¶ A briefe necessary Instruction Uerye needefull to bee knowen of all Housholders Whereby they maye the better teach and instruct their Families in such points of Christian Religion as is most méete Not onely of them throughly to be vnderstood but also requisite to be learned by hart of all suche as shall bee admitted vnto the Lordes Supper 1572. ¶ To the Christian Reader IT shall not be necessary for me most louing brethren to shewe anye causes for mine own excuse why I haue attempted the setting forth of this little Catechisme as though I had rashly aduentured aboue that was méete to set forth any thing to be so common by my priuate aduise Or as though I had presumed aboue mine abilitye to become so general a teacher hauing my self so meane vnderstandyng For in these daies in which there is so great licentiousnes of printyng bookes as in déede it maketh vs all the worse who can blame it that hath any taste or sauer of goodnes be it neuer so simple if it had no other fruite yet this is great and plentyfull that in reading it we shoulde keepe our eyes from much godles and childish vanitie that hath now blotted so many papers We sée it all and we mourne for griefe so many as in spirite and truth do loue the lord What multitude of bookes full of all synne and abomination haue nowe filled the world No thing so childish nothing so vaine nothing so wanton nothyng so ydle whych is not both boldly printed and plausibly taken So that herein we haue fulfilled the wickednes of our forefathers ouertaken them in theyr syns They had their spiritual enchauntmentes in which they were bewytched Beuis of Hampton Guy of Warwike Arthur of the round table Huon of Burdeaux Oliuer of the Castle the foure sonnes of Amond and a great many other of such childish follye And yet more vanitie then these the witles deuices of Gargantua Howleglas Esop Robyn Hoode Adam Bel Frier Rushe the Fooles of Gotham and a thousand such other And yet of all the residue the most dronken imaginations with which they so defiled their Festiual and high holydaies their Legendawry theyr Saintes lyues their tales of Robyn Good-fellow and of manye other Spirites which Satan had made Hell had printed and were warranted vnto sale vnder the Popes priuiledge to kindle in mens hartes the sparkes of superstition that at last it might flame out into the fire of Purgatorie These were in the former daies the subtile sleightes of Satan to occupye Christian wyts in Heathen fansies And we as men that can not learne wisedom by anye examples to kéepe our selues from harme but as though the wickednes of our forefathers were not yet full we wyll make vp their measure and set vp Shrines to the woord of God and the wrytinges of all hys Saintes which our forefathers had cast out of all honor that their own dreames and illusions might be had in price To thys purpose I trow we haue multiplied for our selues so many new delightes that we might iustefy the idolatrous superstitiō of the elder world To this purpose we haue printed vs many bawdy songes I am lothe to vse such a lothsome woord saue that it is not fyt inough for so vile endeuours to this purpose we haue gotten our Songes Sonets our Pallaces of pleasure our vnchaste Fables and Tragedies and such lyke Sorceries moe then any man may recken Yea some haue ben so impudent as new borne Moabites which wallow in their own vomit and haue not bene ashamed to entitle their bookes The Court of Venus The Castle of Loue and manye such other as shamelesse as these O that there were among vs some zealous Ephesians that bookes of so great vanity might be burned vp The spirite of God wrought in them so mightely that they contemned the price of so great iniquitie in one Citie and at one fire they brought together the bookes valued to twoo thousand markes and burnt them al at once O happy light cleare as the Sun beames if we might sée the lyke in London that the chiefe streete might be sanctified with so holy sacrifice The place it selfe doth craue it and holdeth vp a gorgeous Idoll a fyt stake for so good a fire O Lord thou art able to woorke what thou wylt let vs sée this day that Iacob may reioyce and Israel may be glad So recompence thine enemies as they haue recompenced thée Of old they burnt the wrytings of thy Prophets and in their ages following they departed not from the synnes of their fathers but gaue the holy labours of thy Saintes vnto ashes nowe let vs sée the iust recompence of anger and make our good Rulers the instruments to execute thy iudgementes We haue now long inough played with our own fansies Lord rayse vp agayne thy word into honour that our eyes may be occupied in holy