MY Sonne, séeing it is the duty of parents not only to educate and bring vp their Children with meate and apparel, but also to enstruct and teach them in the feare of God, and Christian religion, for which cause I haue cōmitted thée to the gouerne­ment of a learned and Godlie Maister, these seauen yéeres past.

Wherefore my will and minde is to know how thou hast profited in the same, and what thy profession is?

Good Father, 1. Peter. 3 séeing it is your plea­sure to demaunde of mée a reason of my faith, I must follow the exhortation of the Appostle Saint Peter, that I be rea­dy to giue aunswere to euery man that asketh me a reason of the hope that is in me, & that with méekenes & feare, hauing a [Page] good cōcience, that whereas they back byte mée as an euill doer, they may be asha­med that falsly accuse my good conuersati­on in Christ, demaund therefore what pleaseth you, and I will according as Gods holy spirit shall teach me, aunswere to the same.

In whome doest thou beléeue, and whom doest thou worshippe?

Acts. 24I aunswere with Saint Paull, and con­fesse vnto you, that after the way which some called heresie, so worship I the God of my fathers, beléeuing, al things that are written in the Law and Prophets, and haue hope towards God, that the resurrec­tion of the dead, shall be both of iuste and vniust, and therefore I study to haue al­waies a cleare conscience towardes God, and towards men.

Shew mée if thou hast read perfectly the whole booke of God?

Psalm. 1.Yea father, I may say with Dauid, [Page 2] my delight is in the Lawe of the Lorde, and in his word haue I exercised my selfe day and night.

Are all thinges necessary to saluation contained in that booke of life, called the Byble?

Yea truly father, Io. 5. search the Scriptures saith Christ, for in them ye thinke ye haue eternall life, and they are they which testi­fie of mée, and yet ye will not come vnto-mée, that ye might haue life.

Saint Iames saith, Iames. 1 Suscipite insitum verbū quod potest saluare animas vestras, receiue with méekenesse, the worde which is grafted in you, being able to saue your soules.

Many signes truly did Iesus in the pre­sence of his disciples, Io. 20. which are not writ­ten in the Byble, but so many are writ­ten that may learne vs to beléeue that Ie­sus is Christ the sonne of GOD, and that in beléeuing, wée may haue life through his name.

Saint Peter sayth, 1. Peter. 2 although wée sée not Christ, yet wee doe beléeue and [Page] reioyce with ioye vnspeakable & glorious, The end of faith is saluation. receiuing the ende of our faith euen the saluation of our soules.

Io. 15.Christ Iesus himselfe saith, that we are cleane through the words which he hath spoken vnto vs.

Peter the Appostel rose vp and saide, ye men and brethren, Acts. 15. ye knowe that GOD did choose among vs, that the Gentiles by my mouth should heare the worde of the Ghospell, and beléeue, and GOD which knoweth the hearts, bare them witnesse, and gaue vnto them the holie ghost, euen as he did vnto vs, and put no difference betwixe vs and them, Purified by faith. séeing that with faith he purified their hearts.

Saint Paull saith to Timothie, conti­nue thou in the thinges which thou hast learned, which also were committed vn­to thée, knowing of whome thou hast lear­ned them. 2. Tim. 3 And for as much also as of a Childe thou hast knowen the holie Scrip­tures, which are able to make thée learned vnto saluation, through the faith which is in Christ Iesu, for all Scriptures giuen by inspiration of GOD is profitable to teach, Scripture makes men perfect in righteous­nesse. to improue, to amēd, & to enstruct in [Page 3] righteousnesse, that the man of God may bée perfect and prepared vnto all good workes.

Whereby you may plainelie perceiue (Father) that all thinges néedefull to sal­uation (both to the Iewes and Gentiles, Conclusion bonde and frée, is contained in the written worde of GOD.

Me thinkes that by these proues the ho­lie Scriptures contained not onelie all thinges necessary for Saluation, but also all other thinges néedefull for the good gouernement of a Christian life.

It is so (Father) as if it please God, you shall heare afterwarde in the decla­ring of the duties of all estats and degrées of people, for what blasphemy were it to the holy spirit of God to say, that God hath left his word, will, and Testament vnperfect.

Is there nothinge then left out of Scripture for manne to teach that is néedefull, many rites, ceremonyes, ordi­nances, and inuentions of manne haue béene added thereto and taughte, as things [Page] most requisite euen in my time.

Deu. 4.No father, the Lorde saith, you shall put nothing vnto the worde which I com­maund you, Prou 30. neither doe ought there from, put thou nothing vnto his wordes, least he reproue thée, and thou be found a lyer.

Reuel. 22.I testify saith Saint Iohn, vnto euery man that heareth the prophecie of y ^e Lords booke, if any man shall adde vnto those thinges, God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in that booke, and if any man shall minish of the words of y ^e prophecie of that booke, God shall take away his parte out of the booke of life, and out of the holy Cittie, and from the things that are written in that booke, who then dare be so bould father, to thrust in among the ordinances and statutes of our heauen­ly father, mans inuencions and constitu­tions, séeing there hangeth Gods ven­geance and eternall punishment ouer the heades of such, ready to destroy soule and body, when the Lorde commaundeth, and to cast them into hell fire that neuer quech­eth.

[Page 4]Séeing that the Scripture is the word of saluation, why doe so many in these dayes refuse to heare or reade the same. Recusants

Christ Iesus saith, Io. 8. he that is of God heareth Gods wordes, they therfore heare them not, because they are not of God.

To those Recusants saith Christ further, Io. eod. why doe you not know my spéech? euen because you cannot abide the hearing of my worde.

Yée beléeue not my wordes, Io. 10. because you are not of my shéepe: for my shéepe heare my voyce, and I know them, Recusants none of his sheepe. and they fol­low mée, and I giue vnto them eternall life, and they shall neuer perish, neyther shall anye man plucke them out of my handes.

He that heareth you saith Christ (to his disciples) heareth mee, Luke. 10 and he that hea­reth mée, heareth him that sent mée, Recusants despise Christ. and he that dispiseth you, despiseth mée, and he that despiseth mee, despiseth him that sent mée.

The Quéene of the South shall rise at the daye of iudgement, Luke. 11. with this nati­on, and condemne it, for she came from the vttermost partes of the earth, to heare [Page] the wisedome of Salomon, and beholde a greater then Salomon is héere.

Luke. 14 Nemo virorum istorum qui vocati sunt gustabunt cenam meam. None of these (saith Christ, that were called, and refused to come) shall tast of my Supper.

Acts. 3.The time will come (sayth the Apo­stle. That euerie soule that wil not héere that same Prophet, shall bee destroyed from among the people.

1. Io, 4. Recusants are not of God, nei­ther know him.We are of God, saith Saint Iohn: hée that knoweth God, heareth vs, he that is not of God, heareth vs not, hereby knowe we the spirit of God and the spyrite of errour.

Math. 10.When Christe sent his Desciples to preach, he said, whosoeuer will not receaue you nor heare your preaching, when you depart out of that house, or that Cittie, shake of the dust of your féete agaynst them, Recusants worse then Sodomits. verely I say vnto you, it shall be easier for the Land of Sodom and Go­morra in the day of iudgement, then for that Cittie.

Cōclusion.Whereby you may perceaue Father, that the Recusantes to heare the blessed woorde of OOD taught by his true preachers, are alreadie condemned with [Page 5] the Cities of Sodom and Gomorra. Io. 8. Except they repent and a mend, for he that belée­ueth not (saith Christ,) is alreadie condem­ned, because he beléeueth not in the onelie begotten sonne of God.

If those that refuse to heare the worde of God, be in such perill of condem­nation, why are they so bewitched that they deny their owne saluation.

They are so taught by the Priestes of Baall, who cause diuision, Seminarie [...] and giue occasi­ons of euill, Rom. 16 contrarie to the wholesome doctrine which wée haue learned, and therefore auoyde them, for they that are such, serue not the Lorde Iesus, but their owne bellies, and with swéete and flat­tering woords deceaue the hartes of the Innocents.

The Apostle S. Paull Prophecyeth and foretelleth; 2. Tim. 4 that the time shall come when they shall not suffer wholesome doctrine, but after their owne lustes shall they gette them an heape of teachers, and shall [Page] withdraw there eares from the truth, and shalbe turned vnto fables.

Acts. 20.He sheweth further hat after his de­parting should come gréeuous woolues a­mong the people, not sparing the flocke, and speake peruerse thinges to drawe disciples after them.

What is the practise of these seducers and Seminaryes goe about, and what pu­nishment hath happened to some of them?

Acts. 17.The Appostle sheweth that the Iewes which beleeued not had indignation, and tooke vnto them euill men which were vagabounds, Seminaries wold make rebellion. and gathered a companye and sette an vprore amongst the people.

Acts. 13.One Sergius Paullus a prudent man and ruler of the Countrie, called Paull & Barnabas, and desyred to heere the word of GOD, but Elymas the sorcerer withstood them, and sought to turne the ruler from the Faith.

Then Paull béeing full of the holie Ghost, looked on him and saide, oh full of subtyltie and deceipte, thou Childe of the Diuill, A seducer smitten with blindnesse. thou enymie of righteousnesse, [Page 6] wilt thou not cease to peruert the streight wayes of the Lorde, and the Lord smote him that he was blinde.

Corah, Dathan, and Abyron, Numer. 16 going a­bout to seduce the people of Israell from the lawe of GOD taught by Moyses and Aron, the earth opened her mouth, and they, there wiues, children, famely, cattell, and all that they had, Sunck to hell quick went downe quicke into hell.

Whereby you may sée (Father) that vtter ruyne, and perpetuall desolation is ordained of y ^e almighty, for al Seminaries of false doctrine, and seducers of his people from his holy Lawes.

Séeing that the Scripture is the word of saluation and that there bee many that goe about to seduce vs from the same, tell me in what language or kinde of speache ought that word to bée. Seruice in a knowne tongue.

Euen in such a spéech or language that euery one may learne the same, Deu. 4. for the Lord commanded that the people should teach their children euen their sonnes and their sonnes sonnes, the ordinances and Lawes which he sette before them.

[Page] Deu. 6. Moyses sayde vnto the people, the Lord your God commanded me to teach you his cōmandements ordinances and laws, that they might do them in the land which they go to possesse it.

Esay. 28.If he that speaketh to the people be euen as one y ^e vseth rudenesse of speach, and a strange language, whom then shall such one teach knowledge.

Mark. 4.The candle sayth Christ is not lighted, to be putte vnder a Bushell or vnder the Table, but it is lighted to be put on a Candlesticke for there is nothing so priuye, that shall not be opened, neither so secret but it shall come abroad.

Acts. 8.The chāberlaine of Candice Quéene of the Ethiopeans, although he red the Prophet Esay, yet he confessed he coulde not be profited thereby, The way to be ex­pounded. except he hadde a guide, and the spirit of God caused Philip the Apostle, to reade and expound it vnto him in his owne language.

Acts. 2.There were at Ierusalem of euerie nation of them that were vnder heauen, and after they had receyued the Holie Ghost, euerie one of them hearde them speake in his owne language, the great workes of God.

[Page 7]Saint Paull sayeth, 1. Cor. 14. greater is he that prophecieth, then he that speaketh with tongues. Except he expound it that the congregation may haue edifiyng, let all things be done to edifiyng. For when thou blessest with the spirit, how shal he that oc­cupieth the rowme of the vnlearned say Amen, at the geuing of thankes, séeing he vnderstandeth not what thou sayest, thou verelie giuest thankes well but the other is not edified.

I had rather sayth the same Appostle in the congregation to speake fyue words with my vnderstanding to the informaci­on of others, Eod. rather then tenne thousand wordes with the tongue. Conclusion And therefore you may well perceiue (Father) that the sacred word of our mercyfull God and lo­uing Father, hath béene kéept to long hidde vnder avayle from vs his people, who now imbrace it with ioye and gladnesse, as it is in déede the worde of saluation.

Thou saydest my Sonne that the written word of God contained not onely all thinges necessarie to saluation as thou [Page] proued, but also all things néedfull for the gouernment of a christian life.

2. Tim. 3I said so Father, for saint Paull sayth, all scripture giuen by inspiration of God, is profitable to teach, to improue, to amēd, and to instructe in righteousnes, that the man of God may be perfect and prepa­red vnto all good workes.

Shew vnto me then (Sonne) how euery perticuler person ought to behaue himself towards God his creator, towards his owne soule and conscience, and towards all men generally?

I am most willing to do your cōmaun­dement (louing Father,) but first I bescéeh you declare vnto me whether I shall bée­ginne with the inferiour & lowest degrée, or with the supreme & chiefe head and go­uernour.

Sonne beginne at the superiours, and so discend, shewing first who is the supreme head.

Christ that anoynted of the Lord God, 1. Cor. 12 is supreme head ouer all people, and the faithfull and elect are his body and mem­bers one of another.

Declare that the Church is the bodie of Christ, with some definition thereof, that the better the Church of God may bee knowen. Church.

Saint Paull sayth, 1. Cor. 12 yée are the bodie of Christ, and members one of an other.

The Church, saith the Prophet Ose, Oscas. 2. is married vnto the Lorde in righteous­nesse, in equitie, in louing kindnesse, in mercie, and also in faith.

There is neyther Iewe nor Gentile, Gal. 3. bonde nor frée, man nor woman, but all one in Christ Iesu.

As the body (sayth Saint Paull) is one, and hath many members, 1. Cor. 12 and all the members of one body, though they bée many, yet are but one bodie, euen so is Christ, for by one Spirite wee are all Baptised, to make one body, whether wée bée Iewes or Gentiles, whether wée bée bonde or frée, and haue all drunke of one [Page] spirit.

Rom. 12.For as we haue many members in one body, and all members haue not one office, so we being manie are one bodie in Christ, and euerie man among our selues, one an others members.

Ephe. 1. Christ the head, we his mem­bers.Christ, saith Saint Paull, is made a­boue all thinges the heade of the congre­gation, which is his body, and the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all.

Ephe. 2.Ye are not strangers and forrenners, but Citizens with the saintes, and of the housholde of God, and buylt vppon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets. The true Church. Iesus Christ himselfe being the head cor­ner stone. In whom what building so e­uer is coupled together, it groweth vnto an holy temple in the Lorde, in whome ye are also buylt together, to be an habi­tation of God through the holy Ghost.

Ephe. 4.Let vs follow the truth in loue, and in all things that grow in him, which is the heade euen Christ. Head.

2. Thes. 2They that are chosen to saluation, sanctified by his spirit through beliefe of y ^e truth, What is the Church 1. Tim. 3 whervnto they are called by y ^e Gos­pell, and so obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ. The house of God the con­gregation [Page 9] of the liuing God, 2. Tim. 3. the Pyller and ground of the truth.

Christ hath rule ouer the house, whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence & the reioycing of that hope vnto the ende.

Saint Peter sayth that the Church of God is a chosen generatiō, 1. Peter. 2. a royall priest­hoode, an holy nation, a people which are wonne, that should shewe the vertues of him, that called them out of darkenesse.

They that heare the voyce of God in­déede, and kéepe his appointment, Exod. 19. are cho­sen aboue all nations to bée the Lordes owne people, a kingdome of priestes, Deut. 7. and an holy people. The true Church. Whereby father you may sée that the faithfull which heare the voice of God, and kéepe the Lords appoint­ment, are members of the misticall bodye of Christ, and Christ Iesus their heade, whereby they are made an holy Temple.

Is there (my sonne) some that are not of this true Church of God, Christ being the head?

Yea Father, for true is that saying, The diuels Chaplen. where God hath a Church, Sathan hath commonly a Chappell.

Tell mée in few wordes, who are of the Diuels Church.

Exod. 19. 2. Thess. 2They that refuse to heare the voyce of God in déede, and deny to kéepe his ap­pointment, that beleeue not the trueth wherevnto they are called by the Gospell, that buyld not vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets: Iesus Christ be­ing the head corner stone, The ma­lignant Church. for any other foundation can no man lay then y ^t which is layde, which is Iesus Christ.

My Sonne, I perceaue that there bée many that are Recusantes, and refuse to heare Gods voyce, deny his holy lawes, beléeue not the truth, which is Christ, and that buylde not vpon this rocke, but v­pon the constitutions of men, and traditi­ons of Elders, flatly denying (as I think) their owne saluation, whome the Lorde in his good time call home out of Sathans holde, that there may be one foulde, and one shepheard. But procéede (Sonne) to shewe mée who is the head of the Church of God next and immediatly vnder Christ the chiefe head.

Euery Emperor, King, or prince, King su­preme head with­in their seuerall Empyres or kingdomes.

What sayest thou then to those that chalenge Supremacy ouer Kings (as they say) by the succession of Saint Peter.

Let Saint Peter aunswere that hym­selfe, 1. Peter. 2 who being inspyred with Gods holy spirite, did foresée that many woulde séeke honour, ambition, and promotion, and desire to bée called Rabbi, contrarie to Christs words, preuented them in these words. Submitte your selues vnto al mā ­ner of ordinaunces of man, for the Lords sake, whether it bée to the King, King chief head. as vnto the chiefe head, eyther vnto Rulers as vn­to them that are sent of him for the pu­nishment of euill doers, but for the loue of them that doe well.

Nay, 1. Peter. 2 in an other place he (concluding vpon the dutie of all the true seruaunts of God) sayth, honour all men, Honor Kings. Titus. 3 loue brotherly felowship. Feare God, honour the King.

Saint Paul willeth Titus and all mi­nisters and Preachers, to warne all sub­iectes, that they submitte themselues to [Page] their King and Prince, and that they al­so obey all the officers ordayned by them.

Kings are the ordi­nance of God.Well doth the Apostle S. Peter shewe who is the heade of Christes members, which as he sayth is the king, therefore tell me by whome are kinges ordayned?

Rom. 13.Saint Paul saith that there is no pow­er but of God, the powers that be are ordayned of God.

Wisd. 6.Heare O ye kinges and vnderstand, O learne ye that be iudges of the earth, giue eare ye that rule the multitude, and de­light in much people, for power is giuen you of the Lord, and the strength from the highest.

1. Kings. 9The Lord told the prophet Samuell in his eare. And saide, to morrow this time will I send a man out of the lande of By­niamin, him shalt thou anoynt to be king ouer my people of Israell, that he may saue my people out of the handes of the Philistines.

1. King. 10 Samuell tooke a vessell of oyle and pow­red it vpon the heade of Saull and kissed him and said, the Lord hath anoynted thée to bée king ouer his inheritance.

[Page 11] Dauid saide to his wife Michell the Lord hath chosen me, & commaunded me, 2. King. 6, to bée a ruler ouer all the people of the Lorde, euen ouer Israell.

Thus saith the Lord of hostes vnto Dauid, 1. Cro. 17. I tooke thée out of the pastures when thou wentest after shéepe, that thou shouldest bée king ouer my people Israel.

Salomon (the third king of Israell) said to the Lord, 2. Cro. 1. thou hast made me a king ouer a people, which is like the dust of the earth in multitude.

Salomon said, [...]. Kin. 3. O Lord my God it is thou that hast made thy seruant king in steade of Dauid my father.

Wisedome and strength are the Lords, Dan. 2. he putteth downe kinges, and setteth vp kinges.

The Lord hath set a ruler ouer euerie people, so that the ruler, Eccle. 17. Conclusiō, that the Prince is the head. Prince or king set ouer euery people by the Lord being so ordayned of God, is chiefe head ouer those people, where the Lord hath placed and set him.

Thou proouest verie well and directly my Sonne, if Kinges and Princes are ordayned of God. But now procéede and [Page] tell me for what cause?

1. Pet. 2. Rom. 13.The Apostle aunswereth thus for the punishment of euill dooers, but for the loue of them that doe well.

Rulers are not fearefull to them that doe well, but to them that doe euill, for he is the minister of God for thy welth. But and if thou doest euill, then feare, for hée beareth not the swoord for naught, for hee is the minister of God to take vengeance of him that doth euill.

Exod. 18. Moyses saide, iudge betwéene euerye man and his neighbour, and shewe them the ordinaunce of God and his lawes.

Gen. 26. Abymelech the king, commaunded that none of his people should touch Abraham or his wife, and whosoeuer hurt eyther of them should die the death.

VVho are to be chosē kings. Deut. 17. No stran­ger to be thy king. Deut. 17.Thou shalt make him king ouer thée which the Lord thy God shalt choose, euen one from among, thy brethren shalt thou make king ouer thée, thou mayst not make a stranger king ouer thee which is not of thy brethren.

The king ought to reade in the lawe of his God all the dayes of his lyfe, and not turne there from, neyther to the right [Page 12] hand nor to the left.

Dauid raigned ouer Israell and execu­ted iust and right ouer all his people. 2. kings. 8

The King shall giue sentence betwéene parties, 2. king. 25 and iustifie the righteous and con­demne the vngodly.

The King is like an Angell of God to heare good and bad. 2. king. 14

The King ought to defend the father­lesse and poore, Psalm. 82. to sée that such as bée in néede and necessity haue right.

A wise King destroyeth the vngodlie, Pro. 20. and bringeth the whéele ouer them.

Sonne, 1. Pet. 2. I vnderstand the Kinges dutie and that the God of heauen hath chosen him for the punishment of the wicked and for the praise of the good doer, but tell me if he haue this power and aucthoritie from God ouer all his subiects spiritual and tem­porall.

Yea Father, ouer all people within his seuerall iurisdiction, whether exclesiasticall or cyuell.

Iosua commaunded the Prists to take Iosua. 3. [Page] vp the Arke of the Lord and to goe be­fore the people, and they so dyd.

Iosua. 4The Lord saide to Iosua, commaund the Priests that beare the Arke of witnes, to come vp out of Iourden, and the people to followe.

3. Cron. 8. Salomon set the sorts of the Priestes to their offices, and the Priestes in their watches to minister to the Lord, and the Priests the Leuites, omitted not the com­mandement of the King concerning anie maner of thing.

Well, but what further hath a Prince to doe in the Church of God.

4. king. 18You may perceiue Father by these ex­amples following. Hezechia dyd that which was right in the sight of the Lorde, as Dauid had done, he put downe the hyll Alters, and brake the Images, cut downe the groues, and all to brake the brasen Serpent which Moyses made, for vnto that time the people did burne sacryfice to it & called it Nehustan.

Dan. 6. Daryus the King wrote a commaunde­ment that all menne spirituall and tem­porall within his domynion should feare [Page 13] and stand in awe of Daniels God, for he is the liuing God, that abydeth euer, and his kingdome shall not fayll, it is he that delyuereth and saueth.

The Kinge ought to ouerthrowe all Alters, breake downe their Pyllers, Deu. 7. cut downe their groues, and burne the grauen Images with fire.

Whereby you may plainely sée that the King or Prince in the Church of God hath aucthorytie to roote out all supersticion and Idolitrie.

And to commaund that the liuing God be feared and worshiped.

What punishment may the Kinge or Prince appoint for Idolaters and for those that pollute the Temple of the Lord, and will not feare the God of Israell.

Euen what punishmēt as y ^e Prince shall thinke good, for the Lord sayeth, Iosua. 2. The kings displeasure is a mes­senger of death. whosoeuer doth disobay his mouth & will not harken vnto his woords in al that he commandeth him, let him dye.

Salomon sayd if thou be a Childe of 3. Kings. 1 [Page] vertue, there shall not one haire of thine head fall to the earth, but if thou be wicked thou shalt dye.

Deu. 13If there arise (saith the Lord) among you a Prophet, a dreamer of dreames, and giue a signe or wonder, and that signe or won­der come to passe, and shall then say, come let vs worship strange Gods, thou shalt haue no pittie nor compassion vppon him, but cause him to be slayne, thou shalt stone him with stones that he dye.

Exod. 22He that offereth to any Gods but to the Lord onely, let him be rooted out.

Exod. 21He that smyteth a man that he dye, shall dye for it.

He that curseth his father or mother shall dye for it. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand. &c.

By these examples you may well note Father, that Princes may punish with im­prisonment, fyne, or death, offenders: whe­ther Priests or seculer persons.

Séeing that Princes are ordayned of God for these causes, and haue power to punish with death, or otherwise according to the offence, must not all persons then néeds obey them.

Yes Father, all subiects must honour them, and obay them with their bodies, goods, and prayers: Ouer all which the Prince hath power.

Let euery soule saith Saint Paull, Rom. 13. sub­mit himselfe to the aucthorytie of the hy­er powers.

Ye must néeds obay, Eod. not onely for feare of vengance, but also because of cōscience. Warne them that they submit themselues to rule and power, Titus. 3 that they obay the offi­cers.

Submitte your selues vnto all manner of ordinances for the Lords sake, 1. Peter. 2 whether it be to the King, as to the chiefe head, ey­ther vnto rulers, as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishment of euill doers, but for the prayse of them y ^e do well.

All our Cyties, possessions, Iudeth. 3 al moūtaines and Hills, all Fields great and small, Cat­tell, Shéepe, and Goates, Horses, Camels, all our goods & housholds, are in the power of the King, and vnder his subiection, we our selues and our Children are his owne. Christ Iesus sayth, Math. 22 giue to Caesar y ^e things that belong to Caeser, and vnto God the things that are goods.

[Page] Esdras 7Whosoeuer will not obey the King, let him haue Iudgment without delay.

Rom. 13.Giue to euery man his duty, tribute to whom tribute belongeth, custome to whō custome is due, feare to whome feare be­longeth, honour to whō honour pertaineth.

Math. 7Iesus saide to Peter, of whome doe the Kings of the earth take tribute or toll, and further saide, goe least we should offend and take thine angle and looke that thou take the fyshe that first commeth vp, and thou shalt finde in his mouth a péece of xx. pence, that take, and giue it vnto them for mée and thée.

1. king. 8The Lord shewing the domynion of a king ouer subiects, sayth, he will take your sonnes and put them to his Chariots and make horsemen to runne before him, & make of them Captaines ouer thousands, and ouer hundreths, to eare his ground, & gather his haruest, and your daughters wil he make cookes, apotecaries, and bakers, and he shall take the best of your feildes, vine-yerds, olyues, and giue thē to his seruants. I exhort saith saint Paull, Tim. 2 that aboue all things prayers, Praier for Kings. supplications, intercessions and giueing of thankes, be had for all men, for Kinges and for all that are in [Page 15] authoritie, that we may liue a quiet and peaceable life, with al godlinesse, & honesty.

And all the people sayd, 1. King. 10 God send the king long life.

I pray God that my Lord King Dauid may liue euer. God saue King Salomon, 3. kings. 1. & the people sayde Amen. I pray God that the Lord God of my king say so too.

Daniell sayd, oh king, Dan. 2. God saue thy life for euer.

What, Euell prin­ces. are all kinges and Princes to be honoured and prayed for, if they be euill and wicked?

Yea, Dan. 3. for why they are Gods ministers ordained of God. I read that Nabugodo­nozer King of Babulon, made an Image to be worshipped, howbeit Sidrach, Mysaac, and Abednago, although they refused to worship that Idoll, yet they submitted thē ­selues, and honoured the King.

Daryus king of Babulon, Dan. 6 casting Danyell into a Lyons Den, yet Danyell honoured the king, and sayd, oh King, God saue thy life for euer.

Saull a wicked king purposing to haue kil­led Da. yet Da. honored him, & said, 1. king. 24 the Lord [Page] forbid that I should touch the Lords an­noynted.

Iob. 34.For the wickednesse of the people doth the Lorde make an hippocrite to raigne ouer them.

Pro. 21.The kinges heart is in the hande of God, like as are the ryuers of water, hée may turne it whether soeuer he will. So that you may perceaue Father, that God ordayneth a wicked king to raigne ouer wicked people, to scourge and plague thē: For a wicked king is the lands scourge.

Depose.May not Subiectes labour to depose their Prince if he bée euill, and place ano­ther?

Daniel. 2.The Lord forbid, for why, wisedome and strength are the Lords, he setteth vp kinges, and putteth downe kinges.

1. king. 17.The Lord hath rented his kingdome from thée, and hath cast thée off, that thou shalt not bée king.

But by whome, and wherefore was Saull deposed?

1. Cro. 10.By the Lord was he deposed. Because [Page 16] he trespassed against the Lord, in that hée kept not the word of the Lord, but sought and asked counsel of a woman y ^e wrought with a spirit, and asked not of the Lorde.

The highest hath power ouer kingdoms of men, and giueth them to whom he wil, Daniel. 4. and he bringeth euen the verie abiectes of men ouer them.

Then it is not lawfull for any person to rebell or make insurrection? Rebellion.

Who can lay his hand saith Dauid, 1. king. 26. 1. king. 24. on the Lords anoynted, and be guiltlesse, the Lord be mercifull vnto mée, that I do not touch the Lords anoynted.

Dauid said to the young man, 2. king. 2. how is it that thou wast not afrayde to slaye the Lordes anoynted, and his young men came vpon him and slue him.

The vnrighteous and wicked men that slue the kings sonne in his owne house, 2. king. 4 & vpon his bed, shall not I saith Dauid, re­quire his bloud at your hands, & take you from the earth, and Dauid caused them to be hanged vppe, and cutte of their handes and féete.

Rebellion is as the synne of witch­craft, 1. king. 15 [Page] and disobedience, is as the sinne of Idolatrie.

2. king. 18 Absolon rebelling against Dauid his father, roade vpon a Mule, who ranne vn­der a trée, and was hanged by the lockes of his haire, and was cast into an hole and stones vpon him.

Math. 27 Iudas who betrayed his Maister for xxx. péeces of siluer, went out and hanged himselfe, and his bowells gushed out.

Numer. 16 Corath, Dathan, and Abyron, rebelled, and they, & their wiues and children, goods & cattells, being in their tents, the earth opened her mouth, and they went downe all quicke into hell.

Nume. 16.Two hundreth being of the same con­spiracie, not then there present, fire came downe from heauen, and destroyed them.

Ecclesi. 10Wish the king no euill in thine heart, nor thy Prince any hurte in thy prieuie Chamber, for a byrde of the ayre shall be­wray thée, and with her fethers shall shée bewray thy secrets.

Rom. 13But chiefelye marke Saint Paules words. Whosoeuer resisteth, shall receaue to themselues damnation, whereby you may well perceaue Father, how the Lord [Page 17] God of heauen plaugeth rebells, not on­ly with bodely death & destruction, but al­so with eternall confusion and condemna­tion, in the burning lake of hell, where fier and Brimstone, storme and tempest, shall bée their portion to drinke.

Iesu, my sonne, how many conspiracies & trayterous rebellions, haue been of late against our gratious Princesse.

Yea father, yet the Lord that great and mightie Iehoua, doth saue his anoynted out of their bloudie hands. A prayer And I beséech our God and heauenly father, for Iesus death, & innocent blood-shedding, to blesse, preserue, and saue her Maiestie, and either in mercy conuert their hearts to their du­tifull obedience vnto her Maiestie, or else in iustice destroy them, that they may pe­rish and haue their portion with Corath & his companie, which thing the eternall God for his great mercy sake graunt. And thereto let all that feare God say, Amen.

And I beséech y ^e Lord God, 3. kings. 1 of my prin­cesse to say so to, Amen. Procéede my son [Page] to tell me of whome haue Iudges, Iudges and magestrato Rulers, Magestrates and Officers of euery degrée in the common wealth, their power and aucthoritie.

Of their head the Prince, euen as the Prince hath power from his heade Christ. For they are the hands of their king or Prince, whereby he worketh.

Exod. 18.Be thou vnto the people to God-ward, y ^t thou maist bring the causes vnto God, and thou shalt teach them ordinaunces & lawes, Iudges must be true men such as feare God, not cou [...]tus and shewe them the way wherein they must walke, & the worke which they must doe. Moreouer thou shalt séeke out a­mong all the people, men of actiuitie and such as feare God, true men, hating coue­tousnesse, and make them heades ouer the people, Captanines ouer thousands, ouer hundreths, ouer fifties, and ouer ten, and let them iudge the people at all seasons.

