The first part.

THE exiled Poet in the sorrowfull distresse of his banishment (gentle Rea­der, hauing penned the record of the same, and now readie to send it into the citie, Parue nec inuidio, sine me liber ibis in vrbem: My litle booke (saith he) I do not enuie thee, that thou shalt freelie passe thi­ther, whither I cannot come. Sith the Poets shado­wed stile, resembleth perfect truth oft richlie clothed in their golden verse, sith they had wit at will, and the Muses sounded at their call; their pen did flow with droppes distilled from the fountaine of most plea­sant inuention: their stile was high, their words were sweete; their sentence true, their number perfect, their workes admired. So that nought but enuie, durst once deuise the least disgrace against the same. If my skill would yeeld me but a bare resemblance of their perfect stile, whereby I might reueale the truth vnto the world, with like delight, as did those Poets fine: or if this age were but halfe so much delighted, with the substance of truth it selfe, as they were with the portraiture of the shadow. I would hope for that good acceptance of this smal [Page 2] simple worke, (which now I doubt) & write with him: I am sorie for my selfe sith thou shalt be accepted. But sith that daie of darkenes hath alreadie dawned, in which if wee write the truth plainlie, wee are hated, if wee write obscurelie, we are suspected, if we write simplie, we are contemned, if we write not to please the itching eares of flesh and bloud, we are reiected. Sith men are so much bent to their owne selfe will, and so besotted with the loue of themselues, of their owne house, their owne goods, their owne landes, their owne wife, their owne children, their owne po­steritie, & lastlie with the loue of this present world, of dignities, honors, scepters & kingdomes, that the kingdome of heauen to them is but a dreame, bred in a litle corner of their secret cogitation: and he which shall tell them, that the kingdome of this world passeth away,Iohn. 19 like a flower, a clowde, a smoke, a shadowe, that the kingdome of Christ is not of this world, that the further wee enter into worldlie pos­sessions, and the higher wee climbe vnto honor, the further wee goe backe from the kingdome of heauen, and the greater is our fall into the graue, sith hee which shall write this plainlie, and more than that, that the whole regiment of a Christian common wealth, ought principally, aboue all things to serue for the setting forth of true religion, the true worship, the true honour of the name of God: sith the disgrace of worldlie pride now common­lie receiued, and on the contrarie, the extolling and magnifying of the beautie of the temple of God, is an odious thing amongest worldlinges at this day, and my skill verie simple, mine inuention slender, [Page 3] my treatise, rude, my words plaine, mine eloquence nothing at all: I begin with him though to another ende, Parue nec inuideo: My litle booke I do not en­uie thee, nay, rather I pittie thine estate, sith thou art now to passe into the world, whose ysie wayes are opposite to God, and crauest attentiue eare of those, whose fowle deformities thou openlie displai­est. Nether would I thinke thy destinie so hard, or so much to be lamēted, if they were simple at whose harts thou knockest (willing them to reuerence the worshippe of God, more than the lawes of earthlie princes) or easilie to bee recouered from the bewit­ched waies of this present world. But of them manie are high and honourable, manie wife and learned, manie politique, strong, and wealthie, hardlie bow­ing downe their eie to behold the low estate of the humble, and seldome opening their eare to the crie of poore fatherlesse lying in the streete, or to so plaine, so simple, so vnsauerie a speach, as thou seemest willing to vtter in their eares at this time.

In this dispair of thy good successe, I heare an other trumpet sownd, whose lowde alarum biddeth thee either retire, or else to chaunge thine habite, thy countenance, thy simple stile and cote, wherewith thou art now clothed. The solemne courtes of princes haue their Porters, to keepe such base coats out: who if they once presume to speake, beeing controlled, then the staffe, the rodde, the whippe, the stockes, do make the period of their stile.

These be the stormes, & wilt thou shrink for showers [Page 4] of raine? God it is which fashioned the globe of the golden tressed sun, he raiseth cloudes and discusseth them againe, he thundreth lowd, and sendeth quiet calme, he sendeth grieuous stinges of the bodie, oft times to his beloued, that he may reioyce his soule, with the beautie of his countenaunce. Ille meas errare boues vt cernes & ipsum: Ludere quae vellem, calamo per­misit agresti: he first sent foorth the piersing beame of cleare light, he opened mine eye, hee bowed the fingers of mine hand, and bid me write, that in this age we seeme and are not, holie, learned, wise, chari­table, louing and kinde one to an other. If this bee the generall course of the world, foreshewed long sithence by reuealed Prophesie: let no man thinke that trueth proceedes from any euill humor: or that this heauenlie darte (which spareth none) dooth aime at him, or her, or any one: but humblie reque­sting all in the bowels and mercies of Iesu Christ, specially to looke to the saluation of their owne soule, it toucheth all, that all therby leauing the loue of this present world, by his gratious crosse and pas­sion, may be made the true children of eternal blisse. That auncient Poet Hesiod Hesiod. writte many hundreth yeeres agoe, that which our liues doe porfectly ful­fill [...]. Whē the Gods & mor­tall men began to multiplie vppon earth, the first age was a goulden age, for they were simple, plaine wise, honest, religious, long liued, deuoide of in­iury, crafte, and and subtilty. The second like to siluer, not so good as was the first: The third, brasse, more corrupt in minde, manners, and nature: O sine­que ego quinto interessem hominum generi: O (saith the [Page 5] Poet) that I had not come in the fift age of the world, but either had beene dead long before, or else not yet borne, sith this is an iron age, replenished with malitious crimes and mischeefe. This was a deformed shadowe and the bodie of our age is like vnto the same, according to the exposition of Da­niell Daniel. 2. vnto Nabuchodonozer, wherin he foreshewed that the images head of golde, and the breast siluer, the bellie of brasse, the legges and feete halse iron, halfe earth, signified the nature and inclination of the whole world. Three of them be past, and seldome commeth the better. Sith this in which we liue is the ende of the fourth Monarch, whose euil workes and sinful inclination is resembled to the iron mixt with earth, in steede of long life yeelding shorte, sinfull, wretched daies: in steede of sweete peace, yeelding wars and rumours of wars in all places: in steede of simplicity, yeelding double dissembling: in steede of true deuotion to the church of Iesu Christ, yeel­ding pilling, and polling on euery side: in steede of loue to the common wealth and our posterity, with the vnsatiable greedy worme of couetousnes, proui­ding oncly for our owne mouthes, our own bellies, our owne time: in all our dooinges fully expressing the sence and sentence of that auncient Poet Pinda­rus Pindarus▪ [...] the present commodity is euer most accepted, for the subtill age to come will alter all. Together with this iron earthly age, the seede of corruption is daily sowne, whose blossomes nowe already put foorth, though they shine cleere and bright, as dooth the cockle amiddest the wheate: yet if they once beginne to reape, to threshe, to grinde, [Page 6] to grinde, to bake, to eate, they shall soone perceiue, that there is cockle amongest the corne, and ofte times vnder the painted viserd of great knowledge, you shall se blind bayard wax so bold, that through many wordes and often speaking amongest the ig­norant (whose eyes dazell in beholding such pain­ted sepulchers) hee is reputed for wise and learned. According to that true saying of that lerned Dorne.Dorne. In hoc ferreo postremoque saeculo, non nisi faeces artium su­peresse videmus, etsi non nulli putent eas maxime vigere, propter sermonis ornatum. In this last iron age, we haue but the d [...]egges of artes and sciences, although ma­nie thinke, that learning florisheth more nowe, then in times past, because we talke more then they did, and that more cunninglie, more smoothlie, more courtlie. Which great absurditie of this our age, throughly mixt with earth & iron, to the great perill and daunger of many thousand soules, mooued mee first, to penne this rudely written treatise, in the be­halfe of the Church of Iesu Christ, and the soules health of all true Christians, vnto whose handes it shal come. Which secret cogitation taking effect by outward sence, and shewing to my bodilie eyes in sundrie places, and manie solemne foundations nowe made desolate (whereby manie thousandes of learned pastours might haue beene maintained for the preaching of the Gospell of Christ and the dailie praysing of his name,Psal. 115. credidi & propterea lo­quutus sum, with the holie Prophet and Apostle, I beleeued and therefore I writte that which the holy scriptures, the holy counselles, the holy fathers haue plainelie affirmed. When I looked backe and con­sidered, [Page 7] what wee are, and what wee ought to bee: what wee haue doone: and what we ought to haue doone: the truth piersed my spirite, my heart rent, and my ioyntes did cleaue in sunder: the passion of that sight beganne to worke, the fyer was kindled within, the sayinges of the holie fathers mini­stred oyle, wherewith the flame brake foorth at my mouth, crying alowde: for Sions sake I will not hold my peace. Here with returning to the mirrour of trueth,Esai, 62. the holie word of God, whereby all our thoughtes, wordes, and workes are to bee tried: and furthermore perusing the holie fathers (by the assistaunce of the holie Ghost openers of the true vnderstanding thereof;) I meant to gather some store of testimonies out of them, to witnesse with mee, that this my affirmation in this matter, is a certaine and vndoubted trueth. Hauing behelde this radiant sunne of light the word of God, and the little starres the holie fathers illuminated with the cleare beames thereof, though the trueth appea­red plainelie in them both, yet their testimonies concerning thinges once dedicated to holie vse, seemed to mee neither so manie as I expected, nor so plaine. Herein hauing made some spence of time in seeking that which was not so plainely figured in the fathers as I hoped, and as it was truely meant: at length the trueth of that conclusion offered it selfe, most plainelie to my cogitation, which was: that as that auncient Solon, Solon, hauing made many excellent lawes amongest the Athenians, hee made no lawe neither set hee downe any punishment, for him which should kil his own father, supposing that the [Page 8] earth would neuer nourishe so wicked a creature. Euen so it is truely supposed, that those holie fathers liuing in the siluer age of olde antiquitie, did neuer imagine that out of this earthlie yron age of ours, there should spring anie so barbarous, so cruell, so wicked, that would attempt to take awaie any thing from the true worshippe of almightie God. Which suppositiō least in some mens sight, it should seeme to want true position and sure ground, let vs turne our minds a litle from carnal cogitations of world­lie minded men: which thinke of necessitie the course of the world must bee mainteined, howsoe­uer the seruice of God be neglected, and his holie temple, your mindes thus turned cleane away from wordlie vanities (which in one minute shall all va­nish and consume, like the paper cast into the fier) turne your eies and behold the booke of life, there­with conferre the expositions of holie councels and ancient fathers, expounding the true sence of the same, and you shall see most plainlie, that things once dedicated to holie vse,Exceptiō. are not in anie wise to bee altered, vnleast it be in extreame necessitie, the braunches whereof are plainlie laied open by that holie father Saint Ambrose S. Ambros lib. 2. offic. cap. 28. in these wordes: Vasa ecclesiae initiata, in his tribus confringere, conflare & ven­dere etiam licet, primum, vt extremae pauperum egestati succurratur &c. In these three cases it is lawfull to breake, to melt, to sel the vessels of the Church; first for the relieuing of the poore; secondlie, for the re­deeming of the Christians beeing captiues to infi­dels. Thirdlie, for the preseruing of the Church, & christian buriall of the dead, these extremities make [Page 9] that irreligious fact sometimes lawfull, as appeareth, (though verie seldome) in the practise of the pri­matiue Church: according to that which Sozomene Sozomine writeth in the fourth booke of his ecclesiasticall sto­rie, the 24. Chapter. Saith hee, when the people of Ierusalem wanted meat, and were all readie to pe­rish through the great famine, which was amongest them, Cyrillus the Bishoppe of the citie, solde the treasure of the Church with all the costlie clothes belonging to the same, distributing to the poore, according to their necessitie. First of all the goods of the Church, being dulie and dutifullie bestowed on the worshippe of God, and diuine function, the true proper and principall vse and end of the same. Secondly in extreame necessitie: this is a good law­full, and also a holie vse of them, and scarcelie to be called al [...]enating of the Church goods, sith the poore are belonging to the same: according to that generall sentence of all the councels and fathers,S. Grego­rie Bona ecclesiae sunt bona pauperum: the goods of the church are the goods of the poore. But to take a­waie the landes and goods of the Church, whereby the beautiful feete of those, which bring the glad tydings of the Gospel are shed, their sides clothed, their bodies fed, and numbers of those which dailie praie in his holy temple, are or ought to be maintei­ned, lifting vp pure hands with hartie prayers for the sinnes of the people: and those also which dailie sing praises to his holie name, for his wonderful mercies shewed to mankind: no scripture, no councel, no fa­ther, no writer, no religiō whatsoeuer doth allow it.

If wee looke into the law of nature, or the rules of [Page 10] humanitie, not much dissonant from the conclusi­ons, of morall philosophie, we shall see plainly, that those creatures which receaue the greatest portion of blessing, they render the most againe, not once re­tracting the former yeilde. The fields for one pore graine receaued, send forth manie scores againe. The fishes multiplie in all the coastes of the wide Ocean seas:Hessiod. the beastes their young, the Bees their honey, the sheepe their lambe, their wool, their skin: the litle poore larke, shee mounteth vp into the clowds with a sweet song▪ which solaceth thee, either riding by the waie, or plowing in the field, or sitting in thine howse at home. All creatures by kinde yeeld giftes of thankefull grace vnto the Lorde, not once retracting anie thing againe. And shall onely sinfull man bee founde vnthankfull vn­to his maker?

The Lord of his meere mercie, without al merite hath giuen him all the beastes of the field, the fowles of the aier,Psalm. 8. the fishes of the sea vnder his dominion, he hath giuen him an vnderstanding soule, & made him steward of his housholde. Nay when through disobedience to his maker, hee had cast himselfe cleane out of dores: our sauiour Christ hee came downe from heauen for his sake, hee appeared in the habite of a man, hee was counted vile, dispited, and hated, threatned, betraied, martired, euen to the sheading of his most pretious bloud on the crosse for sinful man. Neither did his louing kindnes cease with the time,Act. 1. for hee left his houshold behinde him e [...]en his catholique Church and his holie spirite to gouerne and guide it, to comfort man, to instruct [Page 11] him, to support him against all his enemies; dailie & hourelie holding the strings of his heart in his hand, and preseruing the breath in his nostrelles, least he should vanish from the face of the earth. These bee the manifold mercies of the Lord towardes man, more than to all other creatures: and shal sinful man be more vnthankfull to his maker than the rest? shal man onelie of al other creatures take away from the Lord that which is once giuen? shal the hart of man waxe hard against bis creator, that hee should once thinke ther may be too much giuen to God?Math. 19. or for­bid any man against the commaundement of Christ to giue al that he hath to the poore distressed mem­bers of his church? Naie shall not sinfull man ra­ther inuent in his hart, write with his pen, pronoūce with his vocie, statutes, lawes, and commissions, to the ende that the whole frame of the common wealth, especiallie & before all other matters what­soeuer be directed and wholie bent to the glorie of God, & the worshippe of his holie name, the high­est point whereof consisteth in mainteining of his holie Temple, the house and place of his true wor­shippe here on earth?Reg. 4. Naie, shall the beast­lie hart of that prowde Nabuchodonozer bee pla­ced in the bodie of anie Christian, that hee should lay wast the Temples of the Lord? or that dronken minde of king Balthasar, that he should take to his owne vse the goods of the Church? that hee should dissolue the Quire of sweete voices praising the Lord in the Citie, and bestowe the foundation thereof on a kennell of houndes cry­ing in the woods.

[Page 12]If the king call shal we not all runne? and if the king­lie prophet Dauid bid vs bring vnto the Lorde,Psalm. 22. shall we waxe hardharted in taking away that which wee neuer gaue? If the heathen people through the in­stinct of heauenlie light, secretlie written by the fin­ger of God in the centre of their heart, trembled at the entrance of the temples of the Christians, and were afraid to touch any thing therein (as we reade in sundry histories) shall not the true Christian vt­terly abhorre from the same, if not for loue (in regard of the tēder mercies of Iesu Christ bestowed on him) yet for feare of those extreame and extraordinarie punishments, that hee speedilie powreth vppon all those which spoile his temples?Psalm. 2. O ye kinges and ru­lers of the earth, be wise; count not of this crowne of molten mettall, which weieth heauy on your heade, and presseth you downe to the earth: but cast down your crownes before the lambe of God,S. Iohn 1. which ta­keth away the sins of the worlde: despise your king­domes and glorious roialties, learne to serue him with a perfect loue of eternall blisle, and perfect loa­thing of these tedious earthly kingdomes: striue to finde the narrow gate, cast away your iewels & hea­uie ornaments, runne, runne: runne on a pace, run swiftly, that ye may attaine that crowne, which will lift you vp both body and soule aboue all the king­domes of the world, nay farre aboue all heauens, e­uen vnto eternall life. That you may more readilie enter, this race of a true Christian, and more hap­pilie attaine the true perfection of the same, first forsake the worlde and all the loue thereof, cast a­way your worldlie delightes, and secret inclination, [Page 13] denie your selues, count not of that flattering con­stancie, whose ende is dolefull miserie. Hauing re­iected this worldlie habite,Luke 9. together with thy flesh­lie delightes, let the troubled waie of fickle fancie goe, and there with entering further, the first de­gree of heauenly meditation, weigh wisely with thy selfe and consider, what God is, and what thou art, and thou shalt see plainely, that who so is without him, or out of his fauour, hee is nothing, or at the most a verie vile and an euill thing. The great de­sire of the kinges of the earth is long and prosperous reigne. Which who so hath enioied long in the court, let him but walke out a little into the plea­sant woodes, and hee shall heare the auncient Poet Symonides, Simonides sounding that truth in his sweete songe: [...] &c. a thousand and tenne thousand yeares in respect of eternitie are but a minute, or ra­ther the least portion of a minute. Sith all is nothing vnto him, and hee is one in one eternitie, from which vnitie all creatures haue their integritie, let vs learne as little children doe by 1. 2. 3. the eternall, the incomprehensible, the first and simple vnitie in trinitie, from which all thinges haue their rising by proportion of number: knowing that, as hee is the [...] and [...]:Apocalyps so the first and the last loue of our heart, the first and the last honour which wee can deuise, the first and the last fruites of the labours of our bodie, must bee giuen vnto him: and in such maner, that beeing once giuen vnto him, it is the first and the last, neuer to bee reuoked againe, no not to bee desired in minde and secrete cogitation, but there to rest and remaine as in the first and [Page 14] last conclusion, for which it was ordained. If anie worldly minded man seeme to doubt the truth here­of, I will not produce this course begun, from the misticall principles of secret philosophie, least with the clowdes of reason, I should obscure the cleare light of heauenlie truth, and hide it from the sim­ple, whose good successe in the schoole of Christ I most of all desire. The expresse rule of Iustice, right and equitie, is the will of God; by which, what is right or wrong is to bee examined. Who then is of the councell of the Lorde, or to whome is his will knowne? Aristotle Aristotle. that excellent philoso­pher saith, that the cogitations of the hart be plain­lie knowne by the woordes of the mouth, sith the voice is the interpretour of the minde, and (as our sauiour Christ saith) out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh:Math. 12. by which inferiour rule of reasonable philosophie, wee may climbe vp to that true conclusion in diuinitie, that the Lordes will is reuealed in his worde. And is there anie mention thereof in holie scriptures? Come and see; turne the booke and read the twentie seuenth chap­ter of Leuiticus, Leuiticus. where it is thus written, plainelie, shortlie, and truelie; Omne quod domino consecratur &c. what thing soeuer is consecrated vnto the Lord, bee it man, beast, or field, it cannot bee solde or reuoked againe, because whatsoeuer is once dedica­to God, is holie of holiest vnto the Lorde. Man is not like vnto the meere vegitable creatures, the flowers of the garden, or the lillies of the fielde, that hee shoulde growe and goe forward, vntill hee come to such a degree of ripenesse, and then [Page 15] to wither and decaie: neither is the Lordes tem­ple, or his holie worshippe, as the earthlie fielde, whose seede dooth growe and straight decaieth a­gaine: but to man it is appointed, that from the beginning of his daies vnto the ende thereof, he shoulde first and last seeke the kingdome of heauen,Math. 6. and the righteoufnesse thereof.

In which course, who so hath begunne, let him knowe, that not to goe forward, is to goe backe­warde, and what is that? Hee which is the waie, the truth, and the life, hee hath shewed it vs, say­ing:Peter 1. 1. Estote sancti, quoniam ego sanctus sum, bee ye ho­ly, because I am holie. In what manner? not in hearing, but in dooing the will of God; not in tal­king, but in walking; as it is written: not the spea­kers but the dooers of the lawe shall bee iustified: as also another scripture: Regnum Dei, non est in sermo­ne, sed in virtute: the kingdome of God is not in woordes, but in vertuous and holie life: not in cri­yng Lord,Corinth. 1. Lord, but in doing the wil of God which is in heauen: not in looking for a mansion place, or building pompous pallaces heere on earth (whose greatest ioyes be a shining miserie) but in hastening forwards towards the kingdom of heauen, in giuing our goods, our lands, our bodies and soules vnto the Lorde. Our goodes to feede the poore, to cloth the naked, to cōfort the sick, &c. Our lands to the main­taining of his temple,Math. 25. wherin his word is daily prea­ched, his name praised, the poore commonly harbo­red. Our bodies to the prison, the lyon, the sworde, the fire, for his names sake: all which is the true christian, and acceptable yeelding our soules into [Page 16] the handes of our almightie creatour, our merciful redeemer, our heauenlie comforter. This is the olde christian way to the kingdome of heauen through the armies of pleasures, of temptations, of dan­gers of punishments, of the spiritual powers of this world: which who so refuseth, hoping to saue his life, he shall loose it, and who so looseth it, shall finde that place, vbi vere vi [...]itur, the true life of eternall blisse for euer. Who so grudgeth to giue a peece of vile pelting, earthlie land, to the Church of God, or taketh ought therefro, or esteemeth more of goods, lands, friends, rumors, fame, credit, kindred, brethe­ren, sisters, father or mother, or his owne life, than of the glorie of God, & of the welfare of his beloued spowse the holie Church, hee is not worthie of the kingdome of heauen, neither hath his foot troden the first step of the way of life.

If this be thus, then what manner of men ought we to be in holines of life, & in studying daylie by all meanes possible, how to gratify the Lord of life: If he reward the charitable bestowing of a cuppe of could water on his disciples, when they thirst: how high­lie is he displeased with those, who ether diminish or take away the maintenance of his holie Temples, where his name dwelleth? In this respect (gentle Reader) consider that as Dauid said concerning his sonne now dead:Reg. 2. I shall goe to him, but he shall not come againe to mee; so wee must thinke of goods once giuen to the holie worshippe of the Lord, for so it is: wee must goe to them, and that of­ten, euen to the holie Temple, but they must not bee brought backe againe to vs.

[Page 17]This is one true plaine christian way, leading to one perfect ende, according to that saying of Bachilides Bachilides [...], &c. there is but one waie for mortall men to attaine happinesse, and one ende thereof: to this agreeth our due and dutifull consi­deration of the Lords worshippe and his holie will, which is that his glorie should be onely, and wholy to himselfe, as it is written: gloriam meam alteri non dabo, I will not giue my glorie to an other. The truth of this conclusion telleth vs, that we must serue him onely,Esaie, 42. not onely first, but him onelie. Which if we did ponder wisely with our selues, and thereunto frame our liues and daily dooinges, wee would not take the squared stones of the temple, to builde our pompous pallaces withall, but we would rather re­member that olde saying: accursed is that house, which hath any stone in it, belonging to the church. We would not chang the names of church landes, and call them by our owne names, our lord­ships, our lands our mannours. We would not eate the bread of the poore, nor drinke the teares which trickle downe the cheekes of the widdow, nor con­temne the simple estate of the ministers,Ecclesi. 35. by whose landes and liuinges we are now fatted like the buls of Basan. If we would but once enter into our owne conscience, plainly and truelie remembring, whose goods they are that we possesse, and lift vp our eye to the heauens, to the which both we and they are dedicated, wee would soone loath that which wee haue looued, our hart would quake thorow the bit­ter sting of conscience, and sinne would cleane co­uer our faces with the mantle of darke and deadlie [Page 18] despaire, sith wee haue spoiled, robbed, contem­ned him, whose loouing countenaunce is our eter­nall Saluation.S. Bernard

Herewith remembring the bitter sequele, and deadlie sting of sinnes committed against God himselfe, losse of goods & landes, contrarie to all expectation, sodaine fiers in one hower, destroy­ing house, goods, and all the treasure which thou hast wickedlie heaped together many yeeres: bar­rennesse of wombe, sith thou hast trauelled all thy life long for goodly lands, and hast no children to enioy them, or if thou haue, theyr sodaine death before thine eyes: and lastlie, the restlesse paine, and eternall miserie of hell fire, purchased with so manie cares and troubles, with so much wealth of this world: wee ought to wash our handes with Pylate, and not onely to saie as hee said, I am free from this innocent bloud:Math, 27. but both in woord and deede, to keepe our prophane handes, from the violating of holie thinges. That holie father Saint Augustine hee affirmeth, that God is a cleere eye, and seeth euerie where, much more hee be­holdeth all the corners of his owne house, and the footsteppes of those which spoyle his temple be­fore his face. Which who so, rudelie, rashly, and irreligiously presumeth at any time to attempt, let him consider, that he doth it against the Lord open­lie before his own face, and therwith let him know, that he is a ielous God, visiting the sinnes of the fa­thers vpon the children, to the third and fourth ge­neration of all which hate him, sith he is God, yes­terday, to day, and for euer: as also all thinges are [Page 19] which are once consecrated to his holie worship. I vnderstand that by the course of lawe, inheri­taunce descendeth to the next of the bloud,Heb, 15. and for want of heirs in the second, third, or fourth generation of the eldest, it commeth backe to the younger brothers issue and posterity: of which if all fayle, and at length by intailement or otherwise by lawe, if it commeth into the possession of the King, it neuer goeth backe. If this bee the prerogatiue of goods, giuen to earthly Princes, which are here to daye and to morrowe lye rotting in the graue,Common Lawe. let vs not denie the same to the Lord of Lordes, the King of Kinges, the creatour of hea­uen and earth, into whose house whatsoeuer is in­corporated, though conscience and religion dare not speake therein, yet let the heathen Poet open his mouth and make the period [...], that which is once doone, cannot bee vn­doone againe. If this constancie was alwaies kept betwixt man and man: how much more be­twixt God & man? betwixt his Church, his Prests, his spirituall Pastours, and the men of this world, whose parentes and instructurs they are, according to that saying of Micha vnto the Leuit: remaine with me and be my father and my Priest, and the tribe of Dan al­so to the same Leuit: houlde thy peace and come with vs, for thou shalt be our father and our Priest. Iudges. 17 Sithe then by the secreet instinct of nature, and also by the ex­presse commaundement of God, wee are com­maunded to honour our father and mother, to obey and cherishe them in all wee canne: by the same lawe wee are vtterlie forbidden, to [Page 20] to detract or take any thing away from them. And if any hard harted christian vnder the colour of dis­sembled zeale, seeme to open away herein, to his sa­crilegious couetous minde, saying that these com­maundements of our Lord, are meant concerning our naturall father and mother: let him and all men knowe, that the holie fathers expounding this com­maundement, affirme first that it concerneth our honour to our spirituall father, and the Church our spirituall mother:Patres. secondly it commaundeth vs to nourish and obey al superiours, magistrates, and mi­nisters, amongest whom are contained our naturall parentes. But suppose that were obscure and doubt­full, which is as plaine and cleare as the noone daie, yet canst thou doubt what the will of God and the rule of right is in this case, wherein the Lord hath spoken plainely as it is shewed before in these wordes,Leuilic, [...]. whatsoeuer is once dedicated to God shall neuer be sould or redeemed? As is the fountaine, so are all the little brookes running from the same. This is the lawe of the Lord concerning thinges de­dicated to his holy worshippe: and the liues of the holy Patriaches, the Prophets, the Apostles, the Ma [...]tirs, the fathers, doo cleerely expresse the same. Ioseph the true figure, of our Lord and sauiour Iesu Christ,Ioseph. in that great famine of Aegipt, when hee had bought almost the whole land, and brought it into the Kings hand, he would not once offer any money for the priestes landes, but in that their great want, gaue them nourishment of the Kings store,Math, 6. accor­ding to that rule of the Lord: the suburbes of the Priests shall not be sould, for the possession of them is eternall with­out [Page 21] redemption.

God is our heauenly father he hath sowed the e­ternall seede of his exceeding looue in our hearts to the ende he might receiue from vs the same,Gala [...], 4. euen looue for looue, because such as hee soweth, such will he reape. Can we say that we loue our spi­rituall father, and therewith spoile his louing spouse our spirituall mother the holie Church? castinge downe her walles, banishing her eldest children? possessing her landes, goods, and treasure, which is an odious crime in the sight of God and man? ac­cording to that saying of Saint Ambrose: si quis in sua: if any man presume to take the treasures of the Church to his priuate vse, it is a great crime. Wher­in, Ambrose. least he should seeme to abridge the spirituall pa­stours of the Church, for whose sustenaunce they were first giuen, hee expoundeth himselfe in these wordes: Templum domini laicis tradi non debet: the tem­ple of the Lord ought not to be giuen into lay mens handes: sign [...]fying that wee must giue vnto Caesar, those thinges which bee Caesars, and vnto God those thinges that bee Gods. Amongest the heathen Philosophers it was coūted the first point of iustice,Math, 22. to giue to euerie man his owne: and least amongst christians anie in time should prooue so barbarous, and vtterly voide of grace, that hee should laie vio­lent handes, on the goods of poore innocents which cannot speake, euen the temples of the Lord, dedi­cated to the worshippe of his holie name, besides the expresse commaundement of the Lord in holy scriptures, the holy fathers and councels haue pro­nounced it a cursed thing, as the cleare bage of [Page 22] him, which hath renounced heauen, and taken himselfe wholy to serue this wicked world and the vanities thereof. The councell of Gangrene Consil. Grangren celebra­ted the yeere of our Lord 324. or there about, ac­cording to the Cannons of the Apostles, decreed in this manner: If any man shall presume to take any thing once offered to God, vnleast it bee the Bi­shop or his deputie appointed for the distributing of the Church goods to the poore, let him be ac­cursed. In like manner also the third councell of Rome: If any man couet or take away any reuenews belonging to the Church, or if any of the Priestes consent there to:Consil. Rom. let them be accursed. The reason followeth in the fift councel alleadged in this man­ner: for it is a great iniurie and an vntollerable sacri­ledge, that what so euer any man bestoweth on the church of Christ, should be altered or translated to any other vse, especially by those men, who of all o­ther ought to maintaine the Church, as be christian Kings, Princes, and Prelates. Furthermore, that it might be manifest to all those, which dutifully em­brace and reuerence the spouse of Iesu Christ, howe wicked an enterprise it is, and what mani­fest daunger to the soules of all them, which shall presume heerein, the same Councell hath fore­seene the daunger and set downe the sentence of eternall trueth in these wordes. Hee which shall not wiselie foresee this euident daunger of eternall damnarion to his owne soule, and contrarie to this sentence, take awaie the goods and possessi­ons once giuen to the Church, or vniustlye de­teyne the same, vnlesse hee make present restitu­tion [Page 23] to the church so soone as he can, let him be strucken with the curse, which the wrathfull iudge of all the world, shall inflict on all the soules of the wicked at the day of doome, and let these goods bee a curse to him which gaue them from the Church, which receaued them, and which pos­sessed them.

Neither let him finde anye protection for his crime, before the tribunall seate of Iesu Christ, because without all feare of God, and regard of his holie worshippe, against lawe and right, hee hath taken awaie the goods of the Church gi­uen to maintaine the holie worship of the Lord, and to feede the hungrie bodies and soules of the poore innocent people. Generallie saith the same Councell, whosoeuer, shall presume to confis­cate, to spoyle, or to take anie thing consecrated, to holie vse, or belonging to the Church, vn­lesse hee truelie repenting correct and amend his wicked facte, so soone as hee can, and that by restitution to the same Church, let him bee subiect to the greeuous curse and censure of the Church. Likewise those which enter on the goods of the Church, and detaine them through the gifte, the authoritie, the commission of Kinges, and Princes, obtaining them by tirannicall force from the Church, leauing them to theyr heyres and posteritie as though they were theyr owne inheritaunce, vnlesse with speedie repentaunce they restore the Lords possession vnto his Church being first admonished by the holy Bishop, let him be ac­cursed [Page 24] for euer, and accounted as an infidell, accor­ding to that commandement of our sauiour Christ: if he will not heare the Church,Math, 18 let him be to thee as an heathen, or as an infidell, therefore (saith the councell) it is not lawfull for the Emperour or anie true christian, to attempt anie thing contrarie to the commaundementes of God, neither to doe anie thing repugnant to the rules of the holy Prophets, the Apostles and Euangelists.Iohn, 10.

Those which bee my sheepe, saith our Sauiour Christ they heare my voice, and those which be na­turall children of the Church, their hart will melte when they heare the voice of their mother, crying in the streetes. Our heauenly father he hath begot­ten vs in the spirite, and our spirituall mother, shee nourisheth vs, with the sweete milke of the word of life. Shee vttereth her voyce often, and cryeth alowde in many places of the world, but neuer so manifestly as when shee sheweth her counte­naunce openlie to all the world, in open generall councell, gathered together in the holie Ghost. You haue heard her voyce whileare, and the sound thereof hath gone into all landes saying: touch not mine annointed, neither anie thing once de­dicated to my holie worship. Sponsus sponsam amat: the bridegroome doth loue his spouse intirely. Hee sheweth her his brest, and reuealeth to her the se­crets of his hart, his wil is apparant vnto her, & she hath reuealed it at sundry times vnto her children. Which times though they were diuers yet veritatis simplex est oratio: her voice was & is alwaies the same, as appeareth by the councell of Aurialens, Consit. Aurial. whose [Page 25] wordes though they differre from the former, yet the sence and sentence is the same: first forewar­ning her eldest children of this grieuous sinne, and then the other in their order, after this manner: Let no Clarke or spirituall pastour, alienate any goodes belonging to the Church: and least it should seeme true which some obiect, that those which giue to the Church, may also take away: the same councel doth meete with that obiection in the 19. chapter in these wordes: It is not lawfull for him which giueth anie thing to the Church, or for his heires, once for to re­quire it backe again. In like maner the second coun­cell ☜ of Spale: Consil. Spalens, Those Churches which by tumultes and warres haue beene disturbed, shal altogether re­taine the selfe same liberties, which they had before, with all the possessions, whether they bee possessed by any other Church, or any others whatsoeuer. The first councell of Paris hath giuen this resolute iudgement concerning Bishops goodes, and there­in the goods of the Church, because the goods and possessions of Bishops, are knowne to be the goods and possessions of the Church.Consil. Paris. If any man shall vio­lently intrude himselfe into them, or by violence per­uert them, let him bee stroken with the curse of the holie Canon, that he which would not followe the motion of his owne conscience, at the least maye bee reclaimed by the holie constitutions of the Church. Which offence least it shold seeme a smal sinne in the eyes of worldlye men, or that the gaine gotten thereby, might seeme to counter­uaile the losse; no man is so simple which seeth not plainely, that this is a pleasaunt sinnefull thought, [Page 26] leading to a bitter end, as appeareth by the sen­tence of the same councell following. Let no man be so farre from the seeking of his owne soules health, or so willing to seeke eternall death, that he should once desire, enter, or possesse any goods, landes or commodities belonging to the church. Though the councell of Magnutium Consil. Magunt. seeme in the beginning by gentle words to mittigate the haynousnesse of the fact, yet indeede the meaning is the same, and in conclusion of the same weight, as appeareth by their style in this manner: If anie man doe presume to retaine, diminish or take anie goodes, landes, or profites, belonging to anie Church, Colledge, or any holie place, let him bee excommunicated as a spoyler of the Church, not once allowed to come neere the Church doore.

