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A18389
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The harvest is at hand, vvherin the tares shall be bound, and cast into the fyre and brent. [...]
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Champneys, John, fl. 1548.
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1548
(1548)
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STC 4956; ESTC S109141
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25,651
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110
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we looke for oure Sauiour Iesus Christ Phillippians the .iii. Chapiter d. For wee confesse our selues to be as straungers in this lyfe vsyng the thynges of the worlde as though we vsed them not the first to the Corinthyans the .vii. Chap. e. Not doyng our bodely labour with the respecte of our owne lucre but for that we woulde not lyue idely also to haue wherwith to help the impotent membres of Christ neyther louyng the worlde nor the thynges of the worlde but receiuyng all nedefull necessyties of the bodye in worldly thynges geuyng God thankes withoute any scrupulosytie or grudge of conscience For al the creatures of God ar good nothyng to be refused if it be receyued with thankes geuing i. Timo. iiii a. For lyke as God doth forbyd all men from the louyng inordinate vsyng of worldly thinges so lykewise dothe hee permit all his electe people their bodily necessities of all worldly thynges when soeuer of two euyls the one can not be auoided God permitteth the lesse for the eschewing of the greatter in all earthly thinges Mat. xii a. Mar. ii d. Luk. vi a Gen. xix b. Wherfore the scriptures sayeth i. epist of Ihon. ii chap. e. If ye know that Christ is righteous ye know also that euery one which foloweth righteousnesse is borne of hym for euery one which loueth Christ loueth also all people whiche be regenerate in Christ Ihon. v. a not only in wordes but in actu all deedes ep Ihon. iii. c. for all people which doth the contrary be the children of the deuyll ep Ihon. iii. b. By whose delusyon our Markte men haue so long disceiued vs for the iust proufe whereof if it maye please the Kynges maiestee by the godly godly aduyse of my lorde Protectors grace and other of his honorable couÌ„sel to graunt and permit like libertie to some one of them being of smal reputacioÌ„ learnyng which be now regenerate with the spirit of Christ as was graunted to Elias in the tyme of Ahab Kyng of Israhell as we reade the thyrde boke of Kynges the xviii chap. That lyke tryall as was beetwene the sayde Elias and all Baals prophetes bi the offring of sacrifice may be now openly and only by the holy scriptures written after the trew litterall sence betwene one suche of the elect in Christ the whole multitude of our markt ministers that lykewyse al the multitude of them nowe may confer their lernyngê together or seuerally whether thei lyst then to be openly plainly knowen sene whether thei can shew the word of God written after the trewe litteral sence for the cleare discharge of their conscience for their doctrine conuersacion ye or no and if they can not all men ought to refuse to dispise their doctrine how clerkely or eloquently soeuer it be vttered and none otherwyse to accepte them but as the mynisters of the deuyll and the Beast whose marke thei beare ii Corin. xi c. Iude. c. d. e. And on y e other side if the coÌ„piler hereof a poore lay man of small litterature be not able by godê assistauÌ„ce only by the power of the Spirite of Christ to shew the word of God writteÌ„ in the true literal sence both for the cleare discharge of his owne conscience conuersacion also of all other that be regenerate in Christ let it bee death vnto him Wherfore in so muche as the people beyng present with kyng Ahab conuerted confessed God when they saw that he sent fyer from heauen to consume that Sacrifice which Elyas offred wereful certified that he alone was the true Prophet of God and that Baals Prophetes beyng ccccl. were all false teachers because their Sacrifice which they had offred remayned whole vnbreÌ„t Howe muche more then nowe shoulde the worde of God written be a sure vndoubted tryall in the playne literall sence for all Christen men to beleue and so therby also to knowe who be the true ministers of the gospel of Christ who be the disceyuers of the people Wherfore if suche tryall may be permitted in maner afore sayde who so euer should then mistrust it to be a good a sure tryall worthy to be belened of all people his blyndnesse were very wonderfull