exhortinge them that no man defraude and oppresse his brother in any matter Wherfore if wée bée double hearted as sayth Sainct Iames let vs cleanse our hearts Forasmuch I saye as GOD is righteous let vs loue him with an entire and perfect heart that our heart may blesse the LORD and all that is within vs may praise his holy name and forget not all his benefites Let vs poure out our hearts like water before the Lorde and let vs lifte vp our handes vnto him and hee will beholde vs with pittie in the fauoure of his welbeloued sonne our LORD Iesus Christ vnto whom bée glorie for euer and euer So bée it Ecclesiastes 12. d. 13. ¶ Feare God and keepe his commaundementes for that toucheth all men 1. Iohn 2. d. ¶ The world passeth awaie and the lustes thereof but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth euer A Prayer O Lord which hast taught vs by the mouth of Salomon the sonne of Dauyd that loue is mightie as the death and gelousie as the hell hir coales are of fire and a verie flame of the LORD So embrace our heartes in thine heauenly loue chiefly by thy holy spirite that wée knowing that thou hast loued vs first hauing sent thy sonne to make agréement for our sinnes that so of our part we may loue thée againe and shewe by our conuersation that we loue thée not in worde neither in tongue onely but in déede in trueth Honouring thée as our celestiall and heauenly father and fearing thée as our souereigne LORD all the dayes of our life In such sorte that neither death neither life neither Angels nor principialities neither powers neither thinges preseâ—â— neither thinges to come neither heigth neither depth neither any other creature shall be able to departe vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christe Iesus our LORD To the ende that when thou shalt appeare we may be bolde and not ashamed before thée at thy comming nor by the maiestie of him who béeing in the worlde loued his vnto the ende our Lord Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer So bée it ¶ A CHRISTIAN ADVERtisment vpon the commaundement to loue a mans neighbour Cap. 17. Deuterono 15. b. ¶ The land shall neuer be without poore wherefore I commaunde thee saying open thine hande vnto thy brother that is needie and poore in the lande Prouerbes 3. b. ¶ Honour the Lord with thy substaunce and with the firstlings of al thine encrease so shall thy barnes be filled with plenteousnesse and thy presses shall flowe ouer with sweete wine Iob 1. c. ¶ When the poore desireth any thing at me haue I denied it them haue I caused the widdow to stand waiting for me in vayne haue I eaten my portion alone that the fatherlesse hath had no parte with me For mercy grew vp with me fro my youth and compassion fro my mothers wombe haue I seene any man perish through nakednesse and want of clothing or any poore man for lacke of raiment whose â—ides thancked me not bicause he was warmed with the woll of my sheepe did I euer lift vp my hande to hurt the fatherlesse yea in the gate where I sawe my selfe to be in authoritie then let mine arme fall from my sholder and mine armeholes be broken from the ioyntes Iob. 29. c. ¶ I haue deliuered the poore when hee cryed and the fatherlesse that wanted helpe He that should haue bene lost gaue me a good worde and the widdowes heart praised me And why I put vppon me righteousnesse which couered me as a garment and equitie was my crowne I was an eye vnto the blinde and a foote to the lame I was a father vnto the poore and when I knewe not their cause I sought it out diligently I brake the chayers of the vnrighteous and pluckt the spoile out of their teeth ¶ An exhortation to loue towardes ones neighbour THE Apostle Sainct Paul â—peaking of the excellencie of loue sayth Though I speake with the tongues of men and Angels and haue not loue I am euen as lounding braue or as a tinckling cymball And though I coulde prophecie and vnderstand all secretes and all knowledge yea if I had all faith so that I coulde moue mountaines out of their places and yet had not loue I were nothing And though I bestowe all my goodes to to feede the poore and though I giue my bodie that I be burned and yet haue not loue it profiteth me nothing Loue lustereth long is courteous loue enuieth not loue doth not boast it selfe swelleth not disdaineth nothing as vnbeseeming seeketh not hir owne things is not prouoked to anger thincketh not euill reioyceth not in iniquitie but reioyceth in the trueth suffereth all thinges beléeueth al things hopeth al thinges endureth all thinges Loue doth neuer fall away though that all prophecyings shall be abolished And in the end of the said chapter he concludeth now abideth faith hope loue euen these three but the chiefest of these is loue And forasmuch then as the life is more worth theÌ„ meate the bodie more of value then raiment And also that Iesus Christe doth commaunde vs to séeke first the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereoff notwithout cause if wee mainteine that loue consisteth chiefly to helpe our neighbour in that whiche is necessarie for him for his life Insomuch that if the Lorde hath giuen vnto vs any talent I meane any grace perfection or vertue we ought not to hide it in the earth as vnprofitable seruaunts but ought to bestowe it to the profite of euerie man For the manifestation is giuen to euery one for to profit to the ende that as euerie man hath receiued the gifte so admister the same one to another as good ministers of the manifold graces of god And euen as in geuing some little part of our goods we do multiplie that which the Lord hath giuen vnto vs also in administring the spirituall things to our neighbour we augment in vs the fruites of pietie Iustice These are the wordes of Sainct Paul when he tolde the Corinthians that he that findeth séede to the sower will minister likewise breade for foode and multiplie their séede and increase the fruites of their beneuolence that on all partes they may be made ritch in all singlenesse And as we be not maisters nor owners of our goods Inasmuch as we enioy and possesse them of the hande of the LORDE so we are not but ministers of the giftes of the holy Spirite whiche worketh in vs all things Euen so saith Sainct Paul writing to the Corinthians Let a man so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christe and disposers of the secretes of GOD. This declareth vnto vs what was gods prouidence in the dispensation bestowing of his giftes who woulde not that they shoulde abounde altogether in one man alone to the end that by them helping one an other euery one may
to take his alliaunce or promise in vaine In like manner what temeritie and rashnesse it is to take the childrens breade and to cast it to dogges to declare the holy thinges vnto brute beastes and to giue the pearles vnto swyne Forasmuch as wysdome shall not enter into a frowarde soule nor dwell in the body that is subdued vnto sinne For the holy Ghost abhorreth fayned nourture and withdraweth himselfe from the thoughts that are without vnderstanding and where wickednesse hath the vpper hand hée flyeth from thence I do say the same to the ende that euery one haue a regarde to apply the holy scripture to his proper vse for all Scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to improue and to instruct in ryghtuousnesse Also that we through patience and comfort of the scripture might haue hope may apply it to the in which it is dedicated without prophaning it or wresting it to any wicked purpose or vnlawefull thinges For as hée that hath dimme eyes can not well easely behold looke vpon the sunne so he which is wicked and corrupt in his soule can not rightly consider and knowe the meruailes conteined in the holy scripture And euen as we ought not to put into a vessell that is mustie or infected any precious licor so we ought not to giue vnto a malycious and frowarde heart one so riche and precious talent For the Lorde hath regarde of him which is afflicted and of a lowly spirite and which standeth in awe of his words the holy spirit is he which doth open the senses for to vnerstand the scripturs To conclude the scripture came neuer by the wil of man but by the holy men of God being moued by the holy Ghost did speake it To that end doth Iob write I say saith he that it becommeth olde men to speake and the aged to teach wisdome euery man no doubt hath a minde but it is the inspiration of the almightie that giueth vnderstanding wherefore we doe conclude here that thrée thynges are greatly necessarie vnto those which wyll cause that precious talent and inestymable treasure of the holy Scripture to profit First of all to watche dayly vnto praiers and supplycations to the end that the Lord do open their vnderstanding for to comprehend the secretes of hys Lawe As Dauid doth say Teach me O Lorde the way of thy statutes and I shall kéepe it vnto the ende O giue mée vnderstanding and I shall kéepe thy law yea I shall kéepe it with my whole harte Open myne eyes that I may consider the meruelles of thy Lawe Euen so I say doth Solomon his sonne witnesse that he hath desired and vnderstanding was giuen him hée called and the spirite of wisdome came into hym That is the cause wherefore saynct Paule doeth exhorte so often hys to pray for hym that vtteraunce might be giuen vnto him that hee might open his mouth boldly to vtter the secretes of the Gospell And also doth admonyshe and warne the Thessalonians to pray for him that the word of god may haue frée passage and to gloryfie the Lorde And saynct Hierome sayth that the reading ought to succéede and followe prayer and prayer vnto the reading Besides that I doe desire a pleasant hearte gratious and gentle I do vnderstande and meane him which doth humble himselfe vnder the law of the lord for to beléeue and obey willingly his commandements and ordinaunces For Iesus Christ doeth protest before God his Father that he hath hid these thinges from the wise prudent and hath opened them vnto Babes And the Lorde did by his Prophete checke the Scribes Doctors of the lawe that they may not vaunt themselues that they are wyse in the Lawe and that the lawe of the Lorde is with them that it is in vayne that there are Scribes and that the wyse shall be confounded and that they shall be afrayde and taken as it is written that God hath giuen vnto them a sléeping spirit and eyes that they should not sée and eares that they shoulde not heare euen vnto thys present day And sainct Paule speaking of the Philosophers sayth that they hauing knowen God did not gloryfie him as God neyther were thankefull but waxed full of vanities in their owne imaginations and their foolish hartes were blinded To cōclude as saith Lactantius Firmianus Although we estéeme the Philosophers to be wyse yet truely they haue erred in their owne knowledge here there as in a déepe sea For they haue regarded neyther the way nor the leader all their doctrine is without a head bicause that they doe not knowe God which is the heade of all veritie and doctrine Finally I do desire a long studie and meditation of the holy letters vnto the which Iesus Christ doth sende vs saying Search the Scriptures for in them ye thinke yee haue eternall lyfe And Sainct Paul doth admonishe Timothe to giue attendaunce to reading to exhortacion to doctryne So was Moses learned in al manner wisdome of the Egyptians was mightie in déedes in wordes And sainct Paul was brought vp at the féete of Gamaliel informed diligently in the Law of the fathers And Timothe did know the holy Scriptures of a childe And truely we do not make any difficulte that the studie and dayly laboure is not necessary to the knowledge of holy letters as it is required of other disciplines chiefly to the true ministers of god Forasmuch as Sainct Paul doth desire that they would embrace the true worde of doctrine that they maye be able to exhorte with holesome learninge and to improue them that say against it To conclude the holy Apostle doth witnesse that strong meats belongeth to them that are perfect which thorough custome haue their wits exercysed to iudge both good euil Furthermore Sainct Peter doth aduertise vs that there are many thinges harde to be vnderstanded in the Epistles of S. Paul. For that same cause the Ebrwes did not accustome to all age all kynde of doctrine fearing that the dull and folyshe people woulde be offended with the hardnesse of the same Insomuch that the things which do containe a simple plaine hystorie were proposed and set forth vnto the common people the secrets vnto those the which with their age do bring a iudgement more whole and sound Wherfore as sainct Ambrose doth witnes he which will aduaunce himselfe in the scriptures that he do take that which is necessarie for him he which doth desire things more easie common that he do refreshe his spirite in the valle as the litle ones he that doth feare the floud that he do drinke of the Riuer he which doth feare the déepe water that he doe swim by the shore side Wherin we are taught that the holy Scripture doth apply and giue it selfe vnto al
place of vnderstanding in the lande of those which do lyue easely and which haue great riches for the feare of the Lorde is the true wysdome and to retyre and drawe himselfe from euil is the vnderstanding We must not then be astonied or amazed if they do abuse the scripture after their owne sense forasmuch as they do not estéeme but their owne pleasure which is the enemie of reason It doth gréeue me verie much to speake of those which for to please the will and minde of their Auditors And least they should hurte or gréeue them do apply the Scripture I know not to what matters of iesting and laughter yea being set in Moses Chayre in which place especially and chiefly it ought to be intreated off withall reuerence and grauitie I do say furthermore that they are not ashamed to play by maskings and counterfaitlike that which ought to be taught with feare and al humilitie To conclude they do serue more willingly to the pleasures of other then to the honour of the Lord and to the edification of his congregation What shall I saye of those which will referre and attrybute vnto the holy scripture vnto the bookes writings of the heathen Phylosophers as if we had borowed the rule to lyue well of them and not they of vs I will not denie but that the Philosophers chiefly the Platonicians haue written many thinges verie néere vnto the christian rule and very much confirmable and agréeing vnto good manners But as Sainct Augustine saith bicause that they haue made it their owne the true Christiās ought to serue to a better vse in asking it again of thē as vniust vnlawful possessours euen so as the Israelites haue applied the treasures riches of the Aegyptians to the honour of the Lorde And as it was lawful for the people of Israel to take to wife an estraunger captiue so that she do shaue hir head pare hir nailes put the raiment that she was taken in from hir also it is not forbidden to apply the writings of the heathen men Panims to our religion so that we do cut off that which doth concern their idolatrie and supersticion and that we doe apply vnto the honour of the Lorde that which doth serue to the veritie of our doctrine That is the cause wherfore sainct Paul disputing in the citie of Athens against certeine Philosophers did not feare to recite the saiyng of a Poet for to proue the doing of our religion And the same Apostle in another place of his Epistles did not make it a doubt to alowe the saying of Epimenides against those of Crete for all that I will not taxe those which haue the charge in the Church But I desire that they may be so discrete and well aduised in their profession that they may trie proue all things but to kéepe that which is good after the example of the good chaungers which doe knowe verye well to separate the good money from that which is false and vnlawfull to the ende they do not bring any thing from other learninges which might defile the worde of God or marre the doing of the christian veritie in so much that the word of preaching be receiued of all men not as the worde of man but euen as it was in déede the word of God which worketh in you that beléeue to the aduauncement of the kingdome of his sonne our Lord Iesus Christ to whom be glorie foreuer Amen COLOSS. 4. Let your speach be alwayes well sauoured and poudered with salte that ye may knowe howe to aunswere euery man. A prayer O Lord which dost giue the tongue to teach well to the ende that one may comfort them which are troubled yea and that in due season which giuest wisedome vnto the ignorant teachest thy seruants that which they ought to say giue vs thy grace to knowe that thy worde is pure euen as the siluer which from the earth is tried and purified seuen times in the fier to the end that we may receiue it not as the worde of man but euen as it was in déede the word of God which worketh in you that beléeue and that we doe not applie it to any euill vse or dissolute woorke but to the aduauncement of thy glorie and to the edifying of our neighbour In somuch that we may be faultlesse and pure without rebuke in the midst of a croked and peruerse nation among which sée that we shine as lightes in the worlde holding fast the worde of life Finally that we do declare by our works in this latter time that we haue not runne in vaine neither haue laboured in vaine But for the veritie of him which from the beginning of all thinges was the worde of life our Lord Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer Amen THAT THE LORD IN THE middest of afflictiōs doth reserue alwayes certeine places of refuge for his and certeine true prophetes to his Church yea certeine valiant men for to withstande the tyrannie of the wicked ESAIE 49. ◠¶ The prisoners shall be taken from the Gyant the spoile deliuered from the violent for I will mainteine thy cause against thine aduersaries Saith the lord ESAIE 59. D. ¶ I will make this couenant with them saith the Lorde my spirite that is come vppon thee and the words which I haue put in thy mouth shall neuer goe out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy childrens children from this time foorth for euer more IF the Panim or Heathen man saith that the exile banishment is terrible fearefull vnto those which of a priuate singuler affection do prouide for themselues an habitation for to dwell euer not vnto those which haue the whole worlde for a Citie And the Poet Ouide hath written that euerie countrie or land is an habitation vnto a vertuous couragious man As the sea is a floudde for all kinde of fishes If I say the auncient Patriarkes Abraham Isaac and Iacob by faith did dwell in the promised lande as strangers in tentes looking for a citie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God although that some of them had not but the light of nature for a rule and discipline the others had not so euident a witnesse as we haue of the reuelation to come of the children of God in the which our vile bodies shal be made like vnto the glorious bodie of the sonne of god Truely somuch the lesse our exile and banishment ought to be vnto vs gréeuous and feareful in asmuch as we are assured by the mouth of Iesus Christ of his Apostles that we haue not héere a continuing Citie but that our conuersation is in heauen Also as Sainct Paul writing vnto the Corinthians doth assure vs that if our earthlie mansion wherein wée nowe dwell were destroied that we haue a building ordeined of God
A Prayer LOrde God heauenly father and altogether mightie which hast drawen away and saued thy faithfull seruants Lot and Daniel from the flaming fire Moyses from the middest of the waters one Ioas from amonge them that were slaine and hast reserued in the persecution of Achab and of Iesabel so many thousand men which haue not bowed their knées vnto Baal yea hast lefte alwayes vnto thy people some prophets and true ministers of thy law in the captiuitie of Babilon Giue vnto vs thy grace in this ciuill warre and persecution of our owne countrey men yea our domesticall seruantes to acknowledge that thy hande is not so shortned that it cannot saue or helpe neither is thine eare so stopped that it cannot heare But that our iniquites haue made the diuision betwéene thée and vs and that our sinnes haue hid thy face frō vs To the end that we staying on thy mercy may not be altogether desolate Giue O Lord such feare vnto our enimies that they may haue cause to inuocate and call vpon thy name in such sort that we all with one spirite and will may confesse that thou art the ayde of the humble and little ones the helper of the weake and féeble the protectour of them that are forsaken the sauiour of the abiectes yea thou art the Lord of hoastes which doest reserue alwaies for vs a fewe aliue to the ende that we shoulde not be made like vnto Sodome and like vnto Gomorra and not to fal in dispaire with the vnbeléeuing And therefore wée praye thée in the fauoure or for the loue of him which hath cried with a loude voice that the Foxes haue holes and the byrdes of the ayre haue neastes but the sonne of man hath not whereon to rest his head he I say which deliuered himselfe vnto death for to assure vs of our dwelling in the heauenly kingdome our Lord Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer Amen ¶ THAT THE CHRISTIAN Religion cannot be tied or bound to any limittes and bounds Cap. 3. 2. TIM 2. b. The worde of God is not bounde IF it be written that the king being sette vpon the seate of his kingdome shal write the Law and shall reade therin al the daies of his life that he may learne to feare the Lord his God and for to kéepe all the woordes of his lawe and his ordinaunces for to doe them and the same LORD doth promise vnto his Church that kings shal be her noursing Fathers and Quéenes shal be her norishing mothers It is certeine that as righteousnesse and truth are the estabishing of the throne or feate of the Lord so doth he preserue and keepe the kinges and doth mainteine their scepter by godlinesse and trueth I doe saie further if the Egiptians haue in such recommendation and praise the practise of their religion aboue all things as saith Plato that they will not create and make a king except that he were promoted and consecrated a priest yea greatly occupied or exercised in the dooings of the priestes And the Persians will not alowe or admitte for their prince but him which hath the knowledge of the science and discipline of the magiciens which doth conteine the true vse of their religiō Insomuch as vnto the young Princes of the countrey were ordeined foure schole maisters of whō the first did teach them the magicke of Orcastrus the sonne of Oroniasus which did conteine the dooings of the religion Truely we ought not to doubt but that the estate duetie of a christian Prince is first of al to establish mainteine the dooing of the religion and to acknowledge that he is the minister of God for the health of al men to the ende that the goods which the Lord hath giuē vnto him he should kéepe part of thē distribute part of thē that he do manifest delare him self by works as Aristotle doth write vnto Alexander that the kingdome is giuen vnto him to the end to doo wel vnto man kinde To the end also that vnder his obedience the good may be defended from iniuries and oppressions of the wicked leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie loking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the mightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Forasmuch then as it is nothing to professe to knowe God and with the déedes to denie him to haue a similitude of godly liuing but haue denied the power thereof that is not also much to mainteine a religion for certeine and true and in the meane time do depriue themselues from the exercise of the same for as the woorks do declare our faith so the exercise of the religion doth assure vs that we be no more as children wauering and caried with euery winde of doctrine but that we following trueth with loue we may growe and increase altogether in him which is the head that is to say Iesus Christ To conclude that the Lorde would be knowen chiefly in the assembly of the true christians as Dauyd sayth I will praise thée in the great congregation and performe my vowes in the sight of all them that feare thée and in another place he sayth Sing vnto the Lorde a newe songe let the congregation of the Sainctes prayse him and in an other place he sayth giue thanckes O Israel vnto God the LORD in the congregations from the grounde of the heart And Iesus Chryst hath promised his that where there shall bée two or thrée gathered together in his name that he will be in the midst of them Furthermore if the Prophet Dauid hath written that the woorde of God is a lanterne vnto our féete and a light vnto our pathes Iesus Christ would not that that lyght shoulde bée hid vnder a bushell but that it be set vpon a candlesticke that it may gyue light vnto all them that are in the house Therefore he woulde that our lyght should so shine before men that they may sée our good workes and glorifie our heauenly father which is in heauen Otherwise he that would limit and bind the dooing and exercise of the true christian religion in a certeine place as did of late certeine of the Iewes at the temple of Ierusalem and the other at the Mountaine of Garizen that should be to giue occasion of sclaunder not onely vnto the Christians estraungers and others but also vnto the auncient enymies of our Relygion to blame the name of the LORD For as the LORD hath no regarde vnto the appearaunce of men But in all people hée that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him So his worde ought not to be limitted in certeine places or persons inasmuch as by his word wée haue knowledge of him for vnto the end he hath sent vs by his welbeloued disciple saying search the scriptures for in them ye thincke ye haue
Apostles I doe meane Policarpus Ireneus and Denis Nereus For whosoeuer will haue regarde in that matter to the number of persons he must preferre the opinion of the Scribes and Pharisies vnto that of Marie Anna Simeon Elizabeth and Zacharie Bicause that the Scribes Pharisies were more in number then those which did holde of the part of Iesus Christ And our enimies do abuse themselues greatly to thinke to stay or kéepe backe the course or passage of the gospell or to winne vs to their Romish Church hindering the exercise of our religion For if our exile losse of our goods and so much shedding of bloud thorowe out all the Realme could not force or compell euen there the true Christians to make them cleaue or sticke to the Romish religion so much lesse shal it serue to depriue vs from the exercise of the religion which hath bene permitted vs with good deliberation aduise of counsell And when we shal be driuen or chased into straunge countries yet truely fréely we shal sing the songs of Syon and the Lords songs For euen as the course of a floud being stopped stayed doth shew it selfe to be more vehemēt and of greater force so the true faithfull people being letted constrained in the doing of the religion doe giue themselus more willingly and with a better will to the true seruice of God and to the meditation and studie of the holy scriptures And to the end not to dissemble and cloke that déede what is he that will binde that that the Lorde woulde shewe foorth euen to the vttermost endes of the earth Who shall stay or let that which hee hath shed abrode as a water floude and as a mightie flowing streame for the helth and saluation of his Who shall let that which he hath set vp and established for euer Or who shall binde that which he hath ordeined for euer The Lorde hath not bounde or tied his word shall man shut it fast in a certeine place Iesus Christ hath shewed and declared it openly shall man hide it in darkenesse He which hath receiued the talent of the Lord for to gaine or winne thereby shall he hide it in the earth he I say whiche is debter both to the Greekes and to them which are no Greekes vnto the learned and also vnto the vnlearned shall not hée preach the gospel I doo speake vnto those who following the Acts more then barbarous or Scithian of one Antiochus Epiphanus not being cōtēt to haue shed hether to the bloud of the faithfull without leaue aucthoritie of the magistrate haue procéeded to so great wickednesse that they haue burned holy bookes of the Lorde I doe meane those which doe make mention of the eternall alliance of his sonne our Lord Iesus Christ thinking by that meanes more easely to establish kéep in their temples and Churches their idolles and God Marsin And yet neuerthelesse they coulde not do so much by their trauailes iourneis that the Lord hath not raised for vs of the Machabeans euen as he did vnto the Iewes from sixe yeares to seuen after the persecution of Antiochus for to giue some libertie vnto his people to repaire the ruinous places of his Temple to assure more and more the true faithfull people in their religion Vnto you O Christian Princes these matters are directed to the end that to day if you do heare the voice of the Lorde you harden not your heartes For if the father bée compted cruell whiche hauing manie children doth giue of his goods yea of those whiche GOD hath giuen him to some and not to other some which I say doth administer the corporall foode and other necessaries to some and denieth it to other some Truely the Christian prince cannot excuse him selfe of ingratitude to giue some Christian libertie and exercise of the Religion vnto some of his subiects and to denie it vnto other some Forasmuch as the materiall breade is not the proper meate of the bodie as the worde of God is the nourishing of the soule also that the princes as saith Socrates in his booke of Xenophon be towards their subiects as the shepherds are towards their flocke the fathers towardes their children that is the cause why Homere did call a prince gratious and louing shéepherd of the people And Agasicles king of the Lacedemonians being asked howe a king can commaunde without a bodie of defence and companie of people aunswered that he would commaunde his subiects as the father his children Nowe I woulde demaunde willingly what dishonour that shoulde be vnto a Christian Prince vnto whom doth apperteine to establish and to kéepe the doing of the religion to shewe him selfe so negligent and vnthankefull towards his that the little ones or young children should demaunde or aske of him the heauenly breade and there was no man that giueth it them I do meane that the young children should suffer not the hunger of breade nor the thrist of water as saith the Prophet Amos but an hunger to heare the worde of god Let vs consider in this matter what reproch Iesus Christ did make vnto the Scribes and Pharises when he said Woe be vnto you Scribes and Pharises hypocrites for ye shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men ye your selues goe not in neither suffer ye them that come to enter in the which words are applied not to the Scribes and Pharises onely but vnto all ministers ordeined of the Lord for to declare and mainteine his worde Shall I speake of those who hauing taken or snatched away that heauenly bread from the hand of the children of God deuowring also the children themselues not being content to suppresse by force and violence the exercise of the religion but doe condempne to a most slaunderous and cruell death the professours of the same they are those of whom the Lord speaketh off by his prophet Dauid which eate vp my people as it were breade I cannot here forget that which Plato doth write off that is to say that it shoulde be a thing verie gréeuous and vile to nourish doggs for for to kéepe the flocke and in the meane time thorow glouttonie impatience of hunger or any other custome the dogs do lifte themselues vp for to deuoure the flocke or for to hurt it in what sorte soeuer it be in such maner and sorte that the doggs were made like vnto the Wolues We must also as the same Author doth write take héede that they do not the like against the Citizens which are gouernours of the townes and in stéede to liue with them in amitie as familier and domesticall they do not rule ouer them in duritie and rigorousnesse I will not here blame the honour of some Magistrates or gouernours For it is written thou shalt not curse the ruler of the people Their conscience may bere them witnesse in that
matter what it is to let the true Christian religion I do meane those which are confirmable and agreable to the Christian rule and good manners On the contrarie I beséech them to remember a lawe of the Aegyptians by the which the kings of the countrie did adiure and sweare the iudges not to iudge any thing wrongfully yea when the king hath commaunded them expresly and if they do disalowe me in this matter I wil put before their eyes the exhortation which Iehosaphat made vnto the Iudges of Iuda admonishing and warning them to consider that they doe not exercise the iudgment of men but of GOD and that it shall be with them according to the thing iudged to haue the feare of the Lorde before their eyes to know that there is no vnrighteousnes in the Lord your god nor the regarding of persons nor taking of rewardes They haue written this lawe not with ynke but with the spirite of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of their heartes To the end that by their arrestes and Edictes they haue moued by that afore the people vnto a rage and furie more then barbarous and Scythian they may be also an occasion that hereafter the Christian people doe breake their swordes and speares to make sithes sickles and sawes thereof From that time foorth shall not one people lift vp weapon against another neither shall they learne to fight from thencefoorth but as the prophet Iob saith that we may all walke in the feare of the Lord let vs acknowledge also on our parte that God hath ben prouoked iustly against vs for our demerites and transgressions according as he doth menace and threaten some time his people by the Prophet that he wil take from them the Captein the Souldier the Iudge and the Prophet the wise and the aged man the worshipfull of fiftie yeare olde and the honourable the Senatours and men of vnderstanding the maisters of craftes and Oratoures and shall giue vnto them to be their Princes children and babes shall haue the rule ouer them The people shal be pilled and polled one shall euer be doing violence and wronge to an other The boye shall presume against the elder and the vile person against the honourable Bicause saith the Prophet that both their wordes and counseils are against the Lorde they prouoke the presence of his maiestie vnto anger Wherefore O Christian and faithfull people let vs consider our wayes and search them and let vs returne vnto the Lorde and bewaile vs for our sinnes Let vs lift vp our heartes with our handes vnto the Lorde that is in heauen saying We haue bene dissemblers and haue offended wilt thou therefore not be intreated thou hast conuerted vs in thy wrath and persecuted vs thou hast slaine vs without any fauour thou hast hidde thy selfe in a cloude that our prayers shoulde not goe thorowe thou hast made vs outcastes and to be dispised among the heathen All our enimies gape vppon vs feare and snare is come vpon vs yea dispite and destruction O Lorde be not so sore displeased and kéepe not our offences too long in thy remembrance but consider that we are all thy people The cities of thy Sanctuarie lie wast Syon is a wildernesse Ierusalem a desert Our holy house which is our beautie where our fathers praised thée is brent vp yea all our pleasures and commodities are wasted away remember not Lorde our offences but finish the worke which thou hast begunne in vs in this meane libertie of the religion that we may all sing in great hope and assurance with the Prophet Dauid mercie and truth are met together righteousnesse and peace kisse each other truth shal rise out of the earth and righteousnesse shall looke downe from heauen Graunt vs O Lorde that grace in the name and fauour of thy welbeloued sonne our Lorde Iesus Christe vnto whome be glorie for euer Amen ESAY 11. c. The Lord shall set vp a token among the Gentils and gather together the dispersed of Israel yea and of the outcastes of Iuda from the foure corners of the worlde A prayer O Lord which doest disperse and breake the counsells of the nations dost bring too nothing the enterprises of the people shed out the bowels of thy mercies vpon those which do fight daily against thée as their forefathers and woulde chase and driue thée from thy celestiall throne as the king of Babilon To conclude doe put and set them selues against thy sonne Christe teachers and liers as that sonne of perdition for to pull vp by the roote that which thou hast planted to destroy to ruinate that which thou hast builded to hinder and stop that which thou hast shed out euen vnto the vttermost ends of the earth yea do go about by all meanes to marre and to spill that which thou hast tried in the furnesse of the earth and purified seuen times in the fier to ad vnto that which thou hast ordeined in all integrie perfection To cōclud would suppresse abolish by force that which thou hast established for euer O Lord giue thē feare that they may acknowledg confesse him whom thou hast raised vp to set vp the kinreds of Iacob to restore the destruction of Israel and whom thou hast giuen for to lighten the Gentiles that he may be thy health vnto the end of the worlde our Lorde Iesus Christe vnto whome be glorie for euer Amen AN ADVERTISEMENT VNto these which doe crie dayly that wee must not suffer two religions Cap. 4. 1. TIMOTH 4. ¶ Therfore we labour and suffer rebuke bicause we beleeue in the liuing God which is the sauiour of all men but especially of all those that beleeue IT is most euident and knowen by the discourse of the holy scripture that as the Lord is true entire perfect so doth hée require of vs an acknowledging of him neither fained nor cloked That is the cause wherfore he did regard rather the sacrifice of Abel then of Cain did commaunde in the lawe that is written that wée must haue a perfecte and a iust measure and weightes and not to haue two manner of weightes he did rebuke Saul because that he did not wholy and fully accomplish his will and desire inasmuch as he did reserue some of the spoiles which they had gotten against the king of Amalech And in the Gospell is more praised the prayer of the Publican then that of the Pharisie To conclude in the booke of the Actes of the Apostles Ananias is punished bicause he deceiued the Apostles of the price of his possession In the same respect also we do greatly abhorre those which do mingle the sacrifice of the liuing God with that of Baal the doings of the Iewes with the fame of the Samaritans the baptisme with the circumcision the Christian lawe with that of Antichrist And yet
