall of my soule they shall goe or rather tumble downe with a witnesse And so I passe from the Traitors attempt to the event and happy catastrophe on the Kings part of this not fained Interlude They shall goe downe By this time as I intimated but now the Kings servants partly made and partly found their way into the study rushing in to save the life of their Soveraigne where they had no sooner dispatched one of the brothers Alexander Ruthwen but the other brother the Earle with seven of his servants well appointed encountreth them The skirmish growes hot betweene them these fighting for their lives they for their Soveraigne these animated by hope they whet on by desperation After many wounds given and received on both sides they of the Kings part according to the words of the tenth verse cast him down or as it is in the Hebrew make his bloud spin or run out like water on the ground his I say the arch-Traitor the Earle Gowrie who may be compared to Saul Davids chiefe enemie whose downefall the spirit in the pronoune in the singular number him pointeth at in many respects but especially in this that he tooke counsell of the Divell to murther the Lords Annointed For as Saul conferred with the Witch at Endor before he put himselfe into the field which he watered with his bloud so the Earle Gowrie before hee entred into this Acheldamah field of bloud pitched by himselfe hee made the Divell of his counsell and was found with many magicke characters about him when he fell by the edge of the sword If any man question how it could so fall out that Alexander Ruthwen being more nimble strong and expert in wrestling and having many wayes advantage on his Majestie should not throw him downe or get him under him I answer out of the words immediately going before my text dextra Jehovae sustentabat eum the right hand of the Lord supported him the King by whose speciall providence it was ordered that his Majesties servants should passe by the window at the very moment when his Majestie looked out as also that some of them should finde that blinde way by the turne-pecke into the studie which the Earle Gowrie caused to bee new made for this his divellish enterprise Therefore his Majestie as soone as the bloudie storme was blowne over kneeled downe in the middest of all his servants and offered up the calves of his lips to the God of his life promising a perpetuall memorie of this his deliverie and professing that hee assured himselfe that God had not preserved him
points another Jesus Christ instructeth and encourageth Jesus Nave the substance formes the shadow the face drawes the picture the truth fitteth and accommodateth the type As those who deale in curious stuffes that are wrought on both sides view the flowers as well in the in-side as the out so in the sacred context of this book we are as well to handle and take speciall notice of the in-side as well as the out-side the mysticall reference as well as the historicall relation When wee reade of Josuah let the eye of our faith bee upon Jesus when wee reade of his passing over Jordan before hee gained his greatest victories we must thinke of Jesus passing the river Cedron before his passion when we reade of Josuahs k Jos 4.8 placing 12. stones for a memoriall to the children of Israel for ever let us thinke of Jesus his setting 12. precious l Apoc. 21.19 stones in the foundation of the heavenly Jerusalem when we reade of * Jos 12.7 Josuahs slaying or driving out of all the old Inhabitants of Canaan let us thinke of Jesus his destroying the * Eph. 4.22 old man in us and driving out all the native and if I may so speake aboriginall sinnes out of our consciences when wee reade of Josuahs vanquishing 31. Kings let us thinke on Jesus his victories over sinne hell and death his leading captivity captive and subduing all principalities and powers and thrones and dominions and whatsoever lifteth it selfe up against his Crosse when we reade of the Sunne standing still in m Jos 10.12 Josuah his battell against the Amorites let us thinke of the Sunnes vailing himselfe and the Heavens mourning in sables at the passion of our Saviour Lastly when we reade of Josuahs forcible entry and taking possession of the earthly let us meditate upon Jesus his victorious entry into the celestiall Canaan Thus briefly of the person commanding and the person commanded both literally and mystically The command it selfe is to be a valiant Commander and Leader of Gods people against the Amorites Amalekites Jebusites and all the severall sorts of the Canaanites For the clearing of which commission of Josuah two questions are to be debated 1. Whether warre in generall can stand with Religion 2. Whether this warre in particular could stand with Justice Both are briefly resolved in one word I God commandeth Josuah to fight therefore warre is lawfull hee appointeth Josuah to command in chiefe in this warre against the Canaanites this warre therefore was just Yet to remove all scruples out of weake consciences I crave leave to bring out before you and breake in peeces those weake and dull weapons wherewith some fight against all warre and fighting in generall and this warre in speciall First they alledge that Christ our Lord is stiled the Prince of peace that his Spouse the Church is said to have nothing red about her but her lips which are described to bee ruddy because all her discourse is of Christs bloudy passion Secondly by the Christian law say they wee must rather dye than kill rather patiently suffer our owne bloud to bee spilt than spill any others if we must render to no man evill for evill nor rebuke for rebuke much lesse blows for blows they that smite with a sword shall n Mat. 26 52. perish with a sword Thirdly they labour also to make the ancient Fathers on their parts and by name Lactantius and Cyprian o Lactant. diâ—in 〈◊〉 Si qu◠〈◊〉 hominâ—â—â—â—gulaver 〈◊〉 â—nta 〈◊〉 ac â—â—â—atâ—â—oâ—â— betur nâ—â—â—â—d teâ—â—eâ—â— hoc domicilium eum admittifas putant ille autem qui infinita hominum millia trucâ—daveâ—it cruore campos inundaverit slumina infecerit non modo in Templuâ— sed etiam in coelum admittitur Lactantius argueth thus If any man cut the throat of one man alone he is taken for a nefarious malefactor and bloudy murtherer and shut out of the house of God on earth and shall he who hath been the death of many millions who hath coloured the rivers with mans bloud and made an inundation thereof in many pitched fields not only be admitted into the Temple but into Heaven And Saint p Cypr. ep l. 2. Madet orbis mutuo sanguine homicidium cum admittant singuli câ—â—men est virtâ—s vorat iâ— cum publicè petituâ— Cyprian pursueth the same argument The world saith hee swimmeth with mans bloud and murder if it bee committed by single men or one by one is a hainous crime but an heroicall vertue when by publike authority thousands of men are miserably slaughtered Can hee be a good Warriour who is taught to seeke peace and ensue it if his enemies strike him on the right hand to turne the left if he compell him to follow him one mile to accompany him two With these weapons certaine cowardly Heretickes warre against all warre and sharpen their pens against the sword but they are easily beat backe As Christ is stiled the Prince of peace so God is in holy Scripture every where honoured with the title of the Lord of hosts and the Spouse of Christ is described to be terrible as an q Cant. 6.4 Army with banners It followeth not that because Christian Religion perswadeth patience that therefore it abates courage that because it forbiddeth private revenge therefore publike justice because it condemneth bloudy cruelty therefore martiall prowesse Hee which striketh with a sword unlesse lawfull authority put it into his hand shall perish with a sword but where God and his Vicegerent putteth a sword into our hands wee must smite with it or wee deserve to be smitten with it Wee must seeke peace and ensue it by all meanes whereof one and that a most powerfull one and sometimes the onely one is by managing a just warre And therefore as Saint Jerome though otherwise hee seem partiall for virginity against marriage yet in this respect hee preferreth marriage because it begets virgins in like manner those who are most averse from warre must yet hold with it in this respect because oftentimes nothing but a good sword can make a sure and settled peace And therefore though in the first building of the Temple there were no noise of any iron toole yet in the second they built with their r Nehem. 4.13 tooles in one hand and their sword in the other And doe wee not reade that the servants of God by Å¿ Hebr. 11.33 faith have subdued Kingdomes Was it not fore-told of them that they should binde Kings in chaines and Nobles in linkes of iron to execute upon them the judgement written This honour have all his t Psal 149.8 9. Saints Doth not the Kingly Prophet David by the spirit give them the word Arme arme Let the high praises of God be in their mouths Ver. 6. and a two edged sword in their hands If Saint John Baptist had judged the profession of a souldier incompatible with the calling of a Christian when
