The Seven Golden Candlesticks, Text
THE HONOVR OF ENGLAND.
OF this Church & Spouſe of Chriſt thus ſet out in the ſeuen-fold eſtate thereof, the Lord of his merciemercy hath made vsus of this Nation a moſt liuely member, and aboue other Countries hath maruellouſly ennobled this Iland, and famous Kingdome of great Brittaine.
Firſt, though wee liue farre off, in theſe Northerne parts from Iudea, yet very ſhortly after our Sauiours Aſcenſion, the Goſpell of God was brought vntounto vsus; and by whom! was it not by Ioſeph of Aramathea, the onelyonly rich and noble Counſellor, that did the firſt honour to our Lord Ieſus after his death, in begging of his body, and burying it in his own Sepulchre, where before neuer any was laid. This man was the Ambaſſadour (as Stories witneſſe) from Chriſt to vsus, here hee alſo vouchſafed to liue, and here among vsus peaceably to end his dayes.
Greatly did the Lord honour vsus in giuing to vsus the firſt King that euer was Chriſtian, named Lucius, who ſubmitted his Crowne and Scepter vntounto Chriſt.
Was not Conſtantine called the Great, the firſt Chriſtian Emperour? and did not he ariſe from hence? was he not here borne, and here proclaymed Emperour? who ſlew the Heathen Tyrants, and deſtroyed the greateſt Enemies of the Goſpell.
The firſt famous Scholler & publick Profeſſour of Diuinity oppoſing Antichriſt, was it not our learned and famous Iohn Wickliffe? By whoſe Writings ſpred into Bohemia, (by occaſion of a Marriage betweene one of our Kings here, and that Kings Daughter) ſprung vp the renowned Martyrs Iohn Huſſe, and Ierome of Prage.
The firſt King, like valiant Iehu, marching as it were againſt the Ieſabel of Rome, that abſolutely ſhooke off the Popes Supremacie, that vſurped Power, and Luciferian Pride of that man of ſin, and trod it vtterly vnderunder his feete, was Henry the Eighth? and yet for all that dyed he in peace.
The firſt King, that was but a child, and yet ſet vp the true Worſhip of God, and baniſhed Popery out of his Kingdome was our King Edward the Sixt, that noble Prince, a very Ioſiah, full of the louelove and zeale of his God.
The firſt Princeſſe, at whoſe riſing the power of the Popedome began to abate, which ſuffered Perſecution for the Goſpell, which ſo conſtantly defended it, as being to death, ſemper eadem, at home and abroad, was it not the euerlaſtingly renowned the late Queene, our Dread Souereigne Elizabeth? Was not She a Succour to the Saints, and a Terror to all her Enemies round about?
The firſt King, and ſo Learned, as hath not the like beene in the Chriſtian World, publiſhing by his learned Pen vntounto all the Princes in Chriſtendome, that the Pope is Antichriſt, is now our Dread Souereigne LORD and King; who hath helped to poure out the fourth Viall of Gods wrath vponupon the Sunne, that is, vponupon the Supremacie of that Antichriſtian ſtate. The Throne of that Beaſt ſhaketh, and Romes ruine is not farre too, maugre the rage and furie of all her Supporters.
Shall I heere ſpeake of our wonderfull preſeruations? Strangely did God ſaue his poore flocke heere from the bloudy Wolues, in the time of the ten Perſecutions, vntounto the dayes of Diocleſian. But then, leſt it ſhould want this honour alſo, this Nation was renowned with Martyrs. What ſhall I ſpeake of our late Deliuerances, ſo admirable and vnheard off? The Attempts were many and ſundry againſt our late Queene and Souereigne. How did Pope and Papal power, ſeeke to inuade her Kingdome! How did Rebels ariſe to moleſt her! How did Traytors ſeeke her bloud, and many wayes ſought her death; yet behold the protecting hand of God, Shee dyed in peace, neither did the Enemies hand preuayle againſt her. And can the Gunpowder Treaſon, that matchleſſe villanie, and more then Helliſh intended cruelty be euer of vsus forgotten? At one blaſt they mercileſly intended to deſtroy and that ſuddenly, King, Prince, and State, Church and Commonwealth; yet ſee the merciemercy of our God, wee are preſerued, and in the ſnare which they made for others, was their owne feet taken. Let vsus looke about & ſee whether other Princes and States hauehave obtayned the like protection, or rather hauehave they not ſuffered violence at the hands of theſe Miſcreants, and beene murthered of them? It was an honour to our Nation, that wee ſtood out ſo long at firſt againſt the Iuriſdiction of the See of Rome, for it was no ſmall time ere ſhee could obtrude her vaine Ceremonies vponupon vsus, when other Countries were infected and had begun to drinke of her cup.
