not to be grossely taken that no more is to be followed then those named in this place But by these wordes must be vnderstoode all his lawes and ordinances written in the Lawe and in the Prophetes and I referre this place Vnto Deut. 12.32 thus written God is of heauen heauenly therefore bumane traditions must not be mingled with his seruice Quicquid tibi in mandatâ—m dedero hoc facies neque addi aliquid neque diminui patieris a verbo meo What so euer I commaund thee that shalt thou doe thou shalt neither add any thing therevnto neither shalt thou plucke any thing therefrom which euen very same commandement is written Deut. 4.2 Hearken you O Israel vnto the ordinances and lawes which I teach you to doe it followeth you shall put nothing vnto the worde which I commaund you neither shal you take ought therefrom And vnto Ioshua was the same lawe giuen in commaundement Iosh 1.7 and he was charged to obserue all things that Moses the seruant of the Lord did commaund him the restraint was set downe thus Thou shalt not turne away from it to the right hande or to the left that thou maiest prosper whither so euer thou goest The Priestes of Bâ—al the foolish Chemermâ— and the Scribes and Phariâ—ies were in the same maner blinded as be our Iesurtes Papistes and Seminaries their most principall and chiefe Ceremonies were al one the same proofâ— they vse both of them for their superstitions and the verie same customs they doe allowe of bicause their fathers of olde vsed them which lawe and most sacred and holy ordinance of the Lord when I consider of I wonder how you the aduersaries of the grace of God schollers of the Pope and Antichrist either burst not in pieces for feare or holde not downe your heades for shame or accuse not your selues in your consciences or cry not out vnto the Lorde in this extremitie when you sée all thinges in your religion and profession either to be inuented either to be founded by man either to disagrée either to be contrarie dissonant from the word of God either to be whorish either to be diuelish either to be Idolatrous either to be superstitious which is the least fault you haue of al It can not be if you had read the lawe as you flée from it If you had experience in the scriptures as you shut them vp If you had exercises of prayer as you haue none aright If you had the Commaundements of the Lorde among you as you denye them If you had true seruice as you corrupt it If you had the ordinaunces of the Lord and his wordes with you as you are farre from them But that you should sée easily and perceiue rightly and iudge perfectly and deale syncerely and after an other manner to than nowe you doe in your daily administrations and vnlawfull sacrifices Remember that cursse that is laide vpon your shoulders and vpon the shoulders of your fathers in the last of the Reuelation Reuel 22.18 for your corrupting of the word Therefore after a rewarde that is giuen to euerie one according to his workes there is a description of Christ whom we ought to acknowledge in this manner 1 First as being α and ω the beginning and the end 2 Secondly as being the first and the last There is also a blessing set downe vnto those that shall feare his Commaundements 1 Their right way shall be in the tree of life 2 They shall enter in through the gates of the citie After this there are certaine per sons named the are shut out of the kingdome of God 1 Dogges be the first sort sauage wilde vntamed and wanton persons 2 Inchaunters be next such as haue bene the most of your Romish Prelates 3 Whoremongers the third and you and the Romanistes speake against marriage and yet maintame whores in your Cloysters 4 Murtherers folow such are you and such haue your fathers bene that seeke and thirst after the bloud of the Saints 5 Idolaters also are without and more vile more ougly more monstrous and more filthie theÌ„ are you of Rome I know none vnder heauen professors of religion at this day 6 Moreouer such as loue and make lyes are in the number and these can be no other than you and as you be that maintaine false doctrine and delight therein After al this there is a message sent vnto men The messinger is the Angel of God and his message or tidings is heauenly and diuine namely 1 That the roote and generation of Dauid Iesus Christ 2 That the bright morning starre Christ the light that brought light into the world Hath of his meeremercy brought â—vs good tidings 1 How that the spirit and the bride do cry come 2 How that euery one that heareth may come 3 How that al those that are a thirst may come 4 How that euery one that will take of the water of life may come freely But there followeth