THis text (Right Hono­rable, [...]iuision. and beloued in the Lorde) maie be di­uided into two partes. A Question, and an An­swere, for I doe not take it to be anie Dialogue, or discourse, but a plaine Question moued by the Iewes, to Iohn the Baptist in the wildernes of Iu­dea, by the waters of Iordan.

From the building of the second Tem­ple vntill now, they lacked Prophets, and well worthie they were to bee without them; for they had killed all that were sent vnto them, as Steuen challengeth them, Acts 7. 52. Which of the Prophets [Page 2] haue not your Fathers slaine? Nowe Iohn comming and preaching according to the Prophecies that went before of him, not after the old and ordinary manner of the Prophets: but crying: Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand, and Baptizing, in the wildernes: the common people, as their maner is, to follow new things, and to see a Prophet: hauing seen none a long time before, they run out of all places and come vnto him; and not the people only, but the Pharises, & the Saduces, also, Mat. 3. 7. Now whē Iohn saw, the Pharises, the Hypocrites of the world, come to his Bap­tisme, he mends his stile, and welcomes them, as Hypocrites shoulde be welcom­med, with O Generation of Vipers, &c. And so performed one part of his office, which was to cast downe mountains: But because the way was not yet plaine for the Lord, except he filled the valleys al­so, and the valleys trembled nowe as it were with an earthquake from the hils; for the common people beeing smitten through with feare, for the words which he spake to the Pharises, they come and [Page 3] say (what shall wee doe then?) And hee an­swereth them mildely, as it followeth in the Text, comming to a lower kaie. And this was their Question. The reprehenti­on of the Pharises.

Now if this place seeme to any man,Ob. vnmeete for our cause and occasion this day, which is to reioice and not to heare reproofe; who altogether are or ought to be in thankesgiuing, for benefites be­fore the Lorde (as wee all, and euerie one haue infinite cause.)So. Surely he thinketh no other thing, then I my self sometimes did thinke: but when I doe remember the world wherein we liue, and the prouerbe (It is good to be merrie and wise) and call to minde that the Prophet where hee wil­leth Kinges to serue the Lorde in feare, hee woulde haue them to Reioice with trem­bling also, Psal. 2. I durst not sunder that, which hee had ioined so together. Therefore that wee might haue a better sight of our selues, and a more full sence of him, with whom this day wee haue to doe, I thought I coulde not better giue you exhortation to thankesgiuing, then [Page 4] ioined with some precepts of those due­ties, which doe most of all expresse the same, that neither I might runne nor you reioice in vaine: and that the wise man might not reioice in his wisedome, nor the rich man in his riches, nor the strong man in his strength, but that he that reioiceth might reioice in the Lord, as it is in Iere. 9. 23. And then I say not onely with the Apostle, 1. Thess. 5. Reioice alwaies. But as he spea­keth in the 4. Phil. 4. Reioice alwaies, and againe, I saie Reioice: and if there were such neede, I woulde sing with the Pro­phet in the 118. Psalme, This is the daie which the Lord hath made, Come let vs re­ioice and bee glad in it; or I would daunce with him before the Arke, or doe any thing that might prouoke you to ioy: But our God requireth not such outwarde things now, let vs therefore offer him our soules; and to giue the Prince this day both, Grace and Glorie, (as shee well de­serueth at our hands) in the name of God let euery good man striue, and straine himselfe, (so that he bee found thankefull vnto God.)

[Page 5] In the Question,Points no­ted in both parts of the Diuisi­on. brieflie you may note these thinges, First, who moued it? Se­condly, what is the matter moued? Third­ly, the manner, how they doe propose it? Where the force of the worde appeareth at large. Likewise if you please, you may obserue in the Answere, 1. Who made it? 2. How hee giueth it? 3. What it is in sub­stance? Where the scope and purpose of this place doth shewe it selfe vnto you: within the compasse wherof, are rainged many dueties of the Minister, and the Multitude, of the Prince, and of his Offi­cers, of the Captaine, and his Souldiers; that is of both states, of the church & Cō ­mon-wealth, and in both conditions, of Peace, and Warre.

1 For the first, who they were that came vnto Iohn? generally they were the Iews, but more, specially they are said to be of the Multitude, of the Publicanes, & of the Souldiers, that is, some of no Vocation, as the (Multitude.) Some of publike calling, as the (Publicanes.) And some as it were between both, as the (Souldiers▪ Mathew recordeth, that there were some of the [Page 6] Rulers there also? but belike they were too wise to bee lured so soone, Luke re­porteth nothing of them here.

Secondly, what woulde they haue?2 they seeme to aske somewhat, but they cannot tell what? For beeing troubled in minde and ouercome, as it were ama­ted, and amazed in soul, like poore soules, they crie out, What shall we doe?

Thirdly, For the manner how they do 3 propose it? They are nowe in iest, ei­ther to please themselues, or to displease other, as the Athenians handled Paul in mocking him: Actes. 17. Neither speake they so gloriouslie, as the foolish young man doth Mat. 19. Maister what shall I do for eternal life? They haue no great hope of heauen yet: their case is rather how to auoide hell, whereof they are afraide. Much lesse speake they malitiously for to intangle Iohn: as the Pharises and others often delt with Christ, they are safe i­nough from intangling Iohn: themselues tumbling in Iohns nette. Beeing at a full point, and driuen to the stand: and albeit at the first remoue they come not so far, [Page 7] as those which heard Peter preach in the 2▪ of the Acts, where three thousand had their harts wounded, & cry (Men and bre­thren, what shallw doe?) who being instru­cted, beleeued; and baptized, were added to the Church: yet they are in the way, a light is risen vnto them, and they begin to grope and feele after it.

As yet they seeme somewhat to sauor of themselues: for the Multitude giuen alwaies to extreames, either to madnes, or feare, say (VVhat shall we doe then?) The Publicans accustomed to flatter (an vsual thing in Officers which gain more by lic­king than by byting,) they speake faire (Maister) VVhat shall we doe? The Souldi­ers hoat and rough fellowes, speake after their fashion bluntly, (And what shall wee doe?)

The Multitude, Multitude is called a Beast with ma­ny heads; if euer it might be saide of any Multitude, surly it might be said by right, of the generatiō of the Iews, of that same seede, which is saide to bee innumerable for Multitude, Gen. 16. 10. You may haue a patterne of this Multitude in the de­sert, [Page 8] heere by them, which were before in the wildernes with Moses, where forty yeares long, they did nothing else but grieue the Lord and his seruant Moses, or if they shal be thought better afterwards; when they were in Canaan, not one of the Prophets will say so: Isay saith they are a people whose necke is Iron, and their browe brasse, Isay, 48. 4. And that is more then, Moses cals thē, out of Gods owne mouth (a people of a stiffe necke) Exo. 32. But per­aduenture being taught the law so long, and by so many Prophets, it is otherwise with them now. Read the holy story, and by them measure these (I confesse that of the two, they were better then their Ru­lers) and yet they runne ahead following the streame, despising both Iohn and Christ: as Christ himselfe vpbraideth them, vnderneath a parable of Children sitting in the market place, and playing to their fellowes, who would neither mourne nor be merry, for ought that they coulde do, Mat. 11. They mocked, and more then mocked Christ, when they assisted Iudas the Traitor to take him, and brought him [Page 9] before Pilate, following the cause with wonderfull importunity, crying, Crucifie him, Crucifie him, neuer ceasing vntill the the only sonne of God were slaughtred. And with what successe Christ laboured among them, with all his miracles and mercies, and whole three yeares prea­ching (the Church gathered of 120. soules or there abouts) doth witnes Act. 1. 15. And doth note the Multitude to be both pestilent and peruerse. And surely the religion and life of these here, coulde not be better then theirs there; where all things were so corrupted as they were, & yet of this Multitude, some were woonne vnto the Gospell.

