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
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
which had in it but eyght persons as a seueral people kept to God And in this place I haue drawn you out a shorte catalouge of the peruerse and crooked kingdome the dominion of the diuel by which you may knowe what wee are of our selues when God forsaketh vs and you shall vnderstande againe that the Lord euen in the midst of death can keepe vs that be of his Church vnto life I knowe the I haue to deale with a great number that if God would not cut off the presumptuous spéech would complaine with Esdras the he had forgotten Sion that his people had hanged vp their harpes by the riuer of Babell and wepte there yet could not be heard of god And if euer it appeared in blacke and mourning wéede then was the Church of God chéefely destitute voide of helpe when as Nemrod that mightie hunter grewe vp to so great strength and consumed the flocke and heritage of the Lorde This kingdome of Sathan it is enlarged especially by these three meanes the firste is in belying and defacing the trueth the woorde of God the seconde is in open wickednes the third is by sects scismes heresies to beat downe the Gospel An example of the first I cannot shew better then in him of whom we brag so much our first father what a lye was that he made vnto him to begyle him withall If you eat of this fruit you shal be Gods knowing good euil then take this in the meane time as God his glorie his kingdome his empire is enlarged by setting out the trueth so is the kingdom of the diuel by disceit After this sort he bewitched the Philosophers of olde he begyled the Gentiles and nations on the earth with fonde and fantasticall illusions taken frō the Sunne the Moone and the other creatures whō they worshipped The beginning of the Kinge of Babylon and of Assiria after the floode 131. yeare testifie the same euen from Nemrod before named called of M. Bullinger and of the Poets Saturnus how great blindnesse and filthie superstition incroched on the earth euen that blessed nation whome God hath nowe mightily prospered the Germanes frō whence I knowe not whether any more heauenly or more wise or better learned or greater number to set out the glorie of the Lord and his Christ hath risen out of any place or nation or countrie vnder the Sunne then hath from them Yet these came out of the loynes of that beastly Monarcha and liued a long time in Idolatrie For take a viewe of their predccessours frō whence they came and iudge whether God hath blessed them or no that when they were wilde grapes good for nothing hath graffed them againe vppon a newe stocke and they bring foorth verie plentifull fruite For consider all and the power of God which wrought it Howe sprang vp Idolatrie when Ninus sonne to Nemrod otherwise of the Poets Iupiter Belus began to reigne Hee erected a temple to his father and to his mother Iuno and to Rhea his mothers mother and be was the chiefe author of idolatrie euen the moste grosse and beastliest that I finde among men Him did Semiramis a Paragon and his mother and an Amazon as filthie wicked as her sonne succede in the Empire Only in an out corner about Mesopotamia and in other pettie viliages was God knowen I touche this age For that it pleased God to suffer Sathan to build him a throne a kingdome among men in those dayes especially which was the foundation and Piller of all vntrueth vntill this day For nowe began the Aegyptians to bud vp that vntoward generation whose name deserueth to be hated for that all our toyes and inuentions in hidden and vnknowen artes began with them And the diuell to establishe and ratisie his dourine began in Aegypt the fiftéenth yere of Nemrod which was of Noe the 745. of the world 1801. yeres Then began Mizraim so called in their language his tyranny this is he called of the Histeriographers Oceanus that made great broyles in the Church and confirmed his wickednesse with bloude But it is true that is in Salomon The Lorde that sitteth in his seate doth wipe away all euill And againe the wise King doth scatter the wicked and bring a mischiefe vppon them And therefore this buylding of Sathan it lasted not long but was broken downe euen the chéefe walles thereof when hee suffered Abraham to soiourne among them For his posteritie sufferes many troubles and diuers calamities and were oppressed many yeres yet in the ende the Lorde God was magnified his name was praised and his Maiestie séene his people had a glorious day of them when Pharooth and his horsemen and his Chariots were ouerwhelmed and drowned in the deapth of the Seas Therefore in my iudgement this is a worthy and moste excellent prayer that the olde reliques of the auncient building may be defaced and to desire the Lorde that his kingdome may bee increased and superstition and falshod sowed and setled in the hearts of men rooted out and the puritie of the Gospel may take holde and veritie and religion shine among vs For it is the olde custome of Sathan to begyle vs as auncient as the Aegyptians be and the Caldees the Hebrewes so is his pollicie and his wilinesse of many yeres and long time greater continuance then our late and miserable dayes