yet was their doing wicked Arnobius saith of them Non adorabant statuaâ— quòd putabant Lib. 6. aes aurum argentuÌ„ aut similes statuaruÌ„ materias Deos esse sed quòd per ea dij inuisibiles honorentur That is They woorshipped images not for that they thought brasse golde siluer or such things to be God but because by thosâ— things the inuisible gods were worshipped Secondly if we looke to the scripture we reade a complaint in the book of Iudges for that the people left the God of Israell and serued Baalim Iud. 2.11 and what I pray you was that Did they thinke that image to be God No saieth the prophet Osee They haue called me Baalim meaning God that is Osee 2.16 they thought that worship which they did to Baalim was doone to God vnder the image and by the image and yet saith the worde They did euill in seruing Baalim Iud. 2.11 What can be plainer against this idle excuse if you will looke and mark the places wel Againe in the 17. of Iudges we reade of Micah his idols in the forme of men Iud. 17. as some thinke because Christ appeared diuerse times like a man And what Gen 32. Dan. 7. did he thinke those his idols to be God or worship theÌ„ as gods no his own words testifie the contrary for he saith Nowe shall the Lord blesse me when I haue a Leuite to my priest he doeth not say Nowe shall my Teraphim blesse me but nowe shall the Lorde blesse me distinguishing betwixt God and his images So that Micah did not thinke his idols â—o be GOD and so certainelie did not worship them as God but in them rather and by them thought he serued God who accepted that to himselfe that was doone to the image which represâ—nted him yet did he wickedly and sinned like an idolater in so doing Howe then should this popish excuse be good of worshipping GOD in the image I would to GOD with modestie and Christian chastitie men and women would thinke of this reason drawen by a godly man à pari of the like Would the husband be content with his wife or the wife with the husband if that duetie which is due of them one toward the other should be perfourmed of eyther of them to a straunger with this excuse that the Papists make No we knowe we could not beare it neyther would we with any such aunswere be contented And why should our hearts be so hard and our iudgements so bewitched that we should not thinke the Lord loueth his Church and euery true member of it aswell as any man his wife or any wife her husband and is as ielous of that spirituall duetie that is due to him as men are of the other The one is actuall fornication the other is spirituall so learned eueÌ„ in wisedome of God to beate into vs that hee can as ill abide the one as wee the other and yet wee will not sée nor conceiue Againe shall we thinke that the Israelites were so grosse as to thinke the golden Calfe to bee a verie God when as they knewe it molten and made of the earings that they plucked off Truely it is impossible For they knew that had a beginning and a God there was who had doone great things for them ere that day whose beginning they knewe not How then Why out of questioÌ„ they did imagine that the worship which they did to that idoll was doone to God in the idoll And yet whether God was pleased with that excuse or no iudge we all Let it fall then euen in the feare of God what mans head inuenteth against the Lord and his owne duetie and at the last let vs sée it to bée a vaine mocke to thinke wee can worship God in an image and by it or vnder it Another shifte they haue for defence of images in the Church but it is as ill as the former They are say they lay mens Bookes and stande in verie good stéede to put vs in minde of GOD. It is verie well And is euery kinde of Booke then good and to bee allowed of Or is euerie manner of rememberaunce by and by commendable If not then should they not onely say they are laye mens Bookes but proue that they are good bookes also in déede to that ende for otherwise many bookes may aswell hurt as profit the vsers of them as I said But this they doe not neither in déede can they doe and therefore the consequence they make is naught and falleth of it selfe if you marke it Nowe that they are no good Bookes but verie daungerous and deceyuing sightes for laye men or other whatsoeuer let the worde of the Lorde himselfe bee iudge Iere. 10.8 The Prophet Ieremie in zeale of spirite detesteth such Bookes verse 15. and refuseth to bee put in mynde of GOD by any such deceitefull meanes For the stocke sayeth hée is a doctrine of vanitie yea they are vanitie and the worke of errours and in the time of their visitation they shall perishe The Prophet Abacuck agayne sayth That the image is a teacher of lyes Chap. 2.18 though hee that made it trust in it c. Shall then a Booke full of lyes vanities and errour bée so good a Booke and rememberaunce to laye men Shall that which indaungereth the learned nothing hurt thinke wee the vnlearned O that wee knewe not by experience into what fonde and wicked opinions poore people haue béene brought of GOD by these painted and carued Bookes Howe many heartes lament their follie and howe many tongues to the praise of GODS mercy in visiting them with his light can and doe tell what fonde conceytes they had of the Lorde and heauenly matters seduced by the sight of their eyes Therefore since God hath saide it and experience founde it that they are so daungerous let them be Bookes for Paganes and Heathens surely for Christians they should not bee Which of the Prophetes or Apostles went about euer to haue images made either to put themselues in minde of any thing which the Lorde taught them or their people of any thing which they deliuered to them from the Lorde But they vsed the admonition of their brethren and especially by writing downe what they taught they helped this infirmitie of ours Signifying euen by that their practise what the meanes ought nowe to bee to put vs in minde of God and heauenly things chiefely his worde The Lorde himselfe saieth Deutro 4. Ye sawe no image but heard a voyce onely Therefore make no image and againe You sawe that I spake to you from heauen therefore yee shall make no Gods of golde nor siluer as if he shoulde haue saide my practise in speaking to you by voyce not by image shoulde teach you that by my worde and not by image I am to be remembred And it is a notable place in Esay Esay 30.21 that when the worde shall take place with his then they shal
new Testament that were married to begge any pardon for it at Gods hand or to insinuate anie way any impietie of theirs in so doing Which yet assuredly they would haue doone if the opinion of poperie had bin true concerning single life and matrimonie Lib. 10. ca. 26. S. Augustine in his booke of Virginitie hath manie words of the rewardes of matrimonie concludeth thus that eternall life is giuen of the Lord both to married vnmarried indifferently The councell of Gangren thought good to make this canon An. 333. Can. 10. that if any liuing single for the Lord should in arrogancie pride contemne those that were married they should be accursed Wherefore wee conclude this matter say as the Church of God said in that time Virginitie we coÌ„mend Concil Gangren Epiph. tom 1. lib. 2. baeres 48 widowhood we praise the chast bond of godly wedloocke we honour receiue But as for adulterie fornication vncleannes whatsoeuer either of body or mind we abhor it condeÌ„ne it Thus then I I hope you sée how the opinioÌ„ of chastitie to consist only in liuing single spruÌ„g vp euen by the diuell who knew not otherwise how to draw men to vncleannes being robbed of his former means than by making them to abridge themselues of the ordinance of God against the euil You haue séene also how false this is and that in godly matrimonie aswel as in single life there is liked chastitie of the lord You haue séene that neither of these estates haue any premineÌ„cie aboue the other in respect of greater pietie or merit but both of them alike acceptable to God if for the parties they be expedient only in regard of outward incuÌ„brances the one is more frée thaÌ„ the other Lastly you sée the vertue of this coÌ„mandement opposed to adulterie to be chastitie but how not to liue vnmaried as the papistes dreame but both in mariage out of it to kéepe body soule vnspotted of filthie lust concupiscence The other pointes of mariage it self of second mariages of poligamie of diuorce such like which were in this place to be handled I think good to cut off hauing taried alreadie too â—ong in this coÌ„mandement to reserue â—hem till some other occasion Que. Yet adde some thing concerning the punishmeÌ„t of them that breake this commaundement Ans The law of God as we all may â—ée Deutro 22. punished adulterie with present â—eath Fornication with mariage of â—he partie if the parentes would and if â—hey would not with a dowrie to be giuen The Athenians punished it with â—eath This lande of ours in the dayes of Canutus had a lawe to cut off the noâ—es and eares of adulterous women And for the spirituall punishment of it â—t was euer is 1. Cor. 6. and shall be damnation â—f body and soule in the pit of hell withâ—ut repentaunce The Application NOwe then consider what hath béene said euen as we desire true fruit of the worde of God vnto our soules let vs weigh our â—wne estate in euerie branch of this commandement The act of vncleannes howe it can accuse vs that God doeth know who hath hell in his hand to cast vs into it if we haue sinned And therfore if either with maried or vnmaried wee haue euer thus offended let his power be thought of let hell be feared and so foule a fault from the verie hearâ— roote be earnestly lamented Excuse iâ— not with youth or any circumstaunce cause or occasion in the world these scoffings of the Lord wil not euer be borne in youth we are Gods aswell as in age and in youth we should serue him asweâ— as in age if we do not euen youth shall to hell aswell as shall age Sinne séene and sorowed for left and forsaken hath pardon promised but sinne iested at and played withall hath vengeance threatned It is the voice of a Christian to say I haue sinned but it is the voyce of a reprobate to say still I wil sin wtout remorse The best may offende but the best can neuer continue offending And therfore take héede and if act can accuse vs let it neuer héereafter be able to blame vs for souden and feareful is the vengeancâ— from heauen that lighteth vpon adulterers From the act let vs come to the â—nwarde thought and as it is more priuie and we all more prone vnto it so let it be more carefullie weighed and searched out euen of vs all Let vs call to minde with a féeling heart how foullie howe fearefully and how euen continually we offende the Lorde by our hidden conceites Howe quickly créeâ—eth into vs an euill thought and howe swelleth it within wheÌ„ it once is there It worketh within vs as a thing most strong verie fowly stayneth vs oâ—ten â—ere we do coÌ„sider it Yea our negligence in this befalse doth condemne vs before the Lord and pronounceth against vs that wee feare more men than God For our outwarde actions we are carefull of so néere as we can to kéepe the blottes of them out of sight but our heartes being thinges hidden from the eies of men we cary litle care ouer them to kéepe them cleane from impure concepts What man may sée we are ashamed that he should sée but which God beholdeth our secret thoughtes we feare not at all to haue them foule filthie and wicked O what a God serue we that being able to set euerie thought wee thinke visible in our foreheads in great letters that euerie one which runneth by might reade them yet most mercifully spareth vs and is content our secret shame should not appeare to men Shall we still prouoke him shall wee still offende and grieue him Surely theÌ„ hotte wil be the wrath at last which so long his mercie hath withhoulden Wherefore to conclude this matter euen as we loue the Lord and our owne health let vs sée and weigh how déepely this lawe against impure thoughtes is able to charge vs let vs consider the cause if we can find it out that driueth vs vsually into such hidden sinne and héereafter as men touched with some Christian remorse that so good a God should so still be offended let vs ridde our heartes as we can of the effect by taking away or at least stopping in some measure the course of the cause The meanes and allurementes either to the actuall offence or the thought â—ondemned in this commaundement as we haue heard before are many and diuerse Sometimes the eyes disorderly wander and beeing not checked by a Christian conscience that feareth to giue them libertie too long they become the occasions both of thoughtes and actes wicked and damnable Sometimes behauiour vnchast and vnséemely Someties speeche wanton and light stir the hart vp to conceiue that thing and the wicked fleshe to perfourme it fully which God and nature abhorre as filthie The dalying tattles of these courting dayes the lasciuious songes made by loose mindes and
A very fruitfull Exposition of the Commaundements by way of Questions and Answeres for greater plainnesse Together with an application of euery one to the soule and conscience of man profitable for all and especially for them that beeing not otherwise furnished are yet desirous both to see themselues and to deliuer to others some larger speech of euery point that is but briefly named in the shorter Catechismes By Geruase Babington PSALME 119.59 I haue considered my vvayes and turned my feete into thy testimonies I made hast and prolonged not to keepe thy commandements AT LONDON Printed by Henry Midleton for Thoma Charde 1583. To the Right Honorable his verie singular good Lorde and Maister Henrie Earle of Penbrooke Lorde Harbert of Cardiffe Marmion and S. Quintine and of the most honorable order of the Garter Knight G. B. wisheth increase of all mercie and comfort in Christ Jesus for euer THe Lorde knoweth who searcheth my heart and reines right Honorable and my verie singular good Lord that being placed in the Vniuersitie with so great content both for profit pleasure and the exercise of my ministerie in such place as it pleased God most mercifully to blesse it in to my great comfort I had litle desire to make change of that estate so accompanied both with these and manie other speciall commodities til it pleased him that hath his times and oportunities for all men to direct me to your Lo. in such sort as he did and there first of your selfe and afterward of my ho. good Ladie to make mee heare so carefull so Christian and so zealous a regarde both of your selues and your whole retinue to be directed in the course that became the professors of the Gospell and the inioyers of these happie daies vnder so famous and renouned a gouernement of so worthy blessed and gracious a Princesse And thē I must needs confesse I felt a forcing resolution after I had a while striuen with the losse of these forenamed benefites with the farre separation of my selfe from all my friendes and with the discomforts incident nowe then euen to the best seruices So was it my good Lorde your zeale and affection to your God that then first perswaded me And truely euen the selfe same thing it was that euer after retained me more vnable than many but as willing as euer was any to the vttermost both of power and life to doe your Lo. seruice The verie selfe same thing it is also out of all question that shall euer aboue any worldly commoditie that may be offered them procure vnto your Lo. both in one place and other those that loue vertue and vpright dealing For verie well with themselues will they euer imagine as indeede it should be that where the Lord is feared and honored as he ought to bee there faithfull seruice will both be regarded conueniently rewarded there mē shall bee iudged according to proofe and not according to pratles there heat of affections shall not stirre to souden vndeserued displeasure but conscience to giue euerie man his due triall shall finde out the innocencie of the true dealer And what should I say There they will assure themselues euerie man shall bee vsed with conuenient incoragement credit comfort if his dealings doe deserue the same beside many moe verie speciall vertues of a maister fearing God VVherefore if I should wishe vnto your Lo. in a thousande tearmes many seueral and singular blessings and afterward include them all in one truely it must be this that you may euer know the God of your father and serue him with a perfect heart and a willing minde Knowe him I say by learning what he willeth and serue him by daily practising as hee inableth of that will For thus to the Lorde you shall become obedient to your Prince faithfull for your countrey carefull to your seruauntes that breake both body and braines in your affaires and beare the brunt of many an vnknowen toyle and hazarde comfortable and beneficiall to thousandes that liue vnder you honorable and good and to euerie man in a worde so affected and disposed as they that are alreadie in all dutifull right your owne may so remaine and they that are not by so cheerefull vsage and honorable vertue may daily be added and wonne vnto you VVherefore my good Lorde with all christian care continue your happie course in the waies of the Lorde and what Salomon saith remember often Heare counsell and receiue instruction meaning from the Lorde for they shall make a man wise in time Yea they shall so establish a man in the eyes of the Lorde as that his seede shall inherite the earth his name neuer be blotted out Cōtinue also that Christiā care to other the desolat flocks of the Lords people that with so great and iust praise your Honour hath shewed of late so many waies And amongest all or rather euen aboue them all as manie special causes bind me to wish I most humbly and hartily beg the same to your towne of Cardiffe vnable peraduenture in manie thinges but vnwilling I hope in nothing to deserue both fauour and furtheraunce in al causes tēding vnto good Amongest whome your Lor. in zeale to their good hath left mee and to whome for your L. sake I vow my selfe if I may doe them good Yet not more to thē than to the whole countrie and euen the verie meanest member therein they being all in generall so deere vnto your Lo. as manie priuate speaches haue declared what my power inableth mee vnto both for duetie vnto your H. and affectiō to themselues I trust they shall euer finde in mee and as faithfull an heart withall as euer had straunger amongst them And if your L. shal vouchsafe thereunto your Ho. and louing assistaunce in their worldlie causes whē they haue neede then may they say their affections are thrise well bestowed vpon your Ho. and their seruice due ten thousand times if it were more Presentlie I haue indeuored both for them and others to lay downe a briefe collectiō of such things concerning the commaundements of God as in larger maner both before your Lo. and them were handled And I presume to offer the same to your L. both for my priuate duetie beeing bounde if euer was anie to bee thankefull and that also it comming vnto them vnder the shadowe and shield of your Lo. protection whome they so reuerence and honor may be the more welcome the better accepted of For the Christian reader els where that shall weigh my drift and consider the place whereunto especiallie I intende it I assure my heart of his godlie and louing acceptance notwithstanding the matter hath bin handled by more able instrumentes by much because it is not in the same manner the Lord may bee glorified in all mens gifts Onely therefore of your Lo. I now most humbly begge that with wonted fauour this small trauell may be accepted and that vnder your Lo. name I may
this behalfe if we be not dead And a number mo reasons might yet be brought if I should make a treatise in a preface Only this one mo I must needes remember which me thinke should awake anie man aliue in this matter In the sixt of Marke it is said of Christ that going out and seeing a great multitude of people gathered together Mark 6. he had compassion on them because they were like sheepe without a sheephearde and hee went out and taught them many thinges And in the Greeke it is more vehement expressing as it were an aking of his heart as we call it or a yearning of his bowels to see so pitifull a sight as so manie people without a teacher Vpon which notable place I haue vsed in my selfe to make two conclusions First a comfort then a feare My comfort is this that he which mourneth to see his people want the benefite of his worde will giue his people his woorde if they seeke it and wish it and where he hath vouchsafed it alreadie there continue it blesse it and giue it power if we pray For otherwise howe shoulde it paine him to see it wanting My feare is this that if his heart ake to see his sheepe depriued of a shephearde hee will assuredly bee reuenged euen in great wrath of them that are the causers of it And for Christ his sake let it bee considered For as wee liue wee may not alwaies looke to laugh if we make our God to mourne Thus then if negligence be the cause that a countrey is not furnished with some able ministers me thinke we may awake our heartes by the worde of the Lorde and weying it well receiue from him some better feeling in so great a matter But if couetousnesse be the cause and we greatly giuen to sequester that benefit to our selues sauing onely some portion to one to beare the name then marke we againe the witnesse also of the same scriptures against vs euen in this And to saue mine owne labour my iudgement being young heare I beseeche you the proofes and reasons against this sinne by a godly and graue Diuine intreating of this matter laide downe vnto my â—ands First he alleadgeth against it that deâ—criptioÌ„ of a wicked Prince in the booke of Samuel amoÌ„gst whose euils this is named one 1. Sam. 8.15 that he will take the tythes and giue â—hem to his seruantes Concluding thereon that if the king might not take the tythes to himselfe because then they were due to the priestes by Gods owne order and commandement for the mainteinance of his seruice surelie no priuate man nowe may doe it so long as by authoritie the same are established for the ministers mainteynance and support Secondlie if in the law he was accursed that remoued the merestone of the field Deut. 27.17 because hee did wrong in succession to diuers ten thousande times more is the remoouing of the ministers liuing subiect to the Lords wrath because both presently successiuelie it is hurtfull to a number moe and in a greater matter Thirdlie by the Prophete Malachie the Lorde complayneth in expresse tearmes Mala. 3.8 that the taking away of the tythes and offerings from that ende that they were appointed vnto was a robbing and spoiling of him yea euen such a spoyling as he woulde visite with a great and greeuous curse Now if it were so then all the world must confesse it is no lesse nowe so long as authority ratifieth this means to maintaine the ministers and therefore assuredlie will haue a sharpe reueÌ„ge Fourthlie in the gospel the Iewes alledge it vnto Christ as an argument of loue to theÌ„ and their Nation in the Centurion that hee had built them a synagogue Luk. 7.5 plainely insinuating that they woulde haue iudged the contrarie if hee had spoyled their Synagogue of his mainteynance And Christ reprehendeth not this conclusion Fiftly if David the king standing in so great distresse for water 1. Chro. 11.16 yet would not drinke of the water of Bethleem because it was gotten with the daunger of some fewe mens temporal liues should it not teach a great conscience to any man in the world the tasteth of God his truth hopeth for coÌ„fort in anie other world howe he not needing peraduenture but abundantlie prouided for otherwise by the mercy of his God drinketh eateth that which is gotten with apparant hazard of eternall life â—roÌ„ the bodies and soules God knoweth â—f how many Truely rightworshipful it â—hould 1. Cor. 9. Gala. 6. c. and the power of hell is not able â—o deny it But such is the meat drinke or other mainteinance whatsoeuer that we reape by the Church when it is due â—o an other for an other purpose and â—herfore you know the conclusion Sixtâ—y all those places in the scriptures commanding and inioyning the worlde to a maintainance sufficient mainteinance 〈◊〉 able teachers in it doe plainly prooue 〈◊〉 sinne of this to sequester to our selues â—he liuings allotted to theÌ„ vnles some oâ—her equiualent or sufficieÌ„t way be taken â—or them by authoritie Againe Possidon in vita Aug. 10.24 if the graue learned father S. Austen was so highâ—ie offended and so sharpely rebuked a gentleman in his time for taking away â—is owne gift which before he had giueÌ„â—o the mainteinaÌ„ce of his Church wold â—ee not haue bin a seuere censor against â—heÌ„ thinke we that should haue taken away what neither they nor any of theirs euer gaue If the stories so coÌ„mend the noble Emperor CoÌ„stantine for coÌ„maÌ„ding goods â—aken from the Churches to be restored to them againe woulde they not haue blotted him aswell Euseb lib. 10. cap. 5. Tit. Liuius lib. 42. if hee himselfe had beene a spoiler of the same If the Romans so dealt with Q. Fuluius for vncouering a part of Iunoes temple to coueâ— an other temple in Rome with the samâ— tiles that they misliked him condemâ—ned him tolde him Pirrhus or Annibaâ— woulde not haue doone so tolde him 〈◊〉 had beene too much to haue doone to priuate mans house an inferiour placâ— to a temple and in conclusion forceâ— him to sende home those tiles againe may not such as garnish either theÌ„selueâ— or their houses with Church liuings an leaue neither teacher nor almost tileâ— where both should be well consider bâ— it what this people would haue thoughâ— of them if they had liued there Anâ— what is the concept of a people proâ—phane in respect of theirs that knowâ— and serue the Lord These then and dâ—â—uers other reasons which for feare 〈◊〉 length I pretermit alledgeth hee theâ—â— against this foule offence Onelie oâ—â— place more I must needs remember anâ— it is a good one to wit howe Balthasâ— â—â—ng of Babylon himselfe his Princes â—â—s wiues and concubines drinking and â—asting in the vessels of gold taken from â—â—e Temple euen then espied the finâ—â—rs of an hande writing vppon the â—â—all before his face that his
