A FRVITFVL SERMON NECESSARY FOR THE TIME, preached at the Spittle vpon the Tuesday in Easter week last, by francis Marbury. Published by direction of authority. Printed at London by P. Short, dwelling on Breadstreet hill at the sign of the star, 1602. The Epistle to the Reader. BRethren, when I saw how Satan had prevailed by his latter temptations, to add a further misery to those evils which he had contrived by his former: I desired that by some good hand he might be resisted. And for a good space( I confess) I haue inclined to adventure myself in opposing him. I foresaw how unacceptable it would be to some, and revolved it with such anxiety of mind, as I could not remove by mine own strength. But it was the Lords work that I set aside discouragements, and fell to weighing the matter. Three things I principally pondered. First, that this undutiful alienation did grievously displease God, and was a grievous iudgement of itself. Secondly, that it had no ground but the tradition of Satan; so I call the information which is given to men, that are strangers to the secrets of a cause, by those that are parties to the action Thirdly, that the effect of this alienation, if it were too much inueterat would be formidable to all, and chiefly to gods Church. Hereupon I resolved to wait some opportunity to perform this duty, and to endure mine own loss for the gain of others. In this corruption of nature it is not possible to do any thing exactly well, and by that very thing doth the Lord advantage his glory: for so he humbleth the instruments of the best things. How beit he giveth grace to his children to attain to undoubted sincerity, and to propound his glory to their enterprises in the singleness of their harts. The falseness of mans hart( if he set himself seriously before God) cannot so deceive him, but he may discern whether he haue had a care to avoid evil and to glorify God. In this care I haue had my part from my first calling to preach at the Spittle. And if men will report me otherwise, job. 31.36. my conscience will make her a garland of their reports, as job saith. I do aclowledge that after I was called to that place, I thought myself qualified in some measure for this very purpose, vpon these grounds, 1. I stood well affencted to my countrymen, whom I desired to reform. 2. I presumed that they had entertained a persuasion that I affencted soundness in delivering Gods word. 3. I understood the cause with the distinctions. 4. I understood out of my innumerable observations the still continuing dispositions and words of men in the cause, to be very sinful and dangerous, notwithstanding all their distinctions. And I proportioned the reprehension of an universal sin to an universal assembly. 5. I conceived that the wound being cured between God and man, and between man and man, we should all be fit to join against the divell, and leave failing both in dutifulness and wisdom. I haue( being required thereto) delivered a faithful report of that Sermon. I haue not( the Lord is witness) set down one word to divert the sense of any one point from that which I conceived at the delivery, but haue striven to attain to the words. My conscience is upright so far as I can discern it in the course. If the great ministers of state had called me to preach before them, I would either haue insisted in the doctrine of the common duties of christianity, or else would haue held it my duty to haue left this, and to haue followed the other relative. To haue done it now, had been preposterous. As touching politic virtues, which I hold more excellent for the profit of the commonwealth in true christian princes, then their moral virtues be; do me right in understanding me as I expressly spake it, and as I wrote it( vpon occasion) more then once before, I spake it of true christian princes. Otherwise I hold a Rehoboam in his defectiuenesse of policy( if he be otherwise truly religious) a fitter king thē a jeroboam being an enemy of religion, with all his irreligious policies. conceive also the largeness of the name of politic virtues, Phil. 1.27. {αβγδ} that in dead it extendeth in the scripture phrase( which I thought of) to a mans carriage in common with others be he private or public; Act. 23.1. {αβγδ} 1 Reg. 8.23. 2. cro. 20 6. Psal. 42.4& 122. insomuch that S. Paul calleth his conscionable service of God in conversing amongst the Iewes his politic carriage. And therfore in princes it extendeth to all their duties, as they bee princes, even to their very prayers as they are the mouths of their people, as it sometimes fell out, and to their resorting to the public worship of God as guides to the people, these are politic duties, as they are don in a politic respect for governments sake, for the name of policy is abusively put for unconscionable craftiness. If there were any ambitious intention in me, 1 Thess. 4.11. it was S. Pauls {αβγδ}. I was ambitious of love and quietness in my country. Other surmises are vain; for though I desire to exercise my ministery with the aid and countenance of authority for the repulsing of ungodly oppositions, yet I may affirm with all truth of hart that I haue as much mind to turn my endeavours from the painful preaching of the Gospel to other things, as Barzillai had to be a Courtier. well, 2 Sam. 19.35. the Lord inform you all with all profitable and convenient truth, and frame your affections thereafter. And the Lord give us all grace to turn all our unnecessary medlings with Counsels and States, to prayers& movings for our blessed Lady Queen Elizabeth, Amen. F. M. The Dialogue between Salomon and his subject. Eccles. 10.4. Salomon. 4. IF the spirit of him that is in authority rise up against thee, leave not thy place. For gentleness pacifieth great sins. Subject. 5. There is an evil, that I haue seen under the sun, as an error that proceedeth from the face of him that ruleth. 6. Folly is set in great excellency, and the rich is set in low place. 7. I haue seen seruants on horses, and princes walking as seruants on the ground. Salomon. 8. He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it, and he that breaketh an hedge, a Serpent hall bite him. 9. He that removeth stones, shall hurt himself thereby, and he that cutteth wood, shall be in danger thereby. 10. If the iron he blunt, and one hath not whet the edge, he must then put to more strength, but the excellency of a thing is wisdom. 11. If the Serpent bite when he is not charmed, no better is a babbler. 12. The words of the lips of a wise man haue grace: but the lips of a fool devour himself. 13. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness and the latter end of his mouth is wicked madness. 14. For the fool multiplieth words: yet the man knoweth not what shall be, and who can tell him what shall be after him? 15. The labour of the fool doth weary him, yet he knoweth not to go into the city. Subject. 16. Wo to thee O Land, when thy King is a child, and thy Princes eat in the morning. 17. Blessed art thou O Land, when thy King is the son of Nobles, and thy Princes eat in time for strength, and not for drunkenness. 18. By slothfulness the roof of the house goeth to decay, and by idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. 19. They prepare bread for laughter, and wine comforteth the living, and silver goeth for all. Salomon. 20. Curse not the King, no not in thy thought; nor the rich, no not in thy bedchamber, &c. Eccles. 10. verse 20. Curse not the king, no not in thy though; neither curse the rich, no not in thy bed-chamber; for the foul of the heaven shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall declare the matter. THis book being made after Salomons rising from his fall, hath the commendation both of his repentance and of the experience of his very soul, according to the Hebrew title of precheresse( as one would say given by himself) in the feminine gender. Coheleth It containeth a comfession of the vanity of al mans private attempts in the 7. first chapters: the 8. chap. mentioneth the vanity& corruption of public administrations with the scandal therof: the 9. mentioneth the ignorance& mistaking of the divine administrations, together with the unjust scandal therof. Now correspondently this 10. chap. containeth the cure of the first scandal as the 11. doth of the second. The context. The principal question of this chap. be ginning it( Tremellius. with some) at the fourth verse is, that subiects that are godly wise, ought to repress in themselves al insurrection of mind, against the supposed scandals of civil administrations, and against the doings of princes, and that a disloyal thought ought not to bee lent thereunto. The discourse whereof is propounded( as it were) dialogue wise between Salomon& his subject: Salomon beginneth this grave counsel of moderating the affections in the 4. verse. And the subject answereth slanderously in the three next, insinuating that it is impossible to stand contented and of an appeased mind in a government which he surmiseth to be so scandalous, that it perverteth and inuerteth the use of preferments& abasements. Thus out of his more conceit he aimeth( possibly) at some thing don by Salomon in his vxoriousnes, at the instigation of his Idolatrous wives; yet without any ground for this cavil. The reply which Salomon returned to this objection, is contained in the next 8. verses: The sum of the reply is, that it is daungerous folly for a subject to beat his brains about these matters. The particulars are first 4. comparisons, to note out the peril, and a fift comparison to note the irreuocablenes of the peril when men haue gon too far. The first comparison in the 8. verse is against curious ransackers of state matters, to dig up scan dales to themselves and others, that they are like those that dig a pit and fall into it. The second comparison in the same verse is against those which discretely rush against the privileges of old received by