needie and poore c. But thou shalt giue him his hire for the day neither shal the sunne go down vpon it for he is poore and therewith sustaineth his life least he crie against thee vnto the Lorde and it bee sinne vnto thee Secondlie it forbiddeth to doe iniurie to any strangers Exod. 22.21 Leuit. 19.33 or to oppresse them and addeth this reason to the Iewes because they were once straungers Thirdlie you shall not trouble or oppresse anie widowe saith the lawe nor anie fatherlesse child Exod. 22. v. 22. for if you doe hee shall crie vnto mee saith the Lorde and then mine anger shall burne and I will kill you with the sword and your wiues shal be widowes and your children fatherles Where by the way marke the vehemencie of this speach and sée what comfort to the godly and terrour to the wicked it may iustly exhibit For the former God knowes and the world sées howe often they are wrecked and wronged and set to the wall by cruell vngodlie and harde hearted men howe often they fayle of friendes to mayntayne their right and defende their cause against the euill But yet sée héere a comfort though all forsake vs if wee crie to the Lorde the cause shall bée his and hee will helpe vs the Lorde will awake and stirre vp his wrath till the wrong wee haue suffered bee reuenged fullie And for the seconde what knowes the oppressing and mercilesse man whether anie cries passe from the gréeued heartes of such as hee hurteth or no If they doe as it cannot be but they should why trembleth hee not to consider what hangeth ouer his heade euen readie to light vppon him euery hower if God bee GOD and true of his worde O that our heartes then may cleaue to the Lorde if wee be oppressed and tremble at his iudgementes if wee vse it to others But to returne to the matter againe if all oppression be stealth before God what I pray you shal we thinke of the fountaine of much oppression to wit acceptance of persons in iudgement Surely it must néedes also be euill before the Lorde Reason doth teach it and yet God for more assurance expressely forbiddeth it as a mischiefe in a common wealth The Lorde your God sayth Moses is God of Gods and Lorde of Lordes Deutro 10.7 a great God mightie and terrible which accepteth no persons nor taketh rewarde Which doth right to the fatherlesse and widowe and loueth the stranger and giueth him foode and rayment What also shall we thinke of one cause of acceptatioÌ„ of persons to wit of bribes and rewardes but euen also as the verie poyson of iustice abhorre them and condemne them the rather for that so expressely they are forbidden in the worde Wrest not the lawe sayth the Lorde nor respect not anie person neither take rewarde Deutro 16.19 For the rewarde blindeth the eyes of the wise and peruerteth the wordes of the iust Exod. 23.2 That which is iust and right shalt thou followe that thou mayest liue and possesse the lande which the Lorde thy God giueth thee Thus then as branches of this commaundement we sée not onely oppression generally and particularly but euen also the causes of it acceptance of persons bribes and rewardes forbidden And I wil yet adde one thing ouer vnto all these Liueries are often meanes and couers of oppression which must néedes be included in this head of oppression because it is a coÌ„mon and a dangerous cloake of the same to wit lyueries of Prince or subiectes noble men gentlemeÌ„ or whosoeuer Which if they maintaine and beare out the vniust wrongfull dealings of any man with the knowledge of the Lord not only the déede doer but the giuer of that cloth and cote whatsoeuer he be standeth giltie of that oppression before almighty God The consideration whereof being so true and sure should iustly cause in al estats that deale their cloth to others a more vigilant eye eare to sée heare the conuersation of their folowers a restraining hand of such countenance credite or couer to theÌ„ all worldly reasons set apart when so euer they shall vnderstande the same to be abused For why should any earthly respect euer stande so great in mens eies as that for it they dare take vpon them the guilt of other mens sins spoyling oppression But alas great is the vnféelingnesse of many mens harts in this matter in these dayes Either Pope profite or pollicie doe make vs deale our cloth too liberally and regard our mens behauiour too negligentlie But a worde is ynough Que. Yet still proceede on Ans An other branch of this commandement of stealth is idlenesse For since the fall of our first parents whatsoeuer we inioy iustly and truely as our owne we must get it by labour And whatsoeuer I labor not for and yet inioy I steale it and the vse of it belongeth not vnto me For then was it sayde to Adam and his posteritie for euer that in the sweate of their broweâ— they should eate their meate The meaâ—ning whereof bindeth not all estates to a like bodilie labour but it inioyneth euerie one some lawefull calling the magistrate must gouerne cherish and defende the iudges determine the causes of the people the ministers deliuer their giftes to the Church and euerie one in some sort of sweate that is in some godly indeueur of bodie or minde deriue vnto himselfe the vse of these outwarde thinges Otherwise if idlely he liue by the labour of others hauing no testimonies that hee deserueth his hire be that man or woman whatsoeuer assured that they make a breach oâ— this commandement 2. Thes 3.10 For if anie worke not let him not eate sayth the Apostle as if he would say if he doe he doeth more than he hath right to The labourer is worthie of his wages but not the loyterer The Oxe that treadeth out the corne must not be musled but the idle asse if he be pyned is but well serued Idlenesse what mischiefe it hatcheth in towne and countrey what tongue is aâ—â—e to laie downe It causeth contentiâ—n and strife by pratling spéeches Prou. 10. c. 20 it â—â—rceth and nourisheth whoredome and â—â—th it pulleth on pouertie and looseth â—onour it hindereth vertue and maynâ—â—yneth vice and by name to the breach â—f this commaundement it mightily â—oueth For let him that stole steale â—o more sayth the Apostle but let him â—ather labour and worke with his owne â—ands the thing which is good Ephes 4. that he may â—aue to giue him which nedeth Nothing â—s it were verie plainely that the cause â—hy the stealer stole was want of laâ—ouring in his calling Manie goodly â—awes and customes haue heathen men â—ade and had against idlenesse Some haue punished it with verie death as did Draco the lawegiuer of the Athenians others haue admitted none to dwell in their townes with them vnlesse he had some art and carefully followed it
should we escape and yet God be iust too It is euen the wisedome we extoll in others and that we striue continually to attaine vnto our selues to haue neither â—rue eie true heart nor true tongue but onely to séeme to haue all to euerie one whose worde wealth or authoritie may gaine vs anie thing in this cursed worlde And so man is our strength our pollicie is our GOD flesh is our arme and what Paul so reioyceth in we laugh at as vile and too sily simplicitie Dauid assureth himselfe the Lorde will defende them that are true of heart Psalm 7.11 Psalm 32.11 Psalm 36.10 Psalm 64.10 we verily thinke if we be true of heart wee cannot nor shall not be able to liue in the worlde we must Critisare cum cretensibus that is we must smooth it and sooth it and carie two faces vnder one hoode or else wee are not so wise as we might be Thus sinne we I am sure of it some more and some lesse and the reward of the least sinne is eternall death But it is the Lordes great mercie to moue vs from anie sinne For dull are our heartes to feare any iudgement till it be vpon vs. 1. Iohn 1.7 And therefore to him I commende vs to open our eies that we may euen earnestly sée and consider effectually howe impossible anie feloweshippe is euer to be had for me holowe subtill guilefull hypocriticall and sâ— foorth with a God all trueth sinceritie simplicitie and open assured faithfulneâ—â— it selfe For the seconde which was telling of tales wee haue heard it before shewed and our owne knowledge doth assure vs it is a branch of the breach of this commandement which shall burne both bodie and soule in the fire of hell And yet sée do we feare it or flie it Alas we knowe I am sure of it we haue béene too too secure in this point and our securitie not séeing and weighing the wickednesse of the vice hath stayned both heart and tongue horriblie Looke about the worlde and veiwe the generall course of all Feareth anie man to discredite his neighbour priuily and to whisper vpon hearesay or his owne imagination what tendeth to the blemish of his name whom he speaketh of Feareth any woman when shee hath mette with her gossippe to tittle tattle to the slander of an other this thing and that thing which yet hath no certaintie and which full both she would haue saide of her selfe vpon like coniectures No â—o we sée to much the cursed course of lawlesse tongues in euerie place though the Lorde in mercie giueth some consciences and a thousande times I begge that we would sée our sinne confesse our sinne and rippe vp our guilt in this respect Why should wee be so dull and without féeling If it be a vertue thus to prittle and prattle of euerie bodie vncertaine tales but most certaine discredites then prooue it so and vse it but if it bee a branch of false witnesse that doth truly witnesse gods wrath to hang ouer vs for it good Lorde shall we still be polluted with it Shall hell haue vs without anie helpe Will not the dread of dolefull day strike such a filthie fault into the waning and by litle and litle cut quite the throte of it and make it bléede to death in vs I hope the best and I wish the best the Lorde in his mercie set a watch before our mouthes and kéepe the dore of our lippes for euer hereafter Next commeth hearing and beléeuing to be considered of faultes in necessitie also if telling false tales hath before béene iustly blamed For there is nothing that so nurceth and nourisheth vp a tale teller as doth the credulous heart and attending willing eare of the hearer And therefore if the one be a vice the other certainely is no vertue Nowe howe guiltie are we in this againe howe stayned howe blotted before our blemishlesse God if he shoulde enter into iudgement with vs For Christ his sake let vs weigh it let vs viewe it and euen earnestly thinke of it and fearing to be damned let vs feare to sléepe soundly in the sinne that â—eadeth to damnation We doe not discountenance the whispering carper we doe not eschewe the reportes of péeuish pratlers but we itch to heare and take pleasure in hearing what true charitie in our heartes towardes our brother â—hould make vs abhorre to heare and wéepe to haue it true And for beléeuing marke and consider if you dwell amongest neighbours whether you haue â—ot gréeuously offended towarde many â—f them in this respect Howe haue you â—uffered a false tongue to fire your â—eartes with beléefe of your neighbour â—hat could neuer yet bee extinguished â—â—nce you heard it and yet you doe not â—nowe it Alas is this charitie which who so wanteth wanteth God Is this to loue thy neighbor as thy selfe When full sore it offendeth mee that any man should credite a surmise of me if it be not true O eies O heartes where is their sight and féeling What loue can my neighbour beare me or with what heart can a seruant serue me when he séeth whisperers still about me and findeth my nature so credulous of them as that all his faith and trueth all his traueile and labour all his affection and loue were it neuer so sincere and vpright and euen flowing from the rootes of his heart and the verie bottome of his soule yet is in hazarde euerie houre of vniust condemnation of vnkinde regarde and most vndeserued reproofe Truely as I haue said before it is the verie tried cutthrote of all amitie friendshippe or faithfull louing seruice to haue a listening eare and a credulous heart without maruelous good discretion And I am most assured oâ— it there is no plague nor infection gréeuous in the worlde comparable to this poyson in estranging alienating and in the end quite driuing awaie from me those heartes that were mine owne with bodie and all worldly abilitie in trueth in honestie in alleadgeance in God in Christ and in all good meaning to the death Who loueth for gaine and serueth for hire he is a slaue to the thing that he gapeth for and to make vp his mouth he will carie any thing but to whome loue is gaine and due regarde of his poore true heart an abundaunt rewarde the deniall of it discourageth his meaning grindeth his soule in sunder and raketh him vp in dust by vntimely death And therefore since it offendeth God hurteth our brother and verie greatly indamageth our selues O that we would sée it consider it and as God by grace shall strengthen our fraile natures scoule vppon the spéeche that practiseth manies harme and couenant with our heartes to knowe before wee credite so would God blesse vs manie report well of vs and true hearts of neighbour friende seruant or whosoeuer neuer leaue vs. Passing then on in this examination further wee may not forgette the publishing of our brethrens priuate offences a displeasing thing vnto the Lorde
A very fruitfull Exposition of the Commaundements by way of Questions and Answeres for greater plainnesse Together with an application of euery one to the soule and conscience of man profitable for all and especially for them that beeing not otherwise furnished are yet desirous both to see themselues and to deliuer to others some larger speech of euery point that is but briefly named in the shorter Catechismes By Geruase Babington PSALME 119.59 I haue considered my vvayes and turned my feete into thy testimonies I made hast and prolonged not to keepe thy commandements AT LONDON Printed by Henry Midleton for Thoma Charde 1583. To the Right Honorable his verie singular good Lorde and Maister Henrie Earle of Penbrooke Lorde Harbert of Cardiffe Marmion and S. Quintine and of the most honorable order of the Garter Knight G. B. wisheth increase of all mercie and comfort in Christ Jesus for euer THe Lorde knoweth who searcheth my heart and reines right Honorable and my verie singular good Lord that being placed in the Vniuersitie with so great content both for profit pleasure and the exercise of my ministerie in such place as it pleased God most mercifully to blesse it in to my great comfort I had litle desire to make change of that estate so accompanied both with these and manie other speciall commodities til it pleased him that hath his times and oportunities for all men to direct me to your Lo. in such sort as he did and there first of your selfe and afterward of my ho. good Ladie to make mee heare so carefull so Christian and so zealous a regarde both of your selues and your whole retinue to be directed in the course that became the professors of the Gospell and the inioyers of these happie daies vnder so famous and renouned a gouernement of so worthy blessed and gracious a Princesse And thē I must needs confesse I felt a forcing resolution after I had a while striuen with the losse of these forenamed benefites with the farre separation of my selfe from all my friendes and with the discomforts incident nowe then euen to the best seruices So was it my good Lorde your zeale and affection to your God that then first perswaded me And truely euen the selfe same thing it was that euer after retained me more vnable than many but as willing as euer was any to the vttermost both of power and life to doe your Lo. seruice The verie selfe same thing it is also out of all question that shall euer aboue any worldly commoditie that may be offered them procure vnto your Lo. both in one place and other those that loue vertue and vpright dealing For verie well with themselues will they euer imagine as indeede it should be that where the Lord is feared and honored as he ought to bee there faithfull seruice will both be regarded conueniently rewarded there mē shall bee iudged according to proofe and not according to pratles there heat of affections shall not stirre to souden vndeserued displeasure but conscience to giue euerie man his due triall shall finde out the innocencie of the true dealer And what should I say There they will assure themselues euerie man shall bee vsed with conuenient incoragement credit comfort if his dealings doe deserue the same beside many moe verie speciall vertues of a maister fearing God VVherefore if I should wishe vnto your Lo. in a thousande tearmes many seueral and singular blessings and afterward include them all in one truely it must be this that you may euer know the God of your father and serue him with a perfect heart and a willing minde Knowe him I say by learning what he willeth and serue him by daily practising as hee inableth of that will For thus to the Lorde you shall become obedient to your Prince faithfull for your countrey carefull to your seruauntes that breake both body and braines in your affaires and beare the brunt of many an vnknowen toyle and hazarde comfortable and beneficiall to thousandes that liue vnder you honorable and good and to euerie man in a worde so affected and disposed as they that are alreadie in all dutifull right your owne may so remaine and they that are not by so cheerefull vsage and honorable vertue may daily be added and wonne vnto you VVherefore my good Lorde with all christian care continue your happie course in the waies of the Lorde and what Salomon saith remember often Heare counsell and receiue instruction meaning from the Lorde for they shall make a man wise in time Yea they shall so establish a man in the eyes of the Lorde as that his seede shall inherite the earth his name neuer be blotted out Cōtinue also that Christiā care to other the desolat flocks of the Lords people that with so great and iust praise your Honour hath shewed of late so many waies And amongest all or rather euen aboue them all as manie special causes bind me to wish I most humbly and hartily beg the same to your towne of Cardiffe vnable peraduenture in manie thinges but vnwilling I hope in nothing to deserue both fauour and furtheraunce in al causes tēding vnto good Amongest whome your Lor. in zeale to their good hath left mee and to whome for your L. sake I vow my selfe if I may doe them good Yet not more to thē than to the whole countrie and euen the verie meanest member therein they being all in generall so deere vnto your Lo. as manie priuate speaches haue declared what my power inableth mee vnto both for duetie vnto your H. and affectiō to themselues I trust they shall euer finde in mee and as faithfull an heart withall as euer had straunger amongst them And if your L. shal vouchsafe thereunto your Ho. and louing assistaunce in their worldlie causes whē they haue neede then may they say their affections are thrise well bestowed vpon your Ho. and their seruice due ten thousand times if it were more Presentlie I haue indeuored both for them and others to lay downe a briefe collectiō of such things concerning the commaundements of God as in larger maner both before your Lo. and them were handled And I presume to offer the same to your L. both for my priuate duetie beeing bounde if euer was anie to bee thankefull and that also it comming vnto them vnder the shadowe and shield of your Lo. protection whome they so reuerence and honor may be the more welcome the better accepted of For the Christian reader els where that shall weigh my drift and consider the place whereunto especiallie I intende it I assure my heart of his godlie and louing acceptance notwithstanding the matter hath bin handled by more able instrumentes by much because it is not in the same manner the Lord may bee glorified in all mens gifts Onely therefore of your Lo. I now most humbly begge that with wonted fauour this small trauell may be accepted and that vnder your Lo. name I may
leaue it to the world as a speaking witnesse when I am dead of my thankefull heart for all your Honorable goodnesse to me which hath beene such as I wish may incourage vpon my speach any that euer shall bee thereunto requested to succeede him in his place who nowe inioyeth it So the Lorde of power and mercie multiplie his spirite vpon your Lo. with all the blessed fruites of the same and graunt you euer that grace that hath promise both of this life and that which is to come Amen From London this 1. of December Your Lordships most humble bounden to death Geruase Babington To the Right worshipfull Sir Edwarde Manxell Sir Edward Stradling Sir William Harbert knights to M. William Mathew and M. Tho. Lewis Esquiers with all other Gentlemen in Glamorgan shire that feare God G.B. wisheth increase of the same to the benefit of the Church and their owne euerlasting comfort SO often as I consider Right worshipfull our happie daies vnder the blessed gouernement of a most gracious Princesse howe we are become euen a wonder as it were an astonishment vnto many Nations for the mercies that we enioy by her meanes so often me thinke euen with melting hearts in a sweete conceite we should cast our selues downe before the Lorde and make a double vow vnto him First that we wil with perfect hearts and most willing mindes knowe and serue such a gracious God as amidst so manie dangerous deuises of intended ouerthrowe to her person so mightily preserued her Maiestie and so mercifully hath at this daie set her ouer vs dailie still dealing both with her and vs according to his olde louing kindenesse and mercie keeping her to vs in despite of all the caytifes on the earth Secondly that with hand and with heart with bodie and bowels and with estate whatsoeuer the Lorde shall giue vs within or without vs wee wil honor and obey pray for preserue to our powers amongst vs so famous renouned yea so woonderfull an instrument of all comfort and good vnto vs in respect of other Princes of the earth But O the sinne of our soules and the staines of our thankelesse heartes in both these duties so due ten thousande times of vs For whome we should knowe we neglect to knowe as his mercies binde vs our mightie GOD and heauenlie father And whome we should thus obey and honour pray for and praise God for day and night with verie weeping and woe that we can be no more thankefull vnto her and for her our nurcing mother and most gracious Queene her we disobey in holes and in corners to say no worse and dead without feeling not considering the blessing of her we prouoke both our God and her gracious heart to displeasure with vs. What proofe this latter hath and what vnwished matter to furnish out a larger complaynt I spare to speake I rewe to thinke it there are witnesses moe than I woulde there were that knowe it Those thinges which more beseeme my penne and paper I presume vnto your worshippes to folowe a litle further and first the neglect that aboundeth euerie where to furnishe the roomes alotted thereunto with sufficient men both for giftes and goodwill to discharge the duties of true ministers A thing euer commanded a thing euer needefull a thing in these daies of ours euen aboue all daies required both in thankefulnes to the Lorde and in care to haue her Highnesse obeyed which ariseth with religion and so both Gods mercie and her Maiestie still to remaine among vs. For him that serueth vs and thus dealeth with vs from day to day doth not verie sense instruct vs we must serue againe if we will inioy him And is this to serue him to retaine vnto ourselues the wages that hee hath prouided for sufficient men and to thrust into his cloth we care not whom To furnish his haruest with idle loiterers and neuer to looke after no nor accept beeing offered most painefull laborers No no he knoweth it that must iudge it it is not Yea men themselues knowe it if the Lorde would giue feeling and strength to defie that spirite of hauing that crieth within and saieth reserue it to thy selfe Yet least anie should pretende the contrarie where I wish them well resolued of this point may it be lawefull for mee with your louing leaues something to lay downe in this behalfe that I would wishe him to consider who is not perswaded of this dutie if I were to speake with such an one First then I would haue him viewe the worde of God that shall stande and iudge vs all when heauen and earth shall perish Than the which woorde nothing can be more contrarie to this sinne if either wee respect the time of the lawe or of the Gospell For in them both this is euer deliuered and euer bet vpon that the people of God should be taught and men chosen out in abilitie such as the people might require the lawe at their mouthes though the measure and manner were diuerse as it pleased God to giue his giftes vnto them Which thing euer drewe with it then and at this day still truely doth inferre a godly regarde and euen a necessarie conscience when anie place is voide by the lawes wee liue vnder alotted to that vse to furnish it as sufficientlie as wee possiblie can and may for that vse Otherwise by vs it commeth to passe that the people are not taught Nowe this offence groweth either by negligence or by couetousnesse By negligence when not weighing or feeling the sinne of it we are drawen by affection or kindred or other mens sutes to bestowe sufficient places vpon insufficient persons By couetousnesse when to reserue a portion to our selues we doe the like Both which are greuous offences both against God and our countrey and in the word very plainely condemned If the first be the cause then craue I most heartily the consideration of these and the like conclusions The Lorde threatneth to the watchman death that warneth not his people and saith he will haue their bloud at his hande Ezek. 3. because hee did not crie Nowe by me hath beene put in such an one verie carelesly and negligently for affection or such like that though he would yet for want of ability can not cry and alas how then can I want my portion in the wrath of the Lorde that is threatned against all such default Secondly it is loue in the minister to his God to feede his sheepe Iohn 21.15 So is it assuredly in the patrone to cause them to bee fed Contrariwise it is want of loue in the minister Tit. 2. if he do not feede is it not asmuch in the patrone if by his default it come to passe Thirdly it is a great fault we think to giue the calling to an vnworthie one and is it no fault to giue the liuing to such an one Thus then we see howe the word quickneth our consciences in
this behalfe if we be not dead And a number mo reasons might yet be brought if I should make a treatise in a preface Only this one mo I must needes remember which me thinke should awake anie man aliue in this matter In the sixt of Marke it is said of Christ that going out and seeing a great multitude of people gathered together Mark 6. he had compassion on them because they were like sheepe without a sheephearde and hee went out and taught them many thinges And in the Greeke it is more vehement expressing as it were an aking of his heart as we call it or a yearning of his bowels to see so pitifull a sight as so manie people without a teacher Vpon which notable place I haue vsed in my selfe to make two conclusions First a comfort then a feare My comfort is this that he which mourneth to see his people want the benefite of his worde will giue his people his woorde if they seeke it and wish it and where he hath vouchsafed it alreadie there continue it blesse it and giue it power if we pray For otherwise howe shoulde it paine him to see it wanting My feare is this that if his heart ake to see his sheepe depriued of a shephearde hee will assuredly bee reuenged euen in great wrath of them that are the causers of it And for Christ his sake let it bee considered For as wee liue wee may not alwaies looke to laugh if we make our God to mourne Thus then if negligence be the cause that a countrey is not furnished with some able ministers me thinke we may awake our heartes by the worde of the Lorde and weying it well receiue from him some better feeling in so great a matter But if couetousnesse be the cause and we greatly giuen to sequester that benefit to our selues sauing onely some portion to one to beare the name then marke we againe the witnesse also of the same scriptures against vs euen in this And to saue mine owne labour my iudgement being young heare I beseeche you the proofes and reasons against this sinne by a godly and graue Diuine intreating of this matter laide downe vnto my â—ands First he alleadgeth against it that deâ—criptioÌ„ of a wicked Prince in the booke of Samuel amoÌ„gst whose euils this is named one 1. Sam. 8.15 that he will take the tythes and giue â—hem to his seruantes Concluding thereon that if the king might not take the tythes to himselfe because then they were due to the priestes by Gods owne order and commandement for the mainteinance of his seruice surelie no priuate man nowe may doe it so long as by authoritie the same are established for the ministers mainteynance and support Secondlie if in the law he was accursed that remoued the merestone of the field Deut. 27.17 because hee did wrong in succession to diuers ten thousande times more is the remoouing of the ministers liuing subiect to the Lords wrath because both presently successiuelie it is hurtfull to a number moe and in a greater matter Thirdlie by the Prophete Malachie the Lorde complayneth in expresse tearmes Mala. 3.8 that the taking away of the tythes and offerings from that ende that they were appointed vnto was a robbing and spoiling of him yea euen such a spoyling as he woulde visite with a great and greeuous curse Now if it were so then all the world must confesse it is no lesse nowe so long as authority ratifieth this means to maintaine the ministers and therefore assuredlie will haue a sharpe reueÌ„ge Fourthlie in the gospel the Iewes alledge it vnto Christ as an argument of loue to theÌ„ and their Nation in the Centurion that hee had built them a synagogue Luk. 7.5 plainely insinuating that they woulde haue iudged the contrarie if hee had spoyled their Synagogue of his mainteynance And Christ reprehendeth not this conclusion Fiftly if David the king standing in so great distresse for water 1. Chro. 11.16 yet would not drinke of the water of Bethleem because it was gotten with the daunger of some fewe mens temporal liues should it not teach a great conscience to any man in the world the tasteth of God his truth hopeth for coÌ„fort in anie other world howe he not needing peraduenture but abundantlie prouided for otherwise by the mercy of his God drinketh eateth that which is gotten with apparant hazard of eternall life â—roÌ„ the bodies and soules God knoweth â—f how many Truely rightworshipful it â—hould 1. Cor. 9. Gala. 6. c. and the power of hell is not able â—o deny it But such is the meat drinke or other mainteinance whatsoeuer that we reape by the Church when it is due â—o an other for an other purpose and â—herfore you know the conclusion Sixtâ—y all those places in the scriptures commanding and inioyning the worlde to a maintainance sufficient mainteinance 〈◊〉 able teachers in it doe plainly prooue 〈◊〉 sinne of this to sequester to our selues â—he liuings allotted to theÌ„ vnles some oâ—her equiualent or sufficieÌ„t way be taken â—or them by authoritie Againe Possidon in vita Aug. 10.24 if the graue learned father S. Austen was so highâ—ie offended and so sharpely rebuked a gentleman in his time for taking away â—is owne gift which before he had giueÌ„â—o the mainteinaÌ„ce of his Church wold â—ee not haue bin a seuere censor against â—heÌ„ thinke we that should haue taken away what neither they nor any of theirs euer gaue If the stories so coÌ„mend the noble Emperor CoÌ„stantine for coÌ„maÌ„ding goods â—aken from the Churches to be restored to them againe woulde they not haue blotted him aswell Euseb lib. 10. cap. 5. Tit. Liuius lib. 42. if hee himselfe had beene a spoiler of the same If the Romans so dealt with Q. Fuluius for vncouering a part of Iunoes temple to coueâ— an other temple in Rome with the samâ— tiles that they misliked him condemâ—ned him tolde him Pirrhus or Annibaâ— woulde not haue doone so tolde him 〈◊〉 had beene too much to haue doone to priuate mans house an inferiour placâ— to a temple and in conclusion forceâ— him to sende home those tiles againe may not such as garnish either theÌ„selueâ— or their houses with Church liuings an leaue neither teacher nor almost tileâ— where both should be well consider bâ— it what this people would haue thoughâ— of them if they had liued there Anâ— what is the concept of a people proâ—phane in respect of theirs that knowâ— and serue the Lord These then and dâ—â—uers other reasons which for feare 〈◊〉 length I pretermit alledgeth hee theâ—â— against this foule offence Onelie oâ—â— place more I must needs remember anâ— it is a good one to wit howe Balthasâ— â—â—ng of Babylon himselfe his Princes â—â—s wiues and concubines drinking and â—asting in the vessels of gold taken from â—â—e Temple euen then espied the finâ—â—rs of an hande writing vppon the â—â—all before his face that his