be able to resist if we were assaulted with the like For which cause séeing superstition hath heretofore ouerflowed the face of the whole earth from the beginning might haue continued vntill our latter times had not the Lorde God in his sonne Chrisie looked on vs For that Mahomet and the Turke haue their dominion and glorious titles to be made Gods aboue all that be in earth and his neighbour his nexte rempanion hath nowe a long season set him selfe in his chaire of state and Imperiall throne and hath made al the princes of the earth drunken with his venomous eup for that wée our selues bee a gazing stocke almoste to the whole worlde and the eyes of euery kingdome and nation cast vppon vs for that peace and quietnes the true light of the Gospel was neuer set out in his perfecte colour as it is at this day with vs and for that if vnthankfulnesse continue and lothsomnesse take vs we are at a venture that God will depriue vs of his benefites Considering the brickle state and distresse wherein we be no greater consolation in my iudgement may or can happen to vs nor worthier blessing light on vs or more earnest supplication moued by vs then that he would promete his glorie sanctifie his name defend his church establishe his kingdom roote out the posteritie of Sathan suffer his peace to be among vs. The second shift and pollicie that hee hath to erect his owne glorie and set vp his kingdome is by open sinne manifest
spare me so much leisure as that successiucly I may but steal one or two houres to labour in I will aunswere this fully I haue nowe sett my pen vnto an other treatise wherein before I end I shall I trust stoppe the mouthes of some as touching god Let this my small time and stolne houres craue pardon for this present and suffer me not to drawe out the length of this threede that we shal neuer winde it vp And if this will not suffise looke toward the heauens iudge the number of the stars call them by their names and giue euerie one his seueral charge Commaund the Sunne the Moone to stayde their course let there not be light any more vpon the earth and if these things be to high for thée iudge of the cōmon creatures that doe dwell with thee and tell me the droppes of the rayne ride vpon the wings of the winde measure me the weighte of the fyre Call backe againe the day that is past and renewe the course of that whiche is to come drawe out the deapth of the Sea by his bucketts and let the earth cast forth the hidde treasuries that be within her if silence hath caught thee and thy wisedom fadeth then giue homage vnto him at whose commaundement they be intreate him to spare thy life in time of neede that hath iudgement in stoore and a consuming fyre to runne before him if they or thou rebell Lactantius in his seconde booke semeth to me to haue delte with these men who dwelling in ignoraunce had small delight to seeke the Lorde And doubted as touching their prayer vnto him his iudgment is this Nothing must be honoured nothing worshipped but the only one Lord God proceeding and comming from the only owne eterall and euerliuing father and therefore hath created man to want many thinges that in his necessitie and want he may know where and of whome to aske for all thinges and Ambrose in his Spiritu fancto The father is to be glorified with the sonne the sonne with the father the holy ghost with them both for these three are but one god Basill against Iulina after that also Martured councelleth him to giue all honour and preheminence in prayer vnto God That in his heauenly and eternall wisedome created all Epiphanius in his thirde Toome Beside many excellent and good sayings pleaseth me in this for hauing to do with them that giue vnséemely reuerence to saincts teacheth thus Let Marie be had in estimation Peter but let the father the sonne the spirit be worshipped for neither to woman nor to man perteineth this honour inuocation neither to Angles or to any other perteneth this glory But it is a mistery proper only to the Lord The time would faile me to vnfoldethe heauenly sayings of the fathers I leaue thē to the diligent searcher The houre passing away so spedely maketh me to hasten to the rest And here I admonish you that in praying to our father you pray to him that is in heauen For wee may aske many thinges on earth yet can we not atteine them but if we aske and faithfully of our father in heauen he will giue vs them where that infidell is condempned that is found in Dauid to haue cryed out and to haue saide in his heart there is no God and that he whiche is in the heauens regardoth not them on earth Teach this man I dare not counsell him I will For let him cast out his eyes lift vp his heade and thinke but on the creatures that be made Howe the Sunne giueth light a farre of and the Axell trée of the heauen doth compasse the earth how the clouds power out their reigne the dewe his siluer dropps and the night his grimme and fierce countenaunce to man and shall we then giue nothing to the Lorde that made them But I cease to followe this path I take an other For if he thought on Israel when their shoulders were worne in péeces with carrying brick or if he brought them from Babilon or fed Elias with the Rauens and