thirsteth for righteousnesse and therefore is satisfied The modest man hath no opinion of his owne wit or wisedome and therefore willingly bringeth every thought into captivity and every affection to the obedience of the Gospel The lowly in heart esteemeth more vilely of himselfe than the world can and therefore hee chearfully taketh up his crosse and followeth Christ Thus have I cleared the title of the poore in spirit to the Kingdome of Heaven which is so sure and unquestionable that our Saviour saith not Theirs shall be in the future but in the present tense Theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven And likewise Suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto mee for of such r Matth. 19.14 is the Kingdome of Heaven As we say of such an one that hath the advowson of a Benefice or reversion of an Office under seale or of an heire to a wealthy father such a Lordship or such a Mannour or such an Office or such a Benefice is his either because hee is as sure thereof as if he were possessed of it or because he hath actually jus ad rem though not in re a right to it though not in it so in regard of the poore in spirit their undoubted right to and their present interest in some of the priviledges and profits of their heavenly Fathers Kingdome that Kingdome is said here to be theirs already When Cyneas the Embassadour of Pyrrhus after his returne from Rome was asked by his Master what hee thought of the City and State he answered that it seemed to him Respublica Regum A State of none but great States-men and a Common-wealth of Kings Put the same question to Saint John concerning Jerusalem that descended from God he will answer you in like manner Videri rempublicam Regum that it is no other than a Parliament of Emperours or a Common-wealth of Kings For in the Kingdome of grace upon earth all Kings are subjects but in the Kingdome of glory in Heaven all subjects are Kings Every humble and faithfull soule is coheire with Christ and hath a robe of honour and a scepter of power and a throne of majesty and a crowne of glory If you peruse the records and evidences of Heaven exemplified in holy Scripture you shall finde no estates there but inheritances no inheritances but kingdomes no houses but palaces no meales but feasts no noyse but musicke no rods but scepters no garments but robes no seates but thrones no head ornaments but crownes these inheritances these palaces these feasts these songs these scepters these thrones these robes these crownes God bring us unto and possesse us with through poverty in spirit in the right and title purchased for us by our elder brother Christ Jesus To whom c. THE COGNISANCE OF A CHRISTIAN OR CHRIST HIS NEW COMMANDEMENT A Sermon preached in VVooll-Church THE TWENTIETH SERMON JOH 13.34 A new commandement give I unto you That ye love one another as I have loved you that yee also love one another Right Worshipfull c. ALL that by a Christian vocation are severed from the world and cut as it were out of the common rock of mankinde and by faith relye upon Christ are like so many hewen stones laid upon the chiefe a Eph. 2.20 corner stone rising to a spirituall building reaching from the earth to heaven The line by which they are built is the Word of God the cement wherwith they are held fast together is Christian charity the soder of mindes the couple of dispositions the glew of affections and the bond of all perfection which to fasten the more strongly among all that gave their name to Christ the Primitive Church in the daies of the Apostles added a double tye 1. Sacred 2. Civill The sacred was the frequent receiving of the Lords Supper the civill was the celebrating their Agapae's or keeping their love-feasts Which though they were in after ages taken away by reason of manifold abuses and disorders committed in them even in the place of holy assemblies yet it were to be wished that all our feasts were truly love-feasts I meane that the rich among us would imitate holy Job and not eat their morsels alone but invite those of the poorer sort to their Tables whom Christ bids to his board or at least that they would defaulke a great part of that charge which is spent in furnishing these luxurious feasts wherein this City exceedeth all in the Christian world and convert it to the refreshing of the bowels of poore prisoners or clothing the naked or redeeming captives or to some other pious and charitable use so should your City and Company feasts be true Agapae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love-feasts and you testifie to all the world what account you make of Christ his new commandement in my Text Love one another Of all speeches we ought to give most heed to those of our Saviour of all speeches of our Saviour to his commands of all commands to this of Christian charity 1. Because it is a rare and choice one A new 2. Because it is a sweet and easie one To love 3. Because it is a just and reasonable one One another 4. Because wee have such a singular President for it As I have loved you c. Wee have all Athenian eares thirsting after newes behold a new Wee all professe obedience to Lawes behold a commandement Wee all acknowledge Christ to bee our supreme Lord who hath absolute power of life and death hearken then to his Proclamation I give unto you If hee had laid a heavie burthen and hard yoke upon us wee must have submitted our neckes and shoulders to it and wee have all reason so to doe For hee tooke b Esay 53.4 Surely be hath born our griefs and carried our sorrowes upon him our infirmities and bare our sorrowes how much more when hee layeth so sweet a yoke upon us as to love so light a burthen as to love one another Nothing more agreeable to our nature than to love nothing more needfull to our condition than to love one another Wee all stand in need one of another this need is supported by love this love is commanded by Christ this command of Christ is new As c M. Tul. Cicer. Orator Numerum verborum numero sententiarum complexus est Tully spake of Thucydides his stile that in his Orations every word was a sentence And as Saint Jerome observeth in the Apocalyps Quot verba tot sacramenta that there are so many mysteries in it as words so wee may say of this Text Quot verba tot argumenta so many words so many arguments so many notions so many motions or motives to this duty of mutuall love To which we ought to have a speciall eye and extraordinary regard First because it is a new commandement Secondly because it is Christs commandement I give unto you Thirdly because it is an amiable and easie one To love Fourthly because it is
similitudes of true things similitudines auri with studs or points of silver id est scintillis quibusdam spiritualis intelligentiae that is points spangles or sparkles of precious and spirituall meaning For example Aarons mitre and his breast-plate of judgement engraven with Urim and Thummim and his golden bells were similitudines auri similitudes of gold or golden similitudes and the studs or points of silver that is sparkles or rayes of spirituall truth in them were Christ his three offices His Priestly represented by the breast-plate His Princely by the mitre His Propheticall by the bells Againe in the breast-plate of Aaron there were set in rowes twelve precious stones here were similitudes of gold or golden similitudes and the studs of silver that is sparkles or rayes of spirituall meaning were the l Apoc. 21.14 twelve Apostles laid as precious stones in the foundation of the heavenly Jerusalem that is the Church Take yet a third example in the Arke there were the two m Heb. 9.4 Tables and the golden of Manna and the rod that had budded these were similitudines auri golden similitudes and the puncta argenti that is the cleere and evident points of spirituall truth in them are the three notes of the true Church 1 The Word or the Old and New Testament signified by the two Tables 2 The Sacraments prefigured in the golden pot of Manna 3 Ecclesiasticall discipline shadowed by Aarons Rod. Thus I might take off the cover of all the legall types and shew what lieth under them what liquor the golden vessell containeth what mysteries the precious robes involve what sacraments their figures what ablutions their washings what table their Altars what gifts their oblations what host their sacrifices pointed unto The Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes observeth such an admirable correspondency betweene these things that in this respect the whole Scripture may be likened to one long similitude the protasis whereof or first part is in the Old Testament the antapodosis or second part in the New For in the Old as the Apostle testifieth there were n Heb. 9.23.24 similitudes of true things but in the New we finde the truth of those similitudes Which if our new Sectaries of the precisian or rather o Mr. Whittall Bradburn and their followers circumcision cut had seriously thought upon they would not like Aesops dog let fall the substance by catching at the shadow they would not be so absurd as to goe about to bring the aged Spouse of Christ to her festraw againe and reduce all of us her children to her p Gal. 4.2.3 nonage under the law they would not be so mad as to keepe new moones and Jewish Sabbaths after the Sunne of righteousnesse is risen so long agoe and hath made us an everlasting Sabbath in heaven These silly Schismatickes doe but feed upon the scraps of the old Ebionites of whom q Hay hist sac l. 3. Ebionitae pauperes interpretantur verè sensu pauperes ceremonias adhuc legis custodientes Haymo out of Eusebius writeth thus The Ebionites according to the Hebrew Etymologie of their name are interpreted poore and silly and so indeed they are in understanding who as yet keepe the ceremonies of the old Law Nay rather they licke the Galathians vomit and therefore I thinke fit to minister unto them the purge prescribed by the r Gal. 3.1 2 3. Apostle O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath beene evidently set forth crucified among you This onely would I learne of you received yee the Spirit by the workes of the Law or by the hearing of faith Are yee so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh Behold I ſ Gal. 5 2. Paul testifie unto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing we may adde If you keepe the Jewish Sabbath or abstain from swines flesh out of conscience and in obedience to the ceremoniall Law Christs flesh shall profit you nothing if you abstaine from bloud in any such respect Christs bloud shall profit you nothing For I testifie againe saith St. Paul to every man that is circumcised that he is become a debter to the whole Law And will they not yet learne that Mosaicall rites and ceremonies were at severall times 1. Mortales or moriturae 2. Mortuae 3. Mortiferae They were mortales at their first constitution mortuae that is dead at Christs death and now mortiferae deadly to all that observe them Will they put off the long white robes washed in the bloud of the Lambe and shrowd themselves with the old rags or as St. Paul termeth them beggarly rudiments of the Law If they are so minded I leave them and fill up this Border with the words