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
serue the Lorde in the truth seeke after hys wyll and doo the thyng that pleaseth him For God is gracious and mercifull he forgeueth sinnes in the tyme of trouble and is a defendour for all them that seeke hym in the truthe And we sawe the glorye of it as the glorye of the onelye begotten sonne full of grace and truthe If ye beleue not that I am he ye shall dye in your sinnes Then sayde they vnto him what art thou and Iesus sayth vnto them euen the very same thing that I spake vnto you I haue many thinges to saye and to iudge of you yea and he that sent me is true then sayde hee to those Iewes whiche beleued on hym if ye continue in my worde then are ye my verye disciples and ye shall knowe the truth and the truth shall make you free but now ye goe about to kill me a man that hath tolde you the truth which I haue hearde of God why doo ye not knowe my speache euen because ye can not abyde the hearyng of my woorde ye are of your Father the Diuell and the lustes of your father will ye serue he was a murtherer from the beginnyng and abode not in the truth therefore ye beleue me not whiche of you rebuketh me of sinne if I say the truth why do ye not beleue me For this cause was I borne and for thys cause came I into the world that I should beare witnes of the truth and al that are of the truth heare my voyce I say the truth in Christ and I lye not if the truth of Christ be in me this reioysing shall not be takeÌ„ away froÌ„ me in the region of Achaia Wherfore because I loue you not God knoweth neuerthelesse what I do that will I do to cut away occasion that they might be found like vnto vs in that wherin they reioyce we can do nothing agaynst the truth but for the truth But let vs follow the truth in loue and in all thinges growe in him whiche is the head euen Christ. Let no maÌ„ deceiue you with vain words for because of such things coÌ„meth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience be not ye therefore companions of them Ye were sometime darkenes but now are ye light in the lord walke as children of light for the fruite of the spirite consisteth in all goodnes righteousnes and truth Study to shew thy selfe laudable vnto God a workeman that neadeth not to be ashamed distributing the word of God truely and iustly as for vngodly vanities of vices passe thou ouer them for they will encrease vnto greater vngodlinesse and theyr wordes shall freate euen as doth the disease of a canker of whose number is Himeneus and Pliletus which as coÌ„cerning the truth haue erred saying that the resurrection is passed al ready and do destroy the fayth of some but the sure ground of God standeth still hath this seale the lord knoweth them that are his and let euery man that calleth on Christ depart from his iniquitie This witnes is true wherefore rebuke thou them sharpely that they may be sounde in the fayth not taking heede to Iewishe fables and commaundements of men that turne away the truth If we say that we haue felowship with him and walke in darkenes we lye and do not the truth I haue not writteÌ„ vnto you as though ye knew not the truth but as though ye knewe it and knowe also that no lye commeth of truth God graunt al christian hearers and readers of his worde to be as well followers as hearers that after this life we may all raygne in the eternall and euerlasting kingdome with God the father and his sonne Iesus Christ to whome be all glory and dominion both now and euer The description of wisdome ANd the Lord spake vnto Moyses saying beholde I haue called by name Besalael the sone of Ury the sonne of Haâ—â—e of the tribe of Iuda and I haue filled him with the spirit of God in wisdome and vnderstanding in knowledge and in all maner of worke to finde out subtill feates and to worke in golde siluer and brasse And now harken O Israell vnto the ordinaunces and lawes which I teach you c. Kepe it therefore and do them for that is your wisdome The valiant and kingly Prophet Dauid in that he feared the Lord the Lord prospered hym and he behaued him selfe wisely in all his wayes and the Lord was with hym wherefore when Same sawe that he was so exceding wife he was afrayde of Dauid The dayes of Dauid drewe nye that he shoulde dye and he charged Salomon his sonne saying I go the way of all the world be thou strong therefore and shew thy selfe a man Kepe thou the watch of y e Lord thy God that thou walke in his wayes and keepe his statutes and his precepts his iudgementes and his testimonies euen as it is written in the lawe of Moyses that thou mayst prosper in all y t thou dooste and in euery thing that thou medlest wiâ—h all concerning Ioab the sonne of Zarine in that he slewe the two capitaines Abner and Amasa Deale with hym therefore according vnto wisdome and bring not his hore heade down to the graue in peace Prudence coÌ„sisteth in knowledge of things good euill ⧠Of wisdome The signification