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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09659	A godlie exposition vpon certeine chapters of Nehemiah, written by that worthie byshop and faithfull pastor of the Church of Durham Master James Pilkington. And now newly published. In the latter end, because the author could not finish that treatise of oppression which he had begonne, there is added that for a supplie, which of late was published by Robert Some, D. in Diuinitie	Pilkington, James, 1520?-1576.; Foxe, John, 1516-1587.; Some, Robert, 1542-1609. Godlie treatise of the church. In the ende .. a treatise against oppression.	1585 (1585)	STC 19929; ESTC S114273	162,441	172

fruits other things that god made for mans necessitie are perished punished turned into an other nature for the sinne of m an yea not onely worldlie things but his holy Temple law word religion the arke of God the Cherubins the pot with Manna the mercy seate Aarons rod with all therest of his holy Iewels were giuen vnto the wicked Nabuchadnezzers hand for the disobedience of the people God will rather suffer his opē enemies to enioy his wonderful benefits then his flattering friends When Adam had sinned the earth which afore was decked with al good fruits brought forth weeds to punish thē withal For the wickednes of Sodom God not onely cruellie destroied the people in it but to this day that pleasant ground which afore was like paradise is now barren full of filthie mire slitche tarre c. and the aire of it so pestilent as diuers doe write that if any birdes slie ouer it it killeth them The whole countrie of Iewrie a plentifull land flowing with milke and honie of his owne nature by the disobedience of the people became a barren land as Dauid teacheth in his psalme The lord turneth a fruit full ground into a barren for the wickednes of the dwellers in it Ierusalem was not onely destroyed now thus pitiously by the Babilonians but after ward by Vespasian the Emperour and had not one stone left standing on another and the Iewes driuen out ofit who now liue scattered through the world abhorred of all good men and vnder Gods heauie rodde for crucifying the Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God and their continual despising of him Let euerie man therefore learne reuerently in the feare of God to liue for sinne will not onely be punished with euerlasting death in the world to come but euen in this life man him-selfe is plagued and all things that should serue or pleasure him shalbe turned to his destruction because he would not serue his God as he ought to do What can be a more righteous iudgement of God then so to order things that no creature of God shal serue a wretched man which will not serue not feare the Lord his God and creator Sinne is so vile in Gods sight that ne will punish those innocent vnsensible and vnreasonable creatures as the stones in the wall the house wherein thou dwellest the earth whereby thou liuest which neuer sinned for the sinne of thee wretched man O consider how God abhorreth sinne and disobedience of his word that he could neuer be pacified but by the death of his owne deare sonne Christ Iesus for thy sinnes O miserable man consider thy wretched state thy sinnes pulled thy Lord Christ from heauen to hell from ioy to paine thou causedst him to be whipped and hanged on a tree thrust to the heart with a speare by his blood to saue the thou causedst him to die that thou mighst liue If thou shouldest deale thus with another man thy fellow what wouldest thou thinke thou hadst deserued And when thou hast thus misused thy Lord and Christ the sonne of God crucifiing him againe and yet continuest in sinne contemning his commaundements treading the sonne of God vnder thy feete and esteeming the blood of his eternall Testament as a prophane thing how canst thou looke vp vnto him how canst thou hope for mercie Wicked men are so horrible in Gods sight that the Angels in heauen abhorre them the creatures on earth disobey them good men flie their companie and diuels in hel pull them vnto them and yet malice hath so blinded them that they cannot turne vnto the Lord. But whatsoeuer there is in vs O God forget not thou thy selfe shew thy selfe a God stil though we forget thee As thou louedst vs when we were thine enemies so loue vs still now whom thou hast made thy freinds and bought so dearely and turne vs good God that we may loue thee Remember O Lord wherof we be made from the earth we came on the earth we liue and delightin earthly things vnto the earth we shall returne thou canst not looke for heauenly things to come from so vile a matter this earthly nature cannot be chaunged but by thy heauenly spirit deale not with vs therefore O Lord in iustice as we deserue but in thy great mercie