come to nought Veryly as there is not a greater blessing geuen of GOD to any nacion then the gift of his vvoord so I knovve not yf a greater cursse from GOD can be cast vppon any people then vvhen the vvoord of GOD and the true preaching thereof is taken avvay from them as these vvoordes of GOD spoken by the prophete doo manifestly declare Beholde the tyme commeth sayth the Lorde GOD that I shall send an hunger into the earth not the hunger of bread nor the thyrst of vvater but an hunger to heare the vvoord of the LORD so that they shal goe from the one sea to the other yea from the North to the East runnyng about to seeke the vvoord of the Lorde and shall not finde it In this behalfe therfore are ye the inhabitauntes of Sandvviche greatly blessed of the Lord our God vvhich hath not onely very richelv geuen you his vvoorde to be preached taught and read among you but also hartes to receaue and beleeue the same as yf vve reade of Lydia vvhose hart sayth blessed Luke the Lorde opened that shee attended to the thinges vvhich Paul spake Out of this your feruent zeale and burnyng loue tovvard this diuine and heauenly Philosophie many godly and Christen fruites of Gods spirite haue issued and plentifully come foorth as brotherly concord and vnfained amitie among your selues not your selues onely but also among all the inhabitauntes of your Tovvne so that all contention strife debate discord emnitie variaunce tumultes quarelles lavvynges c. banished and auoyded beneuolence loue concord agreement vnitie amitie freendship gentlenesse humanitie and vvhatsoeuer maketh vnto the bond of peace ruleth and raigneth among you vvhich godly vnitie and concord dooth so euidently declare you to be of God as nothing more In this shall all men knovve that ye are my Disciples sayth Christe yf one of you loue an other As discord bringeth al thinges to hauocke so dooth concord conserue keepe in good order and make to increase vvhat so euer is good and profitable to a common vveale or to any part thereof As Salustius sayth By concord small thinges encrease and grovve but by discorde mighty and great thinges decay and come to nought It vvas very vvittely and learnedly ansvyeared of Terence vvhen the noble Senate of the most noble Romanes demaunded of him after the destruction of Carthage vvhat he thought to be the cause of the subuertion if so ample populus and florishing citie vvhether the puissaunce of the Romans vvhose force seemed to be incomparable or the feeblenesse of the Carthaginenses not being able to resist No sayth he neyther your valiance nor our vvant of puissance vvas the subuersion of our citie but the discorde of the Citizens The mightiest fortresse and strongest Bulvvarcke that eyther Citie or Tovvne can haue is the concord of Citizens vvithout the vvhich all puissaunce all force all vvytte al pollicie all castels all martiall armonies are vayne and vnprofitable verely in this behalfe are ye also greatly blessed of God vvhich both in godly vvorldly affaires are of one mind of one meaning vvithout al diffencion among you O blessed fruite of Gods spirite Moreouer hovve idlenesse that chiefe maistres of vices all vtterly exiled and banished out of your Tovvne No man liueth there idlely All degrees of persons are godly vertuously and profitably occupied euery man according to his vocacion and calling All studye to be quiet and to meddle vvith theyr ovvne businesse and to vvorke vvith theyr ovvne hands that they may not only eate theyr ovvne breade according to the commanndement of God but also through those their laboures haue vvhereof they may geue vnto such as haue neede as Saint John saith he that hath tvvo coates let him geue one to him that hath none And he that hath meate let him doo likevvise Certes diligent and vertuous trauaile vpholdeth the Citie but idle and sluggysh hands roote vp the foundacions thereof Furthermore vvho can yenough prayse and sufficiently commende your studious carefulnesse and painefull trauaile in making prouision for the poore members of Christe vvhich haue not of them selues vvhereof to liue Verely yee haue a fatherly care for your poore ' that none of them should vvant Ye count their lacke your ovvne lack neyther are ye lesse moued vvith theyr miseries then yf ye your selfs vvere touched vvith the same according to this saying of Saint Iohn He that hath the substance of this vvoorld and seeth his brother haue neede anb shutteth vp his compassion from him hovv dvvelleth the loue of God in him Vnmercifulnesse tovvard the poore vvas one of the chiefe causes vvhy that florishing and to much vvealthy Citie Sodome as the Prophet teacheth vvas destroyed vvith fire an brimstone from heauen Verely euen so contraryvvise vvhere the vvorkes of mercie are diligently practised vpon the poore there is the blessing of God conseruation of the Tovvne or Citie encrease of goodes and fortunate successe in