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
man will see his house pulled doune ouer his head but he will restore it A good burgmaister and ruler of a citie will prouide necessaries for his that he hais rule ouer therfore seinge our God hays taken all these names and offices on him doubt not but he will doe his part for vs if wee doe not runne from him He settes not deputies to doe his office nor is not wery of well doinge He beares not the name of these offices and refuses the labor as men doe but he sais by Salomon My delite is to be with the chyldren of men and by Dauid he neither slumbers nor slepes that watches Israel verse 17 But in the hyll Syon shal be eschaping and there shall be holines and the house of Iacob shall possesse the enheritaunce of them which possessed hys verse 18 And the house of Iacob shall be fire the house of Ioseph the flame and the house of Esau for stuble shal burne them and shall deuoure thē and there shal be no remnant of the house of Esau for the Lorde hays spoken it verse 19 They shall possesse the south parte of the hyll Esau the playne countrie of the Philistines and they shall possesse the countre of Ephraim and the coūtrie of Samaria Bēiamin shall possesse Galaad verse 20 And the captiuite of this hoste of the chyldrē of Israel those whiche be the Cananites vnto Zarphat and the captiuitie of Ierusalem whiche be in Sepharad shall possesse the cytyes of the South verse 21 And there shall come sauiours in to the hyll Syon to iudge the hyl Esau and the kyngdome shall be the Lords ¶ Marke here the diuerse ende of the good and bad the persecuted and the persecutor the true Christian and the hypocrite the gospeller and the papiste The wicked florishes for a time but his ende is euerlastinge damnation the manne of God lokinge for an other kyngdome than on the earth is content to beare the crosse here vnder hope of that which is to come The stocke of Esau hays hitherto triumphed againste Iacob Goddes people but now whan his wickednes is ripe the Lord rewarde him accordinge to his desertes The hyll Esau afore reioiced in his strōg holdes wealthy countrie and the leages made with al neighbors round about thē but now in the hill Sion shall be safe esscapinge whan Edom shal haue no place to flee vnto In Sion that is Ierusalem and Goddes elect beloued people shall be holines the true worshipping of God the hole sanctuarie and temple where Gods holy name shall be called vpon where as Esau in the meane time is defiled with Idolatrie and geuen vp to the handes of the gentils Yea and furthermore Iacob shal possesse the lande of them that possessed his And although God haue promised to godlines not onely in the worlde to come but in this life also great blessings as appeares by Iob Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid Iosias Ezechias Iosaphat whiche were of greate ryches yet this place doe I not thinke to be so vnderstand that Iacob should euer possesse the landes of Esau although the scriptur says that Dauid Iacob ouercame the Edomites But I think rather vnder this outward kingdom to be prophetied that the kyngdom of Christ as the Prophetes vse by worldlye prosperite to declare the spiritual felicite by the preachinge of the Gospell shoulde be enlarged in those coūtries which were now enemies to God and his people and so the spirituall seede of Iacob the Christians shoulde by preachinge conferre and possesse Esau his lande and the gentyls whiche so sore hated and persecuted them afore This is the nature of Goddes people to be good to the◠which hate them and to winne them all to God which haue done them moste displeasures and this is the nature of God to cal thē which be hys vtter enemies soften their stony hearts to make theym meete houses for the holy ghoste to dwel in in the middest of their raging persecution to smite them doune as he did Saul raise them vp make thē Paules of wolues sheepe of haters louers of the truthe Thus shall Esau be destroied whan his Idolatrie superstitiō false goddes such wickednes shall be taken awaye and Iacob shall possesse him whan he shal turne him too the true worshipping of the liuing god forsaking their Idols superstitions and folow true religion What can be counted a greater conquest than to conquere the deuil make all people subiect to Christ. After rebukinge their sinne threatening them iuste punishment for thesame now folowes cōfort as euer after the lawe preached folowes the gospel after correction comes grace pardō Siō is the church congregation of Christe faithfull men beleuing in him so that whosoeuer flees thither shal be safe whosoeuer is not vnder his winges in the nūber of christen people shal perishe in the dai of his wrath As all liuing creatures which were not in the Arke with Noe did perishe with the waters so al that be not of goddes houshold shal be cast into outward darknes This other promise that God makes here vntoo the faithfull seede of Iacob that hays hys faith is most notable confortable In the hyl Sion the church of Christ there shal be the holy one as 70. reade or holines as other or the sanctuarye as summe holy place to worship God in purely It skilles not muche whiche we reade for