These milde wordes, least they should animate the wicked, they drawe a more fearefull iudgement after them, as appeareth afterward in the same councell, concluding thus; If anie man diminish any thing belonging to the Church: as a cruell murtherer of the poore, let him bee accursed for euer. This was the voice of the mother, and her children haue learned to pronounce the same. Saint Ambrose S. Ambros. (as it is written before) affirmeth it vnlawfull, for temporall men to possesse ecclesi­asticall goods.

Saint Augustine S. August. writing on the Psalmes saith, that when the last dedication of the house of God shall come, then shall that safetie also bee giuen vnto it: which was spoken in the seuenteenth chapter of the second booke of the Kinges, after this manner: [Page 27] I will appoint my place of worship with my people Israell, and they shall dwell alone seperated from others: and the sonne of iniquitie shall not presume to destroy it. The scripture calleth the spoilers of the church the sonnes of iniquitie,Reg. 2. bicause the sonne of heauen hath not beheld a more vngodlie fact, then the iniurie of the sonne done to the mother; of the infantes to the nurse, of Christians to the Church, which is the spirituall mother of all Christians, as well rich, as poore, the mightie, as the simple, the king, as the begger, according vnto the saying of Saint Chrisostome, S. Chrisost writing on the Gospell of Saint Mathew: Ecclesia, primorum regum est mater, The Church is the mother of the highest Princes. Not many pages after, giuing his iudgement concer­ning the goodes of the Church in this sorte, those which builde tombes for the Martyrs of Christ, and adorne his temples, they do a good worke. There­by signifiyng, that they which deface the tem­ples of God, and pull them downe, they com­mit a great and greeuous sinne in the sight of the al­mightie.

Paulus Diaconus, Paulus Diac. in the fourth booke de gestis lon­go Bardorum, recordeth, that Theodelinda that vertu­ous Queene built a faire Cathedrall Church, de­dicating it to the name of Saint Iohn Baptist, a­dorning it with manye pretious iewells, orna­mentes and goodlie landes, which the aforesaid Authour sayth, oughte not to bee alienated. According vnto the sentence of Iustinian Iustinian. in his booke Authent. Columna secunda, of constitu­tions, intituled, of not alienating or chaunging [Page 28] ecclesiasticall goods whatsoeuer. All good Empe­rours in their lawes and constitutions, had a special care of preseruing, increasing, and safekeeping the goods of the Church: And sith Iustinians lawes were their direction, he not onelie made General statutes for the preseruation thereof, but also in his law, he affirmeth that the holie vessels and garments of the temples, ought not to be pawned, except it bee for the redeeming of captiues out of the seruitude and tirannie of infidels, nay in another place hee char­geth the Bishops, that they take not to themselues the treasure of the Church: which holesome lawes so mooued the harts of all Christian Emperours, that they bestowed verie deuoutlie and bountifully on the church commaunding straightly, that all mē should restore vnto the same whatsoeuer had bid ta­ken therefrom by wicked tyrantes, robbers of the Church, and spoilers of the dead, which Saint Chri­sostome in his booke Defato, counteth litle lesse than manslaughter.

Hereupon Theodoricus Theodori­cus. commaunded Duke Ibba, that he should restore vnto the Church of Marb [...]na, the possessions therof, taken awaie & detained from the Church by Alaricus. And in an other epistle to Gelericus, hee commaundeth him to restore a fielde, which was alienated from the Church of Constance, and to punish the possessor thereof, in that hee presumed to take to his owne priuate vse, the posses­sions of the Church.

This censure was giuen without exception of anie person according to that which Turonensis Turoneus. wri­teth in the fourth booke of his Historie: certaine [Page 29] kinges (saith hee) haue presumed most irreligiouslie to take the goods of the church into their treasure: as did Clotharius, which made an edict, that all the Churches of his realme, should paie the third part of their fruits into his treasurie: but beeing rebuked by that holie Bishop Iniuriosus, he retracted his irre­ligious opinion, and that wicked fact. Let no man beare so irreligious a minde, or so hard a hart within his breast, to thinke otherwise, than that it is a most grieuous sinne to take any thing from the ho­lie Church, sith first it is giuen to maintaine the holie worshippe of God there. Secondlie to feed the poore, and to bee bestowed on such like holie and vrgent necessitie, according to the which our ancient Beda S. Beda. writeth in the first booke of his historie, concerning this Iland, Bonorum ecclesiasticorum (saith hee) of church goods, the first part is due to the Bi­shop for the maintenance of hospitality: the second to the inferiour clergie, the third to the poore, the fourth to the repairing of the church: but to other, or to those which haue sufficient of themselues, the goods of the church are not to be imployed; as that learned Prosper Prosper in his treatie De vita contemplatiua witnesseth in these wordes: ecclesia nihil eis erogare de­bet, &c. The church ought not to bestow any thing on those which haue sufficient of their owne.

Otherwise, though some of the Church giue it, yet it is plaine sacriledge for them which take it, as saint Ierom S. Ierom. in his epistle to Damasus sheweth in these wordes: qui autem parentum bonis &c. Those which haue sufficient left them by their parents [Page 30] to maintaine them, if they take anie of those goods which are giuen to maintaine the poore, it is sacri­ledge. Caluin Caluin. writing on the seuenth of Amos, cal­leth the diminishing of the immunities or commo­dities of the church, sacriledge: sounding the same with good Saint Barnard S. Barnard writing on the Canticles, according to this tenor: Proditores dei & ecclesiae, &c. They which take from the temples, they are betrai­ers of God and his church.

These learned fathers, they expresse the true sen­tence of their mother, the holye church, pronoun­cing the true fauour of God and his louing counte­nance, turned clerely vnto them, which fauour & nourish his holie church, with his poore belonging to the same: and the seuere wrath of the Lord God, kindled against all those, which spoile his louing spouse here on earth, bereauing her of her beautiful children, her costlie garmentes made of needle worke, all glorious within, concerning whom the Lord hath sayd, hee which harmeth you, he tou­cheth the apple of mine eie. Bullinger Bullinger. on the fift of the first epistle of saint Paul to Tymothie, concerning the reformation of Church goods, writeth thus: the goods of the Church are the gold of Tolossan, which breedeth his distruction that possesseth it.

Therefore though the churches, their goods & landes, were abused by Monkes and Friers: yet there is no cause why Christian Princes should thinke that reformation good and religious, which pulleth down the churches, and turneth the church goods to the vse and possessions of laie men, for they were not first giuen to this end, kinges, and [Page 31] princes, and magistrates haue their reuenewes, their tributes, their fines, their customes, their publique treasures appointed for their vses: but as for the goods of the church, they were first giuen for the maintenance of students in humanitie, and diuinitie, for the maintaining of Bishops and hospi­talitie, for the relieuing of the poore widowes, stangers and captiues, and those which are in ne­cessitie: and a certaine portion was appointed for the repairing of Churches.

Let them restore such sufficiencie of goods to the Church, as will fullie suffice for the maintai­ning of all the premisses, before they take one halfe pennie from the Church, or else let them surelie looke for the grieuous vengeance of God on them and their house.

That learned Peter Martir P. Martir. concerning the goods of the church vniustlie required by Magistrates wri­teth thus: in eo quaesto difficilis est & in qua dissoluenda &c.

In that case it is a doubtfull question, in answe­ring, the which I had rather incline to that point, that if the prince or magistrate should take awaie the goods of the church, no man ought violentlie to resist them. But if the magistrate would counsell mee to giue vp the goods of the Church into his handes, I would not willinglie do it.

Concluding, that vnlesse it be in cases set down before by the holie Father saint Ambrose. It is not lawful any waie to alienate the goods of the church.

To this generall consent of scriptures, counsels, & Fathers (as the conclusion of the rest) succee­deth the great and dangerous punishments which [Page 32] the Lorde sendeth on all them, that take any thing from his holie temple, of which who so mindeth but to sippe, and take a bare tast, let him marke these examples, plainely propounded in these fewe lines following: but if hee will haue more store, and is minded to wade further, let him enter the dissuasiue it selfe, consisting more of example then rule, and Celsus Celsus. of Verona his dissuasiue thereunto adioyned. There he shall finde it true by record of sundry histo­ries, which is written in holie scriptures, concerning those which either take or deteine anie thing once vowed and giuen to the holy Church. And what is that? wee reade in the Actes of the Apostles, that Ananias & Saphira his wife consented to keepe backe some of the money which they had once giuen to the Lord.Act. 5. Which how haynous a crime it was, let all men note. Sith for the same Saint Peter opened his mouth and strooke them both with present death, reasoning with them and saying on this maner: was it not your owne to haue doone with what you list? why then doe you tempt the holy Ghost, sith the of­fence is not against man but against God? signifiyng that after it is once giuen or appointed to holie vse, no man ought to retract any parte thereof backe a­gaine. The like punishment succeeded to all those which spoyled the Church at any time.

Euagrius Euagrius. in the fourth booke of his historie shew­eth, that the Duke Gabaones, hearing tell that the Vandalls came against him with a puissant army, cal­led some of his Captaines to him, willing them to put on poore simple apparell, and so to passe ouer to the host of the Vandalls, marking diligently whether [Page 33] the Vandalls, honoured the temples of the christians, or spoiled and violated them. If they spoyle or violat them (saith he) then see, that in what you can, you reedifie and adorne them: for the God which the Christians worship I know not, but if he be so migh­tie as they say he is, he wil spoile thē which spoile his house.Gabaones The Vandals went forward as they had begun, they spoiled the christian temples, as they passed with their army, they did eat, they dranke, they spor­ted & triumphed, enriched with the spoils & goods of the church, they marched forward. And at length ioined battell with Gabaones: but moste of them were slain, many greeuously wounded in the battell, some taken & put to diuers torments. Quanto rectius ille, how much more wisely did that heathen Empe­rour Alaricus Alaricus. the captaine of the Gotes, which besie­ging that famous Citie of Rome, at last conquered it, & gaue the spoile therof to his soldiers, only excep­ting the faire & solemn temple built ouer the tombe of S. Peter, for the reuerence which they bare to him, commaunding & charging most straightly, that no man should once touch it or violate any person, any goodes, or any thing whatsoeuer belonging to the same, which was the cause, why the whole Citie of Rome, was not then clean defaced & destroied. Let no man in this place obiect on the contrary, saying, Moses tooke the calfe & burnt it to ashes, casting thē into the running brooke; the Israelits destroied the temples of the heathen. Iosias pulled down the tem­ples of the groues: Elias the temple of Baall: Dauid eate the shew-bread being lawfull onely for the Priestes, & Phinehas slew the adulterers, being a pri­uate [Page 34] man: of which some were mooued by speciall zeale, proceeding from the holy Ghost, wherby they were warranted: and some were commanded (as the Israelits) to slay man, woman and children, which thinges at this day wee must not onely not doe, but if we doe thē (as Bullinger Bullinger. & manie learned wri­ters affirme) it is sin in the sight of God. Sith the son of man (as saith our sauiour) came not to destroye, but to saue. He hath broken downe the wall of sepa­ration, & hath made one shepheard, one sheepefold both of Iewes & Gentles,Acts 10. euen the holy Catholike Church, the walles whereof who so diminisheth or casteth downe, the Lord shall inflict the tormentes of this world on him and his posteritie, vnlesse with hartie repentance, he restore that which he hath ta­ken away, and in the world to come, he shall cast him out into vtter darkenes, where the worme of wicked conscience stingeth day and night, where the fire is neuer quenched,Math. 25. the crie neuer ceased, the paine ne­uer mittigated, the miserie neuer ended. But to those which loue the Lord, and beautifie his holy temple, with the finest of their gold, the first of their fruites, the most hartie goodwill that they can, the Lord of his mercie shall redouble their gratious charitie ma­ny thousand time, into their bosome, granting them their heartes desire heere in this worlde, and in the world to come, the eternall saluation of their soules, euen the life euerlasting: which God graunt vs all tho­rough Iesu Christ our on­ly Lord and sauiour.

Amen.

Euerard Digbie his Dissuasiue. The second part.

HAuing perused the ex­cellent disswasiue of that worthie man Celsus of Verona, though the pages bee fewe in number, and the paines of translating the same not worthie the account: yet considering the deadlye sleepe into the which we are fallen in these moste daungerous times, and that (as Hermes Trismegist in his Pyman­der writeth) the vsuall and carefull feeding of our fleshlie bodies, is the consumption of our soules: In regard of my humble dutie towards the most hono­rable espouse of Iesu Christ, our louing mother the holie church, and to my deare country a member of the same:Hermes. I seeing nowe the same doubt & daun­ger of the enemie which was in his daies, the same suppliāce collected frō the church, the same wound, the same swelling: the same griefe conceiued: doub­ting least if this vnnaturall wound be long vnhealed, it will drawe to an issue (which is commonly vncu­rable without the daunger of the whole bodie:) I thought good to pen this simple short treatise, with Celsus of Verona his dissuasiue thereunto annexed: that thereby not the common people onely, but also [Page 36] those of higher place and degree might cleerlie vn­derstand; that hee which eateth the bread of the in­nocent shall neuer be satisfied: he which taketh a­waie the clothes of the poore, shall neuer bewarme: he which spoileth his nurse, shall neuer be well ly­king: he which powleth the church, shall neuer be rich: and hee which weakeneth his mothers backe, shall neuer stand vpright against his enemies in the daie of battaile.

Therefore my deare bretheren, bought with the same price: you which loue the Lord more than earthlie kingdomes, and which count all worldy honour, riches, pleasure, and dignitie vile earth, springing out of the earth, and destinate with your bodies to the earth againe:Gen. 3. be yee not so enchaun­ted with the humming swarme of worldly pleasures, and delightes, that yee loose the ioy eternall.

And now a litle seclude those painted showes of worldlie vanities, besmeared with glistering vernish, which dimmeth your eies; and looke vppon your selues, your soules and bodies. Neither is it suffi­cient to consider with that holie Father: vnde, vbi, quo, S. Ierom. from whence wee came, where wee are now, and whither wee shall returne: the true answere whereof is that treble anxesis of the prophet: earth, earth, earth. But in this iourney according to the counsell of saint Paule, we must shake of all which hangeth heauie on, and presseth vs downe; we must learne to weane our selues from our infirmities,Hebr. 12. and to know our disease: with fixed eies we must behold our wounds, how many, how dangerous, how deep, they bee? how they are to bee cured, and how the [Page 37] stroke of the enemie here after is to be auoided.

Though al our battaile and strife is not directed a­gainst flesh and bloud onelie,Ephes. 6. but also against spiri­tuall powers, and enemies of our soules: yet the e­nemie of flesh and bloud oft times so daunteth our harts with his proud defiance, and in such sort, that through the too much caring and carking for our selues, hee maketh a plaine and readie entrance to the wounding of our bodies, and so much the ra­ther because the shield and brestplate, with which wee chuse to defend our selues, though at the first sight it sit fit vpon our breast, and outwardly seeme well steeled to the eie? yet inwardlie it is most dan­gerouslie impoisoned, infesting the bodie with strange contagion, sinking into the vaines and sy­newes so deepe, that it weakneth our iointes, it dul­leth the spirites, and daunteth the courage of the heart.

This is the contagion wherewith (as Celsus wri­ [...]eth) the Venetians seeking to ouercome their ene­mies, were made a praie vnto them.

This is that two edged sword, with which whilest wee rashlie fight against our enemie, and striue to reach him a sore blow, with lifting our hand vp too hastilie, too rashlie, too high; with the other side wee cut our owne faces. This is the rule which tea­cheth vs, that when we are prouoked to battaile by outward foes, we must not make flesh our strength, or put any confidence in riches: but if wee hope to ouercome our bodilie enemies, wee must first con­quere the spirituall aduersaries of our soules, now ruling in our mortall members:Ephes. 6. and that is by fly­flying [Page 38] to our most louing captaine, and victorious conquerour Iesu Christ, who hauing conquered our great enemies, death, hel, and damnation, is as­cended vp on high,Ephes. 4. leading captiuitie captiue, and giuing great spoiles and giftes vnto men. His louing voice doth sound from heauen, and biddeth all men come.Math. 11. Come vnto him all yee that are loaden and he will refresh you. The spirite and the spouse say come: and hee which heareth let him saie come, & hee which thirsteth let him come,Apoc. 22. and those which hope to see their desire vpon their enemies let them come, and all which loue Iesu Christ and his louing spouse come and see, touch, and tast how sweet the Lord Iesu is.

But how shall wee come? and which is the way? hee which biddeth come, hee calleth them which thirst, opening to them the fountaine of eternall life.

And though I am vnworthie to aduise anie, yet my purpose is to admonish those which erre, that they come into the true way. And how shall wee come?Math. 7. by true repentance of our former wickednes, and sinnes committed against God. And how shall we repent? not in only saying Lord, Lord, or onely God forgiue me: and so going on in our sinful life? but if thou hast offended thy Lord and louing fa­ther, thou must bee heartelie sorie for thy misdo­ings, with fasting, with praying, with shewing thy penitent mind, and sorrow for thy sins, in thought, in word, in deed. If thou haue taken thy neighbours goods restore double: and with that good Zache­us in signe of true repentance,Luke. 19. giue halfe thy goods [Page 39] to the poore.

In this habit of a true Israeli [...]e, forsaking all that [...]hou hast, follow our Lord and sauiour, who hath walked the same waie before vs. If thou haue sin­ned in fleshlie lustes and desires: fast and praie in­stantlie, strew ashes on thy head, put on sackcloth in stead of silkes, returne from the view of courtlie troupes, entring into thy secret Chamber, cast downe thy selfe before the Lord, euen vppon the could ground.

Mourne and lament before the Lord: crie out a­lowd, Virgill. Adsum qui [...]eci in me conuertito ferrum. It is I O Lord, it is I wretched mā, which haue sinned against heauen and against thee, haue mercie vppon me O Lord according to thy great goodnes, and accor­ding to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences.

This is the beginning of repentance: for these sins of infirmitie, and the end is like vnto the same. These were the wordes and deedes of Dauid: and was there nothing else? yes verilie, after due consideration of his sinnes, and sorrow for the same, he sought to please the Lord: he fullie purposed to take the arch out of the simple tent, and to build a faire temple vnto the Lord God of Israell, this was his holie life, wherewith he sought to win the Lordes fauour, and his sinnes were the sinnes of his bodie, euen the sins of infirmiti [...]: but if thou once lift vp thine hand against the Lord, and his holy temple, if thou take a­way the goods of his church, and the maintenāce of his holy ministers & preachers of his word who first tooke thee vp in their hands and brought thee into [Page 40] the Church, who haue washed thee with the bap­tisme of repentaunce vnto eternall life, who haue taught thee the true Christian faith, and cloathed thee with the stole of righteousnesse, and leade thee by the right hande vnto eternall life, who pray day­ly for thy sinnes, and the sinnes of the whole people: then knowe thou assuredly, that though thy armye of souldiers bee huge and monstrous. Though they bee verie manye, and their courage great. Though thy chariots be nine hundred all of iron (as were the chariots of Sisera)Sisera. though thy bar­red horses bee raunged foorth by thousandes, and thy Iennets by tenne thousandes. Though thy riches be incomparable, & thy strength aboue al e­stimation: yet if thou haue taken anie iote of main­tenaunce from the seruice of the high God: if thou weaken the walles of his Church, and by vnlawfull exactions impouerish his ministers. I speake a truth, and I call heauen and earth to wit­nes the same: that which you accoūt your strength, shall breede your destruction: The Eagles feather once thrust in, shall eate to dust all the feathers in the bedde; the lyons haire shall consume the mix­ture of other peltes adioined thereto:Iosua 7. and Achanes forbidden spoile, shall cause the Israelites with losse of life to flie the field.

Though thy number bee three to one, and thou assure thy selfe to haue the daie: yet if the forbidden Babilonish garment bee hidden in the tent, rather then thou shouldest prosper therewith,Iudges 5. the starres in heauen, euen the starres shall fight in order from heauen against thee, as they did against [Page 41] Sisera: the Riuers shall swell against thy com­ming: which if thou enter, they shall strike of the whe [...]es, and carrie thine iron charrets cleane away. The stones in the walles shall fight against thee at home, and the foules of the ayre abroad, thine ene­mie shall stand vpon the shore with his banner dis­plaied, whilest thou liest drowning in the deepe. He shall march vnto the toppes of the highest hilles, without losse of men, or shedding of his bloud, hee shall display his banner with triumphe, hee shal des­cend in peace, and refound his trumpet in his tente most courragiouslie.

Therefore let all true christians, muse and medi­tate more wisely on the will of the Lord,Psal, 118. let them knowe that it is better to trust in the Lord alone, then in any power of man: that it is better to depend vpon the seruice of the Lord, and the loue of his ho­lie name, then to put any confidence in Princes, in power, in authoritie, in riches. Let the trueth of the Lord be theyr light, and let his looue be the way, & his holy Prophets their guiders in the same. Let thē fight cheefely for the glory of the Lord, and not theyr owne glory: for his church, and not their own possessions: for their soueraigne, and not their owne primacie: for the realme, and not for reuenge of pri­uate quarels or hope of higher rule. Let their depar­turebe in peace & vnfayned loue vnto the spouse of Iesu Christ: at theyr going foorth, let them not say that theyr garmentes, theyr furniture, theyr money & their coine, came from the church: but let them looke backe into the lande, and beholde the church from whence they sprang. Let them pitty theyr [Page 42] mother in their hart, and let them say with the sons of God: peace bee with thee, and sweete prosperitie O thou house and Citty of the Lord,Psal, 121. let their watch word be Domus dei: and theyr great allarum, Vincat veritas.

But let them not be christians onelie in word, let not all their religion dwell in their mouth, [...]sdras. 3. and nothing in their hartes and deedes: let them not goe foorth laughing, and leaue manie weeping eyes behinde them: let them not bragge that they fight for the Church abroad, whilest they are full of deadlie sinne within, and weaken the foundation of the Church at home. Can wee looue our fa­ther, and yet spoile our elder brethren? Can wee tender our mother, and yet presse her teates so sore: that in steede of sweete milke, they droppe bloude? Can wee cherishe the sucking childe and yet empoision the teate of the Nur [...]e, which giueth it sucke? Dooth hee looue his freende, who while hee is gone into a farre countrie, ta­keth his little childrens bread out of their handes? their cloathes from their backes? their houses o­uer their heades? If this question knocke at the doore, by which wee would faine enter into the Church of Iesu Christ, and the answere to the same, bee the key, which openeth the waie, and sheweth vs the light of trueth, whose beames shine cleerely from the sonne of God: why shutte wee vp the fleshlie windowes of our heart, with cu­stome of this great sinne aboue the rest? So that that the cleere beames of the sonne of God, the bountie of his mercie, the brightnesse of his glo­rie, [Page 43] cannot once open our earthlie intralles: or mooue our sinfull bowels, to haue compassion on our tender nurse, and most loouing mother: if this be farre from your perswasion and you doubt of the same, then open your eares and incline your hartes to the voyce of health and saluation,Iohn, 1. lifte,Psal, 23. vp your eye liddes O yee worthies of the earth, and comprehend the light which shineth in dark­nesse. O yee Princes open your gates, and yee the elect of the Lorde open your eternall doores and the true light of the God of glorie shall en­ter in.

Which when thou hast once beheld with thy mortall eye hauing therewith reade this small trea­tise, rudelie written in hast, with a posting pen, aske no more the question is this true? or shall I aunswer for goods thus taken, or is it a blessed thing to giue vnto the Church, and a cursed thing, to take there fro? In this conceite bee not highe minded, but feare and tremble before the Lord, looke how high the lord sitteth aboue all heauens, and howe lowe thou art here on the earth.Psal, 21. Way that thou art in the earth a worme and no man, that thy daies are but a spanne long, and that one spanne is a continuall warefare: hereunto applie this processe, that when thou camest first into this world, and werte verie young, thy spirituall enemies were olde and sub­till, that they haue rather wonne then lost euer si­thence, and holde the same vantage of thee at this daie: that they haue wounded thee sore, and so sore, that thou art not able to stand vpright in the way of life. Therefore though thou be mightie and [Page 44] puissant, yet in that thou art sore wounded refuse not the holesome oyle of the simple Samaritane, which he powreth in thy woundes:Luke, 10. denye not his suppliant paines, in binding them vp, in setting thee on his horse, which will bring thee to thy Inne and place of rest, where thou wouldest be. If he doe the best he can, and laie out the finest coyne in his purse for thee, though it be but two pence, yet sith all this is doone for the bringing thee into the way, from the which thou wert wandered, the deliuering thee from euill, and the sauing of thy life: confesse the trueth which thou canst not denie, the oyle is hole­some: the binding cōfortable: the man deuoute: his dooing good:Esdras, 3. his sayings true, blessed bee the God of trueth. Which because thy dooings shewe thou yet doubtest, lesten but a little, whilest I open before thine eyes the highe fountaine from whence the trueth of sure perswasion most gentlie floweth, together with the plaine examples of auncient times, which shewe most clerely in a glasse, the true countenaunce of the well disposed minde, the good life, and happy death of all those, which heretofore haue looued, founded, inriched, nourished, freede, priuiledged, adorned the church: and contrarie the vglie shape, the tirannous life, and miserable death of those, which persecuted the Christians, pulling downe theyr temples, pilling and powling the li­uinges and freedomes of the Church of Iesu Christ here on earth.

Concerning this kinde of catterpillers, Celsus Celsus. of Verona had written plainely vnto the Duke and Se­nate of Venece. In which short treatise sith we may e­uidently [Page 45] beholde the great deformitie of our age: Sith his leaues be fewe, his examples many, his ap­pliaunce plaine, his conclusion true; sithe it is nowe translated and set open before our eyes, shewing vs this foule spot in our face most apparantly. I will not long discourse on that part, pardon me the glasse is cleare, what should I write? That prouerbe was vsed of auncient time, and we prooue it true: Suis quisque malis blanditur, euery man flattereth himselfe in his owne humor, and though the glasse do shew thee plainely, that thy face is foulie spotted in di­uers places, with vncleannesse of thine owne hands, and full of puffed pimples, by reason thou drinkest lyquor not ordained for thy stomacke: yet to the ende that those small scabbes without, may breede great sores within, and that thine ende may bee the lue of thy desert: flattering thy selfe with thine owne deformrtie, and loath to bee corrected by an other, thou castest away the glasse: which once abandoned, (qui semel verecundiae limities transilient) without all blu­shing, thou affirmest boldly, a mould, a wart, a wrin­ckle, a [...]reckle, a spotte, a wheale, is but a toye in a mans face. I count but little of the foolishe glasse. And shew me reason why not? why not, if it be not seene, it is no blot, but if it be no more hid, then the nose on your face, or the sight in your eye, if all men loath the sight thereof,Tim, 2. and count you carelesse of your health for neglecting the same: then knowe that the time is nowe come of which it was fore­shewed, that men should bee loouers of themselues more then of the Lorde, and you are a childe of the same, nowe therefore sith the glasse is gone, and rea­son [Page 46] is the rule by the which you leauell: knowe yee that your deformities are great, and sith you loue to feede on meate forbidden two men of your com­plection, know this for a trueth, that all meates are not for al mē. It were a straunge vnnatural kindnes, if the little child sucking on his mothers brest, shold pull the meate out of her mouth as she is feeding: & yet much more vnholsome to be eaten of the child, then straunge to the beholders. If this vnnatural vn­kindnes doe seeme so vntollerable in the flesh, how much more in the children of the spirite? wee must knowe that man (as Hermes writeth) consisteth of two natures: of heauen and earth: of bodie and of soule, of the fleshe and of the spirite.

The fleshe is of earth earthlie:1. Corin, 2. the spirite is from heauen heauenlie: first is that which is spirituall and then that which is bodilie. The bodie is quickned last and dieth first: but the spirite is that which is first and laste. As the spirituall is first, so wee ought first of all to walke after the spirit, and not after the flesh: to become like our spirituall father, and to nourish our spirituall mo­ther, and brethren redeemed with the same spiritu­all sacrifice: renewed with the same spirituall grace: confirmed by the same spiritual pastours, vnto sanc­timony & holines of life, reading first, & aboue al o­ther knowledge, science contemplacions and reue­lations, the true heauenlie doctrine of the spirit. Se­king with our bodies, liues and goods, to preserue & keepe the volumes, the pastours, the temples of the spirituall worship of the Lord, where the breade of life is broken to those which hunger and thirst after [Page 47] righteousnes, and the spirituall foode of the soule. After the body followeth the shadowe, and next to this spirituall foode of the soule, the food of the cor­ruptible bodie is to be prouided. Both are neces­sarie, but the former first. Therefore let vs not seeke after the foode which perisheth, but seeke the foode which preserueth both bodie and soule vnto eter­nall life, knowing that (as our sauiout Christ saith) man liueth not by bread onely, but by euerie worde which proceedeth out of the mouth of God.Math, 3. This word is the conduit of the spirit, whose substaunce is perfect trueth: this word was in the beginning, & by it all thinges were made. It created all thinges of nothing: in weakenes, strength, in vilenes, honour, in the dust, it placed a liuing, a heauenly and an vn­derstāding soule: erecting the bodily chariot (where in he placed it) right vp to heauen, that he might a­boue al things continually haue his face,Psalm, 48, his eie, his hart and cogitacion fixed on heauen and heauenlie conuersation. But man would not abide in honour, the spiriual grace of the heauenly fountaine infused into him, was corrupted with the vncleanes of the vessel. Frō the beginning his enemies prouoked him to offend his maker, to leaue y^e heauenly spirit, & to incline to her handmaid, this sinful, filthy coruptible flesh. Therewith he lusted after his sensuall appetite he rowled his eie to & fro: according to y^e wauering of fleshly sensuallity, leauing the mistris, in most de­generate sort, he bound himself to serue the pleasurs of the body. with the los of life, he brought in death in affecting the losenes of the flesh, he lost the free­dome of the spitit: in seeking lands & honor on the earth, he left the spiritual Canaan, the heauēly Ierusalē [Page 48] perfect lawe of the libertie. Sith therfore the essence of man is his spirit, according as it is written Mens vniuscuiusque is est quisque, Tullie. as the minde is, so is the man, eyther good or bad, and that our first and chie­fest constitution is spirituall.

Let vs vnderstand thus much of our selues, that it is most consonant to our creation, to our constituti­on, to our saluation: that aboue all other things, we frame all our thoughts and meditations: our calling, and conuersation: our goods, and landes: our liues and liuinges, our bodies and our soules: to the nou­rishing of the doctrine of trueth, and the main­taining of the nurses, the true teachers and prea­chers of the same.

This is the key of knowledge, whereby wee must open the doore of heauen: the tree of life, which fee­deth the soule, the cleare light which lighteneth e­uery man which commeth into the world.Iohn, 1. Now the windowe beginneth to open, the day spring from an highe now visiteth vs, teaching vs truely, that as we consist of two natures, so we are of two beginnings, spirituall, and earthly, of a spirituall father, the crea­tor of heauen and earth,Act, 2. a spirituall mother, the ho­ly catholique Church, on whome hee hath sent his holy spirite visibly descending.

So we must first and principally apply our selues to the maintaining of the health, peace and safety, the reuerence renowne and glory of this spirituall father and mother, leauing our earthly father and our earthly mother in regard of them, because hee created, redeemed and sanctified vs vnto himselfe, & our holy mother. She nourisheth vs with the spi­rituall [Page 49] milke of the holy ghost, that wee should be an holie religious generation vnto the Lord.

Therefore after wee haue truelie confessed, that wee beleeue in the most holie, blessed, and glorious trinitie, three persons and one God, next vnto our heauenlie Father, wee acknowledge our spirituall mother, the holie catholique Church: in whose cu­stodie at his departing out of this world, he left his will and testament plainlie written and subscribed with his owne hand, and the handes of manie faith­full witnesses, surelie sealed with his most precious bloud. He fixed it so surelie, and with such vertue, that therwith the speres did shrinke in the heauens, the Moone against nature retired from the East,Dionys. Areop. in­to the Meridian, the Sunne lost his light, the aire was darke, the earth did shake, the graues opened, the spirits arose, the hel below all trēbled: so that the powers therof were loosed. After this athentical sig­nifying of his most pretious death & bitter passion, in heauen, in earth, & in hel: he gaue it as his owne deed, his last wil & testamēt vnto his beloued spouse the holy church, a sure seale and pledge of eternall saluation to her & all her faithfull children for euer. As is the loue of her husband, so is hirs: for she hath it giuen her of him, euen breathed from his owne mouth: hee is one and his loue is one for euer: the heauens shall waxe old like a garment,Pet. 2. the Sun shal shrinke from his Excentrich, the earth shall passe a­waie like a tempest, but the loue of our spiritual mo­ther, is as the loue of our heauenlie father, once & euer: whom she once loueth, she loueth them to the end, & that most entirely, according to the saying [Page 50] of the prophet; when father and mother forsaketh me, then the Lord taketh me vp. Therefore if we be his true children, we must frame our selues, that we bee like our spirituall parents, not in countenance onlie, & outward looke, but in sinceritie & holy de­uotiō.Math. 19 We must forsake both father & mother, con­cerning the flesh, honouring our spirituall father & our spiritual mother aboue all other things both in heauen and in earth. He hath begotten vs sonnes of the spirit, euen by the spirite of life, and she through his great grace doth nurse vs vp with the same food: she taketh vs vp out of the mirie waies of this sinful flesh, she vnfoldeth the sinfull clothes of the bodie, wherewith wee are almost smothered, she openeth our mouth, applying thereto her tender teats, from whence she distilleth the drops of spiritual life into our hearts, wherby our soules be fed, our bodies pre­serued, our vnderstāding increased, our eies cleared, our faith perfected; so that we see most plainly how we should loath the world, & learne to loue our ho­ly mother the church, knowing that it is not meete to leaue the cleare Sunne, & to waite on shadowes: or possible to serue God & Mammon, this world & heauen, the flesh & the spirit: according (as Hermes Hemes. writeth) Nisio fili corpus tuum oderis, teipsum amare non poteris: impossible est vtrisque simul intendere: O Sonne vnlesse thou hate thy body, thou canst not loue thy soule: for it is impossible to applie thy selfe at once to them both. Therfore be ye not so blinded with the stinking mist of Sathans deadly smoke, or the painted vale of this wicked world, or the sinful web of fleshlie corruptions, ouerspredding the sight of [Page 51] your eie, that you should not look into the cleer glas now set before your face, wherein you may plainlie behold the reflexion of your deformities, & this vn­naturall spot wherewith you greatlie disgrace your selues before the face of God and man at this day. If your eies be so dim through the cares of this present world, that ye cannot looke into the times of old, & if you cannot see so far before you, by reason of the cloudy tēptations, which the world, the flesh & the deuil beat in your faces: yet in regard of your safety, look downe vnto your own feet, least you depart frō the way of life. If you be so intangled with the briers of this wicked world, that you cannot goe forward: nay that you cannot once turn your selfe to look to­wards the Church: Yet fixe thy feete that thou goe not backward from euill to worse, and let thy coun­tenance affect the sight of the heauenly Ierusa­lem.

