saying Ioh. 6.44 Mat. 3.17 Mat. 17.5 This is my beloued sonne in whom not in any other matter or man I rest wel pleased heare him The holy ghost in lyke maner beareth wytnesse of Christ preacheth him and teacheth no other doctrine 1. Cor. 3.11 1. Pet. 2.6 Eph. 2.20 then fyrst he gaue to the Church The Apostles lay him the onely foundation and corner stone of Gods house denying all other to haue such place in the conscience of man Peter calleth the Pope and all other onely to Christ Peter the Apostle vpon whose person that Antichrist of Rome falsely fathereth all his vsurped authoritie calleth al men lyuing stones vnto this stone Christ and calleth hym the stone onely precious That sinister doctrine which is layde vppon this buylding shall vanishe awaye but all opposite to the same Gal. 1.8 is thereby moste flatly accursed with the bringer and begynner therof be they men or Angels Hereby then is Popery proued guyltie of highe Treason against the truth of God which flat against the course of Gods booke and holy church setteth into the consciences of men themselues and their inuentions for Gods their Saintes of all sortes for lyghtes and guydes helpers and Sauyours to the glory of their Pope and ignominy of the Lorde of the house Iesus Christ It is not Mary Gods mother his Apostles Angels or men but onely and alone Iesus Christ that Symeon sayth GOD the Father hath prepared and erected as it were vpon an high place that all men might see and perceyue him to be to them al their only Sauyour lyght and glory Secondly our Saluation is by Symeon deuinely here alone giuen to Gods prouision not mans deuise saying He hath prepared and therein his great and inestimable mercy is made manifest who whyle euery man falleth in lust from God to damnation in security without remorse God our good Father yet prouydeth for them all his one and alone sauing health an other himselfe euen his onely begotten sonne Christ our Lorde To this ende is the Parable of the Kings banquet Mat. 22.4 where the Fatlings are kylled and al things made ready before the guestes be called so that their is no other thing for them to do but onely to obey the voyce of the Caller Our Redemption is in Christ the preparation in God the Father our grace to imbrace and receiue it in the holye ghost This was the fayth of the Patriarkes and fyrst fathers Thus Dauid confessed saying Thou doest prepare a Table before me in the syght of myne aduersaryes Psal 23.5 This was the doctrine of Christes Spirite in Zacharius lyps that the mercye of God gaue and prepared vs this lyght of the Gentyls Luc. 1.78 the day starre from an high and not for our procéeding works which all were malicious as Paule sayth to the Romans or for our succéeding merits Rom. 5.8 which are menstruous and fylthy in gods eyes but of hys owne synguler loue Esa 64.6 Rom. 8. Ioh. 3.16 gaue he vs his prepared Christ for our Saluation as this our heauenly lyght and glory sayth So dearely God loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne thereto that as many as beleue in him should not perishe but haue lyfe euerlasting Thirdly he hath prepared him to be a Lyghte to the Gentyls and the glory of Israel Thrée things in the former Verse are to be noted First why Christ is called Lyght Secondly the vse of this light And thirdly to whome he is a light giuen to be made knowne vnto Namely vnto the Gentyls Christ is most worthyly called light not onely bicause he is the engrauen forme and brightnesse of the Father of lyghtes but also bicause he giueth light Col. 1.15 Ioh. 1.9 and doth illuminate the hartes of all things that come into the worlde called so not onely for the light and lyfe he giueth to the body Christ is our onely lyght but also and most speciallye for the heauenly light of Gods knowledge which he engraueth by his worde and spirite in the hartes of all men but most effectually in the Electe and chosen children Of which light and illumination the Euangelist Iohn speaketh in the gospell saying Ioh. 1.4 In hym was lyfe and this lyfe was the lyght of men and thys lyghte did shine in darknesse the darknesse did not comprehend it By the worde life he meaneth all liuing power which at this daye is to be séene in all creatures as well endued with naturall reason spirituall wisedome as sauage creatures and sencelesse things trées plantes herbes grasse