time of your pilgrimage in feare for as much as ye know how that ye were not redemed with corruptible siluer and golde from your vaine conuersation which ye receaued by y â— traditions of the forefathers but with the precious bloude of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot Examples out of the new Testament THe Pharisies and the Scribes following their vngodlye forefathers obserued the traditions of their elders and neglected the commaundementes of God The Iewes fulfilling the measure of their forefathers whiche slewe the Prophets that were sent vnto them froÌ„ God killed Christ and his blessed Apostles Paule before his conuersion following his wicked forefathers the Iewes persecuted the congregation of Christ euen as hys elders persecuted Christ and the Prophets Agaynst the wicked olde customes and long vsages IF Sathan or any of his members labour to plucke thee from gods word vnto wicked olde customes and longe vsages auoyde him with these scriptures following Sentences out of the olde Testament ACcording to the custome of the land of Egipt wherin ye dwelt shall ye not do and after the manner of the land of Canaan whether I wil bring you shall ye not doe neither walke in their ordinaunces but do after my iudgements keepe my ceremonies to walke therin I am the lord your God Ye shall keepe therfore mine ordinaunces my iudgements which if a man do he shall liue in them I am the lorde Take heede that ye commit not one of these abhominable customes which were committed before you and loke that ye defyle not your selfe therin I am the Lorde your God An example out of the olde Testament EUen vnto this present day do they still followe their olde customes They feare not the Lord neither kepe they his ceremonies his lawes and commaundements The Prophets cried worship no straunge Gods but feare the Lord your God and he shall deliuer you from the power of all your enemies But they would not heare but still committed wickednes according to their olde custome They pretended as though they serued the Lorde and yet neuerthelesse did they also seruice to their idoles For as their forefathers did so do their sonnes neuewes vnto this present day â–ª Against such as sclaunder Christes Gospell by calling it new learning IF the aduersarye of true godlinesse goe about to perswade thee that Christes gospel is new learning and that therefore thou oughtest to geuâ—… no care vnto it nor beleue it looke that thou by nâ—… meanes consent vnto them but rather remember that thys is no newe blasphemie but vsed manye yeares before of wicked hipocrites as thou shalte perceaue by these examples following ¶ Examples out of the new Testament WHen Christ preached in the Sinagoge at Capernaum and healed the man that was possessed with an vncleane spirit the people cryed out and sayd what newe learning is this When Paule preached at Athens the resurrection of the dead certayne bellye gods as the Epicures Stoikes straue with him and sayd what meaneth thys pratler Other sayd he semed to be a preacher of new deuills An other companye sayd maye we not know what new learning this is that thou shewest Thou bringest in new things in deede vnto our eares Our olde fathers neuer taught vs any such geare We will knowe what these thinges meane Agaynst pensiuenesse and thought taking for the life IF thou be troubled for the preseruacion of thy life eyther in sickenesse trouble persecution emprisonment or otherwyse comfort thy selfe with these scriptures Sentences out of the olde Testament THe Lorde killeth and geueth life agayne He bringeth euen to hell and backe agayne The Lorde is my light and my health whom then should I feare The Lorde is the strength of my life of whom then should I be afrayd though an host of men were layde agaynst me yet shall not my harte be afrayde And though there arose vp war against me yet wil I put my trust in him He hath geuen his Aungells charge of thee to kepe thee in all thy wayes The Aungell of the Lord shall be sent among all them that feare him and shall deliuer them The sourges of the sea are maruelous yea the lord on high is rather maruelous They consented all against me they coÌ„spired to take away my life but in thee O Lord haue I trusted and I sayd thou art my God In thy hand are my destenies Many tribulations fall on y â— righteous but from them all the lord deliuereth theÌ„ The Lorde kepeth all their bones so that not one of them shall be broken The health of the righteous is of the Lord and he defendeth them in the tyme of their trouble Yea the lorde will helpe them and deliuer them and set theÌ„ harmeles from the vngodlye and saue them because they haue trusted in them Thou haste limitted the waters these bounds which they may not passe The Lord is my helper I will not feare what man doe vnto me The Lord is my deliuerer therefore will I set nought by mine enemies The Lord hath geuen a coÌ„maundemeÌ„t and none shall go beyond it Fyre Hayle Snow Ise and vapours stormie windes accomplishe his worde Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh for to sinne neyther saye thou before the Aungell there is no prouidence least peraduenture the Lord being angry against thy wordes do destroye all the workes of thy handes Life and death are of God Thy prouidence O father gouerneth all thinges froÌ„ the beginning Thou O Lord art he which hast power of life and death Who can say that any thing can be done without the Lordes coÌ„maundement From the mouth of the highest goeth there not good and ill ☞ Examples out of the olde Testament ESau burned with an immortall hatred against his brother Iacob because of the blessing wherwith his father had blessed him and purposed fully in his hart to kill his brother But Iacob prayed vnto the Lord and he mollifyed Esaus hart in so much that whan Iacob thought that both he and his shoulde be slaine his brother Esau came gently vnto him louinglye embraced him kissed him frendly and for very ioye wept so mightie is God to mollifie tiraâ—…ntes hartes whan it pleaseth him and to make them gracious and fauourable to his seruauntes Saule persecuted Dauid cruelly purposing to kill him but his labor was in vain Iezabel threatned and sware to sley Helias but the Lorde preserued him Sathan coulde doe nothing to Iob till God suffered him neither exercised he hys cruelnes any further against Iob than he was appointed of God The godly woman Susan through the false accusations of y e two wicked iudges was at y â— point to be stoned vnto death but God wonderfully deliuered her from the handes of her enemies ☞ Examples out of the new Testament FEare not them which kill the body
bee vnto their soules for they haue rewarded 〈◊〉 vnto theÌ„selues Byd the righteous do wel for they shal enioy y â— fruites of their study But wo be vnto thâ—… vngodly and vnrigheeous for thei shal be rewarded after their workes Thou shalt not praye for thys people thou shalte neyther geue thankes nor byd prayer for them Thou shalte make no in tercession to me for them for in no wise will I heare thee Readâ—… fourth This said the lord vnto me thou shalt not praye to do this people good for thoughâ—… they fast I will not heare their prayers Though they offer burnt offrings and sacrifices yet will not I accepte them For I wil destroy them with the sworde and hunger and pestilence ☞ Examples out of the olde Testament THe seruauntes and all the army of the proude Senacherib were destroyed for their blasphemy agaynst god Holoâ—…rnes blasphemed God when he sayde that there was none other god of the earth but Gabuchodonosor and therfore was he afterwarde slayne euen of a woman Nabugodonosor blasphemed god wheÌ„ he sayde to the three chyldren who is the God that caÌ„ delyuer you out of my hands The children of Isarell blasphemed god therfore perished when they sayd to the Prophet Ieremy As for the wordes that thou haste spoken vnto vs in the name of the lorde we will in no wise heare them But whatsoeuer goeth out of our owne mouth that will we doo We will do sacrifice and offer oblations vnto the quene of heauen lyke as we and our forefathers our kyngs and our rulers haue done in the cityes of Iuda and in the streates and fieldes of Ierusalem For then had wee plenteousnesse of vitails then were we in prosperytye and no mysfortune came vpon vs. But sence we lefte to offer and to sacrifice vnto the quene of heauen wee haue had scarsnesse of all thynges and perish with sworde and honger Those Iewes blasphemed God which saide let vs goe and make a couenaunte with the Heathen that are rounde aboute vs. For since we departed from them we haue had sorowe inough Nicanor blasphemed god when he saide Is their a mighty one in heauen that commaunded the Saboth daye to be kept It was aunswered yea euen the liuing god the mighty Lorde in heauen commaunded the. vii daye to be kepte Then sayde be and I am myghty vpon earth to commaunde them for to arme themselues and to performe the kinges busines Sentences out of the newe Testament He that is not with me is again me saith Christe And be that gathereth not with me scatereth abrode Therfore I say vnto you all manner of sinne and blasphemy shal be forgeuen vnto men but the blasphe mye agaynste the spirite shall not be forgeuen vnto men And whosoeuer speaketh a worde against the sonne of man it shal be forgeuen him But whosoeuer speaketh against the holy ghost it shal not be forgeuen him neither in this worlde nor in the worlde to come If any men see his brother sinne not vnto death let him aske and he shal geue him life for theÌ„ that sin not vnto deth Ther is a sin vnto death for which I say that a maÌ„ should not pray It maye not be that they whiche were once lightened and haue tasted of the heauâ—…nly gifte and were become partakers of the holy ghost and haue tasted of the good word of god and the powers of the world to come If they fall awaye ' that they should againe be renewed by repentaunce which in them selues do crucify the sonne of God making a mock of him If we sinne wilfully after that we haue receiued the knowledge of truth there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a feareful loking for iudgement and violent fire whiche shall deuoure the aduersarie He that despiseth Moyses lawe dyeth without mercye vnder two or three wytnesses How muche sorer suppose ye shall he be punished which treadeth vnder foote the Sonne of God and counteth the bloud of the Testament wherewith he was saÌ„ctified as an vnholy thing and dishonoure to the sprite of grace Examples out of the new Testament The Iewes spake blasphemie against the holy ghoste when they said of Christ by the power of Belzebub doth he cast out Deuils They were blasphemers whiche sayde to Christe hanginge on the cros thou that destroyedst the Temple of GOD and buildest it againe in three dayes saue thy selfe If thou be the sonne of God come down from the crosse They also spake blasphemy against the holy ghost which now adaies of a pretensed malice condemne the worde of God as herey and persecute the preachers therof as heretickes and sedicious persons Against the despising of Gods word of the plagues that follow the same IF the deuil go about to pluck downe thy minde from the loue of gods worde and to moue thee to despise the doctrine of thy saluation so that thou shouldest no more delight in the moste comfortable gospel of Christe which is the power of god to saue so many as beleue but rather in thinges of vanitie â—…ake hede that thou leanest not to his subtile suggestions but standing in awe of gods iudgementes â–ª and fearing his plagues valeauntly resist Sathan with these holy scriptures following ☞ Sentences out of the olde Testament IF ye wil not harken vnto me saieth the Lord nor kepe my commaundementes but despise them c. then wil I doo this againe vnto you I will set my face against you and ye shall fal before your enemies and they that hate you shall raigne ouer you I will make the heauen ouer you as hardyron and your land as hard as bras I will sende my wilde beastes vpon you whiche shall rob you of your children and destroy your cattel I wil send a sword vp on you that shall auenge my Testament with you I wil send the pestilence among you Reade the Chapiter to thend If thou wilt not harken to the voice of the Lord thy God to kepe and to do all his commaundements and ordinaunces then all these curses shall come vpon thee ouertake thee Cursed shalt thou be in the Towne and cursed in the Fielde cursed shall thine almayrye be and thy store Cur sed shall the fruite of thine bodye and the fruite of thy lande be and the fruite of thy oxen and the flock of thy shepe The Lord shall make the pestilence cleane to thee vn til he haue consumed thee from the lande The Lord shall smite thee with madnesse blindnes and dasing of hart because thou seruedst not the Lord thy god with ioyfulnes and with a good hart for the abouÌ„daÌ„cs of all thinges wherefore thou shalt serue thine enemie which the Lord shal send oâ—… thee in hunger and thirste in nakednes in neede of all thinges And he shall put a yoke of iron vpon thy necke vntil be haue brought the to nought Read this Chapiter diligeÌ„tly from the beginning to
the Niniuites which vndoubtedly sprange of faith for they beleued the words of the Prophet he had psty on them and spared them Sentences out of the new Testament Now is the axe put to the roote of the trees Euerye tree therefore that bringeth not foorth good fruites is hewen downe cast into the fyre Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorify your father which is in heauen Euerye good tree bringeth foorth good fruite An euil tree bringeth euil frute A good tree cannot bring foorth euill frute nor an euill tree good frute Euerye tree that bringeth not forth good fxnte is hewen down andeast tntoâ—…he fyre Whosoeuer heareth of me these words 〈◊〉 doth the same I wil likeÌ„ him vnto a wise man which bnilte his house on a rock c. A good man out of the good treasure of his hart bringeth soorth good thinges and an euill man out of that euill treasure bringeth forth euil thinges If ye were AbrahaÌ„s children ye would do Abrahams workes We knowe that God heareth no sinners but if anye man be a worshipper of God and obedyent his wil him heareth he He that hath my commaundements kepeth theÌ„ he it is that loueth me If any man loueth me he will keepe my wordes In the sighte of God they are not righteous which heare tee lawe but the doers of the lawe shal be â—…uste fied We are the workemanship of God created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes which god had prepared that we shoulde walke in them Be ye renued in the spirit of your minds and put on the the newe man which after the image of god is shapen in righteousnes and true holines walke worthy of y â— lorde in al things y â— please being fruitful in al good workes â—…ncreasing in the knowledge of God Brâ—…theren be not werye in wel doing Be to them that beleue an example in woord in coÌ„uersation in loue in spirit in faithe puernes Thou which art the man of Godfollowe righteousnes godlines loue patience and â—…eaknes The suer grounde of God remaineth hath this seale the lorde knoweth them y â— are his and let euery man that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitye Lusts of youth loke thou auoyd folow righteousnes fayth loue peare w t them that call on the Lord with a pure hart Dearely beloued I besech you as strauÌ„gers and pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule And see y â— ye haue honest conuersation among the heathen that they which backbite you as ill doers maye see your good works and prayse God in the day of visitation If we say we haue felowship with god and yet walke in darknes we lie do not the truth But if we walke in light euen as he is in light then haue we fellowship with hym and the bloude of Iesu Christ hys sonne maketh vs cleane froÌ„ all sinne He that doth righteousnes is righteus He that coÌ„mitteth sinne is of the deuill for the deuil sinneth from the beginning See ye be doers of the worde and not hearers onely deceauing your selues Read the whole epistle of S. Iames. God sayth to the false and fayned Christians I knowe the blasphemie of them which cal themselues Iewes and are not but the Sinagoge of Sathan Examples out of the new Testament THe idle were reproued because they wrought not they that would laboure were hired into the vineyarde at nighte receiued their reward The seruauntes which receiued taleÌ„ts of their Lord and occupied them and gayned moe by them are praised and rewarded for wel doing But the idle seruaunte whiche would not occupy the talent that he receiued of his Lorde but went and hid it in the grounde gaining nothing therewith was cast into vtter darknesse where weping and gnashing of tethe is The fig tree whiche was vnfruitful brought for the nothing but leaues was cursed and withered away Zache a ruler amonge the Publicanes gaue half his goods to the poore and if he did any man wrong he restored him foure times as much Therefore said Christe vn to him this day is helth come to this house forasmuche as he also is become the childe of Abraham Against the troublous tempestes of sicknes of losse of goods or any other kinde of aduersitie IF Sathan when thou art assailed â—… any kinde of trouble laboureth to moue thee to despaire of Gods good wil toward thee as though he had vtterly forsaken thee geuen thee ouer and care no more for thee but sendeth thee that punishment and layeth y â— cros vpon thy back 〈◊〉 tokeÌ„ of his anger and heauy displeasure against the take hede that y â— doest not submit thy selfe to his suttle sugestioÌ„s but rather perswade thy selfe that thy crosse Whatsoeuer it he coÌ„meth of the good wil of god towarde thee and is sente vnto thee for thy healthe comforte and saluation Looke that thou therfore take it both patiently and thankfully and that thou maist so do furnish thy brest with these treasures of Gods most blessed word ☞ Examples out of the olde Testament After y â— lord hath punished the tried the at last he wil haue pity on the. The lord kileth maketh aliue bringeth down to the graue fecheth vp again The lord maketh pore maketh rich bringeth low and heauethe vpon high Call vppon me in the time of thy troble I wil deliuer the thou shalt honor me Blessed is y â— man whoÌ„ thou nurterest O Lord and teachest him thy lawe It is for my welth y â— thou haste brought me vnder y â— I may learn thy righteousnes Naked came I out of my mothers woÌ„be naked shall I turne thither againe The Lord gaue y â— lord hath taken away euen as it pleaseth y â— lord so is it come to passe blessed be the name of the lorde If we haue receued prosperity at y â— haÌ„d of god why should we not also receue and suffer aduersitye Blessed is the man whoÌ„ God punisheth therfore refuse not thou y e chastening of y e almighty For though he make a wouÌ„d he geueth a plasture though he smite his haÌ„d maketh whole agayn My Sonne despise not the chastning of the lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lorde loueth him he chasteneth yet delighteth in him as a father in his owne sonne Whatsoeuer hapneth vnto thee receiue it suffer in heuines and be patiente in thy trouble For like as gold and siluer are tried in the fire euen so are acceptable men in the fornace of aduersity Examples out of the olde Testament Iob being grieuously plagued not onely with the losse of his goods but also with di â—…ers diseases of his dody praysed the Lord â—…uen in the middest of his trouble Tobye when he