a Protestation with a ComminatioÌ„ 1 First that what man so euer he be 2 Secondly that heareth 3 Thirdly the wordes 4 Fourthly of this prophecie 5 Fifthly presuming to add any thing thervnto That then God shall adde vnto that man all the plagues that are written in that booke Furthermore the Lorde inlargeth that spoken before So that if any man shall presume 1 To diminish the wordes of the booke of that prophecie 2 His part shall be taken out of the booke of life 3 His parte shall be taken out of the holie citie 4 He shall haue no part in the things are written in this booke 5 And all this is confirmed by the Lorde for hee will come quickly to see it done As they are more to be feared that can kill and destroy the soul rather than those onely that do spill the bodie so are the papistes the more to be abhorred as they doe cast away both the outward the inward man Nowe therefore looke you vnto this O you the enimies of God more then enimies vnto the Lorde for you make all other whome you can get enimies vnto him worse than common enimies for you raise vp straungers against him crueller than are the enimies for they kil but the body you destroy both bodye and soule Fiercer than are all enimies for they vse the sword you abuse the word and bring in an other contrarie to it I charge you not without cause I lay nothing vnto you but that I may iustly Your consciences bewray you and you betray your selues your comming ouer to vs presuming to teach being more fitter you should learne entring and insinuating of you into the hearts of men spreading abroad your damnable opinions are tokens sufficient I say to manifest vnto the world what men you be You you haue counterfeited the Scriptures you you haue falsified the trueth You you haue added and diminished You you haue put too and taken from the word of God You you haue inclined
whether he did well or euill And Osorius did but the other day sende abroade his CoÌ„nfections to poyson the young Frie of England who as he flaunteth it out in a leafe or two yet halteth he in many places and speaketh verie roughly and breaketh out euery where vnpleasauntly and then healeth vp the wound so rawly againe as that his gleaned and piked vp corne stolne words borrowed ware deceiptfull stile quauering Notes and slaunderous speeches against the trueth be wundered at and greatly pittied of all cunning woorkemen Moreouer the other day was the like seene for the Snowe hath not yet falne vpon the ground nor yet hath the Sickle beene put into the Corne sithence one to name Campion and an other to name Howlet haue caste out Rebellious Pamphlets and offered combate to all the learned in this Realme Now all these men for that they wanted credit and estimation where they liued before are coÌ„tent like Maisterlesse men to goe abegging and aske for entertainement abroade Therefore haue they praesumed to enter the Courte gates and there to open their Pedlers Packes and to set out to sale their counterfeit Merchaundies supposing that because her Maiesties Subiects vpon hope of amendement haue in all clemencie beene borne with all to this day Therefore also they should looke for the same fauour and good woordes bothe of her Maiestie and your Honours handes as a rewarde giuen them for their slaunderous and Scismaticall Libelles May it please you therefore with the same eyes and like harte as you haue to this daye moste Honourably continued so also to turne back and looke vpoÌ„ the learned with in this Realme It wil be knowne vnto you that God hath so blessed them in England with all kinde of furniture Timber Wood and Stone fine woorke wrought woorke and needell woorke golde siluer and all other kinde of Science Arte and knowledge bothe diuine and humaine as all theyr outlandish falshoods robbery pilfering and stealth with their foolish and mishapen Quiddities loose arguments broken reasons falsified Scriptures coloured and disguised Authors are neuer able to be compared or come neere vnto vs. For whye the Lorde is on our side and he rayseth vp bothe the eloquent and the good man As for those men what haue we to doo with them seeing they are bewitched with falsehood and lyes The Lorde our God is he that we must follow his voyce must we heere and as for those that bring not his woorde the Lorde shal be reuenged on them himselfe For my owne parte what I haue set downe against our aduersaries the Iesuites in this booke in the same I will not be my owne Iudge but I will referre that I haue spoken to the indifferent Reader and he all that I haue doone vnto the Scriptures The Lorde the true and righteous euermore the God of our fathers that hath alwayes