of some few Nations he is Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium the King of all other Kings and the Lord of all Lords And therefore Eusebius saith that the distinction or difference betwixt this true Christ and the other imaginary Christs that were anointed Kings before him may truely and very easily be discerned Euseb l. r. c. 1. Eccl. Histor quia illi priores Christi nulli penè nisi genti propriae cogniti sunt those former Kings were scarce known to any but to their own proper people but not onely the name but also the rule power and kingdome of this true King is extended over all Nations per universum orbem terrae and through the compasse of the round world And though when the Jewes would have crowned him King Rex fieri noluit he refused the same yet to shew that this Dominus Angelorum was also Rex Judaeorum Beda l. 5. in c. 19 Luc. as Beda speaketh when he rid to Jerusalem upon the Asse he willingly permitted the people to cry Hosanna and to intitle him King of the Jewes and he confessed as much himself unto Pilat that he was a King And what meaneth this saith the Venerable Bede that he now willingly embraceth quod prius fugiendo declinavit that which before he declined and fled from it and the kingdome that while as yet he lived in the world he would not accept he now denieth not to take it when he is by and by ready to go out of the world He answereth that he formerly refused it Beda l. 3. in c. 11. S. Mar. because of the gross imagination of the Jewes that conceited him to be a temporal King like unto others but he doth now accept it to shew quod non temporalis terreni sed aeterni in coelis Rex esset imperii that his kingdome was not of this world as himself said unto Pilate but as the King of Heaven he ruled all the world Well then seeing Saint Matthew doth by so many inanswerable arguments prove Christ to be a King What we may learn from this Doctrine that Christ is our King and that he is a perpetual universal and principal King and here exprest by the Lion in this Text we may collect and draw matter both of comfort and fear both of joy and of grief For 1. Seeing Christ is King then as the Psalmist saith Psal 97.1 exultet terra let the earth rejoyce for if we will obey him and be ruled by him he will appoint over us such Viceroyes and under-rulers that will lead us sicut oves gently and lovingly like sheep as he did the Israelites by the hands of Moses and Aaron And 2. Psal 99.1 Seeing Christ is King then as the same Prophet saith contremiscat populus let the people tremble for if they fall to be unruly as we were of late let them be never so impatient this King can as easily gather unto himselfe the spirit of his under-Princes as we can slip a cluster of Grapes from a Vine and he can send them a Rehoboam without Wisedome or a Jeroboam without Religion or Ashur a Stranger an Vsurper as we have had to be our King or nullum Regem no King at all but a disordered Anarchy which is the worst of all Psal 10.4 and all this quia non timuerunt Jehovam because they cared not for God neither was God in all their thoughts But to end this Point seeing Christ our King is this Lion here mentioned we need not fear our spiritual enemies for though he be a Lion and a roaring Lion that is against us yet you see we have a Lion with us and as Saint John saith he that is in us is greater then he that is in the world 1 John 4. and is stronger then the strong man armed and able as the Apostle saith Rom. 16.20 Vide the abridgment of the Gospel fol. 26. 27. to tread and bruise Satan under our feet and therefore we ought to stand fast in the Lord without fear because as Saint Chrysostome well saith non debet timere hostem fortem qui habet Regem fortiorem he need not fear the strongest enemy that hath a stronger King as our King is blessed be God for it 2. 2 2. Saint Luke is understod by the Calf as Saint Matthew is here understood by the Lion quia selet res quae significat ejus rei nomine quam significat nuncupaeri as the bread that signifieth the body of Christ is termed the body of Christ because he proveth Christ to be the King of the Jews and that Lion of Juda which was so long expected to come into the world so for the like reason Saint Luke is here to be understood by the Calf because he principally aimed to prove Christ that is signified by the Calf to be that Priest of whom the Lord sware thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck For I told you before that of all the sacrifices of the four footed Beasts of the Herds which the Hebrews called bakar that is majores hostias the greater sacrifices the Calf was most acceptable unto God as the Prophet sheweth Psal 51.19 Heb. 9.19 Exod. 24.8 Esay 11.6 7. when they offered yong bullocks id â—st goodly Calfs upon his altar And the reason is because the Calf is mecker and more