shall keepe my commaundementes Let loue be without dissimulation hate that which is euill and cleaue vnto that which is good Be kinde one to an other wyth brotherly loue We shoulde not loue one an other as Cayne which was of the wicked and slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his owne workes were euil and his brothers good He that loueth not his brother abideth in death who so euer hateth his brother is a man slayer and ye know that no man slayer hath eternal life abiding in him ¶ Our loue towardes our enemies WE ought to loue our enemies ye haue heard how it is sayd thou shalt loue thine neighbour and hate thine enemy But I saye vnto you loue your enemies blesse them which curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them which do you wrong and persecute you that ye may be the children of your father that is in heauē for he maketh his sunne to arise on the euill and on the good sendeth his raine on the iust and vniust for if ye loue them which loue you what reward shal ye haue do not the publicans likewise and if ye be frendly to your brethren only what singular thinges do ye do not the Publicans also ye shalbe therefore perfect euen as your father which is in heauen is perfect Let not the wrath and gelosye moue thee to follow the wicked and vngodly why the wicked shall haue no posteritie and the candle of the vngodly shalbe put out My sonne feare the Lord and the kyng and keepe no company with them that slide backe from his feare for their destruction shall come sodainly and who knoweth the aduersity that may come of them both Goe not from the doctrine of the elders for they haue learned it of their fathers for of them thou shalt learne vnderstanding so that thou mayst make answere in y e time of neede kindle not the coles of sinners when thou rebukest them least thou be burnt in the fiery flames of their sinnes resist not the face of the blasphemer that he laye not wayte for thy mouth Thy children shalbe taught of God and I will geue them plenteousnes of peace in righteousnes shalt thou be grounded and be farre from oppression for the which thou needest not to be afrayed neither for hinderaunce for it shall not come nigh thee beholde the aliant that was farre from me shall dwell with me and he that ioyneth battayle against thee shall pearish and as for all tongues that shall resist thee in iudgement thou shalte ouercome them and condemne them this is the heritage of the Lordes seruauntes and their righteousnes commeth of me saith the Lord. A wise iudge will order his people with discretion and where a man of vnderstanding beareth rule there goeth it well as the iudge of the people is himselfe euē so are his officers and loke what manner of man the ruler of the Citie is such are they that dwel therein also An vnwise king destroyeth his people but where they that be in authority be men of vnderstanding there the citie prospereth I say vnto you whosoeuer confesseth me before men euen him shall the sonne of man confesse also before the Angels of God he y t denieth me before mē shalbe denied before y e Angels of God whosoeuer speaketh a word against y e sonne of mā it shalbe forgeuē him but vnto him y t blasphemeth the holy ghost it shal not be forgeuen Also when the Apostles of Christ were forbidden to preach they would not but shewed thēselues more obedient vnto God then men such was the enuy of the Iewes to y e professours of God his worde And it came to passe as he sate at meat with them he tooke bread blessed it brake and gaue to thē and their eyes were opened and they knew him and he vanished out of their sight Our Sauiour Christe shewed himselfe after his passion vnto two disciples as they went toward Emas and after that standing in the middest of the eleuēth as they were together saying that he was the light of the world and the sauiour of all those which beleued in him such loue had our Sauiour towardes the enuious Iewes and yet they woulde not beleue Also when the martyr S. Steuen rebuked the stifnecked Iewes for their cruell oppression and putting to death of al the prophets before the comming of that iust whome ye haue now betrayed and murthered and ye also haue receaued a law by the ordinaunce of Angels and haue not kept it and when they heard his wordes they gnashed their teeth vppon him and ranne all at once and stoned him In like sorte hath the enemies of Gods Gospell sought to kill to destroy the professours of hys truth God graunt for his mercy if it be his will to open their eyes that they may perceiue the truth and sory their for offences Who so euer shall not receiue you nor will heare your preaching whē ye depart be out of that house or that citie shake of the dust of your feete Truely I say vnto you it shalbe easier for the lande of Zodom and Gomorra in the day of iudgement then for that Citie