righteousnes by the works of the law haue lost the same this remaineth recorded for the iust that all which sought it by faith not by works haue atteined to true righteousnes in déede What then doth it profit good men to worke good works The good wors of holy men profite 2. waies First weighing their valoure wyth our dutie they cast downe our Peacoks tayle and Egles hearte béeing so farre shorte of that they should they call mans crye to vouche his state vnprofytable to his Lorde And so wyth crauinge Pardon for his sinnes fogetting his fewe déedes now past he hasteneth wyth humblenes to the degrées of encrease to walke and please God as he ought towards the throne of grace where he séeth by fayth himselfe drawne vp wyth courage to rest in Christ for lyfe since his spirite liueth in him Secondly they worke a most assured corroboration in our hartes whylest we consider of whom we haue suche grace Euen that our hartes of Adamant are changed to fleshye not fleshly harts into the same Gods holy spirit is put powred by the power of which we are cause to walke in his lawes and kepe his statutes Al which though we do not or can in such sort as we should yet because his holy finger hath written his sacred lawe in our hartes and put the sinne into our inward parts is himselfe become by his couenant in christ our god and hath chosen vs for his holy people for this cause I say he accepteth vs as iust though we be all sinners and our works are acceptable in his sight and are not wythout their rewarde yet of his mercye deuoyd of our merit thus through our infirmitie worketh he his owne praise So ende we the firste parte of this verse To giue knowledge c. The second pointe is to note whose sinnes are forgiuen and so consequenly what kinde of persons atteine truely and in déede to this saluation by his Prophets preached and this I note of this word To his people For albeit that Christ is of the father giuen to the whole world to be vnto them their sauiour and that there is no age or people vnto whō the death of christ is not sufficient to their saluation and is therfore by himselfe and the worde vouched the sauiour of the world yet are not al people by him saued nor any but suche as here be called his people Now haue we also to consider that neither all that call or chalenge to be his are so in déede For then should not the Infidell Saracene with the Turke onely be cōdēned because they refuse life which is only in christ Iesus to be foūd but also of that nomber which professe christ in shew and receiue the badge and seale of righteousnesse in Baptisme and in the dayes of their flesh inuocate christ as God and call the Father Lorde be furthermore accompted to be of the church and People of God of this multitude shall infinite walke the wandring path to eternall payne Not euery one that crieth Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of god c. These are for a time in but at no time are they of the church of god These eyther haue Satan to pull the séede out of their hartes least they should beleue and be saued or beleue with ioye for a season and in fierie triall vade and consume to dust and ashes and turne to their erst conceiued death But saluation standeth at the end of the race happie is he that endureth to the end for he shall be safe Or els do they with the fayth in Christ and gospel of the sonne of God intermedle the cares of this world pleasures of the flesh which do choke the growth of the séede that no Wheate can come to ripenes for the Lordes barne they begin in the spirite but they end in the flesh These albeit they are bidden ghestes yet shall they not once tast of the Bridegromes supper For they being called dayly and the Lord with open armes euer readie to embrace them refuse to come therefore shall desolation deuoure them neither shall Ierusalem saue them or the Sinagoge of Sathan the Church of Rome deliuer them from the wéeping state and wofull paynes prepared for all hypocrites Where in stéed of popish piping and carnall delights shal be mourning and howling in perpetual chaines nayled fast to damnation his gaol And that because they neither heard or sought the Lord with integritie of soule or worshipped him els then with their owne inuentions hauing their harts a long estranged from his delite And albeit they were nourished vp in the bosome of his beloued spouse yet they are to him as Mice in the housholders barne whose purpose is to féede them fat and fill their young of the corne but not at any time to haue the presence of the Masters face For whom also the husband prepareth engins destroyers them to consume though for a time he permit them to their deuised pleasures Such shal be the end of al Papists carnall protestants fained hypocrites which séeke thē selues altogether and not the lord at all As daily those persons passe their time in such wicked lustes But of farre other nature are the