FOUR SERMONS PREACHED AT THE COURT UPON several occasions, BY THE LATE REVEREND AND LEARNED DIVINE, DOCTOR SENHOUSE, L. Bishop of Carlisle.  
AUSPICANTE DEO  
LONDON, Printed for R. Dawlman, at the Sign of the Bible near the great Conduit in Fleetstreet. 1627.   

A just defence of the late L. Bish. of Carliles' honour, sent to the judicious Reader.  
THose ancient Fathers, on whom came daily 
a 2. Cor. ●1. 28.  the care of all the Churches, seem no way better to perfect, no way so well to perpetuate that universal care, as by wakening men's consciences with their quills, 
b Vid. T. Liv. l. 5. c. 47.  whose watchings saved the Capitol, and 
c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Clem. Alex. l. 1. storm. Euangelizo manu & scriptione, etc. 1. Rainold. l. de Rom. eccles. idol. Antipater cala mo vociferans Cael. l. 19 c. ●5.  speaking with their pens unto the whole Church; by causing their sanctified Labours, travel, like so many holy pilgrims, to the living after their death, and in obedience to our Saviour's command, 
d Mark. 16. 1●.  Go, even thus upon their very hands, into all the world to preach the Gospel; that so by a strange kind of midwifrie, they may assist at the new birth of many thousand souls they never knew, give a spiritual deliverance to many members of the Church they never saw, after their own bodies are gone down with hope into the chambers of the grave, & those tabernacles of flesh resolved into sacred dust; dust that lies expecting glory. Now that this religious intention of spreading himself into a Catholic good, and communicating the diffusive blessings of God, and great measures of his Grace unto posterity, lived in the late Lord Bishop of Carlisle, Doctor Senhouse that was— I am unto you an unworthy witness, and yet a witness; who presume not to give any other attribute to that never sufficiently honoured Name, all attributes that can fall from my dwarft expression, falling beneath those transcendent parts, those unparallelled gifts, those accumulated heaps of worth, which lodged in Doctor Senhouse; to whose 
d Vir calamo potens & virilis eloquentiae Hieronymus. Verul. hist. vit. & mort. l. 1.  masculine and soule-begetting discourses, I had the happiness of many years accesses; and in his later times heard him often to my comfort profess, and I never heard him but to my comfort, that his Lectures on King David's first and second Psalms, were by himself (for who else could do it?) perfected for the press; that so what was his Majesties in the duty of his original service, 
f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Clem. Alex. l. 1. Strom.  those children of his soul's best strength, might now, when it ceaseth to be with him after the manner of men, inherit the favour of kissing that great Masters sacred hand, and living in his Royal heart too, and in the hearts of other Christians. And therefore being casually informed by a friend, that some Sermons of his Lordships, had more than seen the Press, were ready to be preached again to as many as would 
g Prou. 23.23.  buy the truth; 
h Cyprianus quotidie Tertullianum legeret, notario Paulo dicens, da magistrum. Hieron. cat. vir. illust.  Saint Cyprian called not oftener for his learned-strong-phrased 
i Tertullianus homo doctissimus— haereticorum errores fortiter contrivit. Trith. l. de script. ecclesiast.  Tertullian, than I enquired with diligence, for this my judicious Christian Gamaliel; at whose reverend feet I often sat, and learned to speak by silence; and now began to comfort that loss with this fresh hope, that as 
k Dixit Chrysostomus se concionare nosse, quod D. Paulum quotidie manu versaret. Keck. eccles. rhet. l. 2. c. 3.  S. Chrysostome attained to an admired excellency of preaching, by having the great Doctor of the Gentiles, blessed Paul, always in his hand; so I might improve that gift to a conscionable discharge of my duty, by laying the laborious works of this 
l Saluianus totius orbis Christiani magister. Rittershus. vit. Saluian.  Master-Preacher, a Preacher that had 
m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Greg. Nazianz. ep. 140 Romani vocabant Proaresium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Cressol. theat. rhet. l. 1. c 9  a royalty of speech, and commanded all men's attentions, ever before mine eyes. But when I opened this book with that reverence which belonged unto his name, and read with greediness a line, a leaf, or two, and more; I found the order of his work so inverted, the periods in some places so unperfected, the sense by those periods so disjointed, the Greek here and there where the sense was good, so negligently, that I do not say ignorantly, corrupted, and the entire frame so stripped of those accessions upon the by, which would have given much satisfaction to this learned age, the more learned, because he once was in it; that whereas 
n Basil. Madge, ep. 1.  Saint Basil knew Nazianzenes' Epistles, as men know the children of their friends, by their likeness to their fathers; these seemed in many things so unlike that Reverend Father, whose name they bear, that at the first sight I hardly knew them to be his. But when I viewed once, and again 
o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Basil. Mag. ep. 41.  these images of his soul, though in some places too much shadowed, in some places much defaced, in many places set to a false light; yet my memory persuaded mine eyes, that they were copies drawn from his originals. And least, induced by the like reasons, you might suspect them to be some spurious supposititious pieces christened with his Name, to give them a fairer entertainment in the world and your good opinion; I craved so much leave from Authority, as to prefix this Epistle, and to let you know they are indeed his; but so his, as a man that's robbed and wounded, & hath his tongue taken out, is himself: For first, they want that which could best speak them his, that which next the efficacious cooperating of GOD'S Spirit with his own, was the soul of every Sermon, the strong and powerful elocution of his diviner Tongue; and this they must for ever want. Next, they are wounded many ways; wounded gramatically in the words, wounded logically in the method, and wounded intellectually in the sense; wounds which might easily have been cured by his own prescripts. Lastly, they are robbed of those many rich apparellings, with which they might have been completely furnished too, out of his own Wardrobe, and shall be supplied in the next Impression, and those wounds some way healed by him, who having, with much difficulty, obtained his own Originals of these four Sermons, will study nothing more in them, than the glory of his merciful GOD, the service of his Catholic Church, the honour of his Reverend friend, and the satisfaction of his judicious Reader.  
Thomas Blechynden.   
Revel. 2. vers. 10. the last words. 
And I will give thee a Crown of life.  
OF all other things a gift the sweetest, of all gifts a Crown the greatest, of all Crowns the Crown of life the dearest: So as this Text coming thus with a Gift, and that gift a Crown, and that Crown a Crown of life, without any curiosities of form, the very bare materials here, may well now make it welcome, yea thrice welcome, as pregnant here with so many choice particulars, of Gift, of Crown, of Life: And I will give thee a Crown of life.  
To make it yet more welcome to you, the Text (if you please) might be christened 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and accordingly be reduced unto these three heads: 1. The royal excellency of the gift, A Crown of life. 2. The singular supremacy of the giver, I; I will give it. 3. The requisite quality of the receiver, Thee: Thou that art faithful unto death, to thee will I give the Crown of life. But as beside the loaden Wanes, we see the single ears of corn to be also gleaned; and in broken meat, the very fragments are also to be gathered up, that nothing be lost: as in pure gold the very fyling off are weighed, and in a chain every little link, every particular pearl is precious; So every the least word herein, being dogmatically full, as Basil elsewhere speaks, so loaden here with spiritual grain, and food, and treasure, that (as Austin says of the 87. Psalm, Paucity in words, and ponderosity in sentences) every word herein hath it weight in the balance of the Sanctuary, and so, so many words so many worthy considerations, like those sheep in the Canticles, none being barren amongst them. we'll fancy now no other order of the words, but only follow on the words in this their own order; and first of the first here, And: And I will give thee a Crown of life.  
And. As St. Bartholomew is by Dionysius quoted to have said of Divinity, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, & magnam esse & minimam, that it was both great & little; so this same And here, though little in the sentence, yet great in sense: me thinks, like that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in St. james, the Helm, which though it be small, yet turneth about the whole ship: as a drop, a pearl indeed, and yet a chain of pearl too, connecting here together man's duty, Be faithful, and God's bounty, I will give thee. As if on these two, officium & beneficium, hung all the Law and the Prophets, as Gregory spoke elegantly of Christ, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that he joined heaven and earth together as with a bridge; this And here being a conjunction of both, standing here like jacobs' ladder upon the earth, Be ye faithful; and the top of it reaching up to heaven, The Crown of life. Or as he wittily called the circle of the Moon Isthmus, an Island 'twixt eternity and generation: this little And here, like a little Island, on the one hand bordering upon the Church militant, on the other upon the Church triumphant, conjoining here to man's Christian practice of being faithful, Christ's gracious And of promise, And I will give thee a Crown of life.  
That as vain is their presumption, who putting asunder these whom God hath thus joined together, thus handfast, as I may speak; as if this here were an entire proposition, and not in composition: that which here is true in compounded sense, they catch hold of in sense divided; and so as when Severian once said to Serapion, If Serapion die a Christian, Christ was not made man; Serapion thereupon accused him for saying absolutely, Christ was not made man. That which here is propounded conditionally, they presume upon absolutely, and so make reckoning to go up to heaven in some whirlwind; or as passengers at Sea, be brought to the haven even sleeping: to win heaven without working, to be crowned without striving, laying claim to this obligation, without looking ever to its condition; not so well advised as the tempting Lawyer, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? But as the Lilies clothed without spinning, & the fowls fed without sowing, they will be saved without doing, crowned without caring; as if this And here like Dagons' hand, might be cut off upon the threshold, omitted in the entrance: so desperate is their dejection, who murmur as in Malachy, It is in vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept his Commandments? Why yes, as Paul spoke in another case, much every way: Ye shall not serve God for nought; not a cup of cold water given shall lose his reward: God is not unfaithful, that your works of faith and labour, of love and patience, of hope should be frustrate. Then be not weary of well doing, seeing in due season ye shall reap if ye faint not, but be abounding always in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know, your labour is not in vain in the Lord: As God said to Cain, If thou do well, shalt thou not be accepted? Do well and have well, do this and live, believe and be saved, be religious and reign, be faithful and be crowned: And I will give thee a Crown of life.  
A gracious covenant sure; but as when the Prophet told Ahab of victory, By whom, said he, by whom is this to be made good unto us? Why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as they want to say. As the Tragedians in their arduent issues, were feign to fetch a god out of the engine, and to present him non in scaena sed in sublimi: and 'tis natural, ye know, for men in misery and extremity to look up, not to Court or Capitol, but to Heaven and call God to witness; and familiar was it with the Ancients, and so with Christ to pray in mountains and high places, as having their help from on high. And if I list insert the Friar's narration of Mitres like Bishop's heads coming down with hail and rain, however the relation were ridiculous, his application were religious, Non est potestas nisi à Deo: Non est cujus vis, This is not every man's, not any man's part to act; not Popes for all his keys, or picklocks rather: but his that hath the keys of David, opening and no man shutting; his, who is Prince of the Kings of the earth, by whom King's reign; I that am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last; I, I will give it: Emphatically, I, ay, and exclusively I too, I and I only will give it. As those lilies for Arms of the Christian King, and oil for his Coronation, are voiced to have come down from Heaven; and our King's titles in spite of Bartholdus, run graciously Dei gratiâ; and of all other Kings, good Kings, are by the very Heathen Homer, styled as coming down from jupiter; every good gift and every perfect, having being from above, & coming down from the Father of lights, as S. james says. Christ, says Jerome, who as father of lights, called his Disciples the light of the world, and is there called Father of lights, says Fulgentius, and in Esay everlasting Father, He, he it is shall give it. Worldly men (as Luther said well) à tempore habent quae habent, nihil ab aeternitate vultus Dei, as their affections are set all on temporal things, so make they account to have all their turns served; not from any light of God's countenance, but countenance of the time: and so Time-servers as they are, as Tertullian of old taxed the Gentiles, majori formidine Caesarem observatis quàm jovem, that they were more observant of Caesar than jupiter; not divisum imperium, they do not so much as divide with God, but are Caesar's by whole sale, in religion, in reverence, in sense, in soul; soul and body and all Caesars: and so say as he of his Patron, Ille mihi semper Deus; or as she in Hosea, ascribe all to lovers and friends, making flesh their arm; or as 'tis the Philosopher's character, to expect all from themselves: they boast themselves, as in Amos, of getting by their own strength, and with their own arm, of cunning to carve for themselves, and to deal themselves a good game, to hammer out their own happiness; like the Spider, climbing by thread of her own weaving, with Motto accordingly, Mihi soli debeo; in their audit standing only indebted to themselves, sacrificing to their own nets, and burning incense to their own yarn; Idolaters ●o all of secondary causes, and do not say in their hearts, It is the Lord. Yea but this is the Lords doing: as David spoke, Whom have we in heaven but him? and none in the earth to be desired with him. And what tenure so happy as this of a good Christian? which however it enter per virgam, yet it holds in capite; holds of him who giveth more abundantly than other Lords take. That, as Ecclesiastes says, unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again; unto him from whom this Crown comes aught it always to reflect again; like the Doves, who at every grain they pick, look upward, as giving thankes: And as Tertullian notes, that when we pray, Thy Kingdom come, Illi deputamus, quod ab illo expectamus, we express that of him, which we expect from him; a Kingdom, a Crown. For if, as Bernard said, Totum me debeo pro me facto, man owes God his whole self for creating him; what does he own him then for this his crowning? If as P. Martyr wrote once to Queen Elizabeth, Kings be doubly bound to serve God; both as they are men, and as they are Kings: If the obligation so be doubled in regard of the livelihood of earthly kingdoms, how is it then multiplied in reference to this Crown of life? Then what will ye render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards you, but take the cup of salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord? In solemnities under the Law, they want to take the cup & drink, in token of thanksgiving; other cups (no doubt) will anon be stirring enough, even flagons of wine in this day of our King, as Hosea spoke; but take ye the cup of thanksgiving unto him, who giveth this Crown of life, And I will give thee a Crown of life.  
Yea but soft and fair, lest our gratitude forerun the gift; this may seem to smell of Court indeed, to give thankes for that we yet have not: Is there any such haste of performing thankfulness present, for that benefit which is only promised in the future, I will give thee? Every promise that's made is not kept de facto, ay, and de jure too; Licet plura polliceri, quàm praestare possis, is the Politics rule: promise does not ever beget performance; as Livy said of Hannibal, that he never stood to his promise, but when 'twas for his profit. Pollicitis dives quilibet esse potest; even the poorest may promise; or if you will, it wants not authority to say, Great men make promises, & mean men keep them: promises being things which tie the multitude, which great Ones, as lightly, as Samson did the withes, can knap asunder; Words of good breeding, say they, promises in compliment, as they call it, being no obligations. And as Antigonus was called Doson, in the future, as being ever about to give, never giving: how many Dosons know we to feed their prisoners of promise with future promises, as Ephraim with wind? Alchemists, whose promises are gold, payment but dross; putting off, as the trick is, either with improbable reversions, or promises of promises, or as their promises are most of them resembled to the Devils omnia dabo, the most of them imaginary and delusory; whilst their patients, like that man of many years infirmity in the Gospel, fainting by the pool and none to put him in, lie languishing at hopes Hospital; like a hungry man dreaming of meat, and when he awaketh his soul is empty; like men in a swoon, cheered with some holy water, they revive only to be-weary their eyes with further expectation, and to witness the fallibility of promise. As that, me thinks, he may pass for a wise man in his generation, who said, Were the world indebted to him for praise, he would quit it for the moiety, on condition it might be paid him aforehand; and ye say, A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: Nihil putant utile nisi quod manibus teneri potest, as Lactantius spoke; counting nothing profitable that is not present: Blanda praesentia, as Hilary spoke, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Nyssen, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Philo; Men set the garland all on things present, listening more to sense about things present, than to faith about things to come; so accustomed to the common fallacy of putting more into premises, than is commonly found in the conclusion: as that we will hardly take even God's word without a pawn; as he well exclaimed, 
O caecos animos, Christo diffidimus omnes,  
Cum tamen inveniat praedo vel ipse fidem.   