prescription, and scan the prerogative of their sovereign: which are likened to breakers up of old hedges, where serpents lurk and bite them. The third comparison vers. 9. is against those which attempt to disioine the united body of a state by shooting at some particulars members of the same, who are likened to a remouer of stones that are compact in a building,& so bringeth all vpon his head. The 4. comparison, in the same verse and in the tenth is against those which think to right matters by violence, who are likened to those that think to cleave knotty logs with blunt axes,& so bruise themselves with violent rebounding blows,& yet cleave not the logs; whereas the excellency of a thing( in dead) is wisdom, that is, the excellentest maner of walking to compass a good matter is by the meekness& gratiousnes of wisdom, and not by violence. The fift comparison which is vers. 11. is to restrain men by terror from proceeding too far, because then their hurt willbe incurable whatsoever they allege for themselves for charming is but babbling after that the serpent hath already bitten, for the harm should go before. Whereupon Salomon condudeth with a discourse of the tongue, tending to an exhortation to temper it wisely, by an argument taken from the contrary effects of the contrary government of the same, ver. 12. to wit either grace or destruction: and he prosecuteth the evil effects: first describing the issue of busy talk. It beginneth( saith he) at foolishness, and by reason of an unbridled affection proveth at the last wicked madness, verse 13. Secondly, the issue of foolish talk for want of grave premeditation, that a man cannot tell what words shall escape him, nor any body else neither, by that time he hath made an end of his unprepared collation: for so soundeth the original, verse 14. And thirdly, the issue of foolish meddling by reason of ignorance, when men tyre themselves with controlling of state matters,& yet are many times so ignorant that they cannot manage their own affairs, but are more like to them that know not to go to the city though it bee a beaten way, nor can scarce tell the way home to their own houses, verse 15. And thus far the reply of Salomon. The subject though convinced, yet not resting in this counsel, verse 16. continueth his objection as it were by way of reioinder, but now indirectly, and falleth to lamenting, that is, to cunning depraving the state of his country for the riotousness& dissoluteness of the governors,& verse 17. by way of comparison prefereth the government of other countreyes, and vers. the 18. and 19. taketh vpon him to prophesy evil to his own, by comparing it with the private state of an unthrift, who letteth all his things to go to decay by retchlesnesse, and consumeth himself with prodigality( so he closely girdeth at the sumptuousnes of Salomon) presuming that a good purse will hold out and pay for all, till he haue nothing left. To this second objection followeth now in this verse the surreioinder of Salomon, wherein yet he vouchsafeth not to way outany special answer to these busy particulars( for subiects must give account to princes, and not princes to their subiects) but setteth out an answer by hand, and generally that they were best to take heed of maligning of princes least they smarted for it. And this is the universal context which I thought expedient to go about to clear, because the coherence of the Hebrew style is not so much relieved to the understanding of the most with helps of inference to connect or to distinguish the parts, as the greek is. And I desired to make the desending out of the contexte into the text to be of easy passage and sensible. The disposition of the text. The text itself hath two general parts which lay open themselves: an exhortation and an argument. The exhortation hath likewise two, and the argument as many. The first part of the exhortation is, not to deprave the King, for the word signifieth so much as to make light account of. The second part of the exhortation is, not to deprave the Rich, understanding the word rich not literally only, but metaphorically also, for persons of worth, qualified with virtues& parts, such as kings do or should principally employ in their affairs: which signification of the word is pregnantly delivered out of the sixth verse of this chapter. And this name is given them here of purpose, because men of so great employment are commonly enriched, and their riches become an eye sore to many. This( as I haue said) is delivered by way of for bidding under the form of an exhortation,& not an austere commandement, which affecteth a soft hart more, howbeit the forbiddings be not both of the same value: for that which concerneth the king is more absolute as a prohibition, and that concerning the rich is less absolute as an inhibition. This appeareth by the several extents of these two forbiddings; for the king may not be depraved no not in thy thought,& the rich may not be depraved no not in thy bedchamber, in the withdrawing of thy bedchamber. For the reverence of the king God hath immediately seated vpon the conscience of the subject. And the subordinate Magistrate is seated on the conscience to, but mediately according to the authority given him by the king; so that he so far sitteth upon the conscience as he is included in the King, and is more easily divided by his particular offences, when he abuseth his prince& his authority. Against whom nevertheless a good subiest cannot irregularly mutter with a good conscience, nor deprave him in corners, though he do give cause to be evil thought of. Thus the depravation of either is severally forbidden with this difference, but in one and the same verb,& that in such a gravity therof as importeth the effect of such malignity, which for the most part redoundeth to some violation or hurt of the gouernours. And the word game( rightly valued in the translation to no not) is added to the first for vehemency,& must also be understood,& so supplied to the latter for the same cause. The argument by an inverted order familiar to the Hebrewes, first speaketh of the danger of depraving of the rich. And secondly, of the danger of depraving the king both hyperbolically: that birds shal detect it, to signify that men can haue no security by committing this sin intestate. The danger of depraving the rich, is that the voice of whisperers against them shalbe carried by the foul of the heaven, and the danger of depraving of the king is, that the ill matter conceived against him in the mind whatsoever it be( for Dabhar is answerable to Res,& signifieth any thing) though not uttered, shalbe declared not by any ordinary foul of the heaven as the former, but even by the master of wings after the hebraism, that is, by the swiftest foul. For the providence of God useth special expedition, in detecting the injuries intended or conceived against the supreme magistrate. As if Salomon had propounded to his subject the same matter in more words thus. The paraphrase. I see well that counsel is good to those that are good: but as for thee thou hast the fault of an evil seruant that is answering again: thou hast thy part in those foolish allegations, that thought is free,& that a cat may look on a King. One while thou blamest princes for misdisposing of honors: another while thou carpest at them& the magistrates under them for dissoluteness& riot. What should I say to thee? should I make account to thee? thou art no fit auditor of these reckonings. Take heed to thyself and to thy spirit: thou art surely in the way of Atheists and hypocrites: for theirs is the spirit of malignity: and to the first born of them doth slander belong in this high nature. I exhort thee therfore to keep both a good tongue and a good heart with thee,& in entering into kings matters to lay aside first pride, which puffeth up. Secondly superfluity of folly, which distasteth wisdom itself. Thirdly, want of compassion, which rashly condemneth that which wise charity would tolerate. Fourthly, lack of equity, which layeth imputations cross. And fiftly, unthankfulness for the blessings by and from princes. Do thou not deprave the King no not in the whisperings of thy conscience. Make not thy heart a den of surmises. And as touching those principal magistrates against whom under colour of lamentation thou makest such an outcrye: give not thyself leave to deprave them, no not when thou hast removed all witnesses in thy most retired closet. envy not their riches. Traduce not their severity. condemn not their policy. Be not rash in any of these things. Throw all malice out of thy conscience, and place reverence to authority in the room. leave curious prying and credulousnesse to the right owners: I mean busy bodies. He which made the conscience and hath assigned authority a place there, hath a quick ear,& by his providence returneth a speedy intelligence of these faults, as worthy so high a detector. For what is spoken against magistrates, the birds of the air shall carry tidings of it. And whatsoever is but in hart spoken against the king himself, God will make out the master of the wings a most speedy accuser to declare the matter; rather then fail he will afford a miracle. Of a truth the vengeance of God will find out such a sinner, and when he is found out, the holy ghost as well as the king will be his enemy. The holy ghost out of this text thus to be understood, The doctrine of magistrates. first goeth about to plant in our harts the reverence of the supreme magistrate, and teacheth us that we ought not to admit the contrary for thought. Let us therefore( leaving Rabbi Salomons allegory of understanding by King, God, which eateth out the heart of this text) receive this doctrine of honouring the Prince in our heart, out of the heart of this scripture; and that also with the circumstances of this scripture, to wit, notwithstanding a thousand suggestions of Satan to the contrary. For such is the charge given of God on this behalf in the fifth commandement, though the instance bee given of natural parents: for it beareth proportion most pregnantly this way of all others. Honour( saith the Lord) thy Father and thy Mother, putting the commandement in form of an exhortation( as here) to make it more gracious thereby, as also by the promise annexed, as saint Paul saith. Neither hath the text barely honour them, Eph. 6 but by reason of the conjugation it weigheth as much as to prosecute them and load them with honours, and with admiration of love. The reasons to move us are very effectual. For first wee cannot entertain a slight estimation of them without despising and despiting of God, who hath set his image, even a celestial character vpon them, yea even vpon those of them that know him not. Therefore the law saith, Exod. 22.28. Thou shalt not rail upon the Gods, calling rulers Gods, which name also the holy ghost confesseth that he had bestowed vpon them, Psalm. 