Remains of John Boyse, Sermon 7
DAN. 13. 16.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and sayd v…o the King, &c.
NAbuchodonosor, an idolatrous and a proud king, in the words immediatly going before, questioned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the true seruants of the most high God, whether they would serue his gods, and adore that image, which hee by solemne edict had commanded to bee worshipped; threatning them (if they did not obey) with death, and …hat imminent death, in the same houre, and that imminent death, a violent death, and of all violent deaths, the most horrible, to be cast into the mids of a firy fornace; To which, answere is made by them in our text conteyning their
Resolution,
Reason of their resolution.
Their resolution appeares to be peremptorie by the
Preface of their speech, O Nabuchodonosor, wee are not carefull to answere thee in this matter.
Conclusion of their speech, be it knowne vntounto thee, O King, that wee will not serue thy gods &c.
The reasons of this resolution are two,
1. Taken from Gods almighty power, behold our God, whom wee serue, is able to deliuer vsus from the burning fierie furn…e.
2. From his holy will, and hee will deliuer vsus out of thy hand, O King.
These three verses then are placed in the mids of the chapter, (as aLesser english B…ble.some diuide) betweene 15. verses on each side, like the sunne in the mids of the firmament, and the heart in the mids of … body; from whence … arise it he light▪ and life of the whole story: let v… follow the light, & proceed according to the propounded method.
The resolution of these words is bHugo Car. …. Hier…. in loc.prudent and pious, reseruing vntounto God, the things which are Gods, and yet giuing vntounto Caesar, the things which are Caesars; Affording Nabuchodonosor his due title, King; and yeelding obedience to him as to their King▪ rather patiently suffering the payne, then obstinatly resisting the power, because the God of heauen had giuen him a kingdome, power, and strength, and glory, verse. 37. of the former chapter.
This example should teach eueryevery soule to be subiect vntounto▪ soue…igne authority, taking vp against a ty…ant prince, not a sword, but a buckler, obeying ferrend… non feriendo▪ suffering his will, … … command things according (to the rules of p…ty) to bee done of vsus▪ If otherwise, to bee done on vsus, a wicked gouernour is a Nabuchadnezzar▪ that is, as the word is interpreted, the mourning of the generation and the weapons of the Church, … prayers and teares▪ Ecclesia▪ Christi, quoth cT…m. 2 pag. 1….Hierome … Theophilus, est … patiend… ▪ … … faciend… contumelias; an hard lesson, I confesse, which is not well taught, but in a few Churches, and well practised almost in none: for Schismatistes in vpholding their pretended holy discipline, dEp…de di… before Herod and Pilat reconc…ledsho…e al…e at Caesars …rowne▪ and Iesuited Papists are eSee Popish positions and practises. pag. 20.right downe traytors, and professed King-killers, in maintaining their Antichristiā Hierarchy, both hauehave dangerous positions, and practises in this kind, the one to beate downe the walles of Sion, by disturbing the peace of the reformed Church, and the other to build vp the walles of Babylon, by defending the abomination of the deformed Synagogue.
The Lord of the vineyard, Marke. 12. sent seruants to his farmers, that hee might receiue some fruits of the same, but they beat some, and killed others; the Schismaticks are Caedentes▪ the Papistes and Here…ickes accidentes, the villaine fSheldons obseruations of Ignation sperits▪ pag. 25.…auilliack confessed at his death, that he was sory for that hee had committed mur…her, but not sorry for that he had killed the King.
O God which … die King of kings, euen the Lord paramont, from whom all power is deri…d, if thou send good Princes (as thou hast out of the riches of thy great mercy to this land, at this time) giuegive grace …at w… may still honour them as our …ursing fat… … ▪ … … … … … come, for the condigne punishment of our sinne, that wee may receiue them as thy rods, with all humility, patience, piety, resoluing as that holy Martyr▪ gFox. Martyr. pa. 14. 64.Iohn Bradford; If the Queene will giuegive mee life, I will thanke her, If shee will banish me, I will thanke her, If shee will burne shee, I will thanke her, If shee will condemne me to perpetuall imprisonment, I will thanke her.
