Clingius the Franciscan aduise in this case that is Let all false conceit and preposterous confidence bee remooued from it that the trust which should onely be put in the merit of Christ bee not placed vpon these courses and let no man thinke that hereby he deserues righteousnesse remission grace and lastly which I adde remoue but idlenesse superstition necessitie from this kinde of life and we doe not we will not disallow it Neither doe we take our Colledges for any other than certaine sacred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 monasticall Academies wherein according to the precept of Pelagius the Pope we may be maturely fitted for these holy seruices of God and his Church such were the Monasteries of the Ancient insomuch as Possidonius can witnesse that Saint Austen out of one little house Possid in vita Aug. sent forth ten labourers into the haruest of the Church SECTION XIIII Concerning the Canon of the Scripture NOw lest I be too tedious it is time for mee from these points which doe directly concerne our selues to hasten vnto those which do more closely touch the Maiestie of God and doe as it were send plaine challenges into heauen And those do either respect the Scripture which is his expressed word or Christ which is his naturall and substantiall Word or lastly the worship due vnto his Name And first the Scripture complaines iustly of three maine wrongs offered to it The first of addition to the Canon The second of detraction from the sufficiencie of it The third of hanging all the authoritie thereof vpon the sleeue of the Church For of that corrupt Translation of Scripture which the Trent Diuines haue made onely and fully authenticall I forbeare purposely to speake although it were easie to shew that which Reuchline following the steps of Hierom hath auerred That the Hebrewes drinke of the Well head the Greekes of the streame Hier. aduers â—eluidium and the Latines of the puddle neither will I so much as touch the iniurious inhibition of those holy bookes to the Laity Who can endure a piece of new cloth to bee patched vnto an old garment Or what can follow whence but that the rent should bee worse I referre the reader for the citation of these to my disswasiue from Popery Who can abide that against the faithfull information of the Hebrewes against the cleere Testimonies of Melito Cyril Athanasius Origen Hilary Hierom Ruffinus Nazianzen against their owne Doctors both of the middle and latest age six whole bookes should by their fatherhoods of Trent be vnder pain of a curse imperiously obtruded vpon God his Church Whereof yet some propose to their Readers no better than magicall iugglings others bloudy selfe murders other lying fables and others heathenish 〈◊〉 not without a publike applause in the relation These indeed Caâ—â—â—â— ingennously as his fashion is according to that he had learned of Hierome would perswade vs to haue beene admitted onely by the Ancients into the Canon of Manners not of Faith And surely there be many precepts in Syracider the counterfeit Salomon and Esdraâ— which sauour of excellent wisedome but I wonder what kinde of good manners can be learned from such like histories Catechâ—â—â—eni euen by those Nouices to whom Athanasius bequeaths these bookes Well may I say of these as that Chian seruant of his Master which sold his wine Epith. l. 1. sect 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si quis l. Hester Dan Baeruc Eccl. Iudith Tob. Macca pro Canonicis non recipâ—rit Anathema fit sect 4. Apoc. vlt. and dranke his lees while they haue good they seeke for naught But let these bookes how questionable soeuer to Ephiphanius be all sacred let them be according to the meaning of the councell of Carthage and of Austen so oft cited to this purpose after Canonicall yet what man or Angel dare presume to vndertake to make them diuine Wee know full well how great impietie it is to father vpon the God of heauen the weake conceptions of an humane wit neither can we be any whit moued with the idle cracke of the Tridentine curse whiles we heare God thundring in our eares If any man adde vnto these words God shall adde vnto him the plagues written in this book SECTION XV. Of the Insufficiencie of Scripture NEither know I whether it be more wickedly audacious to fasten on God those things which be neuer wrote or to weaken the authority and denie the sufficiencie of what he hath written The Papists doe both We affirme saith Bellarmine that there is not expressely contained in Scriptures all necessary doctrine either concerning faith Lib. 4. de verbo non scripto c. 30. sect 1. Pari veneratiâ—â—e pari pietatis affectu or manners And the Tridentine Fathers giue charge that Traditions be receiued with no lesse Pietie and Veneration than the Bookes of Scripture Vnwritten Truths saith our wittie Chancellour More are equiualent to the Word of God What place is there for peace There are we confesse certaine things of a middle nature indifferent rites wherein much must be yeelded to the Church much to Traditions but that those things which are simply necessary to saluation whetherto be knowne or to be done should not be found in the holy Scriptures either in their words Per verba per sensum or in their sense as Aquinas distinguishes we iustly hold absurd and with Erasmus contrary to all true diuinitie Some Constitutions for publike order are from the Church but all necessary determinations of faith are to be fetcht from the voyce of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Can. Nic. Graec. con Pisan â—innius Conc. Tom. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is as Nissen truely commends it the right and euen rule of life The law of God is perfect saith Dauid yea and makes perfect saith Paul And what can be added to that which is already perfect or what perfection can there be where some necessary points are wanting yea if we may beleeue Hosius the greatest part How much is the Spirit of God mis-taken Hee wrote these things that wee might beleeue and in beleeuing be saued But now if Trent may be iudge although we beleeue what he hath written yet wee cannot be saued vnlesse we doe also receiue and beleeue what he hath not written How ill was Constantine taught of old how ill aduised in that publike speech for which yet we doe not finde that any of those Worthies of â—ice Theod. l. 1. c. â— Tert. de praeser l. â—â—â—er Her Origin c. 16. 〈◊〉 Rom. Achae in synops Ambr. lib. 3. Hex c. 3. did so much as iogge him on the elbow in a milde reproofe whiles hee sayd The bookes of the Euangelists Apostles as also the Oracles of the Ancient Prophets doe plainely instruct vs in the message and meaning of God How miserably were euery one of the learned Fathers of the Church blinded that they could neuer either see or acknowledge
enuious vnderminings secret idolatry hypocriticall fashionablenesse haue spred themselues all ouer the world The Sunne of peace looking vpon our vncleane heaps hath bred these monsters and hath giuen light to this brood of darknesse Looke about you and see if three great Idols Honour Pleasure Gaine haue not shared the earth amongst them and left him least whose all is Your deniall driues mee to particulars I vrge no further If any aduersary insult in my confession tell him that I account them the greatest part of this euill neither could thus complaine if they were not VVho knowes not that as the earth is the dregs of the world so Italy is the dregs of the earth Rome of Italy It is no wonder to finde Satan in his Hell but to find him in Paradise is vncouth and grieuous Let them alone that will dye and hate to be cured For vs O that remedies were as easie as complaints That we could be as soone cleared as conuinced That the taking of the medicine were but so difficult as the prescription And yet nothing hinders vs from health but our wil neither Gospell nor Grace nor Glory are shut vp onely our hearts are not open Let me turne my stile from you to the secure to the peruerse tho why doe I hope they will heare mee that are deafe to God they will regard words that care not for iudgements Let me tell them yet if in vaine they must breake if they bow not That if mercy may be refused yet vengeance cannot be resisted that God can serue himselfe of them perforce neither to their thanke nor ease that the present plagues doe but threaten worse Lastly that if they relent not hell was not made for nothing What should be done then Except we would faine smart each man amend one and we all liue How commonly doe men complaine and yet adde to this heape Redresse stands not in words Let euery man pull but one brand out of this fire and the flame will goe out alone What is a multitude but an heape of vnities The more we deduce the fewer we leaue O how happy were it then if euery man would begin at home and take his owne heart to task and at once be his owne Accuser and Iudge to condemne his priuate errors yea to mulct them with death Till then alas what auailes it to talke While euery man censures and no man amends what is it but busie trifling But tho our care must begin at our selues it may not end there Who but a Cain is not his brothers keeper Publike persons are not so much their owne as others are theirs Who sits at the common sterne cannot distinguish betwixt the care of his owne safety and his vessels both drowne at once or at once salute the hauen Ye Magistrates for in you stand al our lower hopes whom God hath on purpose in a wise surrogation set vpon earth to correct her disorders take to your selues firme fore-heads courageous hearts hands busie and not partiall to discountenance shamelesse wickednesse to resist the violent sway of euils to execute wholesome lawes with strictnes with resolutiō The sword of the Spirit meets with such iron hearts that it both enters not and is rebated Loe it appeales to your arme to your ayd An earthen edge can best pierce this hardned earth If iniquity die not by your hands we perish And ye sonnes of Leui gather to your Moses in the gate of the Campe consecrate your hands to God in this holy slaughter of vice Let your voice be both a trumpet to incite and a two-edged sword to wound and kill Cry downe sinne in earnest and thunder out of that sacred chaire of Moses and let your liues speake yet louder Neither may the common Christian sit still and looke on in silence I am deceiued if in this cause God allow any man for priuate Here must bee all actors no witnesses His discreet admonitions seasonable reproofes and prayers neuer vnseasonable besides the power of honest example are expected as his due tribute to the common health What if we cannot turne the streame Yet we must swim against it euen without conquest it is glorious to haue resisted in this alone they are enemies that doe nothing Thus as one that delights more in amendment then excuse I haue both censured and directed The fauour of your sentence proceeds I know from your owne innocent vprightnesse So iudge of my seuere taxation It shall be happy for vs if wee can at once excuse and diminish accuse and redresse iniquity Let but the indeuour be ours the successe to GOD. EPISTLES THE THIRD AND LAST VOLVME CONTAINING TWO DECADS BY IOS HALL LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE MOST HIGH AND EXCELLENT PRINCE HENRY PRINCE of WALES All happinesse MOst Gratious Prince LEt me not whiles I desire to be dutifull seeme importunate in my dedications J now bring to your Highnesse these my last and perhaps most materiall Letters wherein if J mistake not as how easily are wee deceiued in our owne the pleasure