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
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
cast our eyes vppon the Lorde We haue a passage to his kingdom the gates whereof are nowe more largely opened then before wée haue a confidence otherwise wée might be swalowed vp of death and hell and wée should be tossed as the wanes of the water Lastly it is a faith in Christe wherein is excluded the abilitie of man then wée must atteine by grace in faith which is the onely gifte of God so that it is an Iron taken out of the fire and from the smythes forge to separarate faith from faithfulnesse it neuer came out of the furnace of the Lorde Then this whereof I speake the faith of man which is for a time it is a signe of reprobation For he that putteth his hand to the plough and knewe the worde and runneth backe happie had he béene had he neuer knowen it Who runneth his race getteth the game what Champion retireth before he hath gotte the field Who iourneyeth and then repenteth before his appointed day Doth the worlde mislike effeminate and sluggish men And will the Lord be pleased with vnconstant wauering hearts I neuer liked him whose amitie was feruent for a day and altered againe with a blast Neither hath my soule loued the man that could so valiantly rattle out the threatnings of God and when anguishe and persecution assaulteth him kept silence The earth hath spewed out the vnsauourie cockle that hath vppon it a Sommer garment and dareth not shewe his head in Winter And God hath left of the Ethnikes and of the nations as prickes and thornes in our sides to trye vs and we be not of his building if we stand not as stiffe in tribulation and sorrowe as if we would in time of peace Our late dayes are a witnesse hereof when it pleased God to trye his good Golde and suffered the Copper and baser mettall against the day of wrath And he neuer commended the Israelites in that they forsooke his law his word but he scourged them grieuously to reclaime them In that peace and securitie the like whereof was neuer séene on earth as was giuen by God in the dayes of Solomon What aduantage was it though they built so glorious a temple and went afterwarde a whooring to their idols Iehosophat was in great perill of his life for waaging battaile with an vniust man and had not the Lorde hearde him he had dyed It is my note vppon this that thou be all alike and that thou wauer not for if he would haue stroken a iust man for that he stumbled what shall be come of that man that lyeth groueling in sinne Ichu began a good course happie were his dayes and blessed were his yeares for doing the message of God so ducly but if then when he had put downe the house of Ahab and suffered Baal to be woorshipped no more in Israel and had molten the golden Calues he had then also left the sinnes of Ieroboam which caused Israel to transgresse the will of God his seate it had béene established and his throne set vp among the tribes for euer Iosiah his zeale at the first his repairing of the temple his altering of religion the good wayes wherein he went were no cause to kéepe the hand of God from him when he went vp against Pharoath Necoth to Megiddo to fight and consulted not with the Lorde I like not that of Ieptath to come faire and softly and to stay so cowardly for I wishe that he had knowen as well what God woulde haue required when he came home with victorie as he did search out before when he went against the Ammonites then let him that wil be the true worshipper of God séeke as well what is profitable to morrowe for him as that which is expedient to day I confesse forrie I am that I must so often shewe my selfe an enimie vnto him but thus it is I hate him to the death that I haue nothing to doo with the hollowe hearted Gospeller or with his loosenesse of life I séeke that man that continueth and endureth to the ende And as for their enuie it is not that I care for suche fainte harted fellowes may easily be blowen awaye a stroke or two though it bee of small force it will dismay them To them I say whom God hath blessed in his spirit to beare his liuery and to cary his markes in their for heads that are able to suffer persecution and will not for a time but come there life or come there death stande corragiously to the battayle To those I giue a more warliâ—e attire and I tharge them that in such extremity they bée apparrellâ—â— thus Let their loynes be gyrt with trueth Let their Brestplate bee of rightuousnes let their feete be shod with the Gospell of peace let them take to help them the Shéeld of fayth let them put on their heads the Helmet of saluation let them take to fight withall the Sworde of the Spirit and the God of Peace and glory hée shall keepe them from all the stery dartes of Sathan Thus albeit in a wearisome manner wee haue escaped and come to lande I doubt not but well defended for a longe space and so well furnished as the Diuell the world and the flesh shall neuer mooue vs My councell is seeing our enemies bee ouerthrowne and wee at rest that wee doo as they at Thebes did that come winde or come weather come danger come perrill wée bee found in the top of the Towre watchinge Otherwise there is that bee ready enough to reskewe the pray and our enemy the Diuell hée hath a band of men in a readines alwayes to assault vs And he layeth as great séege as any Captayn of them all that fighteth on the earth for his traÌ„sitory affaires the espetiall marke which hée aymeth at is it that now I haue in hand the fayth of man and it is the fifth and the last thinge in my deuision that I noted I put it in the laste garrison of my men beecause if all fayle if life if Glorye if this worlde yet haue wee one behinde that is able to reskew vs and this fayth whereby wee are iustified it doth not stay on it selfe neyther can wee haue hope of recouery if wee fayle at any time but froÌ„ that sure and vnmoouable fortres where it is shrowded and this holde it is the Lorde For man is weake and féeble our fathers that went before they staggared euen in their faith and fel from the Lorde and so had continued vnto the ende if the Lorde had not helped them for this cause God hath alotted vnto vs to our vse very stronge Inginnes that will rowse out our enemyes and shingr them to morselles if they come neare vs These bée in number thrée The first is hope the second is stedfastnes the thirde is the spirite These bée they that fight for vs and maintayne our right and shall keepe vs and our
spare me so much leisure as that successiucly I may but steal one or two houres to labour in I will aunswere this fully I haue nowe sett my pen vnto an other treatise wherein before I end I shall I trust stoppe the mouthes of some as touching god Let this my small time and stolne houres craue pardon for this present and suffer me not to drawe out the length of this threede that we shal neuer winde it vp And if this will not suffise looke toward the heauens iudge the number of the stars call them by their names and giue euerie one his seueral charge Commaund the Sunne the Moone to stayde their course let there not be light any more vpon the earth and if these things be to high for thée iudge of the cōmon creatures that doe dwell with thee and tell me the droppes of the rayne ride vpon the wings of the winde measure me the weighte of the fyre Call backe againe the day that is past and renewe the course of that whiche is to come drawe out the deapth of the Sea by his bucketts and let the earth cast forth the hidde treasuries that be within her if silence hath caught thee and thy wisedom fadeth then giue homage vnto him at whose commaundement they be intreate him to spare thy life in time of neede that hath iudgement in stoore and a consuming fyre to runne before him if they or thou rebell Lactantius in his seconde booke semeth to me to haue delte with these men who dwelling in ignoraunce had small delight to seeke the Lorde And doubted as touching their prayer vnto him his iudgment is this Nothing must be honoured nothing worshipped but the only one Lord God proceeding and comming from the only owne eterall and euerliuing father and therefore hath created man to want many thinges that in his necessitie and want he may know where and of whome to aske for all thinges and Ambrose in his Spiritu fancto The father is to be glorified with the sonne the sonne with the father the holy ghost with them both for these three are but one god Basill against Iulina after that also Martured councelleth him to giue all honour and preheminence in prayer vnto God That in his heauenly and eternall wisedome created all Epiphanius in his thirde Toome Beside many excellent and good sayings pleaseth me in this for hauing to do with them that giue vnséemely reuerence to saincts teacheth thus Let Marie be had in estimation Peter but let the father the sonne the spirit be worshipped for neither to woman nor to man perteineth this honour inuocation neither to Angles or to any other perteneth this glory But it is a mistery proper only to the Lord The time would faile me to vnfoldethe heauenly sayings of the fathers I leaue thē to the diligent searcher The houre passing away so spedely maketh me to hasten to the rest And here I admonish you that in praying to our father you pray to him that is in heauen For wee may aske many thinges on earth yet can we not atteine them but if we aske and faithfully of our father in heauen he will giue vs them where that infidell is condempned that is found in Dauid to haue cryed out and to haue saide in his heart there is no God and that he whiche is in the heauens regardoth not them on earth Teach this man I dare not counsell him I will For let him cast out his eyes lift vp his heade and thinke but on the creatures that be made Howe the Sunne giueth light a farre of and the Axell trée of the heauen doth compasse the earth how the clouds power out their reigne the dewe his siluer dropps and the night his grimme and fierce countenaunce to man and shall we then giue nothing to the Lorde that made them But I cease to followe this path I take an other For if he thought on Israel when their shoulders were worne in péeces with carrying brick or if he brought them from Babilon or fed Elias with the Rauens and made the dumbe creatures to bee Nurses to his seruauntes and sent Daniell pottage into the Lyons denne and stayed the force of the flaming Fornace he can and he will and he stayeth not and I doubt it not but that hee still will helpe vs. Last of all it is a good consequent our father is in heauen Wee therefore ought not to repose our trust and confidence belowe as wee do either tarrie here so much as to abide and lay our affiaunce and steadinesse on things that be aboue For it is an vnfallible trueth that I finde in Paule that wee haue no abydinge here on earth but that our life it is aboue where as is the father of light I might take good occasion to withdrawe a number from the transitorie affaires of this worlde which haue their change and their ende when the heauens shall roll as a scroole and the elements burne with fire but these I leaue them till more longer dayes when the Sunne and the light shall giue vs more libertie who runninge foorth so speedily hath put mée in minde to cut of this spéech It followeth Hallowed be thy name THe great care that the Lorde God hath had of his churche is verie worthily set out in the generall discourse and pittifull callamitie wherein they that knewe him and called all onely on his name continually were assaulted Out of which troubles hee alwayes both mightily and fatherly deliuered them yet in no one thing hath he shewen his tēder affectiō vnto man more then in this in that he hath set him free from the bondage of the diuell the flesh and the workes thereof in that he hath created vs redeemed vs sanctified and regenerated vs And yet lest wée should falter any more and forget him he hath lefte vs a comforter which is his spirite and taught a way and set vs in the path directed vs by his owne mouth to be in our prayers holie and vnspotted vnto him Then in this wherewithall we be instructed of Christ though it be a short lesson is conteined for all that the whole and plentifull discourse of the life of man euen what is meefe and requisite to be done meate as well for the foule to feede withall as for the bodie to liue withall the summe whereof is set downe by Christ in sixe principall heads wherof the firste is this Hallowed be thy name For as al thinges vppon the earth were created by him so ought all that be on the face of the earth continually praise him And as we be children and heires vnto him so cheefely ought all our force our strength our might ought else that is in vs be directed vnto this that we might magnifie his name and praise him The example and patrone whereof is seene in the good Iudges that liued who before they established their own
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
let it be Teaching His vesture and cloth Sagacitie prudente His gowne Long suffering His coate Faithfulnesse His doublet Assurance His shyrte Bountifulnesse His hose Pacience His féete shod with Peace His hose garters Temperance On his head for his Helmet Fortitude In his hands for his armour Hope And he that is apparelled thus I dare set him against all the temptations of Sathan and the world the fleshe and the diuell shall neuer moue him It is my humble sute vnto you all in the name of Christ that wee seeke to agree in one and euery man as much as in him lyeth endeuour him selfe to finde out this clothing Beléeue mee it is a garment without seame and wrinckle And it wil do you great honestie at the day of the Lorde It wil bee your commendation when he commeth in the Clowdes calleth you to his heauenly banquet that then you shall be founde so well appointed to enter with him into the Bridegromes chamber and sit at his table Do ye not knowe that hée which hath not on his wedding Coate shal be cast out with Hippocrits from that heauenlie Supper and haue his portion in the Lake that burneth with fier Verely it is his reward But the Children of the kingdom shall abide for euer with the Lorde And to this hée bring vs that hath in his moste precious bloud redéemed vs Iesus Christe the righteous To whome with the father and the holy Ghoste bee all honour and glorie bothe nowe and euer Amen And lead vs not into temptation But deliuer vs from euill I Haue shewed you before that this prayer had in it sixe peticions whereof there is nowe fiue gone There remaineth onely this last For God gaue vs in charge to giue our firste duetie vnto him and for that it was verie harde to accomplishe it without prayer Hée hath giuen as it were his consent to heare vs And nowe hée hath geeuen vnto vs a kynde of Brestplate to put on Namely To call vppon his name To require and praye of his sonne Christe that séeing wée be weake of our selues and frayle by nature hée woulde lay no more vppon vs then wée be able to beare For the diuell is readie at our elbowe to assault vs and hée fendeth foorthe his Harbingers right duely to entangle vs if so they may the better to seduce vs from the Lord And this the Lord God hath giuen to put vs in minde in what continuall dannger wée stande that if hée ayde vs not and protecte vs not and stretch not foorthe his arme to staye vs wee fall downe headlong into sinne This manner of spéeche vttered here by our Sauiour Christ semed to be vnto some a very heauy thing and not vnto the iustice of the Lord and apperteining to his maiestie To suffer any one to be led into temptatiō Which kind of exposition Traheron a Germaine seemeth to mislike in a litle treatise he writeth thereon And the like is in a number of Curious and vaine men that dare not and will not say Leade vs not into temptation But doe a forde vs thus much Permitte vs not to be led into temptation Both which interpretations I mislike vtterly and I say as the Gretians carie vs not or conduct vs not or trie vs not or lead vs not into temptations For the better exposition plaine vnderstanding of the weak I wil shew the significatiō of the word temptation Tempting is often times taken for trying or approuing or experiensing by one way or other for the bringing to passe of any thing to put in practice to knowe of what nature qualitie and substaunce the thing is of And this worde is vsed diuersly for God is said to be tempted of man and he also is stirred vp or prouoked or moued of the Lord and that is when his worde is not beléeued or the gospell hath not his successe which onely sheweth the Lorde to be holy to be good to be iust to be perfect to be omnipotent c. but desire some other way by outwarde erteriour showe as by workes or myracles to tempt the Lorde god And so did Israel when they had tasted of Manna frō heauen Can he giue vs also flesh to eate after this sort is Christ saide to haue béene tempted of Sathan He sate him vpon the toppe of the pinnacle and saide throwe thy selfe downe for it is written And againe make these stones bread for it is written But God tempteth and tryeth many sundrie wayes To begin with his owne whom he hath chosen in Christ frō all beeginning and prepared them as fit Temples of the holy ghoste from the foundation of the worlde Them hee tempteth and tryeth sundry wayes Namely to make his vertues which he hath wrought and ordeined them vnto to shewe them selues that were hidden before or to open their noughtie corrupte nature that after they may be more careful in their steppes and warie in their dooinge and more easely atteine to the déepe consideration and knowledge of his secrete purpose whiche worketh allway and seeketh diuers meanes to drawe them from their wicked life And the example of the first Adam was a liuely image of the Godly And he was a zelous man in whome God was much glorified among the Gentils The like in Iacob whome hee blessed aboue many kinreds and made him a Lorde ouer his chosen Also Daniel that magnified the Lorde in the kinges court and founde so great fauour in the sight of Darius among the Caldees and was tryed by the Lyons by the Image of Bel so glorified the lord In Susanna in Babilon as in Ageographa The seconde maner of temptation wherewith the Lord tryeth those the be his Was séene in Peter that at the call of the cocke was put in mind of the offence he had committed and there vpon wept bitterly And Paul though he was guiltie of the bloude of Stephen and layde his rayment at his féete yet at the voyce from heauen Saul Sual why persecutest thou me hee was againe called home He felt the benifite of his redemption in Christ and after that was diuersly tried in many temptations by the Lord by Sea by land in daunger of Perots in daunger of death hee was whipped he was stoned he suffered buffering the Vyper had aucthorite ouer him for a space and that Oratour Tertullus had some thing to say vnto him at the barre beefore Festus I thinke Barnabas found◠good tryal in this in the werisome viage which be had through Selentia and Cyprus and from Salamis and from Perga of Pamphilia and Antiochia and the rest Sithen there is diuers kinds of temptations one is that which is commonly called aduersitie against this we must not pray For it is true that is in Paul. Those which will liue Godly in Christ must suffer persecution Yet if we begin to faint wee may stirre vp our slouthfulnes imbicility by prayer to
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
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
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.
