aunswere to euery man that asketh me a reason of the hope that is in me that with méekenes feare hauing a good cōcience that whereas they back byte mée as an euill doer they may be ashamed that falsly accuse my good conuersation in Christ demaund therefore what pleaseth you and I will according as Gods holy spirit shall teach me aunswere to the same Father In whome doest thou beléeue and whom doest thou worshippe Sonne Acts. 24 I aunswere with Saint Paull and confesse vnto you that after the way which some called heresie so worship I the God of my fathers beléeuing al things that are written in the Law and Prophets and haue hope towards God that the resurrection of the dead shall be both of iuste and vniust and therefore I study to haue alwaies a cleare conscience towardes God and towards men Father Shew mée if thou hast read perfectly the whole booke of God Sonne Psalm 1. Yea father I may say with Dauid my delight is in the Lawe of the Lorde and in his word haue I exercised my selfe day and night Father Are all thinges necessary to saluation contained in that booke of life called the Byble Sonne Yea truly father Io. 5. search the Scriptures saith Christ for in them ye thinke ye haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of mée and yet ye will not come vnto-mée that ye might haue life Saint Iames saith Iames. 1 Suscipite insitum verbū quod potest saluare animas vestras receiue with méekenesse the worde which is grafted in you being able to saue your soules Many signes truly did Iesus in the presence of his disciples Io. 20. which are not written in the Byble but so many are written that may learne vs to beléeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of GOD and that in beléeuing wée may haue life through his name Saint Peter sayth 1. Peter 2 although wée sée not Christ yet wee doe beléeue and reioyce with ioye vnspeakable glorious The end of faith is saluation receiuing the ende of our faith euen the saluation of our soules Io. 15. Christ Iesus himselfe saith that we are cleane through the words which he hath spoken vnto vs. Peter the Appostel rose vp and saide ye men and brethren Acts. 15. ye knowe that GOD did choose among vs that the Gentiles by my mouth should heare the worde of the Ghospell and beléeue and GOD which knoweth the hearts bare them witnesse and gaue vnto them the holie ghost euen as he did vnto vs and put no difference betwixe vs and them Purified by faith séeing that with faith he purified their hearts Saint Paull saith to Timothie continue thou in the thinges which thou hast learned which also were committed vnto thée knowing of whome thou hast learned them 2. Tim. 3 And for as much also as of a Childe thou hast knowen the holie Scriptures which are able to make thée learned vnto saluation through the faith which is in Christ Iesu for all Scriptures giuen by inspiration of GOD is profitable to teach Scripture makes men perfect in righteousnesse to improue to amēd to enstruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may bée perfect and prepared vnto all good workes Whereby you may plainelie perceiue Father that all thinges néedefull to saluation both to the Iewes and Gentiles Conclusion bonde and frée is contained in the written worde of GOD. Father Me thinkes that by these proues the holie Scriptures contained not onelie all thinges necessary for Saluation but also all other thinges néedefull for the good gouernement of a Christian life Sonne It is so Father as if it please God you shall heare afterwarde in the declaring of the duties of all estats and degrées of people for what blasphemy were it to the holy spirit of God to say that God hath left his word will and Testament vnperfect Father Is there nothinge then left out of Scripture for manne to teach that is néedefull many rites ceremonyes ordinances and inuentions of manne haue béene added thereto and taughte as things most requisite euen in my time Sonne Deu. 4. No father the Lorde saith you shall put nothing vnto the worde which I commaund you Prou 30. neither doe ought there from put thou nothing vnto his wordes least he reproue thée and thou be found a lyer Reuel 22. I testify saith Saint Iohn vnto euery man that heareth the prophecie of the Lords booke if any man shall adde vnto those thinges God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in that booke and if any man shall minish of the words of the prophecie of that booke God shall take away his parte out of the booke of life and out of the holy Cittie and from the things that are written in that booke who then dare be so bould father to thrust in among the ordinances and statutes of our heauenly father mans inuencions and constitutions séeing there hangeth Gods vengeance and eternall punishment ouer the heades of such ready to destroy soule and body when the Lorde commaundeth and to cast them into hell fire that neuer quecheth Father Séeing that the Scripture is the word of saluation why doe so many in these dayes refuse to heare or reade the same Recusants Sonne Christ Iesus saith Io. 8. he that is of God heareth Gods wordes they therfore heare them not because they are not of God To those Recusants