the causes of the institution thereof bée opened The first cause for which the Sabboth was ordayned was Economicall or politicke it is expedient for the preseruation and safety of man that hee may rest his weary bones and eate the labour of his hands and the sweate of his browes with ioyfulnes To this alludeth the spirite of God in Exodus thou and thy Seruaunt and thy Mayde and Cattell and thy Straunger that is within thy Gates The cause is that in care ouerlabouring tediousnes of thy soule thou shouldest not repine agaynst the lord Of the rest much is written Exod. 13. Deut. 5. The second cause of Sabbothe is ecclesiasticall or for the Church because as there was assembling togeather of the Iewes wherin the Lord was reuerenced and his Sabboth halowed so especiallye for this that agréeinge in one wée might be mēbers and professors of one Christe which was the only end of the law For as they had the Tabernacle to come vnto so they had thrée seueral time◠appoynted to meete in their Passouer for their deliuery out of Aegipt their Penticost for the rememberaunce of the lawe giuen by Moses their feast of Tabernacles for that God kepte and deliuered their Fathers in the Wildernes the space of forty yeares So that as they did meete and had seueral places for their offeringes so ought wee to bee gathered togeather at Prayer The thirde cause of the institution of the Sabboth is the rest and quietnes therin prefigured when the Saincts of God shal be associated all of them and dwell with the Lorde of the Sabboth and the vse therof I referre you to the Prophets In wholme I finde no one so great complaynt of them in Israel as I doo for the contempt and breach of the holy day The blessinge in keeping it the dreadfull cursing in breaking it is set downe Esay 58.13 and 56.2 The curse to him that dispiseth his ordinance is shewed in Deut. but his displeasure and wrath is opened to vs in that the fellow that gathered stickes on the Sabboth was stoned and in them sufficiently declared whom God checked for that they gathered Manhu on the Saboth and when they went out found none if it bée a cause of force enough to kepe a man from Church to breake the Sabboth to iourney many miles to heare a Sermond when thy aboade weare more acceptable to thy God and thy diligence more commendable Then truely these men named béefore may pleade with the Lord as vniustly punished For the one had no ster to warme him with the other lackte meate to féede him with and thou wantest a Prophet goest a gadding and seekest a straunger and huntest after the worde to delight thée with Surely this was looked too in Israell and it was neuer permitted amonge the Gentilles and the contempte of the worde and of the Sabboth was neuer suffered amonge Infidelles it was greeuously punished in the primatiue Church and if Constantine Athamasius and Ierom liued they would haue rowsed them out and haue fetchte them wholme long ere this I trust I neede not question heare with any man as touching the day that is appointed for the Sabboth For dayes of them selues are indifferent Math. 22.5 Luke 13.15 Ioh. 5.10 Rom. 14.5 Gala. 4.10 And God could haue appointed euery day to worship him if so his Maiesty had thought good therof but hee appoynted onely one that giuinge our selues to labour wée might bee readyer at appoynted day to learne our duety For as in other Ceremonyes there is sumthing that can not bee chaunged and there is that may bee forborne and lefte out so also is it heare For in Circumsitiō and in Baptisme it is necessarely required that those which pertayne vnto the couenaunt and bee lately ioyned to the Church should haue some external signe to shew it but the manner therof is for a time as first the cutting of the foreskinne the alteration therof renewed againe in the sprinkling of water Therfore to shew there was no necessity therof there was a time wherin none was circumcised and afterward giuen to Abraham established it was left vndoon in the Wildernes the space of forty yeeres so then we bee not tyed therunto and the external rites In like māner the case is all one in vs the Ministers of the word namely the we haue prouided for vs to liue by But whither we take it as tithe or out of the Kings tresury it is indifferent And so is it in the Saboth euen the we keepe a day holy vnto the Lord but whyther it bee the first day or the second or the fourth that for ought that I can yet see I finde not Then this is taken in of the Church as beeing hir right and at hir appoyntment and shée hath instituted the Sunday for the Saboth to magnefie the name of the Lord withall as for other Festiuall dayes then when I haue occasion to speake the breach of these beeinge as great as the abuse of the other at more conuenient place must bee examined for now I am already admonished to make haste only let this bée sufficient for the vnderstanding of that which I considered in Prayer that on s parte therof was publique and the other priuate The manner of prayer howe it is to be vsed whether knéeling sitting standing or going there is small cause to reason of it For if it be priuate to thy selfe the Lord accepteth as well the goer as the runner and the stander as the knéeler if he come in spirite and trueth Albeit I do wishe a reuerend feare in euery one that commeth before the lord For if there be duetie and reuerence and care to be had among men and those that dwell in teats whose building is but for a season What manner of humilitie ought we to vse vnto the Lorde our God that gouerneth vs and the whole earth But in publique prayer it is my desire that all would be of one mind not reading when one is preaching or another talking while he is ministring or thou knéeling when he is sitting but that we be alike affectioned vnto the Lorde For as the Leuites when the Trumpe did sound at once did agree alike so would I at one time wee might accorde in voice in gesture in prayer in supplication in soule in heart vnto our god For lift thou vp thy hands or beate thou on thy brest or speake thou openly or sigh inwardly or else what euer thy custome be be it not Iewishe or Ethnicke like it is all one vnto the Lorde Onely in the Congregation where God wil be knowen among vs where we may be iudged to be as seruauntes vnto one Lorde let there be no discorde or disagréement in any thing For as is of the seruaunt to the master so is there of vs by duetie in vs to our God and if in the house they be at variance among them selues will their Lord
euill before as vvith vs. Custome of theÌ„ in India to pray in Aegipt in Barbarie Errours of diuerse that like not our temples Argument taken from traditions Zenon of Gaza A temple built at Edessa to saint Thomas Question â—oued The Surplesse vvhich keepeth men fâ—â—â— church Great abuse littlevse vvheÌ„ men so vvillingly abuse the Lord. Disorders iâ— our church Reason to keepe the Church though the Surplesse bee vvorne No excuse for ceremonies that bee indifferent Our puplike prayer is to be referred in espetiall to the Sabboth Three causes of the celebration of the Sabboth by Gods appoyntment The straight nes that God vsed for sutch as brooke the Sabboth Controuersy that is about the day of the Sabboth The true vse of the Sacraments and hovv to bee esteemed Though vve neuer reccaue the Sacraments vvee may be saued yet for al thâ—g custome appoynted by God is to beâ— kepte The manner of priuate prayer In publique prayer agreement is to be made of necessitie Their euâ—ome and maner in the time of Baâ—ll Athanâ—sâ—uâ— record Praecise maners they be vn manerly novv Concilium Nicenum Much striuing small Christianitie in a number of these Hovve to prepare our selues to praye the last parte of this booke The 〈◊〉 thing in our preparacion to prayer it to be humble and lovvly in heart The manner of vvorlingâ— and of hypocrites Humilitie in all at comming to prayer Psal. 25. Dan. 9. Gen. 8. The state of such as dissemble The perfection of the man of God. Rom. 10. Luke 7. Mark. 9. For that the Infidest and the Panim the vngodly do thinke they haue fayth I haue therfore put in this diuisioÌ„ or disterence which is in fayth â–ª The Heruâ—â— the workâ— of his handes doo declare there is a God. Brutishnes in the â—â—ntâ—â—ies and sâ—ch as know not God. Esay 6. Diocletiam vvorshipped as a God The blindenes and hardnes of harte for their incredulite vpon the Gentilles The end of the election in man at his calling to be godly c. The Gospell bringeth in all trueth vvipeth avvay all idolatrie and all supeâ—stition all blindnesse errour and teacheth vs to knovve God. Gen. 4 Gen. 21. Gen. 37. Wicked men infidels stroken vvith feeling of Gods iudgemeÌ„ts though else they knovv him not therein shevv that they deserue death and condemnation A dead faith 1 King. 12. Theodoret of Cyrus Blindnes iâ— the heretikeâ— The order in double dealers Ioâ—h 7. 1. Sam. 2. 1. King. 16. 1. King. 13. This euill life maketh all the pomp and boasting of our common striuers to vanish avvay The very vvicked are preserued kepte for the good mans lake This kinde taketh avvay the hope that is in Anabap. in papistes in the inchauntresse in the vngodly Crisostom 〈◊〉 Theophilact vpon thiâ— Prophesing and miracles and signes a tryall oftentimes of his people Miracles theâ— be◠〈◊〉 signes they be no certâ—ya tokens of lyâ—e Simon magus estemed as God with the Samaritans A bufiue â—â—gument 〈◊〉 froÌ„ Ciprian The villany of the pope Hildebrand The peeuish nes of their reason appeareth Error is shevved by example Dregges of Popery in â—apistes Trifling bookes of sluggish idle priestes SaluatioÌ„ only in a liuely faith Faith vv â— is for a tiâ— The vn tovvard and vnfearned reason of a popish prelat The true fight of the faithful man To be faithful for a time to reuolt is a signe of reprobation how euer xvc cloak it Time trieth and persecution iudgeth of the good golde and then shall the drosse be knovven poperie thâ—â— vvas once iâ— England 1. King. 2 〈◊〉 2. King. 10. 2. King. 23. Iudg. 11. There is falshed and vvickednes euen in those that professe the Gospell Eph. 6. These vveapons shevve not thy man lynes but goâ—lynes Readines in praying steadines in perseuering and vvatchfulnes in thy dealings bee trevv tokens of iustefiyng fayth Thâ—e things to bee required in a iulcesting fayth A man hopeth that beleeuâ—th not but hee that hath fayth hath assured hope A sight and vevv efhope before vvee come to faith A true and infallable signe of sayth Starters from the truth Examples oâ— the true iustesiyng fayth by this from Christe The Spirit that is guide and leader of all such as feare the Lorde The spirite is only retayned by prayer Gen. 4. A reason thaâ— vve are not iustified by good vvorkâ— The profite and commo ditie that vve haue by faith Without grace vvithout the operation and vvorking of the Lorde vvee fall to the ground Our faith hath adioyned to the knovvlege therof three things A good token of a true Israelite to be a hearer of the vvorde and is also verie often a couering for the vvicked to cloak him vvithall Papistes runners abroade and greate seekers after Bulles and pardons no follovvers seekers of the vvorde of God Papiâ—es that looke for a day An exhortation to those yong schollars to vvhoÌ„ this same vvas vvriten As God hath made vs so vvill hee bee honored for vs Comlynes 〈◊〉 commended by Paull elâ— eucry man vvill haue his custome theÌ„ shall there be no order This dealing and dalying precisenes yet vvickednes in greater matters is abhorninable These and such like bee common with vs. More amendment and les iudgement of others is good All order contempned vvith vs. Obedience is superstition vvhere vvisdoÌ„ is vvantinge Signes are to kens no necessary assuraunces of our saluatioÌ„ Hee that forsaketh not the vvorks is the Seruaunt of the Diuell and hee hath no portion in Christe Wee are of the Church euery man is not the Church In speaking dissembling in brotherhood falsehood in thy actions nought else but factions they be tokens of impietie no Christiamtie The conâ—eÌ„pt of Magistracy is the only token of one that is carclesse Fâ—llinge so grosely and cauilling so dispightfully is a small token of Christiany tie If errors bee not taken in time they will neuer be Seared or weeded out will death Al iudgment is to bee deferred to the Lorde but no authority is giuen to mâ—â— A general repeticion of things contayned in this Booke All our traâ—aile in this life all our paine it is made ioy pleasure vnto vs in Christ The differeÌ„ce in the prayiÌ„ng of our forfathers the contrarie aic in ours They prayed as for one they looked for vve pray as thankfull vnto him in that vve haue receiued him God is our father in that he is the father to his sonne Christ and God to vs in that vve are his brethren God spake vnto our fathers but roughly to vs familiarly by the man Christe The heauens may passe avvay but the loue of God vvill neuer faile his children The death of Christe sealed our redemption fully and made accoÌ„plishment for our sinus The letters patents vvee can shevve or our â—nheitance The loue of God is seene in the vse of all his creatures the heauens the earth c. No excusâ— can be admitted for thy negligence in the seruice of the Lord.
from corruption thy request made for the safety of all and thou reconciled vnto thy Brother thy minde fixed aboue thy speeche and talke seasoned with salte let thy prayers bee for the Sainctes euen the elect and chosen of god Eph. 6.18.1 Thes 5.26 Heb. 13.24 For as they of Babylon hanged vp their Harpes and layed aside their melody when they sat by the Ryuers and wepte so may the ChildreÌ„ of God lay apart their ioy and their gréeting and their mirth when they thinke vpon the Sainctes that bée abroade The cause hereof I take to be the vâ—itie brotherhoode of sutch as be roupled in the Lord that being members of one body and seuered from the world in their head Christ alwayes remember their partners of the sayde afflictions and comforte themselues in the bondes that they sustayne in this life of this is mention made in Basill in his Epistle 63. That one should pray for another and for the saincts And Eusebius in his eyght Epistle maketh mention of a charge that was giuen them and how they ought to bee remembred that were of the Church at their generall méetinge and at their Sinods and to pray one for another and the prayers of the people to be ioyned with them That the rest of their inhabitaunts day and night might be remembred vnto the lord Whervpon I could by iust occasion set open so vile a Doore for the enemy to looke into as the rawnes of our time and carelesnes of our dayes might very hardly beare it and of those men euen such as dare iudge the Children of God and his Sainctes as of opinion that all bée secluded and expelled his temple that haue not bin found to deale with thear 's This vncharytable rashnes I leaue to him that sitteth aboue that will in due time redres it and but that I loue breuety and minde not to bée tedious in stuffinge vp so short a volume as this is with nouelties very hardly I could haue past it But I beare with their memories for whose cause I wright this and the deformytyes of aged men I leaue to others As I can therfore shortly albeit peraduenture hardly I conclude all prayer with theese two That wée remember Kinges and Magistrates 1. Tim. 2.2 and that it bée agaynst temptacions Math. 16.41 Luke 22.40 The first of these was very duely kept in the primatiue Churche reported by Eusebius in his fourth Booke of the life of Constantine That it was their custome to pray vnto one Lord that guided them that defended them only from their enemyes from wholm they had all thinges and in the ende for their Emperour Constantine and his Chiâ—dren that they might longe prosper with them I would that affection were in vs so great and subtile snapping it would not bee agaynst the state as now it is God that brought vs out of Aegipt bringe vs no more to those fleshe pottes and giue vs the liberty of his Gospell and free passage of his word and stop the mouthes of his enemies that snuffe and barke at vs abroad and could as yet neuer enioy the liberty hereof at home and let vs conclude this parte that beeing in a readines to offer vp our selues a liuely and quicke sacrifice vnto the Lord wée may bée armed against the assaults of Sathan and quietly abide whatsoeuer his gracious hand shall lay vpon vs For very brickle is the minde of man and vnsteady bee all his dooinges and our enemy the Deuill and Sathanas that raumpinge and roring Lyon hee is euen now let lose and in his time that hée hath béeinge very short hée is alwayes so busie with the electe of the Lorde that very few there be be not intangled Then to ende this the cause one of them and the last for which wée pray It is agaynst temptacions That wee may auoyde his Snares and eschue his ginnes hee layeth for vs I might run a long race in this féeld and breath I could heere a litle but tired neuer And it would amaze any man in the middest of his conrse to see so great a Milstone as there is to bée cast into the earth and no man almost of sufficient force to bruse it it hath well bin assayed of late but yet the dust therof is so scattered that a number bée almost choked with it For euen in this is the diuelishnes of the Leuiathan seene that maketh so good a reckoninge with the world as beeinge holy and vnspotted in their dealinges despise sutch as intermeddle not in their affayres and thinke of common men as they doo of Ethnicks But is their house so surely builte that the waues beating theron can neuer mooue it I know not well herein what it is I might speake but if Isaack did fall or if Ioseph offended or Moses slid or Elias or Peter or Paull or the Apostles they might as well as other Christians pray vnto the Lorde agaynst temptations But let these alone and let them bee hardned still it wil be to late when Er and Onon are stroken by the hande of God when Agar is gon and thruste out of thy house when Esau hath solde his brightright to call it backe when Ioseph is caste of and solde vnto the Ismaelits when Iudath hath defiled Thamar and then calleth on righteousnesse when Semei shall curse Dauid to his face when Absolon shall hange on the Trees and Speares thorow him when Saull hath helde vp his handes agaynst his owne soule when Achitophell hath set his house in order strangled himself when Sathan shall preuente vs and wée know it not and the Deuil hooke vs in and wee perceaue it not and tempte vs and assault vs and wée pray not The Lord kéepe those bée his from this and giue vs of his light and the brightnes of his countenance among vs prepare our mindes to run from iniquity and keepe our soules in rest and quietnes that wee may auoyd teÌ„ptacions This much for this parte and more then at the first I purposed for the knowledge hereof what prayer is The thirde thinge I noted in the question of his disciples is what kindes or manner of prayer there is that bée now in vse Of this I finde two The first is publique and in the assembly of many Actes 2.34 and. 4.24 and. 12.5 and. 20.36 and. 21.5 And this manner of prayer is of the whole Churche and Congregation assembled togeather as one man to powre out their prayers to the Lorde The seconde manner or order of prayer is priuate wée haue the example in Christ Math 14.23 and 26.36 Luke 5.16 and 6.12 and. 22.32 This prayinge it is of euery one that is of the sheepfolde of Christe beeing the first and cheefest poyncte in a Christian to accustome himselfe vnto prayer of which I haue sufficiently spoken beefore in the first cause that ought to mooue vs to pray wheras the examples of the Sainctes of God of the Prophets of the Patriarkes