readinges And you deare Brethren that are yet in battail to fight against Satan pray and cease not that God alone maye be exalted in our daies that Satan may be troden vnder foote and that the woord of God the strong weapen of our strife may be geuen into the handes of all that their lyfe may be in safetie And be perswaded of this that there is no one thyng more enemy to the woord of God then these vaine and synfull imaginations of our owne vnbridled wits which haue now filled so many volumes And therefore I trust I can deserue no blame to aduenture the setting out of this short enstruction sithe my desire is only to aduance Gods glory and edefie hys poore Church that is yet so couered in darke ignorance when so many haue found leaue to spread abroad their labours that haue no other pleasure then offyn and wyckednes Now for that that I haue taken vpon mee to set forth vnto many this enstruction beare with me I beseche you and praye vnto God that we may all together hold the humblenes of mynde that was in Christ Iesu that we be not wise in our own conceits nor thincke of our selues aboue the which is conuenient but acknowledging the blindnes of our hart and the ignorance in which we are borne we may say with the most happy Apostle we haue nothing that we haue not receiued And of many other I do willyngly professe it I am the least but by the grace of God I am that I am and I trust hys grace is not in vayne in me But this that I here present vnto the Church of God I haue not done it alone but another faithfull labourer in the woorke of the Lord and a good brother in Christ Iesu whom God hath endued with great knowledge and blessed with much vnderstanding he hath taken the greatest paine and the greatest fruit must grow of his labours So that I haue not aduentured of my selfe but haue onely bene an helper of an other mans labour And the cause that hath mooued vs both is suche as
may be abolished Idolatrye rooted out Antichrist ouerthrowen Satan troden downe Hel may be confouÌ„ded the Gospel may encrease righteousnes maye shine and God may haue the glory This desire is the fruite of our lyse and ther is not in the world a better portion this we haue chosen and in this we wil dwel vntyl the fulnes of tyme that we shall say in our course Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace But we haue here not a litle feare and we sée the stumbling blockes that haue made our wayes daungerous True it is many men ar greatly to be beloued but this is as true there is none so good but Sathan wyll seeke to fift him Noe Lot Aaron Miriam Samson Dauid Martha Mary men and women of most excelleÌ„t vertue and such as the world was not worthy of and yet not one of these whom Satan wounded not yea almost vnto death The most glorious of all men subiect vnto synne was Adam him selfe and yet he was throwne downe into great confusion So that the Saintes of God for so I trust I may call them because of their great 〈◊〉 the Saintes I say that God hath sent vnto vs they haue great cause to feare â— to say wyth Paule VVho seemeth to stand let him take heede he fall not Sure they are â—f continual assaultes and euen at this present one aboue other shaketh all their faith Satan hath so rent a sunder the glorye of our Ministerie that fleshe and bloud is not halfe willing to beare the shame of the world that goeth after it He hath spoyled it of the due reward of al authoritie of al obedience loue reuerence honor that man should gene vnto it He hath layd vpon it much contempt many reproches great pouertie intollerable bondage so that though the calling be in deede the most precious inheritance vnder the sun yet the glory is so darkned vnto mortal eyes that al Nobility is quite fled from it the Gentlemen afraid to come vnto it the riche man rather chuseth any other kinde of life the men nest estate so hardly contented with it that S. Paule him selfe can finde but a few folowers that wyll cast away from them the clokes of shame not degenerate from the dignitye of their office But God shall once geue agayne vnto his Ministerie beuty in stéede of ashes and ritch apparel in stéede of sackcloth when he shal turne againe the captiuitie of Syon build vp the walles of the promised IerusaleÌ„ In the meane season we wyll lyue in hope and geue thankes vnto our God that hath brought vs hetherto One other assault of Sathan hurteth as much as this yea and so much the more because it is couered with the cloke of benefite sheweth vs a saluing medicine against the former wound For where as the Ministers liuing in most Churches is but smal he hath found this remedy that one man should haue many benefices whereas the