an excellent Sermon telling them amongst other things that such vexations are granted by God for the sinnes of the people and how much more dangerous was the consuming flame of hell which shall euerlastingly deuoure the damned than the madnesse of a wolfe which can but deuoure the body and how dreadfull it is to be drowned in the gulfe of hell since so great a multitude of people were so much kept in feare by the perill of one litle beast Returne returne therefore D. B. to our Lord doe worthy penance God will deliuer you from the present danger of the Wolfe and from the future danger of hells deuouring fire And then said further marke me well beloued my brother Wolfe who standeth quietly here before you hath promised mee and hath also giuen me assurance of his promise vpon his credit to make peace with you and neuer to hurt you in any thing vpon condition that you shall also giue your promise to maintaine him I for my Brother Wolfe will be suretie that he shall firmely obserue and faithfully keepe this couenant of peace with you with that all that were there cried out aloud promising alwaies to cherish and feede the Wolfe And S. Francis in the presence of them all said and thou brother Wolfe doest thou promise to hold peace with them and that thou wilt hurt neither Beast nor Person of theirs then the Wolfe made shew of promising to keepe peace by falling vpon his knees inclining his head and other gestures of taile and eares full of blandishment Saint Francis then said But brother Wolfe I will haue thee now before all here present to giue me assurance of thy promise as thou didst without the gate and that thou wilt keepe this peace and that thou wilt not offend in the suretie made Then the Wolfe lifting vp his right fore-foot made promise in the hand of S. Francis his suretie in the sight of all whereupon there was such admiration and ioy of all as well for the deuotion of the Saint as for the newnesse of the miracle as also for the peace betweene the Wolfe and the People that all gaue thankes vnto God praising Almightie God who by the merits of his Saint had deliuered them from the mouth of the fierce Beast and restored them quietnesse and safetie from so fearefull a vexation An honest Wolfe Now afterward the Wolfe alwaies kept his promise and conditions ordained by Saint Francis and liuing in the Cittie two yeares going vp and downe from doore to doore begging his foode without hurting any or being hurt of any was louingly cherished and fedde of all and which is more strange there neuer did Dogge barke at him At length the Wolfe died and the Cittizens were very sorrie for his death because the continuall sight and presence of the Wolfe did maruailously renew in them the memorie of Saint Francis vertue and sanctitie I noted this Miracle related by such Authours as a thing not only ridiculous to any iudicious Hearer thereof but as also most erroneous in the circumstances as namely where Saint Francis telleth the VVolfe of his horrible crimes committed against Men and Beasts and telleth him further that because hee deuoured men created to Gods similitude and that therefore bee was worthy to die like a Theefe and Murderer whereby it seemeth hee insinuates that a bruit beast doing that which is naturall vnto him committeth sinne which can not bee sinne vnlesse it bee voluntarie and that this humble VVolfe was so intelligent as that hee knew man to be created to Gods similitude and likenesse therefore a fit miracle for Fooles and Children 9. Yet to sport you more Other Miracles like the former Mat. Paris in Hen. 3. I will tell you yet one as prettie as this to shew the power of this Romane Canonized Saint as well ouer Birds as the VVolfe I haue read that Saint Francis when his Preaching was despised by the Romanes went into the fields and there charged the Crowes and Kites and Pies to listen to his doctrine which they did for halfe a day without any noise or chatting and thus hee did for three daies together A man could not well say of these humble Auditours Beati qui audiunt verbum Dei custodiunt illud Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Neither will I here omit an other miracle wrought vpon one Frier Francis a follower of the noblest Saint Francis who celebrating Masse found a Spider in the Challice Conformit Sancti Francis got into the bloud of his Sauiour and did not take him out but dranke it vp together with the bloud Who afterwards rubbing his shinne-bone and scratching where it itched that Spider came whole out of his legge and did him no hurt O most ridiculous miracle what could be the end of it was it because hee did against the Rubicke of the Masse See the Missall which commandeth the Spider to be burnt or might not that Spider bee suffered