such fooles euery day because they are destitute of vnderstanding Their heart is like a broken pitcher it will hold no wisdome and if it doe hold any thing it is like a syue that retaines the chaffe onely and lets the good grain passe through Saint Augustine in his time was at a non-plus what he should preach So may the Church-men be of our time for saith Saint Augufline When I did behold the louers of this World I knew not how to preach to them For the rich disdained at what I said and the poore had rather haue bread then the Manna that I brought yea and the miserable would oft times murmur that it fared better with the Preacher then with them Yet for all this the true humble soule that comes to God puts on confusion comes trembling quaking sighing and sorrowing and putteth on Elias mantle which is verecundious modesty that Princely Robe so pleasing to Almighty God The true Christian soule though afflicted in it selfe comes yet well affected to be cured If it hath retters it is well content to haue inke and gall to be sprinkled vpon it if it hath a perilous pleuresie it is contented to haue it launced lest the cure grow by delatory shifts incurable Knowing that it is against the Law of Armes Nature and Nations that Herolds and Embassadors should be euilly entreated The blessed soules that breathe and long for Heauen will heare what the Lord will say for at the last he will speake peace vnto their soules that they returne not againe to folly They will hearken vnto Gods voyce that he may hearken vnto their voyce when they call vnto him in the euill day and they will attend and waite his pleasure For in a still voyce he will speake comfort vnto them and with his powerfull hand in his owne good time hee will take them vnto himselfe for euer yea albeit God tell them of their sinnes in plaine termes and lay them open to the view of the World yet will they assure themselues that God doth it to make their iniquities appeare in their right colours as they are exceeding and out of measure sinnefull that so the godly hauing a sight of the vglinesse filth and horror of their obliquities may the sooner lothe them to the death abhor themselues in a godly hatred and sue for pardon in the meritorious sufferings of their all-sufficient Sauiour Iesus Christ Assuring themselues that Gods word which they heare is not spoken in vaine but in them that are saued worketh that good effect wherefore it is sent that as the Snowe and Raine which descend downe from Heauen returne not in vaine but water the earth that it may bring forth fruit vnto him that laboureth and seede vnto the sower so the word that we heare from God if our hearts be not heathy and sandy ground worketh that which it was sent out for to Gods glorie and mans saluation for euer You haue beene a Snare on Mizpah and a Net spread vpon Tabor And the Reuolters are profound to make slaughter albeit I haue beene a rebuker of them all No voyce nor rebuke of God or good men laying forth the hideousnesse and horror of sinnes neuer so open to the view of the conscience can preuaile with the mighty hunting Nimrods of this world to restrayne their rage and furious madnesse but still rather make their greatnes in Church Court and Common-wealth baites and guiles for their gaine and glory YOu haue heard the generall Summons the particular parties summoned and the Charge vnto them all Now ensueth what they all must attend vnto which is the Declaration setting out their sinnes and the Commination of iudgement which is the sequell of their sinnes The Declaration sets out the sinnes of all estates to be subtile sinnes high heauie and heinous sinnes All this appeares by the Declaration in these tearmes For you haue beene a snare on Mizpah and a net spread vpon Tabor And the Reuolters are profound to make slaughter albeit I haue beene a rebuker of them all These words shew foure things First the qualitie of their sins that they were Nets and Snares In which resemblance of Nets and Snares other foure things are couched First the subtilty and slyenesse of their sinnes For their trickes and deuices like Nets and Snares were so cunningly set that few or none could perceiue them Secondly the cursed gaine which they intended by their sinnes Nets and Snares are not set for nifles they intend not vaga indiuidua Thirdly the irregularity of their sins Quo warranto What Law or what Warrant had they to deuise such trickes and proiects of hauing Fourthly the stength of their Iniquities for the seely soules whom they caught being free before but now captiuated and ensnared in their trammells were brought into great bondage and extreame misery as seely Birds and harmelesse Beasts are caught in trammels Secondly in the Declaration is set downe the height of their sinnes by the two Mountains Mizpah and Tabor wherein I will not either out of Saint Ierome or Martine