blame the poorenesse and littlenesse of our church forasmuch as it is staied vpon the worde of the Lorde which abideth for euer But we must rather accuse the malice of those which do rise vp against vs for to destroy and ruinate that principall foundation whiche is Iesus Christ in whom all the building coupled together groweth vnto an holy Temple in the Lord in whom we also are built together made the habitation of God by the spirite for as we ought not to blame Moses nor to attribute vnto his doctrine that the people of God did not multiplie and increase but vnto king Pharao which did force them vnto an extréeme and miserable seruitude and bondage euen vnto the killing of the first borne of the people neither vnto the prophet Helyas that in his time the true Prophets were no more at commaundement but rather vnto king Achab and Iesabel his wife whiche did followe and chase them vnto death No more also then we ought to blame Sainct Iohn Baptist the messenger or forerunner of the sonne of God or the Apostles of Iesus Christe because that so many people did put themselues against the Christian lawe But to accuse the ambition of the Romaine Emperours together with the priuie hatred of the Scribes and Pharises willing to deface in the earth the memorie of Christ In like manner we ought not to condempne the true Christian religion or to stay vs or tarrie vppon the default of those which do professe it but to acknowledge the rage furie of the enimies of the crosse of Christ and in the meane season to beare patiently the manners of our domesticalls teaching them with gentlenesse prouing if God at any time will giue them grace that being conuerted they may know the trueth And because that the haruest is great but the labourers are fewe let vs on our parte pray vnto the Lord of the haruest to send foorth labourers into his haruest and that for so many hired and vnprofitable shepherds he do send good shepherds into his folde looking for or beholding the cōming of the true shepherde of our soules our Lorde Iesus Christ vnto whom be glory for euer Amen 1. CORINT 1. d. VVhen the world by wisedome knewe not God in the wisedome of God it pleased god by folish preaching to saue them that beleeue A prayer O Lorde whiche hast spoken by thy Prophet I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent yea which hast chosen the foolish things of this world for to confounde the wise and the weake and féeble things for to confounde the strong and the vile and despised and those which are not for to abolish those which are to the end that no flesh doe glorifie himselfe before thée Poure out thy vengeaunce vpon those which are of a corrupt iudgement rebuke as concerning the faith Who as Iannes and Iambres withstode Moses also of a purpose doe resist the trueth of thy gospel and do count the worde of the crosse folishnesse Breake a sunder and confounde the enterprises and counsailes of all those which do eleuate themselues against thy holy Mounteine as thou hast destroyed the strength and force of all the kings and monarkes of the worlde by that little stone cut out of the rocke without any handes and hast abated the pride of the mightie through the humilitie of thy sonne to the end that all the worlde may knowe that thy kingdome is not of this worlde and that the felicitie of thine doth not lie in this present life but in the kingdome of the blessed Finally that the Christian Church is not an assemblie of proude and imperious Magistrates but of those which do humble themselues vnder thy obedience and do put themselues vnder the yoke of thy welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde And yet Lord that bicause of vs thy name is blamed not among the Christians onely but also among the straungers in so much that our sinnes demerites do giue occasion vnto our enimies of slaunder and to vs of confusion and rebuke Neuerthelesse O Lord in asmuch as thorough the incredulitie of some of ours thy lawe is no lesse veritable and true as it is written That thou mightest be iustified in thy sayings and ouercome when thou art iudged Remember not O Lord for thy fatherly goodnesse our offences and haue not in minde the wickednes of those which do polute and blame thy name but beholde the face of him which was holden and taken to be of the companie of the malefactours and hath protested before thy maiestie that the rebukes of them which rebuked thée were fallen vpō him our Lorde Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer Amen ¶ THAT NONE CAN HINder or stoppe the course of the religion by fire and sword threatnings and bonds Cap. 6. 2. CORINT 13. c. ¶ VVe can do nothing against the trueth but for the trueth IF the Scripture doth teach vs in diuers places that the Gospel is none other thing but a message of peace according as Esaie saith that beautifull are the féete of him that bringeth the message from the mounteine proclaimeth peace that bringeth the good tidings precheth health saith vnto Syon thy God is the king if say I the same prophet speaking of the vocation and calling of the Gentiles and message of the gospel doth write in the persone of the Lorde that he will let peace into her like a water floud and the might of the heathen like a flowing streame and that in that same time men shall breake their swords and spears to make sythes sickles sawes thereof From that time forth shall not one people lifte vp weapon against another neither shal they learne to fight from thenceforth according to that we do reade that at the fist or new comming of the sonne of God that there was with the Angel a multitude of heauenly souldiers lauding God and saying glorie be to God in the hie heauens and peace in earth and towards men good will. As it is most euident that Iesus Christ our sauiour was borne vnder Cesar Augustus reigne a kingdome full of tranquilitie and peace truely the Ambassadour and herauld of one such message ought to obserue and kéepe a great méekenesse and gentlenesse in his charge profession For it is most certeine that Moses and Iesus Christ in that haue had a singuler prerogatiue aboue all other of Moses the scripture saith that he was a verie méeke man aboue all the men of the earth what Iesus Christ was he himselfe doth manifest and declare it when he cried with a loude voice come vnto me all ye that are wearie and laden and I will ease you Take my yoke on you and learne of me that I am méeke and lowely in heart In somuch that the Prophet speaking of his méekenesse saith he shall not be an outcrier nor
an hie minded person His voice shall not be heard in the streates A brused reade shal he not breake and the smoking flaxe shall he not quench he wil not be hatefull or odious vnto him selfe nor yet werie him selfe That is the cause wherfore Sainct Peter did exhort the pastours shepherds to féede Christes flock which is commited vnto them taking the ouer-sight of theÌ„ not as though they were compelled thereto but willingly not for the desire of filthy lucre but of a good minde not as though they were Lordes ouer the parishes but that they shoulde be an ensample to the flocke Euen so dothe Saint Paul say writing vnto the Thessalonians we haue béene saith he tender among you euen as a nursse cherisheth her children so was our affection towarde you our good will was not to haue delt vnto you not the gospel of God onely but also our owne soules bicause ye were deare vnto vs Euen so saide Iesus Christe vnto his Apostles behold I sende you foorth as shéepe among wolues Be ye therfore wise as Serpentes and innocent as Doues And in an other place of the same booke Ye know saith Christ that the Lordes of the Gentiles haue domination ouer them And they that are great exercise power ouer them It shall not be so among you But whosoeuer will be great among you let him be your minister and whosoeuer will be chiefe a mong you let him be your seruant As the Lorde also doth witnesse by his prophet speaking of the remnants I meane of the faithful congregation that the remnant of Israel shall doe no wickednesse nor speake lyes neither shall there any disceitful tongue bée founde in their mouthes for they shall be fedde and take their rest and no man shal make them a fraide And it is verie well saide of Plato that he which doth stablishe and make Lawes in cities ought to hold and kepe the office of a father and mother Insomuch that his writings shold conteine in them rather a kinde of loue and wisedome then of a tirant thretning and ruling by rigor and cruelnesse And therefore the Lorde did rebuke sometimes the shepeherds of Israel for that they did rule ouer their flock in duritie and rigorousnes And Iesus Christ did declare vnto the Scribes Pharises that they did binde heuie burthens and gréeuous to be borne and lay them on mens shoulders but they themselues will not heaue at them with one of their fingers and loue to sit vppermost at feastes and to haue the chiefe seates in the sinagogs gréetings in the markets and to be called of men Rabby As it did appeare that the chiefe priest asked the Apostles saying did not we straitely commaunde you that ye shoulde not teach in his name Such is and hath béene alwayes the manner and condition of those which haue little regarde to the christian religion so that they may get vnto themselues powre aucthoritie As we do reade that king Nabuchodonosor did coÌ„pell and constraine the people to do homage worship vnto his idoll one Antiochus which did cause the Iewes and Machabees to forsake the diuine seruice and preceptes of the elders one Cozba in the time of the Emperour Elyas Adrianus would the men should take or acknowledge him for the true Messias promised in the lawe or as we doe se in our time an Emperour of the Turkes by force of armes did go about to mingle the heauen earth for to obscure and darken the name of Christ and to deface his remembraunce Not without great cause Saint Hierome did coÌ„plaine sometimes that when the powre was vsurped by the prelats of the Church that the Church being increased in goods and riches hath ben also diminished and made weake in vertues things much more dampnable and contrarie to our religion as the worde of the Apostle doth admonishe and teach vs that the weapons of our warre are not carnall things but things mightie in God to cast downe stronge holdes wherewith wée ouerthrowe imaginations and euerie hie thing that exalteth it selfe against the knoweledge of god And verie well a certeine auncient authour saide that the Church doth not knowe the corporall weapons and that for her onely aide and helpe she doth patiently abide and tarie patiently the Lordes leasure when it will please him to haue pittie on her to the same ende a Bishoppe of the Church of Rome saide When I shal be coÌ„pelled I may not resist I may besorrie I may wéepe and lament against the armies weapons of the men of Gotia my teares weepinges are my weapons Behold saith that good authour the munitions and weapons of priestes otherwise I can neither speak against nor resist Now for asmuch as our enimies do goe about and endeuour themselues to mainteine their Religion by fire and sworde threatnings and bandes they do sufficiently declare that they cannot assure it by the scripture Euen as king Pharao desiring to raigne ouer the people of God fearing that he should not treade vnderfoote all other nations did lay vpon them importable burthens and at the last caused to be killed all the first borne of the people of Israel Euen so I say as Herode being troubled for the homage obedience that men did beare vnto Iesus Christe of his natiuitie considering the promises of the sauiour of the worlde accomplished and fulfilled in him dyd slaye all the children that were in Bethelem and in all the coastes thereof as many as were two yeare olde and vnder fearing least that the aduauncement of the kingdome of Christ should be the ruine of other people Beholde the ende of those which haue no regarde what become of the kingdome of Iesus Christ so that they may establish set vp their puissaunce and greatnesse to the ende they may reigne and beare rule in this world But the meaning of the true christians is altogether otherwise forasmuch then as they doe seeke first the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse therof Yet they care not what their aucthoritie power and greatnesse be so that the word of God haue his frée passage and the name of the Lord be glorified For that same reason they put not their hope and strength in carnall weapâ—ns but in spirituall Their sword is the word of God quicke and mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged swoord and entereth through euen vnto the deuiding asunder of the soule and of the spirite and of the ioyntes and the marie and iudgeth the thoughtes and intentes of the heart Their victorie is that that ouercoÌ„meth the world eueÌ„ our faith by the which as saith the Apostle vnto the Hebrewes The auncient fathers patriarks and Apostles haue subdued kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obteined the promises stopped the mouthes of the Lyons And as Iesus Christ said that he will fight against his enimies with the swoorde of his mouth Also
not In so dooing we shall bée afrayde to condempne vnto death so lightly him for whoÌ„ Iesu Christ fréely hath shed his bloud In such sort that we leauing all disordinate desire of vengeaunce and carnall affection as spirituall men may discerne and discusse spirituall thinges Amen Apocalip 6. b. ¶ I sawe vnder the alter the soules of them that were killed for the word of God and for the testimonie which they had And they cryed with a loude voyce saying how long tariest thou Lord holy and trewe to iudge and to auenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth A Prayer O Lord and father of our Lorde Iesus Christ which art meruailous in puissaunce and infinite in mercy Extende thy clemencie and fatherly goodnesse vppon those Who of an vndiscréete zeale and following the traditions of their fathers doe bandon theÌ„selues against thy sonne Christ â–ª and doe shed daylie the bloude of thy seruauntes Regarde their threateninges and giue vnto those which do adore and feare thée to declare thy word with al boldnesse breake the force strength of thine enimies by the sword of thy mouthe that they acknowleging thy maiesty may be wise as serpeÌ„ts innocent as doues To conclude that euery one may call vpon thée and magnifie thee in the middest of the nations séeing the chaunging of thy right hande And as thou hast foreshewed by thy Prophet that at the birth of thy welbeloued sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ the people shall breake their swoordes and speares to make sithes sickles and sawes herof that one people lift not vp weapon against an other But that thou wilt giue vnto them a newe heart and a newe spirite and that thou wilt take that stonie heart out of their bodies for to cause them to walke in thy commaundements to kéepe thy lawes Giue vnto vs grace in this meane libertie of religion and exercise of the same That the wicked béeing slaine with the breath of thy mouth the Wolfe may dwel with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lie downe by the Goate the Lyon and other cattell may keepe companie together so that a little childe may driue them foorth I doe meane that no man do any hurt vnto thy holy mountaine But that the earth be filled with thy knowledge as if the waters of the sea did couer all thinges Finally that we may all walke in the lyght of our LORD Iesus Christ to whom be glorie for euer Amen ¶ A BRIEFE DEMONSTRAtion vnto those which of a set purpose do turne themselues from the knowne veritie without any force and compulsion Hebrewes 10. e. Cap â–ª 2 ¶ If we sinne willingly after that we haue receiued the knowledge of the trueth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes FOrasmuch then as the lawe of the Lorde hath bene published with thunderinges and lighteninges and that the same Lorde did sometime manifest and shewe him selfe vnto the people in figure and shewe of a burning bush As also it appeareth that the holy Ghost descending vpon the Apostles there came a sound from heauen as it had bene the comming of a mightie winde Truely we cannot be ignoraunt what the troubles are to the manifestation of the lawe bicause of those which doe speake against the true religion as it is written that Iesus Christ shall be the fall and resurrection of many in Israel and a signe which shal be spoken against Also that the lawe doth ingender in vs trouble vnder consideration of the paine appointed for the transgressors of the same Forasmuch as it is an heauie thing that a mans owne conscience beareth record of his wickednesse and condemneth him Insomuch that there is no meanes to appease such differences but in the peace of him who hath reconciled all thinges vnto GOD his father and to set at peace by the bloud of his crosse both things in heauen and thinges in earth Euen as in the olde lawe there was no better remedy for the biting and stinging of the Serpent then by the beholding and looking vpon the brasen serpent lifted vp in the wildernesse According as Iesus Christ sayth in saint Iohn that as Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man bée lifted vp That none that beléeueth in him perish but haue eternall life And nothwithstanding that there was as wel in the law of Moses as in the christian lawe great troubles and contradictions yet truely there is great difference of the one and of the other For the one doth set before vs threatnings the other doth declare vnto vs peace the one doth represent a Moses terrible and fearefull the other doth represent vnto vs in persoÌ„ a gentle and gracious Iesus Christ The one doth rebuke our faultes transgressions the other doth bring vnto vs our grace and satisfaction Finally the one doth condempne vs of eternall death the other doth iustifie vs before God in the death of his onely welbeloued sonne our Lord Iesus Christ And euen as in the lawe that is written Moses is iustly condemned for that hée fayled towardes GOD at the waters of striefe And the children of Israel are rebuked bicause they murmured against the same Lord desiring the pleasures of the countrey of Aegipt Euen so in the lawe euangelicall Iesus Christ will not hold for vngiltie those which for common afflictions doe dâ—strust of his grace puissance and goodnesse For he hath said whosoeuer shall knowledge me before men him will I knowledge also before my father which is 〈◊〉 heauen But whosoeuer shall denie me before men him wil I also denie before my fatheâ— which is in heaueÌ„ That is the cause wherfore he requireth of vs that our lamps may bâ— alwaies burning burning I say of thaâ— heauenly fire whereof our Lord speaketâ— in this manner I am come to sende fire on earth and what is my desire but that it were all ready kindled and he would that we should not be betweene both or luke â–ª warme but that we should be hotte or colde and that we should cast our sorowes and afflictions vpon the loue of him which hath borne our paine and taketh away our infirmitie and hath bene wounded for our offences and smitten for our wickednesse For in all those thinges we are more then vanquishers bicause that he hath first loued vs. Furthermore inasmuch as the same Lord doth admonish vs that he will be with vs alwaies euen vntill the ende of the worlde Truely in what kinde of affliction so euer it bée wee ought alwaies to assure our selues in that woorde and not to bee lyke vnto that disciple of Iesus Christ our Sauioure the whiche did feare the windes and outragiousnesse of the weather in the presence of him which hath the power not onelie to commaunde both the sea and the lande but by one breath of his mouth can at one moment bringe to naught and destroye all the
he was not dicomforted but blessed the name of GOD which gaue him grace to suffer for him Let vs leaue off then al such excuses when it is a question to obey the commaundement of the LORD for when the will is readie the powre is lacking Forasmuch as wée doe staye all in the strength of him which hath loued vs bicause that he which is in vs is greater then he that is in the worlde Let vs haue for example that liitle Dauyd who going to fight with that great Goliah measured not his strengthes but the power of him in whose name hée did fight Let vs remember that the Apostles hauing expresse cōmaundement of the Lord to go into a towne that lieth ouer against thē to the ende to vnlose an Asse and hir colte did not consider the difficultnes of the cōmaundement but staying themselues vpon the authoritie of him which commaunded them did execute incontinently their charge When Iesus Christ did send his Apostles thorow out the whole worlde for to preach declare his gospell they regarded not the daungers that might haue happened vnto them by the way the force and puissaunce of the enemies of the crosse of Christe Furthermore they excused not themselues of their ignoraunce but fortefying themselus in this word I wil giue vnto thée a mouth and wisedome to the which your enemies cannot resist did execute incontinently the commaundement of the Lorde Let vs then take example of those whom Iesus Christ hath sometime called for to followe him whereof the one excused himselfe saying suffer me first to burye my father the other sayde suffer me firste to bidde them farewell which are at home at my house Vnto whome the LORD aunswered no man that putteth his hande to the ploughe and loketh backe is apte to the kingdome of god Wherefore when the LORDE doth commaunde vs any thinge or when he doth call vs let vs doe as that good Samuel did who as often times as hée was called of the Lord as often times aunswered I am here for thou diddest call me Or as sainct Paule who sodeinly at the voice of the LORD aunswered What wilt thou haue me doe To conclude let vs kepe simplie that which is commaunded vs for to doe without putting too or taking from the word Dooing not that which seemeth good in our eies but that which God hath ordeined For the Lord doth protest by his Angell vnto euery man that heareth the wordes of the prophesie of this booke that if any man shall adde vnto these thinges GOD shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke And if any man shall minish of the words of the booke of this prophesie God shall take awaie his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy Citie and from those thinges which are written in this booke Deuteronomium 30. c. The commaundement which I commaund thee this day is not separated from thee neither farre off It is not in heauen that thou needest to say who shall go vp for vs to heauen and fet it vs that we may heare it and doe it Romaines 10. b. The word is nigh thee euen in thy mouth and in thine heart This is that worde of faith which we preach A Prayer O Lorde which hast made fast for euer and euer all thy commaundements in all truth and equitie and which puttest in man both the will and the desire to fulfill them Teach vs the way of thy statutes and shed and poure into our hearts thy loue through thy holy spirite by the which thou doest helpe our infirmities that we distrusting in our strengthes and despising the assaultes of the flesh the world and the diuel we may stay altogether vpon the loue of him which was once offered vp for vs for to accomplish thy will. And hast made vs more then vanquishers through the victorie which doth surmount the worlde that is to say our faith thy welbeloued sonne our LORD Iesus Christ vnto whom bée glorie for euer Amen ¶ A BRIEFE DEMONSTRATION vnto those which doe make profession of the true christian Religion and neuerthelesse doe refuse the ecclesiastical discipline wherein is described somewhat the vse fruite thereoff Cap. 15. Psalme 32. d. ¶ I will knowledge my sinne vnto thee and mine vnrighteousnesse haue I not hid And I saide I will confesse my sinnes vnto the Lord and so thou forgauest the wickednesse of my sinne 2. Timothe 4. a. ¶ Preach the worde be feruent in season and out of season improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine 2. Corinth d. ¶ So write I nowe beeing absent to them which in times past haue sinned and to all others that if 〈◊〉 come againe I will not spare THe Prophet Ioel did complaine of his people calling them to repentaunce saying Tourne you vnto the Lord with al your hearts with fasting wéeping and mourning rent your heartes and not your clothes and tourne vnto the LORD your God for he is gracious and mercifull long suffering and of greate compassion and readie to pardon wickednesse Then no doubt he also shall tourne and forgiue and after his chastening he shall let your encrease remaine for meate and drincke offerings vnto the Lorde your God blowe out with the trumpet in Sion proclaime a fasting call the congregation and gather the people together warne the congregation gather the elders bring the children sucklings together Let the bridegrome goe foorth of his chamber and the bride out of hir closet Let the priestes serue the Lord betwixt the porch and the aulter wéeping and saying bée fauorable O Lord be fauorable vnto thy people let not thine heritage be brought to such confusion least the heathen be Lords thereof Wherefore should they say amonge the heathen Where is now their God Nowe goe to sayth the Lorde we will talke together It is not so though your sinnes be as redde as scarlet shall they not be whiter then snowe And though they were like purple shal they not be like white woll The Lorde standeth waiting that he may haue mercy vppon you and lifteth himselfe vp that he may receiue you to grace Be conuerted and tourne you cleane from all your wickednesse so shall there no sinne doe you harme Cast away from you al your vngodlinesse that ye haue done make you newe heartes and a newe spirite Wherefore will yee die O ye house of Israel séeing I haue no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth saith the Lorde God. Tourne you then and ye shall liue Forasmuch then as the voice of the Lorde is commune to all as that of his sonne Iesus Christ hath bene commune who hath sayd Come vnto me all yée that are wearie and laden and I will ease you Take my yoke on you and learne of me that I am méeke and lowly in heart and that God is not parciall But in all people he that feareth him
fearing the paine of sinne the vengeauÌ„ce of our heauenly father For the Lord doth giue vnto euery one accoring to his works that is to say vnto those which with patience to do well seâ—ke praise honoure and mortalitie eternall life But vnto them that are contentious and disobey the trueth and followe iniquitie shal be rendred indignation wrath tribulation and anguish vpon the soule of euery man that doth euill Forasmuch as the seruaunt that knewe his masters wil and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shal be beaten with many stripes Others obey the commaundementes of the Lorde bicause of the gaine profit And in that they resemble the hired seruaunts which serue their master but for the hire or reward Of those Dauid speaketh off when he said the iudgements of the Lord are true righteous altogether more to be desired are they then golde yea then much fine golde swéeter also then the honie and the honie combe Moreouer by them is thy seruaunt taught and in kéeping of them there is great rewarde For the eie hath not séene and the eare hath not heard neither haue entred into any mans minde the things that God hath prepared for them the loue him Finally some loue the Lord obey him through beneuolence and christian amitie béeing stirred forwarde of a vertuous loue the which moueth them to loue him who hath giuen vnto them the lawe which hath the wordes of eternall life let vs acknowledge him in whoÌ„ we liue moue and haue our béeing and doe loue him as the true children doe loue their fathers For as saith the same Lorde by his Prophet the sonne doth honour his father a seruaunt his master if I be then a father where is mine honour if I be the Lorde where am I feared where we conclude that in these two things chiefly one may know those which do loue God that is to say when they beare a singuler affection to the holy worde of the Lord and that they do kéepe the commaundementes conteined in that worde As to the first Dauyd saith my delight shall be in thy statutes and I will not forget thy wordes O what loue haue I to thy lawe all the day long is my studie in it O how swéete are thy wordes vnto my throt yea swéeter then honie vnto my mouth He that is of GOD sayth Iesus Christ heareth Gods wordes As touching the second saith the same Lorde if any man doth loue me he doth kéepe my word That is the cause wherefore it is written in the lawe Thou shalt loue thy Lord thy God And these words which I commaund thée this day shal be in thine heart and thou shalt recite them vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou art at home in thine house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp and thou shalt bind them for a signe vpon thine hand And they shal be papers of remeÌ„braunce betwéen thine eies and shalt write them vppon the postes of thine house vpon thy Gates Euen so the LORD commaunded Iosua that he kéepe and doe according to all the lawe which Moses his seruaunt commaunded him that he do not turne there â—rom neither to the right hande nor to the lefte that he may haue vnderstanding in all he taketh in hande let not the booke of this lawe depart out of his mouth but that he studie therein day and night that he may be circumspect to doe according to all that is written therein Yea the law would expresly that when the king is set vppon the seate of his kingdome he shall write him out this second lawe in a booke taking a copie of the priestes the Leuites And it shal be with him and he shall reade therein all dayes of his life that he may learne to feare the Lorde his God for to kéepe all the words of this lawe and these ordinaunces for to doe them â–ª In that same Dauid delighted when he sung I haue as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all manner of riches I will exercise my selfe in thy commaundementes and haue respect vnto thy foote pathes my delight shal be in thy statutes I will not forget thy wordes I will speake of thy testimonies euen before kings and will not be ashamed my delight shal be in thy commaundementes whiche I loue And they must not here excuse themselues vpon the difficultnes hardnesse of the commaundements For as saith Saint Iohn his coÌ„maundements are not gréeuous That is the cause wherefore Sainct Paul saide as Moses Say not in thine heart who shall ascende into heauen either who shall descende into the déepe that is nothing els but to fetch vp Christ from death But what saith the scripture The word is nie thée euen in thy mouth and in thine heart This worde is the worde of faith which we preach For if thou shalt knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord shalt beléeue with thine heart that GOD raised him vp from death thou shalt be safe Here some men wil say vnto me and howe can the commaundements of the Lord be easie forsomuch as the Lord commaundeth to enter in at the straite gate shewing to his people that wide is the gate and brode is the way that leadeth to destruction Where we wil briefly conclude that if they haue regarde onely to the calamities of those which suffer for the name of Iesus Christ truely the way is rude gréeuous For the lawe is certeine which saith that we must enter into the kingdome of heauen thorowe many oppressions griefes Euen as the Lord Iesus Christ himselfe saide to some of his disciples the Christ ought to haue suffered these things and to enter into his glorie But if they haue regarde to the frée wil of those which suffer persecution all things are easie and gentle vnto them and in all those thinges they are more then conquerours through him that loued them Euen so the Apostles departed from the counsell reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Iesus Christ And verie well hath Saincte Augustine declared that all thinges are easie and gentle to charitie to the which onely the charge of the Lord is light easie Some other will say here that if to loue God be to kéepe his commauÌ„demeÌ„ts The philosophers hauing not the law writteÌ„ doing neuertheles naturally the things which are of the law haue loued god for they haue obserued the law natural which wil that whatsoeuer ye would the men should do vnto you euen so do ye vnto theÌ„ for this is the law the prophets To this purpose we may recite the senteÌ„ce of Socrates when he said I do not knowe whether the Lorde will allowe our workes although it be that we haue taken paine to please him
learn to fight to wrastle to leape to daunce to put at the stone not setting by the honor of their fathers Béehold briefly that which wée thinke to bée due aswell towardes the parents of our bodies as of our soules I will end by the same sentence whereof came this word Children obey you fathers and mothers in the lord For so is it right Honor thy father and mother that is the first commaundement that hath any promise that thou maist bee in good estate and liue long on earth Obey them that haue the ouersight of you submit your selues to them for they watch for your soules euen as they that must giue accomptes To the end that in all things God be glorified through our Lord Iesus Christ vnto whom bée glorie for euer So bée it Prouerbes 23. â— Giue care vnto thy Father that beegate thee and despise not thy Mother when she is olde A Prayer O Lord which hast said by the mouth of thy faithfull seruant Moses that the imagination of mans heart is euill euen from the verie youth of him Direct through thy holy mercy and fatherly goodnesse in such wise my way and guide my pathes to the right and godly commaundementes that they may loue thée euen as the true children ought to loue their fathers and mothers and may feare thée as my souereigne Lord I doe honour also those whoÌ„ thou hast chosen for to bring me forth into the worlde to the ende that by that meanes my dayes may be prolonged vpon the lande obeying and walking alwayes after thy holy precepts and commaundementes and that receiuing in good part the holy admonitions and corrections of my parentes I may shewe by workes that I am not a bastarde but that I am a sonne lawfully begotten To conclude that in humbling my selfe vnder the yoke of thy holy lawe I may be felowheire of him which in all thinges made himself subiect obedient to Ioseph and Marie and alwayes to doe the thinges which were pleasing and agréeable vnto thée our Lord Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer Amen ¶ A BRIEFE ADVERTISment vpon the duetie of the Fathers towardes their children Cap. 19. Collossians 3. d. ¶ Fathers prouoke not your children to anger least they cast downe their heart IT is written in the sixte Chapter to the Ephesians Ye fathers moue not your children to wrath but bring them vp in instruction information of the LORD Now we may plainely perceiue that the true office of a father towardes his children consisteth chiefly in two thinges that is to say to instruct them in the lawe of GOD and other honest disciplines and also to correct them in all modestie and christian gentlenesse As touching the first Salomon in his proâ—erbes sayth O my sonne forgette not â—y lawe but sée that thine heart kéepe â—y commaundementes For they shall â—olong the dayes and yeares of thy life â—nd bringe thée peace For as witnesseth â—e same Salomon Where no Prophet 〈◊〉 there the people perish but well is him â—hat kéepeth the lawe And as touching â—he seconde it is sayde in the same place that the rodde and correction ministreth wisdome but if a childe bée not looked vnto hée bringeth his mother to shame Nourture thy sonne with correction and he shall comfort thée yea hée shall doe thée good at thine heart The which is â—eclared more at large in Siraac as followeth An vntamed horse will bée harde so a wanton childe will bée wilfull If thou bringe vp thy sonne delicatelie he shall make thée afrayde and if thou playe with him hée shall bringe thée to heauinesse Laugh not with him least thou weepe with him also and least thy teeth be set on edge at the last Giue him no libertie in his youth and excuse not his follie Bow downe his necke while he is young hit him vppon the sides while hée is yet but a childe least hée waxe stubbourne and giue no more force of thée and so shalt thou haue heauinesse of soule Teach thy childe and bée diligent therein least it bée to thy shame And Salomon in his prouerbes saith withholde not correction from the childe for if thou beatest him with the rodde hée shall not dye theroff Thou smitest him with the rodde but thou deliuerest his soule from hel The same Siraac doth set foorth vnto vs the instruction which we ought to kéepe as well towardes the sonne as towardes the daughter when hée saith If thou haue sonnes bringe them vp in nourture and learning and holde them in awe from their youth vp If thou haue daughters kéepe their bodie and shewe not thy face chéerefull towardes them Marrie thy daughter and so shalt thou performe a weightie matter But giue hir to a man of vnderstanding If thy daughter be not shamefast holde hir straitely least shée abuse hir selfe through ouer much libertie Wherefore inasmuch as the children are willingly moued with certaine little giftes and honest presents It should also be verie good that their fathers should let theÌ„ vnderstand and knowe the great goodnesse which the Lorde hath ordeined to them which obserue and kéepe his lawe and the daunger and persecutions which doe followe and haue alwaies followed those which are transgressors of his lawe That is the cause wherefore in the lawe of Moses are so often repeated the blessings vnto the kéepers of the lawe and to the transgressors of the same the cursinges which are contained chiefly in the bookes of Leuiticus and Deuteronomium And also in the prophesie of Esaie the Lorde sayde If ye be louing and obedient ye shall enioye the best thing that groweth in the lande But if ye bée obstinate and rebellious yée shall be deuoured with the sword for thus the Lord hath promised with his owne mouth And by his prophet Baruch he saith O Israel heare the commaundementes of life ponder them well with thine eares that thou maiste learne wisdome But how happeneth it Israel that thou art in thine enimies lande thou art waxen olde in a straunge countrie and defiled with the dead Why art thou become like them that goe downe to their graues Euen bicause thou hast forsaken the well of wisdome For if thou haddest walked in the way of GOD truely thou shouldest haue remained still safe in thine owne lande That is the verie cause which hath induced oftentimes the Lorde to cause to be set vp for the people a certaine marke and perpetuall monument in the places in which he hath giuen witnesse of his puissance and greatnesse to the ende to declare and shewe vnto the people that he was fauourable vnto them Also that the little children regarding beholding and marking such tropes and monumentes they shoulde be admonished by their parentes of the goodnesse and benignitie of the Lorde I will recite for this matter three examples of the olde lawe the first is in the booke of Deuteronomium where the LORD hauing giuen
