Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	according_a	faith_n	work_n	1,447	5	6.0449	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14462	The firste parte of the Christian instruction, and generall so[m]me of the doctrine, conteyned in the holy Scriptures wherein the principall pointes of the religion are familiarly handled by dialogues, very necessary to be read of all Christians. Translated into Englishe, by Iohn Shute, accordyng to the late copy set forth, by th'author Maister Peter Viret. 1565. Ouersene and perused, accordyng to the order appointed, by the Queenes maiesties iniunctions.; Instruction chrestienne et somme generale de la doctrine comprinse ès sainctes Escritures. Part 1. English	Viret, Pierre, 1511-1571.; Shute, John, fl. 1562-1573.	1565 (1565)	STC 24777; ESTC S119198	167,989	225

awaken thē which things did very well agree with the nature of the law For by the same the sentence of the cursse of God is pronoūced Deut. 27 vpon all those that shal not obserue it euen to the vttermost iote ¶ Of the vsage of the lavv to lead men to Iesus Christ by the knovvledge of their synnes T. THen is there none but he is accurssed for how may we obserue and fulfill the law thorowly when we are not able perfectlye to accomplishe the leaste pointe conteyned therin D. All be it that it is euill as thou sayest yet doth it not folow but that it profiteth vs much for it dothe condemne vs and causeth vs to seke our absolutiō hauing recourse to the grace and mercy of hym who condemneth vs by the same to absolue vs afterward and to deliuer vs from the condemnatiō which we haue deserued She declareth vnto vs the cursse to teache vs to knowe the wrath of God against sinne and to stirre vs vp to seeke that seede of Ro. ● 4. 7. Gen. 12. 22 Galat. xxx blessing which is in Iesus Christ by whō that cursse is wiped away T. They haue not a little profited that haue learned this knowledge ¶ Of the cause vvherfore God vvould make the people of Israel afraide by those signes vvhich he gaue in the mounte Synay D. ANd for so much as the hart of man is high proud and stubburne and can not humble himself vnder the mighty hande of God nor acknowledge the power and the Maiesty of him and his wrath against sin how much he is to be feared redoubted his wyll was to declare these things by such tokens For if the sound of the thūder which is called the voyce of God be so horryble and fearefull that there is none but is moued and afrayd with it and if the material lightning be so violent that nothing is able to resyste Pl. 18. 104. it nor to stand before it let vs then thinke how horrible and feareful the voyce of God shall be when he shall speake to the wicked in his anger and in his wrathe and when he shall Mat. 7. 25. say vnto them goe your way and depart from me ye workers of iniquitie goe into euerlasting fire whiche is prepared for the Deuill and his Angels The same shal be a terrible thunder which shal cast so exceding a horrible lightning y● no one of those y● it shall smite shall be able to abide it but that he shal be thrown hedlong into the bottomeles pitte of hell It shall lighten a fyre which neuer shal be quenched for Esay 66. Mar. 9 Deut. 4 Heb. xii Psal xviii Gene. 19 the Lord is a cōsuming fyre which wil burne and consume all those which would not walke in his lighte It is he that casteth the great flames of fyre and the burning coales out of his mouth when he speaketh as those of Sodom and Gomorre haue already proued Then whosoeuer he be that wil not heare his fatherly voyce by the which he declareth vnto vs his wil in so louing a sort he shal be constrained to heare that thundring roaring and firy voyce which maketh the the heauen and earth to ringe and tremble of the which the thunder is but a very litle sound and a very soft expression T. Seyng it is so he is a Lord that speaketh very mightely and is greatly to be feared ¶ Of the trompet vvhich did sound in the mounte Synay of the meanyng therof and of the blessings and cursings of the lavv and of the publishing of the same D. IN like sort this cornette that trompet was a signe and a token of that great trompet which shall sounde at the last day and shall cause the earth to open and shall Math. xxv i. Cor. 15 i. Thes v. Iohn v. come euen to the eares of the deade which are rotten in the dust of the same euen from the beginning of the world and shall call both the quicke and the deade to iudgement For euen as the people were assembled together in the mounte Synay by the trompet that there dyd sound in like sort in the latter day al shal be gathered together by the sounde of Leui. 23 the trumpet of that great God to be iudged according to that law which then he