to abide aswell in the body of so holy a Frier as in the bloud of Christ But the Church of Rome is full of like miracles Prettie is that which is recorded by Gregorie the Great as the Papists say who writeth that when Pope Iohn had rode on the horse of a noble woman the horse would not any more endure a woman vpon his back no not his old Mistris A wise horse no doubt Now when I considered these and many other ridiculous miracles recorded by the learned of that Church which neither confirme any truth The strange example of the Papisticall Doctor of Paris Catechishist cap 10. tit 4 part 2. Fr. Put. in vita S. Pr. Ioan. Nau. vo 2 Ch. 2. Gerio 37. Laurent Sur. 6. Octob. S. Ant. 1. part tit 5. c. 2. ff 11. but only tend to the glorie of their Saints in simple mens iudgements I could not but much lament at my former folly in being too credulous vnto them Yet one I can not but relate more because in my iudgement it rather ouerthroweth the faith of Rome than establisheth the same the storie is this and not bee gaine-said as the Papists hold by any so authenticall are the proofes thereof done in the presence of many witnesses There was a Doctor in Paris much renowned and famous as well for his doctrine as for his good exteriour life so farre forth as men could iudge who departed this world without the administration of Sacraments Anno 1086 And whilest the Dirges and prayers of the dead were singing when they were come vnto the fourth Lesson which began Responde mihi Answere me the deceased man who lay vpon the Hearse lifted vp his head a little in such sort that euerie one there present might see him and with a horrible and fearefull voice he cryed out aloud Iusto Dei iudicio accusatus sum I am accused before the iust iudgement of God Which wordes hauing spoken hee layed himselfe downe againe in his coffin
and when I noted that I could neuer heare any one Iesuit to speake reprouingly of it and further heard some very rashly and foolishly to cast the imputation of inuenting it vpon the best States-men of this land as a traine to make Catholikes the more odious to the State I began to obserue a custome vsed by some which is without any regard of truth or knowledge to speake the worst they can to blemish the reputation of their aduersaries so I heard a certaine young Iesuit report when Garnet was in the Tower A pretty deuice that day and night oyle was put into his eyes with feathers and other means vsed to keepe him from sleepe that so being weakened both in bodie and minde he might be easily drawne to confesse all he knew which circumstances with diuers others belonging to this vnmatchable treason though they made mee not then abandon the faith and beleefe of those that were actors thereof yet did they sow such seedes of doubtfulnesse and care in me to be sound in faith that the effects and fruits issuing from them of doctrine concerning disallegeance to the King which is contained in the Popes Breues hath much auerted me since as namely the doctrine of Bellarmine teaching that the Apostles were not subiect to temporall Princes de iure but de facto retracting the former opinion Bellarmin cont Barclaium tract De potest summi Pontificis in rebus temporalibus ca. 3. fol. 48. extant in his controuersies these many yeares now holding the quite contrarie notwith standing it is a doctrine of faith that as well the Clergie as the Laitie are subiect to Kings and Princes because obedience to Kings whether they be good or wayward in Scripture is commended vnto all 1. Petri 2.18 behold here the second occasion 7 A third occasion concurring to my conuersion Conference with others was conference with others into whose companies by chance I haue falne as once with a learned Knight who not knowing me to be a Priest conferred with me as with a professor of the Romane faith who winded me into such a circle about the Scriptures and the Church that I could neuer winde my selfe out of it till I winded my selfe out of the Romane Church and stayed my selfe vpon a ground not admitted there which is that the Scriptures are the most sufficient and certaine rule of faith that Christians haue which if you take away all religion all faith all knowledge of God falleth to the ground And another time I fell into dispute with a graue ancient Iustice of Peace who pressed me so farre that I promised to send him some principall doctrines of the Roman Church so sufficiently proued by Scriptures by Fathers and by naturall reason that if they could bee answered I would subscribe to his Church but in the examination of the proofes of those very points brought in by Bellarmine and due consideration of them I found them to be of very little force to proue the verities intended as hereafter shall appeare concerning