neuer throughly vnderstand it O what a benefit had Salomon lost if he had lost his wisdom which God gaue him euen as great a benefit doest thou loose if thou loose the knowledge of Gods will Wilt thou know what this renuing is It is the repairing of the Image of God vntill wee be like Adam when hee dwelt in Paradice As there is a whole old man so there must bee a whole new man The old man must change properties with the new man that is wisdome for wisdome loue for loue feare for feare his worldly wisdome for heauenly wisdome his carnall loue for spirituall loue hsi seruile feare for Christian feare his idle thoughts for holy thoughts his vaine words for wholsome words his fleshly workes for sanctified workes Thus much of our regeneration and new birth which may bee called the Christian mans practise because it concerneth euery Christian to seeke for that foode which belongeth to the renued man according to the saying of Saint Peter 1.2.2 As new borne babes desire the sincere Milke of the word that yee may grow thereby The nourishment and food for there generate man 9. NOw followeth to bee obserued for the benefit and duty of the renued man that hee may proceed and grow on and dayly increase more and more in faith and feare of Iesus Christ whereby wee receiue all our growth and increase in God And therefore hee hath giuen vs speciall meanes that is the meditation and liuely preaching of the word of truth Therefore the Apostle by a figuratiue and borrowed speach earnestly presseth them to thrist and to long for the word of God euen for the foood of their soules for there are two births mentioned in the Scriptures the one fleshly and naturally by propagation from the first Adam whereby original and our birth sinne as it were a Serpents poyson passeth and transfuseth it selfe into vs the other is heauenly and spirituall by renouation from the second Adam which is Christ whereby grace and holinesse is deriued and brought vnto vs. In this latter and better birth God is our father to beget vs the Church his spouse our Mother to conceiue vs the seed whereby wee are bred and borne againe is the word of God the Nurse to feed and cherish vs are the Ministers of the Gospell and the food whereby wee are nourished and held in life is the Milke of the word Therefore in as much as children which are new borne cannot increase in growth and stature but must needs dye and come to dissolution vnlesse they bee continually fed and nourished with wholsome food It behooueth therfore all the faithfull and godly who are quickned and reuiued in the life of God as new borne babes to desire the sincere Milke of the word that they may grow by it Let vs now therefore come to the perticuler parts which issue and spring from the seuerall branches of this scripture First here is noted a preparation if wee will be bettered and increase by the word we must be as new borne babes Secondly our affection and duty when we are new borne we must desire Thirdly the matter and obiect of our desire is the Milke of the word Fourthly the quality of the milke that must be sincere lastly the vse and end for which we desire it that wee may grow thereby Now for the first poynt we must be as new borne babes for Children we know are principally commended for simplicity and harmlesnes And therefore all those which will profit in the schoole of Christ and receiue light and comfort by the preaching and meditation of the word are heere taught to become as babes to lay aside all maliciousnes and to bring holy and sanctified heartes to the hearing of it For we are neuer fit to heare and learne of Christ til we be reformed and newly renewed and changed againe for the secrets of the Lord as Dauid sayth is with them that feare him Psal 25.14 God wil not admit no sinfull soules into his secrets for wisedome wil not rest in the defiled soule nor in a body that is subiect to sin Therefore if we wil haue the Lord to blesse our hearing and reading we must wash and rence out the dregges of sinne that are frozen in vs that is wee must purge the leuen of maliciousnes that soureth our soules we must cast vp our couetousnesse and pride and our flothfulnes and for this is the cause why there are so many sinfull and non proficient hearers of the word because there are so many sinful hearers Wherfore to shut vp this poynt we must be as babes because Christ reueileth knowledge and wisedome to none but to babes And yet we must not be babes only but new borne babes which haue new soules a new life new members new affections imparted vnto them for we must be changed and new fashioned in euery part And therefore they which are implanted into Christ are called new Creatures because neither the old heart nor the old man nor the old eare nor the old eye wil serue the turne but all must be changed and new framed againe for whatsoeuer is borne of the flesh is flesh If we wil haue it spirit that is fit for Gods worship who is a spirit