the booke of God whether this my vnskilfull draught woulde drawe you I shall thinke my laboure well bestowed and you your selfe shall remayne no longer as that lytle Syster which hath no brestes but you shall be lyke that flocke of Sheepe where not one is barren amongst them and as that florishyng Tree fast planted by the Riuer side whose leafe shall euer shew it selfe most fresh and greene euen to the bringing foorth of fruite in great abundance And moreouer you shall be then as a Pillar in the house of the Lorde your God and also as the Towre of Dauid most strongly buylt for your owne defence and shall continually remayne in the eyes of this Salomon as one that findeth peace The which peace the Lord graunt you may speedely inioy Amen Yours in the Lorde R. C. The reason why all Creatures ought to prayse the LORD and why Man ought so to do aboue the rest WHereas the holy Prophet prouoketh the Heauens and all thinges therein the Earth and Sea also with all thinges therein to prayse the Lorde he yeeldeth a reason why they ought so to doo and that is for that he spake the worde and they were created he commaunded and they were made And therfore because that all creatures haue their breath and beeing by him as the Apostle sayth the Prophet calleth them all to sounde foorth the prayse and glory of their Creator but especially he vrgeth Man to aduance the same aboue the rest because that he most chiefly aboue all others was thereunto appoynted For the Lorde speaking of his chosen Israel sayth This people haue I formed for my selfe and therefore sayth he They shall shew foorth my prayse and glory as also Moses taught them that vnto that ende and purpose they were chosen And lykewyse the Lorde speaking of the callyng of the Heathen from all quarters of the earth to be his Sonnes and Daughters in Christ Them also saith he haue I created for my glory and to none other ende but that they shoulde shew foorth his prayse amongst the rest as in diuers places of scripture may be seene So that for this cause were all the holy Prophetes and Apostles so much moued to call vpon Man to set foorth the prayse and glory of God and not onely because he was thereunto appoynted but also so much the more for that he hath done for him such wonderful and excellent thynges as first to elect him in Christ vnto saluation before the foundation of the worlde was layde Secondly to create him in so glorious an estate euen after his owne image and lykenes and as Lorde and King ouer all his creatures Thirdly to redeeme his soule from the iawes of Satan with the precions blood of Christ his Sonne as of a Lambe without spot and vndefiled Fourthly to exalt his horne on high euen to syt with his Sonne in the heauenly and highest places Fifthly to sanctifie and to endue him with his holy spirite whereby he may be led into all trueth Sixthly to lade him dayly with his manifolde and gratious benefites And seuenthly to sanctifie one day of seauen for his owne glory and to the ende that man shoulde rest from his owne workes and be workefull vnto God in geuing due prayse and thankes vnto him for the former benefites receyued And therefore as the holy Prophet sayth Let all them that seeke the Lord reioyce and be glad in him and let them that loue his saluation alwayes say The Lord be praysed Man ought dayly to consider for what cause the Lord shoulde so bountifully deale with him and beholding the Heauens be driuen thereby to confesse his owne duetie SEeing that the Lorde hath created Man to none other ende but to shew foorth his prayse and glory and seeing that he ladeth him dayly with his gratious benefites to the ende to induce him therunto O that men woulde therefore enter into deepe meditation with the holy Prophet and so consider with them selues yea and consider agayne and agayne that when they beholde the Heauens euen the workes of Gods fingers the Sunne the Moone and Stars which he hath ordeyned what man shoulde be that he shoulde be so mindfull of him yea or what sonne of Adam he shoulde be that he shoulde thus consider of for he hath made some one to haue dominion ouer the workes of his handes and hath put all thinges in subiection vnder his feete Surely therefore I wyll seeke him out to whom this glory doth belong and I wyll also seeke the cause why the Lord hath thus aduaunced me For he hath geuen me the vse of all these his goodly creatures and therefore once agayne say I What is man O Lorde that thou shouldest deale in this sort with him Surely thou hast thus aduaunced him for some great purpose and I can see none other ende but to aduaunce thy prayse and glory and that in the highest degree for when as I behold the Heauens I see that they haue neither toonge nor voyce and yet I see that they declare thy glory and the Firmament doth shew forth the workes of thy handes Day vnto day vttereth the same thing and nyght vnto nyght teacheth such knowledge there is no speach nor language where their sounde is not heard and surely to none other intent but that men shoulde be without excuse Wherefore I for my part wyll dayly say as the holy Prophet did My soule prayse thou the Lord and al that is within me prayse his holy name My soule prayse thou the Lord and forget not all his benefites Yea and I wyll also call and say Let all the nations prayse the Lorde and let all the people shew foorth the glory of God euen their saluation If man be styrred vp by all the workes of God to consider his owne duetie which is to prayse the Lord it must not be according to his owne fantasie but according to the rule of Gods worde NOW we haue considered that all the workes of God do set foorth his prayse and glory and that man is bounde thereunto aboue the rest we must consider one thing farther with the holy Prophet which is this My lippes sayth he shall speake thy prayse when thou hast taught me thy Statutes Therefore when you haue learned them then may you set foorth the prayse and glory of God in such sort as he shall like of but otherwyse it is vnpossible you should for notwithstanding Moses was brought vp in all the learning of the Egyptians yet he confesseth him selfe to be ignorant concerning the worshyp of the Lord vntyll such time as he shoulde be directed by his owne most perfect worde How much more then ought we to confesse great ignorance therein vntil such time as we also shal be directed by the same Moreouer for as much as no prayse or worshyp is accepted in the sight of the Lord but such as
A Direction to the waters of lyfe Come and beholde How CHRIST shineth before the Law in the Law and in the Prophetes and withall the iudgements of God vpon all Nations for the neglect of his holy worde wherein they myght haue seene the same Both which are layde before your eyes in this litle discourse by ROGER COTTON Draper Imprinted at London for Gabriell Simson and William White and are to be solde at their house in Fleete lane 1590. TO THE GODLIE AND LEARNED MAISTER HVGH BROVGHTON TEACHER OF DIVINITIE GRACE AND peace in Christ. FOR as much as it hath pleased the Lorde Right reuerent to make your selfe vnto me a most comfortable Father in that you haue begotten me vnto Christe euen as Paule did Tymothie nay rather as he did Onesimus that is much more then from a seruant of Philemon to be a brother of Pilemon euen from a seruaunt of sinne to be a seruaunt of Iesus Christe For as much I say as it hath pleased the Lord you shoulde beget me after this sort I thought good to present vnto your learned view some part of the fruites of your owne labour in me begotten not to the intent in any respect to benefite your selfe therewith sauing that you wyll reioyce to see that your labour on me bestowed is not altogeather lost but onely to the intent to incourage others to the studie of the most absolute perfect word of God because that Satan our old enimie striueth styl most lyke a subtle Serpent especially to perswade men to the contrarie Therefore so much as in me lyeth I labour to ouerthrow