once named among you as becommeth sainctes If in the reuelation The Lord had some thing to say vnto the church of Pargamos although that in the heat and percecution and slaughter of the Martyrs of God they continued steadily Yet had some among them where as sathan dwelt that mainteined the doctrine of Balaam that taught Balaac to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel to sacrifice vnto Idols and commit fornication If hee had something to say vnto them for that they mainteined the doctrine of the Nicolitans which thing he hateth It is most certeine and true that the family of loue hath erred If God taught vs a right commit not adulterie If Moses said that very truely ioyne not your selues to the maner or custome of the nations If Samuel checked them for that they weÌ„t a whoring after straunge wiues If Esaias for that Israel rose vp early and went astray And as the vntamed and vnbridled Colt went a neighing after other mens wiues if Ieremie that confusion shall come on them and baldnesse on their pates for defiling their owne coutche It is vndoubted it is most true that the famelie of loue hath erred If the fatheâ—â— haue iudged rightly if Nazianzen in his funerall laste talke vnto his sister To ioyne vs together in one flesh cannot seperate vs from the spirite If Ambrose in his speach he hath of virgens was wont to commende Sara and Rebecca and Rachell as Matrons of chastitie Their husbande 's as Lordes to direct them in integritie If Epiphanius in his second booke agréeth with the church as vnspotted cleane hauing honest comly mariages therin If Ierome vpon Timothie the 4. condempneth suche as thinke not reuerenly of Matrimonie If Basill in his Examero calleth it the chaine and bonde of nature If Athanasius accuseth Miluius of this heresie and in iudging not honourably of mariage setteth forth Adam and Eue ioyned together in Paradice If all the fathers haue agreed and set themselues against the adulterer If Christ committed them to death And Paul that incestuous man to Sathanas If they in the prematiue Church haue consented all in one and our lawes agree in the same at this day What néede we to striue any more for this The case is open the thing is knowen It is vndoubted it is most true that the famelie of loue hath erred To confute them perticulerly as it were by treatise that I leaue to them whose priuate charge requireth it To you I speake this to giue a warning that all such detestable vnto the Lorde are reserued against the great day the day of wrath he will iudge them Partely to awake you out of that slumber wherein you be that this beginning and enteraunce which I nowe perceiue to be grounded a little in smaller trifles burst not out into greater heresies But I returne to the next and that is of frée will men And yet a little I am inforsed to serch out this which is verie comon and it smelleth of the Donatist that thinke the Church is no where but where suche as they be are Your prayer that the will of God may be done in earthe willeth not thée to iudge so rashly of thy brother And that byworde so common in the woride Do all thinges to the glorie of God tasteth of those runninge heades in the Primatiue church in Affrica The Circumcelions that thought all thinges which were not done and liked by them they coulde neuer be done to Gods glorie Againe for I will neuer spare the wicked It is not the will of God that any as a man franticke and without wit shoulde scourge and whip them selues as the Iewes and Italian fashion was and renued amonge them in Italy of late that remaine as the Iewes do in the olde ceremonies I touche them vppon good occasion for I haue knowen of these Iewish rites renued of late And it is a wicked and moste heynous â—fence against the rule prescript commaundement of god To kéepe trueth in thy heart and to lye vnto thy neighbour for aduauntage or for the Gospell to sweare to an vntrueth to honest him that professeth religion And it tooke the beginning from the Maniches and from the Gnostiches and renued in Priscillian which thinge I thinke it is but of a blinde affection and ignoraunt zeale and not knowen vnto some Let warninge therefore bee taken in time I finde that vnder Gratian and Valentinian the assembly of the Priscilianistes were verie greate suche as were defiled with filthines with whoredom with euill dealing with any vice whatsoeuer If they came vnto their secte they kepte it close If they ioyned with them they concealed it All others they estéemed as castawayes There was a verse among them Iura periura secretum prodere noli Sweare and forsweare kéepe secrete thy secret déedes bewray them not I accuse no man I wish amendment for I sée that which is amisse God which knoweth the hearte and the secretes and searcheth the raines will search out and examine and iudge it to Let this be a remembraunce in prayer His will be done in earth and it will take away thy wil from this wilfulnesse And nowe I come to the frée will men I am longer then hitherto I was wont but the matter and the weightinesse of the cause compelleth mée Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen This order in prayer taketh away the will of man it taketh away workes it taketh away all power the is in vs it referreth vs only to the will of god Fleshe and bloud hath in this place a great combate with the Spirite that seeing he is lorde in earth and maister of the fishes in the Sea and guyde and ruler ouer the creatures in the earth yet shoulde be so debarred of his libertie and so tyed vnto thraldome that hee hath not so muche as power ouer his owne soule nor discretion to iudge of that should bring him life The fishe that swimmeth in the riuer The birde that flickereth in the ayre the worme that créepeth on the earth may séeme to be happier then man is For euery one hath an ende and appointed time giuen him to iudge of that whiche bringeth life and avoide that which is euill As for man he is so tyed that the sworde the Ieobet the Axe the water the fire cannot bee auoided if it bee determined by the Lorde But vnhappie is man that cannot sée the goodnes of our god For séeing all things happen by the Lorde what is it shall trouble mée God hath appointed the heauens the earth the clowdes and all shall be obedient to them that feareth him For it is our comfortes we are weake and we be not able to helpe our selues But one there is that sitteth aboue and it is hee that shall prouide for vs. Ierome vnto Tesiphon complayneth of Pelagius by sirname Bryto according as Prosperus
The Exposition and Readynges of Iohn Keltridge Mayster of the Artes Student of late in Trinitie Colledge in Cambridge Minister Preacher and Pastor of the Church of Dedham that is in Essex Vpon the wordes of our Sauiour Christe that bée written in the .xi. of Luke ROMAYNES 10. VER 8. The words is nie thee euen in thy Mouthe and in thy Harte This same is the worde of Faith which we teache IAMES 3.14 But if you haue bitter enuiyng and strife in your Hartes reioyce not neither be Liers against the Trueth Imprinted at London by William How for Abraham Veale 1578. ¶ TO THE RIGHT HOnourable and reuerend father in God John Elmer Bishop of London and my verie good Lorde health and peace and long life in Iesus Christe IF the Church and House of the Lorde God were or had beene tyed to any one man for his skill and cunning woorkemanship in the same There mighte haue stepped foorth and shewen themselues greatly greeued honourable and my very good Lorde most singuler and learned men in this common wealth That for age through discretion for life through grauitee for time in wisdome for prayse and speeche of people by their rare and goodly giftes could very wel and in due season haue chalenged the first place and taken vpon them the first roome to haue made dispatchall and finished vp this litle building rather then any other Whervnto not withstandyng I haue now put my hands with Morter and Lyme and such homely prouision as I haue founde in the Countrie since my departure from Cambridge Very bolde now as at other times I haue been with your Fatherhood to open my entente and meanyng in this labour of myne That the care whervnto I am bounde by priuate dutie may from henceforth discharge it selfe And that weresome and great burthen layde on our shoulders that be the dispensers of the word of God the sooner lightned I haue not giuen my trauayle and this the sweate of my browes to Aristo Chius as in Fables but I haue searched and made choyse in the praesentyng of this my small gifte of your Honour then any other For that by good right you chalenge the first fruites of my youthe Whom it pleased in younge dayes and this my infancie to ingrafte plante in as one thought worthie some place in the vineyarde of the Lorde And I doubt not but that rule and gouernement wherewith God hath blessed you in this Common welth of England shall haue as glorious an ende in the suppressing rooting out of sinne as it hath had a blessed entraunce and continued vntill this day in supporting and mainteining of the truth If any thing in this my small volume shall appeare to belesse studied and more craggedly handled then commonly the stoorehouses of young Occupiers as I am ought to be I haue a good excuse vnto your Lordship in that a more toublesome and perelous time neuer happened by the space of this one whole yeare then hath done vnto me either els lesse fruit and smaller commoditie gleaned vp by the hands of any one labourer or greater sorrowe or lingering hope or sore attemps or the like flames and such contentions as your Honour verie well knoweth that I haue thought him much disquieted that hath not sought quietnesse in so vnquiet a life And yet in these tossings and tumblings wherein I am sweltered in manner and ouercome with out any hope of recouery I may not be altogether dismayed neither will I stay the course I haue begonne but faire and saftely step by step drayle forwarde till that time the Lorde God shall release vs The causes hereof with my iudgment of the same please it you to turne ouer but fewe leafes they will shewe what manner a ones they be At the end of this booke I haue offered to your Lordeship the copie of that Sermon the verie noates and certeine wordes almost which I speake when you thought good to appoint me at Fulham your Mannor this yeare last past of our Lord. 1577. Vppon Ascention day at the making of ministers there to preach before the Cleargie men This I haue done at the sute and earnest request of certeine my friendes of the Cytie of London men of good calling worship then at that time present though vnknowen vnto you when I preached there These I could not thrust away in so good a demaunde neither durst I withstand them in so reighteous a cause Yet I consithered that the right therof belonged not to them for it pleased you to take it at my handes at that time by commaundement Therefore haue I made restitution of the same For then they hearde it then they begged it when as I speake it But now I write it though they requirde it and as due debt I restore it vnto your honour Both which these shorte bookes as you may knowe the studie of young deuines most commonly busied in I giue them as a pawne and pledge of that duetie that I owe vnto you And I desire of the Lorde God to increase you in all spirituall giftes in Iesus Christ that the whole workmanship and Temple of the Lorde may be fully finished all rotten and shackering sprigges that ouershadowe the Church of God cut off all idle sluggish and hollowe harted men discerned to the increase of his name the setting forth of his glorie the abolishing of Poperie and supersticion and the farthering of tranquilitie and peace in these our borders Your Lordships faithfull seruaunt John Keltridge In Dedham this xxi of Iune 1578. ¶ To him that readeth and vnderstandeth longe life and glory in the Lorde Christe I I is a spéech receiued commonly among men that rare things should be deare thinges and those that bée knowne openly they bee spewed out and layed aside very scornfully The reporte of the first when I first tooke this in hande cōpelled mee to lay aside my Paper and my Inke and betake my selfe to other exercise The tryall in the other shut vp all hope that I had if hee that ruleth the actions of men as I did know and am assured coulde not also despose the hart and secrete cogitations of all flesh Therfore the prayer of the Lorde though it be generally taught of all and thought to bee as base and homly ware such as euery poore man lyinge tottered in his ragges and the base husbandman in the feeld is content to vse for this their sakes also in contempte yet when I gaue my selfe to the looking theron I found a greate deale more Maiesty therin contayned then any one earthly creature can comprise As for the notable and famous men of late memorie displaying their Insignes so gloriously in the sight of men shewinge vs how to war and to pight battayle with the world and the diuel how to pray to whom wherfore and for what causes with other artillery and goodly furniture belonginge therunto as becommeth those that will know the Lorde yet I can not say though they played
their partes very conningly and writ very subtellye and comprehended all that they did artificially that therfore they swalowed vp whole multitudes of such as succéeded them For neither Ireneus stayed because that the fathers which went before him knewe the Lorde neyther Origen kepte backe his hand or lefte his pen or dispised labor albeit the matters hee tooke vpon him were described of others And as for those succéeded them eyther faltered they in their spéech or swounded they in common talke or did they fall because Cirill or Ierom or Crysostom or Ambrose plentifully and verye faythfully with great zeale and singuler trauayle painted forth the dealing and conuersatiō of the men that liued then I say naye but those flowing wits did leaue behind them a gret light to their posteritie and they that came after sucked out the Marrow and the strength and robbed their Progenitors and after that became as mighty in their laboures as valyaunt in their wrightinges and as pleasaunt in their tongue and language as the most renowmed men of them that liued in former ages And that I can sée or may iudge as yet our time hath bin as well blessed with flourishinge wittes and our men that now liue garnished with so great knowledge as I doo and dare incourage them al that loue the Lord to procéed manfully in their callinges in as mutch as both our Forfathers haue not stolne away all cōmendation from vs that follow them neyther we shut vp into so narowe a roome but that in the light and beauty of the dayes wherin wée bée wee may amonge many good and excellent writers say something To him that looketh for the first place it is good to contente him with the second or the thirde degrée For him that gapeth to contend for the rest if hée wil be aduertised by mée hée shall thinke himselfe well if hée can haue place with the hindermost So that great thinges shall not dismaye the weake and simple men shall stande by the best But if any one pleased with his condition can kéepe a meane that is hée that shall haue the commendation from them bothe As for this my trauaile and first byrth as it were pained so mutch the more as I desire earnestly the Church of the Lorde God should inioy it séeing it is my first Babe I willingly offer him vnto you all to looke vpon him and this Booke I giue it the rather to young men as I my selfe am but growing vp and attende the good leysure of the Lorde that can increase and strengthen mee and bringe mee vp to greater stature For any fine and conninge feature you shall finde herein I dare not promise so much as any iot therof but as be the bookes of Deuines commonly talkinge to common men laying out the plainenes and behauiour of the people such is this that I giue vnto you If any question with mee for the matter and the substaunce therin contayned let him not thinke hee is in the Goldsmithes shop hée wil be content when hée hath red so much as I haue doone and séene the behauiour of the worlde as all may doo that liue nowe to bestow himselfe in some more homely trade a greate deale Yet I will say something vnto him please it him to enter in to sée what ware I haue and wil he vouchsafe to reade ouer this worke of mine hee shall finde though an vnskilfull Artificer meddeleth with it yet so much both of housholde stuffe and other furniture if hée can place it well and bestowe it in his house as is able to suffise the best learned man that I knowe to stop vp more then one creuice or two in his study Neyther can I see if so bee this worke were taken in hand by any other learned and skilfull in iudgement but that hee whiche looketh on it might receiue greate comfort and singuler pleasure in the same Consideringe that hee looketh vpon the Lorde God and talketh familiarly with Christe and is bolde to presente him selfe beefore Aungelles and powres and prayeth for his Bretheren and is harde of so good and gratious a Lorde as our God is That giueth when hée asketh openeth when hée knocketh bestoweth when hée demaundeth that shal feare him and call on his name faythfully Also whosoeuer buieth of his Marchandrise and vseth it well to the glory of the Lorde and profitinge himselfe with others hée layeth not vp treasure that is to be taken frō him but caryeth it with him vnto Heauen and it lyeth by him for euer And amonge all the thinges pretious and excellent that I haue seene on earth neuer tooke I more comforte in any one then this that the glory of the Lorde and the sweetnes of his worde and this helpe wherin by prayer I haue all that is necessary both heauenly and terrestriall tittelled mee from time to time till I had inioyed them of trueth neuer rauished with any pleasure of man so much as of late in the meditation and heauenly spéeche that I had when I questioned too and froe with the Lorde God what it was hée would haue his people and poore famely that pineth away in this world to looke vpon From whom I receiued this message that séeynge it pleased him to make choyse of the sonnes of men and to take vnto him those that he loued in this life they ought therfore to disioyne themselues and forsake the company of vnbeléeuers praying for and meditating heauenly thinges castinge vp their mindes to Heauen and reposinge their hope on the God of glorye that hath giuen vnto vs his liuery and his colyzen to bee knowne as his Seruauntes euen by prayer and earnest inuocation vpon his name the order frame wherof I haue largely set downe in my first Booke After this that no man bee excusable but vnderstande so mutch as is set downe by the Lorde when anye one shall come beefore him that hee may not speake vnknowne thinges or praye when hée vnderstandeth not or vtter that hee knoweth not or powre out before God and his Aungelles and all the honorable company and assembly of Sainctes vnaduisedly that which hee regardeth not for this cause haue I vnfolded the darkenesse of speeche and layde open to euery Babe if so hee can reade the wordes of our Sauiour Christe set downe by him in the eleuenth of Luke all which you shall finde layd on a heape and knitte vp togeather in my second Booke Of those that come betwixt eyther precepts eyther rules either exhortations eyther demaundes eyther things that bee amisse eyther such as bee well eyther life cyther dealinges and demeanor of men that shewe themselues in their proper places them I exhorte euery man to take priuatly vnto him not to vse them as common vnto all As concerning my iudgement indiuers poinctes of Religion and called in controuersy by men of our time I haue looked at them handled them I haue not to the decidinge of them I haue selected out an other time and
munera poscis Munera quae longós sunt habitura dies Ex hoc fonte fluent auidae solamina menti Sola fuos famulos quae sine fine beant Scriptores alij lucri fallacis amore Diuulgant animi damna pudenda sui Applausum plebis multorum scripta requirunt Mobile iudicium mobile vulgus habet Multorum Italicis turgescit pagina fumis Nomen habet libri non habet artis opus Hos Venus eneruat Venerisque obscaena libido Plena est deliris impia Musa iocis Aspice quam multas vendit vernacula nugas Lingua quibus species nulla pudoris inest Incumbit lassis infoelix sarcina praelis Equibus exitij dira venena fluunt At tu Keltrigi diuerso tramite curris Scribis at in scriptis stat Deus ipse tuis Et legis ast ea quae Christi dictata legebas Antè fidem mores dogmata sana preces Enarras at quae te iussit spiritus ergo Mactè agè virtutem quaelibet ansamouet Gloria sit Christi populi sit fructus at ista Laudis ingenij sint monumenta tui FINIS The exposition and Readynges of John Keltridge vpon these woordes of our Sauiour Christe that bee written in the .xj. of Luke ¶ The texte 1. ¶ And it fortuned as he was praying in a certayne place when he had ceased one of his Disciples sayd vnto him Lorde teache vs to pray as Iohn also taught his disciples And he sayd vnto them when you pray say 2. O our Father which art in Heauen 3. Halowed bee thy name 4. Thy Kingdome come 5. Thy wyll be fulfilled euen in Earth also as it is in Heauen 6. Our dayly bread giue vs this day 7. And forgiue vs our sinnes for euen we forgiue euery man that offendeth vs 8. And leade vs not into temptation 9. But deliuer vs from euill THe Church and societie of the faythfull it hath bin from the beginning as from the first moulde wheron wée were fashioned so till the last houre when the Lorde wil call vs vnto a reckning hée will daily foster and maintaine such as feare his name For which cause the family of the Lorde and of those that beléeue and call on him faythfully haue in espetiall receyued two manner of ordinaunces giuen directly from God since the first creation The first is the knowledge of him and of his word The second the māner of prayer and of callinge on the Lorde wherin I doo exempte and seuar from the Church all fond and counterfet illusions crept in by the vanity and superstition of men For as hee that made and created all was partner with no man in that singular worke of his So is it not to bée permitted that any one shoulde haue that glory which is due onely to his Maiesty Therfore hee hath sealed vp as proper to his seueral vse all manner of adoration all inuocation and ernest affection of the spirite neyther hath hée giuen liberty to the Sonnes of men to vse it any otherwise then in his name the certaynty whereof is knowne in this for that our Sauiour Christ hath giuen by his comminge vnto man 〈◊〉 thinges as keyes to open and shut the Gates of Heauen His Gospell wherin the euerlastinge God is knowne and Iesus Christ whom hée hath sent togeather with our duety and feruency and the vse therof as the vniting of vs all in both the sacramentes So that of these as of a swéete sauor doo the odours cum vp out of that golden Censar which offer and present them selues before his Throne the prayers of his Sainctes Wherfore I haue aboue all other as one albeit in the gréenenes of my dayes peraduenture also rawnes of time far vnméete to discerne so great a matter Yet made choyse especially of this that a playne and perfect way may be knowen wherin to walke For that euery one is ready to come vnto the Alter and many in these dayes thinke them selues discharged come they to the Temple to heare Elyas And this vayle it is taken away more easely as wee bee readier to serue God sinsearly But if any man thinke I haue donne him iniury in decidinge this I appeale to the Booke of God to trye it In whose name I require all such as feare his Maiesty and loue the truth to giue mée liberty to vse my speeche oue houre or two Then shall hee seeme very Christianly bente when hee examineth all things by the worde of the Lorde or liueth so all the dayes of his life that prayinge deuoutly hee pray vnfaynedly or crauinge needely hee doo it neighbourly or askinge earnestly it bee done brotherly in all his dealings The occasion of these words of our Sauiour Christ was taken of a question mooued of his Disciples namely how and after what manner it was expedient to pray And this it was drawne from the custome and ordinance of the disciples of Iohn so that these few lines haue two things in generall therin contayned First a demaund or request of his disciples Next an aunswere or replye to the peticion of his sayd scholers Both which giue mee occasion to deuide or make distribution of the same wordes for in the demaunde or requeste of his disciples is contayned an entraunce or pathway vnto prayer which you shall finde to be onely handled in this first péece of this worke and as for the answere of Christ that it is now too long to stand vpon for a bréefe exposition with the meaning therof it is to bée looked for in the seconde part of this Booke The knowledge how to praye with the demaunde or question hath théese foure péeces seuerally deuided by themselues 1. Whether we haue neede of praier or not 2. What prayer is 3. What kindes or māner of prayer there be 4. How to prepare our selues to prayer ¶ Causes that wee haue neede of Prayer are these FIrst the expres word of God that commaundeth vs to pray The question is when and it must be alwayes as Mat. 7.7 Luk. 18.1 Rom. 12.12 Eph. 6.18 Colos 4.2 1. Tim. 2.8 Pro. 18.23 1. Thes 5.17 Psal. 50. The seconde cause that wée haue néede of prayer is showen in the examples of our forfathers in the Law and before the Law accordinge to the will of God that ought to mooue vs of Abell Gen. 4.4 of Seth. Gen. 4.26 of Noe. Gen. 6.6 and Gen. 8.22 In this age menne are not sayd to haue so full knowledge of God onely to haue sacrifised and called on God and not by the word praying Albeit it was not without intercession But in the dayes of Abram afterwarde called Abraham the way and manner of calling on the name of God is most liuely expressed as Gen. 22.8 Gen. 13.4 Therfore also had Abraham the commendation of the Lord in the training and bringing vp of his youth and housholde as Gen. 18.19 So Abraham his seruaunt praied when hée went to get his Maisters Sonne a Wife from Caran of Mesopotamia of the house of Nicor Gen.
