Sermons on Jonah

as some other, the Phoenicians are reported by the Gentiles to have invented the first letters, and others are said afterward to have added to them. But we know that the Hebrew letters were before their time, even in the days of Moses, who as Eusebius saith, in that admirable work of his, De praeparatione Evēgelica, was more ancient thē the God's of the Greeks, for that they began but after the days of Cadmus, who came much short of Moses. Notwithstanding allow it to the Gentiles, that there men were the authors of letters: it must follow thereupon, that before the birth of those persons, there was no kind of Grammar. How are we beholding to Zeno, and Socrates and Aristotle for the use of Logic? We know well when these lived. Aristotle was schoolemaister to Alexander, and Plato unto Aristotle, and Socrates unto Plato, some 400 years before Christ. Zeno was little beyond thē. For Philosophy, Phythagoras is thought to be one of the most ancient. Yet he came into Italy, after that Rome was built. Astronomy should be supposed to be as old as any. Yet how lately were the Eclipses of the Moon, which are things so well known in nature, most fearful to the armies of the Grecians, and the Romans, as in the war against Perseus? Was not the year brought to the orderly course of the Sun, by Julius Caesar? How long have kings been on earth, when Nimrod as Moses calleth him, or Ninus as other term him (for these two are thought to be one) was one of the first among all nations? What laws were among the Greeks, before the days of Lycurgus? Josephus against Apion writeth, that in the time of Homere, the name of law was not so much as known, and that in all the works of Homere, there is not, the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , but that they were thē ruled, by the speech & commandment of Princes. Nay what do I speak of these things, when the very food of men, in any civil sort, had his beginning but of late? for among the Ethnics is not Bacchus said, first to have found out the vine, (we know that Noah was the man) & of the vine cometh the wine. How cometh it about, that Ceres is canonized among them for a Goddess, but for showing their forefathers the first use of corn? All these and a thousand more imply, that as things with us are in good perfection, so not long since they were rude, and not long before that they were nothing, because all things were nothing. For the world had his beginning: and these in the world their beginning.

21 My text speaketh of the sea. I would know of this proud disputes, what reason he can assign, that the sea in diverse places, should be higher then the land, and yet not overflow the banks? Saint Sasile in his Hexaemeron, doth excellently show it, and confirmeth it to be so. This may be found to be thus, by instruments Geometrical, or otherwise by the eye, as Leuius hath observed, and that of his own knowledge, sensibly discerning it in the Atlantike sea, near the coast of Mauritania. Nature can yield no reason for this: their best is but a cavil. But divinity endeth this doubt. God hath tied it within his limites, as a Lyon fastened in a chain. Thou saith David speaking of the waters in the sea, hast set them a bound which they shall not pass: they shall not return to cover the earth. So God saith to Job: Who hath shut up the sea with doors, whē it issued and came forth as out of the womb, when I made the clouds as a covering thereof, and darkness in the swaddling bands thereof. When I stablished my commandment upon it, and set bars and doors, and said hitherto shalt thou come, and no farther, and here shall it stay thy proud waves. My text speaketh of the land, and that hath so great alterations, as in time will bring a ruin. Hear the judgment of a Gentile upon this. Aelian in the eighth book of his history telleth us, that not only the mountain in Sicilia Aetna, (for thereof may be given some reason, because of the wasting and consuming of it by fire) but Parnassus and Olympus, did appear to be less and less, to such as sailed at sea, the height thereof sinking as it seemed. Whereupon he doth give that note, that men most skillful in the secrets of nature did say, that the world it self should perish, and have an end. I know to whom I do speak, that is, to men of great understanding: As therefore I name but a few things, so you see, I dwell not on them.

22 To that position of those who oppugn this doctrine, of the creating and continuing of all by God, by saying that it is Nature, who produceth everything, I might answer that there is no such matter as Nature, taking it in that sense which they foolishly do imagine: but only it is a course, proportioned out by the will of God, to run and hold on, in the creatures. And so much can a natural man inform unto them, I mean Seneca, who with a better spirit speaketh on this manner. Thou sayest, Nature doth yield these things unto me. Vnderstandest thou not, that when thou speakest this, thou doest but change the name of God? for what other thing is Nature then God, and an order from his Godhead, inserted into the world, and all the parts of the same? Now that there is such a Godhead, although they do not see it, I may answer them in this manner. His substance is invisible; his nature is insensible, because he is a spirit. And yet we see him and feel him, & know him by his effects. If we look on the heaven above us, or behold the earth below us, the standing fast of the one, the running round of the other, the concord of things in discord, their orderly interruption, & interrupted order, every creature doth cry & proclaim that there is a God. That worthy mā Athanasius doth very well urge this argument: As if thou shouldst see a city consisting of many & several men, great & small, & rich & poor, & old & young, & male and female, to be governed with good order & straight discipline, and those who live there, although they be different among theselues, yet to agree in mind, so that neither the richer do bend against the poor, nor the great against the small: nor the young against the old, but all of them do maintain peace with an equality of right: If we should see these things it cannot be but we must imagine that by the presence of the Prince there, this concord is cherished, although he do not come abroad to be seen, because disorderliness is a sign that the common wealth is without an head, but order on the other side doth show the care and government of the Prince. And as when we see in the body an agreement of the members among themselves, and that the eyes do not wrangle with the ears, nor the hands make a mutiny against the feet, but everyone doth his own business without brawling, we do immediately thereupon conceive, that there is a soul in that body, which doth so direct and dispose all things, although that soul be not visible to the eye. So in this order and harmony of the whole world, it must needs be that we consider that there is a God, who is the Prince and governor of all, and that but one God and no more. Now if thou be such a one, as that this do not suffice thee, by reason of the stubburnesse of thy heart, but thou must be like Saint Thomas, that is, see or else thou wilt not believe, then let me ask of thee as Austē doth of one. Hast thou a soul or no? and by a consequent art thou alive? Canst thou see thy soul, or feel it? If not, thē by thine own reason thou hast no soul, & therefore thou art dead; & I pray thee why art thou not buried? If because thou wouldst not be buried, thou wilt say, that by signs & tokens thou conceiuest, that there is a soul in thee, because thou seest & speakest, and mouest up & down, which a dead corps cannot do; then hast thou answered for me: for so it is with thy Creator: the heavens declare his glory, the firmament showeth his work: thou seest him in his creatures. Many arguments might be drawn, from the bowels of very reasō, to show this point in question: as that everything which moveth must have something to move it, which is verus primus motor, but the heaven is ever in motion: as that lesser things have a governor, the bees and herds of cattaile, and fishes in the sea, therefore there must much more be a governor, to this mighty frame of the world. But who so doubteth of these things, or of any such matter now in question, let him either read Saint Agustine De ciuitate Dei, or Lodouicus Viues de veritate fidei, or Philip Mornay that noble Frenchman discussing those points largely. And unto those may be added, the works of some of our own countrymen, who also are not to be defrauded of their due commendation.

23 If I should farther say anything, it should be in this brief manner. If now any do rule all things, it intendeth that he is Almighty: if Almighty then a Creator. But many things are so done, as whereof no reason can be given, save only the providence of a God, Almighty, and our maker. For first I would [ 1] demand, what reason can be assigned, that upon so weak a foundation, as it seemeth to flesh and blood, Christianity is so grown, that all the coasts of the earth, have heard the fame of that doctrine? If honor or wealth or pleasure, had by the Savior been promised, to those which should be his followers, it might have allured men after him, yea if he had been but a deceiver, although perhaps this would have held but for a while. But the lesson that he teacheth is, If any man will follow me, let him forsake himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. And, all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution. In this case what reason can be given, why men of great understanding, not blocks and fools, like the Saracens and Turks, who have no learning, and may not so much as dispute of any point of their Religion, and so do believe on their Mahomet, most grossly and stupidiously, but Philosophers and rare scholars, men completed with all good knowledge, should put their trust in one who was crucified, yea should die for him, who was before dead, and put into a grave? Secondly what reason is there, [ 2] that Luther no great man, helped only with the bare countenance of the Saxon, should in the time of deep ignorance, be able by preaching alone and writing, to revive again the Gospel, in despite of Priests and Princes, and so to set it on foot, as that all Christendom now ringeth of it. Thirdly I would [ 3] demand, what natural reason there is, that our most gracious Queen, whom God evermore preserve, a woman, in a small country, at her first coming to the crown, should dare to reform Religion, and profess so far for the truth, things being as they then were, when she came first to her scepter: very little sound at home: very much amiss abroad; in the known hate of the Pope, in the secret hate of the Spaniard: in the neutrality of the French, to speak most mildly of it: in the ticklenesse of the Scot, in the • icklenesse of the Irish. Yet that still she should go forward, and maintain her Church and estate, in great pomp and high majesty, very lovely to her friends, very dreadful to her foes. I might urge her perpetual happiness, and those many dangers, which by God's blessing she hath escaped. [ 4] Fourthly what may be the reason, that whereas within the year, each seuennight cut off a thousand, yea sometimes a great many more, in one City of our land, by the infection of the plague; since that time the note hath returned not one, or so few that it is as if it were nothing? Remember that the spring was very unkind, by means of the abundance of rain which fell: our July hath been like to a February, our June even as an April, so that the air must needs be corrupted: God amend it in his mercy, and stay this plague of waters. But yet the pestilence is now ceased. I hold it a thing impossible, out of the grounds of Machiavelli, to answer to these questions in simplicity and sincerity, as beseemeth reasonable men, and not with cavilling and quarrelling, which is for boys and brabblers. But out of the grounds of true divinity, these and a thousand more are answered in one word, This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. He who (as Jonah saith) is God of heaven above, and made the sea and the dry land, he decreeth it, he continueth it. Then let us carry this mind toward him, what we know in him, to love: what we know not, to admire, as men amazed with his Majesty: rather to think our selves most weak and bas • in understanding, then once to suspect his power in creating, or his providence in governing. To him be praise and honor, and majesty now and ever.

THE VI. LECTURE.

T He answer of the Prophet to those manifold questions, which were proposed by the mariners, doth include a confession of error, and willful disobedience in himself, whereof if there should be made a doubt by any man, it is put out of controversy, by that which now followeth, that the men knew he fled from the presence of the Lord, because himself had told them. This telling was confessing: this affirming to them, was informing against himself. These words although they be not so placed, yet by order of the narration, are the first words of my text, that being set before by an Hysteron Proteron, which should follow after, and that coming after, which should be before. He said that he was an Hebrew, and feared the God of heaven, as it is in the ninth verse, but yet [ 10] notwithstanding that he was fled from his presence, as it is in this tenth verse, which when the men had known, because himself told them, they were exceedingly afraid, and asked him, why didst thou so? And this I propose, as the order of connection in these words. To show that he did confess, were now a needless labor. The violence of the tempest, the discovery by a lot, the examination of the mariners, did wring it out from the Prophet. I have opened that already. And to tell what he did confess, may in as few words be ended, that he fled away from God's presence, that is, did neglect his service, of going to preach at Nineveh. I have also handled that, in the third verse of this chapter. The mariners they give credit, to the tale which they had heard, and accordingly do proceed. And so also must I.

2 Some things, are very slightly attended by men: some things hardly believed: therefore precept upon precept, and line after line, here a little and there a little, must be doubled and ingeminated, to an obstinate people, that as drop after drop doth pierce the hardest stone, so teaching after teaching may sound the hardest heart, even of the most flinty nature. To some men saith Seneca remedies are only to be shown, it is enough to point them out, to some other they are to be inculcated, and many times repeated. The ignorant do yield apparent proof of this, when they can very hardly, be reclaimed from their customs: no persuasions can remove them. So, although not ever, yet oftentimes the children of such who live in Popish darkness do confirm this doctrine to us, who hear and will not hear, who give no kind of credit, to oft repeated truths, out of the book of God. Besides, a supine carelessness is general in all men, so that many things wisely uttered, do breed but small effect▪ because they are little regarded. But here is such a seal set, upon the company of Jonah, as which taketh such impression, that it needeth not to be oft doubled. The wind which blew above, the sea which wrought below, did put them past peradventure, that something was amiss: that some great sin waamsong them. The lot shown Jonah to be the man, whom judgment did pursue, and vengeance did so follow. It needed not to be told them oft, that this party had offended.

3 But when the words of the Prophet, had passed against himself, and above all other signs which might afford conjecture, his confession was come forth, to accuse and condemn himself, then his hearers had great reason, to know what the matter was. For in such cases as are doubtful, if any one do speak for himself, and urge his own condemnation; wisdom and sound advise, biddeth the auditor make a pause, before that lightly he do believe it. For who is he, whom nature hath not taught that lesson, to say the best for himself? Again, in cases of complaint, if another man should accuse, justice and Christian charity biddeth the hearer make a stay, and not give credit hastily. For if everything should be true, which everyone reporteth, what man should not be a devil? shall not Christ himself be a Beelzebub? But when presumptions great and many shall go before, and withal, the offending person shall open himself, then sense and reason do teach, that of likelihood he is guilty. When Micah brought the silver, which was stolen away from his mother, and said plainly that he had taken it, his mother had great reason to think that he was the man. When Rechab and Baanah, brought the head of Isboseth the son of Saul to David, and professed that they two had slain him, he took it for a truth, and rewarded them thereafter; that is, he destroyed them with the sword. The idle and careless servant, of whom we read in the Gospel, that he folded up his talent in a napkin; and hid it in the ground, had this doom for his labor, afterward that he had confessed it, Of thine own mouth I will judge thee, ô evil servant. The Jews did roau • at this, although they failed in their ground (for Christ did not speak blasphemy) when they could reply upon him, what need we any farther witness? for we our selves have heard it of his own mouth. The commonness of which argument, doth so enter the heart of all, that these mariners inquired no farther, when Jonah had once made his declaration against himself. Upon a firm persuasion of the truth of all his tale, they fall into great fear, they grow to farther counsel. So that this believing of the Prophet, is the foundation of all that followeth after, which may it please you for order sake, to reduce [ 1] to these two heads. First, the behavior of the mariners, and [ 2] secondly the answer of the Prophet. In the former are three [ 1] circumstances: the great fear wherein they were: their rebuke [ 2.3.] which they used toward him; and their question proposed to him: all which by the Lord's permission, I do purpose to touch in order.

4 These idolatrous heathen, are here taught one lesson more, then they ever learned before, and that is, that there was a God, who in fearful manner could take vengeance on offenders, and did use to follow after them as well by sea as by land, in a wonderful sort: and therefore if their heart did now ache, if all their joints did quiver, if their limbs did shake for fear, and their knees beat together, it was not to be marvelled at, since at this time, they were in trial of wrath above them, and wrath under them, and wrath every way about them. Before, they had been used to vain and idol God's, whose threats did little move them. The knowledge was so light, and the certainty so uncertain, which the heathen generally had of their God's, either for their power, or for their bounty, that they feared not to bestow iestes upon them, as upon their fellows. Timaeus as Tully saith, is to be commended for his wit, that whereas he had said in his history, that the self same night wherein Alexander was borne, the Temple of Diana at Ephesus was on fire, he added withal, that it was no marvel, for the mistress thereof was a great way from home, in Macedonia with Olympias, as a mid-wife attending her, who then was in travel: for that was said to be the charge of Diana. The adulteries which we read in the books of Homer, and Ovid, that Jupiter and his fellows, are said to have committed, do show the high conceit, and the goodly reverence, which the Gentiles in old time, did bear to their Painim God's. They did not only, saith Saint Agustine, write such matters in their fables, but represented them in their threaters, and played them on their stages, where many times were to be seen, plura crimina quam numina, more great faults then good God's. Yet bewitching superstition had so possessed their souls, that they would after a sort adore somewhat, although they adored it but at their pleasure: no true fear, no due reverence.

5 The case is altered here: they see that the God of Israel doth carry another sway: no jesting with his Majesty, no playing with his power: if his servant do run from him, he can fetch him back again: if he sleep soundly, he can waken him: if he will not return in time, he can send such a tempest after him, as will make his bones to shake, and his very marrow to tremble. The lightning and the thunder, the wind and hail and storm, are all at his commandment. Then it is a fearful matter to fall into his hands, to undergo his wrath. How then must the conscience of these poor sinners needs work? If a Prophet were so punished, how should a private man be lashed? If it were thus in the green wood, how should it be in the dry? If one who had that place of honor with his God, as to be employed frō him as a messenger, to so worthy a place as Nineveh, yet should for one sin, be endangered with so great a weight of displeasure, what should become of them, who in all likelihood were polluted with many enormous crimes? If God should meat to them such measure, as he did to Jonah, how doleful & lamentable would their state be? This is a true effect of the just consideration of God's punishments upon others. First to know them to be terrible, & with a kind of amazedness to take full notice of them. Behold saith the Lord to Samuel, I will do a thing in Israel, whereof whosoever shall hear, his two ears shall tingle. Next to apply it to our selves, & make a benefit of it, by descending into our souls, & sifting of our harts, acknowledging that if God should deal with us in judgment, verily t •• t should be our reward, which is now befallē unto others.

6 It is a perpetual fault, evermore annexed unto flesh & blood, that if any punishment in strange sort, do be fall to our brother, or neighbor, by and by with a precipitate headlong judgment, we condemn him, as a sinner, if not notorious, yet in some secret manner more grievous then other mē. Jerome observeth this (if that work be S. Jerome's) on the 93. Psalm. Some use to say, he who is killed had not been slain, unless he had been a fornicator, or stained with some gross sin. He had not been quelled with the ruin or falling down of a house, unless he had been wicked: he had not suffered ship-wrack, unless he had been profane or a mighty malefactor. But what saith the Scripture? They shall condemn innocent blood. The innocent they shall suffer such deaths as well as other. The Savior of the world doth reprove this rash conceit, when he biddeth, that men should not think, that those Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their own sacrifices, were greater sinners then all other Galileans, or those eighteen, on whom the Tower in Siloam fell, and slue them, were sinners above all men that were in Jerusalem: but saith he unto them, I tell you, except ye amend your lives ye shall all likewise perish. Whereas they and we are ready to exorbitate, by looking on other men, he sendeth us back to our selves, that by scanning of our own ways, and viewing our own paths, we may see that unto us belongeth shame and confusion. The hand of God upon other, should be a glass to us, to see our own deformity. When the Angel destroyed so many of the Israelites with the pestilence, David cried out, Behold I have sinned, yea I have done wickedly: but these sheep what have they done? let thine hand I pray thee be against me, and against my fathers house. David took all to himself, because all the fault was his. We are not free from all, and therefore if we suffer anything, let us bear it with patience. If nothing, let us acknowledge that it is the mercy of God, and not the merit of man, that we all are not consumed.

7 And by the smart of other, let us fear to offend the Lord. Every action which was in Christ, should be to us an instruction: every passion which is in other, should bring to us information. The Jews once were the spouse and belo • ed of the Lord, the people whom he embraced, the nation whom he singled out from all the men on earth. Zion was his delight, and Jerusalem was unto him, as the apple of his eye. When they began to be wanton, and as the untamed heyfer, to refuse the yoke of all piety and service toward God, his love was turned to hatred, and as before he had magnified them beyond all other nations, so afterward he made them vile, and abject below all other. Their Temple was ruinated, and not one stone left upon another; their City was ransacked, their old men died with famine, their young were slain with the sword, the remnant as accursed, do wander on all the face of the earth, without a king, without Priest, without Prophet. Thus the natural Olive branches were broken and cropped off, and we wild ones were graffed in. When we read this, and feel the sweetness of it, are we to presume, and puff up our selves by and by? Saint Paul hath taught us otherwise, Be not high minded, but fear. And in another place, Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed least he fall. As these mariners were fearful, at our Jonah his example, so ought we in these Jews to be afraid, and dread God's justice. Those seven Churches to which John wrote his Epistles, mentioned in the beginning of the Revelation, and those Cities to which Paul preached, being sometimes great lights and lamps of the East, are now the residence of the Turk, and a sink of filthy Maumetry. Let us stand in awe, least our sins pluck on us such a judgment.

8 We ask of news in France, and inquire of the alterations, which the Low countries yield. Curiosity for the most part is the cause why we demand such questions. Perhaps we think upon them, and their troubles sometimes, with a little pity. But there is a farther use, if our dim and dark eyes could see it. When for two and thirty years, France hath been the very cock-pit, for all Christendom to fight in: when with so many civil furies, the inhabitants sheath their swords one in the bowels of another: when for twenty years since and more (for so long it is since the States, and the Prince of Orenge with them, did put forth their supplication, unto the king of Spain Philip the second, which is a declaration to other Christian Princes, of the reasons wherefore they took up arms) an army hath been continued by the Spaniard, against those Provinces which now term themselves Vnited, so that there is little safety, but what standeth in the sword, or in their walled towns: we might remember our selves, and that with much fear and trembling, that our sins have cried for vengeance, as loud as theirs did ever; that our fields are fit for the sickle, not so white unto the harvest, as ready dry to the fire, as Bernard speaketh to Eugenius: that it is but a little labor, for God to reach his hand over our narrow seas, and to give us a taste of that here in this small Island, which the Continent hath long felt, and sowerly hath smarted for it. And if he have held his hand, it is his exceeding mercy, whereof we are able to make no recompense: only our thankfulness from the bottom of our hearts, is the best. Such a sober meditation upon the afflictions of our neighbors, or those with whom we live, would put us from that iolity, wherein we too much take delight, from the flaunting of this world, and our unbridled appetites. The losses of others should be our terror: what is theirs may be ours; if other smart let us quake: when Jonah is to be punished, the ship-men are afraid.

[ 2] 9 This is the second circumstance, to be thought upon here, in the fellow-travelers of our Prophet, which (as some do understand it) showeth a kind of wondering, that a man who was an Hebrew, & brought up in God's service, so familiar with the mysteries, & secrets of such a master, put in trust with such a charge, as to go and preach at Nineveh, should transgress in so high a degree. If the fault had been of ignorance, it had been so much the lighter, and he deserved fewer stripes. But to whom much is committed, of him much is required: he might the more be wondered at. God reproacheth it to Eli, that whereas himself had appeared unto his fathers house, and chose both them and him, to stand before his Altar, & offer up incense unto him, he had kicked against his sacrifice, and honored his children, more then he did that God who made him. If any men, then the Ministers & Prophets of the Lord, should respect their solemn duty. A City set on an hill, is in the sight of all. The Priest is the eye of the body, to guide the steps of other. If darkness be on the hill, what darkness is in the vale? if dimness be in the eye, how dark is all the body? In the Minister, each known fault is reputed for a crime, because he is so conspicuous, and visible to all; even as a small wound in the face is eminent, and therefore noted. In the countenance of a men, if one eyebrow should be shaven, how little is taken away from the body, but how much from the beauty? They are the words of Saint Agustine. Then we should be very careful, to pass the days of our pilgrimage in sincerity and integrity, that we may not be wondered at, by mariners and mean men, why we should do this or that, when we do grossly offend.