saying Againe patronus facere potest debet c. the patron both may and ought to take heede that the fruites of the Church doe not goe to anie other vse Also that permission of the Ordinarie by this lawe to take any oath if hee will of euerie incumbent for his cleere entrance if there were nothing else in the worlde against it doeth strike a blowe to the soules of them that so offende and that a great one C. ex literis C. de iure C. cum saeculum Extra de iure Patronatus What shoulde I note that which yet is most worthie noting in this lawe to wit that Venditio iurispatronatus prohibita est nisi vniuersitas quaedam praediorum cui hoc ius accedat distrahatur That is that the right of patronage may neither bee bought nor soulde nor passe in speciall wordes in anie alienation but in generall onelie with the lande whereunto it is appertayning For the saide lawe admitteth no patronage in grosse Or those expresse wordes againe donatio permutatio permittitur not venditio I warrant you What should I note the most exact streytnesse of these laws in making the verie minde of the patron coueting rewarde for the gift of his Church a Simonie before God which they call mentalem Simoniam With a number such like notable rules and places So that wee see euen these lawes also detest it and condemne it And nowe then to conclude this matter if I thinke there is a God and a day of iudgement to come for mee and all my doings what should my heart minister to maintaine mee in this euill when God and man be against it But why shoulde I bee thus tedious in this matter Truelie that it might appeare if God so will how farre the corruptions wherein some sleepe as in no offences differ from the lawes of God and man and from synceritie of former times and ages But againe why vnto you right worshipful should I write so much Truly that by your godly care conscience indeuor hauing the places that you haue this great wound of your countrey may by litle and litle be releeued and better prouision dayly made for the winning of that good that bringeth with it ten thousand blessinges promised by the Lorde Which care and christian consideration as places fall I most hartily craue in the name of Iesus Christ vnto whose seruice I am called both for his glorie your owne discharge and the benefit of that place which I wish may euer be as the blessed of the Lord. I can not be thought to pleade any benefit for my selfe because I want the tongue and therefore I am more boulde But nowe I cease to followe it anie further The second thing that I greatly rewe our want in is the carefull good bringing vp of children in learning and vertue whilest they are fit Which howe it wanteth for want of schooles amongest vs woulde God I sawe no more than I had abilitie without charge to anie to redresse But what wanteth in me aboundeth in you and might it please the Lorde to giue will to your abilitie in this also to promote his glorie to benefit thousands in your countrey truely his heart hath mercie to accept it kindly and his hand hath blessinges to rewarde it richly Other thinges also yet mo there be which these happie daies of peace would haue vs carefull of But some other times shal serue to name them and increase of grace stirre vp to do them For this time therfore I leaue off to trouble your worships any further beseeching you most humbly and heartily to consider the mercies of the Lord which we all inioy by his worde by her Maiestie by most happie helpes about her by freedome of our consciences by plentie peace by health and great comfort a thousand waies and in thankfulnesse for them all to vouchsafe your assisting heartes and handes to these duties euer that may long prouoke the Lorde our God to be thus good and gracious to vs. Of which number are these that I nowe haue named the preaching of his worde and â—he carefull bringing vp of children in â—ood letters For my selfe I can doe no â—ore either for my dutie to his honoraâ—le Lo. to whom I owe so much or for â—ll the goodnesse wherewith your selues â—nd many others in the countrey so loâ—ingly and liberally haue incouraged â—e but vowe my selfe to you at your â—irection with any paines in my power whilest I liue to doe you seruice And â—hat I doe with as desirous an heart to â—he good of euerie one as euer hadde â—â—ranger in the place The Lorde in merâ—ie nowe multiplie his spirite vpon you â—â—ue your helpe to me and confirme my â—aines to you that his name may be â—â—owen vpon earth amongest vs and â—â—s sauing health in euerlasting comfort â—â—ioyed of vs. London the first of Deâ—ember Your worshippes bounden in the Lord euer Geruase Babington To the godlie readers and especially to them amongst whom this author and my selfe exercise our function IT hath pleased God good Reader to vse my ministerie not in one but in moe places in this manner still to succeede the author of this treatise to water what hee hath planted to labour in the â—aruest whereof he cast the seede to seede and â—urther to bring on those of whom he was the spirituall father and by the immortall seede of gods word first begat them and still to enter vpon his â—abours and goe forwarde with his beginninges Alwaies to my great helpe and comfort God â—nowing otherwise my wantes and weakenesse â—he easilier to wade there where he had broken â—he yee the plainlier to goe on and leade others where he had beaten the path and more readilie â—o builde vpon and reare vp where he had layed â—he foundation and squared the frame and with lesse paines to keepe agoing that which hee had moued and set agoing God hauing dealt thus mercifully with me in my ministerie and by the hande of this author thus holpen me I thought my selfe in duetie bound in respect of this course which God hath taken with me and especially by his meanes to giue to thee some testimonie of this his worke for thy further profit withall to him some witnesse of my good will Supposing my selfe in respect of the former cause as fitte to doe this as another knowing the effect hauing reaped the profit of these his labors and daily reaping it being and abiding in the place where this seed was cast I thought I ought to doe as willingly and as readily as anie other If for no other cause yet to commende this especially to them to bring foorth further fruite among whome it was first sowen and in whose heartes I doubt not but it tooke roote nowe long since An especiall commendatioÌ„ of this worke if I would take that way might be drawen from the workeman of it most plentifully from his stocke and kindred education and such
knowledge sake of Christ Iesus his Lorde and did iudge them to bee doung that he might win Christ And certainely what heart of man or woman soeuer knoweth God indéede what he is in himselfe and to all men and particularlie to it many thousande wayes as impossible it is it should not loue God againe aboue all and euen grone that it can loue him no more as it is vnpossible fier should want heate or water moysture Que. What braunches hath the loue of God springing out of it Ans Whosoeuer loueth God loueth also his worde Psal 119. vers 103. Luke 10. 1. Thess 5. 1. Iohn 3.17 Psal 15.1 the ministers of the worde the poore and all that feare God for these with such like are the braunches of the loue of God which if they be not in man and woman certainely neither is the other in them it selfe And as these all are commaunded so are the contraries forbidden and condemned â—y this Lawe What the contraries â—re beside that by these they may bée â—nowen they are expressed more fully 〈◊〉 the examination of conscience touâ—hing the same annexed at the ende of â—his commaundement Que. What is the second duetie that â—olloweth of the knowledge of God Ans To feare him aboue all Que. What feare is meant here Ans Indéede in the Scripture the â—eare of God doeth vsually signifie all Religion but here it signifieth onely a â—art of the worship we owe vnto God Que. And what is it Ans This feare is a reuerent awe â—f God whereby we are loth to offende â—im both because we loue him and beâ—ause he is able to punish vs. Que. This seemeth to import some â—ifference of feare Ans Verie true it is For there are â—wo kindes of feare of God one a serâ—ile feare dreading punishment anoâ—her ioyned with loue of God called a â—â—nlike feare and this is meant here Que. Howe may we knowe whether this true feare of God be in vs or no Ans Truely as we knowe there is fire by the smoke and that a man liueth by his breathing so we may knowe by the effects that the feare of God doeth bring forth in them in whom it is whether it be in vs or no Que. Why what be the effects Ans As the banke doeth kéepe the water from ouerflowing so doeth the feare of God in man or woman kéepe out sinne that it spred not as otherwise it would We sée it in practise prooued before our eyes For when Pharaoh king of Egypt Exod. 1.17 commaunded them to kill euery male childe that was borne of the Israelites women what kept out this cruell murther both from hand and heart but this banke the feare and awe of God more than man for so saith the text the midwiues feared GOD and therefore did not as the King commanded them The like may we sée in Iob who saith Gods punishment was fearefull to him Iob. 31.32 therefore he oppressed not 〈◊〉 fatherlesse In Ioseph also verie noâ—â—blie whose heart nor bodie filthie aâ—â—lterie with his mistresse could staine Gen. 39. â—â—cause this banke of the feare of God â—as so strong and good in him Lastly â—â—e scripture prooueth it plainely to vs â—hen in seuerall places it ioyneth to â—â—e feare of God a departing from euill 〈◊〉 an inseparable effect thereof Iob. 28. For â—ost assuredly it is so If wee nothing â—â—part from our olde sinnes and yet say â—e feare God we lie and there is no â—â—ueth in vs. Que. If then in this viewe of the efâ—â—cts of it we finde that either it is not in 〈◊〉 yet at all or at the most but verie liâ—â— howe may we obtaine it or inâ—â—ease it Ans First a verie good way to bréed 〈◊〉 increase this reuerent awe and â—are of God in our selues Howe the feare of God is gotten is an often â—â—d earnest meditation of Gods power 〈◊〉 he is able to deale with vs to puâ—â—sh vs and plague vs if we doe not â—are him and this we learne by these â—ordes of Christ Feare not them that can kill the bodie Math. 10.16 and then can doe no more but feare him that can cast bodie and soule into eternall fier For they sound vnto me as if Christ had saide thus marke howe farre Gods power excéedeth mans power and howe much more fearefully he is able to punish you than man can and let this great power of the Lorde ouer bodie and soule to caâ—â— them both into hell for euer make yoâ— feare the same God aboue all and stanâ— in awe of his maiestie And assuredlâ— if we had grace to thinke of his poweâ— indéede effectually it would maruelouâ—sly profite our soules to this ende Seâ—condly another good way and meaneâ— is a due meditation of the great merâ—cies of God prooued by the Psalme With thee there is mercie Psal 130. therefore shalâ— thou be feared And lastlie by diligenâ— learning the worde of God preached oâ— read vnto vs. For so we reade in thâ— Lawe Gather the people together men women and children the straunâ—ger that is within thy gates that they may heare and learne to feare the Lord Sée howe he saieth by hearing men learne this feare of God and bréede it or increase it Que. When is the feare of God to be learned Ans At all times but especially when oportunitie either of teaching or learning doeth serue vs. For that we ought to take oportunitie of teaching our sauiour Christ himselfe affirmeth saying Yet a litle and the light is with you walk while you haue the light And that we should then learne when we our selues are able and apt to learne the wise man sheweth in these wordes Remember thy creator in the daies of thy youth Ecclesi 12.1 before the euill daies come and thy yeres approche wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them Also the often and sodaine losse of hearing and séeing by sundrie occasions doth vehemently admonish vs to take time while time is and learne to feare God while we may For to day we can reade per aduenture our selues if not yet at least heare others but to morow who is sure hee shall eyther haue eies to sée to reade himselfe or sense of hearing to heare others Therefore againe take time when we may Que. What is contrarie to the feare of God Ans Too much to stande in feare of men and their threats so that by them wee are driuen to any vnlawfull things Too much to feare God himselfe and his iudgements as desperate men doe which nourish no hope of his mercie and goodnesse Thirdly securitie and too litle feare of God with many such moe All these are contrarie to that true feare of God which we speake of and are as well forbidden here as the other is commaunded Que. What is the third duetie of this commaundement Ans Thirdly we are here commaunded to make our prayers to none but to God Que. Howe may it bee prooued that onely God
be that I which haue takeâ— vpon me thy defence cannot doe it Is my power scant or want I abiliâ—tie to doe any thing that I will doe If I doe not then let the consideratioâ— of my power be thy strength Againe 〈◊〉 it in practise and note the fruite of iâ— Do we not know how easilie Abraham might haue doubted of Gods promisâ— that he should haue a child if he had conâ—sidered either the age of himselfe or thâ— deadnesse of his wiues bodie in courâ— now past by much to beare a childe Yâ— saith the Apostle Abraham strong 〈◊〉 â—aith doubted not And why so Truâ—y he vsed this meanes that now I tell â—ou of and with meditation of Gods â—ower strengthened his faith For so it â—olloweth in the text He was fully assuâ—ed Rom. 4. that he which had promised was alâ—o able to doe it Able I saie and marke â—he words And the verie same we read â—f Paule who therefore sayeth he fainâ—ed not vnder affliction neither was aâ—hamed of the crosse of Christ because â—e was perswaded and soundly setled â—ouching the Lordes abilitie to keepe â—hat which he committed vnto him 2. Tim. 2.12 So â—hen sée how the consideration of Gods â—ower strenthened them why shoulde 〈◊〉 not confirme vs aswell in all our â—ares And marke in any case how in 〈◊〉 these places with Gods power is eâ—er vnderstoode his willingnes also 〈◊〉 they did not seuer these two as subâ—â—ll Satan would perswade vs to doe Que. Haue you yet any more of this â—ounsaile Ans Yea this also is another excelâ—nt helpe for vs weake wretches to confirme our harts by namely to wey well what troubleth vs and then to searche aske and séeke if in the scripture there be any example of any that euer was in the like case and to sée what his ende or issue was comforting our selues with assuring hope of the like since God is no respecter of persons This wisedome is learned of Dauid Psal 34.6 who saith if God be mercifull to him helpe him it wil be a forcible meanes to make others trust in his mercie For they shall reason in their heartes sayth Dauid and saye This poore man cryed vnto the Lord and he heard him Therefore he will do the like to vs we are assured of it What is it then that troubleth your conscience Haue you béene an adulterer or a murtherer so was Dauid and yet founde mercie Haue you persecuted the Church and children of God any wayes so did Paul gréeuously and yet founde mercy Haue you béene an idolater Manasses was a cruell idolater and yet founde mercie Haue you denyed Christ and his truth â—pon any occasion and shrinked from â—our God so did all the Apostles and â—et founde mercie Nay haue you with othe forsworne him so did Peter â—nd yet founde mercie Then take Daâ—ids counsaile Marke howe all these 〈◊〉 their seuerall sinnes cryed vnto the Lorde and founde his readie pardon â—nd gather strength by it for he is the â—ame God that euer he was as loath a â—â—nner should dye as euer he was and â—hat bodie and soule of yours cost him â—s much as euer did theirs therefore â—eare not for he loues you as truely â—s euer hée did them And his hande â—s out with helpe in it onely beâ—eue and take holde of it it is your â—wne Que. I praye you still go on in this â—atter as long as you will Ans Onely this one mo will I adâ—ertise you of and it is as profitable â—s any of the rest namely to note and â—ery diligently to weigh what experiâ—â—ce of the Lordes goodnes you your selfe haue had heretofore and by tryall had make strong your heart for that which is to come Thus did Iacob when he was to méete with his brother Esau Gen. 32. First he looked vppon Gods commaundement to him to returne and thereby he assured himselfe God woulde not leaue him helplesse when he tooke in hand nothing but by his will and secondly he well marketh what a God he had euer found him till that day whereof faith inferred a conclusion comfortable Iacob feare not God thy God is no man that he should change he hath defended thée and still be assured of it he will defende thée Thus did Dauid when he should fighâ— against Goliah 1. Sam. 17. he remembred whaâ— helpe he found against the pawe of thâ— Beare and the Lyon and then assureâ— himselfe by passed proofe of so good â— God he shoulde not miscarie with thâ— Philistine Matth. 16.9 Thus dealt Christ with hiâ— doubting Disciples for want of foode willing theÌ„ to remember what a mulâ—titude with a verie little they had séenâ— â—eléeued and yet plentie remaining â—nd euen for shame by passed tryall of Gods power to be strenthened in assuâ—ance touching that which was to â—ome And if you read the 7. of Deuteâ—onomie the 18. verse Deutro 7. it is a verie fit â—lace to this ende But peraduenture â—ou will say it is not a sound buylding 〈◊〉 conclude because God hath beene â—ood therefore he wil be good Yes in â—éede is it and that course of buylding â—hich the scripture vseth in sundry plaâ—â—s By name it is the argument of â—aul to the Corinthians that therefore â—od would confirme them to the ende 1. Cor. 1.8 â—ecause he had begunne a good worke 〈◊〉 them and because God is faithfull â—arke that The like doth the same â—postle to the Philippians Thessaloniâ—â—s and to Timothie Philip. 1.6 1. Thess 5.24 2. Tim. 4.18 2. Peter 1.3 beside other plaâ—â—s And Peter in his Epistles againe 〈◊〉 very same And I pray you marke 〈◊〉 what you knowe Doeth not the â—â—mer tryed goodnes of a mortall man â—orke in him that findeth it a good opiâ—â—on euen a confidence in that man if he shoulde neede againe to him O what comparison betwixt man God The one is mutable in liking and fauour the other whome he loueth to the ende he loueth them the one subiect to diminutioÌ„ of power so that if he would be as good as he hath béene yet can hee not the other in power almighty euer so that what hee will hee can at alâ— houres Therefore challenge you the Lorde as Dauid doth boldly I warranâ— you Thou hast beene my succour O Lorde Psal 27. then leaue me not nowe neitheâ— forsake me O God of my saluation Que. Do not now all these duties inferre thanksgiuing vnto the Lord Ans It must needes be so For cerâ—tainly if we be bound to know to loue to feare to trust in pray to the Lord at all times and for all wants by thâ— same lawe wee must needes be boundâ— to giue thanks to him for that measurâ— of grace which in any of these duetieâ— he bestoweth vpon vs and for his greaâ— benefites which we receiue Que. But hath this dutie no other profe Ans Yes in deede Expresse plaine â—ommaundements 1. Thess 5.18 that in all
things â—e should giue thanks Euident pracâ—ise of Gods children as of Dauid Psal 103. cryâ—ng vpon his soule to praise the Lord â—pon al that is within him to praise his â—oly name of Marie professing that her â—â—ule did magnifie the lord Luke 1. and that her â—â—irite reioyced in God her Sauiour â—ith manie such like Que. Since then this duetie both is â—ommaunded and hath of Gods childreÌ„â—ene euer vpon all occasions so carefulâ—â— performed me thinke at our meates â—specially we should remember it Ans Truely you haue named a time â—nd occasion when in déede Christians â—hould neither forget nor shame to look â—p vnto the Lord to praise his name Saying of grace at the Table For euen then haue they his mercies â—efore their eyes to put them in mind Which if they receiue thankfully they â—eceiue rightly if not then verye â—aungerousely both in respecte of â—â—e creatures them selues which as the Apostle sayeth are not sanctified otherwise vnto vs 1. Tim. 4. so that we may receiue them with a good conscience then by the word and prayer and also in respect of the breach of Gods commaundementes who expressely willed his people Israel in them euen all others that when they had eaten filled themselues Deutro 8.10 they should blesse the Lord their God for the good lande which he had giuen them Beside which reasons yet euen further we haue the practise of the godly to call vppon vs for this duetie For it is well noted that the same people chosen of the Lorde the Iewes I meane did not sit downe to eate but either the good man of the house or he that was Primarius in mensa that is the chiefe man at the table did take either the bread or the cup in his hand and so holding it prayed vnto the Lorde that he would vouchsafe to blesse them and those his good giftes which then they were about to receiue at his mercifull hand Likewise after meate they gaue him thankes for it Hence commeth the mention of taking the cuppe twise by our Sauiour Christ in Luke Luke 22.17 the former taking was this saying of grace and giuing of thankes which I â—peake of the other was the celebration of his supper Howe euen of purpose also doeth the Euangelist mention this same practise still in Christ Matth. 14.19 Marke 6 41. Mark 14.26 sometimes saying when they had sung 〈◊〉 Psalme sometimes when he had giuen thankes c. all to teache vs that â—uery such precept and practise shall â—ondemne vs if wee doe not the like And truely if men and women would â—ooke into their heartes and not flatâ—er themselues in daungerous securiâ—ie and would euen say to themselues why doe I not say grace or cause it to â—e said in that place where I am chiefe â—nd ought to doe it what thinke you would they finde to be the true cause â—ndéede Certainely nothing but shame â—nd bashefulnesse because it hath not â—éene vsed But O fearefull shame â—hat shameth to doe Gods commaundements and consequently maketh vs eate our own damnation the creatures being not sanctified vnto vs. And O damnable following of our wicked custome and leauing the custome of Christ and his children God in mercie awake vs. For assuredlie wee litle knowe what we doe when we pretermit and shame to doe this dutie to the Lorde Que. You haue well satisfied me touching the necessitie of this duetie and nowe I aske you an other question whether we may not also giue thankes to men but whatsoeuer they say or doe to vs yea if they drinke but to vs at the table wee must say I thanke God Ans Truly to be perswaded that any kindnes or good can come to vs by men from men whereof our mercifull God is not the sender and giuer woorking by those instrumeÌ„ts were verie wicked horrible but for the phrase of spéech my heart knowing GOD to be thâ— author I may well and lawfully vsâ— it to the instrument no doubt and say I thanke you at any time or vpon any occasion when I reape the benefite of their loue and by name vpon such occasion as you named And this I take to be warranted by the practise of Paul Rom. 16.3 4. who no doubt in heart knew God to be author of all his good yet are his words directed to the instruments Greet Priscilla and Aquila saith he my fellow helpers in Christ Iesus Which haue for my life laide downe their necke vnto whom not onely I giue thankes but also all the Churches of the Gentiles Que. As you haue said of the other duties so I take it in this also namelie that whatsoeuer is contrarie or against it is as well forbidden vs by this first commandement as this is commaunded Ans It is very true Both the pretermission of thanks for any goodnes vpon â—odie or minde our selues or ours â—emporall or eternall bestowed by the â—orde as also the ascribing of it to â—ur selues â—ur wit our strength poliâ—ie friends or any thing it is horrible â—nd a breache of this commaundement Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me Que. Thus rest I instructed more than I was touching this commaundement the first of all the ten And now onely I could wish if you might that you would shewe me some way howe profitablie to examine mine owne heart touching this Lawe and howe with my selfe I might meditate vpon it fruitefully and with feeling Ans Indéed your request hath great profite in it and that course or practise ye nowe desire shall any man or woman finde very fruitefull if they doe vse it For euen as in earthly matters our affection and loue cleaueth fastest to them that in greatest extremities haue brought vs helpe and ease and as there is nothing that will blowe vp the coale of that remembraunce more vehemently and make it flame out into open shewe of a thankefull heart more effectually than some true meditation of the greatnesse of daunger and gréeuousnesse of estate that we were in before So in heauenly and spiritual things the same is found as true or rather more that sight of greatest good procureth greatest measure of such fruite as ought to flow thereof For by example what so kindeleth in a man the heate of burning loue and maketh his heart to flame with true affection to his God as doeth 〈◊〉 liuely sight of that fearefull estate vtter extremitie desperate and damnable condition that he was once subiect vnâ—o without all recouerie by himselfe or any creature either in heauen or earth â—ut onely Iesus Christ the Sonne of God both God and man together with 〈◊〉 sight of certaine safetie from the same Did not this bring that blessed woman â—nd happie Saint of God Marie Magâ—alen to such a swéete tast and great â—â—ue as that her melting heart miniâ—â—red teares to her wéeping eies Luke 7.38 wherewith she washed the féete of her deare â—auiour wiped them with the
haires 〈◊〉 her head kissed them annointed them â—ith precious ointment and what was 〈◊〉 which that woman thought too much for such a friende True it is therefore that the lesse we sée the goodnesse of our God the lesse we loue him but great is the affection of them to whom many sinnes are forgiuen Knowing this then that remembraunce of hard estate before will stirre the heart vp to him in loue that hath made it happie and that sight of ougly sinne lodging still in mée and cleauing to my soule and flesh will make mee praise his name who yet in mercie imputeth not the same vnto mée Vse indéede often with your selfe and especially when you féele your heart most prone and fit thereunto to viewe your sinnes against euery commaundement howe many and monstrous they are in thought worde and deede sit and thinke with your selfe what is commaunded sometimes in one sometimes in another what woonderfull perfection is required in euerie one what braunches and members euerie one hath what terrible iudgements are due to the breakers therof how far from the full absolute perfourmance of any tittle of any one of them you your selfe are therefore in what case you stand for the same euen sure of eternal destruction both of bodie soule in hel fier Yet notwithstanding how you are released of mercie not of merite that with the preciousest ransom that euer was the heart bloud of Iesus Christ the sonne of God both God man so that heauen earth may perish but you cannot perish Que. The examination of the conscience touching this commaundement Ans As for example I set view this coÌ„mandemeÌ„t wherof now we haue spokeÌ„ Thou shalt haue none other gods but me Considering what things are biddeÌ„â—r forbidden vnto me in the same And â—s alreadie now hath béene prooued first I sée I am commanded herein to worâ—hip the Lord my God and him onely to â—erue not ioyning any fellowes to him â—t all of which worship many points â—here bee but they may bee reduced â—nto a fewe First I sée I am bound to â—oue him aboue all that is in my heart and soule to make more account of him than of all the worlde or any creature in heauen or earth to cleaue faster vnto him and his wil than to any thing to estéeme him and preferre him yea euen aboue mine owne saluation if they could come in comparison together for Hee that loueth father or mother Matth. 10.28 sister or brother wife or childe or any thing more than me is not worthie of me Secondly I am commaunded to feare him aboue all that is with a godly reuerence to stande more in awe of him and his worde than of any thing else whatsoeuer to be more loath not for feare onely but euen for loue to displease him grieue him and offende him than any or all the creatures in heauen or earth beside in respect of that which he is able to lay vpon mee if I forsake him to account nothing of any thing that any man can doe vnto me mindefull euer of this saying Feare not them that can kill the bodie and are not able to kill the soule Matth. 10. but feare him that can cast both bodie and soule into hell fire Thirdly I sée that in this commaundement I am charged to make my prayers to none but to God onely for the reasons aboue in their place alledged Fourthly I sée I am commaunded not to thinke that things goe by fortune and chaunce or that any thing is done which GOD knoweth not of or could not let but that I acknowledge him to be the guider and gouernour of all things and that what good soeuer I receiue I haue it from him and therefore that I trust and stay vpon him alone at all times and in all my matters whatsoeuer And for so much as neither I nor any can either loue him or feare him pray to him or trust in him vnlesse we knowe him therefore I sée also that I am in this commaundement straitely bound â—o long as I liue to labour and trauell by all meanes appointed to knowe the Lorde and his trueth out of his worde and looke howe much I want of knowing any thing that is reueiled in his worde so farre am I guiltie of the breache of this Lawe And if it please the Lorde to blesse me with knowledge of his trueth or any thing else whatsoeuer I sée that in this commandement I am charged to giue thankes to him for it in such full manner and measure of féeling as any way is due to that benefite For if I forget to be thankefull I forget that the Lorde in that thing is my good God And if I ascribe the praise and thankes to any thing else whatsoeuer otherwise than as to the instrument of God I make my selfe another GOD beside the Lorde euen that thing wherevnto I giue the thankes and I breake this commaundement These and many such other things I sée are laide vpon me and al men and women in this first commandement then I thinke or say with my self vnto the Lord O my good God and gratious father O my swéete Lord guide most righteous what doe I sée euen in this but one law of thine against my selfe my soule and bodie why I should neuer come in thy kingdome nor lift vp mine eyes to heauen in hope of any comfort This is but one Lawe of ten and contayneth but a fewe dueties in respect of all that I owe to thée and my brethren yet ah Lorde with wailing woe I speake it so guiltie I sée my selfe so fowle and ouglie before thy face and so full of breaches euerie way euen of this one commandement that I am ashamed and confounded to â—ift vp mine eies vnto thée my God For mine iniquities are increased ouermine â—ead my trespasses are growen vp to â—he heauen to me belongeth nothing but â—hame confusion it is thy mercie that â— am not vtterly destroied yea eueÌ„ thy â—ercie maruellous that the earth as â—eary of so wicked a burden shrinketh â—ot from vnder my féete and hellish pit 〈◊〉 gulfe of endlesse woe receiueth me â—ot into it For what pleasure is â—ere in that seruaunt that being bid 〈◊〉 his master doe diuers thinges yet â—ot in any one obeyeth or perfourmeth 〈◊〉 maisters will Can hée like him â—ill hee loue him No no full soone euen I my selfe would loath and cast off such a one Ah Lorde then for my selfe what should I say Is there any seruaunt so bound vnto his master as I am bounde to thee Is there any master that can and will so quitte his seruaunts paines as thou in mercie my obedience Or can any mortall man so iustly challenge the obedience of his hireling as thou my God maist challenge the seruice of me thy creature first made of nothing by thy hande and then most dearely bought againe with precious price No no my bodie my life my heart
â—orde alas I knowe it is not great yâ—ough neither answereth it the greatnesse of my sinne but thou canst giue greater if it please thée O deare Father rent my heart and giue mée féeling cleaue it a sunder by thy pearcing spirit that from it may flowe the teares of true repentaunce strike good Lorde this harde rocke of mine that it may gushe out sorowfull water for so fowle offence and what wanteth in mée any wayes supplie in mercie with my Sauiour in whom thou art perfectly pleased Graunt O God vnto mée thy gratious spirit to kill in mée continually more and more the strength and power of sinne and to rayse mée vp in bodie and soule to more obedience towardes thée Let not my wantes stande euer swéete Lorde betwixt thy mercie and mée but giue mee will to wishe it giue me power to doe it giue mée loue to like it and euer strength to continue in it that thou hast appointed for mee to walke in before thée in this worlde Heare mee O Lorde O God O swéete and endlesse comfort of my sinnefull soule for Iesus Christ his sake that liuing heare I may euer serue thee and dooing so I may neuer loose thée Amen Amen The second Commaundement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath c. FIrst for the order of this Commaundement eyther wee may answere that this first Table contayning the honour and duetie of men to the Lorde as the seâ—ond doeth their duetie to man and the worshippe of GOD being partâ—y inwarde partly outwarde haâ—ing in the former Commaundement laide downe the former kinde to wit of inward worship fitly now in this the two next folow the outward duties which to the same our gratious God we iustly owe. Or else thus That the Lorde in the first commaundement hauing separated himselfe from al other gods deuised and made by men and commanded all mortall men and women his creatures subiect to his Lawe to worship him onely and none but him here now in this second precept as order required he setteth downe modum rationeÌ„ iuxta quam coli velit the waie and maner how he wil bee serued Forasmuch as in vaine he should haue doone the first except he had done the second also The way and maner is this euen according to his will and nature Which albeit it may séeme to flesh and bloud not so fitlie done by a negatiue lawe as by an affirmatiue it might yet besides that we are not to teache the Lorde euen in speciall wisedome hath he thus doone it For first our natures are very prone to the breache hereof which by a negatiue is stronglier beat downe than by an affirmatiue and then againe the Gentiles next neighbours to the Iewes were very much giuen to idols and images and therefore by name forbidden to the Iewes least by the Gentiles in that point they should be defiled And yet doth not the Lord here so set downe a negatiue but that he includeth an affirmatiue in it For as he saith Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image and meaneth thereby Thou shalt not worship mee with any deuise of â—hine owne contrary to my wil and naâ—ure so implieth he herein the affirmaâ—iue namely thou shalt in euery reâ—pect worship me according to my will â—nd nature Moreouer remember here â—gaine which hath béene touched beâ—re that both in this commandement 〈◊〉 in all other the Lord setteth downe 〈◊〉 name that thing the doing whereof 〈◊〉 not doing is most decent or horriâ—â—e And therefore in this place forâ—â—â—ding all false and fonde worshippe 〈◊〉 his Maiestie hee setteth downe in name that which is most vnséemely and vile to wit Idolatrie For of all wrong worshippe to make him like a man or woman or other worse creature to prostrate our selues thereunto and to thinke wee worship him in so dooing is most horrible What expositions your Booke giueth you may looke and marke adding for more plainnesse thereunto thus much that the very meaning of this commandement in effect is thus much as if the Lorde should haue said although the corrupt nature of man bee such as naturally he desireth my presence in some visible forme and shape foolishly thinking that then he is most neare vnto mee when he hath before his eyes some visible picture of mee yet for as much as this and the worship hereby doone vnto mee is neither agréeable to my will nor nature I therefore commaund thée that thou make to thy selfe no grauen image c. That is that thou goe not about to represent me by any likenesse of any creature whatsoeuer neither to worship mée in or vnder any such showes or after any way than out of my worde thou learnest to bee agréeable both to my will and nature Easilie then may we sée what wee are occasioned here in this commandement to consider of namely 1 The making of Images 2 The worshipping of them 3 The reasons God vseth here Touching the first then vsually vppon this occasion is mooued this question whether simplie it bee vnlawfull and misliked of the Lorde to make any kinde of Image by painting carâ—ing ingrauing c. And it séemeth yea â—ecause the woordes are so flatte withâ—ut exception Thou shalt not make any grauen image c. For answere whereunto 3. seuerall â—udgements are founde amongst men â—ome thinke in déede all pictures and â—mages to be vnlawfull aswell in Ciâ—ill vse as in religious and such are the â—urkes by name if it bee truely writâ—n of them Whose money they say hath neuer any image vpon it but certain Arabike letters their other works as carpets couerings quisshins c. vtterly also without any image of man or any liuing creature vpon them and all because they thinke it vnlawful Others thinke it lawful to make any picture at all yea euen of God himselfe so that the same be not worshipped as a bare picture image And they vnderstand this commaundement of images made to this ende to be adored These are our Papists The thirde iudgement and best is of them that thinke it lawful to make pictures of things which we haue séene to a ciuill vse but not to vse them in the Church and for religion Now for the first opinion it is out of all question false and too superstitious For howsoeuer the Turks receiue not such profe yet we that imbrace cleaue to the authoritie of Gods worde know that the Lorde hath not lefte this commaundement neither any other without large and plaine exposition in other places of the scripture and therfore we are to conferre place with place practise with precept and so to sée whether in déede all images be forbidden to be made or no. First then marke the wordes in Leuiticus Leuit. 26.1 Ye shall make you no Idols nor grauen Image neither reare you vp any pillers c. Out of which place thus I
