muâ—â— be careful to keepe the christian sabbath day which is the sunday not onely for that it is Gods expresse commaundement but also to declare our selues to be louing children in folowing the example of our gratious Lorde and father Thus it may playnely appeare that Gods will and commaundement was to haue a solemne time and standing day in the weke wherin the people shoulde come together and haue in remembraunce his wonderfull benefites and to render him thankes for them as apparteyneth to louing kynd obedient people This example and commaundement of God the godly Christian people began to follow immediately after the ascention of our Lorde Christ and began to chose them a standing daye of the weeke to come together in Yet not the seuenth day which the Jewes kept but the Lordes day the day of the Lordes resurrectioÌ„ the day after the seuenth day which is the first of the weeke Of the which day mention is made of saint Paule on this wyse In the first day of the sabbath let euery man lay vp what he thynketh good meaning for the poore By the first day of the sabbath is meant our Sundaye whiche is the first daye after the Jewes seuenth day And in the Apocalips it is more plaine wher as saint John sayth I was in the spirite vpon the sunday Sithens whiche time Gods people hath alwayes in all ages without any gaynsaying vsed to come together vpon the Sunday to celebrate and honour the Lordes blessed name carefully to kepe that day in holy rest quyetnes both man woman chylde seruaunt and stranger For the trangression and breache of whiche day God hath declared him selfe much to be greued as it may appeare by him who for gathering of sticks on the sabbath day was stoned to death But alas all these notwithstanding it is lamentable to see the wicked boldenes of those that will be counted gods people who passe nothing at al of keeping and halowing the sundaye And these people are of two sortes The one sort if they haue any businesse to do though there be no extreme neede they must not spare for the sunday they must ryde and iourney on the sunday they must dryue carry on the sunday they must row and ferry on the sunday they must buye and sell on the sunday they muste keepe markets and fayres on the sundaye Finallye they vse all dayes alike workdaies and holy daies al are one The other sort is worse For although they wil not trauell nor labour on the sunday as they do on the weke day yet they wil not rest in holines as God commaundeth but they rest in vngodlines filthines prauncing in their pryde prancking and pricking pointing and painting them selues to be gorgeous and gay they rest in exces superfluitie in glutteny and drunkennesse lyke rattes and swyne they rest in brawling and rayling in quarreling and fyghting they reste in wantonnes in toyishe talkyng in filthy fleshlinesse so that it doth to euidentlye appeare that God is more dishonored and the deuill better serued on the sunday then vpon all the dayes in the weeke besyde And I assure you the beastes whiche are commaunded to rest on the sunday honour God better then this kynde of people For they offende not God they breake not their holyday Wherefore O ye people of God lay your handes vpon your heartes repent amend this greeuous and daungerous wickednesse stand in awe of the commaundement of God gladlye folowe the example of God him selfe be not disobedient to the godly order of Christes Churche vsed and kept from the apostles tyme vntill this day Feare the displeasure and iust plagues of almighty God if ye be negligent and forbeare not labouring and trauayling on the sabbath day or sunday and do not resort together to celebrate magnifie Gods blessed name in quiet holinesse and godly reuerence Nowe concerning the place where the people of God ought to resort together and where especially they ought to celebrate and sanctifie the sabbath day that is the sunday the day of holye rest That place is called Goddes Tentple or the churche because the company congregation of Gods people which is properly called the church doth there assemble them selues on the dayes appointed for such assemblies meetinges And sorasmuch as almightie God hath appointed a speciall time to be honored in it is very meete godly and also necessary that there should be a place appoynted where these people should meete and resort to serue their gracious God and mercifull father Trueth it is the holy Patriarches for a great number of yeres had neyther temple nor churche to resort vnto The cause was they were not stayed in any place but were in a continuall perigrination and wandering that they could not conueniently buyld any churche But so soone as God had delyuered his people from their enemies and set them in some libertie in the wildernes he set them vp a costly a curious tabernacle