John Boys

“ Archimedes in his conference with Hiero said, Giue me a place where I may stand out of the world, and I will moue the whole earth. In like manner, he that will bee reputed a Saint, and so take vpon him to remoue men earthly minded from their worldinesse, must himselfe at the least haue one foote out of the world, seeking (as the blessed ckApostle speakes) the things aboue, that clother may see his good workes, and glorifie God which is in Heauen, that is (according to the true soule of our text) praise 12 God in his Saints which are his sacrarie, his sanctuarie, his house, his heauen. ”

“ For our holines toward God concerneth vs btone 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. ”

“ Let euery thing that hath breath praise the Lord, that is fcomne spirans, fdomnis spiritualis, feomnis spiritus, let euery creature praise the lord for his estate of confection, euery Christian praise the Lord for his estate of refection, euery blessed spirit loosed out of the worldes misery praise the Lord for his estate of perfection, let euery creature, man aboue all the Creatures, and the soule of man aboue all that is in man praise the Lord. ”

“ It is true that our most and best praises are few for the number, and little for the measure; whereas God is infinite for his goodnes, and in his greatnesse incomprehensible. So that the meaning of eaDauid is, that we should praise him according to our capacitie, and not according to his immensitie; according to the grace bestowed vpon vs, and not according to the glorie which is in him. ”

“ 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 yApologie for the Confession of Auspurge) quartermasters with God, and halfe mediatours with Christ, I say ioynt mediatours not of incercession only but of zredemption also. ”

“ Let the house of Aaron now confesse that his mercy endureth for euer. Yea let all such as feare the Lord now confesse that his mercy endureth for euer. All the Congregations of the Saints in the whole world, haue good cause to thanke God our strength and deliuerer. Scotland hath good cause, for if England had been but a Tuesday breakefast, assuredly Scotland should haue been but a Fridaies drinking, one morsell as it were for the greedy deuourer. The Churches in France relieued often by vs, haue good cause to reioyce with vs. ”

“ 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. lWee 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 3 A3 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 daym in the same day it was wrought ”

“ 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 theyp pray to God for our good in generall. It is required on our part I say, to giue God most humble thanks for translating thẽ out of this qvalley of teares into Hierusalem aboue, where they be rclothed with long white robes, hauing palmes in their hands, and scrownes of gold on their heads, euer liuing in that happie kingdome without either dying or crying, Apocal. ”

“ The worke of redemption is of farre greater might and mercy, for the making of the world was (if I may so speke) onely lip-labour vnto God, he spake the word and it was done, he commanded and it stood fast, Psalm. ”

“ Praise God in his Saints, praise God in his sanctitie, praise God in his sanctuarie. S. Hierome, Augustine, Prosper, and dother 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 evnsearchable riches of mercie, bestowed the blessings of the flife present ”

“ The good man (I meane the true Christian) is not only Gods cfhouse, but also Gods cgtemple, yea, Gods heauen, as chAugustine expounds the words of Christ, Our father which art in heauen, that is, in holy men of heuenly conuersation, in whose sanctified hearts hee dwelleth as in his cisanctuarie. ”

“ The worke of sanctification is a noble act also, for euery man if you rightly consider his making is a wonder, I am saith our dhProphet fearfully and wonderfully made: but a good man if you consider his new making is a wonderfull wonder, as diPaul speakes a spectacle to men and Angels, as the vulgar Latine runnes in the 68. Psalme, at the last verse, mirabilis deus in sanctis, O God wonderfull art thou in thy Saints. ”

“ 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 (asbd Basile writes) would blush to report that of beastes, which the Gentiles haue recorded of their Gods. ”

“ But of all other noble preseruations, Our deliuerance from that intended mercilesse and matchlesse Massacre both in fact and fiction, the fifth of Nouember, in the yeare 1605. is most noblie noble. King Iames on this day might haue said with King dpDauid, O Lord which art my rocke and my fortresse, thou hast giuen me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me, that I might breake them as small as the dust of the earth, and tread them flat as the clay of the streete. dqO giue thankes vnto the Lord, for he is gracious, and his mercy endureth for euer. ”

“ Atheists (if they think there be a God) haue good cause to thanke God, acknowledging his mercie toward them in sparing vs, and so sauing the bad for the drrighteous sake. Carnall Gospellers haue good cause to thanke God, confessing that so long as dsLot is in Sodome, it can not be destroyed; and so long as Moses standeth in the dtgap, and duprayeth for his people, Gods wrathfull indignation can not deuoure vs. ”

“ And vndoubtedly (beloued) there is no nation vnder the cope of Heauen hath had greater occasion to praise God in this kind then England, the preseruation of the most illustrious princesse the Lady Elizabeth vnder the fiery triall of her vnkind sister Queene Marie was a noble act, and the seminary of much happinesse vnto this kingdome for many yeares after, and so much the more noble because Philip King of Spaine hath often confessed that he spared her life (when wildy Winchester and bloodie Bonner had brought her into the snare) not out of any pietie or pittie, but onely out of policie. ”

“ If the Scripture be true agwhatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne: then assuredly these men (as ahPaul speaks) are damned of their owne selues in their owne conscience, who (notwithstanding all their doubts) pray still in their publike seruice, aiDeus, qui nos beati Georgij martyris tui meritis & intercessione lætificas, Concede propitius, &c. ”

“ Dic mihi musa virum, I pray Muse and shew me the man, who 22 ioynes with that euer zealous, reuerend, learned Deane in founding a Colledge for a Societie of writers against the superstitious Idolatries of the Romane Synagogue, the which happily might be like the ecTower of Dauid, where the strong men of Israel might haue shieldes and targets to fight the Lords battaile: edIs it time for your selues to dwell in your seiled houses, and this house lye wast? ”

“ Dauid inuiteth all the Citizens of heauen, O praise God in his sanctuarie, praise him in the firmament of his power.
2. All the dwellers vpon earth, praise him in the sound of the trumpet, praise him vpon the lute and harpe, &c. ”

“ Whosoeuer doubts of the Churches libertie herein, or of the practise of this libertie, may peruse the ninth chapter of Ester, in which it will appeare, that Gods people by the commandement of Mordecai, did euery yeare solemnize and keepe holy the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the moneth Adar, in remembrance of their great deliuerie from the Treason of Haman. ”