THe house which standeth on the rocke signifieth the stedfast beliefe of the faythfull The other which standeth in the valy and on sandy ground is the church of Antichrist and all popishe preaching whiche house by violence of the water which falleth froÌ„ the heigth ouer turneth it and so lieth voyde and empty Seperate them that do craftely flatter thee froÌ„ those that do faithfully loue thee least the ill men haue most profite by thee By these examples it is manifest that God hath â—lwayes and at all tymes preserued not onely those rulers and maiestrates the which haue vsed and kept hys preceptes wyth prudent wisdome and iust dealing but also as well the poore and simple hath not onely bene vnto those realmes a most prosperous sauiour in sending aboundaunce of all fertility but in the ende an euerlasting redemer vnto enlesse ioyes and most happy felicity Consider the excellent wisdome of Salomon in doyng iustice betwene the two women that stroue for the quicke childe when as the one of them through her necligence smothered her childe and by craft ment to lay her fact on the other to auoyde the blame was reproued and the true mother of the liuing childe was knowen Also God gaue SalomoÌ„ wisdome and vnderstanding exceding much and a large hart euen as the sand that is on the sea shore and Salomons wisdome exceded the wisedome of all the children of the East countrey and all the wisedome of Egipt for he was wiser then all men yea theÌ„ Ethan the Ezrahite and Hemam Chalcol and Darda the sonnes of
Mahole and hys name was spoken of throughout all nations on euery side and Salomon spake 3000. problemes and his soÌ„ges were a thousand and fiue And the Queene of Saba hearing the fame of SalomoÌ„ concerning the name of the Lord came to proue him wyth harde questions and she came to Ierusalem with a very great trayne but wheÌ„ she sawe y e goodly building and costly apparell of y e ministers and hys drinke burnt sacrifices she sayd vnto y e king it was a true word that I heard in mine owne land of thy sayings of thy wisdome howbeit I beleued it not till I came and saw it wyth mine eyes And beholde the one halfe was not tolde me for thy wisdome and prosperitie exceedeth the fame which I heard of thee happy are thy men and happy are these thy seruants which stande euer before thee and heare thy wysedome And thou Esdras after thy wisedome of thy God that is in thyne hand set Iudges and arbitrers by my authoritie to iudge all the people that is beyond the water euen all such as know the lawe of thy God and them that knowe it not those see that ye teach And whosoeuer will not fulfill the lawe of thy God and the kinges lawe let hym haue hys iudgement wythout delaye whether it be vnto death or to be rooted out or to be condemned in goodes or to be put in prison Thys notable example seemeth good yea and to be well considered of amonge the true professours of Christian religion firste to câ—nsider what a horrible thing it is to goe about to peruert the scriptures and sacred worde of God with manes lawes and inuentions Secondarily what a haynous offence it is before God in that the subiect shall eyther wilfully or coÌ„temptuously go about to make ordinauÌ„ces lawes contrary to the precept and commaundement of that the which the Prince hath determined by generall counsaile and consent of y e whole realme so long as it is to the aduauncement of Gods glory true religioÌ„ Now when I asked my counselers how these things might be brought to a good ende there was one by vs excelent in wisedome whose good will truth and faithfulnes hath oft bene shewed and proued which was also the principall and next vnto the king Aman by name which certified vs howe that in all hands there was scatered abroade a rebellious folke that made statutes and lawes agaynst all other people and haue alwayes dispised the proclaymed commaundementes of kinges how y t for this cause it were not to be suffred that such rulers should coÌ„tinue by you not to be pin down seing now we perceaue the same that this people alone are contrary to euery man vsing strange and other maner of lawes and withstand our statutes and doinges and go about to to stablish shrewd matters that our kingdome should neuer come to good estate and stedfastnes Therfore haue we commaunded by such as is next vnder vs appoynting Aman which is ordayned to roote out with the sworde all such aduersaries and that there shall be no mercy shewed and none suche spared By these meanes kinges raigned in honour and God to blessed them that all that euer they went about prospered so long as they rebelled not agaynste his testimonies and lawes thâ— which he commaunded them to kepe And also the suâ—â—dcees for that they obeyed there prince with godly 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 so long God did also as well defende them from oppression as he did the prince or Kinâ— from 〈◊〉 heuennes and subâ—â—â—sion Shall