children within the citty of Shusan throughout all the provinces of the kingdome should be destroied But did the Almighty sleepe at this wicked and bloudy designemeÌ„t or was his eie held blind-folded that he could not see it No that powerfull and dreadfull God who holdeth the bal of the world in his hand and keepeth a perfite kalender of all times seasons had so inverted the course of thinges for his chosens sake that the moneth day before prefined became most dismal to those that intended mischiefe Without further allegations this may suffice as touching the successe of the lots and consequently the providence of God in the moderation thereof It is now a questioÌ„ meete to be discussed the offender being found whether it stande with the iustice of God to scourge a multitude because one in the coÌ„pany hath transgressed For though I condemned their arrogancy before in that not knowing who the offender was they wiped their mouthes each man in the ship with the harlot in the Proverbs asked in their harts Is it I yet when the oracle of God hath now dissolved the doubt and set as it were his marke vpon the trouble plague of the whole ship they had some reason to thinke that it was not a righteous parte to lay the faults of the guilty vpon the harmelesse innocent This was the cause that they complained of old that the whole fleete of the Argiues was overthrowne Vnius ob noxam furias Aiacis Oilei for one mans offence Nay they were not content there to rest but they charged the iustice of God with an accusation of more vveight Plerunque nocenâ—es Praeterit examinatque indignos inque nocentes as though oftentimes hee freed the nocent and laide the burthen of woes vpon such as deserved them not It appeareth in Ezechiell that the children of Israell had taken vp as vngratious a by-word amongst them the fathers haue eaten the sower grape and the childrens teeth are set on edge and they conclude therehence the waies of God are not equall It was an exception that Bion tooke against the Gods that the fathers smarte was devolved to their posterity and thus hee scornefully matched it as if a physitian for the grandfathers or fathers disease shoulde minister physicke to their sonnes or nephewes They spake evill of Alexander the greate for razing the city of the Branchides because their auncestoures had pulled downe the temple of Miletum They mocked the Thracians for beating their wiues at that day because their foreruÌ„ners had killed Orpheus And Agathocles escaped not blame for wasting the island Corcyra because in ancienter times it gaue entertainment to Vlysses Nay Abraham himselfe the father of the faithfull heire of the promises friend of God disputeth with the Lord about Sodome to the like effect Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked Againe Be it far from thee for doing this thing to slay the righteous with the vnrighteous and that the iust should be as the vniust this be far from thee shal not the iudge of al the world do right In the booke of Numbers when God willed Moses Aaron to seperate themselues froÌ„ the congregation that he mighte at once destroy them they fel vpon their faces said O God the God of the spirits of every creature hath not one man only sinned wilte thou bee wroth with all the congregation In the first of Chronicles when for the offence of David in numbring his people the plague fell vpon them slew seventy thousand of them the king with the elders fell downe cried vnto the Lord Is it not I that commanded to number the people It is even I that haue sinned and committed this evill but these sheepe what haue they done O Lord my God I beseech thee let thine hand bee vpon me and vpon my fathers house and not on thy people for their destruction I answere this hainous crimination grievance against the righteousnes of God in few words froÌ„ the authorities of Ezechiel Ieremy before alleaged Behold all soules are mine saith the Lord both the soule of the father also of the sonne are mine the soule that sinneth it shall die O yee house of Israel is not my way equal or are not your waies vnequall If it vvere a truth which the poet sang to his friend Delicta maiorum immeritus lues Romane thou shalt beare the faultes of thy forefathers vvithout thine owne deservings the question vvere more difficult But who is able to say my heart is cleane though I came from an vncleane seede though I were borne of a Morian I haue not his skinne though an Ammorite were my father and my mother an Hittite I haue not their nature I haue touched pitch am not defiled I can wash mine handes in innocency say with a cleare conscience I haue not sinned But if this be the case of vs all that there is not a soule in the whole cluster of mankind that hath not offended though not as principal touching the fact presently enquired of as Achan in taking the accursed thing Corah in rebelling David in numbring the people yet an accessary in consenting coÌ„cealing if neither principal nor accessary in that one sin yet culpable in a thousand others coÌ„mitted in our life time perhaps not open to the world but in the eies of God as bright as the sun in the firmament for the scorpion hath a stinge though hee hath not thrust it forth to wounde vs man hath malice though he hath not outwardly shewed it it may be some sins to come which God foreseeth some already past which he recouÌ„teth shall we stand in argument with God as man would plead with man charge the iudge of the quicke dead with iniurious exactions I haue paide the thinges that I neuer tooke I haue borne the price of sinne which I neuer committed You heare the ground of mine answere We haue al sinned father and son rush branch deservedly are to expect that wages from the hands of God which to our sin appertaineth touching this present company I nothing doubt but they might particularly bee touched for their proper private iniquities though they had missed of Ionas Bias to a like fare of passengers shakeÌ„ with an horrible tempest as these were and crying to their Gods for succor answered not without some iest in that earnest hold your peace least the Gods hap to heare that you passe this way noting their lewdnesse to be such as might iustly draw downe a greater vengeance Besides it caÌ„not be denied but those things which we seyer part in our conceits by reason that distance of time place hath sundred theÌ„ some being done of old some of late some in one quarter of the world some in an other those doth the God of knowledge vnite and veweth them at once as if they were done
their iewelles and ornamentes All which and the like singularities Cum Deus iubet seque iubere sine vllis ambagibus intimat quis obedientiam in crimen vocet When God commaundeth them and maketh it a cleare case without any perplexities that so his pleasure is vvho can accuse thy obedience But before be assured in thy conscience that God hath commaunded them tie and vntie a thousand knottes and both make and remooue as many obiections as thy hart can devise The Anabaptistes in Germany framed and fained an imagination to themselues that by the will of God the auncient magistracie must bee quite rooted from the earth they saide and happily beleeued that they had speech with God and that he enioyned them to kill all the wicked in the lande and to constitute a new world consisting only of the innocent VVho perswaded them he that spake vvith GOD concerning Ahab I wil be a lying spirite in the mouthes of all his Prophetes to deceaue Ahab a spirite of errour and falshoode a spirite borne and bread within their owne braine The conceipte was extraordinarye that private men by violence and force of armes shoulde not onelye displace but destroye their rulers and magistrates VVhat slaughter and havocke it caused vvhat profusion of bloude betweene the nobles and the commons Germany then felt and smarted for histories and monuments of time will relate to all posterity and the president thereof may make the worlde take heede how they be drawne by fanaticall spirits into these or such like vnaccustomed and vnprobable courses What disputing skanning vvas there of late within this realme of ours by conference in private by broakers and coursers vp and downe by bookes and balleâ—s in print whether there were not in these daies extraordinarye callings Vpon the perswasion hereof what hasty headlong heathenish endevours to reforme a church to dissolue gouernement to vniointe order to compell a prince and not to tarry her leasure if shee presently agreed not each man hauing a forge in his owne hande to make marre to turne square into round white into blacke church into no church ministery into no ministery sacramentes into no sacramentes this man coyning himselfe a prophet that man a Christ others they knew not vvhat thus travailing and toyling themselues in the fire of their owne fansies till they lost themselues their wittes their grace and some their liues VVhat shall we say heereof but that it was a singular enterprise proceeding from the singular spirits of singular persons and if GOD had not vvrought for vs in mercy the sequele must needes haue beene singular vnhappinesse My conclusion is that by the example of these marriners fearefull and nice to deale in so daungerous a matter wee follow the common rule as the kinges beaten vvay which the lavve of nature engraffed and of the will of God revealed hath prescribed vnto vs and if euer vvee meete with actions which haue not agreement with these two to examine al ambiguities therein and to be certaine of the will of God before vve enterprise any thing That this was the purpose of the marriners is plainelye to bee gathered both by the vvhole contexte and body of the history hitherto continued when though they had many provocations to free themselues and their shippe they with-helde their handes and by a phrase of their further paines most effectually significant wherein as they contended with their ores to bring their shippe to lande so writers haue contended with their wittes howe to expresse their labours Our English hath simplie and in a vvorde the men rowed truely but not sufficiently The latin saieth no more but remigabant vvhich is as much as our English The 70. Interpretours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they offered violence to the sea and Ierome with an excellent circumlocution rerum naturam vincere cupiebant they desired to exceede nature and to doe more than they coulde doe The originall tongue saith they digged and delved and furrowed the sea vvith their ores as a man the grounde with culters and shares aquae fundum investigabant they searched and sounded the bottome of the vvaters as men that would turne them vpside downe rather then misse the successe of their charitable intention Solon coulde doe no more for Athens than hee did when Pisistratus had taken it he aftervvardes hunge vp his speare and target at the courte gates vvith this protestation O my countrey I haue ayded thee both with vvord and deede so betaking himselfe to his owne house to take his rest Alexanders souldiers tolde him when as they thought hee prepared to goe into an other worlde and to seeke an India vnknowne to the Indians themselues vvee haue done as much as men mighte vndergoe These men heere mentioned to their vttermost power stood and fought for Ionas against the rage of the tempest Qui amat aut non laborat aut ipsum amat laborem Hee that loveth either laboureth not