TWo things are first brieflie to bee touched, before I descend to the content of these verses: of the au­thor or writer of this Psalme, and of the matter: who speaketh here, and of what: In whose per­son the Psal­mist speaketh. for the first, there are diuers opinions. 1. Some thinke that God the Father thus speaketh of his Sonne: my heart will vtter a good word: vers. 1. Which they vnderstand of the ineffable generation of the Son, the eternall word of God: so Exposit. in Psalm. 44. Augustine and Cont. Iudae [...]s lib. 1. c. 1. Isidore with other. 2. Some thinke that Christ speaketh here of himselfe: My tongue is the penne of a readie writer: which Ex apolog. Pamphil. In Psalme 44. tom. 4. Origen vnderstandeth of the swift preaching of Christ, who taught but a short time in earth, & vniuersus orbit praedicatione eius impletur; and all the world is filled with his preaching: Hierome giueth this sense, Christus euangelij strictum sermonem exarauit [Page 2] in tabulis cordis, Christ did graue the compendious speach of the Gospel, in the tables of the hart▪ but neither of these opi­nions can stand, because of these words, vers. 7. God, euen thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellowes: for this neither the Father can vtter of his Son, nor Christ the Son of himselfe. Lib. 3. contr. Marcion. Lib. de. 2. natur. 3. Tertullian taketh Dauid to be the writer of this Psalme, accingere (inquit Dauid) ense, &c. be girded with a sword vpon thy thigh, saith Dauid: so also Isychius: Dauid patrem vngentem dixit: Dauid calleth the Father the anointer, &c. But the Prophet spea­keth of a Kings daughter which should be brought vnto the King, vers. 14. now in Dauids time Salomon his son was not married to Pharaoh the King of Egypts daughter: and he speaketh not of himselfe, as the words shew. 4. Their opinion then is rather to bee receiued, that thinke this Psalme to haue been endited by the sonnes of Korah, or some one of them, as Lyranus: or some other Prophet that is not named, as diuers of the Psalmes are by such com­posed.

2. Now concerning the argument, and matter of the Psalme, the question is, whether it onely speake of Christ, and of his spirituall marriage with the Church: as most of the ancient writers doe applie it, as Dialog. non Tryphon. Iustine Mar­tyr, Exposit. in Psalm. 44. Augustine, In Psalm. 44. tom. 4. Hierome, and before them Lib. 4. cont. Marcion. Tertullian, Lib. 1. cont. Celsum. Origen with others: or whether it historically onely de­scribe the prosperitie of the Israelites vnder Dauid, when he tooke Bathsheba to wife, or vnder Salomon, whose ma­riage with Pharaohs daughter should be here solemnized: or vnder Assuerus the great King of Persia, when he maried Queene Ester: as diuers of the Rabbines entertaine these seuerall opinions: or whether this Psalme historicallie de­scribe the marriage betweene Salomon and the King of Egypts daughter, The sense of this Psal Whether hi­storicall onely, or mysticall beside. but spiritually betweene Christ and his Church: which latter interpretation is to be preferred be­fore the rest: for here is both somewhat typicall, which cannot be vnderstood but of Christ, as v. 6. Thy throne O God is for euer and euer: which place the Apostle onely ap­plieth to Christ, Heb. 1. 8. and somewhat also here is histo­rically [Page 3] and literally to be vnderstood, as where mention is made v. 8. of Mirrh, Aloes, and Cassia, of the yuorie palaces, v. 12, or temples, of the daughter of Tyrus: so that here we may say with Tertulliā of the like place: Haec aut nega scrip­ta, aut quis es vt non putes accipienda, quemadmodum scripta sunt, maxime, quae non in allegorijs, & parabolis, sed in defi­nitionib. & certis & simplicib. habent sensum. aduers. prax. Either denie these things to be written, or who art thou, not to think that they are so to be taken as they are written, which haue a readie and plaine sense, not in allegories and parables, but in plaine definitions? Iun. Pellican. annot. Geneuens. Vatab [...]ns. So that this Psalme doth vnder the type of Salomons marriage, set foorth the spirituall coniun­ction betweene Christ and his Church, When allego­ries may be followed. as many of our orthodoxall expositors haue well obserued: so then, like as a foundation must first be placed, and then it must bee buil­ded vpon, and in a picture the ground is first laid, and then the other colours added: so in Scripture, the truth of the historie must first be supposed, and then the type of the allegorie supplied: Lib. 1. cont. Celsum. Non posse allegoriam suscipere istos ser­mones Celso videtur & Epicureis: cui (id est Marcioni) nihil per allegoriam placet exponi. Origen. We then neither with Celsus, Lib. 2. in epist. ad Roman. the Epicures, or wicked Marcion, reiect all alle­gories: Ne quis me vim facere scripturae putet, & sic amare Christum vt auferam historiae veritatem. Neither yet will I force the Scripture, and so bee thought to loue Christ, as I should take away the truth of the history: as Hie­rome saith: De vest. sacerd. But I say and resolue with Origene: Ma­nente prius historiae veritate, spiritualis etiam recipiendus est sensus: Ex apolog. pam­phyl. Although these things haue a spirituall sense, yet the veritie of the historie remaining, the spirituall sense is to be reteined, &c.

3. This then is the order of the Psalme: The methode and order of the Psalme. beside the pro­logue or entrance into the Psalme contained in the first verse, and the epilogue or conclusion in the last verse. The bodie of the Psalme containeth an excellent description: first of the Bridegrome to vers. 10. and then of the Spouse and Bride, vers. 10. to vers. 16. the Bridegroome is set forth, first, by his beautie and eloquent speech, vers. 2. then by his [Page 4] power and good successe, vers. 3. 4. 5. thirdly, by the eter­nitie of his Kingdome, with the cause, the righteousnesse thereof, vers. 6. 7. fourthly, by his glorious vnction and inauguration, vers. 7. 8. fifthly, by his honourable companie and attendance, vers. 9.

In the second part, first, the dutie of the Bride is prescri­bed, vers. 10. 11. with the effect thereof, so shall the King haue pleasure in thy beauty. Secondly, her glory is described 1. by the subiection of some, and their presents, vers. 12. Secondly, by her apparrell, and ornaments, vers. 13. Thirdlie, by her companie and attendants, vers. 14. Fourthly, by her progresse, and other complements, vers. 15. Fifthly, by her issue and incrementes, vers. 16. The dutie of the Spouse here set foorth is threefold: her loyall obedience in harke­ning, vers. 10. her faithfull remembrance of her spouse in forgetting her fathers house, vers. 10. her seemely reuerence in doing obeysance vnto her Lord, vers. 11.

4. The first thing, Wiues obedi­dience to their husbands. which the wife must yeeld to her hus­band, is obedience, as the Apostle exhorteth, Wiues submit your selues vnto your husbands, Ephes, 5. 22. it is their du­tie, they must doe it, as to the Lord: and it is a comely thing as it is comely in the Lord, Coloss. 3. 18. it is both profita­ble and seemely, or pleasant, that there should bee amitie and concord betweene the man and wife: as it is in the Psalme: ecce quam bonum & iucundum: Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is brethren to dwell together in vnity, Psalm. 133. 1. many things are good and profitable, but not pleasant, as affliction and chasticement, which at the first seemeth not to be ioyous, but grieuous, but afterward it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse, Heb. 12. 11. But this domestical concord, is both fruitful & delightful, pro­fitable and amiable, it bringeth gaine without paine. This was imposed as a perpetual law in the beginning vpon we man, Thy desire shall be subiect to thine husband, and he shall rule ouer thee, Genes. 3. 16. Those women then inuert the [Page 5] order of nature, which denie subiection to their hus­bands.

5. Leah and Rachel were obediente vnto Iacob, Examples of dutifull wiues. both in ciuill things, in that they went away with him, being sent for into the field, not returning to take their leaue of their father, Genes. 31. 3. and in spirituall, in giuing vnto Iacob their images and strange gods with the rest of the familie, (as is most like) to be made away, Genes. 35. 2. Zipporah, though very loth, yet was content, by direction from her husband (as is most probable) to circumcise her child, Mo­ses being weake, and not able himselfe to do it, Exod. 4. 25. But Iobs wife seemeth to haue been a peruerse and refracta­rie woman, who dispised his counsell in framing her selfe to patience, (wishing her husband to curse God and die) that he was faine to take her vp roundly, giuing her the terme of a foolish woman, Iob 2. 10.

6. The man is the womans head, How vnseeme­ly a thing it is for wiues not to be obedient. 2. Cor. 11. 3. as if the bodie should spurne against the head, so is the opposition and gainesaying of a woman to her husband: as the Moone applieth it selfe, and turneth to the Sunne, and borroweth of his light; so should a woman be guided by her head: as the earth drinketh in the raine, that falleth from heauen; so should the wife receiue the good counsell of her gouernor. And as she is compared to a vine, Psalm. 128. 2. so should she shew her selfe as plyable and tractable, as the vine, which is apt to be bowed and turned euery way: [...]. Plutartch. de praecept. coniug. as wine mingled with water, though the water be the greatest part, is called wine still: and as where two voices concurre toge­ther in singing, the tune or song is carried chiefly by the base and greater voice: so should the man in domesticall af­faires beare the chiefest stroke, [...] Plutarch. ibid. and be most regarded: the man and wife should be as when two parts are sung in one, so should they accord, as a melodious harmonie toge­ther: Tertulliane speaking of the sweet exercises, which men and wiues among the Christians vsed together, saith: Sonant inter duos Psalmi & hymni & mutuo prouocant, Lib. [...]. ad vxor. quis melius Deo suo canet: Psalmes and Hymnes giue a sound betweene two, and they striue, who should sing best vnto God. [Page 6] And againe, a little further to insist in this similitude, a wo­man should herein be like vnto a Musitian, which not plea­sing himselfe in his owne voice, [...] 1. Cor. 14. 35. soundeth out the harmony by the helpe of a pipe: so should a woman speake by an others (that is her husbands) tongue, as a piper by his instru­ment: which is the Apostles precept to women, not to speak in the congregation, that is in the presence of men.

7. But though obedience be required in wiues, yet it is with a double limitation: both for the matter, wherein, and the manner how this obedience should be performed: Wherein a wife ought to be obedient. for first a woman is bound but onely in things lawfull: if any thing be commanded, either against charity or piety, this bond holdeth not: Abigaile is a president for the one, and Michol for the other: for the one sent releefe vnto Dauid, against churlish Nabal her husbands mind, 1. Sam. 25. and the other saued her husbands life against her Father the Kings mind, 1. Sam. 19. 17. And the like case is, if the hus­band should enioyne his wife any thing against the wor­ship of God: for if in the case of wilfull desertion, when the husband departeth from his wife, shee is no longer bound. 1. Cor. 7. 15. Much lesse is shee in subiection, when as the man manifestly forsaketh God: and so Hierome saith well, In coniugio constituta non solum conings placere debet, sed ei, qui indulsit coniugium: Ad Celantiam. She that is setled in the married state, must not so much please him that is married, as him that insti­tuted marriage: Againe for the manner: the subiection of the wife must not be slauish, or seruile, as the Turkes and Moores at this day vse their wiues as their slaues, but it must be sociable and amiable. God made woman to bee helping vnto man. Gen. 2. 18. not to be an vnderling, to be a guide in the house to saue, not to be a drudge and a slaue: Ambrose heereof writeth well: Mulier deferat non seruiat, regendam sepraebeat non co [...]rcen [...]m, indigna est coning to, quae digna est iurgio: What manner of subiection is to be perfor­med by the wife. The woman must obserue, not serue; and yeeld her selfe to be ruled, not constrained, shee is not meet for mar­riage bedding, that hath neede of continuall chiding: Nei­ther let the woman think, that in this manner to be in sub­iection is an hard condition, but it is rather a benefit for [Page 7] the weaker vessell to haue a stronger to defend her, and the more simple to haue a wiser to direct her: Plutarch in precept. coniug. [...]. and therefore the husband is called the guide of her youth, Prouerbs. 2. 17. Like as he obserueth well, that mothers loue their sonnes best, as most able to helpe them, and Fathers their daughters, as most needing their helpe: So women should yeeld to their husbands obedience, because of their protection and de­fence. This kind of seruice is a freedome rather then a thral­dome; a liberty, not a captiuity: De paradis. c. 14. as Ambrose obserueth wel. Haec seruitus Dei donum est, et in loco benedictionis I­saac eam dedit Esau. vt seruiret fratri suo, benedictionem enim poscebat a patre. This kinde of seruice, is the gift of God, and Isaac gaue this as a blessing to Esau, to serue his bro­ther, for hee asked a blessing of his Father. Wiues then must not bee vsed as hirelings and mercenaries, but as fel­lowes & partners; nor commanded imperiously as seruants, but entreated louingly as ioynt tenants: Euen the heathen Romane Emperours thought it reasonable, that such a lo­uing fellowship should be betweene man and wife, as may appeare by their fauourable Lawes made in that behalfe: as if a man married his maide, Non cogenda est tibioperas praestare Alex­and [...]. [...]od. lib. 8. tit. 3. leg. the law saith, shee is not to bee compelled to doe thy drudgerie. And againe, against the wife of him that is dead, the heyres cannot haue an action for wasting of the inheritance, the reason of the law is, the wife is taken as a partner both of humane things, So [...]ia [...]ei huma­na, et diuinae do­mus suscipitur. lib. 9. tit. 32. l. 4. Gordian. and of the Diuine house: that is a partaker of humane society and fellowship, and of diuine community and worship.

