Behold, I send you

[...]. Selah, in the old testament concludes some thing or Hier. epist. 2. ep. 64. other remarkeable, that went before: [...], Behold, in the new foreshewes the like matter of note, in that that followes.

To teach vs, that what manner of men God sendeth into Doctrine. [Page 3] Church and common-wealth; to what conditioned men they be sent, and how they conuerse among vs, is a mat­ter of speciall note and consequence. [...] Plato. [...]. As Gods hand of mercy or iudge­ment, is vpon Church or common-wealth; so accordingly doth he send good or euill Magistrates to gouerne them. He pittied the affliction of his people in Egypt, and sent Exod. [...]. 10. Moses, and he deliuered them vnder other persecutors, as Chushan, Rishathaim, Eglon, Iabin, Oreb, Zeb, Sihon, &c, and sent them Othniel, Ehud, Barak, Gideon, Iphtah, &c. and they saued them. He saw their Shepheards turned Wolues: he sent Dauid a good Shepheard, and he fed them. Againe, Ezek. 34. 23. he would chastise their rebellion; Hee gaue them Ieroboam, Ahab, Zedekias, Reges in furore, Kings in his wrath, and they plagued them: he pittied his Church, and sent Con­stantine, Hos. 13. 11. Theodosius, Helena, &c. and they became Kings, her nursing-fathers, and Queenes her nursing-mothers: hee Esay 49. 23. againe visited her iniquitie, and gaue her Nero, Dioclesian, Iulian, &c. and they persecuted her; as a certaine religious man in Constantinople, wondred why it pleased God to make Phocas Emperour, an Angell (saith Anastatius) told him, Quia non inueni Peiorem: he was the worst hee could Anast. quest. inscript. q. 15. meete with: and good enough was he (had he beene worse) for that time and people. The same Anastatius tells vs like­wise of a certaine lewde vagabond, consecrated (by the ap­pointment of an Angell) Bishop of Thebaris, whom an An­gell also thus menaced: Cur superbis et magnificè tibi places ò An ibidem. infoelix? re vera non tanquam dignus sacerdotio, factus es episco­pus: sed quia haec ciuitas tali digna erat episcopo: What aileth thee thou wretch? and why magnifiest thou thy selfe? it is not because thou wast worthy to be a Priest, that thou wast made a Bishop; but because this Citie was worthy of no bet­ter a Bishop.

Because, an vnwise King destroyeth his people: (as Iero­boam that sinned, and made Israel to sinne) but where they that be in authoritie, be men of vnderstanding (as Salomon) there the citie flourisheth, Eccles. 10. 3. The good or ill [Page 4] Gouernor, is the bane or welfare of his charge.

Because, as the iudge of the people is himselfe, so are his 2: Ecclus. 10. 2. officers: and what manner of man the Ruler of the Citie is, such are all they that dwell therein: a wonder it was to see, how vnlike the Romans were to themselues vnder Nu­ma, from what they were vnder Romulus, but that ipsi se ho­mines Liuius dec. 1. lib. 1. in regis, velut vnici exempli mores formant. The greater will draw the lesser: the ruler, the people. Like people, like Esai. 24. 2. [...], Cohen, Prince and Priest: it is the fashion of the world to fashion their betters. Regis ad exemplar totus componitur orbis.

This might informe vs, how we stand to Godward, in Vse. God his fauour or disfauour, in our Gouernours. Whether he hath sent among vs sheepe vnto sheepe? as Christ the Ioh. 1. 11. lambe of God, to the faithfull, the flocke of Christ: or, Sheepe vnto Wolues? as the Prophets to the Iewes; or Wolues vn­to Math. 23. 34. Sheepe? as the Dragon after the woman; or finally Apoc. 12. 13. Wolues vnto Wolues? as Iehu to the house of Ahab. Hath 2 Reg. 10. God sent Sheepe vnto Sheepe? as when Iohn sent to Christ, Matth. 11. 2. Ecce quàm bonum, Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for Psal. 133. 1. Brethren to dwell together in vnitie? or, hath hee sent Sheepe vnto Wolues, as in my Text? the Instruction is the Vse, be wise as Serpents, &c. or hath he sent Sheepe vnto Wolues, Ezek. 34. 3. that eate the fat, and cloath themselues with the wooll: that kill them that are fed, but feede not the Sheepe: The haruest indeed Math. 9. 37 38. is great, but the labourers few: wherefore pray the Lord of the haruest that he would send forth labourers into his haruest: or, hath he sent Wolues vnto Wolues, the Ichneumon to the Crocodile, that darts himselfe into the belly of the Croco­dile, and there eates what the other before had eaten: and when he hath list to come forth, hee makes his way by ea­ting a hole through the Crocodiles belly? They bite and de­uoure one another, take heed lest yee be consumed one of another. Gal. 5. 15. When God sends Sheepe vnto Sheepe, it is, that mercy and truth might meete together: that righteousnesse and peace might Psal. 85. 10. kisse one another: when he sends Sheepe vnto Wolues, it is, that vpon you might come all the righteous bloud that was shed Math. 23. 35. [Page 5] vpon the earth: when he sends Wolues vnto Sheepe, it is to prooue you, that the triall of your faith being much more preti­ous then 1 Pet. 1. 7. gold that perisheth (though it be tried with fire) might be found to your praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Ie­sus Christ. When he sends Wolues vnto Wolues, it is to pu­nish sinne with sinne: when the young vipers eate their Plin. hist. natu­ral. lib. 10. cap. 62 way through their mothers belly when they were borne: to reuenge the death of their father, when they were begot­ten. Herein now appeareth the loue of God towards you, in sending vnto you Sheepe, not Wolues. And here a­gaine doe you turne mercy into iudgement, should you to your shepheards proue Wolues, not Sheepe. Howsoeuer, God commands, and we must obey: Christ Iesus sends, and we must goe.

Behold, I send.

As the Father sent me, so send I you; said Iesus to his Apo­stles: Ioh. 20. 21. The Father sends, and the Sonne sends: the Father sends the Sonne, and the Sonne sends the Apostles: the Fa­ther sends the Sonne to reconcile the world to himselfe. For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulnesse dwell, Colos. 1. 19. and 20. and by him to reconcile all things vnto himselfe: and to set at peace through the bloud of his Crosse, both the things in earth, and the things in heauen: the Sonne sends the Apostles to Preach this reconciliation by himselfe: for God was in Christ, and Re­conciled 2 Cor. 5. 19. the world to himselfe, not imputing their sinnes vnto them: and hath committed to vs the word of Reconciliation: the Fathers Mission is the Sonnes Commission: the Sonne sends, and the Apostles Preach.

Christ Iesus sending is warrant for our Preaching: All Doct. power is giuen to mee both in heauen and in earth: Goe therefore Mat. 28. 18. 19. and teach all nations. I came downe from heauen, and haue done Ioh 6. 38. my Fathers will on earth, and now all power is giuen to me in hea­uen Phil. 2. 8. and in earth. Ye haue beene witnesses of my obedience: be ye Acts 1. 8. Acts 5. 32. also Heralds of my soueraigntie. Ye haue seene my sufferings, testi­fie my 1 Pet. 5. 1. glory. All power is giuen to mee in heauen and earth: The Math. 17. 9. most ioyfull tidings that euer came to heauen or earth. Luke [...]. 10. [Page 6] Goe and teach all Nations: Preach the Gospell to all creatures: Mar. 16. 15. the glad tidings of that New and better Couenant, that God pro­mised, Hebr. 7. 22. and now by me contracteth with all Nations. In thy seed, (said God vnto Abraham) shall all nations of the earth be bles­sed, Gen. 22. 18. there's the Promise. So God loued the world (said the sonne Iohn. 3. 16. of the same Father) that he hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but haue euer­lasting life: there's the Performance. This is my beloued Sonne Matth. 17. [...]. (said the Father of the Sonne) in whom I am well pleased, [...], heare him: there's obedience enioyned vs.

But how shall they heare without a Preacher? and how shall Rom. 10. 14. 15. Petr. Longab. in cap. 10. ad Rom. they Preach except they be sent? Credere ex auditu est: audire ex Praedicatione: Praedicare ex Missione: Faith comes by hea­ring, hearing comes by Preaching; and Preaching comes by the authoritie of Iesus Christs sending.

Behold, I send.

No man may take vpon him any Authoritie, vnlesse he Doct. be lawfully called. No man taketh this honour vnto himselfe, Hebr. 5. 4. but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. When Brennus had taken Rome, the Romans that escaped to Veies, instantly im­portuned Plut. Camil. Camillus (then a banished man in Ardea) in that common calamity, to become their Dictator; but he by no meanes would accept of that transcendent honour, till such time as they that were besieged within the Capitole, the bo­dy presentatiue of the State, confirmed his election by their Suffrages: Thus Numa contented not himselfe with electi­on Plut. Numa. of Romans and Sabines, till inauguration from heauen confirmed him King of Rome. For when Tatius his ioynt­raigne with Romulus, had made of both Nations one peo­ple: it was in the first Interregnum concluded, that the one should choose the King, but out of the body of the other: so to engage him to either side: to the one, for that they chose him; to the other, for that he was of their Nation. Now though Numa were thus chosen by a wonderfull con­sent of both Nations, yet put he not on the imperiall Dia­deme, till he consulted with heauen, to confirme his calling [Page 7] on earth. It is a Praeminire by the lawes of England to v­surpe authoritie without authoritie, but as all men agree of the name of Happinesse, to call it (as the Philosoper obser­ueth) [...], yet are there (if Ʋarro in Augustine recko­neth Arles. ethic. 1. right) 288. differing opinions, what it should be: so Aug. lib. 19. all acknowledge a power authorizing, but differ about the Ciuit. dei. cap. 1. persons authorized, who they should be.

The pronouncing of the word [...] Shibboleth, shewed Ʋse 1 who was an Ephramite, and who a Gileadite. The Ephra­mites Iudic. 12. 6. in stead of [...] Shibboleth, pronounced [...] Sib­leth: Like our Irish that cannot sound the letter H. So Mo­ses Exod. 18. 30. by the Vrim and Thummim points out the able Minister: and Iethro by the foure Cardinall Vertues, the compleate Exod. 18. 21. Magistrate: the Vrim in the Minister is the puritie of Do­ctrine, the Thummim, the sinceritie of his life. In the first, we are light, to illuminate; in the second, salt, to season others: Mat. 5. 14. but if the light that be in thee bee darkenesse, how great is that Verse 13 darkenesse? If the salt hath lost its sauour, wherewith shall it bee Matth. 6 23. salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, Math. 5. 13. and to bee troden vnder foot of men. Let your light so Verse 16 shine before men, that they may see your good workes, and glorifie your Father which is in heauen. Preaching is as the body of Chrysost. good life: good life as the soule of Preaching. Now as the body without the soule is dead, so is Preaching without good life; and this is the Ministers Shibboleth. Now whether it be they that haue the Vrim and want the Thummim, or haue the Thummim and want the Vrim: eyther vncapable, as Vzziah to meddle with the Arke: or vnworthie, as Simon 2 Sam. 6. 6. Magus to dispose of the holy Ghost: these may be of Iero­boams, Acts 8. 18. but not of God his making, Priests: intruders, not Apostles. I haue not sent these Prophets (saith the Lord) and Ier. 23. 2 [...]. yet they ran: I haue not spoken vnto them, and yet they Prophe­cied.

