do wyth hys owne as he leyst leaste thou be reprouyd and sent awaie with rebuke Be ye therfor dyscret and sobre â–ª settell youre Hartes in the true feare of God and arme youre soules to temptacyon Turne your eares to the truth my bretheren and vse the gyftes that ye haue receaued wyth a lowly aÌ„d an obedyent harte faythfully / that your frutes maye appeare and receue not the grace of god in vayn for it is writeÌ„ I haue hard the in a tyme accepted and in the day of saluatyon haue I succoured the. ij Cor. v. Beholde now in that well accepted tyme / sayth paule / now is the day of health / lett vs geue none occasyon of euyll / that in our mynystryng or offyce ther be found no faulte But in al thynges / let vs behaue oure selfes / as mynysters of God In much pacyence / in afflycyons in necessyties in aÌ„guysshes / in stryfes / in labours in watchynges in fastynges / and in purenes c. many do heare rede speak the holye scryptures praysed be God and many desyre to know muche But blessed and happye are ye whych obeye to the truthe / So that ye doo therafter for the kyngdome of God standeth not in words as ye wel know but in powr workynge the wycked synners haue God and hys holy worde many tymes in their mouthes but they walke styll in ther oun corrupt ways â–ª truly they are the bounde seruaunts of synne that be subdued to lustes ouercoÌ„ of sinne ij Pet. iij. For of whome a manne is ouercomed Saythe Sayncte peter to the same he is in bondage The vngodly manne hath not the feare of God before hys eyes Nether doth he regarde the law of the hyghest Therfore shall he not be preserued for God regardeth hym not neyther wyll he defend him iÌ„ the tyme of trouble â–ª can suche prosper / as take parte agaynst the hyghest prouok the lorde to anger Apoca. xix continually with ther vnlawful dedes fyght ageynst the holy spryte of our God aÌ„d yet they say in ther hartes Tushe God seeth it not the God of Iacob regardeth it not they do euell / and they say they do wel ye althogh they know / mary tymes the contrary because they delyte in euell theyr folysh hartes are blynded Therfore must they reape the frutes of they re labours when they thynke them selues wyse they become foles bycause theyr vnderstaÌ„dyng is blynded When they think they knowe God loue hym An ydoll is that whych hathe the loue of the harte and is placed in the towme 〈◊〉 God Euery maÌ„ 〈◊〉 treasureis ther which he lâ—eth beste â–ª and serue hyÌ„ most truly they serue an ydoll and a false God / in hys steade and place / fayned of theyr own fleshly lustes and carnall affectyons and of the eternal God saue the name onely they knowe nothing / for where a mans treasure is sayth Chryste / there wyll hys harte be also In wordes truly many say they know god â–ª but wyth their dedes they shamfullye deny him â–ª in that they refuse to lyue accordyng to hys commaundements wyl they haue forsakeÌ„ the liuely testameÌ„t of god made in the precyous bloude and death of our sauyoure Chryste Iesu / to all that beleue in hym / that is to say whych wyth a free harte do put themselues vnder the couenaunt of God to do hys wyll And after theyr owne Imagynacyon fayne themselues an other waye to the kyngdome of heauen / as easy and broade to the flesshe as they lust they refused the narrowe waye Thys way is narowe and strayte / to the fleashe / but breade and caâ—ye to a wylâ—iÌ„g myndeâ— and strayght gate that leadeth vnto lyfe and haue chosen that broode easy waye to lyue after they re lustes whych leadeth al that walke in it into euerlastynge coÌ„dempnacyon on wysely do they forsake the word of the lord whyche he ordeyned a lantern and a sure lyghte vnto theyr fete / to walk in extreme darknes of theyr owne blynd Imagynacyons neuertheles thus sayth the lord our mercyfull God / vnto the vngodly synners Eze. 33. If I saye to the wycked he shall dye sayth the lorde yet yf he turne