he hath ratified the same with holy sacraments as with his own seale annexed therevnto And verely if circumcision much more Rom 4. 11. baptisme and the Lords supper may worthily be called seales of the righteousnes that cometh by faith The cuppe saith our Saviour Christ Luk. 22. 20 is the new testament in my blood that is to say a seale and an assuraÌ„ce of the graunt of the remission of sinnes and eternall life giuen vnto you through my bloud which is the summe of the new testament And to what end tendeth both these sacraments of the new testament but to assure all the faithfull that they hauing put on Christ haue their sinnes washed away through his blood and that their soules are fedd with very Christ the heaveÌ„ly Mannah Galat. 3. 2â— bread of life whereby they are sustained to everlasting life The cuppe of blessing saith the Apostle which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion 1. Corinth 10. 16. of the body of Christ that is to say there all participatioÌ„ of these outward elementes and visible signes are they not most certaine pledges and assurances to all the faithfull of their spirituall vnion and communion with Christ and all his blessings And was not this the iudgment of those godly learned fathers of the councell of Nice in that they will that this holy sacrament of the Lords supper should be sent vnto penitent persons lying in their death beddes which stood as yet excommunicate for apostasie or for some other notorious crime that by the participation of that celestiall food they might be assured of their coÌ„munion with Christ and his church and of the remission of their sinnes and eternall life and so enabled to passe over in peace the end of their laborious and painefull life The which most comfortable doctrine is most coÌ„veniently set downe in our English liturgy at the celebration of these holy misteries in these wordes The body of our Lord that vvas giuen for THEE preserve thy body and soule to everlasting life The blood of our Lord that was shedd for THEE c. For hereby everie faithfull christian that reverently receiveth this holy sacrament may assure himselfe that the spirituall life that is nowe begunne in him and shall be made perfite in the worlde to come 〈◊〉 wrought by the speciall loue of Christ now dwelling in him by a true faith so that he may boldly say with the Apostle both â—n his life In that I nowe liue I liue by the faith of the son of God who loued Gal. 2. 20. Me and gaue himselfe for Me and also at his death I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence forth 2. Tim. 4. 7. there is laide vp for me a crowne of righteousnes c. And from whence also proceedeth that ioy in the holy ghost and that peace of God that Ro. 14. 17. 5. 1. passeth all vnderstanding which is felt in the heartes of the faithfull servantes of Christ in their greatest crosses and most greevous afflictions but of a faithfull perswasion of the remission of their sinnes and reconciliation which God procured for them by the death of Christ Otherwise also how could they serue the Lord Luc. 1. 74. Eph 3. Heb 10 22. Iaco. 1. 6. without feare and come vnto him in their praiers with boldnes yea in assurance of faith without wavering without doubting Yea how could they come vnto him not as vnto an offended and an angry iudge but as to a louing and a mercifull father saying O our Father which art in heaven And from whence else proceeded their solemne protestations that they did assuredly knowe that they were in the estate of grace and in the favour of God and that God was their God in particular and after so stable and stedfast a manner that nothing was able to sever them from his loue We knowe that we are of God I know that my redeemer liueth My spirite 1. Ioh. 5. 19. Iob. 19. 25. Luc 1. 77. Psal 18 1. 116 16. reioyceth in God my Saviour The Lord is my strength my castle my deliverer my God and on the other side Behold Lord I am thy servant I am thy servant and the sonne of thine handmaide Yea so great a stay and comfort had the prophet David in this assurance of his owne â—aith that he protesteth his adversities being so many and so Psal 27. 13. grievous as they were he should vtterly haue fainted but that he did beleeue verily to see the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liâ—ing The which most comfortable assurance of faith was such a stay also to the blessed Apostle S. Paul that howsoever an whole army of Rom 8. 