anguish he hanged himself So horrible and dreadfull were in his sight hell gates the wages payment of his iniquity There is also an euangelicall penitence whiche is a continuall study purpose and endeuerment and wilfull meditacion of mortifieng our fleshe and fashioning our liues to the wyll of the Lorde And this kind of penitence is onely in them that are renued and vnto whom the forgiuenesse of sin through Christ is giuē As for this word penaunce because the Popes clergy hath iugled with it so craftely and deceyued the poore innocentes eyes it is well done to reproue the euill vse and handling of it as the mainteyning of the same is wicked What signifie the latter times in Scripture The Prophetes signifie by them commonly the dayes wherein the prophesies and the figures of the olde testament going on Christ toke effecte and were perfourmed For when Christ came both the prophesies figures ceased And euer sence Christ is openly sincerely clearely and without all shadowes set out and preached and so shall continue vnto the worldes ende Paule calleth The latter dayes the time a little before the end of the worlde and the day of the iudgement of the lord In which we be euen nowe What is the consummation and ende of the worlde It is when the state and forme of the worlde shall passe by And when this chaunge of Winter Sommer and spring shall cease when there shall be neyther night nor day What is the day of the Lorde The greate assemblement court and paritament of all men that hath ben from Adam to the last man at what day our Lorde Iesus Christ shall come with great power and maiesty and pronounce the last sentence and dome both to the good and to the euill adiudging the euill to euerlasting punishment with the deuilles and graunting the good and godly man euerlasting ioye and felicitie to the which that we may come God through our Sauiour Iesus Christ graunt to whome be all honor and prayse Amen Geue the glory to GOD alone ¶ An other booke of Demaundes of holy Scriptures verye profitable to all Students of Diuinitie WHO is the author and maker of the most beautifull frame of this world God whiche by his almightie power wisedom and goodnesse doth now also order gouerne and preserue the same What is God An endlesse vncreated substance without both beginning and ending Which by his worde alone first created all things and nowe disposeth and ruleth ▪ yea and conserueth all things one substance distinguished but not deuided into thre sundrie persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and notwithstanding remayning one alone true and perfect God. What is his word whereby he first created and nowe preserueth and gouerneth all things It is the decreed sentence appointment will power and wisedome of God. The Sonne is also called the word bicause he is the wisedome and might of his father the word in the Scripture is oftentimes called by a metaphore or similitude water wine milke a lantern or candle the voyce of the shepeheard the ryght hand of the Lord the breath of the Lords mouthe the bread of life a pearle or precious stone and such like In what state did God create man Perfect righteous and good according to his owne image and likenesse hauing fier and water set before him to take which he would being endued with free will to doo euill or to continue still in goodnesse What then condemned vs Sinne by the lawe What is Sinne Sinne is the transgression or breaking of the whole lawe or of any one commaundement of god And all that is done without fayth is sinne and therefore the good workes of the infidelles doe nothing profite them What is the Lawe A learning teaching vs with authoritie what ought to be done or auoyded in thought worde or deede with rewardes and punishmentes for doing or omitting the same This law is our schoolemaister to teach vs the waye to Christ by whome the violence sting power and the shadowes of the lawe bee takē away in whose place he hath brought in grace and truth Howe chaunced we to synne By the choyce of our free will graunted to vs either to doe good or euill whereby we lost both our felicitie that we were first placed in and that our free will also Howe then were both we and our forefathers reconciled to the fauour of God which wee lost by our disobedience being as vnfruite full branches of the rotden roote of Adam By the performance of the mercifull promise of God giuen to Adam that the seede of the woman shoulde breake the serpents heade Renued to Abraham that in his seede all Nations shoulde bee blessed and perfourmed by Christ which by his death payd our raunsome whiche promise and perfourmaunce conueyed vnto our forefathers and vs and vnto all the Church by faith hath ben and is the common and general meane of saluacion they that is to say our forefathers beleeuing that Christ was to come by whome alone they should be saued we with no doubtfull faith confessing that he is come dyed and rose againe for to regenerate vs to God to mortify vs to sinne the fleshe and the world to rayse vp againe at the laste day and so to take vs vnto him selfe placing vs in the glory of his father Who receyueth this benefyte The church of Christ only What is the church of Christ The whole number of the