There is nothing so close that shal not be opened and nothing so hide that shall not be knowen a worde spoken in due season is like apples of golde in a grauen worke of siluer Be not wise in your own opinions recōpence to no man euil for euill prouide afore hand thynges honest in the sight of all men if it be possible howbeit of your part haue peace with all men dearely beloued auenge not your selues but geue roome to y e wrath of God for it is written vengeaunce is myne I wil reward sayth the Lord. Therfore if thyne enemy hunger feede him if he thirst geue hym drinke for in so doing thou shalt heape cooles of fier vppon his head be not ouercome of euill but ouercome euill with goodnes When the profit Dauid heard that an Amelikite had slayne his enemy King Saule he was very sory and mourned for him and caused y e Amelikite for his rewarde also to be slayne because he had killed the Lordes annoynted When the Lord purposed to destroy Zodom and Gomorra Abraham sayde vnto hym Lorde what if there be 50. righteous wilte thou spare the rest for their sakes so that it came to the number of tenne and there coulde none be founde but onely Lotte and his householde the which were preserued thus oughte euery man to forgeue and to pray for his ennemy and so shall we bee the seruauntes of God ¶ Of fayth and the wonderfull working of the same and stedfast beliefe of the fathers in olde tyme. The signification THe man in armour signifieth all stedfast beleuers of the veritie being armed with constant zeale of Christianitie and weaponed with the shielde of liuely faith the spere of continuaunce and the
coÌ„mite with God the father to whome be all hâ—ue iâ— and glory worlde without ende ¶ Our loue toward God LEt vs loue God for he hath loued vs first and redemed vs from all euill if we diligently follow his preceptes and commaundementes he was before all things he created all thinges by his only power and might and none but he without him was made nothing y t was made In him is life light and verity a God without beginning and without ending he came among his owne and his owne receiued hym not but as many as receyued hym to them gaue he power to be the sonnes of God Therefore harken vnto me O ye children blessed are they that keepe my wayes O geue eare vnto nurture be wyse and refuse it not blessed is the man that heareth me waiting dayly at my gate and geuing attendaunce at at the postes of my doores for who so findeth me findeth life and shall obtaine fauour of the Lorde but who so offendeth against me saith God hurteth his owne soule all they that hate me is the workers of death and deadly louers Harken also be stedfast in beliefe and seeke for none other helper and mediatoâ—r but onely Iesus Christs which is the mediatour for all mankinde to God his father and he it is the which is the preseruer none but he In the fourth of Saint Iohn it is euidently shewed in the â—â—uing communication the which our Sauiour Christ had with the woman of Samariâ— by the well side declaring plainly that he himelfe was the sonne of God and sauiour of the worlde who so therefore thatseeketh to any other mediatour redemer or preseruer then the onely god and Christ is vtterly deceiued and except speedy returne voyde from all ioye felicitie I am the Lord God which brought thee out of the land of Egipt that thou shouldest not knowe no God but me onely and y t thou shouldest haue no sauiour but only me I haue loued you sayth the lord and yet ye say where in hast thou loued vs was not Esau Iacobs brother saith the lorde yet haue I loued Iacob and hated Esau. Thou wilt saye vnto me why then blameth he vs yet for who hath benne able to resiste his will But O â—an what art thou which disputeth with God shall the worke say to the workeman why hast thou made me on this fashion hath not the potter power ouer the claye euen of the same lumpe to make one vessel vnto honour and an other to dishonour Euen so God wilâ—inge to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowne suffreth with long patience the vessels of wrath ordayned to damnatioÌ„ and to declare the riches of his glory on y e vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glorye They that feare the Lord wil not mistrust his word and they that loue him will â—eepe his commaundementes they that feare the Lord will seeke out the thinges that are pleasaunt vnto him and they that loue him shall fulfill his lawe They that feare the Lord will prepare their hartes humble their soules in his sight they that feare the Lord keepe his commaundements and wilbe pacient til they se himselfe saying better it is for vs to falle into the hands of the Lorde then into the handes of men for his mercy is as great as himselfe Shoulde not a sonne honour his father a seruitant his maister if I be now a father wher is now mine honor if I be y