him therein and to styrre vp others in lyke sort to take vp the weapon of their warfare the worde of God against him and to haue them constantly to hold on in the meditation thereof vntyll such time as they shaâ—…l haue skill to handle that sworde of the spirite aright and vntyll such tyme as they shall attayne vnto the sounde knowledge of euery poynt of that heauenly mysterie of our saluation vnto the which high mysterie of saluation you haue ful often as a most heauenly Orator not onely called me but also many more to their vnspeakable comfort euer warnyng vs in lyke maner to geue attendaunce for the furtheraunce thereof vnto the reading of the same most pure and holy worde of God Euen for this cause only haue I put foorth this lytle and vnlearned Treatise VVherefore seeing the Lorde hath made you a Paule from the Apostle Paule and other his felowes to plant in me these thinges and that it hath pleased his heauenly maiestie to geue the increase I thought it meete to dedicate these some part of the fruites vnto you a speciall meanes thereof humbly beseeching you to shielde them vnder your most graue learned protection that so the benefite thereof may redownde to them for whose sakes I brought them foorth The summe whereof is to shew the brightnes of our sauiour Christ in all ages according as it is sayd by the Apostle Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer As also to what ende the Lord hath created man which is to set soorth his praise and glory aboue all the creatures that he hath made and lykewyse how that can not be done but by the knowledge and direction of his owne most perfect worde and howe that all nations and people that haue delighted or not delighted herein haue founde accordingly the louing kindnes or the seueritie of the Lord. And thus I cease beseeching the Lord to blesse you with a long and happie lyfe euen to the begettyng of thousandes more vnto the kingdome of the euer-lyuing God that so your selfe may shine as a most glorious starre in the life to come Amen Yours begotten in the Lord Roger Cotton TO THE READER I Finde in the Booke of GOD most gentle Reader that a man shoulde not be ashamed to speake of the testimonies of the Lorde yf it were before Kinges as also a charge geuen that a man shoulde not let to delyuer those glorious thynges whiche hee hath heard of by many witnesses to iust and faythfull men to the intent that they also might be able to teach and to delyuer the same vnto others accordyng as other Prophetes commaunde saying Tell you your children of them and let your children shew to their children and their children to an other generation For as much then as I finde suche a charge there geuen I thinke it no shame to speake thereof at this time vnto you but holde my selfe bounde according to that talent which God hath geuen me to make a rehearsall of those glorious thinges which to me haue been reuealed to the intent that you also may come to the Booke of God where you shalbe compassed with such a cloude of heauenly witnesses both of perfect skill and also willingnes that yf you will you may be made able to describe at large vnto others both the wysedome prayse power glory and state of that euerlastyng King and kingdome Therefore as some haue sayd vnto me Come and see the Booke of God for there shall you finde the Messias yea there shall you finde that gloryous King whose wysedome is so great that it farre exceedeth the wysedome of all the sonnes of the East or of Egypt Nay there shall you see him whose wysedome so much excelleth other mens that it farre surmounteth the wysedome eyther of Ethan Heman Chalcole or Derda I say as some haue sayde vnto me Come and see the booke of God that so you may beholde this glorious King whose fame is spread throughout all the nations euen so throughout this litle Discourse say I vnto you Therefore yf you will so do I doubt not but that you wyll say the lyke vnto others and also say vnto me it was a true report indeede that we heard of by you concernyng the wysedome of this King and also the glory of his kingdome how be it we scarce beleeued it vntyll we came and that our owne eyes had seene it But now we perceyue that you tolde vs not the one halfe of the wysedome of this great King nor yet of the glory of his kingdome for indeede it farre surmounteth the fame that we heard thereof by you Therfore happy are those men that stande in the courtes of this King yea thrise happy are his seruauntes which alwayes stande before his presence to heare his wysedome I meane in the presence of that heauenly King who farre excelleth Salomon euen Salomon who so farre surmounted those aforenamed and in whose presence is the fulnes of all ioy and gladnes But yf you wyll not come to heare the wysedome of this great King nor yet to see the glorie of his kingdome which so farre excelleth Salomons he hath pronounced with his owne mouth that the Queene of the South shall ryse in iudgement against you And this is the summe of my lytle and vnlearned Treatise Therefore yf you looke vnto
continually taught and soundly vnderstoode euen so also where that doth want the kingdome of Satan is dayly more and more increased Heare therefore I beseeche you what the Lord doth speake vnto vs He commaundeth that we should not let his Booke depart out of our mouthes but to meditate therein both day and nyght and hath also tolde vs that the very entraunce thereunto will shewe light and geue vnderstanding to the simple yea to the very simpliest sharpnes of witte and to the lytle childe euen such a one as Timmothy was knowledge and discretion yea and that a very wyse man shall increase in learnyng there and also a man of great vnderstanding shall attayne vnto wyser counsels So that you may see that wysedome doth not onely beseeche you to hearken vnto her as before I tolde you but also the Lorde doth straightly commaunde you yf you will obey him and doth also tell you if you will beleeue him How chat his word will geue you lyght and shew vnderstanding in greater measure vnto all sortes whereby the simpliest shoulde haue no cause at all of discouragement nor that the great wyse men should loath or ouerreach Therefore whereas S. Peter saith that the vnlearned do peruert the Scriptures you must learne to knowe who those vnlearned be not the simpliest Clarkes as you woulde thinke but euen suche as haue not had their wittes as yet exercised in the booke of God For be it that a man had all the learning in the worlde in humane artes yet if it be so that such a one be inexpert in the worde of God the holy Ghost doth count him as a Babe but that simple man which through long custome hath had his wittes exercised therein the holy Ghost doth count him to be of a most ripe age and to be suche a one as is able to discerne betwixt good and euyll Therefore who so euer that he be vntyll he make the worde of God his continuall meditation he may well be sayd to be vnlearned and vnstable also and no maruell is it though by such the Scriptures be peruerted euen to their owne destruction Yea but you wyll say agayne if the Lord haue thus bound vs by commaundement to reade the Scriptures we must needes then haue a Phillip to be a guyde vnto vs as the Eunuch had to him True it is that you must haue a guyde but then your Phillip must not be such a one as when you shall aske him what is ment of this place or that or what way Sir shal I take to finde this Christ of whom you speake that so I may beleeue that he is the Sonne of God and may haue my conscience comforted in him and also my fayth so surely setled as that if tryall come the very gates of Hell shall not preuayle against me I say he must not be such a one when as you shall aske him these thinges that shall appoynt you fyrst to reade this mans Booke and then that vpon such and such places of Scripture and when you haue read them then direct you to others as such and such great Uolumes I know not what but sure I am farre greater then the whole Bible and so