corne c. Eche of these hath his proper lyfe and of Christ the Creator the light and lyfe of all things And for that no man should suppose this lyght whereof he speaketh to concerne the lyfe and lyght which euer is common with the bodyes of men and beastes He addeth that this lyfe was the light of men So teaching vs what lyfe we are to receyue of him we being blynde and ignorante darkenesse Namely the lightning of our minds with the word of his truth whereby our hartes doe see in perfite wise Christ Iesus to be the day starre from on high Luc. 1.7.8 sente of hys Father to giue light to vs Gentyls that were in the dore and prison of darknesse Esa 42.7 Symeon had respect no doubt calling Christ a Lyght to the Prophets which so spake of him Namely that Noble Esay Esa 42.6 saying I the Lorde haue called thee in righteousnesse and wil holde thine hande and I wyll keepe thee and guyde thee for a couenant of the people and for a lyght of the Gentyls that thou mayest open the eyes of the blynde and bring out the prisoner out from the prison and them that syt in darknesse out of the prison house And againe Esa 49.6 It is a smale thing that thou shouldest bee my Seruant to rayse vp the Tribe of Iacob and to restore the desolations of Israel I wyl also giue thee for a lyght to the Gentyls that thou mayest be my saluation vnto the ende of the worlde Nowe in thys Parable there be two things worthy the note First that all men in themselues as well Iewes as Gentyls be méere darknesse The other that God the Father in heauen and earth hath giuen no other to illuminate mankinde with the light of nature of God and true godlynesse but his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ and him onely to the whole worlde as hymselfe wytnesseth Ioh. 8.12 saying I am the light of the worlde And most lyuely is our Christ represented by the glorious Sunne which being in his Spheare farre aboue Christ our light shadowed forth by the Sunne performeth al his office enioyned him wythout default to the circuits of the whole earth and Seas and that to the endes of the world And by the way note good Reader how the Lorde taketh apt occasion by the tyme and place where he is to
last hower the spirite of God lightened the harte of the théefe vpon the Crosse Luck 23.40 Ezech. 18. Eph. 1.4.5 Ioh. 1.9 1. Tim. 2.4 Eph. 1.18 Heb. 1.3 so that in yéelding to death he sawe Christ onely to be his lyfe So the same most louing father who wylleth not the death of a synner hath euen in the hower of death and in all the dayes of Popery tourned the hartes of as many as were predestinate before all tymes in Christ to lyue eternally And that our Christ which lighteneth all men that come into the worlde and would haue all men that is to say of euerye country nation people and families some to be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Hath also illuminated the hartes of all those whome the father hath by his spirite drawne out of the Dungeon of Papistrie to thys brightnesse of his glory wherby they haue with the eyes of their fayth séene this Iesus Christ to be the onely saluation of Iewe Turke Pagan Papist and Gentyle and consequently haue in harte felt him for theirs to their greate and synguler consolation After which sight they haue in the integritie of their soules 1. Cor. 3.12 Phil. 3.8 accounted al the hey tymber stubble and Popishe stuffe as fylthie doung and paciently abode the paine of death for their former ignorance and rest in hope of eternall peace and in the assurance of hys spirite that their synnes in his bloude are washed awaye They are perswaded that death is to them lyfe in cause whereof they haue in Christ banished that feare which bringeth paynefulnesse 1. Io. 4.18 and with Symeon haue sayde Now Lorde let vs thy seruants depart in peace for the eyes of our minde nowe in the agony of our soule hath through the day spring which from an high hath visited vs perfitly seene the Lorde thy Christ to be our sauing health â—uc 1.78 in whome wee departe to thee who neuer before this hower in these dayes of ignoraunce could attayne to this grace But now Lord receiue vs in peace through Christ our lord our God of peace and the same to all his chosen children The prouydence of God in tyme of Popery féedeth this our sentence of the forefathers thus blessed in the dayes of ignorance In that he