82.6. I said ye are Gods. And he hath not given them the name onely, but he hath bestowed also divine gifts vpon them agreeable to the title. They are endued( were not the word of God credible) with an incredible measure of wisdom, to speak even oracles at times. When Saul at his inauguration( saith the scripture) turned from Samuel, God gave him another heart. 1. Sam. 10 9. For the harts of princes are heroically endowed with courage, wisdom, and bountifulness. And when need requireth there shal be( saith Salomon) a divine sentence in the lips of a king, or other ruler for his places sake, Prou. 16.10. as wee red the divine sentence of Salomon and of Caiphas. Whereby it is manifest, 1 King. 3. joh. 11.50.51. that he that deiecteth the prince out of his conscience, deiecteth God himself, who requireth to sit in his conscience by him. And God giveth us no dispensation for any cause to disreuerence the prince, except that we be able to show that we do it as Gods commandement. The scriptures are plentiful in pleading for superiors. And the men of god when they haue by mistaking, exceeded towards a ruler( though a wicked one) haue used diligence to excuse themselves and to avoid the scandal. Act. 23.5. I knew not( saith Paul) that he was the high priest, for it is written, Thou shalt not curse the ruler of the people. Exod. 22.28. And when they had proceeded beyond decency( though with special innocency) yet they were troubled in conscience: for david was touched in his heart, because he had cut off the lap which was on Saules garment. So that if to refuse God be ungodliness, then it must needs be so to admit a contemptuous thought of a prince, in whom God offereth himself unto us: I say a contemptuous thought, for both this text is so,& also the law is spiritual. And it is so sure that they are ungodly men which offend in this kind, that the holy ghost calleth them sons of Belial, 1 Sam. 10 27. that is, vnyoked persons, which refuse to bee under the yoke of due obedience. But what can bee objected? truly nothing in effect, but that men haue taken a toy to scue like unbroken horses from their duty. As for the allegation made by heretics of conscience to God. When no disobedience to God is required, it is in great hypocrisy that God is alleged: for are they not put together in scripture, Prou. 24 21. 1. Pet. 2 17 Rom. 13 2.7 fear God and the King, and depart from the seditious( as it is translated) or( as the text hath it) from the various, from those that divide these dueties, so as if they could not consist together. And did not both Peter and Paul require so much, when kings were enemies of the truth, and of the salvation of their subiects? Verily, when men make their scuse by God in this behalf, they do no better, then tell a lye for the almighty, job. 13.9 as job saith in another matter. For that which is Caesars, may be given to Caesar, Math. 22 21 without the least breach of allegiance to almighty God. And it is most true that Chrysostome saith vpon the 13. to the Romans, Hom. 23 {αβγδ}; subiection to Princes overturneth not religion. A point belike that in those daies stood in need still& successively to be urged. For the greek Scholiast likewise in his collect vpon the same place to the Rom. Oecumenius hath it near word for word. And he saith after, that S. Paul taketh great care to urge it {αβγδ}, every where. Neither was this( as jerom supposeth) by reason of the continuance of any old heresy: but because S. Paul saw that this sin would universally and successively assail. For it hath ever been a world of tongues; and as for thoughts, men think they are lawless. But assuredly whatsoever men persuade themselves, though the external subiection be never so strict; yet the contemptuous thought of a Prince( though the disreuerence be never so secret) cannot stand with true and undefiled religion. For the conscience that is guilty of quarrelsome thoughts against the lords anointed( how close soever they be kept) is wrecked. And such a man is forsaken of the holy ghost, and is sold to an unconscionable criminousnesse in other things besides that. As we read in Iude, that they are filthy persons that despise government. Ep. judae ver. 8 And( as Peter saith) bruit beasts, led by sensuality, 2 Pet. 2.12 which haue no ground but ignorance for their dead. And therefore as men tender the work of godliness in themselves, they must keep tenderly in the reins of their consciences the reverence of their prince. But what say the Rhemists to this matter? Forsooth that every man must not be subject to all that be in office, or superiority; Annotat. in Ro. 13 but every one to him whom God hath put in authority over him, by that he is his superior, and that onely in matters of peace and policy &c. but not in matters of religion or regiment of souls. Where note first that these counterfeit catholics haue taken liberty to change even their civil superior( as you know the story of story) and that howsoever they pretend to be subject in matters of policy, yet they be not without their evasion. For even matters of policy must be judged to be matters of religion, and matters of regiment of souls, if their spiritual superior do once so deem them and doom them: yea( which is the compliment of all absurdity to hold, and the quintessence of treachery to resolve of) they play fast and loose, and submit themselves with a quatenus, a popish one I wis, no longer then till they be strong enough to resist and rebel, for then they hold their consciences discharged. And so may Princes see what sure cards they haue of Papists. But let us leave them, and let us come to ourselves, who by the grace of God do protest our obedience to our sovereign, not after a popish, that is to say, a sophistical manner. For although you be not to bee challenged of disloyalty, so that you should need to bee spoken to( to imitate Saint Pauls words) as touching the love of your Prince, 1. Thes. 4.9.10. for we are taught of God to love such a Prince, yea and that thing verily you do: yet we beseech you brethren that you increase more and more. It is not to be doubted but Satan, as he hath already, so he will practise the contrary with many, and will turn himself into every likeness to prevail. whosoever doth vilipend his sovereign in his conscience, is either an Atheist, or an Hypocrite. But because Satan will teach us to be mad with reason, let us I pray you without offence of any for our better preservative, consider further what grievous sins( in stead of what great reasons) Satan will use to pervert our hearts, and to solicit us to entertain a colder estimation of so honoured a queen, as God hath blessed us withall. First he will work by our pride. For( as Salomon saith) though men allege other scuses, The first cause of vndutifulnesse. Prou. 13.10. yet pride onely is the source of all contention. For subiects haue seldom hearts humble enough, especially they that haue any wit are rarely found to haue the meekness of wisdom. And thus it cometh to pass, that their conceitednes redoundeth to the disreuerence of their Prince. And in very truth, the land is full of conceited persons of this kind, whose harts are soured with the leaven of their own pride: insomuch that oftentimes there ariseth a bitterness out of the stomach of malcontents into their mouths, when their wilful ruins are not repaired by Princes; so that they cannot forbear to speak of the sacred majesty of a Prince with a profane and ridiculous mouth. The Cauallieroes liberal science hath many uncouth positions, as that stabbing is necessary for tempering of tongues, that it is a forfeiture of all manhood to take the lye. And this is one of the rules of the same new learning, which wild creatures haue brought into the world, even a doctrine of Belial, for a man to dare to speak whatsoever cometh in his head. And men are so foolish to think, that standards by will ascribe greatness unto them, if they give evidence of an impudent and audacious spirit by their words. And yet there want not pretences, as of ingenuousnesse, or of spirits, or of martiall education, or of zeal to their country. But let us not be deceived, for a man may be free born without a free tongue, and a man may abound in spirits, without despising the spirit of modesty: he may be a soldier though his face bee not made of harness: he may be zealous and be no incendiary. It were much to be wished, that our humility might keep our thoughts in better temper, and therefore much more put our tongues to silence. For what are subiects in comparison of Princes? If the Iewes were commanded to put their necks under the yoke of the king of Babel, and to pray for the peace of nabuchadnezzar an heathen tyrant, how should not we buckle ourselves to a greater humility of mind, to a prince that excelleth nabuchadnezzar, as much as a Diamond excelleth a pebble ston? There was enacted since her majesties reign a statute of words and rumours, and that under no greater