because wee haue no certaintie of the trut he but by the holy scriptures as thei be written vnto vs and by the gyfte of the holyghost Wherfore if our marked men hauyng much lernyng had also the gyfte of the holyghost in them as they haue not it were not possible for any man to disproue their doctrine and conuersacion with the holy scriptures written which wer ordeyned preserued vnto vs by the holy ghost Wherfore the cleare confutacion of them and also of their doctrine conuersacion with the holy scriptures written by one man of small literature shall manifestlye declare the incomprehensible power of God Deuteron xxxii e. agaynste whom nothynge can preuayle in whose doctrine lyke as he that fulfylleth the whole lawe yet fayleth in one poynte is gyltye in all Iames. ii c. So lykewyse he that hath a faythe to beleue parte of the holy scriptures in the literall sence as they bee written vnto vs beleueth not all his faythe is vnperfecte For Christ promysed not that any man should be saued for the beleniÌ„g of parte of the gospell but for the beleuyng of all thynges whiche he promysed therein dooyng all thynges also in spirit which he coÌ„mauÌ„ded in the establishment therof mat xxviii d. Whervuto the promyse of euerlastyng lyfe is made and not otherwise for God doth abhor all vaine hope Ieremy ii g. which is not establysshed in a perfecte faythe wholly agreable vnto hys word Ephesians the .iiii. chapiter c. Wherfore if we shoulde beleue any mans opinion to be good godly doctrine in any thynge more or lesse then is written within the holi scriptures or in any thing contrarye to the true literall sence thereof whereby shuld we know whose opinioÌ„ we ought to beleue For euery part of the holy scripture spoken by the holigost for our instructioÌ„ is of lyke aucthoritie and may no more be altered from the literall sence in one place then in an other But I speake not of the parables which christ spake to the hygh learned Scribes Phariseys the predesessors of our marked men to whom thei do succede in lyke power of the Beast beyng of a long tyme ascended oute of the bot homlesse pit Apoca xiii a. and. xvii b. But I speake of the plain declaracioÌ„s which Christ made of al parables to his Disciples For he declared all thynges plainly vnto them Mar. iiii c. And so lykewise all other partes of the holy scriptures be euident and playne to all them whiche haue the same gyste of the holyghost which the holy scriptures were spoken by Ihon. xvii c. d. Howe beit if any parte therof be altered from the true meanyng of the literall sence we are vncertayne
gyfte of naturall reason to examyn their conscience surely and plainly by Goddes worde either in hearynge or readynge therof so to know them selues what estate they be in or who soeuer hath not his conscience agreable ther vnto wholly directly without other wrestyng or writhyng thereof hathe no promyse made within any part of the holy scripture to be saued in Christ but the wrath of God remaineth vpoÌ„ him Ihon. xii g For although that the apostles woulde that the Elders of the congregacioÌ„s in the primatiue Church of Christ should be are with the wekenes of the Iewes whiche receyued the Gospell at the begynnyng of their conuersion in their scrupulosytie for etyng of meates and other lyke thinges yet neuerthelesse they would not suffre any of them to continewe in the congregation which conuerted not after certayne admonicions froÌ„ al kynd of such bondage Tit. iii. c. But vtterli expulsed them out of the congregacion al that taught any such doctrine to lai any maner of yoke of bondage vpoÌ„ any of the congregacions Gal. ii a. more then that which the Apostles theim selues had taught wherfore thei coÌ„manÌ„ded that if any maÌ„ preached or taught any other doctrine although it wer aÌ„ Angel from heaueÌ„ we should hold him acursed gal i. b Wherfore here is to be noted that all thei which minish ani thing fro or addeth any thynge more to y e Apostles doctrine then y t which they and the EuaÌ„gelistê and the Patriarkes prophites haue written vnto vs ar accursed of God Apoca. xxii d. which saynt Paule calleth other doctryne because there is other thingê in it then that which the holygost teacheth For the Apostles of Christ wer the last people that God appoynted to write scripture whose doctrine shall remayn to the worldes end Act. i. a. Roma x. d Wherfore whosoeuer beleueth any mans imaginacioÌ„ conserniÌ„g the doctrine of the holy scripture thinkyng that by anye exposicion other written or preached he maye haue the true vnderstandynge therof may be well lykened to such a blyude man which