8. Now further, as the wife is bound to listen to her hus­band, as her domestical instructer; so the husband is to giue care also to his wife as a mutuall comforter: true it is, that where the wife aduiseth yll, her speech is to bee reiected, as Iob put off his wife, that tempted him to blaspheme God, with the reproachfull terme of a foolish woman: as O­rigen bringeth in Iob thus speaking to his wife. Tu facta es deterior Eua in insipientia, When wiues should bee heard. sed ego non effectus sum Adam in stultitia. Thou art become worse then Eua in foolishnes, but thou hast not made me as Adam in sottishnes: Lib. 2. in. 2. cap. Iob. yet where the wiues counsel is wholesome and reasonable, it is fit the man [Page 8] should regard it as fit and seasonable: The Lord said vnto Abraham, in all that Sara shall say vnto thee, heare her voice, Gen. 21. 12. The Shunamites husband followed her aduice in making prouision to entertaine the Prophet, 2. Kings 4. 10. But the fashion of many vnwise and vnthrifty hus­bands is contrary in these daies, who if in time they would haue giuen eare to the friendly aduise of their wiues, which of a stubborne and wilfull mind they scorned, would haue salued their credite, saued their estate, and preserued their health: This then maketh a good medlye, and soundeth foorth a sweet melody, [...]. when man and wife doe one em­brace the others louing counsell: it is like as bands being twist one about an other, are the stronger: so are they by their mutuall instructions strengthened.

9. But seeing that Pharaohs daughter heere being spou­sed to Salomon beareth a type & figure of the daughter the Church: The Church how the daughter of Christ, sister and mother. We must not dwell wholly in the literall sense, but leaue some place also for the spirituall: for as Tertullian well saith: Res in literis tenentur, vt literae in rebus legan­tur. lib. de resurrec. The things are conteyned in the letters that the letters may bring vs to reade the things. The Church then is this daughter, heere spoken vnto: shee is Christs daughter, as he is God the euerlasting Father, Isay. 9. 6. So Pharaohs daughter was as Salomons daughter in re­spect of his princely gouernment: she is also his sister. Cant. 5. 1. As he is man and tooke our nature, so hee is not asha­med also to call vs brethren. Hebr. 2. 11. The Church also is a mother in respect of the faithfull which are begotten to the faith: so Ierusalem which is from aboue is the mother of vs all. Galat. 4. 26. Now then the Church must heare Christs voice: Christs sheepe will heare his voice. Iohn. 10. 16. they wil neither heare nor follow a stranger. ver. 5. Christs voice is not to be heard but in the Scriptures: therefore other doctrine must not be receiued of the Church, then is taught and deliuered in the Scriptures. The scriptures containe all things necessa­ry to saluation. This directly impugneth the popish opinion of vnwritten traditions: which they bring in beside, yea contrary to the scriptures, which they hold, not to conteyne all things necessary to saluation. But [Page 9] the Apostle saith otherwise, that the Scriptures are able to make one wi [...]e vnto saluation: and to make the man of God perfectly prepared to euery good worke, 2. Timoth. 3. 15. 17. If perfect wisedome then bee found in the scriptures, what need is there of any other additions: whatsoeuer is added to that which is perfect, sheweth a defect and is su­perfluous: Therefore Tertullian saith excellently, Nobis cu­riositate non est opus post Christum Iesum, nec inquisitione post Euangelium: Praescript. ad­uers. haeretie. Wee need no curious inuention after Christ, nor no inquisition after (or beside) the Gospell. If any will search further, he is like a way [...]aring man without a guide in a de­sert country, and as a shippe on the sea without a Pilot: to leaue the scripture is a way to error, not a stay from erring as he againe worthily saith. Credunt sine scripturit, vt cre­dant aduersus scripturas: They beleeue without Scripture, that they may beleeue against Scripture.

10. Then to conclude where I began, the duetie of the wife, is to be directed by the husband, beeing a man of vn­derstanding as in all other ciuill matters, so specially in re­ligious exercises: Those wiues are to blame that refuse heerein to be guided, and those husbands more, which do not vse heerein to direct their wiues, but suffer them euen vnder their nose, as we say, to practise a contrary and the same a false religion: As many, themselues protestants (but cold ones, you may well thinke) doe suffer their wiues to be popish recusants: it is an excellent saying of Ambrose, In mulurum insolentia etiam mariti notantur. Ambrose in 1. Cor. 1. 14. Euen the husbands are noted in the insolent beha­uiour of their wiues. A wife suspected in religion, maketh al­so her husband to be suspected; Some women may bee so wilfully bent, and so frozen in their superstitious dregs, that they will not be remooued: Husbands should not suf­fer their wiues to bee of a strange religi­on. I therefore onely speake a­gainst such carelesse husbands, as make no great conscience what religion their wiues bee of, neither take any great care to haue them better instructed. They remember not that saying of the Apostle: What concord hath Christ with Beliall, or what part hath the beleeuer with the Infidell. 2. Cor. 6. 11. And what true loue can there be betweene a prote­stant [Page 10] and a Papist, a professor of the true faith, and a dete­ster thereof. Lib. 2. ad vxor. Tertullian saith right, Domino non potest pro disciplina satisfacere, habens in latere diaboli seruum: One cannot satisfie the Lord for religion, hauing the diuels ser­uant lying by his side. That Heathen Moralist spake di­uinely; That a woman should haue no friends, but such as are her husbands, Plutarch. [...] and because the Gods are the chiefest friends, the wife should acknowledge no other Gods but those which her husband worshippeth: and so hee concludeth; That no sacred dutie performed secretly and by stealth by the wife, is acceptable to any of the gods. But our ancient Chri­stian writer much better; In Ecclesia Dei pariter, In connubio Dei pariter: Tertul. ibid. They must be in the Church of God together, and in Gods marriage bed together. Thus while they accord in religion, and the wife followeth her hus­bands pious direction, all other things shall prosper, and vnitie in religion will bring forth cheerfulnesse and alacri­ty in euery action: Eleemosynae sine tormento, sacrificia sine scrupulo, cotidiana diligentia sine impedimento. Their almes shall be without grudging, Tertul. ibid. their spirituall sacrifice with­out offending, their daily diligence and endeauour with­out hindring, &c.

11 First touching the literall and historicall sense, here is expressed the fidelitie and neere coniunction of the wife to her husband, that in regard thereof euen the father and fathers house must bee forgotten: therefore at the very first institution of marriage this rule was giuen: For this cause shall a man leaue father and mother, The loue of the husband greater then of the Parents and clea [...]e to his wife, Gen. 2. 25. The wife must not for any others sake, for­sake the guide of her youth; nor forget the couenant of God, Prou. 3. 17. Where two reasons are giuen; because her husband, though now olde, was somtime young, and a guide to his wife in her youth, when shee could not go­uerne her selfe; as he pleased then so must he still: and the other reason is, because a couenant was made betweene [Page 11] them before God, which must not be broken. Thus Sarah first, and afterward Rebeccah; Leah also and Rachel, left their countrie, father, and fathers house, and did follow their husbands, Abraham, Isaac and Iacob.

12 Michol Sauls daughter hearkened not to her fa­ther, but against his minde preserued the life of Dauid her husband, 1. Sam. 19. 12. Yea the Heathen women by the light of nature were taught to preferre the loue and life of their husbands before all other: as Cleopatra Antiochus daughter the great, being giuen in marriage to Ptolomeus Epiphanes, with an intent to make away her husband, yet tooke her husbands part against her father, which is thus briefly touched in Daniel, Heathen wo­men faithfull toward their husbands. She shall not stand on his side, neither be for him, Dan. 11. 17. Diuers such examples of noble women, that were faithfull to their husbands, and kept continuall remembrance of them, are alleaged by Hierome, Lib. 1. aduers. Iouinian. as Bilia the wife of Duellius, when her husband being cast in the teeth, that he had a strong breath, and was angrie with her that she told him not of it, made this mo­dest answere: Fecissem, nisi putassem omnibus viris sic os o­lere: I had done it, but that I thought euery mans breath to smell so. Martia Cato his daughter mourning for her husband, being asked, Quem diem haberet luctus vltimum ait, quem & vitae: What day shall be the last of her griefe: the same saith shee, that shall be of my life. Valeria, the wife of Seruius, would not consent to marrie any other, saying, Seruium semper viuere: That her husband Seruius liued still.

13 For such is the ordinance of God, that man and wife are counted one flesh, Genes. 2. 24. To diuide then and sunder the affection betweene man and wife, were all one as to rent one member from another. Like as then in a picture, the first colours, which are drawne ouer with new, are forgotten, The reason why there should be such afirme con­iunction be­tweene man and wife. and no more appeare: And as a plant graft into a new stocke, knoweth his former place no more, but is incorporated into the other: and as a piece of cloth ta­ken to mend a garment, is now become a part of the same: so the neare coniunction of the woman with the man, [Page 12] doth obscure all other kindreds, euen as the sunne doth darken the starres: and as Abimelech said to Sarah of A­braham, that hee was the vaile of her eyes, Genes. 20. 16. that shee should not looke vpon any other: so mutually the husband and wife are each to other, both a vaile to their eyes, and a couer to their affections, not with the eye to face or fancie, or with the heart to embrace any other. Among the Romans the custome was, Quaestion Rom. [...]. 29. Plutarch. that the Bride com­ming home was not suffered to goe ouer the threshold her selfe, but was carried ouer: and the Boetians had the like fashion, to burne the axeltree of the cart before the doore; to signifie, that the wife was to keepe home, not to gad a­broad, or thinke of her remoue; but to settle her affection vpon her husband, and house affaires: and the same may seeme to be the meaning of the word husband: as if you would say, an houseband: he is as a band to hold and keepe his wife at home.

14 But though the woman must forget her fathers house, in comparison of her new house and husband; yet her dutie to her parents must not bee forgotten: It is then spoken comparatiuely, as many like places are frequent in Scripture, not vttered simply & absolutely. Indeed it is the fault of many, that are preferred in marriage, who seeme to forget their poore parents: Parents not altogether to be neglected for the hus­band or wife. For which cause our blessed Sauiour findeth fault with the Iewes Corban, in giuing to the altar, and neglecting their parents, Marc. 7. 11. So did not Ioseph, who being married in Egypt, and aduanced to great honour, forgot not his aged father Iacob: nor yet was Dauid carelesse of his Parents, but in the middest of his troubles committed them to the custodie of the king of Moab, 1. Sam. 22. 4. Ambrose doth well taxe such for­getfulnesse in children of their parents: Non pudet te filia, si te ingrediente in ecclesiam, alienis manus, pretermissa fi­lia, anus mater extendat, [...] Luc. c. 18. dum tu transeas sublimi callo, &c. Art not thou ashamed O thou daughter, that when thou en­trest into the Church, thine aged mother should put forth her hand to an other, omitting her daughter, while thou passest by, with thy necke stretched out, wearing iew [...]ls and rings, [Page 13] &c. So then the husband must bee preferred, and yet the parent not neglected: the one in the first place must be re­membred, but the other not altogether forgotten and reie­cted. So Hierome shall shut vp this place, who thus wri­teth: Seruite patribus futuri patres, seruite matribus vt & coni [...]ges vestrae mereantur matres nuncupari: Lib. de hon [...] ­ra [...]nd. [...] [...]ib. Obserue your fathers, you that hope to be fathers, and be seruiceable to your mothers, that your wiues also may be thought meet to be called mothers.

15 Now the spirituall sense of these words doth leade vs to vnderstand it of the Church: How the Church m [...]st forget her father. shee must forget her people and fathers house: either the idols which she wor­shipped in the time of Pagan idolatrie; for so they called their idols their fathers, Ierem. 2. 27. saying vnto a tree, thou art my father, Cat [...]ch [...]s. 7. and to a stone thou hast begotten me. Thus Cy­ril: or the diuell may bee vnderstood, who is the father of the wicked, as Augustine, Vndecunque venerunt gentes à patre diabole venerunt, sed patri renuntiauerunt: From whence soeuer the Gentiles came, Exposit. in Psal▪ 44. they came from their fa­ther the diuell, but they haue renounced their father: or the Iewish rites and ceremonies are here insinuated, which must be left and forgotten vnder the Gospell, as Lyranus, or generally, as Iustinus Martyr interpreteth, these words doe teach vs to forget our oldcountries manners what soe­uer: which sense is more full then the rest. [...]. Dial. cum Tryphon▪ The Church of God then is admonished, that being called from Iudaisme and Gentilisme, she should retaine neither, their superstiti­ons in religion, nor errour of life & conuersation: here then the Pseudo-Christian Romanists may iustly bee taxed, who in their superstitious seruice, doe retaine many rites of the old Pagan Romans their predecessors: and maintaine ma­ny of their points of doctrine: The new Ro­manists retain the superstiti­ous rites of the old Pagans. As in their fasts and absti­nence from meate, their festiuals, idols, multitude of saints, censings, purgatorie, free will, and in many such like they reuiue the old Pagane fashions and opinions: And this their corrupt imitation of them is iustified by one of their owne Bishops, and not one of the meanest of them; name­ly, Gregorie the first, who giueth this aduice: Festa pa­ganorum [Page 14] sensim in Christianae esse commutanda, & quaed [...]m ad eorum similitudinem facienda, vt facilius fides Christi­anae accederent; Lib. 9. Epist. 71. The Pagane feasts must bee by little and little changed into Christian festiuals, and some things must be done like vnto them, that they may the more easily bee brought to the Christian faith. But S. Paul hath giuen vs another rule, not to doe euill that good may come thereof, Rom. 3. 8. And herein I preferre Tertullians iudgement, who giueth this caueat touching the doctrine of the Hea­then Philosophers. Quid Athenis & Hierosolymis, quid Academie & Ecclesiae, De prescript. ad­uers. haeret. quid h [...]reticis & Christians? What hath Ierusalem to doe with Athens, the Church with (Plato his) Academie, Christians with hereticks? And of Plato the best and most diuine of all the Philosophers, Lib. de anim. he saith: Do­leo bona fide Platonem omnium haereticorum condimenta­rium factum: I am sorie in very deed, that Plato hath gi­uen the taste and assay to all heretickes. And concerning o­ther Heathenish rites and fashions hee giueth this rule: Vt nihil dandum idolo, sic nec sumendum ab idolo: As no­thing must be giuen to an idoll, so neither must any thing bee taken from an idoll.