gaue We maye see the like of the cornets and trumpets which they vsed to sounde in Israel in the yeare of Iubile and when they shoulde gather the people together to heare the law of God Then when thys last trumpet shal sound of the which these same haue bene euen as figures euery man shal know of what valewe the blessings are which he hath promised to those which should obey vnto his lawe and also the cursses with the which he threatneth al the rebels and wicked ones For after that he had spoken on the height of the mountayne out of the middest of the smoke and that he had geuen the lawes the determinations the decrees and the canons of thys great councel which he held with hys people He gaue also the order and maner of his blessinges and cursses and maledictions which afterward likewise wer published in great solemnitye and maiestye For he commaunded that the one Deut. 27 part of the twelue tribes of Israel should go vp to an hyll to reherse the blessinges and the other shoulde stande vpon an other to rehearse the cursses and that the whole multitude should be in a valley to subscribe and binde them selues openly and solemnly to the obseruance of the same in the which obligation we al ar cōprehended T. Thys is not an obligation which a man may discharge with a summe of money ¶ Of the last and general iudgement of God and of the sentence that shall be geuen ther vvithout respect of person as vvel vpon the faithful as on the infidels D. THerfore it behoueth vs to haue good regarde to our doings in this behalfe for these are no playes of litle children nor lyghtnynges papall whiche are but in parchment and paper and in yncke and in waxe and in leade There shall bee there an other assistaunce then is that of the Councell of Trente There shall bee there an other kynde of songe and melodye then in the feaste of the Image of Nabuchodonosor and in the Popes sessions the Popes Cardinals Bishops and generals of the Monkes shall not be set there to geue the last sentences nor to pronoūce the condēnations the cursses maledictions against the very disciples of Iesus Christ nor yet the Emperours kings Princes their Embassadours to execute the iudge ments of these here but al these together shal appeare there to be thēselues iudged euery mā according to his workes Gal. vi by the which they haue declared what faithe they haue had in Iesus Christ Iesus the very sonne of God to whom the father hath geuen all power and all iudgement he shall be

goodwil will bestow vpon vs and cōtrarely that God by his great goodnes and mercy doth fight agaynst our malice and frowardnes euen as to bestowe of hys graces vpon vs will we nill we and to withdraw vs frō these bottomles pittes of wickednes into the which we go about to throw our selues most willingly ¶ Of the cause of the fall and ●uyne of mankind and of the remedy and meane hovv to recouer the same D. THat same was the first fountaine and spryng of all the disorders mischiefes that euer entred into the worlde That same was the very pathe that our first parentes tooke That same was the very meane by the which they fell from that hye degree and state of felicitie peace quietnes and ioye in the whiche God had placed thē in the beginnyng throughe the whiche they haue dampned them selues withall their rase and are fallen into this greate disorder and confusion in the whiche we are euen at this present bycause that we as their proper children folow euē the selfe and same councell that they folowed Therfore seyng that we do knowe the cause of the euill why do we not trauayle to finde out the remedies contrary to the same for so much as the euil doth procede of that that we refused to folow the councell and will of God and folowed the councell and persuasiō of the deuil Let vs now leaue the deuill withall his intisementes and persuasions and let vs enquire at the mouth of God and take councell of him howe to learne to knowe his will and to folow the same and then all disorder and confusion shal be cleane put away and euery thing shal be brought into good order For in dede the onely wil of God and the obedience thereunto belongyng is the mother and nource of al good order It is onely she that doth beget it nourish it and maintayne it and is the onely rule wherwith if you measure all things wel al disorder shal be chaūged into good order ¶ Of the difficultie that is in men to acknovvledge their errours and faultes and of the argumentes that they hold of aūcient custom and of the authoritie of their predecessors and of auncientie and of the multitude vvherevvith they arme them selues T. I Do like all that whiche thou hast sayde very well but there are very fewe that will take that waye for there are that