one smal fault fearing to lose their prebendes dignities and prerogatiues and in the meane time doe make it no conscience to bée founde dailie with conspiracies and threatnings for to put an whole realme in a pray for to shed as water the innocent blood O time O manners the prince doth vnderstande it the Senate doth sée it And yet neuerthelesse such good Lords do liue what sayde I liue yea doe sitte in counsell which if they are so curious to marke the dooinges of their fathers for to serue them in their owne dooinges They will remember verie well the saying of Sainct Ambrose béeing printed and set in their Canons that is to say that the true munitions of Gods ministers are wéepings teares Insomuch that thys good author doth crye so often that béeing forced and constrayned he may sigh and wéepe otherwise he cannot resist In such sort that he did not determine to take for his weapons against the iniuries of the men of Gotia but his wéepings and his teares I wyll not héere referre the dooing of Moses Hely and Iehu vnto our time and of an especiall and perticuler acte to make a generall rule among the christian princes for to arme and moue them vnto some kynde of cruelnesse against so many false priests I doe accorde with them that they doe kéepe the zeale of them and leaue the déede such as it is So that according to the example of Iesus Christ king of kinges and Lorde of Lordes they doe cast out of the christian Church so many marchaunts and hyred priestes and doe not suffer that of Gods house they doe make it a market or a denne of théeues For euen as Ely was grieuously punished for hiding and coueringe the sinnes of his children Also it is to bee feared that the lyke doe not chaunce and happen vnto those which are establyshed by the LORDE for to mainteine and keepe the estate of the religion and in the meane time doe suffer freely and vnpunished the sinnes of the pastors and teachers of the people and it is to be feared but that the Lord will send in the ende that which is spoken of in Ezechiell that is to say calamitie vpon calamitie crie vpon crie that the lawe of the priest doe not perish and the counsaile of the elders As the same Lorde did menace and threaten his people in an other place of the Prophet saying that hée wyll forbid the heauen to giue them any dew and the earth to giue them increase And will call for a drouth vppon the earth both vpon the land and vppon the mountaines vppon euery thing that the ground bringeth vpon men and vpon cattel yea and vpon al handie labour Bicause saith he that his house lyeth so wast that euery man runneth to his owne house The Lord shewing and declaring the fault and ingratitude of those which for to vnderstand the affaires and dooings of this worlde doe negligentlie passe their duetie in that which apperteineth vnto the affaires of the religion They cannot abide that any thing should bee attempted either in déede or worde against their personnes or goodes And they do not thinke it straunge to crucifie Iesus Christ for to saue a théefe and a seditious Barrabas or for to cut off the head of Iohn Baptist for to gratifie and please the desire of others Haue not haue not then O ye christian princes regarde to the brightnesse and magnificence of the Romish Church And beléeue not lightlie all lying spirites But proue the spirites whether they are of God or not for many false prophetes are gone out into the world and way not the dooing of the religion to the opinion of the common people But to the word of God according to the which the Lord would bée serued and honoured and not according to the mindes of men Forasmuch thē as such professors of the truth do goe in shéepes clothing and inwardlie are rauening wolues Also doe shew outwardly in their temples some appearaunce of religion as of late the Aegyptians did yet in the meane time vnder coloure of deuotion doe worshippe the creatures and workes of their handes And forasmuch as the Lord hy his prophet doth call you Noursses of his church chase driue away from his shéepefolde so many vnprofitable and hired shéepheardes And in their place send workemen approued workemen that néede not to be ashamed which doe deuide the word of truth iustly Cause that those which doe professe to teach doe put from them foolish and vnlearned questions that they doe nothing in declining to one side To conclude that they doe not giue heede to ieerish fables and genealogies nor to the commaundements of men for to turne them from the truth but that they doe handle the woorde purely as by God before God by Christ not through enuie contention or discorde But purely as those which are constituted for the defence of the gospell In that dooing as saith Sainct Paule of the true ministers of the church you shall saue your selues and those that doe here the word Amen 2. Paralip 29. a. Ezechias caused the Leuites and priestes to come and assembled thē together into the East streete And sayd vnto them here me ye Leuites purifie your selues halow the house of the Lord God of your fathers and bring out the filthinesse out of the holy place A Prayer O Lord in whom are the riches and honours and which reignest ouer all in whose hande are power and strength and greatnesse empire vnto all things which prouest the heartes and hast pleasure in plainnesse disposest the thoughts of the hearts of the people Giue thy iudgments and thy iustice vnto the king whom thou hast established ouer vs to the ende that he may iustly commaunde thy people to kéepe thy lawe Prepare so our heartes that wée liuing vnder his obedience in all sanctitie and righteousnesse may worship thée also with one will in spirite and trueth not dooing that that séemeth good in our owne eyes but that which is agreable vnto thee and that which thou commaundest vs To the ende that by that meanes all the world may know that the same that thou hast of late forespoken or prophesied of thy church be verified in vs that is to say the kings shal be the nursing fathers of thy people queenes shal be their noursing mothers for to norish and féede them of spirituall meat of which thy welbeloued sonne said that his meat was to doe the will of him the sent him our Lord Iesus Christ To whom be glory for euer ¶ THAT IT IS THE RENOWNE of a Christian prince to be beloued of his Subiectes Cap. 9. Siraac in his Ecclesiast 6. c. ¶ A faithfull friende is a strong defence FOrasmuch then as euerie kingdome deuided within it selfe shall bée desolate And euery house deuided within it selfe shall fall one vpon an other And experience doth teach
¶ A CHRISTIAN DISCOVRSE vpon certeine poynts of RELIGION Presented vnto the most high puissant Lorde the Prince of Conde Translated out of French into English by Iohn Brooke of Asâ—he next Sandwich 1578. 1. PETER 4. b. ¶ As euery man hath receaued the gift minister the same one to an other as good ministers of the manifold grace of God. ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas East the 6. daye of Iune 1578. ¶ TO THE RIGHT HONOrable and his singuler good Ladie and Mistres the Countesse of Oxenforde Iohn Brooke wisheth longe and blessed life with increase of much honoure c. WHEN first true intent of bounden dutie and entire zeale had quickened and pricked me forward to present your Ladishippe with the dedication of this smal volume Right honorable and my verie good Ladie I grewe full of doubtes in my selfe whether to proceede and go forwarde or els to surcease and reuoke my presumed enterprise And abiding sometime in this vncerteine and vndetermined conclusion one while adaunted and suppressed with the vnworthinesse of the woorke in respect of mine owne labours beeing an vnlearned translation an other while animated and encouraged by the godlinesse of the matter comprehended and included therein then pulled backe and in manner put to silence by many doubtes of presumptioÌ„ rudenesse or rashnesse eftsoones againe imboldened and harted on partly by duetie to vnfolde and shewe my willing minde partly by certeine knowledge and dayly report of your Ladiships good inclination to vertue and godlinesse wherevnto adioyned the great fame of your singuler humilitie manifolde curtesie leaning at length onely to this staffe I wounde in time out of this doubtfull Laborinth of inconstant passions and became plainely resolued in the processe and going forwarde of this mine enterprise wherevnto I was yet the rather and more easely induced for that as within the hard and vntoothsome bone is included the sweete marrowe and as the vnsauorie shell comprehendeth the pleasant kirnell so vnder the rough and vnsmothed grace of mine vnlearned stile is shrowded much wisdome vertue godlinesse and in the simplicitie and plainnesse of my translation many profitable examples and holesome lessons conteined worthy to be embraced and followed of all men It came vnto my handes right honorable in the French and is entituled A ChristiaÌ„ Discourse vpon certein points of Religion Which title draue mee first to the ouerrunning of the matter and then finding the whole summe