true people of god As the other in the day of trial cannot be knowne of him for he shall say depart frō me I know ye not ye workers of iniquitie so the lords people are knowne to him by their name they are borne againe of the spirit They are sanctified by the holy Ghost They are graffed into Christ their vine They are predestinate to life Chosen to bee the f sonnes of god Called to the knowledge of the word of saluation and taught of god The spirit of the sonne is by the loue of the most louing father powred into their harts which causeth thē to crie to him Abba father Their stonie hartes hée mollifieth and turneth into hartes of flesh and into them for their direction and life he putteth his spirit by whose power through the woord sowne and taught he teacheth them his Lawes and geueth them grace to walke in his statutes Thus wrought by GOD they bring forth holy fruites They onely heare his voyce All straunge sound and charminge incantation they vtterly auoyd charme they c neuer so wisely They hunger after the truth and thirst the Lordes righteousnes They claspe their harts by fayth in Christ that through him alone they may apprehend the louing countenance of the heauenly Fathers face They lay their sinnes vppon his crosse and craue by comfortable cries in earnest and ardent prayer to be clothed with his righteousnes They euer confesse their many sinnes and assure them selues by fayth of his saluation They driue away terror and rest in the harbour of a quiet conscience and in most humble wise approche
then to vse rightly my loned penie in dutifull sort to the holy Church of God here in this our state and Realme by his great mercie firmely set vpon the foundation stone Christ Iesus This Ancker is to me a staye and frayeth all feare from me so that I as I can seeke to helpe forwardes the Lords labours though wants in me do force the wish of learned frame and eloquēt phraise to help my willing mind and godly purpose But I accept with thankfulnes that which God hath vouched safe to giue being because of my many sinnes vnworthy of that in him I haue I onely desire of God in Christ that his spirit of truth may guide my ragged rowes and simple stile and that the lesse learned for whom chiefely I presume these presents may something herewith be profited The matter that I exhibit to your L. is An Exposition with an ample true applicatiō of that Hymne which by order of the constituted Lawes of England is now appoynted to be vsed at Morning prayer which Hymne cōmonly is called BENEDICTVS Not at all purposed to controll much lesse to condemne the minds of some of our bretherne whose Censure hath exiled his vse at the Common praier Or yet to lend my like to phantasies lust where sound warrant hath no place And waighing with my selfe that neither they may by their priuate power or can with the quietnes of Gods Church in England which ought necessarilie of all Christians to be had in most regard to take from her that and those thinges which by Law she hath established Furthermore reuoluing my cogitations that this Hymne howesoeuer of some it be disliked to his appoynted vse is tho a part of holy scripture I thought it better to that I could to open some of the hidden treasures layd vp in the same for the Church of God then to feede some forren phantasie or to pollute my pen in contending to pull downe that which may well enough stand and nothing abate the beautie of Gods house Yet do I not thinke this Hymne so necessarily set in the order of prayer as without the same it were blemished for that were more than friuolous but because the matter therin cōtained indifferently looked into and well weighed doth enstruct comfort and also administreth light to our spirituall sences and vnderstanding of Gods mercies in his promised Christ to vs geuen and long sith commen in the Flesh which matter in time of prayer is expedient I can not yet learne or be of other minde then that the said Psalme as it is appointed is both tollerable and profitable to all godly heartes And were these my weake labors worthy by their valor to force the fauor of christian frend to refell the fury of Popish foe to your good L. of right I ought to dedicate the same not only because you are my lerned godly Ordinary who can with good iudgment discerne the doctrine therin contained if either sounde or contrary that so in stead of milke the meate for babes I powre not out poyson to infect the well growne vp children in Christ for that God graunt euer to be farre from me but also for that in respect that I should not loyter but labor in the vineyard of the Lorde your goodnesse at the request of the right honorable my singuler good L. and Master as you know did commit vnto me a speciall flock with in your Diocese to foster vp in Christ their soules which he hath purchased with his most blessed bloud Let this little booke beare witnesse of my diligent care