of Father Whereby ariseth in vs and ought euermore an assurance of his willingnesse and readinesse to help vs. For what will a Father denie vnto his begging childe that may doe him good pater quid negabit filijs qui iam dedit quod pater est What will that Father denie to sonnes which hath alreadie granted this to be their Father Yea such a father as being not our father hath redeemed vs to him his vtter enimies with no lesse price than the precious bloud of his owne and onely deere beloued sonne O how shall he with him not giue vs al things also If we which are euil yet in the nature of fathers giue good giftes to our children how much more shall our Father which is in heauen giue good things to them that aske him Can a woman forget her child and not haue compassion of the sonne of her wombe Though it coulde bee yet will not I forget thee Behold I haue gtauen thee vpon the palmes of my handes thy walles are euer in my sight Iudge then the willingnesse of the Lorde euermore to grant our profitable praiers and be strengthened in fayth by this word Father Primus sermo quantae sit gratiae vide et suauitatis O homo faciem tuam nō audebas ad coelum attollere oculos tuos in terram dirigebas et subitò accepisti gratiam Christi ex malo seruo factus es bonus filius Non ergo hîc arrogantia est sed fides Praedicare quod acceperis non est superbia sed deuotio The first worde of Prayer of what grace and sweetnesse it is O man see and consider Thou durst not lift thy face to heauen but threw thine eyes downe to the earth and sodeinly thou receiuedst mercie in Christe of an euill seruant to be made a good sonne Heere is no arrogancie but faith And to publish abroade what thou hast receiued is no pride but deuotion sayde the godly Father Ambrose A third vse of this worde Father is to put vs in mind also of the dutie of children for we may not thinke that we calling him daily by this tender name of mercy and fauour and expecting at his hands the fruits of such nature as his name importeth wee in the meane time loosely and lewdly may behaue our selues and neyther before God nor man walking as children yet foolishlie feede our selues with the hope of childrens benefites from their Father There is no such matter if we take that course but euen as often as we open our mouths and praie this prayer so often euen of our owne mouthes the Lord shall iudge vs that wee calling him Father yet liue not nor desire to liue in the duties of his children O fearefull chaunge of a sweete name to a dreadfull witnesse of woe vnto vs. Saie then O Father but doe or indeauour to do the office of a childe For it is passed from him and lyeth before vs to stand till heauen and earth perish he expecteth it and we are commaunded it If I bee your Father where is my honor if I be your maister where is my feare And therefore wel said the godly Father Quemadmodum nobii placemus de Deo patre sic sibi placeat et Deus de nobis As we take pleasure of GOD to be our Father so let vs doe as he also may take pleasure of vs to be his children Yea well sayth the worde which wee must neuer forget Gird vp the loynes of your minde bee sober and trust perfectlie on the grace that is brought vnto you by the reuelation of Iesus Christ as obedient children not fashioning your selues vnder the former lust of your ignorāce but as hee which hath called you is holie so be you holy in all manner of conuersatiō And if he cal him father which without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans worke passe the time of your dwelling here in feare so forth to the end of the chapter And the Apostle Paule in lyke maner I therfore being prisoner in the Lord praie you that ye walke worthy of the vocation whervnto ye are called With many other such places And certainly it is true our sinfull soules shall one daie rew the proofe of it if it be not warned God heareth not sinners but if a man bee a worshipper of God and doth his will him heareth he Yea therefore marke it with a minde and a conscience carefull to performe the lyke euermore How both Dauid perswadeth y e Lord to heare him and strengtheneth himself in assurāce to be heard by performance of the dutie of a childe to him whom he calleth in his praier his Father eyther before or after Before in these places Saue me for I haue sought thy precepts And againe Let thy hand saue mee for I haue chosen thy precepts And in the last verse of that Psalme Seeke thy seruaunt for I doo not forget thy commaundements With such lyke speeches many Afterwarde as appeareth in the 145. verse Heare me O Lord and I will keepe thy statutes By which practise of the Saint of GOD wee may make this assured but dreadful conclusion that Father in mouth and Sonne without sense in lyfe maketh him of a Father a Iudge and tourneth his fauour into furie his pittie into