be temperate in eatyng and drinking And of so honest and cleanly coÌ„uersation that we geue no man occasion of euyll Graunte nowe that in steade of our old fayned works we may be occupied with suche fruites of thy holy spirite as thy worde maketh mencion of GrauÌ„te now that according to the wholsom monition of thy blessed apostle Peter and of al the scripture besyde we may be faithful true obedieÌ„t vnto the king our soueraigne Lord and Supreme head immediatly vnder Christ. And not only vnto al such officers as be seÌ„t of him but also vnto al such wholsoÌ„ lawes iniunetions as by his autority be made for y e tranquilt ty and wealth of vs his subiects Graunt now that we al may encrease in y e knowledg of the that our youth may be brought vp in vertue that children may obey their fathers mothers that seruauntes may be true to their maisters that landlordes may be gentle to their tenantes that husbands may be louing to their wiues and wiues likewise to their husbandes that men may kepe their houshold in the feare knowledge of thee y e idle people may be set to labour that al such as be poore in dede may be wel and louingly prouided for Graunt y e for the loue of thee we may fede y â— huÌ„gry geue drink to y â— thirsty cloth y e naked geue lodging to theÌ„ that be harbourlesse â—…urye the dead visite theÌ„ that be in prison helpe such as be in sycknesse Finally graunt now most mercifull father that whatsoeuer thou forbiddest we may forbeare it and whatsoeuer thou â–ª coÌ„maundest we may euery one in his calling performe the same and so coÌ„tinue in thy seruice till our liues ends that al our thoughts words deds may redound vn to y e glory of thee now euermore AmeÌ„ Thankes be geuen to God Obedience vnto our Princeâ—… and loue to our neighboures For the Cytie or towne wherin thou dwellest EXcept thou O mercifull lorde God almighty kepe the citye the watchmen wake but in vain that kepe it Therfor O lord god send thy holy spirit into y â— harts of them which rule our citye or town to the intent that we with them they with vs may liue in thy godlye feare so that it may goe well with vs. And suffer vs not good Lord to put our truste any more in worldly power as money horse weapon artillery gunnes or strong walles but much rather in thee which arte adefender of al them that put their whole affiaunce and trust in thee For kinges Princes and Rulars O Lord of Lords Iesus Christ thou art an example and glasse or myror of theÌ„ which gouern and beare rule of realmes couÌ„treis cities whome they ought to folowe for thou art the best and the wisest and therfore canst thou not erre nor doe any other thing but wel Uouchsafe with the lyghte of thy clearnes and wyth the fyre of thy loue to kindle the hartes of al such as thou through thy godly prouideÌ„ce hast instituted and ordayned to be rulers ouer the people to the intent that they through thee as by a fore going light may see and perceiue what is best to be done and fulfyl the same and that they taking thee alwaies for a sure mark of their eye do not that thing which only semeth good in their syghte but that which may be to thy honour to our profitte and to their health and saluation to the intent also that they may iustly and duly minister execute their office geueÌ„ vnto theÌ„ of thee so that we with theÌ„ they with vs maye lead a peaceable vertuous and quiet life So be it Wheu thou goest to thy labour or worke O Most kynd and gentle heauenly father thou knowest and hast taught vs how great the weakenes of man is so that no man without thy godly helpe can do any thing Thus voâ—…chiafe to send vs thy ho ly spirit y e he may strengtheÌ„ styrre indu our vnderstaÌ„ding reasoÌ„ in al things y e we this daye outwardlye shal goe aboute take in hande or it that we in wardlye shall think or haue in minde to the intent that it may be done to thy glorye and to y â— profite of our neighbour A Prayer for a godly life IT greatly greueth vs O mercifull Father and euerlasting God that we thorow the greâ—…ous and continuall assaults of our enemies are not able to passe ouer our yeres in this worlde with such puritie of life as we ought and as thou requirest of vs. Uerely we are on euery parte so besieged and compassed round about of oure aduersaries that scarsely at any time we can be free from their pestiferous deadly darts nor yet haue so much respite as once to breath toward true godlines Oh moste louing Lord thou art our Father and we thy children conuenient therfore is it that we thy children represent and openlye declare in oure conuersation the maners of thee our father Thou art good gentle louing suffring holy righteous faithful c. It therfore becommeth vs thy children in our liuing to practise goodnes gentlenes loue charitie mercy patience longe suffering holines righteousnes faith c ¶ Thou haste geuen vs an example that euen as thou hast done so we likewise should do If we say we dwell in thee we ought to walke as thou haste walked For thou hast called vs not to vnclennes but vnto holines Thou hast deliuered vs from y â— power of our enemies that we being w tout feare should serue theâ—… in holines and righteous nes all the dayes of our life The bloude of thy sonne Iesu Christe hath clensed vs from al sinne net that we shoulde continue in darkenes but rather walke in the light as thou art in light Thy louing kindnes hath appeared vnto all men not that we shoulde followe vngodlines and worldly iustes but that we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present worlde Thou diddest chose vs in Christ before the foundacions of the world were layde that we should be holy and without blame before thee through him We are thy workemanship created in Christ Iesu vnto all good woorkes which thou ordayneste afore that wee shoulde walke in them Forasmuche then as all the benefytes which thou haste bestowed vppon vs are geuen vnto this eâ—…de that we should walk worthy of thy kindnesse represent thy maners in our coÌ„uersation mortifye the fleshe and the lustes thereof haue nothing to do with Sathan nor the world but leade a good life garnished full of good workes and in all pointes fashioned after the rule of thy blessed words we moste hartely pray thee to endue vs with thy holy spirit which may take away our stony hart and geue vs a new fleshly and soft harte kil that olde man in vs whiche is corrupt thorow deceiuable lustes and fashion in vs that new man which is made after thy image
siluer an asse couered with purple with suche other despytefull names so little regarded euen amonge the Heathen was noble bloude worldly substaunce sumptuous apparell gorgious buildyng delicate fare and what soeuer besydes the foly she worlde wondereth at and moste highlye extolleth if learning and vertue were absent By this meanes came it to passe that Philip king of the Macedonians and his sonne Alexander Iulius Cesar Darius Antonius Philosophus the Emperour Hieron Attalus Magones Iâ—… Dion Siracusanus Thebanus Epaminondas Pompeius Augustus Traianus Antonius Pius Claudins â–ª Tiberius Titus Uespasianus Domicianus Aelius Adrianus Galerius Maximus â–ª the sonues of Tiberius Gracchus with other innumerable became both learned and the vnfayned fauourers of learning yea and the diligent promoters of learned men Many of them which were right excellent Emperours and noble kinges thought themselues more noble and more worthy of renowne for their learning and vertue then for their imperiall dignitie and princelike authoritie When king Alphonsus heard a certayne man say that learning was not semely for a prince or for a noble maÌ„ he cryed out and sayd vox bouis non hominis Thys is the voyce of an oxe and not of a man When a certaine man demaunded of Isocrates whether he thought the kyng of the Persians happie and blessed or not he answered I know not howe much learning and vertue he hath meaning that the true felicitie happines and wealth consisteth not in the flitting and vncertain goods of fortune but in the constant immortall treasures of the minde The bringing vp of youth in learning and honest qualities was so much regarded among the Lacedemonians that they made a law who soeuer dyd not studie for the honest vertuous trayning vp of their children in good letters and other necessarie artes profitable for a common wealth the same should be depriued of all such priuiledges and liberties as were due to true and faithfull Citizens Our auncetors both amonge the people of God and among the heathen did consider that the health prosperitie safegard of the coÌ„mon weale â—…th principally consiste in the godly and vertuous bringing vp of youth If they be learnedly fruitfully brought vp then shall they afterward proue 〈◊〉 â—…ble Magistrates some wyse and faythfull counsellours some godly spirituall ministers some learned scholemaisters some diligent labourers some cunning artificers some yea and ail obedient subiectes to the high powers and profitable members of the common weale Contrariwyse if they be brought vp in barbarous rudenes and w t out any ciuilitie or knowledge of good letters such other necessarie artes it must nedes come to passe y t they shal be rather pestileÌ„ces theÌ„ preseruers of y â— coÌ„mon weale Therfore dyd our elders aboue all thinges shewe earnest diligence about y â— godly trayning vp of their youth in honest vertuous exercises euer setting before their eyes that learnyng to a noble man is a ioyful iewel to the baser sort a sure defence and a mightye bulwarke against the stoute stormes of froward fortune to a common weale a precious preseruatiue In like maner my Lords grace your father a prince of noble renoune in whoÌ„â—…s in a true mirror liuelye shyneth y e beautifull bea mes of right nobility considering that the office of a worthye Parent appeareth in nothing so manyfestly as in the Godlye bringing vp of youthe in heauenlye mysteryes that is to say in the knowledge of good letters and in the studye of Godes moste blessed woorde hath with my Ladyes grace your mother a Ladye of a notable godlynesse and of singulere pity toward y â— poore meÌ„bers of Christ euen from your cradels studyed to trayne bring vp both my Lordes your brothers and my Ladies your Sisters and you likewise his graces children in good literature and in the knowledge of Gods most holye lawes that ye maye learne from your infancye to feare the Lord your God and to walk in his godly ordinaunces and so be come truely noble not onely for birthes sake but also for learning and vertue and for the Godly qualities of the mynde In the whiche Godly exercises ye haue so profited euen in these your tender yeares that ye â—…aue not only answered but also ouercome the expectation of many If ye goe forth accordyng to your beginnings I doubt not but that ye shall get to my Lordes grace and to my Ladies grace your most honourable Parents much renoune and to your selfe noble fame and glorious immortalitye And albeit your good Ladiships brest is so furnished withal godly doctrine that ye nede not my simple and homely exhortations to moue you vnto godlynes and vertue whereunto of your owne disposition ye are moste willinly bente and enclined yet to declare some parte of my good wil toward your Ladishippe I thought it not good to let go the occasion offred vnto me Certayn wekes past considering the miserable face of this to much wretched and lamentable worlde and weighinge with my selfe that the next and most ready way to redresse our miseries is to flye vnto God wyth continual harty prayer I made a boke intituled The Floure of Godly prayers dedicated to my ladies grace your mother wherin ar contained pray yers not only for al degrees and states of men but also for all other thinges necessarye to be asked of God eyther for the bodye or for the soule which prayers I woulde with daylye as occasion shall serue to bee vsed of the faythfull Immedyatly after the setting forth of these prayers certayn of my frends came vnto me and earnestly requyred of me to peruse and correcte the Gouernaunce of Vertue which aboute viij yeares paste euen in the bloudye wysterous burning time when the reading of the holye Bible the worde of oure soules health was forbidden the poore lay people I gathered out of the holy scriptures and caused to bee printed for the edifiyng of the simple and vnlearned Christians Yet suppressinge my name which at that time was odious to those ouâ—…s that could not abide the glorious lighte of gods blessed word that the boke might haue the better successe and be the more free froÌ„ Antichristes thonderboltâ—… I knowinge my self debter to all good men and to all their godly requestes perused the boke wherin I found so many fautes thorowe the negligence o the hongry printers that very pitie without anye request of frendes might haue bene thought sufficient to haue geuen me occasion to correct the boke which hitherto hath bene so greatly desired and gre dely red almoste of all men yea and that not w t out great profite as the often printing of the boke doth rightwell declare I haue diligentlye perused the boke corrected the faultes chaunged diuers things and added many necessari instructions with diuers godly prayers for the edifiyng of the readers This little boke recognised and augmented moste vertuous Lady I geue vnto your Ladyship as a testimony of my good will towarde you desiring you to take
this my poore gifte in good part And I shall moste humbly beseeche the Lorde our God to preserue my Lords grace and my Ladyes grace your honourable parentes in good health longe life and encrease of honoure and to geue my Lordes youre Brothers and my Ladies youre Sisters and you also grace to go forth in your godly enterprises and Christen studies that ye may tru ly know the Lord your God the saluation whiche ye haue by his soÌ„ne Iesus our alone Sauiour who euer preserue your good Ladyship in coÌ„tinuall helth and prosperous felicitie Amen THE GOVERNANCE of Vertue ¶ How a man should behaue him selfe in the morning when he riseth When thou risest in the morning looke that thou with all humblenesse of mynde knelest downe and lifting vp thy harte thy handes and thine eyes into heauen vnto God the father almighty pray on this maner ¶ A prayer for the morning O Lord God my heaueÌ„ly father I most humbly thanke thee y â— thou of thy fatherly goodnes hast vouchsafed to defend me this night from all euil I most entyrely beseche thee to preserue me also this day both from suffring and doyng any euill and to geue me grace so to walke in the lyght of thy holy woorde that I may bring forth y e frutes of y â— same vnto the glorye of thy blessed name and the profite of my neighbour Amen ¶ After thou hast prayed on this maner seing we be al sinners it shall be expedient if thou hast conuenient leasure to confesse thy selfe to God on this maner ¶ A confession of our sinnes vnto God the father MOst greuouslye haue I wretched sinner offeÌ„ded thee my Lord God and heauenly father both in thought word and dede in so much that in my selfe I uÌ„nde such vnworthines that if I did not behold thine exceding great mercies set forth in thy dearely beloued sonne our Lord and sauiour Iesu Christ I could not but dispayre and wholy geue my selfe into the hands of Satan that olde enemy of mankynd But when thorow thy grace and holy workyng I loke vpon thy mercies offered frely to all faythfull peniteÌ„t sinners in thy son Christ Iesus for whose sake thou art well pleased with man and of thy own good will forgeuest vs al our sinnes wheÌ„ soeuer we flee vnto thee in his name I cease to dispayre beginne to conceiue an earneste faithe and an vndoubted hope of obtaynyng forgeuenesse of al my sins in Christes bloud for thy louing and fatherly promise sake I therfore poore and wretched sinner most humbly beseche thee for Christes sake to forgeue me al my sinnes where with from the day of my byrth vnto this present tyme I haue most greuously offended thy fatherly goodnesse and to geue me grace so to resiste the deuill the world the flesh â–ª and so to order my lyfe accordyng to thy blessed will that thou mayest delight in me as a father in his sonne de fend me froÌ„ all euill and worke in me all good thinges vnto the glory of thy holy name ☞ After the confession say the Lordes prayer called the Pater noster and so commendyng thy selfe vnto God faule in hand with some honest and vertuous exercise accordyng to thy callyng But whatsoeuer thou doest do it with purenesse of hart singlenes of eye â–ª yea so do it as though God wer present and looke vpon thee as vndoubtedly he doth Of Dinner ☞ WheÌ„ the time coÌ„meth that thou shouldest refresh thy wery and hongry body approch vnto the table with reuerence and when thou art set lyft vp thy hart thy hands and thy eyes vnto heauen and pray vnto God on this maner A prayer before dinner O Most gentill God and louyng father whiche mercifully â—…edest al ly uing creatures we beseche thee blesse vs and all these thy giftes whiche we at this present shall receyue of thy beuÌ„ teous hande for the refreshyng of our hungry bodies and geue vs grace to doo all thynges vnto the glorye of thy name thorowe Iesu Christ our Lord. Amen Of the behauiour at the table in Diner tyme. ☞ WheÌ„ thou hast thus prayed vnto god eate thy meate soberly and christenly esche wyng all superfluitie surfeting and drouckenship Consider that thy meate and thy drinck are the giftes of God are reuerently thanke fully to bee receyued â–ª Remember that in the tyme of thy repast thy behauiour be honest comely in all thinges Let thy communica tion as the Apostle sayth ve well sauoured and powdred with â—…t that is to say seasoned with godly wisedome that thou mayest know how to answere euery man Let no fil thy talke procede out of thy mouth but that whiche is good to edifie when neede is that it may haue fauor with the hearers remem bring that thou shalte geue accountes at the day of iudgement for euery idle worde that thou speakest Eschewe all dissolute and vncomely laughyng least thou be therby counted wilde waâ—…ton foolishe without good maners Let thy couÌ„tenauÌ„ce he graue sober modest gentle and â—…ouyng towarde al that be at the table and so fashion thy selfe in gesture worde and deede as though God and his aungels weâ—… visibly present at the table And when Dinner is done geue thankes to God for his benefites on this maner A thankes geuyng after Dinner WE thanke thee O heauenly father for this our foode which being saÌ„ctifâ—…ed by thy worde thou hast vouchesafe at this present to geue vs wee beseche thee that thou wilt also fede our soules w t the liuely bread of the word which commeth out of thy mouth that we receauyng at thy mercâ—…full hande meate both for our bodyes and soules â–ª may lyue and growe in all godlynesse vnto the glory of thy blessed name tho row Iesu Christ our Lord. Amen VVhat is to be done after dynner ☞ After thou hast geuen thankes vnto God for thy repast â–ª returne vnto thy labour vertuously exercise thy self accordyng to thy voca tion and callyng Employ earnest diligence about thy businesse and alway in thy minde desire God to blesse to prosper and to bryng to passe all thy counsels deuises trauailes labours and enterprises Do not thy worke negligently and deceitfully but so laboure as thoughe God were present and beheld thee as vnfaynedly he doth Cursed be he sayth Hiere mye that doth the Lordes worke deceitfully Saint Paule also exhorteth that what soeuer we doo we should do it hartly as though we did in vnto the Lorde and not vnto men for as much sayth he â–ª as ye know that of the Lord ye shall receyue the rewarde of inheritaunce for ye serue the Lord Christ. Yea verely so many as labour or trauayle in any vertuous enterprise they serue God and of God shal they receiue their rewarde Therfore in thy calling labour earnestly and diligently what soeuer thou be sekyng not onely thyne owne lucre â—…uaunt age but much more the glory of God and the profite of thy neighbour as the
There is one Lord one faith one ba ptisme one god father of all whiche is aboue all thorow all in you all There is one god and one mediatour betwene god and man euen the man Christ Iesu which gaue him self a raâ—…nsome for all men There are three which beare record in heauen the father the worde the holy ghost And these thre are one Agaynst infidelitie or misbelief IF Satan at any tyme moueth thee vnto in fidelitie or misbelief either toward God or his woorde by no meanes leane vnto him vnt agaynst hys temptation enarme thy self with these holy scriptures Sentences out of the old Testament If ye do not beleue there shall no promise be kept with you Thy eyes O Lord loke vpon fayth The righteous shall lyue by fayth I will mary thee vnto me in faith â—… thou shalt know that I am the Lord. The wrath of y â— Lord came vpon I raell because they beleued not in god nor trusted not in his sauing health The Lorde doth appeare vnto them that hath fayth in him Wo be to the dissolute in hart that â—…eleue not god therefore shall they not be defended of him In all thy woorkes put thy trust in god from thy whole harte for that is the kepyng of the commaundements Who so beleueth gods worke taketh â—…ede to the commaundementes and he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall want nothyng Examples out of the olde Testament AbrahaÌ„ beleued god it was reckened vnto hym for righteousnesse Dauid beyng a younge man and of â—…itle stature thorow fayth in the name of the Lord of hoastes fought with that proude monstruous gyante Goâ—…iath the Philistine and slue him Sidrach Misach and Abdenago thorow faith chosed rather to be cast into a whote burnyng fornace then at the kyngs commaundement to coÌ„mit Ido latry and to worship straunge gods Daniel thorowe faith wished rather to be cast quicke into the denne of Lyons then by the space of thyrty dayes not to pray vnto the Lord his god according to the kings commaundemeÌ„t ☞ Sentences out of the new Testament He that beleueth is baptised shal be saued But he that beleueth not shal be condempned As many as receaued christ he gaue them power to be the sonnes of god in that they beleue on his name As Moses lifted vp the serpent in the wildernes so must the sonne of maÌ„ be lyfted vp y e so many as beleue in him may not perishe but haue euerlastyng lyfe For god hath so dearely beloued the world that he gaue his onely begot ten sonne that euerye one that beleueth in him may not perishe but haue euerlastyng lyfe He that beleueth in y â— sonne of god is not condempned But he that beleueth not is already condempned because he hath not beleued in the name of the onely begotten sonne of god He that beleueth in the sonne hath euerlastyng lyfe but he that beleueth not in the sonne shall not see lyfe but the wrath of god abideth vpon him This is the wil of him that sent me that euerye one that seeth the sonne beleueth on hym should haue euerlastyng lyfe and I will rayse hym vp at the last day I am the resurrectioÌ„ and life he that beleueth in me although he wer dead yet shall he lyue and euery one that ly ueth and beleueth in me shall not dye euerlastyngly Ye beleue in god beleue also in me sayth Christ. Be iâ—… knoweÌ„ vnto you ye meÌ„ bre thren that thorow the name of Christ is preached vnto you y e forgeuenes of sinnes and that by him are all that beleue iustified from all thynges from the whiche ye could not be iustified by the law of Moses With fayth doth God purifie oure heartes The ryghteousnes that is alowed before god coÌ„meth by the faith of Iesu Christ vnto all vpon all that beleue We beyng iustified by fayth are at peace with god thorow our lord Iesu christ by whom we haue a way in tho row faith vnto this grace wherin we stand and reioyce in hope of the prayse that shal be geuen of god Christ is the perfect fulfillyng of the law to iustifie euery one y â— beleueth If y u wilt knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the lord and beleue with thy hart that God raiseth hym from death thou shalt be saued For the belief of the hart iustifieth and to knowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe For y e scripture saith who soeuer beleueth on him shall not be ashamed What soeuer is not of faith is sinne All ye are sonnes of god because ye haue beleued in Christ Iesu. In Christ Iesu neither is circuÌ„cision any thing worth nor vncircumcision but fayth whiche worketh by loue By grace are ye saued thorow fayth ye that not of your selues It is the gift of god commeth not of workes because no man should boast him selfe Aboue all thinges take vnto you the shielde of fayth wherby ye may be able to queÌ„ch al the fire dartes of the deuil Without fayth it is not possible to please god For he that commeth vnto god must beleue that God is and that he is a rewarder to theÌ„ that seke him Be ye sover and watch for your aduersary the deuil goeth about like a ro aryng Lyon seking whom he may deuour whom see that ye resiste with a strong fayth This is the victory whiche ouercom meth the world euen our fayth ☞ Examples out of the new Testament The woman that was diseased by the space of 12. yeares of the bloudy issue thorow fayth was made whole The woman of Canane thorowe faith obtayned of Christ health for her daughter The father of the childe possessed w t a deuill from his childhoode obtayned of Christ thorowe fayth perfect health for his sonne Bartimeus the blynd man thorow fayth recouered his sight A certayne sinfull woman thorowe fayth obtayned of Christ forgeuenesse of all her sinnes The Apostles of Christ thorow faith notwithstaÌ„ding y â— hye priests coÌ„mauÌ„dment continued in the preachyng of Christes gospel and both pacieÌ„tly ioy fully thaÌ„kefully suffered al kinds of displeasure for y â— name of y â— Lord Iesu. Rede y e. 11. chap. of the Epistle vnto the Hebrues where thou shalt fynd pleÌ„ty of examples concernyng this matter Agaynst the heresie of such as deny Iesu Christ to be God IF Satan at any time moueth thee to doubt of the godhead of Christ as though he were onely man not God a creature or a thing made and not the creator and maker of all thynges enarme thy selfe agaynste hym with these scriptures ☞ Sentences out of the old Testament VNto vs a childe is borne and vnto vs a sonne is geuen vppon hys shoulder doth the kingdome ly and he is