yet was their doing wicked Arnobius saith of them Non adorabant statuaâ— quòd putabant Lib. 6. aes aurum argentuÌ„ aut similes statuaruÌ„ materias Deos esse sed quòd per ea dij inuisibiles honorentur That is They woorshipped images not for that they thought brasse golde siluer or such things to be God but because by thosâ— things the inuisible gods were worshipped Secondly if we looke to the scripture we reade a complaint in the book of Iudges for that the people left the God of Israell and serued Baalim Iud. 2.11 and what I pray you was that Did they thinke that image to be God No saieth the prophet Osee They haue called me Baalim meaning God that is Osee 2.16 they thought that worship which they did to Baalim was doone to God vnder the image and by the image and yet saith the worde They did euill in seruing Baalim Iud. 2.11 What can be plainer against this idle excuse if you will looke and mark the places wel Againe in the 17. of Iudges we reade of Micah his idols in the forme of men Iud. 17. as some thinke because Christ appeared diuerse times like a man And what Gen 32. Dan. 7. did he thinke those his idols to be God or worship theÌ„ as gods no his own words testifie the contrary for he saith Nowe shall the Lord blesse me when I haue a Leuite to my priest he doeth not say Nowe shall my Teraphim blesse me but nowe shall the Lorde blesse me distinguishing betwixt God and his images So that Micah did not thinke his idols â—o be GOD and so certainelie did not worship them as God but in them rather and by them thought he serued God who accepted that to himselfe that was doone to the image which represâ—nted him yet did he wickedly and sinned like an idolater in so doing Howe then should this popish excuse be good of worshipping GOD in the image I would to GOD with modestie and Christian chastitie men and women would thinke of this reason drawen by a godly man à pari of the like Would the husband be content with his wife or the wife with the husband if that duetie which is due of them one toward the other should be perfourmed of eyther of them to a straunger with this excuse that the Papists make No we knowe we could not beare it neyther would we with any such aunswere be contented And why should our hearts be so hard and our iudgements so bewitched that we should not thinke the Lord loueth his Church and euery true member of it aswell as any man his wife or any wife her husband and is as ielous of that spirituall duetie that is due to him as men are of the other The one is actuall fornication the other is spirituall so learned eueÌ„ in wisedome of God to beate into vs that hee can as ill abide the one as wee the other and yet wee will not sée nor conceiue Againe shall we thinke that the Israelites were so grosse as to thinke the golden Calfe to bee a verie God when as they knewe it molten and made of the earings that they plucked off Truely it is impossible For they knew that had a beginning and a God there was who had doone great things for them ere that day whose beginning they knewe not How then Why out of questioÌ„ they did imagine that the worship which they did to that idoll was doone to God in the idoll And yet whether God was pleased with that excuse or no iudge we all Let it fall then euen in the feare of God what mans head inuenteth against the Lord and his owne duetie and at the last let vs sée it to bée a vaine mocke to thinke wee can worship God in an image and by it or vnder it Another shifte they haue for defence of images in the Church but it is as ill as the former They are say they lay mens Bookes and stande in verie good stéede to put vs in minde of GOD. It is verie well And is euery kinde of Booke then good and to bee allowed of Or is euerie manner of rememberaunce by and by commendable If not then should they not onely say they are laye mens Bookes but proue that they are good bookes also in déede to that ende for otherwise many bookes may aswell hurt as profit the vsers of them as I said But this they doe not neither in déede can they doe and therefore the consequence they make is naught and falleth of it selfe if you marke it Nowe that they are no good Bookes but verie daungerous and deceyuing sightes for laye men or other whatsoeuer let the worde of the Lorde himselfe bee iudge Iere. 10.8 The Prophet Ieremie in zeale of spirite detesteth such Bookes verse 15. and refuseth to bee put in mynde of GOD by any such deceitefull meanes For the stocke sayeth hée is a doctrine of vanitie yea they are vanitie and the worke of errours and in the time of their visitation they shall perishe The Prophet Abacuck agayne sayth That the image is a teacher of lyes Chap. 2.18 though hee that made it trust in it c. Shall then a Booke full of lyes vanities and errour bée so good a Booke and rememberaunce to laye men Shall that which indaungereth the learned nothing hurt thinke wee the vnlearned O that wee knewe not by experience into what fonde and wicked opinions poore people haue béene brought of GOD by these painted and carued Bookes Howe many heartes lament their follie and howe many tongues to the praise of GODS mercy in visiting them with his light can and doe tell what fonde conceytes they had of the Lorde and heauenly matters seduced by the sight of their eyes Therefore since God hath saide it and experience founde it that they are so daungerous let them be Bookes for Paganes and Heathens surely for Christians they should not bee Which of the Prophetes or Apostles went about euer to haue images made either to put themselues in minde of any thing which the Lorde taught them or their people of any thing which they deliuered to them from the Lorde But they vsed the admonition of their brethren and especially by writing downe what they taught they helped this infirmitie of ours Signifying euen by that their practise what the meanes ought nowe to bee to put vs in minde of God and heauenly things chiefely his worde The Lorde himselfe saieth Deutro 4. Ye sawe no image but heard a voyce onely Therefore make no image and againe You sawe that I spake to you from heauen therefore yee shall make no Gods of golde nor siluer as if he shoulde haue saide my practise in speaking to you by voyce not by image shoulde teach you that by my worde and not by image I am to be remembred And it is a notable place in Esay Esay 30.21 that when the worde shall take place with his then they shal
abhorre images And thus much both of making them and worshipping them Next it doeth followe that wee consider howe vnder this outward appearing grosse idolatrie are comprised all deuised wayes meanes of our selues to serue the Lord yea euen all be they neuer so glorious in our eyes and our intentes neuer so good and godly reasonable as we thinke yet if they be but our owne inuentions not warranted to vs in the word here vnder this name of images they are contained and together condemned So that the very sense of this commandement is this Generally by no deuise of man and particularly not by this as hath before béene saide by no deuise of thine owne or inuention whatsoeuer will I bee serued and namely not by images erected vp to me or in rememberaunce of mee But euer at all times and of all men according to that rule that my selfe haue laide downe and prescribed onely Deutr. 12. Esay 29. You shall not doe euerie man what seemeth good in his owne eyes for in vaine doe men worshippe mee with traditions of men Moses did nothing in building the materiall tabernacle beside what was commaunded and shewed him Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron dyed for presuming of themselues to serue the Lorde with straunge fire Leuit. 10. The verie heathnish Romanes had this reason with them that it was better for them to bée quite without Christ than to worship him and others with him against his will and liking And ad placandum deum ijs opus habent homines quae ille iubet that is To please the Lorde saith Lactantius men haue neede of those things that he himselfe commaundeth And a Christian minde doeth not finde a sure stay but when it heareth Hoc dicit dominus 1. Sam. 13. This saieth the Lorde If Saul breake the course that God doeth appoint and of himself deuise to serue the Lord be his necessitie to doe so as he thinketh neuer so great and the intent of his heart neuer so holie like certainelie Samuel both must and will tell him to his face he hath doone foolishly 1. Sam. 15. for the Lord hath more pleasure in that his will is obeyed than in all the fatlings of the Amalekites offered vp vnto him of our owne wils and heades Intents will not serue neither voluntarie Religion stande accepted And therefore euer let vs weigh and followe the counsell of Salomon And looke to our feete when wee enter into the house of God being more readie to heare Ecclesi 4. than to offer the sacrifice of fooles for they knowe not what they doe Last of all we are to consider the reasons that God maketh here The reasons of this commandement The first is drawen of his loue towardes vs yea of his exceeding great loue which is euen growen to a ielousie So déerelie so vehemently is his heart set vppon vs yet not for any woorthinesse in vs that looke howe grieuously a ielous man can take the misbehauiour of his straying wife euen so ill can the Lorde abyde that wee shoulde impart our selues to others beside him in obediēce worship and loue Nowe had we any féeling left within our sides and our heartes were not altogether so harde trampled and beaten as they are what a reason were this for euer to kéepe vs knit vnto the Lorde O marke Why shoulde he loue vs why should he care for vs why shoulde he thinke of vs or euer once vouchsafe vs good who of our selues cannot thinke a good thought There is no cause but in himselfe Yet doth he not onely loue vs but is ielous of vs. How then should this force vs to cleaue vnto him onely his none but his for euermore Is he ours and will we not be his againe Would he onely enioy vs and wee will not be tyed vnto him Take héede The greater loue the greater hate when vnkinde refusall is to reape his iust rewarde The seconde reason which the Lorde here vseth is drawen of the punishment that will light vpon vs if wee breake this commandement He will visite the sinnes of the fathers vppon the children vnto the thirde and fourth generation sore is that anger the flame of whose punishment casteth out smoke so farre yet the meaning thereof is as Ezekiel well showes Chap. 18. if the children doe follow the fathers wickednesse and not otherwise The thirde reason is drawen of his mercie promised here euē to thousands of them that loue him kéepe his commandements O now that we would weigh these reasons well and lay them déepe vp in our hearts Truely if there bee any portion of the spirit of life in vs we should finde them forcible to giue vs a taste of the wrath of God against idolatrie and approching before him with our owne inuentions what excuses intents reasons soeuer wee thinke we haue for the same we shall finde them strong to allure vs to the carefull and diligent séeking of the Lords wil out of his word and the duetifull and constant seruing of him according to that rule But when wee will not weigh his promised mercies nor giue our heartes leaue to thinke of his threatened iudgementes but headlong in vnféelingnesse runne on and in blinde ignoraunce imagine that our intentes if they bee good must néedes stoppe Gods mouth and make him contented with the breache of his will this this is the poyson of the whore of Babylon that infecteth our soules to eternall damnation and wrathe O God Father of mercies disperse this dimnesse as may stande with thy good-will from the eyes of thy deceiued creatures and yet once ere they dye let them sée their sinnes against this commaundement that in wrath they passe not to greater iudgement so due and so sure to all wilfull contemners of the light of thy worde and Gospell Amen Furthermore againe if wee doe well marke here the wordes of our God wherewith he vttereth these promises threateneth these iudgementes truely they aforde vnto vs two or thrée profitable notes and considerations As first because in our deuises worship of our owne will the best wee can say is that it commeth from a good meaning and intent and therefore wée thinke God cannot of his mercie refuse that which is well meant and intended towardes him I beseeche you marke howe the Lord here ouerthroweth vtterly this defence saying in expresse wordes that they bee haters of him and so led with the liking of their worshippe from the Lorde and his true seruice that when occasion serueth they bewraye extreme hatred thereunto persecuting it with fire and fagotte in the true professours thereof O my brethren if GOD repute mee for an enemie what can my pretended loue auayle mee If hée say I hate him howe dare I still bewitched with my follie thinke I loue him Shall his owne mouth tell mee that I hate him and that he so taketh all my doings If I swarue frō
Gods commandements I hate him intend what I can will I not beléeue it is it not possible to make vs féele our fault and to sée our sinne in this behalfe will wee still chalenge the Lorde with our good intentes and honest meanings as wee thinke when yet his owne tongue speaketh it that if I eyther serue with him any other as saints Angels images or whatsoeuer or him alone after any other way than he prescribeth I loue him not but hate him yea euen extremely hate him and shall at his handes finde the rewarde of a deadly enemie to his glorie Nowe Christ for his mercies sake touche vs and giue vs féeling Secondly let vs marke againe in these the comparison of mercy and iudgement together how farre the one excéedeth His enemies and haters of his will he punisheth but to the thirde and fourth generation but sheweth mercie to thousandes of them that loue him and kéepe his commaundementes Who woulde not serue then and onely serue a God of such a nature Yea what heart is it that will not séeke to please according to his will so good a Lorde as powreth mercie so long after his decease vppon his ofspring and posteritie Last of all it is verie worthie obseruation howe that speaking here of his commandements he placeth loue before it saying he will shewe kindnesse to thousandes of them that loue him and kéepe his commandements As though he woulde haue vs knowe that these two cannot be separated but whosoeuer frameth himselfe to obey the Lorde he must néedes loue him before for out of that as out of his fountaine and proper head floweth the other not accepted else nor liked of if it doe not and contrariwise if wee doe loue the Lorde in déede in trueth in veritie then will wee keepe His Commaundementes marke it His Commaundementes he doeth not say then will hee deuise this thing and that thing with twentie things moe of a good minde and meaning to please GOD withall but we will then kéepe His Commandements that is wee will then séeke and search wee will then reade and heare euerie man wee will endeuour to bee instructed what GOD in his worde hath prescribed vs to doe and wee will kéepe His commaundementes Nowe then once againe euen as the bloud of Iesus Christ is deare vnto vs let our brethren of the Churche of Rome for so wee yet call them in hope of amendment looke and marke what loue of GOD is in them Héere is a note and else often repeated in the Scripture to knowe their loue by Alas they deuise lawes wayes and meanes euerie day to serue GOD withall of their owne heades but his prescribed rule in his worde they vtterly contemne and neglect Now where true loue of GOD is out of it floweth a burning constant care to kéepe His commaundementes not our owne They kéepe their owne and with fire and fagot doe reuenge the breach of them but the Lordes worde not so with abstayning from this meate and that meate this day and that day with single lyfe though most impure with prayers in an vnknowen tongue and thus often repeated ouer and ouer with crossings and créepings Paxes and Beades holie water and Creame Ashes and spittle with a thousande such things haue they deuised to worshippe the Lorde and who so breaketh these an Heretike hée is a runneaway from the Church cite him and summon him excommunicate him and imprison him burne him and hang him yea away with such a one for he is not worthie to liue vpon the earth But if he blaspheme the name of the Lord by horrible swearing Reade the L. Cobhams last examination in the beginning of it if he offende most grieuously in pride in wrath in gluttonie and couetousnesse if he be a drunken alestake a ticktack tauerner kéepe a whore or two in his owne house and moe abroade at bord with other men with a nūber such like gréeuous offences what doe they Either he is not punished at all most commonly so or if he be it is a little penance of their owne inuenting by belly or purse or to say a certaine of prayers to visit such an image in pilgrimage c. But all this deserueth neither fire nor fagot Is not this for that man of sinne to exalt himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped Can it be denied but that he that punisheth the breache of his owne lawes aboue the breache of Gods lawes in that preferreth himselfe before GOD Surely it cannot it is too plaine therefore once againe remember that the loue of God in man or woman draweth them to the kéeping of His commandements set downe in the worde and not of their owne constitutions deuised by themselues And thus much in briefe of this commandement The examination of the conscience Nowe if I woulde fruitefully meditate and thinke of this commandement secretely and shortly with my selfe as I did of the former then consider I that as in other so in this also little is said and much is meant part is put for the whole and in the negatiue the affirmatiue is implyed Therefore thus doe I take the commaundement as if it were saide Thou shalt not worship me with any carnall earthly superstitious or outward deuised worship by thy selfe namely not by images but in heart in spirite in truth as is commaunded in my worde Which when I knowe if I would at any time rip vp this heart of mine and disclose vnto my selfe my secrete guilt and sinne herein against my God I carefully consider and as I can in minde beholde howe I haue euer serued the Lorde or thought in iudgement that he might be serued And peraduenture I finde that liuing in the daies of superstition and blindnesse ignorant of God and his truth for feare weakenesse with others I haue bowed my knée to Baall worshipped stockes and stones or as I thought GOD in them euen béene polluted with grosse and grieuous idolatrie For which if it so haue béene what can I say Shall ignoraunce excuse mée Did I labour then and euer by all meanes possible to attaine to knowledge Or liued I rather carelesly as others did thinking it good that many followed and hauing or séeking no better grounde for my conscience than the practise of my forefathers kings and gouernours If of this latter my heart condemne me how should my ignorance excuse me since it was so plainely wilfull Shall good intent or my good meaning stand for warrant before my God Ah howe shall he that gaue me in charge expresselie that I should not doe what séemeth good in mine owne eyes but what he commanded accept for excuse my wilfull and stubborne disobedience Neyther ignoraunce therefore nor intent may warraunt so witles walking before the Lorde but onely pardon in Christ Iesus my Sauiour But if eyther age which then was young or other prouidence of the Lorde haue freed mee alwayes from so grosse idolatrie yet séeke
I further whether with any outwarde thing else whatsoeuer not warraunted by the word I haue thought or sought to serue and please the Lorde being by reason thereof brought asléepe with an imagination of my well doing and so carelesse to séeke or practise the dueties of the word If I haue this also knowe I to be a breach of this commandement Then from things not warraunted I came to things commanded as the hearing of the word prayer conference profitable with my brethren and such like knowing that if euen in these by the Lorde ordayned as thinges wherewith he is honoured and pleased I haue otherwise vsed my selfe than I should in stead of perfourming the Lordes appointment I haue brought before him mine owne inuention walking vnwittingly in mine owne wayes fearfully broken this precept of my God Which when I consider I néede no further shewe of grieuous guilt to cast me down from height of all supposed soundnes in this law Mine eyes do sée my heart acknowledgeth my conscience crieth my sinne is great Stand O soule before the Lord the iust and vpright Iudge whose pearcing eyes discouereth al thy waies set thy selfe more in his sight while mercie may be had whose voyce shall sound thy lasting woe if sight of sinne procure not true remorse And say now soule before the Iudge of trueth hast thou alwayes vsed as hee hath willed thée the hearing of the worde Did neuer desire of worldlie praise prouoke thée to this seruice Neuer diddest thou thinke to day such shall I sée and againe of them be noted if I goe Did neuer feare of worse opinion to be bred of thée in worldlie states by thy absence drawe thée out No fleshlie thought or earthly liking of the speaker hath there béene within thée to pricke thée to his hearing Hath painted pride and newe or straunge attyre neuer saide secretly in thée to daie goe heare the Sermon Lie thou maiest not the Lord being Iudge cleare thy selfe thou canst not O my soâ—le thy selfe being iudge Therefore that which the Lord appointeth as a seruice to himselfe and for our endlesse comfort by this corruption beginneth a seruice of thine own to thy iust damnation For to heare the Lorde biddeth but not for these ends Thus seruing the Lord in a thing commanded not as he commandeth I serue him with mine owne inuention and guiltie most grieuously I am before him O that I were any better in the duetie of prayer Am I neuer negligent colde and frosen Burneth the fire within me before or whilest I speake with my tongue Shaketh my flesh with the vehemencie of my spirite Neuer straieth my heart from present praier Neuer hast I to an ende or wearilie wishe the voice I heare to cease it is too long Ah wretch howe dare I say it Conscience cryeth and will not be bribed this duetie of prayer thus corruptly perfourmed the Lorde acknowledgeth not as a seruice by him commaunded but as mine own inuention and a breache of this his precept My conference with others in shewe so good in words so faire tasteth it neuer of liking of my selfe or vaine delight to heare mine owne discourse of pride to séeme and to be knowen a man indued with such and so good gifts Tendeth my heart in trueth to the praise of my God and the comfort of my hearers whensoeuer I speake of fruitfull things without all vaine respect and hidden euill whatsoeuer If it doe not then the thing that in it selfe the Lord hath commanded as I perfourme it he vtterly abhorreth and it is wilworshippe of mine owne not prescribed dutie by my God therefore a breache of this commaundement What should I say The more I searche the more I sée and I am not as I thought concerning the kéeping of this Lawe Mo things yet in it are commaunded and moe thinges well by these I sée I haue not perfourmed Thus much serueth to sound damnation to me and witnesse sufficient in dreadfull day shall this my guilt exhibite against me beside a curse vpon my posteritie to many generations But O Lorde thy mercie reacheth vnto the heauens Psal 36.5 and thy faithfulnesse vnto the cloudes Nehem 9.17 Gratious art thou O gratious God and full of compassion slowe to anger and of great goodnesse Were my sinnes as crimsin Esa 1.18 thou canst make them as white as snowe though they be as red as scarlet soone canst thou cause them to be as the wool Deare father haue mercie vpon me and burie in the bottome of the sea that they neuer more appeare before thée all my sinnes and by name my breaches of this commandement O my God as thou hast vouchsafed mee a Sauiour to quit mee from this curse so due vnto me for my disobedience so in that Sauiour of mine thine owne déere sonne looke vpon me He was borne for my sake he liued for my sake he died for my sake then let his birth his life his death good Lord profite mée in winning pardon of thée for my faults and direction of thy spirite for the time to come that better daily I may knowe to serue thée and euen in trueth as thou hast prescribed perfourme the same vnto thée Amen good Lord heare me The third Commaundement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine c. Question WHAT is the meaning of this commaundement Your Booke Ans God chargeth vs in this third commaundement these thrée thinges First that we vse with most high reuerence the name of God whensoeuer we either speake or thinke vpon him Secondly that wee neuer blaspheme the name of God by coniuring witchcraft sorcerie or charming or any such like neither hy cursing or banning Thirdly that we neuer sweare by the name of God in our common talke although the matter be neuer so true but only where the glorie of God is sought or the saluation of our brethren or before a Magistrate in witnessing the trueth when we are thereunto lawfully called In which causes we must onely sweare by the name of God But as for Saintes Angels Roode Booke Crosse Masse or anie other thing we ought in no case by them to sweare Que. What is meant by the name of God here Ans Not only anie one word vsuallie giuen to him in scripture as Iehouah or such like Philip. 2 9. but also his maiestie and excellencie with such attributes as declare the same as his wisedome his iustice his prouidence his mercie and so foorth Againe his lawe and commandements or his doctrine and worde are vsuallie signified by it Leuit. 22.31 1. Tim. 61. to make vs more carefull to attende vppon them as things wherupon depend the honour glorie and name of God Que. What is it to take his name in vaine Ans Surelie either to speake or thinke of it without most high reuerence and especiallie to sweare by it otherwise than we ought Also to cast behind vs the diligent care of his commaundementes
Que. Of the latter we shall speake hereafter nowe in the meane time how prooue you that wee must euerie waie vse reuerentlie the name of God Ans To name but one place of manie it is prooued euidentlie by these wordes of the lawe Deut. 28.58 If thou shalt not feare this glorious and fearefull name the Lorde thy GOD then will the Lorde make thy plagues woonderfull c. That is if thou doest not with most great feare and reuerence vse the name of GOD at all times and shewe the same by kéeping and doeing all the wordes of this lawe then will I plague thée to the example of all others euen in thy selfe and in thy séede V. 59. with great plagues and of long continuaunce and sore diseases and of long durance Que. Howe prooue you that by swearing I must vse his name reuerentlie Ans By necessarie consequence For if I must euer vse it reuerently then when I sweare by it Que. The argument were good if it were lawfull to sweare at all but the Scripture seemeth to denie all swearing Math. 5.33 Iam. 5.12 saying sweare not at all but let your communication bee yea yea and nay nay Whereupon the Anabaptistes haue thought this lawe a ceremoniall lawe and now abrogated Ans Those places you name are to bee vnderstoode either of common talke or of swearing by creatures and they doe not in generall condemne all swearing Of this iudgement is Augustine who saith In nouo Testamento dictum est ne omnino iuremus non quia iurare est peccatum sed quia peâ—erare est immane peccatum That is In the newe Testament wee are forbidden to sweare at all not because all swearing is a sinne but because forswearing is an horrible sinne And in an other place Admonitio non iurandi conseruatio est a peccato periurij The admonitioÌ„ in scripture not to sweare is a preseruation from false and wrongfull swearing Que. Is it then lawfull to sweare Ans Yea it is both lawfull and a glorie to God Que. First howe prooue you it is lawfull Ans God in his law expresselie commandeth vs saying Thou shalt feare the Lorde thy God and serue him Deut. 6.13 Chap. 10.20 and shalt sweare by his name therefore it is lawfull Secondlie GOD himselfe and all his children as occasion serued haue vsed to doe it and therefore lawfull God him selfe as we reade Because hee had not a greater to sweare by Heb. 6. Gen. 2. Cor. 1.23 sware by himselfe And the Patriarches Prophetes Apostles did honour God with this seruice We sée it Que. How prooue you that it is honour to God Ans By the testimonies before cited wee euidentlie see Heb. 6. that the thing wee sweare by wee make it the greatest of all other wee make it the witnesse and discerner of our trueth wee meane 2. Cor. 1.23 and the reuenger of falsehoode and our fault if wee doe not as wee sweare all which to bee giuen to the Lorde by swearing onely by him is a glory to him and contrariwise a dishonour to him to ascribe them elsewhere since indéede they are not incident to anie creature Que. But doe all swearers by the name of God honour God in so doeing Ans O no vnlesse we sweare as we ought we dishonour him greatly Que. How is that Ans First the matter must be true to Gods honour and the benefite of our brother Secondlie before a Magistrate when we are lawfullie called Thirdlie the name of God must only be vsed and lastly our affection ought to bee good The first is prooued by the othe that Iosua his espies made to Rahab 2. Iosue 12. Against which it shoulde bee an offence verie fearefull if men hauing the places of Iudges Iustices c. shoulde minister othes to men in euerie light trifling cause for more spéede because they will not stande to search and examine the matter otherwise should either do it themselues or sit and heare their seruantes doe it in such hudling poosting and vnreuerent manner as that a man can scarse tel what he saith Whereas amongst Christians it were verie commendable if there were some pithie and godly admonition either longer or shorter to aduise them of the nature of an oth what honor it is to God if it be as it ought to bee and what dreadfull woe it pulleth vpon them if it be otherwise Exod. 22.10.11 The seconde is prooued by the law of God prouided and set downe to that end The third is prooued by the Prophete Ieremie Iere. 5.7 See Amos. 8.14 Sophon 1.4 by whose mouth the Lorde complaineth that therefore hée was forsaken of them because they sware by them that are no Gods And marke it well Is the mother of Christ a God Are Peter and Paul Saint and Angel whatsoeuer so many gods Is the Roode a God the Masse a God your faith and trueth a God c. Is the bodie of Christ a God is his bloode a God his armes sides féete hearte so manie Gods If they bee not howe sweare we by them then so vsually and so fearefullie We heare what GOD saith by the Prophet namely that they that sweare by anie thing that is not God do flatly forsake the true God him selfe and will we not marke it Shall it not feare vs from so foule a custome I hope it shall Last of all that my affection shold be good verie reason maie assure me For if I come to sweare not for any care or loue to the glory of God to the trueth of the cause and peace and right of my neighbour but in choler in malice for spite enuie certainly howsoeuer my oth doth good yet shall the Lorde neuer ascribe that good to mee but in wrath punishe mee for doeing a good thing with so euill a minde Thus then we sée how we must sweare if God be pleased and honoured by vs in that action and how if we do otherwise we breake this commaundement and take his name in vaine Que. One question by the waye let me aske you whether may a Christian admitte an oath by an Idoll hauing to deale with an Infidell or no Ans The ciuill lawe they say permitteth straungers to sweare by their owne Gods Tertullian in his booke of Idolatrie sayth wee ought not to contende with them ouermuch about this matter Augustine in an Epistle saith plainelie it maie be admitted of a Christian and wee sée it in the worde that when Iacob and Laban sware eche to other Iacob sware by the true God and Laban by the God of Nachar besides diuers other examples Que. Then to goe forwarde certaine it is that wee are not onelie bounde to the affirmatiue that is euerie way with most high reuerence to vse the name of GOD and namelie in swearing but also to the negatiue no waye to pollute this name and chiefly not in swearing Hauing then heard how by others he is dishonored I pray you what other