of Saint t Ser. 7. Antiqua observatio novo tollitur sacramento hostia in hostiam transiit sanguinem sanguis excludit legalis festivitas dum mutatur impletur Leo The ancient rite is taken away by a new Sacrament one host passeth into another bloud excludeth bloud and the Legall festivity is fulfilled in that it is changed The second exposition of this Scripture which understandeth the golden borders and silver studs of the glorious and pompous splendour of the Christian Church seemeth to come neerer unto the letter faciemus wee will make thee the verbe in the future tense evidently implyeth a promise or prophesie and the sense of the whole may be illustrated by this or the like Paraphrase O glorious Spouse of Christ and blessed Mother of us all who art compassed with a straight chaine about thy necke that suffereth thee not to breathe freely being confined to the narrow limits of Judea in the fulnesse of time the fulnesse of the Gentiles shall come in and in stead of a straight chaine of gold or small string of pearle we will make thee large borders we will environ thee with Christian auditories and congregations as it were borders of gold and these borders of gold shall be set out and supported with studs of silver that is enriched with temporall endowments and upheld by regall authority u Esay 49.23 King shall bee thy nursing fathers and Queenes shall be thy nursing mothers Nay such shall be thy honour and power that thou shalt binde Kings with x Psal 149.8 chaines and Nobles with linkes of iron who for their ransome shall offer unto thee store of gold to make thee borders and silver for studs Which prophesie seemed to have been fulfilled about the dayes of Constantine or a little after when such was the sumptuous statelinesse of Christian Churches and so rich the furniture thereof that it dazled the eyes of the Heathen Foelix the Emperours Treasurer blessing himselfe when hee beheld the Church vessels and vestments saying En qualibus vasis ministratur Mariae filio See what plate the sonne of Mary is served
Solomon So Dives at whose gates Lazarus lay is by some no meane ones ghessed to be Herod or some other King and so are Jobs friends termed by the Seventie Yea the rich is not onely a little King among his neighbours but dives quasi divus as a pettie god to his underlings yet Timothie hath authoritie to charge and command such rich That foolish shaveling soared too high a pitch when in his imperious Bull hee commanded the Angels but wee may safely say all powers below the Angels are liable to our spirituall charge and the power of the keyes which Christ hath given us But what now becommeth of them that I may not say in some of our hands they are suffered to rust for want of use in others as the Pontificians the wards are altered so as they can neither open nor shut Sure I am the power of them is lost in the hearts of many they have secret pickelockes of their owne making presumption and securitie whereby they can open heaven gates though double locked by our censures and shut the gates of hell at pleasure which their owne sinnes have opened wide to receive them What use then is there of us but in our chaire and there but to be heard and seene Even in this sense spectaculo facti sumus we are to gaze on and not to implie Yet it was well noted by one that the good father of the Prodigall though he might himselfe have brought forth the prime robe or have led his sonne into the wardrobe to take it yet he commands his servants to bring it forth because hee would have his sonne to be beholden to his servants for his glorie He that can save you without us will not save you but by us Hitherto the power implyed in the charge the sufficiencie followes This Evangelicus must be Parangelicus Like as the forerunner of Christ had a charge for all sorts so hath Timothie in this epistle a charge for wives for husbands for Bishops for Deacons for Widowes for Servants and here for the rich And I am perswaded that no Nation under heaven ever had more sufficient Timothies to instruct all sorts of men in the wayes of salvation than this our Land so that what Jerome spake sometime of Britaine is now most true comparing it with Jerusalem as it had beene De Hierosolymis de Britannia equaliter patet aula coelestis For the Northren parts since his sacred Majesty in his last journey as if the Sun did out of compassion goe beyond his tropicke line to give heat to that climate visited them are better provided of Preachers and maintenance for Preachers and both Pastours and people professe themselves mutually blessed in each other and blesse God and their King for their blessednesse And as for the Southerne when I behold them me thinkes I see the Firmament in a cleere night bespangled with goodly Starres of all magnitudes that yeeld a pleasant diversity of light unto the earth but above all this Citie is rich in this spirituall provision Other Cities may exceed you in the glory of outward structure in the largenesse of extent in the uniforme proportion of streets or ornaments of Temples but your pulpits are past theirs and if preaching can lift up Citizens to heaven yee are not upon earth Heare this O yee Citizens and bee not proud but thankefull unto God I adde also to your Preachers no vice more hatefull to God and man than ingratitude no ingratitude more abominable than to parents no parents ought to be dearer unto you than those who have begot you through the Gospell in Christ Charge them But whom The rich The rich Who are rich According to Moralitie and Christianity they that have enough with content so saith the Apostle Godlinesse is great gaine if a man be content with that which he hath St. Jerome saith victus vestitus divitiae Christianorum According to the vulgar use of the word they are rich who have more than is necessarie Now there is a double necessitie of nature of estate that is necessarie to nature without which wee cannot live that is necessarie to estate which is superfluous to nature and that which were superfluous to nature is not so much as necessary to estate nature goes single and beares little breadth estate goes ever with a traine the necessity of nature admits little difference especially for quantity the necessity of estate requires as many diversities as there are several degrees of humane conditions and severall circumstances in those degrees Thus understanding what is meant by the word come we now to the matter Man that came naked out of the womb of the earth was even then so rich that all things were his heaven was his roofe or canopie the earth his floore the Sea his pond the Sunne and Moone his torches all creatures his vassals and if he lost the fulnesse of this Lordship by being a slave to sinne yet we have still dominium gratificum as Gerson termeth it In this sense every sonne of Abraham is heire of the world but to make up the true reputation of wealth for thus we may be as having all things and possessing nothing another right is required besides spirituall which is a civill and humane right wherein I doubt not but our learned Wickliffe and Armacanus and Gerson have had much wrong whilest they are accused to teach that men in these earthly things have no tenure but grace no title but charitie which questionlesse they intended in foro interiori in the consistorie of God not in the common pleas of men in the court of conscience not in the courts of Law For it is certaine that besides this spirituall right there is a civill right in earthly things and the Scripture speaking secundum jus gentium whereon the division of these earthly possessions is grounded calleth some poore some rich The Apostle saith not charge men that they be not rich but charge the rich that they be not high minded The rich In this one word and as it were with one graspe the Apostle crusheth the heads of two heresies the ancient Apostolici who denied the lawfulnesse of earthly proprieties and our late Popish votaries who place holinesse in want and povertie Did these men never heare that the blessing of God maketh rich that the wise mans wealth is his strong Citie If Lazarus was poore yet Abraham was rich pium pauperem suscepit sinus divitis in divitiis cupiditatem reprehendit non facultatem saith Austine Bona est substantia si non sit peccatum in conscientia substance doth well in the hand if there be no evill in the heart Let the rich take heed how he became so Ecclus. 13.25 that God which can allow you to be rich will not allow you all wayes to your wealth hee hath set up a golden goale to which he allowes you all to runne but you must keepe the beaten rode of honestie justice charitie and truth If