the Masse Transubstantiation the ministration of the Sacrament vnder one kinde to lay people Pardons auricular confession and others whereupon I haue proued since as good as my promise in ioyning my selfe to the Church of England 8 A fourth occasion of examining more carefully the controuersies hath been grounded vpon his Maiesties Title His Maiesties Booke in his Premonition to Christian Princes stiling himselfe the Defendor of the true Christian Catholike and Apostolike faith which seemed so strange vnto me at the first considering that no Church more chalengeth the name of Catholike than the Church of Rome that I began to consider with my selfe whether I could finde any capitall points of faith taught now by the present Church of Rome that were not taught and professed by the ancient and Primitiue Church and now impugned by the Church of England and finding that the doctrine of deposing Princes and Kings by the Pope was not ancient nor Transubstantiation nor the Masse as now it is practised nor the Sacrament as now it is ministred by the Church of Rome nor Pardons nor prohibition of Priests marriages I haue since beene enforced to conclude that certainely the present Church of Rome professeth not in those points the true Christian Catholike and Apostolike faith Further as I noted the profession his Maiestie maketh in his Premonitorie Epistle to Princes Praemonit ful 35 acknowledging himselfe to be such a Christian Catholike as beleeueth the three Creedes that of the Apostles that of the Councell of Nice and that of Athanasius admitting the first foure generall Councels as Catholike and Orthodox the ioint consent of Fathers in the Primitiue age the authoritie of Scriptures c. I could not but conceiue at last that his Maiestie went vpon the strongest foundations of the Catholike faith that could bee layed to auoid the danger of new doctrines which obseruations did much facilitate my search and scrutinie into the true grounds and reasons of faith besides many other occasions of priuat conference with diuers particular persons who thought themselues much tempted in matters of faith and religion because they could hardly beleeue what the Church of Rome teacheth or at least not without great difficultie Whereby you may see courteous Reader the prouidence of God working in me by degrees towards my conuersion affoording mee the occasions and meanes first of searching and examining which brought me at length to the motiues of resoluing as hereafter you shall vnderstand more at large when I shall first haue layd downe vnto you certaine fundamentall obseruations as grounds on which the true Christian Catholike faith must of necessitie stand and the whole frame thereof be surely builded CHAP. III. Containing the first fundamentall obseruation of the end of man and his chiefe happinesse AFter the manifestation of the occasions which by Gods prouidence occurred to forward this worke of my conuersion The chiefe businesse of man is to seeke his end the next thing to be spoken of is to acquaint thee deare Christian Reader with those fundamentall obseruations which made further way to the complete perfection thereof the first of which was of that nature that I assure my selfe no man who hath care of his soule and saluation can chuse but allow for I assured my selfe that if I went vpon such sure foundations and principles as religion ought to stand vpon I could neither stay in error nor fall into any Hence I was moued to resolue most constantly that the most immoueable foundation that all my sp rituall building should stand on should be a frequent consideration that the chiefe and most principall affaire and businesse of greatest importance in this world wherein it was my dutie to employ my endeuors ought to be the saluation of my soule and my future happinesse in the life to come since to this end God created me to his similitude and likenesse redeemed mee with the most precious bloud of his most
Priest or by some cleane and discreet youth if the sicke man can not resume it himselfe 8. The inconueniences of approuing Transubstantiation Besides the inconueniences that follow of this doctrine of Transubstantiation are so many that no man almost out of common sense can admit it vnlesse bee will fondly suffer himselfe to bee carried away with such a generall implicite faith of the Church of Romes inerrabilitie whereby he may fall into as many heresies and dangers of seduction as a blinde man is in danger of falls if he will only walke by the guidance of an other as blinde as himselfe Hence it followeth that it must be beleeued that accidents are without a subiect whereas the nature of a Sacrament requireth no such matter like as when the wood is burned the colour of the wood