many thousands that are called christians pray at this day how desirous they are of all the worldly blessinges before heauenly and spirituall because they are vnregenerated and worldlyminded Vnto whome all thinges which they possesse are vncleane and cursed You haue hearde also who are those that feare God and not loue him euen suche I say that doth not knowe howe to honour God not how to serue him nor when they commit spirituall Idolatrie nor wheÌ„ they do abuse gods holy name nor when they prophane or abuse the Lordes day neyther yet knowe the great difference betwéene the first table and the seconde that is they knowe not holynesse from righteousnesse I saye gods right from mans weakenesse that is a true fayth froÌ„ mans workes which are corrupt actiue from profound passiue righteousnesse which is as great difference as is betwéene gods almighty maiestie and mans weake imbessilitie such I say that neyther knowe the articles of their fayth nor vnderstande what true beléefe is neyther yet knowe what prayer is nor do knowe howe to pray neyther yet know what a Sacrament is yet dare presume to saye that they are saued onely because they are baptised yet do lyue worse thâ—n Infidells yea dare presume to receyue the holy communion yet violate pollute the seales therof these are those which are a sléep yea dead yet aliue these are papistes Atheistes Epicures Earnall Protestants and all those wise wordly wisards whose kitching is their church and belly their God and all their glory euerlasting shame and confusion Oh Lorde reclayme them if it be thy will with thy loud cal or lure the preaching of thy Gospel that they may be brought into the tentes of Sem being yet rammish haughtie haggerdes descended from the vncleaÌ„e cage of Iaphet as some learned affirme the elder brother of Sem. Graunt this O God for Christes sake our onely Lorde and sauiour An other question of the sonne â—7 Father I haue heard you say manye times when you haue reproued manye that sweare by their fayth you haue sayd that they were as good sweare by the Trinitie the father the sonne and the holy Ghost Howe can that be doo wée sweare by them when we sweare by our fayth The fathers aunswere Yea is not your faith a stedfast beléefe in God the father the sonne and the holy Ghost And is it not the whole somm of our beliefe which we daylie confesse when we say I beléeue in God the father almightie and in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lorde and the holye Ghost c. Do you not then sweare by the Trinitie when you sweare by your beléefe whiche is the verye Christians fayth and is not your fayth a sure hope hold and confidence on and in the father the sonne and the holy Ghost by and through the merits and passion of christ Iesus with a sirme beléefe true and pure vnderstanding of his holy worde and Sacramentes vnto life euerlasting The wife and sonnes aunswere with an other Question Yes verily and so we now confesse and are fully resolued but nowe we praye you let vs vnderstand the sence or meaning of a Sacrament and what it is The fathers aunswere or difinition A Sacrament is when the holy word of God is ioyned with an element as in Baptisme the word is ioyned with the element water and in the Lordes supper the word is ioyned with elementes bread and wine the whith elementes and word ioyned together doth make the definition of a Sacrament and the meaning of a Sacrament is a true and visible signe of an inuisible grace that is the .3 Elements to be séene as the very water bread and wine is veryly present in our sight euen so that inuisible grace working in our harts by the spirite and power of God by faith althings necessary for our saluatioÌ„ by through Iesus Christ and they are also sure seales of the certaintie of our fayth The sonnes .19 Question We pray you sir whether do the Sacraments of them selues giue grace to the faithful receyuers or no We praye you certifie vs or ought we to worship them as God The fathers aunswere They neyther of them selues nor in them selues doth include or giue anye grace for it is the onely gift and worke of the holy Ghost neyther are they to be worshipped as God but we ought to eleuate or lift vp our hartes vnto Iesus Christ who is in heauen our onelye mediator and aduocate vnto God our father for vs and that onely by fayth who is the onely author of these sacramentes commaunding so often as we vse them to do it in the remeÌ„brance of his last comming when we shall receiue it in full ioy with him in his euerlasting kingdome yet they are holy signes seales of our fayth as it were by an instrument God doth worke and seale grace in our harts only by the hande of fayth neither yet are they bare naked signes but grace is truely presented to our fayth when and so often as we receiue the same with a firme fayth constant beléefe in the only merites of christe Iesus our onely Lord and Sauiour The .20 Question We pray you sir is there any more sacraments then two for I haue heard some say there are fiue some affirme