sitters have taken peace from the earth you furies of hel whose voices are lightnings and thundrings whose breathing is nothing but sword fire rages rebellions pardon me if I shake off all respect of civility towards such miscreants is this orthodox divinity is this according to Christ and his Apostles surely the devill drop't poyson into their pens to infect all Christian countries with disobedience and disorder for let them but shew me but one place of holy Scripture and onâ— is but a smal number yet let them shew me but one either in the old or new testament or any one of the ancient fathers who have let fall so loose a speech as may be strayned to make good their tenets and â— will bee their bondman for ever therefore were not the spirit of division I meane the devilâ— bin seated in their soules hey would not so openly opposed the settlings of their cotten braine against the expresse command of holy Scripture which forbid forbiddeth so much as resistance under any Prince though never so heathenish or tyrannicall but as for the word rebellion the very thought of it was so odious to Christ and his Apostles that as Solâ—n made no law against paricide because he thought no man would prove so wicked as to commit such a horrid fact I do not finde it so much as once mentioned throughout the new testament yet they have got a trick to produce some examples out of the old testament of rebellion which though were ever attended upon with heavy judgements from God but I would faine know what they can force from thence will they â—ake over all histories for examples of rebellion and then argue a facto adjus and say every thing is lawfull that they finde hath bin done we must judge facts by law and not lawes by facts for there hath bin no fact so impious which may not be parraleld by examples will they justifie their grosse sacriledge their â—â—â—aturall inceâ—â—â— with their frequent adulteries their notorious lying their uncharitable judging because they have for these examples of Achan Ammon David Ananias and Saphyra the Scribes and Pharisees who then hath but halfe an eye and cannot see how these mens pens have ranged and their judgements raged beyond all compasse and course of reason or religion But to let goe these as they and the devill would have it what policy can there be in it for the Subject to oppose or resist the King upon any termes for what can wee expect from thence but murders out-rages ripes ruine and desolation for what if the Prince aggriev'd be able to make and maintain his party as King John and Henry the third did against their Peeres what if some forreigne Prince whom it may well concerne as well in honour to see the Law of natâ—ons observed as also in policy to break the neck of those proceedings which may form precedâ—nâ—s against himselfe do come in and side with his brother king and in the end play the kite with them both wil not this prove a pretty piece of policy were it not farre more safe to take Saint Pauls counsell and be obedient unto Princes not onely for conscience sake because they are the ministers of God but for our owne sake because hee is so to us for good it is for our safety and tranquility that we may lead under them a quiet and peaceable life for the Prince is the very soule of the body poliâ—ick and what is the body without it but a confused lump unformed sencelesse witlesse and destitute of all meanes to maintaine or uphold it selfe but it is quickned and moved and provided for and kept from dissolution only by the soule Now of the soule there are two principall receptaclâ—s although she be totain totâ— et tota in qualibet parte The head and the heart such is the king in respect of the body politick he â—s the head in which regard we should have him in so high esteeem as we should not onely seek his ease and welfare but even exposâ— our selves to any perills for his sake and safety wee should be so far from offering violence unto him that wee should readily receive the strokes and wounds inâ—ented against him yea there is no part of us but would willingly endure paine by incision scarrifying ligature or issue to remedy his grievances especiâ—illy considering how deare and tender all the members are to him for such is the sympathy and fellowseeling that he hath of the griefes of the whole body that when the most inferiour member suffereth he suffereth together with it even as a little wet or cold taken in the remotest part of the body hath forthwith a ready passage to the head Againe the king is the heart of the body which is the wel of life the furnace of heat the centry of blood the first thing in man that lives and the last that dies and look as the heart sendeth forth somtimes the blood and spirits with a ful flush plenteously replenishing al the parts of the body And otherwhile againe being possest with a feâ—â—â—… of imminent danger retireth them home with all speed to his little sconce to comfort