¶ A CHRISTIAN DISCOVRSE vpon certeine poynts of RELIGION Presented vnto the most high puissant Lorde the Prince of Conde Translated out of French into English by Iohn Brooke of Asâ—he next Sandwich 1578. 1. PETER 4. b. ¶ As euery man hath receaued the gift minister the same one to an other as good ministers of the manifold grace of God. ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas East the 6. daye of Iune 1578. ¶ TO THE RIGHT HONOrable and his singuler good Ladie and Mistres the Countesse of Oxenforde Iohn Brooke wisheth longe and blessed life with increase of much honoure c. WHEN first true intent of bounden dutie and entire zeale had quickened and pricked me forward to present your Ladishippe with the dedication of this smal volume Right honorable and my verie good Ladie I grewe full of doubtes in my selfe whether to proceede and go forwarde or els to surcease and reuoke my presumed enterprise And abiding sometime in this vncerteine and vndetermined conclusion one while adaunted and suppressed with the vnworthinesse of the woorke in respect of mine owne labours beeing an vnlearned translation an other while animated and encouraged by the godlinesse of the matter comprehended and included therein then pulled backe and in manner put to silence by many doubtes of presumptioÌ„ rudenesse or rashnesse eftsoones againe imboldened and harted on partly by duetie to vnfolde and shewe my willing minde partly by certeine knowledge and dayly report of your Ladiships good inclination to vertue and godlinesse wherevnto adioyned the great fame of your singuler humilitie manifolde curtesie leaning at length onely to this staffe I wounde in time out of this doubtfull Laborinth of inconstant passions and became plainely resolued in the processe and going forwarde of this mine enterprise wherevnto I was yet the rather and more easely induced for that as within the hard and vntoothsome bone is included the sweete marrowe and as the vnsauorie shell comprehendeth the pleasant kirnell so vnder the rough and vnsmothed grace of mine vnlearned stile is shrowded much wisdome vertue godlinesse and in the simplicitie and plainnesse of my translation many profitable examples and holesome lessons conteined worthy to be embraced and followed of all men It came vnto my handes right honorable in the French and is entituled A ChristiaÌ„ Discourse vpon certein points of Religion Which title draue mee first to the ouerrunning of the matter and then finding the whole summe and contentes so well agreeing with the nomination I thought if I could put him on an English â—abite I might thereby pleasure and profite diuers of my natiue countrie men studious in the Scriptures to the contentation I trust of many to the offence of no vertuous and well disposed person May it therefore please you to admit the same into your fauourable acceptance and that vnder your ensigne it may haue safe conduct to enioye publication and free passage This request beeiâ—g graunted allowed of your good Ladiship Let captious Zoilus cauill or finde fault Let hatefull hereticke with all his forcible inuectiues subtil argumeÌ„ts straunge reasons diswade and seeke to oppugne impaire or discredite the matter Let proude Papist with all his authoritie abiure curse condemne both booke author to the fire Our immunitie protection defence resteth in almightie God the high Iudge of all And for the cleernesse of this matter we referre vs vnto his most holy and pure woorde and sacred Scriptures Wherefore trusting the sinceritie and trueth of the matter shal counteruaile the plainnesse of the interpretation and that the consideâ—ation of my zeale and bounden duetie aboue rehearsed shal abanndon all suspect of arrogancie and rashnesse I leaue for this time to trouble your Ladiship beseechinge the Almightie to blesse you with longe and manie happie yaeres in this life and the reward of Vertue in the life to come Your Ladiships seruaunt all to commaunde Iohn Brooke ¶ TO HIS SAIDE LORDE the Prince of Conde the author sendeth health IF feare doth make vs vnderstand the voice and as Dauid doeth witnesse that hee did erre and go wronge before that he was afflicted and troubled what can we lesse do after so many cyuil warres and persecutions of our owne countrey men yea rather houshould seruantes but to magnifie the Lord and dayly to meditate or studie vpon the maruels of his puissance and goodnes If say I Moses and Debora being sette at libertie and enfranchised srom the tyranny of the Egyptians and Chananeans did consecrate of late vnto God so many goodlye canticles and spirituall songes what can wee lesse do in this same meane time of religion but alwayes to offer vnto him sacrifices of thankes giuing That is to say the fruite of oure lippes confessinge his name And vnto whom ought wee to direct such writings but vnto those vnto whom the Lorde hath drawen from the middest of the waters and reserued from among them that are killed for to restore the ruins and decaied places of his second temple and to reestabish and set vp againe the true vsage of the Christian religion Beholde O Christian Prince wherfore I haue dedicated vnto thee this litle worke hauing first premeditated to the honour of him from whom doth proceede euerie good and perfect gift Assuring my selfe that thou wilt receiue it in as good part as the Lord did the two mites of that poore widow mencioned in the gospell Furthermore I doe not care what opinion men haue so that it be agreable to that true Iudge which doth not iudge men according to the sight of his eyes neither doth reproue a matter at the first hearing but doeth iudge all thinges in equitie and righteousnesse Our Lord Iesus Christ vnto whom be glory for euer Amen A BRIEF ADVERTISMENT wherein is shewed that we ought not to abuse the holy Scripture but to apply it to his proper vse 2. TIMOTH 2. Ch. â—5 ¶ Studie to shew thy selfe laudable vnto God a workeman that needeth not to be ashamed deuiding the word of trueth iustly FOrasmuche as the holy Scripture doth teach vs that the wordes of the Lord are pure words euen as the siluer whiche from the earth is tryed and puryfied seuen tymes in the fyre and the gospell is the puissaunce of God to the saluation and health of all that beleue therein insomuch that the Prophets speaking of the dignitie of the Herolds and Embassadours of the gospel doe crye out O howe beautifull are the féete of the Embassadour that bringeth the message from the mounteine and proclameth peace â–ª that bryngeth the good tidinges and preacheth health and sayth vnto Sion Thy God is the king The wyse suche as haue taught others shall glyster as the shining of Heauen and those that haue instructed the multitude vnto godlynes shal be as the starres world without ende Truely we may perceiue with our eyes what default it is to declare or shew forth the ordinaunces of the Lord
sorts of men so that they do referre it to his right vse In that respect there doth consist and lye a merueilous wisdome and discretion chiefly for the respect of the ministers of god For as Clement saith one ought not to take any sense newe and straunge from the scripture for to confirme it by the scripture but to take or choose from the scripture the true natural sense of the veritie And as Sainct Hilarie doth write that he doth reade rightly the holy scripture which doth vnderstand the sense and meaning of the scripture by the same meanes and will not take from or put to the scripture a straunge sense or contrarie vnto the same Such are the wordes of the songes of the spouse of the Lord the which we may ofte refer rather and to apply it to some disordinate pleasure than to the fruite of a feruent loue or charitie I wyll recite besides that whiche is before thrée or foure notable examples of the olde lawe First that of the Prophete Fsaie vnto whom the Lord did commaunde to loose off the sackcloth from his loynes and to put off his shoes from his féete and to goe naked and bare foote The other is of the Prophet Ieremie vnto whome the Lorde did declare expresly that he did make bands and chaines and put them about his necke and did sende them to the kinge of Edom. The third shal be of Oseas vnto whom the same Lorde did ordeine and commaunde to take an Harlot to his wife The last shall be of Ezechiel vnto whom the Lord commaunded him to sléepe sometime vpon the right side sometime vpon the left side to eate Barly cakes and to strike them with mans doūge Things truely that one should finde very straunge farre from the veritie were not but the lawe hauinge the shadowe of the good thinges to come be the thinges which are ther presented giuing an assured witnesse that all doth serue for our instruction and learning If any doth demaunde wherefore the Lorde hath not giuen hys holy Scripture in all or by all more easie familiar I do answere with Basil that the same was to the ende that our spirit being occupied to meditate vnderstand such secretes of the scripture should draw it so much the more from euill things and hurtfull For as it dayly happeneth or chaunceth that the things which are gotten with greate paine and labour are best estéemed and set by and those are more durable and wyll continue longer whiche are brought forth by longe space and continuaunce of tyme. To be shorte as that which is offered at commaundement without any trauayle is despised there will bee also daunger that the carnall men would not abuse the holy scripture without knowledging the price and worthines of the same Euen saith Basil as the Lord would not that we should hate and abandon incontynently as other brute beastes all that which is necessarie vnto the vse of mans lyfe but is willyng and desirous that man doe resist such defalte by hys industrie and laboure Euen so the Lorde hath lefte a certeine difficultnesse and hardnesse in the scripture to the end that our spirite should exercise it selfe more more to the knowledge of the veritie That is the cause wherefore the scripture doth not permit euery one to teach And sainct Hierome doth complaine of some which doe presume first rather to teath then to learne And the Lord hath made some to bée Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes some shéeperds and some teachers And all are not Prophets and teachers and all do not speake with diuerse tongues and al doe not interprete but the selfe same spirite doth all those thinges diuiding to euery man seuerall giftes euen as he wyll To the end that as euery man hath receyued the gifte minister the same one to an other as good ministers of the manyfolde grace of God. Furthermore the same doth declare verie wel that we ought to haue in great honour and reuerence the holy Scripture and not to abuse it as do the Panims of their writinges I do meane to all matters of laughing bawdry and dyssolution For Sainct Paul doth not suffer that any fylthy communication should procéed out of our mouthes but that which is good to edifie with all to the end that it may giue fauour and grace vnto the hearers yea and doth expresly forbid that fornication and all vncleannesse or couetousnesse bée not once named among vs neither filthynesse neither folish talking neither gestinge which are not comely Also he would not that wée should mingle the holy wordes of the Scripture with so many vile and dissolute matters For as saith Sainct Ambrose although that it haue pleasures pleasaunt and honest yet notwithstanding they are very farre from the Christian and ecclesiasticall rule bicause that that which we can not finde in the holy scriptures we ought not to vsurp To that purpose Eusebius doth recite the example of a Tragicall Poet named Theodotus who in applying certeine places of the Hebrewes vnto a fable was taken blinde and beléeuing that the same affliction and punishement was happened vnto him for the same occasion did acknowledge his sins as that good aucthour saith that with in a litle while after his sight was restored to him againe What shall we say of those which do wrest the holy scripture after their own fātasie do abuse it to the arte of the Magicians inuocations of wicked spirits Although that the Apostle doth admonish and warn them so many tymes that rightuousnesse hath no felowship with vnrightuousnesse or light hath no company with darkenesse or what concorde hath Christe with Belial either what parte hath hee that beléeueth with an Infidel or howe agréeth the Temple of God with images Also that such disciplines are forbydden throughout the whole scripture I wil not forget those which do abuse it to their priuate and perticular profite as did of late the Scribes and Pharises who vnder the coloure of paying their dismes and tythes which the Lorde did vow for the seruice of his Temple do defraude deceiue in the meane time theyr proper owne parentes of the dutie which nature hath commaunded thē according as Iesus Christ did rebuke thē saying But ye say euery man shall say vnto his father and mother that which thou desirest of mée to helpe thée with is giuen GOD and so shall he not honoure his father or his mother And thus haue yée made that the commaundement of God is without effect thorough your traditions As at this day many of the Romishe Church doe handle the places of the scripture not so much for to establishe the kingdome of the sonne of GOD as for to maintaine their vtilitie and profite and truely it is very harde that amonge such people one may finde the true wysdome For as Iob sayth wysdome is not found nor the
eternall life they are they which do testifie of mée And for that cause chiefly the Lord will that the dispensatioÌ„ of his word of his sacraments be open manifest vnto all the worlde to the ende that we may seperate the church and congregation of the true chrystians from so many sectes and companies of heritickes whych doe boast themselues to haue the Churche with them according as Lactancius doth write There would be also daunger or it is to be feared that ceasing the exercise of the religion ther would happen that which is written in the booke of Iudges that is to saye that euery man doe not that which séemed right in his owne eies or that which we doe reade in the time of king Asa that ther was no peace to them that go out and in But great vexation of the inhabiters of all lands for one nation shall destroye an other and one citie another for GOD will trounce them with all aduersitie as oftentimes it happeneth that the Lord being not knowen of his as he ought to be did take from his vnderstanding and wisdome and did fill them with blindnesse or darkenesse did giue vnto them a sléeping spirite eyes that they cannot sée eares that they cannot heare doth tourne their table into a snare that for their rewarde Beholde what doth force constraine me to say that it is in the great cities in the which we ought to establish first the exercise of the true christiaÌ„ religion bicause that oftentimes in the great cities are committed the greatest wickednesse extorcions tyrannies as the Lord so many times hath rebuked by his prophets the inhabiters of Ierusalem that according to the benefites that he hath done vnto them they did multiply increase their iniquities offences And by his prophet Daniel that the iniquitie hath begun of the auncients and doctors of the lawe although that the law was come out of Sion and the word of God from Ierusalem Not without cause the Lorde hath established his temple ordeined his ceremonies in Ierusalem the chiefe citie of Iuda for to reprâ—sse the sinnes of his people and to holde and kéepe them in the obedience of his holy precepts coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts bicause that his word is like a fire like a hammer that breaketh the hard stone quicke mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged swoord and entreth through euen vnto the diuiding a sunder the soule and the spirite wherein the scripture doth teach vs that there is no meanes more greater to same and to bridle the heartes affections of men then the woord of God. The which ought to serue for an example vnto all true Princes for to establish mainteine the exercise of religion I doe meane that in the which the woord of the Lord doth sound daily and is purely and rightly administred for in that point doth consist their power aucthoritie and greatnesse I doe remember for this matter that Licurgus the writer of the lawes of the Lacedemonians could find no time more fitter for to cause the citie of Sparta to florish then to accustome the inhabitaunts of the same to obey the lawes bicause saith hée that the lawes doe teach two things that is to say to commaund and to obey to the commaundement adding ouer and besides the same that the obedience doth consist and lye in the exhortation wherein we are learned taught that the exercise of the true christian religion is so much more necessarie for to mainteine and kéepe the rightes of Princes and Lordes the which by the word of God we doe learne to obey him as our Prince and soueraigne Lord to giue vnto all our superiours that which is due vnto them Tribute to whoÌ„ tribute belongeth Custom to whoÌ„ custome is due Feare to whom feare belongeth Honour to whoÌ„ honour perteyneth not onely for the anger but also for the conscience And although that this onely argument be sufficient for to proue that we haue nothing attempted agaynst the person of a Prince his lawes and preheminences yet truely our enimies haue thought by the meanes to make vs odious hatefull not onely vnto those of the countrey but also vnto straungers But as it happened of late amonge the disciples of the Lord the dooing of the religion béeing troubled for certeine differences or controuersies which were among theÌ„ at that time there the Apostles did assemble themselues together and hauing ordred the dooing of the religyon Notwithstanding that they could not do so much but that they were forced afterward both in their persons and in their religion and declared to bée rebels and seditious throughout all the Sinagogges Euen so is it happened of our time For though that by meere deliberation and aduise of the counsaile learned men and of good consciences haue agréed vnto some differences for to mainteine the vnitie of the kinges subiectes yet truely so many people haue risen against vs from all places that in the end haue declared vs to be rebels seditious to conclude we haue bene forced in our persons goodes conscienses In so much that we may bewaile lament that which S. Peter in his time did deplore lament after the saying of the prophet Dauid Why do the heathen rage together why do the people imagine vaine things the Kings of the earth stande vp and the rulers take counsaile together against the Lord and against his annoynted And we must not héere excuse our selues vnder colour of some yea of the most greatest part of the people speaking against the Edict and statute of the king for the gift to interprete the scriptures or to sée perceiue the differences which are done in the church is a light and knoweledge which the Lorde hath printed and imbraced in the heartes of the true and faythfull Christians and of those whiche of redie courage and frée will do beléeue the word of god And it is not bounde or tied to the number of personnes aucthoritie or greatnesse According to that which Iesus Christ did promise his Apostels in Saint Iohn that the holy Ghost shall teach them all things and that they shal be all taught of God. The whiche Sainct Peter doth declare more at large shewing that the scripture came neuer by the will of man but holy men of God speake as they were moued by the holy Ghost It is not then in the number of persons that we must way the dooing of the Religion but to the aucthoritie of the scripture and to the aduise of those which with a good conscience doe bring an eminent and ouerpassing knowledge Euen so the auncients in the primitiue Church do condempne Samosetanus and Arrius do take none other iudges for to discerne perceiue the differences then the word of God with the consenting of those which haue béene Disciples or successours of the
at this day we shall finde more straunge that vnder colour of some ordinarie tribute they doe suffer vnpunished the Iewes with the Christians the common harlots with the married women the Temples consecrated vnto strange vnknowen Gods amōg the middest of the Christian Churches But for all that it followeth not that they ought to chase driue vs out of the realme to depriue vs from our goods to exile and banishe vs from our landes to conclude to force vs in our bodies and consciences except that it be first decided and determined by the word of GOD that the Romishe Churche is the true Churche on the contrarie side that they doe knowe by the same Iudgement that ours is contrarie vnto the true Christian Churche For as the Lorde doth sende vs by his Prophet vnto the lawe and to the witnesse not vnto the deade So doth he commaunde vs by his welbeloued sonne to search diligently the Scriptures because that they are those which do beare witnesse of our saluation And euen as I say that it was but a small thing that the Iewes did reproch Iesus that he was a Samaritane and had the deuill And that they did call his Apostles deceiuours and sowers of newe doctrin To conclude that amōg the Romain Emperours they no more estéemed the Christian religion then of a new superstition or dangerous profession Also it shall not muche serue to crie dayly that they ought to kill vs banish and exile vs from our landes except that they doe declare vnto vs by the worde of God wherein we do swarue from the Christian church For it doth not followe that our religion is false because that it is contrarie vnto the Romish Church no mor then we must say that the doctrine of Iesus Christ was euil because that it was contrarie to the traditions of the Scribes and Pharises And it shall yet lesse serue in that matter to alledge vnto vs the prescription of the time in asmuch as the gospel doth rule vs or the greatnesse and magnificence of the Romish Church in regarde of ours forasmuch as they doe knowe that thorowe force and hypocrisie the ministers of the same haue vsurped such power aucthoritie and greatnesse For in those foundations the scepter reigne of Antichrist is shored vp mainteined And such are the markes of all false religion doctrine as doth witnesse vnto vs besides that which is said in the scripture of the sonne of perdition the good Cosba which did reigne in the time of Hely Adrian Emperour of the Romains him which doth call himselfe at this day the great Lord. For the true Christian religion doth not consist and lie in weapon or strength but in weeping and in bewailing no more then the brightnesse and clerenesse of the same in the force and strength of handes but in the patiēce and hope of men To conclude the perfection of our law doth not consist in visible outwarde thinges but in the most déepest places of mens hartes and imaginacions That is then without any purpose to conclude that we must be exiled from our countrie bicause they cannot suffer two religions except that the subporters mainteiners of the Romish church doe confesse by the same meanes that the truth is odious vnto them Euen so the people of Athens dyd chase and driue from their Citie and did put to death him in Cyprus which hath established the lawes Euen so Licurgus was banished of those whom he instructed in all good dysciplyne and ordinances Euen so Aristides was exiled and banished his countrye although they could rebuke him of none other thing but that he was too iuste The tyme will not serue mée to speake of the Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles it suffiseth me to send or apply the rest vnto that which the Apostle speaketh off vnto the Hebrewes the xj Chapter To conclude the confession of so many martyres of our religion ioyned with the worde of God doth giue most sure witnesse that wée are not the disciples of the God of the Gentiles for to deceiue men through ambiguitie and obscuritie of matters nor of an Idol Dagon God of the Philistians for to make vs afrayde in the presence of the Arke of the Lorde The humblenesse and obedience of ours and the despising that they haue of worldly goodes doe euidently declare howe abhominable the pride of Babilon the mother of fornication is vnto them Finally their bloodshed in all places doth sufficiently teach our enimies what fayth and hope they haue vnto the promises of the Lorde and to the merite of Iesus Christ and what defiaunce and distrust they haue of the power and might of creatures I will not héere compare the pollicie and rule of our Church vnto that of the Apostles and yet lesse the manners of ours to the life of them I doe leaue off to speake to them which with right conscience doe bring some meane knowledge to the holy scripture what difference there is betwéene the church of Iesus Christ that of Rome what deformitie they doe finde of ours to that of the Apostles I doe meane for the regard and respect of the doctrine and pollicie assuring my selfe in that matter that if they doe consider it throughly rightly and without affection they shal be more attentiue to correct and amende their owne vices then enclyned to condempne so lightly ours Furthermore it is easy to iudge that our religion is neither double neither fayned in that chiefly wée do holde nothing lesse then of the superstitions of the Gentiles nor of the ceremonies of the Hebrewes knowing that they were a shadowe of thinges nowe come No more then of so many traditions of the scribes and Pharises but that the simplicitie and plainnes of the holy scripture doth please vs or for to speake better the playne and simple veritie of the same making our selues agréeable to the worde of hym which hath sayde that GOD woulde bée worshipped in spirite and truth our LORD Iesus Chryst vnto whom be glorie for euer Amen Ieremie 2. c. My people hath done two euils They haue forsaken mee the wel of the water of life and digged them pittes yea vile and broken pittes that holde no water A Prayer O Lord which art full of compassion and mercy shed out thy mercy and fatherly goodnesse vpon that mad and furious people which doe gather themselues daily against thée for to abolish thy glorious name and to deface from the earth the remembraunce of thy sonne Christ Regard with pittie all those which go about by all meanes to obscure and darken thy lawe for to establish their traditions and do enforce themselues daily to chase and dryue away him whō thou hast sent in thi name for to receiue him which of longe tyme hath vsurped the seate of thy sonne in his owne name yea which are not ashamed to presente vnto the Chrystyan people in steede of a Iesus
Chryst a seditious Barrabas of a true Byshoppe and dyspensatour of thy holy will an ambitious and couetous hipocrite To conclude for a Mathias a Symon Magus yea to driue from their Cities and common wealthes the true religion for to admitte and bryng in all idolatrie and superstition Giue them Lorde such repentaunce and contrition as thou diddest of late vnto the king Manasses béeing all bloodie with the blood of the prophets vnto one Saul afterwards called Paule altogether inflamed wyth threateninges and killing agaynst the Disciples of Iesus Christ vnto a poore Publican whom thou hast afterwardes chosen for to declare the Gospell of thy grace in the fauoure and merite of him which béeing on the Crosse for our demerities and transgressions hath taught vs to praye for our enymies our Lorde Iesus Chryst vnto whom be glorie for euer Amen ¶ A BRIEFE ADVERTISment vnto those which do blame the true Christian religion for the poorenesse and littlenesse of the same or doe slaunder it for the euill conuersation and abuse of those which doe professe it Cap. 5. Esaie 41. ◠Be not afraide thou little worme Iacob and thou despised Israel for I will helpe thee saith the Lord and the holy one of Israel thine auenger IN the lawe of nature man béeing created vnto a dignitie and singuler perfection sodeinely did forsake the ordinaunce and commaundement of God and within a little while after the chyldren of Adam did ryse vp for to builde a Tower called Babell In the lawe that is written the people did erre and goe astray from the way that GOD commaunded them they made a Calfe of molten mettall and bowed themselues before it and delited in the woorkes of their owne hands In the booke of Nombers they murmured so much against Moses that Moses cryed vnto the Lord saying I am not able to beare all this people alone for it is to heauy for me kil me I pray thée if I haue found fauour in thy sight and let me not sée my wretchednesse In the booke of the kings so many false prophets did cōspire against Elias that he desired to die bicause that the children of Israel haue forsaken the couenaunt of the Lorde and haue broken downe hys Alters and slaine his prophets with the sworde The which we doe reade of Ieremy when of a meruaylous zeale that hée did beare vnto the house of God more thē through impatience of sorowe he did exclaime and crie out saying Cursed be the day wherein I was borne vnhappie bée the day wherein my mother brought mée foorth Cursed be the man that brought my father the tidings to make him glad saying thou hast gotten a sonne In the lawe euangelicall so many of the scribes pharises did conspire against Iesus Christ and his word that he himselfe did reproch and checke them that he was come in the name of his father and they receiued him not if an other do come in his owne name they do receiue him and therefore the same Lord doth admonish and warne his that they should beware of false prophets which come vnto them in shéeps clothing but inwardly they are rauening wolues In the time of the Apostles so many of the Emperours enimies of the christian law As Nero Domitian Herode and others So many false prophets as Simon Magus Iudas Galileus Therdas after the Apostles so many people corrupt in the lawe and manners that S. Paule did exhort his for to beware of things to come saying Take héede therfore vnto your selues and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerséers to rule the congregation of God which hée hath purchased with his bloode For I am sure of this that after my departing shal gréeuous wolues enter in among you which will not spare the flocke The same doth not learne or teach vs therefore to blame the religion of the LORD for the lawe of the Lorde is a perfect lawe it quickeneth the soule The Testimonie of the LORDE is true and giueth wisdome euē vnto babes but to acknowledge the mallice of men and the presumption of those which do rise vp against god And besides it teacheth vs not to beléeue to lightly euery spirite but to proue the spirites whether they are of God or not Furthermore not to way or measure the true Christian religion to the opinion of men but to the rule and word of the Lord according as it is sayde in Moses Thou shalt doe that which is right and good in the sight of the Lorde not all that which thou doest thincke to bée good And not to slaūder vs in the mallice of some Apostates for through the incredulitie vnbeléeuing of some which haue not beleued the promise of God is not abolyshed or without effect bicause that God is true all men are lyers Furthermore to acknowledge our imperfection and weakenesse after the example of those which haue despised the giftes graces and liberalities of the Lorde and to praye without ceasing and intermission that he doe increase in vs the fayth to the ende we doe not vary from his lawe either to the right hand nor to the left Finally to suffer patiently the wicked vntill the day of the later resurrection which is the time of the restoring of all things and to iudge nothing before the time vntill such time as the LORD doth come which will lighten things that are hyd in darkenesse and open the counsailes of the heartes and then shall euery man haue praise of God. Euen so Aaron suffered the people rising vp against him and did consent that they should make and worshippe an Idoll Euen so Moses suffered so many thousande persons which did murmure against him Euen so Dauyd did suffer patiently the manners of Saul his persecutor and deadly enimie and did acknowledge him for king and auenged his death Euen so Samuel did discemble and cloke the manners of the children of Ely. Euen so Esaie did beare the rebellion and contumacie of his people Euē so Ieremy those of whom he suffered so many wronges and iniuries and all that to the ende to kéepe the vnitie of the spirite in the bonde of peace As also Iesus Christ did suffer and abide in his company one Iudas a théefe and a betrayer of his bloode and did permitte and suffer him amongest good men to take our price Finally euen so did the Apostles suffer the false Apostles and those which did séeke the thinges which were their owne not those of Iesus Christ Not without cause saint Augustine saith that the church béeing established in the myddest of chaffe and darnell doth suffer many things yet notwithstanding the things which are against the faith or the good life she doth not allow them she doth not hide them she doth them not And truely those doe abuse themselues greatly which of the same do thinck to make a citie platonical I do meane which are an