Though thine eies bee dim, yet open thine eares, harken to the sweet admonitiōs of thy mother, fore­shewing thee the sweete and the sower of this thy dangerous iourneie, wherein sith thou art to walke through the wildernes of this wicked world, before thou assaie the isie ground therof, know that which elsewhere is wisely written: Terra imbrobitatis est prouincia, the earth is a prouince full of naughtines, through which who so mindeth to walke safelie, hee must bee verie circumspect, taking heede to his beginninges, knowing that hee which begin­neth well, hath halfe finished the work.Aristotle. The first en­trance of this waie vnto eternall life, is to loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart, thy mind, & thy [Page 52] soul; the next step is like vnto it: loue thy neighbour as thy selfe, according to the rule of nature. Quod ti­bi fieri non vis alterine feceris. Lex. Nat. Do vnto others as yee would that they should doe vnto you againe.

This rule is generall the meaning large, the ob­seruance thereof hard and tedious: therfore before I post forward too fast vnto the ende, I will make some litle small spence of time in opening the first beginning thereof: and which is that? as it is said in the rule of christian faith, next to the blessed trinitie is ioyned the holie catholique church: as also in the table of the ten commaundements, next to those which wholie concerne the worship of God: in the first place and before all the rest, is placed. Honor thy father and thy mother, and that with a blessing: which who so mindeth to be partaker of, hee must not onelie honor his naturall father and mother, but he must vnderstand truelie, that as the spiritual part soule of man, is before the flesh: so first and prin­cipallie wee must honor our heauenlie father, which hath begotten vs of the true spiritual immortal seed, wherby as saith S. Paul, Rom. 8. the faithful daily crieabba fa­ther, & next to this our spiritual father, aboue all fleshlie parentes, we must honour our spirituall mo­ther, the holy catholique church, whose children we are before we haue our perfect beeing in the flesh▪ according to the saying of Euaristus Euaristus. in his decrees. Scimus Christum esse caput, cuius nos membra sumus, ipse est sponsus, & ecclesia est sponsa cuius filii nos sumus, wee trulie know that Christ is the head of his Church, whose members we are: for he is the husband and the church is his spowse, & we the children of thē both.

[Page 53]Therefore before wee looke at our naturall pa­rents, we must most christianly apply our selues vn­to the honour and reuerence of our spirituall father and our spirituall mother. Nay we must forsake both goods and landes, honour and dignitie, frendes, kin­dred, brethren, yea our naturall father and mother, and cleaue vnto our spirituall mother the holie Church, according to that most christian aunswere of that learned Tritemius Tritemius to his naturall mother. To whō after she had signified by diuers louing letters, that she most earnestly desired to see him face to face, hee returned this aunswere: Non licet mihi dein­ceps parentum solatio delectari: Omnia pro Christi amore contempsi: & coepiiam esse vt Melchisedech, sine patre, sine matre, sine genealogia: Solum Deum patrem agnosco: & matrem non habeo nisi Ecclesiam: It is not conuenient that I should hereafter take comfort in anie naturall parentes: I loath all other thinges in regarde of the loue of Christ: and nowe I am become like vnto Melchisedech, without father, without mother, with­out kindred: I haue no father but God, neither anie mother besides the holy Church. In these words he signifieth thus much: that who hath created vs first and loued vs most, wee ought to seeke him first, and most to loue him, and therfore sith our heauenly fa­ther is a liuing spirit, and our mother trulie spiritual, sith there is no loue comparable to his, which lea­uing all creatures in heauen & in earth,Eusebius. gaue his life for vs; or to hers, which though she were ten times persecuted, euen vnto death for our sake, yet she lo­uingly embraced vs; In louing our spiritual parents before all other things, let vs render like for like.

[Page 54]Let vs willingly reiect the sensuall entisements of the flesh, disarming our selues of riches, goods, lands honour, office, authoritie, yea our owne father and mother, according to the flesh, that wee maye serue our spirituall father and mother in the vnitie of the spirite.

This is a cleare glasse, in which a christian maye beholde the degrees, by which wee must passe tho­row this vale of miserie, vnto the kingdome of hea­uen, and the rule is like vnto it, for the first rule or direction of a christian soule vnto heauen, is, aboue all thinges to meditate with himselfe whether he be in the true way of eternall life or no. And therewith to consider with himselfe, what he hath done, what hee hath not doone, and what hee ought to doe: which who so wiselie weigheth, hee shall finde it true, that before all care and prouision of our sinfull bodies, we ought most painefully to prouide for the health of our soules, knowing assuredly that we must passe this earthly pilgrimage, with suche religious care of our spirituall father and mother, that there­with wee must restraine our affections, from the woonted wishes of the worlde, and weane them so from fleshlie corruptions, with the true discipline of our spiritual nurse, that neyther riches, nor goods, nor dominion,Rom. 8. nor power, nor freinds, nor enemies, nor life, nor death, can once separate vs from the true worship of his holie name, and the daily main­tenance of the same.

This is the way easie to bee found out of all those which heede the same. The ground is euen, the path is plaine, the degrees not many, the passage [Page 55] easie. O that the foote could bee content to follow the direction of the eye, that the handmayd would be obedient to her mistrisse, or that the flesh would but cease a little to resist the good motions of the spirite.

If wee could but a little, yea I saye but a little se­quester our selues from this worldly securitie, which with her manifold charming pleasures, hath lulled vs so long in the cradle of the flesh, that wee are al­most all fallen into a daungerous deade sleepe. If we could but once beholde the Lorde as hee is, in him­selfe,Zachar 13 truth and equitie: or but once thinke of him aright, of his woonderfull maiestie, supported with eternall sanctimonie,Cor. 2. holines, and righteousnesse: If the Lorde of his great mercie would but once o­pen our eyes, and let vs see this heauenly obiect, we should be so farre from offending his maiestie, and decaying his church, that for euer after wee would loath this earthly dungeon of our bodie, ful of dead­ly destructions and pleasaunt miseries, wee shoulde then more truely know God and Iesu Christ, whom hee hath sent: wee should bee able to discerne the honourable, the blessed, the singular prerogatiue, which hee hath giuen to his spowse. And therwith wee should striue to yeelde her the first fruits of our best and greatest endeuours, wee shoulde looke a­bout vs, a [...]d see more clearly how farre the heathen haue gone before vs in their kinde, concerning reli­gion: how farre we are fallen in these daies from the rules of nature and true philosophy, from the exam­ples of the holy fathers, the olde patriarkes, the true prophets, the blessed apostles, the christiā emperors [Page 56] the reuerend Bishops, whilest we embrace this pre­sent worlde, and make desolate his holie Church, with the ministerie thereof. Let vs knowe that wee are heere placed in a strife of obtaining double plea­sure, and double paine, the pleasure of the sense wor­keth sinne,Iacob 1. and sinne is the parent of death, but the minde flieth higher vnto the heauenly hilles, euen to the top of that high Olimpus, from whence com­meth our health.

These two contrary desires bee the cause of mans disquietnes in this life,Gal. 5. shewing plainly that the flesh euermore striueth against the spirite with such per­fect discord, that whatsoeuer maintaineth the one, destroieth the other: that which delighteth the one displeaseth the other: that which exalteth the one, depresseth the other. So that though the spirite bee willing, yet the flesh is verie weake, and vnable to walke this straite and narrow way of eternal life, yea so weake,Rom. 7. that Saint Paule in the middest of this bat­tell crieth out: that which I would doe, that I doe not, and that which I would not, that I do. O wretch that I am, who shall deliuer me from this bodie of sinne, euen the grace and mercie of God, thorowe Iesu Christ our Lord.

Let vs therefore cast of this coate of sinne, with the workes of darkenes, and put vpon vs the armour of light now in this most daungerous day, wherein charitie is waxen so colde, and iniquitie so hoat, that we scarse count it any sinne, to take away the main­tenance of the Church of Iesu Christ. The naturall Philosopher teacheth trulie, that euerie compound bodie consisteth of two parts, of matter, and forme: [Page 57] affirming that the forme is the more excellent part of nature. The Logitian considering with Plato, that matter is a note of corruption, affirmeth that the forme is worthie to rule. The morall Philo­sopher writeth thus: Animal autem primum constat [...]x animo & corpore, quorum illud quidem imperat natu­ra,Aristot.hoc quidem paret: animus imper at corpori, herili im­perio, mens antem appetitui ciuili & regio: a man consi­steth cheefelie of minde of bodie: the minde by nature dooth rule, the bodie by nature dooth o­baie, concluding thus: Imperet sapiens, let the strong in bodie take paines, but let learned wisedome rule. In Aegipt the best Astrologers were had in grea­test honour, and as it appeareth by Hermes (the first lawe giuer of the Aegiptians) such were com­monly chosen Kinges.

So likewise with the Chaldeans, with the Assiri­anes, with the Romanes, and Indianes, the heauenlie vertues and giftes of the minde were in highest honour: so that as (PlatoPlato. writeth) they counted that common wealth happie, in which either Kinges were Philosophers, or Philosophers raig­ned. Herein we learne that euen by the mere motiō and instincte of nature, the verie heathen hono­red wisedome and vertue in what person soeuer, aboue all the giftes of the body, naie they so highly esteemed of knowledg and vertue, that they not on­lie gaue them the highest honor, and dominion whi­lest they liued, but after their death, they built tem­ples vnto them, and celebrated their memorie after their heathenish superstition perpetually. Their do­inges shewed plainely that they had some hidden [Page 58] sparke in them by nature of the fire, which ought not onelie to be kindled in the hartes and mindes of all true christians, but also it ought to flame forth & giue light in their liues & conuersations much like a candle, which standeth on highe, giueth light to the whole house.Rome, 13. This candle sheweth vs plainelie, that man by nature (following the better part of his constitution) is appointed to worship God, and to emploie himselfe, his goods, his giftes, and all his power, for the maintaining of the true worship of God, in his holy temple aboue all other thinges in heauen & in earth. Neither let any man thinke, that this is the dutie of the clergie onely, whose office is in the first place of holie function, to be ministers of his diuine worship: or that it belongeth onelie to the poore fatherlesse inferior people (although of such commonly the kingdome of God dooth most consist, as it is written: not many mightie, not ma­nie rich, not many of the most accounted of in this world, shall enter into the kingdome of heauen) but vnto the worshipfull, the honorable, the Duke, the Prince,Corint, 1. the King, the Emperour, who though he bee accounted the greatest among christians, yet hee that is least in the kingdome of God, is greater then he. Sith this little sparke of heathen fire, hath ligh­tened the candle euen of christian princes, let not our harts be so ouer grown with the choking weeds of this mortalitie. Neither let the God of this world either so blinde our eyes, or dimme our sight, that wee professing the name of Christians, with our mouth, shold be like the heathen people in our life. Herein let vs learne to distinguish the cleere light [Page 59] of a christian candle, from the smoking snuffe of the heathen. Hee which is the king of kinges, and onely ruler ouer all, hee said plainlie, my kingdome is not of this world. Neither those which onely bende themselues to the fleshlie course of this worlde, to attaine highe stile, dominion and rule: the fat of the field, or riches of the Citty, are the truest christians. For what is a christian? or what difference doe wee make betwixte the worthie dignitie of christian princes, and the tirannicall empire of the heathen? Theyr strength is the cursed confidence of flesh and bloud.Psal, 31. Though an horse be but a vaine thing to saue a man, though all fleshe is grasse, and the glorie thereof is as the flower of the fielde, which flori­sheth to day and to morrow is cast into the furnace, though euerie man liuing,Esay, 40. and all the liuing of man, is but meere vanitie, yea lighter then vanitie it selfe: yet the heathen and worldly man will disquiet himselfe in vaine, hee will make fleshe his arme and the compasse of the earth his dominion: hee will plante his foote in the sea, and his armie in the highest hils, he will displaie his banner before the clowdes, and compare his glory to the golden tres­sed sunne. The swelling of sinfull fleshe is aboue measure and desire of rule seeth not God. Chri­stian kinges they set the glorie of God before theyr eyes, and not their owne glorie, they first of all ac­knowledge their spirituall father, and their spirituall mother, before their naturall parentes, according to that sence, and sentence of Hermes:Hermes.Diuina officia praecedere, humana sequi debent, we must first seeke hea­uenly things, & thē those which cōcerne this world [Page 60] But the Kings and rulers of the heathen, they are fi­lii terrae, the sonnes of the earth. Their desire, their life their looue, their greatest glory and rule, is in the earth alone, and came from the earth, they knowe not their heauenly father, and therefore ofte times they spoile their spirituall mother. Such as they be, such is their rule, not for the glory of God, or the safetie of his church, for they defie her, they pro­phane her, they pill and poll her, but they rule for their owne glory, their owne peace and safetie, ac­cording to their owne humour,Daniel, 5. as it is plainely des­cribed by the mouth of Daniell speaking vnto Bal­thasar in this manner. O King, the most high God hath bestowed dominion, magnificence, glorie, and great honor, vpon Nabuchodonozar thy father, and in regard of that highnes, which God gaue him, all people, kindreds, Kinges and nations, trembled be­fore him and feared him greatly. Whom he would, he killed, whom he would he did strike, whome hee would he aduaunced, and whom he would he threw down. This is the tyrannical rule of the Kings of the nations, concerning which our sauiour Christ hath said principes gentium dominantur eis, &c.

This is the waie of flesh and bloud, into the which that younger sonne, euen the carnall man, is alrea­die entered, but to the elder children begotten in the spirite, borne of our true spirituall mother and nur­sed in the schoole of Christianitie, and by her in­structed out of the booke of life, in the fayth, feare, and looue of God, our spirituall father hath sayd: Vos autem non sic. Luke. 22. The Kinges of the heathen and ru­lers of the earth, they are called good maister, and [Page 61] good grarious lord, most highe, most renowmed, most mighty, most glorious, most excellent maiesty, without exception of heauen and earth.

They thinke themselues to be Gods, making the ende of their power and rule, to bee the extolling of their owne honour and dignitie. They regard not iustice, that they should doe no iniurie: nor the poore, that they might bee called mercifull: nor their brethren, that they might seeme naturall: nor their inferiours, that they might appeare humble: nor the goods, the landes, the peace, the priuiledge, the honour, the glorie of God, or man, that there might appeare some sparke of Godly life in them. But without regard of God, of pietie or pittie, they say to this man, cast thy selfe headlong from yon­der rocke before my face: breake his legges: pearce the other to the heart: reache mee the heade of that braue knight: let that Lord be pul­led in peeces with wilde horses: cast that Earle in­to the dungeon with the Lions: destorie that nati­on: Dan. 6. burne those temples, sley man, woman, and childe: onelie preserue my kingdome, my crowne, my maiesty, and let your praiers be made onely vnto me. But christiā Princes must not do so. Though the Lord, hath giuen the highest honor to the King, and put the scepter into his hand, in which respect they are said to be gods, sitting in the place of God, pro­nouncing the sentence in his name and person, yet let thē know that they must die like men: that theyr bodies are made of a lothsome matter, that they are but wormes meate, dun & ashes, earth, earth, earth, most vile and corruptible earth, as all other men be, [Page 62] though their descent bee princely, ofte times from the house of many mighty Kings and Emperours, though the knee of flesh and bloud,Augusti. doe bowe and kneele at their presence, though their honour bee great in the eyes of the people, their scepter migh­tie, their crown gorgious: yet one clod of earth must couer their heades in the graue, and all their glorie shall be shut vp in a fewe lines: according to the saying of saint Augustine in his booke De vera inno­centia: Qui splendes in mundo, &c. Thou which shi­nest in the world aboue the rest, thou accountest of thy nobilitie, of thine auncestors, thou reioy­cest in thy large dominions, in thy parentage, in the great honour and homage, which all men doe vnto thee: knowe thy selfe that thou art earth, and thou shalt bee consumed into earth againe: looke vppe but a little, and beholde those which were placed in the same throne of maiestie, be­fore thy time. What is become of those excellent Oratours, those mightie princes, those puissant conquerous, those renowmed Emperours?

Looke vnto the graue, whether thou art pas­sing, beholde and see, are they not all nowe rot­ten dust? are they not like a sparke of fire, which is vanished? is not all there glorie and fame con­tained in a fewe lines written of them by some poore contemned scholler? shall not the greatest Prince in this world, rise vp naked at the daie of iudgement all amazed,Paule. trembling and quaking? Naie not his bodie onelie but his heart and his minde,Rome. his soule and his conscience, shalbe lai­ed open before the Lord, his Angels, his saints, and all his elect. If hee haue plaied the tyraunte [Page 63] beating his fellowe feruantes, ruling for his owne gaine and not for the benefitte of his Church, shall not the remembraunce of his honour bee a stinging serpent to him in his conscience, and his Princely dominion a most deadly corasiue to his heart? Therefore be wise ye kings and princes of the worlde,Psalm, 2. and yee which iudge the earth, hearken to the wordes of vnderstanding. Knowe yee that the wisedome of this world, is not as is the wisedome of God. Many men in their wisedome, forecast by all meanes possible, to come into possession of ri­ches, honour, authoritie, power and maiestie, which when they haue attained, let them but looke back a little, and consider, with what wicked, sinnefull greeuous paines, they were gotten, with what feare and daunger they are possessed: with what greefe they are loste: let them enter into theyr owne heartes, and beholde what a hell of corrup­tions, and what an armie of tempting serpentes accompanie the minde that is set vppon riches: let them marke howe manie wise men of this world,Psalm. 26. haue come vp of nothing, to great aboun­daunce of wealthie authoritie: and yet after they haue well practised, and wiselie waied manie yeeres, which waie they might come to enioye the height of their desire, (which is to rule whilest they liue heere on earth, and to leaue the like to their posteritie) it hath pleased the Lorde in one hower, to cutte of the sequell, and issue of all theyr hope. Either the [...]elues togeather with their posteritie are cutte off, or else the Lorde dooth take awaye that theyr ioye before theyr face, or after all sendeth a worse mischeefe to theyr soule, [Page 64] then anie penne can write, anie tongue can tell, or anie heart can vnderstand. Which though we can­not sound to the bottome, yet let vs learne by the shadowe,Matheteci to gesse the pourtraiture of the body: by the effect, to search the cause, by the conclusion to knowe the trueth of that axiome: Who so euer maketh his God of any thing here on earth, it shall neuer prosper with him. And who so maketh his quiet heauen here. He shall neuer possesse the eter­nall heauen in the world to come. Who so presu­meth of his owne wisedome, before the iustice of God, or on his might that he may treade downe, the poore, hee shall not bee able to stand vpright in the daie of his daunger, and to his vtter confusi­on he shall heare that voice at length.Prouer. 21. Non est sapien­tia, non est prudentia, non est consilium aduersus domi­num: there is no wisedome, there is no pollicy, there is no counsell against the Lord.

If wee will not hearken to the poore contem­ned ministers of Iesu Christ which forewarne vs dailie, of that great daunger of our soule, which wee rashlie aduenture by more esteeming of man then of God, of the seruice of man then of the seruice of God, of the commaundement of man, then of the commaundement of God, of the house of man, then of the Church of God, of the seruaunt of man, then of the minister of God, the stones in the wall shall crie out aloud, and our owne conscience shall tell vs plainly, that in loouing the honour, the maintenaunce, the is­sue of our bodie, wee haue vtterly lost the salua­tion of our owne soules, O that our eyes were so [Page 65] cleane washed with the water of life, that wee might but once stedfastly behold the bright beautie of the radiant sonne of God; no doubt we would leaue this great politike wisedome of this world (wherin euery one striueth to frame his children) and learn the true wisedome,Cor. 1. which is follie in the eyes of flesh: wee would humble our selues before the Lorde, and kisse the sonne least he be angry. We would not count of that sweetnes which is tasted with toong, nor of the fading beautie, which shineth in the face of sinneful flesh: we would cast our worldly honour in the dust, and put our scepter vnder the foote-stoole of Iesu Christ; We would not so much seeke the honour of earthly kingdoms, nor triumph so often in the flesh, but we would first aboue all other thinges,Psal. 1. reade the will of our God, and meditare in the same both daye & night; wee would seeke to differ from the heathen in extolling our scepters, after the manner of flesh & bloud: we would leaue the delight, & careful seeking of the worlde, which is the first entraunce vnto Christ.

We would knock at the doore of his mercie by a true faith, and enter further by perfect obedience. We would drawe neere to the father, and kisse the sonne most louingly, because he loued vs first so en­tirely, Pet. that when wee were his enemies, and beeing a most vile and sinnefull creature, he left thousands of bright shining holie angels,Heb. 2. his daily ministers, the spheares of heauen, the stars of the firmament, with all the rest of his beautiful creatures, comming down in great humilitie, & was made man. He beeing the high God of heauen & earth, for our sake was made [Page 66] man, he suffered hunger and thirst, reprochies, and reuilings, agonies and paines, he sighed in his heart, hee groned in the spirite, and that which is able to make any christian hart to melt, when it is harde, he suffered that cruell souldier to pierce his tender side with a speare,Iohn 19. wher with came out both bloud and water, euen his most pretious heart bloud, the eter­nall foode of our soules. O what mercie is this, and who is able to comprehend it? shall I passe it with silence? or shal my pen presume to touch the same? shall my heart stande amazed at this wonder, and my mouth keep silēce? When I behold the heauens, the angels, the height of these creatures aboue mā. And cōsider the depth of his mercie towards man: shal I not beginne with the Prophet: O what is man that thou art so mindfull of him?S. Barnard or the son of man that thou visitest him? And proceed with the voice of good Saint Barnard: O hone Iesu. Quid tibi & me­rito? nos debuimus, & tu soluis: nos peccauimus, & tu lu­is: opus sine exemplo, gratia sine merito: Charitas sine mo­do. O sweet Iesu howe belongeth this to thee, or thy desert? we are indebted, and thou paiest it: we haue sinned, and thou art punished: a worke aboue all cō ­parison, mercie without all merite: charitie aboue all measure: O my soule open thine inward spirites, and let my toong sound foorth his praise. O praise the Lord in his holines, praise him in the bountie of his great mercie, and all that is within me praise his his holie name. O ye princes open your gates, and let the king of glorie enter in. O bowe downe your princely eyes,Psal. 23. and beholde this great humilitie of the first and the last, the king of kings, the Lord of [Page 67] Lords, the high souereigne king of heauen & earth.

Take heede yee rulers of the earth, that ye goe not farre from this fountaine of life, least yee thirst and so perish by the way. O come neere and taste howe sweete the Lorde our maker is, and lette not the comfortable voice of his louing spowse (whom hee hath made ouerseer of his will) once depart out of your eares, Take heede now your father is gone, that you disquiet not your louing mother.

Doe not your selues that mortall disgrace, or the Lorde of light that vnkindnes, that you should for­get his bloodie stripes wherewith yee were hea­led, or his wounds which gaue you life, or his ex­ceeding loue which passeth all vnderstanding, but render loue for loue to the vttermost of your power.

Sith hee hath loued vs first, let vs loue him first of all. Sith hee refused all creatures in heauen and in earth that hee might shew mercie vpon vs, let vs re­fuse all other thinges, and loue him alone; not in word onely, nor in shewe, but in heart, in worde, in our outward life and conuersation. Can wee taste of the cleare fountaine, and not kneele downe? or drinke of the liquor, and not touch the cuppe with our lippes? can we taste of the sweete drops of his most pretious bloud, and not kisse the sonne of our saluation, the spring of eternall life, the glory of hea­uen and earth?

Then leauing heathnish glory, & the rule of flesh & bloud, christiā princes must come to the fountain of true christianity,Apoc. 7. which is clear & bright, & sheweth plainly, that they must fall downe before the throne of the lamb; that their regiment, and commonwelth [Page 68] ought not to be disposed, and for the establishing of their owne kingdome, or for the aduauncement of their owne honour, or for the safetie of their owne life: but especiallie and aboue all thinges, they must bend themselues to set forth the honour and glorie of God, their high honours and offices must be ap­pointed for the seruice & kingdome of Christ: their power, their men, their armour, their goods, their landes, their dominions, their nobles, their court, and courtiers, are to be imploied in the seruice and obedience of the church of Iesu Christ.

Thus proceeding in the waie of life, let them not barely imagine, that God is aboue all the rulers in the world; but that he is carefullie and dutifullie to bee serued euerie daie, and that the howre of his di­uine seruice is not to bee appointed at our will, but at his wil, and when it shall bee thought most meet, by them which are truelie religious.

Herein wee ought to be so resolutelie bent to serue the Lord our God with all our heart,Deutro. 6. our mind and our soule; so truelie and so hartilie, that no embassa­dour, no triumph, no pleasure or worldlie affaires whatsoeuer, should alter the hower of common praier, which wee haue once giuen to the Lords ser­uice: vnto the which if wee cannot resort sometime, at the appointed howre, which we haue once gran­ted vnto the Lord, yet let the rest of our life be so holie and reuerent before the Lord and his people, that our Christian absence may shew most plainlie, there is vrgent occasion why wee cannot come. If they count it a more holie, a more necessarie, a more honourable thing to serue the Lord, and to hum­ble [Page 69] themselues on their knees before him in his ho­lie temple then to feede their eies with worldly plea­sures (which in time and season are good and com­mendable) if the count more of diuine seruice, than of humane, of the eternall ioy of heauen, than of this perfect miserie; of the euerlasting kingdome, than of this earthlie tabernacle: they will not onelie leaue all these, and come to the temple of the Lord, there falling downe before their good Lord and ma­ker, their maker, and redeemer, their redeemer, and present helper,Rom. 12. their helper and comforter in al woe, and distresse: but in fact, in truth, in good earnest, af­ter the yeelding themselues, their soules and bodies a holie and acceptable sacrifice before God (which is their reasonable seruice don to him) they wil open the bowels of their compassion vnto their holie mo­ther the church and their poore bretheren, they wil wiselie bestowe their best landes, goods, honors, pri­uiledges, counsels, courtes, auctorities, euen the most perfect meditatiō of their vnderstanding harts, vpon the spouse of Iesu Christ.

O yee mightie men, whose throne is exalted in the middest of flesh and bloud, do you doubt of this? Haue you not heard of olde how the gentils ruled, which knew not God? or what our Sauiour Christ said concerning them? and what was it? you shall not do so, and how then? The Apostle writeth that which the prophet said:Psalm. 115. Credidi, & propterea loquutus sum: Corinth. 2. I haue beleeued this truth, and therefore I haue written: neither is it bare beliefe, sith plaine truth holdeth the sterne: whilest my litle pen passeth ouer the high surges of this worldlie sea: and that those [Page 70] worldlie mindes thus tossed and tumbled with the vncertaine flawes of worldie tempests, might finde the true calme discried by the rule and compasse of Christian doctrine: let them but looke vp a litle, di­recting their eies vnto the climat, where the sonne shineth cleare and bright, and they shal see the land and hauen of quietnesse where they would faines [...] bee.

And where is that?Psalm 106 or what sure direction haue wee to the same? whilest wee saile in these tempe­stuous and troublesome seas of vncertaintie, con­sidering that the bottom is so britle, that wee can haue no ancre holde, the seas so wide that wee are farre from kenning of anie coast, the winde so vn­certaine, that wee knowe not whither wee are dri­uen: let vs surelie beleeue that which our parents told vs at our entring into this fleeting vessell, that there bee manie gone before vs, euen the same way, through the same seas, to the same hauen that we desire.

And if you will looke vp with mee a litle, I as­sure you I haue descried one, which though it bee farre off, and scarcelie within kenning, yet by the view the pilot thereof seemeth cunning, the course direct, the shippe faire and good, taking the verie waie of our direction: and now lying at ancre before the mouth of the hauen, which wee so long haue wished? And where is that? The examples which I minde to propound vnto you is, these three wise men.

The first fruites of the Gentils, which by the appearing of a starre were directed vnto Christ, & [Page 71] sith in these daies the stile of learning,Math▪ 2. and the lear­ned is lowe, yea so low, that it lyeth written in the dust; troden downe with the feet of ignorant men, & the kingdome of this world is the golden mirror on which most mens eies, are continually fixed with desire and admiration.

Let no man doubt, but these learned men were also kinges, according as it is written in sundrie lear­ned fathers:Vira. Dicts sunt etiam reges, quia illo tempore, philosophi sapientes regnabant, they were also called kinges, because in those daies wise philosophers reigned.

Then these beeing the first fruites of the gen­tils, and the first Christian kinges that euer were.

All those which minde to come to Iesu Christ to bee washed with his bloud, to bee saued by his perfect merit and great mercie, let them fixe their eies on these first christian kings, let them learne tru­lie, & marke diligētly what they did. They left their owne naturall countrie, with all thinges therein, following the starre which led them to Iesu Christ. They came to the Inne where the childe was pore­lie layed in a Ma [...]nger: there heart was stil fix­ed with the light which did shine to them from Heauen:Luke. 2. though they were mightie Kinges, yet they regarded not the basenesse of the house, nor the vnseemlinesse of the stable, where this holie Childe was: but acknowledging great maie­stie, to lye here couered in low humilitie, they cast downe the glorie of their kingdomes at his feete, they opened their golden vessels, and offered to him, gould, mirre, and frankensence, the [Page 72] first fruits of true christianitie. Wherein wee haue a plaine example propounded to all christian prin­ces and people, in that they followed the light of the starre: shewing that the wisest though they bee ex­ceedingly learned,Corinth [...] 1. as they were, yet sith this is the Lorde of wisedome, euen the wisedome of the God of heauen and earth (leauing our owne natural wise­dome and denying our selues) wee ought to followe this cleare light, which shineth thorow Christ from heauē. Though they be noble Princes as these were, yet they ought to acknowledge him to bee king of kings, and Lord of Lords, of whom it was forshew­ed, Esay 9. that he should walke vpon the lyon and the dra­gon: that all nations should doe him seruice, that his kingdome shall haue none ende. And who shall declare his generation? though the mightie of this world bee of high honour and dignitie as they were, yet their humble kneeling and obedience, sheweth that christian Princes are not to rule ouer their sub­iects, like the heathen, for their owne pompe, their owne honour, their owne magnificent glorie, for the safetie of their owne life, regiment & kingdome: but that with the princely maiestie of the annointed of the Lord, they should leaue the care of their earthly kingdome, and follow the cleare star of Iesu Christ, which lightneth the grossest darkenes. They should bowe their bodies, and bende their whole strength before Iesu Christ and his holie Church. Though worldly men, Potentates and Princes, liue in greate plentie of honour, freedome, and all abundance, yet knowing that without God, is without all: let them leaue the loue of their owne houses, the delight and [Page 73] glorie of their pompous pallaces, let them forsake their owne fathers house, their goodes, and landes, and cimery with the faithfull Abraham, Gen. 20. and bestowe their whole substance, honour, and riches, on the Lord Iesu, and his louing spowse the holy Church. Remembring that he created them poore wretches when they were nothing, and that of nothing: (as it is saide) he hath loued them without their desert, and that with a most entire surpassing loue. Hee fee­deth them in their mothers wombe, and openeth their mouthes, that they should breath. Hee preser­ueth them from all the daungers of their infancie, & euerie minute maintaineth them in their kingdoms, holding vp the scepter in their handes, as it is writ­ten: Per me reges regnant, Prou. 8. by my permission kinges doe rule vppon earth. They rule by him, and him alone, for if hee doe but alienate the mindes of the subiectes, the princes seate dooth shrinke vnder him. If hee doe but a while restraine the dewe of heauen,Reg 3. as hee did at the praier of Elias the pro­phet of the Lorde, both prince and people famish together.

Though hee giue store of foode, though it bee well prepared, and by the counsell of good phisiti­ons drest finely for the kinges owne mouth; yet if the Lord do not blesse it in his mouth, as he chew­eth it, in the throate as it descendeth, in the sto­macke as it concocteth, in the passage from thence as it digesteth, his meate is his bane, or at the least hee falleth sicke after the tast thereof, and lyeth mi­serably groaning vppon his pillowe: If the Lorde dooth with-hold but the least of his benefits a little, [Page 74] the fire from roasting, the sunne from shining, the corne from riping, the tong from tasting, the lungs from breathing but one minute of an houre, though he be the mightiest king in the world, forthwith hee perisheth from the face of the earth.

Therefore let all kings and princes,Psal. 67. all people and nations, acknowledge the great power of the Lord, euen in the least of his benefits. Let them leaue off the delight of worldly vanities, wherewith they are puffed vp, their honours, landes, and goodes. Let them affect the true honour and maiestie, the glorious triumph and perfect pleasure, which well beseemeth a christian prince, euen the annointed of the Lord.

Neither are wee carried with the fruitlesse winde of scisme, that we should condemne those pleasures which bee lawfull: knowing that as the Lorde hath giuen man a bodie together with his soule, so it is as necessarie that he looke for the sustenaunce, the defence, the delight, or recreation of his body, as of his soule, and that in most honourable, pleasant, triumphant manner, if time and place permit. But yet first and principally wee must seeke to feede our soule with the foode that neuer perisheth, and then the body.

Those which doe blesse the Lorde of heauen, and loue him aboue all the fading ioyes of the earth: they shall receyue from aboue blessing for blessing, grace for grace, loue for loue, to their endlesse com­fort in the great day of his visitation,Cor. 1. they shall flo­rish like the fruitfull vine, their children shall stande like oliue braunches round about their table, and [Page 75] they shall neuer want one to sit vppon their seate af­ter them for euer. They shall see their childrens chil­dren, together with the temples and good woorkes of their owne handes. They shall reioyce therein, because their memorie shall neuer perish from the face of the earth: but especially because this oyle which they haue in their lampes, shall giue a light to their eyes: a direction to their feete: a comfort to their heart and conscience, in the day of iudge­ment.

This is the sentence of holy scripture, and the example is like vnto the same.Psal. 36. Looke ouer the booke of God: peruse it diligently, and tell mee, if euer you did see the righteous forsaken, or his seede begging their bread. But alwaies those which first aboue all worldly affaires, did seeke the kingdome of God, and the righteousnesse thereof, whiche built temples to his holie name, maintaining his praise and glorie in the same, they had all good bles­sings powred on them.

Abraham left his owne country, willing to haue sacrificed his onely sonne, at the voice of the Lord: and therefore hee had this assuraunce by the voyce of an Aungell from heauen:Gen. 26. By my selfe haue I sworne (saith the Lorde) that in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

Which blessing continued in Isaac, the fruits ther­of began to budde in Iacob, whose willing minde well knowen vnto the Lord concerning his house: in his sleepe there appeared vnto him a ladder, the foote whereof stood on the earth, but the top did reach vnto the heauens, by which the angels did as­cend [Page 76] and descend, and the Lord leaning on the top of this ladder, said vnto him. I am the Lord the God of thy father Abraham and thy father Isaac, the land in which thou art now will I giue thee, and to thy seed, and thy seed shall bee as the dust of the earth. Thou shalt increase from the East to the West, frō the North to the South, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. When Iacob awaked out of his sleepe, he said, of a truth the Lord is in this place, & I knew not: and trembling he said fur­ther. Gen. 28. O how terrible is this place? this is none other place, but euen the house of God, and the gate of heauen.

