not be dumbe nor tongue-tyed And thus much touching the person of Elias In the person of king Ahab I note how stronglie and forciblie an euill example of a wicked Prince draweth the people to imitate and to make all the subjectes with whome they liue as like vnto them in naughtinesse as Bees are like vnto Bees Regis ad exemplum totus componitur Orbis Wee all knowe the force of Example Like people Esa 24.2 like Priâ—st like seruant like Maister like maide like Mistris like buyer like seller like lender like borrower like giuer like taker to vsurie So that the greater the example is the greater autoritie it hath to draw to similitude When Abimelech cut downe his bough and bare it on his shoulder then all the people did so and followed him Iudi 9.48 1. King 12.28 When King Ieroboam made two golden Calues no great maruell if the people straight-waies beganne to Sacrifice in Dan and Bethel Dionysius had no sooner left off the study of Philosophie but all the Courtiers by and by gaue it ouer Princes therefore and such as are placed in higher degrees had need to take heede and diligently to beware how they sinne the sinne of Ieroboam which not onely sinned himselfe but caused Israell to sinne and so binde two sinnes together The reason is because the verie credite and countenance and prioritie of their places being so eminent makes others the bolder to sinne because they sinne with such actors And yet this may seeme strange in the corruption of mans nature that the coÌ„mon people are more easily giuen to follow their euill exaÌ„ples and offences then ready to take benefite of the good gouernement of godly and religious Princes 2. Chron 17.6 Iehoshaphat was a good king who lifted vp his heart vnto the wayes of the Lorde walking in the first wayes of his father Dauid yet was not his good example so potent and forcible to retaine his people in the profession of the true worship and seruice of God as the euill example of Ahab was of power to entice his Subiects to become worshippers of Baal the Idoll of the Sydonians And whereas Iehoshaphat in pollicie ioyned affinitie with Ahab and gaue his Sonne in marriage vnto Athaliah daughter of Iezabel beeing perswaded that by this matche there would growe a perpetuall peace betweene the two kingdoms being by blood so neerely conioined together and withall concerning an assured hope by this means to reduce the ten Tribes to the true worship of the God which then flourished in IerusaleÌ„ he was deceiued so farre off from attaining to his wished and desired ende that the Kings of Israel stood most stifflie in maintenance of their priest-mate idolatrie and by their wicked exaÌ„ple drew almost all Iuda to the same most abhominable worship of Baal For as the storie of the scripture recordeth Iehosaphat was no sooner dead but Iehoram his sonne by the counsell of wicked Athalia his wife being placed in the kingdome of his father and making himselfe strong slew all his brethren with the sword and so continued to walke in the way of the kings of Israel 2. Chro. 21.4 the reason whereof is set downe by the holy ghost because he had Athalia the daughter of Ahab to wife but the Lord plaguea him because he made Iuda and the inhabitants of Ierusalem to goe a whoring 2. Chro. 21.13 as the house of Ahab went a whoring and had slaine the brethren of his father which were better then himselfe So that after many calamities that befell Iehoram the king for his falling away from God the Lord smote his bowelles with an incurable disease and so after two yeares his guttes fell out with his disease His sonne Ahaziah partly moued by the example of his father to commit idolatrie partly egged on by the perswasion of his mother Athalia who counselled him to doe wickedly and principally choosing onely such to be his counsellers which were of the house of Ahab which were indeed to his destruction going with Iehoram his vncle the sonne of Ahab to fight against Hazael king of Aram was slaine by the hands of Iehu whom the Lord had annointed to destroy the house of Ahab whose destruction came of the Lord because he ioyned himselfe with goddes enemies After his death Athalia seeing that her sonne was dead to the intent there should remaine none of the royall progenie of Dauid that should make title and claime to the crowne and kingdome of Iuda she arose and destroyed all the kings seed of the house of Iuda But God almightie because of the couenant which he had made with Diuid and because he had made a promise to giue a light vnto him and to his sonnes for euer stirred vp the heart of Iehoshabeath the daughter of the king and sister of Ahaziah to commiseration who tooke Ioes the sonne