which is our sure saluation and let thy manifold mercie deuoure our manifold miserie that our manifold sinnes be not laid to our charge Gratious God forgiue vs as our miserie is endlesse so is thy mercie much more large then we can thinke As we see God deale in his anger with this Citie for the sinne of the people that dwelled in it so he will deale with all obstinate breakers of his law in all ages and places without respect of persons The walls of the citie may well be compared to the Magistrats which both defend the people from their enemies and also gouern the Citizens within as the walls keepe out other from inuading so they keepe in the inhabitants from straying abroade the gates of the Citie may well be compared vnto the ministers which open the dore of life to all penitent persons by the comfortable preaching of mercie promised in Christ shut heauen gates against al reprobate and impenitent sinners by terrible thundring of his vengeance threatned to such in his worde The walls are destroied and the gates burned when the rulers and ministers doe not their duetie but care for other things And as this wretched people had iustly for their disobedience neither walls left to keepe out the enemie nor gates to let in their friends but all were destroied so shall all godles people be left without godly Magistrats to gouerne them and liue in slauerie vnder tyrants that oppresse them and also without comfortable Ministers to teach them and be led by blinde guides that deceiue them and so the blinde lead the blinde both fall in to the ditch to their vtter and endles destruction They be not worthie to haue either Magistrate or preacher that will not obey lawes nor beleeue the worde This Osee the Prophet foretold them should fall on them saying The people of Israell should sit manie daies without a Prince without sacrifice and Image without the Ephod and Teraphin and yet in the end they should returne vnto their God But they feared not these threatnings then no more then we doe now yet as they fell on them then so will they fall on vs now After that Nehemiah had thus diligentlie vewed the walls and the breaches of them he was more able to render a reason and talke with the rulers how they might be repaired A good rule for all those that haue anie charge commited to them that they should first priuatlie consider the things they haue to doe them-selues and then shal they be more able to consider who giueth best counsel for the doing of it Rashely to enter on it a wise man will not nor open his minde to

continue as in the beginning But ynough was said of this matter afore in the 2. Chap. 19. verse This is then the remedie that Dauid vseth in all these griefes fall to prayer commend thy cause vnto the Lord fall not from him for any storme tarie the Lords leisure and plaie the man comforte thy heart looke for the Lords comming and sate vnto him with Dauid haue mercy on vs O Lord haue mercie on vs for we are vtterlie dispised Our soule is full of the sclaunders of these wealthie worldlings dispising of the proud No doubt the Lord wil comfort thee confound thē as our daies haue well declared 4. Harken thou O our God for we are dispised turne their shame vpon their owne head and make them dispised in the land of their captiuitie 5. Couer not their wickednes and let not their sinne be put out of thy sight for they haue prouoked the builders 6. Then we builded the wall and the whole was ioyned togither vnto the halfe hight and the people had a minde to worke AFter that he had described the mockings and threatnings that they had for their bold enterprise in building to discourage driue them from it if they could if it had bene possible he now declareth what remedie and comfort he found by praier at the Lords hand Nehemiah seeing their great daunger turneth him to the Lord the people praying with him and saieth Our God that hast chosen vs onelie though most vnworthie for thy people amongst the whole world and whom onelie we worship and at whom we seeke for help and deliuerance in all our trouble hearken we beseech thee O Lord bow downe thine eare and heare our praiers for thou art a righteous iudge and mightie reuenger of all thy faithful seruants we thy poore people are in a miserable case we looked for aide at our neighbours hands they are our vtter enemies we hoped for comfort of them and they vtterlie dispise mocke and contemne vs but thou art a God that neuer for sakest any that come vnto thee nor castest anie awaie that faithfullie trust in thee heare vs O gratious God and turne their owne shame that they would lay on vs for building thy citie on their owne heades that villany that they would doe to vs let it fall on them-selues If thou let this crueltie scape vnpunished thou shalt be thought negligent and