may profit it very much and finally may help and further it very excellently His chiefest dutie is to procure and maintaine peace and publique tranquillitie Which doubtlesse he shall never doe more happily then when he shall be truly seasoned with the feare of God and true religion namely when he shall after the example of most holy Kings and Princes of the people of the Lord advance the preaching of the truth and the pure and sincere faith and shall root out lies and all superstition with all impietie and Idolatry and shall defend the Church of God For indeed we teach that the care of religion doth chiefly appertaine to the holy Magistrate let him therefore hold the word of God in his hands and look that nothing be taught contrary thereunto In like manner let him governe the people committed to him of God * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession with good laws made according to the word of God Let him hold them in discipline and in their dutie and in obedience let him excrcise judgement by judging uprightly let him not accept any mans person or receive bribes let him deliver widdows fatherlesse children and those that be afflicted from wrong let him represse yea and cut off such as are unjust either by deceit or by violence For he hath not received the sword of God in vaine Therefore let him draw forth this sword of God against all malefactours Rom. 13. seditious persons theeves or murderers oppressours blasphemers perjured persons and all those whom God hath commanded him to punish or execute Let him suppresse stubborn heretiques which are heretiques in deed who cease not to blaspheme the majestie of God and to trouble the Church yea and finally to destroy it but if so be it be necessary to preserve the safetie of the people by warre let him doe it in the name of God so that he first seeke peace by all means possible and use it not save onely then when he can save his subjects no way but by warre And while as the Magistrate doth these things in faith he serveth God by those works as with such as be good works and shall receive a blessing from the Lord. We condemne the Anabaptists who as they denie that a Christian man should beare the office of a Magistrate so also they deny that any man can justly be put to death by the Magistrate or that the Magistrate may make warre or that oathes should be performed to the Magistrates and such like things For as God will worke the safetie of his people by the Magistrate whom he hath given to be as it were a father of the world so all the subjects are commanded to acknowledge this benefit of God in the Magistrate therefore let them honour and reverence the Magistrate as the minister of God let them love him favour him and pray for him as their father and let them obey all his just and equall commandements Finally let them pay all customes and tributes and all other duties of the like sort faithfully and willingly * Looke the 2. Observat And if the common safetie of the countrey and justice require it and the Magistrate doe of necessitie make warre let them lay down their life and spend their blood for the common safetie and defence of the Magistrate and that in the name of God willingly valiantly and cheerefully For he that opposeth himselfe against the Magistrate doth procure the wrath of God against him We condemne therefore all contemners of Magistrates as rebels enemies of the Common-wealth seditious villaines and in a word all such as doe either openly or closely refuse to performe those duties which they ought to doe c. The Conclusion VVE beseech God our most mercifull Father in heaven that he will blesse the Princes of the people and us and his whole people through Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Saviour to whom be praise and thankesgiving both now and for ever Out of the former Confession of HELVETIA Of Magistracie SEeing that every Magistrate is of God his chiefe dutie except it please him to exercise a tyrannie consisteth in this to defend religion from all blasphemie and to procure it and as the Prophet teacheth out of the word of the Lord to put it in practise so much as in him lyeth In which part truly the first place is given to the pure and free preaching of the word of God the instruction of the youth of Citizens and a right and diligent teaching in Schooles lawfull discipline a liberall provision for the Ministers of the Church and a diligent care for the poore Secondly to judge the people according * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession to just and divine laws to keepe judgement and justice to maintaine this publique peace to cherish the Common-wealth and to punish the offenders according to the quantitie of the fault in their riches body or life which things when he doth he performeth a due worship or service to God We know that though we be free we ought wholly in a true faith holily to submit our selves to the Magistrate both with our body and with all our goods and indeavour of minde also to performe faithfulnesse and * Looke the 2. Observat the oath which we made to him so farre forth as his government is not evidently repugnant to him for whose sake we doe reverence the Magistrate Out of the Confession of BASILL Of Magistracie MOreover God hath assigned to the Magistrate who is his minister the sword and chiefe externall power for the defence of the good and to take revenge and punishment of the Rom. 13. evill Therefore every Christian Magistrate * Looke the 1. Observation upon this confession in the number whereof we also desire to be doth direct all his strength to this that among those which are committed to his credit the name of God may be sanctified his kingdome may be enlarged and men may live according to his will with an earnest rooting out of all naughtinesse And in the margent This dutie also was injoyned to the heathenish Magistrate how much more to the Christian Magistrate ought it to be commended as to the true substitute of God Also Art 11. Sect. 1. 