and contentes so well agreeing with the nomination I thought if I could put him on an English â—abite I might thereby pleasure and profite diuers of my natiue countrie men studious in the Scriptures to the contentation I trust of many to the offence of no vertuous and well disposed person May it therefore please you to admit the same into your fauourable acceptance and that vnder your ensigne it may haue safe conduct to enioye publication and free passage This request beeiâ—g graunted allowed of your good Ladiship Let captious Zoilus cauill or finde fault Let hatefull hereticke with all his forcible inuectiues subtil argumeÌ„ts straunge reasons diswade and seeke to oppugne impaire or discredite the matter Let proude Papist with all his authoritie abiure curse condemne both booke author to the fire Our immunitie protection defence resteth in almightie God the high Iudge of all And for the cleernesse of this matter we referre vs vnto his most holy and pure woorde and sacred Scriptures Wherefore trusting the sinceritie and trueth of the matter shal counteruaile the plainnesse of the interpretation and that the consideâ—ation of my zeale and bounden duetie aboue rehearsed shal abanndon all suspect of arrogancie and rashnesse I leaue for this time to trouble your Ladiship beseechinge the Almightie to blesse you with longe and manie happie yaeres in this life and the reward of Vertue in the life to come Your Ladiships seruaunt all to commaunde Iohn Brooke ¶ TO HIS SAIDE LORDE the Prince of Conde the author sendeth health IF feare doth make vs vnderstand the voice and as Dauid doeth witnesse that hee did erre and go wronge before that he was afflicted and troubled what can we lesse do after so many cyuil warres and persecutions of our owne countrey men yea rather houshould seruantes but to magnifie the Lord and dayly to meditate or studie vpon the maruels of his puissance and goodnes If say I Moses and Debora being sette at libertie and enfranchised srom the tyranny of the Egyptians and Chananeans did consecrate of late vnto God so many goodlye canticles and spirituall songes what can wee lesse do in this same meane time of religion but alwayes to offer vnto him sacrifices of thankes giuing That is to say the fruite of oure lippes confessinge his name And vnto whom ought wee to direct such writings but vnto those vnto whom the Lorde hath drawen from the middest of the waters and reserued from among them that are killed for to restore the ruins and decaied places of his second temple and to reestabish and set vp againe the true vsage of the Christian religion Beholde O Christian Prince wherfore I haue dedicated vnto thee this litle worke hauing first premeditated to the honour of him from whom doth proceede euerie good and perfect gift Assuring my selfe that thou wilt receiue it in as good part as the Lord did the two mites of that poore widow mencioned in the gospell Furthermore I doe not care what opinion men haue so that it be agreable to that true Iudge which doth not iudge men according to the sight of his eyes neither doth reproue a matter at the first hearing but doeth iudge all thinges in equitie and righteousnesse Our Lord Iesus Christ vnto whom be glory for euer Amen A BRIEF ADVERTISMENT wherein is shewed that we ought not to abuse the holy Scripture but to apply it to his proper vse 2. TIMOTH 2. Ch. â—5 ¶ Studie to shew thy selfe laudable vnto God a workeman that needeth not to be ashamed deuiding the word of trueth iustly FOrasmuche as the holy Scripture doth teach vs that the wordes of the Lord are pure words euen as the siluer whiche from the earth is tryed and puryfied seuen tymes in the fyre and the gospell is the puissaunce of God to the saluation and health of all that beleue therein insomuch that the Prophets speaking of the dignitie of the Herolds and Embassadours of the gospel doe crye out O howe beautifull are the féete of the Embassadour that bringeth the message from the mounteine and proclameth peace â–ª that bryngeth the good tidinges and preacheth health and sayth vnto Sion Thy God is the king The wyse suche as haue taught others shall glyster as the shining of Heauen and those that haue instructed the multitude vnto godlynes shal be as the starres world without ende Truely we may perceiue with our eyes what default it is to declare or shew forth the ordinaunces of the Lord
A Prayer LOrde God heauenly father and altogether mightie which hast drawen away and saued thy faithfull seruants Lot and Daniel from the flaming fire Moyses from the middest of the waters one Ioas from amonge them that were slaine and hast reserued in the persecution of Achab and of Iesabel so many thousand men which haue not bowed their knées vnto Baal yea hast lefte alwayes vnto thy people some prophets and true ministers of thy law in the captiuitie of Babilon Giue vnto vs thy grace in this ciuill warre and persecution of our owne countrey men yea our domesticall seruantes to acknowledge that thy hande is not so shortned that it cannot saue or helpe neither is thine eare so stopped that it cannot heare But that our iniquites haue made the diuision betwéene thée and vs and that our sinnes haue hid thy face frō vs To the end that we staying on thy mercy may not be altogether desolate Giue O Lord such feare vnto our enimies that they may haue cause to inuocate and call vpon thy name in such sort that we all with one spirite and will may confesse that thou art the ayde of the humble and little ones the helper of the weake and féeble the protectour of them that are forsaken the sauiour of the abiectes yea thou art the Lord of hoastes which doest reserue alwaies for vs a fewe aliue to the ende that we shoulde not be made like vnto Sodome and like vnto Gomorra and not to fal in dispaire with the vnbeléeuing And therefore wée praye thée in the fauoure or for the loue of him which hath cried with a loude voice that the Foxes haue holes and the byrdes of the ayre haue neastes but the sonne of man hath not whereon to rest his head he I say which deliuered himselfe vnto death for to assure vs of our dwelling in the heauenly kingdome our Lord Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer Amen ¶ THAT THE CHRISTIAN Religion cannot be tied or bound to any limittes and bounds Cap. 3. 2. TIM 2. b. The worde of God is not bounde IF it be written that the king being sette vpon the seate of his kingdome shal write the Law and shall reade therin al the daies of his life that he may learne to feare the Lord his God and for to kéepe all the woordes of his lawe and his ordinaunces for to doe them and the same LORD doth promise vnto his Church that kings shal be her noursing Fathers and Quéenes shal be her norishing mothers It is certeine that as righteousnesse and truth are the estabishing of the throne or feate of the Lord so doth he preserue and keepe the kinges and doth mainteine their scepter by godlinesse and trueth I doe saie further if the Egiptians haue in such recommendation and praise the practise of their religion aboue all things as saith Plato that they will not create and make a king except that he were promoted and consecrated a priest yea greatly occupied or exercised in the dooings of the priestes And the Persians will not alowe or admitte for their prince but him which hath the knowledge of the science and discipline of the magiciens which doth conteine the true vse of their religiō Insomuch as vnto the young Princes of the countrey were ordeined foure schole maisters of whō the first did teach them the magicke of Orcastrus the sonne of Oroniasus which did conteine the dooings of the religion Truely we ought not to doubt but that the estate duetie of a christian Prince is first of al to establish mainteine the dooing of the religion and to acknowledge that he is the minister of God for the health of al men to the ende that the goods which the Lord hath giuē vnto him he should kéepe part of thē distribute part of thē that he do manifest delare him self by works as Aristotle doth write vnto Alexander that the kingdome is giuen vnto him to the end to doo wel vnto man kinde To the end also that vnder his obedience the good may be defended from iniuries and oppressions of the wicked leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie loking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the mightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Forasmuch then as it is nothing to professe to knowe God and with the déedes to denie him to haue a similitude of godly liuing but haue denied the power thereof that is not also much to mainteine a religion for certeine and true and in the meane time do depriue themselues from the exercise of the same for as the woorks do declare our faith so the exercise of the religion doth assure vs that we be no more as children wauering and caried with euery winde of doctrine but that we following trueth with loue we may growe and increase altogether in him which is the head that is to say Iesus Christ To conclude that the Lorde would be