euill before as vvith vs. Custome of theÌ„ in India to pray in Aegipt in Barbarie Errours of diuerse that like not our temples Argument taken from traditions Zenon of Gaza A temple built at Edessa to saint Thomas Question â—oued The Surplesse vvhich keepeth men fâ—â—â— church Great abuse littlevse vvheÌ„ men so vvillingly abuse the Lord. Disorders iâ— our church Reason to keepe the Church though the Surplesse bee vvorne No excuse for ceremonies that bee indifferent Our puplike prayer is to be referred in espetiall to the Sabboth Three causes of the celebration of the Sabboth by Gods appoyntment The straight nes that God vsed for sutch as brooke the Sabboth Controuersy that is about the day of the Sabboth The true vse of the Sacraments and hovv to bee esteemed Though vve neuer reccaue the Sacraments vvee may be saued yet for al thâ—g custome appoynted by God is to beâ— kepte The manner of priuate prayer In publique prayer agreement is to be made of necessitie Their euâ—ome and maner in the time of Baâ—ll Athanâ—sâ—uâ— record Praecise maners they be vn manerly novv Concilium Nicenum Much striuing small Christianitie in a number of these Hovve to prepare our selues to praye the last parte of this booke The 〈◊〉 thing in our preparacion to prayer it to be humble and lovvly in heart The manner of vvorlingâ— and of hypocrites Humilitie in all at comming to prayer Psal. 25. Dan. 9. Gen. 8. The state of such as dissemble The perfection of the man of God. Rom. 10. Luke 7. Mark. 9. For that the Infidest and the Panim the vngodly do thinke they haue fayth I haue therfore put in this diuisioÌ„ or disterence which is in fayth â–ª The Heruâ—â— the workâ— of his handes doo declare there is a God. Brutishnes in the â—â—ntâ—â—ies and sâ—ch as know not God. Esay 6. Diocletiam vvorshipped as a God The blindenes and hardnes of harte for their incredulite vpon the Gentilles The end of the election in man at his calling to be godly c. The Gospell bringeth in all trueth vvipeth avvay all idolatrie and all supeâ—stition all blindnesse errour and teacheth vs to knovve God. Gen. 4 Gen. 21. Gen. 37. Wicked men infidels stroken vvith feeling of Gods iudgemeÌ„ts though else they knovv him not therein shevv that they deserue death and condemnation A dead faith 1 King. 12. Theodoret of Cyrus Blindnes iâ— the heretikeâ— The order in double dealers Ioâ—h 7. 1. Sam. 2. 1. King. 16. 1. King. 13. This euill life maketh all the pomp and boasting of our common striuers to vanish avvay The very vvicked are preserued kepte for the good mans lake This kinde taketh avvay the hope that is in Anabap. in papistes in the inchauntresse in the vngodly Crisostom 〈◊〉 Theophilact vpon thiâ— Prophesing and miracles and signes a tryall oftentimes of his people Miracles theâ— be◠〈◊〉 signes they be no certâ—ya tokens of lyâ—e Simon magus estemed as God with the Samaritans A bufiue â—â—gument 〈◊〉 froÌ„ Ciprian The villany of the pope Hildebrand The peeuish nes of their reason appeareth Error is shevved by example Dregges of Popery in â—apistes Trifling bookes of sluggish idle priestes SaluatioÌ„ only in a liuely faith Faith vv â— is for a tiâ— The vn tovvard and vnfearned reason of a popish prelat The true fight of the faithful man To be faithful for a time to reuolt is a signe of reprobation how euer xvc cloak it Time trieth and persecution iudgeth of the good golde and then shall the drosse be knovven poperie thâ—â— vvas once iâ— England 1. King. 2 〈◊〉 2. King. 10. 2. King. 23. Iudg. 11. There is falshed and vvickednes euen in those that professe the Gospell Eph. 6. These vveapons shevve not thy man lynes but goâ—lynes Readines in praying steadines in perseuering and vvatchfulnes in thy dealings bee trevv tokens of iustefiyng fayth Thâ—e things to bee required in a iulcesting fayth A man hopeth that beleeuâ—th not but hee that hath fayth hath assured hope A sight and vevv efhope before vvee come to faith A true and infallable signe of sayth Starters from the truth Examples oâ— the true iustesiyng fayth by this from Christe The Spirit that is guide and leader of all such as feare the Lorde The spirite is only retayned by prayer Gen. 4. A reason thaâ— vve are not iustified by good vvorkâ— The profite and commo ditie that vve haue by faith Without grace vvithout the operation and vvorking of the Lorde vvee fall to the ground Our faith hath adioyned to the knovvlege therof three things A good token of a true Israelite to be a hearer of the vvorde and is also verie often a couering for the vvicked to cloak him vvithall Papistes runners abroade and greate seekers after Bulles and pardons no follovvers seekers of the vvorde of God Papiâ—es that looke for a day An exhortation to those yong schollars to vvhoÌ„ this same vvas vvriten As God hath made vs so vvill hee bee honored for vs Comlynes 〈◊〉 commended by Paull elâ— eucry man vvill haue his custome theÌ„ shall there be no order