However it far so in men's promises, of little trust farther than sight, their decrees upon new importunities canceled, their determinations upon new resanctions inconstant, their promises upon new considerations ebbing into emptiness, as easily changed as when a tune is changed upon an instrument of music; changing oftener than Laban changed jacobs' wages; as Tertullian spoke of the Peacock, all in changeable colours, as often changed as moved: Italians all, as Aeneas Silvius said of Italy, Novitate quadam nihil habet stabile, so mutable, they have nothing stable, promise nor other. Besides, as he well observed, we can hardly without offence, put great Ones in mind of their promises; yet 'tis a boldness God likes well enough, to press him with his promises; that hath God said it, and shall he not do it? hath he spoken it, and hath he not accomplished it? Many devices, says Solomon, are in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord shall stand: the things exhibited to us by God, as wealth, health, honour, may fade and fail; but the things thus promised us by him shall never fail. As joshua reasoned, Nothing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God promised you; nothing hath failed, neither shall fail. So this is no vain word concerning you. As old Sarah laughed at hearing of child-bearing, no doubt, the carnal infidelity of such as never tasted of any powers of the world to come, laugh now in their sleeves, to hear talk thus of Crowns to be given to silly men. But as Paul speaks, we know whom we have believed; and future here if it be, so certain it is, a man may lay his life on't, that he who said it, will do it, will give it: And I will give thee a Crown of life.  
Will give thee. Why then if there be any thing freer than gift, let the impudent Papist here stand up with his debitum ut donum: Eternal life (says their Andradius) not so much a gratuity of liberality from God, as a due to good works; heaven being as due to good works, as hell to ill, as sillily says Andradius, Coster, and the Rhemists: or if yet they want some, fetch they in Bellarmine's tower, his Babel of merits, Paradisum ex merito, etc. says he, even Paradise being to be purchased by merit. Opera bona mercatura regni coelestis, are his own words; as if by good works a man might chaffer for heaven, and buy this Crown: who as they dare trade and barter about sale of worldly kingdoms, so venture they to truck and traffic about sale of heavenly Crowns too, having coined a money of merit to buy it with. Non solùm ex merito Christi, sed etiam ex merito suo; so Bellarmine. As when musk is mingled with amber-grease, as Gomezius thinks, he subtly compoundeth them: So fare from counting it thus a gift, as that Vega, a Clerk of theirs, durst insolently say, Gratis non accipiam, That this Crown which cost the Martyrs so much, he would not take it of free gift, not be beholding to God for bestowing it, not accept of it if it cost him nought. And so Coster, Noluit Christus, etc. that Christ would not have this Crown given us gratis, sed meritis nostris: as he in Xenophon said, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, they counting so this Crown rather for a booty than a gift. Yea but says Hesychius, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Heaven is not so the wage of servants works, but the bounty of their Master's gift; who is no Merchant, said Philonius well; Donator non venditor, as Philo: Beneficia dedit non vendidit, says Bernard, God's good turns they are given not sold, and this kingdom not partum, but paratum, a kingdom not purchased by us, but prepared for us, Matth. 25. And all that shall thus be crowned, filii divini beneficii, as Austin calls them, children of the divine kindness: by grace saved through faith, & that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, as Paul evidently speaketh. The worth of this Crown being so infinitely above all price of humane performance, that says Anselmus, Si homo mille annis serviret, etc. Suppose a man should serve God zealously a thousand years here, yet should he not thereby deservedly merit to be one half day in heaven: And; Et si millies moriamur, etc. says Chrysostome, Though we should dye a thousand deaths, and do all virtuous exploits, all would be of no condignity to this Crown: those being only ways to the Kingdom, not causes of reigning; means by, but not causes why: though secundùm opera, yet not propter opera; So Gregory: though propter promissum, yet not propter commissum; So Anstin: not factum, but pactum. And if the excellency of jacob was not worthy the least of God's mercies shown him, Genes. 32. well may the house of jacob now confess, Non dignitate nostrâ, sed dignitate tuâ. And not to dwell longer in the plain, take the adversaries that cold comfort from Austin for conclusion; Never shall they come in the heavenly jerusalem, who do not from their hearts profess, that the coming thither is not proprij operis, but Domini muneris; not by their own behaviour, but God's favour: Non meritis operantis, but miseratione donantis, Not by the merits of the worker, but by the mercy of the giver, crowning his own gift, not our works; saving us, not out of merit, but with mercy and compassions, as David speaketh. That whatsoever base spirits of delusion, creeping into houses, and leading captive silly women, whisper unto others; say ye of this Crown, as Rahel did of children, Give me it, or else I die: Without this Crown be given us, we are but dead men; that, as spoke the woman john 4. Sir, give me this water, Lord, give us this Crown of life.  
In spite of insolency and error both, give it then he will; but to whom trow ye? The covenant here runs not with a Noverint universi, to All, All; but Omnibus Christi fidelibus, To thee, thou faithful soul, to thee will I give it: not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Aristotle well handles giving, not hand over head, at random, at all adventures; like those men, who, as he spoke, projiciunt magis quàm daunt, rather throw away than give; and, Perdere sciunt, donare nesciunt, They know how to lose, but not how to give; as he said of Alexander, that he would have given away Cyprus for a song, Phoenicia for a verse; like Herod's half kingdom: nay that head which was worth more than his whole kingdom, given away for a gig, a dance; and so their gifts, so ill placed, procure more hatred than love. And as the jews wittily use to say, look what is so given, 'tis written in the Heart's horn, so mewed, cast every year, as that ever and anon ye may go seek it; and so nothing that brands many men with more indiscretion, than the ill disposing of their gifts. God here gives not so, by chance but choice; and this Crown of life the Lord hath promised to them that love him, saith St. james, them that love his appearing, says S. Paul, to be given them for whom it is prepared, Matth. 20. Not as they spoke of Gedeons' brethren, Every one like the children of a King; Not every one, but some choice ones, heirs of that kingdom, as St. james calls them; Heads destinated to the Diadem, as Tertullian. 'Tis true, God makes his Sun to rise on the evil too, and sendeth rain on the unjust also, so that by these outward things, who knoweth whether he be worthy love or hatred? But as Abraham, though he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines, Gen. 25. yet all his goods (reads one translation, all he had read we now) the heritage gave he to his Isaac, in whom the covenant was established, the son of promise; So if God often, even unto those bastard children gives secular things, common gifts; yet the Inheritance, this Crown gives he only to them, who after the manner of Isaac are children of promise, as Paul speaks: to you his isaac's, his Laughters, in whom he takes pleasure. We fools (say they in the fift of Wisdom) we fools thought his life madness, and his end without honour; but how is he counted among the children of God, and his portion among the Saints? Thou that not only (as Ecclesiasticus said) being just, art one better than a thousand others; not only as the people said of David, worth ten thousands of us; but as Philo spoke, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, equivalent not only to a number, but a whole nation of us. Thou not only a Professor, but a Protector of religion; Thou not only faithful, but a Defender of the Faith; Thou that art valiant for the truth, as was written upon the sword of Charles the Great, Decem praeceptorum custos Carolus, Charles keeper of the ten Commandments: Thou man of his desires, to thee will he give this Crown of life.  
Give thee? What? some great gift sure: for though the hidebound world neither does, nor can give things without her own circle, & so penned within the sphere of her own scant activity, is fain to give here a crab, and there a crumb, and when she drops a pearl, a golden apple, or so, that's precious: Consider but well the hard opening of the shell, weigh all circumstances, and they will be found but as the Physician's drugs, which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gifts, and yet we pay dear for them. Well, if they be pennyworths, sure they are not gifts; yet this giver Habet quod det, & dat nemo largiùs: as the Scripture speaks of Araunah, as a King gave he unto the King; this gives like a King, not under a Crown, gives here to a King, a Crown; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed. Not that every crown is straightway commendable; there being voluptuous crowns of Roses, as in Wisdom; a crown of pride, to which a woe belongeth, Esay 28. So Dragons & Beasts crowns in the Revelation; and so Corona vitiosa, ruinosa, and the rest, as the Poet's Crowns of Laurel and Ivy, Crowns little better than the weeds which wrapped about jonahs' head, trash of no value. Yea Crowns not only so by resemblance, but real; and of that rank, than which this world below hath nothing higher; yet such as that some, even the owners, who might be bold with their own, themselves have said, They that knew but the troubles of their cares, would not stoop to take up their Crowns: as Canutus set his Crown upon the Crucifix, Crowns having their crosses, thistles in their arms, and thorns in their sides; even Christ's royal title (note some) having been set upon the Cross, as much as to say, Kings have their crosses, yea & losses too; & if Popes, worst Comets to Kings, may prevail, their hard deaths too, that being a principle of their detestable doctrine, Cruelty to Crowns. Yea but as jesus said, that his Kingdom was not of this world, this is none of these Crowns, but a Crown where death hath no claim, A Crown of life. As he that bearing three crowns, added well the word, Quarta perennis erit, that the fourth would be for ever;  become either of those criminal, or counterfeit, or kingly crowns, Quarta perennis, this Crown will last for ever, A Crown, or as the other Translation not amiss, The Crown of life. Whither at last being now come, as Nyssen once, being to speak of those words, Our Father which art in heaven, wished himself wings, wherewith to mount and fly a pitch proportionable to the height of the matter in hand; how could I wish now some winged speech, to soar according to the sublimity of the matter? And yet even then too, as Chrysostome spoke, Sermo non valet exprimere, experimento opus est, Speech would not reach that excellency of it, which cannot be expressed but by experience; fitter to be believed, than possible to be discoursed, says Prosper: So exceeding an eternal weight of glory, as neither Rhetorician can discourse, nor Geometrician measure, nor Arithmetician number. The beauty of Absalon, to it but deformity; the strength of Samson, to it but infirmity; the age of Methusalem, to it but mortality: All the mirth here, to that but pensiveness; all pleasure here, to that but heaviness; all sweetness here, to that but bitterness: The very Crown of rejoicing, the Crown of life. All the splendours here, and they are many: not as that cluster which the spies brought, but only as husks as it were of those grapes of Canaan: as joseph cast chaff down the river, to let the Nations know of their abundance of grain; only as chaff to that abundant harvest growing in the land of promise, the Crown of life. Than not to trespass further upon your patience, I only tender unto your consideration this your own Day, as some short comment upon this lasting Crown: That as it hath ever been the guise of godly men, from the beholding of worldly things to beget heavenly thoughts; to turn the sight of every solemnity into a School of Divinity; and from things they see here downward, to make a prospect upward: As when Fulgentius saw the Nobility assembled at Rome, the sight of the glittering of that Court mounted his meditation to the thought of a higher Court, the heavenly jerusalem. From the hearing of music, he is now with God, who is said to have entered upon the meditation of the holy harmony in heaven: And upon sight of soft clothing in King's houses, me thinks we should be led to think of that white clothing in the Revelation, and robe of righteousness: And from your own Crowning, think of this Crown of life; there will be much learned, especially that which is the principal drift of the Text here, to fortify against tribulations and oppositions for Christ's cause. As David tells of crowning with favour as with a shield; this very Crown may serve you as a shield against all assaults, the assurance of this Crown a Supersedeas against all fear. Cùm voles omnium rerum oblivisci, cogita Caesarem, could Seneca say, Would thou forget all other things, think then of Caesar; but as a Christian wouldst thou forget all worldly cumbrances, Cogita Coronam, think on this Crown: and whatsoever the duresse be, it will be but light, if you balance it with this weight of glory. Exultans regno, insultans mundo: Ascend but now into consideration of this Crown, and from thence, as from some high mountain, you will soon behold all these things here below, as little things, of little value, petty things, not worth your care, much less your fear. Whilst as the shepherd crowned with flowers and herbs, fight with the basilisk, could not be hurt by reason of the preservative in his garland; You shall tread upon the basilisk & the aspe, & they shall have no power to hurt you, if you make use of the preservatives in this Crown: For, man, hast thou loss here? thou shalt have a gift there. Hast thou contempt here? thou shalt have a Crown there. Hast thou death here? thou shalt have life there; And I will give thee a Crown of life.  
Which Crown of life, after your good fight fought in this life, the Lord jesus give you for his mercy's sake: To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be ascribed, etc.  
Laus Deo.   
GALAT. 4.16. 
Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?  
AN Argument unadvisedly chosen, (will some wise one at first hearing say) to undertake to treat of Truth, the telling whereof, your very Text aforehand tells you, procures enmity; as if wittingly you meant to run upon some rock of distaste & displeasure. But as Paul spoke, persuaded better things of you, according to the Preachers counsel, without observing those winds, come I now to sow, and without those clouds to reap; and so I may prove true to the Text: shun not though the Text prove true to me, for telling truth to undergo enmity, Am I therefore become your enemy? etc.  
As if holy Paul according to the tenor of the context here, had zealously thus expostulated with that people: I have bestowed labour upon you, as in the 11. verse. I have preached the Gospel unto you, as in the 13. verse. I have heretofore been welcome unto you for my Ministeries sake, received of you as an Angel of God, in the 14. verse. Your very eyes not more precious unto you, as in the 15. verse. And having given no cause (I wot of) why your good wills should now be alienated from me, unless it be for seeking to reclaim you from erroneous doctrines of weak and beggarly rudiments, and freely and truly putting you in mind of the things that belong to your salvation; if that be the cause, what an unworthy part is it to malign him that hath been so mindful of you, to trouble him that hath been so true to you, to repay truth with enmity, to render enmity for telling truth?  Am I therefore your enemy? etc. 
From out which woufe, of Scripture, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, some expert workman would quickly draw many curious threads, like to the Spouses lips in the Canticles, dropping as the honey comb, from every word distilling pearls of precious observation. As first from the person here maligned, I Paul, an Apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by jesus Christ, and God the Father: Apostolus per Antonomasiam, I that laboured more abundantly than they all; Paul, whom to have seen in the Pulpit, was one of Augustine's three wishes, Constantissimus gratiae Praedicator, as he styles him: yet he thus become to be held an enemy, infers the accustomed lot of best deserving men, enmity. Next from the quarrel, here, Therefore, for telling truth to be hated, irrationabiliter malignati, as he spoke, the unreasonable dealings of malignant men: as in the second of Wisdom, He is not for our turn, he checketh us for offending, professing to have the knowledge of God, etc. Therefore let us lie in wait for the righteous: Therefore let us examine him with rebukes: Therefore. Then from the change here come to pass, of formerly such a friend, thus to become, & held an enemy. The giddy inconstancy of the people, what a tickle tenure he holds by that hold of the multitude, Neutrum modò, mas modò vulgus: Hating here, whom heretofore they affected. As erewhile in the 14. of the Acts, prone to sacrifice to him, and by and by persuaded to stone him. But dismissing those Minims upon the by, and aiming only at the main truth here, to clear that, choose I hence now to present before you, only these three essentially material meditations: The dignity of truth in itself: The indignity offered truth by others enmity: The enduring of that enmity by the tellers of truth: The high excellency of truth: The harsh entertainment of that excellency: The hearty enduring of that entertainment. For to naturalise these parts to the Text: As 'tis an increpation 'gainst their bad dealing with truth, so de jure it magnifies verity. As 'tis an interrogation, the keenest form of assertion, so de facto it certifies their enmity. As 'tis an expostulation pregnant with firm resolution, so de debito it ratifies his constancy: De jure truth deserveth better; de facto it receiveth worse: De debito, for all that worse, we ought not to abandon that better, within these lists limiting what now is intended to be uttered. The spies that can try the whole land by one cluster, measure whole Hercules by a foot, discern the whole web by the list, may save a labour, ease themselves and others by departing, as Pilate when he had asked what is truth, went out: to the honest hearts remaining, remain these in order to be served in: A true valuation of truth in itself, & so what good entertainment it deserveth. The undervaluing of truth 'mongst men, and so what bad entertainment, enmity, it findeth. The due practice of the professors of truth, whom no such enmity discourageth from telling truth, Am I therefore become your enemy? etc.  