others That same Ephraem hath yet gonne farther in this hée searcheth out more narrowly the dealinges of the world and preuenteth that same glorious pompe in our professors that lay open their thoughts and ripp vp their cogitacions to bée séen of men with which kynde of people I professe my selfe mutch to haue delt withall and glad I am it pleased God to let mée haue sight of sutch in these my younge dayes for that I may beeware the better in ryper yéeres But his councell it is not to praye for our selues but for all euen sutch as bée Christians and of the Lorde and not for our fréends but euen for those that hate vs I thinke hée hath sufficiently glaunced at our Anabaptists that beside their error in mislyking our manner of prayer holdinge with none but sutch as is framed and ordered by them intertayne but litle order in the Church but careles in life and suspected in their dealing make the Gospell a couering and the word a cloake to dissemble with regard sutch as fauor them presume to appoincte the elect of the Lord at their seuerall iudgments pray for sutch as bée of their Church kéepe secret the dealinges of vngodly men least their profession and calling bee dishonested as though Dauid could not offend or Abraham transgresse the will of God bee it reuerently spoken and with feare but the Churche of God should suffer Shipwracke for it I speake as one mooued and sory I am that I am at holme And this sore it is so festred writhed already into the harts of men that an Iron to seare it is better thē a plaister to mollefy it with And if God doo not giue an other spirit or dalyaunce bée deferred as yet it is I haue at this tyme but looked at them if God permit and leysure serue and these outragious enemyties stil continue I am not purposed to leaue them so rawly But ouerslipping my self I haue plunged vnaduisedly to come so neere vs truly so it may bee For better a great deale is it to kéepe him that is abroad and strike the enemye then to rushe vpon our fréendes that bée at holme And yet not so nor so wisely neyther if wee consider all For it is wisdome to cut of him in thy owne Campe first if so thy liberty permitteth thee and then to wrestle with the forraner but content I am and I striue not nowe I will arme my selfe agaynst some other time Only let them take heede they come not nearer for if they doo though now they bée without reatch yet Pen Inke and Paper shall neuer spare them wel to leaue this of our disordered and crooked dealing let vs approtche to that which is more pleasaunt and frutefull then is this and if thou wilt pray and pray aright pray thus First in spirite Ephe. 6.8 Iude. 20. and in many other places the reason hereof is For that the man alwayes occupyed in his traficke is not able to vse the body the ioynctes the lymmes the outward gesture as other doth whose leysure suffereth them to praye at all times but euen this is required in him as in all other to lifte vp himself to erecte and reare him vp in soule in spirit in hart vnto the Lord that the affayres and dealings in this world ouercome thée not Secondly in fayth Math. 2.12 Mark. 11.23 Ioh. 15.7 Iam. 1.6 and the 5.15 Ephe. 3.12 Ephe. 2.8 and els wheare For as God hath left vnto vs all manner of instrumentes to woorke by as hee hath giuen vs a meane and way on earth to labour by as man hath his seuerall manner to inritch him with So for the spirituall affayres for thy woorke for thy waye for thy labour for thy custome to attaine thy honor with all is theare of vs all as common vnto all one onely instrument which is sayth Thirdly it must bée donne in the name of Christ alone wher in is secluded all manner worship and inuocation eyther of Saincts eyther of men eyther of creature on the earth That prayer vsed of them in Aegipt to Isis so named of the glory which they saw in the Moone Also they of Athens that worshipped the vnknowne god Actes 20. As they which were at Rome that serued Minerua Pallas Iuno Hereules with the rest diuersly inuented by the Ethnickes All els whatsoeuer they bee condempned by this for it ought to be in the name of Christ the reason is that wée take it not as a charactar or fondly for the repeating therof as that there should be any forse vertue in it But théese bee the causes for which wée are charged and inioyned to thinke that wée haue saluation in the name of Christ ¶ The first cause for which wee pray in the name of Christ For that hée onely forgiueth sinnes Math. 9.2 Actes 10.43 Rom. 8.4 1. Cor. 5.18 Ephe. 1.7 and the fourth the thirtéenth verse otherwise wée might pray to the Blocke and to the stone and to the thinge that créepeth and profiteth vs not For what aduauntage had wée in sorrowing all the dayes of our life and in the ende when the wrinckels in our sace appeareth and the messenger doth his duty and citeth vs before the Lorde then wee bée still in death and life is kepte from vs then this is the ende bereof Namely that our transgressiōs may be hid and our sinnes couered and that wée may haue remission of the same and life eternall which is the first cause we pray in the name of Iesus Christ The second for that hee is the way the truth and the life Ioh. 14.5 and 26. Ioh. 11.2 Ioh. 14 6. Actes 3.15.1 Ioh. 1.2.1 Ioh. 5.11 Colos 3.4 By this wee are secluded from all licentious liberty of the Gentilles from all inuention of man from all fonde and phanatical illutions For if wee séeke for lyse wee haue it in Christe that dyed for vs to bringe vs out of death If for a guide wee haue the spirit that will conducte vs in the right way and leade vs to his Father if the truth there was no blemish found on his lippes nor deceypt in his tongue and hée brought in the truth the Gospell of his Father and the woord of lyfe kept secret from the beginning of the world and reuealed in these latter daies vnto the sonnes of men wherfore wee néede to séeke no farther wée haue all things wrought in Christ The thirde for that hée is the accomplishment and ende of the law This may seeme litle to apperfayn to vs but whē we cōsider the by the law came in death and by the fulfillinge of the lawe came deliueraunce from death it may appeare what a glorious God hée was and moste victorious that hath ouercome the sharpenes thereof and vanquished the power of the Deuill that kepte this as a handwrighting agaynste man that of himself was neuer able to fulfil it wherfore wée pray in the name of Christ for that hée hath abolished the strength and force of sinne
of Christe of his Apostles that vsed alway to praye may the more inslame vs There shal be therfore no iteration of that now let vs onely cousider what it is that is publique and what therein to bée required The custome of méeting at cōmon prayer it is no new thinge it hath bin from all beginninge wherin the Churche of God hath flourished For I doubt not but the poore offeringe of Caien and of Abell was a thinge generallye vsed of the Church in that time and donne of them as taken from the vse of the Congregation or meetinge then vsed and albeit the Church was small and they destitute of the Sacramente of the Tree of life Yet they had so much as did signely vnto them a cextainty of their saluation And there is in that place opened to vs that in the time of Seth men began to call on the name of the Lorde Not that God had no worship or that there were none that serued and called on his name but then the Church which was before darkened I take it to haue bin agayne newly restored So that it seemeth to mee they knew the Lorde and that openly such as weare his I might speake of Abraham and of his time how hée also repayred the house of God And in Sodom also was God knowen Agayne Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his householde For as Nemrod had his solempe places for his Idolles as is mentioned by Berosus the Chaldean and Manetho the Aegiptian Préeste after the flood So doubt I not but God had his abidynge place thoughe not so playnely described by the Prophets Now in Moses his time it was without all controuersy fully ratefied and established when after the delinery of the Law vnto his seruaunt Moses in glory and great Maiesty hee seuered Aaron from the rest and put vpon him moste gloryous apparrell and gaue him the Préesthoode for euer and the gouernment of the Tabernacle to him and his in a perpetuall generation Very notably approoued by Iosuah when thei eate the passouer in Ierico after their iourney in the Wildernesse Also more liuely set out in their solempne méeting and comming vp thyther to worship God where the Lottes were cast bee fore the Lorde to deuide the inheritaunce of Israell After this you shall sinde euery wheare great méetinges of all Israell and of the whole Congregation I referre it therfore to them that will search the Booke of God and though vnwiltinge yet as interrupted heare to sée the state of our daies in that a more bright and comly platforme hath very seldome bin drawen out in any Churche then in ours But so sluggish and carelesse liues I speake of some I know it so mutch breatch and contempte in others I haue seene it So small regard to the Temple and loue and zeale to the house of God for I haue hard it as in few common wealthes hath béene red the lyke that is it which is most pittifull I only wish that men in our dayes where the Harrow is not vsed nor inginnes of Iron framed or the torturs and exiles putte in practise as is els euer ye wheare would more willingly agree togeather then as yet they doo In the histories of the persecutions vnder Dioclesian and Maximine the Emperor there is mention made very often of the places that Christians met in But as it appeareth before Constantine their places whytherto they commonly resorted weare but homly and not so trimmed as ours termed by the name of Dominica and as Eusebius recordeth Oratoria and in Nazianzen the Church is called Basilica and so I finde it in Ambrose But for this I think no man will striue vnleast Ethnicke like wée take that which men vse so much at this day to praye abroad for that in persecution it was not lawfull for them to come to Churches Or there is a reason found out and so it may bee to praye in the Churchyeardes and at Graues and Sepulchers of the dead because in the persecution and tyranny of Gorgias of Alexandria they were content or compelled rather to ly at the Graues and Sepulchers of their Fathers Unhappely I thinke was that storye taken in hande and in an euill time if it bée grounded theare to prostrate themselues in feelds to lie at the foote of Hilles to praye without the walles and Townes and gates of the Citties for that Christians had so small a libertye vnder Valence of Antioch But where so euer it be fetched for that it is vntrue looke about search other Historyes gather as well that which is good sée mely as that which is erronious you shal finde many examples of Christianity For these arguments taken from the custome of the nations and from the Gentilles for that contrary to the rule of the Booke of God they appoynted at their seuerall pleasures this or that it is not to bée liked of But as euery Cuntrye hath his custome in comming to prayse the name of God if it were in holes Caues of the earth as the Indians some of them doo it in or in houses of Réedes as they in very hot Cuntreys doo or in other though vnseemely places to vs as diuers of the nations and as our Irishe men not so far a iourny from vs very beastly people doo yet if that Cuntry whatsoeuer hath any one in him that calleth on the name of Christ hee they bée aswell excepted in their homely Cottages as other people bee in stately ▪ Pallaces And though I alowe not the Iewish tradition renued by Constantine in carrying about a tent squared like the Temples they buylt then for to praise the name of God with his soldiours yet because the meaning of that good Emperour can in no wise be condemned I cannot altogether disallowe the thing But nowe in so great a light where the woorde of God neuer shined more brightly then it doth here I needs must cry out with Ieremie that readier were they in the worlde to offer vp cakes to the Quéene of heauen then they be nowe to giue thanks pay their vowes to the God of Iacob O that I could but ransake out the cause hereof I am persuaded that not onely they whose writings haue béene mistaken of a number to this hower woulde knit them selues as fellowe labourers herein but diuers also whome God hath blessed with great wisedom would imploy their faithfull heartes to redresse it Giue mee leaue here though not so fully yet of truth not altogether rashly to enquire and séeke after this For a little experiensed herein I haue a shrewd gesse at their reasons It may be that the church néedeth some holy water againe as in the time of poperie to purge it a freshe Otherwise I know not but that our temples might please them For if they haue béene vsed euer since Christe our Sauiour the manner I meane of our churches may or ought the
order of the building restraine or kéepe any from prayer I speake not of the thrée firste hundred yeares it is open vnto him that readeth that though fier and sworde kepte them vnder Yet had they both places and temples and Synagogues to pray in and I doubt not but the head or chauncell thereof stoode Eastwarde as ours doth If it were Iewishe and ceremoniall and not allowed why did not Christ abolish it For he taught in their Synagogues and in their temples and disputed with the Scribes and vsed that well which they abused But if this were neuer thought on of so great a number of learned fathers is it matter enough for men to make conscience in so small trifles Zenon bishop of Gaza called of many the eye or glorie of those dayes built a temple called of Sozomenus Oratorium and the patterne thereof was taken from those churches that were in vse then it was allowed Many yeres if so it had pleased God it might haue stood yea euen till this day for ought that I can see against it But they will not come to the temples in some places or not willingly for that they wer dedicated to saincts Was that in Basill buylt at Edessa vnto sainct Thomas euer the worse for that it bore his name Is the water the worse that an euill man holdeth the golde impure that the sinner toucheth or the vessell cupp of more corruption that the Papist buyeth I dare not say it For if the beléeuing man shal clense euen those things that are filthie then Christians may allowe of these things wherein there is no shame to vse them I aske a question iudge thereof thy selfe Is it lawfull if a man were in Constantinople or nowe in Rome to worship in the temple or not to this when it is aunswered I will saye something I haue often saide that this is not a volume to approue and confirme euery particuler thing by large discoursing thereon but as content to runne them oner and at more leisure if things be not reformed to intreat thereof more copiously There is yet another thing that presseth sore and deateth downe to the grounde a great cause that men come not to the temple I can not tell what nature it hath or howe lothsome it is in the looke but men runne from it verie spéedily and it is pittie and the Lord knoweth howe gréeuous it is in his sight that such as haue béene very zealous furtherers of the Gospell shall withdraw them selues from church from seruice from obeying from duetie and that for a surplesse When I purposed to write of prayer I determined not God knoweth to sitt mée downe to checke any man but as one that hath had triall of these abuses I am by priuate duetie inforced to looke vppon them For of late neither as yet so long since is it that these lettes were knowen among men But who waying the condition and state of people in those dayes and casting his eyes to sée them nowe will not lament to see howe their consciences and mindes be alienated from that they were priuately vse priuate prayer and publiquely do come to none and against their owne consciences offende often rather then to incurre the breach of lawe once I speake it as agast by the small conference of time and perusing of the stories which I easely acknowledge in my selfe Yet as one to whome God hath giuen a little taste I do not thinke conuenient that what colde affection soeuer I haue vnto Religion or what zeale it be that I beare vnto the Gospell ought in mee or any other to be quenched for so small a trifle The Sabboth is broken the churche is not frequented obedience is not giuen Magistracie is not knowen the worde of God is not heard the Sacramentes be not receiued vnitie of the church broken peace concorde and amitie is not thought on all order and custome is spurned vnder foote and all is for a Surplesse I aske a question againe and when that is set downe I dare say more Can the libertie which we haue in Christ and the bondage from whence we are deliuered by the Gospell beare it or no This may suffice for this time I stay here For it seemeth not to mee sufficient that the benefite which is given vnto euery countrie for their custome should be restrayned and kept backe because of the mindes of diuers men that be therein Otherwise I may reason that Papists and Athistes whereof I am in doubt some be in the churche may be an occasion that whereas they be not pleased in their consciences the right course may not be taken to the Gospell And though there bée weake and there be strong there is the Papistes that delighteth in the vse of the Surplesse and hope for a day yet of what force is this Argumēt The Church must yeeld to their affections and they shal bee as Elders to dipese their rittes pertayning to the Churche But diuers bee offended I know it and I lamente it Yet what then This reason of the people it abideth not the fier for as well is the consideration of my duty and the cause of their offence to bee searched and the proofe of Antichristianite to bée wayed and the detestation whyther it bee iust or no considered and their hartes whyther they ought too bée touched and their consciences offended and this our communicating with Idolatry falsely so termed duely examined béefore wée relente to the infirmities of other And as they bée but wordes and presumptions grounded vpon other mennes weakenes so when the argument is made stronge it wilbée leauyed This is that I stand on can any man offended herewith by that vayle is layde beefore his eyes haue a sufficient warrant to refuse the woord the Sacraments the Temple and for such a trifle Then this is that I sée which came hereof that many before perswaded well of these rites haue new by a sinister opinion of late driuen into their heads altogeather abandoned the truth So that to trye this whyther it bee lawfull or not some other way must bée taken to disprooue it For this wythereth at the Sunne and the mindes of men bée as the Smoake that thorowly perswaded therof relent agayne at so homly an argument I leaue it therfore and I take in hand an other matter sumwhat more waighty then that of the people and that is whyther or no wée ought to repaire vnto publique prayer and what occations may withdraw vs But for the our meetings is commonly referred vnto one day which is the Sabboth albée it extraordinarely wée may haue seuerall comminges togeather on other dayes to serue God Yet in the holy day I include all And this it is which is sayde to bee the seuenth daye that God blessed when hee finished his worke and the Tabernacle of the Heauens where he sitteth The kéeping whereof wil be better considered when
beare it No more if wée agrée not will he like it Basill in his sixtie and thrée Epistle witnesseth that in ioyning together in common prayer the Bishop or Elder that taught them when he went vp into his appointed place he read vnto them out of the Scriptures and the firste thing that hée spake was to ioyne together in prayer vnto Christe for to direct and lighten their mindes in his peace The same Basill is author that they turned their bodies to the East and prayed I note not their manner then as their custome nor their custom as their agréement nor their agréement as their end in that all were ioyned and knit as by a thréed in one Athanasius is witnesse hereof in his fourtéenth question Out of whome I finde a commendation left vnto the churches of Africa that so easily consented together making no religion or putting no superstition in this so indifferent a thing Also in his booke de Spiritu sancto Basill hath left this as worthie memorie that on the Sonday they were accustomed to pray standing because as that day Christe rose from death And they noted this in them selues to be such as should be erected in soule vnto the lord And as they did stande on the earth so they were admonished to looke vpwarde to heauen for grace The twentieth Canon of the counsell of Nece as it is reckoned by Gratian reporteth this same thing to bée done of them all on the Sabboth And at Pentecost where as I take it partly from Basill and Athanasius and from the custome of the Primatiue Church All our churches at this day our chappels and temples stande Eastwarde But let it passe Our time it néede not to take so heauily these the rytes and ordinances which wee haue for as they be not many so if wée were pestered as the Primatiue church was which God forbid yet howe vntowardly woulde it be taken And nowe to cut of this third parte also for our manner of prayer thus I think that the best and the farthest from superstition and the néerest to Christe and the moste excellent to set out our reuerence and duetie is at our comming together to pray knéeling Thus at the length wée are arriued at our laste holde and compelled for want of winde and weather in so perilous sailing to cast Anchor But howe soeuer it be we hoysted out because it is with some daunger contented we are to beare the burthen to require others to take some pitie of vs to for I knowe that this is not taken in hande without the looking on of many Sea men that would right gladly set saile to their greater vessels that harder passage might be permitted to our small barke For this cause also I take the Sunne and the Skye as I finde it and content to enioy the small libertie that is lefte And greater speede is made to bring vs home for that if so we chaunce to perishe by the way suffer shipwracke other men may take héede by the onerthrowe of this our Boate more warely in their iourney to looke to theirs For outleaping all the inconueniences hetherto that be comon in the world we are like to be grounded on two as perilous rocks as the hearte and imagination of man can wishe vs to Before we had to do with them that for their vnskilfulnesse in the vse of prayer were happely to be pardoned And nowe commeth in howe it is wée should prepare our selues to prayer The fourth last thing that I noted in the question that was asked This it may seeme to be verie common and appertaining onely to men of greate discretion For nowe we haue to deale with proude and hawtie stomaches that can debase others to raise and lifte vp them selues We must encounter with the Hypecrite with whome there will be harde wrestling he will dissemble so gloriously There must also a view and sight be taken of the faithlesse man that commeth halting before the Lord and is not so mutche as the guide and maister of his owne minde The double dealer hath his portion in this place for his prayers and his manners agréeing not hee neuer getteth any thing of the Lorde Also for that euery man commeth at appointed season to aske of God his peticion it must not be vnseemely for his maicstie Last of all there must be perseuerance continuance in our prayer for the running the giddie hedded man he is an extrauigant vnto the lord So that all things duely wayed we haue yet small cause to bragge that may easily be cast off in so perilous a gulfe Howeuer that it be if God permit we will go forward and because the iudgements of men be frée and the way so open I doubt not but to finde some one or other in the way to succour vs The order that I tooke in hande I was loth to break it therefore in the question who it is that prayeth it is aunswered the holie and humble spirited man that commeth drenched all in teares and that would touche the hemme of Christes garment rather than be will departe vnhealed This humblenes of mind it is of two sortes for there is one that is among men Math 18.4 and 23.12 Luke 14.11 Rom. 12.16 Ephe. 4.2 Phil. 2.3 collos 3.12 2. Pet. 5.5 And this fellowe he may dallie with the worlde and deale disguisedly on both sides but yet God that is aboue doth iudge him Nimrod that greate hunter before the Lorde fought not so valiantly and liued not so wickedly but he had as ignominious an end died miserably And these men that can créepe on the earthe for aduantage and kisse thy féete to ingrosse commodities and can hoorde vp substance in their cofers that looke so stily and minse it so cunningly as though the full measure of righteousnes were in them that will haue the vpper hand in Religion be inferiour vnto none in profession yet can scrape vp as gréedely and oppresse vnchristianly and deale vnneighbourly and liue vncharitably and giue reproche for reproche as slaunderously and hate as deadly and iniurie as spitefully backbite as malitiously as he that séeketh to get the greatest game and striuest moste such a one is not méete to come before the Lorde and his annointed nor to aske at the hands of god If he do I say vnto him he hath his reward There is another kinde of humilitie and it is onely in debasing our selues whereby we become as litle children without pride and hawtinesse of minde fit to be receiued vnto the Lorde Of this humilitie wee read Math. 18 10. Luke 18.14 Iames. 4.10 For all shewe of righteousnesse all manner of vprightnesse in thy selfe must be secluded the grace of the Lorde is that which is sufficient for vs If any should presume by way of sute to arrogate any thing vnto himself that is due vnto the Prince the state of that man is verie daungerous But if thou
