then to vse rightly my loned penie in dutifull sort to the holy Church of God here in this our state and Realme by his great mercie firmely set vpon the foundation stone Christ Iesus This Ancker is to me a staye and frayeth all feare from me so that I as I can seeke to helpe forwardes the Lords labours though wants in me do force the wish of learned frame and eloquēt phraise to help my willing mind and godly purpose But I accept with thankfulnes that which God hath vouched safe to giue being because of my many sinnes vnworthy of that in him I haue I onely desire of God in Christ that his spirit of truth may guide my ragged rowes and simple stile and that the lesse learned for whom chiefely I presume these presents may something herewith be profited The matter that I exhibit to your L. is An Exposition with an ample true applicatiō of that Hymne which by order of the constituted Lawes of England is now appoynted to be vsed at Morning prayer which Hymne cōmonly is called BENEDICTVS Not at all purposed to controll much lesse to condemne the minds of some of our bretherne whose Censure hath exiled his vse at the Common praier Or yet to lend my like to phantasies lust where sound warrant hath no place And waighing with my selfe that neither they may by their priuate power or can with the quietnes of Gods Church in England which ought necessarilie of all Christians to be had in most regard to take from her that and those thinges which by Law she hath established Furthermore reuoluing my cogitations that this Hymne howesoeuer of some it be disliked to his appoynted vse is tho a part of holy scripture I thought it better to that I could to open some of the hidden treasures layd vp in the same for the Church of God then to feede some forren phantasie or to pollute my pen in contending to pull downe that which may well enough stand and nothing abate the beautie of Gods house Yet do I not thinke this Hymne so necessarily set in the order of prayer as without the same it were blemished for that were more than friuolous but because the matter therin cōtained indifferently looked into and well weighed doth enstruct comfort and also administreth light to our spirituall sences and vnderstanding of Gods mercies in his promised Christ to vs geuen and long sith commen in the Flesh which matter in time of prayer is expedient I can not yet learne or be of other minde then that the said Psalme as it is appointed is both tollerable and profitable to all godly heartes And were these my weake labors worthy by their valor to force the fauor of christian frend to refell the fury of Popish foe to your good L. of right I ought to dedicate the same not only because you are my lerned godly Ordinary who can with good iudgment discerne the doctrine therin contained if either sounde or contrary that so in stead of milke the meate for babes I powre not out poyson to infect the well growne vp children in Christ for that God graunt euer to be farre from me but also for that in respect that I should not loyter but labor in the vineyard of the Lorde your goodnesse at the request of the right honorable my singuler good L. and Master as you know did commit vnto me a speciall flock with in your Diocese to foster vp in Christ their soules which he hath purchased with his most blessed bloud Let this little booke beare witnesse of my diligent care therfore my good L. that I beare both to the same my peculiar charge amongst whom and of whose labors I reape my portion and liuelyhode and to the whole church of God elsewhere where these my low lines with others godly woorkes may fructify by his holy grace and spirit in the apt soyle of their poore harts had they store of godly teachers Finally I beseech your L. that my poore pen may passe the raging Seas of curious censure vnder the harbor of your protection So shall it with much more quietnes arriue in the port of the poore mans hart desirous not to cauill but to catch earnest holde of such plaine doctrine as truly though simply teacheth him the way to life This if I may of your good nature obtaine it will encourage me the further aduenture of godly study in the sacred Scriptures if so it may please the almightie in his Sonne Christ to bestow a greater porcion of me that I may still bring foode into the church of God. The Lord God of mercy loue and peace send to this our church her maiestrate our godly Queene state and people the peace of Christ vnfainedly in our hartes for his names sake and to your L. encrease of godly knowledge like zeale and perfect strength to cōtinue with godly care euer more and more profitable to his Church by the power of his spirite whose defence be euer yours and you with all vs that inuocate truely the name of God for euer his in Christ our Lord. Your L. euer in Christ. A. Anderson From Medborne this 15. of Ianuary 1573. The argument of the Propheticall Hymne THe author of this song was the holy maried Priest of the Lord Zacharias who had to wife Elizabeth the cosen of the virgin Mary the mother of Iesus Christ in whose old age the Lord by his Angell promised him of his saide wife a Sonne and called his name Iohn which Iohn the Lord had appointed to be the same Prophet and fore runner of the Messiath that the prophetes Malachy and Esay had prophesied to precede Christ At the birth of this babe Zacharie his toung was miraculously lowsed which before for a season was dumbe for his harde beliefes sake and he with exceading ioy then in the sight of all the company made and sung this Song Blessed be the Lord God of Israell c. In this hymne is commended vnto vs 1 First the constant truth of God to his beloued Church 2 Then his inestimable mercies powred vpon the same 3 Thirdly the office of Iohn and of the preaching of the word All which are more at large in the woorke following amply set forth to gods glory and thy profite ¶ An exposition of the Hymne commonly called Benedictus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited redeemed his people THe holy ghost more earnestly now then before prouoketh forceth his Prophete Zacharie to soūd forth his praise as in this Hymne is apparant his harte béeing set downe in the Chaire of déepe consideration of Gods mercie to Jsraell beginneth wyth laude and prayse to God for their and our Saluatiō in Christ Iesus Blessed be the Lord God of Israell sayth he hée calleth God the God of Israell not because he reigneth onely ouer Israell for he is also the God of all the Worlde and in him sayth the Scripture shall the Gentilles trust
stones with Carbuncle lay thy foundations with Saphire I wil make thy windows of Emraudes thy gates shining stones all thy borders of pleasant stones and all thy Children shal be taught of God and much peace shal be vnto thy Children in righteousnesse shalt thou be established and be farre from oppression for thou shalt not feare it and from feare for it shall not come nie thée Beholde the Enemye shall gather himselfe but wythout me whosoeuer shall gather hymselfe in thée agaynst thée shall fall Beholde I haue made the Smyth that bloweth the Coales in the Fyre and him that bringeth forth an Instrument for his worke and I haue Created the Destroyer to destroy but all the Weapons that are made agaynst thée shall not prosper And euery Tongue that shall aryse vp against thée in Iudgement thou shalt Condemne Thys is the Lordes Heritage and their ryghteousnesse is of mée sayth the LORDE Thus farre the Prophete speaketh to teache thée good Reader great cause of comfort and courage agaynst dispayre though England which is Gods church haue now many enemies risen vp against her her religion yea though her owne skirtes doe carie suche as insult agaynst her she is Promised that theyr Weapons and the smith that framed them shal not prosper Their lybelling bookes which séeke to persecute her though they come from the house of counsell and séeme to procede from the seate of learnings iudgement yet shal this church of God be set a Iudge ouer their wearie trauels and toyling spite and shall condemne them Let that worthy Jewel of famous memory the holy confessor and Saint of and by Iesus Christ treasured vp in the Lapydarie of the heauens for the glory of our God let his excellent workes I say stand for an ample warrant hereto to this age to her posteritie for euer And let others whether at home or abroade looke for the same end of their molesting troubles which they cast into this our age and Church But thou wilt say why doth the Lord suffer so long our weake consciences to be troubled with these contending strifes What art thou O man that wilt dispute with God These troubles to vs yet in respect of the Schismes of old are but as an entring into the first moment of the day Waite thou the lords leysure and be still learne thy song framed by firme hope in truth which Micah hath taught the church of God alwayes in her trouble to sing thou shalt be relieued though thy enemies yet séeke to triumph ouer thée Reioyce not against me O my enemie saith the church there for though I fal I shal arise when I shal sit in darknes the Lord shall be a light vnto me I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him vntil he plead my cause and execute iudgement for me then wil he bring me forth to the light I shal sée his righteousnes Then she that is my enemie shall looke vpon it shame shall couer her which said vnto me Where is the Lord thy God my eyes shall behold her now shal she be troden downe as the myre of the stréets c. Thus much forth of the prophet Micah where thou maist learn to accuse thy self for thy sinne as Dauid did séeing the people afflicted not with Achab to charge the Lord or his profession Prophets whē troubles plagues arise in the church but to turne thy eyes into thy owne conscience sée the booke of thy iniquities there written to confesse before god man that thy sinne is the cause of such trouble plague brought into the church people by Satan his malice the pollicie of these his wicked impes Last of all discourage not at the romish scoffes taunting reproches nor yet despaire in the bottome of her darke dungeons sharpe persecutions for the lord wil comfort thée in them if thou rest vpon his laysure remaine constant in the end deliuering thée wil stampe thy enemie into dirt make thée beautiful in the sight of al men that thou maist serue him thy god thus deliuered frō feare in new holines deuoid of hypocrisie in iustice righteous dealing to with al men in the place of thy abode traffike els where amōgst men in earth And euer respect thy deliuerāce frō sinne regard thy state so that Satan eftsones pul thée not to thy former sinne which cōpelleth his erst bondage for the end of such as so fal is worse then the beginning And thus much for the first part of this Hymne in which I haue bene more prolixe then first I purposed but I trust that the profite which may rise vppon the attentiue reading of the matter simply set downe wil coūteruaile the tedious sight of so much blotted paper sith my willing trauayles hath forced me to dwell in comfortable spéech with the lesse learned some thing the longer because they of themselues can not conceiue such profitable matter as this our text doth exhibite to the serching eye assuredly perswaded that the better so godly learned will vouchsafe soueraigne Censure to this my vnpolished pen. And wherein I erre from the truth if by the same I may heare louingly therof as I hope I haue geuen no poyson to the Church so I wil be glad to reforme that and those thinges which godly reasons with learned truth shall require at my hands The Lord graunt continuance of his gospell in this Nation preseruation to her Maiestie with encrease of Gods knowledge and zeale to his holy name and to vs and his whole Church from all heresies Scismes and ciuill dissentions if it stand with his good wil and pleasure once full deliuerance that we may serue the Lord our god in sinceritie of hart and integritie of life in his sight by his holy spirite all the dayes of our life to whom by and with Christ our Lord to that deitie in the trinal vnitie be al praise power glory for euer Amen Vers 9 And thou child shalt be called the Prophet of the most high for thou shalt goe before the face of the Lord to prepare his wayes As the sacred Priest before had declared Gods great benefites and faithfulnes in performing his louing promises to the redemption of his elect So now he returneth to this present action and vsing the person of an interpreter expoundeth the Oracle of God declaring his sonne this child to be the same preacher and Doctor which erst by the Prophet Malachy was promised to precede Christ By whose trauel in Doctrine the way should be prepared for the Lordes comming his and our Messias Which office this babe in his appoynted time executed right wel with sinceritie of hart ▪ sparing no person place time or people or omitted any occasiō when he might most aptly performe such his calling This Baptistes voyce was euer crying against the sinnes of all exhibiting the remedie
