recorde that they haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge they haue the care and feare of God they are zelous in their doings they haue deuotion they pretend conscience they think they do wel and that they please God When they professed themselues to be wise they became fooles They knew not what they did for if they had knowlege they wold neuer haue crucified the Lorde of glorie But they knowe not the trueth of God they know not God they are caried away in y ◠vanity of their own hart Their prayers are no prayers The truth they holde is falshoode their faith is no faith they are shéepe without a shephearde Thus we haue heard what we are and in what place Nowe let vs sée what enemies bende their force against vs. We fight against the gates of hell with the Diuell the prince of darkenesse the father of lies with the Diuel which hath power ouer the children of disobedience by whose malice death came into the world Euen that Diuel bendeth his force against vs which deceiued Adam in Paradise which hath deceiued the learned Philosophers and beguiled the Princes and wisemē and the worthies of the world Which doth abuse and entice our hands our eyes our learning our wit and our owne heart to deceiue vs. He rampeth as a Lion and raungeth ouer the worlde séeking whom he may deuour This is his delite and studie Hée hath bene a murtherer from the beginning If this were euer true at any time our times haue founde it most true We are they vpon whom y e ends of y e world are come Nowe is this Scripture fulfilled in our eares Now sée we the dayes whereof Christ warned his disciples so earnestly They shal say Loe here is Christ and there is Christ This is the truth that is the truth There shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall deceiue many they shal betray the truth Many shal be offended by them if it were possible the verie elect They whose names are written in y e booke of life shold be deceiued And except those dayes should bee shortned there should no flesh be saued but for the elects sake those dayes shal be shortned The sun shalbe darkned the moone shal not giue hir light The sun is the word of God the moone signifieth the Church The powers of heauē shal be moued all the kinreds of the earth shal mourn Abhomination of desolatiō shal stand in the holy place Let him that readeth consider it This is the mysterie of iniquitie of which S. Paul speaketh to the Thessalonians Which worketh among them that perish Thus are we forewarned God hath giuen vs his worde to aduise vs that we be not caste awaye vnawares They that walk in the darke know not whether they go if the blinde leade the blinde both fall into the ditch he that is ignorant shal not be knowen Christ shall say vnto him I knowe you not departe from mée yée curssed into euerlasting fire Their worme shall not die and their fire shal not be put out In this case what shal a godly disposed simple man do How shall he settle himselfe To which fide may he safelye ioine himselfe If he make reconing of learning there are learned men on both sides if he make reconing of vertue and godly life there be vertuous men and of godly life on both sides if he make reconing of zeale either side is zelous in y ◠religion they hold if he make reconing of y e name of y e Church they take it as wel to the one side as to the other if he make reconing of the multitude there are many on either side but neither side hath so many as hath the Turke Whether then may a man turne himselfe and to which side may he safely ioine In this case we find the comfort and profite of the word of God In this case S. Paule telleth vs whatsoeuer things are writtē aforetime are written for our learning to lighten our eyes to resolue our doubts and to guide our féete This lighte God hathe kindled in his mercie to lighten them that sit in darkenesse Except he had left vs a sparkle of this light we hadde perished becom like to Sodoma Gomorrha Dauid saith Thy word is a Lantern to my pathes and a light to my feete By it I may sée the way which is before me by it I can escape danger and by it I can kéepe the path wherein I ought to walk When Christ perceiued that the Capernaites the Iewes misliked his doctrine went back walked no more with him he said to y e xij Wil ye also go away You are my disciples whō I haue chosen out of this world wil you also go away Simō Peter answered him Maister to whō shal we go thou hast the word of eternal life If we forsake thée who shall instruct vs thy word is the word of eternall life With this word Christ cōfounded the Scribes and Phariseis and put them to silence Yee reiect saith hée the commaundement of God that yee may obserue your owne tradition For Moses said Honor thy father and thy mother whosoeuer shall curse father or mother let him die the death But ye say if a man say to