Then came the Publicanes, [...]blicans men worse then the Multitude, for you may iudge of their honestie, when you shal alwaies see them fellowed with Harlots in the scrip­tures, so that a man of good name and fame would not willingly be seene with them: and it was obiected vnto Christ, as a falt when at the conuersion of Mathew the Publicane, hee did sit in his house, and eat with them; it was saide, that hee was [Page 10] a friend to Publicanes and harlots. Matth. 9. & 11.

They were not Iewes these, but officers for Caesar among the Iewes. (They tooke the tribute.) If it please you to see a proud Painter that cannot see himselfe, and yet can draw other mens faces true inough, read yee the 18. of Luke, where a Pha­rise standeth praying in the Temple, and praising God for that hee was not like to other men, as an Extortioner, vniust, or an adulterer, and pointing to the poore Pub­licane, painteth him out thus: (nor as this Publicane?) where hee maketh him worse then the former, which needed not, neither did the Pharise so much brande the Publicane there, as Christ himselfe, which proposed that parable, to the Pharisees, rather to shew thē their shame, then to note the others sinne, But in the 18. of Mathew, where he sets an or­der to reconcile men being out, & would haue a man to deale priuately with his brother, and to tell him of his fault alone, and if hee will not heare thee, then to take with thee one or two witnesses: and if he will [Page 11] not heare thee yet: then to complaine to the Church, but if hee will not heare the Church: let him be vnto thee as an Heathen & a Pub­lican, that is worse than a Pagan. So that it appeareth there, cannot be a worse man then a Publicane, which will do wrong, wil heare no man, nor the Church, that is neither God nor men: and yet such are caught here by the word.

Thirdlie come the Souldiers, and if it be possible, thrise worse then the former too, [...]ldiors. (not for their calling) but for their condition. And if you will trie these by their fellowes also, which liued after thē, and were better taught, and yet were the worst mē aliue, you may safely conclude, that these could not be much better, for mē exercised in blood, without the great grace of God, doe growe barbarous and beastlie.

Who platted the crowne of thornes, and set it on the heade of Christ? Who stript him out of his cloathes and roabed him in derision, but after robbed him in earnest of all his cloathes: so speaketh. Iohn 19. 24. The souldiers did these thinges▪ [Page 12] indeede. Who so vilde as to mocke him in all the anguishes of his soule, when he hanged the most miserable one that euer was, striuing betweene life and death, heauen and hell, for the Redemption of the worlde, and then to giue him Vine­ger, and Gall, for his last draught? Who so bolde to take a speare, and to thrust it into his side, till bloud and water follow­ed after? Who so impudent, for monie to lie, and say, that his bodie was stolne by his Disciples out of the graue, to blind the world from seeing the Sonne rising, which was as apparant, to them that saw him, as the Sunne shining? Read yee, con­sider ye, and wonder: for souldiers are o­uercome here, not with weapons or wounds, but with words onely.

Where the vnspeakable force of the word appeareth, that albeit the multi­tude hated the Publicanes, and the Pub­licanes the multitude, and the Soudiers them both, and all of them God and his Christ, yet notwithstāding at once prea­ching of the word, so manie in number, and such manner of men in Nature, are [Page 13] suddenly here chaunged, and (as Isay prophecied it should be in the kingdome of Christ) a VVoolfe is turned into a Lamb, (for so is this multitude) and a Leopard in­to a Calfe. (for so are the Publicans) and a Lyon or a Beare (such as these Souldiers were) into a verie Cowe, and doe crie as Cowherds (VVhat shall wee doe?) Esa. 11. 6.

Howe excellent the word is, the title that it beareth,The praise of Gods word. teacheth, whē it is called (the word of God) and the ministers there­of in both the Testamentes are tearmed (the men of God) of the which the former prefers the word before all other things, and the latter doth almost fellowe men with Angels, but our point now, is to con­sider the force and vertue of the word, which you may see here to be, as it is af­firmed in the fourth of the Hebrewes. Quicke and mightie in operation.

I speake not of the worde the (Sonne) and substance of his father, but of that worde, which bringeth the trueth, which is from euerlasting. As the Sunne by his beames brings downe the light vnto the worlde, which light was made before the [Page 14] Sunne. Gen. 1. 5. John cals himself a voice, but not the worde, much lesse the Trueth. As the voice is before the word, so trueth is before them both, of the which truth, mortall men shoulde neuer bee capable without the worde, for by the worde the sonne of righteousnes doth arise vnto vs, and by the worde things passed and to come, are made present to our faith.

After manie waies and diuerslie, this worde was giuen in former age, as by Dreames, Visions, Reuelations and Angels, &c. But in these latter daies after one v­niforme manner and order, namely by the Sonne, the Lord and heire of all Heb. 1. 2 A comparison here of the Law and gos­pell, (as two stones smitten together cast foorth fire) would giue a light; but I had rather applie my selfe vnto the Gospell, whereof I am a minister.

And in the gospell how manie Meta­phors hath the spirit, to expresse this one thing vnto vs, for after manie proper E­pithetes. As the word of faith and trueth, The immortall seede, 2. Pet. 1. The power of God to saue, Rom. 1. and the like, it is com­pared [Page 15] to leauen for seasoning, to honie for swetening; to the hammer, for breaking the harde flinte. Ier. 23. To fire, for bur­ning the drosse. Ier. 5. To a Sword for cut­ting, and to a two edged sworde, Naïe it is said to be sharper thē any two edged sword Heb. 9. 12. The one can but enter the bodie, and pearce the bones, or if it can deuide betweene the bodie and the soule it is all. But this sworde called the sworde of the spirit. Eph. 6. can deuide betweene the Soule and the spirite, Gaging the hare and renting the raines: where no other sworde, no not that brandishing firie sword of the Angel that kept the garden of Paradise, can come. Gen. 3.

Neither are these things spoken of the worde, as it goeth out of the mouth of God; for so it exceedeth, as it proceedeth out of the mouth of Christ, which Iohn saw as a Sharp two edged sword: Reu. 1. 16. but as it cōmeth out the mouth of mē, & therefore Peter when he called it the im­mortall seede: 1. Pet. 1. 23. hee addeth straight, & this is the word which we preach vnto you: & Paul doth not say the (word,) [Page 16] but, (wee) are the sauor of life or death: 2. Cor. 2. 16. I graunt that a hart well affe­cted, as an instrument well tuned, doth sooner answere the sweetnes of it, when it soundeth) but where is that heart be­fore the worde hath made him such a one? likewise I confesse that men by de­spising thereof, doe make it weake and wearish to themselues, but if the worde bee weake to saue, take heede, for it is strong to destroye: Water searcheth and Winde shaketh mightie thinges, and the voyce of thunder smiteth with terror the harts of Lyons. Psal. 29. But al these things can nothing moue Mans hart, as the word doth, which woorketh power­fullie as well in good, as bad, learned as vnlearned, Kings, as Priuate persons: In all men that heare it, one way or other, it woundeth as well Caine, as Dauid, & Saul, and Achab, as Iosias and Hezekias; as well Iudas, as Peter, but after a diuers maner. Baltasar the King when he saw it written, his loynes loosed Dan. 5. 6. Iosias hearing it read, his heart fayled: 2. Reg. 22. 11. (but after an other sorte.) Why, [Page 17] the Prophets themselues, when they were made but messengers thereof to other men they crie out, one, O my loynes, my loynes: Isay 29. 16. An other, O my bellie, Abac. 3. 16? For it searcheth all the bowels, Prou. 20. 27. and cutteth as it goeth with a double edge, either to plant or to sup­plaint the soule.

It sleyeth the wicked man aliue, al­though hee woulde fayne haue it die in a tempest, when he heareth it: yet it leads him into a Labirinth and leaues him not vntill it sende him to death, or desperation. Antichrist if euer hee shall receiue his deathes wounde, it is not with Iron or steele but with the breath of Gods mouth, that is the word. 2. Thess. 2. 8. The Diuell himselfe is put to flight in the desert with no other instrument then with the word. Matth. 9.