his throne of grace as deare children adopted in Christ to their best beloued father They loue to labour in godly workes as by his word they are commaunded They séeke to liue by faith in Christ as by the Scriptures they are taught They ioy to suffer and beare his crosse and aspiring by lowlinesse of mind they pray his aide and helpe there in with comfort continuing vnder the same They appoynt no time for their release but paciently abide his lotted leysure They looke not on the present troubles but weigh their sinnes his decréed purpose and place as opposite to their aspect the ioye that is set before them They runne with patience the race for them appointed and despising the present shame they still endure the crosse alwayes looking to Iesus christ the authour finisher of their life They blesse those that curse them they loue their enemies and do good to all but their chiefe delight is to ioyne with the houshold of faith They challenge to themselues by nature confusion for sinne and shame for their infirmities and to God the father in Christ our Lord by the instinct of his holy spirit they attribute all honour and glory and forgetting their workes past assay to go forwards to the price set before them expressing thēselues by their good workes to be the Lords building who hath made them an holy habitation and a royall priesthode In hym they offer vp themselues for a spirituall sacrifice dayly yéelding forth the fruites of holy lippes to his priest and willing obedience to his holy will. They by the spirite desire not to followe but defie and kill the lustes of the flesh They fight against Sathan and his impes continually They beare an vnfained hate to alsuperstitious vanities They contemne and despise the beggerly ordinances of the wicked world disdayning to become bondslaues to sinne any more They reioyce in their deliuerance walke in the way of the lord with a sincere hart single mind Though slide they may eftsones by frayltie yet neuer flatte fall they by falshode from the Lord their god Lo these are they of whom our Zacharie speaketh and the Angell poynteth Joseph vnto whē he affirmeth Iesus to saue his people from their sinnes And all if these haue so many fraylties be of such weaknes that they cannot as they would or do as they should perfectly walke before the Lord Yet shall they not feare for his Christ is theirs with him they haue in him iustificatiō sanctification redemption and perfect wisedome By whose vertues and merites they are euer presented before God as a iust and holy people peculiar to the lord To these can come no condemnation or any accusation shal be admitted against thē nor any gilt procure sentence to their losse For it is the Lord that doth iustifie them Finally no power shall or can conuenting conuince them For they haue in their hartes the word which is Gods power to saluation And God him selfe standeth on their side for their defence So that it is more possible for light to become darknes good euill and euill good which neuer shall come to passe then that the Lordes people should not be deliuered from death or yet want the knowledge of their saluation Which knowledge teacheth them to féele in hart and find by truth that the same sauing health consisteth not in their remuneration but commeth of god for his Christs sake by full remission of and from all their sinnes The Lord graunt vs to labour so in his vineyarde which professe his name that we may be not called only but appeare in déede his chosen people Then shall we be sure of our deliuerance in Christ our Sauiour And thus much for these wordes his people in this present verse mentioned The third last branch of this verse is to consider by what meanes his people are brought to féel perceiue that their saluatiō doth consist in the remission geuen of god Namely by this that the same is made knowne to their consciences by the ministerie of the word preached vnto them For all if the price of Christes bloud bée they most soueraigne salue for mās sinne as by the which it is wholy washed away Yet onlesse the Church of God haue sence and perfect féeling hereof in her inward partes and depenesse of hart the same shall nothing profite her For the which cause Christ promiseth being once lift vp as the serpent in the wildernesse was to draw all men to looke and come to him by the instrument of fayth and to his heauenly father in that his most comfortable prayer a little before his death for the comfort of his elect he witnesseth that life eternall consisteth in the knowledge of God the father and Christ his Sonne Also reprouing the Iewes for their rebellion he chargeth their ignorance to bée the cause therof as also shewing his Disciples of their persecuted state perils to death affirmeth ignorance to be the forcing meane hereto This shal they do saith he because they neither know the father nor yet me Paule the Apostle testifieth this to be the meane to apprehend saluation euen to come to the knowledge of the truth Thereto he ioyneth it to the branch preceding saying God will haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth Lo a thing most incident to saluation is to haue knowledge of the truth To conclude who are they which are taught of god but his people And what are they taught of him but the truth of his word Which he writeth with his finger in their hartes as the scripture saith that they may be a knowing people and not ignorant as the Papistes teach but falsely the same to be the mother of deuotion But Christ sayth that ignorance is the mother of error which leadeth to damnation Behold now the scope of this Baptists office was to prepare the Iewish harts by the knowledge of their sinnes and repentance for the same to preuent Gods Iustice by fruitefull acceptation of the Gospell by Christ presently preached to haue him for there God and by him saluation and full deliuerance from their sinnes For the which cause the Angell also before to Zacharie adorned him with noble titles and not to him only doe they belong but to all the true preachers of God with him wherefore they are here of thée deare Reader the better to bée weighed as wordes that doe import the glory of his heauenly Embassage to thine earthly hart Hée is first sayd to bée full of the holy Ghost a thing most necessarie to bée in the true preacher of the word as without the same he can neither preach much lesse profite the people of the Lord. The Apostles from christ therfore receiued the fulnes of his spirit by portion to their aptnes power to execute their
office he breathed on them and gaue them his holy spirite that thereby they might not only abound in gifts but also should without terror speake his wil and preach his name to all nations So in like maner Paule witnesseth that both the gift of prophecying Prophets Doctors and teachers is by the spirite of god Of which grace he hath promised continuance to the end of the world saying J wil be with you to the end of the world And therfore Iohn warneth thée reader not to beleue euery spirite so he calleth the doctrine by the preacher brought but coÌ„maundeth thée to trie whether they be of god He sheweth thee absolutely that in the preachers of thy age Gods spirit also speaketh saying Hereby shall ye knowe the Spirite of god Euerye spirite that confesseth that Jesus Christe is come in the Fleshe is of GOD. There were false Prophets among the Jewes which kept the people backe from the faith in Christ There were certaine heritiques which denied Christ to be come in the flesh as the scriptures teach him And these so vexed the Church and molested the consciences of the godly bretherne and began to make such shipwracke of the faith of many that the Apostle was driuen from the Doctrine to frame their hartes in Christ to arme by instruction the church of GOD against Cerinthus Ebyon and other heritiques that woulde not acknowledge Christ wholy as the Scriptures proued him to bée The like proofe of Gods spirit is left to thée to the ends of the world to trie the Preachers which come vnto thée whether they haue in them or doe by Gods spirite speake vnto thée He that preacheth Iesus Christ as hée is set downe in the written Scriptures is of god Hée that denieth him in any part their vouched to be in Christ is of Antichrist Whosoeuer hath not this spirite and is a preacher cannot but by the spirite of Sathan vtter as by his receiued spirite all lying fables as Zedkia the false prophet did to Achab. And both Paul and Peter manifestly shew vnto vs that many such false Prophets shall rise vp in the last dayes which shal also denie christ in déede albeit they confesse him with naked words Paule giueth thée notes infallible that euer shall lead thée to a right iudgement of these spirits of error doctoâ—s of diuels First they shall speake lies by hypocrisie fayning truth but trie them by the rule giuen of christ search the scriptures which order the Citizens of Berrea are said to obserue when the Apostles taught them 2. They shal forbid to marrie and who doth forbid I pray thée take vew that ministers may not Marrie not the scripture but rather the flat contrarie Who doth forbid that holy ordinaÌ„ce of god in Paradise to auoyd sinne but the Pope the minister of sinne he doth forbid it to all his sacrificing priestes at all times yet whoredome he permitteth to theÌ„ vnder purchased warrant to al time To al other christians he forbiddeth mariage at certaine times as Aduent Lent Jmber daies c. and Siricius one of the Popes condemneth mariage to be a fruit of the flesh as in the which state a man can not please god Meats which god hath created to be receiued with thanks geuing is made holy by his word praier doth this beast of the Dragon Satanas in paine of daÌ„nation forbid to al at his appoynted times And the breakers of his lawe though blessed of God are of him cursed with booke bell and candle out of his heauen as Pasquine calleth it earth and this naturall life as Lollords heriticks not worthy the benefite of temporall quiet These saith Paule in the place before quoted are the doctrines of Diuels Behold the popish doctrine from whence it commeth and of what spirite it is Flie from it as from hel it selfe Peter warning our times of the like false spirite sayth But there were false Prophets also among the people euen as there shal be false teathers among you which priuely shall bring in damnable heresies eueÌ„ denying the Lord that hath bought them bring vpon them selues swift damnation And many shall followe their damnable wayes by whom the way of truth shal be euill spoken of And through couetousnes shall they with fayned words make marchandise of you whose iudgement long agone is not farre of and their damnation sléepeth not Lay this Scripture before thy hart and indifferently measure thereby the Popish Church and doctrine and thou shalt sée as it were the Apostle to paynt the sinfull Sinagoge of Rome vnto thy prospect With what humblenes of Angels créepe they craftely into the conscieÌ„ces of men what opinions bréed they flat condemned by the word How open they their mouthes to slaunder the gospel of our Christ and cal it heresie though not as it lieth in leaues but as it is truly preached by gods holy prophets in this our dayes And what loue they haue to the word it selfe do thou iudge when hauing the gouernment they burned the Bibles rased the scriptures from of the walles in churches els to that they could burned the graueÌ„ letters in the sacred flesh of christes martirs What marchaundise of mens soules is there in poperie wheÌ„ their God their pope their reliques saints merits their Paul and Peter their heaueÌ„ helly purgatorie thier Masses pardoÌ„s their whole power pelf is set at price al for monei What sinne in man so horrible that shuld not there haue pardon for money What wicked fact pretended shall not there for money not only be pardoned but warranted Amongst the sinnes against the 2. Table is there a greater then Treason I say treason to god his religion his prince and vicar by his great mercy set ouer vs in this natioÌ„ And is not the Pope the head practiser of the same Doth not he loose that in earth by his Bul which god hath most surely tied fast in heauen by his word the sworne and natural due obedience to her Maiestie Doth not he promise absolution where God pronounceth curse and damnation To whatsoeuer person which resisteth his power And is this for any other cause theÌ„ to bring your purses to his coffers your soules to swift damnation Looke vpon the Gnat by that most precious Iewell the reuerend Bishop late of Sarum brought forth to the vew of all mens sight in his learned answere to halting Harding and thou shalt not maruaile though he wold haue vs his again that Camels in great number and yet scarsely could might yearely conuey his huge sommes of money out of this nation Reioyce O England for thy deliuerance embrace the word by Gods spirite put in the mouthes of thy learned Bishops and others their godly brethern in most pleniiful wise So shal thy hart yéeld faithful loue true obedience to our godly Quéen thou shalt reape her aid for
