be infected with a worâ— plage than the other Their places may â—e well â—â—med with the scripturs Cathedrae pestileÌ„tiae the seats of pestileÌ„ce because thei either infect the good or elles sore assaultes them This miserie good men must be coÌ„tent patiently to beare for this is our nature more than any other people alwaies to repine be greued with the present state In the late daies of persecutioÌ„ those which now be eye sores to loke on were much desired and wisshed for and those that now be lamented were than commenly cursed of the greater and better sort Than all cryed Lord god deliuer vs this once and we wil be most ware euer here after how we offende thy diuine maiestie but now being deliuered we are worse more vnthankefull and disobediente thanne euer afore which wickednes surely the righteous god will not let escape without heauy plages To make an ende if any natural pitie or merci of man were in them or if like men they woulde be ruled by reason these threateninges and examples of the wicked might moue stony hearts but seinge many of them be so blinded in their wickednes that it nedes not or bootes not to speake vnto them to the rest whose heartes God hais some thinge touched and are not altogether caste of God I saye thus muche Consider for gods loue and helth of your owne soules who they be that ye hate and persecute thei be gods creatures hys handy worke made lyke to his owne image and similitude they whome ye murther so innoceÌ„tly be those that Christ lâ—â—ed so derely that he wold dye with moste bitter paynes for them rather thaÌ„ they shoulde perish they be many of them youre kinsfolke the moste parte your neyghbours but euery one is your countreman spekinge thesame language that ye doe true subiectes too thesame prince that ye shoulde faithfully obey and members of thesame common wealth they saued your lyues and goods not seking your vndoinge whan it laye in their handes Consider how vnnaturall a thing it is thus to fight againste nature· remember howe daungerous in gods sight it is thus vnthankefully to prouoke his anger thinke on how in your late raging madnes God sodenly cut you of and yet patiently taries too see if ye woulde haue new hearts whan that daye came which ye so longe loked for ye had not euerye thinge after your owne will but many heauy plages God laid on you and surely whansoeuer God sendes the like agayne for oure vnthankefulnes and not for your goodnes all can not fal as ye woulde wishe Surely if God lyke a father sharpelye correct hys childreÌ„ what can hys enemyes loke for geue place to nature feare God loue your brother in Christe liue quietly like freÌ„ds and subiects to one prince washe your bloudy handes and heartes with bitter wepinge teares take to you pitefull mindes loue them that wishe you good leaue youre raginge madnes lest ye perishe in youre obstinate blindnes so shall God the Lorde blesse both you and vs contrary to oure desertes for his own mercies and not for any our goodnes through his derely beloued sonne Christ â–ª who offerd hym selfe a swete sacrifice for vs all that we shoulde sacrifice our selues to hym mortifyinge all carnall lustes that we maye lyue and dye to him and afterward be glorified with hym too whome vvith hys father and holy spirite three persons and one God bee glorye and prayse in all congregations now and euer Amen Psal. cxxxvii ¶ Remember O Lorde the behauior of the chyldren of Edon in the daye of Ierusalem whan they sayde doune with it doune with it too the grounde The vision of Abdy ¶ Thus sais the Lord god to Edom we hearde a voyce from the Lorde and a message was sents to the Heathen sayinge ryse and let vs go fighte agaynste her in warre THys Prophete is not long in wordes but he is pithie in senteÌ„ce he entreates not manye nor dyuers maters but thys one is weightie depely to be considered for euen as Apothecaris vse to put their costlist medicynes and ryche men their greatest Iuels in some littell boxe or chest soâ— God our heaueÌ„ly scholemaister vses many times to teache in short writings so much of his heauenly wisedom as many other tymes ye shall not finde in longe bookes likewise of learned men in one witty sentence and figure will declare as much wit and eloquence as the commen sort wil do in long volumes And as a litle gold is woorth a greate deale of brasse a smalle Diamond is better thaÌ„ a number of right stones so in this shorte Prophete is more learninge comforte and godly wisedome than ye shall finde in searching longe and sondry sortes of the learnedst Philosophers or eloquence Orators The Prophets vse to cal theyr writings visions or sights for diuerse causes firste because none