therfore my good L. that I beare both to the same my peculiar charge amongst whom and of whose labors I reape my portion and liuelyhode and to the whole church of God elsewhere where these my low lines with others godly woorkes may fructify by his holy grace and spirit in the apt soyle of their poore harts had they store of godly teachers Finally I beseech your L. that my poore pen may passe the raging Seas of curious censure vnder the harbor of your protection So shall it with much more quietnes arriue in the port of the poore mans hart desirous not to cauill but to catch earnest holde of such plaine doctrine as truly though simply teacheth him the way to life This if I may of your good nature obtaine it will encourage me the further aduenture of godly study in the sacred Scriptures if so it may please the almightie in his Sonne Christ to bestow a greater porcion of me that I may still bring foode into the church of God. The Lord God of mercy loue and peace send to this our church her maiestrate our godly Queene state and people the peace of Christ vnfainedly in our hartes for his names sake and to your L. encrease of godly knowledge like zeale and perfect strength to cōtinue with godly care euer more and more profitable to his Church by the power of his spirite whose defence be euer yours and you with all vs that inuocate truely the name of God for euer his in Christ our Lord. Your L. euer in Christ. A. Anderson From Medborne this 15. of Ianuary 1573. The argument of the Propheticall Hymne THe author of this song was the holy maried Priest of the Lord Zacharias who had to wife Elizabeth the cosen of the virgin Mary the mother of Iesus Christ in whose old age the Lord by his Angell promised him of his saide wife a Sonne and called his name Iohn which Iohn the Lord had appointed to be the same Prophet and fore runner of the Messiath that the prophetes Malachy and Esay had prophesied to precede Christ At the birth of this babe Zacharie his toung was miraculously lowsed which before for a season was dumbe for his harde beliefes sake and he with exceading ioy then in the sight of all the company made and sung this Song Blessed be the Lord God of Israell c. In this hymne is commended vnto vs 1 First the constant truth of God to his beloued Church 2 Then his inestimable mercies powred vpon the same 3 Thirdly the office of Iohn and of the preaching of the word All which are more at large in the woorke following amply set forth to gods glory and thy profite ¶ An exposition of the Hymne commonly called Benedictus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited redeemed his people THe holy ghost more earnestly now then before prouoketh forceth his Prophete Zacharie to soūd forth his praise as in this Hymne is apparant his harte béeing set downe in the Chaire of déepe consideration of Gods mercie to Jsraell beginneth wyth laude and prayse to God for their and our Saluatiō in Christ Iesus Blessed be the Lord God of Israell sayth he hée calleth God the God of Israell not because he reigneth onely ouer Israell for he is also the God of all the Worlde and in him sayth the Scripture shall the Gentilles trust
victorie Adde vnto the holy Scriptures testes our own experimented testymony in the late persecuting time of Queene Marie and therewith well consider the encrease of hys Church number of her children which by the persecuted Preachers then with others their brethren since through their ministerie in the Gospell are begot in Christ and in thys Churche of Englande fostered to the praise and in the profession of the same our lord To conclude let euery faithfull man assure himselfe of the same continuall worke of God in his church to the end of the world For his eyes with remembrance of his promise are euer ouer the righteous to performe to all perpetuity that which by so many holy witnesses as his patriarks prophets he hath to the same promised frō time to time so assuredly Now let vs repaire again to our prophet Zachary who proceding doth set forth at large the performed promise of God and the effectes of the same to his beloued Church saying as followeth Vers 4 That he would send vs deliueraunce from our ennemies and from the hands of all that hate vs. Vers 5 That he would shew mercie towardes our Fathers and remember his holy couenant Vers 6 And the othe which he sware to our Father Abraham Vers 7 Which was that he would graunt to vs that we being deliuered out of the handes of our enemies should serue him with out feare Vers 8 All the daies of our life in holines and righteousnes before him This whole text dependeth vppon the former expounded verse As he promised to our fore c. And declareth by manifest proofe the faithfulnes of God which hath fulfilled his promises and oth not by the Prophets alone but long before made to the Patriarkes that was to Abraham saying I will blesse them that blesse thée and I