Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	believe_v	faith_n	grace_n	8,077	5	5.8830	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69250	Newes from France containing tvvo declarations of two new conuerts from the Church of Rome to the reformed churches of France: the former made by Master M. du Tertrf [sic], Lord de la Motthe Luyne, late preacher amongst the order of the Capucins vnder the name of F. Firmin, &c. at Saumur on the 27. of May last: the latter by the Marquise Boniuet, Lord of Creuecœur, &c. at Rochell on the seuenth of August last. Both translated out of the seuerall French copies into English by E.M. of Christ-Church in Oxford. Whereunto is added an English letter sent from Paris by an English gentleman to his friend in England, touching the late surprisall and imprisonment of the Prince of Conde, which happened on the 22. of August last.; Declaration and manifestation, of the chiefe reasons and motives of the conversion of Master M. du Tertre, Lord de la Motthe Luyne.	Bonnivet, Henri Marc de Gouffier, Marquis de, d. 1589. Declaration de Henri-Marc de Gouffier. aut; Meetkerke, Edward, 1590-1657, attributed name.	1616 (1616)	STC 7372; ESTC S117179	43,123	84

resort and haue our refuge to the Saints and blessed ones and that a thousand other such like things which you beleeue and your Doctors teach and preach ought to be held for Articles of faith there not being any trace or ground of them in the sacred Scripture the true rule of that which ought to be beleeued and done Not being able I say to perswade my selfe that that was the true Church in the which the true faith and the doctrine of the Gospell was held and taught wherein the manners life and actions were so contrary and opposite vnto them and the corruption so great and vniuersally diffused and extended throughout But those were but small light and vaine Ideaes which went no farther by reason of the negligence as I beleeue in the which the watchings which I bestowed on my studies and other businesses kept me asleepe as also by reason of the age whereof I was which for that time did not giue me more liuely conceits thereof for want of some body that might haue heartened them on farther as indeed I was bred in the midst of them who beleeued and did the quite contrary Thus did my simplicitie hatch my ignorance wherein I liued fiue or six whole yeers since this first glimpse of light which did kindle in my soule and heart this desire and affection of the truth and to returne to this first spring and originall of the faith and manners of the Apostles and Disciples of the Sonne of God our Sauiour yet of that very Sauiour from whom by processe of time euen your Church hath swarued At the end of which yeeres finally it hath pleased that supreme goodnesse and maiestie which doth impart and communicate his graces and fauours to whom he thinkes good yea oftentimes to least worthy and capable subiects and makes the splendor of his euerlasting light to cast his beames on those soules that are deepest plunged into the obscuritie of darknesse to poure out on mine the amplitude and greatnesse of his heauenly and diuine benedictions and to make mee to see abundantly purely and to the full in their owne essence and naturall day both the truth and falshood and to harden strengthen and encourage my minde for to embrace valorously the one and to reiect the other against all the obiects and representations of humane reason the attractiue and alluring perswasions of nature the impetuous assaults of flesh and bloud and the strong suggestions and temptations of the deuill and the furious and bloudy combats of hell Whereupon I am and shall alwayes be obliged vnto him ouer and aboue all the obligations which I owe vnto him already in number almost infinite and I doe blesse praise wil praise him to al eternitie yea all the holy Angels of heauen and iust men of the earth which whereas the enuious hatefull and ill willers haue their foreheads wrinkled will be glad for me and reioyce at my departure and conuension This my change then hath no other scope and aimeth purely and simply as I haue already said at nothing but the glory of my God and the assurance of my saluation which I haue truly found out and sweare and protest that I could not haue attained vnto and wrought out in that state wherein I was vnderstand I pray you and hearken to the reasons thereof The two grounds and foundations of all Christian religion and consequently of euerlasting saluation are faith and charitie without which neither one nor the other can remaine and continue standing faith I say in Christ He that beleeues in me saith he shall not come into iudgement but he that beleeueth not is already condemned Not any faith whatsoeuer but such as God and the holy Scripture doe demand and require of vs not languishing dead grounded on humane inuentions and traditions but purely and simply on Gods word animated and