Deu. 1. Moyses said to the people, I tooke out of your Trybes, The prince command­ment to Iudges and officers with their duties. Captaynes, men of wise­dome, and that were expert, and made thē rulers ouer you, and I charged your iudg­es that same time, saying, heare the cause of your brethren, and iudge righteously be­twéene euerie man and his brother, and [Page 18] the stranger that is with you, sée that you know no face in iudgement, but heare the small as well as the great, and be afrayde of no man, for the iudgement is Gods.

Thou shalt not fauour the poore, Leuitic. 19 nor honour the mightie, but in righteousnesse shalt thou iudge thy neighbour.

Thou shalt not raigne ouer thy bro­ther cruelly, but shalt feare thy God, Leuit. 25 ye shall not raigne ouer an other cruelly.

Turne not aside from the law of God, Deu. 5. neyther to the right hand, nor to the last.

The iudges shal giue sentence between parties, and iustisie the righteous, Deu. 25. and con­demne the vngodly.

Thou shalt take no giftes, Exod. 23 for giftes blinde the sight, and peruert the wordes of the righteous. Psalm. 28. Defende the fatherlesse and poore, saith Dauid, sée that such as be in néede and necessitie haue right.

Ought these rulers also to be obeyed?

Yea Father, Deu. [...]. for when Moyses had or­dayned Rulers and Iudges ouer the peo­ple, they all aunswered and saide, that which thou hast spoken is good vnto vs to doe.

[Page] Iosua. 1,The people aunswered Iosua, all that thou commaundest vs will we doe, and whether thou sendest vs, will we goe, and whosoeuer hée bee that disobayeth thy mouth, & will not harken vnto the wordes in all y ^e thou cōmaundst him, let hym dye.

Exod. 17When Moyses sat downe to iudge the people, all the people stoode before him from morning till euen.

Exod. 22.Thou shalt not rayle on the Gods, nei­ther blaspheme the ruler of the people.

Ieremi. 35We haue (said the people) obayed Io­nadab our father, in all that he comman­ded vs, and the Lord said to those Racha­bites, God bles­seth obedi­ent persons because you haue béene obedient to Iona. Iona. shall not fayle to haue one to stand alwaies before me out of his stocke. And concluding with S. Paules words to Titus, Titus. 3 warne thē y ^t they bée subiect to rule and power, & that they obay the officers.

Prechers and Mini­sters.My Sonne, I am nowe desirous to knowe the duties of Preachers and mi­nisters of the word of God.

Deu. 10.According to my little knowledge, & as I haue red in Gods booke, I will shew you y ^e same. The Lord seperated y ^e tribe of Leuy, [Page 19] to beare y ^e Arke of the appoyntment of the Lord, & to stand before the Lord, & to mini­ster vnto him, and to blesse in his name.

Whosoeuer killeth a beast, Leuiti. 17 and bring­eth it to the Tabernacle of witnesse, to offer to the Lord, No man may take vppon him the Priests office vn­called. blood shall be imputed to that man, as though he had shed blood, and he shalbe rooted out of the people of Isra­ell, wherefore when the people bring offerings, let them bring them to the Priests to offer them.

Looke out among you seuen men of ho­nest report, Acts. 6. and full of the holy Ghost and wisedome, Who ought to be chosē. to whom we may commit this businesse, and when they had prayed, they layde their hands vpon them.

I warne thée that thou stirre vp the gift that is in thée, Tim. 1. Ordering of Mini­sters. Acts. 14 Titus. 1. by y ^e putting on of my hands. And they ordayned them elders in euerie congregation, by election, & prayed. Reforme things y ^t are vnperfect, & ordaine elders in euery citie, as I appointed thée. Let them be sober, sage, discret, Titus. 2 soūd in the faith, in loue, in paciēce. 1. Cor. 6. Let vs giue none occasiō of euill, y ^t in our office be found no fault, but in all thinges behaue our selues as the ministers of God, in much paynes, in afflictions, in necessities, in anguish, [Page] in stripes, in prisonments, in stryfes, in la­bours, in watchinges, in fasting, in pure­nesse, in knowledge, in long suffering, in kindnesse, in the holy Ghost, in loue vn­fained, in the word of truth, in the power of God, by the armour of righteousnesse, on the right hand & on the left, by honour and dishonour, by euill report and good re­port, as deceauers, and yet true, as vn­knowen, and yet knowen, as dying, and beholde we liue, as chastened, and not kil­led, as sorrowing, and yet alway merrie, as poore, and yet make many rych, as ha­uing nothing, & yet possessing all thinges.

Esay. 62.I haue set watchmen vpon thy wales Oh Ierusalem, which shall cease neyther day nor night to preach the Lord.

Ieremy. 3.I will giue you heardmen after mine owne minde, which shall féede you with learning and wisedome.

Ezech. 3Thou sonne of man, I haue made thée a watchman vnto the house of Israell, and therefore take good héede vnto the words of my mouth, and giue them warning at my commaundement, if I say vnto thée concerning the vngodly man, that with­out doubt he must dye, and thou giuest him no warning, nor speakest vnto him [Page 20] that he turne from his euill way and so liue, then shall the same vngodly man dye in his vnrighteousnesse, but his blood will I require at thine hands, but if thou giue him warning, & yet he forsake not his vn­godlynesse, then shall he dye in his owne wickednes, but y ^u hast discharged thy selfe.

If the people take a man of their Coun­trie, and set him to be their watchman, Ezech 34 the same man, when he séeth the swoord come vppon the Land, shall blow the Trumpet and warne the people. &c.

I set thée ouer people and kingdomes, Ieremy. 1 that thou maiest roote out, breake off, de­stroy and make wast, and that thou maist build vp and plant.

I will send out my fishers to take them, Ieremi. 6. and after that, I wil send out my hunters to hunt them out, from all moūtaines and hills, and out of the Caues of stone.

In the Priests lippes should be sure knowledge, Malachi. 2 Gods mes­senger. that men may seeke the Lawe at their mouthes, for he is a messenger of the Lorde of hosts.

Ye are the light of the world, Math. 5. let your light so shine before men, that they may sée your good workes, and glorifie your Father which is in heauen.

[Page] Math. 10.Go (saith Christ) and preache, the kingdome of heauen is at hand, heale the sicke, clense lepers, raise the dead, cast out diuels, that which I tell you in darkenesse speake in the light, and that ye heare in the eare that preach on the house tops.

Math. 28Preach the ghospell to all creatures, and babtisme them in the name of the Father, and of the Sunne, and of the holie ghost.

Mark. 16Goe into all the world and preach the Ghospell to all creatures, he that beleeueth & is baptized shalbe saued, he that beléeueth not shalbe damned.

Io. 4.He y ^e God hath sēt speaketh y ^e words of god.

A true precher. Acts. 6.They ought to giue themselues conti­nually vnto prayer, & to the ministation of y ^e worde, & to be obedient vnto the faith.

Acts. 20.Take héede saith the Apostle, vnto your selues, and to all the flockes, among whom the holie ghost hath made you ouerséers to rule the congregation of God, which Christ hath bought with his blood.

1. Peter. 5.Feede Christs flocke asmuch as lyeth in you, taking, the ouersight of them not as cōpelled therto, but of a good will, not for desire of filthie lucre, but of a good minde.

Are all the ministers in the Church of [Page 21] God of like calling?

Some are Appostles, some Prophets, 1. Cor. 12 some teachers, some workers of miracles, vnto some is giuen the gifts of healing, helpers, gouernours.

I héere thée make no mencion of Bi­shopes or ministers.

Father there be Bishops, Tim. 3. ministers and Deacons.

Let me héere their seuerall duties with the manner of their conuersations?

A Bishop must be blameles, A Bishops A [...]ie. 1. Ti [...]. [...]. the hus­band of one wife, diligent, sober, discret, a keper of hospitality, apt to teach, not giuen to ouermuch wine, no fighter, not gréedy of filthie lucre, but gentle, abhoring figh­ting, abhoring coueteousnesse, one that ru­leth well his owne house, one that hath Children in subiection with reuerence, Titus. [...]. no young scholler, least they swel & fall into y ^e iudgement of y ^e euill speaker, & also haue a good report of them that are without.

A minister must be honest, A Mini­sters dutie. not double tounged, not giuen to much wine, neither gredy of filthie lucre, but holding y ^e mistery [Page] of faith with a good concience, Proued & then cho­sen. let him first be proued, saith saint Paull, and then let him minister, so that no man be able to reproue him.

Deacons.Let the Deacons be the husbands of one wife, and such as rule their Children well and their owne housholds.

1. Tim 4 The dutie of all Mi­nisters.Let no man saith Paull to Timothe, dis­pyse thy youth, but be vnto them that bée­léeue an example in word, in conuersation, in loue, in spirit, in faith, in purenesse, giue attendance, to reading, to exhortacion, to doctrine, & despise not the gift that is giuen vnto thee through proficie with the laying on the hands, by the authoritie of priest­hode.

2. Tim. 4Preach the way of God, be feruent in season, and out of season, improue, rebuke, exhorte with all suffering and doctrine.

False tea­chers. Sonne, but I haue heard that ther be false teachers, and seducers of the people, therefore let me haue some marke wherby they may be knowen.

Acts. 5.The true preachers daily in the temple [Page 22] and in euery house cease not to preach Ie­sus Christ. True tea­chers.

When they are called straight way, Acts. 9 Acts. 10 they preach Iesus Christ in the Synagoges, how that he is the Sonne of God, and very Christ, they kéepe nothing backe that is profitable, but openlie & in euery house, both to the Iewes and Gréekes, they wit­nesse the repentaunce that is towardes God, and faith towards Iesus Christ.

They neither choppe nor change with the word of God, 2. Cor 2. but euen out of purensse & by the powre of God, in the fight of God to speake in Christ.

They doe not preach themselues but Iesus Christ, to be the Lorde, 2. Cor. 4. & themselues the peoples seruants for Iesus Christ sake, and further you may perceiue who are true teachers by the word going before.

Let me heare some doctrine of the false teachers, and seducers of the people. False tea­chers.

The false teachers you shall know by their fruits, Math. 7. they goe in long garmēts and loue salutacions in markets: &c.

[Page] Ezech. 34.Woo be to the shepherds of Israell, they féede themselues, they eate vp the fat and cloth themselues with the wooll, the best haue they slaine, C [...]uetous and doing not good. but the flocke haue they not nourished, the weake haue they not holden vp, the sicke haue they not healed, the outcasts haue they not brought againe, the lost haue they not sought, but churlish and cruelly haue they ruled them, but I will require my shéepe at their hands, saith the Lorde.

Ieremy. 2.They teach their owne wayes, and dare saie they are without sinne, Iustifiers. and guiltles, I haue not offended, and therfore the Lord sayth, I condemne thée in iudgement.

Ieremi. 14They preach vnto you false vysions, Charmes, vanyties and deceitfulnesse, of their owne harte.

Mark. 12They go saith Christ in long garments, and loue salutacions in the market place, False tea­chers de­ceiue wi­dowes with praying for their dead husbands and chiefe seates in feasts, and in the con­gregacion, and deuoure widowes houses vnder pretence of long prayers, but their damnation shall be great.

I perceiue well what the false teachers [Page 23] are, and y ^t their ende is damnacion, but let vs come againe to the true teachers, tell me wherefore y ^e Lorde hath placed Ap­postles, Prophets, Euengelists, shéepherds and teachers in his Church.

Saint Paull saith, Ephe. 4 euen to the edifying of the saints to the worke and ministratiō euen to the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come to the vnytie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God, vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the full perfect age of Christ.

If preachers and ministers be sent for this purpose, then surelie we ought to maintaine them with our goods, and reue­rence them as the chosen messengers of God, tell mée wherevppon they shall liue?

The Tythes of the people hath the Lorde giuen them to bée thire inhere­taunce. Numer. 18 Tythes.

They shall haue saith the Lord the tythe Deut. 14 [Page] of all the increase of the field that spring­eth yéere by yéere.

Deu. 8.The first fruit of corne, wine, and oyle, the first of the wooll, of thy shéepe, shalt thou giue to the priest.

1. Cor. 9.If we sowe vnto you, saith Saint Paull, speciall things, is it a great thing if wée reape your bodylie thinges, doe you not knowe that they which minister aboute holy thinges, liue of the sacrifice, euen so did the Lord ordaine that they which preach the ghospell should liue of the ghos­pell.

Gal. 6.Let him that is taught in the worde minister vnto him that teacheth him in all good thinges.

Iosua. 13 Offerings. Heb. 13, Iosua gaue none inheretance to the Leuits but the offerings of the people.

Remember them that haue the ouer­sight of you, which haue spoken vnto you the word of God, whose faith sée y ^t you fol­low, and marke the ende of their conuer­sation.

Reuerence MinistersObey them that haue the ouersight of you, and submitte your selues vnto them for they watch for your soules euen as they that must giue accompts, that they may doe it with ioye and not with griefe.

[Page 24]I beséech you be obedient to all that helpe and labour, 1. Cor. 16. looke that you knowe them that are such.

I was filled after that I receyued the thinges which were sent from you, Phillip. 4 an odour of a sweete smell, a sacrifice accepted vnto God.

But Sonne, what shall Ministers and Preachers doe with that which remay­neth of the tythes and benefices, more then they bestow of themselues, their wiues, Children, and famelie?

They shall giue it saith the Lord, Deu. 26. vn­to the straunger, the fatherlesse, and the wydowes, that they may eat within their gates, and fyll themselues.

Thou hast spoken much what Mini­sters must doe, and wherevpon they shall liue, but tell me what reward the Lorde prepareth for them in the worlde to come.

The wise, Dan. 12. such as haue taught others vnto godlinesse, shall glyster as the shi­ning of heauen, and shall be as the stars world without ende.

[Page] Reuel. 213A crowne of glorie, a throne of Ma­iestie, a paradise of pleasure, a life euer­lasting.

Math. 15They shall shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of the Father.

Esay. 51.An euerlasting ioy is vpon their heads, they possesse ioye and exultacion, and all payne and forrow is fled from them.

Reuel. 3,I will saith Christ, graunt them to sit in my seat with mée.

1. Peter. 5When the chiefe shepperd Iesus Christ shall appeare, they shall receaue an incor­ruptable crowne of Glorie.

Reuel. 22They shall sée the sace of God, and his names shall be in their foreheades.

Well sonne, the Lord is a great God and mercifull father, thus to reward them that worke his worke, but are Ministers and Preachers reuerenced of all men as the messengers of God, and disposers of his secrets?

No Father, sometime slandered, some­time [Page 25] mocked, sometime bett, and sometime put in death.

They [...]acked the messengers of the Lord, and despised his worde, 2. Cro. 36 and mis­vsed his prophets, vntill the wrath of God arose agaynst the people.

They hadde the messengers of the Lord in [...]ension, 3. Esdras. 1 and looke what GOD saide vnto them by his prophetes, they made but a sporte of it.

The rulers beat the Apostles, Acts. [...]. and commaunded them not to speake in the name of the Lord Iesu, but they went a­way from the Counsell, reioycing that they were compted worthie to suffer re­buke for his name.

Christ left vs an example that wée should follow his steppes, 1. Peter. 2 who did no sinne, neyther was there any guile founde in his mouth, which when hée was re­uiled, reuiled not agayne, when he suf­fered, he threatned not, by whose stripes we were healed.

The wicked saith Saint Peter, 2. Peter. 2. liue in pleasure in their owne deceyueable waies, and feasting, and mocking the desciples.

Elia saide, 3. kings. 1 the Children of Israell [Page] haue forsaken thy couenant, broken downe thine alters, slayne the Prophets with the sword, and I onely am left, and they séeke to take away my life.

Heb. 11.Some are racked, some reproched, some whipped, some chayned, some imprisoned, other stoned, cut in péeces, slayne with the swoord.

Math. 26.Yea, Christ our Maister and heade, crucified. Wherefore if we be compted the off skowring of the world, and with the Apostles, and Christ himselfe kylled, let vs reioyce, Math. 5. for great shall our reward bée in heauen.

[...]a [...]sters.Procéede to the duties of Maisters to their seruants.

[...]ollo. 4.Saint Paull teacheth playnely, saying, that Maisters must doe to the seruaunts that which is iust and equall, knowing al­so that they haue a maister in heauen.

[...]phe. 6Ye Maisters, doe that which is right vnto your seruants, putting away threat­ninges, for the Lord hath no respect of persons.

[...]euitic. 19Let no seruaunts wages abide with shée vntill the morning.

[Page 26]Whosoeuer woorketh any thing for thée, Tobias. 4. immediatly giue him his hyre, and looke that thy seruaunts wages remayne not by thée one night.

If thy brother or sister serue thée sixe yéeres, Deu. 15. and in the seuenth yéere depart from thée, thou shalt not let him goe from thée empty, but shall giue them of thy shéepe, and of thy corne, and of thy wine.

Whereas thy seruant worketh truely, Eccle. 7. intreat him not euill, nor the hireling that is faithfull vnto thée: loue a discrete ser­uaunt as thine owne soule, defraude him not of his libertie, neyther leaue him a poore man.

He that defraudeth a labourer of his hyer, is a bloudshedder. Eccle. 34

The hyer of the labourers that haue reaped downe your Corne fieldes, Iames. 5. which hyer is of you kept backe by fraud, cryeth, and the crye hath entred into the eares of the Lords Sabaoth, so that if Maisters detayne their seruaunts wages, or deale cruelly with them, the king of glorie will burne their flesh in the fier.

Let me heare the seruaunts dutie to their Maisters? Seruants.

Titus. 2Saint Paull saith, exhort seruants that they be obedient vnto their own maisters, and to please them in all things, not an­swering agayne, neyther to be pickers, but that they shew all good faithfulnesse, that they may doe worshippe to the doc­trine of Christ our Sauiour in all things.

Ephe. 6.Ye Seruants obey them that are your bodelie maisters, with feare & trembling, euen with the singlenesse of your heart, as vnto Christ, not doing seruice vnto the eye, as they that goe about to please men, but as the Seruaunts of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good wil, seruing the Lord, and not men.

Collo. 3Ye Seruaunts be obedient vnto your bodely Maisters in all thinges, not with eye seruice, as men pleasers, but in single­nesse of heart, fearing God.

1. Tim. 6Let as many seruaunts as are vnder the yoake, compt their Maisters wor­thie of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine bée not euill spoken off.

1. Peter. 2And concluding with Saint Peters words, which are, Seruaunts obay your Maisters with feare, not onely if they bée good and curteous, but also though they [Page 27] be froward.

Tell me some thing of the duties of hus­bands to their wiues? Husbands

Saint Peter who was married him­selfe, thus exhorteth husbandes, 1. Pet. 3 [...] yée men dwel with your wiues according to know­ledge, giueing honour to the wife as vnto the weaker vessell, and as vnto them that are heyres of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindred.

Ye husbands (saith Saint Paull) loue your wiues, and be not bitter vnto them. Collo. 3

Ye husbands loue your wiues, Ephe. 5. euen as Christ loued the congregation, and gaue himselfe for it, to sanctifie it, so ought men to loue their owne wiues, as their owne bodies, he y ^e loueth his wife, loueth him­selfe, for this cause shall a man leaue father & mother, & shalbe ioyned vnto his wife, Gen. 2. and of two shalbe made one flesh.

Shew me what wiues should doe to their husbands, because many now adaies grow stubbourne and wilful.

Ye wiues saith Saint Paull, VViues duties. submitte [Page] your selues vnto your owne husbands as vnto the Lorde, for the husbande is the wiues heade, euen as Christ is the heade of the congregation, therefore euen as the congregation is in subiection vnto Christ, likewise let the wiues be in subiection vn­to their husbands in all thinges.

Gen. 3. Sub potestate viri eris, thou shalt (sayd God) be subiect to thy husbande.

Col. 3.Ye wiues submit your selues vnto your owne husbands, as it is conuenient in the Lorde.

1. Peter. 3Ye wiues saith Saint Peter, be in sub­iection to your husbands, that euen they that obey not the word, may be without the woord wonne by the conuersation of the wyues, while they beholde their chast conuersation coupled with feare, VViues ap­parell. whose apparell shall not be outwarde, with broyded hayre, and hanging on of Golde, eyther in putting on of gorgious appa­rell, but let the hyd manne which is in the hart, be without all corruption, so that the spirit be myld, which is before God, a thing much set by, for after this manner in the olde time did the holye women which trusted in God tyre themselues, and were diligent to their owne hus­bands [Page 28] euen as Saray obeyed Abraham, and called him Lord, whose daughters ye are, as longe as ye doe well and are not dis­maide with any terror.

All women should hold their husbands in honour both among great and small. [...]ester 1

What, may not man and woman be di­uorsed, after they be married together?

At the beginning God made man and woman, and saide, Gene. 2 Diuorce. for this cause shall a man leaue father and mother, Math. 19. and cleaue to his wife, and they twaine shalbe one flesh, wherefore they are not twaine, but one flesh, let no man therfore put a sunder that which God hath coupled together.

Moyses gaue the people a testimoniall of diuourcement, that they might put them away.

Yea father, Moyses, Fornicatiō Math. 19. because of the hard­nesse of their harts, suffred them to put a­way their wiues, but whosoeuer saith Iesus Christ, putteth away his wife, except it be for fornication, & marrieth an other breaketh wedlocke, and whosoeuer mar­rieth [Page] her that is deuorsed committeth a­dulterie.

Parents.The dutie of parents would I learne, for many bring vp their children wanton­lie, tel me therefore plainely and truelie, al­though thou be but a Childe in yéeres yet I praise God thou art almost a man in wisdome and knowledge.

Gen. 13The Lord said, I know that Abraham will command his Children and his hous­holde after him that they kéepe the waye of the Lorde, and doe after right and conci­ence.

Eccle. 26If thy daughter be not shamefast hold her in straitely, least she abuse her selfe through to much libertie.

Eccle. 7.If thou haue sonnes bring them vp in nourture & learning, Daughters married to wisemen. and hold them in awe from their youth vp, If you haue a daugh­ter kéepe her body and shew not thy face cherefull towards her, marry thy daughter, giue her to a man of vnderstanding.

[Page 29]If thy daughter bée wanton kéepe her in straitly, Eccle. 42 least shée cause thine enimies to laugh thée to scorne.

You shall saith God, Deu. 4. teach all my lawes and ordinances vnto your Children.

Ye fathers moue not your children vn­to anger and wrathe, Ephe. 6. but bring them vp in the doctrine and informacion of the Lorde.

Ye fathers prouoke not your Children to anger, least they be of a desperate minde. Collo. 3

He that spareth the rood hateth his sonne, Pro. 13. but who so loueth him chasteneth him be­times.

Who so loueth his childe holdeth him still vnder correction, Eccle. 30 that he may haue ioy of him afterward, and that he grope not after his neighbours dores, he that teach­eth his sonne shall haue ioye of him, and néede not to be a shamed of him among his acquaintance.

Giue him no libertie in his youth, Eccle. 30 Libertie hurteth children. and excuse not his follie, teach thy Child and be diligent therein, least it be to thy shame.

What saith the scripture of Children to their parents.

[Page] Children. Ephe. 6Thus saith S. Paull, children obey your fathers and mothers in the Lorde, for that is right, honour the father and mother that thou maist prosper and liue longe on the earth.

Col. 3.Ye Children obey your fathers and mothers in all things, for that is well plea­sing vnto the Lorde.

Leuitic. 19Ye shall (saith the Lorde of hosts) feare euery man his father and mother and kepe my sabaoths.

Pro. 23.Giue eare to the father that begat thée, and despyse not thy mother when she is olde.

Pro. 28. Robbers of parents. Tobias. 4.He that robbeth his father and his mo­ther, & saie it is no sinne, he is a destroyer.

Hold thy mother saith Toby, as in ho­nour all the daies of the life, for thou ough­test to remember, how great perills shée suffered for thée in her wombe.

Tobias. 5.All that the parents command them, that they ought to doe dyligentlie, honour thy father in word and déed, Ecclesi. 3 in paciens, that thou maist haue Gods blessing, and his blessing shall abyde with the at the last. He that defyeth his father shall come to shame, Fathers blessing. and he that forsaketh his mother is cursed of God.

[Page 30]The blessing of the Father buildeth vp the houses of the Children, Eccle. 3 but the mothers curse rooteth out the foundacions.

He that forsaketh his Father shall come to shame, and he that defieth his mo­ther is accursed of God.

Now would I know (Sonne) how elders both men and women ought to liue for the example of the younger sorte? Elders.

The elder men must be sober, sage, Titus. 2 dis­cret, sound in the faith, in loue, in paci­ence.

The elder women likewise, Elder wo­men. must be in such rayment as becommeth holynesse, not being false accusers, not giuen to much wine, but that they teach honest thinges, let them shew themselues in all thinges an example in good workes, with honistie and grauitie.

How must the younger sorte behaue themselues?

The young men must be sober minded Titus. 2 Yoūg men young wo­men. [Page] The young women must be sober minded also, and loue their husbands and children, they must be discréet, chast, huswifly, good, obedient vnto their husbands, that none haue any euill to say of them.

What sayst thou to souldiers toll-ga­therers and Baylifes?

Luke. 3. SouldiersThe souldyers demanded of Iohn Babtist what they should doe. And he said, hurt no-man, neither trouble any man wrongful­ly, and be contented with your wages.

Luke. 11 Lawiers.As for the lawiers the Lord cursed them, and sayd, wo vnto you ye Lawiers, for ye loden men with burthens which they are not able to beare, and ye your selues touch not the packes with one of your fingers.

But thou tellest me not what they should doe. I sée a great sort euill enough.

Math. 23They ought to execute Iudgement, mercie, and faithe.

What off bayllifs and common tol-ga­therers and such like?

[Page 31]They ought to require no more then that is apponted vnto them. Luke. 3

Thou hast spoken of all perticulerlie. Euery mās dutie. But now let me heare in generall, words of the dutyes of all states and degrées of people, young and olde, learned and vnlear­ned, rich and poore, man and woman.

The grace of God saith saint Paull, Titus. 2. hath appeared, that bringeth saluation vnto all men, and teacheth that all men should de­nye vngodlinesse and worldlie lusts, and that they should liue soberly & righte­ously and Godly in this present worlde.

They ought to feare, God, Reuel. 14 and giue ho­nour vnto him and worshippe him, that made heauen and earth, and the sea, and the fountaines of water.

They ought to follow righteousnesse, 1. Tim. 6 Godlinesse, faith, loue, pacience, méeke­nesse, to fight y ^e good fight of faith, to lay hād on eternall life wherevnto they are called, and haue professed the same before manie witnesses.

They ought to recompence to no man euil for euil, to warne thē y ^t are vnruly, 1. Thes. 5 to [Page] comforte the féeble minde, to lift vp the weake, and to be patient towards all men.

Phillip. 2They must be like minded, hauing one loue, being of one accord, and of one minde, that nothing be done through strife or of vaine glorie, but in méekenesse of minde, let euerie man estéeme an other better then himselfe.

Luke. 12They ought to séeke the kingdome of God, and the righteousnesse thereof.

Luke. 3.He that hath two coats must part with him that hath none, and he that hath meat must doe likewise.

1. Cor. 11Euerie one must be a chast virgin vn­to God.

1. Peter. 2They ought all to loue as the seruants of God, to honour all men, to haue brother­ly felloship, to feare God, to honour the Kinge.

Ecclesi. 8They must kéepe the kinges comman­dement, and the oathe that is made vnto God.

Eccle. 12.This is the conclusion of all thinges, that they feare God and kéepe his comman­dements for that toucheth all men.

Election.Beginne to shewe me the goodnesse [Page 32] of God vnto his people, I haue heard that we are elected of God, euen of his méere loue.

Yea, Deu. 4. whatsoeuer the Lord God doth vn­to vs, that it is of his mercy and loue, and for our election, the Lord saith, because I loued thy fathers I chose their séede after them, and brought them out of Egypt.

The Lord hath chosen thée to be a se­uerall people and nation to himselfe, Deut. 7. aboue all nations of the earth.

The Lorde chooseth vnto himselfe the man that is godlie. Psal. 4.

I prepared thée or euer thou knewest me. Esay 45.

The Lord saith, Ieremi. 1. before euer I fashioned thée in thy Mothers wombe, I did knowe thée, and or euer thou wast borne, I sancti­fied thée, and ordayned thée to be a Pro­phet vnto the people.

The Lord choseth those that put their whoredome out of his sight, Oscas. 2. and their ad­noutry from their breasts.

He whom the Lord chooseth, shalbe holy. Nume. 16

Was not Esau, Iacobs brother, Malachi. saith the Lord, yet haue I hated Esau, and loued Iacob.

[Page] Io. 6.No man saith Christ, can come vnto me except my Father draw him.

Io. 15. Chosen to good worksI haue chosen you, and ordayned you, to goe and bring foorth fruit, and that your fruit should remayne.

Ephe. 1.And concluding with Saint Paules words, the Lord hath chosen vs in hym before the foundations of the world were laide, that we shoulde be holye without blame before him, through Iesus Christ, to bée heyres vnto himselfe.

Creation.What saiest thou touching our creati­on?

Gen. 1.In the beginning God made heauen and earth and all other things, and sawe that they were excéeding good.

Psalm. 33By the word of the Lorde were the heauens made, and all the hostes of them by the breath of his mouth.

Esay. 41.He that called the generations from the beginning, euen the Lord which is the first and the last, made and created all thinges.

[...]eremi. 27I am saith the Lord, he that made the earth, the men and Cattell that are vpon the grounde with my power, and out­stretched [Page 33] arme, and I haue giuen it to whome it pleaseth mée.

The Lorde is the worke-master of all things, which teacheth wisedome. Wisd. 7

All things were made by the worde of God, Io. 1. and without it was made nothing that was made.

And concluding with Saint Paull, Collo. 1. who saith. That all things were created by him that are in heauen and that are in earth, visible and inuisible, whether they be Maiestraies or Lordship, either rule or power.

But how was man created?

Euen after the image of God, Mans cre­ation. Gen. 1. God cre­ated man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, Male and Fe­male created he them.

The Lorde shaped man euen of dust of the moulde, Gen. 2. and breathed into his nostherells, the breath of life, and so Adam was made a liuing soule.

The Lord (saith Iob, Iob. 10.) made mée of [Page] the mould, and shall bring me into dust a­gaine, he hath turned me as it were milk, and turned me into cruds like chéese, hée hath couered me with skinne and flesh, and ioyned me togther with bones and sinewes.

[...]ob. 33.The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the almightie, hath giuen mée life.

Eccle. 7.This I haue founde, that God made man iust, but he hath many inuentions.

[...]ust. [...]eremy. 2 Faithfull.I placed thée (saith God) a noble vine, and a good roote, whose seede is faithfull, but thou art turned into a bytter, vnfruit­full, and straunge Grape.

Wisd. 2.God made man to be vndestroyed, yea after the Image of his owne likenesse made he him, neuerthelesse through the mallice of the Diuell, came death into the world.

[...]phe. 4Ye are shapen after God in righteous­nesse and true holinesse. So that Father, man was created after gods Image, that is iust, faythfull, vndefyled, fruitfull, a no­ble vine, righteous and holye, for all that the Lorde made, were excéeding Good.

RedemptiōWhat sayest thou of our redemp­tion.

Euen as the Lorde God doth elect and create man, Psalm. 31 so doth hée redéeme man and none other. For Dauid saith, Psalm. 49 into thy handes I commend my spirite, for thou oh Lord hast redéemed mée.

No man may deliuer his brother, nor make agréement vnto God for him, for it cost more to redéeme their soules. So that they must let that alone for euer.

I am hée sayth the Lorde, Oseas. 7. that re­déemed them, and yet they dissembled with mée.

The spirite of the Lord (sayth Christ) vpon mée, because he hath annoynted mée, Luke. 4. to preach the Ghospell to the poore hath he sent mée, to heale the broken harted, to preach deliuerance to the Captiue, and sight to the blinde, fréelie to set at libertie those that are brused, and to preach the acceptable yéere of the Lord.

Wée haue redemption through his bloud, Ephe. 1. euen the forgiuenenesse of our sinnes.

Our Lord Iesus Christ hath giuen himselfe for vs, Christs blood redemed vs. to redéeme vs from all vnrighteousnesse.

