where in Howe stedfast are thy woordes of truthe and whiche of you can rebuke or reproue them Be thou my Iudge O Lorde c. For thy louyng kindnes is euer before mine eyes and I will walke in thy truth c O shut not vp my soule with the sinners nor my life with the bloud thirsty in whose handes is wickednes and theyr right hands are full of gifts Good lucke haue thou with thine honoure ride on because of the worde of truth of mekenes and righteousnes and thy righte hand shall teache the terrible thinges But loe thou requiredst truth in the inwarde parts and shalt make me to vnderstand wisdome secretly Mercy and truth are met together righteousnes and peace haue kissed ech other truth shall florish out of the earth and righteousnes hath looked downe from heauen But thou o lord art full of compassion and mercy long suffering plenteous in goodnes truth My song shall be alwayes of the louing kindnes of the lord with my mouth will I euer be showing thy truth from generation to generation thy truth shalt thou stablish in the heauens O Lord y e very heauens shall prayse thy wonderous workes and thy truth in the congregation of saintes O Lord who is like vnto thee thy truth most mighty lord is on euery side righteousnes and equitie is the habitation of thy seat mercy and truth shal go before thy face my truth and my mercy also shal be with him and in my name shal his horne be exalted neuerthelesse my louing kindnes will not I vtterly take from him nor suffer my truth to fayle Lord where are thine olde louing kindnes which thou swarest vnto Dauid in thy truth hys faythfullnes and truth shall be thy shilde and buckler It is a good thinge to geue thankes vnto the Lord and to sing prayses vnto thy name O moste hiest to tell of thy louing kindnes early in the morning and of thy truth in the night season the workes of his handes are veritie and iudgement all his commaundementes are true they stand fast for euer and euer and are done in truth and equitie O prayse the Lord all ye heathen praise him all ye nations for his mercifull kindnes is euer more and more toward vs and the truth of the Lord endureth for euer O take not the worde of truth vtterly out of my mouth for my hope is in thy iudgementes all thy commaundementes are true Thy truth also remayneth from one generation to an other thy righteousnes is an euerlasting righteousnes and thy lawe is the truth Be thou nigh at hand O Lorde for all thy commaundementes are true Thy word is true and is from euerlasting all thy iudgementes of thy righteousnes endureth for euer Doth not wisdome cry doth not vnderstanding put forth her voyce and say my throate shall be talking of thy truth and my lippes abhorre vngodlines A Iust man will tell the truth and show the thing that is right but a false witnesse deseueth A true mouth is euer cōstant but a dissembling tong is euer chaungeable the lord abhorreth lying lippes but they that labour for truth please him A false witnesse shall perish but he that is a true man boldely speaketh that he hath hard Haue I not warned thee very oft with counsaile and learnyng that I myght shew thee the truth and that thou with the veritie mightest aunswer them that send vnto thee Wo be vnto them that make vnrighteous lawes and deuise thinges which be to hard for to keepe where through my people are oppressed and the Innocentes of my people robbed of iudgement that wisdome may be theyr pray that they may rob the fatherlesse What will you do in time of visitation and when destruction shall come from farre To whom will ye runne for helpe and to whom will you geue your honoure that he may kepe it that when I with drawe my hande ye come not among the prisoners or lye among the dead c But faythfulnesse and truth shall they trust vnto yea vnto the lord the holy one of Israel And in mercy shall thy seate be prepared and he shal sit vpon it in the truth in the tabernacle of Dauid iudging and seking iudgement and making hast vnto righteousnes In that day shall this song be soung In the land of Iuda we haue a strong citie saluation shall God appoynt in steade of walles and bulwarkes open ye the gates that the righteous people which kepeth the truth may enter in there minde is set vppon thee because thou preseruest them in peace yea in peace because they put theyr trust in thee put ye your trust alwayes in the Lord for in the Lord God there is strength for euermore let all christians ioye in this heauenly comfort the which the holy prophet of God speaketh for although it be long agone since he spake it yet is it as fruitfull to al faythful christians now in these our dayes as euer it was before God graunt that the