knowen chiefly in the assembly of the true christians as Dauyd sayth I will praise thée in the great congregation and performe my vowes in the sight of all them that feare thée and in another place he sayth Sing vnto the Lorde a newe songe let the congregation of the Sainctes prayse him and in an other place he sayth giue thanckes O Israel vnto God the LORD in the congregations from the grounde of the heart And Iesus Chryst hath promised his that where there shall bée two or thrée gathered together in his name that he will be in the midst of them Furthermore if the Prophet Dauid hath written that the woorde of God is a lanterne vnto our féete and a light vnto our pathes Iesus Christ would not that that lyght shoulde bée hid vnder a bushell but that it be set vpon a candlesticke that it may gyue light vnto all them that are in the house Therefore he woulde that our lyght should so shine before men that they may sée our good workes and glorifie our heauenly father which is in heauen Otherwise he that would limit and bind the dooing and exercise of the true christian religion in a certeine place as did of late certeine of the Iewes at the temple of Ierusalem and the other at the Mountaine of Garizen that should be to giue occasion of sclaunder not onely vnto the Christians estraungers and others but also vnto the auncient enymies of our Relygion to blame the name of the LORD For as the LORD hath no regarde vnto the appearaunce of men But in all people hée that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him So his worde ought not to be limitted in certeine places or persons inasmuch as by his word wée haue knowledge of him for vnto the end he hath sent vs by his welbeloued disciple saying search the scriptures for in them ye thincke ye haue
at this day we shall finde more straunge that vnder colour of some ordinarie tribute they doe suffer vnpunished the Iewes with the Christians the common harlots with the married women the Temples consecrated vnto strange vnknowen Gods amōg the middest of the Christian Churches But for all that it followeth not that they ought to chase driue vs out of the realme to depriue vs from our goods to exile and banishe vs from our landes to conclude to force vs in our bodies and consciences except that it be first decided and determined by the word of GOD that the Romishe Churche is the true Churche on the contrarie side that they doe knowe by the same Iudgement that ours is contrarie vnto the true Christian Churche For as the Lorde doth sende vs by his Prophet vnto the lawe and to the witnesse not vnto the deade So doth he commaunde vs by his welbeloued sonne to search diligently the Scriptures because that they are those which do beare witnesse of our saluation And euen as I say that it was but a small thing that the Iewes did reproch Iesus that he was a Samaritane and had the deuill And that they did call his Apostles deceiuours and sowers of newe doctrin To conclude that amōg the Romain Emperours they no more estéemed the Christian religion then of a new superstition or dangerous profession Also it shall not muche serue to crie dayly that they ought to kill vs banish and exile vs from our landes except that they doe declare vnto vs by the worde of God wherein we do swarue from the Christian church For it doth not followe that our religion is false because that it is contrarie vnto the Romish Church no mor then we must say that the doctrine of Iesus Christ was euil because that it was contrarie to the traditions of the Scribes and Pharises And it shall yet lesse serue in that matter to alledge vnto vs the prescription of the time in asmuch as the gospel doth rule vs or the greatnesse and magnificence of the Romish Church in regarde of ours forasmuch as they doe knowe that thorowe force and hypocrisie the ministers of the same haue vsurped such power aucthoritie and greatnesse For in those foundations the scepter reigne of Antichrist is shored vp mainteined And such are the markes of all false religion doctrine as doth witnesse vnto vs besides that which is said in the scripture of the sonne of perdition the good Cosba which did reigne in the time of Hely Adrian Emperour of the Romains him which doth call himselfe at this day the great Lord. For the true Christian religion doth not consist and lie in weapon or strength but in weeping and in bewailing no more then the brightnesse and clerenesse of the same in the force and strength of handes but in the patiēce and hope of men To conclude the perfection of our law doth not consist in visible outwarde thinges but in the most déepest places of mens hartes and imaginacions That is then without any purpose to conclude that we must be exiled from our countrie bicause they cannot suffer two religions except that the subporters mainteiners of the Romish church doe confesse by the same meanes that the truth is odious vnto them Euen so the people of Athens dyd chase and driue from their Citie and did put to death him in Cyprus which hath established the lawes Euen so Licurgus was banished of those whom he instructed in all good dysciplyne and ordinances Euen so Aristides was exiled and banished his countrye although they could rebuke him of none other thing but that he was too iuste The tyme will not serue mée to speake of the Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles it suffiseth me to send or apply the rest vnto that which the Apostle speaketh off vnto the Hebrewes the xj Chapter To conclude the confession of so many martyres of our religion ioyned with the worde of God doth giue most sure witnesse that wée are not the disciples of the God of the Gentiles for to deceiue men through ambiguitie and obscuritie of matters nor of an Idol Dagon God of the Philistians for to make vs afrayde in the presence of the Arke of the Lorde The humblenesse and obedience of ours and the despising that they haue of worldly goodes doe euidently declare howe abhominable the pride of Babilon the mother of fornication is vnto them Finally their bloodshed in all places doth sufficiently teach our enimies what fayth and hope they haue vnto the promises of the Lorde and to the merite of Iesus Christ and what defiaunce and distrust they haue of the power and might of creatures I will not héere compare the pollicie and rule of our Church vnto that of the Apostles and yet lesse the manners of ours to the life of them I doe leaue off to speake to them which with right conscience doe bring some meane knowledge to the holy scripture what difference there is betwéene the church of Iesus Christ that of Rome what deformitie they doe finde of ours to that of the Apostles I doe meane for the regard and respect of the doctrine and pollicie assuring my selfe in that matter that if they doe consider it throughly rightly and without affection they shal be more attentiue to correct and amende their owne vices then enclyned to condempne so lightly ours Furthermore it is easy to iudge that our religion is neither double neither fayned in that chiefly wée do holde nothing lesse then of the superstitions of the Gentiles nor of the ceremonies of the Hebrewes knowing that they were a shadowe of thinges nowe come No more then of so many traditions of the scribes and Pharises but that the simplicitie and plainnes of the holy scripture doth please vs or for to speake better the playne and simple veritie of the same making our selues agréeable to the worde of hym which hath sayde that GOD woulde bée worshipped in spirite and truth our LORD Iesus Chryst vnto whom be glorie for euer Amen Ieremie 2. c. My people hath done two euils They haue forsaken mee the wel of the water of life and digged them pittes yea vile and broken pittes that holde no water A Prayer O Lord which art full of compassion and mercy shed out thy mercy and fatherly goodnesse vpon that mad and furious people which doe gather themselues daily against thée for to abolish thy glorious name and to deface from the earth the remembraunce of thy sonne Christ Regard with pittie all those which go about by all meanes to obscure and darken thy lawe for to establish their traditions and do enforce themselues daily to chase and dryue away him whō thou hast sent in thi name for to receiue him which of longe tyme hath vsurped the seate of thy sonne in his owne name yea which are not ashamed to presente vnto the Chrystyan people in steede of a Iesus