and fortifie it selfe and judge if this be not sometimes the case of Kings And whilest you are judging of that I will passe fairely on to the second point which is that Abels innocency did not free him from subjection to his brother If the superior have his power from God the inferiour ought to obey him for God no mans vertue that hee hath in himselfe can be a warrant for him to be vitious to another but who ever is holy and righteous must expresse it in duties to God and men Therefore be the subject never so much in the right and the soveraigne in the wrong yet notwithstanding there is due from every one of them to him a threefold duty honour to his person subjection to his calling obedience to his lawe First we must honour his person and that in word and deed the first consisteth in speaking honourably and reverently of him he being no other then the derivative or rather diminutive of Almighty God This Moses enjoyneth Exod. 22. 28. Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor curse the rulers of thy peâ—ple no not so much as in our thoughts saith Solomon Ecclesiastes 10 And this God takes notice off Nu. 12. 8. as a speciall indignity done unto him wherfore are ye not afraid saith he to Aaron and Miriam to speake against my servant against Moses not against my servant Moses but more emphattically against my servant against Moses against my servant although he were not Moses against Moses my great servâ—nt seeing hee is both my servant and my servant Moses wherefore are yee not afraid to speake against him When this searching and piercing presumption shall get up to this highest step and dare to pry into the kings dispositions intentions
incorrupted Judge qui nec flecti potest precibus nec corrumpi 〈◊〉 as Gerhard who will neither bee wonne by intreaties nor corrupted with gifts This is that Insepulta sepuâ—tura a Grave ever open hee that stumbleth at it doth irrecoverably fall into it Quid prodest non habere Conscium lâ—abâ—â—nti Conscientiam No booke to bee secret from the view of men so long as conscience is privie to it lesse like a Sergeant or Catchpole it sits at our doores and never parts with the sinner till he parts with his sin But most of all Pecc tum prae foribus wee shall finde sinne at the doore when wee are going out at the doore at the time of death or going out of the world For God herein alludes to the nature of some Mastiffe or wilde beast lying at the doore of a mans house who as soone as ever a mans foote is over the threshold to goe forth it fires in his face to plucke out his throat So Conscience in wicked men like a bandogge barkes at them all the while they are in the house of this life but when at death they goe out of the Clay houses of their bodies then it furiously sets upon them teares out the throat of their soules and makes a full end of them Thirdly and lastly Peccatum prae foribus Sinne lyeth at the 〈◊〉 that is liâ—nes punishment is at the doore hard at hand ready to overtake him that sinneth Sinne and his punishment except they be severed by found Repentance goe still together Gognatum 〈◊〉 inuatum est omni sceleri sceleris supplicium Sinnes punishment is home-bred nay imbred with it As in the cleere Sunne-shine the darke shadow followeth the body so in the sweete pleasure of evill lad punishment accompanieth sinne if thou commit the one God will not omit the other If thou doe the one thou shalt suffer the other Therfore the Chaldee paraphrast turnes it thus Si non bene egeris peccat 〈◊〉 tuum in diew judicij servatum erit If thou doest not well thy sinne is reserved till the day of judgement thou mayest shut it out at the doore of thy minde but it will fit at the doore of Gods memory to procure just vengeance on thee As the Poet said of perjury I may say of all other sins It may tarry long Sera tamen tacitis paena venit pedibus Slow footing it makes but sure footing it takes and then as Val Maximus saith Tardetatem supplicij gravitate compensat it will make amends for the long time of delay with the heavinesse of the punishment when it commeth for though God hath leaden feete hee hath Iron hands though hee commeth very slowly yet he payeth surely And thus it was with Cain Hee lived long after this he built Cities married Wives begate Children invented Arts as if nothing did trouble him but all this while he had with in him a feared Conscience a trembling heart a guilty looke sinne lay at the doore and at last threw him out of house and home and so the end of sins pleasure was the beginning of hell-torments Consider this all yee that forget God least he teare you in peeces while there be none to helpe Sinne is a bad Tenant it casts out the Land-lord If you please your selves in sin God will displease you in punishment His judgments are ever just and vengeance will come when it is due Serious consideration herein may doe much good whilest wee consider that divine punishment argues humane transgression