This dealing and dalying precisenes yet vvickednes in greater matters is abhorninable These and such like bee common with vs. More amendment and les iudgement of others is good All order contempned vvith vs. Obedience is superstition vvhere vvisdoÌ„ is vvantinge Signes are to kens no necessary assuraunces of our saluatioÌ„ Hee that forsaketh not the vvorks is the Seruaunt of the Diuell and hee hath no portion in Christe Wee are of the Church euery man is not the Church In speaking dissembling in brotherhood falsehood in thy actions nought else but factions they be tokens of impietie no Christiamtie The conâ—eÌ„pt of Magistracy is the only token of one that is carclesse Fâ—llinge so grosely and cauilling so dispightfully is a small token of Christiany tie If errors bee not taken in time they will neuer be Seared or weeded out will death Al iudgment is to bee deferred to the Lorde but no authority is giuen to mâ—â— A general repeticion of things contayned in this Booke All our traâ—aile in this life all our paine it is made ioy pleasure vnto vs in Christ The differeÌ„ce in the prayiÌ„ng of our forfathers the contrarie aic in ours They prayed as for one they looked for vve pray as thankfull vnto him in that vve haue receiued him God is our father in that he is the father to his sonne Christ and God to vs in that vve are his brethren God spake vnto our fathers but roughly to vs familiarly by the man Christe The heauens may passe avvay but the loue of God vvill neuer faile his children The death of Christe sealed our redemption fully and made accoÌ„plishment for our sinus The letters patents vvee can shevve or our â—nheitance The loue of God is seene in the vse of all his creatures the heauens the earth c. No excusâ— can be admitted for thy negligence in the seruice of the Lord.
others That same Ephraem hath yet gonne farther in this hée searcheth out more narrowly the dealinges of the world and preuenteth that same glorious pompe in our professors that lay open their thoughts and ripp vp their cogitacions to bée séen of men with which kynde of people I professe my selfe mutch to haue delt withall and glad I am it pleased God to let mée haue sight of sutch in these my younge dayes for that I may beeware the better in ryper yéeres But his councell it is not to praye for our selues but for all euen sutch as bée Christians and of the Lorde and not for our fréends but euen for those that hate vs I thinke hée hath sufficiently glaunced at our Anabaptists that beside their error in mislyking our manner of prayer holdinge with none but sutch as is framed and ordered by them intertayne but litle order in the Church but careles in life and suspected in their dealing make the Gospell a couering and the word a cloake to dissemble with regard sutch as fauor them presume to appoincte the elect of the Lord at their seuerall iudgments pray for sutch as bée of their Church kéepe secret the dealinges of vngodly men least their profession and calling bee dishonested as though Dauid could not offend or Abraham transgresse the will of God bee it reuerently spoken and with feare but the Churche of God should suffer Shipwracke for it I speake as one mooued and sory I am that I am at holme And this sore it is so festred writhed already into the harts of men that an Iron to seare it is better thē a plaister to mollefy it with And if God doo not giue an other spirit or dalyaunce bée deferred as yet it is I haue at this tyme but looked at them if God permit and leysure serue and these outragious enemyties stil continue I am not purposed to leaue them so rawly But ouerslipping my self I haue plunged vnaduisedly to come so neere vs truly so it may bee For better a great deale is it to kéepe him that is abroad and strike the enemye then to rushe vpon our fréendes that bée at holme And yet not so nor so wisely neyther if wee consider all For it is wisdome to cut of him in thy owne Campe first if so thy liberty permitteth thee and then to wrestle with the forraner but content I am and I striue not nowe I will arme my selfe agaynst some other time Only let them take heede they come not nearer for if they doo though now they bée without reatch yet Pen Inke and Paper shall neuer spare them wel to leaue this of our disordered and crooked dealing let vs approtche to that which is more pleasaunt and frutefull then is this and if thou wilt pray and pray aright pray thus First in spirite Ephe. 6.8 Iude. 20. and in many other places the reason hereof is For that the man alwayes occupyed in his traficke is not able to vse the body the ioynctes the lymmes the outward gesture as other doth whose leysure suffereth them to praye at all times but euen this is required in him as in all other to lifte vp himself to erecte and reare him vp in soule in spirit in hart vnto the Lord that the affayres and dealings in this world ouercome thée not Secondly in fayth Math. 2.12 