gentle then either of the rest in regard of which meekness the quiet and peaccable man is metaphorically called a Calf And therefore by the Calf is here signified the Priestly office of Christ whereby he offered up himself as a meek and immaculate Calf unto God that by the blood of this Calf we might be sprinkled and purged from all our sins because that without shedding of bloud there is no remissin Heb. 9 21 as the Apostle speaketh And of all the rest of the Evangelists Saint Luke onely doth most specially aime to prove Christ to be a Priest and to shew his Priestly office for both the Alpha and Omega of his Gospel is concerning the Temple and the sacrifices thereof when as he beginneth the same with the Priesthood of Zacharias and his sacrifice of incense and endeth the same with the sacrifice of the Christians that were continually in the Temple praysing and blessing God Luc. 24.53 For though that before the birth of this Priest the other Priests were to burn incense in the Temple of the Lord as Zacharias did yet this Priest being now born and ascended up to heaven the sacrifice that the Christians are to offer unto God is to be continually praysing and landing God in the Temple as Saint Luke saith the Apostles did For the true propitiatory sacrifice being exhibited the Types and Figures thereof must now cease and be abolished and in the place thereof the gratulatory sacrifice must be established And therefore Saint Luke beginneth his Gospel with the propitiatory sacrifice of Zaâ—harias because Christ was not
better then the things of God II. Sensual men that have 5 yoke of Oxen and doe follow the lusts of their 5 Senses the lusts of the eyes and pride of life III. Lascivious wanton men that cry uxorem duxi and are led away with carnal pleasures Or as Saint Ambrose saith we may understand I. The Gentiles by him that said villam emi I bought a farme II. The Jews by him that said I bought 5 yoke of Oxen because they were under the heavy yoke of the Law and the 5 books of Moses that were such a yoke as that neither they nor their fathers could bear it and therefore they cryed out Psal 2. dirumpamus vincula let us break these bonds asunder and cast away these cords from us And III. The Heretiques Schismaticks and the like Fanatique Sectaries that are wedded to their own obstinate and foolish opinions which like Eva tempteth them and as another Dalilah destroyeth them may be understood by him that had married a wife and therefore neither could nor would obey the truth and so come unto the marriage of this King which is hâ—re shewed unto us by the Evangelist but tell us flatly they neither can nor will do it their wife which is their obstinate opinion will not suffer them The sixth Argument that Saint Matthew produceth to prove Christ to be a King 6 6 Argument is from the inscription of Pilate Jesus of Nazareth Beda in â—â—c King of the Jews Whereupon Beda saith that because he was both King and Priest together when he offered up that invaluable sacrifice of his flesh upon the Altar of his cross unto God his Father he fitly challenged and it was rightly given unto him the title of his royalty which did belong and was so due unto him and that title was written in Hebrew Greek and Latine which were and are the three most special languages of the World that all the World might read it and believe it that Christ by his cross non perdiderat sed potius confirmavit corroboravit imperium hath not lost but rather strengthened his right unto his kingdome So that although God suffered them to take away his life yet they could not take away his kingdom from him but when he was dead upon the cross yet still the title remained that he was Jesus of Nazareth king of the Jews And it was written in Hebrew in respect of the Jews that gloryed in their Law and in Greek in respect of the Gentiles that boasted of their wisdom and in Latine in respect of the Romans which then ruled and domineered over most and almost all the Nations of the World that the Jews will they nill they may see that omne mundi regnum omnis mundana sapientia omnia divinae legis sacramenta testantur quia Jesus est Rex every kingdom of the earth all the wisdom of the World and all the sacraments of the divine law do bear witness that Christ is King and this Lion here spoken of in this Text. And the difference betwixt this Lion and all other Lions is that as Franciscus Vallesius de sacra Philosophiaâ—c 55. saith Mos Leonis est sibi tantum praedam capere non Leaenae but Christ took the prey for his Church and not for himself And we finde that his kingdome by three special prerogatives excelleth all other kingdomes of the world that is 1 1. Pâ—ehemiâ—eâ—ce of Christs kingdome threefold 1. Eternity 2. Purity 3. Largity 1. The Prophet saith thy Throne O God Psal 110. is for ever and ever and thy Dominion