wil curse them that curse thée And also thy séede shall possesse the gates of their enemies and in thy séede shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed and this promis he confirmed with an oth which Zacherie here repeateth saying I haue sworne by my selfe I will blesse thée and multiplie thy seede His liuing couenant also with Abraham was this Moreouer I will stablish my loue betwéene me and thée and thy séede after thée in their generations for an euerlasting couenant to be god vnto thée and to thy séede after thée And I will geue thée and thy séede after thée the land wherein thou art a straunger euen all the land of Canaan for an euerlasting possession I wil be their god And with our Father Dauid he made a couenant also which by oth eke he established that it might be euery way most firme and now in sending his Christ saith Zachary he hath performed the same which erst thus spake I haue made a couenant with my chosē I haue sworne to Dauid my seruant thy séed wil I stablish for euer and set vp thy throne from generation to generations Againe I haue found Dauid my seruant with my holy oyle haue I anointed him Therefore mine hand shal be established with him and my arme shall strengthen him The enemy shall not oppresse him neither shal the wicked hurt him But I will destroy his foes before his face and plague them that hate him My truth and my mercy shal be with him and in my name shall his horne be exalted And albeit that these and such other couenants by GOD with the Fathers made for and to them and the rest of his Churche may séeme to sound temporall thinges yet beside that this Psalme sheweth them to be spirituall our Prophet here as a moste true Paraphrast expoundeth the same couenantes and promises by othe of the LORDE also confirmed to their infallible stabilitie to be vnderstanded of vs spiritually and in Christ to possesse them by him likewyse as victorius men and more then conqueroures to triumph ouer and against our spirituall ennemies sinne Sathan the worlde and the flesh Principalities powers worldly gouernoures that is to say such as gouerne by and for the worldes luste Princes of darknes of this world spirituall wickednesses which are in high places and whatsoeuer openeth it selfe to the worke of our Saluation Neither did Christ deliuer the Iewes from the tirranny and bondage of the Romaines but yéelding himselfe to that authoritye paid the tribute thither due Teachinge vs thereby to looke for a further a more blessed deliuerance of which as before Paule speaketh to the Ephesians And the Angelles from Heauen preached the same to Ioseph saying he shal be called Iesus For he shall saue his people not from temporall gouernment of Straungers but from the spiritual captiuity of their sinnes That being so from feare of sin sathan hell world and flesh spiritually and safely deliuered they may serue the Lord not with Iewish rites or popish deuotion but with sinceritie of hart purenes of handes in euery place in true holynesse and like righteousnesse by him accepted and in his sight frée from hipocrisy al the daies of their life Lo this is the fruite of the blessed promises othe and couenantes which our Prophet here speaketh of This is the victory which God geueth to his faithfull fighting souldiers and sanctified people On this sorte shall they possesse the gates of their ennemies they shal through Christ their head remaine and dwell as Lordes ouer all thinges And shall treade Satan vnder their féete notwithstanding his dayly assaltes and subtil fight The battel is betwixt Sathan and the soule of man it beginneth wyth mans lyfe and is fought in the fielde of a good conscience enduring by fayth till death for both partes sound the retyre But the a victory by Gods spirite is euer assured to the faythfull and shall be perfected wyth b Christ in his kingdome to our endles happie and most blessed state Now hauing the text thus opened by Gods mercies and grace of his spirit let vs according to our former rule obserue some such profitable notes as the same doth reache apparantly to our considerations And first in this seconde verse of this section for of the first we shall speake more herafter Christ so willing let vs vpon the wordes note that the Fathers Patriarkes and Prophets albeit they are of the prophet here called and that truly holy yet did not their holinesse demerit such great treasures and heauenly fruitfulnesse eyther for their selues or their posterity as by his words he here expresseth But sayth the prophet well instructed in the doctrine of truth the Lorde was there vnto brought towardes our Fathers by his mere mercy that wyth them he should make so Solempne and Honorable a couenaunt And if the Fathers whose holinesse the sacred Scriptures so much recounteth had not wherwyth to meritte the couenaunt of peace wyth God Where shall theyr Chyldren obteyne suche pryce Naye such as haue sought by theyr worthynesse and Obedience to the Lawe set