faithfull beleeuers in Christes comming sufferance and resurrection members of the misticall body of Christ Graines to make one loafe Graps to make one wine liuely stones to buylde on a spirituall house in Christ to offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God thorowe the same Christ Iesus which is the head of the same body the corner stone of the sayd house the Lord and husband to the sayd church his spouse maried to him by faith Who bestoweth this benefyte vpon vs God through Iesus Christ his sonne by whome he hath made vs his children also and fellowe heyres with Christe of hys What sygnifyeth this name IESVS A Sauiour which is the chiefe poynt of his office and cause of his comming into this worlde as appeareth by the wordes of the Aungell to Ioseph shee meaning Marie shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iesus For he shall saue his people from their sinnes What signifyeth this name CHRIST Annointed whereupon it may be gathered that our Sauiour Christ is a king a priest and a Prophet which .iii. were accustomed by the lawe ceremonial to be annointed A king bicause by inheritance he being the sonne of God ought to be Lord and Ruler of all thinges and bicause he hath conquered and subdued vnto him selfe by death by bearing our sinnes by redeeming vs his inheritance out of the power of the deuill all the whole kingdome power and aucthority ouer death sinne and
to God whiche Spirite we receaue by Christ at our regeneration Of this newe man speaketh our Sauiour Christe thus That whiche is borne of the spirite is spirite Also S. Paule Be renued in the spirit of your minde and put on the newe man whiche after God is shapen in righteousnesse and true holynesse Againe put on the newe man which is renued in the knowledge and image of him that made him What is it to denye our selues Playnly to professe that all our laboures and works profit nothing vnto saluatiō to slea the old Adam with al his lusts affectiōs What is it to forsake all that we haue for Christes sake To esteeme al that we haue not to be ours for his sake and willingly if neede so require for the profession of his name to depart from wyfe children parentes freendes countrey house landes and all thinges els that we doo or may enioye yea and to put our selues in danger of all perill for the name of Christ and profession of the Gospell He that loueth father or mother more then me saith Christ is not worthy of me And he that loueth sonne or daughter more then mee is not worthy of me And he that taketh not his crosse and followeth me is not worthy of me He that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall finde it Agayne if a man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wyfe and children and bretheren or sisters yea his owne life also he cannot be my disciple And whosoeuer doth not beare his crosse and come after me he cannot be my disciple What is the crosse that we must take vpon on vs Any sorow or payne that belonggeth to any vocation or trade of life for the tryall and profe of our faith and pacience Also it is the correction chastening rodde and staffe of the Lord wherewith he punisheth them whome he loueth not to theyr damnation or vtter casting away from his fauour but to saluation and to teach vs to flye vnto him in our trouble aduersity as children to our most deare louing father What is ment by the name of the Lorde whose glory we must set forth The glory prayse wysedome might power worship honor and maiestie of the Lorde Or the knowledg preaching and aduauncement of his holy worde What is the temple of the holy Ghost An honest godly and faithfull christian hart in the which God is rightly worshipped in spirite and truth wherein are offered spirituall sacrifices of prayse innocencie thankes geuing of an humble and contrite hart whose chiefe corner stone is christ Knowe ye not saith Saint Paule that ye are the temple of God and howe the spirite of God dwelleth in you ▪ If any man defile the temple of God him shall God destroye For the temple of God is holy which temple ye are Saint Peter also sayth Ye as liuing stones are made a spirituall house an holy Priesthode for to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. What is the kingdome of heauen The kingdome of heauen is diuerslye taken in the Scriptures First for the holy Gospell and worde of God bicause that is the scepter and yron rodde whereby God ruleth reygneth and dwelleth in the hearts of the faythfull Of this kingdome speaketh Christ in the Gospell on this wise I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen that is to saye I will commit vnto thee the office to preache the Gospell of saluation which openeth and vnlocketh vnto men the waye and doore by the whiche they may be saued and enter into the kingdome of heauen Item the kingdome of heauen is lyke vnto leauen which a woman tooke and hydde in three peckes of meale tyll it were all leauenned Secondlye the kingdome of heauen is taken for fayth it selfe as Saint Paule sayeth The kingdome of heauen is not meate and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioye in the holy ghost Thirdlye the kingdome of heauen is expounded the whole congregation of the faythfull abyding