A SERMON PREAched in the Cathedral Church of the City of Waterford, in Febr. 1617. Before the Right Honourable the Lord Precedent of Munster, and the State: AS ALSO, Before Sr William jones Knight, Lord Chief justice of Ireland, and Gerrard Loder Esquire, one of the judges of the Common Pleas, the then justices of Assize held in the same place. At which time the Charter of the same City, being by divers juries found forfeit, was lastly surrendered. By ROBERT DABORNE Chancellor of the said Cathedral Church of Waterford.  ROME 11.33. 
Oh the deepness of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out!  
Printed at London for H. Gosson. 1618.   

TO THE TRULY ennobled Donogh O Bryan, Baron of Ibrackan, Earl of Thomond, and Lord Precedent of the Province of Munster in the Kingdom of IRELAND: Robert Daborne wisheth the increase of all Honours, and the fruition of his sanctified desires.  
RIGHT HONOURABLE:  
AS all Virtue finds both original and perfection in Christian Religion; so especially Gratitude: that if I would deliver in a word, what our Profession teaches, it should be this; To be thankful: And though my ablest endeavour, assisted with most favourable acceptance, can never render me more than willing to deserve the greatness of your H: bounties; yet if I only of many my Brethren (as who knows your Honour truly, but must confess you a Father of our Nation) come back with the samaritan to make public acknowledgement as it can no way take from the constancy of your goodness, so it adds this benefit to me, that I have some testimony of my desire to pay, as I have many witnesses of my debt. Not to trouble your Lordship with much, as the wisdom of Kings best appears in their election of Vicegerents and Counsellors: An example where of we have in Solomon and his Son Roboam, 1 King. 12. So the Lord grant in preferring such Religious and truly Honourable Personages as your Lordship, to the seat of justice, we his majesties loyal Subjects may ever continue to admire his high judgement, and daily bless the Lord for him.  
Your honours faithful Servant and Chaplain, ROB: DABORNE.   

A Sermon preached at Waterford in Ireland.  
Right Honourable, Right Reverend, Worshipful, and Beloved in the truly loving, and best beloved Christ jesus; my Meditations to be expressed at this time for your edification, are grounded upon that parcel of the word of God, which you shall find written in the 11. Chap. of the Prophecy of the Prophet Zachary, the 7. Ver. the last part of the Verse.  
And I took unto me two staves, the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands: and I fed the flock.  
THe Scripture, as man, consists of a Soul and a Body; the Letter is the Body, the Sense is the Soul. There is a Law for both, to both; Explication of the Letter, Application of the Sense: the Ecclesiastical Law to direct the soul, the Sword of the Magistrate to govern the body: both agree to this time, to this place: both meet in my Text: the first is called Beauty, the other Bands. What I have received, that I shall deliver: what I deliver shall become you to receive; God which is the Creator of the means, knows best how to dispose the means. He which in the Gospel was restored to his sight, excepted not against the clay, neither abhorred the spittle. Holy job despised not the counsel of his servant: & it Naaman had not been ruled by his Bondwoman, he had died in his leprosy. Matter and Brevity, if we believe Fulgentius, are two main virtues in a Preacher: though I have only the first in my desires, you shall b● sure of the last, which is in my power. And I took unto me two staves, etc.  
Wherein I observe an action, Feeding; an Actor, I, I am that I am, God. The Object, circa quod, the Flock. The means of feeding, in quantity two, in quality excellent, forcible; Beauty, Bands. And I took unto me two staves, etc.  
That Feeding is taken for ordering and governing, Psal. 78. the last Verses, He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfold, to feed his people in jacob, and his inheritance in Israel: So be fed them according to the simplicity of his heart, and guided them by the discretion of his hands. According to that 2. Sam. 5. Thou shalt feed my people in Israel, and be a Captain in Israel. To come nearer to you, 2. Sam. 7.7. I commanded the judges to feed my people Israel.  
