THese words, some yeares1574. since (as some of you may remember) vppon this yearelie and happie occasion were most lear­nedly, largely, and effec­tuallie debated with you. In resuming the same againe, my purpose is not to venture flight with the Eagle, or to run with the Gyant, or any way to compare with that excellent man. Onelie, for good reasons mouing me there-unto, I haue rather chosen to sowe in a ground readie plowed vp to my hand, than to breake vppe a newe at mine owne choice.

Without more adoe, or farther im­pertinent [Page]prefacing, these woordes and the whole storie of the Queene of Saba is not only recorded1. King. 10 here, but also word for woorde repeated againe in the lat­ter booke of Chronicles, as a matter woorthy all memorie and admiration.2. Chron. 9. For, that a woman and shee a Queene, and (as our Sauiour noteth) from the farthest partes of the earth,Mat. 12.45 onelie moo­ued with the fame of a wise man, should come so readilie to learne wisedome, is more than straunge, & deserueth euerla­sting praise with all posteritie in ages succeeding, and shee shall rise at the last day of doome and iudgement to the con­demnation of the maruelous sloth of some whole generations. Some other,Luc. 11.31. her like, would haue dealt after a diuerse and a dislike sort, as for example, reasoning thus: I am a woman, by nature weake and can not; a Queene, and neede not; of soueraigne estate and it were vnseeme­lie to leaue my people at random and to uenture at auentures & to trauell abroad. The way is long and tedious: the iour­ney [Page]daungerous, full of cruell beastes, and of men woorse than beastes: the fame is but a report, and reportes are not alwaies true. But shee fore-casteth none of all these doubts and inconueniences, neither the vncertainty of the euent, nor perill of the way, nor tediousnesse of the iourney, nor dignity of her person, nor infirmitie of her sexe. She, as a faire type, and a timely first-fruite of the gentils, presen­teth herself among the people of GOD, preferring the aduenture for wisedome, more,Prou. 3.15. than for siluer, gold, or what euer thing else of richest price. And beeing nowe come to Ierusalem, conferreth at large with Salomon himselfe, and recei­ueth speciall aunswere in euery thing a­boue expectation. After a while, she sur­ueieth his buildinges, and taketh parti­cular viewe of his whole house and go­uernment, and when shee had considered all; the order of his realme, the array of his seruiters, the manner of his waiters, their attire, their diet, their blessed roume and place whereby they enioyed the hap­py [Page]presence of so woonderfullie wise a Prince, that could aunswere to euery her question, demaund, and motiue that shee could make, she was all amazed, and her spirite was taken from her. And com­ming to herselfe againe, she breaketh forth no doubt, by the spirite of God into the woordes of my text: ‘Blessed be the Lord, thy God which loued thee &c.’

A blessed God and a louing, a blessed Prince, and a blessed people beloued of God.

A blessed God, to be praised and blessed for euer (as the Apostle speaketh) Amen. Rom. 1.25. & 9.5. But wherewith this Queene beginneth, namely, with the praise and blessing of God, God willing, we meane to inter­lace all, and end the whole. In the meane while, consider wee apart Gods blessings,

• 1 vpon Salomom, and
• 2 vpon Salomons subiects.

1 Salomons blessing, and louely estate is therefore termed so and so pronounced [Page]here because god placed him in the throne of regiment amongst his people. And in truth, to be a plant in the Lordes orchard, to bee the woorkmanshippe of his owne hands, toward the toppe, or in the midle, or neere the foundation, or where-about so-euer in the frame of his building, euen to bee the poorest doore-keeper in all his house,Psal. 84.10. is no small benefit, or common bles­sing: yet is this more properly his doing, and hee alone chiefly planteth and placeth all that are allotted to chiefest roumes. The Sunne placeth not it selfe aboue the Moone and starres: The head setteth not it selfe vpon the shoulders: ByProu. 8.15 me (saith the wisedome of God) Kings raigne: as if it were saide, if by others, as it is com­plained in the Prophet Osce, Ose. 8.4. then not by me, and therefore by me alone (saith the wisedom of God) Kings raigne: that is, they beare their scepters and weare their swordes and sit in their thrones, BY ME they raigne.