Mark. 11.23 Ioh. 15.7 Iam. 1.6 and the 5.15 Ephe. 3.12 Ephe. 2.8 and els wheare For as God hath left vnto vs all manner of instrumentes to woorke by as hee hath giuen vs a meane and way on earth to labour by as man hath his seuerall manner to inritch him with So for the spirituall affayres for thy woorke for thy waye for thy labour for thy custome to attaine thy honor with all is theare of vs all as common vnto all one onely instrument which is sayth Thirdly it must bée donne in the name of Christ alone wher in is secluded all manner worship and inuocation eyther of Saincts eyther of men eyther of creature on the earth That prayer vsed of them in Aegipt to Isis so named of the glory which they saw in the Moone Also they of Athens that worshipped the vnknowne god Actes 20. As they which were at Rome that serued Minerua Pallas Iuno Hereules with the rest diuersly inuented by the Ethnickes All els whatsoeuer they bee condempned by this for it ought to be in the name of Christ the reason is that wée take it not as a charactar or fondly for the repeating therof as that there should be any forse vertue in it But théese bee the causes for which wée are charged and inioyned to thinke that wée haue saluation in the name of Christ ¶ The first cause for which wee pray in the name of Christ For that hée onely forgiueth sinnes Math. 9.2 Actes 10.43 Rom. 8.4 1. Cor. 5.18 Ephe. 1.7 and the fourth the thirtéenth verse otherwise wée might pray to the Blocke and to the stone and to the thinge that créepeth and profiteth vs not For what aduauntage had wée in sorrowing all the dayes of our life and in the ende when the wrinckels in our sace appeareth and the messenger doth his duty and citeth vs before the Lorde then wee bée still in death and life is kepte from vs then this is the ende bereof Namely that our transgressiōs may be hid and our sinnes couered and that wée may haue remission of the same and life eternall which is the first cause we pray in the name of Iesus Christ The second for that hee is the way the truth and the life Ioh. 14.5 and 26. Ioh. 11.2 Ioh. 14 6. Actes 3.15.1 Ioh. 1.2.1 Ioh. 5.11 Colos 3.4 By this wee are secluded from all licentious liberty of the Gentilles from all inuention of man from all fonde and phanatical illutions For if wee séeke for lyse wee haue it in Christe that dyed for vs to bringe vs out of death If for a guide wee haue the spirit that will conducte vs in the right way and leade vs to his Father if the truth there was no blemish found on his lippes nor deceypt in his tongue and hée brought in the truth the Gospell of his Father and the woord of lyfe kept secret from the beginning of the world and reuealed in these latter daies vnto the sonnes of men wherfore wee néede to séeke no farther wée haue all things wrought in Christ The thirde for that hée is the accomplishment and ende of the law This may seeme litle to apperfayn to vs but whē we cōsider the by the law came in death and by the fulfillinge of the lawe came deliueraunce from death it may appeare what a glorious God hée was and moste victorious that hath ouercome the sharpenes thereof and vanquished the power of the Deuill that kepte this as a handwrighting agaynste man that of himself was neuer able to fulfil it wherfore wée pray in the name of Christ for that hée hath abolished the strength and force of sinne
that not in Iudea only but in all the world sacrifise and burnt offerings shal be offered vp vnto the Lorde And that of Christe to the Woman of Samaria accordeth with this Arte thou greater then our Father Iacob that gaue vs this Well and hee himself dranke therof and his Cattell and agayne our Fathers worshipped in this Mountayne but they saye Ierusalem is the place where men doo worshippe But shee was answered by Christ Beléeue mée Woman the howre commeth and now is when you shal neither in this Mountain nor at Ierusalem worship the Father a reason is also surrendered That the howre shalbée and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirite and truth and albeit in the Psalmes wee finde the affection of the Prophet to haue bin powred out in greater zeale for the Lorde of Hostes sake as Psalm 67. Prayse you the Lord all you nations and that in the .117 I will spread abroad and knowledge thy name among the Gentils Yet is there time and place and occasion too to vtter forth our cogitacions that wee bee not iudged of men I acknowledge and not vnwillingly that Dauid was in the Caue sometimes praying and in the feelde and in the Dennes and in the night and in his bed Ionas could praye in the belly of the Whale Daniell in the Lions Denne and his companions lifted vp their voyces in the flaming Furnace and Noe comming out of the Arke in the open ayre And Elyas on the topp of the Hill groneling with head betwixt his legges and Christ himselfe at the shoare side among the Shippes And Paull with the Elders in the sight of the people