he was not dicomforted but blessed the name of GOD which gaue him grace to suffer for him Let vs leaue off then al such excuses when it is a question to obey the commaundement of the LORD for when the will is readie the powre is lacking Forasmuch as wée doe staye all in the strength of him which hath loued vs bicause that he which is in vs is greater then he that is in the worlde Let vs haue for example that liitle Dauyd who going to fight with that great Goliah measured not his strengthes but the power of him in whose name hée did fight Let vs remember that the Apostles hauing expresse cōmaundement of the Lord to go into a towne that lieth ouer against thē to the ende to vnlose an Asse and hir colte did not consider the difficultnes of the cōmaundement but staying themselues vpon the authoritie of him which commaunded them did execute incontinently their charge When Iesus Christ did send his Apostles thorow out the whole worlde for to preach declare his gospell they regarded not the daungers that might haue happened vnto them by the way the force and puissaunce of the enemies of the crosse of Christe Furthermore they excused not themselues of their ignoraunce but fortefying themselus in this word I wil giue vnto thée a mouth and wisedome to the which your enemies cannot resist did execute incontinently the commaundement of the Lorde Let vs then take example of those whom Iesus Christ hath sometime called for to followe him whereof the one excused himselfe saying suffer me first to burye my father the other sayde suffer me firste to bidde them farewell which are at home at my house Vnto whome the LORD aunswered no man that putteth his hande to the ploughe and loketh backe is apte to the kingdome of god Wherefore when the LORDE doth commaunde vs any thinge or when he doth call vs let vs doe as that good Samuel did who as often times as hée was called of the Lord as often times aunswered I am here for thou diddest call me Or as sainct Paule who sodeinly at the voice of the LORD aunswered What wilt thou haue me doe To conclude let vs kepe simplie that which is commaunded vs for to doe without putting too or taking from the word Dooing not that which seemeth good in our eies but that which God hath ordeined For the Lord doth protest by his Angell vnto euery man that heareth the wordes of the prophesie of this booke that if any man shall adde vnto these thinges GOD shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke And if any man shall minish of the words of the booke of this prophesie God shall take awaie his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy Citie and from those thinges which are written in this booke Deuteronomium 30. c. The commaundement which I commaund thee this day is not separated from thee neither farre off It is not in heauen that thou needest to say who shall go vp for vs to heauen and fet it vs that we may heare it and doe it Romaines 10. b. The word is nigh thee euen in thy mouth and in thine heart This is that worde of faith which we preach A Prayer O Lorde which hast made fast for euer and euer all thy commaundements in all truth and equitie and which puttest in man both the will and the desire to fulfill them Teach vs the way of thy statutes and shed and poure into our hearts thy loue through thy holy spirite by the which thou doest helpe our infirmities that we distrusting in our strengthes and despising the assaultes of the flesh the world and the diuel we may stay altogether vpon the loue of him which was once offered vp for vs for to accomplish thy will. And hast made vs more then vanquishers through the victorie which doth surmount the worlde that is to say our faith thy welbeloued sonne our LORD Iesus Christ vnto whom bée glorie for euer Amen ¶ A BRIEFE DEMONSTRATION vnto those which doe make profession of the true christian Religion and neuerthelesse doe refuse the ecclesiastical discipline wherein is described somewhat the vse fruite thereoff Cap. 15. Psalme 32. d. ¶ I will knowledge my sinne vnto thee and mine vnrighteousnesse haue I not hid And I saide I will confesse my sinnes vnto the Lord and so thou forgauest the wickednesse of my sinne 2. Timothe 4. a. ¶ Preach the worde be feruent in season and out of season improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine 2. Corinth d. ¶ So write I nowe beeing absent to them which in times past haue sinned and to all others that if 〈◊〉 come againe I will not spare THe Prophet Ioel did complaine of his people calling them to repentaunce saying Tourne you vnto the Lord with al your hearts with fasting wéeping and mourning rent your heartes and not your clothes and tourne vnto the LORD your God for he is gracious and mercifull long suffering and of greate compassion and readie to pardon wickednesse Then no doubt he also shall tourne and forgiue and after his chastening he shall let your encrease remaine for meate and drincke offerings vnto the Lorde your God blowe out with the trumpet in Sion proclaime a fasting call the congregation and gather the people together warne the congregation gather the elders bring the children sucklings together Let the bridegrome goe foorth of his chamber and the bride out of hir closet Let the priestes serue the Lord betwixt the porch and the aulter