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It chanced he had under him in one of his dominions, a briber, a gift-taker, a gratifier of rich men, he followed gifts as fast as he that followed the pudding, a hand-maker in his office, to make his son a great man; as the old saying is, Happy is the child, whose father goeth to the devil. The cry of the poor widow came to the emperor's ear, and caused him to flay the judge quick, and laid his skin in his chair of judgment, that all judges that should give judgment afterward, should sit in the same skin. Surely it was a goodly sign, a goodly monument, the sign of the judge's skin. I pray God we may once see the sign of the skin in England.

Ye will say, peradventure, that this is cruelly and uncharitably spoken. No, no; I do it charitably, for a love I bear my country. God saith, "Ego visitabo," I will visit. God hath two visitations: the first is, when he revealeth his word by preachers; and where the first is accepted, the second cometh not. The second visitation is vengeance. He went a visitation when he brought the judge's skin over his ears, If his word be despised, he cometh with his second visitation, with vengeance.

Noah preached God's word a hundred years, and was laughed to scorn, and called an old doting fool. Because they would not accept

this first visitation, God visited them the second time; he poured down showers of rain, till all the world was drowned. Lot was a visitor of Sodom and Gomorrah; but because they regarded not his preaching, God visited them the second time, and burnt them all up with brimstone, saving Lot. Moses came first a visitation into Egypt with God's word; and because they would not hear him, God visited them again, and drowned them in the Red Sea. God likewise with his first visitation visited the Israelites by his prophets; but because they would not hear his prophets, he visited them the second time, and dispersed them in Assyria and Babylon. John Baptist likewise, and our Saviour Christ visited them afterward, declaring to them God's will; and because they despised these visitors, he destroyed Jerusalem by Titus and Vespasian. Germany was visited twenty years with God's word, but they did not earnestly embrace it, and in life follow it, but made a mingle-mangle, and a hotch-potch of it; I cannot tell what, partly popery, partly true religion, mingled together. They say in my country, when they call their hogs to the swine-trough, "Come to thy mingle-mangle, come pur, come pur." Even so they made mingle-mangle of it. They could clatter and prate of the gospel; but when all cometh to all,

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they joined popery so with it, that they marred all together. They scratched and scraped all the livings of the church, and under a color of religion, turned it to their own proper gain and lucre. God seeing that they would not come unto his word, now he visiteth them in the second time of his visitation, with his wrath; for the taking away of God's word is a manifest token of his wrath.

We have now a first visitation in England; let us beware of the second. We have the ministration of his word; we are yet well : but the house is not clean swept yet. God hath sent us a noble king in this his visitation; let us not provoke him against us; let us beware, let us not displease him, let us not be unthankful and unkind, let us beware of by-walking and contemning of God's word, let us pray diligently for our king, let us receive with all obedience and prayer the word of God.

I will tell you what I remembered yesternight in my bed; a marvellous tale to perceive how inscrutable a man's heart is. I was once at Oxford, (for I had occasion to come that way, when I was in my office ;) they told me it was a gainer way, and a fairer way, and by that occasion I lay there a night. Being there, I heard of an execution that was done upon one that suffered for treason. It was, as ye

know, a dangerous world, for it might soon cost a man his life for a word's speaking. I cannot tell what the matter was, but the judge set it so out that the man was condemned: the twelve men came in and said, Guilty; and upon that he was judged to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. When the rope was about his neck, no man could persuade him that he was in any fault; and stood there a great while in the protestation of his innocency. They hanged him, and cut him down somewhat too soon, afore he was clean dead; then they drew him to the fire, and he revived; and then he coming to his remembrance, confessed his fault, and said he was guilty. O, a wonderful example! It may well be said, "Pravum cor hominis et inscrutabile," A crabbed piece of work, and unsearchable.

THE

FOURTH SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE KING EDWARD,

MARCH 29th.

ROMANS xv. 4.

Quæcunque scripta sunt, ad nostram doctrinam, &c.

All things that are written, are written to be our doctrine.

I showed you the last day, most honorable audience, that it was good and lawful for honest, virtuous folk, for God's people, to use the laws of the realm, as an ordinary help against their adversaries, and ought to take them as God's holy ordinances, for the remedies of their injuries and wrongs, when they are distressed so that they do it charitably, lovingly, not of malice, not vengeably, not covetously.

I should have told you here of a certain sect of heretics that speak against this order and doctrine; they will have no magistrates nor