10 Among the unlearned Pastors, & blind guides of the Papacy, transgressiō or iniquity needeth no such woēdring at. Their ignorance answereth for them: for how should they do anything but ill, who never learned to do otherwise? If they decline from their duty, and be scandalous unto other, and any man should come upon thē, as these his companions did upon Jonah, Wherefore have you done this? Can you, whose life is spent in reading of the Scriptures, in expounding them to other, in informing the people's consciences, forget yourselves in such manner, as to be notorious sinners? They may put this wondering frō thē, and answer it in a word: you mistake yourself in us: we are not men so expert; the law & the testimony is unto us as a sealed book. You should rather marvel at us, if we should do anything otherwise then ill. I should judge that this answer, would well fit those Priests & Prelates, of whom Johannes Auentinus speaketh, that they are so base and rude, that if they had been lay men, they should scant have been counted fit to keep swine, which notwithstanding in his time, both throughout Germany and all Christendom, had Churches and souls of men committed to their charge and custody. I am sure it had very well agreed to those Scottish Priests, who as Buchanan their own country man reporteth of them, in the late reformation of religion in that kingdom, were so blockish & so blind, that the very name of the New Testament was much offensive to them: they thought it to be new devised, and invented by Martin Luther, and asked for the old again. Which is the more likely in their ordinary Curates, when we read of a Bishop of theirs, called the Bishop of Dunkelden, who replied on a Minister, which said that he had read the Old and New Testament, I thank God I never knew what the Old and the New Testament was. The very self same doth Bobert Stephanus avouch of the Sorbonistes in Paris, who take upon them to be men of more admirable learning, and to be Divines of the deepest. He aduoucheth, that when himself had many conflicts and disputations with them, they would tell him that they knew not, what the New Testament was. It is no sin to imagine, that the life of such was like their learning. And if in their often oversights, it should have been asked of them, And why do you this, being teachers & disputers, or at least Pastors over others, & therefore men of knowledge? of likelihood these good creatures, would have shaped some worthy answer. I hope that we have none in England, so buried in filthy ignorance: yet my heart oft times doth ache, and my very soul doth tremble, to think what guides be over souls yet in many places; I say over the souls of men, which are the most precious substances, that God hath made under the heaven, & for the ransoming of which, Christ Jesus came down from his glory. Sin hath not yet worn out that unkind brood, which the Papacy did hatch up to our nation, and since those days Jereboam's Priests, the basest of the people (so contrary to our good laws) have filled not their heads with knowledge, but their hands with money, & so have crept into God's temple.

11 But I will not pursue this argument. These words here of the sea-men, which to some do seem a marvel, how a Prophet could fall so fowlly, seem to other to be an increpation or rebuke unto our Jonah. Wherefore hast thou done this ? an Hebrew, and a Prophet, and fly away from thy master? what marvel if vengeance follow thee? what wonder if wrath pursue thee? If it were no more but so, this were a gawling speech to an ingenuous mind, that men of so base behavior, should come over him in this manner, with a true and just rebuke. It was a shame to Sara (the text saith that she was reproved ) and no great praise to Abraham, when Abimelech king of Gerar, a man that knew not the Lord, did justly blame the cōcealing of Sara to be his wife, by which means he had like ignorantly to have fallen into adultery. But when sin apparently is committed, how impudent is that person, which blusheth not to be reproached for it by a multitude? Those in whom the love of virtue, and the sound fear of the Lord is, will never cease to pray, that God will so guide, and direct their steppes perpetually, that they may not give a just occasion, to the enemies of the Gospel, or to the haters of their persons, to insultouer their falls: for the malice of spiteful hearts, would be glad to see the slips of them, whom God doth bless. Therefore the faithful do pray so much the more against it, as David doth many times. But the careless and disobedient, because they little fear it, do suddenly fall into it, and so by open wickedness, draw upon themselves open shame: not only to have as Jonah had, his companions to check him, but passengers to deride them, and children to nodde their heads at them; yea sometimes taunting Rimes, and broken Ballads on them, peradventure the executioner, the vilest among ten thousands, with his Rhetoric for to scorn them.

12 God appointeth this, as a judgment for such as are over-grown, with a hard skin over their hearts, so that they fear not the prick of sin. Yea sometimes he suffereth this rod to fall on his own children, to whip them here with shame, so to save their souls by the bargain. Perhaps the Judge, he shaketh them, and rattleth them up in austerity: it may be that penance is done, and the wicked triumph upon them. At least they with whom they live, (or else they are exceeding happy men) will have this one cast at them, which these ship-men had at Jonah, Why have you done such a deed? what carelessness or forgetfulness, or unthankfulness brought you to it? But a greater woe then this, doth oftentimes fall on the willful sort of sinners, which indeed fear not the Lord, as upon great persecutors, or rebellious bloody traitors. Their fame is turned into infamy, and they are registered to posterity, as a by-word of the people. The judgment which doth follow them, even after they be in grave is, that songs of defa • ation be as Epitaphs on their deaths. Let Bonner and Story and Parrhy, be witnesses in this cause. A good conscience which doth walk with sincerity, in that calling wherein the Lord hath placed him, doth little fear these matters. And if slanders should arise, yet to him this is the comfort of it, that as fire without wood doth die, so doth ill speech without just matter. I note this from the reproof used by these mariners.

13 The third thing which now followeth, is the question which they put to him, or the counsel which they ask of him. The raging of the sea, is not slaked all this time: while the Prophet both slept and waked, while the lot was thrown upon him, while that he was examined▪ and made all his confession, the sea wrought and was troublous. The sea wrought and was troublous. Those words because they be again in the thirteenth verse, I do defer them thither. But these persons which were in danger, and had their mind on the point, that is, to save their lives, would willingly know the way, how to escape the peril. What shall we do unto thee? This is the doubt saith Jerome. Shall we kill thee? but thou art the servant of the Lord. Shall we save thee? but thou art a run-away from thy master. Thou hast shown us thy disease, show the remedy how to cure it. A little before he hath this also, That great was he who fled: but greater was he that followed. They dare not deliver him, they know not how to conceal him. So there is as it seemeth a great wrestling in the minds of these poor men, what they should do, or should not do. They now know that he was a Prophet; a man reverend in his calling, and therefore they were loath to lay any violent hands upon him. They would rather suppose, that he who was so contrite, and had made such an acknowledgement of the fault which he committed, would proceed to let them know the means, to escape from drowning.

14 Many graceless ones in our days, would have taken another course. A run-away so pursued: a fugitive so made after: we will soon ease our selves of the fear; we will quickly free our ship from the danger: what should so vile a person be roosting in our vessel? Perhaps without many words, he might have gone over board; he might have diued under water: they would never have stood to ask, what they should do unto him. So much doth the inciuilitie, and barbarous behavior of our age, pass the manners of rude men in old time. But they had a good remembrancer, to keep them in moderation, even their reverence unto God, whose hand they did find upon them, as knocking at the door. On the one side how could they tell, least by sufferance and impunity toward Jonah, they should incur the displeasure of the Almighty? And on the other side, how could they tell, least in punishing and taking away his life, the reward which belonged to murderers, might be laid upon them? Jonah for his refusing to go to preach at Nineveh, was chased with wrath from heaven. Then what vengeance might befall them, in a greater fault, as in cruelty, and in shedding of his blood, who never had offended them? Thus they fear to spill his life, although they see show of very fit occasion. They ask advise of him. The main note from this place, is the care which men should have, to destroy the life of none, that they should be averse from blood, which because it is the full subject of those verses, which follow next after my text, I do defer it thither. And so I come to the answer of Jonah, which is my second part.

15 It seemeth that the Prophet, is now as far in his penance, [ 2] as possibly he can go. He knew that he had sinned, and God's wrath must be satisfied with some temporal punishment, and therefore he yieldeth himself with patience, to the very death. Better drown then die eternally, better loose his life here, then loose his life elsewhere. He is therefore content, to sustain the uttermost extremity. He knew that God was glorified, in the execution of justice, as well as in mercy. A lesson which Joshua did once teach Achan, when he willed him to confess, and give God the glory: and by a consequent, endure his death with patience. An instruction which we can never too much teach to prisoners, and such as are to suffer, by iugdement of law, that they should bear with mildness, and quietness of behavior, that which they willfully have deserved. The conscience of their sin, the astonishment at their judgment, the fear of violent death, the shame of such a suffering, is enough to amaze their thoughts, and overwhelm resolution. Whereas on the other side, the putting of them in remembrance, that at one time or another, they must be content to dy, and the urging that God doth lay such temporal punishments upon malefactors, for the saving of their souls, & the recounting of that benefit, which ariseth from Christ's passion, to wit, a pleading before his father, to get pardon for all that be repentant, doth settle the disquieted and affrighted mind right well. I would to God that our English were as backward to transgress, as in this case they are forward, to satisfy even with their lives, the extremity of the law, and that in a peaceable & resolved sort. I impute it to nothing, but to the ordinary passage of the word of God among us, which is every way able to quiet and settle the penitent sinners heart. Other nations do admire it in our men, as the Italians most of all, and the French, as we may see it observed, in the defense of Henry Stephanus for Herodotus. It showeth a right firm constancy, and sure hope in Christ Jesus. And as those two brought the thief, which died with Christ into Paradise, so no doubt but that many with us, go by execution into heaven, who if they were not recalled by violence and by law, would prove firebrands of hell.

16 I remember the patience of our country-men, by the quietness of Jonah here, who alone desireth to die, because he alone had offended in the sin which now is in question. He would not that other innocent men, should perish by his means. This is the course of God's children, to have remorse upon other, and not to entangle them in their plagues. It is I saith David, that have offended, not these sheep, alas what have they done? But contrariwise the reprobate, if destruction must befall them, would have all other to take part in that their judgment, that themselves might not be singular. They would have company to hell. If they needs must from hence, they care not if all the world come to ruin, together with their fall. They earnestly desire, that other men should be partakers of their smart. The name of Herod the great, is very odious in this respect, who laid a plot, that when he died, many other might die with him. And gave express commandment, that one of every noble family in his kingdom, should be slain, that by that means, his death might of necessity be lamented, if not for love of him, which the tyrant had no reason to expect, yet for the loss of others. Such are the unnatural passions, of cruel and bloody miscreants. But the blessed sons of God, be of another spirit: they would rather purchase peace to others, by their losses, then hurt others by their errors. Jonah would die alone, because he alone had offended.

17 Here now is it worth the discoursing, why the Prophet in this manner should urge, and hasten himself to death. Was it, as Arias Montanus thinketh, because yet he is so obstinate, that in no case he will to Nineveh, but rather die in a frowardness, then teach them, who afterward should work harm to his people? No: his confession before handled, doth keep me from that opinion. I hold him now very careful to commit no farther sin. He feeleth the weight of the former, enough & too much on him. Is it then for a fretting indignation, which he beareth unto himself, or for hatred of his life, because his conscience did now prick him, as the conscience of the wicked useth to do, when some villainy is committed, as Judas was pricked in his heart, after his treason practiced on our Savior, whē he went out male-contented, and hanged himself in despair? No: I hold the reason of it to be another matter, as anon I shall show unto you. This had been a sin, more fearful then any that went before. For murthering of himself, whereof he had been guilty (if for that intent he had spoken it) though other men's hands had done it, is a sin so grievous, that scāt any is more heinous unto the Lord. This showeth a grand & solemn possession, which Satan hath in a man, a distrust of all God's love, when a man groweth to the summitie of such malice against himself, as that natural affection, and the account to be givē, of all our deeds upon the earth, is quite exiled out of memory. A doctrine which I take to be nothing besides the purpose, if largely it be discoursed of, in the iniquity of these times, wherein wretchedness hath so fearfully prevailed in some persons, and almost daily doth prevail, that they dare to plunge themselves, into this pit of terrible destruction.

18 Our God in his ten commandments, hath set this down for one, thou shalt commit no murder. He is so precise upon blood, that he not only hath said, at the hand of a man, even at the hand of a man's brother, will I require the life of man. And who so sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed. And, ye shall take no recompense for the life of the murderer, which is worthy to die, but he shall be put to death: But the very Ox, that goreth a man or woman that he die, this ox shall be stoned to death, and his flesh shall not be eaten. He that slue a man unwillingly at the wood, with an axe flying out of his hand, should loose his life for his labor, if the pursuer did so follow him, as that he overtook him, before he came to the city of refuge. This was to make men the more vigilant, that they did no such mischaunces, as we commonly do term them. But if it were willful murder, the offender was to be taken, from the very horns of the altar, and slain, as Joab was served, a man of so noble birth, a man of such service before. These are the laws which were made, concerning the murthering of other men. And doth not the law of God, and the explication of it by Jesus Christ his son, originally require of us, that all fit things which we owe to other men, should be done by our selves to our selves? Thou oughtest to love thy neighbor, but as thou lovest thyself. The example of thy charity, is drawn from thyself at home. Thy soul, thy preservation, the good wished to thyself, should be the true direction of thy deeds unto thy neighbor. But thou must not lay any bloody and murthering hands upon another, therefore much less on thyself.

19 God hath placed thee in this world, as in a watch or a standing, from whence thou must not stir thy foot, till he bid thee to remove. He hath imprinted a most passionate love, between thy soul and thy body, that they grieve to leave one another. The mind will have many inventions, the body will bear many stripes, before that either from other of them, do willingly depart and be dissolved. Wise men have no greater reason of persuasion to induce, that the parting with any friend, or the loosing of the nearest and dearest, must be borne with patience, then that a dearer couple, the nearest that this world hath, that is our souls and our bodies, must depart and fly a sunder. The affection is so entire, the conjunction is so inward, which the one of these hath to the other. God would have our nativity to be bitter to our mothers, that they might love us the dearer, but he would have our death to be sour unto our selves, that we might the more fear to hasten it. And therefore although the spirit may be willing in any man, yet surely the flesh is weak, in the laying down of the life, for a good conscience, and the Gospel. What one is he, whom God's spirit hath not in great measure mortified, that feeleth not in himself oftentimes, an horror and a quaking, to think of this dissolution, that he who in some sort may yet be called the image of God, should become dust and clay; that the goodliest of those creatures, whom the Almighty hath framed under the heaven, should prove a rotten carcass: that he who hath seen the stars, and beheld the heaven in his beauty, yea hath meditated on the highest, and contemplated on the Trinity, should be put into a grave, and tumbled into the earth, to be amongst worms and vermin, in darkness and corruption: all which a natural man doth loath, he could wish that it might not be. Now, when our own hand shall hasten that, which nature doth so far hate, which our heart doth so dislike, which God doth so detest, how wicked is our wickedness?

20 Egesippus in his third book of the destruction of Jerusalem, rehearseth a worthy Oration (although in some other words, then I find it in Josephus himself) which Josephus that great and learned Jew, made to his soldiers in a cave, where they lay hid, after the loss of the city Iotapata, which Vespasian the Roman General took. There his own men would take no nay, but that they must murder down one another, whereupon he useth a speech, which in my judgment is most pathetical. The Almighty God hath given unto us our life as a most precious treasure: he hath shut it and sealed it up, in this earthen vessel, and given it us to be kept, till that himself do ask for it again. And were it not a fault now, as on the one side to deny it when he shall require it again: so on the other side to spill and cast this treasure forth, which was thus committed to us, before he do demand it? And after a few other words he goeth thus forward: If we should kill our selves, who is he that should admit us into the company of good souls? Shall it not be said to us, as once it was said to Adam, Where art thou? so where are ye, who contrary to my precept are come where you should not be, because I have not yet loosed you from the bonds of your bodies. This is a Christian speech out of the mouth of a Jew, which carrieth such matter with it, as is worthy to be reuolued. It was not well with Adam, when he who should have been in the plain, was crept into the bushes: his misery then began. And without God's exceeding mercy, whereof no man can presume, nay great and mighty prejudice is to the contrary, it will be most ill with them, who do adventure upon such deeds: they do rush themselves into torments.

21 Let heathen men be famous for such facts if they will. Let Calanus and his wise Indians, hate to die a natural death, but end their days by burning themselves in the fire. Let the scholars of that Philosopher Egesias Cyrenaicus, so far believe their master, disputing of the immortality of the soul, that to the end that they might be deprived of life, and enjoy that spoken of immortality, they go home and kill themselves. Let Vibius Virius in Capua, profess that he hath poison for himself, and all his friends, which is able to free thē from the Romans, from punishment and from shame: and let him drink and die. Yea let the younger Cato a man held to be admirably wise, be a butcher to himself, rather then endure to see Caesar, who was then become a Conquerer. Yea let Seneca himself, try the manner of Cato his death, although in another sort; after that himself, a Philosopher, a mirror of heathen wisdom, had so often and so highly commended that deed of Cato, that it was not blood, but honor which gushed out of his side. Yea let ten thousand more, with Dido and Lucretia, be recorded in Gentile stories: yet all these are no warrāts for Christians: we have a better master, who hath taught us a better lesson. That adversity and bitter afflictiō, must be born with patience: that we must expect God's end, in misery & calamity, and not hasten the issue in our selves; that true fortitude is in bearing the sorrows, which are assigned & allotted out for our portion, & that to fly from thē fearfully, is cowardice. Where is valure, but in sustaining the greatest crosses with constancy? and where is timiditie, but in this, to kill thyself, that thou mayest be freed from that which doth not like thee? What daunting force, saith S. Agustine, had those evils which constrained Cato, a wise man as they accounted of him, to take that away from himself, that he was a man, whereas men say, & that truly, that it is after a sort, the first and greatest speech of nature, that a man should be reconciled to himself, and therefore naturally fly death: so be a friend to himself, as that earnestly he should desire to be a living creature, and to continue in this conjunction of the body and soul. He did not resist, and stand strong against his evils, but indeed fainted as a coward: he sunk under his burden. I may conclude of him, and of all that do tread his steps, with that learned man, who wrote the treatise De duplici Martyrio, which is commonly called Cyprians. If we read that any have killed themselves valiantly, it was either weakness which by death did seek an end of sorrows, or ambition or madness. So far, in truth, are they off from any just commendation in Christianity and Divinity.

22 Nay, what if it were held a thing unlawful among the very Gentiles? See the Poet Virgil's judgment of it. When Aeneas came down to hell, as the Poet there doth devise, he seeth in a several and disiunct place, such as had made away themselves. He maketh their estate to be so woeful, as that gladly they would do anything, to be alive again.

How gladly now would they be content to endure poverty, and take hard pains in the world? See the judgment of Tully concerning this, in his Somnium Scipionis. When Scipio upon the tale of his father, being grown into admiration, of the glory of men which are dead, asked, What do I then upon earth, why hasten I not to die? his father maketh him answer, with a very divine speech, although he were but a heathen man: No son, thou mayest not have any passage hither, but when that God whose temple all that thou seest, is, shall free thee out of this body. For men are borne to that purpose, and have souls given them to that end, (to rest themselves on this earth) which souls they must keep safely within the ward of their bodies. And they are not to flit from this life without his commandment, least they should seem to fly that duty of a man, which is assigned them by God. I might add to these, the judgment of Aristotle in his Ethics, where he saith, that to kill a man's self for the avoiding of infamy or poverty, is not the part of a valiant man, but of a coward. But I leave these foreign testimonies.

23 Some among the Christians, have thought that maidens, for saving and preserving their virginity inuiolate, might kill themselves. An opinion void of any shadow of warrant, out of God's word. For ought we to do evil, that good may come thereby? Shall we adventure the greater sin, for the avoiding of a less evil? Nay is it a fault in a virgin at all, that she is deflowered by force? Was Tamar to be condemned, because Amnon did defile her? It is consent that maketh iniquity. Tarquinius and Lucretia were two bodies, saith Saint Agustine, but there was but one adulterer. I add no more of that matter. The Donatists and furious Circumcellions in old time, because they were restrained by the civil sword of the Magistrate, from the exercise of their heresies, and keeping of their Conuenticles, would cast themselves from the rocks, and break their necks, by the fall, they would drown and kill themselves. Thereupon Theodoret hath a very pretty narration, concerning them. Many of them on a time, met a young man on the way, and giving him a sword, commanded him to wound them, and threatened him that if he would not, they would kill him for refusing. The young man being put unto his shifts, told them that he durst not do it, because he had just cause to fear, that whē some of thē should see their fellows slain, the rest would turn on him for doing it, and murder him. But if they would first suffer him, to bind thē all fast and sure, he would tell thē another tale. They liked well of this motion, & in their senseless stupidity, yielding to be bound, the young man got good store of rods, & shrewdly swinged them all, & so went his ways and left them. They imagined, that God did well accept of their murtherings, in this or the like kind, & carried an opinion, that now they were become martyrs of Jesus Christ. Gaudentius their Bishop, writeth in defense of the deeds of these Donatists, & in behalf thereof, urgeth the example of Razias in the Maccabees, who when he should be slain, in maintenance of the religiō of the Jews, to save himself frō the infidels, first ran vpō his sword. And whē that would not serve the turn, he threw himself from a wall, and when all this could not kill him, he ran to the top of a rock, and there plucked out his bowels, and threw them among the people. That holy man Saint Agustine, the most judicious of all the fathers coming to answer these things, first disclaimeth them from being Martyrs, They who live not the lives of Christians, cannot die the death of Martyrs. And he also useth that maxim of Cyprian, Not the punishment, but the cause doth make the Martyr. Secondly he showeth out of the Scripture, that a man in no case should kill himself. Thirdly he doth so handle the example of this Razias, that he maketh it to be no warrant, to attempt any such like deed. Hear his reasons.

24 First the Jews do give no credit unto the books of the [ 1] Maccabees: they expugne them out of their Canon. Thus Agustine himself can say, who for want of the Hebrew tongue, is sometimes more then an ordinary friend to the Apocriphall Scripture. Secondly the author there giveth such testimony [ 2] to that deed, as is not sufficient to allow it for currant. He was a lover of the City, and a man of good report, and therefore was commonly called a father of the Jews. But heathen men, saith Saint Agustine, have gone as far as this. He offered to spend his body for the Religion of the Jews. So would other, saith Saint Agustine, who had a zeal as Saint Paul speaketh, but not according to knowledge. Such men as were earnest holders of the traditions of the Jews, but did not accept the Messias. He desired that his bowels might be restored in the resurrection. But that shall be common to the wicked as well as to the just. He died noblie, saith the author, but better, saith Saint Agustine, if it had been reported that he died humbly. He died manfully saith the author, and I do not say, quoth Saint Agustine, that he did die womanly. Thus he scanneth all the words of that narration. Thirdly he addeth, If he had done well, [ 3] he should have done like the seven brethren, of whom we read in that book. He should not have thrust himself upon death, but whatsoever had been imposed by the persecuting tyrant, he should have endured that with patience and humility. Wherefore since he could not suffer his humbling amongst his enemies, he shown himself an example, not of wisdom but of folly, not to be imitated of Christ's martyrs, but of Donatist circumcellions. This is the round and apparent Christian judgment, of that most learned Father. He doth answer the place of Samson, as anon I shall show unto you. For he also killed himself. In the mean time, I may with him lay down this general doctrine, that none should spill the blood, or destroy the life of himself, for any cause whatsoever, because that is a deed most unchristian, most damnable, and most wicked.

25 I cannot deny, but God's mercy wherein he is exceedingly rich, doth sometimes show it self, in the very pangs of death. That between the bridge and the water, between the knife and the dying, between the rock and the ground, repentance may be suggested to the heart, in a moment or twinkling of an eye, but especially where poison being taken, doth not kill upon the sudden, or where death doth not follow presently, there may be some remembrance. Notwithstanding, who is he that dareth to presume upon such mercy? God is loving, but he is just: he is kind, but he is dreadful: he liketh not to be tempted. It were folly to break thy neck, to try the skill of a bone-setter, to try the will of a surgeon. It is monstrous in Divinity, to preasse upon such iniquity, with hope of that, wherein thou hast such threatenings to the contrary. God would have us to lay down our lives, if need be for his sake, if a tyrant will take them frō us; but we must not leap out of thē, for anything of our own. Nay we should be so careful, that we should not rashly hazard them, or bring them into peril. In forbidding sin, God useth to forbid all the inducements, which lead unto that sin. I would that such could remember this, who think that they are not men, unless they make a brawl, or enter into a combat, for every fond word or speech. By that means they provoke the Lord, and if they happen to be slain, they are accessories to their own deaths. That which S. Bernard speaketh of iniust war, is not unfit to be rehearsed in this place, If in thy fighting, thou have a mind to kill another man, and then art slain thyself, thou diest a murderer: if thou prevail and kill the other, then thou livest a murderer. But whether thou live or die, be a conqueror or conquered, it is not good to be a murderer. Theodoret doth commend the good mind of Honorius, sometimes Emperor of Rome, because he took quite away out of that City, the fightes of the Gladiatores, or sword-players in Rome, wherein to show sport to other men, and make trial of their manhood, oftentimes they killed one another. I pursue this matter no further, but only add this, that howsoever an opinion hath prevailed to the contrary, true manhood is not in quarrelling, and brabling for private injuries, but in maintenance of God's honor, in preserving thy allegiance to thy Prince, in safegarding of thy country, in defending thyself from thieves, and such other just occasions.