saith Christ further Io. eod why doe you not know my spéech euen because you cannot abide the hearing of my worde Yée beléeue not my wordes Io. 10. because you are not of my shéepe for my shéepe heare my voyce and I know them Recusants none of his sheepe and they follow mée and I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neyther shall anye man plucke them out of my handes He that heareth you saith Christ to his disciples heareth mee Luke 10 and he that heareth mée heareth him that sent mée Recusants despise Christ and he that dispiseth you despiseth mée and he that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent mée The Quéene of the South shall rise at the daye of iudgement Luke 11. with this nation and condemne it for she came from the vttermost partes of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon and beholde a greater then Salomon is héere Luke 14 Nemo virorum istorum qui vocati sunt gustabunt cenam meam None of these saith Christ that were called and refused to come shall tast of my Supper Acts. 3. The time will come sayth the Apostle That euerie soule that wil not héere that same Prophet shall bee destroyed from among the people 1. Io 4. Recusants are not of God neither know him We are of God saith Saint Iohn hée that knoweth God heareth vs he that is not of God heareth vs not hereby knowe we the spirit of God and the
gaue mée drinke Blessed when I was harbourlesse you lodged mée when I was naked you cloathed mée when I was sicke and in pryson ye came vnto mée and visited mée Father And shall they aunswere any thing Sonne Yea father for the Lord saith Esay 14 there shall be all mightie men of the earth areigned and Princes and kinges and small and great shall stand from their seates that they may all aunswere and speake vnto the Lorde They shall aunswere Math. 25 Lorde Iesus when sawe we thée an hungered and féed the thirstie and gaue the drinke harbourles and lodged thée naked and clothed thée sicke and in prison and cam vnto thée he shall aunswere and say in asmuch as ye haue done it to the least of these my bretheren you haue done it vnto mée Father What speach shall his Maiestie vse to the wicked on his left hand Sonne Oh ye cursed of my father Cursed when I was an hungrie you gaue mée no meate when I was a thirst ye gaue me no drinck when I was harbourlesse ye lodged mée not when I was naked yée clothed mée not when I was sicke and in prison ye came not vnto mée to visit mée and they shall aunswere Lorde when saw we thée an hungrie or a thirst or harbourlesse or naked or sicke or in prison came not vnto thée he shall say in asmuch as ye did it not to these my brethren ye did it not to mée Father Iesus God if the Lord coÌ„demne them that helpe not their bretheren what will he do to the vnmercifull that robbe him that taketh meate drinke apparell lodging relefe and all from him euen fleaing the skin from the bone as much as lyeth in them Sonne The Lorde or they passe away will reward them for all as you shall heare afterwardes Father Well sonne who shal be present to heare all causes pleaded and what witnesse shall there be against the wicked for I am sure that the Lorde will haue all men sée that hée dealeth iustly and vprightlie withall Sonne True it is father VVitnesses 2. Cor. 5 there shal be present all Angells Archangels all the hosts of heauen there shal be all Saints and righteous all wicked and vngodlie that euer were vppon the face of the earth young and olde There shal be the great Dragon the diuell Sathanas with all the rable of hell-houndes and damned spirits for Saint Iohn saith Reuel 20. that he sawe the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened which is the booke of life and an other booke was opened and the dead were iudged of those thinges that were written in the booke according to their déedes Wherby we may learne that the bookes wer their coÌ„ciences layd abroad to al the world ConscieÌ„ces It is a sore thing wheÌ„ a man 's owne coÌ„cience beareth witnesse and recorde of his wickednesse and condemmeth him Wisd 17 He that speaketh vnrighteous thinges cannot be hidde and why Wisd 1. inquisition shall bée made for the thoughts of the vngodly and the reporte of his wordes shal come vnto God so that his wickednesse shal be punished Eod. There is nothing so hid that shall not be reueled Luke 22 There is nothing so couered saith Christ that shall not be vncouered neither hid that shall not be knowen Father I sée then that euerie thing shal be opened for I haue heard that a mans concience is quasi millie testis As a thousand witnesse but what other witnesses will there be Sonne God himselfe a witnesse GOD himselfe who séeth all thinges from the beginning shall be both the iudge and witnesse Malachi 3 I my selfe saith the Lord will be a swift witnesse against al witches against aduoulterers against false swerers against those that wrongfully kéepe backe the hyrelinges dutie which oppresse the stranger and hurt the widowes and Fatherlesse Cor. 10. The Lorde will come and open the thinges that are in darkenesse and declare the counsell of Princes and then shall euery one haue praise of God Father What other witnesses