a man be more iust then God or shall a man be 〈◊〉 then his maker Beholde he founde no truth in his seruauntes and in his angells there was folly how much more in them that dwell in houses of clay and whose fundation is but dust whiche shall be consumed as it were with a mothe They shall be smitten from the Morning to the Euening yea they shall perish for euer when no man thinketh thereon Is not theyr royaltie gone awaye with them they shall dye truely and not in wisdome Sould he that bableth much be commended therin Should men geue eare vnto thee onely Thou wilt laugh other men to scorne and shall nobody mocke thee agayne Wilt thou say vnto God the thing that thou takest in haÌ„d is perfect and that thou art cleane in his sight Oh that God would speake and open his lippes agaynst thee that he might show thee out of his secret wisedome why he rewâ—rdeth thee double as he appoynted to do then shouldest thou know that God had forgotten thee because of thy sinne Would God ye kept your toung for then might ye be taken for wise men And be no leaders of the simple into strange errours folish imaginations of men what plague can be greater vnto that realme where so many sectes of religion is vsed then the sufferance of such to continue truely no plague more greater and no offence more haynouseâ— not onely agaynste the prince but most chiefest against the almighty Wast y u made before the hilles oâ— Hast thou hearde the secrete counsail of God that all wisedom is to litle for thee Who geueth sure wisedome or stedfast vnderstanding Commeth it through thy wisedome Obey thou the Lord for the feare of the Lord is the begining of wisedome â—f good vnderstanding haue all these that do thereafter My sonne if thou wilt receaue my wordes and kepe my commaundementes bâ— thee thaâ— thou wilt encline thine hart vnto wisdome apply thine harte so vnderstanding For if thou criest after wisdome and calleâ— for knowledge if thou sekest after her as after money and diggest for her as for creature then shalt thou vnderstande the feare of the lord finde the knowledge of God For it is the Lord that geueth wisdome out of his mouth commeth knowledge and vnderstanding and he hideth vp health for the righteous Well is him that findeth wisedome and obtayneth vnderstanding Wisdome is more worth then precious stones and all thinges that thou canst desire are not to be compared vnto her heare O ye children the fatherly exhortation and take good heede that ye may learne wisedome for I haue geuen you a good doctrine forsake not my law Wisedome resteth in the hart of him that hath vnderstanding and it shall be knowne among them that are vnlearned Whoso loueth wisedome mâ—keth hys father a glad man Moreouer thus sayth the Lord of hostes beware of the vengeance that hangeth ouer you and call for mourning wines and send for wise women that they come shortely and singe a mourning song of you that the teares may fall out of your eyes Thus sayth the Lord also let not the wise man reioyce in his wisdome nor the strong man in hys strength neither the rich man in his riches but who 〈◊〉 will reioyce let him reioyce in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me for I am the Lord
which doth mercy righteousnesse and equitie on the earth Also thus sayth the Lord God beholde I will bring enemies vpon thee euen the tyrantes of the heathen these shall drawe out thy swordes vppon thy bewty and wisedome and shall defoyle thy glory Wisedome shall not enter into a froward soule nor dwell in thy body that is subdued vnto sinne Who so despiseth wisedome and nourture is vnhappy and as for the hope of such it is but vayne theyr laboures vnfrutefull and theyr workes vnprofitable For as much as all men be conceaued and borne in sin and that with out the free mercy of God there were no hope of saluation let vs therfore arme our selues with constant prayers vnto almighty God to strengthen vs with the wisedome of his holy spirite that in all our affayres we may therby be able to withstand our aduersary the Diuell Who like a roaring Lion seaseth not but goeth continually about seking whome he may deuoure yet forasmuch as our sauiour Christ hath promâ—sed that to al that with harty repentance and true fayth turne vnto him that on those he will haue mercy let vs therefore yelde vnto God all honour and count our selues moste ignoraunt and pray the Lorde so to enflame our hartes with spirituall wisedome that we may thereby come to the knowledge of hys grace and heauenly benediction Steuen full of faythe and power did great wonders and miracles amonge the people then there arose certayne of the sinagoge which is called the sinagog of the Libertines and Sirenites and of Alexandria and of Cilicia and of Asia disputing with Steuen and they could not resist the wisdome and the spirite which spake Where constant fayth is there is alwayes the spirite of Godes wisdome and to those that do continue therein