For the first then, the excellency of truth in itself, as we use to speak of the end, last in execution, first in intention; Truth here in the Text, though last in situation, yet first in sense and substance: accordingly as Plato again and again gives truth the leading, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. And he, says he, that will be happy in the end, aught to lay hold on truth in the beginning: The beginning of thy Word is truth, says David. As 'tis said, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that of any work beginning, the forefront ought to be fair, like to that beautiful gate of the Temple. Enter we first here upon the beautiful excellency of Truth, in Thesi for truth in general, whether ye list conceive truth an adequation, a conformity of the thing and the understanding as some define; or rather (for it is here a telling of truth) an adequation of speech to the thing: Truth being in the mind as in subjecto cognitivo, in speech as in signo repraesentativo, in the mind as knowing, in the mouth as manifesting, each way glorious things are spoken of Truth. Truth the meat of the mind, says the Platonist, Animi cibus: Truth the sustenance of the soul, says Lactantius, Animae pabulum: Truth the spouse of the understanding, say others, Sponsa intellectus: Verity the virginity of the soul, as falsehood the adultery. As he ignorantly, but luckily said, they were called Mechanic Arts, because the understanding quodammodo in ijs moechatur, said he, because the understanding principally created for spiritual apprehensions, in those arts, leaving Truth, the Spouse of the understanding, adulterates, pollutes itself with corporal employments: not only Mechanical Arts are such digressions besides truth; but even the most liberal sciences & knowledges in the world, are but as pages, torchbearers to truth, quae etsi non ducunt, conducunt; the scope and conclusion of all true knowledge being Truth; & the inquisition after that conclusion, keeping the candle burning, & the eyes waking. And this is the unvaluable advantage, however shallow men slight it, which a Philosopher, a Student, a man conversing with his understanding, hath above other empty men of the world, that whilst those sensualists fond stand courting other vain beauties, some of them it may be natural, many of them artificial, most of them naught: the Intellectualist the whilst hath frequent and familiar addresses, approaches, acquaintance with beautiful Truth. So that of Truth we may say as did the Queen of Sheba of Solomon, Happy are thy men, happy are thy servants that stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom, learn thy Truth. But in Hypothesi, for this particular truth here about ceremonies, wriggled in again among the Galatians, and whereunto they needs again would be in bondage, a carriage concentrique with relapses at this day into Papistical superstitions, said Gualther of his time then, to bring it no nearer. Verily as Mirandula spoke, Veritatem Philosophia quaerit, Theologia invenit, Religio possidet, that Truth was a thing which Philosophy sought, Divinity found, Religion possessed. Other truths there be, as Philosophical truths, which may so be glittering, but they are these divine Truths that are the glorious. Truth's there be not worth the wetting of a man's finger for, much less the shedding of his blood for them, as sundry rules in sciences, and curious arts, and mathematical principles: Truth, the toughest maintaining whereof will never make a true Martyr, though ordinarily shall ye find more obstinacy in maintaining those petty truths, than constancy in upholding weightier truths; and here and there some Heliodor, yielding rather to be cast out of his Bishopric, than to call in his books, though but Aethiopicks, having not so much as colour of truth. And other sorts of truth there be published, yet ought not to be practised, veritates audiendae, non imitandae, as he speaks; as politic Theorems, he that will speedily thrive in such and such places, he must lie, flatter, dissemble, and do worse: truths which it may be some good man will trust, but never try; and such like other truths, whereof a man may safely be ignorant, but not safely practicant; that as Christ bid the Minstrels, Get you hence, hence with such truths: As Samuel said of Ishai's seven sons, The Lord hath chosen none of these truths; no, but as he defines Theologick truth to be the truth necessary in the voyage to salvation, divine truth, saving truth, truth respectively to Religion; yea this is that truth of Christians, incomparably fairer than Helen of the Grecians, as Austin spoke, whilst as God himself is truth and every man a liar, so are all those other but as trash to his truth, who (as one heroically spoke) if he were to be corporeal, would sure have Light for his body, and Truth for his soul; and so as he is, hath he Truth as his Usher going before his face, as in the Psalmist. And whereas of other divine attributes, some are especially ascribed to the Father, as omnipotency; some to the Son, as wisdom; some to the holy Ghost, as goodness: Truth by the holy Spirit is peculiarly attributed to them all, Lord God of Truth, jesus that Truth, the Spirit of Truth. Christ saith the cause of his coming, his errand into the world, was to bear witness unto the truth; & the Spirit of truth, not only so essentialiter, but doctrinaliter, leading into all truth; his ways truth, his works truth, his word truth, all truth: who as fountain of truth himself, favoureth also truth in others too, giving his placet to them that study truth, Qui student veritati, placent ei: The Lords eyes are upon the truth, says jeremy; no tune more pleasing to God than truth. Then come on ye that say, Who will show us any good? Cui bono? what good shall we get by this your painted pearl of truth, this treasure in a trance, for all your letter of commendations of Truth, Quid mihi prodest cognoscere Veritatem, as in Austin? Good? Why say what is the good you would have? Is it liberty? O bona libertas; why know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free, john 8. the Truth there not only Veritas Christus, but Veritas Christi; a Truth truly to be termed liberalis, not only as liberal sciences, because they are worthy homine libero, but this also hominem liberat; for where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty; and this is our liberty, that we are subject to that Verity, as Austin speaketh. Or is it safety you seek? The world's wrong, the surest safety is not in subtlety; no, Truth is the King's Guard, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, says Solomon, Truth that which helps to keep and preserve the King, Prov. 20. yea his Truth shall be your shield and buckler, as David speaketh. Is it comfort upon all occurrences you care for? Why, it was Hezekiah's cordial lying sick, that he had walked before God in Truth; Truth there not opposite only falso but fucato; when hypocrisy, policy, fraud, falsehood, error can minister no comfortable ingredient, in extremity, then fair fall Truth. Beyond the comforts here, is it heaven hereafter you would have hold of? Why, remember who it is shall dwell in God's Tabernacle, rest in his holy Mountain, he that speaketh the Truth in his heart: yea the blessed life itself is nothing else but gaudium de Veritate, says Austin, a rejoicing over Truth: liberty, safety, comfort, heaven, if all things be worth any thing, Truth is worth them all: Truth 'tis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as in Plato, fair; nor painter, nor statuary that can express like beauty to Truths, said Philemon: Truth 'tis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as in Esdras, strong; strong above wine, women, king, stronger than all: Truth 'tis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Clinias, lasting; Truth abideth, & is strong for ever, said Zerobabel; the lip of Truth shall be established for ever, said Solomon. That hence may even Nobles attend, how the Roman Praetor want always to wear upon his breast the image of Truth, as if the truest ensign of Nobility were Truth. Hence may even Senators attend, how the Egyptian judges wore always in a chain about their neck, the picture of Truth; and 'twas Iethro's counsel to Moses, for judges over the people, to choose viros veraces, men of Truth, in quibus sit veritas; nor could the high Priest give sentence without the blest-plate of judgement on, wherein they put Veritatem, as if Truth were the very form of judgement, what ever the matter be. Hence may even the valiant attend, how in that whole armour of God, Ephes. 6. Truth is there put the first piece of the Panoply, as if the principal object of valour were Truth, and that the prime care to have the loins girt about with Truth. O then, according to that excellent commendation Quintilian gives Vespasian, patientissimus veri, that he was most enduring, most suffering of Truth: Suffer ye now the word of exhortation unto Truth, ye shall have it tendered now in no meaner terms than solomon's, Buy the Truth ('tis no Simony) and sell it not; buy it of God by prayer, buy it of Books by reading, buy it of Orthodox men by hearing, buy it over & over, ye cannot over-buy it, Non Priamus tanti, etc. Truth being as wisdom, to be preferred before sceptres and thrones, to be loved above health and beauty, precious stones not to be compared unto it, gold but as gravel in respect of it, and silver to be counted but as clay before it, and he to be reckoned a wise Merchant that selleth all that he hath to buy it. I dare use salomon's phrase, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the price is now in your hand, buy it: Sell it not neither for love, nor money, nor policy, nor for no worldly payments, much less for promises: they sell the Truth (said Lavater well) who for worldly respects live in such places where there is no public profession of the Truth. As Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage; and says Solomon, Pro buccellâ panis deserit veritatem, for handfuls of barley and pieces of bread, for secular considerations they sell the Truth; and by their leave, so do they too, who living in places where the Truth is publicly professed, do judaslike yet stand ready pressed for pence, as much as in them lies to betray the Truth, or out of politic ends, to sell the Truth, selling under the mark of the Beast, as in the Revelation; and for all their wisdom in their generation, selling, as unthrifts do their lands, that which they never knew the worth of, Truth: and as the Satirist spoke, Vende animam lucro, selling their souls too in the bargain and sale of truth. Having sold his Bible, which only he had then left: Now (said Serapion) have I sold that which taught me to sell all; and he that sells truth, sells that which teacheth to sell all to buy it; and if a man could sell truth for all the gold of India, what would it profit to win the world and lose the truth? Sell it not, nay, but be ye established in the present truth, as St. Peter spoke. And again I say, be ye established in the present truth; it is the present truth, and 'twas the primitive Truth, when Purgatory was yet unkindled, and Indulgences yet unhatched, when Mass was yet unmoulded, and Transubstantiation yet unbaked, when Merits were yet unminted, and Sins venial uninvented; when Laycks of the cup were yet uncousened, and Ecclesiastiques unexempted: when Pope's transcendent power was uncreated, and deposing of Kings yet undreamed of, before this Lerna lake of errors yet was congregated, before ever these fancies of Rome were rocked in their cradles, was the present truth: And be ye established in it, not tottering and wavering to and fro, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as they that are carried about with every wind of doctrine, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, speaks S. Peter there, firmly settled, established in the present truth: Truth being, as God spoke of his commandment, not in heaven, that thou shouldst say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it us, and cause us to hear it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldst say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it us, and cause us to hear it, that we may do it? No, but the truth is very near us: As Solomon of the Turtle, so of truth; The voice of truth is heard in our land. Set that truth as a seal upon your heart, and as a signet upon your arm, bind it for a sign upon your hand, and let it be as frontlets between your eyes; be as tender over truth as the apple of your eye; sooner let the Sun wander from his course, than ye from truth. In our Litany we pray the Magistrates may have grace given them to maintain truth. It was Christ's prayer for his, joh. 17. Sanctify them with thy truth: and the God of truth confirm and keep you in his so excellent truth; Truths excellency. So have you the first part.  
And can it then be, a thing so highly excellent as truth, should find so harsh entertainment as enmity? Can so bright beams beget so black clouds? Yes, as Solomon tells of the price to get wisdom in the hand of a fool that hath no heart to it; for all that true price of Truth, come we now to view how fools misprise it, entertaining it with enmity, Enemy for telling truth, That's now the second part. Ergo inimicus; an Ergo so incongruous, so inconsequent, as may well drive the hearer with Austin into admiration and amazement, why men endued with understanding, should be so solicitously studious about courses of stars, flow of sea, and more frothy things, and yet the whilst so reckless of Truth, neerlier concerning them; and make him likewise passionately expostulate as Austin, Shall other vain men vaunt themselves happy in embracement of other beauties, and Christians slight the embracing of beautiful Truth? Shall they boast a happiness in sitting down to eat and drink, and we not apprehend a blessedness, in being fed and feasted with truth? Shall they coenare fabulis, and we not veritate? Shall they crack of beds of roses and sweet odours, and Christians take no pleasure in the fragrant inspiration of truth? Shall they tripudiate in music, and Christians not triumph in the melody of truth? Shall they delight in the light of the Sun, and we not delight in the light of Truth? Shall so many love lightness, and any set so light by lovely truth, as thus to entertain it with enmity? Ergo inimicus; A strange Ergo, yet not more strange than true, truth being so frequently haunted with hatred, as Calvin wrote to the Christian King, Evangelij genius, as opposition, the bad genius, as it were waiting upon the Gospel; so enmity a familiar as it were, every where dogging truth. The saying, Veritas odium parit, not more familiar than the thing, though not a general truth as in the Poet; and yet Lactantius thinks he spoke it, qua si divino spiritu instinctus; not so true of all, says Jerome, yet too too true of too too many. Whilst as the beautiful Nymphs are said to have brought forth the ill favoured Fawns and Satyrs; so truth bringing forth hatred, or rather enmity; like the Dragon in the Revelation, standing before the woman travelling, ready to devour what she should bring forth. As in Genesis, The Lord said, is by & by encountered with The Serpent said, so is telling truth encountered thus with enmity. When Eliah told Ahab truth, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? said he; the like was Micaiah's case with Ahab, the man of God's case with jeroboam, john Baptists with Herod, St. Stevens with the jews; so persecuted they the Prophets, thus entertained they truth with enmity: And as Ecclesiastes spoke, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, That which hath been, is that which shall be; it hath been so, and 'twill be so, be it never so unreasonable that it should be so: there is demonstrative reason upon reason, why it will be so: There being three things (says Aristotle) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, three things that breed enmity, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ira, incommodatio, criminatio, displeasure, disprofit, discredit; why in all these, truth being not for most men's turn, corrupt nature makes them thus turn enemies to the tellers of truth. First, Ira: as they writ of some creatures to have the gall in the ear, fell in aure, the hearing of truth galls them; as Peter told Simon Magus, Thou art in the gall of bitterness: telling of truth puts them into the gall of bitterness, anger's them, nettles them. And as ulcerous men use to shrink at the lightest touch, yea sometimes shriek even at the very suspicion, the imagination of touching; truth told touching, or seeming but to touch their sores, makes them take on like wasps, like the mad man, pricked to cure his sore, they fly upon the Chirurgeon: Tange montes & fumigabunt; the least touch of truth makes them fume and fret like the vapours of the thunderbolt, which never linne working till they have vented themselves with terror; they never leave brawling till they have exhaled their anger, vented their enmity: Because truth telling will not let them wallow so securely as otherwise they would, not suffer them to cured and settle on their lees, as the Prophet Zephany speaks, as they would: a quare impedit therefore so quarrels the truth, as that the tellers thereof are driven often to that Dilemma of Agathon, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. If I please thee, I shall not tell the truth; and if I tell the truth, I shall not please thee, but procure enmity. Secondly, Incommodatio, truth telling is against their profit, prejudicial to their gainful practice of lying and falsehood: therefore say they of the truth teller, as they in the second of Wisdom spoke of the righteous, He is not for our profit, he is contrary to our doing, therefore rebuke him; Dunghill men, like Aesop's Cock, setting more by the Barley corn of profit, than the pearl of truth; of the swinish race, Gergesens, willing rather to lack Christ, than lose the least commodity. Thirdly, Criminatio, truth telling accuses them, endites them, arraigns' them, condemns them, brands them and their courses. As David couples Light & Truth together, Truth, like Light, being of a discovering nature, making things manifest. Therefore (as S. john spoke) men love darkness more than light, because their deeds are evil; a dark shop being best for bad wares: therefore as thiefs seek to put out the candle, they would have the light Truth put out. A Scorner (as Solomon says) loving not one that reproveth him; Truth reproving them, therefore reprove they the Truth. Tell one of your Politicians Papinian's truth, That that's the best reason which makes most for Religion, that the best policy which makes most for Piety; why, this truth crossing his projects and purposes, the teller may take his bill, and sit down quickly, and write Enmity. Tell a covetous man St. Paul's truth, That the love of money is the root of all evil, ye offer him loss, ye touch his freehold, ye are a trespasser to his trade, an enemy. Tell the luxurious man that theorem of Truth, That temperance is the razor of superfluities, and the rule of necessaries; and that this whole life ought to be a kind of Lent; Away with your threadbare Scholar's posies; ye bring us into the wilderness to starve us, ye are an enemy. I will not procure more enemies by more instances; suffice it, Nec in caeteris contrarium est videre: That if as Gideon once made proclamation in the audience of the people, Who so is timorous or faint-hearted, let him departed, so every one whose heart riseth against truth told, should departed, we should soon have more room, auditories would soon be thin, Vel duo, vel nemo. Light is good, but yet to bad eyes, offensive. Honey is sweet, but yet to wounds, smarting; truth is wholesome, but yet to most, distasteful: like that bloody water, sweet and potable to Hebrews, says josephus, but sour and would not down with Egyptians. Then be that school distinction true, that truth in the universal, sub ratione veri, cannot be hated, yet in the particular, sub ratione contrarij, so is it usually thus hated; though no man can hate truth in universali, while it only pleads itself, yet in particulari, when it comes thus to press upon themselves: As the Friar wittily told the people that the truth he preached, was like holy water, which every one call a pace for, yet when it came to be cast on them, they would turn aside their face: even they that will call fast for Truth, cannot yet away to have it cast in their face; even they that could like truth if it would only show itself, mislike it, when it comes thus to show them themselves; they that love truth lucentem, hate it thus redarguentem, says Austin; and so says Ambrose, because no man would be reproved for erring; therefore becomes he enemy thus to truth reprehending. Veritas ideo semper invisa est, eo quod is qui peccat, vult habere liberum peccandi locum, says Lactantius, Because every offender would have his full swinge without control, therefore take they offence at truth: as he that delicately composes himself to sleep, prohibits all louder noise, and procures some gentle murmur; so loving to be lulled in their security, some sweet Siren sounds they can away with, but this same shrill trumpet of Truth, away with that. So distempered, so ill dieted, so unadvised most men are, as readily to swallow flatteries, digest fables, concoct errors, and yet truth with them to be so hard of digestion, as thus to stomach that, thus turn that into bitterness, Enmity. That whereas we usually say, Bitter as gall, we might stronglier express it (said Vega well) by saying, Bitter as Truth. That as the Turk taunted some Christians at Constantinople, who said that they came thither to suffer for the Truth, That they needed not have come so fare for that, seeing had they but told the Truth at home, they should not have miss suffering for it: telling truth needs not travel fare for enmity; enmity will encounter it at home, wheresoever. That as for all Christ bid woe to the man by whom the offence cometh, offences yet will come, so it shall surely be woe upon woe to him, by whom enmity comes upon truth, enmity will yet come upon it; though this laurel of Truth will be bitter to them that bite it, bite at it yet men will; though as Ignatius speaks, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. to follow any that falls from Truth, be forfeiture of the Kingdom of heaven; yet will men follow the foes of Truth, bandy against it, be enemies to telling Truth; that as they use to say, Plain dealing is a jewel, but he that uses it dies a beggar: be Truth never such a jewel, the teller may probably account aforehand, this way to be a loser by it; let him never feed himself with vain expectation, that the trade of truth telling is a plausible, insinuating, welcome, winning profession: An expectas ut Quintilianus ametur? Let him rather count himself to be borne, as jeremy, a contentious man, a man that striveth with the whole earth: as Luther said of preaching, Praedicare nihil aliud est, quàm derivare in se furorem, etc. That to preach (preach home as he used) was nothing else but to stir up the fury of Hell, Satan, World against a man; so telling of truth to be a stirrer of rage, a sign which will be spoken against. Let never the truth teller dream of comfits and sweet meats; reckon he thus to eat his Passeover with sour herbs, thus to be fed with bitterness, and filled as with wormwood, to have this wild gourd Enmity shred into his pot. Never say, I had not thought it; S. Peter hath foretell it, The way of Truth shall be evil spoken of; and S. Paul here found it, enmity for telling Truth, Am I therefore become your enemy? etc. So have you the first and second part.  