or at least hee loveth and taketh pleasure in his labours As the paines of hunters hawkers and fishers seeme not grieuous vnto them and it is the property of loue to transforme and alter a man into that he loueth These men thinke of Ionas I take it as of themselues make it their owne case thus speaking in themselues why should we cast away a man if there bee any meanes to deliuer him See what a bonde they plotte of reciprocall kindnesse one to the other Ionas to the marriners in the former verse willing to forgo his life for preservation of theirs Take mee and cast mee into the sea that it may bee quiet to you and these as earnestly labouring vvith hazard of themselues if it be possible to saue Ionas It is such an image me thinketh of that sociable and mutuall amity that turning and winding and retaling of curtesie which ought to passe betweene man and man as is worthy to leaue behinde it an heedefull observation For what were the life of man vvithout this harmony and consente of friendshippe where there is not date dabitur Givinge and taking lending and borrowing gratifying and regratifying as it were light for light changing of offices and good turnes what were it but the life of beastes vvhich as they are sundry in kindes so there is no communion betwixt them in fellow-like dueties I vvill not novve declame against the inhumanitye of men that one thinge vvhich all men knovve I vvill not so much vtter to others as holde to my selfe that by the biting of a serpent vvee loose our liues but by the biting barking breathing of a man togither with life all that wee haue perisheth The Prophet once cryed O yee heauens droppe downe righteousnesse when righteousnesse was taken vp into the cloudes and the earth voide of it we may cry for lacke of loue amongst vs O yee heauens droppe downe kindnesse and charity into our times that the vncurteous and churlish Nabals of this present generation
doth not onely permitt the false spirit Thou shalt seduce Ahab but giveth encouragement also thou shalt prevaile and addeth a commaundement goe forth and alloweth of the forme of dealing in the matter doe so Now that you may knowe how innocent the Lord is in an action of such preiudice observe the circumstances of the place well 1. The thing intended is that Ahab might fall at Ramoth Gilead Which purpose of God once set is so vnchangeable that if heaven and earth were confederate they can not save the life of Ahab God shall send forth a spirit the spirit deceave prophets prophets entice Ahab Ahab change his apparrell and though Iehoshaphat be the fairer marke yet Iehoshaphat shall escape and one shall draw an arrowe by chance and smite Ahab betwixte his brigandine and hee shall dye at evening hee did so Therefore touching the ende of this businesse it is no iniustice in God to execute iudgement and wrath vpon a famous adversary 2. Concerning the meanes enquiry was made who should entice Ahab because in the nature of God himselfe it was not to entice him 3. That which he doth he doth by a spirit not by himselfe 4. by an evil spirit of his bād retinew who stood before God 1. Iob. 5. The spirit commeth furnished of his owne for vvhen one saide thus another otherwise he profered his service to to entice him 6. When God demaunded of the meanes hee invented the practise by being a false spirit in the mouth of his prophets 7. What were those prophets of Ahab men that were faithlesse of themselues whose guise it was either for rewardes or for favour of the king to say they had dreamed when they had not and the Lorde hath saide when hee never saide it So there is both malice in the spirit and falshood in the prophets before God setteth either hand or hearte to the businesse Therefore what doth the Lord therin he fitteth vpō the throne as the iudge moderator of the whole action hee commādeth the attendance of al the army of heaven on the right hande and on the lefte cleane and vncleane spirites are in subiection to him hee giveth leave to them who without his leave are vnable to doe any thinge thou shalt entice hee giveth the successe which all the kingdome of darkenes coulde not effect if hee woulde hinder it thou shalt prevaile he biddeth goe and they goe runne and they runne to shew that all the creatures of the worlde serue him hee disposeth the course Do so that is doe so and no more than so as much as to say Since thou hast malice to bestowe extende it vpon Ahab rather than Iehoshaphat and falshood to infuse powre it forth vpon the 400. prophets of Ahab rather than vpon Michaeas or any prophet of mine and let the fall of Ahab be at Ramoth Gilead rather than in another place and in this battaile with the king of Aram rather than at another time Thus when the matter is their owne God giveth the fashioning and ordering thereof in some sorte touching the persons time place and other the like particulars But why is it further saide that God put a lying spirit into the mouth of these prophets of Ahab 1. hee did it by way of a punishment to bee avenged of that custome of lying which they were inured vnto aforetime 2. hee did it by his instrument having both life and will to doe hurte not by himselfe 3. he did it in this sense that he staied not the wicked purpose by interposing the aide of his good spirit By this time I thinke it appeareth that in the actions and passions of vnrighteous men there is more to bee deemed of God than his bare permission For doubtlesse hee hath his will therein neither in alluring neither in counselling and much lesse in compellinge thereunto but in ordering and governing them in applying them to better endes than the oftendours are aware of and in ordeining his iust iudgements consequently thereupon Therefore when I say he hath his will therein mistake me not He hath not a will in such sort as if he approved sin chose or desired sin as if he bare appetite liking thereto It is rather voluntas than volitio if I may so speake a wil than a willingnes it is his will by obliquity a side-will vnproper vndirect and in respect not to the sinne it selfe but some other good adioyned vnto it as when a man is put to have his arme or legge cut off for a further benefite hee beareth and beareth it with his will not that he liketh of the dismembring of his body or loosing of a ioynte but that he desireth some other good vvhich hee foreseeth may ensue thereby Thus hee permitted and more hee decreed the treason of Iudas and iniquity of the Ievves against his annointed sonne as you have it confessed by the Apostles Actes the fourth that Herode and Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israell gathered themselves togither against the holy sonne of GOD Iesus to doe whatsoever his hande and his counsell had determined before to be done God had determined it before not in the favour of their sinne but of our redemption Take away the wickednesse of the prodition of Iudas thou shalt also take away the crosse and passion of Christ if the death of Christ had not beene then neither his resurrection nor anie first begotten from the deade nor anie hope of our resurrection Take avvay the malice of the brethren of Ioseph thou shalt togither kill the dispensation of GOD a fault never to be excused the more vnnaturall because it came from brethren the more vnreasonable because of envie without iust cause the more vnsufferable because they added lying and bound two sinnes togither and it was in likelihoode the hastning of their fathers death Yet Ioseph tolde his brethren when they came into Egypt Grieve not your selves that yee solde mee hither for God sent mee hither for your preservation this they never foresaw neither was it the end of their dispightfull dealing you sent mee not hither but God who hath made mee a father to Pharao and Lorde of his house and ruler throughout all Egypt when you repined that I vvas a brother amongst you and left mee no footing in mine owne fathers house Afterwards when his brethren fell downe at his feet confessed their sin hee answered them feare not am I in steede of God set to execute iudgment When you thought evill against me God disposed it to good that hee might vvorke as it is come to passe this day and save much people alive All the wits in the world cannot better set downe the state of the questiō They thought evill God disposed it to good they to vngorge themselves of that venimous malice which the prosperity of Ioseph conceived from his dreames instilled into their heartes God to preserve them in a famine to come and to save much people
and vntamed element fometh with rage your selues bee iudges I haue found this perturbation diversly compared by Chrysostome though not to the sea yet to that confused noise vvhich sea-men sometimes make when their heads are most busied with whom there is nothing but tumult much running too and fro large liberall out-cries but no place lefte for philosophy that is wisdome and reason haue no leaue to speake or to giue their iudgement By Evagrius to a shippe sent into the sea where the devill is pilote By the Poets to a troubled springe wherein if you looke and thinke to beholde the image of a man you see no part of his right composition or to that clamorous and disordered behavior which the Priests of Cybele vsed in Creete ringing their basons and playing vpon timbrels all the day long and by incomposed gestures in the open streetes shewing themselues to be nothing lesse than reasonable creatures When anger saith Lactantius is fallen into the minde of man like a sore tempest it raiseth such waues that it changeth the very state of the minde the eies waxe fiery the mouth trembleth the tongue faltereth the teeth gnash the whole countenāce is by course stayned sometimes with rednes sometimes with palenes But it vvas never more rightly fitted than by the spirite of God in this place where it is likened to the fury and rage of the sea I may speake it to the shame of men In the rage and fury of the sea there is more mercie The sea is contented and pacified when Ionas is cast forth wee in the lightest displeasure done vnto vs never satisfied with the punishmēt the damage the dishonour no nor the death of our adversaries hate the quicke pursue the dead as if wee had made that vnchristian and heathnish vow Mine anger with my body shall not die But with thy ghost my ghost shal battel trie Whereas the rule of Lactantius rather shoulde moderate vs Ira mortalium debet esse mortalis The anger of mortall men shoulde bee mortall like themselues Valerius Maximus reporteth Sylla to haue beene such a one of whome it was doubted whether himselfe or his anger were first extinguished These turbulent perturbations of anger hatred and malice as they are never without the tormente of him that vseth thē they boile his hart into brine eate the moisture out of his flesh so there is great presūptiō that the spirit of God resteth not in a soule possessed therewith When God appeared to Elias 1. King 19. lying in the caue of mount Horeb first there passed by him a mighty stronge winde which rent the moūtaines tare the rocks but the Lord was not in the winde after the winde came an earth-quake but the Lord was not in the earth-quake after the earth-quake came fire but the Lord was not in the fire after the fire came a still soft voice therein the Lord was spake Elias came forth and answered Thinke with your selves that these winds earth-quakes fires are our boisterous affectiōs which the presence