downe that wee haue néede of prayer and that wée must praye to hang you no longer in suspence thereof séeing I haue defined what it is and howe to vse your selues mannerly in the presence of so high and greate a Lorde and that you ought not to doubte of the fourme and manner thereof There is yet left you behinde to learne that this prayer being done finished by faith many greate singular commodities do come by it and as out of the water brooke diuers vessels be filled with one water the same very good so of one faith be many perfectly spiritually fed yet the same do bring but one life For the spirite of God which worketh to the best in those that be his hath giuen an assuraunce to the childryn of obedience of the life and of the hidden treasuries that bee laide vp for the righteous vntill the daye of reuealing and for that cause to encourage vs in the voyage that we haue to goe God hath confirmed our weakenesse with certeine promises that we may in all our dealings stande the better Yet till he bring the same to passe he hath layde before vs that whiche is requisite to be done of our partes This when by his grace it is finished hee will make a consummation and perfection of his blessednesse and wée shall obtaine that which we prayed for by faith in Christe Our duetie is firste of all to consider that the faith whiche wee haue for I knowe that there is none but they wil be accounted as faithfull consisteth chiefly of these thrée things First that there is but one fayth Secondly that it is the gifte of god Thirdly that it commeth by hearing For that man that wil be iustified must bee iustified through these That there is but one faith Paull verie notably hath described to vs in the fourth to the Ephesians There is one Lorde one faith one Baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and through all and in you al. And as on earth there is one onely ayre that fostereth vs so is there onely one faith in Christ that saueth vs. The seconde thing is that this faith is the gifte of god Math. 11.27 Luke 17.22 Iohn 6 44. Act. 15.8 The reason hereof is this Wee are by nature the children of death wherein then can we be saued but in Christ and Christ he hath giuen vs a meane it is faith and faith bringeth life so that if wee had faith by nature wée were the children of God and of life by nature But this is otherwise for as by one man came in death so by one man came in life And as the first Adam was made a liuing soule so is the second Adam made a quickening Spirite that where as before we were made children of wrathe and death Nowe wée are in Christe created a new and fashioned another lumpe and made comlyer and better then before we were Also the wall is broken downe betwixt him and vs and wée haue frée passage to him by faith and this faith it is giuen vs for it is the gifte of God. The thirde propertie required in this our faith was that it should come by hearing Rom. 10.17 The occasion hereof I take to be that a difference might appeare of the rightuous of the vnrighteous man For as euery one is readiest in hearing so shoulde he be perfectest in his liuing Yet this is not as the light in the Sunne that can not be altered for our worldlings in these dayes are at Sermons with the first but in life the filthiest The proofe thereof it will shewe it self if it were lawfull to touche the behauiour of priuate men which offence as I thinke it not expedient to bee giuen in the churche so if it were euer lawfull I suppose it to be nowe wherein a number be redier to flye to Layis with them of the tribe of Dan to be a father and Prieste to Images then quietly to staye at home or do any good in Siloe Their earerings and their iewels they are too base to serue their Mahomet in their chambers and to garnish vp their altars but zeale that they haue to the house of God and his worde The graine of mustarde seede spoken of in Matthew and lesse if lesse there may bee will presse it downe with heaped vp measure The Lorde graunt that if time serued there bée not spyes among vs to waye out the ritches of Hierusalem by wayght nor seruauntes in our owne palaces readie bent to saye Ahimelech and the Priests of God For that they of mount Ephraim and the inhabitaunts of Gilgall be so gracelesse in their dealings These Asarites howe beginne they euen nowe to kicke against vs Haue they net serued Baall before our faces of late of a trueth it will fall out that as they haue béene sufficient thornes and prickes in our sides vntill this daye so to paye vs that they owe vs and to fill our measures to the brimme if euer Abimelech doo get vp wée shall finde it too late to flye vnto sichem to saue vs These dayes of sorrowe the Lorde kéepe from vs and giue them of his spirite to acknowledge the true light that the faith whereon they vaunt so mutch may appeare as the day and that olde Cankar so growen in their sides and now rotten for lacke of launching may growe to whole and perfect fleshe or that hee would fende a sharpe razour to ransack it But as for these men I leaue them to the Lorde I returne thither from whence I came to take my laste farewell of my young Schollers to whome I haue directed all this spéeche And I wishe them in time to knowe the lord And that the rottennesse putrifaction that is together drawn into their hearts that they swallowed vp from their cradels might be layd aside in their youth they growe vp of them selues into a more liuely body For I knowe though you bee accustomed to praye yet that your tender yeares be not able to carry with them that discretion and naturall attendaunce moste commonly in suche as be of greater stature more dayes Learne in thy youth then séeke to bringe that desire thou haste to praier vnto his ful perfection as for this shorte lesson I do giue thée it is an other manner of one thē as yet thou hast learned and thy readines of wit thy tender age thy prime and flowre wherin thou arte it wil be an ayde and helpe vnto thy memorys Neyther will I exact so straight and narrow kinde of life as others doo for I leaue a liberty to the freshnes of thy youth as meete and conuenient times to sporte thee with Thy pastime alone let it bee honest myrth as becommeth a seruaunt and Scholler of Christe I permit thee not to séeke out any holes and corners to pray in and let not the euill example of these that bee aged alter and
mountaines leaue there dwelling and runne a wrie in his displeasure Yet that man shoulde as a Lorde and king ouer these bée without a king and guide to rule him It pleaseth God I shoulde sée the maner of the world and of foolish people in my youth and glad I am thereof For if a man liue many yeres in them all reioyce yet shall he remember the day of darkenesse and in the end all whatsoeuer commeth is but vanitie But hee that knoweth the will of God and is led by it his ende is gladnesse and his yeares is glorie and honour shal be his portion for euer For as the cloudes drop in there season on the earth and as the trée doth fall towarde the South or as the North winde blustreth consumeth or as in the place the trée falleth there it lyeth So is it ordeined to man that according to his life he shoulde finde it when he commeth to accompt Who can measure the waues of the Sea by his Bucketts or who is he can shewe me the way of the spirite Howe doe the boanes growe And howe increase our Synewes Or what is the iust order of the bodie when thou liuest What is the secreate working in the womb when the infant striueth with his mother shee bursteth consumeth with Sorrowe All these be harde and the wisedome of al flesh cannot iudge hereof But the will of the Lorde who knoweth it Then happie is that man that hath vnderstanding and he is blessed of the Lord that hath wisedome his dayes are prolonged on earth the measureth his doings by the will of god For the husbandman soweth his séede but he knoweth not the gaine that will come vp thereof And the wayfaring man he taketh his iourney in the morning but he is not aware what wil be fall or night The craftes master he worketh and wearieth himselfe yet little doth he knowe who shall eate the labour of his handes And he that planteth buildeth cannot tell to whome his substance is prouided for Then if in these thinges that bee on earth the Lorde God is knowen as guider and directour of them all What saluation can we looke for What health can we wishe for What preseruation can we hope for But from the Lorde Is it then any meruaile if we pray Let thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Two fortes of men I condempne here The first they that be emong them selues a seuerall house and churche from all other that be louelike of the housholde of faith with whome against the will of God there is thoughts cogitations euil pretences to mischiefe that thinke though they bee vile and lasciuious yet to bee accounted as holy and righteous and do thinke that they are led by the Spirite of God and cannot erre And though they will and wish nothing else then is wicked yet that all is done by the will of God. The seconde is against the Pelagians and againste free will men that giue saluation to their déedes and life vnto their workes and heauen vnto their owne will to haue frée power to choose or refuse to take it or forsake it being offered them to haue a minde to obey God and a will to serue the Lorde and readines to fulfill the commaundements of them selues and from no other Among whome this prayer is changed Thy will be fulfilled and their owne imaginations strengthened for their will is sufficient Let no man wounder at this For the place is not so inconuenient but that I may