shoulde take in hande to be Gods messenger to teache his people but he that is lightened of the Lord hais his eyes and sight opened to see the misteries of God For vnto the blinde sinner says God why dost thou declare my righteousnes and takes my testameÌ„t in thy mouth and again if the blinde leade the blinde both fall in the pytte Secondly because they open the eyes and geue sight too the blind as Dauid sais the declaring of thy woordes lightens and geues vnderstandinge to the simple ones and also thy woorde is a lanterne to my feete a light to my pathes Thirdly and last of all because of the certainty of the things which they writte that is to wete they were not tales whiche he had heard of our men but whiche he sawe him selfe by the eyes of faith Things that a maÌ„ heares of others oft be false but of those which he sees him selfe no man doubtes as the Poete sais one witnes that sees it with his eye is more to be beleued than tenne that harde it by report For this certainty Prophetes were called seers commenlye of all men In olde time as it is written whan they went to aske counsaill of God they sayde come let vs go to the seer But how can he see these thinges whiche were not done in his lyfe time but longe after he sawe theym not in a dreame nor in a coniurers glasse nor by the vayn forsight of the Starres as Astronomers deceyuinge the world woulde make menne beleue they can tel them their destinies and things to come but he sawe theÌ„ by the eyes of faith when God which can not lye had shewed these thinges vnto him afore haÌ„d proued theÌ„ true afterward in dede This is the surest way of knowledge and seinge for those thinges which I beleue and se with the eyes of fayth be surer than those that I see with my bodely eye or fele with my hande God is truth it selfe and therefore those thinges that he teaches must nedes be true and that faith and credeÌ„ce which is geuen to his
c. and the Lordes daie which I take too be the Sundaie when Ihon sawe his Reuelation Thus superstition crepte intoo the worlde when men began too forgette callinge on the true and onelye God and made them gods of euery deadde sainct as they list What can we saye for oure selfs but that we put greate superstition in dayes when we put openly in KaleÌ„ders and Almanacks and say these dayes be infortunate great matters are not to be taken in hand these dayes as thoughe we were of gods priuie counsell But why are they infortunate Is God a sleepe on those dayes or doeth he not rule the woorlde and all thynges those daies as well as on other dayes Is he weary that he muste reste hym in those daies Or doth he geue the ruling of those daies to some euill spirite or planete if God geue to Starres suche power that things caÌ„ not prosper on those daies than God is the author of euyll If Starres doe rule men those daies than man is their seruaunt But God made man to rule and not be ruled and all creatures should serue him What shall be the cause If Astronomers saye true euery man at his byrthe by his constellation haue diuers things and desires appointed him Why than howe canne soo manye diuers constellations in so many men at your byrth agre â–ª to make one daye vnlucky in your lyfe to all men Eyther let him proue it by learning or for shame and sinne holde yourâ— tounge Starres maye haue some power on the naturall qualities and actions of the bodye and for phisicke But on the Ciuyll voluntarie actions of Christians myndes none Sainct Paule sayes the chyldreÌ„ of god be led with the sprite of god why thaÌ„ not by Starres It is faithles superstitioÌ„ to teache or beleue such things that either at the byrth or after we be ruled by Starres All Astronomers coulde neuer tell why Iacob and Esau brother twynnes borne in one momeÌ„t shoulde haue so contrarie natures What Starre ruled when Sodome and Gomorre were burned and the next townes scaped were all born vnder one starre that then perisshed or all Noes floudde was not thaÌ„ diuers sortes men and womeÌ„ yong and olde good and badde Doeth not the scripture saye that god made seuen dayes and when he had made all thinges he did beholde them all they were very good Why shall we then be holde to call them euill infortunate and dismall dayes If god rule oure doinges continually why shal they not prosper on those dayes as wel as on other God blessed the seuenth daye and yet we dare call that infortunate euil and cursed whiche he blessed Althoughe it be vnpossible to redresse this olde common errour so depely rooted in all tunges and countries yet it is not vnprofitable to note the begiÌ„ning of these thinges that this superstition maye bee some thinge knowen When god made seuen dayes