whiche was as it were the paryshe church a place to resort vnto of the whole multitude a place to haue his sacrifices made in and other obseruaunces and rites to be vsed in Furthermore after that God according to the trueth of his promise had placed and quyetlye setled his people in the land of Chanaan now called Jury he commaunded a great and a magnificent temple to be buylded by kyng Salomon as seldome the lyke hath ben seene a temple so decked and adourned so gorgeously garnished as was meete and expedient for people of that tyme whiche would be allured stirred with nothing so much as with suche out warde goodlye gaye thinges This was nowe the temple of God indued also with many gyttes sundry promyses This was the paryshe churche and the mother Churche of all Jury Here was God honoured and serued Hyther was the whole realme of all the Israelites bounde to come at three solempne feastes in the yere to serue their Lord God here But let vs proceede further In the tyme of Christe and his Apostles there was yet no temples nor Churches for Christian men For whye they were alwayes for the moste part in persecution veration and trouble so that there coulde be no libertie nor lycence obteyned for that purpose Yet God delyghted much that they shoulde often resort togyther in a place and therefore after his ascention they remayned togyther in an vpper chamber sometyme they entred into the Temple sometyme into the synagoges sometyme they were in pryson sometymes in theyr houses sometymes in the feeldes c. And this continued so long till the fayth of Chryste Jesus began to multiplye in a great parte of the worlde Nowe when dyuers Realmes were establyshed in gods true religion and God hath geuen them peace and quyetnes then began kynges noble men and the people also stirred vp with a godly zeale and feruentnesse to buylde vp temples and Churches whyther the people might resort the better to do their dutie
errour of Purgatorie out of our heades neyther let vs dreame anye more that the soules of the dead are any thing at all holpen by our prayers But as the scripture teacheth vs let vs thinke that the soule of man passing out of the body goeth straightwayes eyther to heauen or els to hell whereof the one nedeth no prayer and the other is without redemption The onlye Purgatorie wherein we must trust to be saued is the death and blood of Christe which if we apprehend with a true and stedfast fayth it purgeth and clenseth vs from all our sinnes euen as well as if he were now hanging vpon the crosse The blood of Christe sayth saint John hath clensed vs from all sinne The blood of Christe sayth saint Paul hath purged our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing god Also in another place he sayth We be sanctified and made holy by the offering vp of the body of Jesus Christe done once for all Yea he addeth more saying With the one oblation of his blessed body pretious blood he hath made perfect for euer and euer all them that are sanctified This then is that Purgatorie wherein all Christian men must put their whole truste and confidence nothing doubting but yf they truely repent them of their sinnes and dye in perfecte fayth that then they shall foorth with passe from death to life If this kinde of purgation wyll not serue them let them neuer hope to be releassed by other mens prayers though they shoulde continue therein vnto the worldes ende He that can not be saued by fayth in Christes blood howe shall he loke to be deliuered by mans intercessions Hath God more respect to man on earth then he hath to Christe in heauen If any man sinne sayth saint John we haue an aduocate with the father euen Jesus Christe the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes But we must take heede that we call vpon this aduocate whyle we haue space geuen vs in this life lest when we are once dead there be no hope of saluation left vnto vs For as euery man sleepeth with his owne cause so euerye man shall ryse agayne with his owne cause And looke in what state he dyeth in the same state he shal be also iudged whether it be to saluation or dampnation Let vs not therfore dreame either of purgatorie or of prayer for the soules of them that be dead but let vs earnestly diligently praye for them whiche are expresly commaunded in holye scripture namely for kinges and rulers for ministers of Gods holy worde and sacramentes for the saintes of this worlde otherwyse called the faithfull to be short for all men liuing be they neuer so great enemies to god and his people as Jewes Turkes Pagans Infidels Heretikes c. Then shall we truely fulfill the commaundement of God in that behalfe plainely declare our selues to be the true children of our heauenly father which suffreth the sunne to shine vpon the good and the bad and the rayne to