24.12 So Isaack went out to pray in the eueninge verse 63. After this began the word of God to bée more fully knowne vnto our fathers Hee was not onely more openly worshipped but more reuerently and duely honored For Moyses prayed forty dayes and forty nightes Deut. 9.25 Also for his Sister Mary stroken with a leoprosie for that shée rebelled agaynst her Brother Numb 12 13. Therfore also God commaunded Iosuah to meditate in the booke of his Law day and night Iosuah 1.8 After which time they of Israell gaue them selues to more earnest obedyence and more pure and sinceare reuerence of his Maiesty Great men aunciant Matrons Kings and Princes loued him faythfully called on his name constantly signified their homage and obedyence openly Hanna wife vnto Helcana in the sight of the Preest 2. Sam. 1 Debora and Barack Iud. 5.1 Iudith in the misery and calamytie of her Citezens 13.2 And Dauid sanctified the name of him that was Almighty and asked councell of the Lord God 2. Sam. 5. by Abiathar the highe Préeste After that hee daunced before the Arke of god 2. Sam. 6. Then at the blessinge receyued of Nathan with the certeinty of his kingedome with an aunsweare of the house hée would haue builte hée went in and sate before the Lorde and worshipped 2. Sam. 7.18 so did Salomon euen in the royaltye and statelynesse of his Princes Offering vp burnt offrings and trespas offerings and consecrating the Temple newly dedicated 2. Kings 8.22 stoode before the Alter in the sight of the congregatiō and stretched out his hands towardes Heauen In the same manner Christe prayed for vs Ioh. 16.26 and 17.9 and 20. Hée prayeth also for Peter Luk. 22.32 Paull prayeth without ceasinge 1. Thes 1.2 Hée prayeth in the Temple Act. 22.17 Hée fasteth and prayeth Act. 14.23 So that Ideines banished slothe abolished our mindes strengthned In desiring readynes in praying steadines in beléeuing perfectnes can not but they must thorowly cupple vs and chayne vs to the Lorde make vs readye by the examples of our Predecessors and of God himselfe to obaye and prayse him ¶ The thirde cause is The necessity of man that néedeth all thinges for what haue wée that wée haue not from the Lorde Meate to nourish vs apparrel to clothe vs the Sun to comfort vs the Moone to pleasure vs the Starres in their brightnes the Sommer in his gallantnes the Springtyde in his pleasantnesse all commeth from the Lorde ¶ The fourth cause is The daunger and perrill wherin wée bée so often times fallinge so often slyppinge so continually transgressing the will of the highest At our birthe very vnwillinge to enter into these miseries yet tasting of the vanities and delights of the flesh wée choke vp the good giftes of God and are daily wayed doune with greater encomberaunces If wee looke vp to Heauen the glory and furniture therof condempneth vs for they ronne out their race and kéepe their appoynted circuit as men of war prepared vnto battayle they neuer retire backe vncrowned Man only among them that haue reason very vnreasonable alwayes rebelleth and reasoneth with god If wée turne our eyes to see the earth the creatures therin they curse the state of man and grone to bée at liberty acknowledginge our fall and séeinge the dishonour wherunto wee be come that standinge so surely wauer now so brickelly and liuing happely are now faine to misery decayinge not stayinge till hée that sit aboue in the Heauens renue agayn our former state and bringe vs holme to lyfe Therfore pray without intercession that the god of glory may recompence those that bée his at his appearing ¶ The fifth cause is The deliuerance by the Lord that other wise weare helplesse For as they whose bones were wearied in Aegipt whose sinewes and ioyncts were benommed with making bricke that could get no stubble and strawe to burne their Clay that had litle rest and small quiet vntill God appoynted his messenger sent his seruants in signes and wonders to reskew them So wée if blessednes come not from the strength of Israell and quietnes from him that loued Iacob and a pleasant looke from him that erecteth the Hill of Sion and deliuerance from Christ and strength from God neyther can wée neyther may wée neyther ought wée to hope for any safety whatsoeuer The Lord our God hee is a man of warre his name is Iehouah hée scattereth the Charyots in his wrath hée sendeth out lightning in his fury hee chastneth his enemies as a valiaunt champion and battereth in péeces the bulworkes of the wicked so excelent is hée and so kinde a Lord vnto such as feare him that trouble persecution death it selfe is conquered where hée helpeth vs anguish of minde and penury bée cōmon messengers where hée assaulteth vs. ¶ The sixth cause is and the last The Diuil and Sathanas that assayeth continually and worketh craftely to bereaue vs of the honor wée looke for from the Lorde That subtilly prenenteth vs watchfuly intangleth vs so deceiptfully snareth vs to driue vs from our god Hée hath a number at his becke as Pages to wayte on vs Seruaunts hée hath great store at his commaundement to withdrawe vs espyes hee appoynteth to ransacke our dooinges the more easely to betray vs For hée is the prince of this world hee ruleth chéeflye Eph. 2.2 Ioh. 12.31 Many wayes hée may ouerreatch vs for diuerse hée his pretences pleasant hée his fetches to intrap vs when reason is exiled and shée hath lost her seate when Wisdome is banished content to séeke out an other corners to harbor in when the pleasauntnes of the brayne and finenes of thy wit is fled awaye When thy younge dayes are gon and the gréenenesse of thy youth wythered vp When wantonnes hath rushed out and thou thy selfe warest dimme when strength faileth thée and thy stout and courragious men are fayne to bough and the Elements can féed thee no longer and thou layd in thy Pauilion thy Tente pitched in the ground thy body layed vnto the earth and thy spirite in his powre that gaue it thée shall hee not giue a shrewde assault and lay vnto thy charge and vpbrayde thée with thy misdeeds that hath so long a time accused our bretheren day and night before the Lorde Reu. 12.10 If hée spared not Iehosuah the heighe Préeste standinge before the Aungell of the lord But suffered rebuke at the hands of the Mediator and as yet ceaseth not to vere his sainctes The onely way that wée haue to auoyde him is by our intercession and prayer to the Lord offered vp in golden vessels before our God to make an Attonment for our sinnes and heare is sumwhat to bee consithered also For there is two kindes of prayer one of good men of euil mē another Full deare in the sight of the Lord is the prayers of his saincts and his eares are open vnto their cryinge who is there that hath failed that put his trust in the Lorde or hath hée
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
that not in Iudea only but in all the world sacrifise and burnt offerings shal be offered vp vnto the Lorde And that of Christe to the Woman of Samaria accordeth with this Arte thou greater then our Father Iacob that gaue vs this Well and hee himself dranke therof and his Cattell and agayne our Fathers worshipped in this Mountayne but they saye Ierusalem is the place where men doo worshippe But shee was answered by Christ Beléeue mée Woman the howre commeth and now is when you shal neither in this Mountain nor at Ierusalem worship the Father a reason is also surrendered That the howre shalbée and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirite and truth and albeit in the Psalmes wee finde the affection of the Prophet to haue bin powred out in greater zeale for the Lorde of Hostes sake as Psalm 67. Prayse you the Lord all you nations and that in the .117 I will spread abroad and knowledge thy name among the Gentils Yet is there time and place and occasion too to vtter forth our cogitacions that wee bee not iudged of men I acknowledge and not vnwillingly that Dauid was in the Caue sometimes praying and in the feelde and in the Dennes and in the night and in his bed Ionas could praye in the belly of the Whale Daniell in the Lions Denne and his companions lifted vp their voyces in the flaming Furnace and Noe comming out of the Arke in the open ayre And Elyas on the topp of the Hill groneling with head betwixt his legges and Christ himselfe at the shoare side among the Shippes And Paull with the Elders in the sight of the people Yet this is my watchworde let no man goe beyond his skill nor draw priuate examples to generall obseruations But if death and persecution incroche vpon thée pray euery where for thou it is that shal glorify the lord But if quietnes and rest bee giuen vnto thee vse discretion and modesty in ordering thy forme of prayer For the second thing in this poynt which I noted in Paull without ceasing This is my iudgement that thou bée like minded in all thinges and remember it is the Lorde that searcheth the harte and the reynes that hee will bée worshipped in Spirite and truth But now wée haue harder matters that befall vnto vs and if so it pleased God I would like lots might happeÌ„ to vs al. For I know there is none whom God hath touched by his spirite inwardly but wisheth him selfe accursed to bringe saluation vnto all I speake it for that it is so hard a thing for the sonnes of Adam to bee agréeable to this in all poynctes namely one to praye for an other Ieam 5.16 and for thy enemyes and persecutors Math. 5.44 Lu. 6.35.23.34 Actes 7.6 And for all men 1. Tim. 2.8 I enter now on sutch a stage as that sufficient reason might bée showed to draw the ful length and whole discourse of this tragedy But it is not my minde to vnlase and ripp vp the woundes of any man For euen the vew and sight of this story may bée pitiful enough to any Christian To bringe in place the speakers hereof It were that of Atreus in Seneca and of Astiages in Iustin to bid the Father to the cating of his owne Sonne But I take an other way and not so lothesome as is that for such as bee of this Seane shall not speake I only content to vse a doÌ„me shew for it is straunge that mindes of men are so distracted as the life of any should onely consist in lyfe of thear 's and their iudgment vpon others to stand as sound iudgement to pray for none to condempne all to like of few to vpbrayd the best such iugling there is in worldlinges I know some that haue stumbled so vnluckely on sutch that their hurt hath beene more in one howre then heapes of Golde can recouer in many yéeres These I doo admonish and I charge them too in the Lord for to stay at home and pray less is better for such then to range abroade and liue worse and this is my exhortation to pray for them that curse thee to hate none to iudge the best to loue all for it sauoreth of Anabaptisme to beate downe to suppresse to throwe downe to the ground any man whom thou neuer knewest worthy the smyting to exempte any as extrauegaunts to the Lorde that couldest neuer iudge what the electe are Did Dauid neuer pray for Saull or was hee neuer in his hands that hée might haue slayn him if he would Eut hee not of the lappe of his Coate or touched hee the life of his Maister I knowe that if the soule of some were as fast clasped in the hands of them as the lay of Saulles Coate was in the hande of Dauid it had béene mangled and hewed in péeces before this This is it I giue in charge let them of this world thinke well of all and hope euen of those that bée without For though Samuell would not sée Saull vntill the day of his death yet mourned hee for him Moses will not sticke to pray for such as haue cursed him The iniuries that hee sustained in Sur and the outcryes in that Wildernes of that vnthankefull people turned not away their remembrance in his prayers to the lord Nor Ieremy so often layd in Prison and clogged with Chaynes could yet forget the anguishe of Sion and the tribulation that befell to Ierusalem but hee praied for them Now pittyfull is then the state of vs who rayseth vp him that is afflicted who windeth vp his sores and powreth in Oyle â— and remooueth the stâ—ipâ— from the hart of a truth the sinne of Iudah is written with a pen of Iron the poynt of a Diamond hath ingraueÌ„ in this people so sore a hatred that life to death and flesh to earth and Golde to drosse is chaunged as soone as their lips from leasing or their mindes from strife If you had bin at the death of Steauen when the stones rushed so about him and the states of Ierusalem clapped their hands to drye vp his blood I am affrayd the question might haue béene asked to what end hee suffered so many blowes and these fellowes can not abide so few wordes I aunswere litle herein That which foloweth shall sufficiently approoue it For beside the breach of brotherhoode in the worlde which is common there is many thinges to bée consithered in prayer Onely vnderstande that I wright not as a teacher to reforme that I sée amisse that pertayneth to the aged and the hoary heades I speake now to younglinges and to Babes sutch as bée of greater grothe whose manners I haue glaunsed at whose life and welth I neuer touched to them I leaue the whip and the heauier iudgement my lesson it is to young Schollers whom I teach after this manner Thy peticion made to God hauing clensed thy vessels from dregges and thy hart
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