all honest and godly trauayles as Salomon sayth He that geueth to the poore shall not vvant He that lendeth to the Lorde that shevveth mercie to the poore and it be recompenced him to the vttermost as our Sauiour Christe sayth Geue and it shal be geuen vnto you good measure and pressed dovvne and shaken togeather and runnyng ouer shall men geue into your bosomes For he that geueth but a cuppe of cold vvater for Christes sake shall not loose his revvard Yf thou vvylt breake thy bread to the hungry sayth GOD by the Prophete and leade the needy vvayfaring man into thy house couer the naked man and not turne avvay thy face from the poore thy lyght shall breake foorth as the mornyng and thy health florishe right shortly yea thy righteousnesse shal goe before thee and the glory of the Lord shal embrace thee Then yf thou callest the Lord shall aunsvvere thee yf thon cryest he shall say Here I am O blessed is the man sayth the Psalmographe that considereth the poore and needy the Lorde shall deliuer him in the time of trouble The Lorde shall preserue him and keepe him aliue that he may be blessed vpon earth and not be deliuered into the vvyll of his enimies The Lorde shall comfort him vvhen he lyeth sicke vpon his bedde yea and make his bedde in his sieknesse Agayne vvhat shall I speake of your gentle and louyng enterteynement of strangers and forreners vvhich for the testemony of Christes most glorious Gospell and for the quietnesse of theyr conscience that they may the more freely serue GOD vvith a pure mind are not only content to suffer vnvvorthy banishment vvith the losse of their goodes but also day and nyght to labour vvith their ovvne handes for their liuing that they may be no burden to any man These most vvyllyngly and gladly ye admit receaue and embrace cherishe entertayne and comfort These ye lodge place among you not as strangers but as Citizens not as forreners but as your dearely beloued
our byrth What soeuer is not of faith is sinne It is also the distrust in God and the ignoraunce and contempt of him and a trust and confidence in our owne workes What is originall sinne It is the poyson and corruption that we haue in our birth through the infection of our nature in Adam which doth bring foorth in vs the fruite of incredulitie and all wickednesse and maketh vs vnable to the workes of the lawe as the lawe requireth them to be done of vs vntil Christ and his word hath made vs a newe creature What is originall Iustice The integritie holenesse soundnesse of the powers of the body and the soule whereby both the soule and the body could verely obey doo and fulfill the lawe of god Wherefore after the poison of sin entred nature lost her integritie and soundnesse and the venim of sinne made weake faint and feeble the whole nature of man so that it could not in no wise wil or do the worke that it whole before could do And not this only but it infected and corrupted the flesh and the soule and all the powers of them both which infection ingendred in the nature of man hus febled the ignoraunce and contempt of God the distrust in God the murmuring against God when he sendeth aduersitie or sicknesse It causeth furthermore man to be without the feare of God to hate the iudgement of God to flee and runne away from God when he chasteneth vs to be angry with him and dispayre and to trust in thinges corruptible c. These be the horrible biles sores pockes and carbucles that disfigure the face of man Which though they be neuer so high yet our schole men and canonistes I meane the professours of the Byshop of Romes lawes coule neuer see or perceyue These Chiste through faith at our baptisme doth suppresse and abate theyr power and at the last by death doth vtterly vainguishe and kill What meane you by these wordes Poena and Culpa This word Culpa which is in english a faute or trespasse properly in this place betokeneth the gilt as we call it or the trespasse and that which the law punisheth in the deede or fact as in an act of felony the law punisheth not the comming to the Horse nor yet the brideling no nor the leading of the Horse from the stable medowe or common for all these may be doone without the euill and vnlawfull desire of the Horse and agayne with the owners leaue But the lawe punisheth the comming the brydeling and taking away the Horse against the owners wyll and with the mind of stealing him and calleth the facte thefte or felony This word Poena which is in Englyshe payne is the wages and punishment taken for the faute And thus some kinde of vices al hurtes damages sicknesse pest ilences perils errours and the lacke of Gods word that we haue among vs be paines and punishmentes of sinne That God punisheth sinne with losse and daunger both of body goodes with sicknesse pestilence and such other none I thinke doubteth but that he punisheth sinne by sinne and sinne by errours and heresies the worlde can not so