careles of thy people these Samaritanes that be so cruell against vs be straungers in the countrie where they dwel as we were in Babilon they were brought out of their owne countrie and placed here by Ezer-haddon King of Assiria make them O Lord to be dispised in this land of their captiuitie as well as they dispised vs in our miserie O Lord let not their wickednes be hid but make it knowen to all the world and all ages to come how dispitefully they deale with vs for thy sake others will attempt the like if this scape vnpunished Forgiue not their sinnes but euer keepe them in thy remembrance thou shalt not be thought arighteous iudge if thou wincke at such wickednes they hinder not our owne buildings but they prouoke the builders of thy house and Citie They dispise vs because we serue thee They hate vs not for any of our wickednes but for the hatred that they beare to thy house Religion and Citie which they would haue lie wast ouerthrowen and troden downe We grant we haue deserued to be cast awaie from thee if thou deale with vs in iustice and yet after thy fatherlie correction we obedientlie returne and submit our selues vnto thee whereas they contemptuously still rebell against thee and hate vs because we loue thee If they did persecute vs for our owne deserts we wold beare it but to see thy maiestie defaced we cannot abide it they would haue thy Citie to lie vnbuilt that men might speake ill of thee that thou were a weake God not able to defend thy people that call on thy name so mightelie as their Idols do them that know not thee The shame that they would lay on vs shall turne vnto thee O Lord for it is done vnto vs for thy sake and hatred of thee and thy word Auenge thy owne quarell O God and looke not at our owne deserts for though we haue grieuously offended thee yet we repent and they obstinately stand in defence of their owne wickednes O Lord forget not this malicious dealing of them toward vs for thy sake abate their pride assuage their malice and confound their deuises that they intend against vs comfort and encourage thy poore woorkemen builders whom they prouoke to anger and graunt vs that we may by thy aide with good successe finish that which we haue through thy goodnes so well begonne Amen Out of his praier may arise two doubts one whether it be godlie good men may vse the like that he praieth for here that is that the same ill may fall on them that they would doe vnto the Iewes The other that their sinne should not be forgiuen them The Scripture teacheth both to praie for our enemies and to forgiue them and also that God would reuenge their cause him-selfe in his iustice Our sauiour Christ praieth for them that crucified him saiyng Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe S. Steuen likewise But Dauid manie times praieth the contrarie as Let his sorow be turned on his owne head and let his wickednes fall vpon his owne pate Againe let them be confounded and ashamed that seeke for my life and let them be driuen backe and ashamed that seeke to 〈◊〉 me euill These Psalmes and others are full of such like speeches And where some expound such places to be a prophecie and fore-telling ofsuch mischiefes as should fal on them rather then a wishing or praing that they should fall it is not ill that they saie but it maie be doubted whither it be most agreeing to the text but howsoeuer it be this must be most taken heede of that in all such praiers nothing be asked of mallice against the partie which is hard for our froward nature to do but only for the glorie of God which is to be sought in all our doings and praiers which maie be in shewing his iustice In the Lords praier we saie halowed be thy name we desire not God onelie that he would direct both euerie man in his doings to set forth his glorie that his name may be hallowed but also that he would staie confound and take away all hinderers of the same with all their deuices and subtill practises that all stumbling blockes being taken awaie his name may be sanctified in all nations So praied ` Dauid O my God make the counsell of Achitophel to seeme foolish so in the commaundements the affirmatiue is included in the negatiue and the negatiue in the affirmatiue as thou shalt not kill wherein we are not onelie forbidden all crueltie but are