And it is a wonderfull aduantage that Sathan hath against Christ in that he hol­deth the first possession in all men, and except hee were more stronge in deede, that commeth afterwards, there were no hope of euer recouering anie one.

[Page 18] But these conuerted are good witnesses here, who is greater, Christ, or Sathan: and not onely these, but their Corrupters and Captaines also; euen the Pharises and Sadu­ces doe witnesse the same thing, who are said to be conuerted, Matth. 8. and Iohn 12. Men doe verie hardly change their minds; especially, if they bee Learned, or Rich: and hence groweth all the mischiefe among vs, that men proue Pharises in the Church, & Cammels in the common welth: Knowledge maketh not the Pharise, but the proud con­ceit, nor Riches make a Cammel, but wret­chednesse; by which meanes, if it were pos­sible, Sathan would stoppe all the course of the word, but he cannot, for what Ground the gospel, the Worde, hath woon in the world (in spite of the God thereof) and all his followers, the Pope, the Turke, and other Tyrants, the Church euerie where doeth Witnesse; and with vs, Reioycing and Trium­phing this day, doth confesse, to the glorie and praise of God, saying, that The truth is great, and hath preuailed, and praying that it may preuaile for euermore. Amen.

All these here, as it were with one voice, [Page 19] do acknowledge their sinne past, and their present ignorance: O when wil our People, & Publicans, & Soldiers, doe the like? when will they say, What shall wee doe? I would they woulde but say, What haue wee done? wee could answere them to both, in two words, and counsell them also, saying but this? (doe the contrarie.) Some there are that can speak smoothly enough, as it were with Iacobs voice, but feele them, and you shal finde thē shrowde and rough, for they haue the hands of Esau.

The Lawe did not admit the Multitude to approch the mountaine of Syna, more thē the very brut beast, Exo. 19. And vnder the law they came not but to the Doore of the Tabernacle, where the beast wēt further, Leuit. 4. The Pharises counted the cōmon people vilde, and cursed; Men that knew not the Law, Iohn 7. 49. And Papipists made the same reckoning of you when they called themselues Spirituall, and you but Lay and Temporall men, and bard you from the Rea­ding of scriptures which Christ bad you to Search, Iohn 5. 39. But now you are come, not vnto that terrible Hil Sina, but vnto the [Page 20] mountaine of the Lorde, (Sion,) not to the Doore of the Tabernacle, but to the Altar: not with Beasts for sacrifices (for now they are all vncleane to be offered) but with your Selues & Soules, which the Apostle calleth, The reasonable, liuing, and acceptable sacrifice, and seruice of God, Rom. 12. 1.

You haue heard and heard againe, this word which is so effectuall heere, but we haue neither hard, nor seene of any great successe thereof in you, the fault is some­where, either in the worde, or in vs, or else in you; let vs al cleare the word, be­cause it is the Immortall seede. And do not you accuse vs, seeing we neuer sowed the seede which bringeth foorth that fruite whereof wee haue cause to complaine, we make your selues the Iudges, as God doth make his owne people, Esa. 5. It is the Enuious man hath done it, to whom you haue yelded rather then vnto vs, for you will heare when & whō you please, what and howe you list, there is no rule with the multitude: teach them and they will teach you: for euerie man maketh a [Page 21] crosse of his duetie: And albeit they are not full so bad as those which answered the Prophet plainely, We will not do what thou commandest vs, Ier. 6. Yet they are nothing neere so good, as those which said to Moses, what soeuer thou commandest vs, we will doe, Exo. 19. I would they were but so forward as these, to say (What shall we doe?) (except they feare the statute of troubling vs in preaching) which in such a case I thinke they needed not to feare.

But this vertue and force, which wee haue shewed to be in the word, commeth neuer out of the word, but as fire com­meth out of flint, when it is striken: the word read profiteth, but to prepare men for their teachers. Most true was the an­swere of the Eunuch, Acts 8. When Phi­lip asked him whether hee vnderstood that he read, he saith, How can I, without an interpretor: Faith commeth by hearing of the worde, all sides doe consent, but the question is whether it bee wrought in vs by the word preached or read? they that doubt, let them consider the place, Rom. 10. 14. and tell mee whether they finde [Page 22] not, that that hearing, which doth ingen­der beleeving, be not inseparablie tied to Preaching, or no. I would not that men should learne from hence to despise the reading of Scriptures: (as some haue done) seing it hath his singular vse in the Church, But that men so esteeme of vs, as of the Ministers of Christ, that is as The di­sposers of the secrets of God: 1. Cor. 4.

Therefore the Position and Propositi­on is necessary, and not to be denyed, that there must be mē teaching in the Church, not onely Apt to teach, but they must teach, except it shall fare with them as it doth with (Genus) in Logicke, to preach Potentially; The labour of an Husband­man returnes into a ring, that is, it know­eth no ende, and You are the Lords husban­drie, 1. Cor. 3. Wherefore there are two other Requisites, which hee may not bee without. 1. Faithfulnesse to giue meate and not poyson: The second, Wisdome, to giue to euery man his owne portion, and that in season too, Luke 12. 42.

And all this is nothing yet, without the Grace of God: it standeth much in these, [Page 23] but not all, for men can goe no furthe [...] than men can goe, as in Baptizing: If Ihon goe before with water, and Christ come not after with fire, or in Preaching: If Paul goe before planting, and Apollo follow him watring, but if that God come not after them both, giuing increase; I do not say, our labor is lost, because we haue it, but you haue lost the fruit thereof, be­cause you haue it not: & if it be true, that Heauen, and Earth, the common Parents of all worldly things, be barren; and the Sunne, and Moone, doe but lose their la­bour except God doe giue to euerie seede his seuerall bodie, as it is 1. Cor. 15. howe much more shall it bee true in this preti­ous and heauenly seed, when Christ him selfe hath pronounced to the world, that No man can come to him, except the fathe [...] draw him, Iohn 6. That is before his spirit descend, no spirit of ours, (not so much as one soule) can ascend; and this was the reason, why Iohn caught so many here, & Peter more, in the 2. of the Acts. and Paul more then they both: whereas Christ himself (whom I hope you do not thinke [Page 24] inferiour vnto these) who is the Lord; yet doth conuert fewer then they doe, I speak of the externall dispensation of his Ministery in the worlde, for otherwise I know that neuer any yet was conuerted, or shall hereafter be conuerted for euer, but Christ must conuert him; And the reason of successe in all our labor, is only of the spirit, who in Iohn 3. is compared to the Winde, which bloweth, when and where it listeth.

Faith and religion do come with a spi­rit, but take you alwaies heede of those spirits which come vnto you without the worde, there be too many of them in the world, which are both fanaticall, freneti­call, and satanicall: therefore after the dif­ference and distinction made betweene God, and Men, then obserue you but the order of the spirit, when he giueth grace, or increase, not without planting, & wa­tering, neither before, but after; as you may sufficiently perceaue in these con­uerts: and it is the second part. 1. Who answered them? 2. How he makes his an­swere? and 3. What it is?

[Page 25] 1 Who answereth them? [...]ond [...]rt. it is Iohn the Baptist, of whom it is written that he was the voice of a crier in the wilderness, &c. and not only so, but it is further affirmed, that he was a Prophet, and more then a Pro­phet, beeing of all the Prophets, the very last, and next forerunner vnto Christ, whose way he made right, and his paths strait, with a wonderful resolution, oppo­sing himselfe to the chiefe, and is not hol­den backe with the respect of any feare, or danger, but prouoketh euen them, that knewe as well howe to reuenge him, as they knew how to strike a dog. His faith­fulnes made him bolde, and a bolde Pro­phet is good, but a bolde man, and a colde Prophet, are both naught.