there are seuen but we are taught in our church there are but only two The fathers aunswere Howe many soeuer the pestilent papistes haue in their sinfull sinagogue whether they haue fiue seuen or seuen hundred that is nothing to vs for euery seremoniall thing or seremony or any thyng els whiche they thinke is holye in theyr Holye Holie Church or sinnagogue must vpon payne of the Popes cursse be holy adorned and worshipped for it is with them a sacrament or as great yea the very dust and swéeping of their Sinagogue but in Christes holye Churche there is nor neuer was more then two th one is Baptisme the other is the Lords Supper for by the first we are receyued into Christes Church and by the other we are nourished by fayth in our soules into life euerlasting and also remember Christes death vntill hée come agayne to be our ioyfull iudge The sonnes 21. Question We pray you sir certifie vs more plainly what is the true sence substance and meaning of Baptisme The fathers Aunswere Baptisme is the holy sacrament of our regeneration or newe birth vniting and incorporating of vs vnto the body of Christ being therby made a member of his Church by which Sacrament we are purged and washed from al our sinnes for as the water washeth awaye all our filthinesse of the bodie euen so by fayth the blood of Christ sprinckled on our soules by the hand of faith washeth away all our sinnes yea and also all our paynes due vnto the same so being made members of Christes owne body we are partakers of all the benefites and blessinges of Christ our elder brother and head if we
To the right Worsâ—ful and his especiall friendes M. G. Stock meede Citizen and Grocer of Loâ—â— and Mâ—â—chant Aduenturer And also vnto 〈◊〉 other approued friende M. Iohn Faâ—ter Gentâ—◠〈◊〉 Willam Cotes wisheth 〈…〉 health felâ—◠〈…〉 â—ood prossperitie now alâ—◠〈…〉 WHen I remeÌ„bred what great sin it is to be vngratefull I was angry with my selfe to thinke what a wretch I am that haue had neither grace abilitie power nor oportunitie to shewe some duetifull token of thankefulnesse vnto you mine â—speciall faithfull friendes These are therefore most humbly and hartily to craue parâ—â—n of you for this mine obliuiou◠〈◊〉 grosse ing â—â—â—â—â—nesse hauing found and felt both of you right good and bountifull vnto me your dayly Orator but being perswaded that a faithfull liberall man is alwayes posâ—essed with charitie such neuer thinâ—th any euill and also with the mobâ— royall shining pearle and pretiâ—â—â— one liberalitie which euer ouerâ—â—neth and disgraceth pride and prodigalitie neuer expecteth either glorious praise or recompence for he is noâ—hing kinne to the riche miserly couetous carle Naball And because you shal â—ot thinke that I am sufficed with the dayly remembrance of you in my prayers I haue presumed to dedicate vnto you this my rude vnlearned labour Yet hoping very profitable both for parentes and children masters and seruauntes dayly to acquaint theÌ„ in the principles of the ChristiaÌ„ faith also from prophâ—ning of the Lords day And also keepe them in true feare and obedience without the which it is impossible to please God for miserable and most vnhappie â—s the houshold or family when the master and parents are not able to teache â—heir children and seruants to resolue them in the principles of the Christian â—aith For such sayeth the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 the mouth of the Prophet Dauid arâ— no better then horse and Muleâ— And the holy Apostle S. Paul also affirmetâ— them to be worse then Infidels for the Infidels will prouide carefully for carnall prouision for their owne housholdes and families So that those Christians that careth not to be furnished with spirituall foode for their children and families are worse then the Infidels and such loueth their beastes as well as they doo their children and families for they will carefully prouide for their pampering to doo their businesse Yea such Atheistes and Epicures there are too too many in these dayes yea belly Gods whose kitchin is their Church belly their God and glory end with shame and confusion but God conuert them if it be his will for such doo neuer any good to a poore Christian except it be either for his glory pleasure or profite or else to win credite among Christians for their faith and charitie is soone cold and frosen Such the Preachers terme winter Protestants for in the sommer the pleasures of this worlde and the loue of the same carrieth them farre from flocking to the Lectures as they doo in the winter to saue their fire and candle or else to keepe their credite But the almightie that made the heart of man sitteth and seeth their hipocrisie and will iudge if they repent not vnto whom I commend both you and all yours this 20. of Iune 1585. beseeching the same almightie to increase your faith health and prosperitie vnto euerlasting felicitie Amen Your humble Orator VVilliam Cotes ¶ Vnto the humble and and simple schollers in Christes schoole I a poore scholler