Sacraments sacrifices which thou appointedst vs to keepe in thy Religion and in them to worship the we haue not duelie regarded and kept but cast them awaie and followed the fashions of the heathen people about vs and such as we deuised our selues Our Priestes and Prophets haue taught vs lies and deuises of their owne heades yet haue we beene more readie to heare beleeue and follow them then thy holie will and word declared vnto vs in thy Booke oflife The Ciuill lawes by which thou appointedst thy common wealth to be ruled we haue broken disobeied liuing at our owne luste pleasure Our Iudges Rulers and lawyers haue sought their owne gaine more then Iustice to their people oppressing them wrongfullie There is no goodnesse in no sorte of vs Prince Priest People Iudge Ruler and all sortes from the highest to the lowest we haue all run astraie we denie it not but with many tears greiuous heart we fal before thy throne of mercie earnestlie crauing faithfully beleeuing to find mercie grace and pardon at thy hands With these and such like words he powred out his greife before the Lord. For no doubt he spake much more then is here written but these maie suffice to teach vs the like 8. Remember I besecch thee the word that thou commaundedst Moses thy seruant saying Ye will offend I will scatter you among the heathen 9. And if ye turne vnto mee keepe my commaundements doe them if ye were cast to the vttermost partes of heauen from thence I will gather you and will bring you to the place which I haue chosen to set my name there 10. They are thy seruants and thy people whom thou hast redeemed in thy great powre and with thy mightie hand 11. I beseech thee my Lord I praie thee let thy eare be bent to the praier of thy seruants which desire to feare thy name And giue good successe I praie thee to thy seruant this daie and graunt him mercie in the sight of this man And I was the Kings cupbearer Giue me leaue Lord I beseech thee to speake vnto thee and put thee in remembrance of those things which thou seemest to vs to haue quite forgotten Thou forewarnedst vs by thy faithful seruant Moses that Ifwe offended thee thou wouldst driue vs out of that pleasant countrie which thou gauest vs and scatter vs among the heathen people in all countries yet ifwe would turne vnto thee again and keepe thy commaundements there was no parte vnder heauen so farre of nor none so mightie or cruel against vs but thou wouldst bring vs again and settle vs in that place which thou hadst chosen and appointed vs to call on thy name there The first parte O God we finde too true we haue sinned and thou hast punished vs we haue broken thy lawes and thou hast scattred vs into all countries And if we liued among a people that knew thee or loued thee our banishment and losse of our countrie would be lesse grieuous vnto vs. But alas good God we liue amongst them that hate thee and laugh at vs they worship Gods of their owne making and thinke them to be of greatermight then thou the almightie and euerliuing God art This griefe we can-not digest this is so tedious vnto vs that we cannot be merry vntil thou restore vs. After our long captiuitie by Nebuchad-nezzar in Babilon thou seemedst to remember vs some thing moouedst the good king Cirus to giue licence to as many as would to goe home and build thy temple againe and this was some good token of thy loue and fauour toward vs but yet alas O Lord there be as many yeares or moe past since Cirus began this our deliuerance and y et we liue among the vnbeleeuing Persians a people as cruell and wicked as the Babilonians and the Caldeans were thou chaungest our captiuitie from one Kingdome to another and from countrie to countrie yet we neuer a whit the better We are not brought to thy promised place and holie land our Citie is burned vp and lieth vnhabited the walles are pulled downe and the gates lie open that our enemies may rush in on euerie side spoyle and murther vs at their pleasure By thy good seruant King Darius thou didst build vs a Temple to call vppon thy name in it that was some good hope that thou wouldst fullie deliuer vs from our enemies and mercifullie restore vs to our vndeserued countrie Thou seemest O Lord to haue kept parte of thy promise but yet the greatest parte is behinde Remember O God I beseech thee thy promise and bring vs home againe finish the thing that thou hast so prosperouslie begunne Thy enemies will thinke that eyther thou canst not or wilt not performe thy promise Arise O Lord deliuer vs fully that the world may know that thou art a true god in keeping thy promise Let thy enemies see that there is no people so strong to holde vs nor countrie so far of but thou both canst wilt destroy them that rebel against thee fully deliuer vs and bring vs home againe Pardon my rude boldnes gratious God which so saucily speake vnto thee the griefe of my heart is so great it brusteth out I cannot hold in but talke vnto thee as one doeth to another The faithfull hope that I haue in thee that thou wilt perfourme thy promise fullie maketh me thus boldely to speake yet the greatnes of our miserie and the weaknes of our faith maketh manie to thinke that thou hast forgotten vs. Beare with our weaknes and pardon our impatience The sick man that lieth in great paines looketh for the