dayes be accomplished the houre glasse of dais that god hath set him is run out accomplished so sodainely if he repent not he slippeth downe to hel so preuented of his appointed daies and so the wicked liueth not out halfe his daies Which verifieth the words of the holy Ghost by the prophet in the .55 Psal and last ver The sons .30 question I would presume good father to aske you one or .2 questions more If I shoulde not be tedious vnto you and so we wil end for this time The fathers aunswere Say on for it pleaseth me wel so long as ye aske to profit by or to get knowledge do not you remember Lillies verses good counsell that saith qui dubitat qui saepe rogat c. is qui nil dubitat c. Therefore aske good questions and spare not and I wil thanke God for you The sonnes .31 Question When I had heard the 8. Chapter of the prouerbs of Salomon as you commaunded me which Chapter describeth the excellencie of wisedome and also her good counsell with the antiquitie of Christ who is froÌ„ the beginning who made all thinges with the father the holy ghost for he is that worde which God spake al things were made as the Euangelist S. Iohn affirmeth in the .1 Cha of his Gospell that is this Christ dwelleth in the round compasse of this earth which is man I theÌ„ turned to the .7 Chap. of Eccl. I found these words written which wordes are these which séemed to me very straung be not then saith Salomon iust ouer much neither oâ—er wise againe be not thou wicked ouer much neither too wise These words are verie harde for my capacitie Doth the holy ghost alowe some infirmities or some follie Also in the .29 and .30 verse of the same Chapter the preacher hath these strange wordes my soule saith he hath made great inquisition but I finde it not I haue séene one maÌ„ among thousands but one woman found I not This also troubleth my capacitie also in the 4. Chapter of the Preacher these wordes somewhat troubleth me the wordes are in the last verse of the chapter which are these take héede to thy féete when thou entrest into the house of god and be thou more méete to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles These thrée places of scripture I woulde fayne vnderstand The fathers aunswere These places of scripture are for the preachers ministers to exclaime yet so far as God hath giuen me reuelation I wil shew you the sence therof for in these first words out of the .7 Chap. of Eccl. that .19 verse is comprehended great wisedom for wher the preacher saith be not thou iust ouermuch nor ouer wise it is far from God to be a litle vniust or a litle foolish or a litle wicked the holye ghost giueth very wise counsel for he first biddeth thée to be ware that thou boast not to much of thine owne iustnes nor yet of thyne owne wysedome nor yet to tarrie long in the company of the wicked least thou sit in the Chaper of the pestilent scorner as for the .29 and 30. verse of this Chapter That the Preacher coulde finde one man and no woman I take the sence is that the preacher did meane he could finde but one man with out sinne which is Iesus Christ God and man but of women sect he could neuer finde any and with this text of scripture I stopped the blasphemous mouth of the Papisticall Lady that kept such a sturre with me in your Aunts house at the buriall of your Vncle Temple when she affirmed that the Virgin Mary was without sinne I then answeared her that the onely man Iesus Christ was But of womeÌ„ neuer could be found anye at which péece of scripture she was qualified so I partly take the sence and meaning of that place but as for the wordes in the .4 Chapter of Ecclesiastes which is take héede to thy séete when thou commest into the house of God least thou offer there the sacrifice of fooles In this péece of scripture the holy Ghost giueth vs a caueat or warning to looke to our steps of lyfe that they be not euyll and filthie before God and so come polluted and filthie into the Church before God and so presume to pray and then our prayers turne vnto sinne and so proue wicked fooles to prouoke gods wrath on vs and this I take to be the sence of this scripture The sonnes .32 Question I pray you good father let me aske you one question more in which I desire to be resolued which question is set downe in the first Epistle of Saint Iohn and the .8 verse of the first Chap. The wordes are these if we say we haue no sinne we deceyue our selues and there is no truth in vs. And in the 3. Chap. of the same Epistle and the .9 verse is written cleane contrary for there he saith who so euer is borne of God doth not sinne for his seede remaineth in him neyther can he sinne because he is borne of God good father make these scriptures agree that I may be resolued The fathers aunswere In the first péece of scripture where the Euangelist saith if we say that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues there is no truth in vs. The holy