touche it And I wishe wee might not haue to do with them they bée so daungerous But as the winde that is in the East commeth néere vnto the Westerne parte and is scattered abroade through all coastes of the earth So am I afraide that our neighbours infected about vs with these heresies driuen to seeke their harbour dwelling in other places shoulde wander nowe too néere vs And vndoubtedly if this watcheworde be not sufficient to stay the course that is begon My little treatise heereof at this time shall rise hereafter to a greater volume The firste Heresie tooke his originall from Simon Magus the inchaunter hee that woulde haue bought the Holy ghost for money when he was baptized of Philip That did thinke it was no sinne to vse the company of all women indifferently This herctike thought also that he could not sinne And if any fault was committed that it was forgiuen him And lawfull to vse any company any vice any euill déede sinne and beastlinesse without exception And this herisie as I heare is blowen abroade and euen nowe renued not many myles from vs that it seemeth high time to confound them least they shoulde spreade abroade and infect others I séeke not curiously to knowe whome especially they followed For they sauour partly of Carpocrates that filthie and beastly liuer They take part of Prodicus that did prostitute him selfe to all maner of lasciuiousnes that was a defender of those that were called Adamites They haue a portion among the Donatistes that seuere them selues from the supper of the Lorde least they should be insected with others And Pelagius hath schooled them to thinke well of them selues and to haue saluation in their own wil. So that if they knewe not before I shewe them nowe I hope in time what father they had and from whence they had their beginning All whiche commeth from the enimie of all fleshe the father of lyes and Prince of this worlde that is ruler of the ayre the diuell and Sathanas This houshold of faith commonly called The familie of loue it was spread abroade in Germanie in the lowe countrye verie nigh about thrée hundred yeares past and renued of late within this fourtie yeares and hath continued vntill nowe If so that it had not pleased God the more to lighten them with his spirite that in time they should reuolt First they do thinke that he which is regenerated can sinne no more and that the Spirite will neuer leaue them for what grosse sinne soeuer and that they are deified The nexte that their bodies may as common ware bee solde to euery one to vse them alike Which grosse and pernicious errours I am forie I must close them vp in so short a roome But yet content at this present to kéepe a lowe sayle I will touche them briefely All fleshe doth sinne for man sinneth daily Some men I doubt not haue the spitite of God Then men hauing the Spirite of God sinne dayly I sometime woundered at the first entrance step I tooke vnto diuinitie to sée what ende was alotted vnto the sonnes of Adam I marueiled at the grace wée haue from god That though Lot was called good yet fell in drunkennesse and rose againe so spâ—edily by the Lorde And Abraham so well beloued and commended from heauen howe it came to passe that hee should prostitute
munera poscis Munera quae longós sunt habitura dies Ex hoc fonte fluent auidae solamina menti Sola fuos famulos quae sine fine beant Scriptores alij lucri fallacis amore Diuulgant animi damna pudenda sui Applausum plebis multorum scripta requirunt Mobile iudicium mobile vulgus habet Multorum Italicis turgescit pagina fumis Nomen habet libri non habet artis opus Hos Venus eneruat Venerisque obscaena libido Plena est deliris impia Musa iocis Aspice quam multas vendit vernacula nugas Lingua quibus species nulla pudoris inest Incumbit lassis infoelix sarcina praelis Equibus exitij dira venena fluunt At tu Keltrigi diuerso tramite curris Scribis at in scriptis stat Deus ipse tuis Et legis ast ea quae Christi dictata legebas Antè fidem mores dogmata sana preces Enarras at quae te iussit spiritus ergo Mactè agè virtutem quaelibet ansamouet Gloria sit Christi populi sit fructus at ista Laudis ingenij sint monumenta tui FINIS The exposition and Readynges of John Keltridge vpon these woordes of our Sauiour Christe that bee written in the .xj. of Luke ¶ The texte 1. ¶ And it fortuned as he was praying in a certayne place when he had ceased one of his Disciples sayd vnto him Lorde teache vs to pray as Iohn also taught his disciples And he sayd vnto them when you pray say 2. O our Father which art in Heauen 3. Halowed bee thy name 4. Thy Kingdome come 5. Thy wyll be fulfilled euen in Earth also as it is in Heauen 6. Our dayly bread giue vs this day 7. And forgiue vs our sinnes for euen we forgiue euery man that offendeth vs 8. And leade vs not into temptation 9. But deliuer vs from euill THe Church and societie of the faythfull it hath bin from the beginning as from the first moulde wheron wée were fashioned so till the last houre when the Lorde wil call vs vnto a reckning hée will daily foster and maintaine such as feare his name For which cause the family of the Lorde and of those that beléeue and call on him faythfully haue in espetiall receyued two manner of ordinaunces giuen directly from God since the first creation The first is the knowledge of him and of his word The second the māner of prayer and of callinge on the Lorde wherin I doo exempte and seuar from the Church all fond and counterfet illusions crept in by the vanity and superstition of men For as hee that made and created all was partner with no man in that singular worke of his So is it not to bée permitted that any one shoulde haue that glory which is due onely to his Maiesty Therfore hee hath sealed vp as proper to his seueral vse all manner of adoration all inuocation and ernest affection of the spirite neyther hath hée giuen liberty to the Sonnes of men to vse it any otherwise then in his name the certaynty whereof is knowne in this for that our Sauiour Christ hath giuen by his comminge vnto man 〈◊〉 thinges as keyes to open and shut the Gates of Heauen His Gospell wherin the euerlastinge God is knowne and Iesus Christ whom hée hath sent togeather with our duety and feruency and the vse therof as the vniting of vs all in both the sacramentes So that of these as of a swéete sauor doo the odours cum vp out of that golden Censar which offer and present them selues before his Throne the prayers of his Sainctes Wherfore I haue aboue all other as one albeit in the gréenenes of my dayes peraduenture also rawnes of time far vnméete to discerne so great a matter Yet made choyse especially of this that a playne and perfect way may be knowen wherin to walke For that euery one is ready to come vnto the Alter and many in these dayes thinke them selues discharged come they to the Temple to heare Elyas And this vayle it is taken away more easely as wee bee readier to serue God sinsearly But if any man thinke I haue donne him iniury in decidinge this I appeale to the Booke of God to trye it In whose name I require all such as feare his Maiesty and loue the truth to giue mée liberty to vse my speeche oue houre or two Then shall hee seeme very Christianly bente when hee examineth all things by the worde of the Lorde or liueth so all the dayes of his life that prayinge deuoutly hee pray vnfaynedly or crauinge needely hee doo it neighbourly or askinge earnestly it bee done brotherly in all his dealings The occasion of these words of our Sauiour Christ was taken of a question mooued of his Disciples namely how and after what manner it was expedient to pray And this it was drawne from the custome and ordinance of the disciples of Iohn so that these few lines haue two things in generall therin contayned First a demaund or request of his disciples Next an aunswere or replye to the peticion of his sayd scholers Both which giue mee occasion to deuide or make distribution of the same wordes for in the demaunde or requeste of his disciples is contayned an entraunce or pathway vnto prayer which you shall finde to be onely handled in this first péece of this worke and as for the answere of Christ that it is now too long to stand vpon for a bréefe exposition with the meaning therof it is to bée looked for in the seconde part of this Booke The knowledge how to praye with the demaunde or question hath théese foure péeces seuerally deuided by themselues 1. Whether we haue neede of praier or not 2. What prayer is 3. What kindes or māner of prayer there be 4. How to prepare our selues to prayer ¶ Causes that wee haue neede of Prayer are these FIrst the expres word of God that commaundeth vs to pray The question is when and it must be alwayes as Mat. 7.7 Luk. 18.1 Rom. 12.12 Eph. 6.18 Colos 4.2 1. Tim. 2.8 Pro. 18.23 1. Thes 5.17 Psal. 50. The seconde cause that wée haue néede of prayer is showen in the examples of our forfathers in the Law and before the Law accordinge to the will of God that ought to mooue vs of Abell Gen. 4.4 of Seth. Gen. 4.26 of Noe. Gen. 6.6 and Gen. 8.22 In this age menne are not sayd to haue so full knowledge of God onely to haue sacrifised and called on God and not by the word praying Albeit it was not without intercession But in the dayes of Abram afterwarde called Abraham the way and manner of calling on the name of God is most liuely expressed as Gen. 22.8 Gen. 13.4 Therfore also had Abraham the commendation of the Lord in the training and bringing vp of his youth and housholde as Gen. 18.19 So Abraham his seruaunt praied when hée went to get his Maisters Sonne a Wife from Caran of Mesopotamia of the house of Nicor Gen.