an ornament to beautifie us well may we like the Church of Sardis have a name that we live but we are dead we are in the gall of bitternesse and the burden of sinne hath pressed us downe to the bottomlesse pit which is now ready to shut her mouth upon us O then let us cr◠out of the depth abyssus abyssum invocet let the depth of our misery implore the depth of his bottomlesse mercy and behold the Angel of peace is at hand for now and never before are we fit subjects for this good Samaritan to worke upon Come unto mee all that are heavie laden The Spirit of God is upon mee to preach health to those that are broken in heart liberty to the captives and to them that mourne beauty for ashes and the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse whence you see that none are admitted into Christs Hospitall but lame sicke and distressed wretches for whom hee hath received grace above measure that where sinne appeared above measure sinfull grace might appeare without measure pitifull Wilt thou then have thy wounds healed open them Wilt thou that I raise thee up to heaven deject thy selfe downe to hell Ille laudabilior qui humilior justior qui sibi abjectior Use 2 As this may serve to rebuke such Seers as labour not to discover the filthinesse that lyeth in the skirts of Jerusalem but sow pillowes under mens elbowes and dawbe up with untempered mortar the breach of sinne in our soules Use 3 so may it lesson all hearers as patiently to abide the sharpe wine of the Law as the supple oyle of the Gospel as well the shepheards rod of correction as his staffe of comfort in a word to endure Bezaliel and Aholiab to cut off the rough and ragged knobs as they desire to be smooth timber in that building wherein Christ Jesus is the corner-stone poenitentia istius temporis dolor medicinalis est poenitentia illius temporis dolor poenalis est now our sorrow for our sinnes will prove a repentance not to be repented of then shall our sorrow be remedilesse our repentance fruitlesse our misery endlesse Wherefore I say with Bernard Illius Doctoris vocem libenter audio qui non sibi plausum sed mihi planctum moveat I like him that will set the worme of conscience on gnawing while there is time to choake it rodat putredinem ut codendo consumat ipse pariter consumatur In the meane time let this bee our comfort that God will not suffer the sting of conscience too much to torment us but with the oyle of his grace will mitigate the rage of the paine and heale the festred sore which it hath made with the plaister of his owne bloud And I will ease you Thus farre you have traversed the wildernesse of Sin tired out in that desart and languishing in that dry land and shadow of death now behold gaudium in fine sed sine fine Happy your departure out of Egypt and blessed your travell and obedience you are now to drinke of the comfortable waters that issue out of the spirituall rocke in Horeb Christ Jesus and to refresh your wearied limbes and tired soules therewith I will ease you Doctr. 4 I. Man cannot for man is a sinner and a sinner cannot be a Saviour Angels cannot for man in Angels nature cannot bee punished God cannot for he is impassible Saints neither may nor can for they need a Saviour but I will For I am man and in your nature can dye I am God and by any infinite merits can satisfie and so by my means Gods mercy and justice may stand together righteousnesse and peace may kisse each other Thus that faith may looke out of the earth to embrace you the day-springing from on high hath visited you Thrice blessed then must poore hunger-bit and distressed soules bee who have not a churlish Nabal with power wanting will nor a King of Samaria with will wanting power but Elshaddai a God all-sufficient to relieve and satisfie them and for his will no Assuerus so ready to cheare up a dolefull Hester as he a drouping soule no Joseph so ready to sustaine his father in famine and death as he is ready with pitty to save a soule from death Noli fugere Adam quia nobiscum est Deus Who shall lay any thing to our charge sith it is God that doth justifie Pleasant and sweet were the waters of Meribah to the thirstie Israelites of Aenochore to Sampsons fainting spirits gratefull the newes of life to sicke Hezekiah but our Saviours Epiphonema thy sinnes are forgiven thee goe in peace is mel in ore melos in aure jubilum in corde The strings of my tongue cannot be so loosened that I may expresse the extasie of joy which every sin-burdened soule feeleth whether in the body or out of the body shee cannot tell in that by assurance of faith shee can say My Justifier is with mee who being Emmanuel God with us is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man with God one with God in will and power and wholly for us in power and will Use 1 Woe worth then all such as forsaking the fountaine of living water dig to themselves broken pits of their owne merits Saints intercession and the Churches treasurie Is there no balme in Gilead to cure us no God in Israel to help us Si verax Deus qui promittit mendax utique homo qui diffidit saith St. Bernard For I demand Doe they distrust his power All power is given him in heaven and in earth Matth. 28.18 Doe they doubt his will Behold he saith Come unto me before we offer our selves and I will ease you not do my best or endeavour it is no presumption to beleeve Christ on his word and rest on it with full assurance Use 2 Againe can none say but Christ I will ease you How hopelesse then is their travell how endlesse their paine who seeke for hearts-ease in any garden but the Paradise of God or hope for contentment in any transitorie object the world affordeth To see Asses feed upon thistles for grapes were enough to move the spleene of an Agelastus they have a faire shew like flowers but pricke in the mouth Alas what anguish and horrour must there needs be Cum domus interior gemitu miseroque tumultu Miscetur when their consciences like Sauls evill spirit haunteth and vexeth them at the heart when they brave it out in the face and what is their foolish laughter among their boone associates but the cracking of thornes under a pot suddenly extinguished and turned into ashes and mourning Well may they like the heathenish Romans of old have their gods of feare and terrour but sure they can have none of ease comfort or quiet O let not our soule enter into their secrets but let our peace be still as it is in God and the repose of our troubled conscience in our Saviours love who was made a curse for us that
which is the first place we speak not so properly when we say that God hath any vertue as when we attribute to him all vertue in the abstract all wisdom all justice all holines all goodnes Goodnes is the rule of our will but Gods will is the rule of goodnes it selfe we are to doe things because they are just good but contrariwise things are just good because God doth them therfore if vertue be the load-stone of our love it wil first draw it to God whose nature is the perfection of all vertue As for beauty what is it but proportion colour the beauty of colour it self is light light is but a shadow or obscure delineation of God whose face darkneth the sun dazleth the eies of the Cherubins who to save them hold their wings before them like a plume of feathers A glympse wherof when the Prophet David saw he was so ravished with it that as if there were nothing else worthy the seeing it were impossible to have enough of so admirable an object he crieth out d Psa 105.4 seek his face evermore not so much for the delight he took in beholding it as for the light he received from it For beholding the glory of God as in a mirrour with open face we are changed into his image after a sort made partakers of the divine nature ô my soul saith a Saint of God mark what thou lovest for thou becommest like to that which thou likest Si coelum diligis coelum es si terram diligis terra es audeo dicere si Deum diligis Deus es if thou sincerely perfectly lovest heavenly objects thou becomest heavenly if carnall thou becomest sensuall if spirituall thou becomest ghostly if God thou becomest divine Let us stay a while consider what a wonderful change is wrought in the soule of man by the power of divine love surely though a deformed Black-a-moor look his eies out upon the fairest beauty the world can present hee getteth no beauty by it but seems the more ougly by standing in sight of so beautiful a creature the sun burns them black darkeneth their sight who long gaze upon his beams but contrarily the Sun of righteousnes the more we looke upon him the more he enlighteneth the eies Poulin in opusc Illum amemus quem amare debitum quem amplecti chastitas cui nubere virginitas c. maketh them fair their faces shine who behold him as Moses his did after he came down from the Mount where he had parley with God O then let us love to behold him the sight of whose countenance will make us fair lovely to behold let us conform our selvs to him who wil transform us into himself let us reflect the beams of our affection upon the father of lights let us knit our hearts to him whom freely to love is our bounden duty to embrace is chastity to marry is virginity to serve is liberty to desire is contentment to imitate is perfection to enjoy is everlasting happines To whom c. THE ROYALL PRIEST A Sermon preached in Saint Maries Church in Oxford Anno 1613. THE XXXVII SERMON PSAL. 110.4 The Lord sware and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech Right Worshipfull c. THere are three principall attributes of God Wisedome Goodnesse Power Wisedome to comprehend all the good that can bee Goodnesse to will all that which in wisedome he comprehendeth Power to effect all that in goodnesse he willeth and decreeth for the manifestation of his justice and mercy to his creatures These three attributes of God shine most clearely in the three offices of Christ 1 Kingly 2 Priestly 3 Propheticall Power in his Kingly Wisedome in his Propheticall Goodnesse in his Priestly function For Christ by his Princely authority declareth especially the power by his Propheticall he revealeth the wisedome and by his Priesthood he manifesteth the goodnesse of God to all mankinde Christ as a Prophet in wisedome teacheth us what in his goodnesse he hath merited for us as a Priest and by his power he will bestow upon us as a King freedome from all miserie in the Kingdome of glory And on these three offices of Christ the three divine graces 1 Faith 2 Hope 3 Charity have a kinde of dependance 1 Faith holdeth on him as a Prophet 2 Hope as a King 3 Charity as a Priest For Faith buildeth upon the truth of his Prophesie Hope relieth upon the power of his Kingdome Charity embraceth the functions of his Priesthood whereby he washeth us from our sinnes in his owne bloud and maketh us a Apoc. 1.5 6. Kings and Priests unto God and his Father In this Psalme David as Christs Herauld proclaimeth these his titles First his Kingly Sit thou on my right hand ver 1. Be thou ruler in the midst of thine enemies ver 2. Secondly his Propheticall The people shall come willingly in the beautie of holinesse ver 3. Thirdly his Priestly The Lord sware thou art a Priest ver 4. To obscure which most cleare and evident interpretation of this Propheticall Psalme although some mists of doubts have beene cast in former times yet now after the Sun of righteousnesse is risen and hath dispelled them by his owne beames nothing without impietie can be opposed to it for b Mat. 22.42 43 44. there he whom David meaneth openeth Davids meaning he whom this Prophesie discovereth discovereth this Prophesie he to whom this Scripture pointeth pointeth to this Scripture and interpreting it of the Son of man sheweth most evidently that he is the King who reigneth so victoriously ver 1. the Prophet that preacheth so effectually ver 3. and the Priest that abideth continually according to the words of my text which offer to our religious thoughts three points of speciall observation 1 The ceremony used at the consecration of our Lord The Lord sware 2 The office conferred upon him by this rite or ceremonie Thou art a Priest 3 The prerogatives of this his office which is here declared to be 1 Perpetuall for ever 2 Regular after the order 3 Royall of Melchizedek First the forme and manner of our Saviours investiture or consecration was most honourable and glorious God the Father performing the rites which were not imposition of hands and breathing on him the holy Ghost but a solemne deposition of his Father with a protestation Thou art a Priest ceremonies never used by any but God nor in the investiture of any but Christ nor his investiture into any office but his Priesthood Plin. panegyr Trasan Imperium super Imperatorem Imperatoris voce delatum est nihil magis subjecti animo factum est quam quod caepit imperare At his coronation we heare nothing but the Lord said Sit thou on my right hand The rule of the whole world is imposed upon our Saviour by command and even in this did Christ shew his obedience