made the dumbe creatures to bee Nurses to his seruauntes and sent Daniell pottage into the Lyons denne and stayed the force of the flaming Fornace he can and he will and he stayeth not and I doubt it not but that hee still will helpe vs. Last of all it is a good consequent our father is in heauen Wee therefore ought not to repose our trust and confidence belowe as wee do either tarrie here so much as to abide and lay our affiaunce and steadinesse on things that be aboue For it is an vnfallible trueth that I finde in Paule that wee haue no abydinge here on earth but that our life it is aboue where as is the father of light I might take good occasion to withdrawe a number from the transitorie affaires of this worlde which haue their change and their ende when the heauens shall roll as a scroole and the elements burne with fire but these I leaue them till more longer dayes when the Sunne and the light shall giue vs more libertie who runninge foorth so speedily hath put mée in minde to cut of this spéech It followeth Hallowed be thy name THe great care that the Lorde God hath had of his churche is verie worthily set out in the generall discourse and pittifull callamitie wherein they that knewe him and called all onely on his name continually were assaulted Out of which troubles hee alwayes both mightily and fatherly deliuered them yet in no one thing hath he shewen his tēder affectiō vnto man more then in this in that he hath set him free from the bondage of the diuell the flesh and the workes thereof in that he hath created vs redeemed vs sanctified and regenerated vs And yet lest wée should falter any more and forget him he hath lefte vs a comforter which is his spirite and taught a way and set vs in the path directed vs by his owne mouth to be in our prayers holie and vnspotted vnto him Then in this wherewithall we be instructed of Christ though it be a short lesson is conteined for all that the whole and plentifull discourse of the life of man euen what is meefe and requisite to be done meate as well for the foule to feede withall as for the bodie to liue withall the summe whereof is set downe by Christ in sixe principall heads wherof the firste is this Hallowed be thy name For as al thinges vppon the earth were created by him so ought all that be on the face of the earth continually praise him And as we be children and heires vnto him so cheefely ought all our force our strength our might ought else that is in vs be directed vnto this that we might magnifie his name and praise him The example and patrone whereof is seene in the good Iudges that liued who before they established their own
and alowe hir wordes I will commende it But where find we in the word of God to sweare for any and that falsely and that as you think for his glorie I will giue you no weapons to fight withall And those wherwith you séeme to strike are blount already And it may be that he whiche fyled them and deliuered them vnto you as good mettall wanted cunning When ye haue considered better and cast your penyworthes paraduenture also you wil repent you for so shrewde a bargain as you haue had in giuing so largely for such counterfeites it may be a warning vnto you to serch more narrowely As for my selfe I can be but briefe herein the son calleth me back the ronning so hastely putteth mee in mind what to do this iudgemēt shal not be my own take it frō Gregorius that alloweth in some case to be lye thy selfe to saue others But I oppose Augustine against him the in the sermō de verbis Apostili Cap. 29. Determineth more soundly and discréefely a great deale of this matter Fingendo si prius non eras peccator factus eris peccator Nempe dicendo te commisisse quod non admiseris To lye saith Augustine for any thing though beefore thou offendest not It maketh thée as he that finned namely thou saidste thou didest that was neuer done And I am vtterly agaynst all whatsoeuer that giue larger scope to these double harted fellowes then can bée alowed by the worde of God Or that any man should conceale kéepe close his wickednes the filthines of life in others for feare that the Gospell shoulde be discredited and God dishonoured But I say if it bee in Absalon if in thy Sonne if in thy onely sonne conceale it not Heare for I will aunswer that doubt to cut you shorter It is not lawfull to tell an vntrueth no not to saue the life of thy neighbour Augustine in his booke De mendatio to Consentius questioneth thus If a man be sicke extremely euen to death and the same man also knewe his sonne to be in great ieopardie and perill of his life The father hath such loue vnto his childe that the death of his sonne will bee the death of him his father if hee knowe it One standeth by that knoweth his sonne is dead The father asketh the same person as touching his sonne What shal be done in this case If he saith that he is not dead he lyeth if that he saye he knoweth not he dissembleth if he saith he is dead he doth against nature he burieth the father with the sonne Homo vt sum permoueor res dura est As I am a man saith Augustine I am sore affrighted and it is a harde case But hee concludeth Non esse mentiendum Lye not at all Take yet an other Question if you méete with