clerely perceiue Howe be it Paul doth playnly declare it where he sayth because the Gentils turned the glory of God and worshiped the creature more then the maker c. Therefore saith he God gaue them vp vnto shameful lustes c. Which iustes be there straight after expressed And this punishment I meane to punish sinne by sinne is a very sore punishment He punisheth sinne by errours and heresies thus When the word of God is plenteously and sincerely preached as it is nowe and yet men still kicke against it or in case many receiue it yet fewe or non regard it or liue according to it but with their wordes make on it only for a fleshly libertie then I say God taketh his word away from thence as who be not worthy of it and letteth the worlde preuaile against his preachers and suffreth Antechriste who must nedes succeede Christ to kill them so that Antichriste peaceably enioyeth his kingdome as he hath doone all ready this great while and he must needes haue like doctrine to him selfe So did he punishe the Iewes his owne elected people at sundry times more then .ii. M. yeere and suffered them to worship false Gods or els to set vp their owne tradicions Gods preceptes neglected So also hath he punished our fore fathers these viii or ix C. yeeres And now except we thankefully receyue his woord and liue thereafter in the newnesse of life according as we are called no doubt of it he wyll not only revolue and cast vs downe againe to our old ignoraunce captiuitie and bondage but also shortly take such vengeaunce on vs as he threatened Bethsaida Corazin c. Nowe God remitteth the crime gylte and trespace to his electe through faith in Christe but he reserueth after a certayne manner a little porcion of the paine not to counterpeise therewith or satisfy his iustice for the crime as the Byshop of Rome with his complices hath taught vs this great while but to chastise their flesh with all and sometime to be an example vnto other to forbeare like crimes for fear of like punishment or to declare the yre of God for such crimes So that what trouble vexacion griefe losse sicknesse so euer the best men that be haue they deserue it with much more Howbeit no not thus GOD would beate scourge and trye his and it were not for their owne profite and auayle For by this meanes he nourtereth reineth and humbleth his electe that they may knowe them selues the better and lest they runne at large after the world as it appeareth by the aduoutry of Dauid and many other storyes in the Byble What is innocencie The purenesse of the minde and when the conscience is not giltie or findeth it selfe culpable in any thing This innocency only the faythe in Iesus Christe ingendereth in vs In this state was Paule after many interpreters mindes when he sayd I knowe nought by my selfe c. He sayd not this that he thought not him selfe a sinner and that he trespassed not afore God for then had he ben a lyer For Moyses saith to the Lord it is thou that takest away trespasse iniquitie and sinne and none innocent before thee but he meaneth of his conuersacion In this state also was Ezechias the good King when he turned him to the wal and wepte Here we call not to be giltie or culpable to haue the peace of the conscience and the is when we beleeue through Christe that our sinnes be hid for vnto that time the lawe ceaseth not to accuse vs in our conscience What is the spirite It is a Heauenly sence or vnderstanding springing out of the worde of God or els the selfe word of God exceeding the sence of the fleshe and reason The wordes that I
speake vnto you they be spirite and life meaning they amount and passe the fleshe and sence of reason they be spirituall and heauenly It is sometime put for what so euer liueth and breatheth as all the spirits prayse ye the Lorde sometime for the breath and winde What is the fleshe Euery affection the hart the minde and thought of man and what so euer els man doth or can do by al the powers of his reason destitute of the worde of God. For Christe saith That which is borne of the fleshe that is it vnderstandeth not thinges that be spirituall Fleshe other while betokeneth the letter and fleshly vnderstanding The fleshe profiteth nothing it is the spirite that quickeneth What is the newe man It is the man that is renued and borne againe by faith and the worde through the spirite of god Except a man be borne a new he can not se the kingdome of heauen To be borne anewe he calleth where as before we were but carnall and fleshly not vnderstanding the misteryes of the spirite we must be borne agayne in spirite that is to become spirituall and more meete to vnderstanâ—e espirituall thinges What is the olde man Our affections appetites and vnderstanding according to reason without faith euen as we be all naturally borne of our mother as it appeareth in diuers places of the Scripture Also the whole body of sinne is called the old man in Scripture