he called them the firste the second thirde fourth c. But the last day he called the Sabboth whiche betokens rest and hath not the name geuen too bee called of any other creature man sainct starre or Idoll but as the name soundes so should we on the seuenth daye reste froÌ„ all bodely labour except nede compel but specially from all filthy sinne This is not the right waye to make holy men too be remembred nor surest to auoyd Idolatrie It were better to be done by writing the Chronicles liues deathes of suche as were godly in dede and not euery Rascall as Legenda aurea the Legend of Lies does Pope Boniface the .viii finding theÌ„ of Farrare worshippinge .xx yeares one Hermanius as a sainct digged him oute of the ground and burned him for an Heretike and authour of the sect called Fratricelli and forbad to worshippe such euyl men So I thinke we scraping together a number of sainctes as we liste worshippe many euill persons What holines was in Thomas Becket whiche had gotten twoo dayes in the Kalender called by his name and Priestes must euermore mumble him one wicked memory in Maâ—tins â— Euensong If papistes rebels and traytours to their kinges as this stout Champion of the Popes was maye be thus rewarded it is no marueyle if many rebell against their kinges as he did In that that he saieth the worde of the Lord was sent by the hand of Aggeus the Prophet it teaches the duety bothe of the hearer and the preacher For neither must we teach any thinge of mans deuises nor the hearer must regard him so muche whiche preaches that for his cause we muste either more or lesse beleue the thinge whiche is taughr for the preacher takes his authoritie of the woorde of God not the woordâ— takes his authoritie of the preacher but onely because it is the woorde of God of whose truth we must not doubt but with obedience receiue it Untoo the preacher saieth sainct Peter he that speakes lette him speake as the woordes of God Aggeus being but a poore Leuite kepinge this rule was not to be despised more theÌ„ the priest And where as preaching beleuing the thinges preached is the hyghest and mooste pleasaunt seruice and worship of god what thinge shoulde bee taughte what punishment is for them whiche doe it not the scripture teaches playne Saint Mathew saieth they worship me in vain teaching learninges whiche are the commaundementes of men And the false Prophet whiche runnes before he be sent and deceiues the people speakinge in the name of God that whiche he was not coÌ„maunded or els speaking in the name of false gods shal be put to death â–ª Therfore let the pratinge pardoner or the Popishe priestes take hede in whose names they speake and what they teache when for the gredy gayning of a litle money they condemne them selues and set out to sell Heauen â–ª Purgatory Hell as thei were al in their power to geue at their pleasur In the Popes name they promise xl.lx an hundreth daies of pardon for a Trental they mai be brought from Hel. The true Prophetes of God as appeareth in theyr writinges alwaies vse to say thus saieth the Lorde the woorde of God was spoken to me c. but the Popes creaturs as Pardoners priestes fryers c. say thus saith Pope Alexander Gregory Ihon ClemeÌ„t or some suche other like and nothing wil they do without money Let the true preacher teache the mercies of god that God hath so loued the world that he gaue hys onely begotten sonne that euery one whiche beleues in him shall not bee damned but haue lyfe euerlasting yet shal the dronken pardoner and sir Ihon Lacklatin bee better beleued then Christe whiche spake these wordes promised it yea rather the people wil â—ye forgeuenes of their sinnes at the Pope and such his messengers haÌ„ds then take it frely at christ paying nothing therfore suche as the brutishe blinde vnthankefulnes of the worlde Come bye
goodes whiche shoulde haue necessarely ben bestowed to the buyldinge of gods house we shoulde not haue felt gods rodde so sharpeli but God would haue ben pleased and shewed his glorie amonge vs. But whan men would not geue laÌ„dâ— fast inough to Abbeys than the Pope rather than his chapleÌ„s should want would robbe many Parisshes to fede his moÌ„kes God graunt that the gospell maye restore that iustly whiche the Pope toke wrongfully awaye and gaue them yet a rightâ— name of impropriations because improperly thei be takeÌ„ away properly belong to the parishes The workemaÌ„ is worthy hys byre he that serues the gospel muste lyue of the gospel Therfore those impropriacions whiche take awaye the Preachers liuinge be againste the woorde of God But what doeth this belong to vs or oure time doth goo require of vs to build him Abbeis Nunries