the sens◠is al one the meaning is that the churche and faithful people of Christ shal not wāt the true religion knowledge of god For the church of Christ is the spouse of Christ and his mistical bodye and if mortal men loue their wyues bodies so derelye that they wil not forsake them or leaue theim comfortles muche lesse will Christe oure sauiour not forsake vs after that he hays redemed vs seing he bought vs and loue vs so derely beinge hys ennemies Thys is than the greatest token of goddes loue to hys people whanne he gyues them hys true religion and therefore mooste earnestly too bee enbraced of vs And thys is the blessinge taken frome Esau and geuen to Iacob If we reade the holy one he is Christe whiche promised to bee with vs to the ende of the worlde he is made to vs of God oure father righteousnes holines wisedom and redemption because that who soeuer is holy receyues it of him and none is holy that hais it not of him though he haue bulles calues pardons reliques holy water holye asshes holy palmes holy crosse yea and all the holines that is in Rome if he haue not the spirite of Christe I am sure they will not saye they sell the holy Ghoste whan they sell pardons for that were symony therfore thei bye no holines in them If we reade holines than it is an vpright lyfe true faith with pure worshipping of God This is the wil of God says sainct
sayd with a voice heard from heauen This is my welbeloued sonne in whome I am well pleased hear hym Or els it maye well be taken for the promise whiche is written in the .22 of Exodus where it is sayde beholde I wil sende my aūgel or messenger before thee and he shal leade thee in the waye shall driue all thy ennemies oute before thee whose lande thou shalte posses This Aūgell was Christe Iesus who is called the Aungell of the greate counsayle because he broughte from the bosome of his father the secrete counsayle of God and preached hys greate loue to the worlde An aungell is no more but a messenger or Embassadoure from God to declare and preache his will and pleasure to the worlde And that Christe was present with the Israelites and guided thē in the wildernesse Sainct Paule telleth playne that they tempted Christe and murmured agaynst him and Christe was the rocke The meaning and effecte of this promise is no more but that as God was presente with their fathers whan he brought them out of Egipt and deliuered them oute of al daungers were thei neuer so many nor so great brought them in to the land that he promised thē So he woulde nowe be present with them deliuer them and finishe their woorke yf they woulde woorke earnestlye neyther mistrusting hys mercie but that he would be with them and defende them againste the rulers whiche hated them nor fearing his power but that he was able too perfourme his promise vnto them If wee mistruste eyther his good will towardes vs that he will not or hys power that he can not delyuer vs wee prouoke his anger too deuoure vs and can not looke for helpe at his handes to saue vs for nothing offendes hys maiestie more then mistrust vnfaithfulnes or doubtinge as sainct Iames sayth he that doubtes is like a waue of water driuen with wynde too and fro and that man whiche so doubtes can lok◠too obtayne nothinge at Gods handes he gyues all hys giftes too them that bee faythefull and beleue that hee is bothe a true God perfourmyng all that he promyses merciful and willing to help al which in their neede call vpon hym and able too fulfill all that he saieth They that either doubte or denye his offered mercie or power to helpe denye hym to be a God Therfore feare not but beleue me too be youre God and I will deliuer you and defende you as I did youre fathers and ye shall finish this temple by my protection As I did bring them into the lande which I promised them ▪ droue out their enemies and gaue them the lande to dwell in So according to this promise it came to passe to this people now for in .4 yeares space next folowing they finished that tēple as Esdras teaches So good spede had they after that they beleued his promise that he woulde be with them But here maye be moued a greate question howe this is true that God saieth by this Prophet here that he broughte them out of Egipt whā this people neuer came there but about a .1000 years before Moyses brought out their fathers through the read sea where Pharao was drouned after that he would not beleue the great wonders wrought in his sight nor fear the Lord that had so oftē greuously plaged hym for hādling his peple so cruelly The scripture vses oft to geue that which was done to the fathers as thoughe it were done to the chyldren As when Melchisedecke tooke tithes of Abraham he is saide also to haue takē tithes of Leui whiche was not borne of many yeares after because he was conteined in the loynes of Abraham and afterwarde borne of his stocke and sede So likewise saieth sainct Paule By one man sinne entered into the worlde and by syn death and hath gone through all in whō all haue sinned So we all that now liue or hereafter shall doe all before vs haue sinned in Adam and broken Gods commaundemente as well as Adam did because we were conteined in his loines as it were parte of