penalty then deserved. And it were to be wished, though not under so great penalty, yet under some due penalty, such as might be warranted by Gods word, that the same statute might extend to all words whatsoever, that are wilfully and scornfully cast out to any kind of violating, or disreuerence of the honour of the Prince, though cloaked by merriment. For now adays many that profess irregularity, if they get between the pot and the wall, do despise all rules of music, and their instrument goeth voluntary. It were a great indignity to deny that men of valour are very honourable and necessary instruments. But there are that go under the name of resolute, which give occasion to upbraid the land, as Ezechiel upbraided jerusalem. There are in thee that haue despised father and mother, that speak scornfully both of queen and counsel. Eze. 22.7. If it went no further then thoughts, the punishment were restrained to the judge of thoughts; but when it bursteth forth into the fire of words, it behoveth men to power water vpon it. The common wealth hath been greatly damnified in the reputation of virgines, in the education of children, and otherwise with this new precipitate position of cockering of spirits, and specially the estimation of Princes is violated thereby: so that he which will purge himself from this 'vice, had need to think more lowly of himself, and more highly of his prince. And so much of pride as it doth prejudice mans duty to his prince. The second cause of vnduetifulnes. The second way whereby Satan goeth about to abuse persons, otherwise not evil, and so to inveigle them to abuse their Prince, is lack of wisdom in not discerning the lawfulness of sundry pretences, and policies of Princes, and their foolishness to condemn their princes therefore. It is true, that we may not do evil that good may come therof: I say, we may not do it:& that we must avoid the very appearance of an evil deed, to wit, such as might minister any just occasion to a wise and charitable man to suspect us; yet we must not live by the fools lore. To disguise a purpose with a pretence, is not forbidden by the word of God. It behoveth us to make a good construction of the intents of Princes, and it is an uncomely thing to take vpon us the censuring of the means, whereby they are contrived. Wee are not worthy to know them. There is indeed no comparison with God: but because it is his pleasure to call Kings gods, therefore wee may partly impart this saying in Iob-vnto them, that as The Lord giveth not account of all his matters, so in some respect it may bee said of Princes. The holy Ghost hath commended unto us all, but most of all to them the wisdom of serpents, so it bee qualified with the innocency of doves. And it is verified both in God, and in the child of God, which the holy Ghost saith, Prou. 8 12 I Sapience dwell with prudence. Pretences and deeds do often require no other correspondence, then is between the face of a Ferie man and his oars. But there are some which haue so distasted the very name of policy, as if it were the name of some fowle 'vice. And many of these which cry for a plain course, and to keep in the road way, are themselves( as Salomon before saith) so sillie, that they scarce know the way home: so that they give occasion to invert the verse. Quicquid delirat populus rex plectitur, the peoples dotage turneth to the kings blame. Salomon pretended to divide an infant to good purpose, and did not. Paul pretended to Iudaize, and did not; he shore his head in Cenchrea, he took vpon him to bee a votary, he circumcised Timothy, he purified himself: yea to escape the Sadduces he pretended to be a pharisee, by the advantage of holding one thing with the pharisees. Doth the holy Ghost( which praised Salomon for the like) detect him; or else doth it commend him for these things? Or would Paul haue blamed Peter and others, because they did not {αβγδ}, that is, went not with a right foot, if he had been guilty of a wry course in himself? It is very observable, that the same Apostle which abounded in gifts and graces, abounded in godly policies. I speak not this as a patron of irreligious policies, but onely to avoid the absolute condemnation of that which gods word somewaie alloweth. Be sure of it that this folly is a great fault, and when it is busy folly it is a great interrupter of princes in their wholesome attempts, as it had fallen out if any had taken exception to Salomons commandment of dividing the infant. It behoveth the body to receive sense from the head; but it doth not become Idiots to conjure the doings of princes within the circled of their censure. A third sin which the divell ingesteth into the people, The third cause of vndutifulnes. and thereby suggesteth an vnreuerent conceit of their princes unto them, is lack of compassion in not weighing their temptations and their necessities. There is no doubt but sin is sin in whomsoever, in King or Kaesar: and there is as little doubt of this, that sin is to be extenuated or aggravated by circumstances. We ought( as S. Paul saith) to carry one anothers burden. It is a great injury which is offered to princes, and it is very disagrecable with charity, when an unjust rate is set either vpon their defects or their virtues. They themselves ought not to give their consciences any unlawful liberty before God. But subiects that ail nothing, and are better supplied with remedies against sin then princes be, ought of right to allow them a great deal of ouer-measure in this behalf. For subiects haue a benefit of the discipline of laws to curb them for stumbling, and the rains thereof to hold them from falling. But when kings are considered comparatively with inferior persons, they are found to travell with the wind and storms in their faces, when others haue it on their backs. Now this disadvantage must find at our hands good allowance another way. For when wheries meet on the Thames, the advantage and shelter of the bank is theirs of right, that haue the wind and tide against them. Princes haue riches and authority, which are( as Isocrates saith) faculties of misdoing. They haue nothing wherewith to implead allurements, but the only fear of God: and on the other side terrors come to them at the first hand, to enforce discouragements: so that it is a special mercy of God to many of them, and to their subiects in them, that they do so well as they do. Once it is an undoubted truth, that not one of their depravers would approach to them in virtues, if( caeteris paribus, that is to say, if circumstances were matches) they were in their places. But it may be objected, that a mans sin is amplified and not diminished by the circumstance of being a Magistrate, as Augustine saith, Aug. in li. quaest. yet. et nom testamenti. 16 Viri sublimis culpa grave peccatum est, the fault of a man of place, is a grievous sin. This is so to be deemed in dead in respect of extorting his lusts by his magistracy, or for defiling Gods seat of iustice; or in respect of the effect, when the Magistrate maketh no conscience of his doings that are exemplary, being ductor populi, the leader of the people, as Augustine saith in the same place. Otherwise the circumstance of power and prosperity considered as merely personal, extenuateth a mans sin when his case is compared with theirs, whose temptations Satan cannot manage by these means: so that the matter lieth under such a distinction, as divideth the sentence between aggravating and extenuating. And that in this case it is the duty of the Magistrate himself, to aggravate his own offence by the circumstance of his place: and the duty of others, to extenuate the personal offences of princes by the circumstance of their temptations. In dead foul circumstances make foul faults, as when david took Vrijahs wife, and had all Saules wives before, and when the Israelites tempted God so often in the wilderness, even in the school of the cross. But there are other circumstances that should mollify us, and teach us to extenuate the errors of others in our consciences, as when a man stealeth to satisfy his soul, Prou 6 30. because he is hungry. Also we must not be too urgent vpon princes, but ought to allow a longer time of navigation in winter then in summer. Some haue an opinion, that the pleasures and magnificence of princes take away their understanding. But Salomon saith, I was great, Eccles. 2 9 and yet my wisdom remained with me. Others think that princes are inexcusable, if they abate of their magnanimity for any cause. But david saith, 2. Sam. 3.39. I am weak and newly anointed, and they are too hard for me. And to Abishai counseling him to put Shimei to death( though he had right well deserved it) he replieth, 2. Sam. 19 20.22. that he counseled him then like an enemy to move him to put any body to death, seeing he knew, that he was but that day as it were newly restored king over Israel. Had it not been for healing circumstances, 2 King. 18 15 it had been a crime in Hezekiah& a plain sacrilege, to enrich Senacherib with the spoil of the temple. It had deserved no less the reprehension of the Prophet Isaiah, ●ers. 9.10 then his ostentation to the Chaldeans. But for as much as Samaria was already taken, and all the strong Cities of judah, his weakness was a great deal more excusable in the eyes of all those which haue learned any compassion of others, by the conscionable feeling of their own infirmities. think the same thing of the virtues of princes, that they are to be valued exceedingly above their appearance, and above the selfsame deeds in othermen. The reason is the circumstance of their royal person, which ministereth an argument to this question, both from the efficient cause and from the effect. As touching the argument from the efficient cause, observe that the good dead of a king is kingly, whereby he sheweth that he doth not onely sustain the person of a king by his office, but is also a king personally by his mind and heart. Athough al virtues be moral, that is to say, taught in the moral law; yet the virtues of men as they are Christians are onely usually so called. And as for the virtues of government, and administration of a common wealth, they are called politic virtues. Now although the moral virtues be most necessary, that the person of the magistrate may be accepted in respect of a sanctified conscience before God; yet know you that as moral virtues are essential to Christians, so politic virtues are essential to princes: and that the politic virtues of true Christian princes are more excellent for the profit of a common wealth, then their moral virtues bee. think with thyself then, that to do the office of a King, is a supereminent virtue; and a thing so necessary to bee don, that by a rule of Gods word other personal dueties not onely may, but must give place and bee pntermitted at that time for the performance thereof. It is true indeed, that if princes will causeleslie pretend their office to withdraw themselves from the personal dueties of godliness and charity, which belong to their vocation of christianity, that they do displease almighty God. But otherwise the necessity of a general duty to God, and so justly conceived of by the doer, dispenseth with the omission of any inferior duty. It is found, and worthily to due purpose alleged Ezech. 