[Page] Redeemed of loue. Rom. 5.God setteth out his loue towards vs, sée­ing that while we were sinners accor­ding to the time Christ died for vs, much more then now we are iustified by his bloud, shall be saued from wrath by him, for when we were enemies, we were re­consiled vnto God by his bloud, much more séeing that we are reconsiled, we shall be preserued by his life.

1. Peter. 1 Redeemed by the blod [...]f Christ [...]nely.We were not saith saint Peter redée­med from our vayne conuersations with corruptable thinges, as siluer or golde, but with the precious bloud of Iesus Christ, as of a Lambe vndefiled.

Sanctifica­ [...]ion.What saith the worde of God of our sanctification?

[...]o. 3.Christ himselfe saith, except a man be borne of water and of the holy Ghost, hée cannot enter into the kingdome of God.

[...]o. 17 Prayer of Christ to [...]anctifie [...]is church.O father of heauen sanctifie them (saith Iesus Christ) through the truth, for the word is truth, and I doe not onely pray for my disciples alone, but for all those al­so which shall beléeue their preaching, that they may all be one.

Cor. 1.To them saith Saint Paull that are [Page 35] sanctified by Iesu Christ, called Saints, Sanctfied by Iesu Christ. 1. Cor. 6. Iesus and his spirit sanctifieth. Titus. 3 peace and grace.

We are washed, we are iustified, wée are sanctified by the name of Iesus Christ and through the spirit of our God.

The Lord according to his great mer­cy hath saued vs, by the fountayne of the new byrth, and renewing of the holye Ghost, which he hath shewed on vs abun­dantly, through Iesus Christ our sauiour.

Let me heare now by whome we are preserued, saued, and defended, Preserued, saued, defended & of whome we haue our being?

Euen by that great and mightie Iehoua, Gen. 7 the Lord of hostes. For the Lord called Noa into the Arke, and his houshold wher­in they might be saued, when he destroyed the world with the deluge.

The Lord said vnto Isaac, feare not, Gen. 26 I am with thée and will blesse thée & mul­tiply thy séede, for my seruant Abrahams sake.

I will be with thée, Gen. 40 and will be thy kéeper in all places whether thou goest, and will not leaue thée, till I performe my promise.

[Page] Gene. 40.The Lord was with Ioseph, and gotte him fauour in the sight of the Lord of the pryson, and shewed him mercy.

Exod. 13The Lord went before the people of Israell, in the day in a piller of a cloud, and in the night in a piller of fier.

Exod. 29.I will dwell among my people, and will be their God.

Deu. 33The eternall God is thy refuge, and vnder the armes of thine euerlasting shalt thou liue.

Iosua. 1,I will be with thée said God, and will not forsake thée, I will be with thée whe­ther so euer thou goest.

Psalm. 17.The Lord is the sauiour of all them that trust in him.

Acts. 17And concluding, in God we liue, moue, and haue our béeing, and are all his gene­rations.

Gyfts.That we are defended, saued and pre­serued by our God and mercifull father I perceaue, but procéede and tell mée of whome we haue all our meate, drinke, apparell, siluer, gold, ritches, possessions, wisedome, knowledge, learning, with all other good guifts?

[Page 36]Saint Iames thus aunswereth, Iames. 1 that euerie good guift, and euerie perfect guift is from aboue, and commeth downe from the Father of light, and further saith, Wisdome if any man lacke wisdome let him aske of him that giueth it, euen God.

It is the Lorde God that giueth the substance. Deu. 8. Riches.

It is the Lord God that giueth an heart to perceiue, eyes to sée, and eares to hear. Deu. 29.

The Lord saide to Salomon, 3. Kin. 3. aske what thou wilt and I will giue it thée.

All thinges vnder heauen are mine sayth the Lorde. Iob. 41.

God giueth vnto man that is good before him, wisdome, vnderstanding, Eccle. 2 and glad­nesse, but to the wicked the Lord giueth werinesse and superfluous care to heape riches for other men.

All that a man eateth and drinketh, Eccle. 3. Meate. Drink. yea whatsoeuer a man earneth of all his la­bour, the same is the guift of God.

God giueth vnto man riches, Ecclesi. 6 goods and honor, so that he wanteth nothing that his heart can desire.

When I perceiued that I could not kéepe my selfe chast, Wisdome Chastetie without God gaue it me, I stooped to the Lord and besought [Page] him.

Wisd. 9.Who can haue vnderstanding of thy meaning, Holy ghost a guift of God. except thou giue him wisdome, and send thy holy ghost from aboue, that the ways of them that be vppon earth may be reformed, that men may learne the things that are pleasant vnto thée.

Luke. 11Your heauenly father shall giue his ho­ly spirit to him that asketh of him.

Wisd. 3. Faith.Vnto the elect shall be giuen the special guift of faith. And the most acceptable porcion in the temple of God.

1. Cor. 4.Who preserueth thée, or what hast thou that thou hast not receyued.

Gen. 8The Lord gaue to man that he should Subdue the earth, and haue dominion of the fish, of the sea, and foule of the ayre. And of euery liuing thing vppon earth.

2. Peter. 1And closing this with Saint Peters wordes. According to his Godly power he hath giuen vnto vs all thinges that per­taine vnto lyfe and Godlynesse.

God one.Sonne, who is this God of whom wée receaue all goodnesse, is he but one or ma­ny, for many there be that be called Gods and Lordes many?

[Page 37]There is but one true God, One true God. although there bée thrée distincte persons of that one true GOD, I cannot make further relacion of his Godhead, then that he hath spoken and called himselfe thus.

I am, that I am. I am. Exod. 3 I am (sayth he to Moy­ses) haue sent thée.

This God appered vnto Abraham, Exod. 6. Iehoua. Gene. 17 I­saac, and Iacob, as an almightie God, and in my name (saith hée) Iehoua, was I not knowen vnto them.

I am the almightie God behold I am. Almighty. True God. Deut. 7. Eod. Mightie. Terrible, Deu. 9. A consu­ming fier. Deu. 32

The Lord thy God is a true God.

God is among you, a mightie and terri­ble GOD.

The Lord thy God is a consuming fyer, he shall consume and bring the enimies downe before his face.

I alone am God, and there is else none, I kill and make a liue.

He is a God of truth without wicked­nesse, right and Iust is he. Without sinne.

He is an holy an Ielious God, Iosua. 24 and can not beare with iniquitie and sinne.

The righteous god trieth y ^e harts & reines. Psal. 7. VVhat is God.

The Lord is my stony rocke and defence, my sauiour, my God, and my might, in whom I will trust, my buckler, the horne [Page] also of my saluation and my refuge.

Psalm. 14He maketh his Angels, spirits and his ministers a flame of fire.

139.If I clime vp to heauen he is there, if I goe downe to hell he is there also.

Pro. 5.Euery mans waies are open in the sight of his God, and he pondreth all mens goinges.

Pro. 15.Hell with her paine is knowne vnto this God, how much more then the hearts of men.

[...]eremi. 10I am, euen I am the Lorde of hosts, and besides mée ther is no sauiour, The Lords [...]ame. the lord is a true God, a liuing God, and an euer­lasting King.

Eod.The name of GOD is the Lorde of hosts.

Dan. 4.There is none that may resist his hand, or say why dost thou this.

Daniel. 7He sat him downe and his clothing was as white as snowe, and the haires of his head like the pure wooll, his throne like the fyery flame, and his wheles as the burning of fyre, The second [...]erson. a thousand serued him and tenne thousand times tenne stoode before him, the iudgement was set and the bookes ope­ned and the beast slayne.

Math. 1.Thou shalt call his name Iesus, quia [Page 38] is saluum faciet populum a peccatis suis For he shall saue the people from their sines.

In the beginning was the worde, Io. 1. and the word was with God, and God was the worde. And the same word became flesh and dwelt among vs.

The spirit of God came vpon the mes­sengers of Saull, and they prophecied. Third per­son.

The Lord GOD and his spirit, Esay 48. hath sent me.

I will power downe of my spirit vpon all flesh, Ioel. 2 Procedit Apatrie. Rom. 8 Procedit a filio. Io. 16. and your sonnes and your daugh­ters shall prophecie.

He that hath not the spirit of Christ he is none of his.

When the spirit of truth commeth whom I will send from my father, he will lead you into all truth.

This spirit certyfieth our spirit, Rom. 8. that we be the sonnes of God. Trinitie. Math. 3.

When Iesus was baptised, hée came straight out of the water and heauen was open vnto him, and the spirit of God came downe like a Doue, & light vpon him, and ther came a voyce from heauen which said, this is my beloued Sonne, In whom I am well pleased.

[Page] Gen. 19.The Lorde appeared vnto, Abraham, and he lift vp his eyes and looked, and loe, thrée men stode by him, [...]3. seme one worshipped and he ranne to méete them at the Tennte Doore, and fel to the ground and saide, Lorde I besech thée goe not from thy seruant.

Esay. 6.The Cherubin songe, holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts.

Io. 5.3. persons one God.Ther be thrée y ^t beare record in heauen, the father, the sonne, and the holy ghost, and these thrée are one.

Spirit, wa­ter & blodThere be thrée that beare witnesse vp­pon earth, the spirite, and water, and blood, and these thrée are one.

Reuel. 22,And concluding that these thrée persons, the father, sonne, and holy ghost, are con­substantiall and coequall. Alpha and O­mega, without beginning or ende.

Prayer.I besech this holy and blessed Trinitie, one true and euerlasting GOD, to continue his mercie and goodnesse to­wards vs his people, for his owne name sake Amen.

And I doe most earnestly entreate his maiestie, to giue vs grace to put off the [Page 39] olde man which is corrupt, and to put on the newe man, taking holde of his mercie by faith, and so continue, neuer looking backe, but still procéeding from vertue to vertue, till we enioye that kingdome pre­pared for the elect and chosen, by this blessed Trinitie. Amen.

Goe forwarde sonne, tell me how man at the beginning knew the will and good pleasure of his God, before the Lawe was written, that he might doe thereafter and liue?

When the Lorde made man at the bée­ginning, Gen. 1 he made him after his owne I­mage that was iust, so that he knewe how to eschue euill & do good, for it was grafted in him when he was called of God. Free will.

For the Lorde sent fyre and water, lyfe and death before man, Eccle. 15. that he might reach his hand to which he would.

And what did man being Iust and in that frée choise?

Gene. 3He chose death and left life. He became obedient to the subtyll serpent the Diuell, and disobedient vnto his God.

As appeareth when God had made man and woman, he placed them in Paradise, where they should haue liued and all their posterytie, in Ioye and filicitie for euer, they had frée wil and libertie ouer all the trées and hearbes in that garden, Tree of knowledge. Gen. 3. and all other things whatsoeuer, except the trée of know­ledge of good and bad, which the Lord com­maunded, that they should not (vpon paine of death) touch.

Could they not be content with all the fruites of the garden, and abstayne from that one trée, and so be blessed for euer?

No Father, they forsooke their blessed­nesse, and chose to be cursed, to leue life and take death, they forsooke their inhery­tance in heauen, and chose to be fier brands in hell, they cast off the Image of GOD, and toke vppon them the Image of the Diuell. The diuells [...]mage.

Tell me by what meanes this came to passe.

When the Lord had thus blessed them with all blessings, Gen. 3 the Diuell and Satha­nas hating their happie state from which hée was fallen, A lyer. Serpent subtiller then any beast. Came as a Serpent to Eua, and demaunded why they eate not of the Trée of knowledge, shee sayde that the Lorde had forbid them, and threatned death vnto them, if that they eate thereof, but he saide, the Lord knoweth that yée shall be as Gods, and not dye, if you eate. VVomen are proude. So the woman desiring to bée a Goddesse, tooke and eate, and gaue to her husbande who did eate also, and they saw then that they were naked, destitute of all felicitie, happinesse, grace, and vertue. Wherewith the Lorde had endued them, and were most lothsome, filthie, and stinckeyng in the Nosthrells of the Lorde: and the Lorde God calling them to an accompt, bolted out the matter howe Adam had eaten, moued by Eua. And Eua had eaten by the enticement of the Serpent, and the Lord saide to the woman, in multiplying, I will multiply thy sorrowe, and thy con­ceauing [Page] in sorrowe shalt thou bring foorth thy children, VViues sub­iect to their hus­bands. and thy lust shall per­taine to thy husbande, and he shall haue rule ouer thée. And vnto Adam he sayde, because thou hast harkened vnto the voice of the woman, and hast eaten of the trée, concerning the which I sayde vnto thée, thou shalt not eate of it, cursed is the ground for thy sake, in sorrowe shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life, Thorne also and Thistle shall it cause to growe vnto thée, and thou shalt eate the hearbe of the fielde, and in y ^e sweat of thy face shalt thou eate breade, till thou be turned again to the ground, for out of it wast thou ta­ken, in as much as thou art but dust, into dust shalt thou be turned agayne. And the Lord saide to the Serpent, Gen. 3. because thou hast done this, thou art cursed aboue all cattell, and aboue euerie beast of the field, vpon thy bellie shalt thou goe, and dust shalt thou eate all the dayes of thy life, I will also put enmitie betwéene thée and y ^e woman, betwéene thy séede, and her séede, the same shall treade downe thy head, Christ pro­mised. and thou shalt treade on his héele.

And the Lord clothed Adam and Eua, with leathering garments, droue them [Page 41] out of Paradise to dresse the groūd out of the which they were taken. And he set the Cherubins, and the glistering flame of a shaking sworde, to kéepe the way of the trée of life.

Let me nowe heare howe they liued and their posteritie, and whether they for the most part serued God or no?

Adam, Sinne in­creased [...] hauing shortly after a Sonne named Cane, and after him Abell, & Cane and Abell going to the fielde together, Cane rose vp against his brother Abell and slew him, Murder. and after dispayred of the mercie of God, and saide, my sinne and in­iquitie, is more then it may be forgi­uen.

And God saw that the malice of man was great in earth, Dispaire. and all the imagina­tions of his heart, was onely euill, and that continually.

The imaginations of mans heart, Gen. 6. was euill euen from his youth.

The earth was fiilled with crueltie, [Page] and corrupted before God, for all flesh had corrupted his owne way vpon earth. So that the Lord destroyed all the worlde with the floud, Noas floud Gen. 9. Druncken­nesse. Mocking. Gen. 13 except eight persons.

Noa being drunke, was vncouered in his tent, and his sonne Ham mocked him, being newlie deliuered from drowning.

The men of Sodom were wicked and excéeding sinners before the Lord.

Gen. 18.The crye of Sodom is great (saith God) and their sinnes are excéeding grie­uous.

Gen. 19. Lot being drunken with wine, laye with his two daughters, being newly de­liuered from destruction of fire and Brim­stone.

Gen. 38. Eer, Iudas eldest son being wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord slew him.

Gen. 38 Onan, another of Iudas sonnes being wicked, did the Lord slay.

And thus the people still wrought wic­kednesse in the sight of God, and sundrye times the Lord therefore destroyed them with fier, pestilence, swoorde, noysome beastes, and such like death.

Exod. 20The Lord punished the people for their vncleanenesse and sinne as I perceaue, but [Page 42] now tell me, Ten com. when the law was giuen by God which reuealed sinners, Law writ­ten. which is called the lawe written, or ten commaun­dements.

The God of heauen and earth gaue thē to Moyses, to be taught vnto his people in mount Sinay, written vpon two tables of stone.

How many commaundements were written in the first table?

Fower, Deu, 5. euen with the finger of God wherein is contained our obedience vnto our God, and in the second table sixe com­maundements, wherein we may learne a perfect and absolute dutie to our neigh­bour.

I haue often red those precepts, I thinke there be none ignoraunt thereof, therefore thou shalt not néede to repeat them, but can any man be saued by obseruing and kéeping of them.

The Lord shall aunswere you, Leuitic. 18 who saith, ye shall kéepe my ordinaunces and [Page] iudgements, which if a man doe, he shall liue in them, I am the Lord.

Math. 19.One came to Christ and saide vnto him, good Maister what shall I doe that I may attaine eternall lyfe. Christ aunswe­red, if thou wilt enter into life, kéepe the commaundements.

Math. 22A Lawier saide vnto Christ, Maister what shall I doe to obtayne eternall life. Christ saide, how readest thou. And the Lawier answered, thou shalt loue the Lord thy God, with all thine heart, with all thy soule, with all thy strength, and with all thy minde, and thou halt loue thy neigh­bour as thy selfe. And Christ Iesus aun­swered, Hoc fac et viues. This doe, and thou shalt liue.

Gal. 2.And concluding with Saint Paull, the man that doth the things contayned in the lawe, and fulfilleth them, shall liue by them.

Well, let mée now sée howe well wée obserue these, and whether any are saued thereby or not?

Deut. 11I shall aunswere you therevnto, but [Page 43] first fée what the Lord addeth. Beholde saith the Lord, I set before you a blessing and curse, a blessing, if you obey the com­maundement of the Lord thy God. And a curse if thou wilt not obey the commaun­dement of the Lord thy God.

Cursed is he that continueth not in all the words of the law to doe them. Deut. 27.

I feare then we all incurre the curse of God. Goe to now, doe we kéepe this law?

I will shew you by what meanes we may violate and breake the lawe. And then if we examine our selues, we shall perceaue as it were in a glasse, our cor­ruption and disobedience. We may breake the lawe of our God, by thought, woorde, and worke.

The imaginations of mans heart is euill, euen from his youth. Thought. Gen. 8.

The Lorde smote Pharao and his house, because of Saray Abrahams wife, Gen. 12. he lusting after her.

[Page] Math. 5I say vnto you (saith Christ) that who­soeuer looketh on a woman to lust after her, he hath committed adulery with her alredy in his heart.

Math. 15Out of the heart procéede euill thoughts, murders, breaking of wedlocke, whore­domes, theftes, false witnesse, blasphemies, these defile a man.

Iames. 3.So that euill thoughtes with consent, saith Saint Iames, procure death.

VVoordsLet mée heare what words hurte?

1. Cor. 15 Corrumpunt bonos mores colloquia praua. Euill words corrupt good manners.

Iames. 3If any man sinne not in worde, the same is a perfect man, and able also to same all the body.

Ephe. 4Let no filthie communication procéede out of your mouthes saith Paull, but that which is good to edifie withall, that it may minister grace to the hearers.

Eod. 5.As fornication or vncleanenesse, or co­uetousnesse, let it not be once named a­mong you, as becommeth Saincts, or fil­thienesse, or foolish talking, or ieasting, which are not comely, but rather giueing of thankes.

[Page 44]Of euery idle worde that men shall haue spoken, Math. 12 they shall giue accompts in the day of the Lorde.

Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur. Eod. Of the abundance of the heart the mouth spea­keth.

Out of thy wordes thou shalt be iusti­fied, Math. 12 and out of thy words thou shalt bée condemned. So that the Lawe condem­neth wicked wordes.

Procéede to speake of workes? VVorkes or deedes.

The déedes of the flesh saith S. Paull, Gal. 5. are manyfest, which are these, adultery, for­nication, vncleannesse, wantonnesse, wor­shiping of Images, witchecraft, hatred, variance, strife, sedicions, sects, enuying, drunckennesse, gluttony, & such like. The committers of them or such shall not in­herit the kingdome of God.

Whosoeuer breaketh one of the com­mandemēts, and teacheth other men, Math. 6. so he shall be called the least in the kingdome of God.

Who liueth father, Iames. 2 that hath not offen­ded either in thought, word, or déede, and if he hath offended in one point, hée is [Page] guyltie of all, for saint Iames saith, whoso­euer shall kéepe the whole lawe, and yet faill in one point, he is guiltie of all.

Was ther neuer any man nor woman that fulfilled the whole lawe?

All sinners none iust.No father, but the man Iesus Christ who was perfect God, and perfect man, for saint Paull saith, all are sinners, and stand, Rom. 3. Eod. in néed of y ^e grace of God, we do per­ceiue that both Iewes and Gentiles are al vnder sinne, there is none that doth good, their is none righteous.

Originall sinne. Rom. 5 Gal. 3.By the sinne of Adam, there sprong vp euill on all men vnto condemnation.

The Scripture concludeth all thinges vnder sinnes, that the promise by the saith of Iesus Christ, should be giuen to all that beléeue.

Io. 1.If we say that we haue no sinne wée deceiue our selues, & ther is no truth in vs.

Math. 19.None is good saith Christ but one, and that is God.

Psal. 14.There is none righteous, no not one, ther is none that vnderstandeth, there is none that séeketh after God, they are all gone out of the waie, they are all vnprofitable, [Page 45] ther is none that doth good no not one.

There is none iust vppon earth, Eccle. 7 that doth good and sinneth not.

So that Saint Paull concludeth, Rom. 3. None iu­stified by the lavv, because none fulfill the same. that all mouthes may be stopped, and that all the worlde may be subdued vnto God, because that by the déedes of the lawe, there shall no flesh be iustified in his sight.

What a kinde of doctrine was that which hath béene taught, that man might be saued by his owne merits, séeing all are sinnes?

A detestable doctrine father, Gen. 32. as you may perciue by this going before, yet for satisfi­yng your minde I will proue further vnto you, marke what Iacob euen the Lordes elect saide to God. Oh Lord I am not worthie of the least of all thy fatherly mer­cies and truth, which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant.

It was not for thy righteoussnes sake, Deu. 9. or for the right heart that thou goest to possesse the Land, for thou art a stifneck­ed people, but for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein, and for my promise sake to Abraham, Isaac and Iacob.

[Page] Psalm. 89.What man is he that shall not sée death, and shall he deliuer his owne soule from the hand of hell.

Rom. 8.I suppose that the afflictions of this life are not worthie of the glory that shall be showed on vs.

Luke. 17Christ willeth vs therefore when we haue done all that euer we are able to say, we are vnprofitable seruantes.

What sayest thou of those that iustifie themselues before men? Iustifiers.

Math. 23.Christ Iesus curseth such. Woe vnto you Scribes, Pharises, Ipocrites, you make cleane the outside of the cup; and platter, but within you are full of bry­bery and excesse, euen so they outwardly appeare righteous before men, but with­in are full of faynednesse and iniquitie, and all their workes they doe of intent to be séene of men, Math. 6 but they haue their re­ward.

Ieremi. 2Though y ^u washest thy selfe with Nitrus, and make thy selfe to smell with y ^e swéete hearb of Loreth, yet in my sight thou art stained with thy wickednesse.

[Page 46]Why bostest thou thy selfe sayth God so highly, to obtaine fauour thereby, Iustifiers. Condēned when thou as yet hast stained thée with blasphemies, and teachest thyne owne waies, and yet thou darest say, I am without sinne and guiltles, I haue not of­fended, and therefore I condemne thée in iudgement.

The Prophets and Priests are polluted, Ieremi. 23 Ipocrytes, and their wickednesse haue I found in my house, I will therefore bring a plague vppon them.

The Pharisy saide, God I thanke thée, Luke. 10. I am not like other men, I am no extor­cionor. I am not vniust, I am not as this Publican, I fast twise in the wéeke, I giue tythes of all, that I possesse, and yet hée went home not iustified.

Séeing thou puttest thy trust in thyne owne waies, Oseas. 9. Merits. and leanest vnto the multi­tude of thy merites, there shall growe a sedicion among the people, & al the strong holdes shall be layde wast.

If I iustifie my selfe, Iob. 9. mine owne mouth shall condemne me.

Tush I haue good enough, Oseas. 12. in all my workes shall not one fault be found that I haue offended, but thou art like a false [Page] Marchant that occupyeth extorcion, Iustifiers punished [...]and therefore shall his blood be powred vppon himselfe, and the Lord God shall reward his blasphemies.

Math. 16. Iustifiers of them­selues fol­lowe not Christ.Therefore I will conclude with the wordes of Iesus Christ, if any man will follow me, let him forsake himselfe, and take vp his crosse. Let none trust in their owne worthinesse, but in Iesu, and follow him.

Thou speakest the truth that all are sinners, that we mirrit or deserue no good­nesse at the hand of God, and that none what soeuer is iust, but sinneth seauen tims a day, but what sayest thou of the electe Saints of God.

Iob. 15. Iob that iust man (in respect of others) saith, behold the Lorde doth not trust his saints, yea the very heauens are not cleane in his sighte.

Iob. 25How may a man compared to God be iustified, how can he be cleane that is born of a woman, the stars are corrupt in his sight.

[Page 47]What sayst thou of that Virgen Mary Mother of Iesus Christ, Virgin Marie. for some say that she is coequall with God, & some affirme that shée may bée compared to a sacke, that when the meall is out is no­thing better?

I for my part, Exod. 20. thinke well of neither of these, for the one speaketh blasphemie to make any like God, who created and made all thinges, and the Lorde is a Iellious God, and I will haue none to be compa­red to him, as for the other they speake vnreuerently to compare that elect and chosen of God, Marie blessed. that blessed among women to a sacke or filthie vesture, for she is cal­led of the Angell Gods messenger vnto her, blessed, for thus he saith: Luke. 1. Haill full of grace, our lord is w ^t thée, blessed art thou among women, for thou hast found grace with God.

The mother of Iohn the baptist that holie woman full of the holie ghost, Luke. 1 cryed with a loud voice & saide, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe.

[Page] Luke. 11Euen a simple woman cryed before Christ, and said, blessed is the wombe that bare thée, and the paps that gaue the sucke.

She was called blessed, because she was elected to saluation by faith in her sauy­our, she was called blessed, because shée was chosen of God to beare Iesus that anoynted of the father, she is called bles­sed by reason she obayed the Lordes com­maundement, and yéelded to his will.

Luke. 1.And she was most blessed that the Lord imputed no sinne vnto her, and as touch­ing this her blessednesse, she saith her selfe. Behould from hence foorth all generations shall call me blessed, so that this blessed and elect of God, is neither Goddesse, for she exalteth not her selfe so hie, neither to be compared so vnreuerentlie, séeing that it pleaseth the Lord our God and sauiour to be borne of her.

Math. 1Then thou makest her without sinne.

As touching the conception and byrth of Christ, she was a most pure Virgen, & in al respects touching the same vndefiled, [Page 48] but as touching her owne conception and byrth, Psal. 51. she will say and confesse with Da­uid, behold I was gotten in wickednesse, and in sinne my mother conceaued mée.

How can he be cleane that is borne of a woman, Iob. 25. the starres are not cleane in his sight.

Looke at her owne words. She saith, Luke. 1. my soule doth magnifie the Lord, and my spirit reioyceth in God my sauiour, if she had béene cleane from all sinne, then shée might haue béene saued by the lawe, and Christ Iesus (although her Sonne) should haue profited her nothing, therefore you may sée y ^t she findeth somthing in her selfe, y ^t causeth her to confesse with ioye & glad­nesse of soule, that her owne sonne must be her sauiour. For why there is none that commeth vnto the Father of heauen, but those that are brought by Christ, for hée saith. Nemo venit ad patrem nisi per me. There is none that commeth vnto the father but by mée.

May wée not lawfully woorshippe and praye vnto this blessed Virgin and o­ther Saincts? Prayer to Saints.

[Page]Noe Father, for Christ saith, Domi­num deum tuum adorabis, et illi soli fer­uies. Thou shalt worship the Lorde thy God, and him onely shalt thou serue.

Reuel. 19 Iohn fell downe at the Angels féete to worship, but hée saide vnto him, sée thou doe it not, for I am thy fellow seruant, and one of thy brethren, euen of them that haue the testimonie of Christ Iesu, but worship God.

Acts. 10 Cornelius fell downe at Peters féete and worshipped him, but Peter tooke him by the hande and saide, stande vp, I my selfe am also a man.

Acts. 14 Iupiters Priestes brought Oxen and garlands vnto the Porch, and would haue done sacrifice with the people, which when the Apostles Barnabas and Paull hearde, they rent their clothes, and ranne among the people and saide, sirs why doe ye this, wée are mortall menne like vnto you, and preach vnto you that yée shoulde turne from these vanities to the liuing God.

4. king. 17 Feare, serue, bow, and doe sa­crifice to God and to none els.The Lord charged that they shoulde feare none other God, nor bowe them selues vnto them, nor serue them, nor sa­crifice to them, but feare God that brought [Page 49] them out of Egypt, him feare, and to him bowe, and to him doe sacrifice.

And as touching praier, Christ teach­eth his Disciples to pray. Prayer. Our Father which art in heauen, hallowed be thy name, &c.

When thou prayest, Math. 6 Pray to the father of heauen. enter into thy Chamber and shut the doore, and pray to thy Father which is in secret, and he will reward thée openly.

I cry vnto the Lorde with my voyce saith Dauid, Psalm. 77 euen vnto God will I crye with my voyce, and he shall harken vnto mée.

Looke vnto whome Abrahams seruaunt prayed, Lord God of my Maister Abrahā, Gene. 24 send mée good spéede this day, and shewe mercy vnto my Maister Abraham.

Abraham praied for Abimelech vnto the Lorde, Gen. 20. and the Lorde healed Abime­lech.

He that offereth to any but to the Lord onelie, let him be rooted out. Exod. 22

Serue where thou wilt saith Iosua, Iosua. 24 I and my house will serue the Lord God.

The Angell sayde, Iudg. 13. if thou wilt offer an offering, thou must offer it vnto the Lorde.

[Page] Elcana went euerie festiuall day to pray, and to offer vnto the Lord God of hostes in Silo.

Anna prayed and saide, I haue powred out my soule before the Lord, wherby you may perceaue father, that none is to bée worshipped, bowed vnto, feared, sacrificed before, prayed vnto, but onely the God of heauen and earth.

May we not pray thus and say, GOD and our Ladie helpe mée, or God and S. Iohn, Peter, or Iames▪

Esay. 59 None can helpe but God.That is to make others equall with God. For Esay sayth, that the Lord sawe that none was righteous, and he wondred that there was none to helpe him, where­fore he helde him by his owne power, and susteyned him by his owne righteous­nesse.

And I tould you before that it was blasphemie to compare any with GOD, and besides such are enemies to those Saincts, for they wish that the Lord in his ielousie shoulde plague them, by rea­son [Page 50] that they attribute that vnto them, 2. King. 6. that belongeth onely to the Lord.

Vsa (as we réede) when he saw the Ox­en stumbled which carried the Arke of God, & the Arke like to fall as he thought, None ioy­ned with god to help he offered to vpholde or stay the Arke, No good entent pleaseth God that is con­trary to his will. and God smote him that he dyed sodaine­lie. Therefore whosoeuer thinketh the Lord so weake that he must haue the bles­sed Virgin Marie, the Saincts, Apostles, or Angels, to take holde with him, let that man or woman doubt, for feare the Lord smite them, as he did Vsa sodenly, for let men know that God is almightie.

Thou prouedst before that all are sinners, but I haue brought thée from that matter, yet I would gladly know further touching sinne, what those are wherein all for the most part haue offended.

Idolatrie, Idolatry. for that most displeaseth God, whome all people, kindreds, and toungs ought to worship.

[Page] Exod. 22.He that offereth vnto any Gods but to the Lord, let him be rooted out.

Exod. 32The people made a Calfe and woor­shipped it, they sate downe to eate and drinke, and rose vp to play, but the Lorde slue thrée thousande for the same.

Leuiti. 19Ye shall not saith the Lord, turne to Idolls, nor make you Gods of metall. Iacob commaunded all his housholdes to put away the straung Gods that were a­mong them, Gen. 35 and be cleane, and so they did.

Leuitic. 17Let none offer their offeringes vnto Diuells, after whome they haue gone a­whoring.

Leuit. 26Ye shall make you no grauen Image, neyther reare you vp any stone, neyther any Idole to worship it, for I am the Lord.

Deu. 4.You saw no Image saith the Lorde, when I spake vnto you out of the fier, then take héede that you make no manner of Image to worshippe, neither of manne, beast, foule, &c.

For if thou doe, I call Heauen and Earth to recorde ouer you this daye, you shall perishe shortelie out of this lande.

[Page 51]Ye shall ouerthrow their Alters, Deu. 7. A kings dutie. breake downe their pillers, cut down their groues, and burne their grauen Images with fier.

The people vsed to burne their sonnes and daughters with fier before their gods. Deu. 12.

If there be any within your gates, Deut. 17. Idolaters stoned. man or woman that haue or worshippe straunge Gods, the Sunne, the Moone, or any of the host of heauen, they shalbe sto­ned to death.