ghoste condemneth the pure familist of loue which affirme that they haue no sinne neyther yet can they sinne because they are déeified and also hominified but let such pestilent puritantes passe from which sect good Lorde kéepe vs and froÌ„ al iustitiaries which iustify theÌ„ selues as the wicked Papistes that haue no séede of grace left in them to helpe to worke their saluation and also haue works superabundant enough to serue them selues and others to saluation from which pestilent sect good Lorde deliuer vs. But as touching the wordes of the same Epistle the .3 Cha. and .9 vers where the Euangelist saith the regenerated man sinneth not neyther can he sinne because gods séede is in him In this text of scripture the holy ghost condemneth all those Atheists Epicures Papistes bellie gods and carnal Protestants worldlinges which cannot abide to heare that there is any faythfull christians on the earth any regenerated man such as gréene to sée God dishonoured nor truely reuerenced such as cannot abide to heare gods holye name abused suche as gréeue to sée the Lordes word prophaned suche as cannot abide to heare anye vayne or fylthie talke suche the wise proude loftie worldlinges scorne scoffe deride and taunt by the name of Puritants presitious and are all of the spirite and that he is gods childe as it is sayde in the booke of Wisedome the seconde Chapter Therefore they cannot abyde to heere that anye shoulde bée called good iuste or ryghteous and therefore with Tooth and Nayle they recyte the fourtéene Psalme sayyng that there is none good but God and the fyrste péece of Scripture that you recited
many thousands that are called christians pray at this day how desirous they are of all the worldly blessinges before heauenly and spirituall because they are vnregenerated and worldlyminded Vnto whome all thinges which they possesse are vncleane and cursed You haue hearde also who are those that feare God and not loue him euen suche I say that doth not knowe howe to honour God not how to serue him nor when they commit spirituall Idolatrie nor wheÌ„ they do abuse gods holy name nor when they prophane or abuse the Lordes day neyther yet knowe the great difference betwéene the first table and the seconde that is they knowe not holynesse from righteousnesse I saye gods right from mans weakenesse that is a true fayth froÌ„ mans workes which are corrupt actiue from profound passiue righteousnesse which is as great difference as is betwéene gods almighty maiestie and mans weake imbessilitie such I say that neyther knowe the articles of their fayth nor vnderstande what true beléefe is neyther yet knowe what prayer is nor do knowe howe to pray neyther yet know what a Sacrament is yet dare presume to saye that they are saued onely because they are baptised yet do lyue worse thâ—n Infidells yea dare presume to receyue the holy communion yet violate pollute the seales therof these are those which are a sléep yea dead yet aliue these are papistes Atheistes Epicures Earnall Protestants and all those wise wordly wisards whose kitching is their church and belly their God and all their glory euerlasting shame and confusion Oh Lorde reclayme them if it be thy will with thy loud cal or lure the preaching of thy Gospel that they may be brought into the tentes of Sem being yet rammish haughtie haggerdes descended from the vncleaÌ„e cage of Iaphet as some learned affirme the elder brother of Sem. Graunt this O God for Christes sake our onely Lorde and sauiour An other question of the sonne â—7 Father I haue heard you say manye times when you haue reproued manye that sweare by their fayth you haue sayd that they were as good sweare by the Trinitie the father the sonne and the holy Ghost Howe can that be doo wée sweare by them when we sweare by our fayth The fathers aunswere Yea is not your faith a stedfast beléefe in God the father the sonne and the holy Ghost And is it not the whole somm of our beliefe which we daylie confesse when we say I beléeue in God the father almightie and in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lorde and the holye Ghost c. Do you not then sweare by the Trinitie when you sweare by your beléefe whiche is the verye Christians fayth and is not your fayth a sure hope hold and confidence on and in the father the sonne and the holy Ghost by and through the merits and passion of christ Iesus with a sirme beléefe true and pure vnderstanding of his holy worde and Sacramentes vnto life euerlasting The wife and sonnes aunswere with an other Question Yes verily and so we now confesse and are fully resolued but nowe we praye you let vs vnderstand the sence or meaning of a Sacrament and what it is The fathers aunswere or difinition A Sacrament is when the holy word of God is ioyned with an element as in Baptisme the word is ioyned with the element water and in the Lordes supper the word is ioyned with elementes