Christ called him Elias, for his spirite surely hee might haue called him Bonar­ges, the sonne of thunder, as the other Iohn was called, Mat. 3. 17. for what a clap of thunder, is this vppon the hils, first to cal the Pharises Vipers, and after to threa­ten them the fire? The Axe (saith he) is laid to the roote of the tree, and euerie tree, that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewen down, [Page 26] and cast into the fire: This Axe, is death, a violent death: the Tree, man, any man, a Pharisee: the Fruits, are workes, and the Fire, is hell: Hel fire. So that he threatneth them with no lesse than with death and damnation (as I take it) & that presently except they doe repent, for he giueth thē neither day nor time, so that this seemes to sounde more terrible, than that cry of Ionas, Yet fortie daies, and Niniuie shall be destroied, Ionas. 3. 4.

Therefore the Multitude, Publicanes, & Souldiers, hearing these things, by and by begin to looke about them, and remem­bring the flame to be next the smoke, and fearing the fire, the wrath to come, where­of Iohn spake, they all cry out (What shall we doe?) Vnto whome, hee is said now to answere, for he opposed before, and that hardly: and he vseth so great moderation and mildenes, as he had done seuerity & sharpenes; and how good saith Solomon is a word spoken in season? Pro. 15. It is like a sweet shoure, that comes after a drought, or like a light that shineth in a darke place. He doth not now flatter, fawning, [Page 27] or fanning thē with wind: he leaueth that vnto the Politiques of the worlde, which throughly serue their God, with reuiling the good, & praising of the bad, but Iohn speaketh, though sometimes sharpely, & sometimes smoothly; yet alwaies truely, charitably, and to the purpose: let vs exa­mine his answere. ‘He that hath two Coates, [...]ext. let him part with him that hath none.’

The first Answere is to the Multitude, and it is very fit, and apt, to perswade thē to be mercifull, which seeke mercy them selues;Ob. But for all that, it seemes scarce sound, and perfect counsell, whereof the people can receiue no profit; for God is not pleased with good deedes for our ill? as if there were a lawe to bind him either to Accept, or to Except, the one, for the o­ther, as the Iewes did thinke him bounde by the law, for Sin, to take a Sacrifice, and for a Soule, So. a Sheepe? I answere, it is true, that there is nothing in al the Law, which may comfort the Offendor, because hee is [Page 28] vnder the Curse: and therefore if hee had shapte his answere out of the lawe? Hee might haue answered thus? Perish and Dispaire: but hee answereth them out of the Gospel: & for many reasons chooseth the workes of Charitie, which he vrgeth not after the Lawe, but after the Gospel. And therefore this exhortation depen­deth vppon another Principle, and on a newe Lawe, where, to the Repentant, his sinnes are assured to bee remitted: and in lieu of thankefulnes, a better life is inioi­ned.

Wherefore hee doth not further re­prooue them now, but spareth them, that as Iohn the Euangelist, after the voice of Thunder, heard the voice of Harpers from Heauen, Reuel. 14. 2. So these might hear of Iohn the Baptist, after Anger, Fauour: and might see after Fire, Water: and re­ceiue after Commination, Exhortation: wherein hee handleth them so tenderly, as the Samaritan did the wounded man: pouring in olde wine, and not new, for feare of breaking their old Bottels, for he knows that the bruised Reede must not be be broken, [Page 29] nor the smoking flaxe be quenched, Isay. 42. 3. And therefore wils them rather to breake their sinnes by Almes-deedes, as Dauid did perswade Nabuchadnezar, Dan. 4. 24. Not with any Goates offered vnto God: but with some Coates giuen to poore men, Sacrifices, were Ceremonies which had their time, but Loue is a seruice of all times both to God & Man; and it is most necessarily required heere for many rea­sons and respects. First, for the Multitude, as the best thing in their case: For perfect loue casteth out feare, 1. Iohn 4. 18. and (I thinke they were afraide.) Secondly, for the Church, whose necessitie coulde not choose but be infinite then in the begin­ning when Hypocrisie, and Tyrannie, had possessed all. Thirdly, for Iohn himselfe, who auoideth by it, that same suspition so oft obiected of the Pharises vnto Christ, (that hee spake against the lawe) as our Pharises handle vs, because we constant­ly affirme, (That Faith onelie iustifieth) ac­cording to the (Word) we haue many e­uill wordes for it, and though otherwise we preach and teach good works a hun­dred [Page 30] times, yet it will not serue our turne. For they conceiue of vs, as of the ene­mies of all goodnes, where as it is not the good woorke, but the merite of our good workes that we doe so disclaime and ab­horre. Lastly, it serueth more for the ho­nour of Christ, when such a Multitude shall be turned and changed by his word not in Opinion onely, which often falleth out in the common sorte, through incon­stancie, and temeritie, but by good works, and such as kindely crosse the soule of an earthly minded man, and for the which many did depart from Christ both sor­rowfull and sad? They should now witnes to the world, that they esteemed nothing in comparison of the peace and quiet of their troubled Soules.

And there are but two effectes of true Repentance; To cease from euill, and to learne to doe good. Hee pursueth the latter, which implieth the former: Hee might haue said, Loue you one another: but lest a People too much giuen to dissimulation should only answere in word and tongue; He calls them as Iohn doth his hearers, [Page 31] 1. Iohn 3. 18. Vnto the Deede and Truth of Loue.

By (Cloath, and Meate,) here he vnder­standeth all our Substance: for Foode, and Raiment, is the effect of all that a man can haue in this world, 1. Tim. 6. 8.

But who should relieue the Poore?Ob. the Multitude onely?

It is said to the Multitude,So. He that hath two Coates, let him part with him that hath none. There are certaine speciall Dueties, which doe concerne one, and not ano­ther, but to giue to the Poore, belongeth vnto all Christians, (with this prouiso) If they haue it. For Iohn counts it a disgrace in the Church, which is the House of God, to see one man with two Coates, and an­other naked, and yet both one mans ser­uants: wherefore that equality, where the Plentie of some, supplieth the Penurie of other some, is Christian, and not Anabaptistical, 2. Cor. 8. 14. And that inequalitie where some doe Surfet, and others are hungrie, is not Christian, but Diuellish, 1. Cor. 11. 21.

I know the Multitude would post ouer this lesson to the Minister: but if (as they [Page 32] call vs men of a Coate) they could proue vs to bee men of two Coates, (men that had it, they should reproue vs the better, (as we doe them.) If wee did it not, Rich men would haue all the water stil fall in­to the Sea. Though Aarons oile, rested not on his Heade, but ranne downe to his Skirts, and smelt better from his Clothing then from his Heade.

1 They doe but dreame that thinke wee are commanded heere to giue halfe our goods vnto the Poore, because it is said (Let him part with him that hath none) In deede Zacheus gaue halfe his goods vnto the Poore, Luke 8. And so did Ana­nias too: but hee perished with his wife Zaphira, for dissimulation, Actes 5. Christ in the 19. and 21. of Matthew, bids the Prowd young man To sel al his goods, & to giue it to the Poore; (for harde and Knot­tie wood must haue Iron Wedges.) But Iohn doth not here define, what, or howe much we should giue, onely he mooueth vs to keepe our Conscience in pittying of the Poore; with such things as wee haue, And if there be a readie minde, saith the A­postle, [Page 33] God measureth a man, according to that he hath, and not according to that which he hath not. 2. Cor. 8. 12. And if any man should neglect himselfe by giuing of too much: (which seldome falleth out) surely he should offend against himselfe, as well as the harde and couetous heart sinneth against others, in giuing nothing, or too little: And if You gaue all your goods vnto the Poore, not your Coate onely, But your bodie? to bee burned for them; Yet without Charitie it were nothing. 1. Cor. 13. 3. For as Faith without Workes is dead, so Works without Faith, and Loue, are in the same Case, dead, and Damned.