Forthwith rising in the morning, hee tooke the stone which lay vnder his head all night, and rea­ring it an ende, he powred oile vppon it: making a vow and saying: if the Lord will bee with mee &c. the Lord shall be my God, and this stone which I haue here set an ende, shalbe called the house of God. and I will giue him the tenth of all the en­crease which hee shall giue me. After the sparks of heauenlie fire new kindled in the breast of the holie patriarch: the flame brake forth at his mouth, and so fructified together with his true pietie, that after­wards hee was wonderfull rich in seruants, goods, and cattel, in beeing a ioyfull father of manie good­lie-children, liuing to a good olde age, seeing his childrens children, laying his hand on them, & that which passeth all, though his graundfather Abra­ham did make an alter in the same place, proceeding to offer the bloud of his onelie sonne vnto the Lord (which was a perfect figure of Christ) yet the [Page 77] latter light did shine the clearer, and the Lord did so multiplie the blessings promised to Abraham in his sonnes Isaac and Iacob, Gen. 28. that long before the time of the reuelation of that holie one, to him and in him, he vncouered the vale so much, that he shewed his louing regard to his elect here vppon earth, in looking downe on Iacob, and leaning on the lad­der, in sending his Angels vp and downe to his pa­triarch, full of grace. Who when his eies were o­pen, and he did see as it is said: Gratia gratiam peperit. Grace brought foorth grace.

For to the end that hee and his posteritie might more easilie clime this ladder, and for our example hee trembled when hee perceyued that the Lord was there, hee gaue the title, and ioyned the re­uerence thereunto: saying, out of all doubt, this is the house of God, and the gate of heauen: con­cluding, it shall be called the house of God.

Which his zealous speech and dooings, con­demne the fruitelesse zeale of our age, for when hee perceiued that hee was once in the house of God, with a reuerent feare hee trembled. Not dispairing, but beleeuing in heart, hee looked vp: confessing with the mouth, hee promised and per­fourming in deede, hee reared vp the corner stone, on which euen in the same place, the holie tem­ple of the Lord, euen in the Temple of Ierusalem, was afterwards built:Act. 4. which though it was refused of the cunning builders, in latter times, yet bee­ing once annointed with holy oile, it became the head stone of the corner.

If the Lord did so woonderfullie blesse the pa­triarch [Page 78] Iacob in his true faith and perfect zeale, that of one sma [...] s [...]one hee raised the most holie, the most honourable, the most sumptuous, the most rich and costlie Temple in the whole world. Let no good Christian doubt, to lay though it bee but one stone in the Colledge, the Church, the Tem­ple of the Lord, acknowledging with Saint Paul, that,Rom. 9. Non est volentis, non est currentis sed miseren­tis Dei.

It is not hee which willeth, or hee which run­neth, but God which sheweth mercie.

It is not wee which do it, but the grace of God which is in vs.

Which if it once beginne to spring, and shew it selfe in the woorke, laie waight enough on it, for it will rise mauger the might of all the world.

Hee which hath laied the greatest foundation in the lowest element, the highest glorie in the lowest places: which confoundeth the strength of this world with his weaknes, which putteth downe the mightie from their seat,Luk. 1. and exalteth the humble & meeke: of his abundant mercie hee will magnify the charitie of the poore Widowe, though it bee but a mite: he will make the building strong though it bee founded on a cuppe of could water. Those which loue his spouse, hee will blesse their seede here vpon earth, with plentie of peace, and glori­fie them in his heauenlie lerusalem.

This blessing is seldome obscure or vnseene amon­gest the sonnes of GOD: neither doth it cease from generation to generation. For if wee looke backe vnto this litle sparke, wee shall see and saie with [Page 79] the prophet Dauid, that the fire was kindled in Ia­cob, and the flame broke forth in Israel, not for weekes or yeares, or hundred yeares onlie (though it was suppressed in that watrish Aegipt) but it shined so cleare out of the darke Cloude in the wildernesse,Exod. 36. that the arke was there built by the hande of his great messengers Moses and Aaron. Neither could the desartes of Synaie or sinne, or the exceeding high hilles of all the mountaine countrey, restraine the course thereof, but it pas­sed ouer the toppes of the highest mountaines, & it diuided the deepest waters of that Countrey, passing on drye lande, throw the bottom thereof into that promised land, the land of Canaan.

When the Arke (the true figure of the Tem­ple) was by the prouidence of almightie GOD, thus brought, and placed neere the propper home.

And Dauid also the seruaunt of the Lord, taken from the sheepefowlde, preserued from the ty­rannie of Saul, and placed in his kingdome.

Now for our example let vs marke howe this holie place, and godlie King accord together, and what effect there is betwixt them.

The Arke hauing bene long before neglected by Saul (which appeared by his ende) Dauid hee had a speciall eie and regarde vnto it: before all o­ther thinges, with great strength, power & glo­rie,2 Kings. 6. bringing it from the house of Abinadab neerer him.

'First placing it in the house Obededom, and after­wardes, seeing the great blessinges which the [Page 80] Lorde shewed to that place where his Arke stoode, he brought it home into the Citie of Dauid, placing it in the tabernacle which hee had built for it. Af­terwardes when hee had conquered all his enemies round about, and he sate quietly in his pallace, hee followed not the swelling humour of flesh & bloud, which ruleth most in those that are the lowest born, and the basest minded, according to that auncient saying: Asperius nihil est humili cum surgit in altum: but that which is the dutie of a godly prince, hee called the prophet Nathan vnto him and saide. Do you not marke howe I dwell in my sumptuous house of Ce­dar, and the Arke of the Lord is simply couered with skins? shewing that it was not meete that the house of the king, or of anie man, should bee more faire, more sumptuous, more honourable and maiesticall, than the house of God.

And therefore hee purposed fully with himselfe, to builde a temple vnto the Lorde, which hee hath perfourmed with dutifull endeuour in good time, but that the Lord by the mouth of his holy prophet signified, that his good intent was accepted, and therefore the Lorde would blesse him on all sides,2. Kings. 7. promising that hee would giue him peace and rest, from his enemies, that he would place him quietlie in his owne pallace, and when his yeares were come to an ende, and that hee should after the manner of the godly sleepe with his fathers, the Lord promised that hee would raise vp a sonne vnto him, in whome he would establish the kingdome of Dauid for euer, and which should builde an holie temple vnto the Lord God of Israell.

[Page 87]Heere vppon the kinglie Prophet did magnifie the Lord in his soule, and his spirite did so hartelie re­ioyce in the wonderfull mercies of his creatour, that hee lifte vp his voyce before the Lorde, and penned manie Godlie himnes, to bee musicallie and melodiouslie sunge, by the chaunter and the quire, before the Lord. He yeelded his whole heart vnto the Lord, and gaue vnto him the first fruites of his lippes.

Therefore the Lord blessed him with a vertuous sonne, euen the wise Salomon, whose workes were lyke vnto the wisedome of his heart:3. Kings. 5. shewinge plainelie vnto vs, the worke and fruite of true and perfecte wisedome, and what is that? As hee was the wisest man that euer was created so he brought foorth the best and happiest fruite that euer was: building an holie temple vnto the honour and ser­uice of the Lord, and that such a one, as farre sur­passed, all the superstitious temples of the hea­then. Hee set manie thousandes of men a worke at once, hee prouided the goodliest timber that could bee seene or heard off, the fairest squared stones that might bee, and of greatest price. His ships went to Tharsis for golde, and hee spared not to spende the iewels of Arabie, on the same.

He erected therin great pi [...]llers of beaten gold & siluer, gilding it on euerie side, and garnishing it most [...]oyallie. Hee endowed it with landes and pos­sessions most liberallie. He finished it most perfect­lie, he frequented the same with his deuout prai­ers dailie to the glorie of God, the profitre of his nation, the publique practise of the [...]olie lawe and [Page 88] sacrifice of the Lord. All the daies of his life, hee enioyed it most happilie, though by infirmitie hee fell, yet y^e Lord remembring his mercie, let him de­part in peace, so that hee slept with his fathers, and was buried in the cittie of Dauid: and Roboam his son raigned in his steede.

Likewise also the highe and mightie Monarch Cirus. Diemon. King of the Persians,Paralip. 2. though he were an hea­then man, yet hee yeelded so much vnto the true God, that hee released his chosen people out of captiuitie, saying: the Lord of heauen who hath made mee Lord ouer the whole earth, hee hath commaunded mee, to builde him an house in Ie­rusalem. Though hee was an heathen, and cheefe ruler ouer all the worlde: yet hee disobayed not the heauenlie voyce, sending Zorobabell the cheefe of the Iewes, proclaming, that it might bee law­full for anie of those, which were in captiuitie, to goe home and to helpe vp the buildinge of the house of the Lord: bringing out the golden ves­selles, which Nabuchodonozer brought from the temple of Ierusalem, and yeelding them all into the handes of Zorobabell, and the rest whome hee sent vnto Ierusalem to builde vp the wasted tem­ple, giuing them great freedome, authoritie and store of golde, of filuer, of worke men, and all kinde of suppliance what so euer.

After this his religious bountie towardes the temple of the Lorde, hee had great battailes a­gainst the Kinge of Babilon, and manie other mightie Princes: against whome the Lorde gaue him so great and so good successe, that after he [Page 89] had ouercome the rich and strong king Craesus king of Babilon, and that most mightie magni­ficent famous Cittie,Cirus. which manie other most puissant Princes, hee alone was cheefe ruler of the Assirians, the Medes, the Persians: beeing the first erector, of the second Monarch, of the worlde.Seldan. Wherein wee see most plainelie the great care and dilligent eye, which the Lorde hath vn­to his temple, in that hee commaunded Cyrus to reedifie it: and the good successe which follow­eth those, which helpe to builde the same: Espe­ciallie if they perseuer in theyr good deuotion vn­to the ende.

But if after they haue begunne to worke in the spirite, they incline themselues to fulfill the desire of their fleshlie eye: Let them knowe though they obtaine most excellent victories and high re­nowne in the battaile, though they be placed ouer many kingdomes,Plutarch. and haue obtained the height of theyr desire, in what they can wishe in this worlde: yet after all this, shall succeede the in­famous death of Cyrus, who with his exceeding great armie was ouercome in the feelde. And good cause whie, sith (as Plato Plato. writeth) hee sin­ned much in bringing vppe his children wan­tonlie, commaunding his owne brother to be slaine very treacherouslie.

Let no man presume so much as to doubte that there is a God the rewarder of the iust and punisher of the wicked: & that so mercifull on the one part, and so perfectlye iust on the other, that of his [Page 90] exceeding mercie, hee rewardeth the least good deede of vs sinfull wretches, and punisheth euerie sinne whatsoeuer, (vnleast we doe hartelie repent and turne our selues truelie vnto his mercy) which we commit against his diuine maiesty.

Howe commeth it to passe, that we are become like horse and mule,Esai, 1. which haue no vnderstan­ding? If the carter doe but wagge his whippe, the horses, hie on apace: if the shepheardes dogge doe but barke, the sheepe doe whirrie all on heapes: if the lion roare, the beastes of the forrest tremble. And yet the Lord calleth dailie and hourelie by signes from heauen, by fiers in the ayre, by strang courses in the waters, by vnnaturall monsters in the earth,Amos, 3. by losse in the fielde, and by scarefire in the house, by sicknesse in the bodie, by the denouncing of death to our soules: and no man trembleth, no man runneth, no man looketh vp, no man once regardeth it. O [...]sencelesse sensu­alitie.

Doe you marueile why your greefe lasteth daie and night, and your disseases bee vncurable, sith you haue such great store of honour and wealth, to ease your minde which poore men wante? they want them both in deede, and fith they seldome taste the meate, the Lorde of his mercie seldome offereth them the sower sawce, belonging to such daintie dishes. Therfore let al men leaue theyr wan­dering thoughtes of fancie, of chaunce, ill lucke, wicked men, euill mindes, deceitfull hartes: Non est malum in ciuitate, quod non fecit dominus, there is no chaunce or fortune in regard of God, neither hath [Page 91] the wicked any power to hurte, but where the Lord shall permit, and hee permitteth not without de­serte. Amos, 3. There is no deserte without sinne, no sinne without punishment: no punishment without de­serued paine, vnleast wee repent, no repentaunce without sufficient restitution, as much as lyeth in vs.

Therefore thou which art stronge, meruaile not that thou art wounded of the weake, whose heart perhappes is greater then thine. Thou which art riche and farest daintelie,August. meruaile not that thou lyest sicke, pininge, consuming, groning, with the palsey in thy heade, the burning in thine heart, the Ciatica in thy hippes, the stone in the rei [...]es, the goute in the thy toe, thine arme, or thy legge, the burning ague through thy whole bodie. Thou which art mightie wise and honourable, merueile not if thou beest brought vnder: if thy foolish do­inges breede the repentaunce with discredite. Thou which hast honour and riches, dominions, and power, health and Phisitions, credite and suc­cesse, at thy will, meruaile not though thou want children, or hauing one onely child, which is all thy ioye: when he is taken away by vntimely death. Say not to thy selfe, O what ill fortune is this, that hauing one onely childe in whome I ioyed, hee should bee thus taken from mee, neither weepe so bitterlie for thy naturall childe.

O yee sonnes of the earth weepe not for your children but weepe for your selues,Luke, 23. and your owne sinnes against God. Knowe yee right well, that who so euer maketh his ioye of anie thing, pro­uideth [Page 92] for anie thing, honoureth anie thinge, more or in comparison of the Lord: eyther hee shall not enioye it, or it shall not enioye him. This is the Maior, and the Minor is like vnto it, which is this.

There is no aduersitie, what so euer commeth to vs, but it is for our sinnes, though not the thousande parte which wee deserue, but as it were a philip, in respecte of the cutting off of the heade.

If wee will but turne our eyes from the vaine cloude of worldlie follie and confusion, we shall see most plainelie, that there is no sickenesse, no vntimelie death,Reg. 4. no losse of Parentes or chil­dren, no imprisonmentes, no aduersitye what so euer, but it is sent of the Lord for our sinne, and on the contrarie, that the Lorde is so full of goodnesse and loouing mercie, that hee con­tinuallie blesseth euerie good deede of ours what so euer, and that by his continuall mercies, shew­ed vnto them which loue him, and his holy tem­ple, where his name is to bee praised to the worldes ende.

Wee may see it plainelie amongest the hea­then, that the Lorde is iust in remembring his promised mercies,Psal, 57. to all them which feare him, and say also with that holie Prophet: Verely there is a rewarde for the iuste? not for the Iewe onelie, or the Christian onelie, or for this nation, this degree, this sorte or kinde of men onelie: but as saint Peter affirmeth, there is no acception of persons with God: but in euerie nation who so euer feareth [Page 93] the Lorde a right, and worketh righteousnesse, he is accepted in the sight of God.

Let all men therefore learne to feare the Lorde aright, let them open the fountaine of theyr cha­ritable compassion towardes theyr brethren, e­speciallie towardes his holie temple. At the least let not vs be more vnkind vnto the spouse of Christ then were the heathen. Looke backe againe, to that highe mountaine, from whence wee are newlie dis­cended.

Cyrus began to builde the temple of the Lorde, and hee prospered wonderfullie: hee forgatte the Lord, and hee came to an euill ende. Darius Darius. also succeeded him, who finished the building of the temple, begunne by Cirus, willing his lordes and captaines beyonde the floude, that in anie wise they should not hinder the Iewes in theyr buil­ding. But that if they wanted stone, or timber, or siluer, or golde, calues, goates, kiddes, salte, oyle, or wine, they should let them haue all thinges at theyr will, shewing therein his good minde, and the cheefest vse of these worldlie goods in these wordes:

Vt offerant deo coeli oblationes, orentque pro vita re­gis & filiorum eius. Esdras, 3. That they maie offer vp oblati­ons to the God of heauen, and praie for the life of the King and his children. It is verie straunge and worthy to be let vp as a mirour before the eyes of all Christian princes, that these heathen Empe­rours, should attribute so much to the glory of God hearing but a far off, & seing his mighty maiesty but in a cloude. What may be compared to that which [Page 94] followeth in the stile and wordes of Artaxerxes written after this manner? Artaxerxes rex regum, &c. Artaxerxes Artax­erxes. King of Kinges, &c. Vnto E [...]dras the most learned scribe of the law of the God of heauen. I haue decreede that of Israell in my kingdomes and dominions, who so will goe with thee vnto Ierusalem, that hee haue free libertie to goe: and what golde or money thou desirest in the whole prouince of Babylon, take it to buye Sacrifice to bee offered in the house of your God in Ierusa­lem, take also the vesselles which are giuen thee to serue in the house of your God: in fine what so e­uer is thought meete or necessarie for the furnish­ing of the house of God, let it be allowed you out of the Kinges treasure.

I Artaxerxes the King, haue commaunded all mine officers beyond the floude, that they giue Esdras what hee will demaunde, &c. Further­more I charge you straightly, that you exacte no tribute or paiment, or exaction, or any other taxe, or incumbraunce what so euer, of the Preestes, Le­uits, Singers, Officers, or seruauntes of this tem­ple. Neither that you vpbraide them, or obiect a­nie kinde of disgrace against them.

O that the Christian Princes of our time, would but looke a little vnto the vnfayned looue, which those heathen Monarches shewed to the God of heauen, and his holy temple. I would they did not onely possesse the name of Christ and loue of his church, but that in euery particular law, in euery action, in euery deede of liberalitye, it might plainely appeare before y^e face of God & man [Page 95] their first and chiefest loue is the prosperitie of the church of Iesu Christ: and not onely the generall name of profession, but that after the example of those heathen kinges, they would loue it indeed, and the ministers thereof,Paralip. 2. that they would giue wood & stone, yron and lead, gold, and siluer, to the building of the Lordes house, to the celebrating of his diuine seruice, to the good and honourable maintaining of his ministers. And not only in making general laws, which may seeme to acknowledge this calling to be good, nor in taking, but in giuing to the Lorde, and the maintenance of his holie worship, the first fruits of their harts and mindes, which is more than I can briefly comprehend.

Neither should this charitie bee shut vp onely in the heart, but the fountaines thereof (if it be right) are oftentimes so pierced with the finger of God, that the riuers of this charitable and heauenly oyle, runneth downe not onely into the church it self, but into the bosomes and bones of the officers, the sin­gers, the porters, and the lowest minister of the church, in such sorte, that no vniust lawe, commissi­on, payment, punishment or incumbrance whatsoe­uer, shall hinder them from their, good, lawfull, and daily administration in the Church of God. And if they should: yet if the crie of the poore disciple of Iesu Christ once come to the princes eare: no doubt he sitting in the place of God, will also breake out & saye in the person of God: touch not mine annoin­ted: but let them be free,Paralip. 1. for the Lord which placed mee in my throne, hee hath put the worde in my mouth. Haue not I said it? it is written in the volume [Page 96] of his booke, that I should doe his will, and shall I not come? he hath commaunded, and shall I not o­bey? hee hath alwaies blessed those which loued his temple, and shall not I be partaker of the same? This blessing aboue all others of the Lorde, is so manifest, that euerie nation, euerie kindred, yea euen the hea­then if they haue but a little sparke of the reuerence of his holie name, they haue greatly prospered ther­with.

It was the manner of the auncient Graecians,Grecians. to builde temples, and amongst all other they solemni­zed the temple of Apollo, endowing it with great ho­nours, freedome, landes and possessions, after which customable beneuolence, shewed vnto their God, they prospered so greatlye, more than they were woont, that they woonne manie great battailes a­gainst the Persians, with such exceeding glorie, that they did rise to the thirde Monarcke of the whole worlde:Alexāder. most highly esteeming of the [...]temple of their God, and that in such reuerence, that in no wise they would take the least iotte from the same, though it were for sauing of a kingdome.

This appeareth plainely by Alexander the great, who was wisely instructed of Aristotle, after the manner of the Philosophers, that he should first feare God, and aboue all thinges keepe his hands from the spoile of temples dedicated to the Gods. Therefore when hee wanted frankensence to sa­crifice, hee would not take it out of the temple at home, or exact it of Apolloes Priestes (who had great store) but after greate warres and manie ho­nourable exploites, hee brought it out of farre [Page 97] countries: and then bestowed it in sacrificing most plentifully, saying; that to the Gods hee would not bee a niggard. With this good minde he pros­pered both by sea and by land, his power was migh­tie, his conquests manie, his name great, euen A­lexander the great & mightie Monarcke of the Greci­ans. Shall I goe forwardes as I haue begun, discussing the course of times, the succession of kingdomes, and the good successe of those which indeede haue loued the Church? or is there anie which doub­teth of the great blessinges which followe them and their seede, who builde and bestowe liberally on the house of God: and the grieuous curses which fall on them which do the contrari [...]? The [...] alwaies obserued this rule, that aboue all other thinges, they begunne with the reuerence of their Gods, their temples, their sacrifices, and both in peace and warre, their chiefest end was the main­taining of the same.

Ianus Ianus, was the first that made temples to the Gods in Italie, appointing sacrifices and other rites there­vnto belonging. And therefore as Tullie Tully. saith, in sa­crifices, hee is alwaies remembred in the beginning of their praiers. Such as hee sowed, such did hee reape, for the posterity much celebrated his memo­rie for this fact, & built a most solemn temple in his name. By which religious mind, they thought that they flourished more in peace, and had greater vic­tories in the warres, than anie other people. In which their exceeding great victories, according to the rites and religion of their nation, they imitated that well disposed Alexander the great, who hauing [Page 98] woon the citie of Thebes, & sackt it to the ground, destroying, captyuating, and banishing of the in­habitantes thereof aboue 4000. Hee spared none saue onelie the priestes of that citie, those which were strangers there of Macedonia, and all the kin­dred of that learned poet Pyndarus.

Much like to this was that of the Romanes, who when they had conquered that faire auncient Citie Alba: T. Liuius. they destroyed all the buildinges thereof, saue onely the temples and churches: beeing afraid least if they should take anie thing from the temples of the gods, they should thereby make them their e­nemies, and so not onlie they should come to some [...], but also their whole common wealth should bee brought to vtter ruine and destruction. That this was their resolute religious opinion, it ap­peareth in sundry places of their histories. For when Tullus Hostillius T. Hostili­us. had conquered the Sabynes, destroi­ed all the faire buildings of that citie, and caried the people thereof vnto Rome) as it is plainly shewed in that historie) onely the churches remained vntou­ched, and vnuiolated, as holy houses on which they durst not presume to lay their handes: which re­uerence done to the religious houses of the gentils, sith it was done by the aforenamed king it seemed that it rather proceeded of the wise pollicie, and rule of regiment, left to him by that worthie ruler Numa Pompilius N. Pom. his predecessor, then of anie great deuotion which hee had towardes the gods or their holie temples, in that it is written of him, that hee accounted nothing lesse honourable or princely, then to apply himselfe to the honor of religion.

[Page 99]Therfore his fierce, wild, desperate mind: was so daunted and throughlie pierced with deadlie ago­ny, and shaking fare, that of a neglector of religion, and religious houses, sodainly he left all other mat­ters whatsoeuer, most earnestlie and superstitiouslie fulfilling euen the least ceremonies of their religi­on. But because hee became religious rather for feare than for loue (through the wrath of God) hee and his house together were burned, and cleane consumed with lightning from heauen. So farre were the people of that age from spoiling the tem­ples of their owne gods, that when they conquered any nation, they feared to laie handes on the tem­ples or anie other thing. Nay it seemed to them great sacriledge & a thing alwaies punished by God to alter or translate the holie rites, or anie thing thereunto belonging, as appeareth in the same his­torie.

After Tullus had conquered the Sabynes, & sac­ked their citie, beeing now in his maiestie, reple­nished with honor & all kind of kinglie abundance: of a sodaine, newes came to the court that it rained stones in the mount Albaine.Albani. Whither when they had sent messengers and found it so, there was al­so a voice heard in the mount crying aloud, and say­ing, that Albines should vse their owne Countrie Religion which they had left, when they left their temples behinde them desolate, and lost their coun­trey.

With this the Romanes were also much moued, so that for memorie of this they appointed certaine solemne feast daies.

[Page 100]Nether was this religious minde onely proper to the Romanes, who in this point of all people were most religious. But common also to other people, euen by the law and instinct of nature, as appeareth by the legats of Locris sent to the Senate of Rome who (as it is partlie recorded of Celsus of Verona, af­ter manie great iniuries and violences offered to them and their Countrie, they repeated this as the chiefest, saying.

There is one thing (O worthie senate) of which euen that Religion, which nature hath infixed in euerie mans minde doth will vs to complaine: wee know right well how deuoutlie and ceremoni­ouslie you embrace, not onelie your owne gods, but how fauourably you entreate and vse the gods of other nations. We haue a temple dedicated vnto Proserpina. Proserp. Amongest other his abhominable facts, your Legat Pleminius did take away the treasure of this Temple,Temp. hee shipped it and hoisted vp saile, but the winde blew, the tempestes did arise, the waues tossed, the surges fomed, the sea roared in such sort, that the shippes were violentlie reuersed to the shore from which they went, and spletted on the sands, where the treasure was found, and re­stored to the temple againe. Nether did anie thing euer prosper which he took in hand after that deed, so that being driuen from Italie, he entring Greece, in the night, he died a shameful, & an vnlucky death.

After this, your legat and the tribunes of soldiers, presumed so far also as to laie violent handes on the treasure belonging to the same temple, therewith defiling themselues and their houses. Which fact (o [Page 101] worthie Senate) vnlesse you will by your religious mind reforme, without doubt ye shal haue no good succesie in your affairs either in Italie or in Affrick: but their bloud shall bee spilt, and your common wealth hazarded also in lue of that fact. And to saie the truth euen at this instant, the wrathful reuenge­ment of the goddesse doth light vpon your captains & soldiers: we our selues hane lately seen how they run violently together with banners displayed one part against another: the captaine of one part is Ple­minius, Pleminius of the other the two tribunes. Thus they dai­lie fight together most cruelly, most barbarouslie, most deadlie. Many of the soldiers be oft in a phren­sy: & think you that the goddes hath let the captains goe scotfree? no she punisheth them surely. The Tribunes were, takē by the Legat, & whipped with rods. Also the Legat at length apprehended by the pollicie of the Tribunes, his bodie all rent, and torn with sundrie torments, his nose & his ears cut off: he was left bleeding almost to the death. Afterwardes the Legat recouering cast the Tribunes into prison, whipping & scourging them stocking and tormen­ting them, with most vile punishments fit for roges and rascals, he put them to death, forbidding any mā to burie them. These be the punishments which the Goddes hath sent on the spoilers of hir temple. Ne­ther wil she cease to torment them all and euerie of them with innumerable plagues and punishments, til the treasure takē from her temple be restored to it againe. This was the speach of the Legats of Locris vnto the senat of Rome: which sheweth plainly, that as wel the Gretians as the Romans counted it a wic­ked [Page 102] thing to diminish or take ought frō the temple of the gods of the nations.

Nay they themselues not onely tooke this wise and sure way in the establishing of their common-wealth, but also in euerie particular action whatsoe­uer: they had a special eye & regard vnto the Gods, their religion, their reuerence, their worship, their temples.

And surely if we looke into the Romane histories we may see most plainly, that they obserued the rule of their owne Poet, A Ioue principium musae, Maro. they first of all regarded the temples of their Gods, and then their common-wealth. By which safe rule they con­quered east by Pompey, and farre west by Iulius Caesar: Caesar. who at the first was most of all men in that age, ad­dicted to the maintaining of temples & their Gods. Whereby hee did gather such strength, and rose so high, that neither Prince nor king could retyre the force of his army, or subdue him in the battaile. Till at the length, through daily practise of shedding bloud, by force of armes, his heart was so hardened, that vnnaturally he drew out his sworde, and lifte vp his armes against his owne country, from whence he had his chiefe beginning. But afterwardes when he had helde foorth his swoorde against his mother (which gaue him it first into his handes) and had dis­solued the most famous and renowned state of the Romane Senate, and by force made himselfe Empe­rour or Rome. That which is the desteny of all world­ly felicitie, the Lorde yeelded him vp to a most fa­mous death, beeing stabbed by the handes of those wise and auncient Senatours.

[Page 103]Why doe you reason thus within your selues a­gainst a plaine truth, ioyned most narrowlie with your owne soules health, saying these bee examples of Iewes & Gentils? If the matter bee doubtfull and ambiguous, why do you not rather help to confirm this true conclusion, sithens the open display therof is the great glorie of God, and the benefite of his church? will you that I proue the true leuel of mine ayme, and that I draw foorth this line, from Persia in the east, vnto England in the west, seioyned from the continent of the whole world?Luke. 7. The Iewes they re­quested our sauiour Christ, most instantly, that hee would reuiue the Centurions seruaunt, saying that he was worthie of that good turne, for he had loued their nation, & had built them a synagogue. Which good works because they proceeded from a perfect faith (as appeared afterwards by the approbation of our sauiour Christ [...] the Lorde did not forget him in the day of his sorrow, and most bountifully remem­bred his faithfull deuout deeds. Afterwards though many yeares, the sunne of the Gospel, was darkened with the manifold stormes, and clowdy tempests of persecution: yet when it began to reflect the cleare beames on the top of the highest mountaines of the earth, & to illuminat the hart of that holy & renow­ned Emperour Constantine Constan­tine. the great, the sun waxed warm, the fields were pleasant, the soile was fruitful, & the seed of the Gospell of Christ sprong vp apace in sundry sortes: so that this godly Emperor, though he could not come to the beholding of the sun him­selfe, yet hee receiued the brightnes of his shining beames, so clearely in at his eye, and shut them so [Page 102] [...] [Page 103] [...] [Page 104] secretly in his heart, that in perfect zeale he shewed his louing heart vnto the Christians: hee stretched foorth his handes, and most hartily embraced the poore orphane Christians, dispersed, persecuted, weakened, discomfited. Hee nursed and nourished them, he called them togither into one place, know­ing that vnited vertue is the stronger. He gaue them the milke of good and wholesome councell, willing them in the name of God to foresee what was the truth, to seeke that, to discusse that, & with one con­sent to conclude that, & he with all his wil & power would ratifie the same. After that the iointes of this little infant began to knit, and councell waxed riper in the head, he supplied stronger meats, he gaue thē libertie of calling a generall councell, hee supplyed with yearely commodities the wants of those which had illuminated his hart, with the glad tidings of the God of heauen: & after innumerable great charges, gifts, & endowments, bestowed on the church (that which is an example for all Christian princes) hee spent all his time in meditating vpon the law of the Lorde, in studiyng & deuising howe hee might pro­mote the religion & true faith of Iesu Christ. Here­in considering that we cannot possesse our soules in this life, without bodies, nor bodies without meate, nor meate without money, nor money vnlesse it bee giuē: with great ioy & loue he laid the foūdations of many faire temples, raising thē an exceeding great height,Eusebius. in the honour of Christ; endowing them with great store of lands and possessions, therewith giuing great freedome vnto those places, and all the ministers of Christ, to whome they belonged. Hee [Page 105] built a verie solemne and sumptuous temple, in the place where our sauiour did rise againe, commaun­ding that it should farre passe all other temples of the worlde in exceeding faire walles and marble pillers, adorning it within most richly, with princely ornamentes, more sumptuous than can bee expres­sed in a fewe wordes: adding thereto solemne mo­numents of gold, siluer, and almost infinite numbers of pretious stones.

Neither was his loue as is the loue of man, soone hote and soone colde: or as is the loue of these lat­ter daies, in which wee surely looke for the greate day of doome: but hee proceeded in building and founding of temples, and religious places, for the maintaining of the poore disciples of Iesu Christ. At Bethlem also where our sauiour was borne, hee builded a temple, and that at the motion of that de­uoute woman the Ladye Helina Helina. the Empresse his mother: who being endued with special graces from heauen, ascended high after the steppes of Christ on the toppe of Mount Olyuet (from whence he as­cended vp into heauen) euen in the very top there­of, founding a sanctuarie for the Church of Christ, and at the bottome of the same mount,Euseb vit. in that place where our sauiour was woont to resorte with his Disciples,Constant. shee erected a verie fayre Church, shewing vnto her sonne the waye wherein hee should walke: not onely in founding temples for the woorship of the Lorde, but in giuing vnto the poore, in redeeming captiues, in clothing the na­ked with hir owne hands, in visiting the poore sicke Christians.

[Page 106]The cleare candle which this vertuous woman held in her hand, gaue such light vnto the most wor­thie Emperour her sonne, that imediatly after his mothers death hee builded temples in all prouinces, making them much more faire than they were before.

Also he built many faire and sumptuous temples in Constantinople, he retired backe againe into A­sia euen to Nicomedia, the first and chiefest citie in Bithinia, where he built an exceeding large temple, and no lesse beautifull; adioyning to it on all sides verie high and faire Cloisters, within he erected a sanctuarie of an infinit height, being in forme eight-angled, with verie huge pillers, sumptuous arches, bossinges and monumentes, all adorned with great plentie of gold, brasse and other pretious mettell.

Though the church of Christ and his profession was now but yong amongest the gentils: yet he had a special regard to the faithful patriarches of old. He looked farre backe, and sith his sight was good hee beheld his forefather Abraham, & remembring that heauenlie apparation of the holie, blessed and glori­ous Trinitie vnder the oke of the valley of Mambrie: vnto the patriarch (for a monument) he commaun­ded a faire Church to be built in the same place, re­edified all the decayed Temples and monumentes, building them verie high, and faire, destroying the Idols of the gentils, pulling downe their altars, vt­terlie defacing their superstitious religion, and all other worldly states whatsoeuer were a hindrance or disgrace to the church of Christ.

It is plainle shewed by the ecclesiastical writers, that [Page 107] so soone as hee had ouercomed the enemies of the Church, hee imployed himselfe and all which hee could do, by word, by worke, by letter and example to reedifie the churches of the christians, or else to build them new, leauing a most perfect patterne be­hinde him, which all true christians ought to be­hold.

When hee had vanquished his enemies, all the world ouer, and was placed in the throne of the empire, with great honor, triumph, glorie, maie­stie, abundance of health, of wealth, of libertie to commaund what he list: he did not swell in his hart, with pride, but in all humilitie fell downe before the crosse of Christ Iesus yeelding himselfe Christ his soldier, vnder whose banner this most renow­med Emperour marched forwarde. Hee was not so base minded, as to looke about him how hee might raise great summes from the poore people, or how hee might vnder some good pretence, exact some paiment from the church, though his enemies were manie & mighty, his warre great, his troubles innumerable, his charges infinite: yet hee did not molest any one person belonging to the church, nether would he suffer the mightiest of his princes, once to meddle with them.

He could not possiblie be perswaded to increase his treasure with any penny which came from the Church, or his honour, with their prerogatiue, or his securitie with their trouble, or his credit with their disgrace.