father or mother Corbam that is by the gifte that is offered by mee thou maiest haue profite he shalbe free With this word he confounded them for misusing of the Temple by buying selling It is written mine house shall bee called the house of praier but yee haue made it a denne of theeues With this worde he put them to silence confounded their error in y ◠they thought it lawfull for a man to put away his wife for euerie fault From the beginning it was not so With this worde he confounded the Diuel and chased him from him It is written man shall not liue by breade onely but by euery word that procedeth out of the mouth of God And againe It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God And againe It is written thou shalt worshippe the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue This word confounded the Arians all sects of heretiks What is become of Marcion of Nestorius of Valentinu◠of Menander of Sabellius of Eutyches and others they are blowen away as smoke before the winde the word of God hath confounded them and beat them away As Dagon fell and brake his hands and necke and coulde not stande in the presence of the Arke of the Lord euen so shall all falshode fall and hide it selfe in the presence of the truth of God As the Rod of Moses deuoured the Rods of the Charmers as the beames of the Sunne driue away and consume darknesse so shal the word of God chase away errors When the two Disciples walked by the way with Christ they said betwéene thēselues after their eyes were opened that they knew him
to the simple They are comfortable in peace in warre in heauinesse in ioy in health sicknesse in aboundance in pouertie in the day time in the night season in the towne in the wildernesse in companie and when thou art alone For they teach faith hope patience charitie sobrietie humilitie righteousnesse and all godlinesse They teach vs to liue and they teach vs to die Therefore hath Paule said well The whole Scripture is profitable It is full of great comforte It maketh the man of God absolute and perfect vnto al good workes Perfect in faith perfect in hope perfect in the loue of God of his neighbour perfect in his life and perfect in his death So great so large and ample and heauenly is the profite whyche we doe reape by the worde of God Nowe it followeth we consider howe necessarie and needefull it is for vs to be guided by the word of God in the whole trade of our life The worde of God is that vnto our soules whiche our soule is vnto our body As the body dyeth when the soule departeth so the soule of man dyeth when it hath not the knowledge of GOD. Man liueth not by breade onely but by euerie worde that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Beholde saith God I will sende a famine in the lande not a famine of breade nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of the Lord. Their tongue shal wither their heart shall sterue they shal dye for hunger They shall wander from sea to sea and from the North vnto the East shall they runne to and fro to seeke the word of the Lord and shall not finde it They shall stumble at noone dayes as at the twilight they shall grope for the wall like the blind and truth shall fall in their streetes For howe shal they be saued vnlesse they call on the name of the Lord how shal they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Howe shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard how shall they heare without a Preacher howe shall they preach except they be sent Chrysostom therefore saith Neither can it be I say it can not be that any man shall attaine to saluation except he be alwayes occupied in spiritual reading The wise man faith Where there is no prophecie the people decay Where the Scriptures are not opened when there is none that can edifye and exhort and comfort the people by the word of God they must néeds perish for they knowe not the waye in whiche they shoulde walke they know not whome to honour nor vpon whose name they shoulde call they know neyther what to beléeue nor what to do Hel hath enlarged it selfe and hathe opened hys mouth without measure and they that are wilfull and ignorant and the children of darkenesse goe downe into it They become thrall and captiues vnto Sathan Their hearte is bounde vp they vnderstande nothing theyr eies are shutte vppe they can sée nothing their eares are stopte vppe they can heare nothing They are carried away as a pray into Hel because they haue not y â— knowledge of God So doth Christe tell the Sadduces Yee are deceiued because you know not the Scriptures nor the power of GOD. Thus he teacheth that error is the child of ignorance The cause why you are so deceiued is because you knowe not the Scriptures You haue hated the light and loued darkenesse You haue neyther knowen the Father nor mée Hée that knoweth not the truth