beene with you kindle your noble and vertuous proceedings more and more that you maye bee a light and fartherer in the same to all those that looue and feare the Lorde And the Lorde graunt that his countenaunce may shine vpon vs that his word may be knowne rightly his lawes and commaundements obserued diligently the vertuous and godly men defended mightely the wicked and obstinate punished seuearely and his goodnes and mercie spreade abroade openly vpon vs all That her Maiestie may raigne long time ouer vs to see the iudgements of our God put in execution that her Grace may see an end of all vnquietnes dissention and strife and establish peace vnitie and concorde in the Church of God Amen Your Honours moste humble to commaund Iohn Keltridge From my Chamber in Holborne at London Iune 10. To the Readers and faithfull Christians health and peace in Christe Iesus THe great looue that the Lord our GOD hath borne to the Church neither is it neither can it be hid from any man and if we which haue nowe Itued in the same many yeeres be not either stuffed and choaked vp with his manifolde benefites or carelesse secure for that they haue béene so plentifull Then will euerie faithfull and good man say as I say that of all Nations and Countries vnder heauen we haue hitherto liued most happily For if Warres were looked for the Lord hath turned all to peace If conspiracies and Treasons were practised they haue béene reuealed from time to time If Insurrections were made they the authors haue béen suppressed immediatly If Forrainers and straungers haue determined any thing against vs their pretended deuises neuer tooke effect If at any time they haue purposed to spoyle vs the Lord hath deliuered them into our handes If the heauens haue portended any great thing or the earth hath shaken her pillers against man or the Elements in flaming manner cast foorth their sparkes of fyre yet haue all these moste straunge thinges to this day shewen their force declared their effectes and plainely manifested their angrie countenaunâ—â—s against other Nations and straunge people not against vs of England So that I may say happy are we if we may continue happy and blessed be we aboue all other if we be still blessed of the Lord and most of all are we to praise our God if héereafter we shall be able to stande as hetherto we haue done which he onely knoweth not man Of this I am certaine and for the same I haue a good warrant that if our sinnes be not come vp vnto the brim if our iniquities be not ripe or our manifolde transgressions come vp before God then haue we not to feare any thing but whatsoeuer kinde of â—â—â—righting it be howsoeuer mens heartes doo fayle them or what rumors and signes of alterations the wicked doo forecast in their hearts all shall be turned to the best if we haue not prouoked the Lord. In verie déede it is true that the Lord is able to remooue our Candelstitke that the Lord is able to carrie vs into a straunge lande and he is of power to hang vp our Harpes vpon the willowe Trées and enforce vs to sing a song of Sion in Babell Yet let Israel be of good chéere and you the people of the Lord comforted for if you will feare the Lord and obey him all thinges shall goe well with you Deut. 28.2 all the blessinges of God shall be powred vppon you and you shall stande in feare and dread of none But and if you disobey the Lord your God and cleaue not vnto him all the plagues and curses set downe in his booke shall ouertake you Leui. 26.14 Lamen 2.17 I tell you of a trueth that if we looke not to our wayes and take héede to such thinges as the Lord our God hath forbidden vs without questioÌ„ he will bring such a thing to passe as all the eares of men that heare thereof shall tingle at it For my owne part I am perswaded that euen now God hath begun to becken his hand and shake his rod at vs and of the same I will
yéelde certaine reasons Pride First of all the pride of Sion is great and her daughters haue waÌ„dring eyes and stretched out neckes they mince it in the stréetes with their féete as if onely they had a care to liue héere and to doo nothing else Securitie Secondly the fulnesse of bread is great and 〈◊〉 are inglutted with the Oliue and the Grape therefore beginne freé to to be carelesse Whordom Thirdlie there is a gréeuous sinne which of all other I feare which aboue the rest I abhorre which of all is most damnable which in the most is most common yet estéemed of ouer lighthe by the most godlie which is whoredome that is so sparinglie punished For these sinnes am I perswaded that God hath begunâ—e to shewe his displeasure and angrie countenaunce vpon vs the Lord hath nowe