conserued and during those tymes continued among men the Symbole of our fayth which very manye at their death haue constantly repeated and by open declaration haue affirmed in that fayth to ende their lyfe But thys Symbole preacheth onely the gloryous fayth in God the Father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost In Popery no saluation wherfore I conclude that manye of our forefathers were in the daies of Popery saued by fayth alone in Christ and that by Popery no man may or can be saued For the whole course of the Romishe Religion is to disperce Mat. 12.30 and not to gather together the saintes of God to the vnitie of fayth and knowledge in the sonne of GOD but to hayle to the fayth of Rome which maketh as many Sauiours as the sunne shyning giueth shadowes which can in no case permit a man eyther to rest alone in the death of Christ or to assure himselfe of saluation in hym But to attayne lyfe Popishe Treasures the Papists must fetch the treasures of the Church of Rome parte whereof is the blood of Martyrs though some of them be notable Traytors It is to playne that they make such not Mediators onely but Sauiours also from synne Who can forget this solemne Anthemne to that Traytor Thomas Becket sometimes Byshop of Caunterbury which the Popes Portuse and all laten Primers haue farsed in them for men in prayer to vse In the Popishe Primers Tu per Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascendit That is graunt vs Christ by the vertue of saint Thomas his bloud which he shedde for thée to ascende whether Thomas is gone where note that Christ hath but that office which else they giue to Peter Namely to be the dore kéeper and to admit those soules into heauen which clayme it by the bloud of Barrabas I should say Thomas and they do refuse bicause they doe distrust the raunsome of Christ our onely way to lyfe Oh horrible and most abhominable blasphemy Ioh. 14.6 But deare Reader No man can come to the father sayth our sufficient Sauyour but by mee And therefore praying for the Papists conuersioÌ„ if it be Gods good will let vs as Paule doth exhort vs Heb. 12.19 seeing by the bloud of Iesus we may be bold to enter into the holy place into heauen by the newe and lyuing way which he hath prepared for vs thorow the vayle that is to say his fleshe and seeing we haue an high Priest ouer the house of God let vs drawe neare with a true hart in assurance of fayth sprinckled made pure in our hearts from an euil conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water Let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering for he is faythfull that promised And let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes not forsaking the felowship that we haue among our selues as the maner of some is but let vs exhorte one another that so much the more bicause ye see the day draweth neere Let vs expect his comming and loue the Lorde so shall we not feare any perrill of death And God graunt our Englishe Papistes once to sée and be ashamed of their wylfulnesse to damnation sléeping in the bedde of the whore of Babilon Reuel 18. which is prepared to desolation and perpetuall fyre And to imbrace his Gospell which is the onely ioy of soule and solace in death â—â—t 3.17 the path to lyfe in that Sauiour in whome God the father is onely pacifyed The second note is that the godly are so farre from fearing naturall death that on the contrary part they humbly many tymes at the hande of God can earnestly pray for it and wyshe it yea and eaten vp of griefe for the dayes of synne they lament that they are not disburdened of the bodye thereof Finally in desyre of the full accomplishment of the bodye of Christ that the same his Church might be thorowly glorifyed in heauen as she is in parte and in earth perfitly sanctifyed The saints in this lyfe praye for the dissolution of the world and Christ to come with speede to iudgement For the fyrst Paule prayeth thus I desyre to be dissolued and to be with Christ and our Symeon here Lorde now let thy seruaunt depart in peace Secondly in the seuenth to the Romaynes Paule cryeth out of synne lamenting and saying O wretched man that I am who shall delyuer me from the body of this death that is from this lumpe of fleshly sinne and death Where note gentle Christian that the saintes of God are subiect to the