whom that great Patriarch should doe homage and pay tythes save Sem. Lastly those prerogatives of Melchizedek without father without mother without beginning of dayes or end of life agree best to Sem who might be said to be without these either in the notice of the text or in the speech of men because he was now so aged and had lived so long after the Floud that no man then living remembred his Parents He might likewise be said to be without beginning of dayes in respect of the new world after the Floud and without end of life in respect of the old world before the Floud Refut 5 Notwithstanding all these allegations in the behalfe of Sem the truth goeth not so cleare for him but that it is encountred with many and great difficulties For there is no ground to beleeve that Sem left the East and set up his rest in g Calvin in Gen. 14. Neque enim virum aeternâ memoriâ dignum Dominus novo tantum obscuro nomine indicasset ut maneret ignotus neque probabile est Semum ex Oriente migrasse in Judaeam Judea neither is it likely that the Spirit would have described a man worth eternall memorie in such an obscure manner and under such a new name that he remaines yet unknowne Were he Sem why should Moses conceale his name Moreover the Apostle in the seventh of the h Ver. 6. Hebrewes saith in expresse words that the pedegree of Melchizedek is not accounted among men but Sems is as we reade in i Gen. 10.22 Genesis neither is it a solid answer which yet is given by many learned men to say that Sems genealogie is not accounted by the name of Melchizedek For no more is Jacobs accounted by the name of Israel yet none thereupon would say that Jacobs genealogie is not set downe by Moses The Apostles comparison standeth not in the bare name but in the person of Melchizedek whether by the name of Melchizedek or by the name of Sem his pedegree be set downe it is certaine hee cannot be that man whom St. Paul in this resembleth to Christ that he was without father or mother accounted among men for his Parents are upon record 6 What then shall we conclude Either that he was a Ruler of Canaan Confirm 6. whose genealogie is no where set downe nor the day of his birth nor death or that he was a man immediately sent from God and shewed onely to the earth and afterwards taken away after the maner of Enoch or Elias that he might be likened in all things to the Sonne of God or that the Apostle hath an eye onely to Moses his relation in that place where Melchizedek is brought in by him blessing Abraham and receiving tithes from him without any mention there of his Parents in the flesh or successour in his office or day of his birth or death So are wee to conceive of our high Priest who was without father according to his manhood without mother touching his Godhead and in his person which was meerely divine without beginning of dayes or end of yeeres 3 Touching his order or offices it is certaine that he was both King and Priest For he was King of Salem and Priest of the most high God the conjunction of which two offices was not unusuall in those elder times among the heathen for by the light of nature they saw such majestie in the person of a King and eminencie in the office of a Priest that they judged none so worthy of the Priesthood as their Kings nor any so capable of the Kingdome as their Priests and therefore in most places they either crowned their Priests and gave them power or sacred their Kings and gave them orders Right so doth Virgil describe Anius as Moses doth Melchizedek invested with both dignities k Virg. Aen. 3. Rex idem Anius Phoebique Sacerdos At this day the Kings of the East Indians are stiled Brameres that is Priests and by the law are to die in a holy place as persons sacred to God l Arist pol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotle remembreth such an ancient custome among the Grecians Res divinae committebantur Regibus and m Cic. pro dom ad Pontif. Cum multa divinitus a majoribus nostris inventa atque instituta sunt tum nihil praeâ—larius quam quod eosdem religionibus deorum immortalium summae reip prae esse voluerunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Lips polit l. 4 c. 1. Tullie among the Romans and Stobeus setteth a faire colour upon it The best of all that is God ought to be honoured and served by the best that is the Prince and the service of God which is or should be in all well ordered States the chiefest of all cares ought to be the care of the chiefest that is the King which made Lycurgus the Law-giver of the Lacedaemonians ambitious of the title of the Priest of Apollo and Solon of Priest of Minerva and induced Mercurius Trismegistus Augustus Titus and Trajan to assume this sacred title into their stile and annexe the Priesthood to the Crowne n Ovid. Fast l. 1. l. 3. Et fiunt ipso sacra colente Deo Accessit titulis Pontificalis honos Wherein they may all seeme to have taken Melchizedek for their patterne who the first of all that ever we reade mingled both oyles and compassed the Mitre with a Crowne bearing a Scepter in one hand and a Crozure in the other more fully to represent the Sonne of God who remaineth a Priest and reigneth a King for ever This resemblance betweene them satisfieth not our Adversaries they straine this text hard to draw bloud from it even the bloud of Christ sacrificed in the Masse If say they Christ be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek then he must daily offer a sacrifice unto God under the formes of bread and wine as also did Melchizedek And this is the fairest evidence they bring out of Scripture for the sacrifice of the Masse Against which we object 1 That neither the Hebrew letter nor the vulgar Latine the authority whereof no Papist dare impeach importeth that Melchizedek offered bread and wine but o Gen. 4.18 brought forth protulit non obtulit 2 Admit of the word offered what say they to Rabbi Solomon Tertullian Ambrose yea Andradius also and other Papists of note who referre this offering to Abraham not to God the bread and wine he offered was a present to Abraham not a sacrifice to God Obtulit say they Abrahamo panem vinum and will they make no difference betweene an office of civility and a sacrifice of religion 3 Admit Melchizedek offered this bread and wine or some part of it to God yet doth not the Spirit of God recommend his Priesthood as being any way remarkable for the sacrifice he offered but for the blessing wherewith he blessed Abraham For so it followeth in the text ver
after what order our Popist Priests are made whether after the order of Aaron or Melchizedek If after the order of Aaron then are they to offer bloudie sacrifices and performe other carnall rites long agoe abrogated if after the order of Melchizedek then they are very happie For then they are to be Kings and Priests then they are not to succeed any other nor any other them then as hath beene shewed they are singular everlasting and royall Priests We may put a like interrogatorie to many of our Brownists or Anabaptisticall Teachers who run before they are sent and answer before they are called being like wandering starres fixed in no certaine course or wilde corne growing where they were not sowne or like unserviceable pieces of Ordnance which flie off before they are discharged If men though endowed with gifts might discharge a Pastorall function or doe the worke of an Evangelist without a lawfull mission St. Pauls question had beene to little purpose u Rom. 10.15 How shall they preach unlesse they be sent What calling have these men ordinarie or extraordinarie If ordinarie where are their orders if extraordinarie where are their miracles If Christ himselfe would not take upon him the Priesthood till he was called thereunto as Aaron what intolerable presumption is it in these not to take but to make their owne commission and to call men by the Gospell without a calling according to the Gospell It is not more unnaturall for a man to beget himselfe than to ordaine himselfe a Priest But because these men will not be ordered by reason I leave them to authority and come to the Sixth observation which is the Prerogative of Christ Obs 6. who was ordained a Priest of Melchizedeks order whereby he was qualified to beare both offices Kingly and Priestly For that Christ alone may execute both charges besides the faire evidence of this Scripture Uzziahs judgement maketh it a ruled case who presuming to burne incense to the Lord incensed the wrath of God against himselfe A rare and singular judgement and worthy perpetuall memorie he who not content to sway the royall Scepter would lay hold on the Censer and discharge both offices was for ever discharged of both and even then when he tooke upon him to cleanse the people was smitten with a foule and unclean x 2 Chr. 26.20 disease So dangerous a thing is it even for Soveraigne Princes the