example of all infirmities vices and imperfections What is the cause that we are not ashamed to confesse that ther are in vs companies of the immitators folowers of Peter aduowing themselues faithfull seruants of the Lord and yet neuerthelesse do disauow and denie it at the voice of a simple maide I doe meane for a light and small occasion Yea of Pilates consenting vnto the death of the iust against their owne consciences for the feare that they haue to lose their estates dignities and promotions And wée will not denie that one can not méet with the Nicodemians the secrete disciples of Iesus Christ And if it wer néedeful to require so néere they should ther finde of Iudasses which do marchaundise and sell the innocent bloode and doe betray the iust for money What shall I saye more there lacked not a souldyer for to pearce the side of the iuste I doe meane which doe speake euill of him through false reportes iniuries and wronges And besides this so many wicked people which doe wagge their heades with the Iewes and doe mocke the iust hanged on the crosse saying that we doe promise many things but that we do execute nothing rightly And to make an ende of this matter one may there sée a thiefe hanged on the crosse for his wickednesse and faultes and yet accusing the iust hauing him in dysdaine But euen as Iesus Christ béeing deliuered to death by the Iewes and forsaken of his Apostles and disciples was knowen to be the sonne of God by the things mute and without vnderstanding For the elements forsaking their right course haue sufficiently declared his greatnesse the stones which did rent break asunder haue openly declared what his puissaūce was aswel in heuē as in earth the graues which did open and the bodies that did rise haue declared that he had power ouer the liuing the dead Also if al the men of this world did violence vnto Iesus Christ and hys woorde the stones and dome thinges shall declare his praise and shal publish shew foorth hys lawe According as he did rebuke sometime the Scribes and Pharyses that if the little ones do hold their peace sodeinly the stones would cry out for God can of these stones raise vp children vnto Abraham As of late the LORD did stirre vp a dome Asse speaking in a mans voice for to rebuke the madnesse of the prophet Let vs then conclude with Dauid that the worde of the Lord endureth for euer in heauen And that his trueth also remayneth from one generation to another The Lord bringeth the counsayle of the heathen to naught and maketh the deuises of the people to be of none effect and casteth out the counsailes of Princes But the counsaile of the Lord shall endure for euer and the thoughts of his heart from generatiō to generation For he hath builded his witnesses for euer Heauē earth shall passe but his words shall not passe In this matter those of the Romish church taknig occasion of that place wil say the one ought not to forsake their religion for the abuses which one doth se ther daily chiefly in their prelates But they ought to know that there is two marks amonge other which doe seperate the true church from the false that is to say the true vsage of the word and of the administration of the sacraments ordeined of God pure whole forasmuch then as in the Romish church there is nothing of al this forasmuch as in it the commaundements of God are forsaken for the traditions of men the sacraments prophaned and applied vnto a hyre ordinarie traficke It is not without cause if we doe disalow or denie that church for although that their foundation as they say be Iesus Christ and him crucified yet truely they do build vpon the foundation so many vaine and vnprofitable things that one can scant know in their church any marke or signe of true religion And as we do read in Esay that Iesus Christ was so despised of the Iewes that euery one did hide their faces frō him insomuch as he had neither beauty nor fauour in him So we séeing daily so many kindes of wrongs by those of the Romish church that is to say in his word in his person his members that one can skantly knowe that he doth reigne in the middest of those which doe call themselues Christians and our enemies ought not to ground or build themselues vpon that that the bishoppes haue succeded the Apostles for the discipline and christian rule being chaunged by the abuse of them their estate and charge hath bene altogether chaunged and adnulled I do not meane to blame the bishops which haue followed the Apostles in their life and doctrine Furthermore one may the better know that the marks of the true christians are those whereof our Lord speaketh of in Esay saying Lay the witnesses together seale the lawe with my disciples And Iesus Christ in his Gospell saith my shéepe do heare my voice Forasmuch then as those of the Romish church do forsake the word of Iesus Christ our true shepheard and do harken vnto the voice of straungers turning their eares frō the veritie doe giue themselues vnto fables to conclude giuing héed vnto spirites of errour diuelish doctrine of thē which speak false through hipocrisie it is to plaine that we ought not to séeke the church in their companie And they do deceiue themselues greatly if they do thincke that for their euill conuersations onely we do abandon their religon for although that for such things the name of the Lord is blamed not among the christians onely but also among the Gentiles Yet truely we haue not so much regard vnto their maners as to their doctrine by the which the men are enclined vnto idolatrie meruailous superstition And therfore the scripture doth exhort vs to depart frō the citie of Babilon least we be partakers of hir sins to holde him accursed which doth preach vnto vs any other gospel then that which we haue receiued we will follow those which are marked with this marke Thau vpon their foreheades I do meane those which haue in a singuler recōmendatiō the law of the Lord for as saith the scripture whersoeuer the dead carkas is thither wil the Eagles resort wherein Iesus Christ doth teach vs that nothing shal hinder or let that the christians be not vnited knit vnto their head Wherfore as it is said it shal be to no purpose to say that ther are amōg vs so many false brethren inasmuch as Iesus Christ doth likē his church vnto a net cast in the sea gathereth of al kinds of fishes For the true mark of the Church of God doth consist in the lawe and in witnesse vnto the which the Lord doth sende vs by his prophet whē he sayth Is there a people any where that
which as the bodie without the soule a common wealth can not long endure and continue as béeing destitute of her partes and her sinewes yea without them the kingdomes are none other thing but the very harbour of théeues runnagates and robbâ—rs As it is written of Lycurgus that he could finde no greater meanes to make the Citie of Sparta to florish then to accustome the inhabitauntes thereof to obey lawes Finally it is welknowen that in quietnesse and hope our strength doth lye stayinge our strengthes haue patiently attended euen vntil the bloode of the true christians shed out euery where and in the best townes of the realme doth commaund vs to repulse and stand against such cruelties forces and tiraÌ„nies and we haue not taken that vpon vs for any ambition desire of glorie priuate profite or desire of vengeaunce But for the zeale of the Lordes house of the which those godly persons Moses Hely Iehu Mattathias and Iesus Christ our sauiour béeing godly moued could not suffer that of the Lordes house they should make a house of marchandise and a denne of théeues On the other side al men do know that our enimies haue taken those weapons of their own proper priuate authoritie willing to force and constraine against their owne consciences the diuine and humaine lawes to defile the name of the Lord and to oppresse the iust To conclude what other thing hath moued them to inuade striue against vs but a desire to hurt a gréedinesse and ardency of vengeaunce a courage and desire against vs and an vnreconciled hatred and enmitie an vnlawfull affection to speake against the edictes and statutes of the king a desire to reigne and beare rule things most damnable in matters of warre as sainct Augustine doth write Whereby our enimies doe sufficiently declare their slaunderous and wicked faith When they doe accuse vs to bée rebelles against the kinge our naturall and soueraigne Prynce and of that onely pointe they themselues doe vncouer and shewe sufficiently a rebellion which haue dispised the Edictes and statutes of the king they doe exercise still dayly their cruelties and tyrannies towardes the faithfull Which thing if the great men especially those which are in degrée dignitie of a maiestrate and gouernoure doe vaunce and bragge themselues to bée so obedient and faythfull seruauntes of the king howe doe they dissemble and cloke such cruelties without prouiding by the rigoure of iustice and seueritie of their lawes And wherefore doe they beare the word If it be not to take vengeaunce on them that doe euill If they do saye that they can not resist the force and strength of a people so furious and madde I would demaunde of them willingly who hath moued them to put weapon in the handes of a people so foolysh and rash except it bée to giue them libertie to doe all kinde of euill Or wherefore doe they nowe make any doubt to forsake the weapons especially in thys time so quiet and full of tranquilitie but for bicause that their consciences doth accuse them of so many murthers and robberies For it is an heauie thing when a man 's own conscience beareth recorde of hys wickednesse condemneth himselfe And why a vexed wounded conscience taketh ouer