of God knoweth not God Herein in this case there is no plea of ignorance Ignorance shall not excuse vs. Chrysostome saith Dices non legi non est haec excusatio sed crimen Thou wilt saye I haue not read the Scriptures this is no excuse but a sinne Againe he sayeth This is the working of the Diuels inspiration hee woulde not suffer vs to see the treasure leaste wee shoulde gette the riches Therefore hee counsaileth vs that it vtterly auaileth vs nothing to heare the Lawes of God least that vppon the hearing hee may see our doing folowe Gregorie saieth Qui eâ—quae sunt domini nesciunt à domino nesciununtur Who so know not the things that pertaine vnto the Lorde be not knowen of the Lorde Origen also giueth reason of this practise of Sathan Vnto the Diuels it is a torment aboue all kindes of torments and a paine aboue all paines if they see any man reading the worde of God and with feruent studie searching the knowledge of Gods Lawe and the mysteries and secretes of the Scriptures Herein standeth all the flame of the Deuils in this fire they are tormented for they are seased and possessed of all them that remaine in ignorance Carneades a Philosopher was wont to say of his Mayster and Reader Chrisippus if it hadde not bene for Chrisippus I neuer hadde béene any body He was my Maister and teacher he made mée learned whatsoeuer I haue I haue it of him How much better may we vse the like words of the Scripture and say vnlesse it were for the worde of God our wisedom were nothing our knowlege were nothing Whatsoeuer we haue we haue it by the worde Without it our prayer were no prayer without it our Sacramentes were no Sacramentes our Faith were no Faith our Conscience were no Conscience our Churche were no Church Take awaye the light of the Sunne and what remaineth but darkenesse Heauen and Earth are darkned No man can sée his way or discerne the things about him Euen so if y â— word of God be taken away what remaineth but miserable confusion and deadlye ignoraunce When the Philistines had shorne the haires of Sampson they fell vppon him tooke him bounde him and plucked oute his eyes they daunced aboute him and made scorne and games of him We are Samson the strength of our haires is the knowledge of the will of GOD It is laide vp in our heades in the highest and principal part of vs if that be shorne off if we be kept from hearing reading and vnderstanding of the worde of God then will error superstition and all wickednesse get the vpper hande and fall vpon vs and bind vs and plucke out our eies and make scorne of vs and vtterlye destroy vs. When the people of Ierusalem were besieged and wanted foode to eate they fedde on Rats and Mice and many vnwholesome and filthie things A woman was driuen for wante of meate to doe a cruel part vpon hir own child she tooke hir own babe which was the fruit of hir own bodie killed it cut it in péeces dressed it and fed vpon it a lothsome meat especially for a mother to eate hir owne childe But she was driuen to it by extremitie and hunger it was so cruell a thing to lacke wherewith life mighte be preserued Euen so fared it with vs and our Fathers after it pleased God to take away his Gospel to send a
the fruit therof appeare but reiect it and make it a reproch and cast it away from vs and therfore is it that the Lord doth cast vs away that we are vnwise that we please our selues with our own deuises and follow our owne imaginatiōs and perish because we haue not vnderstanding to heare y e instruction of the Lords word but like ignorant mē disallow it and cast it behinde the backe The consideration hereof moueth mée to say somewhat of the holy Scriptures whyche are the bright Sunne of God whiche bring light vnto our wayes and comforte to all parts of our life and saluation to our soules In whiche is made knowen vnto vs our estate and the mercie of God in Christe our Sauiour witnessed That we may the better sée the path whiche wée haue to walke in my meaning is truely and plainely and shortly to shewe you what Auctoritie and Maiestie the worde of God beareth then what Profite we maye reape by it also howe needeful it is that we be wel instructed in the holy Scriptures and what Pleasure and Delectation a Christian conscience may finde in them and lastle whether they be darke and doubtfull or plaine and easie for youre vnderstanding that when we know the Maiestie and Auctoritie of the worde and what comforte and profitte GOD giueth vs by it we depriue not our selues thereof by oure vnthankefulnesse nor close vp our eyes that we sée it not but heare it in reuerence and in feare that it may be fruitfull in vs and we receiue it not in vaine The Scriptures are the worde of God What title can ther be of greater value what may be said of them to make them of greater auctoritie thā to say The Lord hath spoken them That they came