Lords Annointed to encroach upon the Church and assume unto themselves and usurpe Christs prerogative Whereof the Bishops of Roane and Rhemes were bold to bid their Sovereigne Lewis the then French King beware informing him Quod solus Christus fieri potuit Rex Sacerdos that it was the prerogative of Christ alone to beare both offices And Pope y Causab l. de libert Eccles Gratian. dist 96. cum ad verum Nicolas himselfe concurreth with them in judgement When the truth that was Christ saith he was once come after that neither did the Emperour take upon him the Bishops right nor the Bishop usurp the Emperours because the same Mediatour of God and man the man Christ Jesus distinguisheth the offices of each power assigning unto them proper actions to the end that the Bishop which is a souldier of Christ should not wholly intangle himselfe in worldly affaires and againe the Prince which is occupied in earthly matters should not be ruler of divine things viz. the preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments To make a medley saith z Syn. â—p Synesius of spirituall and temporall power is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is great difference between the Scepter and the Censer the Chaire of Moses and the Throne of David the tongue of the Minister and the hand of the Magistrate the materiall sword that killeth and the spirituall that quickeneth To the King saith St. a De verb. Esa Chrysostome are the bodies of men committed to the Priest their soules the King pardoneth civill offences and crimes the Priest remitteth the guilt of sinne in the conscience the King compelleth the Priest exhorteth the Kings weapons are outward and materiall the Priests inward and spirituall A like distinction St. b Hieron ad Heliod Rex nolentibus praeest Episcopus volentibus c. Jerome maketh betweene them The King ruleth men though unwilling the Bishop can doe good upon none but those that are willing the King holdeth his subjects in awe with feare and terrour the Priest is appointed for the service of his flocke the King mastereth their bodies with death the Priest preserveth their soules to life But the farthest of any St. c Bern. de consid ad Eugen. Reges gentium dominanturâ—â—s vos non sic aude ergo usurpare aut Dominus Apostolatum aut Apostolicus Dominatum Bernard presseth this point and toucheth Pope Eugenius to the quicke It is the voice of the Lord Kings of the Nations rule over them c. But it shall not be so with you goe to then usurp if thou dare either an Apostleship if thou art a Lord or Lordlike dominion if thou art an Apostle thou art expressely forbid both if thou wilt have both thou shalt lose both But why doe I prosecute this point Doth it concerne any now adayes Doth any one man beare both these offices I answer affirmatively the High-priest at Rome doth For he compasseth his Mitre with a triple Crown and as if he bare this name written upon his thigh King of Kings and Lord of Lords challengeth to himselfe a power to depose Kings and dispose of their Kingdomes Doth any one desire to know who is that man of sinne spoken of by the d 2 Thes 2.3 Apostle who opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God Let him learne of the Prophet who are called gods Dixi dii estis e Psal 82.6 I have said ye are gods and it will be no matter of great difficultie to point at him who accounteth that hee doth Kings a great honour when he admitteth them to kisse his feet hold his stirrop serve him at table and performe other baser offices prescribed in their booke of ceremonies I can tell you who it was that made the Emperour Henrie the fourth with his Queene and young Prince in extreme frost and snow to waite his leisure three dayes barefooted and in woollen apparell at the gates of Canusium it was Gregory the seventh otherwise called Hildebrand I can shew you who set the Imperiall Crowne upon the head of Henrie the sixt not with his hand but with his foot and with the same foot kicked it off againe saying I have power to make Emperours and unmake them at my pleasure it was Pope Coelestine I can bring good proofe who it was that would not make peace with Frederick the first till in the presence of all the people at the doore of St. Markes Church in Venice the Prince had cast his body flâ—t on the ground and the Pope
in his office as for our sakes to assure us of the remission of our sinnes purchased by the bloud which Christ as a Priest offered upon the Crosse How are we assured hereof what security doth he give us The greatest that ever was taken or given the oath of Almighty God If the bare word of God is able to sustaine this whole frame of nature shall not his oath be able to support a weake Christian in the hottest skirmish with Satan and most dreadfull conflict with despaire What though our consciences be so polluted that we abhorre our selves yet let us not languish in despaire for we have a Priest that can cleanse them there is no staine so fowle which the bloud of Christ will not fetch out If we have but so much faith as a graine of mustard seed we may say with q Mors Christi mors meae mortis quia ille mortuus est ut ego vivâ—m quopacto enim non vivat pro quo moritur vita Bernard in his divine rapture The death of Christ is the death of my death because he dyed that I might live for how should he not live for whom life dyed O then in a spirituall dereliction when our heart is as cold as a stone and we are at the very brinke of despaire apprehending the full wrath of God against us for all our sinnes let us not say to the mountaines Cover us and to the hills Fall upon us but flie to the rocke in Horeb Christ Jesus and hide our selves in the holes thereof Foramina petrae sunt vulnera Christi The holes of this rocke are the wounds of our Saviour let us by faith run into the holes of this rocke and feare nothing Yea but even there wee heare the cry of our sins like the cry of Sodome and therefore how can we be safe Listen wee but a while and wee shall heare another cry farre lowder the cry of Christs bloud which speaketh better things for us than the bloud of Abel Yea but how may wee be assured that his bloud speaketh for us and maketh continuall intercession to his Father to be reconciled unto us By his owne promise and his Fathers oath If he should neglect to solicite for them who truly repenting of their sins by faith relye upon him he should breake his owne word and neglect the office to the discharge whereof his Father hath sworne him saying Thou art a Priest for ever How can we ever thinke that hee will refuse us who gave us himselfe Will he spare breath for us who breathed out his soule for us Yea but we sinne continually and he intercedeth perpetually he is a Priest for ever Yea but we are weake and our enemies strong what can a Priest stead us he may purge our sinnes but can he save our persons he may appease the wrath of God but can he rescue us from the violence of man he may stand in the gap between God and us but can he stand in the field for our defence against our enemies That hee can for hee is a Priest after the order of Melchizedek a Kingly Priest a Priest to instruct us and a King to protect us a Priest to reconcile us to God and a King to subdue our enemies unto us a Priest to cloth us with his righteousnesse and a King to arme us with his power a Priest to consecrate us Priests and a King to crowne us Kings To whom King and Priest and to the Father who ordained him not by imposition of hands but by deposition of oath and to the holy Spirit who made the instrument and sealed it three persons and one everliving and everloving God let us as Kings command the utmost service of our bodies and soules and as Priests offer them both intirely for living sacrifices most agreeable and acceptable to him Amen THE ARKE UNDER THE CURTAINES A Sermon preached in Oxford at the Act July 12. Anno 1613. THE XXXVIII SERMON 2 SAM 7.2 The King said unto Nathan the Prophet See now I dwell in an house of Cedar but the Arke of the Lord dwelleth within curtaines Right Worshipfull c. WEe reade of small or no raine that falls at any time on divers parts of Africa and the cause is supposed to bee the sandy nature of the soyle from whence the Sun can draw no vapours or exhalations which ascending from other parts in great abundance resolve themselves into kinde showres refreshing the earth This beloved is the true reason why God powreth not down his benefits in such plentifull manner as he was wont upon us because our hearts like the dry and barren sands of Africa send up no vapours of divine meditations melting into teares no exhalation or breath of praise or thanksgiving backe to heaven Undoubtedly if wee were thankfull to God for his benefits hee would be alwayes beneficiall to us for our thankfulnesse and account himselfe indebted unto us for such acknowledgement of our debt For there is nothing that obtaineth more of him or deserveth better of men than a thankfull agnition of favours received and a present commemoration of benefits past It is the easie taske and imposition which the supreme Lord of all layeth upon all the goods we possesse blessings of this life which we receive from his bountifull hands and if we be not behind with him in this tribute of our lips he will see that all creatures in heaven and earth shall pay their severall tributes unto us the sun of his heat the moon of her light the starres of their influence the clouds of their moisture the sea and rivers of their fish the land of her fruits the mynes of their treasure and all things living of their homage and service But if wee keep backe this duty from him which the poorest may pay as well as the rich out of the treasuries of their owne heart no marvell if hee sometimes make fast the windowes of heaven and locke up the treasures of his bounty to make us cry to him in our wants and necessities who would not sing to him in our wealth and prosperity Upon this or the like consideration good King David as soone as God had given him rest from all his enemies thought presently of preparing a resting place for the Arke Having therefore a holy purpose to consecrate the spoyles he tooke from his enemies to him that gave him victory over them and to build a stately and magnificent Temple to the honour of the God of his salvation and desirous to receive some encouragement from him to set to so noble a worke hee calleth for Nathan the Prophet and breaketh his minde unto him in the words whereof I have made choice for my Text which containe in them 1. A godly resolution 2. A forcible motive The resolution is implyed viz. to build God an house the reason is expressed the consideration of his own royall palace A reason drawn à dissentaneis I dwell in a house of Cedar but