Chauntries c. no surely but this was an outwarde exercise for that grosse harde harted people for a time to be excused in that they should not buylde temples to Idols â–ª and teacheth vs to buylde god spirituall house wherin we maye offer spirituall sacrifices prayers to him where in he is well delited will shew his Maiestye This house is nowe for vs to be vnderstande generallye the hole churche and companye of Christians and the bodye and soule the hearte minde or conscience of all ChristiaÌ„s particularly wherein god dwels by his holy spirite as sainct Paule saieth to the Corinthians Do ye not knowe that your bodyes be the temples of the holy ghoste and whiche he hath sanctified to be kept holy for him self alone by Baptisme and for the whiche Christe hath died that we mighte liue by 〈◊〉 whome he hathe redemed with hys 〈◊〉 and wasshed cleane from all sinne 〈◊〉 shoulde liue no more to our owne lustes and desires but to him that hath redemed vs. It is written that God dwels not in Tempels made with handes nor is worshipped with any worke of maÌ„nes haÌ„des but he is a spirite an inuisible substance and wil be worshipped in spirite truthe not in outwarde woordes onely of the lippes but with the depe sighes grâ—ninges of the heart and the hole power of the mynde and earnest hearty callinge on hym in prayer by faithe And therfore he doeth not so muche require of vs to â—uyld him a house of stone and timber but hath willed vs to praye in all places and hath taken awaye that Iewish and Popish holinesse whiche is thoughte too be more in one place than an other All the earthe is the Lordes and he is present in all places â–ª hearinge the peticions of them which call on him in faithe Therfore those Bishops which thinke with their coniured water too make one place more holy than the reste are no better than Iewes deceyuinge the people teachinge that onely to be holy which thei haue censed crossed oyled and breathed vpon For as Christ saide to the womaâ— thinkinge one place to be holier to 〈◊〉 than an other Woman beleue 〈◊〉 time is come whaÌ„ ye shal worship 〈◊〉 â—t Ierusalem nor in this byl but the true worshippers shal worship God in spirite truthe so is it now saide the place makes not the man holy but the man makes the place holy and ye shal doe worship youre Idols stockes stones neither at Walsingham Ipswich CaÌ„terbury nor Shene for God chuses not the people for the place sake but the place for the people sake But if ye be in the middest of the fielde God is as ready to heare youre faithfull prayers as in any Abbey or Nunrye yea a thousand times more for the one place he hates as defiled with Idolatry and the other he loues as vndefiled and cleane If the good man lye in pryson tyed in chaynes or at the stake to be burned for Gods cause that place is holy for the holines of the man the presence of the holy Ghooste in him as Tertullian sayeth Yet there shoulde be common places appointed for the people too assemble and come together in to prayse oure God For where the Apostle rebuked them whiche woulde not resorte with the rest of the Christians to make their common praiers together to hear his woorde and receiue his sacraments it proues they had some common place to resort to And where saincte Paule requires that all thinges should be done in a comely order what can be more comely or agreing to good order then 〈◊〉 haue a time appointed and a place too resorte vnto together to worship oure onely God Nay how shal they come together â—â—cept place and time be appointed Howe shal they know when whither to resort vnappointed How canne the sheepehearde teache his sheepe if he haue not a folde to gather them together in In the Apostles time when the rulers were not christened they resorted into priuate houses and chauÌ„bers by the water side 〈◊〉 worship their God but when princes became christened they had churches appoâ—â—â—ted for them yet all these prayers preachinges that were priuely in parlers and by the waterside were as pleasaunte too God yea better peradueÌ„ture for coÌ„monly they came of a greater and better lâ—ue 〈◊〉 faith as ours be now Those also whiche than were buried in no halowed churche nor churcheyarde nor christeÌ„ moldes as they be called when it is no better then other earth but rather worse for the coÌ„mâ—â—â—â— that Bishops vse about it were no worse then they which were buried with al soleÌ„nitie It appeares in the gospel by the Legion liuing in graues the widdows some going to burial Christ buried withoute 〈◊〉 Citie c. that then thei buried not in halowed Churchyeardes by any Bishops but in a seuerall place appointed for thesame purpose without the Citie which custome remains