24.12 So Isaack went out to pray in the eueninge verse 63. After this began the word of God to bée more fully knowne vnto our fathers Hee was not onely more openly worshipped but more reuerently and duely honored For Moyses prayed forty dayes and forty nightes Deut. 9.25 Also for his Sister Mary stroken with a leoprosie for that shée rebelled agaynst her Brother Numb 12 13. Therfore also God commaunded Iosuah to meditate in the booke of his Law day and night Iosuah 1.8 After which time they of Israell gaue them selues to more earnest obedyence and more pure and sinceare reuerence of his Maiesty Great men aunciant Matrons Kings and Princes loued him faythfully called on his name constantly signified their homage and obedyence openly Hanna wife vnto Helcana in the sight of the Preest 2. Sam. 1 Debora and Barack Iud. 5.1 Iudith in the misery and calamytie of her Citezens 13.2 And Dauid sanctified the name of him that was Almighty and asked councell of the Lord God 2. Sam. 5. by Abiathar the highe Préeste After that hee daunced before the Arke of god 2. Sam. 6. Then at the blessinge receyued of Nathan with the certeinty of his kingedome with an aunsweare of the house hée would haue builte hée went in and sate before the Lorde and worshipped 2. Sam. 7.18 so did Salomon euen in the royaltye and statelynesse of his Princes Offering vp burnt offrings and trespas offerings and consecrating the Temple newly dedicated 2. Kings 8.22 stoode before the Alter in the sight of the congregatiō and stretched out his hands towardes Heauen In the same manner Christe prayed for vs Ioh. 16.26 and 17.9 and 20. Hée prayeth also for Peter Luk. 22.32 Paull prayeth without ceasinge 1. Thes 1.2 Hée prayeth in the Temple Act. 22.17 Hée fasteth and prayeth Act. 14.23 So that Ideines banished slothe abolished our mindes strengthned In desiring readynes in praying steadines in beléeuing perfectnes can not but they must thorowly cupple vs and chayne vs to the Lorde make vs readye by the examples of our Predecessors and of God himselfe to obaye and prayse him ¶ The thirde cause is The necessity of man that néedeth all thinges for what haue wée that wée haue not from the Lorde Meate to nourish vs apparrel to clothe vs the Sun to comfort vs the Moone to pleasure vs the Starres in their brightnes the Sommer in his gallantnes the Springtyde in his pleasantnesse all commeth from the Lorde ¶ The fourth cause is The daunger and perrill wherin wée bée so often times fallinge so often slyppinge so continually transgressing the will of the highest At our birthe very vnwillinge to enter into these miseries yet tasting of the vanities and delights of the flesh wée choke vp the good giftes of God and are daily wayed doune with greater encomberaunces If wee looke vp to Heauen the glory and furniture therof condempneth vs for they ronne out their race and kéepe their appoynted circuit as men of war prepared vnto battayle they neuer retire backe vncrowned Man only among them that haue reason very vnreasonable alwayes rebelleth and reasoneth with god If wée turne our eyes to see the earth the creatures therin they curse the state of man and grone to bée at liberty acknowledginge our fall and séeinge the dishonour wherunto wee be come that standinge so surely wauer now so brickelly and liuing happely are now faine to misery decayinge not stayinge till hée that sit aboue in the Heauens renue agayn our former state and bringe vs holme to lyfe Therfore pray without intercession that the god of glory may recompence those that bée his at his appearing ¶ The fifth cause is The deliuerance by the Lord that other wise weare helplesse For as they whose bones were wearied in Aegipt whose sinewes and ioyncts were benommed with making bricke that could get no stubble and strawe to burne their Clay that had litle rest and small quiet vntill God appoynted his messenger sent his seruants in signes and wonders to reskew them So wée if blessednes come not from the strength of Israell and quietnes from him that loued Iacob and a pleasant looke from him that erecteth the Hill of Sion and deliuerance from Christ and strength from God neyther can wée neyther may wée neyther ought wée to hope for any safety whatsoeuer The Lord our God hee is a man of warre his name is Iehouah hée scattereth the Charyots in his wrath hée sendeth out lightning in his fury hee chastneth his enemies as a valiaunt champion and battereth in péeces the bulworkes of the wicked so excelent is hée and so kinde a Lord vnto such as feare him that trouble persecution death it selfe is conquered where hée helpeth vs anguish of minde and penury bée cōmon messengers where hée assaulteth vs. ¶ The sixth cause is and the last The Diuil and Sathanas that assayeth continually and worketh craftely to bereaue vs of the honor wée looke for from the Lorde That subtilly prenenteth vs watchfuly intangleth vs so deceiptfully snareth vs to driue vs from our god Hée hath a number at his becke as Pages to wayte on vs Seruaunts hée hath great store at his commaundement to withdrawe vs espyes hee appoynteth to ransacke our dooinges the more easely to betray vs For hée is the prince of this world hee ruleth chéeflye Eph. 2.2 Ioh. 12.31 Many wayes hée may ouerreatch vs for diuerse hée his pretences pleasant hée his fetches to intrap vs when reason is exiled and shée hath lost her seate when Wisdome is banished content to séeke out an other corners to harbor in when the pleasauntnes of the brayne and finenes of thy wit is fled awaye When thy younge dayes are gon and the gréenenesse of thy youth wythered vp When wantonnes hath rushed out and thou thy selfe warest dimme when strength faileth thée and thy stout and courragious men are fayne to bough and the Elements can féed thee no longer and thou layd in thy Pauilion thy Tente pitched in the ground thy body layed vnto the earth and thy spirite in his powre that gaue it thée shall hee not giue a shrewde assault and lay vnto thy charge and vpbrayde thée with thy misdeeds that hath so long a time accused our bretheren day and night before the Lorde Reu. 12.10 If hée spared not Iehosuah the heighe Préeste standinge before the Aungell of the lord But suffered rebuke at the hands of the Mediator and as yet ceaseth not to vere his sainctes The onely way that wée haue to auoyde him is by our intercession and prayer to the Lord offered vp in golden vessels before our God to make an Attonment for our sinnes and heare is sumwhat to bee consithered also For there is two kindes of prayer one of good men of euil mē another Full deare in the sight of the Lord is the prayers of his saincts and his eares are open vnto their cryinge who is there that hath failed that put his trust in the Lorde or hath hée
lay not thy infirmities abrode and vncouer not thy nakednes before the Lord God when thou enterest into his seate and iudgest presumptuously in thine owne eyes then looke about and beware For of a trueth he hath the lawe and the Scepter and he hath the sworde to destroy thée Remember Dauid his supplication vnto the Lord. O thinke vpon thy tender mercie and louing kindnesse for they haue béene for euer Remember not the sinnes of my youth nor my rebellions but according to thy kindnesse remember thou mée for thy goodnes sake O Lorde I thinke Dauid indifferently smyteth vs vnto the quicke and he that shall turne him selfe to sée the manners of our time will thinke there is scarce a God vppon the earth to sée what glorie he suffereth in the vngodly men and to sée howe the head of the iust is couered with reproches But as the beautie of the Sunne till the cloude ouershadowe it and as is the Palme trée till the frost nippeth it as the blossome of the Peache till the winde alter it so is the beautie of the wicked til the Lord cōsumeth him For if God enter into iudgement what flesh shall bee iustefied in his sight For euen this confessed Daniel in that hee and other of the Church presented not their supplications before God for their owne rightuousnes but for his owne mercy sake foreseeing that wee of Adam are by nature the Children of death to what ende shall wee striue with God whose spirite hath not alwayes striued with vs For he knew that wee were but flesh and that vayne were the cogitacions and thoughtes of man from his youth Then let this bee our first way to prepare our selues to goe to prayer that wee take vnto vs humilite and debase our selues before the Lorde The second kinde of seruice or duety wee owe and rightly to come vnto prayer is this that wee bee not gilty of that in Esay This people confesseth mee with their lippes but their hartes are far from mee Hee that is offender herein is not fitte to come vnto the Lorde namely to haue