cruell thinges in hande Fearefulnesse is nothing els but a declaring that man séeketh helpe and defence to aunswere for himselfe If they doe replye that some of our owne countrey men haue had sithens the Edictes and statutes of the kinge the weapons readie in their handes I doe aunswere that that was not to abuse it to thinges vnlawfull or to let or hinder the office of a magistrate as our aduersaryes doe dayly shedding of their owne head and aucthoritie the innocent bloode and doe put them by force and violence to the punishment of the seditious and rebels But to the contrarie that by that meanes the ordinaunces and statutes of the king which should be kept and the good defended from iniuries oppressions of the wicked leding a quiet peaceable life in al godlines and honestie Finally to the end that wée should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and notable appearing of the glorie of the mightie God which is of our sauiour Iesus Christ vnto whom bée glorie for euer Amen Psalme 33. c. The Lord bringeth the counsell of the heathen to naught and maketh the deuises of the people to be of none effect But the counsaile of the Lord shall endure for euer and the thoughtes of his heart from generation to generation Esaie 8. b. Go together ye people and gather you harken too ye all of farre countries Muster you and gather you Take your counsaile together Yet must your counsaile come to naught Goe in hand with all yet shall it not prosper except that God be with vs. A Prayer O Lord which art wonderfull in counsell and excellent in all thy woorkes tourne thee againe I pray thée looke down from heauen and beholde and visite thy â—â—ne and the place of the vineyarde that thy right hâ—â—de hath planted and the braunch that â—hou madest so strong for thy selfe Beholde the wéeping and crying of that poore Rachel and of those which are killed and put to death for thy name Shew foorth thy puissaunce and might amonge the middest of that mad and furious people breake their counsell by the force and strength of thy right hand as thou diddest break the enterprises of these which would builde the tower of Babel as I say thou hast abated the pride of Pharao pursuing and following after thy people To conclude of one Nabuchodonosor which dyd rise vp against thee that euery one should know that the worke which thou hast begun in vs in this meane exercise of reliligion is not a worke or counsell of men which may incontinent come to naught but a worke which thou hast prepared for thy glorie for to endure for euer Ouerthorow the apointments and deceipts of those which of a set purpose doe goe about and enforce themselues by all meanes to hinder the frée passage of thy word as thou hast broken the counsaile of Achitophel and brought to naught the bolde and vnshamelesse pride and ambition of Haman conspyring the death of Mardocheus and of the Iewes Cause that the enimies of the truth séeing thy wonderfull woorkes may acknowledge howe precious the death of the righteous are in thy sight yea may confesse with heart and mouth that the blood of them is the true séede increasinge of the kingdome of thy sonne And that they may worshippe him as the first borne amonge the dead and prince of the kinges of the earth our Lorde Iesus Christ to whom bée glorie for euer Amen ¶ A BRIEFE ADVERTISMENT wherein is declared that the true Christians ought to auoid parcialities contentions and to keepe the vnitie of the spirit through the band of
he was not dicomforted but blessed the name of GOD which gaue him grace to suffer for him Let vs leaue off then al such excuses when it is a question to obey the commaundement of the LORD for when the will is readie the powre is lacking Forasmuch as wée doe staye all in the strength of him which hath loued vs bicause that he which is in vs is greater then he that is in the worlde Let vs haue for example that liitle Dauyd who going to fight with that great Goliah measured not his strengthes but the power of him in whose name hée did fight Let vs remember that the Apostles hauing expresse cōmaundement of the Lord to go into a towne that lieth ouer against thē to the ende to vnlose an Asse and hir colte did not consider the difficultnes of the cōmaundement but staying themselues vpon the authoritie of him which commaunded them did execute incontinently their charge When Iesus Christ did send his Apostles thorow out the whole worlde for to preach declare his gospell they regarded not the daungers that might haue happened vnto them by the way the force and puissaunce of the enemies of the crosse of Christe Furthermore they excused not themselues of their ignoraunce but fortefying themselus in this word I wil giue vnto thée a mouth and wisedome to the which your enemies cannot resist did execute incontinently the commaundement of the Lorde Let vs then take example of those whom Iesus Christ hath sometime called for to followe him whereof the one excused himselfe saying suffer me first to burye my father the other sayde suffer me firste to bidde them farewell which are at home at my house Vnto whome the LORD aunswered no man that putteth his hande to the ploughe and loketh backe is apte to the kingdome of god Wherefore when the LORDE doth commaunde vs any thinge or when he doth call vs let vs doe as that good Samuel did who as often times as hée was called of the Lord as often times aunswered I am here for thou diddest call me Or as sainct Paule who sodeinly at the voice of the LORD aunswered What wilt thou haue me doe To conclude let vs kepe simplie that which is commaunded vs for to doe without putting too or taking from the word Dooing not that which seemeth good in our eies but that which God hath ordeined For the Lord doth protest by his Angell vnto euery man that heareth the wordes of the prophesie of this booke that if any man shall adde vnto these thinges GOD shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke And if any man shall minish of the words of the booke of this prophesie God shall take awaie his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy Citie and from those thinges which are written in this booke Deuteronomium 30. c. The commaundement which I commaund thee this day is not separated from thee neither farre off It is not in heauen that thou needest to say who shall go vp for vs to heauen and fet it vs that we may heare it and doe it Romaines 10. b. The word is nigh thee euen in thy mouth and in thine heart This is that worde of faith which we preach A Prayer O Lorde which hast made fast for euer and euer all thy commaundements in all truth and equitie and which puttest in man both the will and the desire to fulfill them Teach vs the way of thy statutes and shed and poure into our hearts thy loue through thy holy spirite by the which thou doest helpe our infirmities that we distrusting in our strengthes and despising the assaultes of the flesh the world and the diuel we may stay altogether vpon the loue of him which was once offered vp for vs for to accomplish thy will. And hast made vs more then vanquishers through the victorie which doth surmount the worlde that is to say our faith thy welbeloued sonne our LORD Iesus Christ vnto whom bée glorie for euer Amen ¶ A BRIEFE DEMONSTRATION vnto those which doe make profession of the true christian Religion and neuerthelesse doe refuse the ecclesiastical discipline wherein is described somewhat the vse fruite thereoff Cap. 15. Psalme 32. d. ¶ I will knowledge my sinne vnto thee and mine vnrighteousnesse haue I not hid And I saide I will confesse my sinnes vnto the Lord and so thou forgauest the wickednesse of my sinne 2. Timothe 4. a. ¶ Preach the worde be feruent in season and out of season improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine 2. Corinth d. ¶ So write I nowe beeing absent to them which in times past haue sinned and to all others that if 〈◊〉 come againe I will not spare THe Prophet Ioel did complaine of his people calling them to repentaunce saying Tourne you vnto the Lord with al your hearts with fasting wéeping and mourning rent your heartes and not your clothes and tourne vnto the LORD your God for he is gracious and mercifull long suffering and of greate compassion and readie to pardon wickednesse Then no doubt he also shall tourne and forgiue and after his chastening he shall let your encrease remaine for meate and drincke offerings vnto the Lorde your God blowe out with the trumpet in Sion proclaime a fasting call the congregation and gather the people together warne the congregation gather the elders bring the children sucklings together Let the bridegrome goe foorth of his chamber and the bride out of hir closet Let the priestes serue the Lord betwixt the porch and the aulter wéeping and saying bée fauorable O Lord be fauorable vnto thy people let not thine heritage be brought to such confusion least the heathen be Lords thereof Wherefore should they say amonge the heathen Where is now their God Nowe goe to sayth the Lorde we will talke together It is not so though your sinnes be as redde as scarlet shall they not be whiter then snowe And though they were like purple shal they not be like white woll The Lorde standeth waiting that he may haue mercy vppon you and lifteth himselfe vp that he may receiue you to grace Be conuerted and tourne you cleane from all your wickednesse so shall there no sinne doe you harme Cast away from you al your vngodlinesse that ye haue done make you newe heartes and a newe spirite Wherefore will yee die O ye house of Israel séeing I haue no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth saith the Lorde God. Tourne you then and ye shall liue Forasmuch then as the voice of the Lorde is commune to all as that of his sonne Iesus Christ hath bene commune who hath sayd Come vnto me all yée that are wearie and laden and I will ease you Take my yoke on you and learne of me that I am méeke and lowly in heart and that God is not parciall But in all people he that feareth him