are so hard harted and obstinate that a man shall not make them beleue that they ar in errour what reason soeuer he bryng agaynst them out of the booke of God nor they will not acknowledge their abuses faultes although they be so filthie and apparent that euery man doth see thē and that euery man doth handle them These men alledge their predecessours and say that they wil be no wiser nor better then they for they say that they wer honest men and wise ynoughe for to know the wil of God Wherupon they conclude that if those wer dampned they wil be also dampned with them An other sort alledge aunciēt customes and the multitude of men and the continuance of tyme and the auncienti of their order of lyfe ¶ Of the proces that men brynge agaynste God and of the shyftes that they seeke to cloke their rebellion agaynste hy● vvorde D. FOr so muche as men wil not be brought to that passe to yelde that obedience vnto God whiche they owe vnto him but will go to the lawe with hym it must nedes come to passe that they searche out some shifte and some starting holes and excuses to giue some shew to their cause Wherefore if we shall gyue them place they will neuer be vnfurnished of shiftes But it is greate follie for them to pleade their cause with God for he must be the iudge and not they wherefore they may well assure them selues that all their reasons and excuses shal be of no greate value before hym when they shal be wayed in the ballances of hys iustice and iudgementes But bycause that men haue bene alwayes accustomed to flatter them selues and that they do so dilighte in their errours that it is a hard matter to bryng them to acknowledge them selues to be so foule and filthie as they are I am well contented that we do examine their fayre discourses and their goodly allegations T. I would be very glad therof ¶ Hovv that al false Religion may be vvel defēded if that antiquitie the authoritie of predecessours may haue place D. LEt vs nowe see what foundation that hath whereof you haue nowe spoken There is no errour secte heresie false doctrine nor wickednesse so greate but that it may easely be defēded if such reasons mought be allowed For a Iewe a Turcke and a Pagane may well alledge as much T. I confesse the same D. If then these Christiās as they name thē were Iewes Turkes or Pagans borne they woulde so continue because they were so borne also their predecessours before them T. There is no doubt of it D. These kind of men haue none other reason to main tayne their order and maner of lyfe but onely wilfulnes obstinacie by the which they do right wel declare that they haue not well considered what the Lord sayth by his Prophet Ezechiell Walke not in the wayes of your fathers nor be Ezech. 20 you filed with their Idoles for I am the Lord your God you shall walk in my commaundements see that you swarue neither to the right hād ne yet to the left hād It is also writtē you shal not do as those the ar gone before you neither file Leu. 18 you your selues as they haue done Take hede that you do not according to the custome of the land of Egypt in the which you haue dwelled Nor yet after the custome of the land of Chanaan So the you walke not in their statutes but se the you obserue my ordinaunces that you giue good hede to my cōmaūdemēts to the end that you may walke in thē Let vs cōsider also how the spirite of God did blame reproue the aūciēt 1. Reg ●● Samaritanes These people did not hearken at all but did liue according to their aūcient custome These people then feared the Lord but yet they serued their Idols notwtstāding They folow their auncient custome euen to this very day They do not feare the Lord nor kepe that ceremonies that iudgements the law the cōmaūdemēt that the Lord gaue to the son of Iacob which is surnamed Israell If our predecessours haue walked in the wayes of the Lord we may iustly alledge thē for God hath cōmaūded vs to folow such personages not for their own worthynes for they are but mē as we are not Gods but bycause that they haue followed in the way of the Lord which saith that it is he that is the Lord our God not our fathers For he is the most aūciēt father that we haue which onely is the father of veritie

