likenesse truely in deed shalt not make vnto thy selfe shalt not deuise or abuse by the inuention and fantasie of man falsely framing in imagination any grauen image nor the likenesse of any thing any resemblaunce of creatures counterfayted through caruings or coloures in any matter place or time Thou shalt not bowe downe to them nor worship them thou being the liuely image of god created by gods wisdome vnto gods glorie shalt not submit thy self to honor or reuerence counterfeted creatures carued or coloured by the craft of man to satisfie the foolish fantasie of man vnder pretence or purpose to honor God in preferring the deuise of man vnto the wisdome of God a counterfeted resembling of a corruptible creature vnto the liuely image of the eternall god For I the Lorde thy God the maker and louer of all things truely created and made specially of thée o man as most like vnto me best beloued of me am a gelous God am greeuously offended when my beautiful image and amiable creatures bée shamfully abused by thy fowle fashioned fantasies For albeit in thy own conceit thine own work séemeth faire vnto thée yet in deed truth afore my face far fowler is that fashion of an eie which is without all sight than that which is much bleared and likewise that forme or figure of face and body which hath no life no féeling nor no sense is far fowler and worsse thā that which is full of al sicknesse sores Thy idols which haue eyes and sée not eares and heare not be nothing like vnto my creatures which séem as they be and be as they séem in forme and substance true and perfit Therefore I visit the synne I reuēge and punish the sinne of the fathers vpon the children proceding from the elders in their successors vnto the thirde and fourth generation of them that hate mee when as the elders deuise and giue and their successors take and followe occasion and ensample of sinne against mée especially when as they so disdayne mine honor abuse mine image and corrupt my creature as proueth plainly that they hate mee deserue that I shuld so punish them and shewe mercie in thousands and bestowe my mercy in forgiuing the faults and bearing with the infirmities of very many in long succession of them that loue mee liking and allowing in their heartes all my workes better than any of their owne deuises and kepe my commandementes alwayes readie and willing to do or not to do any thing as they be taught bidden of me Wherfore O mortall man sayth the eternall God concerning imagerie in the which is more noysome poison of counterfet corruption than auaileable profit of true representation of my good creatures purely and plentifully made and placed euery where by mée vnto my honour and glorie and vnto thy comforte and commodity if thou do loue and not hate me if thou wouldest escape vengeaunce and purchase mercie of mée take heede and beware that thou do not follow any subtile reason craftie inuention or common custome contrarie vnto this my commaundement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine For the Lorde will not holde him giltlesse that taketh his name in vaine O man lacking light and void of knowledge the Lord thy God that can be resembled by nothing nor named by anie word according vnto the worthinesse of his glorious maiestie and yet wil by many words and works notifie himselfe vnto thée as is for thy capacitie and commoditie hée commaundeth and teacheth thee with suche reuerent diligence to hearken vnto his woord and regarde his workes and such his ordinarie meanes as may make continue and increase in thée vnfayned feare and loue of him by true knowledge and remembrance of him Wherefore Thou shalt not take in vaine without increase of honour vnto him and comforte vnto thée his name in anie of his wordes or workes especially his holy Scriptures and godlie saccraments For the Lorde God which by his woordes and woorkes doth declare and witnesse sufficiently vnto a ll men anye truthe wil not holde him giltelesse will not iudge him out of fault or suffer him escape vnplagued that taketh his name in vaine that taketh and abuseth his holy worde good creature or blessed ordinaunce to couer or confirme any lies and vanities or else refuseth and neglecteth the same as not necessarie and sufficient to teache trie and wytnesse any godlie truthe and veritie so as is most vnto Gods honor and glorie and best for mans comforte ▪ and commoditie Therfore O man being of thy selfe a shameful lier and yet by Gods grace called and ordayned vnto the knowledge and witnesse of God and of his truth vnto his glorie and thy comforte with dreade loue and reuerence to bring and keepe the knowledge of God and his truthe amongst men thou shalt search in the holy scriptures desire of god in faithfull prayers and declare and witnesse in time expedient the truthe of God in the name of god For vpon all such as béeleue blinde prophecies or arrogant Astronomers that call vpon Diuels in coniuring or that abuse the name of GOD in swearing or that fearing to professe the truthe haue hope in dissembling and lying