favour of God avoideth better beseeming bruite beastes in whōe there is no vnderstanding the vnsensible sea which God hath restrained with bars dores thē the childrē of mē endued with reasō Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly I noted in this verse the behaviour of the marriners towardes God occasioned by the event that fell out Surely the rightest vse of Gods mighty wonders is when we take them for wonders when we tremble at the sight of them feare that almighty God whose hands have wrought them Such are the acclamations in the Psalmes This is the Lords doing and it is marveilous in our eies The gracious Lorde hath made his wonderfull workes to be had in remembrance O Lord how gracious are thy workes and thy thoughtes are very deepe an vnwise man knoweth it not and a foole doth not vnder stand this God doth not miracula propter miracula miracles for their owne sakes but for ours not caring so much himselfe to do them as that we should consider and beare them away Wherin I wil shew our negligence by a familiar example of our latest daies Samuel biddeth the people stand and see a great thing which the Lord would doe before their eies Is it not now wheate harvest I will call vnto the Lord he shall send thunder and raine that yee may perceive and see how that your wickednes is great which you have done in the sight of the Lord in asking a king The thunder and raine were sent and all the people feared the Lord and Samuel exceedingly Apply this scripture to your selves Is it not now wheate harvest hath not the Lord sent thunder and raine amongst you so vnseasonable a season that the fruites of the earth wherewith your fieldes were so faire before that they laughed sang mourning vpō the ground that bare them the husbādmā was ashamed sighed to himselfe to see his hope so deceaved was not every cloud in the aire a cloud of wrath vpō your fieldes to destroy your labours were yee not neere the curse of the prophecy you have sowen much bring in litle What was the reason of so suddeine an alteratiō but that our wickednesse was great as theirs was what other end of this worke but that we might say in our harts let us feare the Lorde our God which giveth us raine both early late in due season reserveth vnto vs the apointed weekes of the harvest thus the mariners applied this extraordinarie worke of God the inference of the text speaketh no lesse Then they feared The dutiful behauiour of the mariners cōsisteth 1. in their inward affection They feared ◠in outward obseruāces They sacrifised made vowes Their inward affectiō is explicated by many stances 1. By the nature and kinde of the passion They feared Others haue seene the signes and wonders of God rather to admire them than to be touched with them as it is often noted of the Iewes in the gospel when they beheld the workes of Christ they were astonished and saide amongst themselues Wee never sawe it on this wise The like was never done in Israell Thus Herod was desirous to haue seene Christ hoping that some miracle might haue beene doone by him But this was more than admiration and astonishment for they are afraide when they see the waters stilled 2. By doubling their passion which in the vse of the Hebrewe tongue doth encrease the signification Timuerunt timore They feared and feared 3. By the attribute Timore magno Their feare was not ordinarie but a greate and exceeding feare 4. By the obiect or matter of the feare They feared Iehovah If yee will learne the effects of feare when it is greate indeede where can you better learne them than at the sacking of Niniveh in the second of Nahum For there the heart melteth that
mercie pleaseth him For who hath first loved or first given or anye way deserved and it shal bee restored vnto him a thousande folde Blessinges and thankesgivinges for evermore bee heaped vpon his holy name in whom the treasures of mercy and loving kindenesse dwell bodylie who of his owne benevolente disposition hath both pleased himselfe and pleasured his poore people with so gracious a qualitye Even so LORD for that good pleasure and purpose sake deale with the rest of thy people as thou hast dealt with Ionas and the marriners take awaie those iniquities of ours that take away thy favour and blessing from vs and as a stranger that knoweth them not passe by our transgressions retaine not thine anger for ever though we retaine our sinnes the cause of thine anger but returne to vs by grace who returne not to thee by repentance and haue compassion vpon vs who haue not compassion vpon our owne soules subdue our raigning and raging vnrighteousnesse and drowne our offences in the bottome of the sea which els will drowne vs in the bottome of perdition The mysteries buried vnder this type of the casting vp of Ionas the seconde principall consideration vvherein I bounded my selfe are collected by some 1. The preaching of the gospell to the Gentiles not before the passion and resurrection of Christ because Ionas went not to Niniveh till after his sinking and rising againe 2. A lanterne of comforte to all that sit in the darkenesse of affliction and in the shadowe of death held out in the enlargement of Ionas who though hee vvere swallowed downe into the bowels of an vnmercifull beast yet by the hand of the Lord he was againe cast our These are somewhat enforced But the only counterpane indeed to match this original is the resurrection of the blessed sonne of God from death to life figured in the restitution of the prophet to his former estate of liuelyhode and by him applyed in the gospel to this body of truth who is very and substantiall trueth For so hee telleth the Scribes and Pharisees twise in one Evangelist An evill and adulterous generation degenerated from the faith and workes of their father Abraham wherein standeth the right descent of his children asketh a signe but no signe shall bee given vnto it saue the signe of the Prophet Ionas For as Ionas vvas three daies and three nightes in the whales belly so shall the sonne of man bee three daies and three nightes in the â—earte of the earth His meaning was that if this so vnlikely and in nature so vncredible a signe coulde not mooue them all the tokens in heaven and earth would not take effect That Christ is risen againe there is no question The bookes are open and hee that runneth may reade enough to perswade him Hee that tolde them of the signe before mentioned signified the same worke vnder the name and shadow of the temple of Ierusalem a little to obscure his meaning and that hee tearmed a signe also Destroie this temple and I will builde it againe in three daies He meante not the temple of Salomon as they mistooke but the temple of his bodie more costly and glorious than ever that admired temple of theirs the buildinge whereof in the counsaile of his father was more than forty and sixe yeares even from the first age of the worlde and everie stone therein angular precious and tryed cut out of a mountaine without handes ordeined from the highest heauens without humane furtheraunce and such whereof hee affirmed longe before in the mouth of his Prophet who could iustifie his saying Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption though of the other temple hee prophecied and it was perfourmed there shall not a stone bee lefte standing vpon a stone that shall not bee cast dovvne Praedixit revixit He gaue warning before that it shoulde so bee and hee fulfilled it The earth-quake at the very time of his resurrection Math. 28. the testimonie and rebuke of Angelles vvhy seeke yee the living amongest the deade hee is risen he is not here his manifestation to one to two to twelue to moe than fiue hundreth at once once and againe his breaking of breade amongst them the printes of his handes and side their very fingers and nayles for evidence sake thrust into them togither with so many predictions that thus it must bee and so many sermons and exhortations that so it was are able to resolue any spirite that setteth not it selfe of purpose to resist the holie Ghost Or if there be any of so audacious impiety as to deny the scriptures the warrante whereof is so stronge that Paul in the Actes of the Apostles not tarrying the answere of king Agrippa by his owne mouth speaketh in his name by a reasonable and vndoubted concession I know thou beleevest them and hee thought it afterwardes firme enough to prooue any article of the faith without other force according to the scriptures let them listen a while to that learned disputation that GREAT ATHANASIVS helde concerning this point Hee proveth that the sonne of God coulde not chuse but die having taken vnto him a body of death and that hee coulde not but liue againe because that bodye of his was vitae sacrarium The vestrie or chappell wherein life vvas conserved And hee holdeth it a senselesse thing that a dead man shoulde haue the power so to extimulate and pricke the mindes of the livinge that the Grecian and Pagan was brought to forsake his auncient nationall idolatries and worship the Saviour of the world that a man forsaken of life and able to doe nothing should so hinder the actions of actiue and liues-men that by the preaching of Iesus of Nazareth an adulterer leaveth his adulteries a murtherer his bloud sheades and at the naming of his dreadfull name the very devilles departe from their oracles and oratories He vrgeth yet further Howe can the carkas of a dead man prevaile so much with the living that vpon the confidence of life therein contained they haue endured the losse of libertie countrie wife children goods good name and life it selfe with such Christian magnanimity that the Arrians espying it beganne to receiue it as a ruled and resolved case not to be doubted of there is no Christian living that feareth death As for the slaunder of his sworne enemies the Iewes whose malice cannot ende but in the ende of the woorlde vvho contrary to common humanity belyed him in his graue and gaue not leaue to his bones to rest in peace saying and hyring men to saye and vvith a greate summe purchasing that vntrueth as the chiefe captaine did his burgesshippe Actes the two and twentith His disciples came by nighte and stole him awaie while we slept let it sleepe in the dust with them till the time come When everie eie shall see him even those that pierced him vpon the crosse and those that watched