harts of al faythful christians may be thankfull for these his inestimable benefites and mercyes shewed vnto vs in these our dayes and therefore let vs reioyce with the Israelites and say God is oure righteousnes and truth and God hath deliuered vs from the fiery and cruell malice of sathan and al papistical doctrine wherby now hauing no let nor foes to disturbe vs may so diligently shew ourselues in ech vocation that thereby Gods name may be glorified and our soules refreshed with y e heauenly foode of immortall ioyes to the which eternall and liuing God be all honour and glory for euer and euer He that feareth God will do good and who so keepeth the law shall obtayne wisdome men that go about with lies will not remember her but men of truth shalbe found in her and shall prosper euen vnto the beholding of God And aboue all things pray the hyest that he wil lead thy way in faithfulnes truth The arrogant and stifnecked Phariseyes although they beleued not y e preaching of our Sauiour Christ yet they confessed him to be the truth saying maister we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God truely neither carest thou for any mā for thou regardest not the outward appearaunce of men tell vs therefore how thinkest thou is it lawfull that tribute be geuen vnto Cesar or not But Iesus perceaued theyr wickednes sayde why tempte ye me ye hipocrites shewe me the tribute money and they tooke him a penny and he sayde vnto them whose is thys Image and superscription they sayde vnto hym Cesars Then sayde he vnto them geue therefore vnto Cesar the thinges which are Cesars and vnto God those thynges that are Gods By thys Cesar is ment all temporall rulers to whome we ought to geue all thinges that the lawe of the countrey we be in bindeth vs to geue whether it be our goodes our life our childrē or
¶ A christall glasse of christian reformation wherein the godly maye beholde the coloured abuses vsed in this our present tyme. ¶ Collected by Stephen Bateman Minister ¶ IMPRINTED at London by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate ¶ CVM GRATIA ET PRIuilegio Regia Maiestatis per decennium 1569. ⧠The Epistle to the Reader GEuing thee to vnderstand Christian Reader the manifest power of God in considering the inestimable mercy and long sufferance of vs most miserable creatures who from tyme to tyme proueth whether we will flye from our wickednes and frowarde vsage of lyfe or no and seyng no amendmēt ceaseth not but forthwith plageth vs yea and at the length geueth vs ouer vnto our owne wretched will and beyng so deuoyd and frustrate from all hope ioy and triumphant glory we are assured as then of nothing but euerlasting death and endelesse sorrow Therefore I wishe all faithfull christians to foresée and so to prouide in tyme that neither popishe Antichrist nor any rable of false vsurped powers shall once be able to spurne or kicke against the veritie and true professours of the same The holy apostle S. Iames speaketh very louingly vnto all suche as geueth their mindes to godly exercise and study saying these wordes My brethren counte it exceeding ioy when ye fall into diuers temptations forasmuch as you know how that the trying of your faith bringeth pacience and let patience haue her perfect worke that ye may be perfect and sounde lacking nothing Herein the apostle sheweth vnto all men that by patience we must moderate our selues as if the enemy shew rigorousnes ortiranny winne him by patience but vse no superbitie or reuengemēt but yeld the cause vnto god y t which iudgeth rightly and he will in tyme be a defence vnto all such oppressed Vir duplex animo inconstans est in omnibus vijs suis a waueryng mynded mā is vnstable in all his wayes But most happy is that man that endureth in temptation for when he is tried he shall receiue the crowne of life which the lord hath promised to those which loue him and erre not my dere brethren Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the father of light with whome is no variablenes neither is he chaunged into darkenes Of his owne will begate he vs wyth the worde of lyfe that we should be the first fruites of his creatures so that as long as we obey his preceptes and be zealous furtherers of his gospell and alwayes continuing then shall all such doers be assured of most happy saluation Herein is plainly shewed vnto all the estate of euery degrée by order of picture and signification to the intent that therby euery christian Reader may the better sée the disordred abuses which daily raueth amongest vs and also the state of obedience by euery picture in like sorte signified that thereby euery Christian may the