example of all infirmities vices and imperfections What is the cause that we are not ashamed to confesse that ther are in vs companies of the immitators folowers of Peter aduowing themselues faithfull seruants of the Lord and yet neuerthelesse do disauow and denie it at the voice of a simple maide I doe meane for a light and small occasion Yea of Pilates consenting vnto the death of the iust against their owne consciences for the feare that they haue to lose their estates dignities and promotions And wée will not denie that one can not méet with the Nicodemians the secrete disciples of Iesus Christ And if it wer néedeful to require so néere they should ther finde of Iudasses which do marchaundise and sell the innocent bloode and doe betray the iust for money What shall I saye more there lacked not a souldyer for to pearce the side of the iuste I doe meane which doe speake euill of him through false reportes iniuries and wronges And besides this so many wicked people which doe wagge their heades with the Iewes and doe mocke the iust hanged on the crosse saying that we doe promise many things but that we do execute nothing rightly And to make an ende of this matter one may there sée a thiefe hanged on the crosse for his wickednesse and faultes and yet accusing the iust hauing him in dysdaine But euen as Iesus Christ béeing deliuered to death by the Iewes and forsaken of his Apostles and disciples was knowen to be the sonne of God by the things mute and without vnderstanding For the elements forsaking their right course haue sufficiently declared his greatnesse the stones which did rent break asunder haue openly declared what his puissaūce was aswel in heuē as in earth the graues which did open and the bodies that did rise haue declared that he had power ouer the liuing the dead Also if al the men of this world did violence vnto Iesus Christ and hys woorde the stones and dome thinges shall declare his praise and shal publish shew foorth hys lawe According as he did rebuke sometime the Scribes and Pharyses that if the little ones do hold their peace sodeinly the stones would cry out for God can of these stones raise vp children vnto Abraham As of late the LORD did stirre vp a dome Asse speaking in a mans voice for to rebuke the madnesse of the prophet Let vs then conclude with Dauid that the worde of the Lord endureth for euer in heauen And that his trueth also remayneth from one generation to another The Lord bringeth the counsayle of the heathen to naught and maketh the deuises of the people to be of none effect and casteth out the counsailes of Princes But the counsaile of the Lord shall endure for euer and the thoughts of his heart from generatiō to generation For he hath builded his witnesses for euer Heauē earth shall passe but his words shall not passe In this matter those of the Romish church taknig occasion of that place wil say the one ought not to forsake their religion for the abuses which one doth se ther daily chiefly in their prelates But they ought to know that there is two marks amonge other which doe seperate the true church from the false that is to say the true vsage of the word and of the administration of the sacraments ordeined of God pure whole forasmuch then as in the Romish church there is nothing of al this forasmuch as in it the commaundements of God are forsaken for the traditions of men the sacraments prophaned and applied vnto a hyre ordinarie traficke It is not without cause if we doe disalow or denie that church for although that their foundation as they say be Iesus Christ and him crucified yet truely they do build vpon the foundation so many vaine and vnprofitable things that one can scant know in their church any marke or signe of true religion And as we do read in Esay that Iesus Christ was so despised of the Iewes that euery one did hide their faces frō him insomuch as he had neither beauty nor fauour in him So we séeing daily so many kindes of wrongs by those of the Romish church that is to say in his word in his person his members that one can skantly knowe that he doth reigne in the middest of those which doe call themselues Christians and our enemies ought not to ground or build themselues vpon that that the bishoppes haue succeded the Apostles for the discipline and christian rule being chaunged by the abuse of them their estate and charge hath bene altogether chaunged and adnulled I do not meane to blame the bishops which haue followed the Apostles in their life and doctrine Furthermore one may the better know that the marks of the true christians are those whereof our Lord speaketh of in Esay saying Lay the witnesses together seale the lawe with my disciples And Iesus Christ in his Gospell saith my shéepe do heare my voice Forasmuch then as those of the Romish church do forsake the word of Iesus Christ our true shepheard and do harken vnto the voice of straungers turning their eares frō the veritie doe giue themselues vnto fables to conclude giuing héed vnto spirites of errour diuelish doctrine of thē which speak false through hipocrisie it is to plaine that we ought not to séeke the church in their companie And they do deceiue themselues greatly if they do thincke that for their euill conuersations onely we do abandon their religon for although that for such things the name of the Lord is blamed not among the christians onely but also among the Gentiles Yet truely we haue not so much regard vnto their maners as to their doctrine by the which the men are enclined vnto idolatrie meruailous superstition And therfore the scripture doth exhort vs to depart frō the citie of Babilon least we be partakers of hir sins to holde him accursed which doth preach vnto vs any other gospel then that which we haue receiued we will follow those which are marked with this marke Thau vpon their foreheades I do meane those which haue in a singuler recōmendatiō the law of the Lord for as saith the scripture whersoeuer the dead carkas is thither wil the Eagles resort wherein Iesus Christ doth teach vs that nothing shal hinder or let that the christians be not vnited knit vnto their head Wherfore as it is said it shal be to no purpose to say that ther are amōg vs so many false brethren inasmuch as Iesus Christ doth likē his church vnto a net cast in the sea gathereth of al kinds of fishes For the true mark of the Church of God doth consist in the lawe and in witnesse vnto the which the Lord doth sende vs by his prophet whē he sayth Is there a people any where that
asketh not counsaile at his God whether it be concerning the dead or the lyuing If any man want light let him looke vpon the lawe and the testimonie whether they speake not after this meaning Notwithstanding then that our enimies doe glorifie and boast themselues in the outwarde appearaunce of their ceremonies and sacrifices crying with the Iewes that there is no nation or people so great that hath ordinaunces and lawes so righteous as al this lawe which they set before the people Although saye I that they doe boast themselues of their Temples and sumptuous presentes and goodly endowmentes and that they do exclayme so many times dayly This is the Temple of the Lorde despisinge the Christian and reformed Church for the poorenesse basenesse and littlenesse of the same They are not ignoraunt that Iesus Christ hath not ben as a stone to stumble at and as a rocke to fall vpon a snare a net to both the houses of Israell and shal be the fall resurrection of many in Israel and for a signe whiche shal be spoken against Insomuch that Saint Paul doth witnesse that Iesus Christ crucified is an occasion of falling vnto the Iewes and vnto the Grekes of foolishnesse and his doctrine a swéete sauour of life vnto those which were saued and of death vnto those which do perishe What is the cause that their reasons doe serue to no purpose for to abolish or change the veritie of our religion grounded vppon the word of the Lorde but rather for to condempne the malice of those whiche do abuse it as the hoggs do of the good pearles and the doggs of the childrens breade which if they doe consider well what their Romish Church is they shall finde it in nothing differing from a policie or gouernement altogether prophane and worldly hauing it subiect not vnto the worde but to their opinion and priuate will a thing asmuch contrarie vnto the Christian doctrine as Iesus Christ doth teach vs that the Lordes of the Gentiles haue domination ouer them And they that are great exercise power ouer them but it shall not be so among them That is the cause why we do not sée any other thing to reigne in the Romish Church then an excessiue ambition and inordinate desire to encrease augment their greatnes as saint Hierome doth testifie of his time that the Churche beeing augmented increased in temporall ryches was also weakened diminished in christian vertues in suche sorte that hee durst well call the Church of his time a sinke and puddle in respect and regarde that it had and did beare vnto the Churche of of Iesus Christ and of his Apostles For the Christian Church is not bound vnto titles nor vnto dignities But to the word and to the true vsage of the Sacraments ordeined of the Lord nor limitted vnto a certeine place as of late the Iewes did referre the doings of their religion vnto the Temple of Salomon the benedictions blessings of the Lord to the mount Garizim but in all people he that feareth him worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him and his welbeloued sonne our Lorde Iesus Christe is in the middes of two or thrée gathered together in his name What shall I say more the greatnesse of the Christian church doth not consist in the number of persons for as Iesus Christ saith many are called but fewe are chosen And as Esdras doth witnesse the most highest made this world for many but the world to come for fewe As when thou askest the earth it shall say vnto thée that it giueth much moulde whereof earthen vessels are made but little of it that gold commeth off euen so is it with the worke of this worlde There be many created but few shal be preserued Insomuch that the Lord doth make sometime his Church like vnto a wilde and barraine vyne in the whiche one can finde but a fewe grapes yea vnto a budde in the which one can finde but one grape And he saith doe not destroye it for it is blessednesse And therefore the Lorde called his number the little flocke and doth tell vs that straite is the gate and narrowe is the way which leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that finde it I do say moreouer that we ought not to applie or referre the christian church vnto mans commoditie and felicitie For in the lawe of nature we do sée an Abel the figure of the true christians put to death and killed by his brother a Noe despised of his owne sonne Iacob the other prophets banished and constrained to flie that people of Israel so much praysed or estéemed of God compelled by Pharao vnto a great and miserable seruitude and bondage A little while after did wander stray abrode by the wildernesses The king and his people taken captiue in Babilon the Prophets constrained to hide themselues for the crueltie and tirannie of the kings In the Christian lawe the first Herolde and Ambassadour of Iesus Christe and of his gospell Iohn Baptist put to death by king Herod Iesus Christ from his birth or assoone as he was borne fledde into Aegypt The Apostles counted as shéepe to be slaine and after the Apostles I do meane from the time of the Romaine Emperours a verie bucherie and slaughter of Christians For all the same we haue none occasion to be offended or to be angrie with our selues seing the peace of the wicked and vngodly or to withdraw vs from the Christian Church for the aduersities of the same for euen as in the time of the vniuersal floude Noe and all his family were preserued from the waters and the Arke coulde not be forced with the windes and tempests or as the people of Israel erring and wandering in the wildernesse and vnknowen places were conducted and guided by the Lorde in the night by a piller of fire and by day in a piller of a cloude Finally as that ship wherin the Apostles were being tossed vppe and downe in the sea did séeme to manasse the Apostles of drowning if it had not béene that Iesus Christ at his comming caused the windes to cease and the sea to be calme Euen so this heauenly Arke I do meane the Christian Church or congregation being builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets that corner stone which is Iesus Christ yea him which hath promised vnto his that he wil aide and helpe them euen vnto the end of the world forasmuch as he doth fortifie him in his afflictions that nowe of late the Arke of Noe did lifte vp it selfe aboue the waters stormes and tempests Wherefore it should be in vaine for to no purpose for vs here to alledge the magnificence and greatnesse of the Romishe Church for that is as if one shoulde leane vppon a stafe of a broken reade that is to say vpon mans force and strength Or for vs to
hée doth giue power and strength vnto his in the vertue and power of his woord to roote out breake off destroy and make wast to build vp and plant as he promised in Ieremy and afterward confirmed by the mouth of his sonne sending his Apostles through out the whole world Then let all those bée confounded and put to shame which doe thincke to abolish the true christian religion by force of armes or with a great companie of people or by threateninges For as an auncient author hath very wel written that it is no religion to constraine the religiō the which men ought to receiue with a willing heart our religion cannot be forced and constrayned by force of armes but by woordes As for vs bicause that the Gospell hath bene preached throughout the whole worlde amonge the horrible persecutions of the martyres and that the bloode of them hath bene the séede of the Church yea that the Church is come to her perfection and greatnesse by those persecutions and hath ben crowned by the punishments and witnesses of the true faythfull christians we do make it no doubt to mainteine and defende our religion by the same meanes by the which she hath bene established I doe meane by patience and gentlenesse in such sort that although that our enimies doe yet murmure yet we are assured that the gates of hell shall not ouercome vs forasmuch as the church is the house of God the pyller and ground of truth We doe beléeue also that the persecutions which we do suffer doe not serue for any other thing then to witnesse the tyrannie and crueltie of our enimies and to assure more and more the veritie of our doctrine in our constantnesse and patience Euen as the persecution of Lot did figure none other thing but the vtter subuersion of the Citie of Sodome The affliction of the Israelites did declare and teach none other thing but the wast and destruction of the people of Aegypt to be nigh at hand To conclude the blood of the prophets did demonstrate declare the vengeaunce of God vpon that citie of Ierusalem so goodly and excelent According to that which is saide in Iesus the sonne of Siraach that bicause of vnrighteous dealing wrong blasphemies and diuers deceites a realme shal be translated from one people to an other And sainct Paule doth shewe and declare that the thinges which haue happened vnto him are tourned to the great furthering of the Gospell So that his bands in Christ were famous through out all the iudgement hall and in al other places Insomuch that many of the brethren in the Lord were boldened through his bands and dare more franckly speake the word I do speake vnto those which doe thincke to abolysh the true christian religion by the bloode of the faithfull as some which are so madde and senselesse willing to quench the fire doe put into it oyle For the Lord is come to sende fire on the earth And what desireth he more but that it be kindled If he himselfe hath embraced it in the heartes of the faithful who shall quench it Finally who shall seperate them from the loue of Christ shal tribulation or anguish or persecution either hunger either nakednesse either perill either swoord God forbid for in the same they are more thē vanquished by him which hath loued them Wherefore those are to much deceiued which doe thinck by some meanes whatsoeuer it bée to put out and quench in vs that lyght knowledg of Christ and celestiall veritie and doe not consider that sure loue is mightie as the death and gelousie as the hell her coales are of fire and a very flame of the Lord so that many waters are not able to quench loue neither may the streames drowne it Héere some will saye vnto me that the dooing of the religion ought to mainteine it selfe not by force of armes but by patience and méekenesse who haue moued and stirred vp those of the reformed religion to put themselues with force armes against the tyrannie of their enimies I doe aunswere that as it was lawefull by the olde lawe for the people of God to take weapons against the Philistians Moabites Madianites and other nations contrarie vnto the people of the Iewes then for that they were forced and constrained of them in their religion personnes or goodes Also it hath not bene lesse lawfull vnto those of the reformed religion hauing expresse commaundement of the king to kéepe defend by weapons that which hath bene concluded and determined so holily by the priuie counsayle for the dooing of the religion and the ecclesiasticall pollicie Inasmuch as all was confirmable and agreeing to gods lawe and expresse commaundement of the king who dyd aduowe them to doe the same by many letters and writings Euen as Dauid did take the weapons against Goliath forcing and troubling the people of God. And Gedeon did rise vp against the Madianites for to deliuer his people Iudith against Holophernes willing altogether to destroy and exterminate the Iewes Furthermore if the warre bée lawefull as it appeareth that the LORD did alowe so many warres of the Israelites And our LORD Iesus Christ dyd not despise the estate of the souldiers and of the Centurian In the Gospell chiefly and principally in two thinges weapons may be lawefull As king Alphonsus doth very well declare that is to say for the lawe and for the flocke I doe meane for the religion and the tuition of his person and of hys subiectes and for that the consciences the bodyes and the goodes haue bene forced and compelled euery where and that there was no more redyer helpe for to remedy that disease then to take weapons Not without cause then wée following the expresse commaundement of the king the aduise of the best reformed Churches together wyth the counsell of the most learned straungers of the realme haue taken the weapons for to withstand such iniuries and violences pretending none other thinge but the honoure of GOD the aduauncement of his kingdome and the health of his with the preseruation of the scepter of our king Which if the Painim or Heathen man hath wrytten that men ought to take weapons to the ende that without wrong they maye liue in peace In such sorte that the intente of those whyche doe carie them is none other thing but to séeke peace Who shall bée so shamelesse or madde that dare say that it is euill done to haue vpholden and mainteined by weapons the assaultes and force of our enimies for to liue in rest both of our goodes and of our consciences Furthermore if those children of the Machabeans are praised to haue constantly suffred death for to mainteine the lawes of their countrey shal it be compted vnto vs dishonoure shame to haue bestowed our life and our goodes for to mainteine the lawefull christian lawes of the king Without the
in the dispensation of his worde Cap. 8. IF that king Dauid be so much praised in the scripture bicause he prepared a place for the Arke of God and ordeined Leuits for to serue to make remembraunce to confesse and praise the Lorde for euer And Salomon his sonne is honoured and praised of all nations bicause he builded and consecrated vnto the Lord that proude sumpteous temple of Ierusalem To conclud if the remembrance of those good kings Ezechias and Iosias doth endure continue for euer bicause they haue forgotten nothing nor spared any thing to clense the Temple of the Lorde from all idolatrie and superstition of the Gentiles haue destroyed the aulters of the Balamites broken their images and comaunded the people to reade the booke of Gods appointment and to kéepe al the ordinaunces of god Truely the true christian princes ought to acknowledge and beléeue that their duetie is not onely to establishe the true religion but also to haue regarde and a respect that the Temple of God doe abide and continue impolluted and vndefiled from all kinde of Idolatrie and mans supersticion That is the cause wherefore the scripture doth commaunde so often the children of Israel to honour God in his temple and to abstaine and refraine themselues from the merchandise companie and societie of the vncircumcised people For as the church is the spouse for God and a pure and chaste virgine forasmuch truely as the sonne of God is deliuered vp of her So he woulde that she shoulde be kept vnto him irreprehensible holy and glorious aswel for the regarde of the true seruice which is due as for the respect that they ought to haue to his worde and vsage of the Sacraments ordeined in the Church And to that end are repeated so often in the scripture those two precepts that is to say Thou shalt haue none others Gods in my sight for I am a gelous god And this yée shall not doe euerye man that séemeth good in his owne eyes But whatsoeuer I commaund you that take héed yée doe and put nought therto nor take ought therfro declaring by those two preceptes that they ought not to mingle the seruice of God with the seruice of so many false gods or of creatures nor to ioyne compare the commaundements of God to the traditions of men For that occasion the Lord did complain of his people that they had polluted his temple by a false seruice and that their siluer was turned to drosse and their wine mixt with water And Iesus Christ did declare vnto the Scribes Pharises that they did transgresse the commaundementes through their traditions Béehold as I thinke whervnto chieflie the Christian Princes ought to endeuor themselues that is to say to purge clense the temple of God from a false seruice for to establish the true Religion to foresee prouide that the Christian doctrine be purely declared and that it be not defiled with so many of mens traditions I wil recite for this mater two examples the first shall bee of Ptolomaeus Philadelphus who caused the bookes of the Hebrewes to be translated in to the Gréeke for to aduaunce the religion of the people of God his doctrine furthermore did remit and set at libertie the Iewes which then were captiues in Egipt The second is of Constantine the Emperoure which did rise vp for the quarell of the christiaÌ„s against Licinius Cesar willing to compel and force all the world to follow the lawes of the Painyms Insomuch that Constantine hauing vanquished Licinius not only caused the state of the Religion to bee established but also the deede of Iustice which before was subuerted and marred through the tyrannie and cruelty of Dioclesian Maximinian Maximinius and Mazentius his predecessors And truely in this duety the christian princes cannot excuse themselues for if they are so diligent to foresee and prouide that theire Townes and Cities be not taken by their enimies shall not this bée their estate to bée careful diligent that Gods temple do abide and continue impoluted and vndefiled with Idolatrie and humaine superstition if that be the propertie of a vertuous Prince to watche diligentlie that his subiects be kept vnder his obedience without oppression iniurie shall not this be the true duetie of a Christian prince to kéepe that his subiectes be not hurte with the hammer of the whole world nor that they doe not drinke in that cup of gould of that great Babilon the mother of fornication and be dronke with the wine of her fornication To conclude if the Christian princes are so curious and carefull to beware that their subiectes be not giuen to wickednesse and turned from their obedience by straungers as of late was Dina the daughter of Iacob shall not they be carefull that they be not seduced and led here and there by straunge doctrines The spouse of the Lord doth crie out in the booke of the Canticles of Salomon Saying get ye Foxes yea the little Foxes that hurte the vines whilest that the vines do beare blossomes The Prophet Ezechiel doth complaine saying O Israel thy prophets are like the Foxes vppon the drie fielde And the christian princes will suffer so many false priestes which deuoure widows houses and that vnder a coulour of praying long prayâ—rs And of others whiche peruerte whole houses teaching things which they ought not bicause of filthy lucre Insomuch that those which ought to preach a gospel of peace doe preach a message of trouble and sedition amonge the Christians Those which ought to wéepe and be sorie for the sinnes of the people doe reioyce to sée euery where the bloode of the true Chrstians shead Those which doe take the qualitie of the Apostles and doe vaunce and boast themselues to be as shéepe among wolues wise I say as serpentes and innocent as doues doe deuoure the shéepe and doues of the Lord. Those vnto whom the Lorde hath not sent for a sworde but his worde doe arme themselues for to suppresse hys worde and the kingdome of his welbeloued sonne our Lord Iesus Christ Those vnto whom the Lorde commaunded to take nothing to succour them by the way neither staffe nor scrip neither bread neither money neither to haue two coates doe heape vp infinite treasures for to afflict and trouble the people of God They doo tithe the Mint Annise and Commin and leaue the weightier matters of the lawe vndone iudgment mercy and faith Bee astonished O ye heauens be afrayd and abashed at such a thing Those which doe boast and bragge themselues to be lawfull successors of those good auncient fathers doe make it a conscience to transgresse the least of the commaundements of men And doe make it no conscience vnder coloure of true religion to bringe to vtter ruine distruction the children of god And they dare not as they say to bée founde faultie in
one smal fault fearing to lose their prebendes dignities and prerogatiues and in the meane time doe make it no conscience to bée founde dailie with conspiracies and threatnings for to put an whole realme in a pray for to shed as water the innocent blood O time O manners the prince doth vnderstande it the Senate doth sée it And yet neuerthelesse such good Lords do liue what sayde I liue yea doe sitte in counsell which if they are so curious to marke the dooinges of their fathers for to serue them in their owne dooinges They will remember verie well the saying of Sainct Ambrose béeing printed and set in their Canons that is to say that the true munitions of Gods ministers are wéepings teares Insomuch that thys good author doth crye so often that béeing forced and constrayned he may sigh and wéepe otherwise he cannot resist In such sort that he did not determine to take for his weapons against the iniuries of the men of Gotia but his wéepings and his teares I wyll not héere referre the dooing of Moses Hely and Iehu vnto our time and of an especiall and perticuler acte to make a generall rule among the christian princes for to arme and moue them vnto some kynde of cruelnesse against so many false priests I doe accorde with them that they doe kéepe the zeale of them and leaue the déede such as it is So that according to the example of Iesus Christ king of kinges and Lorde of Lordes they doe cast out of the christian Church so many marchaunts and hyred priestes and doe not suffer that of Gods house they doe make it a market or a denne of théeues For euen as Ely was grieuously punished for hiding and coueringe the sinnes of his children Also it is to bee feared that the lyke doe not chaunce and happen vnto those which are establyshed by the LORDE for to mainteine and keepe the estate of the religion and in the meane time doe suffer freely and vnpunished the sinnes of the pastors and teachers of the people and it is to be feared but that the Lord will send in the ende that which is spoken of in Ezechiell that is to say calamitie vpon calamitie crie vpon crie that the lawe of the priest doe not perish and the counsaile of the elders As the same Lorde did menace and threaten his people in an other place of the Prophet saying that hée wyll forbid the heauen to giue them any dew and the earth to giue them increase And will call for a drouth vppon the earth both vpon the land and vppon the mountaines vppon euery thing that the ground bringeth vpon men and vpon cattel yea and vpon al handie labour Bicause saith he that his house lyeth so wast that euery man runneth to his owne house The Lord shewing and declaring the fault and ingratitude of those which for to vnderstand the affaires and dooings of this worlde doe negligentlie passe their duetie in that which apperteineth vnto the affaires of the religion They cannot abide that any thing should bee attempted either in déede or worde against their personnes or goodes And they do not thinke it straunge to crucifie Iesus Christ for to saue a théefe and a seditious Barrabas or for to cut off the head of Iohn Baptist for to gratifie and please the desire of others Haue not haue not then O ye christian princes regarde to the brightnesse and magnificence of the Romish Church And beléeue not lightlie all lying spirites But proue the spirites whether they are of God or not for many false prophetes are gone out into the world and way not the dooing of the religion to the opinion of the common people But to the word of God according to the which the Lord would bée serued and honoured and not according to the mindes of men Forasmuch thē as such professors of the truth do goe in shéepes clothing and inwardlie are rauening wolues Also doe shew outwardly in their temples some appearaunce of religion as of late the Aegyptians did yet in the meane time vnder coloure of deuotion doe worshippe the creatures and workes of their handes And forasmuch as the Lord hy his prophet doth call you Noursses of his church chase driue away from his shéepefolde so many vnprofitable and hired shéepheardes And in their place send workemen approued workemen that néede not to be ashamed which doe deuide the word of truth iustly Cause that those which doe professe to teach doe put from them foolish and vnlearned questions that they doe nothing in declining to one side To conclude that they doe not giue heede to ieerish fables and genealogies nor to the commaundements of men for to turne them from the truth but that they doe handle the woorde purely as by God before God by Christ not through enuie contention or discorde But purely as those which are constituted for the defence of the gospell In that dooing as saith Sainct Paule of the true ministers of the church you shall saue your selues and those that doe here the word Amen 2. Paralip 29. a. Ezechias caused the Leuites and priestes to come and assembled thē together into the East streete And sayd vnto them here me ye Leuites purifie your selues halow the house of the Lord God of your fathers and bring out the filthinesse out of the holy place A Prayer O Lord in whom are the riches and honours and which reignest ouer all in whose hande are power and strength and greatnesse empire vnto all things which prouest the heartes and hast pleasure in plainnesse disposest the thoughts of the hearts of the people Giue thy iudgments and thy iustice vnto the king whom thou hast established ouer vs to the ende that he may iustly commaunde thy people to kéepe thy lawe Prepare so our heartes that wée liuing vnder his obedience in all sanctitie and righteousnesse may worship thée also with one will in spirite and trueth not dooing that that séemeth good in our owne eyes but that which is agreable vnto thee and that which thou commaundest vs To the ende that by that meanes all the world may know that the same that thou hast of late forespoken or prophesied of thy church be verified in vs that is to say the kings shal be the nursing fathers of thy people queenes shal be their noursing mothers for to norish and féede them of spirituall meat of which thy welbeloued sonne said that his meat was to doe the will of him the sent him our Lord Iesus Christ To whom be glory for euer ¶ THAT IT IS THE RENOWNE of a Christian prince to be beloued of his Subiectes Cap. 9. Siraac in his Ecclesiast 6. c. ¶ A faithfull friende is a strong defence FOrasmuch then as euerie kingdome deuided within it selfe shall bée desolate And euery house deuided within it selfe shall fall one vpon an other And experience doth teach
is as the sinne of witches and stubburnnesse is wickednesse and idolatrie It is most true that more greater goodnesse cannot happen vnto kingdomes common wealthes and cities well dispensed and gouerned then to make them to obey the lawes Inasmuch chiefely as they doe teach none other thing but the obedience due vnto the superiours As Xenophon doth witnesse that Lycurgus could finde no better meanes to make the citie of Sparta to florishe then to accustome the inhabiters of the same to obey vnto the lawes As more amplie Cicero doth declare that the spirite and the counsaile and the sentence of the coÌ„mon welth doe consist in the lawes and as the bodie without the soule so the common welth without the lawe cannot stand the which ought to be vnderstanded not onely for the regarde of the subiectes but also of the Magistrates princes and other superious and verie well Cyrus the king of the Persians did declare vnto his sonne that he must be â—elie iust and a greate obseruator and kéeper of the lawes As also the lawes of the Emperour do witnesse that it is a kingly voice and worthie for a vertuous and he royeoll prince to confesse him selfe to be subiect bound vnto the lawe That is the cause wherefore the Egyptians did adiure their Iudges and Magistrates to iudge nothing vniustly and wrongfully although that they had expresse coÌ„maundement Euen so Anthonius the third of the name did signifie sometime by letters vnto his officers that when he did coÌ„maund any thing coÌ„trarie vnto the lawes that they should not obey him And verie wel the ciuil law hath prouided in that matter which would that the Magistrate should not execute so sodeinly the will of a prince who being moued with anger or with some vnlawfull desire of vengeance should commaund a thing contrarie or repugnaunt vnto the lawe But as Solon did complaine in his time that the lawes were like vnto the spiders webbes the which doe suppresse easely take the little beastes but are broken destroyed by the great beastes Do demonstrate declare that the simple people of a base poore conditioÌ„ were constrained to obey that laws that the ritch puissaÌ„t of this world do transgresse them with all licence without punishment Also it is to be feared that not onely the like shall happen in our time what say I the like but also that the lawes be not violated of the poore of the ritch And it doth greue me verie much to confesse plainly that there are so many Magistrates in the realme of Fraunce that they do beare so little obedience vnto the princes lawes I do no lesse meruaile that there are so fewe Magistrates in other countries and great obedience of the subiectes So many lawiers there are I say in this Realme and yet neuerthelesse they doe regarde neither the lawe nor yet the right of the subiectes On the contrarie parte among other nations a fewe people which doe professe the lawe and yet neuerthelesse Iustice duely administred and executed insomuch that it séemed as saith Cicero a in certeine oration that we doe not holde any thing of that which is of right and of true Iustice but that we doe vse onely the shadows and images of things in the meane time we doe knowe verie well to recite with the same Orator that there is nothing that we ought better to kéepe and reteine in a citie then the ciuill righte without the whiche saith that authour that no man should be master of his owne or he should not knowe which is his owne or which is an other mannes and there is nothing which may be ruled or gouerned among men with right equalitie and iustice But some will demaunde of me where is the faulte I will aunswere with Plato the lawes although they are good are deade without the Magistrates But that the Magistrates without the lawes are liuely lawes and because that the Magistrates of this realme haue more regard to their priuate profit then vnto the commoÌ„ welth and doe traficke in administring their estates as they haue bought them to haue them the lawes do abide as deade and buried because that no man can bée founde that doth obserue and kéepe them The Iewes Turkes and other barbarous and rude nations doe kéepe their edictes and statutes and shall the Christians despise the lawefull ordinaunces of their prince The Christians wil obserue and kéepe diligently the which is established in their fauour shall they not be careful to kéepe and mainteine the edictes and statutes which do concerne the common welth If they doe take it vpon them although it be litle vpon their persons or landes they doe complaine by and by alledging the custome of the countrie and the ordinaunce of the prince if it be not of force or effect they haue the reason And in the meane season shall they not haue care and respect to mainteine the right of the innocent afflicted of the people of God Things truely which doth make me to say that there is verie little loue or charitie among the Christians For loue seketh not her owne things but the commodities of other That little Daniel did returne in iudgement for to saue the innocie of that chast Susanna and did put him selfe for her notwithstanding the credite and aucthoritie of the iudges And shall the Christian princes sée before their eyes the iust to be oppressed and shall holde their peace That worthie king Salomon did sit in iudgement for to doe right béetwéene two harlots and shall the christian princes sée in all places the bloud of their subiectes vniustly shedde yea in dispising and contemning of their edictes statutes and will suffer it patiently if the voice of the bloude of Abel hath cried vengeaunce after the Lord shal the bloud of so many christians so vngently intreated and killed holde their peace if Iesus Christ did rebuke the Scribes and Pharises for the bloud of the prophet Zacharie which was killed betwéene the temple the aulter shall not the lord iudge auenge the bloude of so many good christians shed in the middes of his seconde temple and christian Church for the word of Iesus Christ and for the witnesse of his name Finally if it be written that the homicide or murtherer shall die the death howe shall those scape vnpunished which are an occasion of infinite murthers thinking thereby to pull downe and suppresse all diuine and humaine lawes against their owne consciences for to get vnto themselues fame and renowne and to deface the memorie of the true faithful christians I wil vse no long discourse I do beléeue that they will confesse vnto me willingly that the edicts and statutes of a Prince are either laweful or vnlawful if theâ— are lawful as we ought to presume of the edicts and statutes made with good deliberation aduice of counsaile truely