it had beene supprest by silence as one that seeth the branches and fruites of a tree knoweth there is a roote that carrieth them though it be buried in the moulde of the grounde or the members of the bodie of man stirring and mooving themselues to their severall functions knoweth there is a heart that ruleth them though it dwell secretly within the bosome so though the name of faith had not heere beene heard of he that had seene such branches and members of religious devotion and humiliation in the people of Niniveh might easilie haue ghessed that there was a roote and hearte of faith from whence they proceeded To this they adioine fasting and sacke-cloath not only as arguments and outward professions of their inwarde contrition or griefe but as adminicles helpes commendations besides to that effectuall praier of theirs which afterwardes they powred forth The belly they say hath no eares and we may as truely say it hath no tongue or spirit to call vpon God and sumptuous garmentes are either the banner of pride and nest of riotousnes as the Emperour of Rome tearmed them or tokens at least of a minde at rest and no way disquieted therfore they cry in the second of Wisedome Let vs fill our selues with costly wine and ointments and let vs crowne our selues with rose buddes And Amos complaineth of them in the sixt of his prophecie that put the evill day farre from them and approach to the seate of iniquitie that they eate the lambes of the flocke and the calues out of the stall drinke their wine in bowles and anointe themselues with the chiefe ointmentes but no man is sory for the affliction of Ioseph For it is not likely that the affliction of oth ers should mooue their heartes who are so occupied and possest before with fulnes of pleasures For the better explication heereof it shall not be impertinent to consider and apply the behavior of Benadab 1. Kings 20. he had received an overthrow of the children of Israell one yeare in the mountaines the next at Aphek An hundred thousand footmen were slaine in the field in one day seven and twenty thousand perished with the fall of a wall in the city besides the danger of the king who is afraid of his owne life and runneth from chamber to chamber to hide himselfe Vpon this misery wherewith they were toucht one daunger being past another imminent his servauntes come vnto him with these wordes Behold now we haue heard say that the kings of Israell are mercifull kings we pray thee therefore let vs put sacke-cloath about our loines and ropes about our heades and goe out to the king of Israell it may be that hee will saue thy life They did so and came to the king and said thy servant Benadab saith I pray thee let me liue Benadab of late a puissant king having two and thirty kings in his army is novv content with the name of a servant First then you see there is a perswasion of mercy in the kings of Israell so there must be a perswasion of mercy in the God of heaven vvhich the Ninivites were not voide of Secondly that perswasion was vnperfect mingled with feare standing vpon tearmes of doubt it may bee hee will saue thy life so likewise said the king of Niniveh who knoweth if the Lorde will repent Thirdlie vpon this perswasion such as it is the Sirians go and entreate the king of Israell vpon the like doe the inhabitantes of Niniveh cry vnto God Lastly to testifie their humilitie and to mooue him to pitty they put sacke-cloath aboute their loines and ropes aboute their heades so doe the people of Niniveh sit in sacke-cloath and ashes to bewray their contrite spirites Now as Aram put ropes about their heades to shew that for their owne partes they had deserved nothing but their liues and deathes vvere in the kings handes either to saue or hange them so to fast or vveare sacke-cloath with any intention to merite or satisfie the anger of God is to abuse the endes of both these services Aquinas reciteth three endes of a fast First to represse and subdue the insolencie of the flesh hee prooveth it from the seconde to the Corinthians the sixte vvhere the Apostle ioyneth fasting and chastitie togither the one the cause the other the effect that followeth it Secondly to elevate the minde and make it more capable of heavenly revelation as Daniell in the tenth of his prophecie after his fasting three vveekes from pleasaunt breade flesh and vvine behelde a vision Thirdlie to satisfie and appease the anger of God for sinnes which wee can in no case admit the proofe he bringeth is from the seconde of Ioell vvhere we are willed to turne vnto the Lorde with all our hearte with fasting and mourninge and weeping to rende our heartes and not our garmentes c. VVhat then It is the manner and vsage wee graunte of suppliant petitioners to abstaine from meates and to teare their garmentes from their backes not with purpose to satisfie the wrath of GOD but rather to execute vvrath and vengaunce vpon themselues and by macerating their bodies and stripping them of their best ornaments to shew howe vnworthy they are of the blessings of God whom by their hainous iniquities they haue so offended For it is not fasting and sacke-cloath that pleaseth him so much nor rending the garments nor looking vnder the brow nor hanging downe the head like a bulrush nor shaving the head and the beard nor casting dust vpon the face nor sitting in ashes nor filling the aire with howlinges and out-cries but inwarde and hartie conversion to God acknowledgement of our grievous provocations confession of our owne vnworthines by these outward castigations vnfained repentance vacation to praier a faithfull apprehension of his auncient and accustomed mercies Therefore it followeth in Ioel For the Lord is gracious and mercifull slow to anger of great kindnes and repenteth him of the evill As much as to say when you haue sorrowed sufficiently for your sinnes and signified that sorrow with abstinence and teares take comforte at the length againe not in your owne satisfactions but in the remembrance and view of Gods everlasting mercies For word came vnto the king of Niniveh Some thinke that the matter herein contained is distinguished from that which wente before in the fifte verse and that the rulers and warders of the several partes of the city which Ionas had past through had proclaimed a fast to the people before the preaching of the prophet came to the kings eares Herevpon they inferre that in matters appertaining to God we must not tarry the leasure of Princes their license be obtained for Princes they say are slowest to beleeue and farthest from humbling themselues before the maiesty of God when his anger is kindled I take it to be otherwise and I am not left alone in that opinion for most agree that the former verse is but an index or
bee ashamed at his presence O let vs all from the highest to the lowest fall downe and kneele before the Lorde our maker let vs lie lowe before the foot-stoole of his excellencie and withall submission both of bodie and spirite acknowledge his hand power over vs. He is our God and will thus bee served our Lorde and will thus be honoured our father and will thus be followed our iudge and dreadfull revenger and will thus be feared THE XXXVI LECTVRE Chap. 3. vers 7. And he proclaimed and said through Niniveh by the counsaile of his king and nobles saying let neither man c. IN the particular explication of the repentance of Niniveh begunne in the sixte verse I observed principally both the order of their dealing that without the knowledge and warraunt of their king they attempte nothing in private and the example or precedency of the king therein for his owne parte vvhich was as if he had thus pronounced against himselfe a iudgemente is come foorth against all the sinners of Niniveh and I am first and the onely vvay to mitigate the anger of God is repentance and I will bee first therein also The repentaunce of the king was in effecte the repentaunce of the whole citty as it is noted of the ruler Ioh. 4. when hee hearde the wordes of comforte Goe thy waies thy sonne liveth hee first beleeved himselfe afterwardes vvhen hee better knewe the time and other circumstances then hee beleeved and his whole housholde You haue hearde alreadye in what life the repentance of the king is described for whatsoever he had making for honour and princelyhood that hee forsooke and whatsoever there was on the other side to degrade and discountenaunce himselfe in the eies of his subiectes that hee admitted and endured hee rose from his throne and threwe of his robe as much as to say hee laide downe all his authority state excellency and forgate himselfe to bee a king and the monarch of the countrey and more then that covered himselfe vvith sacke-cloath and sate in ashes so farre from being a kinge that hee seemed in his owne sighte to bee lesse then nothinge The throne and the robe with other royall preheminences as the scepter the crowne and gorgeous attire in difference from other men haue ever preferred vnto the eies of the worlde an image of that glorie and honour wherewith the kings of the earth are invested It appeareth in the booke of Genesis what maiesty the Egyptian kinges had by that seconde degree of honour which Pharaoh awarded vnto Ioseph hee put a ring vpon his finger and araied him in garmentes of fine linnen and hunge a golden chaine about his necke placed him vpon the best chariot saue one they cryed Abrech before him hee onely reserved vnto himselfe the Kings throne Likewise we may read what honor belonged vnto the kings of Chaldaea and of the Medes and Persians in the bookes of Esther and Daniell and of the throne of Salomon with all his other port and prosperity wondred at so much by the Queene of Saba in the first of kings and other places And there is no question but the kings of Niniveh being growen and swollen in pride were not far behinde these The stranger it is vnto me that this golden cup of honour authority made him not drunke and draue him from all sense of his earthlines and mortality it is so vsuall an intoxication to the rulers beneath making them forget that God which sitteth aboue them We haue seene what the king of Niniveh hath done in his owne person now we must also attend what he did with the multitude and in common for he is not content to mourne or pray or fast or repent alone or alone to be freed and delivered from the curse of God hanging over them but he is carefull of his people too by giving the best example he can he is both carbo and lampas a cole burning vnto himselfe and a lampe shining vnto other men The ointment runneth downe from the head by the beard to the border of the garment repentance I meane descendeth from the king by the counsaile and nobility to the meanest soule of the city First he calleth his counsaile togither secondly they make an acte thirdly they cause it to bee published fourthly that acte vvas onelye for repentance and the service of God VVho ever hearde the like I say not in Israell vvhere prophets and Apostles and Christ himselfe preached but even in paradise the garden of the Lord vvho ever heard the like to this that vvas done in Niniveh The Lord had but one paire of men in paradise and preached but one word vnto them himselfe by his owne mouth and they obeied him not but in the citie of Niniveh barbarous wild and barren Niniveh where all the plants were vnnaturall and it could not be hoped that the fruite shoulde be other then sowre and vnsavoury to him that gathered it they are all turned saintes at the preaching of one Ionas As one reported at Rome after his long voyage that he had seene in England a goodly king in Fraunce a goodly kingdome in Spaine a goodly counsaile so beholde all these togither in Niniveh a good king a good counsaile a good nobility a good people the whole city good The king commandeth the princes consent the people obey all iointly excecute as if all Niniveh vvere but a single man and had but one heade and one heart amongst them It vvas vndoubtedly the vnction of Gods spirite and not their naturall gifte that caused such tractable and tender heartes prophets may preach long enough as the droppes of raine fall vpon marble stones but if the God of peace and vnity ioine not two in one and tie the tongue of the preacher to the eares and conscience of his hearer not by a chaine of iron or brasse but by the bond of his holy spirit and wrappe a blessing and power in his wordes to subdue the soule of man and bring it in subiection to the will of God it can never be effected By the order and course of the things themselues though not of the wordes the first thing that the king did was the assembling of his princes and counsailours as appeareth manifestly by the parenthesis that followeth by the counsailr of the king and his nobles Thus the king doth nothing without his counsaile nor the counsaile without the king but both togither No man is ignorant that the greatest offices haue neede of the greatest supportation and that a king must haue many eies eares and hands as Xenophon wrote in his institution of Cyrus that is many subordinate counsailours ministers and assistantes by whome to discharge the burden of his place VVhen Iethro saw Moses his sonne in law sitting himselfe alone and iudging the people from morning vnto even he did not lesse then reprooue him for it VVhat is this that thou doest to the
