deele the better But sorowe and bee carefull in thyne heart that Auarice and insaciate couetousnes reigne soo soore amongest them that to dooe almose they haue cleane forgotten for the common reliefe that they bestowe vpon the needy bee fayre woordes colored with Hypocrisye as alas good man God healpe the god healpe the. O counterfaited Christian god commaundeth the to healpe them and cursed arte thou of what degree soo euer thou arte that wylt not succoure thy poore neyghbour in his necessitie Bee penitent therfore in time for dampnacion hangeth ouer thy hed I suppose thou seest plainely inough what miserye and myschefe reigne euery where The poore bee despysed and Goddes woord so lytell regarded and thought vpon that that soore and lamentable saiyng of Esaye maie iustely bee spoken vnto vs in these daies It is an obstinate people vnfaithefull chyldren saieth he chyldren that wil not here the law of the Lord the .xxix. of Esai O noble Englande this lawe of the Lord thou hast moste plainly set forth vnto the as yet thy myserable state is soore to bee lamented for through thy obstinate blindnes thou prouokest God to stryke styll with durable strokes thou dooest not soo humbly submitte thy self vnto his blessed wil and testament as thy duetie is Thou arte neyther soo ioyouse ne yet so earnestly bent to haue it goe forward as God hath geuen the occasions within these fewe yeres It semeth thine hearte is setled on fantasies most fond and kepest olde dotyng dreames foo fast vnder locke yea and sauerest so much of auncient custome that the pure worde of God in thy spirite hath smal taste But heare a whyle and geue eare and thou shalte knowe more of thy duetie and determine thy selfe lowely to folowe suche histories as shall be rehersed vnto the gathered out of the lawe of the Lord. First considre when that holye man Esdras Preached vnto the people their eares were so wonderfully enclyned to the booke of the lawe and their heartes so enamored for the singuler delight they had to heare the swete wordes and pleasant promises of god that they could not but weepe the .ii. booke of Esdras the .viii. chapter Forsothe it was a greate token of grace to weepe for the feruente zeale and loue of Goddes worde Thei also made greate myrthe because they vnderstode what was declared vnto thē O happie people that so reioysed in knowledge What man is he dissendyng downe into hymselfe that wold not reioyse also to remēber what ioye and felycitie these people had in the woord of God and mourne nowe for compassion to beholde what spite and euell wyl many beare toward the holy Bible whose miserable blyndnesse is muche to be lamented truely suche is the pestilent malice of ignorantes suche bee the deceiptes and wyles of Ipocrites the one in league and full consente with the other labour with all subtilitie to wrappe the people in blyndnesse styl and yet openlye they faigne theym selfes glad and ioyouse that the truthe is come out but sorow and sigh in their heartes to haue it go forwarde Great pytie it is that any manne should goe about to endomage Christen men in the word of God For the greatest compassiō that we ought to haue on any one thyng vnder Heauen is on the rude multitude of Chrystians lackyng the trewe knowledge therof for Chrysten mennes heartes shoulde alwaies bee enclosed in that highe and heauenly wisedom of God consideryng that Ignoraunce is the most pestilent poyson that can reigne emongest men And to learne howe to abbolyshe the great and wonderfull blyndnes whiche hathe hadde a long course and continuance emongest vs thou haste the holy Byble playnely set forth vnto the and yf thou haue a hoole and a cleare heart thou mayest sone learne to folowe the trace of vertue thou shalte learne also to be strōg and quiete to beare al afflictions yea and shalte be able to enstruct suche as thou haste nouryshed to liue togither in an amiable conuersacion But alas there be many both temporal and spirituall that wyll neuer take the testament in their handes they passe lyght of it care not howe lyttell it is spoken of emongest them but if it come by chance vnto thē they esteme it as a geast nether welcome ne yet loked for Of what spirite they learne this of I muche marueil yf one call them counterfaited christians ryght scribes and Phariseis they set vp their brystels and fall in a rage Oh Lord suche are nothyng mindfull of the saiyng of Elephas vnto Iob receaue the lawe at the Lordes mouthe and laie vppe his woordes in thyne hearte and he shall geue the an haruest with suche plentifull abundaunce that it shal exceade the duste of the yearthe and looke what thou takest in hand it shall prospere Nowe Englande this Godly saiyng shoulde steere vp the and all thyne to shewe your selfes most humble and meke in settyng forwarde the woorde of GOD Surely thou deserueste greate glorye and hyghe estymacion yf thou bee agreable vnto his truthe And therfore shewe thy selfe euer couragiouse to promote his blessed testament and cease now to be styffenecked to desende thy supersticion and wilfull ignoraunce for this is playne no