An Exposition of the Hymne commonly called Benedictus with an ample comfortable application of the same to our age and people By A. Anderson Preacher Stay prophane vain bablings for they shall encrease vnto more vngodlines 2. Timothe 2.16 But if you haue bitter enuying and strife in your harts reioyce not neither be liars against the truth This wisdom discendeth not from aboue but is earthly sensuall and diuelish For where enuying and strife is there is sedition and all maner of euill woorkes Iames. 3.14.15 16. ¶ Imprinted at LondoÌ„ by Henry Middelton for Raufe Newbery The booke to the Reader To prayse the Lord is my desire To helpe his Church all that I can To quench if could such burning yre As Satan late hath caste in man VVhile pen doth carpe at brothers ill Sinne taketh rest the Church doth spill For other state some men do craue And cut themselues from this we haue In hart they hate thy state and life â–ª They ioy to see thee at such strife And they at ease do by disdaine Inuent all meanes t' encrease thy paâ—â—â— Their Pope and Masse they long to see Our Christ his law and vnitie They do blaspheme through our discent In cases new of gouernment Thy brawle their broyle would come to end If cease thou couldst thus to contend Ioyne hands in one embrace remorce To banish sinne bend all thy force Thy selfe restraine Gods truth respect His Church and peace of his elect Vouchsafe vs Lord thy Christ his grace Our Queene thy sprite but sinne deface Amen A.A. ¶ To the right reuerend Father in God THOMAS by the mercifull prouidence of God Bishop of Lincolne his good L Anthony Anderson Minister of the good Gospel of God wisheth all health and peace in Christ our only Sauiour THe holy Apostle sayth that whatsoeuer thinges are writteÌ„ afore time are written for our learning which sentence reuerend father as often as I do remember by the hand leadeth mee deepely to consider with reuerent regard what I read in the holy Scriptures and vrgeth me by feruent prayer to craue of God the geuer of all good giftes in Christ the true vnderstanding of the Scriptures sense and the hidden treasures therein comprised And so hath it pleased the lord of life to open the windows of heauen his name bee euer praised and from thence by his spirite most familiarly to speake vnto mee by his written word So that to his great prayse and my endlesse comfort I see that no iot of his Law is voyd of most excellent comfortes to the heart that simply in integritie of soule seeketh to quench his thirst in this fountaine of health the Gospell of God. In this word I find the knowledge of God Christ his sonne with promise of his holy spirit shall in all his elect open their hartes and write in them the true vnderstanding of his lawes Ezec. 36. The which most excellent gift by the learned books since the time of the Apostles and penned trauels of sundrie godly fathers in the Church aswell before our times as in these our dayes doth appeare to be eueÌ„ now most florishing in the church of God his name be alwayes praysed therefore And wherefore did the Prophets by his spirite speake or Christ and his Apostles preach or the godly Fathers before vs or these our learned writers in this age VVherefore I saye with hart mouth and penne haue they trauailed But to vtter the testimonie of gods gift confesse his name to the people of the earth to the life of the elect the inexcuse of the reprobate So will the Lord haue his spirite euer resiant in his Church to the end of the world To follow these Fathers as they followe Christ I accompt it my part hauing for further example amongest the many worthy workes of our writers now your L. profitable worke lately set forth to the better tast of Gods good wil in his expressed word in the appoynted Lessons at common prayer Of which worke I cease to speake further and seeke to follow as I can such good examples to the ende before touched VVhat if my Mite be not much worth Yet as it commeth from the Lord of heauen so shal it no doubt profite thither to his habilitie and that is my whole desire Let the learned eares accept as in inferior place this my small coyne yet good curraÌ„t siluer I trust tried by the touch of truth and geue him licence to passe to the lesse learned and poore countrey people whose state requireth yet mornings milke not all able for solidate questioÌ„s or deepe digested misteries Their soules are precious in the sight of God their liues ought to be deare in our consciences their wounded hartes require some soueraigne medicine of gentle digesture and quiet operation yet so that their ignorance weaknes may be remoued which God for his mercies sake in Christ vouchsafe them richly in his loue This is not the least cause why I haue stirred vp the small gift of God in me to exercise the same vpon this Hymne vsed in and at the morning prayer Iudging as by order through vse the wordes are readie at the lippe to vouch the Prophetes speech So if their tender hartes had some helpe to open therto the hidden cause of ioye in that holy letter no doubt I say the same of them shuld both with hart and mouth ioynd in one consent of grateful harmonie crie out the praises of the Lord in the temples of the holy Ghost which is the song that deliteth only the musical eares of Gods maiestie Assuredly al other chaunting notes and changing keys seeme they neuer so pleasant in the eares of men are far estranged from the good like of god al if set vp in his house of prayer This people worship me saith God with their lippes but their hartes are farre from me In vaine do they serue me c. And albeit I cannot touch the stile worthie so high a matter or set downe such deepe doctrine as the nature of the place requireth or yet approch such the hidden treasures as are here layd vp or the finenes of this our age expecteth yet nay the lesse the wydowes Myte is my boldninge comfort And on the other part the sorowfull lookes of the slothful Miser to whom the Lordes Talent was imparted maketh me afraid to queÌ„ch the spirit or stay the firie word kindled in my hart if I may vse Ieremies wordes at this present But be it that I should blushe to present my simple skill to the scanning of the wise and sharpned sight of the loftie learned deepe Doctors of our time knowing that my owne weaknes is to sundrie of them knowne also inable to this exploit in respect of infinit others â–ª yet I ioye at this refuge my conscience beareth me witnes tofore GOD and men that the onely end and scope of this my pen is chiefely to promote Gods glory
our Father and that his Christ is by his goodnesse geuen to vs and by his spirite hath he grafted vs into his Christ as the braunches are into the true vine by whose sappe euen his sayd spirite wée haue not onely our Arra and earnest penie of his assured couenant But also are set so sure into eternall lyfe that it is impossible for sinne satan flesh or whatso euer to condemne vs For it is our Lorde which hath redéemed vs his people and we are by fayth grafted into him our Lorde So that to vs can come no condemnation nor any want of that which is good Therefore agayne wyth the whole Church of God we most ioyfully ought to say Blessed be the Lorde God c. For he hath visited and redeemed his people Finally note here that the Papistes in their Mattins vsing or rather into abuse bringing and chaunting this song did neuer a right as Zacharie the good Priest did therewith praise the Lord for they worshipped him with lippes alone without vnderstanding the causes why but he first waigheth the cause before hée poureth out by waight the Lordes praise His hart was wholy fraught with conceiued matter of ioy they voyd thereof laden with terrible doubtfulnesse dare not presume say they to bost of their deliuerance which popish vice as it is their deuotion in their life so it purchaseth for them after death the dregges of Gods angrie Cup as dreaming Dirgis and restlesse Masses to purchace requiem where none is to be had and a neuer ceasing paye till land and reuenewes wyll serue no more And yet if eftsones of them it be asked neuer can it by them be aunswered the soule the Lord visiting hath redéemed for then their poperie should decay But thankes be vnto God who by his vnfallible truth in his writtē word hath assured as many as beleue in him of eternall life yea and that presently after and from the moment of naturall death our Lord and redéemer so saying hee that beleeueth in me shall not die for euer c. but shall passe from death to life O ye Papistes learne to repent which God if it be his good wil graunt you for Christes sake and to perceiue with vs the causes why we blesse the Lord for he hath erected vp an horne of saluation in the house of his seruant Dauid for the Church of true Israell as this our good Priest and Prophet Zacharie speaketh on this wise saying Vers 2 And hath raysed vp the horne of saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruaunt Dauid Albeit sayth the Prophet that in the eyes of all men Israel was cast downe his strength worne out and his light extinct his hope gone and no glory left in the house of Dauid yet do I now sée thée O Lord mindfull of thy former promises For in that thou hast sent my sonne the Baptist thy messenger and enriched the wombe of the virgin with child thou hast assured vs of thy erected Christ in the Tabernacle of Dauid which is to vs a most mightie saluation by thy spirit in the mouth of the same Dauid promised saying There will I make the horne of Dauid to bud for I haue ordained a light for mine anoynted And the time now thou hast respected to the inestimable comfort of thy Church in which Herod and thy enemies haue perished in shew thy Dauids line and haue vsurped his throne As thou before time hast promised saying Jn that day will I rayse vp the Tabernacle of Dauid that is falne downe and close vp the breaches therof And J will rayse vp his ruines and J will build it as in the dayes of olde A horne he calleth Christ our Sauiour significantly thereby checking the pride of Sathan in his members that séeke to destroy the kingdome of Israell as also declaring that he shal be of strēgth to ouercome their strength yea and that his place and dignitie is no where els thē from the Lorde who doth anoynt this Christ aboue his fellow Priestes Princes with the Horne of his Euerlasting strength for his people Vnderstand therfore that this word Cornu a horne in scripture sometime signifieth kingdom and princely power as in Daniell and in Samuel Sometime it is taken for strength and great might as in Daniel againe and in the Psalmist All the hornes of the vngodly will J breake but the hornes of the iust saith he shal be exalted The sum of the Prophets wordes are as if he had sayd To vs depriued of strength hope and comfort by the mightie enemies of god in the world the Lord in despite of them that throw vs downe to the dust hath erected in the midst of them his promised Christ which is to vs that beleue in him a mightie king a strong saluation That and the only sauing health of God giuen to al nations that feare him and call vppon his name Yea and that in the same linage and stocke which the mightie of the world are now in hand to destroy euen in the house of his seruant Dauid Since to vs this horne with his honour and strength is erected let vs consider something further of these the Prophets wordes And first note that in Christ alone which is borne of Dauids stocke the virgin Mary not in the popish wheaten and coniured counterfet Christ hath the heauenly father placed our sauing health and in no other wherefore in him alone must wée repose our trust as in whom the fulnes of the Godhead and his whole fauour dwelleth corporally and in whom alone he resteth with vs pleased whose name is the Lord our righteousnes Secondly he is of God set vp to be our saluation therefor may we not els where séeke for health of Man or Angell neither feare any other power for neither sinne Sathan world or Hell can take our sauing health from vs that rest in him nor separate from him his merites those which the father hath geuen to him Thirdly the same horne that to the wicked is terrible and vgly destroying their kingdomes and tiranny is to the faithfull the horne of their health in God from the sicknes of their sinne And also it is to them life into heauen from and against the death in hel As the same water which drowned the wicked of the world neither sparing Shippe Citie Towne or Castel at the same instant caried the Arke of the obedient Noah and his familie from destruction Yea and as naturall death it selfe is to the wicked the doore to eternall fire So is the same naturall death by this our strength Christ Iesus who hath ouercome death and her sting to vs that rightly beleue in him the passage to eternall ioye and blisse Let the Papists therefore tremble at the presence of this our strength for neither they or the gates of hell shall or can preuayle in battayle against vs because God