it the more vertue we shall finde in it and use to be made of it I have already counted many particulars in my former discourses upon these words and the supply of the rest together with the summe of the whole shall be my taske for the remainder of the time I will begin with the occasion which was a deepe wound of griefe which the Angel of Laodicea might seeme to have received from that keene and cutting reproofe Because thou art neither hot nor cold I will spew thee out of my mouth Now that he might not take on too farre by reason of so grievous and heavie a message the Spirit verifieth his name Paracletus and healeth and suppleth the wound with these comfortable words As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Gather not too much upon my former sharp reproofes and threats against thine owne soule there is yet place for thy zealous repentance despaire not of my favour nor wrong my love in thy over-weening conceit I would not have so rebuked thee if I had not loved thee Are those that are in Gods place to rebuke sinne and chasten offenders so carefull not to drive them to desperate courses will they daigne as God here doth to yeeld a reason of their proceedings and mitigate their sharpe censures with favourable expositions take away all scruples out of mens minds which their speeches and actions might otherwise leave in them Yee see the occasion and by it the scope of the Spirit and connexion of the words which carry this sense I rebuke with conviction and chasten with instruction all those whom I love not onely at large as I doe all mankind but in a speciall manner as I doe those whom I intend to make heires and co-heires with my only begotten Son Here wee have a speciall action of Gods carefull providence over his children Now the actions of God may be considered in a double respect either as they come from the Soveraigne of all power above us or as he is the patterne of all goodnesse to us as they are actions of soveraignty they require of us obedience and an awfull and a trembling regard of them as they are examples of goodnesse we are to seeke to imitate them and expresse them in our lives According to the former consideration these actions of God and words of my Text rebuke and chasten strengthen those that are under the rod but according to the latter they direct those that are to use it the former when they are chastened the latter when they chasten are to take notice of the severall circumstances set down in the Text. More particularly and plainly thus 1. We learne out of the words Gods care of his whom he reclaimes by threats and chastenings from their evill courses 2. The condition of the Church militant which is seldome without rebukes and chastenings 3. The imperfection of inherent righteousnesse and difficulty or rather impossibility of performing the Law now after our fall all Gods deare children are rebuked and chastened by him and therefore are not without blame or fault These are the speciall observations Their use must be to informe our judgement in the true estimate of the things of this life to stirre up our love to God who taketh such care of and paines with us as it were to call us home unto him by threatning of judgements and correcting us with a fatherly and compassionate affection Let us yet resume the words and consider the proceedings of the Almighty and wee shall see in God his actions the Magistrate his direction and charge and in the Magistrate his charge of distributing these tokens of Gods love the duty of all inferiours to receive them with the same affection wherewith they are given The Minister is to reprove the Judge to convince the Father to nurture the Magistrate to punish the Master to discipline those that are under them without partiality with moderation and in love those that are under their authority they may not revile but rebuke not torment but chasten not some in a spleen but all in love by the example of the Spirit in my Text God rebuketh whom he liketh and chasteneth whom he rebuketh and loveth whom he chasteneth Amor ille fraternus saith Saint d Aug. confes lib. 10. c. 4. Respirent in bonis suspirent in malis Austine we may say paternus sive approbet me sive improbet me diligit O that fatherly mind which whether it approve mee or reprove mee still loveth mee is worth all Amor saith the old man in the Poet est optimum salsamentum Love is the best sawce of all it giveth a rellish to those things that are otherwise most distastefull and loathsome It is most true of Gods love for it maketh rebukes gratefull and even chastenings comfortable I rebuke and chasten as many as I love Happy are we if we are of these many for e Job 5.17 blessed is he whom God correcteth Howsoever all chastening seemeth grievous unto us for the present yet it after bringeth the f Heb. 12.11 quiet fruit of righteousnesse to those that are exercised thereby Wherefore it is worth the observation that David prayeth not simply O Lord rebuke mee not neither chasten mee for that had been as much as to say O Lord love mee not for God rebuketh and chasteneth every one whom he loveth but he addeth g Psal 6.1 Rebuke mee not in thine anger neither chasten mee in thine heavie displeasure or as Junius rendereth it out of the Hebrew in aestu irae tuae in the heat of thy wrath I rebuke Was it enough to allay and coole the boyling rage of the young man in the comedy Pater est si non pater esses were thou not my father shall not this word I in my Text and this consideration that Gods hand is in all our afflictions be more forcible to quell the surges of our passions within the shore of Christian patience that they break not forth and fome out our own shame It was the speech of Laban Bethuel though devoid of the knowledge of the true God h Gen. 24.50 This thing is proceeded of the Lord we cannot therefore say neither good nor evill We who are better instructed must alter the words and say This thing is proceeded of the Lord this crosse is sent us from him therefore we cannot but say good of it we must thanke him for it In this losse sicknesse disgrace banishment imprisonment or whatsoever affliction is befallen us the will of our heavenly Father is done upon us and is it not our daily prayer Fiat voluntas tua Thy will be done Looke we to the author and finisher of our salvation hee bowed his will to take upon it his Fathers yoake shall we with a stiffe necke refuse it Father saith he let this cup passe let it passe if it be possible let it passe Ye heare he prayeth thrice against the drinking of it with all
true Howsoever what piety is it nay what equity nay rather what abominable iniquity and impiety is it florem Diabolo consecrare faeces Deo reservare To consecrate the flower of their youth to the Divell the world and the flesh and reserve the lees or dregges of their old age for God To dedicate to him our weake and feeble dotage if we live to it what is it better than to offer the f Deut. 15.21 blind and the lame for sacrifice which God abhorreth Repent therefore repentè repent at the first offer of grace Ye shall scarce find any precept of repentance in Scripture which requireth not as well that it be out of hand as that it be from the heart Remember thy g Eccles 12.1 Creatour in the dayes of thy youth To h Psal 95.7 8. day if yee will heare his voice harden not your heart Seek i Psal 32.6 the Lord while he may be found Now he may be found now he seeketh us now he calleth to us let us therefore breake off all delayes and pricke on forward our dull and slow affections with that sharp and poynant increpation of Saint k Confes l. 8. c. 5. Modò modò non habent modum quamdiu cras cras cur non hoc dic cur non hac horâ finis turpitudinis meae Ib. Verba lenta somnolenta modò ecce modò sine paululum sed sine paululum ibat in longum c. Austine Why doe I still procrastinate my comming unto thee O Lord Why not now why not this day why not this houre an end of my sinfull course of life Deo Patri Filio Spiritui sancto sit laus c. THE DEFORMITY OF HALTING THE LVII SERMON 1 KIN. 18.21 And Elijah came to all the people and said How long halt ye betweene two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him and the people answered not a word Right Honourable c. ELijah who sometimes called for fire from heaven was himselfe full of heavenly fire the fire of zeale for the Lord of Hosts His words like fire 1 Give light 2 Heate 3 Consume 1 They give light to this undoubted truth That one and but one Religion is to be embraced either God or Baal must be worshipped in no case both Stand firme to one How long halt ye betweene two 2 They heate and enflame true zeale and devotion If the Lord be God follow him 3 They burne up indifferencie and neutralitie If Baal be he goe after him This passage of Scripture relateth a Sermon of Elijah wherein we are to note more particularly 1 The Preacher Elijah 2 The Auditorie the whole Parliament of Israel 3 The Text or Theame handled by him viz. What God is to be worshipped what religion to be established and maintained by Prince and people Now although I perswade my selfe that there is none in this whole assembly who halteth betweene the Popish and reformed Churches or hath once bowed his knee to the Romish Baal yet because Satan hath of late not only turned himselfe into an Angell of light to dazle the eyes of weake Christians in point of Doctrine but also into a Seraphim of heat and zeale under colour of devotion to bring us to offer strange fire upon Gods Altar and especially because there is no lamp of the Sanctuarie that burneth so brightly but that it needeth oyle continually