should remaine alone without a subiect that Mice that knaw the consecrated Hoast doe knaw bare accidents alone and thta the glorified body of Christ are subiect to the grinding of teeth That no worke of God neither of Creation nor of Redemption is so great as the worke of consecration by the Priest by which transubstantiation is performed Whence it is come that the Romish Diuines hold that many miracles together are done in the Sacrament of the Eucharist whereof Ioannes de Combis reckoneth vp nine so fond and ridiculous that it is a wonder any man can beleeue them as first In Comp. Theol. verit lib. 6. c. 14. That the body of Christ is in as much quantitie there as it was vpon the Crosse and as it is now in heauen yet doth it not exceede the bounds of that forme with all the rest of like nature Hence to breede a beliefe of this doctrine the Romish writers tell vs that the Sacrament being lost in a Village of Komele in Germanie in a Pixe Caesar lib. 9. c. 7. it was discouered in a field by the Oxen that did worship it kneeling downe vpon the ground which neither by whips nor cries would not stir out of the place from worshipping their Creatour till it was taken away by the Parish Priest who fetcht it away with crosse candle and incense in great reuerence They tell also how a certaine woman going to the Communion reserued the Sacrament and put it into her hiue amongst her Bees as one had counsailed her wherevpon the pretie Bees were so religiously affected to their creatour that for the fit entertainment of so great a guest S. Anto. 3 p. sum tit 12. c. 8. ff 3. they built him a goodly Chappell in waxe with walls windowes dores caues and Altar to rest him vpon with a bell also and when the time was come that the honie was to be taken out the woman raised vp her hiue and beheld this fine miracle which caused her with great feare to go and confesse her fault to the Priest who with his Parishioners carried the Hoast with great reuerence to the Church They tell also for a great miracle concerning this doctrine S. Bonauent in vit 8. Francis Cath. Hist cap. 5 tit 13. part 4. how that S. Francis had a sheepe which ordinarily went to Church which at the time of Eleuation of the Lords body that the people might worship it bended downe his head fell vpon his knees shewing all other tokens of worship and adoration which much moued the assistance to greater deuotion They tell further Ioan. Mefreth in hort Reign ser de coena Domini that when a woman cast the Sacrament amongst Swine they kneeled downe to it and worshipped it how shee rosted it and it fell a bleeding how shee buried it in the earth and yet still the bloud flowed forth whereupon moued to compunction shee beleeued the true body of Christ to be in the Sacrament and did penance for her incredulitie all the rest of her life Many other the like incredible fables they haue left recorded to moue men to worship the bread and wine in the Sacrament with diuine honour due only to God and so to confirme this noueltie of Transubstantiation the which since there are no Scriptures to support it I can not beleeue it as also for that the obseruations of the reasons noted in this Chapter induce me to the contrarie beliefe Therefore deare Reader beware how you beleeue the Romish doctrine established with such lying signes and wonders reiecting both Scriptures and Fathers to the contrarie make not a corruptible creature your God and Maker giue honour and glorie vnto God only who by his infinite mercies requires it at thy handes and as I haue done renounce all societie in rites ceremonies and acts of religion with the Church of Rome that that of Dauid may be verified both of me thee Psal 1. v. 1. saving Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the councell of the vngodly nor stood in the way of sinners and hath not sit in the chaire of Pestilence which happinesse thou maiest enioy if thou followest not the vngodlie Councells of Laterane and Trent in this point of doctrine if thou continuest not in that Church and restest not thy selfe vpon that Pestilent chaire of Romes infectious Idolatries CHAP. XIIII Containeth an obseruation about the Sacrament ministred but vnder one kinde to Lay people in the Church of Rome I Haue read in a certaine Preacher that the Writers of naturall thinges haue left recorded The Sacramēt vnder one kind giueth not life vnto the soule Petrus Besseus Concep Theol. fer 2. maior Heb that there is a certaine hearbe to bee found vpon the Alpes hauing only two branches which is of such a strange naturall power and officacie that the beasts liuing vpon those mountaines if they chance to tast but of one of those branches forthwith they die but if they eate of both branches they take no hurt or dammage but are