owne way euerye one for his aduantage and for his owne purpose There is an other sorte of whome maye be sayde once professing God They are gone out of the way Malac. 2.8 they haue caused manye to fall by the lawe They haue broken the couenant of Leuy sayeth the Lorde And now harcken to the plague of Harding such papisticall backslyding priestes Therfore haue I also sayth the Lord made you to be despised Why the Clergy is despyced and vyle before the people bicause you kept not my wayes but haue bene parciall in the law To the best of our godly Bishops and learned brethren may it rightly be sayde as was sayde to the Angell the Byshop of Ephesus by the spirite of God Thou haste left thy fyrst loue Apo. 2.4 Psal 36.9 God graunt them eche of vs his light wherin we shall haue light to remember from whence we are fallen that we maye repent and doe the fyrst workes which we did before we were promoted to our places and preferred to others as well if not better deseruing least the Lorde returne shortly and remooue our Candlestickes Zorobabel Iehosua waxed very slacke in the buylding of Gods house Hagge 1. but warned by Haggeus the Prophete they stopped not his mouth depryued him not of his place and Function or shut him vp in prison but gaue eare vnto his worde and rowsed vp their slothfull bodyes to the Lordes labors which when the common people sawe they stack to their godly Prince and holy learned Byshop for lyfe with tooth and nayle to the fynishing of the Lords worke Contrarily Ieroboam Achab Herod and such others neyther would heare the Lords Prophetes lende them libertie or graunt them lyfe Good Lorde defende this age thy church and people from this most horrible darknesse Shyne into the hearts of thy lightes our godly learned Byshops and preachers that their lyght maye so shine vnto vs as we by them may be procured to gloryfie thee our father which art in heauen to whom be prayse and glory for euer and euer Mat. 5.16 Amen Thys light Christ and his worde is giuen of the father to be made knowne as hath bene sayd vnto the Gentyls A light to be reuealed vnto the Gentils and to be the glorye of the people Israell and to be the glory of the people of Israel Where we haue to note that his worde is not to be kept hydden or secrete If a man be blynde and a perfite medicine be sent hym if no man tell the same vnto him if it be not applyed wyth purpose to his eyes or place to heale howe can he but remayne in his former blyndnesse still Euen so the blynde worlde cannot be brought to sée the light of God albeit Christ the light is sente vnto it by him vnlesse by his spirite and worde the same be reuealed vnto men aptly aplyed to their seuerall darkned consciences It is knowne that God would haue of all Nations 1. Tim. 2.4 tongues kyndreds to be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Hereto he hath gyuen Moses his Prophets his Christ and hys Apostles Euangelists Pastors Doctors and teachers Ephe. 4.11 that Christians might by the knowledge of the light be brought to his vnitie and to féele by fayth their consolation in him both Iewe and Gentyle and if after so long preaching thereof the light of the Gospell be yet hidden it is hyd to them that perishe 2. Cor. 4.3 whose harts the God of this worlde hath blynded lest by the worde they should be conuerted and saued But as God hath giuen his sonne by his worde to be made knowne So Antichrist the Pope his aduersary séeketh by all meanes and wayes to hyde this knowledge of the truth from men And therefore he locketh vp from the people of God the word of God into the Coffer of a strange tongue which of fewe is vnderstood The Popes practise and of them not without long studie and many yeares trauayle To this ende all prayer and seruing of God is in the Churche subiect to Romishe tyranny tumbled ouer in the Laten tongue But this is quyght against Gods purpose 1. Cor. 14.40 14.19 Symeons worde and Christs most holy Testament Let al things be done in the Church to edyfying sayth the Apostle I had rather speake fiue wordes in the Church that the people sayth he might vnderstande me then ten thousande in a straunge tongue When thou blessest with the spirite howe shall he which occupyeth the place of the vnlearned say Amen at thy giuing of thanks which is the blessing here spoken of séeing he knoweth not what thou sayest Again when the whole Church is come