And it is to vsus no leſſe honour, that wee hauehave ſo ſhaken off her yoke, as we are become an Aſſaile and place of ſafegard to ſuch as daily forſake her, ſo oppoſite vntounto her, and ſo vexing her, as ſhe through the paine thereof ſticks not to blaſpheme the holy Doctrine and Worſhip of our God, euen God and his Tabernacle, as Iohn ſpeaketh; which alſo maketh her to ſtriue by all meanes poſſible aboue all the Nations to regaine vsus to her, (which neuer ſhall be) or by more then Machiauilian policies to vndermine vsus, and to bring vsus to deſtruction. Becauſe God hath made vsus, in powring out the Vials of his wrath vponupon the Earth, Sea, Riuers, and Sunne of that State, not the leaſt Inſtruments, and it may bee will alſo giuegive vsus, or thoſe that belong vntounto vsus, that high honour to bring her to confuſion; and to burne that Whoriſh Citie with fire; great likelihoods there is of this, but the certaintie I leaue to God, who knoweth all things.
And may we not hold it an honour to our Nation, that wee ſhould bring forth men ſo Renowned, as among our Aduerſaries are had in high eſteeme? HaueHave not wee our venerable Beda? And ſhall we boaſt of Alexander de Hales, the Father of the Summiſts, called Fons vitae? or of Iohannes Scotus, termed Doctor Subtilis? or of Iohn Bachon, or Bachonthorpe, named Doctor reſolutus? or of Thomas Bradwardine, Archbiſhop of Canterbury, honoured alſo with this Title of Doctor profundus.
What ſhall I tell of our fortunate Drake, circling the whole Earth, and returning home in ſafetie? I let paſſe many things in this kind, one inſtance may ſerue for all. What an honour was this, that once the Emperour in perſon ſhould take wages and ſerue our King in his Warres. An honour neuer afforded to any other Nation in Chriſtendome.
Thus, euen thus, hath God vouchſafed vsus glory, and riches, and honour, and ſtrength. Wee can liue of our ſelues, ſuccour others wee may, and of their aide wee ſtand in little need. If valorouſneſſe of ſpirit be not abated, our Enemies may be made to feare. I hope as God hath thus aduanced vsus, the glory of his Name is this day before vsus, and the good of our Countrey in eueryevery action for aduancement of Religion, & the peace of the people.
Hee that receiueth much, oweth much, and is bound to louelove the more. Let mee ſay as once Moſes did, the name Iſrael being changed into England. And now (O England) what Deut. 10. 12.doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to feare the Lord thy God, to walke in all his wayes, and to louelove him, and to ſerue the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoule, to keepe his Commandements, and his Statutes, this day for thy good. That ſo (as God himſelfe wiſhed to Iſrael) it might go well with vsus and with our Children for euer.
Let not (O Nation thus beloued) hautineſſe and pride impoueriſh thee, let not oppreſſions bring thee vnderoot, and preſſe thee downe. Let not vanities put contempt vponupon thee, nor ryot and luxurie conſume thee. Let not prodigalitie and the idle race of a diſordered route waſte thee. Let not bribery eat vp thy Iuſtice, nor wātonneſſe defile thy chaſtitie, nor worldlineſſe deſtroy thy charitie, nor this curſed ſelfe-louelove, breake the bond of vnity, nor thy too gentle conniuencie increaſe Popery, nor the too great ſecurity in theſe dayes of peace eate vp thy deuotion, and make the grow into contempt with thy God. Be this, oh be this farre from thee, (thou the Lords Vine-yard) of whom the Lord expecteth better fruits for his ſo great goodneſſe towards thee.