him and toke our sinfull nature of him in his sede posteritie As we see those ryuers which spring out of littel welles are of thesame nature that the head and springe is whereof thei come though they runne .2 or 300. myle of thorough diuers countries and as those crabbes are soure this daye that growe on the crabbe tree whiche is .200 or .300 yeares olde because the first roote and plāte was sower So wee all be sinfull that be borne of Adam and soure as he was because he the first tree was suche a one the spring whereof we come was corrupte filthye So likewise God saieth he broughte thys people out of Egipt whiche neuer hadde ben there because he deliuered their fathers thence in whose loynes they were conteined and should haue ben born ther and subiect to thesame slauerie that their fathers were if God of his greate mercie mightie power had not deliuered their fathers thence and broughte them into the lande whiche he promised them And as the mercie whiche had ben receiued in times paste is a token argument of like merci and grace to be shewed when soeuer wee stande in the like neede and distresse soo here that they shoulde loke for a sure helpe at Goddes hande nowe in these daungers that they were in he putteth theym in remembraunce of that greate deliueraunce whiche not their fathers onelye but they also had before out of Egipt that they should not be afraide now but loke for sure help The daunger was greater before oute of whiche thei were deliuered and yet they escaped it So now Gods power and good will beinge no lesse towarde theym then before they shoulde loke for the like helpe of God as before He promises theym here that his spirite shoulde dwell with them therefore they shoulde not be afraide For as before he sent his Aungell to guyde them in the wildernesse so now he woulde sende hys holy spirite vnto them to dwell with thē whiche shoulde teache them all thinges that they doubted of or were ignoraunte in shoulde comforte theym in all daungers and distresse and deliuer them from al perilles that were towarde them therfore they shoulde not feare But as the other parte of the promise concernes Christ whiche shoulde come to deliuer them out of spirituall bōdage and slauerye of sinne and the spiritual Egipt So this part here concernes the sendinge of the holy Ghoste whome Christ sayde he woulde send to dwell with vs and be our comfortour to the ende And as the buylding of this second tēple betokens the churche of Christ builded by the preaching of the Gospell So here is the holy Ghoste promised whiche he sayde should not come excepte he wente awaye from them Thys spirite is called a comforter because he strengthēs vs in all our trouble he
is the spirite of truthe because he leades vs into all truth and putteth vs in remembraunce of all thinges whyche Christ him self caught before but no new doctrine he bringes of his owne And because our sauiour Christ is taken from vs in hys bodelye presence he promises vs that this spirite shall dwell with vs not for a tyme but too the ende and therefore wee shoulde not feare But is this a sufficient cause too perswade a man that he should not fear the power of kinges or worldly trouble because the spirite of God dwelles with hym yea truly For what spirite can preuayle against the holy spirit which is the power of God It is written of Gedeon whan he enterprised that venterous acte to fight againste Gods enemies that the spirite of the Lorde bid clothe and defend Gedeon as our clothes doe vs and so he obteined that noble victorie with so few agaiÌ„st so many And not to be afraide in suche trouble is the woorke of the holy Ghoste as Esaie called hym the spirite of boldnes strength and wisedom Peter whan he denied hys maister for the woordes of an handmaide after he receiued the holy Ghoste did and durste confesse hym too the deathe before princes and rulers So sayde oure sauiour Christe to hys Apostles when ye shal staÌ„d before Kyngs and rulers take no thought what or howe ye shall speake for in that houre it shal be geuen vnto you what you shall speake For it is not you that speake but the spirite of youre father which speaketh in you And although to worldly wisedome thys spirite seemes but a small thinge yet it is moste true that s â–ª Paule saith that which is folishnes before God is wyser then me and that whiche is weake before God is stronger then men And he that hath this spirite dwellinge in hym needes not too feare any power be it neuer so greate for if God be for vs who shall be againste vs and if he take his breath and spirite from the mightiest princes they are troubled vade awaye verse 6 For thus saieth the Lorde of hostes yet one litle time shal be and I will trouble the heauens and the earth the sea the lande verse 7 And I will trouble all people and the desire of all people shall come and I wil fyll thys house with glory saieth the Lorde of hostes ¶ The Prophete goeth on forth with this comforth to all people and promises not onely that God woulde be with theym in hys buyldinge whiche they shoulde finish in fewe yeares folowinge but intoâ— the temple also which thei did now build God woulde sende his sonne Christ Iesus to preache his fathers