16 And to returne to the duties of carnall marriage, as this last point concerneth the spiritual; as wiues are taught to haue their husbands bed in remembrance, and to keepe themselues true and faithfull vnto them: so men must also to their wiues fidelity be answerable in the like chastitie a­gaine: euery man must keepe him to his wife, as the wo­man must hold her selfe to her husband, The man and wife equally bound the one to the other. according to the Apostles rule, 1. Cor. 7. 3. Augustine saith well to this purpose, Intactam quaeris, intactus esto, puram quaeris, noli esse impurus? &c. tu exigis hoc ab vxore, & non vis reddere hoc vxori; & vis vxorem tuam victricem esse, & tu victus iaces, Serm. 46. de verb. D [...]m. De decem chord. cap. 3▪ &c. Dost thou seeke a wife vntouched of others, be not touched thy selfe: wouldest thou haue her pure, be not thou impure: And againe, Dost thou require this of thy wife, and wilt not thou render it to thy wife: wilt thou haue thy wife a conquerer, while thou art conquered? Whence then is it that men herein take vnto themselues greater liberty then [Page 15] women? Among many Nations, as the Italians, Spaniards and Turkes, it is counted a capitall crime in the wife to tread awry, Men and their wiues must bee mutually con­tent one with another. but in the husband it is vsuall and veniall: the Scriptures giue them no warrant thus to presume: they are both vnder the same law of wedlocke, and must both draw in the same yoke. Likewise women must learne here not to bee wearie of their husbands, he that pleased them being young, now must not dislike thē being old. Ambrose here writeth excellently, who shall speake in his owne words: Hexemer. lib. 5. cap. 7. Horrendus, & incultus est vir, semel placuit, nun­quid vir est frequenter eligendus? comparem sui bos requirit, & equus diligit, & si mutetur alius, ingum trahere nescit compar alterius, tu iugalem tuum repudias? Is thy husband growne vnhandsome and vncomly, be once pleased thee, woul­dest thou euer bee choosing of an husband? the Oxe and Horse like their mate, and if hee bee changed, they know not how to draw the yoke; and dost thou refuse thy yoakefellow?

17. As the wife must shew her selfe dutifull, so the hus­band must be regardeful: she must be louely, and he louing: she amiable, and he plyable vnto her loue. Thus the Prea­cher aduiseth, Reioyce with the wife, whom thou hast loued all the daies of the life of thy vanitie: Eccles. 9. 9. So also the Wise man in the Prouerbes, Reioyce with the wife of thy youth, let herbe as the louing Hind and pleasant Roe▪ Loue between man and wife must be mutu­all and reci­procall. let her breasts satisfie thee at all times: Prou. 5. 19. Euen as the Roe Buck is noted to be most louing and fond vpon his Hind; so should the husband bee addicted to his wife: as the infant is tied to his mother breastes; so the man should be wedded in affection to his wife. There should then be a reciprocall and mutuall loue betweene them: as of the husband it is said: The heart of her husband trusteth in her: and of the wife, She will doe him good, and not euill all the daies of her life, Prou. 31. 11. 12. So Cantic. 2. 16. My welbeloued is mine and [...]am his.

18. So the Scripture giueth testimonie of Isaac, that he [Page 16] loued Rebeckah his louely wife, Genes. 24. 67. and Iacob was so affected to Rachel, that he was contented to serue for her seuen yeeres: and, they seemed vnto him but a few daies, because he loued her, Genes. 29. 20. When Dauid heard that the Amalekites had burned Ziglag, aud carried away his two wiues: Ahinoam and Abigaile, hee was in great sorrow, and aduentured his life to encounter (hauing onely foure hundred men) with all the hoast of the Amale­kites to rescue and recouer his wiues, 1. Sam. 30. 6. 10. yea this entire affection of the man and wife is so agreeable to nature, that euen the Heathen, being but natural men, here­in may make Christians ashamed: Examples a­mong the Hea­then of most louing hus­bands and wiues. Tiber. Gracchus was so affected to his wife, that two snakes being taken in his house, the male and the female, and being told by a south­saier, that if the he were let goe, his life were saued, if the shee, his wiues: he spared the female, and so preferred his wiues life before his owne. Ex Valer. Max­im. lib. 4. c. 6. But the Heathen could find no measure in their affections: Marcus Plautius hearing of the death of his wife Horestilla, ran vpon his owne sword, and so died with her. So Portia, the wife of Brutus hearing that hee was killed, swallowed downe burning coales, and ended her life: Such immoderate passions of vnbeleeuers, at the least should teach Christians to haue moderate affections.

19. For where there is not a reflection of loue, it can­not continue: the wise man saith, A man that will haue friends must shew himselfe friendly. Prouer. 18. 24. accor­ding to that saying, [...]t ameris, amabilis esto, Hee that would be loued, must shew himselfe louely: The spouse saith, Set me as a seale on thy heart, Cantic. 6. 6. like as a seale lea­ueth the like print to it selfe, where it is stamped: so the heart of two louers and friends must one answere another: Euen as the face answereth to the face in water: The sweet so­ciety betweene man and wife. so is the heart of man to man, Prou. 27. 19. As it is a bad looking glasse, [...], &c. Plu­tarch. if it make a cheerefull countenance looke sad, and a sad cheerefull: so is it when the countenance of the man and wife are not alike one to the other, when the one smi­leth, the other frowneth, where as th [...] one should be as the [Page 17] looking glasse of the other: The Wise-man saith, drinke the water of thnie owne cisterne: Prou. 5. 15. As a man will de­light in his owne springs, and solace himselfe in his owne house: so should the man be linked to his wife: the King is tied in the rafters: Cantic. 7. 5. where should a man sport and recreate himselfe, but in his owne garden of pleasure. So is it in the Canticles c. 5. 1. I am come into my garden, my sister, I gathered my mirrhe with my spice, I ate my honie combe with my honie, I dranke my wine with my milke: such pleasure and delight should the man take in the beautie and vertue of his wife.

20. But doth the Prophet here meane onely externall beautie? no verilie: there is an inward beautie of the mind far surpassing the other: for outward fauour without good behauiour is nothing, and a comely face, that hath not a seemely grace is not to be set by. The inward beauty is to be preferred be­fore the out­ward. We know what the Wise man saith, As a iewell of gold in a swines snout, so is a faire woman, which lacketh discretion, Prou. 11. 22. Some haue the outward, but not the inward beauty, as painted Iesabel, some haue the inward only, as Zipporah, Moses wife, that was an Ethiopisse: some haue both, as Sarah and Rebeckah: But vertue is more to be respected then feature, and faith­fulnesse then finenesse, and good conditions, then goodie shewes and fashions: Valer. ad Ruff. as hee well saith: Nolo te sponsum Veneris fieri sed Palladis: I would not haue thee an husband to Venus, (whom the Poets made the goddesse of loue) but of Pallas, to whom they attributed wisdome: beautie age decaieth, sicknesse wasteth, and care empaireth: but vertue none of these abateth. And loue grounded vpon that which fadeth, will soone fade, but setled vpon vertue it ne­uer vanisheth. Let Hierome also here conclude: Amor formae, rationis obliuio est, & insaniae proximus; the affectiō to beautie is the obliuion of reason, and the occasion of madnesse.

21. The King shall take delight in thy beautie. This be­ing in the spirituall sense applied to the Church sheweth, that God taketh pleasure in his Saints, being regenerated by grace, and washed white in the blood of the lambe: Reuel. 7. 14. And so wisdome saith, My delight is with the [...] [Page 20] dutifull carriage of the wife, both her obedience in action and endeuour, and her obeysance in fashion and behaui­our toward her husband. A wife must be obseruant in word and deed. And to this purpose Saint Peter alleageth the example of Sarah, that vsed Abraham most respectiuely in speach, calling him [...] adonai, Lord, 1. Pet. 3. 6: as we reade, Genes. 18. 12. So did Bathsheba to King Dauid, calling him Lord, and bowing vnto him: 1. King 1. 16. 17. And if it be here said, that she did this reuerence to him as King, not as her husband (though it were, I confesse so much the greater, because hee sustained both persons) yet that some honour is due vnto the single person of the husband, looke vpon Abigails example, who bowed her selfe to the ground, when Dauid sent to take her to his wife, being not yet King: 1. Sam. 25. 41.

24. For the man is the image and glorie of God, 1. Cor. 11. 7. and after a more speciall manner; and therfore to be reuerenced of the woman: How the man is the image of God. there is an image of God, com­mon both to the man and woman: they were both crea­ted according to Gods image, Lib. de creat. cap. 23. Genes. 1. 27. whether wee vnderstand this image with Gregorie Nyssenus, of mans ex­cellencie: Omnis boni factam esse participem humanum na­turam. That mans nature is made partaker of euery good thing, hauing a mortall bodie and an immortall soule. Or with Ambrose, of the mind and vnderstanding; wherin was man created according to the image of God, nisi in animae substantia, but in the substance of the mind? Or with Theo­doret of the principality of man: Exhortat. ad virgin. he is created according to the image of God, quoad imperium & principatū; in respect of his dominion and principalitie ouer the creaures. In 11. cap. 1. Epi. ad Corinth. Or with Cyrillus of Alexandria, of righteousnes, and holines; Quod diuinan efficit effigiem, Lib. 6. dialog. vti (que) sanctificatio est: That which maketh the shape of God in man, is sanctification, &c. as the Apostle, Wherein the image of God in man con­sisteth. the best enterpreter of Moses expoun­deth it, Ephes. 4. 24. This kind of image is common both to the man and woman. But there is a peculiar kind of image of God, which is more in the man, then the woman. Tertullian referreth it to the bodie: God, saith hee, Chri­stum sermonem hominem intuens futurum, &c. foreseeing [Page 21] Christ the Word to be made man, Lib. 5. aduers. Marcian. said, Let vs make man ac­cording to our image, &c. Ambrose vnderstandeth it thus: that as ex Deo omnia, Excitation. gloss ordin, in 1. Cor. 11. [...]. 7. all things are of God, so al men came of Adam, Augustine thus: Quia in homine plus viget ratio, reason beareth more sway in man, then woman; and ther­fore he is said more principally to bee made according to the image of God: But Theodorets exposition is most a­greeable, mulier viro subiecta est, Ibid. vbi supra. & ei parere iussa: the wo­man is subiect to the man, and willed to obey him, &c. so man is appointed to bee her ruler, and therein is the liuely image of God, who ruleth all things.

25. The woman then must applie her selfe to her hus­band, seeking by her humble and meeke behauiour to con­tent him: as the Wise man saith: A soft answer putteth away wrath: Prou. 15. 1. euen as soft things doe daunt the force of hard and violent, so doth gentlenesse asswage furie: euen as the soft water breaketh the hard stones, Iob 14. 19. as the bulrush by bending it selfe, How the wife ought to ap­ply her selfe to her hus­band. scapeth the violence of the streame, Isay 58. 5, when the strong Cedars are broken: so should a woman by her discreet behauiour discerne how to calme domesticall stormes: as Abigaile did forbeare to speake to her husband till the drinke was ouer: 1. Sam. 25. 37. Women must not seeke to be crosse and contrarie to their husbands; to frowne when they fawne, and to bee merrie when they are heauie: but like as Physitians say, that the blowes on the left side are felt on the right: and they vse to let blood on the contrarie side, so should the man and wife be continually affected one with anothers griefe: They should each take heed of anothers offence, and spe­cially beware that they prouoke not by hastie and vnadui­sed speech. Ambrose noteth well vpon those words of the Psalme: [...]. I thought I will take heed to my waies, that I offend not in my toung; Aliae sunt viae, quas debemus sequi, aliae, quas custodire, sequi vias Domini, custodire nostras: There are some waies which we must follow, some that we must keepe; we must follow Gods waies, I [...] Psalm. 38. and obserue and keepe our owne, &c. So the way of the tongue must bee carefully kept, for in this way it is an easie matter to trippe and stumble.

[Page 22] 26. Now whereas, as is before obserued, this incuruaton and bowing of the body was vsed both in religious ado­ration of God, and in the ciuill obseruation of men: as here this text first historically was verified in Salomons Queene, that shewed reuerence vnto him, so is it spiritually perfor­med in the Church, in adoring of Christ. Hence is it gathe­red, that there are two kinds of adoration, one that is ciuill yeelded to the creature, the other religious onely peculiar to God the Creator: this distinction is taken out of the Scripture: for Peter, when Cornelius fell downe at his feet and worshipped him: Act. 10. 25. forbad him to doe it: But when the Shunamite tooke Elisha by the feet, falling downe before him, Of two kinds of worship re­ligious and ciuill. 2. King. 4. 27. as Abigail did at Dauids feet, 1. Sam. 25. 24. hee did not forbid her so to doe, but checked his seruant for thrusting her away from his feete: the reason of this difference is, that the one was a religious worship, which is not to be accepted, the other ciuill, which cannot be excepted against, Gregorie noteth this difference well, vpon those words, Genes. 49. 8. Thy fa­thers sonne shall worship thee. Iste sermo paulo durius refer­tur ad Iudam, nisi abusiue dicamus, adoratos esse quasi reges afratrib. This is somewhat harsh, if it be referred to Iuda, vnlesse wee say, Homil. 17. in Genes. that abusiuely, the Kings were adored of their brethren. Adoration then is either properly so called, and it belongeth onely vnto God, or it is so called by a cer­taine abuse of the word, and so it may be giuen vnto men. These two kind of worships are distinguished three waies: by the conception of the vnderstanding, the intention of the will, and the disposition of the bodie: so in diuine worship, first, the iudgement is informed of some diuine presence, How the reli­gious and ciuil worship are distinguished. as Ioshua was, after he vnderstood who it was that appeared vnto him, Iosh. 5. 14. then he framed his affection to an humble kind of reuerence. And lastly his deuotion shewed it selfe in the outward action, he fell on his face to the ground. But they are not so well discerned, by the out­ward gesture of bowing, kneeling, falling downe, and such like, as by the other two: for these externall actions are in­differently vsed in both kinds of worship, sauing that in the [Page 23] diuine, the more deuout the mind is, the more lowly the bodie striueth to shew it selfe: as both S. Peter, Act. 10. and the Angell, Reuel. 21. knew by the outward preparation of the body, what Cornelius and Iohn intended to doe. This difference in the outward behauiour is well obserued by O­rigen out of the parable Mat. 17. how that the seruant that ought so many talents [...], procidens adorauit; fal­ling downe worshipped ver. 26. Tract. 7. in Mat. but the fellow seruant [...], procidens rogauit, falling downe entreated onely.