of the variety shall striue with the importance of matter There is no worldly thing I confesse whereof I am more ambitious then of your Highnesses contentment which that you place in goodnesse is not more your glory then our ioy Doe so still and heauen and earth shall agree to blesse you and vs in you For me after this my officious boldnesse I shall betake my selfe in silence to some greater worke wherein J may approue my seruice to the Church and to your Highnesse as her second ioy and care My heart shall be alwayes and vpon all opportunities my tongue and pen shall no lesse gladly be deuoted to my gratious Master as one Who reioyce to be your Highnesses though vnworthy yet faithfull and obsequious Seruant IOS HALL THE SVMME OF THE SEVERALL EPISTLES DECAC V. EP. 1. To my B. Lord of Bathe and Wels. Discoursing of the causes and meanes of the increase of Popery EP. 2. To my Lord Bishop of Worcester Shewing the differences of the present Church from the Apostolicall and needlesnesse of our conformity thereto in all things EP. 3. To my Lady MARY DENNY Containing the description of a Christian and his differences from the worldling EP. 4. To my Lady HONORIA HAY. Discoursing of the necessity of Baptisme and the estate of those which necessarily want it EP. 5. To Sir RICHARD LEA. Discoursing of the comfortable remedies of all afflictions EP. 6. To Mr PETER MOLIN Preacher of the Church at Paris Discoursing of the late French occurrents and what vse God expects to bee made of them EP. 7. To Mr THOMAS SVTTON Exciting him and in him all others to early and cheerfull beneficence shewing the necessitie and benefit of good workes EP. 8. To E. B. Dedicated to Sir GEORGE GORING Remedies against dulnes and heartlesnes in our callings and encouragements to cheerfulnesse in labour EP. 9. To Sir IOHN HARRINGTON
that giues the inward grace But hath not God giuen inward grace by our outward Ministerie Your hearts shall be our witnesses What wil follow therefore but that our Ministerie is his peculiar appointment SEP Where say you are those rotten heaps of Transubstantiating of bread And where say I leâ—â—ned you your deuout kneeling to or before the bread but from that error of Transubstantiation Yea what lesse can it insinuate than either that or some other the like idolatrous conceit If there were not some thing more in the Bread and Wine than in the water at Baptisme or in the Word read or preâ—â—â—ed Why should such solemne kneeling bee so seuerely pressed at that 〈◊〉 rather than vpon the other occasions And well and truely haue your owne men affirmed that it were farre lesse sinne and appearance of an Idolatrie that is nothing so grosse to tye men in their Prayers to kneele before a Crucifixe than before the Bread and Wine and the reason followeth for that Papists commit an Idolatrie far more grosse and odious in worshipping the Bread than in worshipping any other of their Images or Idols whatsoeuer Apol. of the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Dioc. part 1. pag. 66. SECTION XXXVI OVR kneeling you deriue like a good Herald from the errour of Transubstantiation but to set downe the descent of this pedigree will trouble you Kneeling at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper De Consecr d. 2. Ego Bereng Apol. we doe vtterly denie it and challenge your proofe How new a fiction Transubstantiation is appeares out of Berengaries Recantation to Pope Nicholas The error was then so young it had not learned to speake shew vs the same noueltie in our kneeling Till of 〈◊〉 bleâ—â—eld not the Bread to bee God of olde they haue held it saâ—â—ed This is the gesture of reuerence in our Prayer at the receit as Master Burgesse wâ—ll interpreted it not of idolatrous adoration of the Bread This was most-what in the eleuation the abolishing whereof cleares vs of this imputation you know wee hate this conceit why doe you thus force wrongs vpon the innocent Neither are we alone in this vse The Church of Bohemy allowes and practises it and why is this error lesse palpable in the wafers of Geneua If the King should offer vs his hand to kisse wee take it vpon our knees how much more when the King of Heauen giues vs his Sonne in these Pledges But if there were not somthing more than iust reuerence why doe we solemnely kneele at the Communion not at Baptisme Can you finde no difference In this besides that there is both a more liuely and feeling signification of the thing represented we are the parties but in the other witnesses This therefore I dare boldly say that if your partner M. Smith should euer which God forbid perswade you to rebaptize your fittest gesture or any others at full age would be to receiue that Sacramentall water kneeling How glad you are to take all scraps that fall from any of ours for your aduantage Would to God this obseruation of your malicious gathering would make all our reuerend Brethren wary of their censures Surely no idolatry can be worse than that Popish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Bread and the Crucifix striue for the higher place if we should therefore be so tied to kneele before the Bread as they are tied to kneele before the Crucifix their sentence were iust They adore the Crucifix not we the Bread they pray to the Crucifix not we to the Bread they direct their deuotions at the best by the Crucifix to their Sauiour we doe not so by the Bread we kneele no more to the Bread than to the Pulpit when we ioyne our praiers with the Ministers But our quarrell is not with them you that can approue their iudgements in dislike might learne to follow them in approbation and peaceable Communion with the Church if there be a galled place you will be sure to light vpon that Your charity is good whatsoeuer your wisdome be SEP To let passe your deuout kneeling vnto your Ordinary when you take the Oath of Canonicall obedience or receiue absolution at his hands which as the maine actions are religious must needs be religious adoration what is the adoring of your truly humane though called Diuine Seruice booke in and by which you worship God at the Papists doe by their Images If the Lord Iesus in his Testament haue not commanded any such Booke it is accursed and abominable if you thinke he haue shew vs the place where that we may know it with you or manifest vnto vs that euer the Apostles vsed themselues or commended to the Churches after them any such Seruice booke Was not the Lord in the Apostles time and Apostolike Churches purely and perfectly worshipped when the Officers of the Church in their ministration manifested the spirit of prayer which they had receiued according to the present necessities and occasions of the Church before the least pâ—rcell of this pacchery came into the World And might not the Lord now be also purely and perfectly worshipped though this printed image with the painted and câ—â—â—ed â—â—â—ges were sent backe to Rome yea or cast to Hell from whence both they and it came Spâ—â—ke in your selfe might not the Lord be intirely worshipped with pure and holy worship though 〈◊〉 other Booke but the holy Scriptures were brought into the Church If yes as who can denyâ—â— that knowes what the worship of God meaneth what then doth your Seruice booke there The Word of God is perfect and admitteth of none addition Cursed be he that addeth to the Word of the Lord and cursed be that which is added and so he your great idoll the Communion booke though like Nabuchadnezzars Image some part of the matter be Gold and Siluer which is also so much the more detestable by how much it is the more highly aduanced amongst you SECTION XXXVII Whether our Ordinary and Seruice booke be made Idols by vs. YEt 〈◊〉 Idolatry And which is more New and strange such I dare say as will nâ—â—er be found in the two 〈◊〉 Commandements Behold here two now Idols Our Ordinary and our Seruice booke a speaking Idoll and a written Idoll Calecute hath â—ne-strange Deitie the Deuill Siberia many whose people worship euery day what they see first Rome hath many merry Saints but Saint Ordinary and Saint Seruice booke were neuer heard of till your Canonization In earnest doe you thinke we make our Ordinary an idoll What else you kneele deuoutly to him when you receiue either the Oath or Absolution This must needs be religious adoration is there no remedy You haue twice kneeled to our Vice-Chancellor when you were admitted to your degree you haue oft kneeled to your Parents and Godfathers to receiue a blessing did you make Idols of them the party to be ordained kneeles vnder the hand of the Presbyterie doth he religiously adore them Of old they were wont to kisse the
liberos familiae curam gero c. Qui moâ—tâ—m Vertices accuparunt c. Quid â—is homo non est tui negâ—tij scripturas evoluere c. 〈◊〉 tuum magis est quam illorum c. Non nunc fieri potest vt quisquaÌ„ c. Nae negligamus nobis parare libros c. Quid igitur inâ— c. Publicani Piscatores Tabernacularum â—pifices Pastores Apostoli idiota illiterati c. and haue a great charge to looke to It is not for me to read the Scriptures but for them which haue cast off the world which haue taken vp the solitarie tops of Mountaines for their dwellings which liue this contemplatiue kind of life continually What sayest thou O man is it not for thee to turne ouer the Scriptures because thou art distracted with infinite cares Nay then it is for thee more than for them for they doe not so much neede the helpe of the Scriptures as you that are tost in the midst of the waues of worldly businesse And soone after Neither can it be possible that any man should without great fruit be perpetually conuersant in this spirituall exercise of reading and straight Let vs not neglect to buy our selues Bookes lest we receiue a wound in our vitall parts and after he hath compared the Bookes of Scripture to Gold hee addeth But what say they if we vnderstand not those things which are contained in those Bookes What gaine we then Yes surely though thou dost not vnderstand those things which are there laid vp yet by the very reading much holinesse is got Although it cannot be that thou shouldest be alike ignorant of al thou readest for therefore hath the Spirit of God so dispensed this Word that Publicanes Fishers Tent-makers Shepheards and Goat-heards plaine vnlettered men may be saued by these Bookes least any of the simpler sort should pretend this excuse Note that which is read in Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some better copies is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Goat-heards more agreable to the place Vt famulus vidua mulier omnium hominum indoctissimus exaudita lectione aliquid lucri vtilitatisque reportet Hom. in Gen. 29. Obsecro vt subinde huc veniatis c. In Coloss Hom. 9. Audite obsecro Seculares omnes c. Rhemists in their Preface to their Testament Bellarm. de verb. lib. 2. cap. 15. Haeretici huius temporis omnes in eo conueniunt vt oporteat Scripturas omnibus permittere imo tradere in sua lingua c. At Catholica Ecclesia c. Prohibet ne passim omnibus sine discriâ—ine concedatur eiusmodi lectio c. Duraeus contra Whit. lib. 6. Si Christianis omnibus vt Scripturas forâ—tentur à Christo dictum esse intelligis in magus certè errore c. Promiscuâ— fidelium turbae c. Basil Ep. 82. That all things which are said should be easie to discerne and that the workman the seruant the poore widdow and the most vnlearned of all other by hearing of the Word read might get some gaine and profit And the same Father elsewhere I beseech you saith hee that you come speedily hither and hearken diligently to the