bread and wine the whith elementes and word ioyned together doth make the definition of a Sacrament and the meaning of a Sacrament is a true and visible signe of an inuisible grace that is the .3 Elements to be séene as the very water bread and wine is veryly present in our sight euen so that inuisible grace working in our harts by the spirite and power of God by faith althings necessary for our saluatioÌ„ by through Iesus Christ and they are also sure seales of the certaintie of our fayth The sonnes .19 Question We pray you sir whether do the Sacraments of them selues giue grace to the faithful receyuers or no We praye you certifie vs or ought we to worship them as God The fathers aunswere They neyther of them selues nor in them selues doth include or giue anye grace for it is the onely gift and worke of the holy Ghost neyther are they to be worshipped as God but we ought to eleuate or lift vp our hartes vnto Iesus Christ who is in heauen our onelye mediator and aduocate vnto God our father for vs and that onely by fayth who is the onely author of these sacramentes commaunding so often as we vse them to do it in the remeÌ„brance of his last comming when we shall receiue it in full ioy with him in his euerlasting kingdome yet they are holy signes seales of our fayth as it were by an instrument God doth worke and seale grace in our harts only by the hande of fayth neither yet are they bare naked signes but grace is truely presented to our fayth when and so often as we receiue the same with a firme fayth constant beléefe in the only merites of christe Iesus our onely Lord and Sauiour The .20 Question We pray you sir is there any more sacraments then two for I haue heard some say there are fiue some affirme there are seuen but we are taught in our church there are but only two The fathers aunswere Howe many soeuer the pestilent papistes haue in their sinfull sinagogue whether they haue fiue seuen or seuen hundred that is nothing to vs for euery seremoniall thing or seremony or any thyng els whiche they thinke is holye in theyr Holye Holie Church or sinnagogue must vpon payne of the Popes cursse be holy adorned and worshipped for it is with them a sacrament or as great yea the very dust and swéeping of their Sinagogue but in Christes holye Churche there is nor neuer was more then two th one is Baptisme the other is the Lords Supper for by the first we are receyued into Christes Church and by the other we are nourished by fayth in our soules into life euerlasting and also remember Christes death vntill hée come agayne to be our ioyfull iudge The sonnes 21. Question We pray you sir certifie vs more plainly what is the true sence substance and meaning of Baptisme The fathers Aunswere Baptisme is the holy sacrament of our regeneration or newe birth vniting and incorporating of vs vnto the body of Christ being therby made a member of his Church by which Sacrament we are purged and washed from al our sinnes for as the water washeth awaye all our filthinesse of the bodie euen so by fayth the blood of Christ sprinckled on our soules by the hand of faith washeth away all our sinnes yea and also all our paynes due vnto the same so being made members of Christes owne body we are partakers of all the benefites and blessinges of Christ our elder brother and head if we
wel it doth me good that you aske such questions for it commeth not from fleshe and blood These holye scriptures are both very true As for the first wordes in the 14. Psalme That there is none good no not one God by the holy prophet speaketh it to the wicked worldlinges the sencelesse Athistes and vnregenerated men That man that sayth in his hart there is no God As. S. Paul affirmeth in the .3 Chapter of his Epistle to the Rom. the .10.11.12.13 verses In whiche he describeth the qualities of the wicked Read that Chapter but in respecte to compare with God there is indéede none good but God his onely sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde who is both God and man For to compare with God there is none good no not one But to affirme the wordes of the holy Ghoste in the .37 Psalme Doubtlesse there is on the earth both good men euyll iust and vniust righteous and wicked the elect and reprobate saintes and deuilles incarnate for God him selfe doth iustifie Iobe to be a iust man and yet he was but a man and the holy ghost describeth a iust man by Iob saying that suche as feareth God escheweth euyll and doth good but in the .37 Psalme The holie Ghost describeth at large a iust man and also a wicked for the thirtie verse of this Psalme hath these wordes the iust man sayth he his mouth doth euer speake of matters wise and high and his tongue doth talke to edifie but contrary the wicked man blasphemeth the Lord and séeketh howe to slay the righteous Also in the â—1 ver before is sayde that the wicked borroweth muche and neuer payeth agayne of the abundance which God hath lent him but the iuste is liberall and lendeth also in the 35. 