37. tribulations did presse sore vpon him yet he protesteth that hee was a conqueror yea more then a conqueror through him that loued Rom 8 37. him being most assuredly also perswaded for the time to come that neither death nor life nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come should be able to seperate him from the loue of God which was in Christ Iesus our Lord. Neither vvas this comfortable assuraunce of faith a speciall and an extraordinarie prerogatiue granted only to some principall persons among the faithfull but a gifte in some measure common to the whole church For all the children of the church being the children of God are led by the spirite Rom 8. 14. 2. Cor. 2. 12â— of God whereby they know such thinges as are giuen vnto them of God And they are all indifferently commanded in the Lordes praier to call God their father the which name they cannot sincerely vse vnlesse they be perswaded in some measure of faith that he beareth a louing and a fatherly affection towardes them having receaved them into favour for his Christes sake and giuen them a place among the number of his children And vvhy 1 â—oh 5. 13. else saith S. Iohn writing to the whole church in generall these thinges I vvrite vnto you that beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that yee may knowe that yee haue eternall life and that yee may beleeue in the name of the sonne of God So S. Paule writting to the church of the Corinthians in generall Proue your selues knovve yee not your owne selues how that IESVS CHRIST dwelleth in you vnlesse yee bee reprobates and in his former epistle Kâ—ovve yee not that your 1. Cor. 6. 15 19. bodyes are the members of Christ Knowe ye not that ye are the temples of the holy Ghost which is in you whom ye haue of GOD that yee are not your ovvne By the vvhich testimonies of Christ his Apostles it is evident that not a fewe onely but also every mâ—mber of the vniversall church in their times and according vnto the measure of
The Philosopher could say that nothing in this world is made by God rashly or vainely not hauing an ende wherevnto it is created and meanes to bring it to the same end For there is no wise worke-master here among men that will goe about anything but that he will first determine with himselfe concerning the end of his worke and the meanes wherby it may be brought therevnto Which of you saith our Saviour Luc. 4. 28. Christ minding to build a tower sitteth not downe before counteth the cost whether he be sufficient to performe it c. Wherfore it caÌ„not be but meere madnes yea open blasphemy to avouch that the most wise mighty creator should appoint to make many that should mâ—râ—e themselues and not to appointe the end wherevnto they should come and the meanes whereby they should be brought to the same For to say that God ordained them to life but altered his purpose vpon their alteration iâ— to robbe God of his vnchaungeable goodnes and of his wisedome and foreknowledge also to say that God disposed not of them neither this waie nor that way but left them onely at their owne disposition is to say that the ordering of the clay is in it selfe and not in the potter that fashioneth the same or to say that God meerly permitteth their eternall destruction and their sins wherby they are brought therevnto neither willing nor nilling the same neither inâ—…ning to the one nor yet to the other is to make the Lord a newter in the ordering and governing of this present world and to open a gappe to flat Epicurisme Div. 6. That God hath not committed the protection of his church to the Saintes departed out of this life THe same power that made al things is only able to sustaine Maker of heaven eaâ—th Col. 1 17. Psal 36. 6. 104. 1. all things and so it doth And therefore God is not only called the maker but also the preseruer both of man and beast The eies of all waite vpon him and hee giveth them their meate in due season he watreth the hils from aboue the earth is full of the fruit of his workes For God is not as many vnnatural parents which send their children abroad into the wide world leauing them to themselues either to sinke or to swimme nor as the Ostrich who after shee hath laid her egges in the dust cleane forsaketh them caring nothing at all what becommeth of them but hee keepeth as it were continuall watch and warde ouer all his creatures cloathing the Lillies feeding the Fowles and not suffering so much as a Mat 6 â—0 10. 29. Sparrow to fall to the ground without his will and therfore much more over his elect and chosen children guarding them with his fatherly protection and environing them with his asâ—isting power 1. Pet. 5. 7. Iob. 1. 10. as with a most strong and â—…incible wall not suffâ—ing so much as an haire of their heads to fall to the ground without his providence He rideth vpon the heavens for their helpe and vpon the Deu. 33. 26. clowdes in his glory his eies are bent vpon them continually so that they never go out of his sight Yea behold he that keepeth Israell Psal 121. 