And, great reason wee thus iudge of Soueraigne authoritie. All thinges in the [Page]world: the least, the vilest, the least of ac­count; the leafe of a flower, the fall of a sparowe, the feather of a bird, the foode of rauens, the fodder of oxen, the brissell of a hogge (as Augustine speaketh,) the teares of our eies, and colour of our haire come all within the span and compasse of God almighties power-full doing, and particular direction. Nowe, he that careth for litle thinges, is he carelesse of the greatest? He that careth for the haire, he can not but care for the body: and hee that careth for the bodie, careth for the head; and he that respecteth the bodie, the head, the haire, the whole, the parts, great and lesse, principall and excrementall of priuate men, without all question regar­deth much more the bodie politike and the heade of the common-wealth.Rom. 13.1. 1. Pet. 2.13. All au­toritie is of God, and therefore kinglie most of all, euen as all the waters ishue from the Ocean, but more immediatlie the great riuers.

This speach were vtterly needlesse, were wee not fallen into the waining of [Page]the world,Iude 8. wherein S. Iudes reprehension may iustly take place: when men are not onely despisers of gouernours, as Shimei was of Dauid, 2. Sam. 16.5 but euill speakers and misconsterers of authoitrie it selfe and so­ueraigne gouernment in the highest de­gree. Treason against the Prince is no sinne against God, saith Euerard Hance, as you may reade in the wise and True re­port of the Arrainment and execution of the Popish Traitor. Euerard Hance, a­lias Ducket

Our present storie, of the enthronizing of Salomon informeth vs better, & teach­eth vs a contrary lesson, and sheweth plainly, whence princely gouernment is deriues and doth depend. I know, Ber­zabe Salomons mother, Dauid his Fa­ther, Nathan the Prophet, Zadock the Priest, were all for Salomon. But A­doniah was the elder brother, and Salo­mon the yonger; Abiathar the high priest annointed Adoniah, and not Salomon; Salomons mother was a blemished wo­man, and Adoniah was in a kinde of real possession of the kingdom, and what hu­mane [Page]meanes can we imagine then could hinder him and them, and helpe Salomon to remedie all? Ioab a great man and a mightie for valour, cunning and courage, would venter limme & life, and had set his rest vppon the cause.

Wherfore Bennaiah when he saw how the world went,1. Reg. 1.36. yet on the contrary side perceiuing how Dauid was resolued that Salomon for al this shold succeed, wished from his heart it might be so: So bee it, said he, & not contented therewith addeth after in few but effectual words, praying: The Lord God of the Lord my king ra­tifie it. As if he should haue saide, Berza­be, Zadocke, Nathan, and I, yea Dauid himselfe would haue it so: but God say so to. For if God say no it can not be, but if he say so notwithstanding all vnlikelihoods, if God ratified it, it shall stande, and must be so.

A worthy and a wise and a true saying (and to conclude this matter) most agree­able to the Psalme: Promotion commeth neither from the East, nor the West. No,Psal. 75.6. [Page]my brethren nor from the north, nor south. The Lord of Lordes and king of kinges and gouernour of all thinges, ruleth, ouer­ruleth al in al specially al these cases of re­giment euen by his plenary power and at his owne and absolute pleasure: as hath beene vouched in generall and in particu­lar is declared that his meere loue to Prince and people it was that placed Sa­lomon, & disappointed Adoniah.

