A View of the Romish Hydra

The Dialogue, and talk of David and Abishai touching King Saul, whether he being cast into a dead sleep should • be killed or no? taken out of the first book of Samuel and 26. Chapter.

• 8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath closed thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore, I pray thee, let me smite him once with à spear to the earth, and I will not smite him again.
• 9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can lay his hand on the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?
• 10 Moreover David said, As the Lord liveth, either the Lord shall smite him, or his day shall come to dy, or he shall descend into battle and perish.
• 11 The Lord keep me from laying mine hand upon the Lord's anointed: but, I pray thee, take now the spear that is at his head, and the pot of water, and let us go hence.
• 12 So David took the spear and the pot of water from Saul's head, and they gate them away, and no man saw it, nor marked it, neither did any awake, but they were all asleep • for the Lord had sent a dead sleep upon them.

A Table of the special points and common places.

OUT OF THE FIRST SERMON.
• THE practice of traitors was prophesied of before, and is ancient.
• Treason against the Country and Prince detested.
• The manner of traitors, double.
• Examples of hypocrisy, and flattering in traitors.
• A warning to Princes and Noble men to expel such deceitful persons out of their courts and houses.
• 4 Motiues and causes inducing men to weasons Vnbridled and licentious liberty, Covetousness and ambition, Envy and Jngratitude, and Religion pretensed, and specially Popish: And the Pope by specialties is declared to be the Abishai in our days.
• Two ways the Pope useth, by himself, or by his instruments, Novices, Monks, • riars, Cardinals &c.
• Papists in their Religion make bloody vows, which ought to be broken.
• The Popes Religion dispenseth with good oaths of allegeaunce made to Princes, and he can depose them by his Religion.

OUT OF THE SECOND SERMON.
• SEdition and discord disproved.
• The answer of David to Abishai threefold.
• 1 David's prohibition in which he forbiddeth the murdering of Saul.
• The reason of David by the effect, and discommodities expounded at large.
• Jn the person of a Prince are two circumstances: by condition, as man; by calling, as King, the Lord's anointed.
• Whether any man, may be killed of any private man, and how.
• The Exposition of the law, Thou shalt not murder, out of Augustine.
• Princes ordained not of themselves, nor of fortune, nor of Jupiter; but of Almighty God, and therefore not to be touched but by God, whether he be good or evil.
• Why evil Magistrates are advanced.
• The office of a Prince, in that he is called a God.
• The true oil wherewith Princes are anointed is only the holy Ghost.
• The office of Subjects to a Prince as being God, & also a double Jmage of God.
• A proof of David's opinion for obedience to superiors by nature a good schoolemistresse, as in beasts, birds, fishes, serpents, and other natural creatures. Also in the time of Nature before the Law, and to natural and Ethnish Princes, with the commodities of such obedience to the heathen governors.
• The punishments inflicted upon traitors by the judgment of these natural Ethnish men, among the old Romans, Turks, and other infidels.

OUT OF THE THIRD SERMON.
• THE Pope a Zoganes or a Lord of misrule: A viperous and Serpentine brood from Rome spread among us.
• Chrysostom excellently discourseth of this obedience of David.
• A general rule of revenge: Like will have like.
• The Law of Nature, a good argument.
• Other particulars in Nature, of dogs, horses, panthers, and men.
• Laws in Jndia.
• The Law of God in the old testament given to the Jews, and examples there to persuade this obedience.
• Against Accessaries, and Iustifiers of Traitours.
• A notable pattern of Obedience is David, and his example a sufficient glass to look in.
• Particular Laws against murderers, and Mutiners.
• Laws and examples in the new testament.
• The opinion of the fathers after Christ, the dutifulnes of our first Christians towards their wicked governors.
• The Ciuil Laws against all abuses touching a Prince, in fact, in purpose, and intent, in his coin &c.
• Executions and experiments of Ciuil and Christian Magistrates against such disorders and outrages.

OUT OF THE FOURTH SERMON.
• A Rule of Chrysostom necessary for Preachers.
• Decrees and authorities out of the Canon and Popish laws against murder.
• Three kinds of murder.
• The Popes sayings & doings contrary to his decrees borrowed out of fathers.
• The verdict of John Caposius against Pope Innocentius, verified in the rest of the Popes.
• The savings of Pope Nicolas, and others presumptuous against Princes.
• The sayings of Aug. Steuchus, out of the Popes Register, for the claim of an universal dominion over all the west church.
• The special claim made of Spain, England &c.
• A Seminary or School of Englishmen at Rome, erected long since.
• The doings and practice of Popes agreeable to his own proud sayings and brags.
• The plagues and judgments of God against these proud priests of Rome, and their factors and. Adherents.
• The perjury of Papists notably punished by Turks.
• The Turk better in this matter of faithfulness, then the Pope.
• The hand of God upon Popes by themselves one upon another.
• Athenians & Romans, are moūting Eagles but plucked.
• The monster in Pope Julius time a figure of this monstrous Popedom.
• Popes enemies to France, and yet France a friend to Popes.

OUT OF THE FIFTH SERMON.
• THE unthankfulness of people against Magistrates.
• Laws of Canutus, Edgar, and Alfred, Richard the first, and others in England.
• Disobedience against the Laws in England.
• England subdued by Iul. Caesar, Danes, Saxons, and that chiefly by discord, and treachery of our own countrymen.
• A terrible example of perjury.
• Traisons in the time of diverse Kings in England punished.
• Treachery and prodition by an Italian in betraying Calais to the French.
• Auncient practices of English Rebells for the defense of their Popish religion, and yet frustrated & vain.
• A concubinary Priest, and traitor made a Martyr of the Popish people in England.
• Welch prophecies defeated.
• Traisons of Bishops, Abbats, Priors, Minorite Friars, Monks, and Priests in England, and some executed in their best habit of Religion.
• New traitors for the Religion of the Pope in the time of K. Henry the 8. K. Edward the 6. and of Queen Elizabeth, rebelling & rising, but had always a • all & an evil end.
• The Queens majesty followeth the example of her Ancestors in this Realm resisting the pride & authority of the Pope.

OUT OF THE 6. SERMON.
• FOrreine examples in. France and Flaunders.
• The law of Conscience the last and worst witness and tormentor of murderers and Traitors.
• Of the trembling, and terror of an evil conscience in this Act.
• Dogs, Fishes, Swallows, ravens, all creatures terrify & astonish a murdering and guilty conscience.
• The conclusion of the first part of David's reply against Abishai.
• 2 The second part is David's Protestation, in himself detesting that fact with the reason annexed, that god hath ways to kill Saul at his pleasure, and therefore he will not take upon him gods office in that behalf.
• Death common to all, and of the late mortality among us.
• The vanity of this world, and end of all flesh: we are all the naked image of Hippocrates.
• Infants and youngest must die.
• The great personages, Saul and such Princes must dy, by one of three kinds of death, set down by David, and under that his division many are comprehended.
• The death of persecutors and traitors.
• Their bravery and brags against the godly, but all in vain.
• Examples thereof old and fresh in memory.
• No Eloquence can save from death.
• The Pope that delivereth others out of purgatory, and by battle, & Bul killeth Princes, cannot deliver himself frō death: whereof he is warned by his own ceremonies, and it may appear by the end of many Popes, specially even in the very Act of their rage against Princes.
• Albeit these wicked men must die, as Saul did: yet the godly delight not in their death, no more then David did in the death of Saul.
• The compassion and sorrow of good Princes, Pagans & Christians, and of Queen Elizabeth in the death of the traitors and offenders that suffer.
• An admonition to traitors, and offenders yet living.
• The death of good Princes is of necessity: but yet a plague to common weals and to the church.
• Mutations and changes perilous.
• Prayer for the good Princes.

OUT OF THE SEVENTH SERMON.
• A Question whether the Papists be the authors of these troubles, and tragedies against Princes, or Protestants.
• The resolution is flat against Popes, the trumpets of sedition.
• The stir betwixt the Pope Paschal, and Henry the 5. the murderer of his father.
• The detestation of these Traitours by a few moe examples of Jews, Romans, Hungarians, & of Danes.
• The cause of these practices against good governors, is their goodness and God's cause: the second cause in the practicers is their ignorance.
• Christ and his gospel a stumbling stone.
• The lot of the Prince and the Prophet is, to be hated for their Religion.
• The third part of David's division, his politick and provident Resolution.
• The providence of god gathered out of the circumstance of the text, threefold.
• The first part, God's special care, providence and protection of Princes, as here of Saul
• Murmurers & mutterers always against rulers, against Moses though no ruler then, yet appointed by god, against David, and Christ.
• And yet all these and others were preserved until their time appointed, as appeareth by the notable examples, of Cyrus, Romulus, Seruius Tullius, Constantine, Antonine, Vespasian, Waldemar, Lodouicke, Charles 5. Henry 4. and by authorities.
• The second providence of god over David and his church, and every member thereof.
• A comfortable doctrine to the elect and godly: who sometimes stagger, seeing their affliction, and the prosperity of the godless.
• The mean that God useth here to preserve, is a deadly sleep.
• God hath many ways of deliverance, comprehended in two general ways by Origen, declared by examples.
• The providence of God defined by Aquinas.
• The decree of man and the determinations of god contrary.
• Prince and preacher must run their course without stop.
• The third kind of providence for temporal things.
• Murmurers in this point.
• God • providence reacheth to the godly and to the followers of the word and religion.
• Almunition of Roialms, all promotion of men from God.
• Contrariwise sin the cause of division between God & us, and the only impediment and hindraunce of his carefulness and providence.
• The purity of Christians in the time of Constantine and Trajan.
• The care of her Majesty, and her honorable Counsail in the time of dearth.
• A Citation and summoning of England to judgment for sin in all Estates, Magistrates and Clergy people.
• Two sorts of men specially offending, irreligious and superstiously religious.
• The way of reconcilement to god, is a general reformation of all, and repentance.

Faultes escaped correct thus.

Pag. 49. Lin. 5. Falerians., P. 107. L. 28. Prodition.

P. 116. L. 12. Detestable. P. 117. L. 3. Inestimable.

P. 147. L. 24. Procession. P. 171. 18. put out, Of.

THE FIRST SERMON.

I N the beginning of this Chapiter we have Saul persecuting, and David persecuted; the Ziphians discovering him, David his espies, Saul sleeping with his soldiers, the coming of David with Abishai to Saul's campe in the night: and now in this part of Scripture we hear the conference and disputation of Abishai and David.

The argument and question is, whether Saul the king may be lawfully slaiue by them his subjects or no?

As the persons are two, so are the partes of this speech two: first Abishai the Opponent, objecteth and defendeth the Affirmative, requesting withal that he may kill him. Secondly David the Respondent, holdeth the Negative, denying that act to be lawful.

A matter in mine opinion most necessary for Preachers to entreat of, and for us all to hear and consider of in these days, when subjects utterly forgette their duty and reverence, which they owe to the sacred Majesty of Princes, and to all lawful Magistrates. A thing long since prophesied of by God in his holy word, and in all ages detested of the better sort. Iesaiah among other things prophecieth that the boy shall presume against the Auncient, & the vile against the honorable. Paul also prophecieth of these later times, that men shall be fierce, enemies of the good, traitors, headdy, high-minded, The heinousness hereof, both Heathen and Christians have abhorred. The mistocles a notable captain, being banished from his unthankful country by the Athenians, & entertained of Xerxes King of the Persians, was willed, according to his promise, to subdue Greece unto his Empire: but rather then he would betray his country, he drank up a bole full of Bulls blood, and so after his sacrifices and prayers to his God's, gave up the ghost. Vsthazares chamberlaine to Sapor King of the Persians, being apprehended for his confession of Christ, and refusing to worship the Sun their God, doth only make this petition to the King, that by the voice of a crier it might be proclaimed & signified to all men: Vsthazares is beheadded, not for any treasō, or crime in the Kings court, but that he is a Christian, and refusing to obey the king, cannot abide to deny his God. So much was the very name of a traitor abhorred of thē. Now, seeing the enormity of the fault, & necessity of the time, give me leave to speak to you as Bernard once did in the like case unto the Romans, departing from the Pope Eugenius. When the head a keth, doth not the tongue cry for all the partes of the body, that they ache also with the head? Ego corporis membrum minimum. As he, so I, the smallest and simplest member of our body, crave leave to utter our common grief, for the head and Sovereign of this Realm, of late without cause troubled and assaulted by open and privy practices of such as ought to have been true subjects, and faithful countrymen. And for this purpose have I chosen this parcel of Scripture, in the which we may first learn the wickedness it self in the person of Abishai, and next in the person of David a controulment and a confutation of it, as in the Sermons following shall be declared.

Touching the first, when hath there not been an Abishai? Naie some worse then Abishai, seekers and suckers of blood? Abishai would have Saul a wicked persecutor dispatched out of the way, others conspire against the godly and innocent. Abishai useth more good manner in asking leave of David, others headdily attempt the same, consulting nether with God, nor with good men, but only with their own frontike pates, or factious mates, Abishai yealdeth reasons, that he may dee it: The authority of God, the opportunity of the time, the possibility and easines of the fact: for he saith, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day, and he saw both Saul, and Abner, and the people in a deadly sleep, and promiseth at one blow to destroy him, but the others do far differ from Abishai, especially in the manner howe they do it, and in the causes why they do it.

The manner is, not only fiercely, and forcibly to rise against man, but most communelie and cunningly with sweet and fair words to commit this foul and filthy Act. The first murderer that ever was, used this pleasant speech, speaking to Abel as it is in the Greek text: Brother, let us go walk into the field; but a good beginning in show, brought an il ende, according to that which is written by this our David against his false familiar friend, The words of his mouth were softer thē butter, yet war was in his heart: his words were more gentle then oil, yet they were swords. And also by his Son Solomon: A man that flattereth his neighbor, spreadeth à net for his steppes. This Cainicall course followed Absalom, who inviting his brother Amnon to a sheep-shearing feast, killed him. When I read the Commission given by Absalom, to his servants, it seemeth to me that the Romish Absalom Pius Quintus speaketh against a Prince: Smite, kill, fear not, for have not I commanded you? Be bold therefore. Is not this a strange father of Peace, an Absalom? Likewise Joab laid his net against Amasa, whom he took by the beard with the right hand to kiss, and with his sword privily, and traitorously smote him to death. I omit Judas the disciple and traitor of Christ, and that with a kiss and with fair words. Ave Rabbi, Hail Master. This Judas had two School-masters, Scribes and Pharisees, but the chief was Satan who entered into him, even as these Papistical Traitors are not successors of Peter in this point, but of Judas, and are school-fellows with him. It is not only Judas his treasō, but a Turkish-trick against Christian Prínces and governors. One Sarracene used this against Edward king of Britane or England. To him aiding the Christians against the enemies of Christ, came this fleeting fellow secretum colloquium ab eo petens, requesting secret conference with him, and striketh: but after two wounds received, the King laid hands upon him and sieve him. Another Sarracens was suborned by the Sultan to kill James Lusignane king of Cyprus, under the pretense of caryeng letters: but he missed, and was tormented for it. These flattering traitors that with this courtly or rather crafty courtesy, and Popish holy-water, work this cruelty, either by words and insinuations, or by presents and gifts, or by delivery of letters, or messages, or other ways under color of friendship, the more close they be, the more crafty are they, the more priny, the more perilous: for flattery is more hurtful then the most cruel poison, according to the verse:

Wherefore it were to be wished, that Princes and great personages would purge and cleanse their Courtes and houses of such that have been taught in the School of Gnato to deny, to double, & dissemble, and by the lesson of Cato, Saluta libenter, seek not to salute nor to save, but to slaie them. Take the dross from the silver, and there shall be made a precious vessel for the finer. Take awie the wicked from the King, and his throne shall be stablished in righteousness. Out David had his eyes upon the faithful of the land, that they might dwell with him, and upon them that malk in a perfect may, that they might serve him. There shall (saith he) no deceitefull person dwell in my house. He that telleth lies, shall not remain in my sight. This faithfulness is first towards God, and then towards the Princes and neighbors: this deceitfulness, flattering; glossing, temporizing must needs offend God, and man: and therefore ought not to be regarded. The example of Constantius as it is noted by Eusebius found out these vnconstaunt men-pleasers, & tanquam Proditores Dei as traitors to God esteemed them unworthy to be with an Emperor, and determined they should be banished out of the Court: for that they will never be true to Emperor, who are found unfaithful towards God. Quomodo enim Imperatori fidem seruarent his qui erga Deum deprehensi sunt perfidy Because these fleering counterfaites are hardly found out, therefore there needeth great circumspection in discerning and tryeng them, and also earnest prayer to God that he would give us the spirit of discretion, & by his providence to preserve us from them. Such discretiō this Constātius seemed to have. A Philosopher the nephew of Plato discreetly espied it, who said unto a flateterer, Desine adulari, nihil prosicis, cùm te intelligā. Leave off this flattering & fawning, for thou preuailst not, I perceive thee. Prayer also is needful, as an old proverb importeth: Cui fidem adhibeo, ab • o me deus custodiat. God keep me frō him in whō I put my trust, for the other I will see to myself. The effect of this is, that the manner of dealing in these mē is worse, thē the doing of Abishai. You may see by this that all is not goulde that shineth like gold: that even Bees though they carry honey in their mouth, yet may sting: that Sirenes or Myrmaidens sing sweetly, and have their amiable entertainementes and allurements, but otherwise bring Shipwracke to Mariners: and therefore Ulysses gave counsel to his Shipmen to stop their ears. I wish all men to take heed of Scorpions, though flattering in face, yet pernicious in the tail▪ the beginning may be plausible, the end clean coutrary. The Crocodile whyneth and playeth the Hypocrite, but it is to catch and to kill. The flattering Dragon the Devil, as Augustine termeth him, is worse than the roaring Lyon, and this is the manner & fashion of this new or rather old rotten naughty world.

Now we are to consider the motives & causes persuading these men to enter into these high pointes of treacherous actions, passing the compass of this Abishai. There are many, but I reduce them to these following: Some men are led or rather missed by covetousness, that is, either desirous of liberty and impunity, which is looseness; or else of gain, which is ai • arice; or else of henour and dignity, which is ambition. In the time of the Emperor Henry the fourth certain gentlemen not liking the bridle of discipline, nor the restraint of their dissoluteness, laid their heads together how they might rid that Emperor out of this life, or bring him into the low order and base and bare condition of a private man, not remembering that they did owe a peace unto their country-men, justice to the Realm, and fidelity to the Ring. So far were these from the rule of obedience, that desirous of their licentiousness would hazard the servitude of the country. The desier of lucre is another motive to treason. It was the covetous question of Judas, Quid vultis mihidare? What will ye give me? Which maketh a number of malecontentes, seditious, troublers of a common-weal for apriuate commodity. So that now the case is, as in the time of David, When the Prince studieth peace, and speaketh peaceablie, they are ready to fight. Their feet are swifte to shed blood nay they know not the way of peace: They will neither know nor have peace. They seem to be kinned to that mad soldier, that passing by the Church, & hearing them pray for peace, Donanobis pacem, was angry with them, Phy, quoth he, Peace? how should we live? Such a Prince Cor. Agrippa telleth of in Italy, who being moved by the said Agrippa, to take away that famous or rather infamous faction of Gibellines and Guelphians in his Territory, Naie not so, quoth he, confessing plainly it was not for his profit, for that there was brought into his coffers yearly about twelve thousand ducats by occasion of this faction.

This greediness is the cause that many being now become bankerupts, unthrifty & born to consume & to spend the fruits of the earth, think by mutations and changes to recover, and to lick themselves whole. This is the cause, that moveth some to fly from their country, and captains to serve strangers contrary to the Law of GOD and man. Nemo miles ab imperatore extraneo stipendium accipit, saith Chrysoftome. No man taketh wages of a foreign king, or Emperor. How much more wicked is it, for Christians professing the gospel to be in service under the conduct & banner of a stranger, both in nation and in religion? & that for money, blood-gilt, the reward of Judas? Quidagis Christiane, sidomini host̄ amicum habueris? what dost thou o Christian, what availeth thee if thou hast the enemy of the Lord to be thy friend? The same Chrysostom hath these words in an homily De proditione & Judah. There is a third kind of covetousness not of these mean things, but an insatiable desire of honor, principality, & sovereignty: Julius Caesar imagining or rather dreaming of such a thing, for a kingdom & a Monarchy brake the laws of God & man. This is pride and presumption when men will not be content with David to tarry their time, but will aduēture by hook or crook, by right by wrong to surmount. I read of the Romans that they painted pride with a triple crown Pope-like, because, as R. Holcot testifieth, the proud man will overrule all his equals, his inferiors, his superiors. The first crown hath this title, Transcendo, I surmount: the second, Non obedio, I disobey: the third, Perturbo, I trouble all: which in verse is expressed somewhat otherwise in Holcot,

Meaning thereby, that those that will be climbing & transcendent, and disobedient and troublesome, must find trouble and affliction themselves.

Another motive of these rebellious enterprises is Envy & Ingratitude. Envy is a smoke that cā not abide y ^e brightness of good proceedings of her Majesty, that goeth about to smother & obscure the blessings of God shining among us in all prosperity & felicity, in the time of her government.

It is a poisō that gnaweth & cōsumeth the vugodly, that cannot abide the happy estate by which we enjoy the gospel, & all spiriual consolation, by which we have the fruitiō of peace & plenly, if our sinfulness & unthankfulness do not abridge us.

The unkind dogs monstrously rent Acteon their master. The ugly toad cannot abide the good sent of flourishing vines. Cantharides green worms, though they have their being & succor in the tops of ashes, in oliues & sweet roses, yet they will show their nature, their juice is poison, and they will make blisters, tumbling, and trouble in the common weat. It is to be feared least by their unthankfulness and grudging, this our prosperous and good estate, which we have many years by God's goodness seen & felt, will be turned by his heavy displeasure into dearth and scarcity, as since these new traitorous enterprises we may, if we be not blind, see some experience. Our too much plenty heretofore hath made us wanton, new fangled, busy bodies, not contented with our blessings of Manna, as murmuring Israelites, preferring before this heavenly felicity the garlic and flesh-pots of Egypt, or rather the burdens of intolerable task-masters under Romish Pharaoh. These benefits and this repining cannot long continue together by the justice of God and by the course of natural things. Too much rancknes beateth down the corn, and bows are broken with the burden; overmuch abundance of fruit cometh not to any ripeness, as wise Seneca writeth: even so our prosperity, I fear, hath corrupted some of us. and made us forgetful of our duty towards God and our Prince. Gregory the great, when Popes were not so great, but did acknowledge the sovereignty of Princes over them, did well confess writing to one Theodore, a Physician, in this manner: Howe great benefits I have received frō Almighty God, & from my most sovereign lord, the Emperor, my tongue is not able to express. Would to god our Gregoriās, followers, & fautors of the Pope, would have such meditations.

Another motive, and cause of these stirs, and tumults, is forsooth Religion, A strange Religion doubtless, that teacheth men to murder Princes and Monarchs of the world. It was a pretence of Religion in Herod, who told the wise men of the East, that he was desirous to know where Christ was, that he might worship him: but his Religion was a full intent to kill Christ. True Religion is ever assaulted and unpugned by a false Religion. Haman could not abide good Mardocheus, nor the Jews for their Religion, calling their laws, new, strange, and differing from all people, and so procured from Ahasuerus the King a bloody decree, to destroy all the nation. When the Christians in Persia, by reason of acquaintance, and conversation with the Osroens, and Armenians, had gathered a church and congregation to serve Christ: that thing offended the Magicians, or wise Divines of Persia, who by succession, as Priests, had the charge, & ministry of that heathenish Religion. It offended also the Jews: so that Christians for their Religion were tormented, and good Father Simeon Archbishop of Seleucia, was accused to Sapor the King, Quasi Regni, & Religions Persarum proditor, as a spy, and a betrayer of the Realm, and of the Religion of the Persians, reueiling the secretes of Persia to the Emperor of Rome, and so was imprisoned and put to death, with an hundred Christians. The ground of these violences or rather vilanies is Religion.