you may know what the cry of the beasts was That which David speaketh of the heavens and firmament day and night Psalm 19. that they declare the glory of God and shew forth his handy workes least any shoulde mistake hee explaineth in the thirde verse They haue neither speech nor language yet without these is their voice hearde so wee may say of these beastes that though they cried not vnto the Lorde as the men did yet they cryed after their vsage R. Iarhi hath a conceipt that they tyed their dammes and their foles asunder and said before the Lorde of the worlde vnlesse thou take pittie on vs wee will not pittie these I will not thinke them so vnwise to haue conditioned with God but I will easily admit that they might parte the olde and the yong and doe all that was to bee doone to fill the aire with lamentable outcrying To acquite the king and his counsaile from folly or distraction of their wittes in this so vnvsuall and vnreasonable an acte I shewed you the manner and nature of sorrow before how gladly it seeketh companions Est aliquid socios habuisse doloris It is no little comfort in discomforts not to be left alone in lamenting and to see all thinges turned into mourning that are neare about vs. For as vvee desire nothing more then heavines of spirite in such a case and the cheerefulnes of any thing is as welcome vnto vs as prickels to our eies so vvee blesse that creature whatsoever it is that will helpe to feede vs in our melancholike humors Wee wish fountaines of water in the heades both of men and beastes to be a patterne for our imitation and to draw vs forward in our well-pleasing pensivenes And as in the contrary affection when the name of God was highly to be magnified and there was iust cause to exult and triumph David contâ—â—ted not himselfe with the secret of his owne spirit or with aw kiâ—g his lute and harpe to praise the Lorde but hee desired the harmâ—â—ny of heaven and earth to bee added vnto it so did the childâ—â—â— of Babylon in their songe O all yee workes of the Lorde blesse yee 〈◊〉 Lorde praise him and magnifie him for ever So did the Prophetâ— in their writings Reioyce O heavens showte yee lower partes of the earth burst forth into praises yee mountaines ye forrestes and every tree therein Even so is the nature of griefe never so well pleased as when all the pleasures of the worlde are exiled Shee calleth heaven aboue too weepe the earth beneath to lament beasts to pine away rockes to cleaue in twaine the mouÌ„taines to giue none other Eccho but lamentations the rivers to runne with teares and all the fruits of the earth to bee changed into worm-wood and bitternesse And as it mooveth the affection so it instructeth our vnderstanding also it putteth vs in minde of the hugenesse and horrour of sinne howe dangerous the contagion thereof is to touch not onely our selues but all the creatures of God that belong vnto vs. It is for our sinnes sake that the whole creature Rom. 8. is subiect vnder vanitye that is a fliting and vnstable condition and not onely vnder vanity but vnder corruption yea vnder a bondage and thraldome of corruption not of it selfe but for him that hath subiected it which is either God offended with sinne or man that provoked him and it groneth with vs and travaileth togither in birth and putteth out the head to looke and watch for the revelation of the sonne of God because that is the time vvhen her service shal be ended Genesis 3. besides the curse of the serpent the curse of Eue the curse of Adam in his ovvne person In the sweate of thy face thou shalt eate thy bread that is all callinges of life shall bee laborious and painefull vnto thee and thou shalt eate the hearbe of the fielde common and wast not the fruites of the garden as thou didst before and thistles and briers shall the earth bring foorth vnto thee though thou spende thy labour to the contrarie it is added in the same place maledicta esto terra propter te the earth which thou treadest vpon and vvhich is free from deserving the curse the earth which was made before thee and thou made of the earth cursed bee that earth for thy sake Likewise Genesis the sixte when the Lorde â—aw the wickednesse of man howe greately it was encreased then it repented the LORDE that ever hee had made man and hee was sorrie in his hearte therefore he saide I vvill destroie from of the earth the man whome I haue created hee stayeth not there but from man to beast from creeping thinge to the soule of the heaven for I repente that I haue made them not onely the man but these that were created for mans vse Beholde the vngraciousnesse of sinnefull man VVee were made the Lordes and rulers of the earth both of the fruites and of the people and living creatures thereof vvee haue dominion over all the vvoorkes of GODS handes all thinges are put in subiection vnder our feete all sheepe and oxen yea and the beastes of the fielde the birdes of the aire and fishes of the sea and vvhatsoever vvalketh through the pathes of the sea but wee haue chandged our governemente into tyranny and are not content with the rule vnlesse vvee seeke the spoile nor vvith the vse and commodity vnlesse we worke the ruine and wracke of our poore bond-servantes Quid meruistis oves saieth Pythagoras in the Poet what haue our harmelesse sheepe and oxen deserved at our handes thus to be misused But we the nocent wretches of the worlde workers of all iniquitie deserving not roddes but scorpions cause innocency it selfe to bee scourged for our transgressions But that the providence of God restraineth them it is a marvaile that they breake not their league and shake of their yoke of obedience towardes vs and vvith their hornes and hoofes and other naturall artillerie make warre vpon vs as their vnrighteous Lordes whome it sufficeth not to haue vsed their service alone vnlesse wee plundge them besides into such vndeserved vengeance Againe the punishing of their beastes vvas to adde something to their owne punishmente for vvhen these are not fed and nourished and kept in heart not onely the beast but the owner himselfe smarteth for it Vndoubtedly it is a blessing to men that their oxen are stronge to labour their horses swifte to the race their asses and camelles meete for their burthens that their bullocke engendreth without fayling their covve calveth vvithout casting their sheepe bring forth thousandes and tenne thousandes in their streetes and it is a curse on the other side to be berefte of these commodities as in the fift plague of Egypt Now then a parte of the vvealth and substaunce of Niniveh consisting in these beastes by reason of the service they enioyed and profit they reaped thereby doeth not the afflicting of
therein committed The answere is this he that dwelleth in such brightnesse of light as never eye of mortalitye coulde approach vnto the sight of whole face to an earthly man is vnsufferable and the knowledge of those invisible thinges in the God-head vnpossible yet to giue some ayme and coniecture vnto vs what he is hee appeareth as it were transfigured into the likenesse of our nature and in our owne familiar tearmes not departinge from our accustomed manners speaketh to our carnall senses and that man may know him in some measure hee will bee knowne as man by eyes eares handes feete other bodily members by anger sorrow repentance ielousie with the like spirituall affections By which hee woulde signifie vnto vs not that which is so indeede but that which is needefull on our beâ—alfe so to bee vttered and expressed For because wee are not ignorant of the vse office effect of these dailie and naturall thinges in our selues therefore when wee heare them ascribed to God by translation we are able partly to ghesse what is meant by them The rule which Bernard giveth in his 4. Sermon vpon the Canticles is catholique and vniversally serveth to the opening of these figures Haec habet omnia Deus per effectum non per naturam All these hath God not by nature but by effect Now what is the effect of anger revenge For a man that is angered is desirous to bee satisfied and to wreake himselfe vpon him that hath provoked him the passion of anger is not in the nature of God but the effect is Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lorde What is the effect of repenâ—ance The change or abrogation of some thing formerly done or at least determined Repentance is not in God the effect of repentance is the recallinge or vndooinge of a worke which in the iudgement of the worlde was like to haue continued Thus hee repented the making of man Gen. 6. and the advancing of Saul to the kingdome 1. Sam. 15. not that his heart was grieved but his handes that is his iustice and power vndid it and thus hee repented his iudgement agaâ—nst Niniveh by slayinge the sequele and fall thereof So that the easiest exposition indeede of the repentance of God is in the third member of the verse for therefore hee repented him because hee did it not The evill which is heere mentioned is different from that vvhich went before where their evill waies are spoken of for that was culpable this but poenall that defileth a man this but chasâ—eneth afflicteth him that was evill in dooing this but in suffering that in nature this but in feeling the latter proceedeth from the iustice of God the other hee is most free from And God sawe their workes that they turned from their evill waies When I first tooke in hande to declare the repentance of Niniveh I desired you to beare in minde that the first and principall gate whereby they entered into that service towardes God was faith The Prophet who compiled the history noted no lesse as appeareth by his placing of it in the heade of the booke that is in the beginning of the whole narration They beleeved God they tooke him to bee a God of truth and made no question but his worde in the mouth of his servant shoulde bee established And I as little doubt but they also beleeved God not onely assentinge to the truth of the message but entertaining in their heartes a persuasion of deliverance in the ninth verse it is very plaine where the hope of his mercy is that which induceth them to all these workes of pietye Heere it is saide that God sawe their workes and consequentlye repented him of the iudgement and did it not The place hath beene abused and a weapon drawne there hence to fight against Gods grace that these afflictions of the Ninivites macerating themselues with fasting and sackcloth prepared them aforehand to the easier attainement of their pardon Such are the pillers which they builde their workes of preparation vpon that before a man