The same Philosopher did crie out sometime on the people of Athens O ye people of Athens I do loue you greatly but I loue rather to obey God then you Wherevnto we will aunswere that we will not depriue the Philosophers from the grace which the Lorde hath promised vnto the blessed for the Lambe hath béene killed from the beginning of the worlde But forasmuch as there is none other name giue vnder heauen vnto men whereby we must be saued then the name of Iesus We do say in this matter that the philosophers do differ from the loue which the true christians do beare vnto the Lorde forasmuch as the true christians doe acknowledge one Iesus Christ and him crucified which is the brightnesse of the glorie and the image of the personne of the father of whom the same father hath saide This is my welbeloued sonne heare him Also for to knowe perfectly the father and his wil we must know the sonne for this is life eternall that they do knowe the onely very God he whom the Lord hath sent to witte our Lord Iesus Christ according to that that the same Iesus Christ doth protest that the world knew him not that he hath giuen the name of his father to be knowē of his that the loue which the father hath loued be in them and he in them Wherefore if the onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father hath declared him Who doubteth but that the Christians haue a more perfecter knowledge of the will of the father séeing the sonne by whome the father hath spoken vnto them in these later dayes and hath left vnto them the sacramentes as seales markes of his promises are not I say more moued to loue him then the Philosophers Inasmuch as the sonne hath said vnto Philippe Philip he that hath séene me hath séene my father Beleuest thou not that I am in my father my father in me And yet although that some Philosophers by the law natural haue had knowledge of God consequently they haue béene moued to loue him yet as saith Saint Paul they glorified him not as god Finally some may here say inasmuch as the Lorde desireth his that they do loue him perfectly that he desireth of them a thing either impossible or els too harde Wherevnto we will aunswere that the great perfection that the Lord desireth to loue him is not for vs to commaunde a thing which is too rigorous for he hath said that his yoke is easie and his burthen light But he hath regard to our imperfection fearing that thorough our infirmitie we should forsake him for to declare vnto vs the care that he hath of vs to gather what is the greatnesse of the precept Furthermore in that that he saith with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy strength he requireth of vs a perfect obediēce insomuch that he would that we should consecrate our selues to his obedience loue The which also Saint Paul requireth of vs when he saith let not sinne reigne therfore in your mortall body that ye should obey sinne in the lustes of the bodie Neither giue ye your members as weapons of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne but giue your selues vnto God as they that are aliue from death giue your members as weapons of righteousnesse vnto God. And in an other place I beséech you therefore brethren by the mercifulnesse of God that ye offer your bodies a quicke sacrifice holy acceptable vnto GOD which is your resonable seruing of god And fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be ye chaunged in your shape by the renewing of your minde that yée may proue what is the will of God which is good acceptable and perfect in such sorte that the Lord would not that we shoulde lende him the tongue onely as the hipocrites do who do make profession to know God but with their déedes denie him But he would that we shoulde giue him both the word and the worke Vnto this Saint Iohn exhorteth vs saying my litle children let vs not loue in worde neither in tongue onely but in déede and in trueth That is the cause wherefore the lorde rebuked the Iewes by his Prophet that his people did approch nigh vnto him with their mouth and praised him highly with their lippes where as their heart neuerthelesse is farre from him Furthermore in this he comprehendeth a singuler perfection for the regarde of his commaūdementes For whosoeuer shall kéepe the whole lawe and yet faileth in one point he is guiltie in al. Forasmuch as he which hath said Thou shalt not commit adulterie he hath also said Thou shalt not kill At the end he concludeth So speake ye so do as they that shal be iudged by the law of liberty He would also by this cōmaūdemēt that w◠should loue him aboue al things yea aboue our owne life For he protesteth that he that loueth his father or mother more then him is not méete for him And he that taketh not his crosse and foloweth after him is not méete for him To conclude by these wordes he requireth of vs that we may be so carefull to loue him and with such affection that we may referre all our thoughtes wordes workes to his glory Whether therefore we eate or drincke or whatsoeuer we do let vs doe all to the praise of god For none of vs liueth to himselfe neither doth any of vs die to himselfe For whether we liue we liue vnto the Lord or whether we die we die vnto the Lord whether we liue therefore or die we are the Lordes One may finde at this day such a man vnto whom if one demaunde if he loue God he will aunswere franckly and fréely that which Sainct Peter aunswered vnto Iesus Christ Yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thée yea will say with the same Apostle I loue thée so much Lord that I am readie to go with thée into prison and to death And neuerthelesse if it were a question to endure and suffer some daunger for the Lord he will protest with an othe yea at the worde of a simple maiden I meane for a small occasion that he knew him not It maketh mee to remember for this matter of the same Apostle who seeing Iesus Christe transfigured in the mountaine his face shining as the sunne and his clothes as white as the light said vnto Iesus Maister here is good beeing for vs if thou wilt let vs make here three tabernacles but when the Lord said vnto him that hee must goe to Hierusalem and suffer many things did finde the things so straunge that hee began to rebuke Iesus saying maister looke to thy selfe this shall not bee vnto thee Those are they who in prosperity willingly loue the LORDE and in aduersitie doe denie him For there is no feare in loue but perfect loue casteth out
exhortinge them that no man defraude and oppresse his brother in any matter Wherfore if wée bée double hearted as sayth Sainct Iames let vs cleanse our hearts Forasmuch I saye as GOD is righteous let vs loue him with an entire and perfect heart that our heart may blesse the LORD and all that is within vs may praise his holy name and forget not all his benefites Let vs poure out our hearts like water before the Lorde and let vs lifte vp our handes vnto him and hee will beholde vs with pittie in the fauoure of his welbeloued sonne our LORD Iesus Christ vnto whom bée glorie for euer and euer So bée it Ecclesiastes 12. d. 13. ¶ Feare God and keepe his commaundementes for that toucheth all men 1. Iohn 2. d. ¶ The world passeth awaie and the lustes thereof but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth euer A Prayer O Lord which hast taught vs by the mouth of Salomon the sonne of Dauyd that loue is mightie as the death and gelousie as the hell hir coales are of fire and a verie flame of the LORD So embrace our heartes in thine heauenly loue chiefly by thy holy spirite that wée knowing that thou hast loued vs first hauing sent thy sonne to make agréement for our sinnes that so of our part we may loue thée againe and shewe by our conuersation that we loue thée not in worde neither in tongue onely but in déede in trueth Honouring thée as our celestiall and heauenly father and fearing thée as our souereigne LORD all the dayes of our life In such sorte that neither death neither life neither Angels nor principialities neither powers neither thinges preseâ—â— neither thinges to come neither heigth neither depth neither