26 I forget not my Jonah here, from whom as the original, this question of doing violence to our selves did arise. Neither do I forget Samson, whom I reserved to this place, because there is some similitude between him and our Prophet. In that place which I named before, Saint Agustine briefly, but yet notably doth determine this deed of Samson. When he plucked down the house on himself, he slue himself and his enemies. But the reason of it was, that since he could not escape, because they meant to slay him, he would destroy them also with him, even the Princes of the Philistines. Neither did he this of himself, mark the words of the learned father, but by direction of God's spirit, which used him to do that which otherwise without the strength of that spirit, he could never have been able to do, that was pluck down the house. The commandment of that spirit, made this deed to be lawful, as the offering up of Isaac, was a lawful deed in Abraham. That which had been nothing else but madness, if God had not commanded it, when God did bid it, was obedience. So he holdeth this a particular deed, precisely commanded to him, which we may imitate by no means, because we have no such warrant. But Jerome in his Cōmentarie, on the six and fortieth of Ezekiel, doth go a little farther, saying that Samson in that deed, was a figure of Jesus Christ. As Samson slue more at his death, then he did in all his life time, so Christ although while he lived, he gave many a wound to Satan, by his miracles and his doctrine, yet it was his death and his suffering, that broke the back of hell, and the very heart of Satan. These matters may in good sort be applied to our Prophet. He was assured by that knowledge which he yet retained, notwithstanding his fall, that this punishment was assigned to him by the Lord. This must be the satisfaction, for his great disobedience. Now again his faith reviveth, by which he had some foresight, of all God's purpose over him. This was peculiar to our Jonah, by his Prophetical knowledge, and may not be followed by us. It is not any protection for us, to bid any other throw our selves into the sea.

27 Besides this, I do not doubt, but as Samson was a figure of the Savior of the world, so Jonah also was, although not in every matter, (as once before I have noted) yet in this his drowning here. Christ himself did expound the lying of the Prophet for three days in the whales belly, to be a sign of his own burial, and lying in the earth. The death of the Savior, was to him a means of his burial: so here the casting out of Jonah, into the sea by the mariners, was the means whereby he lay three days and three nights, in the belly of the whale. Jonah is willingly drowned here: Christ also there dieth willingly: he yielded up his Ghost; no man could take it from him. Jonah alone must suffer, to save the rest of the ship: Christ alone did tread the wine-press, and Christ doth die alone, to stay his fathers wrath; to save all his elect. You see that he is an excellent type of Jesus Christ the righteous. But as it is impossible, that comparisons should hold in all things, and there is none who in every matter may be likened unto Christ, because he had no fellows; he cannot be tried by his peers; so there is this one difference, that Jonah when he suffered, was alone in all the fault, and Jesus in his suffering, was only without all fault, because he was that immaculate lamb, in whose mouth was found no guile. When I first looked into this text, which I have now opened unto you, I did think to have said something farther, in or concerning the person of Christ, whom our Prophet doth represent, I meant to have mentioned his readiness to die, that he might redeem us sinners, and so briefly out of the New Testament, to have given some comfort amidst all these threats of Jonah. But in handling this last question, matter hath grown upon me, and I love not to be tedious. I will therefore defer that, till I come to the fifteenth verse, where the like occasion is again fitly offered unto me. In the mean time, let us meditate on the excellent love of Christ, who would die so willingly for us, the just for the unjust, to bring us unto his kingdom. To the attaining whereof he always further us, to whom in the perfection of the Trinity, be glory and praise for evermore.

THE VII. LECTURE.

I Onas being of a Prophet become a sinner, of a sinner a prisoner, as oft times you have heard, is examined by his company, but condemned by himself, as a grievous malefactor, worthy to be drowned in the sea. So much did his sin cry for vengeance; so vehemently did his God make after him. But the misery of his misery is, that since he must needs suffer, for otherwise the fault which his own mouth hath acknowledged, cannot be satisfied for, he wanteth some man that may do the deed. The place is ready, and the person, who thinketh every thought of time to be very long, before the matter be dispatched: but there wanteth an executioner. He might not do as Saul did, fall on his own sword point himself, when his harness-bearer would not deprive him of his life. This had argued too great despair. But he might wish with Nero, that in the course of justice, he might have some friend or enemy, to help him unto his end. But among these blustering mariners, he could not find that favor. Although himself accuse himself, and lay his fault plain before them; although winds and waves did confirm it, although the lot thrown did assure it, although in words he did desire to be cast into the water, yet those who should have done it, do so ill like of the matter, that if sails or oars can serve, they will back again to the land, rather leave their intended journey, then use any violence toward him.

2 The word which is used here, coming of Chathar in the Hebrew, doth signify they did dignity, either because men do thrust into the water with oars, as in digging they do, with other instruments on the land, like as in Latin Poetry the bottom of the ship is said to plow the water, sulcare, to make things like furrows in it: or because as men in digging, do turn this way, and that way, & stir & move the ground, so they stirred up their wits, & did beat their brayns and thoughts, to free him from the danger. For his sake, they used all such helps as they had at sea. We know that they be not many: either sailing by the wind, or rowing by the oar: tall ships do know the one, the galleys go with the other. But as it may be judged out of the monuments of antiquity, and partly may be seen in some at this day, every ship in old time, had both the one & the other. When the wind wanted for their sailing, their arms did use to fall a rowing. In this place I doubt not, but that the storm had so ouerlayd them, that their tackling in general did serve them to little purpose. The shift which then remained, was to see if by clean strength, against both wind and water, they might win the land, by their rowing backward. Forward they could not get, & therefore they will retire, rather then drown the Prophet. Their business is forgotten: their hast shall stay a while, rather then destroy his life.

3 When advisedly I consider, how many things here should urge those mariners, to hasten him unto death, their disturbance in their journey, the casting forth of their wares, which goeth against the soul of a worldly minded creature, the endangering of their lives, the discovery by a lot, the confession of himself, & his willingness to dy, besides such stubborn qualities, as of likelihood were fast rooted in mariners and idolaters, and yet how by no means they would take his life away from him, I cannot but observe their marvelous of-wardnesse, and unwillingness in very high sort, to the shedding of blood, which affection of theirs is amplifyed in all my text. Because he should not dy, they would go back to land: and when they see that there must be no nay, but God would have them to throw him into the sea, they cry forth with great vehemency, that in as much as it was the Lord's own doing, and not any desire of theirs, (they were but as his instruments, & ministers of his justice) the blood of this dying passenger, might not be imputed to thē. Although I be not before Judges and lurours, who have to do with men's deaths, nor before any Martial warriors, whose spear sometimes eateth flesh, and whose sword oftentimes drinketh blood: yet because I speak to men, whom this cannot but concern, (for life belongeth unto all) & because my text doth enforce it, give me leave, men & brethren, to discourse this argument unto you in the first place, that afterward I may go forward to some other doctrine.

4 Then I fear not to say, that the laws of God and men, of nature and of nations, of Gentiles and of Jews, of civil men and Barbarians, have commanded that a great regard should be borne to the life of a man, the most excellent of all God's creatures that go upon the ground, the beauty of the world, the glory of the workman, the cōfluence of all honor which mortality can afford, the resemblāce of the Savior, while he lived vpō the earth, the image of God himself, until that time that Adam lost it: to whose absolute frame nothing wanteth, but only a consideration, that God hath so graced him, as that nothing is wanting to him. I need not speak to all these, but urge that which is the greatest. The Lord hath said, I will require your blood wherein your lives are, at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man, even at the hand of a man's brother, will I require the life of man. Who so sheadeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God hath he made man. The often ingemination of requiring and requiring, doth enforce the greater charge. He that smiteth a mā & he die, shall die the death. Doth not the blood of Abel cry for vengeance unto the Lord? How doth God take the shedding of Uriah his blood at David's hand? How doth he threaten a punishment, and that in bitter sort unto the men of Babylon, for their murthering of many persons? The killing of a mā, the murthering of thy neighbor, is such a matter, as for the which can be made no satisfaction. A kingdom can make no ransom for it, the whole world cannot make a recompense, if we will take things aright. It is in one to mar it, but it is not in all God's creatures, to make the life of a man. The Creator himself doth give it; he willeth us to preserve it, that none should dare to destroy it, either in our selves or other.

5 How doth he seem to tender it, when he expressly commandeth the Israelies, to set battelmēts upon the roofs of their houses (whereupon they used oftentimes to walk, because they were flat) least if any should fall down from thence, blood should lie upon the house? In like sort, when he giveth charge else-where, that the beast which killeth any, should be stoned to death with stones? How doth he detest blood-spilling in willful sort, when Christ giveth to the devil, the title of a murderer, as being most fit for him? So that they who are killers and manquellers, do seem to fight under the devils banner; to have put off human nature, which should excel for mildness, and to be turned into beasts, nay to grow into the quality of foul and loathsome spirits. The impression of this thought, both that it is unseemly among men, and odious before God, as it hath possessed the heart of Scythians, and Barbarians, of Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, so these ship-men doubt not of it, but with all their power they do fly from it, as frō the gates of hell. They row, they cry, they pray: rather anything then be guilty of the sheading of Jonah his blood. Nay the more they see him yield, the more their heart doth melt, their affection giveth upon him. They know it to be natural, to spare the life of a suppliant, to save the life of a man. No custom against that ground: no prescription against that principle. Life should be dear if anything: It never can be recovered.

6 They then are monsters in nature, and not only irreligious, and impious toward God, but verily inhumane, who do cut off the life of other, either in superstition, or in any blood-thirsty humor. Be they the Carthaginians, who did use to offer men in sacrifice to their God's. Or be it the king of Moab, who being distressed in battle, did take his eldest son, who should have reigned in his stead, and made a burnt offering of him, upon the top of the wall, before the face of the Israelites, by that means thinking to appease the wrath of his idols. For thus some understand it, although there be that take it, of the son of the king of Edom: which is also bad enough. Or be they among other, or above other if you will, the people of God himself, who as David doth say of them, if that be David's Psalm, were so besotted on their follies, and so doated on their idolatry, that they offered up their sons and daughters unto devils. This was it, which the Scripture calleth the making of their children to go through the f • re, as did Ahaz the king of Israel. Unto this the story of Josiah alludeth, where he speaketh of the valley of Hinnom, in which their little ones were enforced, as the Hebrews themselves do write, to walk between great fires, until that they sunk down dead with the heat: their parents, or the consecrators looking on, but not hearing the pitiful skreeches, and squealings of their children, by reason of the great noise of tabarets, and other instruments of music, which did dull their ears, that they might not hear the sound. Blind men, who supposed that they had done great service to the Lord, when in truth they did that, which was execrable and abhominable in his eyes. So far off they were, from the rules of religion, that they also slipped from the very grounds of common reason.

7 The like may be said of such, who not for any superstitious devotion, or idolatrous opinion, but in a wooluish rauennousnesse, would see the blood of many shed. Be it Haman, who to ease his stomach upon Mardocheus, did cast plots and devises how to have the whole people of the Jews murdered upon one day. Or be it Caligula that foul and foolish tyrant, who wished that all the people of Rome had but one neck, that whensoever it should stand with his good liking, he might cut it off at one blow. A man worthy to be branded, with a perpetual note of infamy, and to be registered for such a villain, as scant ever had any fellow. His heart was soaked thorough: his bowels were steeped in blood, when he carried so vile a mind to his own citizens and subjects. Good God, how far is sense, and all humanity extinguished in men, when thou withdrawest thy grace? How doth beast-like rage prevail? This maketh me to remember, the cruel and bloody speech of her, who being resolved upon that fearful slaughter, which France saw and felt at Bartlemewtide, in the year seventy and two, did use to say of the Protestants, and Papists in that land, that there was no way, but one of the sides must die for it, else the other could not stand safe. The thousands which were on either side, the young innocents and the children, who by her accompt must die, did not move her flinty heart. She had her will afterward, and now although she be in her grave, yet the obloquy and cōtumelious reproach of that action, remaineth forever on her.

8 Shall not those ancient Romans, who appointed by special laws, rewards of honor and glory, to such as did rescue the lives, of any of their citizens, stand up in the day of judgment, and condemn such bloody Christians? Shall not these sily mariners here convince them in that day, who wrought as many means to save the life of one, and of that one a stranger, and of that one an offender, as the other did to destroy the lives of many thousands, and those of their own countrymen, and many of them questionless innocents▪ poor harmless hurtlesse souls. Eternized be the infamy of Satan's and Antichrists practice in it, that bloody harlot of Babylon; for it savored not of Christ the Savior. It is for cruel wolves, and not for tender and simple lambes, to have their teeth in that manner defiled. No privilege or dispensation from any Pope, no warrant from the Council of Constance, that faith given or promise made to heretics, may be broken at pleasure, can excuse that horrible act. All humanity hath disclaimed it: Divinity doth condemn it. We give the like sentence also, although somewhat in a milder sort, against the murthering hand of them, who for their rebaptizing were justly called Anabaptists.

9 A little more then seventy years agone, these did arise in Germany, professing that by the Spirit, they had such illuminations, and revelations from above, that they freely might perform whatsoever came in their minds, as a matter suggested from heaven. Their opinions did quickly multiply, and so did their followers also: for it was a very pleasing doctrine, to a licentious Libertine-like mind, until it grew too far. Besides that all things were in common among them, and their wives were not very private, when some of them had three or four, besides also their rebaptizing of such, as had received the Sacrament of Baptism before, besides their plucking down of magistrates, and many other things which I overpass, they had the gift of killing as many as they would. John of Leyden their usurping king at Munster, did fetch off the heads of diverse, with a very great facility. At Sangallum a town in Switzerland, one of this gentle crew, did cut off the head of his own natural brother, the father to them both standing by, and the mother looking on. And the reason which he had for the doing of it, was because it was so commanded to him from God above. This sect could say that it was the spirit, which moved them to such deeds, and they were advertised from him by secret inspiration; but indeed it was the Spirit which urged them, some infernal ugly fiend. For the holy Ghost, that sacred, immaculate and undefiled being, doth not stir men against the law of God, or to break the bonds of nature, so, as to defile men's selves with such crimes, as were odious to the very heathen. Luther living at that time, did set pen to paper, to discover & discountenance too, those proceedings. He imputed all that stir to Satan, and the immediate work of the devil. And as he was a man, every way of most invincible courage in God's business, so he feared not to say, that it was but a blockish spirit, a gross devil and a rude, who did broach such untoward heresies, as the Anabaptists held. Yet in the Popish spirit, was more close and fine conveyance.

10 The condemning of such deeds, by the sentence of God and man, and the general doctrine which hath been taught, concerning saving of life in all, by the example of these seamen, may be a good remembrance to Magistrates and Judges, that they proceed to punishment of offenders, as men with leaden or woolly, that is slow feet, not rejoicing in that sentence, which themselves give, of purpose to send other men to death: not as persons without remorse, but in heart heavy to see, that reasonable men should be so reckless, as to bring themselves to their end. Although justice must be done, and clemency to some few may be cruelty unto many, yet it is but an inhumane part, to delight in spilling blood. Volesus who under the Emperor Augustus, was one Proconsul of Asia, is recorded for a famous tyrant, in that when he had beheaded three hundred in one day, with a proud and lofty countenance he walked amongst the dead carcasses, as if he had done some deed worthy the looking on: and then at last out he cried, Oh an act fit for a king. Another might well have answered him: No, this doth not beseem a king, who being the head of his people, should grieve that any of them should grow to that extremity, even as the head in the natural body should be sory, that the least joint of the hand, or foot should so rot, that it must needs be cut off. And as in such a case, the surgeon is never admitted but with advise, so should hasty judgment never deprive men of their breath. The fault of Theodosius, otherwise a good Christian Emperor, was the more grievous the while, when so rashly he gave leave to a garrison of his soldiers, to over-run the City of Thessalonica, where old and young were slain, to the number of seven thousands; and all this done, to take vengeance on that people, for abusing some of his officers: as Ambrose very plainly did tell him, when he stepped between the Emperor and the Church, being most unwilling that he should come in that sacred place, till he had made some satisfaction: A Christian Prince should never have spoken such a bloody word, to give so cruel and hard a sentence, against so many thousands of his own subjects, as well innocent as nocent. He afterward grieved for it unfeignedly, and in earnest, but his grief should have been before. Yet better late then never: but the best sorrow which men can have, is that they grieve to do evil.

11 There should be a fellow-feeling, and sympathy in men's minds, a compassion in a ruler, wishing that there were no cause of punishment to be suffered. And this not for a fashion, and because they are words of course, but in sincerity and simplicity; not with the tea • es of a Crocodile, or with the sighs of an hypocrite, but truly and in heart. Else it is but a Pontius Pilate's trick; who pronounced that Christ was innocent, and that he was loath to give sentence, but yet he did condemn him. Although the Jews were not Judges, yet they had learned that lesson, when they would not come into the judgment hall, least they should be defiled with blood: and yet they never ceased to cry out, that Christ might be crucified. The Evangelists do all declare, that Annas and Caiaphas who were the Priests, had a finger also in that work. As it seemeth they left a pattern, for Popish Bishops their successors, to follow when they were dead. For they are not behind their old masters, in hypocritical carrying of things, as they do most lively show in their Degradations of heretics, as they call them. For when the Ordinary or Deputy of the Bishop, doth take off such attire, as Priests or Bishops or men of degree in schools were clothed with, in their formality, and committeth them to the secular power as they term it, they seem to make an earnest request, that no violence may be offered to their bodies or lives, when their full purpose and intent is no otherwise, but that they should be burnt at a stake. This is filthy dissimulation, and not unfit for them, who being wolves and foxes, yet will shroud themselves in sheep's clothing. Blood thirstiness would gladly cover it self with mildness: but it is but a rotten cloak.

If I should add anything farther, by occasion of this desire to save Jonah's life, it might be to warriors, who should not be preassing into the field for every light cause. The old Heathen men had that care, that their wars should be just, as the laws and orders of the Feciales, those Roman Heralds show. Christians should be more careful that they offer not to draw the sword in battle, unless it be for God, or for religion, or in their own defense, or for some important reason. And when the Lord shall send a victory in the iustest cause, mercy beseemeth a man, and the sparing of all that may be spared. It carrieth some meaning with it, that God would not give David leave, to build a Temple unto him, although he fought not but the Lord's battles, and earnestly did desire to accomplish that work himself. The reason thereof is assigned to be, because he was a warrior, and consequently had shed much blood. Which conceit, or the like as it should seem, was in the mind of Constantine that blessed Emperor, who being enforced to fight against infidels, and idolaters, the enemies of his God, yet gave charge, that as few as might be should be slain in the wars; nay did propose rewards to those that took men alive. His predecessor Titus the Roman Emperor, was so gentle of disposition, that Saint Agustine thinketh it not unfit, to call him a most sweet Prince, and Josephus doth acknowledge, that he sorowed most bitterly, when he saw the great store of dead carcasses which perished at Jerusalem. It is therefore likely, that he would have carried a milder hand upon the Jews his prisoners, after the sacking of that City, then to cast so many thousands of them to the Lions, and other beasts to be devoured, as he did on the birthday of his brother Domitian, and some other times besides: but that the heavy curse of God, which boiled against the nation, did urge his gentle and calm nature, to bring them to destruction. But this is no example for other men: they have no such commission. It is not in our time▪ as it was in the days of Jeremiah, that Cursed is he that keepeth back his sword from blood, but blessed is he that spareth, and blessed is he that saveth.

13 If the curse now light on any, it is on the murthering hand, which I would that they in our days, would remember out of war, who either as wicked robbers destroy life for a pray, or else as brauing minds (for so they esteem themselves) do make no kind of conscience, to destroy the lives of others, under pretence of revengement of indignities, & disgraces offered to them. Is hell prepared for murderers, and is it said that such shall be without, that is, secluded from heaven, and from the new Jerusalem, and wilt thou for showing of thy manhood, thrust thyself into this hell? The revenge which is taken, is more upon thy soul, then on the body of thine enemy. Let not piety be so dead, nor nature so extinguished, nor thy conscience be so seared, and burnt every whit away, as to kill any willfully. Rather learn of these mariners, to bear loss, and suffer danger, to spare where might be spilling, then to spill where should be sparing. Jonah had done them wrong, by coming into their ship, & putting them to that trouble, and a verdict was gone out frō God against him, that he must be drowned; & yet notwithstanding, if it were in their power to do it, they would return him good for evil: they even quake and tremble at it, that they were wished to drown him. And thus have you their averseness, and unwillingness to shed blood. Now let us go a little farther.

14 Since they may not be at sea, they strive and they labor, to return to the land: but this may not be neither. Here is more against them, then if all the world were for them. Man will, but God will not: man roweth and God bloweth, the arms go for the one, but the winds go for the other. Whether of these is like to speed? God would not have the Prophet escape away so with the shot. Since his fault is so great, it shall not be unpunished, least the creature should learn to insult over the Creator, and flesh and blood should counterpoise his will against the Almighty. Therefore to teach obedience, and that nothing on earth, must be balanced with his ordinance, for the execution of justice, he stirreth up the sea, to resist the rowing of these silly men. The sea wrought and was troublous. How much is here against how little? The Ocean with his fury, against one wooden vessel. Great waves against small strokes. This is it, whereof David can say, that they who make trial of it, do see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. This is it which if it were not restrained, would return to cover the face of the earth, whose waves do roar louder then all the Lions of the forest, whose gulfs do sup up some, whose sandes do sink down other, whose rocks have splitted in pieces the hugest mightiest Carickes, that ever came on the water. Here is Scylla and Charybdis, and those Symplegades which are so much feared. This is it, in which one short tempest, hath dashed whole fleetes and nauies, the one ship against the other: which sometimes by inundation hath over-run whole countries, as might be shown at large. This is one of those two unbridled elements, with whom there is no mercy: for so we say of fire and water.

15 This worketh against our Prophet, and what help can there be against the fury of it? If the multitudes of mankind were assembled upon the land, if the whole world were put together, yet these are not able to abate this violence. If Pharaoh and all the horsemen which belong unto him, although he be the great king of Egypt, come but into a corner of it (for so the red sea may well be named) they are licked up, as if they had been no better then the grasshoppers, and thrown dead on the shore. Xerxes the king of Persia, was a man of passing wit in the mean while, who, as Herodotus writeth of him, understanding that the bridge which he had made over the Hellespont, was broken by the great violence of the waves and water, caused three hundred stripes to be given to the Ocean sea, in revengement of the wrong done unto him, and to teach it a better lesson, against another time. There is no wrestling for sober men, with the sea, and for drunken men much less. If he with all his army, had been close at hand to help the poor Prophet, now in this storm, he must have been contented, to have left him in that case as he found him. God's charge was upon the waves, not to give over from pursuing, until they had drowned him. And he who could plague all Egypt, with flies and frogs and lice, the basest kind of vermin, could easily give ability, to the sea to drench on Jonah.