Th people serued Baall, and offereth, Iudg. 2 and the Lords wrath was hot.

The Arke of God was set before Da­gon the Philistines God, 1. king. 4. but Dagon was cast downe, and leggs and armes bro­ken.

Ieroboam made two Calues of Golde, 3. kings. 12 Bethell Gods house made a place fo [...] Idoll. Psalm. 9 [...] and made the people worshippe, and sayde, these are Gods that brought you out of Egypt, and set one of them at Bethell.

Confounded bée all they that woor­shippe Carued Images, and that delight in vayne Gods, woorshippe him all ye Gods.

Let them bée ashamed earely that hope in Idolls, Esay. 42. and say to fashioned Ima­ges, you are our Gods.

[Page] Ezech. 8.There were all manner of Images, of wormes and beastes, all Idolls, and ab­hominacions of y ^e house of Israell, paynted euerie one rounde about the wall, there stoode before the Images 70. Lords to of­fer incence secretly and saide, tush, the Lord séeth vs not.

Abacuc. 2.Woe be vnto him saith the Lord, that saith to a péece of wood, arise, and to a dombe stone, stand vp.

Wisd. 14So father I will conclude with the Lords words. Cursed is the Image, and he that made it.

Pryde.Goe to, speake of other vices, what say­est thou of pride.

Eccle. 10 Initium omnis peccati superbia, quia tenebit eam ad implebitur maledictis.

Proude people cur­sed. Eccle. 32Pride is the beginning of all sin, he that is proud, is filled with cursing.

If thou be made a ruler, pryde not thy selfe therein, but be thou as one of the people.

Pro. 26.The Lord abhorreth all such as bée of a proude heart, his hande is agaynst their hande, and they shall not escape as in­nocents.

[Page 52]After pride commeth destruction, Pro. 18. and honour after lowlines.

Thou Capernaum which art exalted vp to heauen, Mark. 11 shalt be brought downe to hell.

Euerie one sayth Christ that exalteth himselfe shall be brought low. Luke. 18. And hée that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted.

What, is not couetousnesse a sinne? Couetous­nesse.

A sinne? yes an horrible offence, Tim. 6. for Saint Paull sayth, that the couetousnesse of monie, is the roote of all euill.

Wo be vnto him that heapeth vp other mens goods, Abacuc. 2 Couetous and their goods bur­ned with an hot fier. wo vnto him that gather­eth euill gotten goods into his house, that he may set his nest on hie, to escape the power of misfortune, but the Lord of hosts shall bring this to passe, that the labor­ers of the people, shalbe burnt with a fire, and the thinge wherevpon they haue we­ried themselues shalbe burnt.

Like as hell and destruction are neuer full, Pro. 27 euen so the eyes of men can neuer be satisfied.

[Page] Esay 5.Wo be vnto them that ioyne one house vnto an other, and one land to an other, that the poore can get no more ground.

Ecclesi. 14.A couetous eye hath neuer enough in the porcions of vngodlinesse, vntill the time that he wither away, and haue lost his owne soule.

Mark. 10It is easier for a Camell to goe through the eye of a néedle then for the rich to enter into the kingdome of heauen.

Mark. 8.And thus concluding, what will it gaine a man if he win all the worlde, and léese his owne soule. Or what shall a man giue to redeme his soule againe withall.

Lechery.Tell me something of Lecherie?

Iob. 31.This sinne of lecherie saith Iob, is a wickednesse and sinne, that is worthie to be punished, yea a fire that vtterlie would consume and root out all a mans substance.

Leuit. 20A man that breaketh wedlocke with an other mans wife, let both the aduou­terer, and the aduoutris be slaine.

Leuiti. 19Thou shalt not make thy daughter cōmon, that thou wouldest cause her to be [Page 53] an whore, least the land fall to whordom and be full of wickednesse.

Ther shalbe no whore among the daugh­ters of Israell, Deu. 23 nor no whore kéeper of the sonnes of Israell.

There were slaine of the Tribe of Bin­iamin, xxv. thousands, Iudg. 20. and all their Cit­ties burned for adulterie.

In the desire of vncleanlie lust, Ieremi. 5 they are become like the stoned horse, euery man néeth at his neighbours wife.

The children of the aduouterers shall come to naught, Wisd. 4 and the séede of the vn­righteous bed, shalbe rooted out.

An whores house is the way to hell, Pro. 7. and bring men downe into the chambers of death.

An whore is first vnfaithfull to the lawe of the highest, Eccle. 23 secondlie she hath for­saken her owne husband, thereby shée hath gotten her children by another man, and played the whore, but a shamefull repoorte shall shée leaue behinde her, and her Children shall take no déepe roote.

Whosoeuer séeth a woman and lust­eth after her, Math. 5 hath committed adulterie with her alredie in his heart.

[Page] [...]. Cor. 6.And I will conclude with saint Paull, flée fornication, euerie sinne that a man doth is without the body, but he that is a fornicatour sinneth against his owne bodie.

VVrath.What sonne, is wrath compted a sinne?

Ecclesi. 7Yea Father, a detestable sinne, bée not sayeth the wise man hastelie angrie in thy minde, for wrath resteth in the bo­some of fooles.

Eccle. 28Be ware of anger, and thou shalt make thy sinnes fewer, for an angrie man kind­leth varyance.

Eccle. 30Zeall and anger shorten thy daies of life, and carefulnesse, and sorow bringeth age before the time.

Iames. 1The wrath of man worketh that which is vnrighteous before God, whosoeuer saith Christ is angrie with his brother vn­aduisedlie shalbe in danger of iudgement. Math. 5.

What is saide of enuie?

[Page 54]Father, Wisd. 1. wisdom entereth not into a­froward and enuious soule, nor dwelleth in the body subdued vnto sinne.

I will not haue to do with consuming enuie, Wisd. 6. for such a man shall not be perta­ker of wisdome.

Let all bitternesse, and fearcenesse, Ephe. 4 and wrath, and roaring, and cursed, speaking, be put from you with all maliciousnesse.

Tell me somthing of gluttonie and drunkennesse. Gluttony

Excesse of meates bringeth sicknes, Eccle. 37. and gluttony commeth at the last to an vn­measurable heate, through surfet haue manie one perished, but he that dieteth himselfe temperatlie, prolongeth his life.

Take héede to your selues, Luke. 21 least at anie time your hearts be ouercōmed with sur­feting, and drunckennesse.

He that hath pleasure in bankets shall be a poore man, Pro. 21. and he that delighteth in wine and delycates shall not be ritch.

[Page] Esay. 5.Wo be vnto them saith the Lord, that follow drunkennesse, and so continue vntil night.

Luke. 16 For abu­sing Gods graces.There was a certaine rich man clothed in purple and fine white, and fared delici­ouslie euery daie, but when he dyed, was tormented in hell.

Gal. 6.These are some of the déedes of the flesh, drunkennesse, and gluttonie, they that commit such thinges, shall not be in­heretours of the kingdome of Christ and of God.

What saist thou of slouth and Idlenesse?

Pro. 6.The wise man saith, goe to the Emit thou slougerd, consider her waies and learne to be wise.

Luke. 13.Behold saith Christ these thrée yéeres haue I sought fruit of the fig trée, and finde none, cut it vp, why doth it trouble the ground.

Math. 25The Lorde saide vnto the seruant that had one talent, thou euill and slouthfull seruant, thy tallent shall be taken from thée, & thou cast into vtter darknesse, wher is wéeping and gnasshing of téeth.

What saith the scripture of swearing, Swering. that is almost in euerie mans mouth a common thing?

Let not (saith the wise man) thy mouth be accustomed with swearing, Eccle. 23. for in it there be manie falls, if he swere in vaine he shalbe filled with wickednesse, and the plague shall neuer goe from his house.

I saie vnto you, saith Christ, Math. 5 swere not at all, neither by heauen, for it is Gods seate, neither by the earth, for it is his foote stoole, neither by Ierusalem, for it is the Cittie of the great king, neither by the head, because thou canst not make one haire white or blacke, but your communication shalbe yea yea, nay nay, Iames. 5 and whatsoeuer is more commeth of euill

Thou shalt not take the name of God in vaine, Exod. 20 for the Lorde will not hold him guiltles that taketh his name in vaine.

The prophet saw a flying booke of xx. zachary. 5 cubits long, & tenne cubits broade, this is the curse that goeth ouer the earth for all [Page] theues shalbe iudged after this booke, and al swerers shalbe iudged after this booke, & it shall come into the house of the théefe, and into the house of him that fastie swea­reth by my name saith the Lorde, and shall remaine in his house, and consume it with the timber and stones.

Then it is not lawfull to sweare for anie cause?

Ieremi. 4.No father, except for the testifiyng of the truth in doubtfull causes, being mo­ued therevnto by a iudge, and then they must sweare in iustice, iudgement, and righteousnesse.

It would be to longe to recite perticu­lerly euery sinne committed in the world, therefore shew me the most vsuall sinnes in generall wordes.

Ieremi. 22In the world they despise Father and Mother, in it they haue oppressed the straunger, the fatherlesse & widowe, they [Page 56] haue despysed the Lords sanctuarie, and vnhallowed the Sabothes, murders are therein, many deale shamefully with their neighbours wife, guifts are receaued ther­in to shed bloud, and vsurie haue béene committed.

Is not vsurie lawfull? Vsury.

Lawfull? No horrible, Deu. 23 thou shalt not saith the Lord, hurt thy brother by vsury of monie or Corne, or by vsurie of anie thing that he may be hurt with all.

If thou lende monie to anie of my people that is poore by thée, Exod. 22 thou shalt not be as a tyrant vnto him, neyther shalt thou oppresse him with vsurie.

Thou shalt take no vsurie of thy bro­ther, nor vantage. Leuiti. 25.

Blessed is that man that hath not laide out his monie for vsurie, Psal. 15. nor receaued re­wards against the innocent, so on the con­trarie part, cursed is he that lendeth out to vsurie.

[Page]Thou saiest that the Lords sabaoth is vnhallowed, Saboth. is it a day to be hallowed and sanctified?

Gen. 2.Yea Father, for the seuenth day the Lord ended his worke which he had made, and rested from all his worke, and GOD blessed the seuenth day, and sanctified it, be­cause he hadde rested from all his worke which he ordayned to make.

Exod. 16No Manna fell on the Sabaoth daye, for it is an holie rest vnto the Lord.

Exod. 23.The seuenth day thou shalt rest, thine Oxe, thine Asse, thy sonne, thy maide, and the straunger, and so to be refreshed.

Numer. 16Let him that gathereth stickes on the Sabaoth day, be stoned without the host.

Hath the Sabaoth béene sometime vn­hallowed?

Esdras. 4Yea, for Esdras sawe some treading wine presses on the Sabaoth, and bring­ing Asses loden with grapes, figges, and bringing all manner of burthens vnto Ie­rusalem vpon the Sabaoth day, and I re­buked them (saide he) earnestly, the same [Page 57] day that they soulde their victualls, and soulde fish, and I reproued them, and the rulers for breaking the Sabaoth day, but after this there came none to buy nor sell on the Saboth day.

Who doth kéepe the Sabaoth & sancti­fie it? Sanctifiers of the Sa­both.

He that kéepeth himselfe that he doe no euill. Esay. 56

If thou turne thy féete in the Saboth, Esay. 58 so that thou doest not the things that plea­seth thy selfe in my Sabaoth, and thou call the pleasant, holie, and gracious Sa­baoth of the Lord, and that thou giue him the honour, so that thou doe not after thine owne imaginations, neither séeke thine owne will, nor speake thine owne words.

It is lawfull saith Christ, Math. 12 to doe good déedes on the Sabaoth day.

Me thought thou spakest that the Lords sanctuare was defiled?

Yea Father, Ieremie saith, Ieremy. 22 they haue despised the Lords sanctuarie.

[Page] Temple.Who did first builde the Temple vn­to the Lord?

3. Kin. 6. Salomon the third king of Israell, built an house for the Lorde in Ierusalem, that was thrée skore cubits long, and xx. cubits broade, and fiftie cubites high.

Cro. 17.The Lord saide to Dauid, thy sonnes shall buylde me an house, and I will sta­blish his seate for euer.

Why did not the Lord suffer Dauid to buylde his Temple?

1. Cro. 22.Because he had shed much bloud, and made great battells in the Lords sight vpon earth.

2. Cro. 7.The Lorde appeared to Salomon by night and saide, I haue heard thy petition, and haue chosen this place for my selfe to be an house of sacrifice, A house of sacrifice. I haue sanctified this house, that my name may be there for euer.

Where did Salomon buylde the Lords house?

[Page 58]At Ierusalem in mount Morea where the Lord appeared vnto Dauid his father in the threshing floore of Ornan the Iesubite. 2. Cro. 3

Thou sayest that we may not buy & sell on the Sabaoth, what must we then doe?

We must goe to the Temple of the Lorde, and pray, 1. king. 1 and offer vnto the Lorde of hostes.

Serue the Lord onely, 1. Kings. 6 and prepare your hearts vnto him, and he will rid you out of the hands of your enimies.

Salomon the king made a long pray­er in the Temple vpon his knées, 3. king. 8 and his hands lifted vp to heauen.

The Lord aunswered Salomon and saide, I haue heard thy petition, 2. Cron. 7. and haue chosen this place for my selfe, if I shut vp heauen that there be no rayne, or if I commaund the Locusts to deuour the lād, or if I send pestilence among my people, Praiers, repentāce, conuersa­tion in gods tēple and if my people vpon whome my name you called vpon, doe humble themselues & make intercession, and séeke my presence, and turne from their wicked waies, them will I heare from heauen, and be merciful [Page] vnto their sinne, and will heale their land.

What name gaue Salomon to the house that he buylded for the Lord?

2. Cro. 2He called it an house of sacrifice, for he saide euen to burne sacrifices before the Lord shall his building be.

Some refuse to go to this Temple of the Lord, what saiest thou to those?

Psalm. 27.I say they are not of the minde of the king and Prophet Dauid, who saide, one thing haue I desired of the Lord which I will require that I may dwel in the house of my God all the daies of my life.

I was glad when they said vnto me, we will goe into the house of the Lord.

Psal. 122 Thanks giueing.Therefore the cryes goe vp, euen the cryes of the Lord, to testifie vnto Israell, to giue thankes vnto the name of y ^e Lord.

Eccle. 4 To offer acceptable offerings.When thou commest into the house of God, kéepe thy foote, and draw nigh, that God which is at thine hande may heare, that thou giue no offeringes of fooles, for they knowe nought but to doe euill.

[Page 59]We will goe into the tabernacle of the Lord, Psal. 132 and fall lowe on our knées before his footestoole.

The Publican comming to the Tem­ple, knéeled downe, prayed, Luke. 18. Praier and confession. and smote vp­pon his breast and saide, God be mercifull vnto mée a sinner.

Are not the preachers and Ministers (that be in the temple) to be heard?

Yes truely, no lesse then Christ him­selfe, for he saith, he that heareth you hea­reth mée, and he that heareth mée, heareth him that sent mée.

They haue Moyses and the Prophets, Luke. 16 let them heare them.

Hée that is of GOD, Io. 8. heareth Gods words.

He that God hath sent, Io. 3. speaketh the words of God.

How shall they cal on him on whō they haue not beléeued, Rom. 10 howe shall they beléeue on him of whom they haue not heard, how shall they heare without a preacher, & how shall they preach except they be sent.

Why, is the word of God to be heard? Gods word to be hard.

Rom. 10That by hearing we may haue faith, and by faith be saued.

Psal. 119That we may learne to walke in the law of the Lord.

It is to be laide vp in our heartes that we shoulde not sinne agaynst the Lord.

Micheas. 4Let vs goe to the house of our God, that he may teach vs his waies, and that we may walke in his pathes.

What ought we to doe after we haue heard the preacher.

Ieremi. 26We ought to feare the Lord, and make our prayers vnto him, and then the Lord will repent of the plague that he hath de­uised, and not doe it.

Ionas. 3.The people of Niniuie, when Ionas preached, that within fortie daies their Citie should be destroyed, they put vppon them sackecloth, laid them downe in ashes, fasted, and cried mightelie vnto the Lord, and the Lord spared them, and destroyed them not.

I meruell much that the Lord destroyed [Page 60] not that Cittie, for he saide plainelie that within fortie daies it should bée destroyed, and yet he did it not, whereby it should séeme that Gods purpose is oft changed.

No father, the Lord is no changeling. Iames. 1 There is no variablenesse with God. For the Lorde sayeth, when I take in hand to root out, to destroy, Ieremi. 18 or to wast away anie people or kingdom, if that people against whom I haue thus deuised, conuert from their wickednesse, I repent me of the plagues that I deuised to bring vppon them. Againe, when I take in ha [...] to build, to plante a people or kingdom, God repent if the same people or kingdom doe euill before me, and héere not my voice, I repent of the good that I deuised to doe for them, and doe it not, so that the people are changed and not good.

Blessed be God therefore. Is the prea­cher appointed what he shall speake▪

Yea, Exod. 4 the spirit of God speaketh by his mouth, if hée be a true preacher, for the [Page] Lord saide vnto Moyses, I will be with thy mouth, and teach the what thou shalt say.

Ioel. 2.I will (saith the Lorde) powre out of my spirit vppon al flesh, and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie, your olde men shall dreame dreames, and your younge men shall sée visions.

Micheas. 3I am full of strength, and the spirit of the Lord full of iudgement and bould­nesse, to shew the house of Iacob their offences, and the house of Israell their sinne?

1. king. 19The spirit of God, came vppon the mes­sengers of Saull, and they prophecied.

Math. 10.Christ tould his disciples and saide, it is not you that shall speake, but the spirit of my father that shall speake within you.

Luke. 12.The holy ghost shall teach you what you shall say.

Io. 16.When the spirit of truth commeth, he shall leade you into all truth.

Feare not what you shall say, for it shalbe giuen you in the same houre what ye shall speake.

If the spirit of truth speake by the mouth of his true messengers, then it is [Page 61] likelie that the spirit of error, I meane Sathan, speaketh by the false Prophets, Seminaries and seducers of Gods people.

True it is father. 1. King. 1 [...] For an euill spirit sent of God came vppon Saull.

I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all the Prophets. 3. king. 2 [...] And deceiue kinge Ahab that he may goe to warre in Ra­moth Geliad, and so be slaine.

They are of their father the Diuell, Io. 8. & his lusts will they follow saith Christ, he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, The diuell speaketh by Semi­naries. for ther is noe truth in him, when he speaketh a lie hée speaketh of himselfe, for he is a lyer, and the father of the same thing: take héede father of these seducers, by whom the diuel speaketh.

This false spirit spak to Eua, Gen. 3. that if she eate of the trée of knowledge shée should not die the death, but bée as God, knowing good and bad: so many deceiued now by this serpent, dye the death.

[Page] [...]an.What saist thou by Man, what is hée, and to what ende shall he come?

Psal. 144Man is like a thing of nought, his time passeth awaie like a shadowe.

Psal. 90.When the Lord is angrie, all our daies are gone, we bring our yéeres to an ende as it were a tale that is tould.

[...]ames. 4.The life of man is euen a vapour that appeareth a litle time, and then vanisheth awaie.

Gen. 3Man is dust, and into dust thou shalt bée tourned againe.

[...]ob. 7.Hath man anie certaine time vppon earth, are not his daies like the daies of an hired seruant.

[...]ob. 10The Lorde made man of moulde, and shall bring him to dust againe.

[...]ob. 14.Man that is borne of a woman, hath but a shorte time to liue, and is full of mi­serie.

[...]od.While he liueth his flesh must haue trauell, and while the soule is within him he must be in sorrow.

Isay. 40All flesh is grasse, and all the goodli­nesse thereof is euen as the flower of [Page 62] grasse, the grasse is withered & the flower falleth awaie, euen so the people are as grasse, when the breathe of the Lorde bloweth vppon them.

Statutum est omnibus hominibus se­mell mori, Heb. 9. it is appointed that all men shal once dye.

Remember his iudgement, Eccle. 38 thine al­so shal be likewise vnto thée yesterdaie, vn­to me to day.

I sée plainelie by these partes & by da­lie experience, that all men must dye, and that none can escape the hande of death, therfore what saist thou to the death of the righteous.

The soules of the righteous, Wisd. 3. are in the hands of God, and the paines of death shall not touch them.

The righteous shal shine as the sparks of fire in the read bushe, Eod. and shall iudge the nations, and haue dominion ouer the people, and their GOD shall reigne for euer.

[Page] Psal. 65Blessed is the man whom the Lords choseth and receiueth vnto him, he shall dwell in his court, he shalbe satisfied with the pleasure of his house, euen of his ho­lie Temple.

Psalm. 72The Lord shall deliuer their soules frō falshod and wrong. For deare is the blood of his Saintes in his sight.

I perceiue that the righteous are al­waies preserued, but what becommeth of the wicked?

Psalm. 9The wicked shalbe turned into hell, and all the people that forget God.

Macha. 2.Fear not an vnrighteous mans words, for his glorie is but donge and wormes, to day he is set vp, to morow he is gone.

Iob. 24.Some men there be saith Iob, that re­moue other mens land markes, and rob them of their cattell, and kéepe y ^e same for their owne, The lyfe and end of the coue­tous and wicked. that take the asse of the father­lesse, and take the widowes Oxe for a pledge, that thrust the pore out of the way, that reape downe the corne that is not their owne, they are the cause that so ma­nie men are naked and bare. The eye of the aduoute [...]er waiteth for the darknesse, [Page 63] and faith no man seethe him, but shortile are they gone, and pluckt out of the way, & vtterlie pluckt off as the eares of corne.

Vppon the vngodlie shall the Lorde raine fire and brimstone, storme & tempest, Psalm. 10 this shalbe their porcion to drinke.

What saist thou to purgatorie, Purgatory out of which mens soules are deliuered by the prayers of holy Priests?

I say the Scripture maketh mencion of no such thing. But of heauen and hell, Christes blood. and Saint Iohn sheweth by what meanes we are purged and clensed. Io. 1. The blood of Iesus Christ, clenseth vs from all sinne.

Through mercie and faith are sinnes purged. Pro. 15.

Almost euerie thinge is by the Lawe purged with blood, Heb. 9 and without blood­shedding is no remession.

The blood of Iesus Christ doth purge our consciences from dead works, Eod. to serue the liuing God.

Iesus Christ loued vs and purged vs from our sinnes in his blood, Reuel. 1 and made vs [Page] Kinges & priestes vnto God the Father, to him therefore bée glorie and dominion for euer more. Father, y ^t was a false doc­trine which was of purgatorie (as you may sée) and made to fill Priests purses.

What profit could that bring to Priests?

Mark. 12It brought much worldlie riches, and Gods curse withall, as Christ saith, be­ware of the scribes which loue to goe in longe clothing, and loue salutations in market places, Damnaciō to thē that deuoure widowes houses with pray­er. and the chiefe seates at feasts, and in the congregations, which deuoure widowes houses, vnder a pretence of long praier, but they shall receiue grea­ter damnation.

Math. 23.And Christ saith in the xxiii. of S. Ma­thewes Gospell, wo vnto you ye scribes, Pharasies and Ipocrits, for ye deuoure widowes houses, Sore pu­nishment. & that vnder a pretence of long praiers, therefore ye shall be sorer punished.

[Page 64]What sonne, doth not prayer auayle the dead?

No father, Eccle. 10 [...] for when the trée falleth whether it be to the South, or North, there it lieth in what place soeuer it fall.

They that be liuing, Ecclesi. 9 knowe that they shall die, but they that be deade, knowe no­thing, neither deserue they any more, for their memoriall is forgotten, so that they be neither loued, hated, nor enuied, neither haue they any more profite in the world, in all that is done vnder the sunne. Praiers help not the dead. But prayers and offerings (father) are done vn­der the same, and therefore the deade haue no part thereof.

If prayers helpe not the dead, where­fore shoulde we goe to the houses of the deade?

To giue thankes vnto God, Io. 11 and to comforte the friends and kinsfolkes of the dead, as the Iewes when Lazarus was deade, there came many to comfort Mar­tha and Marie, ouer their deade bro­ther.

What must we carrie out of this life with vs?

Reuel. 14Our good déedes, and our euill, Opera eorum sequntur eos, their workes saith Saint Iohn, shall follow them.

Shall the ritch take none of their sub­stance & treasure with them, that they so diligently séeke for, and so carefully kéepe?

Iob. 27.When the ritch man dyeth saith Iob, he taketh nothing with him, but perisheth, and the thinges he leaueth behinde him come to naught.

Luke. 12Christ tolde a ritch man that had filled his Barnes and houses to the doores, and saide to his soule, eate and drinke, take thy rest for many yeères, and the Lord sayde, thou foole, this night shall they fet thy soule away from thée, then whose shall those be that thou hast prepared.

Eccle. 41The remembrance of death is bitter to a man that séeketh rest and comfort [Page 65] in his substance and ritches, to remem­ber that he must byd all farewell in one day.

Iob saide, Iob. 1. naked came I out of my Mothers wombe, and naked must I re­turne thyther agayne.

We brought nothing into this world, Tim. 6. neither must we carie any thing out.

Well sonne, shall none walke (as some imagine) nor come agayne after death?

None father, for Iob saith, Iob. 1 [...] the way that I most goe, is at hande, from whence I shall not returne agayne.

He that goeth downe to the graue shall come no more vp, Iob. 7. till the heauens perish, nor turne againe to his house, neither shal his place know him any more.

Whether his children come to wor­shippe or not, hée cannot tell, Iob. 14 and if they be menne of lowe degrée, hée knoweth not.

After our ende there is no returning, Wisd. 2. for it is fast sealed, so that no man com­meth agayne.

[Page] Eccle. 38.Forget not there is no returning a­gayne.

2. kings. 12 Dauid saide, séeing the childe is deade, I cannot bring him agayne, I shall goe to him, rather then he shall come to mée, by this place you may perceaue that men walke not, Iob. 7. nor rise, till the heauens pe­rish, which is at the day of iudgement.

What saiest thou by the prophet Sam­uell, who appeared to king Saull, after he was dead, being called vp by a woman?

1. king. 28 31.He whome the woman called vp, was a diuel, as appeareth by these words. To morrow shalt thou and thy sonnes be with me, for in the day following. Saull tooke a sworde and fell vpon it, dispayring of Gods mercie, and so perished, and had his part among the desperate, and not with Samuell that elect of God.

But sonne, why was Saull the first king of Israell, that annoynted of GOD cast off from the Lord.

[Page 66]Because he trespassed against the Lord, 1. Cro. 10 in that he kept not the word of the Lord, and in that he sought and asked counsell of a woman that wrought with a spirit, and asked not of the Lord.

Séeing that none returne to shewe how they are delt withall, and that pray­ers wil not helpe those that be dead, what must we doe to be without daunger.

We are taught by the prophet Sopho­nie, to examine our selues, Sophony. 2. and search our consciences, or the things goe foorth that God hath concluded, Good coū ­sell. and or the time come wherein man shal passe away as the dust, and or the fearefull wrath of God come vpon vs, work while we liue. yea or the day of the Lords sore displeasure come vpon vs, séeke the Lord all ye méeke harted of the earth, ye that worke after his iudgements, séeke righte­ousnesse, séeke lowlinesse, that ye may be defended in the wrathfull daye of the Lord.

Gette thée righteousnesse before thou Eccle. 1 [...] [Page] come to iudgement, learne before thou speake, go to phisicke or euer thou be sicke, examine and iudge thy selfe before the iudgement come, and so shalt thou finde grace in his sight.

Io. 9.Christ saith, worke while it is day, for the night will come, in which none can worke.

Why shoulde we be so earnestly mo­ued to flée from sinne?

Sins part from God. Esay 59.Because they seperate from the Lord, for your iniquities saith God, hath sepe­rated you from mée, and your sinnes hide my face from you that I heare you not, for your fingers are defiled with bloud, and your hands with vnrighteousnesse, your lippes speake leasing, and your tongues speake out wickednesse.

4. king. 17They left the commaundement of the Lord their God, and made them Images of mettall, euen two Calues, and made Idoll groues, These sins part from God. and worshipped the host of heauen, and serued Baall, and sacrificed their sonnes and daughters in fier, and vsed witchcraft and inchauntment, and the Lord therefore was excéeding wroth, [Page 67] and put Israell out of his sight.

The Lord droue man out of Paradise at the East side, Gen. 3. because he hadde sinned.

By the sinne of one man there sprong vp euill on all men to condemnation, Rom. 5 for we were enimies vnto God. There is nothing that causeth the Lorde to hide his face from vs, but our sinnes and ini­quities.

I vnderstand that all men and women by the sinne of Adam were subiecte to death and condemnation, VVhat we are made by sinne. in the handes of the Diuell, made straungers and aliantes from the Lord enimies vnto God, children of wrath, firebrands of hell, but tell mée howe mankinde was redéemed and deli­uered, being in this damnable state?

When manne and woman hadde transgressed and broken that commaun­dement of GOD the father, Gene. 3 and that the [Page] Lord haue iudged them guiltie, by their owne confessions, and had cursed the Ser­pent who deceaued them, then he spoke a comfortable word, for he saide, there should be one springing of a woman that should tread downe all Sathans power, Seede of a woman. for he should treade on his head, yet he should pricke him in the héele, this séede of the woman was promised also to Abra­ham.

Gen. 22. In semine tuo benedicentur omnes gen­tes et nationes terra. In thy séede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

Esay. 7.Behold a Virgin shall conceaue and beare a sonne, and thou his Mother shalt call his name Emanuell, butter and honye shall he eate, that he may knowe to refuse the euill, and chose the good?

Ezech. 35I will raise vp vnto them, one onelie shepherd, euen my seruaunt Dauid, he shal feede them, and he shall be their shepherd, I the Lord will be their God, and my ser­uaunt Dauid shall be their Prince.

zachar. 10Out of Iuda shall come the helmet, the naill; the battell bowe, and all the princes together.

It were too long for me to shewe you all the scriptures wherein there is pro­phecied [Page 68] of Christ his comming, death and passion, and therefore I pray you let these suffice, for one scripture is a sufficient testi­mony for any cause or controuersie what­soeuer?

What saist thou of Christes byrth and comming into the worlde.

Christ was borne in Bathlem of the blessed Virgin Mary, Luke. 1 by the power of the holie ghost, as saint Paull saith, when the time was full come, that God the fa­ther had put in his owne power, he was reueled vnto vs, for before, God the father dyuerslie and manie waies spake vnto our fathers by Prophets, Heb. [...] but in these last daies he spoke vnto vs by his owne sonne, whome he made heire of all thinges.

Whereas we were deade saith Saint Paull, in trespasse and sinnes, Ephe. 2 in which in times past we walked, Dead in sinne. hath he quick­ned vs according to y ^e course of this world, euen after y ^e gouernour y ^e ruleth in y ^e aire, the same y ^t worketh now in the children of vnbelef, Children of wrath by nature among whom we had our con­uersation also in times, in the lusts of [Page] our fleshe, and fulfilled the lustes of the flesh and of the minde, and were by nature the Children of wrathe, euen as well as others, but God which is ritch in mercie, for his great loue wherewith he loued vs (euen when we were néere dead by sinnes, VVhat we were but for Christ. quickned vs together in Christ, by grace are we saued, and raised vs vp together with him among them of heauen in Christ Iesu.

Tell me what benefits we haue by the natiuitie, death, passion, resurrection and ascencion of Christ Iesu?

Esay. 4.We are purged by Christ from all our sins, Esay saith y ^t the Lord shal wash away the filthinesss of the daughter of Sion, and purge the blood out from Ierusalem with the wind of his iudgement, and with fire.

Ezech. 36.I will power cleane water vppon you, and you shalbe cleane, yea, from all your vncleannes and Idolls, shall I clense you.

Sopho. 3I will cleanse the lyps of the people, [Page 69] that they may euery-each one cal vppon the name of the Lorde, Purged to serue the Lord. and serue him with one shoulder.

The house of Dauid, zachary. 3 and the Citti­zens of Ierusalem shall haue an open well to wash off sinne and vncleannesse.