46. that the prince shall go into the temple when the people go in, Ezech. 46 10. and when they go out they shall go out together. It is sure enough that a fit man that had access, might give princes godly advertisements out of that scripture, yet the people may not take occasion thereby to misiudge princes whatsoever necessity restraineth them, for not doing so every Sabbath. For that place, as appeareth in the verse next before it, speaketh of solemn feasts. And further it is( as all the chapter) an allegory; and allegories make no rules in divinity. It were to bee wished in dead, that the law in the 17. of Deut. of the princes daily reading of the Scriptures, were observed: but yet the people must suffer themselves to be informed, that this time, and that, seem not all alike. For it doth not appear unto us, that the civil magistrates then had any other lawbook to study and peruse for civil administrations, but onely the Scriptures. Now then it must be ascribed in a king, that furnisheth his royal place duly, to a great measure of grace, if after his great labours in public government he do exercise himself moderately in the public service of God: Not because a moderate service of God doth suffice, but because the king having served God before in his public calling( a duty more incumbent) doth, if he do well, serve him still when he is retired to private. And if with a wise heart wee would weigh thus much( and without judging) wee would not suppose careful princes to be so barren and unfruitful of good works, as wee surmise( for a crown is not good for the headache.) Nay wee would inform our heads with better thoughts, and conform our heartes to the sweetest affections by viewing in our renowned queen( by no story to be every way sampled) such wisdom in retaining the truth, such fortitude in defending it, such iustice in administrations, and such temperance in swaying of oppositions, and those of so different natures. This is the argument from the efficient cause. The argument from the effect is, the great good that the virtue of a prince, though it be but of a small show, doth. In which respect it may be said that princes haue no little virtues at all. For the very gracious behaviour of a prince( saith Salomon) is like the due vpon the grass, Prou. 19 12. and his very presence doth both honor and encourage any good action. The fourth cause of vnduetifulnes. The fourth sin, whereby Satan maimeth the good conceit of the sovereign in the heart of a subject, is lack of equity in the subject, when he blameth this prince for his own fault. For wee require confident proceeding of princes: and yet wee do weaken them with our own distraction. It is sin in us to be distracted, and it is yet a greater sin to think hardly of others, for the fault which wee haue committed. Prou. 30.29.3 It is in dead( as in the Prou. it is said) a comely thing for a king, against whom there is no rising up, to go on forward. But the wretched dissension of subiects is a kind of rising up, & doth too often alter the case. The distraction of the people is like the pestilence in-an army, that hindereth it from marching forward. Neither is it possible for the prince to be so confident in rooting out of the Canaanites, after Israel is departed from judah, as before. The children of Israel( saith the holy Ghost) were stayed longer then ordinary at Hazeroth, Numb. 11 45. and Num. 12. till miriae and Aaron were censured by God for murmuring against Moses, and after were reconciled. The whole host was arrested by this distraction, and not by Moses his lingering. Let us judge righteous iudgement, whether the division of the land, and the subdivision also, haue not hindered the proceeding of the prince. The division is between catholics( as they will needs be called) and Protestants:& one subdivision is between protestants and Protestantes( and that a shrewd one) which is raised to as high a price as alienation of affection, the sting of the tongue, and the tooth of the pen could enhance it. And besides that distraction, which properly respecteth the controversy itself, it hath brought forth these two effects, that wee will neither vouchsafe to seem to consent, in that wherein wee do consent, to walk by one rule in that whereunto we are come; nor join together against the common adversary. In the mean while the Tabernacle is set down at Hazeroth,&( as our enemies do hope) is more like to go back to Kibroth-hattauah, then to go forward to the-wildernes of Paran. Many hard and disguised courses haue been taken, tending unto an inexpiable division, as that by Martin with the wild oppositions of that kind.( he hath not a godly ear that can not endure the rebuk of that sin, I say he hath not a godly ear.) If you will give me leave to detect by the stratagem of the devil the stage-plaiers leasing of devils, they played the part of feigned devils so long, till at last there was found a devill more then tale, which hath driven them from the stage; I mean the Papist with his preuailings to the discomfort of all Gods children. They in dead were diaboli personati, counterfeit divels. A divell in good earnest. but he is diabolus personalis et verus. Since that distraction wee haue stood mutually excommunicated one in anothers conscience. Then was the woeful childbirth of Elies daughter in law at the taking of the ark. Then was Ichabod born, for then the glory departed from Israel, Ichabod 1 Sam. 4 21 for since that eclipse the gospel hath shined dimmer& dimmer. We are to be beseeched to bethink us of the calamities of the times; let us not make a virtue of necessity, but join a virtue to necessity,& convert al the conditions offered to opportunity of fighting for the common faith. Let us lay aside the prejudice of our own dead, and the prejudice of other mens deeds; and bethink us in the highnesse of humility, and not in the highnesse of conceit, what is fit to be don in this case: otherwise let us not blame the prince but ourselves. There remaineth now the last cause of the decay of reverent affection to princes, the forgetfulness of their benefits, which in one word is unthankfulness. weep( saith david to the daughters of Israel) for Saule which clothed you in scarlet with pleasures, 2. Sam. 1.24. and hanged ornaments of gold vpon your apparel. And ieremy saith of josiah, Lamen. 4.24 that he was the breath of their nostrils, and that under his shadow, they had been preserved alive among the heathen. But men are very ungracious in forgetting their princes,& the blessings of God received by them, and fall away in their hearts by little and little. Let us take heed that wee of this nation, wrap not ourselves in this sin. As for the Papists which haue made rebellion and conspiracy, as it were an article of their creed, their sin in this behalf is written with the claw of a adamant, in a table of remembrance before both God and man for all posterity. Let us bethink us constionably how much we are bound to our gracious queen, and not be unthankful, but thankful. First she hath been our josiah, for shee hath restored the law that was lost. Secondly, she hath been our jehoshaphat, in appointing Iudges to execute, not the judgements of man, but of the Lord. Thirdly, she hath been our Hezekiah, she hath opened the doors of the Temple of the Lord the first year and the first month. Fourthly, she hath been our david, for after great affliction most innocently& with memorable grace endured, she came into the throne of majesty, to settle peace and comfort in the throne of our conscience; yea to erect a throne for Christ to sit in, in the conscience of every man that would receive him, by giuing us laws in which we may live. Fiftly, she hath been our Salomon, for she hath brought and continued abundance of peace. By the benefit which God hath bestowed vpon her to bestow vpon us( which also she hath bestowed vpon us) The saying of the Prophet jeremiah is verified amongst vs. Iere. 48.11. We haue been at rest from our youth, and haue settled on our lees, and haue not been powred from vessel to vessel. We haue endured no change, therefore our taste remaineth in us, and our sent is not changed. If our thrift had been answerable to the means, the wealth of the land had been incredible. Shee hath been careful for us like a mother, which waketh that her children may sleep. The work of our protection hath prospered marvelously in her hand, and Gods protection over her infoldeth as many of us, as be not drawn to reverence her thereby, in a grievous crime. Her right is good, her government good, her success good, let