e Lord where then am I feared saith the Lord of hostes Now to you priestes that depise my name and if ye say where in haue we despised thy name In thys that ye offer vncleane bread vppon mine alter And when thy son asketh thee intime to come saying what meaneth these witnesses ordinaunces and lawes which the Lord our God hath commaunded you theÌ„ thou shalt saye vnto thy sonne â–ª we were Pharaos bondmen in Egipt and the Lord brought vs out of Egipt wyth a mighty hand and the Lord shewed signes wonners great and euill vppon Egipt vnto Pharao and all his housholde before our eyes and brought vs out from thence to bring vs in and to geue vs the land which he sware vnto our forefathers Maruailous thinges did he in the sight of our forefathers in the land of Egipt euen in the fielde of Zoan he deuided the sea and let them goe through he made the waters to stand on an heape he rayned downe Manna also vppon them for to eate and gaue them foode froÌ„ heauen But for all this they sinned more and more and beleued not his wondrous workes therefore did he consume their dayes in vanity their yeares in trouble but he remembred his mercy towardes vs that he forgaue their misdeedes and destroyed not them vtterlly Yet for all that they greeued him with their hil alters and prouoked him to displeasure with their Images WheÌ„ God heard this he was wrouth and tooke sore displeasure at Israel While y e phariseyes were gathered together Iesus asked them saying What thinke ye of Christ whose son is he They said vnto him the son of Dauid He saide vnto them How then doth Dauid in spirite call him Lord saying the Lord sayde to my Lord sitte on my right hand till I make thyne ennemies thy foote stoole If Dauid call him Lord how is he then his sonne and none coulde aunswere him agayne one worde neither durste any from that day forth aske him any moe questions notwythstanding that Christ in y t he was man was the sonne of Dauid that is desended of the stocke of Dauid yet Dauid seing in spirit that he was God called him Lord but the Phariseyes who were all flesly coulde not perseiue so much of y e spirit Beholde a certaine lawyer stoode vp teÌ„pted him saying maister what shal I do to enherit eternall life He sayde vnto him what is writteÌ„ in y e law how readest thou And he answered said loue thy lord thy God with al thy hart and with all thy soule and with all thy streÌ„gth and with all thy mynde thy neighbour as thy selfe And he sayde vnto him thou hast aunswered right this do and thou shalt liue he willing to iustifie himselfe saide vnto Iesus Who is then my neighbour Iesus answered and sayde A certayne man desended from Ierusalem to Ierico and fell into the hands of theues which robbed him by the way and wounded him and left him halfe deade and by chaunce there came a certaine priest that same way which saw him and passed by and likewise a Leuit which also loked vppon him and passed by Then a certayne Samaritan as he iornied by came nigh vnto him wheÌ„ he saw him he had compassion on him and went to and bound vp his wounds and set him on his own beast and brought him to a common Inne and made prouision for him and on the morrow wheÌ„ he departed
him and with his posteritie for euer So likewise thys sayde example moueth all true Christians to be stedfast in the promyses of God and not for vayne and transitory preferment to colour or vse them but wyth singlenes of harte do them not regarding the person but the cause and in so doynge the rewarde Of Peace The Signification HE which standeth with a booke in his hand signifieth quietnes and peace to the church of God And the Woman signifieth the spouse and congregation of Christ being maried to the Lambe Christ Iesus rewarde is as much in effect vnto all such as euer it was vnto Phinies or at any other that at any time haue geuen theyr mindes vnto the obedience of gods lawes God graunt to all such zeale vnto his word that thereby we may haue the like rewarde that are now liuing in these present dayes Moreouer when the children of Israell had committed wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and they being deliuered into the hand of Madian yet the Lords compassion was such that he chose Gedeon and made him captayne ouer the children of Israel and by his mighty power deliuered them and the Lord sayde vnto Gedeon peace be vnto thee feare not thou shalt not dye for Gedeon after that he had sene the angell of the Lord was in a great feare and thought that he should haue dyed saying haue I therefore sene the angell of the Lord face to face that I should dye then Gedeon made an alter vnto the Lord and called it The Lord of peace Also the spirite of the Lord came vpon Iepthath and he passed ouer to Gilead and from thence vnto the children of Ammon and Iepthath vowed a vow vnto the Lord and sayde if thou shalt deliuer