O Nabuchodonosor, wee are not carefull▪ as they gaue to Nabuchodonosor, the things of Nabuchodonosor, So they reserued vntounto God, all honour due to God; as if they should hauehave sayd, in an argugument of another nature, wee would bee carefull, happily curious, in returning a pleasing answere to the King, but in this matter, all our h1. Pet. 5. 7.care must be cast vponupon the Lord, who being a iealous God, will not giuegive his glory to another▪ nor his prayse to grauen images, Esay. 42. 8. O Nabuchodonosor, we will shew by iHieron. Hug. Card.deeds, that it is better to obey God, then man; In reason as well as in religion, a true proposition is to bee granted, a false, to bee denyed▪ only the doubtfull and probable, to bee disputed; humane demonstrations, and diuine testimonies, are without controuersie, the lawes of the Medes are not alterable, much lesse the commandements of God questionable. So kNum. 22. 1….Balum answered the seruants of Balack: If Balack would giuegive me his house full of siluer and gold, I can not g…e beyond the word of the Lord my God, to doe lesse or more. So lGen. 39. 9.Ioseph answered his want on mistresse; How can I doe this great wickednesse, and so sinne against God. The breach of the …east commandement in the second table▪ concerning our neighbours, is a sinne, but a transgression of the first table, concerning our duty to God, a greater offence: For as Bernard and mSee▪ Martyr loc com part. 1. cap. 17.other diuines obserue, God hath, in old time, dispensed with some precepts of the second table, as in bidding Abraham to kill his sonne Isaac, contrary to the 6 commandement, and in suffering the Fathers to hauehave many concubines, contrary to the 7. commandement, and in aduising his people to rob the wicked Egyptians, of their iewels, contrary to the 8 commandement. Put God, (who can not deny himselfe) neuer yet dispensed with any commandement of the first table, touching his true worship, and holinesse, and therefore Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, delighting in the law of the Lord, and exercising themselues in it, day and night, and vnderstanding that it saith expresly, thou shalt hauehave no other gods; and thou shalt not make to thy selfe, any grauen Image, resolued instantly, constantly, that they would neither serue the false gods of Nabuchodonosor, nor yet adore his golden image.
Cyprian, the blessed Martyr, in the like case, gaue the like answere, for being tempted to forsake the trueth of religion, he replyed, as nApud …al. in loc.Augustine reports, in re tam sancta nulla deliberatto, telling the Proconsull Paternus to his beard, oBaro…. Annal a…. 260.I am a christian, and a Bishop, I know no gods but one, that is the true liuing God, who created heauen and earth, and all that is therein. So pLoc Com. … ▪ de zel….Martyn Luther, in the spirit of Elias; by fire from heauen▪ vsed to say, that the principles of faith, are like a Mathematicall poynt, which admits neither ademption, nor addition; in such a case, quoth hee, God assisting qIn Gal. 2. 6.I am, and euer will bee, stout and sterne, herein I take vponupon mee this title; Cedonulli. So the good Ignatius of his age, Dr. rFoxe Martyro…. pa. 13. 81.Rouland Taylor, (when his friends aduised him, as Peter did his master,) sMat. 16. 22.pitty thy selfe, answered, I shall neuer be able to doe God so good seruice, as now. I know that the papacy is the kingdome of Antichrist, and that all the doctrine thereof, euen from Christs crosse be my speed, vntounto the end of their apocalyps, is nothing else but idolatry, superstition, errors, hypocrisie, lyes. So the renowned Prelate, tAnsw▪ to Hardings preface.Iohn Iewel, I deny my learning, I deny my Bishopricke, I deny my selfe, only the faith of Christ, and trueth of God, I can not deny, with this faith, or for this faith, I trust I shall end.