forewarned vs to looke about and to examine our selues against the tyme of his comming And assuredlie I am sore grâ—ucâ— for the same for the Papistes finding that we haue displeased God and knowing that the Lord neuer striketh but when he is angry have nowe of late lyft vp their heads thinking to make a conquest and to pray vpon vs So that I sée we are nowe in distresse and two kinde of inconueniences fall vpon vs for our sinnes First the Lord is 〈◊〉 honoured and the Papistes they hope for a day Secondlie our people and nation is affrighted and in parte discouraged 〈◊〉 they feare that because the multitude of Heretiques are nowe incâ—â—sed that therefore God as he hath warned vs hath also forsaken vs and as he hath touched vs hath certainly delivered vs into their handes which is nothing so wherefore séeing the the aduersaire is so exalted against God in his pride and the poore Church so discouraged for her sinnes in great humilitie I will say some thing to them be the. As concerning you the aduersaries of God and enimies to England whether you be called by the name of Papistes or tearmed as Catholiques or estéemed as Iesuites or thought to be Seminaries 〈◊〉 called by any other name among men Vnderstand all of you that if we haue sinned you haue no cause to reioyce we haue not trespassed against you but against God and if any thing happen vnto vs we are vnder the handes of the Lord not vnder yours What if our fathers haue erred what if our Kinges and Princes haue offended what if our Rulers haue trespassed and we his people gone astraie that appertayneth not vnto you but vnto our God To him we submitte our selues to him we yéelde to him we acknowledge our sinnes 〈◊〉 for you what haue you to doo with vs why trouble you his people and what haue you to doo with his annointed we will submitte not selues to the highest we will not be delyuered into your handes nor into the handes of men Knowe you that we will neither choose to â—ye thrée dayes before our enimies nor haue seuen yéeres famine come vpon vs in the land but we will fall into the handes of God let the Lord doo what séemeth him best in his eyes Now if it should come to passe that we were againe made slaues vnto you as we haue béene of oide tyme yet would the Lord be reuenged vpon you your Shéepheards should be scattered as was Gardner and Bonner your Princes and blasphemers should perishe as all those haue done that stoode against vs your Runners and Deuowrers with the swoord should haue a deadly ende as hath befaine to the persecutors of our Church and you your selues should haue all the plagues of Egipt to trouble you tyll you had deliuered vs. what if we serued you seuen or eight péeres for our sinnes to reclaime vs yet would the Lord send an other Othoniell Iudg. 3.9 to redéeme vs consume you what if eightéen yéeres as we confesse some times we did what aduantage was that to you when Eglon your King Iudg. 3.14 with the Ammonites and Amalekites were afterward destroyed for it by Ehud of Gera the Captaine of the Lord What I pray you aduauntageth it you to rayle on the hoast of the lyuing God and to curse vs and to defie vs before the Lord if afterwards you and yours be found all onely to be they that are cursed for so it fell out in the dayes of Ezechias when Senacherib defied Israell and rayled on the lyuing God Isai 37.38 And so fell it out at the beginning to Balack the sonne of Ziphor Numb 22. that hyred Balaam to curse Israell as the Pope hath hyred and sent you out to curse vs. Therfore this people if they will feare the Lord shall not be afraide of two or thrée Bées of the East but euen they shall sée your dead carcases vppon the ground and you the enimies of God to be drowned and swim before their faces And nowe for the second point for which I doo perceyue the people of this Land are greatly troubled namely because that the Papistes and Iesuites with other the riffe raffe and scumme of this Realme are nowe séene to appeare who before this tyme haue béene hidden in the bytches and channelles of England Let them all vnderstand that it is a small thing with God and no great or rare matter to haue wicked men and vngodlie ones to arise in the Familie of the Lord. For so it must it be in his Church Congregation for euer that those that are his may be tried VVhy wherefore for what cause should you be â—â—â—couraged it hath béene so of olde from the beginning it hath béene thus Looke and sée search and vnderstand it will be found true It is a small matter in great abundance of small hearbes to haue a handfull of stinking wéedes in a mightie ground well eared with corne to finde some Darnel or some