nourished thereby Euen so doe I obserue vpon the mountaines of holy Scripture the plant of the holy Eucharist hauing two branches of bread and wine by Christs institution of such nature and qualitie that if by faith his faithfull flock eate but of one branch and leaue the other they perish through heresie but if by faith they tast and feede of both branches that is both of bread and wine they feele much good they are strengthened in the life of their soule and are much nourished thereby according to that of Christ Ioan. 6. Nisi manducaueritis carnem filij hominis biberitis eius sanguinem non habebitis vit am in vobis Vnlesse you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud you shall not haue life in you Whereby I obserue the great danger the Church of Rome standeth in which will afford here sheepe in the Sacrament only one branch viz. the bread and bereaue them of the other branch viz. the wine and on the contrarie side the great happinesse of the Church of England which affordeth Christs faithfull flocke both branches
their mindes Afterward the Councell of Basil released the decree of Constance to some as to the Bohemians and the Councell of Trent confirmed it againe Ses 21. c. 2. Whereby it is apparant that the moderne Church of Rome hath swarued in this point of faith from which it beleeued formerly and since it began to be the seat of Antichrist The most ancient Liturgies in their owne forme shew Cyril Cath. mystag 5. Liturg. Marci pag. 62. Thom. p. 3. q. 80. art 12 q. 3. Hom. 16. in nu 1 that the people receiued the wine as well as the bread And Caietane sayth This custome endured long in the Church and that they had ministring cuppes for the nonce to serue the people with wine which none will denie Origen sayth plainegly Christian people were accustomed to drinke the bloud And S. Cyprian How doe we make them fit for the cup of Martyrdome Epist. 2. if first we doe not admit them by the right of communication in the Church to drinke the cup of the Lord The same Author or another as ancient Serm. de coena Dom. in another place sayth The Law doth prohibit the eating of bloud the Gospell commaundeth that it be drunke That the Chalice also was vsed in S. Ambrose his time himselfe sheweth Apud Theod. 5. Hist 15. In 2. Malach. speaking to Theodosius With what boldnesse wilt thou partake with thy mouth the cup of precious bloud S. Hierome sayth in expresse tearmes The Priestes which make the Eucharist and distribute the bloud of the Lord to the people And Paschasius sayth Super cap. 15. Drinke ye all of this as well the ministers as the other beleeuers Apud Gratian. can Comperimus de consecrat dist 2. Gelasius sayth We finde that some receiuing onely the portion of the sacred bodie abstaine from the cup of sacred bloud Who doubtlesse because I know not by what superstition they are taught to be obliged either let them receiue the entire Sacraments or let them be expelled from the entire Sacraments because the duision of one and the same mysterie cannot be without grat sacriledge All which places doe most liuely expresse the faith and practise of the ancient Church to haue beene otherwise than it is now in the present Church 6 Is it not a lamentable thing to see Obserue well this Councell Ses 13. that the Councell of Constance confesseth That Iesus Christ instituted and administred the Sacrament vnder both kinds and that in the Primitiue Church this Sacrament was receiued by the faithfull vnder both kinds And yet against Christs institution and the practise of the Primitiue Church the same Councell most blasphemously complaineth That in some parts of the world some rashly presume that Christian people ought to receiue the Sacraments vnder both kinds and thus censures it to be presumption and rashnesse to follow Christ Of the Fathers of that Councell with the Pope himselfe I may well say Concilium inierunt vt caperent Iesum in sermone Exod. 7. But as the Serpent of Moses deuoured the Serpents of the Sorcerers so Christ will ouercome the malice and craft of such wicked counsellors It is a folly for our aduersaries to say That when Christ said Doe this in remembrance of me he spake onely to Priests for then it would follow that the lay people may be debarred of both kinds and it is as impertinently obiected that the Apostles were Priests therefore Christs Precept Drinke ye all of this belongs to Priests onely for then the Primitiue Church did amisse and S. Paule the Apostle also who deliuered the Supper to the lay people without amputation of either kind in such manner as he had receiued it of the Lord. My conclusion vpon the precedent obseruation Now therefore vpon due consideration of all the premisses finding the Church of Rome to adulterate the word of