Christians good ynoughe for there presens in the congregations for there thrustinge to the communion or for there bare taulke of the scriptures God bless vs from suche an hypocriticall faythe The possessors wher of stand in more nede of the terror of the law as fyrst a hammer to beate theme downe then of de gentle voyce and hand of the gospell to lyft theme vp The second cumpanie be marchant venturers and marchant retaylers who most rightly beare the name of changers in that reputable exchange changinge wares for money and money for wares Marchants And therfore our soueraigne Ladie in abolishing the fyrst title Buss and imposinge a new as ther by she had prudent consideration to tearme yt the exchange accordinge to the nature of that marchantlike trade so in greate favour she bare to it and the whole Cittie she added thereto a regall title and then tearmed it the Royall exchange God preserve and bless her Princely hart wth his grace and spirit for the further and more ample advancement of his glorie bothe in England and her wonted helpe for other troubled contreys a bowt her And the lord chāge there harts or cutt of ther bodies from the yerthe that wyshe or practys the contrarie to the pleasinge of Gogg the Pope and his Catholike kinge wth his spanishe mynes the horne of his strengthe Now that your traffyke ys hyndered navigation restrayned and your former gaynes greatly Impayred I wyshe you fyrst to acknowlege the finger of God in all this for synn and next to wey and consider of the spirituall marchantdise mencioned of in the gospell wth the hydden threasure not fownd wthout paynfull digginge and of the good marchant buyeng the preciouse pearle Implieng therby that devine rytches cannot be obtayned wthout zeale and earnest affection wthout searche and diligent sekinge and vnlest they be redemed wth the best things you affect and to esteme all other marchantdise but trifles whether from Turckie or Denice in comparison of that devine threasure And marck that no adventurers nor the secure or careless can fynd the sayde hydden threasure The Kyngdom of God must be sought ere yt can befownde therfore let the name marchant teacht all to make singuler accowmpt of spirituall and sacred things and of the gospell Sacraments readinge hearing prayeng Psalmes and songs from the hart O that we could love and regarde these preciouse pearles the supernaturall threasure hyd from the worldly hart and the gospell of Christ as they are to be estemed wch ys the gladdest news and ioyfullest tydings the light of the churche and every soule therof the preservative of the Prince and the pyller of her Kyngdom the wch beinge taken a way despised or lothed as manna was of the lothinge Iscalites yt must nedes fall out wth vs as it did on that full gorged people when the ark of God was taken from theme namely bloddie warrs hunger famine pestilences and confusions before and behynde Iff you dyd but sum tymes wey and consider this then would you be as desirouse of the continuans of the gospell by due estimation of suehe a threasure for to save and defend you from Gods wrathe as the elders of Israell coveted the presēs of the lords ark the figure therof to save theme from the Philistines who in there miserie crped out sayeng wherfore hathe the lord smitten vs let vs bringe againe the ark of Gods covenant a mongest vs that when it commeth it may save vs from the hands of our enemies And then as dagon could not stand but fall downe and breake his neck at the presens of Gods arck so can neyther the second spanishe flete the power of papists wth the indian gould be able to stand but rather flee and consume from the Quene of England and her religiouse subiects when they put this Evangelicall arck in reverēt and hartie maner betwene theme and there adversaries otherwise then the wch love and reverens yt wil be as meake a buckler at the fierce assaulte as the arck of God was to the Isralites when they there Kinge and preist were all over chrowen Secondly remember that you must be changed you know not when from your ritches from this vitall lijfe and the whole worlde vnto a nother place paynefull or Ioyfull none otherwise then the sayde preciouse pearle and hydd threasure is of price and valure wth you for the present tyme. Thinck of this and on hym that exhortethe to be changed and renewed in the inward man carefully studienge to change the owld life for a new even as you tender the changinge of this mortalitie to Immortalitie of this drudgerie beneathe to the felicitie above seing yt is written that suche as shal be burgeses there they must be so enfranchised here as to be made Kings and preists to overcom and to offer no less then Prophetts to instruct theme selves and there familie and al to shew forthe the vertues of hym that hathe caulled theme out of darckues into his marvelouse light Evill Marchants And further vnderstand that as there be honest and