an habitation not made with handes but eternall in heauen And herefore sigh we desiring to be clothed with our mansion which is from heauen And although that that hope bée sufficient for to assure the true christians and faithfull of the goodnesse promised in that Citie Ierusalem celestiall yet truely they ought to beléeue also that the Lord Iesus Christ by such meanes and afflictions did prouide a certaine better thing for his in this world to the ende that they be not swallowed vp with too great sorrowe or heauinesse In the same respect and consideration the Lorde did retire and draw away Lot his faithfull seruant from the citie of Sodome to the ende hée should not perish with the vnfaithfull And in like maner the Lorde made Abraham to goe out of his owne countrey for to assure him more and more of his holy promises blessings in a straunge countrey Insomuch that although that the faithfull are troubled on euery side yet they are not without shift they béeing in pouertie are not vtterly destitute or without somewhat béeing persecuted but not forsaken being cast down perish not Iacob shall be witnesse who flying by the commaundement of his father did laye him downe to sléepe vpon the earth in the middest of an open féelde and he dreamed and did sée a ladder vppon the earth whose toppe did reach vp to heauen and the Angelles of GOD went vp and downe vppon it yea and the Lorde stoode vppon it and saide the lande which thou sléepest vppon will I giue thée and thy séede For more greater witnesse I will rehearse Ioseph who béeing fledde into Aegypt for the persecution of his brethren is so kept of the Lorde that he is exalted yea aboue all others to the gouerning and ruling of all the countrey of Aegypt and made as a father norisher of the house of his father vnto this I will adde the example of the people of Israell who béeing strayed and scattered abroade in the wildernesse were fed with the celestial Manna and conducted and lead in the night by a piller of fire and by day in a Cloude Furthermore I will ioyne vnto this that good prophet of GOD Elias who flying into the wildernesse of Bersabe from the persecution of kinge Achab and his wife Iesabel did receiue daily the meates that were necessarie for him by the Angell of the Lorde I will conclude with that disciple of the Lorde who béeing banished in the Isle of Pathmos and depriued from all the commodities and pleasures of the worlde Is comforted of the Lorde by so many heauenly visions and creaping yet on the earth is made as a bourgesse and Citizen of Heauen The same doth sufficiently declare that we béeing depriued from our goodes are not therefore destitute of all mannes ayde and succour for as of late the Lorde did stirre vp those good patriarckes Abraham and Lot for to ayde and succour the néede of the poore trauailers and wayfaring men and did ordeine places of refuge vnto those which were not culpable of the faultes laide vnto their charge Or as we doe reade that the Lord by a diuine prouidence did moue and stirre vp the spirite of Rahab the harlot for to hide the spies of Israel sent into Iericho A widowe of Sareptha for to assist and ayde Elyas béeing in extreme oppression of hunger One Abdias for to hide an hundreth Prophets â—ead theÌ„ An Ethiopian béeing an Eunuch for to moue and intreate the king for the deliueraunce of the Prophet Ieremy beeing in prison A Daniell for to adnull and call backe againe the arest giuen against that chaste Susanna being accused of adulterie A Martha for to receiue Iesus Christ To conclude an Onesiphorus for to assist and helpe Sanct Paule in his chaynes and bandes euen so the Lorde in what part so euer that it be doth reserue alwaies certeine places of sure refuge for his to the ende that they may not be altogether desolate and comfortlesse And although that the people doe rise vp and doe murmure in vaine and the kinges of the earth doe aduaunce themselues and stande vp and the Princes do consulte together against the Lorde and against his sonne Christe yet truely our God doth suscitate stirre vp alwayes some Dauyd for to offer himselfe against a Goliath Some Gedeon for to withstand the pretence of the Madianites Some Ezechiah for to represse the wickednesse and blasphemies of a Sennacherib Some Iosophat for to repulse the forces strengthes embushments of the Ammonits Mohabits Assirians Some Iudith for to confute the audacitie boldnesse of an Holophernes To conclude to drawe as from the midst of the flame of fier a certeine number of his for to repaire and amend the ruines and decayed places of his temple As in the time of the subuersion and destruction of Ierusalem hée did raise and stirre vp Daniel Ezechiel Aggeus