SALOMON OR A treatise declaring the state of the kingdome of Jsrael , as it was in the daies of SALOMON . Whereunto is annexed another treatise , of the Church : or more particularly , Of the right constitution of a Church . Psal. 45.14 . Adducetur Regi .

LONDON , Printed by Robert Robinson for Robert Dexter . 1596.

Thomas Morton her Maiesties vnworthy subiect desireth from God a long continuance and a daily encrease of temporall Maiestie : And after the satietie thereof , the fruition of eternall Maiestie and glorie with Iesus Christ :

And in testimonie of all vnfained loue , loyalty and thankefulnesse dedicateth in most humble wise , these treatises of the Kingdome of Israel , and of the Church .

BEholde ( good Reader ) that glorious Monarch king Salomon , the fairest flower that euer stood on the face of the earth , stript out of his maiesticall robes , wherein he was as glorious as the Lilie of the fielde , yea as the sunne in his brightnesse at noone day , and clad in a most simple and homely weede , hauing as we say in as homely a prouerbe , neyther welt nor garde , no bright shining colours , or curious caruing , no commendation of sharpnes of wit or admirable eloquence , of great reading or profound learning , of sound wisdome or long experience , or of any other thing , that is in account or r●quest among men . And withall pardon we pray thee this bold attempt , in choosing so royal a patronage for so base a peece of worke . We are not so blinded with any fonde co●ceite of the excellencie & worthinesse o● these treatises , as to thinke them a great daintie , fit for princes only to feed on , the which we iudge too course for the diet of the meanest read●r : but we do it vpon those groundes & reasons which we hope wil be if not a full and sufficient defence yet a tolerable excuse and a probable pretence in this behalfe . What is more needfull or acceptable in the eies of God , then that subiectes beare an exceeding great loue to their naturall princes , as to their parentes by whose meanes they enioy all good thinges both temporall and spirituall whats●euer : and be readie to testifie the said loue whensoeuer any iust occasion doth offer it selfe or can be found : especially by offering vnto them as to earthly Gods ( for so it hath pleased God to call them ) some parte of those blessings which God hath vouchsafed vnto vs , as acknowledging that we haue receaued all that we haue by their meanes . The want of this duetie shewed the rebellious disposition of some of the people against Saul the first of these kinges : of whom it is said , 1. Sam. 10.27 . that they despised Saule their newe king , and did not bring any gift or present vnto him .

And surely herein the selfe loue of man doth notably bewray it self , who doth perhaps , although not thankefully remember for any long time , yet somewhat regard for the present , those who shew themselues good and bountifull vnto him : But as for publicke benefites whereof many others are partakers , he maketh no r●ckning of them , neyther accounteth himselfe beholden to them , who are the authors and giuers of them : as if he had enmitie and warre with the whole worlde , and so were hurt , whensoeuer others are helpt . Hence it commeth that so fewe are heartely and duetifully affected to magistrates , who are good to many , and farre fewer to God , who is good to all , or perfourme any duety of loue and thankefulnesse to eyther , saue onely in hypocrisie and for feare . Whereas farre greater loue is due to them , then to any priuate person , because we receaue from them farre moe benefites then any other can bestowe vpon vs . Yea this heartie affection and duetifull testification of it is required at the handes not only of great & mightie men who can bring rich presentes correspondent to the maiestie of the greatest princes , but also of the poorest and basest member of the Church & commonwealth : yea as it is often found in men of meane condition whenas it is wanting in high degrees and loftie lookes , so it is and ought to be alwaies as wel accepted at the one hand , as at the other . We knowe that God the king of kinges taketh in as good part , if the minde be no worse , a paire of smale pigeons as a couple of great oxen , and that the most maiesticall and stately monarches ( as namely our gratious soueraign inferiour to none in maiesty & state ) haue as willingly stouped to a homely dish of fruit , to a smale posie of three or foure flowers , to a sheet of paper contayning in it no great mysteries , as to great and fruitfull orchardes , to the most faire and pleasant gardens or to great and huge volumes , mirrours of wit , and storehouses of all profound learning . Yea we knowe that as God himselfe , so also wise princes by his example doe often more willingly admit meane and simple then great and rich oblations , as not carying with them any shewe of merite , nor making the receauer beholden and indebted to the giuer . In the which respect , as we doe beare in our mindes vnfained loyaltie and loue ( of the greatnes whereof , ( as there are many degrees of it ) we haue nothing to say but onely that it is farre lesse than it ought to be ) to her Maiesties state and person , so we haue thought it meete to testifie the same vnto thee , good reader , by this meanes which now we vse . Let not we pray thee , the great wantes which thou mayest easely espy , or rather can'st not but see in these treatises ( being for quantitie smale and contemptible , for stile base yea rude , for matter barren yea altogether void of that deepe learning which aboundeth in euerie booke and place ) breede in thy minde any suspition of want of affection or make thee thinke them altogether vnfit for this purpose . We doe not goe about to make eyther comparison or contention betweene the excellency of the gift and of the receauer : and thou art not ignorant that pence and halfe pence doe as decently cary about with them the name , armes and image of the prince as the greatest peeces of gold or siluer , and are as euident testimonies of the loyall subiection of the people , amongest whom they are currant .