and wil be worshipped in spirit and truth we must be borne againe of the spirit the sence heereof made the prophet Dauid crye out create in me a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit in me So let vs neuer rest seasoning our soules til all bee sanctified for then we are fit to vnderstand euery part of Gods will when wee bee in euery part new borne againe Wee may see the Apostle maketh no other accompt of the vnregenerat then of a dead man and therefore that they must be quickned and new borne againe before they can practise or performe any vitall action in the life of God Christ is resembled to a vine and wee to the branckes for that al iuyce and sap whereby the branches spring and liue issueth ariseth from the roote of the vine So all graces and goodnes that is in vs droppeth and distilleth from the riches of the person of Iesus Christ so vntil God blesse our hearts they be wicked and fruitlesse Therfore as an vncleane fountaine cannot send forth sweet water nor a bad tree bring forth good fruit no more can the corrupt and wicked heart of the vnregenerate bud and bring forth any good and vertuous actions Thus much of our condition and preparation whereby wee haue learned with how holy and with how sanctified affections we ought to repayre the hearing of the word of God Now it followeth our duty and affections when we are new borne we must not be children in wauering and inconstancie because the Apostle sayth that God hath furnished his church with pastors and teachers that we be noe more children wauering and carried about with euery wind of doctrine nor we must not bee children in vnderstanding and knowledge because
THE PLAINE MANS PILGRIMAGE OR IOVRNEY TOWARDS HEAVEN Wherein if hee walke carefully he may attaine to euerlasting life By W. W. LONDON Imprinted by G. Eld and are to be sould at his house in Fleet-lane at the signe of the Printers Presse 1613. The Contents of this Booke Chapter 1. FIrst to serue God with true Faith and Obedience Chap. 2. Three speciall consequents to be followed First A speedy going forward in Christian Religion Secondly out of Prouerbs 23.26 My Sonne giue me thy heart Thirdly Moses praier Psal 19.12 Teach vs O Lord to number our daies Chap. 3. The benefit of the renued Man Secondly The nourishment of the renued Man Thirdly Out of the 14. of Saint Iohn ver 6. I am the way the Truth and the Life Chap 4. The path for a Christian to walke in Chap. 5. Three Christian duties to be obserued First Reioyce euermore Secondly Pray continually Thirdly In al things giue thanks Lastly 4. Admonitions 1. Quench not the Spirit 2. Despise not prophesying 3. Try all things 4. Abstaine from all appearance of Euill THE EPISTLE TO THE READER CHristian Reader I haue not compiled this worke for the delight of thy worldly mind but for a preparation for thy Pilgrimage toward Heauen that is to walke with God as Enoch did For whosoeuer entreth into consideration with himselfe of his humane nature shall easily perceiue that it is addicted to imitation And though indeed wee should liue by lawes and not examples yet by common experience we find that examples mooue more then lawes Therefoâ—â— what soeuer thou art high or low iudge charitably of this my worke Thus wishing thee good reader not only to look on the title but reade it to the end and I doubt not but thou shalt be preserued from prophanenesse Idolatry and superstition VVILLIAM The Pilgrims iourney towards Heauen AS GOD hath created all things for his owne sake and man beeing head of all is made Lord and Ruler of them and so consequently they to serue him hee I say is to consider and to counsell with God and his owne conscience why and wherefore and to what end he was created and sent hither into his world what to doe and wherein to bestow his dayes c then shall hee finde that for no other cause matter or end but onely to serue God with true faith and obedience in this life and by that seruice to enioy heauen and euerlasting saluation in the life to come this was the consideration of our redeeming fore told by Zacharie before we were redeemed that beeing deliuered from the hands of our enemies should serue God in holynesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our liues Of this consideration do ensue two consequents to be obserued whereof the first is that seeing our end and finall cause of beeing in this world is to serue God and so to worke our saluation with feare and trembling and whatsoeuer thing wee doe or bestow our time in which either is contrary or not profitable to this that is to serue God it is vanity and lost labour and will turne vs in time to griefe and repentance for that is not the matter for which wee came into the world nor whereof wee shall be demanded any accompt of Secondly seeing that our businesse and affaires in this world is to serue our maker with true faith and repentance and so to saue our owne soules and that all other earthly creatures