But this foster father of the poore dispersed lambs of Iesu Christ: he bestowed, he founded, he erected, [Page 108] on high, he reedified those temples which the here­tickes had pulled downe: hee restored the landes which they had taken awaie: when hee tooke it in­to his handes, he did not giue one halfe to God, & kept the other halfe to himselfe, saying: I haue two eies, the one to looke to my kingdome, and the o­ther to the church: But beeing a good true christi­an philosopher, hee knew, that though wee haue two eies, yet we must looke but one way, nor see but one marke at once.Math. 6. We cannot at once loue both God and Mammon, sinne and righteousnesse, the kingdome of this world, and heauen. But hee knew it truelie, and wayed it wisely in his hart, that the high God of heauen did create him, that hee blessed him, preserued him, exalted him, & gaue him all that he had.

And therefore hee rendred vnto him and his be­loued spouse, all honor, freedome, peace, and abun­dance. Hee was taught by the holie fathers out of the booke of life, that the Lord is a ielous God, he will not part stakes with any, nor giue his honor to any other: but of him it is said, and of him onelie: Thine is thy kingdome, thy power, and thy glorie for euer and euer,Math. 6. Amen.

When the good Emperour beheld this perfect stile of Iesu Christ, & did see the ensigne, on which it was described, together with the church of Christ cast downe to the bare earth: hee drawing neere as S. Paul did to the altar,Act. 17. Iohn. 19. wherein was written ignoto deo: beholding but foure bare letters I. N. R. I. which sig­nified that this was the ensigne of the vnknowen God, not acknowledged amongest men: forthwith [Page 109] hee humbled himselfe in the flesh, and reioiced in the spirit, that the vnknowen God, the God of hea­uen & of earth, had vouchsafed him that speciall grace to reueale himselfe vnto him. He cast downe his banner and tooke vp the crosse of Iesu Christ crucified: hee cast all dignities, courts, commissi­ons and kingdomes aside, and laid his honor in the dust, in regard of the true honor of Iesus Christ, (as wee haue mentioned) hee imploied all the giftes which hee had giuen him, euen of mind, bodie and goods, especially in founding, erecting, beautifying, perfecting, adorning, priuiledging, and freeing the church of Christ: as Eusebius Eusebius. testifyeth most plainlie in these words: Ecclesias vero Dei, incredibile est & su­pra omnem opinionem, &c. It is incredible, and far be­yond all mens opinions to recount what giftes and ornamentes hee bestowed on the church of God, what freedome, what plentie of maintenance, what honors he gaue to them which had wholy bent thē ­selues to serue the Lord in his holy temple, daily to pray for the safety of the lande, for the honour of the King, and the sinnes of the people.

This was the expressed pietie of that first and most Christian Emperour, and the Lord of his great mercie redoubled his kindnesse euen into his bosome: for hee not onely shewed him the scale which Iacob saw, and the gate of heauen opened at the top therereof: but hee gaue him that great and rare gift of perseuerance in his deuout deedes, euen vnto the end.

Therfore the Lord blessed him in his pallace,Deut. 16. & in the field,Psalm. 90. frō the arow which flieth in the wars abroad [Page 110] and from false friends at home, and in such plentiful manner, that all things which he tooke in hande did prosper wonderfully. His victories are compared with the conquests of Cyrus, but his end was much more happie, for when he had most honourablye passed the full course of the life of man, & enioyed all the blessings of the earth, aboue the space of six­tie yeares, not once troubled with any sicknesse of bodie or vexation of minde, but in wisedome and true christian loue, florished continuallye like the greene bay tree, whose fruite doth comfort the hart of man:Psal. 103. like the spreading vine, & like the fat Oliue braunch, which maketh him to haue a ioyfull coun­tenance: sith hee distilled these sweete drops of his sincere loue, into the bosomes of the poore distres­sed christians of his daies: the Lord he kindled the sparke of true christian loue in his heart, and made him glad with the ioy of his countenance. Hee had alwaies victorie against his enemies, conquering from Scythia in the east, to this Ile of Britaine in the west.

Neither was the loue of the Lord extended vnto this good Emperour in his life onely, but to the end all men may knowe that the loue of the Lorde is not fained, that his iustice neuer changeth, that his mer­cie endureth for euer;Gen. 17. hee departed out of this life, being full of yeares in his ripe olde age, euen about the feast of the ascension of our sauiour Christ; and the descension of the holy Ghost, at high noone. At which instant (his soule leauing the mortall body heere on earth) hee was no doubt receiued vp into heauen, by the hands of immortall angels, there en­ioying [Page 111] the crowne of eternall blisse. Which the Lord hath prouided for all those assuredly which looue his comming, and maintaine his holy mili­tant Church heere on earth. Neither was the re­ward of the Lord onely proportioned by the merit of man: neither did his munificent mercie, onely ex­ceede the merite of this true christian Emperour, so much as the compasse of the heauens, (whose least starres are much bigger then the lande and sea) exceedeth the earth,Gen, 1. 7. in giuing him his hartes de­sire, (which is eternall blisse and felicitie) but that which the Lord recounteth to Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, for a sure blessing here on earth: he gaue this Godly Emperour, three good and godly sonnes, to [...]it vppon his seate after him, neither for one or two liues onely, but as it is written of his posterity, Vt im­perii sedes, &c. That as the Empire discended from his father,Eusebius. vnto him, so by the course and lawe of nature, it was continued vnto his childrens children and their posteritie. Neither is it all onelie to bee mar­ked, what fruite the braunch beareth in the top, but if we be good simplicians, we will haue recourse vn­to the roote, from whence the first life and naturall vertue proceedeth. Heerein if we consider well and looke more narrowlie into it, wee shall plainely per­ceiue that these former examples, more nerely con­cerne our natiue couutri-men, then at the first sight appeareth: sith this is the tree which wee so highlie commend, and we be all branches of the same. Nei­ther doth this more narrowly cōcerne vs in respect of the cleare fountaine of christianity, which hee o­pened to vs with his finger, directing the course [Page 112] therof more plentifully into this worthy Iland: but because by bloud, we be descended from the same line and kindred from whence Constantine the great did first spring, (in that the vertuous ladie Helina his mother, was the daughter of king Coell, sometimes king of this noble Iland) let vs contend, not onely to retaine,Gua L. red the true vertue of her noble bloude, but also that we be like minded vnto her, in fasting, in pray­ing, in the giuing to the poore, in redeeming cap­tiues, in setting the bound at liberty, in founding of temples, & maintaining them honourablie, which with their bewtiful feete, bring to vs the glad tidings of the Gospell. Amongest whose excellent vertues that one doth shine most cleere, & representeth vn­to vs, the expresse image of her vertuous mind: that in all her iournies, beeing either neere or farre of, when so euer she came to a nie cittie or towne, so soone as shee was once alighted, before shee would admitte anie sute or person to her speache, or that she minded anie worldlie affaires: first of all shee would haue recourse vnto the temple of the Lord, there powring out her prayers and petitions before him, bestowing rich iewels, and costlie ornamentes on the Church, and distributing her almes verie li­berallie amongest the poore, where so euer shee came.

Wherefore the Lorde of his exceeding mercy, blessed her with a long, a prosperous, and blessed life, giuing her a willing desire, to leaue this wret­ched world, after shee had passed eightie yeeres in this tedious vale of vanitye. In which olde age shee called that pearelesse Emperour of the world [Page 113] her sonne, vnto her, holding his hand in hers, she willed him to bestowe all her treasure, and earthlie goods what so euer on good, and godly vses. Which diuine behest, once passed from out her gratious lippes: she committed her selfe into the handes of God, her bodie died away, Iesu Christ receiuing her blessed soule into his handes. O wonderfull depth of the mercie of God, towardes those which looue him. O ye true christians what so euer, and ye which descend from the bloud and line of that most vertuous Empresse:paral, 2. though now in the olde croo­ked age of this world, charitie be almost frozen to death, yet let not hardnesse of heart, preuaile so much against nature, that beeing braunches of so worthy a tree, yee should giue no shaddowe, no leaues, no blossomes, no fruite at all to your po­sterity.

This honorable nurse of the Church, she sprang out of the naturall soile, wherein wee now dwell, her vertuous seede did spreade it selfe, bothe farre and neere, it tooke deepe roote in Thrasia, in Greece, in Iurie, in Italie, in Fraunce, in Germanie, in Spaine, and could the narrow seas restraine the course ther­of, from her first natiue soyle, Naturae sequitur se­mina quisque suae, that which is bredde in the bone will neuer leaue the fleshe, and the bountifull sow­ing of this vertuous Ladies seede, brought foorth a plentifull haruest, in England some taste whereof dothe sweeten the mouthes of some, & comforteth the hartes of others at this daie. If yee bee not mooued, with the discouerie of so fruitefull [Page 114] a vine, which first did spring foorth of English soile, and hath spred it selfe ouer all christian nations, yel­ding pleasaunt iuyce and comfortable to the hartes of all true christians.

If you counte not of these examples, which at this daie present themselues, before your eyes, through the glasse of other mens rising and falling: If your owne euils will not mooue you, because they be familiar: then once againe do but loke backe vnto this mother vine, let the roote alone, nowe marke the passage of her bows, & the goodly sprea­ding of her branches: and you shall see manie fayre, well plumped clusters of grapes, which though thou canst not reache, yet disdaine not to beholde the fruitfulnes of the vine. Though it growe beyond the seas, yet giue it the due commendation: though the roote thereof bee founded in simplicitie, yet it beareth holesome beries in the toppe: though the Lord thereof was derided with a crowne of simple thornes: Yet the kings and princes of the earth, did raigne by his permission. All knees shal bow to him, who was the planter of this vine. All christian prin­ces shall honour him: and though the wilde Bore haue broke downe the hedge, though he haue spoy­led the garden, & rooted vp the vine, so that no one braunch therof dooth now appeare: yet the mighti­est Emperors will not passe by, no they count more of this wasted peece, then of all the kingdoms in the world.Exod, 3. They wil put of their shooes when they enter it, because it is holy ground: they wil cast down their crownes of golde, from their heades, because in that place it was said before the face of many witnesses, [Page 115] to him whose kingdome endureth for euer. Haile King of the Iewes. Therfore Godfrie that worthy Bul­liner, the king of Fraunce,Iohn, 19. Godfrie Bullin. after he had won the holy land, being offered a crowne of gold to be set vpon his head, he vtterly refused it, saying: it dooth not be­come me to weare a crown of gold, where my Lord and sauiour, the Lord of lords, the king of kings, the God of heauē & earth, did were a crown of thornes. Herein we may behold the true image of a right no­ble hart,Mic, Ritius for if we looke about vs, and beholde the common sorte of base minded men, all their desire is, not so much by vertue and prowes to attaine the victorie (which this noble Godfrie did, first entring the wall himselfe) as to haue the aboundant wealth of the place, the maiesty of the crowne, the glorie of the triumphe. Of these men it is not so, commonlie said, as truelie verified: he which hath the most shew without, oft times hath least within, & truely manie puppies in the world, if they were but a little seque­stred, from the pompe and pride which they showe without in glorious manner, themselues were ligh­ter then a feather, which is carried away with euerie blast of winde, & when it falleth down, is troden vn­der foote. Therefore because they haue it not within, they are very carefull to magnify themselues, with the outward appearaunce of that maiesty, which in deede they haue not. These base sorte of men if they had ouerpassed the walles with such good lucke, & once beene set on horse backe, they would haue gal­loped ouer the bodies, of their poore yelding aduer­saries, they would haue beene most fierce & cruell: they would haue bathed their swords in their bloud, [Page 116] they would haue sought great glory by barbarous cruelty, and their cheefe desire would haue beene, with the golden cote on their backe, the scepter in their hand, the crowne on their head, the applause of the people, to sit in the throne of maiesty. This did not the noble Godfrie of Bullē, he did not so, but pos­sessing the true treasure of right valure,Adricom. and perfect vertue in his hart, he coūted not his saftie to stand in the death of his enemies, nor his cheefe possession in worldly riches, nor his honor in glistering show, nor his triumphe in magnificent troupes of noble men, nor his maiestie in a crowne of molten mettal. This he might haue had, but he would not, si quidem posse & nolle nobile, the noble minde ofte may, but wil not. The vertue of the minde was his possession, and wisedome was his guide, in this famous victorie. He was studied in bookes of arte and wisedome, hee red the Poet and liked his heroicall verse full well:Virgilius. Sice­lides musae, paulo maior a canemus: non omnes arbusta iuuant humilesque myricae. His minde was great indeede, he could not glorie in fleshly pleasures. He sawe this fa­mous Cittie, was but a heape of lime and sand, built with the handes of manie poore slauishe worke­men, the riches, like glistering poison, infused with the wine into y^e cup of gold, the whole kingdome of Iudea, he saw was earthlie, and easie to be won at al times, with a sworde of iron and steele. There­fore hee counted the glorie of the crowne and scepter but a toye. And what was that then which hee counted off? euen that for which hee came, by which hee conquered, in which hee meant to dwell. Ierusalem. Not that Ierusalem whose, desolata est, [Page 117] did raise a most sweete pleasaunt note, from the mu­sitions penne: not the figured, but the perfigured, euen the Church of Christ, and also that which is figured by it, the heauenlie Ierusalem, the true holy cittie, the place of eternall rest, of the true glory of perfect triumphe, where hee might safelie and euer saie vnto his owne soule:Iudge, 4. O my soule thou hast mar­ched valiantlie. Hee counted not of glorie, which riseth out of the earth, and therefore most wisely, he fixed his hart and minde, on true eternitie, which dwelleth onely in the heauens. Hauing conquered, he did not ascend the chaire of maiestye, that hee might showe himselfe vnto the people, with great glorie: but as that holie and victorious conquerour Henrie the fifte, king of England, when with a fewe thousands of men hee had vanquished Charles the Dolphin of Fraunce strengthened with a royall army (wherein was most of his nobility) he with all his ar­mie kneled downe in the feeld,psal, 114. holding vp his hands to heauen, singing & saying, Non nobis Dominenon no­bis: sed nomini tuo da gloriam, not vnto vs O Lord, not vnto vs, but giue the glory to thy holy name. Euen so, this worthy conqueror of Ierusalem, though not with the same words, yet with the like deuotion hee humbled himselfe before the Lord: for the space of seuen daies, walking on foote in Ierusalē, beholding the places, where our sauiour Christ was cōuersant, whē he liued here on earth, where he was takē, wher he was examined, where he was whipped & scour­ged, & despitefully spit on, derided with a reed in his hand & a crown of thorns on his head. The mighty conquerour did behold all these with his eies, and his heart melted within him. Hee often kneeled [Page 118] down and kissed the places where our sauiour Christ had beene. With weeping eyes, hee looked vp into the heauens, and his soule desired to see the Lord of light. That the Lord of his mercie would regard him he daily prayed with great humilitie, liberallye be­stowing on the poore▪ In the place where the temple was, founding a most solemne colledge for religious men, giuing them great and large liuinges: calling them Prebends, building them many faire houses neere vnto the Church, for them to dwell in. These and innumerable such like, where the fruites of this noble minde, which beeing cleare in the sight of God, of Angels, and of men, the Lord blessed & pro­spered him wonderfully, in so much that in regard of his high prowesse and victorious conquests, to his eternall fame, with all posteritie, he is reputed one of the nine worthies of the world. The fountaine of this perfect glory did first breake foorth in Fraunce, flying ouer the highest Alpes, euen to Ierusalem, where by the way, if wee will but diuert a little, into Spaine, amongst some good, some bad, we shall see one most excellent famous noble woman, a great freend, & true louer of the church. The best & tru­est chronicles, giue her this stile. Serenissima, ac catho­lica domina,Ludouic. Brunus.Elizabetha, Hispaniarū, ac vtriusque Siciliae, ac Ierusalem Regina, &c. The most vertuous, catholicke lady, Elizabeth Queene of Sapine, Sicily, & Ierusa­lem, &c. This vertuous woman much like the godly Helina, mother of Constantinus, was so greatly esprised with the loue of Iesu Christ & his church so y^t shee bent all her muse & cogitation, seeking daily & dili­gentlie, how she might beate downe the heathenish [Page 119] power of the Turkes, and infidels, therewith to en­large the kingdome of Christ, and the dominions of the Christians, to the ende that her vertuous intent might the better prosper, she began this worke with fasting, and often praying, with almes-deedes, and founding of many godly temples, not leauing anie worke vndone, which shee thought was acceptable in the sight of God, nor any meanes vntried, which might procure the fauour of Iesu Christ, her louing sauiour. She turned her euery way, and looked dili­gently on all sides, howe and where she might best bestow the fruitfull seed of her charitable deuotion: her heart was so enflamed with this heauenly desire, that she could not containe her selfe anie longer in her pallace. In great desire she founde no rest. And what followed? with the consent of her princely Fer­dinando, shee mustered her men of warre, and gathe­red together the power of a mightie prince, like the auncient Debora, shee marched forwardes into the kingdome of Granata, the greatest part whereof had beene inhabited by the Ismaelites aboue seuen hun­dred yeares, & defended by them a warlike people continually against the Christians: which kingdom paid tribute to the crowne of Spaine 800000 crowns by yeare: she counted not of the force of so huge & strong a people, neyther once regarded the greate reuenewe which came into her treasurie that waye. The winters diuers times were so extreme cold, that her captains & soldiers requested her most instantly to breake vp her campe, till a more seasonable time of the yeare: yet she answering that this was the sub­tiltie of Sathan, to hinder the woorke of the Lord, [Page 120] warred continually for the space of three yeares, till the enemies of Christ cleane ouercome, shee made that whole realme christian, bestowing very liberal­ly on the poore,M. Ritius. the maimed, the captiues, the stran­gers, that were in anie distresse. In the same realme founding and erecting many goodly churches, col­ledges, and hospitals, for the poore maymed com­fortles people. Wee may see by the large spreading and plentifull yeeld, that this fruitfull braunch, did spring from Helynaes roote. For she not onely aduē ­tured her owne person in mightie warres against the Infidels, farther than that sexe dooth commonly af­foord: but she sent into the wide west Ocean sea, to the 7 fortunate Ilands, & to the Atlantich Ilāds, bea­ring far north & by west, gaining them all & their people to the christian religiō, which neuer heard of Christ before. In which Ilandes, to the end that after they had tasted the sweete milke of the Gospell of Christ, they might be fed with stronger meat: hauing built and erected many parish churches, besides di­uers goodly colledges, she founded and erected in Granata, foure Cathedrall churches; in the fortu­nate Ilandes, two: in the Indian Ilandes, three: in Affrike she wonne Mellam, L. Brunus. a most strong defenced towne: she wonne from the Turke the Iland Cepha­lena, sometimes Vlisses inheritance, amongst the Gre­cians: and most louingly she restored it to the Veneti­ans, whose sometimes it was. Shee wonne the Citie and tower of Ostia, violently deteined from the Ro­manes by a tyrant: restoring it vnto the Bishop of Rome: she enacted that there should bee but one re­ligion in her dominions, one faith, one forme of [Page 121] diuine worship, and thervpon, notwithstanding the great tribute, which came yearely into her treasurie from the Iewes, she expelled from her dominions all the Iewes which dwelt there, euen to the number of six hundred thousands, also shee offered to all Sa­rasins and Mahometists, either freely to depart out of her dominions, or to become Christians. Wher­by after some time and diligent preaching, within one yeare, of the Sarasins, there were conuerted and baptised aboue twentie hundred thousand. Lastly, shee gaue to the adorning of the temple, built ouer the sepulcher of our sauiour Christ, foure costly syn­dones, which whilest she was with child, she did spin & weaued afterward with hir own hands, in token of her dutifull obedience towards him. O most fruitful and vertuous Lady, which shunned neither colde nor heat, nor wars, nor weapons, nor wearying of hir selfe, nor spending her treasure, her time, her life, so that she might increase the church of Christ, and make his name known amongst the Gentils. There­fore the Lord looked down from heauen vpon her, with his louing countenance, giuing her all that her heart desired heere vppon earth, with most happie successe: till at the length after her long, prosperous, and victorious raigne, shee which had leade her life most vertuously, yeelded her soule into the hands of Iesu Christ, most willingly. After whose most hap­py death, her childrens children were raised by the Lord, vnto the seate and title of Earles, Dukes, Kings and Emperours.

This right renowned Lady, was born in the yere of our Lord 1448, & departed this life 1504, at which [Page 122] time also florished in England, that most vertuous Princesse, the Ladie Margaret Countesse of Rich­mond and Darbie, mother to king Henrie the sea­uenth.

This deuout Princesse beeing replenished with heauenlie graces, well knowing that the high honor of flesh and bloud is but a glistering cloude of vanitie, leauing the transitorie delights of the world, shee betooke her selfe wholly to the seruice and worship of God. Shee fell downe often on her knees secretlie in her closet, & bowed her selfe most humbly before him in his holie Temple, powring out her complaints together with the penetentiall Psalmes of Dauid, humblie requesting the Lord in her prayers, that hee would looke downe with his louing compassion on his holie Church, merciful­ly forgiuing the sinnes of his people. This shee did daily, ordinarily, faithfully, & sincerely. To her di­uine meditations, she adioyned often fastings, with many thousands of mercifull deedes to the poore, hearing their crie: willing that they might haue ac­cesse vnto her, helping them to their right against the mightiest of their Countrie, of what calling, place, honor, or office soeuer they were. Her house most princely and solemnly ordered, her vertuous statutes set downe by her godly Counsel, and signed with her owne hand (as it is to be seene at this day) the Chappell was most reuerently regarded, of all other places, and not of her alone, but of all her ho­norable retinue: her hower appointed for praier, no pleasure, no businesse, no embassage, no King nor Keisar could once interrupt. No oth within her [Page 123] dores, nor any word or deed which might offend the King of heauen.

And yet those vsuall recreations which might verie well beseeme the better sort of Christi­ans.

Her house thus wel reformed, according to the dis­posion of her heauenlie mind, though she waxed in years, yet shee walked forth of her doores into the haruest of the Lord, wherby the way looking vp, she viewed the height & fairnes of the temples: wel thin­king in her wise and Godlie meditation, that there were many goodly places, deuoid of worthy persons and many faire walles,Marh. 9. but not so many well learned as they should be. Her thought was good, her intent godlie, her successe was happy. And what was that? shee seeing the haruest great, and the laborers few, forthwith shee thought to send more laborers into the field of the Lord. And how? Shee pulled not downe manie litle Celles to build vp one great Col­ledge (as did the Cardinall, who liued not to see the end of his worke once begon) but wisely waying the great inconuenience of walles without men, men without religiō, religiō without knowledge, know­ledge without spirituall pastors: she founded an ex­cellent colledge in our vniuersit of Cābridge, after the name & number of Christ and his xii. Apostles, endowing it with goodly landes & possessions, with statutes and rules of vertuous life, to the end, that by her meanes many good and skilf [...]ll workmen might goe forth into the haruest of the Lord. This branch of true christian charitie increased so much, & was [Page 124] so acceptable in the sight of God, that by the view therof she framed a more solemne portraiture in her breast: for not long after she stil meditating how she might best gratify the Lord of light, who had put downe her foes, and replenished her hart with ioy and gladnes, according to the true rule of profi­ting in the schole of Christ, she went from vertue to vertue, & from strength to strength, euen a litle be­fore her death, raising vp a most solmne & sumptu­ous colledge, by her will founding therein seauenty fellowes according to the number of the seauentie Disciples sent out by our Sauiour Christ into the world to preach the Gospel, for the good weale and prosperous maintenance whereof shee gaue very rich, ancient, faire, and good lands. Shee left them holsome and worthie statutes, whereby a vertuous life might bee practised, and all knowledge, aswel of tongues as of sciences, might by her godly deuoti­on, bee more happily attained. Lastly hauing besto­wed great landes & possessions for the maintenance of lectures in Hebrewe, in Greeke, in Latine, in A­rethmetike, Rhetorike, Logicke, Philosophie, Geo­metrie, Mathematick, Phisick, Astronomy, Diuini­ty, and such disputations, with other profitable ex­ercises belonging to the same. She cleaped this lat­ter colledge by the name of that Disciple whom the Lord so loued, that he let him leane vpon his breast. [...].Aristot. For whose sake we loue another him we loue much more. And surelie this most ver­tuons princes loued our Lord Iesu with a perfect loue, which so honoured the name of that disciple [Page 125] whom the Lord loued so much: neither did her wor­thie deuotion conteine it selfe within these walles, but proceded like the pleasant flowing riuer, which giueth moisture to the pastures round about it: In that shee founded a diuinitie lecture to be read pub­liquely in Cambridge, and an other in Oxford, with many other gratious deeds elsewhere. To these good fruits, which this worthie tree of the Lords vineyard, did send forth plentifully, (vnder whose shadow ma­ny of vs pore soules, are shrowded from the nipping cold in Winter, and the scorching heat of Summer at this daie) the Lord distilled the heauenlie deaw of his blessing vnto her heart, giui [...]g her a most deuout and heauenlie minde here vppon earth: to which all the treasure in the world is nothing com­parable, with pefect honor, & true heartie loue of al good Christians.

To which hee added a faithfull and louing pro­mise, made vnto the iust, setting her most princely sonne vppon the seat of the kingdome, whilest she liued. And after her death, his childrens chil­dren, which wee see with our eies at this day to our great ioy, peace and comfort, most heartily praying God to graunt her a long and prosperous reigne,Elizab. Regina. in this world, and in the world to come euerlasting fe­licity, Amen.

Amen is already said, & my prayer to God shal be amen. But thend & period is not yet: sith in the field of the Lord there is good seede and tares, holesome hearbes and weedes: sweet roses and stingingnettles

We haue now shewed plainly the fruitful seede of this garden, and the sweete fragrant flowers gro­wing [Page 126] in the same, which daily send vp a most sweete smell into the nostrils of the Lord, much like the o­doriferous smell of Iacobs garmentes,Gen. 27. which greatlie delighted the senses of his olde father Isaac, or lyke the pretious oyntment powred on the head of Aa­ron, running downe his beard euen to the hemme of his garment.

Amongst the which good trees now named, as there are many passing pleasaunt flowers, springing out of many and sundry soiles, so the peareles pearle the flower of flowers,Túe rose of Englād. the rose of England, being ioy­ned with the rest, doth make the nosegay full faire, and sweet, whose pleasant smel, because it is so hole­some to the head, and comfortable to the heart: be­cause the oyle thereof doeth comforte the brused si­newes, lowseth the dried iointes, and mittigateth swelling paines, through the whole bodie: The Lord hold his holie hand ouer this flower, and preserue it to his glory, according to the tenor of that old verse:

This rose of true vertue, euen sent from heauen, hol­ding the kingly scepter of this lande, shall flourish for euer.

And good cause why. Sith the roote thereof is firmely fixed on the south-east side of this orchyard. Ouer which the sunne of heauen hath spred his bles­sed beames so plentifully, that the ground thereof is fresh and greene, the flowers faire, the smell sweete, the fruit most plentiful and verie wholesom. Which because it yeeldeth the first and sweetest taste, vnto the spowse of Iesu Christ, hee hath blessed it as yee [Page 127] haue heard, and it shall be blessed. And though I bee the vnworthiest of many thousandes, to walke tho­row this orchard of the Lorde: Yet if it shall please you of your curtesie to accompany mee vnto the of ther side,Psal. 36. ye shall see by the way, that wee must de­cline from euill, and doe good: that on this side of the orchyard bee many faire and large trees, whose bowes be faire, the leaues be greene, the fruit is well seeming, but yet it hangeth so high, that it will not come downe, the bowes are so stiffe, and the trees so vntractable, that they will not once bend themselues vnto the hande of the most louing spowse of Iesus Christ.

And therefore as the Lord of his mercie hath bles­sed those abundantly, which loue his spouse, & nou­rish his children: so on the contrary, hee maketh those trees barren,Toby 13. which yeeld him no fruite. He ta­keth the iuice from them, so that their bowes wi­ther, their leaues fall from them: the bodie dieth: the tree is cut downe with his sharpe axe, or else with great force pulled vp by the roote, and cast into con­suming fire.Math. 3. But if the ranke root of the euill tree, be so full of naturall corruption, and venimous posion, that it sucke out the iuice from the good trees neere adioining thereto, which yeelde wholesome fruites vnto all his saints, then the Lorde he sendeth forth his spirite of mighty force and tempest, which brea­keth the bowes,Psal. 25. and rendeth the tree in sunder. Hee prepareth most exquisite tormentes, and vntolle­rable dolours, for all those which impouerish his Church, which disgrace the shepheardes of his flocke, which treade downe the sides of his simple [Page 128] folde,Psal. 126. and deuoure his poore lambs, thorow the gre­die and heathenish desire, which they haue to the the goods of this world. From this corrupt fountain springeth, the vncertaine and the wretched cares of mans life: in that euery one is set on fire, with the sparks of infinite desires. Beeing once tottered in the chariot of this vncertaintie: man walketh in a vayne shadow, & disquieteth himselfe in vaine. His hart is set on vanitie, and all his purchase is the sorrowfull fruits of the flesh. Though honor and riches haue no stabilitie.S. Bernard though the strength of man is like a brused reede, which we bteake in sunder with our fingers: though the whole world be a sea of troubles, & all the prosperities therof waues of perpetuall disquietnes: yet man, sinful man, presumptuous, disobedient, vn­satiable man: though his eies be weake and dim, yet will he aduenture to looke against the radiant sunne: though he be blind, yet will he walke: though he bee weake, yet wil he striue against the strongest stream: though he be naked, yet will he offer himselfe, to the stroke of death: though the drinke be deadly poison: yet because the colour is good, the cup pleasant, the first tast therof sweet: he wil drinke a large draught, till the tast of his toong empoyson his owne hart, till his pleasure breake out with roaring paine: till his bodie be dried vp, and til his soule all consumed with sinne,Iob. 10. cry out with Iob: Tedet animam meam vit ae meae: it irketh me of this wicked life.

Though this bee thus: and daily example of those which descend before our eyes into the graue, dooth tell vs all this plainely: yet wee daily carke and care, for this carkasse of ours, knowing well it [Page 129] is but dust,Gen. 2. wee desire sweete meates, which empoi­son the soule: wee reuerence, we feare: most ser­uilely wee admire worldly honour, which is lighter than vanitie it selfe. The wise, high, mightie, ho­norable, politike rulers of this world, trouble them­selues all the dayes of their life, in fetching, in ca­sting, in compassing, goods, lands, honour, domini­on and power.

They rise vp earely, and goe to bed late (as sayth the prophet) they eate the bread of carefulnes, they search and seeke many newe waies. They inuente many strange pollicies: they aduenture many great daungers: they loose many frendes: they vndoo many poore schollers, widowes, and fatherles chil­dren, euen to the losse of their owne soules, and yet they say, they loue the Lord and his holy temple. O sinfull harts besotted with sensualitie.

Can that shippe be safe which is tost with euerie surge of the sea, and ouerwhelmed with euery blast of wind? can that minde bee quiet, which boyleth with sundry flames of fire? Is there any suretie in lightnes it selfe? any certainetie in outwarde for­tune? any safetie in perpetuall warre? any securi­tie in present daunger? any frendshippe in open defiaunce? any felicite in outwarde riches? anye religion in spoyling the Church?

Be there two heauens that wee should make our paradise heere on earth? or is the Lords arme shor­tened, that hee can not execute his will? or his iustice decayed, that the sinners shoulde escape vengeaunce? Is hee asleepe, that hee is not stir­red vp with the outrage which the heathen and [Page 130] hard harted worldlings commit against his church? or is hee deafe, that hee heareth not the crie of the poore? or blinde that he seeth not the pride of the world openlie disclaiming the brightnes of the hea­uens? Per. 2. No the Lord is not slack as some count slack­nes. He which made the heauens so high, most carefully he beholdeth the lowest, the poorest the simplest creatures here below.Psalm. 112 He which made the eare, hee will heare the crie of the poore, and hee which made the eie, hee will beholde the scarres, which be inflicted on the face of his beloued spowse In his compassion, hee shall pittie her, and in his iudgement he shall draw forth the two edged sword of his wrathfull indignation. He shall rise vp like the Gyant to the battaile,Psalm. 18. and shall passe forth as the Lyon to deuour his praie. Hee shall redouble the wickednesse of his enemies into their bosoms.

Hee shall cast downe the house on their heads. He shall bring the curse of their desert vpon them, and who is able to withstand the surie of his wrath­full indignation? to endure his anger? or to suffer his heauie displeasure? though some men prosper for a while with that which is not their owne, being reserued to a greater destiny: yet let those which hope for the saluation of Israel, learne to feare the Lord aright. Let vs not abuse the long patience & louing kindnes which the Lord hath shewed in spa­ring vs so long.Sapien. 15. I grant the Lord is merciful, & long suffering, full of patience and mercie, sore grieued with the death of a sinner. But yet he is iust in reuen­ging the iniuries of his spowse.

If anie offer iniurie to the king, or to a noble mā, [Page 131] or to a meane man before his face, he will reuenge it presently: but if wee offer violence to the spowse of Christ, or the dead, or the fatherlesse, or the in­nocent, which cannot speake for themselues, nor pleade their owne cause: then know that the Lord hath taken the defence of these to himselfe.

Hee which dwelleth in the heauens, hee seeth it. Though his blow be long in comming, it pearceth deepe euen into the Marrow and the bottom of the soule, and that to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him.Exod. 20. Hee beareth long with them: but when he commeth he payeth home.

Hee suffereth the wicked to deuise many vnlaw­full means, whereby they waxe rich in this world. He letteth them passe on their course oft times, with great prosperity, euen many yeares, & diuers liues, till at the length, when the fruit of sinne is ripe, and the first sower thereof is readie to reape a plentifull haruest of his vngodlinesse, then besides the danger of the soule, the sowthwinde ariseth, the heauens ouercast, the outragious tempest breaketh out of the cloudes aboue, it passeth, it pearceth, it ouer­throweth, so that the haruest which hath bene so many yeares in growing, of a sodaine is cleane di­stroyed, and vanisheth out of sight.

Though thou haue thonsandes of landes, and tenne thousandes more than the auncient inhe­ritance of the fathers: Though thy money bee heaped in bagges, and thou wallow in thy wealth, hauing all thinges at thine owne will: yet if thou haue robbed thine owne mother, to enrich thy treasure, thou shalt bee a fatherlesse childe, and [Page 132] childlesse father thy selfe, so that thou shallt haue no parents, in whose presence thou maiest ioy, nor leaue any childe behinde thee, to weepe for thee at thy graues side.

Nay that which is a visible curs: thy goods for which thou hast drudged so sore, when thou art dead shall bee translated, into the handes of thine enemies to the end they may strongly bee auenged of thy dearest friendes.

O let not your eies bee blinded with carnall delight,Reg. 4, 10. and too much carefulnesse of this earth­lie bodie, let not the delights of the flesh, blot out the well meaning motions of the spirite.

Be wise betimes and vnderstand this true rule of the spirite, least the terriblenesse of the example cause you to tremble at the first sight, and after further view breede great amasement in your hart and conscience.