will God bée reuenged when as they by strong illusion wrought by the subtiltie of Sathan bée woonderously deceyued too bée worthily plagued and damned bicause they would not receiue the loue of the truth that they might bée saued Remember that thou kepe holy the Sabbothe daye sixe dayes shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast too do but the seauenth is the sabboth of the Lorde thy god In it thou shalt do no manner of worke thou and thy sonne and thy daughter and thy man-seruant and thy mayde seruant and thy cattell and the stranger that is within thy gates For in syxe-dayes the Lorde made heauen and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seauenth day wherfore the Lorde blessed the seauenth daye and hallowed it O man bannished out of pleasaunt Paradise for thy sinne vnto painfull penance vpon earth to eate there thy breade in the sweate of thy face all the dayes of thy life and yet by the grace of God hauing prouided and graunted vnto thée for release and reléefe a holy sabboth of solace in the Lord thy God now in all trauayle and laboures duely seruing thine owne necessitie thou mayst and shouldest feele cheereful comfort in mindfull remembrance of keping a holy Sabboth vnto Gods glorie And as the last day and ende of the weeke was the sabboth of the Iewes so after all trauayle and labours in this life to bée ended by death beginneth rest and quietnesse in the Lorde eternally to continue wythout any ende or feare of death and in euerie Christen congregation certaine times be appointed for all men to ceasse from bodily labours that they may with more quietnesse of mynde receiue more spiritual comfort yea and euerie man priuately hath
many iust occasions of some rest and quietnesse after his labours and businesse Seing therfore that al painfull labours pertaine vnto penance deserued by sinne of man and al comfortable restes be gratious giftes of Gods goodnesse vnto the reliefe and release of mans miseries Remember that thou keepe holie the sabboth day in thy painefull labours thou shalt continue chéere and refresh thy self with comfortable remembrance of ghostlie rest and quietnesse For syx dayes shalt thou labour and do all thou hast to do thou shalt with good corage in any labors to discharge thy duety continue at all times but the seauenth day is the sabboth of the Lorde thy God but then when as by any death any common ordinaunce or by some singular and peculiar occasion thou shalt of God bee dimissed from bodily businesse vnto spirituall rest and quietnesse which time as the last day of the weeke and the ende of al thy workes and businesse thou shalt euer kéep holie euer reserue referre wholly vntoo the Lorde thy god In it thou shalte doo no maner of worke theÌ„ shalt thou not be troubled with worldly affaires or bodilie businesse but receyuing comfort and consolation of the Lorde render thankes and praise with ioy and gladnesse of minde for in remembring to mortifie thy flesh with bodilie labors vpon the worke dayes thy mind shal not be weried but well dysposed vnto all charitable exercises and godly meditations vpon the holy day vpon the day time graunted and giuen of god vnto thée that then thou refreshing thy mind in quiet godlie meditation shouldeste not burthen thy bodie or cuÌ„ber thy conscience with worldly cares or businesse then shalt thou leaue of all such labours thou and thy sonne and thy daughter and thy man seruante and thy mayde seruant and thy cattel and the stranger that is within thy gates as all that béelongeth vnto thée were made partakers of punishmente when as thou was put to penance for sinne so shall they all haue their parte and portion of this reste and release graciously giueÌ„ to thy recreation renouation For in syx dayes the Lord made heauen and earth the sea and all that in them is for the Lord that made al things appointed al other times for necessary works and rested the seauenth day shewing by example that a pleasaunt rest shoulde remaine after the end of times consumed in labours VVherfore the Lorde blessed the seauenth day and hallowed it Wherfore O man the Lorde god hath blessed the time of his rest froÌ„ thy labors with most plesant blessings vnto al creatures hallowed it in most acceptable seruice vnto himself Wherfore thou remeÌ„ bring with diligeÌ„ce the dispatch of al worldly works in due time to kepe al thy rest euer wholy holie vnto the Lord shal most and best praise god please other comfort thine own coÌ„science according as thou hast here example coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of the Lorde god So this manner of kéeping of my sabboths is a sure tokeÌ„ signe that I the Lord God do sanctifie thée with all that thou hast to kepe a continuall sabboth or continuall quietnesse of conscience seruing mee the Lorde thy God in holynesse and righteousnesse all the dayâ—s of thy life As contrarywise the breaking or abusing of my sabboths is a certain signe that such as so do be subiect to Sathan the prince of this world euer labouryng with corruption of minde and conscience