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
of Christe of his Apostles that vsed alway to praye may the more inslame vs There shal be therfore no iteration of that now let vs onely cousider what it is that is publique and what therein to bée required The custome of méeting at cōmon prayer it is no new thinge it hath bin from all beginninge wherin the Churche of God hath flourished For I doubt not but the poore offeringe of Caien and of Abell was a thinge generallye vsed of the Church in that time and donne of them as taken from the vse of the Congregation or meetinge then vsed and albeit the Church was small and they destitute of the Sacramente of the Tree of life Yet they had so much as did signely vnto them a cextainty of their saluation And there is in that place opened to vs that in the time of Seth men began to call on the name of the Lorde Not that God had no worship or that there were none that serued and called on his name but then the Church which was before darkened I take it to haue bin agayne newly restored So that it seemeth to mee they knew the Lorde and that openly such as weare his I might speake of Abraham and of his time how hée also repayred the house of God And in Sodom also was God knowen Agayne Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his householde For as Nemrod had his solempe places for his Idolles as is mentioned by Berosus the Chaldean and Manetho the Aegiptian Préeste after the flood So doubt I not but God had his abidynge place thoughe not so playnely described by the Prophets Now in Moses his time it was without all controuersy fully ratefied and established when after the delinery of the Law vnto his seruaunt Moses in glory and great Maiesty hee seuered Aaron from the rest and put vpon him moste gloryous apparrell and gaue him the Préesthoode for euer and the gouernment of the Tabernacle to him and his in a perpetuall generation Very notably approoued by Iosuah when thei eate the passouer in Ierico after their iourney in the Wildernesse Also more liuely set out in their solempne méeting and comming vp thyther to worship God where the Lottes were cast bee fore the Lorde to deuide the inheritaunce of Israell After this you shall sinde euery wheare great méetinges of all Israell and of the whole Congregation I referre it therfore to them that will search the Booke of God and though vnwiltinge yet as interrupted heare to sée the state of our daies in that a more bright and comly platforme hath very seldome bin drawen out in any Churche then in ours But so sluggish and carelesse liues I speake of some I know it so mutch breatch and contempte in others I haue seene it So small regard to the Temple and loue and zeale to the house of God for I haue hard it as in few common wealthes hath béene red the lyke that is it which is most pittifull I only wish that men in our dayes where the Harrow is not vsed nor inginnes of Iron framed or the torturs and exiles putte in practise as is els euer ye wheare would more willingly agree togeather then as yet they doo In the histories of the persecutions vnder Dioclesian and Maximine the Emperor there is mention made very often of the places that Christians met in But as it appeareth before Constantine their places whytherto they commonly resorted weare but homly and not so trimmed as ours termed by the name of Dominica and as Eusebius recordeth Oratoria and in Nazianzen the Church is called Basilica and so I finde it in Ambrose But for this I think no man will striue vnleast Ethnicke like wée take that which men vse so much at this day to praye abroad for that in persecution it was not lawfull for them to come to Churches Or there is a reason found out and so it may bee to praye in the Churchyeardes and at Graues and Sepulchers of the dead because in the persecution and tyranny of Gorgias of Alexandria they were content or compelled rather to ly at the Graues and Sepulchers of their Fathers Unhappely I thinke was that storye taken in hande and in an euill time if it bée grounded theare to prostrate themselues in feelds to lie at the foote of Hilles to praye without the walles and Townes and gates of the Citties for that Christians had so small a libertye vnder Valence of Antioch But where so euer it be fetched for that it is vntrue looke about search other Historyes gather as well that which is good sée mely as that which is erronious you shal finde many examples of Christianity For these arguments taken from the custome of the nations and from the Gentilles for that contrary to the rule of the Booke of God they appoynted at their seuerall pleasures this or that it is not to bée liked of But as euery Cuntrye hath his custome in comming to prayse the name of God if it were in holes Caues of the earth as the Indians some of them doo it in or in houses of Réedes as they in very hot Cuntreys doo or in other though vnseemely places to vs as diuers of the nations and as our Irishe men not so far a iourny from vs very beastly people doo yet if that Cuntry whatsoeuer hath any one in him that calleth on the name of Christ hee they bée aswell excepted in their homely Cottages as other people bee in stately ▪ Pallaces And though I alowe not the Iewish tradition renued by Constantine in carrying about a tent squared like the Temples they buylt then for to praise the name of God with his soldiours yet because the meaning of that good Emperour can in no wise be condemned I cannot altogether disallowe the thing But nowe in so great a light where the woorde of God neuer shined more brightly then it doth here I needs must cry out with Ieremie that readier were they in the worlde to offer vp cakes to the Quéene of heauen then they be nowe to giue thanks pay their vowes to the God of Iacob O that I could but ransake out the cause hereof I am persuaded that not onely they whose writings haue béene mistaken of a number to this hower woulde knit them selues as fellowe labourers herein but diuers also whome God hath blessed with great wisedom would imploy their faithfull heartes to redresse it Giue mee leaue here though not so fully yet of truth not altogether rashly to enquire and séeke after this For a little experiensed herein I haue a shrewd gesse at their reasons It may be that the church néedeth some holy water againe as in the time of poperie to purge it a freshe Otherwise I know not but that our temples might please them For if they haue béene vsed euer since Christe our Sauiour the manner I meane of our churches may or ought the
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