wyll caste an hunger vppon the earth not the hunger of breade nor the thirst of water but of bearing the word of the Lord. And they shal go from sea to sea and walke aboute from the South to the East sekinge the worde of the Lorde and yet shall they not finde it ☞ Examples out of the 〈◊〉 Testament GOd the Father wrote the law of the ten coÌ„maundements in tables of stone with his finger and commaunded Moyses to declare them vnto the people The people are commaunded of God not only to rede his holy law but also diligently to exercise them selues in the me ditation therof so long as they liue and to teach it their childreÌ„ yea to talk of it both in their house and when they go abroad and to write it vpon tâ—…e thresholds dores and postes of their houses that it may bee â—…er in their sight For man shall not liue with breade alone but with euery worde that procedeth from the mouth of God A kinge is commaunded to reade the boke of the law of the Lorde all the dayes of his life that he may feare the Lorde his God Iosua was commaunded that the boke of the Lordes law should not depart from his mouth but that he shoulde study in it day and night that he might kepe and do all thinges that are written in that boke King Saul was cast down from his roy all estate because he was negligente and disobedient to the law of God When Dauid lay on his deathe bed he saide to Sallomon thou shalt prosper and come to great renoume if thou kepest the commaundementes and ordinaunces which the Lord commaunded Moses Ioas when he was crowned in y â— temple had the law of the Lord deliuered vnto his handes that he shoulde keepe and maintaine the same Iosaphat that walked in the commaundementes of the Lord loued Gods word so entierly that he sent hys princes Leuites and priestes to teach in all partes of Iuda which had the booke of the Lordes law with them and went about in all the cities of Iuda and taught the people Ezechias diligently walked in the law of the Lord purged his realme of all idolatry set vp againe the true worshipping of God exhorted all his subiectes to followe the lawe of their Lord God Iossas that most godly king which walked so purely in the waies of the lord that he declined neither on the ryght hand nor on the left when the boke of the law was deliuered vnto him did not only cause the booke to be red before hym but he himself also red it before all his people both small and great and all idolatry destroyed restored the true religion to hys kingdome Esdras red the law of the Lord plainly and distinctly to the people they gaue very earnest and diligent attendaunce to the bearing of it Susan from her infanciâ—… was so diligentlye brought vp of her parentes in the lawe of God that she did not onely feare god but also chused rather to be stoned vn to death then she would once transgresse the law of god by committing adultery Sentences out of the newe Testament Man shall not liue with breade alone but with euery worde that commeth out of the mouth of God Uerely verely I say vnto you this age shal not passe till all these things be done Heauen and earth shall passe awaye but my wordes shall not passe away Blessed are they that heare the word of god and kepe it Blessed is he that eateth bread in the kingdome of God They haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heare them If they heare not Moyses and the Prophets neither will they beleue though one shoulde rise from the dead Thys is condemnation that lyghte is come into the world and that men loued darkenes more then lyght because theyr workes were euill For euery man that doth euill hateth the lyght neyther commeth he to y â— light least his workes should be reproued but he that doth truth commeth to light that his deedes myghte bee known how they are wrought in god Search the scriptures for ye thinke to haue eternall lyfe in them and these are they which testifie of me neyther will ye come vnto me that ye may haue life The wordes that I speake to you are spirite and life Lord to whom shal we go Thou hast the wordes of euerlasting lyfe He that is of god heareth the wordes of god But ye heare not bicause ye are not of god If a man kepeth my worde he shal neuer see death My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and thei folow me and I geue them euerlasting lyfe Walke while ye haue light least darknes ouerwhelme you He that walketh in darknes knoweth not whether he goeth While ye haue light beleue in the lyghte that ye may be the children of lyght He that hath my preceptes and keepeth them he it is that loueth me If any man loueth me he will kepe my word and my father will loue him and we shall come to him and dwell with hym This is euerlasting life euen to knowe thee the alone true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Euery one that is of the truth heareth my voyce The gospell of Christ is the power of god vnto saluation for so many as beleue Except the Lorde of bostes had left vnto vs sede that is hys most blessed word we had bene as Sodom and might well haue bene likened to Gomorra Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Whatsoeuer thyngs are written afore time are writteÌ„ for our learning that we thorowe pacience comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope The word of the crosse is to them that perishe folishnesse but to vs â–ª that obtaine saluation it is the power of God If the gospell of Christ be yet byd it is byd among them that are loste in whom y â— god of this world hath blinded y â— minds of them which beleue not least the light of the glorious gospel of Christ which is the image of God should not shyne vnto theÌ„ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly with all wysedome Teach and monish one an other Quench not the spirite Despise not the studies and preachinges of the holy Scripture Proue all thinges and that is good holde faste God will all men to be saued and come vnto the knowledge of the truth Geue thy minde to reading exhortation and doctrine continue in these things Continue in reading the holy scripture which is able to make thee wyse vnto saluatioÌ„ thorow the fayth which is in Christ Iesus For all Scripture geueÌ„ by inspiration of God is profitable to teache to improue to amend and to instructe in ryghteousnes that the man of god may be perfecte and prepared to all good workes The word of God is
liuishe and mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged sworde Lay a part all filthinesse all superfluitie of maliciousnesse and receaue with mekeâ—…es y â— word that is grafted in you which is able to saue your soules And see ye be doers of the word and not hearers onely disceauinge your selues For if any heare the worde and doe it not he is like to a man that beholdeth hys bodely face in a glasse For as sone as he hath looked on hym selfe hee goeth hys waye and forgetteth forthwyth what his fashion was But who so looketh in the perfecte lawe of libertye and continueth therin if he bee not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke the same shall be happy in hys dede Lay a side all malice guile and dissimulation and enuy and al backbityng and as new borne babes desire that milke not of the bodye but of the minde which is without corruption that ye may grow therin We haue a ryght sure word of prophecie wherunto if ye take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place ye doe well vntill the daye dawne and the daye starre aryse in our hartes So that ye firste knowe thys that no prophecie in the scripture hath any priuate interpretation For the scripture came neuer by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy ghost Whosoeuer transgresseth and abydeth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not god He that endureth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the father and the sonne If there come any to you and bring not thys learning him receaue not to house neither once bid him god spede for he that biddeth him God spede is partaker of hys euill deedes Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the wordes of the prophecte and keepeth these thinges that are written therin Blessed is he that kepeth the words of the prophecie of this booke ☞ Examples out of the new Testament THe people preased so greatlye vppon Christ to heare the word of God that he was compelled to enter into a ship and so to teach them Mary the sister of Martha sat at Iesus feete and hearde hys preaching And when Martha being greatlye combred aboute muche seruing and other worldlye busines sayd to Christ Maister doest thou not care that my sister hath leste me to minister alone Byd her therefore that she helpe me He said Martha Martha thou carest and arte troubled aboute many thinges but one thing is needefull Mary hath choseÌ„ her that good part which shall not be taken away from her Whan Christ preached in the temple all the people did hange of his mouth hearing hym Peter turned three thousande at one of hys sermons The Eunuch chamberlain and of great authoritie with Candace Queene of the Ethiopians read the Prophet Esaye sitting in his charet to whom the holy ghost sent Philip which did both expounde the Scriptures vnto him also baptised him So dere are they to God which delight in the reading of his holy word The noblest of byrth amonge them of Thessalonia which receaued the worde with all diligence of mindes searched the Scriptures dayly whether those thinges were euen so as Paule Silas preached Apollos was an eloquent man mightie in the scriptures He was informed in the way of the lord and he spake feruently in the spirite and taught diligently the thinges of the Lord and yet knewe he but the baptisme and doctrine of Iohn onely whom wheÌ„ Aquila and Priscilla his wife being lay persons had herd they toke him vnto them expounded vnto him the way of God more perfectlye in somuch that afterward he mightely ouercame the Iewes and that openly shewing by the scriptures that Iesus was Christ. Philip the Euaungelist and preacher of the gospell had foure daughters excellently learned in the holy scriptures Timothe was brought vp in the holy scriptures from his young age Against straunge religion or newe found worshipping of God IF thou be moued vnto straunge religion or new found worshipping of God eyther by Sathan by the pope or by any subtue hipocrite loke that thou by no meanes doest leane vnto their wicked motions but rather valiauntly withstaÌ„d theÌ„ with these sentences and examples of the holy