the children of Ammon into my handes then that thing that commeth out of my dores of my house agaynst me when I come home in peace from the children of Ammon shall be the Lordes and I will offer it for a burnt offering and the first that met him at his returne home was his owne daughter All the cities the which the Philistines had gotten from the Israelites the Lord restored them agayne euen from Acarom to Gathe with the costes of the same and Israell plucked them out of the handes of the Philistines and there was peace betwene Israell and the Amorites Also consider the great kindnesse of Abigaell the wife of Naball that churle when Dauid sent x. of his young men vnto him for that he had preserued his shepehardes and shepe in the wildernes saying greete him in my name and thus shall ye say peace be to thee and peace be to thine house peace be vnto all that thou hast Beholde I haue heard say thou hast shearers now thy sheepe were with vs in the wildernesse and we did them no spite neither was there ought of thy flocke minished vnto them all the while they were in Carmell aske thy laddes and they will shew thee wherefore let these young men finde fauour in thine eyes for we come in a good season and geue I pray thee whatsoeuer commeth to thine hand vnto vs and vnto thy sonne Dauid Naball hearing these wordes sayde what is Dauid and what is y e sonne of Isay there is plenty of seruantes now adayes that breake away euery man from hys master shall I then take my bread my water and my flesh that I haue killed for my shearers and geue it vnto men whom I wot not wheÌ„ce they be when the younge men perceaued the churlishnes of Naball and that for the good done vnto him to haue no recompence returned and tolde Dauid then Dauid commaunded euery man to girde his sworde to hys side and prepare themselues to destroy Naball but Abigaell Nabals wife seing the misery that was like to ensue on her husbande for his churlishnes proâ—â—ded certayne loaues and partched corne and wine and a 100. frayles of reasons and 200. topnets of figges to pacifie the wrath of Dauid and rode to mete him in the way vnknowing vnto her husband and as she came in the way Dauid met her and sayd vnto her in vaine haue I kept al that this fellowe hath in the wildernesse and he hath quit me euill for good So and so do God to the enemies of Dauid if I leaue any thing that partaineth vnto him Abigael seing the fearcenesse of Dauid agaynst her husband fel down at his feete desired him to leaue of his enterprise and not to shed bloud and so Dauid withdrew his hand and receaued of Abigaell that which she brought vnto him sayd vnto her go vp in peace to thyne house beholde I haue heard thy voyce and haue accepted thy parson He that hath not peace of the hart the mouth and the acte ought not to be called a christian man wo be vnto them that had rather haue the sigâ—â—e of abundaunce then to haue peaceable quietnesse for where the hart is fixed with the inordinate desire of the world there can neuer grow any prosperitie in the common wealth for if the subiect be in penury and haue the lacke of suffisance then is it not onely a misery to the commons but most of all to the prince or magistrates the kinges power ought alwayes to rest in his subiectes For if they he weake and feable then cannot that prince or gouernour be strong although he had neuer so much aboundance of golde or treasure for such treasure being hid and vnoccupied bredeth most miserable reproch and endlesse tormentes These thinges haue I spoken vnto you being yet present with you but the comforter which is the holy ghost whome my father will sende in my name he shall teach you all thinges and bring all thinges to your remembraunce what so euer I haue sayde vnto you peace I leaue with you my peace I geue vnto you let not your hartes be greued neither feare ye haue heard how I sayd vnto you I goe and come agayne vnto you The Lord is euen at hand be not carefull but in all thinges shew your peticion vnto God in prayer and supplication with geuing of thankes And the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding kepe your hartes and mindes in Christ Iesu. Grace be with you and peace from him which is and which was and is to come and from the 7. spirites which are presente before hys throne froÌ„ Iesus Christ which is a faithfull witnesse and first begotten of the dead and washed vs from sinne in his owne bloud and made vs kinges and princes vnto God his father be glory and dominion for euer more Amen ⧠The fetching of soules out of purgatory FOrasmuch as the Antichristians haue a place among themselues imagined a place the which the call purgatory and so affirming it and that through their power they are able to bringe soules departed out of hell into theyr purgatory and also to sende soules thether at theyr pleasure and will I