breach doe you knowe of this commandement beside vngodly swearing Ans Truely Gods name is taken in vaine dishonored Prayer and this commandement broken in praying also aswell as in swearing for if I powre out a sort of wordes without féeling or any burning intire affection if I drawe néere with my lippes and my hart be farre away certainely I abuse the holy name of my God in so calling vpon him and I am guilty of the breach of this law For beside that reason teacheth vs God careth not for lippe labour it is the rule of the holy Ghost that when wee pray Ephes 6.18 we should pray in spirite that is with heart and affection Que. Howe else Ans Againe Gods name is taken in vaine and polluted whensoeuer it is called vpon in coniuring witchcraft Coniuring sorcerie charming and such like For the wordes of the lawe are plaine Let none bee founde amongest you that maketh his sonne and his daughter to goe through the fire Deut. 18.10 c. or that vseth witchcraft or a regarder of times or a marker of the flying of foules or a sorcerer or a charmer or that counselleth with spirits or a soothsayer or that asketh counsell of the dead For all that do such thinges are an abomination vnto the Lorde and because of these abominations the Lorde thy God doeth cast them out before thee And many other notable testimonies hath your booke quoted in the margin Que. Why but in earnest to let the rest passe do you not thinke much good is done and may be done by charming that is by vertue of some wholsome praiers as a pater noster two or three good auees and a creede or such other good words neither english nor latin nor any thing else in signification oftentimes Ans I answere to this questiō in thrée degrées And first I say the question is not onely whether any good as you tearme it be done or may be doone by a charme but whether it be or may bee doone lawefully by the same or no. And you heare the word of God plainely condemning the practise of it Wherfore with what conscience can wee deriue health or anie helpe whatsoeuer either to our selues or ours by that meanes that GOD hath so fearefully threatned vengeance vnto were we neuer so sure to obtaine it by the same Secondly what benefite soeuer we reape by such forbidden meanes I dare assure you all thinges considered wee gette no good but muche harme For what GOD will not haue doone GOD is neuer the author worker and cause of properly and directly but health or anie helpe to our selues or others by charming the Lorde will not haue procured therefore of that health and helpe so gotten assuredly the Lorde is neither author worker nor cause directly If then not the Lorde who but the diuell And if it be he as most assuredly it is he then I pray you let vs all men and women thus reason with ourselues Is the deuill our friende or our foe our welwiller or our enemie Surely we cannot be ignorant of it he is the sworne enemie of mankind the serpent that in burning malice deceiued vs once and ouerthrewe vs quite the roaring lyon that rangeth about without any rest still séeking out whom he may deuour And will euer he that hath euen sworne the woe of vs all and séeketh as Peter saith that is with all diligence and indeuour with might and maine with tooth and naile as we say with his candle in his hande light least by any meanes we should escape him applyeth his whole power to destroy vs and to bring vs to endelesse calamitie wil he I say euer do vs any good thinke we but to the ende to inferre thereby a greater plague vpon vs Certainely he will not for he were not the deuill if he should and we may be as assured of it as we are sure that he hath that name and nature Then I say let vs marke We finde by a charme bodily helpe in our selues or ours But this would neuer Sathan haue done vnlesse he had knowen that the vsing of meanes forbidden by God would sting our bodies soules to eternall death in the worlde to come Then sée still I say and note it Good he doth vs in bodie that a thousande times more euill he may worke both to body and soule in the day of iudgement Temporall ease he is content to bestow vpon vs that endlesse disease miserie and woe he may procure vnto vs. This is most true and nowe what good doth charming if all thinges be considered Shall a Christian man and woman so hunt for helpe of body or goods that they shall for it loose bodie and soule eternally Shall our health and wealth be deerer to vs than the Lordes commandement God forbid and therefore let vs rest perswaded howsoeuer wee thinke such vngodly meanes procure vs good yet in déede all thinges considered it is no good For Sathan being our foe will neuer doe vs good but to the ende to hurt vs more by it and the breache of Gods commaundement will ring our soules a passing peale from face and fauour of the Lorde Last of all which especially I thinke you would heare I denie that by the charme any thing at all is doone whatsoeuer the wordes be For euerie action must haue a fit and conuenient meanes applied vnto the patient to be doone by but bare wordes Pater nosters auees and creedes characters and figures are no meanes appointed of the Lorde to doe any cures by either vppon men or cattle and therefore if any thing be doone assuredly it is not doone by these thinges as the true working meanes but by the deuill himselfe bléering our eies by these shadowes And this vaine opinion verie Aristotle could mocke and disdaine as absurde and foolish Plinie also with diuers others Que. But howe prooue you by scripture that bare wordes being good words be not forcible to this ende Ans Surely me thinke beside others that example in the acts of the Apostles prooueth it wher we sée those vagabund Iewes there spoken of vsed as good wordes as might be but all to no purpose when the deuill listed not dissemble And therefore we may sée it is not the charme that can doe any thing by vertue of the bare wordes And you can not say that vnto the wordes come any faith and good minde of the charmer for faith leaneth vpon promise and promise annexed to a thing maketh it lawefull but charming hath neither promise in the word nor is allowed but by name expressely forbidden and condemned Que. Yet we see manie thinges are done by it and experience daily confirmeth a contrarie assertion to you Ans True it is and I graunt it that by charmes diuers are healed c. But therefore they were the verie wordes that did it It is no consequence For other meanes might doe it and yet nothing apparant to vs but the charme As a witche may
hurte mee with speaking to mee not that her wordes doe it but some pestilent thing of an infectiue operation helde in her téeth deliuered her of her diuell to such vse Danaeus out of Augustine as some of them at death haue confessed Que. What then is your conclusion touching charmers southsayers and such like Ans Truely this in such things as I can be assured by mine owne true vnderstanding or others counsell they doe by true naturall cause and meanes in reason effectuall to such an end I may lawfully vse the benefite of the knowledge giuen them of God and séeke their helpe But where I shall knowe the want of these meanes or but in mine owne heart suspect it surely there I may not there I cannot with a good conscience vse them or séeke vnto them for the lawe that willeth a witch should die being broken of me by vsing such a meanes shall bring greater death to me without repentance Que. Howe yet further is Gods name taken in vaine Ans By rash and vngodly vowes either made or kept Que. Whether might the Iewes vow what they would or no Ans No indéede But first they had a warrant to vowe and then also euen the thing that they did vowe was warranted And if they went further than their commission were their intent neuer so good it was reiected Sometimes they vowed in aduersitie to the ende that if it pleased the Lorde to deliuer them they might not onely in generall but euen in speciall shewe their gratefull heart to the Lorde for the same Thus vowed Iacob at his going to Padan Haran and manie moe in their seuerall distresses And this they did to preuent and staie in some manner the mutabilitie of their will and frailtie of their nature which in any griefe easily promiseth to the Lorde but béeing once freed and set at libertie soone forgetteth that swéete féeling and all spéeches that procéeded from the same Sometime in prosperitie they vsed to vowe for seuerall endes As for the amplification of that outwarde seruice of sacrifices which then the Lorde required Leuit. 7.22 and this was warranted vnto them to doe First fruites and tithes warranted also Deut. 12. Exod. 25. goulde and siluer to the building of the temple warranted also Sometimes they vowed abstinencie for the subduing of the bodie Numb 30. warranted also Sometimes men vowed themselues vnto the Lord as Hanna her sonne Samuell Numb 6. and this her and their déede was allowed of the Lorde But if once they came without a warrant we sée their seruice reiected were their heart and meaning neuer so good Example is Dauid promising to builde the Lorde an house with manie others So euer hath the Lord kept man vnder his hande and direction touching religion hating the bouldnesse of man presuming to inuent any seruice of himselfe I answere you therefore I say and you sée it that the Iewes might not vowe what they listed and what they meant well in but what the worde of the Lorde gaue them leaue to vowe Que. Were they bound euer to keepe their vowe if once they had passed it out of their mouth Ans No in déede But it is maruelous worthy noting the excéeding care that the Lorde had least their vowes should become snares to their consciences Therefore he would not the wiues vow to stand vnlesse her husband heard and allowed it nor the daughters without the fathers cōsent And if they vowed a wicked thing he would not haue it perfourmed as we sée Deutro 23. If an vncleane thing were vowed it might be redéemed And which is especially to be noted if a poore man vowed a vowe aboue his abilitie being decayed betwixt the time of his vow the perfourmance at the priests discretion he was released Leuit. 27. not snared with the word that had passed him once For all which you sée a great libertie granted to mans infirmitie least by any meanes his mouth might cause his fleshe to sinne and howe it neuer pleased the Lorde that drewe sinne with it in the other hande as the vnchaste vowes doe of chastitie in the Church of Rome with such like But in déede if they vowed a thing lawefull and warranted and in their powers without inconuenience to perfourme then were the Iewes verie straitlie bound to perfourme their vowes and not otherwise Que. What say you then to the argument of the Papists The Iewes vowed and the Lord accepted them Therefore we may doe the like Ans I answere it is a senselesse conclusion for they had warrant wee haue none so to doe the thinges they vowed were warranted we vowe pilgrimages to this Saint that to this Idoll and that we vowe to be Monkes Friers Nunnes to weare this apparrell and that to liue single to absteine from this meate and that with a number such inuentions of our owne no where warranted Lastly they were released if anie inconuenience grewe our vowes must stande though bodie and soule perishe for it Therefore to reason from the Iewes vowe euerie way warranted to the alowance of popish and rashe vowes no waie warranted is absurde Que. How yet further is Gods name abused Ans Gods name is yet further abused whensoeuer it is prefixed before anie wicked instrumentes as the Popes bulles and pardons which commonly beginne thus In the name of God Amen So did the sentences of condemnation against Gods children in Quéene Maries daies pronounced by those bloudie Bishoppes beginne also with such other diuilishe instrumentes before which to set the name of GOD as though he were author and approouer of such actes can not be but a fearefull pollution of the name of GOD and a breach of this commandement Againe to speake of the name of GOD lightly and without any dewe regarde thereof in sportes playes and pastimes when my conscience telleth mee I not once thinke of God neither is that a right vse of prayer Also to vse the phrases and sentences of scripture in iest in dirision in mirth vnreuerently as a number doe most fearefully Sure it is a gréeuous breach of this commaundement Que. And what say you of banning and cursing which the booke heere nameth and yet is it vsuall with Dauid as it seemeth Ans Euen this also in some circumstance is a great euill and forbidden by this lawe For thus we are to weigh this question the matter either is the Lordes or mine owne If it be mine owne in no case euer should I curse and wish any euill but patiently abide the Lordes good time to sée to it If it be the Lordes then is the partie either corrigible or incorrigible and past all hope of amendment in mans eyes If he be corrigible not euen in the Lordes cause should I curse my brother but if he be past hope in mans iudgement then conditionally may wee pray the Lorde either to turne him or to remooue him that no longer he may resist his glorie And to this head
are Dauids spéeches most of them to be reduced Others are pleased with this answere also that Dauid had the gift of prophesie whereby hee might sée and say more than we may safely followe hauing not the like gift in vs. Que. What if I heare a man commit anie of all these Ans Certainely they that in zeale of heart and loue to the offender doe not rebuke the abuse of Gods name as their calling alloweth them doe also sinne against this commaundement So doe they againe that being vtterly vnworthy take vppon them rashly or couetously the calling of the ministerie as they also who admitte such into the same Malach. 1. The Prophet is plaine if wee marke him in this case And to speake much in a worde that wee may sooner ende by a carelesse and a wicked life is the name of GOD greatly prophaned For the Lorde sayth You shall kéepe my commaundementes and doe them Leuit. 22.31 neither shall you pollute my holie name Where wee plainely sée that whosoeuer doth otherwise than GOD commaundeth polluteth his name And let seruauntes count their maisters worthy of double honour sayeth the Apostle 1. Tim. 6.1 that the name of God and his doctrine be not euill spoken of And more néere goe other places when it is saide Deutro 28.58 15. c. Thou shalt obserue and doe all thinges c. That is thou shalt bende all thy thought and care vppon this howe thou mayest kéepe my lawes and statutes Whereby wee first sée excluded all fayned and carelesse walking in the waies of the Lorde and that the Lorde regardeth him that trembleth at his wordes Secondly we sée by it not onely Atheistes but euen euerie one that is not touched with a great desire by their good life to glorifie God to be guiltie of this law And therefore we may hereby cease to maruell at the afflictions of those men in whose liues we haue spied no great outward offence For albeit they haue not greatlie to mans eyes offended yet if they haue not obserued to kéepe his statutes that is carefully feared and fled euen from verie little breaches the Lorde hath iust occasion to punish their coldnesse Last of all the neglect of those meanes that God hath appointed for welfare either of bodie or soule is a breach of this lawe For the words and workes of his wisedome may not bee refused as néedelesse which were to detract from his wisedome but with all thankefulnesse and readines imbraced that in so doing his wisedome may bée honoured And thus doe you sée in some part the breadth of this commaundement Que. What then remaineth yet to consider Ans These wordes thy God are not to bee passed ouer without some profite to vs and verie well may wee sée in thē that our obedience ought euen in this commandement also to procéede of loue an loue ought to make vs most carefull to please the Lorde Then are we to weigh the reason annexed namelie that the Lorde will not holde him guiltles that taketh his name in vaine which is as great a threatening as may be For all our helpe standeth in this that the Lord in Christ pardoneth vs and will not charge vs with our faultes which if hee will not doe but enter into iudgement with vs néedes must we die and abide eternall woe Therefore howe shoulde this reason mooue vs all and euer to a reuerent regard of his name Que. Nowe then I pray you as in the former shewe mee how I may fruitfullie vse the cogitation of this discourse Ans In the examination of our selues by this commaundement what should we doe but euen lay before vs as with one sight we may sée then fully the seuerall branches nowe repeated of the same carefully waying in what case we stande if we should be iudged according to them And first to beginne with false and vaine swearing where is that man or woman that can excuse themselues in it Swearing Hath there neuer passed an oth from me in all my life but before the magistrate whē I was lawfully called thervnto Yes yes God knoweth both often and gréeuously hath my sinne appeared in this behalfe My spéech hath not béene yea yea and nay nay as it should haue béene but bitterly and vehemently earnestly and vngodlilie hath this tongue of mine added more Yea which was madnesse now I sée I haue sought to get and kéepe my credite with mortal man by swearing to loose it with my God by so offending But O cursed credite so gotten where were mine eyes where was my vnderstāding Whether is it better for the present time of mē to be beléeued of the Lord for euermore abhorred or with light vngratious people with whom othes be onely truth to abide a little deniall and of God my God euer for my obedience to be loued Yet haue I witlesse wretch made choise of the former manie a time and neglected the later For sworne I haue often to be beléeued when I shoulde haue abstained of God to bée loued If anie rebuked mée it was vnseasonable it was vnsauorie sure I am I liked not of it and sure I am I amended not by it Nay haue I not either excused othes to be no othes but affirmations or openlie euill spoken of so good admonition or at least secretelie in my heart disdained with scorne and iudged it foolish and precise curiositie What hath anie man to doe with mée Let euerie vessell stande vppon his owne botome if I sinne it is worse for me amende your selfe and care not for others These haue béene our speaches and such like I feare me in the impaciencie and ignorance of our heartes and therefore of swearing to say no more sinned wee haue and excuse wee want the Lorde graunt pardon to our trespasse If I looke at the rest am I able to say I am not guiltie in them No no not I nor anie fleshe liuing I am sure of it but that the Lorde for sinne will not let vs sée our sinne weigh our sinne nor grant vs iudgement to discouer our guilt For what man or woman may not the righteous God summon to his high courte and say Praying or Singing Thou art faultie of taking my name in vaine by praying Alas for my selfe I sée it in the time of mine ignorance I haue pattered often with colde affection for paraduenture I knewe not what I sayd thinking the déede doone to be seruice liked and the words pronounced all to bee well And euen nowe since the Lord hath opened mine eyes that I knowe it to be sinne to pray without attentiue minde vppon the thing I doe and without ardent affection yet howe harde it is to doe it euer and neuer to swarne or stray I find it yea euen impossible to my corruption For this thing and that thing is sathan readie to trouble so fruiteful an exercise withall and a thousande wayes he hath to make the minde to wander from the thing it
onely shoulde attende If affection be good attention faileth and if attention stande affection dyeth And therefore séeing that euen reason teacheth mee that to call vppon the name of God not as I ought to do is plainly to abuse his name take it in vaine neither in this point can I cleare my selfe but broken herein also I haue this his commaundement What vaine vowes and promises haue passed from me néedelesse to be made Vowes and fruitlesse to be kept For sorcerie and witchcraft charming and coniuring am I able to say I haue as earnestlie abhorred them as I ought euerie way so absteyned from them as I shoulde Nay hath not rather ease béene sought in paine of mee by these meanes Charming or at least wished if I coulde haue gotten them My selfe and my friends my children and goods haue I loued obedience more than thē Or hath not euer some base creature as swine or such like béene dearer to mee than the Lord séeking by charme to saue the one and not fearing by sinne to loose the other God sift not my guilt euen nowe in this for practise or will for my selfe or for others wil surely accuse me Further and beside al these let it be wel weied of anie Christian heart that feareth God indéede and carefullie séeketh the credite of his name howe often vnreuerentlie in sporting and playing in shooting bowling in dising carding Gaming we vse his name Scripture phrase howe the phrase of scripture wil rowle out of our mouthes in iesting and light conferences howe fearefully we vse him in cursing banning our bretheren Banning and surely he shall sée no smal guilt touching this commādement in euerie one of vs if God in iustice weigh vs in the balance and rewarde vs as he findeth weight of sinne full duelie to deserue Where is that happie man or woman so waking and sléeping so sitting and going so speaking and kéeping silence so liuing and dying as for no sin of theirs for no infirmitie for no slip or fal the name of God truth hath bin euil spoken or thought of Let this man and woman appeare and boast that in great measure they haue kept this commaundement But if none such can bee found whose frailtie hath not fostred in reprobate minds a misliking of good thinges then let all fleshe fall downe before his footestoole and sewe out pardon for that liuing so looselie they haue taken his name in vaine and broken this commandement Last of all if wee cast our eyes about consider a little the manifolde meanes prouided by the Lord to do vs good in bodie and soule and euerie way Meanes not vsed are we able to say wee haue neglected none but euer vsed them as wee ought reuerentlie carefullie and with thankesgiuing Hath neuer an vnprofitable bashfulnesse made vs conceyle our bodilie griefe or refuse the meanes thought méete to doe vs good Hath not carelesse contempt robbed vs of the remedie appointed for our soules And hath not vnthriftie selfewill reiected meanes to increase our wordlie estate If these all or anie be true we haue despised the wisedome of the Lord which appeareth in these things and should be magnified by them and in them we haue polluted his name our selues greatly occasioned others to thinke lightly of good things and grieuouslie guiltie we stand before him for it of the breache of this commandement What should I say of not rebuking others according to our place whom we haue noted to offende in any of these Not rebuking which is a thing as hath béene saide required also in this Lawe and therefore a thing that resting in vs doeth crie for vengeaunce though in all the rest wee were pure and innocent For we were not borne for our selues but also for others and the bodie the soule the goods and estate of our brethrē should be déere vnto vs we not séeing and suffering them by our wils to do the thing that we knowe will hurt them What I say should I speake of this and many other braunches yet remaining Doe we not sée already shame ynough and grieuous sinne in great abundance Where were we nowe then euen for these that haue béene named if the percing eyes of the liuing GOD should prie into vs and with iust rewarde séeke to pay the wants he could espie in vs Could we escape the pit of endlesse paine Speake in the feare of God euen what you sée Are you pure and blamelesse in these all Dare you stande out and make the challenge Come iudge stay not sift me and spare not thy tryall I feare not for all these haue I kept from my youth O sinnefull fleshe espie thy case Thou canst not thou maiest not and I knowe thou darest not vnlesse the dreadfull wrath of God haue sealed vp thy sight And therefore euen in this commaundement also as in the former crie rather vp to heauen with shrillish shrike Wash me O Lord from these my sinnes and cleanse me from my wickednesse Haue mercie vpon me O gratious God and according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away mine offences O sweete Sauiour who may not see what he is without thee Full heauie laden I come vnto thee Christ my deere God as thou hast promised refresh and ease me Amen Amen The fourth Commaundement Remember that thou keepe holie the Sabaoth day Question WHat is the meaning of this commaundement Ans Your booke answereth that the hallowing of the Sabaoth day is to rest from our labours in our calling and in one place to assemble our selues together and with feare and reuerence to heare marke and lay vp in our hearts the worde of GOD preached vnto vs to pray altogether that which we vnderstande with one consent and at the times appointed to vse the Sacramentes in fayth and repentaunce and all our life long to rest from wickednesse that the Lord by his holy spirit may worke in vs his good worke and so begin in this life euerlasting rest Que. Had not the Iewes diuers feasts beside this Sabaoth Ans Yes in déede Some of God immediatly appointed and some by themselues vpon special occasion By the Lord they were tied to thrée solemne feasts in the yere at which he would haue all the males to appeare before him To wit The feast of vnleauened bread that is Easter Leuit. 23. Exod. 23.15 or the passeouer in remēbrance how the Angel passed ouer their houses when in one night he slewe all the first borne in AEgypt both of man and beast The feast of the haruest of the first fruits of their labours which they had sowen in the fields Verse 16. which was Whitsontide or Pentecost in remembrance that the lawe was giuen fiftie daies after their departure out of AEgypt And the feast of gathering fruits in the end of the yeare Verse 16. when they had cleansed the fields This was the feast of Tabernacles putting them in mind that 40.
yeres they dwelled in tents and tabernacles in the wildernesse Besides these they had the first day of the moneth the 7. yere the Iubile and such others Iudith 16. 1. Machab. 4. Hester 9. The feast of the Macchabees the remembraunce of deliueraunce by Hester and such others had they then againe appoynted by themselues Que. And euen of this feast of the Sabaoth as I doe thinke there were diuerse kindes were there not Ans By that which hath béene saide it partly appeareth so For in déede they had euery seuenth day a Sabaoth Exod. 23. Leuit. 25. and that was called the Sabaoth of dayes they had euerie seuenth yere a Sabaoth and that was called the Sabaoth of yéeres Then reckened they 7. times 7. yeres which was 49. and the fiftieth yéere was their Iubile They had also their great Sabaoth as when the Passeouer fell on the Sabaoth day as it did when Christ suffered For it is there saide that that Sabaoth was a great day Iohn 19. But passing ouer these thus named by the way this commaundement occasioneth vs to thinke onely of the Sabaoth of daies to consider therein what remaineth and what is taken away Where marke first that both in the Sabaoth other feasts they were precisely tyed to certaine circumstaunces of time as what day in what moneth how many dais together when begun when ended what feasts only at Hierusalem what elsewhere with what rites and orders so forth And for this Sabaoth of days that this commandement speketh of so precise rest was required in it that further than a Sabaoth daies iourney they might not trauell in it They might not bake Exod. 16.29 Chap. 35.3 Numb 15. nor seeth any meat nor so much as gather any stickes to doe it withall Now confer and lay vnto these places thus strictly tying thē the words of Paul to the Galathians ◠70 Ye obserue days and moneths and times yeres Daies as the Sabaoth newe moones c. Moneths as the 1. the 7. Times as Easter Whitsontide Tabernacles c. Yeeres as the 7. the 50. c. Which beggerly rudimentes are most pernicious to them which haue receiued the swéete libertie of the Gospel thrusting them back vnto superstitious bondage againe I am afraide of you saith Paul c. Therefore if we mark this conference of scriptures times we euidently sée the case standeth not now vnder the Gospel touching this Sabaoth as then it did Marke again the same Apostle to the Colossians Let no man saith he iudge you in meat or drinke or in respect of an holy day 2. verse 16. or of the new moone or of the Sabaoth daies which are but shadowes of thinges to come but the body is in Christ Therefore you sée a change Adde hereunto and mark the practise of Christ who indéed not refusing al vse of their Sabaoth feasts at the first did both himselfe teache and be present at other exercises in the same But yet that he might shew that he did not that of necessitie as in former time it was done now then wold he both by word and practise insinuate an abrogation or a chaunge of the same from former estate vnder the law as by those words The Sonne of man is Lord also of the Sabaoth Matth. 12.8 and againe by defending his Disciples when they had plucked and rubbed the eares of corne on the Sabaoth day healed on it and preached other daies beside that day c. By all which I say it may well appeare that there is not the same estate of the Sabaoth nowe vnder the Gospell that was of it vnder the Lawe Que. How then I pray you standeth it nowe Ans There was in this commaundement touching the Sabaoth euer something morall and something ceremoniall Whatsoeuer is morall remaineth still to vs as much to be obserued as euer of them and whatsoeuer then was but ceremoniall that is nowe by Christ taken away and we freed from it As for example to haue one day in the seuen to serue the Lorde generally in that was morall and remaineth still binding vs vnto it as also to rest that day from all labours letting the course of pietie and sanctification that that day ought to be kept But to haue precisely the Saturday and to rest so straitely from all labour as they did that was but Ceremoniall and a shadowe and therefore nowe abrogated by the comming of the bodie Christ Que. Yea but euen the day also now in our Church is chaunged from Saturday to Sunday Ans Trueth it is and for that matter marke and consider in the Scriptures that as Christ in his time so after him his Disciples in their time did beare a while with the infirmitie of the Iewes and taught on the Sabaoth and Paule hasted to Hierusalem against the feast of Pentecost yet so Actes 13. Actes 20. that euer still they insinuated a fréedome by Christ Act. 2. 5. c. and therefore dayly also met c. But when as false teachers vehemently vrged a necessitie thereof to shewe the fréedome by Christ from dayes times then in déede stoode they against it and chaunged euen the verie day quite and cleane Que. But did the Apostles in deede themselues make this alteration of the day Ans How should we otherwise thinke when we consider these and such other places First it is saide in the Actes that The Disciples being come together the first day of the weeke to breake breade Paule preached Acts. 20.7 c. Nowe the first day of the wéeke with the Iewes was Sunday immediately following their Sabaoth wherein they vsed not to receiue the Sacramentes and heare the worde preached ordinarily yet here wée see the Disciples did and not on their Sabaoth which was but the day before therefore you sée a chaunge of the day euen by the Disciples Againe to the Corinthians Paule commaundeth that the Collection for the poore which was a worke of the Sabaoth shoulde bee made euerie first day of the wéeke that is on the Sunday 1. Cor. 16.2 Mark 16.2 1. Iohn 20.1 as wee call it And therefore wee plainely sée what day they celebrated and mette vppon hauing their solemne assemblyes namely on this our Sabaoth laying aside quite the Iewish Ceremonie And it addeth also further strength to this that Iohn saith in his Reuelatiō calling this our Sabaoth day the Sunday Dominicum Diem The Lordes day Apoc. 1.10 All or any of which testimonies if we woulde séeke to delude beside the iudgementes of them that haue noted these places the Historicall testimonie of those dayes and since will preuaile For in Eusebius wee reade it the witnesse of Dyonisius the Corinthian Euseb lib. 4. Cap. 23. that in those dayes they celebrated for holie the Lordes daye Lib. de idololatria Tertullian naming the solemnities of the Christians beginneth first with the Lordes day which they celebrated and
heauen doth defend féede thée cōfort blesse thée is contented but in one day especially to be regarded vow with thy self in request of strength to kéepe it that to the Lord that one day shall be consecrated of thée obserued according to his will Que. These things thē thus passed ouer I pray you are these words Six days shalt thou labour c. a commaundement so that we sinne if we labour not on them al Ans No they are no commandement but a permission or a remission rather of so much right of the Lords For euer hath the Church vpon occasions separated some of the wéeke days also to the seruice of the Lord rested from their labors Which they neuer wold haue presumd to do if the Lord had commaunded to the contrary And euen now our holy daies commanded by publike order are not all to be misliked if to the glory of GOD and sanctification of his name they be bestowed as they are intended Therefore a commaundement I say they are not but a remitting of the Lords right who in déede might chalenge all Que. And for the 7. day it selfe may wee not in case doe any thing thereon because the words here are so in it thou shalt doe no maner of worke c Ans I haue said before if you remēber that the precise strict rest of the Iewes on this day was ceremoniall therfore now by Christ taken away that it bindeth not vs. And therefore touching your question and our estate in these daies vnder the Gospell very certaine it is that not euen in the seuenth day we stand so bound to rest but that in it also we may worke if either necessitie so vrgently requireth or the déede doone be greatly to the glorie of God Examples of the first are Dauid eating the shewebread 1. Kings 22. and the Disciples gathering and rubbing the eares of corne Of the second Christ himselfe healing on the sabaoth day many which yet the Iewes thought to be vnlawful The discourse of Christ touching this point in the Gospell is very woorthy noting wherein he flatly and strongly refuteth this superstitious conceit of the sabaoth in the Pharisees and all other by diuerse argumentes as first by the example of Dauid aboue named Secondly of their lawfull practise they circumcised children and slewe their sacrifices c. on the Sabaoth Thirdly by the testimonie of Osce I will rather haue mercie than sacrifice That is loue to our brethren than outward seruice Fourthly from the lesse to the greater it is lawfull on the Sabaoth day to pull out a brute beast that is fallen into a pit or is in such like danger as néeds it must be helped or else it perisheth therfore much more a man c. By all which you sée that man is not made for the Sabaoth but the Sabaoth for man And euen in the right of our Christ wee also are in some sort Lordes of the Sabaoth as in it to doe what vrgent cause constraineth in déede and may not conueniently be differred Que. Here is named in the wordes of the commandement the straunger that is within the gates I pray you therefore howe farre thinke you this bindeth vs Ans I doe willingly still tell you my opinion in euerie thing my selfe and you also I trust readie to yéeld to better aduise when we shall heare it For my part I sée not how we may aunswere it to the Lorde if being priuate men and householders we suffer within our gate to lurke and lie hid and that refuseth to obey the Lord in the sanctifying of this day as is commaunded to the glorie of his name after that such meanes haue béene vsed for the reforming of them as possiblie we can And the more I wey with my selfe that most straite law of the Lorde for execution of them that should séek to estrange any from the true God Deut. 13. the more I am confirmed by the verie end equitie and meaning of it in this opinion against al affection of kindred aliance friendship or whatsoeuer Reade the words mark the zeale which God requireth in al men towards him when as no meanes will reforme our friends but they stil peraduēture tempt vs. And then by the way let it not passe vnmarked I pray you howe straitely all masters and mistresses stand bound to sée that the Lorde be honoured not onely in themselues but by manseruaunt and maide seruant olde and young in their houses of discretion of the Sabaoth day séeing God of purpose nameth them And sée againe how this naming of the straunger doubleth the bond more vpon vs. For by comparison if we stand charged with our stranger and guest much more with our daily seruauntes children c. it must néedes be and indéede wey it well Que. I am then thus I thinke satisfied in euery point of this commaundement neither doe I remember what further to aske you herein Ans The commandements of the Lord saith Dauid are exceeding broad neyther in déede is any man able so to laie open any one of them but iudgement by the gift of God increased more may be séene and espied in them but thus much nowe shall suffice for my measure this only added that this reason drawen for the Lordes owne example who rested from his worke on this day ought greatly to mooue vs to the carefull kéeping of it as euen the very first worde also of the Lawe for if you marke it he doeth not say Kéepe holie the Sabaoth day but Remember to keepe it holie that is haue an earnest care of it and in any case forget it not but remember to kéepe it holie And thus much of this Commaundement The examination of the conscience The profitable vse and application of this commandement is to wey and duely consider that it is the Lawe of no man but of God the chiefest lawegiuer the wisest most righteous and most able to reuenge instituted of purpose by him for these and such like ends First that we should wholy consecrate as that day ourselues vnto the Lord his seruice hearing reading meditating those things which might lay before vs the goodnesse of almightie God toward vs and our great ingratitude to him againe with all other sinnes whereby we haue prouoked him to wrath stirring vp our hearts to true repentaunce for them and amendement of the same Secondly for the ease of seruants cattell which otherwise by the vnmerciful gréedinesse and crueltie of some might happily be abused Lastly to expresse and lay before vs some shew of that spirituall and eternal rest in heauen which we all so looke and long for Then these thinges considered to call to minde howe often and grieuously wee haue offended against euery one of these as against the first by absenting ourselues from the Church What it is to be absent from Church and place of common prayer and place of common méeting when wee might haue béene present if