2 Likewise hee doth not Counsell vs to giue of our superfluous things, for who counteth two Coates to be superfluous? Nay, who holds it not verie necessarie to haue two Coates, although for speede in an extraordinarie Iourney, it was de­nied the Disciples for the time, to haue two Coates, Luke 9. 3. It is a sorie Sacri­fice, or Seruice vnto God, to Giue of our superfluous things? it may well serue the Poore, but better gaue the Widdow a [Page 34] little of hir pouertie, then the Phari­ses▪ did of their abundance, great for the heart, which God respecteth rather then the hand; may be rich, in Pouertie: I cannot tel what you call Superfluitie? No man knowes what is Too much, except he knoweth first what to call (Enough) but if to giue where there is no need, or of those things, which wee care not for, bee su­perfluous: And if there were euer any worke of Supererogation in the world: this is like to that, but there is no such worke, nor can bee: for a man may as well giue more then he hath, or doe more than hee can doe, as doe more than he ought in any good (all being a like impossible vn­to him.)

3 To whom must wee giue? (To him that hath neede) that is, to him that wan­teth, then must wee giue to Couetous men; for they haue not that they haue, and want as well that they haue, as that they haue not? But Iohn simplie com­mends vnto vs the Poore, whom Christ would haue in his owne steed to be com­forted vntill his comming, saying, Mee [Page 35] you shall not alwayes haue with you, but the Poore you shall haue alwayes, Iohn 12. 8. Surely there are many Poore; and made many wayes, as well by their owne de­fault, as otherwise: and as they are almost without number, so they are altogether without order, for on Saboth daies, when you are in your best array (they say) they are in their worst; belike bringing their Pouertie, or Hypocrisie abroad, to meete with your Pride, hoping thereby to pro­uoke your Prodigalitie or Mercie: Better care would be had both of them, and for them, but in the meane season thou maist neuer despise him to whom thou maist be like, euen when thou doest despise him: for the Affliction of an houre wil make the prowdest stoope and sit vpon the grounde, and forget all former felicitie. Sirac. 11. 27.

4 But what Reasons doth Iohn vse to moue the Minde?Ob. for men are very skil­full to alledge reasons not to giue; Na­bal that neuer did good vntil he died, can say, Shall I take of my bread and my water, and of my flesh from my Shearers, and giue it to men whom I know not? Euerie word the [Page 36] Churles worde, My bread and My water, and My flesh, 1. Sam. 25. 11.

I see no reason here expressed (except Nakednesse, So. and Emptinesse bee a Reason) Giue to him that wanteth. If hee had saide giue to him that deserueth it: hee had perswaded Many, better: But Christ that doth commande, he hath or may deserue it: and this reason or a lesse, woulde al­wayes preuaile with vs, if either in bodie or minde, or both wee were but troubled a little, as these were a great deale (in their minde:) for wee are All, euen the best of vs; but like to Patients in Phisicke, of whom the Phisicions haue a Prouerbe & a Practise, take while they be in Paine, for after they will Pay nothing: so Feare and Affliction do open the heart, and sof­ten the Bowels which Prosperitie doeth close vp, and harden: and this doth de­clare our Nature to be most Corrupt. Did I say our Nature? yea the best among vs; for who seeth not that they which were wont to keep many Seruants, and to giue many Coates, do now keepe many Sheepe, for a sheepe is found better to their Ma­stership [Page 37] than a Seruant, the one giueth, the other taketh Liueries. And though it be A more blessed thing to giue than to re­ceiue: Act. 20. 35. Yet we had rather haue the Giuer than the Taker. I should hardly perswade such men to giue many Liue­ries with Christs badge, vnto the Poore that haue with drawne their owne Coates & Cognisances [...] be Rich: but if their sheepe could seru [...] the King and Common welth in War [...]hat halfe so well as they serue their tu [...] in Peace, it were the more tollerable.

But peraduenture this prouision of Sheepe is for Hospitalitie. Hospitalitie? that is for you of the Ministerie? It is true, that a Bishop should be giuen to Ho­spitality, 1. Tim. 3. and 1. Tit. And I thinke he must haue wherewithall too. But whe­ther this bee plaine Hipocrisie or no? Iudge you, that they would haue it Good and Necessarie in a Minister, & yet would haue it Free and Arbitrarie in themselues, who can spend tenne to one: either let them say it is Naught in vs, or let them Count it Necessarie in themselues for ve­rie [Page 38] shame. Socrates Cursed him that first did sunder Profite from Honestie. And the Common welth hath no cause to blesse him, or them, who first haue taught our Gentles, to degenerate from their noble Auncestors, to leaue their Houses in the Countrie for the most part of the yeare, and to keepe Ordinaries heere in the Cit­tie, without neede: a tricke of more then Ordinarie Gentlemen. And if this were a day for Reproofe, I could chalenge you & others for the causes of this and other euils, (Couetousnesse) and (Vsurie,) where­by you do not onely sleece your sheepe, but flay men, & directlie Cut the throate of the Common welth; One thing is fal­len alreadie (Cloathing,) If another fol­low? which doth beginne (Husbandrie) I meane, the Mattocke and the Sythe, (for otherwise we haue too many good hus­bands) but if that once faile; wee must looke to Reape with our swords abroad, or to haue no haruest at home: and all by Cruell vsurie. Let the great Masters of our Common welth, looke to it.

But Vsurie, Ob. is the Marchants fault, Gen­tlemen [Page 39] cannot be charged therwith. You know whose fault Simonie is,Sol. but you will not know whose sinne Vsurie is, some say it is the fault of Marchants, and others say of Aldermen, some of Gentlemen, and some of Plow-men, and some of all men. (all sorts of men.) To cleare this Citie, if euerie man were bounde to exercise the trade whereof he is free, Poore Companies woulde not then decare so fast, and Vsu­rers should be driuen to sue for a Corpora­tion for themselues, for while they are no Corporation, they are Free of al Compa­nies, and this casting of your money into the Banke, will cast a banke about this Citie in the end, and then you may goe purchase Aceldama.

I knowe this Citie doth cloath many Backes, and feede many Bellies of the Poore, but yet notwithstanding the Dead doe giue more then those that are aliue, and therefore if God will haue the poore more prouided for: I thinke hee must prouide, to take away more of the rich men, and he shall doe them a good turne too (who fearing they shall be poore be­fore [Page 40] they die) if he take them away while they bee rich, and so discharge them of that feare. But why shoulde the minde thus hunt, and labor after Vanitie, the day will come, and is comming, when all our substaunce, and our Money shal be but as Manna was vnto the Iewes: Hee that ga­thered more, had nothing ouer, and hee that gathered lesse, wanted not, and that which was left, did stinke the next daie, Exo. 16. 18. Therefore Heauen not your selues in this world, but lay vp your treasure in heauen, whither you can haue no direct, and rea­die way, till you haue gotten the Moone, vnder your feete, I meane this World, Re­uel. 12. 1.