intangle your head a thousande wayes yea and leade you to such intricate matter and great time spending that when you haue all done you shall be litle or nothing at all the wyser but rather the cōntrarie euen frayght with a thousande fonde opinions and blinde conceytes For I pray you what is the cause that there is such a quoile amongst vs now adayes as though there were no certaintie of the trueth but such kinde of dealing And I pray you further what is the cause that mens heades are filde so full of such fonde yea and also damnable opinions but the like For doth not our Sauiour say Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures but are intangled with the preceptes and doctrines of men Euen so is the worlde now for the Papist he is so perswaded of his Writers that he thinkes there is no other trueth but what they write and vpon them he onely buyldes his Fayth and leaues the Scripture altogether and in no case may the simplier sort therein looke or reade and we also like wyse men deale in a maner after the same sort For notwithstanding we make a great shew that we loue the Bible and onely buylde our fayth by it yet is there not one amongst ten thousande that doth geue him selfe to the reading thereof as he ought to do but rather to the contrarie euen to the readyng of the wrytinges of men although the Lorde haue geuen them no such commaundement and so delyght themselues a great deale more in them then in the worde of God which in deede shoulde be vnto them their onely ioy and pretious Pearle and so euery one is grounded vpon hym whose Bookes they are affected to reade or whose fonde conceytes by them are fed But your Phillip and Guyde must not be such a one For I pray you was Phillip the Eunuch his guyde such a one I trow not for he being demaunded a resolution by that gratious Scholler whose godly exercise was like to haue good successe began as the text sayth euen at that same Scripture where he was then readyng and preached vnto him IESVS And agayne did not the maister teacher himselfe euen our Sauiour Iesus deale in like sort with his two Schollers yes for sooth for whereas they being weake in fayth and greatly troubled in conscience at the thinges then happened and yet like good Christians conferring and talking together with a desire to knowe the trueth as all men ought to do I say our Sauiour dealt in like sort with them For S. Luke noteth that he began at Moses and at all the Prophetes and interpreted vnto them in all the Scriptures the thinges which were written of him with a great reprofe vnto them that they for their partes were so slowe and dull of hart as not to beleeue that Christe was to suffer all those thinges and so to enter into his glory seeing that al the Prophetes had of those thinges so plainely spoken And furthermore you see that euen that eloquent man Apollos who had taught diligently the thinges of the Lorde in a kinde not altogether vnprofitable yet was contented to be taught by a couple of meane persons to come to a more perfect way of teaching then before he had vsed And that was to proue and shewe mightily as he did by the Scriptures that IESVS was the CHRIST So that you see these Guydes did not sende their doubtfull Schollers to this or that mans booke to finde out Christ but they founde him out and taught him by the Scriptures Nay you see that Apollos did not teache the right way to finde him out vntyll he tooke that course to teach him by and then S. Luke telleth you that he mightily confuted all
the vertue of Christ his resurrection and also the righteousnes which he shoulde haue by him because it is not the workes that maketh the man good but the man that maketh the workes good For you must well know that yf Abraham had not beleeued the Lord he had not been counted righteous for although he were iustified by workes in the sight of men and thereby had somwhat wherin to reioyce yet had he not so in no respect with God For what sayth the Scripture doth it not tell you how that Abraham beleeued the Lorde and he counted that vnto him for righteousnes So that y e workes which he did had been but as dead workes and rotten in the sight of God had he not beleeued the promyse of God concerning the Seede that shoulde come of him Agayne you must as well knowe that Israel obteyned not that which they sought through workes but the election obteyned it neither were they elected vnto saluation because of the workes which in tyme they woulde do but they were elected through the grace of God in Christ Iesus accordyng as the Apostle also testeth the phesians they were saying By grace are ye also saued through faith in Iesus Christ and not of workes sayth he least any man shoulde boast him selfe and therefore the Scripâ—…ure hath concluded all vnder sinne that so men might see playnely how they are iustified freely by the grace of God and not through workes for yf it were of workes then were it not of grace but since it is of grace it can not be of workes as sayth the Apostle Therefore we conclude sayth he that a man is iustified freely through fayth in Iesus Christe and not through workes for to him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt but to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his fayth is counted for righteousnes euen as Dauid declareth the blessednes of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnes without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered blessed is that man to whom the Lorde imputeth not sinne And good cause the holy Prophet had so to say fâ—…r yf men shoulde be rewarded according to their workes or desartes they should be rewarded with euerlasting death because the wages of sinne is death and there is no man but he hath sinned and gon a stray therefore no man but he deserueth the wages of hell and death But yf men do looke for eternall lyfe they must know it commeth as a free gyft of God through fayth in Christe and not in any respect as a due debt vnto them because of their workes For as Abraham receyued not the promise concerning the heireship of the worlde through the fulfilling of the Law but through the righteousnes of fayth no more doth any man receiue the promise of the heireshyp of eternall lyfe through the workes which he can do but through the fayth which he hath in Iesus Christ. What shall we say then concerning good workes Shall we vtterly exclude them No in no wyse for God hath ordeyned them also euen to the ende that those whom he hath elected in Christ shoulde walke in them but not in any respect for men to thinke that they shoulde be the cause of their election neyther that they shoulde thinke the free gift of eternall lyfe commeth as a due debt for them But in deede they are as most excellent fruites which shoulde alwayes floorysh from those whom God hath elected according as the Apostle sayth God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the worlde to the ende that we shoulde be holy and without blame before him in loue So then y e fruites not being the cause of the goodnes of the tree but the tree the cause of the goodnes of the fruites it had ben in vayne I say for the Apostles to looke for good fruites to come from men yf they had not first taken care for the sounde plantyng of the tree that is If they had not first taught men the sounde knowledge of Christ wherby they might see plainely wherein their goodnes stoode it had profited their hearers nothing at all no although they shoulde haue done all the good workes in the worlde or haue mortified them selues neuer so much in the sight of men because without the sounde knowledge of Christ the soule can not be good For I pray you had not the Apostle Paule as great cause to reioyce in the fleshe as any man in the worlde yf by suche thinges God woulde haue been pleased Yes in deede had he for you see he was circumcised the eight day of the kinred of Israel and of the trybe of Beniamin and an Hebrew of Heber and by the Law of the strictest sect euen a