Zacharie Esdras It shal suffice me besides that which is before to rehearse two or iii. examples The first is of Pharao who thincking altogether to put out of the lande the memorie and posteritie of the Hebrewes coulde not doe so much by his trauailes but that Moyses was saued from the middest of the waters for to magnifie and praise the name of the Lorde and to encrease the posteritie of the Hebrewes The second is of the Quéene Athalia who hauing ruled the kingdome by force and violence caused to be slayne al those which of the linage and séede roial did then offer could not watch so narowly but that Ioas was stolen froÌ„ among the midst of theÌ„ that were slaine and afterwarde established king for to repaire builde vp the Temple and to ordeine diuine seruice The last is of Herode who purposing to kill all the childreÌ„ which were in Bethelem and in all the couÌ„trey round about as many as were two yéere olde and vnder to the ende to abolish the name of the true Messias our sauiour could not hinder nor let that Iesus Christ should not accoÌ„plish fulfill the course preordeined of God his father for the health and saluation of his And therefore it is sayd in Daniel that the great Prince Michaell which standeth on thy peoples side shall arise vp for there shall come a time of trouble in that time the people of God shall escape yea all those which are found written in the booke of life The which is figured vnto vs in Iosua where Iosua béeing come to the citie of Iericho did lift vp his eyes and looked and beholde there stoode a man before him with his swerde drawen in his hande And Iosua went vnto him and sayd vnto him art thou on our side or on our aduersaries And he aunswered nay but I am the Captaine of the hoast of the Lord am nowe come for to succour helpe it Beholde howe the Lord
matter what it is to let the true Christian religion I do meane those which are confirmable and agreable to the Christian rule and good manners On the contrarie I beséech them to remember a lawe of the Aegyptians by the which the kings of the countrie did adiure and sweare the iudges not to iudge any thing wrongfully yea when the king hath commaunded them expresly and if they do disalowe me in this matter I wil put before their eyes the exhortation which Iehosaphat made vnto the Iudges of Iuda admonishing and warning them to consider that they doe not exercise the iudgment of men but of GOD and that it shall be with them according to the thing iudged to haue the feare of the Lorde before their eyes to know that there is no vnrighteousnes in the Lord your god nor the regarding of persons nor taking of rewardes They haue written this lawe not with ynke but with the spirite of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of their heartes To the end that by their arrestes and Edictes they haue moued by that afore the people vnto a rage and furie more then barbarous and Scythian they may be also an occasion that hereafter the Christian people doe breake their swordes and speares to make sithes sickles and sawes thereof From that time foorth shall not one people lift vp weapon against another neither shall they learne to fight from thencefoorth but as the prophet Iob saith that we may all walke in the feare of the Lord let vs acknowledge also on our parte that God hath ben prouoked iustly against vs for our demerites and transgressions according as he doth menace and threaten some time his people by the Prophet that he wil take from them the Captein the Souldier the Iudge and the Prophet the wise and the aged man the worshipfull of fiftie yeare olde and the honourable the Senatours and men of vnderstanding the maisters of craftes and Oratoures and shall giue vnto them to be their Princes children and babes shall haue the rule ouer them The people shal be pilled and polled one shall euer be doing violence and wronge to an other The boye shall presume against the elder and the vile person against the honourable Bicause saith the Prophet that both their wordes and counseils are against the Lorde they prouoke the presence of his maiestie vnto anger Wherefore O Christian and faithfull people let vs consider our wayes and search them and let vs returne vnto the Lorde and bewaile vs for our sinnes Let vs lift vp our heartes with our handes vnto the Lorde that is in heauen saying We haue bene dissemblers and haue offended wilt thou therefore not be intreated thou hast conuerted vs in thy wrath and persecuted vs thou hast slaine vs without any fauour thou hast hidde thy selfe in a cloude that our prayers shoulde not goe thorowe thou hast made vs outcastes and to be dispised among the heathen All our enimies gape vppon vs feare and