And that you may not think this government only belongs to the Temporal Magistrate, S. Paul, 1 Tim. 5.17. tells you, The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour. And that ye may not think the word Rule is here meant only Preaching, in the same Chapter he tells Bishop Timothy what Witnesses he shall allow of, in what manner he shall rebuke, and above all, that he be not partial. And as our Saviour giveth in the person of Peter warrant sufficient to all Elders to feed and to govern the flock, so S. Peter expounding the intent of Christ, in the first of Peter, giveth as ample authority to all Bishops, as well as to the Pope, to feed and govern, in these words; The Elders which are amongst you I beseech, who also am an Elder, (not Dominus Dominantium) that you feed the Flock which dependeth upon you, governing it, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a free and ready mind. Now if Bozius tell you Saint Peter spoke not to the Pope here considering his manners in the effects, I am content to believe him.  
That the Actor or Feeder here is God, is as S. Jerome tells you upon this place, that judges may know they do only supplere vicem Dei, supply God's place, not sit in their own: When thou comest unto the people of Israel (saith God to Moses, Exod. 3.14.). Thou shalt say unto them, I am hath sent me unto you. All power is given from God, and judgement from above, Wild. 6.1. And I charged your judges at that time, saying; judge rightly between every man and his neighbour, for the judgement is Gods. Deut. 16. Hence comes our reverence: hence should come your zeal, your fear, God visits us by you, but he will visit you by himself, jer. 5.29.  
The Object or people fed, are named The flock, that you may feed, not fleece them, and that we which are under your government, may behave ourselves, not as Wolves, ravening; not as Dogs, envying, barking at and tearing one another; not as Foxes, subtle and crafty; not as Swine, luxurious, unclean; not as Horses, proud, stubborn: but as Sheep, tractable, gentle, innocent, that these judges which are set of GOD, may find us such in their Circuit, as we would be found at the general Assize by the judge of judges Christ jesus, when he will acknowledge us by the name of Sheep, even the blessed of his Father, and separate us from the Herd, Math. 25.33.  
To conclude, both judge and people are hereby taught their duties one to another, and both to GOD; of whom, being our great Shepherd, we may say truly, as the Poet feignedly of Pan: — Pan curate ou●s, oviumque Magistros.  
Our word shall be, Tanquam Deo, to obey you as the Ordinance of God: let your word be Coram Deo, to judge us as in the sight of God. And I took unto me two staves, the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands, and I fed the Flock.  
Many are of Laertius his mind, they would have but one Law; affirming, Vbi multi Medici, ibi multi morbi, where there are many Physicians, there are many diseases. But more are of Demonax mind, Leges prorsus esse inutiles, to have no Law at all, affirming the good need them not, the bad will not be bettered by them. Sure as they which maintain these opinions, are not of the good, who need no Laws, so it is to be feared they would be far worse if they were without Laws: 'tis old but true, Oderunt peccare mali formidine poenae: But we Christians say with S. Peter, Laws are needful for good and bad; for the punishment evil doers, and for the defence of and encouragement of them that do well, 1 Pet. 2.15. And we approve that of chrysostom, To make Music on a Harp, it is not sufficient to play on one string, but all must be struck in due measure and proportion. Man as I have said, consists of a body and a soul, to both a Law is required: at the first, the Law of the Soul was written in heart, for without this Law Abel could not have offered the acceptable Sacrifice, Heb. II. In the first ages the Law of Nature restrained those sins which after, the Law of Nations forbade. The first written Law given to the Elect people of God, being Ecclesiastical binding the soul, was given into the hands of Moses a Levite, but the corrupt manners of men caused them to be extended to the punishment of the body: wherein as God reserved the judgement and inquisition to Moses, the execution was done by the hands of the people, not by the Levites; Time perfected Sin, Sin severity: the people weary of the strict government of Samuel a Levite, will have a King though of the Tribe of Reniamin, to judge us (say they) and to go out before us, 1 Sam. 8. But was this request against the ordinance of God? No, the Law of Deuteronomie long before, gave instruction for the choosing of King, and prescribed a Law to the King, so that the israelites sinned not in their request, but in the time of their request, not attending God's leisure. Was the Ecclesiastical Law abrogated now? No, the King must take the Law and read it diligently from the hands of the Priest, in one and the same Chapter, Deut. 17.  