is on our side and therfore we feare not what the Pope or any other Carnalite can doe against vs. Fourthly where and when is this horne erected Euen there then where and in what place the worlds force is to represse the same euen in the house of his seruant Dauid When did Israel féele most the presence of the horne Whē Pharao entred with greatest rage to destroy the Lordes heritage When did Daniel perceiue his might and where Euen when his friend the Kyng wanted strength to helpe him and in the place prouided for his destruction Where did Helias the good Prophet beholde this wonderfull horne erected But where idolatrie had preuayled ouer all and then also when not one séemed to stand with the lord And did not Israell now decay and the heathen enter into their possessions Was not Dauids house aboue al persecuted Then there did the Lord send his promised horne Christ our Lorde by whose sapience the wisedome of all flesh is proued foolishnesse and through whose strength the strong armed mā is spoyled of his treasure Be of good comfort O thou little flock afflicted for the Lord hath and wil haue his Christ to haue the victorie Yea death is the instrument of life and he maketh persecution to bee the séede time of his Gospel and the bloud of Martirs the budding time of the same Wherfore alwayes with this other such places of the holy Scripture take comfort thou that trustest in the Lord And let the experiment of the last persecution in England assure thée that the power of this horne is eftsones encreased Where and when did this Christ shewe forth to our age his might But when the bloud of his saintes in our English bloudy Church became as riuers of water and in the time of their greatest pride and ripenes of their Butchers actes Then and there hath the Lord againe in this nation erected his Christ and Gospell and from the prison of the Tower hath to the Throne and diademe of this land raysed his more then halfe dead Elizabeth our godly and gracious Quéene vnder whom the ruines of the decayed walles of true Religion are greatly repayred once againe God make vs mindfull of his mercies thankfull for his benefites And giue her Maiestie such encrease of his zealous spirite that the remnant of the Hydra and seuen headed beast may be banished this nation that in her gracious raigne and by her godly hand with the state of her ecclesiastical and ciuil gouernment in God as Gods holy instruments Christ alone may be erected as he is set downe by the Psalmist to be our strength our light So shal her daies be many her throne established and her and our enemies vtterly ashamed And in the meane space graunt vs O Lord for Christes sake true and perfect obedience to her Maiestie with pacient abyding in humble peace till the time which thou hast set to frame her heroical heart further to those things which shall most sound forth thy glory her Maiesties honour and the profite of thy Church that so we may depend vppon Christ our horne of saluation God of strength The Prophet not contented to staye with this summary spéech dilateth the same more amplie sayth as followeth in the next verse Vers 3 As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which haue ben since the world began Least the saluation by him now preached in Christ should séeme to the world a new noueltie fréeed from vtilitie and truth he voucheth the same to be long sith determined of God and the same open to all ages before by the holy Prophets in their times Euē from the voice omnipotent to Satan at the fal of Adam vntill the houre of this ioyful song so sending as to our certaine stay the written word of god As if he had sayd other sauing health to looke for at the handes of God then hée hath promised and to refuse the same by him set and geuen according to his promise is mere wickednes To geue credite to his word and to subscribe therto is true godlines Wherfore come hither ye sonnes of God this is the promised séed the little stone the virgins sonne Jesse his braunch the Messias and the anoynted Sauiour of the Lord promised by al the prophets since the beginning of the world This verse exhibiteth as by hand to our sences excellent matter First that to the whole world aswell before Christ as since and till the last day and houre of the same world there is no saluatiō to be looked for by that perishing world els where then in Dauids house in and by the horne Christ Iesus alone by God and not men erected vp in all sight in that house not set with or vnder other helpes but alone and aboue all other séeking their helpe at him Of saintes the virgin Mary is of most worthy fame yet is she farre of frō hauing power to helpe in earth the sonnes of men Therefore she in her life for a lesson till the end of death to all Dauids house in the Gospell being called vpon of the seruitors at the mariage sayth Whatsoeuer he biddeth you do speaking of her sonne Christ se that ye do it And when Elizabeth this holy priestes wife had saluted her she acknowledged Gods mercie to be the cause and sayd My soule doth magnifie the lord c. And my spirite eke reioyceth in God my Sonne which is my Sauiour for els had I wyth the rest of the sinfull world both soule and bodie perished into eternall fire had not this Christ by the spirite of God my Lord bene conceited and borne not of me alone but to and nor me also Secōdly he hath promised by al his Prophets to deliuer vs from error that this Christ is not to be found els where then in Dauids house by the which as all false Christes are descried so also the true Church is hereby approuedly knowne For as after the flesh Christ is of the line of Dauid so spiritually Dauids house signifieth his new Church and in the same wise Christ is by the Prophets called sundrie times Dauid aswell by Jeremie as Ezechiel where the church is prophesied to serue God and Dauid their king vz. christ the sonne of Dauid For Dauid was now long sith departed to the Lord and again sayth the Lord I will set vp a shepherd ouer them euen my seruaunt Dauid c. And my seruaunt Dauid that is Christ shal be the Prince among them I the lord haue spoken it Therefore good Reader of force it must be so The house wherin this Princely Dauid raigneth and this priestly Prophet teacheth is the church of true Israelites the vnfayned house of Jacob to the which and for the which the Angels discend and ascend dayly by the commaundement of our King to the ministring comfort of his
elect This Christes church where this horne is erected is builded not by mans wisedome nor mayntained by popish policie and diuelish diuinitie but the chiefe builder hereof is Christ himselfe and by his commission his Prophets before him which by his spirite word builded the harts of the fathers to the fayth in his erected sonne And euer since his Apostles Euangelists Pastours Doctors and preachers which receiue of his holy Gospel and therewith edifie the church are likewise builders of this holy temple and house of our heauenly Dauid Of which house Christ is the head and chiefe corner stone The familie and building of this house are such ▪ as by the Apostolical and Euangelicall Doctrine are brought to the rules which are therein set by the Lord herein erected of him also to the same end they haue their name eate of his bread and worke as hée is by calling in such good workes as are of the same Lord for them prepared euen from the time of calling till the last houre of the penies receite The continual building of this Dauids house is by preaching the word of truth not by popish pressing in of false Doctrine by geuing the sacraments of the Lord to the people as they themselues haue of the Lord receiued them And not without commission and against the word to take the same from the people and offer them vp to the Lord as doe the Papistes Also to kéepe the house in order by ciuil and ecclesiasticall gouernment with the lawe of Christ our Dauid By this and such like building where so euer the Church is thus set vp the same is true Dauids house And where the power of this horne is in the hartes of the people by the worke of Gods spirite surely setled and through the instrument and organ of preaching the same Christ is naked and without corruption in Doctrine described simplie and depaynted so plaine wyth the pensell of the Scriptures that hee is to them manifested as hée is of the Father geuen the onely promised Christ crucified our saluation redemption iustification that Prophet the onely Priest and our Kyng and that all men by such meanes are drawen alone to the Father by hym there maye wée assure our selues that that Church and Nation is Dauids house and therein is Christ to be found erected for our saluation Against this building the gates of Hell shall not preuayle For as many as beleue in him shall not perish wyth the serpent Sathans sting but by this holy serpent voyd of poyson Christ Iesus shal haue eternall life Agaynst this church and to the subuersition of his house the old enemie hath set him selfe wyth his whole power continually to persecute the same and hath so preuayled in the eyes of men that this house hath eftsones séemed a forsaken cottage in the Lords vineyard and the familie destroyed But euen when it séemed of least value then from the handes of such strength the mightie God hath valiantly taken of that number such as shoulde cōtinue his house elswhere And wheras the wicked seketh the destructiō of this house God by his might vseth the same another way that to two principall ends First to teach other natiōs into the which they are dispersed that heauenly doctrine which els they had not known And secōdly that at their returne they might bring with them againe not only his word law but therwith many mo children begottē in that time by the persecuted gospel eftsones to the enlarging of the borders of that late nobled church Go and kill sayth raging Saule the priestes of the Lord which were the remnant of Elie for their hand is with Dauid they haue not bewrayed him to me At whose commandement that cursed Doeg did kill of them 85. priestes of the Lord that were the lynnin Ephod Their Citie Nob also hee destroyed from the most to the least some and all for the hate he bare to them that fauoured Dauid What then Did he herewith kil the church No surely In this sharpe persecution Abimeleck his sonne called Autathar one of these priests escaping fled to Dauid which was him selfe also from the furie of the sayde Saule fled to Achish the Kyng of Gath a heathen prince where both hée had succour and Auiathar continued with him to the continuall encrease of Gods Church Note here with me good Reader that God by his prouidence doth vse the bloudie hand of Saule whose purpose was to destroy by his kingly power both priest and people in Gods Church to an other end for he made him his instrument therby to spreade the same his church among the gentiles that not only in that place their harts might haue experiment of his power but that also his Church of Iesus then to the comfort of the same nowe might behold his secret work far passing al their expectations which was to foster for a season in such flight such two principal persons as after should erect that persequuted cause and people in the same persequuted Nation and that by no lesse meane then whereby for a time the same was repressed nor in any other place then in Saules seate that is to say Dauid hys faithfull fostred king and Auiathar his good preserued prest When cruel Athalia the Mother of Ahasia King of Ierusalem sought to extirpe the kings séede that she might vsurpe the kingdome shée murthering the rest did she destroy the house No Joash one of his sonnes was from her hand of slaughter saued that by the hand of a maid his Sister till the time that the Lord had appointed for the said Ioashe the true King to enter into his realme and so to render recompence by iust pay of deserued death to that wicked vsurper Athalia which after Seuen yeares he brought to passe setting this reserued Ioash in his fathers seate Herod also séeking by the death of the innocentes to kill the Messias not only failed of his pray but was himselfe deuoured of GODS Iustice And although the Papistes followe these and such other their forefathers in like murthering crueltie as lately in Englande and since in Fraunce yet will the LORDE and hath the LORDE set vppe as he hath promised by the mouthe of all his Prophetes since the worlde began his Christe to bee his strength in spite of them Who yéelding as it were for the tyme doth thereby nothing loose but lesse ableth the aduersarye While by Sathans furie the Churche is else where gone as before is saide to bringe foorth by her Christe in a more quiet place many moe Children At whose returne the losse of her former are restored with infinite moe her borders enlarged her honoure encreased and her fame spred ouer all For the LORD her strength hath and will confounding her ennemies and treading them in the mire geue her the