And this apprehension, this account aforehand, as Darts fore-seen dint-lesse, and forewarned fore-armed; may pass as a preparative to the following point, The enduring of that enmity for telling truth: that's now the third and last part. The Apostle here, while he thus increpates their enmity for his telling them truth, intimates his own resolution, so enduring that enmity in behalf of Truth. Non timuit vituperari, vel odio haberi, etc. said Anselme upon it; He feared no man's ill will to him, so he might manifest his good will to Truth: And so 'tis also Ieroms inference hereupon, out of the 40. of Esay, Lift up thy voice with strength, lift it up and be not afraid: for, as Esay spoke again, Who art thou, that thou shouldest fear a mortal man, and the son of man, which shall be made as grass, and forgettest the Lord thy maker? so what art thou, that thou shouldest fear this enmity, and forget the truth? for though they shrewdly say, Qui vult dimitti à Domino, dicat illi veritatem, He that would be put from his Master, let him tell him truth; yet is it to be said, He that would have God his good Master, must tell the truth. As he well compares Truth to Rebekah with her two twins: Brings truth telling thus forth the hate of men? it brings forth withal the other twin, the love of God too; that be it with the world, as they say, a cold occupation to tell the truth, a blessed occupation is it yet with God: however flesh and blood say, Master, pity thyself, this enmity shall not be unto thee; and whatsoever witches children whisper to the contrary. For, come on (says the Temporist to the Truth-teller) you are so keen of this truth-tell, you'll mar all: wot you not what Pope Eugenius said, Hoc verum esse si ipse velit & non aliter, That this or that was true if his Holiness, his Greatness would have it so, and not otherwise? as if great Ones granted Warrants of Truth, as of the Peace? Remember ye not, your own book says, Time to be truest, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as in Xenophon; and Truth to be Time's daughter, as in the Poet? And why will any of you then, set the daughter at variance with the mother, and not rather handle the matter so, as the daughter Truth may ever be consonant to the mother Time? yea, & conformable so with place too, every place being not for telling every truth? for be Truth (as they say) a Sergeant, yet places there be exempted from that arrest, as well as other. Affirmatio veritatis obligat semper, sed non ad semper, sed pro loco & tempore, Truth telling hath it times and places, and Placentia a city as well as Verona: Loquimini placentia, or if ye cannot fall to that fawning vein, as M. Bradford said of Massing and Preaching, that the Mass bites not men, nor makes them blush as preaching does; cannot ye meddle only with toothless truths, as Balak bid, Neither curse nor bless at all? serve in as in job, only the white of an egg without any taste at all? Or if needs you must be tampering with Truth, cannot ye candy it over with a sceptical neutrality, or overcast it with some cloudy obscurity, Verbis coopertis, as slily the Romanist; either as the Pope plays with two points about Christ and Marie, only problematically not positively, between two to shift at pleasure; or as Aristotle set forth his Acroamatickes, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉? However you meet with them that tell you, that the Prophets and Apostles, & Christ himself propounded Truth naked, yet 'tis none of the worst observations you shall meet with in Oleaster, The holy Prophets, especially to great Ones, to have spoken most an end in Parables; and jesus himself frequently to have spoken in Parables: that since people are so  of the naked Truth, Truth might so be presented in some disguise unto them. Take but the trivial instance; be Truth as good diet as a Partridge, yet is it not to be served in raw, or feathers and all; but cooked and seasoned, Sale prudentiae temperata; at least be so wise as to tarry till downright Truth be demanded of you, and so drawn from you. No, hence Satan; often is it said, Then jesus answered and said, when yet none asked him, he answering then to the Truth speaking in his conscience. And as Fulgentius truly spoke to king Trasimund, The silence that affirmeth not truth, confirmeth error, and little to choose between nilling to declare truth, & willing to deny it. And as Tertullian excellently, Nihil Veritas erubescit nisi solummodò abscondi, Truth blusheth at nothing more than to be hidden; Truth seeking no corners, nor ever yet could temporize; nor more than the Moon stays her course in heaven, for the barking of dogs at it here on earth, forbears for any such Enmity. But (as says Austin) Though men belly the Moon in her defects, and revile the Stars, nicknaming them, Saturn, jupiter, Mercury, and worse, Venus, the Stars yet continue their courses; No crimination of heresy, no calumniation of schism, no imputation of novelty daunts the Truth, no nor disheartens the Paul's, the true Truth-tellers neither; no virulent breath can stain such Stars; but though the adversary write a book against them, yet will they bind it as a Crown unto them, as in job: though they revile them as they do, the school of Satan, the heard of Antichrist, the reprobate congregation, lose Apostates, turkish Huguenots, worse than Infidels, profane Hellhounds, false Gospelers, yea Heretics, from whose mouths even Truth itself proceeding, is not to be entertained, said their Friar: yet shaking off those virulences, as Paul did the Viper, After the way which they call Heresy, will they tell the Truth; remembering that terrible speech of Augustine's, Quicunque metu, etc. that whosoever for fear of any power hides Truth, provokes God's wrath against himself, as one that feareth man more than God. It was jeremies' complaint in his time, that people then bend their tongues like bows for lies; but had no courage for the truth upon the earth, not valiant for the truth upon the earth, as now we read it: nor want their just complaints in that key; The world-through, diminutae sunt veritates à filijs hominam, complained David. And the tale goes of Truth lying sick, and like to die without confession, because no man could be found that would be her Confessor; too too many indeed every where slighting Truth, setting at nought so great salvation. Yet not after the wont of wayward men, so to bemoan what we want, as not to bless God for what we have; choose I rather hence to cheer up Truth, with the courage of her tellers now, and cannot but say, much like as Christ of the woman that poured the ointment on his head: Verily, wheresoever Truth shall be preached, the truth of many of this meridian to the Truth, is worthy to be told for a memorial of them; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as S. john speaks, how they have been fellowhelpers to the Truth; as in Athenagoras both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, de veritate, by speaking of the truth unto the religious, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, pro veritate, for the truth against the erroneous. And good luck have they with their glory, and ride on prosperously because of Truth, and let it never be said that the adversaries (those pioneers, whose occupation is only to undermine the truth) like these Galatians here, bewitched them that they should not obey the Truth. Shall any of them be stouter for fraudulent equivocations, lying miracles, false doctrines, than we for God's Truth? as Tertullian spoke of Heretics then, Apostatas postatas nostros gloriâ obligant, quia veritate non possunt? Shall they prevail more over ours with tricks, than we over theirs with Truth? It hath been said that our word True, comes ab Hetrusco, and Hetruria fond hath been termed regio veritatis: And O that this region might not only so be said, but ever be the region of Truth; and as it was the first kingdom that universally embraced the truth of the Gospel, so to the last it may continue constant for the Truth. Never was there in the world title of more honour, than when God in the 8. of Zachary, said, jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; No nor of more profit neither: for when Meroz shall be cursed, the inhabitants thereof bitterly cursed, because they came not to help the Lord; blessed shall ye, all ye be that come to the help of Truth against the malignant: for do not ye misdeem yourselves, as though there were no other place for this telling truth but the Pulpit, no other helpers of truth besides the Preachers, no other partakers of truth besides Prophets and Prophets sons. As God said of Corinth, I have much people in this city: Truth hath much people, many friends in City, Court, Country; yea even out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hath it strength to silence the enemy. Then what though you or you cannot do much for Truth? do your best for it; and if there be a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not, as Paul speaketh. And O how learned Fulgentius praises yongue Donatus, that being set upon by the Arrians, though he had not the skill to defend the Truth with his tongue, had yet a will to maintain the Truth in his heart; though he could not unloose all their cunning tricks, he could yet hold fast the conclusion, Truth: and he that (for he could neither write nor read) could not Clerkly subscribe his name to Truth's confession, could yet manly draw blood of himself, wherewith to set his ma●k● do it; And she that for want of learning could not dispute Christ's cause, could ye be content to die for it; and Were every hair of my head a man, I would burn them all, said a third, rather than go● from Truth. Nor conceive I any, either more powerful opposition against the enemy to withstand him, or probable persuasion with the adversary to win him, than such undaunted resolution for the Truth. When justin Martyr, than a Platonist, heard the Christians ill spoken of, and yet saw them so constantly bend to endure any hardship for the truth of their cause, he concluded with himself, that sure they could be no vicious voluptuous men. And who knoweth whether the constant keenness of the professors of Truth, may gain a good report to the Truth, even of them which yet are without the Truth? or if not, as he that was to be burned with the book of the Revelation by him, held himself happy to suffer martyrdom with such a marrow: happiness will it be thus to suffer enmity for such a friend as Truth: Truth which is to be preferred even before friendship, as the very Heathen man could say, being never to be prejudiced by any such Enmity, but to continue Truth's friends, who ever therefore become our enemies.  Am I therefore become your enemy? etc. 
Now the God of Truth, etc.  
Laus Deo.   
Acts 19 vers. 28. the latter part. 
And cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  
SEcurus licet Aeneam Rutulúmque, as he said; A man may safely speak of Aeneas and Rutulus: Nulli gravis est percussus Achilles; To hear of wounded Achilles galls no man now: and a tale of Troy troubles no man here. The Priest of Bethel, though he could not abide that Amos in his Prophecy should grate upon the house of Israel, yet if he would fly away into the land of judah, and prophesy there, he was not against it. Though the jews could not endure, that jeremy should meddle with the burden of judah and jerusalem, yet if he would prophesy against Edom, and Moab, and Ammon, and them a fare off, he might for all them; they felt no smart, no hurt done. According to which reckoning, this Text here, may now at many hands probably promise itself a freer passage, a friendlier welcome; as meddling not, you see, with matters present now, or nearer home, but past and far off, matters of another Meridian, not only strictly Geometrically, but very sensibly aloof from us, as fare as Asia; nighing not Europaeans, but Ephesians; not mentioning any our defects, but only their Diana, how they cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  
Howbeit, amidst such diversity, and indeed daintiness of hearers, lest that relishing so with some prove so distasteful to others, that, as dealt the Tribes with Rehoboam, What portion have we in David? we have no inheritance, no part in him; and so they departed: so any now say, We have no portion, no share in that in hand; it pertaining so peculiarly to Ephesians, we have no part in it, and so they depart. As jonathan concluded with David, That if he cried to the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; he was then to be gone: the cry here being about Diana and Ephesians, Behold, the arrows here are all beyond us, let us away; Know they also, that as Nathan, though he begun with a tale of two men and a sheep, yet brought it about in the end to, Thou art the man; This Text here, though about foreigners, may happily be brought to touch even upon Domestics too: and though, as in Arrasse folded up, little yet appear to purpose, unfolded it may reveal that, quod ad te pertinet obe; not only as Daniel said, My Lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies: the Discourse and Doctrine hereof may attach, not only them that hate us, and the interpretation thereof light all upon our enemies, but partly reflect even upon ourselves too: And as the Sun, though it rise in the East, sets yet in the West (and some have shrewdly guessed as much of Religion too); by that time the Text hath gone it circuit, it may come to set fare from where it rose; Ephesus come nearer England, and Diana be brought home to our own doors, and we also in our Dialect, be many heard crying out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  
Which words, albeit in this their own situation, not unlike some maze, which though spreading but to little quantity of ground, would yet require an hours treading; yet to make room for direct and distinct proceeding, we may dilate the words, either into the manner and the matter. The manner, Crying out; The matter, Great Diana; or in as much as the matter here of their Cry is fabulous, into their prologue, and their fable. The prologue, They cried out: The fable, Great is Diana. Or who so list entitle their enterprise here, the birth of the mountains, here's the travel, They cried out; and the birth delivered, Great Diana: Plainly, as the voice bid Esay cry, and he said, What shall I cry? here's the cry, and that which is cried, Great Diana. Then lend me but your silence, whilst I speak of their Cry, and your attention, whilst I declare their Diana. As Solomon said, that from the sight and consideration even of the field of the slothful, and the vineyard of the man void of understanding, he received instruction, Instruunt non solùm docentes, sed & errantes: from the consideration of the carriage, even of these superstitious Idolatrous men, there will (God willing) instruction be derived, and their crying out then, call upon us now, and their Diana there, discover others devices elsewhere, concentrique with these of the Ephesians, crying out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  
They cried out. As David questioned the sea, What ailed thee, that thou fleddest? and his soul, Why, art thou so disquieted? Why, what ailed them, what disquieted them, thus to cry out? Why, this was the matter, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen, Silversmiths by occupation, made certain silver Temples, as our former Translation; silver shrines, as this now calls them. Chrysostome thinks they were a kind of little coffers, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Carthusian a kind of gay little houses, with Diana's image enclosed in them. Other, Images representing & made like unto her Temple, either to be offered in that Temple there, Votiva Templa, as they call them; or to be borne about with them whithersoever they went, as wont that Philosopher in Ammianus; Thecas statuarum, certain cases with her image in them, so sundry expound them. Beza criticking the word, thinks they were pieces of coin, such as he says himself hath seen, with the Ephesians Diana's image, and a representation of her Temple stamped on them. Temples, or Shrines, or Coffers, or Images, or Cases, or Coins, call them what you will, certain Gewgaws they were, such as I would have resembled, to the Philistines coffer with the golden images of their Mice and Emerods' in it, but that the jesuite himself full properly resembles them to some images of their own; and withal records the praises of Bishop Eligius for his singular skill, in making such silver cases for Saints, which in any case are to be decked up with gold and silver, and every precious thing, says he; Romish puppets, a kin to these Ephesian babbles, with Diana's picture in them, which they made and sold to such fond folks, such silly people, strangers, or others that would buy them. Now holy Paul by his powerful preaching there, alienating the minds of many people from those gods, no gods, made with hands; the fellows foreseeing, that as their gain (of which we shall after speak) so their goddess (on which alone, their tongues run here in the Text) their goddess was in danger to be discountenanced by it, her temple to be despised, and her magnificence to be destroyed, as that their revenue, so this their religion likely thereby to be impaired and endamaged, assembled and angry thereat, they cried out, Great is Diana.  