better beware the deceiuable suggestions of Sathan that neither pardon nor mumming massinges or any other popish ceremonies can any thing auayle as touchyng saluation for if it were so then Christes death was in vayne and of none effect Take hede therfore cleaue betyme to Christ his doctrine leaue of frō such superstitiō faynings of men vse the counsail of the holy apostle S. Iude which sayth Similiter hi carnē quidē maculant dominatorem aut spernūt maiestates aut blasphemant Likewise these dreamers defile the flesh despise rulers speake euill of them that are in autoritie But these speake euill of those they know not what thynges they know naturally as beasts which are without reason in those thinges they corrupt themselues Woe be vnto them for they haue followed the way of Balaam for lukers sake and perishe in the treason of Chore. These are murmurers complainers walking after their owne lustes whose mouthes speake proude thinges They haue men in great reuerence because of aduauntage But ye beloued remember the wordes which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lorde Iesus Christ how that they tolde you that there should be beguilers in the last tyme which should walke in their vngodly lustes these are makers of sectes fleshly hauing no spirite pray therfore dearely beloued that God so roote out al such enemies which kicke against the truth of his gospell so arme your selues with the armour of God considering that Sathan is moste busiest and full of rage in this oure tyme as Saincte Iohn in hys reuelation dothe manifestly expresse That we all being armed with godlines may bee able to resist in the day of our triall and to be found vigilant watchemen aspectyng the great and second commyng of our Lorde Iesus Christ. In the meane season applying our mindes to the study of vertue may be rich and plentifull in righteousnes and hope of saluation And for that your myndes among many and earnest pensiue and sorowful studies might be reuiued also in vertue I haue put forth vnto your gentle considerations this my simple trauayls which in perusing you shal well espy to be in effect as I haue named it This christall glasse wherein we may learne godly reformation whose brightnes shineth not to the beholders therof in this world a light to euery christian man but in the world to come a most precious and euerlasting brightnes in endles felicitie As I sayd a manifest shew of all couloured abuses that raigne in euery state and set in the frame of most plentiful Christian examples The substaunce wherof is the perfect glasse of godly reformation beautified with y e christall sight of all celestiall vertues right fruitfull for euery man to cary and most nedefull for this our present tyme. Thus gentle reader I bid thée most hartely farewell in him that liueth for euer By me Stephen Bateman Minister Faultes escaped In the description of Pride the second page the 16. lyne read for Dedalus Icarus and for Icarus Dedalus In the epistle of the 2. part of this boke xx line for so read for In the 30. line of the description of fayth and is God read and maker is God In the description of Ueritie is left out the sword that is signified in the figure ¶ The description of Couetousnes Aristotle Seneca To delight in treasure is a daungerous pleasure In a lyer doubtles there neuer was goodnes ¶ The signification of the picture THe deuil is Enuy the swords in his hand betokeneth mischief the purse couetousnes the globe the world the man in fooles weede signifieth carelesse couetousnes a man being ouercome with Enuy and couetousnes may be likened to a foole that is not able to rule himselfe and so the ende is death WHo so is enuious may be likened vnto Sathan who are more foolisher thē those persons the whiche are neuer satisfied wyth money Money causeth mischiefe mischief destroyeth y e soule For as it is good to y e godly by vsing it by measure so is it euel to
seruants to do thē seruice as in resisting the forrayne enemy shewing our selues obedient subiects vnto our prince gouerners not after a sodomicall order but after those orders y t are as wel to be alowed of God as of y e Prince or magistrats Euery one y t euill doth hateth y e light neither cōmeth to y e light least his dedes should be reproued but he y t doth truth commeth to the light that his deedes may be knowne how y t they are wrought in God He that commeth from heauen is aboue all and what he hath seene and heard that he testifieth and no man receaueth his testimony he that hath receaued his testimony hath set to his seale that God is true Which seale signifieth our Christian beliefe the which when we haue heard