caused Iezabel to be throwne downe out of a windowe and Iezabel was eaten vp with dogges according to the woord of Hely At the same time Athaliah the mother of Ochoziah séeing that hir son was dead rose vp and slew al the séede of the kingdome except Ioas the sonne of Ochoziah whom Iehosaba the daughter of king Iehoram did steale from amonge the middest of the kinges sonnes that were slaine and hid him from Athaliah that he was not slayne But within a little while after Athaliah is caried out of the Temple when she was come to the gate where the kings horses went out they killed her there Iehoram did rise against the kingdome of his father and when he was setled he slew all his other brethren with the swoord and diuers of the Lordes of Israell there too For which cause the Lord did smite him with an incurable disease in his bowelles And in processe of time euen aboute the ende of two yeares his guttes fell out by reason of his sickenesse and so he dyed of euill diseases Iehoas after the death Iehoida did forsake the Lord and caused Zachariah the Prophet to be killed in the court of the house of the Lord And when the yeare was out the hoast of the Syrians came against him and they came to Iuda and Hierusalem and destroyed all the Lordes of the people from among the people and sent all the spoyle of them vnto the king of Damasco And when they were departed from him though they left him in great diseases yet his owne seruauntes conspired against him for the bloude of the children of Iehoiada the priest and slewe him in his bedde and so he dyed Manasseh shed much innocent bloud so much that he filled Hierusalem from the one side vnto the other But afterwardes he was taken by the Assirians and ledde captiue to Bablilon I wil not here forget Herod who hauing vexed certeine of the congregation and killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword by and by after he was smitten of the Lord and béeing eaten of wormes gaue vp the Ghost Furthermore if we will know wherefore the childreÌ„ of Israel were led captiue to BabiloÌ„ in the time of Zedekiah Iehoachin The scripture doth aunswere that the Lord God sent to them by his messengers sending them betimes for he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place But they mocked the messengers of God despised their wordes and misused his Prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord so rose against his people that it was past remedie And so he brought vpon them the kinge of Caldey and slewe their younge men with the swoorde in the holy Temple and neyther spared young man nor maide neither olde man neither so much as him that stowped for age but gaue all into his hande The Prophet Ieremy doth giue the same reason of the later destruction of Hierusalem which was in the time of Titus and Vespasian when hee sayth neither the kings of the earth nor all the inhabitors of the wolrd woulde haue beléeued that the enimie and aduersarie should haue come in at the gates of the Citie of Hierusalem Which neuerthelesse is come to passe for the sinnes of hir Prophets and for the wickednesse of hir priestes that haue shedde innocentes bloulde wythin hir To that same fault the sonne of Syrach did attribute the destruction not of a Citie and of a coÌ„mon wealth onely Teaching that the kingdome bicause of vnrighteous dealing wrong blasphemies and diuers deceipts shal be translated from one people to an other So our Lord Iesus Christ doth crie so often against the Scribes and Pharises for the bloode of the righteous saying Hierusalem Hierusalem which killest the Prophtes and stonest them which are sent to thée How often woulde I haue gathered thy children together as the henne gathereth hir chickens vnder hir wings but ye wold not Beholdy our habitatioÌ„ shal be left vnto you desolate These are the same matters which that first Deacon of the church did direct vnto them when he saith O ye people stifnecked of vncircumcised hearts eares Ye haue alwaies resisted the holy ghost As your fathers did so doe ye Which of the prophets haue not your fathers persecuted And they haue slaine them which shewed before of the comming of the iust whom ye haue nowe betrayed and murthered What shall I say more the time will not serue mée if I would speake of Nero Domitian Caligula and other Emperours of Rome Who hauing exercised in their life more cruelties theÌ„ Barbarous or Scithian Also in their death haue bene cruellie entreated of their owne subiectes For the like cause it was forbidden the children of Israel not to eate the bloude for the life of all flesh is in the bloud For that same cause I say Dauid was not suffred to build the Lordes house bicause saith the Scripture that he had shed much bloude and made great battailes although that he had no warres but against the enimies of God of his people These things doe sufficiently declare vnto the Kinges and Princes of the earth how odious before God all effusion of bloud and crueltie is According as Salomon doth teach vs that mercy and faythfulnesse preserue the king and with louing kindnesse his seate is holden vp And Iesus Christ doth witnesse that blessed are the meeke for they shall inherite the earth What néede is it to serch the places of the auncient fathers inasmuch as the examples of our time doe giue vnto vs certeine witnesse of the vengeaunce of God against those Who according to their ambition and priuate affection had shed euery where the bloud of the iust which although the Lorde doe suffer many at this time to reigne yet let vs praise his goodnesse and let vs acknowledge that his mercy and long taryinge shall bringe them to repentance Let vs also feare on the other side that through their stubburnnesse and heart that cannot repent they heape vnto themselues the wrath of GOD agaynst the daye of vengeance when shal be opened the righteous iudgement of God. Euen as Iesus Christ did menace somtime the Sâ—â—â—bes and â—harises saying Fulfill ye the measure of yâ—â— fathers that vpon you maye come all the righteous bloud that was shedde vppon the earth from the bloode of righteous Abel vnto the bloude of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias whom ye slew betwéene the temple and the Alter To no purpose some do couer and cloke themselues with the zeale of Phinees which did take a speare in his hand and did thrust through Zambry and Cosby bicause they committed fornication together Alledging the frée will of Hely which killed all the priestes of Baal Furthermore they doe propounde vnto vs the ardent affection of Iehu which caused the lxx sonnes of Achab to be slayne Also they doe shew foorth the zeale feruentnesse of Mathathiah which killed
a Iewe which did sacrifice vnto Idoles in the Citie of Modin For such men besides the expresse commaundement of the lawe which will that the Prophet which shal presume to speake ought in my name which I commaunded not to speake and he that speaketh in the name of straunge Gods the same Prophet shall dye do holde the place and office of a magistrate and they do it not without iust and great occasioÌ„ But at this day it shall not be permitted for certein perticuler exaÌ„ples chiefly in our lawe euangelicall for euery priuate person without leaue authoritie of the magistrate or knowledge of the cause to coÌ„mit such vnlawfull acts for to hide theÌ„ afterwardes w the cloke of religion The which Iesus Christ doth teach vs in rebuking Peter for drawing his sword smiting the high priests seruant for to shew vnto vs that the vsing of the same is forbiddeÌ„ vnto priuate persons reserued to the magistrate Of whoÌ„ S. Paul saith that he is the minister of God for thy wealth But if thou do euill theÌ„ feare For he beareth not a sword for naught but is the minister of God to take vengeaunce on theÌ„ that do euill The same sentence is repeated by Sainct Peter in these wordes Submit your selues vnto all manner ordinaunce of man for the Lordes sake whether it be vnto the king as vnto the chiefe heade either vnto rulers as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishment of euill dooers but for the laud of them that doe well Woe then vnto you which desire the possessions and haue spoiled them and the houses and haue taken them And haue done wronge to a man and to his house to a man and to his inheritaunce Which haue stolen the coate and cloke from those which went by safely retourning from the battayle which haue thrust out women from their houses of pleasure And you also marke this ye prophetes which doe seduce the people which doe byte with the téeth and crie peace and if any doe gyue you nothing in the mouth yee prepare against him battaile And vpon thée also thou bloudy Citie altogether full of lyes and of stealth and defiled with the bloude of the iust â–ª which hast not receiued discipline which hast not had confidence in the Lorde and art not aproched or come nigh vnto thy God. For thy princes were in the middest of thée as roring Lyons And the â—â—dges are as wolues in the euening which â—â—aue nothing behinde them till the moâ—owe The handes of your Prophets are â—efiled with bloude and their téeth with vnrighteousnesse Their lippes speake leasinges and their tongue setteth out wickednesse Their féete runne to euill they make hast to shedde innocent bloude their counselles are wicked counsels harme and destruction are in their waies I doe speake vnto those which haue the knowledge and in whose mouth men may séeke the lawe Where is it written in the lawe that one may put a man to death without knowing the cause and authoritie of the magistrate vnto what matter doth Sainct Paule defende himselfe in the presence of the capitaine which ordeyned that he should be examined by the whippe or wherefore did he aunswere the Centurian that it was not lawfull to scourge a Citizen of Rome and vncondemned except it were but for to shewe howe odious and hatefull before the Lord those are which doe shed the bloud of the righteous For what pretence did the Lord awaken and stirre vp the spirite of holie Daniel béeing a younge childe but for to make knoweÌ„ the innocencye of that chast Susanna condemned to death And for to speak better what mo ue the said prophet to returne in iudgement and to crye with a loude voyce O ye children of Israel are ye such fooles that ye haue here condeÌ„ned a daughter of Israel to death and knowe not the truth wherefore except it were but for to teach vs that it is better to let the wicked go vnpunished then to condemne the innocent And neuerthelesse not onely ye consent vnto murthers but doe perswade the people béeing set in Moses chaire to do such cruelties and murthers That heauenly father hath not done so as he doth teach vs wheÌ„ he saith the crie of Sodome and Gomorra is great and their sinne is excéeding gréeuous I will go downe to see whether they haue done altogether accordinge to the crie whiche is come vnto me or not and if it be not so that I may knowe Euen so I say hath not Iesus Christ his soÌ„ne done which is the true pastor sheaperd of our soules and chiefe pastor of the bishoppes who being called for to iudge that poore sinneful woman did not pronounce incontinently iudgement against her as the Scribes and Pharises desired being all bloudie with the bloude of the Prophetes but said vnto them Let him that is amonge you without sinne cast the first stone at hir Admonishing and warning all true christians that gentlenesse and clemeÌ„cie is more séemely or better becommeth pastors then crueltie and rigorousnesse Furthermore I would willingly aske wherein the people can excuse themselues of such wickednesse to put a man to death of whom he knoweth nothing and to condemne him as a schismaticke heretick and imposter when he himselfe knoweth not any thing what religion is and beléeueth onely vppon the credite and sight of other And yet neuerthelesse in that matter his ignoraunce shall not excuse him By what coloure of iustice can a iudge saue himselfe in the midst of such cruelties which hath neither let the murthers nor condemned the murtherers On the other side haue made vnrighteous lawes and deuised things which be to hard for to kepe Wherthrough the poore are orpressed on euery side the innocentes of my people are therewith robbed of iudgement To conclude what punishments do those deserue to haue who béeing ordeyned for to declare the Gospell of peace doe incite and stirre forwarde with all their power the people to troubles and seditions I that great lawe géeuer of the Athenians and one of the seauen sages of Greece named Solon hath not published any lawe agaynst the Paricides estéeming that such a shamefull crime could neuer be committed What punishment are they worthy off which doe put to death the fathers of our soules if with one onely respect as sayth Cicero that fatherly pitie is hurted What shall that bée of vs if wee put to death those which daylie doe trauayle to beare vs agayne vntill Christ be fashioned in vs Wherefore let vs not be lyke vnto brute beastes who following their sensualitie and béeing made to be taken and destroyed speake euill of that they know not for they shall perish through their owne destruction But let vs iudge the things in veritie and righteousnesse and before we condempne any man let vs proue by the word whether the spirites are of God or
of our soules our LORD Iesus Christ doth promise vs that whosoeuer shall doe the will of his father whiche is in heauen that he will be his brother sister and mother And that our heauenly father doth assure vs that he will gather vs vp yea when we shal be forsaken of all our parentes and friendes at the time of the restoring of all things when he shall bée all in all Amen Actes 9. a. ¶ It is to hard for thee to kicke against the pricke A Prayer to the same ende O Lord which art wonderfull in puissance and infinite in mercy which desirest not the death of a sinner but rather that hée repent Regard and beholde from thine heauenly throne the rage and furie of our enimies and of those which doe pursue thy name As thou hast of late enclined thy face vpon Balaam willing to force the people whom thou haddest chosen for thine heritage Shew mercy and bring to repentance those which of an indiscéerte zeale not according to knowledge do hinder daily the course and frée passage of thy woord To the ende that they béeing cast downe by the swoord of thy mouth after the example of that vessell of election may acknowledge thy Christ magnifie thy glorious name amonge the middest of the Nations yea that they doe confesse with heart mouth that it is eternall life then to acknowledge thée to be true God and not to varie or any thing decline from the commaūdement of him whō thou hast sent our Lord Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer Amen ¶ A BRIEFE DEMONSTRAtion vnto those which haue susteined euen hetherto the dooing of the reformed religion for to confirme them more and more in their first will. Cap. 13. Psalme 73 d. ¶ They that forsake thee shall perish thou destroiest all them that commit fornication against thee THE Scripture doth witnesse that at the comming of the sonne of God many false Prophetes shall arise shall deceiue many And bicause iniquitie shal haue the vpper hande the loue of many shall abate But hée that endureth to the ende the same shall bée safe As it is written that hée whiche striueth for a mastrie is not crowned excepte hée striue lawefully And the husbandman must first by laboring receiue the fruites And what he is among you sayth the Lord that is disposed to builde a towre sitteth not downe before and counteth the cost whether he haue sufficient to performe it Least after he hath laide the foundation and is not able to performe it all that beholde it begin to mocke him saying this man began to build and was not able to make an ende I speake this my bretheren least ther be at any time in any of you an euill heart vnfaithfull to depart away frō the liuing god But exhort one another dailie while it is called to day least any of you waxe harde harted through the disceitfulnesse of sinne For we are made pertakers of Christ if we kéepe sure vnto the ende the beginning wherewith we are holden vp And we doe exhort you of this fearing that in forsaking him whiche hath called you by grace you doe transport your selues vnto an other gospell and séeing nowe ye know God yea rather taught of God you doe turne your selues backewarde vnto impotent and beggerlie ceremonies obseruing with the Iewes daies and monethes and times and yeares not for that I doe distrust of your good will. But to the ende that I may so assure you in the faith of the Lord that the course of this present life finished euery one of you may say with the Apostle Sainct Paule I haue fought a good fight and haue fulfilled my course and haue kept the faith From hencefoorth is laide vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lorde that is a righteous Iudge shal giue me at that day not to me onely but vnto all them also that loue his comming In like manner to the end that ye bée not as children caried about with euery winde of doctrine as cōmonly chaunseth vnto men But let vs followe the trueth in loue and in all thinges growe vp into him which is the head that is to say Christ The prophet doth complaine in the olde lawe that his people doe halt betwéene two opinions neither following the liuinge GOD nor Baal The Lorde did rebuke the Angell of the Laodicians bicause that hée was neither hot nor colde insomuch that therfore he will spew him out of his mouth On the other side hée doth promise to him that ouercommeth to sit with him in his throne as it is written no man can serue two masters for either he shall hate the one and loue the other or els he shall leane to the one and despise the other Righteousnesse hath no felowship with vnrighteousnesse neither light hath companie with darkenesse neither Christ accordeth with Belial If then ye haue receiued the word of God be ye not like vnto him which hath sowed his séed vpon stonie ground I do meane him which heareth the worde and anone with ioye receiueth it Yet hath he no rootes in himselfe and therefore dureth but a season for as soone as tribulation or persecutiō ariseth bicause of the word by and by he is offended Also be ye not followers of that foolish man which builded his house vpon the sande and the raine fell and the floudes came and the windes blewe and beat vpon the house and it fell and great was the fall thereof He that is not with me is against me saith the Lord And he that gathereth not with me scattereth That is the cause wherefore Sainct Iohn did complaine of some in his time which did beare office in the church and neuerthelesse did drawe themselues away from the same when hée saith they went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs they would doubtlesse haue continued with vs But this cōmeth to passe that it might appeare that they are not all of vs The Apostle sainct Paule speaking of the Apostates saith that if we sinne willingly after that wée haue receiued the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes For if we after we haue escaped from the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and of the sauiour Iesus Christ are yet tangled againe therein ouercome then is the latter ende worse with vs then the beginning for it had bene better for vs not to haue knowen the way of righteousnesse then after we haue knowen it to turne from the holy commaundement giuen vnto vs according to the true prouerbe The dog is returned to his vomite againe and the sowe that was washed to hir wallowing in the mire Know then my bretheren that God hath nourtered you euen as the father nourtereth his children And beware that thou forget not the Lorde thy GOD in
not keeping his commaundementes lawes and ordinaunces That when you shall haue the thinges that you desire and your riches and goodes increased then your hart rise and you forget the Lord your God which hath deliuered you frō the hand of your enimies Learne by the example of the people of Israel that he which ought to be right hath kicked he I say which was made fatte thicke and smooth hath forsaken and let God go that made him and despised the God of Israel that saued him As also the same Lord doth witnesse by his Prophet that the iniquitie of Sodome was pride aboundance of bread and idlenesse On the other side submit your selues therfore vnder the mightie hande of God that he may exalte you when the time is come Cast all your care on him for he careth for you Be sober and watch for your aduersarie the diuell as a roring Lyon walketh about séeking whō he may deuoure Sée that ye loue not the worlde neither the things that are in the worlde For all that is in the worlde as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eies and the pride of life is not of the father but of the worlde and the worlde passeth awaie and the lust thereof but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for euer And truely we knowe that we are of God and that the world lyeth in wickednesse Déerely beloued absteine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule And as obedient children not fashioning your selues vnto the olde lustes of your ignoraunce But as he which called you is holie euen so be ye holy also in all manner of conuersation And in al sobernes trust perfectly on the grace that is brought vnto you by the reuelatiō of Iesus Christ And beware my brethrē of the great Babilon the mother of fornicatiō with whom haue cōmitted fornicatiō that kings of earth that they are droncken with the wine of hir fornication For although that that woman was araied in purple and crimson and guilded with golde and precious stones and pearles yet truely she had in hir hand a cup ful of abhominations and filthines of hir fornication And as it happened at the subuersion and destruction of Sodome and of Gomorra that Lots wife looking backe was turned into a piller of salt And euen as Dina the daughter of Iacob going out to sée the daughters of the lande was rauished by the Princes of the sayd lande Feare on your part that ye taking to great pleasure in worldly things ye be not seduced and deceiued and forsaking the commaundements of the Lorde ye be not destroied For as it happened that the children of Israel being induced and prouoked by the wiues of the Madianits did trespasse against the Lord bicause of Peor It is also to be feared that you following to much that which is of the world You do altogether forget the homage obedience which you doe owe vnto the Lord. To be short if the enimie doth oppresse you stand therefore and you loynes girde about with veritie hauing on the brest plate of righteousnesse and your féete shode with the preparation of the Gospell of peace Aboue all take to you the shield of faith wherewith ye may quench all the fierie dartes of the wicked And take the helmet of saluation the swoord of the spirite which is the worde of god And pray alwaies with all manner prayer and supplication Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might put ye on the whole armoure of God that he may stande stedfast against the craftie assaultes of the Diuell for we wrestle not against flesh and bloude but against rulers against powers against the worldly gouernours the Princes of darknesse of this world against spiritual wickednesses which are aboue If the world do pursue you set your faith as a fort in expugnable against hir pleasures for this is the victorie that ouercōmeth the world euen our faith By which meanes Samuel Dauid and the other prophets haue subdued kingdomes wrought righteousnes obtained the promises stopped the mouthes of Lyons quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword If your flesh bée weake watch and pray that ye fall not into temptation And beléeue that the Lord which is faithfull shall not suffer you to be tempted aboue your strength but shall in the middest of the temptation make away that yée may be able to beare it To conclude assure your selues vpon the word of God when he saith that his shéepe do heare his voyce and he knoweth them and they followe him and and he will giue vnto them eternall life and they shal neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of his hand bicause that his father which gaue them him is greater then all Remember that Moses and Aaron did not enter into the lande of promise bicause they beléeued not the LORD that he might be sanctified by them in the eies of the children of Israel No more then those which were gone out to search the lande shall sée the same lande which I the LORD sware vnto their Fathers But his seruaunt Caleb bicause there is an other manner spirit with him and bicause he hath followed the Lorde vnto the vttermost God gaue him the saide lande for an heritage Finally bicause that the capitaine of Samaria would not beléeue the promise which the Lord made vnto him by the mouth of the prophet Eliseus foreshewing the great aboundance plentiousnesse within a little space was depriued from the fruites therof and troden vnder foote that he died Wherfore be not as some faithlesse people distrusting of the promises of him which is the God of veritie But rather be ye imitators and followers of Gedeon who béeing come to the assault blewe with his trumpet helde his lampes in his hande and brake his pitchers figuring vnto all true Christians that they ought alwaies to kéepe that light of faith to be like vnto the seruaunts attending their masters when they shall bée retourned from the mariages And as the trumpet to lift vp their voice in the middest of all daungers for to magnifie and praise the Lord. Furthermore if néede bée or if the case so require not to spare their bodies which are but as earthen vessels to that heauenly treasure In so dooing beléeue assuredly that by the same meanes by them which they doe thincke to destroy and ruinate the worke of God by the same meanes it shall be established amplified The which is also figured vnto vs by examples in the booke of Exodus where the king of Aegypt purposing to exterminate and altogether to ruinate and destroye the people of God afflicting them through a long seruitude and bondage in making morter bricke and other bondage worke in the fieldes was partly a cause that the Lorde did multiplie and increase his people aboue al other people and prospered
his faithfull seruaunt Moses amonge the middest of all his enimies In like manner the Lord did set vp Ioseph in the house of Pharao then though his brethren did sell him to the Ismaelites thincking thereby altogether to deface his memorie from the earth Furthermore did bring to naught all the deliberatioÌ„s of Haman conspiring the death of Mardocheus and of the Iewes Finally the same Lord did drawe from those that were slaine a little Ioas against the rage and fuerie of quéene Athalia his mother The same doth sufficiently teach vs that the meanes that our enimies doe take for to subuert the true christian religion the same meanes doe serue for to encrease and defend it against all the enimies of the crosse of Christ For euen as the good hearbe the more that it is pressed the more smelling it is Euen so the good men the more that they are afflicted of the world the more they do magnifie the religion of the lord The which the Apostle doth witnesse by his owne example when he doth write vnto the Phillippians that the thinges which haue happened vnto him are turned to the great furthering of the gospell So that his bandes in Christ are famous throughout all the iudgement hall and in all other places insomuch that many of his bretheren in the Lord are bouldned through his bandes and dare more franckly speake the word And truely God doth not measure his workes according to the thoughtes of men As it is written by the prophet Esaie that his thoughts are not our thoughtes nor our wayes are not his wayes but as farre as the heauens are hier then the earth so farre doe his waies excéede ours and his thoughtes ours Thou doest sée in Daniel that greate and meruailous Image yea of which the beholding of him was terrible and grimme broken by a little stone hewen out of the rocke without mannes hande Figuring that eternall kingdome of Iesus Christ which â—ought to bring to naught and breake all the monarches and kingdomes of the worlde and be established for euer Thou doest reade in the Scripture of one little Dauyd a figure of the true Disciples of the LORD all readie to fight against the great Philistian without swoord buckler or speare but in the name of the Lorde of hoastes the GOD of the hoast and him whom the sayd Goliah hath railed on and despised Within a little while after Dauyd hauing the victorie did bring the head of Goliah into the citie of Hierusalem and he put his armoure in his tent Furthermore the holy scripture doth teach thée that Iosua which was the leader of the people of God at the sound of the trumpets made the walles of the Citie of Iericho to fal downe yea that the Angell of the LORD at the praier of king Ezekiah did kill a hundreth foure score fiue thousand men of the campe of the Assirians To be short we may not bée ignorant that Iesus Christ béeing pursued to death and béeinge asked of the Scribes and Pharises if hée were Iesus of Nazareth at that simple worde I am he did so stonish and amase a bande of soldiers and officers sent by the high priestes by the Pharises that they went backwards fell to the ground Finally we may better knowe that the Apostles of Iesus Christe and those simple and idiotes haue brought to good order a number of people to the obedience of our Lorde Iesus Christ In such sort that by the preaching of the crosse hath bene destroyed the wisdome of the wise and hath cast awaye the vnderstanding of the prudent Forasmuch as the foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and the weaknes of God is stronger theÌ„ men Also that the Lord hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confounde the wise Assure your selues then of the promises of the Lord though that the world doe conspire men doe imagine mischiefe Fortifie strengthen your selues with a liuely fayth after the example of that good patriarke Abraham and father of all them that beléeue who besides hope did beléeue in hope doubted not in the promises which the Lord made vnto him through vnbeliefe but was made strong in the faith gaue honour vnto God full certified that what he had promised he was able to make good And beléeue that the worke which the Lord hath builded in you shall continue for euer if such and lyke admonitions will not suffice beholde what punishments haue followed those who distrusting of Gods promises haue forsaken the knowen veritie and the true seruice which was due vnto him It is written in the booke of Exodus that when the people sawe that it was long or Moses came downe out of the mountaine they gathered themselues together came vnto Aaron and sayd vnto him vp make vs a god to go before vs For of this Moses the fellowe that brought vs out of the land of Aegypt we wote not what is become of him And Aaron sayd vnto them plucâ— of the golden rings which are in the eares of your wyues your sonnes and of your daughters and of them to make a Calfe of molten metall made an aulter and worshipped it Then the Lord sayd vnto Moses go get the downe for the people which thou broughtest out of the lande of Aegypt haue marred all they are tourned at once out of the way which I commaunded them And the Lord sayd vnto Moses suffer me that my wrath may waxe hot vpon them and that I may consume them Moreouer the children of Israel did committe idolatry and whoredome with the daughters of Moab for that cause the LORDE was angry againste Israel and sayde vnto Moses take all the heades of the people and hang them vp vnto the Lord against the sunne that the wrathe of the Lorde maye tourne away from Israel The said children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim and forsoke the Lorde God of their fathers which broughte them out of the land of Aegypt followed straunge gods euen of the gods of the nations that were rounde about them and bowed themselues vnto them and angred the lord And so they forsooke the Lord and serued Baal and Astaroth Wherefore the Lord wared angry with Israel and deliuered them into the hands of raueners to spoyle them and solde them into the hands of their enemies rounde about them so that they had no power any longer to stande before their enemies But vnto whatsoeuer thinges they went the hande of the Lord was vpon them with euill lucke afterwarde the Lord raised vp Iudges which deliuered theÌ„ out of the hands of their opressours After the the Iudge was deade they tourned and did worse then theire fathers in followinge straunge gods in seruing them Wherfore the Lord waxed angry and sold them into the handes of Chusarim king of Mesopotamia Within a litle while after the chil
of Israel cried vnto the Lord. And the Lord stirred vp a sauer and saued them one Othoniel the sonne of Kenes Calebs younger brother and the lande had rest fortie years And Othoniel being dead the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord the Lord deliuered them into the hands of Egloh king of Moab whom they serued by the space of xviij years And then they cried vnto the Lorde And the LORD stirred them vp a sauer Ahud the sonne of Gera. Incontinently after the children of Israel began again to do wickedly in the sight of the Lord wheÌ„ Ahud was dead And the Lord sold them into the hands of Iabin king of Canaan whose captaine of warre was Sisara At which time Debora a prophetesse the wife of Lapidoth iudged Israel who exhorted Barack the sonne of Abinoam to deliuer the people but the Lorde at the prayer of Debora trounsed Sisara and all his charyottes and all his heaste with the edge of the sword before Barack insomuch that Sisara lighted downe of his chariot and fled a foote And of all the hoast of Sisara there was not a man left And sodeinly the children of Israel did begin againe to do wickedly in the sight of the Lorde And the Lord deliuered them into the hands of the Madianites by the space of seauen years The Lord had pitie on them and ordeinâ—d Gedeon for a deliuerer of the people 〈◊〉 that tyme there the Madianites were discomfited of a meruailous fashion The same people began againe to committe wickednesse in the sight of the lord And the Lord deliuered them into the hands of the Philstians fortie years but the Lorde hauing compassion of them ordeyned Samson for their deliuerer Saul in the beginning of his kingdome did prosper greatly against his enemies forasmuch as he obeyed the Lord the voice of Samuel But Saul hauing transgressed the commaundement of the Lord who commaunded him to slay all the Amalekites both man and woman infant and suckling and Oxe shéepe Camell and Asse Bicause that he reserued the spoyle is forsaken of the Lorde and his kingdome geuen vnto an other in which place is declared that rebelliousnesse is as the sinne of witchcrafte and stubbernnesse is wickednesse and idolatrie yea to obey is better then offering Dauid bicause that he made alliaunce with the Lorde did profite in going and increasing and the Lord of hoastes was with him insomuch that he wonne many victories that is to say against the Philistians Idumeans Sirians Assone as he had defiled Bethsabe and caused hir husband to bée slaine contemned and despised the word of the lord The Lord said vnto him behold I will stirre vp euill against thée euen of thine owne house and will take thy wiues before thine eyes and giue them vnto thy neighboure which shall sléepe with them in the sight of the sonne And although that the Lord had put away his sinne after his repentaunce notwithstanding bicause in doing this déede he hath giuen the enemies of the Lord a cause to rayle it was sayd vnto him that the childe that was borne of Bethsabe shall dye surely After that time king Dauid being touched wyth greate pride did number his people and the Lord being angry with him did offer him by the prophet Gad to choose of thrée plagues one that is to say famine warre or pestilence And Dauyd choosinge rather to fall into the handes of the Lorde then into the handes of men The Lorde sente a pestilence in Israel And there dyed of the people betwéene Dan and Bersabe lxx thousand men Salomon as long as he serued the Lord prospered wonderfully In the time of his olde age his hearte was tourned after straunge gods the LORD stirred vp aduersaries that is to say Hadad Razon and also Ieroboam Roboam as soone as his kingdome was stablished and made strong forsoke the law of the LORD and all Israel with him wherefore the fith yeare of king Roboam Sesac the king of Aegypt came vp againste Hierusalem bicause he had transgressed against the Lorde And they toke the strong cytyes that were in Iuda and came to Hierusalem Then came Semeiah the prophet to Roboam and to the Lordes of Iuda that were gathered to Hierusalem for feare of Sesac and sayd vnto them Thus saith the LORDE ye haue left mée therefore will I leaue you also in the hands of Sesac Wherevpon the Lords of Israel and the king humbled themselues said the Lord is righteous And when the Lord saw that they submitted themselues the word of the Lorde came to Semiah saying Forasmuch as they humble themselus I wil not destroy them but I wil deliuer them somewhat Ieroboam and the children of Israel were discomfited by Abiah and the children of Iuda fortified bicause they leaned vnto the Lord GOD of their fathers And Ieroboam recouered no streÌ„gth again in the dayes of Abiah And at the last the Lorde plaged him that he dyed Asa the sonne of Abiah reigned in his stéede in whose days the land was in quiet tenne yeares And Asa did that was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his god And Zarah a blacke Morian made warre against him And Asa cryed vnto the Lorde and the LORDE smote the blacke Mores before Asa and Iuda that they fledde Then Azariah the sonne of Obed which had the spiryte of GOD in him went out againste Asa and sayde to him heare me Asa and all Iuda and Beniamin The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if ye seeke him he will be founde of you but and if ye shall forsake him he will forsake you Then Asa and his made a couenant to seeke the Lorde God of their fathers with all their heartes and all their soules so that all that sought not the Lord God of Israel should die for it whether he were small or great man or woman And they sware vnto the Lorde with a loude voice and shooting and with trumpets and hornes And the Lord gaue them rest round about them on euery side Iehosaphat his sonne reigned in his steede and was mightier then Israel And the LORDE was with Iehosaphat bicause hee walked in the olde waies of his father Dauid and sought not Baals But sought the Lord God of his father and walked in his commaundements and not after the dooing of Israel Therefore the Lord stablished the kingdome in his hand all Iuda brought him presents so that he became excéeding riche and glorious and prospered and grew vp on hie The Moabites and the children of Ammon came against Iehosaphat in battell and Iehosaphat bowed himselfe with his face to the Citie and all Iuda and the inhabiters â—f Hierusalem fell before the Lord to bowe â—hemselues vnto the Lorde And as Iehosaphat rose early in the morning to get him â—ut vnto the wildernesse of Thekna he said vnto them heare me Iuda and ye inhabiters of