16 Then it is no marvel, if they could not bring him back unto the land, since they had both winds and waves and God himself against them. And against them he will be, so long as that party, who is the offending sinner, shall rest with them. In mine opinion, a most excellent point of doctrine is here afforded. Men oftentimes do strive and vehemently labor, with oars and sails and everything, even with all the powers of their mind, and with all the strength of their body, to attain to their desire, of riches and contentedness, and the more they do beat their brains, the farther they are still from it. Early rising, faring hard, much devising and contriving, counsel and help from others: and yet it will not be. Some other with half the labor, do attain to greater happiness. But as these mariners strive, and cannot come at the land, they can neither get forward nor backward, so it is with the desires of the other. God bloweth upon their money, it is put into a broken bag, or as the Proverb is, Ocnus he wreatheth a rope, and an asse standeth by and croppeth it off. Their best means come to nothing: the good intent of their friends proveth, as if there were no such matter. Now what shall be said in this case? Surely we must not rashly censure this state of other men. For God many times doth cross the actions of such as be deer unto him, either to try their patience, or to confirm their faith, or to teach them obedience, or to make them loath the world, or for some other reason best known unto himself. So that we may not proudly or peremptorily judge. Then the conscience of each man, who will not be willfully blinded, is the best trial in this behalf. Descend thou then into thy soul, and sift thyself thoroughly, what may be the reason of it.

17 If thou be not as other men, and very little do prosper with thee, yea although diligence be not wanting, see whether that some Jonah be not within thy house, some lewd or ungodly man, some drunkard or some Atheist, that draweth a curse upon thee. See whether that some Jonah be not within thy heart, who lieth heavy upon thee as the lead, that thou canst not arise. The Jonah of disobedience, the Jonah of discontentedness, the Jonah of want of faith, or perhaps some more noted sin. As long as he hath his abode with thee, do thou row and thy mariners, do thou strive and thy friends, but thou shalt not come to the land. But cast once this Jonah out, the Jonah of adultery, the Jonah of fornication, upon whom beggary waiteth many a time, the sin of a wanton mind, the fault of a railing tongue, against God and his Ministers, the sin of an envious eye, against those whom the Lord blesseth, the roo • e of cruel bitterness in inventing lies and slanders. Let the Jonah of these faults, be once thrown over ship-board, and thy ship shall go like other: the Lord will bless thy studies, he will prosper thy endeavors, and it shall appear unto thee, how much he doth respect thee. Otherwise the sea shall be troublesome, and sails thou till thy heart do ache, thou shalt not come to the shore. Aulus Gellius in the third book of his Noctes Atticae, doth tell of a goodly horse, which belonged to one Seius, and thereof had his name to be called Equus Seianus. This horse was never possessed by any one, but both himself and his family did come to utter ruin. So Seius his first master did speed, and then Dolabella who bought the horse for much money, drank of the self same cup. Then Cassius was his owner, and after that Antonius, and the end of both these was destruction. Understand that sin and wickedness, oftentimes doth carry this fortune with it, that it fretteth the goods of the owner, and maketh little or nothing to prove. Therefore if it be as pleasant to the flesh, and to thy fancy, as the horse of Seius was comely to the eye, better it is to leave it, then to have it: he is best that is farthest from it. And so now I come to the second verse.

18 When these men see by all means, that the Prophet must go out, & that there was no striving against so strong a stream, although it went against the hair, nay although heart, soul and all, did go against the deed, yet they resolve to do it: but it is with fear and trembling. It cannot be avoided: necessity hath no law: they must do it or do worse. Then since God ruled the roast, and all was at his pleasure, they run poor souls to him. It is said they cried unto him, which noteth their earnest vehemency in uttering of their prayers. They whisper not, but so loud as their best breath can reach, they cry unto the Lord. They had seen the immediate power of the Israelites God upon them: that maketh them pray unto him, and that with doubled cries, We beseech thee, we beseech thee. So important is affliction, and sight of present danger, to stir up even idolaters, and wicked ones to devotion. If Pharaoh once feel the smart of the rod upon him, he can be well content, if not himself, yet that Moses should pray unto his God, to free him from the plague. If Ahab by the speech of Elias, do hear of desolation about to fall upon himself and his family, he will humble himself in sackcloth. This is an argument worth the handling, as be many other things in this verse: but because I have still desired, to go forward without confusion, and if I be not deceived, it is the distinctest teaching, to put everything in his proper place, give me leave to touch that here, which is not handled else-where, and which hath most affinity with that, which already I have said: and to refer other matters unto their peculiar places. Then what crying is, I handled, when I opened the second verse. And for that matter, that here they make choice of Jehovah, the true God of the world, as also to dispute, whether they were converted unto the truth or no, just occasion shall be offered, when I come to the sixteenth verse, where it is said that the men frared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vows. Moreover what force affliction hath, to bring men unto piety and devotion, I declared in the fifth verse, where these mariners by the violence of the tempest, were urged unto their prayers. And again, I shall have reason to touch it farther, if God do send me ability to come to the second Chapter, where the Prophet lying in the belly of the whale, maketh his prayer to the Lord.

19 Then the matter which now remaineth for me, is the substance of their prayer: the scope at which they do aim: which is, that since a necessity of drowning him lieth upon them, which they held as well to be unnatural, as inhumane and impious, they would gladly be excused for it, that his death and blood which was innocent unto them, might not be laid upon them. They do profess themselves, to be but instruments of God's good will, they had no quarrel to him. And they in plain terms say, that his was innocent blood, howsoever otherwise, whereunto they were not privy, yet in respect of them. In their company he had not any way deserved to die: his blood therefore to them was innocent, and not gulity. See the abundant store of wisdom, which is in the word of God: [ 1] how many notes do hence arise. First that the Lord doth take vengeance, on innocent blood which is shed, for this is that which they feared; and this may rightly be joined with that which goeth before, that is man's fearfulness in the one place, [ 2] and God's judgments in the other. Secondly, although they were enforced, yet they hold not that sufficient, to do a thing unlawful, [ 3] without God's will expressly. Thirdly that God's direction was their full resolution. The multitude of these things shall not make me forget myself. I will touch them all very briefly.

[ 1] 20 It is very likely, that these men were afraid, that they might justly perish, for spilling innocent blood, for God hath threatened vengeance to that sin, in some places that he will detect it and disclose it, and in some other, that he will severely recompense it. By the Prophet Isaiah: Lo the Lord cometh out of his place, to visit the iniquity of the inhabitants of the earth upon them: and the earth shall disclose her blood, and shall no more hide her slain. By Moses: Blood defileth the land, and the land cannot be cleansed, of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. The sentence which fell upon Joab was, that his head should not go down into his grave in peace, because he had spilled the blood of two just men, of two innocents. It is a great comfort to all men, that their lives are so far within the Lord's protection, that if any shall offer to take them away, God will require them of him. But there is a woe to the murderer. All the righteous blood which was shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, to the blood of Zacharias, the son of Barachias, who was slain between the Temple and the Altar, shall come upon the Jews, who were killers of the Prophets. And if any one thing, it was blood that brought them to destructiō. For as when blood touched blood, the whole land was polluted, so if we will believe Josephus, who lived in that time, the temple was razed down, for the murders which were committed in it. The strangling of young infants, begotten by fornication in our Abbeys and Nunries, which since that time their bones have discovered, in more places then one, may be very well supposed, among many other sins, to have overturned those great buildings. Let the houses of piuate men take heed by their example.

21 The descryings of this fault, which are both by fame, and by books remembered to us, may be a good token, that in this behalf vengeance doth not sleep. As that the very birds of the air, and the very beasts of the field, have helped to lay that open. But among God's secret works, shown for the repressing of that sin, there is none more strange, then the bleeding of the person slain at the presence of the murderer. Which although it be not Scripture, yet that many times it falleth out, I fear not to believe, by reason of a good consent of nations, some later some more ancient, whom experience as it seemeth did teach that lesson. For besides a general opinion in our own land, long derived by descent from hand to hand, the low-countrymen do so hold it, as by Leuinus Lemnius in the second of his Natural secrets, is made plain, and that by a collection from the trial of their magistrates: where accepting the thing, as undoubtedly true, and without all kind of controversy, he inquireth the reason of it. So doth Andreas Libauius another learned man, who hath also made a treatise upon that argument. In Buchanans Scottish story, we find an example of this. When by the procurement of one Donaldus, king Duffus had been slain, the worker of the mischief, caused those who had done it, in no case to come in sight, least the doers should be disclosed by the blood of the corse. That is a testification also, that this is an ancient conceit among the Scottish people. Howsoever that be, much experience hath taught, that this cruelty is very strangely detected, & many times revenged too, by courses extraordinary. Sometimes where man forbeareth, there God doth show his hand in a more immediate sort, as Procopius saith that he did on Theodoricke king of the Goths, who slue Boētius and Symmachus, two both noble and innocent persons. But afterward, the guilt of that sin sticking fast in his conscience, he grew to an imagination, that the head of a certain fish that was set upon his table, was the head of Symmachus, which gaped & yawned upon him. Upon which conceit he trembling and quaking, fell into a sharp sickness, and quickly thereof died. Some other times it is deferred, but yet the punishment never resting, cometh tumbling on at last, as Euagrius in the fifth of his Ecclesiastical story, doth tell of one Addaeus, which in his time was reputed one of the special friends of the Emperor Justinian. This man when he had escaped the law for one murder, yet was afterward put to death, for a fact wherewith he was charged, but in truth had never done it. So the Lord did change the matter, and the Lord did change the time, but the punishment was not changed. He escaped for that which he did, and died for that which he did not. Sometime God doth punish the fathers sin upon the children, as he did David's murder upon Uriah, on his own sons Absalom and Ammon. These mariners might hear of such examples among the Gentiles. For God's finger is everywhere: he is Lord over all the earth; and therefore they might well fear, least that themselves should perish, for the blood of this dying Prophet.

22 The second thing which I note is, that although they were enforced against their will to destroy him, yet because the deed itself was in his own quality unlawful, they cannot satisfy themselves, but still make scruple of it. Althogh there were a kind of commandment from God, that it should be done (for they had signs to that purpose) yet they doubt at it, & grieve to do it. Oh how far doth the conscience of these weak ones, exceed the minds of many now, who think that they may do unlawful things, if they be enforced to it, by any temporal reason, not having for their warrant a notice from God, as these men here had, but all piety clean against them. Such are they, who will not refuse to go to the service of an idol, if their Prince should command them. This was the great perswasiō, which was used by Magnus a noble man, toward diverse Christians; that they should embrace the faith, & opinions of the Arians, because Valens the Emperor, had made laws to that purpose. Suppose saith he to them, that your religion be very good, yet if you be enforced to turn unto another your God will forgive it to you. And much more of that matter. Such are they, who being urged by nothing, but the concupiscence of their own affections, will do things most ungodly. Steal to maintain their bravery: they cannot else live like men. Ly, for to match their enemy, they may reach him so in policy. In like sort, wrestle against their conscience, in oppugning of the righteous, in slandering of the innocent, because he is not for thē, he standeth sometimes in their light, although they know that they do amiss, & that they shall answer for it. This is a small necessity, my idleness or my wantonness, my engrocing of filthy gain, to make me do that, which mine own heart knoweth, that God's book daily forbiddeth to me. Although they were deeply persuaded, that it was the Lord's determinatiō▪ yet what doubting is in these seamen, to do a thing unlawful? for so it is in itself, but God's will doth make it lawful. To this will they thē yield

23 And this is the third point, which I observed in them, thou hast done as it pleaseth thee. They do not accuse God here, and lay the fault on him, as men commonly use to do. We all have learned that of Adā, The woman which thou gavest me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. Not the womā simply saith S. Austē, but the woman which thou didst give me. For nothing is so familiar as for sinners to lay upon God, that whereof they be accused. These do not so in this place, but assume that to be righteous, which God will have to be done, & because they see him will it, & that he will take no nay, therefore they know it is just, & accordingly yield unto it. This is a sound direction, for man to submit his will, to the will of his maker, that as we are taught to pray, O Lord thy will be done, so we yield unto it in mildness. He is wiser then we be, and therefore let him lead. Not my will in my manhood, but thy will in thy Godheade, be done saith Christ our Savior. Let the Lord saith old Eli, do as seemeth good in his own eyes. Although therefore anything be unlawful, & seem unto us to be unnatural, yet if God do command it, we ought not to resist. It was unlawful for Abraham to kill, but more unnatural to kill his only son, and that with his own hands, yet when the Lord commanded, he was ready to do thē both. Let other learn this lesson thence, that if their friends or children, be as dear to them, as Isaac was unto his father Abraham, yet if God take them hence, they say in all obedience, the will of the Lord be done, or with these shipmen here, thou hast done as it pleaseth thee. The like we should say of sickness, banishment, loss of goods, or whatsoever else in this world. Although it go as much against us, as it did against these men, to drown the Prophet Jonah, yet if God do require it, let us do as it pleaseth him. And so let us pray unto him, first that he will keep us always from blood-guiltiness, and from murder; and then that he will give us grace, to make conscience of such deeds, as are against his word; but that evermore we may learn, to submit our selves to his pleasure, that walking here as dear children, we may be brought along to the inheritance of his glory. Unto the which ô Father bring us, for thine own son Christ his sake, to whom with thee and the holy Spirit, be laud and praise forever.

THE VIII. LECTURE.

Y Ou have oftentimes heard of our Prophet on the sea, now his turn is to be in the sea. Jonah flying is past, and now cometh Jonah dying, for in his drowning he could expect nothing else but death. He who would needs to the water, shall have enough of the water, if he know what is enough. His disobedient negligence may not be slipped over, but God who was fled from, will find him: God offended will strike him: he must be made an example to all that come after him, to perform with faithfulness, what so ever the Lord shall command them. The poor mariners his ship-fellows, will they, nill they, are the men that must do execution. Their humanity must yield to the purpose of the Deity, their good nature to necessity, Eleazar an old Jew, who lived about the time of our Savior Christ, doth say that these mariners, to show their aduisednesse in proceeding to his death, before they drowned him, diued the Prophet up to the chin oftentimes in the water, and still the sea was quiet: but when they lifted him up again to take him out, it fell to his raging again, so that being every way assured, that he must suffer, they resolve for his drowning. Howsoever this be true, or not, for I cannot avouch it, it is a case undoubted, that they had main presumptions, & inducements enough, to throw him over shipboarde, and yet they most unwillingly laid violent hands upon him. Besides all that which is gone before, the first words of my text including the manner of their deed, will make that plain unto us. They took up Jonah.

2 It is Jerome's observation in his Commentary on this text, that they did take up Jonah, not hastily did snatch him, not rudely fall upon him, not offer outrage violently unto him, but they lifted him up with honor, which the word Nasa will well bear, being both to lift and to honor. They lifted him with an honor, they used reverence to his person in the midst of that extremity, which was to befall him. Such was the strong impression of his calling in their minds, as if they had read that verse of the Psalmist, Touch not mine anointed, and do my Prophets no harm. Which opinion in all ages hath obtained that force, I say not with the Jews only, nor I say not with the Christians, of whom a Levite and a Priest have been accounted fathers; but with infidels and idolaters, as not only Church-men have been preserved from ill usage, but have also been entertained in an honorable manner. Jezebel was an idolater, and a woman of much evil, yet she so plentifully extended her bounty to those, whom she reputed as Prophets to her God, although it were but that block Baal, that four hundred of them were maintained at her own table. Balaam had but a name to belong to the Lord, and how honorable an Embassage did king Balac send unto him? Our mariners in this lesson are not at all to seek. How would they have esteemed Jonah leading an innocent life, who so highly did respect him, when he was ready for his sin to endure a death? They touch him with a love, they handle him with a reverence▪ they lift him us with an honor, and all these things in earnest.

3 Caligula that infamous Emperor of Rome, as Philo Judaeus writeth of him, had a nephew of Tiberius his prodecessour, appointed by the same Tiberius, to reign jointly with him. The incompatible nature of Caligula, could endure no such companion. Therefore as tyrants use to do, this young Prince must needs die. But mark the manner of it, how cleanly it was carried. He must do the murder upon himself, with his own hands. Although there were diverse Nobles, and great Captains, which stood by and looked on, yet they might not help to rid the poor creature out of his pain, because that was a most unlawful deed: yea a thing wicked and unseemly, that the posterity of great Emperors, should die by the hands of other. Whereupon Philo concludeth of him, that in committing a high injury, he would seem to remember an equity, and to profess a sanctity and solemnity in his villainy. Such untoward hypocrisy is not in these men here, but in truth and just dealing, they would not spill his blood: and since that he must by their hands receive a doom, they perform what they are enforced with honor unto him, but with honor in themselves. They rather may be compared to the men of Taprobana, of whom Solinus telleth, that they did use to choose their kings by election, and not to derive them down by an hereditary line, from the father to the son. When they had made choice of their king, they honored and obeyed him in all good sort, while he remained just and careful over them. But if once he grew intolerable in his regiment by injustice and tyranny, they took away from him, both his kingdom and his life. Herein (as I must confess) they took no pleasure, but clean contrariwise, they did it with a reverence, and regard to his person. Not any one laid hands upon his sacred body, but by a common consent, the use of all necessary things, was interdicted to him, yea very speech with his nearest friends, and in that sort he died. So the very heathens did bear respect to some sorts of men, for the dignity of their calling; but to none more then to their Priests, to none more then to their Prophets.

4 They had evermore an opinion, that the persons of such men, were acceptable to God, that they were such as were singled out, from the common condition of other: that they were richly adorned with good gifts frō above, & those to whom the supreme power was accustomed to impart his will, by inspiration or secret revelation. And in brief they thought these the Oracles of his voice, and remembrancers to other, of such things as were to be done or avoided. Then in tumults and seditions, although otherwise tempestuous fury did rage, yet the lewdest sort of tumultuous people did hold their hands from these, as may be shown in Antiquity, no less quaking to touch them, then did Iether the son of Gideon, in the eight of the book of Judges, to slay Zebah and Zalmana, a boy two mighty warriors. Of this our Jonah had good experience even to the full, who did find that special favor, among men inhumane and barbarous in comparison, that although the sea did descry him, and the wind made strongly after him; although the lo • cast had discovered him, nay his own mouth had condemned him; although his desire was to die, so to appease the fury conceived by the Lord, yet notwithstanding they refuse to destroy him, and when they cannot avoid it, with no despite to his person, but with reverence • th • y perform it.

5 When I look into the world, and this age wherein we live, and compare with these heathen men, the usage of our Christians, toward those who in their places, do bear the 〈◊〉 of Jonah, nay in very deed do bring a message, far better and far sweeter then ever Jonah did, because his word was wrath, but theirs is reconcilement in the blood of Christ our Savior, I find a very great difference. I speak it with some grief, even for the Gospels sake, which by this means is reproached, I find a very great difference. For in the countries abroad, it is a matter not strange, that painful and careful pastors, who labor in the word and doctrine, and therefore by the testimony of Saint Paul, are worthy of double honor: who study to frame themselves to the rule of the Apostle, to show themselves examples of patience, of long suffering, of mildness, of sound doctrine, of industry in God's business are vilefied and conteinned, are sl •• ndered and reproached▪ being made as the filth of the world, the of scouring of all things. Whereof there needeth no farther witness, then the libellings which in some places have been made against the Preachers, for rebuking of sin, the rimes and meeters which elsewhere have been song and resounded out: the manifold cavillations, and false exceptions taken to that which they teach, yea sometimes reports most constantly avouched, of this or that point of doctrine delivered openly, which is both absurd and monstrous. These things partly arise by ignorance, & want of judgment in discerning causes aright: but the truest and most ordinary cause, is the lack of zeal to God, and of charity toward man, and of dutiful regard to those who should not be willfully grieved, but esteemed as such who wait for men's souls, and must give an account, which they would be glad to do with joy. Hereunto may be joined, the pulling and renting away of the maintenance of the minister: that whereas Ethnic people, yea and our forefathers too in the days of superstition, did think that they could never be too prodigal, in heaping much of their substance, on those who were no better then blind guides, now clean contrary he is held the most wise and prudent man, who either by cunning devise, can steal something secretly from the portion of the Levite, or with strong hand will maintain, his open and gross oppression.

6 And if the injured person taking knowledge of the wrong, which is smartingly done unto him, seem but to think how he may procure due satisfaction, although it be by entreaty, his actions are straight pryed into, his fame is called in question, he is generally reproached for a hard man, and a covetous, for a peace-breaker and contentious. Now see whether this be the regardful carriage, which should for his masters sake be borne to him, who standeth between God and the people, whose hands do reach forth that sacrament, which is the representation, not only of the Communion of the Saints each with other, but of the union also of them with Christ their head. For the office which he beareth, for the message which he bringeth, let him have that immunity, that if thou wilt not honor him, and regard him as thou oughtest, yet do no ill unto him, nay say to him nothing evil. When Saint Cyprian once was informed, that a Deacon had given ill and railing speeches, against Rogatianus who was of eminent place in the Church, his spirit could not endure it, but he writeth back again, that the Deacon should be enforced to do some penance for that his foul abuse. And yet this man was by vocation a kind of spiritual person, who therefore had some more prerogative then a common body, to rebuke sharply if he saw anything amiss. But in these days men go farther, then to use unseemly speeches, when they are ready in bitterness of heart, not to stay till occasion be offered, but to wait opportunity, and spy, nay seek means true or false, of turning the Prophets of the Lord out of their livings and houses. As Jonah might not rest and be harboured in the ship, so they shall be removed: as he was thrown into the sea, where in the reason of man nothing was to be expected, but that he should drown & perish, so these shall be cast out into the wide world, as men without a place, wherein to rest their head, so that for ought which their adversaries intend, they may famish for want of food. But whereas all was done to Jonah unwillingly and forced, and at the last cast, they honored him; men of our age do take their victories over their Pastors, as things to be triumphed on: they hold those acts as their crown, their glory and commendation much to be boasted of. When in truth there is no one thing, more infamous in the eyes of all good men, or more to be shamed at, then for sheep to arise against the careful shepherd, the children and congregation, against their spiritual Father.

7 We do find in the book of God, that an everlasting blot is laid on wicked Doeg, for one part which he played, although he were an Edomite and no Israelite, and therefore the more likely to commit any such outrage. When Saul in his malicious humor, picked a quarrel against Ahimelech and the Priests, for giving food to David in his necessity, and commanded such as attended upon him, to run on them and slay them, not one man of all the Israelites, dared to lay hands upon them, but Doeg the Edomite was he, who spilled their innocent blood. This as an everlasting spot, is registered of him to all posterities. It is for infidels and Edomites to do such deeds as these. But Christian men should submit them selves, with patience and mildness, to the moderate reproofs of their wise & careful Pastors, and not to be offended with them, who labor to do them good, by the word and by their prayers. It is a good memorandum, which Saint Cyprian hath in this case: Thou art angry with that man who laboreth to turn away the wrath of God from thee, he speaketh of the Minister, thou threatnest him who desireth the mercy of God upon thee: who feeleth that wound of thine which thou thyself doest not feel, who sheddeth those tears for thee, which thou thyself doest not shed. And God knoweth that the good Pastor doth most diligently perform these duties, that is, grieve to see ought amiss, and pray that all may be well, & take pleasure in the true and spiritual welfare of his charge, as well as in his own▪ Let him therefore be esteemed as a friend, and reverenced as a father: I will press this note no farther.