But there is a difference between the true and false Religion. The Religion of Jeroboam was a false, and caluish Religion, contrary to the Religion of the house of David: and therefore he made two calves of goold, the one in Bethel, the other in Dan, made Priests of the dregs and rascalles of the people, commanding them, that they should no more sacrifice at Jerusalem in the house of the LORD, and persecuteth the Prophets and the professors of the true service of GOD. And this was a pretense of Religion. But the Religion of Hezekiah, and of Josiah Kings of Judah, was good Religion, to pull down Images, and all Idolatry, to restore the Law, and the Bible of GOD, and the true use of the Sacraments. What other Religion is the Reformation of Queen Elizabeth, then this of these Kings? And if their reformed Religion was commended by GOD, and of all the godly: why should the Religion now received from GOD, and restored by Queen Elizabeth be condemned? May not I justly say to the posterity of cruel Saul, as Jonathan said to his Father Saul? What harm hath our David done, more then old David, then Hezekiah, then Josiah did? Why then will you sin against innocent blood, and slaie David with-out a cause? Why doth the Popish Saul of Rome the Supreme Vicar of CHRIST, persecute the anointed of God, and the handemaide of Christ? Surely it is he, and none but he that is Abishai in name, and in deed, I say the Romish Abishai, that is the Father of bribes, and gifts, by corruption a taker, and giver, inveigling, and persuading the Potentates, and people of the world, to rebel, and to murder the Lord's true anointed, to rise, and to take weapon against their own natural, and lawful Prince. It is he that blesseth, and consecrateth with holy water, and incense a sword, In defensionem S. Romanae Ecclesiae: for the defense of the holy Church of Rome, and for the revenge of the Popes enemies, and that in the solemn feast of the Birth of Christ: which he fendeth abroad as a present to some most Christian, or most Noble Prince, for the protection of his Catholic Church, against the true Catholic faith of Christ, which is not without a mystery, Fog •• rat hic pontificalis gladius potestatem summan • temporalem à Christ • Pontifici eius in terris vicario collatam, i • xtae illud • Data est mihi omnis potest as in caelo & interra. E • alibi, Dominabitur à marivs{que} ad mare. This Pontifical sword, doth signify the supreme temporal power given of Christ to the Bishop his vicar on earth, according to that saying: Al power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. And in another place: You shall have dominion from sea to sea. Behold what a fisher of men Peters successor is, that fisheth for the dominion of all the woorld: all is fish that cometh to his net, where with he draweth to himself that which is properly and truly spoken of Christ by David: unless he will also have that which followeth, That all kings shall adore, and worship him, and that his kingdom is eternal and before the Son: But he will prove in the ende, to be that foolish fisher in Theocritus, that dreamed he had caught a golden fish, and waking, he got not so much as a frog. It is that Abishai, that likewise scattereth abroad in Lent his consecrated golden roses to some Princes, and also sendeth to the captains or stāderd-bearers of the Church of Rome, his banners and armor, likewise hallowed at a mass: It is he that sendeth soldiers signed with the Cross against Christian Emperors, as against Frederike the Emperor, who doth signify to the King of England treasons, & conspiracies against him. The practicers whereof, being besieged, were accompanied with Friars, and by them received the sign of the Cross against him, pretending the authority of the high Bishop by his Apostolic letters, ac praedictae mortis, & exhaeredationis nostrae, summum Pontificem, sic asserunt incentorem, affirming that the Supreme Byshoppe of Rome, was the author of his disinheritaunce and destruction. This Byshoppe of Rome, taking occasion of the absence of Frederike, being now in the service of Christ against the Turk, as well to perform his vow in visiting the holy land, as also to please the Pope: notwithstanding this his dangerous viage, and humble obedience, he took from him his land in Apulia and Lombardie. And when Frederike sent letters unto the Pope, of the honorable peace betwixt him, and the Soldan (wherein he was forced to surrender unto the said Christian Emperor Jerusalem, whereof he was crowned King, and many other cities) and wished him to publish that great joy unto all Christendom, and to thank GOD for that glorious victory, he refused it, and cast away the letters: excommunicateth Frederike, granteth the Cross and the crossed war-fare against him as against an Infidel and Turk, who at his commandment fought valiantly against the Turk. He gave out also at one time this false Alaram, that he was dead, and the soldiers of Germany and France that returned from the holy land he put to cruel death, that they should not tell the truth: all which things we may read in Carion, Cuspinian, and in Abbot Vrspergensis. And here the Author exclaimeth not without cause: Who rightly considering such facts, doth not lament and detest them, which seem to be signs and certain prognostications of the ruin of the Church? The same Gregory by letters privily desireth the Soldan not to yield up the holy land unto the Emperor, but as an enemy to kill him. Against Friderick whosoever would fight, had a pardon & a promise of life everlasting. He about that time commanded to be sung, Salue Regina. But behold more faith & charity in the Turk, then in the Pope: for whē the Soldā had received letters from the Hospitalars & Tēplaries how Friderick might be taken, he detesting this treasō, sent the letters unto Friderick, & said unto his own Counsailers: Ecce fidelitas Christianorum Behold the fidelity of Christians! A vile and shameful fact of the father of Christians the Pope, that set him a work to go this voyage, so unchristianly & uncharitably to betray him abroad, and to invade his countries and dominions at home. Dum Imperator oues Christi, ne à lupo discerpantur, ense suo tutatur as defendit, Pontifex radit, deglubit, & deuorat saginatas. Hoc est enim vere pascere ones. This is he that claimeth three Pasce, Feede, feed, feed, for his triple crown & triple Regiment: but of a feeder is become a sheep-biter, yea a wolf, swallowing and devouring the sheep. God bless us from such fleaing & butcherly sheep-hards. Of these and such like Acts we may cry out with Cuspinian: O integritas Romani Pontificis! And again, ô scrinium pectoris sanctum! This is the honesty of the Byshoppe of Rome: This is the holy chest of his breast. Thus the poor Emperors, and Princes are made vassals and subject to the check and censure, yea to the slavery and slaughter of the Pope, either by himself immediately, or by others his means and instruments. How did Gregory the seventh otherwise Hildebrand practice traitorously against Henry the fourth? Uarijs modis, he did many ways lay in wait to destroy him, but especially once, when the Emperor was at his devotion in S. Mary's Church at Rome, even in that time and in that place this Pope from the top of the Church by a stone did mind to murder him, and for that purpose had hired a young Nouice to do the feyt, but while he was tempering his stone, by the weight of it the bord brake, & he with his stone, fell down to the ground & was bruised & dashed in pieces. The citizens of Rome worthily incensed at it, caused his foot to be tied with a rope, & to be drawn through the streets of the city for the space of three days. Thus the Pope was disappointed, and his conduict and hired man condignly punished, and the Emperor by God his providence mightily preserved. This practice of theirs is principally wrought by themselves, as you have heard, and sometimes by others their deputies, by sword, dag, dagger, poison and so forth. For the Pope hath his Popelings and Parasites more than ever had Gnato in his school of Flattery: very like those clawebackes of whom R. Volaterrane reporteth to be among Sontiates a people of France, whose king hath flatterers, called by them in french Silodures, by the Grecians Euolimi (or rather by transposition of letters, Euomili (sweet-tounged men, or fair-spoken men, who always cleave to him, hang on him, follow him whithersoever he goeth, do as he doth, whether he laugh or weep, apishly fashioning whatsoever he delighteth in: if he lie, they lie, or if he dy, they dy with him. Even so the Popes adherents and Silodures are at his beck, to go, to run, to flee, to execute all his commandments upon any Prince in the world, in such sort as he prescribeth. I told you of Gregory's slattering factor, that brake his neck for his labor. King John by the Pope was excommunicated, and released upon this condition, that he and his successors the Kings of England should acknowledge themselves tributaries to the Bishop of Rome, but afterward he was poisoned with confected wine in the Abby of Swinsheade by a Monk, who perished with the King. Henry the Emperor, the seventh of that name, or rather the sixth as I take it, was poisoned by Paulinus a Friar, corrupted by money, Denarijs & pluribus florenis, at the receiving of the Sacrament, of whom thus it is written in certain ancient rhythms,

The same Henry the sixth was called Lucemburgensis by Raph. Volaterrane, and by Baptist Ignatius, Lucelburgensis, mentioning also of his poisoning in the Eucharist.

An other instrument was of late our Cardinal Pole the Popes pen-man, who in his book for the Supremacy of his great master the Bishop of Rome incited Charles the Emperor then preparing against the Turk, to bend his force against his own country of England, and against his sovereign Lord King Henry the eight, a Prince indeed of famous memory, but by the opinion of Pole worse then the Turk: for these be his words: In Anglia sparsum nunc est hoc semen, vt vix à Turcico inter nosci queat, id{que} anthoritate vnius coaluit: Terming the good seed of God's word sown by the appointment of God, and spread by Authority of the King in England, to be but a Turkish seed, and worse then that, for that the Turk doth compel no man, as King Henry did, when he commanded his subjects to renounce subjection to the Pope, & to yield it to their own natural Prince. I need not speak of late hyrelings against the Prince of Orenge, nor of the latter Mercenary men against our dread sovereign Queen Elizabeth by Pius Quintus and his successors: and all is, as they bear men in hand, for the Religion of the Catholic Church. Such a Catholic faith must be maintained by such Catholic means, namely by open rebellions, privy practices in a Catholic and universal manner, that is by all unlawful means.

A piece & a part of this religion is a Vow, not of forced chastity, but of voluntary cruelty, which the Pope giveth presumptuously, and the Popelings take foolishly. Such there have been, and such are among us, whom Ambrose reproveth: Saepe pleri{que} constringun • seipsos iurisiurandi sacramento &c. Oftentimes the most part of men bind themselves with an oth, and when they themselves know that it should not have been promised, yet they do it in respect of their oth. Is not their own Law contrary to this? Is not there forbidden every oth that is the hand of iniquity? And is it not an unjust band when we swear the spoil of Princely blood? No man liketh the vow that Iepthe made & seemed to keep for the slaughter of his own Daughter. Dura promissio, acerbior solutio, as Ambrose thinketh. No wise man will allow the rash vow performed by Herod for the beheading of John the Baptist at the motive of a dancing damsel the Daughter of Herodias: neither yet the vow of the Jews, who swore they would neither eat nor drink til they had killed Paul. And why shall our men bind themselves by a cruel oath, and make a conscience in observing it? In the same Popish decrees it is called a wicked promise, which is fulfilled wickedly, and in a Council we are taught, that an unadvised determination may lawfully and laudably be broken, neither is it a transgression, but a correction of rashness. If any vow have been made among our countrymen, you see it ought in no wise to be stood too, and I desire them so to think and do. For so thought David when he sware by God to kill that great fool Nabal: yet Ensem in vaginám reuocauit, he put by his sword in the sheath, at the request of Abigael, and was not sory for that perjury, as it is well applied by Beda. Evē as the same Ambrose exhorteth that a mā shall promise no dishonest thing, or if he hath promised, it is more tolerable not to keep promise then to do that, that is dishonest. Which sentences even the Popes Law reciteth, but falsely cites the first book for the third.

But if any Papist either of scruple in mind & conscience, either of good nature, or rather grace of God cannot be induced to communicate with such traitorous enterprises, alleging their duty & former oth made to Princes in the league of association & otherwise: thē the Pope hath this religiō & omnipotency, that he can & will dispēse w ^t any oth. Adrian the Pope the fourth of that name excommunicated Williā King of Sicily, and assoiled all those that were subject to his government frō the oth of obedience, that they might, being freed frō that, the sooner revolt frō him. Pope Innocent the 3. in a council at Lions for hatred he bare against Frederik the 2. deprived him of all Imperial dignity, & gave an absolutiō to y ^e Princes frō y ^e oth of fidelity, exhorting thē to choose another: & all this is catholic and current religion, & at Rome is avouched good doctrine from Peter and Paul the Patrones of that Church. O blessed Saint Peter, saith Gregory the seventh, I depose Henry the fourth from all Imperial and regal authority, who hath lifted up his hand too boldly and rashly against thy Church, and I do release his loial leige people of their oth. You have heard of Thomas Becket our countryman a man like Mercury in Aristophanes, a man of all arts and occupations, a courtiar, a clerk, an Arch-Bishop, by his hair cloth a Monk, by his inwardest garment nighest to his skin an Heremite, a man that first sware the oth of fidelity to Henry the second, & the same man was the first that brake it by a dispensation of Alexander the Pope ad soluendam, quàm ad confirmandam fidem promptior, a better Schoolmaster of perjury, then of obedience: and this prodition was such a religion, that by the Monks of Canterbury it was praised and approved. This is a right Supremacy, to do and undo what he listeth: this is the pride and the cruelty of the Romish Abishai against the Lord's anointed, not fearing to violate the majesty of Princes, to break oaths, to teach disobedience, and willful perjuries, and all this he may do absolutely by his new religion, and large commission.

You understand by the premisses the effect of the first part, & the meaning of the first persō Abishai: all tending to the death of the Lord's anointed. You understand the predecessors and successors of Abishai in number to be many, in manner of attempting to be violent & fierce, or else hypocritical and flattering, and the causes moving them to be either covetousness catching, either ambition aspiring, either envy maligning, either religiō pretensed, or some such like. As I reported before in the beginning out of Bernard to the Romans, so in the conclusion out of the same Epistle, I speak to the Romanists: You foolish Romanists, do you neither judge nor discern that which is honest? Do you disgrace and dishonor as much as in you is your own head, and the head of us all, for whom you ought not to spare your own necks, if need should require?

I end with this good note of the said Bernard. I knew once (saith he) in Babylon at the voice of one young man, that all the people which were deceived by the unjust Seniors of the city to condemn Susanna, did return to Judgment, and reverse it, and so that innocent blood was saved that day. I pray God, that you of whom I conceive well, and others who may be suspected elsewhere, may hearken with indifferent ears, if not at the voice of Daniel, yet at our daily motion, that you will avoid the devise of Abishai, that you will not be seduced by the false old judges of Israel, that you will not condemn our Susanna rashly and without all cause, but abhor all wicked conspiracies, mutinies, practices, against her Majesty, whom the Lord preserve many years among us, that she may attain that happiness which wise Thales spake of, Principis faelicitas, vt senex secundum naturā in suo lectulo moriatur: this God grant, that she may have that felicity of a Prince, to dy according to nature in her bed an old Mother in our Israel, and after live and reign eternally with him, to whom I commit you, and to him be all honor and praise, world without end. Amen.

THE SECOND SERMON.

H ERODIAN an Historiographer complaineth that it was an old disease among y ^e Greecēs, that they were always among them-selves at discord, and were willing to destroy those that seemed to excel others, and so in the end consumed Greece. A fatal matter, a mortal sin is sedition, reckoned worthily among the works of the flesh, tied and chained altogether as it were with a lincke in the Epistle to the Galatians: The works of the flesh are hatred & debate, wrath, contentions, dissensions, sects, envy, murders, all of one cognation and kindred. This sedition is, and ever hath been not only in Greece, but by sundry makebates at all times and in all places, by Abishai in Jury as you lately heard cōspiring against King Saul, and by others against David himself as he thus lamenteth: Mine enemies speak against me, & they that lay wait for my soul, take their counsel together saying: God hath forsakē him, persecute & take him, for there is none to deliver him. I have also declared that the Romanists & their Prelates have been Grecians in this behalf, consenting with Abishai against Saul, nay David, and made much trouble in the common-weal & Christiā churches, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & they have wasted our Greece, most parts in christendom, absolving all ecclesiastical & laymen frō their oaths made to their lawful Princes, and presenting abroad their Roses, their bāners, their swords consecrated or rather execrated to such, as should betray & persecute the good. This cruel devise of betraieng godly governors was here of Abishai, but not of him alone, but an inuentiō of the devil himself, who seeing God's work to go forward, ever laboreth to disturb, and to throw it down: Semper Diabolus bono operi imminet, vbi{que} gradientibus ponit laqueos. He is still peering into the good works of the godly, he is ready to hinder the course of the gospel, and layeth snares against them that walk in the way of the Lord.

You remember the Sermon of Abishai, I need not repeat it: now the second person must be produced, namely David replying to Abishai.

This answer containeth these three sub-divisions, his Prohibition, Protestation, and Policy. The Prohibition forbidding Abishai. The Protestation of him-self detesting the fact. His Policy in taking away the spear and the cup as a sign of his faithfulness, who might as easily have takē away his head as his helmet, or those things whatsoever that were by him then sleeping.

At this time only of the first, and so far as I may for the time, in the ninth verse standing upon these two points: A proposition forbidding, and a reason proving the same.

The first in these words, Destroy him not: and this was always the opinion of David to be good to the bad, to be a friend to his enemies, as in the case of Shimei who railed and cursed him, and called him a man of blood, and a man of Belial, a murderer and wicked man. And here again the same Abishai the son of Zeruiah following his hot spirit, termed this Shimei a dead dog, and would have fain cut off his head, but King David then reproved and restrained Abishai, and said that no man should die that day in Israel, and sware to Shimei he should live. And in the twenty fourth Chapter of this book David found Saul in a cave, and though his servants and friends told him that the Lord had delivered his enemy into his hand, he spared his body, and only for a token cut off the lap of his garment privily, and even for that he was touched and stricken in heart. So in this place he would not have that forward or rather froward man Abishai to take that advantage: & used this argument, For who can lay his hand upon the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless? Saul is the anointed of the Lord, therefore no man can lay hands on him without punishment, which reason I mind to open to you and prosecute.

In the person of the Prince are to be considered two things, his manhood, & Princehood. Aliter Rex seruit, quia homo est, aliter quia etiā Rex est: one way a King serveth because he is a man, another way also because he is a King: so y ^t he beareth & representeth a double person. As man, if there were nothing else, he may not be spoiled by any private man. Who so sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the Image of God hath he made him. Moses hath made a Law general: Thou mayest not kill. And yet not so general, but that it hath an interpretatiō & limitation. It is not meant, saith Augustine, of cutting or as it were of killing of shrubs, trees, or such like which have no sense in them, neither is it meant of unreasonable creatures flying, swymming, walking, creeping: it remaineth therefore that we understand it only of men, that we should not kill any man, & therefore not our selves. This general also hath another exception, for it is lawful to kill a man, as in lawful wars, Deo auctore, by the warrant of God, nay a souldior lawfully constituted, if he do not kill, he is guilty of contempt, imperij deserti at{que} contempti, as the said Augustine teacheth in another place of the same City of GOD. Again it is lawful for a Magistrate to put to death a malefactor, or for such as bear the person of public power by the Laws of God, or of any which is moved certainly and called thereunto by a special inspiration of the holy Ghost, or for that authority which did choose and ordain that governor, or in any such like case and cause. Otherwise no spirit, no reason, no friend, no carnal respect may authorize any man of his own head, or his private affection to draw weapon against any man, much les against a double and compound person, as the Prince established by lawful and public authority.

What if Abraham should have killed his own son Isaac? Is it therefore lawful for all parents to do the like: The commandment of God for the killing was only to try his faith, but the saving of Isaac by God was a secret commandment to all fathers, to commit no such thing against their children. Of this example Augustine also writeth in his first book De C. Dei, cap. 16. Though Moses killed the Egyptian, and Phinehas the fornicators, and Samuel Agag, and Peter Ananias and Sapphira without sword, with a word, yet the specialties are not general rules for private men against men: according to the saying, Priuilegium non est lex: A privilege is no law: It is said of the Magistrates rightly, by Jerome upon Jeremiah: To punish murderers, Church-robbers, poisoners, is not shedding of blood, but the ministry of Laws. It is said to Magistrates, and to private men by Jeremiah in the same Chapter, speaking to the King of Judah: Do no violence, nor shed innocent blood in this place. These words, as Jerome expoundeth them, forbid not only the Kings court, but Episcopos, & socios eorum presbyteros: all Bishops, and their fellows the Ministers, Deacons, and all the order Ecclesiastical, or else they leese their dignity. What shall we say then of the Byshoppe of Bishops, that draweth his sword as the fool doth his wooden dagger against everybody, and for every trifle? No man, public, or private, secular, or Ecclesiastical, inferior or superior, ought without crime, or cause, to put to death any man. It is said to Peter, and to Peters successor the Pope, (as they will have him) Put up thy sword into his sheath, for all that take the sword, shall perish with the sword. If Peter did il in cutting off an ear of a servant, how much more do they offend that cut off the head? And if the servant may not be stricken by Peter, howe can they escape that strike the Master, the Lord, or Lady of the land? And if Christ found fault with his servant fighting in his own quarrel, how much more will he be angry with them that take weapon against his Anointed Prince, his lieuetenaunt in the earth, nay, against himself in defense of his adversary and Antichrist?

For now consider with me the reason of David, and the second qualification of Saul, that he is not only created a man, but also anointed King. For what do these Nephilim Giantes, and tyrants of the world think? Or what do they esteem of the blood of a Prince? Or what do they imagine of the ordinance or institution of Princes? Are they upstarts by themselves, or able to rise and stand of thenselves? No, that was the phrenesie of mad Aiax, That Cowardes did get the victory by God, he would win whether GOD would or no. Or is it a matter of force or fortune? No, that was the desperate saying of Antiochus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Let him take the kingdom, to whom fortune, or the sword shall give it. Or doth policy and government of the world, or the world it self consist of the Sun beams: That might be the fantasie of Democritus, that scoffed at all things. Or is it the ordinance of Jupiter or any heathen God: No, for so dreamed Homer, that termed Kings, Nursed up and fostered by Jupiter: and Hesiod, that wrote, some to be noble, and some to be base, by the will of great Jupiter. So Julian the Apostate thought, who caused in all his public and popular images, Jupiter to be painted, as appearing from heaven and reaching to him the crown, and the purple, ensigns of the Empire. No: it is only the ordinance of our living God, the gift of Christ, who hath that written in his garment, and in his thigh, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lord's. So is the Prince desined of Saint Paul to the Romans: and by John Salisberg lib. 4. Polycrat. A Prince is a public power, & in earth a certain image of the divine power. Therefore as before I proved him to be a double person, so is he now a double Image of God, for he was made after the Image of God, and by office representeth God may: further, he is a God himself. God is God by nature, the Prince by name, God by propriety, the Prince by grace: So God himself saith, Ye are God's, and the children of the highest: And the same David in the same place, God standeth in the congregatiō of God's: he judgeth among God's, quia ipse est solus qui Deos faciat: It is he alone that maketh God's, as Tertullian expoundeth, aduersus Hermogenem.

Even Saul himself is named here the anointed of the Lord, and so are all other Potentates that are by their vices evil men, yet by office the ordinance of God: By me Rulers reign: The hypocrites rule not without him: And God himself saith in Osc, I gave thee a King in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath. Christ told Pilate that he could have no power at all, except it had been given him frō above. There is no power but of God, and the powers that be, are ordained of God. The Fathers if need were might be brought for the same, as Optatus: Paul teacheth (saith he) not without cause, that we must pray for Kings, and powers, although the Emperor were such a one as lived heathenishly. And Augustine: We call them happy Princes, if they command just things &c. And if they make their power as a servant and hand-maid to his majesty, especially in setting forth his honor. And in another Chapiter, Let us not give the power of bestowing kingdoms, and Empires to any, but only to the true God: He that gave authority to Marius, gave it to Gaius Caesar: He that gave it to Augustus, gave it to Nero: He that gave it to the Vespasians, either the Father, or the Son, most sweet and mild Emperors, he gave it also to Domitian, à most cruel man. And least I should pass through all, he that gave it to Constantine the Christian, gave it unto Julian the Renigate. And why are the bad as well as the good advanced? The fame Augustine against the Manichees giveth two reasons hereof: It is not unjust that wicked men receive power to hurt, both that the patience of the good may be tried, and the wickedness of the evil punished.

Heereby the Prince and the people may learn these notes. In that the Princes are called God's, they must serve God, and not exercise their own judgment: Again they must gather a good heart unto them, and conceive a comfort of this doctrine: because they are set up by God, they cannot fall, but by God, and if they serve their lord, the Lord will serve and save them. Pliny saith that the Cedar tree and the Juniper, if they be anointed with oil, they feel neither moth nor rotting: even so the Prince & governor being anointed not only outwardly, but also inwardely with oil of the holy Ghost (for the holy Ghost is called an oil or annointing) they need not fear the moths of the common-weal, that seek by fretting and eating to consume both Kingdom, and King: And so may I worthily cal them as Licinius did, Tineas, sorices{que} palatij, the moothes and rats of the court, as Sextus Aurelius Victor testifieth in his Epitome. This comfort gave Bernard both to King, and to Pope: to Louis the King of France, thus: The Kingdoms of the earth, & the Laws of Kingdoms do then indeed stand sound, & stable to their Lord's, if they do not withstand the ordinances and decrees of God. To the Pope Eugenius thus: I have read in à wise man, that he is not a valiant man, whose courage & spirit doth not increase, when his case is most hard: but I say, a faithful man must more trust when the scourges hang over him. Therefore the God's of the earth, if they will be preserved by God, with all trembling and fear must serve God: if not, they must hear, be they Popes, be they Princes, what the same Bernard saith to them in the same Epistle: Quale est hoc, principatum tenere, & ministerium declinare? What manner of thing is this, to hold the principality, and to shun the service? But the good God's must conceive hope, and have a boldness with David that feared not, because God was with him, and because God will defend him whom he annointeth.

Now let us consider being inferiors our note, touching us in the conclusion of David's argument. These be men, and worthy men, made after the similitude and image of God, therefore they ought not to be oppressed, or made away by private men: nay, they are God's and Christ's, the anointed of God, therefore you Abishai his offspring, destroy not Saul: If not Saul, much-less David, much-less your good and gracious Prince. Touch not mine anointed, my Christ's, saith God. Man is to be loved and helped because he is man, the image of God: therefore the man that is God, and by God a Prince, must be honored, and spared, not spoiled, and butchered: for he is in two respects the image of God. He that defaceth this image, defaceth God, and God taketh his quarrel upon himself, and thinketh the vilany to be done to himself: They have not cast away thee, but me, that I should not reign over them, saith God to Samuel.

Although this might suffice for the vnfoulding & opening of the Text, & of the reason of David against such Abishais, yet I purpose further to confirm the same by Laws and practices among the heathen, and all natural creatures, among Jews in the old Testament, & also in the New Testament by Scriptures, and after Christ by Christian fathers, by Princes, by Ciuil constitutions, and Canonical decrees, by Laws and examples abroad and at home, as time and leisure will serve, and in such order and method as I may: to this ende, and purpose, that in all these, obedience may appear fully proved, and all kind of disobedience utterly disproved.