not by the wil of men but holie men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost At the worde or Proclamation of an earthly Prince we stand vppe and vaile our bonnets and giue good eare to it we are bounde so to doe it is oure duetie such honour belongeth to the powers that are placed to rule ouer vs for they are ordained of God And who soeuer resisteth them resssteth the ordinance of God If we shoulde haue a reuelation and heare an Angell speake vnto vs how carefull would we be to marke and remember and be able to declare the words of the Aungel yet is an Aungel but a glorious creature and not God And what is a King greate and mightie yet mortall and subiecte to death creature and not God And what is a King great and mightie yet mortall and subiecte to death His breath departeth and his name shal perishe Bothe he and his worde his power and his puissance shall haue an ende But the word of the Gospell is not as the worde of an earthly Prince It is of more Maiestie than the word of an Angel The Apostle sayeth If the worde spoken by Aungels was stedfaste and euerie transgression disobediēce receiued a iust recompence of rewarde how shall wee escape if wee neglecte so great saluation whiche at the firste beganne to bee preached by the Lorde and was confirmed vnto vs by them that hearde him God saith by the Prophet Esay My word shal accomplish that whiche I will and it shal prosper in the thing whereto I sent it And the same Prophet saith The worde of God shall stand for euer And It is more easie that Heauen and Earth passe awaie than that one title of the Lawe shoulde faile sayth our fauiour For it is the worde of the liuing and almightie God of the God of Hostes whyche hathe done whatsoeuer pleased him bothe in heauen and in earth By thys worde he maketh hys will knowen I haue not spoken of my selfe sayeth Christe but the Father whiche sente mee gaue mee a commaundemente what I shoulde saye and what I shoulde speake And againe If I hadde not come and spoken vnto them they shoulde not haue had sinne but now haue they no cloake for their sinne No man hath séene God at any time He is inuisible no eie can reach vnto him The onelye begotten sonne whyche is in the bosome of hys Father he hath declared him he hathe shewed vs the throne of grace that wée may seeke for mercie and finde grace in time of néede he hath disclosed vnto vs the will of his father He hath lefte vnto vs and ordained that we should heare his holy worde Thys word the Angelles and blessed spirits vsed when they came down from Heauen to speake vnto the people when they came to the blessed Uirgine and to Ioseph and to others they spake as it was written in the Prophetes and in the Scriptures of God they thought not their owne auctoritie sufficient but they tooke credite to theyr saying and auctoritie to their message oute of the worde of God This Worde the Prophetes vouched and alleadged to the people Albeit they were sanctified in their mothers wombe albeit God had endued them with his heauenly spirite although a Seraphin came vnto one of them and touched his mouth with a hote coale albeit he sawe the Lorde sitting vpon an high throne yet they woulde not speake as of themselues but onelye in the name of the Lord for thus they vsed to say The Lord hath spoken this is the worde of the Lorde Heare what the Lorde saith Sainct Paule albeit hée was taken vppe into the third Heauen and into Paradise and hearde wordes that are not lawefull for man to vtter yet he wrote not his owne words to the Churches of Rome of Corinth and Thessalonica and of other places but deliuered which had receiued and taught them according to the Scriptures This word is the true Manna it is the bread which came downe from Heauen it is the key of the kingdom of heauen it is the sauour of life vnto life it is the power of God vnto saluation In it God sheweth vnto vs hys mighte hys wisedome and his glorie By it he wil be knowen of vs. By it he will be honored of his creaturs Whatsoeuer truth is brought vnto vs contrarie to the word of God it is not truth but falsehoode and errour whatsoeuer honour done vnto God disagréeth from the honor required by his worde it is not honour vnto God but blasphemie As Christ saith In vaine they worship me teaching for doctrines mens precepts By Esay God saith Who required this at your hands And by Ieremie I spake not vnto your Fathers nor commaunded them when I brought them out of the lande of Aegipt concerning burnt offerings Sacrifices But this thing commaunded I them saying obey my voice and I will bee your God and yee shall be my people and walke yee in all the wayes whiche I haue commaunded you that it may bee well vnto you Againe What is the Chaffe to the Wheate saith the Lord What are your dreames to be weighed with the truth of God Search the