Yet this is my watchworde let no man goe beyond his skill nor draw priuate examples to generall obseruations But if death and persecution incroche vpon thée pray euery where for thou it is that shal glorify the lord But if quietnes and rest bee giuen vnto thee vse discretion and modesty in ordering thy forme of prayer For the second thing in this poynt which I noted in Paull without ceasing This is my iudgement that thou bée like minded in all thinges and remember it is the Lorde that searcheth the harte and the reynes that hee will bée worshipped in Spirite and truth But now wée haue harder matters that befall vnto vs and if so it pleased God I would like lots might happeÌ„ to vs al. For I know there is none whom God hath touched by his spirite inwardly but wisheth him selfe accursed to bringe saluation vnto all I speake it for that it is so hard a thing for the sonnes of Adam to bee agréeable to this in all poynctes namely one to praye for an other Ieam 5.16 and for thy enemyes and persecutors Math. 5.44 Lu. 6.35.23.34 Actes 7.6 And for all men 1. Tim. 2.8 I enter now on sutch a stage as that sufficient reason might bée showed to draw the ful length and whole discourse of this tragedy But it is not my minde to vnlase and ripp vp the woundes of any man For euen the vew and sight of this story may bée pitiful enough to any Christian To bringe in place the speakers hereof It were that of Atreus in Seneca and of Astiages in Iustin to bid the Father to the cating of his owne Sonne But I take an other way and not so lothesome as is that for such as bee of this Seane shall not speake I only content to vse a doÌ„me shew for it is straunge that mindes of men are so distracted as the life of any should onely consist in lyfe of thear 's and their iudgment vpon others to stand as sound iudgement to pray for none to condempne all to like of few to vpbrayd the best such iugling there is in worldlinges I know some that haue stumbled so vnluckely on sutch that their hurt hath beene more in one howre then heapes of Golde can recouer in many yéeres These I doo admonish and I charge them too in the Lord for to stay at home and pray less is better for such then to range abroade and liue worse and this is my exhortation to pray for them that curse thee to hate none to iudge the best to loue all for it sauoreth of Anabaptisme to beate downe to suppresse to throwe downe to the ground any man whom thou neuer knewest worthy the smyting to exempte any as extrauegaunts to the Lorde that couldest neuer iudge what the electe are Did Dauid neuer pray for Saull or was hee neuer in his hands that hée might haue slayn him if he would Eut hee not of the lappe of his Coate or touched hee the life of his Maister I knowe that if the soule of some were as fast clasped in the hands of them as the lay of Saulles Coate was in the hande of Dauid it had béene mangled and hewed in péeces before this This is it I giue in charge let them of this world thinke well of all and hope euen of those that bée without For though Samuell would not sée Saull vntill the day of his death yet mourned hee for him Moses will not sticke to pray for such as haue cursed him The iniuries that hee sustained in Sur and the outcryes in that Wildernes of that vnthankefull people turned not away their remembrance in his prayers to the lord Nor Ieremy so often layd in Prison and clogged with Chaynes could yet forget the anguishe of Sion and the tribulation that befell to Ierusalem but hee praied for them Now pittyfull is then the state of vs who rayseth vp him that is afflicted who windeth vp his sores and powreth in Oyle â— and remooueth the stâ—ipâ— from the hart of a truth the sinne of Iudah is written with a pen of Iron the poynt of a Diamond hath ingraueÌ„ in this people so sore a hatred that life to death and flesh to earth and Golde to drosse is chaunged as soone as their lips from leasing or their mindes from strife If you had bin at the death of Steauen when the stones rushed so about him and the states of Ierusalem clapped their hands to drye vp his blood I am affrayd the question might haue béene asked to what end hee suffered so many blowes and these fellowes can not abide so few wordes I aunswere litle herein That which foloweth shall sufficiently approoue it For beside the breach of brotherhoode in the worlde which is common there is many thinges to bée consithered in prayer Onely vnderstande that I wright not as a teacher to reforme that I sée amisse that pertayneth to the aged and the hoary heades I speake now to younglinges and to Babes sutch as bée of greater grothe whose manners I haue glaunsed at whose life and welth I neuer touched to them I leaue the whip and the heauier iudgement my lesson it is to young Schollers whom I teach after this manner Thy peticion made to God hauing clensed thy vessels from dregges and thy hart