Pharisee and also as concerning zeale no man more feruent then he yea and as touchyng the righteousnes which is by the Law euen vnrebukeable and yet you may see that he counteth all these thinges but as dung drosse in respect of y e excellent knowledge sake which he had founde in Christe by the which knowledge he was made to see that notwithstanding all his former righteousnes by the Law yet had he gon to eternall destruction had he not founde the righteousnes which is through fayth in Christ and therefore no maruell was it though he made small accompt of his former righteousnes in respect of the knowledge he had now of Christ. Wherefore in any wyse see that you alwayes desire the same thing for assure your selfe that is more worth in the syght of God then all the burnt offeringes or sacrifices in the worlde for so the Lorde him selfe doth tel you Therefore blame me not I beseech you though somewhat longer I stande vpon this poynt euen vpon this that the sounde knowledge of Christe for vs to haue is more accepted in the syght of God then all the workes which we call good in the worlde For I pray you further was not Cornelius the Captayne that heathen man a godly man as well as Paule Yes euen one whom the holy ghost commendeth to be very deuout to haue the feare of God before his eyes to pray vnto him continually to haue care to teache his whole householde the like and besides all this to be one that gaue much Almes vnto the people and yet you see he was not in that case as he ought to be vntyll such time as Peter had made knowne vnto him the Lorde IESVS that so he myght know that by his death and resurrection came remission of sinnes and onely vnto those that woulde beleeue in his name so that notwithstanding all his former righteousnes yet was he to be counted a most greeuous sinner vntyll such tyme as he apprehended Christ by fayth and therefore is it that the Apostles say so sone as they
but are of that wicked sort who according as the Prophet sayth haue vtterly left of to vnderstande and who in no wyse regarde to haue knowledge Therefore in any case see that you for your partes alwayes remember what the holy Ghost commaundeth you to beware of that is That you be not like the Horse and Mule which haue no vnderstanding whose mouthes are bounde vp with byt and brydle but that you be of that sort whose mouthes are alwayes open to speake of wysedome and whose â—…oonges are euer ready to talke of iudgement So that by this it may wel appeare that it is not enough for a true Christian to content him selfe with a fewe sentences of Christ and so thinke he hath enough but he that professeth him selfe to be a scholler in the schoole of Chrisâ—…e must haue a woonderfully desire to learne Christe euen so farre as that he may dwell in his hart most plenteously in all wysedome whereby he may be able to admonishe him selfe in all spirituall thinges as the Apostle sayth yea he must desire and thirst after the worde of God euen as the Hart doth after the water brookes that when he commeth thereunto he may so drinke as that he may be fylled with all fulnes of God Yea he must continually desire to be increasyng in the knowledge of God that if it be possible for him he may be able to comprehende with all Saintes what is the breadeth and length and deapth and highth of the glory that we shall receiue by Christ Yea and to knowe his loue towardes vs which in deede passeth all knowledge as the Apostle sayth So that in no wyse must we stande styll but euery one must goe on forwarde eyther by hearing of others or readyng therein him selfe euen in the vnitie of fayth to the knowledge of the Sonne of God vntyll he become a perfect man in Iesus Christe For we must not in any wyse remayne as chyldren waueryng and readie to be carried about with euery wynde of doctrine by the deceyte of men as greatly it is to be lamented we are now adayes but we must folow the trueth in loue and in all thinges grow vp vnto him which is the head that is Christ. For not to go on forward in religion is to go backward because Satan draweth most strongly that way and so to remayne in our former folly and contemptuously to cast off the worde of God yea whatsoeuer he be pretende he neuer so much zeale and shewe of holynes Yet yf his chiefest care be not continually to be increasing in the knowledge of Christe he doth nothing els but say in his hart vnto God Depart from me for I desire not the knowledge of thy wayes For the which cause as you shall see anon the wrath of God hath been extended on all the worlde euen to the vtter excluding of them from his presence and casting off from their countries For what thing can men do to please the Lord when that his worde of them shalbe reiected It is not then an outwarde shewe of foolyshe zeale or mortification that the Lord wyll lyke of No although the Papist do for his part in neuer so great zeale afflict his body eyther by whypping or lanching the fleshe with kniues vntyll the blood come foorth lyke vnto Baalles Priestes or in fasting fourtie dayes togeather lyke foolysh Apes in imitation or in dropping neuer so many prayers according to the number of his Beades or in vowing single lyfe or in running on pilgrimage or in punishing the body in what sort so euer he wil which thinges in deede haue a shew of wysedome in them as the Apostle sayth euen in this their voluntarie religion and humblenes of minde and in not sparing the body but yet they shall finde in the ende that all this is but as an abhomiâ—…ation to the Lord. And why Because they haue reiected the worde of God and ouerthrowen the principles thereof and established in steade of it the doctrines preceptes of men And so their feare towardes God is taught by the preceptes of men according as the Prophet Esai speaketh and also as those nations placed in Samaria of whom it is said They feared the Lord but serued their Images also Euen so I say do the Papistes And therefore notwithstanding all their blind zeale it must be sayd of them as of the other that is they neither feare God nor do any thing after his commandementes and therefore whatsoeuer they do it must needes be an abhomination to the Lord. Or yf the Protestant pretende neuer so great shewe of religion in his kinde or neuer so great a zeale yet vnlesse it be seasoned with the true knowledge of Christ none of all this wyll the Lord regarde or therewithal be pleased For when his worde is not delighted and esteemed as it ought to be although we now then do the thinges that it requireth yet are they not accepted because his worde was not our rule to square them by For to what purpose sayth the Lorde do you bring vnto me Incense from Sheba and sweete Calamus from a farre countrey your burnt offeringes are not pleasaunt in my sight neyther are your sacrifices sweete vnto me sayth the Lord. And why Because they had reiected the worde of the Lord therfore did these their holy actions turne vnto an abhomination So that you see that who so euer he be reade or reade not haue he tyme or haue he not no excuse shall serue him to be ignoraunt in the worde of God and so of Christe For the Lorde that knoweth best what is good and fitte for man knewe well enough in the beginning that when he appoynted but one day of seuen to be sauctified vnto his glorie that that was enough to make man voyde of all excuse And why Because that yf they woulde bestow but that one day of seuen accordyng as he hath commaunded that is not in any respect to do their owne willes or to folow their owne affayres no nor so much as to speake one vayne worde but to call the Sabboth a delight to consecrate it as glorious vnto the Lord They might I say yf they would bestow it in this sort soone learne by his holy worde to honour him with such worshyppe as he requireth and also to know a right how Christ is IEHOVAH their God who brought them not only from the bondage slauery of â—…gypt Babell or Rome but also from the bondage and thraldome of hell and death But since it is so that all men as they are borne of Adam are the chyldren of wrath and styll remayne in this captiuitie and seeing there is no meanes neyther in heauen nor earth to redeeme them thence but only by Christ and he likwise not beneficial vnto any but such as know him aright by his holy worde And hauing most gratiously bestowed this his holy