shall endure throughout all Ages but transibit gloria mundi all other Kings within so many years shall not govern and after so many dayes they shall not be for death spareth none but sceptra ligonibus aequat And as Nazianzen saith Constantinus Imperator famulus meus ossa Agamemnonis Thyrsitis death makes no difference betwixt the bones of King Agamemnon and base Thyrsites the Emperour Constantine and my servant but when their race is run and their glass is out we may say of each of them as Horace saith of his Friend Torquatus Non Torquate genus non te sacundia Horâ—t nâ—n te Restituet pietas But this King hath a prerogative above them all for he was Rex à seculo a King from everlasting and he shall be a King in secula seculorum world without end for so the Angel Gabriel testifieth that of his kingdome there shall be no end Luke 1.33 And this should batter down the pride of Tyrants that say with Nebuchadnezzar Is not this great Babel that I have built For mene mene tekel peres their glory is but as the grass of the field or otherwise if they were immortal they were intolerable And this should teach us to labour to become the Subjects of this King in whose kingdome there shall be Aug. l 1 c. 10. de Trinitate as Saint Augustine saith requies sempiterna gaudium quod nunquam auferetur à nobis An everlasting rest and joy that shall never be taken from us The second preheminence of his kingdome is purity 2 2. Preheminence for of this King the Prophet speaketh thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity and the scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousness For this King is not like Ahab that would take away Naboths Vineyard nor like Rehoboam that would oppress his Subjects with over-grievous Taxes but he is a righteous King and a most just Judge far unlike some Judges of former dayes that for a word have made a man a transgressour and for a syllable or one letter have quite overthrown a mans cause and right and so have made the Laws a nose of wax to bend and turn as they pleased and to be rete Vulcanium like Vulcans iron net to catch the poor and friendless but tela aranea like the spiders web so easie for the rich and powerful to passe through it But blessed be God for it we have few such now and we hope we shall not provoke God so far as to send such amongst us for if you suffer oppression and wrongs when as the Poet saith Mensuraque juris vis erit Then surely peaceable men shall not be able to live in the Common-wealth But the equity and justice of this King should perswade all other Kings to follow his Example and as the wise man saith Sâ—p 1.1 to love righteousness all they that are Judges of the earth The third preheminence of his kingdome is 3 3. Preheminence that God anointed this King with the oyle of gladness in all things above his fellows for their time hath an end their dominion a limitation but his time is not limited and his rule hath no marches but exivit in omnem terram it hath gone forth into all Lands because he is the King of all the earth and when as all other Kings are but Reges Gentium Kings
all the families of the earth so I believe the Lord may justly say of our Kings dominions that he shewed more love and favour unto them then he did to any other Kingdom of the World for whatsoever good he did to others he did the same to us And he shewed two more signal favours to us then he did to any other Kingdome of all Christendome As I. He raised the good Emperour Constantine the Son of Helen out of Britaine to close up the days of persecution and shut the doors of the Idol-Temples II. When the mysts of ignorance and errors and superstition had covered and overshadowed almost all the Church of Christ God sent successively no less then five such excellent Protestant Princes King Edward the sixth Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charles the I. and II. as no other Kingdom had the like to protest against all the Popish errours and superstition and to make such a perfect reformation of Religion that both for Doctrine and Discipline no Church in Christendom is so purely and so perfectly established as these Churches of our Kings dominions are such love and such mercies of God to us as exceeded all the blessings of the earth and shewed to no other Nation of the world in such a measure but to this And what reward I pray you What requital have we rendred unto God have we and our people rendred unto God for those great unparalell'd benefits that he hath done unto us I do profess I have been a man ever faithful to my King and ever fearless of all the dangers of the world and therefore I must say the truth as Saint Steven told the Jews though I should fare as Saint Steven did that as they were a stiff-necked people that have always resisted the Holy Ghost and persecuted the Prophets and been