knowledge sake of Christ Iesus his Lorde and did iudge them to bee doung that he might win Christ And certainely what heart of man or woman soeuer knoweth God indéede what he is in himselfe and to all men and particularlie to it many thousande wayes as impossible it is it should not loue God againe aboue all and euen grone that it can loue him no more as it is vnpossible fier should want heate or water moysture Que. What braunches hath the loue of God springing out of it Ans Whosoeuer loueth God loueth also his worde Psal 119. vers 103. Luke 10. 1. Thess 5. 1. Iohn 3.17 Psal 15.1 the ministers of the worde the poore and all that feare God for these with such like are the braunches of the loue of God which if they be not in man and woman certainely neither is the other in them it selfe And as these all are commaunded so are the contraries forbidden and condemned â—y this Lawe What the contraries â—re beside that by these they may bée â—nowen they are expressed more fully 〈◊〉 the examination of conscience touâ—hing the same annexed at the ende of â—his commaundement Que. What is the second duetie that â—olloweth of the knowledge of God Ans To feare him aboue all Que. What feare is meant here Ans Indéede in the Scripture the â—eare of God doeth vsually signifie all Religion but here it signifieth onely a â—art of the worship we owe vnto God Que. And what is it Ans This feare is a reuerent awe â—f God whereby we are loth to offende â—im both because we loue him and beâ—ause he is able to punish vs. Que. This seemeth to import some â—ifference of feare Ans Verie true it is For there are â—wo kindes of feare of God one a serâ—ile feare dreading punishment anoâ—her ioyned with loue of God called a â—â—nlike feare and this is meant here Que. Howe may we knowe whether this true feare of God be in vs or no Ans Truely as we knowe there is fire by the smoke and that a man liueth by his breathing so we may knowe by the effects that the feare of God doeth bring forth in them in whom it is whether it be in vs or no Que. Why what be the effects Ans As the banke doeth kéepe the water from ouerflowing so doeth the feare of God in man or woman kéepe out sinne that it spred not as otherwise it would We sée it in practise prooued before our eyes For when Pharaoh king of Egypt Exod. 1.17 commaunded them to kill euery male childe that was borne of the Israelites women what kept out this cruell murther both from hand and heart but this banke the feare and awe of God more than man for so saith the text the midwiues feared GOD and therefore did not as the King commanded them The like may we sée in Iob who saith Gods punishment was fearefull to him Iob. 31.32 therefore he oppressed not 〈◊〉 fatherlesse In Ioseph also verie noâ—â—blie whose heart nor bodie filthie aâ—â—lterie with his mistresse could staine Gen. 39. â—â—cause this banke of the feare of God â—as so strong and good in him Lastly â—â—e scripture prooueth it plainely to vs â—hen in seuerall places it ioyneth to â—â—e feare of God a departing from euill 〈◊〉 an inseparable effect thereof Iob. 28. For â—ost assuredly it is so If wee nothing â—â—part from our olde sinnes and yet say â—e feare God we lie and there is no â—â—ueth in vs. Que. If then in this viewe of the efâ—â—cts of it we finde that either it is not in 〈◊〉 yet at all or at the most but verie liâ—â— howe may we obtaine it or inâ—â—ease it Ans First a verie good way to bréed 〈◊〉 increase this reuerent awe and â—are of God in our selues Howe the feare of God is gotten is an often â—â—d earnest meditation of Gods power 〈◊〉 he is able to deale with vs to puâ—â—sh vs and plague vs if we doe not â—are him and this we learne by these â—ordes of Christ Feare not them that can kill the bodie Math. 10.16 and then can doe no more but feare him that can cast bodie and soule into eternall fier For they sound vnto me as if Christ had saide thus marke howe farre Gods power excéedeth mans power and howe much more fearefully he is able to punish you than man can and let this great power of the Lorde ouer bodie and soule to caâ—â— them both into hell for euer make yoâ— feare the same God aboue all and stanâ— in awe of his maiestie And assuredlâ— if we had grace to thinke of his poweâ— indéede effectually it would maruelouâ—sly profite our soules to this ende Seâ—condly another good way and meaneâ— is a due meditation of the great merâ—cies of God prooued by the Psalme With thee there is mercie Psal 130. therefore shalâ— thou be feared And lastlie by diligenâ— learning the worde of God preached oâ— read vnto vs. For so we reade in thâ— Lawe Gather the people together men women and children the straunâ—ger that is within thy gates that they may heare and learne to feare the Lord Sée howe he saieth by hearing men learne this feare of God and bréede it or increase it Que. When is the feare of God to be learned Ans At all times but especially when oportunitie either of teaching or learning doeth serue vs. For that we ought to take oportunitie of teaching our sauiour Christ himselfe affirmeth saying Yet a litle and the light is with you walk while you haue the light And that we should then learne when we our selues are able and apt to learne the wise man sheweth in these wordes Remember thy creator in the daies of thy youth Ecclesi 12.1 before the euill daies come and thy yeres approche wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them Also the often and sodaine losse of hearing and séeing by sundrie occasions doth vehemently admonish vs to take time while time is and learne to feare God while we may For to day we can reade per aduenture our selues if not yet at least heare others but to morow who is sure hee shall eyther haue eies to sée to reade himselfe or sense of hearing to heare others Therefore againe take time when we may Que. What is contrarie to the feare of God Ans Too much to stande in feare of men and their threats so that by them wee are driuen to any vnlawfull things Too much to feare God himselfe and his iudgements as desperate men doe which nourish no hope of his mercie and goodnesse Thirdly securitie and too litle feare of God with many such moe All these are contrarie to that true feare of God which we speake of and are as well forbidden here as the other is commaunded Que. What is the third duetie of this commaundement Ans Thirdly we are here commaunded to make our prayers to none but to God Que. Howe may it bee prooued that onely God
nations and the elder should serue the younger whereby she well knew Esau could not kill Iacob whatsoeuer he threatened yet did she not presume careleslie thereon and said to her selfe it skilled not what she did but she vsed the ordinarie meanes to saue Iacobs life and sent him out of the countrie for a time Numbers of these examples are in the Scripture Let this one moe of Christ himselfe suffice Iohn 17. who prayed to his father to glorifie him and yet was hee most sure of it before all to teache vs to vse ordinarie meanes Therefore Gods prouidence neuer ought to preiudice such meanes as he hath appointed to obtaine any thing by neither in déede doeth in the godlie Que. My thirde obiection is this If God ruled all by his prouidence then should there bee no misorder at al in the world as there is Ans No more there is in déede and trueth I meane in respect of God Que. No is not this euill in the world and in regarde of God wrong that euill men should thriue and flourish as they doe and the godlie not Ans No indéede For good men and women are afflicted in this world for their good namely that they may not bee condemned with the worlde And euill men receiue Gods blessings to make them without all excuse and â—o increase their damnation if they serue not God Que. Why but did not Iosephs breâ—hren ill and they that killed Christ Ans Yea in déede they did horriblie as I haue saide before but yet GOD directed all to his glorie to the benefite of his Church and our euerlasting comfort by Christ and therefore in Gods gouernement all was then well and euer is Que. What then is the conclusion Ans The conclusion is this as hath béene saide that in trueth there â—s no misorder in the worlde in respect of God For all that euer he doeth or â—etteth be done is good and for good but all misorder is in respect of man Que. What is the fruite and vse of this doctrine of Gods prouidence Ans Very great For it maketh vs in well woe giue glory to god who sends â—l It maketh vs patient to beare things â—etter because the Lorde doeth sende them it maketh vs hang still vpon him for comfort who will not sée vs want and many good fruits it worketh in vs if throughly we be perswaded of it Que. Next nowe what maner of consequence is this in the booke that because God guideth all thinges and oâ— him wee receiue all thinges therefore wee shoulde trust and stay vppon him alone Ans The consequence is very good For the former setled in the heart once by faith euer begetteth the seconde in man or woman and they cannot bee parted We sée a plaine proofe of it in Dauid who being in déede perswaded that the Lorde was his shepheard by and by concludeth thereupon therefore shall I want nothing Psal 23. Que. But what if I a fraile man or woman doe yet find my selfe weake in trusting to the Lord and in the Lord when trouble assaileth me how might I helpe this great infirmitie and increase my trust in the Lords mercie Ans First whensoeuer we are tempted to doubt of any thing it is a specialâ— â—hing presently to consider the promises â—f God touching that matter and in â—hem the generalitie and the certaintie â—s for example if this cogitation should â—rise in me certainely if I doe not as â—he worlde doth I shall neuer cary creâ—ite in the worlde nor come to any â—ealth and estate like others by and by 〈◊〉 shoulde remember what is written â—ouching this matter namely Matth. 6. Seek the â—ingdome of God first principally aâ—oue al and then shal all these things be â—ast vnto you And againe TheÌ„ that hoâ—our me them wil I honour 1. Sam. 2. with many â—uch Then hauing the promises consiâ—er next the generalitie of them and â—ée if they be limited either to poore or â—iche or any so that you may not â—oldelie lay as good holde of them as â—ny and well shall you sée they are â—ot Thirdely I must wey the cerâ—ainetie of them and the trueth of â—hem For is my God a lyar shall 〈◊〉 mistrust his worde and thinke it â—hame to doubt an earthly friende God â—orbid And if he hath spoken it that these worldly things shal be cast vppon those that serue him so farre as is good for them is not he able to perfourme his promise and to make his worde good vnlesse I vse vngodly and vnlawfull extraordinarie meanes God forbid Auant then and auoide foule diueâ— may I say For I beléeue the promises of my God so true so generall made to all men and women olde and young riche and poore and so certaine as nothing can be more I beléeue them I say I beléeue them and by his promises my trust increaseth Thus may we do in all doubtes els whatsoeuer For if it be a benefite to bodie or minde in this worlde or the next we haue the Lords promise to haue it if we serue him so far as it shal be good for vs. 1. Tim. 4. For godlines hath the promise of this life that to come Therfore neuer let SathaÌ„ preuaile Psal 84. for either God is no God or you shall want no good thing onely bee of good comfort be strong and trust in the Lorde Psal 27. and hee shall comfort your heart Que. What other way tell you me Ans Another good way to increase â—nd confirme your trust in God is in al â—réefes verie diligently to meditate of â—he Lords great power and abilitie to â—elpe you how soone he can do it how â—asily he can doe it euen in the twinkâ—ing of an eye were your case neuer so â—ard And surely no more able is hee â—han willing so farre foorth as shal be â—o your good be assured of it For God â—orbid that euer we shoulde thinke that â—e who before wée were reconciled vnâ—â— him so loued vs as that he robbed â—imselfe euen of his owne deare sonne â—or our sake nowe when we are reconâ—iled to him by so deare a price wanâ—eth good will to doe lesse things for â—s Yet that this meanes might the â—etter sinke in your mynde marke I â—aye you howe euen God himselfe â—ath taught his children to vse it knoâ—ing the profit of it to this ende As 〈◊〉 his speache with Abraham why â—â—th hée these wordes to him Gen. 17. I am â—OD alsufficient but to insinuate to Abraham that if any distrust oâ— weakenesse in any thing should assaulâ— him by and by he should help himselfâ— and strengthen his faith with meditatiâ—on of his infinite power whom hee serâ—ued and followed So againe morâ— plaine in another place Gen. 15. Feare not Abraham I am thy shielde As if hâ— shoulde haue saide if any doubt aâ—rise Abraham feare not but presentâ—ly haue recourse to the consideratioâ— of this that I am thy shielde Foâ— may it
â—orde alas I knowe it is not great yâ—ough neither answereth it the greatnesse of my sinne but thou canst giue greater if it please thée O deare Father rent my heart and giue mée féeling cleaue it a sunder by thy pearcing spirit that from it may flowe the teares of true repentaunce strike good Lorde this harde rocke of mine that it may gushe out sorowfull water for so fowle offence and what wanteth in mée any wayes supplie in mercie with my Sauiour in whom thou art perfectly pleased Graunt O God vnto mée thy gratious spirit to kill in mée continually more and more the strength and power of sinne and to rayse mée vp in bodie and soule to more obedience towardes thée Let not my wantes stande euer swéete Lorde betwixt thy mercie and mée but giue mee will to wishe it giue me power to doe it giue mée loue to like it and euer strength to continue in it that thou hast appointed for mee to walke in before thée in this worlde Heare mee O Lorde O God O swéete and endlesse comfort of my sinnefull soule for Iesus Christ his sake that liuing heare I may euer serue thee and dooing so I may neuer loose thée Amen Amen The second Commaundement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath c. FIrst for the order of this Commaundement eyther wee may answere that this first Table contayning the honour and duetie of men to the Lorde as the seâ—ond doeth their duetie to man and the worshippe of GOD being partâ—y inwarde partly outwarde haâ—ing in the former Commaundement laide downe the former kinde to wit of inward worship fitly now in this the two next folow the outward duties which to the same our gratious God we iustly owe. Or else thus That the Lorde in the first commaundement hauing separated himselfe from al other gods deuised and made by men and commanded all mortall men and women his creatures subiect to his Lawe to worship him onely and none but him here now in this second precept as order required he setteth downe modum rationeÌ„ iuxta quam coli velit the waie and maner how he wil bee serued Forasmuch as in vaine he should haue doone the first except he had done the second also The way and maner is this euen according to his will and nature Which albeit it may séeme to flesh and bloud not so fitlie done by a negatiue lawe as by an affirmatiue it might yet besides that we are not to teache the Lorde euen in speciall wisedome hath he thus doone it For first our natures are very prone to the breache hereof which by a negatiue is stronglier beat downe than by an affirmatiue and then againe the Gentiles next neighbours to the Iewes were very much giuen to idols and images and therefore by name forbidden to the Iewes least by the Gentiles in that point they should be defiled And yet doth not the Lord here so set downe a negatiue but that he includeth an affirmatiue in it For as he saith Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image and meaneth thereby Thou shalt not worship mee with any deuise of â—hine owne contrary to my wil and naâ—ure so implieth he herein the affirmaâ—iue namely thou shalt in euery reâ—pect worship me according to my will â—nd nature Moreouer remember here â—gaine which hath béene touched beâ—re that both in this commandement 〈◊〉 in all other the Lord setteth downe 〈◊〉 name that thing the doing whereof 〈◊〉 not doing is most decent or horriâ—â—e And therefore in this place forâ—â—â—ding all false and fonde worshippe 〈◊〉 his Maiestie hee setteth downe in name that which is most vnséemely and vile to wit Idolatrie For of all wrong worshippe to make him like a man or woman or other worse creature to prostrate our selues thereunto and to thinke wee worship him in so dooing is most horrible What expositions your Booke giueth you may looke and marke adding for more plainnesse thereunto thus much that the very meaning of this commandement in effect is thus much as if the Lorde should haue said although the corrupt nature of man bee such as naturally he desireth my presence in some visible forme and shape foolishly thinking that then he is most neare vnto mee when he hath before his eyes some visible picture of mee yet for as much as this and the worship hereby doone vnto mee is neither agréeable to my will nor nature I therefore commaund thée that thou make to thy selfe no grauen image c. That is that thou goe not about to represent me by any likenesse of any creature whatsoeuer neither to worship mée in or vnder any such showes or after any way than out of my worde thou learnest to bee agréeable both to my will and nature Easilie then may we sée what wee are occasioned here in this commandement to consider of namely 1 The making of Images 2 The worshipping of them 3 The reasons God vseth here Touching the first then vsually vppon this occasion is mooued this question whether simplie it bee vnlawfull and misliked of the Lorde to make any kinde of Image by painting carâ—ing ingrauing c. And it séemeth yea â—ecause the woordes are so flatte withâ—ut exception Thou shalt not make any grauen image c. For answere whereunto 3. seuerall â—udgements are founde amongst men â—ome thinke in déede all pictures and â—mages to be vnlawfull aswell in Ciâ—ill vse as in religious and such are the â—urkes by name if it bee truely writâ—n of them Whose money they say hath neuer any image vpon it but certain Arabike letters their other works as carpets couerings quisshins c. vtterly also without any image of man or any liuing creature vpon them and all because they thinke it vnlawful Others thinke it lawful to make any picture at all yea euen of God himselfe so that the same be not worshipped as a bare picture image And they vnderstand this commaundement of images made to this ende to be adored These are our Papists The thirde iudgement and best is of them that thinke it lawful to make pictures of things which we haue séene to a ciuill vse but not to vse them in the Church and for religion Now for the first opinion it is out of all question false and too superstitious For howsoeuer the Turks receiue not such profe yet we that imbrace cleaue to the authoritie of Gods worde know that the Lorde hath not lefte this commaundement neither any other without large and plaine exposition in other places of the scripture and therfore we are to conferre place with place practise with precept and so to sée whether in déede all images be forbidden to be made or no. First then marke the wordes in Leuiticus Leuit. 26.1 Ye shall make you no Idols nor grauen Image neither reare you vp any pillers c. Out of which place thus I