If thou haue children, and childrens children, and great store of earthie offices, honors, and dig­nities for them all: yet if thou spend more time and care in prouiding for them, and herein count more of thine owne honour, now begunne and budding in thy posteritie, then of the prosperitie of the Church of Christ, of his diuine worship of of his holie ministers: Thy wife shall prooue a stinging serpent in thy bosome, thy children shall bee wastfull distroyers of that which thou so care­fullie hast built vp: thy bodie agonished with sundrie malladies, altogether vncurable, thy gro­ning daie and night will marre thy melodie concei­ued of thine abundance of riches: thy hart shall [Page 133] quake with doubtfull feare of thine enemies: death will double the discord of thy disquietnesse: and if thou were the mightiest and most puissant prince in the world, yet if thou count of any earthlie thing, before or in comparison of God and his holie Church, (vnlesse thou repent) thy desire shall neuer prosper.

Concerning this conclusion, I minde onely to giue you a tast, of which (if it please you to per­vse Celsus of Verona hereunto annexed,Celsus of Vetona. yee shall find the whole seruice represented in sundry deynty dishes, which manie wicked worldlings take from the ministers of the Chuch, setting them on their owne tables.

Hee hath described the whole course, and na­med sundrie costlie meates, whereon the Vene­tians vsed to feede, adioyning thereto their sow­er sawces: which once receiued in at the mouth, but hardlie afterwardes digested: did breede great hart burninges, in their breastes. And good cause why: for if the Lord promise long life and hap­pie daies to them which dutifullie honor their fa­ther and their mother:Exod. 20. shall hee not pull out his flaming sworde of indignation, and cutte of the line of their posteritie, which dishonor their spi­rituall mother the holie church? pilling and pow­ling her of her iewels, ornamentes, auncient liberties & large possessions, making her loathsome euen in in the sight of the heathen?

If thy louing mother tooke thee vp out of the wildernesse, from the mouthes of manie wilde beastes: if shee brought thee in her louing armes [Page 134] into her house, and lapped thee warme in her owne clothes, if she suckled thee with her tender brestes, if she sustained many great losses,Honorius Solitarius, & harde aduentures in bringing thee vp: if she suffered many troubles & daungers in defending thee: nay if shee haue beene most greeuously persecuted, once, twise, thrise, nay more than tenne times for thy sake: is it not barba­rous crueltie for thee when thy mother is olde, to take her iewels from her necke, her clothes from hir backe, her house ouer her head, her meate out of hir hande? Wilt thou scratch the teate that gaue thee sucke? or diminish the liuing of the Church, which giueth the spirituall foode for the soule? though the holy scripture had not once mentioned it, yet the law of nature dooth threaten a dreadfull doome, to all those which destroy their owne parents: & God the Creator of nature it selfe, dooth neuer leaue it vnpunished.

Let vs propound vnto our selues, the life, the ho­nour, the dignitie, the blessed memorie, and immor­tall glorie, of those worthie princes already menti­oned. And on the contrary the sinister beginnings, the euill successe, the miserable endes of all those, which neglected the glorie of God, and the prospe­rous estate of his Church,Reg. 4. which of all Christians, especially of all true nobilitie, ought most to bee ab­horred. Doe but lift vp your eie, and looke at tbose which haue shaked their head at Sion, & by shaking of Sion her selfe, haue meant to strengthen them­selues on all sides. Fixe your eies stedfastly, yea but a little,Athanasius. on those gracelesse ympes, & after many great plagues and destructions sent on them, ye shall see [Page 135] the clowde cleane vanished, and in the house of the wicked no man lefte. His habitation shalbe voide, and there shall no man remaine to saie, with the olde Prophet, alas my brother, alas my vnckle, a­las my loouing father. Nowe hauing bent our eyes vnto the viewe of sundrie examples, let vs looke in­to the ages past, and see if euer the Godly were vt­terlie destitute, or that the enemies of the Church of God, euer continued long in honour, or if those which anie waie impared the Church, prospered afterwardes in their generations. Come and see: nay I pray you reede and vnderstand, that the Lord hath alwaies beene most ielous, ouer his beloued spouse. Tell mee if you bee so olde, or your memorie so good, can you name anie what so euer, which at anie time in anie nation, diminished the state, the li­uing, the honour, the safetie of the church of Christ, and scaped the handes of the almightie? Dauids eating of the shewe breade, in the dayes of Abia­ther the high Preest, is aunswered by the Lord of truth, extreame necessitie droue him therevnto: and yet (as the learned write) hee might more safely doe it, because he was both a Prophet and a king, herein prefiguring the person of a sauiour Christ, who was a king, a preest, and a Prophet. But let vs proceede, plainly saying the sooth of our conclusion. The Lord in executing his iudgementes, hath no respecte of persons neither pardoneth he this greeuous volun­tarie sinne, of detracting from the Church, so easi­lie, as hee dooth other sinnes of infirmitie.

But rather hee sheweth his most seuere iudge­ment, against those which take the liuing of the le­uit [Page 136] from the Church, and impropriate the same vnto themselues, their wiues and their children. Ely was a goodlie old Priest aud verie learned.Ely. He was so belo­ued of the Lord, that by the mouth of God, hee and his seede, were appointed to minister in the house of God, hee had the freedome and prerogatiue of the Priests: and he onelie had the disposing of the Arke, the house, the sacrifice of God in his daies. Till at the length together with the vse of holie rites, thorough the hope of small gaine, hee suffered great abuse to enter into the house of God: in that the sonnes of E­ly forgetting God, & the due reuerence which they ought vnto his holy sacrifice: applied the vse thereof more to the feeding of their owne selues, then to the solemne and reuerend pacifying of the Lord, for the sinnes of the people. They seldome offered them­selues, & whē any of the people came to offer vp vn­to the Lord, whilest the meat was boiling the Priests boy came, & hauing a fleshhook in his hād, he thrust it deep into the caudron, & what piece soeuer came vp, that the Priest tooke to himself. This did they vn­to all the people of Israel, which came to sacrifice in the house of God at Silo. Yea, & before they burnt the fat, the priestes boy came to him which offered, saying: giue me a portiō, that I may rost for the priest, I will not stay to take boiled flesh at thine hands: but I must haue it rawe. To whom when he which offred vnto the Lorde, answered not so, but (according to the custome) let the fat be burnt first, & take then at your pleasure. To whome the boy replied, nay but if thou wilt not giue it me presentlie, I will take it whe­ther thou wilt or no. Herevpon the sins of the sonnes [Page 137] of Elie, was grieuous in the sight of God, because they being sinfull flesh, tooke to their owne vse, that which was bestowed on the sacrifice of the God of heauen. Elie heard all those things of his sonnes, and more then that: and he said vnto them verie mildlie: howe is it my sonnes that I heare of such wickednes committed by you against the Lord? doe so no more my sonnes, doe so no more. Consuetudo peccandi, tollit sensum peccati. They sinned still by dailie custome without regard: they offended the Lord without re­morse: the old father spake to his sonnes sometimes, but so louing lie, that hee hated his children: that hee fed their humour, and nourished them in their wan­ton wickednes, forgetting that truth which he spake with his lips: If one man sinne against another, God may be pacified for them both, but if man sin against God, who shal intreat for him, or make sufficient sa­tisfactiō? This mild old man waxed towards his end. As is the vse of natural fathers, he loued his sons too much, too vehementlie, & too childishlie, in that he was loather to loose their fauning looks, then the fa­uor of the Lord. Alas (say some) you must beare with nature, he was verie old, and his greatest ioy was his sons. Was his ioy here vpō earth? And did he reioice more in his fleshly childrē, then in the true seruice of the Lord? because he loued the issu of his flesh more thē the glory of God; & maintained his childrē with y^• which was bestowed on the worship of god, ther­fore the Lord sēt a doble embassage vnto him. First y^e man of God told him plainly after this maner: Thus saith the lord: did not I plainly appear vnto y^• house of thy father, when he was in Egypt in Pharaos house, [Page 138] and chose him out of all the tribes [...] of Israell, to bee my Preest, to offer vpon mine alter, and to burne incense,Exod. 4. and to weare an Ephod before mee? and I gaue vnto the house of thy father, all the burnt offe­ringes, made to mee by fire, of the children of Isra­ell. Wherefore haue you kicked against my sacri­fice, and mine offeringe which I commaunded in my tabernacle: and honourest thy children aboue mee, to make your selues fatte of the first fruites of all the offeringes of my people Israell? Wherefore the Lord God of Israell saith: I saide that thine house, and the house of thy father should walke be­fore mee for euer. But nowe the Lord saieth: it shal not bee so, for them which honour me, them I will honour. And they which despise mee, shall be dis­pised. Beholde the day shall come that I will cut of thine arme, and the arme of thy fathers house, and there shall not bee an olde man in thine house, and thou shalt see thine enimie, in the habitation of the Lord &c. And this shall bee a signe vnto thee: thy two sonnes Ophney and Phinees, shall both die in one daie. This was the first Embassage, and the second was like vnto it, denounced by the childe Samuell in this manner: Behold I will doe a thing in Israell, that the eares of all which heare it, shall tingle. In that day, I wil bring all the plagues against Elie, and against his house, which I haue already determined: and I will iudge his house for eu [...]r and the iniquitie of his house shal not be done away, with offeringes and oblations for euer. Which when Elie heard, he being stricken with greese of hart, hee saide: it is the Lord, let him doe as it seemeth best in his eies. Im­mediatly [Page 139] after these offēces of the sōs of Ely, against the Lord & his holy worship, & the prophaning of the tabernale, which was a figure of the church: the Philistnes moued battail against Israel, they won the field, they tooke the arke of the Lord: & in the same day Oppney and Phines the sons of Elye were slaine in the battaile. At which time, Ely sitting vppon a cell, trembling for feare of the arke, then gone forth into the battaile, he beeing blind, in the euening he hard a sorowfull noise, through out the whole cittie, wee­ping & mourning & great lamentation: euen in such sorte, that he sent presently to know the cause there­of. In the same instant a messenger came running from the feelde in hast, telling him that all Israel was that day discomfited in the battaile: great effusion of bloud in the middest of Israell, with the death of his two sons Ophney and Phinees, & also the arke of God, was taken by the Philistines. But when Elie hearde the arke of God named,Reg. 1. he fell downe backward frō his feate & brake his necke. O the dreadfull iudge­ment of the Lord against those, which take awaie the liuing giuē to maintaine his holy worship. Here we see the truth of Elies speach: if man sinne agaist man, there may be an attonement made betwixt thē But if man sin against God, if he diminish the glory of the Lords temple, to increase his own honour, or feed himselfe, his wife, his children, with the goods giuen to the worship of the Iord, & his holy temple: who shall intreate for him? those which by weakenes of the flesh sin of infirmity, to thē the Lord wil more easily grant pardō. But if thou lift thine hand, against the mighty God of heauen & earth: & willingly di­minish [Page 140] the worship of his holy name, thē tremble & fear & repēt indeed, for not the malefactor only: but his father,Exod: 20. his bretheren, his citie, his countrie, where his wickednes is suffred, shal be grieuouslie punished by the hand of God in peace, & vanquished by the enemie in the daie of battail. Herein both Clergie & Temporaltie are to take example of the punishmēts which light on those, that diminish or alter the obla­tions, & godlie deuotions which true christian Prin­ces, & other wel disposed people, hath freely bestow­ed on the Church. Though their hearts be so harde­ned that they doe not feare, and their conscience so brauned that they cry to those, which shew forth the dreadfull iudgements of the Lord, in this case: Talke on, giue me the goods: & therein take the fat of the Church liuings, and leaue the leane for those which minister at the Altar of the Lord: Yet let them assure themselues,S. Pet: 2. that the Lord wil come, & wil not defer, and till he come he hath laid vp a heauie iudgement for them, against the daie of distresse. In the battaile they shall be discomforted, their sonnes shall perish with the sword, themselues shall die the same night, & they shal know that it is the Lord. He wil be serued first, & none but he. He wil haue the best of our lands goods & children, & none but he. He will haue the Kingdome, the power, & the glorie, & none but he. There shall no iniquity remain in his house. Neither is he like to sinful man, that he wil grant childish dis­pensations, contrarie to his own laws. He hath gran­ted no priuiledge of euil life, to anie person whatsoe­uer. If the King offend, hee spareth not his goods, his lands, his childrē, his life, his honor. If the people sin, he raiseth a strong & strange people against them in [Page 141] war, or sendeth a secret pestilence to destroy them at home in peace. If the priest conuert the offerings of the Lords worship, vnto the maintenance of his wife & children, though it be that good old man Elie, yet the people for whom he praieth shal flie before their enemies, his sons shall die on the edge of the sword, he shal break his neck down backward, the ark of the Lord shal be taken by the vncircūcised Philistines, & (that which is the core of this most grieuous plague sore) the glory of the Lord shal depart from the land. Tunc tuares agitur paries, Reg: 1. cùm proximus ardet, if iudgmēt begin at the house of God what shall be amongst the estranged sinners, if the fier be already so kindled in the greene tree, what shall become of the drie? If the Lorde thus seuerelie punished his priest (whom hee chose vnto himselfe) for diminishing the sacrifice & the solemnity therof: with what sword wil he reuenge the disgraces of his holie Temple, amongst the hea­then, or the greedie Atheists, which spoile hir of hir dailie maintenance, of hir pretious clothing, of hir solemn foundations, of hir wel bestowed lands? You know that Salomō was the wisest man that euer was being onlie man, & yee haue heard of the fruit of his heauenly wisdome, euen the building of a holy tem­ple vnto the Lord. If heauenly wisedome built it vp, then sinful folly pulled it down, & down it came. But wil you see with what countenāce, the Lord beheld that fact? That mightie Monarch Nabuchodonozer amongst his generall warres and famous victories, he conquered Ierusalem and rased the walls,Nabuchodonoser. he spoi­led the Temple, and tooke away some of the golden vessels of the house of God,Ierem. 39. placing them in his emple before his Idols, wherein the learned obserue [Page 142] that he had some conscience, in taking some of the vessels & not all, & in vsing them only in the temple of his gods, not in his owne house. He was a migh­tie Emperor, & as his dominions were greater then those of other princes, so was his hart lift vp in prid, aboue all other men: therefore the Lord he put the mighty man from his seate,Daniel 4. hee disarmed him of all his power, he made him naked of al his glory, he re­mooued the crowne of golde from his head, & that which argueth what manner of men they be, which laie violent handes on the temple of God, he tooke from out his brest, the vnderstanding hart of man, & placed therein a brutishe beastly heart together with the shape of an Oxe, which hath hornes and hoofs, and eateth haie. After this hee tooke him from the princely pallace, and turned him lose into the wilde soile, euen amongst the beasts of the wood. His bo­dy was wet with the dewe of heauen, his drinke was the water of the puddle: & his solace was the com­pany of brute bests. He led this dul & deadly life, for seuen yeres: y^t hee might learne to know the God of heauen: to regard his truth, to giue him al honor and glory: which after the Lord of his mercy & wisdom, had restored him to his kingdome he did most wil­lingly & plainely acknowledg, euen in these words: I Nabuchodonozer, Daniel. 4. do lawd, magnify, & extoll aboue al things, y^• king of heaūe & earth, &c. Though after this strange chastisement, he was wōderfully hum­bled in the sight of God & man: yet the corruptiō of the fathers bloud did sinke so depe into the bones of his son king Balthasar, that when he was at a solemne feast, amōgst his princes & the nobilite of his court: [Page 143] being dronken he commanded y^• the golden vessels, which his father Nabuchodonozer [...]ad brought frō the temple of Ierusalē should be brought into him: that he & his princes, his nobles, wiues & concubines, in a brauery might drinke in them. It was so don. They did eate and drinke in the vessels, belonging to the temple of the Lorde: they praised their idoll Gods: but by the way, the wine which tasted sweete to his lips, came cold to his hart. For in the same moment as hee was drinking: right ouer against the candle standing on the table: there appeared the fingers of a mans hand, writing on the wal: which once discri­ed, by the king himselfe: hee beheld it with a gastly looke, and fearefully esprised with the letters, which appeared in his sight, his colour chaunged, his heart panted, his spirit was troubled, his raines were loo­sed, and his legs shrunke vnder him. Straightway in great hast hee sent for Daniel, Daniel. 5. who read the writing, which was this: Mane, Techel, Phares: expounding these three words in this manner: Mane, that is, God hath numbred thy kingdom, & broght it to an end: Techel, thou art weighed in the ballaunce, & thou art found too light: Phares, thy kingdome is diuided, & giuen to the Medes & Persians. This was the sentence of the Lord against that mightie king, for translating his vessels appointed for his holy sacrifice, vnto prophane vse: & the execution was not long defer­red: for the selfe same night in which he presumed to drinke in those holy vessels, hee was slaine in his owne house. Though the Lord do not alwaies sende such manifest & speedy reuenge on all those, which take the goods of the holy church vnto their priuate [Page 144] vses: yet let them which are guiltie thereof beware, that they abuse not too much, the merciful & louing patience of the Lord, for his sword is sharpe, & pas­seth swiftly, betwixt the soule and the spirit, like the lightning breaking out of the clowd. Think not that he is forgetfull, because the fact is nowe past: or vn­iust, because vengeance yet lieth hid: or partial, that without repentance he should suffer any sin to scape vnpunished, in any person whatsoeuer, from the be­ginning of the world vnto this day. Dauid was a holy and a kingly prophet, a man euen according to Gods owne hart: his eies beheld the vaine beautie of a wo­man, wherewith his hart was straight inflamed, and set on fire within his brest: hee tooke his poore sub­iects wife, and sent her husband to wars, where hee was slaine: he loued, he killed, and after that he pos­sessed the woman, & had by hir a goodly boy. What followeth in the text of holy scripture? the prophet Nathan brought him a heauie message frō the Lord, saying: it is euen thou; thou hast sinned against the Lord and thy poore subiect: thou hast slaine V­rias the Hethite, and married his wife: wherefore the sworde shall not departe from thine house for euer. This was the defiance of the Lorde sounded against king Dauid, by the mouth of Nathan the prophet, to which the great alarum was not vnlike. For the Lord did visite the little childe, which he had by Vrias wife with sicknesse. For whom Dauid prayed vnto the Lorde most instauntly, that hee would spare the childe. Hee prayed long, hee fasted religiously, hee mourned, hee remained in the darke; hee put on sackecloth and ashes; hee lay vppon the colde [Page 145] ground; his noble counsellors could not intreate him to take any meate for seuen dayes, in the ende whereof, the Lord tooke away the fruit of his sinfull delight, euen the childe vnlawfully begotten, which he so entirely loued.

Afterwards, though the Lorde blessed him with Salomon, yet to shewe that the fight of the rereward, should bee no lesse mortall than the sodaine alarum, giuen before to the maine battaile: the Lorde stir­red vp his owne sonne in armes against him, and armed the people so stoutly with rebellious heartes, in desire of his destruction: that it was saide plaine­ly, before the king: that all Israell were vp in armes against him, and sought to destroy him.

This tumult of the people was so sodaine, so vi­olent, and so outragious, for the time, that the king for feare, fledde out of his owne pallace, and durst not staye therein, though hee had shewed great signes of hartie repentaunce: and the Lorde had sayde, that hee would remember his mer­cies, promised vnto him: the retreate was not fully sounded, but the Lorde punished the sinnes of the king together with the death of seuentie thousand of his subiects, destroyed with the plague which hee sent amongst them. Whereby all men maye learne to feare the Lorde, knowing that hee is iust and holie, immutable, and not as man is, to bee pleased with a faire worde: but euen amongst his chosen children, hee sendeth his deuouring sworde to cut of the roote of their sinnes: and not to them onely, but to their children and childrens chil­dren.

[Page 146]Concerning this wee haue a cleare example in Achab king of Israell, who when hee could not en­treat poore Naboth to depart vnto him his vineyard and the inheritance of his forefathers: hee lay down on his bed, all sick with griefe turning his face from the companie towards the wall, he sighed sorrowful­ly, but the phisition was at his elbow. For there was a commission presently sent forth, a court called, wit­nesses examined, Naboth condemned, brought forth, executed.

When Achab heard of this, he rose from his bed, he descended and tooke possession. But the Lord he sounded forth his trompet of defiance against him by the mouth of Helias saying,Regum 3. hast thou killed and taken possession? behold, in the same place where the dogges licked the bloud of Naboth, they shall also licke thy bloud, and I will cut of the line of thy po­steritie, so that I will destroy from Achab euery one that maketh water against the wall, Achab hearing this, was wonderfullie sorie and vexed in his hart, so that he rent his garment, fasting and praying in sack­cloth and ashes. Therefore the Lord had an eie to his penitent sorrow, and recomforted him by the mouth of Helias, saying. Because thou hast humbled thy selfe at my voice, this euill shall not come in thy daies, but in thy sonnes daies; and yet not one iot of the word of the Lord failed, concerning his death. For after three years, there arose great wars betwixt Israel and the Ass [...]ians, in which king Achab being sore woūded vnder the side with an arrow, the bloud ran down into the chariot, and he died: and they wa­shed the Chariot in the poole of Samaria, and the [Page 147] dogs licked his bloud, in the selfe same place, where hee spilt the bloud of the innocent Naboth. His el­dest sonne Ioram was partaker of this punishment sent from God,Reg. 4. for hee was shot betwixt the shoul­ders by the handes of Iehu, being cast out of his cha­riot into the fielde of Naboth. Also his wife Iesabel the deuiser of this sinne shee was cast out of her window downe vpon the pauement,Iesabel. where (her brains dasht out against the stones, her bloud sprent vpō the walles, her body bruised against the ground)

When she should haue bin taken vp, there was nothing found remaining saue onely her handes, her feet and her scawpe, as it was spoken by the mouth of Helias. Dogges shall eate the flesh of Iesabel in the fieldes of Iesraell.

Lastly (that wee may behold the seuere iudge­ment of the Lord against those which take away o­ther mens possessions) though Achab left great store of Children behind him, euen 70. sonnes in Sama­ria: so that it seemed verie likely in the eie of man, that hee should neuer want issue to sitte vppon his seat, yet the Lord in one day by the hand of Ie­hu destroyed them all:Reg. 4. their heads were cut of at his commaundement, and laid on heapes by the citie gate, to the end that all posteritie might learne here­by: not to trust in the multitude of their landes, au­thoritie and riches, or to hope too much in the suc­cession of their carnal bodie: but to way the seuere iudgementes of the Lord against all those which neglect his honour, and which through a greedie desire of earthly possession, with the hasard of their owne soules, willingly vndoo their poore neigh­bours [Page 148] and bretheren, for whom the Lord Iesu the God of heauen and earth, hath shed his most pre­tious bloud. O that carnall men would consider wisely, and way this conclusion truly in their hart, that if the Lord did so seuerely punish Achab (and yet not the thousand part which hee deserued) for the taking away of one of his subiectes vineyardes, which lay verie commodiouslie for him: that hee died vnfortunately in the battaile, his Queene was eaten with dogges, his children euen 70. be headed all in one day: what grieuous punishment hath hee prepared for those which take the house & vineyards of his beloued spouse? which impouerish his chil­dren of whom he hath said, hee which hurteth you, hee toucheth the apple of mine eye? which eate her bread from her, and make her barren of her best be­loued children? Which place all their studie and de­light in hording vp corruptible riches, not remem­bring how litle it auaileth a man,Math. 46. if he win the whole world, and loose his owne soule? Nay not conside­ring the exceeding great blessings which the Lord continuallie powreth on them that mainteine his holie temple, and the extraordinarie curses, where­with hee cutteth of the desire and posteritie of all those, which either decay his holy church, or dimi­nish the deuine worship of his holy name.

Me thinks our eies should not be so dim in this cleare light, that wee should not see: nor our hearts so fleshlie that wee should not vnderstand and the will of the Lord, and his great iudgements against those which maintaine themselues by the goods of the church, being none of those which do seruice, or [Page 149] haue any special functiō in the same. Though we wil not vnderstād the feareful examples which the Lord hath shewed heretofore: Yet let vs so incline our owne hartes and waies,Actes 20. that of our selues we may be ready rather to giue with the blessed, than to take a­way with the cursed. Let vs consider with reason, that man is created for the glory of God, not for his owne glory: for the seruice of God, not for his owne seruice: for the saluation of the whole man, euen body & soule, & not for a litle vaine delight, whilest he liueth herein y^• flesh. Herein let him know by the rules of nature, of reason, of ciuil lawes, & holy insti­tutiō, that the goods of the church, came to vs by the right of successiō: & by the same right they are entai­led to our posteritie, & succession of our place & cal­ling for euer. If this bee so thē the sequel is most plaine & true, the goods of the church they are none of ours to giue, but whilest we possesse thē, nor theirs to take: we offend in giuing, & they offend in taking away that,Reg. 3. which is neither theirs nor ours. But (as Naboths vineyard) the inheritance giuen by our fore­fathers, to vs & our succession. We gaue you them say some, & we may take them away. Not so, though the antecedent halt, yet suppose it were true: the cō ­sequent is altogether maimed. Though you had gi­uē that which you would faine take away, & though those good deuout soules, your auncestors, which so charitably prouided both for you & vs, liued at this day (whose life would be to them a double death, if their eies did see that which we see) yet that which thou hast once giuen into mine hand, willingly wit­tingly lawfully, thou canst not take to thee againe. [Page 150] Who presenteth a noble man with a saire horse, or a goodly dogge, & after the acceptance of the same with hartie thanks, challengeth his gift again for his owne? If his manners faile thus farre, yet is it right or reason so to doe? But if wee giue vnto the Lorde and that freely, as we ought to doe, if wee confirme the same with worde and deede, with witnes, hande and seale,Reg. 1. and willing deliuerie, shal we be so shame­les, that before the Lordes face, and in the sight of all his saints, we will say: giue me my goodes; or these be my landes: or as the Priestes boy saide: if you will not giue me, I wil take it? this is thus, or at the least, I so suppose, sith thou which lately didest walke be­lowe in order with thy brethren, art now well fatted, and they still leane: thou hast taken a higher flight, and aymest at a richer praye: thou hast seene greate wars, & with the straunge deuise of forraine sleights thou breakest that, which will not bend: leauing the good country simplicitie; entring the vsual course of this flattering worlde, forgetting the plaine honest dealing of a true Englishman: thou art thereby wel instructed to liue, and so full soone thou becommest very well learned: thou canst the rule to catch on all sides, and to hold fast till death doth loose the knot. In practise of this generall, thou reapest where thou sowest not: thou findest that which earst was neuer lost: thou receiuest from the church, that which when thy con [...]cience seeth it within thy gates, it blu­sheth red as a rose, and burneth within thy hart, like the flame of fire. That this flame may not onelie ap­peare without, but also consume within, euen the heart, the life, and the soule: thou powrest oyle into [Page 151] it, ioining house to house, and land to land: turning poore mens commons into thine owne priuate pa­sture. With these two wings of violence, of a sodain thou risest from the earth, and with the helpe of the puffing winde, thou mountest swiftly so high, that the highest temples and mightiest mountaines, to which before thou durst scarce lift vp thine eyes, least thy head should dazell, nowe are farre below thy slight, and through great despoile almost out of viewe. In this thy height remember that thou wert lowe before, and that thou must descend down into the earth from whence thou camest.

The arrowe shotte vpright out of the bow,Gen. 3. when it is at the highest, it turneth backe, and swiftly fal­leth downe to the place from whence it came. The soaring fowle which flyeth most swifte and high, when mowlting time by kinde and course comes in, ofttimes dooth cast her fayrest feathers. Those on whome this worlde dooth laugh most pleasauntly, which haue the fawning of outwarde fortune at their owne pleasure, pleasing themselues in the high throne of honour and rule; let them consider that the higher they climbe, the lower will be their fall: and that which is the corsey of their pompe: the highest boughes be most weake and brittle. This is the vaine hope of sinfull man.

What auaileth it to attaine the highest boughes sith on the same dooth hang the fruite of our perdi­tion? Psal. 48. Canst thou sit surer and faster on the highest boughes aboue; than olde Ely did on his Cell be­lowe, from which hee fell downe backeward and brake his necke? Flatter your selues still (if you wil) [Page 152] O yee which distraine your mothers teate so harde, that it droppeth bloud withall, and feed your selues with the doubtfull pleasure of this sinne, and when you haue satisfyed your thirst, with the taste of that which yee drinke too much: then assure your selues if God bee God, euen the God of Gods: if he be iust, euen iustice it selfe: if he bee the same he was (as saith the Apostle) the same yesterday,Heb. 13. to daye, and for euer: if hee bee true, which is the way, the the life, and the truth: most true, most holy, most eternall: that waye which you seeke to saue your life, yee shall loose it: that meanes by which ye de­sire to rayse your selues, shall cast you downe: those goodes, which you laie vp in store, for the main­taining of your children; shall cutte off the line of their life, and cleane blot out all thy name and me­morie from off the earth: and that which you stu­dyed to make your honour, shall bee your vtter con­fusion.

If the glasse nowe set before your face bee true, and if your sight bee good, why doe you not behold this spotte of earth, wherewith your face is so be­sprented? But if your blindnesse bee the same, with his which will not see: behold yet I will set the glasse nearer to your face: and if I can, I will so rubbe it, that the spotte of your disgrace, maye more easily appeare lothsome vnto your eies. Hee which recei­ueth you,Math. 10. receiueth mee (saith our sauiour Christ) and which honoureth you, he honoureth mee. Now doe ye but beholde a little, what reward, what coun­tenance, what place, or credite, a poore learned man hath amongst vs in this worlde, and then [Page 153] marke if the spot be not fowle and great. If he bee in the Court, away good peake goose, hence Iohn Cheese. If in the country, hee is of no wealth, what call you for his witnesse? wheresoeuer he commeth, Pauper vbique iacet; euerie wans verdict is this gene­rall pitie;Gen. 40. alas poore scholler▪ And thus he liueth. The Lorde hath decked the barren earth, with store of goodly flowers, the trees he hath laden with leaues, and the waters he hath replenished with fishes. The cuntriman hath his house, his cattell, his plough, his ground, whereby he liueth: the lawyer his pen and toong, with which in few yeares, he purchaseth hun­dreds: the merchant his returning gain: the courrier more than I can tel: the secretary his secret cōmings in, which make him glitter in his gold abroad. And is the learned man without house or home, without money in his purse, or good apparell to his backe, without a cogging face and shi [...]ting lookes? hath the Lorde prouided no such thing for him? alas poore scholler. Had hee neuer cretaine liuing of his owne? hath he none, or can he haue none? Habui filium, saith the olde man:Terence. Nos quondam floruimus, saith the Tro­iane.

And so do we; it may be we had some certaintie: and nowe it may well bee: but the conduit pipe by which the water flowed from the spring into our bosomes, is waxen so full of riftes, that the sweete spring water runneth out on euerie side, into strange groundes adioyning to the same. There be liuinges good store, saith one, & if the learned wil seek, let thē assure themselues they shal finde. Seeking is a ready way, if it were so plaine as it seemeth short. But what [Page 154] if the best hownd in the whole kennell, bee not the best seeker, who shall goe away with the Hare? yet let him follow, and at the length hee shall come to the view of the wished gaine. It is true euen as Tullie saith.Tullie. Fluctibus saepe obruitur, antequam portum conspicere valet. After hee haue bin long tired and scratched in the bushie woods, peraduenture he shal come to the death of the Hare. And yet in our moral, the course is not so hard, nor halfe so vncertaine. For when the wished preferment which you meane is once to be atchieued, who so hard harted that will not bestow it on the best. Is it detur meliori, or detur pulchriori? I know not, but I am sure, hee that seekes shall find. Gladly would I learne that kinde of seeking. If his wished preferment lye in the court, he must prouide a friend in the court, who is alwaies better than the pennie in purse. What if it be in the countrie? these things haue all one certaine rule. But as the giuer is, so is the way of obtaining. Then the learned are in worse case than they were before, because the way is more vncertaine: for hee must sometimes sue to the good, honest Farmer in the Countrey, who kno­weth a golden angell better than a Latine word, sometimes to the gentleman in the Citie, some­times to his wife, his sonne, his daughter, his co­sin, his steward, his factor: sometimes to the No­ble man: and all his circumstances, before he can come to the matter. And when he hath done, if hee bee not so well seene in secret Philosophie, that hee can talke learnedlie with the secretarie: his studying at the Vniuersitie so many yeares, his riding into the countrie, the citie, the court, his [Page 155] expenses, his paines, his hope is all lost.

Is this the seeking which you meane? and must the poore learned man, after hee hath read so ma­ny volumes, and studied so many yeares in so ma­nie sciences and tongues, runne and ride post, & hast from place to place, from countrie man to gentleman, from him to his wife, from both to the court, to the noble man, to his sonne, his clerke his secretarie? alas poore scholler. Whi­lest wee haue bene seeking after your manner, we haue almost lost the game which wee begunne to hunt, and yet I hope wee are not runne so farre counter, but that wee may easilie vndertake it a­gaine.

Sith it followeth conuenientlie, if they be good minded men, which pittie the poore distressed case of the learned, then they be euilly minded, which are the cause thereof,Psalm 40. diminishing the liuinges of the Church, wherewith the learned ought to bee mainteined. Without such contingent seekinges, the last dispaire of most learned mens desire.

From this riuer conduit pipe floweth a channell of fowle troubled water, wherewith whilest these worldly minded men do vse to wash their faces, they appeare much more deformed than before, sith the tasting often of the sweetnesse of this trou­bled earthlie channel in hart and minde, are so be­witched with the loue of this present life, that the honor of God, the reuerence of his name, the due hearing of his word, the daylie celebrating of his diuine Seruice, together with the immunitie and perfect freedome of his ministerie is much decayed. [Page 156] I passe ouer al the examples, and plaine speaches of contempt vsed against the ministers of Christ at this day.

Those which be thus euilly minded towards the Church of Christ, nay towardes Christ himselfe: are the Christians? are they comparable to the heathen in their kinde? or worthie to bee num­bred amongst men? though their titles be many, their honour great, their landes inestimable, yet thinke yee that these men shall prosper here on earth? as for heauen, turne backe good sir, this is not the way. The gate by which yee must enter in thi­ther is verie lowe, the way narrow, the iourney long, your bodie is idle,Math. 7. your doinges dissolute, your chariti cold, your hart to high, yee cannot come in.

Our Lord and Sauiour Christ when hee liued here on earth, hee willed that the litle Children should come to him saying: that of such consisteth the kingdome of God. And yet if the children trea­ding in the steppes of their fathers,Mark. 10. contemne the minister of God or in their childishnesse dishonour him: If the children of Bethell scorne the good pro­phet Elizeus, like graceles boyes, crying out on him, goe vp you bald pate, go vp: though they be smal & yong,Regum 4. yet their crie pearceth to the heauens. The Lord shall listen verie attentiuely when ought doth sound against the honour of his prophets: he shall open the window of his wrath, & in his displeasure two shee Bears shall come out of the wood, & shall deuour two and fortie of them, that thereby both olde and young may learne to reuerence the pro­phets of the Lord sent vnto them.

[Page 157]Euen as the countenance of the mother behol­deth the sucking child in her armes most louinglie: & as the eie of the Hawke minting at her pray, doth most fixedlie and fiercelie behold the same: euen so the Lord dooth continually behold his embassa­dours, his prophets, his pastors, his ministers, and not their life onely and their safetie: but their good mainteine, and regard: so that the sonne shall not burne them by daye,Psal. 120. nor the moone by night. The pride of sinfull flesh shall not represse them long, nor the greatest tyrant in the worlde shall disgrace them in any word, or sprinckle any spot in their face, but it shal be washed off againe, euen with his owne precious bloud.