breake the right course thou shouldest take in thy youth I giue thee a charge for the Sabboth daye and that thou seuer not thy selfe from the congregation neyther cut his Churche into peeces whereof thou art also one For I would that thou knew that the ende wherfore you are called into the Church of God is to vnderstand that your redemption is layd vp in Christe and your life perfited in his blood a token and signe wherof you receiued when as you promised vnto the Lord to bee holy and perfecte and vnspotted vnto him so that there is no time giuen you to contend for trifles neyther may you contend about Baptisme or doubt of the fauour of God or distrust the Lorde seeing hee is a God of rightuousnes And if our manner of order trouble thée or our custome hinder thee that wee vse at Baptisme I shewe thee that it is indifferente what matter is it if thou come vnto the Funt there receauest tokens of grace It is better more laudable then if thou diddest take it at a Bason or out of a Pot or powred out thorow any ther vessels for they all bee prophaned worse by wicked and prophane men that washe and handle them then is this vsed of Papistes in time of Popery For these are abused now the Funt hath bin clensed many a tyme since and is put vnto a good vse Thinke not mutch to forsake the Diuell for hee is a wicked Spirite and enemy to mankinde or to denounse his workes for they bee euill vngodly nor the Pomps and vanities of this world for they fade and vanishe togeather and if thou conceaue an euill opinion of the Minister yet doo not thou the duety of a Minister and let not the examples of other men mooue thée for it is vngodly and agaynst the word of the Lord But see that thou walke vprightly in sinscritee and integrytée of harte When thou commest to greater grothe and art able first to pray then aright nexte to God when thou art instructed in the manner and forme of prayer then vnderstandest that it is to bée doone in pure and perfecte fayth without swaruinge and art able to iudge a true Christian by the Badge and Colisen hee weareth Which is a good and vpright conuersation grounded vpon assured hope take no thought my Childe neyther thinke that thou arte farre from Christe and bee thou perswaded that hee knoweth thee For then I will bring thee to his Table and thou shalt eate and drinke with him and I will giue thee assurance of that fayth thou hast neyther shalte thou bée any more a straunger or foraner but a partaker of his body of his blood wherby thou art washed and clensed from sin on whom thou féedest spiritually in that liuely fayth which I haue taught But take you héede my litle ones that you doo not trouble your selues with vanityes for that you haue not learned of mee neyther vere your mindes with vntimely questions which bee not for your yeares leaue them to others I charge thee that thou make no difference of standinge if thou come thyther neyther yet necessity in kneeling to know God nor Religion insitting to serue the Lorde Presume not to bée a Iudger of thy Brother at his Table rake not vp olde offences remember not the iniquities doone in his youth thinke that God hath forgotten them and know they are wiped away by assured repentaunce in the blood of Christ The wicked man shall beare his owne sinne and the vngodly his owne transgressions therfore flye not from the Table of the Lorde for the iniquity of thy Brother My litle one learne in time and suffer not age to incrotch with stealinge steppes before thou know the Lorde For if I giue thee Breade and Wine as giuen vnto euery one priuately to put him in minde of the receipte therof If I bid thee take the Breade in a remembraunce of his body that was giuen for thee and the Wine in a remembraunce of his blood was shed for thée it is all one vnto vs as if Brother should drinke vnto Brother and the effecte therof alike If I shall vse a certaine and definite order in my prayer to the ende there may bée no confusion in the Church it is better my Sunne then if euery man pray seuerally and then there shal be small agréement or cōsent amonge vs But I see that euery one of you hath his appoynted manner and it is not good in the Church of God for there must bée as it weare one body ioyned together by one voice vttering all of vs as of one spéeche one prayer vnto our God As for the Garments that wée weare they detract nothing from the goodnes of the Lorde and make a conscience in thy life that God may prosper thy dayes and blesse thy youth and giue thee a perfecte knowledge in thy age and directe thée in a holy and pure conuersation in the sight of men Put not religion in trifles and if at the Table of the Lorde I stand North or South it is alike as if I turned Caste or West vnto the Lord For he is in all quarters of the earth As for the state wherin thou art doubt thou not therof let no man delude thée in any thing For thy Baptisme at what time soeuer it was whether in ignoraunce or in the brightnesse of the Gospell whether by a man or by a woman or by the good or by the euill or by the Christian or by the Panime though none of them all bée allowed of mée yet if it happen so God hée is not tyed to the good or to the bad to the water or to the signe but those whom hée accepteth will hée call into his Churche Put not the ground of thy fayth in any thinge that is vnseemely and thinke not those which bée thy suertyes shal answere for thee or for thy déeds For when they haue brought thee out of fier and water and set thée vpon thy feete and trayned thée vp in good nurture and tought thee the wayes of the Lord and thou of thy selfe come vnto full grothe my Childe thinke not thou art tyed vnto them or yet that their life is fastned vnto thine For thy sinne it is vpon thy owne heade and God will roote out the heary scalpe of such a one as transgresseth his Lawes doubt not of this whither thou oughtest to forsake the Diuell and all his woorkes or no but vnderstande at the beginning and know that God loueth righteousnes and hateth iniquity and thy conuersation let it not bée in the workes of the fleshe Murther adultery incest fornication thefte bribary extorcion vsury robbing thy neighboure nor in porloyning nor in deceyt nor in racking of the poore nor in grudging nor in enuy nor debate nor striuing nor in concupiscence nor in the wayes and swéetenesse of this life For these and sutch like bée the workes of the
Diuell and thou muste vowe and promise to forsake him and all his woorkes and come to God For God loueth the willinge soule and the minde that is ready to obay him is acceptable in his sight It is a grosse error my Children to say that you only are the Church of God and forget this and learne of mée There is on earth but one true Church and one head wee haue and one espoused therunto in one Christe and euery man is or ought to bée a member of the same not euery man one Church For as on earth wee confesse that there is aboue vs but one Lord one Kinge so in Heauen there is but one Lorde one God one Christe of whō wee be members knit vnited and coopeled together to haue our dwellinge in the heauens Let this then passe and vnderstande that our mantion and abiding place is aboue and though we be in sundry countries here on earth yet wee professe one faith one trueth one hope all which be the true tokens the we agrée together in one churche So then wee bee members one of another and not euery one one anothers head and wee be parteners and fellows in one and the same churche not euery one the seueral head of the true churche Wherefore instructed fully in this knowe that it is expedient as you are all of one bodie and ioynts and members of one head so to frame and fashion you here in this worlde that you loue and agree in one as also that you make profession and promise in open dealinges that you bee at agréement and condescende together in one congregation for it is abhominable and learne it béefore crookednesse and wearinesse incrotche that any one for priuate gaine shall cloake and couer the inward affections or shewe him selfe by outwarde gesture and déede to be another manner of man then he is in minde and heart for it is good that there bee no doublenesse no hypocrisie no open shewe and profession in any thing which notwithstanding thou shalt mislike in priuate assemblies or shewe thy selfe an aduersarie before men that liking and good report may be taken yet in thy soule and in thy heart shalt be another man. Thus if thou bée affectioned God shall blesse thée in thy dealing and prosper thée in that thou goest about and he will giue thée honour in thine age and glorie will fellowe thée to the grane Then if the Lorde do visite thée and thinke on thée in his mercy in his fauour giue vnto thée a comforter which is fleshe of thy fleshe and bone of thy bone and thou acknowledging his benefite and confessing his rewarde wilte shewe the obeysance and duetie to him Then coople thy selfe to the order of the churche and disdaine not to be ordered by gouernement Thy marriage it is as lawfull and acceptable vnto God as well in the body and middest of the church as if it were celebrated or solemnized at the table of the Lorde Stande not so mutche vppon the vse of the ring which is a sigue onely of the ioyning and a pawne of your trothe plighted eche to other hath neither force to saluation or any religion that is the more beautified by it but is a bare order custome in the churche Let no man persuade thée that any euil or accursed dealing any wicked or vngodly mans life is to be kept close and secreate or bidden from the worlde if thou knowe it for feare the Gospell should be slaundered It is abhomination to the Lord he will disclose it Sée vnto thy selfe and looke narrowly to thy steppes and examine thy wayes take not an othe falsly neither bring thou destruction to thine owne soule for the credite and the honor thou maist purchase to the wicked man For the portion of him that vseth periurie is death and the lying soule heapeth vp wrath and a peruerse man is destruction and happie is that man whose vprightnes is not intangled nor snared with the wicked Laste of all my litrie babes for a number are euen nowe to bee taken and it is good to vse the benefite of the yeare and oportunitie of the seasonable weather we haue otherwise a great fort of you be so farre growen that if moderation be not had wee shall neuer bende you For this cause learne in time and presume to iudge no man in his dealing Thinke Christianly of all condempne none Seclude not the infidell from Christe but leaue a hope till the last gaspe As for Christians and vs all that ought to be of one churche let charitie rule thée brotherhood moue thée and the same profession of which wee be all continually guide thée enter rashly into iudgement with none As for the wicked let him be wicked still and for the vngodly let him wallawe in vngodlinesse The Lorde will recompence him at his appearing he hath giuen thee no authoritie to reuenge it And nowe that I haue brought you as I take it out of ignorannce and layde before you the way to goe in receiue at my handes a fewe wordes lappe them vp in thy breast and hide them in the secrete closet of thine hearte for they be as the Balme and as precious as the oyntment and they will bring ioye and pleasure in the ende if thou keepe them Marke therefore and vnderstande what it is that I teache First I open vnto thée my faith and I giue vnto thée the assured colisen of a Christian and it is this Learne to praye for it is necessarie and conuenient to all flesh Knowe what prayer is and vse it rightly Vnderstande the manner order howe to pray vse not the fonde custome of the nations settle thy selfe and prepare thée as vnto the battaile so to bée strongly armed against temptations First knowe our fathers did it then the expresse woorde of God commaundeth it that our necessitie willeth it that our danger and perill wherein wee bee requireth it that our deliuerance from the Lorde otherwise helplesse compelleth it that our enimie the diuell Satanas dayly assaying vs doth driue vs to it In thy prayer flye Hipocrisie come humbly and lowly to the Lorde put away hollownesse and loosenesse of heart from thée Be thou in assurance and fixed in hope Aske not at his handes what pleaseth thée and let not thy prayers be vnséemely for his maiestie Faile not herein neither stay thou but perseuere and continue in thy prayer And nowe take an assurance of thy faith laye holde in time and leaue not the hope that thou hast in the Lorde Renounce all Gentilisme Giue no credite to sighes and wenders be not dead in thy life shewe thy faith by thy deedes Let it not be for a time neyther continue in faith for a season but be stedfast confessing and acknowledging that the faith which iustifieth thée is brought from hope vnto assurance and guided by the spirite that directeth thée Vnderstande that there is but one faith as
thrones their dominions their Empires or sought their owne glorie made an entraunce ready gate to set vp and establish the sincerity puritie of religion Therefore Christe of him selfe testifieth I séeke not mine one name but my fathers that seÌ„t mée â–ª I haue glorified thee among men and I will glorifie thee againe For if he be our father where is our honor Will the childe acknowledge his parents the wild and sauage beast giue place to them that nourish her succeadeth the fire the heauens in his place and the fire the ayre and she ayre the water and the water the earth and the earth vs shall not we acknowledge and reuerence the Lorde of Hostes who dwelleth betwixt the Cherubynnes and ought to be worshipped of all nations vnder heauen Cyprian hath giuen as touching this firste point hallowed be thy name in mine opinion a verie good reason For saith he wée craue not that God should be sanctified in our prayers who is alwayes holye but that his name sanctified in vs wée might be made perfecte and holy in him Thus I also finde it in the booke of God in that place Be thou holie because I am holy Then our prayer is that being sanctified cleansed made perfect in the Lorde we may be holie and good perseuere therein For this cause Paulinus in the fifth age of the Churche when he liued called our Baptisteries places of restoring againe of man meaning thereby as I do gesse that we ought to rise froÌ„ sinne and liue to life mortifying and beating downe the lustes of the fleshe and as wee shoulde sanctifie the name of the Lorde so we ought in our conuersation and in our walking before him to bee againe sanctified that is walke as holy before him For as the water in the fifth of Iohn did neuer clense make perfect but when the Angell moued it No more is man renued and altered but when the Spirite sanctifieth him And as Sara was not by nature but by promise made a mother and bare a childe So are we holy not of our selues but of the Lorde Therefore we neede daily sanctifiyng and seeing that wee sinne and fall so often wee must rise and be reared vp in Christ in renouation and sanctification of the spirit For this is our sanctification in Paule that we be no fornicatours no worshipers of Idols no adulterers no light persons no folowers of wemen not théeues not deceiuers not haters not drunkardes and these sometime we were but we are washed but wee are iustified but wee are sanctified in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe Master Gualter vppon this place hath an especiall note as touching this hallowed or sanctified be thy name neyther wil I blame him here in consideration the superstition of the world is so great who begyled in the vanitie of their thoughts are not able or else will not iudge aright of the will of the Lorde He findeth greate faulte for that men take an occasion from the name of God as though the bare rehersall thereof had vertue in it to doe wounders signes and miracles in the earth And of truth that wherewith M. Gualter found fault is so common in the worlde that as euery one is holyest and wil be counted godlyest so is hée in this life peruersist I wish that of Cyris were setled in the mindes of men that beefore they iudge of any thinge in the Booke of God they would consider thrée things the time the person and the matter that is handled which if they were duely wayed it would bee a cause good enough that men should not stray as they do in the iudging of the Scriptures For as out of this place is grounded this error that if wée recken vp the bare name of the Lord it is sufficient for vs if we say sanctified be his name it is enough vnto saluation therfore the commoÌ„ sorte of people repeate and vtter these wordes of Christe but they consider no more and so think that by saying of the same they haue discharged their duetie but this it is grosse and pernitious it sauoureth of the flesh alone that is sluggishe and heauie tired if it take any paines in searching out the wil of God For not euery one the saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but be that knoweth the will of my father doeth it This is the onely cause that the heretikes haue erred so grossely heretofore â— haue taken the bare wordes not the meaning of the spirit Therefore to take away all occasion of falshoâ— which is gathered froÌ„ the name of God I save this The name of God in Scriptures doth signify euery thing which is proper vnto him wherby his heaueÌ„ly diuine nature or his works glory appeareth As in Dauid thy name O Lord thy praise endureth for euer it extendeth and reacheth to the ends coastes of the world and againe praise him al you people blesse you the name of the Lorde Iunilius writting against heretickes reckeneth according to the Hebrewes computation eight especiall names giuen vnto God which bee these first God then Lorde also Lorde and God together or else almightie or sufficient or omnipotent or our piller and stay or God of hosts or a iudge and searcher The He rew I haue lefte out for I thinke it not coÌ„uenient the rehersall nowe these onely significations be they that are presented vnto vs and by these names is he called in the scriptures especially by Abraham when he apeared vnto him and then when he spake to Moses Exod. 3.6 Exod. 15. Psalme 86. And the Grecians call him a secret sercher or pearser of all thinges and a sister of our thoughts Wher vnto Peter Martyr Musculus haue in diuers places alluded and maister Gualter semeth to touch the verie same vpon the exposition of the name of god Here vnto I adioyn put those same glorious titles giueÌ„ vnto him by Moses when he desired he might see and looke vppon the Lord god Exod. 34. For then when he passed by in the cloude when Moses was put into a clifte of the rocke and God had put â—â—s hand before him and Moses sawe his backe parts alone he cried out lord God mercifull and liberall â—â—ntle and pitiful of infinite goodnesse and trueth keeping thy goodnesse for thousanâ—s forgiuing iniquitie and transgressioÌ„s and sinnes leauing not vngodlines vnpunished but visiting the sinnes of their fathers in 〈◊〉 sonnes and sonnes sonnes vppon such as feare not him and kéepe not his commaundements This other such like places of scripture do open and shew vnto vs the incomprehencible Godhead of the Lorde which onely is seene in his workes his creation and his creatures and by the same commaunded in this place to exalte magnifie and blesse his name The wicked take occasion as I shewed you before to call on his name verie often and thinke they doe
