as the floure of the grasse c. Knowing and acknowledging with S. Paule that wee haue here no certaine abyding place but seeke for one to come againe that as we brought nothing into the world so shall we cary nothing out of it but hauing meate drinke and cloth we ought to be content and abundantly satisfied forasmuch as godlynesse is great riches yf a man be content with that he hath What is thankes giuing to God To remember the benefites of the Lord confessing and acknowledging al to come of him offryng him our whole hart loue seruice for the same What is innocencie A mind or conscience giltie of no sinne which commeth through faith in Iesus Christ as the Apostle sayth we being iustified by faith are at peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whome also it chaunced vnto vs to be brought in through fayth vnto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce in the hope of the glory of God. What is fasting To beware that wee oppresse not the bodie and so by that meanes the minde also with surfetting drunkennesse and excesse as our Sauiour Christ sayth Take heede to your selues least at any time your hearts be ouercome with surfetting drunkennesse cares of this lyfe c. Agayne to liue chastly purely and soberly to abstayne from vices to bring oure bodie into bondage to the spirite and the spirite to God to minister to the bodie only y that is necessarie to mortifie the flesh with the affections and lustes of the same The right abstinence from meates taken as a way or helpe to the abstinence from sinne consisteth not in the qualitie but in the quantitie of the meat not what but how much meat drink thou receyuest For whether fasteth more aright he that moderately receyueth of flesh or he that cloyeth himselfe with fish ▪ All things are pure to them that are pure sayth the Apostle All the creatures of God are good and nothing to bee refused if it be receiued with thankesgiuing For it is sanctified by the worde of God and prayer Why then is this lawe so earnestlye established with such penaltie vpon it that wee eate no fleshe on Fridayes or other dayes appointed to abstayne from the same I take that as a ciuile positiue Lawe lyke to the actes of Parliament made for sundrie and diliers purposes concerning the state of a Realme and for the wealth of the same For if it were anye lawe of God binding our conscience no King nor Pope myght dispence with the breaking of it What is prayer To call vpon the name of the Lorde assuredly trusting to obtayne that we require so that wee aske of him in his sōnes name and none other that thing whiche he will to bee required and none other that eyther for obtayning of good things auoyding of euill or releasing and forgiuenesse of euill and sinnes past Whatsoeuer ye aske in my name sayeth Christ that will I doe that the Father maye bee glorified by the Sonne If ye shall aske any thing in my name I will do it Again verilye verilye I say vnto you Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you And Saynt Iohn in his Epistle sayth This is the truste that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs And if we knowe that he heareth vs we knowe that we haue the petitions that wee desire of him What is obedience A lowlye and hartie submission of our selues to God and afterwarde to oure Parentes to the Magistrates to oure Superiours and to all those to whome God hath committed the rule and gouernance of his flocke and people in this worlde or in iust causes to all them to whome we be by anye title inferiour But what yf our Superiours wyll enforce vs to obey them in vniust causes In this behalfe we owe them no obedience God is the highest Magistrate If any inferiour Magistrate commaundeth any thing contrary to his godly commaundement and blessed wyll we must aunswere with the apostles Oportet deo magis obedire quam hominibus We must obey God more then men Examples hereof we haue many and diuers both in the olde and in the newe Testament What is humilitie A subiection of the proud hauty courage of our mind shewing our selues inferior to all men presuming in nothing esteming our selues worse then all men in our owne conceates And this is that which the apostle saith In giuing honor goe one before an other Againe be not hye minded but make your selues equall to them of the lower sorte Be not wyse in your owne conceates Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Peter submit your selues euery man one to an other Knit your selues togeather in lowlynesse of mind For God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble Submit your selues therefore vnder the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you when the time is come What is pacience Willingly without resistance eyther in thought word or deede to suffer vndeserued punishment after the example of Christ which prayed for them that persecuted and moste cruelly tormented him This pacience is described of S. Peter in his first Epistle where he sayth seruauntes obey your maisters with feare not only yf they be good and courteous but also though they be froward For this is thanke worthy yf a man for conscience toward God endure griefe and suffer wrong