I further whether with any outwarde thing else whatsoeuer not warraunted by the word I haue thought or sought to serue and please the Lorde being by reason thereof brought asléepe with an imagination of my well doing and so carelesse to séeke or practise the dueties of the word If I haue this also knowe I to be a breach of this commandement Then from things not warraunted I came to things commanded as the hearing of the word prayer conference profitable with my brethren and such like knowing that if euen in these by the Lorde ordayned as thinges wherewith he is honoured and pleased I haue otherwise vsed my selfe than I should in stead of perfourming the Lordes appointment I haue brought before him mine owne inuention walking vnwittingly in mine owne wayes fearfully broken this precept of my God Which when I consider I néede no further shewe of grieuous guilt to cast me down from height of all supposed soundnes in this law Mine eyes do sée my heart acknowledgeth my conscience crieth my sinne is great Stand O soule before the Lord the iust and vpright Iudge whose pearcing eyes discouereth al thy waies set thy selfe more in his sight while mercie may be had whose voyce shall sound thy lasting woe if sight of sinne procure not true remorse And say now soule before the Iudge of trueth hast thou alwayes vsed as hee hath willed thée the hearing of the worde Did neuer desire of worldlie praise prouoke thée to this seruice Neuer diddest thou thinke to day such shall I sée and againe of them be noted if I goe Did neuer feare of worse opinion to be bred of thée in worldlie states by thy absence drawe thée out No fleshlie thought or earthly liking of the speaker hath there béene within thée to pricke thée to his hearing Hath painted pride and newe or straunge attyre neuer saide secretly in thée to daie goe heare the Sermon Lie thou maiest not the Lord being Iudge cleare thy selfe thou canst not O my soâ—le thy selfe being iudge Therefore that which the Lord appointeth as a seruice to himselfe and for our endlesse comfort by this corruption beginneth a seruice of thine own to thy iust damnation For to heare the Lorde biddeth but not for these ends Thus seruing the Lord in a thing commanded not as he commandeth I serue him with mine owne inuention and guiltie most grieuously I am before him O that I were any better in the duetie of prayer Am I neuer negligent colde and frosen Burneth the fire within me before or whilest I speake with my tongue Shaketh my flesh with the vehemencie of my spirite Neuer straieth my heart from present praier Neuer hast I to an ende or wearilie wishe the voice I heare to cease it is too long Ah wretch howe dare I say it Conscience cryeth and will not be bribed this duetie of prayer thus corruptly perfourmed the Lorde acknowledgeth not as a seruice by him commaunded but as mine own inuention and a breache of this his precept My conference with others in shewe so good in words so faire tasteth it neuer of liking of my selfe or vaine delight to heare mine owne discourse of pride to séeme and to be knowen a man indued with such and so good gifts Tendeth my heart in trueth to the praise of my God and the comfort of my hearers whensoeuer I speake of fruitfull things without all vaine respect and hidden euill whatsoeuer If it doe not then the thing that in it selfe the Lord hath commanded as I perfourme it he vtterly abhorreth and it is wilworshippe of mine owne not prescribed dutie by my God therefore a breache of this commaundement What should I say The more I searche the more I sée and I am not as I thought concerning the kéeping of this Lawe Mo things yet in it are commaunded and moe thinges well by these I sée I haue not perfourmed Thus much serueth to sound damnation to me and witnesse sufficient in dreadfull day shall this my guilt exhibite against me beside a curse vpon my posteritie to many generations But O Lorde thy mercie reacheth vnto the heauens Psal 36.5 and thy faithfulnesse vnto the cloudes Nehem 9.17 Gratious art thou O gratious God and full of compassion slowe to anger and of great goodnesse Were my sinnes as crimsin Esa 1.18 thou canst make them as white as snowe though they be as red as scarlet soone canst thou cause them to be as the wool Deare father haue mercie vpon me and burie in the bottome of the sea that they neuer more appeare before thée all my sinnes and by name my breaches of this commandement O my God as thou hast vouchsafed mee a Sauiour to quit mee from this curse so due vnto me for my disobedience so in that Sauiour of mine thine owne déere sonne looke vpon me He was borne for my sake he liued for my sake he died for my sake then let his birth his life his death good Lord profite mée in winning pardon of thée for my faults and direction of thy spirite for the time to come that better daily I may knowe to serue thée and euen in trueth as thou hast prescribed perfourme the same vnto thée Amen good Lord heare me The third Commaundement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine c. Question WHAT is the meaning of this commaundement Your Booke Ans God chargeth vs in this third commaundement these thrée thinges First that we vse with most high reuerence the name of God whensoeuer we either speake or thinke vpon him Secondly that wee neuer blaspheme the name of God by coniuring witchcraft sorcerie or charming or any such like neither hy cursing or banning Thirdly that we neuer sweare by the name of God in our common talke although the matter be neuer so true but only where the glorie of God is sought or the saluation of our brethren or before a Magistrate in witnessing the trueth when we are thereunto lawfully called In which causes we must onely sweare by the name of God But as for Saintes Angels Roode Booke Crosse Masse or anie other thing we ought in no case by them to sweare Que. What is meant by the name of God here Ans Not only anie one word vsuallie giuen to him in scripture as Iehouah or such like Philip. 2 9. but also his maiestie and excellencie with such attributes as declare the same as his wisedome his iustice his prouidence his mercie and so foorth Againe his lawe and commandements or his doctrine and worde are vsuallie signified by it Leuit. 22.31 1. Tim. 61. to make vs more carefull to attende vppon them as things wherupon depend the honour glorie and name of God Que. What is it to take his name in vaine Ans Surelie either to speake or thinke of it without most high reuerence and especiallie to sweare by it otherwise than we ought Also to cast behind vs the diligent care of his commaundementes
onely shoulde attende If affection be good attention faileth and if attention stande affection dyeth And therefore séeing that euen reason teacheth mee that to call vppon the name of God not as I ought to do is plainly to abuse his name take it in vaine neither in this point can I cleare my selfe but broken herein also I haue this his commaundement What vaine vowes and promises haue passed from me néedelesse to be made Vowes and fruitlesse to be kept For sorcerie and witchcraft charming and coniuring am I able to say I haue as earnestlie abhorred them as I ought euerie way so absteyned from them as I shoulde Nay hath not rather ease béene sought in paine of mee by these meanes Charming or at least wished if I coulde haue gotten them My selfe and my friends my children and goods haue I loued obedience more than thē Or hath not euer some base creature as swine or such like béene dearer to mee than the Lord séeking by charme to saue the one and not fearing by sinne to loose the other God sift not my guilt euen nowe in this for practise or will for my selfe or for others wil surely accuse me Further and beside al these let it be wel weied of anie Christian heart that feareth God indéede and carefullie séeketh the credite of his name howe often vnreuerentlie in sporting and playing in shooting bowling in dising carding Gaming we vse his name Scripture phrase howe the phrase of scripture wil rowle out of our mouthes in iesting and light conferences howe fearefully we vse him in cursing banning our bretheren Banning and surely he shall sée no smal guilt touching this commādement in euerie one of vs if God in iustice weigh vs in the balance and rewarde vs as he findeth weight of sinne full duelie to deserue Where is that happie man or woman so waking and sléeping so sitting and going so speaking and kéeping silence so liuing and dying as for no sin of theirs for no infirmitie for no slip or fal the name of God truth hath bin euil spoken or thought of Let this man and woman appeare and boast that in great measure they haue kept this commaundement But if none such can bee found whose frailtie hath not fostred in reprobate minds a misliking of good thinges then let all fleshe fall downe before his footestoole and sewe out pardon for that liuing so looselie they haue taken his name in vaine and broken this commandement Last of all if wee cast our eyes about consider a little the manifolde meanes prouided by the Lord to do vs good in bodie and soule and euerie way Meanes not vsed are we able to say wee haue neglected none but euer vsed them as wee ought reuerentlie carefullie and with thankesgiuing Hath neuer an vnprofitable bashfulnesse made vs conceyle our bodilie griefe or refuse the meanes thought méete to doe vs good Hath not carelesse contempt robbed vs of the remedie appointed for our soules And hath not vnthriftie selfewill reiected meanes to increase our wordlie estate If these all or anie be true we haue despised the wisedome of the Lord which appeareth in these things and should be magnified by them and in them we haue polluted his name our selues greatly occasioned others to thinke lightly of good things and grieuouslie guiltie we stand before him for it of the breache of this commandement What should I say of not rebuking others according to our place whom we haue noted to offende in any of these Not rebuking which is a thing as hath béene saide required also in this Lawe and therefore a thing that resting in vs doeth crie for vengeaunce though in all the rest wee were pure and innocent For we were not borne for our selues but also for others and the bodie the soule the goods and estate of our brethrē should be déere vnto vs we not séeing and suffering them by our wils to do the thing that we knowe will hurt them What I say should I speake of this and many other braunches yet remaining Doe we not sée already shame ynough and grieuous sinne in great abundance Where were we nowe then euen for these that haue béene named if the percing eyes of the liuing GOD should prie into vs and with iust rewarde séeke to pay the wants he could espie in vs Could we escape the pit of endlesse paine Speake in the feare of God euen what you sée Are you pure and blamelesse in these all Dare you stande out and make the challenge Come iudge stay not sift me and spare not thy tryall I feare not for all these haue I kept from my youth O sinnefull fleshe espie thy case Thou canst not thou maiest not and I knowe thou darest not vnlesse the dreadfull wrath of God haue sealed vp thy sight And therefore euen in this commaundement also as in the former crie rather vp to heauen with shrillish shrike Wash me O Lord from these my sinnes and cleanse me from my wickednesse Haue mercie vpon me O gratious God and according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away mine offences O sweete Sauiour who may not see what he is without thee Full heauie laden I come vnto thee Christ my deere God as thou hast promised refresh and ease me Amen Amen The fourth Commaundement Remember that thou keepe holie the Sabaoth day Question WHat is the meaning of this commaundement Ans Your booke answereth that the hallowing of the Sabaoth day is to rest from our labours in our calling and in one place to assemble our selues together and with feare and reuerence to heare marke and lay vp in our hearts the worde of GOD preached vnto vs to pray altogether that which we vnderstande with one consent and at the times appointed to vse the Sacramentes in fayth and repentaunce and all our life long to rest from wickednesse that the Lord by his holy spirit may worke in vs his good worke and so begin in this life euerlasting rest Que. Had not the Iewes diuers feasts beside this Sabaoth Ans Yes in déede Some of God immediatly appointed and some by themselues vpon special occasion By the Lord they were tied to thrée solemne feasts in the yere at which he would haue all the males to appeare before him To wit The feast of vnleauened bread that is Easter Leuit. 23. Exod. 23.15 or the passeouer in remēbrance how the Angel passed ouer their houses when in one night he slewe all the first borne in AEgypt both of man and beast The feast of the haruest of the first fruits of their labours which they had sowen in the fields Verse 16. which was Whitsontide or Pentecost in remembrance that the lawe was giuen fiftie daies after their departure out of AEgypt And the feast of gathering fruits in the end of the yeare Verse 16. when they had cleansed the fields This was the feast of Tabernacles putting them in mind that 40.
heauen doth defend féede thée cōfort blesse thée is contented but in one day especially to be regarded vow with thy self in request of strength to kéepe it that to the Lord that one day shall be consecrated of thée obserued according to his will Que. These things thē thus passed ouer I pray you are these words Six days shalt thou labour c. a commaundement so that we sinne if we labour not on them al Ans No they are no commandement but a permission or a remission rather of so much right of the Lords For euer hath the Church vpon occasions separated some of the wéeke days also to the seruice of the Lord rested from their labors Which they neuer wold haue presumd to do if the Lord had commaunded to the contrary And euen now our holy daies commanded by publike order are not all to be misliked if to the glory of GOD and sanctification of his name they be bestowed as they are intended Therefore a commaundement I say they are not but a remitting of the Lords right who in déede might chalenge all Que. And for the 7. day it selfe may wee not in case doe any thing thereon because the words here are so in it thou shalt doe no maner of worke c Ans I haue said before if you remēber that the precise strict rest of the Iewes on this day was ceremoniall therfore now by Christ taken away that it bindeth not vs. And therefore touching your question and our estate in these daies vnder the Gospell very certaine it is that not euen in the seuenth day we stand so bound to rest but that in it also we may worke if either necessitie so vrgently requireth or the déede doone be greatly to the glorie of God Examples of the first are Dauid eating the shewebread 1. Kings 22. and the Disciples gathering and rubbing the eares of corne Of the second Christ himselfe healing on the sabaoth day many which yet the Iewes thought to be vnlawful The discourse of Christ touching this point in the Gospell is very woorthy noting wherein he flatly and strongly refuteth this superstitious conceit of the sabaoth in the Pharisees and all other by diuerse argumentes as first by the example of Dauid aboue named Secondly of their lawfull practise they circumcised children and slewe their sacrifices c. on the Sabaoth Thirdly by the testimonie of Osce I will rather haue mercie than sacrifice That is loue to our brethren than outward seruice Fourthly from the lesse to the greater it is lawfull on the Sabaoth day to pull out a brute beast that is fallen into a pit or is in such like danger as néeds it must be helped or else it perisheth therfore much more a man c. By all which you sée that man is not made for the Sabaoth but the Sabaoth for man And euen in the right of our Christ wee also are in some sort Lordes of the Sabaoth as in it to doe what vrgent cause constraineth in déede and may not conueniently be differred Que. Here is named in the wordes of the commandement the straunger that is within the gates I pray you therefore howe farre thinke you this bindeth vs Ans I doe willingly still tell you my opinion in euerie thing my selfe and you also I trust readie to yéeld to better aduise when we shall heare it For my part I sée not how we may aunswere it to the Lorde if being priuate men and householders we suffer within our gate to lurke and lie hid and that refuseth to obey the Lord in the sanctifying of this day as is commaunded to the glorie of his name after that such meanes haue béene vsed for the reforming of them as possiblie we can And the more I wey with my selfe that most straite law of the Lorde for execution of them that should séek to estrange any from the true God Deut. 13. the more I am confirmed by the verie end equitie and meaning of it in this opinion against al affection of kindred aliance friendship or whatsoeuer Reade the words mark the zeale which God requireth in al men towards him when as no meanes will reforme our friends but they stil peraduēture tempt vs. And then by the way let it not passe vnmarked I pray you howe straitely all masters and mistresses stand bound to sée that the Lorde be honoured not onely in themselues but by manseruaunt and maide seruant olde and young in their houses of discretion of the Sabaoth day séeing God of purpose nameth them And sée againe how this naming of the straunger doubleth the bond more vpon vs. For by comparison if we stand charged with our stranger and guest much more with our daily seruauntes children c. it must néedes be and indéede wey it well Que. I am then thus I thinke satisfied in euery point of this commaundement neither doe I remember what further to aske you herein Ans The commandements of the Lord saith Dauid are exceeding broad neyther in déede is any man able so to laie open any one of them but iudgement by the gift of God increased more may be séene and espied in them but thus much nowe shall suffice for my measure this only added that this reason drawen for the Lordes owne example who rested from his worke on this day ought greatly to mooue vs to the carefull kéeping of it as euen the very first worde also of the Lawe for if you marke it he doeth not say Kéepe holie the Sabaoth day but Remember to keepe it holie that is haue an earnest care of it and in any case forget it not but remember to kéepe it holie And thus much of this Commaundement The examination of the conscience The profitable vse and application of this commandement is to wey and duely consider that it is the Lawe of no man but of God the chiefest lawegiuer the wisest most righteous and most able to reuenge instituted of purpose by him for these and such like ends First that we should wholy consecrate as that day ourselues vnto the Lord his seruice hearing reading meditating those things which might lay before vs the goodnesse of almightie God toward vs and our great ingratitude to him againe with all other sinnes whereby we haue prouoked him to wrath stirring vp our hearts to true repentaunce for them and amendement of the same Secondly for the ease of seruants cattell which otherwise by the vnmerciful gréedinesse and crueltie of some might happily be abused Lastly to expresse and lay before vs some shew of that spirituall and eternal rest in heauen which we all so looke and long for Then these thinges considered to call to minde howe often and grieuously wee haue offended against euery one of these as against the first by absenting ourselues from the Church What it is to be absent from Church and place of common prayer and place of common méeting when wee might haue béene present if
wée woulde a very horrible thing if we could duely regarde and thinke of it For what is it but to contemne GOD and his wisedome to striue and fight against the Spirite teaching and conuerting men by the ministerie of the worde and euen in effect to say I am as wise and godlie as either hee can make mee or shall make mee I will none of his grace What is it but to giue a grieuous offence to others for the which the liuing God hangeth a woe ouer our heads saying Woe be to him by whom offence commeth it were better for that person to haue a milstone tyed about his neck and to be cast into the bottome of the Sea And againe It were good for that man if he had neuer beene borne What is it but to féede the deuils humor and to doe that thing that most highly pleaseth him Againe to consider howe we haue offended when we were present at Church by negligent and colde performaunce of that thing which time place and duetie required at our handes Haue we neuer come to the hearing of the worde but with reuerence with willing desire preparing our hearts before vnto it by some secrete prayer within our selues to the Lorde that he would blesse the speaker that hee may speake to our heartes and blesse vs that we may attentiuely hearken profitably féele and thankefully taking whatsoeuer is spoken increase in obedience to it Haue wee neuer come to the Sacramentes when we could and neuer without such examination and other circumstances as are straitly required of a Christian Haue we spent the Sabaoth in godly conference meditation powring out thanks from a féeling soule for the Lords goodnes euer to vs namely the wéeke passed Haue we visited or thought vpon the sick sore diseased imprisoned banished or any way suffring for a good cause to our power comforted them Haue we studied how either to procure or continue or increase amongst our selues or our neighbours the meanes of saluatiō as the preaching of the word such like O beloued we haue not we haue not we know it must néeds confesse it if there be any trueth in vs. Too much haue we neglected all these yea euen diuerse of them it is greatly to bee feared haue litle or neuer at all troubled our heads but for their contraries in most ful measure we haue wallowed in them and with gréedinesse euer accomplished thē Where is the minister whose negligence hath not made his people to pollute the Sabaoth Where is the people whose consciences awaked may not iustly condemne them for vngodly gadding on this day to Churchales to weddings to drinkings to bākets to fairs markets to stage plaies to bearebaytings summer games and such like Where is that master that hath had a conscience to restrain his seruants from this impietie or the seruant againe that hath either brideled himselfe for the Lords cause or else wel accepted his master or mistres restraint being made vnto him and which hath not rather burst out into vngodly disobedient spéeches murmuring that because he hath wrought all the wéeke therfore he should haue libertie to do what he list on the Sabaoth not considering that this commandement bindeth not only the master himselfe to honor God on this day but to sée to his family so much as he can that they also do it Nay I would to God the masters in many places were not ringleaders to their owne al other mens people to prophane this Sabaoth of the Lord and that euen such maisters as in respect of their calling office and credite in the countrey should farre otherwise doe When doeth a gentleman to name no higher estates appoint a shooting a bowling a cocking or a drunken swearing ale for the helpe as they say of some poore one but vppon the Sabaoth And if he be at the Church in the forenoone for the after noone it is no matter he hath béene verie liberall to God in giuing him so much What day in the wéeke vsually doeth he giue so euill an example of vnmeasurable sotting in bed as on the Sabaoth But O filthie sauour that ariseth out of this lothsome chanell thus raked vp into the nostrels of the Lorde I spare to speake I shame to sée I rew to knowe what I fully knowe against our soules in this respect Let euerie man and woman more particularly view thēselues and lay open vnto the Lorde their sinne in sorowe for it by this occasion thinke what is commaunded looke what wee haue done the Lorde make our sinfull hearts to sée sigh for so great offence against our God What should I say of the second end of the institution of the Sabaoth namely for the rest of seruant cattell But euen in an word woe to the man whom God shall iudge according to his guiltinesse herein For it is too vsual with al estates to be a meanes to robbe their seruauntes of the blessing due to the kéepers of this law and to pull vppon them the plague for the contrarie by making them ride and run post and away vpon euerie occasion that commeth in their heads when in truth if they would but euen look into it the matter may be done wel without such hast O happie is that man whose heart thinketh howe his seruant is bound to this commandement of kéeping holy the Sabaoth as well as hée hath a soule to loose or saue as well as he to be nourished with the foode of the word as well as he and therefore thereon concludeth he will neither sinne himselfe nor make his seruant sinne in breach of this or any other commandement The third end of the Sabaoth we heard it was that hereby might bee resembled in some sort our spirituall rest in heauen wee ceasing from our owne workes dooing the will of God But are we able to say wee haue this doone O miserable men ten thousand times if in this we should haue our desertes for wherein or howe crucifie we the fleshe more on this day than any other bridle the frowarde desires of the heart restrayne our owne nature and doe the will of God more on this day than any other Alas our owne consciences crie vnto vs we doe nothing lesse wee drinke wée eate wée surfet wee sweare we play we daunce we whore we walke and talke idlely vainely vncleanely and vngodlily these are our workes on the Sabaoth more commonly than any day in the wéeke else and if this bee to resemble a spirituall rest then in déede wee doe it not otherwise Thus stand wee therefore guiltie and gréeuously guiltie of this commaundement So that if we had not a Sauiour who in our flesh had fulfilled this lawe and euerie one for vs and appeased the wrath of God his father iustly conceiued against our sinnes neuer should we haue looked within his kingdome And howe shall we bée better for all which he hath doone but by séeing our passed sinne and