do forth wyth followe to the vttermost on our parts and do stedfastly stande to the same refusing no plagues that may be layde on the body for that sweete fruite of happy ioye but euen to the ende therein so to continue and then haue we beleued and also sealed But he that seeketh hys prayse that sent hym the same is true and no vnrighteousnes is in him yea and he that sent me is true Let God be true and euery man a lyer as it is written that thou mightest be iustified in thy sayinges and ouercome when thou art iudged Let vs geue none occasion of euill that in oure office be founde no fault but in all thinges let vs behaue our selues as the ministers of God in much pacience in afflictions in necessityes in anguishes in stripes in imprisonmentes in striues in laboures in watchynges in fastynges in puernes in knowledge in long sufferyng in kindenes in the holye ghost in loue vnfayned in the worde of truthe in the power of God by the armour of righteousnes of the right hande and on the lefte by honour and dishonoure by euill reporte and good reporte as deceyuers and yet true And I saw heauen open and behold a white horse and he that sate vpon him was called faithfull and true and in righteousnes he doth iudge and make battaile And I sawe an angell stande in the sunne and he cried with a loude voyce saying to all the foules that flye by the midst of heauen come and gather your selues to the supper of the great God that all flesh may be deuoured The multitude that cried are the vniuersall church or congregation of the faithfull which is also to be vnderstanded the wyfe of the lambe The lambes supper is the lyfe euerlasting for all true beleuers to rest in perpetual ioy and endeles felicitie The foules that are called to the slaughter are the true preachers of christes doctrine who are commaunded to kill and deuoure all flesh with the sharpenes of their preaching in rebuking the fleshly liuing in all degrees O Israell if thou wilt turne thee O England if thou wilt turne thee and leaue thine abhominations then turne vnto me sayth the Lord for euen as the Prophet spake vnto Israell euen the very same speaketh he vnto thee O England And if thou wilt put away thyne offences out of my sight thou shalt not be moued and shalt sweare the Lord liueth in truth in equitie and righteousnes and all people shall be fortunate ioyfull in hym Heare the wordes of the Lord O ye children of Israell for the Lord must punishe them that dwell in the lande And why there is no truth there is no mercye there is no knowledge of God in the lande but swearing lying manslaughter thefte and adultry haue gotten the vpper hande therefore shall the lande be in a miserable case and all those wycked offendours that are therin shall be rooted out The Lord kepeth not his wrath for euer and why his delight is to haue compassion thou shalt kepe thy truth with Iacob thy mercy for Abraham like as thou hast sworne vnto our fathers long ago And it shall come to passe that like as ye were a curse among the heathen O ye house of Iuda and ye house of Israel euen so wil I deliuer you that you shal be a blessyng Feare not but let your hands be strong for thus saith the Lorde of hostes Like as I deuised to punish you what time as your fathers prouoked me vnto wrath saith the Lord of hostes and spared not euen so am I determined now in these dayes for to do well vnto the house of Iuda and Ierusalem Therfore feare ye not Nowe the thinges that you shall doo are these speake euery man the truth vnto his neighbour execute iudgement truely and patiently within your portes None of you imagine euill in his harte agaynste hys neyghbour and loue no false othes for all these are y e thynges that I hate sayth the Lorde The law of truth was in his mouthe and there was no wickednes found in his lyps he walked with me in peace and equitie and did turne many one away from their sinnes Kyng Darius made a great feaste vnto hys seruauntes vnto all hys Courte and to all the officers of Media and Percia yea to all the Deputies and rulers that were vnder hym from Iudea vnto Ethiopia a 127. countries so when they had eaten and dronken beyng satisfied and were gone home agayne Darius the king went into his Chaumber and there layde him downe to sleepe and after a while a waked In the meane season the three young men that kepte the kinges person and watched hys bodye communed among themselues and spake one to an other let euery one of vs say something and looke whose sentence is wisest and moste excellent aboue the other vnto him shall Kyng Darius geue greate gyftes and clothe him with Purple and set hym nere the Kinges presence and so