vndeserued For what prayse is it yf when ye be buffeted for your faultes ye take it paciently But and yf when ye doo well ye suffer wrong and take it paciently then is there thanke with god For hereunto verely were ye called for Christe also suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steppes whiche did no sinne neyther was there guile found in his mouth which when he was reuiled reuiled not againe when he suffred he threatned not but committed the vengeance to him that iudgeth righteously c. What is the olde man that we must put of The naughty corrupt and rotten nature which sithens the fall of Adam we haue lineally at our first generation receaued of our parentes through the corruption of the first roote Adam Or thus the noughty concupiscence lust to sinne and affection of our fleshe without faith of this olde man speaketh our Sauiour Christ on this maner That which is borne of flesh is fleshe And except a man be borne from aboue he cannot see the kingdome of god Also the Apostle Laye from you the olde man which is corrupt according to the deceauable lustes Againe put of the olde man with his workes What is the newe man that we must doo on The renewyng of man by fayth and the word of God the spirite of God geuen by Christ our spirituall and second Adam Agayne to tame the old man our fleshely and first Father Adam to beget vs agayne and adopte vs
speake vnto you they be spirite and life meaning they amount and passe the fleshe and sence of reason they be spirituall and heauenly It is sometime put for what so euer liueth and breatheth as all the spirits prayse ye the Lorde sometime for the breath and winde What is the fleshe Euery affection the hart the minde and thought of man and what so euer els man doth or can do by al the powers of his reason destitute of the worde of God. For Christe saith That which is borne of the fleshe that is it vnderstandeth not thinges that be spirituall Fleshe other while betokeneth the letter and fleshly vnderstanding The fleshe profiteth nothing it is the spirite that quickeneth What is the newe man It is the man that is renued and borne againe by faith and the worde through the spirite of god Except a man be borne a new he can not se the kingdome of heauen To be borne anewe he calleth where as before we were but carnall and fleshly not vnderstanding the misteryes of the spirite we must be borne agayne in spirite that is to become spirituall and more meete to vnderstanâ—e espirituall thinges What is the olde man Our affections appetites and vnderstanding according to reason without faith euen as we be all naturally borne of our mother as it appeareth in diuers places of the Scripture Also the whole body of sinne is called the old man in Scripture and they liue according to the old man that liue in ignoraunce and followe the lustes of their hart not walking in the newnesse of lyfe Who is blessed or happy All be it I may aunswere with Christ blessed is he that heareth and kepeth the woorde of God yet is he otherwyse defined in the Scripture As he is to be thought happy who holdeth him selfe well content with his fortune and thankefully receyueth whatsoeuer God sendeth him and who is at one with God and al creatures that is doth not murmure against God and on the other side enuieth nor dispiseth any man. Who is a wretch or vnhappy He that holdeth not him selfe content with that that God hath sent him He with whome nothing goeth forwarde nor agreeth not with God nor man. Who is poore He that can not make any great boastes or crakes of himselfe and who is destitute of all helpe as be they of whome Christe saith blessed are the poore in spirite in Scripture he is called lowe humble and hungry and he who is nowe in aduersitie Who is riche He is called riche in Scripture which needeth no helpe concerning his saluacion but hath workes ynough and more then ynoughe to bring him to heauen And as a man may call it full vp to the throte of the righteousnesse as be all Hipocrites Phariseies and iustifiers of them selues they also be called riche in Scripture which be proud mighty and dronken with fortune and prosperitie euer polling the poore Who is wyse and circumspect He which knoweth God and his worde which when he doubteth as keth counsell and doth all thing thereafter Who is a foole He that rashly is caried hither and thither with euery mocion that considereth nothing regardeth nothing nor suffereth himselfe to be corrected and warned of his euill doing but headlong runneth as he began forsing not whether he sinke or swymme or what becommeth of him and who as he knoweth not the worde of God so he passeth not on it The wisedome of God taken as foolishnesse before the worlde is the preaching of the Crosse of Christ and the iustifiing by faith that is to say though to suffer persecution for the worde of God and to preach that we iustified by faith be godly and the wisedome of the spirite yet the world laugheth it to scorne and counteth it highe foolishenesse The wisedome of the fleshe is foolishnesse before God. What is a childe or to be a childe A childe in Scripture is a wicked man or he that is ignoraunt and not excercised in godlynesse and