Godlie men of your trade so the very contrarie are bothe knowen and felt who yet marche vnder the ensigne of honest marchants and would appere as religiouse as they be covetouse or impiouse beinge as greate a scandale to that worshipfull companie as corrupt lyvers and teachers do greyve the Godlie learned in the ministerie These marchants deceyve moche by there paynted faulshode and lipp religion wherby they endamage others to inritche there estate Suche ys the choyce that these make of duplicitie and hypocrisie when they affect so little the grace of truthe and simplicitie These fellows wyll brave yt out how slender so ever they be wthin and prease to be eyther equall or higher then there betters fleinge the meane estate wch is the happiest and steale credit by other mens valure vntill they become eyther breakers or banckerers God in mercie geve suche repentans for borrowinge and dealinge wth many and to kepe towche wth few Exceptinge here nevertheles suche honest men as come to decaye neyther by the pryde of there backs wyfe nor table but by shipwrack on the sea or by trustinge the vntrustie that borrow moche and repay eyther little or nothinge But God that never chastiseth wthout cause dyd se yt tyme to correct for eyther beinge over gredie to aspire or by covetouse desyre of excessive gaynes dyd rather chuse to write there bad creditors names in there bookes then to take present pay in there purses of honest customers or otherwyse the Lord saw cowldnes and backwardnes in religion by nuszlinge to depely in the world wherby at lengthe to borrow of three and scarce to paye one Seinge then that God so sharplie correcteth suche professors as by toyles and cares retire from there religiouse affections yt ys good to pray for a contented mynde to norrishe your first love and zeale to God by all due meanes and not to suffer the
changers Cytezins and contrey to stande on there garde seinge this mercyless lyon vnder Angelical shew lyeth in previe wayt to catch and intrapp at every turne But thow tremblinge and fearefull Christian throwen downe by the felinge of thy synne no less desirouse to be freed from the burden therof then afrayed to offend the Lord thy God be thow of good chere wthout tormenting of thy felinge consciens forasmoche as by fayth and grace Sathan hathe no part nor portion in the hating and shunninge synne but rather on theme that love and frequent synne seinge Iesus Christ wthout all stayne of synn became synn for the that ys toke on hym thy sinnfull deserts even vndergoinge the torments of hell and deathe in his blessed body and soule for thy sake and thy moste happie deliverans from bothe therfore be not only daylie and hartilie thanckfull for this expiation of thy sinn but butifully watche and pray agaynst the dreggs and remnants of sinn lefte in the for to stryve and fyght to the end Although the strengthe and forte therof was broken I saye by Christ and fastned to his cross to the everlastinge compforthe of all suche as love and feare the Lord and be lothe to offend hym by there synne Husbands and wyves of all sorts lykewyse have there pleasurable walkinge there at convenient tymes whose honorable estate so dignified by the Sonne of God I must not forgette but put you in mynd of that famouse vnion ordayned of hym that is two in one fleshe and therefore to be of one mynde in the Lorde and for theme selves Mariage And generally yt must putt all the faythfull in remembrans of the more happie vnion and moste blessed mariage betwene Iesus Christ and his churche and every soule of his electe therein beinge an vnseparable bonde and knytt faster then all bonds amonge men and a love beyond all loves for so gloriouse and Princely a spowze to take and imbrase so poore and meane an espowzes even the highest to abase hym self to the lowest O memorable love and humilitie deservinge all prayse and obedyens in all faythfull parsons bothe maryed and vnmaried And as neyther water nor any flodds are able to quenche or to drowne this love so let neyther carnall love in the one nor love of the world in the other be ever able to quenche or to drowne there love and lovely harts to this our true lover the fowntayne of all love St Iohn sayeth he that loveth not knowth not God for as the ignorans of God is the cause why he ys not loved so the knowledge of God producethe love to hym and therfore so farr do we love God as we know God whereby yt ys playne that they who seke not to know God can neyther truely nor rightly love hym And I have noted sum tymes in men and wemen who never opened booke that the love of God was more shed abrode in there harts then in many that are puffed vp wth wynde knowledge Hartilie wishinge maryed folkes no less to mark and disgest then to reade the words of the Apostle in caullinge on man and wyfe to love one a nother by example of Christ his incomparable love to his churche in that he gave hym self for