of Ahaziah and stole him away from the kings sonnes that should be slaine and put him and his nurse in the bedchamber and so by hiding of him in the house of God during those sixe yeares wherein Athaliah raigned ouer the land preserued his life Thus we may see what it is for godly Princes to ioyne affinitie with the house of Ahab and how quickly Iuda and the inhabitants of Ierusalem were inticed and drawne to goe a whoring as the house of Ahab went a whoring whereas none of all the kings of Israel could euer be drawne by the voyces of the Prophets of God sent vnto theÌ„ to worship the Lord in Ierusalem which was the place where the Lord coÌ„manded his name to be called on We reade how the Egyptians notwithstanding the people of God continued many yeares among them in Egypt where they might see how God was truly to be worshipped yet for all their conuersing with them were litle or nothing the better for them but plaine it is that the Israelites after their departure from Egypt did many yeares after smell of the leuen of Egypt where they saw before their eyes both calues sheepe and oxen worshipped in stead of gods which caused them many times to commit most grosse abominable idolatrie the reason why the nature of man is so pliable to learne all manner of wickednesse for dociles imitandis turpibus prauis omnes sumus is because the nature of sinne is such so potent strong that easily and quickly it creepeth and corrupteth which in good things a man shall hardly see A litle sowre will spill a great deale of sweete but it is no small store of sweete that will take away but a litle bitternesse A litle blacke wil marre a great deale of white but it is not so in the contrarie It is not so easie for a drop of water to quench a great fire as it is for a litle sparke to burne vp a whole citie By this which hath beene alreadie said it may sufficiently appeare how strongly the euill example of wicked Princes doth induce and draw the
words of the Prophets declare good things vnto the King with one accord 1. King 22.13.14 let thy word therefore I pray thee be like vnto the word of one of thē and speake thou good Micheas answered him roundly As the Lord liueth whatsoeuer the Lord saith vnto me that will I speake The like zeale and courage we reade in Scripture to haue beene in Elizeus the Prophet vnto whom when King Iehoram Ahabs son had sent to know of him what successe his battell intended against the King of Moab was like to haue the Prophet very boldly answered the King after this manner What haue I to doe with thee get thee to the Prophets of thy Fathers and to the Prophets of thy mother 2. King 3.13.14 and said moreouer vnto him as the Lord liueth in whose sight I stand if it were not that I regarde the presence of Iehosaphat the king of Iudah I would not once haue looked towardes thee nor seene thee But of all others commended in scripture for zeale and courage the prophet Elias may carie the praise from them al Of whom in Ecclesiasticus it is thus reported Ecclesiast cap. 48.1 that he stood like a fire and his words burned like a lampe and because the people of Israel could not away with the commandement of the Lord by the word of the Lord he shut the heauen and so brought a famine vpon them He was appointed to reproue in due season and to pacifie the wrath of the Lords iudgement before it kindled Malac. 4.6 and so to turne the hearts of the Fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers Vnto the which place the Angell Gabriel prophesying before hand vnto Zacharie what manner of person his sonne Iohn Baptist should be alludeth saying Luk. 1.17 that he should goe before the Lord in the power and spirit of Elias to turne the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisedome of the iust to make readie a people prepared for the Lord. O that all the Preachers and Ministers of this kingdome were so possessed with the power and spirit of Elias that by beating downe sinne and wickednesse by the sword of the spirit and by giuing knowledge of saluation to the people of God they might prepare the waies of the Lord by pulling downe the mountaines by raising and filling vp the vallies by making crooked things straight by making rough waies smooth By the mountaines are vnderstood men that are very high and proud in the opinion of their owne righteousnes which by the preaching of the Gospell shall abate their pride and so come to Christ By the vallies are meant men that are vtterly despaire of all men and altogether liuing in dispaire such shal be raised vp to the fellowship and communion of the kingdome of heauen By crooked things are signified such things as haue beene warped