4. doth neither slumber nor sleepe the Lord himselfe is their keeper he is their defence vpon their right hand and their preserver from all evill Iob. 34. 13. Hee hath not passed over this his authority to the saintes nor ioyned any of them with himselfe in commission hee hath not made them our patrons defenders let our Rhâ—mistes say whâ—t Rhem. in c. 2 â—p 1 ad Tim Apoc c 2. they list to the contrary as Saint George for England S. Denis for Frâ—…nce S. Andrevve for Scotland The saintes whilâ—st they liued were Gods instrumentes here in this worlde for the good of his church and they served their times as it is saide of David Now they Act. 13 36. 2. Sa. 12 23. are departed hence they are not sent backe againe to be regentes over countries or to be disburlets of these the Lords earthly and temporall blessings For they rest from all such labours being alwaies before the throne of God seruing and praising him there Apoc 7. 5. 13. 14. for ever and therefore well may they contente themselues to leaue the affaires of this world to such as still liue in this world and not to haue any more portion for ever in all that is done vnder the Eccl 9. 6. sunne seeing that they haue so liberall pleÌ„tifull a portion in the things that are aboue the sunne Surely king David while he liued Psa 73 25. here in this worlde knewe no patron besides the Lord himselfe Est 14. 3. Is 6. 16. WhoÌ„e haue I in heaveÌ„ but theâ— Nor yet did Queene Ester know any other Lord helpe thou me which haue no helper besides thee For Abraham knewe theâ—… not and Israell had forgotten them Chap. 4. Div. 1. That our Saviour Christ according vnto his divine nature is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one and the same God vvith the Father THe godhead deity or the divine nature is of none but of it selfe being the originall cause and fountaine of all being and subsisting vnto all as these names Iah and In Iesuâ— Châ—ist his onely sonâ— Iehovah do also insinuate And the divine nature of our glorious God Lord Iesus Christ is the same divine nature which is in the father and he himselfe is one and the same God with the father and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of himselfe howsoever the wicked brood of the great Antichrist the grauÌ„d enemy of Christ doth charg this doctrin with wicked blasphemy Christ as God is of himselfe as God the sone is of Rhemist in Ioh. cap. 1. Campian Rat. 8. the father begotteÌ„ after an vnspeakable maner of his divine nature substaÌ„ce before al worlds And so speaketh an ancient father Christ to himselfe is God but in the reâ—…tioÌ„ to his father is the sone so begotteÌ„ of the father Div. 2. That our Saviour Christ was incarnate by the holy Ghost and tooke his humane nature only of the seede of man and not of the seede of any graine by having it transubstantiated into his bodie IF the doctrine of transubstantiation bee true as it is determined Incarnate by the holy Ghost borne of the virgin Mary Seâ—… 3. sub Iulio 3. caÌ„ 4 cap. 2. and concluded by the councel of Trent that by the consecrâ—tion of bread and wine the vvhole substaunce of breade and vvine is turned into the very substance of the body and blood of Christ And if the vvordes of the institution of this holy sacrament this is my bodie be to be vnderstoode liâ—terally really substantially then our Saviour CHRIST tooke not flesh onely of the blessed Virgin Marie but also of material bread that becomming really and substantially his very
body And therefore is Christes body called bread if that vvve vvill beleeue our masters of Rhemes for that it is made of bread So they Rhem. in ca. 6. Joh. haue their Christ not onely of the seede of Abraham and David but also of the seede of such corne and graâ—…e as growetâ— and springeth out of the earth Neither doe wee envie them this their breaden CHRIST vvhose body is daily made by Sacerdoâ— est creator suicreatoris Qui creavi â—e sine me â—am creatur mediante me a sinnefull priest through the pronuntiation of a fevve vvordes let them châ—vv him and champe him euen as they list for vve content our selues vvith that Christ to bee our Saviour who vvas incarnate by the holâ— Ghost and not by the vvords of consecration and tooke his flesh onely of the blessed Virgin Marâ— and not of the seed of any graine Div. 3. That our Saviour Christ according vnto his humanitie is of a nature finite and circumscriptible and not present in all or in many places at one time THe church of Rome by her doctrine of the reall presence Boâ—ne of the virgin Mary doeth take away from Christ the nature of a true humane body and so overthroweth the trueth of his manhoode in that shee avoucheth that his body there really present is