wil permitte doubte not / but his merciful hande shal releaf vs in moste vrgent necessite extreme tribulaciō Therefore such men as teacheth vs / that necessarely it is not required that we vnderstād not what we pray / because God knoweth what we nede wold also teach vs / that neither we honor God nor yet referre / or geue vnto hī thākes for benefites receiued / for howe shall we honor and prayse hī / whose goodnes liberalite we know not / how shal we know / oneles we receiue / and sometime haue experiens And howe shall we know that we haue receiued / onlesse we know verely what we haue asked The seconde thinge to be obserued in perfit prayer is / that standing in the presens of God / we be found such as beryes to his holy law reuerence / Prou. 18. earnestly repēting our iniquite passed and intēding to leade a new lyfe / for otherwise in vayne are all our prayers / as it is written / who withdrawes his ear / that he wil not hear the lawe of God / his oration or prayer shal be abhominable And also ye shall multeply your prayers / I shal not heare / because your handes are full of bloude / that is off all crueltie and mischeuous workes And the sprete of God appeareth by the mouthe of the blynde / Ioh. 9. whome Iesus Christ doth illuminate by these wordes / we knowe that God heareth no synners / that is such as glories / do continew in iniquites ¶ Whē sinners are not hard of God SO that of necessite true repētaūce most nedes be had / passe before perfitte prayer / or syncere inuocaciō of gods name And vnto these two presidēces must be annexed the thride which is the directiō of our selfs in godes presence Vtterly refusing castīg of own iustice with all cogitaciōs opinion therof / that nothinge proceding of our selfes / that we should be harde / for all suche as auaunce / boast or depende any thing vpon their own iustice / from the presence of his mercye / repellith holdeth with the hygh proude pharesey And therfore the moste holy men / we fynde in praiers most deiected hūble Psal 79. Dauid sayeth o Lorde our sauiour help vs / for the glory of thy own name deliuer vs / be mercifull vnto oure synnes for thy owne name Remēber not oure olde iniquities / but hast thou o Lorde / let thy mercy preuent vs. Ieremie sayeth yf oure iniquities beare testimoni against vs / do thou accordyng to thy owne name And behold I say / thou art crabbid / O Lorde / because we haue synned / are replenished with all wickednes Esay 64 And oure iustice is like a filthy clothe c. But now O Lord / thou art our father / we are claye / thou arte the worke mā / we the workemāship of thy hādes Daniel 9 Be not crabid O Lord / remember not our iniquities for euer And Daniel greatly cōmēdid of God / maketh in his prayer most hūble cōfessiō in these wordes / we be sinners / haue offeded / we haue done vngodly / fallē frō thy cōmaūdemēt / but not in our own righteousnes make we our prayers before the / but thy most rych great mercy brīg we forth for vs. O Lord heare / Lord be merciful / spare vs Lord / attēd / helpe cease not my God / euē for thy names sake / do it for thy people thy citie called after thy name Behold / that in these prayers is no mēciō of their own iustice / their owne satisfaction / or their owne merites / but most humble confession / procedinge frō a sorowfull and penitent harte / hauing nothinge wherupon it might depende / but the mercy of God alone / who had promised to be their God that is their help / cōfort / defendor / deliuerer as he hath also don to vs by Iesus Crist in tyme of tribulacion Note And therfore / they / dispayrid not / but after knowlege of ther Sinnes / callid for mercy obtayned thesame / wherfore it is playne / that suche men as in theyr prayrs / haue respecte to any vertue / proceding of them selffe / thinkinge therby theyr prayrs to be accepted / neuer prayd aright ¶ What fastinge almoses dedes are without praye ANd albeit to feruent prayer be Ioynyd / fastinge / waking and almos dede / yet are none of these the cause / that God dothe except our prayrs but they are spurres which suffer vs not to vary / but make vs more able to continew in prayr / Psal 38.86 which the mercy of God dothe accepte But here maye it be obiectid / Dauid praythe / kepe mi lyfe o Lorde for I am holy / o Lorde here my iustice and suffer me not to be confoundid / 4. reg 20 and Ezechius remēbre Lorde I beseche the / that I haue walked righteously before the / and that I haue wrought that which is good in thy sight These wordes are not spokē of mē glorious / neither yet trusting in ther owne workes Note we But here in they testefy them selfes to be the sonnes of God by regeneraciō / to whom he promisid alwayes to be merciful / at al tims to hear theyr praiers ¶ The cause of ther boldnes was Iesus Crist ANd so theyr wordes springe a wontyd / constante and feruent faythe / surely beleuinge that as God of hys infinitie mercy / had callid them to his knowlege / not sufferinge them to walke after theyr owne natural wickednes / but partly had through them to confirme them to his holy lawe / and that for the promised sedes sake / so mighte he not leaue them destitute or comfort / consolacion and defence / in so great and extreme necessite And so theyr iustice a leage they not to glory therof / or to put trust therin / but to confyrme and strengthen them selfes in Godes promyses / and this consolation I wolde wyshe to al Christians in theyr prayers / a testimony of good conscience to assure them of Godes promises / but to obtayne what they aske must depende vpon his mercy / al opinion and through of our own iustice layd aside And more ouer Dauid in the wordes aboue compareth hym selfe with Kinge Saule / and with the rest of his enemies / who wrōgfully did persecute hym / desyiringe of God that they preuayle not agaynste hym as who saye iniustlye doo they persecute me therfore according to my innocensi defende me / for otherwyse he confessith him self moost greuously to haue offendid God / as in the precident places he clearly testifieth ¶ Ipocrisie is not alowid with god THirdly in prayer is to obserued / that what we aske of God / that we moste ernistly desier / the same knowleginge vs to be indigent voyde therof / and that God allone may graunte the peticion of our hartes mark