euerye one wrote hys meaning sealed it and layde it vnder the kinges Pillowe and sayde when the kyng ariseth we will geue him our writinges and looke whose worde the king and his chiefe Lordes iudge to be most wisely spoken the same shall haue the victory one wrote Wine is a strong thing the second wrote the King is stronger the third wrote Woemen haue yet more strength but aboue all thinges the truth heareth away the victory and this last probleme was written by Zorababel and was by the king and his counsaile estemed most best in that he preferred truth aboue al thinges True frendship and frindes ye surely shall finde where many pure hartes are made in one minde Tobias of the tribe and Citie of Nepthalem whiche lyeth in the hye countreyes of Galile aboute Naason the way towarde the West hauyng the Citie Sephet vppon the lefte syde thoughe he was taken prisoner in the dayes of Salmanazer kyng of the Assirians neuerthelesse being in captiuitie he forsooke not the way of truthe They that doo sinne in vnrighteousnes are the ennemies of theyr owne soules wherefore I tell you the truthe and wyll hyde nothyng from you
serue the Lorde in the truth seeke after hys wyll and doo the thyng that pleaseth him For God is gracious and mercifull he forgeueth sinnes in the tyme of trouble and is a defendour for all them that seeke hym in the truthe And we sawe the glorye of it as the glorye of the onelye begotten sonne full of grace and truthe If ye beleue not that I am he ye shall dye in your sinnes Then sayde they vnto him what art thou and Iesus sayth vnto them euen the very same thing that I spake vnto you I haue many thinges to saye and to iudge of you yea and he that sent me is true then sayde hee to those Iewes whiche beleued on hym if ye continue in my worde then are ye my verye disciples and ye shall knowe the truth and the truth shall make you free but now ye goe about to kill me a man that hath tolde you the truth which I haue hearde of God why doo ye not knowe my speache euen because ye can not abyde the hearyng of my woorde ye are of your Father the Diuell and the lustes of your father will ye serue he was a murtherer from the beginnyng and abode not in the truth therefore ye beleue me not whiche of you rebuketh me of sinne if I say the truth why do ye not beleue me For this cause was I borne and for thys cause came I into the world that I should beare witnes of the truth and al that are of the truth heare my voyce I say the truth in Christ and I lye not if the truth of Christ be in me this reioysing shall not be takeÌ„ away froÌ„ me in the region of Achaia Wherfore because I loue you not God knoweth neuerthelesse what I do that will I do to cut away occasion that they might be found like vnto vs in that wherin they reioyce we can do nothing agaynst the truth but for the truth But let vs follow the truth in loue and in all thinges growe in him whiche is the head euen Christ. Let no maÌ„ deceiue you with vain words for because of such things coÌ„meth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience be not ye therefore companions of them Ye were sometime darkenes but now are ye light in the lord walke as children of light for the fruite of the spirite consisteth in all goodnes righteousnes and truth Study to shew thy selfe laudable vnto God a workeman that neadeth not to be ashamed distributing the word of God truely and iustly as for vngodly vanities of vices passe thou ouer them for they will encrease vnto greater vngodlinesse and theyr wordes shall freate euen as doth the disease of a canker of whose number is Himeneus and Pliletus which as coÌ„cerning the truth haue erred saying that the resurrection is passed al ready and do destroy the fayth of some but the sure ground of God standeth still hath this seale the lord knoweth them that are his and let euery man that calleth on Christ depart from his iniquitie This witnes is true wherefore rebuke thou them sharpely that they may be sounde in the fayth not taking heede to Iewishe fables and commaundements of men that turne away the truth If we say that we haue felowship with him and walke in darkenes we lye and do not the truth I haue not writteÌ„ vnto you as though ye knew not the truth but as though ye knewe it and knowe also that no lye commeth of truth God graunt al christian hearers and readers of his worde to be as well followers as hearers that after this life we may all raygne in the eternall and euerlasting kingdome with God the father and his sonne Iesus Christ to whome be all glory and dominion both now and euer The description of wisdome ANd the Lord spake vnto Moyses saying beholde I haue called