plagues and our hoped health in heauen into assured woe in hell for euermore Therefore againe and againe let vs take this profit of this word Father euen to reforme vs daily as the Lord shal strengthen into the obedience of children So shall wee saie in comfort with Saint Iohn Whatsoeuer wee aske we receiue of him because we kepe his commaundementes and doo those things which are pleasing in his sight Yet doe we no waie strengthen the errour of merite heereby but testifying hereby our selues in truth not in a lying name and shew only the children of God both please the Lorde with the obedience of faith and comfort our selues in truth of promises altogether free made by a good Father vnto the same A fourth fruite agayne may be of this worde Father in this beginning euen to proue vnto the consciences of the whole world the sufficiencie and perfection of the worke of Christ for vs. For by which God is so fully pacified and pleased so contented and satisfied as that of a Iudge to punish he becommeth a Father to fauour and we of enimies sonnes and fellow heires with Christ that is absolute perfect and euerie waie full But by the worke of Christ for vs this is done and wee in the knowledge thereof bee so euen by the same Christe commaunded not in the spirit of feare but of faith and comfort boldly to call him Father Therefore the worke of Christ for vs most perfect glorious and absolute This giueth faith for feare this giueth hope of safetie from the power of all foes From the strength of the lawe from
and learned with one consent haue euer sayde that it is greate That we feede our faith thereby rayse vp our affiance fasten our hope growe experte in the Scriptures so that we cannot so easilie be deceiued by false teachers that wee are made acquainted with the phrase and whereas by a preacher one booke cannot be gone ouer in diuerse yeres by this profitable and godly vse of reading the Scriptures euen all the bookes of God are gone ouer many times in one yeere to the great instructiō of people if they wil themselues Let no hardening therefore in the name of al blasphemous Papists call reading of the Scriptures to the people in the Church a spirituall dumbnesse and a thing vnprofitable but let vs with y e chosen of the Lord euer reuerence the good of it blesse God for our libertie For it had neuer ben written in letters to this daie it had neuer ben translated into sundrie tongues by the gift from heauen of the knowledge of tongues neither euer had it bene commanded by the Lord to be read to the people if it had not bin a sanctified meanes by him to the great good of his people and Church Wherefore to go no further since we see it plainly to bee of the Lord both commanded and blessed let vs see a little if it be not also so for the people themselues to reade it if they haue the abilitie Surelie it is For the wordes are playne Search the Scriptures And they cannot with truth bee restrayned from giuing a warrant of reading to all men Blessed is the man that meditateth in the law of God day night Is meditation lawfull all reading damnable Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his waie euen by ruling himself after thy worde Are young men then boūd to rule themselues after Gods booke and yet no man suffered to looke within the leaues A thousand such places there are which I neede not to note Timothie was brought vp in the reading and knowledge of Scriptures from his childhood and the Lord hath commended it The Beraeans tooke theyr Bibles turned to the proues of Paulē when he preached and they are highly commended The Eunuch had his booke in the Chariot and the Lord looked on him The worde of GOD must dwell plentiously amongst vs c. as is there written and therefore wee may reade it We must take the swoorde of the spirite which is the worde of God as well as eyther helmet or breast plate or anie other part of our spirituall armour and therefore we may reade it Wherefore well sayde Saint Austen Nec solùm sufficiat quod in ecclesia diuinas lectiones auditis sed etiam in domibus vestris aut ipsi legite aut alios legentes requirite Let it not content you to heare the holy Scripture read vnto you in the Church onely but in your houses also at home eyther reade them your selues or cause others to reade them Well decreed that first Councell of Nice that no house should be without eyther a Bible or at least a new Testament Well crieth Origen Vtinam omnes faceremus quod scriptum est scrutamini scripturas Woulde God we did all as it is written Search the Scriptures Wel cried that good Father Cōparate vobis Biblia animarū pharmaca seculares Get you Bibles yelaie men for they are the medicines of your soules c. But see the iniquitie of Rome It shall bée lawfull to reade anie mans booke Si faciat pro nobis that is if he be a Papist