fall vpon the iust and the vniust For whiche and al other benefites moste aboundauntlye bestowed vppon mankynde from the beginning let vs geue him hearty thankes as we are most bound prayse his name for euer and euer Amen ⧠An Homilee of the place and tyme of prayer GOD through his almighty power wisedome and goodnes created in the beginning heauen earth the Sunne the Moone the starres the fowles of the ayre the beastes of the earth the fishes in the sea and all other creatures for the vse commoditie of man whom also he had created to his owne image and likenesse and geuen him the vse gouernement ouer them al to the end he shoulde vse them in suche sort as he had geuen him in charge commaundement also that he should declare him selfe thankful and kynde for al those benefites so liberally so graciously bestowed vpon him vtterly without anye deseruing on his behalf And although we ought at al times in al places to haue in remēbrance to be thankful to our gracious Lord according as it is written I wil magnifie the lord at al times And agayne Wheresoeuer the lord beareth rule O my soule prayse the Lord Yet it appeareth to be Gods good wil and pleasure that we shoulde at special times and in special places gather our selues together to the intent his name might be renowmed and his glory set forth in the congregation and assembly of his saintes As concerning the tyme whiche almightie God hath appoynted his people to assemble together solemly it doth appeare by the fourth commaundement of God Remember saith God that thou kepe holye the Sabbath day Upon the which day as is playne in the actes of the Apostles the people accustomablye resorted together hearde diligently the lawe and the prophetes read among them And albeit this commaundement of God doeth not bynde christian people so straytlye to obserue and keepe the vtter ceremonies of the Sabbath day as it was geuen vnto the Jewes as touching the forbearing of worke and labour in tyme of great necessitie and as touching the precise keeping of the seuenth day after the manner of the Jewes For we keepe now the first day which is our sunday and make that our sabbath that is our day of rest in the honor of our sauiour christ who as vpon that daye rose from death conquering the same most triumphantly Yet notwithstanding whatsoeuer is found in the commaundement apparteyning to the lawe of nature as a thyng most godlye moste iuste and needeful for the setting forth of Gods glorie it ought to be retayned and kept of all good Christian people And therfore by this commaundemēt we ought to haue a tyme as one day in a weeke wherein we ought to rest yea from our lawfull and nedefull workes For like as it appeareth by this commaundement that no man in the syxe dayes ought to be slouthfull or ydle but diligentlye to labour in that state wherein God hath set him Euen so God hath geuen expresse charge to all men that vpon the sabbath day which is now our sunday they should ceasse from all weaklye and workeday labour to the entent that lyke as God him selfe wrought sixe dayes and rested the seuenth and blessed and sanctified it and consecrated it to quyetnes and rest from labour euen so Gods obedient people shoulde vse the sundaye holyly and rest from their comon and daily businesse and also geue them selues whollye to heauenly exercises of Gods true religion and seruice So that God doth not onely commaunde the obseruation of this holy day but also by his owne example doth stirre and prouoke vs to the diligent keeping of the same Good natural children wil not onelye become obedient to the commaundemēt of their parents but also haue a diligent eye to their doings and gladly folow the same So if we wil be the children of our heauenly father we
towardes God to keepe holy their sabbath daye the daye of rest And to these temples haue the Christians customably vsed to resort from tyme to tyme as vnto meete places where they might with common consent prayse and magnifie Gods name yeelding him thankes for the benefites that he dayly powreth vpon them both mercifully and aboundantlye where they might also heare his holy word read expounded preached sincerely and receaue his holy sacramentes ministred vnto them duely and purely True it is that the chiefe and special temples of God wherin he hath greatest pleasure most delighteth to dwel are the bodies mindes of true christians and the chosen people of God according to the doctrine of holye scriptures declared by Saint Paul. Knowe ye not sayth he that ye be the temple of God and that the spirite of God doth dwell in you The temple of God is holy whiche ye are And againe in the same Epistle Know ye not that your body is the temple of the holye Ghost dwelling in you whom you haue geuen you of God and that ye be not your owne Yet this notwithstanding