will there bée against the wicked VVorks Sonne Their owne workes in fine hominis denunciatio operum illius at the ende of man there is a declaration of their works Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord Reuel 14 euen so saith the spirit that they rest from their labours but their workes followe them The Appostle Saint Paull teacheth all men that they learne to excell in good works Titus 3 that they be not vnfruiteful in the Lords daie My deare brethren be stedfast and vnmoueable 1. Cor. 15. alwaies rich in the works of the Lorde forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lorde Father What are there any more witnesses Sonne The Diuell that great dragon as saith saint Iohn which deceiued all the world Diuell a witnesse the accuser of our brethren which accuse them before God day and night 1. Peter 1 That aduersary the diuel like a roareing Lyon séeketh whom he may deuoure Father Lorde God what shal the worme-eaten conscience then doe what shall the vnmercifull and couetous man say Sonne Luke 23. Decent montibus cadite super nos they shall say to the mountaines fal vppon vs and to the hills couer vs from the face of the Lorde Oseas 10 Esay 2 Then shall they séeke to crepe into holes and caues and rockes for feare of God but they cannot escape Reue. 6 They shall couet to hiâ—e themselues in dennes and Rockes of the Hills and shall say vnto the rockes fall on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the seate and from the wrath of the Lambe For the great day of his wrath is come and who is able to endure Reuel 9 At that time shall men séeke for death and shall not finde it they shall desire to dye and death shall flée from them Father Can there none hide themselues Sonne I tould you before father Amos. 9 that although they were buryed in hell the hand of the Lorde would fetch them from thence though they clyme vp to heauen yet will hée cast them downe though they hide themselues vppon the tope of Carmell yet will he séeke them out and bring theÌ„ from thence though they could créepe into the déepe of the sea yet hée will commaund the Serpent there to byte them Father Father of heauen be mercifull to vs. Well goe on seeing that euerie one must abyde the sentence of God and his straite iudgement tell mée now what will folow Sonne Then shall the Lorde Iesus Christ call those on his right hand and say come ye blessed of my Father Math. 25 inherite the kingdome of heauen prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde Father I perceiue that the faithfull mercifull and righteous shall then be blessed and without all feare But what shall he
our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken downe the wall that was a stop betwéene vs and hath also put away through his flesh the cause of hatred euen the lawe of commaundements contained in the lawe written All thing crucified with châ— for to make of twaine one newe man in him selfe to make peace and to reconcile both vnto God in one body through the crosse and slue hatred thereby came and preached peace to you that were farre off and to them which were nigh All one now both Iewes anâ— Ientiles for by him we haue both one entrance vnto God the Father It pleased the father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Collo 1. Blood of the crossâ— and by him to reconcile all things to himselfe and to set at peace by him through the bloud of the crosse both thinges in heauen and thinges in earth This we know that the father sent the sonne to be the sauiour of the worle 1. Io. 4 And concluding to speake further of the benefites we receaue by the death and passion of Christ Iesu Acts. 3. because no tongue is able to expresse the same for there is no other name vnder heauen by whome we must be saued but onelie in the name of Iesus Christ Father If we be purged saued redéemed deliuered iustified made the children of God and fellow heyres with Iesus Christ by his death and passion tell me to what ende was the law ordayned Sonne â—all 3 It was added because of transgression till the séede came to whome the promise was made â—om 7 To reueale sinne for I knowe not saith saint Paull sinne but by the lawe I had not knowen what lust had meant except the Lord had saide vnto me thou shalt not lust â—ll 3. The Law was our scholemaster vnto Christ that we should be iustified by faith but after that faith is come we are no longer vnder the scholemaster â—b 7. The lawe brought nothing to perfection but was an introduction to a better hope by the which we drawe nigh vnto God Father Then the law saueth none Sonne No for none fulfilleth it Gall. 3 therefore bringeth a curse vpon the transgressours for it is written cursed is euerie one that continueth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of the lawe to fulfill them Father How are we then deliuered from this curse séeing that none fulfill the lawe Sonne Christ Iesus hath deliuered vs from the curse of the law Gall. 3. in asmuch as he was accursed for vs for it is written Leuiti 18 cursed is euerie one that is hanged on trée that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that wée might receaue the promise of the spirite