our hearts also be good. Her continuance increaseth her reverence and authority, if we decrease not in the grace of God. The holy Scripture saith, 2 Sam. 21 17. that david was the light of Israel when he had reigned long. Her sex is legitimated with this honour by the fift commandement, no less then the natural mother over her natural children. Honor thy father and thy mother. And may we not truly say( and that without judging) that the ravens of the valley haue pieked out the eyes of many of her despisers? And what think we? not only of our duty, but also of the measure of our duty? Doth not this text privilege her, and prefer her above all other subordinate powers in assigning her the reverence of the heart, and to them the reverence of the tongue? It ought to be so far from us to seat any in our hearts before her, or in any degree equal with her, that when any person either opposeth himself unto her, or seeketh to equal his interest in the hearts of her subiects with hers, we are bound in conscience to extirp and exterminate him out of our hearts. It is but the wisdom of the flesh to lean to hopes, and to serve from fear of future things, with any abatement of the present duty. And it is not to haue a care of the Church, to be mindelesse of a present blessing, whilst we are looking this way and that way into the corners of the world. queen Elizabeth is our Sparta, let us adorn her; let us desire of God with earnest prayers the defeating of all wicked hopes, and the long and very long deferring of all hopes whatsoever. There is not one man in all these dominions, that desireth a change, except he be given over into a reprobate sense; and either purposeth to be an agent of great evils, or forseeth not to be a patient of great miseries. There are two cruel beasts in the land with gaunt bellies, the wickedly needy, and the wickedly moody. The wickedly needy are they in all degrees which haue consumed their own estates, and now hover over other mens, and therefore their eye watcheth for the twilight. The wickedly moody are they, which haue treasured up wrath and reuenge in their mindes against those, which haue been Gods instruments for their nurture. These haue disdained that due defence should be opposed to their undutiful offence. Both these( as it is said of lions) haue for the time crooked in their nailes to keep them sharp: but they look for a day, and God grant to as many among them as be impenitent, a day,& that the day that they shall see may be( as zachary saith) when their eyes shall sink in their holes, Zach. 14 12. and their tongue shall consume in their mouth; and in the mean time, that their flesh may consume away, though they stand vpon their feet. It must not be thought that this is to preach men, but that this is to preach to men, to teach them to glorify God in his ordinance, and to keep peace in their conscience. And I would to God with the hazard of all opinion of discretion, that this were not more then needful to be urged to many, that haue iudued themselves with no small reputation of their own sufficiency. Interpret me charitably, I am secure for myself, but I take care for you that you sin not in uncharitable surmises. Now followeth the next point, wherein we are counseled not to curse the rich, not to deprave persons of dignity, which by the appointment of princes do excel in authority: Curse not( saith Salomon) the rich, no not in the withdrawing of thy bedchamber. The word of God hath not commended unto us the supreme Magistrate, or Prince alone: but the subordinate and subalternall Magistrate also, The Doctrine of the subalternall magistrate such as he shal adhibit to the administration of things, they are both in the principal commission. And mark well this point, that although the subordinate Magistrate hath his commission out of a commission in respect of the Prince, and that, durant beneplacito; yet he hath it so long, as the Prince is so pleased, immediately from God in respect of our conscience. observe the Canons of the Apostles both Paul and Peter: Put them in remembrance( saith S. Paul) that they be subject to principalities and To answers, Tit. 3.1 and that they be ohedient and ready to every good work, that they speak evil of none. And again, pray for kings and all that are in authority, to wit, under them. And S. Peter saith: 1 Pet. 2.13. Submit yourselves to all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake, whether it be unto the king as unto the superior, or unto gouernours as unto them that are sent of him. And to return to S. Paul, he saith of all in general thus considered, that the powers that be are ordained of God, Rom. 13. both supreme and subordinate, they are ordained by special institution according to his will revealed, and are not mere effects of his providence, as heretics haue thought. S. Paul indeed to note constraint, saith, that resisters shall receive to themselves iudgement: but in the mean while he addeth, that we must be subject also for conscience sake. For this cause( saith Augustine) ne quis non pura dilectione subditus fieret huiusmodi potestatibus: August in expos. prop. in ep. ad Ro. propos. 74. least any in their subiection to such powers should be defective in sincere love. We must do it therefore for conscience sake, that is, that we may be sure in our conscience that we do it with the love of them, to whom we are subject, jussu domini nostri, at our Lords hest:( after his words) and as you may add further, jussu dominae nostrae, at the commandement of our Ladies Lord. We must therefore not reckon it for seruited to bee under so many, but bee subject with an ingenuous spirit. They that are otherwise affencted, are like the base minded hinds, and apprentices to the plow, which say they like well their master and their mistris, but they cannot endure the bailiff of the husbandry, that setteth them to work. An homely comparison will serve such homely folk. The speeches both of the vulgar and others to, which magnify their mouths above the assize, are many both against the persons and actions of magistrates, and they are fraught with special indecency to a civil ear, and with scandalous wickedness to a man of gracious understanding. But let us examine as in the prohibition, so in this inhibition the reason of these doings. First if wee will inquire, we shall find one ground of this dead to bee envy, because such persons of worth are( lightly) rich, as they haue their denomination in this text. There is a great complaint of their covetousness,& their endless getting. A thing indeed very worthy to be enquired into by themselves, how far their guiltiness doth stretch in this behalf: But it is not worthy to be enquired into by us; but least of all in an unworthy manner. What think wee? that they which must give a portion to seven and also to eight( as Salomon saith) hath not need to cast their bread vpon the waters, Eccles. 11 1.2 that is to say, to make provision for the means, Vide Tre. mehum. as it is best expounded? Dowe think that when men are advanced to be ministers of the state, they may not both entertain and procure also good means, to enrich themselves for the managing of their degree? I cannot tell whether the malignity or ignorance of men be greater, or whether the hypocrisy of some be not greatest of all, which can find in their hearts to enrich themselves,& to onuy others for so doing. Had not joseph so enriched himself that he nourished his father and all his family? It is not indecent( saith Augustine) to desire sufficientiam vitae. August. de orando deo ad Probam. And he defineth sufficiency of life to be( among other things) propter congruentem habitum personae hoins, that his behaviour( as he further saith) may not be inconvenient to those with whom he must converse. And he concludeth, Ista ergo cum habentur vt teneantur, cum autem non habentur vt habeantur orandum est. These things while wee haue them wee must pray to hold them, and when wee haue them not, to haue them. I may truly speak it, and with greater liberty to, of those that are departed, that this land hath enjoyed great counsellors and other ministers of state, which haue gotten much( in deed) and yet no more the might very well bee vouchsafed them, if there were an understanding heart in men to value such personages according to their worth. It is not a sufficient cause to malign their riches& aduauncements, which give their attendance on the safety of prince and state. But their care and providence is a merit of a greater matter, and the maligning of thē is a demerit of a greater rebuk then fitteth me to give. What is the objection of new nobility worth, when it shall be counterweighed with their new desert of quitting themselves so worthily in the managing of this noble state, as sundry haue done successively, from the beginning of her majesties reign till now? Secondly, vpon enquiry it will be evinced, that the cause of depraving magistrates is the incorrigiblenes of the evil disposed. They cry out of cruelty against some particular Iudges and Magistrates, when their amendment is sought by any due severity. And although wee be fallen into an age, whose diseases are grown to a Gangrene, yet we fare as they which had rather lose their life then a member. It were a profitable thing to men in the behalf of their own innocency, to be careful how they presumed to tax the innocency of those Magistrates that are zealous justicers, and to commend those for harmless which are languishing and loose in this duty. When sin is grown to an head( as among us) it is time for the Magistrate to make head against it. He must punish extraordinary wickedness with extraordinary severity, as Salomon saith, The blueness of the wound serveth to purge the evil: Prou. 20.30. and the stripes within the bowels of the belly. For( as Augustine saith) Sicuti est aliquando misericordia puniens, ita& crudelitas parcens: Aug. ad Macedonium. epist. 