Now that it is called Bands here, is in respect of that tie which the King hath upon the People, bound to observe his Laws, not repugnant to God's Law, for than they cease to be Laws; and of him to the people, as you may read of King David, 2 Sam. 5. which he calls there, The Covenant between him and the people. And in 1 Sam. 10. Samuel declareth to the people the duty of a Kingdom. So you see here was a King over the people above the Priest, but neither Laws abrogated, they being indeed the two hands of 2 King, which must defend and wash one another: though the wicked persuade them they are feet, the one cannot be lifted up unless the other be thrust down, godly men will attend Samuel home, though Saul be chosen above him: but they are branded for wicked men that slighted the Civil Magistrate when they had a Temporal, 1 Sam. 10.27. Such men forget that Salomon's Throne had Lions on either side to support it, that our Kings carry a Cross in one hand, as well as a Sword in the other. As the Ministry acknowledges all obedience to the temporal power, not as Bellarmine and his brood affirm, Virationis non Legis, sed virationis & Legis, Both by the Law of God and human reason: so likewise it is the duty of the Temporal Magistrate to rise up to Nathan, as David did, to uphold the privileges of the Church, as good Constantine did; Not (saith he) only because I am sworn so to do: but because I am sworn to that which the Law of God commandeth. There are some that though they desire not to have the government of the Church wholly extinguished, yet with Vzza they think it had need of their help: others with the busy Bethshemites will be prying into the Ark, they will be enquiring, and looking into the defects of Church-government, be it but to fill up their discourse, having neither place nor purpose for the amending it: But the same God which struck Vzza dead for doing the first, 2. Sam. 6. will not let these escape more than he did the Bethshemites, of whom he destroyed fifty thousand for presuming the last, 1. Sam. 6.  
There are a third Sect, and those are puri quasi minime puri, the impuritans of our time, these never cease crying out to the Church, as the Devil did unto Christ, cast thyself down, humble thyself before us. The Church though rent and almost ruined, is yet too glorious in their eyes, it faring with these men as with those who standing upon earth look up to lofty pinnacles, which still seem to waver and stand awry, when the defect is truly in their own sight.  
Lastly, there is a fourth number which with Ammon having defiled their sister, would gladly expose her to the contempt of others: These men (with sacrilegious hands) having ravished the Church of her Lands and ornaments, are the first that tell her when she threatens them, A proud Beggar God hates. Surely, as Thamar said to Ammon, to say I to such in the behalf of my despised Mother: This last wickedness is greater yet than the first, 2. Sam. 13.16. Let these and every one of these remember that it was the sin of the Princes of juda, to take from the authority of the Priest, which the Lord compareth to the removing of the Bounds, an act accursed in the Levitical Law: for which (saith he) I will pour my vengeance upon them like water, Hos. 5.10. As we justify Pope Boniface the eight to be Antichrist: who wrote to the most Christian King Philip le Beau, to come and acknowledge he held his Crown of him; threatening if he should refuse, to depose him and Crown another: The answer of which King, I cannot omit, wishing it might be engraven in leaves of gold by a pen of diamond, Phillippus Dei gra●ia ●rancorum Rex, Bonifacio se gerenti pro summo pontifice salutem modicam, sine nullam, sciat tua maxima fatuitas, in temporalibus nos alicui non subesse: To Boniface bearing himself for Pope, little or no health, be it known to thy exceeding great foolishness, that We in Temporal affairs are subject to none. As I say we justify the Pope to be Antichrist for usurping both Swords, so we confess Damascen Bishop of Rome was a good Bishop and Martyr, who suffered for the liberties of the Church. In this man's time the devise of the Bishops of Rome might have well been a blank paper opposed to a burning glass, the word Candor illaesus, The Arms of the Church, being then tears and prayers, at nunc horrentia martis, now they are swords, targets and gunpowder. I fear I have leaned too long upon this staff, but my conscience the more enforceth me, because I assure myself the want of that respect and power the Ordinary aught to retain, is a main cause of so many being in this place Recusant. Briefly then that you may know by Beauty, is here meant the Ecclesiastical government, besides the verses following my Text, which confirm it, which showing that both staves were broken, and foolish shepherds set over the people: it particularly giveth us to understand, that this staff of Beauty was broken for the sins of the Priests, and the staff of Bands for the sins of the Prince and his Subjects. The Prophet David I say in the 19 Psal. telleth us, that the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandments of the Lord are bright, enlightening the eyes. And Saint Paul in the 2. of the Corinth's 3. If the old Law, the Law of condemnation were beautiful, were glorious, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory: Oh that we could as truly say the discipline of our Church were as fruitful as Leah, as we can say she is beautiful as Rachel, nay beauty itself, not in the concreat, but in the abstract according to the words of my Text: And I took unto me two staves, the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands, and I fed the flock.  