the traytors and murderers of Christ so have the major part of us shewed themselves a rebellious Nation that confederated to assist the Devil to requite Gods extraordinary signal favour to us with extraordinary signal contempt of Gods service and signal malice to all his servants above any other nation of the World by raising out of us and bringing in amongst us the great Anti-Christ that is the great enemies of Christ you know whom * The Long Parliament to slay the two witnesses of Jesus Christ which were Cohors Magistratuum Chorus Prophetarum 1. the best and blessed King Charles the First that like a goodly Oake or the Cedar of Lebanon was cut down with all his boughes and branches of Magistracy and 2. all the Seers that were the eyes the light Those were the 2 witnesses and the reverend Governours of Gods Church and instead of them to bring in the wild bore out of the wood the great Vsurper to destroy the vineyard of Christ and Gebal and Ammon and Amalec Ps 83.7 the Philistims with them that dwell at Tyre the whole rable of Presbyterians Independants Anabaptists Quakers and other sects which are the false Prophet to devour the revenues of the Church and to destroy all the houses of God in the land and so to corrupt the whole Service of that good God that had so graciously done such great things for us as I have fully shewed it heretofore and will hereafter be manifested for truth every day more and more And if these things be a good requital or a just thankfulness to God for all the benefits that he hath done unto us judge you But to leave these monsters of men for their imparalell'd ingratitude What God hath done for every one of us in particular 1 What good things he hath bestowed on us let us return to our selves here present and see what God hath done for every one of us for he made thee a man or a woman when he might have made thee a beast and he gave thee all thy limbs thy sight and thy senses when thou mightest have beenborn like him that was so blind from his mothers womb I am sure thou wouldst be very thankful to that Chirurgion that would but preserve thy finger and what thanks owest thou to him that gave thee all thy members and whatsoever else thou hast good wit larg memory strong body comely proportion loving wise sweet children riches honour favour preferment and all that thou hast all is from God And that which is far better then all these for herein Dedit te tibi Deus He did but onely give thee unto thy self and those temporal blessings that are momentary but he redeemed thee from the pit wherein there is no water and in this thy redemption Dedit se tibi Deus God gave himself unto thee and his onely Son to die for thee he sends his servants to teach thee and his Holy Spirit to work all the good gifts that are in thee to make thee a good Christian here that thou maiest be for ever blessed hereafter And 2. 2 2 From how many evils he hath preserved us If thou hadst these eyes to look behind thee thou mightest see not onely how much good the Lord God hath bestowed upon thee but also from how many evils he hath preserved thee for Satan like a roaring Lion would have devoured thee thine enemies that rose up against thee would have undone thee if the Lord himself had not been on thy side Ps 124.1 2. and as the Psalmist saith they would have swallowed thee up quick when they were so wrathfully displeased at thee yea thine own self many times by thy desperate riding running jumping or the like mightest perhaps have broken thy bones thy limbs or thy neck if thy good God had not reached his hand to save thee from falling as he did to Saint Peter to preserve him from sinking And are not these things blessings worthy to be remembred O that we would therefore prayse the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men And that we would sometimes cast our eyes behinde us to see what requital we have rendred unto God for all those benefits that he hath done for us and especially for bringing our Gratious King unto us and restoring both the Church to her purity to her rights and service of God and the Common-Wealth to its peace and tranquillity For as the Prophet David saith I called mine own wayes to remembrance So should every one doe call his wayes to remembrance that if he findes he hath been carefull in God's service and a faithful Steward in God's house it may be a comfort unto his Conscience Quia immensa est laetitia de memoria transactae virtutis because the remembrance of former virtues and of our Service and thankfulnesse unto God will bring a great deale of joy and comfort unto our selves or if he hath blasphemed Gods Name neglected his Word robbed his Church and offended his Majesty he may repent and as Job saith abhorr himself in dust and ashes But that I may