and they liue according to the old man that liue in ignoraunce and followe the lustes of their hart not walking in the newnesse of lyfe Who is blessed or happy All be it I may aunswere with Christ blessed is he that heareth and kepeth the woorde of God yet is he otherwyse defined in the Scripture As he is to be thought happy who holdeth him selfe well content with his fortune and thankefully receyueth whatsoeuer God sendeth him and who is at one with God and al creatures that is doth not murmure against God and on the other side enuieth nor dispiseth any man. Who is a wretch or vnhappy He that holdeth not him selfe content with that that God hath sent him He with whome nothing goeth forwarde nor agreeth not with God nor man. Who is poore He that can not make any great boastes or crakes of himselfe and who is destitute of all helpe as be they of whome Christe saith blessed are the poore in spirite in Scripture he is called lowe humble and hungry and he who is nowe in aduersitie Who is riche He is called riche in Scripture which needeth no helpe concerning his saluacion but hath workes ynough and more then ynoughe to bring him to heauen And as a man may call it full vp to the throte of the righteousnesse as be all Hipocrites Phariseies and iustifiers of them selues they also be called riche in Scripture which be proud mighty and dronken with fortune and prosperitie euer polling the poore Who is wyse and circumspect He which knoweth God and his worde which when he doubteth as keth counsell and doth all thing thereafter Who is a foole He that rashly is caried hither and thither with euery mocion that considereth nothing regardeth nothing nor suffereth himselfe to be corrected and warned of his euill doing but headlong runneth as he began forsing not whether he sinke or swymme or what becommeth of him and who as he knoweth not the worde of God so he passeth not on it The wisedome of God taken as foolishnesse before the worlde is the preaching of the Crosse of Christ and the iustifiing by faith that is to say though to suffer persecution for the worde of God and to preach that we iustified by faith be godly and the wisedome of the spirite yet the world laugheth it to scorne and counteth it highe foolishenesse The wisedome of the fleshe is foolishnesse before God. What is a childe or to be a childe A childe in Scripture is a wicked man or he that is ignoraunt and not excercised in godlynesse and Gods word be he olde or be he young Or he that lacketh spirituall iudgemeÌ„t in discerning chosing things Wo be to the countrey whose King is a childe And he shall die a childe of a C. yeere olde A child also is sometime taken for humble or meke Who soeuer huÌ„bleth him selfe as this childe is greatest in the kingdome of Heauen What is an olde man auncient or elder He which is well taught and instructed in the worde of God and exercised therein He which liueth honestly and without reprose hauing horenesse of maners authoritie grauitie and high knowledge in the worde of God. What is Christe The annointed king and priest of God sitting on the right hande of the father hauing full power to defend and warrant his flocke and being a ready aduocate for his at their neede And by him all Christen men be annoynted kings and priestes They be called kinges when in Christe and through Christe they subdue their wylde affections the diuell and death They be called priestes and sacrificers when they offer vp their bodyes into a liuely holy and acceptable sacrifice vnto God which is our reasonable seruing of God. What is Antichriste The adnersary of Christe and he which goeth about to obscure or vtterly to abrogate and pull away his glory teaching defining and determining that Christe is not the king priest and aduocate of his flocke What is prayer A brenning desire or peticion of the minde lift vp and directed vnto God springing and comming of the neede and lacke that we find in our selfe as farre foorth as faith and the promise of God suffereth and permitteth vs where marke that we aske such thinges as be honest and lawfull Sometime it is taken for the lifting vp of the handes the desire trying and sighing of the poore and such as stand in neede And some doth call it more generally the lifting vp of the mind to God. What is temptation The profe and trial of our faith and an exercise and practise of the worde Otherwhiles it is called the rod and staffe of the Lorde and the discipline whereby we see our selues and perceyue how well we haue profited and gon forwarde in the word which may best be tryed then when that we goe about doth not goe forward as we woulde What is desperacion It is when in temptacion and such trying of vs wheither it be by aduersitie or any other thing we fall downe distrust and cast away all hope of the mercie and goodnesse of God then I say when of no side appeareth any hope or succor and when we be as seemeth to vs vtterly forgotten and cast away of God. Of which temptacion we may see a manifest example To speake properly desperacion is the vtter and finall dispayre and distrust of helpe VVhat is vocacion or calling It is the manner of life vnto which God hath