Hierusalem Beleeue in the Lorde your God and so shall ye continue and beâ—eeue his Prophetes and so shall ye prosper Then the enimies of Iehosaphat killed themselues and the children of Israel had great victorie Iehoram reigned after Iehosaphat and biâ—ause he walked in the waies of the kings of Israel and committed fornication with those of Iuda and with the inhabiters of Hierusalem after the fornication of the house of Ahab and killed his bretheren It was said by the Prophet that the Lord will smite his people his children his wiues and all his goodes with a mightie plague and that he shall haue much disease through infirmitie in his bowels vntil his bowels fall out Iehoas after the death of Iehoiada became an Idolater and the hoast of the Sirians came against him and came to Iuda and Hierusalem and Iehoas was killed of his owne seruaunts Amaziah after that time that he did tourne away froÌ„ the Lord they conspired treason against him in Hierusalem he fledde to Lachis Whether they sent after him and slewe him there Oziah did that pleased the Lord in all pointes as did Amaziah his father And he sought God while Zachariah the teacher to sée god liued as long as he sought the Lord God made him prosper And helped him against the Philistians against the Arabians against the Ammonites Ioathan the sonne of Oziah became mightie bicause he directed all his waies before the Lord his god he warred against the king of the children of Ammon and vanquished them Ahaz did not that pleased the Lord as did his father Dauid But he offered burnt incense in hil alters on mouÌ„taines vnder euery gréene trée Wherefore the Lord his God deliuered him into the hand of the king of the Sirians which bâ—at him and caried away a great multitude of his captiue into Damasco And also he was deliuered into the hand of the king of Israel which slew of his a mightie slaughter For Phaketh sonnne of Romeliah slew in Iuda an-hundred twentie thousand in one day and all fighting men that bicause they had forsaken the Lord God â—f their fathers Hezekiah throughout al Iuda did that which was good right truth before the Lord his god And in al the works that he â—egan in the seruice of the house of God to séeke his God after the law coÌ„mmaundement that did he with all his heart prospered greatly Manasseh succéeded Hezekiah did wickedly in the sight of the Lord like vnto the abhomination of the heathen he made Iuda the inhabiters of Hierusalem to erre to do worse theÌ„ the heathen which the Lord destroied before the childreÌ„ of Israel And when the Lord spake to Manasseh to his people they attended not to him wherfore the lord brought vpon them the captaines of the host of the king of Assur which tooke Manasseh in an holde bound him with chaines and caried him to Babilon And when he was in tribulatioÌ„ he besought the Lord his God and humbled him selfe excedingly before the God of his fathers and made intercession to him he was entreated of him heard his praier brought him againe to Hierusalem into his kingdome And then Manasseh knewe howe that the Lorde was the very God. Amon did that displeased the Lord like vnto Manasseh his father for Amon sacrificed vnto all the kerued images which Manasseh his father made and serued them méekened not himselfe before the Lord as Manasseh his father had méekned himselfe but Amon trespassed greatly wherfore his owne seruants conspired against him slewe him in his owne house Iosiah his people tourned not aside from after the Lord God of their fathers as long as he liued but did put away al manner of abhominations out of all lands that perteined to the children of Israel brought al that were founde in Israel to serue the Lord their god Iehoahaz the sonne of Iosiah is made king for his father in Hierusalem For the king of Aegypt put him downe at Hierusalem and made Eliakim his brother kinge vpon Iuda Hierusalem and did that displeased the Lord his god Against him came Nabuchodonosor king of Babilon bound him in fetters to carye him to Babilon Iehoachim reigned iij. moneths x. dayes in Hierusalem did that displeased the Lord when the yeare was out king Nabuchodonosor made Zedekiah his fathers brother king ouer Iuda Hierusalem Zedekiah did that displease the Lord his god humbled not himselfe before Ieremiah the prophet at the mouth the of lord And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers sending them betimes for hée had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place But they mocked the messengers of God and despised their woordes and misused his Prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord so arose against his people that it was past remedie And so he brought vppon theÌ„ the king of Chaldey and slew their young men with the swoorde in their holy temple neither spared he younge man nor maide neither olde man neither so much as him that stowped for age But gaue all into his handes And forasmuch as such like examples do teach vs that the eies of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open vnto their prayers But the face of the Lord beholdeth them that doe euill to destroy the remembraunce of them out of the earth That the Lord doth shed out his wrath ouer them which doe despise him and doth shew himselfe tractable and gentle vnto those which serue him with a contrite perfect heart I doe meane in all holinesse and righteousnesse Let vs keepe as much as in vs in possible the faith which we haue promised vnto the Lord and assure our our selues that he which worketh in vs both the will and the déede according to his good pleasure will finish the worke which he hath begon in vs to his honoure to the aduauncement of the christian Church and to the health of his Furthermore let vs retire and drawe our selues from the thinges which may seduce vs and make vs varie from the true seruice which is due vnto him Do we not know how that they that proue masteries absteine from all things and they doe it to obtaine a corruptible crowne But we to obtaine an vncorruptible Let vs ruÌ„ne then not as at an vncertain thing let vs fight not as one that beateth the ayre But with patience in dooing wel séeking immortalitie life euerlasting Amen Apocalips 2. a. ¶ I know thou hast suffered and hast pâ—tience for my names sake hast laboured and hast not fainted Neuerthelesse I haue somewhat against thee bicause thou hast left thy first charitie A praier O Lord God heauenly father and altogether puissant which hast said by the mouth of thy welbeloued sonne our Lord Iesus Christ that he that endureth to the ende
and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him Truely the vse of the worde which consisteth chiefly in the conuersion of a sinner ought to be referred to all those which haue hope of the eternall life And we ought no more to thincke straunge that the ecclesiasticall discipline be publike for iust occasioÌ„s then we shoulde thinke straunge that the word be publicke Forasmuche as the ecclesiasticall discipline and correction is as a sinewe corde for to preserue and keâ—pe the worde in his aucthoritie puissaunce greatenesse To the end that euen as by our transgressions faultes we haue giuen occasion vnto many to doe euill yea that the name of God is euil spoken off by the enimies of our religion euen so let the Lordes name be magnified and exalted in our conuersion and the sinnes a feare to all thorowe our repentance and contrition Furthermore we ought not to thinke it straunge to manifest our sins openly if the case so require with true repentauÌ„ce contrition inasmuch as in him we haue takeÌ„ pleasure in the company of many for although that the Christian Church doth not pray generally for all poore sinners chiefly for those which are of his bodie Yet the Lorde will not that we be vnprofitable seruauntes despising the meanes so plesaunt and gratious the which he doth propounde vnto vs for to obteine his grace and mercy If thou hast regarde to thy dignitie excellencie and greatnesse that thou doe remember that Sainct Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ a chosen vessell was not ashamed to manifest vnto the congregations and before his verie enimies what he was before his conuersion in the Iewish lawes and how he persecuted the church of god by wrong If the puissance and aucthoritie the which thou hast in the worlde doth make thée to be a shamed put before thée Dauid which was both a king and a Prophet crying with a loude voice I acknowledge my faultes and my sinne is euer before me Against thée onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight Forget not Manasses who confessed before God and men that he hath sinned aboue the number of the sands of the sea reputed not himselfe worthy to looke vp towards heâ—uen Also one Theodosius an Emperour and wonderfull riche being excluded from the company of the Christians And afterwards making open repentaunce If thou arte ashamed bicause thou arte young consider the children of the Machabees who confessed in the middest of their torments and before all that they haue suffered for iuste occasion bicause that they haue offended the maiestie of god If the fragilitie of thy kinde doth make thée weake and féeble assure thy self vpon that poore sinful woman who was not ashamed to bewaile hir sins and to wash with hir tears the féete of Iesus Christ our Lord as he sate at meate in the Pharises house yea in the presence of all those that were with him If olde age doth kéepe théee backe with the greatnesse of thy faults S. Peter the head most auncient of all the apostles will giue thée boldenesse weping bitterly for that he denied his master Iesus Christ Learn then that the lord will haue mercy not sacrifice and that he came not for to call the righteous but the sinners to repentauÌ„ce And be ye assured that ther shal be more ioye in heaueÌ„ ouer one sinner that repenteth more then ouer nintie and nine iuste persons which néede not repentaunce Despise not the chastening of the Lord neither fainte when thou arte rebuked of him for although no manner of chastesing for present time séemeth to be ioyous but gréeuous but afterward it bringeth the quiet fruite of righteousnesse vnto them which are thereby exercysed Consider king Achab despysing the correction of the prophet Micheas was begyled by the false prophets afterward was slayne in battayle Also king Ioas who was slayne by his owne seruaunts and all the princes of his people destroyed bicause they obeyed not the word of Zacharye the sonne of Ioiada the priest admonishing theÌ„ to retourne vnto the lord Finally king Asa king of Iuda who was grieuously punished bicause he toke not in good parte the holy demonstrations and admonitions of Hanany the prophete And take héede that the Lorde laugh not in your destruction and mocke you when the thing that ye feare commeth vpon you bicause that thou hast despised his counsel set his correction at naught For God complayneth sometyme in the person of Dauyd saying Why doest thou preach my lawes take my couenant in thy mouth whereas thou hatest to be reformed These thinges doe serue not to make you sorie or wearie but for to bring you vnto true and Godly repentance to the end that ye be nothing hurt by vs for godly sorrowe causeth amendement vnto saluation not to be repented off but the sorrowe of this worlde causeth deathe Of our part we do admonishe you as the father doth his children and we do desire you to comforte the féeble minded and to forbeare the weake to the end that you do admonishe those who are vnruly and be patient towards all men to the end that he which is of a contrite and humble spirite be not ouercome thorowe too much heauinesse What I say to the weake I became as weake to winne the weake to be made all things to all men to saue at the least some and this I doe for the gospels sake that I might haue my part thereof Vnto you also O ye true ministers of our Lord Iesus Christ they do addresse these wordes to the end ye may féede the flocke of God which dependeth vpon you caring for it not as though ye were compelled therto but willingly not for the desire of filthy lucre but of a good minde not as though ye were lords ouer Gods heritage but the ye be ensamples to the flocke For the seruant of the Lord must not striue but must be peaceable vnto al men apt to teach one that can suffer the euill men patiently And can informe theÌ„ that are coÌ„trary minded prouing if God at any time wil giue them grace that being conuerted they may knowe the truth And béeing deliuered out of the snare of the diuell may come to ameÌ„dement performe his will. Then rebuke checke exhort in al gentlenesse of spirite of doctrine For the weapoÌ„s of our warfare are not carnall things but strong by the power of God to cast downe holds wherw t we ouer throw imaginations euery hie thing that is exalted against the knowledg of god bring into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ The Lord by his Prophet doth coÌ„plain of the shepherds of Israel bicause they haue not holdeÌ„ vp the weake the sicke they haue not healed they haue not bouÌ„d together the broken because they haue not brought againe the outcastes
because they haue not sought after the which was lost but churlishly cruelly haue they ruled ouer theÌ„ And al you which are strong ought to beare the frailnes of the weake him that is weake in the faith take vnto you but not to enter into doutfull disputacions of controuersies againe if any man be falne by occasion into any faulte yée which are spirituall helpe to amende him in the spirite of méekenes considering thy selfe least thou be also tempted Beare ye one an others burthen so fulfill the law of Christ Which if any man obeye not the lawe of Christ send vs word of him by a letter and haue no company with him that he may be ashamed Yet count him not as an enemie but warne him as a brother desiring no other thing then the helth of euery man Euen as Sainct Paul did deliuer the man who committed fornication with his fathers wife vnto Sathan for the destruction of the fleshe that the spirite maye be saued in the daye of the Lorde Iesus In lyke maner Hymmenaeus and Alexander that they do learne no more to blaspheme For I aduise you or let you knowe that he which conuerted the sinner from going astraye out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hyde the multitude of sinnes To no purpose some menne héere doe alleadge that Iesus Christ and the Apostles haue not alwaies vsed suche modestie and gentlenesse As when Iesus Christ said wo be vnto thée Chorasin wo be vnto thée Bethsaida For if the miracles which were shewed in you had bene done in Tyre and Sydon They had repenâ—ed long agone in sackcloth and asshes Such are the words of S. Iohn towardes the Scribes and Pharises crying against â—hem O generation of vipers who hath taught you to flée from the vengeance to come Bringe foorth therefore the fruites belonging to repentaunce Euen so said S. Paule writing to the Galathians O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that ye should not beléeue the truth To whoÌ„ Iesus Christ was described before your eies among you crucified Now we will aunswere briefly that wheÌ„ Iesus Christ or his Disciples or Apostles do rebuke chide and exhort by any seueritie or rigorousnesse of wordes That is not that they do not teach in all gentlenesse of spirite and of doctrine applying themselues to the simpliâ—itie rudenesse or malice of the hearers Wherin is to much manifested the impudencie of those who without any discretion doe laye the heauie burthens and which are not able to be borne vpon mens shoulders and regard not that the Lorde hath regard or respect to him which is of an humble spirite and a broken a contrite heart And that he dwelleth hie aboue and in the sanctuarie and with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirite that hée may heale a troubled minde and a contrite heart these are they which doe let passe the commaundement of God by their ordinaunces and consider not that the commaundements of God are easie and gentle for the righteousnesse which coÌ„meth of faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thy heart who shall ascende into heauen that is nothing els then to fetch Christ downe Either who shall descende into the déepe that is nothing els but to fetch vp Christ from death But what saith the scripture the worde is nigh thée euen in thy mouth and in thine heart This worde is the worde of faith which we preach For if thou shalt knowledge with thy mouth that Iesus is the Lord and shalt beléeue with thine heart that GOD raised him vp from death thou shalt be safe Wherefore let vs lift vp our heartes with our handes vnto the Lord that is in heauen and confesse boldly that we haue bene rebelles and let vs séeke him and let vs retourne vnto â—he Lorde and he will not cast vs awaye â—or euer which if he doe giue vnto vs anguish then he will haue compassion of vs according to his great goodnesse for he doth â—ot punish and afflict willingly the sonnes â—f men Let vs not be ashamed to entreat â—im in fastings praiers sackloth ashes â—ea in the open assemblie of the Sainctes to confesse that vnto him belongeth iustice and to vs vtter confusion inasmuch as we haue sinned against him Finally let â—s walke worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called in all humilitie of minde and meaknesse and long suffering forbearing one an other through loue So be it 1. Thessa. 5. c. ¶ We beseech you that ye knowe them which laboure amonge you and haue the ouersight of you in the Lorde and giue you exhortation that ye haue them the more in loue for their workes sake A prayer O Lorde God most mightie and heaueÌ„ly father thou I say which desirest not the death of a sinner But wilt haue all men saued and come vnto the knowledge of the truth Giue vs grace in the middest of these troubles and enimies that we despise not the meanes which thou hast ordeined for vs to obtaine eternall life but that we emploie and endeuoure our selues with such feare trembling to our saluation that when we shall be iudged wée may acknowledge that we bée taught by thée that we be not iudged with the world and that willingly we may receaue the correction of the ministers dispensers of thy lawe confessing both with heart mouth that power is giuen vnto them to edification and not to destruction to ouerthrowe all such presumption as exalteth it self against thée to subdue all misdéedes to the obedience of thy sonne Christ so the by that means doing althings without murmuring and reasoning our obedience may appeare to all men and that we may be faultlesse and pure and the sonnes of GOD without rebuke in the middest of a croked and peruerse nation And finally that we may be fellowheairs with our Lorde Iesus Christ which through his obedience hath bene exalted aboue the heauens vnto whom be glorie for euer and euer So be it ¶ A BRIEFE ADVERTISment vpon the commaundement to loue god Cap. 16. Deuterono 6. b. ¶ Heare Israel the Lord thy God is Lòrd onely and thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy might THe Lorde saide in Sainct Iohn he that hath my commaundements and kéepeth them the same is he that loueth mée and he that loueth mée shall be loued of my father and I will loue him and will shewe mine owne selfe to him manifestly If a man loue me he will kéepe my sayings and my father will loue him we will come vnto him and will dwell with him Where Iesus Christ doth testifie vnto vs that the loue which we do owe vnto the lord consisteth in the obseruing of his preceptes and commaundents And herein is to be noted the some obey the coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts of the lord as seruaunts
The same Philosopher did crie out sometime on the people of Athens O ye people of Athens I do loue you greatly but I loue rather to obey God then you Wherevnto we will aunswere that we will not depriue the Philosophers from the grace which the Lorde hath promised vnto the blessed for the Lambe hath béene killed from the beginning of the worlde But forasmuch as there is none other name giue vnder heauen vnto men whereby we must be saued then the name of Iesus We do say in this matter that the philosophers do differ from the loue which the true christians do beare vnto the Lorde forasmuch as the true christians doe acknowledge one Iesus Christ and him crucified which is the brightnesse of the glorie and the image of the personne of the father of whom the same father hath saide This is my welbeloued sonne heare him Also for to knowe perfectly the father and his wil we must know the sonne for this is life eternall that they do knowe the onely very God he whom the Lord hath sent to witte our Lord Iesus Christ according to that that the same Iesus Christ doth protest that the world knew him not that he hath giuen the name of his father to be knowē of his that the loue which the father hath loued be in them and he in them Wherefore if the onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father hath declared him Who doubteth but that the Christians haue a more perfecter knowledge of the will of the father séeing the sonne by whome the father hath spoken vnto them in these later dayes and hath left vnto them the sacramentes as seales markes of his promises are not I say more moued to loue him then the Philosophers Inasmuch as the sonne hath said vnto Philippe Philip he that hath séene me hath séene my father Beleuest thou not that I am in my father my father in me And yet although that some Philosophers by the law natural haue had knowledge of God consequently they haue béene moued to loue him yet as saith Saint Paul they glorified him not as god Finally some may here say inasmuch as the Lorde desireth his that they do loue him perfectly that he desireth of them a thing either impossible or els too harde Wherevnto we will aunswere that the great perfection that the Lord desireth to loue him is not for vs to commaunde a thing which is too rigorous for he hath said that his yoke is easie and his burthen light But he hath regard to our imperfection fearing that thorough our infirmitie we should forsake him for to declare vnto vs the care that he hath of vs to gather what is the greatnesse of the precept Furthermore in that that he saith with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy strength he requireth of vs a perfect obediēce insomuch that he would that we should consecrate our selues to his obedience loue The which also Saint Paul requireth of vs when he saith let not sinne reigne therfore in your mortall body that ye should obey sinne in the lustes of the bodie Neither giue ye your members as weapons of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne but giue your selues vnto God as they that are aliue from death giue your members as weapons of righteousnesse vnto God. And in an other place I beséech you therefore brethren by the mercifulnesse of God that ye offer your bodies a quicke sacrifice holy acceptable vnto GOD which is your resonable seruing of god And fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be ye chaunged in your shape by the renewing of your minde that yée may proue what is the will of God which is good acceptable and perfect in such sorte that the Lord would not that we shoulde lende him the tongue onely as the hipocrites do who do make profession to know God but with their déedes denie him But he would that we shoulde giue him both the word and the worke Vnto this Saint Iohn exhorteth vs saying my litle children let vs not loue in worde neither in tongue onely but in déede and in trueth That is the cause wherefore the lorde rebuked the Iewes by his Prophet that his people did approch nigh vnto him with their mouth and praised him highly with their lippes where as their heart neuerthelesse is farre from him Furthermore in this he comprehendeth a singuler perfection for the regarde of his commaūdementes For whosoeuer shall kéepe the whole lawe and yet faileth in one point he is guiltie in al. Forasmuch as he which hath said Thou shalt not commit adulterie he hath also said Thou shalt not kill At the end he concludeth So speake ye so do as they that shal be iudged by the law of liberty He would also by this cōmaūdemēt that w◠should loue him aboue al things yea aboue our owne life For he protesteth that he that loueth his father or mother more then him is not méete for him And he that taketh not his crosse and foloweth after him is not méete for him To conclude by these wordes he requireth of vs that we may be so carefull to loue him and with such affection that we may referre all our thoughtes wordes workes to his glory Whether therefore we eate or drincke or whatsoeuer we do let vs doe all to the praise of god For none of vs liueth to himselfe neither doth any of vs die to himselfe For whether we liue we liue vnto the Lord or whether we die we die vnto the Lord whether we liue therefore or die we are the Lordes One may finde at this day such a man vnto whom if one demaunde if he loue God he will aunswere franckly and fréely that which Sainct Peter aunswered vnto Iesus Christ Yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thée yea will say with the same Apostle I loue thée so much Lord that I am readie to go with thée into prison and to death And neuerthelesse if it were a question to endure and suffer some daunger for the Lord he will protest with an othe yea at the worde of a simple maiden I meane for a small occasion that he knew him not It maketh mee to remember for this matter of the same Apostle who seeing Iesus Christe transfigured in the mountaine his face shining as the sunne and his clothes as white as the light said vnto Iesus Maister here is good beeing for vs if thou wilt let vs make here three tabernacles but when the Lord said vnto him that hee must goe to Hierusalem and suffer many things did finde the things so straunge that hee began to rebuke Iesus saying maister looke to thy selfe this shall not bee vnto thee Those are they who in prosperity willingly loue the LORDE and in aduersitie doe denie him For there is no feare in loue but perfect loue casteth out
all thinges forasmuch as it is not subiect to any filthinesse or corruption as are the other creatures Insomuch that the soule of a true Christian regenerated through grace and wounded of that heauenly loue is sicke for that true spouse which is Iesus Christ And which is more it sigheth incessantly for the deliueraunce of this body which of it selfe is subiect to corruption Euen soe Dauyd did crye out saying wo is mée that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech and to haue mine habitation amonge the Tentes of Cedar My soule is a thirst for God yea for the liuing God saying Alas when shall I come to appeare béefore the presence of God These are also the words of Sainct Paul I am saith hée compassed in on both sides desiring to be loosed and to bée with Christ The which is a great deale better for mée that if for their vertue we doe loue them whom we neuer saw as saith Cicero and if such is the force and strength of vertue which if one may behold it with the eyes it will stirre vp and imbrace in vs a meruailous desire to loue it how much more ought wee to loue God of whom as of the Nurse of al things doth descend euerie good and perfect gift To conclude if wée loue them whiche may helpe vs with all things which are necessarie for vs How much more ought wee to loue God which is all in all and with whom all pleasure dwelleth as Dauid witnesseth that fulnesse of ioy is with his countenance and at his right hand there is pleasure and ioy for euer That men shal be satisfied with the plenteousnesse of his house and hee shall giue them drink of the riuer of his pleasures for by him is the well of life and in his light shall wee see light I do say this not onelie for the eternall goodnesse which are promised vnto the blessed in the resurrection to come but also for the goodnesse whiche the Lorde giueth vnto vs in this present life Euen so the same prophete saith so is this wide and great sea also wherein are thinges créeping innumerable both small and greate beastes There goe the ships ouer and there is the Leuiathan whome thou hast made to take his pastime therin They waite all vppon thée that thou maist giue them meate in due season When thou giuest it them they gather it and when thou openest thine hande they are filled with good But when thou hidest thy face they are sorowfull And if thou takest away their breath they die and are turned againe to their dust Againe when thou lettest thy breath goe foorth they are made and so thou renuest the face of the earth And in an other place hee saith O feare the Lorde ye that be his saincts for they that feare him lacke nothing Furthermore in the that the Lorde desireth that wee shoulde loue him so perfectly we are sufficiently aduertised that those which doe giue vnto other creatures the homage and obedience which is due vnto the Lorde be they deade creatures or liuing creatures they loue not GOD perfectly forasmuch then as God hath chosen vs as a chast virgin for to be presented to his Christe according as hée hath foreshewed by the Prophet Oseas that he will marie his owne selfe vnto her in righteousnesse in equitie in louing kindenesse and mercie and in faith yet when we doe seperate the loue which we owe vnto the Lorde for to giue of that whiche apperteineth vnto him vnto other creatures truely we are vnto him vngentle Bicause he is a gelous God visiting the sinne of the fathers vpon the children vnto the thirde and fourth generation That is the cause wherfore Moses saith in the same booke Thou shalt worshippe no straunge god For the Lorde is called gelcus because he is a gelous GOD. For that same cause Sainct Peter seing that Cornelius fell downe at his féete to worshippe him he tooke him vp saying stande vppe for euen I my selfe am a man Acknowledging verie wel that Cornelius for the affecttion that he did beare vnto him did forgette the homage and obedience that he owed vnto the Lorde In like manner Barnabas and Paul séeing that the inhabiters of Listria woulde doe sacrifice vnto them they rent their clothes and ranne in among the people crying and saying O men why do ye these things We are mortall men like vnto you In like manner it is written in the Reuelation of S. Iohn that the Angel séeing that Sainct Iohn was fallen downe at his féete to worshippe him he saide vnto Sainct Iohn sée thou doe it not I am thy fellowe seruant and one of the brethen whiche haue the testimonie of Iesus worshippe god Euen so hath not Herod done for vpon a day appointed Herod being aâ—aied in royall apparell and sitting in his â—eate made an Oration vnto the people And the people gaue a shoute saying it is the voyce of a God and not of a man And immediatly the Angell of the Lorde â—mote him because he gaue not God the honour so that he was eaten of wormes Asmuche also happened vnto Alexander the greate for hauing taken the Citie of Babilon raised him selfe against the commaundement of the liuing GOD and woulde that his people shoulde worshippe him and offer vnto him Sacrifices Wherefore within a little while after he died through Gods punishement for hee being ouer drie for lacke of drinke fell into a gréeuous sicknesse of whiche hee dyed And that great personne who as the worlde thought feared not to bee ouercome of men was ouercome and vanquished of wine The same doth learne vs and sufficiently declare vnto vs that the loue the whiche wée ought to beare vnto the creatures ought to be ruled and gouerned by the worde that wee ought not to compare it to the loue which we ought to beare vnto GOD our creator I do speake this for those whiche according to their priuate affections and indiscréete zeale do beare such honour as it pleaseth them vnto the creatures and in the meane time consider not that the Lord is gelous of the loue and obedience that they owe vnto him What shall I say of those who making profession of the Christian religion do beare vnto wicked spirites the loue that they owe to their lord And in what aduersitie or affliction that they finde themselues in haue recourse As Saul vnto the Magicians and Witches not trusting themselues of the promise of the LORD Who saith Call vppon me in the time of trouble so will I heare thée that thou shalt thancke me Things truely which are verie much forbidden in the lawe of God where Moses admonished the people of Israel saying Turne not your selues to them that work with spirites neither regarde them that obserue dismall dayes that ye be not defiled by them for I am the Lord your god And in the booke of Deuterenomium
it is saide when thou art come into the lande which the LORD thy GOD giueth thée sée that thou learne not to do after the abhominations of these nations Let there not be founde among you that maketh his sonne or daughter to go thorowe the fire or that vseth Witchcrafte or a chooser out of dayes or that regardeth the flying of foules or a Sorcerer or a charmer or that councelleth with spirites or a prophecier or that asketh the aduise of the deade The which also the Prophet Esay confirmeth by the like wordes saying and therefore if they say vnto you aske counsell of the Southsayers Witches Charmers ▪ and Coniurers then make them this aunswere Is there a people any where that asketh not counsell at his GOD whether it be concerning the deade or the liuing If any man want light let him looke vpon the lawe and the testimonie whether they speake not after this meaning Also the Prophet Ieremie saith in this manner And therefore followe not your Prophetes Southsayers Expounders of dreames Charmers and Witches which say vnto you Ye shall not serue the king of Babilon For as righteousnesse hath no felowshippe with vnrighteousnesse neither light with darkenesse or Christe agréeth not with Belial or the faithfull hath no part with the infidell or the temple of GOD agréeth not with idols and no man can serue two maisters for either hee shall hate the one and loue the other or els he shall leane to the one and dispise the other Such people doe euidently declare that they loue not God perfectly That is the cause wherefore the LORDE rebuked his people bicause they haue plaied the harlotte ▪ with many louers And in the Prophet Oseas the Lorde threatneth the same people that he will discouer their foolishnesse euen in the sight of her louers These thinges are so muche more dampnable of our time that the sonne of God manifested him selfe to vs for to declare vnto vs the eternall lawe of his father For as saith the Apostle writing vnto the Hebrewes If the worde whiche was spoken by Angels was stedfast and euerie transgression disobedience receiued a iust recompence of rewarde How shal we escape if we dispise so greate saluation asmuch will we say of those whiche giue their bodies to an other kinde of vngodlinesse and of sinne For as long as they giue themselues to vices so long doe they drawe themselues from the loue and obedience that they owe vnto the lord These are the wordes of the prophet Esaie when he saith your misdéeds haue seperated you from your God and your sinnes hide his face from you that he heareth you not Forasmuch then as our members are the temple of god yet truely in consecrating them both to the one the other we make them members and temples of an other then of god And consequently forsaking the LORDE for our true spouse we doe altogether so as harlottes who committe fornication with all sortes of men That is the sentence of Saint Paul writing vnto the Corinthians know ye not saith he that your bodies are the members of Christ shall I then take the members of Christe and make them the members of an harlotte GOD forbid the bodie is not for the harlotte but for the Lorde and the LORDE for the bodie ye are dearely bought for a price therefore glorifie GOD in your bodie and in your spirite for they are Gods. Knowe ye not saith the same Apostle that to whome soeuer ye commit your selues as seruauntes to obey his seruaunts ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnesse Euen so Iesus Christ séeing that the Iewes aduaunced themselues saying we are of Abrahams séede and were neuer bounde to any man aunswered them that whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruaunt of sinne For as the same Apostle witnesseth for to bee the séede of Abraham they are not therefore all children but in Isaac shall the séede be called that is to say those which are children of the flesh are not therefore children of God but those which are children of promise are reputed and taken for children and in vaine doe they promise libertie which are themselues the bonde seruauntes of corruption for of whomsoeuer a man is ouercome vnto the same he is in bondage Let not sinne reigne therefore in your mortall bodie that we shoulde obey sinne in the lustes of the bodie neither giue we our members as weapons of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne but giue our selues vnto God as béeing dead béeing made aliue and let vs giue our members as weapons of righteousnesse vnto god Let vs here conclude that as the Lord is perfect he desireth also of vs a perfect loue and a whole and sounde heart I meane not fayned nor dissmbled In such sort that those which thincke to loue God and the worlde together those I say abuse themselues greatly For as saith saint Iohn if any man loue the world the loue of the father is not in him Knowe yée not saith Sainct Iames that the friendship of the worlde is enmitie to God ward Whosoeuer therefore will bée a friende of the world is made the enimie of god Beholde that which moued S. Paul to confesse that if he studied to please men he should not bée the seruaunt of Christ The which is also figured in the olde lawe where it was commaunded not to offer vnto the Lord no oxe or shéepe wherein is any deformitie And cursed be the dissembler which hath in his flock one that is male and when he maketh a vowe offereth a spotted one vnto the Lord. As also the same lawe woulde that we should not haue in our bagge two manner of weightes that is to say a great and a small But that we must haue a perfect a iust measure For that cause was Ananias greatly punished as we doe reade in the Actes of the Apostles who hauing solde a possession and kept away parte of the price his wife also being of counsell and brought a certeine part and laide it downe at the Apostles féete Then said Peter Ananias Howe is it that Sathan hath filled thine heart that thou shouldest lye vnto the holy Ghost and kéepe away part of the price of the possession Thou hast not lyed vnto men but vnto god When Ananias heard these wordes he fell downe and gaue vp the ghost The like happened vnto his wife The same doth sufficiently declare vnto vs that we ought not to offer vnto GOD a heart that is vicious and full of dissimulation As the lawe doth not permitte that wée shoulde offer vnto GOD a foule thing and vncleane And as it desireth and commaundeth that wée shoulde haue a iust measure and weight so the LORDE woulde that man shoulde kéepe towarde his neighboure all fidelitie and equalnesse following the saying of the Apostle Sainct Paul writinge vnto the Thessalonians