Well and wisely did the Poe [...]s faine, that the con­temners of the goddes alwaies came to euill end. A­mongest a number of examples, this appeareth plain in Aiax, Aiax. who counted more of bodilye valour, than of Mineruaes wisedome: and with hawtie speach dis­dained that it shuld haue the due reward: & therfore he was berest of commō wit, & vnderstanding: be­ing stricken with a most furious fit, in which he slewe himself vpon his own sword. What should I rehearse the manifold plagues & punishmēts which the Lord sent vpon the contēners of his holie worship, euen from Noe vnto the birth of our S. Christ? whose life, because that tirant Herod sought by his bloudy sword to cut off frō the earth, & that with the shedding of much innocent bloud: therefore the Lord on a solēne feast day, whē he shewed himself vnto the people in his highest glory, & the multitude to flatter him cried most blasphemosly it is the voice of a God, & not of a [Page 158] man) then, euen then the Lorde from heauen stroke him by the hande of his angell; so that presently his flesh rotted, crawling full of quicke worms and lice, which deuoured him most miserably before the face of all the people.Acts 12. If carnall sensualitie did not too much dimme our eyes, I should not neede to holde out this my obscure light vnto you now at the noon daye, when the light of the Gospell shineth most cleare and bright round about vs. If we had cunned the rules of true christianitie by hart, or vnderstood the truth of them; or had receiued the vertue of wel woorking into our consciences, therewith renewed in the spirite. I should not neede at this day, so often and so plainly to haue opened the glasse before your face, or to the ende that you should acknowledge your deformity, wherewith your fleshly hands haue fowlie bespotted the beautiful countenance of your soules. I should not haue needed to haue trauailed into strange countries amongst the Iewes, and hea­then people, to shewe you by the true consent of sundrie glasses, that as it appeareth without, so it is that you haue fowlie stained your christian con­sciences inwardly with this fowle sin of taking from the Church.

Neither should I neede nowe after the proposing of those two faire wel steeled glasses, of the heathen and the Iewes: to adde the thirde, which is the true mirror of christianity, shewing most plainly, that the Lorde Iesu hath an especiall eie vnto his beloued spowse the holie Church, and most seuerelie puni­sheth the detracters of the same. Herein as we haue begunne; if wee goe forwarde and pierce the foun­taine, [Page 159] wee shall soone perceiue great riuers flowing from the same. For first of all in the daies of our Sa­uiour Christ; let vs marke what was concerning the Church: what ought to haue beene, and what fol­lowed. The Lord of light was made a man; he wal­ked amongst vs in the habit of man; he was vsed ve­rie hardly;Phil. 2▪ he liued in very meane estate; he was re­uiled, persecuted, whipped, despited, with mockings & mowings, with spittings, with a reede in his hand, and a crowne of thornes on his head, And lastlie with a most bitter and cursed death for our sakes, and for our saluation. Likewise also the Disciples; though they preached the glad tidinges of the Gospell, with the great power, vertue, and Maiestie of the holie Ghost; yet concerning the worlde, they were poore, simple, contemptible, persecuted men. In so lowe a valley, it pleased the Lord, to sow the first seed of his Gospel, and to the end that the Roofe of the Church might afterwardes rise farre and high aboue, first of all, he laid the foundation in great humilitie farre be­lowe. Thus it was then, and worldlie minded men re­garding more the prosperitie of their bodies, then the health of their soules, and the safetie of the holie church: misconstruing that voice of truth, Vos autem non sic: say, that as the simplicitie of the Church was then;Luke 22. euen so it ought to bee now in the flourishing state of the Gospel. Wherein I wish them to beware that they looke not on this Christall mirrour too much, or that they hold it not too neere, for fear lest their fleshlie breath doe dimme the same. Remooue the sight of the glasse a little, and let vs see what was then, and what ought to haue beene; they contem­ned [Page 160] the Gospell of grace: they crucified the Lord of light, and cruelly persecuted his disciples: what were these?Acts. 2. according to the prophecy, the Kings and Ru­lers of the earth, euen Pontius Pilat, high deputie of Iurie: Herode the Tetrarch, of Galilee: with the high priests, the Iudges, the scribes and the pharises, and the whole multitude of the Iewes: so that in these daies, the Church was trodden downe, the poore Ministers contemned, afflicted, persecuted, by that faithlesse generation. But nowe you which so much allude, to those darke daies of persecution in the Church. Doe but alter the case a little, and suppose that the Emperour, and Pontius Pilate his deputie; Annas and Caiphas, with the rest of the Rulers in those daies, had beleeued in Christ, and confessed plainely that he was the Sauiour of the world: that he created them, that he came to redeeme them, that he nourished them in their mothers wombe: that hee perserued the breath in their nostrels,Iohn 1. and that it was he, by whom they shoulde bee either exalted or put downe, either accepted or reiected, either saued or condemned in the daie of iudgement. If this had bin so: let vs thinke what a strange metamorphosis, had followed in their doings: how would they haue fallē downe before the Lorde? with what humilitie would they haue cast down their crownes, & scepters at his feete? with what ioy woulde they haue exalted the Lord of light? what honour & magnificence would they haue yeelded to that heauenly bridegrome, and the children of the marriage? what great freedomes and foundations, would they haue bestowed on his Church & litle flocke for euer? No say some, though [Page 161] Iupiters priests, with the whole City (when they did see the mighty woorking of the holy Ghost, by the hands of Paul & Barnabas) would haue sacrificed to them, & giuen them the honour & title of gods. Yet they refused it, knowing that the true worshippers would worship him in truth an spirit: outwardly yel­ding him but meane reuerence, belonging to simpler state. Neither would he or his disciples, haue accep­ted of any worldly honour,Iohn. 18. sith he said plainely, my kingdome is not of this worlde. As was the roote of humilitie, so were the braunches, springing from the same. As the Lord though he would not openly bee proclaimed a king, yet he had ordained in his secrete counsell, that the Church shoulde haue hir time of infancie, of childhoode, of strong age, of florishing, and decaying: Euen so it pleased him, that this seede, shoulde not bee both sowne and reaped in one daie: that it should not first spring and bring foorth seede in one houre: and that the Church shoulde not bee founded and perfected, both in one minute. Though by diuine prouidence the Church was in the infan­cie, that time of our Sauiours beeing heere on earth and his Apostles, and though the space of three hundreth yeares after, it was trodden downe verie low by persecution,Ebion. vnder the heathen, vnder Ebion, Cherinthus, and Arrius, heretiques of the first head: whereby the account and calling of the Ministerie waxed verie poore and meane,Cherinthus. contemned of some misliked of many▪ Euseb. 3. little reuerenced of the most: yet if these Kinges and Rulers, had had the grace to haue acknowledged Christ, to bee the GOD of of heauen and earth: out of doubt they woulde haue [Page 162] applied themselues in all loiall manner, to [...]he enlar­ging and amplifying of the true profession of his name, they would haue left their princely pallaces, and founded solemne temples for the seruice of the Lorde; they woulde haue founded largelie for the maintenance of his holy worship, and giuen perfect freedome to his Ministers. Which (if anie now blin­ded with this beggerly conceited errour, concerning the poore simple estate of the primatiue Church; whereunto in hope of our liuinges they desire to reduce vs) doubt what these Kings and Rulers if they had beleeued, woulde, or ought to haue done: Let them but marke a litle, what the first Christian Em­perour did; who being guided by the spirite of God, his doinges shewed plainely, what the Lord woulde haue done. Beholde a while the gratious feature of this most Christian Emperours minde:Math. 27. reade the hi­stories of his life, and marke diligentlie, what great account he made of the holie fathers of his time, a­boue all other men, Magistrates, Rulers, and Princes of his dominions. How he opened his hart vnto thē, and made them of his secrete counsell▪ what speciall care he had of their good estate, and prosperitie: not that they shoulde goe vp and downe in his domini­ons on foote in threed bare coates: But he gaue them freedome, title and honour, and to the ende that it might endure when he was dead and rotten (an ex­ample for all christian Princes, which shoulde suc­ceede him) he founded many goodlie temples, en­dowing them with large and ample possessions: with a christian care he reedified the temples which were wasted by the heretiques and Infidels: building and [Page 163] raising them an exceeding great height. He establi­shed all thinges concerning Christian religion, and the professours of the same,Const. M. in most honourable and religious manner. Therefore the Lorde blessed him most aboundantlie, with perfect health, with excee­ding wealth, with true Christian liberty, of obtaining al which he did desire in this world, and in the world to come, with euerlasting felicitie. If the life of this right vertuous Emperor, cannot dissuade you from the contrarie, but still you will proceede in this erro­nious opinion, that the Church of Christ amongst Christians ought to be poore, simple and naked, as it was in the time of persecution vnder hereticks and Infidels: If you be so constant in this errour, that you will not regard that Constantine: then goe forwarde in the way which you like so well; and passing on marke by the way howe it fareth with those, which though they professe the name of Christ, yet in life and conuersation they denie him,Sozom. [...] in that no lesse cruel then the Iews, they take from him, his clothes, they afflict his spirituall bodie, they disgrace him, & keepe him downe, to the ende they may haue no ri­ches in price, but the mucke of the world: no profes­sion in account, but worldly authoritie: no glorie, but the childish decking of the bodie: no honour, but outward pompe and vanitie: no King but Cesar. As the hardharted Iewes cried out, his bloud be vpon vs and our children:Rom. 6. Euen so the fleshlie worldlings an­swere at this daie: What tell you vs of had I wist; of times to come; of doomes day? If wee shall not an­swere till then; then care away: graunt vs so long a day to answere in, and we will haue the rest. O that [Page 164] men would learne by earthlie similitudes, to vnder­stand heauenlie wisedome. If a clowde doe but rise South, or Southwest, we say it is like to raine, and can wee not see the Sunne of our saluation, euen nowe setting in a darke deadlie clowde before our faces? Consider that the destruction of Ierusalem, was a plaine resemblāce of the end of the world. As it was in those daies, euen so it shall be immediatelie before the ending of the world: they cried awaie with him, they tooke away his coate, and parted his raiment: they crucified him, and all those which professed his name:Acts 7. they stoned Saint Steeuen the Archdeacon, and Iames the Cosin of our Lorde: who after he had beene placed Bishop of Ierusalem, manie yeares, most rebelliouslie they pulled him out of his chaire, casting him downe from a pinacle of the Citie wall, and when hee laie gasping on the earth, most barba­rouslie they dasht out his braines with a Fullers clubbe.

These were the first which sought the decaie of the Church of Christ.Euseb. 2, And what destenie followed this euill aduenture? The Lorde brought a huge Ar­mie into their Citie, with a destroying plague, and consuming famine, with ciuill sedition, slayings and wastings, domesticall murders, inward anguish bred by ciuill discord, so that through feare without, and deadlie anguish within, there died manie thousands, nay hundreth thousandes, within the walles of that Citie. Many thousands laie gasping in the streete for breath of life: many laie groning ruthfully in their houses: many as they were putting vp their hands to their mouth to feed themselues, were slaine with the [Page 165] deuouring sword of the seditious, which destroied so on al sides of the City, that the bloud of those which were slaine within by themselues, came running out at the gutters of the gates, and out at the sinkes vn­derneath the walles. The noble men were fain to eat their owne flesh from off their armes: and that good auncient gentlewoman which when the wars began fled to that Citie for succor, with hir litle infant suc­king on hir brest, after hir house had been often ran­sacked & spoiled by the seditious,Iosep. Bel. Iu. hir men & maides slaine in hir house, hir victuals cleane consumed, hir colour wan, hir milke and bloude dried vp, hir bodie fainting with hunger: shee was compelled to thinke an vnnaturall thought in hir heart, and to execute a deadly deuise with hir hands: shee tooke hir litle boy now sucking on hir breast: she held it a part from hir with both hir handes, beholding the sweete counte­nance of hir prety childe: the boy smiled: but alas the mothers teares did shewe hir heauy cheare, it were too much griefe to rehearse the mothers sorrowfull voice, in this wofull distresse, vttered to hir sonne. Shee laid the litle infant on the table before hir face: hir trickling teares redoubled their course enter­changeably: after many distillations sent down from hir weeping eies, shee saith vnto hir litle infant: my little boy, the childe of mee a most vnfortunate mo­ther: I nourished thee within my wombe, and haue fedde thee a long time with the milke of my breasts: and nowe thou must bee meate for mee thy wret­ched and most distressed mother. With these words, hir knife infixed into the breast and bowels of hir little infant, the bloud springing vp into hir face, [Page 166] shee dismembred, shee rosted, shee eate of him: the smell whereof beeing once entered the nostrels of those seditious souldiers; they brake open the dore, they came rushing in: running into hir, they pulled the meate violently out of hir hande, eating it most greedily.Daniel. 9. Of which because shee had no more store ready, they cruelly murthered that poore old gentle­woman. To this and a hundred thowsand like mise­ries seldome heard of, succeeded the destruction of the whole nation, with the vtter destruction of the City, the walles, the Temple, and all the auncient Monumentes of the most famous Kinges of Israell. Though no Christian hart can take pleasure in wal­king this way, yet sith wee are entered into it, let vs passe on a litle further, and wee shall easilie see that this sinne of defacing of the profession of Iesu Christ and his holy Temples here on earth, is so hainous, so contumelious, so heathenish in the sight of God; that he neuer suffreth it to lie long vnpunished. Nei­ther be the plagues and punishments sent vpon the earth, for this sinne of spoiling the Temples of the Lorde due to ordinary or common infirmities, inci­dent by the course of nature vnto man: but as it is a much more hainous and grieuous offence, for the child, vnnaturally to despoile his owne father which begot him into this light, and cruelly with bloudy handes to take his life from him: euen so, sith the ta­king from the Church, is the despoiling of God our Creatour: The punishment sent on such offendours must needs be much more grieuous then that which vsually is sent to man, for his vsuall and naturall infir­mity. Cels. Seiō. Wee haue behelde the good blessinges of the [Page 167] Lord, bestowed on those his louing seruants, who in their liues and doings expressed their tender loue vnto his temple: and let vs not now loath to behold the euill desteny of those, who from time to time haue striuen against the Lord & his holy church. Af­ter, the open enemies, which sought with force of arms, and authoritie, to suppresse the Gospel of Iesu Christ, had shewed their force against the church: stoning some, and imprisoning others, whipping, scourging,Acts 5. banishing, cruelly persecuting the rest: Then Sathan striking saile, & drawing in his ensigne of open warre, and defiance, sought by pollicie to keepe down the church of Christ, now springing in the east. He raised sundry damnable heresies, which increased so long, & intangled so many poore Chri­stians: that the church of Christ which whilom did shine most cleare and bright, by the mistie cloudes of heresie, begun to be eclipsed. Sed exitus act a probat: the haruest doth shew the goodnes of the seede: the life dooth proue the vertue of the minde: the death ofttimes doth shew the course of naughtie life. Let vs leaue the force of Herod in the fielde, and a while consider what became of them, which colourably weakened the church in the towne.Arrius. Arrius that nota­ble heretike, he most blasphemously sought the dis­grace of the holie, blessed, glorious Trinitie: affir­ming inequality of the three persons, and detracting from the eternitie of Iesus Christ.

This opinion entred the Christian flocke, infec­ting farre and neere in most nations. So that the he­retike had many seeming Christians on his part, and that with great glorie, till at the length when hee [Page 168] should come to be restored to the church, as he went in the streete with great pride, and countenance of many friends: of a sodaine he went aside to the pri­uie, where his belly violently burst in sunder, his guts came out, and he fell downe dead most miserably, as it was presently seene of all the people.

What should I here rehear [...]e the wicked liues of those arch-heretikes, who though they florished in the worlde for a while, yet in that they did striue a­gainst the sonne of God, and sought to diminish his maiestie: their raigne was not so glorious, as their ende was miserable.

Nestorius florished greatly,Nestorius. and his heresie spred it selfe mightily amongst the people: but when this shining cloud was once well shaken with the tem­pest sent from God: hee was sent into banishment: in the which hee beeing often taken captiue by the barbarous people,Euagrius hist. 1. the citie burnt ouer his head, and his life euery hou [...]e in the heathens hand: he fel in­to a most deadly contagion; insomuch that his tong was eaten out of his head with wormes, with which he ended his miserable life. Let not worldly minded men flatter themselues, and feed their humour with the contag on of this disease; saying these were he­ret [...]call men, schollers of no great account; but ru­lers, and those that bee of authoritie, they are wiser. Surely those men were worldly wise men, and in their profession very learned, in great authoritie and account amongst many nations: and though they had bene higher in degree, yet let al men know, that the Lorde counteth not of earthly honour, neither spareth any man for his great authoritie.

[Page 169]This appeareth plainely in Maximinius that cruell persecuter of the Christians.Maximinius. Who after he had cru­elly persecuted the Church, therewith pulling down the temples of the Christians: the Lorde laide his heauy hand vpon him, so that of a sodain there brake out of his body a mortall vlcer, with a corrupte hu­mour rotting his bowels, besides an incredible num­ber of crawling wormes, gnawing him within, and corrupting him in such sort, that his body & breath sent from them a mortall stinch, his bodie was so lothsome to bee seene, that fewe physitions could a­bide to look on him. Those which ventured to come neere, they dyed with the contagious smell of his fil­thie corrupt body.

This misery at length caused him to remēber his wicked crueltie, committed against Iesu Christ, and his holy church. Therefore feeling some remo [...]se in his conscience, first hee confessed his sinnes vnto al­mighty God. Secondly, hee commaunded that the persecution of the Christians should cease, and that of their obedience to the imperiall authoritie, they should reedifie the Churches of the Christians, in which hee requested them to pray to the Lorde for him.Euseb. 9.

Though the Lorde inflicted this horrible sick­nesse on him, with his ignominious flight in the bat­taile, he casting away the imperiall habite, and de­niyng it to bee his: yet in that hee had some re­morse of his sinne, though distreyned on all sides with greeuous horrours, his ende was not so feare­full, as was the euent of that wicked Emperour Iuli­an, Iulian. the Apostara, who after manie wicked cruelties, [Page 170] and deadlie pollicies practised against the church of Christ, proceeding with his puissant armie of vali­ant souldiers, towardes Persia, hauing passed the Riuer before hee wist, hee was in a wildernesse, where hee wanting guides for his armie:Sozom. 6. after a few daies, his whole companie was so distressed, for want of victualles, that many of them died with hun­ger and thirst: diuers fell downe languished as they went, by the way. The most fled, and he was found in a solitarie place, sore wounded, crying out with griefe, and rauing furiously, blaspheming God his Creator, railing on the god Mars, and saying that A­pollo was a lying god. At length feeling the extreame pains of death come vpon him,Ruffing. 1. his guttes issuing out of his wound (which most men thinke was inflicted on him by the angell of God) hee tooke his handful of his owne bloud, and did cast it vp into the aire, crying out Vicisti Galilee, vicisti. Though I haue con­quered thy Christians,Platina. and pulled downe many of thy Temples, yet nowe at length O Galilean, at length thou hast ouercomed mee.

This may wel be true (say some) & yet the sequel not so sure, sith this irreligious Emperour, most Atheisticallie opposed himselfe against Christ, and in defiance of him spoiled his pore flocke, and the holie church, which they tooke for a sanctuarie. But to destroy the temples of the heathen, & to fier the churches of heretickes, and those which are not of a good Religion, that is no such offence before God. But rather I thinke wee ought to pull them downe.

You thinke, yea, and I do constantly affirme the [Page 171] contrary. In this difference of opinions, let the art of Logicke bee the framer of our arguments, and the rules of eternall truth, our direction to the same. Let selfe wil bath her selfe in her owne bloud. Let arrogancie drownd her selfe in the deep: let ignorant zeale flye far from hence into the wildernesse: let so­phistrie betake her to a dead sleepe, and let the truth appeare plainly, speake brieflie, therwith repeating your chiefest arguments most truely.

And what be they? In great mislike of many good things now vsed in our church, you commonly be­gin after this manner.

In mine opinion Byshops, Deanes, cathedrall churches, &c. are not to be allowed, sith they sauour of the constitutions of men, and are not commaun­ded by the word. If you will ioyne reason with true iudgement, and let iudgement guide the vncertain­tie of opinion, you shal easily perceaue, that in mine opinion is no great good argument. Looke into true art, and you shall soone see, that as vnderstan­standing is the internall beginning of the demon­stratiue syllogisme (whose conclusion is aeternae veri­tatis, vnpossible to be refuted) and as fansie is the internal beginning of Sophistical arguments (which flie at the presence of the former, euen as the shadow of the earth shrinketh successiuely from the rising of the sunne: Euen so, opinion is the internall be­ginning of probable reasoning, whose conclusion is indifferently, either true or false: as the Philoso­pher in his Morralles concludeth most plainely,Aristot. & as it cleerely appeareth by this example. In your o­pinion, they are not to bee retained: in myne opi­nion [Page 172] they are.

Now let the Reader iudge which of these two argumentes is the stronger.

The absurditie of this conclusion flowing from the fountaine of ignorant arrogancie, teacheth vs, that these mens opinions is more than the truth: There zeale farre beyond all knowledge, their argu­ments without all compasse of art.

Herein wee must vnderstand that opinion is their proper prerogatiue, & Art is not worthie to knocke at the dore of their blind arrogant zeale.

What then remaineth to raise this scaled Dra­gon out of his dungeon? Exurgat Dominus & dissipen­tur inimici etus. Psal. 67. Let the Lord arise, and let his ene­mies bee scattered abroad. Let the truth breake forth like the morning beams descending from the cristall skies. Let the holie scriptures confute this reason founded on the ysie ground of false opinion: and that by the example of Ietro: (who though he were an Ethnicke, and a straunger to the Com­mon wealth of Israell: yet his aduise (proceeding from mans inuention) was both accepted of by Moyses, and directlie followed in all good Com­mon wealthes vnto this day.

Therefore the constitutions of Byshoppes, Do­ctors, Deanes, Cathedrall Churches, &c. and all other Discipline, orders, constitutions, and lawes whatsoeuer in the Church of Englande or else where: though they proceede from mannes inuention (as they tearme it:) yet if it bee Secun­dum, non contrae scripturas, according to the word of God, not contrarie to it. They are all lawfull, [Page 173] good, and godlie.

This is a plaine vndoubted truth, and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it. And though the piercing floud striue to issue through the chinkes of those infernall dores: Though the pit­chie smoke ascending from that deadlie pitte, con­tende to couer the eies of the simple. Though this hellish Cloude of darknesse could put on the cleerenesse of the radiant Sunne, and those foule deuilles appeare in the habite of the brightest an­gels: Though they open their mouthes wide, and (to the end they may deceaue manie) crie alowde, dispersing the doctrine of sedition, vnder the co­lour of the word of God opposed to mannes in­uentions: yet shall the Lord of light quell this hi­deous dragon with one small sentence of truth pro­ceeding frō his mouth. And though the truth is best knowen, and most euidentlie seene when she is most naked: yet is she not so tender that she can be pier­ced with the sharpest arming sword of her enemies, nor so feeble that shee will yeeld to blastes of wind, nor so ill appointed, that she hath but one pore dart, nor so vnlearned that shee should yeelde to the va­nishing smoke of false opinion, nor so simple but that she can soone discerne deceauing spirites from the spirit of truth. Wisedome crieth in the streates, (saith Salomon) and the truth of this conclusion though it was first pronounced in Ierusalem:Prouer. 20 yet at this day the sound therof hath passed through al our streets, entred al our eares [...] knocked at the dore of al our hartes. And what is the sound thereof? euen the voice of the Lambe of God that taketh away the [Page 174] sinnes of the world. He hath said it plainely: Who­soeuer is not against vs is with vs. By which shorte sentence, he which hath but halfe an eye may plain­ly see, that whatsoeuer is not contrary to the worde of God, is according to his worde. Sententia scripturae est scriptura, S. Angust. saith Saint Augustine: Not the words, but the meaning of the scripture, is the scripture. The letter is a dead element, but the spirituall vnderstan­ding thereof, founded in truth and veritie, giueth life to all which apprehend it.

Therfore these subtill deceiuers which cry out for a new reformatiō in the church (framed in their own fancy) according to the word, and vnder that colour disclaime the regiment set downe by our most grati­ous Princesse: they do therein most presumptuous­ly abuse her maiestie, and all her subiectes. This fa­cing error is not content with bare saying, but it al­so proceedeth to defending and prouing, after this manner: Things once abused by superstition and i­dolatrie, ought not to bee vsed in the woorship of Christ: therefore Churches &c. ought to be pulled downe, and vtterly abolished. When I heare this principle so often repeated by them, I think on that prouerbe: Facile quae cupimus, credimus: and when I confer therewith the manner of their reasoning, I remember Tindarus his short salutation to his master Salue,Plautus.atque vale.

So when I behold their false propositions, which they take as granted, and their vntagged arguments therevnto annexed: I cannot imagine, that they e­uer entered further into the Logicke schooles, than the threshould: or beeing there; that euer they did [Page 175] once behold that mistresse of Arts and Sciences: or if they did once see her grace and countenance, yet they neuer saluted her: or if they did salute her, it was but Salue atque vale. Ex vnguibus leonem: the first view of this daungerous error, doth discouer the vg­lines of the monster.

Suppose these seeming saints were so indeede, & their opinion true: yet doe but view a while, the ve­nim taile which she draweth after her, and you shall soone espie a thousand Hidraes heades arising out of her footings.

If you be so hard harted, that you will not beleeue vnlesse you see; then cast away the blinking eyes of fonde opinion, and with the cleare sight of true vn­derstanding, behold that mirrour of heauenly truth, which by the beautifull shew of sundry portraitures, teacheth vs plainely, that things abused by supersti­tion, may be well, wisely, and religiously vsed in the church of God. The Gentiles they had their gods, to whome they built solemne temples, offered daily sa­crifices, many praiers, & petitions. Therfore should not Salomon builde a most solemne temple vnto the God of heauen and earth? The example confirmeth that rule: Quarum rerum est vsus, earum etiam est abu­sus, & contra. Things well vsed, may bee abused: and things abused, may be well vsed.

The truth of this generall is euident by sundrie rules and histories of the holy scriptures.

We read in the booke of Numbers, Num. 6. that Eleasar the sonne of Aaron, tooke the sensors (wherewith the re­bellious Corath, Dathan, and Abiram, had sinned so greeuously, that the ground opened, and swallowed [Page 176] them vp quicke into hell) and put them into the arke of God Iosua reserued the golde,Iosua 6. siluer, and brasse of Ierico, he put it into the treasurie, and consecrated it vnto the Lord. Nay (that which is most plaine) Ge­deon did offer a bullocke vnto the Lord, which his fa­ther had fatted for an offering to Baall.

Our sauiour Christ preached in the Iewish syna­gogues, which by shedding the bloud of the pro­phets, and by diuers other enormities, was grosly a­bused. Saint Iohn preached in the temple of Dia­na, which had beene many yeares superstitiously a­bused. The rest of the Apostles, in most partes of the worlde preached in the temples of the Gentils, which were built for their Idoll gods, and manie a­ges most sinfully abused.

Saint Paule alledgeth the sentences of sundry Poets, whose Gods were the starres of heauen, worshipped of them for many yeares, and by them most idolatrously abused. Therefore the right vse of things is not to be taken away, because they haue bene superstitiously abused.

What then is the rule of right Christian refor­mation? and wherein dooth it consist? Euen in taking away the abuse, and not the vse.

Herevnto agreeth Saint Augustine, S. August. [...]pist. 154. who willeth vs to deale with the goodes and temples, as we doe with the men whome wee conuert from sacrilegi­ous wicked men, to good Christians.

Saint Gregory (as Beda noteth) concerning the re­forming of the idoll temples in this land,S. Greg. then built, and dedicated to the Pagan gods, writeth thus: Fa­ma idolorum in gente Anglica, &c. Let not the idol chur­ches [Page 177] in England be destroied, but vtterly subuert & destroy the idols in the same.

If this litle taste of these pleasant running brooks wil not quench the outragious heat of thine vntem­perate stomacke, then returne with me againe vnto the fountain it self, which sith it is able to wash thee cleane both body & soule, come boldly therevnto: & if thou doubt of the true way, leaue off thine owne erroneous humour, and harken to the voice of that good olde man S. Augustine, S. August. teaching thee the waye most truly in these words: Omnis Christi actio est nostra instructio, that which our sauiour Christ did in this case, that ought to bee our example. And what did he? when the fulnes of time was come, that the vaile should be remoued, & that the sacrifice of the Iewes should cease: because the light, the body, the thing it selfe, by that prefigured, was now come; and that it was impietie now any longer to bee circumcised: the Lord of light did not destroy the temple, pulling off the lead, breaking downe the wals, the glasse, the timber, thrusting out the Scribes & Pharises, taking their lands & liuings into his own hands,Math. 21. but he re­formed the abuses thereof, hee whipped the money changers, & cast out them which sold doues therin, he taught the gospel in the temple, & on the sabaoth day expounded the scripture in their synagogues. Afterwards, that holy Apostle and martyr of Iesu Christ S. Iames, called Iames the iust, hee taught the Gospell therein, and in those countries, beeing Bi­shop there thirtie yeares. Likewise also the rest of the holy Apostles,S. Iames, Platina. they frequented the temple, and the synagogues very oftē, & that for 10. or 12. yeres after [Page 178] the ascention of our Sauiour Christ. Peter and Iohn went vp into the temple to pray. Paul was conuer­sant in the sinagogue at Athens allowing the inscrip­tion on the alter ignot [...] Deo. The Apostles were dis­persed into all quarters of the earth.S. Peter. And yet wee neuer heare that they willed any Temple to be de­stroyed: Euseb. 2. but with all pietie and humblenes of spirit, they ingrafted the gentils into the true christian faith, together cutting vp the branches of heresie, and heathenish superstition.

Peter and Paul planted the faith of Christ in Rome,S. Paul. they taught lōg in their temples. But yet we read not where they willed to pul down the old temples, or to take anie whit of maintenance away from the same.

The holy Apostle and Euangelist saint Iohn, S. Iohn. liuing sixtie odde yeares after the passion of our Sauiour Christ:Euseb. 3. and being in his latter dayes in Ephesus: we do not read that euer he once persuaded them to pul downe the great huge temple of Diana. And yet that the Gospell was therein preached, it is manifest by sundry histories: as also in that it is recorded, that this Apostle euen when he was so old that he could scarce goe, being taken vpon mens shoulders, least the throng of people should oppresse him, and to the ende his voice might be heard the better, as he pas­sed from Ile to Ile, hee held out his hand, and said: Fratres diligite inuicem, diligite inuicem. Hoc est preceptum Domini,Hier. lin Galat.diligite inuicem. Bretheren loue yee one an other. Loue yee one an other, this is the last com­maundement of the Lord, that yee should loue one another.

This brotherlie exhortation of the holy Apostle [Page 179] saint Iohn was pronounced by him in the selfe same temple, in which the Idoll of Diana was worshipped. Nether is this thing strange, or any whit to be doub­ted, sith it hath bene the manner of all Christians, e­uen from the Apostles time to this daie, to saue and not to destroy, to conuert, and not to subuert, to reduce those temples to the seruice of the true God, and not to subduce them into our owne purses. If the matter were doubtfull, I might easi­ly alledge diuers testimonies out of the auncient fa­thers, and latter writers for the same. But in that I studie rather to edifie the well disposed, than to sa­tisfie the cauill of the froward: I had rather vse that plaine way of example, wherewith already I haue now begunne. Requesting those which loue the true reuerent worship due to our Lord & Sauiour Iesu Christ,Acts 13. to vnderstand, that as is said, the glad tidings of the Gospell was preached by Christ in the Tem­ples and sinagogues of by the Iewes:Luke 4. his Apostles al­so & their Disciples. And not onely the Iewish syna­gogues, but in the temples of the heathen, at Co­rinth, at Ephesus, at Rome, and also at Ierusalem: which after it was woonne and inhabited by the Sa­rasins aboue sixtie yeares, and the church thereof polluted,A drico with their Mahometicall idolatrie al that time:

Afterward it was conuerted to the vse of true Christian religion, and so deteined for the space of foure score yeares and odde. So that wee see most plainlie the truth of this conclusion, which teacheth vs not to take away the vse of holie tēples, for the a­buse which hath bin committed in them.

[Page 180]Who seeth the poore waifaring man, whose earnest desire and full purpose is, to passe the right waie vnto eternall life, wandring out of the way, & because hee is out of the waie, despoileth him of his money and raiment, and also his life: but rather with charitable pitie, doth not take him by the hande, and bring him into the right path againe, and laying out that coyne which hee meant to be­stow vpon seducers, on the true guides and leaders of the way? This seemeth much better, and is much more to bee wished, though not to bee hoped. In meane time, now in the ende of this world let vs count that true, which the Lord hath alwaies shew­ed, that the spoilers of his Temple, as they were alwaies towardes, and not braue minded men: so not amongest the Christians onely, but also amon­gest the heathen, most commonlie they haue come to euill and wretched endes.

Paris following the pursuite of his venerious dreame,Dares Ph [...]y. spoiled the temple of Venus and Diana, in the Greeke Iland Citherea: whereupon followed the lamentable distruction of that heroicall kingdome of Troy.

Cyrus and Alexander the great, declining from the vertue of their yonger age, and that loue which they then shewed towards the holy temples, accor­ding to their latter inclination: they which had liued honourablie, died ignominiously: the one with all his armie being ouercome by a woman Queene of Persia, the other through pride & insolencie, con­temning his people (by whose helpe he obtained the high dignitie of 3. Monarchs) neglecting the tēples, [Page 181] and the sacrifice of the Gods, which before hee so much honoured, hee became odious vnto his sub­iects, Q. Curtius. so that he was poisoned in that faire citie Babi­lon, being at supper amongest his minions, euen in his greatest glorie and delight. In these two mightie monarches, is not the conclusion which I intende, concerning the louers & the neglecters of holy tem­ples most plainly? nay in both of them, or else in which you will? Cirus in the beginning of his age was desirous to build vp the temple of Ierusalem, & he prospered wonderfully, conquering in al his wars: he forgot the Lord & his holie Temple, and forth­with he was vanquished of his enemies. So likewise Alexander, whilest he loued his gods & their temples, he prospered wonderfully: but when he fel from that his first loue, he left his chiefest safetie, & in that cup wherin he tooke much pleasure,Eccles. 16. hee lost his life. So that those which loue the Lord, and so long as they striue to lead a holy, vertuous, & godly life, he mer­cifully rewardeth them according to their faithfull christian deeds: but if the righteous turne from his good life,Ezec, 33. and leaue the christian rule of sanctimony, wherby he hath once bin guided, then the Lord tur­neth his face frō such an one, & setteth open the gate of euil end & destruction before him. Let no mā flat­ter himselfe with the deceitfull appearance of this vncertaine world, of this pelting honour and au­thoritie, for which wee so much contend with these tempting, vnsatiable, vnquiet, vnlucky, can­cred riches, after which the hart of sinfull man by nature thirsteth and languisheth with earnest de­sire thereof: or with the vaine pleasures of the [Page 182] flesh, and all the foolish pompe and pride belon­ging to the same: of which if wee haue but once our sacietie, it is most sinfull, most deceitfull, most loth­some and detestable, euer vnto those which earst lusted longly after the same. Neyther account lesse of those most auncient kings and princes named be­fore, because some of them were long sithence, and others heathen.