through faith Father What sayest thou to the ceremoniall law wherein were sacrifices oblations Ceremoniall law burnt offerings sinne offerings heaue offerings peace offerings sprinckling water and many such like ordinaunces of God Sonne Heb. 9. In the olde Testament were ordinances and seruings of God and worldlie holinesse Heb. 10. The law hauing but a shadow of good thinges to come and not the verie fashion of things themselues can neuer by those sacrifices that they offer yéere by yéere continually make the commers therevnto perfect Father Was the law therefore abolished Sonne Heb. 10 Yea for it did but prefigure the sacrifice death passion and other thinges fulfilled by Christ Iesu for the Lord saide sacrifice and offering and burnt sacrifice and sinne offerings thou wouldest not haue neither hast thou allowed them which are yet offered by the lawe then saide he To do gods will is the best sacrifice loe I am héere to doe thy will oh God he taketh away the first to establish the latter Father Was Christ but once offered and was that offering perfect how chaunceth it that Priestes in some places affirme that in their masses they offer Christ stil vnto the Father for the sinnes of the quicke and deade Sonne It is not in mans power to offer Christ Heb. 9. for Christ Iesus fréed himselfe once not euerie day Christ was once offred saith S. Paull to take away sinnes and not to offer himselfe often as the hye Priestes doth for theÌ„ must he oft haue suffered since the world beganne Christ néedeth not daylie first for his owne sinnes and then for the sinnes of the people to offer vp sacrifice Heb. 7. for that did he once when he offred vp himselfe and therefore perfect for euermore Christ loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs an offring and a sacrifice of a swéete sauour vnto God Father Can not then our annoynted Priests offer Christ in their masses euery daie Ephe. 5. Sonne No father for sée what Saint Paull saith we haue an hye Priest in heauen that sitteth on the right hand of God and is a minister of holie thinges and of the true Tabernacle which God pight not man Heb. 10. this man after he hath offered one sacryfice for sinnes is set downe on the right hand of God for Vnica oblatione profectos imperpet effecit eos qui sanctificantur with one offering he hath made perfect for euer those that are sanctified Heb. 1 So that father now after that he hath purged our sinnes with this sacryfice he is set downe on the right hand of the maiestie on hye no more to be offered Father Is he set on the right hand of his father no more to be offered what profit haue we by him being there Sonne Heb. 13 Sacrifice of praise He doth alwaies offer to God his father the sacryfice of praise that is the fruite of those lipes wherewith wée confesse his name Heb. 9. Christ entred into verie heauen for to appeare in the sight of God for vs. Io. 2. If anie man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous Aduocate to purchase mercie for vs. and he it is that obtaineth grace for our sinnes and not for our sinnes onelie but for the sinnes of the whole world He sitteth on the right hand of God and maketh intercession for the saints according to the pleasure of God Rom. 8. He is saith saint Paull at the right hand of his father to make intercession for vs. I sawe an Angell saith S. Iohn Reuel 8 that stoode before the Alter offering the praiers of Saints vppon the golden Alter which was before the seat and the smoke of the odours which came of the praiers of all saintes ascended vp before God out of the Angells hand This Angell father is Iesus Christ that praieth for vs and presenteth the God of heauen with our praiers whereby they are accepted and for whose sake our peticions graunted Father Thou saist that Christ Iesus sitteth at the right hand of his father to pray for vs to offer vp our praiers and sacrificeâ— of thanks giueing to him to be our
before mée saith the Lord Esay 66. and they shall goe foorth and looke vpon the carrions of them that haue transgressed against mée Amos. 9 They shall not flée away there shall not one escape nor be deliuered though they were buried in hell my hande shall fetch them from thence though they clime vppe to heauen yet shall I cast them downe though they hide themselues on the toppe of Carmell yet shal I séeke them out and bring them from thence though they créepe downe from my sight into the depth of the Sea I shall commaunde the Serpent there to bite them Math. 25 Iesus Christ shall sende his Angells with the great voyce of a Trumpet and they shall gather together his chosen from the foure windes euen from the highest parte of heauen till the endes thereof Thus father you may sée that this iudgement cannot be secaped Father Sonne the Lord comforte vs. What saiest thou shall there be no warning before the Trumpet bée sounded Sodenly and all summoned to iudgement but shall it come vnwares and sodainely Sonne Christ saith if we shall not watch Reuel 3 hée will come as a théefe and we shall not knowe what houre he shall come on vs. The day of the Lord shall come as a théefe in the night 1. Thes 5 for when they shall say peace then shall sodaine destruction come vpon them euen as sorrowe vpon a woman in traueile and they shall not escape Of that day and houre saith Christ Math. 24 knoweth no manne but my Father onelie for as it was in the daies of Noa they eate and dranke married and were married builded and planted vntil Noa went into the Arke and the floude came and tooke them all away So shall the comming of the Sonne of man bée Watch therefore for ye knowe not what houre the sonne of man will come Father The Lord giue vs grace to be watchfull What shall the Lorde doe when all people kinredes and tongues and nations are set before him Sonne Partition Math. 25 He shall seperate the good from the bad euen as a shepperd parteth the shéepe from the Goats Ezech. 