spirites whether they bee of God or no if it were all one to followe what lawe a man woulde and that God woulde bee contented to be serued with our good intentes man shoulde neuer haue neded that he shoulde haue geuen hym anye lawe but onely hys owne intention commaundyng hym to doe onely that whiche shoulde come into hys mynde and shoulde seeme good vnto hym Which thing he hath earnestlye forbidden saying honour Deut. 11. not thou the Lorde in that sorte that seemeth good vnto thy selfe but in that sorte onely whicch I doe commaund thee without declyning eyther to the ryghte hand or to the lefte ¶ Hovv vve oughte to iudge of that vvhere God forbyddeth vs to doe that vvhich semeth good in our ovvne opinion and of the assuraunce of our consciences by the vvorde of God vvithout the vvhi●he nothyng can please God that man can doe T. IF he will that we doe not that which we thinke to bee good what shall we then do That which we thinke to be euill D. He doth not at all forbid vs to doe that which we thinke to be good if it be good in deede but for so muche as of our owne nature we are ignoraunce and blinde and that oftentymes we take darkenes for lyghte and lyghte for darkenes the good for euill and the eui●l for good the sweete for soure and the soure for sweete he will not that we gouerne our selues accordyng to our owne fantasyes but hath geuen vs an order to the ende that we myghte perfectlye discerne these thynges and not to take the one for the other which is not possible for vs to doe of our selues without the meane that he hath geuen vs. And for that cause he sayeth thou shalte doe onely that which I doe commaunde thee Wherfore it doth follow that what so euer Deut. ●8 man doth can not please God vnlesse he be assured that GOD hath commaunded and ordayned it and can not doe it without doing great wronge and violating the commaundement of God For fyrst of al none can please hym withoute fayth And secondarilye fayth can not be fayth withoute an vndoubted assurance And certayne assurance can not be but in the word of God For how can I be assured that God alloweth thys and disaloweth that but by the vnderstanding of hys will which I can not haue but by the declaration thereof which he hath by hys word On Heb. 11 the other parte howbeit that that which I should do should not be contrarye to hys will but shoulde be such as he hath expressedlye commaunded yet coulde not my harte bee thorowlye agreable vnto him but should be worthye of greate blame if I did it without this assurance because that I shoulde not beare to the maiestie of God the honour and reuerence which I doe owe vnto the same For I oughte to haue him in that reuerence that if I doubte of the thyng I shoulde fyrst enquyre and bee assured of it to the ende that I shoulde not put my selfe in daunger to offend hym that which we shoulde more feare then death For if I make so small accompte to put my selfe in suche hasarde I doe declare by suche contempt that I doe not so feare God as I oughte to doe nor doe so reuerence his holy name as my duety requireth T. If these kind of mē offēd which do good thinges in doubte howe greuous is then the offence of such as doe those thynges whiche he hath playnelye forbidden and are apparantlye euill D. I committe that to your iudgement ¶ Of the errour of those that thinke that the vvorkes vvhich they do contrary to the vvill of God are yet notvvithstāding agreable to him because that they do them in a good intent T. BUt what wilte thou saye of those that doing thynges contrarye to the wyll of God doe assure them selues that they are agreable to God and ordayned by hym For there are manye of that opinion in manner all suche as are superstitious and idolaters are of that iudgement and almoste all the heritiques which doe all that euer they doe in a good intente if we shall iudge of theyr conscience For if they thought not that their religion dyd please God many woulde refuse it which seeme yet to haue some feare of God D. I aunswere to that that GOD is not subiecte to our fantasyes and that he will iudge nothyng to bee good or euill because it pleaseth or displeaseth vs and because that we doe so iudge of it but because the thyng is so of hys owne nature and that he himselfe hath so iudged of it and hath commaunded or forbidden it or ells all superstition and idolatrye heresye and wickednes shoulde be lawful For there is no wickednes nor abhomination so greate whiche in the opinion of manye is not holden for a good and an honest thyng or at the least not euill But howe manye heritiques people and nations are there which haue esteemed thynges to be good and honest which are the moste straunge and abhominable that maye bee thoughte or imagined How many haue ther bene also that haue had the most vniuste lawes of the whole world which they haue no lesse esteemed then bee the beste and moste iuste that are T. The matter is playne D. Moreouer doe we thinke that GOD will endure at our handes that whiche we oure selues will not endure at the handes of our seruauntes Woulde we bee contented to haue a seruaunte to serue vs after hys owne will and fantasye Wil we not rather be serued accordyng to ours T. If we should not be serued as we do