wéeping and saying bée fauorable O Lord be fauorable vnto thy people let not thine heritage be brought to such confusion least the heathen be Lords thereof Wherefore should they say amonge the heathen Where is now their God Nowe goe to sayth the Lorde we will talke together It is not so though your sinnes be as redde as scarlet shall they not be whiter then snowe And though they were like purple shal they not be like white woll The Lorde standeth waiting that he may haue mercy vppon you and lifteth himselfe vp that he may receiue you to grace Be conuerted and tourne you cleane from all your wickednesse so shall there no sinne doe you harme Cast away from you al your vngodlinesse that ye haue done make you newe heartes and a newe spirite Wherefore will yee die O ye house of Israel séeing I haue no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth saith the Lorde God. Tourne you then and ye shall liue Forasmuch then as the voice of the Lorde is commune to all as that of his sonne Iesus Christ hath bene commune who hath sayd Come vnto me all yée that are wearie and laden and I will ease you Take my yoke on you and learne of me that I am méeke and lowly in heart and that God is not parciall But in all people he that feareth him
¶ A CHRISTIAN DISCOVRSE vpon certeine poynts of RELIGION Presented vnto the most high puissant Lorde the Prince of Conde Translated out of French into English by Iohn Brooke of Asâ—he next Sandwich 1578. 1. PETER 4. b. ¶ As euery man hath receaued the gift minister the same one to an other as good ministers of the manifold grace of God. ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas East the 6. daye of Iune 1578. ¶ TO THE RIGHT HONOrable and his singuler good Ladie and Mistres the Countesse of Oxenforde Iohn Brooke wisheth longe and blessed life with increase of much honoure c. WHEN first true intent of bounden dutie and entire zeale had quickened and pricked me forward to present your Ladishippe with the dedication of this smal volume Right honorable and my verie good Ladie I grewe full of doubtes in my selfe whether to proceede and go forwarde or els to surcease and reuoke my presumed enterprise And abiding sometime in this vncerteine and vndetermined conclusion one while adaunted and suppressed with the vnworthinesse of the woorke in respect of mine owne labours beeing an vnlearned translation an other while animated and encouraged by the godlinesse of the matter comprehended and included therein then pulled backe and in manner put to silence by many doubtes of presumptioÌ„ rudenesse or rashnesse eftsoones againe imboldened and harted on partly by duetie to vnfolde and shewe my willing minde partly by certeine knowledge and dayly report of your Ladiships good inclination to vertue and godlinesse wherevnto adioyned the great fame of your singuler humilitie manifolde curtesie leaning at length onely to this staffe I wounde in time out of this doubtfull Laborinth of inconstant passions and became plainely resolued in the processe and going forwarde of this mine enterprise wherevnto I was yet the rather and more easely induced for that as within the hard and vntoothsome bone is included the sweete marrowe and as the vnsauorie shell comprehendeth the pleasant kirnell so vnder the rough and vnsmothed grace of mine vnlearned stile is shrowded much wisdome vertue godlinesse and in the simplicitie and plainnesse of my translation many profitable examples and holesome lessons conteined worthy to be embraced and followed of all men It came vnto my handes right honorable in the French and is entituled A ChristiaÌ„ Discourse vpon certein points of Religion Which title draue mee first to the ouerrunning of the matter and then finding the whole summe and contentes so well agreeing with the nomination I thought if I could put him on an English â—abite I might thereby pleasure and profite diuers of my natiue countrie men studious in the Scriptures to the contentation I trust of many to the offence of no vertuous and well disposed person May it therefore please you to admit the same into your fauourable acceptance and that vnder your ensigne it may haue safe conduct to enioye publication and free passage This request beeiâ—g graunted allowed of your good Ladiship Let captious Zoilus cauill or finde fault Let hatefull hereticke with all his forcible inuectiues subtil argumeÌ„ts straunge reasons diswade and seeke to oppugne impaire or discredite the matter Let proude Papist with all his authoritie abiure curse condemne both booke author to the fire Our immunitie protection defence resteth in almightie God the high Iudge of all And for the cleernesse of this matter we referre vs vnto his most holy and pure woorde and sacred Scriptures Wherefore trusting the sinceritie and trueth of the matter shal counteruaile the plainnesse of the interpretation and that the consideâ—ation of my zeale and bounden duetie aboue rehearsed shal abanndon all suspect of arrogancie and rashnesse I leaue for this time to trouble your Ladiship beseechinge the Almightie to blesse you with longe and manie happie yaeres in this life and the reward of Vertue in the life to come Your Ladiships seruaunt all to commaunde Iohn Brooke ¶ TO HIS SAIDE LORDE the Prince of Conde the author sendeth health