If he had simply commanded vs; it had beene Sinne, and Death, to haue denied him, but he saith, Giue, and it shall bee giuen vnto you, Luk. 6. 38. For thy Coate a Roabe, for thy Breade that perisheth, the Foode of Angels, for thy Money and Coine, a Crown. Neither shall we want our reward in this life: for so runneth the Couenant to both worlds. And godlines is profitable vnto all thinges, saith the Apostle, hauing both the [Page 41] promises, of this life, and of that that is to come, 1. Tim. 4. 8. And we see, that there are some that spend and haue the more, and others that spare and haue the lesse, as Syrac. 11. 11. And therfore not only the Widowe of Sarepta, found increase by giuing: for if there bee a Sowing of Breade, as there is of Corne, as speaketh Isai, 32. & 20. And if he that soweth liberallie, or sparinglie, shall reape accordinglie, as saint Paule saith, 2. Cor. 9. both the Prophet and Apostle, do shew vs a good reason of this profit, & in­crease that may arise by giuing; and ther­fore Salomon in the 11. of Ecclesiastes, biddeth vs to Cast out breade vpon the wa­ters, and assureth vs that After manie daies we shall find it againe. Yet you must not vse God for the World, for al that. A man were better vse the Diuell; for if God and Mam­mon cānot wel be serued together, surely much lesse Mammon and God, or God for Māmon: For God wil be serued for nothing but for God, neither shall any man serue him so for nought. Therfore he that gaue the first Coate to Adam, & all the Coates that Adams sons haue had, or can haue, & [Page 42] bids vs not to Care for raiment, Mat. 6. 28. Who gaue, I doe not say of two one: but his Coate vnto the Souldiers, and his Bo­die and Soule, vnto the sorrowes of Death, and Hell for thee. Who saith, Aske and you shall receaue, Mat. 7. 7. Let not him aske of vs, & go without: or if the Promises of god cannot perswade vs, yet let the Iudgments of God preuaile, to prouoke vs. For hee shall surely reckon with all them, that haue woonne this Worlde, and lost their Soules: that haue giuen him, either no Drinke, or Vineger and Gall to drinke, and as he will recompence any thing in Mer­cie, that will recompence to a Cup of cold water, so he will denie any thing in Iustice that denied Diues one drop of water: and in that day only Mercie shall reioice against Iudgement, Iacob. 2. 13.

But doe I hope that this doctrine shall take place in these daies, in which Christ hath saide that Charitie shall waxe colde? I doe not expect it, for if Loue should Rule, then God should Raigne, for hee is Loue: but the god of this world cannot abide that, and therefore hee hath sowne all [Page 43] things ful of Hatred, yea euen the Church hir selfe with the seeds of Discord: Contenti­on in the Church. which albeit shee be but One, yet shee is not in one Vnion, but laboureth with the paine of hir wombe, as Rebecca did, for the strife of Iacob, & Esau, Gen. 25. 22. I know now that I haue a Woolfe by the eares, and can­not tell whether I should hold him, or let him goe, (for both is dangerous) I choose this Text to misse him, and yet he meetes me, and so meetes me, that I cannot well auoide him. If the daies were no better for Lawiers to pleade in, then they are for Vs to preach in, I thinke they would hold their peace: but wee must not hold our peace, for our tongues are Trumpets, not (Firebrands) nor (Fig-leaues) but Trumpets to giue warning of any euill approching, Esay. 58. 1.

And how euill a thing Contention is in the Church, we haue no neede of forraine Stories, or discourse to learne: our home maladies, and miseries can teach vs, but too well: For Discorde, hath separated vs one from another, for all good purposes, as Death; but sets vs one against another, [Page 44] for al euil as the Diuel. Wherefore as the Apostle aduiseth vs in the 16. to the Ro­manes 17. verse, They are to be noted which cause this diuision, & distractiō among vs.

The old faction, which was, and yet re­maineth still, is two fold, of the Anabap­tists, and of the Papists: and these trou­bled our Church mightilie, as Aram be­fore, and the Philistin [...]s behind troubled Israel: but yet Ephraim against Manasses, and Manasses against Ephraim, and both against Iuda, haue deuowred more. Esa. 9. 21.

What is the cause? the Cause? of all this diuision and adoe? for albeit it be­commeth Christians, to imbrace Peace offring her selfe, and to followe after her, flying away; because wee can no lesse lacke Loue & Vnitie in the Church, than we may lacke the Sunne and Moone in the world: yet notwithstanding Chri­stians may not so agree, as to betray the trueth? Why that is the cause say some? I aske then what truth? I doe not say as Pilate did to Christ, Iohn 18. 38. What is truth? But what truth? for I hope they [Page 45] be not so foolish, to vnderstand the wise man, Sirac. 4. 28. For the trueth contend vnto death: Of euerie trueth? If they coulde Aunswere mee, and Aunswere truely, that it is for that trueth which is saide, Iohn 8. 32. To make vs free, that is, for the Gospel, and for Christ: surely as well as I loue Peace, I woulde say, Contende and striue still, and except there may be Veritie, let there be no Vni­tie; for we haue a iust cause and quarrell against all the Enimies of that trueth, as are the two Sects aboue named, and hee that hath had Zeale and stomake against them, & now hath none, is either Demas, or Iudas, chuse him whiter.

But on the other side, to pretend such a cause, & not to proue it, or if there be any other good cause, as The redresse of some a­buses (which no man in his wits wil deny to be a good cause) yet to follow it out of time, and Place, by importunitie, and vn­lawfully, by false, or foolish Libels, which in deede leaue the Cause, and flie to the person; and tende to nothing but to pro­uoke; I suppose that no wise man can a­lowe [Page 46] the course; sure I am, the euill suc­cesse thereof doth disalowe it; and if his name should answere his doing herein, as it seemeth hee woulde haue it by the Title, and Purpose of his bookes, sure hee shoulde bee called for Marre Prelate, Marre Preacher: for there are fewer of these, and no lesse of those, if not more▪ since hee practised so to marre them; I Iudge not thinges onely by the issue and euent, but I wish that he had beene more sober, or more silent.

Wherefore I exhort both the one, and the other, (for what haue I to doe with sides) that they play not in the Church, as men doe that are fallen out in the Common welth; where both will be tal­king of right, but neither wil cease, from doing of Wrong: So let none pretend Conscience when it is Couetousnesse, nor Zeale, when it is Malice, and so by bitter strife & stomake, seeke one to denowre another, making the Babilonian noise, for the spoile of that Temple, which at his first setting vp, and long after, had no such noise in it. There was not hearde [Page 47] the noyse of a Hammer at the setting vp of the Temple, 1. Reg. 6. 7. but the Babilonians made the Noise in the pul­ling of it downe, 2. Chron. 36. 19. Wherfore let vs not speake, as the Priests doe, in the 11. of Iohn 48. If we let Christ thus alone, all men will beleeue in him, and the Romaines will come and take away our Place, and the Nation, but rather let vs say, and assure our selues; that if wee let him not alone, and beleeue not better in him, but stande deuiding both his Coate, and Bodie, by vnreconciliable hatred among our selues; Hee will send them, that will come, and take all: and the Romaines be verie readie to be sent.

Likewise they are to bee admonished that sill the Pulpit too ful with these con­trouersies, I doe not meane our Lunatike libellers, which cast phrases on both sides, as madde men doe hurle stones, but I meane Men of my owne Profession and minde, that they consider; that the Pope hath had too long a Pause, and hath got­ten ground apace, since wee haue spent our breath about these things, for how so [Page 48] euer Martin flies, he lies in the winde to make Martyrs of vs, and liues as the Sa­lamander doeth, the better for the fire; Wherefore the Prophets are to be reclai­med by a more certaine sounde of the Trompe, to oppose themselues to Anhchrist, and not to pursue so whotly, a dead Dogge, or a Flie, as Dauid saith to Saul, 1. Sam. 24. 1,. They are to bee counted our enimies that are Gods enimies, and hate our faith, which stand not vpon smal difference, but vpon plaine defiance with vs: and all the other odds is nothing vn­to that. If Isaac may be knowne from Is­mael, Iacob from Esau, a Protestant from a Papist, and the Contrarie; all lesser con­trouersies should be left off, or followed in Loue; for the Churches sake: and The fruite of Righteousnesse, is sowen in Peace of them that make Peace, saith Iames, 3. cap. 18. And when Paul, Apollos and Cephas shall agree, yet shall you finde the deuo­tion of the people to bee diuision still, as it was among the Corinthians, 1. Epist▪ 3. and the Prophets shall haue Worke enough to vnite, and knitte, their minds [Page 49] togither, the Worde is able to doe it, and you see by this Multitude, it hath done it; & when that is done, then though one should say, I am the Lords, another call himselfe Iacob, and the third subscribe with his hand vnto the Lorde, and name himselfe Israel, that is, (vse many & diuers names,) as it is Isa. 44. 5. It shall be no matter, for all is one thing, when the Heart is one.