all his sayinges because that some Prophecies in y e holy Scriptures there are whose euent is not altogether in Scripture shewed and yet by those Prophane stories you may see they tooke effect as namely the Prophet Daniel and also the Reuelation of S. Iohn the which by eye sight we are also able to witnes how that Booke is fulfilled by the Popes in all their dealinges But yf you thinke that you can not attayne vnto perfect wysedome and knowledge of Christe without the helpe of other Books then are you greatly deceyued for the Worde of God is an absolute perfect rule sayth the Apostle and fully able to make you wyse in Christ and by it onely may you attayne to the perfect knowledge of Christ without the helpe of any other and is also playne and easie of it selfe for your vnderstanding yf you wyll the Lord beleeue as I sayde before especially yf you wyll come in simplicitie of hart and cast off your owne wysedome for in very deede that is the onely hinderance of the attayning thervnto Agayne some Bookes there are which take vpon them to lay downe preceptes for your lyfe conuersation which bookes yf you thinke you are bounde to read as well as the Scriptures then are you also as greatly deceiued for the Lord hath commaunded you vpon payne of damnation to reade the Scripture because in deede it is the very lyfe and norishment of your soule but as for the reading of such kinde of Bookes you haue no such charge neyther was it needefull for you so to haue because there is nothing that the hart of man can thinke on eyther for vertue to imbrace or vice to eschew but the Booke of God doth contayne a rule and precept for it and therefore what neede we the helpe of man to lay downe preceptes for our lyfe when as the Lorde him selfe hath taken vppon him to be our Guyde and Teacher Therefore in the name of God take heede of the subtiltie of Satan in this poynt aboue all others that is that he deceiue you not so herein as to make you beleeue that you shall attayne vnto as great wysedome or holynes by the wrytinges of men as you shall do by the booke of God or that the booke of God is not perfect of it selfe to instruct you fully in all thinges touching your saluation for then hath he you euen as he woulde therefore rather then he shoulde make you so to thinke better were it for you with them of Ephesus to burne them all yea though the price of all such Bookes were founde to be in value worth fiftie thousande peeces of siluer And God doth know a most heynous sinne it is and reigneth most abundantly amongst vs here in Englande euen this that we esteeme a great deale more of the preceptes and doctrines of men then we do of the Booke of God so that as that hath been the very cause of the destruction of all the worlde greatly it is to be feared least the lyke plague wyll befall vs and our Nation for how fewe haue we that doth take so great delight in the booke of God as to make it the chiefe ioy and reiocing of their hartes as the Prophet Ieremie did make it vnto his Therefore much more fewe there be to be founde that do make so rare accompt thereof as the holy man Iob did that is to esteeme of the wordes of God euen much more then he did of his appoynted foode but in the contrary multitudes do take euen that delyght therefore take heede of that in any wyse Now it may be that you wyll aske me agayne What part of the Scripture it is that you were best to reade The answere is euen all for so you may learne by the last Commaundement of our Sauiour that I spake of for be commandeth to search the Scriptures so that al which is called Scripture you must search for all that doth testifie of him And so you see S. Luke sayth he began at Moses and all the Prophetes that is from the beginning of Genesis to the ende of Malachie for the old Testament which only then was written and all that was nothing els but to teach Christ And now you haue also the new Testament which tendeth to none other ende then the former did and that is to teache Christ. For so the Apostle sayth I taught nothing but what Moses and the Prophetes did say shoulde come And in an other place I kept nothing backe but haue shewed you all the counsell of God and what was that To wit that Christ shoulde suffer and that he shoulde be the fyrst that shoulde rise from the dead and shoulde shewe lyght vnto the people and to the Gentiles So that you may see that all the Scripture tendeth to none other purpose but to teach you that and therefore you must of necessitie reade all that so you may as S. Luke sayth Acknowledge the certaintie of those thinges whereof you haue been instructed not onely by the Euangelistes and the Apostles who haue declared vnto you the thinges of Christe from the day that Zacharias went into the Temple and that the Angell tolde Marie concerning her conception but also what you haue been instructed by Moses and the Prophetes euen from the day that he was first promised that so you may be able to deliuer the glory thereof from poynt to poynt and to stande firme your selfe agaynst all the assaultes of the Deuyll Yea but you wyll say agayne S. Paule of whom you spake before forbids vs Genealogies and commaundes that we shal geue no heede vnto them because they are endles and breede questions rather then godly edifiyng which is by fayth And so in deede a great number of our Guydes wyll tell vs. For many times because we fynd them very hard we go to them to aske the meaning thereof then their answere is that the Genealogies tende not to edification but rather to strife and contention and therefore is it that S. Paule forbiddes them And so likewyse for many other harde places in the Bible when we goe to aske them whose lyppes shoulde preserue knowledge What is the meaning of such and suche places in steade of resoluing vs they cast them off as superfluous not tending to our saluation Therefore why do you say that all the Scripture testifieth of Christ and is profitable for our saluation and must of necessitie of vs be read and learned I wyll tel you why no not I but the holy Ghost wyll tell you how that all the Wordes of the Lorde are most pure wordes yea more pure then golde which in the fire seauen times is tryed And moreouer the same Apostle that you say speaketh agaynst them wyll tell you the contrarie for sayth he What so euer thinges are written aforetyme meaning in the Scriptures are written for our learnyng Therefore woo be vnto those blinde Guydes
they do to haue their mindes renewed by sound knowledge that so the darkenes that is in them might be turned into lyght and that so they myght be able as the Apostle sayth euen to comprehende with any how exceeding great that heauenly misterie of our saluation is Therefore much lyke they are vnto those blinde zelous Scribes and Pharisees who as our Sauiour sayth made more accompt of tything tryfling toyes then they did of tything iudgement and weightier matters that is they made more accompt of foolyshe zeale in outwarde shewes and ceremonies of religion then they did to haue a sounde knowledge of Christe the Sonne of God Who was not onely a bare sonne desended of Dauid and no more as they thought him but also euen Dauids Lorde and God So that notwithstanding all this their blinde zeale yet missing of a sounde knowledge herein â—…yght most woofull wooes doth the Lorde our Sauiour pronounce agaynst them Therefore in the name of God what soeuer such ignoraunt Guydes do tell you take heede how you despise to encrease your knowledge of the Sonne of God least the lyke plague befall you that befell them and take heede also how you suffer such to beare rule ouer you as the Apostle commaundeth For