vncircumscribed and not contained in space or place For Aug. ep 57. Qâ—…â—…bi est non est take away a place from bodies and they shall bee no vvhere and if they bee no vvhere they bee not at all Yea vvhereas it is an vndoubted and confessed truth that both the divine humane natuâ—es of Christ with their severall properties remaine still in him distinct and vnconfounded and seeing that it is a property of the humane nature of CHRIST beeing a meere creature togither with all other creatures earthly and heauenly to bee finite and contained either vvithin the compasse of one place or within the limites and boundes of their finite nature as on the otherside it is a property of the divine nature not to be contained within the compasse of any one place but beeing infinite and incomprehensible to fill all places with maiesty and glorie and to fill many or all places belongeth to the selfe same nature which is in it selfe infinite and incomprehensible and no way to a finite and limited nature therefore the church of Rome by her doctrine of the reall presence avouching CHRISTS body to be in ten thousande places at one time vvhich is a property belonging vnto his deity is iustly condemned for renewing the heresie of Eutiches in confounding the properties of Christs nature and in taking away the truth of his humanity Div. 4. That as it is hereticall to worshippe Iudas or the Iewes so the instrumentes which they vsed as the nailes speare and crosse in renting and tormenting Christs most pretious body OVR Saviour Christ was deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God himselfe he being Suffred vnder Pontiâ—s Pilate most iust in punishing him who had taken vpon himselfe all our iniquities and sinnes Pilate Iudas and the Iewes yet being most vniust in working the death and condemnation of our most innocent and guiltlesse Saviour And therefore wicked was the opinion of certaine heretâ—kes called Cainâ— which worshipped Iudas and the Devill for the procuring of the death of Christ seeing they endevoured to hinder and not to further the salvation of man even as Phâ—raeus Iasons enimy thought to haue slaine him when by opening with the thrust of his weapon the place of his most dangerous and deadly impostume he was the meanes to cure him of that his malady And vvicked also is the doctrine of the church of Rome which teacheth to worship the nailes speare and crosse which were the instruments of their outragious cruelty in renting and tormenting his most pretious body and to reverence the Greeke and the Latin tongues because in them vvas written his accusation which was most false and vntrue that he did vsurpe the temporal kingdome of Iurie whereas he kept himselfe Ioh. 6. 15. 18. 36. close from the multitude when they would haue made him king and made open protestation even to Pilate that his kingdome was not of this world For that which is applied to a wicked and vngodly vse is not thereby saâ—ctified but wickedly prophaned Div. 5. That Christ suffered both in body and soule the paines that were proportionable to our sinnes Two things were requisite in our â—…aviors sufferingâ— that they Suffâ—…d might be a sufficient satisfaction for our sinnes First a proportion of the sufferinges to the greatnesse of the sinnes secondly a right to translate them vpon the parties for whom they were sustained 1 The great high proportion of the sufferings of Christ proceedeth from the excellency of his divine nature which gaue vertue and dignity to the same 2 the right to translate them vpon man proceedeth from the humâ—ne nature in which they were sustained that so they might be availeable for mans sinnes For in that man which had sinned was according to the purpose couÌ„sel of God to be redeemed not the angels therefore nor the seed of Angels but of man was to be taken that so in the very nature of man that had sinned the paines for mans sins might be endured so satisfactioÌ„ made for maÌ„s traÌ„sgâ—…ssions And therfore as Christ was to take our whole nature vpoÌ„ him that so he might be a meeâ— person Aug. cone Fâ—l ca. 13. to redeeme the whole so the mâ—anes of our redeÌ„ption being his sufferings as he was to take both body soul so he was to suffer both in body soul that so he might redeeme both body and soul especially mans soule being the pâ—…ncipall in committing the offence the body being but as it were an accessory therevnto the soul was principally to be punished in respect therof neither had it bin agreeable vnto iustice that the principall should haue wholy escaped that the accessory should haue bin extreamely punished And certainly our Saviour Christ being ready presently to enter into those his greatest paines punishments which he was to endure for mans traÌ„sgressioÌ„s testifieth of the extreame anguish of his soul saying My soulâ— is heavy vnto death and before he Mat. 26. 