by any humane wit the same being omnia in omnibus all in all For First Here is God the Creator of all things and all that is knowable or may be known concerning God as that ineffable mystery of the Trinity or three persons in the one onely Essence of the Deity and therefore appointed to be read for the Epistle on Trinity Sunday and all the chiefest Attributes of God as 1. His Purity and sanctity in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three times repeated to shew the three persons of the Deity the Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. His Power authority and dominion in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is set down in the singular number to shew the Vnity of the God-head 3. His Wisedome knowledge and providence in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he seeth all things and all things are patent to his eyes attingit a fine usque ad finem dispouit omnia suaviter 4. His Omnipotency in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almighty quia voluntas ejus potestas ejus because he can do whatsoever he would do he needs but say the word and it is done 5. His Eternity in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which crowneth all the rest of Gods Attributes that otherwise would be of no such value if it were not for this Eternity that makes him to be whatsoever he is for ever Secondly Here are the creatures of God and the chief of all Gods creatures as 1. The Lion which is the King of all the Beasts of the field 2. The Calf or the Oxe which is the most painful and most useful creature for the service of man and the most acceptable in the sacrifices of God 3. The Eagle which is the Lord and Master of all the Fowles of the Air and 4. Man which is the Prince and Ruler of all those and of all the Beasts of the field the Fowles of the air the Fishes of the sea and whatsoever walketh through the pathes of the seas Thirdly Here is Religion and the best of all Religions the Christian Religion most amply though enigmatically and mystically set forth unto us for 1. Here is both the natures and the offices of Christ and the chiefest things that he did and that we are to understand and believe for our salvation they are all here exprest unto us as 1. His divine nature under the notion of the Eagle and her lofty flight 2. His humane nature is noted unto us by him that had the face and appearance of a man And as his natures and the quality of his person are here thus mystically exprest so his offices that he was to discharge are here likewise in the same manner of the Egyptian Hieroglyphicks set forth unto us as 1. His Regal and Kingly office whereby he was to rule and govern his Church is here to be understood by the Lion which is the King of all the Beasts 2. His Priestly office whereby he was to teach and to instruct his people and to offer sacrifice unto God to appease his wrath and so to take away the sin of the world is here most aptly exprest by the Oxe or Calfe that was deemed the most acceptable sacrifice that could be offered unto God Num. 23.1 as you may see by the sacrifice of Balaam And as his natures and his offices are here thus to be understood so the chiefest things that he was to do and the chiefest points that we are to believe are likewise here fairly exprest under what is signified by these four Beasts as 1. His Incarnation by him that had the face of a man 2. His Passion by the Oxe or Calf 3. His Resurrection by the Lion 4. His Ascension by the flying Eagles Fourthly and lastly not onely the foresaid particulars concerning Christ and these main points of Christian Religion are hereby to be observed but also all the whole duty of man and the chiefest points that every Christian ought to discharge if he looks for eternal happiness are here exprest unto us under the qualities conditions description and practice of these Beasts as hereafter I shall more fully declare unto you And so you see here is sententia brevis a short speech but materia uberrima an Ocean of matter to sail over And do you think that I can passe through such a world of most weighty points within the compasse of one inch of time lesse then one little houre that cannot be by a far better head then mine Therefore I must crave leave onely to go as far as I can untill I shall have your Grace and this honourable audience leave to proceed at some other time unto the rest of these points And for our more orderly proceeding at this time I shall humbly desire you to observe these three points 1. The number of these Bests 2. The description of these Beasts 3. The practice of these Beasts 1. 1 1. The number of the Feasts sonrâ— Gen. 31.7 For their number it is said they were four Beasts And you must remember that sometimes a certain number is put for an uncertain as when Jacob said unto Laban Thou hast changed my wages ten times that is several times But here I take this number to be as it is set down to signifie four Beasts and neither more nor less 2. 