God doeth alowe the materiall temple made with lyme and stone so oft as his people come together into it to praise his holy name to be his house and the place where he hath promised to be present and where he wil heare the prayers of them that call vpon him The which thing both Christ and his apostles with all the rest of the holy fathers do sufficiently declare by this That albeit they certaynlye knewe that their prayers were heard in what place soeuer they made them though it were in caues in woodes in desartes yet so oft as they could conueniently they resorted to the material temples there with the rest of the congregation to ioyne in prayer and true worship Wherefore dearely beloued you that professe your selues to be Christians and glory in that name disdaine not to folow the example of your maister Christe whose schollers you saye ye be shew you to be lyke them whose scholemates you take vpon you to be that is the Apostles and disciples of Christe Lift vp pure handes with cleane heartes in all places at all tymes But do the same in the temples and Churches vpon the sabbath daies also Our godly predecessours and the auncient fathers of the primitiue Church spared not their goodes to buylde Churches no they spared not their lyues in tyme of persecution and to hazarde their blood that they myght assemble them selues together in Churches And shal we spare a little labour to come to churches Shall neither their example nor our duety nor the commodities that thereby shoulde come vnto vs moue vs If we will declare our selues to haue the feare of God if we will shewe our selues true christians if we will be the folowers of Christ our maister and of those godly fathers that haue liued before vs now haue receaued the rewarde of true and faythfull christians we must both willingly earnestly and reuerently come vnto the material churches and temples to praye as vnto fit places appoynted for that vse And that vppon the sabbath day as at most conuenient tyme for Gods people to cease from bodyly and worldlye businesse to geue them selues to holy rest and godly contemplation parteining to the seruice of almightie God Wherby we may reconcile our selues to God be partakers of his reuerent sacramentes and be deuout hearers of his holye worde so to be established in fayth to godwarde in hope agaynst all aduersitie and in charitie towardes our neighbours And thus running our course as good christian people we may at the last attaine the reward of euerlasting glorie through the merites of our sauiour Iesus Christe to whom with the father and the holye Ghost be all honour and glorye Amen The seconde part of the Homilee of the place and tyme of prayer IT hath ben declared vnto you good Christian people in the former Sermon read vnto you at what tyme and into what place ye shal come togyther to prayse God. Now I entende to set before your eies first how zelous desirous ye ought to be to come to your Church Secondly how sore God is greeued with them that do despyse or little regarde to come to the Churche vpon the holy restfull day It may wel appeare by the scriptures that many of the godly Israelites beyng no we in captiuitie for their sinnes among the Babilonians full often wysshed and desyred to be agayne at Hierusalem And at their returne through Gods goodnesse though many of the people were negligent yet the fathers were maruelous deuout to buyld vp the temple that Gods people might repayre thyther to honour him And Kyng Dauid when he was a banished man out of his countrey out of Hierusalem the holye Citie from the sanctuarie from the holye place and from the tabernacle of God What desyre what feruentnesse was in him towardes the holye place What wysshinges and prayers made he to God to be a dweller in the house of the Lorde One thing sayth he haue I asked of the Lorde and this will I still craue that I maye resorte and haue my dwelling in the house of the Lorde so long as I lyue Agayne Oh howe I ioyed when I heard these wordes VVe shall go into the Lordes house And in other places of the Psalmes he declareth for what intent and purpose he hath such a feruente desyre to enter into the Temple and Churche of the Lorde I will fall downe sayth he and worship in the holy temple of the lord Agayne I haue appeared in thy holy place that I myght beholde thy myght and power that I myght beholde thy glory and magnificence Finally he sayth I will shewe foorth thy name to my brethren I will prayse thee in the middes of the congregation Why then had Dauid suche an earnest desyre to the house of God First because there he would worship and honour god Secondly there he would haue a contemplation and a syght of the power and glorye of god Thirdly there he would prayse the name of god with all the congregation and companye of