Secondly, when they that sit in Moses chayre, as the Vse 2 Scribes and Pharises, but participate not of Moses spirit, as those seauentie: that respect persons, and iudge for reward: that Num. 11. 25. with the current of the world, seeke their owne, and nor that Micah 3. 11. [Page 8] which is Iesus Christ. They happily be sent: but as Antiochus Phil. [...]. 2 [...]. to Ierusalem to vndoe vs. But as the faithfull Minister is 1 Cor. 4. 1. [...], the disposer of the mysteries of God: As 2 Cor. 5. 20. if God by him besought you; So is the sincerely dealing Magi­strate [...] gods minister, if thou doest well [...] for thy good: if thou doest euill, then is he [...], Rom. 13. 4. a reuenger of gods wrath for thy naughtinesse.

Behold I send you.

Fisher-men (for the most part) simple and vnlearned ta­ken saith Augustine, Non de foro Iustiniano, sed de simplicitate Serme de Apost. piscatoria, not out of the Doctors Commons great Clarkes and learned in the Law; but out of the company of fisher-men, simple and illiterate.

Brethren, you see your calling: how that not many wise men Doctrine. after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the 1 Cor. 1. 26. wise, and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to con­found Verse 27 the mighty things, the vile things of the world, and things Verse 28 which are despised hath God chosen, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are. That no flesh should reioyce in his Verse 29 presence. In homine triasunt ex quibus oritur omnis humana glo­riatio. Hugo Card in 1 Cor. 1. Man takes occasion; either in his soule, because of his wisedome, or in his flesh, because of his nobility, or last­ly in outward things, because of his might and riches, but God saith the Apostle, hath chosen Non multos sapientes, not many wise men, and that (saith the Cardinall) confounds the Ibid. first, vaine boasting. Non multos nobiles; not many noble men, and that confounds the second. Non multos po­tentes, not many mighty men, and that confounds the third, That no flesh might glory in his presence. That the wise Ier. 9. 23. man glory not in his wisedome, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the rich man in his riches. But as it is written, He that re­ioyceth, 1 Cor. 1. 31. let him reioyce in the Lord.

God bringeth to passe the purpose of his owne good pleasure either; with meanes, as when hee saued Noah by Gen. 7. 1. meanes of an arke: or with small meanes; as when he sed [Page 9] fiue thousand men, beside women and children, with fiue loaues Math 1 [...]. [...]1. and two fishes; Or without meanes: as when he made all things Gen. 1. 1. of nothing, onely he spake and it was done, he commanded and it Psal 33 9. 2 Re [...]. 2. 21. stood fast: Or against meanes: as when he sweetned salt water with salt. The Remora or Echeneis is a little fish, of but halfe a foot long, and yet states a ship though vnder saile with neuer so good a forewind. Blow the wind (saith Pliny) how Plin. hist. nat. l. 32 cap. 1. it will, rage, storme and tempest, what they can, labour hundreds at the oare with might and maine, as sometimes at Anthonies admirall, and Caligulaes galliace; if she arrest, no violence is able to rescue. The Minister is the least of the fingers of God; and yet is he powerfull ouer the creatures of God. Dedit Dominus potestatem Apostolis, super Naturam, Aug. serm. de A­post. vt eam curarent: super Daemones, vt eos euerterent: super Ele­menta, vt ipsa immutarent: super Mortem, vt eam contemnerent: super Angelos, vt corpus domini consecrarent. God hath giuen Apostolicall power. to his Apostles (and their successours) power ouer nature, diuels, elements, death, Angels: Ouer nature to heale her, Heale the sick, cleanse the leapers: Ouer diuels, to cast them Mat. 10. 8. out; Lord euen the diuels are subdued to vs through thy name: Luc. 10. 17. Ouer elements to change them, Elements into Sacraments: Detrahe verbum ab aqua, & quid erit nisi aqua? accedat ver­bum Aug. hom. 80. ad elementum, & fit sacramentum: Take the word from the water (in Baptisme) and what will it be but water? adde the word vnto the element, and it becomes a Sacrament: Ouer death to contemn it, by dying to triumph ouer death, 1 Cor. 15. 54. for to swallow vp death in victory: Ouer Angells to conse­crate bread and wine, the blessed Sacrament, of the body and bloud of Iesus Christ, a grace denyed to Angells and Archangels, to Principalities and Powers, to Vertues, Throanes, and Dominions, to Cherubins and Seraphins: They onely that are sent to preach, haue power to conse­crate. Power as the Minister of God, ouer the creatures of God: Elias ouer the fire, to pursue the water, like the raine­bowe, 1 Reg. 18. 38. the cloudes, and to licke it vp like oyle: as also ouer the aire to be cleere or cloudy, sunne-shine, or raine. Moses Iam. 5. 17. ouer the sea, to turne it to dry land: ouer the land, to turne Ex. 14. 21. [Page 10] the dust thereof into lyce. Ioshua ouer the sunne and moone, Ex 8. 16. to stand-still, the one in Gibeon, the other in the valley of Aeialon, till the Lords people auenged themselues on their Iosh. 10. 12. enemies. Thus we see the minister of Iesus Christ, powerfull Verse 13 ouer the creatures of God: that at the name of Iesus euery knee should bow: both of things in heauen, and things in earth, Phil. 2. 10. 11. and things vnder the earth, and that euery tongue should confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord, vnto the glory of God the Father.

Would ye be without feare of the Magistrate? doe well Vse 1 then, for Rulers are not to be feared for good workes, but for Rom. 13. 3. euill.

Would ye haue comfort of the Minister? receiue him Vse 2 as the Galathians receiued the Apostle, as an angell of God, Gal. 4. 14. yea, as Christ Iesus: as Zacheus did Christ, ioyfully, they come to you as Christ to Ierusalem, Meekely: meekely and Mat. 21. 5. simply like sheepe: meekely without pride: simply with­out fraud.

Behold, I send you as Sheepe.

Nihilo robustieres, vel magis pares, ad vim hostium repellen­dam, Marlor. in hunc locum. quàm sint oues contra luporum rabiem. No more able to contest with the malice of the wicked, then the filly sheepe to daunt the fury of wolues: tyed notwithstanding to preach the word, and that with all boldnesse. [...] Acts 4. 29. [...] Basil 6. 10 ethie. [...]. Boldly and confidently stand in the profession of Iesus Christ and his word, considering, not their owne dis­abilities to resist, but Christs designement, that set them on worke.

Behold, I send you as Sheepe.

[Page 12] Meminisse debemus quo vocabulo Christus gr [...]gem suum ap­pellat, Cypr. Serm. 2 de zelo & [...]. c. quo nomine nuncupat: Oues vocat, vt innocentia Christiana ou [...]b [...]s aequet [...]r Agnos vocat, vt agnorum naturam simplicem, simplicitas mentis inn [...]etur: We must remember how Christ called his flocke; what title he attributed vnto them. Hee called them Sheepe, he called them Lambes; Sheepe for their innocency, Lambes for their simplicitie: To teach vs that men of eminent place, in Church and Common-wealth, Doctrine. must not be imperious, but meeke. If a man be fallen, by occasion, into any fault, ye which are spirituall restore such a Gal. 6. 1. one▪ with the spirit of meeknes.

Ea est animantium omnium natura, vt mansuetudine potius quam violentia reguntur: Such is the nature of all creatures, that it is wonne, rather by gentlenesse then austerity, speci­ally Man, animal sui iuris, a creature, saith Seneca, at his owne Seneca. dispose, and not so easily awed as wooed. Blandienti possum Hieron. epist. 40. ad Ruffinam. ac quiescere, non timeo comminantem: I can (saith Hierome) be contented to be intreated, but menacing cannot disaster me.

Hence it was that Alphonsus often walked without his Panormit. l. 2. de reb. g. Alphon. Plut. Num. gard, but Numa vtterly discharged them: in token that they were Sheepe, not Wolues: meeke, not imperious: inno­cent, not iniurious; and loued rather to be loued then fea­red.

There is no surer guard to a Prince, then the perfect loue and good will of his Subiects. There is no such way to Plut. Arat. winne their loue as gentlenesse. There is no such way, ei­ther for the Magistrate to insinuate himselfe into the heart of the people; or for the Minister to worke vpon the heart, as for the one and the other to be calme, where they might be rough: to be Sheepe where they might be Wolues.

Behold, I send you as Sheepe.

Sheepe (saith Pliny) are in great request, both in regard Hist. natur. l. [...]. cap. 67. that they serue for sacrifices: as also by reason that their fleece yeelds so profitable an vse. Not onely the heathen sa­crificed Sheepe to pacifie their false gods (deuills, whom Psal. 96. 5. they worshipped in stead of God) but the true worshippers [Page 13] of the One and true God, celebrated yeerely their Passeo­uer Exod. 12. 24. with this sacrifice: and was besides a perpetuall peace­offering Leuit. 3. 7. for sinne.

Good gouernours, in Church and Common-wealth, Doct. spend euen their liues, for the good of Church and Com­mon-wealth: A good Shepheard giueth his life for his Sheepe. Ioh. 10. 11. Baiazetts praier for his army, was much like Dauid his prayer for the people: To dye himselfe deseruedly for his credulity; rather then so many Innocents should be slaugh­tered, as Sheepe, vndeseruedly, for him. I haue sinned (said Dauid) yea, I haue done wickedly: but these Sheepe, what haue 2 Sam 24. 17. they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my fathers house. The two Decij, the Father and the Sonne, Liu. decad. 1. l. 8. & 10. Luendis periculis publicis piacula, as sacrifices, to free the Com­mon-wealth from danger, deuoted themselues for their armies: So did Codrus for the Athenians; for when in the warre of Peloponesus, he vnderstood by Oracle that that side Herodot. should haue the victory, whose captaine should be slaine: he tooke vpon him the habit of a poore common souldier, and so became a sacrifice for his countrey. When Pompey Plut. Pomp. (on Syllas behalfe) would haue put all the M [...]mertines to the sword, Sthenius, a gouernour among the Hymerians, tooke all the fault vpon himselfe, telling Pompey, that it was hee that had perswaded his friends, and compelled his enemies to doe as they did. Lycurgus, a law-giuer among the Lace­demonians, Plut. Lycurg. after that he had sworne them to the vnuiolable keeping of his lawes till his returne, thrust himselfe into perpetuall exile; because that hee would haue the lawes that he had made for their good perpetually kept. These were good Platonists, borne not for themselues, but for their countrey.