his bloud manye of his Disciples vnderstandyng his wordes grosely as the papistes doo vnderstande the wordes of the Lordes Supper wente backe and forsoke him and walked no more with him Then said Iesus to y â— twelue will ye also goe away Then Simon Peter aunswered him Lord to whome shall we goe Thou haste the wordes of eternall lyfe and we beleue and are sure that thou art Christe the sonne of the liuyng god Iesus heard that the Iewes had excommunicate the blinde man whome he had made to see and when he had found him he said vnto him doest thou beleue on the sonne of god He answered and said who is it Lord y â— I myght beleue on him And Iesus sayde vnto him thou hast sene him and he it is y â— taketh with thee And he sayd lorde I beleue and he worshipped him Martha said vnto Christ I beleue y â— thou art Christ the sonne of god which should come into the world Iesus sayde to Thomas bring thy finger hether and see my handes and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be no more faithles but beleuing Thomas answered and said vnto him My Lord and my god Iesus said vnto hym Thomas because thou hast seene me thou hast beleued blessed are they that haue not sene and yet haue beleued The Enuche sayd vnto Phillip see here is water what doth let me to bee baptised Phillip said vnto him If thou beleue with all thine heart thou maiest And he aunswered and said I beleue y â— Iesus Christ is the sonne of god The restoryng of y â— blind to their sight the raysing vp of the dead vnto life the cleÌ„sing of the leapers the healyng of theÌ„ that were diseased with the palsey the restoring of men possessed with deuils vncleane spirites to their whole minde the makyng of the deafe to heare and the dumme to speake with the other mi racles that Christ wrought do euidently proue Christ to be the natural sonne of god yea and god himselfe Against the heresie of them vvhich hold that Iesus Christ the sonne of God toke no fleshe of Mary hys mother ☞ I feyther Sathan wyth hys subtle suggesti ons or anye of hys decetifull worke men wyth theyr crafty reasons and falsifiyng the holy scrip tures goe about to perswade thee that Iesus Christ the sonne of God tooke no fleshe of that blessed virgine Mary hys mother but brought hys body wyth hym from heauen enarme thy selâ—…e wyth these authorities of gods worde against theyr pestilent and damnable dartes Sentences out of the olde Testament I will set enmitie betwene thee and the woman betwene thy seede and her seede The verye selfe same seede shall treade downe thy head and thou shalte tread vpon his hele In thee all kynreds of the earth shal be blessed In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed The scepter shall not departe from Iuda and a lawe geuer from betwene his fete vntil Sâ—…lo come and vnto him shall the gathering of the people be He shall bynde his fole vnto the vine hys Asses colte vnto the braunche He washed his garment in wyne and his man till in the bloud of grapes His eyes are redder then wine and his teethe whiter then mylke There shall come a star of Iacob and raise a Scepter of Israel Out of Iacob shall he come that shall haue dominion I will raise them vp a Prophet from among their brethreb lyke vn to thee wil put my wordes in hys mouth he shal speake vnto them all that I shal coÌ„mauÌ„d him and whosoeuer wil not har ken vnto the wordes whiche hee shall speake in my name I wyll require it of hym I wil set vp thy sede after thee which shall be of thy sonnes and will stablish his kingdoÌ„ He shall build me an house and I will stablish his seate for euer I will bee his father and he shall bee my sonne and I wil not put away my mercy from him as I did from him y â— was before thee but I will set him in my house and in my kingdome for euer his seate shall be sure for euer I haue sworne once by my holines y â— I will not fayle Dauid Hys seede shall endure for euer and his seate also like as the sunne before me He shall stande for euer more as the moone and as the faithfull witnes in heauen The Lord hath made a faithful othe vnto Dauid and he shall not shrink froÌ„ it out of the fruite of thy body shal I set vpon thy seat Behold a Uirgine shall conceaue beare a sonne and shall call hys name Emanuell Unto vs a child shal be borne vnto vs a child shal be geuen vpoÌ„ his shoulder shall the kingdome lye he shall be called with his owne name the wonde rous geuer of councell the mighty god the euerlasting father y e prince of peacer he shall make no ende to encrease the kingdome and peace and shall sit vpon the seate of Dauid and in his kingdom to set vp the same to establish it with equitie and rightousnes from henceforth for euer more This shall the gelousy of the Lord of hostes bring to passe There shal come a rod forth of the kin dred of Iesse a blossoÌ„ out of his roote The spirit of the Lord shall light vppon it the spirite of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirite of councel streÌ„gth the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of god c. Behold the tyme commeth sayth the Lord that I will raise vp the righteous braunche of Dauid which shall beare rule and discusse matters with wisdoÌ„ and set vp equitie and righteousnesse agayne in earth In his tyme shall Iuda be saued and Israell shal dwel without feare And this is the name y t they shall cal him eueÌ„ y e lord our rightous maker Behold the time commeth sayth the lord that I wil performe the good thing which I haue promised vnto the house of Israell and to the house of Iuda In those dayes and at the same time I wil bryng forth vnto Dauid the braunch of righteousnesse and he shall doe equitye and righteousnes in the lande In those dayes shal Iuda be helped and Ierusalem shal dwel safe and he that shal call her is euen god our righteous maker For thus the Lord god promiseth Dauid shal neuer want one to sit vpon the stole of the house of Israel I will rayse vp vnto them one onely shepeheard euen my seruant Dauid he shall feede them and he shall be theyr shepeheard I the Lorde will bee theyr god and my seruaunte Dauid shall be their prince Euen I the Lorde hathe spoken it Understand this and marke it well that from the tyme it shall be concluded to go and to repayre Ierusalem againe vnto Christ there shal be seuen wekes Then shal the stretes
walles be builded againe 62. wekes but w t heard trou blous time After these 62. wekes shall Christ be slaine and they shall haue no pleasure in hym Thou Bethelem Ephrata art litle among the thousandes of Iuda out of thee shal come vnto me which shall bee the gouernour in Israell whose out go ing hath bene from the beginnyng and from euerlastyng Be glad and reioyce O doughter of Sion for lo I come to dwell in y â— midst of thee saith the Lord. At the same time there shal many heathen cleane to the Lord and shal be my people Behold I wil sende my messenger which shall prepare the waye before me and y â— Lord whom ye would haue shall soone come to hys temple ye euen the Messenger of the couenaunt whome ye looke for This is our god and there shal none other be compared to hym It is he that hath found out all wisedome and hathe geuen her vnto Iacob his seruaunt and to Israel hys beloued Afterward did he shew himself vpon earth and dwelte among men Examples out of the olde Testament AFter that Adam and his wyfe thorow the crafty perswasions of Satan had transgressed gods commaundement god in the presence of them both euen for their comfort and for the quietnes of their conscience sayd vnto the ser pent I will set enmitie betwene thee a woman betwene thy seede her sede The selfe same seede shall tread downe thy head and thou shalt treade vppon hys heele These wordes of God the father spokeÌ„ vnto the serpent shewe euidently and manifestlye proue that Iesu Christ our Lorde is the true and natural sonne of Mary and vnfainedlye tooke his flesh and humanity of her For this word seede in thys place signifieth the whole substaunce of Christes manhode and proueth euidently that whatsoeuer Christ was being man he truly and naturally receiued it of the corporall substaunce of Mary his mother the virgine Cursed therefore is the heretike Appelles which thought that Christ had receyued his body of the elementes in the ayre and passed through the virgine as the water passed through a pipe Cursed are these heretikes Cerdo Marcian and Manes whiche holde that Christ had a fantastical body appearing to be man pet hauing no parte of manhode in hym Cursed is that heretike Ualentinus with his Apes the Anabaptistes which hold that Christ tooke no fleshe of Marye his mother the virgine but brought hys bodye with him froÌ„ heauen God the father calleth Christ the seede of the womaÌ„ He therfore is the naturall sonne of Mary his mother and receyued hys whole bodely substaunce of the most pure virgine or els should God greatlye haue erred which called hym the seede of a womaÌ„ but let God be true and all heretikes lyers TO Abraham god the father sayd in thy sede all nations of the earth shal be blessed This sede is Christ as S. Paul decla reth to the Galathians whiche borne of the virgine Mary came of the sede of Abraham ☞ Now if Christ had taken no flesh of Mary how could he haue come of the sede of AbrahaÌ„ But that we should be without all doubt coÌ„cernyng Christes humanitie and be certaine that he was the true and naturall sonne of Mary re ceiuyng his manhoode neither of the elementes of the ayre nor yet bringinning it with him froÌ„ heauen but takyng it of the true and naturall substaunce of Mary his mother God sayth expresly In thy seede Let vs note well this pronown Thy. In thy sede sayth he and not in the sede that Christ shall bryng from heauen or out of the ayre Howe could Christ iustly haubene called Abrahams sede if he had neuer taken any part of Abrahams substance But the Apostle sayth Christ toke the sede of Abraham and not of the aungels so that he must be lyke to his brothers in all thinges Let God therfore be true and all heretikes lyers In like maner the Lord swore a truth vnto Dauid and wyll not go from it I wil saith he set vpon thy seat one of the fruite of the wombe Here Christ which before was called the sede of a woman the sede of AbrahaÌ„ is called the fruite of Dauids woÌ„be ☞ What caÌ„ be spoken more playnly to declare and proue that Christ came of the sede of Dauid as concernyng his fleshe If Christe be the fruite of Dauids belly I meane concernyng his posteritie for Mary the mother of Christe came of the stock and kindred of Dauid so doth it euidently followe that Christ passed not thorow the woÌ„be of his mother without any partâ—… king of y â— natural substaÌ„ce of his mother as y â— wa ter passeth and runneth thorowe the pype and yet receyueth no part of the pypes substaunce but rather that he tooke a perfect body of substaunce of his mother and so became true and perfect man Otherwise should not he haue ben the fruite of Dauids belly neither should God haue kepte hys othe and promise made vnto Dauid But let God be true and all heretikes lyers THe Prophet Esay doth lyuely describe painte set forth both the mother of Christ and Christ him selfe in these wordes The Lord sayth he shall geue you a token Beholde a virgine shall conceyue and beare a sonne and thou shalt cal his name Emanuel But ter hony shall he eate y â— he may know to refuse the euill and chose the good ☞ First as concernyng Christes mother we learne here that she was a pure and vndeâ—…yled mayde and that she and not the heauen nor the ayre conceyued and brought foorth Christe her sonne In that she conceyued and brought forth Christe it is euident that she was vnfaynedly Christes naturall mother ministres part of her â—…bstaunce to the perfourmyng and makyng aâ—… her sonne thorow Gods operacion and dyd the duty and office of a true mother in all poyntes And where as the Prophete calleth Christ her â—…onne he declareth manifestly that Christ tooke his flesh of the substaunce of his mother Mary the virgine and is her true and naturall sonne or els to what ende shoulde he bee called hee sonne And that we should be as assuredly perswaded of hys humanitie of Mary hys mother as of his deitie of God his father The Prophet calleth hym Emanuell that is to say God and man true God of God his father anâ—… true man of Mary hys mother And because there should want nothyng vnto the true perfite and full dis cription of Christes humanitie but that Christ shoulde be declared to bee a true and a naturall childe and not fantasticall nor celestiall the Pro phet as it were with certain notes and markes both lyuely set forth and sheweth that he after that maner of other children shall eate butter Hony that is to say refuse buter and vnsauery meatâ—…s and chose those that are sweete and plea saunt in taste This were vaynly put in of the Prophete if Christe
of Abraham that is to say was made and became ve ry true and naturall man of the kinrede of Abra hā accordyng to Gods promise So that all that euer he had concerning his humanitie he had it of the blessed Uirgine which came of y ◠stocke of Abraham ☞ Agayne he saith in all things it became hym to be made lyke vnto hys bretherne Here saint Paule confesseth that Christ was made like vn to vs in all thynges which thyng by no meanes could be true yf he had not taken vpon him our nature and substaunce If he belyke vnto vs in all thynges sinne alone excepte so followeth it that he is of the same nature of the same fleshe and bloud that we are or els could not he be like vnto vs in all thynges And so should thys holy apostle and al other godly writers and teachers haue brought vs in errour But let god be true and all heretikes lyers ☞ Now haue we learned both truly and fullye of the holy scriptures which are infallible verities that Christ was cōceiued by the holy ghost and borne of the Uirgine Mary By the which worde of we beleue that he toke his humanity of her substaunce and had none other begynnyng as touching his humanity than in her and of her by the operation of the holy ghost so that we may truely conclude that as Christ is very God of God the father wythout a mother so is he very man of Mary his mother wythout any Father Therfore may hys God head be as iustly denied as hys manhode and flesh takyng of the blessed virgine Mary But Christ abydeth very god and very man whatsoeuer the wicked hiretikes hable Cursed therefore bee Cerdo Marcian and Manes which taught that christ appeared as man and yet had no parte of true manhoode in hym but onelye had a fantasticall bodye ☞ Cursed be Cerinthus which taught that Iesus was begotten of Ioseph and Mary after y ◠maner of other men and that Christ came down from aboue vnto Iesus ▪ Cursed bee the Ebionites the Theodosians the Antimonians and the Photinians which affirmed that Christe was borne of the virgine onely man not God Cursed be Appelles which taught that Christ had his body of the elements in the ayre Cursed be Ualentinus which sayd that Christ brought his body wyth him from heauen and tooke no fleshe of the Uirgine Mary but passed through her as water through the pype Cursed be hys Apes the Anabaptistes ▪ which in these our dais haue raysed vp that most detestable and horryble heresie Cursed and confounded be all they which wyth theyr hartes do not beleue wyth their mouthes vnfainedly confesse that Iesus Christ is both God and man to whom be glory for euer Amen Against the grosse and fantasticall opinion of the papistes which affirme that Christes naturall body and bloud is carnally eaten and dronken in the lordes supper IF the deuill or the pope or any of their impes go about with sophisticall reasons to persuade thee that Christ is naturall in the sacramentall bread and wyne or that the bread and wine is turned vnto the reall and naturall body bloud of Christ euen as he receaued it of the blessed Uirgine suffer not thy selfe to bee beguiled and mocked but valiauntly resiste them wyth these sentences and histories of Gods moste holye worde ☞ Sentences out of the olde Testament THe Lord is in his holye temple the Lordes seat is in heauen The Lord lord looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men to see if there were any that would vnderstād and seeke after god God is gone vp wyth a mery noyse and the Lorde wyth the sounde of the trompet God sitteth vpon his holy seate Thou art gone vpon hie O Christ thou hast led captiuitie captiue receiued giftes for men Syng vnto God O ye kingdomes of the earth O sing praises vnto the lord which sitteth in the heauens ouer all He looked downe from his sanctuarye euen out of heauen did the Lord behold the earth that he might heare the mourninges of such as be in captiuitie and deliuer the children appointed vnto death The Lord hath prepared hys seat in heauē and his kingdom ruleth ouer al. O Lord my god thou art become excedyng glorious thou art clothed wyth maiesty and honor thou deckest thy self with light as it were with a garment and spreadest oute the heauens lyke a curtayne Thou layest the beames of thy chambers in the waters makest the cloudes thy charets and walkest vpon the winges of the winde The Lorde sayd vnto my Lorde sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thyne enemies thy footestole The Lorde is hie aboue all heathen and his glory aboue the heauens Who is like vnto the lord our God that hath his dwellyng so hie and yet humbleth himselfe to behold the things that are in heauen and earth Wherefore shall the heathen saye where is now their god As for our god he is in heauen he hath done what so euer pleased hym Unto thee O Lord lift I vp my eies which dwellest in the heauens Whither shal I go from thy spirit or whether shal I flee from thy presēce If I clime vp into heauē thou art there c Wil god dwel on the earth Behold the heauens and heauens of all heauēs are not able to contayne thee And how should then this house do it that I haue builded The house which I build shal be great for great is our god aboue al gods But who is able to build hym an house whē that heauen and heauen aboue all heauens is not hable to receiue him God is hyer then heauen what arte thou able to do Deper then hell howe wilt thou then know hym His length excedeth the length of the earth and hys breadth the breadth of the sea Thus saith the Lord heauen is my seate and the earthe is my footestoole where shall now the house stand that ye will build vnto me And where shall be the place that I will dwell in Sentences out of the new Testament IF any man say vnto you Loe here is Christe or there is Christe beleue it not For there shall arise false annoynted and false teachers and shall shewe greate myracles and wonders in so muche that yf it were possible the verye electe should be deceaued Beholde I haue tolde you afore Wherfore if thei say vnto you behold he is in the desert goe not ye forth behold he is in y ◠secret places beleue it not For as the lightnyng commeth out of the east and appeareth into the West so shall the commyng of the sonne of man be Ye haue the power alwayes w t you but me shall ye not haue alwayes And when the Lord had spoken vnto them he was receiued into heauen and is set downe on the right hand of god It came to passe as Christ