As divine story tells of the Idol Dagon, falling down before the Ark of the Lord; and Ecclesiastical story, how at Christ's coming into Egypt, all the Images there fell down: so at the preaching of this Gospel then, Idolatry beginning to shake and stagger, as Epiphanius tells of Elisaeus, how at his birth in Gilgall, the golden Calf in Selom, bellowing out so loud, as that the noise was heard at jerusalem, the priest interpreted it, that a Prophet was that day borne, who should break in pieces their carved and molten Images: so Paul's preaching battering thus, and crying down the Idols, they held it high time to take on, and bellow, and cry out thus for their Diana. So as out of this crying of theirs here, for the upholding of their Diana, as was said of old of herself, that she had three visages, tria virginis ora Dianae, so (me thinks) I see three heads hence appear unto us. First, their Tenderness in apprehending so their Diana's danger and disgrace; they soon saw, yea foresaw, and forecast it aforehand. Secondly, their Earnestness in appearing for her; no sooner heard they of her danger, but forthwith in her defence, they cried out. And thirdly, their jointnesse in undertaking on her behalf, in the whole heap of them, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that's the word in the whole crowd and convocation of them. I do not find one mute among them here, but all consonants, all crying out. Tenderness in apprehending, Earnestness in appearing, jointnesse in undertaking; three dispositions of these Heathen, in regard of their goddess and idolatry: which when we shall have weighed comparatively with their defects, in many of us Christians, respectively to our God and Religion, this their tenderness, that way upbraiding our insensibleness, their earnestness our remissness, their jointnesse our distractions. As Demosthenes' wont to grieve if handy craftsmen were earlier up at work than he; and Pambo wept to see the naughty woman more busy and solicitous to please lewd men, than he himself was studious and diligent to please God; if we have not foreheads of flint, and hearts as the neither millstone, it may make us both blush and grieve to see these mechanics here, more passionately and hearty affected toward their baggage Diana, than many of us are to the blessed Deity; we, being now so backward and cold for God's true worship, and they all here so forward and keen for her idolatrous worship, as thus to cry out for it, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  
For the first then, their Tenderness here over their Idol. However Lorinus list say, Non minùs affabrè, etc. that Demetrius here composed his oration to them, as artificially as ever he made shrine for her; for aught I descry in it, with a little Rhetoric, less than many lay-Preacher puts into every period to the people; he wrought so quickly and deeply upon them, that no sooner understood they by his speech, of any hazard of harm to Diana, but with a quick ear to the touch of that string, out of a feeling apprehension, a tender resentment of it, they cried out. That though the harm (if ye mark the context) the harm here to Diana's goodly majesty, was yet fare of, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, say the words before, Futurum, it was yet to come to pass, destrui incipiet, as some render it; her destruction was yet to begin, her harm, at the most, was but a hammering, her danger yet but a breeding in Embryone, as it were, and so might miscarry by some aborsment, or otherwise ebb into emptiness: yet see here, as Zebul said to Gaal, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men, thou art afraid of a shadow; the very shadow of danger to their goddess, they were very  and sensible of, Atque omnes metuentes expendere casus. And as Eliah out of a little cloud arising, discerned a great rain a coming; whilst her danger was scarce yet in the clouds, in the vapours, but arising, they spied the storm a coming. As when Hannibal besieged Saguntum, a confederate city with Rome, Sylius says, he then beat upon the Capitol at Rome, Et extremis pulsat Capitolia terris; every rebuke that Paul's preaching gave to any Idol, they thought it rapt at their Diana's door: and so not lingering till Hannibal came to the gates indeed, not delaying till the dart came so near, that it could not be declined, not neglecting what they thought belonged unto their peace, till as Demades said of the Athenians, they were driven to mourning gowns, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Homer loved to say: Wary were they before the wound. As the Boar being questioned why he stood whetting his teeth so, whilst yet none assailed him, wisely answered, That it would be then too late to whet them when he was to use them; and therefore whetted them so before danger, that he might have them ready in danger. As Demosthenes advised the Athenians, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that they would not expect till evil came, but prevent it; and to deal with their dangers, as men do with serpents and vipers, of which though happily they never have been stung or bitten, yet seeing any of them, they tarry not till it sting or bite, but before harm done, forthwith seek to kill it, to crush the Scorpion at the first appearance: So these here, wise in their generation, counting providence better than repentance, not waiting and gaping after event, the Schoolmaster of fools, as Fabius called it, not only ante bellum auxilium, but even ante tubam tremor, affected with what was not yet effected, apprehensive aforehand of her danger, they cried out: so tender were they over their Diana.  
Now from them look we homeward, and make the prospect upon ourselves, in parallel with this Heathenish; feel we now this Christian pulse, how it beats in aequiparant occurrences: Are we all thus tender over the glory of our God? are we all thus jealous for the Lord of Hosts? are we all thus apprehensive, thus feelingly forecasting against all such passages, as may at any time seem to threaten any detriment to God's cause, Religion? utinam, mollissimum adverbium, called Scaliger it, Too soft an adverb for a Philosopher: yet soft as it is, utinam, I would Christians all had, and had had such softness on this side, such tenderness over religion; then had not that truculent enemy of Christianity grown to that greatness through their dulness; ignavia nostra magni, as he avoucheth it, as having been and still being many so fare from such tenderness; that have not we rather that way, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as the Spirit of God uses to call it, a kind of hoof as it were over many of our hearts? calum obductum, corneas fibras, brawny breasts, horny heartstrings? hard and unsensible? Pectus quoque robora fiunt. As Ducklings stoop and dive at any little stone thrown by a man at them, yet shrink not at the heavens great thunder: so many men are sensible enough, too sensible of any corporal danger to their person, but too unsensible of any spiritual danger to their profession. As Bernard complained, Patientiùs ferimus Christi jacturam, quàm nostram, Many of us are less sensible of God's greatest losses, than of the least of our own. That whereas Ambrose want to wish, that if any troubles or harms were to befall either God's Church or him, they might rather of the two light upon him, and his house; so they may save their own stakes, gain their own ends, many reckon so little of it, that what David if he forgot, wished his right hand might forget to play, many men forget and play it out of mind, let it stray out of their memory: The Ark of God which she grieving for, called the glory of Israel. Many men now are very tender over the chariots of their own glory, but have little feeling of the Ark of God's glory. As he complained that Paralus, the sacred ship, was set a work about trivial carriages; Christian men's affections which should be laid out about sacred spiritual affairs, most men squander and trifle them away about secular vanities. Multitudes of men, either so besotted with carnal sensuality, or so benumbed with careless security, or so engrossed with covetous secularity, or so deaffed with the durdam of worldly vanity; Nescio quid teneros fascinat, one thing or other so stupefying and deading all such tenderness in us; many piping so many eyes asleep, searing so many consciences, hardening so many through the deceitfulness of sin, as that many men have little sense of any spiritual hazards, no feeling on that side; so deaf on that ear, that though not only some Demetrius, but even a Mercury, as they of Lycaonia called Paul, should call unto us about it, we many list not hear, but like the Smith's dog, whom neither noise of hammers by him, nor sparks of fire flying about him, nor some lighting on him awaked. Many men lie still, as not moved, nothing affected, as being that way past feeling, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Paul speaketh; as saying with the unsensible man in Solomon, They have stricken me and I was not sick, they have beaten me and I felt it not: Or as Solomon tells of the simple one, who as a fool unto the stocks, and as a bird hasting to the snare, not knowing that he is in danger, followed the harlot till a dart stroke through his liver. Many men love to dally and fool with dangers, even spiritual dangers, the harlotry of sin, sensuality, schism, superstition, profaneness, till the dart strike thorough the liver, the life of their Religion: whereas, as the Gospel speaks of the affectionate father, that whilst the distressed son was yet a great way off, he saw him and had compassion on him; were men hearty affected to God and his cause, the optic glass of that affection, would represent to their compassion, any distresses of religion, even a great way off, and the spectacles of love would make any troubles at any time towards God's cause, seem unto them not less, but happily greater, than in themselves they are: affection would breed circumspection, and the ear of jealousy would make them both hear and hearken too after the state and success of it; and a taste of the powers of the world to come, would make men discern any spiritual poison before they drink it; and a tender respect to religion, would cause them ever rather cast beyond than short of any danger concerning it: having their senses exercised, as Paul speaks, to discern good and evil about it, would make men shun not only the plague of any spiritual danger, but to be  even of every rag that doth but touch upon it; to have a godly jealousy over God's whole cause, his Worship, his Church, his Children, and all the consequences of it. Non aliter (says Beza of Calvin) non aliter in Ecclesias quantum vis remotas affectus, quàm si illas humeris gestaret, That he had no less tenderness, no less feeling even of remote Churches, than if he had borne them on his own shoulders: A right Scholar of St. Paul's, who had a tender care, even over all the Churches, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Isydor spoke of him; looking after nothing else but the good of God's Church. Whereas now (alas) as Paul spoke, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, occalluerunt obtusi sensus, mens spiritual senses are oftten so blunted, their minds are so much hardened, that as they say in nature, that the softer touch is a sign of the better constitution; men's hardness of feeling this way, bewrays their badness of constitution: Nay, as Philosophy says, tactus fundamentum animae sensitivae. The very foundation of life to be feeling; and so no feeling, no life, says Aristotle. men's want of spiritual feeling, argues their want of spiritual life; as Paul speaks of the wanton widow, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that they are many that way but dead, even whilst they live; many so unapprehensive, so unaffected many, with what may trench upon God and his cause, that as some of the meanest creatures surpass us in the outward touch, Praestat aranea tactu, so some of the worst of men, seem so to go beyond many of us in inward feeling; that as Solomon sends the sluggard to the poor Pismire, to consider her ways and be wise, we may many be sent a schooling to these silly Idolaters here, as being many less tender, less touched with many things that concern our glorious God, than they here were with what concerned but their paltry Diana, when they cried thus out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians: So have ye the first particular, their Tenderness.  
Yea but for all this Tenderness over their goddess, loath that any wind of danger should blow upon her, yet as Sallust said once of the Romans, Videmini intenta mala quasi fulmen, etc. that they then seemed to deal about their imminent harms, as men do about the thunderbolt, every man willing it may not hit him, but no man going about to hinder it; it may be, for all they so perceived her danger, yet went they not about to prevent it. Yes, as he wittily said, that all vehement affections, are (as it were) of a doubtful sex, having impotentiam muliebrem, but impetum virilem, with a womanish feebleness, a kind of manly violence; so together with that their soft, and as it were Feminine tenderness, here's also their stout and Masculine eagerness on her behalf, They cried out. Their Earnestness, that's now the second particular propounded: For having once that resentment of their Diana's danger, they do not stand mute, no nor coldly call on, but Cry out, as if it were not enough to say so, unless they cried so, Exclamaverunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Phavorinus speaks of the root of this word, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that it is a crying with keenness and earnestness, as the Scholiast speaks of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that cry, that great cry in the 18. of Genesis, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that it intimates there their stoutness and boldness; so these criers here, furiosis vociferationibus ingeminantes, as some paraphrase, redouble it so with furious vociferations, that whereas within less than an hour, the sound of a Sermon here usually grows tedious; the 34. verse here says, that for about the space of two hours, there was a shout, crying, Great is Diana. St. Chrysostome well expresses it, Ita afficiebantur quasi vocibus cultum ejus reparaturi, That they were so transported with affection towards her, as to go about with their very voices to uphold her honour, to carry the cause with voices, and to blow up all opposition against her with their very breath, They cried out. Yea out of more keenness yet, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as some copies here have it, discurrentes per civitatem, so Comestor; running and even raving as it were, They cried out; that though such tumultuous out-cries, the common resorts of rash unruly people, clamosi murmura vulgi, be no pattern for Christian professors, amongst the things that Paul would have put away from us, Ephes. 4. this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, clamour, being one: yet as jehu said, Come see my zeal for the Lord, see we but herein their zeal in their generation, and it will shame many of us in ours; as Jerome said, Considerare pudet quantus fervour, quae cura, etc. that he was ashamed to think how solicitous men are in secular things, and yet how sluggish in spiritual things; Considerare pudet, may we likewise parallel it, it will make any spiritual minded man ashamed to think that these Heathen wretches, should be so importunately clamorous and vocal in their cursed course, and many Christians so infatuatly dumb and dull for their blessed profession: they so fierce all for their cause, and many of us so faint for ours; they so stout, and many Christians so squeamish, as scarce to dare to own God's cause, having no courage for the truth, as jeremy complained. No better many than those dry bones in Ezekiel, with sinews, and flesh, and skin on them, but no breath, no life in them. But as Jerome said of spiritual things, Pigrâ quâdam dissimulatione negligimus, with a kind of dull dissimulation, many slighting and lightly passing by any matter of religion, whilst these here so eagerly earn and cry out in maintenance of their superstition. Or if we can shift, or set light by this one instance in them, meet we may with parallels to the same purpose in many others; not only in godly persons, who for Zions' sake could not hold their tongues, and for jerusalems' sake could not rest, as in Esay; & as Jerome to Heliodore, Licèt parvulus ex collo pendeat nepos, etc. forbearing neither father, nor mother, nor kindred for Christ's cause; pitying not son, nor daughter, nor wife of their own bosom, nor friend as their own soul, but slaying them in God's quarrel, Deut. 13. as when Levi said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him: neither did he acknowledge his own brethren, nor knew his own children, out of observance to the Word and Covenant; even natural affections giving place to spiritual affections, as more predominant in them. As Nazianzene said, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, facillimus ferventissimus, & mansuetus pugnax, etc. the zeal of God's cause making even the quietest of them keen, and the mildest of them eager and hot: as when the zeal of God's house even eat up David; and Paul ready not to be bound only, but even to dye also for the Name of the Lord jesus; and Luther resolved to enter Worms in the Name of Christ, were there as many Devils as there were tiles to cover the houses. As Calvin said, Ne decem quidem maria, etc. That it would not grieve him to sail over ten Seas, about an uniform draught for Religion: As Philo said, Vbi de religione, ibi quoque de vita agitur, holding even their very lives to hold upon religion, serving God with all their might, as is commanded; ready to run even thorough fire and water for their holy profession: Not only in such, I say, but even in their own mates and fellow Idolaters, pro aris & focis, they want all to say, but aris before focis. Albinus put out of his Chariot his very wife and children, to make room there for the Vestal Virgins. In the sacking of Troy, Aeneas is said first to have exported 