8 Saint Chrysostom in that one Homily, which he hath upon this Prophet, doth note that by the courtesy which these mariners shown to Jonah, and their very great unwillingness, that he should come to destruction, God would teach the Prophet to have mercy vpō the Ninevites, as these men had on him: that he should by his preaching, reclaim them from their sins, & so save them frō ruin: which because God more at large layeth down in the fourth chapter, in the parable of the gourd, I do defer it thither. But the mercy of these men here, is enforced to turn to justice. They are compelled to leave him whom they willingly would keep. Jonah goeth over shipboord, where behold appeareth a miracle, the sea ceaseth from her fury. That which roared so before, & was so disquieted with winds, which wrought and was so troublous, which so becalmed them with a storm, that forward they might not get, & backward they could not go, that ceaseth upon the sudden. The disturbance was not natural, nor the quieting is not natural, because it cometh in a moment. It was not by degrees, not one step after another, as in tempests which are ordinary, but in that very instant when he was thrown into the water. So miraculous is God's power, to have the mightiest creatures, to move and rest at his beck. If he command the world to be drowned with water, the Ocean shall break forth, the fresh springs shall gush out, the very flood-gates of heaven, shall be opened with a word, and so all the earth shall perish. If he bid his servant Moses but stretchfoorth his hand, the red sea shall part in two, and stand up as a wall on the right side, and as a wall on the left. This is a great comfort to the faithful, that they serve such a master, who so commandeth all the frame of heavenly and earthly bodies, that he turneth them and windeth them, as with a hook in their nostrils, and leadeth them so up and down, that nothing shall assault them without God's special pleasure. It is he that made the sea here to cease from her raging, and boiling with such violence.

9 But the reason why it then stayed, was because it had effected the thing which it desired. The fugitive being taken, the pursuer is now quiet. It is punishment inflicted on the sinner, which in temporal causes allayeth the Lord's anger. When Achan had his hire, the Israelites did proceed in their conquest as before. Saul's cruelty to the Gibeonites, did procure three years of dearth, to be sent upon the land, in the time of David: but when once the posterity of the offending sinner, was hanged up by the wronged parties, God's indignation toward the land was appeased. Princes and Judges have here a pathway laid out ready to them, wherein they ought to walk. If God do awaken a land, with a rod of his displeasure, be it famine, or be it pestilence, or be it the sword of the enemy, after a view taken of the actions, and oversights of their people, let thē purge their land from iniquity, by cutting off malefactors, and breaking the back of sin, and willful transgression. There is no sacrifice more pleasing in the eyes of the Lord of hosts, then that those who dishonor him, should be suppressed by justice. He did whip us not long since with a rod of pestilent sickness: this year he threateneth otherwise, with some fear of a pinching famine. Very likely it is, that if gross faults were removed from amongst our nation, his wrath would cease with the cleansing, as the sea did with receiving our Jonah. If the vserie of the city, the oppression of the Landlord, the simony of the Clergy, the extortion of the Patron, the idleness in the Minister, the want of love in the Communaltie, and security in all sortes, did but so much decay, or so fast diminish, as it hath increased lately, God's wrath would turn to favor, and we should more feel his blessings.

10 But here in the ceasing of the tempest, by the drowning of the Prophet, we are notably put in mind of him, of whom our Jonah is a figure in this case. It hath been mentioned before, out of the twelfth of Matthew, that his lying in the whales belly, was a sign of the death of Christ, by the witness of Christ himself; as his casting up again, was a sign of his resurrection. The dying of Jonah alone for all, doth signify the same thing, as was taught out of the twelfth verse, of this present chapter which I now handle. But nothing in plainer sort doth express unto us, the force of the suffering of our Savior, then rhe ceasing of the storm, at the drowning of the Prophet: even as God's wrath was appeased, by the death of the unspotted lamb. By the fall of our first parents, we all were fallen from grace. We had changed not a Nineveh for a Tharsus, but a Paradise for a torment, and a heaven for a hell. The coldness of our disobedience, was followed with heat of justice; not winds and waves did make after us, to take vengeance on our bodies, but a weight of angry fury, of purpose to destroy our souls. Not one ship but a world was endaungered in this hazard. The Gentile and the Jew, the civil man and Barbarian, were every moment ready to be drowned in desperation. In this state of extremity, God pitieth forlorn man, and sendeth a better ghost then Jonah was, among those who are passengers thorough this vale of misery. And although this ghost was clothed with humanity, like an ordinary passenger, yet in this he differed from Jonah, that our Prophet alone had sinned, when all his fellows were free, but Christ alone was innocent, when all his fellows pleaded guilty.

11 We can never sufficiently admire the effectual force of him, who quieted this great rage. Justice called for a death, take my death quoth the Savior: let one die for the peop • e, the head for all his members. An Oracle had once answered, that either the king of the Atheniens, or else their army must perish. Codrus who was then king, never stood or staggered at it, but gave his life for his citizens, to save them from destruction. The king of men and Angels, had this choice put unto him, that either himself or his, the mystical head or body, should undergo a death. He took the turn on himself, & so wrought a reconcilement, from his Father toward his Church. So, by his stripes we are healed. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. So he being the Lamb of God, hath taken away the sins of the world. He hath freed us and delivered us from the wrath to come. His blood speaketh better things, then that crying blood of Abel, that cried vengeance from the earth: this from the cross crieth redemption, reconcilement and atonement. So he hath by his blood bought a spouse unto himself, whom else he had not had. By the dying of Christ, the Church is made, as Eve was made by Adams sleeping, which is Saint Augustine's comparison. The Adamant is so hard a stone, that it can be softened with nothing, but the blood of a goat. Mans heart was grown so hard, man's case was grown so hard, that it could be lenified by nothing, but by the blood of him, whom the skape-goat in Leviticus, so lively did represent.

12 But to procure our peace, he plucked wars on himself; and what we should have borne, his humanity did sustain with a lovely change of our parts. For the unrighteous sinneth, and the righteous man is punished: the guilty man did offend, and the innocent one is beaten, the ungodly had transgressed, and the godly was condemned: what the wicked man had deserved, that did the good one suffer, what the servant had endomaged, that did the master pay: and what man had committed, that he a God took upon him. This bringeth a way to the wandering, this bringeth life to the dying, and safety to the perishing. For his loss was our gain, his impoverishing our enriching. The worst which was on Christ, was the best help unto us: for his death was our life, his wounding was our life, his bleeding was our life, his burying was our life, his rising again our life, as Saint Ambrose truly noteth. This is the assured comfort, which the wounded conscience hath: although he be fallen in Adam, yet he is risen in Christ: although the law do condemn him, yet the Gospel doth acquit him: although generation doth kill him, yet regeneration saveth him: although the tempest of God's wrath be ready to swallow him, yet notwithstanding the casting in of this Jonah, procureth a calm unto him. And so having Satan maistered, and hell gates shut against him, he dareth to present himself before the throne of grace, with cheerfulness and boldness, in the confidence of his passion, who hath entered into the heaven, and made way to his father. This is it which holdeth us when we are living: this is it which helpeth us, when we are dying. A God become a man: the celestial made terrestrial: our judge become our Jesus, to cease the rage of the sea, to stop the wrath of the Father. We find this accomplished in our Jesus: but we may learn it in Jonah, whose mariners found their best ease, by putting him to pain. For the casting forth of him, did put them from their peril: when the sea once had him for whom it looked, that immediately was quiet. And now let us see what effects all this wrought in the beholders.

13 No marvel if this miracle did make them quake: for what flesh can choose but tremble, to see and feel his hand, who shaketh the mighty ceders? It is written of the Israelites, that when they saw God's power, which he shown in drowning the Egyptians, and their king Pharaoh, in the midst of the sea, they began to fear the Lord, & believe his servant Moses. They saw that God could serve them, as he had served their pursuers, that all power is his own, that vengeance and protection, are in every place at his pleasure. So these mariners had experience, how grievous in God's sight iniquity was, even in thē who did peculiarly belong unto him: how he could follow one to the sea: deprehend him with a tempest: discover him with a lot: and would not rest, till his life had made amends for his folly. How must their heart needs quake? how must their conscience tremble, to think on their own transgressions? their commissions and omissions, the number whereof was great, the hugenesse whereof was horrible? If it were thus with the green wood, how should it be with the dry? If an Israelite had such measure measured unto him, how should a Gentile escape? If a Prophet were so punished, how should such a profane man as all they were, bear that burden? Signs and wonders and strange punishments, are of force and power, to make men look backward into their own souls, and make application to their own consciences.

14 In which respect, the dullness of our age is much to be deplored. We behold as in a glass, the almighty power of God's justice. We read it, and hear it read out of the book of the Lord, which to those who are faithful, is as present, as if their very eyes did behold it. For where faith maketh a doubt, there the sense is never satisfied; and those will not believe, no not if one should come from the dead, who have Moses & the Prophets, and give no credit to them. The case was tried in the Jews of Chorazin and Bethsaida, who saw many of Christ's miracles, and yet remained unbelievers. Out of the holy Scriptures we have heard of strange examples, of God's punishment toward sin, a whole world drowned for security: cities more then one, for their lusts sake, consumed with fire and brimstone from heaven: the Israelites stung with serpents, for their murmuring in the wilderness. Nadab and Abihu blasted to death, for offering with strange fire. Uzzah stricken that he died, for touching of the Ark, which did not belong unto him. Jonah drowned for refusing, to go and denounce God's judgments: a whole land cursed in the prophecy of Malachi, for sacrilege, and detaining the portion of the Levite. These things are written for our example: for us I say, on whom the ends of the world are come.

15 These and the like things, are often sounded into our ears: but do we learn thereby to fear the Lord exceedingly? do we apply this plaster, by remembrance of our own ways, that in such or such a deed, I and I have sinned more then these; I transgressed in willfulness, with such a provocation, and with such a one in infirmity. I were best to withdraw my foot, from doubling of such lewd crimes. I may preasse upon God too far, and overlay his patience, with mine encroaching boldness. Who is he that maketh such use, of the fearful and terrible works of God? Who taketh these things to heart? The deed declareth the mind, as the fruit maketh the tree known. Doth the wanton leave his wantonness, and the adulterer hate his lust? Doth the swearer of our age, remember that his blasphemies are written up in a book, and sealed until the day of vengeance? Doth Jonah go to Nineveh, and rebuke the great and small, with that spirit wherewith he should? No: but either we will say nothing, like men who cannot speak; and so leaving it to younger persons, we our selves grow to a desuetude, which afterward we peradventure would be willing to leave and cannot: or if we speak at all, it is but a bare and cold narration, neither aiming to teach for faith, nor to infourme for manners. We do not cut at the root of sin: we seek not to warm the conscience. Where is our fear of the Lord? our reverence to his sanctity? our submission to his majesty? Yet well fare these silly mariners: one example could work with them, to move them exceedingly for the time, and to cause them to sacrifice to the Lord.

16 In opening of which words, and by a consequent of this whole verse, I must profess unto you, that here I find among the interpreters, more difference in opinions, then in anything yet in this Prophecy of Jonah. The text saith, that they offered sacrifice, but what or where, it speaketh not. Some think not at Jerusalem, the place then only appointed for sacrifice to the true God: but wheresoever they first landed. Arias Montanus thinketh that they offered it at Jerusalem, which thing was sometimes done by the Gentiles, as by the Chamberlain to Candace the Queen of Ethiopia. The Chaldee Paraphrase hath, that they said they would offer sacrifice. Jerome thinketh that what they did, was at sea and not at land. They made such spiritual sacrifice, as the inner man could afford: thanks giving, and supplication, and repentance and such like. The Prophet Osee doth call these the calves of our lips. And David he speaketh of them saying, the sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit. Howsoever it is not much to the history, whether it were the one or the other. The holy Ghost doth let us know, that the motive which they saw in this action, was so mighty, that it wrong from them a remorse, and so possessed them for the time, that compunction and devotion was within them, and without them, & as men thoroughly mortified, they refused to do nothing, which was any way religious. They either fell to their prayers, which is a spiritual sacrifice, or offered something else, when they came to the land, or at least they professed that they would do it. But it is a case without controversy, that they made vows to the Lord. A thing common among mariners, and passengers at the sea, when they fear any shipwreck. If they can over-stand that journey, and escape well from that danger, they will fast, or give alms, or dedicate some great thing to the Lord. They spare not to speak in the fit, although they never mean it. Yea and it may be, that in the extremity they resolve to perform their vow, but the danger being once past and gone, if they should be urged to accomplish it, they would think themselves as il used, as those two were by Caligula; of whom Dion reporteth, that when the said Caligula was sick, they thinking to get much money, as a reward for their great love to the Emperor, vowed that on condition he might live, they themselves would die to excuse him. When indeed he was recovered afterward, he took them at their word, and put them to death, least they should break their vow, and prove perjured persons. Of likelihood, these thought themselves to be used but unkindly, and so would these vowing shipmen, if they should be forced to performance. But he that will see more of this, let him read Erasmus his Dialogue, which he calleth by the title of Naufragium. What the Scripture thinketh of vows, and what our Church maintaineth, which is a better argument, to be handled against our Popish Votaries, I may touch hereafter, when I come to the ninth verse of the second Chapter. For at this time my meaning is to discourse another matter.

17 It is a great controversy, whether this exceeding fear, do intend a true conversion from Gentilism to the Lord, from idolatry to true piety; and in this also, the best Expositors do very much dissent. Some think them to be become earnest Proselytes, and men turned to the Jewish faith: that their fear was sincere from the heart, and perseuerant in them unto the end, and that their sacrifices were accepted, and all this so much the rather, because the text doth say, that they feared the Lord Jehovah: not an idol, but the true God. Some other put a condition, that if the heart were justified with a purifying faith, then their vows and sacrifices, were acceptable and pleasing to the Lord. If otherwise, then it was but a vizard, put on for a little time, and so thrown off afterward. A third sort are of opinion, that their repentance was only temporary, like the seed which is mentioned in the parable of Christ, to be sown on the stony ground, which took root for a little time, and afterward did wither away. I do approve this last sentence, thinking that although they feared, and took upon them some religion, yet this was not sufficient to apprehend true grace: for they had not heard by the Prophet, of the Messias Christ, in whom is all remission and washing away of sin. Only the wrath of God in punishing, is made known unto them, which is enough to put the unbeliever, into a trembling fear, as we know that Felix did quake, to hear Saint Paul speak of righteousness, of temperance, and of the judgment to come: and yet Felix was an hypocrite. Neither is this opinion crossed by that, where it is said that they feared Jehovah, for the reprobates do quake at the true God, with a kind of seruility, as the devils of hell do likewise. The awe wherein Pharaoh stood, when he let the people go, was to the God of Moses. Ahab hearing the threatening of Elias, did humble himself to the Lord, but it was not with due continuance. The fear of the God of Sidrach, of Misach and Abednego, was fallen on Nebuchadnezzar, when beholding the deliverance of those three children, out of the fiery furnace, he gave forth a proclamation for the service of their Lord. And yet it is not to be doubted, but these men were reprobates.

18 These sea-people in like sort, might well think of the Lord, and yet not leave their idolatry. The people placed in Samaria, were by the Lions which destroyed them, enforced to serve the Lord: yea the text doth say that they did fear him: but they worshipped their idols also, and so it had been as good not at all, as to be never the nearer to him. The Romans would have had Christ, to be in the number of their God's, placed in their Pantheon: but they cannot away to leave their old God's, whom they had before. Such half-service could not profit these mariners in this place. This was an insufficient comprehension of the Lord, without sound application in particular, by a true faith, which teacheth, that God alone is to be adored by his creatures, and that with a single heart, and an understanding knowledge, and perseverance unto the ende. Which because the wicked do want, howsoever upon occasions of afflictions, and strange wonders, they seem humbled for the time, yet afterward with the dog they return to their vomit, and with the sow which was washed, to their wallowing in the mire. And this recidiuation is more dangerous then the sickness: this relapse then the first fall. For those to whom this happeneth, are they whom Jude calleth trees twice dead and rotten, and good for nothing else, but to be plucked up by the roots. The knowledge which such men have, doth make against themselves: their thoughts against themselves: the motions of their own mind, when they have thought upon goodness, shall witness hardly against them.

[ 1] 19 We do here-out learn two lessons. First that hypocrites and dissemblers (besides their internal motions, which they have oft times to goodness) in outward and external points of religion, can go as far as the faithful, or the best child of God: as these here can offer sacrifice, and make vows to the Lord. So Simon Magus will be baptized, and Judas come to the supper, and heretics can preach Christ, and Herodians hear his word, and Pharisees pay their tithe, and Jesuits fast and pray, so that ceremonies and the show which is outward, do not ever import verity of religion. Satan transformeth himself into an Angel of light. Wolves come forth in sheep's clothing: There be that cry Lord, Lord, and yet Christ doth not know them. Whereupon that speech is true, that we may more easily know who is an ungodly man, then who is truly godly. For hypocrisy may with a shadow, make a disguised show of the one, but foul and wicked deeds will necessarily discover the other. Where an irreligious life is lead, and gross sins are committed, it is an evident proof, that the true fear of God, is not yet resident in that person. Therefore it concerneth us to be wary, that we lean not on any one, but as he leaneth on Christ: for as we must take heed, that we judge not other men, in particular without charity, so we must hold this in general, that all is not gold that glistereth.

20 A second lesson is, that we all look to our selves, that [ 2] we satisfy not our souls, with any external action, neither that we apprehend grace, by fits or feags, as we are urged by any present thing, that hangeth on us: but that we labor evermore, to retain the good which is offered to us; that we quench not the Spirit of God, but stir it up in our selves. It is a thing violent to our nature, to have a mind unto holiness, we sails as if it were against the stream. As then in a violent water, if the boat-men slack a few strokes, in a moment he is carried more downward, then in a good time before he hath gained by his labor; so we must know, that in loosing the hold which we have of God's Spirit, we may loose more in one year, nay perhaps more in one hour, then we have gained in many. It is not enough to weep, when we feel the rod upon us, to pray when we are in sickness: to cry when we are in danger: but in well-fare and prosperity, God must be thought upon, as well as in adversity. We must not hold our duty to be then discharged to the full, when in a moment of some great matter, we fear the Lord exceedingly, and sacrifice and vow, and do all that we can devise, and straight way prove like a fever, have a cold bowte for a heat and so fall away from grace, but we must follow that vein, and pursue it to the end.

21 Saint Bernard in his time, found men rebukeable for this error. For writing of the two Disciples, which went unto Emmaus, he speaketh fitly to this purpose: You shall sometimes see a man very devout in his prayers, whose eyes will seem to stand like the pools of Hesbon, for the multitude of his tears, and yet this man refuseth to bear the yoke of obedience. He bewaileth his pride, while he is at his prayers, but the hour of compunction being once past and gone, he is as proud as before. I would that ourage were free from this unstaid repentance. But I fear that it is otherwise. When we sit and hear a Sermon, a word or two well set on, doth bruise us much for a moment. Vpō solemn days, as at our anniversary thanksgiving, for the love of God, so far extended to us, in the enjoying of her Majesty, or upon other the like occasions, our hearts and eyes and all, shall testify our great feeling. So when we come to the Sacrament, we are very repentant persons; but is it not true of us, that like unto the bul rush we hang down our heads for a day: that drinking with the serpent, we resume again our poison of malice and perverseness. When we are in the Church, we intend to leave our bribe-taking: but with the Church we forget it: when our night-thoughts have well troubled us, we vow to leave our uncharitableness, and to pluck up the root of bitterness; but rising we return unto our ancient evil. In the fields we can protest, against our own oppression, our slandering and reviling, but when we come home, we yield our selves unto the tempting Angel. This is to dally with God, and to heap wrath on our selves. The most wicked men and idolaters, as Jonah his fellows here, can think on goodness for a little, and fear the Lord exceedingly, and yet not be the better for it. Sincerity and simplicity, and perseverance and performance, beseem the child of God. I have troubled you over long. Lord enrich us so with thy spirit, that as we have begun, so we may end in thee, that thy true fear still possessing us, we may be brought to thy kingdom, there to reign by the merit of thy Son, to whom with thee and thy Spirit be laud and praise forever.

THE IX. LECTURE.

B Y this time you may see a very great difference of the several estates, wherein our Prophet hath been: for first he was at land, and there he could not keep him: afterward he was on shipboord, and there he might not keep him: but now he is in the sea, in the belly of a fish, and there he shall not choose but keep him, until that himself be most weary of it. God hath a certain fish in a readiness for to receive him, which for the space of one three days must lodge him. In discoursing whereof, I think it not necessary to dispute that question, which hath been moved in this argument by very learned men, that is, whether that the preparing of this fish for the Prophet, were the new creating of that which was not before; which must intend, that at the same instant of time, a creature of purpose should be made, to swallow him and devour him. There needed no such matter: for there were in the sea fishes enough to serve the turn, and the Lord had one of those at hand, to fulfill his designment. Much rather the power of the Creator is here to be noted, whose authority over his creatures is such and so absolute, that in a moment of time he hath them very readily attending, wheresoever he pleaseth. It is he who alone may say, as he doth speak in Job, All under heaven is mine. The people say of him truly, Our God is in heaven: he doth whatsoever he will. There is not any creature in the heaven, or earth, or sea, be it body, or be it spirit, which is not at his devotion and waiteth not at his beck. The greatest do him homage, the smallest do him service. For he is greater then the mightiest, by whole millions of degrees: and his over-seeing providence taketh knowledge of the meanest. Not a sparow which lighteth on the ground; not an hair which falleth from the head, but he is interested in it.

2 What is greater then the heaven? yet if Joshua pray unto him, for one whole day this ever-wheeling body shall cease his swift diurnall motion. The Sun shall stand still in Gibeon, and the Moon in the vale of Aialon. That which cometh forth as a Giant, and rejoiceth to run his course, yet to satisfy Hezekiah, and to confirm his faith, shall fly back as a coward for ten degrees at once, as then it appeared by the dial of Ahaz. What is ruder, or more unfit to be dealt with, then the earth? Yet at his pleasure he shaketh both earth and sea. What is more excellent, or of a more pure and single nature then the Angels? Yet he hath bound up four of them in the river Euphrates: and although they be prepared at an hour, and at a day, and at a month, & at a yere, to slay the third part of men, yet these Angels cannot stir, until that they be loosed by his precise commandment. And such is his sovereign power, that when he findeth occasion, they are freed all in a moment. In like sort, to effect his purposes he needeth not the posts of Persia, whō Haman sometimes used, nor the dromedaries of Egypt, nor the swift runners of other nations, to go from place to place, and give notice of his will: but in the very instant, he either doth touch the mind of him who is to be the doer, or he raiseth up something else which shall declare his meaning. God sendeth forth his commandment: and his word runneth very swiftly. The day is his and the night, the open place and the secret: fish and birds, and beasts and all: the very wings of the wind to carry his precept on them. Vnconceiuable is his Majesty, inestimable is his power: the highest things and the lowest, the greatest and the weakest, are ever at his commandment: he hath the keys of heaven; nay of hell and of death. This his power so vncontrollable, most eminently appeareth in punishing the wicked, and preserving his own children.