34. I will saith the Lord put a pertition and make a difference among the shéepe among the weathers and Goats Math. 25 Hée shall sette the shéepe on his right hande and the Goates on the left hand Father Christ helpe vs but howe shall the Lorde Iesus among all the people of the worlde knowe which are good to set them on his right hande and the euill and place them on his left hande Sonne Father the Lorde séeth and knoweth all thoughts words and workes of all men hee séeth from euerlasting to euerlasting there is nothing hid frō his eyes and besides they shall all bée marked the faithfull and good with the marke of the Lambe Iesus The wicked shall haue in their handes or foreheades the Beastes marke The Lord saide to one that had a linnen rayment vpon him Ezech. 9 and a writers Incke-horne by his side goe thy way through the Cittie of Ierusalem sette a marke vpon the foreheades of them that mourne and are sorie for all the abhorcions that are done therein And to an other he saide goe after him through the Cittie slay ouer sée none spare none kill and destroy both mē and young maides children and wiues but as for those that haue the marke vpon them sée thou touch them not An Angell hauing the seale of the liuing God in his hande Reuel 7 and he cryed to the foure Angels that haue power ouer the Earth and sayde hurte not the Earth neyther the Sea neyther the Trées till I haue sealed the seruaunts of GOD in their foreheads The names of the good are written in the Booke of life of the Lambe Reuel 3 They haue his name Eod. and his Fathers name written in their foreheads When the Lorde woulde smyte the firste borne in Egypte Exod. 12 and delyuer his owne people he commaunded that all his owne people euerie householde shoulde kill a Lambe late at night and sprinckle the doore chéekes and postes of the doore with the bloud so that when the destroyer should come he might sée the bloud and might passe by that house and not smite it So in like manner whosoeuer haue their hearts and consciences sprinckeled with faith in the bloud of the Lambe Iesus the destroyer in the day of vengeance shall not hurt but destroy the Egiptians that is the wicked that haue receaued the beasts marke Father Not pacified The Lord our God sprinckle our hearts with that bloud Sonne I haue brought thée a little from the purpose but turne againe to it and tell mée if the Lord will not be a mercifull God at that time and soone entreated Sonne Pro. 6. Mercifull no Father not mercifull but iust full of wrath and indignation Salomon compareth the Lord to a Iellious husbande the Ielousie and wrath of the man will not be intreated no not though thou wouldest offer him great giftes to make amends he will not receaue them There is no daise-man betwixt GOD and man Iob. 9. When he is wrath the earth shaketh Ieremy 10 all the Gentiles may not abide his indignation Heauen and earth shall remoue in the wrath of the Lord of hosts Esay 13. and in the day of his fearefull indignation Neither their siluer nor their gold shal be able to deliuer them in that wrathfull day of the Lord Sophony 1. but all the whole lande shall be burned with the fier of Ielousiie Beholde Amos. 2 I will crash you in sunder like as a waine crasheth that is full of sheaues so that the swift shall not escape neyther the strong doe any thing no the Gyant shall not be able to saue his owne lyfe I will not spare because he persecuted his brother with the sworde destroyed his mothers wombe bare hatred verie long and so kept indignation alway by him Who may abide his wrath Nah. 1. or who is able to abide his grymme displeasure his anger taketh on like fier and the hard rockes are clouen asunder He shall be like a Beare that is rauished of her whelpes euen full of wrath and indignation shall the Lord be in that day Father Good God what shall we doe séeing there is no mercie but that Clausae sunt ianuae the gates of all mercie are shutte vppe and iustice drawen out Cognoscetur dominus iuditia faciens The Lorde shall bée knowen to execute iustice and iudgement Procéede to tell mée when all people kinreds and tongues are araigned before this terrible iudge Plead guiltie or not guiltie and pleade guyltie or not guiltie what shall the iudge obiect or lay to their charge what will he saye to the faithfull on his right hande Sonne Math. 25 He shall say Oh ye blessed children of my Father when I was hungrie you gaue mée meate when I was thirstie you