3. and 4. We doe clearely protest that together with all other doctrins which are directly contrary to the sound and pure doctrine of Iesus Christ we doe not onely not receive but as abominations and blasphemies reject and condemne those strange and erroneous doctrines which the spirits of hurleburly among other damnable opinions doe bring forth saying c. that Magistrates cannot be Christians And in the margent The Magistrate doth then shew himself to be a good Magistrate when he is a true Christian The Conclusion LAst of all we submit this our Confession to the judgement of the holy Scripture of the Bible and therefore we promise that if out of the foresaid Scriptures we may be better
without his holy Ghost because every one in one and the same essence is of the same eternitie For none of these is either first or last because all three are one both in truth and power and also in goodnesse and mercie And all these things we know as well by the Testimonies of holy Scripture as by the effects and chiefly those which we feele in our owne selves and the testimonies of holy Scripture which teach us to beleeve this holy Trinitie are very common in the old Testament which are not so much to be reckoned up as with sound judgement to be selected such as are in these in the first of Genesis God saith Let us make man according to our Image and likenesse c. and straight after Therefore God made man according to his owne Image and likenesse male I say and female created he them Againe Behold the man is become as one of us For by that which is said Let us make man after our owne likenesse it appeareth that there are more persons in the godhead But when it is said God created c. the unitie of the godhead is signified For although it be not here expresly set downe how many persons there are yet that which was obscurely delivered in the old Testament in the new is made clearer unto us then the noone day For when our Lord Iesus Christ was baptized in Iordan the voyce of the Father was heard saying This is my beloved Sonne and the Sonne himselfe was seen in the waters and the holy Ghost appeared in the likenesse of a Dove Therefore we are also commanded in the common baptisme of all the faithfull to use this forme Baptize ye all nations in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost Lo also in Luke the Angel Gabriel speaketh to Mary the Mother of our Lord. The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall over shadow thee therefore that holy thing which shall be borne of thee shall be called the Sonne of God In like manner The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with you Againe There are three that beare witnesse in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost which three are one By all which places we are fully taught that in one onely God there are three persons And although this doctrine passe all the reach of mans wit yet we now stedfastly beleeve it out of the Word of God looking when we shall enjoy the full knowledge thereof in heaven The offices also and effects of these three persons which every of them sheweth towards us are to be marked For the Father by reason of his power is called our Creator the Sonne our Saviour and Redeemer because he hath redeemed us by his bloud the holy Ghost is called our Sanctifier because he dwelleth in our hearts And the true Church hath alwaies even from the Apostles age untill these times kept this holy doctrine of the blessed Trinitie and maintaineth it against Iewes Mahometanes and other false Christians and hereticks such as were Marcion Manes Praxeas Sabellius Samosatenus and the like all which were worthily condemned by the fathers of most sound judgement Therefore we doe here willingly admit those three Creeds namely that of the Apostles of Nice and Athanasius and whatsoever things they according to the meaning of those Creeds have set downe concerning this point of doctrine We beleeve that Iesus Christ in respect of his divine nature is Artic. 10. the onely Sonne of God begotten from everlasting not made or created for then he should be a creature but of the same essence with the Father and coeternall with him who also is the true Image of the Fathers substance and the brightnesse of his glory in all things equall unto him But he is the Sonne of God not onely since the time he tooke upon him our nature but from everlasting as these testimonies being laid together teach us Moses saith that God created the world but Saint Iohn saith That all things were made by the word which he calleth God so the Apostle to the Hebrewes avoucheth that God made all things by his Son Iesus Christ It followeth therefore that he who is called both God and the Word and the Sonne and Iesus Christ had his being even then when all things were made by him Therefore Micheah the Prophet saith His going out hath beene from the beginning from the dayes of eternitie againe He is without beginning of dayes and without end of life He is therefore that true God eternall Almightie whom we pray unto worship and serve We beleeve also and confesse that the holy Ghost proceedeth Artic. 