together in one and all speake straunge tongues as the Englishe man to praye in the Laten Hebrewe or greeke tong not vnderstanding it there come in they that are vnlearned or they which beléeue not will they not say 1. Cor. 14.23 that ye are out of your wyts But if all prophesie namely speake in a knowne tongue to that place to edyfying to exhortation and consolation he is rebuked of all men and is iudged of all and so are the secretes of his harte made manifest and so wil he fall downe on his face and worship God and saye plainely that God is amongst you in déede Wherevpon the Apostle thus concludeth If any man speake a strange tongue let it be by two or thrée at the most and that by course and let one interprete But if there be no Interpretor let him keepe silence in the congregation which speaketh languages and let him speake to himselfe and to God No Laten in the English church bicause it cannot edyfie those which vnderstande it not thoughe it be the scripture of God that is reade or prayed vnlesse there be to reueale it and doe presently interprete the same This is Paules conclusion The Popishe Mattens Masse Euensong Complyn Pryme Howres Masse booke Manuel Grayle Antiphonor and Portuse all of Popishe matter and Laten tongue is to be banished the Church of Englande and else where in the house of God So as Rome it selfe ought to haue the seruice pure and in that language which the symplest Italian can easily at the fyrst hearing perceyue well vnderstand But what sayth the Romish Frye to this Popish reasons for the seruice in the Laten tong Forsooth in the lawe were many Ceremonies vsed in the temple which the ignorant laytie neuer vnderstoode and yet they were contynued in that church So though the Laten tongue be vnknowne to the most it may also well ynough stand in Christs church now In answere hereto I saye it is vntrue that the people were ignorante of the Church Ceremonies For euerye Father was commaunded to teach his children Exod. 12. what sygnified the pascall Lambe The Feastes of Pentecosts of Tabernacles they vnderstood and the ceremonies in them their Sacrifices they knew some to be
from the people but of Satans Consisers which you Papists are We may say to you as Hierome your great Doctor sayth of your Fathers in tymes past and of the Valentinian Hereticks Barbaro simplices quosque terrent sono With a barbarous vnknown tong and sound of wordes they feare the symple that whatsoeuer they vnderstand not they may the more estéeme and haue in reuerence And least the Reader should be offended that I call the Laten tongue hereby barbarous let hym knowe how the Apostle holdeth euery tongue barbarous that is not vnderstoode of him to whom it is spoken saying Vnlesse I vnderstand the powre and meaning of the wordes I shall be barbarous to him that speaketh 1. Cor. 14.11 and he that speaketh barbarous vnto me But the Lorde in hys great mercy as he hath giuen his Christ to be made knowne to Iewe and Gentyle So hath he in these our happy dayes and present state by the contynuall preaching of his word most worthyly wrought the glory of his name Psalm 8. So that out of the mouthes of sucklings and babes yea from old wythered stocks and as it were dead stones Gods holye spirite floweth in Englande and myghtily setteth forth the prayses of our Christ hys light to vs Gentyls and full glory to Israel that imbrace him to whome therefore be eternall prayse But for that thys lyght cannot be apprehended by humane capacitie it is requisite that we séeke the means by which we may apprehende the same The fyrst hereto is that we haue the true Interpreter of the worde in our hartes euen the spirite of truth whose it is to teache vs and leade vs into all truth This Spirite is obteyned of God for Christ by earnest and vigilant prayer I wil pray the Father sayth Christ and he will giue you another comforter euen the spirite of truth Ioh. 14.16 and he shall lead you into all truth and shall abyde with you for euer So as Christ hath giuen vs example we must daylie pray the father for this Spirite to illuminate our sences that we may vnderstand his word aright Psal 119. Open mine eyes sayth Dauid that I may consyder the wonders in thy lawe Teach me thy iustifications and giue mee vnderstanding and I shall search thy commaundements And Paule the Doctor of the Gentyls in al his Epistles