But why are both Laws Spiritual and Temporal called staves; because they ought to have these four properties of a staff, to direct, to correct, to defend, to support. They must direct all, correct the wicked, defend from the oppressor, support the oppressed: And that the stone may be hewed out and fitted to the line, jethro placeth justice upon a cube or square, painting out a good judge with four answerable qualities, Exod. 18.21. Provide (saith he to Moses) amongst all the people, able men: that is for direction, fearing God not men; that is for correction, dealing truly; that is for defence, hating covetousness; that is for support. Of these as the spirit of God shall enable me, your respective patience encourage me, and the time permit. First, a judge must direct, therefore understanding is required in a judge, ignorantia judicis populi calamitas, woe be unto that people who have Children for their Kings and Governors, Eccle. 10.16. and Ecclus. 11. 7. understand first, and then reform righteously. Cassbodore gives us the reason why learned and skilful men in the Law should be chosen judges, quia non facile erroris vitio sordescit, quem doctrina purgavit, learning (saith he) is the best preserver from vice and error; and that you may not think only judges of Assize and Bishops ought to be learned, in the aforenamed Ex. 18. Let able men be chosen to be judges, over hundreds, over fifties, over ten, It is worthy your ear, your regard, who have power to constitute judges over inferior Courts, the seed-beds of corruption & oppression, but he must direct, than he must expound the law directly: he must be judex ius dicens, as our islands Oracle well observed, not ius-faciens, he must pronounce Law, not make Law, which he does when he either wrists it, or interprets it falsely: Again, dirigit qui directè it, he directeth who goes directly, but he that looks aside can hardly go directly; he that is blind cannot go directly; he that is a respecter of persons he looks aside, non consideres personam pauperis, Leuit. 19 Thou shalt not consider the person of the poor, nor behold the countenance of the rich, but judge thy neighbour justly. And he that takes a bribe cannot see at all, Eccle. 20.18. Rewards and gifts blind the eyes of the wise, and make them dumb, that they cannot reprove faults. Of the first, Laertius gives us an excellent example of one Bion a young man newly made a judge, whom a familiar of his meeting as he was going to the Bench, runs to him, crying out friend Bion I am glad I have met you, you are mistaken Sir (says Bion) I left your friend at my house, whither if you come when the Court is up, you will find him ready to entertain you. Oh! had Achab remembered this, when being dazzled by the name of his friend Benhadab, 1. King. 20. He could not see to do justice upon the enemy of God, he had not died so miserably. Had wretched Pilate not been lured out of the way of justice by the name of Caesar's friend, he had washed his hands truly in innocency, john 19.12. I exhort you therefore in the name of the ever living God, who is no respecter of persons, as Moses did the Israelites against Idolatry, Deut. 13.6. seeing this friendship is enmity with God, james 4 4. That if thy Brother the Son of thy Mother, or thy wife that lieth in thy bosom, or thy friend which is as thy own soul, shall entice thee secretly, saying, I pray wink at the sin of my tenant, give way to the putting off a Trial which is brought against me but till next Assize, or I pray entertain my adversary roughly, that he may be disheartened to seek for justice: I beseech thee consent not unto it; for why, he that stall respect the person in judgement, mine ●ie shall be upon that man to cut him off from Israel, saith the Lord, Deut. 16. As for bribes let Tytus motto be thine, non habet eventus sordida praeda bonos, The end of filthy gain is miserable. The judges in the old Law sat in the gates of the City to avoid suspicion of bribery, and for easy and unsuspected access. Now we know that the way to a Magistrates chamber may be open, his hands may be free, but as in a Salmon weire, the return may be hard, there may be certain sharp prickers at the door, which will draw blood of him if he depart before he pay tithe. But if a judge will flourish like an Olive tree, he must have the property of an Olive