3 Ammianus Marcellinus reporteth, that in Mesopotamia among the reeds and bushes growing near to the river Euphrates, are evermore great store of Lions, which use to remain there, being much delighted with the great calmenes • e and pleasure of that climate. The danger arising from these, both unto men and beasts, would be perpetual, but that God hath provided a remedy to slack the fury of them; and that is in admirable manner. There are always in that coast infinite swarms of gnats, which gather much about those Lions, and to nothing in them so desirously as to their eyes, whom we know to be bright and shining members. But sitting fast on the eye-lids, they do so prick and sting them, that the raging Lions are forced to scratch with their nails, as if they would remove the gnats; but indeed they claw out their own eyes, so that many of them by this means growing blind, do drown themselves in the great rivers, or otherwise become less terrible. This is an argument of God's wisdom, who delighteth in such variety of these inferior bodies. And yet withal, it is an argument of his puissance, who by so weak a matter can overthrow such a great one: a Lion by a gnat: and hath those little ones so attendant, as that every man may see that they are prepared by their maker, to over-rule the other; to chase them and pursue them, and vex them unto destruction. The tyrants of the earth are • earefull unto the poor, as the Lion is to the lamb. Their might giveth them ability, and their mind doth yield them will to tread down their inferiors. Now for the punishment of these bitter ones, God hath prepared as small things as the gnats, to master them in their fury. Let Pharaoh be one man, and Herod be another who shall demonstrate this. The violence of the former and his cruel oppression toward the sons of God, was insolent and outrageous. But how doth the grand ruler of the heaven trample upon him, and make him cry peccaui, with the basest of those bodies which mankind ever seeth? The hand of his servant Aaron was but stretched out on the waters, and frogs came in such store, as made him loath himself, and everything about him. So the swarms of flies did force him to be humbled for a time. What hosts were there of grasshoppers, and of devouring caterpillars, which came forth at one call, as if they had been reserved before by the Lord, to show his mighty hand, and his power which is not limited? Nay to testify God's own finger, there was an army of lice, then whom nothing is more vile; yet prepared they were at an instant, to plague where the Lord commanded. The other, that proud Herod who upon a glossing flattering speech of the people, assumed to himself that glory, which of right appertained to his maker, was stricken with God's Angel, and so died consumed with worms. In such manner hath the Almighty every creature for his messenger, and executing servant, close standing at his elbow, to vex and plague, and torture the enemies of his Majesty, or the oppugners of his glory.

4 And is he strong to hurt, and is he not so to help? To defend and to offend, are they not alike unto him? protection and correction? His sweet mercy triumpheth over his bitter justice: and his power attendeth his mercy, and the world attendeth his power, and so doth everything which is in it. In the twelfth of the Revelation this is well shadowed to us. The woman which is the Church here militant upon earth, is followed hard by the Dragon: there are found two Egles wings, by the which she doth escape. Behold, there is one deliverance, and one not looked for remedy. The Dragon yet doth not leave her, but since he cannot come, he thinketh to send home after her: he casteth out of his mouth a water like to a river, thinking thereby to drown her. See another help in a moment. The earth openeth herself, and swalloweth up that water which the Dragon had cast forth. To the same effect with this parable or vision, were the Israelites reskued by the red sea, the waters flying a sunder, and yielding them dry footing, as if it had been on the land, when they were so pursued and made after, by the chariots and horsemen of the Egyptians. How fitly unto my purpose, was the daughter of king Pharaoh brought forth, and put in mind to pity poor drowning Moses? How was the iaw-bone of the asse made ready, to be as a sword for Samson, wherewith he slue so many Philistines? and how was one of the teeth thereof prepared, to yield him drink when he fainted? So admirable is the Lord, in the assistance of his Saints, that one thing or another, shall be borne to do them good in their bitter extremity, as if it were made only for that purpose. There be few, which have lived many years, and in Christian meditation contemplated in themselves on the kindness of their God, who know not this over and over. Such comforts and such stays arising by such means, as themselves could not conceive of, until they see things done. Oh the love of God inestimable, oh his strange ways for our good. The wicked on the one side may fear his hand, who can raise such means to perplex them: and the faithful on the other side may embrace his mercy, who hath such helps at need: and both of them may stand amazed, and wonder at his power, who hath his instruments evermore so ready.

5 I know not whether in our Prophet, is more to be respected, God's punishment or his protection. If we think upon his drowning, he doth favor him, since he had at hand a great fish to receive him, so that he did not perish. If we think of the time and place, where he lay, and how long, that is, in the dungeon of that fishes belly, for three days and three nights, it doth double and often multiply God's angry wrath upon him. The event doth give this testimony, that since Jonah (howsoever at the first he fell) was appointed, and predestinated to good and not to evil, his deliverance was as ready, as his chastisement was for him: one hand to cast him down, another to help him up: when the ship might not any longer contain him, the fishes belly was in steed of a sea-vessel, to bring him on toward Nineveh. But in the mean while his lying was such, in so many dreades and horrors, and anguishes for his life, nay for doubt of the life eternal, (because wrath was upon him, which endangered his best part, even his inward man and his soul) that many deaths had been easier then a languishing in that prison, where now he had his best repose. So sour a thing is sin, and disobedience to the Lord. It may be sweet in the mouth, but it is bitter in the belly, like a cup of deadly poison. Certainly it is a daughter of those Locusts, which have faces fair as men, but killing stings in their tails. It is pleasure with too much pain: sweet meat with too sharp sauce. And therefore it may well be likened to that herb Sardonia in Sardinia, of the which Solinus writeth, that it maketh the eaters thereof, to look as if they laughed, but in their laughing they die. Thus Jonah is preserved; but to testify God's displeasure, in the means of his preservation he endureth full many sorrows. Let us now see if you please, what that was, whereby God so wrought for him.

6 In the Hebrew it is a great fish, but it is not added of what kind, or species this fish was. Our Savior Christ doth briefly touch this story, and there the Evangelist in the Greek, doth use the word Ketos, which although sometimes (like to the Latin Cete ) it be applied to diverse sorts of great fishes, yet properly it noteth that one, who is the king of fishes, and ruler of the sea, Balaena the great whale: and it is evermore so Englished in that text. A fish which in diverse seas, is of several shapes and fashions, as in the Indian Oceane, in the red sea near Arabia, in the Northern waters toward Island, and in our English Oceane: but everywhere very huge, and everywhere very mighty. And so this had need to be, who had so wide a mouth, as to receive the Prophet: who had so large a throat, as to swallow him and not hurt him: who had so vast a paunch, as to lodge him there and not stifle him. A matter to some men incredible, that among all living creatures should be any so capacious; but so undoubtedly a known truth, to men that live near the sea, or that have traveled much by ship; and a verity so confirmed, so consented upon by all, who have read the writers either old or new upon that argument, that he were a man much absurd, who would make question of it. They all agree that at sea there are fishes, far exceeding the greatest beast on land. And thereof particularly Olaus Magnus doth assign these reasons, the abundance of the moisture which is fit to dilate and increase any living creature, and the very great depth, where is both store of food, and safe means to escape such other fishes, as are ready to hurt them. They farther add, that the Elephant is but little, when he is compared with these water-monsters. That the bellies and mouths, and throats of some fishes are so spacious, that a man may well be received in by them. Gulielmus Rondeletius who hath taken great pains, in displaying the proportions and qualities of fishes, as appeareth in that excellent work of Gesner De Aquatilibus (for those two are oft joined together) reporteth of a little small fish (in comparison of a whale) which he calleth by the name of Lamia, that in the Mediterrane sea, some of those have oftentimes been found, having a whole man swallowed into each of their bellies. Yea he telleth that near unto Marseilles, an ancient city o • France, there have been found of them, which have had within them virum loricatum, a man in some kind of armor. So huge-bellied is this fish, which cometh not near to the great ones.

7 But for the whale it self, if any list to read of the bigness of it, and should esteem that too much, Pliny speaketh positively, that in the Indian seas there are some of two hundred cubits in length: and the same Pliny out of the books of Iuba, that in the seas near Arabia, have been seen some of four hundred cubits (for so much is six hundred feet) which also Munster delivereth to us, in the fifth of his Cosmography; then let him hear what Dion a good Historien, doth lay down of certainty in his fifty and fourth book, and that is, that in the days of Augustus sometimes Emperor of Rome, a whale leaped to the land, out of the Germane Ocean, full twenty foot in breadth, and threescore foot in length. This was so big a body, as might well receive the Prophet. But add to this what I find in Gesner, taken out of an Epistle, which was written to Polydore Virgil, and is avouched there as most true, that in the year of our Lord 1532, in the Northern coasts of our own land, not far from Tinmouth haven, was a mighty whale cast on land, who was ninety foot in length, which ariseth to thirty English yeards. The very breadth of his mouth, was six yeards and a half, and the belly so vast in compass, that one standing on the fish, of purpose to cut a rib off from him, and slipping into his belly, was very likely there to be drowned, with the moisture then remaining. The hollowness of this paunch, might contain much more then Jonah; such a mouth might well receive him, and such a throat might well swallow him. The stories and the Chronicles of our own land let us know, that quantities like to these, among fishes are not to be held for miracles. This question concerning our Prophet lying in the belly of the whale, was once proposed to Saint Agustine. In answer whereunto, he maketh no doubt, but that a whale is great enough, to receive a far bigger matter into his belly. He appealeth unto certain ribs, which at Carthage were hanged up, for every man to behold: and from the compass of their hugenesse, which were taken from a whale, he biddeth them imagine, how mighty that mouth was, which was but as a door or gate, to that cave or vile dungeon, intending the fishes belly. But he concludeth it to be neither impossible, nor yet unlikely, that a whale might swallow Jonah. If any should be desirous, to hear or see more concerning this matter, let him read in Job, God's own testimony of Leviathan, which intendeth the great whale.

8 But there is another and that a greater difficulty, in that place proposed to Agustine, by the means of a pagane person: how the Prophet could be able, for the space of three days and three nights, to endure the concocting vapor, & strong heat of that belly, which digesteth and resolveth some substances of strong quality. The infidels of that time, did hold this to be very ridiculous, and as fabulous a thing as might be: and he that wrote to Saint Agustine, seemeth to make doubt of this matter, although otherwise he were a Christian. The learned father making answer, doth not labor to satisfy the scoffs and scorns of any Pagans, because they do contemn the Scriptures, and all grounds of Christianity, and do call into question not only this, but many other matters. Yet he saith, that they would have believed this, which they judge so strange in our Prophet Jonah, if it had been reported by their own fond Apuleius, or Apollonius Tyaneus, two notable Magicians. But he speaketh home, unto those who profess the name of Christ Jesus. Why should they, who do believe other miracles of God's book, make scruple of this matter? It is not so that one part of the Scripture is true, and another otherwise; but all is of undoubted verity. Could the belly of the whale be hotter to the Prophet, then the fiery furnace was to the three children in Daniel? God saved them in the one, and he saved him in the other. Is it more to bring a living man, after three days from a fish, then it was to raise a dead man, after four days from his grave? Yet we believe that this was done to Lazarus. In like sort Christ Jesus being dead for so long time, as Jonah lay in this fish, did come alive from his sepulcher, which miracle saith Saint Agustine, we should not believe, if the faith of the Christians, did fear the scorns and taunts of the Pagans. For we know that they do deride that. Thus Saint Agustine doth resolve it, acknowledging it to be a miracle, wrought by the hand of the Almighty. Saint Jerome in his Commentary, which he wrote on the Prophet Jonah, doth jump in the self same judgment. Those who make question here, saith he, are either faithful, or infidels, Christians or unbelievers. If Christians, then the truth of that word which is inspired by God, must prevail here, as well as elsewhere, and this by faith must be embraced, as much as other things which are written. If infidels, then no marvel, for they deny both the Old and New Testament. Yet they would believe any fable in Ouids Metamorphosis, as that Daphne was turned into a bay-tree, or some other thing of that forging. So he resteth himself, on the power of God all-disposing.

9 These answers may suffice, for all those who fear God in our time; that he who out of nothing, did make the heaven and the earth, and the armies of them both, and spread the one in circumference, and laid fast the other as the center, which hangeth upon nothing: who drowned the whole world with water: who in the midst of the Lions, preserved his servant Daniel: who by the bones of Elizaeus, restored a dead man to life: who granted to the Apostles, that their shadows healed many, and so did clothes brought from their bodies; could as easily, and with as ready a facility, maintain one longer, or less while, within a fishes belly. For grant him to be Almighty; lay that once down for a ground, and everything will follow, which he shall be pleased to will. This is the faith of the Christians: this belongeth to all God's children. But the Atheists of our age, who are risen out of the ashes of Libanius the great Sophister, or of that scorning Porphiry, or of that derider Lucian, or of Julian the Apostate, do insult over this position, of the omnipotency of God, with impiety more then monstrous. They jest at the name of faith, as a toye made to delude men: and Reason only must carry it. This may lively be notified, by that one of their Axioms, which I once did find written, in the beginning of a New Testament, Ratio suadet, fides fallit: Credere quàm fidere prudens mallet.

Thus with an audacious fore-head, they call him to a reason, who doth things beyond reason, and will not tie himself to that sifting and that scanning, which the thinness, and the baseness of man's wit can afford him. He showeth this very plainly, when he will have a virgin to become a mother, a son without man's seed, mortal and yet immortal, a creator and yet a creature, most infinite and yet finite, ever living and yet once dying.

10 Notwithstanding even for this purpose, in his wisdom he doth not leave himself without a witness: for as impossible things as these, are done every day amongst us. This perhaps may seem a paradox, and not to be believed: but I say it again, as impossible things as this is, are done every day amongst us: but that our custom is to contemn, and pass by the strangest matter, if it once grow common among us; yea when it is so strange, that our understanding is able to yield no reason of it. Such actions do move us most, which are most rare, and fewest times do fall out. It is no marvel to see the Sun, and the stars in their daily order, because daily we may do it, but to see a new star appearing, as not long since there was one in the sign Cassiopaea, is a matter to move amazedness: whereas any other star might raise as much admiration, if we would but call to mind, that it had been new in the creation, although in these days it be old. Hear Seneca speaking to this: The whole company of those stars wherewith the beauty of the huge heaven is distinguished, never calleth people together to gaze upon them. But when anything is changed from ordinary, then every man's eyes be on heaven. The Sun hath not any to look at him, unless he be in the Eclipse. No man marketh the Moon, but when she hath lost her light. He concludeth: So natural it is to us rather to wonder at new things, then at great things. To speak then to these disputers: I will not say of them, as I find in Athenaeus, that Stratonicus a mad fellow said of Satyrus a bad Sophister, that he reputed it for a miracle, how his mother should ever be able to bear him in her womb, for ten whole months together, whom no City could bear, that is, endure but ten whole days together: so bad was he and untoward. I will take that pro concesso, that they were borne of their mothers, yea perhaps of virtuous mothers; who love God with their soul, and tremble at his judgments; and withal, do much grieve to see their children to degenerate, in such sort from their mothers, or rather from their maker. Yet this I may add concerning them, that so far they are like that Sophister, that if they had their demerits, no reformed place, or City, no Christian common-wealth, should bear them and retain them, who are monsters and not men, being of impudent hearts and faces.

11 Let that then be agreed between us (because it cannot be denied) that they were borne of their mothers, and after the course of common children. Then they cannot utterly be ignorant what belongeth to a little infant. It abideth for some whole months together, in the womb of the mother, unformed and imperfect, but yet a living creature. When Mary came to Elizabeth, that child which was afterward John the Baptist, is said to spring in her womb. This example and common experience which cannot be denied, doth argue life to be in the little ones. Now then tell me thou wicked Atheist, how can this be maintained? If there be no breath, how a life? If breath, whence doth he draw it? Thou art taken in thine own net: the scruples of this question, cannot be resolved by thee. Thou art proud in thine own conceit, and presumest much of thy wit; but yet in the knowledge of natural effects, thou art much inferior unto David, as thou must needs confess, if thou wilt read his Psalms advisedly. But he can say for himself, in discoursing of his own generation, that fearfully and wonderfully he was created by God, and that there were miracles in his making. Nay having before protested, that God's knowledge was too wonderful, and excellent for him, and that he could not attain unto it, he exemplifieth that skill of the Lord, in the curious frame of himself in his mothers womb. Pardon me thou proud disputer, if I think that thy wit doth come much short of the Prophet. If then thou wilt not be willful, thou must answer for the infant, that it is done which hath been spoken off, but the manner how thou knowest not. Confess God's finger there, and confess God's finger here; who can do that to a man, which he doth so oft to children, who can do that by sea, which he doth so oft at land; who can do that in a fish, which he doth in every mother; who can do that in one age, which he doth every day. This is his power but for once only, the other is his power always. Then reason no farther reasons, but set open the door of faith give assent to the word of life, and strive not against thy maker. Thou doest kick against the prick: thou impugnest him, against whom thou never shalt prevail. Not the least jot of God's book, can ever be tainted by thee: the Author is vnstainable, vntouchable, vncontrollable. That is indeed peculiar unto him, and proper to his word, which one falsely fathereth upon Virgil, that the praise of no man doth add unto him; nor the dispraise of any man doth take from him. Since then we have the warrant of this writer, let us rest our selves on this, that our Prophet was three days and three nights alive, shut up in a fishes belly.

12 The precise accompt of which time, (being nothing else but a figure, of the lying of Christ Jesus, in the bowels of the earth, and being appointed for that cause, (as God's own Son doth witness) doth move me to suppose, that those days & nights, wherein our Prophet was shut up in the whale, were not entirely completed thrice four and twenty hours. For if it were otherwise in Christ who was the body, then very likely that it was otherwise in him who was but the shadow: that the sign and the thing signified, the figure and the truth, might have a due proportion. But the lying of Christ in the grave, concerning the circumstance of three days, was in some measure Tropicall, and not to be taken literally: for by the figure Synecdoche, part of the day is reckoned for the whole: and because the light and the darkness, for four and twenty hours, make but one natural day, part of the day shall enclose the night which was gone before, so that a piece of the artificial day, shall be accounted for a day natural. To make this the more evident: the Jews did account their day to begin at the Sun setting, which is to be understood, of one of their natural days; but their day artificial, was commonly reputed to begin at six of the clock in the morning, especially about the time of the Aequinoctium, when it is apparent that our Savior did suffer. Christ then died at the ninth hour, that is at three of the clock after noon, on a friday as we call it; and before that the evening was in, on the day of the Preparation, which was that self same Friday his body was laid in grave. That little time before evening, is by the figure Synecdoche, (which taketh a part for the whole) reputed for a whole day and a night, that is, the day and night before going. The night then which did follow the setting of the Sun, and the day which was their Easter, (but by us is called Saturday) is reckoned for the second. And indeed this was complete, both for the day and the night. Then followeth the next night, wherein Jesus arose very early in the morning, at or before the dawning of the day, and the opening of the light, and this is to be numbered for the third both day and night, the part taken for the whole by the figure as before. This kind of computation, as with ease it may be gathered from the narration of the Evangelists, so Saint Agustine doth approve it, and the late Divines so accept it. And it should not seem strange, since in other things we do use it. The Physicians call that fever, a Tertian or third Ague, which skippeth but one day only. The Termes of our University are reckoned in that manner. The last day of a Terme is reputed for a Terme, and the first day of another is taken for another Terme; so that according to our use in some cases, one Terme and two days are taken for three Termes. Thus was Christ in his grave, by the space of three days and three nights, either in part or in whole; like to which it is very probable, that the staying of the Prophet in the whale, was abridged and abbreuiated, for some part of the time, that there might be a full resemblance between the one and the other, the servant and the master. But herein I will not be contentious.

13 But to say no more thereof, the main note from this place requireth full understanding, because there is hence deduced a mystery of our faith, I mean the Resurrection, which Christ Jesus himself expoundeth, to be here very lively signified. Jonah was in the fishes belly, for three days & there nights: so shall the Son of man be for that time in the grave. It must follow thereupon by a necessary consequent: But as Jonah was then delivered, so shall the Son of man then come forth, with a sensible resurrection. Christ foretold that he would do this, Do you destroy this temple, intending thereby his body, and in three days I will raise it, and set it up again. This was also foretold by David, although in the person of our Savior: Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, nor suffer thy holy one to see corruption, which text Saint Peter citeth, to avouch Christ's resurrection. That he did rise again, the Evangelists all do cry: the Apostles all do confirm it. How plentiful is Saint Paul in discoursing this argument, that he did appear oftentimes, one while but to a few, another while to the Twelue, but afterward to more then five hundred brethren at once? By the virtue of his Godhead, Christ had a sovereign power to loose himself from death: it was a thing impossible that he should be holden of it. If his life had been taken from him unwillingly, and by violence, then very likely it is, that the self same violence might have still detained him prisoner. But his dying was voluntary: he yielded up the Ghost, and being contented to put himself amidst those anguishes and horrors, he abode there at his pleasure, on the cross and in the grave; and from death he returned with the self same pleasure, as having conquered all, and triumphing in great glory. And then he who came from heaven, to disquiet himself on earth, so to purchase man's redemption, left death and grave and earth, and with captivity captive, ascended again to heaven, where he • ate him down in his majesty on the right hand of his Father.

14 And by his resurrection our hope is to be saved: herein doth rest the anchor of our happiness and true blessedness. For in vain had been his debasing, and in vain his incarnation, if he had not lived amongst us. And in vain had been his life, and in vain had been his preaching, if his death had not followed after. For his life was given for our ransom: his blood it was which did wash us: his death it was which did quicken us. But in vain had been his death also, if he had not shaken off mortality from him, and borne up his grave before him, and thereby winning his prizes, had not maistered all which resisted. So that we apprehend his resurrection, as the stay and substance of our salvation; as the up-shot of our blessedness; from the which if we should fall, we do plunge into utter ruin. Therefore in the Articles of our faith, this is put for one, that dying, he rose again the third day from the dead. Not that only he died, for the Jews believe so much, and the Gentiles believe so far; but that he was quickened again. For, as Saint Agustine hath observed, the Pagans do admit this for a truth, that Christ did die: but that he rose again, is the proper faith of the Christians, and imparted to no other. Now we hold Christ for the head, and our selves to be the members: what he hath done before, we trust that we shall do afterward. So that by his rising again, is inferred the resurrection of other, and that of all, as well the just as the unjust, and the unjust as the just: the one sort to reign with their Savior, on whom they have believed, the other to suffer torments, because they have contemned. So that both great and small, shall stand upon their feet, in the general day of judgment; and appearing before the throne, shall then receive their last doom of misery or of mercy. And if we did not expect this, the followers of Christ Jesus were most wretched men of all other, who for this hope sealed unto them, do endure such strong vexations, such grievances and perplexities. All the Martyrs were most foolish, who loose their lives in this world, for the maintenance of Christ's glory, which were absurd stupidity (as Chrysostom hath well noted) if they held not themselves assured, that he were come from the dead: never die for him who liveth not: and again if they believed not, that in recompense of their sufferings they should see a better life, and receive a firm inheritance in the day of last proceeding.

15 Their warrant is sealed unto them, by him who cannot lie, both that their holy service shall be rewarded by him, who shall pronounce that comfort, Come you blessed of my Father, inherit eternal life ; and that there shall be a day, wherein they shall hear that sentence, and that is in the resurrection. There were in former times many figures of that matter, even before the light of the Gospel, as when Enoch and Elias were assumed up into heaven, and translated to immortality, to show that other after them, should have the same vncorruptnesse, although by another change: and to make proof of a life, which is elsewhere for our bodies, but shall not be revealed, until that general rising. In like sort, when there were shown unto the Prophet Ezekiel great heaps of scattered bones: which the Lord yet put together, and laid sinews upon them, and made flesh grow thereon, and then covered both with skin, and afterward breathed life into them. In Job is an evident testimony, I am sure that my Redeemer liveth, and he shall stand the last on the earth. And although after my skin the worms destroy this body, yet shall I see God in my flesh. So in the end of Daniel, Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and perpetual contempt. But how evident is this in the New Testament? When the Son of man cometh in his glory, and all the holy Angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats. And in the second to the Corinthians, that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every man may receive the things done in his body according as he hath done, whether it be good or evil. But most manifest of all other is that of John in his Revelation: I saw a great white throne, and one that sat on it, from whose face fled away both the earth and heaven, and their place was no more found. And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God, and the books were opened. Then forthwith, And the sea gave up her dead which were in her, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. So oftentimes and so plainly, doth God foretell unto us this general resurrection. In so much that it is as certain, as that the Lord sitteth in heaven, that this shall one day be.