in this lyfe in whome the Lorde by his worde and spirite doth inuisibly dwell and reygne Of this kingdome speaketh Christ in the Gospell on this maner The kingdome of heauen is lyke to ten virgines whiche tooke their lampes and went to meete the Brydegrome Fyue of them were wyse and fiue were foolishe c. Fourthlye the kingdome of heauen is taken for the ioye felicitie and pleasure which the soules of the beleeuers enioye when they are departed out of this world and their bodies also ioyned with the soules at the day of Iudgement shall enioy euen in that place which Christ hath prepared for them to possesse where they shall bee comforted with the sight of his Maiestie and Godheade and with the fruition of his perpetuall felicitie with him Of this kingdome speaketh Christ in the Gospell When ye shall see Abraham Isaac and Iacob and the Prophets in the kingdome of God and you to bee driuen out of the dores Finallye the kingdome of heauen is wheresoeuer Gods worde is preached from which kingdome they onely are excluded whiche beleeue not the worde according to this saying of Christ He that is of God heareth the wordes of god But yee heare not bicause yee are not of god Agayne My sheepe heare my voyce Item Euerye one that is of the truth heareth my voyce What meanest thou by a lande that floweth with milke and honie Pleasaunt abundance of all things both sweete and profitable By the honie is vnderstoode sweetenesse ioy gladnesse and pleasure By the milke pure nourishment whereby we still continue growe and increase in fayth and godlynesse vnto the measure of Christ. When shall we enter vppon and enioye this kingdome this promised lande that floweth with milke and honie The church militant in this worlde gouerned by the spirite of their most mightie valiant victorious and triumphant Captayne Christ already enioyeth after a certayne maner in spirite thorowe fayth in this kingdome and blessed lande as it is written He that beleeueth on the Sonne hath euerlasting life Hee that beleeueth not on the Sonne shall not see lyfe but the wrath of God abydeth vpon him But when they are ioyned togither both bodie and soule with the reast of the faithfull congregation which are departed out of this world in the faith of Christ to make one whole tryumphant congregation when they haue by the power of Christe conquered the malignant church of the deuill which shall be at the last day of iudgement which we doo dayly looke for nowe in these latter times then shall they truely and perfectly enioye and possesse all the ioyes and pleasures of that most ioiful and pleasant lande whereof Dauid speaketh on this manner I beleeue to see the good things of the Lorde in the land of the liuing Nowe we see in a glasse sayth the Apostle euen in a
be honest trades godlye orders of lyfe and vertuous meete to bee exercised of Christians as Matrimonie Order Penance Confirmation and extreme vnction What is Matrimonie A lawfull ioyning togither of one man and one woman to liue chastlye togither forsaking all other for to bring forth children in the feare of God and to auoyde fornication contayning an vnseparable fellowship of lyfe togither What is Order Order hathe bene wrongfully taken both for a Sacrament and for the annoynted order of Priesthode which Christ tooke awaye But in deede a godly holy and reuerende state of Ministers Preachers Pastors or Apostles is of Christ allowed in the newe Testament to be louingly and reuerently receyued of vs as shepeheardes of the flocke Of whome sayeth Saint Paule They that rule well are worthie of double honour but namely they that laboure in worde and doctrine What is Confirmation A godlye allowance by the Bishop or Preacher of the children when they came to age into the congregation of Christ as a due examination or triall of their continuance in the same fayth whiche their Godfathers or sureties in their name professed and promised for them at their Baptisme to kepe And this Confirmation is as it were a discharge of the Godfathers bondes What is penaunce or repentaunce A nowe what is our dutie towarde him To loue him feare him honour him followe him serue him beleeue in him to fight vnder his standarde with all fayth charitie truth despising of worldlye things thanksgiuing innocencie fasting prayer obedience humilitie and pacience to put of the olde man and to doe on the newe to denie our selues to take the Crosse vpon vs to forsake all that wee haue for his sake and to set forth the glorie of his name that we maye become a worthie Temple for the holye ghost and meete heyres for the kingdome of heauen the true land of promise flowing with milke and honie What is it to loue God To cast oure whole minde and affection vppon God with all reuerence and earnestly desire to followe his will. What is it to feare God The feare of the Lorde is a lyke reuerence as children owe to their parents a willing and faithfull heede that wee committe nothing against him or his worde that we offende not so louing a Father but rather diligently apply our selues to liue according to his commaundement alway thinking that God doth presently see and beholde all our deedes words yea and thoughts This feare is the beginning of wisedome This feare