But in sooth, is it such a blessing so great a benefit proceeding all of loue to bee a king? Howe saith one, that the Princely cloke is lined all within with pinnes and pricking needles? An other that a crown is not worth the stouping for? A thirde, that, if profer were made necessarily to ac­cept either present death, or the Princely Diademe, he would make willing choice rather to go straitway to his graue, than any way to the chaire of estate. And be­cause domestical examples touch neerest, & affect most, our soueraine & careful queene the Lordes annointed ouer vs, in an ex­hortation to her councell and iudges, for [Page]a due consideration ouer her people, amōg other words euer to be remēbred of their honors, hath these of her selfe: I care not for my selfe, my life is not deere vnto me: My care is for my people. In. B. Iewels view of the Bull. I pray god who euer succeedeth me, he as care full as I am. They, who might know what cares I beare, would not thinke it so great a ioy to weare the crowne.

In the booke of Iudges the ninth chap­ter there is a parable and a storie to this purpose; read you the story,Iudges. 9. I will touch onely the parable: In deede the sweete figge tree, the pleasant vine, the fatte oliue refused preferment, when it was offered. But (beloued) figtrees, vines and Oliues are geisen and rare, & grow not in euery ground. The scratching brā ­ble, that is rife & common in euery hedge, redily accepteth the offer, & willed al the trees to come vnder his shadow without straining cursie at the matter. Generally, Adams children, some more, some lesse, & almost al, haue some desire to ride the horse they cānot manage.2. Sam. 15. Absalō in this affectiō [Page]embezelleth the harts of the subiects from his own most louing father.Hester. 6.6. Aman blown vp with this winde would needes ride the kingly horse, and weare the Princely robe and ring, with sound of trumpet & procla­mation made in open sight. Thus shall the man be honoured whom the king will honor. Cyprian. de Ten. & Ierunio. Yea ambition (saith Cy­prian) sleepeth (and lodgeth) in the bo­som of Priestes. No, no, Cyprian, lodge it may, but where it lodgeth it can not sleepne maketh men wake when other mē sleepe. Neither will I wander abroade for proafe hereof: It caused Yorke to striue with Canterburie, Cardinal Woolsey. and Canterburie of­ten to struggle with the king, and Yorke againe of later yeares it made to bee a­gainst and for the Pope: and lastly to the end to be Pope himselfe he would venter all England, as the Pope doth alwaies al Christendome to maintaine his triple crowne. Philarchie lust for honour, and loue of imperie troubled not onely some single men,Nazian. ad Procop. but (as in Nazianzens time) whole councels were so sea-sick with this [Page]passiō, that Nazianzenes quiet nature was fully resolued neuer to resort to such distem pered assemblies. But if it be thus in y^e priest hood, much worse it can not choose but be in their minds, whose life is a worldly glory & whose only desire is to be aloft, to be the mo­narks, if it bee but of a mole-hill: and yet some whole dominions are to litle for some, & sometimes meaner men of lower lot can dreame euen Iosephs dreame,Genes. 37. but not with Iosephes spirite: that al the sheaues of the field must stoupe to their sheaue, that the sun moon and starres, the Queene, Nobles and realme must bowe & bend before a stinking snuf, a Stukeley, Thomas Stukeley. a faithlesse person & periu­red beast, & yet the best instrument of ho­ly fathers pride. But pride hath had hir de­serued ruine. As Absolons fancifal heade was hanged in his own lockes, and Haman on his own gallowes, so Stukeley & Stuke­leis like haue had their iust deserts, & drank the wine of their own vintage.

Notwithstanding all this, to vse Hamans words to a truer sense, most true it is: So & so and in greater, truer, & incomparably [Page]better sort shal he be honored, whō God will honor, w^t this most honorable calling of being a lawful prince to the end he be his own lieutenāt,2. Chro. 9.8. to sit in y^e throne in his own stead, to be & bear the image of his maiesty, to haue the credit of kingdoms, & care of his people, to feed Israel, to guide Iacob, to go­uern Iudah, to be a foster-father & a nursing mother vnto his Church; to bee the instru­ment & angel of God, as the woman of The­cuah said to Dauid, to be the horse & chariot, the bones and strength; to be the head, & the eie of direction, for iustice, equity & good or­der in a commonwealth. This is no small prerogatiue or common priuilege. And in one word, this was Salomons case: & was this no blessing?