is iustified his workes may deserue that favour of God not of condignity they say worth for worth but of of congruity as if it stood not with reason and conscience that their workes shoulde bee forgotten If the prophet had trusted our simplicitye herein and concealed the name of faith weich heere hee placeth with her open face as the leader and forerunner to all their other actions coulde wee ever haue imagined that they woulde haue humbled themselues by repentance and prayed vnto God on whome they had not first beleeved and whosoever hee bee that spendeth his wretched dayes in the wildernesse of this worlde a wildernesse of sinne as the children of Israell in that wast and roaring wildernesse of SIN Exod. 16. without this cloude by day and piller by night to guide him the way to his rest hee walketh hee knoweth not howe hee strayeth stumbleth falleth because hee hath not light hee liveth and dieth in darkenesse his soule is as a fielde vntilled or as a vineyard growne wilde which though it haue store of grapes they are but sowre grapes his worshippe of God and workes of common civility what glasse soever they beare of honesty and commodity in the eyes of men they are both vnfruitfull to himselfe and before the face of God full of sinne and reprobation There are two thinges in the vvhole course of this history wherevnto I will limite my speech the one what the Ninivites did they beleeved proclaimed a fast repented the other what God he sawe their workes and was satisfied In the person of the Ninivites faith goeth formost workes follow it This is the nature of a true and a living faith it ever worketh by loue Gal. 5. and by workes it is made perfect Iam. 2. faith without these is as an almes of the rich man to the poore departe in peace warme thy selfe fill thy belly but he giveth him nothing Or as the body without the spirit wherin the life motion thereof consisteth For even the theefe vpoÌ„ the crosse that litle time which he had he bestowed in good workes In reproofe of his fellow condemnation of themselues iustification of Christ invocation of his name and a true confession that he was the king of Israell And this although we speake write imprint preach in all our assemblies even the pillers of our churches can beare witnes vnto vs that faith is an idle vnperfect verball deade faith where is not sanctity of life to attend it and wee both receiue it our selues as a faithfull saying confirme it to others that such as haue beleeved God must also be carefull to excell in good workes yet if the pens presses of the Romane faction might passe without controlment we should be trâ—ducâ—d as far as the world is christian for preaching only faith in the iustification of a sinfull man that our gospell is a gospell
favour and partiality to the religion established no place lefte to dissemble with God or man Tanti meriti tanti pectoris tāti oris tantae virtutis episcopu as Augustine spake of Cypriā so worthy so wise so well spoken so vertuous so learned a Byshope gaue such counsaile vnto them 3. To all the members of the Church of England vnity of soule and heart to embrace the doctrine authorized And lastly to himselfe peace and rest in the assured mercies of God This peace he hath plentifull fruition of vvith the God of peace For though he seemeth in the eies of the foolish to be dead yet is he in peace And like a true Hebrew he hath eaten his last passeover amongst vs and it is past from death to life where with vnspeakable ioy of heart he recompteth betweene himselfe and his soule Sicut audivimus sic et vidimus As I haue heard so now haue I seeene and felt in the citty of our God and with the blessed Angells of heaven and all the congregation of first borne singeth the songue of Moses a songue of victory and thanksgiving rendring all blessing honour glory power to him that sitteth vpon the throne and the Lambe that was killed and that vndefiled Spirit which proceedeth from them both by whome hee was sealed vp at his death to his everlasting redemption A SERMON PREACHED IN YORKE THE SEVENTEENTH DAY OF NOVEMBER IN THE YEARE OF our Lorde 1595. being the Queenes day Printed at Oxford by Ioseph Barnes 1599. 2. King 23 25. Like vnto him was there no king before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soule c. THE remembrance of Iosias is like the perfume that is made by the arte of the Apothecarie it is svveete as hony in all mouthes and as musicke at a banquet of vvine he behaued himselfe vprightly in the reformation of the people and tooke away all abominations of iniquitie hee directed his hearte vnto the Lorde and in the time of the vngodlie hee established religion vvhich to haue done in a better season the zeale of the people and favour of the time advauntaging him had beene lesse praise The lande vvas sowen with none other seede saue idolatrie and iniquitie vvhen he came vnto it For by that vvhich is written of him we may know what he reformed All idolatrous both Priestes and monuments whether Chemarims or blacke friars Priestes of Baal of the sun moone or planets though founded and authorized by both ancient and late kings before him namely in these recordes by Salomon Ahaz Manasses Ieroboam togither with their high places or valleyes their groues altars vesselles vvheresoever hee found them either in Ierusalem or Iudah in Samaria or Bethel in the temple or in the courtes of the temple vpon the gates or in the kings chambers not sparing the bones of the Priestes either living or deade but raking them out of their graues besides the impure Sodomites and their houses sooth-sayers and men of familiar spirites he destroyed defiled cut downe burnt to ashes bet to powder threwe into the brooke and left no signe of them Hee followed both a good rule and a good example His rule is here specified according to all the law of Moses his example in the chapter before hee did vprightly in the sight of the Lord an◠walked in all the waies of David his father and bowed neither to the right hande nor to the lefte Hee was prophecied of three hundred yeares vpward before his birth a rare singular honour that both his name should be memorable after his death as heere we finde it and written in the booke of GOD before ever his partes were fashioned His actes are exactelye set downe in this and the former Chapters and in the second of Chronicles and foure and thirteeth vpon the recital wherof is this speach brought in by waie of an Epiphoneme or acclamation advancing Iosias aboue all other kings and setting his head amongst the stars of God The testimonie is very ample which is here given vnto him that for the space almost of fiue hundred yeares from the first erection of the kingdome to the captivity of Babylon vnder the government of 40. kings of Iudah and Israell there was not one found who either gaue or tooke the like example of perfection In the catalogue of which kings though there were some not many vertuous and religious David Salomon Asa Iehosaphat Iehu Ioash Amasia Iothan Hezekias yet they haue all their staines their names are not mentioned without some touch The wisdome honor riches happines of Salomon every way were so great that the Queene of Saba worthily pronounced of him Blessed be the Lord thy God which loved thee c. Will you know his blemish but Salomon loved many out-landish women and they broughte him to the loue of many out-landish Gods so he is noted both for his corporall spiritual whordomes Asa the son of Abiam did right in the eies of the Lord as did David his father 1. King 15. his heart was vpright with the Lord all his daies he put downe Maachah his mother for idolatrie The bitter hearbe that marreth al this is but he put not downe the high places Iehosaphat did well hee walked in all the waies of Asa his father declined not ther-from but did that which was right in the eies of the Lord 1. Kin. 22. neverthelesse the high places were not taken away Iehu did well God gaue him this testimony 2. King 10. because thou haste diligently executed that which was right in mine eies therefore shall thy sonnes vnto the fourth generation sit on the seate of Israell but Iehu regarded not to vvalke in the vvaies of the Lorde God of Israell vvith all his heart Amafiah did well he did vprightlie in the sight of the Lord 2. King 14. yet not like David his father David himselfe so much renowned as the principall patterne of that royall line to be imitated by them yet hath a scarre vpon his memory hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and turned from nothinge that hee commaunded him all the daies of his life 1. King 15. thus farre good saue onelie in the matter of Vriah the Hittire Onelie Iosias is without spotte or vvrinckle like vnto him was there no king And as in the number of bad kinges Rehoboam did ill Ieroboam worse for hee sinned and made Israell to sinne but Omri vvorse than all that went before him 1. King 16. yet Ahab worse than all before him in the same place so in the number of the good though Salomon did wel Iehosaphat perhaps better David best of al yet Iosias is beyonde the vvhole companie vvhich either went before or came after him Like vnto him was there no king It had beene a great praise to Iosias to haue had none better than himselfe to haue matched the vertues and godlines of his progenitours
fathers and Queenes thy nurses in the nine fortieth of Esay there as the Queene of Saba blessed both the people of Salomon and the king himselfe so happy is the church for drawing her milke and sustenance from such heroicall breasts and happye are those breasts that foster and nurse vp the Church of Christ. They giue milke and receiue milke they maintaine the Church and the Church maintaineth them they bestow favour honour patronage protection they are favoured honoured patronaged and protected againe I will not stay to alleage the fortunate and happy governments of well disposed kings The decrees of the king of Persia and Babylon for repairing the temple worshipping the God of the three children or the God of Daniel brought more honour vnto them than all their other lawes The pietie of Antonius Prus is very commendable for his gracious decree that none shoulde accuse a christian because hee was a christian Constantius the father of Constatifie the great made more reckoning hee said of those that professed christianitie then full treasures Iovianus after Iulian refused to be Emperour albeit elected and sought to the Empire vnlesse he might governe christians Great Coustantine and Charles the great had their names of greatnes not so much for authoritie as for godlines But on the other side the bookes are full of the miserable falles ofirreligious princes their seede posteritie whole race and Image for their sakes overturned and wiped from the earth at one woulde wipe a dish and turne it vpside-downe The name of Antiochus the tyrant stinketh vpon the earth as his bovveles sometimes stuncke and as then the vvormes devoured his lothsome carkasse so his other vvorme yet liveth and ceaseth not crying to all the persecutors vnder heaven take heede Hee thought to haue made the holy city a burying place but vvhen hee savve his misery then he vvoulde set it at liberty The Iewes vvhome hee thought not worthy to bee buried he vvoulde make like the citizens of Athens and the temple vvhich he spoiled before he would garnish with great giftes Likewise Galerius lying sicke of a wretched disease crieth to haue