downe by the LORDE in his woorde to haue Iustification without measure because of their numbered vertues suche I saye haue loste that they sought for nor could atteyne to that they would to saye deliuerance from their Spirituall Enemies and to be accompted iust before the Lorde the Apostle so witnesseth saying Israell which followed the Lawe of righteousnesse coulde not atteyne to the Lawe of Righteousnesse because they sought it not by Fayth but as it were by the workes of the Lawe for they haue stombled at the stombling stoane that is they are offended at the Christe which GOD hath set to be the Righteousnesse for his people and refusinge him and his merites they rest vppon the shyuering staffe of their imagined holynesse But the Gentilles sayth Paule which folowed not righteousnes haue atteined vnto righteousnes euen the righteousnes that is of faith that is to say the true righteousnes which cānot be bought by desert but is atteined by faith in the promise of god Here let our enemies the papists wey well with them selues how far they are frō the sense of truth If the holy fathers accepted with God in great fauor receiued not otherwise thē by his mercies his promised christ in him their saluation ful deliuerance also if they séeking him vnfeynedly with sinceritie of harte came so far short of merit the had not the exhibiting mercy preuented his prouoked iustice the same our fathers had perishe How then can they or man or angell for thē obteine for vs saluation or remission of our sinnes by any merit that can procéede frō a creature or creaturs The merits of the papistes are eyther the weight of their Massing Sacrifyces the bloud of Martyres the absolute power of theyr Pope or that which they thinke neuer fayleth the good workes of men men As for the meritte of their masse out of all question it meriteth neyther pardon with God the father nor place in the church of christ his sonne But it being vsed doth derogate as much as it may the Power of Christ whiche alone of God is set vp to for his church in Dauids house and arrogateth the honor of Christ and his office to that abhonable Idoll But beloued children of God geue attentiue eare to the Apostolicall wordes written to the Hebrues and thou shalt plainely perceiue by the power of Gods spirite that the one oblation of christes naturall body on the crosse in his death hath for euer not onely taken away from vs the wrath of God reward of sin but hath therewith abrogated the solempne sacrifices cōmaunded by himselfe in his written word and also hath taken away for all times to come all power from any man or angell to set vp any other sacrifice or oblation propitiatory in place thereof wherefore he sayth by the will of God by the sacrifice of Christ ordeyned of God we are sanctified euen by the Offering of the bodye of Iesus Christ once made Vers 11 And in the same place hée denyeth that the Sacrifyces commaunded of GOD can longer preuayle because that the true Sacrifyce Christ Iesus is alreadye Offered of which and whom they were Fygures Vers 12 And also denyeth that this Christ is any more to be Offered but playnely affyrmeth hym after that his once Oblation to fitte for euer at the Ryght hande of the Father and shall not thence come till his enemies be made his footstole And that all men might be Satisfyed he addeth a reasō wherefore saying for wyth one Offering hath he consecrated for euer those that are Sanctifyed And moreouer he calleth the Holy Ghost for witnesse of the same as in the 15. and 16. verses following and so concludeth vp his Assertion That since Christ Iesus hath thus redéemed vs there is no more Offering for sinne of one or other but in place thereof there is sayth hée set vppe to and for vs an entering into lyfe by a more beautifull manner which hée there calleth a newe and liuing way prepared for vs through the person Christ which is our hye Priest who requireth not sacrifice of vs Vers 23 but an approching hart made pure in conscience and body from sinne by fayth c. Therefore away wyth your Popishe trash your masking masses can no longer shaddowe the trueth Further I pray you whether doth God at any time accept the man for the Sacrifyce or the Sacrifyce for the man I trow the Text sayth that God regarded not Cayn or his Sacrifyce and contrarily he accepted Habell and his Oblation which sturred vp Cayn his wrath to kill his Brother Habell Here it is plaine God respecteth first the man and then his sacrifice if the man be not acceptable his sacrifyce is abhominable as in the Prophet Esay the Lord reproueth the Iewes for their paynefull seruing in will worshippe and sayth he abhorreth their deuises and will not turne towards them with fauor though their sacrifices be costly because they are sinful that offer them And the people for whom they are offred are the children of sinne their handes are full of bloud yea they geue to God that which he asketh not and therefore dislyking vtterly thereof he sayth who required this at your handes And there teacheth them to amend from their Wicked wayes to washe them from their sinnes so will he accept them and their Oblations Christ himselfe also doth nothing more pacifie the Fathers wrath in his most holy sacrifyce then in respecte that according to the Fathers wyll he hath yéelded himselfe for an Oblation as he was of him appoynted by his written woorde saying a body hast thou ordeyned me and loe I am here to doe thy wyll Let the Pope and his Clergye as Christ here doth shew vs the heauenly God or Father his holy written will for their accepted persones in Sacrifysing for the Quicke and Deade and for suche their fayned propitiatorie Sacrifyces and we will not shame for losse of credit to subcribe vnto them But this they can not and therefore they hate the scriptures and would not that wée shoulde Studye in them Because they knowe that there by their Idolatrye is bewrayed and their Trecherie made knowen and that both they and their Sacrifyces are wyth Cayn odious in Gods sight Oh that therefore we coulde wyth our Zachary retourne the Phrase of Popishe speache to the Forge that fyrst framed the same and coulde acknowledge our Saluatson to consist in Gods mercye alone by the meritte of his Sonne Christ in that his Sacrifyce in his naturall Bodye Crucifyed on the crosse once for al al ages By the which sayth the Apostle Peter wée are deliuered from Sinne to liue in righteousnesse for by the b strypes of Iesus Christes Death wée are made whole The bloud of Sayntes is their other Imagined meritte for mennes Saluations and Gods fauour But good reader of Sayntes the Apostles are chiefe and hath not Christ taught
substance of our religiō some little iarring crochet in lesse matters out of musicke her concorde are to be accompted as members of that musicall body whereof Christ is the head and worthy buylders of that spirituall house of which Iesus our Lord is the chiefe corner stone If I should stand to reherse the contentions of the Church since the first Church till this present I should passe the limits of a large booke farsed with onely testimonies to that end As for example the contention among the learned and Godly fathers in the East and west churches for the time and day wherein the Easter day should be kept was great and perilous a cutting asunder of the said church and an absolute breache of perfect vnity till Nicene councell ended the cause but salued not the whole sore For the hygh authoritye of places and men Ecclesiasticall it is a worlde to reade and sée how Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople began and the Romane Gregory encountering him Prophecied his Romish seate to be prepared for the same Antechristianisme after his dayes which Boniface the worker of euill enthronised in his full pompe which contention I feare will not be banished till the spirit of the Lords mouth consume the authors fautors thereof This sore how in those better dayes more pure times it hath festered into the harts of Godly learned men then most famous by this little taste ye may at the first perceiue But let vs as ye would haue it O ye fawning papists graunt ye that some Heresies doe bréed in our English church at this day shall ye therefore accuse the same to be estraunged from God shall you wyth wylye subtletie to that ye may deface the Churche our Spirituall Moother and carye the names of her Sonnes and Children and louers of our gracious Nurse ELIZABETH Naye rather ought ye to lyke of our Religion that manifesteth suche Heresies and confesse that where the Lorde hath fyrst sowne Wheate there the Enemie comming after hath in the same chosen Lande sowed Tares And ye ought to know that the Lordes will is to haue both for a season to grow together that the blade of the Tare might the better make knowne the eare of the good wheat So is it good reader the wisdome of Gods purpose that Heresies springing vp with true doctrine the veritie should more clearly appeare and the sowers of truth should more diligently study to refell the false opinions of the wicked by the forcible power of that first sowne truth the word of god Let not the wicked therefore perswade thée that our Church and Religion is euill false because of scismes Heresies which some wicked not yet by the sentence of the Church fully cut of percase do hold for it begā in the Apostles time that Heritykes and Seismatykes should frō the true church haue their procéedinge and of the same their first place to be trayned vp in trueth that their Iudgement should be the greater And Rome it selfe which is now wrapped in horrible heresie and manifold scismes though they yet boast of vnitie came out of Gods church and hath made manifest Apostacie there from as if you set the Religion in Rome now professed wyth the Doctrine which the same dyd holde what tyme Paule wrot his Epistle to them you shall most playnely sée that the Romanistes are gone out of Gods Churche great and Huge Herityques Came not Arius that pestiferous man who hath by his Bookes denyed Christes Eternitie wyth the Father onely acknowledging him to be made as a Creature Oh myghty and Monstrous Blasphemie came he not out I say of the Churche of GOD at Alexandria where he was first a Scholemaster and after an admitted Preacher dyd he not of malice agaynst Alexander the good Bishop there first broche forth his Heresies Where had Agelius ▪ his place to spred his Heresie which was of the sect of Nouatus that Heretike hatched vp in the Church at Rome and was the Father of the Heretykes called Katharoi but euen where the christian Chrisostom was chiefe Pastour and Bishop and in his Church at Constantinople Shall the contentions in the Apostles age in Christes Church then or the controuersies amongest the learned in the Christian Churches since cut the one or the other from being the Church of God God forbid Yea if from the church of the Apostles there procéeded scismes Heresies by the wicked amongst them if since in all times as the Eccl. histories tell vs Satan hath so troubled the good corne with counterfait cockle why shal we thinke it strange to haue the same tentations now which our fathers before vs our childrē after our departure shal be assalted with ▪ yea your holy mother of Rome ye papists hath nursed vp such wicked children her selfe in whom whose popes alone ye repose your whole trust as may bear the bel before the deuill the patron of your religion for their great heresies And they are sundry in number As Liberius Anastatius Honorius Siluester and the mery monster Iohn the B. aboue others more notable Adhere to al the rest in that sea since Antechrists possession first thereof taken Albeit ye cannot deny the premises or kéep frō our sight your many sundry iarring opiniōs yet ye wold that your sinagog of Rome should be accōpted the holy monarch mother church of the world that notwithstanding the procreation of such a pestilent poysoning brood why should ye then abridge vs of the lyke libertie which ye chalenge to your selues that séeing we doe with all might séeke to repreffe the opinions of them that be wicked wyth the power of the Gospell and to mayneteyne vnitye in Godlynesse to all our powers Herein you doe but poure out your much malice striuing to hinder vs You haue exhibited against your willes much lyke to your graundsire Caiphas to our side and with vs the Testimonye of trueth So mightie is God our defender that he draweth wyth violence out of your wicked mouthes to your greater condemnation if ye repent not the vouch of verity But to conclude this poynt Christian reader take and taste this Antidotum here confected to thy vse agaynst their venomous speaches and it shall not onely comfort thy afflicted minde which God graunt for his Sonnes sake but also shall kéepe thée stedfast vntill the Lorde performe the promise long syth by his holy Prophetes solempnely made to his Churche for euer As first in Micah thus Thou wylt perfourme thy trueth to Jacob and mercye to Abraham as thou haste Sworne to our Fathers in olde tyme. And agayne in Esay wholy and specially from eleuenth verse to the ende of the same which Chapter is most comfortable agaynst these our subtill dayes Oh thou afflicted and tossed wyth Tempestes sayth the Prophete to Goddes Churche thou that hast no comfort behold I wil lay thy