He is like a goldsmith fier, Malachi. 3 and wash­ers soope, hée shall purge the Children of Leuy, and puryfie them as gold and siluer, that they may bring meate offerings vn­to the Lord, in all righteousnesse.

If the blood of Oxen and of Goats, Heb. 9. and the ashes of an young Cow, when they be sprinckled, pacified the vncleane, Purged by blood to serue him. as touch­ing the puryfiyng of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ purge our consciences from dead workes, to serue the lyuing God.

He was in all thinges like vnto vs, Heb. 2. that he might be mercifull, and a faith­full hye Priest, in things concerning God, Actual & originall. to purge the peoples sinnes.

The blood of Iesus Christ purgeth vs from all sinnes. 1. Io. 1.

Christ washed his disciples féete, Io. 13. None cleane but he that Christ washeth. & Peter said, Lord thou shalt neuer wash my feete, but Iesus aunswered, if I wash the not thou hast no part with mee.

But how is this purgation, by Christ his precious blood applyed vnto vs, so that thereby we are purged and clensed?

Acts. 15By faith, for saint Peter saith, the Lord which knoweth the hart of men, and gaue vnto the Ientiles the holy ghost, because they did beléeue, euen as vnto vs, and put no difference betwéene vs and them, séeing that with faith he puryfied their harts.

Pro. 15Through mercie and faith are sinnes purged.

And to what ende are we thus purget by faith, in the blood of Christ?

Io. 15. Purged to bring forth good fruits good worksThat we may bring foorth fruite in him, for the branch cannot bring foorth fruite, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abyde in mée, for with­out mée ye can doe nothing.

Tell me how we are redemed and to what ende?

[Page 70]We were not redemed with corrupta­ble thinges, as siluer, or goold, 1. Peter. 1 but with the precious blood of Iesus Christ, as a Lambe vndefiled,

We haue redemption through his blood, Ephe. 1. euen the forgiuenesse of our sinnes.

Our Lorde Iesus Christ hath giuen himselfe for vs, Titus. 2 Redeemed to do good works. to redeme vs from all vn­righteousnesse, and to purge vs a peculiar people vnto himselfe, feruentlie giuen vn­to all good workes.

How are we saued, and through whom haue we saluation?

Saint Paull sheweth you that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners. 1. Tim. 1

Shew thy meruailous works, Psalm. 17 thou that art the sauiour of all them that trust in thée.

I shall with ioy draw water out of the wells of my sauiour, Esay. 1 [...] for the Lord is my strength, and my song, and is become my saluation.

I am, euen I am the onelie Lord, None can saue but Christ on [...] Esay. 4.3. and beside me there is noe sauiour.

I haue troden the wine presse alone, [Page] and of all people ther is not one with mée, I looked about me, and there was none to shew me any helpe, No Angell or Saint can saue or help. Math. 1 I meruailed that no man held mée, then I held mée by mine owne strength, & mine owne arme sustained mée.

He shalbe called Iesus, for he shall saue the people from their sinnes.

How take we hold of this saluation?

Acts. 15.By faith, for Peter saith, we beléeue that through the grace of the Lorde Iesus Christ we shalbe saued.

What must we doe to be saued?

Acts. 17.We must beléeue on the Lord Iesus and wée and our housholds shalbe saued.

1. Pet. 1.If we beléeue, we shall receiue the end of our faith, euen the saluation of our soules.

Rom. 10If thou beléeue in thine heart, thou shalt be safe, for to beléeue iustifieth, & to know­ledge w ^t the mouth maketh a man safe.

What doth the Scripture say of our iustification, Iustifica­tion. because some teach that we are iustified by our workes?

A man is not iustified by the deades of the Lawe, but by the faith of Christ Iesu, Iustified b [...] faith, and not by the lawe. and wée haue beleued on Iesus Christ, that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ, and not by the déedes of the Law, because that by the déedes of the Law no flesh shalbe iustified.

The scripture concludeth al vnder sinne, Gall. 3. that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to all that beléeue.

The Law was our scholemaister vnto Christ, that we shold be iustified by faith, Eod. but after that faith is come, God onel [...] iustifieth ye are no long­er vnder the scholmaister.

It is God onelie that iustifieth the cir­cumcision that is of faith, Rom. 3. Circumc [...] sion & [...] circumcision iusti [...] ed by fai [...] & the vncircum­cision through faith.

Who are thus iustified by God onely?

[...]om. 3.Both Iewes and gentiles, circumcision, and vncircumcision, are iusttyfied by the faith of Iesus Christ.

[...]d,He is compted iust, and the iustifier of him that beléeue on Iesus Christ.

[...]orgiuenesThen tell me who doth forgiue vs our sinnes?

[...]ark. 2 Nemo potest demittere peccata nisi solus deus, there is none that can forgiue sinnes but God onelie.

[...]od.When Iesus sawe their faith, he said vnto the sicke of the palsie, sonne thy sins are forgiuen thée, the sonne of man hath power to forgiue sinnes on earth.

[...]phe. 4.Be curteous one to an other, mercifull, forgiueing one an other, euen as God for Christs sake hath forgiuen you.

[...]ollo. 2 The law, [...]he diuell, [...]orld and [...]esh, con­quered by Christs death.When we were dead through sinne, and through vncircumcision of our flesh, hath he quickened with him, and hath for­giuen vs all our trespasses, and hath put out the hand writing that was against [Page 72] vs, & hath fastned it to his crosse, and hath spoyled rule and power in his owne person.

But to whome doth the Lord forgiue sinnes?

To the faithfull, Mark. 2 for when Iesus sawe their faith, he saide, thy sinnes are forgi­uen thée.

Brethren, Acts 13. Sinnes are forgiuen to the faith­full. through this man is prea­ched forgiuenesse of sinnes vnto you, and that to all that beléeue.

What enemies hath the Lord conque­red by his death in his owne person for our sakes, and what further profite hath he brought vs.

The Law, the Diuell, the world, the flesh, sinne, death, hell, and al other things, the wrath of God the father hath he pa­cified, and reconciled vs agayne vnto him, and we that were a farre off, hath he brought nigh, hath purchased the king­dome of heauen for vs, and opened the same, made vs fellow heyres thereof with him selfe.

Proue that vnto mée briefely?

Heb. 2. Dyed for all.It was appointed that Iesus Christ should tast of death for all men, and that by the grace of God the father.

Heb. 2, 1. Diuel cō ­quered.Through death he hath expelled him that had lordship ouer death, that is to say, the Diuell, and that he might deliuer vs.

Col. 2. 2. Lawe Fastned to the crossa.He hath put out the hande writing that was against vs, and hath fastned it to his crosse, and hath spoyled rule and pow­er, in his owne person.

Esay. 22. None can open nor shut but he. Esay. 42.The key of the house of Dauid will I lay vpon his shoulder, so that he shall open and no man shut, he shall shut, & no man open.

I will giue him for a couenant vnto the people, and a light to the Gentiles, to open the eies of the blinde, to let out the prisoners out of their bonds, & them that sytte in darkenesse, out of the dungeon house.

Math. 18.The sonne of man came to saue that which was lost.

Math. 3This is my deare sonne, in whome I am well pleased.

[Page 73]A light to lighten the Gentiles, Luke. 3. A light. and to be the glorie of the people Israell.

And there went out vertue from him, Luke. 6 Heale all. A Phisiti and healed them all that touched him.

Iohn saith, Io. 3. Life. Io. he that beléeueth on the sonne, hath euerlasting life.

I am the way, the truth, and the life, VVay, truth, and life. no man commeth to the father, but by mée.

I haue finished the worke which thou gauest mée to doe, consumatum est. Io. 17.

For this cause was I borne, Io. 18. and for this cause came I into the world, that I might beare witnesse vnto the truth,

Be it knowen vnto you men and bre­thren, Acts. 13 that through this man is preached vnto you forgiuenesse of sinnes, Beleuere iustified. and that by him all that beléeue are iustified from all thinges, from which ye coulde not be deliuered by the law of Moyses.

When we were enimies, Rom. 5. we were re­conciled vnto God by his bloud, much more seeing that wée are reconciled, we shall be preserued by his life, and we shal be saued from wrath.

What the lawe coulde not doe (in as­much Rom. 8. [Page] as it was weake, because of the flesh, An offerīg [...]r sinne. that performed God, and sent his sonne in the similitude of sinnefull flesh, and sinne damned sinne in the flesh, that the righteousnesse of the lawe might bée fulfilled in vs, which walke not after the flesh, but after the spirit.

[...]ulfillers [...]f the law. Rom. 16 Rom. 14Christ fulfilleth the lawe, for all that beléeue to iustifie them.

The Lord Iesus died and rose againe, that he might be Lord both of quicke and dead.

[...]. Cor. 15Death is swallowed vp in victorie, death where is thy sting, hell where is thy vic­torie, the sting of death is sinne, and the strength of sinne is the lawe, Death and [...]ell ouer­ [...]me. but thankes be vnto God that hath giuen vs victorie, through Iesus Christ our Lord.

[...]say. 25 Death. [...]seas. 25.Death hath the Lord destroyed for euer.

O death, I will be thy death, O hell I will be thy stinge.

[...]al. 4. [...]onne and [...]eire of [...]od.Thou art not now a seruant, but a sonne, if thou be a sonne, thou art an heire of God through Christ.

[...]phe. 2.Remember that in times past ye were without Christ being aliants from the common wealth of Israell, and strangers from the testament of promise, hauing no [Page 74] hope, being without God in this world, but now by y ^e meanes of Iesu Christ, ye which were sometime farre off, Peace made. are made nigh by the bloud of Christ, he is our peace which hath made of both one, and hath broken downe the wall that was a stop betwéene vs, and hath also put away through his flesh, the cause of hatred, euen the lawe of commaundements contained in the lawe written, All thing crucified with ch [...] for to make of twaine one newe man in him selfe, to make peace, and to re­concile both vnto God in one body, through the crosse, and slue hatred thereby, & came and preached peace to you that were farre off, and to them which were nigh, All one now both Iewes an [...] Ientiles. for by him we haue both one entrance vnto God the Father.

It pleased the father that in him should all fulnesse dwell, Collo. 1. Blood of the cross [...] and by him to reconcile all things to himselfe, and to set at peace by him through the bloud of the crosse, both thinges in heauen, and thinges in earth.

This we know that the father sent the sonne to be the sauiour of the worle. 1. Io. 4

And concluding to speake further of the benefites we receaue by the death and passion of Christ Iesu, Acts. 3. because no tongue [Page] is able to expresse the same, for there is no other name vnder heauen, by whome we must be saued, but onelie in the name of Iesus Christ.

If we be purged, saued, redéemed, deli­uered, iustified, made the children of God, and fellow heyres with Iesus Christ by his death and passion, tell me to what ende was the law ordayned?

[...]all. 3It was added, because of transgression, till the séede came, to whome the promise was made.

[...]om. 7To reueale sinne, for I knowe not saith saint Paull sinne, but by the lawe, I had not knowen what lust had meant, except the Lord had saide vnto me, thou shalt not lust.

[...]ll. 3.The Law was our scholemaster vnto Christ, that we should be iustified by faith, but after that faith is come, we are no longer vnder the scholemaster.

[...]b. 7.The lawe brought nothing to perfec­tion, but was an introduction to a better hope, by the which we drawe nigh vnto God.

[Page 75]Then the law saueth none?

No, for none fulfilleth it, Gall. 3 therefore bringeth a curse vpon the transgressours, for it is written, cursed is euerie one that continueth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of the lawe to ful­fill them.

How are we then deliuered from this curse, séeing that none fulfill the lawe.

Christ Iesus hath deliuered vs from the curse of the law, Gall. 3. in asmuch as he was accursed for vs, for it is written, Leuiti. 18 cursed is euerie one that is hanged on trée, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ, that wée might receaue the promise of the spirite, through faith.

What sayest thou to the ceremoniall law, wherein were sacrifices, oblations, Ceremoni­all law. [Page] burnt offerings, sinne offerings, heaue of­ferings, peace offerings, sprinckling wa­ter, and many such like ordinaunces of God.

Heb. 9.In the olde Testament were ordinan­ces and seruings of God, and worldlie ho­linesse.

Heb. 10.The law hauing but a shadow of good thinges to come, and not the verie fashion of things themselues, can neuer by those sacrifices that they offer yéere by yéere continually, make the commers therevn­to perfect.

Was the law therefore abolished?

Heb. 10Yea, for it did but prefigure the sacri­fice, death, passion, and other thinges ful­filled by Christ Iesu, for the Lord saide, sacrifice and offering, and burnt sacrifice, and sinne offerings thou wouldest not haue, neither hast thou allowed them, which are yet offered by the lawe, then saide he, To do gods will is the best sacri­fice. loe I am héere to doe thy will, oh God, he taketh away the first, to esta­blish the latter.

[Page 76]Was Christ but once offered, and was that offering perfect, how chaunceth it that Priestes in some places affirme that in their masses they offer Christ stil vnto the Father, for the sinnes of the quicke and deade.

It is not in mans power to offer Christ, Heb. 9. for Christ Iesus fréed himselfe once & not euerie day, Christ was once offred saith S. Paull, to take away sinnes, and not to offer himselfe often as the hye Priestes doth, for thē must he oft haue suffered since the world beganne.

Christ néedeth not daylie first for his owne sinnes and then for the sinnes of the people to offer vp sacrifice, Heb. 7. for that did he once when he offred vp himselfe, and therefore perfect for euermore.

Christ loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs, an offring and a sacrifice of a swéete sauour vnto God.

Can not then our annoynted Priests offer Christ in their masses euery daie? Ephe. 5.

No father, for sée what Saint Paull [Page] saith, we haue an hye Priest in heauen that sitteth on the right hand of God, and is a minister of holie thinges, and of the true Tabernacle which God pight, & not man, Heb. 10. this man after he hath offered one sacryfice for sinnes, is set downe on the right hand of God, for Vnica oblatione profectos imperpet. effecit eos qui sanc­tificantur, with one offering he hath made perfect for euer those that are sanctified.

Heb. 1So that father, now after that he hath purged our sinnes with this sacryfice, he is set downe on the right hand of y ^e ma­iestie on hye, no more to be offered.

Is he set on the right hand of his fa­ther no more to be offered, what profit haue we by him being there?

Heb. 13 Sacrifice of praise.He doth alwaies offer to God his father the sacryfice of praise, that is, the fruite of those lipes wherewith wée confesse his name.

Heb. 9.Christ entred into verie heauen for to appeare in the sight of God for vs.

Io. 2.If anie man sinne we haue an aduo­cate [Page 77] with the father Iesus Christ the righ­teous, Aduocate to purchase mercie for vs. and he it is that obtaineth grace for our sinnes, and not for our sinnes one­lie, but for the sinnes of the whole world.

He sitteth on the right hand of God and maketh intercession for the saints accor­ding to the pleasure of God. Rom. 8.

He is saith saint Paull, at the right hand of his father to make intercession for vs.

I sawe an Angell saith S. Iohn, Reuel. 8 that stoode before the Alter offering the praiers of Saints vppon the golden Alter, which was before the seat, and the smoke of the odours which came of the praiers of all saintes ascended vp before God out of the Angells hand.

This Angell father, is Iesus Christ that praieth for vs, and presenteth the God of heauen with our praiers, whereby they are accepted, and for whose sake our peticions graunted.

Thou saist that Christ Iesus sitteth at the right hand of his father to pray for vs, to offer vp our praiers and sacrifice [...] of thanks giueing to him, to be our aduocate [Page] to obtaine mercie for vs, what saiest thou then to thē, that say y ^t the saints departed and the blessed Virgin Mary, doe that, and not hée.

I say the diuell hath alwaies some shift, to drawe men from a stedfast faith in Christ Iesu, otherwise his kingdome should decay, but ther is none that is a meane for our sinnes, Mediator. but onelie Iesus Christ the onelie Sonne of God, that vn­defiled Lambe, which hath payed our ran­som. 1. Tim. 2. Thus saith Saint Paull, there is one God, and one mediatour betwéene God and man, euen the man Christ Ie­sus, which gaue himselfe a ransom for all, that it should be testified at his time.

Io. 17.This is eternall life, that we know the one onelie true God, and Iesus Christ which thou hast sent.

Gal. 3.A mediatour is not a mediatour of one, but God is one.

Heb. 9.He is a mediatour of the new Testa­ment, that through death, which chan­ced for the redemption of these transgres­sours that were vnder the first Testa­ment, [Page 78] they which are called might receiue the promisse of eternall inheritaunce, wherby you may sée none to be any meane to the father for our sinnes, but onelie Ie­sus Christ, his owne natural sonne, fitting on his right hand.

Shew mée what mercie we may looke for at the hand of God, and how mercy­full the Lord is?

God is most mercifull, Ezech. 18 and would not the death of a sinner, but rather that hée should conuert and liue.

The Lord God was mercifull, Exod. 34 & graci­ous, long suffering and abundant in good­nesse and truth, and kéeping in store mer­cie for thousands, forgiuing wickednesse, vngodlynesse and sinne.

The Lorde is mercifull vnto Israell, Iudg. 10 and his soule had pittie vppon their mise­rie.

Euen as a father is mercifull vnto his Children, Psal. 103 euen so is the Lorde mercifull vnto them that feare him.

[Page]What must we do to be deliuered from the curse of the lawe, and so obtaine mer­cie of our God through Iesus Christ, sée­ing that we are all sinners?

Acts. 2.Consider what answere Saint Peter gaue to them that demaunded what they should doe to be saued, he saide, repent of your sinnes, Repentāce and be baptised euerie one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes, & ye shall receaue the guift of the holie ghost.

Math. 3.R [...]pent said Iohn Baptist, for the king­dome of God is at hand, prepare the way of the Lord make his pathes streight.

Math. 4Iesus began to preach and saide, repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand.

Mark. 1And in the first of Saint Lukes gospell, repent and beléeue the gospell.

Repētance.What is this repentance, wherevnto we are exhorted by Iesus Christ and his messengers?

defined.It is a sorrowing and continuall mour­ning of y ^e heart & conscience because of sin, [Page 79] ioyned with faith and amendemēt of life.

Let me héere how we must sorrow, which some call contricion?

The Lord by the Prophet Ioell saith, Contricion. turne you vnto me with all your hearts, Ioel. 2. with fasting, wéeping, and mourning, rent your heartes and not your garments, and turne vnto y ^e Lord, for y ^e Lord is merciful, gracious, longe suffering, and of great goodnesse and compassion, and redy to par­done wickednesse.

Gyrde thée about with sacke cloth, Ieremi. 6 sprincle thy selfe with ashes, mourne and wéepe bitterlie, weepe bit­terly. for the destruction else shal sodenlie fall vppon you.

When Ahab hard that the Lord would destroy him and his house, 3. king. 21 hée rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth and fasted and went bare foote, and the Lord saide, because he submitteth himselfe before me, I will not bring this euil in his daies, but in his sonnes daies.

Dauid saide, Psal. 102 my heart is smitten downe and withered like grasse so that I forget to eate my bread, for the voice of my groning, my bones will scarce cleaue [Page] to my flesh.

Psalm. 6.Euerie night wash I my bed, and wa­ter my couch with my teares.

Esay. 30.In repentance and in rest shalt thou be safe, in quietnesse and sure confidence shall ye put your trust.

Ieremi. 31 Repentāce a guift of God.Conuert thou me and I shalbe conuer­ted, assone as thou turnest me I shall re­forme my selfe, and when I vnderstand, I shall smite vppon my theigh.

Ezech. 20. Condemne your seluesYou shall iudge your selues worthie to be destroyed, for all your wickednesse that you haue done.

Luke. 7 Teares of repētance.A woman stoode by Christ at his féete wéeping, and began to wash his féete with teares, and did wipe them with the haires of her head.

Luke. 23And he saide, manie sinnes are forgiuen thée, for thou loued much.

VVept bit­terly.The Lord looked vppon Petter, and Peter remembred the Lordes words, and went out from amonge the wicked Iewes, and wéept bitterlie, wherby you may perceiue father, that he which trulie repenteth, he is sorrowful for al his sinnes, as Petter was, and wéepeth bitterlie.

What other thinge shall wée finde [Page 80] in him that truelie repenteth? Confession.

A confessing, No auri­culer con­fession. an acknowledging of his iniquities to the Lord, and not in the eare of a sinnefull man.

Dauid saide, Psalm. 32. I will confesse my sinne vnto the Lord, and so he forgaue me the wickednesse of my sinne.

The people of Israell cryed vnto the Lorde and saide, Iudg. 10. we haue sinned agaynst thée, and haue forsaken our owne God, and serued Balam.

Esdras kneeled downe on his knées and spred out his handes vnto the Lord, Esdras 9 Kneeled downe. and saide, my God I am ashamed, and dare not lyft vp mine eyes vnto thée my God, for my wickednesse is gone ouer my heade, and my trespasses are exalted to heauen, oh Lord, we haue forsaken thy commaun­dements, and made the lande full of vn­cleanenesse on euerie side.

I will saith Dauid confesse my wic­kednesse, and be sorie for my sinne. Psalm 38

Daniell saide, Daniel. 9 oh Lord vnto vs our kinges and princes, belongeth nothing but open shame and confusion, we haue sinned O Lord against thée, yet Lord let thy face shine ouer the sanctuarie.

[Page]Many that beléeued, came and confessed, and shewed their workes.

Prayer.Are there other qualities to be founde in him that truelie repenteth?

Psalm. 51.Yea Father, hartie and deuout prayer vnto God for pardon?

Dauid, when he had sinned, praied thus, haue mercie vpon mée O God after thy great goodnesse, and according to the mul­titude of thy mercies, doe away mine of­fences. [...]. Cro. 21.

Dauid saide, I haue sinned excéedingly in dooing this thing, but now I beséech the Lord, doe away the sinne of thy seruaunt, for I haue done wickedlie. Daniel. 9

Oh Lord, we haue sinned and done wickedlie against all thy righteousnesse, yet O Lord let thy wrathfull displeasure be turned away, I beséech thée from thy Cittie of Ierusalem, thy holye hill.

Daniel. 9.O Lord heare vs, O Lord forgiue, O Lord consider, tarrie not ouer long, but for thine owne sake doe it, O my God euen for thy mercies sake, and for the temple at Ierusalem.

[Page 81]All the people prayed and humbled thē ­selues with fasting and prayer, Iud. 4 Fasting & praier. they and their wiues, the priests put on heyrie cloth, and with one accord praied vnto y ^e Lord.

And all the people fell downe flat on their faces and prayed, Iudeth. 6 The song of the thr [...] children. and wept till eue­ning, and besought the Lord of Israell y ^e he would shew his mercie vpō his people.

For thine owne sake, for thy beloued Abrahams sake, for thy seruant Isaac sake, and for thy holy Israells sake, giue vs not vp for euer, neither take thy mercy frō vs.

The prodigall child repented, Luke. 15 Confession praier. & came to his father and said, father I haue sinned a­gainst heauē & against thée, I am no more worthie to be called thy sonne, make me I beséech thée as one of thy hyred seruants.

The thiefe at Christs death thus prai­ed, Luke. 23 Lorde remember mée when thou com­est into thy kingdome, for I am iustlie condemned, but thou hast done nothing a­misse, Christ aunswered, Amen, Dico tibi, hodie mecum eris in Paradiso. Verelie this night shalt thou be with me in Pa­dise. Luke. 18. The Publican durst not looke vppe to heauen, but smote vpon his brest & saide, God be mercifull vnto me a sinner, and he went home iustified.

Is prayer so effectuall, and of such ver­tue?

Prayer of [...]reat ver­ [...]ue. Math. 21Yea, if it be deuout and faithfull, for Christe saith, all thinges whatsoeuer ye aske in prayers, if ye beléeue, ye shall receaue them.

[...]o. 16Verelie verelie I say vnto you, what­soeuer ye aske the father in my name, he will giue it you, hytherto haue ye asked nothing in my name, aske, and ye shall haue, that your ioy may be full.

[...]ames. 1Aske in faith and wauer not saith S. Iames, and it shall be done to you.

[...]ames. 5 Helias was a man vnder infirmities as we are, and he prayed in his prayer that it might not rayne, and it rayned not the space of thrée yeares and sixe monethes, and he prayed that it might rayne, and the heauens gaue rayne, & the earth brought foorth her fruite. Whereby you may well perceaue Father, that hartie prayer auay­leth much.

[...]atisfactiō [...]ot made [...] man.What saiest thou to satisfaction, a part of repentance, as we haue béene taught?

[Page 82]Father, Math. 3. there is none that can make sa­tisfaction vnto God, but the man Iesus Christ, who hath made satisfaction for our sinnes, in whome the father of heauen is well pleased, and his iustice pacified.

Dauid saith, Psal. 49. no man may deliuer his brother, nor make satisfaction vnto God for him, for it cost more to redéeme their soules, so that they must let that alone for euer.

What if we haue taken our neigh­bours goods, or done him wrong, must we make no recompence or restitution to thē, Restituti [...] although we can make no satisfaction to God?

Yes truely, that we must, for we réede in the booke of Tobias, that when he was blinde, his wife brought home a Kyd, and her husband hearing it, saide, looke that it be not stolne, restore it agayne to the owners, for it is not lawfull for vs to eate any thing of theft.

A théefe shall make restitution. Exod. 22

If a soule sinne and trespasse against the Lord, Leuiti. [...] and denie vnto his neighbour it which hée hath taken to kéepe, or that [Page] which was put into his hands, or doth vi­olence or robberie vnto his neighbour, or if he haue found that which was lost, and denieth it, & sweareth falsely vpon what-thing soeuer it be that a man doth, and sinneth therein, if he haue so sinned or trespassed, he shall restore againe that hée tooke violentlie away, or y ^e wrong which he did, & he shall restore it againe in the whole summe, and shall adde the fifth part thereto, [...]f ye re­ [...]ore you [...]all be par [...]oned. and shall giue it vnto him to whome it pertaineth, that day that he offereth for his trespasse, and in so doing it shall be forgiuen him what soeuer hée hath done.

What if he be deade vnto whom ye haue done wrong, or whose goods you haue taken, so that the same can not be restored to him?

[...]um. 5Then shall they acknowledge their offence, and restore the hurt that they haue done in the whole summe, and put the fift parte therevnto, and giue it vnto his next kinseman, to whom he did wrong, but if there be none to restore the hurt vnto, nor a kinseman of his, let the tres­passe [Page 83] be made good to the Lord, and it shall be the Priestes.

Zacheas saide vnto Christ, Leuiti. 19 Oh Lorde the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore, and if I haue done wrong to any man, I will restore to him foure foulde. And what aunswered Iesus Christ, this day is saluation come to thine house, because thou art become a childe of Abraham, for the sonne of man came to saue that which was lost.

I perceaue the most of these parts that thou hast spoken off, Iudas the traytor re­pented, but not truely. to be in Iudas that traytour, and yet a damned creature, he re­pented, he confessed that he had sinned in betraying innocent bloud, and he made restitution, and cast downe the thirtie plates of siluer, yet he desperatelie went and hanged himselfe.

True it is father, Faith. but he wanted the chiefe poynt of all other, which was faith, he had no beliefe to be saued, and therfore crauing no mercie dispaired, and dispai­ring, hanged himselfe. Dispaire.

The like wée réede of Cain that Gen. 4. [Page] flew Abell his brother, he saide vnto the Lord, my sinne is greater then that it may be forgiuen.

1. king. 29King Saull dispayring in God, and trusting to Enchaunters and Couniurers, fell vpon his owne sword and slewe him­selfe, and all his host fled.

Heb. 4.The Iewes entred not in, because of their vnbeliefe.

2. kings. 17 Achetofell when he saw his counsell was not followed, he went home and set his house in order, and hanged himselfe.

Exod. 9 Pharo saide, the Lord is righteous, and I a sinner, and so dispayred.

Iob. 15. One may perceiue who dis­paireth. Faith.He that neuer beléeueth to be deliue­red out of darkenesse, for the sword is al­waies before his eyes.

Procéede my sonne, tell me of this point which thou callest the principall aboue o­thers in repentance, which thou saiest is a stedfast and true faith, and first tell mée what faith is?

Heb. 11Saint Paull saith, that fayth is a suer confidence of thinges which are hoped for, [Page 84] and a certentie of thinges which are not séene, and further without faith it is vn­possible that any man should please God.

He that commeth vnto God, must be­léeue that God is, Heb. 1 and that hée is a re­warder of them that séeke him.

Ye must aske in faith and wauer not, for he that doubteth, Iames. 1 let him not thinke that hée shall obtaine anie thing.

It profited them not, Heb. 4. in that they heard the worde, because that they cou­pled it not with faith.

By grace are ye saued, through faith, Ephe. 2. and that not of your selues, for it is the guift of God, and commeth not of works, least anie man should reioyce.

Abraham beléeued God, and it was compted vnto him for righteousnesse, Gall. 3. ye know therefore that they that are of faith the same are the children of Abraham. All the faithful are blessed with faithfull A­braham.

The life that I now liue in the flesh, I liue by y ^e faith of y ^e sonne of God, Gall. 2. Lyue by faith. Gall. 2. which loued me and gaue himselfe for me.

We haue beléeued on Iesus Christ, that we might be iustified by y ^e faith of Christ.

Faith commeth by hearing, Rom. 10 and hearing [Page] cometh by the worde of God.

Rom. 4,By faith is y ^e inheritance giuen, that it might come of fauour, we are iustified by the faith of Christ Iesu.

Acts. 15.We beléeue that through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ we shalbe saued.

Acts. 2.It shall come to passe, that whosoeuer shall call vppon the name of the Lorde shalbe saued.

Io. 5. The king­dome of heauen gi­uen to the faithfull. Mark. 9He that beléeueth my wordes saith Christ, and beléeues on him that sent mée, hath euerlasting life, and shall not come to damnation but is escaped from death to life.

So that I will conclude with Christs owne wordes, that all thinges are possi­ble to him that beléeueth, Rom. 12, & S. Paull saith whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne.

Faith a precious Iewell.I sée that faith is a precious Iewell, Gods onelie guift whereby we take hold of his mercie, but is this faith alone with­out fruite, idle without good workes?

Math. 13No father, the true iustifiyng faith which I shewed vnto you is neuer Idle, for it is like a graine of musterséede which [Page 85] a man tooke and sowed in his garden, Luke. 13 and it grew and waxed a great trée, Luke. 4. and the foules of the aire made their nests in the branches of it. &c. So if wée haue faith like a graine of musterséede, it will grow vp so great, that the birds of the aire may make their nests in it, that is, the poore people may lodge in our houses, Faith and works. may be féed at our tables, clothed with our clothes, relieued as brethren, & succoured asmuch as lieth in vs.

Faith without déedes is dead in it selfe, therefore saith saint Iames, Iames. 2 shewe me thy faith by thy workes.

There was a fig trée which Christ came vnto, Math. 21 séeing many faire leaues being an hungred, supposing to haue béene sustained with the fruite, but there was none but leaues onelie. And Christ cursed it, and saide, neuer fruite growe of y ^e héerefter, & it withred, so that we haue faire leaues and not fruite, Math. 3 the curse of Christ will wither vs.

Bring foorth fruites of repentance, Io. 15. and say not we haue Abraham to our father.

Euerie branch saith Christ that beareth fruite in mée, will I purge, Io. 1 [...] that it may bring foorth more fruite.

[Page] Heb. 6.The earth that drinketh in the raine that cōmeth oft vppon it, The fruit­ful blessed, the barren cursed. and bring­eth foorth hearbes, méete for them that dresse it, receiue the blessing of God, but the ground that beareth thornes and brieres is reproued, & is nigh vnto cur­sing, whose ende is to be burned.

Math. 3The Axe is put vnto the roote of the trée, euerie trée y ^t bringeth not foorth good fruite, is hewen downe and cast into the fire.

Luke. 13A certaine man saith Christ, had a fig trée in his vienyard, and hée came and sought fruite of it, and found none, and he saide, these thrée yéeres haue I come and sought fruite of this fig trée, and finde none, cut it vp, why doth it comber the ground.

Titus. 3And concluding with Saint Paulls wordes, because I may héereafter speake more of workes ioyned to faith, He that beleueth doth good. or rather springing of faith, let those that beléeue in God, goe on forward in all good works.