Your Skarlet then is not this peoples, but your owne Vse. blood, that you (ye Iudges) must be euer ready to spend for them. Our Lawne, the robe of purity, whitned in the bloud Apoc. 7. 14. of the Lambe. We must not be found to seeke, [...] but [...], 2 Cor. 12. 14. not yours, but you; nor you seeke to be found, [...], but [...], neuer a [...]ot the richer, but a great deale the [Page 14] more honourabler, by your places. When you reckon your liuing, you may value your reue [...]ues, but not your office. Habere enim questui rempub: non modo turpe est: sed & scelestum Cic. lib. 1. offic. & nefarium. To rise by the ruine of the Common-wealth, is abhomination: to vndoe many to make One, is both sin and shame; it is to be a wolfe, and not a Sheepe. Whereas those that Christ in my text sends, must bee Sheepe, not Wolues, in disposition of nature, meeke and simple: vsefull towards others to feede and clothe.

Behold, I send you as Sheepe.

Simon thou sonne of Iona, louest thou mee more then Iohn 21. 15. these? He said vnto him, yea Lord, thou knowest that I loue thee. He said vnto him, feede my Lambes. He said to him againe the second time. Simon, thou sonne of Iona, louest thou me? he Verse 16 said vnto him, yea Lord, thou knowest that I loue thee. Hee said vnto him, Feede my Sheepe. He said vnto him the third time, Si­mon, Verse 17 thou sonne of Iona, louest thou me! Peter was sorry be­cause he said vnto him the third time, louest thou me? and said vnto him, Lord thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I loue thee. Iesus said vnto him, Feed my Sheepe. He asked him thrice, that a threefold confession might make amends for a three­fold deniall: but all the matter in charge was of feeding.

Good Gouernours must be Feeders. Dauid fed Israel: Doct. Barzillai, Dauid. The widdow fed the Prophet, and the Pro­phet Psal. 78. 72. the Children of the Prophets. 2 Sam. 19. 32.

Take heede therefore vnto your selues, and to all the flocke 1 Reg. 17. 15. 2 Reg. 4. 38. whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you ouer-seers, to feede the Vse 1 Church of God, which he hath purchased with his owne bloud. Acts 10. 28. Take heede to your selues, for he that hath no care of his owne saluation, will haue none also of others. Take heede Mar. ex Cal. vnto your selues, and all the flocke: for a man shall answer, not onely for himselfe, but for all also vnder his charge. I come against the shepheards (saith the Lord) and will require Ezek. 34. 10. my Sheepe at their hands. Take heede vnto your selues, and to the flocke, to feede the Church of God. First, exemple Seneca. Conuersationis, by example of good life: because plus mouent [Page 15] exempla quam verba, example is more powerfull with the multitude then precept. Secondly, verbo Praedicationis, by preaching of tho Word: because the Priests lippes should Mal. 2. 7. preserue knowledge, and the people should seeke the Law at his mouth. Lastly, Fructis Orationis, by his continuall in­tercession for them. God forbid that I should sinne against the 1 Sam. 12. 23. Lord, and cease praying for you.

Woe vnto the Shepheards of Israell that feede themselues: Ʋse 2 Should not the shepheards feede the flocke? Woe to the ignorant Ezek. 34. 2. and couetous shepheards, for they are dogges, not shepheards. Esa 56. 10. The ignorant dumbe dogges. The couetous greedy dogges. Woe to the mercilesse and cruell Shepheard, that strengtheneth Verse 11 not the weake, that healeth not the sicke, that bindeth not vp the broken, nor brought againe that which was driuen away, nor sought that which was lost, that with cruelty and with ri­gour Ezek. 34. 4. ruleth them. These, whether they be Ministers or Magi­strates, are butchers, not Shepheards: Wolues not Sheepe. Whereas good gouernours must bee Sheepe not Wolues. Sheepe in nature; Sheepe in vse, not onely to feede, but to clothe also.

Behold, I send you as Sheepe.

The Oxe is of principall vse for the belly, the Sheepe for the backe: the Oxe for our dayly foode, the Sheepe for our apparrell: for euen as men bee beholding to the Oxe for their principall foode which they labour for: so must they acknowledge, that they haue their cloathing and couerture from the silly Sheepe.

Christian prelacy doth not onely feede, but clothe also. Doct. I put on iustice and it couered me: my iudgement was as aroabe Iob 29. 14. and a crowne. In Aarons Miter was engrauen [...] Ex. 39. 30. holinesse vnto the Lord. His roabes were of foure seuerall co­lours: the embrodering a bell and a Pomegranate, and all to shew how Gods Ministers must bee cloathed. The in­scription Hieron. deritu & veste sacer­dot. in his crowne, is the description of his life: The foure seuerall colours, the foure distinct elements of the world: the embroydering of the bell, the sound of his preaching: the many kernells in the Pomegranate, the ma­ny vertues of his life.

[Page 16] The Kings daughter is all glorious within: her cloathing is of Vse. wrought gold. Glorious she is within: rich without: with Psal. 45. 14. inward holinesse; with outward righteousnesse: her cloa­thing is of wrought gold. Of all mettals; First, Purissimum, sine sulphuritate comburente, most pure, without soyling. Se­condly, Mollissimum, tender and of large extent, as one de­neere into an hundred and twenty leaues. Thirdly, gra­uissimum, exceeding ponderous, ob diuturnam conc [...]ctionem, firmissimam compositionem, by reason of long concoction, Plin hist. natur. l. 13. cap. 1. firme composition. Fourthly, Suauissimum, very sweet, by reason of the excellency of the temperature comforting the heart, and strengthening the spirits. The Church of God is a Virgin, pure as the Sonne: meeke and mild as the lambe: chaste as the Doue: sweet as the Rose: The Virgins Psal. 45. 15. her fellowes, the Angells of light, like vnto her, shall beare her company: In stead of fathers shee shall haue children Verse 17 borne; vnto her, non modo sermonis & vocis incitamento, sed fidei, & virtutis exemplo: By her soule-sauing words, loyall Cyprian ad Lu­cium Papam. loue, and workes of grace.

She is the woman cloathed with the Sun, & the moone is vnder Apoc. 12. 1. her feete. O let her Priests be cloathed with righteousnesse: let Psal. 132. 9. her Saints reioyce and sing. Her eyes are like the doues: Ob let Cant. 4. 1. their voyces be like the Angells, the Lambes euerlasting Gospell. Apoc. 14. 6. Shee is the Lillie among the thornes. Make them good God, Cant. 2. 2. oh make them Sheepe amidst the Wolues. Behold, I send you as Sheepe.

In the midst of Wolues.

Diuers countryes are subiect to diuers annoyances. A­fricke to Locusts. Italy to Scorpions. Aegypt, to Crocodiles. France to Wolues: but the common plague that infecteth the whole world, is the Wolfe feritas, (to distinguish with Cic offic. l. 3. the Orator) in figura hominis, the Man-wolfe, and his cruel­ty. Deposite homine in syluestre animal transiens, when a man Seneca de Clem. ad Neronem. leaues to be a man, and degenerates into a Wolfe.

Cruelty is a Wolfe, tyrannizing ouer all parts of the world. It began in Caine, since is spred ouer all nations, Gen. 4. 8. [Page 17] times and places. It was the entertainment that Lot found Gen. 19▪ 9. among the Sodomites, Sampson among the Philistims, Iudg. 16. 21. Ieremy in Aegypt, Ezechiel at Babel, Peter and Paul at Rome, Thomas and Bartholmew in India, Iames at Ierusa­lem, Philip at Hierapolis, Andrew at Idessa: in a word wheresoeuer the Apostles be in expediting their commis­sion, there are they as Dauid betweene Saul and Achish. 1 Sam. 17. Calu. in Psal. Vnica onis inter duas Luporum turmas. Inuironed (as the center with the circumference) round about with Wolues.

This should teach vs to walke warily, blamelesse and Vse. pure as the sonnes of God without rebuke, in the midst Phil. 2. 15. of a naughty and crooked nation. Because ad innumeros telorum iactus, exposita est hominum vita. Cruelty hath ma­ny Cal. in Psal. 34. instruments of death thirsting after blood, the blood of the faithfull specially, Qui velut oues sunt in medio lupo­rum. Who are as Sheepe in the midst of Wolues. Behold, I send you as Sheepe.

In the midst of Wolues.

The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of 1 Cor. 2. 14. God, for they are foolishnesse vnto him: neither can hee know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Non tantum non Mar. ibid. intelligit, sed ne assentitur quidem ijs rebus quas docet spiritus dei. As he knowes them not, so neither doth he approoue of them.

To teach vs, that men before they be regenerate, be no Doct. better then bruite beasts, Lyons, Leopards, Beares, and Wolues. Christ called Herod a Foxe. Ieremy called E­phraim Luc. 3. 32. Ier. 31. 18. a Calfe. Daniel calls the Assyrians a Lyon: the Persians a Beare: the Graecians, a Leopard: Darius, a Dan. 7. 4. 5. & 6. Ramme, and Alexander, a Goate. Amos calles the Prin­ces Dan. 8. 3. & 5. of Samaria, Cowes, Iohn calls the Iewes, Vipers. Christ Amos 4. 1. Iesus in the text calls the bloody & vnregenerate, Wolues. Math. 3. 7. Herod was a foxe for his subtlety, Ephraim, a calfe for his wantonnesse: the Assyrians, a Lyon for their haughtines: the Perseans a Beare for their boysterousnesse: the Greeks, [Page 18] a Leopard for their Polyarchies: Darius, a Ramme for his forces: Alexander, a Goat or Roe-bucke for his expe­dition: the Samaritanes, Cowes for their basenesse: the Iewes, Vipers for their Parricids, and Wolues for their cru­elty. Ouid moralatizeth Lycaont cruelty when hee meta­phorphizeth Metamorph. him into a Wolfe; and so wee likewise see what manner of man Demenetus Parrhaesius was, who in a Plin. hist. natur. l. 8. ca. 22. solemne sacrifice that the Arcadians wickedly celebrated vnto Iupiter Lyceus, tasted of the intralls of a child, and so was turned into a wolfe. Such were the family of the Antai, Idem ibid. of which one euery yeare, was transformed into a Wolfe. Little and better were Vespatian and Nero. The one of which made his officers to serue his turne as spunges, first Sueton. to soake them in the fatte of other men, and then to squeeze them, as goods confiscate to himselfe. The others care was, Ne quis quid habeat; that no man but himselfe if it were possible should be worth a groat.

Such a one (said Socrates to Zopyrus) had I beene, had Vse. not the instruction of Philosophy amended the ill disposi­tion of my nature. Oh did the light of nature then through the glymbring of grace change Wolues into Sheepe, and shall not now the light of grace, through the preaching of Gods word, keepe Sheepe from degenerating into wolues! Did the words of men, through a little illumination, pre­uaile with a Heathen to liue as a Christian? and shall not the word of God, through the Sunne-shine of grace, keepe Christians from liuing like Heathen? Is not my word euen Ier. 23. 29. like a fire, saith the Lord? and like a hammer that breaketh the stone. Mans heart is as yron, the word of God as fire to soften it, and as a hammer to worke it to his owne good will and pleasure. It is as a stone, but the hammer of Gods word worketh it into a well pleasing sacrifice of a broken Psal. 51. 17. and contrite heart: It is liuely and mighty in operation. Heb. 4. 12. Then let vs flye vnto it for reformation; so shall the Wolfe dwell with the Lambe, and the Leopard shall lye with the Esa. 11. 6. Kid, and the Calfe with the Lyon, and the fat beast toge­ther: and a little child shall leade them. The Cow and the Verse 7 [Page 19] Beare shall feede; their young ones shall lye together: and Verse 8 the Lyon shall eate straw like the Bullocke: and the sucking Childe shall play vpon the hole of the Aspe: and the wea­ned Childe shall put his hand vpon the Cockatrice hole. Esa 11. 6.