giuen to the Conney Or what yeres doth he permit to the wilde Colte Howe gardeth he the Lyon What harbour hath he giuen to the sauage beastes And to saye a trueth what ende hath hee allotted vnto man I saye all the woorkes of the Lorde are wonderfull But his secreat wisedome wherein he hath prouided and laide vp in his mercie for the sonnes of Adam great and most singular benefites They are not to be attained vnto For his doings are incomprehensible his iudgements are secreat His wayes vnknowen his counsell hidden his loue and his fauour farre outreaching vs that wee may well make our prayer vnto the Lorde to haue his will fulfilled his commaundements obeyed in earth because no man is able eyther by wishing eyther by desiring eyther yet by willing it to come to heauen Thus much for these two kindes of men the are in our dayes whereof I am sure there is a greate number For partly by their déedes for they be outragious partely by their courage they be so quarellous the common sort of men must needes knowe them But to that which followeth Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Cyprian géeueth a verie good reason hereof Voluntate Dei id est Dei protectione egeamus The will of God that is the ayde and helpe of God is that wée néede For without his will we haue nought And no man is of any force if he in his fauour and his mercie help them not for who hath resisted him and hath not dyed for it Then we haue to searche what it is that is the wil of the Lord to be done And this is said by the fathers the same I find in the Scriptures to be of two sortes First his will it is holy pure perfect eternall euerlasting from all beginning without power of man according to the which he ruleth all he gouerneth all he guideth and protecteth all wherein all things be as they are And he hath created fashioned all whatsoeuer that is on the earth from the foundation original of the same And this is alwayes fulfilled No man hindereth it no man stoppeth it For the Lorde hath his decrée aboue all the inhabitants of the earth of the Sea and they be obedient Of this is written in Esay I am God the Lorde which speake it my counsell is firme or indureth euer Whatsoeuer I will that I do Dauid also prophesied hereof For our God he is in heauen he hath done all things whatsoeuer pleaseth him For the counsell of the Lord remaineth for euer Againe in Esay If the Lord of hoasts decrée any thing who is the shall resist him But of this the eternall purpose of the Lord I speake not of for it conteineth the secret and hiddē mysterie ef our election of our predestination of his prouidence of his gouernement of his regiment in the earth And here we do as Iob did Wee lay our hands vppon our mouth wee staye the course of our lippes we falter in our spéech before the Lorde And therefore for that hee ruleth all let vs commit our selues into his hand that guydeth vs and not curiously serch that hath in his secret determination ruled the wayes the steppes and the hearts mindes of all fleshe We therefore handle this point reuerendly and stay on him that assuredly worketh for al those that be his Onely let man and the sonne of man giue him selfe into his handes leaue to serch out by any curious meane what it is he hath purposed The next and the moste perfect will of God is reuealed by the Gospell without which knowledge we are in death This he hath moste fully opened in Iesus Christ his sonne the redeemer onely sauiour of the worlde whome hee hath appointed the onely true right instructour of those that dwell in earth according to the Oracle receiued from heauen This is my beloued sonne heare him verie nighe to the saying that is in Iohn No man hath séene God at any time The sonne which is in the bosome of his father he hath reuealed him For he is the true interpreter of his father And therefore Christe of him selfe saith All that I haue had of my father I haue shewen vnto you Not that Christ was not knowen before for he is openly desiphered out in the Prophete But in especiall at his incarnation when hee tooke our flesh vpon him was made man it was fulfilled that euery one shall tell his neighbour from the greatest to the least euen babes little ones shoulde prophesie of the workes of the Lord tel abrode his name Therfore Peter the Prophets and men of God spoke by the Spirite suffered persecution death were serchers out of the mysteries of our redemption And this is the will of God spoken of in this prayer that we séeke not after any other knowledge but onely bent and giuen vnto his word we meditate to serue him day and night whereof this is the end that God woulde direct vs in his pathes and lead vs a right to follow his lawes That we may delight and be practised therein all our life Nowe to know this will of God the better this is the swéetnesse and perfect comfort that we get to vnderstand and learne 3. thinges giuen vnto vs by his wil. First it is the wil of God that we should be saued by his