36. verse of this Psalme The prophet sayth I haue béen young and nowe am olde yet did I neuer sée the righteous forsaken nor his séede begging their breade in diuers and many places in the holy scriptures For in the 33. Psal the Prophet sayth reioyce ye righteous for it becommeth vpright men to be thankefull Also in the Prouerbs of Salomon the .10 Chapter and the .3 verse sayth that the Lord will not famish the soule of the righteous but he casteth away the substance of the wicked and in Ecclesiastes the preacher sayth in his 3. Chapter and 17. ver I thought in mine hart that God woulde iudge the iust and the wicked for there is a time for all workes Also the Euangelist S. Mathew in his first Chap and 9. verse Pronounceth Ioseph the husband of Mary a iust man Also S. Peter termeth Lot a iust man in his .2 Chap. and .7 verse Throughout the whole scriptures the holy Ghost iustifieth that there is both iust and wicked men But it is a corsie to a cankered Atheist to heare a man speake of a good man then he will storme and frette and qualifie you with this .14 Psalme saying there is not one good or iust man no not one and we are all sinners c. But they speake it because they woulde haue all men like them and they bring in Saint Paules wordes saying that God hath lapped all men vnder sinne because he will haue mercy on all men and he wil not the death of a sinner and therefore we hope all shal be saued But yet the wicked shall all goe quicke to hell An other question of the sonne 28. Father because that S. Paul sayth that God will haue all men to be saued come to the knowledge of the truth and also as you haue saide defore that Saint Paul saith that God hath lapped al men vnder sinne that he wil haue mercy vpon all This scripture is plaine and I thinke that god wil saue al men we pray you giue vs the true sence and meaning thereof The fathers aunswere My sonne indéed the wordes are plaine but many do erre because they knowe not the scriptures nor the true spiritual sence thereof and the cause of their errour is because they pray not for the holy spirit of God to teache them neyther yet giue faithful eare vnto the preachers of gods word For. S. Paul meaneth by this word all men all manner of men that is God will saue some of all sortes and degrées of all countries and kinreds that is of all sortes of kinges and Princes Nobles Maiestrats MarchaÌ„tes Artificers laborers poore men slaues bondmeÌ„ Iewes Turkes Infidels Papists pagans yea Atheists Epicures Iesuits and familistes also all sorts of people if they repent be conuerted vnto Christ of all sorts he will cal some for God hath no respect of persons for he would not the death of a sinner but the he should coÌ„uert liue this is the meaning of the holy ghost by S. Pauls words The sonnes .29 Question Father can a man shorten these daies which God hath appoynted hym to liue on earth before his time because the prophet Dauid sayth in his .55 Psal and the last verse thereof That the wicked shall not liue out halfe their dayes hath not God saith the prophet appoynted euery man how long he shall liue the which he shall not passe and shall mans wickednesse preuent God for he hath numbred mans dayes howe long he shall liue good father resolue vs in this The fathers aunswere If God were not almightie then man might preuent him but surely God hath numbred the dayes of man which he shall not passe no not one hower or minute therefore mans wickednesse cannot preuent God neyther yet shorten the time and houre that God hath sette downe and yet the worldly couetous bloodthirstie and dispitefull man shall not liue out halfe his dayes as the holye Ghost affirmeth in the .55 Psalme and last verse But the prophet Dauid nor the holy ghost neaneth not by these wordes any of those dayes which God hath appoynted him to liue no not to shorten any one hower of those dayes although he should kil hang or drowne him selfe yea murder or steale and by the lawe be cut offe yet can he not preuent God for he séeth and suffereth him vntill his hower appointed of God who in mercy did suffer him to liue repent but this is the meaning of these words halfe his dayes the holy Ghost by the mouth of the Prophet speaketh vnto the couetous wicked worldlinges whiche scrape so for the cromes that fall from gods childreÌ„ I meane the wealth pelfe and pleasures of this present worlde being so in loue with it more then God that they sell both their bodies soules to the diuell to possesse it and so poynt them felues their dayes to liue for say they If I can get and scrape to be able to liue with the best of my neighbours and then liue to beare the offices in the Citie and in countenaunce and credit in the worlde also to liue yet longer to be in aucthoritie then I will serue God and be mercifull But beholde or these his appoynted