2 In the second place consider we the bles­sing & loue of God towarde Salomons sub­iects. As the wickednesse of the king bring­eth the wrath of God vpon the whole realm Gen. 20.9. so when wise & very wise men gouern, the gouermnent is stable, and they so gouerned are most happy. As when Salo­mon should build the temple, he cared litle [Page]for hey, for straw, for vntēpered morter, for vnskilful workmen, he sent for Hyerā, & prouided (as Dauid his father had done before him) for the gold of Ophir, & cedars of Libanus: Euen so God in the edifice of his chosen peculiar people, for the greater benefite and beuty of the whole work, he chuseth no Na­bal, no foole as Nabal was to be their ruser, but Salomon the wisest man that euer was. If the prince bee wise, the people be the wi­ser; if he be blessed of God, they be most hap­py. Si caecus caeco praeierit: If the head be il, the members cannot prosper: if the blinde lead the blind, they both fal into the pit & the pit is bottomlesse: but if the ese be sound, the fish is sweet. A good neighbour (as we say) is a great cōmodity, a grations prince hath no cōparison to speake of. A candle lighteth a house, the sun the world: a wel is competēt for a few, it is the stream that caseth the coū ­trie: one beame beareth an other, one peece of a bough feedeth another; it is the founda­tion, it is the roote that vpholdeth the buil­ding & cherisheth the whole tree. Somway semblably in this case, Israel reaped mutual [Page]helpe ech of other, but the sun, the generall light, the streame, the foundation, the root of their blisse & whole repose next & imme­diatly vnder God depended altogether and rested most in hauing Salomon to be their prince. Vnder him, their peace and plenty was more than woonderfull, siluer was as common as ruble in the streetes, and euery mā sate without any feare at ful ease vnder his vine. Were these no blessings? No dout the Lords blessings & rare effects of his sin­gular loue, wherein he blessed Salomon and by him them, powring the ointment on his head that it might descend & be deriued to the rest parts of the whole body of the com­mon-wealth. Not the poorest woman, but had accesse,1. Kin. 3.17. and inioyed her right, as appea­reth in the strife for the liue child, and whose the deade should be. So wise, so willing a prince was he, so happy a people were they, and (which was all in all) so louing a God was God vnto them both.

And heere I pray you haue resort your selues vnto, and view the story as it lieth in the Bible, and you shal perceaue I haue but [Page]tripped ouer things. And nowe, because I am desired to bee short, who neuer loued length, right worshipful and deere countri­men, looke wee homeward a litle, and as it were out of the looking glasse of this scrip­ture by way of reflexion I beseech you con­sider what blessings also on vs God hath be­stowed, by what meanes they haue been re­ceiued, & what dutifulnes is due therefore. Flattery becommeth no place, but lest of al the pulpit. Be it spoken to the praise of God for it is a truth, and you, who knowe anie thing and haue a true tast of things, knowe I lie not; God hath blessed her maiesty with a wise, a wealthy, a peaceable, and a godlie raigne.

THE time was, when Steuen Gar­diner Bishop of Winchester and can­celler of England, a wilier serpent than all his brethren, worse than Abiathar, and as bad as Achitophel laied his complot to preuent her preferment, and in deede vpon vaine surmises without all proofe or legall caling to question most wrongfully brought her Grace to that heauy and doleful plight, [Page]that for griefe of minde, and sorow of heart she heartily wished rather to haue beene a poore milkmaid in Woodstocke park than a Kinges daughter, and a Queenes sister, and heire apparent to sundrie Bealmes.

The Lorde William Howard & the Lord Williams, & some others could do no more than they could.In al the world she found no friend, no a­ble friend, no firme hope or present help but in God alone, the sure rock of her founda­tion. Only he that is mighty magnified her and tooke her from the prison, as Ioseph from the stocks, and made her our Queene, and as it were a Martha to prouide for Christ in his members, and as a Marie to heare him in his ministers, and as a verie Debora, to execute iustice, equitie and trueth in this English Nation. And hee, that preferred her at the first, preserueth her still, (and preserue her euer.) But all this was, because he had a tender, a fauou­rable, and fatherly respect to her and our former troubles for euer more.