thy body at the Temple and thy presence at the Alter and thy harte at holme Can the Aethiopian be made white or the sōmer chaunge his course Can you gather Grapes of Thistles and Figges of Thornes wilt thou fetch Honye out of the Rocke and the Sunne beames from the duskishnes of the night or the Cristolet or the Saphir out of all quarters of the earth No more will hée his glorye from the wicked nor his loue and fauour from the vngodly nor ioy and Heauen from the dissembler nor his Christ and his owne presence will hee shew for euer vnto the Hypocrite I remember I spake hereof before yet it is necessary to touch it now that the iust measure of the man of God may appeare The third thinge or the preparation and pathway that wée may haue more assured entrance into praier is to bée of a faythfull and vpright conuersation and to bée steady in fayth If wee come vnto a Senate or before graue and auncient councellors wee repose some assuraunce of that wee come for in their hands and I knowe if it bée the price of Monye there is no man but speketh very cōstātly Then if we haue any thing to craue for of the Lord it behooueth vs to tread our steps aright to lay the forme of our wordes duelye and the manner of our speeche that wée lispe not and thy thoughtes and cogitacions that thou wauer not before his Maiesty For if thy minde be not setled and thy dealings dispised and thou thy selfe strengthned that thou shiuer not it is in hazard but that thy whole request perisheth And to say the truth how can wee call on him on whom wée beleeue not Goe wée vnto the Mariner and the Seafaring man and to no ende or thinke wée then to bée drowned Doo wée run vnto the Phisition or wayte wée for poyson will the Lawier take his fee for nothinge or can wée bow our selues before our God as if wee were at Beersheba or at Dan or at the Idolles of Samaria to retourne agayne without aunswer then vnhappy truely were our case but euen for this doo we come before the Lord to wipe away the teares from our eyes and the burthen from our shoulders and that hee would accepte our fayth For hee that beléeueth in him hee shall not perishe but haue life And vnto this ende are we called that we might bee heires of eternall saluation accordinge to hope Titus 3. Therfore Ieames hee that prayeth let him pray in fayth not doubtinge for hee that wauereth is like vnto the leapinges of the Sea that is turned and walowed in the winde and let not that man thinke that he shall haue any thing from the Lorde that asketh not stedfastly It was well sayde of the Apostle Lorde increase our sayth and agayne helpe or vnbeleefe for it is very hard for flesh and blood to aske so faythfully but that he wil be still in a mammoringe To the end then that wee may appeare before him clothed with rightuousnes and our garmēts bee spanged with sinseritie and truth that we may know to pray faythfully to obey steadely to trust in him obediently I will drawe out the Image of a perfecte and vpright Christian and lay open the tokens and signes of an Infidell There is for so I sinde in the writers fiue kindes or maner of fayth which I doo professe that I haue red also in the booke of God. 1. An Historicall or Ethnicke like 2. A deade fayth that is good for nought 3. A fayth of miracles cōmon to the wicked 4. A temporall fayth which is but for a time 5. A iustifiyng fayth which remayneth euer AN Historical faith such a one as is of the Ethnick when there shal be no difference made of the Heauenly and the Eternall God than is of the Infidell to an Idoll of a Panime to his counterfet and halowed Saincte or the Gentil to his Saturne or the Turke to his Mahomet And this manner of Religion it is in all those that be on the face of the earth for the Heauens declare the glory of God the Firmament his handy worke and very nature shewed to the Heathen that there was one that satte aboue that spred abroad the face of the Heauens as a coueringe and called the Sunne at his pleasure and renued the course of the yéeres Cleanthe◠in Seneca cryed out Duc me summe pater altique dominator poli that excellent verse in Peter Martirre borowed of the Poet Homer can testefie the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotle had Ens entium in his lips as for any thing els hee knew not It is a common thing among the nations to confesse a God as for ought els they know not Otherwise as I finde it in Arnobius the Persians would neuer ioyne themselues with their Mothers Nor
electe wherfore there is no ground of our fayth vpon these exterior shewes nor saluation to bée promised for thy miracles sake For as they at the Possouer receiued to the outward shew no more then a bare signe of him that should bee crucified so in like manner those that wrought by miracles and woonders weare neuer the nearer Heauen by them for they weare tokens only of their functions Who can reason that in as much as I am baptized I am immediatly elected or receiuing the Sacraments I am therfore to bée assured of my saluation For as the first is a token of regeneration which is not tyed to the outwarde Ceremonies so the seconde it is not necessary it should haue his effecte for I may receaue it vnworthely Then this which I call a fayth of miracles it is effectuall for a time and as well is the Lorde gloryfied in the reprobate as hee is in his chosen and all thinges are created by the Lorde and the wicked for the daye of wrath Is there any that dare tye the spirite of the Lorde God to any man are wee not in his handes and hath hee not made vs If God will set out his powre in the Vessels of dishonor and make them to bee ready at his commaundement What shall hee doo vnto those whom hee hath chosen vnto glorye doo you not finde that Saull was also reckoned amonge the Prophets and so was Simon Magus amonge the Apostels I speake of the Samaritans which knewe him not then wée may bée satisfied in in this for it is no proofe of our election and of our fayth because wee can doo miracles The Papistes that haue erred in that gros Idolatry of transubstantiation to ratefie their deuises of the reall presence of Christe haue snatched certeine proofes out of Ciprian in the treatise of the life of Gregory their first reason is That in the hand of Gregorius as hée prayed at the Alter the Sacrament that is the bread was turned into a finger and appeared as flesh But how strong an argument is this For Hildebrand that wrought by inchauntment and got the Bishopricke and succeeded him many yéeres after might giue his predicessor leaue to play one knacke of legerdemayne as well as hee The same Ciprian thoughe I knowe hee had his error is witnesse that sometime as the Sacrament was ministred there stoode in the presence of the Preeste a litle Boye wheron their reason is still grounded Ergo Christe is really in the Sacrament It was pritely sayde in one place by Malanghton vpon a frumpe that hee gaue a cauilling Sophistar Baculus stat in angulo ergo non licet sacerdotibus ducere vxores and of truth so say I to this argument A Réede groweth in the Riuar I must not therfore play to morrowe For as is of litle Children at the Skales so is the childishnes of this reason open to vs all And yet there is a thirde reason mixed to that which went before that when as the bread was thrust thorow with Penkniues there issued out of the hoast perfecte blood therfore they conclude Christ is really in the Sacrament The Ensusiastistes that weare often times franticke and madde they vsed to daunce and kepte company with Deuilles and as they reported were thē selues turned into Spirites yet thought they notwithstanding they had the holy Ghost Ergo ought wee to credit them These patched coates I would they weare giuen to some other wee stande in no such neede as yet to weare them I might heape vp a donghill of such robbish if I would but wée haue too much of that already I wish rather the they would vnburthen vs of that wee haue for you lefte of late sutch bundels ther of in out corners that if prouision bee not had and foresight taken it will before it bee longe infecte vs all wee are content to leaue this for sutch as desire it and very willinge to learne if that you can afforde vs better ware as for this faith of miracles it is nowe vanished and fled for feare the sight of the Gospell did so astonishe them that they were neuer knowen in Englande since Peraduenture some idle Monke or Launcelet fryer newely crept out of his Portesse hath compiled a greate and huge volume of their sainct George on horsebacke or some such petie Canon thrust out a shéete or two of paper of their Diriges and Trentalles otherwise they haue occupied and busied them selues in little Then let this suffice nowe for a testimoniall before the Lord