of knowledge any way with credit to vse the same But what view I so much the cōmendable care of Heathens in this behalfe Haue not Gods faithfull béene in this point as carefull as they Yes truly many haue and in better order a great deale For there being in this thing degrées and steppes to be obserued as first of pietie secondly of learning thirdly of manners and lastly of the function or calling the children of God many of them haue in this excelled the Heathen that being generally as carefull as they in all particularly in this as men better acquainted with it through greater giuen light knowledge they haue far excelled them that first they haue attempted what in déede is first to be cared for namely to frame the hearts of their children to God and grace and then in order to the things following Wee sée it in Adam Gen. 4. Gen. 18. 2 Tim. 3. 1. Chron. 28.9 2. Kings 4. Deut 6. Psal 78.5 who taught his sonnes to serue the Lord. We sée it in Abraham most notably We sée it in Timothies parentes who brought him vp from a child in the knowledge of the scriptures We sée it in Dauid Ioas the king a number others Generallie to them all it was a cōmandement that assoone as their children could vnderstand and aske them questions they shoulde carefully instruct them concerning the Lords dealings with them and for them And I doubt not but many did it of the ancient Christians Philo writeth that they were called cultores ac cultrices that is to say Tillers because as men painefully till their ground so they carefully laboured the grounde of their childrens hearts to plant in them the feare of God Nos hodie vastatores ac vastatrices saith he That is Wee in these daies may better bee termed destroiers than tillers so rechlesse we are careles in this so great a matter Hence sprang the Cloisters in the beginning saith Chrysostome that kinde of life Lib. 3. contra vituperatores monast vitae namely of the excéeding care that men had to haue their children well brought vp and excluded from euil company and hurtful sights in the worlde till yeeres and setled instruction had made them lesse capable of the harme thereof Afterward they degenerated from that institution and became as we well know dens of drones and nurceries of vngodlinesse corrupters of all not correctors of any and the wrath of the Lorde hath nowe destroyed them It is a good admonition of wise Salomon Prou. 22. Teache a childe in the trade of his way and when he is olde he shall not depart from it And that experienced sonne of Sirach in many places speaking of this mtater Syrach 16.22 30. also hath these wordes in my opinion not lightlie to be looked on Neither desire nor delight saith he in children though neuer so many vnlesse the feare of God be in them For one that is iust is better than a thousande and better it is to die without children than to leaue behinde vs vngodly ones Thus let it suffice to haue touched this matter whereof long and large treatises are made néedefull to be touched if euer néedefull and euen long stoode vpon For too much it is of parents neglected yet are they grieued if of their children they be not reuerenced and howsoeuer many there bee that in these daies are carefull ynough to procure vnto their children knowledge of Artes of Countries and of any thing that in worldely sort may make them mightie famous and spoken of yet is the grounde of all verie fearefully neglected namely to setle in them the true feare of the God of Israell deliuered and taught in his worde Yea it is euen accounted by father and child not so néedefull or beséeming for a gentleman to the great exasperating of the Lordes wrath against them and their séede Humilitie also and shamefastnes are taken from youth in these daies euen by their parents and their teachers and where it hath euer béene held that blushing in measure modestie and silence haue béene commendable tokens in young yeeres nowe is it a shame to be ashamed at any time blushing is want of countenance and bringing vp silence is ignoraunce modestie is too much maidenlinesse and in short nowe vertue is vice and vice very comely and gallant behauiour So times are changed to and fro and chaunging times haue chaunged vs too But of this thus farre Que. What else nourisheth in children due reuerence Ans Due correction Due I say with wisedome and moderation For he that spareth his rodde Prou. 13.24 hateth his sonne but he that loueth him doth chasten him betimes 19. vers 18. Chasten thy sonne while there is hope and let not thy soule spare for his murmuring And in an other place Withholde not correction from thy childe 23. verse 13. for if thou smite him hee shall not die Que. But what if parents in foolish pitie cocker vp their children and pretermit this due aduertisement Ans Then will they loose this reuerence most assuredly in their heartes and often make them come to euil ends It is prooued by Heli his two sonnes 1. Sam. 2. the 4. also who by their fathers lenitie conceiued not what it was to sinne against the Lorde and therefore to their owne hurt and their fathers great griefe tasted the heauie hande of God and dyed both in a day Also by Absolon Ammon Adoniah Dauids sonnes Whose fearefull ends may serue for euer to admonish all parents howe they foolishly loue their children and cannot abide to say or doe their dueties to them or yet to let others Marke well the sixt verse of the first Chapter of the first booke of Kings and be wise betime A small twigge will not kill the tenderest Prince Lord or Ladie in the worlde If thou smite him saieth Salomon Prou. 23.23 you heard before he shall not die I warrant him Que. What is the second part of this honour that children owe to their Parentes Ans Readie and willing obedience Que. And what is that Ans Obedience is the performance of Parentes will so farre as lieth in our power and lawfully wée may Que. And how prooue you that this children are bounde vnto Ans First by the words of Salomon Obey thy father that hath begotten thee Prou. 23.22 and despise not thy mother when she is olde Secondly by the Apostle to the Colossians Coloss 3.20 Children obey your parents in al things for that is wel pleasing vnto the Lorde And to the Ephesians againe Childrē obey your parents in the Lord Ephes 6.1 for that is right Thirdely it is very strongly prooued by the sharper punishment which God appointed for all disobebient children to wit euen flat and present death For so we reade in the Lawe Deut. 21.18 c. If any man haue a sonne that is stubborne and disobedient that he will not hearken vnto the voyce
vs. Let euerie one wey their calling and estate sée what of them in this lawe the Lorde requireth and what of them in their places hath béene performed Children in dutie subiect to our parents we are or haue béene euery one of vs. Haue we then euer doone it or presently doe wee in the true testimonie of a féeling conscience reuerence in heart and by al outward ordinarie meanes those ordained instruments by the Lord of so great good vnto vs our naturall parentes Neuer haue our hearts harbored any light or vnworthie thought of them or against them Neuer haue wee failed in any outwarde gesture to testifie to the worlde our hidden loue and duetifull regarde of them Can we say in truth what of a child anie way ought to be or to mitigate the matter a litle what of vs possiblie could be performed in respect of age of strength of abilitie of time oportunitie with such like that of vs hath béene doone euer fullie and willinglie to them O conscience casting in our téethes our corruption thou accusest vs. These boyling harts not bearing iust reproofe vndutifullie haue often if we could remember it repined at their authoritie impatientlie fretted at their due correction and the most of vs out of question at one time or other if we haue not openlie thrown out a curse yet haue our heartes included a wish and wordes peraduenture vttered asmuch not consonant euerie way with our dueties Nay haue not euen outward violences béene offered to them by vs Ioyfull were the speach to the Saintes in heauen if in trueth wee all coulde aunswere no. But God knowes a guiltie minde in manie a one doeth stoppe his speach and filthie fact to beate or wish to beate theÌ„ who brought him foorth doeth crie to God without repentaunce for a plague What shoulde I name what shoulde I feare to name so will it wring vs all the mocking of our Parentes Where is that childe that hath carefully couered to his power and euer borne withall in him selfe the wantes or infirmities whatsoeuer of his Parents No no the Lord hath not onelie something against vs in this behalfe but euen great and gréeuous hath béene our fault and still it remaineth in manie of vs. Wée laugh to sée our Parentes shame we smile at their wants wee publishe their infirmities we disdaine their ignoraunce wee loath their age and in manie a thing to our owne confusion if the Lorde giue not an amending repentance we bewray a robbed hart of that true reuereÌ„ce which ought to bee in children to their parentes Alas if God iudge vs for our obedience where are we what witles wil erecteth a kingdome in vs Howe cleaue wee to our selues in all matters and thinke our owne direction best Howe despise weâ— the counsell of our friendes and cast behinde vs their experience Euerie sonne and euerie daughter woulde rule their mariage wholie themselues And euen in euerie action alas what disobedience sheweth it selfe in vs vnto our parentes For mayntaynance which is the thirde braunch of 〈◊〉 euen that also accuseth manie a thiâ—â—â— before the Lorde Rare is the man that hath imployed euerie abilitie of his wit of wealth of knowledge of strength at euerie néede to his parentes comfort And therefore the Lord in 〈◊〉 not in furie deale with vs as wee are children Are we parents thâ—â— wâ—y and marke whether so wee haue alwayes behaued our selues as that thâ—se duties of our children might be 〈◊〉 vnto vs euen in regarde of our behauiour If not then haue wee pulled vpon vs the guilt of our childrens want of dutie being causes of the same and the Lorde is angry with vs. What life haue wee ledde before our children to bréede and continue these duties in them Hath it béene holy graue and modest and so remayneth as néere as we can séeking to hide from the eyes of their witlesse heades such wantes as we knowe our selues subiect vnto No no but carelesly and loosely euen in euery place parentes bewray neglect of religion they will goe to the Churches or good exercises when they list and that verie rarely they shewe no regarde of the dutie of Christians they carie no grauitie in their doinges no modestie often in their behauiour but liue most dissolutely and often incontinently they sweare fearefully without regarde speake prophanely not respecting the frailtie of the youth that heareth them father and mother let vnkinde spéeches passe from them one towardes an other in the presence of their children to the great impayring of their credite with them carelesse God knowes of their bringing vp and too full of foolish pitie when they should correct them All these are meanes to make the children faile in reuerence to their parentes and to tempt them to sinne And therefore let vs looke if we be parentes and gréeued with vnreuerent regarde in our children of vs whether wee our selues be not causers of the same Againe for their obedience it faileth oft by fault in vs. For if we be Parentes we lay great burdens vpon our children pressing them still with our authoritie we inioyne them what we list not weying well what they can like and not carefully considering aswell their natures as our owne desires aswell their comfort and conuenient beeing as our owne affection and will to haue it so what maruell if often GOD breake our heartes with their disobedience The like may be saide of that thankefull maintaynaunce that shoulde of children to their Parentes be performed The very vnnaturall and vnkinde dealing of Parentes with their children in their youth denying them reléefe and comfortable helpe maketh them often though it should not when they haue attayned to anie estate to deale as vndutifully with their néedie Parentes againe Consider therefore I say if wee be Parentes what cause we giue and compare it with the fruite wee finde in our seede Let sinne appeare if wee haue offended and let the lawe condemne vs if wee haue transgressed For surely what duties this lawe bindeth all children to perfourme it as straitely bindeth all parentes to deserue The Parentes euill excuseth not the childe but it maketh him guiltie of his childes offence Thus may the rest also descende into themselues Too apparant is contempt in our liues of Magistracie and authoritie Wee honour them not as Parentes but both in reuerence obedience and maintaynance of their state by retribution of some part of that wee haue got by them we bewray vngodlinesse and sinne against the Lorde and them very gréeuously For where is that heart that riseth vp in thankefulnesse for them to our God that obeyeth them secretly aswell as openly for conscience not for feare Nay O sin of ours if it be sought out by the Lorde in this respect euen growen assuredly vp to heauen For howe dare we and doe we defeate their lawes continually Howe set wee our shiftes against the wisedome and working of the Lorde by them We mocke the Lorde and swell in pride against him
this matter Ans Truth it is but none to the warranting of this sinne For first saith hee what if a woman do it to shunne pollution of her body or after shée is polluted to flie the ignominie following vpon it And he answereth to it that the first is wicked and procéedeth of this error that whatsoeuer is doone in vs the same is also doone by vs which is not so For then were chastitie a vertue of the bodie and not of the mind It is not for a christian to say this will I not suffer but this wil I not do The mind being stained the body is filthie though it neuer did act but not contrariwise for the bodie by violēce abused is neuer able to make guilty that mind which cōsenteth not to it And therfore this excuse saith Austen can not warrant such sin as to kil ourselues For flying of shame which would follow the fact neither yet may it be doone For the shame is not so great as the act and therefore if the déed done vnto her may not warrant her the ignominy following may not do it Si non est impudica quae inuita comprimitur non est illa iustitia qua casta punitur That is If she be not vnchast which vnwilling is oppressed thē is it no iustice whereby the harmeles is punished Sed mulier auida laudis metuit ne quod violenter passa est dum viueret putaretur libenter passa si viueret But saith he a woman that standeth vpon speach and praise reasoneth with her selfe that what she suffered against her wil while she liued she should be thought to suffer with her wil if she liued And therfore she wil kil her selfe Indéede so may a womā reason the regardeth more man thā God but the christian guided with the spirit that Dauid had learneth to say with him O god thou knowest mine innocencie c. And to rest in ioy of spotlesse minde whatsoeuer the worlde speaketh Then goeth hee further and they will aunswere saith hee what can they tell howe they may be tempted to consent by long importunitie or by sight of hard extxemity and therefore they will prouide before hand least they should offend and they wil kill thēselues O saith Austen what a speach is this Iam nunc peccemus ne postea forte peccemus iam nunc perpetremus certum homicidium ne postea incidamus in incertum adulterium That is Let vs nowe sinne least hereafter wee doe sinne let vs now commit certaine murder least wee fall hereafter into vncertayne adulterie Let vs nowe doe that which wee cannot liue to repent least hereafter wee doe what we may repent c. Que. But indeede is it not a vile thing to fall into the handes of mine enemie Ans In déed Cato an heathen with manie other could not abide it neither Saul a cast away coulde suffer it But better is the warrant euer of this ought to be done than of this is doone therefore we must not weygh the latter but the former And we sée neither Patriarches Prophetes nor Apostles euer to haue doone it Nay saith Christ When they persecute you in one Citie flie into an other Where he might haue saide dispatch your selues least your enimies triumph ouer you Nowe if they might not doe it for whom euerlasting mansions in heauen were prouided what care we for a thousande examples of infidels and Paganes Thus then I conclude that neither for these causes alleadged nor anie other whatsoeuer wee may violentlie deale with our selues and ende our life Que What if wee neither kill others nor our selues but yet peraduenture cōsent Ans Euen that consent of heart is horrible murther condemned in this lawe Herodias as guiltie for consenting to the death of Iohn Baptist and séeking it as if shée had hewed off hys heade her selfe Haman as guiltie for Mardocheus as if he had doone it Dauid for Vrias Iesabel for Naboth Pylate for Christ as if they themselues had béene executioners Que. Often also haue I hard men say that sorow and care wil shorten our time Ans Indéed it is not mans speach only but euen the doctrine of the spirit of God Prou. 17.22.12.25 For a ioyfull hart saith Salomon causeth good health a sorowful mind drieth the bones Heauinesse in the heart of man bringeth it downe but a good word reioyceth it yea a ioyfull hart maketh a cheereful countenance 15. v. 13. by the sorow of the hart the mind is heauie This doctrine of god hath man by experience found euer so true that when any of thē in their writings haue spoken of care sorow they haue giuē vnto thē the epithites of biting eating consuming care such like because in déed they haue that worke in those that are too much subiect to them Galen the Prince of Phisitions in his booke of the preseruation of health affirmeth plainly that cares doe pull on and hasten many diseases in vs. Aristotle a Philosopher saith that sorowe drieth wasteth that naturall heat in vs wherein our life consisteth and so as it were giueth a reason of Galens assertiō No doubt the thing is true tryed and found to their harme in thousands And therfore euē in this respect must a christian beware least the Lord haue against him in the day of iudgement that he shortned his owne life by suffering vncomfortable sorowe to lie snubbing chéecking his hart within both day night Alas what is it that euer happen to that man or woman in earth which tast the mercie of God in Christ Iesus towardes them so bitter as that it may not be delaied and comforted euen with this that God is on their side Rom. 8. who or what can be against them Doth not euerie thing yea euen euery thing happen for the best to those that loue God Haue a true hart and meane not falsely and then say in faith as Dauid doth My helpe commeth of God which preserueth them that are true of heart Yea Psal 7.11 let me say to all that euer shall reade this in the name of the Lorde of heauen when cause of humilitie happeneth differre not to be humbled harden not your hearts in the day of affliction but sacrifice them vp brused and troubled to the LORD O Lord helpe Omnes cum valemus c. yet euer so farre yéelde to sorowe as that you constantlie and euen chéerefullie holde that which followeth in the Prophet a broken and contrite heart is neuer despised And therfore whatsoeuer the matter is with Dauid vnto your sad soule in euerie corner crie Psal 42. Why art thou so sad O my soule Psal 27. vlt. and why art thou so disquieted in mee Still trust in God still trust in God for I will yet thanke him hee is the helpe of my countenaunce and my God Thus tarrie ye the Lordes leasure be strong and he shall comfort your heart and put your trust in the