27. Heere then we refuse the popish curious distinction of religious worship, Bellar. lib. [...]. de Sanct. c. [...]2. the higher, and lower, that due one­ly vnto God, this giuen vnto Saints: and the ciuill honour they make a third kind. But the Scripture acknowledgeth but one onely kind of religious worship, and that due only to God: Religious worship onely due to God. the Angel simply forbiddeth Iohn to worship him, and biddeth him to worship God. Reuel. 22. 9. The Angel would not simply haue refused religious worship, if any part of it had beene due vnto him, vpon the which place Ambrose thus inferreth: In 9. c. ad Rom. part. 3. Nec Dominus vtique se adorari pa­teretur, nisi quia Deus est. Neither the Lord would haue suffered himselfe to bee worshipped, but that he is God: Au­gustine also so vnderstādeth that place. De ver. relig. cap. 55. Recte scribitur homi­nem ab Angelo prohibitum, ne se adoraret, sed vnum Deum. It is well written, that man was forbidden by the Angell to wor­ship but God onely. And further the same father sheweth what manner of worship is due to Saints. Honoram [...]s eos charitate non seruitute &c. Wee honour them by charity, not by seruice: And againe as hee is cited in one of their owne Councels: Ibid. Eo societatis et dilectionis cultu (honoramus) quo in hac vita sancti homines a nobis colipossunt. Cited. Concil. Moguntin. c. 45. We honour them with that fellowship and louing reuerence (or worship) where­with holy men may be worshipped in their life: What is that else but a ciuill kind of worship although in a higher degree, as the King and his counsellers are reuerenced with a ciuill honor, yet one more then another: the worship then which is giuen to the creatures admitteth diuers degrees, but not other kinds. Lib. 6. contr. Ju­lian. And so Cyrill shall conclude this place: San­ct [...]s Martyres [...] adorare consuenimus: laudamus eos potius [Page 24] summis honoribus, quod proveritate strenue certarunt. Nei­ther vse we to adore Saints, wee set them foorth rather with great honors, because they did striue valiantly for the truth:

28. But to adde somewhat of the spirituall sense: the Church is heere taught to adore Christ in his humanity, as being her most high and mighty Lord: the Apostle saith, alleaging a place out of the Psalmes: when hee bringeth in his first begotten sonne into the world, he saith, let all the An­gells worship them, Hebr. 1. 6. Hee is worshipped with Di­uine worship, One adoratiō due to Christ as God & man, against Bellar­mine. as God and man: whereby the way I will giue a touch of that notable error of Bellarmine, who af­firmeth directly, that the Diuine worship called latria is not due vnto Christs humanity, but the inferior religious worship which is giuen vnto creatures as Angels & Saints called dulia: Lib. 1. de sanct. c 12. ss [...]e [...]tia. but yet there is a higher degree called Hyper­dulia, a Superseruice as we may call it; which hee saith their Diuines doe attribute, soli humanitati. Christi et matri eius, onely to the humanity of Christ, and to his Mother &c. But if two kinds of adorations belong vnto Christ, one, as he is God, an other as he is man, how farre will this be from the heresie of Nestorius, who affirmed two persons to bee in Christ, and so consequently two Christs: for adoration is a dutie giuen vnto the whole person, if two adorations, two persons: and therefore the Fathers assembled in the Ephe­sine synode against Nestorius, did labour to prooue, that Christ God and Man was to bee worshipped with one en­tire adoration: as Cyrill prooueth it by that place, Iohn. 9. 33 37. De incarnat. vnigenit. c. 26. Vnum filium adorauit caecus à natiuitate: quis est Domi­ne filius Dei, vt credam in eum, Christus vero seipsum cum cor­pore ostendebat, qui loquitur tecum ipsa est. The man which was blind from his birth did worship one sonne, who is the sonne of God, Lord saith he, that I should beleeue in him: but Christ sheweth himselfe with his body, hee that speaketh with thee, [...] hee, &c. And in the other place the same Cyril directly thus affirmeth with the rest of the Fathers of the Ephesine coun­sell: Epist. de Synod. Vnus intelligitur Christus vna seruitute cum carne ado­randus. One Christ is vnderstood to be adored with one seruice together with his flesh: and heereupon they made this Canon, [Page 25] Si quis audet dicere assumptū hominē coadorandum Deo verbo et conglorisicandum—ac non potius vna supplicatione veneratur Emanuel, Ephesin synod. can. 8. vnam (que) glorificationem dependit anathe­ma: &c. If any dare say, that the man assumed is to be worship­ped and glorified together with the word, and dooth not rather with one supplication worship Emmanuel, and giue vnto him one glorification, let him bee an anathema, that is, accursed. Now that deuise of Bellarmine cannot serue his turne, that this kinde of worship is to bee giuen to Christ. Si seorsim humanitas Christi consider [...]tur: If the humanity of Christ be considered apart: for this is a meere imaginarie suppositi­on, for then is it not Christs humanity, if it should be seue­red from him: The diuine & humane na­ture in Christ cannot be [...]euered. adoration is a thing in act: that also must be in act, to the which adoration is giuen: but such an huma­nity as Christs is, seuered, in Christ cannot be. I omit heere that other error, in that hee ioyneth Christs humanity, which is vnited in one person to his Godhead and the Vir­gin Marie to be fellows together in this kind of Worship: but I leaue this as impertinent to our purpose, onely I send him away with that saying of Tertullian against Marcion: Non valebit blasphemiae surculus, Lib. 2. cont. Marcion. arescet cum suo artifice. This branch of blaspemy shall not prosper, it shall wither with the author.

29. Now to conclude, and to end, where I began, with the reciprocall and mutuall dutie, that ought to be between man & wife: as she is to obserue her husband, so he must be kind and louing: Husbands must not be bitter to their wiues. Coloss. 3. 19. They must dwell with, them as men of knowledge, and giue honour to women as vnto the weaker vessell. 1. Pet. 3. 7. A brittle vessell, if it be not handled charily, will easily bee broken, and so a woman, not discreetly vsed may soone be spoyled: much may by gentlenesse bee obtained on each side, Married cou­ples must one beare with a­nother. which by rigor and churlishnes cannot be compassed. That fable hath heere a good vse: how the Sunne with his still heate caused the wayfaring man to lay aside his gar­ments, which the wind with his boysterous blasts could not plucke from him. So married couples should seeke to win one another by lenitie, not to weary them by extremity. [Page 26] But as it is said of Cyrus souldiers, Plutarch de precept. coniu­gal. that they were charged, that if their enemies came vpon them with clamour, they should receiue them with silence, and if they were silent to set vpon them with noyse, so should man and wife, with comfortable speech, refresh one anothers sad silence: and they should obserue that rule which Ambrose prescribeth to be followed in friendship: Neque monitio aspera sit, ne­que obiurgatio contumeliosa: sicut enim adulationis expers a­micitia, sic aliena insolentiae. Let not admonition be rigorous, nor reprehension contumelious: Lib. officior. 3. c. 16. for as friendship is void of flat­terie, so is it farre off from insolencie.

30. Now for the shutting [...]p of all; to apply this to the present occasion, namely this honourable mariage now so­lemnized between the most noble Prince Lord Fredericke, and the most excellent princesse the Lady Elizabeth in this princely couple is now this Scripture verified: in her High­nes, this; Hearken O daughter and consider, forget thine owne people and thy Fathers house; The applicati­on of the text to the present marriage of these excellent Princes. the Lord hath prouided for her a comforter in steed of her worthie brother departed, hee shall be a solace vnto her, and bring her to forget this hea­ [...]inesse of her Fathers house: she need not to complaine as he doth, that lost one of his friends: Ex duobus oculis vnum perdid [...]; Hieron, ad Ruf­fine. Innocentium enim partem animae meae repentinus febri­um ardor abstraxit, nunc vno et toto mihi lumine Euagrio fru­or; Of my two eies I haue lost one, Innocentius euen a part of my soule, a burning feuer hath suddenly taken him away, now I onely enioy Euagrius my sole and onely light: for although in like manner that cruell feuer did as it were put out one of her eies for the time, in the death of Prince Henry, yet is it renewed againe, in her noble spouse: that now shee seeth againe w ^t both her eies; Prince Charles, her deerest brother, and Prince Fredericke her amiable spouse: of this vertuous Princesse we may say in the words of Salomon: many daugh­ters haue done vertuously, but thou surmountest them all: fa­uour is deceiptfull, and beauty is vanity, but a woman that fea­reth the Lord, she shall be praised. Prou. 31. 29. 30. And on the other side, in this illustrious Prince, that other saying wee doubt not but is fulfilled: the King shall delight in thy [Page 27] beautie: God hath we trust so prouided, that they shall bee each to other a mutuall comforter. In consilijs fidel [...]s, in pros­peris laeta, in tristibus masta. Ambr. lib. offic. 1. 34. Faithfull in counsell, to reioyce together, when things are happy, and greeue together, when matters fall out somewhat heauie. This louing coniunction and society is encreased by their consent in re­ligion and piety. This knot shall surely hold, which not on­ly a naturall affection, but a spirituall disposition hath tyed: Non vehementior est natura ad diligendum, quam gratia: For nature is not more forcible to beget loue, then grace: where one of them is, there may be loue, where the better, there is greater loue, where both, there is a perfit loue, as he again saith: Ad cumulandam spectat beneuolentiam necessitud [...] gratiae. A [...]b. l. 1. offic. c. 7. Where grace maketh affinity there is nothing contrary to loue and amity. This double bond of ma­trimoniall affinitie and religious fidelity, so happely begun, God grant it may faithfully hold to their liues end, to Gods glorie, the Churches good, their own comfort, the wealth of both kingdomes: through the gracious benedicton, and mighty protection of our euer Blessed Sauior and redeemer Christ Iesus the spouse of his Church, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to whom be praise for euer. Amen.

THE first signe and argument of the great glorie of this honourable spouse is the great presents, and costly gifts which the rich citie of Tyrus should bring, and solemnize this marriage with: what the glory and wealth of this Citie was, the Prophet sheweth. Isai. 23. 8. Whose Merchants were Princes, whose chapmen are the Nobles of the world: What a rich citie Tyrus was. & what rich Merchandise Tyrus had, hauing tra­ficke and entercourse with al nations of the world, Ezechi­el setteth forth. chap. 27. thoroughout. Thus Tyrus among others should send their presents, not so much to haue the [Page 29] fauour of the King, as afterward, they desired peace of King Herode, because their country was maintained by the Kings land. Acts 12. 20. for from thence they had their prouision of corne: as to shew their voluntary subiection, and congratulation in that solemnitie. The like is prophe­sied. Psalm. 72. 10. The Kings of Tarshish, and of the Istes shall bring presents, the Kings of Sheba & Seba shal bring gifts. This was so accomplished when Hiram King of Tyrus sent presents vnto Salomon. 1. King. 4. 10. And when the Queene of Sheba presented Salomon with rich gifts of gold, sweete odors, and pretious stones. 1. King. 10. 10.

2. Hereby is signified the prosperous and peaceable go­uernment of Salomon, who for his wisedome was honored, and all countries adioyning yeelded obeysance vnto him: not by compulsary subiection, but by voluntary submis­sion: which sheweth, that Kings then are most famous, and prosper best, when by iustice they mainteine tranquillitie at home, and amity abroad, not oppressing their subiects by tyrannie within, nor encroaching vpon their neighbours by rapine and iniury without. This was historically pro­phecied of Salomon. In his daies shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace. They that dwell in the wildernes shall kneele before him, his enemies shall licke the dust. Psal. 72. 79. And this was fufilled accordingly. 1. King. 4. 24. Salo­mon ruled ouer all the Kings on the other side of the riuer, and he had peace round about him on euery side: hee had peace not by violent compulsion, or fraudulent circumuention, but rather by friendly contentment, and as it were compo­sition: as Ambrose testifieth of Theodosius the Elder, A kingdome prospereth more by cle­mency, then tyranny. that clement Emperor. Maluit sibi homines religione, quam timore astringere &c. de obit. Theodos. He had rather bind men vnto him by the feare of religion, then by a seruile condition. Forren histories make honourable mention of Agesilaus the La­cedemonian, [...] apotheg. [...]— [...]. Plutarch. and Pericles of Athens: the first, hearing of a great slaughter of the Grecians hauing ciuill warre among themselues, cryed out, fie Graecia which hath slaine so ma­ny as sufficed to ouerrunne all the Barbarians. And Pericles, when the Athenians would haue gone out to fight with [Page 30] their enemies, sealed vp the Armorie, and keyes of the gates, and would not suffer them to goe out: such modera­tion was in these valiant Captains, and so auerse were they from the effusion of bloud.

3. Now, if we will know the reason of this voluntary subiection of Tyrus and other countries vnto Salomon, Whence it was that nati­ons subiected themselues voluntarily to Salomon. ser. 40. it was his wisedome, and care at that time to please God: as the Lord said to Elie, They that honour me will I honour, and they that despise me shall be despised. 1. Sam. 2. 30. as Am­brose excellently saith. Quanto Deo viciniore fuerimus, ta [...]to aduersarij à nobis longius repellentur: The neerer we are vnto God, the further are our enemies from vs. And on the contra­ry, he bringeth in the example of Valens the Arrian Empe­ror, a great persecutor of Gods Church, who was ouer­come of the Barbarians, wherein the Lord shewed his iust indignation: Vt ibi primum fides Romano imperio frange­retur, vbi fractum est Deo. lib. 2. de fid. 4. That there first faith should be broken with the Romane Empire, The descriptiō of a mercifull and good go­uernour, such as by Gods goodnes, the Church and commō wealth of England & Scotland this day enioyeth, our gratious King Iames and long may wee enioy him. where they had first broken it with God.