commaunde we shoulde not be maisters but seruauntes and our seruauntes should be the maisters D. And seynge it is so wyll God endure that wee shall serue hym as pleaseth vs and not accordynge to hys wyll and that we shall take vnto our selues suche mastershyp ouer hym doost thou not manifestly see how that all these moste damnable opinions abolishe and deface the lawe and worde of God and consequently God hym selfe whiche can not be knowen for God without these thinges For if these goodlye reasons bee true all these absurdities and blasphemies do folowe and a generall abolishyng of all true Religion and a horrible confusion of all thynges For if thys foundation bee once layde all difference betwene good and euill betwene vertue and vice is cleane wiped away There resteth then no more but euery man to do what lyketh him and so to gyue the head to all his affections whiche is a more perillous matter and much mo●e daungerous then it is to let lose all the wilde beastes of the worlde to go at their owne will amonge men as doth a wolfe lose among shepe in executyng his rage and cruelty agaynst them ¶ To vnderstand vvhether God haue ordeyned sondry Reliligions for men and of the diuersitie of mens lawes accordyng to the diuersitie of nations and countreis T. THere is nothyng more certayne then that which thou sayest

no fayth For fayth may haue none other regard obiect subiect nor foundation but God in Iesus Christ his only truth Yf it haue any other foundation if it be builded vpon men and vpon the opinion that men shall haue of them it shal chaunge as men do and as the opinion doth that men haue conceiued It shall fall when they fall it shall be inconstant variable and subiect to chaunge euen as they are For she shal not be builded vpon Math. xxii i. Pet. ii Ephes ii i. Cor. iii Math. xvi the liuely stone whiche is Iesus Christ and vpon the sure foundacion of the Prophets and Apostles vpon the which the true Church must be builded if it will endure agaynst the gates of hel and the whole hellish power otherwise how may it be a faith For these vices are as contrarie to fayth as is the fire to the water Wherfore such as dwel vpon mē in this sorte and do not discerne of thynges nor proue the spirites whether they be of God or no according to the Coūcell gyuen by Saint Iohn What assurance may they haue Iohn iiii in their consciences Whylest they are at rest and that they be not assayled by temptacions nor wakened by the iudgement of God and that they do haunt among such as are of the same religion that they are of it semeth vnto them that their faith is very sure strong but when they shal find thēselues assailed with diuers temptacions compassed roūde with great daūgers that God shal a litle astoone their cōsciences with his iudgemēt they shall then finde what stay they haue of mē that there is no perfit assuraūce nor true quietnes of cōscience but in the true faith engendred in the hartes of mē by the very persuasion of the word spirite of God And if it should happē that they should be cōuersāt amōg men of an other Religion what would they then do T. Yf they should be in Turckie they would as well receyue the lawes of Mahomet refuse the Christian Religion as the Turckes do for they haue euen the same reasons and argumentes to do it as otherwise they haue to accepte or refuse that whiche they haue already receiued or disalowed They would euē do the lyke if that they were among the Iewes or any other nation whiche should hold any other religion then the Christian D. It is not to be doubted ¶ Of the honor that is devve to good and true teachers in the Churche and of the meane that vve ought to kepe to the ende that vve do gyue neither to much ne yet to little credite to men hovv perillous a thing it is to trust to much to a mans ovvne iudgemente T. IF the matter be as thou sayest to what purpose do the good doctors serue which haue receiued so many excellent giftes of God for the edifying of his Churche D. I say not these thynges to despise or condempne them for we should be to much vnkynde towarde them if we should condempne or despise them considerynge they haue taken so greate payne to make the holy Scriptures more playne and easie vnto vs and that by their laboure wee haue had greate commoditie They haue sweat to delyuer vs from a greate deale of payne and trauayle and haue greatlye holpen vs with their labour and made the way more plaine for vs. Also we should be to outragious against God if that we should despise them blasphemyng the giftes of hys holy spirite whiche he hath bestowed among them Wherefore thincke not that I do alow the iudgement of certaine rashe men or fauoure a nomber of puffed prowde spirites who without any