Since her happy raign, some unhappy per­sons (as what field hath not some blasted eares?) haue sought (& if they will needes be traitors, long may they seek but all in vain) [Page]the ruine of the realme, and destruction of her person, but they haue not preuailed at al. The master of all misrule Pius the fifth, & his Bull which Harding and his felow pro­cured, & Felton affixed in her principal city, Moortons conspiracy with Westmerland and his complices in the North, Daluies promised aide; the great and popular man with all his potent endeuours, rumors and vauntings of the Duke of Florence and Don of Austria, what haue they effected? haue they preuailed? In late times and very lately of greene memory, Mendoza his tra­uels and treacherous embassay: his and his casting lots for our garments, Throgmor­tons beadroll of recusants, and kalender of Inglish helpe for the inuading of England, Ardens villanous desire, Somerfieldes dagge, and Ap-harries dagger, as Stories axe in former times, haue missed their wic­ked purposes all, and haue not preuailed. Forren enimies, home libellers and rebels mighty or weake, many or fewe, sub­tile or rash, secret or open, they haue vndone themselues, against vs, our Queene and [Page]contrary they haue not preuailed.

Herein it is not to be denied, her sacred Maiesty & her most honorable councell haue Argus eies (or rather to speake in this place more religiously, & lesse profanely) In great measure, wise hearts haue they, as Salo­mō had; her friends are many & sure, her no­bles trusty, her seruants true, & her subiects loyall, her people willing & her realme no begger. Siluer is not as plenty, as stones in the streetes, yet most men haue more plate now than their great grandfathers had peu­ter in elder age, & for general munitions, the like store of weapons, armour, shot, pouder, & people were neuer comparable in her an­cestors dates, her nauy incomparably strong & the sea about vs a maine defence. But, but (deere countrimen, & christians) as I tolde you the other day, except God had watched & warded & kept our citie, except he had held his holy hand ouer vs, except he had risen vp like a Giant, & plesaded his, her & our cause against our, her, & his mortall foes, except he had bard our gates, & bared his arme and stretched it foorth for our defence (Sanders [Page]warring; Alen libelling; the Iesuits finely lying, sophistically iugling, & doubtfully an­swering; the Pope cursing; the Guise prac­tising; the Spaniard vndermining, Ireland & the North rebelling, & pioners still wor­king) what had bin come of this litle realm?

Notwithstanding, brethren, bee of good cheere, lift vp your heades, your hands and hearts; lift vp your heades and bee of com­fort, your handes to heauen & your hearts to God, the God and horne of our saluation, the Lord of hosts. The horse of Egypt is flesh & not spirit, their men but men & not God. The blast of a horne,Iosua. 6. Iudges. 7. the blaze & flash of a broken lamp, litle things in the eies of the world and lesse in their own conceit haue o­uerturned cities, conquered countries, and vanquished giants when God so would. And one woman by the helpe of him, in whom she trusteth, euen ELIZABETH by the grace of God our gracious Queene is and shalbe, and shalbe reputed for euer, the terror of her foes, the comfort of her friends, the glo­rie of England, the Iewel of the world, and diamond of christendom. Euen so (O Lord) [Page]because of perfit loue thou hast loued her so.

In the meane time vnnaturally minded men, traitors to Ierusalem & enimies to Siō, hauing euill will to both commonwealth & church of ours, & thinking it best fishing whē the water is trobled most, ban & curse, raue & take on like mad men, or losing mates & lost companions, not seeing so much as Balaam that sawe lesse than his Asse, and yet saw thus much and sayd accordingly, that for a house ful of gold he could not curse where God did blesse. Numb. 23.

