To the reuerend Lord Bishops, and the Cleargie.

FOrasmuch as your Ecclesia­stical office is giuen you from God, as the next principall members vnder the head, to gouerne the commonwealth of this mysticall bodie: and that there is re­quired at your hands an extraordinary du­tie touching the function of the soule, let me intreate you to be as vigilant as the fiue wise virgines, hauing oyle alwayes in your lampes, against the bridegroome cometh foorth of his chamber. Your office is the soule of the laity, the hart of gouernment, [Page] and the very Epitomie of all obedience. From you (as the Moone borroweth her light of the Sunne) all inferiour Ministers take their order of perfection. Let then your doctrine be pure and stedfast, like Moses bush, that alwayes burned, but ne­uer consumed. Your preaching in season and out of season: and your conuersation as spotlesse as the sacrifice of Turtles. You best know what plenty of Manna hath rai­ned in Israel, & how many omers full eue­ry man ought to gather. Be not any of you the first that gather more then is comman­ded, and in mistrust of Gods benefites in­fect the whole land with the vice of Aua­rice: you ought rather to be like Pellicans in the wildernesse, who in tender loue pick the bloud from their breasts to feede their yong ones.

You see with your visible eies how won­derfully Almightie God hath now preser­ued the Kings Maiestie, and your selues, from the snare of your manifold enemies: [Page] and in you principally lieth the sacrifice of thanksgiuing. It is you that ought to dance before the Tabernacle, and to go with the people to the Ark of Couenant: that your righteousnesse may bud like Aarons rod.

It is you that ought to flie foorth from this tossed Arke, and like the Doue bring the oliue branch of peace in your mouths, & tel the people, that if they returne, God will be their God, and send a truce to their distressed soules by you his Ambassadors.

Flie not to Tarshish when you are sent to Niniue, least deuouring destruction at­tend you; nor with the man of God, go not out of the way, least a Lion teare you in peeces: but still be conuersant with the Lord, that your faces may shine with Mo­ses when he came from the mount, and bring the image of Gods glory to the peo­ple in your foreheads.

You must beare with Aaron the breast-plate of iudgment vpon your harts. There must be grauen vpon your forefronts holi­nes [Page] to the Lord: and your sounds must be heard when you go into the holy places before him.

So shall ye stand like mount Sinai, neuer to be remoued: and your golden Candle­stickes shine in the Temples of the Lord.

Remember the charge your maister Christ gaue to his seruant Peter, binding him three times by his feruent loue and the deare affection he bare to his maister, to feed his sheepe.

To be with Paul the faithfull Ambassa­dors of Iesus Christ, as though God did beseech you through vs: we pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled vnto God: with Paul likewise to be an example of life and doctrine, as in these words, And follow hard toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus.

Let vs therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded: if yee be otherwise, God shall reueale euen the same vnto you.

[Page] Ye are (most Reuerend) the salt of the earth; which wanting sauour, is to be tro­den vnder foote.

Ye are the light of the world. A cittie that is set on a hill cannot be hid: let your lights therefore so shine, that those which see your good workes may glorifie your Father which is in heauen.

Thus, vnworthy to counsell so graue aduisements, as if the body should instruct the soule, I onely like a traueller in this pil­grimage, seeing some go out of their way, tell them there is a better, a more perfect, and a straighter. So referring you to your masters reward, who hates a hidden talent, I beseech that God who guided Israel by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire, to direct your earthly bodies and spirituall soules to his seruice.

To the true Nobilitie of this Realme.

TO ye (right Honorable) that are the props and supporters of a kingdom, that like Atlas should beare the waight of heauen on your shoulders, giue me leaue to stretch forth the arteries of my heart: & as in a tempestuous time, in peace vnite you together like one bodie obedi­ent to one principall head.

In that worthy member the heart, the monarke seate of our microcosmus, should be your residence, within whose center (as in a Princes court) are diuers receptacles for you to inhabite in. Then as branches extending from the lofty Cedar, being fed by one roote, do notwithstanding cherish one another with their naturall sappe. So like the stocke of Nobilitie, descended [Page] from your worthy ancesters, be you com­bined in a coniunction of vnseparable aid, that the body of the tree may be comfor­ted in so happy an issue, and in the prou­dest blast of conspiracie keepe you still vn­remoueable.

Be you like faithfull Mardocheus, spot­les in your wayes, when traitors like proud Hamon shall perish in their own complots.

For if you please to peruse our histories, both Ecclesiastical & profane, ye shall find that neuer traitor to his Prince & country but had his reward threefold returned in­to his wicked bosome. And though it please God sometime to suffer them, the cause best knowne to his sacred pleasure, to bring to passe their hateful purposes, yet as a woe pronounced to them by whom such euils come, their mischiefe hath not past without greater mischiefes reguerdo­ned.

There is none of your honorable socie­tie but knowes, that treason is the deuider [Page] and separater of all good good things, and a fatall disioyner of perfection, bringing with it ruine and the mercilesse substitutes of war: where on the contrary, obedience is the sinewes of the State, and glueth the hearts of Nobilitie together, like one indi­uisible substance.