Lorde our God is one Lord onely And thou shalte loue the Lord thy God with all thy harte with al thy soule with all thy might And these woordes which I commaunde thee thys day shalt thou take to harte and shalt rehearse them vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou sittest in thyne house and whē thou walkest by the way when thou lyest downe and when thou rysest vp And thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shall bee a token of remembrance before thine eies thou shalt write them vpon the postes of thine house and vpon the gates If ye harken vnto my commaundemēts which I commaund you this day that ye loue the Lorde your God and serue hym with all your hart wyth all your soule then will I geue rayne vnto your lande in due season earlye and late that thou mayest gather in thy corne thy wine and thine oyle and I wyll geue grasse vppon thy fielde for thy cattell that ye maye eate and be fylled But beware that your harte bee not deceyued that ye goe aside and serue other gods and worship them and then the wrathe of the Lorde waxe whote vppon you and he shutte vppe the heauen that there come no rayne and the earth geue not her encrease and ye perish shortly from the good land which the lord hath geuen you Put vp therefore these my woordes in your hartes and in your soules and binde them for a signe vpon your handes that they bee a token of remembraunce before your eyes and teache them your childrē so that thou talke of them when thou sittest in thine house or walkest by the way when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp and write them vpon the postes of thine house and vpon the gates that thou and thy children may liue long in y e land which the Lord sware vnto thy fathers to geue them as long as the dayes of heauen endure vpon earth Let my doctrine encrease as rayne and my speach flow as doth the dew Euen as the rayne vppon the grasse and the drops vpon the herbe Take to heart all the wordes which I testifie vnto you this day that ye cōmaūd your children to obserue and do all these woordes of this lawe For it is no vayne worde to you but it is your lyfe and this worde shall prolong your life Be strong and verye bolde that thou mayest keepe and doe euery thing according to the lawe that Moses my seruaunt commaunded thee Turne not aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left that thou maiest deale wisely whether soeuer thou goest And let not the booke of this lawe depart out of thy mouthe but exercise thy selfe therin day and nighte that thou mayest keepe and doe euery thing according to it that is written therin Then shalt thou prosper in thy wayes and deale wisely Lo I haue commaunded thee to be strong and bolde Fear not and be not afrayde for the Lord thy God is with thee whersoeuer thou goest Blessed is the man that deliteth in the law of the Lord and exerciseth himself in his law both day and night Lay hand on the learning lest the Lord be angry so ye perish frō the right way The law of the Lord is pure it turneth soules The witnesse of the Lord is faith full it geueth wisdom euen vnto babes The statutes of the Lord are right they reioyce the hart the commaundement of the Lord is bright and lighteneth the eyes The feare of the Lord is holy it endureth for euer the iudgements of the Lorde are true and righteous altogether they are more pleasaunt and worthy more to be desired then golde and precious stone yea they be sweter then the hony and the hony combe The Lord shall tell in the Scriptures of the people and of those Princes that were in her Blessed is the man whom thou hast nur tered O lord and taught him thy lawe He hath sent his word healed them deliuered them from their destructions Blessed are thei y e search his testimonies seeke after him with their whole harte Thou hast geuen strait charge that thy commaundements should be kept Oh that my wayes were stablished to kepe thy statutes then should not I be cō founded while I haue respect vnto all thy commaundements Where with all shall a younge man clenfe his way Uerely by ruling himselfe according to thy worde With my whole hart haue I sought thee oh let me not goe wrong out of thy commaundements Thy wordes haue I hid within my hart that I should not sinne against thee Thou rebukest y e proud cursed are they that depart from thy commaundements In thy testimonies is my delite yea thy statutes are my counsellers Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall kepe it vnto the ende Oh geue me vnderstanding and I shall kepe thy law yea I shall kepe it with my whole harte Leade me in the path of thy commaundements for that is my desire Enclyne my hart vnto thy testimonies and not vn to couetousnes The law of thy mouthe is better vnto me then thousandes of gold and siluer The wicked mē haue told me tales but nothing agreable to thy law For all thy commaundements are true yet haue the vngodly persecuted me If my delite wer not in thy law I shuld perish in my trouble Oh how swete are thy wordes vnto my throte yea more then honye is vnto my mouth Thy worde is a lanterne vnto my feete and a light vnto my pathe It is hie time for thee O Lord to laye to thyne hand For they haue destroyed thy lawe For I loue thy commaundementes aboue golde and precious stone The preachinge of the worde geueth sighte yea and bringeth forth vnderstanding euen vnto the very babes Helthe is far from the vngodlye for they regard not thy statutes But great is the peace that they haue which loue thy lawe and they are not offended at it My Sonne if thou wilte receiue my wordes and kepe my commaundementes by thee that thine eare may harken vnto wisedome apply thine hart then to vnder standing For if thou criest after wisdome and callest for knowledg if thou sekest after her as after mony diggest for her as for treasure then shalt thou vnderstande the fear of the lord and find the knowlege of God For it is the Lorde that geeueth wisdome out of his mouthe commeth knowledge and vnderstandinge He preserueth the welfare of the righteous and de◅ēdeth them that walk innosētly he kepeth thē in the right path and preserueth the way of the saintes Then shalt thou not vnder stand rightuousnesse iudgement and equi tie yea and euery good path If wisedome enter into thine harte and thy soule delite in knowledge then shall councel preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee That thou maiest be deliuered frō the euill waye and from the
man that speaketh froward thinges from such as leaue the high streat walk in the way of darknes which reioyce in doing euill and delite in wicked thinges whose wayes are crooked and their pathes slaunderous That thou maiest be delited also from the straunge woman and frō her that is not thine owne which geueth sweet wordes forsaketh the husbande of her youth and forgetteth the couenaunte of her God For her house is enclined vnto death and her pathes vnto Hell All they that go in vnto her come not againe neither take they holde of the waye of life That thou walk in the good way and keepe y ◠pathes of the righteous For the iust shall dwell in the lande and the innocentes shall remaine in it but the vngodly shall be rooted out of the lande and the wicked doers shal be taken out of it Blessed is the man that findeth wisedome and obtaineth vnderstanding for y e getting of it is better then any m◅rchandise of siluer and the profit of it is better then gold Wisdom is more worth then precious stones and all the thinges that thou canst desire are not to be compared vnto her Upon her ryght hand is long life and vppon her lefte hande is ryches and honor Her wayes are pleasaunt waies and al her pathes ar peaceable She is a tree of life to them that lay hold vpon her and blessed are thei that kepe her fast My son let not these thinges depart frō thine eies but kepe my law and counsail so shall it be life vnto thy soule and grace vnto thy mouthe Then shalte thou walke safely in thy waye and thy foote shall not stumble If thou slepest thou shalt not be afrayed but shalt take thy rest and slepe swetely Thou shalte not nede to be afrayed of any soden feare neither for the violent rushing in of the vngodly whē it commeth For the lord shall be beside thee and kepe thy fote that thou be not taken Let thine heart receiue my words kepe my commaundementes and thou shalt◅ lyue Get the◅ wisdome get thee vnderstandinge forget not the wordes of my mouth and shrink not from thē Forsake her not and shee shall preserue thee loue her and she shal kepe thee The chief point of wisedome is that thou willingly to obtaine wisedome and before all thy goods to get vnderstandinge Make much of her and she shall promote thee yea if thou embracest her she shall bringe thee vnto honour She shall make thee a gracious head garnishe thee with the crowne of glory Heare my son receiue my wordes that the yeres of thy life may be manye I will shew the way of wisdome and lead thee in the righte pathes So that if thou goest therin there shal no straitnes hinder thee and when thou runnest thou shalt not fall Take faste holde of doctrine let her not go kepe her for she is thy life The commaundement is a lantern and the law is a light and the way of life Wher no knowlege of gods word is the soule is not wel Apply thy heart vnto learning and thine eare to the wordes of knowledge Hee that turneth away his eare from hearing the lawe his prayer shal be abhorred When the preachinge of Gods worde faileth then perisheth the people Euerye worde of GOD is pure and cleane yea it is a shield to them that trust in it Uaine are all those men in whom no knowledge of god is Neither hearbe nor emplasture hathe healed thē but thy worde O Lord which healeth all thinges The fountaine of wisedome is the the word of god Be make and lowly to heare the word of god that thou mayest vnderstand and bring forth a wise and true answer Haue all thy pleasure in the commaun dements of god and in his lawes be thou most of al occupied and he shall geue thee an hart and a desire of wisdome shal be ge uen thee Be not slacke to beleue the worde of God Learnig is a precious iewel to a wisemā Nothing is better then the feare of god and nothing is sweter then to haue a respect to the commaundements of the Lord My people is led captiue because they haue no knowledge They haue caste away the lawe of the Lorde of hostes and the worde of the holy one of Israell haue they blasphemed Therfore is the wrath of the lord who◅ agaynst his people and he wyl stretche oute his hande and destroye them Make hast vnto the law and witnesse If they speake not according to this word they shall not haue the morning light All ye that are a thirst come vnto the waters and ye that haue no mony make haste by and eat Come I say by without mony and without any ◅xchaunge wyne and milke Why lay ye out your monye for that that is not breade in deede and spend your labor about that that shall neuer satisfye you Heare me heare I saye and eate that which is good that ye may be well liking Geue eare and come vnto me heare me I say and your soule shall liue As raine and snowe commeth downe ◅rom heauen and returneth not th◅ther agayne but watereth the earth and maketh it to bud and bring forth the fruit so that it geueth sede to the sower breade to the eater so shall my word be that shal come out of my mouth It shall not returne vnto me boyde but shall do what soeuer I wil and prosper in them to whom I send it Let not the wise man reioyce in his wysedome nor the stronge man in hys strength nor yet let the riche man glorye in his riches but let him that reioyseth reioyce in this thing that he know me that I am y e Lord which doth mercy iudgemēt and righteousnes in the earth Withdrawe not the woorde from the people if peraduenture they heare turne from their wicked way so that it may repent me of the euil which I haue determi ned to do vnto them for the maliciousnes of their councels Heare Israel the commaundements of life geue eare that thou maiest become wise Howe chaunced it O Israell that thou arte in the lande of thine enemies Thou art worne out in a straunge lande thou art defiled with the dead Thou art◅ reputed with them that go down to Hell Thou hast forsaken the fountain of wisedome For if thou haddest walked in the way of god vndoubtedlye thou haddest dwelt in rest vpon the earth Learne therfore where wisedome is and vnderstanding is that thou maiest also know where continuance of life is and all thinges necessary for to maintaine the same agayne where the light of the eyes and peace is This is the booke of the commaundementes and the lawe whyche abideth for euer All that keepe it shall come vnto life but they that forsake it shall come vnto death Behold the day is come sayth y ◠Lord that I
wyll caste an hunger vppon the earth not the hunger of breade nor the thirst of water but of bearing the word of the Lord. And they shal go from sea to sea and walke aboute from the South to the East sekinge the worde of the Lorde and yet shall they not finde it ☞ Examples out of the 〈◊〉 Testament GOd the Father wrote the law of the ten coÌ„maundements in tables of stone with his finger and commaunded Moyses to declare them vnto the people The people are commaunded of God not only to rede his holy law but also diligently to exercise them selues in the me ditation therof so long as they liue and to teach it their childreÌ„ yea to talk of it both in their house and when they go abroad and to write it vpon tâ—…e thresholds dores and postes of their houses that it may bee â—…er in their sight For man shall not liue with breade alone but with euery worde that procedeth from the mouth of God A kinge is commaunded to reade the boke of the law of the Lorde all the dayes of his life that he may feare the Lorde his God Iosua was commaunded that the boke of the Lordes law should not depart from his mouth but that he shoulde study in it day and night that he might kepe and do all thinges that are written in that boke King Saul was cast down from his roy all estate because he was negligente and disobedient to the law of God When Dauid lay on his deathe bed he saide to Sallomon thou shalt prosper and come to great renoume if thou kepest the commaundementes and ordinaunces which the Lord commaunded Moses Ioas when he was crowned in y â— temple had the law of the Lord deliuered vnto his handes that he shoulde keepe and maintaine the same Iosaphat that walked in the commaundementes of the Lord loued Gods word so entierly that he sent hys princes Leuites and priestes to teach in all partes of Iuda which had the booke of the Lordes law with them and went about in all the cities of Iuda and taught the people Ezechias diligently walked in the law of the Lord purged his realme of all idolatry set vp againe the true worshipping of God exhorted all his subiectes to followe the lawe of their Lord God Iossas that most godly king which walked so purely in the waies of the lord that he declined neither on the ryght hand nor on the left when the boke of the law was deliuered vnto him did not only cause the booke to be red before hym but he himself also red it before all his people both small and great and all idolatry destroyed restored the true religion to hys kingdome Esdras red the law of the Lord plainly and distinctly to the people they gaue very earnest and diligent attendaunce to the bearing of it Susan from her infanciâ—… was so diligentlye brought vp of her parentes in the lawe of God that she did not onely feare god but also chused rather to be stoned vn to death then she would once transgresse the law of god by committing adultery Sentences out of the newe Testament Man shall not liue with breade alone but with euery worde that commeth out of the mouth of God Uerely verely I say vnto you this age shal not passe till all these things be done Heauen and earth shall passe awaye but my wordes shall not passe away Blessed are they that heare the word of god and kepe it Blessed is he that eateth bread in the kingdome of God They haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heare them If they heare not Moyses and the Prophets neither will they beleue though one shoulde rise from the dead Thys is condemnation that lyghte is come into the world and that men loued darkenes more then lyght because theyr workes were euill For euery man that doth euill hateth the lyght neyther commeth he to y â— light least his workes should be reproued but he that doth truth commeth to light that his deedes myghte bee known how they are wrought in god Search the scriptures for ye thinke to haue eternall lyfe in them and these are they which testifie of me neyther will ye come vnto me that ye may haue life The wordes that I speake to you are spirite and life Lord to whom shal we go Thou hast the wordes of euerlasting lyfe He that is of god heareth the wordes of god But ye heare not bicause ye are not of god If a man kepeth my worde he shal neuer see death My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and thei folow me and I geue them euerlasting lyfe Walke while ye haue light least darknes ouerwhelme you He that walketh in darknes knoweth not whether he goeth While ye haue light beleue in the lyghte that ye may be the children of lyght He that hath my preceptes and keepeth them he it is that loueth me If any man loueth me he will kepe my word and my father will loue him and we shall come to him and dwell with hym This is euerlasting life euen to knowe thee the alone true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Euery one that is of the truth heareth my voyce The gospell of Christ is the power of god vnto saluation for so many as beleue Except the Lorde of bostes had left vnto vs sede that is hys most blessed word we had bene as Sodom and might well haue bene likened to Gomorra Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Whatsoeuer thyngs are written afore time are writteÌ„ for our learning that we thorowe pacience comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope The word of the crosse is to them that perishe folishnesse but to vs â–ª that obtaine saluation it is the power of God If the gospell of Christ be yet byd it is byd among them that are loste in whom y â— god of this world hath blinded y â— minds of them which beleue not least the light of the glorious gospel of Christ which is the image of God should not shyne vnto theÌ„ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly with all wysedome Teach and monish one an other Quench not the spirite Despise not the studies and preachinges of the holy Scripture Proue all thinges and that is good holde faste God will all men to be saued and come vnto the knowledge of the truth Geue thy minde to reading exhortation and doctrine continue in these things Continue in reading the holy scripture which is able to make thee wyse vnto saluatioÌ„ thorow the fayth which is in Christ Iesus For all Scripture geueÌ„ by inspiration of God is profitable to teache to improue to amend and to instructe in ryghteousnes that the man of god may be perfecte and prepared to all good workes The word of God is
liuishe and mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged sworde Lay a part all filthinesse all superfluitie of maliciousnesse and receaue with mekeâ—…es y â— word that is grafted in you which is able to saue your soules And see ye be doers of the word and not hearers onely disceauinge your selues For if any heare the worde and doe it not he is like to a man that beholdeth hys bodely face in a glasse For as sone as he hath looked on hym selfe hee goeth hys waye and forgetteth forthwyth what his fashion was But who so looketh in the perfecte lawe of libertye and continueth therin if he bee not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke the same shall be happy in hys dede Lay a side all malice guile and dissimulation and enuy and al backbityng and as new borne babes desire that milke not of the bodye but of the minde which is without corruption that ye may grow therin We haue a ryght sure word of prophecie wherunto if ye take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place ye doe well vntill the daye dawne and the daye starre aryse in our hartes So that ye firste knowe thys that no prophecie in the scripture hath any priuate interpretation For the scripture came neuer by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy ghost Whosoeuer transgresseth and abydeth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not god He that endureth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the father and the sonne If there come any to you and bring not thys learning him receaue not to house neither once bid him god spede for he that biddeth him God spede is partaker of hys euill deedes Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the wordes of the prophecte and keepeth these thinges that are written therin Blessed is he that kepeth the words of the prophecie of this booke ☞ Examples out of the new Testament THe people preased so greatlye vppon Christ to heare the word of God that he was compelled to enter into a ship and so to teach them Mary the sister of Martha sat at Iesus feete and hearde hys preaching And when Martha being greatlye combred aboute muche seruing and other worldlye busines sayd to Christ Maister doest thou not care that my sister hath leste me to minister alone Byd her therefore that she helpe me He said Martha Martha thou carest and arte troubled aboute many thinges but one thing is needefull Mary hath choseÌ„ her that good part which shall not be taken away from her Whan Christ preached in the temple all the people did hange of his mouth hearing hym Peter turned three thousande at one of hys sermons The Eunuch chamberlain and of great authoritie with Candace Queene of the Ethiopians read the Prophet Esaye sitting in his charet to whom the holy ghost sent Philip which did both expounde the Scriptures vnto him also baptised him So dere are they to God which delight in the reading of his holy word The noblest of byrth amonge them of Thessalonia which receaued the worde with all diligence of mindes searched the Scriptures dayly whether those thinges were euen so as Paule Silas preached Apollos was an eloquent man mightie in the scriptures He was informed in the way of the lord and he spake feruently in the spirite and taught diligently the thinges of the Lord and yet knewe he but the baptisme and doctrine of Iohn onely whom wheÌ„ Aquila and Priscilla his wife being lay persons had herd they toke him vnto them expounded vnto him the way of God more perfectlye in somuch that afterward he mightely ouercame the Iewes and that openly shewing by the scriptures that Iesus was Christ. Philip the Euaungelist and preacher of the gospell had foure daughters excellently learned in the holy scriptures Timothe was brought vp in the holy scriptures from his young age Against straunge religion or newe found worshipping of God IF thou be moued vnto straunge religion or new found worshipping of God eyther by Sathan by the pope or by any subtue hipocrite loke that thou by no meanes doest leane vnto their wicked motions but rather valiauntly withstaÌ„d theÌ„ with these sentences and examples of the holy scripture ☞ Sentences out of the old Testament HEare Israell your Lorde God is one God Thou shalt loue thy Lord god with all thy harte with all thy soule and with all thy strength Thou shalt feare thy Lord God and serue him alone And now Israell what doth the Lorde thy God require of thee but that thou fearest the Lorde thy God and walke in hys wayes and loue him and serue the Lorde thy Godwith all thy harte with all thy soule and kepe the commaundementes of the Lorde Doe that which is pleasaunt in y â— sight of the Lord thy God Sacrifice to the Lord the sacrifyce of righteousnesse and trust in hym I will not reproue thee in thy sacrifices sayeth theâ—… Lord for I am full of thy burnt offeringes Offer to God the sacrifice of prayse and pay to the most highest thy vowes Call on me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt honour me Heare O my people I will geue thee a charge O Israel If thou wilt heare me there shall be no straunge nor new found God in thee neither shalt thou worship any foraine God For I am the Lorde thy God which brought thee out of the lande of Egipt To doe mercy and iudgement pleaseth the Lord more than sacrifice A sacrifice well pleasing to the Lorde isto attend to hys coÌ„maundementes and to departe from all iniquities and vnrighteousnes What shall I do with all these your sacrifices sayth the Lord I am full of them The burnte offeringes of Weathers and fatlynges the bloude of Calues Lambes and Goates I will none of them When ye come before my sighte who requyred these thinges at your handes that ye shoulde walke in my courtes Bryng me no more sacrifice on thys manner in vain Your sensing is abhomination vnto me The feastes of the new Moone and the Sabbothes and other holy dayes I can not abide Your congregations are wicked Your Kalendes and your solemne feastes my soule hateth I am euen werye of them It greueth me to the hart for to suffer them When ye shall praye many prayers I will not heare you For your handes are full of bloude Bee ye washed and cleane Take awaye your euil thoughts from myne eyes Cease to do euill learne to doe well Seeke iudgement helpe the poore oppressed be fauourable to the fatherlesse defend y â— widdow and then come proue me sayth the lord If your sinnes bee as redde as scarlet yet shall they be made as whyte as snow And if they be made like purpell yet shall they be made as white as wolle If that ye will be contented