exercise himselfe daye and night The Lawe of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule the testimonie of the Lorde is sure and giueth wisedome vnto the simple This is the rule of our faith without this our faith is but a fantasie and no faith for faith is by hearing and hearing by the worde of God Therefore Christe saith Search the Scriptures they are they that testifie of me There shall ye finde testimonie of my doctrine there shal ye know what is the wil of my heauenlye Father and there shall you receiue the comforte for euerlasting life Againe He that followeth mee shall not walke in darkenesse but shall haue the light of life If a man keepe my word he shal know the truth hee shall neuer see death Therefore Baruch saith O Israel wee are blessed for the things that are acceptable vnto God are declared vnto vs. This is thy blessednesse herein hath God shewed his fauour vnto thée he hathe reuealed the secreats of hys will vnto thée and hath put his worde in thy mouth He sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and his iudgements vnto Israell hee hathe not dealte so with euerie nation neyther haue they knowen hys Iudgementes Therefore the Prophet Dauid teacheth vs to pray vnto God for the knowledge of his worde Shewe mee thy wayes O Lord and teache me thy pathes Take not thy holie spirite from mee and incline my hearte vnto thy testimonies Giue mee vnderstanding that I maye learne thy commaundementes open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Lawe And Lighten mine eies that I sleepe not in death that I maye discerne betwéene safetie and daunger that I may knowe truth to be the truth and error to be error Thus I haue declared parte of that profite which groweth to vs by the word of God but it doeth not onelye directe our iudgement in the triall of truth but dothe also graffe in vs a boldenesse and constancie in the defence of the truth Salomon saieth A foole chaungeth as the Moone He is alwayes vnstable and inconstant he knoweth not neither what to do nor what to beleue he is somtimes ful sometimes emptie turneth and changeth as the Moone He buildeth and layeth his foundation vppon the sande therfore his house falleth to the ground He halteth on both sides somtimes worshippeth God and sometimes worshippeth Baal he is neither hotte nor colde he ebbeth and floweth like the waues of the sea he doubteth and staggereth resteth in nothing He knoweth not the truth he knoweth not that the scripturs are the word of God so he wandereth in the darke and knoweth not the way in which he walketh He hath no féeling no hart no vnderstāding He is vnfaithful towards God and kepeth no faith towards man he is wauering in all hys wayes And why because he knoweth not the wil of God nor hath the light of his word to guide his féete But a wise man is one and stedfast as the sunne He buildeth his house vppon a rocke and that rocke is Iesus Christe the sonne of God Therefore his house is neuer shaken downe Be the storme or tempest neuer so rough yet it shall stand faste like Mount Sion because his truste is in the name of the Lord. He knoweth that his name is written in the Booke of Life he knoweth that he belongeth to the Lords Shéepefolde and that no man can take him away out of the Lordes hand In this boldenesse Dauid sayeth Thoughe I shoulde walke thorough the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill for thou arte wyth mee thy rodde and thy staffe they comforte mee And againe the Lord is my light and my saluation whome shall I feare And againe Except thy lawes had bene my delight I should now haue perished in mine affliction when Ezechias heard y ◠proud message of Sennacherib sent to him his people by Rahshaketh that they should not obey Ezech. nor trust to him when he said The Lord wil deliuer you and let not thy GOD deceiue thee in whom thou trustest hee wente vp into the house of the Lord and prayed vnto the Lorde to saue hym and hys people out of their handes that al the kingdomes of the earth might know that hee is GOD alone Euen so the Apostle Whether wee liue or die wee are the Lordes And in this boldenesse our sauiour Christe setled himselfe to beare their reproches and to carry his Crosse Father if thou wilte take away this cup frō me neuerthelesse not my wil but thine bee done Thus they that are taught by the word of God to put their trust in the Lorde and are thereby rooted and setled in him can not be remoued by any practise of Sathan but stand fast and continue for euer Which shal more plainely appeare if we looke backe into the times of persecution and beholde the boldenesse of constancie of the Sainctes of God They were brought before Magistrates caste into prisōs spoiled of their goods cruelly murthered Some were hanged vppon gibbets some run through with swords some torn with wild horses some drowned in the water and