3â— came into his enimies haÌ„dâ— that buffered him crowned him with thornes scourged him nailed him vppon the crosse and so tormented his precious bodie hee suffered his bitter and dreadfull agonye in the garden the vvhich was so grievous and burdensome vnto him that it caused him to swette both water blood and to crie out againe and againe in that his extremity Father if it be possible let this cuppe passe from mee even this cuppe of thy wrath that I am so deepely to drinke of that so it might passe froÌ„ all the elect the which he calleth his houre that is hiâ— iudgement Mat. 27. 46. 〈◊〉 12. 27.
but vvill offer vp him againe vnto GOD and that as a propitiatory sacrifice both for the quicke and deade In so much that this holy sacrament being ordained of GOD to testifie the sufficiency of that sacrifice vvhich our Saviour himselfe once offered vpon the altar of the crosse is cleane perverted by the church of Rome and as it vvere forced to witnes the contrary and being appointed to coÌ„tinue the memory of CHRISTES death and of the singular vertue thereof in procuring the full and perfect redemption of man by this meanes it is abused to evacuate the crosse of CHRIST and to annihilate the vertue of that perfect redemption Thus haue they turned this holy and blessed sacrament into a sacrilegious and Idolatrous sacrifice the vvhich because it is grounded vpon their doctrine of Transubstantiation and the Reall presence I vvill therefore adde one vvorde also for the confutation thereof The vvorshippers and adorers of their bredden CHRIST doe charge vs for that vvee deny Transubstantiation and their Reall presence to make CHRIST a liar and to deny his plaine vvordes or at the least greately to darken and obscure them vvith tropes and figures But that all indifferent persons may vnderstand vvho they be that make Christ a liar darken and obscure his plaine words I vvould demande of them but this one questioÌ„ which is In vvhat outward elements Christ ordained this holy sacrament of his body and blood and vvhat therein be the visible signes of the invisible grace whether bread and vvine in their nature and substaunce or the bare and naked shevves thereof Verily the Evangelisteâ— vvith the Apostle doe Mat. 26. 26. Luk. 22. 19. 1. Cor. 11. 24. testifie that our Saviour Christ at the institution of this holy sacrament tooke bread in his nature and substance and not the bare and naked shevves of bread and when he had given thankes he brake it gaue it to them saying this is my body which is given for you do this in remembrance of me And in truth sacramentes if they haue not a certaine similitude as Austine saith with the things whereof they are sacraments Aug. ad Bâ—nif â—p 23. they are no sacraments at all but loose the name and nature of sacraments Now true and substantiall bread and wine haue a certaine similitude vvith Christ the heavenly Mannah and true bread of life the bodily nourishment that proceedeth from the very substance of these earthly creatures doth fitly represeÌ„t our spiritual nourishment that we haue by Christ but whitenes rednos roundnes with the outward shewes of bread and wine what resemblance haue they either of Christ himselfe or of the benefits that we receiue by him wherfore it is not a giving of the lie to the Lord of truth nor so much as an obscure and hid kinde of speech but that which is most familiar and agreeable to the nature of a sacrameÌ„t thus to interpret Christs words this is my body this bread is the sacrament or sacred Occam in 4. sent dist 13. Gardiner in Marco Antâ— Const De consecratione dist 2. c. timorem Glossa ibideÌ„ signe of my body Wheras in truth it is not only a great obscuring but a plaine perverting of our Saviours words to interprete them with some of the members of the Romish church as this is my body that is this bread goeth away my body succeedeth in the place therof or with other of them this my body is my body or with a third sort this Individuum vagum this I cannot tel what is my body or this nothing is my body Surely these doubtfull and strange interpretations of Christs words doe not only obscure but pervert the same deluding the harts of the Lords people and vndermining the soundnes of their faith For how can they eate these outward shewes or what benefite could they obtaine by them if they could eat theÌ„ was not this sacrament of the Lordes supper ordained to the same end as all other sacramentes are euen to assure vs of our spirituall vnion with Christ the interest that we haue thereby to all his blessings how is this herein ratified and confirmed