they are saide to be that which they neuer were In like maner say I these to be faithful meÌ„ because they seeme to haue faith yet to be dead in that for a truth they neuer knew as yet to liue Theoderet bishop of cyrus bringeth in in his long discourse of heresies one Stromatius Clemens as a witnesse against Prodycus whose profession life was in those dayes muche talked of did onely in name bare wordes shewe it to the church who permitted that which 〈◊〉 of Chremes in Terence the doting father Adolesceâ—â—ulum Scortari he thought it a thing indifferent to vse other mennes wiues as his owne which â—or â—ble grosse heresie I reherse for that when men are dead in sinne stande in their own conceits to be reputed as faithfull it often times falleth out the they be erronious For what is it for a maÌ„ to say he doth beleue to professe Christianitie to be a furtherer of religion as he supposeth yet he walketh in darknes liueth verie wickedly Beléeue mee it is a common beleefe in the world I can testifie the same in too great a number that can tithe minte Comyn let other great waightier matters alone wil strain full hardly at a gnat yet will they swallow vp the huge monstrous Camyll at their pleasure Of truth such dealing is not seemely for the professors of trueth and better it were they neuer knewe the Gospell then to abuse the Gospel thus Well til thy manners be altered thy wayes clensed thy life purged euil dealings mended thy faith wher in thou holdest will not saue thee it is not aliue it is dead This faith it shewed it selfe in Achan the sonne of Caran that in so pure perfect state of the common wealth wherein he was dyed to the flesh that he might liue vnto the Lorde he was an example to his posteritie for euer Hophni Phynees that dyed both in one day surrendred but a small account of their true faith that iustified them selues before Israel yet abused the wemen that came vp to Hierusalem to the purifying what zeale was that vnto religioÌ„ that was in Ahab or in Iezabell his wife that strumpet that made so glorious a shewe vnto Ierusalem of their workes did they escape the hands of god FroÌ„ whence came that when Ieroboam stretched out his hands against the Prophet to haue smitten him his hand withered vp yet that faith he professed may be red of openly The like zeale is seene this daye in many content to striue debate for trifleâ— but sticke not to oppresse hinder their brother not reformable to any order the waight whereof if they way it it is but a shadowe vnto the rest of their wickednesse The Lord will looke downe I am in doubte vppon the sonnes of men And if he doo were it not for Abraham his seruaunt and for Lot whome yet wée haue abiding with vs for whose sake hée spareth vs should not water be powred downe agayne on the face of the earth or should not fier come downe from Heauen The Lorde bee mercifull vnto vs I say no more But to folde vp this leafe with the rest let vs be assured the though the Pharisey goe by the Leuite suffer the poore man that fell into the handes of theeues to ly wounded The poore Samaritan whose fayth thou doubtest of shall be more faythfull more accepted for the peny and the Oyle that he gaue him then thou the hast great riches stuffed tresuries for I say the fayth without workes is deade Iam. 2.7 thy works declare thy fayth Gal. 5.6.1 Tim. 1.22 Ph. 2.5 Heare commeth in an other fellow that will claime some prerogatiue and title to fayth as wel as hée that went beefore and this is one that hath a miraculous fayth You may marueyle that seeing there is none now and the vse also of miracles ceaseth what ende there is I should make of this doctrine Not to bee scrupulous and inquisitiue heare neyther to searche farther then becommeth mee two causes I set downe that I handle this The first is that the holdes and fortresses wheron the Papist groundeth his superstition may more easely be battered The second agaynst the Anabaptistes that runne to outwarde and exterior signes to wonders and reuelatioÌ„s and leaue the right way which is by fayth For the wicked and vngodly men doo miracles as well as those that be iust and vpright men of this fayth there is mention made in the first to the Corinth To one is giuen the spirite of wisdome to an other knowledge by thesame spirite To an other the giftes of healing to an other powre to doo great things to an other Prophesy by the same spirite Of this doth Crisostom and Theophilact make mention in the 13. of the first to the Cor. Though I speake with the tongues of men and Angelles and haue not loue I am as sounding Brasse or as a tinkling Cimball and though I had the gyfte of Prophesy and knew all secrets and all knowledge yea if I had all fayth so that I coulde remooue Mountaynes and yet had no loue I were nothing Of this same there is sumthing spokeÌ„ by Christ in Math. 7.22 Many will say to mee in that day Lord haue wee not by thy name Prophesied and by thy name cast out Deuilles and by thy name doone many great workes then will I protest I neuer knew them depart from mee you that worke iniquity In the Lawe it was sayde that God would sende false Prophettes to try them And I doubt not but it was an argument of the truth vnto Israell if signes and wonders weare wrought by them The which thing I take in hand for that a number haue faitered in this of late And it is an argumeÌ„t of the Anabaptists to alow their diuellish pretences by signes and reuellations This presumption of truth weare it to bee grounded heare it would iustesie that Traytor Iudas for I doubt not but the hée also was among the twelue that Christ sent out to preache abroad Also Cayephas might claime some Priueledge of Prophesing if it would saue him for hée knew that it was expedient one Man should dye for the people And Balaam was sent for vnto Balack whose euill pretence is noted after that béecause hée layde stumbling Blockes before Israell and caused them to sinne and hee both did Prophesie and wrought many miracles but this is nothing for God hath promised death vnto the false Prophet Deut. 18.20 and 13.1 which argueth that such shall both cum to try vs next though they doo wonders yet they shall not escape his fearse wrath but perishe for it No doubt these bée the latter dayes wherin shall arise false Christes and false Prophets and shal shew great signes and woonders so that if it weare possible it should deceyue the very
electe wherfore there is no ground of our fayth vpon these exterior shewes nor saluation to bée promised for thy miracles sake For as they at the Possouer receiued to the outward shew no more then a bare signe of him that should bee crucified so in like manner those that wrought by miracles and woonders weare neuer the nearer Heauen by them for they weare tokens only of their functions Who can reason that in as much as I am baptized I am immediatly elected or receiuing the Sacraments I am therfore to bée assured of my saluation For as the first is a token of regeneration which is not tyed to the outwarde Ceremonies so the seconde it is not necessary it should haue his effecte for I may receaue it vnworthely Then this which I call a fayth of miracles it is effectuall for a time and as well is the Lorde gloryfied in the reprobate as hee is in his chosen and all thinges are created by the Lorde and the wicked for the daye of wrath Is there any that dare tye the spirite of the Lorde God to any man are wee not in his handes and hath hee not made vs If God will set out his powre in the Vessels of dishonor and make them to bee ready at his commaundement What shall hee doo vnto those whom hee hath chosen vnto glorye doo you not finde that Saull was also reckoned amonge the Prophets and so was Simon Magus amonge the Apostels I speake of the Samaritans which knewe him not then wée may bée satisfied in in this for it is no proofe of our election and of our fayth because wee can doo miracles The Papistes that haue erred in that gros Idolatry of transubstantiation to ratefie their deuises of the reall presence of Christe haue snatched certeine proofes out of Ciprian in the treatise of the life of Gregory their first reason is That in the hand of Gregorius as hée prayed at the Alter the Sacrament that is the bread was turned into a finger and appeared as flesh But how strong an argument is this For Hildebrand that wrought by inchauntment and got the Bishopricke and succeeded him many yéeres after might giue his predicessor leaue to play one knacke of legerdemayne as well as hee The same Ciprian thoughe I knowe hee had his error is witnesse that sometime as the Sacrament was ministred there stoode in the presence of the Preeste a litle Boye wheron their reason is still grounded Ergo Christe is really in the Sacrament It was pritely sayde in one place by Malanghton vpon a frumpe that hee gaue a cauilling Sophistar Baculus stat in angulo ergo non licet sacerdotibus ducere vxores and of truth so say I to this argument A Réede groweth in the Riuar I must not therfore play to morrowe For as is of litle Children at the Skales so is the childishnes of this reason open to vs all And yet there is a thirde reason mixed to that which went before that when as the bread was thrust thorow with Penkniues there issued out of the hoast perfecte blood therfore they conclude Christ is really in the Sacrament The Ensusiastistes that weare often times franticke and madde they vsed to daunce and kepte company with Deuilles and as they reported were thē selues turned into Spirites yet thought they notwithstanding they had the holy Ghost Ergo ought wee to credit them These patched coates I would they weare giuen to some other wee stande in no such neede as yet to weare them I might heape vp a donghill of such robbish if I would but wée haue too much of that already I wish rather the they would vnburthen vs of that wee haue for you lefte of late sutch bundels ther of in out corners that if prouision bee not had and foresight taken it will before it bee longe infecte vs all wee are content to leaue this for sutch as desire it and very willinge to learne if that you can afforde vs better ware as for this faith of miracles it is nowe vanished and fled for feare the sight of the Gospell did so astonishe them that they were neuer knowen in Englande since Peraduenture some idle Monke or Launcelet fryer newely crept out of his Portesse hath compiled a greate and huge volume of their sainct George on horsebacke or some such petie Canon thrust out a shéete or two of paper of their Diriges and Trentalles otherwise they haue occupied and busied them selues in little Then let this suffice nowe for a testimoniall before the Lord that in no one thing neither wonder nor signe neither miracle neither tokē or in ought else is the saluation and life of man put saue in a liuely true and perfect hope by faith confirmed in our redemption vpon the crosse in the blood of Christ So that at length though verie wearie we haue arriued at a verie pleasant porte for one or two turnes more ouer passed wee will lanche no more into the depth but quietly take our aboade in this hauen by faith that can quietly protect vs against all the haylestones and tempestes of the diuell Yet enter wée not in presently something there is wée must suffer before least that rashly and in haste wee mistake the holde whereunto we should bend our sailes and be throwen out a loofe vnto another And as is of two rockes the one whereof will smite vs in sunder if wee light thereon the other if we doo drawe to it warily will saue vs euen so is it of these that I talke of The countenaunce of them both is alike for a season but happie is hee that can make choice of them the difference is séene verie easily in that the laste two members which I left vntouched before ar still behinde The first of them is faith for a time the seconde is a iustifying faith and a greate péece of cunninge there is in discerning them of that faith whiche is for a season and for a while it is written in Matthew 13. When any man heareth the worde of the kingdome and vnderstandeth it not For the euill man commeth and snatcheth away that whiche is sowen in his heart and it is he which hath receiued the séede by the wayes side Smith sometimes a Bishop in England an impudent Sophister in his booke he wrote against Peter Martir that good man of God the verie same that he set out against Melancton and against Luther he in those of his chippes which he swept vp together verie vnconstantly affirmeth fidem faith not to be fideutiam faithfulnes and inueying sore against such as make that man which would be faithfull to continue in his faithfulnesse He racketh that same place of Paule Ephes 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is we haue boldnesse and entraunce with confidence by faith in him What is it can bee vttered in plainer forte In Christe wee be encouraged to looke vp to heauen that durst not before
downe that wee haue néede of prayer and that wée must praye to hang you no longer in suspence thereof séeing I haue defined what it is and howe to vse your selues mannerly in the presence of so high and greate a Lorde and that you ought not to doubte of the fourme and manner thereof There is yet left you behinde to learne that this prayer being done finished by faith many greate singular commodities do come by it and as out of the water brooke diuers vessels be filled with one water the same very good so of one faith be many perfectly spiritually fed yet the same do bring but one life For the spirite of God which worketh to the best in those that be his hath giuen an assuraunce to the childryn of obedience of the life and of the hidden treasuries that bee laide vp for the righteous vntill the daye of reuealing and for that cause to encourage vs in the voyage that we haue to goe God hath confirmed our weakenesse with certeine promises that we may in all our dealings stande the better Yet till he bring the same to passe he hath layde before vs that whiche is requisite to be done of our partes This when by his grace it is finished hee will make a consummation and perfection of his blessednesse and wée shall obtaine that which we prayed for by faith in Christe Our duetie is firste of all to consider that the faith whiche wee haue for I knowe that there is none but they wil be accounted as faithfull consisteth chiefly of these thrée things First that there is but one fayth Secondly that it is the gifte of god Thirdly that it commeth by hearing For that man that wil be iustified must bee iustified through these That there is but one faith Paull verie notably hath described to vs in the fourth to the Ephesians There is one Lorde one faith one Baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and through all and in you al. And as on earth there is one onely ayre that fostereth vs so is there onely one faith in Christ that saueth vs. The seconde thing is that this faith is the gifte of god Math. 11.27 Luke 17.22 Iohn 6 44. Act. 15.8 The reason hereof is this Wee are by nature the children of death wherein then can we be saued but in Christ and Christ he hath giuen vs a meane it is faith and faith bringeth life so that if wee had faith by nature wée were the children of God and of life by nature But this is otherwise for as by one man came in death so by one man came in life And as the first Adam was made a liuing soule so is the second Adam made a quickening Spirite that where as before we were made children of wrathe and death Nowe wée are in Christe created a new and fashioned another lumpe and made comlyer and better then before we were Also the wall is broken downe betwixt him and vs and wée haue frée passage to him by faith and this faith it is giuen vs for it is the gifte of God. The thirde propertie required in this our faith was that it should come by hearing Rom. 10.17 The occasion hereof I take to be that a difference might appeare of the rightuous of the vnrighteous man For as euery one is readiest in hearing so shoulde he be perfectest in his liuing Yet this is not as the light in the Sunne that can not be altered for our worldlings in these dayes are at Sermons with the first but in life the filthiest The proofe thereof it will shewe it self if it were lawfull to touche the behauiour of priuate men which offence as I thinke it not expedient to bee giuen in the churche so if it were euer lawfull I suppose it to be nowe wherein a number be redier to flye to Layis with them of the tribe of Dan to be a father and Prieste to Images then quietly to staye at home or do any good in Siloe Their earerings and their iewels they are too base to serue their Mahomet in their chambers and to garnish vp their altars but zeale that they haue to the house of God and his worde The graine of mustarde seede spoken of in Matthew and lesse if lesse there may bee will presse it downe with heaped vp measure The Lorde graunt that if time serued there bée not spyes among vs to waye out the ritches of Hierusalem by wayght nor seruauntes in our owne palaces readie bent to saye Ahimelech and the Priests of God For that they of mount Ephraim and the inhabitaunts of Gilgall be so gracelesse in their dealings These Asarites howe beginne they euen nowe to kicke against vs Haue they net serued Baall before our faces of late of a trueth it will fall out that as they haue béene sufficient thornes and prickes in our sides vntill this daye so to paye vs that they owe vs and to fill our measures to the brimme if euer Abimelech doo get vp wée shall finde it too late to flye vnto sichem to saue vs These dayes of sorrowe the Lorde kéepe from vs and giue them of his spirite to acknowledge the true light that the faith whereon they vaunt so mutch may appeare as the day and that olde Cankar so growen in their sides and now rotten for lacke of launching may growe to whole and perfect fleshe or that hee would fende a sharpe razour to ransack it But as for these men I leaue them to the Lorde I returne thither from whence I came to take my laste farewell of my young Schollers to whome I haue directed all this spéeche And I wishe them in time to knowe the lord And that the rottennesse putrifaction that is together drawn into their hearts that they swallowed vp from their cradels might be layd aside in their youth they growe vp of them selues into a more liuely body For I knowe though you bee accustomed to praye yet that your tender yeares be not able to carry with them that discretion and naturall attendaunce moste commonly in suche as be of greater stature more dayes Learne in thy youth then séeke to bringe that desire thou haste to praier vnto his ful perfection as for this shorte lesson I do giue thée it is an other manner of one thē as yet thou hast learned and thy readines of wit thy tender age thy prime and flowre wherin thou arte it wil be an ayde and helpe vnto thy memorys Neyther will I exact so straight and narrow kinde of life as others doo for I leaue a liberty to the freshnes of thy youth as meete and conuenient times to sporte thee with Thy pastime alone let it bee honest myrth as becommeth a seruaunt and Scholler of Christe I permit thee not to séeke out any holes and corners to pray in and let not the euill example of these that bee aged alter and