not prophesye and plainly spake the plagues that are begonne / and assuredly shall ende Mayster Grindall plainlye spake the death of the Kynges maiestie / Mayster Grindal complayninge vppon hys housholde seruauntes / who / neyther feared to raile agaynste the woorde off God / and agaynste the trewe preachers of the same That godly and feruent man mayster Leuer / playnlye spake the desolacion off thys common wealthe Mayster Leuer Mayster Bradford And mayster Bradforde whome God for Christes hys sonne sacke comforte to the ende spared not the proudest of them / but boldely declared / that Goddes vengeaunce shortlye shoulde strycke / those that then were in auctoritie / because they lothed abhorred the trew worde of the euerlastinge God / willed theÌ„ to take example by a noble man / who became so colde in hearing Gods worde / that the year before his death / he wold not disease hym self to heare a sermoÌ„ / God punisshed hym sayde that godly preacher and shall he spare you that be dubble more wicked No / ye shal saye / will ye / or will ye not / ye shal drinke of the cup of the Lordes wrathe / Iudicium domini IudiciuÌ„ domini Mayster Haddon The iudgemeÌ„t of the Lord / the iudgement of the Lorde / cryed he with a lamentable voyce / and weaping teares Master Haddon / most lernedly opened the causes of the byepassed plagues / and assured them / that the worse was after to come / If repentaunce shortly were not founde Muche more I harde of these foure / and of others / which now I maye not rehearce / that which is to be noted after that the hole counsail had sayd they wolde heare no mo of their sermoÌ„s / they were vndiscrete felowes / yea / pratynge knaues / but I will not speake all / for yf God contynew me in this troble I purpose to prepare a dysshe / forsuche as then ledde the ryng / yea / who but theyâ— but nowe they haue bene at the skoole of Placebo / and ther they haue lerned amongst ladyes to daunse as the deuill lyst to pype Agaynst those / whom God hath stryken / seing now resteth to them no place of repentaunce / nothing mynd I to speake But such as lyue to this dai / wold be admonisshed that he that hath punished the one / wil not spare the rest But to our matter This presidents I iudge sufficient to proue this oure age to haue bene / yet to remayne lyke wicked if it be not worse with the tyme of Ieremye Now let vs searche what folowed in Iuda Mischefe vpon mischefe / notwithstaÌ„dinge the continuall and long cryeng of the prophetes / whil fynally God in his anger toke away good king Iosias / liij Regum xxllj because he was determened to destroye Iuda / as before he had destroyed Israel After the death of this godly Kynge / great was the troble / diuers sondry were the alteracions in that commeÌ„ wealth Three kynges taken prysoners / one after other in short space / what other were the miseries of that stubbern nation O God for thy greate mercies sake let neuer thy smal and troubled flocke / within the realme of Englande / learn in experiens But in all those trobles / no repentaunce appeared / as by the prophet ye may learne / for thus he crieth Ierem. v. â— Esai 1. Thou haste stryken them o Lorde / but they haue not mourned / thou hast destroyed them / but they haue not receaued discipline Ieremi xij They haue hardened their faces harder then stones / they will not coÌ„uert The hole laÌ„d is wasted / but no man wil wyn / Ierem. xiij ponder consider / the cause This people will not heare my worde / They walke in the wicked inuention of their owne hartes They go after other goddes to worship and serue them and of the prophetes naturall frendes of the men of Anathotes / some plainly said Speake no more to vs in the name of the Lorde / leaste thou dye in our handes / belyke these men had smal fantasye to Gods prophet But yet shall a sermon and that whiche ensewid the same made in the beginning of the raigne of Iehoiakim / sonne to Iosias / make euident / and better knowne / how muche the people were bent to Idolatrye / and to heare false prophetes / after the death of their good kyng The prophet is commaunded by God to stande in the court or entres of the Lordes house / and to speake to all cities of Iuda / that then came to worshippe / in the house of the Lorde / and is commaunded to kepe no worde backe / yf peraduenture sayeth the Lorde they will herken and tourne euery man from his wicked waye The tenor of hys sermon / is this / Thus fayth the Lorde Iere. xxvi yf ye wil not obey me to walke in my lawes / which I haue geuen you / and to heare the wordes of my seruauntes the prophetes whome I sente vnto you / rysing vp betymes and styl sending / yf ye wil not heare theÌ„ I sayde then wil I do to this house / as I dyd vnto Silo / will make this citie / to be abhorred of al the people in the earth Heare not the wordes of the prophetes / that said vnto you / you shal not serue the