any other creature shall be able to departe vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christe Iesus our LORD To the ende that when thou shalt appeare we may be bolde and not ashamed before thée at thy comming nor by the maiestie of him who béeing in the worlde loued his vnto the ende our Lord Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer So bée it ¶ A CHRISTIAN ADVERtisment vpon the commaundement to loue a mans neighbour Cap. 17. Deuterono 15. b. ¶ The land shall neuer be without poore wherefore I commaunde thee saying open thine hande vnto thy brother that is needie and poore in the lande Prouerbes 3. b. ¶ Honour the Lord with thy substaunce and with the firstlings of al thine encrease so shall thy barnes be filled with plenteousnesse and thy presses shall flowe ouer with sweete wine Iob 1. c. ¶ When the poore desireth any thing at me haue I denied it them haue I caused the widdow to stand waiting for me in vayne haue I eaten my portion alone that the fatherlesse hath had no parte with me For mercy grew vp with me fro my youth and compassion fro my mothers wombe haue I seene any man perish through nakednesse and want of clothing or any poore man for lacke of raiment whose â—ides thancked me not bicause he was warmed with the woll of my sheepe did I euer lift vp my hande to hurt the fatherlesse yea in the gate where I sawe my selfe to be in authoritie then let mine arme fall from my sholder and mine armeholes be broken from the ioyntes Iob. 29. c. ¶ I haue deliuered the poore when hee cryed and the fatherlesse that wanted helpe He that should haue bene lost gaue me a good worde and the widdowes heart praised me And why I put vppon me righteousnesse which couered me as a garment and equitie was my crowne I was an eye vnto the blinde and a foote to the lame I was a father vnto the poore and when I knewe not their cause I sought it out diligently I brake the chayers of the vnrighteous and pluckt the spoile out of their teeth ¶ An exhortation to loue towardes ones neighbour THE Apostle Sainct Paul â—peaking of the excellencie of loue sayth Though I speake with the tongues of men and Angels and haue not loue I am euen as lounding braue or as a tinckling cymball And though I coulde prophecie and vnderstand all secretes and all knowledge yea if I had all faith so that I coulde moue mountaines out of their places and yet had not loue I were nothing And though I bestowe all my goodes to to feede the poore and though I giue my bodie that I be burned and yet haue not loue it profiteth me nothing Loue lustereth long is courteous loue enuieth not loue doth not boast it selfe swelleth not disdaineth nothing as vnbeseeming seeketh not hir owne things is not prouoked to anger thincketh not euill reioyceth not in iniquitie but reioyceth in the trueth suffereth all thinges beléeueth al things hopeth al thinges endureth all thinges Loue doth neuer fall away though that all prophecyings shall be abolished And in the end of the said chapter he concludeth now abideth faith hope loue euen these three but the chiefest of these is loue And forasmuch then as the life is more worth theÌ„ meate the bodie more of value then raiment And also that Iesus Christe doth commaunde vs to séeke first the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereoff notwithout cause if wee mainteine that loue consisteth chiefly to helpe our neighbour in that whiche is necessarie for him for his life Insomuch that if the Lorde hath giuen vnto vs any talent I meane any grace perfection or vertue we ought not to hide it in the earth as vnprofitable seruaunts but ought to bestowe it to the profite of euerie man For the manifestation is giuen to euery one for to profit to the ende that as euerie man hath receiued the gifte so admister the same one to another as good ministers of the manifold graces of god And euen as in geuing some little part of our goods we do multiplie that which the Lord hath giuen vnto vs also in administring the spirituall things to our neighbour we augment in vs the fruites of pietie Iustice These are the wordes of Sainct Paul when he tolde the Corinthians that he that findeth séede to the sower will minister likewise breade for foode and multiplie their séede and increase the fruites of their beneuolence that on all partes they may be made ritch in all singlenesse And as we be not maisters nor owners of our goods Inasmuch as we enioy and possesse them of the hande of the LORDE so we are not but ministers of the giftes of the holy Spirite whiche worketh in vs all things Euen so saith Sainct Paul writing to the Corinthians Let a man so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christe and disposers of the secretes of GOD. This declareth vnto vs what was gods prouidence in the dispensation bestowing of his giftes who woulde not that they shoulde abounde altogether in one man alone to the end that by them helping one an other euery one may
for to draw them away from the lawe of the lord The father then which is a true Christian shal do nothing in the presence of his children which may make them swarue stray away from the lawe of the lord To this same purpose hee exhorteth al men generally where he saith Let no corrupt communication proceede out of your mouthes But that which is good to the vse of edefiyng that it may minister grace vnto the hearers Also in the same Epistle hee doth aduertise them that fornicatyon and all vncleanenesse or couetousnesse bee not once named amonge them as it bee commeth Saincts neyther filthynesse neyther foolyshe talking neyther iesting which are thinges not comely but rather gyuing of thanks For as witnesseth a certaine auncient and Christian authour verie learned Among other thinges wee ought to keepe the word as a thinge consecrated vnto the Lorde yea as our owne bodies bicause that by the worde wée ought to fighte for the trueth The reason is great and verie proper of him whiche hath sayde that it is easye to followe vices In suche sort that when wée cannot immitate and follow easely the vertues wée doe followe the faultes or vices This authour doth giue the example of Alexander the great who forgetting the vertues of Laonides his maister coulde neuer refraine himselfe from the vices of him And the Philosoper Plato hath Christianly spoken when he did write that a father must not get for his children greate abundaunce of golde but a greate deale of shame and feare The which they can not doe but in correcting the impudencie and vnshamelesse boldenesse of the children For the wise lawegiuer I meane him which garnished the cities and other common wealths with good laws will commaund rather the auncientes that they bée shamefast and fearefull before the younge men and that they take good héede that not a younge man heare sée nor speake any wicked and dishonest thing For when the olde men haue but a little shame it is necessarie that the younge men bee muche vnshamefast That is then an excellent discipline of the younge and of the olde not only the correction the which they doe by woorde but if hée which doth rebuke and checke do in all his lyfe time that which hée teacheth When I doe speake héere of the couersation of the fathers or auncientes I meane not onely their domesticall seruauntes but also other people that liue wickedly which maye tourne the spirites of the children from the veritie as it is euidently séene that euill wordes corrupte good manners Who soe toucheth pytche shall â—ée filed withall sayth the sonne of Siraac and hée that is familiar with the proude shall clothe himselfe with pride That is the cause wherefore Dauid did confesse that hee hathe not sitten amonge vaine personnes and hathe no felowshippe with the deceitefull That hée hathe hated the congregation of the wicked and that hée will not sit amonge the vngodly In the same Psalme hee prayeth the Lorde that hee will not destroye his soule with the sinners nor his life with the bloudthirsty In whose hands is wickednesse and theyr righte hande is full of gytes Beholde the doctrine of Salomon crying with a loude voyce saying My sonne heare thy Fathers doctrine and forsake not the lawe of thy Mother For that shall bringe grace vnto thy head and shall bee as a chayne aboute thy necke My sonne consent not vnto sinners if they entise thee and saye come with vs lette vs laye wayte for bloude and lurke priuely for the innocent without a cause let vs swallow them vp like the hell let vs deuoure them quicke and whole as those that goe downe into the pitte So shall we finde all manner of costly riches and fill our houses with spoyles Cast in thy lot amonge vs we shall haue all one pursse My sonne walke not thou with them refraine thy féete from their wayes For their féete runne to euell and are hasty to shead bloude These places of the Scripture teacheth vs sufficientlye that the duetie of a father consisteth not only to instruct well his children among his domesticall those of his familie But also if it bée possible among strauÌ„gers I wil rehearse vnto thee for this matter