Luther Corographically describe their scites It is most plaine in the booke of Iosuah that Mizpah was a famous hil by the victory that Iosuah obtained neere vnto it It was a mountaine because they went vp to it and vpon it was an Altar because it is said they went vp to the Lord in Mizpah Mount Tabor is famous in the Gospel by Christs transfiguration thereon The litterall sence is this The manner of these Reuolters was to intercept by Ambuscados the poore soules that fled out of Israell to Iuda where the purer worship of God was and to bring them backe againe to Bethel or Dan as the manner of the Romanists haue beene who haue surprised vpon the Alpes those deuoute soules that hasted out of reuolted Italie to Geneuah and other reformed parts and to reduce them backe againe to their cruell Inquisition The mysticall sence is These Reuolters did ensnare Gods people by foolish and fond traditions enioyning the obseruation of them as if they had beene the true doctrines of God The Metaphoricall sence is As on these mountaines the fowlers and hunters did catch birds and beasts with nets and trammells so these in Church Court and Countrey ensnared poore weake soules with thousand mischieuances The Synecdochicall sence is They did not onely ensnare Gods people at Dan and Bethel but also extended their reuolt to the toppes of Mizpah and Tabor and where not Thirdly this Declaration shewes the horrour of their sins by words of degrees For these estates had not onely internally reuolted but euen to the view of the world externally also hauing no respect either to time place or person The set place of Gods worship at that time was Ierusalem They would worship at Dan Bethel Mizpah Tabor any where The times and holie festiuities appointed by the Law they regarded not The persons designed for the Priesthoode they fleighted Moreouer they had multiplied their Prauarications
miscreants But you will say what is all this to vs I will tell you I am no Prophet nor yet the sonne of a Prophet but without any challenge of Enthusiasme or any such dizzy dreame Tell me if Gods iudgements haue not beene towards vs in our Nation both in Court Church and Common-wealth In the Court was not Iudgement toward vs in the death of our late dread Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth when the eyes of the Iesuites were ready to drop out with expectation of our ruine and their braines aked with plotting villanies and perillous prophesies When as at the approach of our dread Soueraigne Iames this our state being in an Earth-quake was shaken and setled in a moment Was not Iudgement toward vs in that hateful and hellish gun-powder treason which had it been effected the very frame of the Court Church and Common-wealth had beene ouerthrowne in a moment Was not Iudgement towards vs when GOD tooke away from vs that hopefull peerlesse and valiant young Prince Henry Was not Iudgement toward the Church when a Praemunire was endeauoured to ensnare our Cleriques but that God diuerted it by affecting the Kings heart toward our reuerend Beaue-Peeres of Diuinity Was not Iudgement toward the Church when a nullity was intended and endeuoured to be brought vpon all proceedings of Episcopall iurisdiction in our Ecclesiastical discipline Was not Iudgement toward the Church in the decease of our rarest Diuines and greatest Schollars who were as the Chariots and Horsemen of our Israel Champion-like casting foorth their gauntlets of defiance against the proudest Prelate and most carnall Cardinall in the Conclaue of Rome If in these things the Iudgements of God had beene vpon vs as they were toward both Court and Church the Comminalty had certainely had a share therein and vndoubtedly had tasted of the same bitter Cup. Were not these things the fore-warnings of future sorrowes That many other Iudgements were not continued vpon this our Nation as the vniuersall plague of pesti'ence which extended it selfe euen to the mountaines of Wales the inundation which ouerflowed some part of our Land What time the waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee were affraid and returned into their streame-race againe the inflamation of the Element which not many dayes before the Gun-powder treason in the West-part of this Land seemed all on fire some foureteene yeeres sithence the first great frost and this later that made not onely the poore of the Land to mourne but the very beasts of the field to roare and the Birds of Heauen to droope was it not I say the wonderfull riches of Gods great mercy If now in the blessednesse of peace soundnesse of health quietnesse of state plentifulnesse of feasts and fulnesse of bread the people of this our Nation shall runne to excesse of ryot and great ones become Nets and Snares in their high places Mizpah and Tabor to their poore brethren sing Requtems to their owne soules and contemne