quickned by the spirit of grace accompanied with good workes Charitie not fained dissembled in shew only but as the Apostle saith proceeding from a pure and cleane heart from a good conscience from an vnfained faith and a loyaltie not counterfeted The same S. Paul speaking of the first in the 1. Epist to the Corinthians chap. 3. saith it clearely and in very expresse termes According to the grace of God which is giuen vnto me as a wise master-builder I haue saith he laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon But let euery man take heede how he buildeth thereupon for other foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Iesus Christ Now if any man build vpon this foundation gold siluer c. Where you see cleerely how vnder the metaphore and comparison of a materiall edifice and building which that it may be firme sound and lasting hath necessarily neede of a good strong foundation of firme and hard stones laid very farre and deepe in the ground he declareth signifieth and giueth cleerely to vnderstand that the true faith and beleefe in Iesus Christ our Sauiour such as he teacheth and sheweth vs in his writings is the true sure and onely foundation and the solid and setled ground-worke of all Christian religion and consequently by a necessary sequele of euerlasting saluation according to my proposition which for this first point remaines enough by this place and sufficiently proued As also no man doth deny it and call it in question but all generally doe admit and receiue it for a certaine and assured ground Let vs come to the proofe of the second point thereof to wit of Charitie I had need of more time then the shortnesse of this discourse can affoord mee for to relate all the places of holy Scripture making for this purpose That namely is manifest and cleare by the very words of our Sauiour when as being asked of that Doctour of the Law or Scribe and Pharisie which was the first the greatest and chiefe commandement thereof and hauing made answer that it was to loue God with all his heart with all his soule c. and his neighbour as himselfe he addeth that in these two points were comprised and contained closed and shut vp the whole Law and the Prophets and consequently by a necessary sequele and infallible conclusion all religion grounded and saluation established as on two solid and firme foundations without the which neither one nor the other as I haue already said can remaine and continue standing Now let vs see whether those two grounds and bases of saluation be or can be found in your Church and in the state and condition from whence I am departed to the end that from thence you may know and iudge whether I haue had iust cause and lawfull occasion to doe this or no and that the tongues that make themselues malicious and slanderous may cease from their calumnious assaults and pursuits And to begin with the faith and beleefe in Iesus Christ wee haue amongst many others three things to be considered in him 1. his person 2.

the Law And in the fift chapter verse 1. Therefore being iustified by faith wee haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ There is iustification by faith And as for the imputation of the merit of Christ hee sheweth it there also in the fourth chapter when as telling how God had imputed to Abraham his faith for righteousnesse hee addeth Now in that that this was imputed to him for righteousnesse c. This faith is not an idle imagination or false illusion and perswasion or fantasticall speculation in the beleeuers braine as your Doctors doe slanderously say but an holy assurance and firme confidence in the bounty and mercy of God by the which we beleeue that according to the truth of his infallible promises hee will be gracious and mercifull vnto vs in Iesus Christ his Sonne freely for his sake pardoning vs all our faults Such a beleefe is not idle nor fruitlesse in those who haue it but fructifieth vnto all manner of good workes righteousnesse godlinesse holinesse loue c. Not for to merit and obtaine that pardon which is already wholly gotten but for to shew towards God that we acknowledge this so vnestimable a benefit This faith is not from our selues but is a speciall gift of God who hath giuen vs freely through his Sonne not onely to beleeue in him but also to suffer for his sake as saith S. Paul Philip. 