Howe then will some man say , are all to be accounted vnduetifull subiectes , who doe not by some such meanes testifie their good affection toward their prince ? or is it meete that euery three halfe penny pamphlet come foorth in her Maiesties name ? No surely : the one is neyther needfull nor conuenient , for it would be troublesome and tumultuous , the other is not to be allowed . Onely we meane that no man should be wanting as in bearing in his heart , so in testifying vnto others his loue and loyalty towardes his prince , when occasion is offered and doth so require : And that the smalnesse or meannesse of the present ( especially in this kinde wherein it is after a sort commendable , for we cannot thinke that great princes haue leysure to peruse many great volumes ) ought to make vs thinke it vnmeete for this purpose , if that in other respectes it doe agree . And whether this be a sufficient defence for our doing or no , yet we trust that thou gentle reader , to whom onely this booke ( although dedicated to her M. ) is to be offered and presented , will not reiect it for the meannesse of it , but take it in good part insteed of a better . Thus we hauing penned and being about to publish these two treatises , the one of the state of the kingdome of Israel , the other of the right constitution of a Church , seemed both to our selues and also to others to haue good o●casion offered of perfourming the aforesaid duety , and that the arguments of these treatises did euen lead vs by the hand to this dedication : It were rashnesse & folly for any man to think that euery flower in his garden were a fit present for a prince ( although if there were any necessitie that he should of a suddaine testifie his submission , the meanest would serue his turne to a gracious prince , as Iacob bid his sonnes take with them a present to the ruler of Aegypt of such thinges as were readiest in the house ) yet if happelie his garden brought forth a flower of that kinde whereof the poet speaketh , inscripti nomina regum , wherein the name , picture or armes of his prince were liuelely engrauen by nature her selfe , who would not pardon his boldnesse in presenting it to him , yea although it were not in any respect so faire , pleasant , and fragrant as many other . Yea and if he should be drawen by affection or hope of gaine , ( which h● perhaps would hope for rather at a meaner mans handes , as hauing leasure to mind and remember the perfourmance of that duetie ) bestow it vpon any other , iudge him an vnduetifull and vnthankefull subiect . Thus our poore garden hath yeelded this treatise of the kingdome of Israell , wherein nothing is worthy to be eyther commended or mentione● , but onely that it is , if we be not deceaued , a most true and liuely picture of her Maiesties state and crowne . There are many fourmes of gouernment beside Monarchies , and diuers kindes of kingdomes , but as a base pr●uerbe saith , one egge is not more like to another then was this state to that gouernment vnder which we liue . Neyther is there at this day any christian kingdome in the world that commeth so neare vnto it , or rathen doth so match it in great power and surpassing maiesty , yea in all other respectes of any moment . Yea we neede not heere except tha● notable prerogatiue , wherewith this kingdome was endued and adorned in that it was Gods kingdome : founded , established , maintained and repaired by God himselfe : for who knoweth not , that God hath from time to time , and doth at this day so watch ouer this kingdome , and maintaine it against all aduersarie power wha●soeuer , that it may truly be called Gods kingdom . It is recorded of one Brightwold a Monke of Glastenburie , that studying of the succession , which at that time troubled him and many others , he had reuealed vnto him in a dreame , that Edward should be king : and that he being not so content but asking further who should succeede him in the kingdome , he receaued this answere or rather this reproofe , Take thou no thought for such matters , for the kingdome of England is Gods kingdome . What credit is to be giuen to the author or what account is to be made of this dreaming prophet let others iudge , yet as we finde it recorded in our Chronicles , so we haue thought it not vnfit to be remembred in this place . Besides we knowe that these powerfull and maiesticall kingdomes , haue beene a●d are at this day oppugned by many , yea vtterly reiected as vnlawfull : and therefore this treatise presuming to giue his sentence on their side , as being most lawfull gouernementes , could not more fitly shrowde it selfe vnder any patronage , then vnder that for the which it is like to be reiected by some . Againe we haue annexed to this treatise of the kingdome of Israell , a treatise of the right manner of framing or building the Church , as it were ioyning the Church and the commonwealth into one bodie vnder one head , as we are perswaded that they are not two but one onely bodie : the which also although in respect of the simple handling of the matter , it be vnworthy to be accepted and red by the meanest , yet no man can doubt or will deny , but that the fitnesse of the argument is a probable excuse for this presumptuous dedication .