And as the seuen leane kine in Pharaoes dreame, deuoured the seuen fat (yet them­selues not the fatter:) so stands it with trea­son, like a cormorant it deuoures all, yet is it selfe the better by nothing. What grea­ter patterne of misery can there be, then a kingdome deuided in it selfe? It is like the dangerous eclips of the sunne: nay like the vnnatural separation of heauen, that brings all danger and destruction.

No plague of Aegypt comparable to that misery: for ciuill dissention is the gate to let in ruine and forraine inuasion.

It is like a wedge of Iron, that entring into an oake, disseuers both sides in seueral peeces, & makes them both fit for the fire.

[Page] The flourishing state of Rome was de­uoured by that monster, and all tranquilli­tie swallowed at a bit by that hideous Le­uiathan. It is like the blind Mole, that lo­uing still to be mischieuously labouring, tosseth vp her owne destruction.

Let then (right Honorable) that accep­table sacrifice of your hearts be offered to our gracious Soueraigne, which farre ex­ceeds the externall office of fained affecti­on, who with an eye of vigilance will (no doubt) regard your vertues; and like the chearefull comfort of the Sunne, with his blessed countenance, make your young blossomes come to pleasant fruite, and bring that fruite by comfortable warmth to full maturitie.

God so direct your hearts to worke in you vnfained loyaltie to his royal Maiesty, and deadly hatred to selfe-deuouring trea­son.

To the true and faithfull priuate subiect.

ANd now beloued countrey-men, to you in generall, that carry with you the ful currant of affection, the swif­test streame of deep gliding loue, not to be reuerted or turned backe by the vehement opposition of any resisting wind.

To you, as to the open marke whereto my hart leuels her pretended ayme, being the vpshot of mine exhortation, I send this louing and friendly counsell, like to a strong citie fenced about with impregna­ble walles, so ought you to be in time of domestical Rebellion, or forrain inuasion: for you are the maine battel, the trust and strength of your country, and to you be­longs a chiefe trust in this required preser­uation. Euen as his Highnesse may wel be compared to the apple of our eie, of which naturally by reason it is tender vnto vs, [Page] We haue a diligent care. So ought you to ioyne your whole body of defence, both armes, legges, feet and heart, to protect his royall person, without secret grudging, priuate muttering, or vnnaturall contro­uersie. You ought to be like stedfast rockes in the sea, ready to front euery storme, and to withstand, without remouing, the most bitter blasts that either winter or foule weather affoords.

I know my most louing countreymen, that you well perceiue the princely care of his Maiestie towards you his louing sub­iects, and the honorable disposition and noble industry of his vigilant Councel. Of which honourable societie, although now vntimely deceassed, I cannot but call to mind that right honorable and most wor­thily to be remembred, the late L. Burgley, and Lord high Treasurer of England: whose fame may not be sealed vp with the leadē hand of obliuion, who whilest he liued shewed himselfe one of the most faithfull, [Page] carefull, and wise Councellers that euer li­ued in any kingdome of Christendome. He was the Beacon that discouered forrain malice and home-bred mischiefe, the ne­uer-failing watchtower of the Common­wealth, the heart of Iustice, bearing vp the ballance of weightie causes with an euen hand, and cutting downe with the sharpe sword of preuention the children of rebel­lion at home, and the enuious intention of the enemie abroad.

For causes in common triall, I call hea­uen to witnesse, I speake but what I know, as he was iudiciall, wary and circumspect, so was he vpright, discreete, and pittifull, not leaning to any side either for fauour or gift, but with an impartiall eye iudging all things according to the equitie of the cause. Thankes be to God, the principall branches of that tree do now most wor­thily spread their vertue in this his Maiesties garden of happie gouerne­ment.

[Page] In which ranke of true Nobilitie, dili­gent watchmen, and worthy Councellers, I may not omit that right honorable con­ditioned Lord the Earle of Nottingham, whose true loyaltie to his Maiestie, neuer spotted with the least mistrust, may keepe euen wing with the rest of that Honorable society: whose true shew of a vertuous and noble mind, is dayly made apparant by his exceeding bounty towards the poore and needy. The fruite whereof is eternall sal­uation.

And that reuerent and carefull Gentle­man, Sir Iohn Popham Knight, Lord chiefe Iustice of England, being another of the body of the Councell, whose honorable forwardnesse, with great discretion hath bin now lately approued in his Maiesties serious affaires, as also in calming the Realme with quiet, that hath bin hereto­fore tempestuously troubled with bloudy murtherers and felonious robbers: but now (God be thanked) by his diligent [Page] and wise gouernement, well reformed; whose exceeding loue to his Prince and countrey, hath bin often made apparant by his laborious endeuours.

To conclude, I beseech God in his in­finite mercie, stirre vp in you deare affe­cting loue to his Maiestie, who for the comfort of his chosen, and maintenance of his truth, hath defended his Highnesse as well in Scotland as now in England, from many dangerous assaults, and here now setled him the faithfull President of his true Church, wherin long may his Ma­iestie continue many happie and peaceful daies, to the great glory of God, and to the exceeding comfort of all vs his faithfull and louing subiects. Amen.