toūg is silent So be it smothered Many times a thing passeth through all to the hart where the matter is debated betwéene natural reason the hart there for want of Gods spirite to countermaund naturall reason it stayeth vnderstāding can no skil of it But what saith the toung In stead of So be it he brings this answere Sir y e hart hauing cōsulted with worldly pollicie naturall reason doth finde this to be against his profit or against his pleasure or against his gaine or against his custome or against his credite in the world therefore this bill cannot passe my master the hart with reason and pollicie do therefore desire you to be contented speake no more of this matter but of something els that may stand better with their liking as for the rest of the house vnderstāding will affectiō although they know the matter to be true iust equal which you demaund yet they can do no good in the matter because the other two haue nipped it in the head Sometime the toung saith Amen to that which the hart condemneth because reason confirmeth it this is cōmonly when the eye séeth some body whom he feareth or the eare heareth something that he cānot answere therfore though y e toung be a cōmon speaker yet is he not alwayes a true speaker Sometime againe the eare admitteth the hart affecteth desireth that which reasō subscribeth vnto but for wāt of faith reason reuoketh y e hart fainteth y e toūg foltreth and either for feare or for shame dareth not vtter what is agréed vpō within A miserable Parliamēt y t hath such a speaker but this is y e matter indéed This house hath two doores at one doore y e billes are brought in that is by the eare and the eye at another doore they passe out againe with their answeres that is the lips within at which the cōmō speaker stādeth Now if y e Lord do set a watch there kéepe the doore of our lippes then they are opē the toung doth boldly confesse y e truth but if the fearefull deuill or the bashfull deuill kéepe the doore the toūg durst not for his life speake the truth God in mercy remoue such porters y t we may boldly confesse with our toūgs that which we beléeue in our hart to saluatiō So likewise in prayer thākesgiuing if our toung doth speake any thing which the vnderstanding is ignorant of and therfore the hart cannot affect our sacrifices are but a mockerie against God because the Parliament house is deuided there is but a mutinie betwéene the hart the toung and the rest but if all agrée vpon the point thē the toung sheweth the consent of the hart and boldly without feare of any whatsoeuer stādeth forth and saith So be it But why doth he double his speech say So be it euen So be it it should séeme that the speaker of the Parliamēt house is but a simple man wanted matter he meant well it may be but for want of matter he is faine to harpe vpō one string much Surely beloued y e Prophet spake as he was moued by y e holy Ghost this is Gods wisedome therfore let vs not finde fault withall this is y e plaine simple dealing of a faithful soule indéede It is vsuall in the Scripture to haue one thing oftentimes vrged in teaching no oftener then is néedefull because first it is long before we can learne Gods will secondly it is lōger before we can remēber Gods wil but principally because it is lōgest of all before we can make a cōscience to obey Gods wil therfore let no man in hearing one thing often be wearie because euery mā may learne the same thing better do not say the preacher wants matter but say rather that we want grace or vnderstanding or memorie or zeale or loue or something Againe let no man in teaching stand so much vpon his reputation as to compte it a disgrace vnto him if he doth often repeate one thing being necessarie for we sée it is Gods wisedome to teach so if any man wilbe wiser thē Gods spirite he will proue him selfe a foole In prayer also the same spirit hath taught Gods childrē to speake one thing oftētimes partly because there is in euery one great dulnes want of féeling partly to note how earnest they are desirous to obtaine y t which they pray for So doth Dauid here in this place say So be it euen so be it as though his hart had bene scarce awake at the first A mā that would faine haue a thing which he néedeth indeede will say being asked if he will haue it oh yea yea yea if it be a thing that he cannot away withall he will say oh no no no often together as if he could not deny it too often as the first could not desire it too much This may the Church do if their harts be touched with their owne wants weakenesses But this doth not serue to maintaine any idle vnnecessarie repetitions such as were vsed in Popery condēned by our Sauiour Christ in the Scribes Pharisies In Popery they bable one thing oftētimes Iesus Iesus Iesus you must say ouer the Lordes prayer so many and so many times together and then you shall be heard say they And so they play in their chaunting curious singing which is more like the hunting of y e fore thē any spiritual holy seruice of God they are sometime a quarter of an houre almost in singing some one word Alas poore soules they thinke y t God is delighted as man is they thinke that the Lord is a sléepe as Baals Priests thought therfore they call often but Gods children féele their owne harts a sléepe therfore it is that they cry