reading of the Holy Scriptures and not only when you come hither but also at home take the Bible into your hands and by your diligent care reape the profit contained in it Lastly in his Homilies vpon the Epistle to the Colossians he cries out Heare I beseech you O all you secular men prouide you Bibles which are the medicines for the soule At least get the new Testament Now on the contrary let the new religion of Rome speake first by her Rhemish Iesuites thus We may not think that the translated Bibles into vulgar tongues were in the hands of euery husbandman artificer prentice boyes girles Mistresse Maid Man that they were sung played alledged of euery Tinker Tauerner Rimer Minstrell The like words of scorne and disgrace are vsed by HOSIVS and by ECKIVS and by BELALR de verb. l. 2. c. 15. The wise will not heere regard say our Rhemists what some wilfull people doe mutter that the Scriptures are made for all men c. And soone after they compare the Scriptures to Fire Water Candles Kniues Swords which are indeede needfull c. but would marre all if they were at the guiding of other than wise men All the Heretikes of this time saith BELLARMINE agree that the Scriptures should be permitted to all and deliuered in their owne Mother tongue But the Catholike Church forbids the reading of the Scriptures by all without choice or the publike reading or singing of them in vulgar tongues as it is decreed in the Councell of Trent Sess 22. c. 8. Can. 9. If you thinke saith DVRAEVS that Christ bade all Christians to seach the Scriptures you are in a grosse error For how shall rude and ignorant men search the Scriptures c. And so he concludes that the Scriptures were not giuen to the common multitude of Beleeuers Iudge now what either we say or these Papists condemne besides the ancient iudgement of the Fathers and if euer either CALVIN or LVTHER haue bin more peremptory in this matter than S. CHRYSOST I vow to be a Papist If ours bee not in this the old religion be not you ours Yet this one passage further and then no more lest I weary you Our question is whether the Scriptures depend vpon the authoritie of the Church or rather vpon the authoritie of Scriptures Heare first the ancient Church with and for vs The question is saith S. Aug. de vâ—late Ecclesiae siue Epist contra Potilianum Donatistam cap. 2. Inter nos autem Donatistas questio est vbi sit Ecclesia quid ergo facturisumus in verbis nostris eam qua situri c. Aug. ibid. cap. 16. Vtrum ipsi Ecclesiam teneant non nisi Diuinarum Scripturarum Canonicis libris ostendunt c. Quia nec nos propterea dicimus c. Aug. in Psal 69. in illa verba Omnes qui quaerunt te c. Ne in ecclesiam errares ne quis c. Multi enim dixerunt carnem non habuisse osteÌ„dit c. So Epi. 166. in Ps 57. c. Chrysost Hom. in Matth. 49. Qui vult cognoscere quae sit vera Ecclesia Christi vnde cognoscet nisi c. Eckius in Enchirid c. de Ecclesia Scriptura non est authentica siue authoritate Ecclesiae Scriptores enim canonici â—unt membra Ecclesiae vnde haeretico contendere volenti c. Eckius ibidem Scriptura definit in Concilio visum est Spiritui Sancto c. rem tam clarè expressam definitam Ecclesia sua authoritate mutauit c. Ecce potestas Ecclesiae super Scriptura Si tollamus authoritatem praesentis Ecclesiae praesentis CoÌ„cilij in dubium reuocari poterunt omnium aliorum Conciliorum decreta tota fides Christiana
for thy selfe An excellent vertue for Blessed is the man that findeth wisdome Pr. 3.14 Pr. 16.16 Pr. 3.15 Pr. 3.16 Pr. 3.17 Pr. 3.18 Pr. 15.14 Pr. 18.15 Pr. 19.2 Pr. 10.14 Pr. 13.16 Pr. 14.18 Pr. 2.10 Pr. 2.11 Pr. 2.12 Pr. 2.13 Pr. 15.24 Pr. 8.20 Pr. 16.23 Pr. 10.12 and getteth vnderstanding The merchandise thereof is better than siluer and the gaine thereof is better than gold It is more precious than pearles and all the things that thou canst desire are not to be compared to her Length of daies is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and glory Her waies are waies of pleasure and all her paths prosperity She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her and blessed is he that receiueth her The fruits of it are singular for first A wise heart doth not onely seeke but get knowledge without which the minde is not good and the care of the wise learning And not get it only but lay it vp and not so onely but workes by it and yet more is crowned with it Besides knowledge here is safety When wisdome entreth into thy heart and knowledge delighteth thy soule then shall counsell preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee and deliuer thee from the euill way and from the man that speaketh froward things and from them that leaue the waies of righteousnesse to walke in the waies of darknesse and as from sinne so from iudgement The way of life is on high the prudent to auoid from hell beneath Thirdly good direction 1. For actions Wisdome causeth to walke in the way of righteousnesse and in the mids of the paths of iudgement 2. For words The heart of the wise guideth his mouth wisely and addeth doctrine to his lips Pr. 19.25 Pr. 8.21 So that the words of the mouth of a wise man haue grace yea he receiues grace from others Either instruct or reproue the Prudent and he will vnderstand knowledge Ec. 8.11 Pr. 3.35 Pr. 16.22 Not to speake of wealth she causeth them that loue her to inherit substance and silleth their treasures shee giueth not onely honour for the wisdome of a man doth make his face to shine and the wise man shall inherit glory but life Vnderstanding is a well-spring of life to him that hath it and he that findeth mee saith Wisdome findeth life Pr. 8.34 Pr. 4.5 Pr. 4.6 Pr. 4.7 Pr. 4.8 and shall obtaine fauour of the Lord. Wherefore get wisdome get vnderstanding forget not neither decline from the words of my mouth Forsake her not and she shall keepe thee loue her and she shall preserue thee Wisdome is the beginning get wisdome therefore and aboue all possessions get vnderstanding Exalt her Pr. 4.9 and she shall exalt thee She shall bring thee vnto honour if thou embrace her shee shall giue a goodly ornament to thine head yea shee shall giue thee a crowne of glory §. 3. Of Prouidence What she is What her obiects What her effects Ec. 8.5 PRouidence is that whereby the heart of the wise fore-knoweth the time and iudgement Ec. 8.6 the time when it will be the iudgement how it will be done both which are appointed to euery purpose vnder Heauen Ec. 8.7 Not that man can foresee all future things No he knoweth not that that shall be For who can tell him when it shall bee not so much as concerning himselfe Ec. 9.12 Neither doth man know his time but as the fishes are taken with an euill net and as the birds which are caught in the snare so are the children of men snared in the euill time when it falleth on them suddenly yea the steps of a man are ruled by the Lord Pr. 20.24 Pr. 22.3 how should a man then vnderstand his owne way But sometimes he may The prudent man seeth the plague a farre off and fleeth and as for good things Pr. 30.2 5. With the Pismire he prouideth his meat in Summer working still according to fore-knowledge Ec. 11.4 yet not too strictly and fearefully for he that obserueth the wind shall not sow and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reape §. 4. Of Discretion what it is what it worketh for our acts for our speeches Pr. 16.20 Pr. 16.23 Pr. 14.15 Ec. 3.1 DIscretion is that whereby a man is wise in his businesses and whereby the heart of the wise guideth his mouth wisely and addeth doctrine to his lips For actions The Prudent will consider his steps and make choice of his times for To all things there is an appointed time and a time for euery purpose vnder heauen Ec. 3.2 Ec. 3.3 4. Ec. 3.8 Pr. 24.5 Pr. 14.24 a time to plant and a time to plucke vp that which is planted a time to slay and a time to heale c. a time of warre and a time of peace from hence it is that the wise man is strong and rich for by knowledge shall the Chambers bee fild with precious things which he knowes how to employ well The crowne of the wise is their riches from hence Pr. 13.15 that his good vnderstanding maketh him acceptable to others For speeches Pr. 15.2 Pr. 10.13 Pr. 10.12 Pr. 25.11 Pr. 15.23 Pr. 20.15 Pr. 14.3 Pr. 12.18 Pr. 16.24 The tongue of the wise vseth knowledge aright and in the lips of him that hath vnderstanding wisdome is found and his words haue grace both 1. for the seasonablenesse A word spoken in his place is like apples of gold with pictures of siluer and how good is a word in due season 2. for the worth of them The lips of knowledge are a precious iewell lastly for their vse The lips of the wise shall preserue them and their tongue is health and with health pleasure Faire words are as an hony-combe sweetnesse to the soule and health to the bones §. 5. The extremes Ouer-wise Foolish Who he is What kindes there bee of Fooles the meere foole the rash foole the wicked foole What successe HEre are two extremes On the right hand Make not thy selfe ouer-wise Ec. 7. wherefore shouldest thou be desolate On the left Neither be foolish Ec. 7.19 Pr. 21.16 Pr. 17.16 Pr. 15.2 why shouldest thou perish not in thy time The foole is that man that wandreth out of the way of wisdome which hath none heart that is is destitute of vnderstanding either to conceiue or to doe as he ought Of which sort is 1. The meere foole That foole Pr. 14.24 Pr. 17.16 Pr. 24.7 Pr. 29.20 Pr. 29.11 Pr. 19.2 Pr. 29.20 Pr. 1.7 Pr. 14.9 Pr. 13.19 Pr. 15.21 Pr. 10.3 Pr. 13.16 Pr. 27.22 Pr. 26.11 who when he goeth by the way his heart faileth whose folly is foolishnesse in whose hand there is a price in vaine to get wisdome which is too high for him to attaine lastly in whom are not the lips of knowledge 2. The rash foole that is hasty in his matters that powreth out all his
hands of their Bishops so they did to Baal God and our Superiours haue had euer one and the same outward gesture Though here Paulus in vita Ambros not the Agent is so much regarded as the Action if your Ordinary would haue suffered you to haue done this peece of Idolatry you had neuer separated But the true God Bel and Dragon of England is the humane-Diuine-Seruice-Booke Let vs see what ashes or lumpes of pitch this Daniel brings We worship God in and by it as Papists doe by their Images Indeed we worship God in and by prayers contained in it Why should we not Tell me why is it more Idolatry for a man to worship God in and by a prayer read or got by heart than by a prayer conceiued I vtter both they are both mine if the heart speake them both feelingly and deuoutly where lies the Idoll In a conceiued prayer is it not possible for a mans thought to stray from his tongue in a prayer learned by heart or read is it not possible for the heart to ioyne with the tongue If I pray therefore in spirit and heartily vtter my desires to God whether in mine owne words or borrowed and so made mine what is the offence But say you if the Lord Iesus in his Testament haue not commanded any such Booke it is accursed and abominable But say I if the Lord Iesus hath not any where forbidden such a Booke it is not accursed nor abominable Shew vs the place where that we may know it with you Nay but I must shew you where the Apostles vsed any such Seruice booke shew you mee where the Apostles baptized in a Basin or where they receiued women to the Lords table for your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 11. Passag twixt Caluin and Smith Egyptij vbi lautè epulati sunt post coeâ—â—a â—d sâ—cuint Socrâ— 5. c. 22. will not serue shew me that the Bible was distinguisht into Chapters and