king of Babylon / Iere. 27. I haue not sent them sayeth the Lorde howbeit / they are bold to prophesye lyes in my name / yf you geue eare vnto them / both you and your false prophetes shal perish Denie vvil I nothiÌ„g excepte Idolators But the liâ—e vvas done in Englande Here is first to be noted / that the people was alredy entered in to iniquitie / and especially straighte after the death of their king / into Idolatry / froÌ„ which the Lorde by his prophet labored to call them backe / threatning vnto them desolation / yf they procede to rebel Suche false prophetes at this presente are muche estemed in Englande Secondarely / it is to be obserued / that amongest them were false prophetes / not that they were so knowen / holdeÌ„ of the people / no / they were holdeÌ„ and estemed for so they boasted them selfes to be The trew churche of God that colde not erre / for howe should the law perish from the mouthe of the preasts Ierem. 18 These false prophetes were mayntaynors of Idolatrie / and yet boldelye promised to the people prosperitie and good lucke Wherewith the people were so abused and blinded / that the wordes of Ieremye / dyd rather hardeÌ„ their hartes / then prouoke any to repeÌ„taunce / as the consequentes declared / for his sermon ended / the priestes / prophetes / and the hole people apprehended Ieremye / and with one voyce cryed / he is worthye of the death Greate was the vprore agaynst the poore prophet / Ierem. 26 in which appearinglye /
and that he maye multiplye thy / as he hathe sworne vnto thy fathers Vvliij Idolatrie is too be eschevved the mainteners therof In these wordes most euidently is expressed vnto vs / why God wil that we auoide all felowship with Idolatrie / with the maintainers of the same In whiche are thre thinges chiefly to be noted / fyrste that the holy Ghost instruct vs / that maintaynours of Idolatrie / prouokers to the same / intēdeth to draw vs frō God / therfore he cōmaūdeth vs / that we shal not coūsail their īpietie / but that we shall make it knowen / that we shall punishe it / if we will haue the leage betwixte vs God too stande sure And here is the firmamente of my fyrst cause / why / it is necessary to auoyde Idolatrie / because that otherwise we declare oure selfes litell to regard / yea / to haue broken / and plaīly denied that holy leage / which is betwen vs God / through Christ Iesus Secōdarely it is to be noted / that Idolatrie so kindleth the wrath of God / that it is neuer quenched / vntill the offendors / all that they poses / be destroyed frō the earth / that by fyre It may appeare that this is seueare rygorous iudgement / but let the cause be cōsidered / thē shall we vnderstāde / that in the same / God sheweth vnto vs his most singuler loue / declaring him selfe enemye vnto oure enemies / for all those that wold draw vs frō God be the kynges or quenes beīg of the diuels nature / Dravvers of men frō God are of the deuils nature are enemies vnto God / therfore wil God that in such cases / we declare our selfes enemies vnto them And last it is to be noted / that obediēs geuē vnto God / in taking vēgeaūce vpō Idolatours / by suche meanes / as God hath appointed / is a cause why God sheweth his mercye / why he multiplieth vs / enbraseth vs with brotherly loue / where cōtrary wyse / by cōsentinge with Idolatrye / are the mercies of God shut vp frō vs / are cutted of the bodie of Christ / to wyther and roote / as trees withoute moysture But nowe shall some demaunde / what then shall we go too / and kyll all Idolatours Questiō Aūswere That were the office dutye of euery ciuell magistrate within hys realme and Iurisdiccion But of you is requyred only to auoyd participacion and company of that abhominacion / as wel in body as in soule / as Dauid and Paule plainly teacheth Psal xvi Dauid in his exile / in the middes of Idolatours sayth I will not offer their drinke offeringes of bloud neyther yet will I take their name into my mouthe Paule sayth 1. Cor. x. You maye not be partakers of the Lordes table and of the table of deuils you may not drinke the Lordes cup / and the cup of deuils As these two places / of scriptur plainly resolueth the former question / so do they confirme that which is before sayd That the leag betwixt vs and God requireth / auoydinge off all Idolatrye 1. Regū xxvij Fyrst playne it is / that in Gathe and in Corinthus / were no smal number off Idolatours / when Dauid was there in exile / when Paule wrote hys Epistle / yet neither sayth Dauid / that he wil kyl any in that place because he was their magistrate / neither geueth Paule any suche commaundement / but in one thing they both agre / that suche as hath socitie leage with God / must so abhorre Idolatrye / that no parte of the bodye be defyled therwith For Dauid sayeth I will not take their names in my mouth As he wolde saye / so odious are the names of false vaine Goddes / that the mencion of them is righteouslye compared to stinckinge donge / vile carion / whiche neither can be eaten / neither yet smellid without displeasur of suche that hath not lost the iudgemente of their sences / therfore sayeth Dauid / I wil not defyle me mouth with thē / that is / I wil neuer speake one fauorable worde of them I thinke much lesse / wolde he haue croched and kneled before them for anye mans pleasure Aduert brethren / Shyfte makers are double dissemblers that Dauid inspyred with the holy Ghoste knew no such sheftes / as worldly wyse men imagyn nowe a dayes That they maye kept their hartes pure and cleane to God / howbeit / their body daūse with the diuel Not so