prayeth for the vnderstanding of the wyll and worde of God which commeth by the light of the holy ghost Collos 1.9 I haue not ceased synce the fyrst daye I heard of you Collossians sayth Paule to pray for you and to make peticion that you may be filled in al the knowledge of his will with al wisedome and spiritual vnderstanding Also for the Ephesians he sayth Ephe. 3.14 For this cause I bowe my knees to the father of our Lord Iesus Christ of whom is named the whole family in heauen and earth that he will for his riche gloryes sake giue vnto you mightily to be strengthened by his spirite in the inner man that Christ maye dwell in your hartes by fayth that you being rooted in charitie and grounded may comprehende with all Saints what is the breadth the length the depth and to know the loue of Christ which passeth al knowledge that ye maye be fylled with al the fulnesse of God A most excellent order howe we obteyne the vnderstanding of his worde the light of lyfe which expresseth the great goodnesse of our good GOD set forth by this Metaphor of Geomatrie of bredth length height depth that is to say the excéeding goodnesse of God which in euery place in heauen and earth East and Weast North and South appeareth through his lyght of the Gentyls Christ the Lorde to the sonnes of men Prayer is the fyrst step to this vnderstanding Prayer I saye to God the Father of Christ and vs. Gods mercifull gifte answering our prayer is the next which riche gift reacheth to our harts our light Christ the Lorde to dwell therein which Christ doth shyne by his spirite so in our soules that we by this spirituall power doe vnderstand the mysteries conteyned in his word doe heare his voyce and onely cleaue thereto eschewing al strange spéeches be they neuer so pleasant to the naturall eare 1. Cor. 3.14 For thus made spirituall we iudge al things Assure your selues by your owne desire of doing good to your own borne sonnes of your heauenly fathers gift euen his holye spirite to this ende Iac. 1.6 Luc. 11.11 If ye aske in faith not doubting Which of you fathers if his sonne doe aske him bread wil giue him a stone Or if he aske a Fishe wil giue him a Serpent Or if he aske an Egge wil giue him a Scorpion If you therefore sayth our light and Lord Christ being euil know how to giue your children good giftes How much more shal your heauenly father giue his holye spirite to them which aske of him Whosoeuer asketh receyueth and he which seeketh findeth who knocketh the dore shall be opened to him Pray therefore lyfting vp pure hands The second is the diligent studie and daylie reading in the booke of God Psalm 1. Blessed is he that doth meditate in the law of God day and night and doth conferre place with place and by those that are more playne open the more obscure This was Paules commaundement to Timothie 1. Tim. 4.13 Tyll I come giue thy selfe to reading to exhortation to doctrine Againe Abyde thou in those things that thou hast learned knowing of whome thou hast learned them 2. Tim. 3.14 and that of a little chylde thou hast studied the Scriptures which are able to make thee wise to saluation by fayth in Christ Iesu Yea olde Paule hymselfe Reading with dyligence a gret furtherance to Gods knowledge in vs. being a prysoner in Rome for the Gospell contynued this exercise of reading penning the fruite of his studie Wherefore that he myght haue to do so he sendeth to Timothy for his books and noting Partchment Roles that he left at Troas If thys was néedefull to olde learned Paule it is moste necessary in yong Tymothy if in the teacher 2. Tim. 4.13 much more in the scholer And let no man yrke at the based style of holy Wryt but rather thinke as in homely shelles manye tymes are found most precious stones and in rough inclosing chaffe moste fayre and fruitefull Wheate So vnder the lowe style of Gods sacred Booke the diligent praying Reader if he come not with a preiudiced mind thereto shal gather to his best good the heauenly truth of Gods holye wyll in his writtē scriptures These precious Iewels shal he there fynde A most sure Ancor holde for his conscience against all temptations If thou labor of darke ignorance therein is the brightnesse of knowledge If troubled in conscience and vexed for synne there is the remedy the warrant of quyet minde giuen thée in Christ If oppressed and almost ouer whelmed in