and writhed sundrie waies Psal 119.9 which shall be made straight by the leuell and squire of the Gospell For how shall a young man saith Dauid clense his waies but by ruling himselfe after the word of God As for the rough waies that shal be made plaine they are called rough by reason of the thornes of manifold vices and naughtie desires and lusts the short is that the course of all things shal be changed to such contraries that all impediments and lettes that shall hinder the course of the Gospell shall be broken and so the Preachers of Christs sacred word Gospel shall make readie a people prepared for the Lord. But alas we are fallen into these miserable daies euen the worst and last daies that we are so farre off from suffering ourselues to be reproued when we sinne that we doe reioyce when we doe wickedly Wee cannot abide to haue our faults touched Our Pride is growen as high as the Heauen our couetousnesse is sunke as deepe as hell and yet wee cannot in any wise suffer ourselues to be reproued Wee say to the preachers Peace and talke not vnto vs in the name of the Lord tell not vs of the Scripture Tell not vs of Christ of Peter of Paul wee bid the preacher speake vs faire and we bid him blesse those things which are accursed by Gods owne mouth Nay manie there are which are already wearie of the Gospel and wearie of their preachers they call them Pulpit-men of the spirite Priests and I know not what as though themselues had nothing to doe with the spirite of God They say the Preacher is too busie hee medleth with that he knoweth not Yes thou foolish man he knoweth it well enough He knoweth that pride is pride that extortion is extortion that couetousnes is couetousnes that sacriledge is sacriledge that vsurie is vsurie that sinne is sinne and thou and thine owne conscience knoweth it too if thou wouldest be knowen of it But God is iust and as the extreme disdaine of Gods truth and his holie Gospel deserueth the extremitie of Gods vengeance So can it not bee without speedie and earnest repentance but that this Gospel that we are alreadie so wearie of shall bee taken away from vs euen the kingdome of God which is the true vnderstanding of Gods word shall be taken away from vs And then what can there remaine but blindnesse and ignorance which is the kingdome of the diuell But this is the only comfort that Preachers haue in this great contradiction and opposition of the worlde that if they haue a carefull endeuour to discharge a good conscience in crying out against wickednesse and lifting vp their voices like a Trumpet against the disorders of common life God Almightie will so arme all such zealous preachers with such an inuincible strength and constancie that all the powers of the world shall neuer be able to ouercome them Bee not afraide saith God to the Prophet Ieremie of their faces for beholde saith hee I haue this day made thee a defenced citie and an iron pillar and walles of brasse against the whole land against the kings of Iuda and against the Princes therof Ier. 1.18 against the Priests therof against the people of the land They shall fight against thee but they shall not preuaile against thee For I am with thee to deliuer thee saith the Lord. What saith S. Cyprian Shall the inuincible Tents of Christ defended with the strength of the Lord Lib. 1. Epist ad Cornel giue place to the terrors and threatnings of men Shall the Church yeeld to the Capitol Shall the outrages of madde men be greater then the iudgements and censures of ministers No God forbid it must not be so For are not the preachers the lights of the world and therefore appointed by God to espie faultes are they not the voice of Iohn Baptist why then should not they crie out against sinnes Seeing therefore they are the seers of the Lorde they must not be blinde and being the Lords criers they must
die the death of those righteous persons and that his latter end might be like vnto theirs This is then the exhortation which Elias giueth to those wauing and wauering Israelites which could not resolue whether God or Baal was to be worshipped if God be the Lord follow him cleaue fast vnto him and serue him with all the desire of your hearts but God is the Lord yea the onely Lord therefore he onely is to be worshipped It is the Lord onely that formeth the light and createth the darkenesse it is he that hath made all things which hath spread out the heauens alone and stretched out the earth by himselfe it is he that can foretell things before they come to passe it is he alone that can say my counsell shall stand and whatsoeuer I will haue come to passe shall come to passe it is he that bringeth Princes to nothing