The Law of nature might instruct natural citizens, and countrymen to love, honor & obey their natural Sovereign. Shall I begin to our shame with the kindness of unreasonable beasts towards their masters & feeders? The Ox knoweth his owner, and the Ass his masters crib: and shall not Israel, I say, shall not England acknowledge their dutifulness toward their Sovereign? What should I speak of these two both simple and vile creatures, and yet kind, patient and obedient unto master-ship? There is none but observe the first ordinance of God, which is the acknowledgement of superiority. The first Law is, that man should have dominion over the fish of the Sea, over the foul of heaven, over the beasts in earth: and is not this commandment by them towards man observed? Chrysostom hath, that among brute beasts, Bees, Cranes, Heardes, and flocks of Cattle this order is kept, and also in the Sea this discipline is retained, that many kinds of fishes are ruled, & as it were wage war under one. Of the fearfulnes and awe of fishes we may read Basil, Hexaem. Hom. 10. howe according to this first creation, they acknowledge at the sight of man, his dominion ever them: And the Dolphin, though he be a most regal & Princely fish, vbi hominem prope esse conspexerit, reueretur: when he seeth man near, he showeth reverence as to his Lord. Cyprian likewise confirmeth the same of Bees, Apes habent Regem, & Iudicem, & ei fidē servant: The Bees also, saith he, have their Praepositum, their prouost and Rector, whom they honor and fear. It is strange that Pliny recordeth of the faithfulness of Dogs towards their Master. A Dog hath fought against thieves for his Master, and never departed from the dead corps, though he were wounded: and being not able to faue him, yet drave away birds and wild beasts from tearing, and eating of him. A dog in Epirus did know the man that struck and killed his master, and never left barking, and biting of him, until he made him confess the murder. Two hundred dogs brought from banishment Garamantus the King, praeliati contra resistentes, as it were, warring against those that withstood him. The dogs alone know their Master, and a stranger if he come suddenly: they alone know their own names, and the voice of any of the house. I refer you to Ambrose in his Hexaemer. reporting of a dog, that kept in the night his masters corps at Antiochia slain by a soldier: and afterward in the troupe caught the malefactor with his teeth, and never left him, until by the barking of that dog, and of his own conscience he confessed the murder. I omit the dogs of Sabinus, Jason, Lysimachus the King, and Hieron, never forsaking their Masters living or dead: you may find them in Bap. Fulgosus. As also of an horse of king Antiochus slain by Centaretrus Gallata, who perceiving that his masters enemy had got up on his back, never left running until he cast himself and the horseman headlong from an high rock.

In the time of nature, I mean before the Law of Moses, although there was much violence & tyranny by Cain, Nimrod, & others, yet naturally there was a detestacion of this shedding of blood. Some of the brethren of Joseph envied his parti-coloured coat, and would have slain him: but Reuben delivered him out of their hands and said: Let us not kill him: shed not blood, put him into a pit in the wilderness, lay no hands upon him, minding to restore him to his father again: Judas although he was a right Judas, predecessor to Judas the traiterous scholar of Christ, gave a sentence meet for Judas, but better then others his brethren gave, that he should be sold to the Ishmaelites: for, He is our brother, and our flesh, and so agreed to sell him to the Midianites. The brethren by a lie colouring the matter, coloured Joseph's coat and dipped it in the blood of a goat, which Jacob seeing and thinking it to be Joseph's coat, and that he was torn in pieces by a wild beast, rent his clothes, put on sackcloth, not abiding the sight of blood. The father with the sons Reuben, and Judas in this time before Moses abhor blood. As Julia the wife of Pompeie, seeing the gown of her husband bloody, by the touch of others blood, more afraid than hurt, fell down half dead, and in this agony was delivered before her time.

What were the Magistrates in the time of Peter and Paul, but heathen, and tyrants, as Nero and such other? And yet Paul exhorteth every soul to be subject to the higher powers: and whosoever resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. Whereunto Bernard alluding, declareth his own judgment in this question very wisely to the King of France: If all the world should conjure against me, and swear me to attempt anything against the Majesty of the King, yet would I fear God, neither durst I rashlie offend the King ordained by him, neither am I ignorant where I have read, He that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. Peter exhorteth to be subject to all manner of ordinance of man in the Lord: and Paul, especially above all, beseecheth us to make supplications, prayers, intercessions, & giving of thanks for Kings, and for all that are in authority: and all this is proved to be profitable for common tranquility, to obey Nero, and such like: although they were heathen men in profession and conversation. The commodity of that heathenish government is thus set forth: He is the minister of God for thy good: we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life under them in all godliness and honesty: Governors are sent for the punishment of evil doers: and for the praise of them that do well. Chrysostom showeth the commodities of this political government: In that there are principalities, in that some command and some obey, and in that all things are not turned upside down by fortune and chance, and the people are not tosted hither and thither, I affirm it to be the work of the wisdom of God. And he saith, it is for the avoiding of discordes and dissensions in these words: Because the equality of honor and state bringeth in commonly fighting and braules, God hath ordained many principalities and many subiections, namely of the husband and the wife, of the son and of the father, of the old man and the young, of the servant and of the free, of the Prince and the subject, of the school-master and the scholar: he concludeth thus: Innumera bona &c. Infinite commodities come to cities by Magistrates, which if you take away, all things will come to wreck. Now let us recount with our selves: if this be the blessedness of government under the heathen, how much more are we bound to God for a Christian and godly regiment? Even Nabuchadonezer a tyrant and infidel was to be prayed for: And the Jews are willed to pray for him, & for Babylon: and to seek the peace of that City where they were captives: for thus saith Jeremiah, In the peace thereof shall you have peace: This is the office and duty of the Jews, though strangers, toward the Babylonians, notwithstanding their strange, and idolatrous religion. O that our great soiourner received in England with favor, entertained with honor, used with all liberal liberty, pardoned many times by mercy, would have sought the peace of the land where she harboured, or at least had not sought the disquietness of the state, the disturbance of the realm, the havoc and vndooing of many Gentlemen, the peril of the person of the Prince of the land, so graciously affected toward her, being but a Queen quondam, a Queen without a Kingdom, and only in name. Such soiournours have been here not a few: What shall I say, a Snakish and Serpentine generation? I might so. Thomas Walsingham remembereth in his Chronicle of three unkind guests, a Mouse in a wallet, a Serpent in ones bosom, and fire in the lap: Nay I might say worse: They pass some Serpents. In Egypt an Aspis or Serpent by nature learned this, to show friendship to a friend, and an host: for being brought up in a poor man's house, & delivered of young-ones, and perceiving that one of that brood had with biting and stinging killed the good man's Son, she did sley all her children, and was never after seen in that house. O admiranda Dei virtus, saith Baptista Fulgosus: O wounderful power and virtue of God! A cruel Serpent towards her host would show her self thankful, even with the death of her younglings, and with her own discommodity: and a man, a reasonable creature oftentimes more cruel than the Aspis, will destroy man and host: Doubtless a great and gross ingratitude. But now what reward either foreigners, or domestical practicers, and traitors have had from time to time among these heathen under the Law of nature: give me leave by exampls somewhat to make manifest unto you. Great Pompeie flying for succor into Egypt, and requesting to sojourn under Ptolomeie a young King, a Council was called about it, and whereas one thought him to he admitted, another to be repelled: Theodotus Chius School-master to Ptolomeie in the Art of Rhetorik, agreed to neither of them: For if they received him, they should have Caesar an enemy: if they should refuse him, it would turn to some reproach to them, and be offensive to Pompeie. Wherefore the best is (quoth he) to dispatch him, adding (as Plutarch saith) merrily, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : Dead men bite not: and yet here was no present practice by Pompeie, but a fear of some troubles and treacheries by him. Among the Romans it hath been severely punished, whensoever any such traiterous prancke hath been displayed, either against their country, either against their frindes or foes. Ambrose commendeth highly Fabritius the Roman, who perceiving that a Physician offered to poison Pyrrhus his Kingsent the traitor back again to his Master, to suffer condign punishment for it. Metius Suffetius keeping touch neither with the Albanes, nor with the Romans, as he was double, and traiterous in heart, so with wild horses his body was rent, and divided: where Tullus confesseth, that there is no war greater, or more perilous than cum proditione & persidia sociorum: when there is falsehood in fellowship. Tarpeia the daughter of the Lieuetenaunt of the tower or Capitolium, in the battle betwixt the Romans and the Sabines, corrupted, either by bracelettes, as Plutarch writeth, or for gold, as Liuie telleth, betrayeth the tower unto Tatius, and had reward, but such as choked her. Maximinus killed men as it were beasts, against whom when the Osdroens bowmen had made a faction, and commotion, and chosen a new Emperor, one Macedonius did slay him, and brought his head to Maximinus, who thanked him with courteous words, but afterward in severe manner as a traitor put him to death. What should I repeat the traitorous Schoolmaster of the Faliscians, who bringing out of the city, his scholars, as the manner was for their recreation, now cometh into the camp of Camillus, and delivered Principum liberos, Noble men's children unto him, joining with his wicked act more wicked speech, that the Valerians did yield themselves into the hands of the Romans, in that he yielded into their power those children, whose parents were the heads and chiefest there: but Camillus espyeng the treachery, after his sharp answer to him, stripped him naked, tied his hands behind his back, committed him to the boies, with rods in their hands, to whip the traitor into the city again: whereby Camillus got thanks, and renown of the enemies, and of his countrymen, declaring to the world the ancient justice of the Romans, not to win by fraud, but by virtue and manhood, virtute, opere, armis vincere, as Liuie allegeth his words. The same Liuie telleth how Papirius Cursor handled certain traitors, or reuoulters, first beating them with rods, then beheading them with an axe. These be some examples of Romans. In the wars betwixt Alexander and Darius, the like severity against like offenders is to be found. Ariobarzanes promised to kill his father Darius, but Darius understanding of it, struck off his head. Barsanetes a Prince perceiving Darius to be overcome by Alexander, killed him, but he for his pains or rather perfidiousness by Alexander was requited by death: so writeth Brusonius. Paulus Orosius saith, that Alexander found Darius bound with golden fetters, and afterward in his journey left all alone, stricken with many wounds, and ready to yield up the ghost: and Alexander pitieng him, when he was dead honourably buried him. Carion writeth of another traitor Bessus, captain of Darius, who seeing his master fly, wounded him: and Alexander coming, and finding him half dead, promised him, that that notorious treachery of Bessus against his own Lord, should not be unpunished: and so took him and commanded him to be hound between two trees, and plucked in pieces, and rent. O worthy execution of a traiterous subject, and that by an enemy for an enemy!

I pass over many others that attempting the death of tyrants, escaped not the judgment of God, Zeno Eleates was diverse ways tormented by Nearchus Mysius, Dion by Dionysius, & Apollonius Tyaneus a great learned Philosopher was imprisoned by Domitiā. What then deserve such as commit this heinous act against their mild and merciful Prince? Surely no mercy, being merciless themselves, yea more cruel than Tygres. I will add in the number of these heathen one Turk. There was in Constantinople a great rich citizen, who taking snuff against his Emperor, came privily to Mahomet, then intending to besiege the city, & made this bargain with him, that if he would let him have one of his Daughters to be his wife, with a large dowry, one of the gates of the city should be at his commandment. The Turkish tyrant agreeth, the gate is opened, and after the cruel massacre, he demandeth his reward. Meruisti (quoth the tyrant) you have well deserved it, and commandeth a great mass of gold to be brought to give him: but because thou dost ask my Daughter with a dowry, being thyself a Christian, thou must first put off this skin, and leave this life: and forthwith commandeth the officer to flea him from top to toe, and casteth on hot ashes with salt, and layeth him, and covereth him in a bed, that a new skin might grow upon him, that he might be the more apt to receive the new spouse of a new sect.

Here we may see as in a glass the working of nature in brute beasts, in natural men and others before the Law of Moses, and in very Pagans, and Turks, howe they reverenced their masters, and superiors: how they hated, and plagued this horrible sin of treachery against them: I should proceed in the rest, but I must differ it. God grant that we Christians, may not be found more vngrateful, more unthankful, and more brutish, than the beasts and beastly men. God open our eyes to see that old saying to be true, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Traison is evil: evil to the Prince, evil to the country, evil to the woorkers themselves.

GOD preserve her Majesty, the whole Realm, & us all from these practices in these dangerous, and doubtful days: To him be praise &c.

THE THIRD SERMON against traiterous practices.

A THENAEVS alledgeth out of Berosus an ancient author, that about the sixteenth of the Calends of September, there was a feast called Sacea, solemnised in Babylon for the space of five days, in the which, this custom was, that servants should have rule over their masters, & that one of thē should be brought out of the house in Robes like a King, whom they termed Zoganes: If (dearly beloved) such a feast should endure, not for the space of five days, but for mo days, & mo years, would you not think this to be a right Babylon? A disorder and a confusion in a common weal? There is in our time already, in the sight of all men of any judgment, a new Babylon, Rome, where a Servant, nay, a Servant of Seruauntes by name, is indeed a Master of Masters, a Lord of Lord's, a Zoganes, not in sport, but in earnest, not for a few days, or years, but such an one as without good warrant claimeth a Perpetuity, not only ruling himself, but setting up other servants against and above their Lord's, Princes and Monarchs, usurping authority over the anuointed of god. O double pride, that celebrateth such a double feast all the days of his life, not only challenging a dominion. for himself, but also placing servants, and subjects, displacing the right inheritors and possessors of the Crown, with the utter desolation of common weals. This Babylonicall Priest reviveth & raiseth out of the earth again, those old Giants, Terrae filios, private men to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to strive and fight against the gods of the earth, and against God himself. He hath bred a new brood of vipers, that cannot be content to come into the world, and live, but by the death of the mother. He is, and hath been the cause of a Serpentine generation, not grateful, but graceless, requiting evil for good, gaping for the destruction of those, who have by all means' endeavored to preserve, relieve, and promote thē. Now you know the fable of AEsope of the snake found in the snow & cold, by the hus bādman brought to the fire, and warmed, and refreshed, but afterward, recovering heat, and health, hissed against his benefactor, and poisoned the house:

And afterwards,

O beastly brood and viperous children, when, as Epiphanius describeth them, latus matris sauciant, & sic gignuntur, vt pater, & mater ipsorumpereant: They gore, & wound the side of the Morther: they are so begotten and so borne, that by them, Father, and Mother perish. The moral and meaning is this:

To apply this to our purpose, these old Giants, vipers and Serpents are newly born again, in these days, unthankful men set up by this romish Zoganes, unnaturally, ungodly, mōstrously attempting whatsoever means unlawful against the Mother and Parent of the country, under whose protection, by the providence of God, they have enjoyed after the winter and tempest of Queen Mary's persecution, the warmth and heat of the fire, and many blessings of God, both spiritual, and temporal.

For a remedy of these evils, & for redress of this be astlie ingratitude, disobedience, and rebellious behavior against the royal person of the Prince, I have as you have heard, discoursed of the history of David the last day, replieng against Abishai: which history Chrysostom so liked, that he made Homilies of it, and amplifieth the excellent integrity, and faithfulness of David toward Saul the anointed: in that David did this in the old Testament, where some revenge was in a sort permitted: in that David bestowed benefits upon Saul, sparing him, when he might have killed him, adventuring his life against Golias, defending both Saul the King, and the whole host of Israel that day, and with his harp charming and chasing away the furious spirit, that possessed Saul: and yet, this notwithstanding, Saul's spear was ever ready to pierce David. And whereas he should have had for the victory over Golias, a dowry with his Daughter, the King set down this cruel condition against him, that he must win in battle and hundred foreskins of the uncircumcised Philistines, which he valiantly performed with an advantage, bringing two hundred foreskins with him. And lastly, when he had cut off the lap of Saul's cloke, he was stricken in heart, & lamented for it: & yet for the defense of this fact God's name was avouched, God's his authority was alleged by David's servants & soldiers: Deus tradidit illum in manus &c. God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hands. Allegant illi diuinam authoritatem, as the said Chrysostom testifieth in that Homily, They allege the authority of God.

Wherefore once again I am to request you, patiently to hear the rest. I began to prove the opinion of David against Abishai (although many did hold with Abishai ) that it was not lawful to kill Saul, nor any the anointed of the Lord, being contrary to the law of nature and all laws.

Before I enter into the particular probation hereof, I do set down this ground generally received by common Law, Lex talionis: The Law of retaliation: That like will have like: Woe be to thee that doest spoil: when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled: when thou shalt make an end of doing wickedly, they shall do wickedly against thee. He that diggeth à pit, shall fall into it himself: and he that casteth up à stone on high, it may return upon his own pate. It is the plain case of Shimei, pronounced by the mouth of this Solomon, upon this general rule: Thou knowest all the wickedness whereunto thine heart is privy, that thou didst to David my father: The Lord therefore shall bring thy wickedness upon thine own head. Let all Shimeians beware of this strait and sharp verdict: for

The arrow oftentimes hitteth the shooter himself, and the stroke reboundeth back, to the striker. Perillus that devised the brazen Bul to increase the cruel humor of the Tyraunt Phalaris, in the which men should be burned quick, with intolerable pain and roaring, was by Phalaris appointed, first to feel the smart of his own invention:

It is not amiss but a most just law, that the truel workman, should perish in his own workmanship: It is a true proverb among the Hebrews, Middáh Keneged middáh, A measure for a measure: And our savior useth the same: What measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. It is the law, Quod fecit, semper expectet: & our law in Moses, Huic fiet, quēadmodum ipse fecit. Wherefore as it was said once in Exod. A breach for à breach, or à fracture for a fracture, an ey for an ey, à tooth for à tooth: so is it also the judgment of God, a limine for a limb, blood for blood, and this is a law universal.

To return now to our particulars, I have declared the law of nature, how this common law is verified by creatures void of reason, and by men void of religion: which law of nature is established by the wisdom of God himself, who hath created and directed all things in wisdom. Ambrose hath a sentence pertaining to this, & an example, proving this: The sentence is, Omnia penetrat diuina sapientia, implet omnia, id{que} locupletius ex irrationabilium sensibus, quàm ex rationabilium disputatione colligitur: validius enim est naturae testimonium, quàm doctrinae argumentum, noting the force and validity of nature, and of unreasonable creatures, for the plain demonsiration of this argument. The example is of a dog, whereof I spake the last day out of Pliny, and out of Ambrose, who in general words confirm the fidelity of dogs. They know to fly upon thieves for their master, and in the night to forbid strangers to come near, and they are ready to die for their masters, and oftentimes, they give evidence, to convince men guilty of muther: so that their dum testimony hath been credited for the most part. I reported before out of the same Ambrose, that in the suburbs of Antiochia, in the dark, a man was slain, that had a dog accompaniing him. And the worker & minister of the slaughter was a soldier, discovered by the dog, who pursued as he might the revenge of the enemy, because he could not work the defense of his master as he would. I omit the kind nature of Bucephalus, Alexander his horse, who when he was decked with the trappings and furniture of the King, would suffer no man to ride him but the King, otherwise he was content with any man. O that men would be as wise as Bucephalus, to know a King from a common man, and yet, In horse and mule there is no understanding.

But to come from beasts to men, from the horse to the master, Alexander himself a natural man was taught by his Master Aristotle, this supernatural lesson, in a certain book written to him: Quantum potes: As much as you can, take heed, that you shed not the blood of any man. Euripides also condemneth it as a wicked thing to kill a King. Holcot recyting certain laws of India, setteth down against traitors, that they should be banished. The reason of the law is, that the King might be without fear, & the kingdom in peace: and if a traitor were taken, all the sieve counsailers should give sentence against him, and that judgment once pronounced should not be revoked. O that England had the Law of India, or rather that happy effect of the law: that Prince and people freed from them, might live in quietness and security. We all naturally defend our head as the Serpent doth his, and naturally, the head is either reverenced, or feared most, as the Panthera, though for the variety of her colors, of other beasts she is most gazed upon, and for her savor is marvelously comfortable, yet with her head she is most terrible: And though she be wild, and cruel towards others, yet feeling a remedy even by the excrementes of man, against poison, doth so love man, and covet them, that if they be hanged up in a basket, or a vessel by shepherds, higher than she can touch them, yet by reaching and leaping after them, she faileth, and fainteth, and at last dieth. Princes are the heads of our common-weals, they ought therefore to be had in reverence, and to be defended, feared, and loved, except we will be worse than heathenish miscreantes, than beasts, as dogs, serpentes, horses, and savage Panthers.

Now we must pass from the law of nature unto the law of God, although indeed the law of Nature is the law of God, but I mean the written law of the Jews: in the which we find, That the birds of the air shall carry the voice of him, that speaketh evil, or curseth the King even in his thought, or in his bed-chamber, and the foul of the heaven shall declare the matter abroadt. And that Mary the sister of Moses himself murmuring against her brother a Magistrate, was stricken with a leaper: that the Israelites for mumling, and making mutiny against him their Captain were punished: that Corah, Dathā, & Abiram, rebelling against him, the one with fire, the other with earthquake perished, with their wives, childrē and goods: And that the common people, for saying to Moses, and Aaron, That they had murdered the people of the Lord, were plagued with death by God himself to the mumber of fourteen thousand, and seven hundred, besides them that died in the conspiracy of Corah. If for thinking, or speaking, and murmuring against the Magistrates such punishment was inflicted, how much more for conspiring the death of a Prince? Let thē also take heed, who justify traitors, and ask with these Israelites, Why have you put to death these good men Corah, Dathan, & Abiram? Why have you shed the blood of Campian, and other Catholics? Such reason as served against Corahits in the judgment of God, may serve in the opinion of all good men, against Campianistes, and such spiritual, nay, such spiteful Catholics. The end you see grievous, by the judgment of the law, & by the displeasure of God. What murder is, by the private man committed against a private man, let cursed Cain teach all men. He is first cursed, and the earth also made barraine and fruitless who opened her mouth to receive the blood of Abel. He is pronounced a vagrant man, banished from the face of God, he falleth to desperation, crying out that his sin is greater, than that it can be pardoned. He hath a mark of trembling, & quaking, fearing every shadow of man, and the shaking of the leaves of the trees. This severity was exercised in the law of Nature, I mean before the sentence of the Law Mosaical, and before any example of punishment shown against any murderer, being himself the first that ever suffered that way for that offense. Afterward we find too many examples and punishments: a few may suffice. The Daughter of Amry Athaliah rose up and destroyed all the Kings seed, only Joash excepted, and she cried: Treason, treason, but she her self as a traitor was slain with a sword, whereat the people of the lande rejoiced, and the city was in quiet. I pray God we may have the like sequel, for the like justice extended upon our traiterous persons in these days. When King Ahasuerus found out by Hester his Queen upon the information of Mardocheus, that there was treason in his privy chamber against him by Bighthan and Teresh, either by poison as some write, either by the sword as Caietanus the Cardinal gathereth by the phrase and manner of speaking, to rid him out of his life: the conspirators were hanged, the discloser Mardocheus honored, and the Act for memory sake registered. The life and reign of David may be once again a myrror to behold all this Tragedy, in y ^e which we have partly seen before, & now also may see his vprighteous dealing, & obedient behavior towards Saul, who would not suffer Abishai to touch him, nether he himself would at any time having just opportunity to adventure it, whose discreet moderation is by Chrysostom wondered at, & also noted in the Popes decrees out of Ambrose. Saul in battle pursued to death by the Philistines, requested his armorbearer to draw out his sword, & thrust him thorough: but he would not, being afraid to offend, & of better nature thā to show any kind of unthankfulness to his King: so that the desperate wretched King was driven to that extreme Exigent, to dy upon his own sword. But the Amalekite that brought tidings to David of the death of Saul, & confessed that he made an end of him, was for his pains rewarded with the like death by David. Thy blood be upon thine own head, for thine own mouth hath testified against thee. In this government of David Absalom the Kings Son did slay his Brother for his Sisters sake, but knowing and fearing his fathers justice, fled away for the space of three years, and after that upon great entreaty was made a prisoner in his own house, and did not see the Kings face. Afterward when the same Absalom was a rebel against his own father, though David perhaps in a fatherly pity would have spared him, yet God himself did execute his judgment upon him, and was without the hand of man, hanged upon a great oke by the long locks of his head. A strange execution of a Rebell: as was that also of Achitophel that had his hand in this pye, for he was his own hangman. But mark in this history another proof. When Joab asked the messenger that brought word to him of Absalomes hanging upon the oak, why he did not smite him to the ground, that he might have had a recompense for it, he auswered as becometh a faithful private man, Though I should receive a thousand Sicles of silver in my hand, yet would I not lay mine hand upon the Kings Son. He would not touch the Kings son, and yet the son did rise against the father: & how then dare subjects hazard & enterprise the like against the lords anointed? David went further in this point of justice, that he did not suffer any murder to escape unpunished against private men, neither did God suffer those to go scot-free: Abner killed Asael brother to this Abishai, and Joab killed him again, and David cursed Joab for it, and by the fathers appointment Solomon the Son put him to death: no refuge, no sanctuary, no Altar could save him. She bah raiseth a power against David, but by the procurement and wisdom of a woman, his head was cut off, and cast down to Joab. This history of David alone diligently considered is enough to enstruct us in our duty towards the Prince, and sufficient to prove our proposition, that blood requireth blood.