ConuersioIs there ought else that pertaineth to true repentance?

Rom. 6.Yea, amendement of life, conuersion, [Page 86] a newe life, S. Paull saith, Amende­ment of lyfe. as you haue giuen ouer your members seruants vnto vncleannesse and to iniquitie, from one in­iquitie, vnto an other, euen so now giue ouer your members seruants vnto righte­ousnesse, that you may be sanctified, for the ende of sinne is death.

If you will turne vnto me saith the Lord, and kéepe my cōmandemēts, 2. Esdras. 1 though ye were cast into the vtter most parte of heauen, yet I will gather you from thence, and I will bring you to the place that I haue appointed and chosen.

Wash you therefore, make you cleane, Esay. 1. put away your euill thoughtes out of my sight, cease from doing euill, learne to do right, applie your selues vnto equitie, de­liuer the oppressed, pelpe the fatherlesse to his right, let the widowes complaint come before you, yea though your sinnes were as red as scarlet, I shal make thē as whit as snow, and though they were like pur­ple, I shall make them as white as wool.

Let the vngodlie man forsake his owne waies, Esay 55. and the vnrighteous man his owne imaginacions, and turne againe vnto the Lord, and so he shall be merciful vnto him, and to our God, for he is redie [Page] to forgiue.

Ieremi. 7.Amend your waies & counsells, iudge right betwéene a man and his neighbour, oppresse not the stranger, the fatherlesse and the widow, shed no innocent blood in this place, cleaue not to strange Gods to your owne destruction, then will I let you dwell in the land.

Ieremi. 15If thou wilt turne thée againe, I shall set thée in my seruice, and if thou wilt take out the precious from the vile, thou shalt be euen as mine owne mouth.

Ezech. 16.Thincke vppon thy sinnes & be ashamed, excuse thy confusion no more whē I haue forgiuen thée al that thou hast done, saith the Lorde.

Ezech. 18When the wicked man turneth from the wickednesse that he hath done, and doth the thing that is equall and right, he shall saue his soule aliue.

Eod.Be conuerted, turne you cleane frō your wickednesse, so shall there no sinne do you harme.

Oseas. 11Turne to thy God, kéepe mercie and e­quitie, and hope still in thy God.

Ionas. 3.All the Nymuits euerie one turned from his euill way, from the wickednesse that he had in hand, and the Lord spared them.

[Page 87]Turne you therefore, saith the Angel, Tobi. 13. ye sinners, and doe righteousnesse before God. And be sure he will shew mercie vppon you.

Bring foorth fruites worthie of repen­tance, Math. 3 Saying without doing, is naught. Reuela. 2 and say not we haue Abraham to our father.

Remember from whence thou art falne, and repent and do the first workes, or else I wil come vnto thée shortelie and remoue the candelsticke out of his place, except thou repent. Ieremi. 11

When I take in hand saith the Lord to roote out, to destory, or to wast away any people or kingdome, if that people against whom I haue thus deuised, conuert from their wickednesse, I repent me of the plagues, that I deuised to bring vppon them.

Againe, when I take in hand to build, to plant a people or kingdom, if the same people or kingdome doe euill before mée, and héere not my voice, I repent of the good that I deuised to doe for them.

Blessed be that mercifull God. But tell mée can there none be saued without repentance, faith and conuersion?

Reuel. 2 Luke. 13.No father, for Christ sayeth, except you repent and doe the first workes, hée will come shortelie and remoue the candlestick out of his place, except, ye repent ye shall all perish.

Refusers to [...]epent.What will come or happen, to those that will not repent, hauing this good warning of the Lord?

[...]eremy. 22The Lord aunswereth by Ieremy the prophet, I gaue thée warning in the time of prosperitie, but thou saydest I will not heare, therefore thou shalt be brought to shame in thy wickednesse.

[...]om. 2Dost thou not knowe that the pacience and long suffering and kindnesse of God, leadeth thée to repentance, but thou after thy stubburne and hard heart that cannot repent, heapest vnto thy selfe wrath a­gainst the day of vengeance, when shalbe opened the righteous iudgements of God which shall reward euery man according to his déeds.

[...]euel. 2I gaue Iazabell time to repent sayth the Lord, of her fornication, but she would not, therfore will I kill her children with [Page 88] death.

Tell me (séeing that if we repent not, we shall perish, when and what time ought we to repent?

The Prophet Ioell sheweth and saith, what time we must repent. Ioel. 2. turne you vnto the Lord your God, spea­king in the presentense, that is euen now repent.

The holie Ghost saith, Heb. 3. to day if yée will heare his voyce, harden not your hearts.

Make no tariyng to turne vnto the Lord, and put not off from day to day, Ecclesi. 5 for sodenlie will his wrath come, and in time of vengeance he will destroy.

Thou saiest that a desperate man be­leueth neuer to be forgiuen, A despe­rate person and be deliue­red out of darkenesse, and that the sworde is alwaies before his eies, how shal a man or woman that hath committed some great and notorious sinne against the maiestie of almightie God do, to be deliuered from dispaire?

[Page] [...]dultery & murder [...]orgiuen. Great sins forgiuen.Let that man remember Dauid, who sinned a great sinne, he was an adulterer, yet when he repented, the Lord saide, thou shalt not die.

Let him remember Saint Peter, who sinned a great sinne, for he denyed his Maister, Good coun­ [...]ell against [...]esperatiō. and sworde, and cursed himselfe, if euer he knewe him, and yet when he re­pented, went out and wept bitterlie, the Lord forgaue him, and placed him in his former state.

Many sins [...]orgiuen.But what if your sinnes be many, these two sinned but in one or two thinges, once or twise?

Let vs remember Marie Magdelen possessed with vii. diuells, and acquainted with all sinnes, yet when she repented and washed Christes féete with teares, hée saide vnto her, Multa peccata tibi condo­nantur, propteria quod delixisti multū. Manie sinnes are forgiuen thée, for thou loued much.

What if our sinnes be filthie and loth­some?

[Page 89]Let vs consider the woman taken in adulterie, Filthie sin pardoned. euen when the déede was in do­ing, yet when she repented, Christ sayde, I will not condemne thée, goe and sinne no more.

What if our sinnes and offences bée knowen to euerie man?

Let vs remember that Saint Matthew was a tolle-gatherer, had openlie offended, Knowne and open sins forgi­uen. and his extorcion knowen all abroade, yet when Christ saide, sequere me, follow mée, he straight way obeyed his calling.

What if we haue béene naughtie euen from our youth?

Then let vs consider the thiefe that was hanged with Christ, Sins from our youth vsed, for­giuen. whome we ne­uer reade to haue done good, yet when he repented and saide, Lord remember mée when thou comest into thy kingdome, Christ aunswered Amen. Dico tibi hodie mecum eris in Paradiso. Verelie I saye vnto thée, this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.

What if I haue béene a cruell man and persecuter, shall I not dispayre?

The Lord forbyd, remember Saint Paull, a cruell persecuter of all that pro­fessed Christ Iesus, [...]ruelty [...]ardoned. and yet being called of the Lord, obeyed him and repented, and Christ saide. Iste est vas electionis mi­hi. This man is a chosen vessell vnto mée.

What if I haue hourelie fallen to sin, and from one sinne to another, and that euen by custome, then I may dispayre?

No Father, if we sinne seuen times in one day, [...]urely [...]nes for­ [...]en. no, seuentie times seuen times, and so oft repent, the Lord is mercifull and will forgiue, for the mercie of GOD is from euerlasting to euerlasting, he would not the death of a sinner, looke as a Father pittieth his owne children, euen so is the Lorde mercifull vnto them that repent and turne vnto him, [...]ayer. blessed be [Page 90] the maiestie of that mercifull God and lo­uing father, for euer and euer, Amen.

Sonne, thou sayest that sinnes be they neuer so great, so many, so filthie, yet if a man repent, the Lorde through Iesus Christ doth pardon and forgiue all, Clothed. but thou shewest me not of anie righteous­nesse wherewith the sinner shall be cloa­thed or couered from his nakednesse and sinne.

Father, Oscas. 2. after that we are washed from our sinnes, we are ioyned a newe vnto God, and cloathed with righteous­nesse and merits of Christ Iesus, for the Lord saith, I will marrie thée vnto my selfe for euermore, euen to mine owne selfe will I marrie thée, in righteousnesse, in equitie, in louing kindenesse, and mer­cie, in faith also will I marrie thée to my selfe, and thou shalt know the Lord.

Beholde saith GOD, zachary I haue taken thy sinne from thée, and I will now decke thée with chaunge of rayments.

[Page] Ezech. 36.I will power cleane water vpon you, and ye shall be cleane, a new heart will I giue you, and a new spirite will I put in you, I will restore you to your olde state, [...]et in their [...]ormer [...]ate. and shew you more kindnesse then euer you had before, I will giue my spirit amonge you.

Luke. 15The prodigall childe returning by re­pentance to his father, was forgiuen, and his father saide to his seruauntes, bring forth the best garment and put it on him, and put a ring on his hands, and shooes on his féece, and reioyce and be merrie, for this our sonne was dead, and is now aliue againe, he was lost, but is now founde.

Rom. 13,Let vs walke honestlie as it were in the day time, putting on the Lord Iesus Christ.

[...]phe. 4.We must laye away the olde manne which is corrupt, and put on the new man which after God is shapen, in true holi­nesse and righteousnesse.

[...]euel. 3He that ouercommeth, shall be cloathed with white aray.

[...]od.Buy of mée (saith Christ) I counsell thée, gold that is tried in the fier, that then thou may be ritch, and white rayment, that thou mayest be cloathed, and that thy [Page 91] filthie nakednesse doe not appeare, and anoynt thine eyes with eye salue, that thou maiest sée.

Long white garments were giuen to euerie one of them. Reuel. 16

Let vs be glad and reioyce, Reuel. 19 and giue honour to him for the marriage of the lābe is come, and his wife made her selfe ready, and to her was graunted, that she should be cloathed with pure and goodlie raines.

And concluding this with the words of the Euangelist Iohn: Reuel. 7. who behelde a great multitude in heauen which no man could number, of all nations, people, and tongues, that stoode before the seat, and the Lambe, clothed with long white gar­ments, and Palmes in their hands.

If we shalbe clothed with the mer­rits and righteousnesse of Christ Iesus, good work then it is not needefull for vs to doe anie good workes?

Yes Father, Ephe. 2. Created t [...] good work [...] for we are the workemā ­ship of God, created in Christ Iesu vnto good works, y ^t we should walke in him.

I haue made thée that thou mightest serue me saith God. Esay. 44.

[Page] Ephe. 1. Elected to good worksThe Lord hath chosen vs in him be­fore the foundations of the worlde were laide that we should be holy and without blame before him.

[...]o. 15.I haue chosen you saith Christ to goe and bring foorth fruite, and that your fruit should remayne.

Luke. 1 R [...]demed to good works.Christ hath redéemed his people, that they should serue him without feare, in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of their life.

I perceaue that all men are elected, created, redéemed, sanctified, and ordeyned of God to doe good, and to liue holelie. Name vnto mée some of those good works commaunded by God, that we shoulde walke in them.

The chiefe worke is faith.The first and principall worke of all other, and the spring or fountayne out of which all other works flow, and the foun­dation next vnto Christ, wherevpon all are buylded, sheweth our Lord and saui­our Iesus Christ, Io. 6. Faith the [...]hief work by his Euangelist Saint Iohn. This is the worke of God, that ye beléeue on him whome he hath sent.

[Page 92]Thou touchedst that worke of faith at large before (the Lorde Iesus increace our faith) but now procéede to the other.

Charitie, father, Charity. springeth and groweth out of this roote faith.

What is Charitie?

It is the loue of God for his owne wor­thinesse, and the loue of our neighbour, Charitie defined. for the loue we beare to our God.

First tell me of the loue of our God, and how he is to be loued?

Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soule, Math. 22. Luke. 10. with all thy minde, and with all thy strength. &c. Of this loue of our God, I haue spoken before.

What sayst thou of the loue of our neighbour?

Christ sayth, Luke. 10 thou shalt loue thine neighbour as thy selfe, aboue all thinges [Page] haue feruent loue amongst your selues, 1. Peter. 4 for loue shall couer the multitude of sinnes.

Rom. 13. Dilectio proximi malum non opera­tur, loue doth hurt none.

1. Io. 3We must loue saith saint Iohn, not in tongue nor worde onelie, but in déede and veritie.

1. Io. 3This is the commaundement of God, that we beléeue on the name of the sonne of GOD Iesus Christ, and loue one an other.

Math. 5It should séeme that euen brute beasts will loue those of whom they are fedde, the wicked man will after a manner loue them that loue him, what saist thou, ought we not to loue our enimies?

Math. 5Christ saith, loue your enimies, blesse them that curse you, doe good to them that hate you, pray for them that persecute you, that you may be the children of my father which is in heauen. Loue our enimies.

Is it enough to loue them, is no more required at our hands?

[Page 93]We can no more but loue them, Math. 18 how be it there is much contained in this word loue, for we must forgiue them. If thy brother offend against thée, thou must not onelie forgiue him seauen times, but seauentie times seauen times.

If thy brother trespasse, Luke. 17 Forgiue your eni­mies. rebuke him, and if hée repent forgiue him, and though he sinne against thée seauen times in one day, and seauen times in one day turne vnto thée, saying, it repenteth me, thou shalt forgiue him.

Is there yet any more contained in this word loue, but to forgiue?

Yea, we must pray for them, Pray for your eni­mies. for Christ saith, pray for them that hurte you, and persecute you.

Saint Stephen knéeled downe and cri­ed with a loude voice, Acts. 7. and prayed thus for his persecutors, lord lay not this sinne to their charge, and when he had thus spoken he fell a sléepe.

And concluding with Christes owne wordes, Luke. 23 he praied thus for those that cru­cified him, father forgiue them, they wot [...] not what they doe.

[Page]Is there any more that we must doe to our enimies?

Math. 5. Rom. 12Yea, we must loue them so, that we do for them what soeuer good wée are able, for Christ teacheth thus, doe good to them that hate you: if thine enimie hunger, féede him: if he [...]hirst, giue him drinke.

I perciue that all vertues and good workes procede of this loue, being a fruite of a liuelie faith.

Rom. 13Yea father, the whole lawe is fulfilled in this word loue, for whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe vnto you, euen so doe yée to them, for this is the lawe and pro­phets.

Io. 14,He that hath my commandements and kéepeth them, the same is he that loueth mée, and he that loueth mée, shalbe loued of my father, and I will loue him, and my father and I, will dwell with him.

Io. 4.God is loue, and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Io. 16.By this shall ye be knowne to be my disciples, if ye loue one an other.

[Page 94]If we examine our selues we shall finde whether we be in the faith or not, 1. Cor. 15. for the Appostle saith, proue your owne selues, know you not that Iesus Christ dwelleth in you, except ye be reprobates: and he in whom Christ dwelleth, 2. Cor. 5 hath crucified the flesh with affections and lustes, and is a new creature in Iesus Christ.

So that if we be the Children of God, Rom. 8. and loue one an other, Gods holie spirit will certifie vs thereof.

Any man may perceiue then, Religion. who is a man of God and sincere religion.

Yea, Io. 4. he that worshippeth one true God in spirit and truth, and loueth all men friend and foe, and hath crucified the olde man, and put vppon him the newe, and is become a new creature in Iesus Christ.

Pure religion and vndefiled before God the father is this, Iames. 1 to visit the father­lesse and widowes in their aduersitie, and to kéepe himselfe vnspotted of the world.

[Page] Almes.Is it a signe of men that be of perfect religion to helpe the fatherles, widows and poore, let mée héere how we ought to helpe them.

Deu. 15.If any of your brethren among you be poore, saith God, within any of your gates, in the land which I giue you, thou shalt not harden thy hearte, nor shut thine hand from thy poore brother, Giue and lend. but open thine hand and lend him sufficient for his néede.

Daniel. 4Oh King saide Daniell, be content with my counsell, that thou maist redéeme thy sinnes with almes, and thine offences with mercie to poore people, for this shall be an healing of thine error.

Tobi. 4.Giue almes of thy goods, and turne neuer thy face from any poore man, & then the face of the Lorde shall not be turned away from thée.

Be mercifull after thy power, if thou hast much giue plentiouslie. If thou hast little, doe thy deligence to giue of that little, for so gatherest thou thy selfe a good reward in the day of necessitie, for almes deliuereth from sinne and death, Almes re­warded. and suffereth not y ^e soule to come in darke­nesse.

[Page 95]The mercie that a man sheweth is as it were a purse with him, Eccle. 17 & the grace that is giuen to man, preserueth him as the ap­ple of an eye.

The bread of the néedy is the life of the poore, he that defraudeth him of it, Eccle. 34 is the child of death.

When thou giuest thine almes, Math. 6. let not thy left hand know what the right hande doth, that thine almes may be in secret. And the Lord which séeth in secret, Rewarded. shal re­warde the openlie.

Whosoeuer hath this worldes good, 1. Io. 3 and séeth his brother haue néede, and shutteth vp his compassiō from him, how dwelleth the loue of God in him.

What sayest thou to those that are vn­mercifull vnto the poore, and will not suf­fer them somuch as to gather the eares of corne, and to gleane in their fields?

I say they are wicked people, Leuit. 19. not yet receiued to be of Christs church, nor mem­bers thereof, for y ^e Lord commanded thus. When ye reape downe your corn fields, Gleaning. [Page] you shall not gather that which is behind in the haruest, but thou shalt leaue it for the stranger and poore.

I am the Lord.

Leuiti. 23.When you gather in your corne field, thou shalt not make anie after gathering of thy haruest, neither shalt thou make cleane riddance of the field, but shalt leaue it to the poore and stranger.

Company.Tell me what company wée ought to vse, if we be new creatures, & what com­panie eschue?

Exod. 23The Lorde saith, thou shalt not let the wicked dwell in the land, lest they make thée sinne against mée.

2. kings. 22With the Godlie thou shalt be Godlie, with the pure thou shalt be pure, with the froward thou shalt learne frowardnesse.

Iob. 31.He that ioyneth himselfe to wicked cō ­pany, shall not destruction come vppon him?

Ecclesi. 13.Who so toucheth pitch shalbe filed with all, & he that is familyer with the proude, shall cloth himselfe with pride.

[Page 96]Beare not the yoake with the vnbelée­uers, 2. Cor. 6. what fellowshippe hath light with darkenesse, what concorde hath Christ witst Beliall, wherefore come out from a­mong them, and touch no vncleane thing.

We require you brethren, 2 Thess. [...] in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, that ye with­drawe your selues from euerie brother that behaueth himselfe inordinatelie, and not after the institution that ye haue re­ceaued of vs.

Whose companie then must we vse?

I am a companion saith Dauid, Psal. 119 of them that feare the Lorde, and kéepe his com­maundements.

I will goe among the wise, Pro. 13 and learne wisedome.

With the holie, thou shalt be holie, Psalm. 18 & with a perfect man thou shalt be perfect, and with the cleane, thou shalt be cleane.

Thou maiest not dwell with vayne persons, Psalm. 2 [...] neither haue fellowshippe with the deceitfull, I haue hated the congrega­tion of the wicked, and will not sit among the vngodlie.

[Page] Mariage.Let me heare something of marriage, because thou hast omitted that point?

Gen. 1God the father did institute marriage in Paradise, and ioyned Adam and Eua [...] in mariage together, and saide, growe and in­crease, and replenish the earth.

[...]o. 2.Christ himselfe, his mother, and his disciples were presents at a marriage in Cana a Cittie of Gallelie, where he turned the water into wine, for confirmation thereof.

Tobias. 6.Take her in the feare of God, and more for children, then for lust, that in the séede of Abraham, Mariage [...]er procre­ [...]tion of [...]hildren, thou mayest possesse the bles­sing of Abraham.

There be almost none that denie mar­riage, but that it is lawfull for seculer peo­ple, & lay men to marrie, but not priestes and ministers, what saith the scripture therefore to them?

[...]. Cor. 7. Mariage [...]or auoi­ [...]ing of [...]inne.Thus saith Saint Paull, to auoide for­nication, let euerie man haue his owne wife, and euerie wife her owne husband.

If they cannot abstayne, let them mar­rie, it is better to marrie, then to burne.

[Page 97]Haue we not power to leade about a-woman, a sister, aswell as other Apostles, 1. Cor. 9 and as the brethren of the Lord, The Apo­stles maried. and Ce­phas, eyther I and Barnabas onelie haue not power this to doe.

Honorabile est inter omnes coniugium, Heb. 13 et thorus immaculatus. Marriage is hono­rable among all men, and a bed vndefiled, but as for whoremongers and adulterers, God will iudge.

Thou speakest generally of all men, that all may marrie, but tell me by ex­presse words perticularlie of Bishops or Ministers marriage?

A Bishop (saith Saint Paull) must be blamelesse, the husband of one wife, 1. Tim. 3. Bishops maried. and one that ruleth his owne house well, and that hath children in subiection with reue­rence.

The wiues of the ministers must bée honest, not euil speakers, but sober, 1. Tim. 3 Ministers married. and faithfull in all thinges.

Let the Deacons be husbands of one wife, 1. Tim. 3 Decons married. and such as rule their children well and their owne householdes.

[Page]I perceaue that all the Apostles almost were married, and I sée that Bishoppes, Ministers and Deacons, and all others may lawfullie marrie, why then was ma­riage made vnlawfull for Priestes?

[...]. Tim. 4Because that those that forbed the same were led by the spirite of errour, which thing Saint Paull did foreshew, and sayd, that the spirit of God spoke euidentlie, that in the latter daies many should de­part from the faith, Mariage [...]orbid. forbidding to marrie, and to abstaine from meates, both which the Lord had ordayned.

Baptisme.Procéede and tell me what thou saiest of Baptisme?

Math. 28It is an holie Sacrament instituted by Iesus Christ, for he sent his Apostles to preach and to Baptise, goe into all the world and preach the Ghospell to all crea­tures, and Baptise them in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holie Ghost.

Wherefore was this Sacrament in­stituted by Iesus Christ.

To be a seale of his promise, Acts. 1. for Sa­craments are seales of Gods promisses.

Iohn (saith Christ) baptised with water, Io. VVater & the holy ghost. Rom. 6. but ye shall be Baptised with the holie Ghost, after these fewe daies.

All we which are Baptised in Iesu Christ, are baptised to die with him, wée are buried then with him by baptisme for to die, for like as Christ was raised vppe againe from death by the glorie of GOD the father, euen so we all should walke in a newe life.

By his mercie (saith Saint Paull) he saued vs by the fountayne of the newe byrth, and renewing of the holie Ghost, Titus. 3 which he shed on vs abundantlie, through Iesus Christ our Lord.

Abraham receaued the signe of circum­cision, Rom. 4. as a seale of the righteousnesse of faith, that he should be the father of all that beléeue, though they were not circumcised.

So that you may sée father, that Bap­tisme is a seale to assure vs of the spirite of God, whereby we are regenerate and fullie certified to haue all our sinnes wash­ed away.

[Page] Children [...]hat dye [...]efore bap [...]isme.I pray thée sonne, tell me what thou thinkest of Children that die before they be Baptised, for in olde time we iudged them to be condemned, and buried manie in prophane places, and not in the accusto­med place of buriall.

Gen. 17.Consider Father, I pray you, that the Lord promised to Abraham, that he should be father of manie nations, and that kings should come out of his loynes, and that in his séede all nations of the earth shoulde be blessed, and he gaue him this signe of circumcision as a seale thereof.

Rom. 4.Faith was reckened for righteousnesse to Abraham, before he was circumcised, so that children being borne of christian and faithfull parents, dying without bap­tisme, are at no daunger, but in the hands of God, for Abraham was compted righ­teous before he was circumcised.

Acts. 10. Peter the Apostle being sent to Corneli­us, & preached vnto him, to his friends, fa­mely, euen while he was preaching, y ^e holy ghost fell on them all y ^e heard the preach­ing, & Peter said, cā any man forbid water that these should not be baptised, which haue receaued the holy ghost aswel as we, [Page 69] and he commaunded them to be baptised in the name of the Lord. Holy ghost giuen be­fore bap­tisme. You may perceaue father, that they were endued with the ho­lie ghost, before they were baptised.

Euen as baptisme nowe saueth vs not the putting away the filth of the fleshe, 1. Pet. 3. but in that a good conscience consenteth vnto God, through Iesus Christ.

The sonne of man came to saue y ^t which was lost, therefore despise them not. Math. 8.

Those y ^t are elected, Reuela. 1. hath Iesus Christ loued and washed from their sinnes in his bloud.

Non est voluntas coram Patre vestro qui est in coelis vt pereat vnus de pusillis istis. Mark. 18 I baptise (saith S. Iohn, Math. 3 with water vnto re­pentance, but Christ baptiseth with the holie Ghost, and with fier, so that all that the minister can doe is but baptise with water, besides prayer, but Christ either be­fore or after can baptise with the holie spi­rite, and therefore father, to iudge them to be condemned, whome Iesus Christ hath elected, created, and washed by his bloud, & regenerat by his holy spirit, is abominable.

If childrē may be saued without baptism, then it is but foolishnesse to vse y ^e same?

[Page]This Sacrament father, was institu­ted and commaunded by Iesus Christ, and therefore to be receaued, for as I said before, Math. 28 he commaunded his Disciples to goe into all the world and preach the ghos­pell, and baptise in the name of the Fa­ther, the Sonne, and of the holie Ghost. Which Sacrament was a seale, that the Ghospell being the power of God, Rom. 1 shoulde bring saluation to all those that should be­léeue.

Mark. 16He that beléeueth and is baptised saith Christ, shall be saued, and he that belée­ueth not shalbe damned, he that beléeueth not be he baptised or not baptised, circum­cised or vncircumcised, shalbe damned.

Rom. 3.The circumcision or washing of the heart, is true circumcision and washing.

What saiest thou to the Sacrament of the Lords supper, by reason I percea­ued you doe graunt to no moe?

Father, there be but two Sacraments, Baptisme, and the Lords Supper. And of Bptisme I haue spoken, and this other was also the ordinaunce of Iesus Christ, instituted in the same night that he was [Page 100] betraied he tooke bread, and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and gaue to his disciples and saide, take, eate, this is my body, and he tooke the cup and thanck­ed and gaue it them saying, drinke ye all of this, for this is the blood of the new Testament that is shed for many, for the remission of sinnes.

What was ment by this Sacrament?

It did signifie the deliuerance of his disciples & of all faithfull, Math. 26 Mark. 14 Luke. 22. out of the bon­dage of Sathan and prison of the Diuell, for this night saith Christ shall my body be slaine, and my blood shed out, for the re­mission of sinnes, for this night shall the shepperd of the shéepe be smitten, Luke. 2 [...] and the shéepe scatered, but behold, afterward will I goe before you into Gallalye.

Why did Christ institue this Sacra­ment?

First, to helpe our weaknesse being dull and slow to the vnderstanding of heauenlie thinges, he giueth vs sensible [Page] thinges, externall singes to bring our mindes by these outward singes to consi­der his inuisible graces.

Luke. 22. 1. Cor. 11And an other cause was to put vs al­waies in remembrance of his death and benefit of his passion, for he saith, doe this in the remembrance of mée.

As oft as ye eate of this bread, and drinke of this cup, ye shew the Lordes death till he come.

And an other cause there is that moued Christ Iesus to institute sacraments, that they might be linckes & bond of loue, vni­tie and concorde among our selues, for we haue but one God, Ephe. 4. one Faith, one bap­tisme.

1. Cor. 10. Vnus panis vnum corpus, but one bread, so all but one body.

Passeouer.There were Sacraments in the olde Law, as the passeouer, what did that sig­nifie?

Exod. 12It was a Lambe of a yéere olde with­out blemish, which was killed and the blood sprinkled, signifiyng this immacu­lat Lambe of God Iesus Christ, that tak­eth away the sinnes of the word.

[Page 101]The pascall Lambe put the people of Israell alwaies in remembrance of their bodelie deliuerance out of Egipte from Pharo, and from the filth and clay of the Land, by the power of God, by a migh­tie hand and stretched out arme.

So in like manner this Sacrament of the Lordes supper, 1. Cro. 11 signifieth to vs how that we are not onelie deliuered from a bodelie seruitude, but also from hell, the diuell and sinne, and that by the crosse, passion, Luke. 22. and blood shedding of our pascall Lambe Iesus Christ.

Séeing that this Sacrament is so wor­thie a misterie, tell me how we ought to communicate?

We ought to iudge and examine our selues, and then eate of that bread, 1. Cor 11 & drink of that cup.

If any man be defiled saith God, Num. 9. let him not eate of the passeouer, but it must be eatē with swéete breade & sower hearbe [...], so father is this Sacrament to be eaten, [Page] no vncleane person that hath not exami­ned himselfe, may eate threof. The passe­ouer was to be eaten with swéete bread and sower hearbes, so he that eateth this Sacrament must be contrite in heart, and his conscience vnleauened, that is, pure and cleane.

[...]euiti. 7.If any soule that is vncleane, eate of the flesh of the peace offering, the same soule shall perish from among his people.

[...]. Cor. 11Whosoeuer saith Saint Paull shall eate of this bread and drinke of the cup of the Lorde vnworthelie shal, be guiltie of the body and blood of the Lorde, and eateth and drinketh his owne damnation.

[...]eall pre­ [...]ns.Then belike in this Sacrament is the real presens of Christ his body and blood, so that this Sacrament is transsubstanti­all into his naturall bodie and blood, if ther be such benefit for the worthie receiuers, and so great perell to the vnworthie.

[...]uke. 22 [...]. Cor. 11No father, for it is but a memoriall of his death, and instituted for a remem­brance [Page 102] of the same, his naturall body with all partes and members thereof is ascen­ded into heauen, Heb. 1 and sitteth on his fathers right hand, Heb. 8. and shall abide there till the ende come.

How can the vnworthie receiuers bée in such daunger then?

Because they set at naught the ordinan­ces of Iesus Christ. And therefore saint Paull saith, he that despiseth Moyses lawe dyeth without mercie vnder two or thrée witnesses, how much sorer shall he be pu­nished that treadeth vnder foote the sonne of God, and compteth the blood of the tes­tament, wherewith he was sanctified, as an vnholie thing, and doth dishonour to the spirit of grace.

What punishment are they worthie of that refuse or negligentlie regard this institucion of Iesus Christ our Lore and sauiour?

[Page] Numer. 9The lord saith, that man y ^t is negligent to offer passouer in his due time, shalbe rooted out of his people and parish.

Heb. 10.He that treadeth vnder foote the insti­tucion of Iesus Christ, is worthie of death, because he doth dishonour to the blood of Christ, and to the spirit of grace.

Thou hast spoken well by these two Sacraments, baptisme, and the Lordes supper, being instituded by Iesus Christ, and therefore to be had in reuerence, as the seals of our saluation, but procéede, tel me what thou sayst of extreme vnction, for it should séeme that Saint Iames allow­eth of the same. Iames. 5

Iames. AnnoyntīgThe Appostle, father, speaketh of the ho­lie ghost in that same place, as we may perceiue by other places expounding what the annoynting is, the annoynting that dwelleth in you saith saint Iohn, teacheth you all thinges, Io. 2. and is true and no lye.

2. Cor. 1.It is God that stablysheth vs with you in Christ, and standeth by vs, and hath annoynted vs, which hath also sealed [Page 103] vs, and hath giuen vs the earnest of the spirit into our heartes.

When the spirit of truth commeth, Io. 16, he will lead you into all truth.

The spirit of God vpon mée, Luke. 4. because he hath annoynted mée, to preach the ghospell to the poore hath he sent mée, to heale the broken hearted, to preach deliuerance to the captiue, and sight to the blind. Frely to set at libertie those that are brused, and to preach the acceptable yéere of the Lord. So that the ministers or elders, ought to pray ouer the sicke and diseased, and to annoynte them with this oyle, which is Gods spirit, to certifie their consciens that their broken heartes are healed, that wher­as they were captiues, they are deliuered, whereas they were in darkenesse now lightned, being in bondage, True an­noynting by the spi­rit of God now set at li­bertie, whereas they were ouercharged with sinne, y ^e Christ had taken vppon him all their offences, and that now they wer acceptable offeringes vnto their GOD through Iesus Christ. And this is the annoyting that euery minister must an­noynt the diseased withall.