and maketh the iudges of the earth as vanitie yea it is the euerlasting God that hath created the ends of the earth and bringeth out all their armies by numbers and calleth them all by their names And therefore he onely is the Lord. As for Baal if he be a God let him plead for himselfe against him that cast downe his Altar Iudi. 6.31 saith Ioas the father of Gideon after that his sonne had destroyed the Altar of Baal and cut downe the groue that was by it Baal can giue you nothing he can doe neither good nor euill and therefore he is no god though a man cry vnto him yet cannot he answere him nor deliuer him out of his tribulation and therefore he is no God The Papists are much grieued with vs because we will not acknowledge the Sacrament of the Altar to be our Lord and our God and thereupon cast this vniust aspersion vpon vs and falsely charge vs that We call the bodie of Christ an abominable idoll True it is indeed that we call that an abominable idoll Which they terme the body of Christ and vnder that pretence fall downe before it to worship it and call it Lord and God in doing whereof what other thing doe they but make a God of a peece of bread and vnder the name of the bodie of Christ set vp an Idoll in the Church of God But as for the bodie of Christ wee haue euermore confessed with Chrysostome that it is worthie of the highest honour 1. Cor Homil 14. as being inseparablie ioyned to his God-heade in one person sitting now at the right hand of God and wee adore it and worship it euen as the bodie of the sonne of God not onely for the turning of an hand as the Papists vse to do while the priest is able to hold vp the Sacrament and that with doubt of our selues whether wee doe well or no which thing is vtterly vncomfortable and dangerous and full of terrours to the conscience but we worship that blessed and glorious bodie as that blessed Martyr S. Stephen did being in heauen at the right hand of the power of God and therefore without doubt or danger and that at all times and for euer and we belieue and thus wee teach that Iesus Christ euen in the nature and substance of our flesh is the Lord in the glorie of God the Father Howbeit we say Christs bodie is one thing the Sacrament another The Sacramēt is an earthly thing Christs bodie an heauenly thing the Sacrament is corruptible Christs bodie is glorious the Sacrament is receiued into our bodies Christs body is only receiued into our soules and entreth not into our bodies S. Luke reporteth how that the Disciples of Christ being abashed at Christes suddaine presence among them Luk 24 38.39 and through feare supposing they had seene a spirite or Ghost our Sauiour spake vnto them in this manner Why are yee troubled and wherefore doe doubts arise in your hearts behold mine handes and my feete for it is I my selfe handle mee and see me for a spirite hath not flesh and bones as yee see me haue and so shewed them both his hands and his feete Euen so verily the Sacrament it selfe if it could speake would speake in this manner at the time of the eleuation to the standers by why doe such thoughts arise in your harts as to thinke that I am your Lord and God Why stand ye thus gazing thus knocking your breasts and bending your knees to me Handle me taste me and looke vpon me and see whether I haue not all the naturall properties of true bread that is whether I haue not the very forme shape sauour smell colour and weight of bread As for the bodie of Christ it cannot bee broken with hands or grated with teeth or conueied into the bellie as you see that I am The bread of life cannot be felt seene or tasted or discerned by any outward sence as you see that I am and therefore belieue them not which teach you otherwise for I am bread I am no God Quarta Pars. Hauing thus farre spoken of the exhortation of the Prophet Elias wherein hee exhorteth them to be constant in religion and constant in the confession of him which is the onely true God it remaineth now in the last place to shewe vnto you what the successe was which insued vpon the Prophets reproofe which at the first was thus that the people answered him not a word standing in doubt whether hee were the onely God or no. But a little afterwards when they saw how miraculouslie the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked vp the water which was in the ditch 1. King 18.38 being moued with this strange and miraculous worke of God they were sodainly changed in their opinions and falling on their faces cryed out the Lord is God the Lord is God Where we may see that howsoeuer it may be that God permitteth his owne people for some certaine time to fall into manie dangerous errours yet