As these examples among the Jews do warn, so the laws among them warrant the same. It is written in Exodus: He that smiteth à man & he dy, he shall dy the death: which is repeated in Leviticus, and again in Exodus: If a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor to slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine Altar, that he may dy. A plain precept we have against sedition and rebellion in Solomon: My son, fear the Lord, and the King, and meddle not with them that are seditious: for their destructio • shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the r •• ine of them both? And in another place, Giu • not thy ways to destroy Kings. The penalty of this offense felt ambitious Adomas by Solomon executed, and the traiterous Priest Abiathar deposed, and railing Shimei at length put to death: whereof came a good ende, Et confirmatum est Regnum in manu Salomonis. By this justice the Kingdom of Solomon was established. The Lord grant of the like cause the like effect among us.

Another Law of God is in the New Testament, which plainly avoucheth that this murdering cometh from the Devil, and teacheth us a clean contrary doctrine to the Romish rebellious religion, namely, to obey, to pray for Princes, and to pay duties to them, to give to Caesar, that which is Caesar's. Paul to the old Romans gave this lesson, to render honor to whom honor is due, and fear to whom fear belongeth: and in the Epistle to Tite: Admonish those to be subject to Princes and powers. So doth Peter: Honor the King. And in his second Epistle he saith, that God doth preserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished, & chiefly those that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise the government, which are presumpteous, and stand in their own conceit, and fear not to speak evil of them that are in dignity. The like is read in Judas. Paul acknowledgeth this out of the old law in the Acts of the Apostles: Thou shalt not curse the Prince of the people. Wherupon Chrysostom inferreth this exposition, I take it that he did not know at all that he was the Prince of the Priests, otherwise he would have honored him. Shall I trouble you with the recital of a few examples? Theudas made a conspiracy, but he was slaint so did Judas of Galilee, but he also perished, & they that obeyed him were scattered abroad. I conclude this with the terrible example and ruful end of Judas the traitor of Jesus Christ his Master, forsaken of God and of man: of God, for that having no grace, he hanged himself: of man, for when Judas bewailed his case to the Priests, and confessed to them that he had sinned, betraying the innocent blood, What is that to us, (quoth they?) see thou to it. Two notes we may gather out of Beda and R. Holcot, both our countrymen, the first th • cause, the second the time: the cause, was money • in Judas that moved him to betray his master • which fault of Judas, saith Beda, many thi • day abhor as cruel & wicked, but they take • not heed of it: the other is the time, wh •• he betrayed him, even when he had taken h •• Supper, he went out and betrayed him. B • ware all traitors of Judas ende, beware a • avoid the cause, that is hope of silver, and of a better change, his change was no Royal Exchāge, but instead of his Apostleship, a rope. Let us dearly beloved seek no alteration of the state, nor of the Prince: let us consider our blessed time, better thā this unkind Judas did. For we at this time are no less thē Judas was both corporally fed with the plentiful provision at God's hand, and also spiritually refreshed at the table of the lord, and with the right use of the sacraments.

From the law of Christ, we come to the opinion of Christian Fathers. Ignatius the Martyr alloweth no such rebellion, but avoucheth the Scripture of God, that God taketh this quarrel of Princes upon himself, as he said unto Samuel, he allegeth the Scripture of Moses saying, This murmuring of yours is not against us, but against the Lord God: and setteth down this severe sentence: No mā that lifteth up himself against his better, went at any time unpunished, concluding thus: Wherefore we must reverence our superiors, for that it is no great matter to be cal • ed à Christian, but to be one: as though he would employ, that those that are disloyal and • ebels, are not good Christians. The same rea • on Tertullian rendereth. We are defamed as • raytours against the Majesty of the Emperor, and yet Christians were never found to be Albimans, nor Nigrians, nor Cassians, but he there discharging the Christians, chargeth the heathen who condemned the Christians: Christianus nullius est hostis, nedum Imperatoris. A Christian is foe to no man, much less to the Emperor. The office of Christians and private men is by Augustine thus described: Whosoever striketh evil men in that they are evil, and hath a cause to kill them, is the minister of God. But he that killeth or slaieth or maimeth à sorcerer, thief, churchrobber, à perjured man, or any other malefactor, shall be judged as a mankiller, and the more sharply, because he was not afraid abusive or disorderly to usurp unto himself a power not granted unto him from God. The same Augustine ratifieth this order political & the authority of Magistrates as necessary and inviolable. Except there were ordained an order of living certainly, nature would never make an end of sinning. Chrysostom agreeth to the same. If thou takest away the tribunal seats of judgment, though • hast taken away all order of our life: and thou shalt separate from the ship the gouenour, thou hast drownd the boat: if thou t • kest away the captain from the army, though • deliuerest up the soldiers captives to t •• enemies: evē so if thou takest away Prince from cities, we shall lead a life more unreasonable, then unreasonable wild beasts, biting and devouring one another, the man of might him that is the poorer, the boulder him that is the simpler. The same father upon the Epistle to the Corinthians showeth the Majesty of a Prince, and that by the outward ensigns of his office, and royal robes: Although we see cloth of gold, and shoes of gold, and such like, yet we still require and desire another garment and vesture to know a King: but as soon as we behold his Purple and Crown, now we look for no other sign of the Majesty of a Prince. And again, No man will entertain a King unreverantly, no man will touch the Kings robe with unclean hands, although he were alone in a solitary place: and yet the garment is nothing else but the thread of worms. If thou wonder at the coloring and dyeng of it, even that is the blood of a dead fish. Again he telleth us that this uplandish & barbarous shedding, of blood came frō our old Ethnish forefathers the Britanes, who did eat man's flesh, very Giants indeed: it came from the Massagets & Derbices, who thought them miserable that died of any sickness, & therefore whē they came to be old, killed thē & devoured them, Father, Mother, Cozens, Kinsmen, whatsoever. The like and almost in the same words hath Jerome. These and such like may be authorities and positions of the Christian fathers to disannul all these saucy and insolent attempts.

To these opinions of fathers might be added civil Laws, if a Ciuilian had this matter in handling. They could tell you out of the Code: Let every poisoner, sorcerer, adulterer, coiner, murderer, parricide suffer torments, and he that is guilty of treason, let him not hope for any pardon of his lord, against whom he hath presumed such things: He could tell you by the law of Pompey this decree, That if a mā kill his father or mother, wife, husband, patrō, or patronesse, and such others, there mentioned, he must be in danger of that penalty which is set down by the law of Cornelius. They could tell you, He that walketh with a weapon, with an intent and purpose to kill a man, is to be punished, as if he had killed a man: for in great and grievous offenses the will is respected, and not the end. And their Rule is, that the will is to be punished as severely as the deed. They could also report out of their Law, that it is a wicked thing for a man to lie in wait against man, because Nature hath linked us altogether with a certain kindred and cognation.

And again, That whosoever razeth, washeth, counterfeiteth the money of a Prince, if he be a free man, he is to be thrown to beasts: if a servant, he ought to be extremely punished. And also he that coineth a new coin without the authority of the Prince, he must be burned. What then may be thought of such Giaunts that are not only contumelious against the coat of the Prince, but also against his person, not only injurious against his coin, but against his body, not only intend murder, but practice it?

We may join unto these laws, Exampls, experimentes and documents which we learn by civil and Christian governors. For when did not God one way or other meet with these new deuisers of treasons & rebellions against the Lord's anointed? Maximus an upstart, set up by soldiers, circumvented by craft, and killed by violence Gratian the Christian and gracious Emperor preparing his journey into Italy: did not Theodosius put to death the same tyrant? Was not Symmachus a Senator, for writing the praise of that Maximus, reputed guilty of Treasō? and fearing death, was he not forced to take Sanctuary? Did he not retract the same by an Apology? Did not the same Theodosius tame Eugenius, who was intruded into the Emperors room? Phocas killed his Master Maurice the Emperor with his wife Constantia and his children and was not he afterward vanquished by Heraclius, by the means of his own Son in Law Priscus? Did not the common people after his apprehension put him to death and burn him? Constance the good protector of Athanasius was deprived of his kingdom and his life by Magnētius: Did not Constantius brother of the said Constance pursue him, so that at Lions he was brought to this extremity, to kill himself with his own hand? A certain man called Constantine furiously ran upon Belisarius with his dagger drawn: was not the traitor killed himself? Were not the Goathes made lords, and conquerors that day? How egregiously Traitors were punished by the Emperor Valens, we read in Sozomen and Socrates. Procopius an usurper encountered against the Emperor Valens, but by the means of his own captains was taken alive, and betrayed by them. These traitors, notwithstanding the oth made, were cut in sunder with sawes. Procopius the usurper was tied by the thighs to two trees, and straungely torn into pieces. You may read Cuspinian of the traiterous dealing of Manuel Emperor against Conradus and against Louis King of France, and of Caniclinus, and other three courtiers against the Emperor, and their punishment. Berhardus the nephew of Louis the Emperor consptreth, and by the sētense of the french men was condemned to dy, but by the favor of the Emperor his eyes only were put out. I told you out of Tertullian of certain traitors named only by him, as notorious in this lewd sect of Traitours: and now shall be more at large by Historiographers displayed to you. The one was Clodius Albinus, of whō Aelius Spartianus writeth, that he rebelled against the Emperor Seuerus in France: how sped he? When he was overcome, and his body was brought, he commanded his head being half dead to be cut off, and to be carried to Rome, the rest of the carcase to be quartered, & set up before his own house: some ad that he willed the same carcase to be thrown into the river Rhodanus with his children. Another rebel was Pescennius Niger saluted as Emperor by the band of the Syrians: what was his end? He was stain by Seuerus, his head was carried upon a spear, his children, who had been entreated of the said Emperor as his own children, were banished with the Mother: and after the rebellion of Albinus he put them all to death. The last was Cassius descending of y ^e line of the Cassians the great cōspirators against Julius Caesar, as Vulcatius Gallicanus witnesseth. He wrought treasō against Verus, he rebelled under Marcus Antoninus Philosophus, his delight was to be called Catiline, bragging that he should be also Sergius, if he might kill Dialogistam and Philosopham aniculam, naming and meaning Antonine, because he was a learned disputer, and given to the study of Auncient Philosophy. What was his reward? Antoninus himself was merciful: but Faustina the Empresse writeth to Antonine, that if he loved his children & wife, he should sharply pursue these rebels, for that these mutinous & seditious captains & soldiers had an evil custom, Quinisi opprimantur, oppriment, except they be oppressed, they will oppress. And in another Epistle she alledgeth a sentence of her Mother Faustina unto his father Pius, That he should first show pity to himself and to his own, and then afterward to strangers. In fine, the Senate took order, that he should be judged a traitor, and his goods confiscated, Et consensu omnium, praeter Antiochenses, interemptus est, and by the consent of every man (excepting the Antiochians ) he was executed.

Now for that I must end this time, apply this in our latter and lewd days, as you think good. Our learned Antonina for her own part of her admirable clemency, hath shown pity, and mercy to many traitors: our Honorable Counsail, and our Laws have provided against them, and some of them have had their desert by Justice, as you have heard it should be, and might be by the law of Nature, by the Law of God among the Jews, and also among the Christians, by the judgment of Christian Fathers, by the constitutions civil, by Emperors and Princes Christian and others.

You also my brethren and countrymen, have taken anoth of fidelity as the Athenians did, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c.

I will defend Religion, holy and profane things, and fight for them either alone, or with many, I will not leave my Country in worse state, but in better. I will always obey the Magistrate, and chief Ruler, I will be subject to Laws ordained, and to all other Decrees set down by the Commons and Parliament. If any will frustrate or make void the Laws, or not be obedient to them: I will not agree, but will revenge it either alone or with many. I will observe and reverence the Holy Ceremonies of My Country: whereof God be my witness and judge. We of this land do swear and protest in the name of Christ, a fidelity to God, to the Prince, & to our country. This oath must be kept, you know the rule of law: Nimis indignum esse iudicamus quod quisque sua voice dilucide protestatus est, infirmare. We think it an unworthy and shameful thing, that a man should break that which he hath protested plainly with his own mouth. God grant us all to be mindful of it: To whom &c.

THE FOURTH SERMON against Abishai, and all trayteterous persons.

C HRYSOSTOM a worthy & eloquent father, hath uttered a good method and order of teaching to be observed of all that shall occupy the room of Ministers in the Church of Christ. For he entreating of the same argument which we now handle, saith thus man Homily: Hic mihi videtur optimus esse docendi modus &c. This seemeth to me the best way of teaching, if we do not cease to counsel and exhort in any matter, before we shall see our counsel and admonition to come to effect: for if one reasoneth today of alms, tomorrow of prayer, the next day of humanity, and again afterward of modesty and humility of mind, he cannot well make perfect any of these in the hearts of his auditors. I am therefore returned to this place, to prosecute the same matter, which the last time was delivered to you. You have heard obedience towards Princes and Superiors hath been commended by diverse laws of Nature, of God in the old and New Testament, commended by ancient Christian fathers, by Ciuil Cōstitutions and Examples of Princes, & how contrariwise. disobedience, treacheries, rebellions were evermore condemned, & condignlie punished.

Now I am to proceed to other laws, and decrees, and examples to prove the same. The next law, is the Law Canonical, aduouched, & recited by the Pope himself, whereby all kind of murder against any person never so mean is utterly forbidden in private men: as out of the Epistle of Clement: That blessed Saint Peter said, there were three kinds of Homicides or murderers, killers of brethren, slanderers, and haters: out of Jerome: Al iniquity, and oppression, and unrighteousness is judgment of blood, and although thou dost not kill with the sword, yet dost thou slay with thy will. And out of Augustine: Murder forbidden by Law was thought to be nothing else but the killing of the body: Therefore the Lord hath opened to us that every unjust motion to hurt a brother, is to be reputed among the kinds of murder. This doctrine gathered out of these fathers, and borrowed out of the interpretation of our savior Christ, defining murder to be threefold, operis, oris, cordis, in work, word, and heart, inserted and allowed by the Popes own law, doth touch the quick and the very point of this controversy: It is not lawful to murder by detracting, by thinking against any person: and shall it not be accounted of these Catholics murder indeed to lay violent hands upon the same person? And shall this be esteemed murder against private persons, and shall it not much more be so esteemed against public Magistrates? Shall not the murdering hand, the murdering tongue, the murdering heart against Princes be guilty also by this Lawit We understand what they say in their Popish Decrees. And this also I would have our coūtrymen note, that if any have taken an oath to Pope or any other, Tamen contra propriā patriam non iuuabit ipsum, He shall not aid any man or master against his own country. And whereas in sundry places of scripture we are bound by the commandment of God to obey, to honor, to fear the King and all higher power, as the places rehearsed before declare: now their Law enforceth that being a precept or commandment, it must be done and followed: Whosoever obeyeth not commandments, is guilty and a debtor of the penalty, out of Austin, De sermon Domini in Monte. And in the same Title out of Gregory. That which is given in precept, is commanded: that which is commanded, must needs be don: if it be not done, Paenam habet: it hath the penalty. Why then should any Pope dispense with any Princes subject, and not incur double punishment, in that he breaketh himself, and causeth many thousands to commit the like? The Popes law can tell him, Quod alter mandato nostro facit, nos reputamur fecisse. The Popish Schoolmen teach, That if a man doth not fulfil his penance enjoined to him by his ghostly father, he committeth deadly sin. Scot. in 4. d. 15. and so doth Bonaventure require obedience to a Prelate under pain of death. And to disobey a Prince shall it be venial, and a thing of nothing?

Now let us set their own sayings, and doings in one ballaunce, and see how far they disagree from this authority of these fathers, alleged by their Gratian. It is written that Pope Innocentius the third of that name, when he had intermeddled, and made debate by his double dealing between Otho the first, and Frederik, he made a cunning collation at Rome in the holy time of Lent, of peace and agreement: but this judgment was given of that Sermon by a noble Citizen of Rome, John Capocius: O holy father, your words are the words of God, but your deeds are the deeds of the devil. So may we judge of the rest of the rabblement of Popes, whose laws compiled out of these fathers, are godly in some cases, but their own words, & works are devilish.

Touching words, in their own high maiestical style, thus they speak. It is certainly most evident, that the judgment of the Apostolical See (whose authority is greatest) must not be retracted of any man, neither is it lawful for any man to judge of her judgments. And again, The judge must not be judged, neither of the Emperor, neither of all the clergy, neither of Kings. And again: The Church of Rome alone by her own authority may judge of all, but it is not permitted to any to judge of her. It is a great usurpation of the Bishop of Rome, both in his notorious claim of all Kingdoms, and in his oppression of all Kings: which by general terms, and particular discourse may be found in Histories, and are couched together in Augustine Steuchus a great Proctor of the Pope, even out of the bowels and priuities of the Popes Epistles, & Registres. The generals are: Papam habere vetustissimum vniuersalem{que} Dominatum &c, that the Pope hath a most ancient and universal dominion over the King domes of all the west Church. That Rome is content, and suffereth Kings to rule, so that they acknowledge hir to be Patronam, Dominam, ac Reginam, as the Patronesse, Lady, and Queen: so that all pensions be paid to her, and she as Queen to be saluted, & worshipped, Adoretur. These specialties be many: Gregory, otherwise Hildebrand, giveth the Kings of Spain to understand, Regnum Hispaniae ex antiquis constitutionibus Beato Petro, & Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae in ius & potestatem traditum esse: That the Kingdom of Spain by ancient Recordes and constitutions hath been given up, and delivered to the right, & propriety of Blessed Saint Peter, and of the holy church of Rome. The same Pope writeth to Solomon King of Hungary in like sort, challenging that Kingdom as his proper possession. Pope Alexander the third certifieth William Conqueror, that before King John offered up England to the Church of Rome, it was in the hand of the Prince of the Apostles, and under his Tutorship or tuitiō, until some others came, who following the pride of Satan, Pactum Dei abiecerunt, & Anglorum Populum à via veritatis auerterunt, that is, Until they did cast away the covenant of God, and turned the people of England frō the way of truth: And praiseth English men, as faithful Contributours butours, and Exhibitors to the See Apostolical by a yearly Pension, partly to the Bishop, and partly to Saint Mary's Church, Quae vocatur Schola Anglorum, which is called the Schole of English men. It is likely our English Seminaries receive some portion and piece of this Exhibition at Rome, & Reims, which our Popish Jesuits brag to be the Popes liberality. But there is another effertuous point in that Popish Register: A sure, and certain warrant to William, that he shall have Peter a pitiful and gracious debeour, Pium, & propitium debitorem. I know not with what measure of mercy, and pity, Saint Peter hath paid this debt to King William: but Queen Elizabeth and her predecessors of late have received small Alms, but rather have felt a shroad recompense. The same Alexander challengeth Denmark, tanquam peculium & vectigal Romanae Ecclesiae: As his own peculiar, and trybutary to his church: Item the Kingdoms of Aragonia, of Sardinia, of Portugal, of Boemeland, Sweden, Norway, Dātia are subject with like conditions, as also Ianua in Italy. Our neighbor France is so holden: and King Demetrius, and the Queen of Ruscia so confess to Gregory the seventh, That they received it, Ex dono Petri: Of the ree gift of Peter: And yet their printed Text is in a Distinction against these Registres: Imperator non habe • ▪ Imperium à Papa, sod à Deo: The Emperor hath his Empire not of the Pope, but of God. I omit the rest, as Croatia, Dalmatia, who acknowledge that they have their Regimēt per vexillum &c. By the banner, sword, Scepter, and Crown rendered from Gebyzo the Legate of the Apossolick See. What is the conclusion of this new father Augustine? Quidigitur superest in Occidente, quod aperte non sit Sedis Apostolicae? What is left in the west, which is not by plain evidence belonging to the Apostolical See? Ergo this is the meaning: Al is ours, quoth the Devil, or rather the Pope, whō the devil hath lifted up not only to the Pinnacle of the Temple, as high and universal Priest: but set and exalted upon an high hit, and given to him all the Kingdoms of the world, for his good service, in adoring & worshipping him, which he offered before to Christ, but he refused that his conditional offer, and now Antichrist hath accepted it.

In their Decrees and Decretals and Gloses and Doctors we may find those and the like speeches. The Pope may take away privileges, and depose Bishops, and the Emperor: He is Lord of Lord's, having the jurisdiction, and the right of the King of Kings over Subiectes.

As his brags are big, so his practices are not unlike, Sabellicus is witness of the pride of Clement against Francis Dandalus Ambassador, & afterward Duke of Venice, who coming from the great Seignory of the world for peace, as a poor penitent, was used like a dog in an iron collar about his neck, lying prostrate under the Popes table: and with much ado at length obtained absolution. Henry the fourth Emperor, being also discommuned of Gregory the seventh, came speedily to Canossum (which Abbas calleth oppidum Canusinum ) bare footed in winter and trost, putting off his princely robes, and coming near to the gate, desireth to be let in, which was denied to him: so remaining in the suburbs the space of three days, continually craving pardon, at the length by intercession of Mathildes a Countess, and a familiar frind of the Pope, & the Earl of Savoy, & an Abbot, was absolved. The same Platina doth not deny but that many misliked such cursing & bāning, & did instantly urge and hold, That a King ought not so suddenly to be pronounced an accursed mā or an Anathema. The Pope had Scripture for this, that Peter had commissiō from Christ to feed his sheep, Pasce oues meas, & maketh a Cōmentary or rather a cōmeant upon it, Excepit ne Reges? Did he except Kings: And Peter had authority of binding and loosing, and therefore exempted no man, and Gregory in earth appealeth to Peter and Paul in heaven against the same Henry, abusing the Text of Scripture: Astiterunt Reges terrae: The Kings of the earth and Princes of the world stood up, and Ecclesiastical persons, and other common men have conjured against the Lord, and against us his Christ's, and Henry hath too proudly lifted up his horns, and heels against the church of GOD, meaning the church of Rome. Gregory proceedeth still by excommunicating, and persecuting by himself and his Catholics, blasing him out in his arms, and colors to be an Archheriticke, and an Apostate, whom notwithstanding the other Historiographers commend, as Sigebertus, Otto Frisingensis, Auentine, Cuspinian, who findeth fault with these men that carry the King, and namely with Bertholdus, who continued the history of Hermānus Contractus with the Abbot of Vrsperg, affirming that, vter{que} ardentius quàm conueniat pium Imperatorem insectetur, reproving their heat against the godly Emperor. The Pope also maketh the subject Rodolph to rise against his Master, and the son Henry against Henry his father, who by the hypocritical protestation of the Son, and the crafty counsel of some Peers, rendered up hie Regalities, that is, his cross, his saunce, his scepter, & crown: which practice so displeased the good father afterward, that shortly after he fell sick and died at Leodium, and his corpse by these Popish men's cruelty was for the space of five years unjustly kept from Christian burial. A matter more than tragical that hath no end, but in life and death, yea after both, persecuteth the anointed of the Lord.

This is the practice of Popes and specially of Gregory: now consider with me, whether David's argument holdeth or no, whether the Pope so over-reaching in loftines of words, so surmounting in hautinesse of deeds against such Personages, hath escaped guiltless in the sight of God? And whether any Popish commissioners under him have gone unpunished? Was not Gregory subject to the censure of August, and of the clergy, and of the church, contrary to that brag of the Popes, Nicolas, Innocent, and Calixt, of whom before is spoken? Gregory notwithstanding these Popes charters and lofty style, was judged to be a manifest conjurer, sorcerer, and a stragler and runagate from the true faith, and that in a Council holden at Brixia, and as saith Abbas Vrspergensis, Factus est omnium consensus aduersus Hildebrandum Papam, There was a general consent of all against this Gregory, whom they term a false Moncke, & totius Vesaniae pestiferum Principem, and of all this brainsicknesse a pestilent ring-leader. He was judged before in a Council at Wormes, and deprived with this plain speech, Because thou hast declamed, that none of us should be a Bishoppe to thee: therefore hereafter thou shalt not be Apostolical to us. He was also judged in a Council at Mence, where in the presence of the Emperor and the Legates of Rome, all those Bishops rebels to the Emperor, were deposed, and others accursed. And the Romans with one consent deposed him, and as Christianus Massaeus affirmeth, a Noble man Cincius at the beginning, when the Pope song his first Mass, plucked him from the Altar, & cast him into prison. This Pope shamefullie fled to Salerna, and tarried there unto his dying day, confessing before his death that he had molested injuriously Henry the Emperor, and therefore even then assoiled him. Platina the Popes Secretary saith, that when in the synod of Bishops Gregory was deprived, Gilbertus was chosen in his place, whom they called Clement. Cuspinian also saith, that Hermannus a noble and valiant man, but factious, rebelling against the said Henry, was slain even of a seely woman, out of a tower by a great stone thrown down upon him: and that his own kinsman Eggibert for the like seditious attempt taken in a mill, was put to shameful death by the soldiers of the Emperor, and that Rodolph a subject of the Emperor, whom the Pope advanced and freed from his oth of allegenunce, being conquered in war, when he beheld his right hand cut off, lamentably said: I do confess that I am well served: for with this hand I made a promise and took anoth of fidelity to my lord, which I have dishonestly broken by your persuasion, I have a just reward for my perjury: and, as also the Abbot; of Vrsperge confesseth, he being carried to Meresburge, made his moan unto the Bishops that he had lost his right hand. Kingdom and life by their means. These be the fruits of Popish Counsailours and ghostly fathers. Here is one thing to be noted out of John Cuspinian touching the good nature of the Emperor against this lewd Rebel, that he buried him honorably with royal pomp, which when it was reproved and misliked by his friends, he answered: Vtinám omnes mei adversary eo ornatu sepultiiacerent, I would to God that all mine adversaries mightly and dy with such an honorable burial. So (dearly beloved) let us all pray, that all the fors and rebels and if willers of her Majesty may either be converted, or so confounded, though they had afterwards asumptuous funeral.