The schismaticks, in loosing their liuings, and the Papists in loosing their liues, are both exceeding resolute, but it is not the crosse, but the cause that makes the Martyr; the Romanists are not questioned▪ for seruing the true God▪ but for their worshipping their false gods, and for adoring … lord god the Pope▪ they bee not con… ▪ (as they say) because Iesuites, but on the … ▪ because … … ▪ Our blessed Iesus … … … … God▪ euen … … ▪ saith uDe …iu. Dei. lib. 16. cap▪ 38.Augustine▪ … … … … ▪ 2…8▪ Whose foote stood vponupon … ▪ and the top reached vp to heauen. But the papists hauehave … this … … saints, and angels, at the foote, with the merits of their owne works, and so they make Christ Iesus our only mediatour, 1. Tim. 2. 5. but halfe a mediatour, and halfe a Sauiour; halfe a mediatour, because the Saints are ioynt patrons with him; and halfe a Sauiour, because themselues are ioynt purchasers with him, in the worke of their saluation. xLib. 2. cap. 1.Irenaus writeth of certaine humorous fellowes, who called themselues, Emendatores apostolorum, apostle-menders, and so these men are correctors of the scriptures, accounting Saint Paul a very Lutheran, for teaching iustification by faith only; So likewise Schismaticks in our Church, are not questioned for articles of doctrine, but for poynts of discipline, for matter of ceremonie, not substance, As then yAel… ▪ hist. lib. 14. cap. 4.Aristides who dyed of the bite of a weazell, exceedingly lamented, because it was not a lyon; so the brethren of diuision, and other of their alliance, may grieue that they do not smart for the lyō of Iuda, but for a siely weasel, lately…rept out of the Alps, which at the first crouded in among vsus, at a little hole, but since being pampered at the tables of diuerse rich men, is growen so full and pursie, that many will rather forsake Gods pl…gh▪ and looke backe to the world, then acknowledge he came in at so narrow an entrance. Manners (as it is in the prouerbe) makes the man, and so it is the matter that makes the M…rtyr, as the 3 children in our text, O Nabuchodonosor, wee are not carefull to answere the…, in this matter.
Yea, but i… is the King that …, and the proclamation of a King, is like the roaring of a lyon, and with him, as wee find in the forepart of this chapter, are ioined the Nobles, Princes, and Dukes, the Iudges, the receiuers, and all the gouernours of the prouinces, why then are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, recusants, and singular in their opinions, especially, considering on the one side their danger, and on the other side, their duty. Lawyers and Diuines, and great clearkes, in other professions often are ready to speake good of euill, and euill of good, prostituting their tongues, and pens, and wits, and wils, all that they hauehave, goods, honour, bodies, soule, to serue the times, and turnes of Princes. z1 Esd. 4 7.If the King bid kill, they kill, If he say spare, they spare: If hee bid smite, they smite: If hee bid make desolate, they make desolate, beating downe mountaines and walles, and towres, amplifying or extenuating eueryevery thing for the pleasing of his humour, and aduancing of his honour.
It is thought by aIn loc.St. Hierome and bSee. C…luin. et Hug… Card.other, that the golden Image, set vp here by Nabuchodonosor, was his owne Statua, so vaine was his impiety, that being dust and ashes, as a clod of clay in the hand of the potter; he did notwithstanding ambitiously desire to bee worshipped as a God, opposing as it were this image, which himselfe made, to that image which appeared vntounto him in a cDan. 2.dreame, by Gods appointment; and immediatly his plot tooke, for as we read in this chap. at the 7. verse, all the people, nations, and languages, fell downe, and worshipped the golden image: Dauid often said, thou art my king O God, but a meere Courtier on the contrary, thou art my God, O King. It is court language, to terme the followers and flatterers of Nabuchodonosor his creatures.
But beloued, it is not any person, in any place, who may either preiudice a trueth, or priuiledge an errour: If it bee true, doe as they say, though a pharisee bee teacher. Mat. 23. 3. If false, hold him accursed, though an Angel be preacher. Gal. 1. 8. That which is bad in it selfe, by defending, is made worse, dChemni…. Exam. part. 3. pag. 131.causa patrocinio non bona peior erit, as cContra lit. …. lib. 3. cap. 50.Augustine writes of Petilian contradicting the trueth, vbi respondere conatus est, magis ostendit quod non potuit respondere: The more hee would answere, the more hee shewed hee could not answere.
That which is crooked none can make straight, saith fCap. 1. v 15.Ecclesiast. as there be some diseases which are called Dedecus medicorum, a shame to Physicians, so there are some questions, which are Dedecus theologorum, a shame to Diuines. gAl…ancement of learning. lib 2. pag. 110.The religion of the Gentiles, hath no constant confession, or beliefe; but leaueth all to the strength of argument; on the contrary, the religion of Mahumet, interdicteth all argument, and inioynes a strict confession only; but holy religion doth both admit, and reiect disputation, with difference. Dubious Problems may be discussed in … schooles; and accuratly handled in the pulpit to; but euident oracles and articles of faith, are simply to bee beleeued: Litigando, saith hI…h Serranus apparat. pag. 14.one pithily, res non dirimitur, sed perimitur, If Nabuchodonosor as King command to worship false gods, obey passiuely, not actiuely; suffer his will, as being in higher power, but doe the will of God, as being higher then the highest: here say with the three children, O king, we are not carefull to answere thee in this matter.