sanctifie it when they name it but it is not so For Moses did not speede the better for his calling on God or for his stretching out of his armes or for thy squeaking out on the name of the Lorde when he commaunded in his name that life should departe the Grashoppers runne away out of Aegypt but in acknowledging his might and his power and his greatnesse that was able to doe it and bring it to passe and by faith he did accomplish it So we thinke in this sole speach vttered halowed be thy name there is no commoditie commeth to vs But in remembring what we be and desiring by all meanes with our might with strength with our power to blesse it and set it forth in that is our obedience and prayer knowe Elyas called on the name of God and fire came downe from heauen and consumed the water the stickes and the sacrifice And Ieremy in the name of the Lorde foretolde their captiuitie into Babilon And Micheas in the name of God prophesied of the ouerthrowe of Ahad And yet by rehearsing the name of the Lorde did they not this but by faith thorowe the spirite In like maner we by asking or demaunding or â—rauing though it be in his name if it be not by faith it is nothing The reason hereof is vse his name and in â—â—are and in skill aâ—â— as he biddeth it helpeth thée Abuse his Godhead and turne it to thy pleasure and racke his libertie to thâ— commoditie and he consumeth thée Then in this place sanctified be thy name is nothing els mente then his glorie the knowledge of him the true vnderstaÌ„ding of his maiestie the debasing of our selues and the glorifying of the Lorde our god This was the onely cause that Moses and Aaron did not sée the lande of promise neitheir entered into Canaan For they did not sanctifie the Lorde at the waters of striefe That is magnifie and extol their God and that ought to haue glorified him who in that distresse wherein they were was able to haue helped theÌ„ if they had called on his name Hallowing that is making holy or holying and sanctifiying doth signifie any thing that is consecrated or giuen or seuered froÌ„ man vnto God and is only proper to the Lord to his seruice to the worship of his name I take this worde to proceede from the Hebrewes that in their spéech called it a gifte as it were presented to god It came of the ceremonie which was vsed in Israel who as any thing was holy and consecrated to the Lorde vsed to lay their handes thereon singnifying that that thing they gaue they willingly gaue it to the lord So Iacob blessing Ephraim and Manasses laide his handes vpon them and blessed them or put them a part from other vnto god In the same signification they laid their handes on their sacrifices as being holy to the Lorde and pastors and Deacons kept this order in the church and so did Paul and layed his handes vpon them deliuering them vp or putting them in minde of their duetie that ought to be holy and vpright before the Lorde In that sert we do make holy or sanctifie the name of the Lords our God in that it is onely he to whome we giue holinesse and sanctification and reuerence hemage a boue the rest and doe confesse none to be like him Here it commeth to passe that we call those which be the Lordes Saincts that is holy as comming from one that is holy which is the Lord god For an those that are begrymed and sweltered in claye or sayde to be claylike and of blacke blacke men so from him that is holiest are we holy Gualter out of Cratilas in Plato as I take it hath properly deriued this worde and calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not earthly of the priuatiue α and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is without the earth As then being worthy of the names of sainctes when we haue forsaken the enormities of the flesh of the earth which is of those that beinge heare are earthly But paraduenture ouer farre in this and easely knowen from whence I came euen from the earth that sauoureth so much of these grosse and crooked speaches yet as content w my portion I cannot be ashamed to power foorthe my harde and crabby talke seeing so greate strife in others to be nice and in their finesse and puritie of tongue could to this day in my iudgement vse none I aske at your handes this a lone to suffer me patiently to speake vnto rudelinges euen them of the countrye where nowe I am If not but you will snoffle at it and enuie my small skill truely I giue you warning to chaunge your mindes for euen you with all your eloquence shall neuer perswade me to giue ouer And as one vnaquainted with so dainty eares I returne againe to the earth from whence I went more exquisite more delicate and the gorgeous stuffe I leaue to you In this place by this worde sanctifying or halowed I vnderstande to estéeme or thinke as holy to honour and celebrate and to call on the name of one eternall God which is holye and in this sence God doth vse these words in Ezechiel I wil be magnified and I wil be satisfied I wil be knowen in the eyes of the nations and they shall knowe that I am the Lorde Ezech. 38.23 and Esaie shewed the same verie effectuall The Lorde hath opened or made his arme naked in the sight of the Gentiles and all the ends of the earth shal sée the saluation of our god Esay 52.10 For in that the name of God is holy and reuerent verie holinesse and sanctitie it selfe therfore are we commaunded to hallowe it But because he is not knowen of all and the mindes of men are cloyed and worne with superstition Idolatrie Blasphemie incantation execration periurie therefore is it that in prayer we praye that glorie may bee geuen vnto him homage ductie feare and reuerence that all may honour him praise him and laude him For this cause I haue set you downe a perfecte rule and square to directe our life and conuersation withall and to vnderstande howe God is knowen which is partely in our creation partely in our redemption partly in our iustification that the Lorde God may bee knowen vppon the earth his sonne Christ among men and the spirite that gouerneth directeth the heartes of all fleshe Theodoret in that place where he sheweth what God is maketh this sanctification or holines a name that doth appertain to the Trinitie for the none els by nature are Gods but they his opinion is that Lorde and God appertaine to the thrée seuerall persons but our Lorde God is to be honoured or sanctified so that in one God the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost ar to be sanctified Eucherius vppon the Kinges sheweth the wisedome of the Lorde God which doth wonders and
signes and miracles without any slothe or staying but euen spéedely at his woorde not saith hee with many trifling circumstances but in his wisedome at his pleasure Howe glorious a God then is he and worthie to be magnified Therefore Crisostom to Philemon When God did not stande in néede of our helpe he created made vs of nothing For when he had made euery thing then made he man what reuerence then can we giue to our God more then sanctifie him shewe his power among men Primatius on the Romanes atributeth mercie iustice goodnes peace with all other good giftes vnto the Lord and to this end he doth it euen to pluck downe debase man to exalt and sanctifie the name of god Augustine is verie excellent in his meditations hee giueth vnto God these titles Great mightie omnipotent eternall pittifull long suffering righteous that hydeth many things knoweth all things Only strong onely present onely of force and of strength vncomprehensible seeinge all thinges iudginge all thinges vuchanngable yet chaunging and altering all other immortall infinite whom no man can attayne vnto Immoouable yet moouinge and turninge all vnsearchable yet searching all feareful and fearing all yet neuer feared that is aunciaunt and olde and gray headed for hée was euer not altered for hée is the same that bringeth all to age and continueth alwayes workinge and fashioninge and framinge and making and creating all yet alwayes quiet alwayes strong alwayes giuing neuer needing defending distributing nourishing profiting louinge ayding mainteining displeased yet pleased repenting not striking and consuming yet protecting fostering that is onely one and eternall and euerlasting and vnchangeable in his counsell I suppose that Augustine hath shewed vs howe to iudge of the Lorde howe to sanctifie him howe to glorifie him euen when we lay aside all that is in man and giue due honour reuerence feare and maiestie vnto him I will staye no longer in this place I procéede to that which followeth for I dare not stande in curious intermedling with the Lorde but I shewe yon briefely in what the Lorde is sanctified euen in all things that are vppon the earth whose excellencie if it haue any and glorie and goodnes commeth onely from God But in especial God is sanctified by these two workes and iust iudgements of his that happen in the worlde The firste is his righteousnesss and his iustice in the reuealing whereof euen by punishing the wicked and comforting them that bee his the Lorde God is chiefely glorified as in Pharao his ouerthrow in the read Sea with the destruction and ouerwhelming of his captaines horses and chariots that was a feare and astonishment to all nations The like in Sennacharib the Tirant of Assiria that ouerthrewe the Gods of the nations and blasphemed the trewe liuing God and perished he and his people by the hand of the Angell In no one thing is the Lorde so glorified as in this in shewing his rigour and sharpnesse to the infidels and nations and by sauing and protecting his people what glorious beautiful steppes had the daughter of Syon when Iuda was brought out of captiuitie and Hierusalem from thraldome bondage and the lame man went in the stréetes and the blinde could sée the Lorde and the Leapers were clensed and the bloudie Cyte was made a running spring and the standing poole a riuer of sweete water and when ioye and health was spreade abrode vpon the children of that wofull and desolate widow Sion when the Messias was come the Churche deliuered the Apostles called the Gentiles elected Herod eaten and deuoured with Lice the enimie of the Lorde and the Churche had quietnesse and the enimies were swallowed vp and glad tydings of the Gospel was preached on the face of the whole earth When the Lord permitted persecution vnder Nero Domitian Traian Dioclesian vntill Arcadius howe rose it againe triumphantly the Lorde God magnified in Asia in Aphrica in Europe and the heretikes beaten and suppressed downe by the worde of God. After that from Arcadius vnto Honorius vnto Theodotius the younger vnto Martian vntill Leo vntill Zeno. Howe worthie a passage had the power of the Gospell euen from Arrius and those heretikes that went before him vntill Pelagius and those heretikes which succeeded him I might cunne ouer the sixt age since Christ where albeit the countenance of the Lorde shined not so pleasantly as it did 〈◊〉 others yet the stories of Anastatius of Iustus of lusâ—mian of Iustin of Tâ—berius of Mauritius do testifie that the Lorde God gaue his Church an honourable conquest ouer the enimies of Christe But I let this â—ip and I returne thither from whence I went namely that this ought to be our petition our earnest sute and desire vnto the lord that he would not permit his name to be blasphemed and prophaned among the nations but in his mercie he would giue vs of his grace and in his iustice strike and punishe those that be his aduersaries that all men may knowe him and adore his name and that he may be feared and honoured among all After this manner be the godly brought speaking as it were in their owne persons Not vnto vs O Lorde not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue thy praise for thy goodnesse and for the truethes sake And againe in pittifull sorte do the Sainctes complaine by Dauid when the heathen cryed out where is their God And againe Powre foorth thy wrathe and indignation vppon the heathen which know thée not and vppon the kingdomes which call not on thy name And againe in Ioell Help vs O Lord of our strength eueÌ„ for thy glorâ—e for thy names sake Let the reuenge of the bloud of thy Saincts powred forth be openly shewed among the nations Yet herein is héede to be taken namely that priuate grâ—dge prinate malice make vs not to burst out into these exclamations but that it be done in the zeale of the Lord. The seconde kinde or manner of his power wherein he is sanctified his name glorified and he praised among the children of men is his infinite merâ—ic and goodnesse that is extended from generation to generation euen vnto thousand shousandes of such as feare him and kéepe his commaundements and were it not for the Lord of hostes for his great mercie that in Esay shoulde â—e fulfilled that we were as Sodoma and become as outcastes in Gomorra the calamities that happened to Iuda in so oftâ— times changing their iudges that were falne so strangely yet recouered themselues againe so mightely in a shorte space are a witnesse vnto vs to testifite this Their transgressions vnder Samuel yet he deliuered them their falling in the time of Dauid yet he â—aued them their miserie and desperate case wherein they faltered vnder Salomon yet he protected them vnder Ahab yet he defended them vnder the residewe of his successours yet did he not deface them so that his iustice to
which had in it but eyght persons as a seueral people kept to God And in this place I haue drawn you out a shorte catalouge of the peruerse and crooked kingdome the dominion of the diuel by which you may knowe what wee are of our selues when God forsaketh vs and you shall vnderstande againe that the Lord euen in the midst of death can keepe vs that be of his Church vnto life I knowe the I haue to deale with a great number that if God would not cut off the presumptuous spéech would complaine with Esdras the he had forgotten Sion that his people had hanged vp their harpes by the riuer of Babell and wepte there yet could not be heard of god And if euer it appeared in blacke and mourning wéede then was the Church of God chéefely destitute voide of helpe when as Nemrod that mightie hunter grewe vp to so great strength and consumed the flocke and heritage of the Lorde This kingdome of Sathan it is enlarged especially by these three meanes the firste is in belying and defacing the trueth the woorde of God the seconde is in open wickednes the third is by sects scismes heresies to beat downe the Gospel An example of the first I cannot shew better then in him of whom we brag so much our first father what a lye was that he made vnto him to begyle him withall If you eat of this fruit you shal be Gods knowing good euil then take this in the meane time as God his glorie his kingdome his empire is enlarged by setting out the trueth so is the kingdom of the diuel by disceit After this sort he bewitched the Philosophers of olde he begyled the Gentiles and nations on the earth with fonde and fantasticall illusions taken frō the Sunne the Moone and the other creatures whō they worshipped The beginning of the Kinge of Babylon and of Assiria after the floode 131. yeare testifie the same euen from Nemrod before named called of M. Bullinger and of the Poets Saturnus how great blindnesse and filthie superstition incroched on the earth euen that blessed nation whome God hath nowe mightily prospered the Germanes frō whence I knowe not whether any more heauenly or more wise or better learned or greater number to set out the glorie of the Lord and his Christ hath risen out of any place or nation or countrie vnder the Sunne then hath from them Yet these came out of the loynes of that beastly Monarcha and liued a long time in Idolatrie For take a viewe of their predccessours frō whence they came and iudge whether God hath blessed them or no that when they were wilde grapes good for nothing hath graffed them againe vppon a newe stocke and they bring foorth verie plentifull fruite For consider all and the power of God which wrought it Howe sprang vp Idolatrie when Ninus sonne to Nemrod otherwise of the Poets Iupiter Belus began to reigne Hee erected a temple to his father and to his mother Iuno and to Rhea his mothers mother and be was the chiefe author of idolatrie euen the moste grosse and beastliest that I finde among men Him did Semiramis a Paragon and his mother and an Amazon as filthie wicked as her sonne succede in the Empire Only in an out corner about Mesopotamia and in other pettie viliages was God knowen I touche this age For that it pleased God to suffer Sathan to build him a throne a kingdome among men in those dayes especially which was the foundation and Piller of all vntrueth vntill this day For nowe began the Aegyptians to bud vp that vntoward generation whose name deserueth to be hated for that all our toyes and inuentions in hidden and vnknowen artes began with them And the diuell to establishe and ratisie his dourine began in Aegypt the fiftéenth yere of Nemrod which was of Noe the 745. of the world 1801. yeres Then began Mizraim so called in their language his tyranny this is he called of the Histeriographers Oceanus that made great broyles in the Church and confirmed his wickednesse with bloude But it is true that is in Salomon The Lorde that sitteth in his seate doth wipe away all euill And againe the wise King doth scatter the wicked and bring a mischiefe vppon them And therefore this buylding of Sathan it lasted not long but was broken downe euen the chéefe walles thereof when hee suffered Abraham to soiourne among them For his posteritie sufferes many troubles and diuers calamities and were oppressed many yeres yet in the ende the Lorde God was magnified his name was praised and his Maiestie séene his people had a glorious day of them when Pharooth and his horsemen and his Chariots were ouerwhelmed and drowned in the deapth of the Seas Therefore in my iudgement this is a worthy and moste excellent prayer that the olde reliques of the auncient building may be defaced and to desire the Lorde that his kingdome may bee increased and superstition and falshod sowed and setled in the hearts of men rooted out and the puritie of the Gospel may take holde and veritie and religion shine among vs For it is the olde custome of Sathan to begyle vs as auncient as the Aegyptians be and the Caldees the Hebrewes so is his pollicie and his wilinesse of many yeres and long time greater continuance then our late and miserable dayes be able to resist if we were assaulted with the like For which cause séeing superstition hath heretofore ouerflowed the face of the whole earth from the beginning might haue continued vntill our latter times had not the Lorde God in his sonne Chrisie looked on vs For that Mahomet and the Turke haue their dominion and glorious titles to be made Gods aboue all that be in earth and his neighbour his nexte rempanion hath nowe a long season set him selfe in his chaire of state and Imperiall throne and hath made al the princes of the earth drunken with his venomous eup for that wée our selues bee a gazing stocke almoste to the whole worlde and the eyes of euery kingdome and nation cast vppon vs for that peace and quietnes the true light of the Gospel was neuer set out in his perfecte colour as it is at this day with vs and for that if vnthankfulnesse continue and lothsomnesse take vs we are at a venture that God will depriue vs of his benefites Considering the brickle state and distresse wherein we be no greater consolation in my iudgement may or can happen to vs nor worthier blessing light on vs or more earnest supplication moued by vs then that he would promete his glorie sanctifie his name defend his church establishe his kingdom roote out the posteritie of Sathan suffer his peace to be among vs. The second shift and pollicie that hee hath to erect his owne glorie and set vp his kingdome is by open sinne manifest
breach of the word of God whether it be in Idolaâ—rie or murther or whoordom or incest or sorcerie or theft or in any other kind of vngodlines whatsoeuer For what a victorie glorie hath he gotten when the children of Abraham the heires of his couenant do stide so far from the trueth as that they be a gazing stocke and eyesore to all other This impure and wicked spirite the author of sedition and father of all vntrueth by cogitations by cuill thoughts by deuises by euil pretences by lustes by concupiscence first moueth them then by breath of the worde by malice by begiling by deceipt by intisement by incouraging to all cuill in the ende consumeth them And here créepeth in his last most deceiuable â—â—ite that incenseth and inflameth euen the brightest and the glorious starres with his rancor and pride And so puffeth them vp with vaine conceite by his weapons which he giueth them sectes scismes heresies fonde illusions they commonly drayle with them most good and exquisite pillers of the Church For my owne parte if euer sathan displayed his pagiaunt and set abrode his insignes among men I am perswaded he hath don it very cunningly in these dayes For the word of God is troden vnder foote vnrighteousnesse hath almost the vpper hande the alters of God are broken downe the temple is pestered with monie chaungers euery one hath his religion euery one his God botherhoode is forsaken loue is forgotten trueth and equitie are banished into farre countries and faine to begge their breade contention is growen vp diuitions enmitie are creapte into our heartes some delight in one man others in another man Paul and Apollos and Clephas are so much talkte of that Christ and religion is neuer a whit thoughte of this building vp of the Sinagouge of sathan and despising the worde doth make our prayer of small effect no though we crie out day and night before the Lorde Let thy kingdome come Yet till these and such like bee amended thinges that bee amisse it preuaileth not Can the Rushe growe without myre or the grasse growe without water will the trée beare fruite with out moisture or canne the spider make her house or weaue her web without labour No more can the deuill without beguiling vs nor his workemen without intising vs nor his builders without molesting vs bring any good successe or passage to his kingdome and this deuise of Sathan hath been put in practise of late and I can testifie it for that great zeale which I haue séene and the small knowledge whiche men haue their religion in matters of no value their ignoraunce in thinges of great weight can ought derogate so much from the kingdome of God and of Christ as this It is an old barre and a croked péece of yron he hath laide in our way the best Smith that I know this day is not able to bring it to any fashion And laboure asmuch as you can therein yet will it neuer be brought to good passe that any one shoulde seuer the congregation plucke the Lorde Christ in péeses deuide his church bring in brawls contentions strife debat grudging without greate perill and ioperdie to the nocke and houshoulde of God And euen nowe we beginne as they in Asia did to striue for the passeouer and the holy day yet in this enimitie debate if euerie man would examine his priuate conscience and his dealings wherin he is blinded the great shew and faire face for the Surplesse and the Cope to countenaunce them wil neuer make recompence for the oppression and guile the vse whereof somuch shameth them But if that complaint so common nowe among vs were trewe yet there is little consideration of the kingdome of God when the apparell attyre that is worne in the church shall driue thée from it And it is not a sufficient cause for any of you all to crie out reformation and reformation Church men and Church men the Pope and the Pope yet I say not truely there is good cause to do so for if maners in men could be reformable and they that be about the offeringes of the Lord were sound agréeable no man in tongue threatening out vengeaunce against the Pope were founde in heart to dissemble popishly the arke of God it néeded not be caried into so priuate corners as it is neither woulde a greate number runne rather vnto priuate houses to serue there then refuse to come vp to Bethell to offer with the congregation But I saye vnto all in the Lorde and as from the Lorde If God when wée haue plentie of the worde and eate in full aboundance of the fatnesse of the Oliue doth for this our sinne take breade and the worde from vs too wée haue in our transgressions worthely deserued it the dayes are nowe so miserable that euery man maketh conscience of nothing euery base citchinboy must nowe play the Leuite and yet vnworthy to enter into the porche of the Lorde The people is as the priest the priest must giue place to the people that man that commeth not to please them is thought vnworthy to speake among them The Lorde end the troubles of his sainctes and vnfolde these deuises of the diuill that all flesh may sée his dealings speake well of the name of the Lord for till these thinges be amended and our holowe hartes better setled and our braules and debats ended the kingdome of God cannot be builded But to vndersrande this more fully Let thy kingdome come We haue to consider that as god hath permitted in his eternall counsell and limitted vnto vs whome he hath chosen a verie ordinarie way to come vnto him as he hath kept a certeine portion to himselfe as he hath giuen them strength and might to resist the deuill so he hath from all beginning in his secrete determination giuen a part company vnto Sathanas vnto vs that be his he hath squared out a pathway and entrance to walke in euen thorough his sonne Christe in whome wee are reconciled in whose bloud we are washed in whome our glory appeareth our sanctification commeth his kingdome and dominion increaseth And this is our kingdome that God in his sonne Christ wrought and brought to passe before the foundation of the worlde that the heade of the serpent should be troden downe our deliueraunce bought that we might liue in obedience knowledge all our life of this kingdome ought these places to be vnderstoode opened before and prophesied of the kingdome of Christ and his regiment Psal 2. Psal. 47. Psal. 72. Esa. 9. Iere. 23. But most excellently and generally in the discourse of Daniel and his prophesie and it is alluded vnto by Paul. Colos 1. that chargeth vs to giue thankes to God the father which hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenesse and translated vs into the kingdome of his welbeloued sonne and this is it for which we pray Let