tree, which as Solinus tells us, grows not only smooth itself, but suffers no briar to grow near it, quifacit per alium facit pierce: now if a judge will receive bribes, either directly or indirectly, if Troy will be won with gifts, here be greeks will soon be Masters of it: But wise Laocon will cry out, timeo Danaos & dona ferentes, they will know he was a Heathen that said, profit smelled well whence soever it came, and with Christian Saint Peter will say, to the Bribe-giver, thy money perish with thee, Repent thee of this wickedness, that God may forgive thee, for I see thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity, Acts 8.20. justice is the Abner which thou must pursue; like Asabel rather die than step out of the way, and though these bodies of sin we bear about us, like the kine which (carried the Ark to Bethshemesh) lough after their calves, the friendships and commodities of this life: yet as those Kine, so you turn not either to the right hand or to the left, till you come to your eternal Elysium, as they to the field of josua the Bethshemite, 1. Sam. 6. And thus much for the first property of a staff, of the Law, of the speaking Law, a judge to direct.  
The second property is to Correct, nothing seems more easy to man, nothing is more hard. There is a correction to amendment, there is a correction to destruction. First, for the manner, Saint Austin bids us remember to express God not ourselves in our correction, which Cassiodore expounds when he tells us, to judge justly makes a judge hold the name of a judge, not to judge sharply, proudly, the sword is in the hand of the wise Magistrate to the punishment of offenders. Now there is a rod of Pride, but that is in the mouth of the Fool, Pro. 14. will you see them distinguished by pattern? will you hear a wicked man in authority speak? hear Shimei, Stand forth (saith he to dejected David) thou wicked man, thou murderer, behold God hath taken thee in thy wickedness, because thou art a murderer, 2. Sam. 16. Now you shall hear a perfect judge speak, josua to Acan, as great a sinner as comes to our bars, whose sin was the death of thirty six men at an instant, besides such a danger and reproach to his country, that good josua rend his clothes and fell upon his face all day long before the Ark of the Lord for the finding out the offender, which person by the infallible lot being now discovered, Mark how he flies upon him, My son (saith he) I beseech thee give glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession unto me what thou hast done, but when he confessed it, than you will expect a Ciceronian volley discharged at him: no, josua is a judge of the Lord still, Why, oh why (saith he to Acan) hast thou thus troubled Israel, even for this cause will all Israel trouble thee, the correction of the wise like gentle rain, even April showers soften the heart of a sinner, beget plenty: but cruel words like violent storms wash away the fruitfulness of sorrow and make a dearth, as Isydore says, he that insolently correcteth his Brother, lanches the sore but cures not the wound. A good judge like the Physician gives a bitter potion to the disease, but is not angry with the sick, Remember Saint Augustine's rule, Remember that thou a man art a judge of men, Quod hominis est miserere, pity that part which is man, considering his fall, to which without the especial goodness of God, thou also art subject, oh never forget the curse which David gives in the 109. Psal. Let there be none to extend mercy unto him, nor to favour his fatherless children, let the iniquity of his Fathers be remembered, let their sins be before the Lord continually, that the memory of them may be cut off from the earth: Why? because he remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted him that was in misery, and sought to slay the broken in heart. I know beloved there is crudelis misericordia, a cruel pity, but I speak to your tongues, not to your hands, to those sharp pointed daggers which often slay the soul of the sinner: But is there no place for a bitter reproof; yes, Saint Peter to Ananias & Simon Magus witnesses there is, where the law falls short to reach a sinner let thy true zeal piece it out with thy words, let thy tongue like the sword of Phinees, pierce through the Adulterer & the adulteress. But herein are all persons