But let vs knowe for a truth, that they on whome the tower of Siloe fell, were no greater sinners than we:Luke 13. and vnlesse we repent, wee shall likewise perish. Let vs beholde the rising and decay of the Monarch of the Babilonians, of the Persians, of the Graecians, of the Romanes; the increase & decrease of the good estate of the christians. Looke the liues of their prin­ces, so long as they honoured the God of heauen & earth, accounting more of his holy worship, than of their owne, so long they prospered and flourished in all kind of wished blessings and glorious prosperi­tie. But after they regarded their own honour, more than the temple and seruice of the Lord, then within few yeares they came to miserable ends.

The example is plaine in Nabuchodonoser, in Cyrus, in Alexander the great, in Iulius Caesar. Though these were mightie Monarches of the world, yet the same iudgement is due vnto all men, euen from the high­est to the lowest, which any way decay the woorship of God,Romulus, Numa Pompil. [...] and the true reuerence of his holy temple. Romulus and Numa Pompilius, the first rulers of the Romanes, erected temples to their Gods, with great obseruance and reuerence therevnto, and they pros­pered wonderfully by this good meanes.

[Page 183]Contrary obseruation may bee had of that mighty Ruler amongst the Romaines Antonius, who reque­sting all the young men of Alexandria, Antonius. that on a so­lemne feast day they would present the best & com­liest of the citie before him in the field, to the end he might choose of them the best, & prefer them to ho­nor: after they were all gathered togeiher friendly, & with good cheare before him & his Armie: he most cruelly caused his horsemen to run on them, killing, slaying, destroying, & cruelly treading in pieces, ma­ny comely young gentlemen and others, with their wiues & childrē, which were nere to the place. This cruel impious mind not contented with this wicked dasterdly murder in the field, he came into the town, despoiling the temples of al their rich ornamēts. But as the shadow followeth the body, euē so his desteny succeeded his steps, for not long after as he was mar­ching brauely forward with his army, hauing occa­sion to step aside for his easemēt, conueying himself a litle from his army, into a secret corner, onely with his secret seruant: when his points were vntrust, and his hose let downe, he turned him aside to ease him­self: with which, Martialis (priuy to his wicked facts, & lothing his impious mind towardes God & man) pulling out his dagger quickly, stept to him present­ly, wounded him deadly, left him there lying misera­bly. Herodian. If this had bin in our time, we would say it was an euil chaūce, & he a wicked fellow. I graunt, but why do we not remēber that there is no haire falleth frō our head without the permission of God? why do we not wisely way with our selues, that there is no hin­drance, or disgrace, or danger whatsoeuer, which we [Page 184] suffer but it is sent of the Lord for our sin. When he calleth thus: why doe wee not rise out of our earthly bed,Kings 4. with little Samuel? why doe wee not run to the priest, & aske the question what shall I do? or why do wee not enter into our owne hearts, and aske within our selues, euen in our conscience what haue I done? this commeth for my sin which I haue com­mitted for my notorious pride, wherewith I woulde seeme to be loftier then others of my calling: for my secrete murthers, secrete adulteries, secrete polling and vndermining the Church of Iesu Christ. And if it be a great punishment sent from God, vpon thee, thy wife, thy children, thy house or family, thy coun­trie or people, though thou haue not sinned lately notoriouslie: yet remember what thou hast done long since, thinke that long since thou inclo­sedst such a fielde from thy poore neighbours, that that thou tookest the goodes, lands, and priuiledges from such a Church, there giuen to maintaine the worshippe of the Lorde: therewith remember that though it were long since, yet with the Lord a thou­sand yeares is but as one day,S. Pet. and therefore now hee punisheth thee euen with as perfect iustice, as if the deede were nowe in dooing, before his face. Would to God that men woulde hereby learne to feare the Lord, and to tremble at his secrete iudgement: that they woulde cast off the loue of this wicked worlde, which corrupteth their consciences, and poisoneth their owne soules: that they woulde leaue this fained kinde of repenting in worde onelie, and repent in deede, which is restoring with Zacheus foure folde, and vndooing that which they haue done,S. Iohn. to the vt­termost [Page 185] of their power. If the loue of the Lords bles­singes will not incite them to good life: yet let the fcare of his heauie iudgementes, deterre them from sinne. Let vs not looke on those great and grieuous examples, which I haue nowe rehearsed, thinking those were long since in times past, and that in forraine nations beyond the seas: for if we looke well, we shall see, that as many plagues, pestilences, and o­ther contagious diseases of the bodie, haue beene brought ouer sea into this fortunate Iland: so also this most contagious and deadly maladie of bodie and soule, came ouer and rooted it selfe in this lande long since. Wee haue store of examples at home, and one shall serue for the perfecting of this period. William Rufus, Wil. R [...]f. the third sonne of the Conquerour, after hee had ouercome his enemies, and their resi­stance diuers times, beeing returned out of Fraunce, and quietly enioying the Scepter of this land: after­ward hee liued in ioy and triumph, and for the more suppliance of his pleasure and pastime, he to inlarge his Forrest, pulled downe foure Abbeies, seauen­teene parish Churches, and all the Townes belon­ging to the same.Rom. [...]. Quo quisque peccat, eodem saepe plectitur modo: Oft times a man is punished the same way, by which hee offendeth; and so was hee, for in the same Forrest where these Churches stood which hee pul­led downe: and in the same disport or pastime, for which he dissolued them: he was slaine by the glaun­cing of an arrow shot at a Deare, by a Knight: so that hee fell downe therewith on the grounde, giuing onelie one grone. Some write that in the same place where he fell downe and died, in olde time there had [Page 186] beene a faire Church, which with others in his Fa­thers time were dissolued for the enlarging of the said Forrest, in which Forrest also a litle before, the Kings Nephew was slaine by the like chaunce. This Kings Father and he both minded to haue made this a f [...]ire goodly Forrest, fit for the disport and hunting of a king: but the Churche of Christe, and the houses of his poore Subiects stood in his waie. His officers and sycophants, considering what would come rou­ling into their purses that way, said it was very meete it should be so, & so it was. But alas it proued a small pleasure of the father, which ended with the deadlie groning of his sonne, a simple pastime for the king to haue his bodie wounded with the piercing arrow to the death. Pleasure bought with griefe, is seldome kindly; and gaine procured with the displeasure of the Almighty, doth neuer profite. The hearts of the wicked lust after their owne bane,Ouid. and wanton pleasure poisoneth hir owne Nurse. The flower of flesh florisheth not an houre, and the fall thereof is griefe to the eie. The wisedome of this world com­poundeth cares: and the height of their deuises want successe. Most mens fancie wearieth the spirite; and their welthiest wish, is perfect disquietnes. He which magnifieth himself, seeketh his owne decaie, because the chaire of pride is placed on slipperie ice. Hee which gathereth vnrighteous goodes for his chil­dren, pierceth the heart of his owne flesh: and who so taketh away his neigbours possession, he diggeth vp the roote of his owne posteritie.Prouerb. 8. Hee which neg­lecteth his maker, choketh his soule: and hee which taketh from the Church, shall not prosper vppon [Page 187] earth: his bodie shall deca [...]e without, his bloud shall drie vp within: his marowe shall consume within his bones: his musicke shall bee groning daie and night: his feeding, shall be loathsomnes of meate: his wish shal be, O that I were as yonder poore man: his com­fort, that his good daies bee past: his recreation one pang vpon an other: his glad tidings the death of his children: his consolation, the loathing of his friends: his hope, the feare of death: and vnlesse hee repent, his ende shall bee despairre of eternall life. Who so mindeth to liue with Iesus Christ eternally in hea­uen aboue, and in this life mindeth to see good daies, let him walke the way of the righteous, and marke the fruitlesse paths of the wicked. Frst of all let him keepe his hands, from violating holie things, and be­hold the miserable ende of those, which doe the con­trarie. Math. 23. Let him reade the holie Gospell of Saint Ma­thewe, and in reading let him marke diligentlie, in marking diligentlie, let him vnderstand truelie, what our Sauiour Christ meaneth, when hee saith: yee fooles, whether is the golde holie or the Temple, which sanctifieth the golde? and whether is the gift holie, or the Altar which sanctifieth the gift? If the Temple make the ornaments holie, then the walles, the woode, the stone, of the which the Temple doth consist, is holie: if the Altar doe sanctifie the gift, then that which belongeth to the maintaining of the Altar, is sanctified, & they which minister ther at, are to be reputed holy. If by our sauior Christ his speach, those things be true: then they be holie men, which build vp the Lords house, and they be wicked which pull downe the same, according to that old verse.

The godlie Fathers builded vp the Churches of Christ, and the vngodlie children haue pulled them downe. But marke the end of all those, which walked this way, and learne to keepe thy conscience cleare from this gracelesse fact. The Lord inflicted manie plagues on them, whilest they liued here: and when they were once deade, their honour vanished like smoake, and was buried with them in the graue. As their bodies consumed in the earth, euen so their in­famie did spring vp out of the ground: their goods wasted like waxe in the fire, and like snow before the Sunne: their posteritie became like the grasse grow­ing on the house top,Pal. 129. which withereth before it [...]ee ripe. Nether was this only the reward of those which defaced the Temple of the Lorde, and decaied his holy Ministerie▪ but it is most plaine and euident, by sundrie auncient histories, that in all ages, when wis­dome, learning, and religion, once gaue place to worldly pollicie: when the vertues of the mind were subdued to the force of flesh: when vertuous life waxed out of vse,Corinth. 1. and sensualitie increased: when the bodie robbed the soule, and the naturall man impri­soned the freedome of the spirite: when the pride of the worlde mainteined it selfe, with the goods of the Church: then shortly after followed the vtter subuer­sion of the whole common wealth. Therefore let sinfull man looke downe vpon himselfe, with great humilitie, let the pride of corruptible flesh, strike [Page 189] saile in time, le [...]t with the sodaine puffes and pirreies of vnnaturall windes, which commonlie rise from such mens hearts, it be violently driuen into the swift currents of perdition, whose end is the gulfe of eter­nall sorrowe. Let not worldly men goe on daie by daie, minding nothing else but earth and earthly ioies, like brutish beastes, which haue no vnderstan­ding, but let them looke vp vnto heauen, from whence commeth our ioy and true felicitie: let them consider that which the Philosopher gathered,Psal. 120. by plaine reason, that man consisteth not of bodie one­lie, neither that his beginning is meere naturall as is the stone, the flower, the tree, the oxe, the asse: but that he is indued with a soule of heauenly and ange­licall substance, made vnto eternitie, that his stature was framed vpright, and his countenance erected to the heauens, to the ende that aboue all thinges, hee shoulde haue a diligent eie vnto God, his Creatour, who dwelleth in the heauen aboue, and a speciall re­gard vnto his diuine worshippe, which hee hath ap­pointed heere belowe. That this duetie is inioined him from the day of his birth, to the day of his death: that in obseruing the same is life,Deut. 33. and in neglecting it is death: not the death onely of the bodie, but the eternall death both of bodie and soule. If this be so, how diligently ought we to looke about vs, how rea­die to walke the steppes of our Sauiour Christ,S. Iohn. 4. whose meate and drinke was to doe the will of God here an earth? howe willing should we bee and desi­rous to imitate those godly Christians of the prima­tiue Church, who sold their goods, and their lands, laying them downe at the Apostles feete? or their [Page 190] successours, which imploied themselues, their goods and their lands, on the diuine seruice, and reuerent Temple of Iesu Christ?Act. 4. Let no man presume so farre in his blind zeale▪ altogether deuoid of knowledge: and sauering rather the doctrine of men, then of God: to say that God dwelleth not in temples, made with hands, neither is he worshipped, with outwarde worship, but in truth and spirite, thereby most pro­phanely concluding, that we ought to put no religi­on in outward things, or to ascribe any holines to the same. Wee haue heard that the Temple sanctifieth the gold thereof: and if any man doubt of the same: let him adde prophane hands, vnto the arke, though vnder colour to holde it vp,Oza. and trie with Oza whe­ther he shall presently be stroken from the Lord with sodaine death.Reg. 2. Or let him but holde out his hande a­gainst the Prophet, and trie with Roboam, whether it will be presently dried vp or no. Though the Lorde strike thee not presently with Oza, or at thy returne chaunge thee into a Leaper as white as [...]nowe with Gehesey: Reg. 4. though he doth not accurse thee as hee did the figtree: yet assure thy selfe that with the burning sinnes of thy body, the winges of thy soule (where­with thou shouldest flie vp into heauen) shall bee scorched, thy heart shall melt, thy conscience shall burne, and thou shalt be consumed in the great daie of the Lord.

Let all men knowe this for a truth, that those which diminish the worshippe of God heere vppon earth, the Lord will cut of the line of their posteritie in this life, and blot out their portion in the lande of the liuing.

[Page 191]If this be fearefull (O ye sonnes of men) then let the daily remembraunce thereof enter into your brestes, let it sinke downe into your harts, and ran­sacke your inward spirits, that ye may therby learne to kisse the louing son of your saluation, to imbrace his manifolde mercies, and to tremble at his iudge­ments.

Say not God is mercifull, and therein abuse him; he is farre off, and therefore deny him: a thousand yeares with him is but a daie, and therewith forget him: but remember with your selues, and consider wiselie, that all his wordes are truth, and hee hath saide long since, I come, and I will not staye: be­hold I come quickly.Apoc. 22. He hath girt vp his loynes, he hath taken his two edged sword into his hande, his trumpet is now ready to sound that great alarum of the day of iudgement.Iud. 6. His thousand thousandes of angels are ready to deuide the heauens, to inflame the aire, to dry vp the waters, and to shake the earth with all the kingdoms therein, and now he is com­ming euen at the doore.

Though some may thinke that my penne decly­neth to this fading conclusion, rather by course of stile, than for the euidence of truth therein contay­ned, for the glorie of Iesu Christ, or for our dutifull readines against the day of our saluation: yet in so great daunger remaine not doubtfull through the flattering shew of sinfull delusions. But rather, sith it greatly concerneth our soules health, let vs harken to that plaine voice of truth: when you see these things, then thinke that your redemption is at hand, and bee yee perswaded fully of the same by euident [Page 192] reason; by that which you see with your eyes, which you heare with your eares, which you haue felt with your sensuall bodies, not many yeares since. And now after the meditation thereof, more truly vnder­stand with your harts. Whereby you are forewarned hereof euen by secret thoughts, when you lie in your beds, considering that the bridegroome of our eter­nal saluation is at hand. Cast off the loue of this pre­sent world, scarce go backe into thine owne house, to thy wife,Math. 24. and thy little children; if thou bee at home within thy doores, goe not out into the field, to see thy cattell, or into the streets to bid thy friends fare­well, or looke once aside from this present comfort, the redemption of all the godly. Resolue thy selfe to giue account, to come to iudgement, for nowe the course of this worlde by all computation, is run out, all flesh is come to an ende. And would you haue it set more plainely before your face?

Lift vp your eies, and you shall see, that long since the figge tree is budded, the fields are all white vnto haruest, the heauens are shrunke in their seat, and waxen olde like a garment. If you yet doubt, that the world is not at the point to bee dissolued, or that there is no such present appearance, why wee should looke for a newe heauen, and a newe earth: doe but looke backe a little into the olde worlde, and you shall see plainely, that the time is nowe expi­ring.

There bee but twelue houres in the day, and if ye will calculate exactly, there bee eleuen of them and fiftie nine minutes past. Hee which standeth on the hil toppe, he seeth the enemy a far off, & the vigilant [Page 193] watchman, he saith, that euerie minute hee perswa­deth himself, that he heareth the trumpet sounding: Surgite mortui, & venite ad iudicium, S. Ierome. arise ye deade, and come to iudgement. The world was created in six daies, and perfected in the seuenth, whereby the an­cient, writers learned by coniecture, out of the pro­phesie of Elias; Elias. & also by proportion, that the world should remaine six thousand yeares, and after that, should succeede the eternall sabaoth of our soules. Fiue ages by all mens computation are past, & now we liue in the sixt, whose 1589 yeares nowe already past, argue, that the sequell of the sixt is also at an ende. Of those six thousand, which long since the learned aimed at, already bee expired 5562, and hee which with his word did create the world, and at his wil shal destroy it clean, euen in the twinckling of an eie: he hath promised that the daies shalbe shortned for his elect & chosen childrens sake, which seemeth likely that the day is euen now appearing in the hea­uens. If wee looke a little into the deepe visions and reuelations of Daniel, Daniel. in which the course of times & seasons to come in the latter end of all, was plain­ly reuealed vnto him, wee may easily gesse by that which is past, the course which is yet to come. Hee which hath seene the rising of the sunne, and marked the course therof, fiue daies togither from the rising to the setting; and the sixt day, he marking howe it did rise in the morning, howe it was eleuated at noone, howe it beginneth to decline, when it draw­eth into the west: hee will haue a shrowd gesse, when it is towardes night. So likewise let vs but a little tourne ouer the two and twentie bookes [Page 194] of hidden conference, which according to the sixe daies of creation deuided the world into three tooes.

The infancie, which is two thousand before the law:Liberati. the strong age which is two thousand vnder the law: the old age, which is two thousand vnder grace.

Let vs rise by proportion from two to foure, which bee the foure astrologicall trigones in the heauens, executing the influence of the seauen planets, and that by the ministerie of the foure elements:Leouitius. in order proportionating the foure great Monarches of the world. Hereunto if wee shall adioyne the regiment of the seauen mouers or spirits, which the Lord hath placed vnder him, by the course of nature, according to his secret decree, to dispose the elementall crea­tures here below: we may gesse to our great comfort by that which is past, that the end is at hand.

The trigonicall course of constellations haue al­waies begun, proceeded, declined, and ended, after the same manner in the heauens: beginning the first da [...]e of creation, at the first degree of Aries, the head of the fierie trigone, so passing through the earthie, the airie, the watrie, till it ended in the last minute of Pisces, the full and perfect period of the watrie trigone.

These trigones as they alwaies passed after the same fort in the heauens, so commonlie the same or verie like successe fell out in the earth, and the same spirit of planet entring the rule of the world, the same or like euents followed here on earth.

The world (as Plato diuinelie writeth) was crea­ted in fier,Plato. euen in the signe Aries, the head of the fie­rie trygone. At which time Orifiel, the first planeti­call [Page 195] angel, or spirit of Saturne, began (according to the disposition of the Almightie) to rule the world. After whom according to the processe of the foure trigones followed Araell the spirit of Venus Zachari­ell the spi [...]it of Iupiter, Raphael the spirit of Mercurie: Samael the spirite of Mars: Gabriell the spirit of the Moone: Michaell the spirit of the Sunne. Each of them ruling the world three hundred [...]iftie and foure yeares till the ende of that great watrie trigone,Tritemius in the taile of Pisces. At which time according to the computation of the seauenty interpreters,Septuaginta. Beda. and that learned Beda, the watrie trigone ending vnder the reigne of Gabriel the spirit of the Moone, within few years, after issued that great vniuersall flood. Vnto this day the trigones with the regiment of the seauen angels or planeticall spirites according to the ap­pointment of God, successiuely tooke the disposi­tion and regiment of the world, beginning in the fierie trigon vnder the spirit Orifiell passing on to the other trigons, whose particular proceedings if I should declare with the whole course of the successe & effect of that which followed here vppon earth: shewing, that as the constellations changed in the heauens, so commonlie there followed alterations of kingdomes, of states, of prosperity, and aduersity, of famin & plenty, of alteration of lawes, rules, peo­ple and nations, the rising continuing and ending of Monarches, & mighty Empyres: it were a more de­monstratiue, and forcible way. But because it is te­dious to shew this course perticularly from the be­ginning of the world vnto this day. As for example. When Orifiell began his dominion ouer the world [Page 196] first, then men were naked, rude, liuing abroad. To whom when Arael the spirit of Venus succeeded, then began they to bee more handsome, and to loue one another. After him Zachariell the spirit of Iupiter succeeded, vnder whom men began to build and to rule one ouer another. To this Raphael succeeded the spirit of Mercurie, vnder whom caracters, and wri­ting, and musicall instrumen [...]s were first inuented. To this succeeded Samal the spirit of Mars: vnder whom though the Hebrewes accoūt that the flood was,Hebraei yet according to the account of the septuaginta, Isiodore,Isodorus.Beda, and Tritemius (who prooueth this asser­tion by the same rule of multiplicatiō) the flood was afterward vnder the dominion of Gabriel, the spirit of the Moone. Because it were both obscure and tedi­ous, to shew from the beginning of the world vnto this day, euery course of these trigones in the zodi­ach, and euerie dominion of these planetical spirits, with the effectes which followed here on earth, to the end that wee may vnderstand a secret truth suffi­cient to warne euery one which loueth the Lord, to be ready, sith his day and comming seemeth neere at hand: I will onely shew some effects of the watry trigone: especially what followed when it ended, as it did lately in the tayle of Pisces, with the appliance of the effects of Gabriell the spirit of the Moone, who last of all begun his dominion ouer the world, the yeare of our Sauiour his incarnation 1525. and shal rule (vnlesse the Lord shal cut off those euill effects) til the year one thousand eight hundred seauēty nine, & eleuen months. For the more inciting of vs vnto the consideration of our state, and this present age in [Page 197] which wee liue: let vs call to minde the words of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ: who when he fore­warned his Disciples of the last day of doome, (which now hangeth ouer our heads:) then (saith hee) looke vp, for your redemption is at hand. He which biddeth vs looke vp, hee first created man vpright, to behould the heauens, not minding to make vs gase at nothing, but hee hath set some cleere obiect for vs to behold aboue. And because heauen is aboue, and earth below, looke vp vnto the heauens,Gen. 1. and behold the starres which (as the Scripture faith) are fixed therein for signes, & times, for years and dayes: sith the Lord himselfe in the cre­ation of the starres appointed them for signes and seasons: and sith the Son of God hath bid vs looke vp to them. Let vs not regard the coloured speeches of the ignorant: (who beeing a ridiculous generati­on, would faine seeme that which they are not.)

But let vs looke vp, & we shall see straunge signes in the heauens, such signes as hath not bene since the beginning of the world vnto this day, and were not, nor could not well haue bene found out of vs, if wee had not had cunning, and expert Astrolo­gers amongest vs.

The apparance of these prodigious sights in the heauens: do bid vs consider, that the sixe thousand years are almost ended, that the sixt age of the world is inclining it selfe into the graue: that the fourth Monarch (though Liberatie verie learnedly ad­deth a short defensiue for the same) is now lan­guishing.

The starres were appointed for signes & seasons: [Page 198] & this is a great signe of the decaying of the fourth monarch, in that the watrie Trigone is now expired vnder the which the fourth monarch had the begin­ning. The same two great planets Saturne and Iupiter, being conioined in Scorpio, Iulius Caesar being then in the height of his imperiall pride,Iul. C [...]sar. which was fortie seuen yeres before Christ. That learned Liberatie ar­gueth strongly on the contrary, & to an other con­clusion than I will name; affirming that no constel­lation decaieth his owne proper effect. Ciprianus Le­ouitius coniectureth a shorter conclusion from hea­uen. It is lawful for all men to beleeue what seemeth most likely, and when all is doone, the conclusion is meere coniecturall, but yet by many probabilities.

This for our instruction let vs mark, after the pas­sing of these six thousand yeares, six ages, foure mo­marches, and now the fourth Trigone newly ended; that the world also is drawing towards and end. With this lette vs consider, howe often this constellation hath had issue from the beginning of the world, to­gether with the dominion of Gabriell the spirit of the Moone, who ruleth now. And therewith let vs con­sider the effectes which followed them. Anno mundi, 2242, the watrie Trigone drawing to an end, Gabriel the angell of the moone, began his dominion ouer the world, and what followed? men being then giuen to pride and lecherie, to feeding their bodies and not their soules; to regard the kingdoms of the earth, & not the kingdome of heauen: not regarding that learned Noe, the seruaunt of the Lorde: the cloudes were dissolued aboue;Gen. 6. the fountaines of the earth were opened below; the seas were let loose abroade; [Page 199] the waters flowed outragiously ouer the whole earth, and drowned all worms and beasts, all fowles, all men, women, and children, all liuing creatures of the earth, except Noe, and those which hee tooke with him into the Arke.

After this general destruction of the whole world in the ende of Pisces, the spirites of the planets toge­ther with the Trigones, proceeded successiuely, till at the length, in the ende of the dominion of Samaell the spirit of Mars (vnder whome the destruction of Troy was complete) Gabriel the angell of the moone beganne the second time to rule,Troy. in the ende of the watrie Trigone. And what followed? that mightie Monarchie of the Assirians was destroyed, and came to vtter ruine vnder that [...]leshly Sardanapalus. Also the kingdome of the Macedonians,Tit. Liu [...]. the kingdome of the Syluians ended, and the Romanes began, to­gether with the captiuitie of Babylon amongst the Iewes.

Thirdly, the Trigones and planeticall spirits pro­ceeded successiuely, till the same watry trigone en­ded againe, the fiery entring six yeares before the birth of Christ, and what followed? There was great change throughout the whole world.Iosephus. The sacrifice of Moses did cease; the oracles and idolatrie of the heathen came to an end; the Gentils were called to be partakers of the true faith; the empire of Rome was subdued and brought vnder the lawe of the Gospell,Rom. 1. which began vnder the fiery triplicitie. After which the succession of the trigones proceeded to the end of the watry trigone, which was about the yeare of our Lord 600. And what followed?

[Page 200] Mahomet the Arabian, brought in the sect of the Saracens, by which the Romane Empire, and the profession of christianitie decayed together in Asia, besides many wastings & destructiōs in the church, recouered againe by Charles the great.

From that time to this,Lonicerus the trigones haue passed their course successiuely in such sort,P. Iouius. that nowe the watrie trigone is once againe expired in Pisces, and the fiery newly entred in Aries, together vnder the dominion of Gabriell, which ruled in the time of the floud, and in the destruction of the first Monarch. And what shall followe? God knoweth, and no man, no not the angels in heauen.

And yet let vs not be so blinded with the cloudie fancies of the flesh, that we should loo [...]e our spiritu­all vnderstanding. But let vs looke vp to heauen, and behold the great signes, which the Lord sheweth in the heauens; especially let vs fixe our cogitation on that strange star,An. Dom. 1573. which he shewed vnto vs fifteene yeares since. Which though it appeared amongst the starres of heauen, and that in the place of a starre (so that none but Astrologers could perceiue the same) yet it was a straunge sight to all the learned which beheld it.I. Dee. And so much the rather, because it was found to bee placed verie high in the aethereall region aboue the sphere of the moone, a faire, cleare bright, calme starre, round and euen, but brighter than the starres of heauen,T. Digges. it was exceeding strange to the wise and learned, because there was neuer a­ny such like seen, since the first creation of the world vnto this day, but at the comming of Christ. Though some olde Chaldeans note, that the like appeared to [Page 201] Noe, fifteene yeres before the floud, & therfore see­meth to be a signe vnto the world of such an effect, as neuer was in the world before, vnlesse it were the comming of that holy one, the Lord and sauiour of the world.

It appeared in the heauens, & not in the elemēts; whereby we gather, that it signifieth an euent from heauen. In a signe which neuer setteth, and that a whole yere together, which forsheweth an eternity. The signe wherein it appeared, is Cassiopeia, Cassio­peia. which by the Aegyptians, and olde Astronomers, is figured a virgin sitting in a chaire with a braunch in her hand,Aratus. which likely resembleth the state of iudgment.G [...]ariau. Sith therefore after so many generall courses,Mercator. of the Tri­gones, of the monarches, of the dominion of the planeticall spirits, the Lord hath shewed wonderful signes of his comming in the ayre, in the water, in the earth: and lastly aboue all, hath held out his hand in the heauens, shewing vs that he is nowe opening the doores of heauen, and comming to iudgement: and that the doome of all creatures is now dawning. Let vs wisely weigh & consider, the exceeding great power and maiestie, wherewith the Lorde of hostes shall come to iudge the earth. Though he was made man for our sakes, and for our saluation: yet bee yee not so carnall in your cogitation, or so bewitched with the delaying fancie of sensuality, that you shuld imagine his power to be compact after the manner of men:Enoch. that when hee is mustering his thousandes of angels (as Enoch prophesied long since) that wee should heare of it before, and that after we heare of it, he should be long in comming.

[Page 202]No, the Lord will bow the heauens at his plea­sure, Esai. 64. and come downe euen in the twinckling of an eye, according as it is written: euen as the lightning breaketh out of the East,Math. 24. passing forthwith into the West: euen so shal the comming of the Sonne of mā bee. Hee is not like to the earthly princes, that hee should sende his harbinger before. But I am is he: most monderful, most holie, most mightie, in whose presence the angels are not pure, and the heauens corruptible. Hee spake the word, and they were all made: and at the sownd thereof they shall all be con­sumed. He shall kindle the fire of his heauy displea­sure against the sinners of the earth. Hee shal cleaue the heauens asunder, and the flame shal breake forth like a furnesse. As were the dayes of Noe, a generall destruction,Gen. 7. with the voice of mourning and wee­ping, and deadly lamentation: as was Sodom that sinke of sinne,Gen. 19. and Gomorrha that euil nurse of ini­quitie: as the fier and brimstone rained downe from heauen most ruthfully, firing, wasting, burning, destroying, and sincking those wicked cities: so shal bee the comming of the sonne of man.

Hee shall shake the heauens aboue, and make the hell below to tremble, the trompet shall sownd, e­uen the trompet of the God of heauen and earth, the sownd thereof shal rend the clowdes of the aire, it shall make the fowles to shrinke with feare and to fall downe dead on the earth.Pet. 2. Therewith the sea shal flee from the woonted course, and the flouds shall roare, the earth shall swell, the creatures thereof shall be amased, the ayre shall thunder and lighten, the elements shall melt with heat, the starres shall [Page 203] fall from their spheres, and the light shall vanish from before the face of all men then liuing on the earth:Ioel. 2. as it was foreshewed by the prophet long since. This is like to be a black day, a glowming day, a day of fire and smoke from the heauens, a day of anger and wrath, of bitternes and teares, of la­menting and vtter destruction on the earth. Then shall feare come on all men liuing, and the inhabi­tants of the world shal be agasht, when they shall see that with their eies, which maketh our hartes quake when we remember it. The prophet long since hath giuen vs warning thererof, and many hundre [...]h yeares agoe hee cried alowd, blow vp the trumpet in Syon, and showt in my holy mount. Let all the inhabitantes of the land tremble, for the daie of the Lord is come, for it is now at hand: a fier deuoureth before him, and behinde him the flame burneth vp, the earth shall vanish at his presence, like a tempest: the heauens shall melt, the clowdes shall droppe, the Sunne and the Moone shall be darke, and the starres shall withdraw their shining.

There shall appeare fearfull wonders in the hea­uens, and in the earth, bloud, and fier, and pillers of smoke, the Sunne shall be turned into darknesse, & the Moone into bloud. Then shall wee see the po­wers of heauen to mooue aboue in the firmament, and the inhabitantes of the earth shall stand gasing, all amazed,Esai 13. and who is able to behold it? then shal the dead arise out of their graues, according to the sownd of the trompet, then shall all arise and come to iudgement. The poore together with the rich, the old the young, the mightie, the simple the King, [Page 204] the begger. Thē shal the poore of this world reioice, when they shal behold the heauenly countenance of the bridegrome, their louing sauiour and mercifull redeemer. Then and in that day the Lord shall looke vpon his poore militant church, with a cheerfull eie and louing countinance. Hee shall send downe his angels, who shal imbrace his louing children, & take them vp into euerlasting ioy. But as for the wicked and many of those which haue inioyed the great ho­nor, auctoritie, pleasure, plentie and ioy in this world: he shall behold them a farre off. Euen as the clowdy piller which was placed betwixt Israell and the Egyptians, was light to Israell, and darknesse to the Egyptians:Exod. 14. euen so the chosen of the Lord in that day shal stand in the light, & shine in the kingdome of heauen, as the starres in the firmament: but the children of this world, and those which made their heauen of this worldly treasure,Sapien. 3. shall stand still all amazed in hart: the Clowde of confusion shall compasse them about, and their faces shall be co­uered with the mantle of shame: griping shal pinch their hearts within, and their voice shall sownde out nothing else, but woe and alasse.

When they shal behould all their gould melted, their houses burnt, a [...]d their hope cleane vani­shed, their landes suncke, and their friendes gone, they shall runne starke madde vnto the waters, & all amazed vnto the mountaines, kneeling downe before them, and crying: couer vs and our iniqui­ties. O couer vs from the face of him that sitteth on the throne▪ their consciences accusing them, they shall hate the goods which they haue gotten euilly, [Page 205] and shall flie from those landes which they haue vio­lently takē from the poore, or from the holy church, fearing least it should open and swallow them vp into hell.

They shall flie from their houses, built with ill gotten money, least they bee consumed together with the flame thereof: great feare and vexation of spirit shal bee to the mightie men of this world, ac­cording as it is written: potentes potenter pat [...]entur, Sapien 6. the mightie shall bee punished mightily, when the pu­issant princes of these earthly regions, shall stand all naked before all the world both good and bad, before the angels of heauen, and Iesu Christ now sitting on his throne, and all their deedes, yea all their secret doings therewith laid open: when they shal remem­ber how negligently they haue looked to the woor­ship of the Lord, and how careful they haue bene of their owne estimation: how litle they haue bestowed on the house of God, and how manie thousandes on their owne painted pallaces: how little they haue be­stowed on the poore of Iesu Christ, and haue excee­ding much on their carnal friends in whom they de­lighted. When those thinges shal come clerely to their remembrance: then shalbe fulfilled that saying of the Apostle.Iames 5. Go too yee rich men, howle & weep for the miserie which shal come on you. Many and mightie shal be their wailings: it shall greeue them that they haue bin rich, when they shall see the bles­sings of the poore: their honour shal breed thought of dispaire and confusion in their harts, & their faire lands which they made their paradise here on earth, shalbe a burning consumption in their cōsciences.

[Page 206]When the wicked shall see heauen open aboue, hell gaping belowe, and the earth melting away be­twixt them both: when they shall heare that voice of ioy;Math. 25. Come ye blessed: and that voice of sorrowe; Go ye cursed into euerlasting fire: when they shall see the mightie put downe from their seate, and the humble lowly harted exalted: it shall greeue them, so that they shall vtterly loath all those pleasures which they haue so loued, & they shall gnash there­at with their teeth. But to the godly, to the penitent sinners, to those which loue his holy worship, and study to maintaine his poore members heere vpon earth: the Lorde of his great mercie will bestow his louing kindnes & peace, with the fruition of euerla­sting life. Which he graunt vs, that hath bought it so dearely for vs, euen Iesus Christ the righteous, to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost, one most holy, blessed, and glorious Trinitie, be all glorie and ho­nour for euer and euer. Amen.