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
there is one God that it is the gift of the Lorde and that it commeth by hearing the worde and by preaching Thus when thou arte armed knowe that thy redemption is wrought thy full satisfaction is ended thou thy selfe art made a newe creature and taken into the sheepfolde of the Lorde and incourage thée the more in thy harde and wearisome iourney take with thee the commeditie and fruite whiche thou reapest and gather it vp as the clusters of grapes in the haruest or as the Oliue and the Sinamand in the Summer for the sweate of thy browes and the labour of thy handes and the ende of thy tranaile and of thy paine shall bee this Firste thy sinnes are forgiuen thée for hée that beleeueth shall not perish but haue euerlasting life Matthew 9.2 Luke 7.50 Actes 10.43 I suppose it to be spoken of Christe to this ende That man borne of a woman and hauing but a short time to liue being full of miserie might knowe him selfe to bée worse then the creatures that perish if he had not a meane and waye to saue him so that by faith wee are no more dead so the fleshe but quiekened to the Lorde Christ and thy sinnes be washed My â—â—rruption purified thy vncleannesse cleansed thy darknesse lightened thou thy selfe by fayth saued The second benefite that commeth to you my Children by this doctrine I haue taught you is that wee are the Children of god Iohn 1.12 Galat. 3.26 The greatest glory in this lyfe that the prowde and stately man doth thinke vpon is honor heare on earth and superiority with the highest and heire to him that is greatest and familiaritie with stately Lordes and Lorolike states but the Children of obedyence they leaue the transitorye worlde they mount vp into the Skye they pearce the Heauen and dwell with the Lorde of Lordes and bee heires and Sunnes vnto him The thirde commodity you shall finde hereby is this that Christe dwelleth in vs Eph. 3.12 and that you be made Temples of God habitations of the holy Ghost whom wee haue receyued from the Lorde Iohn 14.17 Rom. 5.5 and 8.9.2 Cor. 1.22 and 5.5 and 6.16 Galâ— 3.2 Ephe. 2.22 This also taketh away the righteousnes of such as walke not after the the spirite but after the flesh that quenche the graces giuen vnto them and blinded with the spirite of error remayne still in darkenes it iustefieth those that bée Goddes and it is our singular comforte that hee dwelleth and remayneth amonge vs so that all filthynes must bee layde aparte dressinge and trimminge our bodyes as fit places to receyue the holy Choste walking not in wantonnes and banquetting neither in ryot and gluttony after the manner of this world but frame fashion our earthly members the the man of God may appeare and the loue of the father which is spred abroad in our harts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. The fourth and excellent dignity that you my litle ones and all other that profes vnfainedly shal receine is this You bée iustefied purefied regenerated and sanctefied and by fayth Actes 13.39 and 15.9 and 26.18 Rom. 3.24 and 4.5 and 5.1 and 9.30 and 10 10. Philip. 39. Colos 1 23. From him it commeth that you haue lyfe who when you weare culpaple béefore the Lorde wrought a meane to strike out the hande wrighting written in the Table of stone and hath opened vs a Doore to enter in at that weare depriued of the Glory of God hath ingrauen his commaundements in our hartes that more fréely by his grace wee might sée our redemption wrought in Christ Iesus by whom in fayth wee are adopted and Circumcised not in a Circumcision made with handes but in cuttinge away our carnall affections by the force of the spirite and as beeing enemyes wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sunne so now beeinge reconciled wée shal be saued by his life For to such as walke in the steppes of our Father Abraham hath hee giuen eternall saluatioÌ„ according to promise that was not called by the will of man and the wil of fleshe but by the will of God So that blessed bee our Lorde Iesus Christ that setteth out his loue towarde vs and hath giuen vs the ernest of his Spirit and in a more heanenly washinge purified vs and that not by water but by the holy Ghoste is it that hee hath renewed vs And with a better blessinge then the which was of Moses that lasted for a season and is abolished newly sanctefied vs and by a fayth that maketh not ashamed strengthned vs that wee might come and dwell with Christe whose prayse is not of men but of God. The fifth and the last preâ—eminence that you my Children for the long frauaile and tediousnes wherin you haue wearied your selues shall purchase and get vnto you is that you shall obtayne life euerlasting Ioh. 3.15 and 5.24 and 6.40 and 11.25 and 20.29 Actes 16.3 Rom. 1.12 Iohn 5.13 This is the greatest and the worthyest crowne of glory that can bee giuen vnto man for that trouble which I know lyeth vpon you for the Gospell it is not to bee compared vnto the life to come and the persecution which befalleth to the godly and that sinne which now hath dominion ouer you that ruleth them which are not fully called in Christe wil be an occasion that hereafter your obedyence shall burst out into rightuousnes your righteousnes to perfectnes your perfectnes to holynesse your holynes to redynes your redynes to steadynes your steadynes vnto eternall life And the God of glory will directe you by his spirit the spirit shall leade you vnto Christ hee will make a consummation of your sorrowes and crowne you with his Glory and bring you to his HabitacioÌ„ where he hath dweit euer Whose ritches are vnsearcheable whose wisdome is without depth whose ioyes are not to bee opened of such as feare his name which hée hath prouided and layde vp and hidden in his secrete treasuries till his day of appearing which hee will bestow vpon the iust and vpon the Sainctes that call vpon him by true faith For of him and through him for him ar all thinges to whom bee Glorye for euer and auer Amen FINIS The second part of the Readings of John Keltridge NOw therfore hauinge instructed you how to enter vnto the Lorde and the Hedge beeing broken to come more readely vnto his dwellinge you may freely and with a good courage draw neare to his Temple and there in his sight with reuerence and feare powre out your prayers before him For this cause as a pawne and pledge of the care that I haue and as one in due time ordayned of the Lorde to set forth his worde I haue this day discharged my conscience beefore the Lord and his annoynted and beefore you all To you of the younger sorte I sende greetinge I wish knowledge and wisdome to the rest To the aged and gray headed Fathers health
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
thy kingdome come Therefore Eucherius vppon the kings doth figuratiuely drawe the kingdome of Saul vnto Christ in that they of Israel lost the kingdome and gouernement by his reprobation and it shoulde be recouered againe vnder the Messtas by free gift Lactantius giueth a spiritual heauēly kingdome vnto Christ for that he was obedient and fatthfull to his father and fulfilled all thinges euen to the death of the crosse therefore he hath giuen him a kingdome and honour and rule Also Epiphanius maketh a comparison betwixt the house of Israel and Ierusalem from whome the scepter and kingdome was some times taken away but saith he for euer shall our glorie last which we shal haue in the throne of the Lorde And his kingdome it is not on yearth for so he testified vnder that testimonie hee gaue vnto Pontius Pilate Therefore Cyprian Christ may be called the kingdome of God whome we looke for dayly and in our prayers desire he woulde come spéedily for in so much as he is our resurrection our glorie our crowne therefore shall we rise be made like vnto him and raigne with him most gloriously It is true and certeine as there is a dominion and sceptar on earth so there is and shal bee a kingdome in heauen so that at such time as wee pray and desire to be with Christe we desire to bee with him in his kingdome which in the ende hee will giue vnto vs in heauen Then as the power of Sathan is great and as he hath his pollicie and ingins readie prepared to snare vs so hath the Lord God his ordinarie meanes to bring vs to his kingdome and hee layeth vp in store for those that bee his against the day of his comming First of all the kingdom of God was knowen and opened inlarged verie aboundantly by his worde which he gaue vs so that they which were snared intangled by Sathan had to runne vnto that eternal decree and heauenly Oracle that was deliuered by the Lorde The séede of the woman shall tread down the head of the Serpent with this as with spirituall foode were our fathers fedd and liued in the hope which they had in one Christ for they hoped for an heritage and for a kingdome and for their redemption which they knewe shoulde bee fulfilled in their season Secondly the amplification and increase of the kingdō of God was shewed to man in that when the appointed houre was come he sent his onely begotten sonne into the worlde that beeing made man of the virgin Marie he might take our weakenesse vppon him and beare our infirmities that our nakednesse might be no more open before God his father but we might be clothed and couered in his peace First he washed away our sinnes and nayled them vnto the Crosse and adopted vs into the libertie of the children of God That we might falter no more and slide from him he lefte a defence and shielde for vs which is our faith that albeit we haue sinne and iniquitie ranging in our mortal bodies yet by a liuely hope in his bloud we might stande stedfast against the enimie and haue our sinnes no more imputed to vs but be counted able to stande before his tribunal in the merite and death of his sonne and such an assurance is giuen vnto vs of life in that kingdom that Paule bursteth out into a verie vehement speeche and wondereth at the Lord that hath brought to passe so much for vs For who can lay ought to our charge that be the children of God It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christe that is dead nay rather which is risen againe that sitteth at the right hande of his father and is an intercessor and mediator for vs Wherefore séeing the sonne of God hath made a satisfaction for our sinnes and hath by his resurrection vanquished hell death the diuell and condemnation it doth followe that he hath made vs a frée passage to his kingdome and hath set in good order the perfection that was wanting to make vs obedient children in this life and to giue vs his rewarde at the length euen a crowne of immortalitie and glorie And here commeth in the thirde thing that establisheth and giueth vs full certeintie of our kingdom in Christe whereby he squareth vs as fit stones hewen out in good time for so excellent a building and it is the earnest of the spirite procéeding from his father to direct sanctifie and gouerne vs against all the assaultes and temptations of Sathan And here it commeth to passe that where as by nature and offence of the first man we are vnreadie and vnméete to do that which is acceptable pleasant in his sight nowe by his spirite woorkinge in our mindes and consciences and daily striuing with the fleshe wee finde aptnes in our selues and a more readinesse to obey the Lorde This comforter as he was moste plentifully in great terrour and astonishement manifested to his Apostles at the firste enlarging of the kingdome of God so hath he not forsaken vs thoughe visibly he appeare not vnto vs but doth purge and wipe away our infirmities and lighteneth vs by a perfect calling and secreate operation through the obedience of his name that we may knowe what the holy and perfect and readie will of God is And as Saul a verie wicked and vngodly man was founde prophesying among the Prophets and Amos from the Mulberie trées and from the plough was taken into the temple and Sinagog of Hierusalem and as some of the Apostles from the net and the fishers hooke were altered and chaunged vnto other maner of men so is it with vs made and fashioned againe that were before filthie and wicked we are purged renued clensed and renouated by a more liuelye quickening wee stande boldly before his throne of grace and heare knowe the glad tidings of peace for the spirite maketh intercession with groninges for those that be the Lordes and worketh mightily in our heartes vnto saluation Fourthly and lastly this kingdome of God is increased and inlarged by the preaching of the Gospel a verie ordinarie way that God hath left vnto vs to bring vs to heauen euen to beléeue the worde and obey the Lord God and to attaine to the ful measure and depth thereof which is the eternall decree purpose and determination of his death the ende wherof is our life the cause thereof his onely loue good wil and fauour that he bare to man openly knowen and apparant by the Gospell It is therefore called the Gospell of Iesus Christe the sonne of god Mar. 1. It is called the word of Christe Collos 3. It is called the worde of the Lorde Act. 6. It is called the doctrine of Christ or the teaching of the Lorde Act. 13. And it is called the teaching of him that saueth Tit. 2. It is called the preaching of the Lorde Rom. 16. all which titles epithites giuen vnto the