sonne Iesus Christe for in him we are chosen from all beginning to be heires of eternall life Of this our sauiour speaketh in Iohn This is the will of him that sent me that all which séeth the sonne and knoweth him and beléeueth in him should haue eternall life Then this is our peticion that aboue all it woulde please the Lorde to illuminate and lighten euery man with the trueth that his will by our incredulitie and others their continancie bee not hindered Here appeareth that whereof I made mention before namely that faith is the gift of God giuen vnto vs in his mercie by his grace not gotten of our selues of our might by our strength To fulfill that of Christ so often spoken in Iohn No man knoweth the sonne but the father and he to whome the father will shewe him And verefied yet againe no man commeth vnto me vnlesse that my father drawe him to me For all this hidden Secrete of the death of Christ of his bloude that was shed and giuen for man it is foolishnes vnto the fleshly man if he be not drawen and brought therevnto by god Then from aboue it is we are lightened that his will may bee done in vs that are wilfull Secondly it is the will of God that those whiche are redéemed in I. sus Christe and doe atteine him willingly by faith shewe them selues obedient and deutifull vnto the Lorde and walke in his commaundements he hath taught them Nature teacheth those be his to owe obeyzance and homage
Sydon and Woe be vnto all the Isles that lacke wise men for their rulers and discréete personnes to teach them wisedome Well let this be my first poinct in this his seconde attyre to cloth the minister of the Lorde withall we wil procéede happily at length we shal finde that whiche may delight vs The next is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suche a one as shall mainteine and kéepe straungers and not vnfitly For among Israel straungers were harboured because they themselues were straungers in Aegypt And we must remember to kéepe straungers in token that wee doe wander on earth and haue no abiding place and in remembraunce we be straungers vnto all the worlde for the word of the Lorde That heathnish writer yet the eloquent writer Marcus Tullius Saith properly in his Officijs Non dominus domo sed domus domino cohonestanda The house ought not to set out the maister but the goodnesse of the maister adorneth and beutifieth the statelynesse of the house Vlisses traueling verie farre gaue his commendation to Greece and all the countries there about that for courtesie and hospitalitie it might wel be compared vnto all Latium I knowe not what Vlisses would say if he were with vs but I am in doubt he might begge and sterue to before he gate ought I must of duetie counsell you with Paul to bee good vnto the poore for by receiuing straungers men haue receiued Angelles into their houses If Dauid may be beléeued the good mans childe hath seldome begged breade and the heart of the reighteous man is alwayes lyberal I must speak the trueth before the Lorde and before you all for we are driuen into a verie narowe straite the bely and the backe flaunteth it out in all sumpteousnesse your houses they haue nothing in them but bare walles they be so pinched with penurie those which are in the common welth in whose handes are many heapes of Gould are loth to distribute thrée peckes of meale to the poore and fatherlesse Nay I haue harde some speake it That if the vnsatiable gathering together of money if your racking of poore people if the greedinesse of scraping in of welth were left among you the spiritualtie wee which are of the common welth that haue nothing but by trauayle and sweate of our browes raked vp in many yeres would bestow more on the poore people then we do This is a pitifull crye it is ascended vp alreadie vnto the eares of the Lord the people they are readie to starue they houle in their miserie and crie out in the verie paine and smart of their soules vppon vs the ministers of the Lorde that harden other mens harts by our coueteousnesse Naball must néedes be harde and gréedie and no meruaile if Diues thinke much to giue vnto Lazarus that ritche men séeke for newe barnes to put in their stoore when they of Iuda and such as be in the house of God continually thirste to inritch them Well the Church of God perisheth in her miserie and panteth so sore that she is burst with crying because that this is not looked vnto In a cleere testimonie of my conscience I vtter the trueth vnto you for I haue seene it in some I knowe it in many it is common in all Hospitalitie here so much accompted of of Paul is termed husbandrie For if you saue much greedely that your childrē may spend it lasciuiously it is saide to be but good husbandrie I once was at Pauls Crosse when as a learned graue father preaching there among many other thinges spake much then of this vice He called to memorie at that time for the space of many yeares before