Gods word be he olde or be he young Or he that lacketh spirituall iudgemeÌ„t in discerning chosing things Wo be to the countrey whose King is a childe And he shall die a childe of a C. yeere olde A child also is sometime taken for humble or meke Who soeuer huÌ„bleth him selfe as this childe is greatest in the kingdome of Heauen What is an olde man auncient or elder He which is well taught and instructed in the worde of God and exercised therein He which liueth honestly and without reprose hauing horenesse of maners authoritie grauitie and high knowledge in the worde of God. What is Christe The annointed king and priest of God sitting on the right hande of the father hauing full power to defend and warrant his flocke and being a ready aduocate for his at their neede And by him all Christen men be annoynted kings and priestes They be called kinges when in Christe and through Christe they subdue their wylde affections the diuell and death They be called priestes and sacrificers when they offer vp their bodyes into a liuely holy and acceptable sacrifice vnto God which is our reasonable seruing of God. What is Antichriste The adnersary of Christe and he which goeth about to obscure or vtterly to abrogate and pull away his glory teaching defining and determining that Christe is not the king priest and aduocate of his flocke What is prayer A brenning desire or peticion of the minde lift vp and directed vnto God springing and comming of the neede and lacke that we find in our selfe as farre foorth as faith and the promise of God suffereth and permitteth vs where marke that we aske such thinges as be honest and lawfull Sometime it is taken for the lifting vp of the handes the desire trying and sighing of the poore and such as stand in neede And some doth call it more generally the lifting vp of the mind to God. What is temptation The profe and trial of our faith and an exercise and practise of the worde Otherwhiles it is called the rod and staffe of the Lorde and the discipline whereby we see our selues and perceyue how well we haue profited and gon forwarde in the word which may best be tryed then when that we goe about doth not goe forward as we woulde What is desperacion It is when in temptacion and such trying of vs wheither it be by aduersitie or any other thing we fall downe distrust and cast away all hope of the mercie and goodnesse of God then I say when of no side appeareth any hope or succor and when we be as seemeth to vs vtterly forgotten and cast away of God. Of which temptacion we may see a manifest example To speake properly desperacion is the vtter and finall dispayre and distrust of helpe VVhat is vocacion or calling It is the manner of life vnto which God hath
called thee Or els the common consent as Mayres and other Officers or els thou hast appoynted and purposed thy selfe vnto by thy owne accorde Or els ye may call it euery kinde of life in which we exercise faith and charity To be called to the kingdome of heauē is to heare the worde of god To be chosē or elected is to beleue it VVhat is predestinacion It is the secrete election of the wysedome of God to eternall life without our deseruing They be predestinate and called to euerlasting life which heare receiue the word of god VVhat is free wyll It is the libertie that man hath in doing outward thinges and the naturall worke of man in suche thinges as be not spirituall as in ordering him selfe after a ciuill and politicall fashion and outwarde fulfilling of the moral vertues Howbeit he hath not the power no nor yet the wil to loue God dreade God and to know him vntill that he be renued and that Christ hath set him at libertie For then as Iohn saith If the sonne hath made ye free then are ye free in deede For vnto that time that we know God we can not loue him nor dreade him And when we loue him and dreade him then haue we power through him to kepe the lawe Yet when man was in the state of originall iustice that is to say when he had the integritie wholenesse soundnesse of the powers of the body and soule then might he obey doo and fulfill freely the lawe of God but after the poyson of sinne entred it made weake and feble the whole nature of man. VVhat is the temple of God A pure cleane and single hart without all gyle fraude and doublenesse Also the Church wherein God is worshipped VVhat is the Church or congregation of Christe It is the company assemblement and consent of good men on the worde of God and in the faith of Iesus Christe VVhat is the Church of Sathan It is the multitude of wicked men conspiring against God and his word VVhat is the Sabboth day or to keepe holy day It is to abstayne from the outward workes of the fleshe and to pray vnto God in spirite heare his word and to haue our minde set on his lawe after what manner true Christians euer keepe the lawe You may els say that the holy day is wherein we remember the benefites of God and geue him thankes for them VVhat is grace The good wil of God towarde vs his fauour and bounteous goodnesse freely employed on vs without our deseruing VVhat be merites and workes They be called and counted in Scripture to be the refusing and contempt of the fauoure