2 2. The description of the Beasts The description of these Beasts is two-fold 1. Particular and proper to each one 2. General and common to them all 1. 1 1. The proper and particular description of the Beasts Touching their particular description we are to consider 1. Who and what they are that are thus exprest by these Beasts 2. Why each one of them is so exprest as they are here described unto us For the first Aug. de civit Deiâ—l 8. c. 3. I may truly say with St. Aug. Aliiâ—atque alii aliud atque aliud opinati sunt several men have had their several interpretations of them and I finde four expositions of them to be most of all respected 1. Of the Papists 2. Of the Puritans 3. Of some latter Writers of the Protestants 4. Of the Ancient Fathers 1. The Papists interpreting this vision of the Militant Church do understand the same by Heaven and by the seat that was set therein they understand the authority of the Church of Rome by the Lamb or him that sate on the seat their universal Bishop the Pope and by these four Beasts they would have us to understand the 4 Patriarchships 1. Of Antioch 2. Of Ephesus 3. Of Jerusalem 4. Of Alexandria Which have always had the greatest power and cheifest authority next after the Church of Rome And by the 24. Elders that sate upon the 24. seats they understand the six Arch Bishops that were in every Patriarchship as 1. in Antioch The Arch-Bishop 1. of Mesopotamia 2. of Ninivee 3. of Babylon 4. of Assyria 5. of Parthia 6.
as yet incarnate John 1. but he endeth the same with the gratulatory sacrifice of the Apostles because that now the word was made flesh and Christ had ascended into Heaven And lest this should not be sufficient to demonstrate Christ to be a Priest S. Luke proveth Christ to be a Priest by 3 special Arguments he proceedeth to prove him to be that Priest which was after the order of Melchisedech by three other special Arguments 1. A Prosapia from his Pedegree 2. From the true qualities and properties of a Priest 3. From the performance of the duties and office of a Priest 1. 1 1 Argument from his Pedegree In that St. Luke deriveth his Genealogy by Nathan S. Ambrose saith it was to shew his Priestly office and Venerable Bede saith that because Saint Matthew intended to shew the Regal office of Christ and St. Luke his Priestly office therefore St. Beda l. 1. in c. 3. Luc. Matthew derives his person from King Solomon and St. Luke from Nathan and so saith he in the Chariot of the Cherubims the Lion which is the strongest of all Beasts designs his Kingly office and the Calf which was the sacrifice of the Priest denotates his Priestly function and saith he Eandem uterque sui operis intentionem in genealogia quoque salvatoris texenda observavit And both the Evangelists in like manner observed the same intention of their work in setting down the genealogy of our Saviour And then immediatly he addeth two excellent Observations to confirm the same point As Observation 1 1. That in the manner of setting down his genealogie S. Beda ibid. Matthew descended from Abraham to Joseph to note his Kingly office and to shew that he partaked with us of our mortality but S. Luke by ascending from Joseph unto Adam and so to God doth rather design his Priestly office in expiating our sins and so bringing us to immortality And theresore in the descending generations of S. Matthew the taking upon Christ our sins is signified but in the ascending genealogies of S. Luke the abolition of our sins is noted unto us For so the Apostle saith God sent his Son in the similitude of sinful flesh there is the acception and the taking of our sins upon him and for sin or by the sacrifice for sin Rom. 8.3 condemned sin in the flesh there is the explation of our sins And Observation 2 2. To the same purpose he observeth that S. Matthew in his genealogie descended from David by Solomon with whose mother David sinned but S. Luke ascended by Nathan unto David by a Prophet of which name God absolved him from his sin The second Argument 2 2 Argument from the quality of a Priest which should be 1. knowledge 2 uprightness Ps 7 2.1 whereby S. Luke proveth Christ to be a Priest is from the quality of a Priest what manner of man he should be and that is to be endued with knowledge and uprightness or judgement and righteousness for which cause the Prophet prayeth Give the King thy judgement O God and thy righteousness unto the Kings son For who is this King and this Kings son but this Priest the Messias of the world And so Moses prayeth in like manner Let thy Vrim and thy Thummim be with thy holy One. or as some read it upon the man of thy merrie for who is this holy One Deut. 33. 