Verses in the Apostles time shew me that they euer celebrated the Sacrament of the Supper at any other time than euening as your Anabaptists now doe shew mee that they vsed one prayer before their Sermons alwaies another after that they preached euer vpon a Text where they preached ouer a Table or lastly shew mee where the Apostles vsed that prayer which you made before your last prophecie and a thousand such circumstances What an idle plea is this from the Apostolike times Platin. initio And if I should tell you that Saint Peter celebrated with the Lords Prayer you will not beleeue it yet you know the Historie But let the Reader know that your quarrel is not against the matter but against the Booke not as they are prayers but as stinted or prescribed Wherein all the world besides your selues are Idolaters Behold all Churches that were or are are partners with vs in this crime Oh idolatrous Geneua and all French Scottish Danish Dutch Churches All which both haue their set Prayers with vs and approue them Caluin Epist ad Protest Angl. Epist 87. Quod ad formulam c. As concerning a forme of Prayers and Rites Ecclesiasticall saith Reuerend Caluin I doe greatly allow that it should be set and certaine from which it should not be lawfull for Pastors in their function to depart Iudge now of the spirit of these bold Controlers that dare thus condemne all Gods Churches through the world as idolatrous But since you call for Apostolike examples did not the Apostle Paul vse one set forme of apprecations of benedictions What were these but lesser Praiers The quantity varies not the kinde Will you haue yet ancienter precedents The Priest was appointed of old to vse a set forme vnder the Law Num. 6.23 so the people Deu. 26.3 4 5 c. 15. Both of them a stinted Psalme for the Sabbath Psal 92. Answ to the Minist Counterpoys 327. What saith your Doctor to these Because the Lord saith he gaue formes of Prayers and Psalmes therefore the Prelates may Can we think that Ieroboam had so slender a reason for his calues Marke good Reader the shifts of these men This Answerer cals for Examples and will abide no stinting of Prayers because we shew no patterns from Scripture We doe shew patterns from Scripture and now their Doctor saith God appointed it to them of old must wee therefore doe it So whether we bring examples or none wee are condemned But Master Doctor whom I beseech you should we follow but God in his owne seruices If God haue not appointed it you cry out vpon inuentions if God haue appointed it you cry Wee may not follow it shew then where God euer inioyned an ordinary seruice to himselfe that was not ceremoniall as this plainly is not which should not bee a direction for vs But if stinting our prayers bee a fault for as yet you meddle not with our blasphemous Collects it is well that the Lords prayer it selfe beareth vs companie Counterpoys and is no small part of our Idolatrie Which though it were giuen principally as a rule to our prayers yet since the matter is so heauenly and most wisely framed to the necessitie of all Christian hearts Omnibus arietibus gregis id est Aposiolis suis dedit morem orandi Dimitte nobis c. Aug. epist 89. to deny that it may be vsed intirely in our Sauiours words is no better than a fanaticall curiousnesse yeeld one and all for if the matter bee more diuine yet the stint is no lesse faultie This is not the least part of our patchery except you vnrip this the rest you cannot But might not God be purely and perfectly worshipped without it Tell me might not God be purely and perfectly worshipped without Churches without houses without garments yea without hands or feet In a word could not God be purely worshipped if you were not Yet would you not seeme a superfluous creature speake in your selfe Might not God bee intirely worshipped with pure and holy worship though there were no other Bookes in the World but the Scripture If yea as who can denie it that knowes what the worship of God meaneth What then doe the Fathers and Doctors and learned Interpreters To the fire with all those curious Arts and Volumes as your Predecessors called them Yea let me put you in minde that God was purely and perfectly worshipped by the Apostolicke Church before euer the New Testament was written See therefore the idlenesse of your proofes God may be serued without a prescription of Prayer but if all Reformed Churches in Christendome erre not better with it The Word of God is perfect and admits no addition cursed were we if we should adde ought to it cursed were that which should be added But cursed be they that take ought from it and dare say Ye shall not pray thus Our Father c. Doe wee offer to make our Prayers Canonicall doe we obtrude them as parts of Gods Word Why cauill
you thus Why doth the same Prayer written adde to the Word which spoken addeth not Because conceiued Prayer is commanded not the other But first not your particular Prayer Secondly without mention either of conception or memorie God commands vs to pray in spirit and with the heart These circumstances onely as they are deduced from his Generals so are ours But whence soeuer it please you to fetch our Booke of publike Prayer from Rome or Hell or to what Image soeuer you please to resemble it Let moderate spirits heare what the pretious IEVVEL of England saith of it We haue come as neere as we could to the Church of the Apostles Apolog. p. 170. Accessimus c. H. Burr against Gyfford c. neither onely haue we framed our Doctrine but also our Sacraments and the forme of publike Prayers according to their Rites and Institutions Let no Iew now obiect Swines-flesh to vs He is no iudicious man that I may omit the mention of Cranmer Bucer Ridley Taylor c. some of whose hands were in it all whose voyces were for it with whom one IEWEL will not ouer-weigh ten thousand Separatists SEP The number of Sacraments seemes greater amongst you by one at the least than Christ hath left in his Testament and that is Marriage which howsoeuer you doe not in expresse termes call a Sacrament no more did Christ and the Apostles call Baptisme and the Supper Sacraments yet doe you in truth create it a Sacrament in the administration and vse of it There are the parties to bee married and their marriage representing Christ and his Church and their spirituall vnion to which mysterie saith the Oracle of your Seruice-Booke expresly God hath consecrated them there is the Ring hallowed by the said Seruice-Booke whereon it must bee laid for the Element there are the words of consecration In the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost there is the place the Church the time vsually the Lords day the Minister the Parish Priest And being made as it is a part of Gods Worship and of the Ministers office what is it if it be not a Sacrament It is a part of Prayer or preaching and with a Sacrament it hath the greatest consimilitude but an Idoll I am sure it is in the celebration of it being made a Ministeriall duty and part of Gods worship without warrant call it by what name you will SECTION XXXVIII HOw did Confirmation escape this number how did Ordination Marriage not made a Sacrament by the Church of England it was your ouer-sight I feare not your charitie some things seeme and are not such is this your number of our Sacraments you will needs haue vs take-in marriage into this ranke why so wee doe not you confesse call it a Sacrament as the vulgar misinterpreting Pauls Mysterium Eph. 5. why should we not if we so esteemed it wherfore â—erue names but to denotate the nature of things if wee were not ashamed of the opinion we could not be ashamed of the word No more say you did Christ and his Apostles call Baptisme and the Supper Sacraments but we doe and you with vs See now whether this clause doe not confute your last where hath Christ euer said There are two Sacraments Yet you dare say so what is this but in your sense an addition to the word yea we say flatly there are but two yet we doe you say in truth create it a Sacrament how oft and how resolutely hath our Church maintained against Rome that none but Christ immediately can create Sacraments If they had this aduantage against vs how could we stand How wrongfull is this force to fasten an opinion vpon our Church which she hath condemned But wherein stands this our creation It is true the parties to bee married and their marriage represent Christ and his Church and their spirituall vnion Beware lest you strike God through our sides what hath Gods Spirit said either lesse or other then this Eph. 5.25 26 27 32. Doth he not make Christ the husband the Church his Spouse Doth he not from that sweete coniunction and the effects of it argue the deare respects that should bee in marriage Or what doth the Apostle aâ—â—nde else-where vnto when hee saies as Moses of Eue wee are flesh of Christs flesh and bone of his bone And how famous amongst the ancient is that resemblance of Eue taken out of Adams side sleeping to the Church taken out of Christs side sleeping on the Crosse Since marriage therefore so clearely represents this mysterie and this vse is holy and sacred what error is it to say that marriage is consecrated to this mysterie But what is the Element The Ring These things agree not you had before made the two parties to bee the matter of this sacrament What is the matter of the Sacrament but the Element If they be the matter they are the Element and so not the Ring both cannot be If you will make the two parties to be but the receiuers how doth all the mysterie lie in their representation Or if the Ring be the Element then all the mysterie must be in the Ring not in the parties Labor to bee more perfect ere you make any more new Sacraments but this Ring is laid vpon the Seruice-booke why not For readinesse not for holinesse Nay but it is hallowed you say by the booke If it bee a Sacramentall Element it rather hallowes the booke than the booke it you are not mindfull enough for this trade But what exorcismes are vsed in this hallowing Or who euer held it any other than a ciuill pledge of fidelitie Then follow the words of Consecration I pray you what difference is there betwixt hallowing and consecration The Ring was hallowed before the booke now it must be consecrated How iâ—ely By what words In the name of the Father c. These words you know are spoken after the Ring is put on was it euer heard of that a SacrameÌ„tall Element was consecrated after it was applied See how-il your slanders are digested by you The place is the Church the time is the Lords day the Minister is the actor and is it not thus in all â—â—her reformed Churches aswell as ours Behold wee are not alone all Churches in the world if this will doe it are guiltie of three Sacraments Tell me would you not haue marriage solemnized publikely You cannot mislike though your founder seemes to require nothing heere but notice giuen to witnesses then to bed Well if publike Brâ— state of Christians 17â— you account it withall a graue and weighty businesse therefore such as must be sanctified by publike praier What place is fitter for publike praier than the Church Who is fitter to offer vp the publike prayer than the Minister who should rather ioyne the parties in Mariage than the publike deputy of that God who solemnly ioyned the first couple who rather than hee which in the