1.29 God hauing thus iustified vs freely through faith in his Son he sanctifieth vs also through his spirit which is the second benefit that wee haue obserued to be gotten for vs in Iesus Christ and which he hath merited and obtained for vs by his death as we haue said and doth bestow it vpon vs by the vertue and efficacie of his Spirit of regeneration and sanctification by the which mortifying daily more and more the naturall corruption in which we all are borne he makes vs by little and little to renounce and to die to all sinne for to liue to righteousnesse and holinesse all the dayes of our life vntill that in the end he doe sanctifie vs fully when as after this life hee shall receiue vs into that other in his heauenly glory This is briefly that which concernes these two great benefits of our Lord accordingly as the Scripture and Gods holy word doe shew and teach vs. It is a pitifull thing to see after how many sorts and manners Satan hath lamentably spoiled sophisticated falsified peruerted and corrupted in your Church by your Pastors and Doctors this doctrine being so wholsome and full of comfort touching these two benefits of Iesus Christ our Sauiour first by extenuating as much as they could and can the greatnesse of these graces and fauours secondly by taking from him and robbing him of all what they can for to attribute it to the merits either of themselues or of others and to their owne satisfactions and papall Indulgences They extenuate the greatnesse of grace two wayes first by lessening and diminishing the greatnesse of our offence and sinne secondly by debasing the excellencie and perfection of Christs merit They doe lessen and diminish the greatnesse of sinne first in denying that originall sinne deserues eternall death contrary to that which the Apostle teacheth vs to the Rom. 6.23 that the wages of sinne is death and to the threatning of the Law which sounds thus Cursed is he whosoeuer doth not continue and perseuere to obserue all things written and deliuered in the booke of the Law Secondly by their distinction of sinnes veniall and mortall teaching that there are some pettie sinnes which doe not deserue eternall death and damnation but rather pardon which is directly against that very sentence of S. Paul that the wages of sinne is death and that menace of the Law Cursed is hee c. They debase the excellencie of Christs merit when they teach first that he hath not satisfied for those sinnes and offences which they call veniall but onely for those that are mortall contrary to that which Saint Iohn hath in his first Catholike Epistle chap. 1.7 That the bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne Secondly that as for mortall sinnes he hath only changed the eternall into a temporall punishment which is by them affirmed and maintained not onely without any ground vpon the holy Scripture but also is much repugnant to the goodnesse and mercy of God who in so doing would pardon but by halfes Thirdly that by the death of Iesus Christ wee obtaine only remission of the guilt and not of the punishment which is as much as openly to mocke with God and to disanull altogether the merit of our Lord for what is it I pray you to remit and pardon the guilt but not the punishment As if a Master should say to his seruant a Lord to his subiect a King to his vassall that had grieuously wronged and offended him Goe thy wayes I pardon and forgiue thee thy fault but I will punish thee howsoeuer when I see time for that that thou hast done according as thou deseruest What pardon would that be nay would it not rather be a mocking of him It is euen so with God according to them They doe take from Iesus Christ and rob him as much as in them lieth of the glory of his merit for to attribute it to the merits of another when as refusing the true pardon of God by faith in the bloud of his sonne they will themselues deserue of God by the power of their workes this pardon and the fruition of life euerlasting wherein they doe iust like a wicked malefactor who being in the hands and power of his Iudge ready to be executed would refuse the grace and pardon of his Prince and would make no vse of it but would thinke that hee could merit yea would stifly maintaine that hee had iustly merited by his good deeds both his freedome and the expiation of the punishment which was prepared and made ready for him and to be one of the chiefe officers and best furnished houshold-seruants of his Lord wherein besides the intolerable arrogance whereof they cannot nor you cleare themselues they fall into a grosse foule and palpable ignorance first in that they thinke that they can of themselues doe any worthy thing and such as can deserue at Gods hands that which they thinke they doe deserue although notwithstanding it stands so that of our selues as of our selues we are not able to thinke any thing but all our abilitie is and proceeds from God as speaketh the Apostle in the second to the Corinthians chap. 3. yea euen all the most iust actions of man which God worketh in him through his grace are so marred infected and tainted with our naturall corruption that they are all as saith Esay 64. as a menstruous cloth Secondly when as for a refuge they say that those good workes which they doe are not from themselues but from the grace of God working in them for it is