vnto them that hazarde and aduenture their liues for their sake And the sauedge and vntamed Colte turneth backe with his salutation gréeteth them w her neighing that suckereth her Then it is good reason and agreat point in vs to be considered of to know what honour what reuerence what deutie what obeyzance we owe vnto him that hath giuen his life for vs and purchasâ—d a raunsome when we were captiues and cheaned vnder Sathan and that by so greate a price the price of bloude And it is first required that as their is one God so we agrée and loue as one That wee loue him withall our heart with our soule with our might it is his will that those purified washed and clensed in his bloude doe not defile their bodies that be temples of the holy ghost but kéepe them as vndefiled members of his Church Therefore Saint Paule saith this is the will of God your sanctification your holinesse that euery one kéepe his vessell in puritie and in honour not in lust and filthinesse as the nations did that knew not god And to the Ephes God hath elected vs from all beginning the according to the measure giuen vs in this life wee might bee blamelesse and without spot Whereunto I may refer that of Christ done of him at his last supper that very humbly he washed his desciples féete In token of the corruption and putrifaction that must be seared cut away in those that be his Therefore it is Gods will that we folowe not the lusts of the flesh but mortifie our earthly members dying vnto sinne that we may rise againe to newnesse of life Then in these thrée the loue of God the holinesse of life the mutuall societie brotherly loue one with another is the will of God reposed This it is that we must vnderstande herein the will of the Lorde Euen that we be vnspotted and blamelesse in our conuersation That the feare of God and dread of his maiestie may touche vs that we be freendly louing one vnto another through loue Thirdly it is the will of the Lorde that we be conformed and made like in the image of his son Christe And as by his crosse and death he entered the glorious heauens and sitteth in maiestie and power with his father so we may also be tamed and crucified as touching the flesh the we may rest dwel with him aboue For as the father sometime doth lashe his sonne and by a fewe scorges draweth him home vnto him So our Father in troubles and a little trying as it were by stripes bringeth vs backe that were lost and causeth vs retyre that went astray prepareth a salue to heale vs againe Euen meditation and prayer in his Christ This is the cause he exhorteth man vnto the bearing of his crosse and chargeth his disciples to arme themselues against persecution and hath made his saincts to taste of the whippe and of the rodde to reclame them when they waltered in their sinne For it is true that through many tribulations wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen So that it is the doctrine we learne here that when we suffer persecution and all the day long are scorned for his sake we remember it is the will of God that hath promised saluation and victorie to his saincts ouerthrowe and destruction to such as hate him Therefore wee say it is his will to permit the vngodly and lose lyuer to florish for a season and in the ende as the Sunne doth the berbe and as winter doth the trées he consumeth them Furthermore we say Let thy wil be done in earth as it is in heauen and not without good cause for the sunne very gloriously runneth forth and doth knowe his cabbon to abide in and when so euer it pleaseth the Lorde to commaunde them any seruice that be a boue they are spedie in their message The Angels obey him the furniture of the heauens and artillery that is there serueth him The fire at his becke consumeth The ayre at his commaundement infecteth the water riseth aboue the banckes and deuoureth The earth is opened at his pleasure and swaloweth But if he speake vnto man and chargeth him to stand and to obey he rebelleth Then that which by nature wee haue not By grace and fauour we atteine vnto And we pray that hys wil may be done in earth as it is in heauen That heauen and earth may obey him together For as the Angels minister before him and as the spirites and soules of righteous men reioyce and sing vnto him So take it here that there might be a consent agréement of vs all in the bonde of peace in the vnitie of the gospell that heauen and earth might reioyce at it Wherin we consent confesse that he is Lorde aswell of the heauen as of the earth And we condempne those that thinke in their heartes there is no god For the earth is the Lordes and the fulnesse thereof Also we are put in minde of the miserable condition and state of man himselfe that dayly transgresseth and continually forgetteth the goodnesse of his god Therfore our custom is as was the of Lot reckned by Peter 2.2 That liuing with the filthy and swinish Sodomittes lamented dayly and bewayled the filthinesse that he sawe there And as is of the good subiecte that is dayly conuersant with such as be rebellious So is the state of Godly men that sigh and grone in spirite at the peruersitie of those that resist the worde And wish if so the Lord will that his will may be fulfilled in them Thus much for this thirde parte of this prayer wherein wee acknowledge the will and word of God howe it is hee that ruleth vs that of our selues wée haue nothing to helpe vs that fleshe and bloud cannot obey him if wée want his grace to bring vs to him that hée whiche elected vs is God and not of our selues but in his Christe And brought vs out of bondage by his death and made a propitiation for vs in his bloud and left vs an earnest of his inheriritaunce and a token of his fauour whiche is the Spirite that guydeth and ruleth vs and incourageth and comforteth vs illuminatinge our myndes in his might To whome with the father and his sonne Christe be all dominion and glorie nowe and euer Amen Geeue vs this daye our dayly bread THE happie and blessed state wherein man liued before hee fell from God is apparant and opened vnto vs in that the Image of the Lorde appeared in him more plentifully then nowe it doth When as neyther tyllinge neyther sowing neyther reaping neyther gathering was founde vppon the earth But hee sucked from her breastes and gleaned vp the ritches of the fielde without labour and sweate of the Browes But after that Sathan had subtelly preuented vs Our glorye was our ignominie and our fall was our shame and the
to spende his young dayes in Whese lippes could neuer vtter this Giue vs this day our dayly bread And as the Manna whiche they gethered if they tooke aboue a Gomer euery man for his eating according to his housholde scralled ful of wormes and stanke the day after So let them be assured that this their tempting of the Lord though it sauour in their throte and be pleasant for a season will in the end be rottennesse and putrefaction vnto them when he calleth to accompt The seconde hinde of men that I note here I would I might but looke vppon them Come neare them I dare not they bee so glorious Their Marble and Iuorie bedds their Iewels and out ragious brauerie astonish me when I see them That so muche the more maketh me to wonder as I sée their ende to approch and their glorie to be transitorie For when he hath sailed in many a perilous storme and put his life into the handes of Pyrates and is nowe become gray headed and withered vp by long labour Yet the value of his substance is not verie many thousandes And then committeth be his goods paraduenture to the fire It may be he leaueth them in the depth of the Sea but if he liue and inioy them for a time in the thirde generation hee is forgotten and so many thousands as he had so many thousande men enioyeth them This is a straunge thing and yet it is common among you of the Citie For either the sea and the waues thereof consumeth them or the easdroppers and the lurkers in corners scatter them or secretely the Lord himselfe by one or other meanes bestoweth them For as lightning passeth vanisheth out of sight so withereth away the riches of the wicked man And as the snowe melteth at the fire or as the frost at the heate of the sun so doth the substance of the vngodly at the becke of the Lorde The wages of the euill are crooked and they are lewde in their pathes Glorie remaineth with him in his youth and beggerie dwelleth with him in his age For the soule of the poore man panteth for sorowe and he ruffeleth in the streetes and passeth by the miserable he stoppeth his eare and regardeth not the crie Wherfore the wicked shal be cut off from the earth and the trangressours shal be rooted out of it For the way to his house is death the path of the sinner carieth to the graue and hell fyre consumeth him quicke because he trusteth in his riches maketh the world his God and saith to his substance we shall dwell for euer hee neuer remembreth to pray vnto the Lord Giue vs this day our dayly bread And for that I am entred into the true discription of such a Citizen as feareth god I will drawe out the picture and proportion of so comely a man as for stature height for trewe and perfect workemanship can not be matched in any one citie here in England that by chaunce not nowe so long since I had a vewe and sight of and described by the prophet Dauid in one of his Psalmes For the whole bodie of a man I finde to consist of these ten partes Of the Head That as the heuēs guideth the earth so is thought to turne and weaue about the bodie of man. Of the Heart that as a Costerne conteineth the litle Chanels Of the Breath Otherwise as blockes stones wée stand emptie Of the Liuer so which as their captaine the Lungs the Lightes do their obeysance the drawer of bloud and iudge of life Of the Eyes as windowes to péepe out at the Mistresses of the bodies and Ladyes of pleasure Of the Sinnewes and Ioyntes To couple the bodie and chaine him in that he be dissolute and wretchlesse in bodie Of the Armes Of the Handes a couple of instruments huen out of nature to tune the residue of the partes of man that be out of square Of the Legges Of the Feete That we séeme not mangled ormaimed in ioynts like idel and sluggish scarrecrowes good for nothing but to stand in the ayre to feare Bussards The philosopher as I remember thought him an vnable person and vnméete for any thing that consisted not wholy of theses partes And Moses debarred him the tabernacle of the Lord neither could he serue in the house of God if he missed any one of these And I thinke as in the life of man to liue heare So in the heauens the eternal life to dwell there be these seueral partes of man to be required Euen the head the Heart the Breath the Liuer the Eyes the Synewes the Armes the Hands the Legs the Féete without the which no man can come to heauen and vnto God and painted forth by the Prophet Dauid In the. 15. Psalme An vpright life the head of man. Righteousnesse the Heart of man. Truth the Breath of man. Goodnesse the Liuer of man. Modestie and comelinesse the Synewes and ioyntes of man. Humilitie and lowlinesse the Armes of man. Swearing not disapointing thy neighbour the Handes of man. No reward and bribe to slay the innocent the Legs of man. No giuing of money vpon vsurie nor purloyning from the poore the Feete of man. As for him whome the Poet hath deciphered out Qui mihi possit quod honestum ac iustum videatur Whome wantonnesse and vnbrideled lust hath puffed vp to all sinne whose amendement of late I wished whose end I feared whose life is laid with his welth whose ioy remaineth on the earth whose pleasure perisheth whose riches faileth that neuer thinketh on God remembreth not the Lorde prayeth not to him that sitteth aboue thinketh hee hath all things from himselfe Looke I pray you vpon him vewe and marke him wel and sée whether he be dect as a prophet or apparilled as Aaron or in fashion as Leuite or in maners as an Israelite or like such a man as shoulde dwell with god That hereafter if you chaunce to sée him you maye by my markes fully knowe him Whose head is sinne whose brainpan is wretchednesse whose ende miserie Whose Liuer is vnrighteousnes Whose heart is darted with vntrueth That dissembleth in his tounge lyeth to the simple beguileth all Whose breath is blasphemie That belcheth and ratteleth out othes against the highest regardeth not the Lorde that sitteth aboue Whose eyes be compact of loftinesse and of pride Whose ioyntes and sinnewes are encombrance and hurte disappointing and disceit Whose armes are swearing and beguiling his neighbour By trecherie gaining by dissembling enritching by vndooing murthering armes Iwisse able and of force to wrestle with the mightiest Whose hands are redines speedines to gayne by false sleightes Two hands able to ingros whole common wealthes into priuate commodities Whose legges bee vsury and extortion Able in time by this villany to outronne him that is swiftiest in his race and ouertake him that dwelleth in most stately Pallaces Whose feete are briberie rewarde to spoyle the