what graces God hath giuen them But it is a sealed trueth god giue vs harts to coÌ„sider it wel IudgmeÌ„ts are prepared for the scorner Prou. 19.29 stripes for the backe of the foole Michall Dauids wife a mocking mistresse out of her gasing windowe not sparing her owne husbande the king of a frumpe and that in a good thing found the rewarde of it at the Lorde shée was cursed as barren while her life indured and neuer had children Those mocking children at the baldnesse of the Prophet felt the rewarde of such a sinne For our example the Lorde caused Beares to deuour them all presentlie Semei that scorned the estate of Dauid 2. Kings 2. went not to his graue in peace Bician that scoffer was deuoured of dogges as they write And as yet neuer scaped the vnrepenting scorner the handes of the Lorde For howe shoulde it stande with his iustice to call vs to a reckning for our idle wordes and not for our mockes and vngodlie tauntes Wherefore trueth it is and shall euer stande Blessed is that man that hath not sit in the seate of the scornefull Que. Why but may we not iest merily one with an other Ans Yes indéede for all iesting is not mocking such as nowe we haue spoken of and shewed to bee euill Merilie if you remember did the Prophet Eliah iest with the Idolaters worshippers of Baal bidding them crie lowd for their god paradueÌ„ture might be talking with some body 1. King 28. or pursuing his enimies or in some iornie some whither or paraduenture a sléepe Thus saith the text did Eliah mocke them yet this mocking being but a pleasaÌ„t iesting to haue taught them good if they had had grace displeased not the Lord. An other example also we haue in the prophet Esay laughing as it were at their follie who wold worship that as God the chippes whereof had made them such a fire that they cryed A Esay 44. ha I am well warmed And for the place to the Ephesians it condemneth not this maner of speaking and iesting Ephe. 5. but that which procéedeth either of a vaine desire to shew our selues or of an vngodly coueting to sting our brethren Que. Thus then I see the malice of the tongue to be great and euen al men by it to be made guilty of this coÌ„mandement though their handes neuer shed bloode yet is it such a mischiefe as the godlie are much subiect to I meane to be stinged with the tongues of the wicked and therefore I pray you if you knowe anie giue me some counsell howe to thinke of this crosse Ans Truth it is that howsoeuer the sinne be great to mocke or to speake against any despitefully and especially the godly yet is it a crosse vsually incident to them that will separate the sinnes of this worlde so néere as they can from their liues to be taunted and spoken against by both open despisers of goodnesse and by open professors also of religion And that comfort which I knowe is to thinke euen often and seriously of these and such other places The mouth of the wicked Psal 109.2 the mouth full of deceit are opened vpon me saith Dauid They haue spoken to me with a lying tongue they compassed me about also with wordes of hatred and fought against mee without a cause For my friendshippe they were mine aduersaries But I gaue my selfe to prayer Sée the refuge of this saint of God in this kinde of crosse euen to heauen marke the rest of his conscience euen the Lord and if euer the like case be ours let vs powre with him our guiltlesse gréefe into the bosome of our God and there an ende till the Lorde thinke good to make our trueth appeare also to men The like spéeche and practise note againe in an other place of the same booke Princes sayth he did sit and speake against me Psal 119.23 but thy seruant did meditate in thy statutes And againe The proude haue had mee exceedingly in derision yet haue I not shrinked from thy commaundementes Ver. 51. And what a spéech is it of Paule to the Corinthians I take pleasure in infirmities 2. Cor. 12.10 in reproches c. Wherefore in God reioyce who seeth the heart that meant no harme in the Lord be chéerefull whose mercy turneth the deserued crosse of many gret greefes into the biting but of a peuish tongue and in pacience passing the time on say in faith what many haue saide in folly That time shall trie the trueth Que. Yet there are some mo branches of this murther of the tongue Ans Indéede by the tongue also no doubt they kill who by cruell counsell stirre vp the hating heartes of men to any bloudie persecution or which with their mouthes witnesse an vntruth to the ende to shedde any bloud thereby as did the iudges of Susanna and as many consciencelesse men in these daies doe being vpon an inquest of life and death to be maisters of their will Que. Now if you thinke good a litle also of the third kind of murder namely of the heart and first how it is prooued Ans The words of our sauiour Christ are plaine That there is a murther of the heart that out of the heart come euill thoughts adulteries fornications murthers Therefore there is a murder of the heart Againe S. Iohn saith Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a mansleaer But hatred is in the hart and therefore manslaughter Thirdly the minde and the wil being the beginnings or the fountains of al actions if they be infected the man must nedes be gilty before the Lord. Que. Doth this fearefull sinne step into the heart at first or it creepeth rather by degrees as other great sinnes doe Ans Sathan is more subtle than so to drawe euerie man to the extremitie of sinne at the first and therefore howsoeuer in some men he doth vpon a sodaine yet ordinarily this murther stealeth into our heartes by these steps First Satan bréeâ—eth by his vnmarked créeping into our affections a misliking of such a man or woman and yet wee well knowe not why but we can not like them Then doeth this misliking bréede anger For we cannot beare at their handes that which wee can well suffer at others Anger bréedeth hatred hatred desire of reuenge and desire of reuenge murther Thus stealeth sinne into vs and by these steppes Therefore first euerie Christian is to take héede howe misliking of any groweth vppon him Misliking and to snubbe the course of Sathan at the first Secondly to looke the fruite thereof namely anger weying well what was saide to Caine Gen. 1.6 Caine why art thou angry And by our Sauiour Christ in the gospell Math. 5. But I say vnto you whosoeuer is angry with his brother vnaduisedly Anger shal be culpable of iudgement expounding there this commandement and including as you see anger in it And hence haue growen all those vehement
spéeches in the scriptures against it Let all bitternesse and anger and wrath be put away from you Ephes â— 31 and be ye curteous one towardes an other and tender hearted forgiuing one an other euen as God for Christes sake forgaue you saith the Apostle And againe Be slowe to wrath saith an other Iam. 4.19 For the wrath of man doeth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God That is anger and wrath hindreth Gods worke in vs. Vnto which and a number such other perswasions in the worde the prophane writers by the verie light of reason haue agréeed and sought in their sort to giue men a sight of this foule vice Anger haue they saide is the beginning of madnesse anger is the drunkennesse of the minde anger admitteth not anie good counsell anger is the roote of murther and death with a number such spéeches Que. Foule then I see is this vice in all and especially in a Christian and therefore it were good we knewe howe to auoide it Ans We reade that a king of Thracia being presented with a sort of verie fine glasses by and by brake them all in péeces And being asked the reason answered that hee did it to auoyde the wrath that hee was sure would be in him against them that should breake them afterwarde Howe then are we taught by this king though not euerie way to doe as hee did yet with him to bee carefull to preuent our anger by taking away the occasion The occasions of anger in manie men are plaie and gaming curiositie in dealing and medling taking a matter as they thinke they heard it when indéede they heard it not right nipping woordes and gawling spéeches with a number such which if men will not haue anie care to eschewe then in vaine doe they say they are afraide to let murther into their heartes For in truth the effectes will followe if the ordinarie causes doe goe before Que. Why but is all anger forbidden â—o a Christian Ans No indéede it is as lawfull for a man in time place in his office for a iust cause to be angry in a conuenient measure as it is vnlawfull otherwise And it is apparant by the children of God in all ages the Patriarkes Prophetes Apostles and others whose hearts haue burned with misliking of euill and wordes bewrayed asmuch vnto them Wherefore truly was it sayd of the godly father Nolle irasci vbi irascendum est nolle emendare peccatum est That is for a man not to be angrie wheÌ„ he should be angry is as much as to be vnwilling to amend what is amisse Que. Proceede nowe I pray you to the other branches Ans Anger as was saide begetteth hatred nay becommeth hatred if it be let to settle For Odium est inueterata ira Hatred is nothing else but olde anger And therefore since anger is apparantly forbidden in this commandement hatred by consequence being festred anger must néedes be much more Besides wee haue heard the wordes of the scripture plaine He that hateth his brother is a mansleaer 1. Iohn 5. Therfore I passe it ouer and come to the fellowe that is euer ioyned with it when it méeteth with a fit subiect to wit Enuie a vice compounded of the hatred of an other for vertue Enuie what it is guiftes fauour honour and such like and of selfe loue which maketh vs gréeue to sée our selues in these thinges excelled of him A vice also of the spirite of God by name forbidden Eate not the meate sayth Solomon of him that hath an euill eie Prou. 23.6 neither desire his dainties Let vs not be desirous of vaine glorie sayth the Apostle prouoking one an other Galat. 5.26 enuying one an other But laying aside all maliciousnesse all guile and dissimulation all enuie and euill speaking 1. Pet. 2.1 as newe borne babes let vs desire the sincere milke of the worde of God that wee may growe thereby Vnto which expresse testimonies if wâ— ioyne the experience of such euill as enâ—uie hath wrought we shall plainele sé◠the foulnes of it Num. 12.10 Aaron and Miriam enâ—uied Moyses and the Lord with leprosiâ— plagued her Corah and his companie enuied him also and the Lorde as abhorred made the earth to shrinke and swallowe them vp quicke with all that they possessed Saul had an eie vpon Dauid for the womens singing and it stirred him still to séeke the life of his sonne and seruant Iosephs brethren enuied him and it almost brought them to his bloudshedding Euerie way therfore is enuie in a Christian poyson and apparantly it falteth against this commaundement It is a possession besides that destroyeth the possessour For as the rust the iron and mothes a garmen so eateth vppe enuie the man that enuieth These thinges make enuie loathsome ynough to a godly minde and yet is there more to bee sayde against it For besides all this enuie as it wisheth an other mans fall so doth it reioyce if it happen vnto him Which also is a thing verie horrible in the eyes of God For hee that mocketh the poore sayth Salomon reprocheth him that made him Prou. 17.5 and hee that reioyceth at destruction shall not be vnpunished Againe Bee thou not glad when thine enemie falleth 24.18 and let not thy heart reioyce when hee stumbleth least the Lorde see it and it displease him and he turne his wrath from him to be auenged of thee To the which wordes of Salomon howe consonant was the practise of Iob testified in that most excellent spéeche of his If I reioyced at his destruction that hateth me Iob. 31. sayeth be or was mooued to ioye when euill came vpon him If I suffred my mouth to sinne by wishing a curse vnto his soule c. Meaning that hee neuer did it neither would doe For it is a fearefull sinne Calamitas illius fores pulsat qui aliorum calamitatibus non mouetur That is Miserie knocketh at his dore of right whose heart sorroweth not to see others in aduersitie And neuer obiect his harde happe to any man could the Gréeke Oratour say for fortune is common to all what is to come is not yet séene Therefore euen this companion of enuie maketh it worse as I hope wée sée and of all that woulde please the Lorde more carefullie to bee shunned To reioyce at the sinnes of an other much more must bee gréeuous if his worldlie estate may not be reioyced at that it is euill Besides when by sinne the Lorde is gréeued and my brother wounded to eternall death what a spirite were it to reioyce Againe consider our selues in comparison with them that offende and either we are better like or worse the two later giue no cause of ioy and the former should fill our heart with praise for our grace giuen of God and not our mouthes with mockes at the infirmitie of others Que. What else is forbidden Ans Last of all as the murther of the heart is forbidden all
matter in the eare of an other against any body which yet if it had bin mine owne offence I woulde willingly haue wished conceiled couered Hath this hart of mine caried euer the loue in this respect that true tender regard of my brothers credit the possibly it might or of duty it should O the God of gods be mercifull vnto vs and deale not with vs according to our sinnes neither euer reward vs according to our iniquities For I am sure I may speake it in truth yet in sorow against all flesh that liueth we are guilty we are faulty in this behalfe We snub not our heartes when we sée their want of loue prouoke our tongs to speak vnlouingly We say not in our selues with a pause vpon the matter what am I about to say to whoÌ„ of whoÌ„ to what end Wil it hurt him or profit him what is my desire how wold I wish if his case were mine so foorth but headily vnaduisedly I feare vnlouingly we speake what we list almost say with the wicked Psalm our tongs are our own who shal control vs Therfore I say again for this branch of murder by the tong the god of mercy be merciful to vs truly teach vs both how we sin in it how we ought to be reformed of it For reproches how stand we Reproch Haue we neuer cursed the deafe nor put a stumbling blocke before the blind That is haue we neuer insulted ouer any maÌ„s infirmity or vnkindly reproched him with his imperfectioÌ„ O spiteful tongs of ours how passe they the bonds of loue herein It is our pleasure to bewray the wantes of others it is our pastime to gréeue their spirites and tâ— gaule them for theÌ„ yea wee glorie in their ignominie wee swell in conceit of our selues when we sée them and we stretch out our necks and lift vp our hautie eyes when wee passe by them Their weakenesse is our boast all the day long haunting them riding them as we vse to speake in euerie corner and as verie Pharisies wée are in an other case wee looke at their wantes wee exalt our selues and in pride wee speake it or at least inwardlie thinke it wee are not as those séelie Idiotes are Rare is that man and woman that with a tender heart comforteth and couereth whoÌ„ they sée to néed as they wishe their owne wantes with the sufficiencie of Iesus Christ couered from the wrath which they deserue But I trust for the time that is to come it shall neuer bee verified of vs which wee haue heard before out of Salomon spoken that The maÌ„ which is accustomed to opprobrious wordes Prou. 23.15 will neuer bee reformed all the dayes of his life Prou. 28.13 And for that which is past the God of mercie wipe it out as hee hath promised Let vs consider the mockes and tauntes that haue passed from vs euen with ioy in our wittes that wee coulde so doe and euerie speach so néere as wee can whereby our brethren haue receiued harme priuately or openly in place of iustice or out of it And are we then vpright before the Lorde touching the murder of the tongue Psal 7.32 Blessed is the man whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and whose sinne euen in this respect is couered The murder of the heart remaineth wherein wee are to wey howe we haue euer vppon anie occasion suffered mislike to growe within vs of our brethren or anger or harred or enuie reioycing at other mens falles desire of reuenge crueltie or bitternesse pretermission of oportunitie or anie other braunch thereof and whether through our negligence and suffering Satan to créepe vppon vs euen all these almost haue not béene within vs at one time or other one pulling on an other as thinges vnseparable Howe hath misliking of some and we well knewe not why made vs apt to anger with anie thing which they did often displeased with them more than we should How hath anger beeing lodged too long changed his nature and become hatred in vs Howe hath hatred hatched vp enuie and desire of reuenge Howe hath enuie wished the fall of others spited their good whatsoeuer it was ioyed at their miserie if wee liued to sée it Howe hath desire of reuenge pricked vs to the thing it selfe nurced vp crueltie and ouer great seueritie What wantes haue we showed of tender compassion and comfort to the comfortles What prolonging haue wee made of the good which wee haue doone and howe careleslie haue wee passed many an oportunitie to doe our dueties in kindenesse to our brethren Alas then where is the perfection of our loue where is the innocencie of our life where is that integritie of ours touching this commaundement which we dare present of it selfe to please before the Lord Our heartes are stayned our tongues haue strayed and euen our handes also peraduenture against it â—aue gréeuouslie offended Let vs â—hinke of it and the Lorde giue vs â—eartes effectuallie to féele it For the â—ight of sinne can neuer hurt vs when â—t causeth sorow and true repentaunce And to sée sinne to dispare we néede not â—ince Christ our Sauiour hath fulfilled â—he lawe for vs. The verie strength of â—he lawe is but conditionall damnatiâ—n if we will not be humbled if we wil â—ot repent but if wee doe then stepâ—eth Christ in with all his perfection â—nd presenteth himselfe to his father â—or vs then doth he iustifie and who can condemne then will hee saue vs and what can loose vs O that wee would â—herefore sée our offences against euerie commaundement and namelie against this O that wee woulde confesse them and leaue them as we can hereafter The Lorde giue it and the Lord grant it and so shal we liue with the Lord for euer The seuenth Commaundement Thou shalt not commit adulterie Question WHat is the meaning of this commaundement The act Ans First there is forbidden all adulterie fornication and other vncleanesse in our bodies saith your booke which néedeth no proofe besides the plaine wordes of the lawe and that print which in his conscience euerie one carrieth about yet hath the author added some for more strength against the frowarde which I leaue to euerie one to read by theÌ„selues Secondly there are forbidden all vnpure thoughtes and lustes of the heart For as in the other commandementes it hath béene sayde The thought so is it to be thought of againe in this The lawe giuer is spirituall and therefore this law Besides it is testified in plaine wordes that not onelie he is guiltie of this lawe which committeth the act but hee also which looketh vpon a woman and lusteth after her Math. 5.28 Thirdly the Apostle placeth chastitie in bodie and mind and therefore the contrarie is incident both to bodie and mind Nay in verie truth man is rather that which he is in mind Man is that which he is in heart than that which he is is
bodie The qualitie of the hart is the quality of the man therfore an adulterous hart an adulterous man no doubt and a breaker of this commādement Now what a generalitie may this particularitie very profitably teach vs namely not onely to runne to the outward shew we beare and to our bodie with the actions thereof when wee would iudge of our selues but euen to our verie heart and inward thoughts to sée how all doeth there and as there we finde so to giue sentence If there be integritie then so thinke but if there be lust and adulterie if there be dissimulation and falsehood if there be iniquitie sinne then according to it let vs thinke of our selues and say the Lord be mercifull to vs such such for as our harts are so are we Moreouer it may giue vs a great light to discrie the spirit that guideth the Church of Rome For if God cōdemne the thought how allow they the fact of simple fornication at the least And of Sodomie for the 3. hote moneths if not of adulterie and yet say they haue the spirit too Is the spirit of God so variable that somtime he condemneth the thought sometimes alloweth the very fact What an impietie were this to bée said or thought Therfore strange out of question from the Lord is their spirite Thirdly in this commandement is condemned that thing whatsoeuer which inticeth to any vncleannes wherof there might many particulars be named Que. And I pray you for more plainnesse let it not be greeuous to name some of the chiefe Ans First then here is forbidden all wanton immodest lookes for the eye is a vehement inticer vnto lust as appeareth by manie proofes For thus fell Putiphars wife into vngodly lusting after Ioseph Gen. 39. for the text saith shée cast her eies vpon Ioseph Thus came Dauid to adulterie with Bersabe euen by disorderlie looking vpon her from his house top Thus fell the sons of God into vnlawful loue with the daughters of men Gen. 6. by séeing that they were faire This caused Peter to say of the wicked that they had adulterous eyes 2. Pet. 2. And the knowledge of it made Iob to take a bonde of his eyes Iob. 31. that they shoulde not looke vppon a mayde Whereunto for an other inticement to vncleannesse wee may referre all vndecent and vncomelie pictures the corruption of our eyes and consequentlie of our heartes and therefore no doubt héere also condemned Thirdlie vnchast behauiour such as the Lorde crieth out against by his prophete saying that The daughters of Sion are hautie Esay 3. and walke with stretched out neeckes and with wandring eyes walking and musing as they goe and making a tinckling with their feete c. Fourthlie all wanton speach filthie tales songs and sonets of loue lightnes lasciuious salutatiōs and such like For euill wordes corrupt good maners 1. Cor. 15. and there must no corrupt communication procéede out of our mouthes but such as is good to the vse of edifying and may minister grace to the hearers Ephe. 5.3 As for filthines foolish talking iesting and such like they are thinges vncomelie for a Christian Againe vnchast bookes and wanton writinges who knoweth not howe they tickle to vncleannes and therfore both they and the reading of them forbidden in this lawe Sixtly too much showe in apparel painting tricking and trimming of our selues aboue conueniencie it is a daungerous allurer of lust and therefore forbidden Que. I could wish yet a litle larger speach of apparell because I see it is one of the wormes that wasteth at this day the common wealth that decaieth hous-keeping that maketh strait the hande of the master to his seruant and the Lord to his tenant and a thing to conclude that the deere children of God cannot ouercome them selues in Apparell Ans And I will willingly answere your wish with a litle more speach of it yet not such as with diligence might be made but such rather as I haue at times thought of found in some manner effectual First therefore me thinke the very originall of apparel should much mooue a Christian féeling hart For whē we had sinned thē were we clothed Gen. 2. whē we had lost our honor then were we apparelled so that it is the signe of our sin the badge of our rebellion the witnes of our shame and it remembreth vnto vs what we shoulde wéepe continually to think that we haue lost Now alas how small cause haue we to be proude of such a liuerie Nay sée the dulnesse of our harts and the absurdnes of our dealing If a thiefe should be saued frō hanging with this condition added that he shold euer weare a halter were it not a strange hardnes of his hart if he should so forget his fall so glory in his shame testified day night vnto him by the halter that he should begin to boast of his halter to be proud of it and to make it of silke in sumptuous sort for an ornamēt to his necke Truly it were And so it is in mā a very strange worke of sathan that he should so excéed in pride with the thing the sight whereof shoulde rather pinch his hart with sorowe than be so exalted euen out of his owne knowledge with apparell which in truth speake as a good hart shold féele it shold humble vs beat vs downe make vs euen with the peacocke let our feathers fal for the foulnes of our féet Therfore I say one thing me think to draw vs to mediocritie in this matter should be the wel weying of the first beginning of apparel Secondly the spéedie wast of it is something For how can a good conscience warrant vnto vs such great charge yea such excéeding charge in a thing so changeable whē we shal giue an accompt how we bestowed our goods The matter or the forme failes ere euer our price be halfe answered with vse And there is no estate in earth that may warrant a christian man or woman to be a wilful waster of the lords gifts vnto thē Thirdly the misliking of the word should make misliking in my hart of excesse or vanitie in this matter Now the Lord saith in the lawe Thou shalt not weare a garment of diuers sortes Deut. 12. as of wollen linen together The meaning whereof was this he wold not haue thē newfangle wanton and phantastical in their apparel The same God crieth out against the Iewes by his prophet that he wold take away the ornament of the slippers the cals the round attires Esay 3. the sweet bals the bracelets the bonets the attyres of the heade the slops the head-bands the tablets and the earings the rings the mufflers the costly apparell the vailes the wimples the crisping pins the glasses the hoods the lawnes With which in extremitie vsed no dout they had prouooked the Lord daily