whatsoeuer shewe of humilitie such blynde guydes woulde seeme to haue yet you shall finde in the ende that they are suche as the Apostle speaketh of to the Colossians whom in flatte wordes he tearmeth to be puft vp with a fleshly minde and also to aduaunce them selues in those thinges which they neuer saw whose fault as it seemeth by the Apostles exhortaion to the Colossians was much in the same kinde of theirs who woulde haue you to make no accompt of knowledge For the Apostle greatly vrgeth them especially to be increasing therein euen so farre as to be rooted and buylt and stablished and styll to be abounding in height vntyll they became as fitte Temples for Christe to dwell in Euen so in the name of God do you for you are so bounde as further you shall see a non and assure your selfe the more knowledge you haue in the worde of God the more shall you be humbled in your owne eyes for it is myghtie through God to cast downe all stroâ—…g holdes and to bryng into captiuitie euery high thought to the obedience of our Sauiour Christ. Now whereas they tell you that of necessitie you must learne to mortifie your selfe and also that you must endeuour to do good workes it is meete you shoulde so do in deede For mortifie your earthly members saith the Apostle Paule And agayne Abstayne from the lustes of the fleshe which fight agaynst the soule sayth the Apostle Peter And againe let your workes so shyne before men that they seeing may glorifie your Father which is in heauen sayth our Sauiour and reason good you shoulde so do for to that ende tendeth all your knowledge For yf you haue learned Christ sayth the Apostle and haue heard him and haue been taught by hym as the trueth is in him then you must of necessitie cast off the conuersation in tymes past for otherwyse your knowledge is in vayne and you remayne as yet the seruantes vnto sinne whereunto you were bounde euen as slaues geuing your members as seruantes to fulfill the wyll thereof Wherefore yf you wyll be freed by Christe and be seruantes vnto God you must also geue your members as seruantes vnto righteousnesse in obeying his wyll vnto whom you now stande bounde And for this cause the Apostle sayth cast off the olde man which is corrupt through the deceiueable lustes and be renewed in the spirite of your minde sayth he and then put on the new man which after God is created in righteouâ—…nes and true holines So that you see true mortification consisteth in castyng off the olde Adam and putting on the new which is Christ. Now yf one should aske you what this olde Adam is the which we are so often commanded to cast off how can it be answered I pray you but by the booke of God For by no write els in all the worlde can you describe him aright vnles it be so as that they haue learned thence but there you may beholde him as in a glasse most cleere euen to his very thoughtes and intentes of the hart for the worde of God is a searcher and tryer thereof If then you can not discerne throughly what this olde man is which you are to cast off but by the worde of God How much les then are you able to discerne what this new man is which you are to put on which after God is created in righteousnes and true holynes but by the same For if we be not able in this our corruption to iudge and discerne throughly of our corruption but that the Law came shewed it that so it myght appeare playnely to abounde How is it possible then being altogether blinde in iudgement that we shoulde discerne that exceeding righteousnes of Christe which we are to put on but that the same hath also shewed it And therefore the Apostle telleth you that you must be renewed in the spirit of your minde before he bidde you put on the newe man For howe can you put on Christe vnles you knowe him and how can you knowe him but by the booke of God where he only is described So that the first steppe you are to make to true mortification is to mortifie your follie and that can not be done but by the quickening of your wysedome neyther can that be done but by the worde of God For by thy Statutes haue I been quickened sayth the Prophet therefore as the Apostle sayth Let the worde of Christe dwell in you most plenteously euen in al wisedome wherby you may be so changed by the renewing of your mindes as that you may be able to proue what is the goodwyll of God and acceptable and perfect and when you haue so done then in any wyse geue vp your bodies as liuing sacrifices holy and acceptable vnto God by your obedience in seeking to fulfill the same alwayes prouided that the knowledge thereof must first goe before for so much may you also wel perceiue by the Apostle Peter his speeches which are these I wyll not be negligent sayth he to put you alwayes in remembrance of these thinges though that you haue knowledge Wherby you may learne that the Apostles did euer plant the knowledge of Christe in mens brestes before they woulde commaunde them to walke because that otherwyse their mortification or walking had been in vaine For yf an vnbeleeuing Iew or a Turke or a Papist or any other what so euer that knoweth not Christ aright should do all the good workes in the worlde or mortifie the fleshe neuer so much yet shoulde none of all these thinges profite him any thing at all vnles he knew
plentifull sort as the Apostles and the rest of the Iewes in our Sauiours tyme had for so sayth the Apostle in these wordes As the Gospell was preached vnto vs euen so was it also vnto them Now in this place he hath onely relation vnto the Hebrewes in the tyme of their being in the Wildernes but in the same sort that he was preached vnto them who left their carkeises there was he also preached vnto the younger sort that went into the Land and in lyke maner to their successours for the fyrst seuen Iubilees or three hundreth and fyfty yeeres the which I haue here ioyned togeather as one speech So that it wyl not be amisse if we consider here in what sort Christe was preached vnto these Hebrewes or Israelites of both these tymes Fyrst then they were to consider with them selues whyle they were in Egypt and there serued Idols that they were not bonde slaues for a tyme onely in body vnto Pharaoh but they were also to looke backe vnto their first father Adam his storie that so they myght see how they were bond slaues both in body and soule vnto the spirituall Pharaoh the Deuyll Now yf you aske how thâ—…y might know this seeing those Bookes of Moses which should shew it were not written tyll they came into the Wildernes The answere is they myght and also dyd knowe it very wyll for you shal vnderstande that Adam he lyueth two hundreth fourtie three yeeres with Methusalah to teach him Methusalah he liueth one hundreth wanting but two yeeres with Sem to teach him Sem he lyueth vnto the hundreth and fiftie yeere of Abrahams life to teach him Abraham he lyueth to teach his owne sonne Isaak and also Iacob his graundchylde Iacob he lyueth in Egypt seuenteene yeeres and there dyeth and as he foretold his sonnes at hys death of their redemption by Christ also of which of them Christ should come euen so you may be sure he would and also had taught them of the creation and the story of their first father Adam and what intollerable bondage both of body and soule by his meanes they were brought vnto that so they might receiue such comfort as they ought of their redemption by Christ. And to put you out of all doubt that they were thus taught before the law you haue Iob those that dispute with him for an example for those matters fell out before Moses wrote the lawe and the story of the creation and yet you see how plentiful they are in the handling of y e creation likewise of the corruption which they had by Adams fall and also how Iob for his part saw Christ in most cleere sort For notwithstanding all the assaults of Sathan yet was he fully assured that his redeemer liued and that hee should see him with his owne eyes though wormes destroied that tabernacle which hee then carried