and the most simplest sendeth these my humble and faithfull salutations as followeth IF the holy Prophet of our God King Dauid coulde say Psal 119 that trembling and feare was come on him because the wicked did set light the law of God Oh what feare trembling ought now to be in these our last dayes daungerous times that froÌ„ the pessant vnto the Prophet all Oh almost all are become either Atheistes Papists Epicures belly goddes or else bee settled in that pestilent chayre of scorners deriders dehorters or daunters of such as eyther professe teache or preach the trueth But if either the lawe of God were feared or our faith in Iesus Christ throughly grounded or his holy worde or Gospell embraced or prayers to God pearced or loue among brethren practised or Christ and his preachers any thing esteemed then should not our Prince peace countrey bee cominazed or threatned neither wee that liue in these daungerous dayes be so much louers of our selues yea onely selfe louers and care neither for Gods law beleeue Christes Gospell prayer Prince Countrey brethren Kindred Councell Cominations nor threatnings from the almightie Who woulde not therefore nowe feare yea tremble quiuer roare for very griefe of hart to see those that seme to be gods children to lick of the butter froÌ„ Gods word and cast the bread vnto the dogs I meane feede theÌ„selues with the fleece and cast the holy worde at their tayles or giue the fleece vnto such dogs that can not barke and the holy bread vnto such that cannot tell howe to breake it nor to whom to giue it and therefore they feede themselues and sterue Gods children If a lord or king exalt a poore man and make him his steward and put him in credite trust with his treasure and then commaund him vpon paine of his high displeasure dayly to bestow it on his owne children his heires kings and princes If then this exalted steward keepe that treasure and portion vnto himselfe and vse it at his owne pleasure and sterue the young kings princes Will not thinke you this lord and King when he seeth his steward hath set so light his straight charge and commaundement take this steward cast him in his wrath into prison and there let him perish without either pittie or compassion Yes verily Euen so will our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the King of kings and Lorde of lordes deale with all such stewardes that hee hath giuen any portion vnto in this world from the highest vnto the lowest if they vse it at their owne will but especially vnto al those whom he hath giuen that excellent treasure his holy worde to distribute the bread of life which licke of that butter and cast the holy bread vnto dogges and so prouoke our good God in his wrath to take away from vs the sweete bread of life the finest of the crop and giue vs in his wrath the course olde and sower bread that papisticall sower rotten leauen of the pharisies fit for dogges and beastes of this word but yee beloued let vs drop downe like water patiencely abyde our good Gods leasure vntill he hath tried vs in this his fornace vnto good and perfit gold For he hath promised that he will neuer forsake his little worme Iacob wil also remember poore Ioseph for the more misery that gods childreÌ„ hath the nerer is their ioy As for example the more was Caynes crueltie the nearer was Abels ioy The more Noe was scorned the sooner by the deluge he was deliuered The
more that Lot was threatned the sooner hee was rescued The more that Ioseph was imprisoned the sooner to a kingdome he was exalted The more Moses the children were perplexed the sooner the red sea gaue place for their deliuerance The more bitterer was Christs passion the sweeter and firmer was our saluation Therefore to conclude he that will raigne with Christ must suffer with Christ for by and through many tribulations wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen To the which God of his mercy for Christes sake bring vs all Amen A prayer of the Author of the Booke O Lord God father of my Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who preserueth al men by the grace and gift of thy holy spirit giue mee grace O mercifull father from the bottome of my hart to looke vnto the greeuousnesse of my owne sinne which euer condemneth me before thy Maiestie that I may not of my selfe presume to instruct others and forget to examine my selfe vnto ameÌ„dment of my life then learne to instruct other in thy lawe according vnto thy will and my bounden duetie because thou hast commaunded in thy holy word that after thou hast instructed vs we shoulde instruct others and not hide the tallent which is giuen vs nor yet quench thy holy spirit in vs. Graunt this O most mercifull father for thy sonnes sake our onely Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to whome be all honour and glory for euer Amen ¶ A Dialogue of diuerse Quections demanded of the children to their father very necessary and profitable both for children and parents masters and seruants The youngest sonnes