Now what became of Henry the fist, the parricide of his father, the Popes darling, an Emperor of the Popes own cecation: He drank of the same cup of affliction which he offered to his father. First the Pope denied him that privilege, which iustlio he claimed in bestowing Ecclesiastical dignities, and investing of Bishops and Abbats, which was the spark, and beginning of a great flame of dissension betwixt Henry the father, and the Pope. Pope Paschalis the second in a Council holden at Lateran reuoketh all his promises which he made to the King, even by the receiving of the Sacrament solemnly and religiously at his Mass, calling that a Prauilege, and not a Priuilege: and in the end excommunicated him, striking him, as some write, Grandi fulmine, with a great lightening or thunder-bolt. Afterward he was driven to release all the Inuesting to his Lord Calixtus: & as the Pope began with him, so God in judgment proceeded against him. For there fell out in Germany tumults, spoils, burning, wasting, murthering every man as he listed: Cities were destroyed, and they made a pray of all things that was the Emperors. And the same Abbas reporteth that there were certain conspirators against them, and the tempest of civil seditions inceased, &, as the Prophet saith, Lying, and perjury over flowed, and blood touched blood: so that he drank the dregs of that cup which he made his father taste. There followed most terrible wonders & signs from heaven, and earthquakes, thunder with hailstones, and lightning, whereby cattle, men, towns, and fields were destroyed. There fell out also a great famine and mortality, so that it was thought that the third part of men perished, and that scarcely men were left to bury the dead carcasses. And not long after died Calixtus the Pope, and a multitude of Noble men, and the common people so fast, and in such heaps by hunger, and pestilence, that no man (saith Cuspinian ) was able to number them. The Emperor himself was stricken with a strange disease, called Dracunculus, a foul ulcer or botch in his privy partes, whereon he died, in his life being in miserable pain, and had infamy and an evil name after his death. For thus the history recordeth of him that he was a Prince, not greatly to be commended, for that under the pretense of Catholic Religion he deprived his father: Whose life is thus painted out by Cuspinian: his impiety and cruelty towards his father: his own wretched life and shameful death.

Thus the Pope Gregory with all his treacherous practicers is come to naught, and judged of God and men, who will be judged of no man:

The saying of the Poet is verified: Evil counsel is worst for the counsailour himself. What should I speak of Henry the sixth Emperor, against whom the Bishop of Leedes rebelled, and was slain for his labor: and so by his death the rebellion ceased? A good end of good justice ministered: God grant the like event in these days. Earls also and Barons rebelling in Apulia against their promise and faith, were not their hostages taken, and their eyes plucked out, and the rest of their rebellious captives put to death by sundry horrible punishments? Among the prisoners was an Archbishop of Salerna, but his eyes were spared, more of the Kings goodness then of his desert. I told you before of this Henry out of Bapt. Egnatius and Raph Volaterran how he was poisoned in the Sacrament, which he was wont oft to receive. And Abbas Vrsper. Multi asserebant eum interysse veneno, albeit he himself doubteth of it.

I might add unto these the treachery of Pope Lucius the third against Frederik Barbarossa, in stirring up controversies and quarrels against him, for which God judged him, so that he died strait in his consultation at Verona, and was buried with this Epitaph.

Read also there of the rebellion of the Milleners, who contemned their oth to their liege Lord, upon the bare word and warrant of Alexander the Pope: Read there of the treachery of Urban the third, called Turban of many, for his troubles moved against the Emperor: but all three Popes died before him, and Urban disquieting the church was stricken by the hand of God and perished. This is the just plague of God upon such Successors of Peter, that draw the sword: and as Otho writeth, such priests are to be blamed greatly, that go about to strike Kings with that sword which they have received by the courtesy and favor of the Kings.

And hath not also the cup of poison walked among the Popes themselves as they have given it to others? Did not Gerhardus Brasutus dispatch with poison six Bishops of Rome, Clement, Damasus, &c. only to make a room for Hildebrand aspiring to the Popedom? Was not Victor the third of an Abbot made a Pope, and within a year and four months was he not screwed with this unsavory and pestiferous sauce? was he not poisoned in a chalice by a Deacon? Or as Christian Massaeus writeth, per fautores Guiberti, By the favorers of Guibert? Did not Alexander the sixth when he had prepared a poisoned cup, taste himself of the same bottle by error of seruitours at the table, & died with them: There is none of this Popish brood that commit such treachery against Christian Princes, or perjuries against Turks, and Infidels, that God will suffer vniudged, and unrevenged. One not able History we read in Bonfinius, and in the chronicle of Carion, that Hunniades a valiant captain with other Christians had made truce for ten years with Amurathes the Turk: but by the persuasion of the Pope Eugenius, and his Cardinal Julian, Vladislaus the young King and the rest brake it, for that the Papists avouched that no such platte of peace should be pitched without the consent of the Pope: Whereupon Vladislaus was forced to send for help to his friend Dracoles a Wallachian, and he received from him, besides the aide of two thousand horsemen, two swift horses, one for himself, and another for his Son, with signification, that, as soon as they could, they should run away, for that the Turk should of all likelihood overcome: which prophecy or forespeaking came to pass: for the Turk spreading out towards heavē the book & Articles of Pacificatiō agreed upon, betwixt them, & sworn to, by the Christians, vpō the Enangelists, by the other upon their Alcoran, cried out to Christ, that if he were a true God, he should be revenged of his false Christians, Immediatly the King was stain, the Cardinal running away was thrust thorough, Hunniades hardly escaped, & the Christians, who had the better hand afore, were with great loss, and shame of all Christendom vanquished. Thus the Romish Ishmael hath his hand lifted up against all men, and the hands of all men are against him, as also Bernard did apply this text against the Romans in like sense.

A Turk sometimes keepeth touch better than the Pope: and punisheth most severely all unfaithfulness. Saladine Soultan of Egypt, as he was fauourahle unto Guye Lusignane King of Jerusalem his prisoner, so he was severe against Reynold Castilian, and cut off his head w ^t his own hand, because he waged battle against him contrary to the league of Truce and contrary to his faith and troth given in that behalf. So it falleth out that ether God, or by his permission the Devil, either Christian, or Turk, or Soultan, or one, or other will meet in the end with such Popish Prelates. If none will, they among themselves will take order, that they shall be murdered or cousoned. Mark I pray you an Pistory. Celestinus of an Eremite made Pope, pretending a reformation of the Clergy of Rome in his first Consistory got displeasure by it, Tantum incurrit indignationis, vt delirum & fatuū susurrarent, that is, He incurred so much their indignation, that they whispered among thenselves that he was an old doting fool. And one of them, Benedict, non re, sed nomine, not in deed, but by name, set one at the Popes chamber door, many nights, by a reed to sound as it had been an Angel: Celestine, Celestine, cede, negotium supra vires est: O Celestine, Celestine, give place, this is more than thou canst perform: which voice the simple Pope hearing answered, Faciam quod Deus voluerit: God's will be done, I will do as pleaseth God. But the pleasure of Benedict or Benet was, that he should to prison, where he remained more then seven years: And the See Papal was vacant scarcely one day: and this Benet was suddenly transformed into Boniface the eight: but as he entered in as a for, so he lived as a lion. And Platina thus describeth this Lyon, Qui imperatoribus, regibus, principibus. &c. This Boniface that did strike into Emperors, Kings, Princes, nations and people a terror, rather than a religion: He that went about to give, and to take away kingdoms, to thrust out and thrust in at his own pleasure and arbitrement, dieth, and as it was commonly said at that time, vt canis, as a dog. Little better was the end of others by the confession of Augustinus Steuchus, declaring how the Romans themselves hardly entreated their Popes. How many have they cruelly killed? How many have they taken, imprisoned, and strangled? And yet the same Steuchus will go about to prove unto us the perpetuity, and eternity of the Romish Seat, and that out of a Poet Virgil, Imperium sine fine dedi. the sense is,

That their Papal Empire shall be endless: wherein I may well resemble these Romanists unto the people of Athens, who promised unto themselves, an universal government over the whole world,

Treioice that I shall be as an Eagle in the clouds. Notwithstanding this conceit, and crochet of these Romish Athenians about their everlasting continuance, and Eaglelike mounting, I must say of all these Popes, as the Chancelor of Paris Gerson in the Coūcel of Constance said many times of one Pope, Peter de Luna: Non erit pax Ecclesiae donec auferatur Luna: There will be no peace to the church of Christ, until this Lunatike Papaty be rooted out from us, and out of all Christendom, This also was once prefigured, and shadowed out to us in another sort against Julius the second that Romish Ruffler, and against that bloody Seat by a strange monster born at that time, whē Julius his army fought against the French-men: The monster had in his head an horn: for arms wings: both sere, in part a man, in part a womā: in the knee an ey, the foot of an hauke: in the breast these marks, V. ✚ The interpretation of it was thus then set down: Pride, lightness, want of virtues, Sodometry, the love of earthly things, forgetfulness of God, and insatiable covetousness, FLAGELLO FRANCORUM PUNIENDA: These monstrous vices must be punished by the scourges of French-men: which partly was verified then in the great slaughter of the Popes host: and partly in the miserable ransacking of Rauenna by the French-men: but shall be fully accomplished when France will reform the Religion, and embrace the Gospel of Christ, and shake off the tyrannical cords, and cartropes of that man of sin, whereas now they cry a contrary note against God, and his Anointed, Lette us break their bands: let us cast from us their yoke: for the which, He that sitteth in heaven laugheth them to scorn: Pray dearly beloved for them: Pray for the French now afflicted, Pray for the French that afflicte: for the one, that they may be comforted, for the other, that they may be converted. Their conversion will be the Popes destruction, and a consolation for us, and for all the Godly: Therefore O Lord so be it: Say Lord Jesus, Amen.

The total Sum which I have now spoken of in this latter argument, compriseth these three pointes: First the Popes own Decrees and Constitutions, which are sound. Secondly their own breaches of the same, which are many. The third their deserved end and judgment, which from time to time falleth upon them, sometimes by man, and always by God, whom they do grievously offend. The same God turn them or bridle them, that we and our governors being delivered from the hands of all our enemies, may serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life: who be praised forever and ever. Amen.

THE FIFTH SERMON

I HAVE confuted in the last sermon Abishai of Rome, and all traiterous Remainstes, by their own Laws of Rome, Canonical • in name, and indeed good Rules against all kind of murder: I have complained justly of their irregular and unruly rashness in contemning and breaking their own rules, and making their own will their law and rule.

I am now to speak to Englishmen, and out of English laws and others, to admonish you; Fathers, Brethren, and Countrymen, in such ordinances and practices as come to my knowledge: which I wish some learned Law. yer would take in hand, and better perform it. In the mean time I exhort you which now by God's only goodness securely dwell in the Land, to think of your loyalty, and to be more and more thankful. A vertu the more to be exercised by us all, for that it is most rare, & very hard to be found in the world. And a woride it is, to see the world altogether grudging and spiting such Principal persons, and Peers, as are excellently qualified, and have infinitely well deserved of the common weal. When Tully had defended by his eloquence Ch. Popilius in a doubtful cause much perplexed, and hazarded, and was by his means quitte, and returned safe and sound to his country, and neither in deed nor word hurt at any time by the said Tully: yet he, such was his unkindness, maketh request unto Antony, that he might be sent to cut his throat: & upon the grant he runneth to Caieta, commandeth his Orator to yield his throat, and by and by cutteth off the head of the Roman Eloquence, & the most noble right hand of peace, never remembering, y ^t he carried that head, which had made an Oration for his head. I report almost the very words of Valerius Maximus. Lycurgus, of whom Apollo gave this Oracle, that he knew not whether he should number him among men, or among God's, was notwithstanding cast at with stones, sometimes cast out with a public and popular rage, and by Alcander had his eye put out, and in the ende was driven out of his country, and in that country, where he had made, enacted & established many good Laws. Let us not be Spartans, churling and spurning against our Lycurgus, nay our Christian Law-maker: Let us not be unthankful Popilians to covet the head of our Sovereign, who hath saved and preserved many heads. Hearken therefore, well-beloved Countrymen, to our own Laws, old and new, and afterward to other constitutions, & Examples abroad among our neighbors, if occasion serveth.

An old Law was by Canutus, Edgar, & Alfred, that he that railed only against a public person, should have his tongue cut out. If a man fought before the Kings counsailour, or in the house of a counsailor, he was amerced and fined for it. If in the court, he was amerced in his goods, and whether he should dy or no, it was in the Kings pleasure and discretiō. Another Law of Alure du was, That whosoever laid wait to kill traitorously the King, either alone or accompanied with others, he should loose living and life. The Law of King Aethelstane was, that if a man wrought mischief against his lord, it was a capital crime, and the loss of his head. Even at that time as you may cōceaue by the premisses, were laws devised not only to punish man-slaughter, but wounds, not only wounds, but blows, not only blows, but words. This Canutus as he was a good Law-maker, so he practiced the same against Traitors, even against the traitors of Edmond King of England his enemy, who after the peace made between him and Canutus, was traitorously slain at Oxford, as he sat doing his necessaries of nature. And yet Canutus persuading his Countrymen the Danes to pay the tithes truly, that ministers might be the better relieved, was contrary to the Law shamefully murdered of them in Saint Albanes Church, whereof more at large you may read in Iac. Meyer, in the Chronicle of Flaunders. In this and in other examples hereafter you shall find to be true, that against these blood-thirsty mē, Sunt leges & legum paenae. Their be Laws, and penalties of Laws, not laws as a sword hid in the scabbard, but drawn out & executed upon them: and also that there is no succor by Law, or by dispensation for Law-breakers, according to that saying in Law: Frustralegum auxilium implorant, qui in leges cōmittunt. King Richard the first though a warrior, and now marching towards the holy Lande, yet made Laws among his soldiers against murderers, that if it were committed in the ship, he should be cast into the Sea with the corps, if upon the Land, he should be bound with the dead body, and buried quick with it. And these cases were of smaler weight than treason committed against great estates. It is therefore provided, that a traitor should be half hanged, and taken down alive, his bowels cast into the fire, and in the end quartred, if he were a male: if a woman, burned.

These Laws notwithstanding, yet the unbridled and cruel Subiectes have always unkindly and unnaturally conspired against Prince and against their own country. What invasion hath there been in this Island either by Julius Caesar and the Romans, either by the Danes, either by the Saxons, either by the Normanes, but by the unthankful and graceless children of this our common Mother? Gildas complaineth of the Britanes, that they were conquered, non armis, not by battle, but by their own slothfulness, & treachery: and as Demosthenes accuseth his countrymen the Athenians, that Philip King of Macedonia thrived and prospered not so much by his own strength, as by their default: Even so our king Egilred, or as others term him Æthelred complaineth in an Oration in this sort: We are overcome of the Danes, not with weapon or force of arms, but with treason wrought by our own people. The cause is opened by Matthaeus Westmonasteriensis, that when the King, and his Son Edmond were like to have the upper hand against Cneuto or Canutus the King of the Danes, Eadricus played the traitor, went about by sleight and subtlety, and allured of the Kings Navy forty ships, and he slipped to Canutus, and subjected himself to his dominion, whereby west-Saxony and the Mercians with their horses, and artillery offered themselves to him: Intimatum est Regi, quod nisi cautius sibi prouideret, ipse à Gente propria hostibus traderetur. It was privily told the King, that if he did not provide for himself more warily, he should be berraied into the hands of his enemies, by his own nation. I signified before how King Edmond surnamed Ferreum Latus, Iron-side, at Oxford being at the Priuy on Saint Andrew's night, was slain by the Son of Eadrik through the fathers instigation: & the father after the fact cometh to Canutus with this salutatiō: Ave Rex solus: Hail O King alone, but he heard this his reward by Canutus, Ego te hodie ob tanti obsequij meritum cunctis regni proceribus reddam celsiorem, For this your great service I will exalt you & set you higher than all the Peers of the realm. Periury and perdition or treason had in this realm evermore according to their desert. When King Edward the Confessor kept his solemnity of Easter at Winchester, at dinner Earl Goodwin being burdened at the table with the treacherous murder of his brother Aelfredus, added to the murder perjury, and desired of God, as he was true and just, that the morsel of bread which he held in his hand might never pass his throat, if his brother by himself or by his counsel at any time were nearer to death, and any way further from life: so putting the bread into his mouth with an il conscience, was choked by it. When the King saw him pale, and without breath, Carry out (saith he) this dog, this traitor, & bury him in the quadrangle, for he is unworthy to enjoy Christian burial. Another traitor in the time of Egilred, or Æthelred, was Elfrik, who being made Lieutenant of the Kings army left his Master, and took part with the Danes upon the sudden, when he should have discharged upon the enemies of the King and the country: but afterward being Admiral of the Kings Navy, and destitute of all hope of preferment with the enemy: because he returned to the King, & craved pardon, his punishment was mitigated, for he saved his life with the loss only of his eyes. In the time of King Edward the first, the Scots breaking peace which they had made to their liege Lord, King of England, and conspiring now with the king of France, partly because John Beliol by the king of England was made their King, one Thomas Turbeuile more acquainted with chiualry, than honesty, plaid on both sides, promising to the French-men, that by treason they should possess the Kingdom of England, upon condition to receive a large sum of money & land, leaving for assurance his two children, as Hostages: And so that deceiver returning from beyond the Sea, told the King of England another Parasiticall tale: howe he escaped hardly out of prison, & how he had learned the weakness of France. But here a crooked Snake lurked, he carried poison mingled with honey, wherewith they that touched it, might be infected: & creeping into favor, & into the secret counsels of the Realm, set down all in writing, & directed thē to the Prouost of Paris. This fraud & fact being opened by the providence of God, (who is well called of the autor, Exterminator impiorū. The destroier of the wicked) & declared to the king: he was immediately by sergeants apprehended, bound with cords & carried to judgment, accused, and by his own confession condemned. First laid upon an Ox hide, drawn at horse tails thorough London, guarded with disguised tormentors, baited at & railed on by the way, & mocked, was hanged, & his body unburied, the people passing by scornfully asking, Is this Thomas Turbeuile? Whose Epitaph a versifier wrote in this sort: That Turbeuile was a troubler of the tranquility & quietness of the Realm, & therefore he that would be an hot burning sparkle, was become a dead spark himself, as in those rythmes may appear at large, whereof this is the beginning:

In the time of Edward the second, Andreas Hartlee created Earl of Carlisle at York, & sent by the King into Scotland to King Robert to entreat of Peace, made another matter, & turned it into a message for war, privily, & fraudulently to compass the destruction of his own King. This though contrived secretly, yet it was certified to the King, & he immediately at his return upon the commandment of the King, was attached & taken by the guard, & so by & by convicted, & put to death. Ita Andreas crucem sibi construxit ex qua penderet: So Andrew prepared for himself a Gallose to hang upon, & made a rod for his own tasle. In the time of Edward the third like conspiracies against the Prince had the like measure, when Edmond Earl of Kent, Roger Mortimer, & others were beheadded.

Thus you see exemplified by these traitors that which was by Laws enacted: as also by another example of an Italian, endeavoring to betray Calais to the French. For when an English man had committed it unto the Italian, the French-man knowing the nature of that Nation to be most covetous of gold, secretly dealt with him, that he would sel the castle to him for twenty thousand crowns. The Englishman being made privy of this, dissembleth all things, driveth out the French, and taketh them, & with them the principal cause of that treachery. In the time of Richard the second, there was a conspiracy of some, that had in their mouth the Proverb of the Hebrews, Woe be to the Land, whose King is a Child: And of others even in the court, as of John Ansley knight, and of Hugh Carton minding with their complices to set upon the King and to murder him: although they two were enemies before, yet in this made one, agreeing too well: but God turned all to the best, and merry it was for the Lande and the King, when thieves fell out: for Ansley detecting Carton, and Carton Ansley, it was determined by the privy counsel, that it should be tried in a Combat, in the which at the length Carton was wounded, and thrown down, & even now at point of death, confessing his fault, was drawn to the place of Execution, as Polydor testifieth.

I have entered into a long and large field, and mind to go out of it, and only now to declare howe our Countrymen in former time, have been bewitched by Popery, and have attempted to erect and prop it up by treachery, and yet all ended in vanity. The Pope hath still practiced by many, but not prevailed: though they came in his name, and sometime with his consecrated ware, and armed with his consecrated Crosses, his Agnus Dei, and other holy blessed stuff, no wiser indeed then those heathen men, who believed that those that carried about thē the image of great Alexander expressed in silver or gold, should have all things fortunately fall out unto them as they would, wherein Erasmus toucheth the Bishops of Rome: Nechodie desunt, qui gladios in bello fortunatos, & huinsmodi nugas pollicentur Principibus. Ther be some now a days, which promise to Princes swords & other trifles happy & fortunate in war, which have notwithstanding an unhappy end: and there he much more marueileth that any mā can believe such subtle merchauntes. There was such a flattering Papistical Preacher, William Fitzosbert, otherwise called Long-beard, who in his Sermons enticed the people to rebel against their King, Richard the first, whose Theme was takē out of Isaiah: You shall draw with joy waters out of the wels of salvation. A fair allurement whereby he got after him many thousand followers, as fond people will hearken to the whistle, and dance after the pipe of such Popish Libertines. But this liberty was servitude, for though he fled into Bowe-Church with his concubine, and others, yet it was not long a Sanctuary for him, he was plucked out, and by Hubert Lord chief Justice of England was adjudged to be drawn thorough the streets, and tied to the horse tails, to be hanged, to be let down half quick, his head cut off, and his body cut in four quarters. See here, I beseech you, the superstition of the people, they took this Concubinary Priest and Traytour to be a Saint forsooth, because his chains wherewith he was bound wrought miracles, and the woman visited the place where he was laid: In sana plebs vt Martyrem diu colebat, The mad people did long honor him as a Martyr, worshipping his members and bones, as Relics. In Wales what Superstition hath there not been? They were so deceived with false prophecies, that they persuaded out of Merline, Leoline the Prince, that he should wear the crown of Brutus, & therefore took armor against King Edward. They were willed by John Peccam Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to carry in their hands books of the Gospel, as relics. All these fantasies could not save the heads of Leoline & David, which were set upon long poles, and erected on high upon London bridge. What a Saint was the Traitour Thomas Becket? In what favor with the Pope Alexander? And yet was he in a council at Northhampton accused & convicted of extortion, robbery, forgery, falsehood, treason, & perjury, in the presence of the King, of the Peers, and Prelates for some matters in his Chancelarship: whereupon although he lifted on high his cross staff, and ran out of the court & council in hast and in an heat over the sea to Rome, yet neither the Pope nor the cross could save him frō y ^e cross of death. And here observe the unjust dealing of the Pope Alexander, who canonized among the Saints, Thomas the Traitour, the Kings deadly enemy, and persecuted King Henry the second, who was not accessory, nor privy at that time to it, as it fell out in proof: for when the doers thereof slipping aside to Duresme looked for great thanks of the King, for that they gave out, that they had most faithfully defended him, & rid his enemy out of the way: it is written by Polydore that Henry did take this heinous act as no benefit, but utterly misliked it: insomuch as they hearing this, and hoping for no pardon, ran one, one way, & another, another way, & by reasō of the kings displeasure died all within three years, & yet the Pope an heavy master of the King, not believing his Ambassadors purposely sent to Rome: sent into England his Cardinals for the trial of it, and though the cause did not appear, yet was he compelled by oath to purge himself, and by inforcemēt of their order to send to Jerusalem two hundred soldiers, & himself to lead an army into Syria within three years after (which was performed by his son Richard: ) and to promise to be good afterward to the clergy, and that by an oath, & (as some write) that none after his and his Sons death should carry the name of a King, but such a one as the Bishop of Rome did nominate and appoint, albeit by our Chronicles, and by the practice in the tract of time no such bondage doth appear. Another seditious Preacher named John Bal Priest, proveth the equality of States without any difference of callings, which made the simple people to be giddy headed. His text was not taken out of scripture, but borrowed out of a common proverb:

But the Epilog and conclusion of this Sermon was sorrowful for himself, being drawn, hanged, and beheaded at Saint Albans, and his quarters sent to four cities of the Realm. There was another zealous Monk in cōspiracy w ^t the Barons of England against king John & against his son Henry the third, who being no great friend to the Pope, was therefore the worse liked of the Monk Eustachius, in that point more destable thē a dog: for the proverb is true: Canis caninā non est, nec lupus lupinam: A dog is no devourer of a dog, nor the wolf of a wolf: And yet in the war betwixt our King & Louis the French King, he plaid the Apostate, a rebel & renegate, reuoulting frō his King to another vncōstantly, and perfidiously, worthily called of Matthew Paris, Proditor Regis Angliae, & Piratanequissimus, being turned out of his cowl into a Traitor of the King of England, & a most wicked Pirat: &, as it is in another history, tāquam de Monacho, factus Daemoniachus, as it were of a Monk made a Demoniacal man, and possessed of a Devil. But this devilish man was drawn out of the pump of the ship where he hid himself, and his ende was the chopping off of his head by the hand of the Earl of Cornwall, Richard, the Kings brother, carried to the King, and so to diverse places of the Realm, which the Moucke would have redeemed with an mestimate mass of money, but could not. Adam the Bishop of Hereford was accused of treason, and yet was protected by the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury, of York, and of Dublin, and of ten other Bishops, and with violence, and with the Arch-bishops crosses was plucked out from the place of judgment, but afterwards being found guilty by the sworn Jury of all the crimes objected, was so pronounced, & his goods confiscated, & the traitorous and horned Priests blancked: for so these verses signify.