will whom all people looked for and desired hys comminge and he woulde fyll that house with glory that they shoulde not neede to care for the smalnes of it if they woulde onelye with courage woorke God woulde fulfill the rest And that they shoulde know him too be able to fulfyll hys promise he cals hym selfe by the glorious name of the Lorde of hostes so often here in these verses that they maye vnderstande all creatures too bee at hys commaundement that none coulde preuaile againste that whiche he woulde haue done as is saide before But this is a straunge kynde of comforte too tell theym of suche a trouble as shoulde trouble heauen and earth sea laÌ„d and all people and yet they should be glad of it and that it shoulde come not long after The tyme when this trouble chauÌ„ced was about .500 yeares after that this prophete had thus spoken and yet he cals it but one litle time And this maye well bee called a litle tyme in respecte of God with whome all thinges are present before hys sighte withoute tyme and a .1000 â–ª yeares with hym is as yesterdaye which is paste and he hym selfe is before all times not coÌ„teyned in tyme but liuing for euer wythout tyme. Or els it is called a little tyme in respect of that longe time wherin their fathers had so long looked for the coÌ„ming of Christ and so muche desired hym and yet see hym not It was now aboue 3000. yeare since he was promised to AdaÌ„ about 2000. since he was so often spoken of too Abraham and .1000 since it was renued to Moyses and after to all the Prophetes from tyme too tyme in respecte of whiche 500. maye well be called a litle tyme. This trouble whiche he sayeth shoulde trouble heauen earthe sea lande and all people is described by these mightie wordes to set out the greatnesse of the trouble by the figure called Hyperbole and not the trouble was suche that heauen earth sea and lande shoulde feele it be troubled therewith whiche are insensible creatures and can feele nothinge that troubles them but thus by these woordes the scripture vses too tell the greatnes of any thinge that it speakes of Moyses and Esaye because the people were harde hearted and woulde not heare their sayinges to set foorthe theyr hardnes of heart and the greatnes of that message which they had froÌ„ God to speake saye thus â–ª Heare ye heaueÌ„s and geue care thou earth c. Sainct Paule saieth by the like figure euery creature grones and trauayles lookinge for the laste daye wherin they shall be deliuered froÌ„ this vayn corruptioÌ„ wherin they serue not because deade creatures can grone or trauayle but for the great desire that they haue to see that day of oure redeÌ„ption fulfilled as the woman whiche trauels grones desires too be deliuered out of her payn to be restored to her former quietnes or els it may be taken that all creatures in all these places should be troubled But if this trouble shoulde be so great how can it be a promise of ioye and comfort Who can be merye to hear tel of such a greate trouble Surelye this is not promised to the euil but to the good For as our Lord maister Christ saieth speaking of the trouble that should be in the destructioÌ„ of Ierusalem the latter ende of the world woo be to theÌ„ that be with chyld geue sucke in those daies the wicked shall wish the hyls to fal on theÌ„ hide theÌ„ â–ª thei shuld seke for death â–ª it shuld flee froÌ„ theÌ„ So he saith to the good in the midst of all the desperat â—orow wherin the euil man caÌ„not tel what to Lifte ye vp your heades and bee merye for your redemption and deliueraunce is at hande So after this shorte time that he speaketh of this greate trouble whiche shall be at the byrthe preachinge miracles and deathe of oure sauioure Christe shoulde be but onely to the wicked For the good men shoulde as muche and more reioyce because of that daye of saluation and redemption was comen he whome all people looked for had now appeared to the comfort of all good men And thys trouble shoulde not be so
Christe alone for of his fulnes al we haue receiued as saint Ihon saieth And where we haue giftes of the holye spirite by measure so muche as pleases god of his goodnes to geue Christ oure Lorde and sauiour had the fulnes of the spirite without all measure that of hys fulnesse wee all might receiue part Christ hath the fulnesse of the gifts of the spirite so muche that although he geue part too vs all yet he hath nothinge lesse him self For as the Sunne geues light plentifull to the whole world and yet kepes the self same light within it self so oure sauioure Christe God and man hath the perfite fulnes of all goodnes in him selfe and yet geues part to vs as he thinkes good not losinge anye pece of that he hath him selfe but lightninge oure darkenes with that light which he hath withiÌ„ him self Saint Paule saith he is our wisedom righteousnes holines and redemption because he geues vs all these thinges As it is in fleshe soo is it in all other creatures although a probable obiectioÌ„ to the contrari maye be made out of the scriptures them selues Oure sauiour Christe saying woo to the Scribes and Pharise is which taught that he which swore by the temple or the aultar was nothing but if he swore by