that there had been no one Alderman in al London whose senne was remembred to haue vsed the honestly which the father in many yeares had seraped vp so couetously It was a sore and heauie saying for those wise and gray headed men that were then present And the saying of that wise Prophet moued the hartes of many that heard it There is at this daye nowe in London in moste florishinge state two sonnes of two Aldermen gouerninge by the wealth their fathers lefte them the happie and good state of that Citie But if that olde and grayheaded father were now aliue and speaking of the ministers of the worde of God shoulde turne his eyes to sée the iolitie wherin their children be that same discréete father for the two famous most worthy Shrifes that haue gouerned that honourable Cytie of London could not since that Englande was inhabited and knowen of men picke out so much as two sonnes of two Bishoppes to haue sat in the seate of their fathers I speake it as in such a time wherein the Lorde hath sent a rot among vs that wise men and most good and godly men shoulde haue so lewde and wicked children This is it I say The Lord wil haue their sonnes to spende it wantonly for that their fathers haue rackte it vp so vnkindly And if that money were bestowed on the poore which pine away for want of foode or some other way to the good and profite of the Church which lyeth smothered in their coffers and motheaten with rust the Lorde would not onely prosper them as good Phinees to haue the honour of the Priesthoode to remaine in their houses for euer But they shoulde be suer to haue one in the fauour and sight of God in a perpetuall generation The worlde is nowe so proude and the people therein so stately that if the sonne of a minister be not a gentleman the sonne of the minister shal bee but in accompt a begger There is some in Englande that haue good and large stipends for seruing the Lorde and they spende it as liberally on their Sonnes to make them Courtiers Well Aaron did not so either Eleazar so eyther els the Apostles and bretheren of the Lorde eyther els did Cephas or the residew so Pittye it is the Churche of God to sée how it serueth how the people die for foode the hedge of the Lorde how it is broken downe and they of the house do not so much as send their childrē out of their house to repayre it The Lorde moue his Prophetes to see vnto it And giue thē that earnest of his spirit the zeale of his glorye the feare of his name the reuerence of his Maiestye they ought to haue that his Gospell may bée farthered his Hierusalem builded his Citye finished his Church fetled that if it bee his will it may frō henceforth bee neuer more remoued we haue now run thorow the two first peeces of our last worke euen a litle liberty more and I doubt not but I shall dispatch the rest It foloweth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apte to teache there was required 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and now wée haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lord God hath alwaies had a care ouer his church he therfore hath cōtinually sent laborers into his harueste to helpe them forwarde therin
abyvvord that those that be not as they are they be vvithout therfore they may svveare though falsly if it be for the safetie of their companion others are thought to be but Aegyptians that are not as they be Arbitrarii A subtile and craftie reason taken from the impotencie that is in man the more by his â—railtie and vveikenesse to stirre vp man. Ieromagainst Bryto Marke the state of vvickednes for as euery thing is most phantasticall so commonly iâ— is beleeued Sooner is the trueth abolished then filshod rooted out and for this reade the state of the kings of israel Osorius I thinke as odiosus to the church of God. Martyn Luther Many things to be vvayed in the handeling of free vvill In God are vve made redie to doe good in our selues vvee Iose all euen our ovvne selues The calling of the finner and the alteration in this life of the vngodly man is the onely vvorke of God. With our conception commeth in sin vviped avvay in the blood of Christ The manner and order of our saluatioÌ„ If man had life of him selfe then no man vvoulde die but this is salse then no doubt eternall life commeth from God. Sorites or rather gradatio So longe as there is life so long raigneth sin in our mortall bodies yet by our imputation in Christ it is vviped avvay Foure seueral things required in the regenerate man This meane is much contempned preachinge despised if the man bee misliked therfore is there open to kens of infidelitie Enthusiastike very heretikes Heare the vvorde refuse it not rebell not against the spirite God is saide to do it the sonne to bring it the holy ghost to finish it if it be good that is man and this vvorke is but one Proofe that all our good actions come of God. god electeth Christe saueth the spirite vvorketh