Chapter 1

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[Transcriber's Note: A few details of transcription are given at the end of this file, along with a list of errata.]

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AN E X P O S I T I O N OF THE LAST PSALME.

DELIVERED IN A SERMON PREACHED AT PAVLES Crosse the fifth of Nouember 1613. _Which I haue ioyned to the Festiuals_ as a short Apologie for our _Holy daies in the Church_ _of England_.

DEDICATED VNTO MY HONORABLE friend and most respected kinsman Sir _William_ _Monins Baronet_.

_By IOHN BOYS, Doctor_ of Diuinitie.

_AT LONDON_ Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON, for _William Aspley. 1615._

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GVNPOWDER TREASON DAY.

Psalme 150. _O praise God in his holinesse, &c._

All the Psalmes of _Dauid_ are comprised in two words, [a]_Halleluiah_, and _Hosanna_, that is, blessed be God, and God blesse; as being for the greater part either praiers vnto God for receiuing mercies, or else praises vnto God for escaping miseries. This our present Hymne placed as a [b]Conclusion of the whole booke; yea, the beginning, middle, end, to which all the rest (as [c]_Musculus_ obserueth are to be referred) inuiteth vs in prescript and postscript, in title, in text, in euery verse, and in euery Clause of euery verse to _praise the Lord_. Teaching these two points especially:

1. For what } God is to be magnified. 2. With what }

For what, vers. 1, 2. _O praise God in his holinesse, praise him in the firmament of his power, praise him in his noble acts, praise him according to his excellent greatnesse._

With what, euen with all that is

Without vs, vers. 3. 4. 5. _Praise him in the sound of the trumpet, &c._

Within vs, vers. 6. _Omnis spiritus_, &c. _Let euery spirit praise the Lord, praise yee the Lord._

[Sidenote a: _Gueuara._]

[Sidenote b: _Lyra in loc._]

[Sidenote c: _In loc._]

This in briefe is the whole texts _Epitomie_, I come now to the words _Anotomie_, cutting vp euery part and particle seuerally, beginning first at the first, _O praise God in his holinesse_. Of which one sentence the Doctors haue many (though not aduerse yet diuerse) readings, especially three: _Praise God in his Saints, praise God in his sanctitie, praise God in his sanctuarie_. _S. Hierome_, _Augustine_, _Prosper_, and [d]other as well ancient interpreters as moderne translate here praise God in his _Saints_. For if he must be praised in all his creatures, how much more in his new creatures? if in the witlesse wormes, and senselesse vapours, Psal. 148, much more doubtlesse (as _Theodorit_ here collects) in men, in holie men, in _Saints_, vpon whom hee hath out of his [e]vnsearchable riches of mercie, bestowed the blessings of the [f]life present; and of that which is to come.

[Sidenote d: _Chrysost. Basil. Euthym. Arabs apud Muscul. Lyra. Hugo Card. Turrecremat. Anonymus._]

[Sidenote e: _Ephes. 3. 8.16._]

[Sidenote f: _1. Tim. 4. 8._]

First, almightie God is to be blessed for giuing his Saints such eminent gifts of grace for the good of his Church, and for the setting foorth of his glorie. So _Chrysostome_, _Basil_, _Euthymius_, _Prosper_, _Placidus_, _Parmensis_ expound it. [g]Euery good and perfit gift is from aboue, descending from the father of lights, a good thought in a saint is _gratia infusa_, a good word in a saint is _gratia effusa_, a good deed in a saint is _gratia diffusa_, through his grace which is the God of [h]all grace, saints are [i]whatsoeuer they are. Wherefore praise the Lord in his Saints, often remember their vertues as their true _reliques_, and as it were bequeathed [k]_legacies_ vnto Gods people. So the wise man, Ecclesiasticus 44. _Let vs now commend the famous men in old time, by whom the Lord hath gotten great glorie, let the people speake of their wisdome, and the congregation of their praise._ So the Confession of _Bohemia_, chap. 17. [l]_Wee teach that the Saints are worshipped truly, when the people on certaine daies at a time appointed, doe come together to the seruice of God, and doe call to minde and meditate vpon his benefits bestowed vpon holie men, and through them vpon his Church_, &c. And for as much as it is kindly to consider, _opus diei in die suo_, the worke of the day[m] in the same day it was wrought; it is well ordered by the Church of England, that the most illustrious and remarkable qualities of the saints are celebrated vpon their proper festiuals, that on S. _Stephens_ day, we may learne by S. _Stephens_ example to loue our enemies: on S. _Matthewes_ day, to forsake the world and to follow Christ: on S. _Iohn the Baptist_ his day, to speake the truth constantly, and to suffer for the same patiently. Thus in stedfastnes of faith and godlinesse of life (_non legere modò sed degere sanctorum vitas_, as [n]one wittily) to bee followers of them as they were followers of Christ; is (as [o]blessed _Latymer_ was wont to say) the right worshipping of Saints, and of God in his Saints.