8 or this man of his mercy but this our truc high Priest called the man of his mercy 1. Because he is the man that is full of mercy 2. Because that God out of his meer mercy did give this man unto us 3. Because by this man onely and none else we obtain mercy And according to those two mens prayer for those two things to be given unto the high Priest God gave them most amâ—y without measure unto the Messias that is Play 〈…〉 Jer. 23.5 our high Priest For I have put my Spirit upon him saith the Lord there is knowledge and be shall bring forth judgement unto the Gentiles there is 〈◊〉 And S. Luk 〈◊〉 that Christ had Vrim and Thummim 〈◊〉 Christ his knowledge Luke 11.49 knowledge and uprightness without measure For In regard of the 〈◊〉 he plainly calleth him the wisdome of God And his wisdome 〈◊〉 1. In his wise unreprovable and unrepliable answers to Satan that subtil Serpent to the Heredians that feigned themselves to be just men and were sent to intrap him in his speech and to the chiefest Doctours of the Jews to whom he did so wisely answer Luke 20.7 that they durst not ask him any thing at all and if he asked them any question they answered They could not tell how to answer him 2. In his heavenly teaching of his followers so truly expounding the Prophecyes of the Prophets so profoundly speaking to them in parables so plainly delivering the Law unto them and so sweetly comforting all that came unto him that the eyes of all were fastened upon him Luke â— 20.22 and they wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth And In regard of the second 2 2 His uprightness Mork 7.37 1 Pet. 2.22 that is his uprightness S. Mark saith that the people testified he did all things well And S. Peter saith There was no guile found in his mouth And S. Luke confirmeth the same throughout his whole Gospel The third Argument whereby S. 3 3 Argument from the office of a Priest threefold Luke proveth Christ to be a Priest is from the duty and office of a Priest which is specially threefold 1. To expound the Law 2. To pray for the people 3. To offer sacrifice for their sins 1. The Prophet Malachy saith The Priests lips should keep knowledge Mal. 2.7 and the people should seek the law at his mouth And S. Hierom saith It is the duty of the Priest to answer all that ask him concerning the Law and therefore if he be the Priest of the Lord Hieron super Hagg. let him know the law of the Lord or if he be ignorant of the law he is no Priest of the Lord. And therefore S. Luke sheweth That Christ taught the people most diligently expounded the Law most truly and answered all questions that were asked of him most readily And 2. Luke 22.32 He sheweth That he prayed for S. Peter that his faith should not fail And S. John sheweth how he prayed for all those whom his father gave him and for all them also which should believe on him through the word And John 17.11 20. 3. How as a Priest he offered sacrifice for the sins of the people which he did both in the Garden and upon the Cross S. Luke sheweth it more amply then any of all the Evangelists for though S. Matthew and S. Mark do tell us that he was in heaviness or exceeding sorrowful Matth. 26 38. Mar 14.35 Aristotle sect 11. probl 30.
see but few punished the rest pardoned and many of them favoured and preferred why may not the seditious think that they shall either prevail or if miss of their enterprise they may escape the fortune of those few that shall be punished and be magnified like those that they do see thus rewarded 3. For that this favouring and countenancing of those that have been Rebels and false is a great offence and discouragement to those that have ever continued saithful and loyal especially if they see themselves postponed and neglected And therefore the Kings and Princes that I told you of thought it neither wisdom nor policy to regard and favour those whom they pardoned for their treachery to their former Princes though they had done never so good service unto themselves and if all Kings did so I believe fewer Traytors would spring up among the people And this appeareth plainly by our new Plotters of Rebellions and Treasons now amongst us in this Kingdom of Ireland for who and what are they that doe thus murmur and mutter against both God and his Anointed the King and his Lieutenant the Church and Common-wealth But those that have been members of the Beast and limbs of the great Anti-Christ the Rebels and Traytors that rose and warr'd and some no doubt but had their hands or fingers dipped deep in the bloud of that blessed Saint and glorious Martyr our late most gracious King Charles the First and having escaped their just deserved shame and death and being so highly rewarded by their Grand Masters for their great wickedness with the lands of the Irish without distinction whether they were bloudy Murderers and Rebels against their King or innocent Papists that were both loyal unto their