that in no one thing neither wonder nor signe neither miracle neither tokē or in ought else is the saluation and life of man put saue in a liuely true and perfect hope by faith confirmed in our redemption vpon the crosse in the blood of Christ So that at length though verie wearie we haue arriued at a verie pleasant porte for one or two turnes more ouer passed wee will lanche no more into the depth but quietly take our aboade in this hauen by faith that can quietly protect vs against all the haylestones and tempestes of the diuell Yet enter wée not in presently something there is wée must suffer before least that rashly and in haste wee mistake the holde whereunto we should bend our sailes and be throwen out a loofe vnto another And as is of two rockes the one whereof will smite vs in sunder if wee light thereon the other if we doo drawe to it warily will saue vs euen so is it of these that I talke of The countenaunce of them both is alike for a season but happie is hee that can make choice of them the difference is séene verie easily in that the laste two members which I left vntouched before ar still behinde The first of them is faith for a time the seconde is a iustifying faith and a greate péece of cunninge there is in discerning them of that faith whiche is for a season and for a while it is written in Matthew 13. When any man heareth the worde of the kingdome and vnderstandeth it not For the euill man commeth and snatcheth away that whiche is sowen in his heart and it is he which hath receiued the séede by the wayes side Smith sometimes a Bishop in England an impudent Sophister in his booke he wrote against Peter Martir that good man of God the verie same that he set out against Melancton and against Luther he in those of his chippes which he swept vp together verie vnconstantly affirmeth fidem faith not to be fideutiam faithfulnes and inueying sore against such as make that man which would be faithfull to continue in his faithfulnesse He racketh that same place of Paule Ephes 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is we haue boldnesse and entraunce with confidence by faith in him What is it can bee vttered in plainer forte In Christe wee be encouraged to looke vp to heauen that durst not before
breake the right course thou shouldest take in thy youth I giue thee a charge for the Sabboth daye and that thou seuer not thy selfe from the congregation neyther cut his Churche into peeces whereof thou art also one For I would that thou knew that the ende wherfore you are called into the Church of God is to vnderstand that your redemption is layd vp in Christe and your life perfited in his blood a token and signe wherof you receiued when as you promised vnto the Lord to bee holy and perfecte and vnspotted vnto him so that there is no time giuen you to contend for trifles neyther may you contend about Baptisme or doubt of the fauour of God or distrust the Lorde seeing hee is a God of rightuousnes And if our manner of order trouble thée or our custome hinder thee that wee vse at Baptisme I shewe thee that it is indifferente what matter is it if thou come vnto the Funt there receauest tokens of grace It is better more laudable then if thou diddest take it at a Bason or out of a Pot or powred out thorow any ther vessels for they all bee prophaned worse by wicked and prophane men that washe and handle them then is this vsed of Papistes in time of Popery For these are abused now the Funt hath bin clensed many a tyme since and is put vnto a good vse Thinke not mutch to forsake the Diuell for hee is a wicked Spirite and enemy to mankinde or to denounse his workes for they bee euill vngodly nor the Pomps and vanities of this world for they fade and vanishe togeather and if thou conceaue an euill opinion of the Minister yet doo not thou the duety of a Minister and let not the examples of other men mooue thée for it is vngodly and agaynst the word of the Lord But see that thou walke vprightly in sinscritee and integrytée of harte When thou commest to greater grothe and art able first to pray then aright nexte to God when thou art instructed in the manner and forme of prayer then vnderstandest that it is to bée doone in pure and perfecte fayth without swaruinge and art able to iudge a true Christian by the Badge and Colisen hee weareth Which is a good and vpright conuersation grounded vpon assured hope take no thought my Childe neyther thinke that thou arte farre from Christe and bee thou perswaded that hee knoweth thee For then I will bring thee to his Table and thou shalt eate and drinke with him and I will giue thee assurance of that fayth thou hast neyther shalte thou bée any more a straunger or foraner but a partaker of his body of his blood wherby thou art washed and clensed from sin on whom thou féedest spiritually in that liuely fayth which I haue taught But take you héede my litle ones that you doo not trouble your selues with vanityes for that you haue not learned of mee neyther vere your mindes with vntimely questions which bee not for your yeares leaue them to others I charge thee that thou make no difference of standinge if thou come thyther neyther yet necessity in kneeling to know God nor Religion insitting to serue the Lorde Presume not to bée a Iudger of thy Brother at his Table rake not vp olde offences remember not the iniquities doone in his youth thinke that God hath forgotten them and know they are wiped away by assured repentaunce in the blood of Christ The wicked man shall beare his owne sinne and the vngodly his owne transgressions therfore flye not from the Table of the Lorde for the iniquity of thy Brother My litle one learne in time and suffer not age to incrotch with stealinge steppes before thou know the Lorde For if I giue thee Breade and Wine as giuen vnto euery one priuately to put him in minde of the receipte therof If I bid thee take the Breade in a remembraunce of his body that was giuen for thee and the Wine in a remembraunce of his blood was shed for thée it is all one vnto vs as if Brother should drinke vnto Brother and the effecte therof alike If I shall vse a certaine and definite order in my prayer to the ende there may bée no confusion in the Church it is better my Sunne then if euery man pray seuerally and then there shal be small agréement or cōsent amonge vs But I see that euery one of you hath his appoynted manner and it is not good in the Church of God for there must bée as it weare one body ioyned together by one voice vttering all of vs as of one spéeche one prayer vnto our God As for the Garments that wée weare they detract nothing from the goodnes of the Lorde and make a conscience in thy life that God may prosper thy dayes and blesse thy youth and giue thee a perfecte knowledge in thy age and directe thée in a holy and pure conuersation in the sight of men Put not religion in trifles and if at the Table of the Lorde I stand North or South it is alike as if I turned Caste or West vnto the Lord For he is in all quarters of the earth As for the state wherin thou art doubt thou not therof let no man delude thée in any thing For thy Baptisme at what time soeuer it was whether in ignoraunce or in the brightnesse of the Gospell whether by a man or by a woman or by the good or by the euill or by the Christian or by the Panime though none of them all bée allowed of mée yet if it happen so God hée is not tyed to the good or to the bad to the water or to the signe but those whom hée accepteth will hée call into his Churche Put not the ground of thy fayth in any thinge that is vnseemely and thinke not those which bée thy suertyes shal answere for thee or for thy déeds For when they haue brought thee out of fier and water and set thée vpon thy feete and trayned thée vp in good nurture and tought thee the wayes of the Lord and thou of thy selfe come vnto full grothe my Childe thinke not thou art tyed vnto them or yet that their life is fastned vnto thine For thy sinne it is vpon thy owne heade and God will roote out the heary scalpe of such a one as transgresseth his Lawes doubt not of this whither thou oughtest to forsake the Diuell and all his woorkes or no but vnderstande at the beginning and know that God loueth righteousnes and hateth iniquity and thy conuersation let it not bée in the workes of the fleshe Murther adultery incest fornication thefte bribary extorcion vsury robbing thy neighboure nor in porloyning nor in deceyt nor in racking of the poore nor in grudging nor in enuy nor debate nor striuing nor in concupiscence nor in the wayes and swéetenesse of this life For these and sutch like bée the workes of the