to admit receiue and acknowledge the Sonne of God Iesus Christ our Sauiour in whom as the Apostle saith are laid vp all the treasures of the diuine knowledge and wisdome of the Father for their true Prophet and Law-giuer or at the least to thinke him vnfit insufficient who neither knew nor could but what say I nay malicious who would not declare and giue vs to vnderstand the will of his Father and his purpose concerning the seruice and obedience which hee would haue and which we ought to render him yea most vniust to tie and binde vs and that on paine of eternall death and destruction to obserue a law which he had not made knowne vnto vs. Which are three blasphemies none of them lesse damnable then the other the which notwithstanding before you perceiue or thinke of it your Doctours and Prelates doe make you lamentably run into by this false peruerse and wicked doctrine which they set before you to beleeue two-fold worse then you yea three-fold and an hundred-fold who therefore also shall be punished for it a thousand times more grieuously A King and Pastor ordained of God and established ouer his Church for to feede order guide and gouerne it by his diuine spirit as a soueraigne Monarke head and Pastor thereof and to keepe maintaine conserue and defend it against all his enemies visible and inuisible by his almighty arme and his strong and forcible hand and to make her finally arise and come to the hauen of euerlasting saluation of felicitie and blisse I haue beene saith he himselfe through the mouth of his ancestor and grandfather Dauid anointed and consecrated King by him to wit his eternall Father vpon his holy hill of Sion In Esay 16. Ierem. 23. in S. Luke 1. He shall raigne saith the Archangell to the Virgin ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdome there shall be none end And he himselfe last of all in S. Matthew 28. speaking to his Disciples after his glorious and triumphant resurrection did ascertaine and assure them that all power was giuen him both in heauen and in earth And in a thousand more places and passages of the Scripture he is called and himselfe also stiles himselfe by the title of Pastour Now those of your Church doe depriue and disrobe him of these honourable charges and glorious offices for to make them ouer to a mortall fraile and perishable man whom they admit and receiue into his place acknowledging him for their soueraigne chiefe Pastour and Gouernour as if this King of infinite glory and maiestie and true Shepheard of our soules were not able and sufficient for to feede order guide and gouerne them attributing and transferring by a horrible and detestable blasphemie to him the titles qualities and conditions which befit and pertaine to the Sauiour only as he is the Bridegroome vniuersall Head and Pastour of the Church c. which is nothing else to speake properly and truly but to plucke and driue away Christ from his kingly seat and throne and to set therein another to take from his head the crowne and Miter and out of his hands the Scepter for to giue them to the Pope For if he be head of the Church Christ shall be so no longer else shee would be deformed monstrous and two-headed If all power hath beene giuen vnto him in heauen and in earth as hee impudently boasteth then truly it will altogether be taken away from Christ for as Alexander said very well to Darius as learned Plutarch reporteth and witnesseth euen as the heauen is enlightned but by one Sunne from whom all the other starres and planets receiue and keepe alike by meere and simple dependance and communication their light and splendour and there cannot be two of them in like manner in a kingdome there can be but one King and there cannot be suffered to be two otherwise the Royaltie would be imperfect and the Empire subiect to perpetuall troubles and continuall warres and would quickly beginne to fall to decay and vtter ruine To be short if the Pope be the generall only and vniuersall Pastour and Bishop of the Church to whom the Sonne of God hath giuen and committed all his authoritie care and diligence in ruling gouerning ordering disposing establishing of lawes and setting downe rules to the consciences with a bond of yeelding to him all obedience and submission as to himselfe what then hath he more to busie himselfe withall here below in his Church Truly hee hath vtterly depriued himselfe of his kingdome and disrobed himselfe of his pastorall office and charge hee is now no longer any thing else in their reckoning but a meere cypher and o in Arithmeticke which is a blasphemie not only to say but euen to thinke the which notwithstanding these wretches make you to commit and vtter though you thinke not or neglect to haue regard of it But to what a pitifull and deplored state would the Church be brought hauing for her chiefe Pastours and vniuersall Gouernours men that of their nature are weake feeble wretched and blinde who scarce are fit to rule guide and gouerne themselues their workes and actions From thence it is that are sprung and haue had their source so many disorders irregularities and Corruptions in your Church