the people These considerations of this blessed prophet of God ought to stirre vp and kindle in vs the lyke earnest desyre to resort to the church especially vppon the holy restfull dayes there to do our duties to serue God there to call to remembraunce how God euen of his mere mercie for the glory of his name sake worketh myghtely to conserue vs in health wealth and godlynesse myghtyly preserueth vs from the assaults and rages of our fierce and cruell enemies and there ioyfully in the number of his faithfull people to prayse and magnitie the Lords holy name Set before your eyes also that auncient father Simeon of whom the scripture speaketh thus to his great commendation and an incouragemēt for vs to do the lyke There was a man at Hierusalem
named Simeon a iust man fearing God he came by the spirit of God into the temple and was tolde by the same spirite that he shoulde not dye before he sawe the annoynted of the Lorde In the temple his promise was fulfilled in the temple he sawe Christ toke him in his armes in the Temple he braste out into the myghtye prayse of God his Lorde Anna a Prophetisse an olde widowe departed not out of the temple geuing her selfe to prayer fasting day nyght And she comming about the same tyme was likewise inspyred and confessed and spake of the Lorde to all them that looked for the redemption of Israel This blessed man and this blessed woman were not disapoynted of wonderfull fruit commoditie and comfort whiche God sent them by their diligent resorting to Gods holy temple Nowe ye shall heare howe greuouslye God hath ben offended with his people for that they passed so litle vpon his holy Temple and foully eyther despysed or abused the same Whiche thyng maye playnely appeare by the notable plagues and punishmentes which God hath layde vpon his people especially in this that he stirred vp their aduersaries horribly to beate downe and vtterly to destroye his holy temple with a perpetuall desolation Alas how many Churches countreyes kingdomes of christian people haue of late yeres ben plucked downe ouerrunne left wast with greeuous intollerable tyrannye and crueltie of the enemy of our Lord Christe the great Turke who hath so vniuersally scourged the Christiās that neuer the lyke was heard read of Aboue thirtie yeres past the great Turke had ouerrun conquered and brought into his dominion and subiection twentie Christian kingdomes turnyng away the people from the fayth of Christe poysonyng them with the dyuelishe religion of wicked Mahomet and eyther destroying their Churches vtterly or filthily abusing them with their wicked and detestable errours And nowe this great Turke this bitter and sharpe scourge of Gods vengeaunce is euen at hande in this part of christendome in Europe at the borders of Italy at the borders of Germany greedylye gaping to deuour vs to ouerrunne our country to destroye our Churches also vnlesse we repent our sinfull lyfe and resort more diligently to the Church to honour God to learne his blessed wil and to fulfill the same The Jewes in their time prouoked iustly the vengeaunce of God for that partly they abused his holy temple with the detestable idolatrie of the heathen supersticious vanities of their owne inuentions contrary to Gods commaundement partly they resorted vnto it as hypocrites spotted imbrewed and fouly defyled with all kinde of wickednesse and sinfull lyfe partly many of them passed little vpon the holy temple forced not whether they came thither or no. And haue not the Christians of late dayes and euen in our dayes also in lyke maner prouoked the displeasure and indignation of almighty God partly because they haue prophaned and defyled their churches with heathenishe and Jewish abuses with images and idols with numbers of aulters too too superstitiously intollerablye abused with grosse abusing and fylthye corrupting of the Lordes holye supper the blessed sacrament of his body and blood with an infinite number of toyes and tryfles of theyr owne deuyces to make a godly outwarde shewe and to deface the homely simple and sincere religion of Christ Jesus partlye they resort to the Churche lyke hypocrites full of all iniquitie and sinfull lyfe hauing a vayne daungerous fansie and perswasion that if they come to the church besprinkle them with holy water heare a masse and be blessed with the challice though they vnderstand not one worde of the whole seruice nor feele one motion of repentaunce in their hearts all is well all is sure Fye vpon suche mocking blaspheming of gods holy ordinaunce Churches were made for an other purpose that is to resort thyther and to serue God truelye there to learne his blessed will there to call vpon his myghtye name there to vse the holy sacraments there to trauayle howe to be in charitie with thy neyghbour there to