Word for word in a manner, as if Sybil had beene to translate the Prophet into Greeke meeter. Then shall none hurt nor destroy in all the mountaine of mine holinesse. Esa. 11. 9.

But the Apostles in the meane time are sent as sheepe.

In the middest of Wolues.

Had he sent them among Lyons, there might bee hope that submission might purchase pacification: but to crouch to the Wolfe, is to despaire, and dye. The Lyon is a chiefe­taine, though bloudy, yet generous: but the Wolfe is a Ty­rant, and insulteth ouer misery.

The Israelites, as silly sheepe, were grieuously oppressed vnder the Wolues their Taske-masters; and Pharaoh Exod. 5. 7. the Master-wolfe commanded to lay more vpon them. The poore Countrey-man is grieuously taxed with a long rent, byting brokage, deepe gratification; and the tyrannizing Land-lord, griping Vsurer, and extorting Offi­cer, cry still with the Leech, Giue, Giue. Prou. 30. 15. La­zarus lay at the rich mans gate a Lazer indeed, full of sores, [Page 20] and affamished. The dogges lent him their tongues, Luc. 16. 21. to licke his soares, but no man vouchsafed him a crumme from the dogges to stay his stomacke.

The greedy guts of this World are without all feeling of Doct. others misery. Ioseph besought his brethren in the anguish of his soule: they saw it, but would not heare him. Gen. 42. 21.

Cum penes crudelitatem sit timeri, penes nos sit odisse: Cruel­ty Ʋse. scarres other men with feare, it selfe with hatred; and Ʋal. max. l. 9. cap. 2. Suet. comes at last to be as fearefull of others as hated. Nero kept poyson in a boxe; Cleopatra Vipers, to preuent their cruel­ties deserued hatred. Aristippus trusted neither friend nor Plut. Arat. seruant to lodge within his Court gates. Herod was afraid Math. 2. 3. of his owne son, as well as the Infants, least he as wel as ano­ther might proue to be Christ, and so sent him packing as Joseph. antiq. well as them. Cruelty is euer fearefull in it selfe, and hated of others; and God one time or other payes it home in its owne kinde. Therefore were Iacobs ten brethren impriso­ned. Gen. 42. 17. We (said they) as they communed together, haue verily sinned against our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soule, when he besought vs, and wee would not heare him: Verse 21 Therefore is this trouble come vpon vs. Pharo that destroyed Exod. 1. 16. the males of Israel, was himselfe with all his chiual­rie drowned in the Red Sea. Diues that denyed the Exod. 14. 28. poore beggar a crumme of bread, was himselfe denyed a Luc. 16. 21. drop of water to coole his tongue in Hels tormenting Verse 24. 25, 26. flames. Negauit micam: Negatur ei & gutta, He de­nyed a crumme of bread; he is denyed a drop of wa­ter. [...]. There shall be iudgement mercilesse to Iam. 2. 13. him that shewes no mercy. Adonibezek had cut off the thumbes and great toes of 70 Kings; and had himselfe Iudg. 1. 7. at last his owne thumbes and toes cut off. As I haue done, so God (saith he) hath rewarded me. Verse 7.

Here may the Minister learne to winne Wolues with le­nity, Vse 1 not to dishearten Sheepe with cruelty. With all humble­nesse of minde, and meeknesse, with long suffering, supporting one Ephes 4. 2. another through loue.

[Page 21] Here may ye Magistrates learne, 1. Vt ne (que) Consentientes Ʋse 2 sitis malis, vt approbetis: Neither doing ill your selues, nor Aug. de verbis dom. consenting to others ill doing; for the thiefe and the recei­uer, the periurer and the procurer, the vsurer and the bro­ker, the whore and the baud, ill doing, and consen­ting Rom. 1. 31. to ill doing, are equally ill. 2. Ne (que) Negligentes vt non arguatis. Carelesse of your owne duties, or winking at the faults of others. For, Cursed is hee that doth the Ier. 48. 10. worke of the Lord negligently. 3. Ne (que) Superbientes vt In­sultanter arguatis. Nor glorying in your authority, nor in­sulting ouer misery. Improue, rebuke, exhort, and discharge 2 Tim. 4. 2. the duty of your calling. But how? [...], with all long suffering and doctrine. Regat disciplina vigor Greg. in moral. l. 5. Mansuetudinem; & mansuetudo ornet vigorem. Let Iustice be the rule of mercy, and mercy the crowne of Iustice. Be as Moses, Meeke. But therewithall faithfull. As Ioshua Num. 12. 3. affable. But Iust also, gathering like good Shepheards the Heb. 3. 2. sheepe into the fold: but reclaiming like good Magi­strates Iosh. 7. 19. the Wolues from their cruelty, or vs from them. Verse 25 Behold, I send you as Sheepe.

In the middest of Wolues.

The heate of the female, worries the males with desire after her: but when wearinesse hath lulled them asleepe, and sleepe giuen respite to desire, shee singleth out one, and away they goe; the rest follow dry-foote; and if they light vpon him, they teare him lim-meale.

When tyrants haue their will, others as wicked, and as Doct. very Tyrants as themselues, are ready to eate them; like dogges that teare one another, or Canibals that eate one a­nother, or fish that deuoure one another. Minorum perditio, maiorum cibus & vita. The lesser alwayes becomming food Polyb. l. 15. to the greater, and the stronger preuailing against the wea­ker. Like the times of Galba, Otho, and Vitellius: when Lawes Tacitus. lay asleepe, and all things were adiudged by the Sword, when nothing was lesse secure then to be securely innocent. The imperiall House of the Caesars receiued foure Empe­rors Plut. Galb. [Page 22] in lesse then ten moneths: for one murthered another, and him first, that first corrupted the Souldiers, in teaching them to make gaine by change of Emperors.

[...]. A shrewd Crow hath hatcht as shrewd an egge. As is the Mother, so is the Daughter. Ezek. 16. 44.

A warning for vs, not to repine at the wicked. Fret not thy selfe because of the vngodly; neither bee thou enuious Vse. against the euill doers. It will not be long before venge­ance Psal 37. 1. ouertake them: For they shall soone be cut downe like the grasse; and be withered euen as the greene herbe. They Verse 2 flourish for a while, but it is but a lightning before death; the rooting out of themselues and their posterity for euer. I my selfe haue seene the vngodly in great prosperity, and flourish­ing Verse 36 like a greene bay tree; and I went by and he was gone, I sought Verse 37 him, but his place could no where be found. The bloud-thirsty and deceitfull men shall not liue out halfe their dayes. Psal. 55. 25. For either Iustice by the Law, or others as wicked as them­selues without Law, cuts them off before their time. Cruel­ty is an Ismael, whose hand is against euery man, and euery mans hand against him. As Actaeon was torne in peeces of his owne dogges, so is sinne persecuted of its owne Family; Ouid. metam. one thiefe robbes another, one adulterer is iealous of ano­ther.

One thiefe robbes another, and the great theeues lead Laert. l 6. the little theeues to hanging: one Adulterer is iealous of a­nother, and the more he preuailes against his corriuall, the deeper is he engaged to sinne and Satan.

It falles by its owne weapons, like Saul. 1 Sam. 31. 4. It growes desperate, and becomes its owne executioner, like [Page 23] Achitophel and Iudas, 2 Sam. 17. 23. and Mat. 27. 5. A cruel life hath a desperate end. Tigellinus put off his comming Plut. in vit. O­tho. before Otho as long as he could, but when excuses could serue no longer, he tooke a razor and cut his owne throat: for it is a fearefull thing when malice is condemned by her Sap. 17. 10. owne testimony: and a Conscience that is touched, doth euer fore-cast cruell things. Conscientia mala bene sperare Aug. in Psal. 31. non potest: A cruell life cannot hope for a peaceable end. Tigellinus conscience told him, that he had beene such Plut. supra. a Wolfe vnder Nero, and such a Foxe vnder Galba, that Otho to satisfie the State, could doe no lesse then pull his skinne ouer his eares.

Oh that, terror of Conscience, present or future iudge­ments, Vse. in body or in soule, or in both here for a time, or in hell for euer, could reclaime men from being Wolues, and Rom. 12. 18. perswade them to liue peaceably one with another, and to Math. 7. 12. doe as they would be done vnto!

Oh that the sweete of mutuall well-wishing, one man to another, by which one man becomes as a God vnto ano­ther; O that present or future blessings, in body, or in soule, or in both; here for a time, or in Heauen for euer, could re­generate Wolues into Sheepe: Men into Doues: Gods owne Psal. 100. 2. people, and Sheepe of his pasture: His Sisters, his Loues, his Cant. 5. 2. Doues, his vndefiled! Simplicity should no longer suffer vnder tyranny, nor innocency vnder malice; the Sheepe vnder the teeth of the Wolfe, nor the Doue vnder the tal­lent of the Hawke: but till these be perswaded to forbeare, Sheepe and Doues must either fly their prouoking, or beare their cruelty.

Be ye therefore wise as Serpents, &c.

From diuers Creatures men learne diuers things. Spin­ning Aelian. var. hist. from the Spyder; the ordering of a battell from the Crane; Nauigation from the Kyte: and in my Text, simpli­city from the Sheepe, innocency from the Doue, and wise­dome from the Serpent; and that in a foure-fold respect.

He refuseth to heare the voyce of the Charmer, charme he The Serpents property. neuer so wisely. He holdeth, saith Iunius (out of Ierome, Augu­stine, Cassiodere, &c.) one eare close to the ground, and coue­reth 1. Psal. 58. 5. In hunc locum. the other with his tayle.

A lesson for vs all, an embleme in stead of a Doctrine; to Doct. [Page 30] Take heede how we heare. The eare is the Organ of Faith. Luc. 8. 18. For Faith comes by hearing: He that hath eares to heare, let Rom. 10. 17. him heare. We must of necessity heare; but we must there­withall Mat. 13. 9. take heede how we heare. The Sower went forth to Luc. 8. 5. sow his seede; and as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and it was troden vnder feete; and the Fowles of Heauen deuoured it vp: and some fell among stones, and when it was sprung vp, it withered Verse 6 away, because it wanted moistnesse; and some fell among thornes, and the thornes sprang vp with it, and choaked it: and some fell Verse 7 on good ground, and sprang vp, and bare fruit an hundred fold. Verse 8 The seede is, the Word. The good ground, are they that with an honest and good heart, heare the Word, and keepe it, Verse 11 and bring forth fruit with patience; Such a one, Libenter audit Verse 15 v [...]ilia; Prudender discernit audita; Obedienter operatur intellecta: Bern. epist. He is willing to heare what makes for his good; like Mary, that sate at Iesus feete, and heard his preaching. He Luc. 10. 39. is of vnderstanding to iudge of what he heareth, like the Apostles, to whom it was giuen to vnderstand the secrets Luc. 8. 10. of the Kingdome of God; Is conformable in life, according to his knowledge; like Iames, and all true beleeuers sheweth Iam. 2. 18. his faith by his workes; and liueth as he beleeueth.