[Sidenote g: _Iames 1. 17._]

[Sidenote h: _1. Pet. 5. 10._]

[Sidenote i: _1. Cor. 15. 10._]

[Sidenote k: _Euseb. Emisen. hom. de S. Maximo._]

[Sidenote l: _See Harmon. confess. sect. 16. pag. 486._]

[Sidenote m: _Maior præsat. in Psal. 22._]

[Sidenote n: _Owin epigram. lib. 3._]

[Sidenote o: _Ser. on Christmas day preached at Bexterly, & ser. on S. Stephens day at Grimstorpe._]

Againe, for as much as there is a _communion of Saints_, as we cõfesse in the Creed, a knot of fellowship betweene the dead Saints and the liuing; it is our dutie to praise God for their good in particular, as they[p] pray to God for our good in generall. It is required on our part I say, to giue God most humble thanks for translating th{~e} out of this [q]valley of teares into Hierusalem aboue, where they be [r]clothed with long white robes, hauing palmes in their hands, and [s]crownes of gold on their heads, euer liuing in that happie kingdome without either dying or crying, Apocal. 21. 4. and this also (in the iudgment of _Augustine_, _Hierome_, _Hugo_, _Raynerius,_ and other) is to _praise God in his Saints_.

[Sidenote p: _Apocal._ 6. 10.]

[Sidenote q: _Psal._ 84. 6.]

[Sidenote r: _Apocal._ 7. 9.]

[Sidenote s: _Apocal._ 4. 4.]

These reasons are the grounds of certaine _holy daies_ established in England by law, namely to blesse God for his Saints eminent grace while they were liuing, and exceeding glorie now they be dead. Wherein our Church ascribes not any diuine worship to the Saints, but all due praise to the sanctifier: in celebrating their memorie (saith _Augustine_) we neither adore their honour, nor implore their helpe: but (according to the tenour of our text) wee praise him alone, [t]who made them both men and martyrs. In the words of [u]_Hierome_ to _Riparius_: _Honoramus reliquias martyrum, vt eum cuius sunt martyres adoremus: honoramus seruos, vt honor seruorum redundet ad dominum:_ If thou desire to doe right vnto the Saints, esteeme them as paternes, and not as patrones of thy life; honour them only so farre, [x]that thou maist alway praise God in them, and praise them in God.

[Sidenote t: _De ciuit. lib._ 8. _cap._ 27.]

[Sidenote u: _Tom._ 2 _fol._ 118]

[Sidenote x: _Philip Mornæus de missa, lib. 3 cap. 11. See Melanct. resp. ad art. Bauar. art. 25._]