haue thy poore and needy neyghbour in remembraunce from thence to departe better and more godly then thou camest thyther Finallye Gods vengeaunce hath ben is dayly prouoked because much wicked people passe nothing to resort to the Church either for that they are so sore blinded that they vnderstand nothing of God and godlines and care not with deuilishe example to offende their neighbours or els for that they see the Churche altogether scoured of such gay gasing sightes as their grosse phantasie was greatly delyghted with because they see the false religiō abandoned the true restored whiche seemeth an vnsauery thing to their vnsauery taste as may appeare by this that a woman said to her neighbour Alas gossip what shal we now do at Church since al the saints are taken away since al the goodly sightes we were wont to haue are gone since we cannot heare the like pyping singing chaunting playing vppon the organs that we could before But dearelye beloued we ought greatly to reioyce and geue God thankes that our Churches are deliuered of all those thinges which displeased God so sore filthily defiled his holy house and his place of prayer for the which he hath iustly destroyed many nations according to the saying of saint Paule If any man defyle the temple of God God will him destroye And this ought we greatly to praise god for that such superstitious idolatrious maners as were vtterly naught defaced gods glory are vtterly abolished as they most iustly deserued and yet those things that either god was honored with or his people edified are decently reteyned and in our Churches comely practised But nowe forasmuch as ye perceaue it is gods determinate pleasure ye should resort vnto your churches vppon the day of holy rest seyng ye heare what displeasure God conceaueth what plagues he poureth vpon his disobedient people seyng ye vnderstand what blessinges of God are geuen what heauenly cōmodities come to such people as desirously zelously vse to resort vnto their Churches seyng also ye are now freendly bidden and ioyntly called beware that ye slacke not your dutie take heede that you suffer nothing to let you hereafter to come to the Church at such times as you are ordinarily apoynted cōmaunded Our sauiour Christe telleth in a parable that a great supper was prepared gestes were bidden many excused themselues would not come I tel you sayth Christ none of them that were called shal taste of my supper This great supper is the true religion of almightie God wherewith he wyll be worshipped in the due receauyng of his sacramentes and sincere preaching and hearyng his holy word and practising the same by godly conuersation This feast is nowe prepared in Gods banquetting house the Churche you are thervnto called and ioyntly bidden yf you refuse to come and make your excuses the same wyll be
Babilonicall beast of Rome and to feare all his threatnings and causelesse curses he abused them thus by their rebellion brought this noble realme and kings of England vnder his most cruell tyrannie and to be a spoyle of his most vyle and vnsaciable couetousnes and rauenye for a long and a great deale to long a tyme And to ioyne vnto the reportes of Histories matters of latter memorie coulde the Byshop of Rome haue raysed the late rebellions in the North and Weste countries in the tymes of Kyng Henry and Kyng Edwarde our gratious Soueraignes father and brother but by abusing of the ignoraunt people Or is it not most euident that the Byshop of Rome hath of late attempted by his Irish Patriarkes and Bishops sent from Rome with his bulles whereof some were apprehended to breake downe the barres and hedges of the publibue peace in Ireland onely vpon confidence easyly to abuse the ignoraunce of the wilde Irish men Or who seeth not that vppon lyke confidence yet more latelye he hath lykewyse procured the breache of the publique peace in Englande with the long and blessed continuaunce wherof he is sore greeued by the ministery of his disguised Chaplaines creeping in lay mens apparell into the houses and whispering in the eares of certaine Northen borderers being men most ignorant of their duetie to God and their prince of all people of the Realme whom therefore as most meet and redy to execute his intended purpose he hath by the said ignorant masse priestes as blynd guides leading the blynd brought those seely blynde subiectes into the deepe ditche of horrible rebellion damnable to them selues and very daungerous to the state of the Realme had not GOD of his mercye miraculouslye calmed that ragyng tempest not onely without any ship wracke of the common wealth but almost without any shedding of christian and Englishe blood at al. And it is yet muche more to be lamented that not onely cōmon people by some other youthful or vnskilful Princes