A Caueat for Magistrates how they heare either open Vse. flatteries, or priuate accusations. Two men had a Cause in Issue before Aristides; the one to aduantage his owne Plut. Aristid. cause, and disaduantage his enemies, told him; This fellow my aduersary, hath done you great wrong: My friend (re­plyed Aristides) tell me onely the wrong that he hath done thee; for I am Iudge here to doe thee right, not my selfe. He would not suffer the one to get the start of the other, ei­ther by insinuating himselfe into the fauour of the Iudge, or by by-accusing of his aduersary. Alexanders manner of Plut. Alex. sitting in iudgement, is this Doctrines embleme: for he lea­ned on his elbow, with his hand vnder his head, whilest that the Plaintiffes Bill was in reading; and so lent one eare to the plaintiffe, and reserued the other for the Defen­dant. For,

He that determines a Controuersie without hearing of both parties, though happily his iudgement chance to be iust, yet is he himselfe an vniust Iudge. The Law of neces­sity must haue its course: because. Innocens si accusatus sit, ab­solui potest; Cic. pro Roscio. nocens nisi accusatus fuerit, damnari non potest. An honest man may come to his tryall, and be acquitted; a Ma­lefactor vnlesse he be arraigned, cannot be conuicted.

But that which in a generall vse concernes vs all as Chri­stians, Vse 2 is, That as Vlysses when he was to passe by the Syrens, Homer. stopped the eares of them that were with him in the Ship, and bound himselfe to the maine mast; and as Serpents Plin. stoppe their eares against the Mathematician spelles: so we, ad patriam festinantes mortiferos Syrenarum cantus, surda aure Hier. transire debemus: as we hasten to our Countrey of Heauen, should turne the deafe eare to the entising vanities in our iourney. And this is one point of wisedome that we may learne of the Serpent, in stopping the eare; another is in de­fending the head:

For howsoeuer the rest of the body speedes, he will be sure to keepe the head.

Whatsoeuer alteration in Religion, innouation in State, Doctrine. occurrance betweene man and man may happen; it is our part and duty to preserue faith towards GOD, fidelity to­wards our Countrey, good report among men, conscience in all our actions, I haue fought a good fight, and haue finished 2 Tim. 4. 7. my course; I haue kept the Faith. I haue fought a good fight; not onely with Beasts, after the manner of men: not onely against flesh and bloud, but against Principalities, against Ephes. 6. 12. Powers, and against worldly Gouernours, the Princes of the darke­nesse of this World, against spirituall wickednesses. I haue fought Heb. 12. 1. a good fight, I haue finished my course, the race that is set before me; looking vnto Iesus Christ the author and finisher of my faith. Verse 2 I haue fought a good fight, I haue finished my course, I haue kept the Faith; the Depositum, laid vp like the Vrim and the Thum­mim 1 Tim. 6 20. on the breast, without which it is impossible to please Heb. 11. 6. [Page 32] God. Whatsoeuer alteration in Religion, innouation in State, occurrance betweene man and man may happen, it is our part and duty to preserue faith towards God. 2. Fide­lity towards our Countrey. God forbid that I should sinne a­gainst 1 Sam. 12. 23. the Lord, and cease praying for you. The people had cast off Samuel, and not onely him, but the Lord also from 1 Sam. 8. 7. raigning ouer them; yet it had beene sinne in him not to preserue fidelity towards his Countrey, or to haue ceased praying for them. As Phocion was led to execution, one Plut. Phoe. asked him what he would haue to his sonne? nothing said he, but that my sonne remember not the wrong that my Countrey now doth vnto me. In all occurrances we must preserue faith towards God, fidelity towards our Countrey. 3. Good report among men, that when they speake euill of you, as of euill doers, they may be ashamed, which blame your good con­uersation 1 Pet. 3. 16. in Christ. Duo sunt tibi necessaria, Conscientia & fama: Conscientia propter Deum, fama propter Proximum. A Ambr. epist. ad Constant. man must be tender of his Conscience, and of his good name: Of his Conscience, to be iustified before God; of his good name, to be iustified before men: He must preserue good report among men. 4. Conscience in all his actions. Our reioycing is this, the testimony of our Conscience, that in sim­plicity 1 Cor. 1. 12. and godly purenesse, and not in fleshly wisedome, but by the grace of God we haue had our conuersation in the world. How hard soeuer we fare in the world, this will continually feast vs. For a good Conscience, is a continuall feast. Prou. 15. 15.

The neerer that the members neighboureth one vpon Vse 1 another, the greater is their sympathy one with another; the neerer and dearer that a man is to God, the King and his Countrey, the greater faith, fealty, and fidelity is hee to beare to God, the King, & his Countrey. God hath commu­nicated Psal. 12. 6. to you his name & authority; his name, [...] his authority the Sword. The King hath made you his Vice­gerents Rom. 13. 4. of Oyre, and Determine, to heare and iudge: your Countrey hath put her selfe into your hands, as vnder co­uer barne. You of all men must stand stiffe for God, the King, and your Countrey. As L. Tubero, sometimes Lord [Page 33] Chiefe Iustice of Rome, sate on his Pretorian Throne; one Plin hist. nat. l. 10. cap. 18. of the Birds called Picus Martius, pearcht on his head, stayed there, notwithstanding the concourse of people, and suffered Tubero to take him downe: The South-sayer thereupon coniectured, that if the Bird were let goe, that it portended the ruine and ouerthrow of the whole State and Empire; but if that he were killed, that then it presaged the death of the said Lord Chiefe Iustice. Did not Tubero now hold the Wolfe by the eares? If he holds him, he bytes him; if he lets him goe, he killes him: but he was not long in deliberating whether to preferre his owne, or his Countries good; and incontinently pulled the Bird in pieces. And it was not long till the presage of the Bird tooke effect indeed, and was ful­filled in Tuberos owne person. He was not like Caligula, that Suetonius. wished that all the Senators had but one necke, that hee might cut it off at a blow. Nor like Nero, that therefore Xiphilmus in Nerone. thought Priamus a happy man; for that hee saw together with himselfe the ioynt destruction of himselfe and his Countrey together. Tubero in prophane learning, and the Serpent in Diuine, be better Schoolemasters: The one thought it better, vt Pereat vnus quàm vnitas: Rather as Cai­phas Ioh. 11. 50. prophecyed, that one man dye for the people, then that the whole Nation should perish: The other, howsoeuer the body speedes, will be sure to keepe the head.

Notum est, eum totum corpus pro capite obijcere ferientibus. It Ʋse 2 is remarkable in the Serpent, that he interposeth the whole Aug. de doct. body a fence for his head; so should wee pro capite nostro Christiana, lib. 2. cap. 16. Christo, corpus potius persequentibus offerre: Rather take the Idem ibidem. blow our selues, then that it should light vpon our head, Christ Iesus. The Serpent slippes away if he can; if hee cannot, yet Caput ab ictu subtrahit: cedi (que) partem reliquam derelinquit; Howsoeuer the body speedes, he is sure to keepe the head. To teach vs, saith Hilary, nos (que) hoc exemplo oppor­tere, Hil. in Malt. si quid acciderit persecutionum caput nostrum quod est Chri­stus occulere, vt ablatis nobis in omnes cruciatus, fidem ab [...]o ar­cessitam, iactura Corporis communiamus: To interpose our bodies for the defence of our head; to suffer (as the Apostle [Page 34] counselleth) afflictions, as good Souldiers of Iesus Christ. And 2 Tim. 2. 3. rather as Peter promised; and wee all are bound to make good, to dye for him, then deny him. And this is to be wise as Mat. 26. 35. Serpents, in keeping the head. The third remarkable thing in the Serpent, for vs to imitate; is, that,

Euery Spring he casteth his olde coat; he beginnes at the The third pro­perty. head, and turnes the skinne ouer it. All that will be good Christians, must according to the Apostle, Cast off the olde Plin. l. 8. ea. 27. Doct. man, which is corrupt through deceiueable lusts; and put on the Ephes. 4. 22. new man, who after God is created in holinesse and true righteous­nesse. If any man will be in Christ, let him be a new Creature. In 2 Cor. 5. 17. Baptisme we first contract it; in the Sacrament of the Altar we renew it, daily we make profession of it, and here in my Text, are we sent to Schoole, to the Serpent to practice it.

Per cauer [...]a angustias cearctatus deposita veteri tunica vi­res Vse. nouas accipere dicitur: He passeth through a narrow Aug. de doct. Christiana, l. 2. cap. 16. place, and so leaues his skinne behind him. Sic exuendus est à nobis vetus homo, vt induamur nouo: So must we cast off the old man, and put on the new. Aug. sup.

More particularly, and to intimate the present occur­rance; Vse 2 whomsoeuer either seruice to the King, or Countrey, or occasion for himselfe or others, haue summoned to this Assiles, let him remember to leaue his old coat behind him. Let your hearts (ye reuerend Iudges) be as raced Tables, without respect of persons; For, iniquus est index qui ant inui­det Cic. pro Roscio. aut fauet: Neither fauour, nor disfauour, can stand with the equity of a Iudge. Yours, all the rest, deuoid of all im­pression, to receiue the stampe of Iustice, that you Master Sheriffe hang not an innocent for his goods; nor you of the Iury, acquit a Malefactor for his friends; nor you the Iu­stices of the Peace, looke on to giue ayme. Ye may neither Prou. 17. 15. iustifie the wicked, nor condemne the iust; for that is abhomination. Ye may not as newters stand aloofe, and looke on, like Me­tius Albanus betweene the Romans and the Fidenates: Ʋt igitur (such was the forme of Tullus iudgement vpon him) Liu. decad. 1. l. 2. paulo ante aninium inter fidenatem Romanam (que)rem, ancipitem gessisti: ita iam corpus passion distrabendum dabis. As thy [Page 35] minde but a little since was wauering, so shall now thy bo­dy be distracted betweene the enemy and vs; and thereupon was incontinently fastened to two Chariots and so rent a­sunder in the middest. And as for the prosecutor and the witnesses, let the first take heede that malice set him not a worke against conscience, like Theophilus, who persecuted Socrat hist, eccle. l. 6. ca. 7. his owne faith, and turned Anthropomorphit; so to vent his spleene on Dioscorus, Bishop of Hermopolis. Let the rest beware least in befriending their friend, they make God their enemy: like Scipio his Army, that sided contrary sides; the Nauy with Sex. Digitius; the Campe with Q. Trebellius, ready saith Lalius, to sweare, Magis quae vellent, quàm quae Liu. dec. 3. l. 6. sciant vera esse, Rather what they would haue, then what they knew to be true. The one is, the taking of Gods Name in vaine, for which GOD will not hold a man guiltlesse: The Exod. 20. 7. other is, the finne against the holy Ghost; it will neuer be forgiuen. Mat. 12 32. Learne therefore of the Serpent, to cast off your old coat, to leaue your old acquaintance at home, and to come hither vnpreiudicated in affection, either of loue or hatred, like so many Aristides, whom in case of Iustice, neither friend­ship Plut. Aristid. could make to step aside for his friend, nor enuy moue to doe vniustice to his very enemy. And this is to be wise as Serpents, in casting off the old coat.