yea and the mo wee haue in our closets and chambers of such bookes the holier Catholiques wee but the Lordes booke that is able to make vs wise vnto saluation and is sweeter than the honie we may not touch it we may not haue it or reade it For if we doe we shall be heretiques So mans worke shall make vs Saintes and Gods worke diuells Popish writings Catholikes and heauenly writing heretiks if they be read O dreadfull blasphemie and doctrine of death Greate is the patience of the Lorde that putteth vp this and beareth it daylie when with great iustice heauen and earth might agree together to flashe out fire to consume such teachers the other to rend in peeces and swallow vp the ashes when they art burnt of such blasphemers Is not this to shutte vp the kingdome of God before men and neyther to enter in themselues nor to suffer others that woulde enter And Woe to such sayth the Lorde there Hoc non est sanantium nec viuificantium sed magis grauantium et angentium Et multo verior hic lex inuenitur Maledictum dicens omnem qui in errorem mittat caecum in via This is not the parte of them that would heale or giue life but rather of them that augment the burthen and increase ignorance And herein is the lawe wel verified Cursed is he that leadeth the blinde out of the waie What is this but with the amazed ones in the Prophet to saïe Tace et ne recorderis nominis Domini Holde thy peace and neuer thinke vpon the name of the Lord. These men be the right successours of Antiochus and Maximinus who for lyke pollicie burnt the bookes of God least the people shoulde reade them Whereas the godly and first christened Emperor Constantine caused the Bible to be written out and to bee sent abroade into all Kingdomes Countries and Cities of his dominion And king Adelstane heere in England caused it to bee translated into the English tongue that all might reade it Of Iulian the wicked Emperour who charged the Christians with it as an high fault that their women were so skilfull in the Scriptures Forgetting what Saint Hierome writeth that all the maidens about Lady Paula were set dayly to learne the Scriptures Let vs remember how many saued soules are nowe with the Lorde in rest that beeing able to reade neuer a word vpon the booke themselues yet by hearing others reade vnto thē haue receiued blessing from the Lord thereof euen to acknowledge to resist the enimy to a strength with their blouds to seale the truth of that they heard by hearing learned beside all other Churches the Monuments of this our Church will affoord vs many What manner of men and women would these haue beene if they could haue read themselues Let vs remember what Saint Austen confesseth of himselfe that beeing inclined to the heresie of the Manichees he heard a voyce saying Tolle et lege Take vp and reade meaning the booke of God which hee presently did and so by reading was conuerted And concerning reading of the Scriptures eyther vnto the people in the Church by the Ministers or anie other appoynted to that seruice or by the people themselues priuatly at home in theyr houses in a tongue that they vnderstand Let vs conclude vpon playne recited proues that it is a means
in the heart no hee vnderstandeth the thoughtes long before but to the end that the parties themselues that are thus proued others also by them and in them may see what before was not seene either of good vnto prayse or euill vnto punishment and example to beware And thus much of this for a while Your next member is howe man tempteth Man is also sayde to tempt sometymes man and sometimes God His tempting of man is also sometime in the better part sometime in the worse In the better when he doth but proue and try whether further he may trust as it is wisedome alwaies to do to our friendes For vtendum amicis tanquam praetentatis aquis aptae sint vado an non We must vse friends sayd that wise heathen once as waters that we haue tryed before whether they may safely be aduentured vpon or no to passe ouer Also when the Father or master leaueth some loose money to see whether his childe or seruant will steale or no this is a kinde of tempting or trying yet but in good part with a number such like that men to men must and may as they shal see occasion vse To this kind may be referred the Queene of the South who hearing the fame of Solomon concerning the name of y e Lord came to tempt him or proue him with hard questions In the worse part man doeth tempt man either by questions or actions By questions when they deale as the Pharisees did about y e tribute with Christ seeke to snare and catch their brethren to destroy or hurt them Such tempters and temptations were those dayes of persecution full of vnder Queene Mary when no sooner was any apprehended and cōuented before them but their interrogatories inferred either death