the example of Dina the daughter of Iacob who being departed from her fathers house desiring earnestly to see the host of the children of Sichem was rauished and defloured by Sichem I wil rehearse for the same purpose the example of the children of Israel who beeing not content to dwell in Sittim But willing to communicato with the Moabites were seduced by them and committed fornication with the daughters of Moab In like maner the women which were rauished by the Beniamites which came out to daunce I speake this for some men that are carefull inough that their daughters be not hurt or stoung with the serpent or snake and feare not that they be wounded with the hammer of all the whole world neither regarde they I say that they doe not drincke of the wine of that great Babilon the mother of all fornication Insomuch that Plutarch complained not without a cause as of a straunge thing that we accustome our children to take their meate with the right hande which if it happen that they do take it with the left hand we doe chastise and correct them grieuously and haue no regarde what disciplines we learne them The sayd author doth recite one Crates a verie auncient man which was accustomed to saye O that it were permitted me to goe vp to the highest place of the Citie I would crye aloude O ye Citizens what doe you that you bestowe all your trauaile to heape together money and haue no regarde or care of the children for whom you hoorde it vp and to whom you will leaue it That is one of the vanities that which Salomon in his booke of Ecclesiastices did bewaile wheÌ„ he said I was wearie of all my labour which I had taken vnder the sunne bicause I should bée faine to leaue them vnto an other man that commeth after mée for who knoweth whether he shall bée a wise man or a foole And yet shall hée be Lorde of all my laboures which I with such wisdome haue taken vnder the sunne Is not this a vaine thing For all the same which wée haue spoken off before we will not incitate or moue the fathers to shewe too great seueritie towardes their children but to shewe vnto them howe difficile and harde the nurture and gouerning of the children in their youth is According to that which the Philosopher Plato doth witnesse vnto vs that the childe is a greate deale worse to bée entreated and gouerned then all other beastes Forasmuch as he hath not yet perfectly tasted the fountaine of wisdome and euen as saith hée it happeneth vnto plantes that is to say that it is verie easie to prepare and dresse the
grounde before that we doe plant but when we doe sée and perceiue the budde or sciences begin for to growe it is verie harde and diffcctle to perceiue and kéepe it vntill that it doth bring foorth fruite Euen so is it of man for the generation is verie easie but the bringing vp of him is full of great trauaile and wearinesse Also we wil not counsaile those which haue a certeine charge to instruct or teach the children to conduct and guide them with force feare or with too greate bondage For as the same author witnesseth euen as too much laboure and trauaile is noisome and hurtfull vnto the bodie chiefly when it is taken by feare and compulsion euen so no manner discipline of the soule forced and compelled is profitable Wherefore he concludeth that wée must nourish and bringe vp the children in learning not as compelled but as a playe and pastime to the ende that we may the easelier knowe the propertie of the spirites and mindes of the children And to a verie good purpose hath the Poet Terence spoken which saide that it is better to kéepe the children by shame and liberalitie then by feare That is the cause wherefore in the time of the Lacedemonians the childe béeinge taken in any faulte was compelled to make certaine Towers ouer against the temple and to pronounce and declare a prayer the which was composed and written to his shame and dishonoure which was none other thing but to blame himselfe of his owne mouth géeuing vs to vnderstand by the same edict statute that the children who of themselues are cleane are ledde to honest thinges through shame and gentlenesse and that it is the propertie of seruauntes to be conducted and ledde by feare Finally this shall serue to the fathers for to aduertise and warne them not to slacke so much the bridle to their children that they doe not committe a thing which maye tourne to their shame and dishonour as it chaunced vnto Hely as it appeareth in the first booke of Samuel who for that he had borne too much with his children in their faultes was rebuked by the Prophet afterwards hee and his children cruelly punished And the same which Sainct Paul speaketh off is greatly to be noted in the instruction and demonstracion of the LORD from the difference of some panimes who haue the power of life and of death towardes their children may sell them for certaine occasions The which the christian lawe doth not permit and suffer for the correction and discipline of the fathers ought to be ruled after the worde of GOD that is to say in all gentlenesse and loue for to proue whether God will giue them sometime repentaunce for to knowe the truth and that they may amende for to do the will of him béeing escaped from the snare of the Diuell wherein they were holden that their spirites may bée saued in the day of the LORD Iesus To conclude that they may bée sorie with a godly sorowe which causeth amendement vnto saluation not to bée repented off Briefly I desire that the father in all his life time yea vnto the last breath of his daies that hée woulde regarde asmuch as in him shal be possible to kéepe his children in the obedience and feare of the Lordes lawe the which the good patriarke Iacob doth teach vs who not onely in his life time but béeing nigh his death exhorted his children to kéepe the lawe of the Lorde And particulerly to declare and shewe vnto euery one of them their faults the which wee doe reade of Moses the conductour and leader of Gods people and spirituall father of our soules who before he died blessed the twelue tribes of Israel declaring vnto them wherein they haue varied and declined from the lawe of god To be short hée declared vnto them the great benefites of the same Lorde for to assure them more and more in his promises I will recite the aduertisement that Dauid made vnto his sonne as followeth My sonne I must walke by the way of all the world neuerthelesse be thou strong quite thy selfe manfully And sée that thou kepe the appointment of the Lord thy God that thou walke in his waies and kepe his commaundements ordinaunces lawes testimonies euen as it is written in the law of Moses that thou maist vnderstand all the thou oughtest to do al that thou shouldest meddell with Shal I sorget that good and holy man Tobiah who besides that hée instructed his sonne in all his life time in the feare of GOD counsailed him in his death to flée from Niniue and to flée and auoide the companie of the wicked also to kéepe the lawe and commaundements of the Lorde and to bee mercifull and righteous Shall I speake of that vertuous woman the mother of the seuen Machebeans béeinge enuironed and compelled on euerye side with tyrantes hangmen and neuerthelesse exhorted them with a manly and couragious heart to lay all things to the commaundements of the Lord I will ende this matter with Iesus Christ head of the church chiefe shepheard of our soules who before he yelded his soule vnto God his father when he loued his which were in the worlde vnto the ende hée loued them admonished them also to kepe obserue his commaundements and to kéepe like humilitie as they haue séene in him By these examples wée are taught that the Father ought to haue suche an eye vnto his children yea all his life time that they may haue none occasion if it bée possible to varie or decline neither to the right hande nor to the left hande from the LORDS lawe I doe speake vnto those which in their life and at their death doe make accounte of nothing els vnto their children but of their inheritaunces possessions and dominions and haue no regarde to declare and propounde vnto them the lawe of GOD his loue and his feare Cirus king of the Persians and verie riche hath not done so for he béeing nigh vnto his death spake of none other thing vnto his sonne then of the immortalitie of the soule and of the resurrection of the blessed Of his bodie he cared or set so little by that he desired his sonne not to regarde it any longer then he hath closed the eyes and not to shut or laye it in Marble Aliblaster or in any other precious sepulcher but to yelde it vp incontinently to the earth which doth bring foorth and nourish all goodly thinges good and profitable Wherfore let vs not estéeme that the principall and chiefest duetie of the fathers towards their children is to heape vp treasure for their children or to giue them the meanes not to be poore but rather to admonish them that they put not their hope trust in the vncertaintie of riches but to put it in the liuing God who doth giue vnto vs all thinges abundantly for to