to this day in many godli places As that theÌ„ was lawful no hurt to the ded so is it nowe one place is as holy as an other to be buried in sauinge that coÌ„ly order requires the bodies not to be cast awai because thei were the temples of the holy ghost shal be glorifed at the last dai again but semely to be buried an honest place to be kept seueral froÌ„ beastes vnreuereÌ„t vsing thesame for thesame vse It is Popish to beleue that which the bishops doe teach that place to be more holi then the rest which thei haue halowed as thei sai with washing it with their coÌ„iured water crossing ceÌ„sings processioÌ„s c. that God wil hear our praiers afore one Idol or Image rather then an other or in one Abbey as pleases theÌ„ to apoint him rather than an other Wher it pleases theÌ„ to grauÌ„t mani daies of pardon ther God must hear their praiers soner work mo miracles so God is become their seruauÌ„t shal be wher thei wil apoint him But blessed be the God our lord which by the
light of his word doth coÌ„fouÌ„d all such wicked foÌ„d faÌ„tasies as thei can deuise to fil their bellies maintayne their authoritie Churches be Gods schoole house the preacher is a schoole maister sent from God is teache vs his woorde we be his scholers and thyther must resort to learn oure lessons and his holy wil to amend our liues â–ª to make our praiers to him desiring mercye for our wickednes past and beg graâ—e and strength for that whiche is to come to thanke him for all his goodnes so mercifully poured vpon vs to receiue his Sacraâ—mentes and professe our fayth which wâ— haue in him For these causes must we haue churches as common places to resâ—â— vnto vse theÌ„ with such comelines as beâ—comes men professing Christ and not 〈◊〉 binde any holines to this churche or thâ— churche as though it laye in vs too maâ—â— holy or vnholy when and what we lust As sainct Maries in Cambridge was had inough to saye masse in for three yeaâ—â— space all that woulde not heare it musâ—â— be prisoned althoughe Bucer was theâ— burried but whan it pleased the Carnalâ— commissioners to saie it was not holy beâ—cause he laye buried there than the Heretike muste bee digged vp and burned 〈◊〉 their masses were woorth nothinge Aâ— other mighte lye still and not hurte theâ—â— masses though they were of his opinion The house of God nowe for vs left 〈◊〉 buylde is sometime called in scripture generally the whole company of Christians and sometime euery particular man as sainct Paul teaches Timothe how to liue in the house of God whiche is the churche and congregation of God the piller seat of truth And to the Hebrues it is writen you be the house of God perticularly also it is sayde to euery man doe ye not know that your bodyes be the temple of the holy ghosts and he that defiles the temple of God him wil God destroy Again ye be the husbandry of God and the building of god And sainct Peter saieth ye are buylt like liuely stones for a spirituall house of God This spiritual house muste be diligently buylded of vs and the buyldinge of thys house of wood and stone amonge the Iewes was a figure of this spiritual house buyldinge for oure dayes This is that whiche sainct Paule calles so often edifiynge or buyldinge one an other and that edification whiche he speakes so muche of in all his Epistles that is as much to saye as one to sturre vp an other to vertue and godlines For as the buyldinge goes forward and encreases by laying to one stone after an other and one poste or tree after an other vntill the house be finished So we by goinge forwarde dayly in the feare of God and godlines shal at lengthe bee â— meete house for God too dwell in This house is the bodye soule of man whiche must be buylt with dayly hearinge Godâ— woorde praier mercie faith with godly exercises as s. Paule saieth ye be cytezens with saincts of Gods house builded in the fouÌ„dacion of the Apostles the prophetes God because he would haue vs alwaies praying calling on hiÌ„ for his help hath so ordred the matter that this eartâ—â— house of ours wherin he dwels should alwaies be in building or repairinge that we should not be ydle and thinke we haâ— done our duty but euer desiringe him 〈◊〉 help forward the building of this his 〈◊〉 If we ouercome one euil affectioÌ„ straight waies rises an other after one teÌ„ptaâ—â— cometh an other the deuill neuer ceases to throw doune oure house Dauid saâ—â—th except the Lord build the house they labor but in vayn which build it Let vs doe all we can therfore pray the lord to further our worke the rulers with the sword defeÌ„d the good punish the euil the preachers with yâ— word the scholemasters by their teaching the fathers by bringing vp