are but here to serue our vses and to that end onely are they sent of God We should therefore bee indifferent to all these creatures as to riches or pouerty to health or sicknesse to honour or contempt c. And wee should defire but so much or little of them as were best for vs toward the attainment of our said end and but pretended for whosoeuer desireth seeketh or vseth these creatures more then for this runneth from the end for which he came hither And for that the most part of all that are in this world not onely Infidels but also Christians doe runne amisse in this point and doe not take care of that affaire and businesse for which alone they were created and placed here in this world Hence it is that Christ and his holy Saints both before the appearing in the flesh and after haue spoken so hardly and seuerely of the very small number that shall bee saued euen among Christians and haue vttered certaine speeches which seeme very rigorous to flesh and bloud and to such as are most touched therein as among other things that a greedy louer of this world cannot bee saued 1. Iohn 29. verse and those that greedily desire to bee rich fall into many temptations and noysome lusts which draw them into destruction and perdition and that such rich men doe enter as hardly into heauen as a Cammell through a Needles eye and the reason of which manner of speach doth stand in this that a rich worldling attending with his industry and care to heape vp riches as the fashion is cannot attend to that for which hee came into this world and so consequently can neuer attaine heauen except God worke a myracle and therby cause him to spend out his riches to the benefit of his soule and by grace to call him vnto the Gospell as often hee doth and so doe make lesse the Cammell in such sort as hee may passe the Needles eye whereof wee haue an example in the Gospell by Zacheus who beeing a very rich man and a great sinner presently vppon the calling of Christ hee beeing in a Figge Tree and so entring into his house but much more as appeareth into his heart whereby hee receiued faith and vpon the same did resolue himselfe to change his former life touching riches and at one blow to begin withall gaue away halfe of his goods vnto the poore and for the rest made a Proclamation that whosoeuer had any wrong at his hands hee should come and receiue foure times recompence for it and so by this conuersion hee was made fitte to enter into the kingdome of God for those things which are vnpossible to men are possible with God Further let vs consider and behold the great multitude of all sorts of people vpon earth and see what their traffique and conuersations are and whether they seeke after those things for the which they came into this world for few of them that seeke you shall finde thousands who spend their time in seeking after vanities as worldly honour glory riches and all fleshly and carnall comforts and contentments which are nothing but vanities and the capitall enimies of our soules O yee sonnes of men saith Dauid Psal 4. Why loue yee vanity and seeke after lyes Also will you haue the lamentation of such vnfortunate men as thus vainely and foolishly haue spent their golden dayes These are their owne words recorded by Scripture Wisd 5.7 in the end of their liues saying Wee haue wearied our selues in the way of wickednesse and
shall be pleasing vnto him and acceptable in his fight according as our Sauiour Christ sayth As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the Vine noe more can yee except yee abide in Me. Thus is Christ made our Redeemer Deliuerer Reconciler Mediator Intercessor Aduocate Hope Comfort Protector Defendor Strength Health Satisfaction and Saluation his blood-shedding his death and all that euer he did is ours and doth euery true faithfull Christian as good seruice as though they had done it themselues so that Christ hath left nothing vndone that might pertaine to our saluation Thus haue wee found the hidden treasure which hee that findeth it truely will sell all that euer he hath or euer he would loose it as Paul saith in the 16. to the Rom. 25. verse The Path of a Christian to walke in NOW it followeth in this fourth part to learne and know how all true Christians should walke in the truth of this way for as Christ is the onely way it selfe so is hee also the truth whereby wee must walke for all the wayes of God are truth and mercy both for who so doth feare the Lord him will hee teach and direct such with his spirit to follow the right way Psal 25.12 Wherefore receaue the truth loue the truth and beleeue the truth otherwayes if thou refuse the bread of life and digge vnto thy selfe a Cesterne that will hold no water then shalt thou lead thy dayes in wilfulnesse and dye in sinne thy bloud shall bee vpon thine owne head and thou shalt not see the glory of God death and damnation shall bee thy portion because thou hadst pleasure in wickednesse and didst