heare me ye shall eate the good fruites of y â— earth If that ye will not but prouoke me to anger the sworde shall deuoure you for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Put your burnt offerings to your sacrifices eate the flesh For when I brought your Fathers out of the lande of Egypt I spake not one word vnto them of burnte offeringes and sacrifyces but thys I commaunded them saying heare my voyce and I shall be your God and ye shall be my people See ye walke in all the wayes that I haue commaunded you that ye may prosper I hate and vtterly defie your holy daies and where as ye sense me when ye come together I will not accept it And though ye offer me burnt offeringes yet will not I receaue your giftes Awaye from me with the noyse of thy songes for I can not abyde the hearyng of thy playeng at the Organs Prouide that equitie may followe as the water and righteousnesse as a mightie streame for in these thinges haue I delight and pleasure sayeth the Lorde I will mercy and no sacrifice sayth the Lord and the knowledge of God do I set more by then burnt offeringes What shall I offer worthy the Lorde Shall I bowe my knee to y â— hie god Shall I offer vnto him burnt sacrifices calues of a yeare olde May the Lorde be pleased with a thousande fat Weathers Or with many thousandes of lustie Goates Shall I geue my first begotten for my wickednesse Euen the fruite of my wombe for the sinne of my soule I will shewe theâ—… Oman what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee verely to do iudgement to loue mercy and carefully to walke with thy God How long will ye halte on both partes If the Lord be God follow him If Baall be God follow him ☞ Examples out of the old Testament NAdab and Abihu of a good entent offered incense to the Lord w t straunge fyre yet for all their good zeale they were consumed with fyre so that they dyed before the Lord. King Saule thought that he had done great worship vnto God when in the absence of Samuell he offered burnt offeringes but Samuell said vnto him thou hast done folishly neither hast kept the coÌ„maundements of the Lord thy God which I commaunded thee Saule also of a good zeale contrarye to the commaundement of God spared Agag the kyng of Ameleche aliue with the best and fattest flockes of sheepe oxen â—…c Pretending that he reserued them for to offer vnto the Lorde But Samuell sayd vnto him for asmuche as thou hast caste away the word of the Lord the Lord hath cast away thee that thou be no more king Willeth the Lorde burnt offringes and sacrifices and not rather that it maye be obeyed vnto his worde Obedience is better then sacrifices and to geue eare to the lordes commaundement is more then to offer the fatte of Weathers Oza thought y â— he had done God highe seruice when he stayed the Arke of God in the waine being in ieoperdie of falling but yet was y â— Lord angry with him because he touched it contrarye to hys word in so muche that he was striken and sodenlye dyed King Ozias toke vpon him to burne incense vnto the Lord thinking that by this meanes he should highlye please God but for all his pretensed holines he was strikeÌ„ with leaprosie and so being cast out of the house of the Lorde he continued a leper euen vnto his death ¶ Sentences out of the new Testament THese people draw nighe vnto me with their mouthes honour me with their lippes but their hartes are farre from me Beholde they worship me in vaine teaching doctrines euen the coÌ„maundements of men Woe be vnto you ye Scribes Pharisees yea very ipocrites which deuour widowes houses vnder the pretence of long prayer ye shall therefore receiue the more greuous dampnation God hath deliuered vs from the hand of our enemies that we should serue him in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life The houre commeth and now it is wheÌ„ true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirite and truth for the father seketh such that should worship him God is a spirite they y â— worship hym must worship him in spirite and truth The time shall come that whosoeuer killeth you shall thinke that they do vnto God an hie good seruice God is my witnesse whom I serue in my spirite Be ye fulfylled with the spirit speaking with your selues in psalmes and hymnes spiritual songes and making melodie to the Lord in your hartes geuing thankes alwayes for all thinges vnto God in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ. Unto god king euerlasting immortall inuisible and wise only be all honour and glory for euer and euer Amen ¶ Examples out of the new Testament OUr Sauiour Christ whan he liued in thys worlde dyd all thinges according to hys heauenly fathers commaundementes as he hym selfe sayth as my father hath geuen me commaundement so doe I thys dyd he to geue vs example that in matters of religion we shoulde attempte nothing as due seruice vnto god but that only which we haue learned out of his holy worde The apostles of Christe bothe taughte and wroughte that onelye whiche they had receaued of their Lorde and maister Iesus Christ. Of these aforesaid Scriptures histories maiest thou learne that God is not worshipped as carnall reason and fleshly wisdome imagineth and prescribeth but as god by his holy worde biddeth appointeth and commaundeth A Christen man oughte to followe Christes steps and to walke as he hath walked Against mens traditions and vnwritten verities IF Sathan or any of his impes vnto the derogation of Gods glorye shall at any time tempt thee with mans tradicions or vnwritten veryties for to geue no les credite vnto them than vnto the word of God auoyde him with these scriptures ☞ Sentences out of the olde Testament YE shall not ad vnto the worde that I speake nor take ought from it Ye shall not turue vnto the right hand nor vnto the left haÌ„d but by the way that the Lord your god hath commaunded you ye shall walke that ye may liue and haue good luck Keepe the commaundementes of the Lord thy god and the testimonies and ceremonies whiche hee hathe commaunded thee and do that whiche is pleasaunt and good in the Lordes sight that thou maiest haue good luck That I coÌ„mauÌ„d thee do y â— only neither put to any thing nor take ought away Put nothing to his wordes least thou be reproued and found a lier Wo bee vnto them that cal euill good good euil which make darknes lighte and light darknes that make sower swete and sweet sower Wo be to them that are wise in their own sight and think them selues to haue vnderstanding Wo be vnto you that make vnrighteous lawes and
deuise thinges which be to harde to be kept through which the poore are oppressed on euerye side and the innocentes of my people are therewith robbed of iudgement Wo be to those shriÌ„kiÌ„g childreÌ„ saith y â— lord which seke counsel but not at me whiche take a web in haÌ„d but not after my will y â— they may heap one sinne vpon an other Thus saith the Lorde my thoughtes are not your thoughtes and your wayes are not my wayes but as farre as the heaueÌ„s are higher then the earth so far do my wayes exceade youres and my thoughtes your thoughtes Your lippes speake leasinges and your tong setteth out wickednes No man regardeth righteousnesse and no man iudgeth truly Euery man hopeth in vaine things and imagineth disceite conceiueth wickednes and bringeth forth euil They breede Cockatrices egs weaue the spiders web Whosoeuer eâ—…eth of their egs dieth but if one tread vpon them their commeth vp a serpent Their webbe maketh no cloth and they maye not couer them with their laboures Their deedes are the deedes of wickednesse and the worke of robbery is in their handes their feete runne to euill and they make haste to shed innocent bloude Theyr councels are wicked councels hate and destruction is in their wayes but y â— way of peace they know not In their goings is no equitie their waies are so crooked y â— who so goeth therin knoweth nothing of peace My people haue committed two greate euils They haue forsaken me the fountaine of liuing waters and digged them pits pits I say that are broken and can hold no water Take bâ—…de saithe the Lord ye truste in coâ—…sels that begile you do you no good Heare not the wordes of the Prophets that preach their owne dreames Heare O ye house of Israel saith the lord Is not my way right or ar not your waies rather wicked The children of thy people saye tushe the way of the Lord is not right where as their way is rather vnright Examples out of the olde Testament Ieroboam kynge of Israel contrary to gods word made two calues of gold and set them vp to be worshipped of people as their goddes but both he and his posteritie were greuously punished for it How greuously god punished al such as brought in strauÌ„ge worshippings of god or any matters concerning Idolatrye or ought els contrary to y â— word of God although y â— authors of theÌ„ made the simple people to beleeue y â— they were verities although vnwritteÌ„ as the Papistes do now adaies y â— holy scriptures in diuers places do euideÌ„tly shew namely in the bokes of the kinges and of the chronicles ☞ Sentences out of the new Testament Except your righteousnesse dooth excede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Phariseis ye can not enter into the kingdome of heauen Beware of false Prophets which câ—…me vnto you in sheepes clothing and inward ly are rauening wolues Why do ye transgresse the commaundenâ—…ent of God for your tradicions Euery plant y â— my heaueÌ„ly father hath not planted shal be plucked vp by y e rotes This is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am wel pleased heare ye him Teache them to kepe all thinges that I haue commaunded you Ye leaue the commaundemeÌ„t of god and maintaine your owne constitutions Well ye do caste aside the commaundemeÌ„t of god to kepe your own tradicions If ye abide in my worde ye are my disciples in deede and ye shall knowe the truthe and the truthe shall make you fre He that is of god heareth the wordes of God My sheepe heare my voice I knowe them and they followe mee neither shall they at any time pearishe nor yet shall any man pluck them out of my hand He that hathe my commaundementes and kepeth them he it is that loueth mee If any man loueth me he will keepe my wordes If ye keepe my commaundementes ye shall abide in my law Ye are my frends if ye doe those things that I commaund you Euery one that is of the truthe heareth my voyce I dare not speak of any of these things that Christ hath not wrought by me I beseeche you brethern marke them that make deuision and geue occasions of euil contrarye to the doctrine y â— ye haue learned and auoid them For they that are such serue not the Lord Iesu Christe but their own bellies with swete preachiÌ„gs and flattering words deceiue the harts of the simple Though we our selues or an Angel froÌ„ Heauen preache any other Gospel to you then that whiche we haue preached vnto you holde him accursed As I saide before so say I now againe if any man preach any other thing vnto you then that ye haue receiued holde him accursed Thoughe it be but a mans testament yet no maÌ„ despiseth it or addeth any thing therto when it is once alowed How much more ought nothing to be added to the tes tament of the moste highe God nor yet be taken from it Be no more children from heÌ„ceforth wandring and caried with euerye winde of doctrine by the wilines of men crafts whereby they lay awaite for vs to deceiuâ—… vs but let vs follow the truth in loue and in all thinges growe in him whiche is thy head that is to say Christ. Caste away vngodlye olde wiues fables exercise thy self vnto godlines If any man teache otherwise is not content with the wholsome words of our Lord Iesus Christe and with the doctrine of godlines He is pufte vp knoweth no thing but wasteth his brains about questioÌ„s strife of wordes wherof spring enuye strife rayling euill surmisinges and vaine disputations of menne of corrupte mindes and destitute of the truth whiche thinke that lucre is godlynes From suche seperate thy self If any man speake let him speake as though it came of gods owne mouth Whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not god He that endureth in the doctrine of Christ hath bothe the Father and the Sonne If there come any vnto you and bring not this lerning him receiue not to house neither bid him god spede For he that bid deth him god spede is partaker of his euil deedes Be not caried about with diuers and straunge learninges If any man addeth to these thinges god shall adde vnto hym the plages that are written in this booke And if any maÌ„ shall minish of the wordes of this boke of this Prophecy god shal take away hys parte oute of the booke of life and out of the holye citie and from those thynges which are written in this booke Examples out of the newe Testament Christ rebuketh the pharises for bringing their traditions into the churche of God by that meanes defacyng the glory of Gods most holy worde Blessed Sainct Paule reproueth them which be dead with Christ from the commaundements
of the world and yet suffer themselues still to be led with traditions as these for an example touch not tast not handle not c. Which all perish through the verye abuse after the commaundements and doctrins of men which thinges outwardly haue the similytude of wisdome by superstition and humblenes of minde c. Thapostles of Christ would not burden the christen congregations with new and superfluous tradicions but only charged them with such thinges as were necessary Sainct Paule in his Epistle vnto the Galathians inueieth against them which after they haue known god turne agayn vnto nedie and beggerlye ceremonyes traditions or ordinaunces obseruing dais monethes times and yeares Against the folowing of vngodly forefathers If thou through temptation of the Deuil or the â—…alse perswasions of Antichrists Prophets be mâ—… â—…ed at any time to doubt of the truth of gods word which the papistes at this daye cal seditious doctrine new learning and heresy because thy forefathers haue both beloued and done the contrary â–ª call these scriptures to thy remembraunce Sentences out of the olde Testament Folow not the multitude to do euill Doo not you these thinges that they haue done which were before you neither be ye defiled in them I am the Lord your God kepe my commaundements The Lord sent his prophets to his people saying returne from your vnrighteous wayes and keepe my preceptes and ceremonies according to all the lawe that I commaunded your fathers But they would not heare but became stifnecked euen as their forefathers were stifnecked whiche would not obey the Lord God Let them put their hope in God not forget the works of the Lord but seke after his commaundementes Let them not be like their forefathers whiche were a frowarde and a spitefull nation a nation that would neuer be true harted nor bear an vpright mind toward God Be not hard harted as your forefathers were saith the Lord whiche chyde and rebelled against me We haue sinned with oure forefathers we haue done vniustly and commited iniquitie Trust not in rulers nor in the sonnes of men in whome is no health For wheÌ„ theyr breath goeth away they return vn to their earth In y â— day shall al their thou â—…hts counsels deuises and imaginations come to naught I haue alway sayd vnto your forefathers synce I brought them out of the land of Egipt euen vnto thys daye heare my voice but they would not hear nor once bow their eare vnto it But euery one of them is gone astray in the frâ—… wardnes of his wicked harte ye the people of Iuda and the men of Ierusalem are also falleÌ„ vnto the wickednes of their fore fathers which would not hear my words Insomuch that thei ar alredy gone away after straunge Gods and serue them The house of Israel the house of Iuda haue brokeÌ„ y e couenaunt which I made w t their fathers Therfore thus saith the lord Beholde I wil bring in extreme punishments vpon theÌ„ so y â— they shal not escap froÌ„ theÌ„ They shall crye vâ—…to me but I will not heare them The cityes of Iuda and thâ—… inhabiters of Hierusalem shall goe crye vnto them to whom they offered sacrifice and yet shall they not saue theÌ„ in the time of their trouble According to the number of thy cities were thy Gods O Iuda and after the number of thy waies O Hierusalem haste thou set vp altars of abhomination to do sacrifice vnto Baalim Your forefathers haue forsaken me sayth the Lorde and they are gone awaye after straunge Gods and haue serued theÌ„ and worshipped them yea they haue vtterlye geuen me ouer and haue not kept my lawe But you haue wrought more abhomination than all your forefathers haue done For behold euery one of you walke after the leudnesse of his own wicked harte and will not heare me Their forefathers haue broken my couenaunt euen vnto thys day and they to whom I send thee are children without all shame and of such an harte as can not be reclaimed Walke not in the commaundementes of your fathers nor keepe not their ordinaunces neither pollute your selues with their idoles For I am the lord your God Therefore walke in my preceptes and kepe my iudgementes and do them Confusion of face and vtter shame be vnto vs vnto our kings vnto our rulers to our forefathers which haue sinned Be not like your forefathers vnto whoÌ„ the Prophets in tymes past cryed saying thus sayth the Lorde of hostes turne from your euill waies and from your abhominable thoughtes but they would not harken nor geue any attendaunce vnto me sayth the Lord. Our forefathers haue sinned and haue done euill in the sight of the Lord our god For they haue forsaken him and turned awaye their faces from the tabernacles of the Lord our God Be not lyke your forefathers and brethren which rebelled against the Lorde God of their fathers and he gaue them ouer into desolation as ye see your selues Be not ye hardnecked now as were your forefathers but offer your hande vnto the Lorde and come to his sanctuarie which he hath sanctifyed for euer and serue the Lorde your God so shall the indignation of his wrath turne away from you Examples out of the olde Testament CAin â—…lewe his brother Abel and followed his forefather the deuill which was a mansleyer from the beginning Nadab king of Israell folowed his forefather Hieroboam coÌ„mitting idolatrie against the lord his God Therfore Baasa destroyed him and his kingdome all the house of Hieroboam so that one of the stocke remained not aliue Ozochias king of Israell followed hys wicked forefather Achab greuously sinned against the lord his God He therfore reigned but a litle time and also died a miserable death Amon king of Iuda followed hys Idolatrous forefather Manasses and dyd that whiche was euill in the sight of the Lord his God He reigned but two yeres and was slaine of his seruauntes in hys own house Ioakim kyng of Iuda forâ—…oke the godlye waies of his moste vertuous father king Iosias and followed the steppes of his wicked forefathers The Lorde therefore suffered him to raigne but three monethes in Ierusalem and gaue him ouer into the handes of his enemies Sedechias king of Iuda followed hys wicked forefathers and prouoked y â— lord his God vnto anger He therfore was depriued of his kingdome sawe his children slaine before his eyes and afterward he hauing his eyes plucked out of his head was bound in chaines and miserably caryed away into Babilon ¶ Sentences out of the neâ—… Testament All that come before me are theeues and robbers but my sheepe haue not heard them O ye stifnecked and vncircumcised of hartes and eares ye haue alwayes resisted the holy ghost â–ª as your forefathers did so do ye Which of the Prophets haue not your forefathers persecuted See that ye passe the
faithful in the lande that they maye dwell with me and who so leadeth a godly life shal be my seruaunt There shall no deceitful person dwel in my house He that telleth lyes shall not tarye in my sight I hate the vngodlye but thy lawe O Lord do I loue My Sonne if sinners entice thee vnto wickednes leane not vnto them If they say come go with vs let vs lay awaite for bloude and conuey our selues priuely to trap the innocent Let vs swalow them vp quickly like hel and deuour the perfect like a whirle pit For thus shal we finde great ritches and garnishe oure houses with oyle Cast in thy foote among vs and let vs make a common purse My sonne walk not with them but refraine thy feete from their wayes for their feet run vnto mischiefe In vaine are nets spread abrode for birdes before their eyes For euen these men lay awaite amonge them selues one to shed anothers bloud Neither are their owne liues in sauegard amoÌ„g theÌ„ selues These are y â— pathes of couetous men amonge whome one spareth not the life of another Come not in the path of the vngodly and walk not in the waye of the wicked Eschue it and go not therin depart aside and passe ouer by it For they cannot slepe except they haue first done some mischiefe For they eat the bread of wickednesse and drink the wine of robbery The path of the righteous shineth as the light and is euer brighter and brighter vnto the perfect day But the way of the vngodly is as y â— darknes wherin men fall or they be aware Who so accompanieth the wise shall haue wisedome but he that is a companion of foles shall proue like them Trauail not by the way with him that is brainles least he doo thee euill For he foloweth his owne wilfulnes and so shalt thou pearish thorow his foly Striue not with him that is angrye and cruel go not with hiÌ„ into the wildernes for bloud is nothing in his sight and where there is no helpe hee shall murther thee Loke not vpon a woman that is desirous of many men least thou fall into her snares Use not the company of a woman that is a player and a daunser and heare her not least thou perish through her entising Beholde not a maiden that thou be not hurt in her beauty Bring not euery maÌ„ into thine house for the disceitfull layeth wait diuersly Who will haue pitie on the charmer that is stinged of the serpent or of all such as come nie the beastes Euen so is it with him that kepeth companye with a wicked man and lappeth him self in his sinnes He that toucheth pitche shal be defiled of it and he that kepeth companye with a proud person shall also become proud and stately Examples out of the olde Testament ABraham because he woulde not be partaker of their Idolatry fled from the â–ª people of Chaldea beinge his natiue country Lot at the commaundement of the An gels departed out of Sodome least he tari yng with y â— Sodomites shoulde haue ben consumed with them Sara would not suffer Ismael which was geuen to mocking to kepe company with her Sonne Isaac least he also should become a mocker Iacob would not kepe coÌ„pany with his Brother Esau althoughe greatly entreated least some wickednes shoulde thereof haue happened Moyses at Gods appointment commaunded the people to departe from the dwellinge places of Chore Dathan and Abiron least they also be wrapped in their sinnes and so pearishe among them Iosaphat king of Iuda was almost slain in the bartail because he kept company weÌ„t vnto the wars w e wicked king Achab. After his returne also he was greatlye rebuked of Iehu for so doing When all the people went to worship the Golden calues whiche Ieroboam had made Tobias onely fled awaye from the company of them all and went to Ierusalem vnto the Lordes temple and there worshipped the Lord God of Israel So long as Iudas Machabeus did put his trust in the Lord all thinges prospered wel with him but when he begaÌ„ to ioyne frendship and to kepe coÌ„pany with the hea theÌ„ the Romaines shortly after he was ouercome and slaine in battel The like thing chaunced to Ionathas ☞ Sentences out of the new Testament GO not into the wayes that lead vnto the hethen and into the Cities of the Samaritans enter ye not I beseeche you brethern marke them whiche cause deuision and geue occasions of euil contrary to the doctrine whiche ye haue learned and auoide them Do ye not know that a litle leueÌ„ sow reth the whole lump of dow Purge therfore the olde leauen that ye may be newe dow â—…s ye are swete bread I wrote vnto you that ye should not kepe company with whoremongers If any that is called a brother that is to say a Christen man bee a whoremonger or a couetouse person or a worshipper of images eyther a rayler or a dronkarde or an extorcioner with him that is suche se ye neither eat nor yet kepe company Put away from among you that euill person We require you brethern in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe that ye withdraw your selues from euery brother that walketh inordinatlye and not after the institution which ye receiued of vs. If any teach otherwise and is not content with the wholsome words of our lord Iesu Christ with y â— doctrine of godlines he is puft vp and knoweth nothing but wasteth his braines about questions and strife of words wher of spring enuy strife railings euil surmisinges and vayne disputations of men with corrupt myndes and destitute of the truth which thinke that lucre is Godlynesse From such seperate thy selfe A man that is geuen to heresy after the fyrst and seconde admonicion auoyde Remembring that he that is such is peruerted and sinneth euen dampned by hys owne iudgement If there come any vnto you and bring not this learning hiÌ„ receaue notto house neyther byd him GOD speede For he that byddeth hym god speede is partaker of his ill dedes Examples out of the newe Testament Peter so long as he kept company with Christ and Christs disciples he concinued in the truth preached the truth confessed openly Christ to be the sonne of the liuing god and promised that he would not onely goe into prison but also vnto the verye death with Christ but when he once came into the courte into the Byshoppes house he straight wayes was striken with suche feare that a poore mayde and a symple Simme Shakebuckler made hym both to denye and also to forsweare Iesus Christ his Lord and maister whome before he had boldly so oft confessed before the worlde Saint Peter preaching to the beleuing repentaunt Iewes among other his godly exhortations commaunded them to saue themselues from the vntowarde generation of the vnfaithfull and to