reproche is not litle but euen the name is ful of disdain as to be called maister Parson Maister Uicar Syr Iohn a parish priest c. Agaynst this euyll he hath founde a remedye worse and geuen liberty to al that wyll to be Non residentes to forsake their charge to go where they wyl like masterles hounds to fyl the coÌ„mon wealth with worse then any ydle or vagabond persons Loe this is the vessel of poyson that Satan hath set a broch the cup of whoordome which the Pope hath begun of vnto al the world This is the head and fountaine of all spirituall darknes the roote from which the glory of Antichrist dyd first aryse the filthy spring of al abominations which by pestileÌ„t encrease hath ouerslowed kingdomes with most shameful slauery brought Princes into contempt set a vile person in the Monarchie of the world And yet at thys day it doth so dull the spirites of many excellent meÌ„ that their hartes are full of surfeting and yet they foole not their disease they wallow as I said in their own vomit and yet they see not their shame The hainousnes of this syune it is so displeasant in the sight of God that he hath reuenged it with one of his greatest plages in hardening the offenders hartes that they should haue eyes to sée not sée and eares to heare not heare and hartes to vnderstand and yet not vnderstand For wher as in many thinges they heare the voyce of God follow humbly his calling yet here they be deafe euen as the Serpent that stoppeth his eares that he may not heare the Charmer charme he neuer so wisely It is plaine y the spirit speaketh Be diligeÌ„t to know the state of thy flock and take hede to thy heards for riches remain not alway nor the crowne from generatioÌ„ to generation But yet the loue of riches gorgeous shew of honor hath so deceiued many that in many yeares they sée not their flocke nor care not at all in what pastures they be fed So much in vayne it is that the Apostle speaketh vnto them He that hath an office let him attend on his office The charge that S. Paul geueth to the Ministers of the Church of Ephesus is as plaine as may be spoken yet they caÌ„not vnderstaÌ„d it Take hede saith he vnto your selues to all the flock of which the holy Ghost hath made you ouersears to feede the Church of God which he hath purchased wich his own bloud Oh that this precept were written in our harts with an yron pen or a claw of Adamant that we could neuer forget it The often remeÌ„brance that we haue bound our fayth vnto the spirit of God that hee hath called vs for the instruction of his people and that they are the price of the blood of Christ would make vs at the last so to loue our duty that the Sunne and Moone should be ashamed at the sound of a Nonresident the name of that parson should be odious vnto vs y would take vpon him a charge and looke not after it The Prophet saith that if the Minister declare not the iudgements of God against hym that synneth the wycked man shal dye in hys syn but his blood shall be required at the hands of the negligent watchman And the Apostle to the Hebrewes speaking of the faithful Minister sayth that they watch ouer the soules of those that are committed vnto them as they that shall geue accompt if any of them perish If these two be sufficieÌ„t witnes that according to the law the truth should be estéemed by their woord most certain it is that our negligent Pastors who haue couered them selues as Salomon sayth with thicke clay and multiplyed their benefices tyll they be many in number they must needes thinke they haue an heauy accompt against the day of christ Neither gold nor siluer nor the pride of honor shall be acceptable in stéede of the soules of their brethren But so
hath made the Children of God euen to faynt in their mourning vntil they shall sée the great mercies of God to take awaye the cause of their griefe We sée the great ignorance in which the people are euery wher couered the cloudes of darknes more then the darknes of Aegypt haue so ouer shadowed them that the light of the Gospel of the glorye of Christ who is the Image of God it doth hardlye or not at all shine in their vnbeleuing hartes Scarce one of a great many can giue an accompt of their faith yet S. Peter requireth it of euery Christian. A very few haue tasted the beginninges of the Gospel of Christ and yet S. Paule biddeth that the word dwel plentifulfully in eche one of our hartes The Apostle blameth the ignoraunce of the people who haue learned yet no further then repentance from dead workes and the first enstructions of the faith toward God But O Lord howe many thousands of vs of fayth and of true repentaunce can say nothyng The Prophet speaketh of the