often in the same wordes So be it euen so be it saith the holy Prophet as if he should say did I speake it I will say it againe I doe not repent me of it I am not afrayde I am not ashamed if I said it not with such féeling the first time as I ought I will say it againe To shewe how carefull how constant how bold and how holy we should be in praysing of God For many times in our prayers our mindes are crossed with one thing or other so that God hath not the hart thē to it againe Hart what sayest thou then So be it euen so be it Some thinke a cold word vnreuerently blustred out to be good inough for God and are ashamed to amend any thing if it be amisse and afrayde to stand to a thing if it be well Some will vtter in table talke whatsoeuer commeth in their mindes of God against him too sometime when they should either defēd it or deny it or reforme it they turne it away with a iest Nay sir it is not my profession I will not
and mercifull Father shall thinke good to lay vpon him Although Israell were hardly intreated of Egypt yet God sayd I will get this people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians so that when ye go ye shal not go emptie Now if the Israelites went not away emptie wheÌ„ they were in fauour with the Egyptians much lesse shall we go away emptie froÌ„ the Lord if we be in fauour with him for séeing he hath of his frée mercie without any desert of ours giuen vs his onely Sonne how shall he not with him saith S. Paule giue vs all things else Hereupon it came that the Martyrs were alwayes so â—ocund and merrie for they were neuer sent away empty from the barre from the prison from the stake nor froÌ„ the fire but still the Lord filled their hearts with ioy and gladnesse and euer sustained their soules with the comfortable assurance of his fauour and so fast as their persecutors condemned them God iustified them so fast as they stript them their God clothed them so fast as they tormented them their God did comfort them wheÌ„â—hey impoâ—erished God enriched when they frowned God smiled when they spoiled the outward man God renewed the inward man when they wounded God healed when they killed God quickened and finally when they reiected them their God receiued them wherby they were not onely assured that he loued them but also were encouraged to beare whatsoeuer came for the assurance of Gods fauour so deare and precious was it vnto them Therefore Salomon saith that louing fauour is aboue gold and siluer if the louing fauor of men be aboue gold siluer how shall we value the louing fauor of God which being lost the whole world and ten thousand worlds cannot redéeme which being obtained is better theÌ„ the whole world And ten thousand worlds with all the deuils in hel can neuer take it from Gods children when they haue once the assurance therof in their hearts sealed vp vnto them by the spirit of adoption I say once againe whereat or at what price shall we value this fauour of our God When Iob was assured of this louing fauour of God in the heate of his affliction he was so far from shrinking or sinking down vnder his burthen that he said like a valiant souldier though he kill me yet will I trust in him As if he should say I loue my life well but I loue Gods fauour better to teach vs y t if we be assured of his louing fauour once we care not what we suffer in this life for it no more then Iob did for he knew that Gods killing would proue a quickning So that all our care and cunning my beloued in the Lord must be to sée the louing fauour of God in all our temptations troubles and afflictions And then as Iehoram said to Ieâ—u when he marched in his furie comest thou peaceably as if he should say if thou comest peaceably march as furiously as thou wilt So let vs say to our God O Lord comest thou fauorably and in loue against vs theÌ„ come as terribly as thou wilt Shoot thy arrowes and spend them all vpon me beate me to powder take all away and in this life do with me what thou wilt so thou doest assure me of thy fauour So we pray in that prayer which is called the Lordes prayer Thy will be done but Lord forgiue vs our sinnes and then doe what thou wilt deliuer vs from euil from the deuill and then tempt vs or bring vs into what battailes it pleaseth thée So reasoneth the Prophet Dauid likewise Happy are they whose oxen are strong to labour happy are they which are frée from forraine inuasion and ciuil dissention which a bound with many outward worldly and generall benefits c. but how if we misse of these outward things why then happy is the people whose God is the Lord. So again in another place he makes the very same reckening Many saith he wil say who wil shew vs any good that is wordly goods but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenaunce vpon vs. c. to teach vs that we must not care what we want so that we may be sure of Gods louing countenaunce in the Gospell of his sonne Iesus Christ. The woman of Chanaan was content to take many repulses at the hands of our Sauiour so that she might be sure of one graunt so let vs be content to take many repulses so that we may be sure of Gods fauour in our repulses The birth of y e child into the world swalloweth vp all y e paines and panges of the mother in forgetfulnesse which went before the birth so saith our Sauiour