as is to be seene at this day But it is no wonder for as Iesus Christ our Sauiour saith very fitly If the blinde will vndertake to guide and direct other blinde men in their way what can be hoped and looked for but that they shall stumble on their faces to the ground and finally all of them haue a deadly downefall No no there are no others besides that soueraigne King and glorious Monarke the eternall almighty and diuine Gouernour and Shepheard of our soules who can only rule the whole body of the Church haue an eye ouer all giue order for all things as being wholly wise cleere-sighted prouident yea Wisdome and Prouidence it selfe by the meanes whereof the eternal Father doth gouerne guide and dispose of all things It is he who is the true shepheard and bishop of our soules saith Saint Peter The Lieutenant generall and vice-roy of God his Father saith Saint Matthew Who hath giuen him all power authority and might in heauen and in earth And hauing brought all things vnder his feet saith Saint Paul hath set him ouer all things for to be head to his Church A true and soueraigne Priest after the order of Melchizedeck anointed and consecrated by the eternall Father before all worlds The Lord hath sworne saith the kingly Prophet speaking to this purpose and will not repent him Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedeck The Apostle S. Paul confirmes and repeats this many and diuerse times in the Epistle to the Hebrewes 5.7.8.9.10 For to offer vp to him in time according to the office and duty of the high Priest his precious body and bloud

would sauour rather of a cruell Tyrant then of a louing pitifull bountifull and compassionate God such a one as ours is But to their account they doe deliuer themselues yet more easily and at a cheaper rate then the aforesaid by meanes of the Popes Indulgences and Pardons by wearing a paire of Beades or an hallowed Medaill and saying three Pater-nosters or some such other the like meere fooleries bables and inuentions proceeding out of the forge and shop of some superstitious braine or rather couetous and desirous of gold and siluer very fit in truth and conuenient for to helpe towards the charges and expences of the Popes Court and of other Ecclesiasticall persons his deputies But as I haue said an impious wickednesse and detestable impietie nay an horrible and execrable blasphemie thus to disrobe and depriue Iesus Christ of the glory of his merit and to imagine by such meanes to satisfie the rigour of Gods iustice better then by the effectuall and diuine vertue of his precious bloud shed for the sinnes not only of the whole world but of an hundred yea of a thousand if so many there were I giue leaue to all truly Christian and religious soules desirous of their owne saluation and zeale to the honour and glory of their Sauiour to thinke well of it and to iudge whether this be to giue him the entire glory of our saluation and whether he be well assured leaning and being built vpon such foundations The time would faile me if I discouer and my heart would ake and pant at the sight of all the filth and abominations that are couered and hidden vnder this cloake of merits and satisfactions which are taught and preached in your Church farre more then the grace goodnesse mercy and free pardon of God yea by the which merits and satisfactions this grace goodnesse mercy and free pardon of God and the merits of Iesus Christ are not onely darkned and disfigured but quite defaced and altogether abolished as much at least as in them lieth Let that which hath beene said be enough and suffice for this time for to shew and make you to see how the benefit of our iustification by Christ Iesus our Sauiour is set as it were at naught by the doctrine of your men Let vs now come to the benefit of sanctification which hee hath likewise as I haue already said and repeated twice or thrice obtained and merited for vs by his death and passion and by the effusion of his pretious and diuine bloud This is no lesse peruerted corrupted and abolished then the former For in stead of acknowledging with the Scripture which teacheth it vs that of our owne nature being dead in our sins vnable to frame euen a good thought and bring forth of our selues any good thing by reason that the whole imagination of mans heart is set vpon nothing but euill at all times euen from his youth God hereupon doth baptise vs not onely with water but principally with the holy Ghost by the which correcting and mortifying by little and little the corruption of our nature infected with the sinne which we bring with vs from the belly of our mother of vnbeleeuers impenitent rebellious wilfull and disobedient to his commandements and precepts such as wee are of our selues and of our owne nature he makes vs to beleeue his truth takes from vs the hardnesse of our hearts makes vs flexible and pliable vnder the yoake of his lawes and of his obedience that so renouncing