maketh him blessed that hath it This feare is the fountayne of life This feare keepeth vs from sinne And besides a number of other commodities this feare maketh vs more warely to take heede of the craft of Satan The feare of the Lorde is also taken for the worshipping of the Lorde as it is written They feare mee in vayne with the commaundementes of men Ionas the Prophet also sayde I am an Hebrue and feare the God of heauen If these manye profites and commodities come of the feare of God howe chaunceth it that the deuilles doe not enioye the same which feare the Lorde as much as we As much in deede but not as well For there be two kindes of feare A childishe or reuerent feare whereof I haue alreadye spoken and a seruile bonde or slauishe feare The feare of the vngodlye by the consideration of the lawe and feare of punishment as likewise is the feare of the deuils is bonde seruile and thrall Of this feare speaketh Saint John in hys Epistle on this maner Feare is not in charitie but perfect charitie casteth feare out of the doores This feare is called a mightie feare in the Psalme bicause all things by it are done in vnfaythfulnesse in such ignorance and lacke of knowledge of the mercie of God as thoughe God were no naturall fatherly God but a seuere narrowe eyed Iudge or cruell tyrant These two kindes of feare are well described of the Poet Horace on this maner Oderunt peccare boni virtutis amore Oderunt peccare mali formidine poenae Which may thus be translated into Englishe Good men doe well of a vertuous entent Euill men do well for feare of punishmēt What is it to honour and worship God Both with our whole mynde and strength thereof and with the bodie and power thereof as subiect to the mynde and both to God to reuerence and prayse God to to declare our loue and feare towardes him What is it to followe God To beleeue in him to keepe his doctrine and obey it to follow him whithersoeuer he leadeth or calleth vs to beare what burden soeuer he layeth vpon vs to doe as he hath done before vs and giuen vs an example to doe after him What is it to serue God To liue according to his word to beleeue in him to referre all thinges to his glorye to helpe our neighbour to obey him as our Lorde and maister whose seruice is no bondage but freedome whose burden is light whose yoke is pleasant as Christ sayth take my yoke vpon you and learne of me for I am mecke and lowly in hart and ye shall finde rest to your soules For my yoke is easye and my burden is light Saint Iohn also saith his commaundements are not greuous What is it to beleeue in God To receaue his seede and doctrine into our hart to cōmit our selues wholely vnto him in all thinges and certainely to assure our selues that all thinges are true and shall vndoubtedly be performed which he hath promised What is it to fight vnder his standarde To followe the example of our captaine christ As he by death hath conquered sin death hell and the deuill so we by mortifiing of our flesh ought to suppresse subdue and conquer the same with the helpe of our sauiour and captaine whose standarde the crosse vnles we follow we perishe and become a praye to our enemies neuer to bee redemed yf he doe not raunsome vs. What is truth Christ him selfe the word of God and what soeuer agreeth with him which can neyther deceaue nor be deceaued I am the way the truthe and the life sayth christ And in his prayer to God the father he sayth thy worde is the truth The ciuill truth is an agreemente of wordes and deedes to say as the thing is and as we know it to be Of this truthe speaketh the Apostle in his Epistle to the Ephesians saying put away lying and speake euery man truth vnto his neighbour forasmuch as we are members one of an other Also the Prophet Zacharie speak euery man the truth to his neighbour let none of you imagine euill in his hart against his neighbour and loue no false othes c. What is it to despise worldly thinges Wholly to set our minde vppon heauenly thinges not regarding the transitorie and vncertaine vanities of this world according to the wordes of S. Peter all fleshe is as the grasse and all glory of man
darke speaking but then shall we see face to face And as S. Iohn saith It dooth not yet appeare what we shall be But we knowe that when it shall appeare we shall be like him For we shall see him as he is The eye hath not seene and the eare hath not heard neyther haue entred into the hart of man the thinges which God hath prepared for them that loue him And all these thinges shall the elect congregation of God enioy and possesse immediatly after the ende of these latter times wherein we now liue What callest thou the latter times The first times were vnder the lawe of nature till the lawe of Moyses The seconde vnder the lawe of Moses till the kingdome thereof abolished Christ entred into this worlde Nowe the thirde and last time is and hath bene sithence the entring of Christ into this worlde to take out fleshe vpon him by ioyning in him togither both Godheade and Manheade with an vnseparable knotte to reconcile and knitte togeather God and man nowe that all the prophecies figures of Christ be brought to an ende The last times also are the times that goe immediatly before the day