among the wicked of the earth hath taken them and according to his good will being before the foundation of the worlde was layde hath chosen them to be his people This is the minde of our Prophet saying To giue knowledge c. If we should aske of the Papistes whereby we apprehend Saluation they will say to vs partly by christ and partly by the worthinesse of mans workes Such blasphemies they bray out of their helly hartes But deare reader be not deceiued by their delusions lend thy selfe some leasure to take view for thy wealth of that which here is sayd Were it that saluation could be atteyned by the workes of the law as true it is the law of-God sayth he that doth fulfill the law shall lyue by the law yet are there two absolute reasones ouerthrowing all meritte in man what or whosoeuer by the Lawe The firste is the impossibilytie that is men to perfourme the law The other is the frayltie of man which fulfylling if he could yet can not alwayes stand frée from transgressing the Law of god And at what time he falleth his righteousnes tombleth downe with himselfe in to the dyche and so frustrate is his vaine trust before reposed in his owne holines For the first he that shall by the works of the Lawe become iust before God must in hearte be pure from Sinne for as out of a filthy puddle can naturally come no swéete water so out of a wicked hart can procéede no pure action nor is God pacified from wrath by any worke which procéedeth from a sinfull and a corrupted conscience Search seeke from east to west north south among the sonnes of men behold no where shalt thou find a man whose hart is pure from sinne Nay whose harte is not altogether a lump of that Massie poison so that if God should loke strayghtly vpon him his holinesse should not be able to abyde the tryall of the lord Finally the wisedome of the fleshe is death and is at set battle in enimytie wyth God for it is not subiect to the Spirite nor the Law of God neyther in deede can be So that I conclude with Paule that they which be in the flesh and that is euery Popishe iusticiarie cannot please god Wherfore since the founteine of mans harte is corrupt and poysoned what pleasant action can proceede from his conduites But ye will say the regenerate man meriteth Yet Paule sayth to the man regenerate what hast thou that thou hast not receiued I suppose Paule was regenerate when he wrot his Epistle to the Romanes and yet he of himselfe sayth that his hart is combred wyth the Canker of sinne So that he dare not boast of meritte but rather cryeth out for woe agaynst that guylt of his Regenerate fleshe saying I sée another Lawe in my members rebelling agaynst the Lawe of my mind and leading me Captiue into the Lawe of Sinne that is in my members Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodye of this death I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lorde His desert here he confesseth to be suche that were it not God through Christ our Lorde he caried nothing with him but a body he meaneth soule and body deseruing by meritte euerlasting death And of his impossibilitie to perfourme the act of Iustification by workes he in that place a little before sheweth saying for I know that in me that is in my fleshe dwelleth no good thing for to will is present wyth me but I finde not meanes to perfourme that which is good for I doe not that good thing that I would but the euill that I would not that doe I. If in the best sort of men and most perfect Sinne hath such power how shall the Papistes the ofscourings of the Church boast of their worthinees Nay neyther we or our Fathers are able to fulfyll the law and therefore God sent his sonne in the similitude of sinful flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the lawe should be fulfilled in vs that is to say by christ imputed to vs which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit And that no man should bost of his workes being regenerate he more telleth vs that God the father which raised vp his son christ from death shall also quicken our mortal bodies not for any worthines in vs but because of his owne gift euē bicause his spirit dwelleth in vs Thus his diuine wisdome hath disposed the matter that both the action the cause of our true righteousnesse may not descende one steppe from the maiesty of his throne of grace Assure thy selfe therefore Christian reader that in man is no meritte vnlesse to death for Sinne which maketh al men culpable before god So it is his goodnesse to haue mercy vpon all Therfore if thou wilt atteyne to true righteousnesse it is by the lawe not of works but of fayth in Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleue For the redemption is not in man regenerate or carnall but in christ who hath reconciled vs to the father in his bloud declareth our righteousnesse to come by the