phisitians comming thinketh he cōmeth but slo wlie when he maketh all the haste he can and when he is come except he giue him some ease quicklie he thinketh that eyther he cannot or will not help him But the wisedome of the phisitian is such that if he should purge or let him blood presentlie it were great daunger or if he should satisfie his phantasie letting him eate and drinke what he list it would increase his paines and therefore he tarieth vntil he see better occasiō giuen so we O Lord lie in great paines and thinke thou tariest long we would gladlie haue our desires fulfilled but thy wisedome seeth the time is not yet come Giue vs patience O God to tary thy leysure or rather a speedifull deliueraunce Our weaknes is such that we cannot but murmure and grudge at our delayes and thinke thou hast forgotten vs. Beare with our foolishnes O Lord which cannot vnderstand the secret wisdome ofthy doings we iudge the according to our owne wits as we thinke good and submit not ourselues to thy wisdome which knowest what time is best and meetest for vs to taste of thy vndeserued goodnes We thinke thou hast forgotten vs is thou speedely satisfie not our desires Arise gratious God and deliuer vs that the world may see that thou remembrest thy promise

Conquest of sinne death hell the world the slesh that afterward we may reign with thee in thy blessed Kingdome which thou hast so deerely purchased for vs by the death of thy Christ our sauiour thy sonne our Lord to whom with thee and thee holie Ghost be all honour and glorie for euer Amen CHAP. 5. 1. And there was a great crie of the people made and their wiues against their breethren the Iewes 2. And there were that said our sons our daughters we are many therfore we must take corne that we may eate liue 3. And there were some that saide our fieldes and our vineyeards and our houses we haue laid to pledge that we might haue Corne in this hunger 4. And there were some that said we haue borowed money for the Kings tribute vppon our landes and vineyeards 5. And now as the flesh of our breethren is so is our flesh and as their children be so are our children and marke we bring into bondage our sonnes and our daughters as seruants and there be some of our daughters in bondage alreadie and there is no powre in our hands our lands and our vineyeards are in other mens hands WHile that Nehemiah had traueiled him selfe wearie in keeping watch and ward and setting the people to building the wals againe and thought all was quiet both within the Citie and safe against the vtter enemie behould now bursteth out a new sore worsse then the former The people and their wiues come with open mouth and make an outcry against the rich and Rulers among them which vnmercifullie had spoyled and oppressed them in so much as they were not able to liue Such is the state of Gods people here in the earth that as our master Christ saieth He came to ouerthrow the workes of the deuil so the deuil ceaseth not by al meanes to ouerthrow or at the least so much as in him is to hinder by his partakers the building ofGods house the setting forth of his glorie And to declare the vehemency of the crie the holy ghost noteth it by such a word in the Ebrew as signifieth those vprores outcries which are made in Rebellious or Seditious Riots or els ofsuch as crie out for great grief anguish ofheart The parties that make their crie are the common people and women of which it is hard to tell whether of them is often more importune in outcrying many times without iustcause The people if they smart a litle haue not their owne wils fulfilled are ready to exclame women can weep and howle when they list and the basest sort are the worst The parties against whome they crie be the Iewes their countrie-men breethren in kindred and professing one religion If this oppression and cruel dealing had bene by straungers where no mercie is commonlie shewed nor looked for it would haue bene lesse marueiled at and lesse it would haue greeued them but to be entreated cruelly by their countriemen kinsmen those that serued the same God and professed the same Religion that they did and at whose hands they looked for aid and comfort this was thought so straunge that it would make anie astonied to heare tell of it With these circumstances the holy ghost setteth out the greatnesse of the cry to make it more horrible in mens sight so the more easilie to bring them to repentaunce and make them ashamed of their cruel dealings When the deuil preuayled not by Sanballat and his fellowes to ouerthrow the building he setteth now on the poore common sort and womē to crie out against their rulers thinking by this meanes to ouerthrow all rather then to procure anie remedie orreliefe for them Though God of his accustomed goodnesse turning oft