4. A righteous and peaceable King then, is like the raine that commeth downe vpon the mowen grasse, to make it to grow, Psalm. 72. 6. whereas bloudy gouernors are like fithes which cut downe the grasse: as the cutting King of Ashur is compared to a sharpe rasor, that shaueth the head, beard and haire of the feete, Isai. 2. 20. The one is as an hiding place from the wind, and as a refuge from the tempest, Isai. 32. 2. Whereas the other is as a stormie winde and tempest: the one as waters in a drye ground to refresh it, Isai. 32. 2. The other as ouerflowing waters, that runne ouer all, Isai. 87. The one as comfortable, as when Nilus ascendit in arua, Nilus in Egypt by the ouer­flowing makes the fields fruit­full. the riuer Nilus riseth vp to water the fields, the other terrible, as when Tyberis ascendit in m [...]e­ [...]a, the Riuer of Tyber swelleth vp to the walls: like a care­lesse inhabitant, by whose negligence the house droppeth thorough, Tiber by the [...]undation sometime ri­seth to the walls of Rome. Eccles. 10. 15. So is the common-wealth, when as by tumults and troubles, all things seeme to bee turned vpside downe: the other, which preserueth peace, is as one that healeth vp the breach, and as a repayrer of ruine, Isai. [Page 31] 58. 12. So that it is most true, which he saith: Misere­cordia facilius liberat quam rap [...]a, oratio long [...], quam sagitta. Serm. 86. Ambros. Mercy doth more easily deliuer then cruelty, and prayer woundeth further off then an arrow.

5. Now whereas Tyrus sendeth gifts: Of diuers kinds of gifts. heere it is to bee remembred, that there are diuers kinds of gifts: there is munus gratulatorium, a gratulatory gift, when one friend sendeth to another to testifie their loue and ioy, as Esther. 9. 19. There is compensatorium munus, a compensatory gift, when one giueth by way of recompence for some wrong formerly done, as Zacheus did Luk. 9. 8. There is donum o­pitulatorium, a releeuing and helping gift, as to the poore: and honorarium, a gift of honour, as presents sent to great persons, as Iacob thereby made a way with his brother. Genesis. 33. 8. And of this kind are the presents which the daughter of Tyrus heere offereth: and such honourable gifts, no doubt, this Princely marriage, shall be honoured with, both by noble persons at home and abeoad: Beside these, there is another kind of gift, not worthy to bee na­med, donum corru [...]pen [...]t destructorium: a corrupting and destroying gift, which is by bribing, and blinding the eies: such as Felix looked for at Pauls hand, but because none came he left him bound still: Against bribe­ry & corrup­ting of iustice by gifts. Acts. 24. 28. Such gifts, it is to be feared, flye abroad too fast: but they haue the The Rauen came to the Arke, but not into it to Noah. rauens not the doues wings, to carry men from the Arke, not to bring them to it: Many a poore mans cause lyeth bound with Paul, and cannot be loosed, nor set free, because it wanteth a siluer key to vnlocke the bolts: but let men take heede, how with Esau for a messe of pottage, they sell their eternall inheritance. Let men beware of such gifts. Vbi ditior est largitore, cui largiendum est—pars sacrilegij est rem pauperum dare non pauperib. Hier on, ad Pammach. Where hee to whom one giueth, is richer then the giuer, it is a part of sacriledge, to bestow the poores gift on them that are not poore, &c.

Now touching the mysticall sense: Christs kingdome is here signified to bee a kingdome of peace: it bringeth both internall and externall peace; as it is prophecied, [Page 32] Esay 2. 4. They shall breake their swords into matt [...]ckes, and their speares into sithes: Nation shall not lift vp a sword a­gainst nation: It is a false re­ligion, that is an enemy to peace. The Church was encreased, by prayer not by warre, by the word, not by the sword, by perswasion, not inuasion. Then it is easie to iudge who they are, and what that companie is, which groweth fat by blood: and buildeth vpon others ruines: It is that Babylon-Rome, that red scarlet whore, that is drunke with the blood of the Saints, Reuel. 17. 6. Which hath been a firebrand of the world, and the very Vulcans forge of rebellion, and bel­lowes of sedition: of whose bloodie exploits, we may say as Tertullian of the Pagane Romans: Quomodo ob religio­nem magni, Tertul. Apo­loget. quibus magnitudo ob irreligiositaetem prouenit? tot sacrilegia Romanorū, quot trophaea: religionē aut laeden­do creuerunt, aut crescendo laeserunt: How can they bee said to be great for religion, whose greatnesse commeth by ir­religion? The Romans haue committed as many sacriledges, as erected Trophees: they haue either encreased by hurting religion; or by encreasing haue hurt religion.

7 As Salomons raigne was peaceable, his clemencie, e­quitie and piety at the first procured peace: so hath the Gospell brought peace to this land, now full 55. yeeres: all Queene Elizabeths raigne, and hitherto these tenne yeeres: The great be­nefit of peace for 55. yeeres in England, and how it may be con­tinued. God make them equall to Salomons peaceable raigne, and to exceed them, vnder the raigne of our Salo­mon, and his seed, that presents of peace may bee sent, not proclamations of warre, that hostility may cease abroad, treacherie be extinct at home: that prosperity and good successe may flourish without; and tranquillity and peace within: Which to obtaine, let vs humble our selues vnto God, and seeke to please him by amendment of life. Some saith Ambrose vse to dispatch Embassadours for helpe to other countries: Nos quod est melius ad deum legationem per ieiuniae destinemus: Serm. 40. cur petat ab altero, qui inter se in­uentre potest, quod quaerat? But that which is better, let vs send an embassage by our prayers and fastings vnto God: why should one aske of another, when he may finde in himselfe that which he seeketh? Thus shall we obtain continuance of [Page 33] peace by the force of prayers, sooner then by the dint of sword; by teares and humility, then by armour and chiual­rie. And so shall it come to passe, as Hierome saith, Vt qui contemnunt sceptra regalia & purpuras Caesarnm, Christia­norum sordes & iemma pertimescant: That they which care not for the kingly scepter & imperiall power, shal feare Chri­stian fasting and prayers: Which I say not, as though out­ward armour should be neglected, but spirituall onely pre­ferud; for neecessary war prouision must be made: as Augu­stine excellently saith; Pacem habere debet voluntas, bellū necessitas, vt liberet Deus a necessitate, & conseruet in pace, &c. Our desire must be for tranquillitie, and warre for ne­cessity, that God may deliuer vs from the necessity, and keepe vs in tranquillity. Which God for his mercy grant.

8 Here are two words to expresse the glory of the brides apparell, Serm. de nati [...]. Epist. 107. which is the second argument for the illustration thereof: Of the signifi­cation of the words here vsed. the one mishbetzoth, of the word [...] Shabatz, which fignifieth properly to worke and embroyder a gar­ment, with holes and eyes to set in precious stones, so is the word vsed, Exod. 28. 11. Where the two pretious stones are appointed to be set, and embossed in gold: the other word is [...] recamoth, which signifieth Phrygian or needle worke: rather then of diuers colours, as the Sep­tuagint translate it by the word [...], for there is an other word [...] passim, which hath that signification, and is expressed by the Greeke [...]: such a coate of change­able or diuers colours Iacob made for Ioseph, Genes. 37. 3. and Thamar Dauids daughter had such a garment, when her brother defiled her, 2. Sam. 14. 19. And this to bee the true sense of the word, is euident. Exod. 26. 36. Thou shalt make an hanging of blue silke, purple scarlet, wrought with the needle, not of diuers colours: for they are set downe be­fore. And seeing the costlinesse and glory of the Queenes apparell is here set forth, rather the working with the nee­dle, then the view of diuers colours sheweth the richnesse of the apparell: for such a coate Iacob made for Ioseph, [Page 34] which was gay, rather then glorious or costly.

9 This beautifull and goodly spouse, is both glorious within, and glittering without: the externall ornaments are nothing without the inward complements: a woman should rather be decent within, then decked without, to haue comelinesse of minde rather then costlinesse of appa­rell. So S. Peter aduiseth, Whose apparelling let it not be out­ward, with broidered haire and gold put about, but let the hid man of the heart be vncorrupt, with a meeke and quiet spirit, which is before God a thing much set by: for after this manner in time past did holy women tyre themselues, &c. 1. Pet. 3. 3. 4. 5. It is not vnlawfull for women of state and honour to attire themselues according to their place but they must labour more for the inward gifts, then out­ward fashions. The chiefe or­naments of men and wo­men. Daniel and his other three companions, being called to place of honour, refused not to weare the honourable Babylonish robes, as may appeare, Dan. 3. 21. yet they more excelled in vertue: as Hierome saith, Habi­tu Nabuchadnezor, mente Deo seruiebant: they serued Nebuchadnezzar in their habits, but God in their minde: so Mordocheus and Queene Esther, Hieron. ad Sal­uinam. Inter purpuram, su­perbiam humilitate vicerunt, did, in the middest of their purple robes vanquish pride and vanity, with humility. Thus should inward grace, and the outward shining face, the garnishing of the mind, and the furnishing of the bo­die goe together: a fine garment, and a foule soule; a comely feature, and vncomely behauiour doe not well suit together. Noble men and women, that liue in Prin­ces pa [...]aces, and glitter in goodly garments, should bee like to Nebridius, whom Hierome so much commen­deth.

Inter fulgorem palatij, & honorum culmina sic vixit, vt se crederet ad Christum profecturum: nihil nocuit militan­ti paludamentum, quia sub habitu alterius alteri militabat: Hee so liued in the glittering shew of the palace and in the height of honour, as one that was trauelling to Christ: his souldiers garment did not hurt him, [...]bid. for vnder the habite or liuerie of one he serued an other.

[Page 35] 10 Wee must then haue a speciall regard to the heart: because that is it which the Lord looketh vnto, The vaine care and studie for adorning of the bodie. not to the outward appearance, 1. Sam. 16. 7. that which maketh vs without spot and wrinkle before God is true holinesse, as the Apostle sheweth, Ephes. 5. 27. They then which make neate and trim the outward man, and suffer the inward to bee vncleane and vntrimmed, may well please the eies of men, but they are not pleasing vnto God, they are as a se­pulcher, faire without and shining, but foule within and smelling: Matth. 23. 27. As the figge tree which flourished with leaues, but was without fruit, Mat. 11. 11. as the grasse on the house top, that sheweth greene, but neuer commeth to ripenesse as wanting roote, Psalm. 129. 6. so is outward comelinesse and conformitie with inward loathsomnesse and deformitie, so is a vesture without vertue, and shining garments with shamefull manners: as Bernard saith well of such: mollia indumenta animum molliorem indicant, non tāto curaretur corporis cultus, nisi prius neglecta fuisset mens inculta virtutibus: Apolog. Soft raiment shew a softer and more dissolute mind; neither would they be so carefull to pranck vp their bodie, if they were not carelesse to adorne the mind.

11. This glorie of the spouse within may be vnderstood two waies: either of the vertues of the mind, as they are opposed to outward ornaments: or of the true naturall beautie and glorie of the bodie, as it is set against painted and deceiueable fauour, Against Ieza­bels painted face. such as Iezabel counterfetted, 2. King. 9. 30. and it is the bad fashion of many women in these daies, who herein are Iesabels disciples: Tertullian saith here well, sit inter ancillas Dei & diaboli discrimen; there should be a difference betweene the handmaides of God and the diuell, &c. Iesabels fashions doe not beseeme them, that abhorre Iesabels conditions: he addeth further, quod nascitur Dei opus, quid fingitur diaboli, &c. that which is giuen the body by birth, is the worke of God, that which is counterfeit, is the worke of the diuell: what a wickednes is it, to adde the diuels worke vnto Gods, &c. The same author also speaketh against the colouring and dying of [Page 36] the heare, and making of it yellow, and the wearing of dead bodies heare: against the wearing of borrowed haire. which euill and corrupt vsages hee thus se­uerely and sharpely taxeth: pessime sibi auspicantur flamme [...] capite: ne exuuias capitis alieni, for [...]itan immundi & gehen­na destinati capiti tuo suppares: Lib. de cult. f [...]e­minar. They prognosticate vn­happilie to themselues by their flaming heare, a signe of hel fire; put not on thy head the leauings of another head, that for ought thou knowest, is appointed to hell.

12. The Church of Christ here signified by this beauti­full spouse, is also glorious within by faith in Christ: it hath also exernall gifts, as Augustine vnderstandeth by these broydered garments of gold, varietates linguarum, decus, &c. Varietie of languages, the honour of the Church: sed quid ista prosunt, &c. but what doe these things profit, if that inward beautie bee wanting: these inward orna­ments are those [...] shining garments, Praefat. in Catechis. as Cy­ril calleth them, which hee wanted, that came to the wed­ding feast: then it is an easie matter here to giue iudgement of that Church, Against the gorgeous orna­ments of out­ward Temples, and negle­cting of the inward. if it bee a Church, that glorieth in gol­den outward garments, glittering with pearle and preci­ous stones, and outward pompe, wanting this true inward glory, which consisteth in the right faith and doctrin of the truth: This is the pompous synagogue of the Romanists; where are to be seene their Churches glittering with gold, Of the whore of Babylons costly robes. their images deckt with iewels, their Popes riding in cloth of gold, scarlet, pearles and pretious stones; but no inward glorie of true doctrine and pietie is there to be found. This is the right description, of that scarlet whore of Babylon, as Tertullian thus setteth her forth: Lib. de cult. faeminar. Illa ciuitas, quae super sep­tem montes &c. sedet in purpura, cum coccino & auro, & la­pide precioso, quae maledicta sunt, sine quibus non potuit ma­ledicta & prostituta describi: That citie built vpon seuen hilles, which deserued the name of an harlot, sitteth in pur­ple, scarlet, gold, pretious stones, which are accursed, without the which the cursed harlot could not bee described. This vaine pompe of Churches, images, vestments, either they borrow from the Gentiles, and then we say againe with Tertullian: simus & moribus ijsdem, si superficie eadem: Why [Page 37] should we not be of the same manners, if we retaine the same fashions: or else they haue them from the Iewes, and then Bernard will tell them: that the Temple was then garni­shed with gold, Des [...]tmat. when blood was sacrificed; Aurum igitur repudiemus cum caeteris superstiombus Iud corum: aut si au­rum placeat, Bernard. placeant & Iud [...]i: Therefore let vs refuse their gilded ornaments with other superstitions, or if we will haue the Iewish ornaments, let vs become lewes.