man shal bee excused by ignorance ne yet shal escape to geue accompte of his bailywicke Thou shuldest therefore obedientlye enbrace the liuely woord of God which is a thing most mete and requisite for all agees and degrees of men Thou shouldest studie the same both daye and nyghte and geue thy self wholy to knowe the Euangelion of Chryste for the eyes of the Lord behold all the earth to strenghthen them that are holie with him the .xvi. Cha. the .ii. Chronicles This kynde of studie is most conuenable for the professours of Christ and thus to dooe is the chefest puincte of our profession in Baptime whereunto yf you answere as saieth sainct Paule He that is most abiecte emongest you is better then they that bee taken to bee of highest authoritie emongest the vngodly the .i. to the Corinthians Let vs nowe therfore plante surely in our hertes the lawe of God Let vs shewe our selfes ioyouse to heare the eternal testamēt of Christ spoken of emongest vs Let vs remember well the saiyng of Samuell vnto Saull Thou haste caste awaye the biddyng of God and therfore the Lord hath caste the away also This shoulde be no lesse fearfull vnto vs nowe least the Lord cast vs away which maie and wyll not drinke of the well of the water of life freely that is the holy Bible most godly and syncerely set forthe in oure Englishe tongue For the whiche wee oughte with reioysyng heartes to saie O the lot of our felicite most luckely chaunged For where as of late we offred sacrifice vnto Idols now we be taught to offre the sacrifice of Iustice vnto our heauenly father Of late we were obedyent vnto al damnable rites and wicked supersticion nowe we be taughte to obey onely the Gospell which is saluacion
vnto al them that beleue it It is not long sythen we called on Sainctes for diseases and all folyshe fantasies nowe we be taught that in all our extreme miseries we shuld flee vnto Ihesus the only appoincted mediatour betwyxt God the father and vs Once we wer not ashamed to rūne barefooted and barelegged to bowe our selfes vnto Images before whom we cōmitted wonderful Idolatrye a thyng most cursed dampnable in the sight of god And if men woulde iustly weie pondre the maruelouse Ipocrisy Idolatrie dampnable supersticiō which of late dayes were stifly defended and mainteined of the Clergy for pompe and dignitie vayne glorye and aduauntage sake they cannot but triumphe for this so Godly a change excepte they be priuie enemies vnto England and shamefull rebels vnto christes holy religion for by this chaunge we haue lyght for darkenes true religion for supersticion remission of our synnes by the bloud of Christ in stead of Papisticall and deceitful Pardonnes And yf we would call to memory howe imperfecte and corrupted oure faythe was by the reason of poperye howe ignorantly we walked yea and what disobedyence reygned emongest vs then surely if we be not shamelesse and destitute of all grace wee cannot but giue hearty thankes for this most gloriouse chaunce And euen nowe is full tyme yf the state and value of thynges be wel cōsidered to shew our selfes reuerent deuout and symple to receiue the gloriouse testamēt of christ yea and to repente and make our eies sore with sobbing and wepyng that euer we wer so disceiued with popery Ipocrisie such other pelfe And how to vse our selfes in readyng the bible let vs all take our exaumple of vertuouse kyng Iosias whiche was a man indued with such a singuler grace and of so feruēt zeale toward the word of God that after he had once redde the boke of the lord he so lamented al wiked doynges false doctrine that he rent his clothes and sayd The wrath of God is kendeled on vs because our fathers haue not hearkened vnto the wordes of this booke to do in al puinctes as it is written therein O happy people of Englād if your dull vnderstandyng wold reache to cōsider how worthy wordes these wer for so noble a kyng wold god the mindes of al kinges princes were so stable in the law of the Lorde as his was for he ceased not with al his power to throw doun al kynd of idolatrie as tēples hi laulters groues the .xxii. chro cōtrarily again wicked Manasses his sōne Amō obserued dismael daies made Images bowed vnto thē what vile estimaciō this brought thē vnto the holy scrypture witnesseth in the booke of the kynges Where thou maiest reade also of diuerse kynges whose hyghe glory and worthinesse is tourned into shame for that thei refused the woord of God and gaue them selfes vnto Idolatrie and vtterly cast awaie the cōmaundementes of God And for an example How pitiefully I pray the did the lord smite kyng Iehoram he was inuaded of his enemies and lost al his goodes he was plagued with diuerse diseases his end was most miserable greuouse to beholde for his bowelles rotted within hym and fell out of his bealy yea and to be brefe for his mischefe he was not buryed in the sepulcres of the kynges but is left vnto vs as a memory of wickednes the .xxii. Chronicles This kyng was thus wōderfully plaged for that he forsoke the word of god and defiled himself with Idolatrie against the law of the Lord And be ye wel