Wee may safely conclude from a punishment to an offence Posito uno poâ—itur et alterum Who can enumerate your grosse enormities and crimes now raigning among us How doth rebellion which is as the sin of witchcraft get a head whilest Authoritie and Dominion is troden under-foot How doth Schisme and Faction prevaile and increase whilest order and decency is set at nought â— How is Religion made with many the Maske of Villany How is the Ministerie contemned and our Message disgracefully accepted How have the Holy Scriptures lost their due Authoritie and cannot be beleeved by many of Us But above all How by our unhallowed lives doe we treade under feete the precious bloud of JESUS CHRIST When the Citie of Othâ— was burned one yeelds this as a presaging cause of it that a little before a Priest at Masse spilt a Chalice of Consecrated Wine which that credulous age thought to have beene the very bloud of Christ Our Kingdome hath not beene burned nor I trust ever shall till that great day of fire when the earth and the Elements and the Heavens and all shall burne and yet how is the Bloud of Christ spilt upon the ground and troden under foot by our prophane courses But what though our Houses escape the fire if our bodies doe not No marvaile if some have Ignem in ossibus the fire of loathsomnesse in their bones when they have kindled I gnem in Carne the fire of Lust in their flesh No wonder that our bloud boyles with the heate of feavers and burning Agues when the fervour of drunkennesse and distemperature hath blowne the Coales No mervaile if all the plagues concomitating a civill Warre doe fall upon us when out filthie lusts within us which warre against the Soule are so predominant Quid mirum in generis humani crescere jamiram Deicum creseat quotidiâ— quod puniatur What marvaile saith Saint Cyprian to see the judgements of God every day increase when our sins which call for them do increase more than they Our pride increaseth our hypocrisie increaseth our prophannes increaseth our rebellion increaseth our Atheisme increaseth Is it a wonder then that the Pox should increase that the Plague should increase that our divisions should increase that wars and rumours of wars should increase also Be wise therefore my Beloved and sin no more lost worse things befall Vs take away the cause if you would have the effect to cease and remove sin from your doores if you would have God with-hold punishment from your soules And so much for the second point The third remaines which is Argumentum ab aquo bono a reason taken from right and equity unto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule over him And here it did become mee to crave your patience a little longer the time being already past did I not know the subject I have in hand commanded it For behold my heart hath iâ—dighted a good matter and I will speake of the things that I have made touching the KING And I would to God that none would touch him worse Vnto thee shall bee his desire and thou shalt rule over him WHich words are meant of Abels subjection to Cain and of Cains supremacie over Abel God that he might restraine Cain from a further evill doth comfort him with this present good that neither his owne wickednesse could deprive him of his dominion nor his
and right And so I passe from the worke supposed If thou doe wâ—l to the reward promised shalt thou not be accepted the interrogative put for the affirmative It is well observed by Pareus upon the place that the word here translated accâ—pted which is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a verbo {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} among other things signifies to lift up and so is also turned by some actively erit tibi elevare if thou doe well thou need'st not goe hanging downe thy head like a condemned man but thou maiest bee able to lift up thy countenance in sincerity of conscience as well as thy brother Of some againe passively erit tibi â—l vari if thou doe well thou shalt be promoted and advanced with the blessings of earth iâ— this life and with the crowne of blessednesse when this life is ended If you joyne them both together you shall finde that well-doing hath a double acceptance the gratulation of conscience within our selves and the gratuity of blessednesse from almighty God Concerning the first comfort of conscience is no small reward unto a righteous man many men reckon it enough and solely rest therein Virtus in seipsâ mercedem habet a good work carries her reward with her even the testimony and congratulation of a good conscience which is a precious jewell a hidden treasure our heaven upon earth our cheifest glory untill we come to the Kingdome of glory according to Saint Paul this is our glory even the testimony of our conscience Inaestimabile bonum est testimonium bonae insontis conscientiâ—… the testimony of a good conscience is an inestimable good thing without which no man can be