The gunpowder men erre very much in this one kinde of honouring God, for either they worship _his Saints_ as himselfe, or else their owne saintlings, and not _his Saints_. In praying to the dead, in mingling the blood of their martyrs with the precious blood of their Maker, in applying their merits, and relying vpon their mercies; it is plaine that they make the Saints (as _Melancthon_ tels them in his [y]Apologie for the Confession of _Auspurge_) quartermasters with God, and halfe mediatours with Christ, I say ioynt mediatours not of incercession only but of [z]redemption also. Nay they make the blessed Virgin vpon the poynt their only _mediatrix_ and _aduocate_, so they sing, and so they say. They sing in their publique seruice, [aa]_Maria mater gratiæ, mater misericordiæ_, &c. the which is Gods owne stile, 1. Pet. 1. 10. & 2. Cor. 1. 3. so they likewise say, _Maria consolatio infirmorum, redemptio captiuorum, liberatio damnatorum, salus vniuersorum._ [ab]_Giselbertus in lib. altercationis Synagogæ et ecclesiæ, cap. 20. Maria quasi maria_, saith _Augustinus de Leonissa_, sermon 5 vpon _Aue maria_, for as all riuers come from the seas, and returne to the seas againe, Ecclesiastes 1. 7: [ac]so forsooth (if you will vndertake to beleeue him) all grace is deriued from _Mary_, and ought to be returned again to _Mary_. We finde so much _in [ad]Rosario Mariæ, reparatrix & saluatrix desperantis animæ_, &c. That which is worse, their owne Pope (who cannot, as they teach, erre in a poynt of doctrine as Pope) calleth her expresly _Deam_. _Pet. Bembus_ in his epistles written in Pope _Leo 10._ name, _lib. 8. epist. 17._ printed at _Strasburg an. 1609._ that which is worst of all, in their most approued Bible: they translate Gen. 3. 15. _ipsa conteret caput tuum_: she shall breake thine head, although (as their owne Iesuit [ae]_Ribera_ confesseth honestly) the _Hebrew_ text, the _Chaldee_ paraphrase, the translation of the _Septuagint_, and all good _Latin_ copies reade _ipse conteret_, he shall bruise the serpents head, applying it to Christ, according to that of _Paul_, _The God of peace shall tread downe Satan vnder your feete_, Rom. 16. 20. by this euidence you may see that the gunpowder crue praise not God in the saints, nor the saints in God: but on the contrarie the saints as God.

[Sidenote y: _Tit. de sanct. inuocat._]

[Sidenote z: _See D. Fulke in 1. Tim 2. 5._]

[Sidenote aa: _Bellar. de sanct. beat. cap. 17._]

[Sidenote ab: _Apud Magdeburg. Cent. 10. Coll. 275._]

[Sidenote ac: _See Gospell Annunciat._]

[Sidenote ad: _Chemnit. exam. Con. Trident. part. 3. pag. 151._]

[Sidenote ae: _In Habacuc. cap. 1. num. 32._]

Againe these S. _Peter_ men (and as I haue warrant to terme them on this day _Salt Peter men_) erre from the true meaning of our text, because they doe not praise God _in sanctis eius_, in his saints: but dishonour God _in sanctis eorum_, in saints of their owne making, vsually praying vnto some who were no men, and to many who were not holy men. It is doubted by the two great lights in their glorious firmament, _Bellarmine_ and _Baronius_, whether there were euer any such man as S. _George_, or such a woman as S. _Catharine_. Cardinall _Bellarmine_ _lib. de beatitudine sanct. cap. vlt. §. respondeo sanctorum_ doth acknowledge that they worship certaine saints whose stories are vncertaine, reputing the legend of S. _George_ apocryphall according to the censure of Pope [af]_Gelasius:_ and Cardinall _Baronius ecclesiast. annal. Tom. 2. ad an. 290._ according to the impression at Rome, fol. 650. as also _de Martyrologio Romano, cap. 2._ confesseth as much of _Quiriacus_ and _Iulitta_, declaring plainely that their acts are written either by fooles or heretikes, and in his annotations vpon the _Romane Martyrologie_ 23. Aprill, he taketh vp _Iacobus de Voragine_ for his leaden Legend of our English S. _George_, concluding in fine, that the picture of Saint _George_ fighting with a Dragon is _symbolicall_, and not _historicall_. If the Scripture be true [ag]_whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne_: then assuredly these men (as [ah]_Paul_ speaks) _are damned of their owne selues_ in their owne conscience, who (notwithstanding all their doubts) pray still in their publike seruice, [ai]_Deus, qui nos beati Georgij martyris tui meritis & intercessione lætificas, Concede propitius, &c._ An Idoll as _Paul_ affirmes, 1. Cor. 8. 4. is nothing, _Ergo_, the Papists in worshipping S. _George_ which is nothing, commit (euen themselues being Iudges) abominable Idolatrie.