I hope the honourable Ioſeph of Aramethea, will make thy Nobles to contemne the World, and to giuegive their honour vntounto Chriſt. Thy Wickliffe, awake vp thy Cleargie to watch the Wolues, which ſeeke to deuoure thine and their flockes. Thy ſubtill Scotus, thy reſolute Bachon, thy profound Bradwardine, thy Hales the Summiſt, and thy venerable Beda will cauſe thy Schooles of Learning to flouriſh, and prick men forward to an emulation, and to ſtriue to excell euen them in excellencies. Thy former Kings and Princes baniſhing Popery, make the zealous againſt it, that it neuer heere any more get footing againe within thee. Thy now Dread Souereigne ſo learnedly diſcouering that Antichriſtian State, cauſe thy Apoſtating Children to bee aſhamed of the Whoriſh inuentions of that man of ſinne, and ſo at length diſtaſte the ſmell of the Romiſh, or rather Rammiſh Renegadoes, and leaue of their folly and madneſſe.
Laſtly, thy wonderfull preſeruations, thy plenty, thy peace, thy beautie, thy outward glory mooue vsus all, from the higheſt to the loweſt, to render all prayſe and thankes poſſible, to the high God Creatour of Heauen and Earth, for ſuch mercies towards thee, and to endeuour our ſelues by the lawfull right and religious vſe of all the bleſſings in thee, ſtill to preſerue, yea, and to make more renowned thy name and fame among all the Nations, and before the face of all thine enemies. Thus wee ought to doe, let vsus pray, that we all may ſo do.
Amen.
THE GREAT MYSTERY OF GODS MERCIEMERCY.
WHereas I made mention in the beginning of the Iewes Conuerſion, I thought it not amiſſe here to inſert the verity thereof. By Iewes, I vnderſtand the naturall of-ſpring of Abraham, Iſaac, Iacob, and the twelue Patriarchs, called Iſrael, the twelue Tribes diſperſed, to whome the Apoſtle Iames wrote in his time, who now areIames 1. 1. 2. all knowne: onelyonly by the name of Iewes; theſe are now the Iſrael ofRom. 11. 26. whom the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, and theſe ſhall bee conuerted to Chriſt, and become a Nationall people, receiue the Doctrine of the Goſpell, and make profeſſion of the Lord Ieſus, as of their true Meſsiah and Sauiour with vsus.
This is the Myſtery of Gods MercieMercy,There is a double Myſterie. Epheſ. 6. 36. of which Saint Paul ſpeaketh to the Romanes. It was a myſtery that we Gentiles, ſhould bee fellow-heires with the Iewes, which they knew not off, and it is a Myſtery that the obſtinate Iewes ſhall returne to Chriſt, and bee viſible members of CHRISTS Church with vsus Gentiles, which Myſtery Saint Paul would not hauehave vsusRom. 11. 25. ignorant of.
The firſt Myſtery, bleſſed bee God, is made knowne in our ſaluation; this other Myſtery ſhall alſo bee made manifeſt in time in their ſaluation.
It was not a Myſtery to the Iewes, that ſome Gentiles ſhould be conuerted, for they had many Proſelytes: but the Myſtery was, that God would take to him Kingdomes and Nations of the Gentiles, which thing they could not endure to heare off. So it was no myſterie to the Gentiles inAct. 22. 22. Saint Pauls time, that ſome of theLuk. 20. 16. Iewes then, and afterwards ſhould beleeue in Chriſt, for they had examples of thouſands of Iewes conuerted: but the myſterie was and yet is this, which the Apoſtle would hauehave the Gentiles know, that the obſtinate Iewes, euen the Nation of them ſhould in time turne againe to Chriſt, and profeſſe his Name publikly with vsus.