forgiuenes of our sinnes so preaching cōfusion shame to vs the glory to him selfe And albeit that fayth which saueth is called a worke yet is not the worke comming from the poure of man for it is the worke of God and his onely gift by the which we obteine christ in whom we haue plentifull redemption from all our sins Now let vs speak of the second branch that is of mans impossibility to stand alwayes fulfilling the law The Scripture saith cursed is euery man that continueth not in al things which are written in the law to doe them And againe when a righteous man tourneth away from his righteousnes and committeth iniury he shal euen die for the same If once departure from well doing demerit death and the iust falleth seauen times and since there is no flesh that sinneth not nor any be he neuer so pefect that alwaies continueth in well doing I aske where shall we finde the meriting man or who shall dare to present him before the Lorde the reuenger of sin Or yet what is he that can deliuer himselfe from the danger of Gods Curse due to his transgressions Vaine therefore and diuelish is the confidence in such Popish doctrine and pernicious is the euill which this opinion bringeth to the soule and great is the iniurie by it committed against christ Iesus the price of thy forgiuenes The man meritor thrusteth Christ Crucifyed vnder his féet setteth himselfe vp in his stead for his owne sauiour by his workes But cast thy accompt by scripturs audite at the foot of the same thou shalt find this debt apparant to such wastfull spenders of their Lordes treasure that such as haue sought
office he breathed on them and gaue them his holy spirite that thereby they might not only abound in gifts but also should without terror speake his wil and preach his name to all nations So in like maner Paule witnesseth that both the gift of prophecying Prophets Doctors and teachers is by the spirite of god Of which grace he hath promised continuance to the end of the world saying J wil be with you to the end of the world And therfore Iohn warneth thée reader not to beleue euery spirite so he calleth the doctrine by the preacher brought but coÌ„maundeth thée to trie whether they be of god He sheweth thee absolutely that in the preachers of thy age Gods spirit also speaketh saying Hereby shall ye knowe the Spirite of god Euerye spirite that confesseth that Jesus Christe is come in the Fleshe is of GOD. There were false Prophets among the Jewes which kept the people backe from the faith in Christ There were certaine heritiques which denied Christ to be come in the flesh as the scriptures teach him And these so vexed the Church and molested the consciences of the godly bretherne and began to make such shipwracke of the faith of many that the Apostle was driuen from the Doctrine to frame their hartes in Christ to arme by instruction the church of GOD against Cerinthus Ebyon and other heritiques that woulde not acknowledge Christ wholy as the Scriptures proued him to bée The like proofe of Gods spirit is left to thée to the ends of the world to trie the Preachers which come vnto thée whether they haue in them or doe by Gods spirite speake vnto thée He that preacheth Iesus Christ as hée is set downe in the written Scriptures is of god Hée that denieth him in any part their vouched to be in Christ is of Antichrist Whosoeuer hath not this spirite and is a preacher cannot but by the spirite of Sathan vtter as by his receiued spirite all lying fables as Zedkia the false prophet did to Achab. And both Paul and Peter manifestly shew vnto vs that many such false Prophets shall rise vp in the last dayes which shal also denie christ in déede albeit they confesse him with naked words Paule giueth thée notes infallible that euer shall lead thée to a right iudgement of these spirits of error doctoâ—s of diuels First they shall speake lies by hypocrisie fayning truth but trie them by the rule giuen of christ search the scriptures which order the Citizens of Berrea are said to obserue when the Apostles taught them 2. They shal forbid to marrie and who doth forbid I pray thée take vew that ministers may not Marrie not the scripture but rather the flat contrarie Who doth forbid that holy ordinaÌ„ce of god in Paradise to auoyd sinne but the Pope the minister of sinne he doth forbid it to all his sacrificing priestes at all times yet whoredome he permitteth to theÌ„ vnder purchased warrant to al time To al other christians he forbiddeth mariage at certaine times as Aduent Lent Jmber daies c. and Siricius one of the Popes condemneth mariage to be a fruit of the flesh as in the which state a man can not please god Meats which god hath created to be receiued with thanks geuing is made holy by his word praier doth this beast of the Dragon Satanas in paine of daÌ„nation forbid to al at his appoynted times And the breakers of his lawe though blessed of God are of him