and all this is but one vvork in one God. Nazianzne Ierom. The verie chosen and elect vessels of God haue their faultes some more and some lesse Augustine The labor of man is in vaine if God helpe not then much lesse is our saluation in our povvre being sinfull Iudgementeâ— and vvorks in God are secret Cyprian The Pathers are very daungerous to vvade in vvithout great aduisement and ernest prayer for euery one hath his fall the young vvits are casely choked vvith them The consideration of the creatures conuersant vvith vs doth amaz and dim our sight then much more God. If vvee could but immagine the state of the blessed vvee shoulde be rauished O Lord hovv straungly Contentious Scismatickes become if God stay not grosse Heretickes Cypriâ—â— The vvill of God is of tvvo sortes God as hee is can not bee comprehended but as hee shevveth him selfe vnto vs and hath reuealed him selfe in the vvorkâ— of his hands so not els can vvee knovv him The minde of God is said to be knovven for that he gaue vs his Worde and his Gospell vvherin vvee savve the vvil of his father In Christ are vve partakers of the heauenly nature The prophets and the fathers receiued the same spirite vvhich vve do novve yet it is more apparant speketh more familiarly vnto vs then in olde time Three things considered in the vvill of God. All good things commeth from aboue the father of light then papistes haue no place manthinkeâ—h gift of God. The earthly manthinketh vpon those things that are earthly he that is heauenly layeth his cogitations vpoÌ„ those things that are aâ— Our redemptioÌ„ vvrought and bought in Christ Iesus freely The Church of God is knovven in that they Ioue one another All bee not alike but as is the measure of grace so do vve liue in this vvorld To keepe vs from fin it is the token of the man of God. Loue bindeth vp all sores healeth all vvoundes Mortefiynge of our fleshly members is rising vp vnto God. Persecution coÌ„mon trials of the faythfull As sheepe are vve slayne for the Lord sake All creatures obedient to the vvill of God. Euery houre are vvee put in minde of our seruice to the Lorde by his creatures This blessednes shal bee seene in the nevve Ierusalem vvhen the Sainctes and the Aungels and the heauens and earth vvill make one consente and one voyce in seruing God no not the Diuelles shall rebel any more against him but stande to his â—udgemente As God by his vvill did that he could so by that ought vve be vvilling to that hee vvilleth vs least vvee striue against the vvill of God. The vnhappy and pittifull fall of man is seene in that all things stand serue and obay God vve only left that first state and fell from that happines vvherin vvee vvere The earth be coÌ„meth Iron and the beauens be as brasse the trees denie their seruice vnto man if God be angrie vvith him Firste seeke the kingdom of God then all things shal be ministred vn to thee The good gifts of the Lorde are common to all for the Sun shineth and the raine droppeth vppon the vnrighteous as on the righteous man. He that needeth prayeth to haue it he that hath it prayeth to keepe it but happie is that man vvhich doth his duitie and prayeth as commaunded of God that hee falleth not The singular operation vvorking gouernemeÌ„t of the Lorde against nature The singuler operation vvorking and gouernment of the Lorde against nature Our English Athists neuer haue enough till their mouthes bee stopped vvith clay their bodies couered vvith the earth All things are giueÌ„ for maÌ„ man onely is created to glorifie the Lorde Anthropophagâ— Of so homly a mould as vvee came of how bevvtifull a Tabernacle did God erect Al cretâ—rs do knovv their bringing vp and the verye â—outch is more vvelcoÌ„â—chim that is acquainted thervvith theÌ„ sumptuous furniture Giue vs our daily bread this day In the Scriptures bread is taken for the foode of the soule often times ther fore Christ is called the true breade came dovvne sâ—om Heauen to feede vs. Carelesnes iâ— impiety but greedmes with couetousnes is irreligiousnes Wee fell by man vvee are all redeemed againe in the man Christ 1. Cor. 10. One God in the lavve and the same Christ in the lavve vvith one oblation saned vs both before after the lavveâ— for he vvas slaine from al beginning A temporall comparison vvith heauen ly thinges Better is hee that knevv not the vvord and heard not of it theÌ„ hee that hath it folovveth it not the first is of ignorance to reprobation this is of foly to greater coÌ„dempâ—ation that by Diuelishnes this of peeâ—ishnes haue one revvarde eternall death What is vnderstoode by bread God often times tryeth his Sainctes and vvhen all hope is past as appeareth to man then commeth his sauing health soudenly The doctors and the fathers are as good instruments vvhet and prepared for the vse of Gods church Our bread is asked for that it is not common vnto one but to vs all and because God vvould haue vs remember