the golde of the temple or the offering on the aultar he was in faut semes to teache contrarye for he ads vntoo more sayinge that the temple makes the golde holy and the aultar the offring and that he which sweares by the aultar sweareth by it and those thinges whiche be on it and he that sweares by the teÌ„ple sweares by it him whiche is in it as thoughe the temple the aultar made other things holy Sainct Paule speakinge of the marriage of the faithful and the vnfaithefull saieth that the vnfaithful part is made holy by the faithful But here you must marke that this holines which sainct Paule speakes of beloÌ„ges nothing to the saluation or forgeuenes of sinne of the vnholy party but teaches that such mariage to coÌ„tinue is not vnlawful whoredome the chyldren so borne be not bastards HeatheÌ„s That other holines in the temple and the aultar is but suche a holines as Moyses teaches in his law which than was a ceremony but is now taken away therfore beloÌ„gs not to vnto vs. Any thing is called holy by the law of Moyses which is dedicated to serue god in any kind of ceremoni or seruice in the temple is no more turned to serue man in any kind of ciuil matter or in his house or els which by his institution signifies some holy thing vntoo vs. But these be called holy not because any holines for saluation is in them or that they can geue holines to other things but because the ende vse where vnto they be turned is holy Nothing beside man caÌ„ receiue this true holines for faith is the instrument means wherby true holines is receiued which profit to saluation whereof the Prophete speakes here chiefely But it is not so with the euilnes sinne of man for yâ— doeth not only defile the man when it is in him but all that the euil maÌ„ doth is euil also as all the touches the thing which is defiled is defiled also For as a carâ—on doeth not onelye smell euill it selfe but infectes all that come nere it So that man whiche is defiled in soule doth defile all thinges that he takes in hand Ualentianus a christiaÌ„ man turned from Idolatrye to the knowledge of Christ afterwarde made Emperour when other had cast vpon him suche holye water as thei made to their Idols he was angrye with theym that they defiled hys coate and smote the priest that gaue hym the holy water moued him to sacrifice For he thought as truth is that whatsoeuer was consecrated too Idols was soâ— filthye that it defiled whatsoeuer it touched if it was receiued with such opinion of holines as they thought Some read here if he that is defiled by the deadde doe touche c. the sence is bothe one of this that Many vncleane thinges were in Moyses lawe that whosoeuer touched theym shoulde bee vncleane also as he that touches a dead body shal be vncleane .7 days and he that hathe the fluxe of seede shal be vncleane he that touches the bed where suche haue lyen or sits where they haue sitten shal be vncleane also But this is not so muche for the vncleanes whiche is in the dead body or the sede by nature for bothe be the good creatures of God as the vnder this figure God woulde teache vs that we shoulde not as muche as touche sin whiche is the death of the soule Likewise the euyll lustes whiche raygne whaÌ„ the flux of the sede is be the causes which make them vncleane which suffer suche diseases and affections So that whether we reade he that is defiled in soule or he that is defiled by the dead it is sinne that bothe do meane For that not onely defyles but killes the soule which doth it And sinne is such that it defiles all that touch it as Strack saieth comparing it to pitch He that touches pitche is defiled with it Sainct Paule saieth also euil communications corrupt good maners Dauid saieth the sinners prayer is turned into sinne The good man therefore makes all his woorkes good and the euill defiles euery good thinge he takes in hande This verse teaches plaine that the hole life of an euill man whatsoeuer hee doeth is defiled For as sainct Paule requires of a good man that whether he eate or drinke or whatsoeuer he do he shoulde do all to the glorie of God So the euil man if he eate drinke slepe wake talke worke â–ª or be Idle all is defiled before the Lord. For an euil tree can not bring foorth good frute nor figges growe on bryers yea let him studye praye faste geue almisse bye â—rentals geue his body to be burned or do what he can deuise and it is defiled If I had all faith saieth sainct Paule so that I coulde make mountaines to sturre out of their places if I knowe all secretes geue my goods in almes and my body to be burned I am nothinge better it profites me nothinge if I lacke charitie All euyl men lacke charitie For by this shall ye bee knowen too be good men and so my schollers if ye loue one another sayeth our sauiour Christ therefore whatsoeuer they do it is defiled The good man if he eate or drinke he doth it with thankes giuinge to God for suche sustenaunce righteously gotten and soberly takes it to refreshe his weake nature that he may the better serue his Lorde God If he woorke vse marchaundise or anye other kynde of lyfe he doth it so much for his own as for the comen profit But the euil man either geues not due thankes for his meate