Christ. So we if after our manifold afflictioÌ„s and sorrowes for Christes his sake we bring forth the assuraunce of Gods fauour here and of eternall life hereafter being dead let forgetfulnesse deuoure and coÌ„sume all the rest And séeing as the Lord in his louing fauour doth thus and thus crosse his children let patience beare it let forgetfulnesse weare it and by this let vs learne to trust in our God another time without fainting or shrinking when troubles come againe The wicked blind world takes another course they cast their eye altogether vpon the crosse and studie how to be eased of that with odd shiftings and many vnlawfull deuises and vngodly practises but because they sée not the louing fauour of God towards them in Christ Iesus they are ready to sinke downe in dispaire of mercy and horrour of conscience like a lumpe of lead in the sea The Lord in one hand hath fire to burne in his other hand water to quench but he holdeth it behind his backe many times that at the first it is not perceiued no not of his deare children but at the last they both sée it and féele the comfort of it and acknowledge the same saying with Dauid By this I know that thou fauorest me c. Therfore as the child is glad when his father smileth vpon him and speakes comfortably vnto him although he beates him so let vs be glad reioyce wheÌ„ our heaueÌ„ly father doth smile vpon vs in giuing vs the assuraunce of his loue although he doth afflict vs. By this I know that thou louest me because mine enemies do not c. Here further we are to coÌ„sider of the prouideÌ„ce and wisedome of God in that he turneth the rage and malice of our enemies tâ— our great good for by this he assureth vs oâ— his fauour which is the greatest good that is Thus you sée that the enemies of Gods childreÌ„ do them good against their will the Lord by his euer watching prouidence so disposing their enterprises and working in thâ— harts of his children for Gods prouidence doth first worke bring to passe good things secoÌ„dly it permitteth euill things to be done but then thirdly it directeth and ordereth aâ— things both good and bad to his
assuredly though we fall daily yet he will so vphold vs if we relye vpon him that we shal not fall finally from him If he taketh all his graces from vs as we thinke at any time let vs know that he doth it for no other purpose but that we might know our selues of our selues to be but naked and so might begge all of him againe Therfore whatsoeuer we want let vs séeke it at the hands of God that giueth to them which want when we féele any weakenessâ— in vs or any sinne strong let vs beséech thâ— Lord to vphold vs. Do not say I caÌ„ or I wil do this and that I will beléeue and repent when I list no for if the Lord by his grace and fauour doth not vphold thée thou shalt do nothing but fall from him Faith is y e gift of God therefore pray Lord increase my faith and Lord helpe my vnbeléefe A reformed hart and holy affections be the gift of God therefore pray with Dauid Create iâ— me O Lord a cleane hart and renew a right spirite within me The loue of wisedome is the gift of God therefore pray Apply my hart vnto wisedome To vnderstand the wil of God in his law is the worke of God therfore pray O Lord Open my eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy law To set light by vanitie that is by vaine things and vaine persons is the worke of Gods grace not of nature therfore we must pray Turne away my eyes from beholding vanitie What should I say more Let vs beséech the Lord our strength to vphold vs in our integritie he wil vphold vs so farre as shal make for his own glory and our owne saluation and what would we desire more And this we must desire for els we cannot stand but fall SecoÌ„dly this doctrine serueth to humble vs and may be a preseruatiue against pride the vse of it is at all times but chiefly when we begin to waxe proude of any good thing which the Lord doth worke in vs or by vs which indéede is our corrupt nature And likewise when we insulte â—uer our weake brethren both which are our faultes When such thoughtes and temptations come to fasten vpon vs let vs thinke that it is the Lord by whom we stand and of him iâ— is that we are that which we are and if wâ— be proude therof he may and can take awaâ— our hold and we shall fall and our honouâ— shall lye in the dust Rome was sometime a famous Church the beloued spouse of Christ Iesus and â— daughter of the most high but for her pride God let her fall and hath now giuen her â— bill of diuorcement Of England it may be said as it was saiâ— of Ierusalem our habitation kinred is oâ— Canaan our father an Amorite and our mother an Hittite In our natiuitie our nauell was not cut we were not softned with water nor seasoned with salt nor swadled with cloutes no eye pitied our case we were caâ—â— out into the open field to the contempt of out person But the Lord of mercy and compassion passed by vs and séeing vs euen polluted in our bloud yea in our owne bloud saâ—â— in great pitie and compassion vnspeakable Thou shalt liue He caused vs to multipliâ— as the bud of the field he hath bestowed excellent ornaments vpon vs our breasts are fashioned our haire is growen whereas we were naked and bare behold further ouâ— time is as the time of loue he hath spread his