not giue thy heart to receiue loue and beleeue the truth To this end the Apostle exhorteth the Thessalouians saying Wee beseech you bretheren exhort you in the Lord Iesus that yee increase more and more as yee haue receiued of vs how yee ought to walke and to please God That is as the Apostle should say wee command you not nor vse any force but intreat you with all patience and meeknesse that you will haue a regard and loue your owne soules and thinke and doe those things which may please God you are they to whom the promise was made God hath called you out of darknesse into his maruelous light hee hath not dealt so with euery nation neither haue they knowne his iudgments Wee come not to you in our owne name saith the Apostle We haue charge to preach the Gospell to all nations therefore wee speake vnto you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ wee shew you the way that you may walke in it wee declare vnto you the will of God that you may be saued Wee haue opened vnto you the whole treasure of Gods mercy wee haue led you to the throane of grace and made you see the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world wee haue preached vnto you the remission and forgiuenesse of your sinnes through his name if you beleeue you shall bee saued if any man preach vnto you otherwise then thaâ— you haue receaued let him bee accursed It is not enough that yee beleeue yee must also walke and liue accordingly to knowledge this is the will of God for wee are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus to good workes which God hath ordained that wee should walke in them Ephe. 2. For the grace of God hath appeared that bringeth saluation vnto all men and teacheth vs that wee should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this life looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the mighty God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Titus 2. In this sort saith the Apostle hath our teaching been among you that you might shew forth your faith by your workes for it auaileth you nothing to say you haue faith if you haue no workes because the faith that hath no workes is dead thus wee are taught by the workes of our Lord Iesus hee saith not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shal enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth my Fathers wil that is in heauen Againe euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Thus hath our Lord God commanded vs to be like our Father which is in heauen to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works thus the Apostle taught thus the Church of God this day teacheth it requireth faith as the instrument and meanes to apply the merits and passion of Iesus Christ for our saluation and good workes as fruites and witnesses of our faith Whosoeuer learneth aright and beleeueth the Gospel as he ought groweth and goeth forward from vertue to vertue if he were ignorant before he commeth thereby to knowledge if he were weake he groweth in strength if hee were wicked hee turneth vnto godlinesse For as we haue beene taught that wee are saued by faith in Christ without the works of the law which doctrine though it be most true most soundly proued and flatly concluded Ro. 3.16 yet being vnderstood a misse as Pauls writings sometimes are 2. Pet. 3.28 it hath beene the decay of all good deeds and brought in Epicurisme al vngodlinesse it is true in deed that eternal life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ Ro 6.23 yet this gift is bestowed only vpon those for whom it is prepared Math 20.23 which haue exercised themselues in the workes of mercy Math 25.35 for in respect of God our election standeth sure certaine from al eternity for it hath his seale The Lord knoweth them are his 2. Tim 2.19 and I know whom I haue chosen Ioh. 13.18 but in respect of our selues it is vncertaine and therfore we must striue to make our calling election sure by good works albeit it is sure in it self for asmuch as God cannot change yet wee must confirme it in our selues by the fruits of the spirit knowing that the purpose of God electeth leth sanctifieth and iustifieth vs these are the wayes to come to heauen though they bee not the cause for Christ is the only cause therefore we must keepe the way if euer wee meane to come to heauen For as we are ordained to the end so are we ordained to the meanes which bring vs to the end If God hath predestinated any to eternall life he hath also predestinated them to the means whereby they must attaine eternall life that is faith and a good conseience For the end of Gods law is loue which cannot be without a good conscience neither a good conscience without faith nor fayth withou the word of God therefore it is certaine that whosoeuer is to be saued shal at one time or other before they depart out of this life bee called truely to beleeue and shal endeauour by all meanes as Paul did to keepe a good conscience towards God and man Acts 24.16 For that which is