13. To returne to the historicall sense, That it is law­full for noble persons to vse garments of price. many things may here be obserued for our instruction: first, that it is lawfull for honorable persons to vse precious and costly garments befitting their estate, as our blessed Sauiour saith, they that weare soft raiment, are in Kings houses: Matth. 11. 8. wher­in Tertullian seemeth to be somewhat too strict, Tertullians sin­gular opinion of purple gar­ments. for hee al­loweth not the vse of purple, and such like robes at all, as a signe of honour, but as a distinction of degree: Natiuita­tis insigma, Lib. de idolatat. non potestatis, generis non honoris, ordinis, non superstitionis, caeterum purpura, &c. habent profanationis suae maculam, &c. As a recognisance of their nobilitie, not of magistracie, of their blood and stocke, not of honour, of their order, not of superstition: purple, and other orna­ments consecrate to idolatry haue a marke of profanenesse, &c. Against sump­tuous and cost [...]lie garments. Secondly, though these ornaments of honor are seeme­ly for Princes and Nobles, yet are they not fit for meane persons, as now many of inferior order and place, pre­sume to iet in costly garments, as Lords & Ladies: who, as Tertullian taxeth the pride of his time, De habit mu­l [...]br. Saltus & insulas te­nera fert ceruix: can haue hanging at their neckes whole woods and countries: meaning in the price and costli­nesse of their iewels: V [...] Pauli. and as Hierome saith, Vno filo villa­rum in suunt praedia: they haue whole Manners hanging vp­on one thread, &c. to restraine such inordinate excesse and costlinesse of apparell, diuers imperiall constitutions in times past haue been made: Cod. lib. 6. tit. 8. leg. 1. Di [...]let, Marcian. as aureorum vsus annulorum beneficio principis tributus: that none should weare gold rings, Ced. lib. 4. tit. 40 log. 1. [...]. but by grant from the Emperour, &c. And in another law, distrahendi purpuram, facultatem nullam posset habe­re priuatur: Euerie priuat man is forbidden to buy any pur­ple, [Page 38] and that none should buy any silk without licence, Compara [...]di series omnibus iubemus auferri facultatem. Ibid. leg. 2. &c. Thirdly, they which are clad with such robes of honour, should seeke to be truly honored by their vertue, and to be all glorious within, as this honourable spouse here descri­bed: for that is no comlinesse, which is borrowed, nor seemely grace, which is put off and on with the garment: as he well saith, Bernard. epi. 114. Serica & purpura decorem habent, sed non praebent: decor qui cum veste, induitur, & cum veste depo­nitur, vestis proculdubio est, non vestiti: Silke and pur­ple haue a grace, but they giue none: that comelinesse, which is put off and on with the garment, is of the attire, not of them that are attired, &c. Euen that Heathen gouer­nor Lysander, when the Ruler of Sicilie sent his daughters certaine precious garments, [...], &c. Plutarch. refused them, saying, that those ornaments would rather disgrace, then grace his daughters: but our Christian Cyrill much better, who would haue men take heed of superfluous, curious and costly raiment, lest vnder a pretense of hiding one vncomelinesse, [...]. catech. 4. Hier. Ocean. thou (saith hee) fall into another vncomelinesse: for as Hierome well saith; istiusmodi ornatus & cultus sordib. turpior est: such kind of finenesse is worse then sluttishnesse. And so Ter­tullian shall here conclude: Vestite vos serico sanctitatis, byssino probitatis, purpura pudicitiae, taliter pigmentatae De­um habebitis amatorem: Attire your selues with the silke of sanctitie, Lib. de cult. faeminar. with the finenesse of fidelitie, with the purple of pietie; being so attired, you shall haue God for your louer.

14. This is the third argument, to illustrate the glorie of the royall Queene, taken a comitatu, from her companie and attendants: the principall meaning hereof, doth leade vs to consider of the vocation of the Church of the Gen­tiles, as Augustine wel expoundeth, Vere factum est, ecclesia credidit, facta per omnes gentes; This was done in deed, the Church beleeued and is constituted among al Nations, &c. [Page 39] Like as then a Queene is attended with maides of ho­nour, as the Queene of Sheba came to Ierusalem with a very great traine vnto Salomon, 1. King. 10. 2. and noble Queene Ester had her maides that waited vpon her, Ester 4. 16. Why the Church is like­ned to a vir­gine. So the Church of the Gentiles being espoused and married to Christ, shall bring a great companie of virgines, that is, of faithfull people and beleeuers, that shall also be­troth themselues vnto Christ, as chast virgines renouncing all other: in this sense Saint Paul saith to the Corinthians: I haue prepared you for one husband to present you as a pure virgine to Christ: 2. Cor. 11. 2. So in the godly raigne of Hezekiah, when idolatrie was expelled, and the true wor­ship of God maintained: Ierusalem is called a virgin; O vir­gin daughter of Zion, 2. King. 19. 21. she is called a virgine, Propter integritatem fidei, Lyran. quae semper ibi remansit in ali­quibus, &c. quod cunctis gentibus idola adorantibus haec so­la conseruat castitatem religionis vnius Dei: Gloss. or­dinar. Because of the integritie of faith, which alwaies there remained in some, and, because while other Gentiles worshipped idoles, she onely kept the chastitie of the religion and worship of one God.

15. So then the true worshippers of God must bee as virgines, to refuse all other louers, and to keepe them onlie to God; and the Lord must haue the virginitie and first of their seruice: he will not take anothers leauings, but will be the first: euen as the Lord was first serued vnder the law when they brought vnto him the first fruites of all things: so God will haue the first oblations of our seruice; Ambeos. lib. 3. de vergin. pri­mitias vigiliarum Christo dicato, primitias actuum tuo­rum Christo immola. Offer to God the first fruits of thy watching: The first fruits of all our acts must be conse­crated vnto God. sacrifice vnto him the first fruis of thy acts, &c. Christ was borne of a Virgine, that was neuer knowne of man before nor after; he road vpon the foale of an asse, neuer vsed to the yoak: was laid in a sepulcher, wherein ne­uer any lay before: so the Lord will haue the virginitie of the soule, and such virgines the Lord should haue brought vnto him from the Gentiles, that would consecrate their first beginnings vnto God: as Hierome saith of Hilarion, [Page 40] prius calca [...]it diabolum, Vit [...] Hilarion. quam per aetatem [...]alcare p [...]tuisset. He trampled vpon the Deuill before by reason of his yong age he knew how to trample, &c. Nouellas orbusculas in quam­libet partem flecti facile est: tenera animaliae sine labore dom [...] ­ri solent: optimi sunt ad institutionem morum primi quique anni. ad Demetriad, Yong trees are easily bowed euery way and yong beasts are tamed without any great difficulty; so the fittest yeeres for the institution of manners are the first: Hierome. &c. Such virgins then, which present vnto God the first of their desires and studies, are most acceptable, as the Pro­phet saith: It is good for a man that hee bear the yoake in his youth. Ierem. Lamen. 3. 27.

16. Wee finde diuers sorts of Virgins mentioned in the Scripture, and in diuers senses: they are so called eyther in a metaphoricall or litterall sense, the metaphoricall hath ei­ther a spiritual respect (as they are Virgins, Diuerse kinds of Virgines. w ^t are wholly se­questred from the world, & dedicated vnto God, forsaking all idolatry and strange worship: so all faithfull people are Virgins keeping their faith onely vnto God, as this word is taken. 2. Cor. 11. 2.) or a temporall: as Tyrus is called a Vir­gin Isai. 23. 12. because they had not beene yet subdued by any, and brought vnder the yoake of subiection: now in the litterall sense, there are two sorts of virgines, either in the body, as they which are vnmarried. 1. Corinth. 7. 37. or in mind, as they, whose chastity and virginity is forced against their mind: they are virgines, though not both in body and rit, as the Apostle saith. 1. Cor. 7. 34. yet in spirit they are, of whom Ambrose thus writeth. Tolerabilus est mentem vir­ginem quam carnem, habere; vtr [...]nque bonum si liceat, si non li­ceat, saltem non homini casti, sed Deo simus. lib. 2. de virgini [...]. It is better to haue the mind a virgine then the flesh, both are good if t [...]ey may be had, if not, let vs not be chast vn­to men, but vnto God, &c. The virgines, which are heere spoken of, are the virgines of the first sort, which keepe the virginity and integrity of their faith, sound vnto God.

17. But heere we must take heede, that this expresse mention made of Virgines, doe not bring vs to haue such a conceite of carnall and externall virginity, with the Ro­manists, [Page 41] as to giue vnto it simply that preeminence and prerogatiue before all other professions: Spirituall vir­ginity prefer­red before car­nall. Against Bellarmine. which seemeth to be Bellarmines opinion: who vnderstandeth that place of professed Virgines, Reuel. 14. 4. These are they which are not defiled with women, for they are Virgines, these follow the lambe, whether soeuer he goeth, whereupon he inferreth thus: Ex quo testimonio apparet, De Monarch. lib. 2. c. q. ss. nouum. singulare praemium habere virgines: Out of which testimony it appeareth that Virgines haue a singular reward. &c. But this place will not serue his turne: which Ambrose expoundeth, in this manner. In mulieri­bus errorem significauit, quia per mulierem error caepit: nam si ideo putes virgines dictos, quia corpora sua intaminata ser­uarūt, excludes ab has gloria sanctos, quia omnes Apostoli. &c. He signifieth by women error, because error came by a wo­man, for if you thinke they are called Virgines, because they kept their bodies vndefiled, you wil exclude the saints from this glory, for all the Apostles except Paul and Iohn had wiues, &c. This is Ambrose reason, taken from a great inconuenience, the excluding of the glorious Saints: Hie­rome proueth this not to be vnderstood of externall virgi­nity onely, Ad Pammach. by an other reason taken from the words fol­lowing, vers. 5. In their mouthes was found no guile. Vides ergo, quod in vno virgines tantum membrorum dominicis refe­rantur inhaerere vestigijs, sed illi, &c. You see then, that vir­gines in one onely of their members are said to tread in the Lords steps: but they in all which leade a life vncorrupt from euery contagion of sin, &c. And Augustine whome Bellarmine alleageth, as fauouring and fathering his inter­pretation, granteth that Coniugati fideles possunt ire per ista vestigia, etsi non perfecte in eadem forma ponentes pedem, ve­runtamen in eisdem semitis gradientes. Euen the faithful mar­ried persons may goe by these footsteps, De virginitat. c. 28. though not, per­fectly setting their feete in the same forme, yet walking in the same path, &c. To this purpose Augustine: adde heere­unto that if Virginity of the flesh were onely vnderstood, then the virginity and the humility of the mind should not be required, which Augustine denieth: Obedientia coniuga­taminus obedienti virgini praeponenda est: lib. de bon. coniu­gal. [Page 42] 1. 24. Obedience in marriage is preferred before a dis­obedient Virgin. &c. And Bernard further thus deliuereth his opinion concerning virgins, Homil. 1. super [...]issus est. that are puffed vp in the o­pinion of their virginity. Potes sine Virginitate saluari, sine humilitate non potes, sine humilitate audeo dicere, nec virgini­tas Mariae profuisset: expedit tibi virginem non esse, quam de virginitate insolescere: non omnium est virginitas, multo ta­men panciorum cum virginitate est humilitas. Thou maist be saued without virginity, but not without humility, I dare say, that virginity without humility, had not profited the Virgine Mary, it were better for thee not to bee a virgine then to be proud of thy Virginity; all haue not virginity, & yet fewer there are, that haue viginity with humility, &c. Wee see then that not corporall virginity, but spirituall in­tegrity, is heere to be vnderstood.

18. Heere somewhat for the conclusion of this part also would be added touching the literall sense; Modesty and Chastity speci­ally required in noble Vir­gins. that heere the attendants of this honorable Queen are said to be Virgins: no Virgines like to noble Virgins: and maidenhood is no where more pretious, then in Princes Courts: other mai­dens loose their virginity onely, if they steppe aw [...]y: but these beside that losse doe also staine their honour, and de­file the sacred palace of Princes: Maides then of honour, should seeke to preserue the honour of Virginity, to be ex­amples of sobriety to others, as Queene Esthers maides were: I and my maides (saith that noble Queene) will fast. Esther. 4. 16. They of all other should not make themselues gazing stocks of pride, Tertullian. but mirrhors of maidenly modesty: he saith well; Eiusdem libidinis est videre et videri: omnis publicatio virginis bonae passi [...] stupri est. It sheweth like lust to desire to bee seene as to see, euery shewing and setting foorth of a modest Virgin, is a step to adultery, &c. They must neither be tempted themselues, nor be tempters of o­thers: They must neither make themselues baites of wan­ton Courtiers, and the other must take heede not to bee caught by such baites. Let woorthy Alexander be heerein remembred: who when as one Philoxenus had sent him word of a faire youth, that he had found for him, crauing [Page 43] to know his minde further, Plutarch. orat. 1. de fortun. A­lexandri. [...]. made this excellent answere. Thou wicked fellow, what such thing hast thou knowne by me, that thou shouldst flatter me with such pleasures. I would wish that Courtiers professing Christianity, would thus arme themselues against such tentations as he did in the state of infidelity: But I need not send them to Alexander, they haue a domesticall example, our noble King, as the treasu­rer of bounty, the professor of piety, practiser of clemen­cie, so the mirrour of Chastity: But heere our gallant La­dies will say, that if they did not attire themselues to the fa­shion, they should scandalize others and be counted odde by themselues: heere Tertullian shal make them an answer, who thus excellently turneth off this obiection: What a scan­dale or offence is. Scanda­lum nisi fallor non bonae rei sed malae exemplum est, aedificans ad delictum: bonae res neminem scandalizant nisi malam men­tem, si bonum est modestia agnoscant, malum suum, quae de ta­li bono scandalizantur. lib. de veland. virginib. A scandale if I be not deceiued, is not an example of a good thing, but an euill, building vp vnto sinne: good things neuer scanda­lize any but euill minds: if modestie bee a good thing let them acknowledge their euill, which are scandalized by such a good thing, &c. Thus then modesty should be em­braced of courtly Virgins, as the preseruer of chastity, and chastity desired, as a patterne of Angelicall glory: For Cha­stity as Cyrill well saith, [...]. Catechis. 2. is an angelicall Crowne.