Lastly we desire thee good reader to vse christian moderation in suspending thy iudgement of vs , till happely time make that manifest which now is doubtfull , in regard of two opinions contained in these treatises , the which will seeme somewhat strange to some , and perhaps to thy selfe among the rest . The one is that we enfraunchize the papist , Arian & al other heretickes professing the gospel of Christ , into the catholicke Church ( by the which we meane nothing else but the whole Church militant here on earth ) from the which many doe vtterly reiect them as mere infidels and straungers from the couenant , and commonwealth of Israel . The other opinion is , in that we giue to the christian magistrate especially in great and absolute Monarchies greater authoritie both in ciuill and ecclesiasticall causes then seemeth to stand with the good of the Church or the trueth of Gods word . For the former , we neede not trouble our selues with the defence of it any further , then it is declared in the treatise , it being held and professed by many sound diuines , who are in euerie respect far more able to maintaine it . Likewise for the other , we haue nothing to say in this place , saue onely that we are to desire thee , not to attribute it to flattery , rather then to a constant and setled perswasion , the suspition whereof it is hard for him to auoyde , who doth any thing whereby the power and authoritie of mightie men is maintained and enlarged , and so their fauour , as vsually it commeth to passe procured . We doe indeed intend in publishing this treatise , the good and peaceable estate of this kingdome , and the maintaining of that powerfull and maiesticall authoritie whereunto it hath pleased God to make vs subiect . Yea we doe earnestly desire of him , that these treatises may haue that effect in al their hearts into whose handes they shal come : that they ( if there be any such ) who doe nourish in their breastes any sinister affections or opinions in this behalf , may be by meanes of them wonne to heartie loue to so gratious a prince & loyall subiection to so lawfull and excellent a kinde of gouernment . Yea that they who haue alreadie receaued these graces from God , may encrease in them , and perfourme all dueties which are needfull in regard eyther of the safetie or the maiestie of their prince , more willi●gly and chearefully then before , as being perhaps resolued of some pointes , ●hereof before they doubted . And lastly that as touching the religion and worship of God professed in this land , they who accounte vs no Church ( by whome we affirming their opinion to be such , as might easely be shewed out of the word of God to be erroneous haue beene vehemently charged in the name of God to publish somewhat of the true nature and constitution of a Church for the manifesting of the trueth in that behalfe ) may be moued to thinke and acknowledge that God i● truely serued , his word preached , his sacramentes administred and his name called vpon in all the publicke assemblies throughout this land , especially by considering the doctrine , nature and state of a publicke Church , the which kinde of Churches not being in vse in the daies of the Apostles , and therfore not mentioned in their writings , seemeth strange to many . This we confesse that we intend in this action , and are perswaded that we may lawfully , yea in some respectes ought necessarely to doe : but we trust that God will neuer so giue vs vp to a senselesse minde , as to doe any thing for the procuring of the fauour of men contrarie to the trueth of Gods word and the good of his Church . He maketh an euill bargaine , that throweth himselfe into the bottomlesse sea or rather into the burning furnace of Gods wrath in aduenture of mans fauour , which is vncertaine and momentani● sooner lost then gott●n , & in respect of true happinesse altogether vnprofitable . But we trust good reader , that this apologie might haue beene spared and that thou wilt take these simple treatises in good part , as thou hast done the like heretofore . Thus I commend thee as I earnestly desire to be commended by thee to the word and spirit of God to be led into all trueth , and preserued without blame till the day of Christ .