IF feare doth make vs vnderstand the voice and as Dauid doeth witnesse that hee did erre and go wronge before that he was afflicted and troubled what can we lesse do after so many cyuil warres and persecutions of our owne countrey men yea rather houshould seruantes but to magnifie the Lord and dayly to meditate or studie vpon the maruels of his puissance and goodnes If say I Moses and Debora being sette at libertie and enfranchised srom the tyranny of the Egyptians and Chananeans did consecrate of late vnto God so many goodlye canticles and spirituall songes what can wee lesse do in this same meane time of religion but alwayes to offer vnto him sacrifices of thankes giuing That is to say the fruite of oure lippes confessinge his name And vnto whom ought wee to direct such writings but vnto those vnto whom the Lorde hath drawen from the middest of the waters and reserued from among them that are killed for to restore the ruins and decaied places of his second temple and to reestabish and set vp againe the true vsage of the Christian religion Beholde O Christian Prince wherfore I haue dedicated vnto thee this litle worke hauing first premeditated to the honour of him from whom doth proceede euerie good and perfect gift Assuring my selfe that thou wilt receiue it in as good part as the Lord did the two mites of that poore widow mencioned in the gospell Furthermore I doe not care what opinion men haue so that it be agreable to that true Iudge which doth not iudge men according to the sight of his eyes neither doth reproue a matter at the first hearing but doeth iudge all thinges in equitie and righteousnesse Our Lord Iesus Christ vnto whom be glory for euer Amen A BRIEF ADVERTISMENT wherein is shewed that we ought not to abuse the holy Scripture but to apply it to his proper vse 2. TIMOTH 2. Ch. â—5 ¶ Studie to shew thy selfe laudable vnto God a workeman that needeth not to be ashamed deuiding the word of trueth iustly FOrasmuche as the holy Scripture doth teach vs that the wordes of the Lord are pure words euen as the siluer whiche from the earth is tryed and puryfied seuen tymes in the fyre and the gospell is the puissaunce of God to the saluation and health of all that beleue therein insomuch that the Prophets speaking of the dignitie of the Herolds and Embassadours of the gospel doe crye out O howe beautifull are the féete of the Embassadour that bringeth the message from the mounteine and proclameth peace â–ª that bryngeth the good tidinges and preacheth health and sayth vnto Sion Thy God is the king The wyse suche as haue taught others shall glyster as the shining of Heauen and those that haue instructed the multitude vnto godlynes shal be as the starres world without ende Truely we may perceiue with our eyes what default it is to declare or shew forth the ordinaunces of the Lord
fearing the paine of sinne the vengeauÌ„ce of our heauenly father For the Lord doth giue vnto euery one accoring to his works that is to say vnto those which with patience to do well seâ—ke praise honoure and mortalitie eternall life But vnto them that are contentious and disobey the trueth and followe iniquitie shal be rendred indignation wrath tribulation and anguish vpon the soule of euery man that doth euill Forasmuch as the seruaunt that knewe his masters wil and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shal be beaten with many stripes Others obey the commaundementes of the Lorde bicause of the gaine profit And in that they resemble the hired seruaunts which serue their master but for the hire or reward Of those Dauid speaketh off when he said the iudgements of the Lord are true righteous altogether more to be desired are they then golde yea then much fine golde swéeter also then the honie and the honie combe Moreouer by them is thy seruaunt taught and in kéeping of them there is great rewarde For the eie hath not séene and the eare hath not heard neither haue entred into any mans minde the things that God hath prepared for them the loue him Finally some loue the Lord obey him through beneuolence and christian amitie béeing stirred forwarde of a vertuous loue the which moueth them to loue him who hath giuen vnto them the lawe which hath the wordes of eternall life let vs acknowledge him in whoÌ„ we liue moue and haue our béeing and doe loue him as the true children doe loue their fathers For as saith the same Lorde by his Prophet the sonne doth honour his father a seruaunt his master if I be then a father where is mine honour if I be the Lorde where am I feared where we conclude that in these two things chiefly one may know those which do loue God that is to say when they beare a singuler affection to the holy worde of the Lord and that they do kéepe the commaundementes conteined in that worde As to the first Dauyd saith my delight shall be in thy statutes and I will not forget thy wordes O what loue haue I to thy lawe all the day long is my studie in it O how swéete are thy wordes vnto my throt yea swéeter then honie vnto my mouth He that is of GOD sayth Iesus Christ heareth Gods wordes As touching the second saith the same Lorde if any man doth loue me he doth kéepe my word That is the cause wherefore it is written in the lawe Thou shalt loue thy Lord thy God And these words which I