regarde condempne all men esteemyng none but them selues Bycause they haue knowē that the worlde hath bene seduced by gyuyng to much credite to the iudgementes of men and haue bene to lyght of credite not enquiryng of the truth by the witnes of the holy Scriptures they haue gone so farre on the other syde that they are no lesse to be blamed then those whome they do condemne For if it bee perillous to credite to muche the iudgementes of men so is it also daungerous if that we gyue not that credite that we ought to do to the iudgementes of those which gouerne them selues accordyng to the worde of God T. It is a very hard matter to kepe measure and meane and so to do thinckyng to auoyde the one sorte of extremitie and perill that wee fall not more daungerously into the other For if I gyue no credite to the iudgemente of others but will dwell wholly vpon myne owne and vpon my oppinion wherin am I more worthy of prayse then they whō I do condempne Am not I a man as they are D. There is no doubt but if I do folow onely mine owne iudgement fantasie I folow the iudgement of men for I am no God any more then other men are If the others be to be blamed bycause of their ouer muche lightnes negligēce raysh belife follie so should I also feare that I be not subiecte to greater blame through follie pride selfe will false persuasiō of my selfe T. Here is no smal daūger but before all other things we ought to feare least we stand to much in our owne con trust to much to our owne iudgements vnderstanding despising the iudgementes of others to be to much gyuen and wedded to our own willes For this vice is meruellous daungerous is the chief fountain and cause of all heresies and Scismes whiche are the most daungerous pestilences that may happen into the Church D. Therfore haue I sayd these thinges to the ende that we mighte know how to folow that moderation the which S. Augustine hath folowed without giuing more or lesse vnto men then faith Christian charitie may endure yelding alwayes to God to the canonicall Scriptures that honor which we do owe vnto thē taking good hede that we gyue no more to Councels to men then to them what apparēce or shew so euer they haue For they that come to Councels are men And in that they are men they are chaungeable subiecte to errors and vntruth They do conclude accordynge as the spirite is by whom they are gouerned If they be led by the spirit of God they wyll conclude in the fauour of the truth yf they be led by the spirite of error as were the Prophetes of Achab agaynste Miche they will maynetayne and confirme lyes i. King xxii And by these meanes they that shal followe them shall bee in very good case ¶ Of the difference that men ought to put betvvene the doctrine and vvritings of the Apostles and Prophets and of those that came after them and the cause therof T. I Do confesse that those which come to the Councels are men but a man may replye that in a lawfull generall Councell they are guided by the holy Ghost and that he will not suffer them

Thes ii shall be destroyed Wherfore those people vnto whō God hath geuē so great graces to haue such princes and Lords which employ their power which God hath geuē thē to the edifying of the holy citie of God the ruine of Babilon hys enemie do submit the temporal sworde which they haue receaued of God to the sword of Iesus Christ his word employ it only to serue him haue good occasiō to render thākes vnto God for y● great benefit which he hath bestowed vpon them to pray vnto him effectuously to cōserue maintain such princes daily to encrease his graces in thē folowing the councell of S. Paule in his exhortation which he made to the Christians concerning that prayers which should be made in the Church I do warne you then saith he that before all thinges men make request prayers supplications render thankes for all men for kings and for all others which aro ordeyned in dignitie to the end that we may lead a peaceable life in all feare of God and honestie for that is good and agreable before God our Lord. ¶ VVhat Councell they ought to follovve vvhich haue princes that are tyrauntes and enemyes to the Gospell and of the preparacion to the crosse for the same T. THis Councell is very good But what sayest thou of them which in stead of suche princes haue cruell tyrauntes who being dronke with the cup of the great whore of Babilon do persecute furiously the poore childrē of God do dayly bathe their bloudie sworde in the bloud of the poore shepe of Iesus Christ D. Let them pray hartely to God that it may please him to appease their rage and fury and that he will so chaunge their hartes that where they haue bene persecutours they may become true feeders of the flocke