snare is come vpon vs yea dispite and destruction O Lorde be not so sore displeased and kéepe not our offences too long in thy remembrance but consider that we are all thy people The cities of thy Sanctuarie lie wast Syon is a wildernesse Ierusalem a desert Our holy house which is our beautie where our fathers praised thée is brent vp yea all our pleasures and commodities are wasted away remember not Lorde our offences but finish the worke which thou hast begunne in vs in this meane libertie of the religion that we may all sing in great hope and assurance with the Prophet Dauid mercie and truth are met together righteousnesse and peace kisse each other truth shal rise out of the earth and righteousnesse shall looke downe from heauen Graunt vs O Lorde that grace in the name and fauour of thy welbeloued sonne our Lorde Iesus Christe vnto whome be glorie for euer Amen ESAY 11. c. The Lord shall set vp a token among the Gentils and gather together the dispersed of Israel yea and of the outcastes of Iuda from the foure corners of the worlde A prayer O Lord which doest disperse and breake the counsells of the nations dost bring too nothing the enterprises of the people shed out the bowels of thy mercies vpon those which do fight daily against thée as their forefathers and woulde chase and driue thée from thy celestiall throne as the king of Babilon To conclude doe put and set them selues against thy sonne Christe teachers and liers as that sonne of perdition for to pull vp by the roote that which thou hast planted to destroy to ruinate that which thou hast builded to hinder and stop that which thou hast shed out euen vnto the vttermost ends of the earth yea do go about by all meanes to marre and to spill that which thou hast tried in the furnesse of the earth and purified seuen times in the fier to ad vnto that which thou hast ordeined in all integrie perfection To cōclud would suppresse abolish by force that which thou hast established for euer O Lord giue thē feare that they may acknowledg confesse him whom thou hast raised vp to set vp the kinreds of Iacob to restore the destruction of Israel and whom thou hast giuen for to lighten the Gentiles that he may be thy health vnto the end of the worlde our Lorde Iesus Christe vnto whome be glorie for euer Amen AN ADVERTISEMENT VNto these which doe crie dayly that wee must not suffer two religions Cap. 4. 1. TIMOTH 4. ¶ Therfore we labour and suffer rebuke bicause we beleeue in the liuing God which is the sauiour of all men but especially of all those that beleeue IT is most euident and knowen by the discourse of the holy scripture that as the Lord is true entire perfect so doth hée require of vs an acknowledging of him neither fained nor cloked That is the cause wherfore he did regard rather the sacrifice of Abel then of Cain did commaunde in the lawe that is written that wée must haue a perfecte and a iust measure and weightes and not to haue two manner of weightes he did rebuke Saul because that he did not wholy and fully accomplish his will and desire inasmuch as he did reserue some of the spoiles which they had gotten against the king of Amalech And in the Gospell is more praised the prayer of the Publican then that of the Pharisie To conclude in the booke of the Actes of the Apostles Ananias is punished bicause he deceiued the Apostles of the price of his possession In the same respect also we do greatly abhorre those which do mingle the sacrifice of the liuing God with that of Baal the doings of the Iewes with the fame of the Samaritans the baptisme with the circumcision the Christian lawe with that of Antichrist And yet
peace Cap. 7. Philip. I. d. Continue in one spirite and in one mynd fighting altogether through the fayth of the gospell in nothing feare your aduersaries FOrasmuch as the Scripture doth teach vs that God is not the God of confusion but of peace And that the Gospell of the Christians is called by the Prophet the message of peace And the christian church the congregatioÌ„ of saincts which doe liue in the peace of god Insomuch that the propht Esaie speaking of the church of God saith that God will let peace into her as a water floud and the might of the heathen as a flowing streame And in Baruch the god shal name his church with this name that is to say the peace of righteousnesse and the honoure of gods feare Finally forasmuch as the Church of GOD is the piller and staye of gods truth truely they maye knowe plainely howe wee ought to bee all diligent to keepe the vnitie of the spirite through the bande of peace to the ende that wée all agréeing together may after the ensample of Iesus Christ with one mouth as saith Sainct Paule praise Gâ—D