to serue them selues in vngodlinesse and wickednesse all the dayes of their liues So are not suche men sanctified by me but my sabboths and all that they haue of me be polluted and abused by them Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may bee long in the lande whiche the Lorde thy God giueth thee Bicause thou arte a childe of suche follie and fraylenesse that thou canst not sufficiently prouide for thy selfe nor charitably liue in order and kéep company with other but by the fatherly protection and prouision of suche as I the Lorde thy God of fatherly affection towardes thée haue placed in authority ouer thée Therfore thou shalt with all louing obeâ—ience and due payments honouring them obey and glorifie mée that thy dayes may bee long that thou maist continue wyth comforte vnder the protection of them whose heartes alwayes be in the hande of the Lorde to maintaine and direct that power and authoritie which they haue of the Lorde euer to correct punish or destroy euill doers and to cherish rewarde and defende them that do well in the lande which the Lorde thy god giueth thee in place or in places which the Lorde God of louing fauour towardes thée wil euer prouide so as he foreséeth and knoweth bée most méete and expedient for thée Thou shalt do no murther Thou thy selfe being a man shalt in no wise by thought word or déed commit anie suche euill as in any wise hurtefull vntoo the life of man for the hurt of mans life is the sheading of mans bloud and the sheading of mans bloud vpon earth cryeth vnto God for vengeaunce to fal from heauen God which searcheth the heart séeth al that lieth lurking in the minde so that if there bée in thy hart any hate of thy brother thou art afore God a murtherer yea he is the cause of the death of man afore God that lacketh loue to saue the life of man vppon earth Therfore that thou mayest kéepe thy handes cleane from sheading of innocente bloude and not be the cause and prouoker of vengeance to fal from heaueÌ„ vpon earth thou shalt do or wishe nothing that is euill vnto any man but all that is good to the vttermost of thy power vnto euery man according vnto the meaning of this commandement giuen of god vnto man for the preseruation of man. Thou shalt not commit adulterie Thou whome God hath created like vnto his pure image and vnto whom he hath made a fellowe helper in like fourme to be coupled together in honourable matrimonie for the godlie continuance of thy kinde in succession shalt eyther keep thy self chast in pure virginitie or else in sanctified matrimonie liue wyth thy yoke fellowe only so that no filthie luste in thy hearte loke of thine eye or gesture in any parte of thy bodie defile thy flesh with adultrie with any manâ—r of corruption contrary vnto the purenesse of godlie matrimonie For al filthie lust coÌ„ming of that séed which god hath created in nature and sanctified in wedlock vnto the increase of mankinde when as it is not dysposed and vsed in the holinesse of matrimonie vnto the blessing of succession and the auoiding of fornication then doth it vnnaturally and vngodly defile delude and driue bodie and minde of man to abuse refuse and breake godlie wedlocke vnto the corruption curse and perdition of man his séede and succession Therfore thou shalt auoide all such vnnaturalnesse such vngodlinesse such corruption cursse and perdition and kepe thy self pure in spirit in soule and bodie if thou kepe
by hearing and beleuing the glad tidings that the séed of the woman should break the head of the Serpent escape al danger of sinne and damnation thorow al temptations troubles and trauels in this world vnto ioy and glory euerlasting in the kingdome of God. Here is an example in Adam at the first shewing vnto all men that should come after for euer that nothing is so good as that it may continue commodious and comfortable vnto man without fayth in Christ by the light of the Gospel nor nothing so euyl but that it shall serue by the grace of God vnto the profit and plesure of them that beleue in Christ according to the gospel Yea the righteous lawe of God which is a heauie yoke charging man with more than he is able to beare declaring sinne and working wrath when it is separated from the gospel fayth in Christe bringeth cursing death and damnation vnto man but being well vsed to driue and force men vnto the comforte and perfectiō of the gospel by fayth in Christ it is both holy and righteous in it self and also good and profitable vnto man Let vs therfore so abuse nothing as it may drawe and stay vs from faith in Christ and the libertie of his Gospell but so rightely vse the law and al things as they may best further and bring vs vnto Christe and his Gospell CHAP. III. A briefe exposition of the lawe wherein any man may learne to see and know himselfe THE first setting foorth of the lawe of God vnto man so as in wryting it should procéede thorow out all the worlde was in wildernesse at the mounte Sinai when as the Israelits deliuered out of Egipt through thered sea were assembled and stode round about the