assured that he and his people wer not worse defyled in those dayes then wee were of late with Romyshe doctrine Oure truste was as all men know in masses of Scala celi wee enbraced blynd pardones and louyngly buried them with vs we kneled bowed and becked vnto Idolles false doctrine bare the hole swaie the truthe cleane shut vp it was kept vnder locke and coulde haue no libertie What Godly minde woulde not abhorre to thyncke on this With these and many mo abhominacions we wer sore and deadly woūded And none so good a meane can now be foūd to cure oure olde diseases as to flee vnto the blessed testament of Christ which wil quickely healpe suche as desyre remedie confessynge their greefes and lamentyng their myserable blyndnesse The great grace and benignite of god is nowe soo preste that thou maiest yf thou wylte drynke a draughte freelye of the syncere worde of God that most pure fountain and holsome water of lyfe whiche wyll cause the to spewe vppe all that thou hast dronke of that foule stinkyng and Papistycal podel And yf thou nowe geue no eare to it but fondly wylte folowe other by pathes whiche cōmonly bee thicke thornie and cūbersome to iourney in and hast a desire to straie abrode thus wilfully thou knowest not whither dysdainyng to folowe the doctrine of the Byble where God sheweth howe and whiche waye al his should walke thē forsoth it is an euident token and significacion that thou arte the childe of wrath a counterfaited Christian yea and a ryght inheritour to Hell And if thou be mynded to tary still in Ignoraunce and wilte not bee moued from thy miserable condicion whyche soo blyndeth the that thou haste no grace to discerne the contrariete of these .ii. doctrines doe no more then but reade Sermones discipuli Legenda Aurea vitas Patrum and the olde Chronicle of Romyshe Byshoppes afterwarde reade the Testament Then thou shalt soone espie how the glory of God hathe ben defaced and what abhominable lyes and fables haue been taughte in the steade of the Gospell This shal bee a meane yf any meane be to make thine hearte relente this shall make the to crie out vpon all false doctrine yea this shall alter the from a styffe and a stubburne ignorant to be a pleasaunt sacrifice before GOD. That is thou shalte bee pourged in conscyence from Idolatrie Ipocrisie supersticion mennes constitucions newe kyndes of worshyppynges this and that fourme of liuyng colde ceremonies and such other pelfe as hath been added of late vnto Chrystes doctryne then thou wylte quickely refuse the shadowes of the lawe of Moyses and folowe the Testament whiche is the lyghte and full perfection of Christes holy religion for there thou shalte fynde all thynges playnely set forthe vnto the whiche apperteigne to get euerlastyng lyfe And if thou wilt now endeuour thy self to attain the knowledge of it then forsoth thou trauelest for pure ornamētes treasures iuels and laborst to a purpose for in comparison of it al other studies be but vain vanities and fātasies most fond And that thou mayest be more spedily prouoked to the word of God consyder howe sore sainct Paule as a true and faithfull minister was charged with thoughtes for the Congregacion He was so earnestly bēt to haue it goe forewarde that he coulde not suffre in no wyse to haue it hyndered or put backe but would haue it knowen vnto all kynd
holy pleasant and acceptable before God a reasonable sacrifice whiche is the sacrifice of the mynd For God is a sprite and his fauoure is gotten by the gyftes of the sprite the .xii. to the Roma The Euāgelist witnesseth also that Chryste is fully satisfied with a faithfull heart saiyng geue me thine heart I aske no more Now truely no man geueth his heart vnto God but he that forsaketh the pleasure pōpe and vanities of this vile world and with a syncere mynde bent onely on heauenly wysedome seeketh to knowe the scriptures of Christ for Godly wisedom as saieth S. Paule deliteth in Godly and simple mindes and therfore none of the princes of this world haue atteigned it Neyther Pilate neither Annas nor Cayphas nor the Pharisees ne yet the deuelles although thei wer learned in the knowledge of worldly thynges pufte vp and proude because they knewe the lawe neither proude princes deserued to know this no nor yet the curiouse and haute Phylosophiers The .ii Corinthi This Heauenly wisdōe is the Gospel of Christ which bringeth quicke and spedy saluacion as thou maist read in the .x. to the Romains by the strength and power of it al thynges haue their beyng both in heauen and yearth This heauenly wisdome which is the very wil and testament of our sauiour Chryste putteth power efficacy and vertue in the holy sacramentes By this heauēly wisedome whiche is the misticall holy gloriouse scriptures of Christe our solles liue and haue their spirituall norishmente Yea and in receuyng this heauenly wisedome which is the blessed word of God wee receaue the bodie of Christ here dooeth appere by these woordes an excedyng grace and vertue of the liuely woord of God Therfore whosoeuer wil consider the effectes therof and way with himself the pith