kyngdome of Christ that in those daies the earth should be ful of the know ledge of the Lord as the waters that do couer the sea where is now that blessed spirite of vnderstandyng to be poored vpon vs And wher is this riches of the knowledge of God Are not rather the multitude of our brethren clothed with darknes so that they grope in their wayes as at midnight know nothing of the way of lyfe We pray dayly according as we are taught Let thy kingdome come if we speake not like the Parets in woordes without vnderstanding then this is our meaning let thy spirite beare rule in our hartes and the knowledge of thy woorde lighten the eyes of our mynde And what do we then els but dally with the Lord if we pray styll for knowledge and yet sleepe stil in ignorance◠Then thys is louing Brethren a good excuse for our boldnes if in so great necessitye according to our talentes we séeke to be profitable vnto many If any thinke that there are already sufficiently set forth many Catechismes I do easely graunt it but they are not sufficiently learned neither yet can be For it was necessary in the best and most godlye of these labours whilest the Christian faith is plainly taught to edifiyng of the simple and conuincing of the aduersary that the faithful teacher should vse moe wordes then can be caried in mynde of the ignorant man And therefore I thought itgood as briefly as I could to comprehende the effect of all that the begynninges beyng made playne and easely printed in memory we might enter into reasoning and disputation with our selues enstructing one another and helping one an other that we might haue the more fruit in the lōger labours of others but most of all that we might be encouraged to the most holy and liuely woord of God to drinke wyth continuall desire of the fruitfull spring euen vntyll the water of lyfe do flow vp in our hartes vnto euerlastyng gladnes the day starre do arise in our hartes which may lighten our mindes in to the knowledge of the God of glory There is nothyng remayning more why this labour should be misliked except anye man would thinke that euery Congregation had a sufficient Pastor to instruct those that were ignorant so that they should not néede any straunge Teacher God graunt that in time to come this maye be found true But yet we are farre from it euen as light from darknes or death from life or as knowledge and vnderstanding is from insensible blyndnes O that we had eyes to see so great miserie For sure it may not wel be iustified that in so cleare light of the woorde as God hath made now to shine vpon vs that there was euer nation which had so ignorant Ministers We maye here in compare with the man of synne him selfe I do not knowe that in the midst of all hys abominations there was a more lothsome sight of that idolatrous priesthood then we haue set vp among our selues to be fellow labourers among vs in the Gospell For what though they excéeded in loosnes of life Yet their darke and barbarous religion was so thicke a cloude spread ouer their maners that the fulnes of their lynnes was not easely seue But we haue the light that hath made althinges manyfest and the Sunne hath shined that hath disclosed iniquitie so that there hath not bene among vs any popish Priest so dronken nor any alehouse Chaplen at such a perpetuall truce with hys drinking pots that hath possibly purchased so much discredite to his belly God and kitchin faith as our dum Dogs and guides do dayly multiply against the God of Israel and the faith of his anointed our onely God and Sauiour It gréeneth me to remember and lotheth me much more to rehearse the estate of the ministration into whych we are fallen We haue good time now to complayne wyth the Prophet like people like priest Euen the same coueringes of Israel that shadowed then their glory they haue spread thē selues agayne as the heauens are come ouer our head in so great a tempest of blindnes ignorance that they haue shaken the foundations of all our comfort We saw in deede Halcionios dies the glad and pleasant daies in which our hope shined when first our happy gouernment turned away our sorrowes brake the yoke of Antitichrist deliuered vs from the power of darknes and caryed vs among the Saints of God into the kingdome of light But our hope hath since suffered a great Eclipse from the fulnes of her beutie such hath bene the malice of Satan He attempted agaynst vs euen at the first his most pestilent practise and hath brought accordinglye hys purpose to effect When God had turned the wyl of the Magistrate and enclined his eare to vnderstāding when he had geuen vnto him courage to scatter the enemies of his truth and