him self but from the father that sent him the had giuē him a commaundement what to say what to speake And sainct Paul saith I make open vnto you the Gospel which I preached whiche you haue receiued wherein you stande and wherein you are saued Therefore we looke not here vpon the madnesse of Enthusiastists that be franticke and thinke they haue the spirite Nor of the Anabaptistes that looke for reuelations and dreames But wee take a meane giuen vnto vs by the spirit which is the word For as man hath power to heare to vnderstande to giue eare to reade so vnlesse there come a schoulemaister to instruct vs and a gouerner to guide vs wee doe as Agrippa did We come but faire and softely I acknowledge an hethnish and as it were an outlandish kinde of reuerence that we giue vnto the lord which is in a bare sight of the heauens vewe of the Elementes that iudgeth there is a Lorde But this it maketh not vnto saluation And for that cause the Prophets the Apostles calleth man but by the name of him that is in darkenesse and in death And therefore sainct Iohn saith the light appeared in darkenes and the darkenesse comprehendid it not And Sainct Paul saith the worldly or fleshly man perceiueth not those things which are of the spirit for they be foolishnes vnto him And Christ himself affirmeth the no man knoweth the father but the sonne he vnto whom he reuealeth him And againe when he asked Peter who saist thou that I am He aunswered thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing god Happie art thou Symon said the Lorde for flesh and bloude hath not reuealed this but my father which is in heauen And therefore verie louingly it is said vnto vs that for this end Christ came into the world euen vnto iudgement that those which are blinde might sée Then this is the ful force and aucthoritie of the spirite that ruleth and altereth the actions in man and maketh the doings of those in the world to be acceptable by quickening reuiuing by altering by renewing the man of God which before was vnperfect That it is the worke of the spirte take that in the Prophet they shal be all taught of god Any that of Christ when the comforter shall come the spirite of truth he shall teach you all things For so I finde it euerie where Lydia did heare whose hart the Lorde opened that she might giue eare vnto the words of Paul. And therefore one of the Prophets I will giue them an heart they shal knowe me So that the true vnderstanding hearing following and obseruing the laws of the Lord from whence come they But from aboue from the Lorde of trueth from him that willeth the saluation of all euen of all those that hee will saue For where Sainct Paul saith that the fulnesse of gentiles shall come in And againe it is saide in the Prophets all flesh shall sée the saluation of our God. I vnderstand it thus Euen as Augustine doth vpon that place in Math. That God willeth all men shal be saued of those saith he whome he hath determined for to saue For as Gregorie Nazianzen confuteth the heretickes that denied the holy ghost to be God out of the first of Iohn that reasoned with him in the same text Euen so do I here For vpon that place in Iohn by him were all thinges made and without him were nothing made that was made they cauell thus The holy ghost is some thing and existeth Ergo the holy ghost is a creature and made by him That father Nazianzen aunswereth thus Al things were made by him or created of those things saith he which he did make or create And so say I he willeth the life of all and giueth saluation vnto all euen to whom in his secrete power and determinate purpose he will giue vnto To those he giueth Therefore Ieremie had a sore fall here at and stumbled greuously in my iudgment in one place where I finde thus It is our parte to beginne that is good but the part of God to end it our part to offer that we can his part to finish that we wil But howe can we most miserably liuing here on earth will that which is good without the will of God or giue assault thereunto which are of strength to accomplish nothing Augustin fasted hereof and almost poysoned him selfe therewith if he had not lifted his head from the cup as he did For he imagineth that faith whereby wee beléeue in God is not to bee saide the gifte of God but to be within vs as from vs And thereby wée begin to wishe and to aske the giftes of god But he gaue ouer this in the ende and attributeth all vnto the Lorde that helpeth prepareth prospereth and maketh readie all our heartes The diuersitie in those that are baptized sheweth this For all alike receiuing the Sacraments are not like in conuersation in life in manners and children some are taken awaye at the time of regenerating some before they are brought into the Church Others before they come to full groweth dyuers in the middle age of which none of them I know but would go to heauen if it lay in their power to get it But because it is the choise of the Lorde and he clecteth vs wée may cry with Sainct Paule Oh the heighth depth and breadth of the riches of the Lord howe vnsearchable are his woorkes and his wayes past finding out Therefore I like that whiche is in Cyprian That wee must bragge in nothing because nothing is ours Onely among the fathers Clemens and Cyprian are those whose bookes I wishe alone to bee read of suche as God hath giuen wisedome vnto and good iudgement in the discerning of Scriptures For they bee daungerous to wade in and though they were neare the Apostles time yet all the chaffe and the rubbigges that our late writers haue stuffe vp their volumes withall séemeth to bée fetched from thence This disputation might bee prolonged But the searching out of the fathers is a greater labour then can be arraigned vnto soudenly And the lothsome sente wherewithall our late writers dooinges are taynted do discourage mée to meddle with them I briefely ende thus If there be yet a reason to bee shewed in naturall causes Or if we wauer and falter in things that be common with vs If the mouing of the beauens cannot be opened If no man can shewe a reason of the brightnesse in the Sunne nor of the cléerenesse of the ayre or of the operation of the winde or of the order and knitting togéether of the bodie If wee cannot measure out the sinewes or drawe out the ioyntes or vnfolde the secreat creuisses in the head What are wee to reason and dispute with God Howe feedeth hee the young Rauen Howe is the Phenix hatched Howe keepeth he the Storke What daiyaunce hath he
vesture thy house thy couering thy health thy Woll and fléece abroade all thy harbour and tillage at home For if the Sparrowe haue meate prouiâ—ed him and not one of them lighteth on the ground without our Father In vayne is the thoughtes of man and the immaginations of his harte be preuented if the Lorde blesse him not In this is comprehended the troublesome mishaps in this life in bodie in minde or any other misaduenture so named of vs and no other way preuented then by this Geeue vs this day our dayly breade For in greatest distresse and moste ieoperdy the Rauens can be his Messengers to nourish vs And if we haue but one cruse of Oyle though it be in greate famine so that we remaine helplesse Hee is as neare vs as that poore widdowe vnto Elyas and can commaunde that neyther our oyle shal be spent or our Meale wasted till saluation appeare vnto Israel And as one Colaquintida was not alike to all though it saued some of the Prophets No more is he tyed eyther to tymes or seasons And in the same hée giueth vs in the same he helpeth vs if wee aske earnestly I am compelled here as otherwise I confesse in other places to vse oftentimes interpretation notes of the Scholemen neyther am I ashamed to professe that openly the vse whereof I finde to be so great by priuate conference For euen vnto the worst of them all wee owe muche And God hath looked vppon vs in these dayes that hath lefte vnto his churche as many volumes of suche as be pure and perfect stile that speake their verie mother foung in Latine and iudge discréetely of the Gréeke as euer they had Or that Oratour sawe that bragged so muche of his Bibliotheca in Rome From them I acknowledge I haue sucked out if that any thing it bee that I haue and their comely graue and singuler maiestie in the booke of god O Lorde whereunto had it come if the modestie and reuerence they bare to the worde had not cut of that naturall and luxurious heat that bubbled out so fiercely in their talke Whome I can neuer be ashamed of for the pleasure I tooke and the profite I receiued when at firste I red them And therefore paying that I owe them and restoring that I stole away I haue here and there paynted out this treatise with such flowers as not altogether robbing them I coulde or might conueniently gather in my writings Whereof this is one He saieth Ours not as hauing right or title of our selues to claim him as our owne or ought else But for that of his grace he géeueth it vs and that fréely It is saide to bee ours For so is Christe called our Lorde and our redéemer not as brought in by vs But ours in that wée haue néede of him and in our life call on him For that God the father elected and predestinated from all beginning that he should be our wisedome our righteousnesse our sanctification Therefore Cyprian pater noster quia intelligentium credentium pater est Et panem nostrum vocamus Quia Christus noster qui corpuseius contigimus Panis est Hee is our father for that he is father of such of vs as vnderstande and beléeue aright And hee is our breade saith Cyprian For that Christe of whose bodie we be is our meate In that hee saith our breade wee are admonished euery one of his priuate calling That wee eate the labour of our handes and gather together that which we possesse by the sweate of our owne browes Not buylding by the houses of our forefathers in bloud nor garnishing our Iuery beddes with other mennes labours but euery one quietly to enioy his owne I leaue not so much to Ahab as to enter on the grounde of Naboth Neyther shall Abymeleche presse vpon the goods and treasuries of Abraham The Landmarke shall not be remoued and accursed shal bee that man that ingrosseth the substaunce and commodities of others and eateth vp the fat of the Lande For God hath géeuen a place to all and the poore man hath hee giuen to trye thee with all agaynste the daye of wrathe Our dayly bread or as the Gréeke this day our breade Signifieth our pouertie or the necessitie penurie wherein wée bee that hauing nothing of our selues are faine to craue all thinges of another For if wée haue all thinges that be néedefull for the minde and for the bodie yet auayleth it not for the minde is diuersly diuers wayes troubled with temptations The bodie disgesteth that it receiued before So that it hungreth and panteth for more And therefore wée saye This day or from day to day Or as in Mathew This daye The meaning whereof I take this that God giuing his benefits the vse of his creatures to all not nowe but continually at all seasons It is our prayer hée would vouchsafe to remember vs at this presente as hée hath of his goodnes bestowed vpoÌ„ vs heretofore It is very prety as you may easely iudge an eloquent man cunningly and wisely noted of M. Gualter in Luke Videre est quam egregios facerit Satan c. You may easely know sayth hée what maner of Gods wée were after Sathan had diluded the Woman That made report vnto Eue in what day shée should eate of the Tree of Life shée should bée like vnto God knowing good and euill For as soone as shée with hir Husbande fasted of the forbidden fruite sée what Goddes wée bée They with their posteritie sell into misery They did hunger they thirsted they were troubled in the Frostes they suffered the heate in Sommer and lost the glorye they had before and as Beggars from gate to gate so were they compelled to aske at Gods hand This meditation of so discrete a Father as he was I would it were imprinted more déepely then it is in themyndes of men That hawtines and stately gesture woulde more easely bee delayed amonge vs then it is And the beggerly attyre that wee haue put on by our owne folly would cause vs to aske more for gods sake then we doe Here be condempned two sortes of men The first of those the are not content with such as god hath blessed them dally and play in their riot hurding vp all manner of vnséemelie and vnchristian dealings seruers of the time and swallowed vp in ambition giue wages and large stipende to some one or others vnthriftes to hunt out nouelties and to inuent outlandishe feates The milde and comely fare that this realme aboue all other nations is blessed with cannot delight our Dionitius schollers that Romaine Epicure is risen againe from death We must haue Cranes neckes that the long swallowing of our meate may title vs more pleasantly And nowe a dayes hée is no gentleman that hath not his set féeldes to sport and trauerse in his newe outlandish feate to delight him in and his shamelesse banqueting house open to all minstrelsie
downe the truth That wise men may know them and the simple flye them That only God may bee glorified in the ordinary meanes hée hath appoynted The beginninge wherof I can fetch it from none other then from that villanous secte of Enthusiastistes that was the beginning and Orriginall of beastly and filthy deuinacions and liued by inspiration as I finde in ▪ Theodoret of Cyrus whose beginner therof and Kingleader was sometimes Salbas ruler among very wicked and graceles men And Adelphius and Daodes and Simeones and Hermes with others And as Iudas for betraying Christe so were these for abusinge the Church very infamous and noted amonge the Fathers These fellow seruaunts and Copemates as it were with Nouatus that infected them of Phrigia and Paphlagonia with his precisenes exactnes of life permitted none that had sacrifised to Idols to come neare the church refused the maner of Baptisme the was vsed permitted none to come to the holy misteries Neyther yet referred him to the mercy of god Which how much it differeth frō them in our English Church wherof the Lorde bée merciful vnto vs there is a great nomber euery where sprong vp of late denying our order manner in baptisme thrusting such frō the Supper of the Lord as they like not take them selues onely for the pure perfect church refusing others with such like opinions a number as the like hath béen seldome séen in any age in any church since Christes comming in so short a space as is now I can compare them to no one state of any cōmon wealth so neare and so narrowly as I can vnto that wherof there is some mention made in Sleidons Commentaries in his tenth booke For vnto the same great and famous Cittie of Mounster the Metropolis of Westphalia there resorted certaine Anabaptistes whose beginning and Orriginal was taken from one Tho. Muncer that raised a tumult of the cōmunalty And these pretended certeine holynesse and puritie of life in so much that counted as Godly and zealous christians they were neuer espied they delt so closely and holilye in life vntill they began to spreade thorowe out Germanie and Luther almost al other learned men inueighed against them But after when this their childhoode began to reatch vnto it fresher bloude and gathered strength to creepe withall not farre from Mounster at a Church of S. Morris the yeare of our Lorde 1332. One Barnearde Rotman a preacher of the Gospell gathered together a great audience in that Citie and suppressed at the first by the Catholikes being sent away emptie without hope of that he came for he went aside to another countrey for a space Yet after that retourned backe being very popular he rauished the minds of the people he preached very sincerely hee liued vprightly and faught zealously But knowe all and iudge with me dissembling a long time what he was Commeth at length a certein Cobler to Mounster out of Holland to name Ihon Leidan A ranke Anabaptist hauing got acquaintance with the preachers assotiated kept company with them after familiaritie among thē being well knowne to the cōmons he inueighed openly against the state At which time one Herman Stapred as preuie to the drift of his fellowe Rotman linked him self at length with the rest it was that Stapred the was scholler to Henrick Rolly which a little before was executed at Vtreight for the opinion of Anabaptisme but it grew to so great inconueniēce here with them of the city that the senate banished al the pack of thē yet the subtiltie of these men preuented the intent of the wise Senate neither departed they but kept secretly in holes corners went priuely to the followers of their sect lurked there for a space taught in the night preached in priuat places vsed conuēticles gathered cōpanies the the nūber of thē in the end increased aboūdātly And then hauing gotten the vpper hande came in the diuilish deuice of running vp downe in the stréetes as though they had been inspired with a kinde of prophesie Then began one Kniperdoling with other lay mē to vse expoundings interpretations and diuinations Woemen were prophets and spake openly in congregations Good preachers were exiled and in their steede came vp the ofscowring of the Citie and then began ciuil warre and murther discention and confusion of the state For my owne part I iudge Christianly and the Lord God looke vpon me in the same yet this I think that the Lorde being angry hath somewhat care long to say vnto vs And for the thing it selfe he that hath but one eye may séewhat marke it is they shoote at for the state the lawes the common wealth if their request bee graunted cannot stande And as in the reigne of Emperour Charles the firste began moste bloodie broyles by auarice and herisie that sprange vp So in espetiall it was seene in that vnlucky Westphalia when heapes of deade men lay scattered in the stréetes and the bodies of their Emperours were vnburied when the Senate was expelled euery one that ought priuat grudge ware a dagger in his sleeue to cut his neighbours throte And all things were in common when this heresie was spreade in many places thorow out Germanie that if was lawful for euery one to kill his enimie That is flatte against that I haue in hand Forgiue vs our trespaces as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs. For that same Iellowzie in Elyas That called to heauen and was heard of the Lorde and fire came downe and consumed those he cursed Is no sufficient argument to confirme that errour For when thou art a Prophet and canst tell what is to come when thou hast suche commaundement from the Lord and art assuredly mooued by the Spirite when thy life is sought and God wil bee reuenged on them that mocke thée when the prophets be despised and any seeke there death and thou also hast an assured warraunt from the LORD I will agrée with thée But if Christ when he was dispised of them in Samaria and could haue cast of the dust of his feete against thē reuenged not againe If he checked Iames Iohn that asked if fyre should come downe from heauen to distroy them when he went from Galilee to Ierusalem you may know e well it was an extraordinarie thing God would haue done he vsed not the naturall wayes on earth to fulfill his minde What if Peter destroyed Ananias and Saphira his wife and cursed them to death Are you Apostles as they were Did you euer sée Christe haue you commaundement to do signes and wounders and to heale and foretell or if you drinke poyson will it not hurt you if this commaundement was neuer giuen you your reason quayleth But if God will haue his indignation and furie to be shewen vppon the vesselles of wrath If he will not spare the hipocrite but vnlace his