This Adam, as this history reporteth, was arrested openly in the Parliament at London, to the great reproach of the clergy, and prejudice of the whole church of England. Against Henry the fourth, what conspiracies were there not? by Earls, and specially by Clergy men? whose meaning was suddenly at the castle of Winsor, in the time of Christmas plays, to rush in, to kill him & his children: but their Christmas py, was a deadly pie to them: some ran away to London, and so meant to pass beyond the sea, but the wind being against them, they were taken and beheadded: The clergy men, Maudlin Maude, and William Ferbie, were hanged, drawn, and beheaded at London, others at Oxford. The Priest of Ware, that had matriculated in a roole the names of the conspirators, whereof some were innocent, had the same judgment. The Prior of Laune once Canon of Dunstable, Walter Baldocke confessing himself to be privy to it, for conceiling it, was hanged, so were the Minorit Friers even in the habit of their religion. As for the Abbot of Westminster, a chief stickler in this matter, in whose house after the feast this conspiracy was devised, was by God himself stricken with a palsy, and by & by was dum, and so died. At the same time Thomas Walsingham writeth of Owen Glendar a Welch man, a rebel against the same King, intending by his Magicall coniuration to kill the King, the Devil so working by rain, wind, snow, hail stones, and all tempests against the King and his camp, Fuerunt plures, si fas sit credere, qui dicerent haec aduersa, art fratrum Minorum contra Regem fuisse commentata. It was a common rumour then, that Friers having familiarity with Devils, wrought & brought all these miseries against the King, as friends to the Welch: but you heard, how the Devil was overtaken by God: The Minorites executed by the King in their best and most holy weeds: and so Owen Glendar in the absence of the King following his prophecy, wandered miserably up and down in the desert and in solitary places, & by penury and hunger pined away. The like judgment fell upon Falcasius a rebel against Henry the third, of a great rich man so miserably poor, that he in banishment begged his bread in France, and had not a bolster to lay his head upon. I might have reckoned up many Iackes, as Jack Strawe, or Wat Tiler, Jack Miller, Jack Carter, against King Richard the second, and also Jack Cade of Kent, who was in a cart brought to London, taken before in a garden in Sussex, and his head set on London bridge, his quarters sent into Kent in the time of Henry the sixth, but these are matters of rebellion indeed, but not so much for Religion, which is my purpose and chief scope: And yet all these drink of one cup, bitter enough here for such, and most bitter in the life to come.

Now to come nearer unto our time & memory, our Popish Traitours have had no better success. In the reign of Henry the eight by Parliament, the Lord's prayer and the ten commandments were decreed to be learned in English: for this good service to God and to the common weal, the blind people seduced by blind guides, Monks, Priests, made a commotion in Lincoln shier: God fought for his cause & for his King, and gave to him the victory: The multitude by proclamation was pardoned, a new oath of fealty to the King received, Captain Cobbler, a Monk named Doctor Mackarel, and others put to death.

How fell it out in the North by their religious rebellion? It was forsooth for the Cacholicke Church: It was called a holy blessed pilgrimage: In their banners was painted Christ hanging on the Cross, a Chalice with a painted cake, in the sleeves of the soldiers were embrodered the five wounds of our Savior: But God overturned all their purposes, and they were supplaunted, and by a flood on Simon & Jude’s Even their heat was cooled, and a butcher at Winsor wishing, that these good fellows of the North had some carcases of his sheep, with a Priest procured to preach in favor of Rebels, were adjudged to dy by Law Martial.

Good king Edward the sixth proceeded in zeal as his father began, and more sincerely reformed religion: but (alas) in Cornewall and Devonshire, it was not brooked nor digested: the king his Commissioner in Cornwall was slain: but God did not suffer it is remain unrevenged: a Priest was taken, and executed in Smithfield by Law. In Deuonshiere they did rise for the six Articles, they would have Mass, holy water, holy bread, but they willful men lacked all, they famished for want of bread. The Lord Russel, the Lord Grey, the kings army overcame them. Sir Peter Carewe, and Gawine, and other faithful subjects, with the city of Exceter, persevering true and loyal, were rewarded, & highly commended: but Welch, vicar of Saint Thomas in Exceter, a new reformer of religion, was hanged up in chains upon the top of the church with his sacring Bel, holy water bucket, and sprinkle, beeds, and other Popish trash, & the chief captains most disloial carried to London to be executed.

In Norfolk was another rebellion of such as partly were deceived, or not thoroughly persuaded in religion: they had an old Oak, a tree not of life to them, but of death, called by them the tree of Reformation, but it was the tree of Absalom, upon the which Miles their Gunner, and two of their false Prophets were executed, for they trusted in vain Prophecies, which were partly uttered in these verses:

This prophecy was a dream, their captain Ket crept into a corner, but was openly put to death: his other brethren were hanged in chains, the rest of meaner sort hearing the pardon proclaimed by an herald of Arms, cast down their weapons, and lifted up their voices, praying to God to preserve King Edward.

There brake out a new stir in Yorkshier, by false prophecies & by a fond misliking of the Kings proceeding: But here also the captains that thought to raise a great flame, and to set all on fire, made but a smoke, wherewith they were choked themselves, namely a poor man William Ombler, and a simple parish clerk Thomas Dale, and such like. All these meant unhappily, by extraordinary means, to turn all the Laws of God, and ordinances of Princes topsie-turuie. About that time of these rebellions we had set forth by the authority of the King to these rebels an Eloquent oration by a great learned man Sir John Cheeke Schoolmaster to the King, gravely and pithily dehorting them from such uproars, as contrary to God's word, the honor of a King, and the safety of the common-weal, which in mine opinion would make any hard heart to melt.

These former and foolish attempts in the beginning pernicious, and tragical in the end, might have persuaded our countrymen to have learned by their forefathers to keep themselves within their tedder & compass of obedience. But (alas) our Soueraign Queen Elizabeth hath felt too much of their willful disobedience, and they tasted somewhat of hir provoked severity. Wherefore did Thomas Pearcie Earl of Northumberland, & Charles Earl of Westmerlande against the Laws of God and man by forcible means set up Masses, burn Bibles, and books of Communion? Why did they rise themselves, when they might have been quiet? And raise the people, which should have been taught obedience? Let the death of the one, and the miserable flight of the other, & the execution of Parson Plumtree at Duresme, and of others hanged and beheaded at Knaues. Mire not far from York, be instructions and examples for subjects. These and many mo cannot warn us, neither the history of John Story providently caught beyond the Seas, and trimly shipped into this lande, and afterward justly executed upon a new pair of Gallows, even at this day commonly bearing his name: neither the terrible end of John Felton, who upon Corpus Christi day at London at the Bishops gate published the Declaratory sentence of Pius Quintus Pope, making this Realm of England, and the Queens Majesty, a pray, and a spoil to our neighbors and to all nations: neither the beggarly, and lamentable state of James Desmond, neither of John Desmond, bearing himself too bold upon an Agnus Dei, and a ring sent from the Pope, neither of Nicolas Saunders himself the rebellous preacher to the Irish-men, in the end taken with a frenzy: these all, while they bend the uttermost of their wits, and of their forces against the Majesty of our Prince, whom the Majesty of God hath enthronized, they all, I say, have but knocked their heels against the prick, & spurned to their own destruction, and to the confusion of that Popish sect. By these and many others, neither Campion nor the rest of the Jesuits new Incommers, and Inmates in this Realm could beware, neither yet by them other new cutters, and practicers could be warned, neither yet to this day the people could be taught or persuaded, but that their holy fathers Bulls and Decrees, & Declarations must be obeyed, and that his wax, and his lead, and his Pontifical presents consecrated by his execrable authority may preserve & exempt them from all dangers & touch of our law, & hereafter from all peril & punishment either in hell or in purgatory.

I am to pass over at this time other examples and ordinances of other countries adjoining to us, as of Flaunders and France, which we must differ till another time if God will.

In the mean time let us aliena frui insania, by the madness of these men learn to be wise, as many of our predecessors both Princes, and learned men of this Vniuersity have done, and know that the Queens Majesty hath waded no farther in these causes, than other Kings of this Land, who have broken the ye before. King Stephen perceiving that Theobald Arch-Bishoppe of Canterbury brought Popish laws from Rome into England, by decree of Parliament condemneth them, & burned them, as hurtful to a common weal, as John Sarisbury beareth witness in his eight book and two & twentieth chapter of Polycrat. King Richard the second also molested with Romish affairs and tyranny of the Pope in Parliament holden at Westminster decreed and enacted, that it should be lawful for no man for any cause to plead before the Byshoppe of Rome, for excommunication of any English-man by his authority: and if any such commandment came from him, it should not be executed upon pain of loss of all their gooddes, and perpetual imprisonment, and therefore great marvel that any such sentence of excommunication from such a foreigner and usurper against our gracious Prince should in these days of more knowledge by our countrymen, be either received or hearkened to, or feared. You (dearly beloved) I hope will not: and that you may not, take an example by old Oxford Studentes, who could ne would like of a Bull of Gregory directed against John Wycliffe, and therefore are chidden of the Pope that would suffer cockle and darnel of his heresy to grow among pure wheat, & in the beautiful fields of their Vniuersity. You may also cal to mind, that are ancients, the days of Henry the eight and Edward the sixth, and justify the things to be true which I have alleged, and much more which might be said, to this purpose & to the proof of this argument of David, that whosoever layeth hand of the lords anointed, shall not be accounted innocent, but shall be plagued for it. The Lord give us grace to have this doctrine fixed and settled in our hearts, and expressed in our lives: To whom be all honor &c.

THE SIXT SERMON.

T HE questiō between Abishai and David hath been disputed & discussed, and lastly out of the laws, acts and monuments of England, and determined by the allegations and premisses before, that it is a true conclusion, that no such thing can be justified, that all such rebellions and traiterous enterprises are forbidden and punished.

I must now go forward, and first make an end of this first part, & so proceed to the second part, the Protestation of David for himself. I should make a discourse of other countries, but because it hath been by the way touched already, and may be hereafter incidently glaunced upon: I will cut it off in these few words. In France I read this same matter fitly declaring our Tert, and much tending to this our purpose, well debated by king Louis: who understanding that Pope Julius the second, now joined with the Venetians, did attempt somewhat against himself and his subjects: in a Council at Towers proposed these two questions: the first, whether it were lawful for the Pope to raise war against any Prince without cause? The second, whether any such Prince in defense of himself and his Realm may invade the first-onsetter, and withdraw himself frō his obedience? The answer was, that it was unlawful for the Bishop, but lawful for the Prince to do that which was in question, & that the constitution called pragmatical should be observed throughout all France, not regarding the lightening, or thundering of any such unjust censures, if any should be. This determinatiō of France might be a resolutiō for thē & for us, to make no more of the Pope than he doth of us, especially if he unlawfully use his authority. In Flaunders I might show like examples: as namely, of James Arteuillanus, for y ^e like practice against his country put to death by the Citisens of Gaunt, as it is in Frossard: & also out of Jacob Meier his Chronicle, who telleth of many seditious men vpō the scaffold beheadded, and of Louis Wallan condemned, and of Gertrude his wife, whose judgment was to loose her head with her husband, and to be buried in the midst of the market place, with this inscription, A monument of Gertrude wife to Louis Wallan, a pestilent woman, who by her fraud and deceit hath brought a noble Prince to great danger, & the Citty of Burgess, into extreme calamity. Although the rigor of this sentence was afterward mitigated by earnest intercession of some honorable Ladies and principal personages. The same author maketh mention of one Arteualda a poor man's son, who prospering and prevailing by his rebellion, took upon him lustily and loftily the person of an Earl in his gold, and silver, his wines, and his garments, ascribing his victory not to God but to himself, and was so blinded, and puffed up with pride, that he doubted not confidently to brag that he would be Lord of France: because (saith he) the French-men durst not encounter with the English-men running over all France: yet for all these brags he was slain among his own soldiers in the conflict at Rosebeck. It is a good Moral that is there added, Quem Deus punire decreuit, intellectum illi aufert. Whom God mindeth to punish, him he bereaveth of his wits.

I have one Law behind, & that is the griping and gnawing Law of the Conscience: The Law written in our harts inwardly accusing us, and bearing witness against us, which is in steed of a thousand witnesses: which alone will persecute us, & seek revengement, though all the Laws rehearsed before should sleep and pronounce nothing against us. Such is the Conscience and custom of such offenders (saith Chrysostom: ) they suspect all things, they quake at shadows, they fear every blast, and noise, they think all things come against them. And again, Such a sinner hath within him an accuser pleading always against him, and this he carrieth everywhere, with this he is scourged whither soever he goeth, as the Scripture testifieth, that the wicked man flieth when no man pursueth. As we may see in the Proverbs, and in Job, and in the book of Leviticus. Which vexation Tully painteth out of the Poets, and termeth it a continual & domestical fury having hot burning torches; calling night and day for revengement against such Parricides, and murderers. It is the worm in Isaiah, that shall never dy. The worm that suddenly smote the gourd of Jonah, wherewith straitwaies it withered, as Theophylact in these words expoundeth it not absurdly. This Conscience, saith he upon that place, is the worm that maketh us always have a feeling and sense of our sins: This is that sensible moth of our bones and our hearts, setting before us our wickedness. And whereas Scripture setteth down certain sins that are called, Peccata clamantia, which we may read in Genesis and in Exodus, and in Saint James, and otherwhere: The chief and most Crying sin is murder. The voice of thy brothers blood crieth unto me out of the earth. For as a good conscience is the best companion and comforter unto us, as it is written: A merry mind is a continual banquet, and as our David did marvelously rejoice in himself that he did not slay Saul: Even so contrariwise, they must needs have an heavy heart, a corrosiue, and an eating canker of an evil conscience still upbraiding them with this heinous and detestable act:

They carry a witness against them, and shall have no rest night nor day. Tertullian saith: Omne malum aut timore aut pudore natura perfundit. Deni{que} malefici gestiunt latere, deuitant apparere, trepidant deprehensi. Sin hath two companions & followers, either fear or shame: fear teacheth them to hide themselves, they shun to be seen, and being taken, they quake and tremble. Shame maketh them blush.

Fear and shame make them not only to seek corners, but to hang themselves being afraid and ashamed to show their heads in the world. This testimony of the conscience bringeth thē to these two inconveniences, to betray their fault, and for sorrow or desperatenes to make thenselves away, & that upon every light occasion at the sight of any man or beast, at the shaking of a leaf, at the voice of any creature. Alexander a tyrant of the Phereians beholding a tragedy, and bewailing the miseries of Hecuba and Polyxena, ran out of the stage in all hast, upon some grief of mind, and ashamed anymore to be looked upon, because he had killed so many citizens. Bassianus the Emperor after he had murdered his brother Geta, whensoever he did see his picture, or heard his name, he wept, and poisoned Laetus the first counsailer of his brothers death, and killed all those that were privy to it, that there might be none living to give any testimony, or once to know it. In what an hell was Nero that put to death Peter and Paul? And Herod that beheaded John the Baptist? And Herod Agrippa that murdered James, who after great torments and horrible pains, the ūst day died miserably by the stroke of an Angel in a visible manner appearing to him. In what a pitiful case was Theodoricus, when he had flame Boetius and Symmachus? the sight of a great sish brought to his table, and gaping upon him, stroke such a conceit and impression into him, that he believed verily, that it was the terrible and lowering face of Symmachus threatening him, wherewith he was brought to a sickness, and so to his end. In what a desperate case was Richard the third the usurper of the crown, the murderer of two young Princes: Who, after the fact committed, could never have quiet sleep, and thought in the night at Boswoorth, (where the field was fought) in his terrible dream, that he saw about him as it were the Image of wicked spirits, that would not suffer him to take any sleep. Hear I pray you the Commentary of Polydor Virgil. I believe (saith he) it was no dream, but the conscience of his wickedness, a conscience, I say, the more heavy, the greater the fault was, the which if never at any other time, yet at our last day is wont to represent unto us the memory of all our faults, and show withal the pains that hang over us. I need not put you in mind of the lamentable ende of late Traitors, Someruile & others. All these felt the remorse & biting of an evil conscience, whereby their harts were as the trees of the forest moved with the wind, as Ahaz his heart was: to whō the Lord doth give a trembling heart, and a sorrowful mind, so that they shall fear night and day, & shall say in the morning, Would God it were evening, and at evening, Would God it were morning. I will not refer you again to the cerrible examples of Cain saying: Whosoever findeth me, will kill me: nor to the tragical end of Judas.

I signified lately how dogs have betrayed murderers, and made them to confess their faults of murder: and even now, how a fish amazed and daunted a King: and before, howe Solomon telleth the same of birds of the Air. Bessus killed his father: it was long hid: at length after supper among strangers he was so mad, and so persecuted in conscience, that hearing swallows sing, he forthwith with a spear threw down their nest, and killed the young ones: & being chiddē for it, he answered: Do ye not hear how these birds defame me, as though I had killed my father? Wherupon he was atterwarde in tudgement found guilty, and suffered, Ibycus a Poet fell among thieves: when he saw he should be killed, he made as it were a certain prayer and obtestation to the Cranes flying there above at that time, to be witnesses and reuengers of his death. These men afterward seeing Cranes, ieasted among themselves in the market place, Behold, The reuengers of Ibycus are come. This ieast being over-heard, and the Poet well known and found dead, when they were racked upon these suspicions, they confess all. I have seen in Heluetia the like evidence and testimony of this conscience, in a man, who for a little paltry pelf set vpō his fellow-peddler, as I remember, and gave him many wounds, killed him, buried him deeply in the ground, that nobody might see him, but the Ravens found him out, they sly after him and upon him, persecuting him from place to place, from village to village, until people running out, and wondering at that strange accident, inquired earnestly after it: the fellow perceiving by no means he could drive away the birds, and guilty in conscience, and straitly examined, cried out: It is I that killed the man, and so being apprehended and imprisoned, as he had mangled the man when he was dead with many strokes, to make him sure: so was he after condemnation and judgment broken in many parts of his body, & set upon the wheel, for birds to pick at him. How true is the saying of Isocrates, Though a man hide it from all men, yet he cannot hide it from himself? And that of Gregory Nazianzen, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , The couscience striketh and beateth the mind.

And thus far have I gone in y ^e proof of David's reason, that no man can be guiltless that layeth his hand upon the Lord's anointed, but shall be condemned by all laws, sacred profane, divine human, Imperial Pontifical, christiā heathenish, foreign abroad, positive at home, yea by the conscience it self, a severe accuser, and witness and judge of all murders. In consideration hereof, although I hope I need not, yet I must in few words speak to us all subjects, Remember the proposition of David, Destroy not the Prince: Remember the reason hereof: For God will not suffer any such destroier, or open conspirator & rebel, or privy murderer, or any other practiser to scape unpunished, but will by one torment or other revenge the quarrel of his anointed, and this is the conclusion of the first part of David's reply.

THE second part of David's speech, is his PROTESTATION for himself in these words:

10 Moreover David said, As the Lord liveth, either the Lord shall smite him, or his day shall come to dy, or he shall descend into battle, and perish.

The Lord keep me from laying mine hand upon the Lord's anointed.

AS David hath forbidden Saul's murder in Abishai, so he now protesteth for himself and that with anoth, As the Lord liveth, that he detesteth the fact, and relieth himself upon God: that God shall strike this stroke, and desireth God, that he may not be so graceless as to lay his hands vpō his anointed. And why: Either the Lord shall smite him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle, and perish. The Argument is this, God will in his wisdom appoint his time for the dispatch & death of Saul: therefore I may not, ne will intermeddle in this action against Saul, as though he should in the name and person of God thus say, If Saul have offended, the judgment is mine against mine anointed. I am, and so am called the God of revengement. Reuengement is mine, I will repay: Ergo, I will be no revenger, neither will I usurp that office, which pertaineth to God. What need I, or you Abishai, or any other hastē the death of a Prince, which is set down in the book of foreknowledge by God himself, and cannot be prevented by any mortal man, or any wates altered: No fate or destiny, no constellation, no fortune or chance, no cunning of star-tooters or figure-flingers, no conspiracy of number, no strength of confederates, no counsels or polices of wise men can change the Prognostication or Almanac of God, which is that Saul and we all, Prince & people, Magistrate and private men, young and old, man and woman, good and bad, all must die, but not when we will, nor when friend or foe will, but as God in his fatal book hath written it down.

The consequence and congruity of David's Protestation thus explained: I pray you mark these notes.

First our mortality generally incident to us all high & low, which is worth the noting at all times, especially in the time of these new and strange diseases assaulting us. The general sentence is, that Adam is Adam still, he came from dust, and shall return to dust again: that we dy all, and as water slide away. Who liveth, and shall not see death? It is a statute and decree, that men must dy once: We know that our earthly house of this tabernacle shall be destroyed. In this declaration our David is very copious, particularly for himself, and generally for us all: Behold, thou hast made my days as a-hand breadth, & mine age is as nothing before thee, surely every man is altogether vanity. And again, My days are like a shadow, and I am whithered like grass. What is a shadow, but the defect and privation of light, and then what is the life of man but death? The same vanity of man is painted out lively in the hundred and third Psalm by comparing us to grass and to a flower of the field, as we have also in Isaiah and Peter, David is not alone mortal as you have heard, but all,

The effect is, that all must return to the Mother from whence they came. A figure of this is declared by Pausanias: Amōg the gifts and oblations of Apollo there was coūterfatted after the imitation and resemblance of the old works in brass one Image, the flesh was clean gone from the skin, so that there remained nothing but bones. They say that Hippocrates the Physician did dedicate this at Delphi: Phaylus captain of the Phocensians in his sleep dreamed, that he himself was made like unto this gift, a naked dead man: and so being deadly sick, ended his life, and proved his vision true. So fareth it not only with captains and Emperors, but with us all, who all shall be the image of Hippocrates. A bare Anatomy, a schelitō or picture of death.

Who then shall escape? Shall children: No, not the babe of one year.

When the Prophet proclameth all flesh to be grass, and all people to be verily, and truly hay: (but yet this must be taken not properly, but by a figure) when common experience teacheth, that an apple fresh and red doth perish or fall down with the woorm, with wind, or with a staff, and when the proverb saith, that as soon goeth the Lambes skin to the market as the sheep: shall we think that the younger sort and lusty folks shall be priuileged from death? Shall the mighty men or nobles or valiant or Princes be freed from this sentence of death? David saith, No: and showeth three kinds of death, either extraordinary before time, either ordinary & natural, either by an externe cause or accident, as in battle. I speak of the death which is the separatiō of the body & the soul: for the death of sin, & the death mystical, which is mortificatiō, pertain not to this point, whereof you may read in Ambrose. This triple kind, or triple way to death here set down by David, is manifold, there are many paths & steps to death, as one doth express it.

That is, we dy by sword, pestilence, famine, imprisonment, cold, heat, yea by a thousand means, which God can and will devise, as David hath set down for all men, especially as it is meant in our Text against Princes and Potentates of this world. And to begin with Saul, did he not desperately kill himself? as David here talketh in battle, but yet by the hand of the Lord, and indeed extraordinarily by his own hand? It is reason that mighty men should mightily suffer torments, according as it is written, and also Saint Augustine hath a notable place: Let the king know, that as he is ordained chief in his throne above all men: so in punishment if he do not justice, he shall have the chief-dom, and first place. And in another book, Uiri sublimis culpa, grane est peccatum. Shall perhaps great captains and warriors avoid this stroke? Liuie rehearseth of most valiant captains, Scipio, Annibal, Philopaemē, that all three in one year died, but nether died nor were buried in their own country. Soudas telleth of Thulis King of all Egypt unto the Ocean sea, that built an Ilande of his own name, that asked the Oracle of Serapis: Tel me who before me could do such acts, and who shall do after me? The Oracle was,

That is, in effect, that first God the father, next the word and his son, and with them the holy ghost, the blessed Trinity in unity did reign before, & should after everlastingly: but for himself he was willed speedily to depart, and immediately after the Oracle, was slain, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , of his own people. What are all these mighty men but the Gourd that was given to Jonah for a shadow to sport himself for a time, but in the morning God sendeth a worm, and striketh the Gourd, and it withereth away? Are not all these persecutors temporal or ecclesiastical under the sentence of this mortality? you have hard before of some, and in Orosius you may see the death and destruction both of traitors and of persecutors, namely of Magnēsius, Constantius, Decentius, Gallus, Syluanus, Julian. We have in Egesyppus a marvelous History of Aristobulus King of the Jews, not only for his persecution of the good, but also for the murder of his brother, in body and in conscience fore afflicted, his blood gushing out: which when his boy had poured out by chance upon the blood of his slain brother, an horrible fearfulness increased his pain, and took away his life. O that these wordly men persecuting and seeking after blood would consider that which is written in Herodotus: Thou hast thirsted after blood, and now thou shalt drink thy belly full of blood. What brags are given out in every cornet against poor Protestants in England, in France, Flanders, and Geneva, as though all were on their side, as though they were God's upon the earth? They have their forefathers whom they imitate very brave and glorious in threats, but miscarieng in the ende. Pharaoh and his soldiers say: I will pursue, I will overtake them, I will divide the spoil, my lust shall be satisfied. But the Lord blew with his wind, the fea covered thē, they sanck as lead in the mighty waters. In the book of Judges there is the like triumph of the Heathen against Israel, where the Ladies flatter the mother of Sisera, that he had gotten the victory, and had a great spoil, when Sisera was by a woman Jael knocked in the head. Ben-hadad threatened the King of Israel, but Ahab answereth: Let not him that girdeth his harneise, bost himself, as he that putteth it off. It is an easy matter for God to crush these Kings conspiring against his anointed, and against his church, with a rod of Iron, and break them in pieces like a potters vessel: To smite all his enemies upon the cheek bone, and to strike out the teeth of the wicked: to pull down the great heart of Pharaoh by all kind of scourges, with botches and sores, with murreine of beasts, with hail, thunder, and lightening, with the death of the first borne of Egypt, with grass-hoppers, with frogs, flies, lice, to strike persecuting Herod with vermin. We have heard a long time against our Sovereign Queen Elizabeth, and against our country the smoke of threats: but God be praised, no flame that could annoy us. We have had among us the brags of the Pompcian souldidurs, that have made a reckoning of the spoil of us at, & division of our livings among thenselves, but they were but only brags: for why? the lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposition thereof is of the Lord. Therefore let all men take heed how they wast of a day, whether it be in the summer or winter, whether it be in the year eighty seven or eighty eight, whether they be foreigners abroad, or cuntrymen at home: Let thē hark̄ to wise Salomō: Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Al the wicked persecutors, traitors, rebels know not when they begin, what shall be their end. Look in the book of the Kings, home many died losing Kingdom and life in the space of three and thirty years? Look in the Histories, howe suddenly the Emperors went, Otho, Galba, Vitellius. To be short, I say to them, as Bias said once to an ungracious fellow: That he was afraid, not that he should not be punished, but that he himself should not see it.