cursed with booke bell and candle out of his heauen as Pasquine calleth it earth and this naturall life as Lollords heriticks not worthy the benefite of temporall quiet These saith Paule in the place before quoted are the doctrines of Diuels Behold the popish doctrine from whence it commeth and of what spirite it is Flie from it as from hel it selfe Peter warning our times of the like false spirite sayth But there were false Prophets also among the people euen as there shal be false teathers among you which priuely shall bring in damnable heresies eueÌ„ denying the Lord that hath bought them bring vpon them selues swift damnation And many shall followe their damnable wayes by whom the way of truth shal be euill spoken of And through couetousnes shall they with fayned words make marchandise of you whose iudgement long agone is not farre of and their damnation sléepeth not Lay this Scripture before thy hart and indifferently measure thereby the Popish Church and doctrine and thou shalt sée as it were the Apostle to paynt the sinfull Sinagoge of Rome vnto thy prospect With what humblenes of Angels créepe they craftely into the conscieÌ„ces of men what opinions bréed they flat condemned by the word How open they their mouthes to slaunder the gospel of our Christ and cal it heresie though not as it lieth in leaues but as it is truly preached by gods holy prophets in this our dayes And what loue they haue to the word it selfe do thou iudge when hauing the gouernment they burned the Bibles rased the scriptures from of the walles in churches els to that they could burned the graueÌ„ letters in the sacred flesh of christes martirs What marchaundise of mens soules is there in poperie wheÌ„ their God their pope their reliques saints merits their Paul and Peter their heaueÌ„ helly purgatorie thier Masses pardoÌ„s their whole power pelf is set at price al for monei What sinne in man so horrible that shuld not there haue pardon for money What wicked fact pretended shall not there for money not only be pardoned but warranted Amongst the sinnes against the 2. Table is there a greater then Treason I say treason to god his religion his prince and vicar by his great mercy set ouer vs in this natioÌ„ And is not the Pope the head practiser of the same Doth not he loose that in earth by his Bul which god hath most surely tied fast in heauen by his word the sworne and natural due obedience to her Maiestie Doth not he promise absolution where God pronounceth curse and damnation To whatsoeuer person which resisteth his power And is this for any other cause theÌ„ to bring your purses to his coffers your soules to swift damnation Looke vpon the Gnat by that most precious Iewell the reuerend Bishop late of Sarum brought forth to the vew of all mens sight in his learned answere to halting Harding and thou shalt not maruaile though he wold haue vs his again that Camels in great number and yet scarsely could might yearely conuey his huge sommes of money out of this nation Reioyce O England for thy deliuerance embrace the word by Gods spirite put in the mouthes of thy learned Bishops and others their godly brethern in most pleniiful wise So shal thy hart yéeld faithful loue true obedience to our godly Quéen thou shalt reape her aid for
their shadowed hell conspiring against him and his elect and hath geuen them the light of his saluation turned their raging race to warr with his Church into the most happie tracke of pacient sufferings and precious persecution for his names sake Wherfore let vs pray for all persecutors of his gospel for neither we or yet themselues do know whether the Lord hath predestinate theÌ„ to life Did the church of the Apostles expect Pauls coÌ„ming to their felowship who was the most cruel enemie that the Romaine power the Pharisaicall Jewes sent forth to their persecution did not the lord lead this LioÌ„ to lie vnder the féet as it were of those holy laÌ„bes euen then when he came with raging roaring huÌ„ger to deuour theÌ„ Did the famous prince most noble Monarch of the worlde king Henry the Eyght purpose to foster the Lordes people in Englande when he sat himselfe in iudgement agaynst the Godly Martir of Christ Lamhert and yet dyd the Lorde visit his Princely harte so that by the light of his Christ the spirite of God opening his harte he was made the Lordes instrument vtterly to thrust out that horrible Pope wyth all his power which no king before him could bring to passe albeit they eftsoones attempted sundry times to cut him short Which argueth Gods good lyke of his ministery with him of all such Bishops and ministers as did by doctrine stirre vp his hart her to themselues or most of them before being sworne to the Romishe obedience The noble Father and Martir of Christ M. Cranmer late the Archbishop of Canterburie shall we not accompt him amongest the lawfull ministers of God a trust none will be so wilfull