[Page] Ecclesia­sticall au­ [...]horitie.What saist thou of ecclesiastiall auctho­ritie and iurisdiction?

I say that they haue power and auctho­rity to excōmunicate & punish offenders, and when they repent, to receiue them in­to the congregacion againe, and absolue.

Iesus breathed on his disciples and saide, [...]o. 20. receiue the holy ghost, whose sinnes soeuer you remit, they are remitted, and whose soeuer sinnes ye retaine, they are retained.

The minister may binde, that is, preach the Law and curse thereof, Binding & loosing. to im­penitent persons that wil not regard their owne saluacion, and they may loose, that is, preach the gospell and glad tidings to those that repent vnfainedlie, Matb. 11 and would gladlie come vnto Christ to be refreshed.

Let me héere that they haue aucthoritie to excōmunicate, and power to receiue in­to y ^e congregacion againe, such as repent.

Leuiti. 13The Lorde commaunded that if any man should be a leper the Priest should looke vppon him, and if he iudged him to be a leper he should shut him out of the [Page 104] congregation vntill he were clensed.

Saint Paull speaketh of one that was a speciall Leper, 1. Cor. 5 who had cōmitted fornica­tion with his Mother in lawe, and wil­led the Corinthians to excommunicate him saying, deliuer the man that hath done this déede vnto Sathan, for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirite may be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus, put away the euill from among you.

What if the Leper be clensed, and the fornicatour be penytent, how must they be vsed?

The Leper shall come to the priest, Leuiti. 13 and if he be clensed, the Priest shall shew it to the congregation, that their brother being Leprous is healed, and after the offering commaunded by God, and he shal be receaued into the congregation againe.

So likewise if the offender repent and come to the Priest, hauing such aucthori­tie, he shall receaue him, and giue notise to the congregation whome he had offen­ded, that he hath repented, and so receaue him againe, offering an oblatiō of thanks giueing vnto the Lorde, for Saint Paull [Page] saith, Absolution [...]. Cor. 2. to whome you forgiue anie thing, I forgiue also in the sight of Christ, least Sathan should preuent vs.

[...]. Cor. 2.It is sufficient of the man, that he was rebuked of many, so y ^t now contrariewise ye ought to forgiue him, and to comforte him, least that same person should be swa­lowed vp with ouermuch heauienesse. Comfort the broken harted. Wherefore I exhort you, that loue may haue strength ouer him.

Ignorance,What if a man sinne ignorantly, is not that excusable?

Leuiti. 4No father, for the Lord commaunded, that if any man should sinne of ignorance and should doe any of the things that the Lord had forbidden in his commaunde­ments to be done, that he should bring for his sinne which he hadde sinned, an Oxe without blemish, or a Goat for a burnt of­fering, and the Priest shall make an at­tonement, and the sinne should be for­giuen.

If the blinde leade the blinde, saith Christ, both fall into the dytch.

[Page 105]That seruaunt that knew not his lords will and did it not, Luke. 2 shall be beaten with few stripes. So that ye may sée ignorance shall not excuse.

What saiest thou of holy water that was vsed of late yéeres? Holy wa­ter.

I say it was a ceremonie reproued by the Lord, speaking by Ieremie, Ieremi. 2. the people haue forsaken mée, the well of the water of life, and haue digged themselues pitts, yea, vile and broken pitts, that can holde no water.

Ye are like to those that goe downe to the graue, Baruc. 3 euen because ye haue forsaken the well of wisedome.

Yea, Nume. 19 but the scripture maketh mention of sprinckeling water, and saith, he that toucheth any vncleane thing, shall be vn­cleane, vntill he be sprinckeled with the sprinckeling water.

That was accounted a ceremonie [Page] ordayned by God the father, to signifie that all were vncleane, except their hearts and consciences should be sprinckled with the water of life, zachar. 1 [...] which the Prophet Za­chary speaketh of the house of Dauid and the Citizens of Ierusalem shall haue an open well to wash of sinne and vncleane­nesse.

zachar. 14In that time shall the waters of lyfe runne out of Ierusalem, then shall there be but one Lord onelie, and his name shall be one.

Ieremy. 17They haue forsaken the Lord, euen the waters of life.

[...]o. 19 Sprincklīg VVater.One of the souldiers, when Iesus was vpon the Crosse, with a speare thrust him to the heart, and there out came bloud and water, this is that sprinckeling water wherewith we are clensed, so that I will conclude with Christes owne wordes to Peter, [...]o. 13. Holy wa­ [...]er. when he washed the Disciples féete with water, Peter saide, Lorde thou shalt neuer wash my féete, but Iesus saide, if I wash thée not, thou hast no part with mée, so that vnlesse we be washed with this water by Iesus Christ, we shall neuer be cleane, & this water of life being come that sprinckeling water (you speake of in [Page 106] the ceremoniall lawe) is taken away, sée­ing the verie thing it selfe is come, the shadow or figure is abolished.

What doth the scripture speake of frée will? Free will.

Since the fall of Adam, Ieremi. 10 there was none that had frée will, for Ieremie the pro­phet saith. I know Lord it is not in mans power to order his owne waies, or to rule his owne footesteps and goings.

Who can haue vnderstanding of the meaning, except thou giue him wisedome, Wisd. 10 and send the holie Ghost, that the waies of them that be vpon earth may be reformed.

What I would doe, doe I not, Rom. 7 but what I hate, that doe I, to will is present with mée, but I finde no meanes to performe that which is good.

It is God that worketh in you, Phillip. 2 both the will and also the déede, euen of good will.

We are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues, 2. Cor. 3 but if we haue béene able vnto any thing, All good­nesse com­meth of God. the same commeth of God, which hath made vs able to minister the newe Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit.

Euil coun­sellers.What saiest thou of euill counsellers, for many great men delight therein.

Math. 16I say they are diuels incarnate, marke the words of Christ, when he was shewing his Disciples that he must suffer death for the sinnes of the world, Peter his ser­uaunt called him aside and saide, Maister, fauour thy selfe, saue thy selfe, but what aunswered Christ Iesus, when he hadde turned that all might heare, Openly re­proued. he said to Pe­ter, goe after me Sathan, for thou sauou­rest not the things that be of God, but the things that are of men.

I pray God that all noble men, Gen­tlemen, and Land-lords, hauing stewards and seruaunts that moue them to fauour themselues, to liue daintely in this world, to oppresse their poore tenaunts, to en­haunce their rentes, to pill and poll them, to driue them out of their houses, and doe ioyne house to house, and lande to lande, that they would aunswere them openlie to their shame, Euil coun­sellers are diuells. and say, come after mée sa­than, thou art an impe of the Diuell, and a messenger of death, thy Maister Sathan hath sent thée to gette my soule (which [Page 107] Christ Iesus bought with his precious bloud) for a little pleasure to be tormented in hell for euer, for what will it gayne me if I winne all the world, and léese my soule.

God graunt that all Land-lords would so doe, for then God should be glorified, the poore well relieued, they themselues more honested, and in the ende rewarded, the Realme by a strong and mightie com­monaltie strengthened, and her Maiestie by dutiefull subiectes, dread, feared, and honoured. But procéede, tell me what is the ende commonlie of such euill coun­sellers?

If Sathan their Maister sée that through them he cannot preuayle, 2. king. 17 he will doe with them as he did with Achetofell, for when Absolon did not follow the coun­sell of Achetofell his most trustie counsel­ler, Euil counsellers hanged. Achetofell went home & set his house in order, and hanged himselfe, ye may sée y ^t when Sathan by his naughtie counsell could not come to his purpose, to obtaine the more, yet he tooke the lesse.

Some there be that will not onelye moue their Maisters to mischiefe, but also mocke the poore when they crie and com­playne. Mockers. What saiest thou of these?

Math. 27Will ye thinke much to suffer reproch, mockeing and derision, Christ our King and Sauiour was derided, they that pas­sed by when he was vpon the Crosse re­uiled him, wagging their heades and say­ing, thou that destroyest the Temple of God, and buildest it in thrée dayes, saue thy selfe, and the high Priestes likewise mocked him.

Iob. 30,The fooles and villaynes saith Iob, make me their song, & I am become their iesting stocke.

4. king. 1Little children came from Bethell, and mocked Elizeus and saide, goe vp thou bald head, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord, and two shée Beares came out of the wood, and tare them in péeces. Ye may sée that mockers shall be punished.

Mercilesse men.What sayest thou of such vnmercifull men, that mocke and oppresse the poore, what shall become of them?

Except they repent they shall all pe­rish, Iames. 2 for he shall haue iudgement (saith S. Iames) without mercie, that sheweth no mercie, for mercie reioyseth against iudge­ment.

Iudge not, that ye be not iudged, Math. 7 con­demne not, that you be not condemned, for with what measure soeuer you méete to others, with the same measure it shalbe measured vnto you againe.

The Lorde will not be slacke in com­ming, nor tary longe, Ecclesi. 36 till he haue smitten in sunder the backes of the vnmercifull, till he haue reuenged himselfe of the cruel.

Well sonne, Sacrifices. leaue these mercilesse men to the good pleasure of God, and procéede to tell with what offerings and sacrifices of man, is the Lorde best pleased.

He that is mercifull and giueth almes, Eccle. 35 Almes. offereth a right thancke offering.

A troubled spirit, Psalm. 51, a broken and contrite heart, is an acceptable sacrifice.

[Page] Psal. 54.An offering of a frée heart will I giue thée, and praise thy name, oh Lord, because it is so comfortable.

Psal. 112.He that is merciful, louing & righteous, and guideth his wordes with discretion, offereth a swéete sauour vnto the Lorde.

Heb. 13To doe good and to destrybute forget not, for with such sacrifice God is pleased. By Iesus Christ we do offer sacrifice of land alwaies to God, [...]o [...]. that is to say, the fruite of those lyppes which confesse his name.

Rom. 12Chiefelie we ought to make our bodies a quicke sacryfice holie and acceptable vn­to God, which is our reasonable seruing of God.

VenganceVnto whom belongeth vengance?

Rom. 12,Vnto the Lorde, for vengance is mine, and I will reward, saith the Lorde.

Psalm. 94.O Lord God to whome vengance be­longeth, thou God to whome vengance belongeth, shew thy selfe.

Humble and poore.Shall not the humble and poore bée once exalted and holpen?

Yes father, Christ saith, Luke. 18 he that exalteth himselfe shalbe brought low, and he that humbleth himselfe shalbe exalted.

He hath put downe the mightie from their seat, Luke. 1 and hath set vp the humble and méeke.

What saist thou by these land-lordes and other vnmercifull and wicked men, Euell ex­ample. that do not onelie wickedlie, but also giue euill example to others.

It were better for them that a Mil­stone were hanged about their necks, Luke. 17 and that they were drowned in the depth of the sea, for wo be vnto them by whom the offence commeth.

Whereof ought we to glorie or reioice? Glory.

The Prophet Ieremie saith, Ieremi. 9 let not the wise man reioyse in his wisdome, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the rich man in his riches, but let them reioyce in this that they knowe mée, sayth the Lord.

[Page]Let him that reioyceth, reioyce in the Lord, for he is made vnto vs wisdome and righteousnesse, and sanctifiyng, and re­demption.

In the beginning almost, thou toldst mée that all thinges néedefull for saluati­on, wer contained in the booke of life, and also all other thinges necessary for the good gouerning of a christian, which thou hast proued, but tel me now why we ought to liue so precisely as thou hast shewed.

1 For diuerse causes, first because the 2 Lorde our God hath so commaunded, se­condlie, because thereby we shewed our selues to be louing vnto is Maiesty, and obedient to his holy will & good pleasure.

3 Thirdly because we haue enimies that lye in waite for vs, to draw vs from our God into perdicion.

4 And lastly, because we shall all once appeare before the Maiestie of allmightie God, to giue a iust accompt, and make a streight reckning of our selues, and of all our thoughts, wordes and workes, the Lord respecting no person, but iudgeing euerie one according to their déedes.

Let me know first what those enimes are that are so lusty and carefull, or rather watchefull to drawe vs from God, that they may haue somthing wherewith they may accuse vs in the day of the Lord, and so bring vs to perdicion.

The Diuell, the worlde, and flesh.

Describe vnto me the qualities and force of that enimie the diuell, and Sa­thanas?

Iob witnesseth that the Lorde called his people before him, Iob. 1. and Sathan appea­red also. The diuel searcheth euery place And the Lord demaunding of Sathan where he had béene, he aunswered and saide, I haue béene through the world and séene it.

Iesus said to his disciples, Luke. 22. The diuell tryeth. Gen. 3. Craftie. Sathan hath desired to sift you as it were wheate.

The serpent the diuell was subtiller thē euery beast of the field, which the lord hath made.

There was a man named Goliath of 1. King. 17 [Page] the Philistines host of six cubits and an hand bredth longe, A strong enimie & wel armed & weapo­ned. and had an helmet of brasse vppon his head, and a coate of male about him, and the waight of his coate of male was fiue thousand sickles of brasse, and had boots of brasse vppon his legges, and a shéeld of brasse vppon his shoulders, and the shaft of his spear was like a wea­uers beame, and the head of his speare weyed six hundred sickles of Iron, A blasphe­mer of God Arailir. and he blasphemed God, and rayled vpon the host of Israell.

Iob. 40, A strong enimie & mightie.Behold the beast Behemoth, loe how strong he is in his loynes, & what power he hath in the nauell of his body, he sprea­deth out his taile like the Ceder trées, all his veines are stiffe, his shinnes are like pipes of brasse, and his rydge-bone was like staues of Iron.

A great deceuer. Leuiathan dare not thou draw out with an angle, no manne is so cruell that dare stir him vp, when thou thinckest to haue hold vppon him he shalbeguile thée, he hath horrible téeth round about, his bodie is couered with scales, as it [Page 111] were shéelds lockt in, kéept and well com­pact together, his weysing is like the glist­ring fier, and his eyes like the morning shine, out of his mouth goe torches, & out of his nosthrells there goeth a smoke, like as out of an hote pot, his breath maketh the coles burne, He is ne­uer wery. and the flame goeth out of his mouth, in his necke remaineth strength, and there is nothing to laborious for him, he is as fast as the stithie that the Smith beateth vppon, there may neither speare, Iauelen, or brestplate abide him, he setteth asmuch by straw as by iron, he setteth asmuch by a roten sticke as by brasse, a sword hurteth him not, he mak­eth the déepe to boyle like a pot, The diuel is a king ouer al chi [...] dren of pride. and stir­reth the sea like an oyntment vppon the earth, there is no power like his, for he is so made that he feareth not, and he is a kinge ouer all Children of pryde.

The Diuell is a lyer, Math. Lyer. and the fa­ther of the same thing, euen from the be­ginning.

From the time of his creation hée was right excellent, Ezech. 31 tyll wickednesse [Page] was found in him.

Lucifer. Zachar. 13The Angell shewed me Iosua that hye Priest standing before the Angell of the Lorde, and Sathan stood at his right hand to resist him, and the Lord saide, the Lord reproue thée Sathan. Once an Angel, but now a di­uell. Io. 13. A tempter Ephe. 6.

The diuell put in the heart of Iudas to betray Christ.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against rule, against power, against wordlie rulers, euen gouernours of the darkenesse of this world, against spiritu­all craftinesse in heauenlie thinges.

[...]. Peter. 5. A [...]ror [...]ng [...]on.Your aduersarie the diuell goeth about like a roaring lyon séeking whom he may deuoure.

[...]euel. 2Behold saith Saint Iohn, the diuell shall cast some of you into prison & tempt you, and you shall haue tribulacion tenne daies.

[...]euel. 9 [...]ferior [...]rits.I saw a star fall from heauen vnto the earth, and to him was giuen the key of the bothomles pit, and there came out of the smoke that arose out of the pit, Locust vp­pon earth, and to them was giuen power, and they had a king ouer them of the bo­thomles pit.

And his name was called Abdon in [Page 112] Hebrue, but in greke Apolliō, a destroier. A great dragon. Reuel. 12

The great Dragon, an olde Serpent, the Diuell and Sathanas, the accuser of the brethren, that deceaueth the world.

The Dragon and all the beastes that rose vp with him, An accuser Reuel. 13 blasphemed the God of heauen, and his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heauen, and hée had power giuen to warre with the saints and ouercome them, and all people and na­tions worshipped him, whose names were not written in the booke of life, and of the lambe which was killed, from the begin­ning of the world, and to euerie one that worshipped him, was giuen a marke in their hande or foreheade, else they coulde not be permitted to buy or sell. And thus Father, you may perceaue the strength, subtiltie, craft, and falsehood of this beast, yea, this deadelie enemie our aduersarie, that runneth daylie through the worlde, like a roaring Lion, séeking whom he may deuoure.

I tremble and quake to remember this great Dragon, this olde Serpent and destroyer, tell mée therefore or thou pro­céede anie further, howe I and euerie man [Page] and woman may escape his power, and kéepe vs out of his hands.

Father, as you sée that Sathan is strong and well armed, so ought we to be well weaponed, and besides, manly soul­diers, fighting vnder the banner of Iesus Christ, who hath ouercome, and conque­red this enemie in his owne person, Armour of a christian wée must stande saith Saint Paull, and our loynes gyrded with the truth, hauing on the brestplate of righteousnesse, Ephe. 6, and ha­uing shooes on our féete, that we may be prepared for the Ghospell of peace: aboue all, Truth. Righteous­nesse. Peace. Faith. VVord and prayer. let vs take vnto vs the shielde of faith, wherewith we may quench the fierie dartes of the wicked, and take the helmet of saluation, and the sworde of the spirit which is the worde of God, and pray al­waies with al manner of prayer and sup­plication in the spirite.

1. Thes. 5 Faith and hope. Loue. Iames. 4Be watchfull and sober, armed with the brestplate of faith and loue, and with hope of saluation for an helmet.

Submitte your selues vnto GOD, and resist the Diuell, and hée will flie [Page] from you.

Be sober and watch, 1. Peter. 5 for our aduersa­rie the Diuell goeth about like a roaring Lion, séeking whome he may deuoure, whome resist stedfast in the fayth, know­ing that the same afliction is appoynted vnto your brethren that are in the world, but the Lorde Iesus shall after that wée haue suffered a little afliction, settle, strength and stablish vs, to whome there­fore be prayse for euer.

We must fight with him, 1. king. 17 as Dauid did with Goliath, he saide to Goliath, I come vnto thée in the name of the liuing GOD, and in his name I shall subdue thée, and so he did.

Sathan will séeke to sift you like wheat, Luke. 22. Faith. but resist him by fayth, and let them that be strong (saith Christ) helpe their bre­thren.

Sathan will tempt you, Reue. 2 but be faith­full to death, and I will giue thee faith the Lorde, the crowne of life.

The Saincts of God ouercame him by the bloud of the Lambe, Reuel. 12. and by the worde of his testimonie, and they loued not their liues vnto the death.

[Page] Cōclusion.So that although this Dragon the Diuel, maketh warre with the people and saincts of God, and with all them that haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ, yet if we, like manlie souldiers resist him by faith, we shall ouercome him by the bloud of the Lambe Iesus, and that Dragon will flée away, for all the souldiours of Christ are called, Faith. and faithfull, and chosen, and kéepe their garments vpon them, that men sée not their filthienesse.

Blessed be that Lambe for euer, through whose precious bloud wee are deliuered from this roaring Lion, Those that [...]ied before Christ. and alwaies in­crease our faith, so that it growe daylie more & more. But sonne, what became of our forefathers that died before Christ suffered his death, and destroyed Sathan, and deliuered vs, were not all in the pow­er and handes of the Diuell before that time?

Wisd. 3.The Lord forbid, the righteous were in the handes of God, so that no torments did touch them. And besides, Saint Iohn saith, Reuel. 13 that Christ was a slayne Lambe [Page 114] from the beginning of the world, for the beastes fell downe before him and wor­shipped him, and saide, Reuel. 5, thou wast killed from the beginning, and hast redéemed vs by thy bloud, and hast made vs vnto our God kinges and priestes, and we shall raigne euer.

Oh thincke vpon thy congregation, Psal. 74. Conclusiō. whome thou hast redéemed and purchased of olde.

By which father, you may well per­ceaue, that euen those holy, faithfull, and vertuous men that were before Christ, came in the fleshe, were saued by his death, for the Diuell was conquered by Christ before the foundations of the world, his promise also to Adam was yea, and Amen, but reuealed to vs in the time that the Lord had appointed. 1. Cor. 10 All which holie fathers drunk of that spirituall rocke Christ, which we drunke off, and saued as we are. For Saint Paull saith, our fa­thers passed all through the sea, and were Baptised all vnder Moses in the cloude, and in the Sea, and did all eate of one spi­rituall meate, and they all dranke of one spirituall Rocke that followed them, which Rocke was Christ.

Goe on Sonne, to the other enemies, the worlde, and flesh?

Math. 4These are instruments whereby the Diuell and Sathanas worketh, to bring man to perdition, for the Diuell tempt­ing Christ, shewed all the world in the twinckeling of an eye, and sayde vnto him, Hec omnia dabo tibi: All these will I giue thée, if thou wilt fall downe and worship mée.

1. Tim. 6They that desire to be ritche saith Saint Paull, fall into many temptations and snares of the Diuell, and into manye foolish lustes, which drowne into perditi­on and destruction, for couetousnesse of monie, is the roote of all euil, which while they lusted after, they erred from the faith, and entangleth themselues with many sorrowes, In exhor­ [...]ation to [...]ee the [...]orld. but thou man of God, flée such thinges, followe righteousnesse, god­linesse, fayth, peace, loue, pacience, méeke­nesse.

[...]say. 48. Egrediamini de Babulone vt saluet v­nusquisque anima sua. Come from the world, and saue thy soule.

[Page 115]Flée from the world (saith Christ) for in the worlde ye shall haue tribulation, Io. 17, but in mée peace.

Beholde all the worlde is set on wic­kednesse. 1. Io. 5

Euerie one that séeth the world, Nah. 3. should goe from it.

The worlde and all the concupisences thereof, shall passe away. Io. 2.

The ritch man of all the worlde, Iob. 25. when he dieth, carrieth nothing away with him.

The Diuell deceaued the ritch man that Christ speaketh off, Luke. 12. and perswaded him that he should liue long, and he ther­fore willed his owne soule to eate, drinke, and take his ease and pleasure for manie yéeres in the worlde, with his worldelie ritches, but Christ tolde him, that the Di­uell that night should haue his soule, ther­fore beware good Father of these practi­ses of Sathan, for the worlde will deceaue such as trust therevnto.

What meanes are there for men to resist this eneime?

Exod. 20.A remembrance of the commaunde­ments of God, which hath taught that we shoulde not so much as desire any thing pertaining to our brethren, Tim. 6. that we should not carefullie séeke ritches, for thereby men fall into snares of the Diuell, and that the worlde passeth away, and yet the sinner remayneth, and that the worlde­lings fall downe and worship Sathan, math. 4 therefore we ought to séeke an other place then this worlde: for, non habemus hic ci­uitatem manentem, sed futuram inqueri­mus, we haue héere no byding place, but looke for an other, that is an heauenly.

Heb. 13Our conuersation must be without couetousnesse and loue of this world, and bée content with that which we haue al­readie.

1. Io. 2.So that as Saint Iohn saith, if anie man loue the worlde, the loue of God the father is not in him, for the worlde passeth away, and all the lustes thereof.

What sayest thou of the flesh?

[Page 116]Al that is in the world saith saint Iohn, 1. Io. 2 is the lusts of y ^e flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and pride of life, these are not of the fa­ther, but of the world, but the world pas­seth away, & the lusts thereof, but he that fulfilleth the will of God abydeth euer.

These déedes of the flesh are these, Gall. 5, a­dultery, fornicatiō, vncleannesse, wanton­nesse, worshipping of Images, witchcraft, hatred, variance, strife, wrath, enmity, sects, drunckennesse, gluttony and such like, but they which commit such things shall not be inheritours of the kingdome of Christ and God, vnto these doth Sa­than tempt man.

How are the fleshlie acts and diue­lish temptacions to be refused?

They are te be resisted and withstand by heartie and deuoute prayers. Math. 17

For whereas there was a certaine man that came vnto Christ for his sonne that was lunitick, he tauld him how that he had brought him to his disciples, that they might heale him, and they could not, and after when he had healed him his dis­ciples [Page] demaunded secretlie how that they could not cast out that diuell, Fleshly di­uel cast out by fasting & praier. and he said, because of your vnbelefe, how be it this kinde goeth not out but by fasting and prayer.

Tobias. 6.The Angell saide to yoūg Tobyas, I will tell thée of whome the diuell hath power, namelie of such as receiue, meaning that they shut GOD from them, and from their hearts, and giue themselues to lust, like horse and Mule that haue no vnder­standing.

Math. 26Christ warned his disciples, that they should watch and pray, least they should fall into temptation, for the spirit is wil­ing but the flesh is wéeke.

1. Cor. 9I tame my bodie and being it into sub­iection, saith Saint Paull, least by anie meanes it come to passe that when I haue preached to others I my selfe should be a castaway.

Gall. 6.So father, we must cast away the works of the flesh, and receiue the fruites of the spirit, which are these, loue, ioye, peace, long suffering, gētlenesse, goodnesse, faith­fulnesse, meakenesse, temperance, for tru­lie they that are Christs haue crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts.

Let mée héere who are soldiers vnder this great dragon the diuell, Sathan souldiers. what cog­nizaunt or badge they beare, that they may be knowne, and what destruction cō ­meth vppon them?

Euerie one that confesseth not Iesus Christ to be come in the flesh, The diuels souldiers. 1 Io. 4 is a souldy­er of Sathan.

He that committeth sinne, Io. 3. is of the diuell, for the diull sinneth from the begin­ing, whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God, neither he that hateth his brother.

Hée hath power ouer all people and kindreds, and tongues, and nations, Reuel. 13 and all that dwel vpon the earth, whose names are not written in the booke of life of the Lambe.

He is the Captaine ouer all that wor­ship diuels, and Images of gold, Reuel. 19 and sil­uer, and brasse, and stone, and of wood, which neither can sée, heare, nor go, of all murderers, fornicatours, sorcerers, Impenitēt persons are his souldi­ers. and théeues which repent not of the déedes of their handes.

Many souldyers then hath the diuell vnder his banner, if all naughtie men that repent not of the déeds of their owne handes, be his: but what will the Lord do to them, if they amend not; and come home to their God?

Reuel. 8Saint Iohn telleth, that their plauges shall come in one day, death and sorow, and hunger, and they shalbe burnt with fier, for strong is the Lord God, which shal iudge them.

Rom. 1There shall come tribulacion, wrath, and anguishe vppon euery soule of them.

Tell me who are souldyers vnder Christes banner, and what reward shall they haue?

Reuela. 16Those that watch and kéepe their gar­ments, that they walke not naked, so that men may sée their filthienesse.

Io. 4.He that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God.

[Page 118]They that kéepe his commaundements and doe those thinges that are pleasant in his sight, and this is the commaundemēt, Faith and loue are badges of Christs sol­diers. that we beléeue on the name of his sonne Iesus Christ, and loue one another, as he hath giuen commaundement.

They are buried by baptisme, Collo. 3 but rai­sed againe by faith.

They haue their conuersation in heauen from whence they looke for a saui­our, euen the Lorde Iesus Christ. Phillip. 3

They beléeue onely in Christ Iesu. Gall. 3.

I beheld saith Saint Iohn, Reuel. 7, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nacions, people, and tongues that stood before the seat and the Lambe, clothed with lōg white garmēts & palmes in their handes, they are they that came out of tribulation and made their garmentes white with the blood of the Lambe, ther­fore are they in the presence of God, and serue him day and night in his temple, and he that sitteth vppon the seat will dwell among them, they shall hunger no more, neither thirst, neither shall the sunne light on thē any more, neither any heat, for the Lambe which is in the mid­dest of the seat shall féed them and lead [Page] them vnto fountaines of liuing water, and God shall wipe away all teares from theire eyes.

Let vs pray against these enimies, the Diuell, world, and the flesh.

A prayerO Lord God and mercifull father, the diuell goeth about like a roaring Lyon séeking whome he may deuouer, the flesh lusieth against the spirit, the world per­swadeth vnto vainities, that we may for­get thée, and so for euer [...]e damned, thus are we myserablie beset & be séeged on e­uerie side with cruel and restles enimies, and like at euerie moment to perish, if we be not defended by thy mightie hand a­gainst their tiranny, we therefore poore and wretched sinners, disparing of our owne strengthes, which in déede is none, most heartely pray thée to endue vs with strength from aboue, that we may be a­ble with strong faith to resist Sathan, with feruent prayer to mortifie the luste of the [Page 119] flesh, with continuall meditation of thy holy Law to auoide the foolish vanities & transitory pleasures of this wicked world, and béeing set at libertie from the power of these our mortall enimes, may serue thée in true holynesse and righteousnesse, & after be partakers of thine euerlasting ioies prepared for thy Children, which as they are great and vnspeakable, so are they few that do enioye thē, for straite is the way, & narrow is the gate that leadeth therevn­to, and few therebe that finde it. Notwith­standing thou hast a little flocke, to whom it is thy pleasure to giue that ioyfull king­dome, whose names are written in the booke of lyfe, make vs of that number for Iesus Christ his sake, & place vs amongst those shéepe that shall stand on thy right hand, and receiue that blessed inheri­tance, and dwell with thée for euermore. Amen.

[Page] Iudgement generall.Graunt this O Lord for Iesus Christ his sake. Well procéede sonne, is there once a reckning to be made and an accompt to be giuen, before whom shall that reck­ning be, and who shall recken?

That straight accompt and reckning shalbe before the maiestie of that terry­ble and fearful God & iudge Iesus Christ, and they that shall recken are all people, kindreds and tongues, good and bad, that haue béene, are, or shalbe till the ende of the world come, and that fearefull iudge­ment bée.

Resurrec­tion.How shall the dead be raised vp, if all shalbe iudged?

Trumpe. 1. Cor. 15With the sound of Gods trumpet father, for the trumpe shall blowe, and the deade shall rise incorruptable, and we shal be chaunged, for this corruptable must put on incorruption, and this mortall, shal put on immortalitie.

[Page 120]In that day shall the great Trumpet be blowen, Esay. 23 so that they which were lost in the land of Assyria, and those that were banished into the lande of Egypt, shal come and worship the Lord in the holy mount at Ierusalem.

The Lord shall crie with a great shout from his court regall, Ieremi. 2 he shall giue a great voyce like the grape gatherers, and the sounde thereof shall be heard to the ende of the world.

The Lord shall roare out of Sion, Amos. 1 and shew his voice out of Ierusalem, that the heauens and earth shall quake with­all.

He shall sende his Angells with the great voice of a Trumpet, Math. 24 and they shall gather together his chosen from the foure winds, euen from the highest partes of heauen, to thendes thereof.

The Lord God shall blowe out the Trumpet, zachary. & shall come foorth as a storme out of the south.

The Lorde shall disend from heauen with a shout, 2 Thess. and the voice of the Archan­gell and trump of God.

I will blow for them, zachar. 1 and gather them together saith the Lorde, for I will re­déemed [Page] them.

Thus by the sounde of the Trumpet, shall all be raysed vp from death.

The Lorde be mercifull vnto vs.

The remembraunce of the voyce of the Trumpet terrifieth mée, which shall bée hearde in Heauen, Earth, and Hell, but procéede, howe shall men rise?

[...]ob. 19 Iob saith, I knowe that my redéemer liueth, and that I shall rise out of the earth at the last daye, and shall bée cloa­thed agayne with my skinne, and shall sée GOD in my fleshe, yea, and I my selfe shall beholde him, not with other, but with these same eyes.

[...]say. 26The deade menne shall lyue (sayeth GOD) euen with their bodies shall they ryse agayne, awake and singe, thou that dwellest in the dust, for thy dewe is euen as the dewe of Pearles, and the [Page 121] Earth shall cast them out that bée vnder her, the earth shall disclose her owne bloude, and shall no more hide them that are slayne in her.