of God and a confidence to be saued by a mans owne power strength desertes VVhat is the name of God It is whatsoeuer pertaineth to God or els to euery name which we assigne vnto God cal him by as the God of hostes the strong and gelous god c Also his glory honor and maiesty To shewe the word of God is to preache sincerely the Gospell that is to say that all that beleeue haue theyr sinnes forgeuen them that they be deliuered from death and hell and hath geuen them euerlasting life freely through Iesus Christe VVhat is it to serue God To liue according to his word to beleeue and put trust in him to referre all thinges vnto his glory and to loue and helpe our neighbour VVhat is it to serue the deuill It is to resist the word to serue Mammon his belly his fleshly appetites the world and carnall affections VVhat is to worship God It is not only to pray vnto him but also to shewe and exhibyte in the outward gesture honour and reuerence vnto him VVhat is to beleeue in God It is wholy to commit a mans owne selfe in all matters to him and to haue a sure hope in him selfe that what soeuer God promiseth shall be perfourmed VVhat is to fast To beware lest we ouer lade our body with surfetting in meates or drinkes that we liue chastly and soberly to abstayne from vyce to kepe our body lowe geuing it that only that is necessary VVhat is it to folow Christe It is to beleeue in him to marke and followe his doctrine and to followe him whether soeuer he leadeth vs or calleth vs and to suffer wyllingly what soeuer he layeth on our backes VVhat is to leaue and forsake all that a man hath to sell all and to denye a mans selfe To leaue forsake and sell is to repute recken such thinges as we haue as none of ours yea gladly to forsake and leaue for Christes sake if the matter came to that poynt wyfe chyldren parentes countrey house land and all other suche in so much that yf neede required we woulde for Christes sake and the Gospels quarell offer our selfe to all dangers and death at conclusion To deny a mans selfe is frankely and freely to graunt his workes and all his other good indeueringes to be vnable to his saluacion and vtterly to kill the old Adam in him with all his affections What is it to visite When it is taken in the good part it betokeneth that God looketh vpon and sendeth his benefites some whether The Lord hath visited his people When it is taken in the euil part it betokeneth as much as the Lorde punisheth and scourgeth wicked and cursed when he taketh vengeaunce on them for their wickednesse as I the Lord thy God am a iealous God visiting the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third fourth generatiō of them the hate me c What is the hand of God It is the power or strength of the Lord whereby he helpeth and doth good vnto the godly and whereby he worketh mischiefe and taketh vengeaunce on the cursed The arme of God betokeneth the power of him and Christe him selfe whereof ye may read abundantly The finger betokeneth the holy Ghoste What be the eyes of God The respect care and regarde that he hath vpon the good and his gentilnesse mercy and redinesse to defend them His countenaunce is taken for the straight and narowe looking of the wicked to their destruction and perdition The eyes of the Lord be on the righteous and his eares attend vnto their prayers But the countenaunce of the Lord is vpon the sinners His face betokeneth fauour beneuolence and the gladnesse in the lord But as sone as thou hast turned thy face they shall be confused and wyll turne againe vnto their earth The mouth of the Lord hath great vehemency and pythe in it for the Prophetes when they will haue theyr wordes marked and regarded say the mouth of the Lorde hath spoken this The outwarde appereaunce of any thing is also called the face as we say Iudge not according to the
our byrth What soeuer is not of faith is sinne It is also the distrust in God and the ignoraunce and contempt of him and a trust and confidence in our owne workes What is originall sinne It is the poyson and corruption that we haue in our birth through the infection of our nature in Adam which doth bring foorth in vs the fruite of incredulitie and all wickednesse and maketh vs vnable to the workes of the lawe as the lawe requireth them to be done of vs vntil Christ and his word hath made vs a newe creature What is originall Iustice The integritie holenesse soundnesse of the powers of the body and the soule whereby both the soule and the body could verely obey doo and fulfill the lawe of god Wherefore after the poison of sin entred nature lost her integritie and soundnesse and the venim of sinne made weake faint and feeble the whole nature of man so that it could not in no wise wil or do the worke that it whole before could do And not this only but it infected and corrupted the flesh and the soule and all the powers of them both which infection ingendred in the nature of man hus febled the ignoraunce and contempt of God the distrust in God the murmuring against God when he sendeth aduersitie or sicknesse It causeth furthermore man to be without the feare of God to hate the iudgement of God to flee and runne away from God when