thy puinctes of our christiā religion desiryng to find fauour grace and mercie at the handes of God he must obediently al supersticion false and intermingled doctrine and wilfull ignoraunce vtterly set a part enbrace nowe Christes Gospell whiche reconcileth all menne to God as thou shalt finde in the fourth to the Galathyans this reconciliacion loue and fauour he that wold not gladly haue yf he might is to bee thoughte bothe madde and miserable for it is a thing farre aboue the beneuolence of hyghe kynges and mightie princes it is therfore most gredily to be desired Nowe truely this grace and fauour al poore men may well and easely atteigne at the handes of God whiche with simple obedient heartes reade his blessed Testament and seke forth his scriptures and all that be thus occupyed are openly pronounced to bee very acceptable in Goddes sight Accordyng to this saiyng of the holy Prophete Blessed are they that seeke forthe thy testimonies and require thy law with all their heartes By this it dooeth apere that it is requisite for al christen men eyther poore or riche to study the holy Bible and diligentely to searche forthe the wyll and pleasure of God Thou canst not denye but that thyng is pleasaunt and acceptable in the fathers sighte that causeth him to geue his sonne benedictiō for as muche as wee see daily that benediction is not giuen but vnto suche chyldren as folow their fathers mind and pleasure And that it is very nedefull that all men shoulde bee perfectly taughte in the holy Scriptures Esaie the Prophet plainly declareth It is a people saith he without vnderstādyng and therfore he that created them shal not fauour them and he that made theym shall not bee mercifull vnto them the xxvii of Esaie By these wordes it is easy to bee iudged That who so euer is not diligente to reade the woorde of God falleth into his indignacion and fearfull displeasure and wandereth on ignorauntly as one voide and destitute of al grace to whose peruerse mynd God wyl shewe no mercie surely this is the greatest plage and misery that can chance vnto men Now to auoide this wicked estate who would not bee circumspecte and willyng to take in his hand the holy Testament Vndoubtedly he that through the deuell and ignoraunce is so seduced that he hath it in meane estimacion and to reade it hym self is neyther couragyouse ne yet of good wyll to haue it set forthe by other is in a miserable case Yea the misery of such a man no tong can sufficiently expresse and yet to see howe wickedly many nowadaies bee confederate togither in a Deuelyshe conspiracie against the promotyng of it is a thyng soore to bee lamented And all that bee of this peruerse and stubburne iudgement bee more abhominable in goddes sight then wer the wicked and grosse people of Geresa whiche coulde not away with Chrystes doctrine regarded not his commyng vnto them no nor woulde in no wise bee acquainted with hym whose familiaritie and acquaintaunce euery christen man oughte desirousely to seeke And this is plaine that there is none so good a meane to be throughly acquainted with him as to bee busied in his holy scriptures and alwaies to haue a delyghte there folowyng the holy Prophete whiche said vnto god thy commaundementes Lorde bee my ioye and delectacion This holy man beatyng alwaies a faithful heart vnto God and euer diligent to set abrode the lawes of his Lord saied vnto his deere and best beloued sonne Salomō and vnto all the people Kepe seeke for the commaundementes of the lord your god that you may enioye a good land and inherite your chyldren after you for euer This was Godly counsaill and worthie commendacion this counsail shoulde all Christen men folow and gladly learn the syncere law of Christ for it is spiritual and the giuer of life as thou arte taughte in the eight to the Romains And in this doyng wee must needes prospre and goe forwarde in all our affayres As it is shewed in the .xv. Chapyter .ii. of the Chronycles Beleue his Prophetes and soo shall ye prospere Howe wonderfully I praye you dyd kyng Iosaphat prospere because he forsoke Baals waies and walked vpryghtely in Goddes commaundementes obeyed the holy prophetes and vtterly shoke of all the wycked dooeynges of Israel euen for the earnest heart he hadde vnto the truthe God alwaies defended hym and stablyshed his kyngdom in his handes and so hathe he promysed vnto all kynges prynces whose heartes are couragiouse in the wayes of the Lorde This noble Prince was nothyng forgeatfull to call in memorie his loyall dewtie and faythefull obedyence towardes GOD his creatour and gouernoure He was the truest hearted Kyng vnto GODDES woord that euer was annointed or had charge ouer Chrystes congregacion for he was inflamed with suche zeale and faythfull affection of hearte to set abroade the lyuely word of GOD. That he sente forthe dyuerse of his Lordes Priestes and Leuytes and caused theym to carry the booke of the Lawe with theym and commaunded theim to teache the people in all the Cities of Iuda Hys couragiouse and Pryncely hearte for this his dooeyng cannot haue sufficient lawde and