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to have carried forth his gods, even before his dearest father. And about the Oracle and Temple, who hath not heard of the hot wars of the Athenians? Yea even in this their own key and tune, for the worship of the golden Image in Daniel, the Herald cried with might and main. The Chemarims in their sacrifices, cried with loud voices: the Idolatrous Priests of Baal cried aloud, as if Baal had been asleep and needed waking, as Eliah mocked them; the Frogs in Homer that with their noise would not let the goddess Pallas sleep, croaked no louder. Because of the Calf of Bethaven, the inhabitants of Samaria feared, yea the people thereof mourned over it, & the Priests for the glory thereof, because it departed from it, Hose. 10. fearing and mourning, and much ado about their Idol. Festinant, says David in the 16. Psalms, They hasten after another God, very keen and quick at that; following Baalim, they are like a swift Dromedary, that runneth by his ways, says jeremy. Acceleraverunt, as that 16. Psalm mentioneth: Nay to another God they offer and give gifts, as others read it there. Dotant reads Tremellius there, they do so dote upon their Idols, that they do not receive from them, but give a dowry to them; they offer and give gifts; nothing so costly which they will not bestow upon them, nothing so hard which they will not endure for them: be it to burn and sacrifice their own children to them, to make son or daughter go through the fire to Moloch; be it to pluck off from wives, and sons, and daughters their golden earings in contribution to a Calf. How ready of old they have been to do it, divine Story tells you; or if modern practices may be more moving, look upon the Turks eagerness in defending & propagating that their Law, Non disputando, sed pugnando, as Mahomet taught them; their strict inquisition and severity towards neglecters of prayers, especially in time of their Lent, and their Friday services; their Largesses and bounties to Christians converting to them, and all that other. Or if Christian instances may be more operative, look upon the Romanists, in the judgement of some excellent men, Similes high planè illis, very like to these Ephesians. What cost cast they not away upon their Images? what tedious pilgrimages do they not trudge barefoot to them? what whip, and watchings, and fastings endure they not? Into what houses creep they not, thereby to lead captive silly women? what insolent privileges challenge they not, the very Concubines of their Priests to be of Ecclesiastical jurisdiction? what regal supremacy undermine they not? what moving miracles coin they not? what Assasin have they not set on work for their cause? what stone have they not moved? what earth have they not digged, even till hell beneath was moved to meet them? If I may so usurp such holy words, hedging, gathering, planting, building: what could they have done more for their wild vine, that they have not done unto it? Per mare, per terras, per saxa, per ignes, tot volvere casus, tot adire labores; as Christ spoke of the Scribes and Pharisees compassing sea and land to make a Proselyte, one of their own profession, Quae regio in terris tanti non plena laboris? If there be any to whom the Sirens voice sounds sweet, harken, their own tongues shall testify for them herein, their jesuites own expression shall evidence their earnestness. Campian in his Epistle to the honourable Counsellors of that renowned Queen Elizabeth, Quamdiu vel unus quispiam è nobis supererit, qui Tiburno vestro fruatur, etc. says he, That so long as there was any one jesuite of them remaining to enjoy Tyburn; Fruatur, that's his word, to wear a Tyburn Typpet, as plain M. Latimer was wont to speak; so long as there was one of them left for the Gallows, torment and imprisonment, they had vowed never to desist from endeavouring to draw us to that religion, Tantum relligio potuit suadere laborum. Their proverbial saddle wont to be set upon the English, were proof apparent, how much our people wont to toil for that cause, and but sum up with Bishop jewel, the heavy multitude of payments and perquisites, the Pope heretofore had out of this Land, & the Proverb will be easily believed, & their keenness for that cause, then notoriously manifested; the very Geese for the Capitol not more vigilant, more vocal. If we list not to look backward on others, look we but down now upon ourselves present, how careful, and crying, and keen we are in worldly occurrences: If but a house be on fire, there's crying out, Stentor cried no louder: if but our child, or brother, or friend miscarry, there's bleating, crying upon crying, Clamassent ut littus Hyla Hyla omne sonaret. As the son of Croesus, though formerly dumb, is said yet to have cried out in his father's danger; we are not so dumb, but that we can find tongue enough to cry out in many cases of our own causes: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as he spoke, boisterous and swelling passions, impetuous enough, obstreperous enough, loud enough in secular passages; And shall then only we, and we only in spiritual affairs, the matters of our God, even languish, be feeble & flaging often? Ferventissimi in terrenis, frigidissimi in coelestibus? Shall many of us, as in jeremy, have tongues bend like Bows for lies, but not be valiant for the truth? Shall false weights set the wheels of so many other tongues a going, and we not be ready to utter a word in due season for the truth? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Epiphanius phraseth it, free-mouthed for the truth of the Gospel. Shall others drive, like jehu, earnestly, and we, like the Egyptians with their wheels off, heavily? As 'tis observed of job, and his friends, that they had an ill cause in hand, but defended it craftily; and job a good cause to defend, but handled it unadvisedly. Shall Turks, shall Papists, shall Idolaters, shall Heathen solicit their bad cause so earnestly; and we our good cause, our God's cause so faintly? Acriùs ad perniciem, quàm nos ad salutem? As in that sea-tempest the profane Mariners cried every man unto his God, whilst jonah, the Lords Prophet, was gone down into the sides of the ship, and lay fast asleep. Shall profane men, shall Papistical men clamour so for their wooden or breaden gods? and shall any of the household of Faith by any sluggishness seem to prejudice and betray the cause of their great and glorious God? As when Callidus once declared against Gallus with a faint and languishing voice: O, says Tully, Tu nisi fingeres, sic ageres? Wouldst thou utter it so feebly if thou wert in earnest? men's faint appearing for God's cause gives shrewd suspicion that many do but feign; their coldness for religion probably concludes they do but counterfeit; that being in tongue such mutes for the true, they are many in heart consonants to the false; hardly would he lend religion his blood, who list not spare it so much as his breath; hardly would he die for it, who will not so much as cry for it. For what though there be a time, an evil time, when the prudent man shall keep silence, as in Amos? yet even in those worst times, that time of great and universal corruption, They that feared the Lord, spoke then every one to his neighbour, spoke often one to another, and the Lord harkened and heard it, Malach. 3. And even when the iniquity of the house of Israel and judah was so exceeding great, that the land was full of blood, and the city of corrupt judgement, yet even then God's children mourned and cried for the abominations done in the midst thereof, Ezek. 9 and their sighs were then solicitors for their affections. That what though such turbulent crying beseem not true Christians? have they not in secret the voice of weeping with David? Have they not cry for cry? the cry of prayer which goeth through the clouds, and ceaseth not till it come nigh, and will not departed until the most High have respect unto it; even wrestling with God, and will not let him go until he bless his Church, his Cause, Religion. That as when Hannah pouring out her soul before the Lord, spoke in her heart, even when her voice was not heard; and when Moses spoke not a word vocally, yet said the Lord unto him, Wherefore criest thou unto me? We may cry, and outcry these even without crying out; it being not with the true God, as he said of the false, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that he was to be wooed and wrought upon with noise & clamour: but even without this strong wind we may appear before God, as God himself appeared in the soft and still voice; humbly begging a blessing upon religion. As Bodin spoke well of obtaining, so for retaining religion, Non disputationibus, sed rogationibus, not so much by disputation as devotion; not by vociferation, but prayer; as I heard of a good Bishop to spend four hours a day in prayer to that purpose. I would we were all such criers out; otherwise be it never so true which is commented here, and wherewith cold professors are ready ever and anon to cloak themselves: That great is the difference between the distempered passion of some fantastic men, and the discreet zeal of sober men; between turbulent fancy, and true sanctity; between the wind of giddiness, and the spirit of holiness; between the bustling and noise of those who are yet but about the door of religion, and the moderation and stillness of those who are got within; as Plutarch wittily spoke of Philosophy. And many of the same Criers out like Cyclops roaring without his eye, attempting things with great tumult and no judgement; and many hot bloods having but cold discretion, and all that other, for all that bosom idol of discretion; unless our earnestness equalise, nay as Christ said, Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, except our earnestness this way exceed the earnestness of these and those other like men; Si non praestet fides, quod exhibuit infidelitas, as jerom said, If faith make not us (at least) as forward and keen for God's cause, as infidelity here made them for theirs, Haec in sugillationem nostri dicta sint, as he spoke, to our utter discredit and infamy be it said, They cried out, saying: Great is Diana of the Ephesians. So have ye the second particular, their Earnestness.  
Nor was this crying out here, the monology of some one odd one, no nor the impetuous passion, the furious sally of some few hot spurs amongst them; but the cry of them all, none here excepted, a common crying out, as for a common cause, that their keenness backed with consent: Their joyntnesse, that's now in this first part, the third and last particular. As all of them were called together about the danger, so all of them cried together in the defence: the following verse seeming to second this observation of consent, where it says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that for all the city was then full of confusion, yet rushed they into the common place with one assent, Vno animo: and though in the assembly out of order, some cried one thing, some another, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, yet to this point about Diana's defence, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, says the 34. verse, Vox una omnium, they cried all with one voice, all in a tune; especially these companions here in the Text, Clamaverunt unanimiter, says Comestor, A joint cry of the whole crowd of them: Socios artis assumit socios tumultus, so Chrysostome: As many as were fellows of that company, were also joint fellows of that crying out. A frequent conjunction, as in these, so in other like people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; as David speaks in the 83. Psalm, unanimiter simul, With one consent to consult together and be confederate; as in the seventh of this Book, to run upon Steven with one assent; as in the Chapter before this, to rise against Paul with one accord; to say as in Solomon, Come with us, cast in thy lot amongst us, we will all have one purse; agreeing like thiefs in a Fair, all sharers: the congregation of the wicked like tow wrapped together, says Ecclesiasticus; compact and sealed like the Leviathans scales in job, as they are resembled. As the Prophet Micah likens the wicked to briers; and Nahum to thorns folded one in another, they clap and twine and enterweave themselves, as birds of a feather they frequently fly together; and as in consort of communion jointly here cried out. And shall such brethren in evil tune so like bells, and want but hanging (as he said?) shall Satan's kingdom be at such agreement within itself that it may endure? & shall Christians that profess one Lord, one Father, one Baptism, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as in Paul, a threefold cord which a man would think could not easily be broken: we that have one word as one breath from one spirit, as Dionysius speaks; we that have the same temples and sacrifices, as the Athenians alleged; we that are espoused to one husband, as Paul spoke of the Corinthians; shall we be so carnal as to have amongst us envying and strife and division, and one to say, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollo; and like the divisions of Reuben, cause great thought of heart? Shall these here have unitatem contra unitatem? shall there be such conspiracy in error? and shall there not be unity in truth? If ye eye and observe but this Book of the Acts, ye shall find the vein of those primitive Christians to run all along 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, chap. 1. & 2. & 4. ever and anon one accord, one assent to be specified in them; and shall we, risen up in their stead, a worse generation, so run after the apple of discord, the ball of contention, and so agree like the Bricklayers at Babel? that as division of tongues hindered the building then, so division of hearts hinder the building of Christianity now. For, confer with the jew; one of the main scandals the jews take from Protestants, is their mutual dissension; which they interpret to proceed from want of unity of truth in their foundation; and so they thereby are startled and scared from the Gospel. Come nearer, what says the Papist to like purpose? hear but one for all (one of them is enough, unless they were better): hear but their Bartholdus; What one of the Heretics (says he) preaches in the morning, another of them denies after dinner; and what peace, what accord in that house (says he) where the husband is a Calvinist, the wife a Lutheran, the servingman an Oecolampadian, the maid Pittardicall, and the rest of the family Diabolical? So charitably their Bartholdus Pontanus. We could pay them in their own coin, by telling them, and that truly, that their white and black Friars differ as much in opinion as colour, and Harp and Harrow as consonant as many of them. But I shall never hold recrimination for a remedy: this must I hold, (as they say of Bees) that stir and strife among them is a sign their King is about to remove, to leave the Hive, and to be gone somewhere else: so strife and schism in religion to be a sign, God either hath, or is about to leave that people. Boards joined make a Ship, dis-joined they cause shipwreck; connexion of stones make a house, dissipation of them a ruin; agreement of Christians builds up the spiritual jerusalem, dissension of them pulls it down. The daughter of dissension is dissolution, said divine Nazianzene: and that which is divisible is corruptible, even Nature dictates: and every subdivision in cause of Religion, is a strong weapon in the hand of the contrary party; as he upon the Council of Trent wisely observed. The wisdom of Solon, when Athens was distracted into three factions, Diacriorum, Pedeorum, Paralorum, his civil wisdom could dictate unto him, to mingle himself with none of the sides, but to direct all his sayings and doings towards common concord. O that there were in Christian people such a wisdom, such a heart, as without siding to apply all their words and works to the common good of God's cause, Religion. As the Scripture speaks of David, that he bowed the hearts of all the men of judah, even as the heart of one man; that under our David all our hearts, as of one man, were bend and joined for God's cause, for the Gospel: Then, as he said, that shield joining to shield, helmet to helmet, man to man, was a sufficient wall. For to him that demanded why Sparta had no walls, the King shown Citizens well armed and unanimous: in such unanimity religion would both be impregnably walled on earth; and as the petition of a whole Corporation jointly, uses to be more available, our prayer, our crying for it would be more effectual in heaven; and when all is said and done, as the learned Papinian said, Summa ratio est quae pro Religione facit, That that was the best reason which made most for Religion, our sweetest harmony would be consent in God's cause, our truest valour courage for the truth, our best constitution tenderness over religion: That as Master Latimer in a Sermon before King Edward, made supplication, that they would contribute as bountifully towards the finding of scholars, to exercise the office of salvation, as they want to bestow in pilgrimage, trentals, masses, pardons, purgatory matters, as he there expounds himself; he desired no more, but that they would bestow so much godly, as they were wont to bestow ungodly: a reasonable petition, as he then called it; so me thinks, no reasonable man now can refuse to be entreated, to be once (at least) as tender, as earnest, as united for the holy cause, as these here were for the heathenish; at the cheapest, to hold God as dear as they did Diana. Otherwise, as God in Esay rebukes Israel even from the very ox and ass; and in jeremy judah from the stork and turtle, and crane and swallow; and Christ said, that the Queen of the South should rise in judgement with that generation and condemn it: these very Idolaters shall rebuke and rise in judgement with this generation, and condemn it: and as Wisdom said, That the Echo rebounding from the mountains made the wicked to swoon; the neglecters of the divine cause shall one day be checked and confounded with the Echo of this cry for Diana's cause, when they cried thus out, saying: Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  
Laus Deo.   
It followeth ACTS 19.28. 
And cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  
AS Pliny spoke of that visage of Diana, Intrantes tristem, exeuntes exhilaratum putant, that to the comers in it seemed sad & pensive, but to the goers out looked blithe and cheerful: so may I say of this Text of Diana, Intranti sterilis, exeunti foecundus, at first entrance might it seem barren, but upon further examination proves so fruitful, that like those sheep in the Canticles, it bringeth out Twins; the one holding the other by the heel, as in Genesis. The first that came out was the travel, They cried out: That which now is to come forth, is the Baby (the Brat, if you will) Diana. The former was the Prologue, They cried out; and now follows the Fable, Great is Diana. The manner went before, They cried out; the matter now comes after, Great Diana. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was, They cried out, saying; the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  
In survey whereof, lest the discourse of this matter of their cry prove now as confused as did that manner of their crying, when it filled the whole city with confusion, as followeth here, I choose again, in correspondence to Diana's triformitie, diva triformis, as she is called, to cast these three words here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, (if that word be not here unacceptable) into these three inquisitions: first, to make inquiry what this same party, for whom all this clamour and stir here was; what she was in herself, why, Diana. Secondly, to examine what she was here to others, why, Great; Great Diana. And thirdly, who these here were that had this great conceit of her, why, Ephesians, Great Diana of the Ephesians. So as Isidore spoke once of the Serpent, Tot dolores, quot colores: so many parts here, so many prevarications: That what he Christianly spoke, Tantus, tantum, pro tantillis, we may invert and turn it here, Tantilla, tanta, apud tantos; that one so contemptible as Diana, in the estimate of men so understanding as Ephesians, should mount to such valuation as greatness, will prove proportionate to Romish parallels, matter of more wonder than worth, more worthy of our scorning than their crying Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  
First then, Diana, for whom all this ado here was, what was she? Quid tanto dignum hiatu? Why, to begin withal, none of the more worthy gender, but feminine she was, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, haec Diana, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as thrice in the context here for sureness; not god, but goddess. As if, as we use to say, that sins like losses, come huddle, by doublets; and as Tertullian said of Venus and Bacchus, lust and drunkenness, Duo ista Daemonia conspirata & conjurata, that them two Devils went ever in the couples: so it were not devilish enough for Heathenish Idolatry to multiply number of gods, unless it vary gender too; not incongruity enough, according to the Serpent's Grammar, Deum pluraliter declinare, as Damianus speaks, to decline God plurally, Eritis sicut Dij, unless it thus decline him femally too, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Dea, Diana. That whereas they say, Wit whither wilt thou? we may say of them, Wickedness whither wilt thou? from evil to worse, from gods to goddesses. A frequent falsification amongst those Heathen then: Nor is it yet altogether antiquated, nor quite worn out amongst Romanists now, whilst howsoever Bellarmine, and so Binius, like drowning men, that catch hold of any reed or rush to help them, set down that as a pregnant difference between Heathenish Idols and Romish Images, That the Heathen thus represented feminine gods, quales dij, nec sunt, nec esse possunt, (says Bellarmine) gods of such kind as neither are, nor ever can be. As if there could be some gods in time which be not yet. For all that their masculine profession, look but into their feminine practice, and then see and say, whether the  which Histiaeus made, Aristogaras doth not wear; whether Diana's buskin will not somewhat fit their Deities; whether as of old Aricinus Lacus was called Speculum Dianae: so this Text of Diana may not in some sort be called Speculum Romae; whether as their own Lorinus resembles Diana's shrines here, to the Images of their Lauretto Chapel there, there be not some resemblance, some affinity betwixt these and them: whether, as a great Light of these late times calls the religion that stands in force by the Council of Trent, the great and famous Italian Diana; Italian Rome taste not still of this same cask of Diana: whether, as Bernard taxed the singers in his time, Muliebre, non virile, that they sung womanish, their profession fancy not the feminin, lean not much thus towards Diana: witness their divine Lady, she for whom the mighty hath done great things, their Queen of Heaven, the blessed Virgin, a Heavenly Saint sure, metamorphised to a goddess; yet so, that whereas Campian praised Wenceslaus, that he caused not Minerva, but Maria to be adored: for all their adoring, they have often seemed rather to have turned Maria to Minerva. To show but a piece for a pattern; look but upon the Story of their Friar Allen, betrothed to the blessed Virgin, and thereto a Ring made of a lock of her own hair, and much more ribaldry than modesty may mention in this presence, and then say ingeniously, whether ye think they speak of holy Mary, or not rather of some Heathenish Minerva: of a Minerva born of their own brain, rather than the blessed Mary. And to that ribaldry of some of them, annex that blasphemy of other of them that way too: When Christ saying, Esay 63. I have trodden the winepress alone, and of all people, there was no man with me: True Lord, say some of them, there was then no man with thee, but there was a woman: Not good that man should be alone, as they sport with the Scripture, but a help with him: Maria adjutrix nostrae redemptionis, so their Benhardinus; Advocata, so Antonius. Advocatum habemus, says S. john; Advocatam, say they: Vnus Mediator, says S. Paul; Mediatrix, sing they: Dominus illuminator, says Solomon; illuminatrix, say they: Deus auxiliator, says Esay; auxiliatrix, say they. Not without some smell of this same garlic mortar, not without a spice, a tang this way of Diana. The Divinity of their female pope silly jone, the strange, but true parallel to this feminine Deity of Diana: Thus not to touch more of that pitch, their Ordo meritricum, founded by Tisceranus the Minorit, their new set up jesuitrices, etc. without ravelin of the worst, wind I it up with Erasmus, Blandientes sexui foemineo, etc. Whether it be as they pretend in praying to the Virgin Mary, that they conceive of Christ as a strict and severe judge, but of the Virgin as a mild and gentle advocate: (As if some other could be more tender over us, than he that died for us.) Or which I rather believe, purposely to insinuat with the credulous sex, so to devour widow's houses, to lead captive simple women, or serpentlike to vent tentations by the woman, to read many riddles by ploughing with those heiffers, or to work their sinister ends by the weaker vessel; or whatsoever the Romish meaning be: that which justin Martyr misliked in Homer's Poetry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, being exemplified in their practice, very womanish are they, very free and forward have they long time been, thus to magnify, yea for a need thus to deify their Diana's. That as he once bid his hearers take heed of the Zwinglians heaven, seeing there they had set Hercules with his club; a man has reason to be shy both of the ethnical and Pontificial heaven, wherein the distaff bears such sway: That whereas their Martinus said, Se non optare sibi coelum in quo Lutherus esset, that Martin would not wish for that Heaven wherein Luther was: so I never wish to be of that religion here, nor go to that heaven hereafter, wherein such Diana's, goddesses are. In the kingdom of God I shall see Abraham, Isaac, jacob, the glorious company of the Apostles, the goodly fellowship of the Prophets, the noble army of Martyrs, but shall see no goddesses, none of these Diana's there. Then let others thus wander after their own inventions, imaginary goddesses, but, as David spoke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, let us adhere, hold fast unto our jealous God: for be the gods of the Heathen good-fellows, as he said, the true God is a jealous God, & will not share his glory with another. In the Book of Kings the Seventy, for Dea read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for goddess abomination: let that mother of harlots have in her hand a cup full of abominations and fornication, as in the Revelation; but take we the cup of salvation (with David) and call upon the Name of the Lord, knowing, we cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of Devils, as Paul speaketh. Let us tremble before the Majesty of that glorious God, that hath his way in the whirlwind, at whose reproof the pillars of heaven tremble and quake, whilst others trifle thus with their devised Deities: Let us say with David, Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, whilst others cry thus Great Diana: Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  
As a female, so a woman, this Diana was; but what manner of woman might she be? It were not worth the beating of the bush, to range through all the woods and groves of the Heathen, to bolt out all their Diana's upon every high hill, and under every green tree. Dianae plures, says Tully, Diana's diverse there were. A man may wink and choose of them, it matters not which of them it was; all of them were nought. He that has little to do, let him but turn Pausanias, he shall find there a litter, a whole kennel of them; Diana the huntress, Diana the midwife, and the rest of that multitude there: But among the whole beavie of their Diana's, una notissima, one famous, one above all the rest: of whom jerom, and others interpret this, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, multimammiam they call her, a kind of nurse of things; Ephesia mammis multis & verubus exstructa, wrote Foelix; uberibus exstructa, as Lypsius happily helped it: Well, and what was the same goodly one? The Sampsaei in Epiphanius worshipped two women as goddesses, because they were of the blessed seed, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but was Diana so? no, by their own records, come of a cursed race, a bastard daughter between jupiter the adulterer, as themselves style him, and Latona the drab, Pellex, as I find her styled: the seed so of the adulterer and the whore, an honest genealogy sure. At the best hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Clemens spoke of all their gods, serva vitiorum, she was some chambermaid to vice, some light huswife, or so, or else lighter than so: in naked truth, sine veste Diana, strip her but of fond fables, and for all the image coming down from jupiter, as they fable here in the 35. verse, we shall then find her, non jovis, sed Phydiae, as one said of Minerva; Diana, not so of Latona, but some Lapidary, some stone or stock; as good blocks as she, lying on the back of the fire, warming a man or roasting meat, as in Esay, or boiling Diagoras his turnips, inutile lignum maluit esse deum, or else some vain stone made by the hand of antiquity, as Wisdom mentions; happily as good stone trampled and trodden under feet, nay yet lower, to be even nothing: Idolum nihil est, an Idol being nothing in the world, as Paul speaketh. Great Diana come down to this? a block or a blank nothing? Such a birth of the mountains prove a mouse? Such a clamour about a Diana of clouts? Such a deal of do about nothing? All this bruit and no fruit? All this crying and no wool? I deny not, but (as Ignatius mentions) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, mysteria clamoris, mysteries there be to be cried aloud and spare not; the voice to be lifted up like a trumpet, as in Esay; to be preached upon the house tops, as in the Gospel; and we that are the Lords Remembrancers not to keep silence, for Zion's sake not to hold our tongues, and for jerusalems' sake not to rest. Et vae mihi, quia tacui, as Esay: Woe unto me, because I have held my peace, alas, will one day come to be the cry of many men, for not crying now; when not crying out in sly discretion now, shall make many howl in deep damnation then; when in bitterness of soul they shall wish (too late) they had been borne dumb, rather than in God's cause not to have cried out: Yet were it but for this one instance about Diana here alone, I shall hardly ever credit popular outcries; As soon shall I measure wisdom by the acre, as worth by noise, or piety by passion, or holiness by eagerness, or religion by multitude, or truth by crying: This I perceive being customary with men conscious of defects, to betake themselves to clamour, as the lame man to his horse: This the custom of pleasure, concupiscence, and the like, with intensive clamours to importune their desires, as Philo says; yea, even in religious affairs, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as he said: This the custom thus to make outcries their greatest defences, as the Margeant there well noteth. Were such exclamation demonstration, would crying so carry the cause, Protestancy might hang her harps upon the willows, the Romanists would quickly have the day; who (as Christ spoke of vain and superstitious repetitions in praying) think to be heard for their much babbling, they look to be believed for their much bawling: so frequent in their false hallows, that as he said of Aquin, that that dumb ox should bellow so loud, that all the world should hear it: The world rings all of the bellowing of their bulls, the thunder of their excommunications, the clamour of their importunities, Tot tintinnabula dicas, tubas atque aera fatigant; as having that mouth which no adversary is able to resist, as they boast themselves. But why boast ye so of popular concurrence, and keenness, and crying? Nostrae virgins, nostri seniculi, all nostri if Campian may only reckon; Too too many indeed, the more is the pity, for that cause crying out. As if we knew not this, that little matters are often thus managed with great motions: Are there not vain trifles solicited thus with vehement endeavours? do not the drones, though they make neither honey nor wax, make yet more noise than the bees? do not many thus dive deep, and bring up nought but shells? may not the greater Choir be the worse singers, as Zeno said? may not multitude of associates demonstrate a Heretic, rather than a Catholic, as jerom spoke? may not the multitude perish that are borne in vain, as said the Lord to Esdras? why, it may be but a reed shaken with the wind, and yet many go out to see it: it may be but a calf, and yet people mourn over it, and kiss it, as in Hosea: it may be but juggling and imposture, and yet the cry go Miracles, Miracles: the cry may favour not Christ, but Barrabbas: it may be but a despicable Diana, and yet there be crying thus out for it: Great is Diana. But as concerning them that were puffed up, Paul cared not to know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not their speech, but their power (as he said) not vociferationes, but rationes, not clamorem, but vigorem. Brethren, be we never carried away with the Adversaries importunity, or keenness, or crying; but consider we the cause. Strong crying is but a weak proof, and like water, often thus bears up light things, and lets the weighty sink: Then weak is he, who (as light things upon the face of waters, non eunt, sed feruntur) goes not of himself, but as he is carried away by others. If one of their Mountebanks cry Balm, thou wilt try it, I trow, before thou trust; and then the balm of Gilead, Religion, wilt thou take it up upon a rash trust? perish upon credit? be captivated with any their quacksalvers crying? Nay, saith St Austin well, let never these words be heard amongst us; I say, or thou sayest, but look what the Lord saith. As God says in the 8. of Esay, when they shall say unto you, Inquire at the soothsayers; should not a people inquire at their God? will you incline to their crying, or will you not inquire at Gods saying? Yes, speak Lord, thy servant heareth, as Samuel said: otherwise, cry who they will, and what they will, To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to that word, there is no light in them. A decree may come out from them, as of old in Tertullian, None to be consecrated god without the Senate's approbation: but as the true God, though men approve him not, is yet a proof unto himself, so these false gods, though never so cried up, and approved of men, are not yet to be acknowledged: That though Israel play the harlot, yet let not judah sin; such cries of others must not call us after, nor may we follow multitudes so to evil. Though hundreds cry Baal, call thou upon the Lord with Eliah: though others serve the gods of the Amorites, thou and thy house serve the Lord with josuah: defy thou all strange gods, though all Ephesus deify Diana, crying: Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  
Why, but what if Diana were never so base in herself? yet might she thus pass for great with others, Great Diana: that is now the second part. As Theognis to his purpose spoke once to Diana, Tibi parvum, mihi magnum, though it be little to thee, 'tis great to me: though so deficient and feeble in herself, as not able to defend her own house from firing, burned when she was a gossiping at Alexander's birth; a great Temple yet must she have: Magnificentiae admiratio, said Pliny of it, One of the 7. wonders of the world, 425. foot long, 220. foot broad, etc. no less would fit her greatness. They never mention her here but with addition of greatness, her magnificence, the great goddess, etc. As he spoke of Molon the dwarf, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, quantillus quantus? so little in herself, yet thus great to others; Great Diana. So true is that of Tacitus, Satis clarus est apud timentem quisquis timetur, There is none so mean, but is mighty to him that stands in awe of him; not only the Stork, but the very stock, a king to the frogs so long as they fear it; in no case more evidently true, than in this of Idolatry, wherein men overawde themselves, not only with the worst of the rational rank, deos facitis criminocissimos quosque, as Tertullian told them; making gods of the most ungodly men, and left many honester men in hell (says he) than those they hoisted up to Heaven, worshipping even Devils, as the Revelation mentioneth. No, nor only with the meanest in the heard sensitive, Mice as the Musorits, serpents as the Ophits, sheep as the Saits, goats as the Mendesii, etc. volucresque ferasque posuere deos: not only deifying Erigone, but lest the wench should be sad for lack of her dog, placing her very dog in heaven too, as he well twitted jupiter: nor yet only with the vilest of the troop vegetable, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as in justin Martyr, worshipping even trees; but beneath the lowest degree of life, worshipping inferior degrees of nature, & art, Idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, wood, as in the Revelation: ready to say to a tree, Thou art my father, and to a stone, Thou hast begotten me, as in jeremy: to ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them, as in Hosea: to hue down wood, and with some of it to bake, and with some of it to roast, and of the residue to make a god, and bow to it, as in Esay: and say, Deliver me, for thou art my god, etc. as that it made Lactantius wondering, question the madness of it, Quae amentia, etc. What madness it was for men to feign that, which afterwards they would fear, or to fear that which formerly they had feigned, usque adeone times quod tu facis ipse timendum? like little children, starting at those visages, which they themselves blacked and besmeared; magnifying thus that which themselves knew of how mean ingredients it was made. Lapides lapidum cultores, as Rupertus spoke: Things which had they sense, would magnify the men that made them, says Lactantius: for men to be so senseless, as thus to magnify those things, surely they that make them are like unto them, and so are all they that put their trust in them. Et qui, quaeso, eorum non miserearis, as Athanasius spoke; Lord, how pitifully miserable are they, whose eyes are thus shut up, as Esay speaks, as not to see that the stock is a doctrine of vanity, as jeremy speaks? but thus to magnify idols, to cry out thus, Great Diana. And as this woodness lived thus among the heathen, would it had likewise died among the heathen too; and that what Tertullian bewailed, Gentes agimus sub