about him so that by these men you may see how carefull Abraham was according as the Lord giueth commendation of him to teach his sonnes the knowledge of the Lord. For of him by Keturah as most like it is commeth Iob and as he was carefull to teach his sonnes he had by her both of their captiuitie by Adam and redemption by Christ so you may be sure he was as carefull to teach hys other sonnes by Sarah which are those of whome we nowe speake So then these Israelites being thus taught aswell of the captiuitie by Adam as of the redemption by Christ as of necâ—…ssitie so it must be they were I say to consider with them selues that they were not onely in bondage of body for a time vnto Pharaoh but also in most intollerable bondage of body and soule vnto that spiritual Pharaoh the deuil that not for foure hundreth yeeres but eternally vnles they had some one to redeeme them thence So that hauing wel considered with themselues of this double bondage and captiuitie they were also as well to consider and know being come out of Egypt that as they were deliuered from that outward bondage and destroyer by the bloud of a silly poore lambe euen so should they be deliuered from that spiritual bondage and destroying destroyer the deuill by the bloud of Iesus Christ as of that immaculate lambe of God which was slaine from the beginning of the world that is to say from the verie day of their father Adams his creation to recouer then his fall Now if you ask how they might know that this lambe did signifie Christ the answere is very well for many of them did know it all the rest might and ought to haue knowne as well for if they had but thought vpon one sermon made to their father Abraham euen the very selfe and same day foure hundreth thirtie yâ—…eres before they might haue found therein a seed promised in whome all the nations of the earth if they would put their trust in him should be blessed And to make the matter more plaine that this lambe did signifie Christ that seede then promised saith Moses vnto them It is a day to be kept holy to the Lord because he brought them out of the land of Egypt This is that day of the Lord saith he Which all y e children of Israel muâ—…t keepe throughout al their generations And why Euen to put them still in remembrance not onely of their outwarde but also of their spirituall redemption and for this cause were the fathers bound to teache their children the vse heereof For vnlesse they saw the spiriâ—…uall meaning heerein as well as the outward it profited nothing because the vaile that couered Moses face that they coulde not beholde the brightnes thereof remained also ouer their hartes and so they went to eternall destruction But that Moses taught this matter playnely that Christ that Lambe of God shoulde suffer it is manifest for so sayth the Apostle Now it must needes be that herein it is to be considered for you see he appoynteth this day to be obserued throughout their generations and he also telleth them that when they shall neglect their Sabaothes and fall from the Lorde he wyll cary them into their enemies Land and they shall be there vntyll their owne Land haue enioyed her Sabaothes But yf there they be humbled and turne vnto the Lord their God then wyll he remember his couenaunt of olde made vnto their father Abram which is euen this by the which he brought them from the land of Egypt So that yf you consâ—…r the ninth of Daniell with the twentie sixe of Leuiticus you shall see how Moses sawe Christe playnely to be that Lambe of God that should be killed that so he myght confirme this couenant for the Many of all nations that woulde trust herein euen this couenaunt of olde made vnto Abraham to Isaak and to Iacob and there doth the Angell Gabriel tell Daniel euen the very yeere weeke day and
in him no although he had done so many great workes and myracles before them but still despised the councell of God agaynst themselues and would not daunce nor leape for ioy no although y ◠prophets as you see had cōtinually piped vnto them Now if you maruell how they could be so blinde as not to see since the light was so bright and Christ so plainly manifested vnto them I will shew you why in few wordes that is because they knewe not the scriptures for so our sauiour doth tel thē saying Ye erre not knowing the scriptures For whereas they should haue made the word of God their onely meditation they had established in stead thereof the precepts and doctrines of men and so made the word of God of no authoritie as our sauiour also telleth them Besides it was so far from their delight as that they had skarce read so much thereof as that one part which told them that the stone which they would refuse should be made the head of the corner And therefore because they had thus cast off the law of the Lord of hostes and would not beleeue the writinges of Moses and the prophetes all which would haue lead them vnto Christ No maruell was it though he cast off them neyther that he should take from them that little vnderstanding which they seemed to haue according as he telleth hys Disciples saying To him that hath shall be giuen in more aboundance and to hym that hath not shall be taken away euen that little which hee seemeth to haue So that to those that had a desire to know the booke of God which paynted them out the Messias to them it was giuen to know the secretes of y ◠kingdome of heauen but to al those that cast it off to them it was not giuen So that in them was fulfilled y ◠prophcie of Esaias which prophesie saith by hearing they should heare but not vnderstande and seeing they should see but not perceiue And the reason was for that their hearts were waxen fat and their eares were dul of hearing also with their eyes they winked least they should see and stopped their eares least they should heare and so vnderstand w t theyr heartes should haue returned that hee might haue healed thē And therfore as y ◠apostle saith when men regard not to know the Lord aright by his holy word no more doth he regard to know them but giueth thē vp into reprobate minds and also to follow their own inuentions in al things and so to runne to their owne destruction for not obeying the sonne of God For as it is eternall life to knowe one true and euer-liuing God and to beleeue in hys sonne whom he the father would or nowe hath sent so he that beleeueth not in the sonne nor obeyeth hys voyce shall neuer see life but the wrath of God abideth on hym Now his voyce was that they should continually meditate in his lawe the which shoulde lead them vnto Christ but they did not and therefore well worthy to be blinded as you see for men must learne to heare the voyce of the Lord while it is called to day and to take heede howe they harden their heartes when the voyce of God doth call least when they would they shall often call them selues and not be hard Nowe if iudgement began at the house of the Lord in this sorte as you see what shall wee thinke befell the rest of the nations before the comming of our sauiour into the world Surely they escaped not for the Lord hath rendred vengeance vnto all those that haue not knowne him which haue not obeyed vnto the Gospel of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ not onely vnto the Iewes and the citie Iersusalem where his name shoulde haue bene called on who moste of all deserued it because most graces were offered vnto them but also vnto all nations in the world hath hee sent the cup of the wine of the greatnesse of his indignation and hath entered into iudgement with all flesh forasmuch as they haue not desired the knowledge of hys holy lawes and for as much as hee left not hymselfe without witnesse to any nation in as much as he gaue them rayne from heauen and fruitfull seasons and filled them with all good things in great aboundance Therfore all those nations or people that haue refused the knowledge of hym he hath also refused them And as they regarded not to knowe hym a right by his holy word