God to ouerthrow the nature of the Sacrament to goe against the doctrine of the Primitiue Church and to checke most impudently Christs owne institution cursing them that beleeue as Christ teacheth and doe as he commaundeth in drinking as well of the Cup as in eating the Bread of the Sacrament without diuision or amputation I see no ground of faith to warrant the doctrine of the Church of Rome in this case and therefore it is to be feared vnlesse God shew her the greater mercie for all her maledictions and curses to the terror of poore simple Christians shee her selfe will one day inconsolably tast of the bitter cup of Gods wrath and indignation which vpon the suddaine will be poured vpon her to her vtter ruine and destruction and shee that hath so much afflicted and tormented others will find it true that Horrendum est incidere in manus Dei viuentis It is a horrible thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God CHAP. XV. Containing an obseruation of the Pardons and Indulgences which the Peope annexeth to Crosses Graines and Meddals I Haue obserued in reading the liues of Saints a storie worth the noting of Iohn the Bishop of Hierusalem Metaph. in vita S. Epiph. Laurent Surius 12. Maeij who hauing with his honors changed also his minde being surprised with extreame couetousnesse he grew to heape vp great store of treasures beyond all reason or measure which Saint Epiphanius vnderstanding endeuoured to draw him to some liberalitie towards the poore but he who preferred his gold before all other workes of charitie cared not for the poore Epiphanius seeing this obtained of him a certaine summe more by force than by loue which he distributed amongst the poore with great ioy Few daies after the Bishop redemanded againe his money with great importunitie vnto whom Epiphanius gaue good wordes promising to repay him soone after but the Bishop was not contented but vsed him with some violence vttering iniurious speeches against him calling him impostor and cosener Epiphanius nothing troubled spit in his face wherewith instantly strucken blind he fell to the ground whereupon at length he acknowledged his fault crauing pardon Then Epiphanius shewed him into what a gulfe of couetousnesse hee was plunged putting his hand vpon his head restored him his right eye againe who praying him to restore him also his left eye the holy man refused it to the end he should be alwaies warned by that marke euer after to vse more modestie and more carefully to auoid that plague of couetousnesse In this example courteous Reader you haue a liuely representation of the Bishop of Rome his insatiable auarice now that hee is come to such temporall greatnesse in this world and consequently of the spirituall blindnesse wherewith God hath strooken him for the same not suffering him to see the light of truth but to runne head-long into diuers inextricable heresies as a iust punishment for such his greedy desires for the nouelties which are now broched in the Church of Rome were not knowne till this hateful sinne of auarice tooke
deere Sonne and daily preserued me by his power and goodnesse This I conceiued and concluded alwaies to be the matter of greatest importaÌ„ce in this world which I was to preferre before all other affaires whatsoeuer belonging but vnto this temporall and transitorie life of our bodies and therefore for the accomplishing of this businesse rather than neglect it all other affaires whatsoeuer were to be omitted eternall blisse and the saluation of my soule being my chiefe end nd not consisting of any created but increated goodnesse which is God himselfe 2 This fundamentall obseruation I gathered out of Thomas Aquinas What mans end is Tho Aquin. 12. q. 1. art 8. sed contra Augustin 19. de ciuit Dei c. 1. 3. de Trinit c. 3. 4. q. 5. to 4. Tho. Aqum 12. q. 1. ar 8 in corp 2â— q. 12. art 8. sad contra whose words are these Vltimus finis hominuÌ„ est beatitudo the last end of men is bliffe which all desire as Augustine saith And it cannot befall any other creatures void of reason to be happie as Augustine saith in his booke of 83 Questions for the obtaining of which end the same Thomas prescribeth the meanes way saying Man and other reasonable creatures obtaine their last end by knowing and louing God which is not compatible to other creatures that obtaine their last end onely by participating some likenesse of God by their onely being life and also by their knowledge This he further declareth in another place writing thus Augustine writeth August 19 de â—â—â—â—â—at Dei c 26. in princip to 5. that as the soule is the life of the flesh so God is the blessed life of man of whom it is said in the Psalmes Blessed is the people whose Lord is his God And further to the same purpose