haue from the Spirit 12. The Dores to enter at the worde and the Gospel 13. The Barres to stay this hee that gaue this God the Father 14. The knitting of all this togeather is Loue. 15. The keeping it froÌ„ shaking brotherly agreement 16. The force and strength therof one minde and one Iudgement 17. The glory and beauty therof Immortality 18. The ende of this building the glory of God. 19. The price and rewarde Life Not that which is terrestriall endureth a small time but an other euen that which is aboue when wée shall dwell with god The onely price of sutch as loue and feare his name vnfeignedly To whom that bée of his true Church the Lorde God sende his blessing and peace for euer that quietnes may bée to them of Israel and life for euermore Amen FINIS A Sermon made before the reuerend father in God John Bishop of London by I. Keltridge Preacher at his Mannor at Fulham before them of the Clergie at the making of Ministers in the yeare of our Lorde God. 1577. and novve set out in Printe It is thus written in the firste Epistle of Paull vnto Timoth. Chap. 3. vers 1. 1. It is a true saying if a man desire the office of a Bishop hee desireth a good worke 2. A Bishoppe therfore must bee vnreprouable the husbaÌ„d of one wife watching sober modest harberous apte to teache 3. Not giuen to Wine no striker not giuen to filthy lucre but gentill no fighter not couetous c. THéese wordes contayne thus mutch the rule and gouernemente and state of the Church The office the duty the function of a Bishop The state is preserued the gouernemeÌ„t established the authoritie reuerenced the Church setled where Bishoppes bée chosen that are blamelesse The common welth is racked the state impoâ—erished wise and gray headed fathers despised the word of God banished where Bishops are chosen that are shamcles If the rulers bée wise and discréet â—â—en if the order and frame conningly and truly set vp if the guidance be sincerely and purely drawne 〈◊〉 as also squared by the rule set downe in the Booke of God Then Bishops liue happely The common wealth quietly the state flourisheth most gloriously At this present as one of the poorest and meanest Leuites among Israel yet ordayned I hope in good time to serue in the Tabernacle of the Lord elected and chosen to se the Curtaines of our God and the hangings of the habitation of the Lorde of Hoastes dewely to be spreade before his seate As one desirous to sée that no Aliaunt shall touche the Arke of God nor any one vnclensed to approche his sanctuary I am bolde to enter in to sée the surneture thereof the glorie the apparell the sumpteousnesse of his Throne and to sée and for to knowe whether we bee apparelled as Aaron or deckt as Leuits or in manners Israelites or among the Prophets the sonnes of Prophets that the voice of the Lorde may sounde among vs. Foure especially vvaightie great encombraunces able to beate and vvaye him to the grounde lye on the necke of a Bishop His Vocation by Calling His Deutie by Function His Dignitie by office His Aucthoritie by Rule All which haue seuerally foure most excellent and goodly giftes kept vp as in their treasurehouse to furnish and store good men withall His calling hath foure pillers to staye on for hee must bee Vnrebucable subiect to no reproche blamelesse Not wanton not lasciuious husbande of one wife Painefull yet gainfull to bring to God euen watchfull By temperancie not by glottonie ruling them but modest His function requireth 4. garments to cloath him vvith His Robes his Iewels DiscretioÌ„ Grauitie His statelynes and his Brauerie Hospitalitiâ— His honouring and apparelling Instructing His cloth and garment lyned with abstinencie that he be no dronkarde or gluttonous person His office hath adioyned foure Sergeants to vvaite on him He must be no incrocher vpon any no fighter No scraper in of his gold by filthy lucre Lowly courteous gentle vnto all men No brawler no striuer no quareler with any man His aucthoritie and his rule commeth in that maketh an ende of all strife the mistresse Gouernesse to keepe the rest in avve By instructing by ordering beeing able to teach his housholde Liuing discretely warily vprightly abhorring couetousnes That can keep in subiectioÌ„ his own family in feare in reuerence That hee bee not a young scholler puft vp with pride but that he haue a good report of all All vvhich as they be in number xxii So for the greatnes of the matter the statelinesse of that I take in hand the skill and furniture that is required in him I seeke for I am in greate doubt the time vvill not suffer me to ransacke so much as the third gifte that ought to be in vs Prophets that I may go so farre as the vvorde of God leadeth me let vs ioyne in heartie and faithfull prayers together vnto the Lorde For the vvhole Church of God As a member and portion thereof this Church of England and Irelande c. THis place where as he speaketh of a Bishoppe is is not to be vnderstood so as that only he speaketh to him in aucthoritie called by Luke a Senior or as in Tytus 1. For this cause haue I left thée in Creata to set in order the residue that were left Or as Acts. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But as Caluine thinketh In the bishop so called of Paul is ment euery one seuerally ioyntly in his function to whom the charge of soules is committed Therfore Pomeranus offitia sunt non dignitates Musculus Instruere noÌ„ regere Teaching them not fléesing them Bullenger Vocati non intrusi Chrisostome Ordinandos ad bonuÌ„ non deuorandos ad commodum elected to serue them not chosen to eate them Ambrose non ambitione pecuniae desiderio For men that come hastely to serue god in the ministerie take it for welth sake to liue securely then that al may be comptable vnto the Lorde and surrender a reason of religion I take it generally of all that Bishoppes that is those to whom cure and charge of soules is committed ought to haue those good gifts set downe by Paul in his youngling Timotheus Not to make any strife or to debate the matter as some haue done or therefore the I may séeme to take away aucthoritie from the Senior or gouernement from the Elder or preheminence from superiour or rule from him that sitteth in seate to guide others But as Paul in this of Timoth. to the saincts of Christ which be at Philippos together with Bishops and Deacons euen so say I to all those which be here Bishoppes Deacons Elders Seniors Ministers Preshiters is this same giueÌ„ in charge for none shal be excused but as touching that common cry hussing so much in the eares of many about them that bearâ— the sway in the Church this I say briefly I can
not finde any difference in the primatius Churche from ours but in the name alone for they bad Bishoppes and they also whome they called Elders and wee haue Ministers whiche they called Docters wee haue Instructours whiche they called Teachers we haue Rulers whom they called Seniors we haue Presbiters that were Pastours we haue other Dignities which they called Offices so the we haue as they had onely they suffer vs not to be as they were For that argument of Archaepoumenos It is not so pithy nor so strongly wrested as once I thought neither yet that of one head of one bodie for many Kings yet one King as haue béen many Bishops yet one Bishop as is Not many Kings as many heades to deuide one bodie but one heade to kéepe the kingdome of that same bodie Not many Bishops as subuerting them But one Bishop ouer Bishops to protect them Not diuers heades of one bodie to deuide them but one heade of diuers members to vpholde them so then our Bishops and their Bishops and in Iesus Christe one Bishop let vs nowe approach vnto his calling Two kind of wayes are wee called By the Lord by men ordinarely mediately strangely by the Lord God inwardly As Moses by the hand of the Lord by the flaming bush Leuy his Famely by the forecounsell of God Aaron seuered frō the congregation Elyas from among the residue of the Prophets Samuel from among the children of Ely Gad Nathan from the children of their Tribes with others A mong the nations also called he very straungely a great number Melchisedeck out of Aegypt from Mesopotamia Balaam from out of the mountaines and from the East Iob in the lande of Hus. Scibillae mutch spoken of among writers Ioseph in Aegypt Ionas in Niniui Daniel in Babilon Nehemias and Esdras among the Pertians all which were straungly and some of them extraordinarelie called by the Lord and this kinde of calling ceaseth and we take an other into our Church The second order of calling Ministers it is ordinarie 1 It is therefore put to the secreat workinge of the Spirite of the Lorde in the mindes of men 2 And to that which Paull saith here he that desireth a Bishoppricke desireth a good worke 3 And to the wisedome and discretion of him that chooseth them As when that the twelue called the brethren together charged them to choose out seuen men of honest report Act. 6. Like as Paul when he came to Derbe and had herde of Timotheus that had a good report of the brethren that were at Listra and Iconium Act. 16. That it may be verested of vs spokē of the Lord by Paul Barnabas that he had put them a part chosen them vnto a good worke Act. 13. where I finde no popular consent nor any acclamatiōs of the people as in Rome when they choosed Censors Dictators Tribunals Pretors and such like neither cast they as it were lotts or els gaue it vnto election of the multitude or els tyed to the congregation a lone but the likaunce was giuen to one Elder the choyse to him that was wise in the Church and hee that was chosen continued as their Ruler for euer That al things may be fully don their is adioyned the putting on of hands I take it that this custome came from the Hebrewes who as any thing was holy consecrated to the Lorde so they vsed to lay their hands thereon signifying that that thing they gaue they willingly gaue it vnto the lord So Iacob blessing Ephraim and Manasses laide his handes vppon their beads so did Christ lay his handes on the little babes that were brought vnto him In the same signification layed they handes on their sacrifices Therefore when they made choise of Docters Pastors Teachers Deacons they layed handes vpō them to shew◠that wee are not ours but the Lordes giuen and dedicated to the vse of his Church thus nowe haue we brought Dauid from the sheepefolde Ewes Amos hath no more to doe among his cattle Moses is called from Madian The Apostles haue not to deale with the Angle and the hooke and wee haue giuen Tymothe the first steppe into the ministerie his aucthoritie he hath to execute indgement power he hath to tel righteousnesse to the house of Iacob to bring Syon the hill of our God to knowe his ordinaunce He may now bouldly enter into the Sainctuarie called he is handes are laid vpon him and hee hath wished a good worke and let vs nowe knowe how he may performe it The 4. first as proppes and stayes to hold him vp that hanged vpon his calling are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blamelesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Husband of one wife 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 watchiug 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sober 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Among the wonders of the world this is one that in so long time so many yéeres so great space I haue neither read of neither hard of neither found out that Sonne of man that was blamelesse For there is none that do good no not one None can say that of Christe which you can accuse mée of sinne Very few can say that our Sauiour reported of Zacheus a perfecte Israelite in whom there is no guile Not many can say as Paull sayd when hée sente from Miletum for the Sages and Elders of Ephesus that hée was giltlesse of the blood of all Nor reporte with Samuell whose Oxe or whose Asse haue I pluckte from you Not now so great heapes of those that wish to bée wiped out of the Booke of life to saue Israel Nor with Paul to bée accursed as touching the flesh that hée might saue some at the day of the Lord few there be that offer vp as Iob did for their Sonnes or their daughters or redéeme if peraduenture they might the transgressions of their children who hath the commendation that Abraham had of God that he can saye he is an vpright man and will teache his children the wayes of the Lorde what man goeth nowe into the fieldes to praye with Isaak or remembreth with Israel the benefites he hath receiued or careth not for the wayes of Balaam or séeketh not the promotion of Aegypt and the substaunce of the Isles about him Who hath béene found of late worthie to be taken from of the earth to dwell with God Or thought méete to haue the Angels waite vppon them with their fiery Chariots Haue wée béene fed with Angels foode Hath the rocke béene broken in péeces to yelde vs water Haue wée tried the drought in the wildernesse the frostes in the fieldes the strength of the mightie the perill and ieopardy of red Seas who is there in time of néede aduentureth his life with Iudith That if Nathan speake repente him of his faulte that hardoneth not his harte with Ahab That striueth not with the Préestes of God Then as yet I knowe not or finde not that man that is blamelesse Who playeth not that
I knowe it and I speake it from the Lorde that if thy wisdome were as great as Solomons was if thy counsell as Ioseph if as well learned as Paul as actiue as Iosua as heighly commended as euer was Peter yet if thy dissolute life out goe thy sugred spéech thou art but as sounding brasse and as a tinkling Cymball good for nothing Knowe you not that Saul persecuting the Church of God commeth not néere it That the Priestes of Baal must not serue in it That the Leuite defiled vpon a deade Carkace must not approch it That Nadab and Abihu offering vp wrong Cence before the Lord die for it That the Mohabits childe in the tenth generation no not foreuer minister in it Fierie toungs bee they that shall helpe thée the zeale of Elyas that shall mooue thée The Spirite that was in Amos to prouoke thée For hée is no prophet that Prophesying shal go coldely to worke in his prophesy for it is a great worke it is a mightie worke and he desireth a good worke that desireth to bee a Bishop So that at length we haue founde out the heigh stature and comlynesse of him we sought for to these if we adioyne but a fewe more ioyntes with some trauaile we shall I doubt not drawe out the ful protracture of the whole man for now followeth the last of my first part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sober Among all the euilles that be vnder the sunne these my soule hateth as for the Path way of them it leadeth vnto hell A man in aucthoritis that dare not speake The Candle of the Godly man that is quenched with vnrighteousnes the plentiousnesse of foode in the fieldes of the poore the gréedinesse of the mightie that deuoureth it the Prophet that séeth all abhominations vnder the sun and chasteneth them not The vnreasonable bibbing of those that be at the Alter The drunkerds and guidibeades that be in the house of God And the shamelesse man which falleth downe with wine Al which they be in the verie heigh way that leadeth vnto hell Two things I require in the man that feareth God Two things I wishe were in all that liue vppon the earth And two thinges I wishe vnto the watchman But I require al thinges to be in the sonnes of Prophets My desire shalbs fulfilled in these If hee that doth feare the Lorde take héede of falling For a discréete seruaunt shal do wel and his wayes prosper If all they that be vnder heauen leaue righteousnesse for inheritaunce and vertue to their children For the riches of the sinner are layde vp for the iust If there be a readie eye in the watchman If any heart that is trustie vnto his flocke If the sonnes of Prophets haue vndefiled lippes If toungues that speake not guyle If a steadie heade without wauering If a comely behauiour without beguyling If an vnspotted minde without ryot If an vntroubled Spirite not puffed with drinke If a sober temperate life that he be not checked of those with out or fall into the handes of the Tempter For thus it behoueth a man that wil serue the Lorde alwayes to bée most pure most chaste most vpright in conuersation For that of you Poet. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the of Musculus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 health and safety and vprightues of the minde can not bée wanting in that teacher that teacheth others Thus haue wee drawne out the one quarter of him that oughte to be a serueter at the Table of the Lord Giue mée leaue to come but to the second part of him if his cōlynes be such his colour so exquesite his fashion and workmanship so nice dainty in the drawing the I can not at this present paint him out fully the daies are longe and our time is great hereafter peraduenture it may bée fully finished let vs sée what that is that foloweth Vpon the vocation and calling of a Minister hangeth the duety and function therof That bée may séeme more glorious I haue giuen vnto him moste gorgeous araye not of Aaron onely that lasted for a time afterward was stript therof but of our heigh Préest Kinge euen the Sonne of God Iesus Christ That had no seame in that Garment which he put on eyther any wrincle who hath caried vs with him into the Heauens in token we must be apparrelled and weare the same garments that hée did The seconde order in his duety function is that euerye Preacher bee attired thus That hee put on discretion the very Oyle that must drenche the skirtes of his clothing That hee vse hospitality the royalty wee put on the Belles that make vs to be knowne by That hee exercise him selfe in teachinge the yealow silke the purple the Scarlet that wee Were to adorne and beautifie the house of God with all That hee bee clad with abstinency the Ephod and the brestlap that hee putteth on fastned with two hookes of pure golde Sagacitie and Modestie First saith Paul discreete comely apparelled As touching the apparell that is inioyned vs because I am none of those that séeke for reformotion in a thing of so small weight lest the whole countenaunce and face of the Church shoulde be altered Therefore doe I leaue it to their consciences that are minded to continewe in the house of god If any vse broade and great Philatharies as the Pharisies did or that think the Gould and the best Gould too euen that of Arabia to be onely theirs that in their finesse are not content with costlynesse in their brauerie thinke it not so great a matter to wallow in their ioylitie To them I giue this lesson That the day wil come when God will plucke their broydered workes their spanges their Iewels their garmēts they fetched from Damascus he wil send thē to gether stickes in the desert to make bricke in Aegypt to tame thē with It is a generall complaint euery where the mouth of eche person is open against vs to see the vurulynesse of him that entereth the Porch of the Lord And as were the sons of Aaron more marked merueiled at for their glorious attyre they put on then all Israel so in our dayes are the ministers knowen and discerned as greatest roysters and the one sort of preathers as chiefest swashbuclers and diuérs of our teachers as common Gamesters and such as shoulde be ordered as maisters of disorder yet hath the Lorde no pleasure in these his Garden is his Temple His sauour is thy fauour Thy labowring his embalming Thy teaching his inritching Thy preaching his deleighting What aske you What séeke you What require you of the Lorde Féede my flocke kéepe my shéepe loue my Lambes all things shal be ministred vnto you This is the charge Paul gaue to choose wise men for their Elders ouer the congregations And Solomon a discreate man buildeth the house a foolish person doth roote it out For Wo be vnto Syon and Woe be vnto Damascus and Woe vnto
Sydon and Woe be vnto all the Isles that lacke wise men for their rulers and discréete personnes to teach them wisedome Well let this be my first poinct in this his seconde attyre to cloth the minister of the Lorde withall we wil procéede happily at length we shal finde that whiche may delight vs The next is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suche a one as shall mainteine and kéepe straungers and not vnfitly For among Israel straungers were harboured because they themselues were straungers in Aegypt And we must remember to kéepe straungers in token that wee doe wander on earth and haue no abiding place and in remembraunce we be straungers vnto all the worlde for the word of the Lorde That heathnish writer yet the eloquent writer Marcus Tullius Saith properly in his Officijs Non dominus domo sed domus domino cohonestanda The house ought not to set out the maister but the goodnesse of the maister adorneth and beutifieth the statelynesse of the house Vlisses traueling verie farre gaue his commendation to Greece and all the countries there about that for courtesie and hospitalitie it might wel be compared vnto all Latium I knowe not what Vlisses would say if he were with vs but I am in doubt he might begge and sterue to before he gate ought I must of duetie counsell you with Paul to bee good vnto the poore for by receiuing straungers men haue receiued Angelles into their houses If Dauid may be beléeued the good mans childe hath seldome begged breade and the heart of the reighteous man is alwayes lyberal I must speak the trueth before the Lorde and before you all for we are driuen into a verie narowe straite the bely and the backe flaunteth it out in all sumpteousnesse your houses they haue nothing in them but bare walles they be so pinched with penurie those which are in the common welth in whose handes are many heapes of Gould are loth to distribute thrée peckes of meale to the poore and fatherlesse Nay I haue harde some speake it That if the vnsatiable gathering together of money if your racking of poore people if the greedinesse of scraping in of welth were left among you the spiritualtie wee which are of the common welth that haue nothing but by trauayle and sweate of our browes raked vp in many yeres would bestow more on the poore people then we do This is a pitifull crye it is ascended vp alreadie vnto the eares of the Lord the people they are readie to starue they houle in their miserie and crie out in the verie paine and smart of their soules vppon vs the ministers of the Lorde that harden other mens harts by our coueteousnesse Naball must néedes be harde and gréedie and no meruaile if Diues thinke much to giue vnto Lazarus that ritche men séeke for newe barnes to put in their stoore when they of Iuda and such as be in the house of God continually thirste to inritch them Well the Church of God perisheth in her miserie and panteth so sore that she is burst with crying because that this is not looked vnto In a cleere testimonie of my conscience I vtter the trueth vnto you for I haue seene it in some I knowe it in many it is common in all Hospitalitie here so much accompted of of Paul is termed husbandrie For if you saue much greedely that your childrē may spend it lasciuiously it is saide to be but good husbandrie I once was at Pauls Crosse when as a learned graue father preaching there among many other thinges spake much then of this vice He called to memorie at that time for the space of many yeares before that there had been no one Alderman in al London whose senne was remembred to haue vsed the honestly which the father in many yeares had seraped vp so couetously It was a sore and heauie saying for those wise and gray headed men that were then present And the saying of that wise Prophet moued the hartes of many that heard it There is at this daye nowe in London in moste florishinge state two sonnes of two Aldermen gouerninge by the wealth their fathers lefte them the happie and good state of that Citie But if that olde and grayheaded father were now aliue and speaking of the ministers of the worde of God shoulde turne his eyes to sée the iolitie wherin their children be that same discréete father for the two famous most worthy Shrifes that haue gouerned that honourable Cytie of London could not since that Englande was inhabited and knowen of men picke out so much as two sonnes of two Bishoppes to haue sat in the seate of their fathers I speake it as in such a time wherein the Lorde hath sent a rot among vs that wise men and most good and godly men shoulde haue so lewde and wicked children This is it I say The Lord wil haue their sonnes to spende it wantonly for that their fathers haue rackte it vp so vnkindly And if that money were bestowed on the poore which pine away for want of foode or some other way to the good and profite of the Church which lyeth smothered in their coffers and motheaten with rust the Lorde would not onely prosper them as good Phinees to haue the honour of the Priesthoode to remaine in their houses for euer But they shoulde be suer to haue one in the fauour and sight of God in a perpetuall generation The worlde is nowe so proude and the people therein so stately that if the sonne of a minister be not a gentleman the sonne of the minister shal bee but in accompt a begger There is some in Englande that haue good and large stipends for seruing the Lorde and they spende it as liberally on their Sonnes to make them Courtiers Well Aaron did not so either Eleazar so eyther els the Apostles and bretheren of the Lorde eyther els did Cephas or the residew so Pittye it is the Churche of God to sée how it serueth how the people die for foode the hedge of the Lorde how it is broken downe and they of the house do not so much as send their childrē out of their house to repayre it The Lorde moue his Prophetes to see vnto it And giue thē that earnest of his spirit the zeale of his glorye the feare of his name the reuerence of his Maiestye they ought to haue that his Gospell may bée farthered his Hierusalem builded his Citye finished his Church fetled that if it bee his will it may frō henceforth bee neuer more remoued we haue now run thorow the two first peeces of our last worke euen a litle liberty more and I doubt not but I shall dispatch the rest It foloweth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apte to teache there was required 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and now wée haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lord God hath alwaies had a care ouer his church he therfore hath cōtinually sent laborers into his harueste to helpe them forwarde therin