planted true feare in his hart to establish his Gospel then the subtile Serpent which had turned all his deuices hether he bent his violence and thys counsell pleased hym best To corrupt the Priesthoode who should instruct the Prince by Vrim and Thumim that if thus he might darken the light of the people it might be the more easy to leade them out of the way Then he entred againe and with more successe into hys first assaultes wherewyth he tempted once our sauiour Christ He robbed the Minister of his blessed hope in the prouidence of God and made him seeke the wayes ful of vile shame to get his bread He hanged before his eyes an other veale of pompe and vanitie that he could not with open countenance see Christ but folowed the present plea sures that better liked him And so first woūding the head the infection hath growen since into the other partes of the body that now al most there is nothyng but woundes swelling and sores
it is they are shut vp in blindnes and God hath couered them with a spirit of slomber they are set down in the counsels of the mockers despisers which say in much securitye where is the promise of his coÌ„ming O curssed law of liberty that hath so dulled their spirit And O bottomles pit and hel of whooredomes out of which such a stincking sauour coÌ„tinually breatheth of Pluralities Totquots and al maner faculties and dronken dregs of popish abominations O Lord God we beseche thée multiply thy spirit yet more vpon thine anoynted chosen seruantes Leade them into the mydst of thy Sanctuary that they may drinke full of thy louing kindnes And enrich them so far wyth all thy blessinges that they may sée wyth thy Saintes what is the height the breadth the length the deapth and how vnsearchable is the ritches of thy glorye that hast alone immortalitie and dwellest in light which shall shine for euer That thy manyfolde mercies which thou hast multiplyed vnto them may be made perfect in that fulnes of spirit vntyl they shal say vnto themselues euen with the zeale of that noble Prophet and King I wyll not enter into the tabernacle of my house nor get vp into my bed I wil not suffer mine eyes to sleepe nor mine eyelyds to slumber vntyl I haue caused this land which thou hast blessed to spue out the surfetings of this deadly poyson O Lord God thou that art able bryng this good thing to passe let not our synnes seperate betwene vs and thy goodnes but open thine eares vnto our praiers and poure out thy compassions vpon vs that we our Rulers may all reioyce and syng together wyth thy Saintes in the Apocalips Allelu-iah saluation and glory power be to thée O Lord our God for true and righteous are thy iudgementes and thou hast condemned the great whoore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication And therfore make vs say continuallye Allelu-iah and her smoke let it ryse vp for euermore Amen Farewell good Christian Reader and forget not thy deutie to blesse them wyth thy prayer who haue blessed thée with libertye and helpe them to the gloryous triumphe of the Gospel of Christ who haue broken from thy neck the yoke of Antichrist that they may long rule with righteousnes with peace and with ioy in the holy Ghost whose gouernmeÌ„t hath made thée free from the bondage of Aegypt from the spiritual Baby lou from Pope and papacie which shame hath shadowed and shal at the last close it vp for euer From my Chamber the. 22. of Aprill 1572. Thyne in the lord vE D. Roma 8. 22. ¶ Euery creature groneth together and traueleth in payne vntyll this present and not onelye the creature but we also which haue the first fruites of the spirit euen we do sigh in our selues wayting for the adoption euen the redeÌ„ption of our bodies ¶ A short instruction very necessary for all suche as shall be receiued to the Lordes Supper Question What is â—â—e chiefest dutie of a Christian â—an 〈◊〉 this lyfe Aunswer â—he chiefest duty of man not â—â—â—â—an onely but of all the creatuâ—es in the world in their nature is to set forth the glory of God. Question How shall we perfourme this dutie Answer To perfourme this duty it is necessary to know vnto what death we by our selues ar subiect What great saluatioÌ„ God of his free mercy hath geuen vnto vs throughe faith And what thankfulnes we owe vnto him for our deliuerance Question Tell me these thynges in order Fyrst what is syn and what doth it deserue Aunswer Synne is the breach of the law of God contayned in the ten commaundements and the reward of this synne is eternal death Question Rehearse the ten Commaundements Aunswer God spake these wordes sayd I am the Lord thy GOD whych brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage thou shalt haue none other Gods but me c. Question What meaneth this commaundement thou shalt haue none other Gods but me Aunswer The meaning of it is that I should acknowledge but one onely God that I shoulde honour and feare him that I should cleane vnto him that I should not do after the abominations of anye idolatrous people to worship stocks or stones that I â—â—ould not harken to anye false Prophetes that teache their own fantasies and not the woord of God That I should not seeke to any Sorcerers CoÌ„iurers Witches Soothsayers Charmers or any such But that I should harken vnto Christ alone and adde no thing to the woord which he hath spoken but put all my trust in God alone call vpon hym alone feare him alone and loue hym aboue all All this is contayned in thys fyrst commauÌ„dement Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me Question What meaneth the second commaundement that we shall not make anye granen Image Aunswer The meaning of this is that we shoulde not thinke God to be lyke either man or woman or gold or syluer or anye manner creature that we should not woorshyp hym vnder the similitude of Sunne Moone or any other thyng what soeuer it be to how downe before it But onely in spirite and truth we must woorship God alone and beside him no other no Saint no Angell no creature And that the worshipping of God alone be not according to our fansies but onely as hym selfe hath commaunded in hys woord If in anye of these pointes we be faulty we haue broken this second commaundement Question What meaneth the third commaundement that we should not take the name of God in vayne Aunswere The meaning of it is that we shoulde not sweare falselye nor rashly nor in light matters but with feare and reuerence make mencion of the name of the Lorde our God in truth in iudgement and in righteousnes to the glorye of God or maintenance of brotherlye loue in which causes we must sweare by the name of God alone neither by heauen nor earth neither by booke Saint nor Angell nor any creature As for Masse Crosse Roode or suche other we ought so to detest suche manner Idols that they shoulde not once be named among vs But we should haue onely precious in our eies the glorious and fearfull name of the Lord our god This is to obey this thirde commaundement Question What meaneth the fourth commaundement Remember that thou keepe holye the Sabboth day Aunswer To keepe holye the sabboth day is to come together and with feare and reuerence to heare the word of God preached vnto vs to receaue his Sacramentes with fayth and with repentaunce to pray together with one heart and voyce to shewe in outwarde doyng our inwarde sabboth that we rest from sinne and wickednes that the spirit of God dwelleth in vs and wor keth in this lyfe the beginnyng of our euerlastyng
rest Thys is the fourth commaundement Question What meaneth the fift commaundement Honor thy father and thy mother Aunswer To honour our Parentes is to feare loue obey and reliefe them or anye other that are vnto vs in their steede As our Princes and Rulers our Pastors and Ministers our Maisters and Teachers the aged and graye headed men And also all maner of Superiors that they may be honorable they must put on a fatherly affection toward their Inferiours Question The sixt commaundement Thou shalt do no murther what meaneth this Aunswer The Lorde here forbyddeth all kyllyng fightyng quarrelling and inward hatred all desire of reuenge all reproches and mockes of the dumme the deafe the lame or anye other impotent All hurt towarde our brother and that we should do good vnto all yea euen to our enemies and loue one another as our selues Question What meaneth the seuenth commaundement Thou shalt not commit adulterie Aunswer In thys commaundement the Lorde forbyddeth all fornication adultery vncleannes wantōnes al vnnatural lusts vnpure thoughts vnchaste behauiour filthye talke wanton apparell ydle pastimes glottony dronkennes houses of open whoredome and whatsoeuer els may allure to vncleaues Question What meaneth the eight commaundement Thou shalt not steale Aunswer The Lorde here forbyddeth all stealyng both in deede thought all deceite all lying and oppression all withholding of the laborers hire all vncourteousnes to the straunger widow and fatherles all gyftes to peruert iudgement all false measures and couetousnes and chargeth vs to be content wyth our callyng and to lyue of our own To obserue these thinges is not to steale Question What meaneth the ninth commaundement Thou shalt beare no false wytnes against thy neighbour Aunswer We are here forbidden to beare witnes in any vntruth by othe or by word we are forbiddē al