flee the companye of suche as denye Iesus to bee Christ and the sonne of the liuing God Saule keping compani with the vnfaith full Iewes as with the byshops the priests the pharises c. became a greuous persecutour of the christen congregation but being deliuered from their felowship he be came a worthy Apostle and a feruent prea cher of gods truth Against Idlenes IF Sathan moue the vnto idelnes which is the wel spring and rote of al vice â—…et before the eyes of thy mind both these sentences and examples of the holy scripture Sentences out of the olde Testament The Lord toke Adam and put him into the garden of Eden that he might dresse and kepe it In the sweate of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread vntil thou teturnest into the earth from whence thou wast taken For dust thou art and into duste thou shalt bee turned agayne A man is borne to labour and a byrde to flye Thou shalt eate the labour of thy hand Go to the Emmet thou fluggarde consider her wayes and learne to be wyse She hath no guyde nor ouersear nor ruler yet in the sommer she prouideth her meat and gathereth her foode together in the haruest How long wilt thou slep thou sluggish man When wilt thou arise out of thy slepe Yea slepe on still a litle slum ber a litle folde thyne handes together yet a litle that thou maiest slepe â—…o shall pouerty come vnto the as one that traualeth by the way and oppresse thee like a thefe If thow be not stouthful thy haruest shal come as a springinge well and pouertye shall flye far from thee Who so gathereth in sommer is wyse but he that is sluggishe in haruest bringeth himselfe to confusion The sluggard would â—…aine haue and caÌ„ not get his desire but the soule of theÌ„ that woorke shal haue plentye A â—…outhfull body wil not go to plowe for colde in Winter therfore shall he go a begging in sommer and haue nothing Delight not in slepe least thou come vn to pouerty but open thyne eyes that thou mayest haue breade inough He that tilleth his lande shall haue pleÌ„teousnesse of bread but he that followeth idlenes shall haue pouertye ynough Idlensse hath bene the occasion of much euill and wickednes Behold the sinnes of Sodom were these pryde fulnesse of meat aboundaunce and idlenes Examples out of the olde Testament Adam gate his liuing with the labour of his hands and the sweat of his browes Caine was a plowman and tilled the earth Abel was a shepeheard and kept shepe Iubal was a Musicion and exercised Musycke Thubal Cayne was a Smithe and a grauer in mettall Nohe was a Planter of Uineyardes Abraham Lot Isaac and Iacob were Plowmen and shepeheardes Ioseph was a magistrate and a publique minister in the common weale of Egipt vnder king Pharao Moyses was a shepehard and kept the shepe of Iethro his Father in law Preist of Madian The Children of Israell got their lyuing with hard and painful laboure in Egipt vnder king Pharao Dauid before he was annointed kinge of Israel was a shepeheard All the preistes and leuites of the olde law euery man according to his vocation laboured by geuing attendaunce in the teÌ„ ple by killing of beastes and offering of sacrifices by studiyng the scriptures of god and teaching the same vnto the people Amos the Prophet was one of y e shep heardes of Thecua Abacuk the Prophet trauailed in husbandry ☞ Sentences out of the olde Testament LEt vs not be wery of wel doyng For when the time is come we shall reape without werines Let him that stole steale no more but let him rather labour with his handes the thing whiche is good that he may geue to him that needeth We beseche you brethern that ye studye to be quiet and to meddle with your own busines and to worke with youre owne handes as we commaunded you When we were with you we gaue you this commaundement that if anye man wil not labour the same should not eate Let â–ª all men worke with quietnes and eat their own bread Examples out of the newe Testament CHrist was a carpenter The Apostles of Christe were fisher men Paule laboured with his own handes and get both his own liuinge and others that were with him Saint Luke was a Phisicion and as some write a painter also Aquila was a maker of tentes of the which occupation saint Paule was Simon S. Peters host was a tanner Dorcas that vertuous woman made garmentes with her owne handes gaue them to the poore people YE haue hearde how it was said to them of y e olde time thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe but shalt performe vnto the Lord those thinges that thou swearest But I say vnto you sweare not at all neyther by heauen for it is Gods seat nor by the earth for it is his footestole neither by IerusaleÌ„ for it is the Citie of the great Kinge neyther shalt thou sweare by thy hed because thou canste not make one hayre white or blacke But your communication shal be yea yea nay naye For whatsoeuer is added more then these it commeth of euill Aboue all thynges my brethren sweare not neyther by heauen neither by earth nether any other othe Let your yea be yea and your naye naye leaste ye fall into hipocrisy Examples out of the newe Testament HErod to performe his wicked and diuelishe othe which he had made to the doughter of â–ª Herodias hys whore for her pleasaunte daunsinge suffered and commaunded the heade of that moste godlye preacher saynt Iohn Baptist to be cut of Let all men therfore beware of vayn rash and wicked othes Saynt Peter when it was layde to his chardge that he was one of Christes disciples â–ª sware that he knew not the maÌ„ But afterwarde he bitterly wept for his swearing and denying of Christ. Let vs also lament and be sory sor our idle and wicked manner of swering and leane it and praise tâ—…e name of the Lord our God ¶ Agaynste lying slaunderinge and fylthy or vncleane talke IF Sathan at any time moueth thee to abuse thy tonge contrarye to the will of God either in lying slaundering or other wicked and idle words resist his temptacion â—… these scriptures following Sentences out of the olde Testament THou shalte eschue lyinge Ye shall not lye neither shall anye of you deceiue his neighbor Thou O Lord shalt destroye all them that speake lies There be sixe things that God hateth and the seuenth hee vtterlye abhorreth A proude countenaunce a lying tong hands defiled with innocent bloud an harte imagining wicked councels feete swifte vnto mischiefe a false witnesse the sower of discorde among brethren Liyng lips are abhominatioÌ„ to the lord but they that do faithfully please him A false witnes shall not
Take hede to your selues lest at any time youre hartes bee ouercome with the cares of this life If any that is called a brother that is to say a christen man be couetous or an ex torcioner with him eat not Neither theues neither couetous per sons nether extorcioners shal inherit the kingdome of God Let not couetousnes be once named among you For no couetous parsoÌ„ which is a worshipper of Idols hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ and God Godlines is great riches if a man be content with suche as GOD sendes For we brought nothing into the worlde neither shall we cary any thing out Whan we haue fode and rayment let vs therw t be content they that wil be rich fall into temptation and snares and into many folishe and noysome lustes whiche drown men in temptation and destructioÌ„ For couetousnes is the roote of all euill which while some lusted after they erred from the faith and tangled them selues w t manye sorowes But thou whiche art the man of god flee such things Folow righteousnesse godlynesse loue patience and mekenes Let your conuersation be without couetousnesse and bee content with that ye haue alredy For God verely hath saide I wil not faile thee nor yet forsake thee Examples out of the new Testament ACertaine riche and couetous person made great prouisioÌ„ for many yeares that he might liue pleasantly and welthely but shortly after God tooke awaye hys life so that he died The riche and vnmerciful glotton that fared daintely euerye daye and was gorgeously apparaled died and was buryed in Hel. Iudas for lucre of mony sould and betrayed his maister christ to the bishops Scribes and Pharises Afterward he hanging vp him selfe brast a sunder in the mides and al his bowels gushed out Ananias and Saphira were punished with soden death because of a couetous mynde they kept away parte of the mony which they receyued for the possession that they had sould Againste rebellion and disobedience IF the deuill that old enemy of mankind and troubler of all good orders goe aboute to put in thy head that the maiestrates and hye powers do not their duty in the right gouernmente of a coÌ„mon weale but to muche cruellye oppresse thyre subiectes and that therefore thou maist iustly ryse and rebell agaynst them and take vpon thee of thine owne priuate authority to redresse thinges that are amys in the commone w eale take heede that thou by no meanes consentest to his most suttle and wicked temptations wherby he goeth about to throw thee into euerlasting dampnation both of body and soule beside the shameful death that thou shalte haue in this worlde and the losse of all that euer thou hast but content thy selfe with thy vocation â–ª laboure diligently and quietly for thy â—…uing study to maintaine peace pray for the highe powers thâ—…k that crosse to be layde vpon theâ—… for thy distres ameÌ„d thy life humbly lameÌ„t thy cause to God which will not leaue thee succourâ—…s and defend thy self againste Satan and al his craftye suggestions with these scriptures folowing ☞ Sentences out of the olde Testament THou shalt be ouer my house and accor ding to thy word shall al my people be ruled Thou shalt do what soeuer they say vnto thee that â—…e rulers ouer the place which the Lorde hath chosen Al that thou hast commaunded vs sayd the people to Iosue we will do and whether so euer thou sendst vs we will go Who so euer he be sayth God that doth disobey thy mouthe and wil not hear ken vnto thy woordes in al that thou coÌ„maundeste him let him dye The Lord hath heard your murmurings sayth Moyses which ye murmur agaynst him For what are we he speaketh of him selfe and of Aaron your murmurings are not against vs but against the Lord. They haue not caste thee awaye but me sayde God to Samuell that I should not reigne ouer them Beholde to obey is better then sacrifyce and to harken is better then the fat of ram mes For rebellion is as the sin of witchcrafte and stubbernes is as the wickednes of idolatry By me kinges raigne by me Princes make iust lawes By me Lords bear rule and al Iudges of the earth exercise iudgement Where no ruler is there the people decay but where as many are that can geue counsel there is wealth The kynges displeasure is a messenger of death but a wise man wil pacify hym The chereful countenaunce of the kyng is life and hys louyng fauor is as the eue ning dew The king oughte to be feared as the roring of a Lion Who so prouoketh him vn to anger offendeth against his own soule My son feare thou the Lorde and the king and kepe no company withthem that slide backe from his feare For their destruction shall comsodenly And who knoweth the aduersyty that may come from theÌ„ both Wish the king no euel in thy thoughte and speake no hurte of the noble man in thy priuy chamber For a byrde of the ayre shall betraye thy voice and with her feathers shall shee bewray thee Whosoeuer wil not fulfill the lawe of God and the kinges law let him haue his iudgment without delay whether it be vn to death or to be rooted out or be condemned in goods or to be put into prison The kinge is ruler ouer sea and lande and hathe dominion of all thinges loke what he commaundeth is done The common people â–ª and the rulers are obedient vnto him ☞ Examples out of the olde Testament GOd did strike Miriam with moste greuous and horrible leprosy because she murmured against her lawful magistrate Moyses God plagued the Israelites for murmuringe against his seruaunt Moyses w t stinging serpents which stong them vnto death Corath Dathan and Abiron because they did not obeye Moyses Gods magisstrate but disdained that he should raigne ouer them althoughe appointed of God were swalowed vp of the earth both they their wiues their children and all their goodes They went down aliue vnto â—…el and the earthe closed vpon them and they perished from among the congregation Absolon king Daulds sonne made an insurrection against his Father and thorowe the councaile of wicked Achitophel wrought most vilany against his fathers honoure What folowed Was not Absolon miserably slaine Did not his vntrusty counselor hang him self were there not also xx M. men slaine in battaile that tooke Absalons part Seba the son of Bechey had his heâ—…d cut of because he conspired against kinge Dauid and disswaded the people from duâ—… obedience to their liege soueraigne Lord. Baasa the sonne of Abia conspired a gainst Nadab king of Israel slewe him raigned in his steade But in hat folowedâ—… though Baasa in the sight of the world dy ed no shameful death yet died he in the dis pleasure of God and afterwarde all hys succession with all
yet if I haue no loue it profiteth me nothing at all Brethren if any mā be fallen by chance into any fault ye which are spiritual helpe to amende him in the spirite of mekenes consideringe thy selfe least thou also be attempted Beare ye one an others burden and so fulfill ye the law of Christ. Let not the sunne go downe vpon your wrath Be gentle one to another mercifull forgeuing one another euen as GOD for Christes sake hath forgeuen you Let euery man be slow vnto anger For the wrath of man worketh not that which is righteous before God Aboue all thinges haue feruent loue among you For loue shall couer the multitude of sinnes If anye man saye I loue God and hateth his brother he is a lyer For he that lo ueth not his brother whom he hath seene god whome he hathe not seene how can he loue And this commaundement haue we of him that he that loueth god shoulde al so loue his neighbour He that loueth not his brother a◅ideth in death Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a murtherer And ye know that no murthe rer hathe euerlasting life abidinge in him ▪ My babes let vs not loue in worde nor in tongue but in worke and truthe Examples out of the new◅ Testament Christ so dearly loued vs yea and that when we◅ were yet his enemies that hee gaue him self euen vnto the death for our sake Yea he hanginge on the cros prayed for his very◅ enemies vnto his heauenly◅ Father Blessed Stephen in the middest of his tormentes prayed for his enemies S. Paule wished him self to be cursed from Christ◅ so that his kinsmen might◅ be saued Against the bitter stormes of persecution of Gods worde IF at a◅y time thorow the frailti of nature thou be troubled in thy minde when the cros ◅f persecution is laid vpon thee for the word of God looke that thou shrinke not backe from the truthe nor discourage thy selfe but think thy selfe blessed of G◅d call these scriptures that follow vnto rei membrance for thy comfort Sentences out of the old Testament THe Lorde killeth and geeueth life again◅ hee bringeth euen to Hell and back agayne The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them and deliuereth them out of all their troubles The Lord is nigh vnto them that ar of a troubled heart and wil saue such as be of an humble spirite Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of thē all He kepeth all his bones so that not one of them is broken But misfortune shall flea the vngodly and they that hate the righteous shal be desolate The Lorde deliuereth the soules of his seruauntes and all they that put theyr trust in him shall not be comfortles For thy sake O Lord are we killed all the day long and are counted as shepe ap pointed to be slaine Up Lord why sleepest thou awake and be not absent from vs for euer Wherfore hidest thou thy face and for gettest our misery and trouble For oure soule is brought low euen vnto the duste our belly cleaueth vnto the ground Arise and helpe vs and deliuer vs for thy mercies sake Thou O god hast proued vs thou also hast tryed vs like as siluer is tryed Thou broughtest vs into the snare and laydest trouble vpon our loynes Thou suffredest men to ride ouer our heades we went thorow fire and water and thou broughtest vs out into a comfortable place I beleued and therefore haue I spoken but I was sore troubled Righte deare in the sighte of the Lorde is the death of his saintes The way of the righteous is iudged to be vtter destruction but they are in rest Althoughe they suffer paine before men yet is their hope ful of immortality They are punished but in few things neuertheles in many thinges shall they be well rewarded For God proueth them and findeth thē mete for hym selfe yea as the golde in the furnace dooth ◅e try them and receyueth them as a burnt offring and when y e time commeth they shal be loked vpon My sonne if thou wilt come into the seruice of god stand fast in righteousnes and feare and arme thy soule to temptation Setle thine heart be patient ◅ow down thine eare receiue the wordes of vnderstāding and shrink not away when thou art entised Holde thee faste vpon god ioyne thy selfe vnto him and suffer that thy life may encrease at the last Whatsoeuer happeneth vnto thee receyue it suffer in heauines and be paciēt in thy trouble For like as gold and siluer are tried in fire euen so are acceptable mē in the fornace of aduersity Beleue in God and he shal helpe thee For righteousnesse take payne with all thy soule and for the truth striue thou vnto death and God shall fyghte for thee against thy enemies Examples out of the olde Testament Abell was cruelly slaine of his brother Cayne whome he neuer offended Ioseph was cast into prison because he woulde not leane to the fy◅thy requeste of his lordes wyfe Moses Aaron and the Israelites were greuously entreated persecuted of King Pharao Saule with great diligence soughte to destroy Dauid Quene Iezabel pursued the Prophete Helias Zachary the sonne of Barachias was stoned to death for telling the king truth Achymeleche with certayne other holy men of god was slaine at king Saules commaundement because he shewed kind nes to Dauid the harty beloued seruant of God Sydrac Misac and Abdenago were cast into a firye fornace because they wouldnot worship the golden Image that king Nabuchodonosor had made but only the God of Israell Daniel was cast into the den of Lions because that contrary to king Darius commaundement he had prayed vnto his Lord God the God of Israel At an other time also he was caste into the den of Lions because he sayde that Bell and the Dragon were no Gods The vertuous and chast woman Susan was at the point to be stoned vnto death because she woulde not breake the commaundement of god and consent to the vn lawfull and filthy requests of the two Elders Eleazarus was miserably put to death because at the kinges commaundemente he woulde not eate swines flesh contrary to the lawe of god A certaine woman also with her vii sonnes were with moste extreme cruelty put to death because they would not obey the wicked precepte of the moste wicked kyng The prophets were vnmercifullye slain because they rebuked synne and taught◅ the wyll of God The most excellent Prophet Esay for his libertye of speach in re◅uking the sins of the princes and of the people and prophe◅iyng of Gods vengeaunce to fall vpō the countrye and people was cut in two partes asunder with a saw and buried vn der an Oke Ieremy after much enprisonment was stoned onto death of his people at Taphu as in Egipc◅ because he warned them of