such is his great mercie towards them that first or last he calleth them home againe and will not suffer them finallie to perish as here hee dealt with his owne people of Israell There is no one thing more commonly obiected by Papists against the religion of the Protestants then that as they say wee haue no miracles in our church If your Church be the true church if the doctrine you teach be the true Catholike faith of Christ where bee your miracles say they and where bee those signes and wonders among you which may proue vnto vs that your religion is of God To the which objection I answere with Chrysostome Opere imperfecto Hom 49. that there was a time wherein of olde it was knowne by miracles who were true Christians who were false and where a man might finde the true Church of God indeede but now saith hee the working of miracles is quite taken away and is rather found among them that are false Christians Which
learned and religious auditorie of the parish of S. Martins in the fieldes Thus presuming as you see of your Graces acceptance and bolde dedicating this small and simple discourse vnto your Grace which I confesse to be much vnworthy your worthinesse I will not cease to pray vnto God to requite and recompence seuenfolde into your bosome both this and all other your vndeserued fauours towards me And thus beseeching the God of heauen and earth againe and againe to multiplie his richest blessings and mercies towards you by giuing you honour here and honour euer in his happie Kingdome of eternall comfort I rest Your Graces humbly deuoted Chaplin in all dutie to be commanded Iohn Seller TO MY CHRISTIAN AVDItors of S. Martins in the fields BEloued in the Lord this Sermon was lately preached in your parish it is now to be acted if I may say so vpon a Theater Theatrum mundus I am intreated as it were a prologue to say vnto you Come and see (a) Ioh. 1.46 I need not to doe it for you who are carefull to come and heare will I hope be as carefull to come see Come therefore I beseech you and behold another Iohn Baptist in the spirit of Elias preparing in your harts a way for the Lord (b) Luke 3.4 and saying vnto you as God saith to all This is the way walke in it (c) Isay 30.21 Are you desirous of a guide in this way here are two offering of themselues God Baal the one will conduct you to the land of Canaan (d) Ios 1.2 the other will lead you blindfold to Samaria (e) 2. King 6.19 If you follow the one you wil worship in mount Zion (f) Is 2.2.3 If the other you must goe vp to mount Gerizim (g) Ioh. 4.20 and there adore Ieroboams calues (h) 1. King 12.28 This latter is a way pleasing now a daies to many but the issues thereof are the waies of death (i) Prou. 14.12 And when the passing bell calleth there is so litle cōfort in that passage that many who haue gone it forsake it at the last I reade of a learned popish doctor in Germanie who at the howre of his death entring into a meditation of the insufficiencie of his merits cried out after this manner (k) Selnec Instit pag. 386. Alas what shall I now doe No workes doe me any good none comfort me none cheare me Since then I finde nothing in myselfe to stay vpon this will I doe Haue mercy vpon me O Lord for thy sonne Christs sake and receiue my soule It is the safest way as Bellarmine confesseth and the onely way as the scripture proueth Looke not then vpon Baal with his 450. false Prophets (l) 1. King 18.22 but looke vpon God with his seruant Eliah (m) 1. King 18.30 Baal as an Vlysses will transforme you as a Syren seduce you as an Helena corrupt you and as Naash the Ammonite make no couenant with you vnles he may plucke out your right eye of knowledge and so bring a shame vpon Israel (n) 1. Sam. 11.2 Our God is not like their God our aduersaries being iudges (o) Deut. 32.31 He is our sunne (p) Psal 84.11 without him it is night our starre (q) Reu. 2.28 without him it is darknes our life (r) Ioh. 11.25 without him it is death and our guide without him wee shall neuer make our pathes straight (ſ) Ps 25 8. It is better to limpe in the strait waies of God then to runne and rampe on in the broad pathes of Baal you know these things happie are ye if ye doe them (t) Ioh. 13.17 In a word learne by this godly treatise to detest that faith not of Iesus but of the Iesuites which teacheth that you must eate your God and may kill your King Qui cum Iesu itis non itis cum Iesuitis You that doe follow Iesus trace will neuer like the Iesuites pace The Lord make you as beautifull in the eyes of God as you haue made your Church to the eyes of man Aprill 16. 1611. Your ancient seruant in the Lord Robert Hill A SERMON AGAINST HALTING betweene two opinions 1. King Cap 18. Ver. 20. 