commaund thée this day shal be in thine heart and thou shalt recite them vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou art at home in thine house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp and thou shalt bind them for a signe vpon thine hand And they shal be papers of remeÌ„braunce betwéen thine eies and shalt write them vppon the postes of thine house vpon thy Gates Euen so the LORD commaunded Iosua that he kéepe and doe according to all the lawe which Moses his seruaunt commaunded him that he do not turne there â—rom neither to the right hande nor to the lefte that he may haue vnderstanding in all he taketh in hande let not the booke of this lawe depart out of his mouth but that he studie therein day and night that he may be circumspect to doe according to all that is written therein Yea the law would expresly that when the king is set vppon the seate of his kingdome he shall write him out this second lawe in a booke taking a copie of the priestes the Leuites And it shal be with him and he shall reade therein all dayes of his life that he may learne to feare the Lorde his God for to kéepe all the words of this lawe and these ordinaunces for to doe them â–ª In that same Dauid delighted when he sung I haue as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all manner of riches I will exercise my selfe in thy commaundementes and haue respect vnto thy foote pathes my delight shal be in thy statutes I will not forget thy wordes I will speake of thy testimonies euen before kings and will not be ashamed my delight shal be in thy commaundementes whiche I loue And they must not here excuse themselues vpon the difficultnes hardnesse of the commaundements For as saith Saint Iohn his coÌ„maundements are not gréeuous That is the cause wherefore Sainct Paul saide as Moses Say not in thine heart who shall ascende into heauen either who shall descende into the déepe that is nothing els but to fetch vp Christ from death But what saith the scripture The word is nie thée euen in thy mouth and in thine heart This worde is the worde of faith which we preach For if thou shalt knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord shalt beléeue with thine heart that GOD raised him vp from death thou shalt be safe Here some men wil say vnto me and howe can the commaundements of the Lord be easie forsomuch as the Lord commaundeth to enter in at the straite gate shewing to his people that wide is the gate and brode is the way that leadeth to destruction Where we wil briefly conclude that if they haue regarde onely to the calamities of those which suffer for the name of Iesus Christ truely the way is rude gréeuous For the lawe is certeine which saith that we must enter into the kingdome of heauen thorowe many oppressions griefes Euen as the Lord Iesus Christ himselfe saide to some of his disciples the Christ ought to haue suffered these things and to enter into his glorie But if they haue regarde to the frée wil of those which suffer persecution all things are easie and gentle vnto them and in all those thinges they are more then conquerours through him that loued them Euen so the Apostles departed from the counsell reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Iesus Christ And verie well hath Saincte Augustine declared that all thinges are easie and gentle to charitie to the which onely the charge of the Lord is light easie Some other will say here that if to loue God be to kéepe his commauÌ„demeÌ„ts The philosophers hauing not the law writteÌ„ doing neuertheles naturally the things which are of the law haue loued god for they haue obserued the law natural which wil that whatsoeuer ye would the men should do vnto you euen so do ye vnto theÌ„ for this is the law the prophets To this purpose we may recite the senteÌ„ce of Socrates when he said I do not knowe whether the Lorde will allowe our workes although it be that we haue taken paine to please him
for to draw them away from the lawe of the lord The father then which is a true Christian shal do nothing in the presence of his children which may make them swarue stray away from the lawe of the lord To this same purpose hee exhorteth al men generally where he saith Let no corrupt communication proceede out of your mouthes But that which is good to the vse of edefiyng that it may minister grace vnto the hearers Also in the same Epistle hee doth aduertise them that fornicatyon and all vncleanenesse or couetousnesse bee not once named amonge them as it bee commeth Saincts neyther filthynesse neyther foolyshe talking neyther iesting which are thinges not comely but rather gyuing of thanks For as witnesseth a certaine auncient and Christian authour verie learned Among other thinges wee ought to keepe the word as a thinge consecrated vnto the Lorde yea as our owne bodies bicause that by the worde wée ought to fighte for the trueth The reason is great and verie proper of him whiche hath sayde that it is easye to followe vices In suche sort that when wée cannot immitate and follow easely the vertues wée doe followe the faultes or vices This authour doth giue the example of Alexander the great who forgetting the vertues of Laonides his maister coulde neuer refraine himselfe from the vices of him And the Philosoper Plato hath