16 As there is in all the faithful an assenting to this doctrine, & the like might be in very Ethnics, saving that their eyes are closed, & therefore they cannot see, as a sound to a deaf ear is nothing, which yet is discerned by another man, so the miscreants of all ages, belly-gods, and beast-like men can in no sort endure it. Indeed they have little reason, for that the portion is very small, which shall then be allowed unto them. Such were those swinish Epicures, falsely termed Philosophers, who luxuriating in voluptuousness, and thinking that to be felicity, to bath themselves in delight, did enjoy the present with the Ass, but utterly denied the immortality of the soul, and by a consequent, that the body shall ever be repaired. Like to them was Sardanapalus, who had this Epitaph on his grave, Drink and play, our life is mortal, and our time is short upon earth, but our death is everlasting if a man once be come to it. Pliny the elder was a man most worthy praise, for his labors which were inestimable: yet that speech of his was impious, and unbeseeming those good partes which were otherwise in Pliny. To all men from their last day, is the same state as was before their first day, neither is there after death anymore feeling in the body or the soul, then was before the birthday. Certainly the Sadducees were in this belief, of whom the Evangelist witnesseth, that they denied the resurrection. And you may put them in this number, who in Saint Paul's time did use this by-word, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die, as intending that in death should be a final end, and we should be no more heard of. The persecuting Gentiles were plainly of this opinion, of some of whom in France Eusebius witnesseth, that they in scorn of the resurrection, which the Christians do believe, did burn many of the Martyrs, and afterward threw their ashes into the river Rhodanus, with this foolish exprobration, Let us see now if their God be able to revive them. In a word, most of the Pagans in all ages of the world, and all Atheists among Christians, (a thing in our time too well known) do oppugn this truth beyond measure. At whose lives I do not marvel, if they be like their profession, that is, such (some few civil respects excepted) as are fit for those men, who fear neither God nor Devil. I could wish, that since it must needs be, that God's wrath is oftentimes by these plucked down upon our land, the sword of the civil magistrate, would with severity provide some remedy for them, that there might not be in Israel a man, who should once dare to blaspheme the name of the Lord. I remember it is recorded of the Atheniens, that in the respect which they carried to their false and feigned God's, they so detested Diagoras, for talking against their heathenish religion, that he standing in fear of his life, was glad to fly the country. But herewith the other not contented, did put forth a proclamation, that whosoever it were that would kill that Diagoras, should have an honorable reward, that was, a talent of silver for his labor.

17 But to leave these laws unto the Christian magistrate, and to proceed as a Minister, the arguments of all these, and a thousand more of that suit, are but vanity of all vanities, when they come once to be weighed in the ballāce of the Sanctuary, and are counterpoised only with the high God's omnipotency. For why should we tie his power unto our foolish wit? Suppose that there be dying upon dying, and devouring upon devouring; that a man be slain, and his members consumed, some by birds, some by beasts, some by fishes; and imagine that those creatures be taken, and eaten again by men, and those men be then burnt, and their ashes thrown into the water, and if we can go farther, let there be as many mutations more, what is all this to plunge his ability, who can do everything, whatsoever himself shall please? He can do everything, and therefore raise this man. If nature cannot conceive it, learn to look a little higher, to grace and faith beyond nature. Plato an heathen man did much reprove Anaxagoras, because tying himself too far, to natural causes and reasons, he omitted to think on the efficient cause of all things, which is surely God the first mover. This is a monstrous error of us also. But will we allow that to God, the like whereof we do allow unto men? If an image should be made of lead, to the proportion of a man, and the workman which did make it remaining still alive, should retain the mould, or remember the fashion of it with his best observation; although this image were now broken into pieces, and some of the lead thereof did perchance in a wall, join some stones unto other, or iron to stones in windows, or if some were framed into bullets, or put to other uses, be they never so different, yet afterward the artificer having these fragments brought together, can refound them, and renew the image in that resemblance, wherein they were before. That which man can do in his trade, can man's maker do much more, in new framing man himself.

18 I have borrowed this reason from the master of the Sentences: whereunto if any reply, that the comparison is much different, because here the substance remaineth, in the self same nature as before, whereas it is oftentimes altered in the corruption of the flesh and bones in man, I might answer, that it is recompensed by the greatness and the power, and the skillfulness of this framer, which so far doth exceed the ability of all workers. But I rather will strengthen it, with that argument of Tertullian who speaketh to this purpose. We were already once made of nothing, when our matter went not before: and is it not as easy, that we should be again made, when we have been before? If after our corruption our substance should be little, yea very nothing at all, yet can we think it less, then it was before our breeding? The author of the first, can as well do the latter. This reason seemed strong unto Gregory the great, where he speaketh in this sort, If a man who hath been dead should be raised up, all men break forth into admiration, and yet daily is man borne who never was before, and no man wondereth at that: whereas without doubt it may appear unto all men, that it is a greater work when that is made which never was, then when that shall be but repaired and new made which was before. To follow this a little farther, which of us doth remember what we were, before that we were borne: where was our form or our matter? Yet we are grown to this quantity, and come up to this fashion. If we will speak as Philosophers, the son is said to be in potentia of the father: so of the grandfather and great grandfather, although much more removed. If we will speak as the Spirit of God doth speak, Levi the son of Jacob, who was the son of Isaac, who was the heir of Abraham, is said to be in the loins of Abraham his great grandfather. The line by this proportiō, may be reached a great deal higher. Now how many alterations, corruptions, dissolutions, in nutriment and in food, within men and without, of necessity must there be, within ten generations, before that he be produced who is the tenth successor? Where shall we say was the seed, or what shall we think was the matter, from whence he was derived? Yet God hath so disposed, that by order of propagation, it should be so and no otherwise: and a thousand alterations cannot hinder the course thereof; and a million of corruptions shall not cross his purpose afterward, but that from earth and sea, and stones, and rocks, and ashes, changed over and over again, he can rouse us and revive us. The perpetuated order of his actions here among us, doth show that he can do things, which are as far unlikely. To add somewhat more of man, of how small a thing doth he make him, even that which hath no proportion? how doth he bring out the limbs, and members of the infant? where were his bones and his sinews, his arteryes and his veins? where was his head and his feet, his countenance and his visage? how were these things distinguished in his first generation? We may have the same consideration, of the kernel of any fruit, which being small in quantity, and in resemblance very different, from that whereunto it spreadeth, is put into the ground. From this there groweth a root with many things sprowting from it; from thence a stem ariseth; a bark percase without, a pith perhaps within, here a branch and there a bough, here a blossom and there a fruit. A grain of wheat is put by the husbandman into the ground; and then it is but a small thing, and in respect as nothing. Yet from thence cometh root, and blade, and stalk, and ear, and corn, yea when the original of all was dead and even dissolved. From these things God each day doth raise such sensible matters, and maketh the earth and rain, whereof much cometh from the sea, to depart with their own nature, and to be turned into them. Why then should it be impossible, or why should it be strange, that he should bring this to pass in man, the best of his creatures, that is, to fetch him out of the dust, or from the midst of the water? Why not one day that in general, when this in special every day? why not all, which to each? Reuolue these things advisedly, and join faith with thy sense, and thy external feeling, and we shall have a resurrection.

19 Remember how that every winter, the glory of the trees, and all woods is decayed: their leaves lie in the dust, their cheerful green is but blackness: the sap and life is hid in the root within the ground: all the tree doth seem as dead. But when the Sun cometh forward, with his warming aspect, they resume their former beauty. So it is with the meadows, so it is with the flowers, and most delightful gardens. Their winter is as our death, their spring like our resurrection. The putting of our clothes off, should remember us of mortality, that we must put our flesh off, and yield it to corruption. When we put them on in the morning, and go forth as before, we represent to our selves, the receiving of our flesh again in the day of judgment. What is our bed but a grave? what is our sleep but a death, wherein we are to our selves as if we had never been, without sense and in darkness? what is our hasty awaking, at the sound of bell or other noise, but as our starting up, at the sound of the last trumpet, to appear before Christ's throne? Herein indeed is the difference, that the grave doth hold us longer, the bed a lesser while. Thus hath the Lord every way, put remembrancers in our actions, & daily observations, that certainly we shall dy, & certainly rise again, & certainly be then judged. The verity of which matter, even by the light of nature hath appeared unto some, who never did know the Lord. The heathen man Zoroastres did fore-prophecy of a time wherein there should be a rising of all that ever had lived. They were not far from this, who believed an immortality of our souls after death. So did Plato above all other of the ancient Philosophers, who both saith that the soul liveth separated from the body, and that it cometh to an account, and if it have so deserved, suffereth punishment and great torment: yea he mentioneth such a judgment, as wherein the good are set on the right hand, and the evil on the left, as if he had perused the books of the sacred Bible. The French Prophets those Druids, as Pomponius Mela noteth, did both believe, and teach the immortality of the soul, which was a good inducement to infer the resurrection. For when they held this undoubtedly, that the better part doth not die, and by a consequent, that the souls of them which had done well, for their good life in this place, should come unto felicity, they might have easily been persuaded, that by a good congruity, the instrument and copartner and sister of the soul, I mean this flesh of ours, being joined in all actions, should in uprightness of justice, be joined in the reward, whether it be good or evil.

20 How much to blame are the Atheists and Epicures of our time, who come not so far as this; but as they deprive our bodies of all future reviving, so they teach that our souls, in nothing are different from the beasts: but that in the dissolution, the spirit shall be dissolved, as well as the exterior man: in which thoughts they show thenselves, to be worse then many Ethnics. They little conceive the dignity, and simplicity of that spirit, the single in compoundnesse of that self-moving soul, for so I may well call it, in comparison of the flesh. For as Chrysostom maketh his argument, If the soul can give such life and beauty unto the body, with what a life and fairness doth it live in it self? And if it can hold together the body, which is so stinking and so deformed a carcass, as appeareth evidently after death, how much more shall it conserve, and preserve it self in his own being? So pregnant is this reason, that an infidel may conceive it, and very well apprehend it: but we which are Christian men may remember a farther lesson. That our Savior hath died for us, and paid a price very great, his own most precious blood. For whom or what was this? for our body which liveth and dieth, and rotteth and never returneth again? for our soul which is here this day, and too morrow spilled and corrupted? How unworthy were this of him, to endure so much for so little? Shall we think him so unwise, or repute him so unadvised? No, he knew that this soul of ours must stand before his throne; and this rottenness must come forth, by a fearful resurrection. And if this should not be so, if there should be no accompt, no recompense for ill deeds, no retribution for the good, to what end should men serve the Lord, or what difference should there be between the just and the unjust, the holy and the profane? nay between man the best creature that moveth upon the ground, and the basest and vilest beast, which hath little sense and no reason? Because it were impiety to think this of our just Lord, that so slenderly he disposeth things, let us with an assured faith, conceive our immortality, and the hope of a resurrection.

21 As this hath been deduced from the example of our Prophet, by this or the like sort, Jonah was in the fishes belly, so was Christ in the grave: Jonah came forth from thence, so did Christ rise again, his rising doth bring our rising, his resurrection, ours, because he was the first fruits of all those that do sleep. So to conclude this doctrine, by making use of it very briefly: if this be determined over us, & the hour shall one day come, that all that is in the grave, shall arise & hear God's voice, & neither the mountains nor the rocks, can cover us frō the presence of the Lamb, what ones then & how perfect should we study to be? how should we prepare our selves against that day of reckoning, that our judge may acknowledge us to be his friends & his brethren unspotted & undefiled, that so we might not tremble to see him, & hear his judgment? But alas how far are we from it, & indeed frō thinking of it? For as Chrysostom speaketh, some do say that they believe, that there shall be a resurrectiō, & a recōpēce to come. But I listen not to thy words, but rather to that which is done every day. For if thou expect the resurrectiō, & a recompense, why art thou so givē to the glory of this present life? why doest thou daily vex thyself, gathering more money then the sand? I may go a little farther applying it to our time: why do we bath our selves in folly as in the water? why do we drink in iniquity, & bitterness in such measure? why hunt we after gifts, and thirst after rewards? why seek we more to please men, then labor to please the Lord? Briefly, why doth security in inward sort so possess us, as if with Hyminaeus & Philetus, we did think the resurrection past? Why do we as that man, of whom Saint Bernard speaketh, that is, eat and drink and sleep careless, as if we had now escaped the day of death and judgment, and the very torments of hell. So play and laugh and delight, as if we had passed the pikes and were now in God's kingdom? Who seeth not this to be so, although he could wish it to be far otherwise?

22 The remembrance of this accompt, should be as a snaffle to us, or as a bridle to keep us backward from profaneness & enormity. And in these evils let them take their portiō, who are incredulous and unbelievers, of whom it is no marvel, that they do hotly embrace them, and eagerly follow after them. For take away an opinion of rising unto judgment, and all observance of piety falleth presently to the ground, and men will strive to be filthy, in impiety and in sin. But because we profess Christ Jesus, and the hope of immortality, let us live as men that expect it. And since that it is appointed, that all men shall die once, and after it cometh the judgment; and since the day of death is as uncertain to us, as it ever was to Isaac, let us furnish our selves before hand, that with the oil of faith, and of good life, in our lamps, we may go to meet the bridegroom. If Christ as our head be risen from the dead, let us arise from the vanities and follies of this earth, which are not worth the comparing with eternity in the heavens. If he as the chief of his Church, be ascended and gone before, let us who wish to be members, wrestle to follow after him. Let it be enough, that hitherto with Jonah we have fled from our duty, which we owe to our maker, and that we have lain not days but years, oft three times and three over, not in the fishes belly, but in the belly of sin. And let us beseech the Lord, that since Satan is more desirous to swallow us into hell, then the whale was to devour the Prophet, that he will free us from that enemy, and bring us into his kingdom, there to reign with his own Son, to both whom and the holy Spirit, be laud and praise immortal. Amen

THE X. LECTURE.

W Hen Jonah was in the sea, being cast out by the mariners, and was now of all likelihood ready to be drowned, God had a fish prepared, (as before you have heard) to swallow up the Prophet. And in the belly thereof, he lay three days and three nights, after such a manner, as was never heard of before, but no doubt much tormented between hope and distrust; almost quite in despair, yet by faith again comforted. This faith of his, when at length it had prevailed, he breaketh forth (even there in prison) into good meditations, and after his delivery, when he wrote this prophecy, he digested them into a prayer, which is here set down in a kind of Hebrew verse, not much unlike to the Lyrikes of the Greek or Latin Poets. Those words which I have read unto you, are some part of this prayer, and that which followeth after, is another part, in both which if something sound, as from him being in danger, and something again as from him being escaped, impute the one unto the time wherein he did write it, and the other to those conflicts which he sustained while he lay in the belly of the whale, where his bitter meditations, and troubled thoughts, did answer unto that which is here proposed unto us.

2 For the space of those three days, he did not lie asleep, as a man in a trance, or one insensible amated, (for right happy he had been, if that might have be fallen him) but boiling in the extremity of anguish, and great sorrow, as he that had on him a burden so unsupportable by his shoulders, that he knew not how to turn him, or to manage himself. He felt the wrath of God, perpetuated on him without intermission, which wrath was not contented to have him over ship-board, and so once to drown him, but dying he must live, and living he must dy in a torturous execution, so terribly and uncomfortably, that the like had been never heard of. The horror of death still present, & yet prolōged still, in the middle of the sea, in the belly of a whale, a prison and monstrous dungeon did urge him oft to tremble: but the feeling of God's displeasure upon his soul for sin, and the very great expectatiō of eternal pains in hell, what thoughts did these now raise in him? Now the sour of his disobedience is fully tasted by him: he may tumble it and reuolue it, and chew it again & again. Now if Nineveh had been distant, as far as the Eastern Indies, or the South part of Ethiopia, & there he had been sure to be murdered and massacred, by the tyranny of the governor, or ruler of that country, he could have been well contented, to have gone thither even bare-footed, & thanked God on his knees, who had brought him to such a bargain. For it is better to trace over all the world, then once to go to hell: better to suffer many sorrows in body, then in soul to die eternally. With which thoughts being so perplexed, as never was man before him, & not knowing what else to do, with a faith tried in & out, & over & over again, he falleth at length to prayer, the effect whereof is in this second chapter, by it self laid down unto us. But because this prayer is so long, as that at many several times it must be handled, for distinction and orders sake, I think good first to devide it into a Preface and a Prayer. The Preface is in the first verse; the Prayer in that which followeth. And there, what subdiuisions are afterward to be made, it shall in his place appear. The Preface noteth these two things, what he did, that is, pray, and to whom, unto the Lord his God.

3 Many are the temptations and spiritual invasions, which in this life do befall us, while the enemy of mankind doth often assail us; by himself and by the world, and by our own flesh, that domestical foe: and many are the afflictions, which the great God in his wisdom, and our good Father in his love, doth lay sharply upon us, to punish us for our sins, to make trial of our patience, to strengthen us in the faith, to make us loath the world, to teach us true humility, to inure us to a suffering of greater things for his sake, (for so many are the ends, wherefor he sendeth his cross, to those whom he best fauoreth.) In respect whereof, our life is by Job well called a warfare, wherein we are to fight, & wrestle against great matters: to the which Saint Paul alluding, saith that he had fought a good fight, being exercised all his time, against powers and principalities, against anguishes and great grievances, much within & more without. The only stay of all which perplexities, in the very best of God's children, is earnest and hearty prayer, to him who sitteth above, who plucketh down and setteth up, who overturneth and raiseth, who striketh and then maketh whole, who correcteth and then comforteth, who bringeth to the pit of evil, and then doth not cast in, who tempteth not above our strength, but in the midst of temptation, doth give an issue, that we may be able to bear it. The sacrificing of our souls unto this blessed Father, the beending of our knees▪ the bedeawing of our cheeks, the lifting up of our hands, the beating of our breast, but withal and above all, the compunction of our hearts, and the earnestness of our spirits, are the altar that we must fly to, are the anchor that we must trust to. This is that chain, whereof one end is tied to the ear of God, and the other end to our tongue: if we pluck he will listen: if we call he will hearken.

4 Then it is for our good, that so often in the book of God, prayer is both commended, and commanded to us, and not any way for his profit, who is to be sought too, but for ours who are to cry. Ask and it shall be given you, knock and it shall be opened to you. Watch and pray saith our Savior Christ. Continue saith Paul in prayer. Is any of you afflicted? let him pray, saith Saint James, for the prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much, if it be fervent. The faithful evermore have had recourse to this in their necessity, as when Jacob feared Esau, he called on the name of the Lord, that he would send him safety. When the Israelites were driven to that extremity, that nothing in man's reason, but present death did remain for them, behind them being Pharaoh and their enemies to slay them, before them the red sea, a fit place to drown them; then Moses being troubled in his spirit, although he said never a word, having his heart as bleeding within him, cried unto the Lord. When it went hard with that people fighting against the Amalekites, what did Moses but pray for them, when he held up his hands; from which when by weariness he did cease, they sped ill, but while he continued it, they did conquer? What are the Psalms of David, but recourses in his passions, unto the highest God? Did not Jeremiah in the pit and bottom of the dungeon, fall to calling upon the Lord? And our Prophet in worse case then ever was any of these, had nothing else to comfort him, but to address himself to his prayers. When all other helps do fail, yet this is near at hand: we need not run far to seek it. And blessed is the reward which oftentimes doth follow these requests, either the having of that which we desire, or a contententednesse to leave it.

5 The Church of God and the faithful, have evermore retained the use hereof: & sometimes men which have been infidels, have been glad to seek to them for it. When the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, had almost lost his army in Germany, for want of water, a legion of the Christians which were then in his service, had recourse unto this remedy, and by vehement invocation did beg rain at God's hands, which he sent them in great abundance, to the amazing of the Emperor, but the safety of all his army. That noble and mighty Constantine, knowing that one in heaven is the true Lord of hosts, and all victory cometh of him; that the joining of a battle, is the loosing of a kingdom, unless he do assist, would never enter fight, but that first himself and his forces, with knees bended upon the ground, would desire the Lord to bless them. When his enemies on the other side, and Licinius above other, would begin with incantation and seeking to the Devil. But the good Emperor, having many things of great weight still upon him, which he knew not how to wield without the help of the Highest (and that was to be had for asking) did so delight in prayer, that in memory thereof, not as the dissembling Pharisee, but in true fear to his God, and the better to instruct his people in it, by his own example, he ordained that his image (which we know that Princes do use to coin upon their money) should be stamped, with the resemblance of him praying. The example of Theodosius, is in this case not unfit. Being in a battle which was hardly fought on both parts, but at length his men being put to the worse, and now apparently ready to fly, he throweth himself on the ground, and with all the powers of his soul, he desireth the Lord to pity him, and to prosper him in that danger. God heard the voice of his servant, and in miraculous manner did grant to him the victory. To this comfort he found that of Origen to be true, One holy man prevaileth more in praying, then innumerable sinners do with their fighting. For the prayer of a holy man doth pierce up to the heaven. I need not urge other examples of other in latter ages, who have evermore made this their refuge, in dangers and extremities, to fly with speed unto the Lord. For Divinity buildeth upon it: Christianity doth enforce it: no faithful man maketh doubt of it: very Ethnics in their services to their God's, continually did frequent it, and openly did practice it.

6 In the mean while, the supine security of our age, shall I say, cannot be enough rebuked, nay cannot be enough lamented, of which it may be said as one speaketh of the Monks, that their fasts are very fat, but their prayers exceeding lean ; for if we will compare matters that be in secret, with such things as are open, and judge the one by the other, how cold are all our prayers? If we look into our Churches, we shall find many of our Pastors, to go through their common prayers, with very small devotion, little moved and little moving. The people, that is not only young ones, who are of-ward enough from God, and whose feeling is not so passionate, as the Lord in time may make it; but the elder sort very slowly do repair unto the tabernacle: every light occasion doth keep them away: half-service doth serve the turn: and for that which is, it were as good to be never a whit, as not to be the better: they sit there as in a giddiness, neither minding God nor the Minister, but rather observing anything, then that for which they come thither. If it be thus in public, what may be thought of those prayers, which in secret are poured forth, between God and our selves, in our closets or our studies, when we rise up or lie down? It is to be feared that they are few, and those which be, are very sleepy, rather perfunctory and customary, then warmed with zeal of affection. And how shall God know what we say, when we our selves do not know? how shall he hear that prayer, which we our selves do not hear? Let us, brethren, stir up our selves, and be fervent in this, if in anything, and the tutor for his scholars, the parents for his children, the master for his family, the Magistrate for his people, the Minister for his flock, pray every day that the Lord will bless them, in their inward man and their outward, in their businesses and their studies, in their piety and their safety. Remember how holy Job did sacrifice for his children, least in vanity of their youth, they should forget the Lord.