their childreÌ„ the maisters by correctioÌ„ of their seruaÌ„ts the peple in obeyiÌ„g their heads neighborly loue euery one defend true religioÌ„ to the vttermost of his power driue away the Pope his baggage and as occasioÌ„ requires guide the ignoraÌ„t rebuke croked stomaks ameÌ„d fautes in the feare of the Lord bring into the right way all such as run astrai that thei may be mete houses for God to dwell in Thus hath euery maÌ„ a part in bylding gods house but the greatest porcioÌ„ is lefte to euery man which is his own conscieÌ„ce to amend that he finds amisse in him self because euery man knowes him self best Great faultes onely do appeare vnto the worlde by rulers muste be punished but the priuy hid faults which euery maÌ„ knowes in him self for the moste parte for no man knowes all that be within him self muste bee corrected within him selfe by prayer sighinge repentaunce and asking forgiuenes Dauid saieth who knoweth his owne faults Lord clense me from my priuy hid secret sins spare thy seruauÌ„t frome other mens sins Thus must euery one him self seuerally and iontly altogether clime vp to the hils that is our lofty mindes cut doune the penishe desires of oure heartes though it be painfull also correct the hye minded whiche are called often in the scripture hylles and cutte doune the highe trees growinge on the toppes of them That is to saye to bringe into good 〈◊〉 the high men of the world whiche should geue good exaÌ„ple for the people to folowe and to punishe their fautes and rebuke them as well as the lower sorte They muste neither for feare nor flattery leaue theym vnpunished nor saye that is good which is euil afore God For as God haâ—â— geuen one lawe for all men highe lowe to liue after and like a righteous iudge wil punishe all that breake it So must al indifferently be punished here if rulers â— ministers do their duety that breake hyâ— lawes God hath geuen no more libertyâ— to sinne to the ryche than to the poore 〈◊〉 hath not willed th one to be punished and the other to escape but generally indifferently hath sayd to all that soule whiâ—â— sinnes it shal dye and in iudgemente ye shal regarde no person but iustly iudge yâ— whiche is iust neyther condeÌ„yne the poorâ— because he is poore nor deliuer the ryche because he is ryche So must the preacher tell euery man his duetye spare neither high nor low neither flatter the ryche for rewardes nor feare the mightye for highe lokes or bitter woordes for whan he does his worst he can not hurte thy soule but a litle punish thy body These are hard hyls to clim and croked trees to fraine meete for any worke yet it muste be done God requires this of euery mannes hande too bringe some thinge to the buylding of his house and according to his power And if we marke these woordes well we shal see our
or gettes it wrongfully layes it vp nigardly or els spendes it vnthriftely And in all his labour sekes hys owne profitte with the hurt of others therefore it is synne By this is also proued this great controuersy whether we be made righteous by woorkes or faith For if workes should make vs righteous then the good workes which an euil man doth should make him righteous But the Prophete saieth here that whatsoeuer the euyll man doth it is defiled Therfore the man must be good before the worke be good as our sauioure Christ saieth Eyther make the tree good and the frute good or make the tree euyll and the frute euil And as the frute makes not the tree good but shewes and geues it to be a good tree So it is in the euyl frute and the tree The soure crabtree makes the crabbes bitter and not the crabbes makes the tree euyll As the tree is so is his frute and as the man is suche is hys lyfe A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringes foorth good thinges and an euyl man out of the euyll treasure of his heart bringes foorth euyll But the heart the man is euyll before the dede be euyll not in tyme but in the order of nature For as in a well spring looke what taste the water hath at the head of the spring thesame it hath when it runnes foorthe So if the heart of man be defiled which is the springe whereof comes hordom adultery murther and all other oure doinges the deedes muste nedes be nought which come oute of suche a defyled headde and springe So that if we wil doe any good dede we must be good meÌ„ trees before in Goddes sighte and election of God that our fruite and dedes mai be good For out of an euyll roote can not come good fruites God loues the dedes for the maÌ„s sake â–ª whiche doeth theym rather than the man for the good woorkes that he doeth As God looked firste at Abel and then at his giftes but to Cain his offeringes