from his wyckednes and do the thynges which is equall and ryght he shall surelye lyue not dye again O / turnt you turne you sayth the lord / O why wyl ye dye As truly as I lyue sayth the lord I haue no pleasuriâ— the death of a siÌ„ner but wyl rather that he coÌ„uert lyue c. BrethreÌ„ / I beseche you for the dere mercy of God esteme your saluatyoÌ„ and health which is precyous is now so frely offred vnto you in yepÌ„cious bloud of Iesu haue coÌ„passioÌ„ youre owne soules and shewe loue and charyte to the poure opressed / the lame blynde and nedye loke vpon your selfes wyth an inwarde eye / and see that your soules be refreashed that they may liue O / why wyll ye dye conuerte and turne to the lorde wyth youre whole hartes / from your wycked and synfull wayes trulye your synnes are forgeuen you â–ª whye esteme ye so much the vayne pleasures of thys worlde Whych are the delyghtes of the carnall and earthelye mynd seyng they are so vayne and transytorye Remember Esau Sell not your enheretaunce whyche is precyous for soo vyle 〈◊〉 a pryce / leaste after when ye wolde gladlye obtayne ye be put by Bretheren Consyder ye are not nowe vnder the law / but vnder grace â–ª because ye are grafte / into Iesuchryste by faith O therfore I besyâ—h you / doo no more wyllfully euyll Soo can fynne nowe doo ye no harme My lytell chyldryne â–ª these â—yreâ—s wâ—yt I vnto you saythe Saynct Iohn that ye synne not But if any man synne yet haue we an Aduocate with the father sayth he Iesus christ whych is ryghtuous c. For the lord ordereth a good mans goyng sayth holye Dauyd and hathe pleasure in hys waye Though he fail he shall not be hurt for the lord vpholdeth hym Allthough the rightous happen to fall sometyme into synne yet they haue an aduocate for it with the father bicause thei wolde not synne Psa 36 and .90 with hys hande c. O that ye wolde nowe obeye to the voyce of God conteyned in hys sacred word that ye myght receyue Chryste into your soules Bretheren beloued in our sauyour Chryst Iesu I besech you for the dear loue of Chryst Iesu whyche refused not to suffer reproue of the worldde to geue hys lyfe for oure sakes that we might lyue by hym be warned in time leaste Sathan beguyle you and brynge you a slepe wyth the world through in ordynate desyre of vayne ryches sory aÌ„d pleasur therof couetyng after mery and ioyfull dayes here relyghtyng the mynd in wantonnes or worldly lusts whych is the playne waye to vtter destructyon Know ye not how the ennemy seketh busuly by these thynges to betray you
A Godly Newe short treatyfe instructyng euery parson howe they shulde trade theyr lyues in the Imytacyon of Vertu / and the shewyng of vyce declaryng also what benefyte man hath receaued by christ through the effusyon of hys most precyous bloude Imprīted At London by me Robert Stoughton Dwelling with in Ludgate at the sygne of the Bysshoppes Myter Grace mercye and peace of concience be Multyplyed and encreaced amonge all them that loue oure lorde Iesus Chryst the truthe of God in purenes of mynd Amen BRetheren beloued in oure Sauyoure Iesus Chryste i. Cor. xv Consyder I Pray you the greate goodnes of God ī that he hath called you by hys grace to the knowledg of him self / throwghe the worde whyche is greate mercye towarde you in Chryste Iesu for fleashe and bloude sayth Sayncte paule can not enherite the kyngdome of i God / neyther can Corrupcyon inheryte pncorrupcyon Nichodemus beynge A aharysey and a man lerned Ye knowe dfter the iudgementes of men and enwued also with the gyftes of nature / as wytte reson knoledge and vnderstāding naturall yet coulde not he of hys owne powre and strēgth comprehend the heauenly doctryne of oure Saueour christ nor perceyue the celestyal mynde therof tyll he was holpen by grace from God aboue and borne a new Not of mortall sede / but of immortall whyche endureth lasteth for euer Ihon. iii. For that