Apostle speakes of a matter of charge to the Church by this circumduction Now that rich Matrones should follow the Apostles and minister to them of their substance was a matter of ease to the Church Neither was this attendance for ministration so much an act of Cephas and the other Apostles as a voluntarie act of the women themselues To conclude in this the Apostles practice should haue crossed their doctrine For if Saint Paul gaue that charge of being the Husband of one Wife on purpose as y y Chrys Hom. in Tit. praecitat Chrysostome saith to stop the mouth of the Enemies to Mariage how must this needs open them againe and breed a conceit of that impurity which Saint Paul meant to oppose that the Apostles themselues as ashamed of their wiues forsooke them and chose rather to bee attended by Strangers So as I must take leaue to be euer in this Heresie that the Apostles had wiues and caried them about SECT XXVII BVt what Boyes-play is this To giue and take Our doughty Champion hath granted vs Clemens of Alexandria and now he puls him backe againe Clemens saith he grants the Apostles to haue had wiues Refut p. 116. but hee denyes that they vsed them as wiues cunningly dissembling that which Clemens said in the beginning of the same period For Peter and Philip saith hee did beget children c. How did Peter beget them if he were not Peter when he begot them In the time of their painfull Euangelicall peregrination they forbore perhaps doth it therefore follow that they did alwaies forget to be husbands Whence in all likelihood had S. Peter his Petronella if she â—ere not borne after he was Peter Whence was that inscription on Pilagiaes Tombe if we may beleeue z z Cit. ad Espen loco citato Here lyes the Wife of Bishop Dionysius Daughter to Thomas the Apostle Perionius Hic sita est sponsa Dionysij Thomae Apostoli filia There is not I grant necessity in this proofe there is probability It is therefore too boldly affirmed by my Detector that the Apostles after that publike calling vndertaken vsed not their Wiues Is that of Saint Ignatius nothing against him Op to Deo dignus c. I desire to be found worthy of God as Peter and Paul and the rest of the Apostles which were maried men and a a Ignat. Ep. ad Philadelph non libidinis causa sed posteritatis surrogandae gratia coniuges habuerunt not for lusts sake but for propagation of posterity inioyed their Wiues Thus he So much against C. E. that C. E. is no lesse against him The testimony of S. Ignatius saith he is a meer forgery easily answered If Ignatius had either denyed or disliked these Mariages no mans word had been more authentike now this clause hath made him falsified He cannot I hope say that the sentence came out of our Forge we take him as we finde him neither doth B. Espencaeus or any other ingenuous Writer take such exception but findes the authority weighty That more vnliked Epistle which Ignatius wrote to Saint Iohn and the blessed Virgin though palpably reiected by their owne is classicall enough when it may serue a Coccius or b b Bell. Tâ—m 1. pag. 837. a Bellarmine or a Pierre Cotton But here the Epistle it selfe is not questioned onely this clause is bored in the Eare. And why so Forsooth the ancient Greeke Copies haue it not Doubtlesse the man hath vexed the old Greek Manuscripts but when he hath done his owne Fellow shall giue him the lye who confesses it to be in all Copies both Greeke and Latine old and new whiles he saith that those words b b Those words And the other Apostles are to be â—azed out oâ— the text Margar. de la Bigne Not. in Epist ad Philadelph Et alij Apostoli ex textu abradenda Or if that will not serue there is yet to be seene in Baliol Colledge in Oxford an old Copy of the age of seuen hundred or eight hundred yeeres wherein the words are found Onely the words Saint Paul and the other Apostles blurred yet so as they are still to be well discerned If the Greeke should want the clause what were this The first Edition of Ignatius in Greeke was 1558. as the Centurists haue noted and how easie was it to leaue out one sentence that seemed preiudiciall Let him neuer cast this vpon the Grecians they neuer so excelled in this Faculty of counterfeiting as the Romans Greece in this must yeeld to Italie how-euer it pleases c c Erat consuetudo Graecorum fere ordin ria corrumpendi libros Bell. l. 4. de Pont. c. 11. Quoniam Romani sicut non acumina ita nec imposturas habent Gre. l. 5. Ep. 14. ad Noorsen Pope Gregorie and Cardinall Bellarmine herein onely to giue it superiority Amongst the rest this very place puts me in mind of a memorable iugling Tricke of his Fellowes The old Platina printed at Paris by Francis Regnault Anno 1500. which I haue seene and all other old Copies read thus of Saint Luke Vixit annos 84. d d Platin. in Cleto ad finem Luke liued 84. yeeres hauing a Wiâ—e in Bithynia Hauing not a Wife in Bithinia Vxorem habens in Bithynia Now comes the Onuphrian Edition set forth at Coleine An. 1600. from the shop of Materuus Colinus and reads VxoreÌ„ non habens in Bithynia with which authority Espencaeus himselfe was deceiued citing Hierom for it as the Fountaine whence perhaps Platina might fetch it but if my Reader please to turne to that e e Her Catol script Illustr Catalogue of famous Writers ascribed not vniustly to Hierome there shall he find the very same coozenage the words runne so indeed in the Latine printed Copies but not acknowledged not mentioned by Sophronius in the Greeke Translation and Erasmus reading it either Hauing or not hauing at last shuts vp Haec verba videntur adiecta quandoquidem nec adduntur apud Sophronium nec in exemplaribus emendatioribus These words saith Erasmus seeme patched to the rest since they neither are added in Sophronius nor in the better Copies Thus he It was fit my Reader should haue a taste of the Romane integritie I alleaged the learned Cardinall Caietan for the likelihood of Saint Pauls Mariage Can my Refuter deny this The words are plaine f f Caiet Com. in Phil. c. 4. Quia omnes Apostosi exceptis Ioanne Paulo vxores babuerunt Amb. c. Refut p. 117. Locus cogere videtur The place seemes to inforce it not by demonstratiue reason but in all reasonable sense that Paul had a Wife So he Which is all I contended for If now he shall thinke to choake me with a crosse Testimonie of the same Author concerning Saint Pauls not conuersing with his Wife after his Apostleship he may vnderstand that I well remember Caietan to haue beene a Roman Cardinall and therefore in
father of the Protestāts who would haue all Clergie men to marry when his very Rhemists haue checkt him for this slander pleading against that necessity from which we haue oft washt our hands when as the same Author against Iouinian affirmes de facto the same with Athanasius and vs. To say then that Athanasius spoke this onely of lewd licentious Monkes or Bishops is but the lewd liberty of a licentious tongue that hath ouer-runne both Truth and it selfe From hence this Orator this parcell of wit flyes out into a pleasant frumpe as hee thinks but indeed an vgly inhumane lothsome ribaudry ill-beseeming the mouth of any that was borne of a woman I will not say whether ill or well beseeming the pen of a Virgin-Priest forsooth so pure and angelicall that mariage would vn Saint him His vnmanly vnnaturall Stile belcheth thus Thus Luther of Katherine Bore his Sow had sixe Pigs Pag. 137. Away nasty C. E. transformed by Circe Hoy backe to her Styes yea thine where thou maist freely Gruunire in septis cum foedo hoc agmine clausus Then proceeds he enuying the matrimoniall fruitfulnesse of Bucer who surely had hee vnder the vaile of maydenly Priesthood beene farre more fruitfull in a whole swarm of Bastards should neuer haue heard of it vnlesse perhaps he had denied to pay Taxam Camerae As for Ochius allowing Polygamie and perhaps other worse obliquities in his opinions what are they to vs For the mariage of P. Martyr Oecolampadius Pellican c. Let him take for an acquittance that which hath beene payed them thus Nobis nostrae sunt Iunones vobis vestrae Veneres And then I aske Vinat vter nostrum cruce dignior If this will not serue for repayment I must eeke it out with a smal yet currant commodity of two poore verses which I learned of his Mantuan at the Grammar Schoole Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis ara Cynaedis Seruit honorandae Diuûm Ganymedibus aedes Let him take this spoonfull of Holy-water to digest his Hogges flesh SECT III. HItherto my Refuters p p Iob 41.27 Refut p. 138 139. Yron hath beene as Straw his Brasse as rotten Wood his Sling-stones as stubble but now he hath found that will kill me dead and sayes no lesse then Hoc habet q q Cypr. l. 4. Epist 10. Cyprian is by me alledged for the History of Numidicus whom I auouched a maried Presbyter by the same token that hee saw his wife burning besides him with the flames of Martyrdome And Lord what out-cryes are here of fraud and corruption and how could this Masse-Priest wish himselfe neere me when I should be vrged with this imposture to see what face I would make thereon Euen such a one good sir Shorne as is framed by the confidence of honest innocency God deale so with my soule as it meanes nothing but ingenuous sincerity neither hath my pen swarued one letter from the Text My margine said Numidicus Presbyter so doth Cyprian himselfe two or three lines before this report of his wife Numidicus Priest so besides the Text doth the margine of Erasmus And what trechery could it bee to adde the word of Cyprians owne explication But Numidicus was not then Priest when his wife was martyred rather vpon that constancie was honoured with holy Orders How appeares that when Cyprian only sayes Numidicus Presbyter ascribatur Presbyterorum Carthaginensium numero nobiscum sedeat in clero He was before a Priest Let Numid the Priest be receiued into the number of the Priests of Carthage c. for ought this Libeller or any mortall man knowes and now was ascribed into the honoured Clergie of Carthage soone after to be promoted to Episcopall dignitie Before the report therefore of his wiues martyrdome he is named a Priest What haue I offended in seconding Saint Cyprian Let this peremptory babler proue this ordination to be after that noble proofe of his faith I shall confesse my selfe mistaken in the time neuer false in mine intentions Till then he shall giue me leaue to stile the man as I find him Numidicus Presbyter If Cyprian had said Numidicus Praesbyterorum numero ascribatur the case had beene cleare but now doubling the word he implyes him a Priest before Numid Presbyter Presbytererum Carth. numero aser and how long before and whether not before his Confession it will trouble my learned Aduersary to determine How faine would this man crow if he could but get the coulour of an aduantage In the meane while this impotent insultation bewrayes nothing but malice and ignorance SECT IIII. MY Refuter may transpose the Historie of Paphnutius but hee shall neuer answer it After his old guise therefore he falls to his Hatchet Refut p. 140. and when he hath tryed to bow it a little and finds it stiffe he cuts it vp by the roots What one word can he controll in the relation of r r Secr. l. 1. c. 8. Sozon l. 1. c. 22. Socrates or mine Illation The Bishops went about to bring in a new law of Continency to be imposed vpon their Clergie saith Socrates and Sozomen therefore before it was not Paphnutius reclaimed and called that yoake heauy and vnsupportable the vse of the Mariage-bed Chastity The issue was Potestas permissa cuique pro arbitratu Euery man left to his owne libertie the story is plaine there is no place for cauills Refut p. 143. The onely comfort that my Detector and his Tutors finde in the Historie is that Paphnutius is not all ours Hee cals for the vse of Mariage to the wedded Clergie not for wedlocke of the vn-maried True therein I must retort the answer of Sotus that the good Martyr gaue way to the corruption of the Times wherein the wicked mystery had begun with St. Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in the meane time let him know that if Paphnutius pleade but by halues for vs hee pleades against them altogether yea this he knowes already else he would neuer bee so audacious as to condemne the authors for vnsincere and fabulous yea hereticall and to bring the clamours of his Bellarmine to discredit Socrates in three grosse vntruths and Sozomen with Multa mentitur Refut p. 146. O impudency without measure without example Cassiodorus and Epiphanius Socrates Sozomen Nicephorus graue and approued Authors of our Ecclesiasticall Story for but reporting one piece of an History in fauour of Clergie-mens mariages are spit vpon and discarded with disgrace This is no new Song my Refuter hath learned it of Copus Torrensis Bellarmine Baronius and others All whose mouthes together with his in these particular exceptions let mee stop with that ingenuous answer of * * Espen l. 1. de Contin B. Espencaeus there needs no other Aduocate Excipit Torrensis c. But Torrensis excepts against Socrates and Sozomen as though they had lewdly and shamefully belyed this story of Paphnutius and sayes the one was a friend of the