vnto vs verily not by the bodily receiving of Christs body nor by receiving of the outward shews of bread wine but by the reverent receiving of the holy sacraments and signes of the body of Christ and of his blood And seeing there is no bodily commixtion betweene Christ and the faithful to what purpose serveth a bodily participation seeing also as they themselues teach Christ being bodily receiued of the wicked departeth againe from them and being bodily receiued of the faithfull yet is not thereby vnited vnto them nor receiued to life but only when he is receiued of theÌ„ by faith Lastly why should the litterall sence of these words this is my body be so much vrged which is impossible barbarous blasphemous See Thom. Biâ—son Epis Winton parte 4. fol. 733. but that all the world might most evidently discerne thereby who is that blasphemous whore of Babylon Thus hath the Bishoppe and church of Rome set vp many manifest contradictions against the gospel and the law the creed the commandements the groundes of faith and of a godly life and so hath brought in that great Apostasie foretold by the Apostle 2. The. 2. 3. the which our Rhemistes themselues vpon the same place do in the end resolue to signifie a revolt from most of the pointes of our christian religion vvhich vvas to be brought in by the greate Antichrist For whereas all other heretikes being in comparison but petty adversaries to Christ haue oppugned but one or tvvo or some few pointes of our christian profession this adversary hath assaulted the whole body thereof that so he might openly proclaime himselfe to be that grande adversary of Christ even that very great Antichrist And therfore we neede not now looke for the coÌ„ming of such an Antichrist which shall seate himselfe in the teÌ„ple of IerusaleÌ„ seeing we may behold him already come placed in Peters chair in the statly pallaces of the church of Rome The which thing as it hath bin sufficiently declared already in the former partes of this treatise so it remaineth further to be made manifest by diverse other particular prophesies wherin the great Antichrist is as it were drawn out in his proper colours that so hee might be the better known avoided which are to be delivered in the chapter following CHAP. 14. 1 That the great Antichrist his adherents shall not be open enemies to all professed ChristiaÌ„s but rather pretensed favorites and friends 2 That the principall point of the Christian faith oppugned by Antichrist and his adherentes shall not be the dignity and authority of the church but the vertue and perfection of the worke of the redemption wrought by the heade of the church vvith his priestly and kingly offices whereby hee accomplished the same as being
vs directly to GOD and in the least iote and title thereof they are vnerring and vndeceiueable teachers and therefore they are to bee embraced and followed vvithout any limitation or restriction at all The lavve of the Lorde saith David is perfect and converteth the soule Psal 19 7. and needeth no supply to â—e made there vnto He that addeth any thing to the same setteth but a rotten patch vnto a new and whole garment Yea whereas such is our forget fulnes and readines to let slippe out of our heartes holy things that still vvee haue neede to bee 2. Pet. 1. 12. remembred and to bee put in minde of the same and vvhereas such is our slâ—cknesse and lazinesle in walking on forvvard in the Lordes vvaies that still vvee haue neede to haue the spurre in our sides the holesome and heavenly instructions of the Canonicall scriptures being the meanes appointed by God both to remember vs at all times of our duety tovvardes God and also to stirre vs vp continually to the performaunce of the same The faithful teaching heaâ—ing and embracing of the word of God is the most principall yea the only necessary duty of a faithfull christian Luk. 10. 40. therefore the dilligent teaching hearing and meditating therof hath beene iudged to be the most principall yea the only necessary duety of a faithfull Christian and a most certaine token of our vnfained loue towarde God and an evident marke of a true servant of Christ O Martha Martha saith our blessed Saviour thou art trouâ—led about many thinges but one thing is necessarie Mary hath chosen the best pars vvhich shall never bee taken from her Now Martha was troubled about many things which were provided for the better entertainmenâ— of Christ himselfe and his disciples but Mary was busied about the caroful entertainement and laying vp in her heart of the divine instructions of Christes heavenly doctrine and therefore it is a farre more acceptable worke to haue care that our soules be fedde with GODS holy worde then with our bodily sustenaunce to refresh the bodies of GODS dearest Saintes yea it is after a sort the only or at the least the most necessary duety of all other from the which vve ought in no case to be hinderâ—d no not for the performance of any other duety VVhen complainte vvas made to the Apostles for some disorder that vvas committed aboute the providing Act. 6. 