all vnfruitfull workes of sinne and darknesse we may liue as true children of light in righteousnesse and true holinesse in stead I say of acknowledging teaching and carefully vrging this they doe the quite contrary 1. extenuating as I haue already said and diminishing as farre as they are able this naturall corruption and originall sinne which is in vs saying that it is but a light infirmitie spirituall languor and weaknesse of nature which makes vs indeed backward and slow in good but not dead to all good and quicke and ready to all euill 2. attributing to the water salt and spittle and other such like things of baptisme the mortification of that naturall corruption in vs and not rather to the merit of Iesus Christ our Sauiour and to the power and efficacie of his death and passion 3. in that that seeming to acknowledge the grace of God to be necessary for the healing of this euill yet in effect they doe quite disanull this and attribute it to themselues and to the force and power of their free-will 1. in that they imagine that in man by the force and power of his nature there are some preparatiues and dispositions to receiue this grace and consequently that there are in him certaine merits of congruitie so that with them the cause why God offereth and presenteth his grace to one and not to another is because the one is well prepared of himselfe you must vnderstand and not by the grace of God seeing he prepares and disposes himselfe for to receiue it and the other is not as if man being so miserably corrupted as hee is could of himselfe doe any thing that might deserue grace de congruo as they speake that is might binde God by way of honestie and conueniencie to bestow vpon him his grace 2. in that they make this grace to bee such as that all the vertue and efficacie thereof depends wholly vpon the libertie of man which in effect is to make this grace idle and vnprofitable for how can any man call that medicine sufficient and effectual for the healing of a maladie which can doe no good without one certaine ingredient Now do they make the grace of God like to this medicine it can doe nothing as they say nor worke in vs without the force and vertue of our free-will which is the chiefe ingredient according to them which giueth force and efficacie to this spiritual medicine Is this to recommend the grace of God vnto vs or to exalt it and is it not rather to exalt man and his abilitie Is not this to take from God for to giue to man to rob the Creator for to couer decke and enrich the creature Thus you see that those of your Church especially your Doctours directours and Prelates like to children of a peruerse neglectfull and vngratefull nature with a presumption that shuts to their heart and puffes vp their spirit they hate nothing so much as to acknowledge auouch and confesse their fault passe condemnation vpon it cry for mercy aske pardon and acknowledge that all their good and eternall happinesse consists in the goodnesse mercy grace and meerely free pardon of God but doe extenuate as much as they can their fault and offence doe plucke downe grace and abolish as much as in them lieth all pardon that so they may not seeme to be beholden to God they do preach and extoll the greatnesse of their merits by the which they pretend to make God

other hand the hammer and chizell for to square and fit these liuing stones to the building of his spirituall Temple But what doe I I must conclude lest mine obseruation should proue to be longer then the text it selfe In the meane time accept of that which is done for you and bee thankfull to God for that which he hath done for his Church and in particular cease not to pray continually for the peace of the distressed Ierusalem which he hath in France Farewell London this last of August 1616. Yours E. M. A DECLARATION OF HENRY MARC DE GOVFFIER Marquise of Boniuet Lord of Creuecoeur c. IF so be that pietie and the knowledge of God were things hereditarie and of that nature that they could descend from the parents to the children as well as doe the goods and possessions of this world then should not I need at this time to declare what I am what is my beleefe and what God hath put into me for my baptisme mine education and bringing vp would testifie it I hauing beene descended from such persons whereof some haue had the feeling of Gods truth within them and others the very confidence of professing it openly But the publike calamities which for so many yeeres haue afflicted this estate haue brought to mee in particular for my part this losse more to be lamented then any other that I could neuer haue a taste of that good affection which parents are wont to beare toward their children and that those from whose care I might haue looked for a faithfull instruction in matters of saluation hauing beene taken out of the miseries of this world as soone almost as I came vnto it there was left vnto mee no other light