The 1. reason on which they ground their resolutiō is Gods omnipotency, behold, the God whom we serue, is able to deliuer vsus from the hot fiery fornace. Nothing, saith iLib. de carne. Christ….Tertullian, is impossible to God, but that hee will not; for whatsoeuer pleaseth him, hee doth in heauen and in earth, and in the sea, and in all deepe places. Psal. 135. 6. To compasse his designes, he doth vse sometime weake meanes, sometime no meanes, sometime contrary meanes; Weake meanes, for it is not hard with the Lord to saue with many, or with few. 1. Sam. 14. 16. He can as easily blow downe the walles of kIosuah. 6.Iericho, with the sound of Rams horns, as with the thunder of roaring canons. Sometime he workes without meanes, as he created all thinges, of nothing; and Christ immediatly cured many maladies, without any medicines, lMatth. 8.The Centurions seruant, was healed with his bare word; mMat 9. 25.…ayrus daughter, with the touch of his hand; the woman which had a bloody flux, twelue yeares, by touching the hemme of his garment only, Mat. 9. 20. Sometimes hee doth vse contrary meanes, as nIohn. 9. 6.Christ opened the eyes of one that was borne blind, by annoynting them with clay; and in the work of our redemption, hee gaue life, not by life, but by death, and that a most accursed death; Op…imum fecit instrumentum vitae, qu…d erat p…ssimum mortis genus. And in our effectuall vocation, hee calleth vsus by the preaching of the Gospel, o1 Cor. 1. 23.vntounto the Iewes, a stumbling blocke, and vntounto the Grecians, foolishnesse; In reason more likely to draw men from God, then to win and woe men to God. pIudg. 15. 16.Sampson, in slaying a thousand Philistines, with the ia… bone of an asse, was a type hereof, (as qApu Beaux Harm. tom. 1. pag 140.Prosper obserues) insinuating that Christ by the foolishnesse of preaching, should confound his enemies, and …aue such as beleene, which occasioned that blessed Apostle, to call godlinesse, a great mystery. 1. Tim. 3. 16.
It is true, that God can neither dye, nor lie, because these are not acts of power, but defects of infirmity▪ Dicitur enim omnipotens, saith rDe. ci…. Dei. lib. 5 cap 10.Augustine, faciendo quod vult, non patiendo quod non vult; God is able to doe whatsoeuer hee will, and more then hee will too; s…. part▪ 1 qu. 1…. art. 5.more by his absolute power, then hee will by his actuall, and as God can doe what hee will hauehave done, so hee will doe whatsoeuer is tRom. 8. 28.best, vntounto those that louelove him, and therefore, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, further added, he will deliuer vsus out of thine hand, O King.
They speake, concerning his power most absolutly, but concerning his pleasure, which is secret, with an If, conditionally, but if not, and Vide … … ….the reason hereof is playne, because God in his infinite wisedome suffers his people, many times, to be murthered and martyred by the hands of vngodly men.
1. To manifest his prouidence, who brought light out of darknesse, and life out of death, and ordereth all xAug. c…ntr. …. l. 16.wickednesse for his owne good endes and glory, making the blood of his Martyrs the seed of his Church.
2. To shew his omnipotency, for if he should neuer vse ordinary meanes, but alwayes extraordinary miracles, in deliuering his seruants out of their troubles, it would be thought an act of fate, rather then of fauour, done, not by his might or mercy, but ascribed only to nature and necessitie.
3. To try his seruants obedience, faith, humility, patience, magnanimity, perseuerance; for men vndoubtedly shew their louelove to God, in their doings, more then in their sayings, & in their sufferings, more then in their doings; in Christs cause to suff…r death, is the yF…x. Mar…. pag. 1492.way to heauen on horsebacke, quoth blessed Bradford.
4. For the good of his people, for that hee doeth hereby hasten their immortality, receiuing them into an euerlasting habitation, and making them partakers of a better resurrection. It is sweetely sayd, that persecutors are goldsmiths to make crownes for the Martyrs, and Martyrs in the iudgement of the zTertul. lib. ad. Mart. …t Aug de. ci… l. 22. cap. 30.Fathers, shall hauehave greater crownes then other.