wée woulde a very horrible thing if we could duely regarde and thinke of it For what is it but to contemne GOD and his wisedome to striue and fight against the Spirite teaching and conuerting men by the ministerie of the worde and euen in effect to say I am as wise and godlie as either hee can make mee or shall make mee I will none of his grace What is it but to giue a grieuous offence to others for the which the liuing God hangeth a woe ouer our heads saying Woe be to him by whom offence commeth it were better for that person to haue a milstone tyed about his neck and to be cast into the bottome of the Sea And againe It were good for that man if he had neuer beene borne What is it but to féede the deuils humor and to doe that thing that most highly pleaseth him Againe to consider howe we haue offended when we were present at Church by negligent and colde performaunce of that thing which time place and duetie required at our handes Haue we neuer come to the hearing of the worde but with reuerence with willing desire preparing our hearts before vnto it by some secrete prayer within our selues to the Lorde that he would blesse the speaker that hee may speake to our heartes and blesse vs that we may attentiuely hearken profitably féele and thankefully taking whatsoeuer is spoken increase in obedience to it Haue wee neuer come to the Sacramentes when we could and neuer without such examination and other circumstances as are straitly required of a Christian Haue we spent the Sabaoth in godly conference meditation powring out thanks from a féeling soule for the Lords goodnes euer to vs namely the wéeke passed Haue we visited or thought vpon the sick sore diseased imprisoned banished or any way suffring for a good cause to our power comforted them Haue we studied how either to procure or continue or increase amongst our selues or our neighbours the meanes of saluatiō as the preaching of the word such like O beloued we haue not we haue not we know it must néeds confesse it if there be any trueth in vs. Too much haue we neglected all these yea euen diuerse of them it is greatly to bee feared haue litle or neuer at all troubled our heads but for their contraries in most ful measure we haue wallowed in them and with gréedinesse euer accomplished thē Where is the minister whose negligence hath not made his people to pollute the Sabaoth Where is the people whose consciences awaked may not iustly condemne them for vngodly gadding on this day to Churchales to weddings to drinkings to bākets to fairs markets to stage plaies to bearebaytings summer games and such like Where is that master that hath had a conscience to restrain his seruants from this impietie or the seruant againe that hath either brideled himselfe for the Lords cause or else wel accepted his master or mistres restraint being made vnto him and which hath not rather burst out into vngodly disobedient spéeches murmuring that because he hath wrought all the wéeke therfore he should haue libertie to do what he list on the Sabaoth not considering that this commandement bindeth not only the master himselfe to honor God on this day but to sée to his family so much as he can that they also do it Nay I would to God the masters in many places were not ringleaders to their owne al other mens people to prophane this Sabaoth of the Lord and that euen such maisters as in respect of their calling office and credite in the countrey should farre otherwise doe When doeth a gentleman to name no higher estates appoint a shooting a bowling a cocking or a drunken swearing ale for the helpe as they say of some poore one but vppon the Sabaoth And if he be at the Church in the forenoone for the after noone it is no matter he hath béene verie liberall to God in giuing him so much What day in the wéeke vsually doeth he giue so euill an example of vnmeasurable sotting in bed as on the Sabaoth But O filthie sauour that ariseth out of this lothsome chanell thus raked vp into the nostrels of the Lorde I spare to speake I shame to sée I rew to knowe what I fully knowe against our soules in this respect Let euerie man and woman more particularly view thēselues and lay open vnto the Lorde their sinne in sorowe for it by this occasion thinke what is commaunded looke what wee haue done the Lorde make our sinfull hearts to sée sigh for so great offence against our God What should I say of the second end of the institution of the Sabaoth namely for the rest of seruant cattell But euen in an word woe to the man whom God shall iudge according to his guiltinesse herein For it is too vsual with al estates to be a meanes to robbe their seruauntes of the blessing due to the kéepers of this law and to pull vppon them the plague for the contrarie by making them ride and run post and away vpon euerie occasion that commeth in their heads when in truth if they would but euen look into it the matter may be done wel without such hast O happie is that man whose heart thinketh howe his seruant is bound to this commandement of kéeping holy the Sabaoth as well as hée hath a soule to loose or saue as well as he to be nourished with the foode of the word as well as he and therefore thereon concludeth he will neither sinne himselfe nor make his seruant sinne in breach of this or any other commandement The third end of the Sabaoth we heard it was that hereby might bee resembled in some sort our spirituall rest in heauen wee ceasing from our owne workes dooing the will of God But are we able to say wee haue this doone O miserable men ten thousand times if in this we should haue our desertes for wherein or howe crucifie we the fleshe more on this day than any other bridle the frowarde desires of the heart restrayne our owne nature and doe the will of God more on this day than any other Alas our owne consciences crie vnto vs we doe nothing lesse wee drinke wée eate wée surfet wee sweare we play we daunce we whore we walke and talke idlely vainely vncleanely and vngodlily these are our workes on the Sabaoth more commonly than any day in the wéeke else and if this bee to resemble a spirituall rest then in déede wee doe it not otherwise Thus stand wee therefore guiltie and gréeuously guiltie of this commaundement So that if we had not a Sauiour who in our flesh had fulfilled this lawe and euerie one for vs and appeased the wrath of God his father iustly conceiued against our sinnes neuer should we haue looked within his kingdome And howe shall we bée better for all which he hath doone but by séeing our passed sinne and
of knowledge any way with credit to vse the same But what view I so much the cōmendable care of Heathens in this behalfe Haue not Gods faithfull béene in this point as carefull as they Yes truly many haue and in better order a great deale For there being in this thing degrées and steppes to be obserued as first of pietie secondly of learning thirdly of manners and lastly of the function or calling the children of God many of them haue in this excelled the Heathen that being generally as carefull as they in all particularly in this as men better acquainted with it through greater giuen light knowledge they haue far excelled them that first they haue attempted what in déede is first to be cared for namely to frame the hearts of their children to God and grace and then in order to the things following Wee sée it in Adam Gen. 4. Gen. 18. 2 Tim. 3. 1. Chron. 28.9 2. Kings 4. Deut 6. Psal 78.5 who taught his sonnes to serue the Lord. We sée it in Abraham most notably We sée it in Timothies parentes who brought him vp from a child in the knowledge of the scriptures We sée it in Dauid Ioas the king a number others Generallie to them all it was a cōmandement that assoone as their children could vnderstand and aske them questions they shoulde carefully instruct them concerning the Lords dealings with them and for them And I doubt not but many did it of the ancient Christians Philo writeth that they were called cultores ac cultrices that is to say Tillers because as men painefully till their ground so they carefully laboured the grounde of their childrens hearts to plant in them the feare of God Nos hodie vastatores ac vastatrices saith he That is Wee in these daies may better bee termed destroiers than tillers so rechlesse we are careles in this so great a matter Hence sprang the Cloisters in the beginning saith Chrysostome that kinde of life Lib. 3. contra vituperatores monast vitae namely of the excéeding care that men had to haue their children well brought vp and excluded from euil company and hurtful sights in the worlde till yeeres and setled instruction had made them lesse capable of the harme thereof Afterward they degenerated from that institution and became as we well know dens of drones and nurceries of vngodlinesse corrupters of all not correctors of any and the wrath of the Lorde hath nowe destroyed them It is a good admonition of wise Salomon Prou. 22. Teache a childe in the trade of his way and when he is olde he shall not depart from it And that experienced sonne of Sirach in many places speaking of this mtater Syrach 16.22 30. also hath these wordes in my opinion not lightlie to be looked on Neither desire nor delight saith he in children though neuer so many vnlesse the feare of God be in them For one that is iust is better than a thousande and better it is to die without children than to leaue behinde vs vngodly ones Thus let it suffice to haue touched this matter whereof long and large treatises are made néedefull to be touched if euer néedefull and euen long stoode vpon For too much it is of parents neglected yet are they grieued if of their children they be not reuerenced and howsoeuer many there bee that in these daies are carefull ynough to procure vnto their children knowledge of Artes of Countries and of any thing that in worldely sort may make them mightie famous and spoken of yet is the grounde of all verie fearefully neglected namely to setle in them the true feare of the God of Israell deliuered and taught in his worde Yea it is euen accounted by father and child not so néedefull or beséeming for a gentleman to the great exasperating of the Lordes wrath against them and their séede Humilitie also and shamefastnes are taken from youth in these daies euen by their parents and their teachers and where it hath euer béene held that blushing in measure modestie and silence haue béene commendable tokens in young yeeres nowe is it a shame to be ashamed at any time blushing is want of countenance and bringing vp silence is ignoraunce modestie is too much maidenlinesse and in short nowe vertue is vice and vice very comely and gallant behauiour So times are changed to and fro and chaunging times haue chaunged vs too But of this thus farre Que. What else nourisheth in children due reuerence Ans Due correction Due I say with wisedome and moderation For he that spareth his rodde Prou. 13.24 hateth his sonne but he that loueth him doth chasten him betimes 19. vers 18. Chasten thy sonne while there is hope and let not thy soule spare for his murmuring And in an other place Withholde not correction from thy childe 23. verse 13. for if thou smite him hee shall not die Que. But what if parents in foolish pitie cocker vp their children and pretermit this due aduertisement Ans Then will they loose this reuerence most assuredly in their heartes and often make them come to euil ends It is prooued by Heli his two sonnes 1. Sam. 2. the 4. also who by their fathers lenitie conceiued not what it was to sinne against the Lorde and therefore to their owne hurt and their fathers great griefe tasted the heauie hande of God and dyed both in a day Also by Absolon Ammon Adoniah Dauids sonnes Whose fearefull ends may serue for euer to admonish all parents howe they foolishly loue their children and cannot abide to say or doe their dueties to them or yet to let others Marke well the sixt verse of the first Chapter of the first booke of Kings and be wise betime A small twigge will not kill the tenderest Prince Lord or Ladie in the worlde If thou smite him saieth Salomon Prou. 23.23 you heard before he shall not die I warrant him Que. What is the second part of this honour that children owe to their Parentes Ans Readie and willing obedience Que. And what is that Ans Obedience is the performance of Parentes will so farre as lieth in our power and lawfully wée may Que. And how prooue you that this children are bounde vnto Ans First by the words of Salomon Obey thy father that hath begotten thee Prou. 23.22 and despise not thy mother when she is olde Secondly by the Apostle to the Colossians Coloss 3.20 Children obey your parents in al things for that is wel pleasing vnto the Lorde And to the Ephesians againe Childrē obey your parents in the Lord Ephes 6.1 for that is right Thirdely it is very strongly prooued by the sharper punishment which God appointed for all disobebient children to wit euen flat and present death For so we reade in the Lawe Deut. 21.18 c. If any man haue a sonne that is stubborne and disobedient that he will not hearken vnto the voyce
of his father and mother and they haue chastened him and hee would not hearken vnto them then shall his father and mother take him and bring him vnto the elders of the Citie and vnto the gate of that same place and say vnto the Elders of the Citie this our sonne is stubborne and disobedient and will not hearken vnto our voice he is a riotour and a drunkard and all the men of the Citie shall stone him with stones to death and thou shalt put euill away from thee and all Israell shall heare and feare Que. But howe farre must a childe obey Ans If we passe ouer the discourse of Philosophers touching this matter and come to the scriptures the Apostle Paul determineth it thus Colos 3.20 That children must obey their parentes in all thinges Que. Why but shall we thinke Paule would haue a childe in deede obey his Parentes in all thinges as the woordes sounde What if they commaund a wicked thing Ans No indéede wee may not take Paules wordes so generally but wee must expounde that place by an other place of Paule to the Ephesians Ephes 6 where he biddeth children as you hearde aboue obey their parentes in the Lorde And by the wordes of Mathewe where it is sayde Matth. 10. Hee that loueth father or mother more than me is not worthie of me Que. And howe then conclude you touching my question Ans Thus I conclude that a child is bounde to obey his parentes in all thinges in the Lorde that is so farre as his obedience may stande with the dutie which he oweth to his God and with such circumstances touching his owne person as both reason and pietie woulde shoulde bee regarded Which conclusion compriseth assuredlie their obedience as touching mariage Que. What begetteth this obedience in children Ans When parentes desire obedience they must knowe that it is their duties to commaund thinges lawfull in respect of God This excludeth forcing to marrie against all likeing and conuenient in regarde of their children Que. What is the thirde and last part of this honour Ans Maintainance of our parentes if néede be Que. What meane you by this maintenaunce Ans It is a thankfull sustayning of the want of our parents either by our riches counsell strength or any other thing which God hath blessed vs withall and they haue not Que. But how dare we interpret the commaundement thus Honor thy Parentes that is maintaine them as thou art able and they haue neede Ans Surely first very reason telleth vs that this is as due as either reuerence or obedience but to let that passe wee haue apparant scriptures where by honor is meant maintenance As namely in the Apostles spéech to Timothie Honour widowes 1. Timoth. 5. that be widowes in deede That is prouide for theÌ„ and let them be sustained Againe in the same place a litle after They that rule well are worthy of double honor 17. where by honour in part is meant maintaynance Lastlie in the gospell of S. Marke our Sauiour Christ notablie sheweth that the Scribes and Pharisies Marke 7. perswading children to giue to their vse that wherewith they shoulde haue helped their Parentes caused them to breake this commaundement in not honoring them as they should Where we euidently see Christ himselfe includeth in this honour maintaynaunce and these places as they warrant this interpretation so doe they also plainely prooue that children owe this dutie to their parentes Que. What further may be saide for the warranting of this that children ought to releeue their parentes wherein they can Ans Beside the testimonies of scripture nowe alledged to prooue it the spirite of God hath added reasons to vrge it and there are also examples to perswade it and fearefull experiences of Gods wrath vpon the contrarie to feare vs from it Que. What reasons Ans In the 6. to the Ephesians the 1. verse this reason is added because it is a iust thing or right And indéede so it is right both in respect of God that appointeth it and in respect of that which our parentes haue doone for vs before Que. What else Ans Againe in the 3. to the Colossians the 20. verse this reason is aledged because it is well pleasing to the Lorde Que. What examples Ans Valerius in his 5. booke and 4. chapter sheweth a notable example of a daughter that nourished her mother in prison with her brestes And if heathens by the lawe of nature knewe so much to be their dutie how much more christians hauing added thereunto the light of Gods worde Que. What else Ans It is also reade of the Storkes that when they are olde they kéepe continually the nest and their young birds prouide for them and feede them till they die Que. Well then yet what nowe if children refuse thus to behaue themselues to their parentes or neglect it Ans They are then to looke for the wrath of the Lorde in them sharpely with heauie hande punishing so foule a fault And to consider well that as others haue founde him so shall they vndoubtedly Cham Reuben Hophin and Phinees with a number others are before their eyes as experiences to be wise by if they haue grace And aboue all other Absolon that gracelesse man who like a disobedient childe to a good father sought greatly to dishonour him 2. Saâ—â— 18. and so horrible was this sinne that euen the earth was wearie of so wicked a burden and would carie him no longer The heauens also were ashamed of him and the wrath of God hanged him vp betwixt heauen and earth by the heire of his head till Ioab thrust him thorowe with thrée dartes beeing yet aliue A fearefull spectacle to all rebelles against their Prince or disobedient children against their Parentes Que. Breefely nowe whom doe you note to be comprehended heere vnder the title Parentes Ans First Parentes by nature secondly by dignitie and office thirdly by age and fourthly by benefit Generally they are all in steede of Parentes to vs by whome as by instrumentes the Lorde deriueth his mercies to vs. Que. Who be Parentes by dignitie or office Ans Magistrates ouer the people maisters ouer their seruauntes ministers ouer their charges and such like Que. For Magistrates what say you Ans I say their place and calling that portion aboue others which the Lorde hath giuen them of his authoritie maiestie and excellencie prooueth vnto vs that wee must reuerence them The increase and safetie of that which wee possesse through peace maintayned by them prooueth that we ought againe thankefullie to maintaine them their estate and gouernment by tribute taxes subsidies and such like and for obedience it is in a number of places commaunded as are also the former Therefore when as all the partes of honour are due vnto them as reuerence maintainaunce and obedience I may conclude Magistrates as Parentes are to be honored Que. There is no question of anie of these but now how
farre are Magistrates to be obeyed Ans Certainely but in the Lord as was saide before of our naturall parentes For the limittes both of the Magistrates bidding and our obeying are these two pietie and charitie contrarie to these must neither they command nor we doe Que. How prooue you this Exod. 1. Ans In the first of Exodus when the kinges commaundement passed these limittes the midwiues would not obey and the Lorde blessed them for it The 3 children obeyed not the king Dan. 3. as we reade in Daniell Obediah and Heliah obeyed not the king and Quéene 1. Kings 18. Daniell himselfe obeyed not and the Apostles sayde God before you must be obeyed with manie such examples Que. What if statutes be straite and in yeelding our pollicie great may wee not yeelde a litle Ans In déede be the wether neuer so hote statutes neuer so straite pollicie neuer so great God is God hell is hell we may not do what is good in our owne eyes nor decline either to the right hand or to the left Read the prophet Mich. 6.14 c Que. How prooue you that ministers are contayned vnder the name of Parents Ans They are in scripture reputed spiritual fathers as wee may sée in manie places namely to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 4.15 Though you haue ten thousande instructours in Christ saith the Apostle yet haue you not manie fathers for in Christ Iesus I haue be gottē you through the gospel Againe to the Gala. Gala. 4.19 My litle children saith he of whome I trauell in birth agayne vntill Christ bee formed in you And in his Epistle to Philemon V. 10. I beseech thee for my sonne Onesimus whome I haue begotten in my bonds Therefore truelie tearmed Elizeus the prophet Eliah when hee cried my father 2. Kings 2.12 my father the charet of Israell and the horsemen of the same Now thē since they be thus accounted in the worde proofe enough it shoulde bee that all those thrée partes of honour latelie spoken of belong vnto them Yet for more full contentation let vs wey the wordes of Christ in the Gospell As my father sendeth me Iohn 20. so send I you he that heareth you heareth me he that despiseth you despiseth me Math. 10. with many such Wherby apparant it is that in his ministers God is honored or dishonored for obedience to thē in the workes of their calling the scripture also is plaine Heb. 13. saying Obey them that haue the ouersight of you and submit your selues for they watch for your soules as they that must giue accomptes that they may doe it with ioy and not with griefe for that is vnprofitable for you And for their maintenance also testimonies manie are there in number both in the old and new Testament as Thou shalt not mussel the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne The workman is worthie of his wages He that serueth the Altar let him liue of the Altar He that deliuereth vs spirituall things by verie good right ought to chalenge reape at our hands againe temporall to conclude in flat words the Apostle cōmandeth let him that is instructed in the worde make him that hath instructed him partaker of al his goods with other such speaches diuers Que. How prooue you that maisters are fathers to and ouer their seruants Ans For the office and dutie no man that is godly wil dout I hope that the Lord hath blessed him with that superioritie aboue others not that he shold rule as a tyrant ouer them but to loue chéerish defend thē euē as a father his childrē they doing him true faithful seruice And for the name it selfe beside a number other proofes the plaine place warranteth it in the booke of the kings where Naamās seruāts come vnto him say Father if the Prophet had cōmanded thee a great thing 2. King 5.13 wouldst thou not haue done it Sée how the spirit of God giueth to maisters the title of fathers Que. What prescription is there in the word for seruantes duties towardes their maisters Ans First sée the words of Paul to the Ephe. Seruants be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh Ephes 6.5 with feare trēbling in singlenes of your harts as vnto Christ not with seruice to the eye as mē pleasers but as the seruants of Christ doing the wil of God from the hart with good wil seruing the Lord and not men and knowe yee that whatsoeuer good thing anie man doth that same shal hee receiue of the Lord whether he bee bonde or free Secondlie weigh wel the same Apostles speach to Titus Let seruants be subiect to their masters Tit. 2.9 please them in al things not answering againe neither pikers but that they shewe all good faithfulnesse that they may adorne the doctrine of God our Sauiour in all thinges Againe to the Colossians most notablie speaketh the same Paul saying Seruants bee obedient to them that are your masters according to the fleshe in all thinges not with eye seruice as men pleasers but in singlenesse of heart fearing God Colos 3.22 and whatsoeuer you doe doe it hartily as to the Lord and not to men knowing that of the Lord yee shall receyue the rewarde of the inheritaunce for yee serue the Lord Christ The same counsell giueth Peter also adding that not onely to the louing kinde and courteous master but euen to the frowarde also of seruants this dutie must be performed And marke this well I beséech you because manie seruauntes take their maisters vnkindenesse for an excuse of their disobedience or infidelitie in their seruices which indéed must not be so saith Peter but be they neuer so froward yet we must doe all duetie if wee be seruantes and euen ioy heartily in that crosse that notwithstanding our faithful and paineful duetie yet we suffer vnkin̄de wordes sower and seuere looks with such like at their hands For wee serue not them but GOD in them saide the places before cited and what good thing soeuer we doe we shall receiue it at our good Gods hands again assuredly what contempt soeuer they shewe of vs casting vs off vnrewarded yea euen with hatred peraduenture for our good wils as often it falleth out O swéete and most swéete comfort for all seruauntes What stonie heart doeth not euen melt at the consideration of this gratious nature of the Lord that if I bee a seruannt and honour him in that my calling by true faithfull painefull and louing seruice to my maister and mistrisse be they ne-neuer so sower so waiward so vnkind so bitter so without either discretion to discerne a good seruant or conscience to reward him yet wil my God my God I say neuer forsake mee but returne into my bosome with his blessing my true dealing liuing and meaning most assuredlie and marke the proofe and practise of the same vpon Iacob and Ioseph
with others as you reade them Stand therefore in strength serue with comfort slippe not from your calling for want of rewarde if other abilitie serue to continue The Lords worde is past him his promise is out he wil consider and recompence all true seruants feare it not doubt it not but cleaue to the Lord and when euer anie snubbes and checkes in worde or countenaunce vndeserued arise say in your heart with Dauid chéerefully Psalm 84. O Lord blessed is the man that putteth his trust in thee Que. What say you of parentes in respect of benefites Ans I must néedes say they are greatlie to bee honoured and truely loued agayne whose loue and affection hath broken out in fruites to vs ward· For ingratitude before God and man is hatefull Proueb 17 1â— And hee that rewardeth euill for good euill shall neuer depart from his house saith Salomon Que. Howe prooue you that vnder the title of Father and Mother old men and olde women be meant and to bee honoured Ans The wordes of Paul to Timothie teacheth it 1. Tim. 5.2 For rebuke not an elder saith hee but exhort him as a Father and the elder women as mothers Leuit. 19.32 And touching the honouring of them the lawe is plaine Thou shalt rise vp before the horeheade and honour the person of the olde man and dreade thy God I am the Lorde Iob. 32.6 And in Elihu wee sée the practise who stayed his speach that his auncients might speake before him Que. Let all towne officers consider this and become parents not spoilers of the towne Howe then may we conclude this matter Ans Thus for this thing we may note end That if the scripture to Magistrates ministers maisters such like superiors haue giuen the name of parents theÌ„ ought they al and euerie one of them in heart affection and action be aunswerable to the same Que. Nowe then to proceede heere is a promise added to the keepers of this commaundement that their dayes shall bee long in the land Ephe. 6. And to the Ephesians it is saide that this is the first commaundement which is a promise yet was there one added to the seconde if you looke on it howe then aunswere wee this Ans We aunswer ethat the promise annexed to the seconde commaundement belonged to all but this belongeth particularlie to this and therefore it is the first with anie speciall promise Que. What might be the reason of this promise Ans This may séeme to bee some reason of it Naturall parentes are the instrumentes of life other parentes as Magistrates Ministers and benefactors are the instrumentes of good and comfortable life Nowe it pleased the Lord to giue them for a blessing long life who duetifullie behaue themselues to the instruments of life Que Why but is long life such a blessing Ans Surely mans life is full of trouble and griefe it can not bee denied Yet I answere first that notwithstanding euen to liue and haue a béeing is of it selfe a mercie of the Lords yet to continue liuing to serue and praise the Lorde to increase his kingdome by anie abilitie in vs is a greater mercie For a good nature reioyceth in oportunitie giuen to shewe himselfe thankefull though it he to his trouble and cost and so must we Secondlie I answere that al these miseries of mans life haue come of man himselfe and not of God and therefore we ought no lesse to accompt of Gods blessing for the thing which we ourselues haue béene cause of Thirdlie it may be answered the god doth not promise barelie long life in this place but good with it also either in respect of outward prosperitie or inwarde comfort Que. Howe prooue you that Ans By hauing recourse to Pauls wordes who repeating this blessing vpon them that honour Father and Mother doth not say onely that thou maist liue long on earth but that it may bee well with thee and thou maist liue long vpon earth Therfore though mans life be full of miseries yet as God promiseth continuance of it it is a blessing a great blessing Que. Howe can this promise respect vs seeing it nameth particularly Canaan saying that thy dayes may be long in the lande which the Lorde thy God giueth thee meaning it Ans Paul againe doth answere this who boldly putteth for those wordes these on the earth therefore by his interpretation it is not to bee restrayned to Canaan onely Que. Doe alwayes they that honour Parentes liue long and contrariwise againe Ans Wée may not say so For all thinges fall out alike to the good and euill iust and vniust saith Salomon meaning of outwarde thinges as life is and it is the wisedome of the Lord it shoulde bee so that good things as wee call them may not be too gréedilie sought for because they are common to the wicked neither euill thinges be vnlawfullie eschewed because they are incident to the good Que. Howe then is God true in his promises Ans So farre as long life may be a benefite to his children so farre hee euer giueth it but if in wisedome he knowe it better for them to be gathered to their fathers then hee taketh them away and recompenceth want of temporall life with eternall Que. Yea but that is not his promise then for his promise is long lyfe heere Ans He that promiseth monie and giueth golde breaketh not his promise hee that promiseth little and giueth much breaketh not his promise but so doeth the Lorde with vs and therefore who is hee that vnthankefully pleadeth against his mercie Que. What fruitfull notes nowe gather you of thâ—se wordes Ans First wee may note that the Lorde ioyning a promise of mercie to this commaundement and not dealing so with anie thing which he liketh not greatlie pleasing out of question in his sight is the kéeping of this law namelie when euerie man doeth dutie where dutie is due and in loue we allow cherish and maintaine one an other Secondlie if long life bee a blessing promised to such as obey their parents and this obedience procéedeth greatly of good education then they that careleslie and vngodlily neglect the same in their children doe asmuch as lyeth in them shorten the dayes of their posterâ—tie Lastlie wee also in this promise annexed note that if long life be a gift of God then commeth it not by nature or good constitution of body further or longer than it pleaseth the same GOD to blesse the meanes and graunt it And thus much briefely of this commaundement The Application NOwe remaineth it to applie these thinges to our selues euerie one disclosing his life and inward thoughtes before the Lord and before our selues as néere as we can to the ende that sight of sin if it be fouÌ„d in vs may bring foorth sorowe and giuen grace in some strength to stande if wee can finde we haue had it may increase our thankes to the Lord our God who did so assist