alike? No, the sacrifice that was offered for the sin of the Priest, was burned without the Host, Leu. 14.11. A minister offending is worthy of treble punishment, as he that does well is worthy of double honour, but take heed in reproving one, thou dost not bring a shanie upon many. Holy David doth not deny the judgement of God upon the person of Saul Gods anointed, to be just, but with a most pious regard to the glory of God he breaketh-out into that passionate persuasion which I will use unto you, considering the enemies of God dwell about us: When a Minister offendeth punish his person, but spare his fame, Oh tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askalon, lest the daughters of the Philistians rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph, 2. Sam. 1. It is the nakedness of thy parent, let blessed Sem go backward and cover it. The third note I will give you in correction is, that as thy hand must be upon the sinner, lest the hand of God be upon thee, Leuit. 5. so herein you must correct as God, not as man, you must not spare Agag and the fat of the land, and punish the poor tenants and the lean; we must purge the head, saith a writer upon the Kings, if we will keep the feet from swelling, do you desire to draw the land from idolatry, indite the Landlords, bring them to Church, the Tenants will soon follow: a good husband searches the root to prevent the barrenness of the tree; but this is dangerous doctrine in our days, sure had Barack feared this, Deborah had wanted a part of her song. The Kings came and fought, even the kings of Canaan by the waters of Megiddo, but they received small profit thereby. Up Deborah up arise and lead the captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam, for a remnant have dominion over the mighty. The Lord hath given me dominion over the strong, so shall all thine enemies perish, oh Lord, but they that love thee shall be as the Sun when he riseth in his might, judges the 5. The battles of our Princes have been fought prosperously in this land, and shall we be afraid to fight the battles of the Lord, Qui metues vivit liber mihi nan erit unquam, I will conclude this second property of a judge to correct, with that of Syrack. Eccle. 7.6. Seek not to be made a judge unless thou canst break through iniquity, and not fear the person of the mighty, which will make thee sin against thine own uprightness.  
The third property is to defend, to which by Iethroes advice I join Truth, and will now add Watchfulness. To judge truly is to defend against the oppressor: The greeks made Aletheia Truth, a goddess, carving her out of a Rock, answering to Cicero's definition, Truth is that which time cannot violate. Aristotle tells us that veritas, truth, is derived a ver, veris, from the spring, because in the spring nature gives a pure and simple generation to creatures, wilt thou have a fruitful soul, a fruitful harvest, a fruitful praise? judge truly. The Hebrew, as the skilful in the original note, often setteth down Truth for justice itself, as in the first to the Chor. 3. speaking of Charity, It rejoiceth not (saith he) in iniquity, but it rejoiceth in the Truth, that is, in justice. In nothing can you come nearer to God, whose Ambassadors, whose servants you are then in this: who as David tells us in the 91. Psal. shall cover us under his wings, and his truth shall be our shield and defence, but how shall a judge defend us from the oppressor if he be not watchful over the tongues of the Lawyers, over the persons of the witnesses, these being the instruments of the oppressor by which he perverteth judgement and wounds the poor and the Fatherless, there being none to help, Death and life are in the power of the Tongue, Prou. 18. this is the weapon that strikes, against which justice must have her buckler to defend: as against a sword there is required a quick eye, so against the tongue is required a settled ear. Now the wicked with his tongue draweth his neighbour out of the way, and there he smites him, let not the Orator therefore draw thee out of the way: let him not deviare go about the bush as the proverb: the old word was ad rem but now it may be ad res, the Epigram agrees to our times, against these that vent so much impertinent stuff as though they had sued out a writ of Tales de circumstantibus got leave to use