of the Lord and ende of the world Saint Iohn saith Little children it is the last time Saint Paul saith We are they whom the endes of the world are come vpon Saint Iames saith The comming of the Lorde draweth nigh The Iudge standeth before the doore And our Sauiour Christ himselfe sayth The time is at hande Beholde I come shortly and my rewarde is with me to giue euerye man according as his deedes shall be Howe farre thinkest thou that daye to be hence No man can pronounce any certaintie of the time when that day shall be as our sauiour Christ sayth â–ª Of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Aungels in heauen but my father onely Agayne It is not for you to knowe the times and seasons which the father hath put in his owne power Saint Paule saith that the day of the Lorde shall come euen as a thiefe in the night For when they shall saye Peace peace all things are safe then shall sodayne destruction come vpon them as sorowe commeth vppon a woman trauayling with childe and they shal not scape Notwithstanding although the holy Scriptures doe passe ouer with silence the certaintie of the time when Christ shall come to iudge the worlde as a thing more curious than profitable for our saluation that by this meanes wee might set our selues in the more readinesse against his comming bicause we are not certaine of the day and houre yet we may plainely perceyue that it is not farre of both by the comparison of our dayes with the dayes of Noe For thus saith Christ as it happened in the dayes of Noe so shal it be also in the dayes of the Sonne of man. They did eate and drinke they maryed wyues and were maryed euen vnto the same day that Noe went into the Arke and the floud came and destroyed them all c. Euen so shall it bee in the day when the sonne of man shal appeare and by the shortening of the dayes promised in the Scripture for the electes sake and diuers other argumentes besides Nowe when that day shall once come which vndoubtedly shall come out of hand then shall the Lord seperate the Sheepe from the Goates rewarde the vngodly with punishment due to their vnbeleife and the godly he shall put in possession of that most glorious and blessed kingdome whiche he purchased for them by the crucifying of his bodie and shedding of his bloude To this Lorde Christ our alone Sauiour with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and prayse both now and euer Amen Giue the glorie to God alone Iohn 3. Matth. 13. Amos. 8. Actes 16. Iohn 13. Luke .3 1. Ioan. 3. Ezech. 16. Luke .6 Esay 58. Exod. 22. Leuit. 19. Matth. 25. Romans 12. Hebru 13. Gene. 19. 1. Peter 4. Leuit. 19. and. 23. Deut. 24. 1. Tim. 4. Titus 1. Iude. Epist. Matth. 25. Romans .2 Galat. 5. Ephe. 2. Tit. .3 Ioan. .15 Gene. 1. Eccle. 18. psalme 146. Acte 14.17 Romans 5. Gene. 3. What sin is Gene. 3. Romans 5. 1. Timoth. 2. Romans 5. Ephe. 1.2 Collossi 1. 1. Ioan. 3. Ioan. 1. Galathi 4. What God is God is infinite Exodus 22. Psalme 82. What a strange God is What faith is Romans 10. Hebru 11. What hope is What charitie is Math. 25. What the law of god is The office of the law Ioan. 7. Romans 7. 2. Cor. 3. Galat. 3. What the Gospell is Romans 1. Who is godly Who is vngodly Who is a Christian. Who is an Ethnike An Heretike who The word of God is the doctrin of faith The kingdom of Heauen what it is The world what it is The word of God what it is The nams of the worde of God. Ephe. 6. Heb. 4. Iere. 22. 2. Thess. 2. What mens traditions are Math. 13. Iere. 23. Math. 15. Marke 7. Math. 19 How men are good Who be euill Acte 4. Ephe. 2. Who is righteous What it is to be iustified Psalm 32. Rom. 4. Rom. 4.5 Gal. 2.3 Vnrighteous who Euerlasting life what Ioan. 17. Ioan. 5. Hell or euerlasting death what it is Hell diuersly taken 1. Reg. 2. Esay 66. Apoc. 22. Math. 13.22.25 What the blessing of God is What the curse of God is What a good conscience is Rom. 5. Esay 57.35 What an euyl conscience is Ioan. 14. Ioan. 17. What falshod is The feare of God what it is Rom. 8. What the contempt or despysing of God is Thankes geuing what it is Psalm 50. Vnkindnesse and murmuring against God what it is Exod. 16.17 To haue the holy Ghoste what it is Galat. 5. To be euill minded or to haue the deuil what it is A good Angell what it is An euill Angell what it is The Crosse what it is What the Crosse of Christe is What the pleasure and ease of this life is What sinne is Originall sinne what it is Originall iustice what it is Rom. 7.2 Cor. 3. The corruption of the nature of man. What this word Culpa signifieth What this word Poena signifieth Rom. 1. Math. 5. Note wel God punisheth sinne in this worlde not after thys life in purgatory as the Papistes faine 1. Cor. 11. 2. Reg. 12. Innocencie what it is 1. Cor. 4. 1. Ioan. 1. Exod. 34. 4. Reg. 20. What the spirite is Ioan. 6. Psalm 150. Ioan. 3. What the fleshe is Ioan. 3.1 Cor. 2. Ioan. 6. What the newe man is Ioan. 3. What the old man is Psalm 51. Ephe. 2. Coloss. 2. Blessed or happy who Luke 12. Who is vnhappy Poore who is Math. 5. Ritch who is Luke 1.6 Luke 16. Iac. 5. Wise and circumspect who A foole who 1. Cor. 3. A child what Eccl. 10. Esay 65. Math. 18. What an Elder is What Christe is Exod. 19. 1. Pet. 2. Apoc. 1. Romans 12. What