their wicked liuing and exhorted them vn to repentaunce Amos at the commaundement of kinge Amassas for his preching was cruelly beaâ—…en and greuously formented At the laste Ochozias sonne of Amasias caused him to be thurste into the temples with a great nayle and being half deade he was caryed into his own countrye where he sone after died Micheas was buffeted emprisoned and fed with bread and water Examples out of the olde Testament BLessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnes for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are ye when men reuile you perseâ—…ute you and 〈◊〉 speak all euâ—…l sayings against you for my sake Reioyce and be mery for great is your rewarde in heauen For so persecuted they the Prophets before you The scoler is not aboue the maister nor the seruant aboue his Lorde If they haue called the Father of the housholde Belzebub how much more shall they so cal them that are of his houshold Be not afrayed of them that â—…il the body but rather feare him whiche is able to destroy both body and soule in hel fire Euery one that shall confesse me before men I shall confesse him also before my fa ther whiche is in heauen But whosoeuer shal deny me before men I shall also deny him befyre my Father that is in heauen Ye shal be hated of all men for my sake Whosoeuer wil follow me let him forsake him self and take vp hys crosse and folow me For whosoeuer wil saue hislife shall lose it But whosoeuer shall lose his life for my sake and the gospelles the same shall saue it For what shall it profite a man if he winne all the world and lose his owne soule or what shall a man geue to redeÌ„ his soul w tal agaiÌ„ whosoeuer fore shal be ashamed of me and my wordes in this whorish and sinful generation of him also shall the son of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his Father with the holy angels The seruaunt is not greater theÌ„ his Lord. If they haue persecuted me they will also persecute you If the world hate you know ye that it hated me before you If ye were of the world the world wold loue that is his But forasmuch as ye are not of the world but I haue choseÌ„ you out of the world therfore doth the world hate you The tyme shall come that who so euer killeth you wyll thinke that he doth God seruice Ye shal lameÌ„t and wepe but the world shal reioyce In the world ye shal haue trouble but be on a good comfort I haue ouercom the world If we suffer with Christ we shall also be glorifyed together with him I suppose that the afflictions of thys life are not worthy of the glorye whiche shal be shewed vpon vs. Blessed be God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which is the father of 〈◊〉 and the God of al comfort which comforteth vs in all our tribulations As the afflictions of Christ are plenteous in vs euen so is our consolation pleuteous by Christ. We are not weried but though our out ward man perishe yet the in ward man is renued day by day For our trouble which is shorte and lighte prepareth an exceding and an eternall waight of glorye vnto vs while we loke not on the things which are sene but on the things which are not sene For thinges whiche are seene are temporal but things which ar not sene are euerlasting We know that if our earthly mansion of this dwelling were destroyed we haue a building of God an habitatioÌ„ not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen Unto you it is geuen not only to beleeue in Christ but also to suffer for his sake Suffer affliction as a good souldiour of Christ. If we dy wyth Christ we shal liue with him If we suffer w e him we also shalreigâ—… with him if we deny him he will also dny vs. All that wil liue godly in Christe Iesu shall suffer persecutions This is thanke woorthyâ—… if a man for conscience toward god endure grefe and suffer wrong vndescrued If when ye do wel ye suffer wrong and take it patientlye then is there thankes with God For here vnto verely were ye called Blessed are ye if any trouble happen vn to you for righteousnes sake Dearly beloued maruel not that ye are proued by fire which thing is to trye you as though some straung thing hapned vnto you but reioyce in as muche as ye are partakers of Christes passion that when his glorye appereth ye may be merye and glad If ye be railed vpon for the name of Christ happy are ye For the glory and the spirite of God resteth vpon you On theyr parte he was euill spoken of but on your parte he is glorified If any man suffer as a christian man let him not be ashamed but let him glorify god in this behalfe Let them that be trooubled according to he wil of god commit their saules to him with wel doyng as vnto a faithfull creatour Iesus to saÌ„ctify the people with his own bloud suffered without the gate Let vs go forth therfore out of the tentes and suf fer rebuk wyth him For here haue we no continuyng city but we seke on to come By many trybulations must we enter into the kingdome of heauen The holy ghost witnesseth in euery city saying that bandes and trouble abide me But none of these things moue me neyther is my lyfe dear vnto my selfe that I mighte fulfill my course with ioy and the ministration of the word whith I haue receiued of the Lord Iesu to testify the Gospell of the grace of God I am ready not to be bounde only but also to dy for the name of the Lord Iesu. Blessed are the deade that dye in the Lorde euen so sayth the spirite that from henceforth they reaste from their labours But theyr worke folow them Examples out of the new Testamen IOhn Baptist for truth telling to kinge Herod was cast into prisoÌ„ beheaded Iesus Christ our Lord and sauiour after many blasphemies rebukes slaunders and bitter tormentes suffered the moste spitefull deathe of the crosse and so entred into glory The holy marter S. Stephen was stoned vnto death Iames y â— brother of Iohn was beheded What kindnes Peter and Paule wyth the apostles found at the handes of them whose saluatioÌ„ they most diligeÌ„tly sought the histories make mencion Neither I heare speak of those blessed Marters which sence their dayes haue dyed for the confession of gods truthe so that the gospell is not without a cause called of blessed Paul the word of the crosse For all that wil liue godly in Christ Ie su saith he shall suffer persecution I saw saith Sainct Iohn vnder the altar the soules of them that were killed for the woord of god and for the testimonyâ—… whiche they
had and they cryed with a loud voice saying how longe tariest thou O Lord holy and true to iudge and to reuenge our bloude on them that be on the earth And long white garments were g◅ uen vnto euery one of them And it was said vnto them that they should rest a little season til the nomber of their fellowes and brethren and of them that shoulde be killed as they were fulfilled Against the temptation which the faithful haue when they compare their miseries and wretchednes with the welth prosperitie ▪ and pleasures of the swinish Epicures and wicked worldlinges Where thou also shalt see the misera ble end of the vn godly IF Sathan our olde aduersary with his handemaide the fleshe shall at any time moue thee to forsake God and his holy worde ▪ by considering the florishing and triumphant estate of the wicked worldlinges and the to muche miserable and base trade of the Lordes seruauntes and professoures of gods truth which liue in all kinde of misery wretchednes and pouertie and ar piteously oppressed of the tirants of this worlde when on the contrarye part the vngodlye haue all thinges at their owne pleasure and liue at their hartes ease without disturbance for lacke of temporall thinges consent no◅ to his subtil assaultes ▪ but manfully resist them cōsidering with thy selfe that thoughe the vngodlye raigne in t is world and haue the vppermost hand yet shall their end be miserable when the poore afflicted for Gods cause shall altar their manifolde temptations be rewarded with perpetuall ioy and euerlastinge glorye and that thou mayest be the more assuredly perswaded in these thinges ▪ call to remembrance these holy scriptures folowing Sentences out of the olde Testament KNowest thou not this that from the beginning euer since the creation of man vpon earth the praise of the vngodly hath bene short and that the ioy of the hipocrites hath continued but the twinck ling of an ey Though he be magnified vp to the heauen so that his hed reacheth vnto the cloudes yet he perisheth at the laste like dong in somuch that they which haue seene him shall say where is he He vanissheth as a dreame so that he can no more be founde and passeth away in a vision in the night so that the eye whiche saw him before getteth now no sighte of him his place knoweth him no more Wherefore do the wicked men liue in healthe and prosperitie come to their olde age and encrease in riches Their Childers children liue in their sighte and their generation before their eyes Their houses are safe from all feare for the rod of god doothe not smite them Their bullock gendreth and that not out of time their cowe calueth and is not vnfruteful They send their children forth bi flockes and their sonnes lead the daunce They bear with them tabrets and harpes and haue instrumentes of musick at their pleasure They spende their dayes in welthynesse but sodenlye they go downe to Hell O Lord thou art more righteous then that I should dispute with thee Neuertheles let me talke with thee in thinges resonable How happeneth it that the way of the vngodlye is so prosperous and that it goeth so wel with them whiche without any shame offende and liue in wickednesse Thou plantest them they take roote they growe and bring forth fruite They boste muche of thee yet art thou far from their raines But thou Lorde to whō I am wel knowen thou that hast sene and proued my hearte take them awaye like as a flocke is caried to the slaughter house and appoint them for the day of slaughter O Lord how long shal I crye and thou wilt not heare how long shall I cōplaine vnto thee suffering wrong and thou wilt not helpe why lettest thou me se werinesse and labour Tiranny and violence are before me power ouer goeth right for the law is torne in pyeces and there can no right iudgement go forth And why the vngodly is more set by then the righteous This is the cause that wrong iudgement procedeth Thine eies O Lord are clean thou mayest not see euil thou canst not be hold the thing that is wicked Wherfore then dost thou looke vpon the vngodly holdest thy tong when the wicked deuoureth the man that is better then himselfe Thou makest men as the fysh of the sea like as the creepyng beastes that haue no guide they take vp al with their angle they catch it in their net do sacrifice vn to their yarne because that thorow it their porcion is become so fat and their meat so plenteous Wherfore they cast out their net againe and neuer cease to slay the people Like as the wyne deceiueth the dronkard euen so the proud shal fal and not endure Ful miserable is the death of vngodly for they that hate the vnrighteous shall be plucked vp by the roote Freate not thy selfe at the vngodly be not thou enuious against the euil doers For they shal sone be cute down like the grasse and be withered euen as the grene herbe Greue not thi self at one y ◠is in prosperity and liueth in abhominacion Leaue of frō wrath let god displeasure let not thy gelousy moue thee also to do euil For wicked doers shall bee rooted out but they that paciently abyde the lord shal enherite the land Suffer yet a litle while and the vngodly shal be cleane gone thou shalt loke after his place and he shall be away Reade forth the Psalm◅ and marke it well Wherfore thus arrogantly magnifiest thou thy selfe at all tyme. O mischeuous gyaunt wherfore enforceth thy tonge mis chief fordgyng disceat lyke a new set Rasour Wherfore louest thou malice rather then honesty rather to lye then to saye truth For thou delightest in all maner of pernicious speach oh thou desceitful tong Wherfore god shall vtterly rende thee vp by the rootes and destroy thee and he shal throwe thee downe out of thy tabernacle and pluck thy rootes out of the land of the liuing Rede diligently and marke well the. 73. Psalme whiche altogether belongeth vnto this matter Wo be to the proud wealthy in Sion euen to suche as thincke them selues so s◅re vppon the mounte of Samarya which holde them selues for the best of the world and rule the house of Israel at their owne pleasure Ye are taken out for the euil day euen ye that sit in the stoole of wilfulnes ye that lie vpon beds of Iuory and vse your wantonnes vpon youre couches ye that eat the best Lambes of the flocke the fattest calues of the drouy ye that sing to the lute and in playing of instruments compare your selues vnto Dauid ye that drinke wine out of goblets and annoynte your selues with the best oyle but no man is sorye for Ioseph hurte therfore shall ye now be the firste of them that shal be led awaye captiue and the lustye ◅heare of the wilful shall come to an
end Sentences out of the olde Testament CAine the figure of all wicked and blou dy Tirantes slew his brother Abel while he liued he was a runnagate and a vagabound hauing an vnquiet conscience and now being dead he is a dampned soul in Hel. The Tirauntes and mighty Giaunts with all the world besides 8. persons were drowned after they had liued long in plea sure and in all the filthy desires of the wic ked flesh without repentaunce The filthy Sodomites liued in all kind of voluptuous abhominacion the conclusion was that they were consumed with fire and brimstone from heauen Pharao handled the people of God very cruelly entending vtterly to destroy thē all but the ende was that bothe he and all his army were drowned in the sea and the people of Israel harmeles preserued Sisar and Abimelech beinge greuous enemies of gods people were slayne of wo men Holophernes for all his proud lokes en tending to destroy the Israelits was slain him self of a woman Saule persecuted Dauid the seruant of God entending to slea him but Dauid escaped Saule was slaine with the sword Achitophel remembringe what wicked councel he had genen Absalon against his Father Dauid perceiuing that it wold not come to passe so mighty is God to destroye the wicked councels of the vngodly he went home and hanged him self ◅bsolon pursuing and sekinge his Fathers death in the midst of his furye was hanged by the heare of his head on a tree and so dyed Ioab was slaine because he killed two good men euen Abner and Amasa The house of Hieroboam because hee made Israell to sin was destroyed by the sword of Baasa king of Israel Quene Iesabel that great enemy to the seruantes and Prophets of the Lorde was throwne downe hedlonge out of an highe windewe and troden downe with horses feet and at the last deuoured and eaten vp of dogs Iehu slew the house of Achab for the Prophets that were slaine King Ioas was slaine of his owne seruauntes because he slewe Zachary the sō of the hyghe Priest Ioiada wythoute a cause The wicked king Sedechias whiche so cruelly handled the Prophet Ieremy had both his eyes put out and being fettered with chaines of Iron he was caryed priso ner into Babilon where hee miserablye died Amon that most proud accuser and inuentour of mischiefes against the Iewes preparing a paire of galows for good Mar docheous that faithful Israelite was han ged vpon them him self They that accused Daniell to y ◠kinge and sought his death were caste into the dongeon and deuoured of the Lions The vngracious and wicked Iudges which sought the deathe of that godly woman Susan were slayne them selues Andronicus which s◅ew that good man Onias was slayne him selfe Sentences out of the new Testament WO be to you that are rich that haue therin your consolation Wo bee to you that are full for ye shall honger Wo be to you that now laugh for ye shal wail and wepe Wo bee to you when all men shall prayse you for so dyd their fathers to the false Prophetes Many walk of whome I haue told you often and now I tel you wepyng that they are the enemies of the crosse of Christ who se ende is damnation whose God is their belly and whose glory is their shame whiche are worldly mynded Go to now ye rich men wepe and houle one your wretchednesse that shall come vp on you Your riches is corrupte your garmentes are motheaten your golde and siluer is cankered and the ruste of the◅ shal be a witnesse vnto you and shall eate your flesh as it were fyre c. I heard a voyce from heauen sayinge◅ O my people come awaye from Babilon that greate whore and mighty strompet the mother of the abhominacions of the whole earth Come away I say from her that ye be not pertakers of her sinnes that ye receaue not of her plages for her sinnes are gone vp to heauen and god hath remēbred her wickednes ▪ Reward her as she re warded you and geue her double accor◅dinge to her woorke And pooer in double to her in the same cuppe whiche she filled vnto you And asmuch as she glorifyed her selfe and liued wantonly so muche poure ye in for her of punishmente and sorowe For she sayd in her selfe I sitte beinge a Queene and am no widow and shal see no sorow Therfore shal her plagues come at one day death and sorow and hunger and shal be brent wyth fyre For stronge is the Lord god which iudgeth her Examples out of the new Testament The riche and proud glutton which was gorgeously apparelled and fared daintely euery day and yet woulde haue no pity on the poore Lazare dyed and was caryed in to hell Iudas that betrayed Christ hanged him selfe Herode which greatly vexed the congregation of Christ and slew Iames the brother of Iohn euen in the middes of his pomp and glory was smitten down of the Lords angel and was eatē with wormes and so miserably perished Elimas the sorcerer and false Prophete resisted Paules preaching but he therfore was stretght wayes striken blynd thorow the mightye power of God Against the most horible and damnable sinne the synne against the holy ghost IF the Deuill which seketh nothing but thy des◅ruction labour so to harden thy harte that thou contrary to thy knowledge euen of a pretensed wilful malice shouldst impugn the truth of Christs gospel and persecute the same in his menbers and so sinne against the holye ghost and blaspheme the Lorde thy God vnto the damnation both of thy bodye and soule loke that aboue al thinges in this be halfe thou leauest not vnto his wicked temtations if thou ◅enderest thyne owne saluation but rather withal thy power resist him by calling these holye scriptures vnto thy remembraunce Examples out of the olde Testament I will put him oute of the booke that sinneth against me A man that speaketh euill of his God shall beare his sinne and he that blasphemeth the name of the Lorde◅ let him dy◅ the death All the people shall stone him whether he be a citezen or a straūger what soeuer he be that blasphemeth the name of the lord let him dye the death If one man sinneth against another God maye be mercifull vnto him but if a ny manne sinne againste God who shall pray for him The soule that dothe oughte presumt◅ ously whether he be an Israelite or a straū ger the same blasphemeth the lord And that soule shal be rooted out from amonge his people because he hath despised the worde of the Lorde and hath broken his cōmaundemente That soule therfore shal perish and hys sinne shal be vpon him They reioyce in doyng euil and delight in wicked thinges They make boast of theyr sinnes them selues as the Sodomites did and hide thēnot Wo
thend They haue caste away the lawe of the Lord of hostes and haue blasphemed the word of the holy one of Israel Therefore is the wrath of the Lorde kindled against his people and he shaketh his hand at theÌ„ yea he shall smite so that the hils shal treÌ„ble And their carcasses shall lie in the open streate They haue offended the law chaunged the ordinaunces and made the euerlasting testament of none effect And therfore shal the curse deuoure the earth for they that dwel thereon haue sinned wherefore they shall be brent also and those that remaine shal be very fewe The sweete wine shall moorn the grapes shal be weake and all y e haue bene mery in hart shall sighe The mirth of tabrets shal be laid down the chere of the ioyful shall cease and the pleasure of the Lutes shall haue an ende There shall no more wine be dronk with â—…irth the beere shal be bitter to them that drinke it the wicked cities shal be broken down al houses shal be shut that no man may come in Woe is me sayth the Prophete all is full of synners which offend of purpose malice And therfore O thou that dwellest vpon the earth ther is at hand for thee feare pit and snare Whosoeuer escapeth the terrible crye shall fall into the pitte and yf hee come out of the pytte he shall bee taken with the snare For the windowes aboue shal be opened and the foundation of the earth shall moue The earth shall geue a great crake it shal haue a sore ruine and take an horrible fal The earth shall stacker like a dronken man and bee taken away like a tent Her misdedes shal light so heauy vpon her that she must fall and neuer rise vp againe Reade â—…e whole chapter These people are obstinate they prouoke me vnto anger they are lying childreÌ„ and euen such children that will not heare the law of God They say to them that see see nothing and to the Southsayer tell of nothinge for to come if it bee either good or honeste but 〈◊〉 pleasant things vnto vs and preach vs false things Treade out of the waye goe out of the path turne awaye the holye one of Israell from vs. Therfore thus saith the holy one of Israel for asmuch as ye haue cast away his worde and haue comforted your selues with power and nimblenes and put your confidence therein therefore shall ye haue this mischiefe againe for your destruction fall like an hye wal that falleth because of some rift or blast whose breakinge commeth sodenly And your destruction shal be like an earthen pot which breaketh no maÌ„ touching it but breaketh so sore that a maÌ„ shall not finde a sheuâ—…r of it to fetche fyre in or to take water out of the pit For the God euen that holy one of Israel hath pro mised thus Who suffered Iacob to be troden vnder foote and Israell to be spoyled was it not the Lord himselfe against whome we haue sinned we had no delight to walk in his waies neither were we obedient to his lawes Therfore hath he poured vpon vs his wrathfull displeasure and straunge battayle which maketh vs haue to do on euery side yet will we not vnderstand He burneth vs vp yet it sinketh not into our hartes Because they haue sorfaken my lawe that I gaue them and haue not harde my voyce nor yet walked therafter but folow ed the wickednes of their owne hartes runne after straung gods as their fathers taught them Therfore thus saith the Lorde of hostes the god of Israell beholde I wil feede this people with wormewoode and geue them gall to drinke I wil scatter them amonge the Heathen whom nether they nor their fathers haue knowne And I wil sende a sword amonge theÌ„ to persecute them and neuer leaue vnto I bring them to nought If ye wil not obey me saith the Lorde to walk in my lawes whiche I haue geueÌ„ you and to heare the words of my seruaÌ„ts the Prophets whom I sent vnto you and rising vp timely and stil seÌ„ding If ye will not folow them I say then will I do vnto this house as I did vnto Silo will make this Citie to be abhorred of all the people of the earth I wil send vpon them sworde honger pestileÌ„ce because they haue not regarded my words which I sent to them sayth the Lord by my seruauntes the Prophets They would not take hede saith y â— lord but turned their backe and stopped their eares that they should not heare Yea they made their hartes as an Adamant stone least they should heare the law and words which the Lord of hostes sent in his spirit by the Prophetes afore time Wherefore the Lord of hostes was very wroth at theÌ„ And thus it came to passe that like as hee spake and they woulde not heare euen so they cried and I would not heare saith the Lord of hostes Sentences out of the olde Testament NOhe preached to the olde world and exhorted them to repent and amend their life or els god woulde surelye plage them But they laughed Nohe and hys doctrine to scorne and continued in their abhominable and wicked liuinge What folowed was not al the world drowned right persons onely excepted Lot seing the vnnaturall most filthye vnclennes of the stinking Sodomits coun selled them to cease so to muche licentiouslye â–ª to offende their Lorde God They would not heare Lot nor his sermons but churlishly entreated him what folowed Wer they not consumed with water fyre and brimstone from heauen O most dread full plages After what sorte the Israelites were plaged for their disobedieÌ„ce to gods word the bookes of the old Testamente do euidently declare The despisers of Gods word are punished manye and sundrye wayes as wyth sword pestelence hunger wilde beastes and fyre Of the sworde Read Exod. 5. Leuit. 26. Deut. 22. Iob. 19. Esay 1. Iere. 9. 15. 20. 25. 29. 42. 43. 46. 50. Of the pestelence Reade Exod. 5. Len. 26. Deut. 18. 32. 1. Reg. 24. Psalm 104. 1. Par. 22. Ezech. 7. 14 18. 33. 23. 38. Math. â—…4 Of hunger Readâ—… Deut. 28. 32. 1. Reg. 24. Psalm 104 Eccle. 39. Iere. 1â—… 14. 18. 54. Amos. 8. Act. 11. Apoc. 18. Of Beastes Read Leuit. 26. Deut. 22. 1. Reg. 27. 3. Reg. 13. Sap. 16. Esay 18. Ieremy 11. 15. 27. 34. Ezech 4. 5. 14. 20. 32. 13. 39. Ose. â—… Of Fire Read Gene. 19. Leuit. 10. Nume 1. 16. 21. Deut. 32. Iosue 7. 3. Reg. 18. 2. Par. 7. Iob. 1. 15. 20. 31. Psalm 10. 87. Esay 9. 26 66. Ier. 15. 2. 7. Treno 1. 2. Baruc. 4. Eze. 22 28. 30. 38. 39. Danie 3. Ose. 8. Amos. 1. 2. Abd. 1. Mich 6. Sopho. 2. Nahum 3. Zach. 11. 12. 13. Apo. 9. 11 18. 19. 20. Sentences out of the newe Testament Whosoeuer shall not receiue you nor heare your Sermons goe ye oute of that house or citye