the number of the leaues be considered but yf the matter therof be diligently pondered it shal be found both great profitable Thus for this present taking my leaue of you I vvysh to you and to the vvhole Tovvne all good and prosperous things both for your bodyes soules most humbly beseeching God to finishe that good vvoorke vvhich he hath begun in you vnto the glory of his name vnto the profite of his holy congregation Amen From my house at Caunterbury the fyrst of September 1563. The Demaundes of holy Scripture WHO did create vs God who also made al the world of nought What things damned vs Sinne. In so much as Adam did eate by the perswasion of Eua of the Apple forbidden him of god For sinne is the breaking of the commaundementes of GOD. Who redemed vs and set vs in the fauour of GOD againe Iesus Christ by takyng our nature on him What is God vnto vs Whereas before he was a seuere straight Iudge through Christe he is become our most louing tender and mercifull father What are we His dearely beloued children What thing is GOD An infinite substaunce which onely with his word of might did create and make all thinges and with his most high and incomparable wisedome gouerneth all thing and of his inestimable goodnesse suffereth and preserueth all thing I call that infinite both which hath neyther beginning nor ending and that which can not be comprehended nor compassed by mans braine what thing it is And in both these significacions God is infinite Furthermore that is to euery man god or a god that he loueth dreadâ—th and worshippeth with all his hart The Scripture also calleth the Iudges and Officers of the earth gods What is a strange God or an other God What soeuer thing we worshyp besides the very lyuing god And that also that doth alienate and turneth our harte from Gods worde is called a strang or an other God. What thing is fayth It is a full and perfite confidence and trust in God through Christe ingendred in our harte by hearing the worde of God and as Paul defineth faith Faith is a sure confidence of thinges which we looke for and the certaintie of promises What is hope A styffe and firme expectacion of such thinges as be promised vs of the worde of GOD. What is charitie The principall fruite of faith a prompte and redy wyll to doo good to our neighbour Otherwhyles the workes of mercie are called charitie What is the lawe It is the liuely wyll of God geuen vs by commaundement as well in the newe testament as in the olde whose worke and operacion is to shewe sinne to shewe that God is angry with vs for our euill doing and dayly transgression of his commaundement whose duty is to accuse vs in our conscience to cast vs downe and make vs seeme vyle nought worth in our sight and by this meanes eyther bringeth vs to vtter desperacion or els leadeth vs as it were by the hande to Christe the only true pacifier of the conscience What is the Gospel It is a glad tiding Or els you may call it euery promise that God made of Christe and of other his good benefites wherby the cloudes of the conscience be put awaye and mans minde erected and made mery whether these promises be in the new testament or in the old Paule saith it is the power of God where by all that beleeue are brought to healthe and sauegarde What is it to be a godly man or who is godly He or shee that hath faith and the feare of God before their eyes Who is wicked or vngodly He or shee that beleeueth not the promise of God and that hath not the dreade of God before them Who is a Christian man He that beleeueth on Christe and liueth according to his worde Who is an Ethnike or Miscreant He that vseth not those lawes and ordinaunces and hath not the faith that we haue Or els he that seeketh to be saued by some other meanes then by Christ. Who is an Heretik He which thinketh and styfly mainteineth any thing against the doctrine of faith that is to say the word of God. Marke here the word of God to be called the doctrine of faith because faith draweth from no whence els her principles then from the worde of god Because she only learneth marketh and beareth away the word of God. What is the kingdome of Heauen It is where the word of God is truly preached and receiued and where it beareth fruite meete for the doctrine whose king and Lord is Christ. What is the worlde An heape and mustre of men without the word of God among whom the word of God is despised and persecuted where is a rablement of al vices whose Prince and God is Sathan In some place it is called an hot boyling Sea which can not rest and be asswaged What is the word of God It is the decreed sentence word and will of God expressed and left behind