signes and miracles without any slothe or staying but euen spéedely at his woorde not saith hee with many trifling circumstances but in his wisedome at his pleasure Howe glorious a God then is he and worthie to be magnified Therefore Crisostom to Philemon When God did not stande in néede of our helpe he created made vs of nothing For when he had made euery thing then made he man what reuerence then can we giue to our God more then sanctifie him shewe his power among men Primatius on the Romanes atributeth mercie iustice goodnes peace with all other good giftes vnto the Lord and to this end he doth it euen to pluck downe debase man to exalt and sanctifie the name of god Augustine is verie excellent in his meditations hee giueth vnto God these titles Great mightie omnipotent eternall pittifull long suffering righteous that hydeth many things knoweth all things Only strong onely present onely of force and of strength vncomprehensible seeinge all thinges iudginge all thinges vuchanngable yet chaunging and altering all other immortall infinite whom no man can attayne vnto Immoouable yet moouinge and turninge all vnsearchable yet searching all feareful and fearing all yet neuer feared that is aunciaunt and olde and gray headed for hée was euer not altered for hée is the same that bringeth all to age and continueth alwayes workinge and fashioninge and framinge and making and creating all yet alwayes quiet alwayes strong alwayes giuing neuer needing defending distributing nourishing profiting louinge ayding mainteining displeased yet pleased repenting not striking and consuming yet protecting fostering that is onely one and eternall and euerlasting and vnchangeable in his counsell I suppose that Augustine hath shewed vs howe to iudge of the Lorde howe to sanctifie him howe to glorifie him euen when we lay aside all that is in man and giue due honour reuerence feare and maiestie vnto him I will staye no longer in this place I procéede to that which followeth for I dare not stande in curious intermedling with the Lorde but I shewe yon briefely in what the Lorde is sanctified euen in all things that are vppon the earth whose excellencie if it haue any and glorie and goodnes commeth onely from God But in especial God is sanctified by these two workes and iust iudgements of his that happen in the worlde The firste is his righteousnesss and his iustice in the reuealing whereof euen by punishing the wicked and comforting them that bee his the Lorde God is chiefely glorified as in Pharao his ouerthrow in the read Sea with the destruction and ouerwhelming of his captaines horses and chariots that was a feare and astonishment to all nations The like in Sennacharib the Tirant of Assiria that ouerthrewe the Gods of the nations and blasphemed the trewe liuing God and perished he and his people by the hand of the Angell In no one thing is the Lorde so glorified as in this in shewing his rigour and sharpnesse to the infidels and nations and by sauing and protecting his people what glorious beautiful steppes had the daughter of Syon when Iuda was brought out of captiuitie and Hierusalem from thraldome bondage and the lame man went in the stréetes and the blinde could sée the Lorde and the Leapers were clensed and the bloudie Cyte was made a running spring and the standing poole a riuer of sweete water and when ioye and health was spreade abrode vpon the children of that wofull and desolate widow Sion when the Messias was come the Churche deliuered the Apostles called the Gentiles elected Herod eaten and deuoured with Lice the enimie of the Lorde and the Churche had quietnesse and the enimies were swallowed vp and glad tydings of the Gospel was preached on the face of the whole earth When the Lord permitted persecution vnder Nero Domitian Traian Dioclesian vntill Arcadius howe rose it againe triumphantly the Lorde God magnified in Asia in Aphrica in Europe and the heretikes beaten and suppressed downe by the worde of God. After that from Arcadius vnto Honorius vnto Theodotius the younger vnto Martian vntill Leo vntill Zeno. Howe worthie a passage had the power of the Gospell euen from Arrius and those heretikes that went before him vntill Pelagius and those heretikes which succeeded him I might cunne ouer the sixt age since Christ where albeit the countenance of the Lorde shined not so pleasantly as it did 〈◊〉 others yet the stories of Anastatius of Iustus of lusâ—mian of Iustin of Tâ—berius of Mauritius do testifie that the Lorde God gaue his Church an honourable conquest ouer the enimies of Christe But I let this â—ip and I returne thither from whence I went namely that this ought to be our petition our earnest sute and desire vnto the lord that he would not permit his name to be blasphemed and prophaned among the nations but in his mercie he would giue vs of his grace and in his iustice strike and punishe those that be his aduersaries that all men may knowe him and adore his name and that he may be feared and honoured among all After this manner be the godly brought speaking as it were in their owne persons Not vnto vs O Lorde not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue thy praise for thy goodnesse and for the truethes sake And againe in pittifull sorte do the Sainctes complaine by Dauid when the heathen cryed out where is their God And againe Powre foorth thy wrathe and indignation vppon the heathen which know thée not and vppon the kingdomes which call not on thy name And againe in Ioell Help vs O Lord of our strength eueÌ„ for thy glorâ—e for thy names sake Let the reuenge of the bloud of thy Saincts powred forth be openly shewed among the nations Yet herein is héede to be taken namely that priuate grâ—dge prinate malice make vs not to burst out into these exclamations but that it be done in the zeale of the Lord. The seconde kinde or manner of his power wherein he is sanctified his name glorified and he praised among the children of men is his infinite merâ—ic and goodnesse that is extended from generation to generation euen vnto thousand shousandes of such as feare him and kéepe his commaundements and were it not for the Lord of hostes for his great mercie that in Esay shoulde â—e fulfilled that we were as Sodoma and become as outcastes in Gomorra the calamities that happened to Iuda in so oftâ— times changing their iudges that were falne so strangely yet recouered themselues againe so mightely in a shorte space are a witnesse vnto vs to testifite this Their transgressions vnder Samuel yet he deliuered them their falling in the time of Dauid yet he â—aued them their miserie and desperate case wherein they faltered vnder Salomon yet he protected them vnder Ahab yet he defended them vnder the residewe of his successours yet did he not deface them so that his iustice to
to spende his young dayes in Whese lippes could neuer vtter this Giue vs this day our dayly bread And as the Manna whiche they gethered if they tooke aboue a Gomer euery man for his eating according to his housholde scralled ful of wormes and stanke the day after So let them be assured that this their tempting of the Lord though it sauour in their throte and be pleasant for a season will in the end be rottennesse and putrefaction vnto them when he calleth to accompt The seconde hinde of men that I note here I would I might but looke vppon them Come neare them I dare not they bee so glorious Their Marble and Iuorie bedds their Iewels and out ragious brauerie astonish me when I see them That so muche the more maketh me to wonder as I sée their ende to approch and their glorie to be transitorie For when he hath sailed in many a perilous storme and put his life into the handes of Pyrates and is nowe become gray headed and withered vp by long labour Yet the value of his substance is not verie many thousandes And then committeth be his goods paraduenture to the fire It may be he leaueth them in the depth of the Sea but if he liue and inioy them for a time in the thirde generation hee is forgotten and so many thousands as he had so many thousande men enioyeth them This is a straunge thing and yet it is common among you of the Citie For either the sea and the waues thereof consumeth them or the easdroppers and the lurkers in corners scatter them or secretely the Lord himselfe by one or other meanes bestoweth them For as lightning passeth vanisheth out of sight so withereth away the riches of the wicked man And as the snowe melteth at the fire or as the frost at the heate of the sun so doth the substance of the vngodly at the becke of the Lorde The wages of the euill are crooked and they are lewde in their pathes Glorie remaineth with him in his youth and beggerie dwelleth with him in his age For the soule of the poore man panteth for sorowe and he ruffeleth in the streetes