our wicked doings to the setting forth of his Glorie by this meanes wrought their deliueraunce and libertie Such is the wisdome of our God that by our foolishnesse he declareth his mightie powre wisdome maiestie our ill dealing sheweth forth his iustice mercie that against our wil meaning 2. And there were that said The cause of their Crie is set forth in these 4. verses following Hunger need oppression pinching pouertie and pining penurie made them so to crie out And this is to common a fault in our daies in the preaching of the gospel Some of the pooter sort though they had not lands and goods yet God as he vseth commonlie had blessed them more then the richer sort with children so manie that they could not tell how to gett bread for them except they should sell them as slaues and where they were free borne they should now become bond and be vsed as beastes What a griefe that is to a good father that loueth his childe deerely in the feare of God to be driuen by the vnmercifull dealing of the rich to sell his owne children for bondmen I leaue it to the consideration of those that be natural and louing Parents for none can expresse the greatnes of that griefe but he that hath bene pinched with it and felt the smart of it When Iacob should send litle Beniamin into Egipt with his breethren for corne it was long or he could be brought to it and he almost had rather died for hunger then let him goe from him What a loue had Dauid toward his wicked sonne Absolon euen in the midst of his rebellion and what charge gaue he to his captaines that they should not kill him Such is the loue of natural Parents towards their children that they will loue them and cannot cast them of euen in their ill doings though manie times the children be most vnthankeful Libertie is a thing that euerie man naturallie desireth and by all meanes seeketh for therefore bondage must needes be such a thing as euery man doeth abhorre and slie from yet hunger is such a thing that it will breake stonie walls and rather then a man will beare it continuallie he will sell landes goods wife children yea him-selfe to be slaues for euer Nay hunger is so pinching a paine that a woman will eate her owne childe as in the siege of Ierusalem in Samaria and Saguntine yea a man his owne flesh rather then he will die for hunger Hunger of all thinges maie not be abidden what inconuenience soeuer fall out after Consider then what miserable case these poore men were in that had so manie children and could get no bread to put in their mouthes and wicked men the richer sort were they that had brought them to this pouertie and now would not releeue them in this their extremitie We read of a Bishoppe of Mentz in Germanie called Hatto who had great store of corne and would not releeue the pcore with it in time of great dearth but let the rats eate it in reuenge of which God raised so manie Rats about him that they droue him from house to house to saue his life and where he had a strong towre in the

euerie one would amend another see other mens faults but not his owne and therefore all lie still as they did nothing amended and euery one maketh courtesie who shall beginne Sophonie the Prophet complaineth of his time and saith Thy rulers are roaring Lions thy iudges are rauening wolues in the euening and will not leaue the bones vntill morning thy prophets are lewd and vnconstant thy Priests haue desiled the holy place broken thy law Micheas crieth out saieth there is not a goodman lest on the earth and not a righteous man among men all lie in waite for blood euerie man hunteth his brother vnto death c. God grauntour times were not like Among vs it is merilie said of some that there be some Courts where law is executed without conscience Another where conscience is without law the third where neyther law nor conscience the fourth where both law and conscience shall rule I can rather pray for then looke for vntill the last day come when the righteous Iudge shall iudge both with law conscience In the meane time we may mourne and turne vnto the Lord that he may forgiue vs and receiue vs in his manie and great mercies for we are full of manie great miseries The pride of weomen is through the fault of men therfore they be blameles God amend vs all It is written that Ioseph in Egipt vsed the people almost of like sort that they doe here and yet is he praised and these iustlie reproued which possiblie some marueile at not vnderstanding the diuersitie of their doings Ioseph laid vp corne in the time of plentie when euerie man had ynough these men did it at al times without respect in plentie and scarsitie Ioseph brought the monie into the Kings cofers to serue the common wealth these men laid it vp in their owne Cofers to their owne priuate vse Ioseph bought their