by name Besalael the sone of Ury the sonne of Haâ—â—e of the tribe of Iuda and I haue filled him with the spirit of God in wisdome and vnderstanding in knowledge and in all maner of worke to finde out subtill feates and to worke in golde siluer and brasse And now harken O Israell vnto the ordinaunces and lawes which I teach you c. Kepe it therefore and do them for that is your wisdome The valiant and kingly Prophet Dauid in that he feared the Lord the Lord prospered hym and he behaued him selfe wisely in all his wayes and the Lord was with hym wherefore when Same sawe that he was so exceding wife he was afrayde of Dauid The dayes of Dauid drewe nye that he shoulde dye and he charged Salomon his sonne saying I go the way of all the world be thou strong therefore and shew thy selfe a man Kepe thou the watch of y e Lord thy God that thou walke in his wayes and keepe his statutes and his precepts his iudgementes and his testimonies euen as it is written in the lawe of Moyses that thou mayst prosper in all y t thou dooste and in euery thing that thou medlest wiâ—h all concerning Ioab the sonne of Zarine in that he slewe the two capitaines Abner and Amasa Deale with hym therefore according vnto wisdome and bring not his hore heade down to the graue in peace Prudence coÌ„sisteth in knowledge of things good euill ⧠Of wisdome The signification THe house which standeth on the rocke signifieth the stedfast beliefe of the faythfull The other which standeth in the valy and on sandy ground is the church of Antichrist and all popishe preaching whiche house by violence of the water which falleth froÌ„ the heigth ouer turneth it and so lieth voyde and empty Seperate them that do craftely flatter thee froÌ„ those that do faithfully loue thee least the ill men haue most profite by thee By these examples it is manifest that God hath â—lwayes and at all tymes preserued not onely those rulers and maiestrates the which haue vsed and kept hys preceptes wyth prudent wisdome and iust dealing but also as well the poore and simple hath not onely bene vnto those realmes a most prosperous sauiour in sending aboundaunce of all fertility but in the ende an euerlasting redemer vnto enlesse ioyes and most happy felicity Consider the excellent wisdome of Salomon in doyng iustice betwene the two women that stroue for the quicke childe when as the one of them through her necligence smothered her childe and by craft ment to lay her fact on the other to auoyde the blame was reproued and the true mother of the liuing childe was knowen Also God gaue SalomoÌ„ wisdome and vnderstanding exceding much and a large hart euen as the sand that is on the sea shore and Salomons wisdome exceded the wisedome of all the children of the East countrey and all the wisedome of Egipt for he was wiser then all men yea theÌ„ Ethan the Ezrahite and Hemam Chalcol and Darda the sonnes of
shalt put thine hand with y e wicked to be an vnrighteous witnes The law doth forbid to iudge of a man except he be knowne to be such a one as hath bene before either an extorcioner or a periured person or such a one as hath bene before an vtter enemy to all good lawes and orders he that iudgeth his brother iudgeth the law What art thou that iudgest an other Go to now ye that say to day and to morrow let vs go into such a citie and continue there a yere and buy and sell and winne and yet cannot ye tell what shall happen on the morrow for what thing is your lyfe it is euen a vapour that appeareth for a little tyme and then vanisheth away for that ye ought to say if the Lord will and if we lyue let vs do this or that but now ye reioyce in your bostinges all such reioysings is euill therefore to hym that knoweth how to do good and doth it not to hym it is sinne he that backbiteth or iudgeth his brother doth iudge the lawe to be euil for the law forbiddeth so to do He that knoweth and yet doth not is without excuse for God hath promised no mercy but to thē that wil do their good will Herein is not onely an excellent admonition vnto worldly iudges but also among all estates so that whatsoeuer he be that by any meanes goeth about to dislike or misuse vnto that person is promised the iust iudgement of God the which hath power to destroy both body soule Thou shalt not fauour y e poore nor honour the mighty but in righteousnes thou shalte iudge thy neighbour thou shalt not go vp and doune as a priuy accuser among y e people neither shalt thou stand against the bloud of thy neyghbour that thou beare no sinne for his sake My sonne forget not thou my law but see that thine hart kepe my commaundements let mercy and faithfulnes neuer go from thee