deare brethrē not so The temple of God hath nothing to do with Idols The cause expresseth Dauid in their wordes The Lorde hym selfe is my portion and my enheritaunce Greate is the cause / yf it be deaply considered Dauid illuminated by the holy Ghost seyth euē the selfe same thing / which before we haue aleaged of the Apostles wordes / that God will not parte spoyle with the deuil / promitting hym to haue the seruaūt of the body / he too stande contente with the soule / harte and mynde No brethren / Dauid marketh this / the fundament reason / why / he wil neither offer sacrefice to Idols / neither yet defyle hys mouthe with their names / because sayeth he the Lorde is my porcion Vvhat the leage betvvene vs and God requireth as he wolde saye / suche is the cōdiciō of the leage betwene me and my God / that as he is my tower of defence against my enemies / preseruing and norishing bothe the body soule / so muste I be hole his in bodye and soule / for my God is of that nature / that he will suffer no portiō of hys glory to be geuen to another In confirmation of this sayeth Esay / Esai 57. after he had rebuked their Idols and vayne inuecinons These are thy porcion and Ieremy likewise in mockinge of thē sayth / let thy bedfellowes deliuer thy / call vpon them / and let them heare thy / thou hast committed fornicacion whordome with stocke and stone Ierem. 3. The prophetes meaning thereby / that Idolators can haue no leage nor couenaunt with God / in so farre / that their hartes be alyenated from hym / which the seruice of their bodies doth testefye / and therfore renounceth God suche leage / bounde as was before offered for Esay wolde saye / euen suche as thou hast chosen / suche shal be the portion And Ieremye wolde say / thou put thy trust to them / which he meaneth / by the lyēg with thē in bed / therfore let them shewe their power in thy deliueraunce / and thus he sendeth them as it were to sucke water from hote burninge coles Note wel It shall nothing excuse / to saye we trust not in Idols / for so will euery Idolatour alleage / but if either you or they in Gods honor / do any thing contrary to
suffer what inconueniēs may folow therupon by mans tyrāny O be not like to Esau / that solde and lost his byrthright for a mease of potage I am not preiudiciall too Gods mercies / as that suche as after shall repent / shall not fynd grace God forbidde / for here in am I most assuredly perswaded That in what so euer houre a synner shall repente / God shall not remēber one of hys iniquities / but albeit / his offences were as redde as Skarlette / they shall be made as whyte as snowe ze 18.33 And albeit in multitude they passed number / yet so shall they be blotted out / that none of thē shall appeare to the dānacion of the very repētant / for hys promises be infallible / Esai 1. that suche as truly beleue in Christ / shall neuer entre in to iudgement / for the bloud of Christe Iesus / Ioh. 3.5 purgeth them frō all synne / so that how farre the heauen is dystant from the earth / so farre doth he remoue the synnes from the penitēt But consider dearly beloued brethren 1. Ioh. 1. that these and lyke promisies are made to penitent sinners / dothe nothing apertaininge to prophaine parsons / Idolatours / The confutable promises of God are made to penitent sinners onely nor too fearfull shrinkers from the truthe / for feare of worldly troble And yf any alleage / God may cal them to repentaunce / how wicked that any man be I aunswere that I acknowlege / and doth censes Gods omnipotensye / to be so free / that he maye do what pleaseth hys wysedom / but yet is he not bounde to do / all that our fantesie requyreth Note And likewise I know that God is so louing and so kinde / to suche as feareth hym / that he will performe their willes and pleasures / although kynges princes had sworne to the contrary But herein stādeth the doubt whether that suche as for pleasure of men / or for auoydinge tempo all punishment / defyleth them selfes with Idolatrie Feareth God / and whether they with all their lyues / denyeth Christ by consentinge to Idolatrie / shal at the laste houre / be called to repentaunce No suche promese haue we within the scriptures of god but rather the exprest contrarie And therfore God is not to be tempted / but is too be harde / feared and obeyed When thus earnestly he calleth threatneth not withoute cause Apoc. 18. Passe from the middest of her / o my people saith the Lorde that you be not partakers of her plagues / and that is ment of that abhominable whore / and of her abhomination 3. Reg 18 1. Cor. 10 Math. 10 How long will you halte on bothe partes you maye not bothe be partakers of the cup of the Lorde / and of the cup of the deuel He that denieth me before men / I will denye hym before my father / he that refuseth not hym selfe / taketh vp hys crosse folow me / is not worthy of me No man putting his hande to the plough / lokinge backwarde is worthie of the kyngdome of God And Paule to the Hebrewes only meaneth of this synne / where he sayeth heb 6.10 who willinglye synneth after the knowledge of the trueth / cānot be renewed to repentaunce O deare brethren / remember the dignitie of your vocatiō / you haue folowed Christ / you haue proclaymed warre against Idolatrie / you haue laide hande vpō the trueth / and hath communicat at the Lordes table Will you now sodenlye slyde backe will ye refuse Christ his truth and make paccion with the dyuell with his deceauable doctrine Will ye treade the precious bloud of his testament vnder your fete / and set vp an Idoll before the people / whiche thinges assuredly you doo / as ofte as euer you present your bodies amongst Idolatours / before that blasphemous Idoll God the father of all mercies for Christ his sonnes sake preserue you from that sore temptation / whose dolours and daungers / very sorowe will not suffer me to expresse Alas brethren / it is to be feared / that if you fall once a slepe / you lye to long before you be wakened Note Yet some shall obiect / Peter the Denyar obteyned mercye A comparisō betvven Peter our dissembling gospelers To whome I aunswer particular examples / maketh no common law / neither yet is there any resemblance or lykelyhodde betwene the fall of Peter / and our daily Idolatrie Peter vpon a sodayn / without any former purpose / thus denyed Christe within the space of a houre or two We vpon determined purpose / and aduised mynde dayly deny Christ Peter had Christes assurance and promyse / that after hys deniall he should be conuerted We haue Christes threatninges / that if we denye we shal be denyed Peter in the bishops hall / and amongst wicked men of warre / committed hys offence for feare of lyfe We in oure citie and housholde / onely for the loose of the wicked Mammon / dothe no lesse Peter at the warninge of the Cocke / and at Christes looke / left that companye / that prouoked hys synne We after Christes admonitions yea / after gentle exhortations / and fearfull threatninges / will continew in the middest of Idolatours / and for their pleasures will crocke knele / as the deuel commaundeth / what lykelyhode is here / let euery mā iudge But much I wonder / that men that can espye so narow thiftes / as to hyde them selfes frome the presens of God / behynde a busshe with Adam their father / can not also espye that Iudas was an Apostle in presens of men / of no les auctoritie then Peter was / that Cayn was the fyrst borne in the world 1. Reg. 10 That Saule was the first anoynted king by Gods commaundement / and by his prophete / and that Achitophel was a man of moste singular wysedom / and yet none of these foūd place of repentāce 2. Reg. 16 Haue we any other assuraunces and particuler warrantes within the scriptures of God / then they had that all our lyfe we maye be in leage with the deuell / Note and then at oure pleasure that we maye laye hande vppon Christe / and clothe vs with hys iustice Ioel. 2. Rom. 10. 2. timo 2 Be not deceaued brethren for albeit moste / trewe it is / that who soo euer incalleth the name of the Lorde / shal be saued / Yet lyke trew it is / that whosoeuer incalleth the name of the Lorde / shall auoyde and esschewe all iniquitie / that whosoeuer contine with in open iniquitie / thesame man incalleth not the name of the Lord / neither hath God any respecte to hys prayer / Ioh. 9. Ioh. 38. The masse the deuels sacrament and seale and greater iniquitie was neuer from the beginninge of the worlde / then is contayned in that abhominable Idoll /
for it is the seale off that leage / whiche the deuell hath made with the pestilent sonnes of Antechriste / and is the very chief cause / why the bloud of the sainctes of God / hath ben shed nere the space of a thousand yeare / for so longe almost hath it bene in deuising / and in deckinge with that whorishe garmeÌ„t / The longe parching of the popisshe â—â—asse wherein it now triumpheth / against Christ / againste the onely one sacrifice of hys death / merites of hys passion / which whole abhomination you confirme / and sheweth youre selfes / consentinge to the murther of those that hath suffered for speaking againste it / as oft as euer you decore that Idoll wyth your presens Note And therfore auoyde it / as that ye will be partakers with Christ / with whom ye haue sworne to dye and to lyue in baptisme and in his holye supper Shame it were to breake promys vnto man / but is it not more shame too breake it vnto God foolishnes it were to leaue that kynge / whose victorie you did se presente / and too take parte with hym / whome vnderstode perceaued to be so vanqueshed and ouerthrowen / that he neither might withstande / neither yet abyde the comming of his aduersarie Ioh. 12.16 O brethren / is not the deuel the prince of this worlde / vanquished cast out hath not Christe made conqueste off hym hath he not caryed our selfe vp to glorie in dispite of sathans malice Acto 1. Shall not oure champion retorne you vnderstande that he shall and that with expedition / when sathan and his adherentes Idolatours / Apo. 20. worshippers of that blasphemous beast / fylthie personnes / and fearefull shrinkers frome the truthe of God shal be caste in the lake burninge fyre and brimstone / which neuer shal be quenched Folishe feare But in the meane tyme / you feare corporall death / yf nature admitted any man too lyue euer / then had your feare some apareÌ„ce of reason / but yf corporall death be common to all / why will you leoperde to lese the lyfe euerlastinge to decline and escape / that whiche neyther ryche / neither poore / neither wyfe / neyther foolishe / proude of stomake / nor feable of coraige / and fynally no earthly creature / by no craft nor mene of man did euer escape / yf any hath escaped the horrible feare of deathe / it was suche as boldely did withstande mennes iniquitie in the earthe The fleshe can doo nothing but grudge But it grudgeth the flesshe saye you for feare of the torment / let it do the owne nature and office / for so must it do tyll it be burdened with Christes crosse / and then no doubte / shall God sende suche comforte / as now we looke not for Let vs not torne backe from Christe / albeit