he reasoneth after this manner saying Ibidem in corpore That it is impossible for the blisse of man to be in any created good for blisse is a perfect good which totally quieteth the appetite otherwise it were not the last end if any thing remained yet to be desired For the obiect of the will which is the appetite of man is an vniuersall good as the obiect of the vnderstanding is vniuersall truth whereby it is manifest that nothing can quiet the will of man but an vniuersall good which is not found in any thing created but onely in god because euerie creature hath a participated goodnesse therefore God alone can sill the will of man according to that which is said in the 102 Psalme who replenisheth the desire with good things c. Therefore the blisse of man consists in God alone Well therefore might Saint Augustine declare the small comfort that is to be found in any thing but in God No true and perfect rest in creatures August lib. 1. Confess cap. 1. saying Fecisti nos ad te inquictum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te thou hast made vs for thee and our heart is vnquiet till it rest and repose in thee for as the needle of a Dyall toucht with a Loadstone is not able to rest or stand stedfastly still till it be turned towards the North Pole so neither can our soule carrying the similitude or likenesse of God Genes 8. vers 8. take any true quiet repose or comfort in any thing created but in God onely for like as the Doue put out of the Arke by the hand of Noah after the generall deluge to discouer the land though with a speedie flight shee tooke a surucy of all the foure Climates of the world yet the Scripture sayth Genes 8. vers 9. Non inuenit vbi requiesceret pes eius shee found no place for her foote to rest on vntill shee came to the hand which put her foorth so our soules which in creation are put out by the powerfull hand of God into the tumultuous and stormie sea of this life can finde no place of true rest and contentment where to settle our selues till wee returne againe vnto God who created vs. This made good King Dauid to crie out with an earnest desire to enioy God in heauen Psa 73. vers 25. saying Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire besides thee my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer for loe they that are farre from thee shall perish 4 Such as this hath alwaies beene the desire of Gods Saints concerning their last end and euerlasting happinesse This end is the desire of Gods Saints vpon the assured obseruation whereof I my selfe in imitation of them building the frame of all my spirituall proceedings haue beene and am verily persuaded that God would neuer suffer me to misguide my steppes from the true faith or by any heresie to miscarrie with my soule from this obseruation haue I first gathered the great feare I ought to haue not to offend God Feare but with all care to keepe his commaundements that I may not make frustrate my end like him of whom the Psalmist sayth Qui non accepit in vano animam suam who hath not receiued his soule in vaine Psal 24. vers 4. but with innocencie of good works in his hands purenesse in his heart doth ascend vnto the mountaine of the Lord and stand in his holy place Secondly I haue also gathered the great care I ought to haue Care not to make any earthly or transitorie thing of this life my chiefe end at which my actions must aime as neither riches nor preferment nor ease nor health nor any earthly thing which cannot affoord true contentment to the soule but rather to hazard the preiudice of all these than to ruinate my soule or to step out of the right way to heauen Resolution to embrace the meanes of the truth Thirdly I haue also further from this obseruation of my end grounded a most constant resolution not to neglect any occasions or labours of due search and examination into the maine grounds and principles of faith or any meanes that might necessarily conduce thereunto whereupon I haue beene alwaies moued to arme my selfe with fit reasons wherewith I might not onely establish my faith but be able also to defend it against all obiections that might any way contradict it For the better performance whereof my purpose and practise hath beene often to meditate vpon the happinesse of the happie end whereunto wee are all ordained by God so that this obseruation setling me in the true feare of God and in a due care of my saluation and in a constant resolution to apply my selfe vnto all the meanes and helpes that might facilitate me thereunto finding here my steppes to stand as vpon a strong rocke I proceeded forward with my vnderstanding to behold and contemplate what fundamentall obseruation I might set my next steppe vpon as will appeare in the Chapter following