what graces God hath giuen them But it is a sealed trueth god giue vs harts to coÌ„sider it wel IudgmeÌ„ts are prepared for the scorner Prou. 19.29 stripes for the backe of the foole Michall Dauids wife a mocking mistresse out of her gasing windowe not sparing her owne husbande the king of a frumpe and that in a good thing found the rewarde of it at the Lorde shée was cursed as barren while her life indured and neuer had children Those mocking children at the baldnesse of the Prophet felt the rewarde of such a sinne For our example the Lorde caused Beares to deuour them all presentlie Semei that scorned the estate of Dauid 2. Kings 2. went not to his graue in peace Bician that scoffer was deuoured of dogges as they write And as yet neuer scaped the vnrepenting scorner the handes of the Lorde For howe shoulde it stande with his iustice to call vs to a reckning for our idle wordes and not for our mockes and vngodlie tauntes Wherefore trueth it is and shall euer stande Blessed is that man that hath not sit in the seate of the scornefull Que. Why but may we not iest merily one with an other Ans Yes indéede for all iesting is not mocking such as nowe we haue spoken of and shewed to bee euill Merilie if you remember did the Prophet Eliah iest with the Idolaters worshippers of Baal bidding them crie lowd for their god paradueÌ„ture might be talking with some body 1. King 28. or pursuing his enimies or in some iornie some whither or paraduenture a sléepe Thus saith the text did Eliah mocke them yet this mocking being but a pleasaÌ„t iesting to haue taught them good if they had had grace displeased not the Lord. An other example also we haue in the prophet Esay laughing as it were at their follie who wold worship that as God the chippes whereof had made them such a fire that they cryed A Esay 44. ha I am well warmed And for the place to the Ephesians it condemneth not this maner of speaking and iesting Ephe. 5. but that which procéedeth either of a vaine desire to shew our selues or of an vngodly coueting to sting our brethren Que. Thus then I see the malice of the tongue to be great and euen al men by it to be made guilty of this coÌ„mandement though their handes neuer shed bloode yet is it such a mischiefe as the godlie are much subiect to I meane to be stinged with the tongues of the wicked and therefore I pray you if you knowe anie giue me some counsell howe to thinke of this crosse Ans Truth it is that howsoeuer the sinne be great to mocke or to speake against any despitefully and especially the godly yet is it a crosse vsually incident to them that will separate the sinnes of this worlde so néere as they can from their liues to be taunted and spoken against by both open despisers of goodnesse and by open professors also of religion And that comfort which I knowe is to thinke euen often and seriously of these and such other places The mouth of the wicked Psal 109.2 the mouth full of deceit are opened vpon me saith Dauid They haue spoken to me with a lying tongue they compassed me about also with wordes of hatred and fought against mee without a cause For my friendshippe they were mine aduersaries But I gaue my selfe to prayer Sée the refuge of this saint of God in this kinde of crosse euen to heauen marke the rest of his conscience euen the Lord and if euer the like case be ours let vs powre with him our guiltlesse gréefe into the bosome of our God and there an ende till the Lorde thinke good to make our trueth appeare also to men The like spéeche and practise note againe in an other place of the same booke Princes sayth he did sit and speake against me Psal 119.23 but thy seruant did meditate in thy statutes And againe The proude haue had mee exceedingly in derision yet haue I not shrinked from thy commaundementes Ver. 51. And what a spéech is it of Paule to the Corinthians I take pleasure in infirmities 2. Cor. 12.10 in reproches c. Wherefore in God reioyce who seeth the heart that meant no harme in the Lord be chéerefull whose mercy turneth the deserued crosse of many gret greefes into the biting but of a peuish tongue and in pacience passing the time on say in faith what many haue saide in folly That time shall trie the trueth Que. Yet there are some mo branches of this murther of the tongue Ans Indéede by the tongue also no doubt they kill who by cruell counsell stirre vp the hating heartes of men to any bloudie persecution or which with their mouthes witnesse an vntruth to the ende to shedde any bloud thereby as did the iudges of Susanna and as many consciencelesse men in these daies doe being vpon an inquest of life and death to be maisters of their will Que. Now if you thinke good a litle also of the third kind of murder namely of the heart and first how it is prooued Ans The words of our sauiour Christ are plaine That there is a murther of the heart that out of the heart come euill thoughts adulteries fornications murthers Therefore there is a murder of the heart Againe S. Iohn saith Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a mansleaer But hatred is in the hart and therefore manslaughter Thirdly the minde and the wil being the beginnings or the fountains of al actions if they be infected the man must nedes be gilty before the Lord. Que. Doth this fearefull sinne step into the heart at first or it creepeth rather by degrees as other great sinnes doe Ans Sathan is more subtle than so to drawe euerie man to the extremitie of sinne at the first and therefore howsoeuer in some men he doth vpon a sodaine yet ordinarily this murther stealeth into our heartes by these steps First Satan bréeâ—eth by his vnmarked créeping into our affections a misliking of such a man or woman and yet wee well knowe not why but we can not like them Then doeth this misliking bréede anger For we cannot beare at their handes that which wee can well suffer at others Anger bréedeth hatred hatred desire of reuenge and desire of reuenge murther Thus stealeth sinne into vs and by these steppes Therefore first euerie Christian is to take héede howe misliking of any groweth vppon him Misliking and to snubbe the course of Sathan at the first Secondly to looke the fruite thereof namely anger weying well what was saide to Caine Gen. 1.6 Caine why art thou angry And by our Sauiour Christ in the gospell Math. 5. But I say vnto you whosoeuer is angry with his brother vnaduisedly Anger shal be culpable of iudgement expounding there this commandement and including as you see anger in it And hence haue growen all those vehement
spéeches in the scriptures against it Let all bitternesse and anger and wrath be put away from you Ephes â— 31 and be ye curteous one towardes an other and tender hearted forgiuing one an other euen as God for Christes sake forgaue you saith the Apostle And againe Be slowe to wrath saith an other Iam. 4.19 For the wrath of man doeth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God That is anger and wrath hindreth Gods worke in vs. Vnto which and a number such other perswasions in the worde the prophane writers by the verie light of reason haue agréeed and sought in their sort to giue men a sight of this foule vice Anger haue they saide is the beginning of madnesse anger is the drunkennesse of the minde anger admitteth not anie good counsell anger is the roote of murther and death with a number such spéeches Que. Foule then I see is this vice in all and especially in a Christian and therefore it were good we knewe howe to auoide it Ans We reade that a king of Thracia being presented with a sort of verie fine glasses by and by brake them all in péeces And being asked the reason answered that hee did it to auoyde the wrath that hee was sure would be in him against them that should breake them afterwarde Howe then are we taught by this king though not euerie way to doe as hee did yet with him to bee carefull to preuent our anger by taking away the occasion The occasions of anger in manie men are plaie and gaming curiositie in dealing and medling taking a matter as they thinke they heard it when indéede they heard it not right nipping woordes and gawling spéeches with a number such which if men will not haue anie care to eschewe then in vaine doe they say they are afraide to let murther into their heartes For in truth the effectes will followe if the ordinarie causes doe goe before Que. Why but is all anger forbidden â—o a Christian Ans No indéede it is as lawfull for a man in time place in his office for a iust cause to be angry in a conuenient measure as it is vnlawfull otherwise And it is apparant by the children of God in all ages the Patriarkes Prophetes Apostles and others whose hearts haue burned with misliking of euill and wordes bewrayed asmuch vnto them Wherefore truly was it sayd of the godly father Nolle irasci vbi irascendum est nolle emendare peccatum est That is for a man not to be angrie wheÌ„ he should be angry is as much as to be vnwilling to amend what is amisse Que. Proceede nowe I pray you to the other branches Ans Anger as was saide begetteth hatred nay becommeth hatred if it be let to settle For Odium est inueterata ira Hatred is nothing else but olde anger And therefore since anger is apparantly forbidden in this commandement hatred by consequence being festred anger must néedes be much more Besides wee haue heard the wordes of the scripture plaine He that hateth his brother is a mansleaer 1. Iohn 5. Therfore I passe it ouer and come to the fellowe that is euer ioyned with it when it méeteth with a fit subiect to wit Enuie a vice compounded of the hatred of an other for vertue Enuie what it is guiftes fauour honour and such like and of selfe loue which maketh vs gréeue to sée our selues in these thinges excelled of him A vice also of the spirite of God by name forbidden Eate not the meate sayth Solomon of him that hath an euill eie Prou. 23.6 neither desire his dainties Let vs not be desirous of vaine glorie sayth the Apostle prouoking one an other Galat. 5.26 enuying one an other But laying aside all maliciousnesse all guile and dissimulation all enuie and euill speaking 1. Pet. 2.1 as newe borne babes let vs desire the sincere milke of the worde of God that wee may growe thereby Vnto which expresse testimonies if wâ— ioyne the experience of such euill as enâ—uie hath wrought we shall plainele sé◠the foulnes of it Num. 12.10 Aaron and Miriam enâ—uied Moyses and the Lord with leprosiâ— plagued her Corah and his companie enuied him also and the Lorde as abhorred made the earth to shrinke and swallowe them vp quicke with all that they possessed Saul had an eie vpon Dauid for the womens singing and it stirred him still to séeke the life of his sonne and seruant Iosephs brethren enuied him and it almost brought them to his bloudshedding Euerie way therfore is enuie in a Christian poyson and apparantly it falteth against this commaundement It is a possession besides that destroyeth the possessour For as the rust the iron and mothes a garmen so eateth vppe enuie the man that enuieth These thinges make enuie loathsome ynough to a godly minde and yet is there more to bee sayde against it For besides all this enuie as it wisheth an other mans fall so doth it reioyce if it happen vnto him Which also is a thing verie horrible in the eyes of God For hee that mocketh the poore sayth Salomon reprocheth him that made him Prou. 17.5 and hee that reioyceth at destruction shall not be vnpunished Againe Bee thou not glad when thine enemie falleth 24.18 and let not thy heart reioyce when hee stumbleth least the Lorde see it and it displease him and he turne his wrath from him to be auenged of thee To the which wordes of Salomon howe consonant was the practise of Iob testified in that most excellent spéeche of his If I reioyced at his destruction that hateth me Iob. 31. sayeth be or was mooued to ioye when euill came vpon him If I suffred my mouth to sinne by wishing a curse vnto his soule c. Meaning that hee neuer did it neither would doe For it is a fearefull sinne Calamitas illius fores pulsat qui aliorum calamitatibus non mouetur That is Miserie knocketh at his dore of right whose heart sorroweth not to see others in aduersitie And neuer obiect his harde happe to any man could the Gréeke Oratour say for fortune is common to all what is to come is not yet séene Therefore euen this companion of enuie maketh it worse as I hope wée sée and of all that woulde please the Lorde more carefullie to bee shunned To reioyce at the sinnes of an other much more must bee gréeuous if his worldlie estate may not be reioyced at that it is euill Besides when by sinne the Lorde is gréeued and my brother wounded to eternall death what a spirite were it to reioyce Againe consider our selues in comparison with them that offende and either we are better like or worse the two later giue no cause of ioy and the former should fill our heart with praise for our grace giuen of God and not our mouthes with mockes at the infirmitie of others Que. What else is forbidden Ans Last of all as the murther of the heart is forbidden all
crueltie and hearde dealing with our brethren for euen this the Lorde abhorreth also Deutr. 2â— The lawe that was made of fortie stripes to be giuen to an offender and not aboue did euidentlie drawe to some pitifull feeling our cruell raging and fierce affections The â—awe for widowes that they should not be wronged and for the fatherlesse that they should not be forsaken shotte at the same marke So did the forbidding of vsurie to the poore the taking of his rayment to pledge the detayning of his hire such like thinges All were to worke some mercie in vs towardes others and to tell vs plainely that the Lorde abhorreth cruelty towardes anie Que. Thus then if you thinke good let it suffice to haue spoken of these three sortes of murther to wit of the hande the tongue and the heart together with their branches and nowe a litle of the affirmatiue part of this commandement if you will Ans The affirmatiue part of it easily may be knowen by the negatiue For who seeth not that if generally all hurting or taking away of life vnlesse it be by the Magistrate lawefullie be forbidden then generally also is commaunded all care and preseruation of the same Deutr. 19.20 and if in specialitie the bitternesse of the tongue bee forbidden then is the swéetenesse the softnesse and the comfort of the same commaunded If anger be forbidden gentlenesse is commaunded if misliking hatred enuie and ioying at other mens harmes be forbidden then is an heart well thinking and accepting of others commaunded then is loue and a true reioycing at the good happes of our brethren commended and to conclude if all crueltie rigor and extremitie bee forbidden then is all lenitie mercie and pitie commaunded All which are vertues of great praise and afording large perswasions vnto our heartes to loue and like them to embrace and followe after them But so shoulde I dwell too long in this commaundement The blacknesse of their opposite vices I hope doeth make their beautie and brightnesse great before our eyes Onelie I wishe vs to the ende wee may abounde in all mercie that wee would often consider that comfortable spéech of the Lorde by his prophet Esay 58.10 If thou refresh the hungrie and troubled soule then shall thy light spring out of darkenesse the Lorde shall satisfie thy soule in drought and make fatte thy bones and thou shalt be like a spring of water whose water faileth not As also that sentence which at the daie of dayes shall be pronounced vppon it Come come yee blessed of my father and possesse the kingdome prepared for you Math. 25. for when I was hungrie yee fedde me when I was thirstie you gaue me drinke when I was naked yee clothed mee when I was sicke yee visited mee and so foorth Both which places with manie moe to the same ende beeing often thought vpon will soften our heartes in all dealinges with our brethren and make vs profitable to them euer to our powers And yet which I had almost forgotte it is not ynough for vs to doe good to be kinde and to shewe mercie but wee must doe it also spéedily readilie and fitlie that is when the néede of our brethren requireth it obseruing carefullie all occasions For as it is sayde of guiftes that qui cito dat bis dat he that giueth a thing quickly giueth it twise so is it of all thinges we doe to helpe in time is a double helpe and a benefite hauing lost the oportunitie of our brothers néede looseth his welcome Wherefore Iob professeth that he had not caused the eyes of the widowe to faile in long looking for his helpe Iob. 31.16 And Mardocheus requireth of Hester not only helpe but present Hester 4. a singular example for all estates Que. What punishment hadde the breach of this commandement Ans The spirituall punishment of it as of all other sinnes is eternall damnation both of bodie and soule For without shall be dogges Apoc. 22.15 inchaunters whoremungers murtherers c. sayeth S. Iohn the temporall punishment of it was amongest the Iewes by the lawe of God bloud for bloud Gen. 9. Leuit. 24. and before the lawe by expresse wordes vnlesse in such cases as the cities of refuge were ordayned for And euen as it were aboue all other sinnes it is worthie marking howe euer the iudgement of GOD hath not suffered this sinne to lie vnknowen or vnpunished All stories be full of examples Phocas Boniface 7. Alexander 6. Ethelbert Richard 3. and euerie man almost in his owne dayes hath knowen some experience Hotte is the wrath of the Lorde against this sinne and his mercie therefore euer kéepe vs from it The Application WIth what wordes nowe should I wish euerie one to descende into themselues and to take a view of their estate before the Lorde touching this commaundement Manie branches of it haue béene layde before vs and what branch is it which we haue not broken being narrowly sifted by the Lorde The murther of the hande I knowe wil be our instance but alas howe many thinges make men guiltie in this If euer in seruice against the enimie wee haue passed the bounds of a Christian heart in cruelly murdering concerning the maner who yet might haue died respecting the matter we are guiltie and spotted before the Lorde If women and children aged and impotent sicke and diseased that caried no weapon against our cause haue not so farre foorth béene regarded of vs and spared yea defended by vs from our féercer felowes as by right we might our handes haue faulted our loue hath wanted to the life of our brethren If cruellie wee haue wished but in our inwarde heartes any disorderlie and vnmercifull spoyle of our foes in féelde we haue sinned certainly in so doing For euen the spoyle that a Christian souldier maketh of his enimies in the warres should sauour of the mercifull nature so néere as he can of that God whome he professeth If we haue béene euer as you hearde but any occasion of the death of any either present or spéedier than otherwise it wold haue béene or of the shortening of our owne health life and abilitie by intemperancie incontinencie or anie meanes whatsoeuer the iustice of our vndefiled God doth find it out and we haue sinned against him in this thing Where theÌ„ is our righteousnes but eueÌ„ in this branch of actual hand murder for the tong what should I say Doth no mans hart accuse him of vnrighteousnes Haue we neuer passed any spiteful slander to the hurt of theÌ„ whom we should haue loued Deniall of it can neuer hide it but confession of it hath mercie promised The name peradueÌ„ture of slander is odious to vs we hardly can accuse our selues of so foule a vice Slander Well then let him change his cote but remaine the same moÌ„ster stil Haue we neuer reported any vnknoweÌ„ thing to the harme of our brethren Neuer whispered that
bodie The qualitie of the hart is the quality of the man therfore an adulterous hart an adulterous man no doubt and a breaker of this commādement Now what a generalitie may this particularitie very profitably teach vs namely not onely to runne to the outward shew we beare and to our bodie with the actions thereof when wee would iudge of our selues but euen to our verie heart and inward thoughts to sée how all doeth there and as there we finde so to giue sentence If there be integritie then so thinke but if there be lust and adulterie if there be dissimulation and falsehood if there be iniquitie sinne then according to it let vs thinke of our selues and say the Lord be mercifull to vs such such for as our harts are so are we Moreouer it may giue vs a great light to discrie the spirit that guideth the Church of Rome For if God cōdemne the thought how allow they the fact of simple fornication at the least And of Sodomie for the 3. hote moneths if not of adulterie and yet say they haue the spirit too Is the spirit of God so variable that somtime he condemneth the thought sometimes alloweth the very fact What an impietie were this to bée said or thought Therfore strange out of question from the Lord is their spirite Thirdly in this commandement is condemned that thing whatsoeuer which inticeth to any vncleannes wherof there might many particulars be named Que. And I pray you for more plainnesse let it not be greeuous to name some of the chiefe Ans First then here is forbidden all wanton immodest lookes for the eye is a vehement inticer vnto lust as appeareth by manie proofes For thus fell Putiphars wife into vngodly lusting after Ioseph Gen. 39. for the text saith shée cast her eies vpon Ioseph Thus came Dauid to adulterie with Bersabe euen by disorderlie looking vpon her from his house top Thus fell the sons of God into vnlawful loue with the daughters of men Gen. 6. by séeing that they were faire This caused Peter to say of the wicked that they had adulterous eyes 2. Pet. 2. And the knowledge of it made Iob to take a bonde of his eyes Iob. 31. that they shoulde not looke vppon a mayde Whereunto for an other inticement to vncleannesse wee may referre all vndecent and vncomelie pictures the corruption of our eyes and consequentlie of our heartes and therefore no doubt héere also condemned Thirdlie vnchast behauiour such as the Lorde crieth out against by his prophete saying that The daughters of Sion are hautie Esay 3. and walke with stretched out neeckes and with wandring eyes walking and musing as they goe and making a tinckling with their feete c. Fourthlie all wanton speach filthie tales songs and sonets of loue lightnes lasciuious salutatiōs and such like For euill wordes corrupt good maners 1. Cor. 15. and there must no corrupt communication procéede out of our mouthes but such as is good to the vse of edifying and may minister grace to the hearers Ephe. 5.3 As for filthines foolish talking iesting and such like they are thinges vncomelie for a Christian Againe vnchast bookes and wanton writinges who knoweth not howe they tickle to vncleannes and therfore both they and the reading of them forbidden in this lawe Sixtly too much showe in apparel painting tricking and trimming of our selues aboue conueniencie it is a daungerous allurer of lust and therefore forbidden Que. I could wish yet a litle larger speach of apparell because I see it is one of the wormes that wasteth at this day the common wealth that decaieth hous-keeping that maketh strait the hande of the master to his seruant and the Lord to his tenant and a thing to conclude that the deere children of God cannot ouercome them selues in Apparell Ans And I will willingly answere your wish with a litle more speach of it yet not such as with diligence might be made but such rather as I haue at times thought of found in some manner effectual First therefore me thinke the very originall of apparel should much mooue a Christian féeling hart For whē we had sinned thē were we clothed Gen. 2. whē we had lost our honor then were we apparelled so that it is the signe of our sin the badge of our rebellion the witnes of our shame and it remembreth vnto vs what we shoulde wéepe continually to think that we haue lost Now alas how small cause haue we to be proude of such a liuerie Nay sée the dulnesse of our harts and the absurdnes of our dealing If a thiefe should be saued frō hanging with this condition added that he shold euer weare a halter were it not a strange hardnes of his hart if he should so forget his fall so glory in his shame testified day night vnto him by the halter that he should begin to boast of his halter to be proud of it and to make it of silke in sumptuous sort for an ornamēt to his necke Truly it were And so it is in mā a very strange worke of sathan that he should so excéed in pride with the thing the sight whereof shoulde rather pinch his hart with sorowe than be so exalted euen out of his owne knowledge with apparell which in truth speake as a good hart shold féele it shold humble vs beat vs downe make vs euen with the peacocke let our feathers fal for the foulnes of our féet Therfore I say one thing me think to draw vs to mediocritie in this matter should be the wel weying of the first beginning of apparel Secondly the spéedie wast of it is something For how can a good conscience warrant vnto vs such great charge yea such excéeding charge in a thing so changeable whē we shal giue an accompt how we bestowed our goods The matter or the forme failes ere euer our price be halfe answered with vse And there is no estate in earth that may warrant a christian man or woman to be a wilful waster of the lords gifts vnto thē Thirdly the misliking of the word should make misliking in my hart of excesse or vanitie in this matter Now the Lord saith in the lawe Thou shalt not weare a garment of diuers sortes Deut. 12. as of wollen linen together The meaning whereof was this he wold not haue thē newfangle wanton and phantastical in their apparel The same God crieth out against the Iewes by his prophet that he wold take away the ornament of the slippers the cals the round attires Esay 3. the sweet bals the bracelets the bonets the attyres of the heade the slops the head-bands the tablets and the earings the rings the mufflers the costly apparell the vailes the wimples the crisping pins the glasses the hoods the lawnes With which in extremitie vsed no dout they had prouooked the Lord daily
did offend him Also by an other prophet I will visit the princes and the kinges children Sophon 1.8 al such as are clothed with strāge apparell that is as imitate the vaine fashions of other countries in any vaine manner And the Apostle Paul hath a most plaine speach to women 1. Tim. 2.9 whereby men also may knowe their dutie I will saith he that the women araie themselues in comly apparel with shamefastnes modestie not with * Read the note of this word in the Testament brodred haire or gold or pearles or costly apparel but as becommeth women that professe the feare of God with good workes Which very same words Peter also hath to the same ende 1. Pet. 3.3 These with many mo such places shew vs the misliking of the Lorde of disorder in apparell they shoulde I say me thinke make vs mislike also with it Fourthly the sentences of graue and godly fathers which haue spoken of this matter shoulde not be neglected of vs. And what are they If the matter of our apparel be too costly heare what S. Bernard saith Exterior superfluitas vestiū interioris hominis inditiū The outwarde superfluitie wast of the garment is an euident token of the inward man that he is vnreformed If the forme fashion be vnséemely or wanton then saith the same father Vestiū curiositas deformitatis mentis morū inditium est The curiositie of thy garment bewrayeth deformitie of mind maners in thee Thus matter forme being vnséeming either of thē discredite man woman make their inward hidden corruption appeare to the worlde Fiftly all the worlde knoweth it and it cannot be denyed that immoderate apparell is a vehement inticement to the breach of this commandemēt and therefore wicked Castitatis comes frugalitas The companion of chastitie is frugalitie sayeth a learned man and euen in apparell I would to God if with a Christian heart anie will not thinke of these two last reasons yet that they woulde thinke of them with worldly wisedome in pollicie weigh them For there is no man nor woman so farre fallen out with religion and honestie but that if they be not such yet they desire to séeme so and to be so taken Nowe apparell in matter or forme vnséemely robbeth them of this that they neither séeme nor are thought to be of manie For touching religion who can thinke them mortified to sinne within in heart who so séeme to liue to all vanitie and excesse without in bodie Who can thinke they are reformed in soule who are very much aboue their calling vnreformed in showe Man can not enter to the inwarde heart but iudgeth euer by the outwarde fruite and religion within vseth alwaies to shewe men effectes without For honestie of bodie though our hearts neuer meant any thing contrarie to it yet doe we by apparel bring our credite in question when it passeth our calling and conueniencie And therefore euen in pollicie if we care not for Christianitie we should beware Last of all modestie in apparell both touching matter and forme answereth to the originall of it well which was to hide vs after sinne confirmeth by practise that apparell is vaine liueth according to the named scriptures escaping the threatned euils and finding promised good saueth our credite out of question aunswereth the grauitie of the gospell hindreth no pietie for often vnder an ill garment a good heart is hidden and lastly is so farre from alluring to lust that it euen cutteth the throte of it and very greatly stoppeth it Sex sunt enim quae incorruptam seruant castitatem Scilicet sobrietas operatio inhibitio sensuum asperitas cultus raritas sermonis euitatio oportunitatis personae loci temporis That is There are six thinges which keepe chastitie vncorrupted To wit sobrietie labour restraint of our senses coursenesse of apparel rarenes of speech and eschewe all of oportunitie of person place or time O but yet it sticks in our hearts the apparel makes a man Indéede manie so iudge both of themselues and other that they are made and beautified by apparell But the verie heathen man shall condemne vs if we doe so who coulde thus say that Ornamentum est quod ornat ornat autem quod honestiorem facit Id autem non aurum non smaragdus coccus sed quaecunque grauitatis pudoris moderationis speciem praebent That is an ornament saith he which adorneth vs and that adorneth vs that maketh vs honester Now that doeth not gould precious stone skarlet but that which giueth a shewe of grauitie shamefastnes moderation And thus now let it suffice a litle to haue answered your desire touching apparel pretermitting the iudgement of God vpon Herode euē then when he was most royally clothed aboue all other times Act. 12. with many thinges mo which to this ende might be brought And this I pray you take not spoken to drawe all to an equalitie or yet anie from the thing that is méete for their calling but to kindle care in all that wee deceiue not our selues with our calling worldlie so much that we forget our calling to God to his gospell and to his mercies so manie in Iesus Christ and what is conuenient for the grauitie and excellencie thereof This is my meaning and this is my ende Que. Now then proceede I pray you to recite such other prouocations to the breach of this commaundement as you knowe Ans These prophane wanton stage playes or interludes what an occasion they are of adulterie and vncleanenesse by gesture by spéech by conueyances and deuises to attaine to so vngodly desires the world knoweth with too much hurt by long experience Vanities they are if we make the best of them and the Prophet prayeth to haue his eies turned away by the Lorde from beholding such matter Psal 119. Euill wordes corrupt good manners 1. Cor. 15. and they haue abundance There is in them euer manie dangerous sightes 1. Thes 5.22 and wee must abstaine from al appearance of euill They corrupt the eies with alluring gestures the eyes the heart and the heart the bodie till al be horrible before the Lord. Histrionicis gestibus inquinantur omnia sayth Chrysostome These players behauiour polluteth all thinges And of their playes he saith they are the feasts of Sathan the inuentions of the deuill c. Councels haue decréeed verie sharply against them and polluted bodies by these filthie occasions haue on their death beddes confessed the daunger of them lamented their owne foule and gréeuous faulles and left their warning for euer with vs to beware of them But I referre you to them that vpon good knowledge of the abominations of them haue written largely wel against them If they be dangerous on the day time more daungerous on the night certainely if on a stage in open courtes much more in chambers and priuate houses For there are manie roumes beside that where
day of the Lorde Iesus Christ Manie such as these are there all which our vnerâ—ring Papistes take and expounde of sinâ—gle life and will haue them so manie testimonies of the same to excell mariâ—age But their bould speaking is noâ— euer sounde proouing and therefore wâ— stay to beléeue them Que. In other matters indeede we haue good cause to refuse them but in this giue me leaue to speake as I thinke being readie to learne if I erre meâ— thinke we are not to mislike so much oâ— their speech For surelie it cannot be denied that the single life is farre aboue the maried The scriptures you knowe haue manie speeches to this ende Ans Well then for your better satisâ—faction it will not be amisse if we a litlâ— consider the course of this errour And first I pray you marke that during alâ— the time of the olde testament they dare not nor do not say that single life passed mariage in excellencie but contrarie to be fruitefull and stored of children was a blessing and to be otherwise was a reproch vnto them Therefore this perfection and excellencie of single life they set it to be but nowe in the time of the gospell Where let vs also beginne and going with them sée whether it be so or no. We consider then and sée that as the Lorde is holy himselfe and pure and therefore hath euer liked and loued all holinesse in his children and by name this cleannesse of bodie and mind which we speake of so on the otherside Sathan being impure and filthy hath euer sought and laboured to worke the like in vs and by name to drawe vs to impuritie of flesh and staine of minde in this behalfe The Lorde hath had euer his meanes to worke the one Sathan hath had his againe to bréede the other The Lorde by his word and spirite and what else it pleased him to vse Sathan by sundrie also verie forcible wayes wrought the contrarie Some hee so mightily hardened and strangely ouercame Want of feeling one meanes of Sathan that euen contemning the Lord and his threates and smoothering what in their owne consciences at anie time they founde contrarie to it gaue themselues ouer as it had béene brute and sauage beastes to all lust and vncleannesse without remorse Of these spake the Apostle to the Ephesians saying Ephes 4.19 That they being past feeling gaue themselues to all wantonnesse to worke vncleannesse euen with greedinesse where the worde hee vseth is verie significant And againe to the Romans he saith that God gaue them vp to their hearts lustes vnto vncleannesse Rom. 26. to defile their owne bodies betwixt themselues yea he gaue them vp to vile affections For the women changed the naturall vse into that which is against nature Then sheweth he the meanes and way whereby all this was wrought in them For a man would thinke that euen reason and naturâ— should kéepe vs from such pollution They regarded not sayth the Apostle to knowe God Ver. 28. and therefore God deliuered them vp into a reprobate mind to doe those thinges which are not conuenient That is God suffered Satan so to harden their heartes and to depriue them of the vse euen of naturall light as that those thinges séemed but sportes vnto them and matters of small weight which otherwise would haue feared them euen to thinke vpon The prophet Ose séemeth to alledge the very same manner of procéeding of Sathan in those that know God When he saith of Israel Ose 4.11 that whoredome and wine and newe wine tooke away their heartes That is their iudgement and vnderstanding their conscience and féeling whereby they should abhorre so displeasing a life before the Lorde And what meaneth Salomon when he saith that The young man followeth the inticeing harlotte to her house as an oxe to the slaughter but euen this Prou. 7.22 that by the subtill malice of Sathan hee is depriued of sense to decerne whither hee goeth and what his fall will be So then I say one meanes whereby Sathan in times past drewe men from chastitie the vertue of this commaundement to lust and impuritie the breaches of the same was by dulling their heartes in most fearefull manner that they felt not sinne to be sin no not euen verie great and gréeuous sinnes to be anie at all An other meanes was by instilling into their mindes an opinion of indifferencie in these matters Opinion of indifferencie an other meanes and that God so he were serued in spirite of them passed not for their bodies but left them in some sort to themselues to vse to their pleasures This to omit a multitude of heathen histories as also Simon Magus whome Austen noteth a defender of this doctrine may appeare by that decrée of the Apostles that the Gentilles should abstaine from fornication Act. 15. as also most euidently by the epistle of Paule to the Corinthians who thought of this matter as of a méere naturall thing so lawefull for them as either to eate or drinke so they reserued their soules and spirites to worshippe GOD. But the Apostle sheweth it to be farre otherwise and with manie vehement repetitions of the duties of their bodies impugneth so vile a conceite of libertie to vse them vnto lust Hee hath created your bodies saith the Apostle V. 13. 14. aswel as your soules and therefore you must glorifie him aswell in bodie as in soule Hee preserueth also the one aswell as the other the bloude of Christ was shedde aswell for the one as the other to redéeme it from death they are both indifferentlie the Temples of the holie ghost they are both the members of Christ and at the latter day they must both by Christ be raysed the body then to be ioyned to the soule which before liued separated and therefore aswell in bodie as soule God must be glorified and both of them from filthie lust and pollution kept chast Manie moe are the reasons of Paul in that Epistle to driue the Corinthians from this detestable conceipt V. 17. that fornication was a matter indifferent and chastitie required not so much in bodie as in mind But I referre them to the diligent reader himselfe to marke and thus much onelie note to shew the meanes whereby Satan in those dayes preuailed so much to draw men to the breach of this commandement A thirde meanes wee reade of which argueth not a litle the dulnesse of man the boldnesse of satan if once he get any vantage Euen the verie word of god abused to confirme that which neither God nor his worde could euer abide The scriptures wrested an other meanes Chap. 2. In the Apocalips mention is made of the Nicolaitans sinning in this respect most fearfully it is also by learned meÌ„ recorded how Nicholas the first father of the filthinesse fel into grosse most fearful sinne Clemens Eusebius say that he did it of méere simplicity to remooue froÌ„ him the