neyther had anie delight at al therin but cast it off euen so hath he cast off them and giuen them vp into reprobate minds as the apostle saith And thus hauing layd his iudgementes before our eyes hitherto we see what is become of all those that haue sayd vnto God depart from vs haue not desired aboue gold y e knowledge of hys holy lawes the which lawes shoulde haue bene esteemed of them aboue gold yea aboue much fine gold and also haue bene more sweeter vnto theyr heartes then the hony or the hony combe vnto theyr mouthes and looke how pretious it should haue been vnto y e Iewes so ought it to haue been to all other nations in the world for all nations heard therof or at leastwise might haue done and thus much of the iudgementes of God from the beginning of the world to the vtter casting off of the Iewes The iudgementes of God vpon the Romaine Emperours the first beast Apoc. 13. as also vpon the Popes theyr successours the latter beast and on all them that receiue the beasts marke SInce we haue seene the iudgementes of God from the beginning of the world hitherto and also the cause why whiche was the neglect of hys holy worde in the which worde they might haue seene hys will and so haue knowne hys true worship let vs proceede in briefe sort and lay the like before our eies euen frō our sauiour hys time vnto the end of the same First then we are to remember that after the destruction of y ◠low Ierusalem was that to be fulfilled which was spoken of by the prophets that is That a Ierusalem should be built the name whereof shoulde be called The Lord is there and that this citie should be lifted vp aboue al mountaines and that from the Sanctuary therof should go waters of life which should runne to the east sea and to the west sea and that there should be plentie thereof both in sommer and winter and that whatsoeuer tree should be planted by the riuer of waters which should runne out of the sanctuary of this citie the leafe thereof shoulde neuer fade neyther should the fruit thereof at any time fayle and that the waters of this riuer should be so wholesome that whither soeuer they should runne the fi◅h that should be nourished therewith should liue thereby
14. to the ende and. 2. 10. 11. Hosea 6. 6. Acte 12. 1. 2. 3 4. 5. 36 to the â—…nde Acte 11. 17. 18 Ieremy 7. 22. 23. 24. and. 9. 3 24. * As namely Festus for one example for who could haue behaued him selfe better then he in Paule his cause and yet you may see howe lyke a prophane beast he speaketh when as he talketh â—…f our Sauiour Christ. Reade for this Actes 25. 13. to 22. and in the same maner spake y â— stiffe necked Iewes as you may see Actes 17. 7. Iohn 3. 36. and 17. 2. 3. Therefore if Fâ—…lix or Festus 〈◊〉 Agrippa or any other such as they were shoulde behaue them selues a thousand thousande tymes better then they did yet yf they know not Christe no better then for 〈◊〉 warrenâ—… we haue they did you may safely say they go to eternall destruction Reade for these three Actes 24. and. 25. and 26. Iohn 6. 28. 29. Actes 16. 30. 31. 2. Iohn 5. 20. Iohn 8. 47. 10. 26 27. Iohn 6. 29. Colo. 2. 18 to the ende Math. 19. 16. to 26. Mark 10 17. to 25. and Luke 18. 18. to 26. Matth. 4. 18. to â—…3 Mark 1. 16. to 21. and 10. 28. to 32. Deutro 6. 5. 6. to the ende My sheepe heare my voyce and I â—…nowe we them and they folowe me Iohn 10. â—…7 Luke 10. 38. to the ende Deutro 6. 4 to 10. and Mark 12. 29. to 35. Marke the conference 〈◊〉 our Sauiour the Scribe theâ—… Psalm 33. 12. 2. Iohn 5. 7. Iohn 1. 1. 14. â—…ohn 21. 41. Esai 6. Actes 28. 25. to 28. Reuel 1. 8. Iohn 17. 3. * Consider these scriptures Acte 13. 24. to 42. and 14. 15. 16. 17. and 16. 30. 31. and 20. 21. and. 26. 17. 18. Paule in this 26. of the Actes sheweâ—…h the summe of all their doctrine that is euen that both Iewes and Geâ—…tiles were to turne from darknes vnto lyght â—… from the power of Satan vnto God that so they myght receiue forgeuenes of sinnes inheritaunce amongst them which are sanctified by fayth in Christ and therefore the Apostle sayth that he witnessed both vnto Iewes and Gentiles that they shoulde haue repentaunce towardes God and fayth towarde our Lorde Iesus Christ. Actes 20. 20. 21. Zacharias y sather of Iohn sheweth what was the chiefe marke that Iohn shotte at as you may see in Luke 1. 76. 77. and Iohn 1 6. to 9. and Luk. 5. 32. 33. Math. 3. 2. Marke 1. 7 Iohn 1. 15. Luke 3. 16. 17 Math. 3. 11. 12 The sum of Iohn his doctrine was that they shoulde repent them of their former ignorances and beleeue in Christe as you may see Actes 19. 4. Math. 21. 32. to the ende and that was the fruites in deede which the Husbandmen shoulde haue brought forth vnto the Lord of the Uineyarde Math. 3 9. Gene. 3. 15. Iohn 8. 33. to the ende Rom. 1. 28. Acte 17. 30. Rom 1. 21. to 29. Act. 14 15. 16. 17. Math. 3. 10. As our sauiour sayth of Zacheus Luke 19. 9. Gala. 3. 7. Rom. 2. 28. 29. Phil. 3. 3. Iohn 1. 11. 12. 13. Rom. 2. 29 and Psalm 24. 6. Hebre. 6. 1. Psal. 50 16 17 Hebr. 6. 1. 2. Corin. 7. 1. Dan. 9 24. to the ende Exod. 26 31. 32. 33. and Matth. 27. 51. Hebr. 9. 24. 10. 20. Psalme 110. 4. and Hebr. 5. 5. 6. 7. to the ende Gen. 14. 18. * According as y â— Apostle sayth Hebr. 5. 11. to the ende therefore he geueth men a sharpe reproofe for that they continued styll as babes not able to conceiue of deeper matters Hebr. 7. 4. * Therefore what modestie count you that to forbid where the holy Ghost hath commaunded Nay what boldnes is there in you that are not afrayde so to do Num. 18 and Deutro 18. Gen. 14. 18. 19 20. Num. 20. 28. Hebre. 7. 23. Gen. 14. 18. 19 20. Psalme 110. 4. Hâ—…br 7. 24 25. and. 10. 12. Roman 8. 24. Hebr. 7. 25. Hebr. 1. 2. 3. Exod. 23. 20. 2â—… Colo 2. 〈◊〉 Hebr. â—… 9. 14. Hebr. 1. 4. 6. 7. 13. Psalm 110 1. Ephe. 1. 20. to the ende Hebr. 3. 3. to 7. * As you may see in the whole 〈◊〉 to the Hebrewes as also iâ—… all other the Epistles of the Apostles Colo. 3. 1. 2. Colo. 3. 16. Ecclesi 5. 3. â—…eremy 9. 24. Iohn 10. 27 Leuit. 20. 26. 1. Pet. 1. 15. 16 Exoduâ—… 23. 2â—… Psalm 90. 11. â—…ere 31. 19. An ether Obiection Math. 9. 20. 21 12. 14. 36. Mark 5. 27. to 35. 6. 56. 12. 42. 43. 44. Luke 21. 1. to 5. 2. Cor. 8. 12. Ephe. 2. 8. Rom. 10. 17. 1. Pet. 2. 2. and 2. Pet. 3. 18. 1. Pet. 5. 8. Ephe. 6. 17. Luke 1. 44. Iere. 1. 5. Esai 41. 21. * If men would exercise their wiâ—…s in y e booke of God as Heb. 5. 14. they shoulde then be able without premeditatioÌ„ before hand to put to silence any aduersary whatsoeuer according to Luke 21. 14. 15. Examples you haue of Steuen in Actes 7. diuers others Psalm 90. 12. 2. Tim. 3. 4. Math. 23. 37. Iohn 6. 69. Pro. 1. 22. Psalm 36. 3. Pro. 29. 7. Psalm 32. 9. Psalm 37. 30. Colo. 3. 16. Ephe. 3. 19. Colo. 1. 10. and Ephe. 4. 15. Ephe. 3. 18. 19. Ephe. 4. 13. Ephe. 4. 14. and Hebr. 13. 9. Ephe. 4. 15. Ierem. 7. 24. 9. 3. As Iob speaketh of them Iob. 2â—… 14. 15. Micah 6. 6. 7. 8 Esa. 29 9. to 14 Colo. 2. 23. Acoording as the Scribes Pharisees had done and therfore they are worthy of the lyke condemnâ—…tion that befell them also their foolysh hartes to continue full of darknes as theirs did and styll doth Esai 29. 13. 2. King 17. 33 to the ende Ierem. 6. 20. â—…ere 6. 10. 11. 19. â—…0 Rom. 2. 12. Gen. 2. 2 3. Esai 5 8. 13. Exodus 20. 8. 9. 10. Exod. 20. 1. 2. and. 1. Iohn 5. 20. and Leuit. 26. 4. 45. Dani. 9. 23. to the ende Apoc. 5. 9. Hebr. 2. 14. 1â—… Ephe. 2. 3. Iohn 17. 3. Iere. 6. 10. Ieremy 10. 21. Ieremy 8. 9. Hosea 4. 6. Ierem. 6. 19. Hosea 4. 6. Psalm 119. 30 52. Psalm 107. 43 Roman 11. 22. Hebr. 3. 7. 8. Esai 55. 6. Ieremy 4. 4. Hosea 10. 12. 1. Pet. 1. 23. Math. 13. 23. Deutro 29. 29. Iude. 6. and 1. Pet. 24. Iob. 4. 18. Gene. 1. 26. 27. Psalm 49. 12. 20 Rom. 5. 12. to the ende 1. Iohn 3. 12. Gen. 3. 15. Gen. 3. 15. Gen 4. 8. Iohn 8. 44. Gen. 4. 11. to 15. Gen. 4. 19. 23. 24. Iude. 14. 15. Iob. 22. 17. 18. 2. Pet. 2. 5. Geneâ—…is 6. 3. Hebr. 11. 7. 2. Pet. 3. 4. 5. 6. Math. 24. 37. 38. 39. 2. Pet. 3. 5. 6. Gen. 1. 9. Gen. 4. 1. 17. to 23. Iob. 22. 16. 2.