King and succourers of the Protestants and now seeing the touchstone of truth and justice rendring to every one his own according to his merit either of nocency or innocency they stamp and stare and being moved with madness like boyes at blinde manbuff they let fly their Arrows even bitter words nay false scandalous rebellious and treacherous words against the King against his Lieutenant and against the peace and happiness of this whole Kingdom they care not whom they traduce so they may stir up the coals of contention and move the discontented to a new Rebellion And what wayes do they take for this but the very same which they had learned and practised before in England under the Long-Parliament 1. To tax and to traduce the good King for doing that they know not nor ever shall be able to prove that he did but the Scots say that he did and so they do say a thousand things more then I believe to be true and they should believe nothing especially what they know not against their King when as all other men that are both wise and honest can sufficiently answer and justifie all that ever his now Majesty did And I that am not worthy to be of his counsel and to know the reasons of his actions yet could shew you very just and sufficient reasons for every thing that ever I heard his Majesty did and I would do it but that Himself and his Council I know can justifie all his actions with many far deeper reasons then I can dave into Therefore these very firebrands of sedition knowing this would a little excuse his Majesty by laying the faults upon his Counsellors that seduced him And who are they They speak in general in universalibus latet error so did the long Parliament against our late King there they learned their lesson and they walk in the same paths But the former Parliaments could name their names the Duke of Buckingham so can these men name the Duke of Ormond And what hath he done I observe two things that they charge him with 1. To testifie what he knew to be truth and these men conceived to be otherwise A mighty fault because they had not their eyes open to see the truth his Grace offended to testifie the truth 2. In obeying his Majesty's gracious goodness by relieving those that were necessitous and perhaps for ought that they know had done his Majesty very good service and for ought that we know had done no injury to any of our men and this is a sin unpardonable with these uncharitable men I but they will say by relieving these he lets the Army starve and I demand what Subject ever did pawn his own lands melt his own plate lay out his own moneys to relieve the King's Armies and to shew himself I will not say more faithful but I say neer so faithful to his King and so bountiful a benefactor and friend to all the King 's loyal Subjects as the Duke of Ormend hath alwayes been I must and ever will with all thankfulness acknowledge it when the long Parliament and their whelps had robbed me of all that I had all the relief and subsistence which I had from all the friends in the world was that bountiful gift which this noble Duke sent me by Sir George Lane And I could name the many many more to whom his Grace did the like And are these things faults worthy to be reproved And I am sure he hated the Rebellion and disowned the Rebels of this Nation as much or more then any man and would you have him to be an enemy to the postnati and a stranger to the innocent God hath made him a more honourable and a more gracious man I but we are not yet come to the quick the English interest by the favour of the Duke unto the Irish and the Judges of the Court of Claim is much shaken and is like to be dismembred and left inanimate But would you have the English interest to continue be it right or wrong or would you have it so to continue that God might bless it and it to prosper If so then let it be rooted in justice and established in truth or otherwise the breath of the Lord will scatter it and the wrath of God will soon destroy it and instead of blessing will as Jacob said bring the curse of God upon you and your Posterity And you might see if you had your eyes open the great care of my L Duke and the great pains and diligence of the Court of Claim to search out the truth of every cause that the innocent should not be made guilty nor the nocent carry away the victory And what more would you have done Yet as I said before they that have learned the way to be Rebels do know the way to be rebellious still But if they will needs charge our good King and the Duke's Grace for any fault let them do it for their being too mercyfull and milde in suffering them and others that are like them to live that had so justly deserved to dye and especially if they would suffer them to enjoy the Lands of the Church and the Possessions of them that are innocent 3. The next reigning