skirts ouer vs and entred into a couenant with vs and we are become his he is become ours He hath washed vs with swéete water annointed vs w t oyle of gladnesse He hath clothed vs with broidered worke he hath shod vs with badgers skinnes and girâ—ed vs with fine linneÌ„ and couered vs with silke He hath decked vs with ornamentes put bracelets vpon our hands and a chaine about our necke He hath put a frontlet vpon our face eare rings in our eares and a beautifull crowne vpon our head he hath fed vs with fine flower honie and oyle he hath made vs very beautifull and hath caused vs to grow vp to a kingdome in so much as our name is spread among the heathen for our beautie which the Lord hath set vpon vs. What should be said more In a word the Lord hath compted nothing to costly or to deare for vs nay what could he do more for his vineyeard y t he hath not done vnto it but what of all this shal we bragge of our ornaments and be proud of our iewels no but let vs serue the Lord our God with feare reioyce vnto him with reuerence for if we shall trust in our beautie and play the harlot because of our renowne if we shall take our garmeÌ„ts and decke the high places with diuers colours if we shall abuse the riches of Gods mercy what then Then heare the word of the Lord O harlot Thus saith the Lord because thy shame is powred out and thy filthinesse discouered through thy fornication with thy louers I will therfore iudge thée after the manner of harlots and murtherers I will giue thée the bloud of wrath ielousie I will giue thée into thy enemies handes and they shall strippe thée out of all thy clothes and thy faire iewels and leaue thée naked and bare Therefore let him that thinke he standeth take héede least he fall but let vs make an end of our saluatioÌ„ with feare and trembling not fearing least we should fall from our election loose our saluation but least we fall from our integritie and loose our manifold blessings for want oâ— sober vsing of them But this is in generall let vs goe more particularly to worke Haue any of vs herâ— present any knowledge more theÌ„ he had oâ— more then others haue or wisedome zeale or faith or loue or patience or any grace whatsoeuer let vs not be proude of them because God gaue them and God can take them againe If any of vs do stand vpright and walke in honestie when others doe fall let vs not insult ouer them as the maner of some is to vpbraide honester men then them selues by faultes done fourtie yeare since and the law fully satisfied for them and yet this is y e maner of prophane Atheists which know neither God nor them selues to cast the old ragges and sores of the seruaunts of God in their face to make theÌ„ and their profession I meane the Gospell odious in the eyes of the world and such as them selues are And for no other cause but because they will not runne with them to y e same excesse of riot and eueÌ„ as Esaw hated Iacob because of the blessing wherewith God had blessed him so doe these men hate their brethren because they are better then them selues and séeke to haue them and their wayes reformed according to y e word of
to weare a breast plate with foure rowes of precious stones In the first row a Rubie a Topace and a Carbuncle In the second row an Emeraude a Saphire and a Diamonde In the third row a Turkis an Achate and a Hemetite In the fourth row a Chrysolite an Onix and a Iasper And the stones shalbe according to the names of the children of Israell twelue according to their names grauen at signets euerie one after his name and they shalbe for the twelue Tribes all this is to shew what accoÌ„pt the Lord doth make of his chosen people But where must these stones 〈◊〉 worne he sheweth where in the 29. verse So Aaron shall beare the names of the children of Israell in the breast plate of IudgemeÌ„t vpon his hart wheÌ„ he goeth into the holy place for a remembraunce continually before the Lord. And Aaron shall beare the Iudgement of the children of Israell vpon his hart continually And what is this for but to shew the continuall care that Christ hath of his Church For Aaron is a figure and resemblaunce of Christ the precious stones are a figure of the Church of Christ. Aaron must weare them vpon his breast that is in his sight so Christ hath his people alwayes in his sight As it was impossible for Aaron to forget the stones which were in his sight so is it impossible that Christ our true Aaron should forget his people which beléeue in his name but hath them in continuall remembraunce being now gone into the holy of holies that is the kingdome of his father the most holy place of all And the same care which the Lord Iesus had of the Iewes his choise people at the first the same care hath he of the Gentils that is of vs and other nations of the earth which beléeue in him because the wall of separation is pulled down and there is now no respect of persons with the Lord but in all nations he that feareth the Lord and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him As for me thou doest set me before thy face for euer This then sheweth that none are in such safetie as the godly none so wel guarded as the godly none so well prouided for as the godly for God doth set them before his face for euer so that howsoeuer the world goeth yet God doth alwayes