is euerlasting life Hath not God made the wisdome of the worlde foolishnes for after that the world through wisdome knew not God in y e wisdome of God it pleased God through foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleue For the Iewes require a signe and the Greekes seeke after wisdome but we preach Christ crucified vnto the Iewes an occasion of falling and vnto the Greekes foolishnes but vnto them which are called both of the Iewes and Greekes we preach Christ the power of God and y e wisdome of God If any of you lacke wisdome let him aske of hym that geueth it euen God whiche geueth to all men indifferently and casteth no man in the teeth and it shall be geuen hym But let hym aske in faith and wauer not The description of Peace PEace being vsed according to y e commaundementes of our sauiour Christ among all faythfull christians is not onely profitable to the body but also to the soule for peace signifieth the ioy of conscience and surenes against the deuill our aduersarye And generally the aboundaunce of all spirituall goodnes because our sinnes are forgeuen vs by Christ. Abraham for that he so peaceably and quietly obayed the commaundemeÌ„tes of the eternall and most mighty God receaued the reward of euerlasting ioyes and also in that he beleued the promises of God without any maner doubt or feare offering vp his onely sonne Isaak and beleuing stedfastly that y e God which had created hym of earth and dust was able to restore hym hys sonne agayne peaceably went to fulfill the Lordes commaundemeÌ„t Therfore y e lord blessed his whole posteritie saying thou shalt goe with thy fathers in peace and shalt be buried in a good age Also wheÌ„ the great dearth and lacke of corne fell in the land of Canaan Iacob sent his sonnes into Egipt to buye corne and there they were knowen of their brother Ioseph and as they returned homeward they found their money in the sackes mouthes at their returne backe agayne into Egipt they came vnto the man that was the ruler ouer Iosephes housholdes and sayde vnto hym Oh sir we came downe hether at the first tyme to buye foode and as we came to an Inne it happened that we opened our sacke and beholde euery mans money was in his sacke with full waight and we haue brought it againe in our handes and other money haue we brought also in our haÌ„des to buy foode but we cannot tel who put our money in our sackes And he saâ—d peace be vnto you and feare not your God and thâ— God of our fathers hath geuen you that treasure in your sackes I had your money Herein is shewed that there was in them a quiet and peaceable conscience not desiring more then that which was dew â—ate them and fearing also that the money being found in their sackes might be an occasion vnto them of a continuall seruitude and bondage with sorowfull myndes brought it agayne vnto the man the which they had thought had formally receaued it Herein they also shewed themselues not onely peaceable and quiet men but also constant and true dealers desiring no more then that which of right appertayned vnto theÌ„ this example may seeme very necessary and profitable among all the professours of Christianitie whereby they may the better know how to vse their crafte and occupiyng wyth truth and equitie Which beyng kept bringeth all such to the peaceable hauen of quiet immortalitie And if thou thus abide in my lawes and obserue my commaundementes I wyll sende peace in the lande and ye shall fleene wythout any man to make you afrayde and I wyll rydde euyll beastes out of your lande and there shall no sworde goe through out your lande and ye shall chace your enemyes and they shall fall before you vppon the sworde and fiue of you shall chace a hundred and a hundred of you shall put a thousande to flight and your enemyes shall fall before you vppon the sworde for I will haue respect vnto you and make encrease and multiply you and set vp my couenaunt with you and ye shal eate olde store and carry out olde for the new And the Lord spake vnto Moyses saying Phinehes the sonne of Eleazer the sonne of Aaron the priest turned myne anger away from the children of Israell in my gelosie wherefore say beholde I geue vnto hym my couenaunt of peace and he shall haue it and hys seede after hym euen the couenaunt of the Priestes office for euer because he was gelious for hys Gods sake and made atonement for the children of Israell When thou commest nygh vnto a Citie to fight agaynste it offer them peace and if they aunswere thee agayne peaceably and open vnto thee then let all the people that is found therein be tributaryes vnto thee and serue thee By these pleasaunt examples is manifestly shewed the mighty power of God to al those that put theyr trust in hym as for example Phinies then which shewed hym selfe a true follower of the commaundementes of God and woulde in no wyse suffer any thing to be done contrary to Gods precept and therefore God made a couenaunt with