But is there no remedy? can no musicke assuage these passions? Will Ephraim bee wilfull? Wil Israell trust to a reed? can Pa­pists imagine that strangers will doe them good? and deeme they that God wil prosper a cursing generatiō? And what if their trea­cheries (which god auert) might take effect? * he,Ose. 8.7 that soweth a wind, shall he not reape a whirle-wind? do they remember, or haue they forgotten, or haue they not reade coū ­ty Melunes most memorable counsel to our English nobles?Mat. Paris. Radolph Niger. cap. 47. who, (after that the barons of this realme, missed by fancy of their own, [Page]and faction of the Clergy and prouocation of the Pope at first had brought in Lodouik the French kings sonne, to be king of Eng­land, in king Iohns steede) moued with con­science, falling deadly sicke at London, cal­leth certain of the barons vnto him & said: I lament your sorowful case, & pitie with my hart the destruction that is cōming towards you and your country, the dangerous snares which are prepared for your vtter confusiō are hidden vnto you: you see them not yet, but take heede of them in time. Prince Lo­douike hath sworn no smaloth and sixeteen of his Earles and Nobles with him, that if he get once the crowne, he will banish & de­priue them all of lands and goods, at least, if not of life, euen as many as hee proueth to haue gone against their liege king and his noble person. And (saith the worthy Melune) because ye shall not take this tale for a tale, I assure you on my soule (lying now at the mercy of God, when it is no fitte time to lie) that I was one of them which was priuy & sworne to the same. I haue remorse thereof, and therefore I giue you this caueat. I pit­ty [Page]poore England, which hath bin so worthy a nation that now it is come to so miserable extremity. And when with teares hee had blubbred a space he beginneth a litle while a fresh againe: my masters, I aduise you ear­nestly to prouide for future extremities in season, I forewarn you of good will and for my conscience sake, and so after a fewe words to like sense, hauing discharged & vn­burdened his heauy soule for the matter, he gaue vp the Ghost.

Let English harts apply this story, I wil not amplifie. In the booke of Iosua the Ga­bionites for all their crouchings,Iosu. 9. old bot­tles finoed bread, and proffered friendship were made no better then wood-cleauers & water bearers, drudges and slaues to the vi­lest function. A foolishe & a desperate sheaf it is that when it hath brought in fier & sette the barne all in a flame can possibly suppose it selfe can escape. Experience doth tell the contrary; reason, religion and scripture doe teach vs better: To wit: to forethinke our selues, to thinke reuerently of the Lordes annointed, & to thanke God for all his bles­sings. [Page]They who were weary of Salomon were wearied out with Roboam who suc­ceded Salomon. But what speak I to deaf ears, which is, but to powder the flint, to plow the rocke and sow the sand, and so to loose both salt, seed, and labour?

My brethren in christ, my natural and na­turally affected Countrimen, I speake to you: we haue gods blessings, we finde and feele those bodily and ghostly commodities which our poore neighbors want, God help them. Neither are our desertes, better than theirs, for ought I see. Do we thinke we are priuileged without couenant of duty or pro­uiso of forfeiting our estate more than are others? Security maketh fooles, and folly bringeth confusion, and perfite wanton or waiward vnthankfullnes maketh a perfite separation and diuorse betwixt vs and our God. The noble men of Israel, 2. Sam. 1. where they braued it most, and nothing remembred God, & lest thought of danger, in the hils of Gelboe lost their liues. God forbid that the mildnes of our Queene, the fatte of our Country, the plentie of the realm, the wise­dome [Page]of our rulers, and the blessings of god should be our bane. Nay rather God blesse vs with the gift of his grace in thankfulnes to blesse him euer that he may blesse vs al­waies more & more, & as Bennaiah wished, so wish we al, euen god say so for euermore. The happy resolutiō of this time, the course of this great assembly, the cōueniency of my text & al holy writ besides, iointly with this good example of the Queene of Saba & the Sacrament and Eucharist which now wee shal partake being y^e pledge of his good wil & paune of his fauor, and seal of his mercies to vs-ward, and likewise also on our partes to him being the prouocation and promise of our thankfullnes, and Sacrifice of praise, should moue al to laude and praise his holy name for euer more world without end.

Amen.