new Testament that were married to begge any pardon for it at Gods hand or to insinuate anie way any impietie of theirs in so doing Which yet assuredly they would haue doone if the opinion of poperie had bin true concerning single life and matrimonie Lib. 10. ca. 26. S. Augustine in his booke of Virginitie hath manie words of the rewardes of matrimonie concludeth thus that eternall life is giuen of the Lord both to married vnmarried indifferently The councell of Gangren thought good to make this canon An. 333. Can. 10. that if any liuing single for the Lord should in arrogancie pride contemne those that were married they should be accursed Wherefore wee conclude this matter say as the Church of God said in that time Virginitie we coÌ„mend Concil Gangren Epiph. tom 1. lib. 2. baeres 48 widowhood we praise the chast bond of godly wedloocke we honour receiue But as for adulterie fornication vncleannes whatsoeuer either of body or mind we abhor it condeÌ„ne it Thus then I I hope you sée how the opinioÌ„ of chastitie to consist only in liuing single spruÌ„g vp euen by the diuell who knew not otherwise how to draw men to vncleannes being robbed of his former means than by making them to abridge themselues of the ordinance of God against the euil You haue séene also how false this is and that in godly matrimonie aswel as in single life there is liked chastitie of the lord You haue séene that neither of these estates haue any premineÌ„cie aboue the other in respect of greater pietie or merit but both of them alike acceptable to God if for the parties they be expedient only in regard of outward incuÌ„brances the one is more frée thaÌ„ the other Lastly you sée the vertue of this coÌ„mandement opposed to adulterie to be chastitie but how not to liue vnmaried as the papistes dreame but both in mariage out of it to kéepe body soule vnspotted of filthie lust concupiscence The other pointes of mariage it self of second mariages of poligamie of diuorce such like which were in this place to be handled I think good to cut off hauing taried alreadie too â—ong in this coÌ„mandement to reserue â—hem till some other occasion Que. Yet adde some thing concerning the punishmeÌ„t of them that breake this commaundement Ans The law of God as we all may â—ée Deutro 22. punished adulterie with present â—eath Fornication with mariage of â—he partie if the parentes would and if â—hey would not with a dowrie to be giuen The Athenians punished it with â—eath This lande of ours in the dayes of Canutus had a lawe to cut off the noâ—es and eares of adulterous women And for the spirituall punishment of it â—t was euer is 1. Cor. 6. and shall be damnation â—f body and soule in the pit of hell withâ—ut repentaunce The Application NOwe then consider what hath béene said euen as we desire true fruit of the worde of God vnto our soules let vs weigh our â—wne estate in euerie branch of this commandement The act of vncleannes howe it can accuse vs that God doeth know who hath hell in his hand to cast vs into it if we haue sinned And therfore if either with maried or vnmaried wee haue euer thus offended let his power be thought of let hell be feared and so foule a fault from the verie hearâ— roote be earnestly lamented Excuse iâ— not with youth or any circumstaunce cause or occasion in the world these scoffings of the Lord wil not euer be borne in youth we are Gods aswell as in age and in youth we should serue him asweâ— as in age if we do not euen youth shall to hell aswell as shall age Sinne séene and sorowed for left and forsaken hath pardon promised but sinne iested at and played withall hath vengeance threatned It is the voice of a Christian to say I haue sinned but it is the voyce of a reprobate to say still I wil sin wtout remorse The best may offende but the best can neuer continue offending And therfore take héede and if act can accuse vs let it neuer héereafter be able to blame vs for souden and feareful is the vengeancâ— from heauen that lighteth vpon adulterers From the act let vs come to the â—nwarde thought and as it is more priuie and we all more prone vnto it so let it be more carefullie weighed and searched out euen of vs all Let vs call to minde with a féeling heart how foullie howe fearefully and how euen continually we offende the Lorde by our hidden conceites Howe quickly créeâ—eth into vs an euill thought and howe swelleth it within wheÌ„ it once is there It worketh within vs as a thing most strong verie fowly stayneth vs oâ—ten â—ere we do coÌ„sider it Yea our negligence in this befalse doth condemne vs before the Lord and pronounceth against vs that wee feare more men than God For our outwarde actions we are carefull of so néere as we can to kéepe the blottes of them out of sight but our heartes being thinges hidden from the eies of men we cary litle care ouer them to kéepe them cleane from impure concepts What man may sée we are ashamed that he should sée but which God beholdeth our secret thoughtes we feare not at all to haue them foule filthie and wicked O what a God serue we that being able to set euerie thought wee thinke visible in our foreheads in great letters that euerie one which runneth by might reade them yet most mercifully spareth vs and is content our secret shame should not appeare to men Shall we still prouoke him shall wee still offende and grieue him Surely theÌ„ hotte wil be the wrath at last which so long his mercie hath withhoulden Wherefore to conclude this matter euen as we loue the Lord and our owne health let vs sée and weigh how déepely this lawe against impure thoughtes is able to charge vs let vs consider the cause if we can find it out that driueth vs vsually into such hidden sinne and héereafter as men touched with some Christian remorse that so good a God should so still be offended let vs ridde our heartes as we can of the effect by taking away or at least stopping in some measure the course of the cause The meanes and allurementes either to the actuall offence or the thought â—ondemned in this commaundement as we haue heard before are many and diuerse Sometimes the eyes disorderly wander and beeing not checked by a Christian conscience that feareth to giue them libertie too long they become the occasions both of thoughtes and actes wicked and damnable Sometimes behauiour vnchast and vnséemely Someties speeche wanton and light stir the hart vp to conceiue that thing and the wicked fleshe to perfourme it fully which God and nature abhorre as filthie The dalying tattles of these courting dayes the lasciuious songes made by loose mindes and
obserue his will We nowe knowe not our actes onely but our inwarde thoughtes must euer be holy we now knowe many meanes that leade to offence heerein and that euen the meanes must also be eschewed Nowe then if we liue as in ignorance wee did scorning at counsell cleauing to our pleasures and reiecting the Lorde and his lawe shall we escape He that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not shall hee be vnpunished Marke what I say and pray euer to féele it as the wrath of the king bad heate the furnace seuen times hootter than eâ—er it was to consume the men that withstoode him to his face for truth so shall the wrath of God that made this lawe cause hell to be hette 70 times 7 times hotter for vs if wilfully after warning and maliciously after knowledge we oppose our life against it That is he shall multiply the paines of hell vppon vs for these pleasures of our fleshe that swéete sinne may haue bitter and sower confusion for euermore Nowe the God of heauen giue vs sense and féeling the Lorde of mercie touch vs with a taste of sinne by the viewing of his lawe For we cannot alwayes liue and thus dally with our owne soules neither standeth it with the nature of our God who is iust finally to forgiue vs though he long forbeare vs vnlesse we amend But he must haue his iudgement and we must haue our torment as sure as we liue Nowe doeth hee wish vs to consider our wayes and to turne our feete into his testimonies his warninges waste and his wrath increaseth if wee settle our selues against him Yet O howe I feare wee will wilfully doe it For it is so swéete and so incident to vs which this lawe forbiddeth that a thousande to one we forsake the Lorde The allurementes I haue named wee will neuer withstande no wee will not heare of it that they cause vs to fall But pleasing this fleshe for the time wee doe vse them wee will neuer espie the paine that will followe them Yet why should I feare since God is of power to pierce anie hart and hath promised to doe it if wee heartily begge it O Lorde I hope thou wilt worke with vs that by this lawe we may sée howe we haue offended thée and what héereafter we must more eschewe the one with sorrowe and true remorse the other with faith and continuall care Then shall thy Christ and our comfort who in our flesh fulfilled the lawe for vs couer with his righteousnesse all our sinnes against it Then shall sinnes past in his bloud be forgiuen and wee by him euer héereafter strengthened Then we shall order our eyes with a carefull heart we shall set a watch before our mouth and keepe the dore of our lippes all false inticementes to forbidden lustes wee shall gladly refraine and so escape the sinne it selfe the better This I say good Lorde we shall doe if thou worke with vs that is thou and thy power and thou and thy mercie shall doe it in vs. Which voutchsafe O father of heauen for thy vnmeasurable vnsearchable goodnesse sake Amen The eight Commaundement Thou shalt not steale Question HOwe can this commaundement possiblie stande with that opinion of communitie Ans Indéede no way for it manifestly ouerthroweth so vile an imagination and sheweth the distinction of dominions propriety in things was and is the ordinance of the Lorde For euerie prohibition sheweth an ordinance before established which should be obserued either in Gods lawes or mans though not alwaies expressely As the forbidding of murther sheweth preseruation of life to be the wil of God and the denyall of adulterie inferreth the liking of chastitie either in mariage or out So the forbidding of stealth which is an alienation of an other mans goods to our selues sheweth that euery thing is not our owne to take at our pleasure but proprietie in possession is the will of the Lorde For if all thinges be common there can be no stealth and so this law friuolous and to no purpose which God forbid we should affirme or thinke Que. Yet many haue bin of this opinion affirming that tyranny not diuinitie maketh this difference amongst men Ans It is verie true Yet I hope you sée how euideÌ„tly this law of God which I trow they will account diuinitie doth ouerthrowe them and their folly as do also all other lawes that may héereunto be reduced with many scriptures mo For as there can bee no stealth if all thinges be common and therefore this lawe of God as I saide in vaine giuen so there can be no buying or selling no borowing or lending no letting or leasing or any such thing amongst men if euery man haue like interest to take at his pleasure therfore the Lord God euen in these also greatly ouerséene for that he would troble himselfe to make lawes touching these matters when as no maÌ„ hath or ought to haue anie proprietie in anie thing more than an other Againe all the exhortations in the Scripture to almes déedes and to mercie toward the poore is friuolous for they haue as good right to take anie thing they want from anie man as the other haue to giue them But all these you sée are absurde and therefore the opinion and the contrary of it the wil and ordinance of the Lord. Que What is then the verie drift of this commandement Ans The verie end of it is this to bind our loue and care to our neighbors goods as before it hath béene to his life and things déere vnto him as his life For it cannot bee that our heartes shoulde bee right in affections towards our brethren and wee spoylers and wasters or anie way harmers of the commodities which they inioy Loue chéerisheth kéepeth euen euery thing so néere as it can which he accompteth of whome wee loue and especiallie which hee liueth by and maintaineth both himselfe and others by And therefore as I thinke we cannot take a better course to lay before our owne eyes that wants of loue in vs towards the goods of our neighbors and consequently our breaches of this commaundement than diligently to wey some particular dueties specified in the worde wherein the Lord God would haue our loue to show it selfe As for open rapine and plaine stealth no man I thinke wil excuse it or denie it to be sinne and therfore I stand not vpoÌ„ it your booke hath euident places quoted against it I come rather to those other duties of borowing and lending of hyring and letting of buying and selling and such like Que. First then what is the Lawe of borowing and lending in the worde Ans If a man saith the lawe borow anie thing of his neighbour Exod. 22.14 and it bee hurt or else die the owner of it not being by hee shall surelie make it good If it be an hyred thing he shal not make it good for it came for his hyre In which lawe if wee well wey
and subtiltie by â—moothing and flatterie and such like 2. Sam. 16. For thus stale false Siba his maister Mephibboshethes goods from him Thus steale manie craftie pleaders in â—ublike places and make no conscience â—f it Thus is it sayd in expresse words â—hat Absolon stale the heartes of â—ll Israel to wit by his shamelesse â—â—atterie Thus steale men the hearts of subiectes euen in these dayes from their Princes and lawfull gouernours the heartes of the people from their ministers of seruauntes from their Maisters of Children from their Parentes Et hoc magnum â—urtum est saith one And this is a great theft A kinde of this tongue â—tealth it is for a Gentleman or a greater estate to cast out a worde to his inferiour in way of begging what he conueniently may not spare and yet dare not denie but bringeth and deliuereth with faire wordes what God knowes his heart grudgeth and peraduenture his wife wéepeth to sée him part with all And vnto this heade is referred all vngodlie counsell whatsoeuer and all leawde vanitie or baâ—bishe seruilitie to make men delighâ— more in vs and lesse in the feare oâ— God Is it not lamentable to sée thaâ— a popish or an atheisticall Spirite shalâ— doe more hurt at a table or such likâ— place with one péeuish iest and girâ—ding skoffe in the heartes of the heaâ—rers than twentie good men can recoâ—uer with much good counsell And yeâ— what say we O hee is a merie gréeke a pleasaunt companion and in faith 〈◊〉 good fellowe Hée cannot flatter hiâ— words must be borne and so foorth Buâ— marke marke what effect this mirtâ— hath in vs and whereto it tendeth And if it increase our knowledge increasâ— our zeale and increase good graces iâ— vs then like it and spare not anâ— chéerish such an one But if it poysoâ— the profite of the worde vnto vs decaâ— our diligence and liking of good exerâ—â—â—â—es and decrease all that I haue naâ—ed then know him for a thiefe though 〈◊〉 handes be true for he stealeth our â—â—ules from the liuing God both boâ—â—e and soule from eternall life It is â—â—etilie saide of a flaterer that as the â—ood maintaines the fire to the conâ—â—ming of it selfe so riches doeth him 〈◊〉 he eate vp our wealthes and I apâ—â—e it to this case with no lesse trueth â—â—at countenance beares out manie eâ—â—ll counseller till hee and his counsell â—â—ue brought his mayntayners to â—â—rie but a small porte Such gréekes â—â—ake griefe in a Christian heart to â—â—are them and if sinne bee swéete to 〈◊〉 the Lorde in mercie rowze vs 〈◊〉 so deade a sléepe But I goe no â—â—rther in this matter I wishe â—hat I woulde and I woulde what â—ight kindle in euerie man and woâ—an more faith and obedience toâ—ardes GOD and man for wee â—â—ede no cooling Cards our heartes are 〈◊〉 and euill inough by nature of them â—â—lues Que. Yet must I once agayne make bolde and craue your opinion concerning goods got by play For in trueth mee thinke the possession of them hath no founde warrant And if you wilâ— ioyne a litle concerning corrupt Paâ—trons I thinke it will not bee vnâ—fit Ans Surelie you doe most iustliâ— doubt of the former and I dare aâ—uouch it you may as fitlie doubt of thâ— latter For neither play nor Patroâ—nage will euer beare out when ouâ— consciences shall awake what at thiâ— day is doone by the title of them O the latter I purpose some other speach and therefore will not here intreate 〈◊〉 it but onely say thus much that iâ— trueth as you haue well noted thiâ— commaundement of stealth is his staâ— wherein hee must bée placed that steaâ—leth to himselfe the rewarde of the mâ—â—nister Lamentable are our dayeâ— wherein such wickednesse is wisdomâ— and thrise deade are those heartes thâ—â— dayly dare inioy what neither beforâ— â—OD nor man they may openlie â—â—nde to But of the latter a fewe â—â—e wordes at your request A matâ—â— as you knowe greatlie liked and â—â—erefore hardly blamed without great â—â—sliking For what we haue to doe â—â—e loue not to bee letted to doe and â—â—toothsome is that trueth euer that â—â—adeth downe my liking But be 〈◊〉 as it will bee To this was I â—â—ne I doe willinglie acknowledge 〈◊〉 to this am I called as I am a â—â—nister euen playnelie to speake â—hat I sée a trueth when the place â—â—uireth it or else to carie the brande 〈◊〉 ill conscience to my graue And â—â—ether mislikers of anie trueth héere â—â—ll finde a daye of misliking elseâ—â—ere before the GOD of trueth 〈◊〉 them nowe betimes in loue adâ—â—nished well consider and weygh â—â—ncerning then playing and gaâ—â—ng in generall diuers you shall â—â—de both in writing and speaking â—â—rie straite who hardlie will bee â—â—rswaded to allowe vnto Christiâ—â—s almost anie plâ—ie at all For say they wee must giue accompt in thâ— day of iudgement of euerie action 〈◊〉 euerie idle worde and of euerie iote 〈◊〉 time howe we haue bestowed it anâ— therefore we shoulde not play Secondâ—ly the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 10. Whatsoeuer you dâ—â— doe all to the glorie of God but our idâ—â— sportes rather dishonour God anâ— therefore we shoulde not play Thirdâ—lie Peter saith it is sufficient that wâ—â— haue spent the time past of the life aâ—â—ter the lust of the Gentiles walking 〈◊〉 wantonnesse 1. Pet. 4.3 drunkennes in gluttoniâ— and such like therfore nowe we shouâ—â— not play Fourthly the multitude 〈◊〉 Christian exercises duties that we aâ—â— bound vnto crie vnto vs to spende 〈◊〉 time in play And last of all by the seâ—â—tences of graue and godlie fathers whâ— haue and doe condemne all idle sporteâ—â— and say the diuell Ambros 1. offic 23. Chrysost ho. 6. in Matth. not God was the aâ—â—thor of them they prooue and wishe 〈◊〉 profite that we shoulde not play Tâ—â— meaning of these our brethren no douâ—â— is good and willingly would drawe vâ— to greater dutie to our God And theâ—â— reasons of theirs ought to haue this eâ—â—â—ect in vs euen to abridge that excesse which al may sée in our playing and our sportes and to bring vs home to a greater strictnesse of life in héeding what we should But to cut vs off from all recreation by any play be it without offence of anie spoken indéede they cannot For wee are men and no Angels and as men in this worlde wee must walke our course subiect to dulnesse and wearinesse euen in good thinges and wee must refreshe that féeble weakenesse of ours by lawful and allowed comforts Which I so tearme because I am assured that the worde of God condemneth not all our play and the corrupt constitution of our bodies Zach. 8.5 Exod. 13. 2. Sam. 18. Leuit. 23. together with the dulnesse of our minds require some play Sparing in truth is the worde in giuing The appointing of festiual dayes because well knewe the Lorde wee woulde not bee sparing in taking libertie for to play Yet is it plaine
neighbour Ephes 4.25 for we are onâ— an others members Psalm 15.1.2 Lorde who shalâ— dwell in thy tabernacle sayth Dauid and who shall rest vpon thy holie hill Euen he that walketh vprightly and speaketh the truth from his heart In the lawe this was one propertie Exod. 18. that was euer regarded in the choice of a iudge namely that hee was a true louer oâ— trueth Helpe Lorde againe in an otheâ— place sayth Dauid for faith and truetâ— are perished from amongest men Psalm 12.1 And againe Psalm 101. He that telleth lies shall not tarâ—rie in my sight For this is a sinne thaâ— shall shut a man out of the heauenly citie the newe Ierusalem as wee may seâ— in S. Iohn Apoc. 21.8.22.15 and cupple him companioâ— to whoremaisters théeues sorcerers such like The reasons that improoue it arâ— these Reasons God is trueth and therefore 〈◊〉 we looke euer for any felowshippe witâ— him we must frame our selues in meaâ—sure like vnto his nature Secondly ouâ— tongues are giuen vs to expresse iâ— trueth what our heartes doe thinke Abusus signi and therefore to lie in anie matter 〈◊〉 for anie cause it is to abuse the good gift of God my tongue and spéech to a quite contrarie ende Thirdly it is a perilous enemie to peace and quietnes For of lies commeth debate contention and strife Fourthly it breaketh and in time taketh quite away that affiance and trust which is requisite to be in one man to an other and maketh them hang aloofe suspect and be strange one to an other And lastly it impaireth a mans owne good name and credite greatly and mightily as anie thing â—e can vse All which should déepely â—inke into a Christian heart and make it hate so foule a vice Gregor 17. Moral August enchyrid Epist 8. All lying is iniquitie sayth a godly father All vntruth â—s sinne saieth an other And it is not â—awefull to lie though it could be for the praise of God Que. But I haue often heard a distinction of lies as some to bee merie lies made in iest some to bee lies of dutie made to doe my friende a pleasure in his daunger and some to be lies of spite made to hurt others thereby I pray you what thinke you of it Ans For the first manie goe about to excuse them and to diminish the fault of them because they intende no euill to the parties to whome they are tould But we heard before what both Augustine and Gregorie sayd namely that all lying is sinne and yet it hath a stronger checke than this For if wee make the best of it we can it is but an idle and a frutelesse spéech Math. 12. whereof we knowe we must giue account And againe Psalm 5.6 The Lorde shall destroy them all sayth the Psalme that speake lies adding no distinction of merie lies from the rest and where the lawe distinguisheth not we may not distinguish The seconde sort manie goe about to allowe and iustifie bringing in for warrant the lie of Rahab of Abraham of the midwiues and such like made for the safetie of life But touching them all and howe manie moe soeuer as may bee brought like vnto these I answere as one speaketh particularly of Abraham Non videtur mihi laborandum omnino vâ— Abrahamum defendamus homo enim fuit nimio timore potuit labi c. That is I thinke it altogether needelesse to goe about to defende Abrahams lie for hee was a man and through too much feare he might offende And so say I of all the rest they were faultes in them and blemishes and offended God And concerning the midwiues lie Augustine plainely sayeth that their feare of God and tender care mercifully to spare the infantes pleased God but not their lie If this doe not content vs then remember the same Augustines iudgement before in generalitie that it is not lawfull to lie though it could be to the praise of God surely then not for any mannes helpe Iob. 13.7 Remember the wordes of Iob who checked in his friends a false spéech although it tended to defende the Lorde And remember the wordes of Christ himselfe howe he maketh the deuill the â—ather and author of all lies whatsoeuer without distinction Ioan. 8. If we feare to bewray the man or matter which wee would not then hide the trueth saieth S. Austen but in no case speake an vnâ—rueth For the last sort of lies nothing â—s sayde of any to excuse it for euerie conscience cryeth it is a sinne And therfore nowe I conclude one kinde of lie is worse than an other but all naught and of a Christian man and woman euer to be forborne to their powers The hyperbolicall spéeches in the scripture are euer truethes in matter and meaning Veritas non reised rationis though not in wordes and forme as I may say For modestie sake neither may wee lie in any case But as Aristotle pretilie sayth Declinet veritas nonnihil ad defectum cum de se quis loquitur That is as I interpret it When a man speaketh of himselfe let him speake sparingly but not falsely Que. What say you of flatterie and dissimulation the next thinges in the booke Ans I say I haue touched them before sufficiently and therefore nowe I ad no more but this they are both breaches of this commaundement Inough to terrifie a féeling heart and a deaâ— soule what can moue From these theâ— I followe your booke setting downâ— next the vnlawefulnesse of telling falsâ— tales Telling false tales hearing them and beléeuing them of others And first to speake of the first doe we not sée the direct lawe of God in these wordes Leuit. 19 1â— Thou shalt not walke about with tales amongest thy brethren Doe we not heare the Lorde by his prophet crie out against Ierusalem for that â—n her were men that caried tales vp and downe to shed bloud Ezek. 22.9 2. Cor. 12.20 Doth not the Apostle say Hee feareth he shall finde amongest them backbiting whispering â—nd such like Is it not the perswasion â—f Iames that we speake no euill one of â—n other Iam. 4 1â— Is it not expressely named as â—ne of the things that may not be in man â—r woman elected to dwell in the Lords â—abernacle to false report and slander â—nie man behinde his backe Psalm 15.3 Than the â—hich things what may be more said in â—etestation of so foule a vice Certainly â—hat God so plainely discouereth to vs 〈◊〉 offende him it will as plainely be puâ—ished when God shall thinke it good in â—nie gracelesse wretch whatsoeuer that â—ill not be warned To be a tale teller â—nd a false witnesse why it is like a â—â—mmer a sworde and a sharpe arrow Prou. 25.18 â—ayth Salomon Et quid interest vtrum Deum neges an infames sayth Seneca What difference is there betwixt denying of God and false reporting thy brethren
distrust doubt or feare that GOD would not or could not deliuer him in that distresse from the danger that was imminent then did he sinne no question verie greatly but if his heart rested vpon God in assuraunce of his mercifull eie and hande watching ouer him and defending him euer and did vse that dissimulation but as the meanes that then he could because hee would not tempt God then did he well and yet that his doing is no warrant to breake this commaundement by reiection of trueth and following a falsehoode in anie of our particular dealinges aboue named Que. And what say you of the Stratagems and pollicies in warres whereby the one partie dissembling faining and counterfaiting with the other seeketh his ouerthrowe Is not this a kinde of false witnesse Ans First I answeare that it cannot fitly be called anie dissembling Dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirat because the one partie euer presupposeth and expecteth what deuise and conueyance so euer the other can make P.M. in Iud. cap. 3. But rather it is a conceiling from him of a trueth And then doe we rightly dissemble ly and exhibite a false testimonie when as one thing is expected at our handes which also we ought to doe and yet we performe a contrarie Secondly I answere that it is the lawe of iust war iust I say againe and not wrongfull that it may be made either openly or priuily by force or by pollicie with a good conscience And for warrant hereof we haue the commandement of God to his people and their practise of the same Iosua 8. For Iosua intrapped the men of Ai by an ambush and slewe them downe right suffering none to escape So did the Israelites vanquish and ouercome the Beniamites Iudg. 20. 2. Sam. 20. Dauid the Philistins and manie examples moe hath the scripture of Stratagems and pollicies vsed in the warres when the cause thereof was lawfull and warrantable but these may suffice nowe Que. Will you then alow no litle pretie glosse or colour at no time but must we euer turne the right side outwarde Ans No indéede no color of honestie pietie friendshippe and loue or anie good thing vnlesse indéede it be there For both God and man abhorreth all such colors And it should euer be the spéech of anie Christian man or woman whilest they liue 2. Cor. 1.12 and that in truth that their reioycing is this the testimonie of their conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenesse and not in fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God they haue had their conuersation in the world as Paul sayde to the Corinthians of him selfe Que. What if I set no false colour on but onelie conceile a trueth and say nothing Ans It hath béene shewed before that in some cases and times it is lawefull so to doe as by name when it may stande both with my loue to God and my brother But if it be contrarie to both these or to either of these then is it wicked and vngodly And then sayeth the holy ghost The fearefull shall haue their portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Apoc. 21.8 which is the seconde death And Hieroms comparison is good if we may not for our life denie anie way a trueth much lesse assuredly for lesser causes Yea be readie euer sayth Peter in matters of faith to giue an account of the hope that is within you 2. Petr. 3. to anie that shall aske you a reason thereof Que. You promised before to adioine in the ende some moe examples of gods iustice vpon this sinne of false witnesse bearing and nowe if you will you may perfourme it and so conclude this commaundement for in all thinges else I am sufficiently satisfied Ans First consider the punishment alotted to it by expresse worde of the Lorde in this worlde euen to reape by iust sentence of the iudge whatsoeuer he by his false witnesse had thought to haue brought vpon an other life for life hande for hande 〈◊〉 16. eie for eie tooth for tooth foote for foote without anie pitie or sparing and in the world to come euerlasting death Then if you will remember also what Eusebius writeth of the accusers of Narcissus Byshoppe of Hierusalem Howe thrée euill disposed persons that séeing the soundenesse and graue constancie of his vertuous life and fearing their owne punishment as a conscience that is guiltie is alwayes fearefull thought to preuent his accusations with a great othe one wishing to be destroyed with fire if he saide not true the other to be consumed with gréeuous sicknesse the thirde to loose both his eies if they did lie Narcissus although hauing his conscience cleare yet not able being but one man to withstande the accusation bounde with such othes gaue place and remoued himselfe from the multitude into a solitarie desert by himselfe where he continued by the space of manie yeares In the meane time to them which so willingly and wickedly foresware themselues this hapned The first by casualtie of one litle sparke of fire was brent with all his goods and familie The seconde was taken with a great sicknesse from the toppe to the toe and deuoured with the same The thirde hearing and séeing the punishment of the other confessed his fault but through great repentance powred out such teares that he lost both his eies And thus was their false periurie and witnesse bearing punished Narcissus after long absence returning home againe was by this meanes both cleared of his fact and restored to his bishopricke againe An other good storie to this ende is that of king Canutus the Dane who beeing established in the kingdome caused a parliament at London where amongest other thinges there debated it was propounded vnto the Byshoppes Barons and Lordes of the parliament there present whether that in the composition made betwixt Edmonde and Canutus anie speciall remēbrance was made for the children or brethren of Edmond for anie partition of any part of the land Whereunto the English Lordes falsely flattering with the king speaking against their owne mindes as also against their natiue countrey answered and saide nay Affirming moreouer with an othe for the kinges pleasure that they to the vttermost of their powers would put off the bloud of Edmond in all that they might By reason of which answere and promise they thought manie of them to haue purchased with the king great fauour But by the iust retribution of God it chanced farre otherwise For manie of them or the most part such specially as Canutus did perceiue to be sworne before time to Edmonde and his heires and also considering that they were natiue English men hee mistrusted and disdayned euer after Insomuch that some he exiled a great sort he beheaded and some by Gods punishment dyed sodainly Sée therefore the heart and hande of the Lorde against a false witnesse Many histories are there to this ende And manie experiences euen