This is a truth beleeued, long ſinceVery many learned hold it. profeſſed, and by learned men of late maintayned, as may bee ſeene in the Commentaries of very many, which hauehave written vponupon the 11. chapter to the Romanes, and on the 7. chapter of the Reuelation of St. Iohn, whoſe names I here omit to recite, becauſe I ſtay not vponupon mens aſſertion (though the voyce of ſo many learned is a very great inducement) but vponupon ſuch reaſons and proofes of Scripture, as may perſwade to the faith of this Truth.
And firſt, who can conſider of the wonderfull hand of God, in their ſoTheir miraculous preſeruation may moue to beleeue it. miraculous preſeruation to this very day, now for the ſpace of almoſt 1600. yeares, in the great confuſion of States, but the ſame may lead him to an expectation of their future good? They bee here and there diſperſed, they dwell but by permiſſion whereſoeuer: yet hauehave they not been ſwallowed vp of Nations, nor ſo mingled, but that they be a knowne diſtinct people by name ſeuered from all others. This is ſo ſtrange a preſeruation for ſo long a time, as the like hath not befallen to any other vnderunder the whole heauen.
Where was there euer a Nation, ſuch a people, ſo wholly caſt out of their Countrey, and after diſperſed, which hath not beene ſwallowed vp and loſt, but theſe? This prouidence ſo ſingular muſt needs prognoſticate ſome future good. For was not the Iewes preſeruation in their diſperſing abroad by their Babylonian captiuitie, in an 127 Prouinces for this end, to bring them in the appointed time into Iudea againe? And for what other end is this ſo long preſeruation of them, but to recall them, and to make them his people, in his good time? The Iſraelites, the ten Tribes, called the Kingdome of Iſrael, were remoued by the Aſſyrian, & becauſe God would not bring them to that Kingdome againe, as God brought the Iewes from Babylon, their place was loſt, and they diſperſed, ſoone became they an vnknowne people, without diſtinction mingled amongNo Iſraelites now but vnderunder the name of Iewes. the Nations, and are none of them at this day (though there be otherwiſe fabulous narrations hereof) but ſuch as go vnderunder the name of Iewes, which howſoeuer ſo called, are of all the Tribes of Iſrael. For it is ſaid in Eſdra 7. 7. that there went vp of the children of Iſrael with him to Ieruſalem, and Saint Iames writeth to the twelue Tribes diſperſed, which hee well knew to bee then in the world, elſe hee would not hauehave ſo written to them. And yet in all the Acts of the Apoſtles, onelyonly we heare of the name of Iewes, vnderunder which name and among whom there were of all theRom. 11. 1. 25. 26. twelue Tribes, which Saint Paul calleth by the name of Iſrael. And in the Prophets it is ſhewed that the two Nations ſhould come to be one, the ten and two Tribes make one people, and ſo the twelue Tribes to be vnderunder one name. And therfore in the Iewes conuerſion is alſo the conuerſion of the Iſraelites, & ſo the twelue Tribes. What if they cannot rehearſe theirIt is not neceſſary they ſhould know diſtinctly their Tribes. Genealogies, and ſet down now their Tribes diſtinctly? There is now no neceſſitie of it, the reaſons of the diſtinct keeping of tribe from tribe, are taken away. And where is it prophecied that in their conuerſion they are to bee knowne by Tribes diſtinctly? The twelue may bee, and that vnderunder one name, which is enough to make good the prophecie, that Iſrael ſhall be ſaued.
Beſides this ſo wonderfull a preſeruation,Their increaſe is great, on Rom. 11. 25. there is another thing to moue vsus, to thinke God will bee with them, euen their exceeding encreaſe; for as Beza relateth from an vniuerſall ſpeech out of Aſia and Africa, that they are ſo multiplyed, as that yet the bleſſing of Abraham, to hauehave his ſeede after the fleſh to be innumerable, is plainely ſeene vponupon them, preparing them for the conqueſt of their owne Countrie, when the Lord ſhall aſſemble them together for that end. For our better aſſurance and ſettling of our hearts herein, let mee ſet before you, how the Apoſtle ſheweth this plainely in the Epiſtle to the Romanes, chap. 11. and how it is alſo confirmed in many other places of the new Teſtament.