But yet perhaps Eloquent men may scape this death? Nay Cicero, as it is declared before, was traitorously murdered leesing his tongue and his head. Demosthenes drank poison and died.

But I trow the Popes holiness cannot be touched with any dart of death, for he that is able to deliver out of Purgatory and hell, may also save himself from death. No: he hath no freedom, no immunity above other men, being one of Adams brood: for so even his own Ceremonial book giveth him warning hereof. The Bishop of Rome, although he pass all mortal men in dignity and authority, and can bind, and lose all things in earth: yet can he not loose himself out of the bonds of fatal necessity. The scholar is not above his Master, and therefore he willeth him to think, that although he be the greatest man, yet he is a mortal man, and biddeth him remember the form of his consecration, which is after this sort: When the new Pope is chosen, and Te Deum song, and he newly, and Pontifically reuestred, and his hands and feet kissed, even then in all this solemnity and glory a Clerk or Master of the Ceremonies setteth tow on fire (after the Pope is come out of the Chapel of Gregory) and kneeling down singeth with a loud voice: Pater sancte, sic transit gloria mundi: Omnis carofaenum, & omnis gloria eius tanquam flos agri. O holy father, as this hemp or tow burneth, so passeth away the glory of the world: all flesh is hay, and the glory thereof is as it were the flower of the field. This Ceremony notwithstanding, the Pope forgetting all this lesson, rideth through the Citty with a great troupe of Mitred Bishops & Abbots, his horse trapped & trimmed with red scarlet, the Emperor himself holding the horse bridel: and when all the Jews met him in the market place, and reached unto him, as the manner is, their Ceremonies and their law, he flingeth them behind his back, saying proudly: Recedant vetera, noua sunt omnia: Away with these old things, all are now new: As Thomas Walsingham declareth at large in the Coronation of Pope Martin. I have told of Boniface the eight, of whose end Celestine his predecessor gave this prophecy: Ascendisti vt vulpes, regnabis vt Leo, morieris vt Canis: Thou didst clime up like a Fox, thou shalt reign like a lion, & thou shalt dy like a dog. As he, so others, like flax set on fire have passed away, most of them suddenly and shamefully, specially such as have been cruel in excommunicating and persecuting Emperors. You heard of Lucius and others before. And as we read of Fabius the senatour, choked with an hair in his milk: so Adrian died with a fly, when he had excommunicated Friderik the first. Urban the third was stricken nutu Dei, attempting the same against the Emperor. A Pope of one year, & little more. And have not of late Pius Quintus and Gregory the thirteenth proved to be quenched tow, notwithstanding all their glory, and their Bulls against our Soueraign Prince Elizabeth? Were they not indeed Bullae? Bubbles of water: The great whore of Babylō, whose cup is full of abominations & fornications, who hath her self been drunk with the blood of Saints, and with the blood of Martyrs of Jesus, shall drink of the same cup double, & then shall it come to pass which happened unto Cerylus, which of a servant was waxen rich, and so insolent, that he changed his name into Laches, to whom Vespasian gave this lesson of humility in Greek words in this sense, O Laches, Laches, when thou art dead, thou shalt be called again Cerylus, as before. So I say of Pope John, that so shamefully died in travel going on precession, shall in the end again be harlot John: Sergius shall be Os Porci, hogs-mouth. Julius the second shall be Julian agiane. Leo the tenth shall be John again. Julius the third shall be John Marie. Paul the fourth shall be John Peter Gregory the thirteenth shall be Bone-Companion, Sixtus Quintus a poor man's son borne in a little village, though an high name, Alto-monte, though now lifted up to the Popedom, & like Saul breathing out threats and slaughters against the Church, shall be as he was a Franciscane, and Felix Perenettus again. They all shall be of Lord's servants, of Popes poor Priests, nay of men, earth, and worms meat. They shall be successors of this Saul, as in persecuting David, and in murdering Abimelech, and the Priests of the lord, I mean the Princes, and the Preachers whom the Lord hath anointed and called: Even so of his death either smiten of God, or when their day cometh to dy, or when they shall descēd into bloody battles, as many Martial Popes have done.

Although the enemies glory against the Godly, yet the Godly have no delight in the death of these before rehearsed, persecutors, Emperors, Popes. We are sory that they had no more grace. As always merciful Princes have used moderation and compassion: so the Sexe, the good nature, the piety of our Prince hath always desired rather the good behavior and conversion of the offenders, then the subversion of destruction of any one. David never sought nor desired the death of Saul, but contrariwise lamented for it, and punished the Amalekite that brought him the news. We are not more unnatural then men only endued with natural affection.

Julius Caesar a natural & an heathen man, when Pompey fled into Egypt, and was beheaded at the commandment of Prolomei for his sake: yet whē his head was brought to him, he wept. Vespasian the Emperor seemed to be a tender-hearted Prince, in whose time no man was lightly punished without cause, except he himself were absent, or ignorant of it, or in deed unwilling or deceived. A notable report Suetonius maketh of him, that he never at any time rejoiced in the slaughter of any mā, but iustis supplicy sillacrymauit & ingemuit, he wept & sighed when any mā suffered, though for a just cause. Theodosius was a most gracious Prince, of whō it is said, that he never punished any mā of whom he was hurt. He made a law by the advise of Ambrose, that the officers, which should execute his commissions or commandments, should differ the punishments of those that were condemned to dy for the space of thirty days, to the intent that in the mean time the Kings wrath might be asswaged. When the people of Antioch had raised a sedition, and yet afterward repented, he hearing at his table a Ballad or song in a mourneful Melody, was so moved, that his anger straightway ceased, he was reconciled to the city, & with tears trickling down he filled a cup that he held in his hand. Alexander the great lamented when he saw the body of Darius. Antoninus desired that no Senator or counsailour in the time of his Empire should be slain, that his Empire might not be stained. He was not much offended with the defection or reuoulting of Cassius, neither did he exercise tyranny against his children, but although the Council did punish him, as before it was touched, yet the author saith, that it was most certain that he would have spared him, if it had been in his hand: and when the head of Cassius was brought to him, he did not rejoice at it, but it grieved him that the occasion of mercy was taken from him. What should I speak of our Christian Princes and rulers: Constantine, as it is written by Eusebius, was very careful for the commonweal, Nec magis pro salute suorū, quàm hostiū orabat. He did not pray more for the safeguard of his own, then of others his enemies. It is reported of William Conqueror, that even in his death bed he repented him of many things, but specially he was sory that he had been some-what severe against the Englishmen. When certain had conspired with the French-men against Henry the fifth, and were by the judgment of their peers condemned: as some were executed, so some were pardoned, for the King pitied their case, so that English-men turned that praise which was spoken to Augustus Caesar by Ovid, unto him,

The same verses may be more justly applied unto our Augusta, who to punish hath been most slow: to pleasure, & to do good most ready, and when she must needs be severe, it grieveth her. I need not exemplify it, they are fresh in memory. How unwilling was she to consent to the beheading of the Duke of Norfolk? How often did she stay the execution? How graciously did she then wineke at the Queen of Scots, who was as guilty even then as he was? How many have been in her time pardoned? How many yet remain unpunished, though not uncondemned, and I doubt not, but that she thinketh as Theodosius said: Vtinam mortuos ad vitam reducere possem: I would to God I might call to life again some of those that are dead. I have also to make a wish, that those that are faulty & living, would remember one Story, that I would tell thē. Licinius a rebel fought against Constantine, but was overcome, and had a pardon with this charge, that he should keep his house at Thessalonica, & live quietly: but when he had gathered a new hand of uplandish and barbarous men, then he commanded him to be slain. Well: The effect of my speech is, God will not have the death of a sinner, neither do godly men desier these evil men to be rid out of the way, but to turn into a better way, and to reform themselves, and yet the Protestation of David is true upon their impenitency and frowardness, God will ease the world of these burdens of the earth.

I am now to make up my general, that all must dy, not only the bad, but even the good shall depart frō us. The bad for our comfort, & for the consolatiō of the church: The good for our plague: for not only wicked Saul, but even good David is gone. O that we may not say in our days, Our David is gone: but she must go, and perhaps the sooner for our wickedness. Let us pray therefore for her long and prosperous reign among us: we have great cause so to pray: The righteous perisheth, and no man considereth it in his heart, the merciful men are taken away, and no man understandeth it, as the Prophet saith. Mark I beseech you, mark you that love changes, how perilous they are: What good cometh by the good Princes: what loss cometh by their departure. Augustine writeth: Vtile est vt bons longe late{que} diu regnent, ne{que} hoc tam ipsis quàm illis, vtile est, quibus regnant. It is profitable that good men reign far and wide and a long time: neither is this so profitable unto themselves, as to those over whō they reign. The mutation of Princes, and alteration of States how dangerous it is, may appear by former times. After good Samuel, and in the time of the banishment of David, the Philistines warred against the Israelites, in the which battle Saul was slain, and the people of God conquered, but by David that succeeded, the common weal and the church flourished. After the death of Josiah was the battle of the Babylonians, whereby the Kingdom of Judah was brought to slavery, and afterward subverted. After this Josiah and Hezekiah followed evil rulers, as it is in the book of Chronicles. Alexander the great is called of Daniel a mighty King: but his King dome was divided towards the 4 winds of heavē, & not to his posterity, nor according to his dominiō. Where wise mē ruled, as Solon, Lycurgus & others: who now rule there but Turks & Infidels? After the death of William Conqueror came famine, pestilence, thundering, & lightening & flashes in heaven, fires in England, as a certain Prognostication of miseries and ruful calamities in Rufus time. The death of Heroicall and great personages is ominous and unlucky.

Therefore, that I may draw to an end, and to the conclusion of David's argument, seeing God hath set down a periode & course for every man, and a term and time of death, seeing all, young and old, rich and poor, noble, unnoble, yea Princes, Monarchs and Popes must die, by some of these means and kinds of death, which David setteth down: let us obey the reason, and reserve to God his judgment. Let us not prevent his hour, no not against the wicked governors: and since God hath sent us a David, let us not by our unthankfulness forgo her Majesty, or by our treacherous behavior cut off her days. God hath numbered them, and they cannot be shortened, no nor prolonged, but that number will come once to an end, though when, we cannot tell. Augustine maketh me afraid in these words: Iouinianum multo citius quàm Iulianum abstulit, Gratianum Ferro Tyrannico permisit interimi, longe quidem mitius, quàm magnum Pompeium, colentem videlicet Romanos Deos. God took away Jovinian much sooner then Julian, he suffered Gratian to be killed with the sword of a tyrant, a great deal more gently, then great Pompeie, a man forsooth that worshipped the God's of Rome. If the certainty be such of death, and the vncertainetie of the time so great, let us once again pray to our heavenly father for the prosperity of her State, for the peace of her reign, for the continuance of her days, and for us all: which God grant through the merit of Jesus christ, to whom with the father &c.

THE SEUENTH SERMON.

F OR y ^e better understanding of this text, and of all that which I have to say in this place, I must in few words repeat and rip up that which went before. David hath answered the motion of Abishai in this proposition, That King Saul should not be destroyed: and yieldeth two reasons, for that he is the Lord's anointed, and whosoever layeth hand upon him shall not be holden guiltless: Another reason is in the protestation of David, that he will not do it, because the matter lieth in God's hand, and he hath ordinary & extraordinary means to remove him or kill him at his own pleasure: and therefore it pertaineth not to him a private man, although he be next in succession, to use any fraudulent or violent prevention. Which reasons I have elsewhere examined, & by many laws & authorities confirmed to be of force & moment: the particulars whereof I omit.

At this time I purpose to proceed, first in the proof of the reason, & so nextly to entreat of the last part.

It is a scruple or question now in these days, who be the successors of Abishai in these mischievous, and malicious conspiracies against Princes. Staphylus seemeth to burden Luther, that he commandeth subjects to rebel, and to disobey the commandments of Caesar, and forbiddeth to sight against the Turks. But this Question we have resolved and determined before, that the Popes are adversaries and no friends of Caesar, and that they are the only authors of insurrections, and rebellions against lawful authority. As for Luther, he teacheth obedience in all his writings, he loveth not such presumption against superiors lawfully placed in the Throne of God, and saith, He that is inarmor against them that sit in high places is like to them that cut wood, & look high, & sometimes the chippes fall into their own eyes, as it is in Ecclesiasticus, Who so casteth a stone on high, casteth it upon his own head. Such cutters and casters you shall find the Popes of Rome to be. Reinerus Reineccius saith, that Helmoldus granteth the Popes to have been oftentimes, Bellorum & aliorum seditiosorum motuum tubas: The trumpets of wars and of other seditious commotions. How bitter Paschalis was against the Emperor Henry the fifth, and howe Henry the fifth was sturred up against his father Henry the fourth, by the enticement & incitement of Papistical trumpeters: I have opened before. The troublesome tumults between this Pope & this rebellious son, may appear in the Chronicles, when Paschalis in the consecration of the Emperor required his oath, that he should be perfect in the obseruaunce and obedience of the Catholic faith, and ready to reverence the Apostolical See, and careful for the defense of the Church: it is thus notoriously described to the utter shame both of the seditious Pope & of the rebellious Prince, as the just judgment of God for the death of the good father, Bellum in domo Petri, There was war in the house of Peter, between the Clergy and the communalty, there was no difference, the sword devoured them all. The house of holiness is filled with Carcases, rivers of blood ran out of the heaps of dead men▪ so that the waters of Tiber were changed into the color of blood, the Cardinals were tied in chains and ropes hanged about their necks and the Pope taken prisoner. For this fact against himself, the Pope could cal him a wicked, a bloody, a false man: for this he cursed him, and in a council of Bishops his privileges given him before, were named prauileges, & taken frō him: but the child depriving his father of crown and life was by the same Pope accounted his white son. But Cuspinian crieth out against this son: O wicked child, which for greediness of a Kingdom doth persecute, and prosecute with hatred and sword him, by whō he hath received both life & royal dignity. So he was cursed on every side, at all hauds, & of the Pope forspokē, that, He should never thrive after, nor see peace in his days, nor get a child to sit in his throne after him.

But this horrible sin of treason & rebelliō, I have proved to be in all places, by all laws, of all Kings condemned: to which I ad here these proofs for a further fortification. The Jews detested it as David in this place, & in others before rehearsed, and besides he curseth Joab for the death of Abner, and caused the people to rent their clothes, and put on sackcloth, and he followed himself the bear, and wept, and said to his servants: Know ye not that there is a Prince, and a great man fallen this day in Israel? If Abner be so lamented, how much more lamentable had been the death of David? Banaah & Rechab did stay Ishbosheth y ^e son of Saul, brought his head to David, thinking it had been glad tidings to him to see his enemy dead, but David caused their heads to be cut off, with their feet, and to be hanged over the pool in Hebron. The Romans could not abide treachery, as by many examples was shown before. Lucius Sylla would fain have Sulpitius Rufus destroyed: but when he perceived upon his proclamatiō that he was hid in a village, and betrayed by his own servant, he gave this parricide freedō, according to promise in his Edict, but with all by & by he commanded him to be cast down headlong from the top of the tower Tarpeia with his cap of freedom upon his head, which he had dishonestly gotten with such treachery. In the battle of Licinius against Constantine, God shown out his judgment against all the Licinians and rebels, so that some of them, casting away their weapons fell down at the Emperors foot, others were slain, others running and rushing together did fall upon their own swords, as Eusebius testifieth. What shall I say of the Grecians, who all with one consent would declare their hatred against Traitours: Cillicon betrayed Samos or Mile • us to the Prienians, which treason made him rich, but od •••• e to every mean man. Afterward when he came to buy flesh of Theagenes, he biddeth him show him what piece he would have cut, & stretching out his hand pointed to it, and the other cut it off, saying, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . With this hand thou shalt not betray another City. The same Soudas telleth of another perfidious and treacherous man Aristocrates, who being chosen a captain for the Rodians deceived them: for coming to the action and to the point of service, as to the sier to be tried, he was found false and counterfeit coin. Another Aristocrates when he had betrayed the Missenians in bat • le, he waxed so wealthy, and so mighty, that he was made ruler over the Arcadians but by God's providence after twenty years, he was found out, and punished for his treason. So much was it detested among them, that in all time they would not forget it, nor forgive it.

I spake before of France, of Flaunders, and of others. The Hungarians abhor this vice. Bela successor unto Stephen, was a blind man, yet a good. King and yet indaungered by Traitours, which thing being understood, the Queen Helena in a great assembly made an oratiō against those rebels, that this fact was not to be forgivē, that kings were to be spared for that they should be reputed as gods: whereupon they were all judged to dy, & one Sampson that had called the King blind thief and most vile dog, was punished by the Peers, and flying away was followed and driven headelong into a river, and had many wounds, and being Ioded with his ha • neisc was drowned. It was shown before of Canutus King of the Danes, how he was contented to remit a certain exaction and tribute, so that they would pay their tithes to the Priests Among them one Blacco most Judasly dealt with his King, being sent an Ambassador to the people, was of a mediator become a traitor, and did not pacify the people, but stirred them up against him. The King being at his prayers, in Saint Albons Church, seeing the violence and fury of the people, continued still at his devotion, making his confession unto God: & by the thrust of a sword, and by shedding his innocent blood, was made pium morris sacrificium, a sacrifice and a Martyr to God. But Blacco the Captain that first rushed into the Church, & made the people in that holy place to shed blood, even in the first entrance of the Church was first of all murdered, as a sacrilegious man towards God, and a Parricide towards his King: the people afterward repented them of their rashness, took this Canutus to be a Saint. What should I speak of others rather wolves, and vipers, & dogs, then men, who thus brutishly devise, say, and do against the Lord's anointed? Is not this wolvish & foxy generation yet alive? Have they not, do they not, still practice against our Soueraign, notwithstanding the examples of God's severity in all times and countries, neither looking backward toward the punishment passed in Jury, in Italy, in Greece, in Flanders, in France, in Hungary, in Denmark, and here in England: neither looking for-ward on the judgments to come: And what is the cause: Only this in Tertullian, Bonus vir Gaius Seius, sed malus • antùm, quia Christianus. Item alius, Ego Luciune sapientem virum repent Christia • um factum defero. Gaius Seius is a good man, but he is an il man, only because he is a Christian man. And another saith, and confesseth Lucius to be a wise man, but suddenly made a Christian man: the one they cannot but praise, the other they tell as news, of dispraise. I say with Tertullian: They praise chose things that they know, they dispraise those things that they know not, and that thing which they do know because they know not, they do corrupt and man: Our Religion is forsooth a cause of their rebellion: therefore our Countrymen at home are our enemies. Is this news to you? You know, my Brethren, that it is an old grudge, an ancient offense, and scandal. You know, many shall be Offended with Christ. You know the Scriptures, Christ shall be the stone of offense, and the rock of scandal. The stone cast away of the builders and Priests, set to be the ruin & resurrection of many. Christ, and Christ's anointed have this portion, the inheritance of the Cross, even for Christ's Cross sake. The Kings of the earth bande themselves, and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord, and against his Christ. And again: How many rise against me? The Prince and the Prophet have this lot: King Cyrus had displeasure of the Babylonians for defending Daniel, & his religion. They say, the King is become a Jew, he hath abolished Bel, killed the dragon, slain Priests, and they flock together to the King, saying: Give us Daniel, or woe will kill thee with all thy house. Daniel likewise is laid wait for by the Princes, and nobles, he is complained of to Darius, because they found him making prayers and suppl • cation to his God. As Daniel, so the rest of the Apostles and Prophets, and why? Serpens hostis est, contrarius veritati, as Origen replieth. The Serpent is an enemy, contrary to the truth. Which of the Prophets have not your fathers persecuted, smd • blessed Stephen, and therefore was stoned: The Prophet Icremy was mocked continually, stricken of the Priest Pashur, and in the end murdered, and in Egypt stoned by the people. Isaiah for the truth was cut in pieces by his countrymen. Zacharias for the truth was slain, between the Temple and the Altar. The Thessalonians for the truth suffered even of their own countrymen. And Origen maketh this conjecture, that Paul preaching everywhere, yet he prenched not at Tharsis in his coutry: Sciens Propheram expertē esse honoris inpropria patria, because Paul did know that a Prophet was not honored in his own country ••• 〈◊〉 for this cause the Apostle forsook Israel; and said: Because you cast us out, & judge yourselves vn worthy of euenlasting life, behold we turn to the Gentiles. The Gospel could have no place, miracles could take no effect, in Christ's country, whereof he complaineth in his Euangelisles, Matthe we, Mark, and Luke. I speak not this of you, dearelie beloved, whose zeal in Religion is known, and I hope will continue, and increase more and more: but I speak it with grief of mind, by this common practice and experience ofttimes, fearing our countrymen that even now begin to revolt in heart, and a great number in body, who withdraw themselves from our Church, from our Sermons and Service, and Sacraments; and from their obedience t • God & their Prince, and from all pierie towar • s their P •• ia •• and Country, daily conspiring, and all for Christ and his Gospel, whom they would banish, and like Herodians extinguish among us 〈◊〉 but if he be banished, it is no sh •• le for us to be banished with him. It is he to whō we must clean • , by life or by death: It is his cause, her is able and willing to defend it: He is our friend and Protector, against at traitors and enemsies, whereof now by order I must speak, as followeth in the Text.

As Dauld hither to hath made a prohibitiō to Abishai, and also hath protested for himself saying: The Lord keep me for laying mine hands upon the Lord's anointed: So now he goeth forward with his politick and provident resolution, beginning here.

I pray thee take now the spear that is at his head, and the pot of water, and let us go hence, and so forth, as you may see in the eleventh & twelfth verses: & this is the third part of David's answer, and of my division.

In which part as many good notes may be made, and many pointes of doctrine may be gathered: as David's humble request to Abishai, and his poliey, in taking away the spear and the pot, for considerations, and the drowsiness of the enemies: so I rest only upon this common place, the Providence of God, & that threefold, taken out of the circumstances, First out of the person of Saul: Secondly out of the person of David and Abishai: Thirdly out of the circumstance of the place, where they were, and of the state they were in, at this time.

Saul's person ministereth occasion to entreat of the protection of Princes, & of the singular providence of God, which is a reason forcible to penswade all evil and ob •• inate men, that they intermeddle not against them of whom the Lord hath fueh an extraordinary & special care s • nd it is a wonder to see and to hear, bow man not regarding this careful and watchfuley of the Lord, ouerlooking all their actions, nor fearing the haude of the Lord striking all such actours, dare in this manner adventure anything against thē, so guarded & arms with his protection. And yet always there have been such murmurers. There were that mūbled against Moses, Who made thee Prince and judge over us? There was a wicked Belial Sheba that blue a Trumpet to stir the people, We have no part in David, neither have inheriance in the son of Jesse. There were that murmured against the servants of God sent unto them, and beat some, and killed others, and stoned some others, yea they said, Let us kill the heir.