heauenly admonitions take heede lest this Iudgement which is said to be but towards vs be not very neere vnto vs yea euen at the doore The case is otherwise with vs in England God be blessed then it was in Israel at the time of this prophecie For in our state neither Prelates nor Preachers become Nets or Snares vnto our people They make no merchandizing of the word of God as doe the Italian Montebanks of Rome Our Church-men ensnare vs not as the Romanists doe theirs with conceited Saints as salues for all sores or with rotten Romish Reliques such as are Martines bootes George his Sword Crispines cutting Knife Iosephs breeches Thomas his Shooe the swadling Clowts of Christ the Milke and Haire of the Virgin Mary and the like sopperies Neither doe they tell vs that the Breath of Christ is in that boxe as some hideous blasphemous impostors of the Latian-Lateran-monster haue made the seelie multitude beleeue The Church men of England preach vnto vs nothing but Iesus Christ crucified the great Angel of the Lord presenting to our God the vialls of odours which are the prayers of the Saints They preach vnto vs the pure Word and administer the blessed Sacraments without blending or mixture as the reliques of Iesus Christ. In the ministration whereof albeit they are by some sort of miscreants meanly handled and coursly entertained yet they haue resolued with Gideons souldiers to lap colde water before they would for filthie lucre or vaine-glorie become Nets and Snares to entangle the consciences of any the least of Gods deare ones with mis-leading vntruths or mis-perswading traditions Let vs not therefore become a by-word to forraine Nations but let vs shew our selues to be Gods true Israel as a people beleeuing that God hath appoynted a day wherein he will iudge all orders and conditions of all things that they haue done either on Mizpah or Tabor in Church or Common-wealth In which day of Iudgement he will iudge our fins that in this life haue beene precedent present or to come In which day the omnipotent omni-scient Iudge will appeare the Assessors will be innumerable and all men of all sorts shall there be presented naked Where Christ shall be the Law-giuer the Impleader the Witnesse Aduocate and Iudge Where many Orators shall impleade one the Angels whom we haue grieued by our impenitencie the poore and helplesse whom wee haue wrongfully vexed Vriah shall vrge Dauid and Naboth shall impleade Ahab for their blouds Those that haue beene corrupted by our perswasion example meanes or money shall cry out against vs. In which iudgement there shall be no cuasion no appeale For if we deny any thing heauen and earth shall witnesse it against vs If we translate our crimes we shall be pointed at with this Thou art the man If wee pleade ignorance the long time of Gods sufferings and the many yeares of the preaching of the Gospell shall be vrged against vs If we pretend necessity of sinning it will be answered it was not of co-action but of our owne corruption If wee aplogize for our selues in a Panegyricall commemoration what good deedes we haue done and how many Sermons wee haue heard the voyce will come forth from God I know you not that worke iniquity And if we become Suppliants it will not serue our turne for the maister of Requests will then bee come out of heauen If we appeale it will be told vs that God hath delegated all the iudgement to his Sonne Listen therefore vnto the voyce of Iehouahs fatherly Admonitions so shall you stand in that Iudgement Lift vp your heads and reioyce to heare Christ say Come yee blessed But if you will not heare his Commonition Confusion shall couer you as a Cloake you shall roare for dolour and that great Anathema Maranatha shall plunge you into hell with Goe ye cursed There remayneth onely an Exhortation Deprecation and Supplication wherewith I will conclude First I exhort therefore That Prayers and Supplications be made for all Estates of this
they had forsaken the sincerity of the Law and had made a medley of Gods will and humane traditions Yea they were contented because they were fat and fed plentifully euen to soothe and say as the people did without rebuking them and to swallow vp their grosse and grieuous sinnes Therefore they are summoned first as being first in blame and are set foremost in the battell after the Heluetian manner whose Parochi alwayes leade forth their armies hereupon wee reade that Huldricus Zwinglius died in the fore-front of a set encounter In which orderly proceeding of Gods iustice we learne that Iudgement begins at Gods owne house and Church-men if they offend but as others yet shall they be punished euen because they are Church-men more then others vnlesse they repent Ely a Priest of the Lord had exemplarie punishment shewed vpon him in breaking his necke as hee fell out of his Chaire for not better guiding his sons I