flatterie and dissemblyng all flaunderous and yll reportes either our selues to speake them or to heare them of others nor in priuate offences we may not speake the truth to the hurt of our brothers good name if by priuate admonitions he mai be won but carefully bold ly we must testefy al truth what so euer we knowe to the furtherance of iustice Question What meaneth the tenth commaundement Thou shalt not couet thy neyghbours house c Aunswer Here in plaine wordes God forbiddeth all inward desire what so euer is vnlawful to be done which desire is not onely synful when we consent vnto it but the very motion is enemy vnto God and banished from his presence For it is vn possible those bodyes shoulde see God which can nourish euyll concupiscence in them euen as it is vn possible that corruption should inherite incorruption or that flesh and bloud in this similitude of old Adam shoulde inherite the kyngdome of god So that by this commaūdement most clearely we may see the image of that man that plea seth God euen such a one in whom is nothing impure neither in wyll nor nature Question Sithe these are Gods commaundements I sée now most assuredly how there is no man that synneth not tell me then what punishment is due vnto our synne Aunswer The reward of synne is death not onely the present and transitory chaunge which we shal all taste of but ◠second death an other euerlasting death the cursse of God and his heauie wrath which hath no end euerlasting condemnation and the paines of hel which abide for euer not onelye in soule whose worme dyeth not but in body also whose fyre shal neuer be quenched Question How say we then that God is merciful if his anger be such as shall neuer be pacified Aunswer God is in dede a God of all mercies and father of all consolations whose louyng kyndnesse hath no end and in the great ritches of hys compassions he hath appointed to make knowen the glory of his maiestie vnto hys children But God is also iust iudgeth righteously and therfore to such as through infidelitie despise the ritches of hys goodnes and disobey the woord of hys gloryous power he hath appointed a iuste recompence of eternall death Question Now I know what is sinne euen the breache of the lawe of god And because of the excellencie of Gods maiesty whiche by sinne is offended I see the greatnes of sinne and how it deserueth eternall death of which without exception by nature we are all gyltie But tell me now is there no punishment in this lyfe by which we may recompence our sinne Aunswer There is no sufficient recompence in the world no goods nor multitude of ritches no liberalitie to the poore no whipping nor scourging nor hurt of thine own body nothing that thou canst deuise so precious is the redemption of thy soule and the continuaunce for euer Question Nowe I know what sinne is to what death it hath condemned vs without all remedie in our selues tell me now how we may be deliuered from the anger of God and the paynes euerlasting Aunswer Marke and I will tel thee pray vnto God to geue thee vnderstanding and low in humilitie of spirit I will declare the saluation of the Lorde when we had sinned and by sinne had prouoked God to anger and so wer subiect to Satan hell and condemnation that the righteousnes of God might stand it was necessary that these things should be borne and suffered the anger of God the tyrannie of Satan and the paines of hell which all folowed sinne and therefore he that shal be a sauior for our sinnes he must take this vpon him in his owne righteousnes he must be deliuered agayne from them Question Tell me then where shall we finde such a Sauiour Aunswer The Lord lighten our eyes that we may vnderstand the ritches of his glorious misterie the Lorde reueale his secret vnto vs the Lord make vs see with all his Saintes what is the height the breadthe the length the depth that we may syng vnto him the praises of al his mercies This Sauior whom we seeke for who for our synnes must taste of death yet in the power of his owne ryghteousnes must rise from death to life he cannot be found among the childrē of men All the righteousnes of Abrahā Isaac and Iacob it cannot recompence the least of all my synnes Adam and Eue while they were yet in integritie they could not beare the synne of the eating of one apple which was forbydden them Yea the Angels of heauen when they kept not the first estate but fell away from the truth in which they were created they could not beare vp their syn but it weyed them downe to hell and bound them for euer in the chaines of darknes so that in men and Angels ther is no hope But God that is ritche in mercies and whose compassions haue