11. from the Father and the Sonne from everlasting and that therefore he was neither made nor created nor begotten but onely proceeding from them both who is in order the third person of the Trinitie of the same essence glory and majestie with the Father and the Sonne and therefore he also is true and everlasting God as the holy Scriptures teach us Artic. 26. We also beleeve that we have no accesse to God but by that one onely Mediatour and Advocate Iesus Christ the righteous who was therefore made man uniting the humanitie to the Divine nature that there might be an entrance made for us miserable men to the Majestie of God which had otherwise been shut up against us for ever Yet the Majestie and power of this Mediatour whom the Father had set between himself and us ought in no case so much to fray us that we should therefore thinke another is to be sought at our own pleasure For there is none either among the heauenly or earthly creatures who doth more entirely love us then Christ himself who when he was in the shape of God humbled himself by taking upon him the shape of a servant and for our sakes became like unto his brethren in all points and if we were to seeke an other Mediatour who would vouchsafe us some good will whom I pray you could we finde that would love us more earnestly then he who willingly laid his life downe for us when as yet we were his enemies If moreover we were to seeke another that excelleth both in soveraign authoritie and also power who ever obtained so great power as he himself who sitteth at the right hand of God the Father and to whom all power is given in heaven and in earth To conclude who was more likely to be heard of God then that onely begotten and dearely beloved Son of God therefore nothing but distrust brought in this custome whereby we rather dishonor the Saints whom we think to honour in doing these things which they in their life time were ever so farre from doing that they rather constantly and according to their dutie abhorred them as their own writings beare witnesse Neither is our own unworthinesse here to be alleadged for excuse of
yet so as they doe all things in the Church as he hath prescribed in his word which thing being so done the faithfull doe esteeme them as done of the Lord himselfe but touching the keies we have spoken somewhat before Now the * Looke the 5. observation upon this confession power that is given to the Ministers of the Church is the same and alike in all and in the beginning the Bishops or Elders did with a common consent and labour governe the Church no man lifted up himselfe above another none usurped greater power or authoritie over his fellow Bishops for they remembred the words of the Lord He which will be the chiefest among Luc. 20. you let him be your servant they kept in themselves by humility and did mutually aide one another in the governement and preservation of the Church Notwithstanding for orders sake some one of the ministers called the assembly together propounded unto the assembly the matters to be consulted of gathered together the voyces or sentences of the rest and to be briefe as much as lay in him provided that there might arise no confusion So did Saint Peter as we read in the Acts who yet for all that was neither above the rest nor had greater authority then the rest Very true therefore is that saying of Cyprian the Martyr in his booke De simpl Cler. The same doubtlesse were the rest of the Apostles that Peter was having an equall fellowship with him both in honour and power but the beginning hereof proceedeth from unitie to signifie unto us that there is but one Church Saint Jerome upon the Epistle of Paul to Titus hath a saying not much unlike this Before that by the instinct of the Devill there was partaking in religion the Churches were governed by the common advice of the Priests but after that every one thought that those whom he had baptised were his owne and not Christs It was decreed that one of the Priests should be chosen and set over the rest who should have the care of the whole Church laid upon him and by whose meanes all schismes should be removed Yet Jerome doth not avouch this as an order set downe of God For straight way after he addeth Even as saith he the Priests knew by the continuall custome of the Church that they were subiect to him that is set over them So the Bishop must know that they are above the priests rather by custome then by the prescript rule of Gods truth and they should have the government of the Church in common with them Thus farre Jerome Now therefore no man can forbid by any right that we may returne to the old appointment of God and rather receive that then the custome devised by men The offices of the ministers are divers yet notwithstanding most men doe restraine them to two in which all the rest are comprehended to the teaching of the Gospel of Christ and to the lawfull administration of the Sacraments For it is the dutie of the Ministers to gather together a holy assembly therein to expound the Word of God and also to apply the generall doctrine to the state and use of the Church to the end that the doctrine which they teach may profit the hearers and may build up the faithfull The Ministers dutie I say is to teach the unlearned and to exhort yea and to urge them to goe forward in the way of the Lord who doe stand still or linger and goe slowly forward moreover to comfort and to strengthen those which are faint-hearted and to arme them against the manifold temptations of Satan to rebuke offenders to bring them home that goe astray to raise them up that are fallen to convince the gainsaiers to