All this wind shaketh no corn, Triticum non rapit ventus, the wind carrieth not away the wheat. The anointed of the Lord remai • neth steadfast: be he good, or be he had, either he tarrieth in his good pleasure, or he is taken away in his displeasure. Saul is a sleep, and yet he is saved, and God s • ruled David and so bridles Abishai, that the one would not, and the other could not set upon him being at his head. O maru ••• oa •• full • iesse of our God over the gods of the earth! yea •• godly gods. With what pro ••• ēce was Moses pres • rued, kept close for three mouths; thrown into the water, and yet drawn out, •• t • d by Pharaoh, and yet fostered by his daughter • oftentimes ass •• lted by Is ••• lit •• , ever ready to stone him, oftentimes murmured at, and entried by Egyptians, by Israelites, and somewhat by his own sister, as we may read in the book of Exodus, and in the book of Numbers? Our David standing now in reversion, but afterward put in possession, was evermore both a private and public person kept safe, because the Lord would have it so. The Lord, saith he, is my rock & my fortress. They have spread a net, and they have sought my life, and yet this dead dog, this little flea hath gods passeport and warrant for himself. I have found David my servant, with my holy oil have I anointed him, therefore mine hand shall help him, and mine arm shall strengthen him: the enemy shall not oppress him, nor the wicked hurt him. This comfortable warrant reacheth unto all Princes that fear God. It is recorded in an oration made at the request of Queen Elizabeth, in Bonsinius his story of Hungary: We must undoubtedly believe that all power is given to men of God & who can withstand the will of God? Cyrus an infant was cast out of doors. Romulus with Rhemus was cast into Tiber. Seruius Tullius was borne of a servant and captive mother; and yet they could not be stayed or stopped by any violence, but that they must obtain those Kingdoms, to the which they were borne and predestinated. The providence and predestination of God are unchangeable and unmovable both for coming to Principalities, and for keeping their holds: which is so certain, that neither force nor frand, neither •• iue action of Devils, nor conspiration of men can break or interrupt this appointed course of God. Constantine the Great writeth unto Sapor the King of the Persianes to be favorable to Christians, assuring hin that God would be therefore merciful unto him, and that he himself ha • for his faith by the help of God subdued and subjected unto himself the whole Empire of the Romans. God spake sometimes in the mouth of the heathen, as of Antonine the Emperor, saying: We do not so worship God, nor so live, that Cassius a Traytour should overcome us.

The assurance that was made unto Vespasian in this doctrine of Providence was wonderful, when two noble men were conuiceed for conspiracy against him, aspiring to the Empire: he did nothing else but warn them; that they should surcease, affirming, Principatum Fato dari: Principality to be given by the decree of God. These men he did not only famliarly admicte to his Supper, but also the next day in the show, and play of Fensers or sword-plaiers, he set them for the • once about him, and the or namentes & weapons offered unto him by the fighters, he gave to these adversaries, to be looked upon and handled of them: no doube but assuring himself, that they could not, ne durst strike. Saxo Grammaticus declareth how Canutus and Charles, and diverse others went about to kill the King of Danes, Waldemarus, who both with others their complices being familiar in the court, and near unto the King a person, and one of them alone sometime with him attending upon his chariot, and many times having a coat of maile, might have suddenly dispatched him, but he by God's providence always by one means or other was preserved, and (as one of the conspirators called Magnus in his examination confesseth) that it was, Non sort humana, sed diuina opera, by no luck or cunning of man, but by the work of God: and woēdreth how he did escape, being so many times and by so many ways entrapped. And when the King asked him, whether he did mean indeed to set upon him and oppress him, he answered stoutely, Nec animum sibi nec arma, • ihil{que} quod tanto f • einori attinuit, excepth. Deinutu defursse: That there wanted nothing to him, neither intent, nor courage, nor weapons, nor anything that pertained to such a wicked not, but only gods beck & assent. In Flanders. Count Lodowick Maleanus distressed by a rebel Arteualda (of whose ende I spake of before) and by some soldiers of Gaunt being of that conspiracy, sought for, he was hid by a woman in a poor bed, where her little children did lie: This woman was wont to sit at the Counte his gate, for au alms: one of the soldiers took a candle, and looked narrowely in every corner, and after his search returneth to his fellows, and saith: Let us go, we leese time, here is none, besides her little ones: so as the author writeth, this woman as another Rahab saved the Earl: Ita sola voluntate Numinis seruatus Comes, qui haec omnia nudiuit verba, so by the only will of God the Earl was saved, and heard all these words. God did also provide marvelously for Charles the fifth, as Massae us witnesseth. It is well known, his own courtiours sometimes by poison, sometimes by other treason went about to destroy him but the Lord presented him. King Henry the fourth him many conspirators, and this one • aspitu • y was most notable. In the night when he should go to bed, the enemies had laid there in the straw a galthrop which had, three long sharp pikes, that when he should suddenly • y down, he might be destroyed, but as God would he felt it and perceived it before, and so avoided the peril. There is nothing can annoy the godly Magistrate, but all shall work for the best. There have been in all ages, and specially in these latter times many fetches and devises to circumvent & to catch in a snare the Lord's anointed, but the providence of god hath confounded the wisdom of man, for he giveth life, he is the life and length of their days, he delivereth their life from death: who can then take it away, or abridge it? He that is above beareth stroke in the Kingdom of men, and he bestoweth upon whom he will, and who is he that dare take upon him to dispose it otherwise then is appointed: As Austin saith of the greatues of the Empire of Rome, The cause thereof is: because it is not ruled by fortune or destiny: so I say of the state and prosperity of England, & of the preservation of our Prince: It is not by chance, nor by our cunning, nor our policy, but only by the merciful protection of God. Prorsus Diunina prouidentia regna constituuntur humana. The Kingdoms earthly and human are constituted and stablished altogether by the providence of God. The ship (saith Chrysostom ) can never pass the waves of the sea without a governor: a soldier can do no great exploit without the conduct of a captain, and house is not built, unless there be one to build it: and can this large and vnmeasureable world, can the ornaments of these elements be moved casually or rashly? Is there none that can moderate them, and knoweth by his wisdom to keep and preserve them? Whereupon I gather this conclusiō: He that ruleth, and v • doeth these superior and iuferiour things, he that maketh the world, & maketh an end thereof, must make and mar the Mouarches of the world, and therefore bold fools are they, that go about to rule, or overrule, or vnrule them.

The providence of God appeareth also in the person of David, and Abishai, who came into the centes of Saul, and took away the spear, and pot from him, and yet no man seeth nor marketh, neither did any awake, and so they went away through the whole army, unwounded, untouched, vnseen: for God had cast the enemies into a dead sleep. This part of gods providence is also the more to be considered, because even the godly seeing their own afflicted state in this world, & the prosperity of the wicked, begin, as Theophylact faith, to doubt, whether God be touched with the care of worldly things. In this point David's feet began to slip. And Abacuc crieth, O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear? And Icremy, Why happeneth that the way of the wicked doth prosper? And Jonah: Lord take my life from me. So Job: What profit shall we have, if we serve and pray to him? So Malachi also, where God answereth that he hath a book of remembrance for them that fear him, & biddeth these murmurers consider what a difference there is between the just and the wicked. So, dearly beloved, let us consider though David here be banished, yet he cometh into the host, & neither king, nor captain, nor souldior saith anything to him, nor seeth him. This is a general care that God hath of his Church, & of all the members, his elect, by one means or other to deliver them. The mean here set down for the deliverance of David, is Tardemáh, a sound sleep, slumber and drousines of Saul and his camp. While Adam sleepeth, Eve is created, and so many times the Church is preserved, even as Joseph in his sleep was warned to fly into Egypt with Jesus and Mary his Mother. Judith conquered Holofernes, because God had cast him into a sleep. Gideon overcame the Midianites drousing and lying in the valley like grass-hoppers, and was en couraged thereunto by a dream; that one told unto his neighbor. As this is one mean, so we may consider all other means ordinary and extraordinary, by which he overcometh & daūteth the adversaries of his church, sometimes by frindes, sometimes by foes: by friends, in procuring them & in strengthening them: by foes, in confounding their devises, and in bridling their furious affections, as well it is expressed by Origen. Duobus ex modis constat in omnem creaturam Christi domination. The Lordship and sovereignty of Christ is two ways shown: by his majesty, and power subdiung: all things & all creatures: first bowing, and bending the holy minds and spirits to his pleasure, secondly commanding and forcing the wiched, and reprobate to the excrution of his purposes. God in his dominion doth so excel, that all his creatures, good and bad, yea the devil himself cannot annoy those whom he loveth. The Devil goeth no farther then his chain, wherewith he is tied as a dog. He could not hurt Job but by a License, nor enter into Hogs, but by leave. Sometimes God maketh enemies frindes. When the soldiers of Julian, for fear had sworn to him: only Nebridius withstood it, saying, that he could not be tied by an oath against Constantius, to whom he was by many and often benefits bound and beholding: which when the soldiers heard, they were inflamed, and ready to kill him: & then • uen Julian his enemy seeing him falling down upon his knees, covered him with his coat of armor and gave him a protection of security: Hind quo libet abi securus. Go thy way front hence whither thou wilt safe and secure. It is not amiss that is said of Thomas Aquine, defining Providence after this sort: Providence is, which to things foreknown by God & in his wisdom ordained ministereth that thing, which may keep & uphold that order, & removeth away all disorder or inordinatiō, that is, taketh away all that may hinder it, & so directeth all things, that the last end proposed by him, may be archiued. Whereby the Princes come to their Kingdoms, & continue all the prefixed time without hinderance, and the Preachers run their race, and keep on their course without interruption of man or devil. Isaiah the Prophet continued in spite of his enemies, about fourscore years: Polycarpus fourscore & six. Jeremiah was threatened of the Jews, Let us, say they, destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, & cut him out of the lande of the living: but yet God's decree was otherwise: that the mē of Anathoth should die with the sword, and they that sought his life, & would not hear his prophecy in the name of the Lord, should be plagued in the day of the visitation: but to Jeremiah he said comfortably: Be not afraid of their faces, for I am with thee. Daniel was cast by the Babylonians into the den of Lions, and yet he taught mo then seventy years. Peter a captive was appointed by Herod to death, but God's appointment was, by an Angel to deliver him: Paul saith: All men have forsaken me, but the Lord assisted me, & strengthened me, that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles should hear and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon. He never left preaching from Ierusalē to Illyricū, Spain & Italy, & was never offered to death, til y ^e time of his dissolving came, & then he did worthily say of himself: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Be therefore of good comfort my brethren, Preach the word, be instant in season & out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering & doctrine, for the times are come that he telleth of, that man will not suffer wholesome doctrine, yet nothing can hurt or stay you, until you come to your iourneies ende, not only you, but all other godly of this realm. This Church of England, is as mount Zion immovable, it shall have the Queen to be her Nurse, the gooly governors, the faithful ministers during the time set down in God his decree. Though Zion say, the Lord hath forsakē me, yet the lord will be more tender thē a womā over her child, nay he assureth us that he hath graven us vpō the palm of his hands, and that our walls are ever in his sight, though y ^e devil watcheth for us, seeking, & running about like a roaring Lion, yet God ouerwatcheth him. He neither sleepeth nor stūbreth that keepeth Israel. The wild bore of Rome would enter into this vineyard, but the Lord doth keep him out. Ipse faecundat, saith Bernard, He doth make it fruitful, he increaseth it, cutteth it, purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit: for howe can he leave it destitute of his care, & travel, seeing that his right hand hath planted it? Only let us see that it be not barren by our negligence, and then leave all the rest to his providence.

The third kind of Providence may appear by the circumstance of the place. In wilderness David and his army are fed and maintained. This temporal providence also must be learned against those murmurers, that say, O that we had been dead in Egypt when we sat at the flesh-pots, when we eat bread our bellies full, now you have brought us into this wilderness, to kill this whole congregatiō with famine and hunger. Are there not in England, murmuring Israelites this day, who for a little pinching of penury, for lack of corn, cry out against God, and his word, not mindful of the Manna, of the dew of heaven, of the fat of the earth, ministered plentifully unto them these many years, in this blessed reign of the Queens majesty: And even in this time of this small dearth, there is charitable order taken by her Majesty, and the honorable counsel. The cause of this lack is not so much for lack of grain, but for lack of faith & religiō in some of us towards our God, for lack of charity towards the poor in some: in lack of obedience towards the Prince in some others, for lack of thankfulness in us all: which vices being reformed in us, we shall have enough. Our forefathers Abraham, Isaac & Jacob in strange places found a strange goodness of God for their provision, which is not unknown unto you. Jerome expoundeth a proverb among the Hebrews: In monte dominus videbit. i. prouidebit. God will in the mount provide for his, even as he provided for Isaac a Ram in steed of Isaac. As God had mercy upon Abraham, so he will have mercy upon us. And therefore in sign of this Ram given, the Jews are wont even this day to blow their horn. He that provided for Agar, and for Ishmael the boy, and cast away for lack of help of man, in wilderness: He that fed Elias by crows, by a widow, by Angels: and Daniel by Abacuc: He that was able by Elisha to heal the waters infected: He that saved Jonah in the whales belly: He that with a few loaves & fishes satisfied such a multitude: he hath not, he will not forsake you that profess his word and practice accordingly, any Egypt shall be scourged, when Israel shall be preserved in Goshen: God will rather transubstantiate all his creatures, and make stones bread, & water wine, & cause rocks yield water, rather then you that fear God & love his word, should vanish or perish.

But here I pray you mark, He that giveth food to cattle, & to the young Ravens meat, he giveth it to them in their manner calling upon him, and the same Lord delighteth only in thē that fear him. For the strength of Israel is the Law, & all the safeguard of our Israel is the keeping & observing of the word of God. Origen hath, Hijs quiin Agone pietatis positi sunt, conteret sathanam Deus sub pedibus. God will tread Satan, under the feet of them that strive for piety, and godliness. The same Origen giveth us good comfort, but cōditional. If we want not weapons wherewith the Apostle willeth us to be armed, all other darts cannot pierce us. If we have the armor of God, the breast plate of righteousness, the sword of the spirit, and above all the shield of faith. Basil saith, No munition, or Martial puislaunce, no walls of cities, no army of horse men, nor power of foot men, no preparatiō of ships save a King: for God doth appoint Kings and disappoint and depose. Exalt not your horn, speak not with a stiff neck, for promotion cometh, neither from the east, nor from the west, nor frū, the south, because God is judge, abasing one & exalting another. And therefore while David is godly, & doth not transgress, while the people and all live within their compass, there is no doubt but both in plenty and poverty, dearth & death, God shall, and will give safe conduict. Religion and Piety, must be our only safety and preservation: for against the godly man, neither malignant devil, neither any destiny can prevail. So writeth an ancient author Mercury Trismegistus in Lactantius. Dearly beloved, let us be only religious, and god alone will succor and shield us, because David here feared God, reverenced the person of Saul, because Abishai being better advised, was content to be ruled with a word of David: you see how the Lord did provide for them. Be he Frenchman, or Spaniard, Jew or Turk, he cannot hurt or harm us in this case, Mimmo digito Turcas omnes, si voluerit, illico conteret Deus noster. Our God can out of hand, if he will, burst and break with his little finger, all Turks, all our enemies.

But now, my Brethren, as on God's part all is certain and sure, For neither his hand is shortened that he cannot save, neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear: so on our side all the danger is to be feared. Your sins have separated becween you and your god, saith the same Prophet. Sin maketh this division: Adam sin ning lost Paradise, for himself & for us. The world sinning was drowned: One Achā sinning was the plague of all Israel: One Jonah sinning endangered the whole ship: Sin brought fire and brimstone from heaven upon Sodom, whō ten good men might have saved: as one Paul saved himself and all his company in the ship. It is a true saying of Achior the Ammonite to Holofernes: If there be any fault in this people, so that they have sinned against their God, this shall be their ruin. Let us go up and we shall overcome: but if there be none iniquity in this people, let my Lord pass by, least their Lord defend them, and we become a reproach. Al evil men & sinners, all sinful Kingdoms and nations though planted by him, yet shall be plucked up by him, and they shall be all out of God's protection, as it is written: I will speak suddenly concerning a nation, and concerning a Kingdom to build it & to plant it, but if it do evil in my sight, and hear not my voice, I will reap̄t of the good that I meant to thē. Therefore if any commotion or wars be raised, it is because the Lord hath hissed for the Fly, & the Be out of the uttermost part of the world, & hath mustered those enemies against us for our sins: if any evil come, it is because we are evil. Chrysostom upon the words of Isaiah, I saw the lord, maketh this questiō: What is the cause, that matters of the commō weal do not go forward well? that they are not in a better case? The people answer, by the oversight & carelessness of Magistrates, that bear office, but Chrysostom replieth: It is not the carelessness of Princes, but ourvnrighteousnes, punishment is exacted for our sins, those sins do turn & tūble all things upside-down. They have brought in all calamities whatsoever, they have armed enemies: And a little after he demandeth thus: Why so? If the Prince be a trāsgressor of Laws, our rashness & rudeness, our offenses have procured this plague. And again: Although the Prince be just, yea as just and as virtuous as Moses: yet could not the righteousness of that one man cover the manifold sins of so many rebels, neither could the prayer of Moses change the just sentence of God. O that we were pure in God's sight, as our religion is pure out of his word! Such were the old Christians our cuntrymen in the time of Constantine, of whom he giveth this report: Nihil in moribus religions huius est, quod reprehendi debeat: There is nothing, in the manners & conversation of this religion, which ought to be blamed, for these Christians are contented only with the unbloody vows or prayers to pacify God, who is delighted not with shedding of blood, but rejoiceth only in a mind pure & clean, in the contemplation of virtue & godliness. Of these Christians reporteth Pliny thē Lieuetenant unto Trajan the Emperor, that he found nothing in thē that was wicked, but that they would not worship Images, and that they rise betime in the morning to praise christ as god, and that they kept their discipsine, as Eusebius allegeth out of Tertullian. Now if this doctrine be true, that Realms and Kingdoms stand or fall by their religion or by the coutempt thereof: and if it be as true, that we all are sinners, and contemners, and not answerable to the former pureness of our forefathers: then what must be the conclusion upon us, but misery, plagues and scourges of God for our iniquities?

I come not hither to be Momus, or to wish a window into every man's heart and conscience, to see every man's secret faults. I would there were not too many, too open in the sight of the world, to the great displeasure of Almighty God: of which give me leave to speak a little, that we may not loose the sweetness of this doctrine, and the favor of our God, and the protection of this Realm.

But we must needs loose it, if we do not hereafter repent us: and every man in his calling walk accordingly. Though man wink, Yet God seeth, & will visit the sins of this land, which draw on with cartropes our speedy destruction. In the beginning of the world, at the first fall of Adā God steppeth out to judgment, and judicially proceedeth against him, and his wife, and the serpent: & will he not now in the end of the world serve the same process against us: Will he not say to everyone of us, Adam, where art thou? will he not cite Prince, Peers, and people? Yes verily, & that shortly, without speedy & hearty repentance. He will cite rulers, Judges, Nobles & Magistrates of this land, of whō he requireth justice, that the innocent may be defended & cherished, that the wicked be not justified, and maintained, but condemned and punished. You Honorable & Worshipful shall find, or if you will not, he will find two kinds of these wicked men specially in this land, godless Atheists irreligious, others too religious or superstiously religious, favorers rather of the Popish myter, thē of the Princely crown. Let justice be done against both, Currat Lex, & vinat Rex: Let not your Laws be cobwebs, to catch the little flies, and to let the great ones break out. If you Judges of the earth will have God providently to care for you, you must zealously care for him. You know what underminers, & pioners have crept in, what pirats have joined themselves with the governors & true mariners of this english ship, seminary mē, like unto one John Abbot, a professor of Physic, more presumptuous then cunning. He promised unto Waldemarus King of Denmark present help, he commandeth all to depart out of the chamber, he ministereth unto him a refection, or confection, or rather an infection, and willeth him to sleep, but it was worse then Tardemáh, the deadly sleep of Saul, for they returning in again found him to be sine voice, speechless and dead: Semblably, these Jesuits have promised unto the people of England (in secret corners, shutting us out of dozes,) sospitatē, all health of body and soul, but it was sospitate that Popish illusio, that not only picked our purses, but is able to kill our souls: & shall these be nourished amūg us, by whō the people have been bewitched, the realm of many a subject robbed, the church troubled, the state indaungered, our gracious Queen hazarded? I am no persuader of crueley, but of severity, reasonable, and requisite in such a case, that England may be rid of them. You may remember the general Laws of Emperors against those that do not communicate, with the catholic church, but are gathered together in secret & several cōuenticles. We have by these meetings & conferences many Novices made in seminaries beyond the sea, & many mo in od Seminaries at home, where they have learned a new Catechism, a new religion, new lessons of rebelling, of poisoning, & other new kinds of murdering. These younglings of the Pope will prove to be whelps of the Woolfe. Let them not grow, for such wolves cannot agree with the sheep of Christ. You are the Pastors of our flock, mark the complaint of a seely sheep in the greek Epigram, I give milk with my vdders to a wolf against my will, the folly of the shepherd compelleth me, but after he hath been fed up, and grown big by me, he will first turn against me, his nature cannot be changed by any curtesies. Therefore before this Citation come, be zealous for your God & for his law, otherwise the day of the lord will come vpō all the Cedars of Libanō, be they never so high, upon all the Okes of Bashan, be they never so strong, vpō y ^e moūtains, & towers: I mean with the Prophet, the greatest, the strongest, the highest, shall be shaken in that day.

This Citation shall be set upon the doors of all Clergy men, that enter in by Simon Magus: either be idle bellies, that will not: either be ignorant and cannot preach the word of God: either so covetous, that with Balaam had as leiue curse as bless our Israel. But these sinners, as untouched in my Text, I pass over: and yet it will hasten God's Citation.

This Citation will reach to all the people of this Land: where shall be laid to their charge many things, many articles, but I will touch that only which may be gathered out of this Text. A general sleep, a drowsiness and drunk̄nes of the land. For as here not only Saul, but Abner & his whole host are in a sleep: Even so we all from the greatest unto the lowest live in security, which I fear will be our vain. A foul fault in rulers or captains in this our life which is a continual warfare. It is not for Agamēnō or y ^e ruler to sleep the whole night: Epaminondas alone was in watch & ward vpō the walls, when the Thebans were feasting. If the King of Persia had every morning his chamberlaine saying: O King rise, and have care of thy business, which Mesoro-Masdes willeth thee: much more ought our governors be careful in public affairs of the church and the common weal, & in such things as our God hath commanded. The law of Canutus was, that if the souldior appointed to watch & to keep his standing, did so sleep, that a man might take his weapon or apparel from him sleeping, he had discipline, and punishment for it, & was thought unworthy to be in the Kings service. Many Princes and Kings, yea and Kingdoms were taken and destroyed by security. Isbosheth sleeping in his bed at Noon, by the sons of Rimnon was smitten in the fifth rib, and Sisera by Jael: and Scipio Affricanus and others. What realm hath not been by security conquered? Grauely Cato, as Augustine allegeth out of Salust against Catiline, amongst other vices of the Romans, as riot, covetousness, ambitiō, hath these words: We follow idsenes and pleasures at home, and hunt after money and favor of men, and therefore inferreth: Eo sit, vt impetus fiat in vacuam Remp. hence cometh it, that every man may enter into the country, as void, and open for every man. Balthazar at a feast rioting with his Nobles & concubines, lost his Kingdom, which passed from the Chaldeians to the Medes and Persianes. Troia being drowned, and buried in wine & sleep, was taken & spoiled. Saxo Grāmaticus writeth, that there is nothing more pernicious and hurtful in war, then careless quietness, dissolute negligence, & bold and presumptuous confidence. So Frotho a captain besieging the City Peltisca, by munition invincible, by this policy took it. For he feigned himself to be dead, and in token thereof his funerals were solemnised: whereupon Vespasius the King persuaded, that this was true, in his security, sports and plays was slain. So we read of Hannibal, and his soldiers, as by manhood and pains they overcame the Romans at Cannae, so they lost the victory by their effeminat and loose behavior afterward. So Britany or England was this way conquered by Julius Caesar, as before I touched, and in England Herald son of Godwine caused the army of the Danes to be slain in the night, whē they were fast asleep. In sum, that which Bernard said of a Monk Dormientem Monachum Deo mortuum esse, nec sibinec vlli vtilem: so generally we may say, A man sleepy and drowsy is a dead man, nether profitable to himself, nor to others. I omit other transgressions of the Land, as perjury, discord, dissensions, hypocrisy in all estates, and other sins, because they are not touched in my Text. These and such like sins abound & reign in this Land. The whole body is thus diseased and sick from the sole of the foot to the head, as Isaiah complaineth full of wounds and sores and botches. God forbid that we should not recover out of this malady. If we be vncureable, then must the Prophets Text conclude upon us as upon Jews, Your Land is wast, your cities are burnt, strangers devour your Lande, you shall creep out of corners like worms out of their holes, you shall be trodden down like mire in the streets.

Now, dearly beloved, what remedy have we to cure our selves from these imminent dangers? Judah can have no help from Egypt, if God be displeased, there are but two ways proposed by God, either the right hand or the left, either life or death, good or evil. If you heap sin upon sin, if you turn to the left hand, you dy: if you repent, and keep the right hand, you live. There must be the best way devised. Serpents and Eagles know many remedies to take away poison, and to drive away their evils, saith Origē. And again in the same place: Serpents use fenel to sharpen & quicken their sight: the Eagles take y ^e stone Aetites found out for the preservation of their young ones, & carry it to their nest. And is there no help nor remedy for us? Yes, dearly beloved, to return to him by repentance, from whō we have by sin departed: Quisquis Deum offenderit, whosoever shall offend god, he hath this only hope & help left, to be reconciled to him again. Walk therefore sincerely in a single heart before God, let rebels be subjects, let Papists with the Ephesian exorcists burn their magical mass-books: let superiors oppress no more, let the cold be inflamed with zeal of Justice & religion, let the drowsy sluggards be watchful against the evil day. Take heed all, that Saul wake not again. He hath hitherto been cast into a deadly sleep by God. It is he that must continue him in that slūber. If we will repent, he will have mercy upon y ^e house of Judah, & will save England, yea the Lord will save, not by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, nor by horses, nor by horsemen, but by himself: which God grant: To whom &c.