Cockle in plentifull Gardens and well â—â—ored to haue a bundle or two of Nettles or in our great and mighty Church of England to haue a fewe of wicked and peruerse papistes The Israelites cannot doo amisse though some Préestes of â—â—all 〈◊〉 in the Land the Congregation shall not all perishe though Coré Dâ—than and Abiram conspire the Prophetes of God all faithfull persons must not be dismaied albeit some offer vp Incense to the Quine of Heauen and England must not be afrayde though some Iesuiets trouble them The Church of Corinthus had in it false brethren that hindred them and Laodecaea and Smirna and Theatyra in the Reuelation had among them wicked persons that withortwe them and the Primitiue Church hath not béene without Heretiques at all tythes that haue withstoode them neither shall England be without Seâ—inaries and schollers of the Pope to molest them I remember what Augustine sayth August ad Petrum Cap. 43. Firmissime tene et nallatenâ—â— dubites Aream esse Dei ecclesiam Catholicam et in ea vsque in sinem seculi frumento mixtas pale as contineri That is It is to be thought
Then as yet your Images are not lawfull And if Paule saide rightlie 1. Cor. 10.20 The things which the Gentils doo offer they offer vnto Diuels If that Iohn is to be credited 1. Ioh. 5.21 Filioli custodite vos a simulachris My Babes keepe you free from Images Let these peruerters of the truthe the Papists take heede If in the Reuelation Apoc. 18.4 the people of God are commaunded to depart and to get them out from among them least they be partakers of theyr synnes It is then high time to looke to you high time to abhorre you high time to flie from you least we also perish togeather with you O that your harde harts were not hardened that your iniquities were not ingrauen with a Diamonde that you were not iustly blinded for your obstinacie that the Lord had not cast you off that wilfullie you reâ—â—â—ted not the truthe that your throats were not open Sepulchers that you were not swifte to shed blood that your waies were not execrable and that you had not denied the Lord to his face I tell you and I tell you in gréefe that which I tell you You haue a two edged sword in your hand and it is drawne and you come heather to wounde vs with all Arrowes and coales of fire are in your mouthe to spit them out against the Saints Serpents tongues are with in you and the poyson of Aspes is in your lippes to infect all those are pure in hart Truelie you are the reprobate Siluer which God hath reiected Iere. 6.30 We haue offered the preatious Stones vnto you as Hogges you treade them vnder your feete Math. 7.6 Our holie things haue we cast vnto you you runne away from them as Dogges As the waxe so shall you be before the Lord for it and melte at the heate of his fierie countenance Psal 68.3 As fier on the Mountaines deuoureth the wood so shall you perish in his furie Psal 83.15 with the Bitte and with the Snaffle shall the Lord breake in sunder your Iawe boanes Psal 32.12 And be you assured that the axe is alreadie put vnto the roote of the trée and the heauie iudgement of the Lord God approacheth yea it is at hand if you returne not Images why their names are abhomination to the Lord. Images why Psal 16.4 They that make them are fooles and infatuated their doctrine is a doctrine of vanitie Psal 16.4 Iere. 10.8 Images why the names of them shal be â—oted out from off the earth and they shall not be remembred any longer Zach. 13.12 O therfore feare the Lord and he will loue 〈◊〉 the sonne least he be angry and you peâ—ish from off the Lande if once his displeasure fall O then happy are all they that put theyr trust in him Tell me of all you that are here which of the innumerable people and Nations vnder heauen hath the Lord our God spaced that haue vsed Imageâ— whether the Sidmians that worshipped Astaroh or the Ammoriâ—â— which serued Melcom or the men of Accaron who adored Baal zebub or the Philistines that held of Dagon or you or the Romans that gaue themselues ouer to all Idolaâ—â—â—â— then stand in a we and sinne not examine with your owne harts and be still One thing I will tell you and admonish you off The Fathers haue determined to giue sentence vpon you the best and the generall Councels that are good and holy haue condempned you our Church of England and all the reformed Churches in the world haue deâ—â—â—ede and set themselues against you and you are not able to stand to your opinions and therefore there is a gréeuous fall prepared for you and it is at hand I would that you called to minde the words of Cyprian Cyp. Tract 4. De vani Idolor Vans igitur omnium Deus neque enim illa sublimitas