reade no such seuerity shewed vpon the Priests of Midian The Priests sonnes Nadab and Abihu Aarons darlings for offering strange fire are burnt vp sodainly with fire that came out from God I reade no such sodaine plague to befall Adramelech and Sharazer that slew Senacherib their owne father The Priests daughter that played the whore was to be burnt I reade not the like sore punishment appoynted to other mens daughters What shall we say Apostles not Apostates Euangelists not Extrauagants Prophets not Poets holy Virgins not impudent Harlots haue beene the Spectacles of persecution and gazing-stockes of disgrace despight and cruelty both to men and Angels Yea no matricide as Nero no fratricide as Cayn no Regicide as Rauillac no sulphureous gun-pouder Traytor euer indured such exquisite tortures and torments wherewith it hath pleased God to afflict trie and exercise his owne Church by the hands of cursed Persecutors Prelates therefore and Preachers must tremble vnder the mightie hand of God for albeit the Scripture entitles them Angels yet they are not so by nature but by office Diuels may appeare in the shape of Angels of Light and take part with the spirits of Darkenesse against Christ yea they may be bad Angels in all kinde of badnesse Angels of Sathan by discord as were Iannes and Iambres Angels of Apostacie through Pride as was proude Diotrephes who loued the preheminence Angels of Inâ—ubus by wantonnesse as were the Priests of Priapus and Beelphegor Angels of the bottomlesse pit through base Couetousnesse who spend all their time in seeking basely to haue All these and the like are the Locusts of the bottomlesse pit and their destruction is therein for euermore Prelates and Preachers are Starres but if they become wandering starres or bitter starres of Wormewood or falling starres or starres placed in the Dragons tayle their portion is to be cast downe and to be reserued to the blackenesse of darknesse for euer Our Sauiour saith If the light of the world lose its brightnesse how great will that darkenesse be and if the Salt loâ—â— its sauour wherewith shall it be seasoned It is good for nothing but to be cast forth to the dunghill Prelates and Preachers therefore being the light of the world and Salt of the earth must tremble vnder the mightie hand of God For if they be vnsauourie salt like Ecebolius they shall be trode vnder the peoples feete If negligent seruants their woe is at hand And if the Doctours of the Church become Seducers the Prelates proue Pilates the Pastours become Impostors and the Disposers of Gods truth turne Dissipators and destroyers Gods iudgement wil be toward them and that in more grieuous manner then toward others For Centinels in neglect of their watch or ward are more to be punished then the other ordinary souldiers Commissioners beare blame if their embassage be not carefully deliuered and the seruant that knoweth his Maisters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Thus wee see Iudgement begins at the house of God but the Scripture doth not say it ends there If the Lord search Ierusalem with Lights what will become thinke you of Babylon If the top of Carmel doe wither what will become of the valley of the children of Hinnon If woe be denounced against Capernaum Bethsaida Corazin what belongs to Damascus Azzah Edom and the like If the righteous scarce be saued where shall the wicked and sinners appeare The title of Priest being formerly glorious in this worst age of the world is by dis-vsage and abuse growne into miserable contempt and disgrace but howsoeuer the worldlings esteeme of Church-men disgrace them how they will yet it hath pleased God to vse those weake and feeble instruments to the aduancement of his glory and the saluation of man Not by their owne woorths but by Gods owne power and vertue who when hee taketh the meanest things into his hands workes powerfully by them whatsoeuer pleaseth him By Salt taken into Gods hand God maketh the bitter waters of Iericho to become sweete by ordinary water of a common riuer cureth the Leprosie of Naaman By dreames reuealeth the certaintie of future occurrences to Pharaoh Gideon and Nebuchadnezzar By Clay maketh the blinde to see By Touch cureth the palsey restoreth sight and raiseth vp to life againe By his word casteth out vncleane spirits and by the shadow of a man cureth diuers diseases Say then if Prelates and Preachers in the worlds estimation be but as ordinary water salt clay and as the hemme of a garment yet we see if God take them into his hand as in his hand al his Prelates and Preachers are he worketh by them both great and marueilous effects If the world esteem Church-men but as ordinary Iordan God may vse them to cleanse your Leprosies but as salt by Gods grace they may make you taste goodnes but as durt trampled vnder your feet yet through God they may make you see