the fleshe coÌ„plaine / and feareth the torment Wonder it is that the waye too lyfe is so fearfull vnto vs considering that so greate a number of our brethren / hath passed before vs in at the same gatte / that we so muche alhorre Hath not the moste parte of the sainctes of God entred in to their rest / by tormente trobles of whome witnesseth Paule / some were racked / Others before vs hath past to lyfe by torment some heawin a sonder / some slayne with swerdes / some walked vp doun in shepe skinnes / in neade tribulatioÌ„ vexation Heb. 11. in mountaines / dennes / and in caues off the earthe / and in all those extremities / what complaintes heare we of their mouthes / except it be that they lament the blindnes of the world / and the perdition of their persecutors Did God comforte them / and shall he despise vs yf in obediens to him / we folow their footsteppes / he shall not do it / for he hath promysed the contrarye And therfore dearly beloued in the Lorde As that you purpose too auoyde the vengeaunce of God / that sodenly shall strike all obstinate Idolatours As that you wolde hane the leage betwene God and you to stande sure / and as that you will declare your selfes to haue true faith / withoute whiche no man euer shall entre in lyfe And fynally / as that you wil leaue the true knowledge of God / in possession to youre chyldren Auoyde Idolatrie / all participation thereof / for it is so odious before Gods presens / that not onely dothe he punishe the inuentours / and fyrste offendours / but oftentymes theyr posteritie are stryken with blindenes and dasynes of mynde Deut. 28. The battaylle shall apeare stronge / which you are to suffer / but the Lord hym selfe shall be youre coÌ„forte / he shall come in youre defence with hys mightie power / Zacha. 2â— Psal 46.57.61 he shall geue you vittorie / when none is hoped for / he shall tourne your teres to euerlastynge Ioye / he shall confounde your enemyes with the breath of hys mouthe / Apoc. 7.22 Psal 55. he shall set you se their destruction that now are most proude The God of all comforte consolation for Christ Iesus / his sonnes sake / grauÌ„t that this simple plaine admonition / yea / rather the warning of the holy ghoste maye be receaued / accepted of you with no les feare obedieÌ„ce then I haue written it vnto you with vnfayned loue / and sorowfull hart / then I doubte not / but we shall be comforted / when all suche as now motesteth vs / shall trymble shake by the comming of our Lord Iesus / whose omnipotent sprete perserue and kepe you vndefiled bodye and soule to the ende Amen ☞ A godly prayer AH Lorde / moste stronge and mightye God / which destroyest the couÌ„sayles of the vngodly / and ryddest awai the tyrauntes of thys worlde / out of the earth at thy pleasure / so that no counsaill or force caÌ„ tesiste thyne eternal counsaill and euerlasting determination / we thyne pooreÌ„ creatures and humble seruauntes / do moste instantly desyre the for the loue that thou hast to thyne welbeloued / and onely begotten soune oure Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ / that thou wilt loke vpon thyne cause / for it is tyme o Lorde / and bringe to naught all those thinges that are or shal be apoynted / determined and fully agreed agaynste the and thy holy woorde / let not the enemyes of thy trueth to miserablye oppresse thy word thy seruauÌ„tes / which seke thy glorie / tender the aduancement of thy pure religion / aboue all thinges wishe in their hartes that thy holy name may onely be glorefied amonge all nations Geue vnto thy seruauÌ„tes the mouth of thy truthe wysedom / whiche no man maye resiste And althoughe we haue moste iustly deserued thys plague and famyn of thyne worde / yet vpon our trew repentaÌ„ce / graunte we beseke the / we maye be
wel For nothyng is more odious before God then Ipocrisie and dissimulacioÌ„ that is whan maÌ„ dothe aske of God a thinge / wherof he hathe no neade / or that he beleueth to attayne / by others then by God allone As if a man aske of God remission of his sinnes / thinkinge neuerthelesse to obtayne thesame by his owne workes / papistical pardoÌ„s / merytes of masses / or whatsoeuer other meanes / dothe mocke God / and in suche causes doth a greate number offende principally / the mighte and riche of the earth / who for a common confuetude custome / wil pray this parte of Godes prayer geue vs this day our dayly breade / Dayly bread that is a moderate and resonable sustentacion / yet theyr owne hartes will testefy that they neade not so to pray / seinge they abounde in al wordly solace and felicitie I meane not that riche men should not pray this parte of prayer / but I wolde they vnderstode / what they ougt to pray in it wherof we intende after to speake and that they asked nothinge wherof they felt not them selfs maruelous indâ—gent and nedeful / for onelesse we cal in verite / he wil not graunte / without we speake with oure hole harte / we shall not finde him The fourthe rule / necessary to be folowed in prayer / is a sure hope to obtayn what we aske for nothing more offendeth God / then when we asâ—e doubtyng wether he wil graunte oure peticions / for in so doinge we doubt if Gâ—d be true / if he be mighty and good Iaco. 1. Suche faythe Iames obtayne nothynge of God / and therfore Ihesus Christe commaundeth that we fyrmly beleue to obtayne whatsoeuer we aske / for al thinges is possible vnto hym that beleueth / and therfore in our prayrs alwayes is to be expellid desperacion Note wel I meane not that any maÌ„ in extreamite of troble / caÌ„ be without a present