21. So Ahab sent to all the children of Israell and gathered the Prophets together to Mount Carmel And Elias came to all the people and saide how long halt ye betweene two opinions If the Lord be God follow him If Baal be hee goe after him And the people answered him not one word AMong other blessings which God bestoweth vpon his Church a good Prince is one of the greatest being set ouer his people for the defence and maintenance of true religion and vertue And for this cause it is that the Apostle S. Paule willeth vs first and aboue all other things to pray for Kings and for all that are in authoritie 1. Tim 2.1.2 that vnder them we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlines and honestie In the which words the Apostle setteth downe three speciall good things which wee enioy vnder the gouernment of a godlie and religious Prince namely godlines honestie and peace which being ioyned together are the onely supporters and vpholders of all Christian Common-wealths and Kingdomes but being seuered one from an other there falleth out a cleane contrarie sequele For what is godlines without honestie but plaine hypocrisie or what is honestie without godlines but meere heathnish gentilitie or what is peace without honestie and godlines but carnall securitie Now as for honestie and godlines without peace there can bee no great practise of either of them both It was a great hindrance to the people of Israel in their deuotions when by the crueltie of Pharao they might not be permitted to goe into the wildernes to serue God And afterwards in the captiuity of Babylon they were forced to sing the Lords song in a strange land Peace and tranquilitie are euer an occasion of great increase and edification In the Acts when the Churches had rest thoroughout all Iudea and Galilie and Samaria they were edified Acts 9.31 and walked in the feare of the Lorde and were multiplied by the comfort of the holie Ghost Where wee may see how in a quiet and peaceable Church daily teaching and preaching is of verie great force to plant godlines and the feare of God in mens hearts and withall discipline of manners whereas in a Church which is vnder the crosse it falleth out still for the most part that ecclesiasticall assemblies are hindered and forbidden to be practised Ministers and Preachers are either imprisoned driuen away or put to death Parents and fathers of Families driuen away out of their houses whereby such houses being dissolued children are bereaued of good education godlie men are seuered one from another in which dissipation sound doctrine is not to be had Faith languisheth all godly exercises in training vp of youth
inheritance the dearly beloued of Gods owne soule a people whome the Lorde had chosen among all Nations to be a precious people to himselfe aboue all people on the earth in Name praise and glorie A people that so many times and so solemnlie had protested God forbid wee should forsake the Lord our God to serue other Gods the Lord our God we will serue and his voyce wee will obey that this people I say should stand in doubt whether that GOD that had wrought so many miracles for their deliuerance which had brought them out of the Land of Egipt with a strong and a mightie hand which had led them and fed them in the wildernes with Manna from heauen for the space of 40. yeares preseruing them in all the way which they went and destroying their enemies before them lastly in the ende bringing them into the Land of Canaan whether he were the onely true God to be worshipped and followed or rather Baal in so much that when the prophet Elias had said vnto them If the Lorde be God followe him if Baal be hee goe after him Silence was the onely answere they made him being not able otherwise to answere him one word Vnto this base irresolution the people were thus desperately brought partly being moued through feare of so great and mightie a Prince and so greatly aduancing the worship of Baal as king Ahab did by the inticement and prouocation of his wife So that perceiuing how both the King and Queene and almost all the Nobilitie being wholly affected addicted to the worship of Baal by reason of the weakenesse and infirmitie of their faith were not able to resolue in themselues what they might doe or how they might belieue standing in a mammering this way and that way one and the same man would somtimes worship the Lord and an other while Baal and sometimes both together being perswaded that religion was a thing indifferent and that it did not matter how they serued God if they had any care at all to serue him whether they serued him alone or serued him with anie other