some burnt in the fire They were hated of all men for the name of Christ. They were despised as the filth of the worlde and dung of the earth Yet continued they faithfull and constant They armed their heartes with the comforte of Gods worde therby wer they able to resist in the euil day They were faithfull vntil death therefore GOD gaue them a Crowne of glorie When they were called before Kings and Princes and others of auctoritie and commaunded to forsake the trueth they had learned and the comfort which they tooke in the truth they aunswered in this manner O my gratious Lorde I would faine do your commandement I am your subiect I haue done faithfull seruice with my body with my goods but I cannot serue you against God He is King of Kings Lord of Lords He is my Lord before whom I stande I haue put my life in his handes He hathe forbidden me to doe this thing whiche you commaunde I cannot therefore doe it Iudge vprightly whether it be méete to obey you rather than God My liuing my wife my children and my life are deare vnto me I am a man like others and haue mine affections Yet neither liuing nor wife nor children nor my life is so deare vnto me as the glorie of God I am but a pore worme yet am I the worke of his handes God hathe putte his worde in my mouth I may not deny it I may not beare false witnesse against the Lord. My life is not deare vnto me in respect of the trueth I knowe if I shoulde deny him to saue my life I shoulde lose it and if I lose my life for his sake I shall finde it That which your auctoritie shal lay vpon me is not done without his will All the haires of my head are
down from heauen to consume hys sacrifice Here may you sée an Asse open his mouth and speak reproue his Maister thrée seruants of God walk in a hot burning fornace without hurte Daniel in the den among Lions and not deuoured Peter in the raging Sea and not drowned Leapres clensed the lame to goe the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare the blinde to sée the dead to rise out of theyr graues and liue simple and vnlearned men to speake in strange tongues the diuell to go out of the possessed and to saye I knowe thou arte Christe the sonne of God Here may you sée twelue pore séelie men without speare or sworde or force make conqueste and winne the whole worlde No power coulde represse them no might coulde withstande them It is reckoned a great matter for a King or a nation to yéeld submission vnto an other King or nation It must therefore bée a matter of greate wonder to sée al Kings throwe downe their Maces and all people to yéelde before so fewe so simple so vnarmed And to acknowledge they embraced lies and liued in ignorance and that these twelue are the seruants of the highest and to sée how God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to ouerthrow the wise and the weake things of this worlde to confounde the mightie things Such force did God giue to their wordes He made them the sonnes of thunder they shooke the foundations of the worlde they threw downe whatsoeuer stoode againste them Here may you see the fight of Gods electe children How they patiently suffered afflictions in their bodies rather than they woulde deny the truth of God they gaue their backes to the scourge theyr neckes to the sworde their bodies to the fire No tyrant no menacings no racke no torment no sworde no death could remoue them from the loue of the Gospell which they had receiued The more of them were cut downe the more did spring vp the more were killed the more wer left aliue Augustine saith Ligabantur includebantur torquebantur vrebantur multiplicabantur They were bounde and shutte vp and racked and burnt and yet were encreased This is the victorie that hath ouercome y e world For the Lord answered S. Paule My power is made perfect through weaknesse It liueth in death it is made whole and sound by woundes and stripes it is increased by those meanes whereby men destroy it Iacob sawe a ladder stand vpon the Earth and the toppe of it reache vppe into heauen and the Aungelles of God goe vp and downe by it This was but a dream and vision in his sleepe yet when he awoke he tooke pleasure comfort of this Vision We haue not onely the delight of this with Iacob but wée haue other farre greater visions We sée Esay beholding the Lord as he sate vpon an high throne we sée Paule taken vp into the third heauens we sée the glorie of God appeare and heare the voice whiche came out of the cloude saying This is my welbeloued sonne in whome I am well pleased here him We sée Iesus Christe the sonne of God borne of a Uirgin and how he made himselfe of no reputation and toke on him the forme of a seruant and was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a man That he humbled himself and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the Crosse We heare him