innocent Able by the blood of righteous men and by inglutting him selfe in their innocencie to stande on feete and praunce it to looke alofte and countenaunce it to goe stately to stande stoutly as though hee were moste pure in harte This kinde of man I would hée were not with vs or if hée bée gone let him bée a warning to vs for it is not with our humanitie when God hath giuen vs Bread plenty and blessed vs with aboundance to aske still with Mydas till wée bée choked with Golde So Naball like that wée can not spare Dauid so mutch as thrée Loues of Breade to féede his Seruantes That riche gluttō in Luke as I am perswaded when hée lay in Hell in tormentes and saw Abraham hee woulde willingly haue drawen out his Golde vntill the bottome of his Coffars and haue morgaged all his land and substaunce too for one droppe of water to coole his tongue But goe too thou riche man laugh sporte playe and bée merry Thou knowest thy Heauen and that is Hell. The nexte thing I haue noted is this Fyrst he giueth then to vs Thirdly to day Fourthly Bread. Wherin wee are admonished of the duety of all Christians not to gaze so mutch on the commodity of priuate gayne as to pray and to remember the state of the Church For in that wee pray for vs wée pray for all euen such as bee of the Household of GOD. It accordeth to the doctrine of Paull 1. Corinth 12. That maketh our body vnder one head Christe And that mutuall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that compassion and remorse wee haue one of an other is properly set forth to the Ephes 2. And as the Children in Luke are sayd to daunce when their fellowes daunced and are sayde to wéepe when as they wepte and to bée merry when their companions were glad So in like manner are the Seruauntes of our God that remember the afflictions of our fellowe Brethren and thinke on the calamities of such as suffer with vs For as in heauen there shal be not diuers but one Song one Alleluiah to prayse the Lorde And as there is not many Ierusalems but one Ierusalem And as there is but one Golden Read to measure the Temple So there can not bée neither should there bée any more then one voice in one Church to pray to God. Hee that giueth is God To whom it is giuen is all flesh It is to day for wee alwayes neede it And Breade it is euen all manner sustenance to nourishe vs. The vse hereof is this that wée shewe our selues duetiful and obedient rendering due homage and reuerence to the Lord from whom wée haue all things For if the Oxe knoweth his kéeper and the Asse his Maisters Cribbe Shall Israell and they of the house of God forget the Lorde Fighteth not the Dog for his Maister striueth not the Beare for the safety of hir younge doth not the Husbandman lay his corne to vsury And hydeth hee not his grayne in earth And is not the ground thankefull agayne for his tendinge and care hee had of it Then let man cast his eyes to Heauen and thinke on the Lord that giueth all that hée bée not forgotten of his Father aboue when Christ shall come and deliuer vp the Kingdome to his Father and giue rewarde to them that serue him Thus I haue though very wearysome paraduenture to your hearinge bréefelye passed euer this firste lesson of our first Table concerninge man. Two more there is left behinde which if God permit and my leysure doo afforde it shal be more narrowly and straitly handled hereafter Forgiue vs our Tresspasses as wee forgiue them that Tresspas against vs. I Haue very often made mentiō in this my Treatise of the necessity of prayer now the force therof appeareth so liuely and the greatnes therof is set down so fully that in so good a thing in so perfecte a rule appointed by the Lord I once more am enforced to call you altogeather to assemble your selues as they in Esdras did to vnderstande and heare the Booke of God. For as in the Tables of Stone wherin the commaundements were engrauen The first commaundement auayled not if they made a seclusion of the second No more can that which went before profitt vs of the Lorde and of God and of our bare protestation vnto Christe vnlesse in his mercy hee forgiue vs Wherfore wée are to bée called togeather euery one and to all persons I giue notice of thefame that euery one may iudge his dealinge Then shall wee bée forwarde and attentiue to heare the Lorde when wée are found to agrée and méete as one Or when such A. Zacheus is caught among vs as wil not iudge but forgiue and pay his debts and that can as expedient speake trueth in all As for mée I may doo that which Statius doth in Synephebis and with good cause desire and craue the helpe of all which are as I all wrapt in sinnes And iustly I thinke I can crye cut Pro deum popularium omnium adolescentum Clamo postulo Oro ploro atque imploro fidem Not for a light and trifling thing offence is committed he must die the death Ab amico amante argentum accipere meretrix non vult The money that was offered of the louer is refused of his Peragon But euen to ioyne helpe come in one and marke my speech that haue to doe and to medle with that will accuse you all euen of faith of hope of religion of trueth of allegiaunce Non dijs immortalibus As the Orator reported But to God to the Lord vnto Christ that can consume vs. For iniquitie is the way of all fleshe and the treadings of those in earth is ignoraunce Wherefore lot vs consider the vanitie of man and by déepe consideration open the rawnesse of our nature let vs perseuaer in discerning our owne corruption and offer vp our soules and bodies to the Lorde for he it is wee haue offended Therefore in this next percell though it be but a small bundel is trussed vp the saluation ful drift of vs all that can neuer glorifie the Lorde better nor shew our selues more obedient vnto him then at such time as we debase and humble vs before the Lorde when that arrogancie and the man of pride is laide down our bodis mortified before our god For if we do confesse the Lord to be our father if not on earth but in heauen if we séeke to sanctifie him and to magnifie his name If to reigne in vs by his spirite If that his kingdome should be enlarged his name glorified his praise exalted among the sonnes of men If that his will may bee fulfilled and what please him may come to passe If that he giueth to vs continually and feedeth vs dayly and nourisheth vs howrely and giueth vs bread and meate in due season yet is it nothing it is but a bare knowledge and an hypocriticall
confession if thou aske it not in humblenesse and méekenesse of spirite but art swelled and puffed vp with Pride as though thy owne righteousnesse and the strength of thine owne armes bad brought it to passe For which cause we pray that our debts may bee forgiuen vs and our transgressions pardoned vs and we acknowledg that we owe much vnto the Lord god For séeing that our sinnes are as the stayned clothe of a woman for the we hatch Cocatrice eggs and weaue the spiders webbe Is not his hande vpon vs and his consuming wrath hath it not alreadie snared vs and are wee not intangled vnto death And is it not time to begin to pray w humilitie confesse our sinnes for here glittereth forth the first hope we haue in Christ in that he was a propitiacion for vs to his father that cannot any otherwise be satisfied then in acknowledging our sinnes Chiefly here and before all els we haue to vnderstande what is ment by this for giue vs our debtes For as touching our duetie wee owe much vnto the Lorde feare obedience loue reuerence with sutche like Beeing so mutche bounde the more vnto our God as his mercie is greate and his loue surpassing our loue or his kindenesse without ende whiche is set forth to be seene of man in these two thinges The first is in the eternal couenant which he hath made with man whereby his frée mercy is séene by not imputing vnto vs our sinne The other is the weakenesse and imbecillitie of all flesh so that being debters we are alienated from the Lord hauing no hope of peace left vnto vs but by his onely grace to fulfil that Rom. 3. That all haue sinned and are destitute of the glorie of God and that euery mouthe might be stopped and the whole world culpable in his sight For though there appéere a certeine notice and glimmering â—f perfectioÌ„ as it were in the saincts of god Yet till they bee moued by the spirite they runne at randals and then wheÌ„ they are best they fall often Wherefore here is condempned those vpstart and newfangled vanities nowe of late fleeringe to and fro in the mindes of men that by counterfait and glosing speech insinuate I knowe not what kinde of holinesse in themselues And there is a byworde of late crept into our Church taken as I suppose from the contrarietie of their manners And we must be puritans in the name of God and seuer our selues from other congregations and truely paraduenture more aptely then they are a ware of For Puri tanquam spuri agréeth right God he mercifull vnto vs I knowe some that goe a tippe Tooes and mince it as neately in talke as any courtier of them all can doe at meate and yet by your leaues be not angry w them neither they be as vily spleafooted and treade their shooes as much a wry as the homelest carter of them all that keepeth the Plough thorough out the yeare And when I haue consithered all they bee but men But blessed be our Lorde the man Iesus Christe that hath ginen vs an other meane and opened vnto vs a better way and permitteth vs to haue falts and some blemish and suffereth vs to fall oftentimes and then giueth vs leaue to lay the burthen of our sinnes vpon his shoulders For euen thus it is prepared the vnlesse Moses haue one to holde vp his arme the victorie wil be lost and yet if it be so that he hath helpe for a season such is our nature our fragilitie such the he is wearied fo if ye haue not a stone to vnderprop him to stay his elbow on It is in hazard the he falleth not they al. And if Dauid coulde not promise him any assuraunce in his life but that he fell so sodeinly at the sight of a silye woman that washed her bragge they asmuche as they will and liue they as well as they can yet at length by trusting so much to this tower they may paradueÌ„ture some one or other time be ouertakeÌ„ but this two headed serpeÌ„t I let it alone God wil one day as be hath of late mangled the one of them so I doubt not but he wil sharpeÌ„ an other sword shal cut off both This péece of this prayer calleth vs to the tribunall seate of God and our names written in his booke our plea can be no other then for mercie so that what we haue not of our selues that haue we from the lord and condempned by sinne in the flesh wee are raised by him in the spirite For all fleshe sinneth the iust man liueth by fayth Dauid I doubt not did see this When be acknowleged his imbicilitie and gaue way vnto weakenesse and sawe his conception how it was in sinne and knewe his thoughts howe they were euil from his youth I labour more in this for that I haue had of late to deal with some that prestime to seuer them from those be wicked and accompt althings as righteousnesse that procedeth from them These I desire in the Lorde to reade ouer the Prophets And if from Adam till the floude all had their infirmities If Adam fell if our first mother gaue vs so vnluckie a drinke that we al haue béen blistered therwith from our cradelles If Abell offered vp the first fruites of his shéepe as a sacrifice to the Lorde yet commended to bee a iust man If Noah him selfe commended of the Lorde fel so grossely in incest and ouercome in drinke we be no better then our fathers we may fal I speake not here to vphold sin no the lord God is my witnesse whom I serue in his Christ that since the first fast the I supped of the Cupe of the Lord from the time I set my foot vpoÌ„ the doore of his threshold to sée what was don ther I haue abhorred to the death the ways of death And let this bée my witnes at the day of the Lorde and let mee looke at that day for the Crowne of glorye as I haue sought with all endeuor to builde vp his Churche and detested iniquitye Let no man suspecte mee here for I know I haue to deale with curious heads that take euery light ocrasion for their purpose I shiner them in péeces for this cause onely if I can and I cut them of For this is my Faith and this I know That by the first man came in death by the second man Christ came in life The first is of the fleshe to condempnation The second of the Spirite to Saluation And that which commeth of it selfe ryseth vp in man to cast downe man being only sinue scrawling in our mortall bodies and is made righteousnes in the man Christ in whome we haue an earnest by the spirite Our spirite witnessing with the spirite of God that we be inheritours of life so that I leaue to vs no good thing as of our selues but I referre my selfe to the
that créepe so slyly and serch so narrowely the hearts of poore brethren wil one day I trust take more holde of the trewe light of the Lord whose priuate conscience if it were aswell knowen abroade as it is practised in corners they would haue bene cut off long ere this And it is no meruail they busze so much in the cares of men for the liberty the God hath giuen Dauid can snaffle such an accursed Semei if he dissēble not As for the Anabaptist reason if hée giue thée a blow on the right eare turne vnto him the other It abideth not the heat the Sun doth wyther it for if it may bée to winne thy brother to get a soule to God Take two on each eare rather then reuenge it If god bee not dishonored therby giue him thy Cloake to if hée will and leaue all But if the word be defamed and the Gospel sclaundered I say agayne turne vnto him smite agayne spare him not I giue no priuate man to iudge the case let the seniors in Israel heare the matter iudge therof But if thou bée set vpon be betrayed all alone or with others turne thy face again take vp stones to hurte at him reuēge thy cause it is the Lords I aske but a questiō here why did Christes disciples wear swords This is of a truth if it had not béen lawful hée would neuer haue permitted them as Moses when hée saw one fighting with his Brother slew the Aegiptian Such is our case no other Their what may be said vnto the prayer of Sampson for it is his request vnto God the he may be reuēged vpō his enimies the Philistines for the they put out both his eyes Peter Martir is of this opinion the if hée did it with an euill malitious stomacke in anger that then it cannot be vpholden and borne withall for sayth hée Non potuisset magis deo probari quam si expresse dixisset quaeso Domine bene fortunes vel furcum vel adulteriū meum Augustine is of this opinion with diuers other writes to That hée did it by the singuler instinction or mouing of the holie ghost and the pricking forward of the spirite And so it is not a misse to take it For that whiche to man as it is in man from man is nought So by the styring vp of the spirit if we haue an assured certeine token thereof many things may be permitted which is not lawful for vs otherwise to do Commeth now into my minde in what a desperate state they bée that for euery trifle and vpon so slight occasion as nowe is common in our English rufflers spill Innocent blood Oh that it pleased the Lorde to lighten the hartes of men To sée with what price wée are bought in Christe The hande of Caine would not bée so readye at the throte of Abell as it is But now Romulus is drawinge the Sworde and it bée with Remus for the Kingdome Esau and Iacob agrée not Ismaell and Isaak will not dwell togeather Ioseph is ready to bee solde for mony Saull séeketh after Dauid The Samaritan lyeth wounded no man helpeth him What shall I say more The great man curseth the poore man the poore man complayneth of the riche The godly man hée sayth hee hateth him for hee is euell The euill hee flyeth him that is pure in harte hée is not for his purpose Thus euery one hath his seuerall maner eche person hath his reasons no man loueth one another I aske once agayne another question how canste thou pray Forgiue vs our debts when of a certeinty thou thy selfe forgiuest none The makebate he pleadeth for himself his gentlemanlike qualities his stocke and parentage from whence hee came His Hercules hart hee hath can not bee plucked downe for it is not Courtier like Surely more curteous and lesse Courtiars were good for England Shall I speake my minde I would of truth but I feare you of the court Yet must I correcte my selfe I goe awrye for a noble harte is alwayes séene by a valiant courage And Theseus neuer presed to brawle But the field and the Forte to goe to the Baryars not priuate corners to séeke to wrestle in is Gentleman-like And such as séeke this to them I speake To this vnhappy worlde now all thwackt and pestered with graceles men to you all I say the truth I will leaue of my Gowne and set apart my profession for a time and I will reason with you and prepare aswell as you can take your Armor vnto you for of truth if you be not wel fenced I will not spare you This onely I craue that your weapons mine may bee alike For you bée merciles men I know it well enough you would ouerreache mee And my quarrell that I striue for is to you that be Fathers That suffer your Children to spend so long a time in Idlenes and ryot that permit them to bee Courtyars for a yéere or two and when their substance is spent suffer them to be beggers al there life In Rome learning was so muche esteemed and in Aegipt so much reuerenced that Kings were called priests And Senators were Philosophers and Consules were Prophetides their honorable men were lerned men But now adayes the Innes of the Court and London hath consumed so many that fewe are lefte to write or to read or to know almost what God meaneth Is there not a gray headed man to beare mée witnes that whereas they had neuer a Beggar amonge them of Israell wee haue now many thousandes with vs in England But wil no man speake for mée Shall I fight all alone with these Maisterlesse men or dare no man vtter that which hée hath séene That within 60 yeres sithence these Gentlemanlike qualities budded vp two Runnagates for one true man two quarelers for such as accustomeably were woont to bée at quiet are now of late spronge vp with vs of England If no man dare aduenture with mee the brunte hereof such blowes as my youth can afforde sutch doo I offer you and warde it as well as yee can and speake the truth Is not euery Plowman become a Gentleman doth not many a Marriner sende his sonne forth to bée a Courtiar do not men of occupations trayne vp their Children to know fashions Is not the kytchin Boye waxed prowde is hee not nowe beecome a waytinge Boye is not all thinges so chaunged with your disorder that if a Ruffian peecpe out of the thresholde he must haue a Page with him Then truely looke vnto it for there is vtterly a fault amonge you And it is that for which I striue nowe and it is common with you in the Citie Where men do swimme so deepe in blood as they doo No forgiuing no forgetting All reuenging no reuealing their debts come rowling home in their bosome that owe any The daye hath béene that quietnes was so much set by