whych is born of the fleshe is fleshe saith christ But that whych is borne of the spyryte is spryte Therfore sayde Chryste Excepte thou be borne of water and of the holy spiryte thou canst not se the kyngdome of God For al thought god synce the begynnynge hath appropryated certayne gyftes of grace to the nature of mā by reason wherof he dothe excell in hys creacyon all other creatures not only in shape of body statute and contenaunce also in the aforsayde spyrytuall gyftes of grace annexed to nature as wytt reason knoledge and vnderstandynge for when god made man at the begynnyng he gaue hym a Reasonable soule from the whych procedeth so God withdraw it not a mynde of vnderstandynge in all mankynde aboue all other creaturs which the lorde hathe created vpon the face of the whole earthe yet trulye withoute the especyall grace of the lord GOD and gyfte from heauen aboue although a man he neuer so wyse and excellente Yet can he not obtaygne of hys owne strenght whych commethe of oure first byrthe the trewe knowledge feare and loue of god which fell from vs in adam But by grace are ye saued through faythe / sayth paule and not of youre selfes nor throught workes Roma iii. leaste any man shuld boast hymselfe but by chryst are we saued and made the beloued sonnes of the hyghestt As Wytnesse the sayncte Iohn sayinge He gaue them power to be the Sonnes of GOD as many as beleue in hys name whych are not born of fleashe nor of bloud nor of the wyll of man / but of GOD. Iohan. i. Roma viij And through hym my bretherne ye haue obtayned not only knowledge and Iudgemente to dyscerne and iudge betwyxt the good the euyl but also ye are made able through the spyryte whyche a bydeth in you whyche ye haue of God to chose the good to leaue the euyll Galla. 4. a i. Cor. ij b for the lord no doubte is a spirite sayth paule and wher the spirite of the lord is ther is lybertye and throughe hym ye are made stronge / so that ye obey ij Cor. iij. for through Chryste saith he I can doo al thyngs whych he hath made me able Bretheren yf ye obeye be now sedde by the holy spyrit of God Roma vjij then trulye are ye made the fre sonnes of God then shal ye also be made perfet and obteyne vyctory agaynst syn death and hell whych is the whole power of Sathan our mortall ennemye Bretheren deceaue not your selues / for loke to whome ye do obey / truly hys seruaūts ye are to whome ye doo obeye whether it be by obedience vnto rightuousnes or synne vnto death In Adam trulye we were all deade / but in Chryste we are al made alyue as manye as beleue in hys name as perteynyng to the flesh as s Paule sayth we wer all naturally born the chyldren of wrath Roma vi as wel as al other because of orygynall Synne that reygneth in all fleshe Reason was blynd and nature corrupte therfore coulde it not obeye to the wyll of GOD / but vyolentlye stroue agaynste hym / desyrynge that he hated and hatyng that he loued ▪ i. Corin. iij For the naturall manne sayth Saynct Paul perceyueth not the thynges of Goode / that belonge to the spyryte i. Corin. iij. for they are but folyshnes vnto hym Neyther can he perceue them sayth he for they are Spyrytuallye examyned but he that is spyrytuall dyscusseth all thynges Brethern youre mindes are now lightned by grace and ye haue now receyued the spyryte of God / whych bryngethe knowledge and a perfecte willinge obedyent mynde to do the wyll of God But whosoeuer hath not the Spyryte the same is none of hys For asmuche as ye are partakers of the holy spyryte and are borne a new yeare not now my bretherne vnder the lawe but vnder grace Obey vnto the fourme of doctryne I praye you wherunto ye are called for trulye God hathe pleasure in a louelye harte And an obedyente Mynde is all wayes at peace wyth hym The naturall mā not renued knoweth not God / neyther is he obedyente to the ryghteowsenes which is of value be for hym neyther can be / sayethe paule / For delectacyon and costome in euyll / blyndeth there vnderstandinge that they are not obedyente / no not to that goodnes that naturall reasone teacheth them / they saye they know God loue hym and kepe all hys commaundementes They deceyue themselues vtterlye thynkynge them ryche when the world fauoureth them when indede they are blynde and poore ▪ for though they possesse muche yet indeyd they haue no thynge Therfor the hope of the vngodly is as the dry thystle flower Luke xij For they re faythe is vayne and of none effecte When they heare the woorde of God whiche is the trwth they are not obedyente to do therafter ▪ they delyghte in euyll / and haue no desyre to folowe ryghteousnes therfore / when they come to the knowledge of the scrypture they fall sodenlye into many daungerous erroures Some because they Wolde be hydde from Gods wynde them selfes in a folyshe cloke of myar necessyty / sayng in thē selfes / that if can not otherwyse be When in dede they stryue not at all to make resystaūce but doo lette the fleshelye mynde runne whether it lusteth So for lacke of obedyence they fall into wyllfull synne deceauyng them selfes in their owne ymagynacyōs To do yuell thei haue power because they wyll / but to doo well they haue none at al for
And how he layeth carnal fleashelye and worldlye pleasures as a bayte wherin venym / yeth hydde before your eyes to catche your myndes / that he may so carrye you awaye â–ª For as the fowlers bayt betrayeth the fowles Soo doth the vayne pleasures of thys world begylde the myndes of fowles For through the desyre of it the enemy ouercometh them â–ª leadynge the synner from one vanytye to an other tyll he haue so broughte hym in woofull bondage and moste myserable captyuytye But thys ye knowe my brethern I meane the sea sone how it is tyme as Sayncte paule sayth that we shulde nowe a wake owt of slepe Rom. xiii for nowe is oure saluacyon nerer then when we beleued The nyghte is paste and the day is come nygh Lett vs therfore Caste a waye the dedes of darekenes and put on the Armoure of lyghte Lett vs nowe walke honestelye saythe he as in the daye lyghte not in eatynge and drynkynge chambrynge wantones nether in strife enuyeng but put ye on the lord Iesus Chryst make not prouisioÌ„ for the flesh to fulfyll the lustes of it Truly we are called as ye know to suffer wyth Chryst that we myght be made partakers with hym in glory for yf we were grafted lyke hiÌ„ in death Then shall we be lyke hym also in the resurrectyon Iesus autem dixit illis AmeÌ„ dico vobis quod vos qui sequuti estis me in regeneracione cum sederit fisius hominis in seâ—â—e maiestatis fue c Math. xix the rych man lyueth here in al pleasures and fared delycyously And Lazarus lyued in trouble aÌ„d payne But after this lyfe Lazarus receued ioye saith Chryste and the rych man payne for Abraham sayde vnto hym sonne remembre that thou in thy lyfe tyme receyuedst thy good and contrary wise Lazarus paine now therfore is he coÌ„forted aÌ„d the art punysshed Our sauiour Chryste trulye being the lord of our glory during that time of thys lyfe walked here through many trybulacyons He refused the scepter and crown of a worldly kingdoÌ„ with al the vayn freÌ„d shyp glory that the world could geue hiÌ„ / receued with mourniÌ„g deares on hys head a crowne of sharpe thornes a rede for a sceptre in his right haÌ„d Mat xxvi that he might so for our sakes acoÌ„plysh the wyll of his heuenly father gette vyctory against that whole powre of the enemy Chryst suffred for vs sayth s peter leauyÌ„g vs an exaÌ„mple that we shuld follow hys fotsteppes / which dyd no synne / neyther was ther guyle found in his mouthe c. Chryste had no felycytye in thys presente worlde whych is now corrupte but hys reioysyng was in the wylle of hys father and he had a great respecte to the rewarde at the end Yf the sonne of God takyng oure