which God hath committed vnto them to saue and defend them frō the rage of that cruell beast whose marke they haue to long worne In the meane time because it is more to be feared that manye of the Princes Lordes and Magistrates which haue alreadye tasted of the worde of God and layde handes to hys worke shoulde not loose their taste and waxe colde or shoulde rebell agaynst Iesus Christ in proces of tyme then there is of hope according to mans iudgement and the face which the worlde sheweth vnto vs at thys present that those whiche resiste the truth will embrace it receaue maintaine it therfore it is very nedeful in these latter daies the euery mā make ready himself betime to the crosse We haue the experience herof very plainly in many places D. It is not to be maruelled at For Sathan is continually most busted about those personages that ar most excellent And also there is the corruption of our nature and the fauour or feare of men which peruerteth many Therfore he that will be of the children of God let him alwayes haue in hys ●ath x. Luke ix minde these worthy sentences of Iesus Christ of his Apostles Who soeuer wil be my disciple let him geue ouer himself beare his crosse continually after me and followe me ii Tim. iii. Actes 14 Iohn 16 And againe who soeuer will liue holily in Christ he muste suffer persecution Againe men must enter into the kingdome of heauē by many tribulations The time shall come that he which shal put you to death shal thinke he doth God seruice For we shoulde greatlye deceaue our selues if that we should promise to our selues in this world any rest and any estate or peaceable raigne abounding in all kinde of pleasures voluptuousues and a continual peace without any trouble or afflictiō For we may not thinke that the kingdome of Iesus Christ is any such raign for so much as his kingdome is not of this worlde Therfore he that woulde haue such Iohn 6. 19 an one let him seke it at that hand of Antichrist for hys kingdome is in dede of this world And further when we are in this sort disposed I know no better meanes thē to trauaile with all diligence to vnderstand aryght the will of God by his word and to amend our life according to y● rule therof desiring him earnestlye to geue vs true vnderstanding a hart to follow the same then welcome be what he shal send ¶ Of the studye of holy Scriptures and of the decree vvhiche vvas made in the Councell of Nice concerning the same and of the excellencie and authoritye of the Bible and of his decrees T. I Find your Coūsell your resolution very good for my part it semeth vnto me that you haue spokē that which is the most sure our dutie is to enquire with al diligence by al meanes of the will of God by his holy Scriptures D. It is the Councell y● Iesus Christ himself geueth which saith Search you that Scriptures let vs followe y● example of those of Beroa of whom it is spokē in the Actes of the Apostles They Iohn v. Actes xvii Rom. xiiii i. Cor. iii● were not like to a rable of obstinate persons which wil not heare at all nor like vnto a number of vayne people which lightly do allow al that euer is set forth vnto them without taking any deliveratiō and not prouing that spirites whether they be of God or no For they heard S. Paule then they searched the scriptures to sée if it wer so as Paul had taught And whē they saw that he spake according to the Scriptures they receaued his doctrine as the doctrine of God T. Here was a good order o proceeding D. It is certayne for we must euery one of vs answere for himself in proper person before the iudgement seate of God not for others nor yet by attornyes Wherefore if others will not do their duetie but will tarye for a Councell let not vs fayle to do our duetie to followe better Councell if we may attaine vnto it And if a Coūcell be of value why do we loke for new councells Why do we not cleaue vnto the olde which are holden longe since ought to be of greater authoritie then the new If we beleue not obey the auncient Councells why shall we beleue obey the new let vs rather obeye the Councell of Nice which did ordeine y● there shoulde be none among the Christians but they should haue Bibles to learne in them the will of God thē to that in the which Antichrist his Doctors haue forbiddē the cōmon people to haue them to rede thē in their natural tonges against the determination of the Christiā Councel For the boke of the Bible is the true boke of the true and lawful Councells and of the eternall ordinaunces of God wherefore S. Augustine not without good cause sayd that the authoritie of the scriptures is much greater then all the vnderstanding of man is able to comprehend know how subtill fine and perfect so euer it be with