happy It is the third Heauen alone where thou O blessed Trinity enioyest thy selfe and thy glorified spirits enioy thee It is the manifestation of thy glorious presence that makes Heauen to be it selfe This is the priuiledge of thy Children that they here seeing thee which art inuisible by the eye of faith haue already begunne that heauen which the perfect sight of thee shall make perfect aboue Let my soule then let these heauens alone till it may see as it is seen That wee may descend to this lowest and meanest Region of Heauen wherewith our senses are more acquainted What maruels doe euer â—â—ere meet with vs There are thy Clouds thy bottles of raine Vessels as thinne as 〈◊〉 liquor which is contained in them there they hang and moue though weighty with their burden How they are vpheld and why they fall here and now we know not and wonder These thou makest one while as some Aerie Seas to hold water another while as some Aerie Furnaces whence thou scatterest thy sudden fires vnto all the parts of the Earth astonishing the World with the fearfull noyse of that eruption out of the midst of water thou fetchest fire and hard stones out of the midst of thin vapours another while as some steele-glasses wherein the Sunne lookes and shewes his face in the variety of those colours which he hath not There are thy streames of light blazing and falling Starres fires darred vp and downe in many formes hollow openings and as it were Gulfes in the skie bright circles about the Moone and other Planets Snowes Haile In all which it is enough to admire thine hand though we cannot search out thine action There are thy subtill Windes which we heare and feele yet neither can see their substance nor know their causes whence and whither they passe and what they are thou knowest There are thy Fowles of all shapes colours notes natures whilst I compare these with the inhabitants of that other heauen I finde those Starres and spirits like one another These Meteors and fowles in as many varieties as there are seuerall creatures Why is this Is it because Man for whose sake these are made delights in change thou in constancie Or is it that in these thou mayest shew thine owne skill and their imperfection There is no variety in that which is perfect because there is but one perfection and so much shall we grow nearer to perfectnesse by how much wee draw nearer to vnity and vniformitie From thence if wee goe downe to the great deepe the Wombe of moisture the Well of fountaines the great Pond of the world wee know not whether to wonder at the Element it selfe or the ghests which it containes How doth that sea of thine roare and fome and swell as if it would swallow vp the earth Thou stayest the rage of it by an insensible violence and by a naturall miracle confinest his wanes vvhy it moues and why it stayes it is to vs equally wonderfull what liuing Mountaines such are thy Whales rowle vp and downe in those fearfull billowes for greatnesse of number hugenesse of quantitie strangenesse of shapes varietie of fashions neither aire nor earth can compare vvith the vvaters I say nothing of thy hid treasures which thy vvisedome hath reposed in the bowels of the earth and sea How secretly and how basely are they laid vp secretly that we might not seeke them basely that vve might not ouer-esteeme them I need not digge so low as these metals mineries quarries vvhich yeeld riches enough of obseruation to the soule How many millions of vvonders doth the very face of the earth offer me Which of these Herbs Flowres Trees Leaues Seeds Fruits is there what Beast what Worme vvherein we may not see the footsteps of a Deity Wherein wee may not reade infinitenesse of power of skill and must be forced to confesse that hee vvhich made the Angels and Starres of heauen made also the vermine on the earth O God the heart of man is too strait to admire enough euen that vvhich he treads vpon What shall wee say to thee the Maker of all these O Lord how vvonderfull are thy vvorkes in all the world In wisedome hast thou made them all And in all these thou spakest and they were done Thy vvill is thy word and thy word is thy deed Our tongue and hand and heart are different all are one in thee which are simply one and infinite Here needed no helpes no instruments whâ—t could be present with the Eternall what needed or vvhat could be added to the infinite Thine hand is not shortned thy word is still equally effectuall say thou the word and my soule shall be made new againe say thou the word and my body shall be repaired from his dust For all things obey thee O Lord why doe I not yeeld to the word of thy councell since I must yeeld as all thy creatures to the word of thy command Of Man BVT O God what a little Lord hast thou made ouer this great World The least corne of sand is not so small to the whole Earth as Man is to the Heauen vvhen I see the Heauens the Sunne Moone and Starres O God what is man who would thinke thou shouldst make all these Creatures for one and that one vvell neere the least of all Yet none but he can see what thou hast done none but he can admire and adore thee in what he seeth how had he need to do nothing but this since he alone must do it Certainly the price and vertue of things consist not in the quantity one diamond is more worth then many Qâ—arries of stone one Loadstone hath more vertue then Mountaines of earth It is lawfull for vs to praise thee in our selues All thy creation hath not more wonder in it then one of vs other Creatures thou madest by a simple command Man not without a diuine consultation others at once Man thou didst first forme then inspire others in seuerall shapes like to none but themselues Man after thine owne Image others with qualities fit for seruice Man for dominion Man had his name from thee They had their names from Man How should we be consecrated to thee aboue all others since thou hast bestowed more cost on vs then others What shall I admire first Thy prouidence in the time of our Creation Or thy power and wisedom in the act First thou madest the great house of the World and furnishedst it then thou broughtest in thy Tenant to possesse it The bare vvalls had been too good for vs but thy loue vvas aboue our desert Thou that madest ready the Earth for vs before we were hast by the same mercy prepared a place in heauen for vs whiles wee are on earth The stage was first fully prepared then was Man brought forth thither as an Actor or Spectator that he might neither be idle nor discontent behold thou hadst addressed an earth for vse an Heauen for contemplation after thou hadst drawne
lies not in the place yet choyce must be made of those places which may be most helpe to our deuotion Perhaps that he might be in the eye of Israel The presence and sight of the Leader giues heart to the people neither doth any thing more moue the multitude then example A publike person cannot hide himselfe in the Valley but yet it becomes him best to shew himselfe vpon the Hill The hand of Moses must be raised but not emptie neither is it his owne Rod that he holds but Gods In the first meeting of God with Moses the Rod was Moseses it is like for the vse of his trade now the proprietie is altered God hath so wrought by it that now he challenges it and Moses dare not call it his owne Those things which it pleases God to vse for his owne seruice are now changed in their condition The bread of the Sacrament was once the Bakers now it is Gods the water was once euery mans now it is the Lauer of Regeneration It is both vniust and vnsafe to hold those things common wherein God hath a peculiaritie At other times vpon occasion of the plagues and of the Quailes and of the Rocke he was commanded to take the Rod in his hand now he doth it vnbidden He doth it not now for miraculous operation but for incouragement For when the Israelites should cast vp their eyes to the Hill and see Moses and his Rod the man and the meanes that had wrought so powerfully for them they could not but take heart to themselues and thinke There is the man that deliuered vs from the Aegyptian Why not now from the Amalekite There is the Rod which turned waters to blood and brought varieties of plagues on Aegypt Why not now on Amalek Nothing can more hearten our faith then the view of the monuments of Gods fauour if euer we haue found any word or act of God cordiall to vs it is good to fetch it forth oft to the eye The renewing of our sense and remembrance makes euery gift of God perpetually beneficiall If Moses had receiued a command that Rod which fetcht water from the Rocke could as well haue fetcht the blood of the Amalekites out of their bodies God will not worke miracles alwayes neither must we expect them vnbidden Not as a Standard-bearer so much as a suppliant doth Moses lift vp his hand The gesture of the body should both expresse and further the piety of the soule This flesh of ours is not a good seruant vnlesse it helpe vs in the best offices The God of Spirits doth most respect the soule of our deuotion yet it is both vnmannerly and irreligious to be misgestured in our Prayers The carelesse and vncomely cariage of the body helpes both to signifie and make a prophane soule The hand and the Rod of Moses neuer moued in vaine Though the Rod did not strike Amalek as it had done the Rocke yet it smote Heauen and fetcht downe victorie And that the Israelites might see the hand of Moses had a greater stroke in the fight then all theirs The successe must rise and fall with it Amalek rose and Israel fell with his hand falling Amalek fell and Israel rises with his hand raised Oh the wondrous power of the prayers of faith All heauenly fauours are deriued to vs from this channell of grace To these are wee beholden for our peace preseruations and all the rich mercies of God which we enioy We could not want if we could aske Euery mans hand would not haue done this but the hand of a Moses A faithlesse man may as well hold his hand and tongue still hee may babble but prayes not hee prayes ineffectually and receiues not Onely the prayer of the Righteous auayleth much and onely the beleeuer is Righteous There can be no merit no recompence answerable to a good mans prayer for Heauen and the eare