of soule by denying a trueth or death of body by affirming the same Neither doth yet this world want these tempters by questions where true religion and knowledge of God ruleth not tongue and heart and all Whereupon many innocent soules are trapped ere they wit and harmlesse hearts not spying hidden driftes put the collar about their owne neckes to destroy themselues that is speake or do simply what is wrinched to a vantage they neuer feared nor thought of against thēselues Thrise needefull therefore with the simplicitie of the doue is the wisedome of the serpent By actions man tempteth whē either by woordes or deedes of bad example they alure other to sinne and euill Thus tempted Eue her husbande to eate of the apple Iobs wife her husband to curse God and dye Tobias wife her husbande to bee weary of well doing Putiphars wife her seruant to filthines those wicked Priests that sayd Come let vs imagine a deuise against Ieremy with many such in the Scriptures of which tempters and temptations that wise Salomon warneth when he saith My sonne if sinners intise thee consent not vnto thē if they say come with vs we will lay wayte for blood and lye priuily for the innocent without a cause cast thy lot in amongst vs we will haue one purse c. And truely blessed is that man and woman that walketh not in those counsels of the vngodly standeth not in the way of these aluring sinners nor sitteth not in the seates of those reprobate scorners And how tempteth Satan Satan tempteth when hee moueth vs to leaue God and that obedience that wee owe vnto him any way and to do euil and therefore looke how many branches of well doing are in the lawe of God implied euen so many contrary wayes doeth this enemy assault and tempt vs Of this temptation doeth the holy Ghost speake when he saith Then was Iesus led aside of the spirit into the wildernes to bee tempted of the deuill And Peter when he sayd Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart that thou shouldest lye vnto the holy Ghost And Paul when he sayth let man wife come againe together that Satan tempt them not for incontinencie Again for this cause when I coulde no longer forbeare I sent that I might know of your faith least the temptour had tempted you in any sort With a number such like places In which assaultes of his hee vseth our owne corruption and concupiscence the worlde the wicked and many meanes but the Lord is stronger than they al if we cleaue to him either wholy to kéep vs y t we fall not at all if it so please him as others do or else to rayse vs vp againe when they haue vs downe vnder their feete to giue vs victorie And which of these kinde of temptations do wee pray against in this petition Surely euen against them all in some sort For first as concerning Gods temptations which more properly may bee called trials we beseech his maiestie in this prayer that he would deale in mercy and fauour with vs euermore and neuer lay more vpon vs than hee will make vs able to indure but that he would giue issue with the temptation and helpe vs. Thus farre do we pray euen against these as shall further bee declared when we come to the second part of this petition Touching mans tryals or temptations we likewise herein begge of his mercy that for any questions moued to vs he would tender his owne glory and neuer suffer our wants to make answere to preiudice his trueth with the vnbeleeuers but that hee woulde helpe in time of neede and either keepe vs from apposings aboue our power to satisfie or else giue a mouth and vtterance that no haters of his glorie may be able to resist that in our weakenes he being strōg y e glory may be his as it is due euer and we that bee the sheepe of his pasture may giue him prayse for euer The third sort which is Satans temptations it is our meaning that the great mercy of our gracious God would so farre support vs that we may neuer be vanquished and ouercome of any of them but deliuered and saued by him from all euill And thus you see howe we pray against them all in this order as we shall further shew I say hereafter Yet is this last chiefly meant to wit that forasmuch as our whole nature is corrupt and giuen to sinne if the Lord forsake vs we are headdely caried to what alurements and prouocations soeuer we sée before vs the Lord in mercy woulde deliuer vs from this promptnes and aptnes of our natures to admit of sinne and by his grace deliuer vs from euill Let vs not now leaue these things thus but euen yet further thinke of them And to begin with the first to witte Gods temptations or tryals and of those first with those that are of the right hande alas howe fewe consider thus much in prosperitie that thereby the Lorde tryeth them and searcheth out what they are and how they will shew themselues to him for all those blessings Most true it is the