remeÌ„ber theÌ„ as he did remember Abraham wheÌ„ Sodome was destroyed for as he was mindfull of his promise which he made to our forefather Abraham which is called the father of the faithfull so will he be no lesse mindful of his promise which he made to his séede y t is to all y e faithfull for euer Because he is the Lord â—haungeth not Who dareth offer violence to the Princes beloued in the presence of the Prince Who shall presume to take the â—â—gnet off the Princes finger Who will take a praye out of the Lions claw And who shal snatch the Lordes choseÌ„ out of his hand whoÌ„ he hath set as a signet vpon his right haÌ„d Iâ— there be no safetie in the preseÌ„ce of y e owner where is safetie Nature doth teach vs no lesse The child fearing to be hâ—â—rt of any body runneth before his father or his mother and then thinkes him selfe safe Nature hath taught the very dogge to runne before hiâ— master when he feareth any body that commeth to hurt him but yet these may be deâ—ceiued for what if the father be so vnnaturall that he will not rescue his child or if he be willing what if he be not able being ouermatched or if he be able and willing at one time what if his minde chaunge what if his affection be estranged at another time if he be not altered in affection what if he knoweth not when his sonne is iniuried if he knoweth when what if he knoweth not by whom if he knoweth by whom what if he cannot come by him And many things moe what then why then Vltra posse non â—st esse He can do no more theÌ„ he can But with the Lord our heauenly father it is not so for as he is able being almightie so he is most willing being our father through his sonne Christ. As he is willing so is he vnchauÌ„geable as he is vnchaungeable so hath he all knowledge and therefore knoweth by whoÌ„ at what time in what place in what maner and for what cause any thing is done in the whole world and as he hath all knowledge so is his Maiestie euery where present therfore there is no flying from his preseÌ„ce And as he is euery where so is he iust and true and therefore cannot be bribed nor peruerted as he is all in all things so all things are his and of him are all things whatsoeuer they be and therefore he hath néede of nothing What shall we say more shall not therefore Gods children be most safe most happy before his face in whose presence is life and at whose right hand are pleasures for euermore no doubt of it Let the wicked then tremble let Sanballat and Tobias be astonished let Ashur Pashur be abashed let Corah and his coÌ„panie be confounded let Ioab and Iudas go hang them theÌ„selues with their trecherous kisses and their traiterous conspiracies let Ananias disseÌ„ble his wifâ— take his part and let them perish in their hypocrisie And the foxes which séeke to destroy the Lordes vineyeard and their cubbes by whose vndermininges the vine hath buâ— small grapes let them take héede that they be not taken in their owne wilinesse foâ— they cannot go so closely nor yet so cuningâ—ly to worke against Gods children but thâ— Lord â—éeâ—h them well inough For he hath seâ— his children before his face for euâ—â— This was it y e dismayed Paâ—rie y â— bloudâ—butcher when he came with a full resolutiâ—â— to lay hands vpon the Lordes annointed hâ— saw in her very countenaunce the face 〈◊〉 God that is some litle sparke of his Maiestie which did so coole his courage that his traiterous hand was not able to accomplish the bloudie deuise of his hart the Lordes name be blessed for euer And were it possible for her to haue escaped so many daungers as she hath passed through euen from her infancie if the Lord had not set her before his face and geuen his louing kindnesse charge to waite vpon hir The Lord therefore set her in his sight and defend her with the light of his countenaunce for euermore But if this be true will some say why do the wicked séeme to preuaile so often as they do against those which feare the Lord Surely it is true they séeme indéede to preuaile against them when they confounde themselues And for the most part their laughter is but from the téeth outward and the end of their mirth is heauinesse But y e truth is so that God séeing his children to were proude of his presence and to forget themselues like
a cunning péece of worke or do some notable exploite or accomplish some hard great péece of seruice which yet he could not do of him selfe it is oftentimes presented to the Prince published to his lasting praise and renowne but who is comparable with the Lord of hostes whose curious and cunning workemanship appeareth in all his creatures and whose right hand hath the preheminence by doing of valiant things shall not his name then be published to his euerlasting praise in his Church and congregation of his saincts By this appeareth what difference there is betwéene our God and the false gods of y e heathen for who doth or can do such things as our God doth who hath his being and all sufficiencie of him selfe and all others haue nothing but as he giueth vnto them who deserueth euerlasting praises but our God By this it likewise appeareth what dishonor and disgrace haue bene offred by grosse Idolaters which wold take vpon them to paint and picture out the inuisible and incomprehensible maiestie of the Almightie like a mā whose