nowe adaies of gods iust plagues vpon this sinne But I will not runne ouer them nowe Easilie may they be turned too in our owne Church storie Onely these two I cannot omit First how Hamelton the Scot being brought vnto his death by the false accusation of a false Frier called Campbell when he was in the fire cited and summoned the sayde Frier to appeare before the high God as generall iudge of all men to answere to the innocencie of his death and whether his accusation was iust or not betwixt that and a certaine day of the next moneth which hee there named and ere that day came the Fryer died without any remorse of conscience that he had persecuted the innocent And secondly howe Calice men in the daies of King Henrie the 8. being falsely accused escaped safe from the danger of such witnesses and they themselues a iust plague vppon their iniquitie hanged drawen and quartred ere they went home Therefore let vs euer tremble to prouoke the Lorde by this sinne let vs speake a trueth if we doe speake at all and shame to lie euen of the deuill The daily beggeries discredits shames and deathes strange and fearefull of such as haue made no conscience by false witnesse bearing to pollute their consciences ought mightilie to moue vs and verie effectually to perswade vs neuer to doe it For God to vs as he hath béene to others will most assuredly shew himselfe either at first or at last at one time or other when our sinne is the same and he no changeling in his nature at all And thus much of this commaundement The Application NOwe let vs weigh the guilt or innocencie of our soules if the Lorde should call vs to an account for this his lawe Generallie wee sée the care that should be in vs to preserue the credite and good name of all men and what heart so dull or dead and past all féeling that it doth not espie euen a generall want in it selfe concerning the same Generally all trueth would the Lorde by this lawe haue loued cherished and maintained and the contrarie hated shunned and auoyded but what eie so blinde that cannot sée the course we commonly take and the race wee wholy runne to the maintaynaunce of the vice and rooting out almost of the vertue from amongest vs But consider the particulars one by one and so shall we reape most profit Haue you neuer in all your life testified of your neighbour an vntrueth publikely for fauour or gaine or hatred or any cause whatsoeuer Haue you neuer slipped neither in your owne behalfe nor your friendes nor your towne and liberties nor anie way But haue euer dealt in all the testimonies that euer you gaue as you dare abide gods searching eie to iudge you Consider well the matters that you haue dealt in remember the times past remember the sutes that haue béene made vnto you and peraduenture the rewardes that haue béene offered you also and if you be cleare and no way to be touched though God sift you neuer so narrowly be glad and giue God praise But if you can not if you may not if you dare not cleare your selfe both because a guiltie conscience accuseth you within and because both men and matters may be produced and named for whom and wherein affection hath led you giftes corrupted you malice incensed you sin stayned you then sée it sée it in the feare of God and thinke of it confesse it was naught acknowledge your blemish consider this lawe that so flatly forbiddeth it tremble vnder the hande of the God of heauen that hath euer plagued it either by one way or an other in a mans selfe or his séede in this worlde or the other And so by the grace of God shall sight bréede sorowe and amendment of life hereafter Fie of that affection that damneth our soules wo worth the gaine that getteth vs hell And accursed is that iuror and witnesse that so respecteth his present purpose as that hee casteth away the care of God of life of hell of death of ciuill honestie fame and good name in his countrey and dwelling neuer able after to come in companie where hee may not feare the touch in talke of his ill dealing Certainely certainely if a good name be aboue gould and siluer a false witnesse is the drosse and dregges of the world that the Lorde hateth and euerie honest heart verie perfectly loatheth The next branch that breaketh our obedience and dutie to the Lorde in this lawe is lying Lying the foule filth whereof hath in part before béene displaied and opened And nowe it remaineth but to consider our course and how gréeuously guiltie we are before God of this ougly vice Where is that man that woman that aged or younger that will cleare themselues from all blotte or staine in this behalfe Doth not euerie maister in his man euerie mistres in her maide finde it mislike it hate and abhorre it Doth not euerie estate finde it in other And God in vs all to the iust incensing of his wrath and furie against vs If we can cleare our selues let vs if we can not where is our righteousnesse where is our perfection where are our merites Nay why dread we not the death that is the desert of lying lippes O sift and search the guilt of guilefull tongue couer it not excuse it not remember what I haue sayde of it before mocke not God dallie not with your damnation hate to bee the childe of the foule fiende and with sorowe in trueth for passed securitie flie with perseuerance for euer hereafter so sinfull iniquitie Truth may be blamed but it can neuer be shamed yea euen man in the ende shall like it and God for euer blesse it and crowne it There followe then in the booke as particulars of this generall flattering Flatterie c. and dissembling and telling false tales behinde our neighbours backe Concerning the first what should I say Should I aske whether you haue or doe offende should I make a question of it or bring you into doubt with your selfe whether you haue héerein faulted or no Alas howe want I rather words to moue vs to repentance than proofes of dayly practise to conuict vs of transgression Helpe Lord Psalm 12. helpe may I truly say with Dauid for good and godly men doe perish and decay and faith and trueth from worldly men is parted cleane away Who so doeth with his neighbour talke his talke is all but vaine for euerie man bethinketh how to flatter lie and faine But what followeth Certainely euen that which we shall finde if God by his grace change not our heartes to more sinceritie For we make no conscience to lie to flatter to fawne to halt to â—ogge to glose and dissemble honestie pietie friendshippe and fauour loue and obedience faithfulnesse and trust and whatsoeuer may be profitable to vs euen from morning to night from we rise till wee goe to bed and then howe
and a gréeuous breach of this commaundement Wee should couer in charitie what no bodie knoweth but wee if the partie will be reformed euen as willingly and readily as euer wee would our selues finde fauour for our infirmities But doe we it Is my brothers shame my griefe is his credite déere vnto me as my life Goe I backewarde with a cloke on my backe to cast vpon his offence loth that either others or I my selfe should sée it as good Sem and Iapheth did to their bared father in his drunkennesse Gen. 9.23 No no wee grinne and laugh rather with cursed Cham and blabbe it out to others Good beloued let vs weigh our wantes and neuer make our vices vertues God asketh but our confession in griefe and sorowe and he will heale vs. It is a branch and a breach of this commandement and therefore no thing to be continued in But I dwell too long in this spéech vnto you Many things mo might yet be rehearsed but sée them your selues and let my silence passe them These fewe bewraye our want of perfect obedience to the lawe and so consequently of anie life and safely by the workes of the same And therefore I hope we clearely perceiue that without a Sauiour wee were but lost make what distinctions we can of obedience of iustification or such like Fast cleaueth to vs and cannot bee denied gréeuous guilt against both this lawe and all the former and cursed is he which abideth not in all to doe them sayeth the Lorde Deutro 27 Iam. 2.10 Galat. 3.11 He that is guiltie of one is guiltie of all and by the workes of the lawe can no flesh liuing be iustified For the iust shall liue by faith Wee haue not doone all but wee haue broken much and therfore the conclusion lighteth vpon vs and all the subtilties of all the wittes in the worlde can not remooue it from vs if the Lorde should marke what we haue doone amisse but in this one lawe of his and iudge vs thereunto and by we are not able to abide it wee are cast away Therefore let vs flie from the lawe as fast as euer wee can and take the right vse of it thereby to be led vnto Christ and let this be our firme comfort Galat. 4.4 that When the fulnesse of time was come God sent foorth his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the lawe that he might redeeme vs from the curse thereof and so by him wee might receiue the adoption of sonnes which without him we could neuer attaine to This is sure and this is comfortable to hould by and the Lorde increase this faith in vs euer The tenth Commaundement Thou shalt not couet thy neighbors house thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife nor his c. Wherein saith your booke the Lorde plainely forbiddeth all inwarde desire of anie thing vnlawfull to be done although we neuer consent vnto it as the rebellion of the flesh all corruption of the olde man all blotte of originall sinne so that by this commaundement most clearely we may see the image of that man that pleaseth God euen such an one in whom nothing is impure neither in will nor nature Question YEt playner I pray you if you can set downe the difference of this commaundement from the other for as I haue heard some haue halfe thought it superfluous seeing as the former did also forbid the inwarde thought aswell as the outwarde act Ans It is as plaine as may be alreadie yet to content you thus ouer againe The former commaundementes did forbid the act and the setled or consenting thought of the heart though the déede were not doone as for example the precept of killing forbiddeth the déede and with all once to thinke in heart to doe such a déede with a resolution verily to accomplish it if I can But nowe this commaundement commeth néerer and condemneth not onely that thought that is setled and lacketh but oportunitie to doe the déede but euen the verie thinking also of any thing contrarie to the loue of God or my neighbour though I doe neuer consent to it but snubbe it mislike it and reiect it For euen that hauing of an euill thought in my minde is a fruite of my corruption such as in innocencie if we had stood we should neuer haue had and therefore naught So there are two degrées of thoughtes the one with consent to accomplish in déede what we do thinke if we can and the other without consent repulsed away when wee awake and sée it The former in the former commandementes was forbidden and the later in this A strange doctrine in shewe no doubt to manie that thinke this their thought is frée But we must not maruell since euen the Apostle Paul himselfe would neuer haue suspected anie danger in concupiscence lustes and desires if the lawe had not sayde Thou shalt not lust or desire Rom. 7.7 Nay it appeareth verie plainely in that place sayth a godly man that he thought maruelous well of himselfe before hee came to this commandement He tooke himselfe before to be liuing and in good liking towardes God and godlinesse but when he had looked vpon this lawe and beheld himselfe a while in this part of the glasse he sawe himselfe plainele to be no bodie but a dead man sould vnto sinne And therefore a thousande times néedefull that the Lorde should adde this lawe to all the rest to humble vs throughly séeing so singular a man was not fully cast downe before he had wrestled with the iustice of God in the same Let vs therfore thinke of this thing that séemeth so litle in our eies For wee heare what the Apostle sayth it is sinne to desire Rom. 7.7 and we may ioyne vnto it the words of the Lorde himselfe affirming plainely that the verie imagination of mans heart is euill euen from his youth Gen. 8.21 God hath made the heart aswell as the bodie to séeke his glorie and therefore good reason the cogitations of the hart should no more straie from their true end than the actions of the bodie Neither may our reiection of such thoughtes in the ende and not consenting vnto them to accomplish them in act bleare our eies with an imagination that we haue not offended in them in going so farre as we went For it is a blemish a want an impietie and a degrée of vnchastitie in a woman to suffer the cogitation of anie forren friende beside her husbande to tickle her with conceite vnlawefull though in the ende she repulse it and abhorre to accomplish it and howe can it then be faultlesse in these hearts of ours the spouse of the Lorde to dallie with such delightes and to pursue in minde by thinking of them the pleasures that such conceites doe pleade before vs though in the conclusion we giue the deniall and do not consent O it is a greater matter to loue the Lorde with all the heart than that it may
our thoughtes offende and what most carefully we are to take héede of Also I further consider the maruelous care and strict regard that euerie Christian man and woman ought to haue of their senses séeing all euill thoughtes are forbidden For it is the eie and the eare that sendeth in sinne in store into our hearts and neuer shall we haue the one reformed vnlesse there be a stable couenaunt made with the other Iob. 31.1 The heart will conceiue wickedly if the eies fréely behoulde vanities But checke the one and ye stay the other maruelouslie And no more quench you the fire by withdrawing the wood than assuredly you staie the course of wicked conceites when you watch and warde well ouer your senses Que. But I pray you what shall wee thinke of dreames which seeme to be sinnefull and we cannot amende them Ans We must consider the causes of them and thereby aswell as we can growe to some right conceit of our offending by them and in them The causes are either inwarde or outwarde and of inwarde either the minde it selfe or the bodie For often doth the minde the bodie sléeping and the senses resting remember those thinges which it waking conceiued and either desired or feared Also the diuerse complexion and temperature of the bodie occasioneth diuers kindes of dreames whereby the physition will guesse the nature of the bodie and causes of disease in the sicke Cholericke men will dreame of fires and downefaules Melancholicke men of monstrous and horrible thinges The phlegmatike of waters and dull matters And the sanguine of pleasant and comfortable euentes The outwarde causes are also diuers as the influence of the heauens the circumstance of elementes necessitie and want some hapning chance and such like Thus doe hungry men dreame of meat drunken men of moysture and so foorth Quae vigilantes cogitauimus ea solent postea dormientibus obuersari sayth one That is Such thinges as waking wee earnestly thought of euen such thinges often wee sleeping dreame of Aucupibus volucres aurigae somnia currus The fouler dreames that birdes he takes And carters cart his visions makes Therefore these things thus knowen and weighed if we dreame wickedly to name no particulars let euerie one consider well what occasion in him selfe he can finde of the same and if his owne disorder either in dyet or spéech or meditation or anie way hath done it then néedeth he none to tell him his conscience is a thousande witnesses hee hath offended Thus answered Gregorie byshoppe of Rome when he was writ vnto for his iudgement of this matter and if I can find in my selfe none of all these to procure it in me yet knowe if it be euill it is a frute of corruption and weigh well the lawe of the Lorde in this behalfe laide downe Plutarch saith Leuit. 15. Honest dreames are an argument of vertue in a man and then me thinke in reason a contrarie effect should bewray a contrarie cause The same man saith Peruersorum somnia semper turbata De virt viti Plutarch Euill mens dremes are cōmonly troublesome But I referre you for more of this to others And this onely I say againe the bodie well ordred and the minde well occupied hardly shall our dreames feare vs for euill Que. What nowe then might be the affirmatiue part of this commaundement Ans If thus wee sée all wandring wayes from vpright integritie be they but euen in thought and that also in the least degrée without any consent to be by this lawe condemned as impure what should we sée on the contrary part to be commanded but euen a full perfect and absolute conformitie both of minde will appetite and whatsoeuer is in man to the lawe of God That which Moses in these words describeth Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart Deutro 6.5 and with all thy soule and with all thy might Luke 10.27 and our Sauiour Christ doth adde vnto it for plainenesse sake with all thy thought That also which S. Paule describeth thus This is the will of God euen your sanctification 1. Thess 4.7 and that yee should abstaine from fornication that euerie one of you shoulde knowe howe to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour and not in the lust of concupiscence and so foorth From which exact perfection looke howe farre our conscience truely awaked doeth tell vs we are wanting euen so farre accursed stande we before the Lorde for not fulfilling all if wee had not a Sauiour Que. Is there anie punishment outwarde appointed to this lawe Ans No and that because man can not iudge the guilt of hidden heart But it suffiseth to feare any man that feareth any thing to consider that the spiritual punishment allotted vnto it as to the rest is eternall death and endlesse torture both of bodie and soule for euermore in flame of lasting fire Onely one storie that I remember there is recorded of some outwarde execution vppon an inward thought and that is of Glaucus King of Sparta Herodotus who for conceiuing but a thought to retaine Milesius his pledge committed to his kéeping yet not dooing it was vtterly destroyed both he and his and so foretolde by the Oracle whereat he asked counsell The Application LEt vs weigh now well what hath béene sayd I beséech you and neuer spare to speake or feare to confesse if not openly before the worlde yet secretly in our heartes vnto the Lorde what due regarde of passed course compared with this lawe shall make vs sée Though we were able which yet neuer any could but Iesus Christ to stande cleare before the Lorde in all the former preceptes either for déede or thought yet are we neuer able to say wee are cleare of this For consider hath there neuer thought but good crept into that heart of yours within at no time since the day that you were first able to thinke a thought till this present houre weigh it well And what though you haue neuer consented to it yet wo wo vnto vs for consent wee sée neuerthelesse by this lawe of God that we are but gone For here is condemned the verie entrance and beeing of anie vile conceit within vs for any time though vpon some better wakening we repell it and abhorre it and thrust it away without his act And who is able to say he neuer thought awry in the least maner or measure that might be Nay what conscience cryeth not if it be a litle rowsed that in verie fearefull manner measure we haue all herein transgressed and offended Call out our houses and chambers wherein and vnder which we haue liued aske the fieldes the gardens the walles and hedges where we haue often walked summon the seates where we haue sit examine the pillowes whereon our heades could take no rest what guilt against our heartes in this behalfe they well can witnesse euery one of them Shall they not speake first one by one and
then all with one consent crie in the eares of the Lord with shriking sounde that houres and daies monthes and yeares haue we spent in tossing and turning in debating and scanning such conceites and thoughtes as we would not for all that we enioy were written in our forheads Fie fie the pleasures that we haue felt in this follie nay in this impietie howe haue they tickled vs within and made vs laugh to our selues rubbe our hands together forgette our meat not heare what was saide about vs and such like Howe haue we longed to be at an ende peraduenture of some businesse that we haue béene about that we might euen fully debate the matter you knowe of and plaie with the conceite thereof to our fuller pleasure Can we excuse our selues beloued doe I depaint out vnknowen dispositions vnto you O I say againe beside greater impieties the follies the toyes the trifles the verie babish fancies that will and doe steale vpon vs will we nill we euen when wee are best occupied and would not be solicited in such sort All which are breaches lesser and greater of this lawe of our God which requireth exact obedience and coniunction of all the motions of our mind to his good will and liking And if we had neuer fallen wee should neuer haue felt them Therefore to shâ—t vp this matter for one whom I knowe better than I know anie of you I confesse a guilt a gréeuous guilt against this precept of my God and I acknowledge damnation due if I should be reiected but the Lorde I thanke I feare it not not that I haue not sinned but because my Christ hath not sinned and He is my iustification sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1. hee is my strength and my stonie rocke both against the curse of this lawe and all the rest He is my defence and my Sauiour Psalm 18.1 my God and my might in whom I do trust my buckler the horne of my health and my refuge And to him in the true sense of my weakenesse and with the knéees of my heart bowed downe to the dust I say for my case as Dauid sayd for his Turne away my heart O Lorde that it may neuer féede vppon the follies of vaine conceites or gréeue the swéete spirite that I sometimes féele by vngodly wandring from his sugred motions Yea set a watch before my soule most gracious father and kéepe the doore of my strengthlesse heart that I may lesse offend and more obey in this behalfe than euer I haue doone héeretofore And now passe wee on to particulars mentioned to our handes by the Lorde himselfe in this his lawe O my beloued how often haue we coueted our neighbours house that is his earthly possession and inheritance if not in whole yet in part How often haue wee tossed our heades from the one ende of the pillowe to the other not able to sléepe for thinking howe to compasse that péece and this péece not weighing howe well he might spare it but howe well it would fitte vs Yea this house must be had and that garden and the other close to the wringing out of teares from the man the wife and al their poore children that part from it to the gréeuing of their heartes and the verie vtter vndooing of them all We stoppe not our eies that they gaze no further vppon our neighbours helpes than a Christian soule may warrant We shut not our eares neither take regarde of the sinne that may insue when we are whispered in the eare that this thing is fitte for vs and that thing and thus and thus may be had No alas we account them the best members about vs whose godlesse counsell shall worke our endlesse woe Whereas a Christian assoone as hee heareth such a motion should by and by thinke in himselfe O Lord thou hast delt mercifully with me euer let not me now deale vnmercifully with any thou hast made me a maister of much this maÌ„ a maister but of a litle O Lorde let not my much eate him out of his litle vngodlily let not my power oppresse his weakenesse and so foorth and then talke with the informer be it either a man or mine owne gréedie eie that hath spied it and sée whether what I may get I may well gette and well take into my hands so as I may not be stinged for it an other day before my God nor exclamed vppon iustly in the worlde This doeth your owne conscience tell you you should doe and the other you should not doe yet the other haue you doone and this haue you not doone and are you not guiltie Good beloued goe with me in this tryall of our selues and let vs sée sinne to be sinne The looking eie and the lusting heart further after our neighbours wife than they should would God they accused vs not What should I say of his seruant man or maide You knowe it aswell as my selfe there is almost no conscience any where shewed in this behalfe no feare of God no loue of man but onely of our selues For if wee like an other mans seruant for any qualitie that we desire to be serued with all what intisementes what allurementes dare wee vse to drawe him to vs What offers make we what practises deuise we till we haue them Yet sayth this lawe Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours seruant man or maide And that is as nowe we knowe not once thinke of it although I consent not to it The like is saide of his oxe his asse or any thing that is his And yet wee sée the worlde euer in our eye Vicinum pecus grandius vber habet Our neighbours kowe doeth giue more milke than ours His horse we must haue there is no remedie his hawke his hounde his pleasure or profitte must be ours and that which is worse often without any consideration any way either by fauour or value yea it must be giuen out that we couet our neighbours goods and wee our selues haue twentie pretie indirect and figuratiue kindes of begging and if wee either are not vnderstoode or will not be vnderstoode by him that hath it because he is loth to loose it then wee frette and are offended highly and as our calling might and power is we sitte vppon his skirtes Thus sinne we may déere beloued against this lawe of GOD and yet we sée it not Nowe would God haue vs to open our eyes to incline our eares and to forgette this olde fathers house of our corruption Nowe would the Lorde haue vs reconciled to him by repentaunce and offende no more And therefore I crie vnto you in the name of the Lorde and to this soule within mee Thou shalt not couet If we will heare his voice and yet harden our heartes if we will not restraine our senses the common carriers of conceites into vs if wee will not euen euerie way wee can héereafter séeke to let and lessen our disobedience in this thing against the Lorde the day of our visitation is past and our destruction is at hande The lyon is come vp from his denne Ierem. 4. and the destroyer of the Gentilles is departed and gone foorth from his place to laie our lande waste and our cities shall be destroyed without an inhabitant Yea so néere is our desolation assuredly my beloued that euen as it were presently my soule heareth the sounde of the trumpette and the alarome of the battaill Destruction vpon destruction is cryed euen at our doores if we could heare it and sodenly shall our tentes be destroyed and our curtaines in a moment But I hope what I wish and I wish what shall be our sure safetie if we will be perswaded euen that we would now sée howe farre wee are from abilitie to fulfill these 10 commandementes of our God either all or any one of them deuise what distinction we can horrible sinners and transgressers we are and so we shall be founde and therefore that wee would acknowledge it lament it flie to the propitiation apointed of our gracious God for our sinnes and onely cleaue to him onely trust in him and claspe him in our armes so as all the worlde nor the power of hell can loose our houlde carie him so to his father and there offer him to him for all our misdéedes as the saluation which hee hath prepared before the face of all people and in whom hee is perfectly pleased This wish I this begge I this craue I with all the bowelles of my affection my flesh shaking mine eies watering my soule groning and all the stringes of my heart inlarged as you feare God as you loue your selues as my calling is regarded as my affection estéemed or as hell treÌ„bled at that Iesus Christ may be our onely hould and our owne obedience no hould yet performed as a fruite of faith daily more and more but not with hope of safetie by the fame either in part or in whole and this O my good God graunt vnto vs as thy mercie is vnmeasurable thy goodnesse and louing kindnes vnsearchable what passed is good Lord forgiue and make vs better euer liue Amen Amen Prouer. 19. Heare counsel and receiue correction for they shall make a man wise at the last Deutro 5. O that there were such an heart in this people to feare me and to keepe all my commandements alway that it might go well with them and with their children for euer Psalm 19. Let the wordes of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be alway acceptable in thy sight good Lorde When gracious God by sacred worde vouchsafes to cal from cursed course O happie we ten thousand times if feeling heartes doe yeeld remorse But if contempt of offred grace accuse vs crauing sentence iust Then cursed we ten thousande times for hell remaines wheÌ„ hence we must Consider this my countrey deere and marke it Cardiff heedily The Lorde nowe speakes then take thy good or looke for vengeance speedily Hwyra dial dial duw Tosta dial dial duw Hugh Poole minister of the worde of God in Cardiff
reason Looke how the Lorde forbiddeth the rearing vp of a piller so doth he forbid the making of images for he ioyneth them here in one prohibition but he doth not simply forbid in all respects the rearing vp of a piller therfore neither the other The seconde proposition is prooued thus Gen. 28.18 Iacob pitched the stone on ende that had lien vnder his heade all night powred oyle on it and calleth it Beth-el the house of God Iosue 2 Iosua commaunded by the commaundement of God twelue stones to be pitched vp Samuel pitched vp a stone also betwixt Mispeh and Sheu 2. Sam. 7.12 and called the name thereof Ebenezer Therefore not the rearing vp of a piller but the rearing vp of it to be worshipped idolatrously was forbidden Euen so of images For as I sayde they are ioyned of GOD in the place of Leuiticus as thinges like equally forbidden A most notable place also for the proofe hereof is that in Iosua where the Israelites woulde haue warred vpon their brethren Iosua 22. if they had erected that altar for religion which in déede they did set vp for a ciuill vse as there you may sée Besides all this doe wee not sée that GOD himselfe commaunded the Cherubims Lillies Pomgranetes Oxen Lyons and such like pictures to bee made and sayth he had giuen his Spirite to Bezaliel Exod. 25. whereby he might haue vnderstanding to worke all these workes Nowe thinke with your selfe would GOD eyther haue commaunded images to be made or ascribed the abilitie to doe such woorkes to the grace of his Spirite if in this commaundement giuen and published before the time he had simplie forbidden the same in all respectes It can not be vnlesse GOD should be contrarie to him selfe and therefore the Turkes or whosoeuer else so thinkes are deceiued The same might yet further be prooued by the commaundement of GOD to make the Brasen Serpent and by Christes not finding fault with Caesars image vpon the money that was shewed him and many proofes moe if néede were For the seconde opinion of them that thinke it lawfull to make any picture yea euen of GOD himselfe and to set them vp in Churches so long as no worship is doone to them as they are bare images there is great cause why they should be gainesaid and resisted euen in both But especially in the first for they oppose themselues to the true sense of this commaundement to diuerse other plaine Scriptures to the nature of God to reason and to the iudgementes and practise of godlie men as by particular viewe of euery one appeareth The sense of the commandement against it For touching the true and direct ende of this commandement it hath béene said before and is most true that it is chiefly to forbid al pictures of God as the most grosse blindenesse and impietie of all other bicause he may not be imagined to be like either man or woman or any other creature Other Scriptures He neuer was séene and therefore can not be painted or pictured like any creature Deutro 4.15 Esa 40.18 Acts. 17.29 but with a breach of this commaundement For other places of the scripture plainly forbidding the same I haue quoted them before nothing can bee more expresse Thirdly they oppose theÌ„selues to his nature Nature against it which is such as no heauenly creature can resemble much lesse any earthly no natural thing much lesse any artificial And to set vp a picture of God not like him whether it be to offende him and to dishonor him if otherwise we cannot conceiue it let vs iudge by our selues who quickly woulde take it in great snuffe if one picturing vs should make either the eies too great the nose too long or high the eares mouth armes hands or any thing wrong Yea we would burst it in pieces bid away with it and not abyde the sight of it Yet dare we abuse the God of heauen our creator and maker and set vp 20. thousande pictures of him in seuerall places neuer awhit like him for it is vnpossible they should be neither one like another O Christ open our eyes that we may sée this vanitie and the sinne of that church that maintaineth this as good For truely it is fearefull thus to play with the Lord whom neuer eyes sawe nor can see as he is in nature and beâ—ng Fourthly they do against al reason for God is a spirite Reason against it and therefore â—annot be pictured God is infinite and â—herefore cannot be pictured God as often hath beene saide was neuer yet â—éene of any and then how is it possible â—o picture him Youth and age length â—readth thicknes white or blacke this â—ember or that these are not things â—â—cident to the Godhead and therefore â—mpossible in verie reason to picture God Last of all they oppose themâ—elues both to the iudgement and pracâ—ise of the Godly in thus doing All practise of the godlie against it For to omit the iudgements of the Prophetes and Apostles so lately quoted crying against this impietie It is verie worthie noting that the auncient Father Damascene a defender of other images and pictures greatly yet saith Deum conarivelle effingere Lib. 4. cap. 8. rem stultam esse impiam non enim imagines Deus admittit To goe about saith he to picture God is both a verie foolish thing and a wicked For God may not be pictured And if you marke the practise of the godlie I pray you of all those notable visions and manifestations made vnto them which of them euer went about to make a picture Surely if they would not euer presume to picture God in that manner that they sawe him and talked with him because they well knewe these were but sparcles as it were of his glorie and maiestie that they sawe and hee in nature a farre other thinâ— than euer he appeared vnto them or they able to beholde if he had doone it howe shall we beholde nay O Lorde what blindenesse is it in vs to set him out as we list our selues and euen as euerie sinnefull man and rude painter pleaseth Therefore I trust we sée this to be a fault and euen forbidden in this seconde commaundement to make any image of God himselfe The thirde opinion of them that thinke there is a lawfull vse of some Images and pictures though not in reâ—igion is most true otherwise were the â—ift cunning and abilitie to doe these things by painting caruing grauing or such like a wicked thing when as yet we heard before that it procéedeth of Gods â—pirite either in Bezaliel or whosoeuer â—lse indued with it But then hereupoÌ„ ariâ—eth another questioÌ„ as namely whether â—mages pictures in churches may not â—e had though we put no religion in theÌ„ Wherunto we may answere that howâ—oeuer it be tollerable in some mens oâ—inions and a thing indifferent to haue â—ome sort of pictures in the Church for 〈◊〉 ciuil