your selues and sinnes and if they be but shadowes yet they may haunt you like ghosts vntill you returne vnto the Lord your God Yea say you But many Church-men run before they be sent True But euery plant that our heauenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted vp Againe you vrge If Church-men were in the hand of God as you say there would no doubt be a plentifull haruest by their hands Well was not Peter and Paul in the hand of God for I speak to Christians why was one of them esteemed a drunkard while he preached and the other a mad man by miscreaÌ„ts Is not the seed al one that is sowed whence then is the difference of thirty sixty and an hundred fold and some-where no encrease No no the actions of agents are in the Patients rightly disposed Therfore to the children of Wisdome the very feet of Church-men are beautifull they pray for them and count them worthy of double honor Yea say ye so they are if they be good
Church-men Who art thou that iudgest an other mans seruant And what wiseman careth to be iudged of the world Who knowes not that thousands haue bin condemned in the world for euill doers that are Angells in heauen and who knowes not that Traitors Emissaries and Assasinates of villanie haue beene canonized by the Popelings for Saints that haue beene on earth the organs of Sathan and firebrands of matchlesse mischiefe Neuer was any people more blessed then this our Nation with painefull maisters of the Assemblies preaching Prelates and carefull Church-men whose names are famous in transmarine parts yea thousands there are of Church-men of little account in England that are able God be blessed to cope and encounter with the proudest Cardinall in the Conclaue at Rome Yet I am perswaded and it is easie to demonstrate that the Seminaries of the Romish Church that are imprisoned in London and else-where liue in better content then some worthy conformable Church-men in England For what betweene the Seminaries and Iesuites without and those that are auerse to the present gouernment within together with the prophane on euery side griping Patrons peeuish Parishioners and the like the poore Conformalist so liues that hee may neuer feare a Purgatory heereafter he shall be throughly purged I warrant him before hee dies to cause his passage easie if need be Insomuch that in the day of Iudgement God may call out some of the heathen to condemne this generation which despiseth the Priesthood Out of the Graecians Alexander the Great who kneeled downe to Iaddo the High-priest Out of the Barbarians furious Attilas who was appeased with the Oration of Leo Bishop of Rome The ancient Persians condemne our neglect of Church-men who honoured their Magi. The olde Romans who dignified their Vestall Virgins the auncient Gaules who magnified their Druides and the Indies who deified their Gymnosophistes yea among Christians the ignorant Moscouites or Russites who trauelling vp to Mosco from Boristhenes and other remote places carrying thither their children to be baptized bring also with them their rich Felles and Furres to lay vnder the Priests feete in the extreamitie of colde that they may take no harme in the time they baptize their children and our ignorant fore-fathers will rise to condemne vs who pretend to haue all the knowledge for if they could haue got but a sottish Masse-priest in a corner Oh how would they crouch and cap yea kneele to him as if he had beene some deitie and we their posterity sleight the Euangelicall ministers of Iesus Christ But what thinke you hardens the hearts of prophane persons against Churchmen Surely this for that they see Gods owne deare Children as much punished yea often more then others The Arke of God is taken by the Philistimes and Israel flies good Iosiah is slaine by wicked Pharoh Neco in the field of Megiddo Turkes subdue Christians Dauid Gods darling doth but number the people and is plagued Augustus Caesar taxeth the whole World and is secure Therefore they resolue that surely it is better to serue Mammon then the Mediator But let all Worldlings take heed of such reasoning and let all despiser stand amazed and wonder For God is not slacke concerning his promise as some men account flacknesse but is long-suffering to vs-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance let them answere God in this Doest thou despise the riches of Gods goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance Saint Augustine will tell the worldlings that in the world to come so good things shall be giuen to the good that the wicked shall not so much as haue either a sight or taste of them and so euill things shall befall the cursed that the good shall not once touch them for if in this life all wickednesses and all euils were punished there would be nothing to be iudged in the other life and yet if nothing at all were here exemplarily