bynd them about thy necke and write them in the tables of thine harte so shalt thou fynde fauour and good vnderstandyng in the sight of God and man Deliuer him that suffreth wrong from the hand of y e oppressor and be not faint harted when thou sittest in iudgement Be mercifull vnto the fatherles as a father be in stede of an husband vnto their mother so shalt thou be an obedient sonne of the highest and he shall loue thee more then thy mother doth At the mouth of two or thre witnesses shall he that is worthy of death dye and at the mouth of one witnes let no man die Beware of bribery and giftes for rewardes and giftes blynde the eyes of the wise and make him domme that he cānot tell men their faultes The Kite in the ayre knoweth her tyme the turtle the Storke and the swalow do come at their seasons my people knowe not theyr lordes iudgemēt A good man will not in his frendes cause do against a weale publike against hys othe nor agaynst the trust which is put in hym for he layeth aside the personage of a frend when he taketh on hym a iudges office The emperor Alexander would neuer suffer to be solde the office of a iudge or great authoritie in y e execution of lawes saying nedes must he sel that doth buy And I wil not let that there shal be merchants of gouernance which if I do suffer I may not condemne for I am ashamed to punish a mā that buyeth and selleth Themistocles being the chief iudge in Athence when there came to hym a great musitian which desired of hym a thyng somewhat against iustice Themistocles aunswered if in singing thou doost not regarde number and tyme thou art not worthy to be called a good musitian nor I a good Iudge if I would preferre before the lawes the priuate fauour of any one person The children of Israell cried out vnto Samuell against his two sonnes the whiche he had made to be rulers of his people because they did peruert y e law and were corrupt with rewardes whose names were Ioell and Abia and required a kyng consider the misery the which hath alwayes happened among cruel and tyrannous iudges and also the happy successe of good godly maiestrates Iudges and other officers and then may it plainely be perceiued to whome Gods mercy is shewed for as he is a god of truth so is he also in vsing hys iustice to the wicked damnation and to the other most happy saluation ⧠The description of Veritie CHrist is the truth and he is also called the spirite of truth not onely because he is true but bicause he maketh y e name into whome he entreth true where as all they do without the spirite is none other thing but lies Also S. Peter saith that all diligence ought to be shewed among christians And hereunto geue all diligence in your fayth ministryng vertue in vertue knowledge in knowledge temperaunce in temperance pacience in pacience godlines in godlines brotherly kindnes in brotherly kindnes loue for if these thinges be among you are plenteous they will make you that ye neyther shall be idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ. But he y t lacketh these things is blinde and gropeth for the way with his hand and hath forgotten that he was purged from hys olde sinne as many as lacketh these and such like workes are blynde and vnderstandeth not what the faith of Christ meaneth and also without the mercy of Iesus Christ are vtterly secluded from all heauenly felicity which felicitie cannot be gotten of suche with out harty prayers in the tyme of this transitory abode vpon earth and as many as haue in them the motions of these godly and fruitfull vertues may be most assured to be the very elect and that they haue the true faith so long as they cōtinue therin no state no time no florishing power no monarchie nothyng within the circuite of the whole earth may once be compared to the prosperous estate and endeles felicitie of those and such as haue and do obey the liuing God Of Veritie The signification HE which sitteth on the raynebowe signifieth Christ and the sworde in his hande signifieth his wrath against the wycked the round compasse the worlde and those two climing the one a Pope and the other a Cardinall striuyng who shall be higheir and the Diuell which falleth headlong downe is Lucifer whiche through pride fel he which holdeth the world is death standing in the entrance of hell to receyue all such superbious liuers Hezekiah the sonne of Ahaz kyng of Iuda did raigne fiue and twenty yeares olde was he when he beganne to raigne and raigned nine twenty yeares in Ierusalem and he dyd that whiche was right in the syghte of the Lorde and therefore the Lorde prospered hym Teache me and I will holde my tounge and when I doo erre shewe me