Finally, before he coupleth with the Lamprey, he disgor­geth The 4. propertie. himselfe of his poyson.

Pliny out of Macer obserueth, that the Lampreyes be all Hist. nat. l 32. cap. 2. female, and couple with Serpents.

Serpenti nubit, promptè (que) ex aequore saltat in littus, saith Bel­lenius De aquatilibus lib. 1. cap. 13. out of Oppianus. But before they come together, he casteth his poyson, as the Emblamists note, and make it Andr. Alciat emblem. 191. an hieroglyphicke of marriage. Whence the naturall Phy­losopher, the Moralist, and Diuine, obserue each of them their respectiue Doctrine: The first is Naturall, the second Morall, the third Theologicall.

Man and Woman before they be made one by Matrimo­ny, Doctrine 1. must forgoe all sinister opinion, that the one might haue of the other; and take one the other, for better, for worse: [Page 36] for richer, for poorer. The Magistrate, for as much as he is Doct. 2 the Husband of the Countrey, before he intermeddles with her, must purge himselfe of all things, that may hinder his common peace with her: If any formerly hath offered any hard measure vnto him, he may not now take aduantage of his place, to reuenge it.

For as much as the communion of Saints, by the parti­cipation Doct. 3 of the Sacraments, incorporates the members of Christ, [...], To be members one of another; we may Rom. 12. 5. not presume to communicate in the Sacraments, till wee haue purged our selues of the leauen of maliciousnesse.

Art thou a married man? learne here to liue peaceably Vse 1 with thy Wife. Shee is flesh of thy flesh, and bone of thy bone. Gen. 2 23. And neuer any man hated his owne flesh. Shee cannot lightly Gal 5. 29. be a veryer Vixen then Xantippe; yet Socrates, a Heathen, learnt to beare, not onely with her thunder, but with her tempest also, raine, and showes.

And are not you, ye reuerend Fathers, as Moses brazen Ʋse 2 Serpent, without venome, curing your beholders of the venome of Serpents? Are any slung of Serpents? where Num. 21. 9. doe they looke but vpon you? Are any circumuented by their fraud, or oppressed by their malice? whither doe they come but to you? Index & ara idem sunt: pariter enim ad Seneca. vtrum (que) confugium. The Iudge and the Altar are morally the same: for where but with you shall a man finde San­ctuary?

Finally, come you my Brethren to communicate in the Vse 3 mysteries of your saluation? If thou bring thy gift to the Al­tar, Mat. 5. 23. and there remember that thy brother hath ought against thee; leaue there thine offering before the Altar, and goe thy way: Verse 24 first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. There is no liuing in Ireland for any thing that hath ve­nome; there is no coupling with the Lamprey with the poyson: there is no comming to the Lords Table, with re­taining of your naturall corruptions, and fostering of them; you must cast off, you most cast vp your old coates, your innated venome: you must first be reconciled to God, and [Page 37] your Brethren. First, wash your hands, before you eate: Wash them in Innocency; and so goe to the Lords Altar. Behold, Psal. 26. 6. I send you as Sheepe in the middest of Wolues: be ye therefore wise at Serpents, and innocent as Doues.

Non multum distat in vitio aut decipere aut decipi posse: It is Hieron. ad Ru­stic. incident to man to deceiue, and to be deceiued. To preuent both, our blessed Sauiour counselleth in my Text; To be wise as Serpents, and innocent as Doues. Innocent as Doues: Ne Hieron supra. cuiquam machineris dolos; Wise as Serpents: Ne aliorum sup­planteris insidijs; Neither deceiuing, nor being deceiued. If either goe single, Ʋa Soli. Woe vnto him that is alone; be­cause Eccles 4. 10. Prudentia abs (que) simplicitate malitia est: & simplicitas ab­s (que) Hieron. sup. Ose­am. ratione stultitia est. Wisedome without Innocency, is but machauillian policy without Religion: and Innocency without wisedome, but will-worship without knowledge. The Serpent had wisedome without innocency, and became Gen. 3. 1. a Tempter: Eue had innocency without wisedome, and Gen. 3. 6. became a transgressor. Vtra (que) bene in admonitione conuertit: Greg. in moral. vt simplicitatem columba astutia Serpentis instrueret: & rursus serpentis astutiam, columbae simplicitas temperaret: Christ Iesus ioynes both together in the Instruction, that Wisedome might be Innocencies Lecturer, and Innocency Wisedomes moderator: because, vtrum (que) per se indigens, (as one con­cludes Sallust. betweene plaine force and stratagems) alterum al­terius auxilio ege [...]. Wisedome must informe Innocency, and Innocency temper Wisedome.

A man may not venture on Church, or Common-wealth Doctrine. with one single vertue: The Minister must haue his head Exod. 29. 6. crowned like Aarons; because of his sanctity: For the Lord Leuit. 10. 3. will be sanctified in all them that come neere vnto him. His tongue clouen, like those on the Apostles. Propter donorum diuersi­tatem, Acts 2. 3. because of his gifts: Out of his mouth, as out of the Mar. ex bul. Lambes, must goe a two edged Sword. Because the Word of Apoc. 1. 16. God in his mouth must be liuely, and mighty in operation, Heb. 4. 12. and sharper then any two edged Sword; Edged on the one side, and on the other: On the one side, with the Vrim of the Word, on the other, with the Thummin of good life; least [Page 38] after that he hath preached to others, he himselfe should be re­proued. 1 Cor. 9. 27. The Magistrate must be a man of courage, fearing God, dealing truly, and hating couetousnesse. He must be a man Exod. 18. 21. of courage, like the title of the Kings of England; Defender of the Faith. He must haue the feare of God before his eyes; like the Seraphins, that couer their faces with their wings. He Esa. 6. 2. must be iust and vpright in all his dealings, like Melchize­dek: Melchi-zedek, Melchi-salem, King of righteousnesse, King Heb. 7. 2. of peace; but first Melchi-zedek King of righteousnesse, then Mel­chi-salem King of peace. He must be free from couetousnesse, he must be more, he must hate it; he must be free from co­uetousnesse, contented like a good Christian with what he hath. 1 Tim. 6. 6. He must be more, he must as a good Magistrate hate it, as the roote of all euill. He must haue Iustitiam in affectu, Iustice in Verse 10 the will; Prudentiam in intellectu, Wisedome in the vnder­standing: Fortitudinem in effectu, Fortitude in the resolution. Ambr. de officijs. Temperantiam in vs [...]. Temperance in the life and conuer­sation.

What King going to make warre against another King, sit­teth not downe first, and taketh counsell, whether he be able Vse. with ten thousand men, to meete him that commeth against Luc. 14. 31. him with twenty thousand? Now our warfare is not a­gainst few, or contemptible, but many and mighty aduer­saries: not Subiects, but Princes; not carnall, but spirituall: not against flesh and bloud, but against Principalities, against Pow­ers, and against worldly Gouernours; the Princes of the darknesse Ephes. 6. 12. of this world, against spirituall wickednesses. For this cause take Verse 13 vnto you the whole Armour of God: The weapons offensiue and defensiue, the Sword of the Spirit, the Shield of Faith, the Breast-plate of righteousnesse, and the Helmet of saluat [...]: stand Verse 14 therefore and your loynes girt about with veritie, and [...] the breast-plate of righteousnesse, and your feete shod with the pre­paration Verse 15 of the Gospell of Peace: about all, take the shield of Faith, Verse 16 wherewith we may quench all the fiery darts of the wicked; and Verse 17 take the helmet of saluation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God; Ioyne moreouer vertue with your faith, and with 2 Pet 1. 5. vertue Knowledge, and with knowledge Temperance: and with Verse 6 [Page 39] Temperance Patience: and with Patience, Godlinesse, and with godlinesse brotherly kindenesse: and with brotherly kindenesse, Verse 7 Loue: Be wise as Serpents, but be there withall innocent as Doues; for wisedome without innocencie is but subtilty: and innocencie without wisedome, foolery. Be ye therfore wise as Serpents, and

Innocent as Doues.

Men, like Apes loue to imitate: for as they that would Plut. Moralib. be neate, consult with their glasse, how things stand accor­ding to the idaea of their forming fancie: so they that in­tend matter of consequence, propose vnto themselues some man of note, how he in the like case carried himselfe and Plut. Moralib. his cause. The poynt then of discretion, is in the choyce-making. 1. of the Obiect 2. of the Qualitie, 3. of the Exten­tion. 1. What to imitate and to be like vnto: 2. Wherein and in what respect: 3 How farre forth. Optimum est maiorum se­qui Seneca in prouer. vestigia, sirecte praecesserint, it is a very good thing to bee like vnto our ancestors in their good parts. Scipio African Zunigle. proposed vnto himselfe Cyrus Zenophon to be like vnto Ce­sar, Alexander the great. And Selimus the great Turke, Ce­sar: Diogenes, like a snayle, loued to carry his house on his backe, Aristippus, like the Heliotropium, turned with the carte: Lysander in the warres was both a Lyon and a Foxe: Plut. Lacon. The Apostles, in my text, Serpents & Doues. The first point of discretion is in the choyce-making what to imitate and to be like vnto: the second is, wherein and in what respect euery good man hath some thing in him to bee liked: but wee may not in euery thing bee like to euery good man. When X [...]xis was to picture Iuno, hee chose among all the Agrigetine beauties onely fiue: and presented in those fiue, quod erat, in vnaquaque praecipuum, that that euery one had Anominus. singular and surpassing others. When we propose patternes for our liues, it must be a plurimis optimis, a choyce of ma­ny and very good, and then are wee bound to imitate in them, Non omnia, sed optima, not euery thing, but the best; Idem ibidem. Cic. 7. Offic. because, Non vinitur cum perfectis, the best be but men, and [Page 40] men haue their imperfections. The third thing to be con­sidered in this choice of ours, is, how farre forth to be like our patterne. Of this the Apostle giues the rule: Be yet 1 Cor. 11. 1. followers of me, euen as I am of Christ: In his omnibus quaec [...] ­que Aug. contra Pe­tilianum lib. 3. cap. 2. in nobis bona nostis: imitatores nostri estote, sicut not Christi: follow vs, not simply and without restraint, but with this limitation, as we follow Christ: but if we pretend Christ, and not follow Christ, retinete illud dominicum, let Christ his rule be your lesson; The Scribes and Pharises sit in Moses chaire, all therefore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue, that Mat. 23. 2. obserue and doe: but after their workes doe not: for they say and Verse 3 doe not. The things that my text proposeth to vs to bee like vnto, are the Serpent and the Doue: the things wherein we should be like vnto them, are Wisedome and Innocencie: how farre foorth we should be like vnto them, I haue al­ready spoken of the Serpent, and now I come to the Doue. Behold, I send you as sheepe in the middest of Wolues: be ye there­fore wise as Serpents

And Innocent as Doues.