punished by God the worldlings would take no notice of his prouidence In conclusion therefore Church-men must learne rather to reason with Saint Peter If God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them downe to hell and deliuered them into the chaines of darkenesse to be reserued vnto iudgement will he spare them that are either wandering starres or starres of worme-wood The big-bon'd Nimrods of the World that put far from them the euill day must lesson themselues from Saint Peter If the iust and righteous be scarcely saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare What then remaines but that earnest prayers be poured out for my selfe and my brethren the Ministers of Christ O Iehouah Eloim grant to our Prelates that whiles they are here the zeale of thy house may eaâ—e them vp that they may guide thy people with the sincerity of their hearts and with the discretion of their hands and when they are gone hence that they may shine with thee as the starres of Heauen in glory Grant to all Preachers that their hearts may be cloathed with thy righteousnesse their mindes rectified with thy sauing knowledge and their mouthes filled with thy most holy Word Grant Lord that both the life and learning of Prelates and Preachers both in saying well and doing well may be to thy people by the power of thy Word the Water of life the Bread of Heauen a Touchstone for discerning of heresies a Sword for decision of Controuersies the Keyes to open Heauen the Harpe of Dauid to comfort the distressed and that all thy people may esteeme of Churchâ—men as the coâ—uoyes of thy grace of thy most sacred treasure and of the most holy reliques of Iesus Christ. Grant Lord to Prince Priests and People such grace that they make vp their accounts with diligence against thy Iudgement and great audite day O let the faithfull witnesse in Heauen say hereunto Amen O ye House of Israel In a religious Common-wealth the common people are incompassed with blessings from God on euery side from the Church and from the Court both set vp by God for blessings to their soules bodies goods and good names THE Church-men hath beene summoned in the first place the Common-wealthes men follow in the second with these termes of Summons Hearken O ye House of Israel That they are an House is a speciall fauour but that they are an House of Israel is a supereminent blessing Whence I obserue that forasmuch as the people are ranged betweene the Priests and the Princes and tearmed The House of Israel it sheweth that In a religious Common-wealth the common people are encompassed with blessings from God on euery side from the Church and from the Court both set vp by God for blessings to their soules bodies goods and good names This appeares out of the very words of the Text For these people not long before were the House of bondage and slauery but now are setled in an
sacramentally which if they receaue worthily they goe on in the world breathing out breath fearefull to the very Deuill himselfe and to all the powers of darknesse as golden-mouthed Chrisostome vsed to speake vnto his Antiochians yea wherewith wee goe confidently on in the spirit of Dauid that albeit we walke through the valley of the shadow of death yet feare wee none ill for euery Christian in that case is as it were another Christ. So doth Saint Ambrose reade that place in the Galathians In a word the people are blessed by the State Ecclesiasticall through the ministration of the Word by which God remoueth all impediments that hinder the course of their Saluation For Christ thereby powreth on them Ezechiels pure water to purge their impurities pruneth off the wilde branches cutteth off all superfluities at last vtterly abolisheth the houres and powers of darkenesse drowneth Pharaoh in the red Sea of his bloud and beateth downe Satan vnder their feete Thus are they blessed on euery side by Moses by Aaron by the Pillar of a cloud of witnesses in spirituall affaires by the Pillar of fire in secular negotiations by the Church by the Court in their all so that I may conclude with the Psalmist Saluation belongeth onely to the Lord and his blessing is vpon his people both from the State politique and from the State Ecclesiasticall The vse of this concernes both the Kingdome in generall the Chamber of the Kingdome in particular and euery mans conscience indiuidually Doth not the people of this Land the house of England see and consider how God hath made our State his owne deare darling which the Iesuites and other emissaries of Rome spite at Hath not God chosen it as his Lilly among the flowers of the field as the Doue among the Fowles of Heauen as the Cedar among the Trees of the Forrest as his Iudea among the Nations and as his Syon amongst the mountains Is not this our Iland the house of preuailing Israel a Sanctuary for his Elect an Oracle for his