breath is in his nostrels whose being is not of him selfe whose yeares are but a span long in his best estate is altogether vanitie What so euer ye do saith the Scripture do all to the glorie of God That is striue to do it so as God may get most glory by it Are such representations of God to the aduancing of his glorie what do they shew and teach vs that we might giue him euerlasting praises for he is painted as a man as you sée in yonder storie of the creation in yonder window in a dozen places together what may we learne by them A man hath his being from another if God be as he is painted foorth he hath so too which to say is blasphemie A man hath father and mother but who was the Lords father his mother A man is first a babe and afterward groweth in knowledge shall we thinke the Lord to be such A man hath neede of meate and drinke and apparel and of tutors and counsellers and many things mee but who was the Lords draper or puruayour or counseller at any time O cursed creatures that euer first inuented them and cursed wretches that dare maintaine them if God giue them not repentance for they are such abhominations as God hath flatly forbidden and condemned to the pit yea to the very bottomlesse pit of hell Are these the pictures of him that is to be praised world without end if they be not why are they not defaced which do so much deface the glorie of our Creator if they be not why are they tollerated nay if they be not why are they defended as lawfull and not hurtfull to any and that euen now with shame inough in the cléere light of the Gospell And if they be not why should any kéepe such a stirre and be so out of patience and charitie with the minister of the Lord Iesus for speaking against such filthie and damnable abominations The Lord open these mens hearts and giue them repentance if it be his will and so much be spoken for that point So be it euen so be it These wordes do shew the agréement of his mind and consent of his heart to that which he saide with his tongue to teach vs that in Gods seruice we must neither doubt of that which we do nor wauer in the perfourming of our vowes neither must we do it fainedly but with ful consent of heart and mind Resolution is the thing indéed that we are here taught Resolution in Gods matters is very requisite as it is for a souldier in the field for Christian souldiers shall haue many assaults to make them retire For want whereof many leaue their standing and run after the world as Gehezi left his masters house and ran after Naman for gifts till the leprosie caught him A Christian without it is like a doore without a locke soone open and soone shut for all commers open with Agrippa till Christianitie be almost come in and that is iust nothing and shut with Festus that Paule must stand without like a mad man Hereof it cometh that many haue lost their first loue some are neither hote nor cold some betake them selues with Demas to y e present world some are for all companies and are of all religions and so are of no religion and most men are like réedes shaken with the winde when as they which are resolute in Gods matters go constantly through all assayes and stand stedfastly like mount Sion which endureth for euer Therefore Dauid hauing set downe his mind sets his hand and his heart vnto it So be it saith he euen so be it as if he should say I am wel aduised of that I haue said I doubt not of it but that it is truth and I know it is my dutie and therefore as I haue sayd so I say againe So let it be But wilt thou stand to it Dauid whatsoeuer come of it Yea that I will saith he do not repent me of it and therefore I am so farre from recanting of it that I spake it I do speake it againe Blessed be the Lord God of Israell world without end So be it euen so be it There be thrée things in man must agrée together in the seruice of God the tongue the eare and the heart if all these agree vpon the matter the bill passeth if all these be in tune the harmonie is swéete an◠the musicke pleasant In euery man that cōmeth to heare the word of God preached or to offer vp prayers to God is a kinde of Parliament holden much a doe there is many times to haue bills passe because all these do not agrée vpō the matter Gods Minister in Gods name propoūdeth many things to the people the equitie wherof he groundeth vpō y e word of God of all these billes some cōcerne God himselfe some concerne our selues our neighbour These billes come first to the lower house y t is to y e outward sences for first the eare heareth what the matter is then the eye peruseth the bill searcheth the statutes of God in his word to sée how they agrée together frō thence they passe along to the higher house that is to the vnderstāding from vnderstanding to reason if reason like of the matter then it cōmeth to the will affections of the hart when it cōmeth there if the spirite of God be in the hart then is the hart framed counselled by the same if the hart likes of it the will doth like of it too thē is the toung sent backe with his answere frō the inward house to signifie so much to God and the world then aske y e toung what saith the hart the toung as the common speaker saith So be it On the contrary side if any thing go against reason then vnderstanding can no skill of it y e hart forbiddes it the