scripture ☞ Sentences out of the old Testament HEare Israell your Lorde God is one God Thou shalt loue thy Lord god with all thy harte with all thy soule and with all thy strength Thou shalt feare thy Lord God and serue him alone And now Israell what doth the Lorde thy God require of thee but that thou fearest the Lorde thy God and walke in hys wayes and loue him and serue the Lorde thy Godwith all thy harte with all thy soule and kepe the commaundementes of the Lorde Doe that which is pleasaunt in y â— sight of the Lord thy God Sacrifice to the Lord the sacrifyce of righteousnesse and trust in hym I will not reproue thee in thy sacrifices sayeth theâ—… Lord for I am full of thy burnt offeringes Offer to God the sacrifice of prayse and pay to the most highest thy vowes Call on me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt honour me Heare O my people I will geue thee a charge O Israel If thou wilt heare me there shall be no straunge nor new found God in thee neither shalt thou worship any foraine God For I am the Lorde thy God which brought thee out of the lande of Egipt To doe mercy and iudgement pleaseth the Lord more than sacrifice A sacrifice well pleasing to the Lorde isto attend to hys coÌ„maundementes and to departe from all iniquities and vnrighteousnes What shall I do with all these your sacrifices sayth the Lord I am full of them The burnte offeringes of Weathers and fatlynges the bloude of Calues Lambes and Goates I will none of them When ye come before my sighte who requyred these thinges at your handes that ye shoulde walke in my courtes Bryng me no more sacrifice on thys manner in vain Your sensing is abhomination vnto me The feastes of the new Moone and the Sabbothes and other holy dayes I can not abide Your congregations are wicked Your Kalendes and your solemne feastes my soule hateth I am euen werye of them It greueth me to the hart for to suffer them When ye shall praye many prayers I will not heare you For your handes are full of bloude Bee ye washed and cleane Take awaye your euil thoughts from myne eyes Cease to do euill learne to doe well Seeke iudgement helpe the poore oppressed be fauourable to the fatherlesse defend y â— widdow and then come proue me sayth the lord If your sinnes bee as redde as scarlet yet shall they be made as whyte as snow And if they be made like purpell yet shall they be made as white as wolle If that ye will be contented
of the world and yet suffer themselues still to be led with traditions as these for an example touch not tast not handle not c. Which all perish through the verye abuse after the commaundements and doctrins of men which thinges outwardly haue the similytude of wisdome by superstition and humblenes of minde c. Thapostles of Christ would not burden the christen congregations with new and superfluous tradicions but only charged them with such thinges as were necessary Sainct Paule in his Epistle vnto the Galathians inueieth against them which after they haue known god turne agayn vnto nedie and beggerlye ceremonyes traditions or ordinaunces obseruing dais monethes times and yeares Against the folowing of vngodly forefathers If thou through temptation of the Deuil or the â—…alse perswasions of Antichrists Prophets be mâ—… â—…ed at any time to doubt of the truth of gods word which the papistes at this daye cal seditious doctrine new learning and heresy because thy forefathers haue both beloued and done the contrary â–ª call these scriptures to thy remembraunce Sentences out of the olde Testament Folow not the multitude to do euill Doo not you these thinges that they haue done which were before you neither be ye defiled in them I am the Lord your God kepe my commaundements The Lord sent his prophets to his people saying returne from your vnrighteous wayes and keepe my preceptes and ceremonies according to all the lawe that I commaunded your fathers But they would not heare but became stifnecked euen as their forefathers were stifnecked whiche would not obey the Lord God Let them put their hope in God not forget the works of the Lord but seke after his commaundementes Let them not be like their forefathers whiche were a frowarde and a spitefull nation a nation that would neuer be true harted nor bear an vpright mind toward God Be not hard harted as your forefathers were saith the Lord whiche chyde and rebelled against me We haue sinned with oure forefathers we haue done vniustly and commited iniquitie Trust not in rulers nor in the sonnes of men in whome is no health For wheÌ„ theyr breath goeth away they return vn to their earth In y â— day shall al their thou â—…hts counsels deuises and imaginations come to naught I haue alway sayd vnto your forefathers synce I brought them out of the land of Egipt euen vnto thys daye heare my voice but they would not hear nor once bow their eare vnto it But euery one of them is gone astray in the frâ—… wardnes of his wicked harte ye the people of Iuda and the men of Ierusalem are also falleÌ„ vnto the wickednes of their fore fathers which would not hear my words Insomuch that thei ar alredy gone away after straunge Gods and serue them The house of Israel the house of Iuda haue brokeÌ„ y e couenaunt which I made w t their fathers Therfore thus