chase away the wolfe from the Lords flocke to rebuke wickednesse and wicked men wisely and severely not to winke at nor to passe over great wickednesse and besides to administer the Sacraments and to commend the right use of them and to prepare all men by wholesome doctrine to receive them to keepe together all the faithfull in an holy unitie and to meete with schismes To conclude to catechise the ignorant to commend the necessitie of the poore to the Church to visit and instruct those that are sicke or intangled with divers temptations and so to keepe them in the way of life Lastly to looke diligently that there be publike prayers and supplications made in time of necessitie together with fasting that is an holy abstinencie and most carefully to looke to those things which belongeth to tranquillity safety and peace of the Church And to the end that the Minister may performe all these things the better and with more ease it is required in him that he be one that feareth God pray diligently giveth himselfe much to the reading of the Scripture and in all things and at all times is watchfull and doth shew forth a good example unto all men of holinesse of life And seeing there must needs be a discipline in the Church and that among the ancient fathers excommunication was in use and there were Ecclesiasticall judgements amongst the people of God wherein this discipline was exercised by godly men it belongeth also to the Ministers dutie for the edifying of the Church to moderate this discipline according to the condition of the time and publike estate and according to necessitie whereas this rule is alwaies to be holden that All things ought to be done to edification decently honestly without any oppression or tumult For the Apostle witnesseth that power was given to him of God to edifie and not to destroy 2 Cor. 10. And the Lord himselfe forbad the cockle to be plucked up in the Lords field because there would be danger lest the wheate also should be plucked up with it But as for the errour of the Donatists we doe here utterly detest it who esteemed and judged the doctrine and administration of the Sacraments to be either effectuall or not effectuall by the good or evill life of the Ministers For we know that the voyce of Christ is to be heard though it be out of the mouthes of evill Ministers forasmuch as the Lord himselfe said Doe as they Matth. 22. command you but according to their workes doe ye not We know that the Sacraments are sanctified by their institution and also by the word of Christ and that they are effectuall to the Godly although they be administred by ungodly Ministers Of which matter Augustine that blessed servant of God did reason diversly out of the Scriptures against the Donatists yet notwithstanding there ought to be a streight discipline amongst the Ministers For there must be diligent enquirie in the Synods touching the life and Doctrine of the Ministers Those that offend are to be rebuked of the Seniours and to be brought into the way if they be not past recovery or else to be deposed and as wolves to be driven from the Lords flocke by the true Pastors if
merit of Christ applied but that it is a worke and fruit of charitie toward our neighbour by which worke we doe testifie our faith and obedience which we owe unto God Now where faith is there Christ alone is acknowledged to be the purger of sinnes Therefore seeing that almes doth testifie after their manner that Christ doth dwell in the godly it doth also testifie that they have remission of sinnes For except almes be a worke of charitie which may beare witnesse to faith in Christ it is so farre from signifying that man hath remission of sins through Christ that it doth even stinke in the sight of God If I shall distribute saith Paul all my substance that it may be meat for the poore and shall not have love it profiteth me nothing Therefore we teach that good works must be done necessarily that God is to be invocated and that almes is to be given that we may testifie our faith and love and obey the calling of God But in true repentance we teach that we obtaine remission of sins onely for the Son of God our Lord Iesus Christ his sake through faith according to that which Peter saith To him doe all the Prophets beare witnesse that through his name every one that beleeveth in him doth receive remission of sins Of Canonicall houres CHAP. 27. AVgustine writeth in a certaine place that Ambrose the Bishop of Millane did ordaine that the assemblies of the Church should sing Psalmes whereby they might mutually comfort themselves whilest they looked for adversitie and stirre up themselves to beare the crosse lest the people saith he should pine away with the yrkesomnesse of mourning This singing because it was used in a tongue commonly known it had both a godly use and deserved great praise And by the Canonicall decree it appeareth that those houres which they call Canonicall were an appointment of certaine times wherein the whole holy Scripture should be publikely over-run every yeere as in the schooles there be certaine hours appointed for interpreting of authors Such a distribution of houres was peradventure not unprofitable for that time and in it selfe it is not a thing to be condemned But to appoint a speciall kinde of priests to chaunt but those Canonicall hours and to sing them in a strange tongue which commonly is not known to the Church or is not our countrey tongue and that in some place in the night and in the day time without any intermission new singers very often taking one anothers course and to make hereof