yt clensed and sanctifyed yt Then would yt in crease there affections and abate there discentions and generally make bothe theme the better to love one another and all others of that mysticall bodie to reioyce and be tenfowld more thanckfull for that spirituall coniunction namely that beggers bratts of no reputacion to be maryed and cowpled to suche a heavenly husband whome the 45. Psa tearmeth a Quene sayenge vpon thy right hand ys the Quene in a vesture of gould and the canticles speaking of Christ his love to his churche and people sayeth his lefte hand ys vnder my heade and his right hand dothe imbrase me wch mariageable tearmes by the holy Ghoste teacheth all but more specially husbands and wyves to be so lyncked in love as to lyve and love to gethers most affectionatly and lovingly wthout eyther seperation of bodies disiunction of mynds or to lyve vnder iarrs and contencions to gethers to the seperation of God and Christ from sum suche harts and howses in London as my self and others have bene weryed and greved in laboringe for peace But you Christian yokefellows of a contrary disposition I wyshe you by discreation and good watche to beware of suche fearefull discords doinge your best to love styll and to increase in love For as love ys the capitall affection in men and wemen so the effects therof ys most vehemēt as ys confirmed by Christ his words where a mans threasure ys there is his hart that is yf God be our heavenly threasure then ys our love a bove wth hym yf maried folkes be corporal threasures one to the other then the love and affection spreadeth accordingly as we se perthly mynded men have there love on yerthly things You that be maryed parsons Iplie as that tytle by the holy Ghoste ys tearmed honorable so let your love yeace and vnitie to gethers honor and dignifie that lawdable estate For as Christ cowld not chuse any creature more apt to express our spirituall mandutation of his fleshe and blod then breade and wyne so the holy Ghoste could not fynde a more apte similitude to express the spirituall bonde betwene Christ and every faythfull soule then the coniunction of two parsons by the knott of matrymonie Wherfore as mariage ys a moste compfortable and blessed estate to theme who are graced to vse yt well so ys yt a moste bitter and tormentuouse estate to such as love not to gethers and as crave not for grace rightly to vse yt Now bothe worshipfull and commun assemblie ordinarie and extraordinarie changers in that Ropall how 's I beseche you to remember that as your lyfe here is vncertayne and never in one staye but lyke to the moone subiect to chang and alteration and in the end to death evenso think that you must shortlie chāg this lyfe for a nother lyke your predecessors walking wth you as yesterday and now gonn and forgotten wch must put you in mynde to be so changed in affection and conversation as when the Lords change bell ys runge to make spedie change of the place where you are to a nother wthout any nayt that so you may fynde the happie and better Exchange for this miserable and worce throw the same Iesus Christ here after descrybed by a learned father worthie of marchinge in this tyme of fauls Christs Yt ys nedefull sayethe he to vnderstand how God was borne and how God dyed according as the toung of the scripture dothe vse to speake God-man wch speche of Christ ys dybersly before and after his incarnation For since that happie and miraculouse conception by the holy Ghoste we must remember that in this vnitie of parson by the wch the sonn of God is also the sonn of Marie
and by consequent the very Sonne of man that the two natures remaine distinct wth that wch ys proper to theme and yet to be but one Christ beinge hym self God-man that ys Man-god and yet notwthstandinge his Deitie ys not his humanitie nor his humanitie is not his Deitie This beinge moste true it followth that the proprieties of the humanitie as to be borne to eate drinch to die and to be buried ought to be attributed to God I meane the second parson and yet not simplie according to his Devinitie but in asmoche as he ys God-man and on the other syde that wch is proper to god may be attributed to this man as to be the Sonne of God eternall almightie and to be ever all not simplie in his humanitie but in asmoche as he ys Man-God The wch scripturely speche S. Paul vseth thus that the God of glory was crucified agayne that God redemed the church by his blodd and S. Luke sayeth that wch was conceyved in the wombe of the Virgin was the Sonne of the most highe and therfore yt may be sayde that Marie was the Mother of God in asmoche as he was Man-god That yf he wch was so conceyved and borne were not verie God how should he be our saviour and yf the same were so spoken in regard of his Deitie what maner of Deitie should that be to take his Deitie in the Virgins wombe As on the other side all the suffrings attributed to the only Sonn