day of the Lorde Iesus Christ Manie such as these are there all which our vnerâ—ring Papistes take and expounde of sinâ—gle life and will haue them so manie testimonies of the same to excell mariâ—age But their bould speaking is noâ— euer sounde proouing and therefore wâ— stay to beléeue them Que. In other matters indeede we haue good cause to refuse them but in this giue me leaue to speake as I thinke being readie to learne if I erre meâ— thinke we are not to mislike so much oâ— their speech For surelie it cannot be denied that the single life is farre aboue the maried The scriptures you knowe haue manie speeches to this ende Ans Well then for your better satisâ—faction it will not be amisse if we a litlâ— consider the course of this errour And first I pray you marke that during alâ— the time of the olde testament they dare not nor do not say that single life passed mariage in excellencie but contrarie to be fruitefull and stored of children was a blessing and to be otherwise was a reproch vnto them Therefore this perfection and excellencie of single life they set it to be but nowe in the time of the gospell Where let vs also beginne and going with them sée whether it be so or no. We consider then and sée that as the Lorde is holy himselfe and pure and therefore hath euer liked and loued all holinesse in his children and by name this cleannesse of bodie and mind which we speake of so on the otherside Sathan being impure and filthy hath euer sought and laboured to worke the like in vs and by name to drawe vs to impuritie of flesh and staine of minde in this behalfe The Lorde hath had euer his meanes to worke the one Sathan hath had his againe to bréede the other The Lorde by his word and spirite and what else it pleased him to vse Sathan by sundrie also verie forcible wayes wrought the contrarie Some hee so mightily hardened and strangely ouercame Want of feeling one meanes of Sathan that euen contemning the Lord and his threates and smoothering what in their owne consciences at anie time they founde contrarie to it gaue themselues ouer as it had béene brute and sauage beastes to all lust and vncleannesse without remorse Of these spake the Apostle to the Ephesians saying Ephes 4.19 That they being past feeling gaue themselues to all wantonnesse to worke vncleannesse euen with greedinesse where the worde hee vseth is verie significant And againe to the Romans he saith that God gaue them vp to their hearts lustes vnto vncleannesse Rom. 26. to defile their owne bodies betwixt themselues yea he gaue them vp to vile affections For the women changed the naturall vse into that which is against nature Then sheweth he the meanes and way whereby all this was wrought in them For a man would thinke that euen reason and naturâ— should kéepe vs from such pollution They regarded not sayth the Apostle to knowe God Ver. 28. and therefore God deliuered them vp into a reprobate mind to doe those thinges which are not conuenient That is God suffered Satan so to harden their heartes and to depriue them of the vse euen of naturall light as that those thinges séemed but sportes vnto them and matters of small weight which otherwise would haue feared them euen to thinke vpon The prophet Ose séemeth to alledge the very same manner of procéeding of Sathan in those that know God When he saith of Israel Ose 4.11 that whoredome and wine and newe wine tooke away their heartes That is their iudgement and vnderstanding their conscience and féeling whereby they should abhorre so displeasing a life before the Lorde And what meaneth Salomon when he saith that The young man followeth the inticeing harlotte to her house as an oxe to the slaughter but euen this Prou. 7.22 that by the subtill malice of Sathan hee is depriued of sense to decerne whither hee goeth and what his fall will be So then I say one meanes whereby Sathan in times past drewe men from chastitie the vertue of this commaundement to lust and impuritie the breaches of the same was by dulling their heartes in most fearefull manner that they felt not sinne to be sin no not euen verie great and gréeuous sinnes to be anie at all An other meanes was by instilling into their mindes an opinion of indifferencie in these matters Opinion of indifferencie an other meanes and that God so he were serued in spirite of them passed not for their bodies but left them in some sort to themselues to vse to their pleasures This to omit a multitude of heathen histories as also Simon Magus whome Austen noteth a defender of this doctrine may appeare by that decrée of the Apostles that the Gentilles should abstaine from fornication Act. 15. as also most euidently by the epistle of Paule to the Corinthians who thought of this matter as of a méere naturall thing so lawefull for them as either to eate or drinke so they reserued their soules and spirites to worshippe GOD. But the Apostle sheweth it to be farre otherwise and with manie vehement repetitions of the duties of their bodies impugneth so vile a conceite of libertie to vse them vnto lust Hee hath created your bodies saith the Apostle V. 13. 14. aswel as your soules and therefore you must glorifie him aswell in bodie as in soule Hee preserueth also the one aswell as the other the bloude of Christ was shedde aswell for the one as the other to redéeme it from death they are both indifferentlie the Temples of the holie ghost they are both the members of Christ and at the latter day they must both by Christ be raysed the body then to be ioyned to the soule which before liued separated and therefore aswell in bodie as soule God must be glorified and both of them from filthie lust and pollution kept chast Manie moe are the reasons of Paul in that Epistle to driue the Corinthians from this detestable conceipt V. 17. that fornication was a matter indifferent and chastitie required not so much in bodie as in mind But I referre them to the diligent reader himselfe to marke and thus much onelie note to shew the meanes whereby Satan in those dayes preuailed so much to draw men to the breach of this commandement A thirde meanes wee reade of which argueth not a litle the dulnesse of man the boldnesse of satan if once he get any vantage Euen the verie word of god abused to confirme that which neither God nor his worde could euer abide The scriptures wrested an other meanes Chap. 2. In the Apocalips mention is made of the Nicolaitans sinning in this respect most fearfully it is also by learned meÌ„ recorded how Nicholas the first father of the filthinesse fel into grosse most fearful sinne Clemens Eusebius say that he did it of méere simplicity to remooue froÌ„ him the
the wanton gréetinges in euerie place nowe vsed alas what thoughtes procure they neuer liked of the Lorde that I may say no worse Bookes written by vnreformed heartes and continually redde to the gréefe of God are they no occasions to fraile flesh both in thought and déede to offende against this law God knoweth and experience teacheth such soules as taâ—t of Christ that verie deadly poyson vnder a false delight doth this way créepe into vs. An vnchast looke makeâ— an vnchast heart and a rouing tongue beyonde the listes of godlinesse ere eueâ— we well knowe what we doe So subtill is the sinne that this way créepeth into our soules Apparell is next a most fearefull allurement to the breache oâ— this commaundement both in thought and déede if God once in mercie would open our eyes So are these stage playes and most horrible spectacles so is our dauncing which at this day is vsed so is drunkennesse gluttonie and idlenesse with a number such like as can witnesse eche one in the world that will weigh them Nowe what care we haue had of these things the Lord knoweth and to our profite if we list a litle we may consider it Our eyes O Lorde howe doe they offend through our carelesse bestowing of them to their owne desire Where is the testimonie of truth within vs that we doe restraine them so soone as euer wee perceiue anie tickling motion arise by them Where is the counterpane of that bande we haue taken of them that they shall not cause 〈◊〉 to offende Iob did it and yet wee â—eaker than hee ten thousande times â—hinke it néedelesse Alas our folly Iob. 31.1 alas â—ur security By this meanes our soules â—â—rk in their bane yet we care not nor â—ilbe warned The Lord of his mercie â—â—ue vs once the grace to desire it with â—auid and verie hartily to beg it Psalm 11â— that our â—â—es may be euer turned away from beâ—olding vanitie For the rest which folâ—owe consider theÌ„ well let neuer Saâ—han or selfeloue so stil bewitch vs that â—e cannot be brought to sée our sin In â—ehauiour or spéech haue we neuer offeÌ„â—ed But euer in them both so vsed our â—elues as that neither we nor they whom â—e delt withall may be charged of more â—ightnesse than became the professors of Christ and his worde Haue wee neuer â—ransgressed in matter or forme of apparel O that we could say it But in truth we can not For the contraries abounding in the eies of al men would giue vs the lie Light behauiour and alluring â—aliance is euerie where accompted comelie bouldnesse Behauiour and good bringing vp Speech discoursing spéeche to a vaine ende we count a quality commendable in vs and the want of it we estéeme simplicitie wheresoeuer we sée it And therefore by bookes to such endes set out we endeuour to attaine vnto it and hauing once polluted our spéech for I will neuer call it polishing we are neuer better than when we haue company to bestowe our tales and gréetinges vppon Our apparell in matter to our power we make sumptuous Apparell and in forme to allure the eye asmuch as wee can If this be true in the name of Christ let vs better thinke of it than we haue done These are allurementes to sinfull lust and this lawe of God forbiddeth not onely both act and thought but euen euerie allurement to either of them What should I speake of stage plaies and dauncing Can we say in trueth before the maiestie of God that we carefullie abstaine from these thinges because they tickle vs vp either more or lesse to the breach of this commanndement Alas we cannot a number of vs. But we runne to the one continually to our cost Playes when we will not be drawen to better exercises that are offered fréely we sucke in the venom of them with great delight and practise the spéeches and conueyances of loue which there we sée and learne Dauncing The other wee vse with especiall pleasure and God being witnesse to many an one they wish the fruite of their dauncing to be this euen the fall of them selues and others into the breache of this lawe What should I say of gluttonie and idlensse Doe they not make vs sinne Good Lorde giue vs eyes to sée Gluttonie and drunkennesse and hearts to weigh the occasions of our fall The spirite of God hath sayde that these pricked vp the flesh of the filthy Sodomites to that height of sinne and yet we can imagine they will cause no sinne at all in vs against this lawe And therefore professing the gospell and integritie of life yet dare we so pamper so stuffe cramme this rebelling flesh as if we were gods that could suffer no temptation we dare gull in wine and hote drinkes continually beeing peraduenture both strong and young and euerie way néeding rather pulling downe than setting vp Idlenesse We dare solace our selues in soft beddes too long for our constitutions and all the day after betake our selues to nothing whereabout the minde might walke and so escape impure conceptes Wee dare differ the meanes which God hath appointed for our helpe to liue vndefiled for euerie trifling cause and féeling the flesh to arise in disobedience against this lawe euen dayly yet neither fast wee nor breake our sléepe nor labour nor marrie nor any way stoppe the course of it But certainely as vnféeling men passe on the time and heape vp wrath against the day of wrath for our boulde offending And yet we hope to be saued and yet we hope to haue a ioyfull resurrection But O déere in the Lorde it will not be so For is not this the lawe of God Thou shalt not committe adulterie Doeth it not forbidde both act and thought as we haue plainely séene and euen euerie allurement to either of them And must not God iudge vs according to his lawe Nowe then should wee liue when we haue witnesse within vs that wee offende his â—aw Bée not deceiued but as we feare the losse of bodie and soule for euermore let vs be warned Can nothing accuse vs that hath béene sayde Did we neuer in act or in thought receiue anie staine contrarie to this commaundement Haue wee euer had care and power to auoide all meanes What mouth dare speake it what heart can thinke it if it be not brasse or stéele and as voyde of féeling Wherefore awake let vs all from our former sléepe let vs stande vp at last from the dead in trespasses and sinnes and Christ our déere Sauiour shall giue vs light Let vs acknowledge what this lawe requireth and what wee should haue doone euerie one of vs. Let vs confesse we haue straied froÌ„ it many a time way and are no way able to offer vp our selues righteous cléere innocent to the Lord touching this lawe and for the time to come that we shall yet liue héere O let vs carrie some greater care to
obserue his will We nowe knowe not our actes onely but our inwarde thoughtes must euer be holy we now knowe many meanes that leade to offence heerein and that euen the meanes must also be eschewed Nowe then if we liue as in ignorance wee did scorning at counsell cleauing to our pleasures and reiecting the Lorde and his lawe shall we escape He that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not shall hee be vnpunished Marke what I say and pray euer to féele it as the wrath of the king bad heate the furnace seuen times hootter than eâ—er it was to consume the men that withstoode him to his face for truth so shall the wrath of God that made this lawe cause hell to be hette 70 times 7 times hotter for vs if wilfully after warning and maliciously after knowledge we oppose our life against it That is he shall multiply the paines of hell vppon vs for these pleasures of our fleshe that swéete sinne may haue bitter and sower confusion for euermore Nowe the God of heauen giue vs sense and féeling the Lorde of mercie touch vs with a taste of sinne by the viewing of his lawe For we cannot alwayes liue and thus dally with our owne soules neither standeth it with the nature of our God who is iust finally to forgiue vs though he long forbeare vs vnlesse we amend But he must haue his iudgement and we must haue our torment as sure as we liue Nowe doeth hee wish vs to consider our wayes and to turne our feete into his testimonies his warninges waste and his wrath increaseth if wee settle our selues against him Yet O howe I feare wee will wilfully doe it For it is so swéete and so incident to vs which this lawe forbiddeth that a thousande to one we forsake the Lorde The allurementes I haue named wee will neuer withstande no wee will not heare of it that they cause vs to fall But pleasing this fleshe for the time wee doe vse them wee will neuer espie the paine that will followe them Yet why should I feare since God is of power to pierce anie hart and hath promised to doe it if wee heartily begge it O Lorde I hope thou wilt worke with vs that by this lawe we may sée howe we haue offended thée and what héereafter we must more eschewe the one with sorrowe and true remorse the other with faith and continuall care Then shall thy Christ and our comfort who in our flesh fulfilled the lawe for vs couer with his righteousnesse all our sinnes against it Then shall sinnes past in his bloud be forgiuen and wee by him euer héereafter strengthened Then we shall order our eyes with a carefull heart we shall set a watch before our mouth and keepe the dore of our lippes all false inticementes to forbidden lustes wee shall gladly refraine and so escape the sinne it selfe the better This I say good Lorde we shall doe if thou worke with vs that is thou and thy power and thou and thy mercie shall doe it in vs. Which voutchsafe O father of heauen for thy vnmeasurable vnsearchable goodnesse sake Amen The eight Commaundement Thou shalt not steale Question HOwe can this commaundement possiblie stande with that opinion of communitie Ans Indéede no way for it manifestly ouerthroweth so vile an imagination and sheweth the distinction of dominions propriety in things was and is the ordinance of the Lorde For euerie prohibition sheweth an ordinance before established which should be obserued either in Gods lawes or mans though not alwaies expressely As the forbidding of murther sheweth preseruation of life to be the wil of God and the denyall of adulterie inferreth the liking of chastitie either in mariage or out So the forbidding of stealth which is an alienation of an other mans goods to our selues sheweth that euery thing is not our owne to take at our pleasure but proprietie in possession is the will of the Lorde For if all thinges be common there can be no stealth and so this law friuolous and to no purpose which God forbid we should affirme or thinke Que. Yet many haue bin of this opinion affirming that tyranny not diuinitie maketh this difference amongst men Ans It is verie true Yet I hope you sée how euideÌ„tly this law of God which I trow they will account diuinitie doth ouerthrowe them and their folly as do also all other lawes that may héereunto be reduced with many scriptures mo For as there can bee no stealth if all thinges be common and therefore this lawe of God as I saide in vaine giuen so there can be no buying or selling no borowing or lending no letting or leasing or any such thing amongst men if euery man haue like interest to take at his pleasure therfore the Lord God euen in these also greatly ouerséene for that he would troble himselfe to make lawes touching these matters when as no maÌ„ hath or ought to haue anie proprietie in anie thing more than an other Againe all the exhortations in the Scripture to almes déedes and to mercie toward the poore is friuolous for they haue as good right to take anie thing they want from anie man as the other haue to giue them But all these you sée are absurde and therefore the opinion and the contrary of it the wil and ordinance of the Lord. Que What is then the verie drift of this commandement Ans The verie end of it is this to bind our loue and care to our neighbors goods as before it hath béene to his life and things déere vnto him as his life For it cannot bee that our heartes shoulde bee right in affections towards our brethren and wee spoylers and wasters or anie way harmers of the commodities which they inioy Loue chéerisheth kéepeth euen euery thing so néere as it can which he accompteth of whome wee loue and especiallie which hee liueth by and maintaineth both himselfe and others by And therefore as I thinke we cannot take a better course to lay before our owne eyes that wants of loue in vs towards the goods of our neighbors and consequently our breaches of this commaundement than diligently to wey some particular dueties specified in the worde wherein the Lord God would haue our loue to show it selfe As for open rapine and plaine stealth no man I thinke wil excuse it or denie it to be sinne and therfore I stand not vpoÌ„ it your booke hath euident places quoted against it I come rather to those other duties of borowing and lending of hyring and letting of buying and selling and such like Que. First then what is the Lawe of borowing and lending in the worde Ans If a man saith the lawe borow anie thing of his neighbour Exod. 22.14 and it bee hurt or else die the owner of it not being by hee shall surelie make it good If it be an hyred thing he shal not make it good for it came for his hyre In which lawe if wee well wey