potest habere consortem cum sola omnium â—eneat potestatem 1 There is one Lord God of all and his highnes will not admit an equall seeing that he hath onely power ouer all Lactantius Firmianus albeit in many things he wrote well yet in this aboue the rest he is moste principally commended who in his second of his Institutions hath this saying 2. Inst lyb De origine erroris 2. Cap. 19. Deus supra hominem est nec in imo positus sed in summa regione quaerendus est quare non act dubium quin religio nulla sit vbicunque simulachrum est 1 God saith Lactantius is aboue man and he is not to be sought after heere on earth but abooue on high in the highest heauens Wherefore wee doubt notall to pronounce and saye that in that place there is no manner of religion at all whereas any Image or Idoll is founde Gregorius is of this opinion Omne manu factum adorare non licet Lib. 9. Indict 40. Epist 9. Cypr. aduer Demetr that is It is not lawfull to adore and fall downe to any thing that is made with hands Cypâ—ianuâ— against Demâ—â—ris 〈◊〉 didâ—vâ—rite very shaâ—pâ—y and merueleus whetly against this Idoll worship and after many reasons at the lengthe dooth bring in that place of Scripture to prooue his assertion which I haue now in hande for it is written saith Ciprian 〈◊〉 Deâ—â—is tuum adâ—rabis The Fathers are vvholie bent against Images in euery place 〈◊〉 all 's soli serniâ—s that is Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and thou shalt serue him onely I could say much vnto you out of the Fathers and shewe you your grosse errors by the iudgement of so learned and reuerend men but bothe the time dooth rall me backe and my purpose is not to compile a volume and the other Articles which you holde doo require that I should spées delie runne ouer this that I may also saye something of them This I say vnto you Lib. 5. de Iust Lib. 4. Lib. 11. Cap. 16. reade Lactantius in his fifth booke of True righteousnesse he will enforme you sufficiently reave Origen against Celsus he will teache you perfectly Reade Cyrill vpon Iohn he will instruct you directly Turne vnto Athanasius against the Gentilles you shall learne prensely forget not at your leasure to séeke to Clemens to Iames brother of our Lord Liber 5. Epist 44. for he hath done euerie thinge there mosse exactlie Or search out Augustine to Maximus where he flowteth and laugheth at their Paganisme there shall you finds how purely he instructeth them how sharplie he reprehendeth them how fiercely he striketh them and how â—uâ—â—tingly he forewarneth them to auoide the heauy hande of God in worshipping of Images and so leauing you to the force and strength of these men I leaue you for this time to consider better of this Article The second point in the third parte of the fyrst diuision There followeth now in my firste part the second point remayning in my thirde diuision namely that there is
Basill nor with Gregorie Nazianzen nor with Ambrose in this matter but with the Lord will I holde And yet I tell you that euen these men Contra Idola Ambrosius Lib. de spiritu sancto cap. 12. Denieth it law full to pray to the Virgin Marie named by me are contrarie to them selues For Athanasius sayth in his booke of Prayer that Mens fons est orationis 1 The minde is the fountaine and well spring of Prayer And to the same vpon the fiftie and fowre Psalme he sayth Promptae semper in hominum praecationes Dei aures sunt 1 That is The eares of the Lord are alwayes open to the prayers of men By which his Testimonies he is contrarie to the other places of praying to Saintes for first Athanasius referreth all to the spirite of man and secondlie The Fathers haue not defended the praying to Saintes giueth all audience to the Lord and none other And Basill in his booke De vita solitaria is verie flat against him selfe he speaketh much in other places against praying to Saints For this he saith Ora ad Deum cum timore et animi humilitate That is Pray vnto God in feare and all humilitie of the minde You sée prayer made by him to God excludeth all other For it went a lyttle afore Pete ex fide semper quod binum est operans 1 Aske by faith doing that alwayes which is good Faith excludeth héere praying to Saintes séeing that Faith and beléefe is not to be reposed in them I may say the same of Gregorie Nazianzen and of Ambrose and Ambrose him selfe is flat against praying to Saintes and against all prayers that are to be made to the Virgin Marie as appeareth in his booke Lib. 3. De spiritu sancto ca. 12 Non quicquam adorandum praeter Deum sicut Scriptura dixit Dominum Deum tuum adorabis 1 There is nothing to be worshipped but God He giueth an other