nature vpon hym myghte not escape / but muste drynke of thys Cuppe who saied The seruauÌ„te is not aboue the master neyther the messynger greater then he that sendethe hym Thynke not ye to escape / my Brethern yf ye intende to be made partakers with hyÌ„ of his fathers heauenlye kyngdome Therfore wyth pacyence possesse your sowles and lyke faytheful Sowldiours of Iesus christ take vp youre Crosse / and folowe hym for trulye he hathe promysed that yf ye be partakers with hym in sufferyng / ye shall be partakers wyth hym in glorye But yf you lyue after the fleash haue your pleasure amongest the wycked ye must dye But if ye mortify the dedes of the flesh / throughe the spyryte then shall ye lyue Brethern / ye are called of God that ye shuld be holy Therfor I wolde not that ye shulde now be partakers in the dedes of the wycked i. Corin. x. and haue fellowshyppe wyth deuels for truly as saiÌ„t paul sayth ye can not be partakers of the lordes table and of the table of deuels neyther drynke of the lordes cup and of the cup of deuels Eyther shall we prouoke the lorde saythe he or are we stronger then he ye can not serue God and mammon how agreeth light wyth darkenes ryghtousnes wyth vnryghtousnes or Chryst wyth Belyas The hart that goeth two ways truly is hated and such as are dobble tounged / are accursed of God What can it proffite a man to wynne all the world / wyth the losse and daÌ„mage of hys owne sowle yea what shal he geue to redeme it agayn with al he that seketh to saue hys lyfe shall lose it saythe chryste But he that wyl lose hys lyfe for my sake shal saue it yea blessed and happye are those Sayth the spyryte that loue not ther lyues vnto the deathe Truly they shall receaue a Crowne of life And although ye know the truth already my BrethereÌ„ dearely beloued in our Sauioure Iesu chryste yet I thynke it not vayne by these letters / to styrre vpp your remembraunce for trulye it is my dylyee that ye shulde not peryshe wyth the worlde but that ye shulde turne from your synnes and liue Therfore / seynge God hath called you wyth an holye callynge for he hath supplyed your harts with the oyle of grace opened your vnderstandynge by hys holy spyryte Soo that ye haue nowe sene hys holy wyll declared vnto vs in Chryste Iesu And haue consented that it is the truthe of God I beseche you by the mercyfullnes of God / make your bodyes a quycke and lyuelye sacryfyce / holy acceptable to God / which as sayncte Paule sayth is your resonable seruynge of God And fascyon not youre selues lyke vnto thys woorlde but be ye chaunged in youre shappe by the Renuynge of youre wyttes Seynge ye are nowe rysen wyth Chryste seâ—te youre myndes aboue on heauenly thynges where Christ syttethe on the ryghte hande of God the father and not on the thinges that art on the earth Brethern deceue not your selues brynge furthe the perfecte frutes belongynge to repentanÌ„ce / which is amendement of lyfe Let it appere I praye you that yeare of chryste / haue harde the woorde in dede Trulye it is good that the harte be establisshed with grace and not with so vanyces Yf vertu encrese ye caÌ„not be yo le nor yet vnfruteful iÌ„ the knowledge of chryste But he that wanteth thys / as saynte Peter sayth is blyndes gropynge for the way which hys hand and hath forgotteÌ„ / that he was purged froÌ„ his olde synnes for true fayth is lyuely / caÌ„not be hydde neyther may she iÌ„ any wise dwell or abide alone for she hath a great desyre to many vertues She accoÌ„panye the her selfe with gods wysedoÌ„ loue She is nouryshed daylye with the bryght sonne of ryghteousnes / the highest watereth her plantes with the swete showres of grace Through perfecte obedyence to the wall of god she spredeth furthe her brauÌ„ches in due season whereby she obtayneth a suer hope her fruyctes proseade from the tree of lyfe / For trulye truly they are the workes of the spirite of God