saith the lord Beholde I wil bring in extreme punishments vpon theÌ„ so y â— they shal not escap froÌ„ theÌ„ They shall crye vâ—…to me but I will not heare them The cityes of Iuda and thâ—… inhabiters of Hierusalem shall goe crye vnto them to whom they offered sacrifice and yet shall they not saue theÌ„ in the time of their trouble According to the number of thy cities were thy Gods O Iuda and after the number of thy waies O Hierusalem haste thou set vp altars of abhomination to do sacrifice vnto Baalim Your forefathers haue forsaken me sayth the Lorde and they are gone awaye after straunge Gods and haue serued theÌ„ and worshipped them yea they haue vtterlye geuen me ouer and haue not kept my lawe But you haue wrought more abhomination than all your forefathers haue done For behold euery one of you walke after the leudnesse of his own wicked harte and will not heare me Their forefathers haue broken my couenaunt euen vnto thys day and they to whom I send thee are children without all shame and of such an harte as can not be reclaimed Walke not in the commaundementes of your fathers nor keepe not their ordinaunces neither pollute your selues with their idoles For I am the lord your God Therefore walke in my preceptes and kepe my iudgementes and do them Confusion of face and vtter shame be vnto vs vnto our kings vnto our rulers to our forefathers which haue sinned Be not like your forefathers vnto whoÌ„ the Prophets in tymes past cryed saying thus sayth the Lorde of hostes turne from your euill waies and from your abhominable thoughtes but they would not harken nor geue any attendaunce vnto me sayth the Lord. Our forefathers haue sinned and haue done euill in the sight of the Lord our god For they haue forsaken him and turned awaye their faces from the tabernacles of the Lord our God Be not lyke your forefathers and brethren which rebelled against the Lorde God of their fathers and he gaue them ouer into desolation as ye see your selues Be not ye hardnecked now as were your forefathers but offer your hande vnto the Lorde and come to his sanctuarie which he hath sanctifyed for euer and serue the Lorde your God so shall the indignation of his wrath turne away from you Examples out of the olde Testament CAin â—…lewe his brother Abel and followed his forefather the deuill which was a mansleyer from the beginning Nadab king of Israell folowed his forefather Hieroboam coÌ„mitting idolatrie against the lord his God Therfore Baasa destroyed him and his kingdome all the house of Hieroboam so that one of the stocke remained not aliue Ozochias king of Israell followed hys wicked forefather Achab greuously sinned against the lord his God He therfore reigned but a litle time and also died a miserable death Amon king of Iuda followed hys Idolatrous forefather Manasses and dyd that whiche was euill in the sight of the Lord his God He reigned but two yeres and was slaine of his seruauntes in hys own house Ioakim kyng of Iuda forâ—…oke the godlye waies of his moste vertuous father king Iosias and followed the steppes of his wicked forefathers The Lorde therefore suffered him to raigne but three monethes in Ierusalem and gaue him ouer into the handes of his enemies Sedechias king of Iuda followed hys wicked forefathers and prouoked y â— lord his God vnto anger He therfore was depriued of his kingdome sawe his children slaine before his eyes and afterward he hauing his eyes plucked out of his head was bound in chaines and miserably caryed away into Babilon ¶ Sentences out of the neâ—… Testament All that come before me are theeues and robbers but my sheepe haue not heard them O ye stifnecked and vncircumcised of hartes and eares ye haue alwayes resisted the holy ghost â–ª as your forefathers did so do ye Which of the Prophets haue not your forefathers persecuted See that ye passe the
and likenes in righteousnes true holines Suffer vs not to geue ouer our selues againe vnto our olde lusts and concâ—…piscences where with we were led when we knewe not thee nor thy Soâ—… Christe but eueÌ„ as thou whiche hast called vs art holy so likewise graunt y t we mayâ—… be holy in all our conuersation O mercyful god not the hearers of thy law but thâ—… fulâ—…llers of it shal be iustified Neither shaâ—… euery one that saith vnto thee Lord Lord enter into the kingdom of heaueÌ„ but the that do the wil of thee our Father which art in Heauen To confes thee with our mouth and to deny thee with our deedes worketh rather our damnation then saluation For the true knowledge of thee consisteth not in talking but in working not in fauouringe but in folowinge not in louinge but in liuinge To promise thee by mouth that we wil worke in thy vineyarde and yet worke nothing at all declareth not vs to bee thy sonnes but rather bastardes To bragge of the iustification of faith and not to bringe forthe the fruites therof to glorye in the merites of thy sonne Christe in his bloude death and passion and not to liue worthy in his kind nesse to profes thy holy gospel and not to walk according to the doctrine thereof to be baptised in thy name and not to mortiâ—…y our members which are of the earth nor to walke in a new life to be partakers of the deuine misteries and not to bee made one spyryte wyth