Question AFter that one of my Children had read a Chapter vnto me at supper out of the Actes of the Apostles my youngest sonne after supper sitting by the fire asked this question father sayth he what is God The fathers Answere My sonne all the wisest Philosophers that euer were could neuer yet coÌ„prehend or resolue this question the cause was they neuer searched to know him by his holy word but by their owne naturall wisedome by which wisedome it is vnpossible to please God or know him for God hath reuealed himselfe vnto vs in his holy word although S. Paul sayth God hath reuealed himselfe vnto vs by his creatures which are the heauens and earth and all things therein contayned By which they knowe there is a God but yet neither Philosopher nor any other can tel what God is but by his holy word In which he reuealeth himselfe vnto vs what he hath doone for vs and howe he hath so loued vs before wée were that he hath created all things for vs hath also giuen vs his deare only sonne Iesus Christ who beyng verie God equall with his father came downe from heauen and disdayned not the Virgins wombe and there tooke our nature on him and was made man in all points as we are onely sinne excepted and in our naturall fleshe was obedient euen vnto the very death of the Crosse wherin he suffered for vs the very paynes of hell both in soule and body was dead buried and rose againe the third day to iustifie vs and after fortie dayes he did ascend into heauen whence he came there he will sit vntill the day of iudgement hauing all power both in heauen and earth which is ment by sitting at Gods right hand And then he wil come and be our ioyfull iudge but vntill then he will be with vs in spirit and power by which spirit we haue reuelation knowledge of him and what God is And without this spirit it is vnpossible to vnderstand his holy will that is reuealed in his holy word which holy spirit is the holy Ghost which holy Ghost is the vertue and power of God procéeding from the father and the sonne the third person in the trinitie which three persons is but one God which God is almightie vnmeasurable incomprehensible and without all mens capacitie and wisedome For he is a spirit and therefore they that will worship him must worshippe and serue him in spirit and trueth â—m 18. â— 1.16 〈◊〉 6.16 for otherwise he is incomprehensible he is Alpha and Omega that is he is the first and the last without beginning or ende for no man hath séene God at any time vnto whom be all honour Amen Another sonnes Question Father you say that S. Iohn saith that no man hath seene God at any time I pray you tell vs then why God is pictured in forme like an olde man with a long white beard sitting in a golden chaire how can that be except he hath beene seene of some man The fathers aunswere My sonne I say that God is neyther olde nor young neither can any place containe him for hee filleth all places both in heauen and earth and the Sea and therefore he is euerywhere for heauen is his seate and earth is his footestoole and therefore he must haue a very great chaire to containe him Therefore such as dare presume to paint or picture him in any proportion dooth commit great and horrible blasphemie and are cursed of God himselfe Much lesse like an olde man with a long white Beard for that is the weakest sort of men But how can or dare any creature make his Creator Oh horrible execrable damnable vile presumptuous cursed wretch that dare presume to violate and breake Gods holy precept forbidden expressely in the first table and the seconde verse Good children beware of such horrible Papisticall blasphemies Another Question of the sonne Father I heard you once say that there was a man in Bridewell that affirmed by Scripture that it was not lawfull to feare God but to loue him Must we not feare God but loue him The fathers aunswere In déede there was a vile fellowe in Bridewel that affirmed out of the scriptures first out of the seconde Chap. of S. Luke the 17. verse out of the song of Zacharias in these wordes that we being deliuered out of the handes of our enemies might serue him without feare all the dayes of our life but this feare is not meant towarde God but it is that wee shoulde not feare Gods rigor and iustice that he scourgeth the wicked withall but loue him as a father neyther yet feare what the wicked can doo vnto vs in all their extremities or malice neither yet feare any of theyr threates scornes scoffes persecutions or tortures whatsoeuer but because God hath deliuered vs out of the handes of our enemies we shoulde serue him without feare all the dayes of our life not cast off our louing feare of our good God that hath deliuered vs out of the handes of the deuill hell and damnation for euer Who woulde not feare to displease such a good God louing father also diuers scriptures are our warrant against this presumptuous villaine for God promiseth great blessings vnto all such as feare him As for example in the booke of Moses it is set downe howe God loueth