And therefore the finall determination of these worthles, vntounto Nabuchodonosor, is briefly this, If our god will deliuer v… out of thine hand. O King, our hearts are ready to glorifie him in our liues, If not, our hearts are ready to glorifie him in our deaths, If he will accept this our burnt offering, his shalbe the glory, but ours the good. O King, be it … vntounto thee, that wee will not serue thy gods, nor worship the golden Image, which thou hast set vp.
And as they sayd, they suffered, the which is an actuall commentary, vponupon Christs iniunction, aMat. 16 24.…f any man will follow mee, let him forsake himselfe: They did in the quarrell of God, not only forsake …, their houses, and lands, and goods, or su…s, their father, mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters; but also se their own selues, euen that which was most themselues, their owne sou…es and …, loosing them here, that they may find them, and saue them hereafter, in a better estate.
Queene Hester in the like case, had the like resolution, bM…st 4. 16▪If I perish, I perish, in the like case St. Paul had the like resolution, cAct. 21. 13.I am ready, not to bee bound only, but also to dye at Hierusalem, for the name of the Lord Iesus; In the like case blessed Ignatius had the like resolution, as dLib de Scrip. Eccle in vita Ignati….S. Hierome and eFox Martyr. pag 36.diuers other r…late, for being adiudged to bee throwen vntounto the beastes, and hearing the lyons roaring, I am (quoth hee) the wheat of Christ, and I shall bee ground with the teeth of wild beastes, that I may be made pure manchet for his owne mouth. In the like case S. Vincent had the like resolution, being as fSee …. …. pag 1421.… reporteth out of … … … … vicit … vici et … ▪ In the like case gFox Martyr. pag. 776.Martin Luther had the like resolution. I am certainly determined to enter Wormes in the Name of our Lord Iesus, although I knew ther… were so many deuils … mee, as there bee tiles to couer the houses in Wormes. All Martyrologies▪ as well ancient as moderne, abound with examples in this kind▪ Christians in old time, saith hMagdeb. Cent. 4. col. 44.Sulpitius, desired Martyrdome, more then men in our time doe Bishopriches; for when once the Gospel is at the stake, and Gods glory questioned▪
Tormenta, carcer, vngula, ardens que flammis l…mina▪ at que ipsa … … ▪ m…rs, Christianis … est. As Prudentius, in Hymno de Vincentio Martyre, diuinely.
iCarb…. lib. 1. cap. 9. …. in …. ….Bacon our countryman is termed among the School…en Doctor Resolutu… ▪ in like manner, all the schollers of Christ ought to be Doctores inconcussibiles, as Nic: de Clemangris wrote to Gerson in his 9. Epistle. Iuuenal saith in his first Satyr; Stulta est patientia cum tot vbi que Votibus occurras, peritur… parcere chartae. But take heed as Clemang. in the fore-cited place doth aduise, ne sit stulta patientia cum tot vbi que Gladibus occurras, Cum tantam Ecclesiae ruinam et tantam euersionem videas, parcere …ri, parcere lingu…, parcere stil…; to which I will adde, peritur… parcere carni.
Brethren, ye hauehave not as yet resisted the man of sinne vntounto blood, exhort one another, while … is called to day, marke those diligently which are ready to forsake the Gospel, and imbrace the present world, who trust almighty God so little with their liues, as that vponupon rumours of warres, in forreine parts, and shaddowes of feares neerer home, turne backe like Iordan, and start aside, like a broken bowe. kAqud Rauli… ser. …. in Fest. Iohn. Eua.It is an obseruable note, touching the writings of S. Iohn; how that in in his Gospel, hee teacheth especially faith; in his Epistles, especially louelove; in his Apocalyps, especially hope; This booke being (as reuerend Bullinger censureth) Euangelicissi… liber, of all holy scripture, the fullest of consolation; and the maine poynt of the whole re…elation, is vndoubtedly the certaine destruction of Babylon; and most vnspeakeable blessednesse of Hierusalem aboue.
l1. Cor. 16. 1….Wherefore stand fast in the faith, quit your selues like men, bee mEphe. 6. 10.strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, nGalat. 6. 9.bee not weary of well doing, but o1. Cor. 1…. 5….abundant alwayes in the worke of the Lord, pRe…. …. 10.continue faithfull vntounto death, and the God whom we serue shall deliuer vsus from the hands of all our enemies, and giuegive vsus the Crowne of life.