crye with a loude voice My God my God why haste thou forsaken mee We heare him say Father forgiue them for they knowe not what they doe And Father into thine hands I commende my spirite Here we may sée the Sun to be darkened that the Moone giueth no light the Earth to shake the rockes cleaue asunder the vaile rent the Graues to open and Christe rise from the dead and goe vp into heauen and sit at the right hand of this father Here maye we sée the ouerthrowe of Babilon which made al nations to drinke of the Wine of the wrath of hir fornication Howe shée is destroyed with the breath of Gods mouth Here we behold the resurrection of the dead and foure and twentie Elders sitte before God on their seates and the antient of dayes sit vppon his throne and the iudgemente seate and the Bookes opened and all flesh appeare before him and how some are taken into euerlasting life and some are sent into euerlasting death What tongue is able to expresse these pleasures and delightes which are laid open to vs in the word of God We buy Images and Pictures and Mappes of men and of diuers things Countries But what Mappe or Picture can shewe vs the like varietie and chaunge of thinges Wée purchase Landes and haue a liking so to doe Here we are taught how we may come to that lande which shall stand with vs and in which wee shall continue for euer To sée any one of these it were great pleasure either the creation of heauen and earth or the Angels Archangels and blessed spirites or the battailes of the God of Sabaoth or Amalech dasht in péeces like a Potters vessell or the wals of Iericho blowne downe with the sound of a trumpet or Pharao drowned in the sea or Nabuchodonosor eating grasse among the beastes or Antiochus smitten from heauen or Sodome and Gomorrha burnt with fire and brimstone or the earth to open and swallow vp the wicked or the sea to stand like a wall or water to come out of a stone or breade to come from heauen or the Sunne to stande still or to chaunge his course or an Asse to speake and teache his Maister or fire to be extreame hot yet not burning or Lyons hungrie yet not eating their meate or the Sea tempestous yet not drowning or blind to sée deafe to heare dumbe to speake dead to rise or ignorant men to speake in languages they neuer learned or the Diuel to roare and confesse Christ or God sitting in his Maiestie and Christ at his right hande or Babylon throwne downe and become a Tabernacle of fowle spirites a denne for the Diuel or Christ to sit in iudgement and giue sentence vpon the quick and the dead to sée any one of all these wōderous works of God it were great pleasure Howe can it be then but that we reioice and take delight to sée so many so great so marueilous so heauenly and so glorious wonders in one heape altogither Howe farre would we ride or go to sée the triumph of a mortall King Here is to be séene the triumph of God the Lorde of Lordes and the King of Kinges howe he hath made the name of his Sonne triumph ouer principalities and powers and ouer the whole worlde Here is a Paradise full of delightes no tongue is able to speak them they are so many No heart is able to conceiue them they be sogreat Here is a shoppe wherein is set out the wisedome and knowledge the power the iudgements and
things in the Scriptures are harde I deny it not It is very expedient that somewhat shoulde be couered to make vs more diligent in reading more desirous to vnderstand more feruent in prayer more willing to aske the iudgement of others and to presume the lesse of our owne iudgement Gregorie sayth Magnae vtilitatis est ipsa obscuritas eloquiorum Dei. Facit enim c. The hardenesse whiche is in the worde of God is verie profitable For it causeth a man to take that profite by paines which hee coulde not take with negligence If the vnderstanding were open and manifest it woulde be litle set by Cyrillus saith Omnia plana recta sunt illis qui cognitionem inuenerunt fatuis verò etiam facilimaâ— ob secura videntur All thinges are plaine and straight to them that haue founde knowledge but to such as are fooles the most easiest places seeme harde And againe Eaequae perspicua sunt difficilia sunt haereticis Quomodo enim in maleuolam animam intrabit sapâ—entia Those thinges which are plaine are harde vnto Heretiques For howe can wisedome enter into a wicked heart It is true which S. Peter hath saide some thinges are hard to be vnderstande But it is also true that they which peruert them vnto their own destruction are vnlearned and vnstable that is they to whom they are hard haue not their eyes opened that they may sée the light of the worde or they be wicked and turne the truth of God into lies and abuse the Scriptures to their owne damnation The Howlet séeth not by the brightnesse of the Sunne not because the Sunne beames are dark but for that his eyes are weak