Christianly spoken when he did write that a father must not get for his children greate abundaunce of golde but a greate deale of shame and feare The which they can not doe but in correcting the impudencie and vnshamelesse boldenesse of the children For the wise lawegiuer I meane him which garnished the cities and other common wealths with good laws will commaund rather the auncientes that they bée shamefast and fearefull before the younge men and that they take good héede that not a younge man heare sée nor speake any wicked and dishonest thing For when the olde men haue but a little shame it is necessarie that the younge men bee muche vnshamefast That is then an excellent discipline of the younge and of the olde not only the correction the which they doe by woorde but if hée which doth rebuke and checke do in all his lyfe time that which hée teacheth When I doe speake héere of the couersation of the fathers or auncientes I meane not onely their domesticall seruauntes but also other people that liue wickedly which maye tourne the spirites of the children from the veritie as it is euidently séene that euill wordes corrupte good manners Who soe toucheth pytche shall â—ée filed withall sayth the sonne of Siraac and hée that is familiar with the proude shall clothe himselfe with pride That is the cause wherefore Dauid did confesse that hee hathe not sitten amonge vaine personnes and hathe no felowshippe with the deceitefull That hée hathe hated the congregation of the wicked and that hée will not sit amonge the vngodly In the same Psalme hee prayeth the Lorde that hee will not destroye his soule with the sinners nor his life with the bloudthirsty In whose hands is wickednesse and theyr righte hande is full of gytes Beholde the doctrine of Salomon crying with a loude voyce saying My sonne heare thy Fathers doctrine and forsake not the lawe of thy Mother For that shall bringe grace vnto thy head and shall bee as a chayne aboute thy necke My sonne consent not vnto sinners if they entise thee and saye come with vs lette vs laye wayte for bloude and lurke priuely for the innocent without a cause let vs swallow them vp like the hell let vs deuoure them quicke and whole as those that goe downe into the pitte So shall we finde all manner of costly riches and fill our houses with spoyles Cast in thy lot amonge vs we shall haue all one pursse My sonne walke not thou with them refraine thy féete from their wayes For their féete runne to euell and are hasty to shead bloude These places of the Scripture teacheth vs sufficientlye that the duetie of a father consisteth not only to instruct well his children among his domesticall those of his familie But also if it bée possible among strauÌ„gers I wil rehearse vnto thee for this matter the example of Dina the daughter of Iacob who being departed from her fathers house desiring earnestly to see the host of the children of Sichem was rauished and defloured by Sichem I wil rehearse for the same purpose the example of the children of Israel who beeing not content to dwell in Sittim But willing to communicato with the Moabites were seduced by them and committed fornication with the daughters of Moab In like maner the women which were rauished by the Beniamites which came out to daunce I speake this for some men that are carefull inough that their daughters be not hurt or stoung with the serpent or snake and feare not that they be wounded with the hammer of all the whole world neither regarde they I say that they doe not drincke of the wine of that great Babilon the mother of all fornication Insomuch that Plutarch complained not without a cause as of a straunge thing that we accustome our children to take their meate with the right hande which if it happen that they do take it with the left hand we doe chastise and correct them grieuously and haue no regarde what disciplines we learne them The sayd author doth recite one Crates a verie auncient man which was accustomed to saye O that it were permitted me to goe vp to the highest place of the Citie I would crye aloude O ye Citizens what doe you that you bestowe all your trauaile to heape together money and haue no regarde or care of the children for whom you hoorde it vp and to whom you will leaue it That is one of the vanities that which Salomon in his booke of Ecclesiastices did bewaile wheÌ„ he said I was wearie of all my labour which I had taken vnder the sunne bicause I should bée faine to leaue them vnto an other man that commeth after mée for who knoweth whether he shall bée a wise man or a foole And yet shall hée be Lorde of all my laboures which I with such wisdome haue taken vnder the sunne Is not this a vaine thing For all the same which wée haue spoken off before we will not incitate or moue the fathers to shewe too great seueritie towardes their children but to shewe vnto them howe difficile and harde the nurture and gouerning of the children in their youth is According to that which the Philosopher Plato doth witnesse vnto vs that the childe is a greate deale worse to bée entreated and gouerned then all other beastes Forasmuch as he hath not yet perfectly tasted the fountaine of wisdome and euen as saith hée it happeneth vnto plantes that is to say that it is verie easie to prepare and dresse the