Innocencie is an [...], communicating her name to contrarie natures, as much as is betweene Loue and Feare; there is saith Bernard, Innocentia Timeris, & innocentia A [...] ­ris, Bernard. Children of a name but no kinne: the one the Daugh­ter of Loue, the other of Feare: the one generous, the o­ther base. Iosephs vertue brought him to that honour and power, by which if he would, he might haue reuenged him­selfe on his brethren: for at his word was all Egypt to bee ar­med; Gen. 41. 40. but such was the goodnesse of his nature, that in stead of falling vpon them to hurt them, he fell vpon them, kissed Gen. 45. 15. them, and wept vpon them: he kissed them because hee loued them; he was glad to see them, and wept for ioy. Generosi­ty lookes after matter to shew mercy, but basenesse if it seemes an innocent, it is but for feare. Aut eius qui Patitur, Bern. insent. ne reddat talionem, lest the partie grieued right his owne wrongs, like the Gibeonites, that had a will to try their for­tunes against Ioshua, as well as their neighbours, but the [Page 41] example of Ierico & Ai, made them afraid. If basenesse seems Iosh. 9. 3. an innocent, it is but for feare, 1. eyther least the party grie­ued, right his owne wrongs: 2. or for feare, Superioris pote­statis, Bern. ibid. ne inferat talionem; of the higher powers, lest they pay wrong doing in it's owne kinde; like Agbarus, that would Euseb. hist. Eccl. lib. 1. cap. 14. faine be doing with the Iewes, but for feare of the Romans. 3. or finally, for feare, Interioris Iudicijs, qui reddit vnicuique Bern. ibid. 2 Pet. 2. 15. secundum opera sua, of God, that rewardeth euery man accor­ding to his workes; like Baalam, that was willing enough Num. 22. 22. 24. 26. to get Balak his money, and curse Israel, but for feare of the Angell that had like to haue killed him in the way. Now eam Deus Innocentiam probat, qua homo non poenae timore fit in­nocens, Aug. de vera innocentia. sed amore iustitiae, God approues that man that is an Innocent, not for feare of punishment, but for loue of righ­teousnesse.

He is not an Innocent, blamelesse and without fault, that Doctrine. offends not: but he is simply an innocent, blamelesse and without fault, that offends not, not for feare of punishment, but for loue of vertue. Inimicus iustitiae est, qui poenae timore Aug. epist. 144. non peccat: amicus autem erit si eius amore non peccat, that man is auerse to God and goodnesse, that forbeares ill-doing, onely out of feare of punishment incident to ill-doing: but the man of God abstaineth from ill-doing, out of the loue that he beareth to God and goodnesse.

Quando timore poenae, non amore iustitiae fit bonum, nondum be­ne Aug. contra Pe­lag. lib. 2. fit bonum. When out of feare and not loue wee doe our duties, we doe that we should, but not As we should; we faile in the cause: Nec fit in corde, quod fieri videtur in opere, quan­do mallet homo non facere, si posset impune: there is a great deale of difference betweene the intention and the worke, when a man doth the good that he would not, because hee durst not otherwise doe.

[Page 42] This should teach vs to doe our duties, not out of feare, Vse. but loue, as God is a Father, not as he is a Iudge; because we would not grieue him, not because hee should not con­demne vs. Nam qui gehennas metuit, non peccare metuit, sed ar­dere: Aug. epist. 144. hee that is afraid of hell, is not afraid to sinne, but to burne: ille autem peccare metuit, qui peccatum ipsum, sicut ge­hennas Ibid. odit, but he is afraid to sinne, that hateth sinne, as he hateth hell. This is Louely, this is Douely innocence.

Plinie noteth in the Doue three things. 1. that shee neuer Three remar­kable proper­ties in the Doue. Plin. hist. natur. lib. 10. cap. 34. plaies false play with her mate. 2. that she patiently without contradiction endures his imperious taunts of iealousie. 3. that hee no sooner offers reconciliation, but shee enter­taines it, without retaining any thought of fore-past vn­kindnesse: Whence we may obserue likewise three proper­ties in an Innocent: 1. that he offereth no wrong, 2. that Three remark­able properties in an Innocent he patiently endureth wrong: 3. that he is easily reconciled after receiuing of wrong. These generous sciences graffed into the stocke of innocencie, take roote downeward, and beare fruit vpward: They take roote in the heart, the tongue, Esa. 37. 31. and the hands; and beare fruit in thought, word, and deed. Who shal ascend into the hil of the Lord, or who shall rise vp in his Psal. 24. 3. 4. holy place? Euen he that hath cleane hands and a pure heart, and that hath not lift vp his minde vnto vanitie, nor sworne to deceiue his neighbour: An Innocent must haue 1. clean hands, 2. a pure heart, and 3. a warie tongue; He must haue clean hands, that neither force nor fraud marre his workes; hee must haue a pure heart, that neither ignorance nor wilfulnesse corrupt his thoughts; hee must haue a warie tongue, that neither augmentation nor diminution disproportion his words. The first is, Innocentia operis, the innocencie of the hands in Bern. in sent. the worke; the second is Innocentia sermonis, the innocencie of the tongue in the word; the third is Innocentia cogitationis, the innocencie of the heart in the thought.

To be absolute in all Three, we must beware of a three­fold Male, the first is, A Malefaciendo from ill-doing, be­cause in Malefacere opus est simulatorium, vel impium, vel im­pudicum; Berne. in sent. Ibid. the first is, cum aliud intendimus qùam opere demon­stramus: [Page 43] When we intend one thing, and pretend another, like our wisard Aegyptians, whilest one lookes in your hand to tell you your Fortune, an others hand in your pocket is doing with your purse.

I cannot abide a man that carries two faces vnder one hood: A friend in shew, a foe in heart: This is Simulatori­um, Saint Martins Ware, counterfeit stuffe. The second is Impium, sinne and wickednesse; Cum proximum nostrum Bern. ladimus: Like him that sacrificeth (saith Augustine) the Aug. sonne in the sight of the father, a ruthfull spectacle it were for a father to see his sonne vpon the altar: a dolefull suf­fering it is for the Sonne of God to feele his members mas­sacred. He that sacrificeth the sonne must looke for ven­geance from the Father: He that persecuteth Iesus Christ in his members, shall stand confounded, when the Lord 2 Thess. 1 7. 8. Iesus Christ shall shew himselfe from Heauen, with his mighty Angels, in flaming fire, rendring vengeance, vnto them that know not God, and which obey not vnto the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ, which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition, from the presence of the Lord, 9. and from the glory of his power; when hee shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be made marueilous in all 10. them that beleeue: This is, impium, sinne. The next is im­pudicum, shame; Cum nos aliquo modo sordidamus: When Bern. sup. Plin. hist. natu­ralis lib. 8. ca. 10. we defile our selues with our owne flesh. Like the Panther that hath a longing after mans dung: Beasts will doe their kinde, But fornication, and all vncleannesse, or couetousnesse, let Eph. 5. 3. it not be once named among you. This is Innocencies first Ca­ueat, viz. a Malefaciendo. The second is a Maledicendo, Bern. in sent. from ill speaking, because in Maledicere, sermo est vel super­nacaneus, vel detractorius, vel adulatorius: The first is vaine­glory, the second imputation, the third flattery. The first is [Page 44] vaine Ratione & vtilitate carens, to no purpose: Bragado­chies, Bern. sent. Souldiers, and Trauellers; the one a vaine-glorious Thraso, the other a Polytropian Vlysses. This is idle. The se­cond derogatory, fraterna bona inuida corrosione, & odij in­stinctu Bern. sup. diminuens: Lessoning the good that is in another; like Zoylus, that barkes, because he cannot bite. Quoniam Aelian. Ʋar. hist. lib. 11. (saith he of himselfe) malefacere quod vellem non possum, maledico, because I cannot doe the euill that I haue a will to doe, I doe the euill that I can, I speake ill: This is a peremp­torie signe of a deboiste nature: vilium satis hominum est, & Hieronimus. suas landes quarentium alios viles facere: quia alterius vitupera­tione se laudari putant; this kills a man in the opinion of o­thers. The third and last marres him in his own; Caputalicu­ius Bern. falsa [...]lei delmitione demulcens, comming within a man to vndoe him: an English man Italianated, a deuill incarnated; like the Hyena that glauers with you till you trust her, and Plin. bist. natur. lib. 8. cap. 30. then she killes you. This is Innocencies second bane, and we must beware of it.

The third Caueat is a Male-Cogitando from ill-thinking, because in Male-Cogitare est, vel immunditia, vel superbia, Bern. sent. vel auaritia: vncleanenesse, pride, or couetousnesse. The first is, cum res sordidae & impure memoria reuoluuntur; when Ibid. we defile our selues with the memorie of our owne pollu­tions. This is their great and grieuous sinne, that reckon vp their past escapes to glorie in them: This sinne that good Father Saint Augustine thus sentenceth; Nullum scoelus tam Ad quendam Comit. abhominabile est coram deo, quám praeterita peccata vnicuique nostrum dimissa, reminiscendo gaudere, & inde exultare; God hates nothing so much, as to reckon vp old sinnes, and glo­ry in them; this is filthinesse: The next is arrogancie; Cum animus quasi superior supra proximos suos erigitur & inflatur; when a man thinkes that there is none so good as himselfe, like Rabsache and Senacherib that insulted ouer Hezekias 2 Reg. cap. 18. & 19. Isiod. etim. the King of Ierusalem, and the God thereof: Superbus dictus est, quia supra vult videri quàm est; A proud man will seeme to be more then he is; like Sabor in Herodotus, that pretended [Page 45] kindred to the Sunne; or Alexander in Curtius, that preten­ded himselfe to be the Sonne of Iupiter; or Simon Magus in Acts 8. 9. the Acts of the Apostles, that would needs bee some great man; or Lucifer, in the Prophet, that said in his heart: I will Esa. 14. 13. ascend into heauen, and exalt my throne aboue, beside the starres of God: I will sit also vpon the mount of the congregation, in the fides of the north. I will ascend aboue the height of the clouds, and I will be like the most high: this is insolencie. The next and last is Auarice: Cum diabolo instigante, contra praeceptum Bern. dei, res proximi concupiscitur; When through the instigation of the diuell, we couet that that is none of our owne. Like the horseleech, that still crieth Giue, Giue, or hell and de­struction, Prou. 30. 15. that neuer haue enough; for, tam deest auaro Prou. 27. 29. Hier. ad Paulin. quod habet, quàm quod non habet; the miser wants as well what he hath, as what he hath not; and this is Innocencies third caueat; viz à Male-Cogitando: Say not then I will doe to him as Prou 24. 29. he hath done to me, recompence to no man euill for euill, be not o­uercome Rom. 12. 17. Verse 21. of euill, but ouercome euill with good. The couetous man makes profit of his friend, the angry man workes re­uenge on his enemy, the enuious man wisheth well to no man, the cruell man will doe good to no man, but the Innocent man carrieth himselfe towards his Hug. Card li. 2. de anima. cap. 9. friend, ad gratiam, respectfully; towards his enemy, ad pa­tientiam temperately; towards all men, ad beneuolentiam, to wish them well; towards as many as he can, ad beneficentiam, Chrysost. in hom. to doe them good: Gaude de innocentia & exulta, gaude in­quam quia vbique illaesa est, vbique secura; Let thy innocence be thy ioy of heart: Si tentaris profitis, if thou be tempted, it is for thy good; for, blessed is the man that endureth tentation; Iam. [...]. 12. Si humiliaris erigeris, if thou be humbled, it is to exalt thee: Luc. 14. 11. for he that humbleth himselfe, shall be exalted: Si pugnas vincis, if thou fightest, thou shalt ouercome, for a man cannot be an innocent and foyled: Si occideris coronaberis; if thou die for thy 1 Ioh. [...]. 9. conscience, thou shalt be crowned for thy innocencie; for Apoc. 7. 11. he that dyes a Martyr, shall bee cloathed with the long white roabe of puritie. Labour, O labour to preserue Inno­cencie in thought, word, and deed; for, as Pericles spake to [Page 46] Sophocles, that a iudge must haue, non modo manus, sed ocu­los etiam atque linguam abstinentes, not onely cleane hands, but continent eyes also, and a warie tongue; so, he that will be absolutely innocent, must looke not onely to his acti­ons, but to his words also and thoughts to be iustified in all.