of the Prophetes and Apostles to vs in the canonical bookes of the newe testament and the old whiche word he that reciueth that is to say knowledgeth in his hart to be true and holy and liueth according to it receiueth God and he that refuseth it despiseth God and as much as lieth in him he maketh God a lyer The word of God hath sundry names in Scripture as the sword of the spirite a two edged sword a fire sword an iron wal a strong hold a well fensed towre consuming fire It is also called whete the rod of the mouth of the Lord the breth of the mouth of the Lorde a mysterie an oracle the print or secreat wyll of the Lord. What are mans tradicions What soeuer mans reason hath or doth imagen without the word of God and ordeyneth and wylleth it to be reputed and taken as good godly and pleasant in the sight of god They be called in Scripture Cocle and Chasse Of these speaketh Christe where he saith They do serue me in vaine whyle they teach such doctrine as are nothing but the commaundementes of men Who be good Only God is good Notwithstanding because all they that haue the spirite of God and are ruled by his word be of the flocke of God and vnder his keeping therefore God doth communicate and imparte his goodnesse to them and so they be called good as theyr Father Lord and Gouernour is Who be euill They that haue not the spirite of God nor be ruled by his word whether they liue vpright outwardly and according of the letter of the lawe as Cato Socrates and they that be counted good and vertuous among the Turkes and Iewes or els they that be open transgressours of the lawe For in Christ only is saluacion and remission of sinnes And vnto that time that our
called thee Or els the common consent as Mayres and other Officers or els thou hast appoynted and purposed thy selfe vnto by thy owne accorde Or els ye may call it euery kinde of life in which we exercise faith and charity To be called to the kingdome of heauē is to heare the worde of god To be chosē or elected is to beleue it VVhat is predestinacion It is the secrete election of the wysedome of God to eternall life without our deseruing They be predestinate and called to euerlasting life which heare receiue the word of god VVhat is free wyll It is the libertie that man hath in doing outward thinges and the naturall worke of man in suche thinges as be not spirituall as in ordering him selfe after a ciuill and politicall fashion and outwarde fulfilling of the moral vertues Howbeit he hath not the power no nor yet the wil to loue God dreade God and to know him vntill that he be renued and that Christ hath set him at libertie For then as Iohn saith If the sonne hath made ye free then are ye free in deede For vnto that time that we know God we can not loue him nor dreade him And when we loue him and dreade him then haue we power through him to kepe the lawe Yet when man was in the state of originall iustice that is to say when he had the integritie wholenesse soundnesse of the powers of the body and soule then might he obey doo and fulfill freely the lawe of God but after the poyson of sinne entred it made weake and feble the whole nature of man. VVhat is the temple of God A pure cleane and single hart without all gyle fraude and doublenesse Also the Church wherein God is worshipped VVhat is the Church or congregation of Christe It is the company assemblement and consent of good men on the worde of God and in the faith of Iesus Christe VVhat is the Church of Sathan It is the multitude of wicked men conspiring against God and his word VVhat is the Sabboth day or to keepe holy day It is to abstayne from the outward workes of the fleshe and to pray vnto God in spirite heare his word and to haue our minde set on his lawe after what manner true Christians euer keepe the lawe You may els say that the holy day is wherein we remember the benefites of God and geue him thankes for them VVhat is grace The good wil of God towarde vs his fauour and bounteous goodnesse freely employed on vs without our deseruing VVhat be merites and workes They be called and counted in Scripture to be the refusing and contempt of the fauoure of God and a confidence to be saued by a mans owne power strength desertes VVhat is the name of God It is whatsoeuer pertaineth to God or els to euery name which we assigne vnto God cal him by as the God of hostes the strong and gelous god c Also his glory honor and maiesty To shewe the word of God is to preache sincerely the Gospell that is to say that all that beleeue haue theyr sinnes forgeuen them that they be deliuered from death and hell and hath geuen them euerlasting life freely through Iesus Christe VVhat is it to serue God To liue according to his word to beleeue and put trust in him to referre all thinges vnto his glory and to loue and helpe our neighbour VVhat is it to serue the deuill It is to resist the word to serue Mammon his belly his