nomine Christi, None under the name of Christ thus played the heathen; that Painters and Bakers did not yet also furnish them with gods, Et Faber & Pistor mille dedere deos: That as of old Plato gave Dionysius that for a privy token, that look which of his Epistles he begun with Deus singular, he should take that to be serious; but Dij pluralll, that to be but light and trifling. As the multiplicity of idoll-mock-gods amongst the heathen, so the pontificial plurality of Images, call them what they will, makes me often think many of them are not in earnest, but only in jest with religion, and have those puppets rather as playfellows, than as patrons, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in dijs ludentes, seipsos ludificantes, as Clemens spoke, dallying with their gods, but deluding themselves; for let both their Leeches salve over their actual practices with speculative plasters, let their Sophisters mince the matter into nice differences, between Idola and Imagines, imagines and prototypa, propter imaginem, and coram imagine, simulachrum and in simulachro, Propriè and Impropriè, Analogicè and Reductiuè, Absolutè and Respectiuè, intention instrumental and final, and all that other; let them say with them in the second of jeremy, We are not polluted: Yet if they make not only a creature, but even the image of a creature, partaker both of the power and worship of God; if they worship God misconceived, and offer up and worship a breaden Christ; if to the blessed Virgin they pray, and weep, and crave, and beg even to the remission of sins; if they call upon their canonised Saints both in private and public prayer; if they set images in their Churches, not only ut conformemus, sed ut colamus, as their own Catechism dictates: let the persons clear themselves as they may, I meddle not with their persons; all the water in Tiber will not cleanse such principles from pollution this way, seeing a man cannot partake, no not of the least circumstance of Idolatry, but it is (at least) pollution unto him. And whether I plung into the depth of the sea, or shallower near the shore, the drowning in both places is death unto me: that as where the river is dangerous, a wise man will never walk so near the brink as he may; Idolatry that gulf deep as hell, he that is wise unto salvation will not approach, no, not near the confines of it: But (as Saint jude bids) Hate even the garment spotted with the flesh; he will be shy even of the least rag, the least relic of it. Ignorant is he that does not know, and ungrateful he that does not acknowledge to the glory of God, the comfort of his Church, & the renown of this government, that whatever by-ditches or curtain lakes there be, the stream of our people now, the stream runs clear, not maddyed with any filth of this heathenish harlotry. And yet to press the detestation of it, the discourse being both proponenda and inculcanda, as Tertullian spoke about it, every where to be urged, the inclination to it being so natural, the evasion out of it so inextricable, the continuing in it so intolerable. When they chose new gods, than was war in the gates, judges 5. and not a spear or shield seen among forty thousand of them: they had then no heart to resist the enemy. Offering to another god their sorrows shall be multiplied, says the 16. Psalm. Babylon is fallen, is fallen, said the Angel; a double fall for idolatrous Balylon. They have fallen culpably, and they shall fall penally. If a man would know the next way to hell, why surely along by Diana's door, Heathenish Idolatry: Idolaters not inheriting the kingdom of God, as S. Paul witnesseth: That unless thou be'st of his mind, who had rather have his part in Paris than Paradise; unless of their clan in Esay, who make covenant with death, and with hell are at agreement; unless of their race, who run headlong to destruction; go now a whoring thus after Idols, if thou darest: with more safety mightest thou embrace a firebrand; every Idol being the Idol of indignation, as in Ezekiell: And woe unto him that saith unto the wood, Arise, and to the dumbestone Rise up, as in Habakuk. They are cursed in Deuteronomy that make any graven or molten Image, and put it in a secret place: And the time will come when they too will curse their gods, as in Esay, when the Idolater, as one said of julian, shall burn in hell with that same wood and stone he adoreth here. Call then unto thy Saints, if any will answer, and to which of thy goddesses wilt thou turn for help? Nay, behold all that are of the fellowship thereof shall all of them be coufounded, as Esay speaketh. But ye that have not so learned Christ, to whom there is none other God but one, as Paul to the Corinthians; Anglia regnum Dei, as was said of old, not Dianae; with Paul I charge you, before that God, and before the Lord jesus Christ, that ye never presume thus to provoke the Lord to jealousy, but ever persever, persist to cast away all such heathenish trash, to say unto it, Apage, egredere, Away, get thee hence, as in Esay: no hearty repentance being possible, with any affection to Idolatry, as it is there well noted. Here we meet now frequently, and profess ourselves penitents; but hear me, If thou, whosoever thou art, be'st not in a rigid opposition to all Idolatry, (to say no worse) thou art in a remote indisposition to repentance: and better thou werest out of this place than in it; for what agreement hath any Temple of God with Idols? Into such counsel never let your souls come; let never your glory join with such assemblies; never change we our honour for that which doth not profit: mind we the great God, and we shall not thus magnify any other; say we with Zorobabel, Truth's great, whilst they say Great Diana; Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  
But as one well divided Idolatry, into Idolatry of opinion, and Idolatry of manners; though these Diana's of opinion most of us (God be thanked) abandon, yet the Diana's of manners many of us abound with: every one with bowed knee worshipping the Idol of his own concupiscence, and adoring the Image of his own lust, as Cyprian complained. Chrysostome says the Heathen made vicious affections gods we make even our vices our gods, that which every man loveth most, that being his god. He that prefers Lust before God, makes lust his god, and so of the rest. Sua cuique Deus fit dira cupido: As Tertullian discourses well all sins to be in Idolatry, and Idolatry to be in every sin; every man's minion sin being his Idol, every man's darling desire his Diana: For though thou do not with the Heathen sacrifice Oxen to it, yet offerest thou to it thine own soul for sacrifice. Excellently says Chrisostome; Though thou dost not adore it, yet dost thou obey it; though thou dost not carve its image, yet dost thou submit to its enticements, making it thy dear Diana, and thyself an idolater in manners: as they say of Antipherus, Ante se idolum sui, that whither soever he went, he thought his own image went before him: reflecting all upon ourselves; idolaters either of our own commodity, covetousness, as S. Paul says, being idolatry, or idolaters of our own sensuality, whose god is their belly, Philipians the 3. or idolaters of our own pride, to the setting out of which Idol, go gold, and silver, and blue silk and purple, as in jeremy; or of other manifest works of the flesh, amongst which Paul reckons idolatry; or more close idolaters of our credit, as one spoke well, or idolaters of our discretion, or idolaters of our abilities, idolum in nobis ipsis excitantes, as he spoke; setting up an idol in our hearts, as in Ezekiel. Idolaters of ceremony, as one calls Courtiers: idolaters of others greatness; hoping to be made by them, as they speak, they become such or such a great ones creature, as they say, nec tam praesentes alibi cognoscere divos. And in the winding up, what comes all this and that idolatry too? why surely as 'tis well noted, that this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, plurality of gods, first came from fluctuation of mind, the vnsettled mind seeking god after god, and finding none to rest in, but adding drunkenness to thirst, as Moses spoke. As fluctuation of mind so bred it, so what does it breed now but fluctuation of mind? all these vain idols of our idle vanities affording our minds no true content, sweet rest, no sound satisfaction; in them we labouring for that which satisfieth not, as Esay says. He that loveth silver, saith Solomon; and so with all other idols: He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with it, Eccles. 5. only to behold God's face in righteousness, that satisfieth: I shall be satisfied with thine image, says David; not so with all those idols: There is satisfaction in the pleasure of thine house, as David speaks; there is not so in any those idols: Tu satis es nobis & sine te nihil est: that wouldst thou have true tranquillity and peace of mind? why then return O my soul unto thy rest, the Lord. The very letters in jehovah are all quiescent: thy heart was made for the true God; nor can it quiet be, until it rest in him: he only being centrum quietativum, the centre of the soul, wherein alone it findeth rest. The heart, a little member, that will not serve a Kite for a meal, as one spoke, and yet as much as the Kite flies over, all the world will not serve it: as little as it is, nothing less than God can suffice it. The great God can fill it, so can no great Diana, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  
Great? happily great in the eyes of some silly people, who if they see any thing gay, 'tis straight with them great: If a man, as Saint james speaks, come in with a gold ring or gay clothing, Great is too little for him in the mouth of gazing men, who though he be not optimus, they'll make him maximus, if they cannot make him good, they'll make him great: No but these fellows here were not every body, but Ephesians, the infection of Idolatry being so smittle, that as the former verse mentions, all Asia, and the world worshipping her, Diana had got footing in most Nations; a fountain had she in Sicily, a haven in Sardinia, a wood in Venetia, an oracle in Apabia, temples in Eubaea, Achaia, Arcadia, and more than is meet here to name: but above all, the famous temple at Ephesus; as that he that would see Diana in her holiday cloth, find her in her court-dressing, her fairest equipage and comparisons, he must look for her among Ephesians, Great Diana of Ephesians: that's the last part. Ephsians? why what were they? why no obscure Rustics, but of the famous City Ephesus, that light of Asia, as it is called, the metropolis of Asia minor, whither all those parts then frequently resorted, either for Religion's sake, as having there the Temple, or for business, as being then the Metropolis, or for study, as being then the University, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, says Philostratus of it, abounding with Philosophers, Orators, and the like, Pythagoras, Parmenides, Democritus, and the rest, renowned for choice men and much wisdom, says Philostratus: Insomuch, that Suidas telling how the profane Grecians want to cousin the simple people, by either banishing or killing the statuary, and then giving out, as herein the context, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that the image came down from jupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, says Suidas there, with an Emphasis, the trick deceived the very Ephesians: men so intelligent as not likely to be so deluded. And yet for all that learning, skill & abilities, behold here Ephesus even a stews of Idolatry, above all other their vitiosity, behold here how the witchcraft of Idolatry so besots and befools them, otherwise wise in their generation, as all of them, as follows in the context to cry, town clerk and all to say, Great Diana. That as they in S. Prosper boasted the meliority of the wits of those times, beyond the ancient; wherefore boast any people so of their wits, and learning, and abilities, as if these were immunities from erring? whereas, in truth, that position condemned at Paris, That the better naturals must of necessity have the greater grace, is so fare from truth, as that oftentimes men trusting and transported with those their good parts, as they call them, undervalue grace, and so those their parts so abused, prove rather unto them as press-money to impiety: Auctoramentum maioris infidelitatis, as he well phraseth it; and their wisdom Culpae suasoria, as Ambrose speaketh; that though, as Paul spoke, If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, much more I: if any people may now boast abilities, we more; yet let not that secure us from falling into error, but watch and pray, that we enter not into temptation, that we be not overcome of evil, that we never cry with Ephesians, Great Diana.  
That not to wander out of the way, beside and beyond that Idolatrous inclination of Ephesians in general, crying out in the context; these crying Ephesians here in the Text, had a more particular interest in her, that made her thus great to them; a certain thing called gain: for though in the sound of their cry they mention only Diana, yet in the cause of their cry, the verses mixes other ingredients of their trade, yea, the spirit by order of enumeration, seems to point that out, for the prime and principal motive in their crying. The fear of losing their come in, caused them so to cry out, & made them so cry Great Diana. As Logicians well canvasse the causes, the procatarctical cause of their cry was, forsooth, Piety, the proegumenall cause was commodity; their portion, as themselves called it, their profit. In the cry Diana bears all the name, but in the criers there was a false aim, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, again and again in the context here, our wealth, and our portion; looking so through the spectacles of self interest, this made her show so great to them, made them cry Great Diana. Like Lapwings crying aloof from their nest, the cry runs upon their goddess, but the nest lay in their gain; as they made shrines for Diana, so making skreekes of Diana too, stalking to their ends of gain, under the shadow of their goddess; these craftsmen, were their craft's masters, dolus in idolo, pretending godliness, intending gain, they did bestow divinity on that which brought commodity: they gained greatly by Diana, therefore cried they, Great is Diana. So true is that Tertullian spoke of the heathen, Non licet deos nosse gratis, etc. they made a gain of their gods, that though their gods were nought, they did not serve them for nought. Idolatry being not gratuita, says he, not serving God for god a mercy, but captatrix, says Rhenanus, lying at catch for commodity: so common is that of Epictetus, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ubi utilitas, ibi pietas, it is the profit that keeps up the piety: so well said the heathen man deos quisque sibi utiles cudit, men love to coin themselves commodious gods; with them in the 44. of jeremy, to incense to the Queen of heaven for plenty's sake, to measure Religion by the belly, to magnify thus that whereby their portion is made fat and their meat plenteous, as the Prophet speaketh. That whereas besides that Tenet of the Fathers, Idolatry to have come first from the devil, as Clemens says, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Epiphanius; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Synesius call him, as rejoicing in Idols. Some hold grief to have been the first founder of Idols, Idolum Idodynin, as Fulgentius fetches it from Syrophanes: and others hold fear to have founded, Primus in orbe deos fecit timor: and I incline to think they first sprung from flattery. It may probably be thought, gainful interest was the first founder of them, especially among the Romanists: Qui Pietatem quaestum, Religionem praedam, existimant, as Aventinus spoke of them, They count gain Godliness, and make Religion their prey, making thus show of Religion, when their aim is revenue; with these silvet smiths here, forging most of their gain thus upon the anvil of Diana. For in this haste to pass by their sophistical gains by the Lady of the lake, and the like, and worse; in passage cast but your eye upon their doctrinal Diana's; their Diana of purgatory, do ye any think, they think it a point of truth, or not only thus of traffic and profit? Purgatory pickpurse having fire to no other end, save only to make their pot boil, and their kitchens smoke: so their Diana of confession, as they abuse it, is it not become the engine, whereby (as is well noted) they first dive into men's consciences and counsels, and afterwards into their purses and estates by absolution? Their Diana's of indulgences, are they (trow ye) mistresses of piety, or are they not matters of the markethouse, plain penny worths rather? I would not weary you with their foul ways, nor sully this presence with any foul relations, howbeit foul: most foul was that blasphemy of their Caiphas to his Cardinal, that that same fable of Christ had been very profitable to him; much more be their own devises never so fabulous, yet so long as they are commodious, all is well may ye think. That as Ambrose spoke of Benjamins sack, sacco soluto apparuit argentum, that when the sack was loosed the silver appeared, resolve much of their Theology, into that whereof 'tis constituted, and silver will appear, commodity will be found to be the chief element of constitution: and that because unless their Diana's bee held up, their commodities would downe; therefore cry they thus, Great Diana.  
And O that none of this Ephesian leaven were now to be found here amongst ourselves also, who as it is reprehended in Homer, that mingling gods with men, he spoke great things of the men, but mean things of the gods, we most of us so mingle religion with worldly ends, as that there is in us such a great deal of the one, but so little of the other, that as 'tis said of the Scythians, that they once smothered their gods with earth, many of us seem almost to have smothered our godliness with our worldliness, retaining only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Paul speaks, not the power of godliness, but only the form thereof, to further our other purposes: much like the fellow, who vowing to Mercury half of what he found, finding almonds, presented only the shells upon the altar; If we afford God a shell in Religion, it is to get the kernels to ourselves, following Christ more for his bread than his doctrine; in our thoughts putting panem nostrum, before nomen tuum; making pretence of piety, pandar to profit, lending little to Religion but such offices as may broke for our other ends, such passages as may be factors for our profit, shuffling in Religion, only to deal ourselves a winning game, making professing of Religion only profits stirrup to get up by, making show of serving God only to serve our own turns. As the wind changing, the weather altereth; upon any alteration ready to turn, and return, and overturn, as may best serve our turn, to make our market, under some mask of devotion; eyeing thus commodity, though crying thus Diana.  
But be not deceived, God is not mocked. As let never interest, no not of life make you lean to false worship, so let never end of gain, make you feign either false or true worship: for what's the hope of the Hypocrite, though he hath gained? To cry thus Diana, Religion, and in the mean time to care only for commodity, & come in, will one day make all that gain, as gravel in thy mouth, as the Prophet Micah spoke: that which is gathered of the hire of an harlot, shall return to the wages of an harlot, that thus falsely gotten, shall be as foully gone: that though with Paul, ye will put on faith as a breastplate, yet never put ye on Religion as a cloak, but say we sincerely, Great is the mystery of godliness, whilst these sophistically cry, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  
Yea, for conclusion, this same Ephesus of all other (as 'tis noted) especially shadowing forth the Church of the Gentiles; All ye that hear me this day, at parting now look well upon these Ephesians, and what see you them here? why Idolatrous. Look forward into the Revelation: why religious. Look down upon them at this day, and what see you them now? why mahumetically miserable: And seeing it so in them, reflect the sight homeward upon ourselves, who had a time likewise of Idolatry, have a time likewise of sincerity, pray we, we never have a time likewise of misery, that it never come to pass with England, which was threatened and performed to Ephesus, I will come against thee shortly, and remove thy Candlestick out of his place, except thou amend: yea, Amend your lives for the Kingdom of God is at hand: etc.  
FINIS.