which is the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ And that we hence foorth be no more as chyldren wauering and caried about with euery winde of doctrine But let vs followe the truth with loue and in all things grow vp in to him which is the head that is to say Christ On the other side we are taught to auoide as much as we may possible the debates and contentions of the lawe and the parcialities touching the dooing of the religion According as Saint Paule did exhorte the Corinthians in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ that they all speake one thing and that there be no discentions among them But that they be knit together in one minde and in one iudgement that they doe continue of all one minde al fighting of one courage by faith And also hee dyd warne and admonish the Philippians that they bée lyke minded hauing the selfe same loue béeing of one accorde and of one iudgement that nothing be done through strife or vaine glorie but that in méekenesse of minde euery man estéeme other better then himselfe On the other side he writeth vnto Titus that he do suppresse foolishe questions and genelogies and brawling and strife about the lawe as vaine and superfluous Also the same Saint Paul doth complaine to the Philippians that some there are which preach Christ of enuie and strife and not purely Also in his seconde Epistle to the Corinthians he saith that hée and Siluianus haue preached vnto you Gods sonne Iesus Christ not in double worde yea and nay but in this worde which is true that is to say yea The same Apostle doth giue vnto vs the reason of this doctrine when he saith that questions and strife of wordes do ingender enuie strife railings euil furmising vain disputations of men with corrupt mindes And saith also in an other place that if there be enuyâ—ng strife sects among vs we do declare that we are carnall and walke after the manner of men For verily he that is contentious in the church especially touching the doing of the religion he sinneth many wayes First in that hee breaketh the vnitie of the Christian Church which ought to be vnited and ioyned together not onely by naturall coniunction and amitie but also by vnitie of doctrine For as Iesus Christ saith that by this shall al men knowe that we are his disciples if we haue loue one to an other Also saint Paul doth warne vs to beware of them which cause diuision and offences contrarie to the doctrine which they haue learned and auoide them Consequently he which is contencious in the church concerning the doctrine or doing of the religion First of all he sinneth against Iesus Christ which is the head of the Christian church and prince of peace as saith the prophet inasmuch as he hath reconciled all things vnto himselfe to set at peace through the bloude of his crosse both things in earth and things in heauen Secondly he doth giue occasion vnto the simple and foolish people to erre and go astray from the christian Church in the which doth lie and rest the piller of our saluation And that the same is greatly odious and hatefull vnto God Iesus Christ doth teach and declare it when he saith Wo be vnto him through whome offences come it were better for him that a great milstone were hanged about his necke and that he were cast into the sea then that he shoulde offende one of these little ones The which his Apostle doth confirme shewing vnto the Galathians that he that troubleth them shall beare his condemnation whosoeuer he be and desireth that they that trouble them may be cut off from them Finally he doth giue occasion vnto straungers and enimies of our religion to blame the name of God. According as the prophet did rebuke the gouernours priestes of the house of Israel that they haue caused the multitude to be offended at the lawe And Sainct Paul writing vnto the Romanes saith that the name of God is euil spokeÌ„ off among the Gentiles through them And by good right a certeine auncient authour did complaine that we many wayes in the church do teare and rent Gods coate through our contentions the which the Souldiours durst not deuide in his passion the whiche did moue sometime the Iewes as Clement Alexandrinus doth witnes to swell and rise vp euen there against the Christians to say that the Christian religion was not of God but some pernicious sect and false religion Because that the Christians had debates and contentions in the church For the same occasion that great heriticke Celsus and chiefest enimy of the christians did rebuke daily the christians of their diuisions and parcialities saying that it were not expedient that they shoulde growe and increase to any more greater number Bicause that being but a fewe in number