man is so perfect as can be in this sinfull life put all these together and it is as if S. Paul should say Quench not the spirit by dispising of prophesying neither dispise prophesying because all do not preach alike but rather when you heare some preach one way and some another way doe you trye their doctrines by the Scriptures as the men of Berea did and then chuse that which is best and soundest and truest hauing alwayes such an eye to the truth that thou abstaine from all appearance of error so zealous the holy Ghost would haue vs of our fayth that wee set no atticle vppon our religion but that which is an vndoubted truth The spirit is quenched as our zeale our faith and our loue are quenched with sinne euery vaine thought euery vaine word and euery wicked deed is like so many droppes to quench the spirit of God some quench it with the busines of this world some quench it with the lusts of the flesh some quench it with the cares of the mind some quench it with long delayes that is not applying the motion when it commeth but crossing the good thoughts with bad thoughts and doing a thing when the spirit saith doe it not some-time a man shall feele himselfe stirred to a good worke as though hee were led to it by the hand and againe he shal be frighted from some euill thing as though he were reprooued in his eare then if he resist he shall streight seele the spirit going out of him and heare as it were a voice pronouncing him guilty and shall hardly recouer his peace againe therefore Saint Paul saith grieue not the spirit shewing that the spirit is often grieued before it bee quenched and that when a man begins to grieue and checke and persecute it that is vntill hee seeme to haue no spirit at all but walketh like a temple of flesh It is ment by the spirit the gifts and graces of the spirit the spirit of God is the spirit of wisdome and the spirit of truth No man saith Paul can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy ghost Againe the spirit helpeth our infirmities the same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the children of God it is hee that leadeth vs into all truth and openeth our hearts to vnderstand and guideth our feete into the way of peace O dispise not the wisdome of the spirit refuse not his helpe but seeke it that you may be strengthned Comfort your selues in his testimony of your adoption quench not the light he hath kindled in your hearts disdaine not his leading abuse not his mercy Abuse not the time of your visitation let not so great mercy of God bestowed on you be in vaine fulfill not your owne wils Abstaine from fleshly iusts walke in the spirit defire the best gifts and let euery man as hee hath receiued the gift so minister the same to another as good disposers of the manifold graces of God Dispise not prophecying THis admonition is as it were the keeper of the former for by prophecying the spirit is kindled and without prophecying the spirit is quenched and therefore after Quench not the spirit saith Paul shewing that as our sinne doth quench the spirit so prophecying doth kindle it this you may see in the disciples that went to Emaus of whom it is said when Christ preached vnto them out of the law and the Prophets the spirit was so kindled with his preaching that their hearts waxed hot within them This is no maruell that the spirit of man should be so kindled and reuiued and refreshed with the word of God for the word is called the food of the soule take away the word from the soule and it hath no food to eate as if you should take food from the body the body would pine therefore Salomon saith without preaching the people perish therefore hee which loueth his soule had no need to dispise prophecying for then hee famisheth his owne soule and is guilty of her death Prophecying is the preaching and expounding the word of God and hee is called a Prophet and doth prophecy that openeth vnto vs the will of God dispise not therefore to heare the word of God preached turne not away thine eare from vnderstanding God giues power to his word that it may worke according to his good pleasure it will let thee see the weaknesse of thine error and settle thee in the way wherein thou shouldest walke if it had beene dangerous for thee to heare the prophecying of the Gospel he would not haue sent his disciples into the world to preach it if Lidia should not haue liked to heare Paul preach how might she haue known God if those great numbers which heard Peter and were conuerted had dispised prophecying and would not haue heard him declare the grace of the gospell vnto them they had neuer considered the great mercy of God nor sought to bee instructed in their saluation faith commeth by hearing saith the Apostle This hath beene the meanes by which Christ hath giuen knowledge to Kings and Princes and all nations it hath pleased God saith Paul by foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue 1 Cor. 1. dispise not then to come to the Church of God to pray with the congregation of the faithful to heare the Scriptures of God read and expounded it is the blessing of God offered vnto thee he that dispiseth it shal be dispised of the Lord and he shal be left in darkenesse thus much for the negatiue parts which we must not doe It followeth to try all things and keepe that which is good AFter dispise not prophecying it followeth trie all things as if hee should say but for all that trie prophecying least thou beleeue errour for truth for as amongst Rulers there bee bad Rulers so among Preachers there bee false Preachers this made Christ warne his disciples to bee ware of the leauen of the Pharisies that is of their false doctrine this made Iohn say trie the Spirits therefore wee reade in the Acts 17.11 How the men of Berea would not receiue Pauls doctrine before they had tried it and how did they trie it It is said they searched the Scriptures this is the way which Paul would teach you to trie other whereby he was tried himselfe thereby you may see that if you vse to read the Scriptures you shal be able to trie all doctrines for the word of God is the touchstone of euery doubt like the light which God made to behold all his creatures so is the Scriptures to decide all questions euery doubt must come to the word and all controuersies must be ended at this tribunall the Scripture must speak which is right and which is wrong which is truth and which is error and all tongues must keepe silence to heare it A man trieth his friend before he trust him and shall not wee trie our faith which must saue vs Saint Paul saith Let euery
man be able to giue a reason of his faith is this a reason of our faith to say I beleeue so because Rome beleeueth so or not rather because the word of God doth teach me so it will not answere for them that die in heresie to say the Papists taught vs so for God saith bee not deeeiued neither by Serpent nor by Prophet nor by Angels God doth giue vnto his children the spirit of discretion and of iudgment to be wise and know what is that good and acceptable will of God be not therfore deceiued with words of mens wisdome let not the basenesse or simplicitie of any cause you resuse the message which he brings and carry not your selues to liking of al that what so euer shal be told you of such as beare a great shew and countenance this was it that deceiued the people of God they gaue eare to false teachers which led them to worship the workes of their owne hands The Scribes and Pharises seemed so graue and wise that the people thought nothing good but what they allowed they were altogether aplyable to beleeue to doe to speake and to thinke whatsoeuer the Pharises willed them Christ saith bewane of false Prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening wolues Mathew 7. Saint Iohn therefore saith Deerely beloued beleeue not euery spirit but trie the spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the world Iohn 11.4 and further declareth vnto vs how wee should trie them herein shall yee know the spirit of God euery spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of GOD. Againe heereby you may trie them whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God hee that continueth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the father and the sonne if there come any vnto you bringing not this doctrine receiue him not into your houses neither bid him God speed hereby Saint Paul requireth the Galathians to trie betweene him and their false Apostles if any man saith hee preach vnto you otherwise then that you haue receiued let him be accursed Gala. 1. Paul putteth Tymothie in minde wherefore he left him at Ephesus that is to command some that they teach no other doctrine and to warne both the teachers and the hearers that they giue no heed to fables and genealogies which are endlesse which breed questions rather then godly edifying which is by faith Thus are the people of God called to trie the truth to iudge betweene light and darkenesse God hath made them the promise of the spirit and hath left vnto them his word they of Borea when they heard the preaching of Saint Paul searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so as hee taught them and many of them beloeued so doe you giue heed to instructions and yet receiue not all things without proofe and triall that they bee not contrary to the wholsome doctrine of the word of God Keepe that which is good VVHen you haue tried and found the truth be constant and setled in it A wauering minded-man is vnstable in all his waies follow the truth and bee not carried about with euery wind of doctrine The diuell will come in the name of God and change himselfe into an Angel of light let him not take away the loue of the truth from you let him not remoue you from faith a good conscience Returne not like Swine vnto your mire God hath purged your hearts and made them cleane and except they be preserued and kept occupied the vncleane spirit will returne and enter in and dwell in you so the last estate of you shal be worse then the first Wee haue great cause to hearken diligentlie to the Apostle to keepe that is good for wee see dailie great confusion in all places Sathan would faine intangle vs againe with the error of the wicked and seeketh to draw vs from our stead-fastnesse Now is the time wherein God maketh some trial of his seruants now iniquity seekes to haue the vpper hand they seduce people and say heere is Christ there is Christ heere is the Church there is the Church GOD giue vs his holy spirit to guide vs in iudgement that wee may discerne the truth from falshood and know the blessed and gracious will of GOD that wee may walke in his waies and serue him in reuerence and feare al the daies of our liues for as their are many seeke Christ with an vnfained heart so their are many that seeke Antichrist and as their bee many true professors of the truth of God so are their many dispisers of the same this may wee see heere at home within this Realme wee may see it and mourne for it in our hearts Their practises are opened they haue broken out into open rebellion to the breach of the peace both of God and man they say with their lippes GOD saue King IAMES yet they hold vp their swords against him alas what hath hee deserued at their hands hath hee not dealt mercifully without crueltie without shedding of bloud GOD preserue him that hee may long reigne ouer vs and bring all his enemies to confusion What pretence make they for this their doing that heereby they seeke to haue religion reformed thankes bee to God religion is reformed far better then euer our fathers knew of these many hundred yeeres for if those that liued before vs might haue seene and heard as wee see and heare they would haue reioyced and thought themselues happy But they would haue the Masse what finde they or see they in it wherefore they should so desire it Trie all things saith Paul therefore examine and trie the Masse what wee doe learne by it what doctrine what godlinesse in life what comfort of saluation it is dumbe and deadly seruice it is the very key of their religion the people are bound to bee present at it yet they neither receiue any thing nor eate nor heare nor vnderstand any thing you are wise you haue reason you are the children of God be you Iudges herein and iudge vprightly for it is Gods cause wil they call this the Lords supper Is this the Sacrament of our redemption is this that which Paul receiued of the Lord and deliuered vnto the Church is this the shewing forth of the Lords death till hee come They paint their banner with the Crosse and fiue wounds why bring they these Armes against vs Doe not wee beleeue the Crosse of Christ doe not we reioyce and comfort our heartes by the remembrance of his woundes do not we read and shew forth to the people the story of the passion God knoweth it and the world can witnesse it and they themselues cannot denye it but that we make this worke of our redemption wrought by the passion of our sauiour Christ the cheefe and principall rock and foundation of our faith therefore say we with the Apostle God forbid
of one body there is noe respect of persons with him noe difference of learned and vnlearned wise or foolish rich or poore his will is that wee all should be as one of one mind and that wee should all thinke one thing and speake one thing and that wee should bee one fould vnder one shepheard and with one mouth glorifie the father of our Lord Iesus Christ For this peace Christ praied for saying sanctifie them through thy truth blesse them take away all bitternesse and swelling from among them make them Citizens of thy heauenly Ierusalem that they may liue in peace and loue one another that they may bee one as thou O Father art one in me and I in thee This peace we had need of the peace of conscience within our selues of peace from the rage and fury of the world and of peace of those that are of Gods houshold Let vs seeke peace at the hand of God and hee will stablish vs in the peace of the Gospell and so giue vs rest and peace of our soules Now that wee haue heard some profitable meanes declared to keepe vs constant from reuolting and turning backe but to perseuer still foreward in our race it is therefore needfull to consider how easily man may bee deceiued that so the better we may know the corruptions and weakenesse of our nature and therefore what cause wee haue euer to walke warily to take heed to ourselues and to pray vnto God that he will incline our hearts vnto his testimonies when I say man may be deceiued I meane not children or babes or the simpler sort of men onely but the learned the wise the politike the Kings and princes of the world the teachers and rulers of the people as appeareth by diuers examples To begin with Adam the first man when hee was in Paradice and made ruler ouer all beasts of the field and was full of graces and blessings of God he soone departed from the counsell of God and gaue eare to the Serpent so easily was he deceued Israel was as the apple of the Lords eye a people whom the Lord loued and to whom be gaue their hearts desire he deliuered them from Pharaoh and with an out-stretched arme led them through the red Sea who would haue thought so great mercies would euer haue beene forgotten or such a people so well taught in the knowledge of God and so often put in mind of their duties should either most part or all of them turne from God Moses was but absent a while he went aside to receiue the tables of the couenant in the meane time they made vnto themselues a molten Calfe and worshipped it they offered vnto it and said these be the Gods of Israell that haue brought thee out of the land of Egipt so easily were the wisest of them and Aaron and the whole multitude deceiued The Children after them forsooke the Lord and serued Baal and Astroth Iudg. 2. they haue turned their backs to me and not their faces sayth God by his prophet Ieremie 2. And was this offence of some small number were they but few or of the baser and simpler sort no they departed from God in great multitudes with ful consent and they warranted their doings by antiquity and by the custome of their fathers before them The Prophet sayth according to the number of thy Citties were thy Gods O Iudah and to the number of thy streetes O Ierusalem haue ye set vp altars of confusion euen Altars to burne Incense vnto Baal Iere. 11.13 Againe in another place he sayth a great multitude euen all the people that dwelt in the land of Egipt in Phathros answered Ieremie saying the word that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord wee wil not heare it of thee but wee wil doe whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our mouth as to burne incense to the Queene of heauen and to poure out drinke offrings vnto her as wee haue done wee and our fathers our Kinges and our Princes c. Iere. 44.16 c. Thus euen among that nation which God hath chosen vnto himselfe the Apostacie was so great the departure from true holinesse was so vniuersall that not only euery Citty but euery street was defiled with their Idolatry and besides the women with burnt-incense vnto other Gods A great multitude yea all the people with one consent cryed out against their prophets and preachers refusing to heare the word of God but maintained their superstitions The like may be sayd of the Scribes and Pharisies they were wise men they were learned and carried a great shew of holinesse yet they loued darknesse better then light they were blind leaders of the blind they dispised the commandements of God for their owne traditions and not only they but Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israell gathered themselues together against the Lord and against his Christ What shall I speake of those churches which the Apostles of Christ planted and watered and confirmed in the truth At Corinth Paul preached the gospell they reioyced at it gladly hee thanked God on their behalfe that in all things they were made ritch in him in all kind of speaches and in all knowledge Yet soone after they abused the holy misteries they denied the resurrection of the dead they became carnall and had enuying and strife contention among themselues The Galathians also reioyced so much in him that hee writeth thus of them I beate you record that if it had beene possible you would haue plucked out your owne eyes and to haue giuen them to me yet they did not abide in the truth but gaue eare to false Apostles and so were deceiued Therefore he reprooueth them saying O yee foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that yee should not obey the truth Are yee so foolish that after yee haue begunne in the spirit yee would now be made perfect in the flesh yee did runne well who did let you that you did not obey the truth I am in feare of you least I haue bestowed labour in vaine Gal. 5. This frailety and weakenes of our corrupt nature hath shewed it selfe forth and hath appeared in all ages we and our fathers haue gone astray and haue followed after lyes the Lord hath looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men to see if there were any that would vnderstand and seeke God but all are gone out of the way they are all corrupt there is none that doth good no not one sayth the Prophet Dauid therefore the Apostle beseecheth the Church of Thessalonica that they settle themselues vppon a sure foundation and that they be not remooued from the truth he putteth them in mind what they haue heard and of whom they haue heard it and exhorteth them to continew stedfast therein Seeke therefore the kingdome of God and the glory thereof and seeke not your selues weigh truth and falsehod in an indifferent ballance soe shall the heauier weight of the