acknowledge his imperfection and should the better kéepe that bande of amitie and Chrian charitie For although that we are all baptised by one spirite into one bodie whether they be Iewes or Greekes whether they be bonde or frée and haue all dronke into one spirite for the bodie is not one member but many And the eye cannot say vnto the hand I haue no néede of thée nor the heade also to the féete I haue no néede of you Yea rather a greate deale those members of the bodie whiche séeme to be more féeble are necessarie And vpon those members of the bodie whiche wee thinke most vnhonestie we put more honestie on and verie well that great Oratour of the latines hath declared that wee cannot doe all things of our selues And that one is more apt and profitable for one thing then another is That is the cause wherefore friendshippes are gotten to the ende that common vtilitie be kept thorowe great commune pleasures Then if there bee any grace in vs let vs not abuse it but let vs consider with our selues that euery good gifte and euery perfect gifte is from aboue and commeth downe from the father of lightes and with the same let vs giue glorie vnto him of whose aboundaunce we haue receiued euen grace for grace Furthermore that wee remember that wee haue receiued that grace to serue for to profite euerie one For vnto whome muche is giuen of him shalbée muche receiued and to whome men much committe the more of him will they aske Finally let vs confesse boldly that such and so muche excellencie as is in vs it is alway ioyned with some imperfection to the ende that the wise man reioyce not in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength neither the ritch man in his riches But who so will reioyce let him reioyce in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth that it is the Lorde whiche doth mercie equitie and righteousnesse vppon the earth In so muche that if the Lorde hath put in vs any knowledge whether it be the gifte of tongues or grace to interprete the holy scriptures there resteth none other thing but to magnifie and celebrate the name of him in whome not onely are hidde all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge but also him in whome doth dwell all heauealy fulnesse corporally He whiche opened the witts of his desciples that they might vnderstande the scriptures The Lyon of the tribe of Iuda the roote of Dauid hath obteined to open the booke and to lose the seuen seales theroff and if such are our prowesses and heroical déedes that they excell and passe the déeds of Alexander the great or of Iulius Caeser what can we better doe but to followe the example of the fower and twentie elders which fell downe before him that sate on the throne and worshiped him that liueth for euer and cast their crownes before the throne saying Thou arte worthie O LORDE to receiue glorie and honour and power for thou hast created all thinges and for thy willes sake they are and haue béene created And with the same also we ought to giue vnto him all honour homage and obedience vnto the Lambe I say whiche hath redéemed vs vnto GOD thorowe his bloude and hath made vs kinges and priestes vnto our GOD I doe meane the sonne of GOD who on his vesture and on his thigh hath a name written king of kings and Lorde of Lordes Vnto whome also a thousande times a thousande serued him and tenne thousande times ten thousand stoode before him Briefly wée must conclude that the things which are in vs whether they be the goods of the body or the goods of the soule are of small value if they be not bestowed vnto the glorie of the Lorde and to the health of our neighboure Nowe being applied and bestowed to that ende they bring fruite to eternall glorie As the Lorde saide make you friends with the riches of iniquitie that when ye shall departe they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations To the same end Toby exhorted euery faithfull man as followeth Be mercifull after thy power If thou haue much giue plenteously if thou hast little doe thy diligence gladly to giue of that little For so gatherest thou thy selfe a good rewarde in the day of necessitie For almes deliuereth from deathe and suffereth not the soule to come into darkenesse According as Dauid hath declared that blessed is he that considereth the poore for the Lorde shall deliuer him in the time of trouble As touching the seconde point Saincte Iames doth teach vs that if any of vs haue erred from the trueth and another hath conuerted him Let the same knowe that he which conuerted the sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide the multitude of sinnes By this we may knowe plainly that two thinges are proper to loue that is to say to lament and be sorrowful for the miserie of our neighctour And to reioyce and be glad of his prosperitie and health Of the first Moses doth giue vs an example who being greatly sorowfull for the sinne of his people cryed with a lowde voice and saide O Lorde this people haue sinned a greate sinne yet forgiue them their sinne I pray thée if not wipe me out of thy booke which thou hast written For that purpose Sainct Paule wished himselfe to be seperated from Christ for his brethren whiche are his kinsmen as perteining to the sleshe And in an other place he complaineth with wéeping of some enimies of the crosse of Christe Whose end is dampnation whose God is their belly and whose glorie is to their shame which are worldly minded And he himselfe doth witnesse in his Epistle vnto the Corinthians that he is gelous ouer them with Godly gelousie hauing prepared them for one husbande to present them a pure Virgin to Christ But he doth feare least as the serpent beguiled Eue through his subtilitie euen so their mindes should be corrupt from the simplicitie that is in Christ Euen 〈◊〉 Dauyd doth crie out saying I am horriblie afraide for the vngodly that forsake thy lawe On the other side the Apostle Sainct Paul reioysed at the repentance of his when he protested to the Corinthians that hée reioysed not that they were sorie but that they so sorrowed that they amended for they sorrowed godly But it is not inough to haue compassion of the miserie of the néedy which doth not assist him in the thinges necessarie for his life For as sainct Iames saith if a brother or a sister bée naked and destitute of dailie foode and one of you say vnto them Depart in peace warme your selues and fill your bellies notwithstanding ye giue them not those thinges which are néedfull to the bodie what helpeth it Also it is not much to sée our neighbour naked of spirituall thinges except that we
goe about by all meanes to bring him to the way of saluation To this sainct Paul exhorteth vs when he said bretheren if any man be fallen by occasion into any fault ye which are spirtuall helpe to amend him in the spirite of méekenesse for we which are strong ought to beare the frailnesse of the weake and not to looke onely to our selues Not without cause the LORD greatly rebuked the shepheardes of Israel that they haue eaten vp the fat and clothed them with the woll the best fed haue they slaine but the flock haue they not nourished The weake haue they not holden vp the sicke haue they not healed the broken haue they not bounde together the outcastes haue they not brought againe the lost haue they not sought but churlishly and cruelly haue they ruled them In this respect we ought to repute and take him for our neighbour vnto whom we ought to bestowe the workes of charitie and mercie The which sainct Luke declareth at large by a parable of him which descended from Hierusalem to Iericho and fell into the handes of théeues which robbed him of his raiment and wounded him and departed and left him for halfe dead calling him the neighboure of him which fell into the handes of théeues that shewed mercy on him We must not then count him our neighboure onely which is ioyned vnto vs by affinitie or kindred or common societie but by societie of reason And in this respect as S. Augustine very wel saith all men are called neighboures For as witnesseth the same author if the vsing of commune monie doth make the people companions truely a great deale more the reason of commune nature by one selfe lawe of béeing not of traficke ought to ioyne and knitte vs together And we must not saye that apperteineth not to me nothing at al he is neither my parentes neither my kinsman nor my neighbour neither my countrie man For although hée bée the most straunger in the worlde yet he is thy neighbour Consider that the Apostle after the example of the auncient patriarkes doth commende vnto vs verie much hospitalitie in this sorte Lot brotherly loue continue Be not forgetfull to lodge straungers for therby some haue receiued Angels into their houses vnwares Remember theÌ„ that are in bands euen as though ye were bound with them and them which are in aduersitie as if ye were afflicted in the bodie Let vs also remember that poore woman of Sareptha which receiued the Prophet Eliah into hir house founde so much fauour of the Lord that she found a long time after wherwith to succour hir selfe in the time of â—â—e famine In like manner the holy scripâ—â—re doth teach vs that the prophet Elizeus â—btained a child for his hoastesse who wheÌ„â—he was dead raised it vp againe Insomuch that it doth verie well acquite or disâ—harge her which hath the vse of hospitaâ—â—tie rightly Beholde the occasion whereâ—ore it is written in the lawe of Moses â—hen thou shalt cut downe the haruest in â—he fielde and hast forgote a shefe in the féelde thou shalt not goe againe to fetch it but it shal be for the straunger the fatherlesse and the widdowe When thou beatest â—owne thine Oliue trées thou shalt not make leane riddaunce after thee but it shal be for â—he strauÌ„ger the fatherlesse and the widdow And when thou gatherest thy vineiarde thou shalt not gather cleane after thée but it shal be for the straunger the fatherâ—esse and the widdowe Euen so the lawe commaundeth to seperate the fruites for to giue them vnto the Leuite to the straunger to the fatherlesse and to the widdow For that same reason those are greatly to be blamed who in time of famine and dearth doe driue the poore straungers out of their townes and Cities in which time chiefly they ought to succour helpe them They doe seperate those from the commoâ— rightes of the heauenly father with whom they ought to haue all common societie The brute beastes doe estéeme the vse oâ— the meates which the earth bringeth foorth to be common to them all and with the same they assist them in necessitie man refuseth the duetie of nature vnto him with whom he ought to haue nothing which is strauÌ„ge of any humaine thing To a good purpose Plato said that the rightes of the strauÌ„gers are knowen of GOD aboue those of the Citizens for inasmuch as the straunger is without parents and friends he hath néede to be so much the more fauoured of GOD and men Wherefore the said author concludeth that euery one ought to take héede they doe no wrong vnto the straunger Such and like admonitions doe learne vs sufficiently that the worke of charitie regardeth not these outwarde thinges but the onely néede and necessitie For although that he which doth aske thée an almose be nothing at all kinde vnto thée but altogether vnknowen Yet he is of the same nature with thy parents of one selfe necessitie a man as the other are Furthermore vnder that worde of neighbour we comprehende those also which are not of the same reliâ—â—on as we are Insomuch that in time of â—â—cessitie we ought not to take him as a â—â—raunger which is of a contrarie religion 〈◊〉 he which we doe reade to haue ben obâ—erued in the auncient Churche not onely â—monge the Christians but also amonge â—â—e painims As we doe finde written in â—he ecclesiasticall historie of Eusebius in â—hich place it is said that Iulian the Apoâ—tate commaunded a certaine bishoppe to builde and erect in euery towne and Citie hospitalles out of hand for to receiue there â—ll straungers and those which haue néede And for to doe the same hée ordeined certaine quantitie of corne and wine euery yeare vsing these wordes It shoulde be to much dishonestie that those wicked Galilaeâ—ans for so they called the Christians should not chase and driue awaye the Iewes but that they shoulde nourish them yea that they should nourish their poore people and ours and that the other of vs are so cruell to forsake leaue our owne countrie men destitute of all aide and mans helpe Heere some will aunswere me if we ought to vse charitie to those which are contrarie to our religion Wherfore did the Lord forbid the children of Israel to contract societie or to haue any alliance with the Amorites Hethites Gebusites Gegersites and the Pheresites and other people contrarie to the Iewish religion Whervnto we will aunswere briefly that the Lord hath giuen the libertie vnto his people for a certaine time to the ende to tourne them from the abhominations and idolatries of the Gentiles as it is written in the booke of Exodus But at this day to witte in the lawe of grace which hath bene published throughout the vniuersall world such thinges shall not bée lawefull Neuerthelesse for all that wée haue sayde when wée can not by any meanes succour and helpe all those that be poore and
sinceritie the which is ioyned to an obedience due to the pure worde of the LORD Such hath bene and is yet at this day the custome and manner of those which doe tourne all things into the euil euen as did of late the Iewes who seeing that Iesus Christ healed him which was possessed with a Diuell sayd that he driueth the Diuels no otherwise out but through Beelzebub the prince of the Diuels And then as he magnified and declared his mercy in the conuersion of sinners murmured and sayde within themselues that he was the friende of publicans sinners and harlots yea they cryed with a loude voice beholde a glutton and drincker of wine a friende vnto publicans and sinners To be short when hée declared the kingdome of GOD his father and that hée did miracles his owne rebuked him and sayd that hée was madde and besides himselfe The which also was afterwardes obiected against Sainct Paul by Festus then bicause he declared the Christ shoulde suffer and that he shoulde bée the first that should rise from the dead and should shewe light vnto the people and to the Gentiles And as he thus aunswered for himselfe Festus sayde with a loude voyce Paul thou art besides thy selfe much learning doth make thée madde Héerein wée sufficiently declare what we be I meane but of small charitie when the thinges the which ought to moue vs to pitie and compassion doe incitate and pricke vs forwarde to a more greater crueltie and in humanitie The which I will more at large declare by a familier example One can not denie that the right of burying among the christians but that it is a worke verie charitable and pitifull for the which Tobiah is greatly praysed in the holy scripture and in whose fauour the Iabanites were greatly agréeable vnto king Dauyd for the burying of the bodie of Saul Insomuch that the olde lawe would not suffer the the bodies of those which were put to death by authoritie shoulde abide any long time hanging vppon the gybet But it would that they should be incontinently taken downe and buried And neuerthelesse a man shall finde at this daye among the christians so much vnkindnesse and vngentlenesse that they are not content to haue put to death their neighboures without the leaue of the Magistrate and authoritie of the Iustice But they exercise towardes their bodies of cruelties more then Barbarous or Sithian the which of late the kingly Prophet Dauyd lamented of his people when he sayd the dead bodies of thy seruauntes haue they giuen vnto the foules of the ayre to be deuoured and the flesh of thy Sainctes vnto the beastes of the lande Their bloud haue they shed like water on euery side of Hierusalem there was no man to burie theÌ„ Furthermore I would willingly demauÌ„d if it be not a work of pitie or loue to burie a dead bodie What crueltie is that to rage on a dead bodie if he bée cast into the fire as sayth Sainct Augustine which hath not giuen meate vnto the néedie where shall he be sent which shall steale the breade of the poore if hée which hath not clothed the poore be put into eternall punishment where shall he be placed which shall spoile the poore of his raiment if hée be dampned with the diuell who harboured not the wayfaring man and the trauailer where shall hée become which hath pilled and deuoured the house of the trauayler Finally if hee ought to perish which hath not visited them that are in prison what shall one doe with him which hath wrongfully imprisoned them Beholde my brethren saith that good man what hope can they haue which doe euill when they are dampned and cast into euerlasting fire which doe no good What shal I say in this matter woe be vnto mée If I do not speake it if an hâ—athen Poet named Ampedocles hath written that all things were established and kept by amitie As also an other Historigrapher hath taught that through concorde and amitie little thinges become great And greate thinges through discorde and enmitie do come to decay and perish According to the same which our Lorde Iesus Christ doth witnesse the euery kingdome deuided against it selfe is desolate and a house deuided against it selfe falleth Insomuch by this marke the LORD doth knowe his true desciples forasmuch as they haue â–ª peace and loue one to an other how much is the charitie or loue of the true Christians to be praysed by the which not onely humaine thinges are kept but all thinges are reconciled to GOD through Iesus Christ The which hath moued Salomon to saye that loue is mightie as the death and gelousie as the hel Hir coales are of fire and a verie flame of the lord And although that that loue be agréeable vnto God and men yet truely such are the debates and diuisions amonge the christians insomuch that it should séeme that we are come to the time of which the Prophet Micheas speaketh off saying There is not a godly man vppon the earth there is not one righteous amonge men They laboure all to shedde bloode and euery man hunteth his brother to death yet they say they doe well when they doe euill As the Prince will so saith the Iudge that hée may doe him a pleasure againe The great man speaketh what his heart desireth and the hearers allowe him The best of them is but as a thistle the most righteous of them is but as a brier in the hedge And doe giue none eare vnto the voyce of him which sayth that if wee bite and deuoure one an other Let vs take héede that we be not consumed one of another Wherfore forasmuch as it is so that this commaundement is so much commended off in the holy Scripture as Iesus Christ himselfe doth call it a newe commaundement sometime also he calleth it his commaundement And the Apostle Sainct Paul doth call it the bonde of perfection saying let vs forbeare one an other and forgiue one an other if any man haue a quarell to an other Euen as Christ hath forgiuen vs euen so doe wée And aboue all these thinges put on loue which is the bonde of perfectnesse and the peace of GOD rule in our heartes to the which peace wée are called in one bodie of our LORD Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer and euer So bée it 1. Iohn 4. c. 16. ¶ God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and GOD in him and this commaundement haue wee of God that he which loueth God should loue his brother also Beloued let vs loue the one the other for loue commeth of god euerie one that loueth is borne of GOD and knoweth god He that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue Psalme 41. d. ¶ Blessed is he that considereth the poore the Lord shall deliuer him in the time of trouble A Prayer O Lord which hast sayde by the
mouth of thy welbeloued disciple that hée which loueth not his brother whō he hath séene that he can not loue GOD whom hee hath not seene Imprinte so through thy grace and fatherly goodnesse such loue in our heartes that we considering that we are all members of one head That wée may haue also one selfe care the one for the other and may acknowledge that if thou hast so much loued the world as to giue thy onely sonne that none that beléeue in him should perish but haue euerlasting life that we also of our part bearing one an others burthen and that also we distributing vnto the necessities of the Saincts we may shewe by our example and good conuersation that we doe loue thée of déede truth yea that we are the true successours and disciples of him which hath taught vs not to gether vp treasure vp the earth but to make vs friends with the riches of iniquitie that when we shall depart they may receiue vs into euerlasting habitations Hee I say whiche though he were ritch yet for our sakes became poore that wée through his pouertie might be made ritch our Lorde Iesus Christ vnto whome be glorie for euer Amen ¶ A CHRISTIAN ADVERtisement vpon the commaūdement to honour our father mother Chap. 18. Exodus 20. c 12. Deut. 5. b. 16. ¶ Honour thy father and thy mother that thy dayes may be long in the lande which the Lord thy God giueth thee THE Apostle Sainct Paul writing vnto the Ephesians saith children obey your fathers and mothers in the Lorde For so is it righte And in an other place he sayth Honoure thy Father thy Mother which is the first cōmaundement that hath any promise thou maist bee in good estate liue lōg on earth The which Iesus the sonne of Siraac declareth more at large when hée said that the Lord would haue the Father honored of the children and looke what a mother commaundeth her children to do hée will haue it kept Who so honoreth his father his sinnes shalbée forgeuen him and he that honoreth his mother is like one that geathereth treasure together Whoso honoreth his Father shall haue ioye of his owne children and when hee maketh his praier he shal be heard he that honoreth his Father shal haue a long life And hee that is obedient for the Lordes sake his mother shall haue ioy of him Hee that feareth the Lorde honoreth his Father and Mother and doth them seruice as it were vnto the Lord him selfe Now when we do speake in this matter of honor wee take not simply the honor for an honor by the which we do go the one before the other be it by any outward signe or by friendely amiable wordes But wée doe take it as the holie Apostle Sainct Paul when hee saith The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honor most specially they whiche labour in the worde and teaching And in the same place he saith further honor widowes whiche are true widowes Insomuch that that honour doth comprehend a subiection and obedience also a naturall bond the which doth constraine vs to assist those with necessarie thinges in this present life vnto whom wee owe honor and obedience The which the Lorde himselfe rebuked sometimes the Iewes For although the lawe commaundeth that the children should nourishe their fathers and mothers to rēder vnto them pleasures in their olde age the which they haue first receiued of them in their youth The Scribes and Pharises learned the children to say vnto their fathers by euery gift that proceedeth from mee thou shalt be holpen though hee honor not his father or his mother And thus haue they made that the commaūdement of God is without effect through their traditiones And so by that meanes they defraude their fathers of the duetie the nature cōmaundeth them But marke what the sonne of Siraac saith honor thy father in déede in worde and in all patience that thou maist haue his blessing for the blessing of the father buildeth vp the houses of the children but the mothers curse rooteth out the foundations Reioyce not when thy father is reproued for it is no honour vnto thée but a shame For the worship of a mans father is his owne worshippe and where the father is without honour it is the dishonestie of the sonne My son make much of thy father in his age and gréeue him not as long as he liueth And if his vnderstanding faile haue patience with him dispise him not in thy strēgth For the good déede that thou shewest vnto thy father shall not be forgotten when thou thy selfe wantest it shal be rewarded thée And verie well for this purpose a certeine auncient authour saide that the sonne of GOD honoured his parentes As we reade that he came into Nazareth and was subiect vnto them and honoured Marie and Ioseph not by duetie of nature but by office of pietie hath honoured his father being obedient vnto him to the death euen the death of the crosse Nourishe then thy father and thy mother and when thou hast nourished them thou hast not done that which thou owest vnto thy mother thou hast not rendred vnto her all the paines and trauailes that she hath suffered for the loue of thee thou hast not also rendred vnto her the seruices that she hath done for thee bearing thee in her belly thou hast not rendered vnto her the aliments and nurrishments that she hath giuen vnto thee of a tender affection and motherly loue pressing her pappes vnder thy lippes thou hast not rendred vnto hir the hunger that she hath suffered for thee fearing least that she shoulde eate any thing which should hurte thee or that she shoulde eate any thing which shoulde bee noysome and hurtefull to her milke shee hath fasted for thy loue and for thy loue she hath eaten and for the loue of thee she hath not eaten the meate that she louid wilt thou suffer her to be in neede and to lacke that whiche thou hast thou owest vnto her vnto whome thou owest that whiche thou arte The like matters we do reade off in Xenophon when he declared that there was noe people that receiued more greater goodes then the children doe of their parentes the whiche are the cause that they liue Furthermore there are not that see so greate goods and are also partakers of that which God hath geuen vnto men The wife as that good author saith in conceauing her child suffereth that charge with most great werinesse and daungers of hir life and of hir proper substaunce nourishing hir fruite goeth about the day that she must trauaile and bring foorth hir childe with great and diuerse trauailes and afterwarde she nourisheth him and besides she is carful for him of whom shee neuer receiued any pleasure and who not onely forgetteth what he was which did him good but also can not onely expresse
the things which are necessaries vnto him Insomuch that the mother by coniectures and presumtions hath regard to geue vnto him that which is agreeable and profitable Beehold the cause wherefore that good Philosoper Plato said that hée of whom the father or mother or their kinsfolkes do lay vp in the house as a treasure hee ought to beeleeue that hee cannot haue one suche Image not more precious in his house if hee honoure them as hee ought To that pourpose the same author reciteth the example of Oedippus who being despised of his own children wished vnto thē the affliction that happened vnto thē as wée doe reade in the holy scripture of Cham one of the sonnes of Noe at the ende hée concludeth that there is not a thing that we ought so much to honoure as the fathers and mothers in their olde age who when they are honoured GOD is well pleased thereby for otherwise God will not heare our prayers and this purtracture and Image of the father is a great deale more admirable then so manie other Images For the liuely Images when they are honoured of vs they doe praie for vs and doe beare vnto vs dayly fauour when they are despised they doe altogether the contrarie but those which haue no life do nothing of all the same For conclusion the sayd Philosopher Plato sayth that hée which doth gouerne himselfe wel towards his father and mother and towardes his graundfathers hée hath with him an Image verie fitte for to winne the loue and amitie of the LORDE Honoure then thy father from thy whole heart and forgette not the sorrowefull trauaile that thy mother had with this Remember that thou wast borne thorowe them and howe canst thou recompence them the thinges that they haue done for thée Here one may demaunde this question that is whether we must obey in all and thorowe all the commaundement of the father the which was thought to haue béene proposed by Aulus Gellius an heathen author and neuerthelesse a learned man and verie auncient The saide authour aunswered that the thinges are either honest wicked or indifferent And concludeth in the ende that to things honest indifferent we must obey him but to thinges that are wicked wee must not obey him calllng the meane things and indifferent the ordinarie actions of this common life which are suche as we do gouerne our selues that is to say to go to the warre to labour and tille the earth to be a Magistrate to defend causes and to marrie Furthermore this learned man doth teach vs that in the places and common charges the deutie and right that the children owe vnto their fathers ought to cease for a certeine time for the childe or sonne beeing in degree of a Magistrate sitting in the iudgment seat before whom there must bée no accaption of personnes And it is often times greatly to be feared that through to great familiaritie there woulde growe a contemning or despising of the dignitie in that cause I say the father ought to acknowledge the sonne as him which is Gods minister In other places and priuate houses the sonne ought to giue all honour and obedience vnto the father Let vs then conclude with an other christian and verie auncient author that wée must honour our father so that he seperate not vs frō the heauenly father we ought to acknowledge this carnall alliance as long as our carnall father shall acknowledge his creator Otherwise we héere the voice of Dauyd which sayth hearken O daughter consider and incline thine eare forget thine owne people and thy fathers house So shall the king haue pleasure in thy beautie for hée is thy LORD and thou shalt worship him The same author hath written in the first of his Epistles that if the necessitie doth so require that the loue of parentes is against the same of GOD and that both of them cannot be kept of him that he must incurre the blame of his parentes for to kéepe pietie and godlinesse towardes god Beholde the warre the which Iesus Christ hath opened of the father to the sonne and of the sonne against the father at his comming saying Thincke not that I am come to sende peace into the earth I came not to send peace but the swoorde for I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against hir mother and the daughter in lawe against hir mother in lawe And a mans foes shall bée they of his owne housholde he that loueth his father or mother more then mée is not méete for mée Furthermore I will saye with the Philosopher Plato that such is the duetie of the childe towardes the father that he ought to thincke that all that which belongeth to him belongeth properly to the father I meane the goodes of the bodie the externall goodes and those of the spirite forasmuch as of them the sonne may comfort the father If our father haue néede of our counsell for to aide him in some thing truely we ought not to forsake him I doe except aboue all the LORD vnto whom all things apperteine Plutarch doth amplifie that duetie towardes our fathers and mothers as followeth The brute beastes a little while after they haue brought foorth their young ones are out of all care and are verie well but the nourishing and bringing vp of man is ful of all trauaile the aduauncement of him verie slowe and to acquire and get vertue that is a thing of long continuaunce And often times the fathers before that their children do come to perfection do die Euen as Ariston did neuer sée Plato to professe philosophie Also the victories of Tuchitidus Sophocles were neuer knowen vnto their fathers and mothers And verie well hath Valerius said that nature is the mister is of pietie who without any minister aide of voice without the vse of letters of hir own proper force and strengthe hath shed out into the heartes of children the loue that they ought to beare to their fathers Wherfore thē doth learning profit in this matter saith this good author he aunswereth that it doth profit not for to make their spirites better but more easie to bée taught and instructed In the same booke the same author doth propunde vnto vs the example of a vertuous and good woman Who of longe time nourished hir father béeing prisoner altogether aged and lame of hir owne milke Furthermore the seueritiē and crueltie of the olde lawe against the obstinate and rebellious children doth sufficiently declare what ought to bee the obedience of the children towardes their parentes Witnesse of this shall Moses bée who sayeth in this manner When a man shall haue a wicked and rebellious childe which will not obey nor hearken vnto the voyce of his father or mother and they shall chastise and correct him and he will not obey them then the father and mother shall take him and bring
him to the auncientes of the towne and from the gate of their place and shall saye vnto the auncients of their towne our sonne whom ye sée héere is wicked and rebellious and will not obey vnto our voice hée is a glutton and a drunckarde and all the men of the towne shall stone him with stanes to death and so thou shalt put away the euill from amonge the middest of thee And in an other place he saith Cursed be he that courseth his father or his mother an all the people shall say amen For hée that curseth his father and his mother his lampe shall be put out in the trouble of â—arknesse And he that hurteth his father or shutteth out his mother is a shamefull and an vnworthy sonne And in an other place the same Salomon doth declare that who so laugheth his father to scorne and setteth his mothers commaundemente at naught the Rauens picke out his eies in the valey and deuoured be he of the young Eagles That same reason hath induced the Romaine Emperours to inuent find out against the paricides a meruailous cruell and straunge punishment that is to saye to shut and keepe them fast with an Ape a Cocke and a Serpent and to cast them into the water or riuer to the ende sayth the lawe that they shoulde be depriued of all the elementes To be short that in their life they might be remoued from heauen and in their death from the earth And Plato in his lawes hath verie well sayd that the paricide doth merite all the paines of the wicked yea chiefly of sacriledge For by an homicide he hath taken the life from him who hath begotten him wherfore he concludeth that if it were possible that a man might die many times it should be most right and reasonable that the paricide should die of manie deathes For as that great Orator of the Latines writeth In violating the life of the father we doo sinne many waies we doe wrong vnto him who hath created nourished instructed aduaunced vs into the degrée of honour and hath placed vs in the common wealth Insomuch as witnesseth Iustin the historiographer that there is no coloure or pretence so that it be right which can excuse the paricide â–ª And for that cause Solon the lawe giuer of Athens béeing on a time asked wherefore he did not establish any lawe against the paricides aunswered that neuer no man had perswaded him that one could commit an offence so hainous The like aunswered Licurgus for the regarde of the vnthanckfull In this paine and malediction of the auncient lawe we doe not onely comprehend those which doe violence or wronge of a set purpose to their fathers but also those which blame them through disdaine of certaine checkes and rebukes â–ª for if he which hath said vnto his brother Racha is worthy to bée punished by the counsell by a more stronger reason he which shall doe iniurie to his father or which shall make him sorrowfull Woe be vnto him then that saith to his father why begatest thou me I speake vnto those who although that they do no kinde so wrong vnto their fathers yet if they durst they would willingly shorten their dayes And although that the ciuile lawe doe say that of the onely thought wée doe not merite the paine of the lawe yet it is much punishable towardes God as the Lord himselfe doth witnesse that whosoeuer loketh on a woman to lust after hir hath coÌ„mitted aduoulterie with hir all readie in his heart And verie well that great Orator of the Latines hath sayd that through one onely vaine sight or beholding that fatherly pietie is hurted If these thinges be not sufficient let vs declare the example of Ioseph who not onely when he was present but also being absent did beare all honour homage and obedience to his father and was verie careful to helpe and succour him Let vs remember the obedience of the Rechabites whom the Lorde himselfe put downe at the rebellion of the Iewes shewing vnto them that they haue bene obedient to their fathers in all thinges that hée commaunded them yea not to drincke wine neither to build any houses neither to sowe corne nor plant vineiardes but to dwell in tentes all their life longe On the other side let vs consider what hath ben the cursse of Cham the sonne of Noe bicause he discouered his fathers priuities and did not beare vnto him the honoure the which he deserued Insomuch that of that curse a certaine auncient author speaking sayd that we doe not finde in any place of the holy scripture this woorde seruaunt vntill such time as the iust man Noe had auenged the sinne of his sonne That name then merited vice and not nature Let vs haue feare and let vs be amased with feare when we doe see the vengeaunce of the sinne of Absalom procuring the death of his father and let vs beholde that the same which serued him to couer his head hath holden vp his bodie hanged to a tree Let vs meditate in our selues the sorowe and heuinesse that this good king and Prophet did beare Not so much deploring and bewailing the death of his sonne as his craftinesse crying with a loude voice my sonne Absalom my sonne my sonne my sonne Absalom woulde to god I had died for thée Absalom my sonne my sonne And verie well a certaine auncient authour said that that good man feared what should happen and into what paines a soule so cruel and inflamed with the bloud of his father might be in Finally let vs regarde and marke that the Lord doth foreshew the ruine destruction of his people chiefly for the faultes and transgressions committed by the children against their fathers and mothers Beholde the children of Israel saith the Prophet euery one hath béene according to his strength with thee for to shedde bloud they haue in thée defiled their father and mother Declaring by those wordes that they haue despised both their father and mother When I doe here speake of the honour due vnto our parentes I doe comprehend also those who are the parentes of our soules and instruct vs to saluation To bee short which trauaile as saith the Apostle in birth againe vntill Christ be imprinted in vs I will vse in this matter the argument of the Apostle writting to the Hebrewes saying Forasmuch as we haue had the fathers of our bodies which corrected vs and we gaue them reuerence should we not much rather be in subiection vnto the father of our spirites If the Phisition be honoured because of necessitie shal not we honoure him which hath administred vnto vs the worde Of the whiche the wise man Salomon speaking off saith It was neither herbe nor plaister that restored theÌ„ to health but thy worde O Lorde whiche healeth all thinges If I say the Father ought to be honoured of the