and passeth by the miserable he stoppeth his eare and regardeth not the crie Wherfore the wicked shal be cut off from the earth and the trangressours shal be rooted out of it For the way to his house is death the path of the sinner carieth to the graue and hell fyre consumeth him quicke because he trusteth in his riches maketh the world his God and saith to his substance we shall dwell for euer hee neuer remembreth to pray vnto the Lord Giue vs this day our dayly bread And for that I am entred into the true discription of such a Citizen as feareth god I will drawe out the picture and proportion of so comely a man as for stature height for trewe and perfect workemanship can not be matched in any one citie here in England that by chaunce not nowe so long since I had a vewe and sight of and described by the prophet Dauid in one of his Psalmes For the whole bodie of a man I finde to consist of these ten partes Of the Head That as the heuēs guideth the earth so is thought to turne and weaue about the bodie of man. Of the Heart that as a Costerne conteineth the litle Chanels Of the Breath Otherwise as blockes stones wée stand emptie Of the Liuer so which as their captaine the Lungs the Lightes do their obeysance the drawer of bloud and iudge of life Of the Eyes as windowes to péepe out at the Mistresses of the bodies and Ladyes of pleasure Of the Sinnewes and Ioyntes To couple the bodie and chaine him in that he be dissolute and wretchlesse in bodie Of the Armes Of the Handes a couple of instruments huen out of nature to tune the residue of the partes of man that be out of square Of the Legges Of the Feete That we séeme not mangled ormaimed in ioynts like idel and sluggish scarrecrowes good for nothing but to stand in the ayre to feare Bussards The philosopher as I remember thought him an vnable person and vnméete for any thing that consisted not wholy of theses partes And Moses debarred him the tabernacle of the Lord neither could he serue in the house of God if he missed any one of these And I thinke as in the life of man to liue heare So in the heauens the eternal life to dwell there be these seueral partes of man to be required Euen the head the Heart the Breath the Liuer the Eyes the Synewes the Armes the Hands the Legs the Féete without the which no man can come to heauen and vnto God and painted forth by the Prophet Dauid In the. 15. Psalme An vpright life the head of man. Righteousnesse the Heart of man. Truth the Breath of man. Goodnesse the Liuer of man. Modestie and comelinesse the Synewes and ioyntes of man. Humilitie and lowlinesse the Armes of man. Swearing not disapointing thy neighbour the Handes of man. No reward and bribe to slay the innocent the Legs of man. No giuing of money vpon vsurie nor purloyning from the poore the Feete of man. As for him whome the Poet hath deciphered out Qui mihi possit quod honestum ac iustum videatur Whome wantonnesse and vnbrideled lust hath puffed vp to all sinne whose amendement of late I wished whose end I feared whose life is laid with his welth whose ioy remaineth on the earth whose pleasure perisheth whose riches faileth that neuer thinketh on God remembreth not the Lorde prayeth not to him that sitteth aboue thinketh hee hath all things from himselfe Looke I pray you vpon him vewe and marke him wel and sée whether he be dect as a prophet or apparilled as Aaron or in fashion as Leuite or in maners as an Israelite or like such a man as shoulde dwell with god That hereafter if you chaunce to sée him you maye by my markes fully knowe him Whose head is sinne whose brainpan is wretchednesse whose ende miserie Whose Liuer is vnrighteousnes Whose heart is darted with vntrueth That dissembleth in his tounge lyeth to the simple beguileth all Whose breath is blasphemie That belcheth and ratteleth out othes against the highest regardeth not the Lorde that sitteth aboue Whose eyes be compact of loftinesse and of pride Whose ioyntes and sinnewes are encombrance and hurte disappointing and disceit Whose armes are swearing and beguiling his neighbour By trecherie gaining by dissembling enritching by vndooing murthering armes Iwisse able and of force to wrestle with the mightiest Whose hands are redines speedines to gayne by false sleightes Two hands able to ingros whole common wealthes into priuate commodities Whose legges bee vsury and extortion Able in time by this villany to outronne him that is swiftiest in his race and ouertake him that dwelleth in most stately Pallaces Whose feete are briberie rewarde to spoyle the
in Israel there was scarce any weapons to fight withal Nowe our Swordes can not helpe vs our manlynes kéepe vs wee are affrayde of our shaddowes as wee goe in the streetes Your huffinge carrowfing is turned to bloodsheading our freendlynes and familiaritye is turned to enimity Our loue and our neighboring is turned to brawling Nay our Cuppes and our banqueting is turned to murthering I am perswaded before the Lorde that a nomber of Swashbucklers nay euen of vs Gospellers bee fitter to sporte it out with Dalila and daunce it out with Herodias then to come to the Temple to heare Moses God mende the state hereof and giue vs more of his peace and blesse vs with his rest if it bée his wil And send a strong Easterne winde to rid away these Catterpillers that wee dye not all But let them alone the common wealth will bee so weary that what with men for their Sonnes and Mothers for their Children and men Women and Children for their heapes of Carcases that lye scrawling in the streetes they wil be glad eare it bee long to spewe them out There is yet another kind of felowe that I marke and ment in these words of Christ for giue our debts and as the Adder is more sharpe and her force daungerous when she commeth vnlooked for then when wee may a voide her so be these I talke of that lye hidden in the thicket till they spie their opertunitie and then wreake their malice on their brother This enuious man little remembreth what our Sauiour Christe did that when he could haue slaine him yet saued him When death and distruction was limitted for his portion with hipocrites wrought a good worke and brought to passe a full satisfaction for his sinnes And for a certeintie if the wicked man knew from whence he fetcheth this same if once he sawe that vgly shape and monstrous visage of that deformed creature that brought this to the worlde I suppose that for the hatred they owe vnto the Deuill and Sathanas hee woulde from hence foorth neuer vse it And of these there is two sortes One is for his neighbours losse for the euill successe that happeneth to his brother this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ioy pleasure that is takē in other mens mishaps vnfoldeth the inwards cogitations of the heart Sheweth that we be not perfect and vpright before him and it is that the Lorde will require at our handes This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is next followe brother with him that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The seconde kinde of malyee secreatly wrapped within man. For he that is sorie for the good successe of any one though he be a wicked man hath little consideration that the sunne shineth aswel on the good as the hadde And how gorgeous a shew and what couering soeuer they haue to shadowe it with be they well assured the Lord will not suffer it Here it commeth that a fonde affection leadeth a number he hath this man he hateth that man his reason is not to seeke he is an enimie to the gospell This is but the shift of one that halteth and such idle excuces shall not excuse thée at the day of wrath I can giue testimonie of this and my conscience beame witnesse that I finde it true Whether I may accuse the dayes or no wherein I am I cannot tell Refuse the dealinge of some I may for good occasion whose consiences are sore troubled and they dismaied for a péece of breade and a cake and for an holy day That is happiest and counted wisest that maketh religion his warrant and his profession his Canape to dissemble gloriously That heapeth vp riches greedely robbeth his brother vncharitably that gloseth shamefully and walketh vnbrotherly yet will he bee a gospeller and deale precisely I say no more it goeth verie harde with vs when men of conscience in greate and weightie matters shall strayne their conscience as they doe and life and death shal be too little for others if they shall giue place but to trifles That swallowe vp Cammelles and be strangled with a small and tender knatte That lay great heauie burthens vppon other mens shoulders and beare not so much as the weight there of them selues Surely they shall not escape the vengeance that is to come nor eschew the firce wrath