of God is open to him but the formall deuotions of an ignorant and faithlesse man are not worth that crust of bread which hee askes Yea it is presumption in himselfe how should it be beneficiall to others it prophanes the name of God in stead of adoring it But how iustly is the feruencie of the prayer added to the righteousnesse of the person When Moses hand slackned Amalek preuailed No Moses can haue his hand euer vp It is a title proper to God that his hands are stretched out still whether to mercy or vengeance Our infirmitie will not suffer any long intention either of bodie or minde Long prayers can hardly maintaine their vigour as in tall bodies the spirits are diffused The strongest hand will languish with long entending And when our deuotion tyres it is seene in the successe then straight our Amalek preuailes Spirituall wickednesses are mastered by vehement prayer and by heartlesnesse in prayer ouercome vs. Moses had two helpes A stone to sit on and an hand to raise his And his sitting and holpen hand is no whit lesse effectuall Euen in our prayers will God allow vs to respect our owne infirmities In cases of our necessity hee regards not the posture of body but the affections of the soule Doubtlesse Aaron and Hur did not onely raise their hands but their minds with his The more cords the easier draught Aaron was brother to Moses There cannot be a more brotherly office then to helpe one another in our prayers and to excite our mutuall deuotions No Christian may thinke it enough to pray alone Hee is no true Israelite that will not be ready to lift vp the weary hands of Gods Saints All Israel saw this or if they were so intent vpon the slaughter and spoyle that they obserued it not they might heare it after from Aaron and Hur yet this contents not God It must be written Many other miracles had God done before not one directly commanded to bee recorded The other were onely for the wonder this for the imitation of Gods people In things that must liue by report euerie tongue addes or detracts something The word once written is both inalterable and permanent As God is carefull to maintaine the glory of his miraculous victory so is Moses desirous to second him God by a booke and Moses by an Altar and a name God commands to enroule it in parchment Moses registers it in the stones of his Altar which he raises not onely for future memory but for present vse That hand which was weary of lifting vp straight offers a sacrifice of praise to God How well it becomes the iust to be thankfull Euen very nature teacheth vs men to abhorre ingratitude in small fauors How much lesse can that Fountaine of goodnesse abide to be laded at with vnthankfull hands O God we cannot but confesse our deliuerances where are our Altars where are our Sacrifices where is our Iehouanissi I doe not more wonder at thy power in preseruing vs then at thy mercy which is not weary of casting away fauours vpon the ingratefull
difference than is betwixt a Sauiour fore-shadowed and come The intermission of those military imployments which haue won you iust honor both in forraine nations and at home is in this only gainefull that it yeelds you leasure to these happy thoughts which shall more fully acquaint you with him that is at once the God of Hosts the Prince of Peace To the furtherance whereof these my poore labours shall doe no thankelesse offices In lieu of your noble fauours to me both at home and where you haue merited command nothing can bee returned but humble acknowledgements and hearty prayers for the increase of your Honor and all happinesse to your selfe and your thrice-worthy and vertuous Lady by him that is deepely obliged and truely deuoted to you both IOS HALL CONTEMPLATIONS THE SECOND BOOKE Christ among the Doctors EVen the Spring shewes vs what we may hope for of the tree in Summer In his nonage therefore would our Sauiour giue vs a taste of his future proofe left if his perfection should haue shewed it selfe without warning to the world it should haue beene entertained with more wonder than beliefe now this act of his Childhood shall prepare the faith of men by fore-expectation notwithstanding all this early demonstration of his diuine graces the incredulous Iewes could afterwards say Whence hath this man his wisdome and great works What would they haue said if he had suddenly leapt forth into the cleare light of the world The Sun would dazle all eyes if he should breake forth at his first rising into his full strength now he hath both the day-star to goe before him and to bâ—kâ—eâ— looke for that glorious body and the liuely colours of the day to publish his approach the eye is comforted not hurt by his appearance The Parents of Christ went vp yeerely to Ierusalem at the feast of the Passeouer the law was only for the maâ—es I doe not finde the blessed Virgin bound to this voiage the weaker sex receiued indulgence from God yet she knowing the spirituall profit of that iourney takes paines voluntarily to measure that long way euery yeere Pieâ— regards not any distinction of sexes or degrees neither yet doth Gods acceptation rather doth iâ— please the mercy of the highest more to reward that seruice which though he like in all yet out of fauour hee will not impose vpon all It could not bee but that shee whom the holy Ghost ouershaddowed should be zealous of Gods seruice those that will goe no further than they are dragged in their religious exercises are no whit of kin to her whom all generations shall call blessed The childe Iesus in the minority of his age went vp with his Parents to the holy solemnity not this yeere onely but in all likelihood others also hee in the power of whose Godhead and by the motion of whose Spirit â—â—ll others ascended thither would not himselfe stay at home In all his examples hee meant our instruction this pious act of hiâ— nonage intended to leade our first yeeres into timely deuotion The first liquor seasons the vessell for a long time after It is euery way good for a man to beare Gods yoke euen from his infancy it is the poliâ—ie of the Deuill to discourage early holinesse â—he that goes out betimes in the morning is more like to dispatch his iourney than he that lingers till the day be spent This blessed Family came not to looke at the feast and be gone but they duly staid out all the appointed dayes of vnleauened bread they and the rest of Israel could not want houshold businesses at home those secular affaires could not either keepe them from repairing to Ierusalem or send them away immaturely Worldly eares must giue place to the sacred Except wee will deport vnblessed we must attend Gods seruices till we may receiue his dismission It was the fashion of those times and places that they went vp and so returned by troupes to those set meeâ—ings of their holy festiuals The whole Parish of Nazareth went and came together Good fellowship doth no way so well as in the passage to Heauen much comfort is added by society to that iourney which is of it selfe pleasant It is an happy word Come let vs goe vp to the House of the Lord. Mutuall incouragement is none of the least benefits of our holy assemblies Many sticks laid together make a good fire which if they lie single lose both their light and heat The feast ended what should they doe but 〈◊〉 to Nazareth Gods seruices may not bee so attended as that wee should neglect our particular callings Himselfe cals vs from his owne House to ours and takes pleasure to see a painfull Client They are fouly mistaken that thinke God cares for no other trade but deuotion Piety and diligence must keepe meet changes with each other neither doth God lesse accept of our returne to Nazareth than our going vp to Ierusalem I cannot thinke that the blessed Virgine or good Ioseph could be so negligent of their diuine charge as not to call the childe Iesus to their setting forth from Ierusalem But their backe was no sooner turned vpon the Temple than this face was towards it he had businesse in that place when theirs was ended there he was both worshipped and represented He in whom the Godhead dwelt bodily could doe nothing without God his true Father led him away from his supposed Sometimes the affaires of our ordinary vocation may not grudge to yeeld vnto spirituall occasions The Parents of Christ knew him well to be of a disposition not strange nor sullen and stoicall but sweet and sociable and therefore they supposed he had spent the time and the way in company of their friends and neighbours They doe not suspect him wandred into the solitary fields but when euening came they goe to seeke him among their kinsfolke and acquaintance If hee had not wonted to conuerse formerly with them hee had not now beene sought amongst them Neither as God nor man doth he take pleasure in a sterne froward austerity and wilde retirednesse but in a milde affablenesse and amiable conuersation But O blessed Virgine who can expresse the sorrowes of they perplexed soule when all that euening-search could affoord thee no newes of thy Sonne Iesus Was not this one of those swords of Simeon which should pierce thorow thy tender breast How didst thou chide thy credulous neglect in not obseruing so precious a charge and blame thine eyes for once looking beside this obiect of thy loue How didst thou with thy carefull husband spend that restlesse night in mutuall expostulations and bemonings of your losse How many suspitious imaginations did that while racke thy greeued spirit Perhaps thou mightest doubt lest they which laid for him by Herods command at his birth had now by the secret instigation of Archelaus surprised him in his childhood or it may be thou thoughtst thy diuine Son had now withdrawne himselfe from the earth and returned
Surely Israel came with a purpose to cauill Ieroboam had secretly troubled these waters that he might fish more gainfully One male-content is enough to embroile a whole Kingdome How harshly must it needs sound in the eares of Rehoboam that the first word hee heares from his people is a querulous challenge of his fathers gouernment Thy father made our yoke grienous For ought I see the suggestion was not more spightfull then vniust where was the weight of this yoke the toyle of these seruices Here were none of the turmoyles of warre no trainings marchings encampings entrenchings watchings minings sieges fortifications none of that tedious world of worke that attends hostility Salomon had not his name for nought All was calme during that long reigne And if they had payed deare for their peace they had no cause to complaine of an hard march The warlike times of Saul and Dauid had exhausted their blood together with their substance what ingratitude was this to cry out of ease Yea but that peace brought forth costly and laborious buildings Gods house and the Kings the walls of Ierusalem Hazar Megiddo and Gezer the Cities of store the cities of defence could not rise without many a shoulder True but not of any Israelites The remainders of Amorites Hittites Penzzites Hiuites and Iebusites were put to all the drudgery of these great works the taskes of Israel were easie and ingenuous free from seruility free from painfulnesse But the charge was theirs whose-soeuer was the labour The diet of so endlesse a retinue the attendance of his Seraglio the purueyance for his forty thousand stables the cost of his sacrifices must needs weigh heauy Certainly if it had layne on none but his owne But wherfore went Salomons Nauy euery three yeeres to Ophira to what vse serued the six hundred threescore and six Talents of Gold that came in one