1. for the poore and as it seemeth it was required at their handes that they themselues setting aside the preaching of the vvoâ—de for a â—ime shoulde more throughly looke into that matter and redresse the abuse they aunsvvere peremptorelie that it vvas not meete that they shoulde leaue the worde and serue tables and therefore they committing that businesâ—e of lesse importaunce to men of meaner giftes themselues possessing the highest roomes in the Church and being endued with the greatest gifâ—es employed themselues in continuall praâ—er and preaching as being the greatest and chiefest dueties And verily it is a more glorious vvorke to builde the spirituall temple of GOD in the heartes of the faithfull by the preaching of the vvoorde then to â—recte a sumpâ—uous temple of timber and stones for the out vvarde exercise of the service of God it is a farre more excellent vvorke by the seede of the nevve birth to be get many children to God and so to enlarge the kingdome of heaven then by ouâ— vvealth vvisedome and provvâ—sse to enrich and enlarge any earthly kingdome it is a farre more excellent vvorke to feede the soules that are ready to famish with the bread of life then to feede the bodies of such as vvant with our temporall sustenaunce It is a farre more excellent vvorke to bring those that sit in darckenesse and in the shaddowe of death to the vision of GOD by the light of the vvâ—orde then to deliver them out of bodyly bondage and to enrich them with all earthly and temporall commodities For our fâ—ll vision of GOD is the cause of our perfect blessednâ—sâ—e so that wheÌ„ 1. Ioh. 3. 2. vve shall see him vvith open face themshall vvee be perfectly blessed and the nearer in this life vve come to behold him the nearer we come to this our perfect bleslednes now here in this life wee behold him principally in the glasse oâ— his worde espeoâ—ally in the mirrout of the glorious gospell of CHRIST and 1. Cor. 3. 18 therefore the more often and the more reverently wee contemplate the same and the more serious is ouâ— study and meditation therein the nearer we come to our perfect blessednes Wherfore it was not without cause that our Savâ—our himselfe a little before his ascension â—nto heauen did so straightly charge Peter a principall Ioh. 21. 15. man among his Apostles that if hee did loue him more then the rest he should feede his sheepe more then the rest and by his continuall holding ouâ— of the light of the word he shoulde bring the Lordes people to the vision of God as to the châ—efest bâ—essing of God and to the cause of all other blessing And hereof it is that on the Lordes day which is especially dedicated to the service of God the Lord especially requireth both of Pâ—est people that they shoulde principally be emploied in the teaching hearing meditating of the holy word of God as being not only in it selfe a principal worke but also the cause of al good works and of the whole worship and service of God And therfore wheÌ„ this so principal and necessary a worke began to be neglected among vs Englishmen when the service of God according vnto the order of Gregory began to be established in our churches the people had their senses satisfied more with sweete soundes goodly shewes then their soules fed with the heavenly foode of the word Venerable Bede ablbeit he bare great reverence to the Bed l. 4. c. 18. de gest Anglor church of Rome could not refraine himselfe but that he must vtter his great dislike thereof in plaine tearmes Heretofore saith he insteede of these things the principall service of God consisted in the preaching of the gospell and in the hearing of the word of God Neither must we imagine that there was more need of the diligeÌ„t preaching hearing of the word of God in former ages then is now or shal be to the end of the world not only for that whether we be baptised or vnbaptised and descend either from faith full or faithlesse progenitors we are all without any difference equally Rom. 3. 9. by nature blind and ignorant of God and therfore stande in neede to haue the lampe of the worde alwaies burning in our hands if we desire to be preserved from continuall stumbling falling but also for that the most part of all that professe themselues Christians content themselnes with an out ward professioÌ„ of the faith albeit they feele no inward conversion and take theÌ„selues to be