not the Aucthor of sinne Hée that sendeth his Prophettes to reclayme them And his Preachers to winne them And his word to bring them And his Christ to serue them is not the Aucthor of sinne God it is that sent his Prophets to feede them And his Minysters to instructe them And his Gospell to renewe them And the life of his Sonne for the lyâ—â— of vs all to bring vs to eternall life Then God is not the Aucthor of sinne The Sun might turne him selfe and take his seate in Cancer And the Moone coulde pause and stay hir swifte Voiage which shée kéepeth beefore I shoulde faile in this I will not then beate so mutch on this Iron The Scripture teacheth vs reason leadeth vs Experience guideth vs Nature it selfe directeth man to this That hée whiche sitteth vpon the Cherubins and taketh the Heauens in his arme and stretcheth forth his legges towardes all the corners of the earth and looketh so fiersly vp on the Sonnes of men and iudgeth accordinge vnto equity and hath his Loynes girte with a Siluer Gyrdle and his legges of Brasse That commaundeth the Sunne the Moone and the Starres and theydare not resist him That sayth dooe this and they dooe it And so gloriouslye reygneth on the earth and sendeth his Ministers of flaminge fier to consume the wicked and hath his Habergions and instrumentes of Iron for the vngodly against the day of wrath It séemeth to mée very vnreasonable that any one man béeing neuer so mutch blinded should not sée his Maiesty his brightnes his perfection his guidance his gouernment his Aucthoritie his rule to bee perfecte to bée pure to bée vnspotted to bée glorious and excéeding comely euen in the créeping wormes Then let this suffise to stay vpon for the libertine and outlaw and denyer of the godhead of our Lorde That hee erreth hee is deceaued hee findeth it amisse That God either is or can bee the Aucthour of sinne The Maniches with the Martianistes that are dependant hereon haue small inheritaunce with the Lorde that haue deuided his kingeâ—ome and giuen a Regimente to a good God and an other to an euill God and cut him in péeces as it were and depriue him of his right that is due vnto him Agaynst whom it were a long disputation for his prouidence and his rule are depending hereon it is more requesite for him to handle that hath the Oares the Sea at liberty then for mée that runne in so narrowe a streame This I say as all things were made created by onely one true and eternall God to fulfill that in Genesis In the beginninge God created Heauen and earth And in Iohn In the beginning was the word the worde was with God and God was the worde all things were made by him and without him was nothing made that was made And by him were all things bothe in heauen and in earth visible or inuisible Whether they be Maiesties or Lordships eyther rules or powers All thinges were created by him and for him he was before all thinges and in him all thinges consisteth It is therefore Sacriledge and breach of the powre of the Lord to giue any thinge vnto any other or make his powre equall with the works of his hands that framed and fashioned all at the beginning But now to the seconde opinion As for these wée leaue them to the Lord the at his comming in the Heauens will looke vppon them whom they shall wel know to bée maker and Creator of all when the Element shall melte with fier and the Heauens fold like a Scroll And all that is in heauen and in earth obay him For the bréefe instruction hereof I will aunswere two Argumentes in this second cause One is this Adams sinne was iniquitie God willeth none iniquitie Therefore God willed not Adam should sinne If he willed not sinne then he doth not wil it nowe for he is now as he was then And to this tendeth the next He that doth the wil of God pleaseth God. Adam in breaking the commaundement pleased not God. Therefore God willed not he should sinne And Pigghius a bastarde diuine The Iewes in crucefying Christ did that God would That God would deserueth not death That which deserueth not death is not sinne That is not sinne is not to be punished Then the Iewes in dooing that God woulde be not to be punished And nowe I require yee to giue me leaue a little and marke my spéech I doubt not but you wil sée and confesse with me the power of the Lords that out of that is euill can bring that is good to fulfill his will. Wherein I can not meruaile that Ierome stucke so stifely in the deniall of his prouidence and did not thinke that he was busied in small trifles or had to do with matters of little valewe And I note the blindenesse of our Papistes with whome Phillip Melancton bare was very frée and ernest in this and a man fearefull by nature gaue place vnto the papists in more things then this But for my owne part I teach thus this doctrin not in my owne name but in the Lords as hauing glened it by corne and corne from the most excellent best learned men vnder the Sunne of late days for God hath giuen vs more light then to them in former age in flourishing state among men Out of whose life I confesse my self to haue borowed much if ought the it be I possesse And Zwinglius and Oecolampadius the two lights very starres of their time are witnesse here Martinus Luther Martinus Bucer men of singuler learning and wisedome shall testifie the same and I call to witnesse in this behalfe Petrus Martyr and Iohannes Clauine of which two for sundry sciences for readines and liuelinesse in witte for eloquence and handsome handling of the scriptures no one can bee compared of late daies to them the LORD God did manifest him self so plainly to them I offer you there fore taken from these men my iudgement opinion to the thrée former argumentes To the first The will of any one is saide to bee of these sortes We are said to will a thing when we appoint and ordeine any thing to be done though we bee not partaker of the deede and delight not in the same The seconde Wee also are saide to will when we with or desire or delight or take pleasure or ordeine or constitute or ioy or thinke it good or estaeme it as comely or mainteine the same The third Wee are said to will a thing vppon the contraritie thereof For not forbidding it it commeth to passe we are often times said to be willing vnto it But as for the Lorde the God of hoastes he worketh by an other way and his iudgement is aboue the capacitie of man For God wrought not naughtines in Adames heart first But ordeined that sathan moued by his owne cankered and corrupt nature
parte of Naboth that fatte Chuffe Who hideth them that are in perrill from the face of Iesabell Who is not ready to sacrifise to Peor Who renueth the decayed Sanctuary Who ronneth not with Vzias to the Arke Who hath not forsaken the Lord and forgotten his holy Hill Who reareth not vp Alters vnto Iupiter and giueth not ritch burnt offeringes to the Planets as yet then I â—â—ow not or finde not that man that is blameleâ—◠〈◊〉 there any filled with wisdome as is the flood of Phison with his Buckettes or like Tigris when the new fruictes are growinge that bringeth in plenteous vnderstanding as Euphrates and filleth it vp as Iordayne in the Haruest that casteth out wisdome as floods or as the Waterbrooke of the Riuer or as Dorix when it is at the full or as the water Conduicte out of the Garden of pleasure That deceyueth not in his tongue that beguileth not his Neighbour that speaketh truth to all thensure I haue not or find not that man which is blamelesse Hath not wisdome cryed out doth not vnderstanding put forth hir voice standeth shée not in the heigh places in the stréetes and wayes doth shée not crie in the whole Cittie in the Gates and no man heareth hir Who regardeth the yellinge of the poore afflicted soule Who causeth the Hedge and Vineyard of the Lordo to bee repaired who hath brought Golde Incence Frankensence Mirrhe to him deserued it who layeth not his hands with the Souldiers to kepe Christe still in the Graue the hée rise not what cause haue I then to question any more with Paull I may not I ought not I dare not I should not for it is vndoubted and without question I know not I finde not that man which is blamelesse Then let vs seeke a litle farther happelye wee may finde some man by the way or some one thinge that may bée doone by man and that hée may clime vnto therfore wée come to the seconde parte of this seconde diuition of trueth not so harde as the other yet not so easelye as it is taken for and it is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Husbande of one Wife This it was put in because of the vnbeléeuing Bretheren that had diuers wiues in the law it was permitted and before the law Sobolis procreandae causa that the worlde might bee increased to haue many wiues Abraham had diuers wiues Iacob diuers Dauid married Abigail yet had hee two beside naye and more too Elcana was indifferent well wiued but hee had brawles enough with them and it went hard with Iacob wheÌ„ hée was bought and solde in the féelds with his Sonnes Mandragoras So vnlouingly these louelesse toyes causeth broyles in braineles loue I finde not in the conrse of all the Prophets that anye one of them broake the rule of the Lorde in this and if Monuments were searched which haue you of all Dianaes Préestes of Apollos shauelinges of those Romishe Flamines that haue not run vpon the sword vpon death vpon fier then they would once violate breake their chastety Of those that bée this day at the Altar of the Lord that poore out his Incence and offer at his Table how many is there whom the Gospell cryeth out vpon and these dayes hath spewed forth from of the face of the earth as vnworthy to abide in the tentes of Iacob for this villany A forte there be euen in the house of God fitter to sporte it with the Timbrell and the Pipe then to take in their handes the Booke of the Lorde Helyas looked vp to the Heauens and saw a blacke Clowde wherby hee iudged that rayne was comming to helpe Israel with all Is there none here of all the Prophets that will looke vp to the HeaueÌ„s to bring tidings to this people Surely it may bée doone and safely For if euer vengaunce approched nere vs and tempests and stormes fell on vs these are the dayes wherin the ayre is blacke and glowmy and full of thicke clowdes readye to powre forth rayne and throwe downe Hailestones to consume vs for the aduowtery and incestiousnes of vs the Cleargie what a number haue béene depriued of late what a number are suspected now I it was a a sore lesson I it was a good lesson I but it was a harde lesson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratianus that vile and filthy wretch with others that rabble forbad Mariage The Gretian Church and the Latine suffered it a long time Silitius setled established it in Spayne Gregory in Silitia and it was assayed in Germany But Augustanus Maguntius and Hildebrand disanulde it These dayes are so miserable that Concubines bée but common ware and men of conscience yet in these Marchaundrise will strayne their conscience Polygamos Digamos Trigamos Centigamos if so you will they spare them not at all so it be doon in the Closet I am perswaded before the Lorde and that among vs who be of the housholde of faith that Solomon his so greate a number of Concubines the royaltie and statelinesse of his princes are scarce able to serue the gréedinesse of some our English wan tons that bee amonge vs the Lorde cut them off and giue Micheas a bolde spirite to tel them of it Let vs come to the third part and sée what it is that followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Watching A great charge it is that is giuen to the minister of the worde of God who as one to tender the care of his launched patient ought to be readie at all assayes to winde and folde vp the rawenesse thereof And this was it Christ said to the twelue get you and preache you And the fiftie hee sent foorth healing and teaching in his name also Christe in Iohn you shall beare witnesse of me In that last prayer the charge hee gaue vnto them he lifted vp his voice and saide sanctefie them O father in the trueth thy worde is the trueth as thou didest sende me into the worlde so do I sende them into the worlde and againe to Peter féede my shéepe and againe a good shéepeherd giueth his life for the shéepe and they here his voice and they are led by him Esay the Prophet threatneth out vengeance against them that liue securely and carelesly in their charge Woe be vnto Syon Wo be vnto Ierusalem Wo be vnto Ephraim and Woe vnto Manasses Her Priestes bee blinde ignoraunt euery one of them the are domme dogges that cannot barke looking after vaine and wanton things And this vice it is two common the Lorde knoweth among vs that are become continuall sléepers and lye downe in our lassiuiousnesse and belshe out in our talke most infamous blasphemy against the Lorde I here the voyces of good and wise men tinkling in my eares of the dissolute ministers in the country and that be abrode But let good men blushe let them that shoulde sée be blinded the Lorde wil one day take away this Vayle and vncouer their faces to sée better I sée it and
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
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.