also suffer them selues to be abused by the byshop of Rome his Cardinalles bishops to oppressing of christian men their faithfull subiectes either them selues or els by procuring the force and strength of christian men to be conueyed out of one country to oppresse true Christians in another countrye and by these meanes open an entrie vnto Moores and Infidels into the possession of christian Realmes and countries other Christian Princes in the meane tyme by the Byshop of Romes procuring also beyng so occupyed in cinill warres or troubled with rebellions that they haue neyther leasure nor habilitie to conferre their common forces to the defence of their felow christians agaynste suche inuasions of the common enemies of Christendome the infidels and miscreantes Woulde to God we myght only reade and heare out of histories of the olde and not also see and feele these newe and present oppressions of Christians rebellions of subiectes effusion of christian blood destruction of christian men decay ruine of Christendom increase of paganitie most lamentable pitifull to beholde being procured in these our dayes aswell as in tymes past by the bishop of Rome and his ministers abusing the ignoraunce of Gods word yet remayning in some Chirstian Princes and people By which so wre and bitter fruites of ignorance all men ought to be moued to geue eare and credite to Gods worde she wing as most truly so most playnly how great a mischiefe ignoraunce is and agayne how great and how good a gyft of God knowledge in Gods worde is And to begin with the romish Cleargie who though they do brag nowe as did sometyme the Jewishe Clergie that they can not lacke knowledge yet doth God by his holy prophets both charge them with ignorance and threaten them also for that they haue repelled the knowledge of Gods word law from them selues from his people that he wil repel them that they shal be no more his priests God like wise chargeth princes aswel as priestes that they should indeuour them selues to get vnderstanding knowledge in his worde threatning his heauy wrath destruction vnto them yf they fayle thereof And the wyse man sayeth to all men vniuersally Princes Priestes and people where is no knowledge there is no good nor health to the soule and that almen be vaine in whom is not the knowledge of God and his holy worde That they who walke in darkenes wot not whyther they go and that the people that will not learne shall fall into great mischeefes as did the people of Israel who for their ignoraunce in Gods worde were firste led into captiuitie and when by ignoraunce afterward they would not know the tyme of their visitation but crucified Christ our sauiour persecuted his holye Apostles and were so ignoraunt and blynde that when they did most wickedlye and cruellye they thought they did God good and acceptable seruice as do manye by ignoraunce thynke euen at this daye finally through theyr ignorance and blyndnes their country townes cities Hierusalem it selfe and the holye temple of God were all moste horiblye destroyed the moste cheefest parte of theyr people slayne and the reste led into moste miserable captiuitie For he that made them had no pitie vppon them neyther would spare them and al for their ignoraunce And the holye scriptures do teache that the people that wyll not see with theyr eyes nor heare with theyr eares to learne and to vnderstande with their heartes can not be conuerted and saued And the wicked them selues beyng damned in hell shal confesse ignorance in Gods word to haue brought them therunto saiyng We haue erred from the way of the trueth and the lyght of ryghteousnesse hath not shyned vnto vs and the sunne of vnderstandyng hath not risen vnto vs we haue weeried our selues in the way of wickednesse and perdition haue walked cumberous and crooked wayes but the way of the Lord haue we not knowen And aswel our sauiour him selfe as his apostle s. Paul do teach that the ignorance of Gods word commeth of the deuill is the cause of all errour and misiudging as falleth out with ignoraunt subiectes who can rather espye a little mote in the eye of the Prince or a coūceller then a great beame in their own vniuersally it is the cause of all euil finally of eternal damnation Gods iudgement beyng seuere towardes those who when the light of Christes Gospell is come into the world do delyght more in darkenes of ignorance then in the lyght of knowledge in Gods worde For al are cōmaunded to reade or heare to fearche and studie the holy scriptures and are promised vnderstanding to be geuen them from God if they so do all are charged not to beleue eyther any dead man nor if an Angell shoulde speake from heauen muche lesse if the Pope do speake from Rome agaynst or contrarye to the worde of GOD from the whiche we may not declyne neyther