concerning the purpose of God in this Baptist Thus he saith And thou little babe shalt be called the Prophet of the highest c. By these words we are put in mind stil of Gods aboundant mercy in his Christ who not only maketh Zacharie an old comfortable father but openeth also vnto him the arcane counsel of his diuine disposition And by the spirit of prophecy assureth him and the Church committed to him of the heauenly benefite their spirituall deliuerance in this Christ their true Messias of whom this little babe that yet can nothing say shal be the most noble preacher and Prophet When hée calleth him the Lords Prophet he acknowledgeth him to be the interpreter of the lords Law and Oracles the Doctor and preacher in to the Church of God by whose mouth the Lord him selfe speaketh to the same opening to them his secretes and manifesting his holy will as appeareth by that which followeth To geue knowledge of Saluation c. Which prophecie of the father was fulfilled in his sonne the Baptist in the the first yeare of Tiberius at which time Christ was about thirtie yeres of age And John began to preach publiquely saying Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Two notable thinges in the wordes of this his text he promiseth to his sonne by his warrant receiued frō god First that albeit he be in respect of natures worke and the worldes reputation but a small child and of lowe degrée yet hath the lord chosen appointed him from his cradell nay before his creation to be the instrument most apt to the Lordes labour The second is the nature of his office which is to prepare make straight the way of the Lord as the Angel before had sayd to Zacharie in the vision Who being corrected for his doutfulnes assured him selfe and others most constantly of the Lordes promise which was that this holy Prophet the Baptist should be great in the sight of God and should not geue him selfe with the wicked Priestes of the earth or the false prophets of Israel to gorge their crawes with bibbing cheare but should lead an austere temperate diet hauing his hart wholy set vpon his office which the spirit of God selected him to from his mothers wombe that he should turne the children of Israel to their Lord God by that heroicall spirite which God erst gaue to Helias to turne the harts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisedome of the iust men to make ready a people prepared for the lord This was the most excellent office of the Baptist in consideration wherof this Zachary song this Psalme to the lords praise Now let vs note here good reader that not by chāce but by gods prouidēce al things are guided to his glory the churches profite Not any mā is by chāce set into place autoritie or any office but are appointed of god in his wisdome yea before they are to be men beyond his search sute or expectatiō to the seruice of his god As Moyses Aarō Saul Dauid Samuel Amos Jeremie Esay Christ him selfe Paule the Apostles els and all others before and since The very wicked Magistrates their office and authoritie is of the Lord by him kinges doe raigne good or euil In that they are kinges of his good wisedome it is but as they are euill it is of their owne frowardnes Satans malice from which persons neyther may the action of Gods iustice in any wise be seperate Pharao his hart the Lord hardened Nabuchadnezar hée stirred vp against the children of Israel Pilate and Herode with the Gentiles and cruel Jewes were in their malicious harts furiously bent and did in déede gather them selues together against Christ the annoynted of the lord But it was to do whatsoeuer the hand and the counsell of the Lord had before determined to be done All which emphatically Zacharie voucheth vnder this word Thou shalt c. Wherefore let vs depend vpon our heauenly fathers prouidence and what gouernement raigne pollicie or order so euer we sée prayse God for the good pray God to amend rectifie or remoue the euill at his good pleasure and for his spirit to direct our steppes knowing that as a sparowe falleth not to the ground without the heauenly fathers prouidēce So shall nothing come to passe without his good pleasure to his elect And the euent shall euer be to them because they feare the Lord good and prosperous Oh that ye Papistes Atheists and other the Macheuils of this our age could consider this then would ye not so range at the Gospell or so enuie the professors therof or yet contēne so gracious gouernmēt as is set ouer you vs by the which not by casualitie but by diuine destinie gods word is so amplie preached forcibly beaten into your eares that were you not appointed to the slaughter in the day of wrath impossible should it be for you to remayne rebellious But so is it Gods good pleasure to rayse vp little Baptists and lowly babes to possesse that grace which you wise and mightie Giants of the world despise and persecute All prayse be to thée O heauenly father therefore and continually vouchsafe thy blessing to this our nation graunt our Dauid to consider thy choyse of her Maiestie which was not from the fold of simple shepe but out of the Lions téeth the Papists clawes out of the Towers prison and tirans death to féede thy people of England in the sinceritie of her harte and the porcion of her gracious giftes bestowed vppon her Moreouer I note to thée good reader the yet more mercie of our good GOD who spilleth not but spareth the worlde for the electes sake and before he sendeth destruction for sinne he exhibiteth to that people his Prophetes to call them to repentance that he in lyke sort may torne from the euil which he hath determined agaynst them As to Adam in Paradise he appeared by him selfe To Cain by his voyce from heauen To Pharao by Mosses To Achab his age by Hely To the Iewes before the destruction by Esay Je. sundry others To Ierusalem by Iohn Baptist Christ Iesus and his Apostles forty and od yeares after his death and all to call these to repentance and true turning to the Lorde by the warning of the Trumpe of God the mouthes of the Preachers But alas these ages as they are past before vs so haue they left to their posteritie as yet their former vices of securitie and contempt of the preachers voyce So that Esay may well say at this houre Lorde who beleueth our saying or to whom is the arme of the Lord knowne But woe ouertooke them and so shall it all such as despising the light of the worde wallow still in the myre of mans deuises agaynst god Where God offereth his worde therewyth
he sheweth himselfe bent to mercie But if both he spare to strike and spende his holy labors by his Propheticall preachers in vaine to the people to whom he sendeth them then and there will he poure out his double plagues to their vtter confusion Let Jerusalem alone suffize to testifye the same And grant O Lord more grace to England that we in no sort receue this thy long suffering aboundant gracious light of thy blessed truth in vaine for thy sonnes sake For then assuredly as it now appeareth by thy handy work is become to be the best Receptacle for thy afflicted members So shall it then be sene an horrible Cage for euery foule byrde and fylthie gryppe and in stede of songes of mirth and ioy howling lamentation and mourning for her great desolation shall found her sorow to the heauens redoūd to the earth againe accompanied wyth thy most terrible plagues in vehement sort Oh the securitie of England Oh the manifest contempt of the English nation Oh the depe dissimulation that enuironeth so the borders of this land as no wher thence it were permitted to haue his passage Wel God sēdeth to thée yet once Zachary Iohn Bap. in plentiful sort to cry with exalted voice incessantly repēt for the day of the Lord is at hand And through the preaching of truth they open the way to saluation in Christ Happie be thou ye twise blessed oh miserable England canst thou in time lende thyne Eares and laye thy hearte to the touche of truethe in this the daye of thy moste louing visitation And thy day of appearing canst be readye to tourne to thy Lorde who shall purge thée lyke vnto moste pure Syluer But if the Lorde take from thée Oh Englande his Worde and Preaching then Desolation is imminent For when Preaching fayleth the people perishe and dye for want of their spiritual breade the force of their lyfe Where is the beautie of the former Hierusalem What is become of the Learned Chorinth the pryde of all Achaia And where is the former glory of that Christian Antioche Is not the east Churche wholy become an Apostata from God and them selues betrothed to the seruitude of sinne his huge enemies And what shal we say of that roging Rome which somtime was the deare church of God is she not now become the seate of Antechrist and the Sinagogue of Sathan Yes forsooth Whence flowed the Floudes of Godlinesse thence commeth the Waters of fylth in the streame of Idolatrie superstition adulterie homicide treason murder couetousnesse and sinnes agaynst nature and the holy Ghost There as in a mirrour we may sée the testimonie of Paule speaking of the Heathen Idolators to the Godly Romanes verifyed For when they professed themselues to be wise they became fooles turning the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of a corruptible man c. Wherefore God gaue them vp also to their hartes lustes vnto vnclearnesse to defyle their owne bodies betwéene themselues which tourned the trueth of God to a lye and worshipped and serued the Creature forsaking the Creator which is blessed for euer Amen For this cause sayth Paule God gaue thē vp vnto vile affections The spirit of god foreseeing the lyke Idolatry and sinne to followe in this satanicall Sea warned them by these former plagues to auoyde the seconde destruction set downe by Iohn the diuine in the Reuelation But sith this seate is set for Antechrist and that no man can safely vnder her harbor be sure from Gods wrath or can be permitted to nussle as the Sowe in the myery puddles of her broken Cesternes Let vs wyth on consent recoyle to the commaundement of the Spirite which soundeth the retire from Romish Babilon and her damnable desolation lest running in her chase we be ouertaken by the Lorde which persecuteth her wyth al arma of sundry and sodeyne Fyghtes to her most terrible ouerthrow And always haue before thine eyes that pyller of Salt which sometime was the holy Lots wife who for her great loue she bare to her line bloud which would not lende their eares to God receiued a monstrous shape and lost the beutie of her first Creation A notable example certaynely Vers 10 And to giue knowledge of saluation vnto his people by remission of their sinnes The office of Iohn and how he is to prepare the way of the Lorde is here by Zacharie set downe namely by the Preaching of repentance and driuing the Iews to the view of their sins wherby they might be the more apt to receiue Christ by fayth in him saluation for their sins true righteousnes eternall lyfe This preparation is so requisite as without the same neither shall the wounded man féele his griefe or the dreined conscience gaspe thirst after christes bloud the founteine of health to euery dry sinning soule pined sinner that hungreth his water of life Wherfore his inestimable merit hath not onely giuen a sauiour but hath sent a heauenly voyce to cry out to our deade deafe bodies the knowledge of life and way to saluation which commeth to vs by the forgeuenes of our sinnes at the hands of our good God most merciful father he hauing fully satisfyed his iustice in the person of our crucifyed Christ the chastisement of our peace Thrée especiall poyntes this verse containeth first by what means saluatiō is atteined euen by the forgeuenes of sins Secondly whose sinnes are forgeuen Onely the sinnes of Gods elect chosen people Thirdly the way by the which they atteine to so hie a price Euen by that they haue this saluation made so apparant to them by the ministery of Preaching that they apprehende by fayth Gods spirit opening the hart of the hearer Concerning the first whence new iustification is had is apparantly sene by our Prophet namely that their sinnes be forgiuen thē Neither is there in any one to purchase such remission for then should not our iustification stand in forgiuenes but in mans purchase so god in bestowing life should not giue vs his son but according our merit and his debt pay to vs christ our desert which were to vttermost pestilent blasphemy against God and his Gospell So God loued the world sayth Christ that he gaue his only begoten sonne c. But this verse teacheth vs that our saluatiō is had by the remission of sins seteth downe both the meane for vs to apprehende lyfe and the cause of lyfe also The meane or hande whereby we take holde of christ which is our lyfe is fayth norished and bred in our hartes by the worde preached which accepteth christ as of the Father he is giuen and by the scriptures he is discribed vnto vs The cause here expressed is gods loue who hath predestinate to lyfe all those whom he hath translated from the poynte of death to the kingdome of his deare sonne and from