the Christians spared and that temples and oratories should be allovved them that they might pray for the life of the Emperour The vnripe vnseasonabl vnnaturall deathes of men more vnnaturall in their liues the monsters and curses of the earth they trode vpon the bane of the ayre they drewe the rulers of the Ievves and Romanes high Priestes Princes Emperours and their deputies that murthered the Lord of the vineyard the sonne and the servantes in the time of Christ and his Apostles and by the space of three hundred yeares the workers of the tenne persecutions no meanes plagues to the Christian faith than those tenne plagues were to Egypt or rather tenne times tenne persecutions for they were multiplied like Hydraes heades proclaimed to the Princes of succeeding ages not to heave at Ierusalem it is to heavie a stone lapis comminuens a stone that vvhere it falleth will bruise to peeces nor to warre against the Sainctes to bande themselves against the Lordes anointed and against his anointed the Church vnlesse they take pleasure to buy it with the same price vvherevvith others have done before them to have their flesh stincke vpon their backes and rotte from their bodies to be eaten vp with lice and vvormes to bee slaine strangled or burnt some by their owne handes some of their servantes children and wives as is most easie to proove in the race of 40. Emperours the Lord getting honour vpon them as hee did vpon Pharaoh by some vnwonted and infamous destruction Heliogabalus thought by the pollicy of his head to have prevented the extraordinary hand of God providing him ropes of silke swordes of gold poison in Iacinthes a turtet plated with gold and bordered with precious stones thinking by one of these to have ended his life Notwithstanding hee died that death which the Lord had apointed The 2. thing which I limited my selfe vnto that it is the greatest dishonour to religion to pull downe princes is as easy to be declared A thing which neither Moses in the old nor Christ in the new testament neither Priest high nor low nor Levite Prophet EvaÌ„gelist Apostle christian Bishop ever hath taught counsailed much lesse practised I say not against lawfull magistrates but not against heathenish infidell idolatrous tyrannous rulers though by the manifest and expresse sentence of God reprobated cast of Samuell offered it not to Saul a cast-away he lived and died a king after the senteÌ„ce pronounced against him of an higher excommunication than ever came from Rome Samuel both honoured mourned for him The captive Iewes in BabiloÌ„ wrote to their brethren at IerusaleÌ„ to pray for the life of Nabuchodonozor answerable to that advise which Ieremy giveth the captives in the 29. of his prophecy though in words somewhat different seeke the prosperity of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives pray vnto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall you have peace Daniel never spake to the king of Babylon but his speech savoured of most perfect obedience my Lord the dreame bee to them that hate thee and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies his wordes had none other season to Darius though having cast him into the Lyons denne O King live for ever I never coulde suspect that in the commission of Christ given to his disciples there is one word of encouragement to these lawlesse attemptes go into the worlde preach baptize loose retaine remit feede take the keyes receaue the holy Ghost what one syllable soundeth that way vnlesse to go into the worlde be to go and overrunne the world to shake the pillers and foundations thereof with mutinies and seditions to replenish it with more than Catilanary conspiracies to make one Diocesse or rather one dominion monarchie subiect to the Bishop of Rome vnlesse preaching may be interpreted proclaiming of war and hostilitie sending out bulles thundering and lightning against Caesar and other states vnlesse to baptize bee to wash the people of the world in their owne bloud vnlesse binding and loosing be meant of fetters and shackles retaining and remitting of prisons and wardes vnlesse the feeding of lambes and sheepe bee fleecing fleaing murthering the king and the subiect old and young taking the keyes be taking of crownes and scepters and receiving the holy Ghost bee receiving that fiery and trubulent spirit which our Saviovr liked not Yea let them answere that saying these priestes and successours of Romulus Giants of the earth incendâ—aries of the Christian world you shall bee brought before governours and kings and skouraged in their Councelles if ever our Saviour had meaÌ„ing governours kings shal be brought before you Emperours shall kisse your feete waite at your gates in frost and colde resigne their crownes into your handes and take their crownes I saye not at your
handes but at your feete to your feete submitte their neckes and hold your stirrops or that Princes shoulde eate bread vnder your tables like dogges I shame almost to report that a skar-crow in an hedge should thus terrifie Eagles Wher was then the effect of that praier which David made in the Psalme O Lord giue thy iudgement vnto the king wheÌ„ the kings of the earth were so bewitched and enchanted with that cup of fornicatioÌ„ Christ though the iudge of the quicke and dead refused to be a iudge in a private inheritance who made me a iudge or divider over you these wil be iudges and disposers of Kingdomes Empires Dukedomes and put Rodolph for Henry Pipin for Childericke one for another at their pleasures And when they haue so done no man must iudge of their actions why because the disciple is not aboue his maister Let not a priest giue an accusation against a Bishop not a Deacon against a priest not a sub-deacon against a Deacon not an Acolyth against a sub-deacon not an exorcist against an Acolyth but as for the highest prelate hee shal be iudged by no man because it is vvritten non est discipulus c. So did the Devill apply the scriptures The Apostles all concurre in one manner of teaching let every soule be subiect to the higher powers hee meaneth of temporall powers because they beare the sword require tribute Chrysostome expoundeth it of all sortes of soules both secular religious Submit your selues to every ordinance of man feare God honour the king let prayer and supplcation bee made for all men for kinges those that are in authority that wee may leade a quiet and peaceable life vnder them This is the summe of their doctrine Now either the Bishop of Rome hath not a soule to be subiect or he is a power aboue all powers and must commaund others And so in deede he vsurpeth abusing that place of the Psalme Omnia subiecisti sub pedibus eius thou hast put all thinges in subiection vnder his feete all sheepe and oxen yea and the beasts of the field Where by oxen are meant Iewes and heretiques by beast of the field Pagans and infidelles by sheepe Christian both kings and subiects by birdes of the aire Angelles in heaven by fishes in the sea soules in purgatory I do wrong to your sober eares to fill them with such fables but subiection I am sure they deny if the whole world should be filled with bookes legall Evangelicall to admonish them Nay they will take both the law and gospell and make them speake vanity blasphemy meere contradiction rather than want authorities to vphold their kingdome Thus when Adrian set his foote in the necke of the Emperour he alleaged the words of the Psalme thou shalt tread vpon the adder the basiliske c. The Emperour highly sinned that he had not a sting to thrust forth against him and to tame his pride Iohn the 22. perverted the words of Christ to this purpose behold I haue set theeover kingdomes c. Innocentius the 3. fetcheth a prophecy of his vsurped Hierachie from the first creation God created two light in the firmament of heaven so in the firmament of the earth two rulers a greater light and a lesser light that is the Pope and the Emperour the one to governe the day the other the night that is the Pope to governe the Clergie the Emperour the laitie for this cause they say to shew the difference the Pope hath his vnction on the head the Emperour but on his armes· To leaue their glosses and devises let vs harken to their practise What a strange commauÌ„dement was that which Gregory the 7. sent forth we commaund that no man of what condition soever he be either king or Archbishop Bishop Duke Earle Marques or Knight be so hardly to resist our legates if any man do it we binde him with the bond of a curse not onely in his spirit but in his body and all his goods In excommunicating the Emperour then being he vsed this forme Henry the king sonne of Henry late Emperour I throw downe from all both imperiall and royall administration and I absolue from their othe of obedience all christians subiect to his authority and being requested to vse more mildnes in proceeding to excommunicate him answered for himselfe when Christ committed his church to Peter and said feed my sheepe did he exempte kinges afterward he calleth vpon Peter Paul saith vnto them go to now so vse the matter that all men may vnderstand if your selues haue power to binde loose in heaven that we may haue also power on earth both to take awaye and to giue Empires kingdomes principalities and whatsoever mortall men may haue Boniface the 8. whome Benevenutus called the tyrant over Priests Petrarch the terrour of kings nâ—mâ—d himselfe the Lord not only of FraÌ„ce but of the whole world Philip sirnamed the faire theÌ„ king of FraÌ„ce advised him not to vse that kind of speech to the overthrow of his kingdome Hence grew all those stirres and tumultes betweene them It is a notable admonition which Massonus there giveth in the knitting vp of his life I vvoulde wish the Bishoppes of the cittie not to make kings their enemies who are willing to be their friendes for let them not thinke that they are sent from GOD as bridles vnto kinges to maister them at their pleasure as wilde and vnbroken horses let them admonish and pray them and ther harty praiers shall bee insteede of commanding but to threaten terrifie raise vp armes is not beseeming Bishoppes Platina concludeth him almost to the same effect thus dieth Boniface vvhose endevours evermore were rather to bring in terrour than religion vpon Emperours kinges princes nations and peoples This Platina was a professed catholique living within a colledge at Rome that you may the lesse thinke the author willing to sâ—aunder them On a time vvhen Paul the seconde vvent about to pull downe that colledge hee besought the Pope that the matter might first bee hearde before the maisters of the rowels or other like iudges itané aâ—t nos ad iudices revocas What Is it come to this saieth hee doest thou call vs backe vnto iudges doest thou not knovvs that all the lavves are placed in the shrine of my breast Innocentius the sixt sendeth Carilas a Spanish Cardinall but withall a cardinall warriour into Italie to recover Saint Peters parrimonie if praiers were vnavaileable by force of armes for armes are the succours of Popes vvhen praiers vvill not serue Innocentius the seventh had a meeker spirite of vvhome Bapâ—ista Fulgosus vvrireth that such idle houres as hee had he bestowed in pruning his orcharde and wisheth that other Popes had done the like vvho vvere better pleased with making warre for it is fitter for the Bishopes of Rome to prune orchardes than men Iulius the 2.