Word and an habitation for himselfe Is not our Republique to Rome as Aegina to Athens not onely an eye-sore but an heart-sore The State-politique whereof doth right euery man both in iudgement and iustice The principall agent of Iustice vnder the King is called in the abstract the Chiefe-Iustice The King himselfe is the fountaine of all Iustice and doth delegate his power of administration vnto seuerall Iustices Itinerant who in their set circuits for the benefit and ease of the subiect doe expedite the lesser causes Yea the whole Land being diuided into Shires or Shares Hundreds Wapentakes and Tithings that euery man to the number of tenne may answere for each other and may be liable to Law if they doe any harme and also may receiue right to that number in euery particular place and Parish The inferiour Courts are erected for the good of the subiect in smaller causes and the Parliament in supreame causes is conueened wherein the King himselfe albeit he hath royall assent in all yet by Law Reason and Religion he is legally limited and concluded So that vncontrolled no wicked Nimrod can offend by strong hunting no cursed Macheuillian by damnable Statizing nor any griping Zacheus by forged cauillations Our Christian King hath so prouided that this his house of England may be indeed the house of preuailing Israel That God may generally be honoured hee hath ordained as the King of Babel in his Prouinces that all his subiects within the foure seas may truly worship the God of Israel That God may be pleased with our prayers and fastings he hath ordained a Lent as the King of Niniue a fast That God may be glorified with a Festiuity hee hath consecrated the fift of Nouember to his diuine worship in thankes-giuing for the States wonderfull deliuerance from the hellish Gun-pouder Treason as Queene Hester ordained the Feast of Purim for the Iewes deliuerance from wicked Hamans cruelty Hee hath set an order to things indifferent as did good King Ioas that there may be no confusion no schisme in his Land He hath restrayned foolish vaine and idle questions both priuate and publique with all fruitlesse opposition lest that carpet-Preachers should through a singular spirit broach the Lees of Anabaptisme Brownisme Vorstianisme and other fanaticall delusions and lest they should sow schismes heresies and seditious murmurings amongst his Christian subiects In a word our King hath taken course that the hand of violence may in no wise touch the bodies of his subiects to which purpose Coroners are appointed in all shires and corporate Townes to enquire by secret inquest vpon such as come to violent or vntimely deaths that the Kings Delegates may be certified how his Subiects come to their ends He hath also most Christianly prouided that your goods may be kept from rapine fraud and cousenage To which purpose are ordained Clerkes of Markets to looke to weights and measures and Iudges and Iustices for theeues robbers and all other oppressors And also for your reputation and good name he hath ordained that no black-mouthed Curre with a tongue enflamed by hell fire shall besmut the same but he is lyable to censure Is not therefore the blessing of God vpon the people from the state Politique Neither are the people lesse blessed by the state Ecclesiasticall Neuer more preaching Prelates in our Israel neuer more able Ministers ouer the Land applying themselues in euery case of conscience as godly Casuists vnto all the distressed in minde To which purpose some haue Moses Rod for miracles Aarons Belles for comfort Dauids Harpe for the howlings of hell Salomons Sword for decision of controuersies others haue Ieremies Hammer to breake the hard-hearted Esayes Trumpet to awaken the drowsie Peters Keyes to open the ioyes of Heauen to such as are weary of this life becomming the sons of solace to the tender conscience and the sonnes of thunder to a boysterous and big-boned Nimrod In a word becomming all to all that they may winne some Say then if the blessing of God be not also on the people from the state Ecclesiastique Descend wee from the state of the Kingdome to the Chamber of the Kingdome the great City of London What blessings hath not that City from the state Politique in their bodies goods and good name which if any man impeach hee is lyable to Law How are the soules and consciences of the Citizens blessed by that sacred Company of many able Preachers to whom God hath giuen the Word Insomuch that I may truly say that no City in the World on which the Sunne shineth hath more cause to magnifie God and to multiply their thankefulnesse Oh how many and how manifold are Gods blessings vpon that City Oh how many are the wayes that God hath reuealed for the saluation of chose Citizens Insomuch that a man may take vp the words which Saint Chrisostome vsed to his Antiochians Is it possible that a people fed with