dolour / and without a greater feare of troble to folow Sporris stire vs to prayer Troble feare are the very spures to pray for when man compassid aboute with vehement calamyte / and vexid with continual solicitude / hauinge by healpe of man / no hope of deliueraunce with sore oppressed an punished harte / ferynge also greater punishement to folow frome the depe pyt of trybulacion / dothe cal to God / for comforte and supporte ¶ God deliuerith his chosen frome theyr enymyes THat prayer ascendith into goddes presence and retourneth not in vayne / as Dauid in the vehement persecucion of Saule / Psal 7. hunted and chased from euery hole / fearing that one day or other he shulde fal in to the haÌ„des of his persecutors / after that he had complayned / that no place of rest was lefte for him vehemently / prayde sayinge / o Lorde which art my God / in whome I haue trusted / saue me frome al that persecute me / and delyuer me / let not thâ—s man meninge Kinge Saule deuoure my life as the lioÌ„ doth his pray / seing their is no man to delyuer me / in the myddest of these aÌ„guishes / the goodnes of God sustainid hym / that the present tribulacion was tollerable / and the infallible promysis of God / so assured him of deliueraunce / that feare was partly nitegate and gone / as playnly apereth to suche as diligently marke the prosses of his prayer / for after longe menissâ—nge and threateninge made to his enemye / he concludith with these wordes The dollor which he enteÌ„dith vnto me / shal fal vppon his own head / the violence wherwith he wolde haue oppressed me / shal cast doun his owne head / and I shal magnify the Lord / accordinge to his iustice / and shal prayse the name of the most higest A coÌ„forte to the writer / being in aduersite This is not written for Dauid only / but for al suche as shal suffer tribulacion / to the ende of the worlde / for I the writer hereof let this be sayd to the laÌ„de prayse of God alon in anguishe of mynde / vehemeÌ„t tribulacioÌ„ affliction called vnto the Lorde / when not only the vngodly / but euen my faytheful brother / yea and my owne selfe / that is / al natural vnderstandinge Iudge my cause to be irremydiceble yet in my greatest calamyte And wheÌ„ my paynes wher most cruel / wold his eternal wisdome / that my hande shuld write farre contrary to the iudgemeÌ„te of carnal reason which his mercy hathe prouyd true / and therfore dare I be in the veryte of Godes worde to permit that not withstandinge / the vehemency of troble / the longe continuance therof / the desperacion of al men / the fearfulnes dolore / and anguishe of our own hartes / yet yf we cal constantly to God / that by expectacion of al men he shal delyuer Notewel Vvhere coÌ„stant praier is this grauÌ„ted the peticion Psal 41. Psal 119. Let no maÌ„ thinke him selfe vnworthy to cal and pray vnto God / because he hath greuously offendid God in tymes past / but let hym bryng to God a sorowful and repentynge harte / sayinge with Dauid / heale my soule o Lorde / for I haue offendid agaynst the / before I fel in mysery I transgressed / but now let me obserue thy commauÌ„dementes To mitegate or ease the sorowes of our wouÌ„did conscience / two playsters hath our most prudent phisition prouyd to geue vs / in corrage for to pray / notwithstanding the knowlege of offences committed / that is a precepte and a promyse / the precept or commauÌ„dement to pray is vniuersal frequently inculeate and repetyd in Godes scripturs Mat. 7. Psal 49. Matt. 26. 1. Tim. 2. 1. Tessa 5 Aske and it shal be geuen vnto you Cal vppon me in the day of thy tribulacion / watche and pray that ye fal not into temptacion I commaunde that euer ye make deprecacions / pray incessable and geue thankes in al thynge / which commaundement / who contemneth or dispiseth / doth eâ—â—ally sinne with hym that doth steale For as this commaundement / thou shal not steale / is a precept negatyue / so thou shalt pray is commauÌ„dement affirmatyne / and God requireth equal obedience of / and to al his commauÌ„dementes yet more boldly wil I say wheÌ„ necessite coÌ„straynth desireth / Notewel not supporte and helpe at God / doth prouoke his wrathe no lesse then suche as make falsse Gods / doo or openly deny God ¶ Who prayth not in tribulacioÌ„ denieth God FOr like as it is to know no phisicion or medicine / and in knowinge them refuse to vse and receyue the same / so not to cal vppon God in thy tribulacion is / lyke as thou not God / or els vtterly denye hym ¶ Not to pray is sinne most odious O Why ceasse we to cal instantly to his mercy / hauinge his commauÌ„dement so to do aboue al our iniquities / we
for hasty deliueraunce / but God who alone knoweth what is expedieÌ„t for vs. ¶ Flesh striueth agaynste the sprete PercecucioÌ„ of the fayâ—â—ful Sometyme prolongeth the deliuerauÌ„ce of hys chosen / and sometime permitteth them to drinke / before the maturite of age / the bitter cuppe of corporal death / that therby they may receyue medicine and care from all infirmite / but who doubtith / but Ihon the Baptiser / desired to haue sene more dayes of Iesus Christ / and to haue bene longer with hym in conuersacion 〈◊〉 7. Or that Steuen wolde not haue labored more dayes in preaching Christes gospell / whome neuerthelesse / both he suffered hastely to vnderlye the statute and generall sentence And albeit / we se therfore no apparant / helpe to oure selfe / nor yet to others afflicted / let vs not cease to call / thinkinge oure prayers to be in vayne / whatsoeuer become of oure bodies CoÌ„forte to the afflictyd God shall geue vnspeakable