sonne bicause hee serued to him as an instrument for to giue vnto him the corporal life what honoure what homage what obedience owe wée vnto him which dayly doth shew vs the meanes for to conduct and leade vs to eternall life And what shall hée bée which will not receiue those whom the Lorde by hys prophet speaketh off saying O how beautiful are the feet of the Embassador that bringeth the message from the mountaine and proclaimeth peace that bringeth the good tidings and preacheth health and saith vnto Sion thy God is the king And in Daniel The wise such as haue taught other shal glister as the shining of heauen and those that haue instructed the multitude vnto godlinesse shal bée as the starres worlde without end Wherefore Sainct Paul doth teach vs that the Elders that rule wel are worthy of double honoure most specially they which labour in the word teaching The same Apostle exhorted the Thessalonians that they should know theÌ„ which laboure among them and haue the ouersight of them in the Lord which giue them exhortatiton That they may haue theÌ„ the more in loue for their works sake Also the same Apostle in his Epistle vnto the Hebrewes doth aduertise them to remeÌ„ber them which haue the ouersight of theÌ„ which haue declared vnto them the word of God and to follow their faith considering what hath béene the end of their conuersation Also the same Apostle in his Epistle which he sent vnto the Galatians desireth theÌ„ that he that is taught in the word minister vnto him the teacheth theÌ„ in all good thinges For as he himselfe witnesseth in an other place saying if we haue soweÌ„ vnto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we reape your carnall things do ye not vnderstand how that they with minister about the sacrifice eate of things of the temple and they which wait at the aulter are partakers with the aulter EueÌ„ so also hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should liue of the gospel EueÌ„ so sayth the sonne of Siraac feare the Lord with al thy soule honor his priestes The same sufficieÌ„tly declareth that eueÌ„ as we owe vnto our carnall fathers honoure and obedience with the things which are necessarie vnto them for their life also we ought to owe vnto our spiritual fathers to the conductours of our soules the like dueties And forasmuch then as the Lorde hath cruelly punished those whiche haue shead the bloude of their carnall fathers or haue done vnto them any other wrong Also the Lord hath shewed his vengeaunce vpon those which haue despised the holy admonitions of the pastors of our soules My witnesse shal be Achab who dispising the voice of Micheas within a little while after was slaine in battaile Also king Asa which caused the prophet Hanani to be imprisoned bicause that he declared the truth which was partely the cause that the king Asa fell into a certeine disease in his féete whereof he dyed Aso Ioas which caused the prophet Zacharie to be stoned to death and for that déede he fell into greate griefes diseases Insomuch that his owne seruants conspired against him for the bloud of the children of Iehoiada the priest slew him on his bed What shall I say of Heliseus who being mocked of the little children at the same instant was reuenged by Gods punishment of the iniurie wrong the which they did vnto him when two beares came out of the woode and eate fortie and two of the boyes Woe be vnto thée then thou Alexander how great so euer thou hast béen for thy renown and worldly prowesses when thou didest cause Clytus to be slaine who preserued so carefully thy life When I say thou hast caused to be slaine that great philosopher Calisthenes bicause he would not worshippe thée telling thée that such duety homage apperteineth to one onely God our true and soueraigne lord I wil omit willingly to speake of Parmeno and Philotas who were the conductors of all thy enterprises and vpon whom thou diddest put an repose all thy force strength whome thou hast recompeÌ„sed with the like reward for so many good seruices I do speake also vnto thée O thou people of Athens which hast chased and driuen out of thy Citie put to death in Cyprus he which established for thée the lawes for to assure thy puissance and greatnesse among so many enimies Shal I forget Licurgus which hath béene banished and driuen away of them whom he hath instructed by which meanes one of his eyes was put out in a common sedition In like maner Aristides banished from his countrie whom his own could neuer rebuke but that he was too iust The time will not serue mee to speake of Socrates the great Philosopher which was choked with poyson by those whom he hath nourished in all religion godlines righteousnesse Also Seneca which was slaine by Nero although that he lead his younge life in all good manners disciplines These matters here are referred vnto those which do honoure their fathers feare to disobey theÌ„ And sometime that rather for their authoritie puissance then of a christian charitie faithful amitie and do not beleeue that so many wrongs and violences committed against the true ministers of God do merite deserue a worthy and open punishment They will nourish rather in their houses some Iester and one that is plesaunt at that table then a good man which would teach their children in good learning to feare god What say I wo bée vnto mee if I do not speake it they do giue the great charges and Ecclesiastical dignities to their domesticall seruants so ignorant are they and do chase driue away those whiche for their wisdome excellent knowledge will do greatly their endeuor to instruct them in al good disciplines Wherof coÌ„plained sometime Basil the great speaking of Gregory NaziaÌ„zenus as he doth write Of our time saith that good author this name of Bishop came from poore people children seruants Insomuch that of the Lordes houshold there is no man which dare put him selfe against them And neuerthelesse they haue driuen away my brother Gregory of Nazianzenus haue brought in his place amaÌ„ what say I a man yea a villaine bond seruant In such sorte that it seemeth that wee are also returned to the time of Ieroboam where it is said that Ieroboam turned not from his wicked way but turned away and made of the lowest of the people priests of the hilaulters whosoeuer would he filled their hands they became priests of the hilaulters Or rather to the time of whom it is spoken in the second booke of the Machabees at which time the priestes were no more occupied about the seruice of the aulter but despised theâ—iemple regarded not the offrings yea gaue their diligece to
his lawe and preceptes vnto the people commaunded them to write theÌ„ vpon the postes of their houses and vppon their gates And to haue them as papers of remembraunce betwéene their eies and that which followeth To the ende that by that meanes the young people should be induced perswaded to obserue them In like maner it is written in Exodus how he exhorted theÌ„ to kepe the ordinaunces of the Lords passeouer for euer and of the vnleauened bread in remembraunce of the deliueraunce out of the land Aegypt To the ende saith Moses that when your children aske you what manner of seruice is this ye doe ye shall say it is the sacrifice of the Lordes passeouer which passed ouer the houses of the children of Israel in Aegypt as he smote the Aegyptians and saued our houses Besides these things he ordeined that they should take the bloude of the sayd Lambe strike it on the two side postes on the vpper dore post of the houses wherein they eate him In like manner the Lord commaunded Iosua saying as soone as the people shall goe ouer Iordan to take them twelue men out of the people of euery tribe a man and to take with them twelue stones and to erect and set vp a trope and a perpetuall monument for a signe betweene them and their posteritie that the waters of Iordin deuided at the presence of the Arke of the appointment of the LORD In so doing the children taking counsell by the examples of others shoulde acknowledge the grace of God towardes those which obey his lawe and his rigor iustice towards the transgressors of the same Now the chiefest marke and ende that the father ought to trauaile in is to make his sonnes honest men euen as the good labourer ought first to be carefull to till and dresse the young plantes and afterwardes to prouide vnto others All the whole consisteth specially in two thinges I meane to feare the Lord and to tourne them as much as we shall possible from all euill The which Iob verie well declareth when he demaunded howe that a man commeth by wisdome and where is the place that men finde vnderstanding verely no man can tell howe worthy a thing she is that good man aunswered neither is she found in the lande of the liuing The déepe saith she is not in mée She cannot be gotten for the most fine golde neither may the price of hir be bought with any money No wedges of gold of Ophir no precious Onix stones no Saphirs may be compared vnto hir In the ende he concludeth Beholde to feare the Lorde is wisdome and to forsake euill is vnderstanding Euen so the Lord sayd vnto the Iewes as it is written in the prophet Esay saying washe you â—ake you cleane put awaye your euill â—houghtes out of my sight cease froÌ„ dooing â—uill and violence learne to do right And â—â—rasmuch then as the whole scripture giâ—en by inspiration of God is profitable â—o teach to improue to amende and to inâ—truct in righteousnesse That the man of GOD may bée perfect and instructed â—nto all good woorkes also whatsoeuer things are written afore time are written for our learning that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope yet truely the true office of a father is to cause his children to reade the holy Scriptures To the ende as sayth the Apostle they bée not carried about with diuers and straunge learning yea that they bée no more children wauering and carried about with euery kinde of doctrine as commonly chaunseth vnto men and with craftinesse whereby they lay in waite to deceiue For as Plato hath verie well declared in his booke of vowes that the possession of all sciences is but of little profite If that man doth not acquire and get the science and knowledge of all good things againe it is noysible and hurtfull vnto him which doth possesse it That is the cause wherfore Homer speaketh of one named Margites that he did know a great many of thinges but he doth very euill knowe all thinges For the same cause the Lacedemonians as saith Valerius caused the books of Archilaus to bee caried out of their Citie bicause that they esteemed the reading of them not to bee honest and therfore would not that the minds of their children should bée learned or taught of them Fearing also on the other side that it woulde bee more hurtefull vnto their manners then profitable to their wittes Wherefore Plato in his booke that he hath intituled Protogoras speaking to a young man aduertised him to take heed to put in daunger the thinges which are vnto him verie deare and precious acknowledging that there is a great deale more daunger to disciplines then to the buying of victail or drinke bicause that hée that buyeth victaile or drinke may beefore hée vse and occupie them put and chaunge them into other vessels and carrie them into his house and enquire diligentlye of those whiche haue the knowledge of the thinges what hee ought to eate or drinke Insomuche that hee maye reiect the meates and drinkes whiche are hurtefull vnto him To bee shorte to learne of others what quantitie hee oughte to take and in what time As touching the disciplines and learninges it is not lawfull for vs to transport them into an other vessell But it must bee that hee that buyeth them must take them in his minde and leauing the price of them to beare and carrie them within him And that by them hee is eyther made better or worse That is the cause wherefore the same Author requireth that the Nurses should not content and please their children with vaine vnprofitable and vnhonest fables fearing to defile their mindes with so manye folyes and euill manners Euen as Sainct Paull exhorted the Christians to despise and caste awaye prophane and olde wiues fables and to exercise themselues vnto godlinesse In suche sorte that the same Philosopher doeth declare that the Poets ought to sing in their Poeticall verses that man is a good man forasmuche as hée is gouerned and iuste and thereby blessed or â—â—ppa bee hee great or stronge bee hee little or féeble bee hee riche or poore and that the wicked and vniust man althoughe that hee bée more rycher then Cymras or Midas is miserable and pâ—sseth awaye his life in extreme miserie I speake this to the ende that those whiche disdaine to learne true pietie and religion of the true Christians at the leaste wise maye acknowledge their faultes and transgressions by the same saying of the panâ—ms and gentiles And therein truely consisteth the great duety of a father towards his children But the like is no lesse necessary that is to say in the conuersation Insomuch that euen as the father ought not to spill and marre his children through wicked and vaine doctrines euen so hee ought not to bee vnto them as an example to do euill
for to draw them away from the lawe of the lord The father then which is a true Christian shal do nothing in the presence of his children which may make them swarue stray away from the lawe of the lord To this same purpose hee exhorteth al men generally where he saith Let no corrupt communication proceede out of your mouthes But that which is good to the vse of edefiyng that it may minister grace vnto the hearers Also in the same Epistle hee doth aduertise them that fornicatyon and all vncleanenesse or couetousnesse bee not once named amonge them as it bee commeth Saincts neyther filthynesse neyther foolyshe talking neyther iesting which are thinges not comely but rather gyuing of thanks For as witnesseth a certaine auncient and Christian authour verie learned Among other thinges wee ought to keepe the word as a thinge consecrated vnto the Lorde yea as our owne bodies bicause that by the worde wée ought to fighte for the trueth The reason is great and verie proper of him whiche hath sayde that it is easye to followe vices In suche sort that when wée cannot immitate and follow easely the vertues wée doe followe the faultes or vices This authour doth giue the example of Alexander the great who forgetting the vertues of Laonides his maister coulde neuer refraine himselfe from the vices of him And the Philosoper Plato hath Christianly spoken when he did write that a father must not get for his children greate abundaunce of golde but a greate deale of shame and feare The which they can not doe but in correcting the impudencie and vnshamelesse boldenesse of the children For the wise lawegiuer I meane him which garnished the cities and other common wealths with good laws will commaund rather the auncientes that they bée shamefast and fearefull before the younge men and that they take good héede that not a younge man heare sée nor speake any wicked and dishonest thing For when the olde men haue but a little shame it is necessarie that the younge men bee muche vnshamefast That is then an excellent discipline of the younge and of the olde not only the correction the which they doe by woorde but if hée which doth rebuke and checke do in all his lyfe time that which hée teacheth When I doe speake héere of the couersation of the fathers or auncientes I meane not onely their domesticall seruauntes but also other people that liue wickedly which maye tourne the spirites of the children from the veritie as it is euidently séene that euill wordes corrupte good manners Who soe toucheth pytche shall â—ée filed withall sayth the sonne of Siraac and hée that is familiar with the proude shall clothe himselfe with pride That is the cause wherefore Dauid did confesse that hee hathe not sitten amonge vaine personnes and hathe no felowshippe with the deceitefull That hée hathe hated the congregation of the wicked and that hée will not sit amonge the vngodly In the same Psalme hee prayeth the Lorde that hee will not destroye his soule with the sinners nor his life with the bloudthirsty In whose hands is wickednesse and theyr righte hande is full of gytes Beholde the doctrine of Salomon crying with a loude voyce saying My sonne heare thy Fathers doctrine and forsake not the lawe of thy Mother For that shall bringe grace vnto thy head and shall bee as a chayne aboute thy necke My sonne consent not vnto sinners if they entise thee and saye come with vs lette vs laye wayte for bloude and lurke priuely for the innocent without a cause let vs swallow them vp like the hell let vs deuoure them quicke and whole as those that goe downe into the pitte So shall we finde all manner of costly riches and fill our houses with spoyles Cast in thy lot amonge vs we shall haue all one pursse My sonne walke not thou with them refraine thy féete from their wayes For their féete runne to euell and are hasty to shead bloude These places of the Scripture teacheth vs sufficientlye that the duetie of a father consisteth not only to instruct well his children among his domesticall those of his familie But also if it bée possible among strauÌ„gers I wil rehearse vnto thee for this matter the example of Dina the daughter of Iacob who being departed from her fathers house desiring earnestly to see the host of the children of Sichem was rauished and defloured by Sichem I wil rehearse for the same purpose the example of the children of Israel who beeing not content to dwell in Sittim But willing to communicato with the Moabites were seduced by them and committed fornication with the daughters of Moab In like maner the women which were rauished by the Beniamites which came out to daunce I speake this for some men that are carefull inough that their daughters be not hurt or stoung with the serpent or snake and feare not that they be wounded with the hammer of all the whole world neither regarde they I say that they doe not drincke of the wine of that great Babilon the mother of all fornication Insomuch that Plutarch complained not without a cause as of a straunge thing that we accustome our children to take their meate with the right hande which if it happen that they do take it with the left hand we doe chastise and correct them grieuously and haue no regarde what disciplines we learne them The sayd author doth recite one Crates a verie auncient man which was accustomed to saye O that it were permitted me to goe vp to the highest place of the Citie I would crye aloude O ye Citizens what doe you that you bestowe all your trauaile to heape together money and haue no regarde or care of the children for whom you hoorde it vp and to whom you will leaue it That is one of the vanities that which Salomon in his booke of Ecclesiastices did bewaile wheÌ„ he said I was wearie of all my labour which I had taken vnder the sunne bicause I should bée faine to leaue them vnto an other man that commeth after mée for who knoweth whether he shall bée a wise man or a foole And yet shall hée be Lorde of all my laboures which I with such wisdome haue taken vnder the sunne Is not this a vaine thing For all the same which wée haue spoken off before we will not incitate or moue the fathers to shewe too great seueritie towardes their children but to shewe vnto them howe difficile and harde the nurture and gouerning of the children in their youth is According to that which the Philosopher Plato doth witnesse vnto vs that the childe is a greate deale worse to bée entreated and gouerned then all other beastes Forasmuch as he hath not yet perfectly tasted the fountaine of wisdome and euen as saith hée it happeneth vnto plantes that is to say that it is verie easie to prepare and dresse the
grounde before that we doe plant but when we doe sée and perceiue the budde or sciences begin for to growe it is verie harde and diffcctle to perceiue and kéepe it vntill that it doth bring foorth fruite Euen so is it of man for the generation is verie easie but the bringing vp of him is full of great trauaile and wearinesse Also we wil not counsaile those which haue a certeine charge to instruct or teach the children to conduct and guide them with force feare or with too greate bondage For as the same author witnesseth euen as too much laboure and trauaile is noisome and hurtfull vnto the bodie chiefly when it is taken by feare and compulsion euen so no manner discipline of the soule forced and compelled is profitable Wherefore he concludeth that wée must nourish and bringe vp the children in learning not as compelled but as a playe and pastime to the ende that we may the easelier knowe the propertie of the spirites and mindes of the children And to a verie good purpose hath the Poet Terence spoken which saide that it is better to kéepe the children by shame and liberalitie then by feare That is the cause wherefore in the time of the Lacedemonians the childe béeinge taken in any faulte was compelled to make certaine Towers ouer against the temple and to pronounce and declare a prayer the which was composed and written to his shame and dishonoure which was none other thing but to blame himselfe of his owne mouth géeuing vs to vnderstand by the same edict statute that the children who of themselues are cleane are ledde to honest thinges through shame and gentlenesse and that it is the propertie of seruauntes to be conducted and ledde by feare Finally this shall serue to the fathers for to aduertise and warne them not to slacke so much the bridle to their children that they doe not committe a thing which maye tourne to their shame and dishonour as it chaunced vnto Hely as it appeareth in the first booke of Samuel who for that he had borne too much with his children in their faultes was rebuked by the Prophet afterwards hee and his children cruelly punished And the same which Sainct Paul speaketh off is greatly to be noted in the instruction and demonstracion of the LORD from the difference of some panimes who haue the power of life and of death towardes their children may sell them for certaine occasions The which the christian lawe doth not permit and suffer for the correction and discipline of the fathers ought to be ruled after the worde of GOD that is to say in all gentlenesse and loue for to proue whether God will giue them sometime repentaunce for to knowe the truth and that they may amende for to do the will of him béeing escaped from the snare of the Diuell wherein they were holden that their spirites may bée saued in the day of the LORD Iesus To conclude that they may bée sorie with a godly sorowe which causeth amendement vnto saluation not to bée repented off Briefly I desire that the father in all his life time yea vnto the last breath of his daies that hée woulde regarde asmuch as in him shal be possible to kéepe his children in the obedience and feare of the Lordes lawe the which the good patriarke Iacob doth teach vs who not onely in his life time but béeing nigh his death exhorted his children to kéepe the lawe of the Lorde And particulerly to declare and shewe vnto euery one of them their faults the which wee doe reade of Moses the conductour and leader of Gods people and spirituall father of our soules who before he died blessed the twelue tribes of Israel declaring vnto them wherein they haue varied and declined from the lawe of god To be short hée declared vnto them the great benefites of the same Lorde for to assure them more and more in his promises I will recite the aduertisement that Dauid made vnto his sonne as followeth My sonne I must walke by the way of all the world neuerthelesse be thou strong quite thy selfe manfully And sée that thou kepe the appointment of the Lord thy God that thou walke in his waies and kepe his commaundements ordinaunces lawes testimonies euen as it is written in the law of Moses that thou maist vnderstand all the thou oughtest to do al that thou shouldest meddell with Shal I sorget that good and holy man Tobiah who besides that hée instructed his sonne in all his life time in the feare of GOD counsailed him in his death to flée from Niniue and to flée and auoide the companie of the wicked also to kéepe the lawe and commaundements of the Lorde and to bee mercifull and righteous Shall I speake of that vertuous woman the mother of the seuen Machebeans béeinge enuironed and compelled on euerye side with tyrantes hangmen and neuerthelesse exhorted them with a manly and couragious heart to lay all things to the commaundements of the Lord I will ende this matter with Iesus Christ head of the church chiefe shepheard of our soules who before he yelded his soule vnto God his father when he loued his which were in the worlde vnto the ende hée loued them admonished them also to kepe obserue his commaundements and to kéepe like humilitie as they haue séene in him By these examples wée are taught that the Father ought to haue suche an eye vnto his children yea all his life time that they may haue none occasion if it bée possible to varie or decline neither to the right hande nor to the left hande from the LORDS lawe I doe speake vnto those which in their life and at their death doe make accounte of nothing els vnto their children but of their inheritaunces possessions and dominions and haue no regarde to declare and propounde vnto them the lawe of GOD his loue and his feare Cirus king of the Persians and verie riche hath not done so for he béeing nigh vnto his death spake of none other thing vnto his sonne then of the immortalitie of the soule and of the resurrection of the blessed Of his bodie he cared or set so little by that he desired his sonne not to regarde it any longer then he hath closed the eyes and not to shut or laye it in Marble Aliblaster or in any other precious sepulcher but to yelde it vp incontinently to the earth which doth bring foorth and nourish all goodly thinges good and profitable Wherfore let vs not estéeme that the principall and chiefest duetie of the fathers towards their children is to heape vp treasure for their children or to giue them the meanes not to be poore but rather to admonish them that they put not their hope trust in the vncertaintie of riches but to put it in the liuing God who doth giue vnto vs all thinges abundantly for to
7. h Plato in the apology for Socrates Apo. 13. c. 8. Act. 4. b Heb. 1. c Iohn 17. a Iohn 1. b. c Heb. 1. a Iohn 14. â— Rom. 1. c Mat. 11. c Rom. 6. â— Rom. 12. a Titus 1. d 1. Iohn 3. d Esa. 29. d Iam. 2. b 1. Cor. 10. g Rom. 14. b Iohn 21. e Luc. 22. e Mat. 26. g Mat. â—7 a Mat. 16. 1. Iohn 4. d Act. 20. e Marc. 16. a 2. Pet. 2. d Mat. 19. e S. August in his boke of the Christian doctrine Esa. 64. b Psae 14. â— Iob. 25. b â—sal 144. c Eccles 5. â— Iohn 6. c prouerb 1â— e Iohn 4. d Iohn 3. b. Rom. 8. f S. Ambrose vpon sainte Luke Rom. 11. d S. Ambrose in the same booke Basil in his rulers ampli disputed 2. question Cant. 2. c Rom. 8. g Psa 120. â— Psal 44 a phil 1. c Ciciero in his offices after plato Iam. 1. c 2. Cor. 15. d psal 16. b psal 36. b Psa 104. d Psa 34. b Oseas 2. d Exo. 20. a. Exo. 34. b Act 10. e Act. 14. â— Apo. 19. b Act. 12. d Plutarche 1. Reg. 28. b Psa 50. â— Leuit. 19. â— Deut. 18 â— Esa. 8 d Iere. 27. b 1. Cor. 6. c Math. 6. d Iere 3. a Oseas 2. c Heb. 2. â— Esa. 59. â— 1. Cor. 6. d Rom. 6. c Iohn 8. d 2. pet 2. d Rom. 9. b 1. Iohn 2. c Iam. 2. â— Cal. 1. b Deut. 17. a Malach. 1. d Deut. 27. d Act. 5. a â–ª 1. Iohn 8 1. Thessa. 4. b Iam. 4. b Psal 103. â—â— Lameâ— 2. f Cant. 8. b 1. Iohn 4. c 1. Iohn 3. d Rom. 8. g 1. Iohn 13. b. Iohn 13. a 1. Cor. 13. â— Mat. 6. â— Mat. 25. â— 1. Pet. 4. c 2. Cor. 9. d â— Cor. 4. a 1. Cor. 12 a Cicero in his oration for Roscius Amerinus Iam. 1. c. Iohn 1. c Luc. 12. f Iere. 9. g Collo 2. a Luc. 24. g Apo. 5. b Apo. 4. â— Apo. 19. d Daniel 7. c Luc. 16. b Tob. 4. b Psa 41. a Iam. 5. d Basil in his short rules disputacion questioÌ„ 175. Exo. 32. g Rom. 9. a Phil. 3. d 2. Cor. 11. a Psa 119. g. 2. Cor. 7. c Iam. 2. e Gal. 6. a Rom. 15. a Ezech. â—4 a Luc. 10. f Saint Augustine in his boke of the christian doctrine Heb. 13. a. 2. Reg. a 4. Reg. 4. â— Deut. 24.19 Saint Ambrose lib. 3. of his offices cap. 17. plato in his â— dialogue of his laws Basil in a sermoÌ„ made of Aluies Eusebius li 9. hystorye ecclesiastical lib. 9 historie trip li. 9. cap. 26. Gal. 6. c Saint Augustin li. of his christiaÌ„ doctrine Luc. 14. d The error of plautus Lactantius li. 6. cap. â— The error of Ciciero The error of the same Author plato in his booke of Phedrus Saint Ambroâ—e li. 2. of his offices ca 37. Historie triÌ„ lib. 5. cap. 37 Mat 6. c Mat. 15. a Siâ—aâ—c 14. b Basil in his treatise of almes 1. Thessa. 4. c Pro. 3. b Siraac 34. â— Deut. 23. c Ephes 4. â— Cicero lib. 1. of his offices Cicero li. 2 of the nature of Gods. Cicero in his booke of amitie Ephe. 4. â— 1. Cor. 10. d 1. Cor. 14 f 2. Reg. 16. â— Iob. 2. b Amos. 3. b Rom. 12. d Pro. 17. c Mat. 25. d Iob. 11. a Act. 28. a Mat. 27. d Mat. 12. b Marc. 3. a Mat. 1â— c Aâ—â— â—6 â— Tob. 2. b 1. Reg. 31. d Luc. 1.2 d Psa 79. a S. Augustin of the worde of the Lorde Cicero in his boke of amitie Saluste Luc. 11. c Iohn 13. d Cant. 8. b Miche 7. a Gal. 5. c Iohn 13. d Iohn 15. b Collo 3. c 1. Iohn 4. d Iohn 3. b Gal. 6. a Rom. 12. c Mat. 6. c 2. Cor. 8. b Ephe. â— a Col. c. 3. b Siraac 3. a Rom. 1â— g 2. Timo 5. a 1. Timo. 5. â— Mat. 15. a Hierome 〈◊〉 his epistle to Gernâ—â—â—â— Siraac 3. b Saint Ambrose vpon the 8 chap. of S. Luke Xenophon in his secoÌ„d boke of the sayings doinges of Socrates plato in his 2. dialogue of his laws Plato Siraac 7. b Aulus Gellius li. 2. ca. 7. 2. Cro. â—â— â— Rom. 15. e S. Hierome in his epist to Furia Psa 45. e S. Hierome in his firste epistle to Heliodorus Mat. 10. d plato li. 4. of his lawes plutarch inâ—treateh of the loue of fathers Valerius li. 5. cap 5. Deut. 37. c Pro. 19. â— Pro. 30. c The lavve vnder the title of the paricides Plato in his 9. dialogue of his laws Cicero in his boke of his paradoxes Iustine in his histories Cicero in his oration for Roscius Amerinus Plutarch Mat. 5. c Esa. 45. b L. cogitacioons regis iuris Mat. 5. d Cicero in his oration for Rosciâ—s Amerinus Genes 42.43 Iere. 35. â— Genes 9. d S. Augustin in his boke of the city of God. â— Reg. 18. f Gal. 4. c Heb. 12. c Siraacâ— 38 â— Sapien. 16. Esa. 52. b Dan. 12. a 1. Tim. 5. c. 1. Thessa. 5. e Heb. 13. b Galat. 6. b â— Cor. 9. b Sirâ—ac 7. d. 3. Reg. 22. c 2. Cro. 16. c 4. Reg. 2. d Ciciero in his oration for Caius Rabitius Herodotus Iustine after Trogus pompeius Valerius in his first bok of vnthankfulnsse Cicero li. 5. of his Tuscan questioÌ„s Sueto n in the life of Nero. Basil in his 10. Epistle 3. Reg. 13. g 2. Mach. 4. c Ephe. 6. a Heb. 13. c Genes 8. d Heb. 12. â— Luc. 2. â— Pro. 3. a Pro. 2â— c. pro. 29. c Siraac 30. a Pro. 23 l. Siraac 7. c Siraac 26. b 42. b Deut. 2â— a Leuit. 26. a Baruc. 3. b Deut. 6. b Exo. 12. b â–ª g Iosua 4. â— Plato litheaget plato li. writen to Euphr on Iob. 28. c Timot. 3. d Rom. 15. â— Heb. 13. b Ephes 4. c Plato in his booke of vowes Homere Plato in his booke protogoras plato Plutarch iâ— his boke 〈◊〉 Nursing bringinge vp of châ—ldren Plato dialogue 2. of a legistes Ephes 4. f Ephes 5. a Gregory NaziaÌ„zenus in his oration that he made a-against Iulian the Apostate HieroÌ„ in his Epistle to Leta plato in his 5. dâ—alogue of his lavvs Plato in the same booke 1. Cor. 15. â— Siraac 13.2 Psal 26. h prouerb 1. c Gen. 34. a Numer 25. a Iudg. 21. d Iere. 50. d Apo. 17. a Hierome in his epistle to Leta Plutarch in his boke of the nurture of children Eccle. 2. e Plato in his 7. dialogue of his laâ—es Lib. 3. vvritten Theâ—gates plato li. 7. of his lawes Terencius in Adelphis Plutarch in his apotheg 1. Reg. 1.2.3 L. title patria potestate cap. de paâ—i qâ—i fit â—ist 2. Timo 2. d 1. Cor. 5. b 2. Cor. 7. e Gens 49. a Deut. 33. a 3 Re. g 2. â— Tobiaâ— 14. 2. Macha 7. Iohn 13. a. Zenephon li. pedi Cicero of his olde age Pro. 17. d. Pro. 5. â— Luc. 2. f Ephe. 6. a pro. 30. â— 1. Cor. 3. b. 6. Iob. 1. d. 20. A TABLE CONCERNING the matters contained in this booke A Briefe aduertisement wherin is shewed that we ought not to abuse the holy scripture but to applie it to his proper vse Cap. 1. fol. 1. That the Lord in the middest of afflictions doth alwaies reserue certaine places of refuge for his and certaine true Prophetes to his church yea certaine valiant men for to withstand the tyrannie of the wicked Cap. 2. fol. 10 That the christian religion can not be tied and bound to any limits or bounds Cap. 3. fol. 20. An aduertisement vnto those which doe crye dayly that we must not suffer two religions Cap. 4. fol. 30. A briefe aduertisement vnto those which doe blame the true christian religion for the poorenesse and littlenesse of the same or doe slaunder it for the euil conuersation and abuse of those which doe professe it Cap. 5. fol. 35. That none can hinder or stoppe the course of the religion by fire and sword threatenings and bonds Cap. 6. fol. 45. â— briefe aduertisement wherein is declared that the true christians ought to auoide parcialities and contencions and to kepe the vnitie of the spirit through the band of peace Cap. 7. fol. 56. That it is the dutie of a christiaÌ„ prince to watch take good heed that the estate of the religion doe abide and continue vndefiled and impoluted as wel in the true seruing of God as in the dispensation of his word Cap. 8. fol. 60. That it is the renowne of a christian prince to be beloued of his subiectes Cap. 9. fol. 96 That it is the honor renown of a prince and his subiectes to cause the lawes and politike ordinaunces of his countrie to be kept inuiolated Cap. 10. fol. 75. A briefe demonstration vnto those which doe make it no conscience to shed the innocent bloud vnder pretence I know not of what foolish zeale wherein is shewed by examples of the Scripture how odious before God such cruelties are Cap. 11. fol. 84. A briefe demonstration vnto those which of a set purpose doe tourne themselues from the knowne veritie without any force or compulsion Cap. 12. fol. 92. A briefe demonstration vnto those which haue sustained euen hitherto the doing of the reformed religioÌ„ for to confirme them more and more in their first wil. Cap. 13. fol. 98. A briefe aduertisement for to shewe that we must simplie obey the voice of the Lord without further enquiring of the commaundement and to beleeue that euen as he is iust in all his workes hee is as puissaunt for to fulfill in vs his will. Cap. 14. fâ—l 113. A briefe demonstration vnto those which do make profession of the true christian religion neuerthelesse do refuse the ecclesiasticall discipline wherin is described somwhat the vse fruit ther off Ca. 51. fol. 120. A briefe aduertisement vpon the coÌ„maundement to loue god Cap. 16. fol. 127. A christian aduertisment vpon the commaundement to loue a mans neighbour Cap. 17. fol. 144 A christian aduertismeÌ„t vpoÌ„ the comauÌ„demeÌ„t to honor our father mother Ca. 18 fol. 161. A briefe aduertisment vpon the duetie of the fathers towardes their children Ca. 19. fol. 174 FINIS