thâ— flocke and shall he so quietly passe them ouer that put in and place such dumâ— dogges and vnable drones to doe aniâ— duetie for their owne lucre Is it a token of loue to féede his shéepe to féedâ— his lambes and is it not a want of louâ— both to God and his lambes to put iâ— for my gaine such a drie nurse as caâ— giue no milke nor féede at all except 〈◊〉 be with follie and a fowle example of drinking swearing carding tabling â—owling sléeping and such like Thinke we if Ieremy were nowe aliue to suruey the parishes of this our countrey Ierem. 9.1 â—nd should sée the fearefull estate of so manie soules not able to tell howe they â—halbe saued or to prooue anie one prinâ—iple of religion not flying sinne beâ—ause they féele it not to be sinne nor â—auing light because they knowe it not â—o be light thinke we I say that hee â—hould not wish his head full of water â—nd his eies a fountaine of teares that â—e might wéepe day and night for the â—ame of Englande through these pouâ—â—ng patrones Assuredly hee would For the heart that harboreth any portiâ—n of pitie to the Lordes people or hath â—nie care what become of the price of â—hrist his bloud could neuer abide vnâ—uched déepe to sée so great a spoyle for â—orldly wealth of that which all the â—orlde cannot redéeme when it is lost â—he Lorde the Lorde looke vppon his â—hurch for his mercies sake and either â—â—ter the heartes of these Church robbers by giuing them to sée what hangeth ouer them and their posteritie mosâ— iustly for such a sinne or else plucke ouâ— of their handes by restoring disciplinâ— the bestowing of them any longer Next let vs weigh what goods we hauâ— euer gotten by vnlawfull gaming oâ— by false deceite in the same and rememâ—ber it hath béene prooued before a gréeâ—uous stealth Let vs also consider howâ— wee stande touching the affirmatiuâ— part of this commandement which weâ— are aswell bounde to performe as weâ— are to flie the contrarie as howe weâ— haue euer to the vttermost of our abilâ—â—tie preserued and cared for the goods oâ— our neighbours that they might be safe howe wee haue vsed our ownâ— wealth to the glorie of God the mainâ—taynance of the magistrate the defend of our countrey the comfort of our faâ—milie the reléefe of the poore and the eâ—stablishing of the knowledge of Goâ— amongest all Howe we haue abhorreâ— distrust in Gods prouidence the rooâ— of stealth and rested assured of his goodâ—nesse if we serued him with such likâ— Are we cleare and haue doone them all without reproofe or blemish If wee haue let vs boast and looke for life for our workes but if any thing touch vs and staine vs knowe and remember what S. Iames sayth He that is guiltie of one is guiltie of all And doth nothing touch vs that hath béene saide Hath neither hande by déede nor heart by thought euer straied in anie degrée O beloued he that sayth euen in this commandement he hath no sinne deceiueth himselfe and there is no truth in him Let vs therefore rather sée our sinne knowe our sinne bewaile our sinne and â—rie to the Lorde for his grace to clappe â—ould of Iesus Christ his sonne who â—ath filled this and euerie lawe for vs â—o the ende that we beléeuing might be â—aued by his righteousnesse The Lord giue vs pardon the Lorde giue vs faith the Lord change our liues to a better course for his blessed name and mercie sake Amen The ninth Commaundement Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour A commaundement teaching vs our dueties towardes the good name and credite of our brethren in speaking neuer anie thing of them which is vntrue as the former haue towardes their liues and goods Question THen by this it seemeth it should haue gone before the other in order because a mans name is dearer than either life or goods Ans It is true to some it is so buâ— not to all and rather doth the Lorde reâ—spect the multitude than a fewe anâ— the common nature of the vulgare sorâ— rather than the disposition of the better but farre lesser sort And first and forâ—â—most could the wise Oratour say by naâ—ture is it giuen to euerie kinde of creature to maintaine himselfe his life and bodie and to auoide whatsoeuer may bée anie way hurtfull to the same Noting in effect the other to followe but in a seconde degrée Que. What right is there to establish this lawe Ans Euen a thréefould right as you haue heard and séene in the former For first the Lorde himselfe is true and trueth it selfe hating euer and abhorring falsehood and therefore verie méete that he should séeke the establishing of the same amongest his children and the carefull auoyding of the contrarie Secondly the verie light of nature hath euer taught it to men that lying is to be â—oathed and hath made them crie Socrates is my friende and Plato is my â—riende but trueth before and aboue â—hem both Wherefore verie méete 〈◊〉 was and right that this lawe of â—ature shoulde bee strengthened and â—aintained by the Lorde Lastly withâ—ut trueth there is no safetie in mens â—ounselles bargans méetinges conferences and such like and therefore most fit and necessarie that for the staie of truth amongest vs and the auoyding of the contrarie the Lorde should make one lawe at the least The equitie of it then you sée is great And nowe to the particular branches of it as they lie in your booke Where the first named hurt and annoyance of my brothers credite is false witnesse bearing when in open place of iustice and iudgement or anie where else anie man shall of euill will and malice or for lucre or fauour of others testifie or depose that which is vntrue against his neighbour Which thing howe horrible it is may first appeare by due considering the price of an honest name 1. reason and good report in the worlde amongest our brethren Which as the wise man saieth is to be chosen aboue great riches Prou. 22.1 and louing fauour aboue goulde and siluer And in an other place Eccles 7.3 A good name iâ— better than a good ointment Becausâ— that thereby we smell as it were swéeteâ—ly vnto many to the edifying of them and working manie thinges in them bâ— our perswasions which others coulde not of whom they haue or do not thinke and heare so well Philip. 4.8 The Apostle Paule also in that excellent spéech of his to the Philippians which I often verie wilâ—ingly remembeÌ„r vnto you noteth effectually howe déere vnto a Christian any thing should be that belongeth to a good name and the working of a good report amongest men of vs. For whatsoeuer thinges my brethren sayth hee are true whatsoeuer thinges are honest whatsoeuer thinges are iust whatsoeuer thinges are pure whatsoeuer thinges are worthie loue whatsoeuer thinges are of good report if there be anie verâ—ue or if there
And if there bee but anie wisedome in vs saith Salomon we will be carefull of it also Prou. 11.12 For he that despiseth his neighbour is destitute of wisedome but a man of vnderstanding will keepe silence But to strike vp the matter fully we sée the wordes of our Sauiour Christ in the gospell plaine Math. 18.15 If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betwixt him thee alone if he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother 16. But if he heare thee not take yet with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses euerie worde may be confirmed 17. And if he will not vouchsafe to heare them tell it vnto the Church and if he refuse to heare the Church also let him be vnto thee as an heathen man and a publican Héere we plainely sée that priuate offences are not to be made openly knowen so long as there is hope of amendement But remember I say that we speake of priuate offences for in publike faultes there is quite an other course euen openlie to rebuke them that haue openlie sinned 1. 〈◊〉 5.20 that others may sée and feare Que. Thus then of the negatiue part of this commaundement nowe I pray you adde some thing also of the affirmatiue Ans Easily may we gather one contrarie by an other for who séeth not that if all falsehood be forbidden in generall likewise all trueth by the same wordes is commanded As therefore no way we ought to doe the former so by all meanes we should maintaine the latter And namely in the deliuerie of anie doctrine in place of iustice Prou. 14.25 Psalm 15. and iudgement in contractes couenantes and bargans in our spéeches in our actions and euerie where and way is trueth to be maintained and showed of vs. Cic. 1. Offi. For man is borne to trueth and by nature we haue to inquire after it Man is borne to knowe God to consider the creatures to preserue the difference betwixt honestie and dishonestie and what is this but trueth Man is borne to learne and knowe such artes as God hath brought into our practise and euerie art séeketh a trueth Therefore a shame and a discredite wee should euer thinke it to bee founde vntrue yea euen so farre wee should thinke we are degenerated from the nature of man as we are led with any liking of falsehoode and vntrueth It is a notable place of Zacharie to shew vs the great liking which the Lord hath of trueth and howe he desireth it in all godly men and women euer For these are the thinges that ye shall doe sayeth the Lorde Speake yee euerie man the truth vnto his neighbour execute iudgement truely and vprightly in your gates and let none of you imagine euill in your heartes against his neighbour and loue no false othe for all these are the thinges that I hate sayth the Lorde Zacharie 8.16 And if we weigh with this againe and manie such other testimonies that might be brought the sentences of the godlie Fathers euen thereby also may we gather greatly the excellencie and precious account that all good men should make of speaking trueth For if anie man be offended for a trueth sayth Augustine Vtilius scandalum permittitur quam veritas amittitur August de doctri christi That offence were better still to be than that to remoue it anie losse should be made of the trueth And in an other place againe To striue or fight against a knowen truth passeth in euill euen idolatrie Aug. epist 48. not much differing héerein from the wordes of Syrac Syrac 4.25 In no wise speake against the worde of truth but be ashamed of the lies of thine owne ignorance And most excellently Hierome if you marke it Tantus sit in te veritatis amor Ad Celanâ— vt quicquid dixeris iuratum putes That is Carie euer such a loue in thy soule of trueth that whatsoeuer thou speakest thou imagiâ—est thou swearest it And againe in an other place In Ezek. If a man for the feare of â—eath be not licenced to conceile a truth â—hat is asked of him howe should it not 〈◊〉 a farre greater impietie for the bellie or vaine hope of worldly honour to doe it Wherefore wee plainely sée that if either God or his children carie anie credite with vs great should be our regarde of trueth and no lesse hartie and vnfained our hatred of falsehoode Que. What then might that be which some philosophers maintained touching a general vncertaintie in all thinges Academici Pichonij and that there is no trueth that can be attayned vnto or knowen of vs Ans Their senselesse follie is verie well discouered by an other Philosopher of an other sect Epictetus Stoicus first by examples theâ— by absurditie and lastly by experienceâ— and practise For sayth he doe wee noâ— knowe whether the snowe be white oâ— blacke doe we not knowe whether thâ— fire be hote or colde is it vncertainâ— whether the I se will melt against thâ— fire or no If then these and a thousanâ— thinges moe be assuredly knowen whâ—â— absurde opinion and vnworthie of leaâ—â—ned men might this be that no certainâ— trueth can be attained vnto Secondâ—â— sayth he if I were one of their sâ—â—â—uantes and my maister bad me fetâ—â— him bread I would fetch him a stone if he called for wine I would giue him water and what else so euer hee should bid me doe I would doe the contrarie Then if he asked me what I meant I would answere howe should I knowe that I brought him a stone not breade or so of anie of the rest which I named Or howe knewe he himselfe that I did not fulfill his commaundement séeing there is no truth by their opinion that can be knowen Thus doth he merily deride their follie by shewing what absurditie foloweth of it Lastly sayeth he by their owne practise they confute themselues For when they are colde they goe to the fire and not to the water to warme them and can they not tell which doth warme and which doth coole If they be drie they take water and yet can they not tell whether it quencheth thirst or no Foolish therfore and most absurde is that opinion wee knowe no trueth For both by experience by certaine principles that nature hath set in vs Foure waieâ— to knowe truth by by order of a good conseâ—uence and by testimonie of Gods certaine worde we knowe and doe attaine to manie truthes Que. But because you say euer and in all thinges trueth ought to be maintained 1. Sam. 21. I pray you what say you of Dauids dissembling when hee fained himselfe mad before Achis Ans I may answere with good authoritie of learned men Danaeus that it was a weakenesse in Dauid not to be imitated Or I may with others make a distinction P. Martyr and say thus That if he did it vpon anie
nowe adaies of gods iust plagues vpon this sinne But I will not runne ouer them nowe Easilie may they be turned too in our owne Church storie Onely these two I cannot omit First how Hamelton the Scot being brought vnto his death by the false accusation of a false Frier called Campbell when he was in the fire cited and summoned the sayde Frier to appeare before the high God as generall iudge of all men to answere to the innocencie of his death and whether his accusation was iust or not betwixt that and a certaine day of the next moneth which hee there named and ere that day came the Fryer died without any remorse of conscience that he had persecuted the innocent And secondly howe Calice men in the daies of King Henrie the 8. being falsely accused escaped safe from the danger of such witnesses and they themselues a iust plague vppon their iniquitie hanged drawen and quartred ere they went home Therefore let vs euer tremble to prouoke the Lorde by this sinne let vs speake a trueth if we doe speake at all and shame to lie euen of the deuill The daily beggeries discredits shames and deathes strange and fearefull of such as haue made no conscience by false witnesse bearing to pollute their consciences ought mightilie to moue vs and verie effectually to perswade vs neuer to doe it For God to vs as he hath béene to others will most assuredly shew himselfe either at first or at last at one time or other when our sinne is the same and he no changeling in his nature at all And thus much of this commaundement The Application NOwe let vs weigh the guilt or innocencie of our soules if the Lorde should call vs to an account for this his lawe Generallie wee sée the care that should be in vs to preserue the credite and good name of all men and what heart so dull or dead and past all féeling that it doth not espie euen a generall want in it selfe concerning the same Generally all trueth would the Lorde by this lawe haue loued cherished and maintained and the contrarie hated shunned and auoyded but what eie so blinde that cannot sée the course we commonly take and the race wee wholy runne to the maintaynaunce of the vice and rooting out almost of the vertue from amongest vs But consider the particulars one by one and so shall we reape most profit Haue you neuer in all your life testified of your neighbour an vntrueth publikely for fauour or gaine or hatred or any cause whatsoeuer Haue you neuer slipped neither in your owne behalfe nor your friendes nor your towne and liberties nor anie way But haue euer dealt in all the testimonies that euer you gaue as you dare abide gods searching eie to iudge you Consider well the matters that you haue dealt in remember the times past remember the sutes that haue béene made vnto you and peraduenture the rewardes that haue béene offered you also and if you be cleare and no way to be touched though God sift you neuer so narrowly be glad and giue God praise But if you can not if you may not if you dare not cleare your selfe both because a guiltie conscience accuseth you within and because both men and matters may be produced and named for whom and wherein affection hath led you giftes corrupted you malice incensed you sin stayned you then sée it sée it in the feare of God and thinke of it confesse it was naught acknowledge your blemish consider this lawe that so flatly forbiddeth it tremble vnder the hande of the God of heauen that hath euer plagued it either by one way or an other in a mans selfe or his séede in this worlde or the other And so by the grace of God shall sight bréede sorowe and amendment of life hereafter Fie of that affection that damneth our soules wo worth the gaine that getteth vs hell And accursed is that iuror and witnesse that so respecteth his present purpose as that hee casteth away the care of God of life of hell of death of ciuill honestie fame and good name in his countrey and dwelling neuer able after to come in companie where hee may not feare the touch in talke of his ill dealing Certainely certainely if a good name be aboue gould and siluer a false witnesse is the drosse and dregges of the world that the Lorde hateth and euerie honest heart verie perfectly loatheth The next branch that breaketh our obedience and dutie to the Lorde in this lawe is lying Lying the foule filth whereof hath in part before béene displaied and opened And nowe it remaineth but to consider our course and how gréeuously guiltie we are before God of this ougly vice Where is that man that woman that aged or younger that will cleare themselues from all blotte or staine in this behalfe Doth not euerie maister in his man euerie mistres in her maide finde it mislike it hate and abhorre it Doth not euerie estate finde it in other And God in vs all to the iust incensing of his wrath and furie against vs If we can cleare our selues let vs if we can not where is our righteousnesse where is our perfection where are our merites Nay why dread we not the death that is the desert of lying lippes O sift and search the guilt of guilefull tongue couer it not excuse it not remember what I haue sayde of it before mocke not God dallie not with your damnation hate to bee the childe of the foule fiende and with sorowe in trueth for passed securitie flie with perseuerance for euer hereafter so sinfull iniquitie Truth may be blamed but it can neuer be shamed yea euen man in the ende shall like it and God for euer blesse it and crowne it There followe then in the booke as particulars of this generall flattering Flatterie c. and dissembling and telling false tales behinde our neighbours backe Concerning the first what should I say Should I aske whether you haue or doe offende should I make a question of it or bring you into doubt with your selfe whether you haue héerein faulted or no Alas howe want I rather words to moue vs to repentance than proofes of dayly practise to conuict vs of transgression Helpe Lord Psalm 12. helpe may I truly say with Dauid for good and godly men doe perish and decay and faith and trueth from worldly men is parted cleane away Who so doeth with his neighbour talke his talke is all but vaine for euerie man bethinketh how to flatter lie and faine But what followeth Certainely euen that which we shall finde if God by his grace change not our heartes to more sinceritie For we make no conscience to lie to flatter to fawne to halt to â—ogge to glose and dissemble honestie pietie friendshippe and fauour loue and obedience faithfulnesse and trust and whatsoeuer may be profitable to vs euen from morning to night from we rise till wee goe to bed and then howe
and a gréeuous breach of this commaundement Wee should couer in charitie what no bodie knoweth but wee if the partie will be reformed euen as willingly and readily as euer wee would our selues finde fauour for our infirmities But doe we it Is my brothers shame my griefe is his credite déere vnto me as my life Goe I backewarde with a cloke on my backe to cast vpon his offence loth that either others or I my selfe should sée it as good Sem and Iapheth did to their bared father in his drunkennesse Gen. 9.23 No no wee grinne and laugh rather with cursed Cham and blabbe it out to others Good beloued let vs weigh our wantes and neuer make our vices vertues God asketh but our confession in griefe and sorowe and he will heale vs. It is a branch and a breach of this commandement and therefore no thing to be continued in But I dwell too long in this spéech vnto you Many things mo might yet be rehearsed but sée them your selues and let my silence passe them These fewe bewraye our want of perfect obedience to the lawe and so consequently of anie life and safely by the workes of the same And therefore I hope we clearely perceiue that without a Sauiour wee were but lost make what distinctions we can of obedience of iustification or such like Fast cleaueth to vs and cannot bee denied gréeuous guilt against both this lawe and all the former and cursed is he which abideth not in all to doe them sayeth the Lorde Deutro 27 Iam. 2.10 Galat. 3.11 He that is guiltie of one is guiltie of all and by the workes of the lawe can no flesh liuing be iustified For the iust shall liue by faith Wee haue not doone all but wee haue broken much and therfore the conclusion lighteth vpon vs and all the subtilties of all the wittes in the worlde can not remooue it from vs if the Lorde should marke what we haue doone amisse but in this one lawe of his and iudge vs thereunto and by we are not able to abide it wee are cast away Therefore let vs flie from the lawe as fast as euer wee can and take the right vse of it thereby to be led vnto Christ and let this be our firme comfort Galat. 4.4 that When the fulnesse of time was come God sent foorth his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the lawe that he might redeeme vs from the curse thereof and so by him wee might receiue the adoption of sonnes which without him we could neuer attaine to This is sure and this is comfortable to hould by and the Lorde increase this faith in vs euer The tenth Commaundement Thou shalt not couet thy neighbors house thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife nor his c. Wherein saith your booke the Lorde plainely forbiddeth all inwarde desire of anie thing vnlawfull to be done although we neuer consent vnto it as the rebellion of the flesh all corruption of the olde man all blotte of originall sinne so that by this commaundement most clearely we may see the image of that man that pleaseth God euen such an one in whom nothing is impure neither in will nor nature Question YEt playner I pray you if you can set downe the difference of this commaundement from the other for as I haue heard some haue halfe thought it superfluous seeing as the former did also forbid the inwarde thought aswell as the outwarde act Ans It is as plaine as may be alreadie yet to content you thus ouer againe The former commaundementes did forbid the act and the setled or consenting thought of the heart though the déede were not doone as for example the precept of killing forbiddeth the déede and with all once to thinke in heart to doe such a déede with a resolution verily to accomplish it if I can But nowe this commaundement commeth néerer and condemneth not onely that thought that is setled and lacketh but oportunitie to doe the déede but euen the verie thinking also of any thing contrarie to the loue of God or my neighbour though I doe neuer consent to it but snubbe it mislike it and reiect it For euen that hauing of an euill thought in my minde is a fruite of my corruption such as in innocencie if we had stood we should neuer haue had and therefore naught So there are two degrées of thoughtes the one with consent to accomplish in déede what we do thinke if we can and the other without consent repulsed away when wee awake and sée it The former in the former commandementes was forbidden and the later in this A strange doctrine in shewe no doubt to manie that thinke this their thought is frée But we must not maruell since euen the Apostle Paul himselfe would neuer haue suspected anie danger in concupiscence lustes and desires if the lawe had not sayde Thou shalt not lust or desire Rom. 7.7 Nay it appeareth verie plainely in that place sayth a godly man that he thought maruelous well of himselfe before hee came to this commandement He tooke himselfe before to be liuing and in good liking towardes God and godlinesse but when he had looked vpon this lawe and beheld himselfe a while in this part of the glasse he sawe himselfe plainele to be no bodie but a dead man sould vnto sinne And therefore a thousande times néedefull that the Lorde should adde this lawe to all the rest to humble vs throughly séeing so singular a man was not fully cast downe before he had wrestled with the iustice of God in the same Let vs therfore thinke of this thing that séemeth so litle in our eies For wee heare what the Apostle sayth it is sinne to desire Rom. 7.7 and we may ioyne vnto it the words of the Lorde himselfe affirming plainely that the verie imagination of mans heart is euill euen from his youth Gen. 8.21 God hath made the heart aswell as the bodie to séeke his glorie and therefore good reason the cogitations of the hart should no more straie from their true end than the actions of the bodie Neither may our reiection of such thoughtes in the ende and not consenting vnto them to accomplish them in act bleare our eies with an imagination that we haue not offended in them in going so farre as we went For it is a blemish a want an impietie and a degrée of vnchastitie in a woman to suffer the cogitation of anie forren friende beside her husbande to tickle her with conceite vnlawefull though in the ende she repulse it and abhorre to accomplish it and howe can it then be faultlesse in these hearts of ours the spouse of the Lorde to dallie with such delightes and to pursue in minde by thinking of them the pleasures that such conceites doe pleade before vs though in the conclusion we giue the deniall and do not consent O it is a greater matter to loue the Lorde with all the heart than that it may