he chasteneth vs to be angry with him and dispayre and to trust in thinges corruptible c. These be the horrible biles sores pockes and carbucles that disfigure the face of man Which though they be neuer so high yet our schole men and canonistes I meane the professours of the Byshop of Romes lawes coule neuer see or perceyue These Chiste through faith at our baptisme doth suppresse and abate theyr power and at the last by death doth vtterly vainguishe and kill What meane you by these wordes Poena and Culpa This word Culpa which is in english a faute or trespasse properly in this place betokeneth the gilt as we call it or the trespasse and that which the law punisheth in the deede or fact as in an act of felony the law punisheth not the comming to the Horse nor yet the brideling no nor the leading of the Horse from the stable medowe or common for all these may be doone without the euill and vnlawfull desire of the Horse and agayne with the owners leaue But the lawe punisheth the comming the brydeling and taking away the Horse against the owners wyll and with the mind of stealing him and calleth the facte thefte or felony This word Poena which is in Englyshe payne is the wages and punishment taken for the faute And thus some kinde of vices al hurtes damages sicknesse pest ilences perils errours and the lacke of Gods word that we haue among vs be paines and punishmentes of sinne That God punisheth sinne with losse and daunger both of body goodes with sicknesse pestilence and such other none I thinke doubteth but that he punisheth sinne by sinne and sinne by errours and heresies the worlde can not so clerely perceiue Howe be it Paul doth playnly declare it where he sayth because the Gentils turned the glory of God and worshiped the creature more then the maker c. Therefore saith he God gaue them vp vnto shameful lustes c. Which iustes be there straight after expressed And this punishment I meane to punish sinne by sinne is a very sore punishment He punisheth sinne by errours and heresies thus When the word of God is plenteously and sincerely preached as it is nowe and yet men still kicke against it or in case many receiue it yet fewe or non regard it or liue according to it but with their wordes make on it only for a fleshly libertie then I say God taketh his word away from thence as who be not worthy of it and letteth the worlde preuaile against his preachers and suffreth Antechriste who must nedes succeede Christ to kill them so that Antichriste peaceably enioyeth his kingdome as he hath doone all ready this great while and he must needes haue like doctrine to him selfe So did he punishe the Iewes his owne elected people at sundry times more then .ii. M. yeere and suffered them to worship false Gods or els to set vp their owne tradicions Gods preceptes neglected So also hath he punished our fore fathers these viii or ix C. yeeres And now except we thankefully receyue his woord and liue thereafter in the newnesse of life according as we are called no doubt of it he wyll not only revolue and cast vs downe againe to our old ignoraunce captiuitie and bondage but also shortly take such vengeaunce on vs as he threatened Bethsaida Corazin c. Nowe God remitteth the crime gylte and trespace to his electe through faith in Christe but he reserueth after a certayne manner a little porcion of the paine not to counterpeise therewith or satisfy his iustice for the crime as the Byshop of Rome with his complices hath taught vs this great while but to chastise their flesh with all and sometime to be an example vnto other to forbeare like crimes for fear of like punishment or to declare the yre of God for such crimes So that what trouble vexacion griefe losse sicknesse so euer the best men that be haue they deserue it with much more Howbeit no not thus GOD would beate scourge and trye his and it were not for their owne profite and auayle For by this meanes he nourtereth reineth and humbleth his electe that they may knowe them selues the better and lest they runne at large after the world as it appeareth by the aduoutry of Dauid and many other storyes in the Byble What is innocencie The purenesse of the minde and when the conscience is not giltie or findeth it selfe culpable in any thing This innocency only the faythe in Iesus Christe ingendereth in vs In this state was Paule after many interpreters mindes when he sayd I knowe nought by my selfe c. He sayd not this that he thought not him selfe a sinner and that he trespassed not afore God for then had he ben a lyer For Moyses saith to the Lord it is thou that takest away trespasse iniquitie and sinne and none innocent before thee but he meaneth of his conuersacion In this state also was Ezechias the good King when he turned him to the wal and wepte Here we call not to be giltie or culpable to haue the peace of the conscience and the is when we beleeue through Christe that our sinnes be hid for vnto that time the lawe ceaseth not to accuse vs in our conscience What is the spirite It is a Heauenly sence or vnderstanding springing out of the worde of God or els the selfe word of God exceeding the sence of the fleshe and reason The wordes that I