of God ought to be also vnderstode in asmoche as he is God-man and not simplie after his Deitie distinctlie considered in wch regard the Apostle dothe not barely saye that God was visible but addeth in his flesh And S. Iohn confesseth not simply to have sene the glory of the word but therto addeth the worde was made fleshe S. Peter speakinge of his fuffrings sayeth not simplie for as moch as Christ hathe suffred but addethe in the fleshe wch was nedefull for our salvation because he ys Man-god that suffred and not simplie God For a conclusion yt ys God-man that hathe fought and suffred in his humanitie and yt ys the Man-god wch hathe conquered by his Devinitie To the Anabaptist T.M. prisonner at Norwch SOm loving brother signifie vnto hym Fyrst he so soddanly stepping from his spirituall mother to a new stepdame reiecting the swete foode of the one and lickinge vp the poyson of the other that therefore his suffringe ys as compforthless as yt ys wshe and perilouse not only in regard of his badd opinions but in iustifienge his horrile errors and yll cause of bare 80. yeres continuans he condemnethe the vniversall churche consistinge on the faythfull Sede of Abraham in all quarters of the world frustratinge the preachinge of the gospell and Sacraments in all congregations before and after that tyme and deprivinge all martyrs sithens the comminge of Iesus Christ frome the hope of there salvation by grace and martyrdome Wyshinge that as he ought to distinguishe betwene true martyrdome and fauls so to discerne betwene the seared consciens from the malignant spirit and the salutiferous consciens from the holy Spirit the one gloriousely paintinge an evill cause by his subtill elippinge and wrest of scripture throw the wch he eubowldeneth the erringe and presumptuouse hart to suffer for error and the other revealinge the simple truthe by playne recorde of the worde of truthe no less rightlie illumininge then as trulie sanctifieng and compfortinge humblinge and mekeninge vntill Ioyfull and constant suffring the voice of Gods people being the voice of God crieng Amen to the same I am in feare that he and suche of my contreymen be more infected wth arrogant knowlege then by grace sanctifyed wth faythfull humblenes And let hym learne a lesson of the penitent theyse suffringe wth our savior for as the one in his desperat howldnes capled on Christ sayenge yf thow he that Christ save thy self and vs so the other humbled and fearinge God rebuked hym and there wth made suche a lyvely confession of Christ to be God and man as those herpticks may tremble at Gods greate iudgements for comminge so short or rather to be contrarie to the same Fyrst he caulled hym Lorde and prayed vnto hym as God the bringer of soules to his Kyngdom and next he caulled hym man sayeng this man hathe donn nothinge worthie of death wch was as excellent a confession as yt was a miraculouse conversion A rude ignorant theyfe of so wycked a lyfe as moch vnacquainted wth learning as wth vertu to make suche a sownd confession as yt may beseme you and your betters to esteme hym a holy Patterne to follow beinge therein nothing behynd Peter and the rest of the Apostles so longe tyme taught of there mayster Wherefore two fowld presoner and the rest in lyke bonds here at libertie advowchinge that the corporall eyes and hands of the Apostles saw and felt the incomprehencible Devinitie and that the same was deade in yt self and buried I pray you tell me fyrst in the parson of a man consistinge on a terrestiall and spirituall substans could ever his soule be eyther sene or felt in the handlinge of hym and will you not moche more confess that the Apostles cowld neyther se nor fele the gloriouse Devinitie of Christ so wth houlding yt self vnder the tabernacle of his bodie next tell me what glorie Maiestie brightnes or Kyngly estate dyd this poore theyfe se wth his corporall eyes in one so base and so vildly crucifyed at that tyme he neyther saw that splendor and glory as the Apostles dyd at his transfiguration nor the heavens open as Iohn dyd when Christ was baptised and thridly tell me how be saw hym to be his Lorde and God able to further hym to his Kyngdom and glory who was in the same reproche and ignominie wth hym and his fellow surely he had other clerer eyes to se God vnder the vayle of his flesh then yet ys granted to you Anabaptists even spirituall eyes and the inward sight of the hart Deceyve not your selves in sayenge that you confess Christ to be God and man when yt ys nothing so in averitie but rather vnder a clowd because yt ys wth this addition that he ys the celestiall Sede of the father or as may destone sayeth a man come from heaven Yf a fauls Christ be not fownd amonge the Anabaptists I know not where ells And what true peace of consciens can you have in suffringe for suche a forged Christ as the true Christ fore warnethe vs to be ware of and not to beleve