a strumpet with an vnchaste woman that as Putiphars wife to Ioseph would haue thée to defile thy soule in hir dischastitie by Foruication and thou denyest it is come so farre that shee will stea hir selfe vnles shee satisfie hir lust with thée What shal be done now shalt thou agrée condescend vnto hir I say no. And sayth Augustine The reason is alike in both thou shalt not lye and cōmit euill for thy neighbours cōmodity Otherwise there is a Latice an open pathway◠to all mischiefe For one lyeth for his substaunce an other for his neighbours wealth another for his fathers commoditie One for his brother and for his honour and for his dignitie and so in al states there is is no ende of lying But yet againe I saye with Augustine Non est committendum vt proalterius corporali vita quicquis suam occidat animam For thy corporall gayne let no man cast away his soule And I say agayne lye not at all But yet to exclude all shifts and lcaue no one creuise to péepe into what shall bée sayde to this Lawyare shift◠murtherers and Théeues set vpon a man one hydeth him These men woulde knowe where hée is hidden Reuelabit an non I say commit the matter vnto God if thou canst conueigh him sende him away if not but they demaund where hée is to haue his life Thou néedest not to tell it they be but priuate men If thou art not inforsed conceale it But if they compell thée by thy life Thy soule is in the handes of God thy life is in theirs Obaye thou God before men If the Magistrate do aske thée of a wicked man that hath cōmitted treason againste his person If of an Extorcioner if of an vniust dealer if of a wicked person I say though hee bée thy Brother though thy fréend though thy Maister though thy father though shée out of whose bowels thou commeste Hir blood is on hir owne head disclose it lye not otherwise soule for soue life for life man for man blood for blood you dye both To conclude in thy Marchandize truth in thy dealings truth in barganing truth in selling truthe in inritching truthe Truthe in all thinges For men that deale vntruely ofte times do liue vnruely And these be they that commonly do end their liues most desperatly I am now at length arriued to a very daungerous and troublesome porte Wheras but that now God bée thanked the winde and weather is delayed There might séeme some danger of sanding for thrée already I escaped very perellous kinde of men And I haue now to incounter with the fourth That bée suche as fright mée the more as I sée there pretensed zeale more cunningly cloaked then the rest And yet these forgiue their debtes and pardon their enemyes Yet mooued by the Spirit and for zeale of the Gospell or by reuelation from Heauen or by certayne peruersnes that they bée the enemies of Christ Wil vse the Swoord and aucthority and put their hands to the knife to wound and launche their Brothers throte Some haue dyed in England not long since for the same And the Martirdome of one Burchet a Gentleman with one or two more his companyons Par semper paria petit though vnknowē as yet hanged at the Strand in London a few yeeres now past did much mischeefe heare in England I was in the Country nowe past but two yéeres where in a long Voiage that I tooke I did by chaunce stumble vpon some of them and about Sowthhampton with the Coast there adioyning and Westward towards Portchmowth I had som talke with poore Laymen as I rode that enclined much hereunto Whome after I had admonished with a litle bitter spéech as a terror to them for procéedinge any farther ▪ They reclaimed for a time how since that they haue béene mooued by the Spirite of God I know not In this Cuntry where now I am I can accuse none but how neare in diuers poynctes they come vnto them I refer mée to the discretion of sutch as knowe them without affection béeinge pertiall vnto none I set
parte of Naboth that fatte Chuffe Who hideth them that are in perrill from the face of Iesabell Who is not ready to sacrifise to Peor Who renueth the decayed Sanctuary Who ronneth not with Vzias to the Arke Who hath not forsaken the Lord and forgotten his holy Hill Who reareth not vp Alters vnto Iupiter and giueth not ritch burnt offeringes to the Planets as yet then I â—â—ow not or finde not that man that is blameleâ—◠〈◊〉 there any filled with wisdome as is the flood of Phison with his Buckettes or like Tigris when the new fruictes are growinge that bringeth in plenteous vnderstanding as Euphrates and filleth it vp as Iordayne in the Haruest that casteth out wisdome as floods or as the Waterbrooke of the Riuer or as Dorix when it is at the full or as the water Conduicte out of the Garden of pleasure That deceyueth not in his tongue that beguileth not his Neighbour that speaketh truth to all thensure I haue not or find not that man which is blamelesse Hath not wisdome cryed out doth not vnderstanding put forth hir voice standeth shée not in the heigh places in the stréetes and wayes doth shée not crie in the whole Cittie in the Gates and no man heareth hir Who regardeth the yellinge of the poore afflicted soule Who causeth the Hedge and Vineyard of the Lordo to bee repaired who hath brought Golde Incence Frankensence Mirrhe to him deserued it who layeth not his hands with the