fleshly appetites the world and carnall affections VVhat is to worship God It is not only to pray vnto him but also to shewe and exhibyte in the outward gesture honour and reuerence vnto him VVhat is to beleeue in God It is wholy to commit a mans owne selfe in all matters to him and to haue a sure hope in him selfe that what soeuer God promiseth shall be perfourmed VVhat is to fast To beware lest we ouer lade our body with surfetting in meates or drinkes that we liue chastly and soberly to abstayne from vyce to kepe our body lowe geuing it that only that is necessary VVhat is it to folow Christe It is to beleeue in him to marke and followe his doctrine and to followe him whether soeuer he leadeth vs or calleth vs and to suffer wyllingly what soeuer he layeth on our backes VVhat is to leaue and forsake all that a man hath to sell all and to denye a mans selfe To leaue forsake and sell is to repute recken such thinges as we haue as none of ours yea gladly to forsake and leaue for Christes sake if the matter came to that poynt wyfe chyldren parentes countrey house land and all other suche in so much that yf neede required we woulde for Christes sake and the Gospels quarell offer our selfe to all dangers and death at conclusion To deny a mans selfe is frankely and freely to graunt his workes and all his other good indeueringes to be vnable to his saluacion and vtterly to kill the old Adam in him with all his affections What is it to visite When it is taken in the good part it betokeneth that God looketh vpon and sendeth his benefites some whether The Lord hath visited his people When it is taken in the euil part it betokeneth as much as the Lorde punisheth and scourgeth wicked and cursed when he taketh vengeaunce on them for their wickednesse as I the Lord thy God am a iealous God visiting the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third fourth generatiō of them the hate me c What is the hand of God It is the power or strength of the Lord whereby he helpeth and doth good vnto the godly and whereby he worketh mischiefe and taketh vengeaunce on the cursed The arme of God betokeneth the power of him and Christe him selfe whereof ye may read abundantly The finger betokeneth the holy Ghoste What be the eyes of God The respect care and regarde that he hath vpon the good and his gentilnesse mercy and redinesse to defend them His countenaunce is taken for the straight and narowe looking of the wicked to their destruction and perdition The eyes of the Lord be on the righteous and his eares attend vnto their prayers But the countenaunce of the Lord is vpon the sinners His face betokeneth fauour beneuolence and the gladnesse in the lord But as sone as thou hast turned thy face they shall be confused and wyll turne againe vnto their earth The mouth of the Lord hath great vehemency and pythe in it for the Prophetes when they will haue theyr wordes marked and regarded say the mouth of the Lorde hath spoken this The outwarde appereaunce of any thing is also called the face as we say Iudge not according to the
consyst Of two partes that is to saye of the element and of the worde Howe manye Sacramentes are there Two Baptisme and the Lordes supper What is Baptisme The washing of euerye beleeuing Christian in water that taketh vppon him to professe the name of Christ whiche water certifieth our fayth of the inwarde washing and clensing of our soules by the spirite of God a token of our regeneration of the mortification of our fleshe of our buriall with Christe and of our resurrection vnto a newe lyfe If the beleeuing Christians onely be baptised according to this saying of Christe He that beleeueth and is baptised shall bee saued Why shoulde the Infantes be baptised which for imperfection of age are not able to beleeue Though Infantes haue not power to beleeue or to confesse their beliefe yet haue they fayth imputed vnto them for the promise sake of God bicause they bee the seede of the faythfull as hee sayde to Abraham I will be thy God and the God of thy seede Seeing then that they also haue that promise of saluation why should they be forbiddē the promised pledge or seale of that same promsied saluation The Sacraments of the Iewes diffred nothing from ours in effect but onelye in the outwarde element and forme of executing the same Why then shoulde oure Infants be more forbidden Baptisme than the Iewes infantes were forbidden Circumcision at the eyght daye Seing we reade that the Apostles baptised sundrie housholdes as of Stephana Lidia Onesiphorus c. if a man may gesse at a thing whereof wee haue no certaintie it is lyke inoughe that they baptised some Infantes also But to leaue all gesses and vncertain coniectures we are sure that the Iewes infantes passed with their parentes out of Egypt thorow the red sea and vnder the cloud which were tokens of our baptisme What if the infants die before they receaue the Sacrament