Dare you confess that the soule of a man when the bodie is deade and buryed ys a lyve as yt ys in dede and yet will blasphemousely say that the God head of Christ dyed when his humane nature only was subiect to deathe when a man hanges on the geobet we comprehend bothe bodie and soule in sayeng the man ys hanged the man ys dead or thus the man eateth drincketh slepeth all wch ys true towching the parson of man but when we speake distinctly of the natures then neyther dothe the soule dye nor ys buried neyther eateth drincketh nor slepeth Further way and consider you Anabaptists whether you be the only spowze of Christ and the spirituall sede of Abraham specifyed to be lyke in nomber to the starrs of heaven or to the dust of the perthe or whether to you alone and to uone other churches the graces and giftes of the holy Ghoste were fyrst and last geven sythens Pentecost or whether so many thowsand martyrs sithens Christ his assention dyed in the Anabaptisticall fayth or in ours and whether yt was you that S. Iohn beheld so greate a multitude wch no men could nomber of all nations that stode before the Lambe yf you so thinck you arrogantly err wth the papists and arrians and asmoch deceive your selves as maliciousely accuse vs and the whole churche of God reiectinge you and your vilde opinions sythens the fyrst hatchinge therof by your grandsire Storck You seke to enclose the church wth in your straight corners as a childe that would lathe the whole sea into a little hole or as the papists that impryson Christ his Royall bodie in there wafer cake God open your eyes Lykewyse you my contreymen of another kynd and company removing from campion to Norden and from thence to Amsterdom and now miserably rent devided and scattered here and there Nordeners who though you howld the fundamentall poynts of our fayth wth affection to good things yet yt ys wth an vntempered zeale vnder moch weakenes contencions and discentions ioyned wth overwening and wrangling wherby you have brused the tender reedes quenched the smoking flaxe and driven sum into labarinthes and others into fowle errors God touche your harts to be warned by there perrylls and not by singularitie to fall wth them into suche errors to be less loftie and more lowly to esteme better of Gods churches abowte you and to bragg less of your owne wthout Pastor and sacraments for these 3. peres And the Lorde geve you repentans for the want of love yeare concorde and humilitie the lack wherof ys the cause you rather destroy then buylde marr then make scatter then gather Wherfore you se what your busie and vnskyllfull medling wth the discipline commes to So that as yt ys not fitt for little children to handle sharp edged tooles evenso as vnfitt for vnexperienced youthes to deale wth the hâ—â—es of opening and shutting of byndinge and loosinge and wth the sharpe swerde of excommunication a worck more beseminge grave and wyse heades vnder more stayednes then you of suche rashenes and vnadvysednes mowntinge above all churches I spare particularities The Lorde bless you and vs all wth wysdome and grace Amen FINIS
world and desyre of equalitie wth others to quenche the same and to beware of puttinge on the gay cloke of religion for any other cause then for religion yt self wch rightly possessed makes the differens betwene brute beasts and men or rather betwene devills and saincts And to invite preachers to your table more to learne of theme and to be reproved by theme nede so requiringe then to gett any fame or glorie thereby And forasmoche as marchants can hardly kepe theme selves from wronge spun sticking so fast to that trade as nayle in the wall they must bothe pray the more earnestly and say wth Job I did feare all my worcks and not to forgett that you be subiect to change and casualties and next to be thankfull for your daylie gettings lest otherwise in a tyme vnloked for you crie wth the rytch marchants of babilon alass alass for in one hower so greate ritches ys come to desolation The anabaptists do well in commendinge manuell trades and we confess it worthie of commendacion because yt ys furthest of from defylinge pitche but they fowlie err in denyenge marchandise to be Gods ordinans seinge buyenge and sellinge is one of the leggs whervpon every common welthe dothe stand for the better helpe of Prynce nobles and contrey otherwyse Abraham Iacob and the rest would not buy there lauds to bury in nor the sale of land in booze his tyme. Only the Lord requireth equitie right dealinge and ells what wch ys more commonly knowen then practysed The thrid sort be retaylers in the vpper shopps In wch place as there be honest men and auncient matrons that occupie substantiall and profitable wares to the beneficte of the buyers Retaylers so ys yt otherwyse of the rest reported But because men love better gentle admonitions then bytter vmbradings therfore I wyshe bothe yong men and reputed virgins