lower parts of the mountaine and the Lorde vpon the mountaine in flaming fire smoke cloud storme and thunder presently spake and sayd I am the Lord thy God O mortall man consider with what reuerence loue and diligence thou hearest remembrest and regardest this lawe then pronounced of the eternall God with such terrible sightes and signes and nowe conueyed and commended vnto thy eares and eyes by so many sounding voices and visible letters as make euery worde and iote euerie where most euident and present too be séene and heard of thée for the Lord thy God hath spoken written these words that they shall for euer by letters and voices be brought vnto thine eares and eyes in such sort as thou mayest euer heare and sée and shouldest take and kéep the law of God as a light commending the righteousnesse of God and confounding the vnrighteousnesse of man and as a good tutour or scholemaister to bring man from all presumption of himself towards a sure faith and trust in christ Sée therfore how wonderfully and how plainly the eternal God from the mount Sinai by infinite wordes and wrytings speaketh vnto thée in al places at euery time O mortall man saying I am the Lorde thy God. This shoulde with more thankefull reuerence be hearde and remembred of thée than if all men would say and assure thée that they bee thy freindes their golde thy good their riches thy tresures and that al which is theirs should bée thine For God hath well assured thée of his goodnesse VVhich brought thee out of the lande of Egipt out of the house of bondage These words wel taken applied vnto vs hée of more waighty matter than is the story of the bare letter spoken and referred too the Israelites only For when as these two things the storie in the letter and the mysterie in the full matter be not separated in sunder but ioyned together Then Pharao king of Egipt is also by signification the Diuel prince of darknesse Their passage through the red Sea wherein their enemies were drouned is also our regeneration in baptime wherby our enimies be subdued both fleshly lusts dayly mortified and spirituall powers continually vanquished Manna angels food as raine from the cloudes scattred amongst them is also the true liuely food of the worde of God out of the hart 's of the Preachers plentifully poured amongst vs Riuers of water running out of the stonie rock to refresh them is also abundance of the spirite procéeding from the father and the sonne to replenishe vs and many such matters so couered and closed vnder figures and shadows vnto them as could scarce then be perceiued which be all nowe wythout any straunge colours of darke shadows plainly and plentifully ministred vnto vs Therefore hearing or reading these wordes I am the Lorde thy God whiche brought thee out of the lande of Egipt out of the house of bondage Knowe that the eternal God speaketh vnto thée O mortal man which was by thine own corrupt nature a childe of wrath couered and kept in darknesse to serue in sinne vnder Sathan and art now from thence by gods mercie and grace deliuered and brought into the housholde of God as a Citizen wyth sainctes to serue God in suche holinesse and righteousnesse as is acceptable before him all the dayes of our life For he is the Lord that hath all power and authoritie Hee is thy God that is al gratious goodnesse with excéeding loue and fauour vnto thée which sayeth Thou shalt haue none other Goddes before mee Thou deliuered out of darkenesse of sin and danger of damnation too walke by the light of the truthe in the way of righteousnesse vnto eternall saluation shalte haue shalt honoure or serue beléeue or confesse with prayer thankes or praise none other Goddes which bée all Idols false formes and fashions of creatures craftily counterfeited by diuelishe illusion in mans imagination so that thou shalt not take any such vanitie to be thy god but mee which am in deed of perfit and infinit being and power goodnesse and glorie euen I onely am the liuing God and all others be no Goddes but vaine idols wicked diuels Therfore I giue thée this commaundement as a doctrine and charge for thée to flée from all euils dangers and damnation comming by them that thou mayst haue all good things with life and saluation of me onely And bicause althings at altimes in euery place yea euen the very secrete thoughtes of the heart be euident afore my face Therfore euer be mindefull how by thought word or déede thou dost honour or dyshonor me being euer in my presence euen openly before my face Thou shalte not make vnto thy selfe any grauen Image nor the likenes of any thing that is in heauen aboue or in earth beneath nor in the water vnder the earth thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them For I the Lorde thy God am a gelous God and visit the sinne of the fathers vppon the children vntoo the third and fourth generation of them that hate mee and shew mercie vntoo thousandes in them that loue mee and kepe my commaundements THOV created and made by the infinit wisedome and goodnesse of God lyke vnto his image and