our brethren as vvel as our ovvne selues the vvhole church as our priuate familie * In Israel god permited none to beg but vvith vs the number of them is so great their miserie such and our harts so stonie and our dealings so harde that scarce a peece of bread can be aforded them Such is the condition of man that the same thing vvhich hee hath this day the verie same hee misseth on the morrovv If vve had no thing but of our ovvn vve might vvell enough bee stript naked and seeke corners againe to hide our shame from the Lorde The abuse of Englande in feastings and banquetting is a byvvorde to all the nations on the earth All that the dayes of man is labour and tediousnes in the ende his substance is not great he carrieth nothing vvith him to the graue * The portion of the sinner is death his vvayes is perdition his glorie is shame his children bee beggers and his name is buryed in dishonour Rara auis in teris nigrosiue simillima signo The description of a vvorldely man. London is vvitnes hereof the proportiâ— on stature height of vvhome vvas dravven out this last yere 1577. giuen of God an example for euer to shevv hovve men should bestovve their riches and a hosiar dvvelling in Burch yarde lane If the riche man haue no thing he curseth if hee haue a littell hee desireth if hee haue much hee svvelleth but if hee haue honour then he forgetteth God thus the vngodly haue neither beginning or ending of their vvicked nesse As the smoake from the fier so should our prayers asceÌ„d vp altogether to the Lord. The vvilling minde the ready hart hee that is thankful vnto God is hee that is accepted of the Lorde We ought not to sease at any time froÌ„ prayer but the remembrance thereof ought to be as the devv of the morning or as the frosts in Win ter that faleth not As bare vvordes edifie not so a rehersall of Gods commaundemeÌ„ts profite not vvithout beleefe steadily fixed in him If Poets haue put religion in vamties vvoundred at follies vvee may be amazed in handeling matterâ— of faith The humble spirited man is better then Sacrifice and lovvlinesse of heart and contrition is the burnt of fering As poyson to the bodie so is vngodlines to the soule as corruption to the fore and the vvounde so is sinne and iniquirie to the mind of man. If God pardoned not no flesh coulde be sauid the pardones of the pope vanish avvay here for vvee haue remission and our debtes is paid in one Christ After the fall of man vvee had an eternall couenant giuen vs otnervvise vve had been past hope of recouerie Praescitians Nisenesse ioâ—ned to open vvickednes causeth blind nesse If God helpe not vaine is the hope of man and in our fall if he raise vs not vve lye still By our debts vve are put in mind of gods iudgements vvhich in our selues vve can neuer paye or aunsvvere for them sufficiently This puritie in this your securitie is plainly shevven to be in fidelitie Weakenes is ours as for strength it is the Lordes The protestation of his fayth that vvilbe saued Lactantius a lactaeo fiuâ—mine Gregorius Nazianzen Ambrose Bound vvee are and thrall euery one of vs and chayned to the infirmities and feeblenes of the fleshe in this terrestriall tabernacle Esay 4 4. Math. 18. The paymeÌ„t of man for that he ovveth is a liuely confession of his sinnes that are vvyped avvay in the bloud of Christ M. Gualter Arnobius Epiphanius Hylary The Ladder to reache to heauen vvith all and to attaine to God is faith Esay 53. â— Pet. 1. Tytus 2. 1. Timo. 3. Crisostome Augustine Theodoret. Thalassius Isychius Christ vvas oftered vppe once for all neither needeth man dayly sacrifice but in this vvorde the fathers shevve hovv much vve are bounde to the Lord in that Christ vvas layd on thealter to be slayne fovs Paulâ—nus This for giue nes of oure sinnes as vves for giue others is an assured pledge and certeine token that vvee bee the Lordes That vvhicht is of duety can not haue any revvard that vvee are bounde vnto can not be of our selues that vvhich is not freely vvithout compulsion can not purchase redemption then our life vvherin vve are led your vvorks vvhich are bettred by the spirit take vvipe avvay al hope and saluation that coÌ„meth of them for vve haue all by the spirit of god Ciptian I marueile hovve they can excuse them selues that put so great religioÌ„ in a surples and a cap or in orders motes in respect of that vvickednesse lieth vvithin them but can goe to lavve for euery trifle and take many poundes for a vvorde speking and be at continuall strife and debate vvith their neighbour that death may sooner parte them then Christianitie rule them Magistracie is the ordinance gifte of god They be also called Gods on earth sitting as Iudges in the person of god to iudge righteously The manner of our priuate magistracie by priuate excommunicating â–ª vvithout the consent of them in authoritie the vsual custome in discerning the state of offenders and taking priuate matters to their handes is here cut of it is not to be allovved Iud. 16. Peter Martir Augustine Inanslayers condemned hearâ— Priuate excuses for priuate reuenge can not excuse vs. Our English â—uflars in steade of Courtiars vaunt it abroade The gentlenes of the father marteth the good nature of the sonne crueltie is good often times in steade of lenitee Hovv is England altered of late the russet coate is turned in to silkes and faithfulnes in covvardlines the stout maÌ„ is the murthering man â–ª All thinges are turned altered into pride Quietnes is the great blessing of God but the quarreller is accursed of the Lord. Roffeanlike Ministers Bloud is paid againe by bloud The priuate enimie and the dissembler is much vvorste then he that professeth enimitie The diuell the author of difcention hatred Desire of euil successe to his brother Euery man hath a cloke and a corner for his malice Praecisenes of life and vngodlines in vvorkes bee common things in the vvorld God can not be dishonored more theÌ„ in the shamlesse man that professeth him yet in harte hateth him for he neuer folovveth him Bretheren of onchoushold verie conscionable and of great presise nesse that knovv noâ— this Outragious dealing in dissemblers No lying permitted for any cause Periurie and forsvvearing though it be for such as do professe the Gospell it is detestable thou arte accursed that vsest it Gregor us Augustine This purenes is blindnes your precisenes filthines before God Thou thy brethren you haue your revvard for no vvickednes is to be concealed Augustine Examples that it is not lavvfull to lye in any case The experyence in all this hath bin â—â—ene of late and it is to be taken that it spread not farther A perilous kinde of Hereticke What happened to the vvriter
to the hope that Paul had receiued by faith in one Christ Or teacheth his younge scholer to be setled grounded in the lor◠For without controuersie it is the mistery of Godlynesse which is God is manifested in the flesh iustified in spirite séene of Angels preached vnto the gentiles Beleeued on in the world receiued vp in glorie Al which of the remission of our sinnes of our redemption wrought of our iustification finished of our glorie to be reuealed what assurance can we haue in this life where withall can wee be made certeine bowe can we comprehende the height the depth and breadth here of but only by faith in the same Christ For as Chrisostom in his sermon Of Faith Hope Charitie So determeine I in this place of the same Faith is the beginning of reighteousnes the head of our sanctification the entraunce or path way to our deuotion the foundation also of our religion Haec excludit dubia tenet certa promissa consignat hanc qui tenet foelix est Augustine de vera innocentia Cap. 352. Hath laide a perfecte platforme of our faith in my iudgment It is faith in Christ for so he saith to beléeue in him that iustifieth the wicked to beléeue in the Mediator without whom no man is reconciled to God. To beeleeue in the Sauiour which came to seke to saue that was lost To beleeue in him which sayd without mée yée can doo nothing Theodoret nameth this faith in his first booke De fide an assured agréement a consent or certenty or affiaunce that we haue of inuisible thinges which are yet to come The meaning whereof is expressed by Thalassius that calleth Christ our sauiour nameth him God in whome we are iustified that hee might quicken vs make vs aliue in him therfore also he hath giuen vnto vs faith to attaine life In his Hecatondate 4. Isychius though paraduenture it sauour a little of the law the Prophets calleth Christ a sacrifice For no man saith he can atteyn the sacrifice of our Lorde that is his death but by the spirite of god * In the. 5. vpon Liuiticus And I take this to be more necessarie to be knowen as I doe finde it most expedient for man For as without water there is no plāting or as without the son there is no prospering or as without wisedome there is no cunning No more is there life without doctrin or saluation without teaching or hope without trust or Christe without the worde or the worde without God or they al with out faith Paulinus vppon the death of Celsus hath a proper verse Nam veluti rupto patuere sacraria velo sic reserat nobis legis operta fides But ouerlonge I suppose in this and some what tedious and truely I confesse it for the libertie that I haue in Christ and the fréedome I haue gotten by his death hath swallowed me vp That euen nowe had I not bene admonished the you be already weary I shoulde haue forgotten my selfe in this my tarying It may be the late speach hereof soundeth in your eares that tossing it to and fro in my former reading requireth at this time I would not handle it so roughly And I am content to stay this course onely take of me this watchword he the beléeueth not he is a sinner and he that hath not remission in the death of Christe shat man cannot be saued The next is as we forgiue them that offende against vs Guen all those that trespasse or commit offence or endamage or hurt vs or seeke our life or goods or such like the reason whereof I take to bee this God hath promised to be kindly good to Israel to be a father and a Lorde vnto them to comfort them and helpe them as it is euery where then euen for our owne sake to liue thereafter to feare him We haue example in Christ to for giue others as he forgiueth vs for be you mercifull because I am mercifull And if that the Lorde hath pardoned vs that deserued eternall death and condempnation is it much for vs to forgiue our poore Brother that hath but offended in transitorie things hereon earth The example of Christ may mooue vs that when he was smitten did not smite againe and when hee was reuiled reuiled not And when he hanged on the Crosse and they rayled on him desired his father that hee woulde not lay their sinne vnto their charge Our praying here that hee would forgiue vs as we forgiue others is not therefore put in that wee by forgéuing shall receiue rewarde and that because we remit other their offences Therefore wee also shall haue pardone at the handes of God that were beastly in vs to thinke so For then it were by desert then were it of merite that we shoulde haue eternall life But euen here is our protestation the badge seen of our Christianitie in that we conforme and make our selues like vnto Christ that forgaue all Therefore Cyprian adiunxit legem certa nos lege sponsione cōstringēs sic nobis dimitti debita postulamus secundum quod ipsi Debitoribus nostris dimittimus For true it is that is in Math. With what measure we meat with the same shall wee be measured againe And if we play as that same vnfaithfull seruaunt did that when all was forgiuen him yet went and tooke the lawe of his fellowe seruaunt It is in a hazarde that he binde vs and cast vs not in the gayle and fetter vs till we haue paide our whole debt If thou be at the altar and then remember thou hast any thing against thy brother lay downe thy gift saith one of the Euaungelists by Christ and after recencilation made come and offer at the aultar It is an assured and most certein signe of our faith if we be such as our maister was It beateth and treadeth downe the pride and hautinesse of man that as he is most stately is often times bent to crueltie and as he is puffed vp reuengeth most as he is most guilty and greatest offender so he spareth none For as wee be rauished till we sée the bloode of him we loue not so here we are clipped of from this liberty That natural heate most commonly bubling within vs by our first birth is extinguished by the méekenes and humblenesse of spirite that we haue from the Lorde As I am not here of the opinion of that Stoycke to set fire on the house of him I hate to weare my drawen swoorde to wounde him I meete nexte that I hate most so permit I also a libertie to the christian a reuenge to the godly man that he appeale from priuate iniuries to open maiestracie And this daggar is able to wound the proudest Anabaptist of them all the I knowe this day whose priuate affection could neuer abide the any should sit in Moses seat But these hissing serpens