I haue ouershot my selfe, and therefore must of necessitie, pretermit the dueties of the Publicanes, and Souldiers, lest I bee preuented by the time; I wil referre them to some other occasion where, or when­soeuer; and applie my selfe now to con­clude, with exhortation to Thankesgi­uing, our especiall Duety this Daie, pray­ing your patience for the time.

AS God onely is to be blessed for euer, for the people of God are only to blesse him, as for the Lips of the Leaper, let them be couered accor­ding to the Lawe, Leuit. 13. 45. For It be­comes the Righteous to be thankefull, Psal. 33. Aske not for what thou shouldest praise him: but rather aske for what thou shoul­dest not praise him, seeing thou oughtest to praise him for all things, yea euen for Euill things, because he turneth Euill into good, to them that loue him, Ro. 8. 28.

[Page 51] Not onely our Redemption and Salua­tion in Christ, should holde the Heart in continuall grace and thankesgiuing vnto God, but also the Externall benefits of this life. Except we shall deale with our Bles­sings, as Salomon delt with his Brasse of the Temple, because it was so much hee waied it not, 1. Reg. 7. 4. 7. For to leaue the rest to your remembrance, and to speake of the Common good, which first, and last, we all haue reaped, by the hap­pie Raigne, of his handmaiden and ser­uant, our Gratious Soueraigne, Queene Eli­zabeth. Who, by a continuall prouidence and preseruation of God, from so many, and manifest daungers, both before and after the wearing of the Crowne, (as this day doth witnes) appeareth to be made, and borne, nourished, and preserued, Crowned, and Kept, not for Hir selfe, but for vs; not for vs onely, but for God him­selfe; whose Sonne liued in this wretched worlde, 32. yeares, but raigned not an houre. But Elizabeth by the Grace of God, Raigning now as wee account 32. yeares, I doe not say hath Crowned, but [Page 52] hath Kissed his Sonne Crowned, and sub­mitted both hir Selfe, and Scepter vnto him, saying with Dauid in the 5. Psal. [...]. Thou art my King, and my God, And it is they onely that woulde not haue his raigne ouer them, who crie with the wic­ked in the 19. of Luke, Wee will not haue this man to Rule ouer vs, For they cannot wel indure that date of the yeare, (not of Christs birth, but of Antichrists death in our Church; now 32.) Shee hath come through manie Daungers to the Crowne, as Dauid; yet God hath giuen hir Plentie with Salomon: Shee hath Restored Religi­on with Iosias, but shee hath Paule for it with Enochias: Reade the bookes of the Kings, I do not say shee exceedeth these, to flatter hir, but I say shee resembleth them, to comfort vs. The Romaines did greatly glorie in their Emperour Angu­stus Caesar, saying, that hee found Rome built with bricke, but left it as a Marble Monument. Did not Hir Highnes finde our Coine, Copper, and our Religion, Super­stition, and through the goodnes of God, hath shee not freed our Country from [Page 53] them both. Hee raigneth vnprofitablie▪ that is born, and deserueth not to raigne, saith Chrysostome. But shee that commeth vnto vs in a double Right both of Nature and Desert, let the blessinges of both the Testaments Rest, on hir Amen:

1 For Dangers, whether shee resem­ble Dauid or no? Consider yee: He afraid of Saule, and shee of hir Sister. And who was worse beset, he, with Saul before, and Absolon behinde; or shee, set betweene two (Marahs) the one Crowned before hir, the other shrewdlie hastening to hir Crowne. Reckon you the rest, that Know them, and reckon right, and you shal find hir dangers verie manie, and more then either you know, or can know.

2 For Salomons Plentie who gaue Siluer as stones in the streetes of Hierusalem, 2. Cron. 1. 15. I will not now compare En­gland with Egypt, or with Canaan; but with England: Elizabeth with Marie for Corn, with Edward for Coine, and with Henrie for quietnes. Papists draw all goodnes to their Poperie, although they cannot proue anie good thing in it, or of it, except tum­bling [Page 54] and tossing of Kingdomes & Com­mon-weales be good?

3 Iosias restored Religion, and not onelie so, but reformed the Temple also: wherefore it is written of him, 2. Reg. 23. That like vnto him, there was not a King be­fore, neither rose there anie such in Israel af­ter him. The first wee doe both say, and thinke, of our most gratious Queene; but the second (if euer it should please God to giue hir a Successor) we would be loath to say.

4 Lastly, how like hir case was to E [...]e­chias, witnes that Prowde and Peereles In­uasion, made by the Popish Senacherib, the king of Ashur; who openly Pretended, the cause of his quarrell to be our Religi­on. (So speaketh Rabsaketh to the No­bles of Israell.) If you say to me, that you trust in your God, Why? saith hee, is not that he whose Altars Ezechias, hath de­stroied? And so glorieth in his superstiti­on; saying, which of all the Gods hath beene able to deliuer his land out of the hand of the King of Ashur? where is the God of Hamath, of Arphad, of Sephar­valm; [Page 55] and of many other Places which his Maister had woon? and comes at length to the God of Israell, and takes his pleasure of him also, and so flourisheth & flow [...]eth; offring vppon Hostages, 2000. horse, if they coulde get but Riders for them, Riding, and deriding poore Israel, because their Armie seemed inuincible, as the Woodden bridge, or Spanish Nauie did.

The cause was sufficient and the qua­rell good, for the pulling downe of Al­ters, Images, and Idols to leauie an Armie against Ierusalem, and for the breaking of one Brasen Serpent, to send in manie Brasen faced Serpents, more fearce then ouer Railing Rabsake was: who did not onely vpon the walls, and in the peoples hearing, openlie speake odious thinges against the King, but by Shamelesse and Seditious printed bookes, spread the same ouer the whole lande, flying as the ve­rie Firie Serpents, which stong the people, and could not be auoided; for how ma­nie Balaams did Balaack send? and howe often came they in, who because they [Page 56] might not bee suffered to destroy Soules, most desperately, they threw away their owne Bodies, (and the Soules of the rest if it be possible, alwaies saued) I wish such honor to all his Sainctes.

Then Ezechia prayed, laide the cause before the Lorde; and sent to the Pro­phet Esay. Now whether Elizabeth did behaue her selfe so or no? If Men would denie it, Angels wil witnesse it: And Esay doth comfort him, with no other reason than with this? That he should not feare them Because they had blasphemed against the Lorde: And sure I am that the People neuer felt the Prophets more cōfortable, nor the Prophets euer found the People more couragious, Especiallie when our Ezechias, seeing that Ashur was come, & purposed to fight against Hierusalē, toke present counsell of hir Princes, stopped the passages, Built fortresses, made many Darts and Shields: Set Captaines of war ouer the people, assembled them into abroad place, & went her selfe and spake comfortablie vnto them: saying, Feare yee not, With him is an Arme of flesh, but with vs is the Lord our [Page 57] GOD to helpe vs: Read yee the 2. Reg. 18. & 2. Chron. 32. and you shal find the verie same wordes in the discourse, and you shall not haue two Histories more like in the Processe, let vs see the Successe.

The Assirian Armie could not shoot an Arrowe in the Cittie, and was not Spani­ards shotte like to Ionothans Arrowes, ei­ther ouer, or short? And the same night the Angel of the Lord slewe 185000. of thē. (as in the dayes of Midian,) and who can number the Soules that perished in the deepe, (as in the daies of Moses & Mi­riam) when hee that came riding on the wings of the wind, delt with Phillip as he did with Pharao.

Then returned Zenacherib, and as if there were no other place for him to die in, nor anie other person to kill him in all the worlde, euen in his Idol Temple, & before his God, his owne Sonnes must slay him. Let him take heede of Fryers, that hath lost his Sonne at their suite, for I see no reasō, why a Frier may not deale with Spayne, as hee hath doone with Fraunce, seeing Fraunce did loue a Fryer as well as [Page 58] Spayne.