thee what auayleth it Wee are thy freendes if wee doo those thinges that thou commaundest vs. We are thy seruauntes if we be obediente to thy will Wee are thy Sonnes if we honour and reuerence thee according to thy woord We seeke thy glory if we attempt nothing whereof thou shouldest be dyshonoured Leadinge a life confirmable to thy blessed will wee shall prouoke the ve ry enemies of thy truth to prayse thee but coÌ„trariwise thou shalt be euel spoken of Graunt therfore we beseech thee that our life may answer to our professioÌ„ and that the light of our good workes may so shine before men that they seinge our godly coÌ„uersation may gloryfye thee our heauenly father Amen ¶ A short praier to be sayd at the receiuing of the mystery of Christes bodye at the holy communnion O Heauenly and blessed father I render vnto thee most harty thanks for all thy benefites which thou hast shewed vnto me most wretched sinner but specially for y â— most swete smeling sacrifice which thy only begotten son offred vnto thee on the aulter of the crosse by geuing his most pure and vndefiled body vnto the deth for the redemption of mankind in the remenbraunce wherof according to thy welbeloned sonnes ordinance I now receiue this holy bread most entierly beseching thee y e I may both be partaker of the merites of thy deare sonnes body breaking and also lead a life worthy of so great a benefit vnto the glorye of thy name Amen A Prayer to be sayd at the receyuing of the mistery of Christs bloud in the holy communion O Blessed and merciful Father thy loue toward me sinful creature is so exceading great and vnspeakeable that I cannot but geue vnto thee most huÌ„ble thaÌ„ks â–ª namely for the sheding of the moste precious bloud of thy dear Sonne Iesu Christ by the vertue wherof thy wrath stirred vp against mee wretched sinner is pacified My raunsome is payed the lawe is fulfilled my enemies are ouercome and put to flight In remembraunce of this so noble a victorye and of so great a benefite I am come to this thy table O mercifull father to drink of this cup. Desiring thee that as my outward man is comforted by the drinking of this wine so likewise my inward man may be comforted and made stronge by true faith in the precious bloude of thy moste deare son O Lord my heauenly father geue me thy holy spirit which may so rule and gouerne my hart that I neuer be vnthankful nor forgetful of this thine exceading great kindnesse But so traine my life according to thy blessed wil that what soeuer I do speake or thinke may be vnto the glory of thy blessed name and the helth of my soule thorowe Iesu Christe oure Lord. Amen For all them whiche lye in the extreme panges of death or otherwise O Pitiful Phisicion and healer bothe of soul and body Christ Iesu Uouch safe to cast thine eyes vpon this poore sinfull creature Nâ—… who lyeth heere captiue and bouÌ„d with sicknes turning his weaknes to thy glory and to his helth And bout safe good Lorde to send him pacience and sufferance that he maye with a true and perfect faith fight manfully against all teÌ„tations of the Deuil that he maye no longer continue So be it ☞ A confession for all people to be sayd in the morning O Merciful and most louing father whose loue is infinite whose mercy endurethe for euer We sinful creatures trustinge in thine vnspeakable goodnes and loue towards vs do appeare this morninge before thy deuine maiesty most lowlye confessing our manifolde sinnes and in innumerable transgressions of thy commaundements and fatherly wil. Against thee onlye against thee O Lorde haue we sinned therfore we confesse our sinnes we knowledge our offences we accuse our selues vnto the O mercifull Lord and wil not hied our vnrighteousnes We find in our selues nothing but ignoraunce of thy wil disobedience mistrust doubtfulnes in thy goodnes incredulitie hatred and con tempt of al spiritual thinges selfloue con fidence in our selues and fâ—…ruent lustinge after carnal thinges of this worlde And this tree of our corrupt nature bringethe forthe continually in vs none other fruit but rotten and vnsauery workes of the flesh in thoughtes wordes â–ª and doinges vnto condemnation Wherfore we humbly besech thy fatherly goodnes euen for thy sonne Iesus christes sake whom thou hast set forth for a purchaser toÌ„wardes vs of mercy throughe faithe in his bloude to make our hearts cleane Take away our stony hartes and geue vnto vs a true and a liuelye taith whichshal worke continually by loue through Christe Haue mercy vpon vs forgeue vs our sins for thy sons sake Certefy our coÌ„science of remission of the same by thy holy spirit by whose operation we maye so mortefye in vs our old man the whole body of sinne that we continually dyinge vnto sinne may walke in newnes of life to the glory of thy name through Iesus Christ our lorde So be it Then say this 86. Psalme treatably BOw downe thyne eare O Lord and heare me for I am pore and in misery O preserue my soule for I am holye my God saue thy seruant that putteth his trust in thee Be mercifull vnto me O Lorde for I will call dayly vpon thee Comforte the soule of thy seruaunt vnto thee O lord do I lift vp my soule For thou lord art good and gracious and of great mercy vnto all them that cal vpon thee