Beholde (saith the Lorde) I will o­pen your Graues, Ezech. 37 and take you out of your Sepulchers, and bring you out of the lande of Israell: againe my spirit shall I put in you, and ye shall liue.

Many of them that sléepe in the dust of the earth, shall awake, Dan. 12▪ some to euer­lasting life, some to perpetuall shame and reproofe.

There shall bée a resurrection both of iust and vniust. Good and bad. Acts. 24,

For by Christ shall all menne liue, 1. Cor. 13 and GOD shall giue to euerye one his owne bodye at his pleasure. For when the Trumpe shall blowe, the deade shall ryse incorruptable, and bée chaunged.

[...] terrible lay.Iesus be mercifull vnto vs. Procéede, tell me now of this terrible day of iudge­ment?

[...]say. 13.The day of the Lord shall come terri­ble, full of indignation, furie, and wrath, to make the lande wast, and to roote out the sinnes thereof, for the Starres and Pla­nets of heauen shall not giue their light, the Sunne shall be darkened in the mor­ning, and the Moone shall not shine with his light, I shall shake the heauen, and the earth shall remoue out of her place, saith the Lord of hostes.

[...]say. 14Hell be-neath trembleth to méete the Lord at his comming.

[...]say. 24.The earth shall réele too and fro like a drunken man, and shall be remoued out of her place like a tent in one night, and the iniquitie thereof shall be heauie vpon it, it shall fall and not rise agayne, in that day shall the Lorde visite the hoste that is on high aboue, and the kinges that are vpon the earth, and they shall bée gathe­red [Page 122] together, and they that be in pryson: the Moone shall be abashed, and the Sunne ashamed, when the Lord of hostes shall reigne in Syon and in Ierusalem with worshippe, and in the sight of such as shall be of his counsell.

Beholde, Esay 28. there commeth a vehement and sore day from the Lord, like an vn­measurable hyll, and perillous tempest, euen like the force of mightie and hor­rible waters, that violentlie beareth downe all thinges.

The earth shall bée visited of the Lorde of hostes, with Thunder, Esay. 29. Earth­quake, and a great noyse with storme and tempest, and with the flame of a con­suming fier.

The heauens shall vanish away like smoake, Esay. 5 [...] and the earth waxeth olde like a cloth, and they that dwell therein shall pe­rish in like manner.

The verie fishes of the Sea, Ezech. 3 [...] the foules of the ayre, the beastes of the fielde, and all people that are vpon the earth, shall tremble for feare of mée (sayth the Lord) the Hilles shall be turned vpside downe, the stares of stone shall fall, and all the walles shall sincke to the grounde.

[Page] [...]oel. 2.The day of the Lord commeth, and is harde at hande, a darke day, a glouming day, a cloudie day, yea, a stormie daye, be­fore the Lord shall be a consuming fier, and behinde him a burning flame.

Micheas. 1The mountaynes shall consume vn­der him, the valleys shall cleaue a sunder, like as waxe consumeth, and like as wa­ter runneth a pace.

[...]. Pet. 3. The world shall perish [...]y fier.The heauen and earth that are nowe to be kept by his worde in stoore, and reserued vnto fier agaynst the daye of iudgement and perdition of vngodlye men.

[...]opho. 1The great day of the Lord is at hand, it is harde by, and commeth on a pace, horrible is the tidings of the Lords daye, then shall the Gyants crye out, for the day is a day of wrath, and of trouble and hea­uinesse, a day of vtter destruction and mi­serie, a darke and glouming daye, a clou­die and stormie daye, a daye of noyse of Trumpets and Shalmes, Trumpets & shalms. agaynst the strong Citties, and high Towers.

[...]euel. 6I sawe the Sunne as blacke as sack­cloth, and the Moone as bloud, the Starres fell from Heauen, the Heauen vanished away, euen as a scrolle that rooled toge­ther, [Page 123] and all mountaynes and Iles were remooued out of their places, the great day of his wrath is come, and who is able to endure.

Christ himselfe saith, Math. 24 the Sunne shall bée darkened, and the Moone shall not giue her light, the Starres shall fall from hea­uen, and the powers of Heauen shall be mooued, and then shall appeare the token of the Sonne of manne in Heauen, then shall all kinredes of the earth mourne, when they shall sée the Sonne of manne come in the cloudes of Heauen, with pow­er and great glorie.

Mercifull God, deliuer vs on that ter­rible and dreadefull daye of vengeance and wrath, shielde vs vnder thy winges, and couer vs with thy fethers. But tell mée of that Iudge, before whome we must make our appearances.

The Lorde Iesus shall shewe hym­selfe 2. The [...] [...] from Heauen with his Angells [Page] of his power, and with a flaming fier.

Math. 25The sonne of man shall come in his glorie, and all the holie Angells with him, and then shall he sitte vpon the seate of his glorie, and before him shall be gathe­red all nations.

Daniel. 7.The olde aged satte him downe, and his cloathing was as white as snowe, and the haires of his heade like pure wooll, his Throne like the fierie flame, and his wheeles as the burning fier, a thousande serued him, and tenne thousande times tenne stoode before him, the iudgement was set, and the bookes opened.

Reuela. 1Beholde saith Saint Iohn, hée com­meth with cloudes, and all eies shall sée, and they also that pearsed him, and all kinreds of the earth shall waile ouer him.

Oh great and mightie GOD, merciful father, The iudgement not [...]scaped. be mindefull of thy people whome thou hast bought with thy precious bloud. Goe on, tell mée Sonne, if none can escape this iudgement, neither by witte, pollicie, strength, ritches, by hiding or couering [Page 124] themselues, nor by anie other shift.

No Father, Reuel. 20 none shall escape that euer were, are, or shall be, to that day. For S. Iohn saith, I sawe the deade both small and great, stand before God, and the bookes were opened, and the Sea gaue vppe her deade which were in her, and death and Hell deliuered vp the deade that were in them.

There shall be Kinges of the earth, Reuel. 6, great men, and ritch men, and chiefe Captaines, and mightie men.

We must all appeare before the iudge­ment seate of Christ, 2. Cor. 5. that euerie man may giue accompt of his workes.

All mightie men and Princes of the earth, Esay. 14 and all Kinges of the earth shall stande vp from their seates, that they may aunswere and speake vnto the Lord.

The glorie of the Lorde shall appeare, Esay. 40 and all flesh shall at once sée it.

All flesh shall come to worship before mée, saith the Lord, Esay. 66. and they shall goe foorth and looke vpon the carrions of them that haue transgressed against mée.

[Page] Amos. 9They shall not flée away, there shall not one escape, nor be deliuered, though they were buried in hell, my hande shall fetch them from thence, though they clime vppe to heauen, yet shall I cast them downe, though they hide themselues on the toppe of Carmell, yet shal I séeke them out, and bring them from thence, though they créepe downe from my sight into the depth of the Sea, I shall commaunde the Serpent there to bite them.

Math. 25Iesus Christ shall sende his Angells with the great voyce of a Trumpet, and they shall gather together his chosen from the foure windes, euen from the highest parte of heauen, till the endes thereof. Thus father, you may sée that this iudge­ment cannot be secaped.

Sonne, the Lord comforte vs. What saiest thou, shall there be no warning be­fore the Trumpet bée sounded, Sodenly. and all summoned to iudgement, but shall it come vnwares and sodainely.

[Page 125]Christ saith, if we shall not watch, Reuel. 3 hée will come as a théefe, and we shall not knowe what houre he shall come on vs.

The day of the Lord shall come as a théefe in the night, 1. Thes. 5 for when they shall say peace, then shall sodaine destruction come vpon them, euen as sorrowe vpon a woman in traueile, and they shall not es­cape.

Of that day and houre saith Christ, Math. 24 knoweth no manne, but my Father one­lie, for as it was in the daies of Noa, they eate and dranke, married, and were mar­ried, builded and planted, vntil Noa went into the Arke, and the floude came and tooke them all away. So shall the com­ming of the Sonne of man bée. Watch therefore, for ye knowe not what houre the sonne of man will come.

The Lord giue vs grace to be watch­full. What shall the Lorde doe, when all people, kinredes and tongues, and nati­ons, are set before him?

Partition Math. 25He shall seperate the good from the bad, euen as a shepperd parteth the shéepe from the Goats.

Ezech. 34.I will saith the Lord, put a pertition, and make a difference among the shéepe, among the weathers, and Goats.

Math. 25Hée shall sette the shéepe on his right hande, and the Goates on the left hand.

Christ helpe vs, but howe shall the Lorde Iesus among all the people of the worlde, knowe which are good to set them on his right hande, and the euill, and place them on his left hande?

Father, the Lorde séeth and knoweth all thoughts, words, and workes of all men, hee séeth from euerlasting to euer­lasting, there is nothing hid frō his eyes, and besides, they shall all bée marked, the faithfull and good with the marke of the Lambe Iesus. The wicked shall haue in their handes or foreheades the Beastes marke.

[Page 126]The Lord saide to one that had a lin­nen rayment vpon him, Ezech. 9 and a writers Incke-horne by his side, goe thy way through the Cittie of Ierusalem, sette a marke vpon the foreheades of them that mourne, and are sorie for all the abhorci­ons that are done therein.

And to an other he saide, goe after him through the Cittie, slay, ouer sée none, spare none, kill and destroy, both mē, and young maides, children, and wiues, but as for those that haue the marke vpon them, sée thou touch them not.

An Angell hauing the seale of the li­uing God in his hande, Reuel. 7 and he cryed to the foure Angels that haue power ouer the Earth, and sayde, hurte not the Earth, neyther the Sea, neyther the Trées, till I haue sealed the seruaunts of GOD in their foreheads.

The names of the good are written in the Booke of life of the Lambe. Reuel. 3

They haue his name, Eod. and his Fathers name written in their foreheads.

When the Lorde woulde smyte the firste borne in Egypte, Exod. 12 and delyuer his owne people, he commaunded that all his owne people, euerie householde shoulde [Page] kill a Lambe late at night, and sprinckle the doore chéekes and postes of the doore, with the bloud, so that when the destroy­er should come, he might sée the bloud, and might passe by that house, and not smite it. So in like manner, whosoeuer haue their hearts and consciences sprinckeled with faith in the bloud of the Lambe Ie­sus, the destroyer in the day of vengeance shall not hurt, but destroy the Egiptians, that is, the wicked that haue receaued the beasts marke.

Not paci­fied.The Lord our God sprinckle our hearts with that bloud. Sonne, I haue brought thée a little from the purpose, but turne a­gaine to it, and tell mée if the Lord will not be a mercifull God at that time, and soone entreated?

Pro. 6.Mercifull? no Father, not mercifull but iust, full of wrath and indignation. Salo­mon compareth the Lord to a Iellious husbande, the Ielousie and wrath of the man will not be intreated, no not though thou wouldest offer him great giftes to make amends, he will not receaue them.

[Page 127]There is no daise-man betwixt GOD and man. Iob. 9.

When he is wrath, the earth shaketh, Ieremy. 10 all the Gentiles may not abide his indig­nation.

Heauen and earth shall remoue in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, Esay. 13. and in the day of his fearefull indignation.

Neither their siluer nor their gold shal be able to deliuer them in that wrathfull day of the Lord, Sophony. 1. but all the whole lande shall be burned with the fier of Ielousiie.

Beholde, Amos. 2 I will crash you in sunder like as a waine crasheth that is full of sheaues, so that the swift shall not escape, neyther the strong doe any thing, no, the Gyant shall not be able to saue his owne lyfe.

I will not spare, because he persecuted his brother with the sworde, destroyed his mothers wombe, bare hatred verie long, and so kept indignation alway by him.

Who may abide his wrath, Nah. 1. or who is able to abide his grymme displeasure, his anger taketh on like fier, and the hard rockes are clouen asunder.

[Page]He shall be like a Beare that is raui­shed of her whelpes, euen full of wrath and indignation shall the Lord be in that day.

Good God, what shall we doe, séeing there is no mercie, but that Clausae sunt ianuae, the gates of all mercie are shutte vppe, and iustice drawen out. Cognosce­tur dominus iuditia faciens. The Lorde shall bée knowen to execute iustice and iudgement. Procéede to tell mée when all people, kinreds, and tongues, are araigned before this terrible iudge, Plead guiltie or not guiltie. and pleade guyl­tie, or not guiltie, what shall the iudge ob­iect or lay to their charge, what will he saye to the faithfull on his right hande?

Math. 25He shall say, Oh ye blessed children of my Father, when I was hungrie, you gaue mée meate, when I was thirstie you gaue mée drinke, Blessed. when I was harbour­lesse, you lodged mée, when I was naked, you cloathed mée, when I was sicke and in pryson, ye came vnto mée and visited mée.

And shall they aunswere any thing?

Yea father, for the Lord saith, Esay. 14 there shall be all mightie men of the earth areigned, and Princes, and kinges, and small, and great, shall stand from their seates, that they may all aunswere and speake vnto the Lorde.

They shall aunswere, Math. 25 Lorde Iesus when sawe we thée an hungered and féed the, thirstie and gaue the drinke, harbour­les and lodged thée, naked and clothed thée, sicke and in prison, and cam vnto thée? he shall aunswere and say, in asmuch as ye haue done it to the least of these my bretheren, you haue done it vnto mée.

What speach shall his Maiestie vse to the wicked on his left hand?

Oh ye cursed of my father, Cursed. when I was an hungrie you gaue mée no meate, when I was a thirst ye gaue me no drinck, when I was harbourlesse, ye lodged mée not, when I was naked yée clothed mée [Page] not when I was sicke and in prison ye came not vnto mée to visit mée, and they shall aunswere, Lorde when saw we thée an hungrie, or a thirst, or harbourlesse, or naked, or sicke, or in prison & came not vn­to thée, he shall say in asmuch as ye did it not to these my brethren, ye did it not to mée.

Iesus God, if the Lord cōdemne them that helpe not their bretheren, what will he do to the vnmercifull, that robbe him, that taketh meate, drinke, apparell, lodg­ing, relefe, and all from him, euen fleaing the skin from the bone, as much as lyeth in them?

The Lorde or they passe away will reward them for all, as you shall heare afterwardes.

Well sonne, who shalbe present to heare all causes pleaded, and what witnesse shall there be against y ^e wicked, for I am sure that the Lorde will haue all men sée that [Page 129] hée dealeth iustly and vprightlie with­all?

True it is father, VVitnes­ses. 2. Cor. 5 there shalbe present all Angells, Archangels, & all the hosts of heauen, there shalbe all Saints and righteous, all wicked, and vngodlie that euer were vppon the face of the earth, young and olde. There shalbe the great Dragon, the diuell, & Sathanas, with all the rable of hell-houndes and damned spirits, for Saint Iohn saith, Reuel. 20. that he sawe the dead, both great and small stand before God, and the bookes were opened, which is the booke of life, and an other booke was opened and the dead were iudged of those thinges that were written in the booke ac­cording to their déedes.

Wherby we may learne y ^t the bookes wer their cōciences, layd abroad to al y ^e world. Consciēces. It is a sore thing whē a mans owne cōci­ence beareth witnesse and recorde of his wickednesse and condemmeth him. Wisd. 17

He that speaketh vnrighteous thinges cannot be hidde, and why, Wisd. 1. inquisition shall bée made for the thoughts of the vngodly, and the reporte of his wordes shal come vnto God, so y ^t his wickednesse [Page] shalbe punished.

Eod.There is nothing so hid that shall not be reueled.

Luke. 22There is nothing so couered saith Christ, that shall not be vncouered, neither hid that shall not be knowen.

I sée then that euerie thing shalbe o­pened, for I haue heard that a mans con­cience is quasi millie testis. As a thou­sand witnesse, but what other witnesses will there be.

God him­selfe a wit­nesse.GOD himselfe who séeth all thinges from the beginning shall be both the iudge and witnesse.

Malachi. 3I my selfe saith the Lord, will be a swift witnesse against al witches, against aduoulterers, against false swerers, against those that wrongfully kéepe backe the hyrelinges dutie, which oppresse the stran­ger, and hurt the widowes and Father­lesse.

Cor. 10.The Lorde will come and open the thinges that are in darkenesse, and declare the counsell of Princes, and then shall euery one haue praise of God.

What other witnesses will there bée against the wicked? VVorks.

Their owne workes, in fine hominis denunciatio operum illius, at the ende of man, there is a declaration of their works. Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord, Reuel. 14 euen so saith the spirit, that they rest from their labours, but their workes followe them.

The Appostle Saint Paull teacheth all men that they learne to excell in good works, Titus. 3 that they be not vnfruiteful in the Lords daie.

My deare brethren be stedfast and vn­moueable, 1. Cor. 15. alwaies rich in the works of the Lorde, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lorde.

What, are there any more witnesses?

The Diuell that great dragon as saith saint Iohn, which deceiued all the world, Diuell a witnesse. the accuser of our brethren which accuse them before God day and night.

[Page] 1. Peter. 1That aduersary the diuel like a roare­ing Lyon séeketh whom he may deuoure.

Lorde God what shal the worme-eaten conscience then doe, what shall the vn­mercifull and couetous man say?

Luke. 23. Decent montibus cadite super nos, they shall say to the mountaines fal vppon vs, and to the hills couer vs from the face of the Lorde. Oseas. 10

Esay. 2Then shall they séeke to crepe into holes and caues, and rockes, for feare of God, but they cannot escape.

Reue. 6They shall couet to hi [...]e themselues in dennes and Rockes of the Hills, and shall say vnto the rockes, fall on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sit­teth on the seate, and from the wrath of the Lambe. For the great day of his wrath is come, and who is able to en­dure.

Reuel. 9At that time shall men séeke for death, and shall not finde it, they shall desire to dye, and death shall flée from them.

Can there none hide themselues?

I tould you before father, Amos. 9 that although they were buryed in hell, the hand of the Lorde would fetch them from thence, though they clyme vp to heauen, yet will hée cast them downe, though they hide themselues vppon the tope of Carmell, yet will he séeke them out, and bring thē from thence, though they could créepe in­to the déepe of the sea, yet hée will com­maund the Serpent there to byte them.

Father of heauen be mercifull to vs. Well goe on, seeing that euerie one must abyde the sentence of God, and his straite iudgement, tell mée now what will fo­low?

Then shall the Lorde Iesus Christ call those on his right hand, and say, come ye blessed of my Father, Math. 25 inherite the kingdome of heauen prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde.

[Page]I perceiue that the faithfull, mercifull, and righteous, shall then be blessed, and without all feare. But what shall he say to the wicked?

Reuel. 12First when they are areigned, ther shal stand before them a terrible & most feare­full Iudge on the one side, Wisd. 17 Malach. 3. Reuel. 14, 2. Peter. 3. Math. 25 their workes accusing on the other side, the Diuell and all hell-hounds to draw them away: with in them, their conscyence crying out a­gainst them, on euerie side the whole world burning vnder them, hell and dam­nation wide open to swallow them, the fier of paine therin to bunre them, the sen­tence of Iesus, thus shall be then pronon­ced. Goe you cursed of my [...]ather into euer­lasting fier prepared for the Diuell and his Angells, after which curse they shalbe presēly cast into a lak [...] of fier & brimstone, Math. 3 where the fier neuer quencheth, and the worme neuer dyeth, and haue euerlasting paine.

Procéed, tell me what shall become of y ^e Diuell, death, and damned soules and bo­dies then?

Saint Iohn saith, Reuel. 20 that death and Hell shall be cast into a lake of fier, which is the second death.

The beast and the false Prophetes were taken, Reuel. 19 and cast quicke into a ponde of fier, burning with Brimstone, and all that had the beasts marke.

The wicked shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God, Reuel. 14 which is powred in­to the cup of his wrath, and shall bée pu­nished in fier and Brimstone, VVher punishment neuer en­deth. before the holie Angells, & before the Lambe, and y ^e smoak of their tormēts ascēdeth euermore.

The damned shall sucke the Gall of Serpents, Iob. 26. & the Adders tounge shall slay him, so that he shall no more sée riuers of Honie and Butter.

The wicked shall be turned vnto hell, & all they that forget God, Psalm. 9 so that vpon thē shall the Lord ra [...]e fier and Brimstone, storme and tempest, this shal be their por­tion to drink.

In that daye, the Lord with his sore, Esay. 27. Christ con­quered Sa­than and destroyed his power. great, and mightie sworde, shall visite Leuiathan the fugetiue serpent, euen Leuia­than that crooked serpent, & shall slay the Dragon that is in the sea.

[Page] Esay. 30. Hell in the depth pre­pared for Kings, so that none are spared.The fier of paine is ordained from the beginning, yea, euen for kinges it is pre­pared, this hath the Lord set in the depth, and made it wide, the burning whereof is fier and much wood, and the breath of the Lord, which is a riuer of Brimstone, doth kindle it.

Esay 3 [...]The wicked saith God, shall conceaue stubble, and beare straw, and my spirit shal be as fier, that it may consume, and the people shall be burnt like lime, and as thornes burne that are hewed off, and cast into the fier.

Esay. 34.They shall be so chaunged, that they shall be as blacke as a pot, my sword shall come downe in iudgement, and vpon the people which I haue cursed for my venge­aunce, The paine & fier shal continue euermore. thy folke shall be t [...]rned to pitch, & his earth to Brimstone, therwith shall y ^e land be kindled, so y ^t it [...]hall not be quen­ched day nor night, but smoake euermore.

Esay. 66.Their carrions shall lie and be looked vpon, their wormes shall not die, neither shall their fier be quenched, and all flesh shall abhorre them.

Iudeth. 16The Lord shall giue fier and wormes into their flesh, that they may burne and féele it for euermore.

[Page 333]Thunder-boltes, hills, Wisd. 5 waters of the sea, flouds shall runne roughlie together, a mightie winde shall stande vppe against them.

Their ioye shall be turned to sorrow, Baruch. 4 for fier shall fall vpon them from the e­uerlasting God, long to endure, and shall be inhabited of Diuells,

The wicked will the Lord burne with vnquenchable fier, Math. 3 there shall be wéeping and gnashing of téeth. Mark. 13

The fearefull and vnbeléeuers, Reuel. 21 and ab­hominable, & murderers, and whorrmon­gers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all lyers shall haue their part in the lake that burneth with fier and Brimstone, which is the second death.

And Christ thus concludeth, that they shall be bounde [...]ande and foote, and cast into vtter darken [...]sse, where is wéeping and gnashing of téeth.

The Lord make our hearts stable and vnblameable, 1. Thess. 3 in holinesse before God our Father, at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ, with all Sainctes, Amen. [Page] Procéede, tell mée now of the ioye prepa­red of God, for his electe and chosen.

Reuel. 28,I sawe saith Saint Iohn, a newe hea­uen, & a new earth, new Ierusalem come downe from heauen prepared as a bride garnished for her husbande, [...]oye. and I hearde a great voyce from heauen saying, beholde the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himselfe shall bée with them, and be their God, and GOD shall wipe away al teares from their eies, and there shall be no more death, neyther sorrow, neyther crying, neither shall there be any more paine, for the olde thinges are gone.

Reuel. 21They shall sée his face, and his name shall be in their forehead [...], where shall ap­peare the brightnesse of God.

Reuel. 14They shall drinke of the well of the water of life.

They shall rest from their labours.

Gen. 1.The Lord himselfe will be their re­ward.

Reuel. 7They shall bée in the presence of the seate of God, and serue him day and night in his Temple, and he that sitteth in the seate, will dwell among them, they shall [Page 134] hunger no more, neither thirst, neither shall the Sunne light on them, neither a­ny heate, for the Lambe which is in the middest of the seate, shall féede them, and leade them vnto fountaines of liuing wa­ter, and God shall wipe away all teares from their eies.

They shall stande before the seat of the Lambe, Eod. cloathed with white long gar­ments, and Palmes in their hands.

They shall singe night and day, saying, Reuel. 4 Holie, holie, holie, Lord God almightie, which was, and is, and is to come.

In the kingdome of heauen shall the Lord of hostes make vnto all people a feast of plenteous & delicate dishes, Esay. 25 euen of most pleasaunt and daintie dishes.

The Lord of hostes shall be a crowne of glorie and di [...]mond of beautie, Esay 28. vnto his faithfull people.

Iacob shall not bée confounded, Esay. 29. nor his face pale.

The rewarde of righteousnesse, Esay. 32. shall bée rest, peace, and quietnesse, for euer.

There shall Sion bée séene, Esay. 33 the head Cittie of our solemne feast, there shall thine eyes sée Ierusalem, that glorious habitation and Tabernacle, that neuer [Page] shall remoue, [...]eauen. whose nayles shall not bée taken out worlde without ende, the Ma­iestie of God shall be there present among vs, Maiestie [...] God [...]ene. [...]dge. [...]aw-giuer [...]ing, Sa­ [...]iour. as a place where broade riuers and streames are, for the Lord is a Iudge, the Lord is our Law-giuer, the Lord is our King, and he himselfe is our Sauiour, the lame menne runne after the pray, there lyeth no man that sayeth I am sicke, but all euill is taken away from the people that dwell there.

[...]say. 35They shall florish pleasauntly and bée ioyfull, and euer be giuing of thanks more and more, [...]hanks [...]ueing. euerlasting ioye shal they haue, pleasure and gladnesse shall be among them, and as for all sorrow and heauines shall vanish away.

[...]say. 60.The Lord himselfe shall be their euer­lasting light, and their God shall be their glorie.

[...]zech. 37Their children, and their childers chil­dren shall dwell in that lande for euer­more, [...]hrist. and my seruant Dauid shall be their euerlasting prince, and I will be among them for euermore.

[...]uke. 5Reioyce and be glad, for great shall your reward be in heauen.

[Page 335]They shal be equall (saith Iesus Christ) with the Angells, Luke. 20. and are the sonnes of God, for asmuch as they are the children of the resurrection, for all men liue vnto him.

They shall eate and drinke with Ie­su Christ in his kingdome, Eod. 23 and sit on seats iudgeing the twelue Tribes of Israell.

They shall giue prayse, glorie, Rom. 2 and im­mortalitie to God.

They shall alwaies be with the Lord saith Saint Paull. 1. Thess. 4

They shall be Kinges and Priestes of Christ, Reuel. 20 and shall raigne with him a thou­sande yeares.

And concluding that which hath no ende, with the words of Saint Paull, 1. Cor. 2. the eye hath not [...]e, the eare hath not heard, neyther hath it entred into the heart of man, the ioye that God hath prepared for them that loue him.

Thou hast brought euerie thing to per­fection which I desired to knowe, let vs ende therefore with makyng ou [...] [Page] humble & hartie prayers vnto God, thank­ing his Maiestie for all his gracious and mercifull benefites, therfore beginne thou, and I will pray with thée.

A Prayer. O Lorde Iesus Christ, the Sonne of the euerliuing God, by whom all things were made, are ruled and gouerned, as of thy loue for our redemption, thou did­dest not disdayne to be our mediatour, and to take vpon thée our nature, in the wombe of a most blessed Virgin, purelie and without sinne, by the operation of the holy spirit, that both [...]hou mightest in thine owne person, wo [...]derfully beautifie and exalt our nature, and worke the same in vs, also for abolishing the guiltinesse of sinne by redemption, then sinne it selfe by death, and last of al death, by raising again these our bodies, that they may be like to thine owne glorious and immortall bo­die, according to the power wherewith thou art able to subiect all thinges vnto [Page 136] thée. And as of thy loue for our redempti­on, thou becamest manne, and that most poore and afflicted vppon earth by the space of thrée and thirtie yéeres, in most humilitie, & payest y ^e price of our rāsome, by thy most bitter death & passion, for y ^e which I giue most heartlie thanckes vnto thée, so of the same thy loue towards vs in thy good time, thou wilt come againe in the cloudes of heauen with power and great glorie, with flaming fire, with thou­sandes of Saints, with Angels of power, with a mightie crye, shout of an Archan­gell, and blast of a Trumpe, sodenlie as a lightning that shineth from the East, when men thincke least euen as a thefe in the night, when men be a sléepe. Thou wilt so come [...]us sodenlie in the twinck­ling of an eye, all men that euer haue béene, be, or shal [...], with women and Chil­dren, appearing before thy tribunall seate, to render an accompt of all thinges which they haue thought, spoken, or done, a­gainst thy Lawe, openly and before all Angels, Saints and Diuells, and so to re­ceiue the iust rewarde of thy vengance, if they haue not repented and obeyed thy Ghospell, and so depart from thée to the [Page] Diuell and his Angells into hell fire, which is vnquenchable, and of paines in­tollerable, easeles, endles, hopels euen from the face of thy glorious and migh­tie power.

But if they haue repented and beléeued thy Ghospell, if they bée found watch­ing with their lampes, and oyle in their handes, if they be found redie apparel­ed with the wedding garment of innocen­cie, if they haue not hardened their hearts and hourded vp the treasure of thy ven­gance in the daye of wrath to be reueled, but haue vsed the time of grace, the ac­ceptable time, the time of saluation, that is, the time of this life, in the which thou stretchest out thine hand and spread­est thine armes, calling and crying vn­to vs to come vnto thée, which art méeke in heart and lowlie, for thou wilt ease all that labour and bée heauie laden.

If they haue visited the sicke and prisoners, comforted the comfortlesse, féed the hungrie, clothed the naked, lodged the harborles.

If they haue not lodened their hearts with gluttonie and surfeting, and careles­nesse [Page 337] of this life.

If they haue not digged and hid their Tallent in the ground doing no good ther­with, but haue béene faithfull to occu­pye thye guiftes to thy glorie, and haue washed their garments in thy blood by harty repentance.

Then shall thy Angels gather them to gether (not as the wicked which shall bée collected as fagots and cast into the fire) but as the good wheate that is ga­thered into thy barne.

Then shall they be caught vp to méete the in the Cloudes, then shall their cor­ruptable bodie put on incorruption, then shall they bée endued with immortalitie and glorie, th [...] shall they bée with thée and goe wheyth [...]r thou goest, then shall they hreae come [...]lessed of my Father, possesse the kingdome of heauen pre­pared for you from the beginning, and then shall they bée sette on seates of Maiestie, iudgeing y ^e whole worlde, then shall they reigne with thée for euer, then shall God bée all in all, with them & to them, then shall they enter and inherite [Page] heauenlie Ierusalem and the glorious rest­full land of Canaan, wher it shal alwaies be day and neuer night, where is no man­ner of wéeping, teares, infirmities, hunger, cold, sicknesse, enuie, mallice, nor sinne, but alwaies ioye without sorrow, mirth without measure, pleasure without paine, heauenlie harmony, most pleasant melo­dy, saying and singing, holie, holy, holie, Lord God of hosts: finally, the eye hath not séene, the eare hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man, that they shall then inherite and most surelie enioye, although héere they be tormented, prisoned, solicited of Sathan, tempted of the flesh, and entāgled with the world, where through they are enforced to crye, come Lord Iesu, oh gracious GOD, let vs finde such mercie with thée, that we may repent, beléeue, hope and looke for these thinges, with full fruition of those heauenlie ioyes, which thou hast prepared for al them y ^e feare thée. And so rest w ^t thee for euermore, graunt this oh Lord and sa­uiour Iesu Christ for thine owne name sake Amen.

[Page 138]I Thought it my dutie sonne, to bring thée vp in vertue and knowledge, and in the feare of God, whereof I haue ap­posed thée, and I thanck GOD thou hast profited well, God graunt that thou in­crease from vertue to vertue, vntill thou be a perfect member of Iesus Christ, so that through thée, God our heauenly father may be glorified, his kingdome increased, Sathan abolished, superstition and Ido­latary rooted out, the cōmon welth beauti­fied, thy brethren and neighbours releaued, and I comforted: and graunt that all people, kindreds and tongues, may in the fearefull day of the Lorde be found stable and vnblameable, in holinesse, and so reigne with thée God our heauenlie father in his eternall kingdome, through the blood of y ^e la [...]be Iesus Christ, who liueth and [...]igneth one true, eter­nall, immortall and euerli­ing GOD, world with­out ende Amen.

Graunt this O Lorde and heauenlie father, for Iesus Christ his sake, Amen.

Well sonne depart, apply thy studye, the God of my fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, blesse the and prosper thy labour in the Lorde, Amen.