words for want of matter, or at least for want of truth to their matter durst not appear before jebu, unless with jesabel they come painted. The Poet I say presents a poor Client having feed his Counsellor to plead for the recovery of two hogs were taken from him, the Counsellor assures him it should be his first motion, and with all speed steps to the Bar, there he makes a long Oration so far from the matter, that the innocent Client, thinking he had forgot him and been busied in other men's affairs, cries out unto him, jan age de porcis; I beseech you now Sir remember my hogs. It stands upon the judges to reform this abuse, and upon the jury to beware of them: the Fencer when he dazzles most, hits soonest; dost thou see him inveigh against the person of the accused or justify the accuser, let this plaster smell never so sweet it covers but a sore. But above all, the witnesses are those I would speak unto, Doeg is the man I would combat with, but alas they which are suffered to speak against the servants of God, are not compelled to be here to hear the word of God, were they here I would tell them it is written, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. I would tell them the word Neighbour was not meant as the decretals expound it, he that is of thy religion, but the Samaritan is also thy neighbour though never so wicked; for thou art not to respect against whom, but what thou swearest: and above all, that as thy oath is in the sight of God, so it must be to the glory of God, according to that of jeremy 4.2. Thou shalt swear in truth, in judgement, in righteousness, and the Nations shall bless God and glory in him, I would tell them were they here that Osee the last king of Israel for breaking his Oath with Salmanazar king of Ashur an Idolater, died a captive in extreme misery 2. King. 17. That Sedechias king of juda rebelling contrary to his Oath against Nabuchadnezzar, not only, brought destruction upon jerusalem, but having seen his own Children slain before his eyes, had those eyes also bored out, from which I would come nearer to them, and tell them that the Pope and the Counsel of Constance erred, no little when they determined, Faith ought not be kept with Heretics: I could instance Rodulph king of Swevia, who being dispensed of his Oath by the Pope which he had made to Henry the fourth Emperor, upon which he took Arms against the Emperor, lost his right hand in the same, which hand being brought unto him, and looking thereon, Oh you wicked men (saith he to the Bishops) this hand with which I swore fealty to the Emperor will remain an argument of my breach of Faith before God, and of your traitorous and irreligious impulsion thereto. I would tell them lastly that it is one of the things that the Lord doth hate: yea, that his soul doth abhor, Pro. 6. At lest how careful, considering these things, ought you to be what witnesses you receive, seeing the Lord hath commanded you to make diligent inquisition after these, Deut. 19 Do not imagine it concerns you not, I would here ask, seeing the Law allows only the testimony of honest and lawful men, how a Recusant can stand in the rank. By the Law of God he is to be accounted as a Pagan that stands excommunicate, 1. Cor. 5. and by the Law of England a Recusant cannot have the benefit of the Law against a subject, no not in recovering of his right: Is it the sentence or the sin that deprives of this ability, sure you will say the sin is the cause, the sentence doth but demonstrate the person. Now quisque, praesumitur in lege, every man is supposed honest in the Law till he be proved dishonest, ex ore tuo te judico, Recusancy is no blushing sin in these days in this place, their own mouths will accuse them, if ever Epicarmus his little jewel, therefore were worthy a judge, which Cicero terms the bond of all human wisdom, let it be your posy memento diffidere, be not light of belief, jesabel wanted no witnesses against Naboth. But these are not so bad: ●ruly as the little birds said being demanded wherefore they were afraid of the Cucco seeing he was no hawk, so answer I, though he be no hawk, he is very like one: God knows how far from malice to the Nation, I speak, who I do assure myself if it would please God to open their eyes and see the truth would be a stain to us in their devotion in their abundant charity.  