they would be of one accorde and agrée well together but assone as they did multiplie and waxe many they woulde fall into diuersities of opinions Also Samosetanus in the ecclesiastical history doth witnesse that the Emperour Constantine did suffer verie impatiently the controuersies and contentions of the christians saying that by that means they do turne many men from the christian religion Vnto whome Themistus a christian Philosopher aunswered that the differences controuersies of the christians were nothing in respect of the confusion of the sect of the Gentiles Also the same authour saith moreouer that for certeine small contentions which do chaunce and happen to the churches the church must not therefore leaue and forsake the principall foundation of the true religion nor to be the true churches but that by that means the Lorde doth trie and proue the hearts of many doth declare make plaine the
other Prophet to vse meates not vsed of men And neuerthelesse all that was not done without a greate secrete and misterie and neuerthelesse a man would neuer haue beléeued nor thought that a virgin shoulde beare a childe nor Elizabeth to conceaue in hir olde age To be short he commaunded king Hezekiah to make the sunne to goe backewarde contrarie from his ordinarie course And yet the thinges are happened after the will of the LORD Also after our outward sences we doe distrust our selues often times of strengthes in that that the Lord commaundeth vs although that the things which are vnpossible with men are possible with God which worketh in vs both the wil and also the déede as saith the Apostle euen of his frée beneuolence Furthermore we must not mesure the commaundement of the Lorde after the commaundement of men for often times men being moued with anger doe commaunde vnlawfull vnhonest things as did the Emperour Theodosius whiche caused to be slaine a great number of people in the citie of Thessalonia in the time of Ambrosius Bishop of of Millan And for that cause the Emperour Theodosius was excluded from the companie of the faithfull afterwarde the same Emperour acknowledging his offence caused a lawe to be proclaimed which was that the Iudges shoulde not execute so soone the commaundement of a prince conteining to great seueritie and cruelnesse That same reason moued the consultes not to admit a libell of Refus vnder the title of Refus giuen of anger that is to say except it do appeare that it was ordeined with a good deliberation aduisement The others being moued or stirred forwarde with some kinde of ambition or couetousnesse do commaunde often times thinges contrarie vnto the trueth and also vnto good maners as Pharao which commaunded all his people that they shoulde cast into the riuer all the men children of the Hebrewes saue the maide children aliue A Herod which caused to be slaine all the male children that were in Bethlehem in all the coastes thereof as many as were two yeare olde and vnder A king Ahab which caused Naboth to be slaine for to haue his vineyarde Finally some being puffed vp with a disordinate desire of vengeaunce or rather at the request of others haue no regarde to that that they doe commaunde as Ahab which caused Micheah the Prophet to be put in prison because be tolde him the trueth A king Ioas which caused Zachariah the prophet to be stoned to death A Herod who commaunded the heade of Sainct Iohn baptist to be cut off at the request of his wife of his daughter A Annanias the hie priest which commaunded them that stode by saint Paul to smite him on the mouth But with the Lord it is altogether otherwise for there is no vnrighteousnesse in the Lord our god nor regarding of persons nor taking of rewards I wil say yet moreouer men do coÌ„maund often times that which is not in their power yea that they which haue the tharge giuen them knowe not howe to execute it as those men which would build the Towre of Babel And therein they resembled the Diuell For as the Diuell tooke Iesus vnto an excéeding hie mountaine shewed him all the kingdomes of the worlde promising to giue them vnto him if he would fall downe and worship him although hée had nothing of all that in his power to giue so there are some which many times do promise thinges which are not in their power to giue Forasmuch then as all thinges are in the handes of the Lord also it is he that worketh in vs both the will and the déede euen of his frée beneuolence And neuerthelesse although the commaundementes of the LORD are easie and are none other thing then righteousnesse and truth On the other side that the commaundements of men are full of deceipt guile and hipocrisie forasmuch as man of himselfe is but vanitie yet truely