who from Iulianus turned his name to Iulius that hee might somewhat match himselfe with Iulius Caesar was wont to say It is a base thing that the Levites shoulde serue and bee in subiection vvho rather are meete to governe other men Erasmus being at Bonony in his time thus writeth to his friende At this present studies are very colde in Italie warres verie hote Iulius the highest Bishoppe fighteth vanquisheth triumpheth and playeth the part of Iulius indeede VVorthy of immortall fame saith the authour of the history if hee had beene the Emperour rather than the Pope of Rome To conclude I will but adde what Petrarch an Italian and countrie-man of their ovvne and one vvhome Innocentius woulde faine haue had to haue beene his secretarie writeth of the Pope by waie of dialogue Pope I holde the towre or sway the honour of the highest prelacie Petrarke The first were wont to bee taken from this estate to Martyrdome novve they thinke they are called to pleasure therefore they striue so much for the place Pope I am the Pope of Rome Petr. Thou art called the servaunt of servauntes take heede thou make not thy selfe the Lorde of Lordes remember thy profession remember thy debt remember thy Lorde vvho iustlie is angrie vvith none more than vvith his Vicar or deputie VVith manie other free and friendlie exhortations of the like force Nowe if their spirites bee so mightie and vntamed let them exercise them at home with mutuall insidiations contentions depositions murtheringes poysonings and other vnpriestly and violent supplantations amongst themselues And if ever that iudgement vvere true vvhich Petrarch gaue that the life of men is shorte of kinges shorter of Popes shortest of all let it bee true still yea let all Babylon fall and let the seate of Antichrist be razed to the grounde but God for his owne glorie and for his gospel and Churches sake establish the thrones strengthen the handes lengthen the daies preserue the liues honour the faces of all religious and vertuous Princes Because my texte standeth wholie in comparison betwixte Iosias and other kinges giue mee leaue I beseech you in few wordes for the advauncement of Gods blessed name whose goodnesse we are highly bounde to acknowledge a testimonie of mine owne dutifull hearte and a further animation to you my brethren and the children of this lande to continue your obedience and faith to make some little comparison betwixte good king Iosias and gracious Queene Elizabeth 1. They both interpret their names in rendring and expressing by action the force thereof Iosias of the fire of the Lorde with whose zeale he was enflamed Elizabeth of his rest both because shee reposeth her selfe in his strength and for that the quiet tranquillity of this Land was by her happy governement restored 2. Iosias was prophecied of long before his birth 1. Kings 13. O altar altar c. Beholde a childe shal be borne to the house of David Iosias by name and vpon thee shall hee offer the priestes of the high places c. and vndoubtedly they presaged much of the abolishinge of altars and priestes vnder the raigne of Queene Elizabeth vvho laboured to prevent her government by such manifold practises 3. Iosias at the age of 16. yeares sought the God of his father David I never red or heard to the contrarie but that the child-hoode and prime of our soveraigne Lady and that glorious blossome her brother of blessed memorie were dedicated to true religion 4. Iosias forsaketh the idolatry of Amon and Manasses that went next before him and returneth backe to the faith of David Elizabeth declineth the path which her sister Mary had troden the foote-steppes whereof were yet very fresh and reneweth the waies of her father and brother almost worne out 5. Iosias had a good priest a good prophet a good chauncellour a good nobility faithfull vvorkemen The king commaunded that no accompte shoulde bee taken of them for they did their worke faithfullie It had not beene possible to haue repaired the ruines of defaced religion within this land without the advise and assistaunce of as faithfull a Counsaile and as zealous Priests of which though many were cast out for a time from their natiue countrey into Germany and other forreigne partes as a distempered stomake cannot endure to keepe holesome meates in it yet they vvere brought home againe with honour as banished Ieptha was and deservedly preferred to the highest dignities of our Church Such Nobles and priests as shee then had the Lord for ever blesse her vvith least it bee saide of this kingdome as sometimes of the Court of Maximilian An hundreth haue to deale in the affaires of the common vvealth but skarsely fiue or but eight at the most helpe them forwardes all the rest are hinderers 6. Iosias pulled downe altars priestes groues high places houses of Sodomites Queene Elizabeth left neither colledge nor cloister nor any other cage of Idolatrous birdes and neither Monke nor Frier to feede her people with errours 7. Iosias found restored the booke of the lawe hidden in obscurity Queene Elizabeth delivered from darkenes and banishmente the testamentes of her God not onelie hidden and buried in an vnknowne tongue but in corners and holes laide vppe and forbidden the light of heaven restoring both the letter of the booke to a vulgar language her people to freedome of conscience who might not read before but privily anâ— by stealth as men eat stollen breade Finally Iosias vvas directed in alâ—â—is waies by the booke of the lawe and no other starre guided the heart of our gracious Esther Iosias caused the booke of the lawe to bee openly red shee the everlasting gospell to bee preached throughout all her realmes and dominions Iosias maketh a covenant himselfe and taketh a covenant of his people to obserue it shee also bindeth her people by statutes and lawes to the true worshippe of God herselfe not second to any in rendring her vowes Iosias holdeth a famous passeover the like whereof from the daies of the iudges throughout all the daies of the kinges had never beene seene And her Maiesty hath purdged the sacraments of Christ reduced theÌ„ to their right forme vvhich I saie not from the time of the Conquerour but almost since the daies of the Apostles they vvere never happie enough to obtaine And as Iosias turned to the Lorde with all his hearte c. So whither her beautifull feete haue not taken a contrary course to that vvherein others had walked before her turned like the waters of Iordan vvhen Israell vvent over it not onely the people of this land but almost of whole Christendome swimming away apace in a full floud of Popish superstition and vvhither to the Lorde alone Angelles and Saintes omitted who in the consciences and opinions of men had set their seates by the seate of Almightie God said we will be like vnto him in worship and vvhither with all her hearte and vvith all her
of a fierce countenance and vnknowne language all the commoâ—ions and perturbations of kingdomes invasions of kings one vpon the others dominions rebellions of subiectes and so much of Christendome at this day buried in the very bowels of Turcisme and infidelity yea the extirpation of the Iews and planting of the Gentiles vpon their stocke and hereafter the casting out of the Gentiles and filling of the Iewes againe they are al rightly and orderly derived from the former cause For the sins of the people the princes the people themselues the government the policy the religion the peace the plenty of the land shal often be chandged We haue long and faithfully preached against your sinnes the dissolvers you see of kingdomes common weales that if it were possible we might bring them also to their periode and set some number and end of them VVill you not be made cleane when shall it once be But if our preachings cannot mooue you he that in times past at sundry times and in sundry manners spake vnto our fathers hath also sundry voices and sundry kindes of preachers to speake vnto you You heare that the chandge of a Prince is one of his Preachers It shall preach more sorrow vnto you more wringing of your hands rending of your harts than ever erst you were acquainted with Remember the vision that Michaeas saw all Israell scattered like sheepe because their king was taken from them and thinke how wofull a day it will bee when this faithfull shepheard of ours which hath fed her Iacob with a true heart Formosi pecoris Custos formâ—sior ipsa an happy Queene of an happy people the Lord yet saving both her vs with the healthfull power of his right hand shall be pulled from vs. Wee haue hitherto lived in peace equall to that in the daies of Augustus such as our fathers never sawe the like and vvhen wee shall tell our childrens children to come thereof they will not beleeue it VVe haue sitten at ease vnder the shaddowe of our vines nay vnder the shaddow of this vine wee haue shaded solaced our selues and lived by her sweetnes But it may fall out that as when the Emperour Pertinax was dead they cried with redoubled showtes into the aire till they were able to cry no longer while Pertinax lived and governed wee lived in safety and feared no man so wee may send our late and helpelesse complaintes into heaven O well were wee in the daies of Queene Elizabeth when perfite peace was the walles of our country and the malice of the enemy prevailed not against vs. The sword of a forrein foe bandes and captivitye is an other of his preachers Will you not feele the warnings of Gods wrath till the yron haue entred into your soules and drawne bloud after it you knovv vvho it is that hangeth over your heades of vvhome and other princes I may say as they said in Athens of Demades and Demosthenes their oratours Demosthenes is meete for Athens iustly assised and fitted to the city Demades over-great so vvhen other kinges holde themselues contended vvith their kingdomes he is too greate for Spaine and many other kingdomes and Dukedomes cannot suffice him but he yet devoureth in hope all the dominions of Christendome and drinketh downe with vnsatiable thirst the conceipt of a Monarch and for this cause there is a busye spirite gone forth in the mouthes of all his Prophets Vnus Deus vnus Papa vnus rex Christianismi Magnus rex Catholicus vniversalis There is but one God one Poâ—e one King of Christendome the greate and Catholicke and vniversall Kinge Hee hath once already buckled his harnesse vnto him with ioye and assured presumption of victory But they that pulled it of by out-stretched arme of one more mighty than himselfe more reioyced God graunt that they bee not found in England vvho haue saide vpon that happye and miraculous event in discomfiting his forces vvee vvill trust in our bovves and our svvordes and speares shall heereafter deliver vs. There touching of late in Cornevvale the vtmost skirt of our lande no doubt vvas some little vvarning from God But it vvas no more vnto vs than if the skirt of our cloake had beene cutte avvay as it vvas to Saule vvee say our skinne is not yet rased The commotion in Irelande thoughe a quicker and more sensible admonition is but a dagger held to our side and till the pointe thereof sticke in our heart till there bee firing of our tovvnes ransackinge of our houses dashinge of our infants against the stones in the streetes vvee vvill not regarde O cease to incense the iealous God of heaven Turne not his grace and mercie into wantonnes Let not his strength bee an occasion vnto you to make you vainely confident nor his peace licenciouslye secure nor the abundance of his goodnesse abundant and intolerable in transgressing his lawes And if there were no other reason to make you tremble before his face yet do it for your owne politicke good because you are threatned by a deadly enimy vvho accompteth himselfe the cedar and vs but the thistle in Libanon and whose povver is not contemptible though God hath often cast him downe Neveuiant Romani auferant regnum à nobis at least that the Romanes and Spaniardes for they are brethren in this case come not vpon vs by the righteous sufferaunce of our God and take away our kingdome Surely our sinnes call for a skourdge and they shall receaue one For they even whip and torment the patience of God The arrowes of death are prepared against vs and they shall shine with our gall if with humble repentance we prevent them not Our pride calleth for humiliation shee is ascended on high and asketh who shall fetch me downe yet I haue red of those whose wimples and calles and perewigges haue beene turned into nakednes and baldnes and they haue run too and fro smiting their breastes and tearing the haire of their heades suffering it to be blowne about their eares with the wind and not regarding to bind it vp so much as with an haire-lace Our clocks are not vvell kept nor our chimneyes good which I haue heard to be two signes of a well ordered common wealth that is our hours are mispent our callings not followed and the breathing of the chimneies is choked vp hospitalitie and reliefe to the poore almost banished The poorer haue had their plagues already skarsitie of bread within these few yeares often renewed Their teeth haue beene cleanâ— and white through want of food when yours haue beene furred with excesse of meats and drinkes But rich men gentlemen looke also for your draught in the cup of the Lord either some mortal sickenes to your bodies to eate vp your flesh as you haue eaten others and then whose shall these thinges bee which with so much sweat of your browes carefulnes of heart wracke of conscience breach of charitie wrong to humane