and in that hee sayth apte to teach None must bée fit to lay his hands vnto this plough that is not of sufficient force to rule it I would to God our ministers knew the way to put of their shooes when they come into the Temple or that they would singe an other song then that they chaunted and flong forth to those of Babylon Or dawbed not vp the walles of his Temple with vntempered Morter as now they doo Here how it is I know not it may happely bee better then where as I haue béen but in other plares the Huntesman is readier then the Minister and hée fitter to trauerse the feelds then he is to féede the flocke I am ashamed to sée in the congregation the heritage of the Lord that there should bée any as to serue in his Tabernacle which came not of the flocke of Phinees and are not found registred among them of the right Préesthood If Israel were now gathered togeather they would haue chosen Eleazar and his children and haue let the other gon as Bastards I see verye well that as to one Tribe so onely to one Church society is this that I speake But I would all the Lords in Israel heard mée that there might not so much as a Porter be lefte in the house of God if hée were not able to open locke the doores by good title This is the poore councell that I am able to giue you at this time O you of the kindred of Leuy that euery man make cleane his vesselles and kéepe holy his owne soule that hee may bée blamelesse at the day of the Lorde How can this bée when a number are so tounge tyed that in euery thirde liuing not the third man is able to speake to the People There was in Gilgal Schooles of learning wherof Samuel was hed not far of Iordayne when the twelue stones were set vp at what time the people came as on dry land thorow Iordan There was also in Ierico an other schoole whereas Elyzeus ruled called Nazaristes Thither they went vnto the Prophets from thence were they called if they néeded any God to whom all prayse belongeth hath giuen vnto Englande two as worthy and famous Schooles as I haue red of in any commō wealth But how many haue bin sent for from thence into the common wealth or who is there if hée haue not one to speake for him that at this daye eateth amonge the Prophets The Sickle hath nowe béene twice sixe times put into the Reapers handes since I gaue my first full entry into Cambridge and many a time hath the Sunne turned backe agayne his course since I began my study yet I did neuer heare of twise sixe persons which were called by the Patronistes into any one benifice throughout England eyther knowen any if hée sued not for it to haue got ought and then if Maister Simon and hée iugled not together or went aside into some corner hée went without it too If not then the guifte therof was giuen vnto his man and ten poundes or a twenty or thrée times ten sometimes returneth backe againe into his Cofers Thus are the poore seruants of the Lord robbed How can it bée that Vniuersities should bee so pestered as they are with students vnleast you tooke out of the Country to serue your turne when you might haue good faythfull Ministers from the schooles complayn you of dronkards take sober men from the Vniuersities let them of the féeldes kéepe their Plough stil Complayne you of euell liuers how can it bée otherwise seeinge they neuer knew as yet to liue well Complayn you of dissolute and idle men Then choose out them that are benommed in ioynctes and wythered in face and broken with long trauaile at their bookes vse discipline for those fat Chuffes that lye snorting in priuate corners Complain you of Spend-thriftes and Banckerowtes redier to rifle sweare it out fitter for the Buckler and buffetinge then for the Bible and profitinge Then strip them bare and disherite them of this title the deface the Church with their dishonest and vnchaste life Apparrel sober and graye headed fathers that wante and stand in néede Complayn you of the small skill and litle instructing of those that bée in the Church then I am inforced I perceiue to tell you all fetche out the brasse and copper and Tin wherof there is now so great store in Hierusalem Let your kniues and your Basons your pottes and your vesselles about the Tabernacle of the Lord bée of siluer onely and of golde for puritie and cleanenes is verity and holynesse vnto God bréefely I say thus mutch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arte thou a Minister It is expedient thou bée a teacher For I say from Ezechiell and from the Lorde If God sende a sworde into the land and that people haue a Watchman that is set ouer them That same man when hée séeth the sworde shall blowe the Trompet and warne the people If a man heare and is not warned but the sworde come and take him away his blood shal be on his owne head for hée heard the sound of the Trompet and cared not If the watchman sée the sworde comminge and telleth it not if any of the people bée hurt hée shall die in his sinne his blood wil I require at the watchmans hand Agayne if I say vnto the wicked thou wicked thou shalte surely dye and hée may beware and will not hée dyeth in his sinnes his blood will I aske at his owne handes But if hée bée wicked and thou tellest not the wicked of his wickednes hée shal surely dye in his sinne but his blood will I require at thy hands for as trulye as the Lorde liueth if hee stretch forth his hande ouer a Citye and destroy prouision of bread and send dearth amonge them to distroy man and beast in the féelde though Noe Daniell and Iob those thrée men were among them yet shall they saue but their own soules If I bring noysome beastes into the lande to waste it vp and leaue it desolate that no man may go therein for Scorpions and wilde beastes If these three men were there they shoulde saue but their owne soules And if he sende out a Pestilence into the lande and poore out his sore indignation on it in blood so that hee rooteth out both man and beaste If Noe Daniell Iob were therin they should deliuer neyther sonnes neyther doughters but saue their owne soules in their owne righteousnes well I exhorte you all in the Lorde and in the name of the Church of God which waltering in many corners of England holdeth vp her handes vnto you that being wearied with long and great tediousnesse is not able to lifte vp her heade any longer That now shiuering thorows all the ioyntes of her bodie cryeth out pititifully for instruction at your handes That béeing defaced heretofore with base and homely doctrine craueth to be fed with good Discipline and receiue good
to charge them with that throng in vpon vs with their superstitious glosing very desirous to know what conscience there is and how reuerently it may bee doone that hauinge so goodly so great so famous and excellent guiftes they shall for all that leaue the people of God vnfed see the poore flocke of the Lorde sterue before their faces the lame man and simple soule dye for foode they hide themselues and lurke in priuate corners gadding a broad like men of occupations attired like prentesies rather then Preachers teaching in schooles then speaking in Pulpets and all for the vanyty and immagination of our harts or for the vnrulines or for the blindnes or for the vnskilfulnes of ignoraunt men Furthermore there is no cause that they whose doctrine and life manners and knowledge is comparable almost with those the best that beare the cheefeste places in the common welth should disguisedly transforme them selues to all fashions that they bée readier to runne a hoyting and raunginge abroad thorow euery petty and bye holes in England preaching and teaching in priuate houses ministring and seruing in priuate places disswading not perswading once to good orders disfiguring their calling and laying aside their function where vnto they are chosen and seeking to be plausable among the ruder sorte seruing their affections and yelding to their desires as common Chapemen to buy and sell and to lay abrode whatsoeuer disorders shall be brought into the common welth so that after this my last peticion and request vnto you all in the Church of the Lorde specially to you at this present gathered together to shewe your duetie and readinesse and your good affection that you beare to the Lord God reioysing so much the more as I sée so goodly a companie assembled and met in one to ioyne and knit handes to the finishing and reising vp of the spirituall Hierusalem I say vnto you all I power forth with a wandering minde and verie vnwilling heart these my hindermost and last wordes And they be that none of you doe come as the sonnes of Ely did to them of Iuda bringing with you a thrée forked fleshooke to plucke out the meate that is in the pottes if any one denie it you Or that you presume to take this charge for the loue of money and gréedinesse vnto gaine as some haue done or that you be a dishoner vnto the famely o◠〈◊〉 Lorde traunsported and borne about from place 〈◊〉 place like masterlesse men Hauing no aboode no not a hole to lay your heades in too vnseemely in these our dayes where a number doe sit in the heigh wayes and in the gates of other men wayting for a péece of breade and for almes at their handes when it were fitter that they were kepers of hospitalitie them selues Againe I require and pray you earnestly a seruaunt of the LORDE and fellowe labourer with you To scatter your selues thorowe euery angle and quarter of this Realme in seuerall congregations that all countries may heare your voice and euerie parte thereof may glorifie the Lorde Followe not the custome of our Presice men verie daintie and coye so nice as may be if they sée a Surplesse or a Coope Yet they will thrust them of their accorde into others mens charge and take vpon them gouernement in the iurisdiction of others and spreade abrod the infirmities of weake brethren and dispence a yeare some times moneths if they thinke good and often many wéekes to satisfie the vnsatiable demaundes of their confederates yet cannot find in their heart to bestowe them in any other foraine and straunge place where the worde of God hath not béene heard to doe good there And to conclude let there be one agréement one brotherhoode one voice and one sounde in all your preaching speake not contrarie thinges a verie common thing in these dayes men haue learned to dissemble so gloriously Also I desire you nay I charge you in the Lord Christ that you be not of diuers mindes but that you teach one GOD and one Christe whome he hath sent sowing abroade no newe and phantasticall opinions or scattering diuelish and olde heresies or inuenting straunge and fonde nouelties thrusting vppon the simple soules inuocations and fables whiche apperteine not to edification All whiche are brought in at this day by the Scismatickes of our time and now trouble the common wealth that the same sworde whiche appertained at the first all alone to the Magistrate to the rooting out of vice and hewing off of the Papistes is nowe also faine to bee drawne foorth to cut off them Well the Lorde graunte if so it bee his will peace to Hierusalem and long life to the daughter of Syon and ioy and tranquilitie to vs of his Church that shee may bee brought to knowe the will of the LORDE and wee ruled by him in all our exercises that the worde may haue frée passage his name onely glorified his will knowen his commaundementes kept and the gospel truely and sincearely taught to the maintenance and furthering of Religion and the beating and suppressing downe of sinne thorowe Iesus Christe our Lorde Amen FINIS Luke 11 Exo. 5.16 Zach. 3.2 Gen. 14.16 2. Kings 22.35 Luk. 1â— Math. 6. What prayer is thought to be among the learned In. Lucam In coÌ„ment in psalm 135. Lactan. lib. 6. cap. 13. In concion de octo beau citud Lib. 1. Tom. 1. haeres 66. In coÌ„ment in Esay cap. 62. In fragmen de errore prophanar relig De oratione Lib. 2. De oratione Lib. 4. ca. 86 Lib. 4. ca. 35. Lib. 3. ca 49 Two things that be wayters vpoÌ„ him that prayeth Colos 4.2 Philip. 4.6 Our order and manner in praying Ioh. 17. 1. Tim. 2. Precise men oftenâ—imes â—nvvise men Ioh. 4. Vpstart and fond heresies budding vp in our churches 2. Sam. â— 4 2. Sam. 15. Exod. 33. Ier. 8. The state of our dissernbling profesâ— sors at this daye Actes 7. Basill Eusebius These conditions are seldome kepte though much talked of amonge our vaine glorious men Such striuing small obayinge hath bin seldome seen in Ingland Eusebius Pamph. Freedome is made seruiâ—nde obedience disobedience to them that vse it not The last â—â—use to pray Sectes diâ—itioÌ„s about orders in the church He that falleth willingly as these did tempteth God prayeth not shall haue that portion they had The thirde thing to be considered in prayer the partes thereof The antiqui tie of coÌ„mon prayer Gen. 4. People vsed not so open playne administration of the Sacraments in this age as in the lavv and after the Lavv and a fevv huÌ„dred yeeres before the Lavv. Gen. 19. Gen. 20. Exod. 19. Exod. 28. Iosh 5. Iosh 18. Much seuerâ— inge litle inclining to the worde brought in by Scrsmatickes The state vnder Diocletian Templeâ— called Dâ—minica and Oratoâ—ia Basilâ— Error in the mistaking of examples Common customes do bring great matters to passe and the vse of that is euill doth make it good though
there hath bin darkenes and ioy vvhere sorrovv and truth vvhete vvas ignoraÌ„ce so out of the kindome of Satan is the kingdome of Heauen made more glorious and better accepted among men The vvicked hee blindeth the godly hee stirreth vp by his temtations he doth make those that be the Lordes more vvarye God neâ—â—â— forsaketh hist but in desperate cases vseth mightily to restore hiâ— children God vvilhaâ—e his to mourn a season that they may be glad and reâ—oyce vvith great honor No trueth is in his lippes but falshod and lyes be the vveapons of the diuell Of euill Parents often times good children and of an euill stocke good branches yet onely the vvill of God that is tyed vnto no person God is not tyed to the greatest number but hee taketh vvhere he pleaseth and chooseth vvhere he listeth God seeth 〈◊〉 and in due time executeth his fierce vvrath Prayer refiss teth all troubles and if vve vvere at the dore of death yet are vve deliuered by it This serpent vvith many heads God vvill bring dovvne and you shall see him treden vnder foote The Pope vvil fall ere long and his time as it is but short so it is the easier to be borne as he is novve rent torne in peeces and his legges also and feete almost cut off The enimies backbite the vvorde and God and the Gospel if any fall neither knovve they hovv out of their fall ther commeth vp strength and abey the better armed Our strife is for trifles albeit great shevve be made of conscience all men may see hovv small â—â—nscience these haue vvhich leaue their vocatioÌ„ their calling the church the faithfull contemning brotherly felovvship absent them from preaching and hearing the vvorde and distike al but such as they vvould haue this is puritie vvith securatie Very subtil is Sathan seeketh by all meanes to suppresse religion euen by couler of Religion This diuisioâ— came in but of late yeares and Sathan mightely preuailed I knovv not vvhat this precise life meaneth this dealinge vvilleth but I knovv it is against the vvill of God. Flyinge from the Church ronninge froÌ„ preaching so small frequentinge of the Temple on the saboth vvil cause the Lord to take his Gospell from vs. It is filthy wheÌ„ priuate men become Preachers God taketh to him no man can take from him Gods loue vvas seen before the vvorld in electing vs at the creation in giuing to vs in the vvorld in calling vs then in Christ in redeeming vs and it vvilbee fully shevven in beâ—uen vvhen he crovvneth vs. All things do appertaing to the Lorde for he vvas made all in all for vs. Wee haue no glorie but in Christ nor kingdoÌ„ but in Christ noâ— honour but in Christ therefore are vve joyfull glad onely in Christ Faith finisheth and disposeth all things An instumeÌ„t to vvorke vvith all sharper then any svvord to deuide the vvorde of life Though god defer long yet hee vvill pay vs in the ende Man vveake of him selfe vngodlye he is perfited and chauÌ„ged by the Spirit of God. The time it is appointed vvhen vvee shal come to God beefore that vvee are as men in this vvorlde drovvned in sin and vvies kednesse If the conteÌ„pt of this be death vvhat shall become of them that do contempt it The ordinarie meane to come to God is by hering by this life by life God in him our heauen and our saluation and our life The loue of the father is the loue of his Christ that came for man dyed that out of death there might spring foorth life to all beleeuers No man is crowned if he haue not runne for it no man hath it if also hee win it not no man doth win it bntby strength no man is strong but in God so that wee must stay til God giue vs povver that we may haue the victorie Althings are giuen to knowe God but these are giuen to knowe God our neighbour our selues and his Christ in whome wee finishe and end all The ende of our prayer is that the king dome of God his Christe may shine darkenes and popery and dregs of superstition may bee abolished The kingdoÌ„e of God. Nothinge so accepted to the Lord as a vvillinge and ready minde to serue him M. Gualter Ciprian Pelagius con dempned heare The obedieÌ„ce of creatures to the Lorde doth continu ally checke vs that dâ—scbay him break his commauÌ„dements The life of man is for a time but he that feareth God liueth for euer The incomprehencible vvisedome of God and the vveakenes of man. Gods prouidence in guiding and prouiding for al. Two kindes of Heretickes bee condempned here the housholde of faith Free vvill men banished by this place MaÌ„ striuinge vvith God is as a beast but vvhen he fighteth vvith him he vanisheth as doth the dust Simon Magus the beginner of the houshold of faith some call it the family of loue The beastlinesse of man drovvned in sinne Carpocrates heresie Prodicus errour Donatistes their fall In time of peace men do occupie them selues vvith idle questioÌ„s and among those that thinke them selues purest are greatest â—eresies The house hold of faith brought in among the â—ermans A reason that vve all do sinne this man doth erre The sinneof the elect are not to death but falling they rise again by grace The imbecilitie and fall of the faithfull The godly are neuer cast off the vvicked vvhen they stande fall dovvn to hell The spirit of God is not tied to man but man is â—ied to the spirit Three kindes of operation and vvorking by the spirit Reason that man ruleth not the spirite of God. A comparisoÌ„ vvith the Fathers and our men that in all manner dealings crye out that it is the spirite of God. The dumbe creatures are a vvitnesse against vs that obay the Lord yet man doth not MaÌ„ on earth is a straunger but kept of the Lorde till the daye of iudgement Error and faulte of a false argument The fall of man is for tvvo endes to knovv his ovvne vveaknes to praye the more earnesty Heresy of the Persians Their false conclusion taken avvay Argumentes to proue that vve bee ful of sin and that hee vvhich continueth therin shall die the death The Famely of Loue condempned The doctrine of Balaam Nicolitans that make other mennes vviues coÌ„moÌ„ condempned Manlynes is beastlynes humanity is villany vvheÌ„ grace vvanteth Nazianzon Ambrose Epiphanus that doth alovve mariages Ierom. Basill Athanasius The revvarde of sin is death The abuse of our men that vsurpe the glorie of god and edifying and suffer all things and he accounted as vvicked that misti keth them This errour is common but as God loueth the good and the godly so he hateth the vvicked and the sinners they be not the Lordes In this age increased this grosle ignorance after Christ the fourth age Iudges take heede hovve you admitt othes for this herisie is commonly sprong vp it is