often times through the traditions of men and mens commaundementes we doe leaue and forsake the holy precepts and admonitions of the Lorde euen as the children of Israel did despise the Manna of GOD. And in the meane time desired the flesh of Aegipt the which Iesus Christ rebuked the Scribes and Pharises when he saide wherefore do ye transgresse the commaundements of God through your traditions Euen so haue not the Apostles done vnto whom although that it was forbidden theÌ„ by menasces and threatenings that in no wise they should speake or teach in the name of Iesus yet truely they answered in the presence of all Iudge ye whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather then god For we cannot but speak those things which we haue séene and heard As much sayd the Philosopher Socrates a little before he died speaking vnto the Athenians O ye people of Athens saith that good Philosopher I loue you very much but I loue rather to obey God then you Those are the wordes of those children of the Hebrewes being compelled to worship the Idol which the king Nabuchodonosor had made protesting and declaring in the presence of the king that they will not serue the gods of the Gentiles will not worship the Image which the king hath made The which also in like manner one of those seauen Machebeans being neere vnto death doth witnesse and crying with a loude voice vnto those which persecuted him what séekest thou and what requirest thou of vs I wil not obey the kings commaundement but I will obey the commaundement of the lawe which was giuen vnto our fathers by Moses Héere some will saye vnto me that I am young weake of body and spirite and not able to suffer so many tormentes and afflictions which are ordeined for those which wil not obey the comaundementes of men I doe aunswere that euen so were those children of the Hebrewes And those seuen Machebeans and that notwithstanding they suffered death with a good courage bicause of the hope trust that they had in god The other will excuse hir selfe saying I am a woman and weake of nature Furthermore if I doe nowe dye I shoulde leaue so many small children which dailie will bewaile my decease So was the mother of those little Machebeans neuerthelesse it was she the most stirred them forward to kéepe the commaundement of the Lord and moreouer she exhorted them to be patient Others ther are which considering the greatnesse of their familie wil mourmure against God and as the Painims wil blame our reâ—igion To conclude will saue the earth for to lose the heauen To those kinde of people I would gladly demaund whether they are worthier theÌ„ Dauyd which was a king and a Prophet yea of the stocke from whoÌ„ Iesus Christ the sonne of God is come And notwithstanding that he was afflicted on euery side yea of his owne sonne yet truely
néedie it is most expedient to aide principally our poore neighbours at home and those that be of pure religion This is the counsell which S. Paul doth giue warning vs to doe good vnto all men but specially vnto them which are of the houshoulde of faith Euen as it shall not be euill done of him which shall sée two men in like necessitie and miserie whereof one of them is his kinsman and the other a straunger hée ought of right to preferre and helpe his kinsman if the case so require that they were both of them in like degrée of miserie and that he could not helpe them both The worke then of loue and charitie hath no regarde to the condition qualitie or affinitie of personnes but it hath regarde to the onely néede pouertie and miserie That is the cause wherfore Iesus Christ said in sainct Luke when thou makest a dinner or a supper call not thy friendes nor thy bretheren neither thy kinsmen or yet rich neighbours least they also bid thée againe and a recompence be made thée But when thou makest a feast call the poore the maimed the lame and the blinde And thou shalt be happie for they can not recompence thée but thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the iust men Not without cause Lactantius Firmianus rebuked sharply Plautus saying that he did euill who did giue vnto the begger to eate and that all that is giuen vnto him is lost forasmuch as he prolongeth his life to more greater miserie Forasmuch then as such people can not denie but that it is the office of humanitie to kéepe from daunger him which is in some perill of death wherefore will they denie that the same is not a charitable déede to giue meate vnto him which is an hungred In like maner to giue drincke to him which is a thirst The same Author accuseth greatly Cicero bicause he hath written that the liberalitie which is done of our owne proper house hath drawen vp the