of Baptisme Gods promise of saluacion vnto them is not for default of the Sacrament minished or made vayne and of no effect For the spirite is not so bound to the water that it can not worke his office where the water wanteth or that it of necessitie must alway be there where the water is sprinckled Simon Magus had the Sacramētal water but he had not holy Ghost being in dede an Hipocrit and filthy dissembler In the Chronicle of the Apostles Artes we reade that while Peter preached the holy Ghost came vpon them that heard him yea and that before they were baptised by the reason whereof Peter brast out into these wordes saide can any man forbyd water that these should not be baptised which haue receaued the holy Ghost as well as we True Christians whether they be old or young are not saued bicause outwardly they bee washed with the Sacramentall water but bicause they be Gods children by electron through Christ yea and that before the foundacions of the world were layd and are sealed vp by the spirite of God vnto euerlasting life the giftes and calling of God being such that it can not repent him of them Notwithstanding the Sacrament of Baptisme ought not therefore to be neglected but with all reuerence to be embraced both of old and young For he that despiseth the Sacrament despiseth not the Sacrament only but the authour of the Sacrament which is Christ Iesus the Lorde What is the Supper of the Lord or the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ Bread and Wine consecrated that is to say made and appoynted of God to bee a Sacrament to put vs in rememberance that as the bread is broken and the wine powred out so Christes body was broken and his blood shed for our redemption And as the bread receaued through our mouth and digested in our stomacke driueth away our hunger and norysheth our body the wine likewise receiued and digested quencheth our thirst and quickeneth our bloud so Christes bodie and bloude receyued by fayth digested with worthie continuaunce therein not disagreeing from the right receyuing thereof slaketh our hunger and thirst that is to saye our emptynesse of grace and drynesse of fayth nourysheth and quickeneth both our bodye and soule making vs partakers of the whole merites and dignitie of the bodie and bloude of christ And as the bread of many granes is made one loafe and the wyne pressed togither of sundry grapes so wee being many are one body in Christ And bicause we are of his body we must needes also be quickened by his bloude and lyue of hys spirite Remayneth there the substance of breade and wine after the wordes of consecration as they terme them or but the accidentes of them onely as the authors of Transubstantiation haue heretofore taught If the substaunce of breade and wyne shoulde bee denied to remayne in the Sacrament of the bodie and bloude of Christ so shoulde it cease to be a Sacrament For euery sacrament as we haue tofore hearde consisteth of the word and of the element Now yf we take away water from Baptisme so is there no Sacrament verely euen so in like manner take away Bread and Wine from the Lordes Supper so ceaseth it to be a sacrament To declare that bread remayneth after the wordes of consecration Saint Paule calleth it breade diuers times as we may see in his first Epistle to the Corinthians S. Luke also in his Chronicle of the Apostles actes whēsoeuer he maketh mention of the Lordes Supper calleth it the breaking of breade And it is to bee thought that so worthye learned men woulde haue presumed to call so honourable a mysterie breade if there had bene no breade remayning but onelye the accidentes of breade as oure Transsubstantiators teache Doth not our Sauiour Christe after the wordes of consecration call the misterie of his bloud the fruite of the vine And who is so farre estraunged from the right rule of reason whiche knoweth not that the fruite of the vine is wyne Here doth it euidently appeare by the authoritie of Gods worde that in the Sacrament of Christes bodie and bloude there remayneth after the wordes of consecration the substance both of breade and wine whereof it truly followeth that the Popishe doctrine of Transsubstantiation is nothing else than a vaine dreame and foolishe fancie brought in by Antichrist neuer knowne of the ancient fathers of Christes church nor yet receyued of the Greekes vnto this day Why sayst thou there but two Sacramentes when we haue heretofore bene taught that there are seauen Sacramentes Bicause Christ in the newe Testament lefte no mo to be occupied in his Churche As there were giuen to the people of the olde lawe but two Sacramentes That is to say Circumcision and the Passeouer so likewise in the newe Testament Christe appointed but two Sacraments that is in steade of Circumcision Baptisme and in the place of the Passeouer the Lordes Supper Therefore as for the rest they be not aptly called Sacraments They