But in the meane time, let vs take heed, for the Diuell is not dead. Nor Ze­nacherib daunted, for all his ill successe, his Malice wil not let him rest, for he pre­pareth againe, and meanes to make his seconde comming worse then the first, (and I wish hee might doe so.) They say their Shippes were too bigge: They will trie what lesse can doe, (their ha [...]ts are to bigge:) for cannot hee destroy the lesser that did destroy the greater?) Or what think they? As the Aramites. 1. Reg. 20. 23. That hee is God of the Mountaynes, and not of the Valleies? Let not him that putteth on his Armor, brag and boast as hee that puts it off? Our God is able to crosse, and Cursse, all their plattes, and practises of warre, and other wretched meanes, especiallie of vsing wicked In­strumēts to bring their purposes to passe; I meane not of our Papists onely: which ebbe, and flow, at home with tydings, as the Tide, but Iesuites more seruiceable thē their Generals: which hunger after Kings heartes, Counsellors heades, Captaines [Page 59] handes, and Prophets tongues, as after meate, and thirst after Christian bloode as after drinke, whome it is no charitie, but extreeme crueltie to releaue; And if this place were Golgatha, where Christ was crucified, and not Gilgall, where Christiās are Circumcised, I would wish thē nayled a liue on this Crosse with A­nathema Amaranatha, that bee so bloudy minded.

Great warres there was before the first comming of Christ, & greater there will bee before his second comming, for Antechrist must war against the Saincts, And vnto Tyrants, warre is a felicitie, but vnto good and Christian Princes a verie necessitie: whose warres are nothing els, but the seeking of safetie and peace.

Our Gracious Soueraigne, did suffer long, and too long, almost before shee tooke the Sword in hande, and stoode to her defence in the cause of the Gospel, a­gainst the Enimies thereof: and the People whose hearts shee had Iustilled, into her selfe, did offer themselues most willingly. Though there might be some Inhabitants [Page 60] of Mero [...], who marching in their bodies, did not march in their minds so Valiant­lie To helpe the Lord against the mightie; (as speaketh Deborah) Iudges 5. 23.

But as Shee did then prepare her Arme, and yet made God her Strength & Steele, So let her nowe set vp her rest in Heauen, and giue no rest to them in earth, that within the compasse of Her Dominions shal seek the setting vp of Dagon againe, either whole, or broken: for why should Moses suffer the Calfe? or Ezechias the Serpent? or Gedeon Ball? or Elias Bals Priests? or Elizabeth Balaams Prophets? seing both the Idol, and the Idol maker, & the Worshipper are all accursed of God. And for this cause, the Pope is more odi­ous vnto vs than Turke, or Iew, and Po­pish Princes, are as Sheon, and Ogg, and therefore is it, that wee say of Philip of Spaine, as the Lacedemonians said of Philip of Macedonie, we would not haue him to come into our Countrie neither a Friend nor a Foe: for we haue tried his comming both wayes to be naught, though worse to vs in (Mariage) than in (Mart,) but our [Page 61] God, hath deliuered vs from them both and will deliuer vs still, if we bee founde faithfull, and thankefull vnto him.

The Cherubins euer stretched foorth their wings, but neuer pulled them in, to flie from the mercie seate, Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord, for his mercie indureth for euer: His Anger is but to the third or fourth Generation, and of them that hate him; but his mercie, is to Thou­sands of them that loue him, and Keepe his Commandements, for Fiue yeeres dis­pleasure, wee haue receiued alreadie One and thirtie yeeres fauour: Wherefore as I wish that Elizabeth did take vp the Pro­phet Dauids words in the 30. Psa. ver. 1. & say, I will magnifie thee O Lord, because thou hast exalted me, and hast not made my foes to triumph ouer me: So would I that the people euery where did sing, euen the same song, for our Day is as the Day of Iosuah, when the Sun & Moone stood still, vntill Gods people were auenged, Iosua 10. 13. Our yere as the yere of Iubile, whē euery man was freed in Israel, and I hope and pray that it may prooue vnto vs the [Page 62] Great Iubile, which was the fiftith yeere.

We are not yet in the December of our Dayes, but in Nouember, neither in the end of that Month, but in the midst, and Her Highnesse day: this yeere is the first, after the Lords day, and if it be Ominous? Behold the signe is in Leo, next vnto Vir­go: and looke your Calendar, who stan­deth in the last Day of the last moneth of December, and in the signe (Pisces) vnder foote, and you shall finde it to be Pope Sil­uester (as I doe thinke the second of that Name,) who as Platina writeth, got his Dignitie by the Diuel, and seeking of him by Oracle, how long he should liue? is an­swered doubtfully, long; if he came not neere Ierusalem, but there hee died the fourth yeere; and hee cannot thriue or liue long, that nowe is Pope, nor they that hereafter shall bee Popes after him, because they all follow Siluester and Sil­uer to the Diuell, & do still striue to come neere vnto Ierusalem.

There is no Affection in the heart, but it will expresse it selfe in the bodie; when Nature hath occasion offered, and as it is [Page 62] an euill Spirit which can bee quiet, when God is dishonored, so that, cannot bee a good spirit, which is sad, or silent, when God is to bee praised: Wherefore let vs not speake as Dauid did, (our case being nothing like;) Tell it not in Gath▪ nor publish it in the streetes of Ashkelon▪ that Saul is slaine, least the vncircumcised Philistines do Reioyce, 2. Sam. 1. 20. but rather let vs say, as the foure Leapers said in the 2. Reg. 7. 9. when the Aramites▪ had sledde, and forsaken the Campe, and left all their pro­uision for hast behinde them; and when these Leapers entred their Tents, and did eate, drinke, and carrie away; they saide one to another, we doe not well; Because this is a daie of good tidings and we hold our peace. Wherfore hold you not your peace, but tell it in Spaine, and in the Ilands there about, where (perhaps) you may come, that as ELIZABETH of England liued by the Grace of God, the first howre, so by a much more Grace of God. QVEENE ELIZABETH Raigneth this present yeare: For, HEE that is mightie hath magnified hir, and Holie is his Name.

[Page 63] And in hope of continuall Grate, and fauour of God this daie, let Dauid dance before the Arke, let the Priests sing be­fore the Altar, let the People showte in the Presence of the Lorde, let all our Siluer Trumpets sound, let our Sweete perfume e­uer goe vp, and let our Fire neuer go out: and a White L [...]prosie smite his Soule, that reioiseth not indeede, because of this day.

The Iewes Kept the Moneth (Nisan) for Egypt, and (Adar) for Haman: Let vs euerie Moone solemnelie, by Sacrament, remember him to whom we owe euerie Moment of our life, but euery Twelue-Mo­neth; let vs in Thankesgiuing remember Hir, to whom (Vnder God) we owe al our seruice vpon Earth. And let Hir Posie bee from hencefoorth for euer: (Eloi-Saba­oth; Elizabeth, Alleluia.) And he shall be hir God of Saboth; of Rest, and Peace, who hath beene Hir God of Sabaoth, of Force, and Armes; and if the First Psalme, bee but a Preface to the rest (as manie doe account) then according to the Number of the Crowne, I can com­mend [Page 64] vnto you the 32. Psalme (which o­therwise is the 33.) as most precious for our purpose, & most proper for Hir Per­son. And when the Prophet saith, Blessed be the Lord God of Israell. Let all the people of Israel say, So be it. And as he concludes his Psalme, 106. So I conclude my Sermon, Praise ye the Lord, The I [...]d (God) the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, to whom, with the Holie Ghost, three persons, one Eternall, Almightie, and euerlasting God, be all Honour, Glorie, Power, and Dominion for euer, and euer, Amen.