cattell for such price as they were worth these men pay not the iust price for anie thing they take Ioseph buieth their land and maketh the people bond vnto the King restoring them againe the land the King finding the seede to sowe the people onelie laboring to till the ground And where we thinke we deale courteously if we let them sow to halfes the Egiptians haue the fourth part for their labour and paie the king the fift part of the encrease for the land and seede but these men kept all in their owne hands Ioseph bought not the Priests lands but gaue them alowance of such things as they wanted out of the kinges store and these men like vnto our daies if they can scrape anie thing from the Church that is a pastime among all other to laugh at and thought best gotten So much more is a minister of Gods gospell thought meeter to be spoiled by these cutpursses then Ioseph thought meet to doe to those Idolatrous priests Ioseph opened his barnes in time of dearth and sold liberallie to the needie these men the greater that the neede was the faster they lockt it vp vntill they had their desire of the poore Ioseph restored their land and tooke but the fift part of the increase these men restore nothing and yet take interest As this cruell dealing toward their breethren and countrie-men was thought straunge to be found amongst this people in the time that God had shewed to them such great mercies in restoring them againe to their countrie giuing them the liberty to build their temple and Citie with great gifts liberalitie and fauour of the kings vnder whom they were bondmen and slaues So it is much more marueil that among Christians in the time of the gospell 〈◊〉 mercifullie restored vnto vs so freelie taught greater crueltie should be found and exercised then among the hard harted Iewes or Infidell pagans But this is the common practise of Sathan that in no age people nor countrie he can be quiet to see Gods kingdom set vp and florish and his powre fall but he will rage storme besturre him and by all deuises that may be and by all powre that he can ouerthrowit And seeing this is no new thing but hath fallen out diuers times afore let vs not now be astonied nor dismaied at it nor murmure and grudge against the doctrine of our saluation so mercifullie offred vnto vs as though it were not the true word of God because men liue so far contrarie to that which is taught and they openlie professe The deuill is content when he cannot ouerthrow the trueth of the doctrine to deface it so much as he can with the ill life of those that professe it But the gospell teacheth vs what to doe in this case saying doe as they say but doe not as they doe The doctrine is good though they be ill The trueth and worthines of Gods word hangeth not on our life and doings but our life and doings should be reformed by Gods word for that it is a Lanterne to our feete and a light to our stepps that we may know when we be in the right way and how to come into it We must be iudged by Gods word and not it by vs we must be ruled by it and not ouerrule it according to our phantasies we must hang on Gods true saying and not on mans cuill liuing Because the Author being preuented by death could not finish the rest of this treatise much lesse of this and the other Chapters which remaine vntouched I thought it good for the better instruction of the reader and in stead of a supplie for this point of Oppression which that godlie zealous father had begonne to annex and set downe that which of late was published by Robert Some D. in Diuinitie To the Reader IT hath pleased an English papist to giue out in print that the Church of Roome doth both teach and require actuall restitution and that our Church doth neyther His speech of vs is verle slaunderous and my treatise against oppression is argument ynough to confute him If they of Rome teach and require actuall restitution it is no worke of supererogation they doe no more but their dueties If we should fasle in this cleare point we deserue great condemnation at almightie Gods hands I confesse that a man is good therefore iustified in Gods sight before he doth goodworkes but with-all I set downe this that goodworkes doe followe him that is truelie iustified and that such as haue oppressed or iniured anie man shall not be pardoned at Gods hands vnlesse they make actuall restitution if they be able to doe it If anie require proofe of this I referre him to this Treatise of mine against oppression A GODLIE TREATISE AGAINST the foule and grosse sinne of OPPRESSION Question VVHat is oppression Answere It is vniust dealing vsed of the mightier either by violence colour of lawe or anie other cunning dealing against such as are not able to withstand them The ground of this definition is conteined in these places of