righteousnes by the works of the law haue lost the same this remaineth recorded for the iust that all which sought it by faith not by works haue atteined to true righteousnes in déede What then doth it profit good men to worke good works The good wors of holy men profite 2. waies First weighing their valoure wyth our dutie they cast downe our Peacoks tayle and Egles hearte béeing so farre shorte of that they should they call mans crye to vouche his state vnprofytable to his Lorde And so wyth crauinge Pardon for his sinnes fogetting his fewe déedes now past he hasteneth wyth humblenes to the degrées of encrease to walke and please God as he ought towards the throne of grace where he séeth by fayth himselfe drawne vp wyth courage to rest in Christ for lyfe since his spirite liueth in him Secondly they worke a most assured corroboration in our hartes whylest we consider of whom we haue suche grace Euen that our hartes of Adamant are changed to fleshye not fleshly harts into the same Gods holy spirit is put powred by the power of which we are cause to walke in his lawes and kepe his statutes Al which though we do not or can in such sort as we should yet because his holy finger hath written his sacred lawe in our hartes and put the sinne into our inward parts is himselfe become by his couenant in christ our god and hath chosen vs for his holy people for this cause I say he accepteth vs as iust though we be all sinners and our works are acceptable in his sight and are not wythout their rewarde yet of his mercye deuoyd of our merit thus through our infirmitie worketh he his owne praise So ende we the firste parte of this verse To giue knowledge c. The second pointe is to note whose sinnes are forgiuen and so consequenly what kinde of persons atteine truely and in déede to this saluation by his Prophets preached and this I note of this word To his people For albeit that Christ is of the father giuen to the whole world to be vnto them their sauiour and that there is no age or people vnto whō the death of christ is not sufficient to their saluation and is therfore by himselfe and the worde vouched the sauiour of the world yet are not al people by him saued nor any but suche as here be called his people Now haue we also to consider that neither all that call or chalenge to be his are so in déede For then should not the Infidell Saracene with the Turke onely be cōdēned because they refuse life which is only in christ Iesus to be foūd but also of that nomber which professe christ in shew and receiue the badge and seale of righteousnesse in Baptisme and in the dayes of their flesh inuocate christ as God and call the Father Lorde be furthermore accompted to be of the church and People of God of this multitude shall infinite walke the wandring path to eternall payne Not euery one that crieth Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of god c. These are for a time in but at no time are they of the church of god These eyther haue Satan to pull the séede out of their hartes least they should beleue and be saued or beleue with ioye for a season and in fierie triall vade and consume to dust and ashes and turne to their erst conceiued death But saluation standeth at the end of the race happie is he that endureth to the end for he shall be safe Or els do they with the fayth in Christ and gospel of the sonne of God intermedle the cares of this world pleasures of the flesh which do choke the growth of the séede that no Wheate can come to ripenes for the Lordes barne they begin in the spirite but they end in the flesh These albeit they are bidden ghestes yet shall they not once tast of the Bridegromes supper For they being called dayly and the Lord with open armes euer readie to embrace them refuse to come therefore shall desolation deuoure them neither shall Ierusalem saue them or the Sinagoge of Sathan the Church of Rome deliuer them from the wéeping state and wofull paynes prepared for all hypocrites Where in stéed of popish piping and carnall delights shal be mourning and howling in perpetual chaines nayled fast to damnation his gaol And that because they neither heard or sought the Lord with integritie of soule or worshipped him els then with their owne inuentions hauing their harts a long estranged from his delite And albeit they were nourished vp in the bosome of his beloued spouse yet they are to him as Mice in the housholders barne whose purpose is to féede them fat and fill their young of the corne but not at any time to haue the presence of the Masters face For whom also the husband prepareth engins destroyers them to consume though for a time he permit them to their deuised pleasures Such shal be the end of al Papists carnall protestants fained hypocrites which séeke thē selues altogether and not the lord at all As daily those persons passe their time in such wicked lustes But of farre other nature are the true people of god As the other in the day of trial cannot be knowne of him for he shall say depart frō me I know ye not ye workers of iniquitie so the lords people are knowne to him by their name they are borne againe of the spirit They are sanctified by the holy Ghost They are graffed into Christ their vine They are predestinate to life Chosen to bee the f sonnes of god Called to the knowledge of the word of saluation and taught of god The spirit of the sonne is by the loue of the most louing father powred into their harts which causeth thē to crie to him Abba father Their stonie hartes hée mollifieth and turneth into hartes of flesh and into them for their direction and life he putteth his spirit by whose power through the woord sowne and taught he teacheth them his Lawes and geueth them grace to walke in his statutes Thus wrought by GOD they bring forth holy fruites They onely heare his voyce All straunge sound and charminge incantation they vtterly auoyd charme they c neuer so wisely They hunger after the truth and thirst the Lordes righteousnes They claspe their harts by fayth in Christ that through him alone they may apprehend the louing countenance of the heauenly Fathers face They lay their sinnes vppon his crosse and craue by comfortable cries in earnest and ardent prayer to be clothed with his righteousnes They euer confesse their many sinnes and assure them selues by fayth of his saluation They driue away terror and rest in the harbour of a quiet conscience and in most humble wise approche
the same right the instrumentes of destruction of what nature or condition so euer they bee are together with the author of them to be punnished and condemned Hereto he alleadgeth certaine examples of scriptures as of Achan of Corah and his companie In end he thus concludeth If to condemne the organ with the wicked spirit the author it be Iniquum So by the same reason must it be wicked that the bodies of the faithfull together with their soules be made partakers of eternall life and heauenly felicitie But farre be such thoughts from the minds of the godly c. Thus farre Musculus That old father and great learned Doctor Chrisostome vppon the same place of Genesis geueth in effect the same censure whose wordes vpon the Serpents iudgement are as they are reported also by Peter Martir that famous man thus God in this action delt like vnto a man that is a most naturall louing Father who when he séeth his deare sonne slaine doth not only couet the death of the murtherer but the sword Speare euery the instrument wherewith he perished will he likewise séeke to destroy Should I stand to speake of al lets rubbish in this nation I should frō my self to al flesh without great search see such matter aboūd as no reasonable volume could cōtaine their descriptiō Idolatrous papists Atheistes Carnalites Hipocrites Adulterers Drunkardes and sundry wicked vices else in many places many times are lesse loked vpon with iustice censure then such as many wayes els are profitable mēbers in the church of god This is a perilous shrub it would be stubbed vp by the rootes The Lord graunt better regard lest the maiestie on hye take the matter into his owne hand from such as be ouer negligent Gods in earth The Preachers of God must cry out in Sion and tell Ierusalem and Iuda of her faults from the hiest to the lowest to one and other for agaynst this that euill In paine of damnation must the preacher cry out that the desert may be tracked and the hils the valleyes the ragged the croked the old and rotten for age may be altered or quite remoued that in England his prophets may so exhibit to the lord at his comming a prepared people and well instructed whose soules by his spirit being gouerned their bodies by his force shall walke in all holines in his sight as the dayes of their lyfe Then will the Lord yet more delight in our Church state and people he will take pleasure to walke into the garden of our harts there to receiue the redolent smell of the swete fruites spreading themselues far abroad all a long the beds of fayth he will blesse her with beautie and builde hir with precious stones of great price he wil teach this nation himselfe by his worde and will giue thée the more abounding spirit to walke in his statutes he wil be for thée agaynst thy forren foes domesticall enemies a tower of strēgth to assist thée and bruse thē in myerie streates before thy eyes he will destroy the smyth and all his instrumentes the Pope and his pelfe all diuelishe deuises agaynst thée of what force so euer To his faythfull ministers and Teachers will he graunt his ayde and power to be for them a well fenced cytie wyth walles of Brase agaynst all Popishe practises bent to their destruction Finally to some all from thy vertuous Quéene to the faythfull Plowman sowing his séede will he poure forth his grace and spirit his christ and heauen to be thine for euer Vers 11.12 Through the tender mercy of our God whereby the day spring from an high hath visited vs To giue light to them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace This knowledge of Saluation where by man is brought to the forgiuenesse of sinnes in christ commeth not to vs by purchase of gold and siluer or any other mans merit but by the inward mercy of our God sayth Zachary euen as a naturall mother séeing her child wounded in her armes or taken violently from her to be slaine all the partes of her body and soule are therewith moued with singuler compassion so hast thou O God saith he beholding our most miserable blindnes bandage vnder sinne taken most mercifull pitie in the bowels of thy Fatherly mercies hast sēt to vs this branch thy Christ day spring as the beautie of thy flesh to visit our darkenesse with the light of his trueth and by his lyfe to deliuer vs from the gloming darke death of ignorance sinne to set our conscience quiet in the Iustification by his bloud to embolden vs to approch thy presence as Children to their best beloued Father without terror of death for Sinne or feare of any worldly want For through the comfort of this bright shining sunne of righteousnesse and virident braunche of Jesse his roote the anoynted Christ we shall ouercome whatsoeuer shall set it selfe against vs. To our instruction further comforts let vs as before so in these two verses obserue some such pith as lieth within the vertue of these happy words By this maner of speach the Prophet would haue vs to consider déeply the chiefe and aboundant loue of the ineffable God whose studye and care as it were is onely bent to doe vs the best good though we in no part demerit the same Thrée speciall thinges I obserue to thée gentle reeder in these last verses whereof the first followeth The first is that by the only mercy of God without the merit of man Christ our Sauiour is giuen to vs as himselfe testifieth in the third of Iohn saying So dearely God loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten Sonne c. Without our merit gaue the heauenly Father his sauing Christ for when we were his ennemies he saued vs Vpon the which most mercifull acte he perswadeth vs that now much more sence we belong to him will he deliuer vs frō wrath The second note is that albeit God in his great mercy hath so copiously enritched vs with the hidden treasure of ful remission from al our sinnes yet hath he therwith nothing impared his iustice but hath by the merit of another himselfe Christ Iesus our Lord which the Prophet here calleth the day spring from an high fully answered the same In whose person mercy iustice haue met together mercy peace haue kyssed each other for in that Christ Iesus tooke vpon him our nature sanctifiing the same by his conception and ioined it to his god head He tooke that person of sinne vppon him which could be subiecte to the crosse and aptly receiued the curse due thereto for our iniquitie and accept to the ful the fury of his fathers iust conceiued wrath In which body he did fully beare the same vpon the