64. There is a punishing mercy, and a sparing cruelty. And if the Ammonites which entreated King Dauids seruants so villainously might haue carried it away so, what end would haue been put to such insolences by the Gentiles? And therefore the holy Ghost saith in commendation of david, that he put them under hews, and harrows, and axes of iron, 2. Sam. 12 31. and cast them into the tilekilnes. The tongues of Acolasts are no slander. For whatsoever they say, if God had not directed her majesty in placing such Magistrates as she hath don, it would haue redounded to the dishonour of God, to her dangerous disseruice, and to the spoil of her people. Thirdly, men of a slanderous and judging spirit, set their fanges vpon the Ministers of state as vpon irreligious persons, bearing themselves& others in hand, that they are of no religion, and that they make no conscience of any thing. Of this kind the greatest part are either fools or factious,& being heated with a faction can induce themselves to beleeue without arguments. For what? is discerning between humour and spirit atheism? It standeth personages of state in hand to look well to their own hearts, for these men will not look to their tongues. For although they occupy not their tongues in praying for them, yet they occupy them in reproaching: and what lacketh that of atheism? For as one saith, there is atheism in satires as well as in Lucretius. As many as haue good consciences need not to pass of it( as Saint Paul saieth) to bee judged of the day of man. And the parties themselves which whisper such things, may remember that the Lord doth not measure an Atheist by their report. For( as jerom saith) non eadem est sententia tribunalis Dei et anguli susurronum. In Epist. ad virgines Hermonenses. The sentence of Gods Tribunal and the whisperers angle, is not al one. We ought not to judge: but when satan is once mounted vpon his black stead( I mean the suspicious melancholy of a man) he will condemn Hushai himself as an Atheist, 2. Sam. 16.18. for his semblance of revolting to Absalom. To bee breise, men haue so many vices in themselves, wherewith to deprave the virtues of magistrates, that they can almost do nothing by them with a good report. Sometimes their sufficiency is depraved; sometimes their fidelity challenged; sometimes their actions carped at; and sometimes their states are envied. They that are so lavish in this behalf, might bee posed with three questions when they enter into these secrets. First, how knowest thou? Secondly, what hast thou to do with it? Thirdly, what true hatred of thine own sin is in thee? How ever it be, it is the counsel of the holy ghost, more profitable for the malingners then their magistrates. Curse not the Rich, no not in thy bedchamber. The times wee are fallen into are both immodest, and uncharitable. It is of immodesty that many private men do( as it were) usurp vpon the intelligence of sundry secrets of the politic conveyance,& government. It is lawful for us to inform ourselves( if wee can by good means attain unto it) of state matters, that are not impertinent unto us to direct our prayers. But it is neither lawful to be eauesdroppers of state to occupy our tongues, nor to make an occupation of intelligencing when we are private men. It is his protestation that had the holy Ghost, Psalm. 131. I haue not walked in great matters and hide from me. And it is his sons speech that hath the testimony of wisdom from the holy ghost, that every fool will bee meddling. Prou. 20.3. Saint Peters {αβγδ}, 1. Pe. 4.15. which is rendered busy body, reacheth in signification to one that is but inspector, a prior into other mens matters. And wee see in ecclesiastical historians, that they which became Libellatici, that is, which were constrained to blaspheme Christ in writing, and they which were Thurificati, that is, which were constrained to offer sacrifices to the divell,( whereof Origen through his rashness was one) had formerly been {αβγδ}. And it is of such,( as by conference of stories may bee collected) of whom Plinius Secundus writeth to his master trajan: Coëgi eos maledicere Christo, I constrained them to curse Christ. A fearful fruit of a busy body. To contain ourselves within the bounds of our calling is a special point of christianity. And there are many found that by their intrusion into other mens secrets, are brought to the foolish Poets complaint. Cur aliquid vidi? For it is incident to the affectation of intelligence of doubtful matters of state, to hurt the knowers by their own default. The reason is, because the tongue of such a man will take vengeance by talking shrewdly of matters, when the heart is grieved with hearsayes, and he will let drive at some in their absence, to whom he would bow, if they were present. But if any man( saith Saint Peter) long after life, 1. Pet. 3.10.11. and to see good daies, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace and follow after it. It is of uncharitableness that men are so credulous, when they hear hard reports of great persons, and observe not the rule of reports towards all persons. He cannot( saith david) be admitted into the favour of God, Psal. 15.3. that is a taker up of false reports that other men spread. There are many sent out by Satan to bely those that are in authority; but the Lord hath sent us word by Salomon, Pro. 17.4. that the wicked giveth heed to false lips. The credulous in this kind must needs be in danger, for the credulous in general fare often worse then their informers. By reason of this sin by Gods hand it came to pass, that the young Prophet which was credulous, was prevented by death, 1. King. 13.17.18. though the old prophet, which was the seducer were respited alive. Let us not be transported with any preindice at the hearing of these things, to hinder our edification. Neither let us interrupt the work of our sanctification, by these offences. If we apply ourselves in sincerity to ponder what is said, the lord will give us understanding in all things. And this for the first part. The second part consisting in the argument followeth. For the foul of the heaven shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall declare the matter. In this place the Lord threateneth the detection of the depravers of kings and Magistrates. Now it is very worthy to bee noted, that this threat proceedeth from the Holy Ghost himself, which is not without a remarkable implication of the heinousness of this sin. For the holy Ghost is not wont to bewray men for trifles: he onely interposeth himself to reveal, where sinners do specially oppose themselves to his grace, and to his Church or people. In which respect he employed Elisha, 2. King. 6.12. to disclose to the king of Israel whatsoever the king of Aram spake in the withdrawing of his chamber. And he stirred up jonathan, 1. Sam. 19, 2.3. to disclose to david the secret conspiracies of Saul his own father. 1. Sam. 19.11.12. The like is testified of Michal, who( whatsoever she were otherwise) was lead by the spirit of God in detecting the ambush of her father Saul. This proceeding of the holy ghost in taking the matter into his own hand, to become both Oyer and Terminer, is strong evidence, that the maligning of higher powers is in the Catalogue of those sins, which though they escape man, yet the vengeance of God doth pursue, and as it were bring back again to the iudgement seat. So that it is not a good meaning, nor that we were exasperate, which will serve for an excuse to pacify our conscience. Parents offend if they provoke their children to wrath; but is that any warrant for them to conceive wrath? No: we must come with the privilege of God for the least dead that tendeth to the defacing of the image of God. For else, whereas all true comfort is in the holy ghost, in this case the holy ghost is flat against vs. And as they are sinners with a witness, with whom the holy ghost himself is at the cost to be their detector, so mark likewise, that by the same reason a man can haue no security in the secret committing of this. For this is an evil secret wherein two cannot keep counsel, though one be away. It is like the judaical leprosy, which resisted hypocritical concealments by showing itself in the forehead. For such kind of persons are the lords Stigmatiques, they are marked as Cain was. 1 Tmot. 5.25. For( as S. Paul saith) things that are otherwise then well meant to Gods Church, cannot be hide. But let us consider both the members apart, for it is but a rule of the rabbins to suppose it so very frequent in scripture, to varie the words without any variety of sense. Speaking of the latter member first, he saith, that if there be any maligning of the Rich( as he meaneth) the fowls of the heaven shall carry the voice: God will not suffer the depravation of the ministers of state appointed by the king, to escape vnreueiled; nor consequently unpunished. All Dauids depravers, when he was but a subject came after to shane and rebuk. And the prosperity of Eliakim together with his advancement, is threatened to Shebna for maligning him being a Magistrate, and is joined to the threat of his adversity and ruin, as parcel of it. Isaiah. 