[Sidenote af: _Can. sanct. Roman. dist. 15._]

[Sidenote ag: _Rom. 14. 23._]

[Sidenote ah: _Tit. 3. 11._]

[Sidenote ai: _Missal. Roman. ex Con. Triden. decret. restit. in festo Georgij._]

As they worship some who were no men, so many who were not [ak]holy men, as a reuerend [al]Doctor of our Church accutely, _Non martyres domini sed mancipes diaboli_: the Souldiour who peirced Christs holy side was a Pagan,[am] neither doth any storie which is authenticall speake of his conuersion, and yet they worship him vnder the name of S. _Longinus_, or Longesse, March 15. _Papias_ (as [an]_Eusebius_ and [ao]_Hierome_ report) held the heresie of the _Millenarians_, and yet he is honoured as a saint in the Romane Calender vpon the 22. of Februarie. _Becket_ was a bad subiect in his life, and no good Christian at his death, in that hee commended himselfe and the cause of his Church vnto S. [ap]_Denys_ and our Lady. Yet S. _Thomas of Canterburie_ was honoured at Canterburie in the daies of popish ignorance more then either the worlds Sauiour, or the blessed Virgine his mother: in which relation I appeale to the records of that Church, as also to the very stones vnder his shrine worne with the knees and hands of such as came thither to worship him. _Boccace_ reporteth how one Sir _Chappelet_ a notorious Italian Vsurer and Cousoner came to be honoured as a Saint in France. _Sanders_ among them is a saint, albeit he liued in plotting, and dyed in acting rebellion against his gracious Soueraigne Queene _Elizabeth_ of famous and blessed memorie. Nay _Dauus_ is _Diuus_, _Saul_ is among the Prophets, _pater personatus_, father _Parsons_ all the daies of his life was a perpetual Martyr, as his fellow [aq]_Ribadeneira_ termeth him: and yet one (who sometime was his inner man, and knew him as I presume, better then euer did _Ribadeneira_) transposing the letters of _Robertus Parsonius Iesuita_, found this _anagramme_, _Personatus versuti oris abi_: the wit-foundred drunkard, _Henry Garnet_ (who did not according to the Counsell of [ar]_Paul_ vse _vino modico_: but as [as]_Paulinus_ pretily _modio_) that lecherous treacherous Arch-priest, Arch-traitor, Arch-diuell in concealing, if not in contriuing: in patronizing, if not in plotting the powder intended massacre, is returned a Saint from beyond the seas with [at]_à sancte Henrice intercede pro nobis_: his action is iustified, his life commended, his death honoured, his miracles and memorie celebrated by that _Ignatian_ spirit, ([au]_portentum nominis portentum hominis_, hauing a great deale of name, though a very little modestie) _Andreas Eudæmon Ioannes Cydonius_: but notwithstanding his apologie, the saintship of _Henry Garnet_ is so buffeted by the replies and antilogies of our accuratlie learned diuines, as that his straw face will hereafter hardly be worth a straw. _Catesbie_, _Winter_, _Rookwood_, and the rest of the Cole-saints and hole-saints (who laboured in the diuels mine by the Popes mint) are numbred among the holy ones also: Babilon and Egypt praise God in them, and for them. I haue heard much of _roaring_ gentlemen in _London_ and _Canterburie_, but if the Lord himselfe had not watched ouer his Church, if the Lord himselfe had not written England in the [ax]palmes of his hands, if the Lord himselfe had not kept King _Iames_ as the [ay]apple of his eye, [az]if the Lord himselfe had not been on our side (now may Gods Israell in England say) if the Lord himselfe had not been on our side, when they rose vp against vs, if the Lord himselfe had not (out of his vnspeakeable goodnesse toward vs and our posteritie) broken their snares, and deliuered our soules out of that horrible gunpowder pit; these bellowing Buls of Basan, and Canon-mouthed hell-hounds would haue made on this day such a roare, that all Christendome should haue felt it, and the whole world haue feared it. [ba]_O Lord God of all power, blessed be thy name, which hast this day brought to nought the enemies of thy people,[bb] so let all thine enemies perish._ _O Lord, that our[bc] mouthes may be filled with laughter and our tongue with ioy._ _Sint diui modo non viui_, let England hang such, although afterward Rome hallow such, he that hath an eye to see without the spectacles of a Iesuit, will affoord as good credit to the register at _Tiburne_ as to the Calender of _Tyber_: for if these be Martyrs, I wonder who are Murtherers? If these be Saints, I pray you who are Scythians? If these bee Catholikes, who are Canibals?