7 And let every man for himself give no rest to his God, but beg of him oftentimes, to double and multiply his gracious spirit on him. For how dangerous are these ways, wherein we here do walk? What perils and great hazards are every day about us? What drawings on are there to sin? what enticements to iniquity? How is the Devil more ready, to swallow us into hell, then the fish was to swallow Jonah? What Atheism doth increase? what worldly lusts & affections? Yea we may see many more things, to prick us on to solicit the Lord of all importunely. The dearth which doth now reign in many parts of this land, which doth little good to the rich, but maketh the poor to pinch for hunger, and the children to cry in the streets, not knowing where to have bread. And if the Lord do not stay his hand, the dearth may be yet much more. In like sort, the safety of God's Church, which in England and in Ireland, yea in many parts else of Christendom, as Scotland, France, and Flaunders, much dependeth under God, on the good estate of her Majesty, the hand maid of Christ Jesus: whose life we see to be aimed at, by the cursed brood of Satan, unnatural home-bred English. And were it not that his eye who doth never slumber nor sleep, did watch over her for our good, it had oft been beyond man's reason, that their plots should have been prevented. The spoils of the Turk in Hungary, and his threats to the rest of Christendom, should wring from us this consideration, that he is to be called on, who can put a hook in his nostrils, and turn him another way, as he once did by Sennacherib. There should be in us a sympathy, and fellow-feeling with our brethren. These things in general to all, and in particular to each, should remember us to break forthinto invocation with the Prophet. It is that which God loveth in us: it is that which Christ with his precept and example, hath taught unto us. He prayed oft to his father, and continued whole nights in prayer, and as Saint Cyprian doth well gather, if he did so who sinned not, what should we do who sin so deeply?

8 The next circumstance in this preface is, to whom the Prophet prayed. He prayed to the Lord his God, where this note may specially be given, that this offending soul doth yet dare by his faith, to make so near application, as that the Lord is his God. Which point because it is plainer in the sixth verse of this Chapter, where he saith ô Lord my God, I will defer it thither. My general observation here is that he prayed to the Lord. And as his case required this, because none else could help him; and he was to be sought unto by submission and humility, who before was by sin offended: so doth the Lord appropriate this honor to himself, and will not have any other to be served with this sacrifice. He is a jealous God, and will not impart his honor to any of his creatures. But he accounteth that the greatest argument of duty which is in man, to be sought to, and solicited by the sighs of the heart, and by the groans of the mind. Call on me in the day of trouble, saith himself by David, and I will hear thee, and thou shalt praise me. And Christ citeth this, as a matter appertaining unto all. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. But in this invocation, is the Majesty of his service. And if we did want other, to be called on or prayed to, it should argue that our God either could not, or would not hear us. The one denieth his Omnipotency, the other doth clip his mercy. But we acknowledge both. The Lord is near unto all that call upon him: yea all such as call on him in truth. Then we need no intercessors, but him who is the mediator of the New Testament, Jesus Christ. We embrace the faith of the martyrs: we love the love of the Apostles: so far forth as we may, we imitate the obedience of the good Angels in heaven: and we thank God for proposing such holy examples to us: but we dare not call on these, least we should be accounted guilty of robbery to their master. Whose meaning if it had been, to bestow any of his honor, or a portion of his glory on any of his creatures, he surely would have let us known it. But through all the Old and New Testament, is no commandment, no example, no reason why we should do it.

9 Nay we have much to the contrary. As first that it may be said, that God alone is there called on, which in the whole Bible is sounded out unto us. And secondly we may know, that howsoever in general, the Saints which reign triūphing in heavē, do pray for the cōsūmatiō of God's grace on their brethrē, who are militant upon earth, which may not amiss be gathered, frō the souls under the altar, & from the 8. of the Revelation, & the reformed Churches in no sort do deny this: yet we are not to believe, that in particular manner they know the deeds of one man, or hear the vows of another, but specially understand the secret thoughts of the heart, which in prayers do most prevail. We find otherwise in Job, that a dead man doth not know if his sons shall be honorable, neither doth he understand concerning them, whether they shall be of low degree. The speech is of all dead generally. He knoweth not of his own children, much less of other men: whether that they be in honor, which is an outward occurrent, and sensible to the eye, much less what they think in heart, which is proper to the Almighty. That place in Job, made Aquinas to acknowledge, that the souls of those which are departed hence, do ex se, of themselves, know nothing done upon earth, but saith he, those which are in blessedness, do take knowledge of our deeds, by revelation from God. But neither he nor any of the Papists, do prove out of the Scripture, that God revealeth such things, to the blessed which are in heaven. That remaineth to be confirmed. We may join to that of Job, the confession of the people, Doubtless thou art our father: though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel know us not, yet thou ô Lord art our father, and our redeemer: and thy name is forever. Then the Patriarchs did not know, and wherefore should they now? For that then they were in Limbus, is an untrue faithless fable, without any ground of God's word. Yet it is marvel to see, how stiffly the Church of Rome, doth maintain in Saints, and the Virgin Mary, the hearing of those which pray, and their intercession for us. He that shall look into their reformed Breuiary (for in the old many things were worse) shall see that they are much called on, nay that God himself is requested, that by the merits of them, and by their mediation, we may attain salvation. There the Virgin Mary is called porta coeli peruia, the gate to pass through to heaven: and she is prayed unto, that she herself will take pity upon offending men. And as they say, if these things be not in the Scripture, yet our duty, and the complements which we owe unto Christ himself, do require it at our hands, and all Antiquity doth make for it.

10 I will not sist this Non sequitu • of decency and congruity, that because Mary was Christ's mother, and the Saints were his faithful servants, therefore in devotion to him who was son to the one, and master unto both, we should use very high duty to them: for God himself best knoweth what fitteth, and he hath laid all that down, and no word of this invocation. But briefly for Antiquity, I confess that in the writings of some of the ancient fathers, they may find something, which serveth for this purpose. As that Saint Agustine in his Confessions doth suppose, that his friend Nebridius doth think on him in heaven. Elsewhere he seemeth to say as much, as that the Angels do hear our prayers, and he proveth it out of the book of Tobias. So, in his Epistle ad Honoratum, he mentioneth, that the Angels do tell unto us, God's benefits sent unto us, and deliver back again our prayers unto him. In his treatises upon John, We do not pray for the martyrs, but we rather pray to them that they may pray for us, that we may walk in their steps. But in that which some do think to be his Meditations, the Author doth pray to Saints, and in his Sermons De sanctis, unto the Virgin Mary. So Saint Herome in his first Tome, and five and twentieth Epistle, saith that Blesilla the dead daughter, did pray for her mother Paula. So Chrysostom on the Psalms, doth mention the intercession of Mary the mother of God, and of the other Saints. To these may be joined, the testimony of Sozomen in his seventh book, where Satan is reported to have railed on John the Baptist, as if by his meditation his purpose were sometimes hindered. I know that much more of this nature may be brought to uphold this doctrine, and yet God knoweth, how sandy is all this weak foundation? how rotten are these supporters, which bend under such a burden? I beseech you to judge indifferently, when you hear what shall be answered.

11 To speak first to that in Sozomen, which is drawn from Satan's testimony, suppose the story true, which is there but a bare report, And is not this a proof right substantial, Satan railed on John the Baptist, because that by his intercession, his purpose sometimes was crossed, Ergo Saints are our mediators? What if the Devil there forged? Is he not the author of lies? What if this were his policy, to make men turn their service, from God unto his creatures? I doubt not but so it was. He saw that the ancient Oracles were fallen down long before (as it appeareth by Plutarkes testimony, who wrote a tract to that purpose) with the which in former times, he had possessed men's souls, for a great space together. He saw that Christ's faith did spread, and that by the force of no tyrant it could possibly be extinguished: he saw that the ten persecutions were ceased, by the reigning of Christian Emperors, and there was now no good to do that way: therefore now he will turn over a new leaf, and will take another course, to breed flaws in the faith, and by opinion of religion, to supplant God's true religion, by superstition to overturn good devotion. Then beginneth he for to broach some of Antichrists mingled wine (for the Apostle said, that in his time Antichrist had set in footing) and nothing fell out more fitly to his humor, then to spoil God of his honor, by turning to Saints in prayer. Thus is the roaring Lion now become a subtle fox, and seeketh by error in the show of truth, to undermine holy piety. Such another devise was that, when Satan being asked in the time of Julian the Apostate, why the Oracle which was sometimes in Daphne, near to Antioch, had ceased, and gave no answer, he signified that he might not appear anymore in that Chapel, because the Relics, and the body of the holy martyr Babylas, were entered in that place. Wherein his meaning was, by a secret insinuation, to inueigle men to the honoring of the relics and the bones of martyrs and holy men, to the which indeed they afterward fell, with doting superstition. So crafty is this Serpent, to destroy men's souls by fraud. And that example of John the Baptist, I hold to be of this nature.

12 Concerning the authority of the fathers, which are cited to prove this doctrine, I say first, that many books are foisted into their works, which savor not of their spirit. The censures that be upon them, by Papists as well as other, together with the difference of the style, and many other circumstances, do make that plain enough. In the most of them this hath been brought about, either by the ignorance of such as did transcribe, and copy them out, before that printing was invented; or else by the falsehood of base authors, who would assume noble names, to things which were most unworthy. In Cyprian there is nothing, which maketh mention of Charles the Emperor, which if we will interpret, of the first Charles called the Great, yet there is so great a difference, of the times wherein these lived, that the one was after the other more then five hundred years. Yet that is said to be written, by Pontius who was deacon to Cyprian himself. I ascribe this to the gross ignorance of the writer, or counterfeit author. In Augustine's works there are many things, which are fathered on his name, and that by willful falsehood. I will name to you one for all, and that shall be his Sermons, as they are entitled, Ad fratres in eremo. There in the name of Saint Agustine, one maketh the whole tract, willing to do great credit, to the order of Agustine Friers, as if the great Saint Agustine had been the founder of thē. But as the ears of the asse did show what beast he was, although he had gotten on him the skin of a noble Lion, so albeit that honest man do use words for his purpose, I Augustine Bishop of Hippon did this, and this, and many things, yet the Barbarismes and the Solecismes which are in that work, do make it plain, that some worthy wight did hatch that Treatise up to the world. In his five & twentieth Sermon, he doth let us know the reason, why some holy-days have no fasting days, as Philip and Jacob's day, and Saint Bartholomew and Saint Thomas. A fit argument for Saint Agustine, especially as he handleth it. But because he will pass himself, and show of what house he cometh, in his thirty and seventh Sermon, he saith that himself did go into the South part of Afric, as far as Ethiopia to preach the Gospel of Christ, and that he saw there men and women without heads, having their eyes standing in their breasts. This tale had had little credit, but that himself did see it. The Chamberlain of Candaces, who was met with by Philip, did come out of this Ethiopia, & shall we be so wise as to think that his shape was of such a strange kind of making? Yet we must go a little farther: he doth add that in that country, he saw men which had but one eye, & that in the midst of their fore-heads. The fool had heard or read in Herodotus, or in Pliny, or someone of the ancient, that some such things were talked of, Acephali men without heads, Cynocephali, men with heads like to dogs, Arimaspi, men with one eye in the middle of their fore-head, and other of monstrous shape, all which were imagined to be in the hot countries, within the Zona Torrida, or in the cold coasts of Scythia, whither very few in old time did offer at all to travel, either by land or sea, for the great heat of the Southerne parts, and the great cold of the Northern. Yea many in ancient time, did think those quarters of the earth, to be utterly inhabitable, by men of common proportion; neither in the most civil countries, of Asia and of Europe, where learning and knowledge abounded, was the contrary received, until that the late discoueries of the Portingales & the Spaniards toward the hotter climates, & of the English toward the colder by sea, and some other few by land, have let men know the contrary. And indeed until very late times, the opinion so prevailed, of people of such strange figures, that Authors of good reckoning, received it for a truth, and left it so in their writings. For that conceit was continued frō hand to hand, which at the first did arise from this imagination, that in countries so strange from the ordinary temperature must be people as far differing from ordinary men; which ground being once laid down, it was no hard thing for fancy, to frame very many shapes; which believed once by the simple, and being sometimes talked of, for the commonness of the fame were reported by some learned, which were in ancient times (yet doubtfully and otherwise then their successors entertained them) but such as did come after them, took them up for a truth well ratified, & so did set thē down. Now this honest man, who gladly would shroud so vain a tale under Saint Augustine's name, in kindness & good nature to the Friers in his Convent, very soberly & advisedly professeth, that he had seen thē. And you know that one eye-witness, is better then ten other, who speak only by report. Very many such bastard broods, are fastened vpō the Fathers, besides here & there whole pages, & sentences shuffled in, & notes that were in the margin, put afterward in the text, by this Frier & that Mōke, when their Novices were appointed to transcribe their ancient copies. He that would see more of this, let him look Lodouicus Viues, in his books De causis corruptarum Artium. Now in these forged writings, are many of those plain places for prayers to any creature, and especially in Saint Agustine, as in the book De spiritu & anima ; in his Meditations, and in his Sermons De sanctis, all which are expunged by the learned, and shut out from his true works, as may be seen in the censures on them.

13 Yea but in their undoubted works, there are many things to that purpose. Indeed I do not deny this: but yet take this withal, that if we look through their writings, we shall find that they set it down, so waueringly and doubtfully, that a sober man would be fearful, to build his faith upon it. In the eight Tome of Saint Jerome, are four Homilies on the Canticles, supposed to be Origen's, and translated by Saint Jerome. In the third of them I find this, All the Saints which are departed out of this life, having yet a love toward those which are in this world: if they should be said to take care of their safety or salvation, and to help them with their prayers and intercession to God, it shall not be inconvenient. How cold a speech is this, It shall not be inconvenient. That great clerk Gregory Nazianzen, doth make a kind of prayer, both to the Virgin Mary, and unto Athanasius: yet see whether in some other places, it be not as a scruple unsatisfied in his mind, whether that the Saints did know, and take care of the affairs of their friends remaining on earth: when speaking of Basil lately dead, he useth these words, But now is Basil in heaven, & there as I do think offereth sacrifices for us, & poureth prayers out for the people. He did not know it, but thought it. But speaking of Gorgonia, his own sister departed, he expresseth his doubt more plainly. And if thou do take care of the honoring of us, and if this reward be given by God unto holy souls, that they shall perceive these things, then receive my prayer. If besides other men's opinions, he had been resolved in it, what needed this If, and this doubting? But Saint Agustine whom I honor above all the old, for his judgment, when he canuasseth this question, disputing it of purpose, and not slightly, or by the way, whether the souls departed hence, do know what is done here, how uncertain is he in it, and rather propendeth to the Negative? Let every man, saith he, take as himself will, that which I shall say, so seeming to cross the stream, of that which was thē received. Then he inferreth three reasons; The first was, that if the dead did know our deeds, he certainly was persuaded, that his mother Monica, who loved him so well while she lived, would sometimes have appeared to him, and taught him something for his good. For God forbid, saith he, that she being now in a life of more felicity, should be grown cruel toward me▪ But he found that neither by dream, nor vision, nor any apparition, she had ever been present with him, and therefore [ 2] he much suspected, that she had no knowledge of him. Secondly he citeth the place out of the Prophet Isaiah, that Abraham is ignorant of us, and Israel doth not know us. And therefore not other men. Thirdly, that Josiah was taken away, that he might not [ 3] see the evil, which was to come upon the land, which if afterward he did see in soul in the heavens, his removing had been in vain. Thus doth he dispute against it, and doth not answer his own reasons otherwise, then that it may be said, that the departed may be informed, what is done here on earth by men, by the souls of other, which die from hence, or by the Angels. So far off is this holy father, when he thinketh of the thing advisedly, from pronouncing of any certainty, which infallibly and undoubtedly will maintain this suspected doctrine.

14 Next, to suppose that many of the Auncient, directly and conclusiuely did jump in the consent hereof (which cannot be found, as I have shown) yet were this a sure rule of truth? What, when the word of God doth give no warrant for it? nay doth teach us the contrary, as before hath been mentioned? Have we not learned that lesson, to distinguish men from God? the inspired works of the one, from the doubtful words of the other? We hold nothing for Canonical but the writ of the holy Bible. It is God which cannot lie: but every man is a liar. Hear Saint Agustine himself here: I hold not the Epistles of Cyprian for Canonical, but I try them and examine them from the Canonical Scripture. So to Fortunatianus, We are not to esteem the disputings of any, yea although Catholic & comēdable men, to be as the Canonical Scriptures, so that, saving the honor which is due to those men, we may not dislike and reject anything in their writings, if we find that they have thought otherwise then the truth hath, as it shall by God's help be understood, either by other or our selves. Thus do I in the writings of others, and such vnderstanders of mine would I have other men to be. Whatsoever then they shall teach, which hath not his foundation upon the rock of God's truth, we leave it and pass by it, and among other things, invocation of Saints, or of any other creature. But yet this may be said farther, that from diverse of the writings of the Auncient, it may be shown, that this was by some of them held unlawful. Among the works of Saint Ambrose, is found a certain Commentary on Paul's Epistle to the Romans, and therein there is setdowne for an objection, the reason of the Romish Church, that none dare to approach the persō of an earthly Prince for any suit, but by the intercession of some courtier, or other about him: therefore it should be so of our part toward God, unto whose mighty Majesty, we must use the mediatiō, of some which are in his favor. The absurdnesse of this comparison, is answered there in a word, that the reason is most unlike, because Princes are men, & know not of themselves, to whom to commit the common-wealth. He meaneth that they have their power, and presence, and understanding limited, & they must be helped by the information of such as are known unto them: but to God nothing is secret; himself doth take notice of it. His conclusion at the last is, that to win God unto us (from whom nothing lieth hid, but he knoweth the deserts of all men) we need not any to speak for us, or to help us in our prayer, but only a devout mind. Join hereto the witness of Origen. When Celsus had objected, that first the Jews and then the Christians, did worship and pray to Angels, Origen in his first book against him doth disclaim it, but much more in the fifth book, telling plainly, that God alone was to be prayed to, and not Angels. We are not bid to adore the Angels, or worship them with divine honor, although they bring the gifts of God unto us. For all vows, all requests, prayers, and thanksgivings, are to be directed to God, who is the Lord of all things, by the chief Priest who is greater then all Angels, that is the living word and God. And having adjoined something of the unknown nature of the Angels, that we cannot comprehend it, he addeth, that this should restrain us, that none should dare to offer prayers, but only unto the Lord God, who alone is abundantly sufficient for all, through our Savior the Son of God. He that listeth to read the place, shall find yet farther matter, making for my present purpose. Lactantius saith that those Angels whose honor is in God, will have no honor given to them. Yea Agustine himself denieth that to Angels, to Martyrs and to Saints, which might as well be done, as to seek to them in prayer. We build no Churches to Angels. And elsewhere saith he, Who ever heard the Priest to say at the altar, I offer to thee a sacrifice, Peter or Paul or Cyprian? And is it more to build a material Church to them, then to offer to their service our bodies, which are the spiritual temple of the holy Ghost? Or to offer corporal sacrifice, then to offer spiritual sacrifice of prayer and invocation? I will end this whole matter with a saying of Chrysostom. Let us still fly unto God, who is both willing and able to ease our miseries. If we were to entreat men, we must first meet with the door keepers, and persuade parasites and players, and oftentimes go a great way. But in God there is no such thing. Without a mediator he is to be entreated: without money, without cost he yieldeth to our prayers. Since then that men are so doubtful, but God himself is so peremptory, that nothing but the Trinity, is to be sought unto by sacred invocation, let the Church of Rome in this be distinguished from the Church of God, and let us learn here of Jonah, when misery ouerwhelmeth us, to pray only unto the Lord. And thus far of the Preface.

15 The prayer it self is long, and offereth much doctrine to us, but in these two former verses three things may be observed. [ 1] First that affliction is the means, to beat men unto piety, I [ 2] cried in mine affliction. Secondly, that the misery of the Prophet was very great, from the belly of hell I cried, and all thy waves did [ 3] go over me. And thirdly that when he cried, the Lord did hear his voice, Thou heardest my voice. To touch them briefly as they lie. He that was contented before, quite to renounce his master: he that was so far forgetful, as that when he should have gone, for his Lord to preach at Nineveh, would take a course unto Tarshus, about business of his own: he that before was so hardened, that he could sleep most soundly, when he had more need to awake: he that could give leave to the mariners, to pray to a God whom they knew not, but he himself was not so holy; being now in the fishes belly, so lashed & whipped with justice, thinketh it not enough to pray, but he crieth out with great vehemency: in earnest & hearty manner, not coldly or at all adventures, as the hypocrites, who sometimes do slubber up a few prayers; but with the soul and the mind, and with all the powers of his spirit. Oh the true force of the cross, of calamity, and of misery, which maketh us remember that, whereof else we should never think. God saith by his prophet Osee, that his people in their affliction would seek him diligently. So when by his servant Isaiah, he had threatened the cross before, At that day saith he, shall a man look to his maker, and his eyes shall look to the holy one of Israel. So in the time of the Judges: Thus was Israel exceedingly impoverished by the Midianites, therefore the children of Israel cry unto the Lord. The Scripture is very copious in examples of this kind, but yet hath none fitter then this of our Prophet. For he whō favor could not move, to stand when he was upright, the rod did force him to labor, to get up again when he was fallen. The prison could make him humble, whom liberty had enraged. The darkness in the whales belly, doth more bring him unto light, even the true and heavenly light, then the sight of Sun or firmament. Thus restaint doth make him holy, to the great benefit of his soul, clean contrary to that Proverb, Non vsquam belli carceres, Prisons are good in no place.

16 That, adversity and the cross, should be a door to devotion, is without question a Paradox to repining flesh & blood, which doth ever love to be in iolity; but yet unto a Christian mā, it is a principle of a sound truth. For when we do luxuriate, and grow riotous in the gallantnesse of this world, and have all things at our pleasure, we forget that God who made us, who doth cause his Sun to shine on us, and with the untamed heyfer which is full fed, & grown perfectly wanton, we kick against the sole author of our happiness & beatitude; with the Magnificoes of the world, and great-mouthed Gloriosoes we do both contemn our brethren, and speak against the Highest. But affliction doth humble us, & make us know our selves, as it did Manasseh the king of Judah, who being in chains, did thrive more for his soul, then he did in his royal palaces. It maketh to us say with David, O Lord, it is good for us, that we have been in trouble. And with Jeremiah lamenting, It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. When the sovereign dispenser of all things, by his wisdom doth consider, that this is our case, by his sober and sage providence he sometimes sendeth prosperity, lest we should be discouraged, & broken by calamity, but he often sendeth adversity to exercise us here, lest we should be puffed up by the abundance of his mercy. And while his hand is upon us, we which else are stiff and stubborn, will in pliable manner bend. When Numa had broached in Rome, a set order of service unto their heathen God's, and had possessed the people with it, his successor Tullus Hostilius not only did neglect it, but contemned it, as accounting that no one thing did less beseem a king, then to yield himself to ceremonies, and sacrifices of religion. But when he dad proceeded long, and gone forward in this vein, a great pestilence grew in Rome, and himself lay afterward long languishing of a sickness. This did so abate the spirits, & pluck down the heart of the king, that he who before despised all, did now yield himself, to all both great and small superstitions, and filled the people's heads with a multitude of religions. Look what effect these things had with him in his heathenish errors, the same in Christian obedience, doth tribulation bring to many of God's elect; this only thing excepted, that these fly superstition. Those who in their younger days, and in the strength of their time, have scorned the word and the ministry, and have made no kind of conscience of theft or fornication, but have sucked them in as water, being afterward pinched with poverty, or banishment, or imprisonment, or especially with sickness (which giveth a man right good leisure, if it be long and sharp on him, to bethink himself of his follies) with contrition of the heart, and compunction in great measure do fly unto the Lord, and with many tears wash away the blackness of their iniquity.

17 Then they desire to be with God, and to leave this vale of misery, which lately they embraced as their greatest treasure, and preferred it before their own salvation; and the delight whereof they would yet have followed after, but that misery and calamity did enforce them otherwise. Wherein we may well observe, that nothing so much as affliction doth make us love our end, by loathing the bitter potions which we daily do taste of. When Elias was chased by Jezebel, and was comfortless in the wilderness, he crieth: Now it is enough, Lord take away my soul, for I am no better then my fathers. But if this gall and wormwood were turned into sugared honey, we should not hasten from this place; but yet we be not ready; stay a little, and a little.