a worship not to this end that by patience and the comfort of the Scripture we might have hope as Paul saith but that by the merit of this worke a man might mitigate the wrath of God and purge the sinnes of men before God this is it that is contrary to the meaning of that Church which is indeed Catholique 1 Cor. 14. When ye come together according as every one of you hath a Psalme or hath doctrine or hath a tongue or hath revelation or hath interpretation let all things be done unto edifying Hierome upon the Epist to the Ephes Chap. 5. saith Singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts Let young men heare these things let them heare whose office it is to sing in the Church that we must sing to God not with the voice but with the heart and that the threat and the iawes are not to be greased with some sweet liquor as they use to doe that play in Tragedies c. Now that which was spoken touching the use of a tongue that is commonly knowne it must be understood not only of the singing of Psalmes but also of all the parts of Ecclesiasticall ministerie For as Sermons and prayers are to be made in a well knowne tongue to the Church so also must the Sacraments be dispensed in a speech that is knowne For although it be lawfull at some time to use a strange tongue by reason of the learned yet the consent of the Catholike Church doth require this that the necessarie ministeries of the Church be executed in our countrey speech 1 Cor. 14. I had rather in the Church to speake five words with my understanding that I may also instruct others then ten thousand words in a strange tongue Innocentius the third De offi Iud. Ord. C. Quoniam saith Because that in many parts within one Citie and Diocesse there be people of divers languages mingled together having under one faith divers rites and customes we doe straitly command that the Bishops of such Cities or Diocesses doe provide fit men who according to the diversitie of ceremonies and language may execute among them the divine duties and minister the Ecclesiasticall Sacraments instructing them both by the word and by their example Therefore they are to be said to doe godly and Catholikely who doe so appoint the dispensation of the Sacraments the singing of Psalmes and the reading of holy Scripture that the Church may understand that which is said read or sung and the spirit may receive fruit thereby to comfort the minde and to confirme the faith and to stirre up love Out of the Confession of SVEVELAND Of the singing and prayers of Ecclesiasticall men CHAP. 21. ANd for that cause to wit that men should not winke at that offending of God which might be committed under a colour of his service then which nothing can offend him more grievously our Ministers have condemned the most of those things which were used in the singings and prayers of Ecclesiasticall men For it is too too manifest that these have degenerated from the first appointment and use of the Fathers For no man which understandeth the writings of the ancient Fathers is ignorant of this that it was a custome among them wisely to rehearse also to expound a few Psalmes with some Chapter of the Scripture whereas now adaies many Psalmes are chaunted for the most part without understanding and of the reading of the Scripture there be onely the beginnings of Chapters left unto us and innumerable things are taken up one after another which serve rather for superstition then for godlinesse Therefore our Ministers did first of all detest this that many things which were contrary to the Scriptures are mingled with holy prayers and songs as that those things are attributed to Saints which are proper to Christ alone namely to free us from sinne and other discommodities and not so much to obtaine as to give us the favour of God and all kinde of good things Secondly because they are increased so infinitely that they cannot be sung or rehearsed with an attentive minde Now it is nothing but a mocking of God whatsoever we doe in his service without understanding Lastly because that these things also were made meritorious works and to be sold for no small price that we may say nothing hereof that against the expresse commandement of the holy Ghost all things are there said and sung in that tongue which not
weightie speech both of the rites of Moses and of the ceremonies appointed by the authoritie of man For Paul speaketh namely of both kindes denying them to be the righteousnesse of a Christian and forbidding to burden the consciences with such traditions If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though ye lived in the world are ye burdened with traditions Touch not taste not handle not Matt. 15. All that entereth into the mouth defileth not the man And in that place Christ excuseth his Disciples that had broken a tradition that was in use among them and he addeth a notable saying They worship me in vaine with the commandements of men He denieth mans precepts to be true duties availeable unto righteousnesse before God Wherefore they are not the righteousnesse of a Christian nor yet necessarie duties Yet for all that it is apparant how wonderfully the services invented by man have multiplied and increased in the Church unto this day The Monks did daily heape up ceremonies both with new superstitions and also with new waies to bring in money And these trifles were thought to be the chiefest worship of God and the greatest godlinesse whereas Christ doth by a most grave and weightie Oracle forbid that such ceremonies should be accounted for services of God For he doth not forbid the