[Sidenote ak: _Dr. Sutclif examin. of Rom. cap. 7._]

[Sidenote al: _Dr. Abbot Antilog. pag. 3._]

[Sidenote am: _Sutclif. vbi sup._]

[Sidenote an: _Hist. lib. 3. cap. vlt._]

[Sidenote ao: _Catalog. scrip. in vita pap._]

[Sidenote ap: _Houenden annal. part. poster. pag. 298._]

[Sidenote aq: _Catalog. scrip. Iesuit. in vita Parsonij._]

[Sidenote ar: _1. Tim. 5. 23._]

[Sidenote as: _Epist. lib. 3. epist. 6._]

[Sidenote at: _Sheldon preface before his motiues._]

[Sidenote au: _Eliens. epist. lector. ante resp. ad Bellar. apol._]

[Sidenote ax: _Esay 49. 16._]

[Sidenote ay: _Deut. 32. 10._]

[Sidenote az: _Psal. 124._]

[Sidenote ba: _Judith. 13. 4._]

[Sidenote bb: _Iudges 5. 31._]

[Sidenote bc: _Psalm. 126. 2._]

I passe to the second exposition of these wordes, _O praise God in his sanctitie_, so _Munster_, _Pagninus_, _Beza_, _Tremelius_ and our old translation heere, _Praise God in his holinesse_: now God is holy _formaliter & effectiuè_, holy in himselfe, and making other holy; the Lord is glorious in holinesse Exod. 15. 11. Wheras other Gods are famous for their vnholinesse, _Venus_ was a wanton, _Mercurius_ a theefe, _Iupiter_ a monsterous adulterer, an ingenious man (as[bd] _Basile_ writes) would blush to report that of beastes, which the Gentiles haue recorded of their Gods. If such imputations are true saith [be]_Augustine_, _quàm mali_ how wicked are these Gods: if false _quàm malè_ how wretched and foolish are these men, adoring the same things in the temple, which they scoffe at in the theater, _in turpitudine[bf] nimium liberi, in superstitione nimium serui_: so that their Gods are not as our God, euen our enemies being Iudges Deut. 32. 31. there is none holy as the Lord 1. Sam. 2. 2. called[bg] often in holy Scripture _the holy one_, yea thrice holy; _holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts_ Esay. 6. 3. his [bh]name is holy, his [bi]law is holy, his [bk]spirit is holy, his will holy, his word holy, _righteous in all his waies, and holy in all his workes_ Psalm. 145. 17. making vs also which are his seruants an _holy people_ Deut. 7. 6. an _holy priest-hood_ 1. Pet. 2. 5. _his holy temples_ 1. Cor. 6. 19. our bodies, our soules, our selues, our whole [bl]seruice holy, wherefore _praise God in his holinesse_.

[Sidenote bd: _Lib. de legend. libris gentilium._]

[Sidenote be: _De Ciuit. Dei lib. 6. cap. 6._]

[Sidenote bf: _August. contra faust. man. li. 12. cap. 40._]

[Sidenote bg: _Esay 1. 4. & 10. 20._]

[Sidenote bh: _Luk. 1. 49._]

[Sidenote bi: _Psal. 19. 7._]

[Sidenote bk: _Mark. 12. 36._]

[Sidenote bl: _1. Pet. 3. 2._]