as once to â—â—inke him vnworthie most reuerence 〈◊〉 Catalogie of Gods true and faythâ— ministers in his time And yet my 〈◊〉 bretherne in his persno and actions 〈◊〉 found apparant such a blemishes as for the same all of his lyke institution are of some vouched vmméete for the ministerie of the Church of god I speake not this to iniurie the fame of that holy man whom the heauens haue receiued but to offer such comfort to others as I haue I trust rightly receiued my selfe being in the dayes of Quéene Mary hatched vp in Popery and made an Idolatrous Priest often committing most horrible sacrileage to God by the sacrifising that Idolatrous Cake and counterfeyted Christ to God the Father against the glory of Christ his sonne But I dayly praise the Lord my God who hath taken mercy vpon me and called me from that power of darknes and hath translated me vnto the kingdome of his dear sonne Iesus and of from an Idolatrous Priest being ignorantly caryed into error hath chosen me wyth many others my Godly Bretherne to be a faythfull minister and true Preacher of his holy Gospell and that I craue for restes to the world the congregatioÌ„s which haue tasted of the swéet gyltes of his holy spirite by his mercifulnesse and riche goodnesse powred into their harts by my ministrie though a sinner But through christ called by grace to the preaching of the word of truth through whose good gifts by the portion of his sacred spirit giueÌ„ vnto me for their good and my continual comfort they are to confesse his grace apparant in my ministry with others our godly brethren called to the office This I say not bostingly after the fleshe but witnessing Gods great graces in me vnworthy the least after his calling me with many others from idolatry to his seruice And not to yéeld my self such like whose hartes be truly turned to the Lord to subscribe to such sharp censure as passeth to the offence of many a soule But Saul as he is not ashamed to confesse his error blasphemies So being by the Lorde in mercy changed to Paule warraÌ„teth vs with him good courage comfort to procede in our offices daring to say of himself erst a persecuter as of his fellow ministers which neuer were such séeing we haue this ministery c. He doth hereby the more embolden vs with humblenes of hart to chalenge the like authority to preach to administer the sacraments of the lord with and aswel as such others our brethren by the singular grace of god either preserued from such idolatry or since that time called to the function ecclesiasticall These spéeches therfore Q. Maries priestes K. Henries priestes c. are not so warely set downe as becommeth the place of such which séeme sufficient to supply the wants of this ecclesiasticall gouernment But the lord assist in his mercy the state present with his holy spirit grant to this our mighty monarch a zelous spirite in him yet more more to remoue reteine as the worde of God the honor of this his holy church in England the condition of our age time shall approue for truth most conuenient The places of Josias and EZechiel are not to beat vs down or to bear the contrary opinion from lacke in my iudgmeÌ„t Omitting the priuat example of the godly Iosias which can not in good diuinitie be drawne to a publique commandement I will onely note of the other place which séemeth to sundrye to stande for a law preceptorie as well to vs now as to the Leuits then First I say that Idolatrie is an horrible sin but not estranged is the Idolater from grace if the Lorde vouchsafe him repentance And where as the Lord there cutteth those Leuits froÌ„ his Alter at Ierusalem and the office of the Priest which fell to Idolatry he doth not say this shall be a perpetuall lawe to my house Church for euer Neyther did the Leuits alwais so deale to fore in the time of Moises law Did not Aaron fal to Idolatrie when he made with a grauen toole the molten image proclaimed a solempne feast day therfore attributing that selfe Idolatrous worship to the lord made an Aulter before the Idoll and if wel we weigh whose office it was in that congregatioÌ„ to offer vp sacrifice we shall further touch Aaron his person as also Moises séemeth to lay the whole crime vppoÌ„ him Yet behold the great mercy of God in the time of the law Nor is Aaron by god the lord or by his magistrate Moises depriued of his dignitie remoued from his ministery nor slaine with the slaughter of the sword at Moises his hands wheÌ„ .3000 of the Isralits were theÌ„ slaine for the same horrible Idolatrous fact This example may not moue such whom it doth coÌ„cerne to boldnes of sinne neither is the place of EZech. written to tye al times to that Iudiciall law But so hath gods wisdome enriched his written scriptures with Iustice in seuerity mercy in his christ that sin may be condemned the penitent sinner find fauor in the sight of God. It might be asked whether all the whole Chapter be of