truely merry and with which no man certainely sad for what can cast a man downe if conscience be upright or what can raise a man up if conscience once deject him what made Belshazar fall into his melancholy dumps in the midst of his cups and boone companions why nothing but an evill conscience is a continual fiend to haunt him and what made Saint Paul sing Psalmes at midnight in prison but a good conscience a continual feast to cheere him Finally I demand with a Father what thou accountest in this life pleasant and comfortable Mensanè deliciosa a table furnished with continual delicates Dives had this and yet was turned into hell Bona valetudo corporis Is it strength and soundnesse of body Goliah had this and yet knockt downe with a pebble stone Ingens gloria Great magnificence and glory Herod had this and yet was eaten up of lice Divitiarum â—â—pia aboundance of wealth and riches The glutton had this and foolishly lost his soule What then he concludes nihil aliud jucundum est quam conscientia proba et res futurorum certa nothing nothing truely comfortable in this world but a good conscience within our selves and a strong confidence in the God of heaven Had 〈◊〉 at the time of his oblation but knowne the benefit of a good conscience which was in Abel before he suffered his martyrdome and the woundâ— of an evil conscience which were fallen upon himselfe after he had committed his murder he would have laboured more earnestly to doe well in action that hee might more joyfully have sped well in acceptation And such would be the desire of all men were conscience valued at his true dignity and worth excellently Saint Bernard unicuique est liber propria câ—nscientia ad hunc librum discutiendum em â—dandum omnes alij inventi sunt every mans conscience is a booke and to cleare and refine this book all other books are invented and found out All our reading to our selves all our preaching to you all your and our hearing is joyntly for one end ne dissideat unu quisque a seipso that no man should be at oddes with his owne soule The benefit and comfort whereof were it sufficiently knowne to many men and earnestly loved of all men the shop-keeper would not by making short measure unto others make himselfe fall short of heaven the lawyer would not plead so long against the truth till his own conscience pleaded against himself the extortioner would not grinde the face of the poor til faenus pecuâ—iae proves funus animae his monies birth his soulâ—s death The Bankrupt would not so often compound with his creditors till the devill without compounding carries away his soule finally the whoring drunkard the roaring swaggerer and the raving blasphemer would not dance themselves in jollity into hell as they doe if they were but perswaded that a good conscience were but worth halfe so much as it is Againe besides gratulation of conscience well-doing getts acceptation from God and so it purchaseth reward without as well as partaketh of comfort within Indeed it hath ever been the devils pollicy to make men believe it is in vaine to serve God in Iâ—b 21. 15. the wicked will needs make it a question what profit they should have if they should serve God A base demand seeing as one observes every good man knows etiam submotâ mercedem virtuteÌ„ ipsâ— coronaÌ„ ac ornamentum esse that vertue carrieth her reward in her bosome and cannot want the comfort that is due unto her she is both the work and the reward herselfe yea and that in this present life Gods children want not comfortaâ—le blessings which are as it were the first fruits of their full inheritance God being gracious unto them dum per res parvas et in aspectum cadentes majoribus invisibilibusque fidem astruit whilest by outward things he strengthens their faith for greater and more glorious matters And they content themselves with his good pleasure and depend upon him without distrust saying one to another with Saint Paul Rom. 8. 32 He that loved not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shal he not with him also freely give us all things and to their owne soules with Origen quid de opâ—bus dubitas qui herum habes what doest thou doubt of the inheritance when thou hast the heire himselfe bestowed upon thee Yet herein they are discreet too for they have learned with Pelusiota that combatings appertaine to this world comfortings to the other world here crosses there crownes Such is Gods wisedome that generally he hath proportioned the worke for earth the wages for heaven and yet such is his goodnesse too that here also many goe not unrewarded For saith Augustine if God should reward no good man in this life it would be thought these temporal lessings did either belong to God for to give or to good men to receive and againe if he should reward every good servant with these outward things they would be thought the onely good and men would serve him for earthly commodities and so non pios nos fâ—e rei talis