But to conclude, it is not sufficient to defend from the oppressor, but a good judge must support the oppressed, he must be a Father to the Fatherless, and a husband to their mother, Eccle. 4. So shalt thou be as the Son of the most high, thou must be speedy in dispaching their causes, thou must look they be not disheartened by the greediness of thy fees, or thy officers fees, God is thy paymaster, & will be theirs; dispatch them before they cry, for their cry will reach as far as Heaven, and God will come down, Exod. 3. Now there are 4. crying sins expressed in this Distcik: 
Clamitat in celum vox sanguinis & Sodomorun,  
Vox oppressorum, merces retenta laborum:  And because the first two are notorious, of the third we have spoken: I cannot forget to touch the fourth, which is the withholding the reward of the labourer, seeing he is amongst the most oppressed, and it is your duty to support him: I need not tell you that the faithful Minister is a true labourer, a painful watchman, 1. Ez. 3. though it may be in some places, they are not husbandmen as Paul calls them the 1. Cor. 3. but harvest-men known only to their Parishioners when they come to gather their tithes, tanquam stratonicles in auream messem, reaping where they do not sow, I shall not need to tell you who withhold their wages, your Courts have their names in black rolls, as God has them in his black book, but I say you are to support them that have their wages withholden, you are with Ezra to make haste in restoring the Church to her rights, to bestow travel, nay and cost too for the rebuilding the Temple of the Lord, but alas our number of Brick is required at our hands, but the allowance of straw is taken away; nay, there is daily more Brick required, the poor Minister is forced to attend at the Assizes and Sessions, to present Recusants at his own cost abroad, who hath not wherewith to feed him at home, if this be not an oppression, I am sure it is to divide the punishment inconsiderately as David did the inheritance between Mephisbosheth and Ziba, a good man and a wicked, 2 Sam. 19 Sanabimur si separemur a caetu saith Seneca, and I am sure it is Religious, seeing God hath put us apart from the people, not to lay burdens upon us to impoverish us to the contempt of the people, but I speak to the wise, less than a word is here sufficient.  
Lastly, the wages of the poor soldier is to be looked unto, a true labourer, that hath sweat his blood for his Country. The son of Syrack in the 26. of Eccle. 29. saith there are two things which grieved his heart: A man of war that suffered poverty, and a man of understanding, that is not set by. They have a rule in the Gospel to be content with their pay, but there is no law to see them miserable for want of pay, let us not use them as we do our chimneys, creep to them in winter and stand aloof from them in Summer. No let us deal with them as we do with plants cherish and prune them in our spring, that we freely may taste their fruit in the fall, I note them as cares worthy your entertainment, Let Esau speak never so friendly, he hopes yet a day of mourning will come let us prevent it by our Charity, by justice, by Prayers. But he that is wicked to himself, to whom can he be good: therefore to this fourth property of support I adjoined a fourth qualtitie in a judge to hate Covetousness, it is well observed that the Mountains where gold grows bear neither grass nor grain, herb nor tree, so where the love of the World covetousness reigns, there is no hope no expectation of support, let gold be interposed between God and the conscience of the judge once, like the earth between the Sun and the Moon, we shall have an Eclipse: But wherefore should I speak so much of the vices of judges? Surely Right Honourable to your exceeding great prais, Qui malos corrigit laudat bonos, he that inveighs against sin, extols virtue. He that hath been the least while a judge in this place, having left Jacob's stone in the highest Court of our kingdom, to witness the integrity of his conscience, that God I say hath appeared unto him, I speak it with great joy, the chiefest in place of justice whom I have been so happy to know, have afforded matter of reverence to me, matter of admiration; reverence towards their virtues, admiration in the goodness of God, who hath his Melchisedeck in Salem, his lot in Sodom. Be thankful, oh be truly thankful to God beloved brethren, that he hath not beheld our sins with the eye of severity, sin being the cause that in all ages he hath set over rebellious people, cruel and wicked governors, Mich. 3. He hath not I say dealt with us as he hath done with other Nations.  
The memory of Elizabeth (as that of josias) is like the composition of the perfume that is made by the art of the Apothecary, it is sweet as honey in all mouths, and as Music at a banquet of wine, Eccle. 49.1. As for our Solomon, whom the Lord grant long to sway the Sceptre of these Kingdoms, even one of his seed rightly serving the Lord to the ends of the world, our posterity shall say of him, that he reigned in a peaceable time, and was glorious: for God made all quiet round about, that he might build a house in his name, and prepare the Sanctuary for ever: we may say truly of him, that he hath guided us with a discreet hand, and appointed worthy governors over us, such as with Moses have put of their shoes, their desires of the World, before they have approached to the bush of the Lord, such whose memories we have cause to bless, and whose posterity shall inherit the Land.  
FINIS.