Souldiers to kepe Christe still in the Graue the hée rise not what cause haue I then to question any more with Paull I may not I ought not I dare not I should not for it is vndoubted and without question I know not I finde not that man which is blamelesse Then let vs seeke a litle farther happelye wee may finde some man by the way or some one thinge that may bée doone by man and that hée may clime vnto therfore wée come to the seconde parte of this seconde diuition of trueth not so harde as the other yet not so easelye as it is taken for and it is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Husbande of one Wife This it was put in because of the vnbeléeuing Bretheren that had diuers wiues in the law it was permitted and before the law Sobolis procreandae causa that the worlde might bee increased to haue many wiues Abraham had diuers wiues Iacob diuers Dauid married Abigail yet had hee two beside naye and more too Elcana was indifferent well wiued but hee had brawles enough with them and it went hard with Iacob wheÌ„ hée was bought and solde in the féelds with his Sonnes Mandragoras So vnlouingly these louelesse toyes causeth broyles in braineles loue I finde not in the conrse of all the Prophets that anye one of them broake the rule of the Lorde in this and if Monuments were searched which haue you of all Dianaes Préestes of Apollos shauelinges of those Romishe Flamines that haue not run vpon the sword vpon death vpon fier then they would once violate breake their chastety Of those that bée this day at the Altar of the Lord that poore out his Incence and offer at his Table how many is there whom the Gospell cryeth out vpon and these dayes hath spewed forth from of the face of the earth as vnworthy to abide in the tentes of Iacob for this villany A forte there be euen in the house of God fitter to sporte it with the Timbrell and the Pipe then to take in their handes the Booke of the Lorde Helyas looked vp to the Heauens and saw a blacke Clowde wherby hee iudged that rayne was comming to helpe Israel with all Is there none here of all the Prophets that will looke vp to the HeaueÌ„s to bring tidings to this people Surely it may bée doone and safely For if euer vengaunce approched nere vs and tempests and stormes fell on vs these are the dayes wherin the ayre is blacke and glowmy and full of thicke clowdes readye to powre forth rayne and throwe downe Hailestones to consume vs for the aduowtery and incestiousnes of vs the Cleargie what a number haue béene depriued of late what a number are suspected now I it was a a sore lesson I it was a good lesson I but it was a harde lesson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratianus that vile and filthy wretch with others that rabble forbad Mariage The Gretian Church and the Latine suffered it a long time Silitius setled established it in Spayne Gregory in Silitia and it was assayed in Germany But Augustanus Maguntius and Hildebrand disanulde it These dayes are so miserable that Concubines bée but common ware and men of conscience yet in these Marchaundrise will strayne their conscience Polygamos Digamos Trigamos Centigamos if so you will they spare them not at all so it be doon in the Closet I am perswaded before the Lorde and that among vs who be of the housholde of faith that Solomon his so greate a number of Concubines the royaltie and statelinesse of his princes are scarce able to serue the gréedinesse of some our English wan tons that bee amonge vs the Lorde cut them off and giue Micheas a bolde spirite to tel them of it Let vs come to the third part and sée what it is that followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Watching A great charge it is that is giuen to the minister of the worde of God who as one to tender the care of his launched patient ought to be readie at all assayes to winde and folde vp the rawenesse thereof And this was it Christ said to the twelue get you and preache you And the fiftie hee sent foorth healing and teaching in his name also Christe in Iohn you shall beare witnesse of me In that last prayer the charge hee gaue vnto them he lifted vp his voice and saide sanctefie them O father in the trueth thy worde is the trueth as thou didest sende me into the worlde so do I sende them into the worlde and againe to Peter féede my shéepe and againe a good shéepeherd giueth his life for the shéepe and they here his voice and they are led by him Esay the Prophet threatneth out vengeance against them that liue securely and carelesly in their charge Woe be vnto Syon Wo be vnto Ierusalem Wo be vnto Ephraim and Woe vnto Manasses Her Priestes bee blinde ignoraunt euery one of them the are domme dogges that cannot barke looking after vaine and wanton things And this vice it is two common the Lorde knoweth among vs that are become continuall sléepers and lye downe in our lassiuiousnesse and belshe out in our talke most infamous blasphemy against the Lorde I here the voyces of good and wise men tinkling in my eares of the dissolute ministers in the country and that be abrode But let good men blushe let them that shoulde sée be blinded the Lorde wil one day take away this Vayle and vncouer their faces to sée better I sée it and