then for the body and my soule still continued in darknesse and the shadow of death and that in such manner that accordingly as I grew in age so I daily proceeded in errour and straying from Iesus Christ and his Gospell I strayed likewise from mine owne happinesse and had beene likely miserably to continue in that lamentable and deplorable estate euen vnto this day and so forwards if God who knoweth who are his and whose names hee hath written in his booke of life had not had pittie of me and if the goodnesse of him who sheweth mercy to whom hee sheweth mercy had not preuented mee and formally opposed it selfe to the mischiefe which was pleasing vnto me and to that curse which being to mee the greatest of all yet aboue all others was hugged and liked of by my soule And if the kindnesse of God towards mee hath beene eminent in regard of the thing it selfe in that he hath vouchsafed to deliuer me from the power of darknesse for to translate me to the kingdome of his well-beloued sonne the meanes also which it hath pleased him to vse for to bring to passe this happie effect are no lesse worth the considering in that God of the meanes of my totall perdition at least as they might seeme likely to bee hath made as many meanes of my conuersion to him according as hee is wont to draw sweetnesse out of bitter things for his children and generally to make all things to turne to the best for those who are called according to his determined purpose It is now twelue yeeres agoe when I was at Rome I will say no more there mine eyes saw wonders but such as were quite of another nature then those which heretofore the Apostles being directed and animated by the holy Spirit brought forth for to authorize and confirme the doctrine of grace And how carefully and industriously soeuer I was nurtured in ignorance and brought vp in the hatred of the Religion and the loue of Idolatrie yet I could neuer bee hindred from perceiuing that there was a great disproportion betweene the state of those who at this day doe domineere ouer the Church and the condition of them who formerly did feed the flocke of Christ that was committed vnto them Yet that was scarce any more then if I should haue beheld the darknesse of the night without being able to discerne the brightnesse of the day or if I did beginne to take notice it was in that manner as men beginne to see at the breake of day That beginning how small soeuer it was then did not continue vnprofitable the rising of the Sunne drew nigh the light increased and was strengthned in mine vnderstanding the abuses of Poperie appeared vnto me both grosser and more God left not in mee his worke vnperfect hee did put me in minde of inquiring a little further and to be informed truly by himselfe in his owne word whether of the two Religions that are receiued in this Kingdome might haue the vpper hand in regard of the truth or had more conformitie vnto this word This enquirie did make mee to resolue about some three yeeres since to forsake the seruice which I finde condemned in the Scripture and to embrace that which I find therein commanded and to come forthwith out of Babylon for feare that partaking longer of her knowne crimes I should bring my selfe into a manifest danger of partaking of her vnknowne plagues Whilest I had this resolution which came to me from God behold on the contrary many considerations which came from elsewhere on the one side were presented to mine eyes the lustre the pompe the dignities the greatnesse the hopes of the earth and with all this ostentation of the glories of the world as it were a certaine voice well-neere like to that which said sometimes to our Lord I will giue thee all these things if thou fall downe and worship mee on the other side the pouertie the miseries the ruines of houses the hatred the contempt and all what is most able to cause a distaste which should bee mine assured lot in case of change These two tentations the one on the right and the other on the left hand did make me suspend the effect of that wil which the spirit of God had insinuated into my spirit I looked behind me a good while I withheld the truth in vnrighteousnes I made my selfe beleeue that by doing much euil I should haue good done vnto me I fled from the presence of God but God did make me at length feele that he deceiues himselfe which thinkes to scape by swiftnesse from before him he prepared for me a Whale for to swallow me but yet not for to destroy me I was chastened by his hand and that through the same things in the which I had sinned he tooke away out of mine hands both that which I had and that which I had not And now my hopes were cut off euen at the root now many things by me possessed were lost for me now my libertie more precious then all the rest was taken from me but God be praised who hauing taken from mee so many things yet hath giuen mee so many that if hee hath sent mee any euill it was onely for