there to wynn credit to the how 's and to theme selves by desert of better fame then is abrode and to be no less honest and chaste yong men sober damselles and virgins in dede and in proufe then they are in face and shew for to stopp the mowthes of suche yll reporters eschewinge levitie and wantonnes wth the pride of hart gate and apparell and not to sitt ydlie and gasinge about but eyther havinge leysure to be profitablie readinge or as the Apostle sayethe to labor and worck sum good thing wth there handes for there owne behoufe and others By wch yt apperethe that the holy Gost allowethe not the makinge and sellinge of badd and deceytefull things nedeles toyes for the increase of greater pryde lest God be offended To conclude God keye you from the contempt of this short and freyndly admonition and grant you his holy feare the love of true Godlynes and the hatred of all wyckednes wth carefull watche for the soveraigne Iudge so hastelie comminge to Iudge bothe quich and deade Fourthly the frenche and dutche marchants walkinge in that Royall place Strangers Moste of you be in the churche and I hope of the churche thoughe sum tymes the wolfe be wthin the fowld when the shepe ys wthout Many of your companie my self dothe know to be of as good disposition as of a sownd profession repayringe fyrst to our contrey from the rage of the enemie for the zeale you bare to Gods religion Wherfore as your churches be entituled reformed so accordinge as you be gravely instructed indever moche to refourme your lyves and maners your dedes and actions bothe husbands and wyves after the doctryne and order of a reformed church wherby to draw credite and more reverēt estimatiō to those large assemblies for the honor of the gospel and to avoyde the gevinge of offens to the slāder of the same and the dscredit of the churches in London and ells where otherwise thē this careful watch looke for nothing but a more heavie iudgement to light on your heades then on theme that want the good meane you have And as for suche strangers as be wthout the zeale of Gods honor and the care to lyve vertuousely suche as be vnsaciable rakers of rytches hynderers of the poore and servers of there belly more then of God the Lord purge the churche of suche Hypocrites yf any of those be amongest you And the others that have as little vnion or communion wth you but be eyther papists anabaptists or open atheists God change theme from cittie and contrey Wyshinge bothe prentices and other youthes of the Cittie bearinge grudge and yll will to religiouse strangers to purge there harts of all former malys and to favour theme whome bothe God and Prince dothe expressly so commande as Levit 19. Yf A stranger dwell with you in your land you shall not vex hym but he shall be as one of your soules and thow shalt lobe hyn as thy self Fyfthlie sum new Saduces and libertynes now and then do trepe and walke in the middest of you Sadduceans as Iob sayeth that sathā commes a monge Gods children The wch deade soule parsons vnder vitall lyfe proclaymes warninge for all that woulde lyve wth Christ Iesus to avoyde there fearefull estate and dambnable opinions no less then ovr bodies do shunn the poyson of spiders And seinge the Lorde hathe given over suche vnbelevers of the generall resurrection to the power of sathan exceptinge the saide vitall lyfe reserved longer for a fuller measure of there extreme iniquitie wherby to be chayned in there hellyshe inheritans I wishe and exhorte every worshipper of God possessinge the hope of our ioyfull rysinge agayne bothe to pray and to reade moche for to be rooted in a present and lyvely felinge of a greater confidens of that gladsome resurrection bothe to mitigate all worldly greyfes and the better to seale Gods eternall election wthin there harts And no less to beware of there copartners and staggeringe disciples neyther wholie wth theme nor flattly against theme but waveringe betwene bothe because the ladder of there rude reason ys not long ynoughe to reache to suche an highe misterie lyke the anabaptists denienge the humanitie of Christ to come from his mother because there shallow reason can not reache how then he cowld be wthout synn Therfore as the one reiectethe the true Christ professinge another wth his flesh from ells where so our new Saduces blott out from there harts all maner of thought of that moste terrible and ioyfull day of the Lorde studienge for no more then to eate drynck and be mery vntill to morrow they dye as the brute oxe thoughe not so well To the wch myschefe they are come by voluptuouse securitie wth the neglect or contempt of Gods worde and so be insnared wth darch and deadly dowtes in this light of the gospell These staggerers wth there grand Captaynes do call Gods providēs and his regiment over all into question aswell as the rysinge of our bodies as thus how can there be an outstretched providens from God above to vs