comforte too the sprete / and shall turne all to our commodite / by our owne expectacion The cause I am so longe and tedious in this matter is / I knowe how harde the battaill is betwixt the fleshe the sprete ¶ Impedimentes coÌ„mith of the weakenes off the fleshe SPrete vnder the heauy croceÌ„ of affliccion / where no worldely defence / but presence death doth appeare / I know the grudging and murmoringe complayntes of the fleshe / I know the anger wrathe indignacion / which it conceiueth agaynst God / calling all hys promises into doubte / beinge redy euery houre / vtterly to fall from hym Agaynst whiche all resteth in faith / prouoking vs to call instantly and to praye for assistaunce of Gods sprete Whereunto / yf we continew our moste desperat calamites / shall he turne to gladnes ioye and prosperous fyne ¶ To the o Lorde alone be prayse / for with experience I write this speake it is not too be permitted / where / for whome / and at what tyme we ought to praye PRiuate prayer / Priuate prayer Matt. 6. such as men secretly offer vnto God by them selfe / require no speciall place / althoughe that Iesus Christe commauÌ„deth / when we praye to enter in our chaumber / and to close the dore after vs / so to pray secretly vnto oure father / To enter in to thi chamber to pray whereby he wolde we shoulde chuse to our prayers suche place as might offer least occasion too call vs backe from prayer / and also that we shoulde expell forthe of our myndes in tyme of oure prayer all vayne cogitacions / for otherwyse Iesus Christ hym selfe doth obserue no special place of prayers / for we finde hym sometyme pray in mounte Oliuete / sometyme in the deserte / sometime in the temple ActuÌ„ 10. Peter coueteth to praye vppon the toppe of the house / Paule prayeth in pryson / was harde of God / who also commaundeth men to pray in all places / Priuate places to praie in lifting vp vnto God pure and cleane handes / as we fynde that the Prophetes muste holy men did / wheresouer daunger or necessitie requyred ¶ Apoynted places too praye in / maye not be neglectd BVt publike coÌ„mon prayers shuld be vsid in place apoynted / for assemblye of the coÌ„gregacion / from whence / whosoeuer negligentlye extracte theym selfe is in nowyse excusable / I meane not that to absent frome that place is sinne / because it is more holy than another For the hole earthe created by God / is equal holy / but the promise made / that whersoeuer two or thre be gathered together in my name / there shall I be in the middes of them / condemneth all suche as contemneth the coÌ„gregation / gathered in hys name / but marke wel gathered / I saye not to heare pyping / singing or playing / not to patter vpon beades or bokes / wherof they haue no vnderstanding / not to coÌ„mit Idolatrie / honoring that for God / which is no God indede / for with such wil I neither ioyne my selfe in coÌ„mon prayer / nor receyuing of the externall sacramentes / for in so doyng I should affirme their supersticion and abhominable Idolatrie / which I neuer wil do nor couÌ„sail other to do to the ende ¶ What is to be gathered in the name of Christ THis coÌ„gregacion / which I meane / should be gathered in the name of Iesus Christ / that is to laude magnefye God the father for the infinite benefites they had receiued by his onely sonne our Lord / in thys congregacion should be distributed the misticall and last supper of Iesus Christ / without supersticioÌ„ / or any more ceremonies then he hym selfe vsed / hys apostels after hym indistribution thereof / in thys congregacion should inquisicioÌ„ be takeÌ„ of the poore among them / sufficient support whyle the tyme of their next conuencioÌ„ / shuld be prouided and distributed In this congregacion shoulde be made common prayers / suche as all men hearing might vnderstande that the hartes of all subscribing to the voyce of one / mighte with vnfayned ferfent mynde say AmeÌ„ Whosoeuer do withdrawe them selfe from suche a congregacion / but allace where shall it be founde / do declare them selfes too be no members of Christes bodye ¶ For whome and at what tyme we shoulde praye FOr all men / 1. Tim. 2. Vvhen and for vvhome vve should praie at all times doth Paule commaund that we shall praye / principally for suche of the housholde of fayth / as suffer persecucion / and when coÌ„mon wealths tyranniously we oppressed / then incessantly shoulde we call that God of hys infynite mercy and power woll withstande the violence of suche tyrauntes ¶ Gods sentence maye be chaunged ANd when we se the plagues of God / huÌ„ger / pestilence / or warre / commynge or apearing to raygne / then should we with lamentable voyces repeÌ„ting hartes call vnto God / that it wolde please hys mercy to withdrawe his haÌ„des / for with suche as do aleage / that God may not chauÌ„ge hys senteÌ„ce oure prayers / therefore to be in vayne / can I in no wyse agree / beynge otherwyse taughte in the scripture by hys infallable eternall veritie He sayeth I shall destroye this nacion frome the face of the earth / and when Moyses adressed to pray for theÌ„ the Lorde procedeth saying Suffer me that I may vtterly destroy them / and then Moyses falleth on hys face flatling / and fourtye dayes contineweth in prayer / for the saluation of the people / to whome at the laste obtayned forgeuenes Dauid in the vehement plague / lamentable calleth vnto God / the kynge of Niniue sayeth 2. King last who knoweth / yf God shal be conuerted and led backe by repentaunce Iona. 3. And be tourned from the furor of hys wrath / that we perish not / which examples