and shake the duste of your feete Uerely I say vnto you it shal be more easy for the land of Sodome and Gomorre at the day iudgement then for that city Wo bee to the Choraryn wo be to the Bethsaida For if the miracles which wer shewed in you had bene done in Tyre and Sidon they had repented long agone in sackecloth and ashes Neuerthelesse I saye vnto you it shal be easier for Tyre and Sâ—… don at the day of iudgment then for yon And thou Caparnaum whiche art lift vp vnto heauen shalt be broughte downe to hel For if the miracles whiche haue bene done in thee had bene shewed in Sodome they had remayned vnto this day Neuertheles I say to you it shal be easier for the land of Sodome in the daye of iudge ment then for thee The kingdom of God shal be taken froÌ„ you and shal be geuen to a nation whiche shall bringe foorth the fruites of it And whosoeuer it shall fall vpon it will grind him to pouder O Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them whiche are sent to thee how often woulde I haue gathered thy children together as the hen ga thered her chekins vnder her wings and ye would not Behold your habitation shal be lefte vnto you desolate He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him y â— sent me This is the condemnacion that light is come into the world and men loued darknes more then light because their deedes were euel He that refuseth me sayeth Christ and receaueth not my wordes hathe one that iudgeth him The worde that I haue spoken shal iudge him at the last day If I had not com and spoken vnto them they shoulde haue had no synne but now they haue nothynge to cloke their sinne withal It was mete that the worde of God should first haue bene preached vnto you but seyng you put it from you and thinke your selues vnworthye of euerlasting life lowe tunre to the gentiles for so hath the Lord commaunded vs. He that despiseth the preacher despiseth not man but God which hath sent his holy Spirite among you He that despiseth Moses law dieth without mercy vnder two or iii. witnesses Of how much sorer punishmente suppose ye shal he be counted worthy which treadeth vnder foote the son of God and counteth the bloud of the testament asl an vnholy thinge Uerelye it is a fearefull thinge to fall into the handes of the liuing God The vngodly shal be so plaged that thei shall seke death and finde it they shall desire to dye and deathe shall flye from them Examples out of the newe Testament THey that were called to the mariage would not come but vngently treated the messengers were destroyed and theyr city brent vp When Christ came neare to Ierusalem he beheld the city and wept on it saying if thou knewest also euen at this day the things appertayninge vnto thy peace thou wouldest be more diligent to looke vpon them But nowe are they hidde from thine eyes For the dayes shal come vpon thee that thine enemies shall caste a banke aboute thee and besiege and keepe thee in on euerye side and make thee euen with the grounde with thy children which are in thee And they shall not leaue one stone vpon an other because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation Hereof may we learne that Ierusalem was destroyed because they would not receiue Christe nor his word but despised the doctrine of their saluation and the preachers of the same If we do not repent and amend the same or more greuous plages abide vs. ¶ Agaynst carnall security and fleshlye liuing withont feare of God IF Sathan tempteth thee to liue after the lusts of the flesh without all feare of God and to takâ—… no thought for thy saluation that by this meanes he may prouoke thee vnto all kind of wickednes loke hat thou by no meanes geuest place to his temptations but rather watche the more diligently about hyne owne healthe y t he may not preuayle agaiust hee enarme thy selfe with stronge faithe alwaye et before thine eyes these Scriptures folowing ☞ Sentences out of the olde Testament SEeke after God and your soule shall liue Seke the Lorde whyle he may be found and cal vpon him whyle he is nie Let the vngodly man forsake his owne wayes and the vnrighteous hys owne imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lord so shal he be mercifull vnto him c. Folow not the lust of thine owne hearte in thy strengthe and saye not tushe howe haue I hadde strength or who wyll bryng me vnder because of my workes for doutles god shall auenge it And say not I haue committed no sinnes what euil hath hapned to me For the almightye is a pacient rewarder Because thy syn is forgeuen thee be not therfore without feare neither heape one sinne vpon another And say not tush the mercye of the lord is great he shall forgeue me my sinnes be they neuer so many For like as he is merciful so goeth wrath from hym also and his indignation commeth downe vpon sinners Make no tarying to turne vnto the lord pute not of from day to day for sodenly shall his wrathe come and in the tyme of vengeaunce he shal destroy the. A man knoweth not his tyme but like as the fishes are taken with the angle and as the byrdes are caught with the snare euen so aremen taken in the perillous time when it commeth sodenly vpon them Let thy garments be alway white and let thine head lacke no ointment ☞ Examples out of the olde Testament THe people to whome Nohe preached woulde not amend but wente forth to nousle themselues in all kynde of worldlys pleasures and euen in the mydes of their riotous liuing the floude came and drowned them all The Sodomites laughing Lot and hys exhortations to scorne and going forth to offende God with theyr to much beastlike voluptuoâ—…snes whan they thought themselues to be in moste safegard and furdest from any misfortune were consumed vnto assâ—…es wyth fire and brimston from heaueÌ„ The Iewes setting at nought y â— admo nitions of Gods Prophets continued in all their wickednes and euen in the mids of their carnall securitie and fleshly quietnes god sente their enemies vpon them which destroied their couÌ„trey slew a great number of people and led awaye most miserable captiues so many as pleased them leauing the residue behynd them in moste wretched slauery Sentences out of the neâ—… Testament WAtche for ye knowe not what houre your lord wil come Of this be ye sure that if the housholder knewe what howre the thiefe woulde come he would surelye watche and not suffer his house to be broken vp Therefore be ye also redye for in such an hour as ye thinke not wil the son of man come
there may ye be also Father I wyl that they which thou hast geuen me be with me where I am that they maye see my glory whiche thou hast geuen me We knowe that if our earthy mansâ—…on of this dwelling were destroyed we haue a building of God an habitation nâ—…t made with handes but euerlasting in heauen Reade forth the Chapter When soeuer Christe our lyfe shall appeare then shall you also appeare with him in glory The lorde hymselfe shall come downe from heauen wyth a shoote and the voyce of the Archaungel and tromp of God And the dead in Christ shall arise first then we whiche shall lyue euen we which shall remayne shal be caught vppe with them also in the clouds to mete y e Lord in the ayre so shal we euer be with the lorde Therefore comfort your selues one another with these wordes The spirite or soule is before God a precious thinge and much set by Christ was killed as pertaning to the flesh but was quickened in the spirit In which spirite he also went and preached vnto the spirites that were in prison c. Here it is manifest that the spirites or soules of men are immortal and liue either in glory or in payne after they be losoned from the body Examples out of the new Testament WHen the Sadâ—…ces denied the resurrec tion of the body and the immortaliti of the soule Christe aunswered theÌ„ saying haue ye not reade what is wrytten I am the God of AbrahaÌ„ the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob He is not the God of the dead but of the liuing By this testimony of the holy scripture Christ declareth that though Abraham Isaac Iacob and al other of the faithful be dead as concerning theyr bodyes yet their soules liue with God and are immortall The history of the pore maÌ„ Lazarus of the rich vnmercifull gloton proueth euidentlye that the soules dye not with the body nor yet slepe vntil the day of iudgement as the vngodly Anabaptists dream nether are they cast into purgatory as the papistes teach but that the soules of the faythfull goe immediatly after their departure from the body vnto eternal glory and the soules of the vnfaythfull vnto euerlasting damnation so that the soules of al men are immortall and liue for euer either in heauen or in hel in glory or in payne The parable of the vnrighteous steward setteth forthe also the immortality of the soule as these words of Christ do declare Make you frends sayth he of the wicked Mammon that when ye shal depart hence they may receiue you into euerlastig dwel ling places The soule came agayne to the widowes son to the rulers doughter to Lazarus to them that after Christes resurrection came out of their graues to Dorâ—…s to Eu tichus c. Which thing declareth maâ—…festlye that the soule dyeth not with the bo dy but stil liued and remayned immortall The thiefe that hanged one the crosse with Christ sayde vnto him Lord remember me when thou shalte come into thy kingdome Christe aunswered verelye I saye vnto thee this daye shalt thou be with me in paradise The body of the thiefe dyed shortly after and was committed to the earth The soule of the thiefe was in paradise with Christ. The soule therfore liueth and remaineth immortall or els muste Christ be a liar But let God be true and all heretikes liars Sainct Stephen being at the pointe of death prayed saying lorde Iesu take my spirite Sainct Paule wisshed to be losoned out of his bodye and to bee with Christ. I saw vnder the aulter saith Sainct Iohn the souls of them that wer killed for the word of God and for the testimony whiche they had and they cried with a loude voyce saiing howe long tariest thou O lord bolye and true to iudg and to auenge our bloud on them that dwel on the earth and longe white garmentes were geuen vnto euery one of them And it was sayde vnto them that they should rest for a little season vntyll the number of their felowes and brethren and of them that should be killed as they were were fulfilled ¶ Of the glory of heauen and of euerlasting lyfe IF Sathan go forth to tempt thee that thou mightest lose the inheritance of the kingdome of god and say vnto thee that thou art a sinner an abhominable liuer and therfore thy faith is frustrate and thy hope vain in loking for the glory of heauen for God is a righteous Iudge and rewardeth euery man according to his deedes and merites let all these his craftyâ—… assaultes nothinge moue or abashe thee but call to thy remembraunce and beleeue stedfastlye that the heauenlye kingdome is not geuen thee for thy merites and desartes for so shouldest thou receiue nothing but eternal dampnation but for the promises which god the father hath made thee in Christes bloud if thou repent beleue Therfore cast away that rightousnes which the hypocrites chalenge by their good works and lay handes on that which commeth by faith of Iesus Christe so canst thou not be deceiued so can sathan win nothyng at thy hande so can it not but come to pas that thou shalt enioy the glory of heauen thorowe Christe Iesu. And that thou mayest doubt nothinge in this behalfe imprint these sentences and examples of the holy â—… scripture diligeÌ„tly and earnestly in thy minde ☞ Examples out of the olde Testament THe Lord hath saued me because it was his pleasure Prayse the Lorde O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefites which forgeueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities which saueth thy life from destructioÌ„ and crowneth the with mercy and louing kindnesse They that put their trust in me shall inherite the land and possesse my holy hil Thy damnation O Israel came of thy selfe but thy saluation commeth of me Examples out of the olde Testament That princelye Prophet Dauid being thorowly perswaded that the inheritance of the glory of heauen and the possession of euerlasting life is the free gift of god thorow Iesus Christe and is denied to none although neuer so sinful and wretched if they repent being nothing appalled with his former sinful liuig as though y â— shuld pluck him from the inheritaunce of the heuenly kingdome knew what blessed felicitie and ioyful quietnes the soules of the faithful do enioy after their departure froÌ„ the bodyes lamented he caried so longe in this vale of misery and no lesse feruently desired to come and appeare before the face of god than the thirstye harte desireth to come to the water brookes The godly auncient Tobye knowinge gods exceeding great liberalitie in the gift of euerlastinge quietnes after the humble submission of him self vnto the Lorde hys god wyshed rather to dy than to lyue and beseched god that hys spyryte might be receiued in
peace ☞ Sentences out of the new Testament FEare not litle flocke for it is your Fathers plesure to geue you a kingdom Euerlasting life is the gift of God thorow Christe our Lord. Whome god hathe predestinate them hath he also called whome he hath called them also hath he iustified whome he hath iustified them hathe he glorified The eye hath not sene and the eare hath not heard neither hath it entered into the hart of man what thinges god hath prepared for them that loue him By grace are ye saued thorow faith and that not of your selues For it is the gifte of god and commeth not of workes least any man should boast him self God saued vs not for the dedes of righ teousnes whiche we wrought but for hys mercy and louing kindnes God hath geuen vs euerlasting life and this life is in his Sonne he that hathe the Sonne hath life and he that hathe not the Sonne of god hath not life Be faithful vnto the death and I will geue thee the crowne of life To him that ouercoÌ„meth will I geue to sit with me in my seate euen as I ouercame and haue sitten with my father in his seate Examples out of the newe Testament The reuerent auncient father SimeoÌ„ being nothing apalled with y â— remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of his sinnes after he had seene and embra sed Christ in his armes knowinge him to be the alone Sauiour of the world shewed himselfe ready glad and willinge to dye that he might enioy that heauenly enheritance purchased by the same Iesus Christ our Lorde S. Paule being fully perswaded that al his sinnes were washed away in Christes bloud desired to be loosoned from that his mortall body and to be with Christ. Virescit vulnere virtus Geue the glory to god alone Here endeth the Gouernance of vertue ¶ Here followeth certayne godlye prayers for sundry diuers purposes A prayer for the Queenes Maiesty O Lord our heauenly father high and mightye king of kinges lord of Lords the onely ruler of Princes which doest from thy throne behold al y â— dwelllers vpon earth most hartely we besech thee with thy fauour to behold ourâ—… moste gratious soueraigne lady Queene Elizabeth and so replenish her wyth the grace of thy holy spirite that she may alway incline to thy wil and walke in thy way Indue her plentifully with heauenly gifts graunt her in health and wealth long to liue strength her that she maye vanquish ouercom al her enemies And finally y â— after this life she may attayne euerlasting ioy and felicity through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A generall confession O Lord God almighty father of mercy and God of all comfort we thy poore creatures resort vnto thee knowledgyng and confessing our selues before thy gloryous maiestye that we are all greuous sinners and can of our selues do nothing but sinne For all our imaginations intentes and thoughts are enclined and disposed vnto euel from our youth vp Our damnation coÌ„meth of our selues wee our selues are not able to thyncke a good thought It is thou onlye that doest worke in vs both the will the dede We are but earth and naturally the children of wrath We of our selues are but vaine yea lighter then vanitie it self We can do nothing without thee theris not one of vs whole we are all vnclene al our rightousnes is but as a filthy cloth We haue no more power to doo good of our selues then a man of Inde hath power to chaunge his skinne or the leoparde her spottes Nowe accordinge to this euell and corrupte inclination of our nature so haue we liued in thoughtâ—… worde and deede We haue finned we haue offended we haue gone backe from thy lawe haue not harkned vnto thy worde We haue not loued thâ—… O Lorde with all our strength with all our heart with all our power We haue bene sore transgressors of thy commaundementes wee haue not putt oure whole truste and confidence onelye in thee Wee haue in oure troubles and neede not soughte for helpe onely in thee We haue not called onely vpon thy name but with false confidence with vaine supersticion and vnlawfull otheâ—… haue we blasphemed thy name We haue prayed and made intercession vnto stockes stones made the creatures oure aduocates mediatours coÌ„trary to thy word We reposed our trust and affiance in our own deedes â–ª and in such workes as haue bene deuised by mens fantasies besides the scripture We haue wandred on vaine pil gremages offering vp mony candels and tapers to Images and reliques with such like supersticion We haue bene slouthful in our busines We haue not bene ferueÌ„t and diligent in doing of our duty Special ly on suche dayes as be appointed for the preaching of thy word we haue not plyed our selues wholly to learne it nor occupied our time in prayer geuing of thanks vnto thee And as touching the loue that we ought to haue vnto all men women for thy sake we haue not bene ernest in it at al times We haue not loued our neigh houre as our selues we haue not done as we would be done vnto we haue bene vngentle vnpacieÌ„t vncurteous froward angry and displeased we haue reioyced in our neighbors hurte and bene sory of his welfare We haue bene led with false doc trine errours from the way of thy truth We haue sinned w t our fathers we haue don amisse we haue delt wickedly therfore our most deare father whiche art in heaueÌ„ forasmuch as we haue blasphemed thee not soughte alway the glory of thy name graunt now that from henceforth thy name may be saÌ„ctified and halowed in vs. Graunt now that thy kingdome maye come and that in steede of sin and errour thou onely maiest raigne in vs graunte now that our wil may be coÌ„formable vnto thine and that in al aduersitie we may be hartely wel content to suffer thy wil to be done in vs. Graunt now that we bee neuer destitute of our daily food but that we may alway be nourished w t thy worde in our soules and haue such a competent liuing in this life as is necessary for our body GrauÌ„t now that we may euen from our heart rootes forgeue one another all maner of trespasse as y â— for Iesu Christes sake thy Sonne haste mercifully forgeâ—… vs. GrauÌ„t now that where the world the deuill and our owne flesh doth dayly tempt and prouoke vs to sin we may thorow thy strength be able to resist all their temptation Graunte nowe that thorow thy helpe and grace we may be deliuered from all euill from all daunger and peryll of soule and body from all synne hel and dampnation from all pryde and enny from all wrathe and slouthfulnes froÌ„ couetousnesse vnmeasurable and filthy lyuing Graunt now that from hence forth we may be content with such fatherly pro uision as thou haste made for vs already graunte now that we may