abide anie light licentious wandring frō the same for anie time For they are opposed to loue the Lorde euer and to thinke euill at anie time to loue the Lorde with all my heart and to thinke nowe and then of vaine follies or flat impieties with my heart And if it be a certaine trueth as we knowe it is which I saide before that if we had stoode in our innocencie firme and immoueable we should neuer haue conceiued in our time any euill thought at all or vaine or foolish conceite for anie moment or point of space but should euer haue béene able to haue iustified our thoughts before God whatsoeuer they were as agréeing with the loue of him and our brother then is this tickling delight that now and then will take vs and possesse vs for a time to inioy our neighbours house his wife his child his man maide or anie thing that he hath otherwise than we should wicked vile and against that rule of right wherein we were created and whereto our regeneration dayly tendeth if we be the Lordes And therefore let this argument conuict vs and this consideration euer assure our soules within that it is vnlawefull for the childe of GOD once to conceiue an ill thought although we neuer consent vnto it And consequently let it stir vs vp to pray with Dauid against our corruption Psalm 51. that the Lorde in mercie woulde vouchsafe to make vs cleane hearts and to renewe a right spirite within vs euermore Let it be still the propertie of a popish spirite to extenuate sinne and exalt flesh and bloud and corruption aboue truth and right saying concupiscence is no sinne Iam. 1.25 but onely bringeth foorth sinne after it hath conceiued But let the childe of God schooled vp in the trueth of the gospell presse flesh bloud and his corrupt nature so farre as gods worde and lawe presseth it and let him knowe that first verie concupiscence in it selfe is a damnable degrée of vice yet not the highest degrée but vpon the conception thereof followeth actual accomplishment of wickednesse before but thought in heart an higher and further steppe of euill in vs which is the meaning of Iames. For if concupiscence were not euill then must it néedes be either good or indifferent But neither of these it can be and therfore it is euill Good it is not for the whole 7 Chapter to the Romans denyeth it And S. Austen pretily against Iulian gathering vppon his wordes that concupiscence remayned in thē that are regenerated though not the guilt of it that therefore is was good answereth Si hoc sentirem Libr. 6. cap. 6. non dicerem eam malam esse sed fuisse Nos autem malam eam dicimus manere tamen in baptizatis That is If I had thought so to wit that it was good then would not I haue saide it is euill but it was euill But we say it is euill and yet remaineth in them that haue beene baptized And when Iulian goeth on and vrgeth his assertion that neuerthelesse the guilt was taken away yea sayth he Reatus quo hominem reum facit non quo ipsa rea est vt homicidij reatus tollitur in aliquo non tamen ideo bonum est That is That guilt is taken away wherewith shee stayneth man not wherewith it is stayned it selfe in it selfe As the guilt and the desert of murther a man may bee quit of and freed from and yet not the wickednesse it selfe in it nature changed for that cause but remaineth euill still Good therefore you sée concupiscence is not And indifferent it is not For the Apostle flatly giueth it an harder name saying Rom. 7.21 That when he would haue doone good hee was so yoked that euill was present with him If the spirite of God call it euill beware we presume not to call it indifferent and beware more howe we play with the pleasure of it and take delight to doe it Againe what conclusion carie all those exhortations to crucifie Crucifie the olde man with all his lusts and that percing plaint of an Apostles mouth O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death I knowe I knowe that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good I say what conclusion carie they all but this that concupiscence is neither good nor indifferent but flatly euill Que. Howe then falleth it out that it condemneth vs not Ans The Apostle answereth in the 25. verse Rom. 7.25 I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lorde and in the next Chapter There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh Cap. 8.1 but after the spirite For the lawe of the spirite of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the law of sinne and of death So that we sée it is Christ in whom and by whom and for whom wee are not charged with the condemnation due to concupiscence and corruption ingrafted and growning in vs. Que. But is then all desire and affection and all coueting vnlawefull by this commaundement Ans No indéede for God hath created affections and desires in men as mirth ioy hunger thirst c. and they should haue béene in man though he had neuer fallen they should haue loued their children their parentes friends euen standing and abiding in innocencie and therefore these thinges are not euill Nay the want of them maketh a monstrous absurditie in nature and therefore not to be maintained The instrumentes of affections and delight and dolor created by the Lorde prooue them allowed the law of God commandeth them and reprooueth their want Christ our sauiour vntouched by sinne shewed them in great measure they are spurres and prickes vnto vertue in vs and therefore allowed Besides numbers of other reasons that might be alleadged Que. What else doe you obserue in the commandement Ans I doe duely weigh the particulars that God restrayneth our coueting in and I sée them to bee such as most commonly and most without checke men suffer themselues to be caried away withall As the house of my neighbour that is his inheritance landes and possessions which we so gréedily often behoulde and marke wishing and willing them far far otherwise than a Christian heart should We can flatter our selfe with our offering of money for them not remembring that so did Achab for Naboths vineyeard and yet gréeuouslie offended Our neighbours wife or an other wiues husbande God knowes the sinfull thoughtes they cause within vs. For coueting the child against parents liking and intising away the seruant of an other against their good they bee thinges wherein fewe of our heartes haue any féeling And for their cattell with such sinnefull eies we looke vpon them that wee euer thinke our neighbours bullocke hath a fairer yowre than our owne hath as the Poet speaketh and therfore wisely in the naming of these particulars hath the Lorde taught vs wherein commonly
our thoughtes offende and what most carefully we are to take héede of Also I further consider the maruelous care and strict regard that euerie Christian man and woman ought to haue of their senses séeing all euill thoughtes are forbidden For it is the eie and the eare that sendeth in sinne in store into our hearts and neuer shall we haue the one reformed vnlesse there be a stable couenaunt made with the other Iob. 31.1 The heart will conceiue wickedly if the eies fréely behoulde vanities But checke the one and ye stay the other maruelouslie And no more quench you the fire by withdrawing the wood than assuredly you staie the course of wicked conceites when you watch and warde well ouer your senses Que. But I pray you what shall wee thinke of dreames which seeme to be sinnefull and we cannot amende them Ans We must consider the causes of them and thereby aswell as we can growe to some right conceit of our offending by them and in them The causes are either inwarde or outwarde and of inwarde either the minde it selfe or the bodie For often doth the minde the bodie sléeping and the senses resting remember those thinges which it waking conceiued and either desired or feared Also the diuerse complexion and temperature of the bodie occasioneth diuers kindes of dreames whereby the physition will guesse the nature of the bodie and causes of disease in the sicke Cholericke men will dreame of fires and downefaules Melancholicke men of monstrous and horrible thinges The phlegmatike of waters and dull matters And the sanguine of pleasant and comfortable euentes The outwarde causes are also diuers as the influence of the heauens the circumstance of elementes necessitie and want some hapning chance and such like Thus doe hungry men dreame of meat drunken men of moysture and so foorth Quae vigilantes cogitauimus ea solent postea dormientibus obuersari sayth one That is Such thinges as waking wee earnestly thought of euen such thinges often wee sleeping dreame of Aucupibus volucres aurigae somnia currus The fouler dreames that birdes he takes And carters cart his visions makes Therefore these things thus knowen and weighed if we dreame wickedly to name no particulars let euerie one consider well what occasion in him selfe he can finde of the same and if his owne disorder either in dyet or spéech or meditation or anie way hath done it then néedeth he none to tell him his conscience is a thousande witnesses hee hath offended Thus answered Gregorie byshoppe of Rome when he was writ vnto for his iudgement of this matter and if I can find in my selfe none of all these to procure it in me yet knowe if it be euill it is a frute of corruption and weigh well the lawe of the Lorde in this behalfe laide downe Plutarch saith Leuit. 15. Honest dreames are an argument of vertue in a man and then me thinke in reason a contrarie effect should bewray a contrarie cause The same man saith Peruersorum somnia semper turbata De virt viti Plutarch Euill mens dremes are cōmonly troublesome But I referre you for more of this to others And this onely I say againe the bodie well ordred and the minde well occupied hardly shall our dreames feare vs for euill Que. What nowe then might be the affirmatiue part of this commaundement Ans If thus wee sée all wandring wayes from vpright integritie be they but euen in thought and that also in the least degrée without any consent to be by this lawe condemned as impure what should we sée on the contrary part to be commanded but euen a full perfect and absolute conformitie both of minde will appetite and whatsoeuer is in man to the lawe of God That which Moses in these words describeth Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart Deutro 6.5 and with all thy soule and with all thy might Luke 10.27 and our Sauiour Christ doth adde vnto it for plainenesse sake with all thy thought That also which S. Paule describeth thus This is the will of God euen your sanctification 1. Thess 4.7 and that yee should abstaine from fornication that euerie one of you shoulde knowe howe to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour and not in the lust of concupiscence and so foorth From which exact perfection looke howe farre our conscience truely awaked doeth tell vs we are wanting euen so farre accursed stande we before the Lorde for not fulfilling all if wee had not a Sauiour Que. Is there anie punishment outwarde appointed to this lawe Ans No and that because man can not iudge the guilt of hidden heart But it suffiseth to feare any man that feareth any thing to consider that the spiritual punishment allotted vnto it as to the rest is eternall death and endlesse torture both of bodie and soule for euermore in flame of lasting fire Onely one storie that I remember there is recorded of some outwarde execution vppon an inward thought and that is of Glaucus King of Sparta Herodotus who for conceiuing but a thought to retaine Milesius his pledge committed to his kéeping yet not dooing it was vtterly destroyed both he and his and so foretolde by the Oracle whereat he asked counsell The Application LEt vs weigh now well what hath béene sayd I beséech you and neuer spare to speake or feare to confesse if not openly before the worlde yet secretly in our heartes vnto the Lorde what due regarde of passed course compared with this lawe shall make vs sée Though we were able which yet neuer any could but Iesus Christ to stande cleare before the Lorde in all the former preceptes either for déede or thought yet are we neuer able to say wee are cleare of this For consider hath there neuer thought but good crept into that heart of yours within at no time since the day that you were first able to thinke a thought till this present houre weigh it well And what though you haue neuer consented to it yet wo wo vnto vs for consent wee sée neuerthelesse by this lawe of God that we are but gone For here is condemned the verie entrance and beeing of anie vile conceit within vs for any time though vpon some better wakening we repell it and abhorre it and thrust it away without his act And who is able to say he neuer thought awry in the least maner or measure that might be Nay what conscience cryeth not if it be a litle rowsed that in verie fearefull manner measure we haue all herein transgressed and offended Call out our houses and chambers wherein and vnder which we haue liued aske the fieldes the gardens the walles and hedges where we haue often walked summon the seates where we haue sit examine the pillowes whereon our heades could take no rest what guilt against our heartes in this behalfe they well can witnesse euery one of them Shall they not speake first one by one and
then all with one consent crie in the eares of the Lord with shriking sounde that houres and daies monthes and yeares haue we spent in tossing and turning in debating and scanning such conceites and thoughtes as we would not for all that we enioy were written in our forheads Fie fie the pleasures that we haue felt in this follie nay in this impietie howe haue they tickled vs within and made vs laugh to our selues rubbe our hands together forgette our meat not heare what was saide about vs and such like Howe haue we longed to be at an ende peraduenture of some businesse that we haue béene about that we might euen fully debate the matter you knowe of and plaie with the conceite thereof to our fuller pleasure Can we excuse our selues beloued doe I depaint out vnknowen dispositions vnto you O I say againe beside greater impieties the follies the toyes the trifles the verie babish fancies that will and doe steale vpon vs will we nill we euen when wee are best occupied and would not be solicited in such sort All which are breaches lesser and greater of this lawe of our God which requireth exact obedience and coniunction of all the motions of our mind to his good will and liking And if we had neuer fallen wee should neuer haue felt them Therefore to shâ—t vp this matter for one whom I knowe better than I know anie of you I confesse a guilt a gréeuous guilt against this precept of my God and I acknowledge damnation due if I should be reiected but the Lorde I thanke I feare it not not that I haue not sinned but because my Christ hath not sinned and He is my iustification sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1. hee is my strength and my stonie rocke both against the curse of this lawe and all the rest He is my defence and my Sauiour Psalm 18.1 my God and my might in whom I do trust my buckler the horne of my health and my refuge And to him in the true sense of my weakenesse and with the knéees of my heart bowed downe to the dust I say for my case as Dauid sayd for his Turne away my heart O Lorde that it may neuer féede vppon the follies of vaine conceites or gréeue the swéete spirite that I sometimes féele by vngodly wandring from his sugred motions Yea set a watch before my soule most gracious father and kéepe the doore of my strengthlesse heart that I may lesse offend and more obey in this behalfe than euer I haue doone héeretofore And now passe wee on to particulars mentioned to our handes by the Lorde himselfe in this his lawe O my beloued how often haue we coueted our neighbours house that is his earthly possession and inheritance if not in whole yet in part How often haue wee tossed our heades from the one ende of the pillowe to the other not able to sléepe for thinking howe to compasse that péece and this péece not weighing howe well he might spare it but howe well it would fitte vs Yea this house must be had and that garden and the other close to the wringing out of teares from the man the wife and al their poore children that part from it to the gréeuing of their heartes and the verie vtter vndooing of them all We stoppe not our eies that they gaze no further vppon our neighbours helpes than a Christian soule may warrant We shut not our eares neither take regarde of the sinne that may insue when we are whispered in the eare that this thing is fitte for vs and that thing and thus and thus may be had No alas we account them the best members about vs whose godlesse counsell shall worke our endlesse woe Whereas a Christian assoone as hee heareth such a motion should by and by thinke in himselfe O Lord thou hast delt mercifully with me euer let not me now deale vnmercifully with any thou hast made me a maister of much this maÌ„ a maister but of a litle O Lorde let not my much eate him out of his litle vngodlily let not my power oppresse his weakenesse and so foorth and then talke with the informer be it either a man or mine owne gréedie eie that hath spied it and sée whether what I may get I may well gette and well take into my hands so as I may not be stinged for it an other day before my God nor exclamed vppon iustly in the worlde This doeth your owne conscience tell you you should doe and the other you should not doe yet the other haue you doone and this haue you not doone and are you not guiltie Good beloued goe with me in this tryall of our selues and let vs sée sinne to be sinne The looking eie and the lusting heart further after our neighbours wife than they should would God they accused vs not What should I say of his seruant man or maide You knowe it aswell as my selfe there is almost no conscience any where shewed in this behalfe no feare of God no loue of man but onely of our selues For if wee like an other mans seruant for any qualitie that we desire to be serued with all what intisementes what allurementes dare wee vse to drawe him to vs What offers make we what practises deuise we till we haue them Yet sayth this lawe Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours seruant man or maide And that is as nowe we knowe not once thinke of it although I consent not to it The like is saide of his oxe his asse or any thing that is his And yet wee sée the worlde euer in our eye Vicinum pecus grandius vber habet Our neighbours kowe doeth giue more milke than ours His horse we must haue there is no remedie his hawke his hounde his pleasure or profitte must be ours and that which is worse often without any consideration any way either by fauour or value yea it must be giuen out that we couet our neighbours goods and wee our selues haue twentie pretie indirect and figuratiue kindes of begging and if wee either are not vnderstoode or will not be vnderstoode by him that hath it because he is loth to loose it then wee frette and are offended highly and as our calling might and power is we sitte vppon his skirtes Thus sinne we may déere beloued against this lawe of GOD and yet we sée it not Nowe would God haue vs to open our eyes to incline our eares and to forgette this olde fathers house of our corruption Nowe would the Lorde haue vs reconciled to him by repentaunce and offende no more And therefore I crie vnto you in the name of the Lorde and to this soule within mee Thou shalt not couet If we will heare his voice and yet harden our heartes if we will not restraine our senses the common carriers of conceites into vs if wee will not euen euerie way wee can héereafter séeke to let and lessen our disobedience in this thing against the Lorde the day of our visitation is past and our destruction is at hande The lyon is come vp from his denne Ierem. 4. and the destroyer of the Gentilles is departed and gone foorth from his place to laie our lande waste and our cities shall be destroyed without an inhabitant Yea so néere is our desolation assuredly my beloued that euen as it were presently my soule heareth the sounde of the trumpette and the alarome of the battaill Destruction vpon destruction is cryed euen at our doores if we could heare it and sodenly shall our tentes be destroyed and our curtaines in a moment But I hope what I wish and I wish what shall be our sure safetie if we will be perswaded euen that we would now sée howe farre wee are from abilitie to fulfill these 10 commandementes of our God either all or any one of them deuise what distinction we can horrible sinners and transgressers we are and so we shall be founde and therefore that wee would acknowledge it lament it flie to the propitiation apointed of our gracious God for our sinnes and onely cleaue to him onely trust in him and claspe him in our armes so as all the worlde nor the power of hell can loose our houlde carie him so to his father and there offer him to him for all our misdéedes as the saluation which hee hath prepared before the face of all people and in whom hee is perfectly pleased This wish I this begge I this craue I with all the bowelles of my affection my flesh shaking mine eies watering my soule groning and all the stringes of my heart inlarged as you feare God as you loue your selues as my calling is regarded as my affection estéemed or as hell treÌ„bled at that Iesus Christ may be our onely hould and our owne obedience no hould yet performed as a fruite of faith daily more and more but not with hope of safetie by the fame either in part or in whole and this O my good God graunt vnto vs as thy mercie is vnmeasurable thy goodnesse and louing kindnes vnsearchable what passed is good Lord forgiue and make vs better euer liue Amen Amen Prouer. 19. Heare counsel and receiue correction for they shall make a man wise at the last Deutro 5. O that there were such an heart in this people to feare me and to keepe all my commandements alway that it might go well with them and with their children for euer Psalm 19. Let the wordes of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be alway acceptable in thy sight good Lorde When gracious God by sacred worde vouchsafes to cal from cursed course O happie we ten thousand times if feeling heartes doe yeeld remorse But if contempt of offred grace accuse vs crauing sentence iust Then cursed we ten thousande times for hell remaines wheÌ„ hence we must Consider this my countrey deere and marke it Cardiff heedily The Lorde nowe speakes then take thy good or looke for vengeance speedily Hwyra dial dial duw Tosta dial dial duw Hugh Poole minister of the worde of God in Cardiff