being withoute eyes thynketh to see with an other mans eyes if thei were set in to his head and consydereth not that the syghte of the eyes is a gift of nature only to theym in whome naturally they be that no mans cuÌ„ning can do any such workes muche lesse then maye any mans doctryne either writteÌ„ or preached make them whiche be but naturall men to see perceyue the spirituall lyght of gods worde Before that tyme they be regenerate of God after regeneracioÌ„ all those people in whom the spirite of Christ remaineth haue no more pleasure in mans clerkely curiosytie in the doctryne of the holy spirite then a naturall man hathe beyng vnlearned is very desyrous to haue the knowledge withoute boke by hert of some thing that is written one that shoulde reade it so teache him dothe syng it to hym in prickesong hanyng much fyne descant ther in by the meane wherof he doth not perceyue the wordê perfectly whiche he desyreth to learne by hert in this case he that wer so taught would thinke that he had a frowarde scolemaister euen so lykewyse do al the electe vnlearned people thynke when any man maketh long clerkely protestacion sircumstaunces in the doctrine of the holy scriptures because it hindreth them from that whiche they woulde learne by hert that is the true literall sence of the holy scriptures as they be written For the true vnderstandyng therof is geueÌ„ them of god Esa liiii d Ihon. vi e. and. x. a. whensoeuer they heare the true literal sence ther of spokrn being written for our instruction Wherfore they delyte not in suche clerkely curiositie of men but do vtterly abhorre it because so many meÌ„ haue ben disceyued by it and do note also much presumption in all theym that vse it because saynt Paule all other whiche were godly refused it the fyrst to the Corinthians the seconde chapiter a b. and to the Galat. the fryst b. c. For lyke as the naturall reason of man discusseth all reasonable erthly thynges so doth the spirite of Christ only discusse all godly thynges necessary to be knoweÌ„ vnto Galat. the fyrst Epistle of Ihon. ii c d. the fyrst to the CortÌ„ the secoÌ„d Chapi c. Wherfore lyke as reasonable men do not coÌ„menly vse to shutt the dores wyndowes of their houses in the middes of the fayre day lyght so burne candles and other lyghtes no more do the electe people of god beyng regenerate in Christ refuse the spirituall lyght which they haue of Gods worde by the spirite of Christ and seke it by mens ymaginacions And furthermore lyke as reasonable people thynke it foly to burne candles other lyghtes where the day lyght maye sufficiently serue So lykewyse all people which be regenerate in Christ doth thinke it deuelish madnes for any man to trust in mans doctrine because Christ hathe promysed Mat. vii b. Luke xi b. Ihon. xvi f. a good spirite all thinges els nedefull for our saluacion to euery man whiche saketh it in faythfull prayer of his father in his name wherfore it semeth to vs which be regenerate in Christ that al such men which saketh it not of god according to the doctrine of the gospell do not regarde the lyfe to come orels mystrust the promyses of Christ beleue men better then they do Christ For no man lyuyng is able to proue that he hath sought it of God in a true fayth which hath it not for at this present tyme god is so mercyfull too offre it to all people which haue not openly blasphemed the holy ghost and yet but a small nombre in comparison to the multitude do receyue it wherfore his wrathe wyll shortly be knowen Howbe it in all those people whiche be be regenerate with the spirit of Christ the wonderfull workes of God are sene at this present day For what is a gretter miracle then the whole cleare alteracioÌ„ of the hert of maÌ„ which may vndoubtedly be perceyued in al them which be regenerate in Christ For the olde stonye heart is cleane taken out of all the people of God they haue a new hert geuen them of God which is always obe dieÌ„t to the spirite of Christ Ezechiel xi d. the .xxxvi. l. the Ebrues the viii c. and the x. c. So that in whome so euer the Spirite of Christ is that persone can not be vnfruitful For by their spirituall fruytes that they minister one to another whiche is loue ioye peace longsuffryng gentlenesse goodnesse faythefulnesse mekenesse and temperancy they maye bothe knowe them selues also be knowen to all other godlye people and not otherwyse For no man is knoweÌ„ by any outward appearance after the flesh IhoÌ„ vii c. ii Corin. b d Therfore if any man be in Christ he is a newe creature ii Corint v. d. whose whole delyte and conuersacion is in heauen frome whence