yeare to his Exchequer wherefore serued the large tributes of forraine nations How did he make siluer to be in Ierusalem as stones if the exactions were so pressiâ—e The multitude is euer prone to picke quarrels with their Gouernors and whom they feared aliue to censure dead The benefits of so quiet and happy a reigne are past ouer in silence the grieuances are recounted with clamor Who can hope that merit or greatnesse can shield him from obloquie when Salomon is traduced to his owne loynes The proposition of Israel puts Rehoboam to a deliberation Depart yee for three daies then come againe to me I heare no other word of his that argued wisdome Not to giue sudden resolutions in cases of importance was a point that might well befeeme the son of Salomon I wonder that he who had so much wit as to call for leisure in his answer should shew so little wit in the improuing of that leisure in the returne of that answer Who cannot but hope well to see the grey heads of Salomons secret Counsell called to Rehoboams Cabinet As Counsellors as ancient as Salomons they cannot choose but see the best the safest course for their new Soueraigne They had learned of their old master that a soft anger appeaseth wrath wisely therefore doe they aduise him If thou wilt be aseruant to this people this day and speak good words to them they will be thy seruants for euer It was an easie condition with one mouthfull of breath to purchase an euerlasting homage with one gentle motion of his tongue to binde all peoples hearts to his allegeance for euer Yet as if the motion had been vnfit a new Counsell Table is called well might this people say What will not Rehoboam grudge vs if he thinke much to giue good words for a Kingdome There is not more wisdome in taking varietie of aduice where the matter is doubtfull then folly when it is plaine The yong heads are consulted This very change argues weakenesse Some reason might bee pleaded for passing from the yonger Counsell to the aged none for the contrary Age brings experience and it is a shame if with the ancient bee not wisdome Youth is commonly rash heady insolent vngouerned wedded to will led by humour a rebell to reason a subiect to passion fitter to execute then to aduise Greene wood is euer shrinking and warping whereas the well-seasoned holds a constant firmenesse Many a life many a soule many a florishing state hath beene ruined by vndisciplined Monitors Such were these of Rehoboam whose great stomach tells them that this conditionating of subiects was no other then an affront to their new master and suggests to them how vnfit it is for Maiestie to brooke so saucy a treaty how requisite and Princely to crush this presumption in the egge As scorning therefore to bee braued by the base Vulgar they put words of greatnesse and terror into their new Prince My little finger shall bee thicker then thy fathers loynes My father made your yoake heauy I will adde to your yoake My father hath chastised you with whips I will chastise you with Scorpions The very words haue stings Now must Israel needes thinke How cruell will this mans hands bee when hee thus drawes blood with his tongue Men are not wont to speake out their worst who can endure the hopes of him that promiseth tyranny There can be no good vse of an indefinite profession of rigor and seuerity Feare is an vnsafe guardian of any state much lesse of an vnsetled Which was yet worse not the sins of Israel were threatned nor their purses but their persons neither had they desired a remission of iustice but of exactions and now they hear of nothing but burdens and scourges and Scorpions Here was a Prince and people well met I doe not find them sensible of ought saue their owne profit They doe not say Religion was corrupted in the shutting vp of thy fathers daies Idolatry found the free fauour of Priests and Temples and Sacrifices Begin thy reigne with God purge the Church demolish those piles of abomination abandon those Idol-mongers restore deuotion to her purity They are all for their penny for their ease Hee on the other side is all for his will for an imperious Soueraignty without any regard either of their reformation or satisfaction They were worthy of load that cared for nothing but their backs and he worthy of such subiects who professed to affect their misery and torment Who would not but haue looked any whither for the cause of this euill rather then to heauen yet the holy God challenges it to himselfe The cause was from the Lord that he might performe his saying by Abijah the Shilonite to Ieroboam As sinne is a punishment of sinne it is a part of iustice The holy One of Israel doth not abhorre to vse euen the grossest sinnes to his owne iust purposes whiles our wils are free to our owne choice his decrees are as necessary as iust Israel had forsaken the Lord and worshipped Ashtaroth the goddesse of the Zidonians and Chemosh and Milchom God
by a deuill Surely Iehoshaphat cannot but wonder at so vnequall a contention to see one silly Prophet affronting foure hundred with whom lest confidence should carie it behold Zedekiah more bold more zealous If Michaiah haue giuen him with his fellowes the lie he giues Michaiah the fist Before these two great Guardians of peace and iustice swaggering Zedekiah smites Michaiah on the face and with the blow expostulates Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from mee to speake vnto thee For a Prophet to smite a Prophet in the face of two Kings vvas intollerably insolent the act was much vnbeseeming the person more the presence Prophets may reproue they may not strike It was enough for Ahab to punish with the hand no weapon was for Zedekiah but his tongue neither could this rude presumption haue beene well taken if malice had not made magistracie insensible of this vsurpation Ahab was well content to see that hated mouth beaten by any hand It is no new condition of Gods faithfull messengers to smart for saying true Falshood doth not more bewray it selfe in any thing then in blowes Truth suffers whiles errour persecutes None are more ready to boast of the Spirit of God then those that haue the least As in vessels the full are silent Innocent Michaiah neither defends nor complaines It would haue well beseemed the religious King of Iudah to haue spoken in the cause of the dumbe to haue checked insolent Zedekiah Hee is content to giue way to this tide of peremptorie and generall opposition The helplesse Prophet stands alone yet layes about him with his tongue Behold thou shalt see in that day when thou shalt goe into an inner chamber to hide thy selfe Now the proud Baalite shewed himselfe too much ere long he shall bee glad to lurke vnseene his hornes of iron cannot beare off this danger The sonne of Ahab cannot chuse but in the zeale of reuenging his fathers deadly seducement call for that false head of Zedekiah In vaine shall that Impostor seeke to hide himselfe from iustice But in the meane while hee goes away with honour Michaiah with censure Take Michaiah and carie him backe to Amon the Gouernour of the Citie and to Ioash the Kings sonne and say Thus saith the King Put this fellow in prison and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction vntill I come in peace An hard doome of Truth The Iayle for his lodging coorse bread and water for his food shall but reserue Michaiah for a further reuenge The returne of Ahab shall be the bane of the Prophet Was not this hee that aduised Benhadad not to boast in putting on his Armour as in the vngirding it and doth hee now promise himselfe peace and victory before hee buckle it on No warning will disswade the wilfull So assured doth Ahab make himselfe of successe that hee threats ere he goe what hee will doe when hee returnes in peace How iustly doth God deride the misreckonings of proud and foolish men If Ahab had had no other sinnes his very confidence shall defeat him yet the Prophet cannot be ouercome in his resolution he knowes his grounds cannot deceiue him and dare therefore cast the credit of his function vpon this issue If thou returne at all in peace the Lord hath not spoken by mee And hee said Hearken O people euery one of you Let him neuer be called a Prophet that dare not trust his God This was no aduenture therefore of reputation or life since hee knew whom hee beleeued the euent was no lesse sure then if it had beene past Hee is no God that is not constant to himselfe Hath hee spoken and shall hee not performe What hold haue wee for our soules but his eternall Word The being of God is not more sure then his promises then his sentences of iudgement Well may wee appeale the testimony of the world in both If there bee not plagues for the wicked if there be not rewards for the righteous God hath not spoken by vs. Not Ahab onely but good Iehoshaphat is caried with the multitude Their forces are ioyned against Ramoth The King of Israel doth not so trust his Prophets that hee dares trust himselfe in his owne cloathes Thus shall hee elude Michaiahs threat Iwis the iudgement of God the Syrian shafts cannot finde him out in this vnsuspected disguise How fondly doe vaine men imagine to shift off the iust reuenges of the Almighty The King of Syria giues charge to his Captaines to fight against none but the King of Israel Thus doth the vnthankfull Infidell repay the mercy of his late victor Ill was the Snake saued that requites the fauour of his life with a sting Thus still the greatest are the fairest marke to enuious eyes By how much more eminent any man is in the Israel of God so many more and more dangerous enemies must hee expect Both earth and hell conspire in their opposition to the worthiest Those who are aduanced aboue others haue so much more need of the guard both of their owne vigilancy and others prayers Iehoshaphat had like to haue paid deare for his loue Hee is pursued for him in whose amitie hee offended His cryes deliuer him his cryes not to his pursuers but to his God whose mercy takes not aduantage of our infirmitie but rescues vs from those euils which wee wilfully prouoke It is Ahab against whom not the Syrians onely but God himselfe intends this quarrell The enemy is taken off from Iehoshaphat Oh the iust and mighty hand of that diuine prouidence which directeth all our actions to his owne ends which takes order where euery shaft shall light and guides the arrow of the strong Archer into the ioynts of Ahabs harnesse It was shot at a venture fals by a destiny and there fals where it may carie death to an hidden debtor In all actions both voluntarie and casuall thy will O God shall bee done by vs with what euer intentions Little did the Syrian know whom hee had striken no more then the arrow wherewith he stroke An inuisible hand disposed of both to the punishment of Ahab to the vindication of Michaiah How worthily O God art thou to bee adored in thy iustice and wisedome to bee feared in thy iudgements Too late doth Ahab now thinke of the faire warnings of Michaiah which hee vnwisely contemned of the painfull flatteries of Zedekiah which hee stubbornly beleeued That guilty blood of his runs downe out of his wound into the midst of his charet and paies Naboth his arerages O Ahab what art thou the better for thine Iuory house whiles thou hast a blacke soule What comfort hast thou now in those flattering Prophets which tickled thine cares and secured thee of victories What ioy is it to thee now that thou wast great Who had not rather be a Michaiah in the Iayle then Ahab in the Charet Wicked men haue the aduantage of the way godly men of the end The Charet is washed