I said I will take heede vnto my wayes, that I offend not in my Psal 39. 1. tongue; was the Kingly Prophet his resolution. Pambo Socrat. hist. eccl. l. 4. cap. 18. thought this one line lesson enough for sixe moneths, and nineteene yeeres, little enough to learne perfectly this one point of innocency. Set a watch O Lord before my mouth, and Psal. 141. 3. keepe the doore of my lippes: (ther's the innocency of the tongue;) O let not my heart be inclined to any euill thing; Verse 4 (ther's the innocency of the heart) Let me not be occupied in vngodly workes (ther's the innocency of the hands.)

Plants are first seedes, before they become to be vegeta­tiues; Creatures are first Embrions, before they become to be sensitiues: and workes first thoughts, before they be for­med into actions. If therefore you would preuent the deede, you must not entertaine the thought: Now the will and the deede before God, are both alike; Voluntas pro opere Hieron. sup. Mat. reputatur: God taketh the will for the deede. If a man hath a will to doe harme, Quamuis non nocot, cui vult nocere, & ab­stine Aug. de vera in­nocentia. at ab iniquo opere, reus tamen fit sola voluntate: Though hee doe no harme, yet his will to doe, makes him before God guilty of the harme.

The Law (Right Reuerend) lyeth in your hands: quo plus potestis peccare, definite; Abuse not your authority to doe in­iustice. Seneca in Pro. You are Sheepe, you might be Wolues: Posse & nolle, nobile; It is a vertue not to doe all that a man may doe. Heauens ordinance hath made you Gods on Earth: Doue­ly Psal. 82. 6. innocency will make you Saints in Heauen.

Innocency speakes neither good of euill, nor euill of good. Beware (ye Gentry of the Countrey) how you aggrauate or extenuate any cause; because, as Hecuba in Euripides spake to Vlysses.

Your allegations are Axiomes, and according to your credit with the Iudge; so shall you doe either good or harme, by your report.

Innocens est, qui cum alijs non nocet, nec sibi nocet. An inno­cent Aug: in Psa. 38 wrongs neither others nor his owne conscience, in eyther iustifying the wicked, or condemning the innocent. Yee good men of the Iurie, are held for sheepe, O bee not Wolues in Sheepes cloathing: You are thought to be wise as serpents, to preserue the head, O spend not your venome vpon the members: You should bee Doues for your inno­cencie, O bee not Apodes for your partialitie, alwayes in Plin. hist. in l. 10. ca. 39. extremities, eyther flying with the plaintiffe, or lying downe with the defendant: you are iudges de facto, you must be [...], you must haue no respect of persons Deut. 1. 17. in iudgement, you must follow your Euidence, and finde secundum allegata & probata, as you haue proofe to in­duce you.

Finally what man is hee that lusteth to liue, and would Psal. 34. 12▪ faine see good dayes? Keepe thy tongue from euill, and thy lippes that they speake no guile. Eschew euill and doe good, seeke Verse 13 peace and ensue it. Or would you haue good dayes while you liue, and peace at the end? Keepe innocencie and doe Psal. 37. 38. the thing that is right: for that shall bring a man peace at the last.

Hee that would dye Peaceably must liue innocently: in­nocently Doct. in thought, word and deed; not onely Doing but suffering also innocently.

It is obserued in the Doue, that she not onely neuer plaies Ser. 2. fol. 42. false play with her mate; but that therewithall shee patient­ly also vndergoes his imperiall taunts of Ielousie; to teach vs that

[Page 48] Douely innocencie is not onely the forbearing of Doct. wrong doing, but the patient-bearing also of wrong offe­red; the first is, Omnem iniuriae illationem abhorrens: an vtter Cic: offic. detestation of all wrong doing. To this are men tied by the law of nature: Homo naturae obediens, homini nocere non potest. Idem Ibid. If we conforme our selues in obedience vnto nature, wee cannot offer any violence, one man to an other. The o­ther Aug: quaest. 83. quaes. 31. is, Honestatis causa rerum difficilium voluntaria ac diuturna perpessio: A noble entertainement of a good cause, though we suffer for it, eyther in Christ, as all good Christians, for hereunto are yee called, for Christ also suffered for vs, lea­uing 1. Pet. 2. 21. vs an example that we should follow his steppes; or for Christ as Martyres and confessors, blessed in suffering for Mat. 5. 10. Righteousnesse sake, aequo non iniquo animo, willingly and Aug: de pat. cap: 2. innocentlie: for this is thankes worthie, if a man for con­science toward God endure griefe, suffering wrongfully: 1 Pet. 2. 19. and that because,

First, Hee will not take Gods office out of his hands, to Reasons. worke his owne reuenge, for, vengeance is mine, and I will re­pay, sayth the Lord. Rom. 12. 19.

Secondly, He waiteth patiently Gods leasure, in hope at last to be deliuered. Say not thou I will recompense euill: but Prou. 20. 22. waite vpon the Lord, and he shall saue thee.

Thirdly, Though hee bee not for the present deliuered: yet he is resolued, that the afflictions of this present time, are not Rom. 8. 18. worthy of the glory that shall be shewed vnto vs.

Fourthly, In the interim he possesseth his soule by patience Luke 21. 19. is master of himselfe, and calmeth natures out­rages. He that is slow vnto anger, is better then the mighty man: Pro. 16. 32. and hee that ruleth his owne minde, is better then hee that win­neth a Citie.

Fiftly, Hee knowes not what good his example may doe, Ye haue heard of the patience of Iob: and haue knowne what end Io. 5. 11. the Lord made,

When man, by persecution, goes about to trouble thee: Vse. or the deuill by temptation to seduce thee: or God by his crosse to proue thee, take heede: Greg: homil. 35.

[Page 46] First, Ne contra mala proximi pertrahatur mens ad retribu­tionem mali, least thou thinke vpon reuenge, to doe as thou art done vnto. Loue your enemies, blesse them that curse, Mat. 5. 44. doe good to them that hate you, and pray for them which hurt you, and persecute you, This is God his proceeding with Verse 45 man, this should mans proceeding bee with his brethren: Ver. 46, 47, 41. Take heede,

Secondly, Ne contra tentamenta aduersari [...] seducatur ad Greg: sup. delectationem vel consensum delicti. Least thou yeeld to Sa­tans temptation. Tentare potest, vincere non potest nisi consenti­aris; Though Satan worketh vpon the will, yet it must bee our consent that acts the sinne; Suggerere potest, cogere non Chrisost. in mat. potest; he can but moue, he cannot force.

The third care is, Ne contra flagella opificis proruat ad ex­cessum Greg: sup. murmurationis; least we repine at his visitation: For the Lord correcteth him whom he loueth, euen as a Father doth Pro. 3. 12. the childe in whom he delighteth.

And heere are we affronted with a three fold vexation in our suffering, the first is, Causa iusta innocentis, the innocen­cie Bern: insenten. of the partie suffering: But it is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well doing, then for euill doing. The se­cond 1. Pet. 3. 17. is, Anxietas nimia doloris, extremitie of sorrow because of our suffering; But God is faithfull, who will not suffer 1. Cor. 10. 13. you to be tempted aboue that you be able, but will giue you the issue with the tentation, that ye may be able to beare it. The third is, the vnworthinesse of the inflicter, when the creature that should bee our seruant becomes our tormen­tor. Theodor: ser. 3. Ʋt non Deo: it a creaturae nobis inserui­unt. Cypr. tract. 1. Cont. Demetr. Non immerito reluctantur bestiae hominibus, quam ipsi Deo suo rebelles sint. How should the creature serue vs, if we serue not God? Or when men that should bee as the shepheard and the sheepe; as a turtle & her mate, become notwithstan­ding, Wolues instead of Shepheards, and Harpies instead of Doues, O but did the wayes of a man please the Lord, he would Prou 16. 7. then make all his enemies at peace with him.

Tu ne cede malis: sed contra audentior ito. Ʋirg: aeneid. lib. 8. Ecclesi 28. 1.

Magna est virtus, si non laedas a quo laesus es. Magna est for­titudo [Page] [...] [Page] [Page 50] si etiam laesus remittas. Magna est gloria si cui potuisti no­cere, parcas: It is great worth in a man to forbeare to repay Isidor: soliloq: 2. ill, magnanimitie and glory to forgiue and forget. It is re­markable in the Doue, first, that she neuer playes false play Serm. fol 42. with her mate; secondly, that she patiently beares with his causelesse iealousie; thirdly, that he no sooner offers recon­ciliation but she retaines it: To teach vs that,

An innocent & good man is easily pacified, soone reconci­led; Doct. Tolerasse & odisse non est virtus mansuetudinis, sed velamen­tum Greg: homil. 7. sup. Ezek. furoris: He doth not only forgiue, but forget also; the reason is, because God will not forgiue vs, except we forgiue our brethren. Should a man beare hatred against man, & de­sire Eccle. 28. 3. forgiuenesse of the Lord? If you forgiue men their trespas­ses, your heauenly Father will also forgiue you: But if you doe not Mat. 6. 14. forgiue men their trespasses, no more will your father forgiue you your trespasses. [...]. The recompense of for­giuenes is forgiuenes; mens forgiuing of men, to bee them­selues Basil. forgiuen of God.

Forgiue therefore, and it shall be forgiuen: Be curteous Vse. one to another & tender-hearted, forgiuing one another, as God, for Christs sake forgaue you. [...] Eph. 4. 32. Hath God for Christs sake forgiuen you? for his sake for­giue Nazian. you one another: Hath God for Christs sake forgi­uen Matt. 28. 24. thee tenue thousand talents? wilt not thou for his sake Verse 28 forgiue thy brother an hundred pence? Quantum vis di­mitti tibi, tantum dimitte, quoties vis dimitti tibi, toties tu dimitte [...] Petr. Chrysost. ser. 67. Looke how much and how oft thou wouldest be forgiuen▪ so much and so oft doe thou forgiue. And God, who is rich in mercie, make you perfect in euery good worke, working in you that which is pleasant in his sight, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.