to be powred into it to feed the flame the opening of this Scripture cannot but be seasonable and usefull to reduce you into the path if you swerve from it never so little or to prick you on if you are in the right way that leadeth to the kingdome of God The key to open this Text is the occasion of this exhortation of the Prophet wherefore before I proceed to the exposition of the words I must entreat you to cast a looke backwards to the occasion of them and the cause of the peoples haulting downe-right a circumstance not giving more light to the right understanding of the Prophets reproofe than strength to our stedfast standing and upright walking in the high way to Heaven What the religious Father spake by way of Apologie for handling controversall points in the pulpit Ideo non dubitavimus dubitare ut vos non dubitaretis We therefore make no scruple to move doubts that yee may not doubt but upon the solution of them be more settled in your most holy faith I may say truly that therefore I hold it needfull to make a stay at the cause of the poeples haulting that their haulting may be no stay to your godly proceedings that you may never hault upon their ground which was so slipperie that they slid now this way now that way not able to set sure footing any where Elijah by his divine commission drew them to Gods Altar but Ahab especially at the instigation of Jezebel by his royall power enforced them to offer at Baals groves between both they were miserably perplexed their minds distracted and their worship divided betweene God and Baal Men are led by examples more than precepts especially by the examples of Princes or Potentates which carrie a kinde of Sovereigntie over mens affections and manners as they themselves have over their persons insomuch that their morall vices yea and naturall deformities also have beene drawne and patterned out by some of their subjects as if they were vertues and gracefull ornaments a Jan. Grut. annot in Tac. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diodorus Siculus telleth us in sober sadnesse that it was the custome of the Aethiopians to maime or lame themselves in that part or foot on which their Prince limped because they thought it a great disparagement for their Prince that any about him should goe more upright or have a more gracefull gate than hee And Atheneus likewise reporteth of Dionysius his familiars that because himselfe was somewhat purblinde they as they sate at table reached towards dishes as it were by aime and sometimes missed that they might not seeme more quick-sighted than he And to make up the number when Philip received a wound in his eye Clisophus as if hee had got a blow on the same eye putteth a patch on it and when afterwards Philip was run thorow the right thigh in comes Clisophus all to be plaistered on that thigh and out-halteth his Master We can hardly hold laughing when we read or heare of the madnesse rather than folly of so grosse flatterie yet wee have cause rather to weepe at the sight of a farre worse flatterie and yet most usuall whereby some indeere themselves into great personages by imitating their vices and profane carriage To expresse these they account it a kinde of merit of favour or at least an homage due to their greatnesse because saith b Lactant. divin instit l. 5. c. 6. Et quoniam regis vitta imitari obsequii quoddam genus est abjecerunt omnes pietatem ne regi
world this City Propertius will tell you to be Rome Septem urbs clara jugis toti quae praesidet orbi 3. The ornaments of Antichrist are scarlet and purple gold jewells and precious stones which the Pope weares especially on high dayes 4. The time of Antichrist his rising is fore-told to be after the division of the Romane Empire after which it appeares by all stories that the Pope grew to his greatnesse 5. The vices of Antichrist are these especially 1. Pride he shall exalt himselfe above all that is called God that is Princes and doth not the Pope so who admitteth them to kisse his feet arrogateth to himselfe a power over them to depose them and dispose of their kingdomes 2. Idolatry or spirituall fornication the great Whore is said to commit fornication with the Princes of the earth and doth not the Pope intice all Kings and Princes to idolatry which is spirituall fornication 3. Cruelty the Whore is said to bee drunke with the bloud of Saints I need not apply this note both their owne and our stories relate of many thousands by the Popes meanes put to death for the profession of the Gospel under the names of Lionists Waldenses Albigenses Wickliffists Hussites Lutherans Calvinists and Hugonots 4. Imposture Antichrist shall come after the power of Sathan in all power of signes and lying wonders and who pretend miracles and abuse the world with Legends of lyes but the Popes adherents 5. Covetousnesse through covetousnesse hee shall with feigned words make merchandize of you Now the wares wherewith the Whore of Babylon deceiveth the world what are they but her pardons indulgences hallowed beads medalls Agnus Dei's and the like 6. The Beast is said to have e Apoc. 18.11 hornes like a Lambe and to speake like a Dragon and to exercise all the power of the first beast This agreeth to the Papacy and Pope who resembleth Christ whose Vicar he calleth himselfe and arrogateth to himselfe Christs double power both Kingly and Priestly He exerciseth also the power of the first beast to wit the Romane Empire described by seven heads and ten hornes because as the first beast the Romane Empire by power and temporall authority so the Pope by policy and spirituall jurisdiction ruleth over a great part of the world 7. It is written of the Whore of Babylon that the Kings of the earth should give their power to her for a time but that in the end they should f Apoc. 17.13 16. hate her and make her desolate which we see daily more and more fulfilled in the Papacy I will be as briefe in the application as I have been long in the explication of this Scripture Babylon is figuratively Rome and Rome is mystically Babylon The Edomites the instigators of the Babylonians and partners with them in the spoyle of the Israelites may well represent unto us Romish Priests and Jesuited Papists rightly to be termed Edomites from Edome signifying red or bloudy For a bloudy generation they are as appeareth by their treasonable practices against Queen ELIZABETH of happy memory and our gracious Soveraigne now reigning These verily seeme the naturall sonnes of Esau who hated Jacob because God loved him and sought to destroy him and his posterity because their father blessed them even so they hate our Jacob and seeke to root out his posterity because God hath blessed him with so many crownes and crowned him with so many blessings They had thought in their mindes as we reade Genes 27. The daies of g Gen. 27.41 mourning will come shortly and then wee will kill Jacob. But blessed be the God of Jacob who delivered his annointed from the power of the sword The more I looke upon the Edomites or Esauites the more likenesse I find between them and our unnaturall countri-men Jesuited Papists The Edomites pretended that they were of the elder house of Isaac and these pretend that they are of the elder Church which is the house of God The Edomites though they were brethren to the Jewes yet they behaved themselves towards them like mortall enemies even so our English Papists though they are our kinsmen and countri-men yet since Pope Pius his excommunication of Queen ELIZABETH they have proved the most dangerous enemies both of our Church and State even in this resembling the Edomites that as they not only vexed and persecuted the people of God themselves but also instigated the Babylonians against them so these not content to plot treasons sow sedition stirre up rebellion in our kingdome have dealt with forraine Kings States to invade our Kingdome and root out both Church and Common-wealth What pity is it that our Rebecca should have her bowells rent within her by two such children striving in her wombe It followeth In the day of Jerusalem Jerusalem had a day after which she slept in dust the daughter of Babylon appointed a day for England a fatall and dismall day a blacke and gloomy day or rather a Gomorrhean night in which a hellish designe against our Church and Common-wealth was attempted and if God himselfe had not miraculously defeated it it had been acted a designe to destroy both at once with fire and brimstone not falling downe from heaven but rather rising up from hell I meane a deep vault digged by the myners of Antichrist and fraught with juysses billets barres of iron and 36. barrells of gun-powder like so many great peeces of Ordnance full charged and ready to bee shot off all at once to blow up the house of Parliament with the royall stocke and the three estates of the Kingdome Remember O Lord the children of Edome in that day or rather for that day in which shall I say they said Raze it raze it to the very foundation they more than said it or cried it they would have thundered it out they assayed it they did what they could to raze it For they planted their murdering artillery at the very foundation of it Cursed be their wrath for it was fierce and their rage for it was furious nay barbarous nay prodigious to cut off root and branch at once to beat downe City and Temple with one blow to snatch away on the sudden the King and Prince Queen and Nobles Bishops and Judges Barons and Burgesses Papists and Protestants Friends and Enemies and carry them up in a fiery cloud and scatter their dismembred members or rather ashes over the whole City O daughter of Babylon worthy to bee destroyed because thou delightest in destruction happy shall he be that taketh thy young children and monstrous brats viz. treasons plots conspiracies and unnaturall designes against Prince and State and dasheth them against the stones To draw towards an end and to draw you to a reall thanks-giving to God for the deliverance of the three estates of the Kingdome like the three children from the fiery furnace heat by the daughter of Babylon God hath done great things for us this day whereat wee rejoyce let