of the highest They shall pearishe in the vanitie of their thoughts and consume away at the looke of the Lorde of hostes For they haue not knowen the Lord their maker nor beléeued him in faith nor professed his power nor looked for iudgment neither make they an accompt of his comming in the Clowdes neither take they any héed to forgiue other men their debtes There is other kinde of men that I note héere I put them in the same Catalogue for as I vnderstand they be fellowe brethren and pitie it is to deuide them they be so friendly And these bee sutch as forgiue all but for aduantage will bee lye their neighbours and for their profit dissemble with many and for that they will not shame the gospell take an oth now and then to ridde their brethren out of thraldome and accuse them they fauour not And slaunder them they fansie not and raise vp reproches though they haue suffered the heat of many summers ratle forth their gun shot against the godly Yet forgiue they their debts as they woulde be forgiuen of god But I wishe them to remember not that in Virgilius Talia voce refert curis ingentibus aeger Spem vultu simulat premit altum corde dolorem Nor that which Plautus hath in Trinummo Sapiens quidem polipse fingit fortunam sibi A politike man the worlde nowe doth smile vppon him as to knowe from whence he came that hee is the Temple and glorious building of suche a one as will not suffer straunge merchaundise to be set at sale within his libertie For if the midwiues in that they saued the lyues of young children whose bloude Pharao gaped for were knowne by their infirmities to be but women in that they lyed in so good a cause out of doubte a litle corner is left to these men the are nothing so good as the midwiues were Neither saue they any ones life muche lesse in their beastly and malicious quarels allowed of God. If Abraham founde his reward and Sara his wife agast at Abimelech returned and had the shame for that she said she was his sister knowe first that neither Sara neither Abraham bee here neither is your case a like Thirdly that his weakenes shall not saue your rashenesse Though Rahab the harlot did saue the three men that came as spyes to Hierocuntia and had her reward Notwithstanding you haue erred and that grossely For both the commoditie of them in Israel and the whole lande is to be preferred beefore your priuate gaine and when you approue it by the word of God
Gospell that is preached haue this ende To knowe that Firste it came from God then it is deliuered vnto man next we must beléeue it and herchy it is wée are saued for this cause it is called in Math. 13. the good séede By this Gospell health and life is shewed to him that beléeueth for which cause Paul said I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for it is the power of God to all them that beléeue It is also called the worde of life Verbum est viâ—â—â— that containeth or layeth vp a crowne of glorie for him that is stedfast in faith It is called the worde of reconciliation for it declareth the agréement betwixt God man in our Lorde Iesus Christ and so finde we it 2. Cor. 5. All thinges are of the Lord vnto whome we are reconciled in Christ hath giueÌ„ vnto vs the ministerie of reconciliatioÌ„ And this Gospell it is called the Gospell of the glorie of Christ 2. Cor. 4. The God of this world hath blinded the eyes of the vnbeléeuers that the brightnes of the glorious Gospell of God cannot shine amoÌ„g them which is the expresse image of his father therefore in Tim. be calleth it the Gospel of the eternall blessed Lord for this is he that God hath giuen vnto vs a verie pawne pledge full satisfaction for man This is the cause that it is called by the name of good tidings to be the Gospel of the kingdome of God the word of the kingdome Mark. 1. Math. 13. For it bringeth vs from the dominion of the diuell placeth vs againe in the kingdom of the Lord which kingdom as Mat. recordeth hath béene prooided for the godly from the verie beginning of the world but as concerning this kingdom we haue it not in this life present with vs neither attaine we the perfection thereof for there is a kingdome of fauour and of grace a kingdome of glorie this grace then it is in vs because this glorie may bee with vs therefore is it that the kinge of this world is taken from vs that the spirite of God may rest by vs Then in briefe this is the summe of our prayers that for asmuch as Sathan hath his ministers to help assist him to suppresse the worde and beate down the kingdom of Christ of the gospel to set vp fashod vntrueth We humblie craue of the Lord that the enemie of mankind may be snafled and tyed vp his empire rased out and his force abated and that the kingdome of God may onely be among vs Thus much for the second peticion that we make vnto the Lorde wherein is set downe that we ought to pray and vnto God vnto none that is enimie vnto vs but to him that loueth vs and is our father Not to any among the sonnes of men but to one that ruleth them all that sitteth aboue that wee looke for â— kingdome and from the Lord that it is giuen not to vs onely but to all that are his elect not for suche as be earthly but for them that thirst verie gredely and séeke after God that it is not for a time but it is for euer That this kingdome is with vs and we haue a good assuraunce thereof by the worde of God giuen vnto man partely to instruct him partly to strenghen him partly to comfort him that the king and ruler of the ayre may be driuen from him and the kingdom of God and of Christ knowen vnto him whiche kingdome he graunt vnto vs all that hath redéemed all Iesus Christ the righteous to whom with the father and the holy ghost thrée personnes one euerlasting trewe onely and eternall God be all honour and glorie and power and dominion nowe and for euer Amen Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen CHrist our sauior instructing his disciples to pray gaue them firste in charge to sanctifie the name of the Lorde and directe their actiones and vooinges to him that is aboue the father of light For it is the foundation and verie piller of our faith that all thinges be done to the aduansement and setting out of the glorie of our God and his name before wee presume to serch and séeke for our owne commoditie And for that this cannot be done vntill the heade of the serpent and his force be beaten downe We pray that he and his kingdome may be abolished and that the Lord his sonne Christ the kingdome of saluation his gospel may be set vp yet because God cannot reigne so in vs and dwell among vs as either we looke for or we wishe for We make our continual prayer that his will may be done in earth among vs as it is in heauen Whereby wee giue our selues aswell in bodie as in soule to obey him Where our onely demaunde and peticion is vnto the Lorde that his kingdome may come among vs his name knowen of vs hee woulde take vs into his protection and guidance to obey his will to remember his lawes to fulfill his heasts to vowe our bodies and soules asâ—â—uch as in vs lyeth continully to serue him M. Gualter in his question wherefere wee pray not for our selues and that our will may be done as for the Lorde and for his Seing that is against reason we shoulde make request for an other and leaue the commoditie which is our owne Hée aunswereth thus for that Christ hath giuen an exaÌ„ple of praying and set downe that which is is porfitable for vs he could not say that our will shoulde be fulfilled which is vngodly euill malicious and dayly requiring that doth hurte vs But he leaueth it to God as knowing what it is that is more néedefull for vs. Cyprian discoursing hereof giueth a good reason that because the deuill desireth and striueth with vs therefore pray we for resistance that God woulde comfort vs For the deuill willeth and we will But the will of God breaketh both So that neither wil I neither nill I but that God woulde This place it wipeth away all that the Pelagianes can or may say herein for if the will of man be ruled by the will of the Lord and our works and our wits and our saying and our doing be all framed by the will of god What is there left behinde for vs to reason of Thy hands if they laboure thy wisedome in foretelling thy bodie in thy indeuour thy minde and soule what euer it be that it reckeneth yet it is guided by the Lorde And to the man that hath reason what can bee more vnreasonable then when the Angles doe there messags at his wil the heauens obey him at his beck The ayre flickereth fleeteth away when hee bideth it The waters roll and plounce forth and consumeth the inheritannce that dwell vnder the sunne And at his pleasure returneth to his place when the earth remoueth at his wrath the