19. The fourth part followeth whereby the glory of this honourable Lady is set foorth, the solemne progresse and pro [...]ssion of this princely company: first for the lite­rall sense: the people of God alwaies haue had their cheer­full solemnities, Publique so­lemnities law­full. and vsed in their publike ioy, their ioyfull acclamations, and decent deambulations: heereof euident mention is made in the Psalme, They haue seene O God, thy goings, the goings of my God, and my King in the Sanctuarie: The singers went before, the players of instruments after, in the [Page 44] midst were the maides playing on timbrels. Psalm. 68. 24. 25. Thus Moses and the children of Israell, made a solemne thankesgiuing vnto God, and M [...]riam with the women came forth with timbrels and daunces, and answered them. Exod. 15. 1. 10. So the women of Israell met King Saul and Dauid comming from the slaughter of the Philistines, with timbrels and other instruments of ioy. 1. Sam. 18. 6.

20. For in these solemne assemblies of ioy, they inten­ded nothing but the honour of God, The ioy of Gods people described. as the Psalme shew­eth: Come let vs reioyce vnto the Lord, let vs come before his face with Praise. Psal. 95. 1. 2. This solemne procession of the people of God, Dauid compareth to a multitude that keepeth a feast. Psalm. 42. 4. They are like to an army mar­ching on with banners displayed. Cantic. 6. 3. as a flocke of goates looking downe from the mountaines of Gilead. Cantic. 4. 2. as a flocke of sheepe comming vp in good or­der from the washing, euery one hauing twinnes. Cantic. 6. 3. Like as the beasts came in seemely order and aray by two and two into the Arke to Naoh, Gen. 7. 8. Such are the decent and comely goings forth of the people of God vnto his Temple.

21. We read of foure kind of solemne processions, Diuers kind of processions. two ciuill, and other two belonging to religion: and in each kind one lawfull, an other vnlawfull: the lawfull ciuill, is seene in the publique ioy of the people in their triumphs, at the coronation of Kings, celebrating of marriage feasts and such like, as Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast at Iacobs marriage. Gen. 29. 22. So the daughters of Shilo vsed to come forth in daunces to keepe a feast vnto the Lord. Iud. 21. 21. The vnlawfull ci­uill procession is, when it is done only for vaine pompe and ostentation: as King Agrippa and his wife Bernice are said to come [...], with great pomp and ostentation into the place of audience. Acts 25. 23. The lawfull religi­ous kind is, when people are assembled to the praise of God as at the dedication of the wall of Ierusalem, Nehemiah di­uided the people into two companies to praise the Lord: the one went vpon the wal at the left hand, the other on the [Page 45] right. Nehem. 12. 31. The vnlawfull is that, which is vsed to superstition: as the Israelites gathered together to keepe a feast to the goulden calfe: they sate downe to eate and drinke, and rose vp to play. Exod. 32.

22. Heere fit occasion is offered to touch the popish so­lemnities, & superstitious processions, which they vse in the adoration of their new breaden God, setting it forth with rich shewes of gold and siluer and pretious stones, causing the people to bow downe and kneele to a peece of bakers bread: according to that Prophecy of Daniel, he shall honor the god Manzzim (their masse god) and the god whom his Fathers knew not, Against popish processions. shall hee honour with golde and siluer, and with pretious stones and pleasant things: Dan. 11. 38. This glittering and gorgeous shew in religious processions, hath beene condemned in former times, as thus it was decreede in a prouinciall synode: Caueant Leuitae gemino vti orario, sed vno tantum, et puro, nec vllis colorib aut auro ornato. Tole­tan. 4. c. 34. Leuites (that is ministers or deacons) must take heed, that they vse not a double prayer-garment, but one, and the same plaine, without any colour or gold, &c. The like was decreed in a generall counsell in this manner: Eos, qui prae manu vascula quaedam aurea, vel ex alia materia construunt, ad susceptionem diuini doni, et per illa immacula­tam communionem volunt, nullo modo admittinus, vt praeferen­tes materiem inanimem hominique obnoxiam Dei imagini. Trullan. c. 101. Those, which beare in their hand certain ves­sels of gold or of other matter, to receiue the diuine gift, thinking by them the communion to bee kept vndefiled, wee by no meanes admit, as preferring a dead matter, and at mans command, before the image of God, &c. What could be more directly said against the carying of their host in vessels of gold, vnder canopies of cloth of siluer, with rich & costly attire, and all to adore a wheaten cake: These gorgeous shewes they borrow of the heathen Romanes their predecessors, as Tertullian saith: Hoc ritu habitu et apparatu idolis immolatur—hae erant pompae diaboli et an­gelorum eius, officia seculi, honores &c. de coron milit. In the same habite rite and preparation, they sacrifice to their [Page 46] gods: and so he concludeth, these were the pompe of the Deuill and his Angels, the seruice of the world, vaine ho­nour, &c.

23. To adde somewhat of the spirituall sense: by this entring of the Virgins into the Kings palace is set forth, the flocking of the Gentiles to the Church of God: and in this sense the vulgar latin readeth templū, the temple, for palace, and so the Hebrue word [...] [...]echal also signifieth, as Psal. 5. 8. and so the septuagint translate it here [...] the temple of y ^e king: so Augustine likewise expoundeth, Templū regis ipsa ecclesia, the temple of the King is the Church of God: Thus christians should in their cheerful processiōs visit y ^e Church of God: The Church must be fre­quented in publike pro­cession. like as doues come flocking vnto their windows. Isai. 68. and as sheepe gather together to their shepheard: ibid. v. 7. Some there are which will bee in the King and Queenes train in their princely processions and shewes, but will leaue them when they come to the Church: They will not doe that seruice to a Christian Prince in the worship of the true God, which Naaman did to an heathen King in his idolatrous seruice of R [...]mmon; [...]. Praef. in Cantic. the king his master lea­ned vpon his hand: but this is the true assembly and proces­sion of right Virgines, as Cyrill saith, to come together into the Church of God, to sing, read, or pray.

24. Now to returne to the historicall sense, heere this goodly company of virgines doe accompany this glorious Queene into the Kings pallace: they are attired as virgines, their behauiour, progresse, walking is, as becommeth vir­gines. Heere then such maides as do serue Princes, are ad­monished in all their carriage and behauiour to be virgin-like; Isay reprooueth the daughters of Zion for three speci­all faults, incessu, habitu, vestitu, in their gate, habit of their body, strange fashions of apparell: for the first he saith, they minse as they goe, Against the Pride of vaine womē in their apparell. and make a tinckling with their feete: for the next, they walke with stretched out neckes, that their necks and breasts might appeare: and for the third: he nameth di­uers strange formes of apparell, as their head-tyre, slops, headbands and such like, Isay. 3. 16. 20. And this is the very fashion and guise of wanton maides and Virgines in [Page 47] these times. First, concerning their minsing and affected gate, see how Ambrose checketh the women of his time; Cernis vt pomparum ferculis similis incedit, Lib. 1. de virgin. quae se componit vt placeat, eo ipso, quo studet placere, deformior, &c. You see how she goeth, as they that carrie stately dishes of meate; the so much more disgracefull, as shee affecteth a grace in going? &c. And concerning the tinckling and creaking of their feete as they goe, Hierome found fault with it in his time: De suspect. con­tubern. Caliga nigella & nitens stridore ad se iunenes vocat: Their blacke and neat slipper, or stertup with the creaking allureth young men, &c. And before him Tertullian thus elegantly reprooueth such nicenesse: Lib. de pallio. Magnum incessui mu­nimentum sutrina venerea prospexêre, perones effaeminatos: quem non expediat in algore rigere nudipedem, quam in calceo vnguipedem: A goodly defence sure for the foot, shooema­kers wanton skill hath deuised these effeminate stertuppes, &c. And therefore a little before hee said: Who had not better goe in the cold and heate barefooted, then to bee so pinched, and as it were hoof-footed in the shooe, &c. Con­cerning their habit, in baring, and making naked their neckes and breasts: the same ancient writer doth note it to haue been a fault in his time: Lib. de velan [...]. virginib. Ipsa concupiscentia non latendi non est pudica, tegantur superiora, cuius inferiora nuda non sunt: The very desire not to be hid is not seemely, seeing their nether parts are couered, why should the vpper be vn­couered, &c. Hierome pritilie taunteth maides for a cer­taine wanton tricke which they vsed: De suspect, contuber. Palliolum interdum cadit, vt candidos undet humeros, & quasi videri noluerat, ce­lat festina, A man is not▪ to weare wo­mans apparell. quod volens detexerat: Sometime the cloake falleth of purpose, to shew her white necke, and as though it were against her will, shee quickly hideth that againe, which shee wittingly had vncouered, &c. But how much more vnseemely is it to vncouer them of purpose, and make them bare altogether. Now for the third vse, the strange fa­shion of womens apparell, in conforming the same to mans attire: but specially for women in maskes and showes to be apparelled as men, and men as women, hath alwaies been a distasteful thing to them, which were more sober minded: [Page 48] as Tertullian condemneth it directly: Lib. de idolat. Nullum cultum a Deo maledictum inuenio, nisi muliebrem in viro: maledictus inquit omnis, qui mulie bribus induitur: I find no apparrell cursed of God, but a womans in a man: for cursed, saith he, is euerie one, which putteth on womans apparell: Deut. 22. 5. &c. And lest we might thinke that he speaketh only against or­dinarie wearing of such apparrell, and not in shewes and plaies, Lib. de spectat. he saith in another place thus: Nō amat falsum auctor veritatis, adulterinum apudeum est omne, quod fingitur: The author of verity, loueth not falsity, euery thing that is coun­terfeite, before him is counted a kind of adulterie &c. And then alleaging the former place out of Deutronomie hee in­ferreth thus: Quid de pantomimo iudicabit, qui etiam mulie­bribus curatur: What may one thinke then of a player, that is trimmed with womens apparell, &c. Onely I find one occasion lawfull for this changeable vse of men and wo­mens garments, which Ambrose speaketh of, and it was this: A certaine virgine of Antioch being condemned to the stewes, because she would not sacrifice to the idols, prayed thus vnto God: Lord, which couldest stop the mouthes of the Lions against Daniel; thou also canst bridle the raging lusts of men: A virgine put­ting on a soul­diers apparrell saued her virginitie. and hauing thus prayed, there came in a soul­dier, and changed garments with her, vsing these wordes; Quasi adulter ingressus, si vis, martyr egrediar: vestimenta mu­temus: tua vestis me verum militem faciet, mea te virginem, sume tibi habitum, Lib. 2. de virgin. qui abscondat faeminam, consecret marty­rem: I came in as an adulterer, and if thou wilt, will go out as a martyr; let vs change garments, thy vesture shall make me a true souldier, mine shall keepe thee a virgine: take thee an habit, which shall hide thy womanhood, and con­secrate my martyrdome, &c. And by this meane the virgin escaped, and saued her virginitie. The summe is this, that our virgines and maides of honour, and of all sorts, should in their solemnities and feastes, be like vnto these virgines, that is, in their behauiour, apparell, fashion, to carrie them­selues, as it becommeth virgines attending vpon this Queene, that was all glorious within. Now I will come to the last part.

25. The last point, wherein the glorie of this Spouse is set foorth, is the fruitfull issue and happie posteritie, which this honourable Queene should be encreased with, wherein spiritually, and more specially is described, the wonderfull encrease of the Church of God, which should bee called of the Gentiles: as the Apostle to this purpose alleageth the prophecie of Isay 54. 1. Of the great encrease of the Church. Reioyce thou barren, that bearest no children, breake foorth and crie thou that trauellest not, for the desolate hath many mo children, thē she which hath an husband, Gal. 4. 27. And as this Psalme saith, that her sons shall be prin­ces in al lands. So the Prophet Isay saith: Kings shal be thy nur­sing fathers; and Queenes thy ursing mothers. cap. 49. 23. And againe, Thou shalt sucke the milke of the Gentiles, and shalt sucke the breast of Kings: cap. 60. 16. The Church is nou­rished of Kings and Princes, Kings, both the fathers and children of the Church. in respect of their defence and protection, and they are also the sonnes of the Church, in regard of their spirituall instruction and regeneration. This is that, which was promised to Sarah, She shall be the mother of nations, and Kings of people shall come of her, Genes. 17. 16. which was then fulfilled, when the Kings of the Gentiles were conuerted to the faith of Sarah. So the Apostle ma­keth the earthly Ierusalem to answere vnto Agar the bond-woman, [...]. Caeechis. 18. and Ierusalem, which is aboue, the mother of vs all; to Sarah the freewoman, Galath. 4. 26. which Ierusalem, as Cyril saith, was at the first barren, but now hath many children: So Heuah, being so called, because shee was the mother of all liuing, was a type of the Church, which should bee the mother of all those, that liue vnto God: as Ambrose well obserueth, Haec est Eua mater emnium viuentium: veniat ergo Deus, In cap. 3. Luc. aedificet mulierem illam quidem adiutricem Adae, hanc vero Christi, non quia Christus adiumentum requirit, sed quia nos quaerimus ad Christi gratiam per Ecclesiam peruenire: This is Eua the mother of all the liuing: come God, then, and build that woman an helper vnto Adam, but this vnto [Page 50] Christ required an helpe, but because we seeke to come to the grace of Christ by the Church, &c.

26. For hereby is the glorie of God set foorth, and his name aduanced, when thorough the earth praise shall bee giuen vnto him: as the Prophet saith, from the rising of the sunne to the going downe thereof, my name is great among the Gentiles: Malach. 1. 11. As the multitude of children are the strength of the parents, like a quiuer full of arrowes, Psalm. 127. 4. and as the honour of a King is in the multitude of people, Prou. 14. 28. so it is more to the glorie of God, when many Nations are conuerted vnto him. And so Wise­dome saith, I tooke my solace in the compasse of the earth: Pro. 8. 31. As in heauen, the Lord hath an infinit armie of holy Angels, The multitude of the faithfull diuersly resem­bled in Scrip­ture. thousand thousands minister vnto him: Dan. 7. 10. so is it his glorie to haue multitude of seruants in earth; who therefore are for number likened to the droppes of the mor­ning dew: Psalm. 110. 3. and to an ouerspreading cloud, and as a companie of doues, which flie to their windowes: Isai. 60. 8. And as the heare and lockes of the head, are an or­nament to the bodie; so the numbers of faithfull people, which are as the heares of the Church, compared to flockes of goates, Cantic. 6. 4. doe make her amiable and louely in the sight of God.