But little did this people vnderstand that religion is not as euerie common matter of mans life but a thing to be measured not by opinion but by truth to be chosen not by example but by iudgement to be holden not for companie but for conscience sake In this irresolution and wauering inconstancie of the people of Israel wee may as in a glasse beholde and see our selues euen the state and condition of our owne people how manie there are yet in our dayes which notwithstanding they haue bene bred and brought vp in this religion which by Gods great mercy this day is professed in the Church of England yet partly by the corruption of their owne nature partly led by the mouing perswasions of recusant Papists but specially being inticed therevnto by those false impostors deceiuers of the world I meane the Priests and Iesuites beginne to call the truth of our religion into question standing in a maze what they may doe whome they may followe what they may belieue sometime in loue and liking of our religion otherwhile againe being wearie of the Gospell imbracing the Romane religion falsely called by the name of the Catholike Religion and so daily wauering betweene two opinions declare themselues indeed to bee of no Religion For whom as my daily prayer to God is and shall be that he would be pleased to graunt them a solide and strong perswasion in the profession and defence of the true and onely ancient Catholike faith of Christ deliuered vnto vs in the holy scriptures of God and withall such a measure of heauenly wisedome that they may be able to discerne things that differ one from another and to giue a sound iudgement betweene that which is counterfaite and the true Catholike faith and religion of Christ So I could wish that they would consider with mee and that they would seriously ponder with earnest and vpright aduisement these fewe reasons or motiues which here I will set downe which may serue in steed of so many seuerall demonstrations to proue that this same doctrine we preach this day in all the reformed churches of Christendome is the verie truth of the Gospel of Christ First I would haue them but to weigh the beginnings and proceedings of our religion how in a manner all the trauels of our aduersaries haue come to nought and how no bodie driuing it forward without any worldlie helpe it hath taken increase and by little little is spread ouer into all countreys And verilie it cannot chuse but carrie great weight of perswasion to moue the conscience of any man to see so many kingdoms and countries ioyne together in the profession and obedience of one truth And there is no doubt but euen this day manie thousandes are the sooner led to humble themselues to the Gospell of Christ for that they see to the vnspeakeable griefe of the Pope and his fauourites the whole world that is to say the whole Church of God is contented so willingly and so humbly to imbrace the same Againe let them but consider that they haue seene with their owne eyes how the Gospell which hath bene preached vnto them and which somtimes with ioy they haue receiued euen amiddes so many stormes and tempests through death and persecution notwithstanding the abundance of innocent Christian blood which hath beene shed ouer all the world hath had a strange and wonderfull increase so that the more our religion hath beene persecuted the more still it hath increased and this was euer reputed by the ancient fathers to be the proper priuiledge and excellencie of truth about all other sects to come out of persecution as gold out of the fire more bright more illustrious more eminent then before A third motiue or forcible inducement to iustifie the truth of the Gospel now preached may be this euen the due consideration of that vniuersalitie of learning and sauing knowledge wherewith God hath blessed these daies of ours more plentifully and in greater measure then in former times he hath done In so much that whereas the Prophet Esay speaking of that aboundance of knowledge which should be vnder the kingdome of Christ in the time of grace hath these words Esa 11.9 The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters that couer the sea and likewise the Prophet Ioel Ioel. 2.28 I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie Your old men shall dreame dreames and your yong men shall see visions and also vpon the seruants and handmaides will I poure my spirit We may truly say in this accepted time and this day of saluation that these scriptures are fulfilled in our eares euen our enemies being iudges who haue confessed that the word of God was neuer in any age so plainely taught and deliuered as in this time wherein we