appointing of traditions unto a civill end and use that is for good orders sake but he denieth that any such be any worship of God in saying In vaine doe they worship me And he teacheth that true worships be workes commanded of God as feare faith love patience chastitie walking in ones calling doing of ones dutie c. Acts 15. Peter saith Why doe ye tempt God laying a yoke on the Disciples necke which neither we nor our Fathers were able to beare but by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we beleeve to be saved as doe also they Here Peter sheweth that remission of sinnes and salvation cometh to us by Christ and not by the rites of Moses or the law and doth also give us to understand that such doe grievously sinne which doe burden mens consciences with such ordinances For it is no slight reproofe when he saith Why tempt ye God And 1 Tim. 4. He termeth the forbidding of of meats mariages and such like traditions doctrines of Devils But why doth he use such a sharpe speech His meaning was not that there should be no ordinances at all or that no differences of places and times should be observed but then he accounteth them to be doctrines of Devils when as the benefit of Christ is attributed unto them when they are reputed for righteousnesse and for necessarie services of God when an opinion of necessitie is fastened to them and mens consciences are racked and faith made of no force by them These discommodities Christ and his Apostles would have to be diligently avoided and for that cause they cry out so often and so earnestly against traditions And it is a wonder that the patrons of such superstitious opinions about traditions are no whit moved with such thundering speeches Now as for us we teach that those traditions are not to bee condemned which command nothing against the laws of God and have a civill use and end namely such as are ordained to this end that things might be done orderly in the Church Of which sort are the traditions about holy dayes the Lords day the Nativitie Passeover and the rest also about the holy readings and lessons and such like Now all rites of this kinde we retaine very willingly in our Churches And yet the Church is taught to know what to thinke of such customes to wit that they doe not merit remission of sinnes that they are not the righteousnesse of a Christian nor necessary duties unto Christian righteousnesse but indifferent things which a man may omit where there is no danger of giving offence This qualifying of traditions doth set free the consciences from superstitious opinions and from that old torture and racking And yet it bringeth great commendation to traditions because it sheweth the true use of them All modest men will more willingly obey the traditions after they understand that their consciences are set free from danger in private and that they must so far obey as that the common peace be not disturbed nor the weake ones hurt Againe this interpretation doth defend and preserve publique good manners and discipline because it commandeth to avoid offences Also to observe publike holy dayes the meetings in the Churches readings c. doe serve for examples and to accustome the youth and the common sort thereto Therefore such ordinances are not to be broken but rather with common care and travell to be furthered These be the true and meet commendations of traditions which no doubt doe greatly stirre up such as are godly and staied to love defend and adorne the publike orders The Gospel teacheth to thinke reverently not onely of other civill laws and orders but also of Ecclesiasticall and seeketh the true use of them Yet notwithstanding it appointeth degrees and will have the doctrine touching Christ and things that are heavenly and everlasting discerned from the schooling or Pedagogie of the Church This libertie whereof we speake now was not unknowne to the Fathers For Augustine saith This whole kinde of things hath free observations and to this purpose he discourseth at large Irenaeus saith The disagreement in fasting doth not break off the agreement in faith The Tripartite history gathereth together many examples of rites disagreeing one from the other and in the end addeth a notable saying It was not the Apostles mind to prescribe any thing touching holy dayes but to preach godlinesse and a good conversation But in so manifest a matter it is needles to heape up many testimonies But our adversaries doe here make great outcries That by this doctrine publike discipline and order is overthrowne and disorder and anarchie brought in Likewise that good workes and mortification of the flesh are abolished according to Jovinians surmise These slanders we have partly refuted already there is no confusion or anarchie brought in nor the publique discipline overthrowne when as we teach that traditions which have a civill end and use ought to be observed And we teach also that offences must be foreseene and avoided But touching mortification we answer thus True and unfeigned mortification is to beare the crosse to indure dangers troubles and afflictions This kind of obedience is the worship of God and a spirituall worke as the Psalme teacheth A sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit c. We teach moreover that another kinde of exercise is necessarie It is the dutie of every Christian to bridle his flesh even by bodily discipline labours temperancie meditation of heavenly things and such other exercises fit for his age The neerest and proper end whereof must be this that fulnesse and idlenesse doe not pricke him forward to sinne and