he loked not because Abel was a choosen vessel of God therefore God receiued his offeringes and Cains were not receyued because he was not of that number For as a scholemayster will take in good part the diligence that his scholers can do and if he see them put their good willes theretoo he wil beare with their faultes and teache them their lessons But to stubburne and frowarde he wil shew no gentelnes but cast them of So God with those whome he hath chosen in Christe before the world was made will bear with their infirmities and wyncke at their littell faultes teache them to do better prayse their well doinges and gentellye correcte their faultes But his enemies and outcastes because whatsoeuer they doe is hypocresye he loues them not but euen theyr prayer is turned to sinne and whatsoeuer they do is defiled because they be not graffed chosen in Christe Iesus as the wyse man saieth the wicked man and his wickednes are hated in like of God Thus the man makes the woorke good rather then the woorke makes the man good in Gods sight and iudgemente be it neuer so godly to the outwarde shew in the eye So if the heart of man and conscience be defiled it defiles the good creatures of God whiche otherwise be good and lawefull Sainct Paule speakinge of meates saieth all be cleane and laweful to theym whiche be cleane but to the vncleane nothinge is cleane but their myndes consciences be defiled For â—f a man eate but a pece of bread and thinke that it is not lawfull for him to do so he sinnes because he doeth it not of fayth and so the coÌ„scieÌ„ce wantinge fayth is defiled For whatsoeuer is not fayth is sinne and he waÌ„tinge true knowledge that God made all things to serue man nowe throughe supersticion and a defiled conscience serues that creature whiche shoulde serue hym and so defiles that whiche of it selfe God hath created holy cleane and mete to be eaten at al tymes with thankesgeuing All this comes by reason of sinful superstition in the man whiche not beleuinge the scriptures that all meates be laweful for all men at all times wantes faythe and so hath hys conscience defiled which defiles the meat whiche he eates Where as they commonly reason our euill woorkes condemne vs therfore our good woorkes saue vs this place of the Prophete teacheth the contrarie reason For all the Priestes in their general counsaill graunte that he whiche is defiled in soule defiles al thinges which he doth yet they denye that if a holy thinge touche an other thing vnholy that it maketh it holy also So that sinne hath greater strengthe to defile other thinges then goodnes hath to make other things holy Sainct Paule reasoninge of thesame matter teaches vs howe to conclude saying the rewarde of sinne is death and then he sayeth not the rewarde of vertue and good woorkes is euerlasting lyfe but he saieth euerlasting lyfe is the free gift of God Thus must we reason than bothe as the Prophete doeth here sainct Paule in thesame ease that oure euyll is more able too condemne vs then our goodnes is to saue vs. This shoulde also be a sufficiente warninge for vs too beware what companye we ioyne our selues vnto For sinne in one man is of so great force that it defiles all the company he is in Thus teaches sainct Paule euyll communication corruptes good maners The wickednes whiche is in these meÌ„ it crepes like a caÌ„ker which infects alwaies the next part vnto it vntyl it haue run through infected the whole bodye So the wicked neuer cease vntill they haue drawen vnto them all suche as kepe their companye What is a more daungerous thinge than too kepe companye with vnthriftes Haue not many which before they knew such vnthriftynes were sober and honest but after they haue ben tangled with suche euyll men solde house and lande some became beggers many hanged Haue not many honest yong men by keping coÌ„pany with swearers and horehunters become open blasphemers and geue them selues to al vnhappines So in companing with Papists and to please the worlde manye haue forsaken the truth which thei knew and profest and are become open enemies and persecuters of God and his people Did not Salomon fall too Idolatrie with marriyng Heathen wyues Did not God forbid marriage with the Heathen least they shoulde entyse vs to Idolatry Was not Sampson ouercome in keping coÌ„pany with Dalida What a proud presumptioÌ„ then is this to thinke I am stroÌ„g inough wise inough to take hede to my self in what company so euer I shal come For except you be wiser then SalomoÌ„ or stronger then Sampson thou shalt be ouercome as thei were When thou shalt sit amonge Papistes heare them blaspheme thy God and praise their Idolatrye howe canste thou escape