reason For it is written in the scripture Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God Wherefore I am of opinion that some Miscreant and wicked man moued by the Spirite of error hath enterlaced and in many places corrupted the good sayinges of the Fathers with euill opinions Tertullian in his Apollogie Cap. 17. sayth We must worship this onely one and true God who with his worde hath made the heauens and the elementes and all spirituall bodies in the same Epiphanius Lib. 3. against the Antidicomarianites and against the worshippers of the Virgin Marie hath many excellent sayinges concerning this thing to whome I referre you Gregorius Nazianzen in his Oration to the Subiects that were affrayde sayth thus Christus tanua et reconciliatio hominum ad Patrem factus 1 Christe is made the doore and the reconciliation of man vnto his Father Cyrill vpon Iohn Lib. 7. Cap 3. sayth That an entraunce is made vnto the kingdome of heauen all onely by Iesus Christe Wherefore I doo request you to reade that learned Theophilact in his Epistle to them of Colossa and Augustine to Honoratus Cap. 10. and the same in his booke of True Religion and they will satisfie you in this Question of praying and to whome to pray Wherefore I will conclude with two reasons drawne out of the Scriptures Psal 51.6 Iob. 14.4 Pron 24.16 Rom. 3.10 The first is this They which sinne as wée doo can not be helpers of vs in our prayer for all prayer is to them that are holie and perfect but the Saintes haue sinned and sinne as we doo Ergo Psalm 3.8 Esa 27.3 Hos 13.4 we haue no cause to pray to them but to the Lord that can helpe vs. Also it is euident that prayer is not to be giuen to any but such as can helpe themselues and other Now the Saints can helpe neither themselues nor any other but Christe Iesus onely must doo it Then no prayer is to be giuen to them for this is the nature of prayer and such things are to be required herein 1. First we must pray to God for he heareth the prayers of the whole world 2. Secondly to one that is able and can doo all thinges which onely is God 3. Thirdly that he be a worthy Person to whom we pray and so is none but the Lord. 4. Fourthly that he be no creature least we derogate from the creator so that the dead haue no portion or inheritaunce in our prayers but onely the Lord. Now therefore I will conclude that Israell must all onely serue the Lorde his God and none other neither in heauen neither in earth neither aboue the heauens neither vnderneath the earth is there any one to whom we must giue homage but onelye to him Then take the Cuppe of salnation into your handes and call on the name of the Lorde Sanctifie your selues and drawe néere to his Tabernacle A stronge Towre is the name of the Lord he that runneth to him shal be saued In Ierusalem is saluation and on the heads of the Goodly is strengthe no falsehood is found in the wise and no halting in those that feare God Though the world doo delight in Chariots and the Kinges of the earth in their Horses and great men in theyr strength yet will we onely call vpon the name of the Lord we wil say glory to the highest and prayses vnto him in the vppermost heauens we will offer sacrifice of thankes giuing vnto our God and paye our vowes to the Almightie we will singe to the Lord a new songe and Sion shall not staye to prayse her God we will singe with Moses and prayse the Lorde with Aaron in his holy assemblye we will not giue his powre vnto man nor the strength of his arme vnto a Forrainer our Crownes shal be set vpon his heade and we will fall downe to him as to our God we will giue blessing and glorie and honour vnto him that sitteth on the Throne for euer and euer and all the Beasts of the earth shall subscribe vnto vs. But as for you you haue not knowne the Lord the God of Iacob hath not béene your defence you haue giuen his honour to the great Beast and the Oragon hath frayed you so that you haue his markes of blasphemie in your foreheads you haue serued that great whore and bowed your knées to the Woman of sinne Therefore shall your portion be without the Gates of the holy Cittie and you shall not sée the Lambs and his face for euer In the Vinepresse of his wrathe shall you bee troden to péeces and if you repent not your portion shal be Fier and Brimstone for euermore You are the sonnes of the bloody Fathers that haue killed the Prophets you are the Children of the cursed séede You are of the posteritie of Amelech vnworthie to liue among Israell You are the reliques of Iebus and of the remnaunt of the Hittites that haue béene prickes and thornes in the sides of the righteous men You are the Chemerims