and cannot abide so cleare light it is therfore but a pretence and a colour for their ignorance and a meanes to deceiue the people more boldly with their errours when they charge the worde of God wyth darkenesse and hardnesse For how many hundred places are there which be as cleare as noone day God saith I am the Lord thy God thou shalt haue none other gods before me Thou shalt make thee no graueÌ„ image neither any similitude of things that are in heauen aboue neither that are in the earth beneath nor that are in the waters vnder the earth thou shalt neither bow downe to them neither serue them Againe he saith that is cursed that is made with hands both it and he that made it hee because he made it and it because it was called God being a corruptible thing And againe Cursed be al they that worship carued images and delight in vaine Gods This is the word of God What darkenesse is in any of these sayings God saith If thou lend mony to my people to the poore with thee thou shalt not be as an Vsurer vnto him yee shall not oppresse him with vsurie Againe If a man hath not giuen forth vpon vsurie neither hath taken any encrease c. hee shall surely liue but hee that hath giuen forth vpoÌ„ vsurie or hath taken encrease shall he liue He shal not liue And the wages of sinne is death And the soule that sinneth it shall die And againe This yee knowe that no whoremongers neither vncleane person nor couetous person which is an Idolater hath any inheritaÌ„ce in the kingdome of Christ of God Let no man deceiue you with vaine wordes for for such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the childreÌ„ of disobedience These are the words of God and what darkenesse is in them Saint Paul saith If it be possible as much as in you lieth haue peace with all men Abhorre that which is euill and cleaue to that which is good auenge not your selues but giue place vnto wrath Againe Let euerie soule bee subiect to the higher powers there is no power but of God He is the Minister of God for thy wealth but if thou doe euill feare for he beareth not the sworde for naught These bée the wordes of God what darkenesse is in them Saint Iohn saith Christ is the Lambe of God which taketh away the sins of the world And the bloud of Iesus Christ his son clenseth vs from al sinnes Saint Peter saith His owne selfe bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree that wee being deliuered from sinne should liue in righteousnesse Christe saith Aske and it shall bee giuen you seeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you And againe Come vnto me all ye that are weake and laden and I will ease you The Prophet saith Whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lorde shall bee saued These bée the words of God What darkenesse is in them What eye so simple but he may sée them The wayes of the Lorde are straight and his wordes plaine euen vnto the simple Câ—rysoft saieth Omnia clara plana sunt in scriptures diuinis quaecunque necessaria sunt manifest a sunt All things are cleare and plaine in the holy Scriptures Whatsoeuer things there is necessarie for vs is also manifest Some thinges are couered as men couer pretious stones and precious garmentes They are couered and yet we sée them Wée sée them and yet they are couered Yet all thinges that are necessarie are plaine and open Clemens saith Nullis caelatum est verbum lux est communis omnibus illucescit hominibus nullus est in verbo Cymmerius The worde of God is hid from no man It is a light common vnto all men there is no darkenesse in Gods worde Marke it is a common light and shineth to all men It is as bright and beautifull as the Sunne there is no dungeon or darknesse in it So sayth Irenaeus Scripturae in aperto sunt sine ambiguitate similitâ—r ab omnibus audiri possunt The Scriptures are plaine without doubtfulnesse and may be heard indifferently of all men All men may heare them euen all sortes of men without exception Where be they then which say it is not lawfull for the people to haue the worde of God and that the Scriptures are not méete for their reading they are breade they are drinke they nourish vnto euerlasting life great crueltie it is to sterue Gods people to death Are they vnfit to haue the Scriptures because they bée poore Christ sayth The poore receiue the gladde tidings of the Gospell And Blessed are the poore in spirite for theirs is the kingdome of heauen They want riches and worldly glorie but God giueth his feare and grace to them as well as to the rich Are they vnfit to reade the Scriptures because they are not bred vp in other learning S. Paul saith I esteemed not to know any thing among you but Iesus Christ and him crucifyed The Prophet Dauid saith Blessed is the man ô Lord whom thou teachest in thy lawe And Christ saith Thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding