themselues The same is witnessed in Ezechiell And in the Acts of the Apostles the couenaunt made with Abraham for blessing al nations in his seede is said to be performed in Christ in turning euery one of his from their iniquity Act 3.26 Vnto you saieth the holy Ghost hath God raised vppe his sonne Iesus and him hath he sent to blesse you in turning euery one of you from your iniquities The Iews had this speciall ceremonie of rest to exercise them in the doctrine and practise of mortification the trueth of which ceremony is fulfilled in Christ For by the power of his death it is brought to passe Rom. 6.8 that sinne dieth in his It was necessary they should be acquainted with this doctrine for the Lord hath no seruice of vs that he wil accept of if we learne not to renounce and deny our affections Neither can we go truely to the obedience of him but in the deniall of our selues 48 How wee ought to profite by the Saboth THe Saboth day ought to serue vs as it were for a tower to make vs moūt on high to view the workes of the Lord from a farre when we are neither hindered nor occupied with any thing but that wee may applie all our senses and all our whole vnderstāding to reknowledge the gracious giftes and benefites which he hath bestowed vpon vs. And when wee shall haue well practised this on the Saboth daye that is to say when we shall haue deepelie considered the works of God we shall verilie all the rest of our time be giuen hereunto and these meditations shall so fashion and adorne vs that the next day Ex. 20.8 Deu. 5.12 and all the rest of the weeke we shall be ledde to thanke our God when so before hande wee shall haue premeditated on his workes to make our profit therein But when the Saboth day is spent not only in vnlawful games pastimes ful of vanitie but in things with are altogether cōtrarie vnto God that men thinke they haue not celebrated the same except God therein be by many and sundrie waies offended when men vnhallowe in this sort this holy day which God hath instituted to leade vs vnto himselfe it is no marueile if wee become brutish and beastly in our doinges all the rest of the weeke Wherefore let vs know that it is not sufficient to come to church on the Saboth day to receaue some good doctrine and to call vpon the name of the Lord but we must digest those things which we heare and receaue apply al our senses to the better vnderstanding of those benefites which God bestoweth vpon vs Mat. 7.24 Luk. 11.28 Ia. 1.22 c. and that by this meanes we bee so formed and fashioned to the same that the Monday and all the rest of the weeke following coste vs nothing to come and aspire to our God and that wee neede but call to minde that which wee haue learned before at good leasure when our mindes be as it were vnwrapped from all those thinges which hinder vs to receiue the workes of God 49 Of the second table of the law AS the Lord in the fower commaundements of the first table doth perfectlie instruct vs in al the dueties that appertaine directly vnto his worship and seruice euen so in the second table he doth giue vs rules and precepts for the duties that we do owe vnto men The dueties vnto God do admonish vs that al our doings towardes men are nothing where Gods glorie doth not goe before As it is written by S. Iohn In this we know that we loue the children of God when we loue God and keepe his commaundements As like as our dealing with men is nothing when the true seruice of God 1. Io. 5.2 is either not knowne or not regarded so that seruice that is giuen vnto God is not accepted when our brethren are neglected of vs. And therefore our sauiour Christ chargeth vs that whē our neighbour hath any thing against vs we should not presume to offer anie gift vnto God before we be recōciled Mat. 5.23 24. So greatly doth the Lord esteeme of this louing conuersation with men that the holy Ghost maketh it the proofe of our blessed estate We know saith S. Iohn that we are translated from death to life 1. Io. 3.14 Ex. 20 12. Ier 19.3 Col. 3.20 because wee loue our brethren Concerning that which we do owe vnto men the honoring of father and mother hath the first place To honour our parents is to yeelde vnto them all obedience reuerence and gratefulnes Children saith S. Paule Eph. 6.1 obey your parents in all thinges for that is well pleasing vnto the Lord. And our Sauiour Christ Math. 15 so likewise Mark 7. doth declare out of this commaundement how children ought to behaue themselues towardes their parents By father and mother all those are vnderstood who are the conueiers of any speciall goodnes of God vnto vs whom because he hath vouchsafed to be his meanes in conueying of the grace that we do enioy by him he cānot abide that they should be without honour at our handes 50 We must obey our Superiours GOd will proue our obedience and the loue we beare him whē he commandeth vs to walke in all equitie and vprightnes with our neighbours and that wee liue together in such loue and vnitie that anie one be not giuen vnto himselfe but that we communicate together and that euery one according to his abilitie to do well imploy and force himselfe thereunto This way God proueth vs to know whether we worshippe him vnfainedly and from our heart And this is the cause why our Lorde Iesus Christ saieth that the weightier matters of the lawe is iudgement Mat. 23.23 mercy fidelitie Therefore when we liue with men without hipocrisiy and dissimulation when wee are not geuen to our subtill sleightes nor malicious practises when wee studie to minister and to serue euery one in his commoditie when we maintaine right and resiste wrong as much as lyeth in vs wee then shall accomplish the chiefe and principall part of the lawe Not that the seruice of God ought in the meane time to be forgotten or that it is of lesse importaunce but because it is vnpossible that men acquite themselues in their duties towardes their neighbours except they be lead therevnto by the feare of God And although mention bee here expresselye made of father and mother yet there is no doubt but God meant to deliuer a generall doctrine Rom. 13.1 of hauing al superioritie in honour For if it had not touched any thing of the duetie we owe to other superiours as Princes Magistrates and those which haue the sword of Iustice if it had deliuered nothing concerning Masters it woulde haue seemed to haue bene vnperfect Therefore we must conclude that God hath commaunded that all they which are in honour and authority be honored and obeyed Neither ought we to
vs but one onely intercessor Christ in heauen they seeke for none other intercessor there because they haue the same full and perfectlye in Christ But they which do not beleue nor acknowledge Christ for their only and perfect intercessor aduocat such infidels shall neuer be holpen with any prayers of Aungels or saincts if the case stoode so that they did praye for them 191 The Papists will haue Christ to bee in part a Sauiour THe Papistes would weaken the ground of our Faith by a number of corrupt doctrines As first that in part wee haue saluation and remission of sinnes by the merites of sainctes for thus they pray Graunte vs O Christ by the blood of Thomas which he shed for thee thither to go whither he is ascended And to Saint George they pray thus Let him saue vs from our sinnes that we may reste with the blessed in heauen And touching Saint Anne they say thus O God thou which wouldest S. Anne to become the mother of thy mother grāt we beseech thee that by the meritts of the mother and the daughter we may obteine the heauenly kingdome Here are three Sauiours besids Christ in like manner doe they acknowledge a thousand moe Secōdly they say we haue remission of sins and saluation in part by our owne merits and good doings For thus writeth one of their champions that the passion of Christ may be the 1. and principle cause of attayning grace and opening the waye to heauen but it is neuer the whole cause for the euer there goeth with Christ some merit of him that receyueth grace Furthermore what shall bee saide of pardons of Pilgrimages of Purgatory of holy water and a number of such like superstitious and false errors by which not without blasphemy they match transitory things and vain deuises of men with the bloud of Iesus Christ the sonne of God our sauiour the most excellēt price of our redemption expreslye contrarye to the holye Ghost thus writing by S. Peter 1. Pet. 1. i8 Ye are not redemed with trāsitory things as with golde or siluer but with the bloud of that immaculat lamb Christ Iesus 192 Contrariety betweene the religion of Christ and the Pope WHereas the doctrine of Christ is spirituall altogether consisting wholly in spirit and verity and requireth no outward thing to make a true Christian man but onelye baptisme which is the outward profession of Faithe and receiuing of the Lordes Supper If the religion of the Churche of Roome bee examined it will easily bee founde wholly to consiste in nothing else but altogether in outward and ceremoniall exercises as outward confession absolution at the priestes hande outward sacrifice of the masse buying of pardons purchasing of obites externe worshipping of Images and reliques pilgrimage to this place or that building of churches founding of monasteries outward workes of the law outward gestures garments coulors choyse of meates difference of times and places peculiar rites and obseruancies set prayers and number of prayers prescribed fasting of vigiles keeping of holy dayes comming to church hearing of seruice externe succession of Bishops externe forme and notes of the church c. soe that by this religion to make a true christian and a good catholicke there is no working of the holy Ghost almost required 193 Succession is nothing without the doctrine of the Apostles THe aduersaries of the truth to the intent they might proue themselues to be the true church they obiect the succession of Bishops for the space of many hundred yeares in the Apostolicall sea whereas their doctrine being compared with the doctrine of the Apostles by the diuersitie and contrarietie thereof will easilye appeare to be the doctrine neither of the Apostles nor of anye apostolicall men Succession in deede with continuaunce of Apostolicall doctrine ought to be of great authoritie but without it nothing The sonnes of Aaron had more allowable succession from Aaron then the Bishoppes of Rome haue from Peter and yet because they brought strange fire into the temple of God they were reiected and perished Leu. 10.1 Those which in the church of God doe imitate them and contemning the truth deliuered by God desire strange doctrines and bring into the church the instruction of humaine ordinances them doth Christ sharpely reproue in his Gospell saying Mat. 15.3 you cast away the cōmandements of God to establish your owne ordinance Annas and Caiphas had full succession from Aaron yet it were hard thereupon to conclude that they had the right of the true church christ and his apostles to be Scismatickes 194 Succession proueth nothing THey greatly erre which thinke that any thing may be proued by succession whilest they leaue out that which is of most force therein that is that if like as they haue succeeded in the place of godly men they haue also succeeded them in the spirite of Christ in doctrine in faith grauitye godlinesse humilitie and patience Mat. 23.2 The high priestes and prelates who in the time of Christ did sit on Moses chayre coulde haue deriued the petigree of their succession from thē selues euē to Aaron but because their life and doctrine did not agree with the life and doctrine of Aaron and other godly priestes their succession auayled nothing against Christ and his Apostles neither were Christe and his Apostles false teachers or disseuered from the true Church because they were not able to proue their succession as the Pharesies could For the word of God and the institution of Christ was sufficient for them Wherefore sith euen we also now haue on our side the words of God and the institution of Christ there is no succession of Bishops that can proue vs to bee out of the true Church The histories of Popes and other like Prelates which are written yea euen by their deare frendes and defenders do sufficiently testify that almost all of them haue obteined this dignitie and place by most filthy meanes by simony wicked artes violence murthers and trayterous conspiracies Wherfore if it would please them a little more narrowely to consider hereof they should finde by better aduise there were no iust cause to brag of their succession but rather to burye the same in silence seeing by it their euils and horrible filthines is so clearely detected But God hath done this to th' end the truth might be reuealed and the godly warned to gather them selues together vnder our head Christ and into his true church 195 The description of the inuisible Church and visible THe church sometime in the scripture is taken for the whole number of the elect of God that are and haue bene from the beginning of the world in all places and ages euen to this day And this is that Church which is the piller of truth This is that church that neuer can abide in error Mat. 16.18 This is that church that by imputation of Gods mercy is the immaculate and vndefiled spouse of Christ but this
causes to his wisdome knowne bringeth out such effectes as be sometimes rather hurtful then beneficiall vnto men Therefore when we see infections sicknesses or such like wee must looke further then into the course of nature and vnderstand that there is a GOD and an ouerruler of nature that doth these thinges This is not true only in those things that appertaine to nature but in those also that are done by the will of man or as we saye prophanelie by fortune or chaunce where as in deede to speake truelye there is neither fortune nor chaunce Ma. 10.26 That which we call fortune is nothing but the hand of God working by causes and for causes which we know not Chaunce and fortune are Gods deuised by man and made by our ignorance of the true almightie and euerlasting GOD. 42 God by his prouidence preserueth all THose things which GOD made by his worde he gouerneth and preserueth with his euerlasting prouidence as testifieth our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles in diuers places of the holy Scriptures For in the hee is said to reste the 7. day from all his workes it is no otherwise to bee vnderstood then that hee ceased from the creation of the heauen the earth Gen. 2.2 which we see not that he left of to gouerne the same and to preserue it For he beareth vp all thinges as the Ap. saith by his mighty word Heb. 1.3 The which thing ought to bring no small consolation to the mindes of the godly for so they learne to rest and stay themselus on Gods prouidence without the which not so much as one hair of their head Luk. 21.18 can perish For hee which feeleth by Faith that al thinges depend vpon God he beleueth also that he falleth into the handes of God when he forsaketh all thinges and entreth into death 143 The right considering of Gods prouidence WHen God vseth worldly meanes and serueth his turne by men as by instruments hee doeth it not to lessen or to diminishe his owne authoritie but contrariwise to shewe that he hath the guiding of them and that if he do but command or hisse as he saith by his Prophet Esa 5.26 7.18 men muste neede go forward to execut his will yea and the very Deuils of hel are cōpelled vnto it And although they be vnwilling that it is vtterly against their intent yet notwithstanding God driueth them by violent power to execute the things that he hath ordeyned in his prouidence And so wee see now after what sorte we must consider Gods prouidence namely that he hath a care of the whole world Io. 5.17 Ps 104.29 and watcheth ouer all his creatures not onely to forsee what may happen as some fantasticall personns imagine that God beholdeth the thinges as it were a far of which are heere beneath and then prouideth for them afterward but also which is more that nothing may be done which he hath not determined so as his will is the rule of all things And therefore it behoueth vs to minde well the prouidence of God to the entent that when any aduersity commeth vppon vs we may alwayes haue respect vnto the first cause 144 Nothing commeth but by Gods Prouidence GOD hath not created the world to leaue thinges in such sort that Fortune as men term it might gouerne all but hee intendeth to the maintayning of his creatures as hee doth Therefore when wee call GOD the maker of heauen and earth Ps 33.6 Wee must not restraine it to one instant but wee muste beare in minde that like as GOD hath framed the world so all power is still in him and hee disposeth thinges heere beneath so as he hath a care of vs Ma. 10.30 and the haires of our head are numbred yea and hee guideth our footesteppes so as nothing commeth to passe which is not foreappointed by his prouidence Besides him there is none sette ouer the Worlde nor none sette ouer the earthe Iob. 34.13 whiche beetokeneth that his creating of the worlde and his gouerning of it are thinges that goe ioyntlye together If we imagine that GOD gouerneth not all things but that some thinges happen by chaunce or fortune 1. Tim. 1.17 wee doe great iniurie vnto God to whom alone all praise and honor is due It is moreouer a cursed blasphemie if wee should thinke that the deuil coulde do any thing without the licence of god for it is asmuch as if we should make the deuil a parti-creator of the world Let vs learne therefore that there is an inseparable band betwene these two thinges namely that God createth all thinges and that he gouerneth all thinges 145 The prouidence of God is not onely generall OVr Sauiour Christ extendeth the carefull prouidence of God to Sparrowes and to the haires of our head to the ende no mā shoulde thinke or imagine that it is onely a generall prouidence as many do in these dayes which as they dare not deny that the world is gouerned by the wisedome and power of God so they thinke it an absurde thing to teach that God is occupied about all particular creatures especially then of the meanest sort And therefore they expound these wordes of Christ and other such like sentences of scripture to be spoken by Hiperbole that is a manner of figuratiue speech passing all truth thereby to signifye meane truth But I would learne of such men what it is that sauing the nature of his godhead may in this respect bee spoken of him more then trueth Ge. 17.1 1. Sam. 2.3 seeing he is almightie of infinite knowledge and is present in all places So much as they shall exempt from Gods disposition in hys creatures so much shal they with dishonor of God pull from his almighty power and infinite wisedome We may not thinke it is any disgracing◠of the maiestie of God to drawe the same his prouidence to the preseruation direction euen of his meanest creatures for he worketh not as men do with labour and griefe or torment of minde his very will is inough is do or alter all things as hee seemeth best And this is the greatest proofe of his exceeding maiestie that he seeth all things that he disposeth and worketh al thinges that he directeth all his creatures to that ende for which in the beginning he made them and yet is the Lord alway righteous and his iudgements true 146 The faithful are surely setled in gods prouidence THe godly when the heate of persecution riseth to th' end that they may not forsake their Lord and captaine First they perswade thēselues as truth is indeed that affliction cōmeth not to them by chaunce or fortune or by the malice of mē but by the certaine knowledge prouidence of that god which is by Christ their heauenly merciful father who neither cā do it for any euil vnto thē nor suffer thē to be further tempted then by his grace they shall bee able to