27. This plentifull encrease of the Church of God was diuersly prefigured in the old Testament: Tertullian will haue it set foorth in the birth of Isaac and Iacob, Lib. aduers. Iudae [...]s. & minor populus Christianus superet maiorem, the elder people of the Iewes should serue the younger, and the younger Christian people should ouercome the elder, Types of the old Testament shadowing foorth the Church of the Gentiles. &c. Iustine Martyr picketh as much out of that prophecie of Moses concer­ning Ioseph: His hornes as the hornes of an vnicorne, with them he shall smite the people together: Deut. 33. 15. This vnicornes horne he vnderstandeth to be the crosse of Christ, which riseth vp in one shanke, but then brancheth out a­boue: and so saith he, the Gentiles, by the mysterie of Christs crosse, [...], &c. Dia­log. cum Tryph. were smitten through as with hornes, and so were con­uerted vnto God. Ambrose to this purpose applieth that saying in the Canticles; the Church of the Iewes saith thus [Page 51] of the Church of the Gentiles; Our sister hath little breasts: Moras innectebant, Serm. 22. in Psalm. 119. quarum ecclesia Christi impatiens dixit, non parua vbera habeo, sed vt turres vbera mea sunt: And so they sought delaies, whereof the Church of Christ being impatient, saith, I haue no small breasts, they are like vnto towers: Cantic. 8. 10. &c. The Church of the Gentiles hath store of milke to nurse vp many children: Augustine doth fitlie find out this mysterie shadowed soorth by Gede­ons fleece; the wet fleece and drie floore sheweth the fruit­fulnesse of the Iewes, In lib. Judic. qu. 49. and barrennesse of the Gentiles, the wet floore, and drie fleece the vocation of the Gentiles, and reiection of the Iewes, who were but as an handfull to the Gentiles, as the fleece is to the floore. And as in Araunah, the Iebusites ground, Dauid built an Altar vnto God, in Iudaeorum terra non inuentus est locus, Serm. 198. vbi altare Deiponere­tur, sed in terra gentium locus eligitur: So there was no place found in the land of the Iewes where to set the Altar of God, but a place is chosen from the Gentiles. But it were an infinite thing to shew at large how this mysterie of the plentifull calling of the Gentiles is in Scripture described, and by the ancient writers decyphered: I may say here with Cyrill: If I should speake all hereof that might bee said. I had need of many houres to declare it. [...]. Catech. 18.

28. There are three vsuall expositions of this place, which are receiued of the fathers. The first is that of Ambrose, who by the fathers here vnderstandeth the Gentiles: Lib. 2. in luc. 2. Re­linquit parentes Ecclesia, quae de gentilibus populis congregatae est: The Church leaueth her parents, which is congre­gate of the Gentiles, &c. And so in stead of her former pa­rents, the Philosophers and Pagans, she hathset vp Christian instructors of her owne children. Ad principiam tom. 4. The second is Hieromes, who by the fathers, vnderstandeth the Patriarkes and Pro­phets, by these sons the Apostles, which were sent to preach through the world: he hath other expositions, but hee see­meth most to insist vpon this, which Lyranus followeth. The third is Augustine, In Psalm. 44. Pro Apostolis constituti sunt Episcopi; who by the fathers vnderstandeth the Apostles, and by the sonnes Bishops and Pastors: but all these expositions are [Page 52] somewhat to streight, in restraining the name of children onely to pastors and teachers, whereas all the faithfull are the sonnes of the Church; therefore there is a fourth inter­pretation more agreeable to the Scriptures: that we heere vnderstand all the faithful people and beleeuers, which spi­ritually are made Kings and Priests vnto God by Christ, Reuel. 1. 6. and in this number specially are comprehended also such Kings and Princes, How children are borne to the Church in stead of her fathers. which through the world should professe the faith of Christ, and so Isay may inter­pret this place, chap. 49. 23. 60. 16. which places are at large cited before, where expresse mention is made of beleeuing Kings and Queenes. And lest this exposition might be ac­cused of noueltie; Hierome alloweth of it; for thy fathers Natisunt tibi Apostoli & de nationibus credentes quos consti­tuisti principes: Ad Princip. there are borne vnto thee Apostles, and be­leeuers out of the nations, whom thou hast appointed Prin­ces, &c.

29. Therefore it is a weake collection, Lib. 1. de pontif. c. 7. §. fit enim. that Bellarmine would inferre out of these wordes, that the Ecclesiasticall regiment, The chiefe re­giment of the Church belon­geth to secular Princes, a­gainst Bellar­mine. is not penes principes seculares sed Episcopos, is not in the power of secular Princes, but of Bishops: whom hee supposeth here to be vnderstood by Princes: 1. I haue shew­ed, that this is not the meaning of this Scripture: or if they will needs haue it meant of spiritual Princes, I say with Hie­rome, intelligamus Apostolos, let vs vnderstand the Apostles, whom Christ sent to preach to the end of the world: but ordinarie Bishops haue not such a large commission to goe ouer the world, neither can arrogace to themselues that au­thoritie which the Apostles had. 2. Allow it to be vnder­stood of Bishops, how are they Princes? in spiritualibus, in spirituall things, as their owne Lyranus saith, and as Hie­rome well expoundeth, Thou hast made them Princes, that is, in populis fecisti praeceptores, thou hast made them teachers among the people: who denieth, but that it belongeth to Pastors to giue precepts to the people? that is not to raigne as Princes in the Church, and so superiour to Kings. 3. And if Bellarmine may haue his saying, then is euery Bishop a spirituall prince, and absolute in his Diocesse: the Pope [Page 53] then shall not bee; the onely Ecclesiasticall Prince.

30. An other such like glosse they haue, Quae de ecclesia generaliter hic dicuntur, Gloss Ordina [...]. ad Mariam specialiter referri pos­sunt: The things that are heere generally spoken of the Church, may be more specially referred vnto Marie: But if this be applyed to Marie it maketh against themselues, their blasphemous adoration, and idolatrous inuocation o [...] Marie will fall to ground: for heere Christ is made her Lord, and she is to worship him: but the Romanists grosse­ly make her equall to her sonne: as one saith: Filij gloriam cum matre, non tam communem iudico, quam eandem. I Iudge the glory of the Sonne, not so much to be common with the mother, Vega comment. in Apoc. 12. ss. 2. num. 3. as the same, &c. yea they rather make her superiour, as another saith: Possumus prouocare a fo­ro iustitiae Dei ad curiam Beatae Mariae. Bernard [...]n in Marial. Wee may ap­peale from the Court of Gods iustice vnto Maries Court. &c.

And Bellarmine the oracle of the rest is not farre off from such blasphemous speeches in extolling of the Virgin Ma­rie: for hee defendeth that she may be called, our life, hope, mother of mercie, and that they may say vnto her in a good sense, as it is in their superstitious Antiphonie: Iesum bene­dictum fructum ventris tui nobis post hoc exilium o [...]ende. lib. 1 de. bon. oper. in partic. c. 15. That the Vir­gin Mary is not to bee cal­led our life, hope, mother of mercies, a­gainst Bellarm. Shew vs after this exile, Iesus the blessed fruit of thy wombe, &c. Whereas the Scripture ma­keth God our hope. Psalm. 40. 4. Blessed is the man that ma­keth the Lord his hope: and in many places of the Psalms the Prophet professeth, that the Lord is his trust. Psalm. 14. 6. 21. 9. 61. 3. 62. 8. 65. 5. 71. 5. 73. 28. 78. 7. 91. 9. 94. 22. and in diuers other places: yea hee giueth this reason, why hee putteth his trust in God: I trusted in thee O Lord, I saide thou art my God, Psalm. 31. 14. Therefore our trust must be onely in God: If then they will make the Virgine Marie our hope, consequently she must be God. And to be a Fa­ther of mercies, is a title peculiar to God. 2. Cor. 1. 3. They then in calling the Virgin Mary the mother of mercies, therein make her equall vnto God. And Christ saith of himselfe: I am the way, the truth and the life. Iohn. 14. 6. In [Page 54] making her then our life, they rob Christ of his due: And it is his office also to shew vs the Father: Iohn. 1. 18. and, 14. 8. 10. Now all these blasphemous prerogatiues which they ascribe vnto the virgine Mary, their owne glosse vpon this Psalme ouerthroweth▪ applying it to the Virgine Marie: for of Christ: it is said, hee is thy Lord, and worship thou him, ver. 11. the virgine Mary though she be to bee honoured of vs as a blessed Saint, yet is not to bee worshipped toge­ther with Christ, but is together with the Saints to wor­ship Christ: her carnall prerogatiue in being the mother of Christ was not so great, as her spirituall priuiledge of belee­uing in Christ: as hee himselfe saith: when a certaine wo­man had cried out vnto him, blessed is the wombe that bare thee, and the paps that gaue thee sucke, hee answered, yea rather blessed are they, that heare the word of God, and keepe it. Luke 11. 28. So also in another place he saith: my mother, and my brethren are those which heere the word of God and doe it. Luk. 8. 22. vpon which words Tertullian thus obserueth: Non matris vterum et vbera negans, sed feliciores designans, qui verbum Dei audiunt. lib. de carn. Christ. Not denying his mothers wombe, and breasts, but counting them more hap­py which heare the word of God, &c.

31. Now in the last place for the application of this text, both touching the mysticall, as also the historicall sense: first we see all this heere spoken of by the Prophet, to be verified in the Church: In Psal. 44. The Lord hath made the Princes of the world, The great mu­nificence of Christian prin­ces & Nobles toward the Church. the sonnes of the Church: and hath giuen vn­to it the glory and riches of Tyrus: As Augustine well vn­derstandeth thereby the gifts of charity, which the rich a­mong the Gentiles being conuerted should bestow vpon the Church, this was done, when by the bounty of Empe­rors and other Nobles, Churches, Colleges, Almeshouses were founded: The like fruits the Gospell hath brought foorth in England: where within the space of fiftie yeares more charitable workes in the building of Colleges, Synops. in the end of the 4. Centurie. free Schooles, Hospitalls can bee shewed (as elsewhere I haue declared more at large) thē were done in the like time vn­der poperie. Among which works of charity, that worthy [Page 55] foundation of an hospital may be set in the first rank, Master Suttōs hospitall. which that late rich Esquire and prudent man Master Sutton by his last will and Testament bequeathed to be erected: gi­uing vnto it for the maintenance thereof, the yeerely reue­nue of foure thousand pounds, and twenty thousand to­ward the building: which excellent worke, so well by him intended, and liberally founded, wee expect in due time to be accomplished: that God thereby may receiue glory, who hath made his Gospell to abound in such fruits, the poore members of Christ may bee comforted, and by this example others be encouraged, whom God hath thereto enabled, to shew the like effects and testimonies of their faith: But together let all such, as shall be by Gods grace so minded, be aduised to see such things (bequeathed to cha­ritable vses) disposed while they liue, that there be no que­stion, whe [...] they are dead: why should a man put off that to be executed by others, which he may see done by himselfe: the almes giuen by the owne hand is most acceptable: and that one shall reape most comfort by, which his owne eye seeth: And when a man willingly leaueth his goods in his life, before they leaue him in his death, it is so much more worthy of thanks: let euery man then doe good, while hee may, and not deferre to giue his almes, according to that saying of the wise-man: say not vnto thy neighbour goe, and come againe, and to motrow I will giue thee, if thou now hast it: Pro. 3. 28. As manna was gathered in the sixe daies against the seuenth: so we must finish all our works in this life for the next: Exod. 26. 23.

31. Now to shut vp all in a word: and to apply this text briefly to this present occasion: God grant vnto this Hono­rable Marriage the like fruit and ioyfull issue, which is pro­mised heere vnto this princely spouse: in steed of thy fathers shall thy children be, whom thou mayest make Princes &c. The Psalmist saith, children are the inheritance of the Lord, and the fruit of the wombe is his reward. Psalm. 127. 3. The Lord adde this inheritance also to the goodly inheritance of these noble Princes: and seale vnto them this fruite among other rewards; whereof wee all conceiue great hope, see­ing [Page 56] not the augmentation of wealth, nor encrease of do­minion, but the combination of religion, and propagati­on of the Gospel is principally sought in this hopeful mari­age: which is now happily con summate, [...]. Cyrill catech. 4. for procreating of posterit [...], not satisfying of pleasure, where the intendment is, y ^• generation should but make a way for regeneration as Augu­stine saith: Esse debet [...]orū co [...]ugum i [...]ē ­tio, vt generatio regenerationi praeparetur. l. 4. cont [...]. c. 1. Tradit. in Gen. and this accession of marriage should serue for the succession of christian Princes to be nursing Fathers vn­to the Church: like as then, Leah called her sonne by Zil­pah her handmaid Asher, which signifieth happie, that is as Hierome saith, beatam se inde putauit, shee thereby counted her selfe happy: so God make these honourable Princes happy in their issue: and God make this vertuous Princesse a Sarah, which is, Princesse, that she may be the mother of nations and kings, as the Lord promised to Sarah, Gen. 17. 16. The Lord make her like Rebecca, The blessing from God vp­on these Ex­cellent princes desired. that her ground may be fat and fruitfull, to grow into thousand thousands, and that her seed may possesse the gate of her enemies: as Rebeccah was blessed: Genesis 24. 60. Which the gracious Lord graunt for his Christs sake, [...] rabach, sig­nifieth to be fat. the spouse of his Church: who blesse this princely spouse to bee an auncient mother in Israell, and this illustrious Prince to bee a nursing Father to his Church▪ God blesse them both with ioyfull progenie, hap­py victory ouer their enemies, perpetuall prosperity but most of all with true Christian piety in this life, and crowne them with glorious eternity in the next, through Iesus Christ our Lord, to whom be praise for euer.