[bm]_Luther_, _Caluin_, _Vatablus_, your _English-Geneua_ bibles, & our new translation haue praise God in his _sanctuarie_, the which in holy scripture signifieth either heuen, or the temple, heauen is often called in sacred writ _Gods sanctuarie_, for [bn]thus saith he that is high and excellent, he that inhabiteth eternitie, whose name is the holy one, _I dwell in the high and holy place_. Christ in comming to vs is said to _breake the heauens_ Esay 64. 1. and when he went from vs vnto his father _a cloud tooke him vp into heauen_ Acts 1. and _frõ heauen_ he shal come againe to iudge the quicke and the dead 1. Thes. 4. 16. That _his sanctuarie_ may be taken heere for heauen, is gathered out of the very next clause (_praise him in the firmament of his power_) the which (as [bo]_Caluin_ & [bp]other expositors haue well obserued,) is exegeticall, and expoundes the former, as if Dauid should haue said, praise the Lord in his sanctuary, that is _in the firmament of his power_, for the heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke Psalm. 19. 1. let all people praise God our father in heauen, especially such as dwell with him [bq]in heauen, O praise the Lord all ye blessed Angels and Saints inhabiting his sanctuarie which is highest and holiest.

[Sidenote bm: _Idem Genebrard et alij._]

[Sidenote bn: _Esay 57. 15._]

[Sidenote bo: _In loc._]

[Sidenote bp: _Bellarmine in loc._]

[Sidenote bq: _Genebrard Agellius Acernensis epist. in loc._]

[br]Other apply the word _sanctuary_ to the Temple, so termed for two respects especially. 1. because God manifesteth _his holines_ toward vs in that holy place more principally, calling it expresly [bs]_his house_. 2. a _sanctuarie_ in regard of our _holy seruice_ toward God, for albeit euery day be to the good man a sabbath, and euery place a temple; yet the God of Order hath appointed certaine times, and certaine places also, wherein hee will bee worshipped publiquely, saying Leuiticus 19. 30. _Ye shall obserue my sabbaths, and reuerence my sanctuary_. For our holines toward God concerneth vs [bt]one way in that we are men, and another way in that we are ioyned as parts to that visible mystical body which is his Church as men, wee are at our owne choyce both for time, and place, and forme, according to the exigence of our owne occasions in priuate, but the seruice which is to bee done of vs as the members of a publique body, must of necessity bee publique, and so consequently to bee performed on holy daies in holy places, and for this doctrine the scriptures afford both patent and paterne, the patent is reported by the Prophet _Esay_: Chap. 56. vers. 7. and repeated by Christ in [bu]three seuerall Euangelists: _my house shall be called an house of prayer for all people_. The paterns are manifold, _I will enter into thine house in the multitude of thy mercies, and in thy feare will I worship toward thine holy temple_, saith our Prophet, Psal. 5. 7. The Publican and the Pharisie went _into the temple to pray_, Luke 18. _Peter_ and _Iohn_ went vp together _into the temple at the ninth houre of prayer_, Acts 3. _Anna_ fasted and _prayed in the temple_, Luke 2. This one word, _sanctuarie_ teacheth vs how we should behaue our selues in the Church as in Gods presence: Doest thou come to that holie place to receiue the blessed Supper of our Lord? remember that the temple is _sanctuarium, non promptuarium_, a sanctuarie, not a buttrie, [bx]_haue ye not houses to eate and drink in, despise yee the Church of God?_ Doest thou come to pray? [by]_take heede to thy foote when thou entrest into Gods house_, compose thy knees, and eyes, and hands, and heart after such a deuout manner: as that thou maist not onely praise God vpon the loud cymbals, but (as it is vers. 5.) _praise him vpon the well tuned cymbals_ also. Doest thou come to heare the sermon? remember that the preaching of the Gospel is [bz]not the word of a mortall man, but the [ca]power of the immortall God vnto saluation: and albeit the Preacher be neuer so simple, neuer so sinfull; yet the word is holy, the action holy, the time holy, the place holy, ordained by the most holy to make thee holy. Vpon whatsoeuer occasion thou commest into the Temple, remember alwaies that the ground is holy whereon thou standest, it is a _sanctuarie_, the habitation of God, and place of his _holinesse_: and therefore not to be [cb]prophaned with ordinarie though lawfull worldly businesse, much lesse with vnlawfull pastimes and enterludes, it is a place for praise, not for playes, _O praise God in his sanctuarie_.

[Sidenote br: _Luther Vatablus Chald. apud Genebrard english Com. dedicated to Mr. Herlakinden._]

[Sidenote bs: _Esay. 56. 7._]

[Sidenote bt: _Hooker eccles. pol. lib. 5. §. 24._]