crosse in his bitter death at what time the angrie countinance of his God with the full paines of hell for mans sin was wholy laide vpon him hee was compelled with vehemency to cry my God my God why haste thou forsaken me The fruite of this death is such that as no one of vs hath put our hand to this crosse with him to cary his Fathers wrath for our sin so hath he obtained such redemption as none of vs that beléeue a right in him shal or can tast any part of condeÌ„nation Further to vs our Saluation is most frée But in respect of the price it is the ful satisfaction of the fathers iustice and the valour is the bloud and death of our redéemer Christ Iesus The end is that we being deliuered froÌ„ sinne c should depart from iniquitie and dedicat our selues to the lord in newnesse of life as chilldreÌ„ redemed froÌ„ sin death Regard with feare therefore thy Christ hys death yeeld not thy self to sathans snare for he that willingly by wilfull lustes wil treade his death vnder his féete cannot be partaker of his glory and lyfe The third thing to obserue is the allusion which our Prophet vseth in this place to the former prophesies calling him the day spring or as other the learned translate the word a Braunch For the former translation great comfort is giuen therby to thée deare reader the word rightly considered in such sence as it ought that is to vnderstand by Oriens not the place wher the Sonne riseth but the Sonne himself so doth Malachie vse that metaphorical spech when he calleth Christ the sonne of righteousnes vnder whose winges or beames lyeth health Note heare our Zachary alluding to this Scripture teacheth Christ to be the trewe Messias the same which was of them promised to bee the lord of life by whom the church shuld haue her light full safety Further looke into the Metaphor the sunne is the guide of the world the beawty of the Heauens the light of the starres and firmament by him the vapours noysome and pestilent are taken from men the spring the Harneste the times and seasons haue their comfort and validitie of him The Moone the figure of Gods churche hath her whole light of his light of him depryued she is in her darkenes and eclipsed state by his presence the night vanisheth the stormes and tempestuous tymes are abandoned as barrennes turned into fertilitie euery crooked occurrent vadeth and all comfortes to men and creatures els present theÌ„ selues To aplie the same with a thousand more fruite thou oughtest whensoeuer thou saiest this Psalme to thy heauenly Lorde the only begotten of God the Sonne of righteousnes which is the light of the world the glory of the father the gouernour of al things the way the truth life it self to al that shal be saued which by him self redéemeth vs with his fathers mercy clotheth vs by his spirit regenerateth sanctifieth guydeth vs in him to lyfe euerlasting The Sun entring the house euery dark corner is full of light what filth remaineth is by him manifested So where christ by faith appeareth in mans hart all ignorance is banished and the light of his word reproueth all iniquitie and driueth all error forth of mans soule The learned Beza translateth the word not Oriens but Germen and in his learned Annotations geueth his reason vpon the nature of the Hebrew word tsemach which saith he signifieth not Oriens but germen a branch he affirmeth there the Prophet to allude vnto the wordes of Zacharie before and Ieremie which promised Christ to spring vp as out of the withered stocke of persecuted Dauid of whom the world should make smal accompt but his groth should be maruailous therfore he addeth from aboue that so he may shew his comming vp to be contrary to the plants of the earth This is the stone which commeth out of the mountaine without hands doth preuaile against al the mountaines of the world though the builders refuse him he is chiefe of the corner This Christ is that despised branch which séemed withered beaten for his own sinne but in the daies of his flesh he so visited vs that by his stripes we â—â—e made whole This is the gréene â—â—irident trée vpon whom the cruell Jewes bestowed their whole tirannie This is the trée â–ª vine of whom the faithfull branches receiue their light knowledge saluation and power to passe the passage of heauenly peace This is that branch by maÌ„s iudgement so eaten into the earth as no bâ—dding or spring shuld be permitted him which by his owne power defendeth his owne cause against the Monarches of the world yéeldeth foyle to the gates infernal spoyleth Satan of his pray This is the Lord king of heauen earth to whoÌ„ the powers aboue the spirits below and â—â—n in earth do stoupe fall before his throne as to their only Lord and God in whose hand is life and death Now deare reader this branch is thine geuen thée of God to be thy staffe of defence in the day â—f battel and hath come himselfe to visite thy weake state â–ª geue to thée his mightie aide The Church of God shall dwell â—ost safely vnder the shadowe of this branche for whosoeuer striueth against her â—re sure to find him present in her to whom he hath distended from aboue to geue comfort to her miseries which he câ—â—leth here darknes and the shadow of death he that lifteth at her shall find her as an heauie stone which shal crush them to péeces Further note hee suffreth oftentimes his holy ones to be led into darke troubles and poyntes of death but then is it his nature to visite them So hée came to Joseph in Pharaos chaynes He suffred the Israelits to be driuen to the brinke of the seas backset with Pharaos whole power but then he visited them gaue the light of life lead them in peace the way of the troublesome waters Hezekia Susanna Sydrach Misach and Abednego Daniel Jonas Paule Stephen and many the fathers since hath he by their trial brought forth Sathans power sheâ—ed in his deliuerie his secrete iudgements and their weakenes not able to wound or confound his instrumentes which of them selues are of most féeble force For neyther Sennacheribs blasphemie the Priestes accusation the burning ouen the Lions den the Whalles bellie Aretas ire or Saules furie could cutte shorte his deare children of his presence in thâ— middle of these their deathes but euen when their liues were thought with Peters in Herods person to be subiect to present death then did the Lord beyond all expectation deliuer them Finally to some such as he beyond al time hath predestinate in time to be called hath he appeared to their conciences and body in the extreme darknes of their furie in
their shadowed hell conspiring against him and his elect and hath geuen them the light of his saluation turned their raging race to warr with his Church into the most happie tracke of pacient sufferings and precious persecution for his names sake Wherfore let vs pray for all persecutors of his gospel for neither we or yet themselues do know whether the Lord hath predestinate theÌ„ to life Did the church of the Apostles expect Pauls coÌ„ming to their felowship who was the most cruel enemie that the Romaine power the Pharisaicall Jewes sent forth to their persecution did not the lord lead this LioÌ„ to lie vnder the féet as it were of those holy laÌ„bes euen then when he came with raging roaring huÌ„ger to deuour theÌ„ Did the famous prince most noble Monarch of the worlde king Henry the Eyght purpose to foster the Lordes people in Englande when he sat himselfe in iudgement agaynst the Godly Martir of Christ Lamhert and yet dyd the Lorde visit his Princely harte so that by the light of his Christ the spirite of God opening his harte he was made the Lordes instrument vtterly to thrust out that horrible Pope wyth all his power which no king before him could bring to passe albeit they eftsoones attempted sundry times to cut him short Which argueth Gods good lyke of his ministery with him of all such Bishops and ministers as did by doctrine stirre vp his hart her to themselues or most of them before being sworne to the Romishe obedience The noble Father and Martir of Christ M. Cranmer late the Archbishop of Canterburie shall we not accompt him amongest the lawfull ministers of God a trust none will be so wilfull as once to â—â—inke him vnworthie most reuerence 〈◊〉 Catalogie of Gods true and faythâ— ministers in his time And yet my 〈◊〉 bretherne in his persno and actions 〈◊〉 found apparant such a blemishes as for the same all of his lyke institution are of some vouched vmméete for the ministerie of the Church of god I speake not this to iniurie the fame of that holy man whom the heauens haue receiued but to offer such comfort to others as I haue I trust rightly receiued my selfe being in the dayes of Quéene Mary hatched vp in Popery and made an Idolatrous Priest often committing most horrible sacrileage to God by the sacrifising that Idolatrous Cake and counterfeyted Christ to God the Father against the glory of Christ his sonne But I dayly praise the Lord my God who hath taken mercy vpon me and called me from that power of darknes and hath translated me vnto the kingdome of his dear sonne Iesus and of from an Idolatrous Priest being ignorantly caryed into error hath chosen me wyth many others my Godly Bretherne to be a faythfull minister and true Preacher of his holy Gospell and that I craue for restes to the world the congregatioÌ„s which haue tasted of the swéet gyltes of his holy spirite by his mercifulnesse and riche goodnesse powred into their harts by my ministrie though a sinner But through christ called by grace to the preaching of the word of truth through whose good gifts by the portion of his sacred spirit giueÌ„ vnto me for their good and my continual comfort they are to confesse his grace apparant in my ministry with others our godly brethren called to the office This I say not bostingly after the fleshe but witnessing Gods great graces in me vnworthy the least after his calling me with many others from idolatry to his seruice And not to yéeld my self such like whose hartes be truly turned to the Lord to subscribe to such sharp censure as passeth to the offence of many a soule But Saul as he is not ashamed to confesse his error blasphemies So being by the Lorde in mercy changed to Paule warraÌ„teth vs with him good courage comfort to procede in our offices daring to say of himself erst a persecuter as of his fellow ministers which neuer were such séeing we haue this ministery c. He doth hereby the more embolden vs with humblenes of hart to chalenge the like authority to preach to administer the sacraments of the lord with and aswel as such others our brethren by the singular grace of god either preserued from such idolatry or since that time called to the function ecclesiasticall These spéeches therfore Q. Maries priestes K. Henries priestes c. are not so warely set downe as becommeth the place of such which séeme sufficient to supply the wants of this ecclesiasticall gouernment But the lord assist in his mercy the state present with his holy spirit grant to this our mighty monarch a zelous spirite in him yet more more to remoue reteine as the worde of God the honor of this his holy church in England the condition of our age time shall approue for truth most conuenient The places of Josias and EZechiel are not to beat vs down or to bear the contrary opinion from lacke in my iudgmeÌ„t Omitting the priuat example of the godly Iosias which can not in good diuinitie be drawne to a publique commandement I will onely note of the other place which séemeth to sundrye to stande for a law preceptorie as well to vs now as to the Leuits then First I say that Idolatrie is an horrible sin but not estranged is the Idolater from grace if the Lorde vouchsafe him repentance And where as the Lord there cutteth those Leuits froÌ„ his Alter at Ierusalem and the office of the Priest which fell to Idolatry he doth not say this shall be a perpetuall lawe to my house Church for euer Neyther did the Leuits alwais so deale to fore in the time of Moises law Did not Aaron fal to Idolatrie when he made with a grauen toole the molten image proclaimed a solempne feast day therfore attributing that selfe Idolatrous worship to the lord made an Aulter before the Idoll and if wel we weigh whose office it was in that congregatioÌ„ to offer vp sacrifice we shall further touch Aaron his person as also Moises séemeth to lay the whole crime vppoÌ„ him Yet behold the great mercy of God in the time of the law Nor is Aaron by god the lord or by his magistrate Moises depriued of his dignitie remoued from his ministery nor slaine with the slaughter of the sword at Moises his hands wheÌ„ .3000 of the Isralits were theÌ„ slaine for the same horrible Idolatrous fact This example may not moue such whom it doth coÌ„cerne to boldnes of sinne neither is the place of EZech. written to tye al times to that Iudiciall law But so hath gods wisdome enriched his written scriptures with Iustice in seuerity mercy in his christ that sin may be condemned the penitent sinner find fauor in the sight of God. It might be asked whether all the whole Chapter be of