fountaine of all benignitie and liberaltie And the more we vse it so much the lesse it may endure to manie As if that professor of true sapience Cicero would retire and drawe men from all humanitie and to commaunde them to keéepe better their chest then the true iustice In that point the same Author is greatly abused when willing to reuoke and call backe againe his saying thought that hee should doe pleasure vnto those which are able to acquite it The which also moued Lactantius Firmianus to say that if Cicero had liued in his time he woulde then haue cried with a loude voice O Cicero thou hast failed from the true iustice and of one onely word thou hast abolished it when thou hast waied and mesured the right of pietie and humanitie by the onely profite For we must not giue vnto those that are able but to the contrarie we must giue to them that are lesse able The which as it séemed the Philosopher Plato was not ignoraunt off when he said that if it bee a question to gratefie and helpe the néedie that is to say to doe good vnto them wée must not consider the better but we must haue regarde to the most poore or néedie For they being deliuered from greate afflictions will render vnto thee immortall thankes And in our proper and priuate expences and cost we must not banket our friendes but let vs banket the most néedie and poore and those whiche are an houngered and thâ—se whiche are afflicted Those saith he wil acknowledge the pleasures will followe thée and will stande at thy gates will giue thée thanks and besides will pray for thée These are the verie same causes whiche haue moued so many good people in the olde Church to sell the precious vesselles and the costly ornamentes of the temples for to helpe the néedie and those that were in necessitie acknowledgeing in them the liuely Images and temples of the Lorde And in this matter the déede of Laurence the Martir hath béene greately praysed who being asked what he had done with the treasures of the Temple then hée caused a greate number of poore people to come for to declare that they were truely the treasures of the temple in whome doth dwell Iesus Christe and the faith of Iesus Christe Those then are greately abused and dampnable whiche exercise so muche liberalities to the temples temples I say consecrated without the worde of God for to celebrate and make their name remaine for euer in the earth and consider not that in giuing almes vnto the poore they gather vp for â—hem treasures in heauen where neither the mothes nor canker can corrupte and where theeues neither pearce through nor yet steale I do not make héere mention of those which doe giue in their last willes so many excessiue bequeathes so greate giftes to those which haue no neede and in the meane time doe defraude their children from their proper inheritaunces yea they forget the naturall charitie and loue that they owe to their owne fathers saying as the Iewes that euerie gieft that procéedeth from me thou shalt be holpen Though he honour not his father or his mother he shal be quite and without fault I will passe ouer willingly and will make no mention of those who hauing not vsed any humanitie in their life time in the ende of their dayes doe giue those thinges that they cannot carrie away with them and giue no eare vnto the voyce of him whiche saith Giue and take and sanctifie thy soule and work thou righteousnesse before thy death doe good vnto thy friende before thou die and according to thy habilitie reach out thine hande and giue vnto the poore And also Basill the greate hath verie well written that suche people are like vnto those whiche doe banket and feast the greate Lordes of the remnaunt and that is lefte of the superfluities of their tables Forasmuche then as such men haue offered nothing to their benefectours in their life time they will present vnto them in the ende of their dayes that whiche they cannot enioy after their death Bicause that we haue saide that the goodes shoulde not be common as some Philosophers and Anabaptistes in our time haue done or to forbid parents to gather heape vp riches for their children so that it be not gotten vnlawfully that no man oppresse defraude his brother in any matter forasmuche as the Lord is a venger of al such things As also we will not allowe the almes which is giuen of other mens goods For the Lorde wil be honoured with the substance that is our owne And the sonne of Syraac saith that who so bringeth an offering out of the goods of the poore doth euen as one than killeth the sonne before the fathers eyes and he that giueth an offering of vnrighteous goods his offering is refused That is the cause wherefore it was forbidden the children of