22.27. So that although there be no express mention that Shebna was an enuier of Eliakim, yet the direction of the prophecy of Eliakims rising to Shebna( whom else it had not concerned) discovereth both his sin and his punishment. There are that think that if they can say, God save the queen, that it is as good as a preamble to scuse their depraving of the counsel. But if counsellors and other great magistrates do bear the image of God, they bear also the name of God. And ye see what is repeated in the sanction of the third commandment. The commandement is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: and the sanction is, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. mark how he repeateth, his name, to wit, in whomsoever represented, to terrify us not onely from maligning of Princes, but also from maligning of Magistrates, for the memorials of God are manifold. And though it might be that thy conscience did clear thee of any wicked intention to the person of thy Prince, yet in that were thou not justified before God, if thou meantst to supplant the authority of thy Princes counsel, and ministers of state: for that were indirectly to supplant the authority of thy Prince. It mattereth not what plausible shows there be to do such things, for the event discovereth that they are but shows. Absadom seemed to haue a just quarrel against Amnon for lying with his sister, especially his pernicious impunity considered by reason of Dauids indulgence. But Absaloms matter was not Amnons incest, but Ammons seniority; he was betwixt him and the crown; for the event declared what an hater of incest Absadom was, by his behaviour to his fathers concubines. And the lord discovered by his insurrection against his father, that it was ambition that made him to kill his brother. If we be endowed with any christian docility, let us receive that which is sound with a simplo heart. And let us nurture our hearts with this truth, that God setteth himself to the reuenge of the injuries done to subordinate Magistrates, which bear his image vpon earth; as he holdeth it blasphemy, not onely to blaspheme himself and his tabernacle, Reu. 13.6. but also those that dwell in heaven: I offer unto you that which is first offered to me by the word of God, together with the due consideration and affection requisite in such a speech, and so I leave both you and it to the Lord. Onely be of a wise heart, and beware of the beginning of sin. Your children( you say) will go from a pin to a point, and so further: fear the like proceedings in this grievous matter. For they that are depravers of deputed Magistrates, their tongues will afterward light vpon the supreme. This of the latter member set foremost in the Argument. Now speaking of the former member in the latter place, he saith, that if there be any maligning of the King; the master of the wings shall declare the matter. His meaning is, that the Lord by his administrations will bee a swift witness, and by his execution a swift judge against such. For they presume very near him that reach to his anointed, and to his children: For Kings and queens by an excellency are called the sons and daughters of God, and he watcheth over them with a celestial care. There is a memorable story in the second or Esther of the discovery of a treason, wherein also there are many momorable observations closely couched together. Esther. 2.21.22. The story is, that Mordecai detected the conspiracy of Bigtan& Teresh against Assuerus their sovereign. The observations are: First, that God blessed him with the honor to detect it. Secondly, that it was made known to him when he was unlikely to haue any such great intelligence, being then a person depressed by Haman. Thirdly, that heaven is a watch tower even for heathen Kings. Fourthlie, that Mordecai which overheard it sate without in the kings gate, and that the two conspirators kept the door within, whereby above all expectation their whisperings came to his care, as he sate there like a forlorn person. Fiftly, that the treason being but then first conspired, and forthwith to bee executed when the king went next abroad, was disclosed before. Here was Mordecai a master of wings: he informed Esther with expedition, as the providence of God had informed him by a divine dispensation: so doth God hast to the succour of Kings. I know( saith the Church) that the Lord will help his anointed, Psal. 20.6 and will hear him from his sanctuary. If there were ever nation, that had this truth sealed to their conscience by the demonstration both of Gods hand and counsel that is to say, both of his execution and intention to reveal conspiracies, it is this, in which the Lord hath excelled himself in miraculous mercies. Wee may truly translate Dauids words to ourselves. If the Lord had not been on our side( may England now say) If the Lord had not been on our side, Psal. 124 1.2.3 when men rose up against us, they had then swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against our queen. How many conspirators are gone to their own places, with their blood vpon their heads? How desperate, how secret, and how nearly and immnently advanced haue their attempts been? so that the conspirators which remain vnconuinced or vnconuerted by such a strerched out hand of God, are more wicked then wickedness itself. And I trust whensoever they conspire, they shall find in their confusion, that the hand of God is stretched forth still. beloved, I haue not been moved to this or any other course by any, and I do well understand under what penalty wee go which preach the word, if we seek not to glorify God in our ministery. I do very humbly beseech you therefore to join your godly care or looking deeply into this matter, to the pensive regard which I haue had to propound it profitably unto you. I say look deeply into it, if ever you looked deeply into any thing. I speak to all Christian English hearts( for English is essential to Christian in this matter.) Brethren what will you do? will you not be a means by your cheerful& kind affection to your prince to rejoice hit heart, and so to prolong hir life, when your duty and Gods glory do both consist therein? To entertain a Prince with heaviness and silence which hath entertained& saluted us with so many good turns, is not laudable. The unkindness of the people is enough to cut the heart of a prince. And concerning those principal ministers of state, whom her majesty hath put in place and holdeth in grace, shall they not bee vouchsafed the same in your consciences? If you keep a court of conscience within you, know that none are properly clients which owe suite to that Court, but your own selves. It is neither wisdom nor godliness for men to make their friends their foes. Lay no imputation vpon me of carnal counsel. By carrying a dutiful affection to those which may do you good in your good desires, you shall win them to do you good according to their means. And as for those great persons themselves, as I am persuaded that no man present hath ought to say, that will avoid the points concerning our duty to them, which I haue urged( so it bee spoken under competent trial) so those more grave and sufficient persons either present or absent, as they shall by due calling haue access unto them( as I haue hither) shall do well to travell seriously with them to contain them within the bounds of love even to their maligners, and not to set their wits against the wit of the simplo, or of the distempered. I know they will inform themselves of their duty: but God hath appointed exhortations to encounter temptations. I would there were an universal love day in respect of all subiects. I would in respect of the prince that there were as it were an altar of consent built, and that all Gods and queen Elizabeths vnreclaimable enemies were sacrificed vpon it by consent. To conclude, let us apply ourselves to the grace of God to take benefit of that wee haue heard: and let us take these two lessons with us for the keeping of a good conscience. First, let us gird close unto us the remembrance of Gods love, to reverence our Prince in our inward hearts, I say let us gird it close to us, as a girdle of truth to gird in our affections at that very time, when wee are tempted to leave our place and to enter into discontentments, let us, not consult with flesh and blood apart. Secondly, let us know, that howsoever these dreams of misliking of princes for conscience sake come in at the ivory gate, yet they go out at the Iron postern, according to the old emblem of dreams, that is to say, that after men are once plunged in this sin, the spirit of God forsaketh them, and they are in a mystery of all vnconscionablenes and misery, and know not whither they go. But peradventure it will be secretly objected, that there were more convenient points to haue been spoken of by mo●● this time then this. My answer is, that I haue followed my conscience in the choice of this argument, for most convenient of all others at this time, to my understanding, and that vpon my maturest deliberation. It may be it will be replied, that all is against the faults of subiects, and never a word against any one fault of any magistrate, which may import suspicion of temporising. My answer is, that for the reproving of magistrates neither my intelligence serveth, nor my calling to this place, nor this place, nor this time, nor this text. And for there proving of the faults which I haue reproved, my knowledge serveth me, so doth this time, and these times, so doth this text. And as touching suspicion of temporising. Although I am much affencted to my prince, and loth to offend any magistrate, whose favour I may keep with the favour of God: yet God which is the Lord of favour learning, gifts, and conscience, knoweth, that as I haue gathered these things not without labour both of head and heart; so I haue sought in the same both to keep all good conscience, and to be a poor means to help my brethen, and countrymen to the like, by choosing and handling this text thus. And give me leave to speak one thing of mine own particular. That my ministery( the success whereof I prefer before my life) is like to be among the people, and not amongst magistrates. And therefore I would not witting alienate the people, and so the Lord, from me both at once by abusing his word or his children. I do therefore with a premeditate adventure of men, put myself, and my doings, and yourselves,& your thoughts vpon the grace and mercy of God in Iesus Christ, to whom with the father and the holy Ghost, be all honour& glory now and evermore. Amen. 1602. At London Printed by Peter Short, dwelling on Bred-streete hill near to the end of old Fish-streete, at the sign of the star.